More Than Just Neighborly Affection by butterflychan

Chapter 1

More Than Neighborly Affection

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights pertaining to InuYasha, it is a product of its respective artist/writer/company.

Summary: Kagome Higurashi has moved out of the city and into a small house on a small street, looking forward to a new life. Having just left her fiance in a sudden life-changing revelation, Kagome never expected to grow so close her new neighbor. Loads of fluff, it's basically a fluff-ball of a fic. Or it should be...

A/N: This turned out quite differently from what I had intended, but I couldn't help it. It seems that some stupid plot keeps getting in the way of everything. (grumbles- like every story needs a plot or something!) Oh! And Sesshomaru is OoC, and so is InuYasha...and Souta...it's kind of funny how InuYasha is OoC. You'll probably laugh...or not.

:WARNING: Bits and pieces of shonen-ai (boy's love), but there's no make-out scenes or anything, just some mentioning of it.

Kagome Higurashi was freaking out, plain and simple. As she stood in the bathroom, tapping her foot in anticipation with her eyes constantly darting to her watch, everything became clear. This wasn't what she wanted, absolutely not.

Outside of the bathroom door Kagome's fiancé, Akitoki Hojo, was frantically pacing. As soon as Kagome had rushed through the door, she had dropped all the grocery bags onto the floor, save one, and ran into the bathroom, locking it. She had told him what she had planned to buy at the store, and he had been elated at the thought of having a little one running around the house, but it seemed that she wasn't taking to the idea well.

"Kagome-koi, is everything alright? Is it morning sickness? Is that why you've locked the door?" Hojo asked, knocking lightly.

Shaking her head, Kagome's heart sped up as her watch's alarm went off. Now was the time of truth. She slowly made her way to the sink, where the pregnancy test sat, subconsciously holding her breath. Kagome picked it up, a grin spreading across her face as she read the result. She casually tossed the test into the garbage can and unlocked the door, breezing past the concerned Hojo. As Kagome snatched her empty suitcase out of their closet, Hojo appeared behind her, full of questions.

"What did it say? Are you packing? Does this mean that we're going to go tell your mother the good news? Should we bump the wedding date up? Should we cancel the honeymoon? By the time we would leave you would be in your third trimester, approximately, and flying isn't good for you or the baby." Hojo's expression became thoughtful as well as wistful.

Kagome gave a deep sigh. How she had thought that she could be happy, marrying him was beyond her. He wasn't her type; she just thought that he could support her and keep her happy, but not anymore.

"Aki-kun, I'm not pregnant." She pulled open her dresser drawers and began moving all her clothes into her suitcase, not caring if they were folded or not.

"Oh." He looked a little dejected, "Then why are you packing your things?"

Kagome wasn't sure how she was going to tell him. When she had started getting sick in the mornings and came to the conclusion that she might be pregnant, she had panicked. She was twenty-four years old, had a degree in Early Childhood Education and had been engaged to a soon-to-be doctor, why should being pregnant make her feel like everything was so wrong? Somewhere inside, she knew that she didn't love Hojo. When she had given him her virginity she had spent the next day crying in her bed, but she still planned to marry him.

He was sweet, caring, everything about him was positive and his career was really starting to take off, he was able to promise stability and love. But she was only in the marriage because her grandpa had caught her fooling around with Hojo in her bedroom during her high school years. It became a huge scandal in their families (both were very tradition-oriented) and Hojo, who had been planning to spend the rest of his life with Kagome anyway, proposed at their graduation.

But now, none of that mattered. She didn't care if her family disowned her because she was no longer a virgin and was still unmarried. She didn't love Hojo, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she was doing what was best.

"Because I have to leave." Kagome turned from her suitcase and looked Hojo in the eye, "I do care about you Hojo, but I don't love you and, when I was waiting for the results of the pregnancy test, I realized that I couldn't stay with you. I'm sorry for doing this, but it's for the best. The woman down the hall, Yumi, absolutely adores you and I know that you two have gone out to dinners and lunches."

