Imperceptible: Corollary

Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this oneshot… especially for the one with a sense of humor that tends to creep out in subtle ways. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

This oneshot was originally posted to Live Journal on May 25, 2007.

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Corollary

The summer sun shone on a rare moment of peace for the shard hunters. Kagome relaxed in the shade, the pages of her long-forgotten textbook riffling in the occasional puff of a breeze. The hazy heat, combined with the rhythmic drone of cicadas, made for a lazy afternoon. The only ones who seemed to have energy to burn were Shippo and Rin, who chased each other back and forth over the meadow, filling the air with the sounds of innocent merriment. Kagome had fully intended to catch up on her studies when she seated herself under the sheltering boughs of a gingko tree, spreading her blanket near the taiyoukai who leaned against its base. Instead, her attention wandered as, chin in hand, she watched the children play.

Sesshoumaru's entourage had arrived just as breakfast was being cleared. The taiyoukai merely nodded in his half-brother's direction, but Rin had rushed into the circle and swarmed into Kagome's lap, announcing that they had all come “for a nice, long visit.” It hadn't taken much coaxing for Inuyasha to declare a rest day. One look into the little girl's pleading eyes and all blustering protests died on his tongue. Instead, a division of duties had been outlined, Inuyasha and Sango electing to find game for the evening meal. The rest were reclining in varying degrees of relaxation around the clearing.

Ah-Un lay was positioned strategically on the other side of the meadow, keeping one eye trained on Rin while basking in the sun. Jaken had flung himself down into the relative cool of a shady niche, where he snuffled and snored. Miroku was sprawled near the kappa, dozing with one arm cushioning his head while the other shielded his eyes. Kagome smiled at the scene of peaceful cohabitation. It still seems odd somehow—this alliance. I'm glad the brothers have managed to put aside their differences for the time being.

Kagome's eyes drifted to the taiyoukai, proximity offering an unprecedented opportunity to study the distant Lord of the West. Sesshoumaru's demeanor was relaxed, almost sleepy, as half-lidded, yellow-gold eyes followed his ward's every movement. One leg was bent at the knee, providing a resting place for his arm. Kagome watched in fascination as he occasionally flexed his hand, idly fanning his fingers so that the claw tips caught the light. It wasn't a restless motion, and the young woman realized this was probably one of the taiyoukai's little idiosyncrasies.

Smiling at the notion of Sesshoumaru actually having quirks, the young woman breathed a little sigh as she reluctantly steered her meandering mind back towards geometric proofs and corollaries. The problems that had been set were not overly difficult, but Kagome couldn't concentrate. Her eyes slid from the page again, towards the nearly empty tea cup at her knee. The way the sun glinted off the pattern of ripples dancing across its surface was quite pretty. Far more interesting than mathematical theorems, without a doubt. Tipping her head, she admired the rhythmic agitation and its accompanying sparkle of fractured light.

After a couple minutes of languorous contemplation, a connection was made and Kagome thought to wonder why her tea was trembling. If she had inadvertently jostled the cup, the liquid should have settled and stilled by now, but the movement persisted. Something has to be causing it. She pressed her hand into the grass at her side, fingers widespread, but she couldn't detect any vibrations emanating from below. Could there be something large moving towards us? If a youkai was bearing down on their position, surely Sesshoumaru would have reacted to the threat by now. It didn't seem likely. A quick glance to the side confirmed the taiyoukai's continued calm.

Kagome held her breath, concentrating as she scrutinized her surroundings. The leaves of the trees only quivered when a breeze brushed past, which only happened intermittently, so the source of her little phenomenon didn't seem to be in the air. Eyes fixed on the ringlets in her tea cup, the young woman closed her textbook, laying it aside. Slowly, she got up on her hands and knees, leaning over the cup with a puzzled frown. Then, just like that, the surface of her tea smoothed. Kagome drew back in surprise, “It stopped,” she murmured, perplexed.

Sitting back on her heels, she looked up to find Sesshoumaru's eyes on her, piercing as ever in their intensity. Slowly, an eyebrow arched upwards. Kagome's ears burned and she answered the implied question with obvious embarrassment. “It was… moving,” she faltered, pointing accusingly towards the dregs in her cup. Sesshoumaru's gaze followed hers towards the offending tea, but the placid surface refused to corroborate her weak explanation. His eyes returned to her face, and he stared for several moments with an unreadable expression before giving his attention back to Rin. Kagome glared down at the unhelpful liquid. To her astonishment, it was moving again.

Bewildered, she planted her hands on either side of the cup. Nothing. Next, she pressed her ear to the ground beside the cup, unsure what good it would do. Nothing. Kagome sat back up only to find the cold tea becalmed. How odd. She glanced back towards Sesshoumaru, but the inuyoukai was ignoring her absurd behavior. He probably thinks I'm mad. Biting her lip, Kagome combed the vicinity for some kind of cause, reaching out with all her senses.

There it is again! She could feel it now—vibrations shivering through the air around her. They were stronger and easily felt, though just below her ability to hear. A quick look confirmed the obvious—her tea was back to its cheerful dancing. Kagome was stumped. She fidgeted when the thrumming suddenly broke off again. The erratic changes mystified her, for there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to them. The oddest thing is Sesshoumaru's reaction, or rather his lack of reaction. His senses are far more acute than mine. Surely he knows what's going on? Kagome turned this over in her mind for a minute before the realization hit. Oh. He knows. She cut a glance in his direction in time to see him look away, and her gaze narrowed on him speculatively.

Something is moving the water in my cup. That something must be nearby. Sesshoumaru knows what that something is, and he's waiting for me to figure it out. The closest thing to my cup is… the aforementioned taiyoukai. Wait a minute… That means…

Determined to test her little theory, Kagome waited for the churning to resume. When it did, she gathered her nerve and cautiously edged closer to Sesshoumaru. The vibrations in the air around her intensified almost immediately, and her eyes lit with the triumph of discovery. The disturbance is definitely coming from him! It was a low rumble, but not angry. She'd experienced plenty of growling from both Inuyasha and Kouga, and this was not that. There was contentment at its core, soothing in the way it filled the space between them. If anything, it reminded Kagome of… purring.

The taiyoukai turned his head, and the Kagome faced a bland look; Sesshoumaru seemed to be awaiting her response, as if curious about her reaction to this little revelation. Confusion and curiosity warred on Kagome's face as she tried to think of an appropriate comment under the circumstances. The question foremost in her mind was immediately rejected. I refuse to ask Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands if he purrs.

“It was you,” she stated unnecessarily, offering her companion a sheepish smile. “Were you testing me or teasing me?” she asked lightly. Sesshoumaru merely lifted one shoulder in a noncommittal shrug, his appraisal unwavering. Feeling as though something more was expected of her, Kagome searched for something else to say. “It's… nice.”

This earned her another arched brow, which resulted in another flustered moment. As if Sesshoumaru cares whether or not I approve of his… purring. Lifting her chin defensively, she cracked open her textbook. “Well, it is,” she reiterated, refusing to meet the Western Lord's eyes. Kagome plunged back into geography with a show of studious concentration, only to have her best intentions derailed when the quiet vibrations resumed, lulling her back into tranquil daydreams.

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End Note: This oneshot was written for the Live Journal community ebony(underscore)silks' contest for Week 4—Vibration Theme. 1,368 words.