A/N: written really quickly on a night when I was plagued by a killer bat hell-bent on making sure my insomnia doesn't fade.
Apologies spelling grammar and OOCness
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters
"He jests at scars that have never felt a wound. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief..."
Pathetic.
Tsunade let out an annoyed sigh as she watched the raven haired teen up on the stage reading his lines before looking down to glare at the script in her own hands.
Simply pathetic.
Sasuke didn't want to be there and it showed. The Uchiha's voice was dry and uninterested as he stood there reading his lines sounding dangerously close to letting out a loud yawn of boredom and occasionally rolling his eyes or scoffing at some of the lines he read.
It's been this way for weeks. Sasuke's first audition was great, he seemed passionate and dedicated in his pursuit of darling Juliet. But now, it looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here.
Of course Tsunade understands why. He needed extra credit to qualify for some engineering course he's going to do once he graduates and since the drama club was the only school activity still accepting new applicants at the time, Sasuke didn't really have much of a choice.
Still, it would be nice if he even pretended like he was into the school play.
"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet."
Sakura was giving it a little bit more effort, of course she actually wanted to be Juliet and she was absolutely ecstatic when she found out that Sasuke would be playing Romeo. Unfortunately Romeo barely did more than glare in Juliet's direction, making Sakura's heart crack a little more and causing her performance to suffer because of it.
"Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee, take all myself."
"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love and I'll be new baptised." Sasuke gave a snort, Sakura sighed.
It would probably be best to have Sasuke's understudy Lee take over the role of Romeo, but Lee was a little too enthusiastic to play Romeo.
Lee's audition was entertaining if nothing else. Every line was delivered in a shout and every declaration punctuated by a fist pump accompanied by large black eyes sparkling with determination. Lee isn't quite Romeo material, he was too... Youthful to play a brooding overly romantic character, so Tsunade couldn't give him the part. Instead Lee was the set manager and the boy did his job well.
Tsunade never had to worry about a thing since Lee's reliable and dedicated nature ensured that everything went exactly as it was meant to go. So all in all she was happy with Lee, she made him Sasuke's understudy in the event that things really would go so wrong that they might need a replacement. And although Lee was a little over enthusiastic, when it came right down to it, he never let his drama teacher down.
If only she could say the same about Sasuke.
"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, and I am proof against their enmity."
"I would not for the world they saw thee here." Sakura glanced down at her watch, pursing her lips together as Sasuke delivered the next line in that dry drawl of his.
"I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, an but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love."
Sasuke can do much better than this, Tsunade's sure of that but for some reason he just wouldn't. The blonde sighed as she put her leg up on the seat in front of her.
Things have been going bad enough with Naruto's blunders in preparing the set and Ino insisting on a bigger budget for the costumes that she had to make. It wasn't enough for her to play Rosaline-no-she had to be in charge of wardrobe as well.
"By whose direction found'st thou out this place?" Another glance to her watch, Sakura was distracted.
Opening night is in two weeks, they prepared well enough for a high school play. It's not like they were putting on the titanic or anything, it's just Romeo and Juliet but Tsunade didn't like doing anything half assed. It just seems like such a waste of time if everyone isn't putting in their best efforts but right now Sasuke wasn't budging. The blonde can only hope that things will be better on opening night.
"Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face," another glance to her watch, her foot started tapping as well, "Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek for that which thou... For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight." A slight fidget, "Fain would I dwell on form, fain, fain deny what I have spoke; but... But farewell, compliment. Dost though-"
"Sakura." Tsunade interrupted making the girl look up in surprise while Sasuke just stared. "You're distracted, what's wrong?"
The pink haired girl shifted a bit and pursed her lips together before she suddenly blurted out, "I'm sorry miss Tsunade but I have to go. My parents have a big dinner planned for tonight at six and-"
"That's alright Sakura. We weren't getting much done anyway." Tsunade said turning a glare on Sasuke before letting out a sigh, "You can go, we'll pick up again tomorrow."