Hojo opened his mouth to protest but Kagome held up her hand to silence him, "I know that nothing's happened between you two, you're too much of a gentleman for that, but I know you care for her. Now, I'm going to finish packing and I'm going to go pay a visit to my family before finding a place of my own." She smiled sadly, "I know that you think you love me...but you don't. You just don't know it yet."

Kagome embraced her, now, ex-fiance and slipped her engagement ring off. Placing it on the nightstand, Kagome moved back into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and the like.

Closing her suitcase, Kagome pulled up the handle and wheeled it over to the door, "Goodbye Aki-kun."

After she had left, Hojo stood, watching the door, for fifteen minutes before finally moving. Sitting down on the bed, Hojo picked up the small ring and whispered,

"Goodbye Kagome."

Ms. Higurashi gave her daughter the sternest look that any of her family had ever seen before silently leaving the living room. Kagome grandfather took off to what he had dubbed, "the holiest room in the house" to pray for forgiveness for her trespasses against the Kami. Souta, however, just shrugged and offered to help her take her suitcase up to her old bedroom.

"So, Souta, how do you think Mom and Gramps took the news?" Kagome asked, slightly nervous and partially amused.

"Well, Mom's completely pissed off and Gramps is...upset?" Souta scratched his head in confusion.

Truth be told, Gramps prayed for everything, so no one could really tell when something upset him or when he was happy, sad, etc. Kagome giggled and then patted the spot next to her on the bed.

"I just wanted to say 'thanks,' for not being mad at me, that is. And I'm not staying long, just for a couple months at the most, until I get a job somewhere." Kagome looked at her brother, smiling at him as he gave her a light rap on the arm with his knuckles.

"Ah, how could I ever be mad at you? It's not as if you raped the guy! I know for a fact that you didn't sleep with him until after you were engaged. Besides, women now-a-days are a lot less conservative than you. If you didn't love him, I'm glad you broke it off now instead of after the wedding." Souta grinned wide, "Could you imagine the look on Gramps' face when he found out you got a divorce?"

The siblings broke into peals of laughter at the mental image, falling back onto Kagome soft mattress. When their giggles finally subsided, Kagome turned onto her side and poked Souta's cheek.

"How's college going, little brother? Any prospective girlfriends? You know that they have to meet me before you can officially date them." Kagome raised a brow and watched a light blush tint her brother's cheeks.

"You did!" Kagome screeched, moving from her lying position to standing on her feet, looming over her brother, in mere seconds, "You're going to tell me everything about her and then you're going to call her up so I can talk to her and then we're going to go out so I can meet her!"

"Shh...keep it down! You don't want to attract Gramps and Mom after what you just told them!" Souta frantically whispered, sitting straight up on the bed.

"Wait...you mean that they don't know yet?" Kagome whispered, though her voice steadily got louder as she spoke.

Souta looked away for a moment, looking uncertain and uncomfortable, "I-it's not quite that, there's more to it than just liking someone..."

Kagome sat back down next to him, hoping to ease his discomfort and hear what he had to say, "What is it, Souta? You know that you can tell me anything, I promise that I won't be mad."

"It's just, I do like someone but...if Mom and Gramps knew, they'd probably disown me and I don't have anywhere else to go-"

"Souta, calm down." Kagome interrupted when his voice started to become high-pitched and his words started to run together, "Just take a deep breath and let it out. Now, just tell me her name."

"Seikai. His name is Seikai." Souta watched Kagome out of the corner of his eye, his body tense as he awaited her judgement.

At first Kagome didn't comprehend what he had said and then, when the information had processed, her jaw had dropped. She began thinking about how Souta was always hanging around Hitomi growing up and never really seemed to want more than just friendship from her or any other girl for that matter. Snapping her jaw shut, Kagome came to a decision.

"When do I get to meet him?" She asked, smiling softly at her shocked brother.

