"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." -Juliet Act II, Scene II

The next morning, as Annabeth awoke, she rubbed her eyes and wondered if it was all a dream. It seemed so unreal. When she went to breakfast, the way the Percy avoided her gaze made her suppose it must have been real. As they were eating, Rose turned to her and asked her quietly, "Seriously, what we're you doing out last night? I went to say good night to you, and you were just gone! I waited for almost an hour to go looking for you."

Annabeth just shook her head. "I'll tell you about it later. I promise." Rose huffed but left it alone with the promise of the full story later on. Annabeth glanced over at Percy once more, and caught him looking at her. She quickly looked away as he did so as well. She would have to confront him about this later.

Annabeth was sitting on their stage in the theatre, just underneath the balcony she had designed for the show. It looked as though it was stolen directly from a castle, with vines growing up it and everything. Rehearsal didn't start for another half-hour, and she had nothing else to do except wait. She sighed and decided now was as good a time as ever to practice her lines. She went around the back of the balcony and climbed up to the top of it, to stand as though she were performing the balcony scene from the play.

"Ay me!" she sighed, thinking more about Percy and his lips than playing the part of Juliet. She had memorized this scene when she was nine, and now she simply had to brush up on it. "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" she moaned, really taking on her part of the love-sick and tragic lover of the forbidden man. "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."

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man." she nearly smirked at this, thinking, although she would deny it if asked, about Percy's man parts.

"O, be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name, which is no part of thee Take all myself." she sighed, barely playing the part at all now, for she was not Juliet, thinking of Romeo, her forbidden love, but only Annabeth, thinking of Percy, her best friend that she had kissed.

"I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo." said a voice from beneath her, and as she looked down, she saw none other than Seaweed Brain Percy himself, grinning at her from on the vines which he had apparently been climbing to see her. Annabeth gasped, blushing scarlet, though since she was only reciting her lines, she had no reason to.

Annabeth figured that maybe she could make it seem like she truly was only reciting her lines, rather than thinking about Percy and his -ahem- man parts. "What man art thou that, thus bescreened in night, So stumblest on my counsel?" she demanded, trying to seem the part or the angry Juliet instead of the blushing Annabeth. She cursed her cheeks for remaining pink and hot.

"By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word." he told her, playing along with her attempt. "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words Of that tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound. Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?"

"Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike." Percy said, seeming much more confident and daring than he typically is. Although, Annabeth supposed, it may be that he was not Percy at the moment, but the lovestruck Romeo, pining for his beautiful Juliet. Only, she was his beautiful Juliet. Her eyes widened a little.

"How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore? The orchard walls are high and hard to climb, And the place death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here." she asked him, for she has sworn that she had locked the doors. Percy/Romeo's eyes glinted with a mischievous light. "With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls, For stony limits cannot hold love out, And what love can do, that dares love attempt. Therefore thy kinsmen are no stop to me."

Annabeth shushed him, since he nearly shouted the last lines. She didn't want the whole of camp knowing what was going on. "If they do see thee they will murder thee." she told him. Or I'll murder you myself if we are found here like this. She thought to herself. "Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, And I am proof against their enmity." Percy whispered, leaning closer to her. Annabeth's breathing quicken with her heart rate from his close proximity.

"I would not for the world they saw thee here." she murmured, glancing at his lips and licking her own dry ones. She wondered if his were as soft as they were last night. "I have night's cloak to hide me from their eyes, And but thou love me, let them find me here. My life were better ended by their hate Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love." Percy murmured, practically touching her now. Her breathing practically stopped as she gazed into his gorgeous green eyes.

She could feel the ghosts of his breath misting across her face as he stepped even closer. Again he stopped, looking into her eyes, searching for acknowledgment that she knew what they were doing and was okay with it. It was really sweet how he looked for permission. This time, it was she who leaning into him, touching their lips together. She tasted the salty water on his lips and again losing herself in him. One of his hands was pressing into the small of her back, the other was cupping her cheek gently, both of them holding her tight to him.

Annabeth felt her brain getting foggy from lack of air, so she pulled away, gasping for breath. She pulled away from him, trying to keep her mind clearer. "Thou know'st the mask of night is on my face, Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek For that which thou hast heard me speak tonight." Annabeth was blushing anyways, but the theatre lights were just dim enough that Percy might not be able to see it.

"Fain would I dwell on form. Fain, fain deny What I have spoke. But farewell compliment!" She paused, to look at him. "Dost thou love me? I know thou wilt say "ay," And I will take thy word. Yet if thou swear'st Thou mayst prove false." Percy came toward her as she backed away slightly, trying to stay far enough away to keep her mind clear. "At lovers' perjuries, They say, Jove laughs. O gentle Romeo, If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. Or if thou think'st I am too quickly won, I'll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, So thou wilt woo. But else, not for the world."

Annabeth's heart was still racing from his touch and his kisses. She couldn't help it. "In truth, fair Montague, I am too fond, And therefore thou mayst think my 'havior light. But trust me, gentleman, I'll prove more true Than those that have more coying to be strange." She really wanted to wink at him suggestively here, but decided against it. It would just be too weird.

"I should have been more strange, I must confess, But that thou overheard'st, ere I was 'ware, My true love's passion. Therefore pardon me, And not impute this yielding to light love, Which the dark night hath so discovered." Annabeth was almost stammering this, since he was now trying to kiss her again. He pulled away, to just look at her happily and whisper, "Lady, by yonder blessèd moon I vow, That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops-" She cut him off here.