Sakura sighed in relief, "Thank you, miss Tsunade." The pink haired girl darted over to her backpack on the edge of the stage before running past the raven with a hurried, "Bye Sasuke."
"Hn." The raven walked over to his own bag but froze when Tsunade suddenly stopped him short just as Sakura ran out the door. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Home."
"Uh uh. Sakura gets to go home early cause she's actually trying to do her best with this play." Tsunade said and the Uchiha glared back at her as he folded his arms across his chest. "Those who half-ass, don't get to go home early. Get back in position we'll take it from the top."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, "And who'll do Sakura's parts?"
Tsunade frowned for a moment before her face lit up and she called, "Lee! Get out here!"
Sasuke blinked in surprise and Tsunade arched a brow at the raven as they waited for Lee to appear. Thankfully Lee was working on the sound equipment with Shino so he wasn't too far away. The boy came running into the auditorium skidding briefly as he appeared at the end of the row of seats where the blonde was sitting.
"Yes, miss Tsunade?"
Tsunade smiled, "You know all the lines to Romeo and Juliet right?"
"Yes mam," Lee said with a bright smile, simply beaming with pride, "I memorised them when I was auditioning for the part of Romeo and even though I did not get the part I still practice all of them every-"
"Good. Get on stage I need you to play Juliet."
The boy's eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed pink, "I-I am sorry I do not under-"
"Sakura had to leave early, so I need a substitute to help Sasuke practice his lines." Tsunade said gesturing towards the stage and Lee briefly glanced at the Uchiha before looking back and swallowing hard.
"But, Tenten is her understudy. Would it not be better if-"
"Tenten's not here Lee, dentists appointment. Remember?"
The boy gave a nod and Tsunade smiled, "Good, now get up there we don't have all night."
"Ri-Right!" Lee said with a thumbs up and a somewhat forced smile as he ran around the seats up the stairs and onto the stage to stand by Sasuke's side, where the Uchiha had suspicious looking pink tint across his cheeks.
Strange.
"Alright, take it from scene two part two. Action."
Sasuke cleared his throat and stared down at the script as he spoke, "He-He jests at scars that have never felt a wound. But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief..."
Well that's odd.
"That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools wear it. Cast it off."
His voice was soft, awe struck and filled with hope in the same way that it was on that first day he auditioned. Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on Lee, not looking down at his script even once while the raven haired boy shifted uncomfortably in front of him.
"Aye me!"
Sasuke cracked a smile at the boy in front of him while Tsunade cringed.
Aye me, the youthfulness! She can already see where this is going.
Before Sasuke could continue the blonde spoke, "Lee."
"Yes miss Tsunade."
"Try to tone it down a little." Tsunade told the boy as her eyebrows furrowed and she tried to find a gentle way of putting this. "You have a very strong voice and that's good. But remember right now you're Juliet, not Lee."
"Yes, mam." Lee said nodding his head and Tsunade gestured for Sasuke to continue.
"O speak again, bright angel, for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head, as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him. When he bestrides the lazy-puffing clouds and sails upon the bosom of air."
Lee cleared his throat, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou-"
"Stop!" Tsunade shrieked before raising her hand to rub at her temples.
That was horrific.
Lee's voice was shrill and high, squeaky in places where it had no business being before cracking everywhere else.
"Lee."
"Yes miss Tsunade?"
The blonde looked up seeing the complete and utter obliviousness on the boys face before letting out another sigh.
"Try this. Just speak normally, in your voice but tone it down a bit like..." The woman gave a sigh of frustration until it hit her and she smiled, "You had a boyfriend last year right, um... Uchiha's cousin-"
"Sai?" Lee asked with a light blush creeping up onto his face while Sasuke's eyes narrowed down at him and his jaw clenched.
Lee's bisexual, practically everyone in the school knew that so Tsunade saw absolutely no problem in mentioning it no, matter how inappropriate the question may have been.