"You mean, you don't hate me? You don't think I'm disgusting?" Souta asked, completely ignoring her question.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Of course I don't hate you. And how could I think you're disgusting when I like guys too?" She laughed, "This just means we'll have more in common than I thought."

"Really?" Souta's eyes lit up as he smiled, "When I see Seikai tomorrow I'll let him know that I'm going to bring you with us next weekend to the concert we're going to! He's been dying to meet my family, even though he understands that our family is so old-fashioned, he feels like he's missing a part of my life that he should be involved in." Souta chattered on, so happy to have come out to his sister.

"Now, Souta, there's something else I want to say." Kagome became serious, "I understand that you can't keep your sexuality a secret from Grandpa and Mom forever, so I have an idea. You just have to keep quiet about it for a little while longer, until I've moved out again into another apartment or something, and then you can tell them. So that, just in case the worst happens, you always have my place to crash at."

Souta's smile faltered a little, but he nodded, "Thanks sis, this means so much to me."

"Anything for my baby brother!" She chirped, "Now scram! I want to take a nice, hot bath!"

Kagome stood outside of her new house and took a deep breath. She smiled, the air was so much cleaner out in the suburbs and away from the city.

She had stayed with her mom for just about three months before finally being hired by an elementary school that was about an hour's drive from the city. Clapping her hands together, Kagome got to work on moving her boxes from the back of the truck she had rented and into her house. She didn't have long to unpack and get settled, she still had to decorate her kindergarten classroom before school started in a few weeks.

The first thing that she made sure to move was her stereo, which she hooked up immediately and turned it on to her favorite radio station. It was still rather early in the morning, around 8 o'clock, and it was a Saturday, so she made sure not to turn the volume up too high. She didn't want to start off on a bad note with her new neighbors, now did she?

Humming along with the music and occasionally singing as well, Kagome put all her effort into moving her boxes. The heavy stuff, such as boxes of books and her furniture, she left in the truck until Souta and Seikai could come help. Her brother's boyfriend was a wonderful person, much better than any of the guys she had ever dated and she had to wonder how her brother had snagged him.

Besides Hojo, Kagome had dated only a few others, there was Koga (too possessive), Naraku (he was obsessive AND he had hit her) and then there was Miroku (a pervert who ended up with her friend Sango, go figure that she could keep him in line when Kagome couldn't). Now, however, Kagome was completely content to stay single.

"Do you need some help?" A smooth, deep voice intoned from behind Kagome as she moved to lift one of the boxes.

Kagome whirled around and squinted against the light of the rising sun to see a tall silhouette standing by the ramp outside the truck.

"Uh, no thanks. I have a couple people on their way to come help me out so...thanks for the offer." Kagome replied, slightly embarrassed by the way she could feel his eyes staring so intently at her.

"All right then, but if you change your mind I live right next door." The guy said before turning and heading back to what Kagome assumed was his house.

Kagome stared after him for a while in a sort of trance until she heard a car pull up and her name was called.

"Hey! Kagooooooooome! We're here to help, unless you've already moved in without us!" She heard Seikai shout, her brother laughing in the background.

"Like Hell I'm already moved in! You two get your handsome butts in this truck and move the heavy stuff like the men that you are!" Kagome hollered back, smiling to herself.

She was soon greeted by her two favorite men, embracing them both before ushering them toward her couch, which she wanted them to move inside.

It took them a total of six hours and twenty-three minutes to get everything inside and put in its proper room. Though, none of it had gotten unpacked, that was okay. Kagome had time to unpack and unwind after breaking in her new tub and her new bed. As it turned out, Kagome didn't even make it to the bathroom or her bedroom; she wound up sleeping on the couch for a few hours. She had been so tired that she had forgotten to close the door after Souta and Seikai had left, which resulted in a rather rude awakening.

