- AN: Alrighty. It's been a while. I'm really sorry about the extremely late update, but here it is. Chapter Two of Rain. I'm currently working on the third chapter, but I don't know when I'll be able to get it done. I will try to update sooner than this though. Once again, thanks for reading!!! Please don't forget to review!!! I live off them. -

Rain Chapter TwoInuYasha walled silently down the hallway, heading to the child's room. Said child was currently leeched onto his neck, occasionally nuzzling against his neck in sleepy, childish reassurance that he was still there. InuYasha couldn't help but smile every time he did that. He really was just a young pup. Reaching the room, he opened the door carefully, hoping he wouldn't wake the other occupants of the room. To his dismay, they were already sitting up in bed, watching him as he entered with slightly glowing eyes. Lowering the boy to the floor, he watched as he scampered off and climbed into bed with his siblings. He too, though, stayed sitting, watching him.

He studied the three occupants of the bed. They were triplets, two girls, one boy. He felt a great wave of remorse wash over him. He regretted having never known his children.

It seemed alien to him. He had children. He, InuYasha, Lord of the Eastern Lands, son of Inu Taisho, the greatest inu youkai and lord of all time, had small children. He couldn't seem to fathom it. It seemed like mere days ago that he had been a rash, young man, still a pup by youkai standards, traveling onwards to find the shards of the Shikon no Tama. He had been presumptuous, arrogant, self-centered, and cruel, yet here he was now, with children. It didn't seem plausible. Even Sesshoumaru, who looked even crueler than himself, seemed like a better candidate for parenthood. He had always been taking care of Rin.

Snapping himself out of these thoughts, he studied his children. One of the girls had black hair much like Kagome's and just as long. Her eyes were golden with cobalt flecks and the ears on top of her head were a dark purplish black. She had small fangs and claws and he could tell she had a small, fluffy tail, as it was twined around her wrist. She wore a pale blue nightgown with small white sheep all over it. His other daughter looked startlingly like his brother Sesshoumaru. She had his face shape, that gentle elegance that could be very deceiving. Yet he knew she was his. She had his dark violet eye color and violet-tinged black hair of his human form, small white ears contrasting sharply with her hair resting on her head. Her hair was long and silky though, not at all like his own bushy hair. She had a tail as well, the tip of it resting in her lap. She wore her own nightgown of lavender with little red rose petals all over it. InuYasha guessed that they decided that he was of no threat to them as the two little girls, encouraged by their brother, climbed out of bed and walked up to him.

"What's your name?" asked the small girl with Kagome's hair. "My name is InuYasha," he replied softly. "What are your names?" he asked with a small smile. "I'm Mitsuko!" the little girl answered, with as much enthusiasm as her mother. "My name's Kirari," whispered the other little girl, brushing a piece of her silky violet-black hair out of her face. "And I'm Touya!" the little boy replied with pride, puffing out his chest slightly. InuYasha just had to smile. These were his children. Up until now he had not known their names. Tears suddenly came unbidden to his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

Seeming to sense his emotional distress, all three children crowded around him, hugging him, trying to console him. He clung to them, taking in and distinguishing each of their individual scents, nuzzling them, soothing his inu youkai instincts. They were clamoring at him to take responsibility for his pups, to teach them, train them. He reined them in sharply.

His pups were no longer his. Kagome had left him while still pregnant with his pups, denying him the chance of seeing them born, missing the crucial first few years of their life. He was hit with a bitter regret and resentment towards Kagome. A resentment that quickly evaporated as quickly as it came. He could never hate Kagome. He was very hurt, and he might quite possibly never forgive her, but he could not hate her. She was his mate.

He reassured the pups, purring loudly and deeply as he stroked their heads and ears in turn. The small pups calmed down considerably, and snuggled deeper into his embrace. InuYasha smiled a somewhat pained smile. It hurt to be this close to his own children yet be so distant. And yet, any pain was worth being able to hold his pups for the first time. He would never again return to this place. Kagome might begin to catch on, and he simply could not continue to torture himself. Why delude himself into thinking that he could live like this when he clearly couldn't? It was already taking its toll. He lived a half-life. His mate had refused him, his pups no longer his, the burden of being Lord of the Eastern Lands upon his shoulders, and he thought that he could torment himself by coming and watching that which was not his? What a fool was he!