"Yes, just pretend... deliver your lines like you're talking to him, just the two of you. You know, before you broke up."
Lee glanced up at Sasuke and his blush went one shade darker, "Al-Alright."
"O.K, action!"
"O Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet."
Perfect.
Tsunade couldn't help but lean forward as the boy spoke. It started off a little awkward but as he eased into it Lee's voice carried naturally so he didn't have to try very hard to be heard. Lee's voice was clear and somehow soft to the ears alluring in a way that made you almost lose yourself in it's tone. Not feminine but not exactly masculine either.
Sasuke moved closer as he was meant to do in the scene, "Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops-"
"O swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon, that monthly changes in the circle orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable."
"What shall I swear by?"
"Do not swear at all," Lee turned back walking just a few feet away, "Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, which is the god of my idolatry and I'll believe them."
Sasuke walks up and turns Lee back, his script has been discarded on the floor by now. "If my heart's dear love-"
"Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee,"
There was something oddly right about the scene, Tsunade wasn't exactly sure what. Sasuke teased Lee and Lee almost seemed to blush as he teased back in kind. It was comfortable and easy and honestly Tsunade could've watched them all night.
After finishing the balcony scene Tsunade had them go back to the scene where Romeo and Juliet first met.
It was choppy and quite awkward when Sasuke practised it that afternoon with Sakura so Tsunade wanted to see how it would look with a cooperative Sasuke playing Romeo.
The difference was absolutely breathtaking.
Although the blonde made sure to remind them that it was just a rehearsal and therefore no kissing was required from either of them, apparently Sasuke didn't hear her.
"O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do-. They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."
They were standing a few inches apart with Lee's skin two shades darker than when they started as Sasuke cupped his face and Lee kept his hands around the Uchiha's wrists.
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."
"Then move not while my prayer's effect I take." Sasuke leaned down and kissed Lee and the boy blushed right up to his ears, letting out a brief squeak of surprise when Sasuke pulled back with a slightly lighter blush on his own face. "Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purged."
"I-uh..." Lee stuttered for a few seconds until he cleared his throat and spoke, just barely able to manage eye contact with Sasuke, "Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again." Another kiss and this time Lee's eyes slipped shut as he leaned into Sasuke, his hands slipped up around the Uchiha's neck before Sasuke broke it and Lee stutters a bit again. But it's endearing that way, quite adorable actually.
"You-you kiss by th' book."
From that point the nurse is meant to call Juliet away so Tsunade decides that Sasuke's done more than enough for the day.
"And cut." The blonde says sounding a little breathless and Lee quickly pulls away, staring at his feet while his hands fiddled with the corner of his jacket while Sasuke gave an awkward cough as he turned away, still glancing at the other teen every few seconds.
"That's enough for one day, Lee thanks for all your help."
"You are very welcome miss Tsunade." Lee said and immediately turned to leave when the woman spoke again, "Hang on."
Lee almost seemed to cringe as he turned back, Sasuke kept glancing at the boy with some odd glow in his eyes. "Y-Yes."
Somethings definitely up here...
"You two are in the same home room right?"
"Yes mam," Lee said with a nod while Sasuke just shrugged. "Yeah."
"Well then you should rehearse the play together, Sasuke seems to respond well to you Lee." Tsunade said with a smile and Lee blushed as he glanced up at the other and Sasuke smirked.
"Maybe."
"You two can go," Tsunade said with that same smile when an idea suddenly hit her with the same force of a freight train and the blonde woman couldn't hold back a wide grin, "Um Lee, what size are you?"
The boy frowned, "What?"
"Well, your understudy costume it needs to be made for emergencies." Tsunade explained quickly while Sasuke stared at her in suspicion. "Just make sure to give Ino your measurements before the week is done."
"Yes, mam. Goodbye miss Tsunade." Lee gave a nod as he turned to leave but not without pausing for a moment in front of the Uchiha. "Goodbye Sasuke."