Kagome began sputtering, her comfortable dream of sleeping in a beautiful bed, surrounded by lilies (her favorite flower) suddenly turned dark. She was drowning with evil dog fish licking her face every time she came up for air. As her eyes snapped open, Kagome realized that part of her dream was somewhat real. Lying on top of her was a rather large husky with golden eyes of all things, licking her face and wagging its tail.

"H-hey!" She coughed a few times, "Calm d-down!" She was having trouble speaking, this dog was enthusiastic.

"Okay, okay! It's nice to meet you too!" She began laughing, any attempts to remove the large creature from her person forgotten. She hadn't had a dog around since she was a little girl.

"Well, well, it seems as though someone made a new friend." Kagome stopped laughing as she heard the voice of her neighbor coming from the direction of her doorway, sounding quite amused.

"Hello there? Would I be mistaken in assuming that this delightful guy is yours?" Kagome asked, struggling to sit up and barely succeeding.

"No, I'm afraid I'm responsible for him. InuYasha, come here." He called, the dog immediately obeying.

Kagome sat up the rest of the way and brushed the dog hair off her before looking to her neighbor. Instantly she was taken aback by his beauty, she was definitely envious of his long, silky-looking hair.

'Damn him, he's far too beautiful. I know that I was at least considered pretty before but now, now I'm going to look like an old hag next to him!'

"So, how do you think he got in?" She asked, forcing herself to stop staring. She was not in the market for guys; she was not in the market...

"I suspect he came through the door, it was open when I made my way over." He responded, looking rather calm about the fact that his dog had pretty much broken in.

"Hmm...oh!" Kagome snapped her fingers in agitation, "I knew that I had forgotten something! As soon as Souta and Seikai had left I just fell asleep, I must have forgotten to close the door."

"Well," There was a teasing tone in his voice, "this neighborhood is quite safe, but I doubt it's safe enough to sleep with your door open."

Kagome blushed, "Yeah, that was rather dumb of me. Anyway, I'm Kagome Higurashi and I'll be your strange, new neighbor. You know, the one who sleeps with her front door open..." She let out a little giggle as he gave a chuckle.

"I'm Sesshomaru. I'll be the neighbor with the dog who'll eventually be convicted of breaking-and-entering." He held out his hand and Kagome took it.

"It's nice to meet you Sesshomaru, would you like some tea? I haven't quite dug it out yet, but I planned on doing it as soon as I woke up anyway." She was already walking toward the kitchen, looking over the shoulder for his answer.

"Perhaps another time, right now I have to take InuYasha back home and I've already got plans for this evening." He sounded slightly apologetic.

She waved her hand dismissively, "No big deal! I'll see you around some other time!"

Sesshomaru smiled at her back before leashing InuYasha and leading him back to his own home. Perhaps he wouldn't mind going by Kagome's house later on in the week...

Kagome flopped onto her bed, drowned herself in her green cotton sheets and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. She was finally done with her house, all the boxes that she hadn't used to store things in the shed, were down on the curb, waiting to be taken away by the garbage men early the next morning. It had taken her eleven days to finish everything, but it was done! Of course, Souta and Seikai came over and helped a few days, but Kagome had done most of the work.

Just as she was beginning to drift off into a well-deserved nap, her doorbell rang and Kagome heard barking. Laughing, Kagome got out from under the covers and slipped on her sandals, going to answer the door for her everyday visitor.

"Hey there guy! I should've checked the clock before I tried to take a nap now shouldn't I?" Kagome said, grinning down at the adorable mug of the husky she had grown to adore.

InuYasha barked and Kagome laughed, moving aside to allow her companion access to her living room. She had been quite surprised the first time her doorbell rang and InuYasha had made his way into her house. How he had learned to ring a doorbell she'd never know, but she definitely enjoyed his company.

"Well, let's put on some tea, I have a feeling that Sesshomaru will be coming over to get you and this time I'll actually have some tea to offer him. Besides," Kagome winked at InuYasha, "I think that you'd like some tea as well."

