AN: HAHAHAHAHA MISLEADING TITLE IS MISLEADING.

So I finally got around to making a list of potential dreams to use for this story (I had one really vivid one that finally kicked me into action on this) so as far as the dreams go plot-wise, we're set!

Now I just gotta, you know, actually write everything.

NO PROBLEM.

I'm sorry, as usual, for not updating in forever. I thought my summer in between high school and college would mean more time for, you know, writing, but as usual, I managed to get involved in a ton of things that took up time. Combined with, you know, getting ready for COLLEGE.

So now I'm at college! And I have a desk to have my computer at for writing purposes! CRAZAY.

Anyway, I do really appreciate all of you that have stuck around through my much-less-than-regular updates. You all deserve so much better than my sporadic bouts of writing, but you are here anyway. I appreciate you!

Music was some jazz radio station my mom is listening to as she works. Should make this chapter extra exciting and smoooooooooooooooth. The second half of the chapter was written to the sound of whatever show my roommate is watching in the background.

DISCLAIMER: *deep jazzy voice* Just remember, friends: I don't own any of the characters. *blaring saxophone solo*

CHAPTER 11:

(The Cirque d'Argente may have been all a dream, but Kagome realized that her feelings for Inuyasha are not. Now, what should she do with this information?

And what was his experience with the circus…?)

"Ayame, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: no, I do not want to help you with your pet-sitting job." It was a bright, sunny Saturday morning, and Kagome was wandering leisurely through her house, still not entirely sure she wasn't in a dream again. Everything somehow managed to remind her of Inuyasha, and that familiar heat would tingle its way through her nerves. She'd almost forgotten what it was like to have a crush on someone; she'd almost forgotten that honeymoon-phase of being able to smile just at the thought of the individual. It was nice.

Through the phone, Ayame wailed dramatically. "Kagomeeeee, you promiiiiiiiised!"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I remember when I do stuff like that so I can curse my past self later. Sango is the one who always forgets stuff like that."

"Yeah…well…she's not picking up, so…"

"You know that doesn't necessarily mean anything. She could drop her phone in a river and it would take her at least a day to notice something was up."

"Ew, I can't even imagine!"

"Not everyone is as glued to their cell phones as you, Ayame. Plus, you know how busy Sango's family is on weekends. They're probably out on a job."

"All the more reason for you to come help me, then!"

Kagome sighed. Honestly, it wasn't that she hated pet-sitting or didn't want to be alone with Ayame without Sango there to monitor her, it was just…well...she wasn't exactly ready to tell either friend about her newly discovered feelings. She wanted to bask in the glow of it all just a little bit longer, by herself, curled up on the sofa with some ice cream and good old-fashioned soap operas. Was that so much to ask for?

Just then, her phone beeped to let her know another call was trying to come through.

"Hold on, Ayame, I got another call."

"Maybe it's Sango trying to plan a surprise visit to my pet-sitting job! With donuts!"

"Yeah…yeah that's probably it…"

Without so much as a glance at the caller ID, Kagome hit the call button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kagome?"

Kagome nearly dropped the glass of orange juice she had just finished pouring and grabbed onto the refrigerator handle to steady herself. It wasn't Sango. It wasn't Sango at all.

The voice that poured through the receiver and into Kagome's ear like fucking honey was none other than Inuyasha's.

"Uh…Inuyasha?" she managed to squeak out. She had been looking forward to using the weekend as a chance to carefully plan out her first encounter with the hanyou, now that she knew for sure how she actually felt about him. And now, here she was, completely unprepared and on the phone with him!

"Yeah I hope you don't mind, Miroku gave me your number."

"I wasn't aware Miroku had my number…"

"Oh, yeah, I think he got it from Sango?"

Kagome bit her lip to keep from screaming. She was going to murder that girl. She was sick and tired of Sango acting like absolutely nothing was going on between her and Miroku. OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY GOING ON.

Okay, deep breaths, Kagome.

"Right…okay…um, anyway, what's…up?" Oh yeah, great going Kagome. Dazzle him with your incredible stuttering powers! Ooooooh, ahhhhh!

"Oh! Yeah, of course…um, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to meet me somewhere to talk?"

CRASH!

So much for her glass of orange juice.

"Uh…talk?" Kagome barely managed to squeak out.