"Bye, Lee." Sasuke said as the boy darted passed him and watched him go staring long after Lee was gone when miss Tsunade suddenly grinned.
"Hey, Uchiha. You're drooling."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Alright! Listen up brats!" The blonde said loudly causing the loud murmur in the auditorium to quiet down to a hushed whisper as she spoke, "As you all know we've done re-casting since some interesting information has recently come to my attention. Now most of you will still have the rolls that you had before while others won't. Don't worry though, no ones getting kicked out. I just did a little... Rearranging."
Sasuke gave an annoyed sigh as he got up and slowly followed the crowd toward the front where the drama teacher had the casting sheets all set up.
Making his way through the crowd Sasuke rolled his eyes at the girls that squealed and sighed in relief when they saw their names in the same place when a loud shriek suddenly tore through the air.
"I'm the nurse?!" Sakura cried as she stared at the sheet in her hands with wide eyes, "This can't be happening! I'm Juliet, I can't be the nurse. Miss Tsunade you can't be serious!"
"Calm down Sakura." The blonde said from her seat at the corner of the stage as she gestured for the girl to come closer and Sakura slammed the paper down as she shoved her way through the crowd to reach the teacher.
Sasuke gave a snort as he watched the girl go.
Honestly, Sasuke doesn't care who plays Juliet or even what role he gets. He's only doing this stupid play for extra credit. There are a million other things he'd rather be doing.
Hanging out with his best friend Naruto, even if the dobe was a little annoying sometimes. Soccer practice with Shikamaru and the rest of his team. Heck Sasuke would probably rather hang out with his cousin than stand on a stage reciting cheesy lines to a girl he could really care less about.
Even if his cousin was Lee's ex-boyfriend.
Sasuke's jaw clenched.
Sai didn't even like Lee when he asked the boy out, he just did it to get under Sasuke's skin and unfortunately Sai succeeded. He's liked Lee since they were eleven, ever since Naruto introduced them in middle school. But Lee the infuriatingly adorable little idiot was completely oblivious.
So when Sai just walked up to the boy and told him that they were dating and Lee actually went along with it, Sasuke all but lost his mind.
But then a few months ago, Sai broke up with Lee and Sasuke was just a little bit hopeful that he might have a chance with the boy. Unfortunately Lee was preoccupied with other things so he couldn't get a lot of time alone with him.
Except last friday of course, last friday was perfect.
Yes they weren't exactly alone and yeah, technically Lee sort of got coerced into kissing Sasuke but it still happened and Lee still kissed him back so it totally counts.
Now all he has to do is figure out a way to turn that episode into something more permanent.
Right at that thought Sasuke looked up and realised that he was at the front of the crowd. Loh and behold there's Rock Lee.
The boy was standing there completely still as he held a piece of paper up in front of his face. Sasuke stopped to shove his hands in his pockets as he gave an awkward cough.
"Hey."
Lee didn't respond he just kept staring at the paper with wide eyes and Sasuke instantly frowned, "Lee?"
"I-I do not understand." Lee said sounding completely shocked and Sasuke's frown deepened, "Don't understand what?"
Lee looked up at Sasuke and hesitated for only the briefest of moments before he handed the paper to him and the Uchiha paused to look over the list
Romeo Montague - Uchiha Sasuke
Ok so he still has the same role. The raven went over the list again frowning a bit when he didn't find Lee's name on the list of male roles. Before just going over all of them when his own eyes went wide as well.
Juliet Capulet - Rock Lee
There was a moment, where Sasuke thought about how completely messed up it was. Why miss Tsunade decided to cast Lee in a female role, he thought of apologising to the boy and maybe even trying to think of ways to help Lee out of the mess he'd somehow managed to land himself in.
Unfortunately once Sasuke had passed that moment of shock all he did was smirk and say
"So, I'll see you at rehearsal?"
Owari
A/N: I dunno this was really fast.
So like review and stuff