After putting the kettle on the stove, Kagome opened her back door and walked over to where one of her gardens was going to be. In the back, she planned to plant some vegetables and herbs, so she could incorporate them into her meals more often without shelling out a lot of cash.

"Guess what I'm planting up front, beside the sidewalk!" Kagome was grinning wildly now, very happy with how everything looked in her mind's eye.

"Please, don't keep us waiting." Sesshomaru said as he came around the side of the house, his long hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

Kagome blushed just a little, "Oh, uhm, I'm going to plant lilies. They're my favorite flower."

"I think that would look quite nice." He commented, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Thank you, I think so too." The kettle began to whistle and Kagome jumped a bit, "Oh, that's right, I put tea on! Would you like some?"

At first Sesshomaru had planned to decline her offer but, there was something about her smile that encouraged him to accept. Nodding, he felt his heart flutter a little when she turned a dazzling grin to him.

"Come on inside then! You're going to have to tell me how you take your tea, I know how InuYasha likes his but I have yet to figure you out..." Kagome chatted pleasantly, leading him into her dining room.

Amused, Sesshomaru couldn't help himself, "You know how InuYasha likes his tea?"

"I know that it sounds rather silly but he's now, officially, my new best friend! So of course I know how he likes his tea." Kagome answered, setting down two teacups and pouring the tea, "So, how do you like your tea?"

"I take it as it is." Sesshomaru said, stirring his tea for a moment before taking a sip, surprised at its sweetness.

"Really? This is the only tea that I can stand without sugar and milk, the tea is a special blend that my mother grows in her garden, which I'm hoping to grow myself."

"Hmm." Sesshomaru nodded, there was something interesting about this girl that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

After a few moments of companionable silence, questions began anew.

"What possessed you to buy a house way out here? Surely not for the excitement that this place offers..." Sesshomaru questioned, watching her with golden eyes.

"Oh, I just recently got hired at the local elementary school as their new kindergarten teacher, so I needed a place that was a lot closer than my mom's house. Not to mention that it was pretty much the first house that I had come across and I was dying to get away from the city. Family drama and all that." Kagome took a sip of her tea, "So, how'd you come across InuYasha?"

"He was abandoned in front of my office and it was my duty to take him in." Kagome looked at him in admiration and a little confusion, "I'm a veterinarian and, to leave a puppy out in the cold to freeze to death would be absolutely immoral of me."

Kagome smiled brilliantly, "Despite the fact that you say that it was your duty to take InuYasha in, I still find it venerable that you decided to keep him even though you could have put him up for adoption."

"Ah, but it is rather admirable of you to not turn my poor dog over to the authorities for being quite a nuisance. How is he constantly getting into your house?" Sesshomaru asked, turning a quick glare to the dog in question.

Kagome laughed, "Oh, I'm not sure if you'll believe it, but he rings my doorbell. The first time he just barreled in when I answered the door, but now he waits for me to invite him in." The look on Sesshomaru's face was priceless.

"How'd he learn to use a doorbell?" Sesshomaru gave a laugh.

"That was what I was going to ask you!" Kagome announced, her smile wide.

When their laughter died down, both sat looking at each other for a long while. Sesshomaru was entranced by the beautiful blue orbs set in her sweet face, watching as she blushed when she caught him staring. She was breath-taking and, though he knew that he shouldn't get involved with her, he couldn't seem to help wanting too.

"Kagome? I have no plans for this weekend and I was hoping that you could help me remedy that. Would you mine joining InuYasha and myself for dinner on Saturday night?" Sesshomaru offered, almost holding his breath as he waited for her answer.

"Uhmm...I suppose I could...yes, I would like that very much!" She blushed and smiled down at her tea. Sesshomaru found that endearing.

"Well then, we will be seeing you on Saturday then. Though I suppose that we may see each other soon, what with InuYasha paying you so many visits."

Sesshomaru stood and Kagome saw him to the door, giving InuYasha's ears a nice rub before watching him bound after his master. Kagome sighed.

'I'm not in the market for guys; I'm not in the market...'