"Yeah…um, to be honest, I had another dream, and…I feel like maybe we should probably talk about it. If you had one too, that is. Since we seem to keep…having them…"

"I did have another one!" Kagome cried, then mentally chastised herself for yelling. Calm down, goodness gracious!

"Great. Meet me at the park in say…half an hour?"

Kagome nodded, then realized he couldn't see her response. "Yes! I'll be there!"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye!"

And he hung up.

Kagome gently set her phone down on the counter beside her, grabbed a broom and some paper towels to take care of the orange juice incident, and then, only then, did she allow herself to verbally react to the fact that, well, fuck it, she basically had a date with Inuyasha in half an hour.

"Oh my god...YES!" She cried, laughing and, admittedly, spinning around her kitchen. It was lucky she happened to be home alone that morning, else her family may have had something to say about the noise.

"Hello? Hello? Kagome?"

Ayame was still on the other line.

Kagome giggled as she picked her phone back up. "Hi! Sorry about that!"

"Are you okay?" Ayame asked, not used to someone else being more cheerful than her.

"Yup! I'm great! But I can't help you out with pet-sitting today, something's come up! So sorry!"

"Yeah, you really sound sorry about it…"

"No, no I am, but…" Kagome couldn't help it, she giggled again.

"What is it, what's going on?" Ayame asked, growing concerned now.

"Well…" Kagome trailed off. "I guess…I kinda have a date."

Though she couldn't see it, Kagome could swear she heard Ayame's jaw drop. "A DATE?! YOU WHAT-"

She never finished though, because Kagome had hung up. She had approximately 23 minutes until she had to meet Inuyasha (by her calculations), and everything had to be perfect.

Finally, finally, things were going her way.

Kagome had to admit, she rather enjoyed the constant fluttering in her chest that put a skip in her step and made getting ready to go out somewhere at least ten times more enjoyable than usual.

:o0o:

Precisely 21 minutes later, Kagome was sitting at one of the many picnic tables scattered throughout the nearby park, primped and, okay, totally nervous. Her knee was bouncing steadily as she tried to distract herself from the imminent hanyou by browsing through the photo gallery on her phone. She gazed unseeingly at picture after picture of Sango and Ayame, Sango and Ayame, Sango, Kagome and Ayame, Kagome and Sango, over and over again. Though happy memory after happy memory kept passing in front of her face on the little screen, the only thing she was imagining was the afternoon ahead with Inuyasha. The possibilities were endless, really. They could get ice cream, hit the aquarium, maybe even the arcade if they were feeling especially date-y, and then-

Suddenly, her finger froze over the image that had popped up on the screen. She'd been so distracted by her plans that she hadn't even realized how far back in photos on her phone she'd actually gone. There, staring back at her through all the pixels, was Hojo and herself on their very first date. It seemed so long ago, though it wasn't really. She hardly recognized herself in the photo, though Hojo was startlingly clear; same sweet stare, easygoing smile. That was the smile she'd fallen for. She never would have guessed, back then with that smile, that he could have been capable of hurting her so much and to the extent he did.

"I can't believe I still have this photo." She murmured to no one in particular.

"Neither can I," Came a voice from over her shoulder, "I mean, look at that prick. God."

Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat as she saw, reflected in her phone screen, the stunning golden eyes that she'd managed to memorize in the time since she'd last seen him in person. "Inuyasha!" She exclaimed, dropping her phone on the table. "I, um, sorry."

The hanyou leaned back, taking her in. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, and a breeze picked up strands of his long, silver hair, blowing it behind him dramatically like he was a model straight out of the pages of Vogue.

Sweet baby Jesus… Kagome thought weakly, turning to face him. "So, um, hi." She added meekly.

Inuyasha cracked a smile, and Kagome felt her toes tingle. This is officially ridiculous…she thought in response to the reaction she was allowing herself to have in his presence. Then again, she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

"So," Inuyasha began as he sauntered around the table and plopped down in the seat across from her, "why do you still have that photo? I thought you hated the guy."

"I do," Kagome said adamantly, shifting yet again to continue facing him, "he's a total asshole."

"Which absolutely explains why you haven't deleted that photo yet."

She shot him a look. "I just…haven't gotten around to it yet."