Looking down into his arms he gazed into the peaceful, slumbering faces of the three small pups. Giving another small, sad, pained smile, he carefully lifted up all three together, walking steadily to the bed so as to not jostle and wake them. He laid them down with utmost care, they automatically curling up against each other for the comfort and warmth that littermates provide. He tucked them in, bringing up the blankets around their bodies, and kissing each one gently on the head. He gave them one last look, and turned, heading for the window.

"...InuYasha-sama...?"

InuYasha flinched at being called that by his pup, before reminding him that, no, they were not his, they were Kagome's.

"Hai, Touya-kun?"

"...When're ya comin' back..?" he asked sleepily, followed by a giant yawn.

"Tell your mother that I won't come back and bother you anymore Tell her that InuYasha will never return."

He didn't know if the young pup had heard him, as he was already slumbering away. The youkai smiled again, bittersweet. On impulse, he unstrapped the large rusted katana that hang at his waist, Tesusaiga. He laid it carefully on the bedstand a little ways away and grabbed a pencil and a piece of paper that had been conveniently laying there. He scribbled a small note and placed the pencil back down. Moving away, he carried himself over to the window, opening it and, with a last glance back, leaped out into the rain, heading towards the wellhouse where the well was situated. After Kagome had left InuYasha she had figured that he wouldn't dare follow her through and she had been right. He had been too hurt and betrayed at the moment to even think of following through. Recently, though, he had thought to come if only to simply watch, but found it unbearable. Reaching the wellhouse he jumped right in, passing the time barrier without looking back, his now dead eyes streaming silent tears.

Kagome opened the door more fully after InuYasha left. Once she had been sure he was safely distracted, she had tiptoed out of bed and followed him to the triplets' room. He must have been very out of it to not sense her presence or smell her. She had witnessed the cuddly moment with her children and seen how his eyes had turned so sad and pained. It was almost as if being so close to his children hurt. Well, it most probably did. She had also seen how he flinched at being called 'InuYasha-sama' by Touya. It had to be painful for his children to not even know he was their father.

She had felt a sense of dread as she had seen him place the Tetsusaiga on the nightstand and that sense grew stronger, knotting itself in the pit of her stomach as she drew closer. Upon reaching the sword she ran a hand down the hilt and over the scabbard, feeling the magic of it tingle her fingertips. Noticing the note for the first time, she reached for it with a trembling hand.

Dear Kagome,

You probably don't know, but I have been coming to your home for some time now, simply to watch you and your pups. I know you're probably angry right now, but I did nothing to harm them. I know they are not mine anymore. I believe you drove that point home quite clearly at our departure. Having met them, I regret not having met them sooner, but as it is the last time I will see them it will suffice that I have at least gotten to know them a little bit. As you may have already noticed, Tetsusaiga is sitting on the bedstand in your children's room. Keep it. I have no need of it anymore, do I? I don't need to protect you anymore, nor the pups, and my claws will suffice in dealing with any youkai in my way. As I said before you don't need to have any worry that I will return in the middle of the night. I can't keep on torturing myself.

The least I hope for is that you do not keep the pups from their heritage. Especially Touya. He is my first-born son, my only son, and will forever be my only son as I cannot and will not take another mate. He will inherit the Eastern Lands upon my death. As such, the only thing I wish for is that you at least let him have his rightful inheritance. If not, Sesshoumaru will inherit the lands as per my request and provide you with the equal monetary value in your time. Yes, he does live to be in your time. He is quite the successful business man and all the arrangements have been made already, as I have already met with his future self.

Your mate, always and forever,

InuYasha

Kagome didn't know when the tears had started rolling down her cheeks, only that they fell in earnest now. She clutched the note and Tesusaiga to her chest, as she crumpled to the floor sobbing.

-AN: As a side note...remind me that FF.N's new formatting rules suck horribly.-