"O, swear not by the moon, th' inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circle orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable." She told him, almost frustrated that he was still playing along and not being himself. Almost. "Then what shall I swear by?" he asked her. "Do not swear at all." she told him, shaking her head. "Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, Which is the god of my idolatry, And I'll believe thee."

"If my heart's dear love-" he murmured, kissing her again, once, twice, before pulling back. "Well, do not swear. Although I joy in thee, I have no joy of this contract tonight." She turned away at this, but she felt his hands remaining on her shoulders. "It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be Ere one can say 'It lightens.' Sweet, good night." She kissed him again.

He continued kissing her, down her neck and along her cheek bone, as if he didn't want to forget how she tasted. "This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath, May prove a beauteous flower when next we meet. Good night, good night! As sweet repose and rest Come to thy heart as that within my breast." He was beginning to kiss down her neck and along the neck line on her shirt as she pulled away, needing to clear her head.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" He asked her retreating form. She froze, the sound of his voice making her wonder, did he just want to finish the scene? Or did he really want her. Cautiously, she replied. "What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?" He smiled, his face softening. "Th' exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine." Annabeth laughed, grinning from ear to ear, because she could tell, though he was still reciting the lines from the play, he really meant it too. He loved her.

"I gave thee mine before thou didst request it," she told him, running back to him and kissing him deeply. "And yet I would it were to give again." He looked at her, happy, but a little confused. "Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?" Percy asked her. "But to be frank, and give it thee again. And yet I wish but for the thing I have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep. The more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." She told him, and as she said it, she knew it was true.

"Annabeth!" Came the call from outside, they looked at each other in sudden fear. They wanted it to be known only when they agreed to tell, not sooner. Both of them snapped out of their trance. "Percy, I need to go, before they find us here," Annabeth whispered to him. He shook his head. "Let them find us, for I don't want to let you leave just yet. I'm just getting used to having you in my arms." He murmured into her ear, making her shiver.

"Annabeth! Where are you!" came the call again. "By and By I come!" Annabeth replied without thinking. Both of their eyes widened as they realized that someone would know she had been rehearsing with someone now, and they'd probably suspect him. Annabeth swiftly kissed him on the lips and then whispered, "See you soon," in his ear before dashing away to find the voice.

Just as Annabeth was out of hearing, Percy heard clapping from the rear of the theatre. "Well done Percy Jackson," said a voice from the darkness. The man behind the voice stepped out of the darkness. Ambrose. "What are you talking about?" Percy asked him, not understanding what in the name of the gods he meant.

"That little show of course, you were very convincing. It actually seemed like you loved her. I knew I chose well to cast you as the Romeo to her Juliet." Ambrose told Percy, as if it was obvious what he meant. "I do actually love her," Percy yelled at Ambrose. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth when he realized what he had just admitted to. Ambrose just chuckled. "Even better." He said, and before Percy could ask what he meant, Ambrose just disappeared, leaving Percy standing on the balcony completely confused, and yet more sure of himself than every before.

Back outside, Annabeth was found by Rose, who had been calling for her. "Where have you been Annabeth?" she demanded. "I was waiting for you back at out cabin for you to explain where you went last night, and you disappeared AGAIN!" Annabeth sighed, she supposed she owed Rose an explanation of sorts.

"First you have to swear that you won't tell anyone about any of this." Annabeth told her. "I swear on the river Styx that I will not tell anyone anything that you're about to tell me." Annabeth nodded. "Last night," she stopped and swallow and lowered her voice. "Last night, I went to the beach to meet Percy." Rose's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "What did you guys do?" She asked in a hushed voice. "I-" Annabeth hesitated. "We practiced lines from the play... and then we kissed..." Her voice was almost inaudible at the end. "And today, I was practicing in the theatre, and he just appeared and we did the balcony scene until you called."

Rose smiled. "You mean you said like 5 words each and kissed a lot." Annabeth looked at her friend for a moment and then nodded. "Sort of, but we actually did do nearly all the lines. And also... before we left... he told me he loved me." She whispered the end, but Rose caught it anyways and she gasped.

"No way! Did he really?" She stared at her best friend. "Well, not exactly... but I knew that that was what he meant by it. Now, I have to go, rehearsal starts soon, and I need to be ready." Rose nodded and left after telling Annabeth once more that no one would hear of this from her.

Annabeth sighed and sunk down, her back pressed against the outer wall of the theatre. She touched her lips as she did last night smiled. Percy loved her, she was sure of it. She sat there smiling at the though. That was where the rest of her cast found her as they came to rehearsal.

You guys are so amazing, just sayin'. I got a bunch of reviews last night, and even one at 1am! (although that may have been on another of my fics, but it mentioned this one so it's okay) All of this meant either your time zone is WAAAAAAAYY different from mine, or reading my story was better than sleeping, and I prefer to think the latter. So I decided to be kind and I am now posting the 4th chapter, and updating my poll to potentially stop it here, but I think it's gonna continue, but with a little less shakespeare (sadly). Also, I have another story I think I'm gonna write, that's gonna be Percy and Annabeth again, but with it being set on Mt. Olympus and them being practically a real life Romeo and Juliet. I'll modernize the text a bit, and all the characters will be characters from PJO, using their names instead of Romeo and Juliet character names, so what do ya think?

Also, I actually haven't thought much about what to do next, so I'll have to work on that if I end up continuing it. Umm... originally, Ambrose was not intended to sound evil in that piece at the end, he just kind of turned out that was. I'll probably use that if I continue this. So yeah. Review please?

Peace. Love. And Beautiful, Romatic, Fluff. :)

~*Chickeerafish.*~