"I mean, it's none of my business, really. I just don't get holding onto something like that. Or even taking a photo like that in the first place." Inuyasha added, making a face.

Kagome rolled her eyes, ignoring the bout of panic that hit her at the prospect of what hidden meaning Inuyasha's words may hold. Did that mean he would never do that on a date, or never on a date with her? Did he hate her? Already?

Calm down! Kagome sighed, stuffing her phone in her bag to try and put an end to the subject. Still, she couldn't help defending herself. "It's a nice memory, you know? Even if he's a total bastard now, he wasn't then. Or, if he was, it wasn't to me. He didn't really want to take a picture either, I just insisted because I wanted to remember that day. It was perfect, in a sense."

He was just staring at her, and it took Kagome a moment to realize that every interaction she'd had with him that day had been entirely off. Inuyasha was never this nice and clean-mouthed to anyone. He was always irritated at something, but now he seemed entirely at ease. It was a little disconcerting.

"Um…anyway…so, the dream?" Kagome tried in an effort to break the silence.

"Right. Yeah. Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"What? What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, you just seem a little out of it today. Distracted, or something."

Yeah, by you! Kagome thought. Out loud, she only said, "I guess I am a little distracted. The dream was really vivid this time, it was a little…creepy."

Inuyasha nodded. "I definitely get that. Especially that Kikyou chick."

"She was in your dream too?" Kagome asked, her heartbeat picking up.

"Yup. Creepy as fuck. Especially those funky little dragon-lizard things that were constantly surrounding her. What'd she call them? 'Soul-fishers'?"

"Soul-gatherers, I think. Something like that, anyway." She tried to meet his gaze, but he seemed to be staring at something she couldn't see, his eyes clouded over with a far-off look.

She was suddenly aware of the breeze rustling the leaves in the trees above them, and the sounds of the birds chittering away excitedly in the silence that fell. Something was definitely up with Inuyasha, and she wished she knew what it was. Silence was the exact opposite of what she thought of when she pictured him. Not that she pictured him all that often, but still.

She was just about to ask him if he was okay when a large group of leaves suddenly fluttered down around Inuyasha's face, followed by a badly suppressed fit of giggles from somewhere nearby. Kagome fought hard to contain her own laughter as one landed squarely on one of the hanyou's ears. Inuyasha closed his eyes, flicking his ear in irritation, sending the lone leaf twirling once more towards the ground. "I'm going to murder that damn wolf." Inuyasha suddenly growled.

Kagome tilted her head in confusion, not sure what Inuyasha meant, but her following question was soon answered when none other than Kouga fell from above and landed smack on top of the picnic table the two were seated at. Kagome jumped, her heart racing at this unexpected visitor, and narrowed her eyes up at the tree next to the table, where Ayame, Sango, and Miroku all sat huddled on one precarious branch together. Sango's hand was pressed tightly over Ayame's mouth, probably in a vain attempt to cover up the giggles from earlier.

Miroku met Kagome's eyes and waggled his fingers. "Well, hello!" he offered cheerily, and Ayame burst out laughing, free from Sango's grasp.

Kagome wanted to kill all of them. Judging from the look on his face, Inuyasha actually might do just that.

:o0o:

"What the hell are you all doing here?"

Inuyasha's snarl rang out in the serene park, startling more than a few birds and innocent passersby. Kagome sighed, arms crossed, glaring at her "friends."

All of them had managed to come down from the tree, though Kagome still wasn't sure how they'd gotten up there in the first place, and were standing in a line facing her and Inuyasha.

"How dare you, mutt-face." Kouga growled, "How dare you take my Kagome out on a date without asking me first! Did you even ask her? I bet she didn't even want to go and you forced her here with you!"

"Since when is she yours, mangy wolf? You're just jealous she's out with me and not you!"

"It doesn't count if you forced her here! She's probably thankful we came to save her!"

"She didn't need saving, moron! She was doing just fine with me!"

"That's a fat lie and you know it! I could tell she was upset! Love connects people!"

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

Kagome groaned. At least Inuyasha was acting more normally now that he had someone to yell at, but his calm demeanor earlier still worried her.

"It's Ayame's fault." Sango offered in a vain attempt at comfort.

"Is not! I was just worried, Kagome!" Ayame whined, glancing at her friend.

Kagome raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"You haven't shown even the slightest interest in a guy since Hojo, and then all of a sudden you can't help me out with pet-sitting this morning because you have a date? Something was definitely up!"

Kagome's silence in response made Ayame's face falter, but she kept going. "So I went to Sango's place to tell her what-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Sango interrupted, "you were pet-sitting? What about the pets? Where are they?"

Ayame tilted her head. "I left them in the backyard of their house. I'm sure they're fine."

Kagome and Sango rolled their eyes in tandem, and Sango turned to face Kagome. "Anyway, I was at my house with Miroku when Ayame came bursting in babbling about you being out on a date, and-"

"Wait, wait, wait," Kagome finally spoke, "you were with Miroku? At your house? Why was he at your house?"

Kagome didn't miss the pink that tinged Sango's cheeks at the question before the taijiya awkwardly cleared her throat. "Not important! What is important is figuring out why you were here with Inuyasha, so the three of us tracked you down here."

Kagome just looked at her. "And where does Kouga come in?"

Ayame shrugged. "No idea. He was here when we got here. How cool, right?"

Kagome didn't think she had any more energy to even roll her eyes anymore.

"Jealousy does not become you, wolf."

"I wouldn't have to worry about it if you didn't keep kidnapping my girl!"

"I have never kidnapped her, idiot, she came of her own free will!"

"Impossible! I know her, and she would never do that!"

You do not knowme, Kagome thought, suddenly exhausted, listening in yet again to the two boys who were still going at it. This whole day had been a bust, and she wished more than anything that Inuyasha had not called her after all, and she were back in her house, snuggled up on the couch with a pint of ice cream and some good ol' drama. Was that so much to ask for?

"Now, now, boys, fighting does not become anyone." Miroku was trying to step in now, Sango right beside him. She would not get away with not explaining why the monk had been over at her house, Kagome would make sure of that.

"You don't understand, monk! This stupid half-breed is going around taking my Kagome out on a date!"

Okay, that was it. Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She had to step in and do something before the two of them clawed each other's faces off. This was getting ridiculous, fighting over something that wasn't even a-

"So what if I am?"

Kagome froze at Inuyasha's challenge.

"She doesn't belong to you, wolf, and she came of her own free will, like I said. If you don't believe me, why don't you try actually talking to her about it, huh?"

Silence fell at that, like it was the silliest idea ever thought of. Kagome could feel her heartbeat in her fingertips.

The energy in the air between Inuyasha and Kouga was still visibly crackling, and no one was making a move to stop it. Kagome sighed, about to try and pull herself together in a vain attempt to end the morning on a more peaceful note, when Inuyasha suddenly whipped around to face her. Kagome jumped again.

"C'mon, Kagome, let's go." Inuyasha growled in a deep voice, brushing past her and taking her wrist in his hand as he went, pulling her along after him. Kagome barely had time to glance behind her and register the shocked looks on their friends' faces before Inuyasha had pulled her out of sight.

:o0o:

They had been walking for a while before Kagome finally managed to trip on a crack in the sidewalk, finally making Inuyasha stop to look back at her. She met his gaze, breathing hard, and glanced at her wrist, still clutched in his hand. Inuyasha blushed, for only a moment, before releasing her wrist and turning away from her.

"Sorry." He grumbled.

Kagome said nothing for a moment, just looking at the hanyou. She'd never seen him so irritated before, and he had gripped her wrist like he was afraid that if he didn't, she would float away from him. "It's okay." She finally managed.

Inuyasha said nothing in response before finally beginning to walk again, this time much slower so Kagome could keep up easily on her own. They walked in awkward quiet through the city, the noises of traffic and passersby extra loud as if to make up for their silence.

:o0o:

AN: How 'bout that, eh?

Some nice drama for y'all.

I apologize, again, for how infrequent my updates continue to be. One big change after another keeps happening, and hopefully I'll get into more of a pattern. I keep saying that, and a pattern never appears, but one can always hope, right?

I was gonna end this chapter with a big reveal thing, but I'll save it. Keep you guys on your toes. Look forward to that! :D

Let me know what you think!

OTHER STORIES:

TOHG: I have a plan, I just have to sit down and smooth it out into words. That one's next on my list.

TGG: I have a few more story details to work out, but the next chapter is almost done. Just gotta find a way to end it!

Thank you guys!

~August