Hey guys, here's the newest chapter, I really hope you guys enjoy it, I really had a fun time writing it. Sorry that not a whole lot happens in this chapter, but the next one will have more, I promise, so, yeah, have fun! Please please please review! Thanks!

Chapter 4

Romeo and Juliet

Ikuto paced nervously atop the rafters watching the scene below him unfold. He had come because he was afraid Amu couldn't handle it and would blow their cover, or at least that's what he told himself to make himself feel better. He didn't like how things were going though. The candlelight and music was one thing, but the dancing? Dancing was a highly personal action, at least ballroom dancing, you didn't just dance like that with anyone. He paused suddenly as he saw the Irish kid spin Amu out and the noticed the look of pure happiness on her face, he wanted to believe that look was her doing some really good acting, but deep down he knew that wasn't the case, she really was actually enjoying it. His interest grew as Ryan pulled Amu in and he paid close attention to how close he pulled her; pressing her body against his own. His scowl deepened, he knew exactly where this was going, and he didn't like it at all. He restrained himself however, he knew Amu would most likely call him a stalker for following her up there, so instead he just watched intently. Ryan was getting ready to kiss her, he leaned towards her, and then Ikuto saw it, the look of bliss on Amu's face disappeared and he saw her pull back only to be met with Ryan's firm grip. That was all Ikuto needed, Amu didn't want to go through with the kiss and he would do his best to make sure she didn't have to. As hopped from crossbeam to crossbeam unexplainable feelings of rage and jealousy swelled within him, he faltered a moment, jealousy? He shoved the thought aside and continued his hurried dissent, there was no way he could be jealous, jealousy would imply that he liked Amu, and he didn't, therefore, whatever he was feeling it wasn't jealousy.

Ikuto was only a couple of beams away from the lowest one, he glanced towards Amu and cursed under his breathe, despite her resistant that idiot was still trying to kiss her, he now had his lips pressed firmly to hers. Once again that unnamed emotion rose inside of him; causing Ikuto to ignore the last couple of beams altogether and jump from where he was. He landed softly as a cat being sure to bend his knees about hitting the ground to help absorb the shock. Turning he placed a firm grip on Ryan's shoulder; a very firm grip. The boy didn't take the hint however so Ikuto helped him by wrenching his shoulder backwards pulling his body with.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ikuto demanded

"Nothing, since when is it a crime to kiss your girlfriend?" he replied with annoyance.

"It is when she doesn't want you to kiss her!" he told him looking to Amu who was visibly upset.

"Since when is it any of your business? Just cause you're her cousin doesn't mean you have the right to butt into her life like this!"

Cousin? Ikuto wondered for a moment, he quickly deemed it irrelevant and continued his tirade "It became my business the moment you decided to violate her!"

"I DIDN'T VIOLATE HER! IT WAS JUST A KISS!"

"A kiss that she clearly didn't want!"

"Yes she did!"

"NO. she didn't, and if you ever try something like that again, I promise you'll regret it," with that Ikuto turned his back on Ryan and faced Amu gently wiping the tears from her eyes. "Come on Amu…let's get you out of here," he told her taking her hand in his. He knew he should be calling her Rose still but he was too pissed off to really care. Together they walked out of the loft and down the stairs and for once, Ikuto noticed she actually seemed glad to be holding his hand, he thought about it for a moment; looking down at their intertwined hands. It was something he had done countless times, but never really thought about it, it was a habit, something he did without even realizing it. Looking at their hands however he noticed for the first time how perfectly their hands seemed to fit together, how right it felt. He quickly shook the thoughts aside however recognizing that he wasn't thinking clearly. This was Amu was he was talking about, and besides, this couldn't last long, before too much later they would escape from this place and return to their normal lives, lives were they were enemies. He sighed and studied the ground.

Amu cast a sidelong glance at Ikuto, she was so grateful for him saving her, she don't what she would've done if it had turned into a full-fledged kiss. She couldn't even begin to express the amount of relief she felt flooding over her when Ikuto showed up, she didn't know where he had come from, but she didn't really care, all she knew was that he had saved her. She saw him studying their hands for a moment and wondered what he was thinking. Once he took his focus off of them she took a moment to look at them as well. She had never truly understood how natural holding his hand really felt, however since she had been holding Ryan's hand all day she noticed a dramatic difference between the two. She felt comfortable holding his hand, but more importantly she felt safe.

"Ikuto," she said suddenly, she had to thank him.

"Hm?" he asked pulling himself with difficulty from his deep thoughts. "What is it?"

"It's just…I wanted to thank you, for saving me….I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you for it."

He cracked one of his famous smirks and she felt his thumb suddenly caress her hand, "Well…you know," he started mischievously, "You could always reward me with a kiss…."

She pulled her hand from his, "Ikuto! You know what I just went through, if I didn't want to kiss him why would I want to kiss you?"

He rolled his eyes, "You silly, I didn't mean on the lips, just…right here," he told her pointing to his cheek with a grin.

She breathed a sigh of relief "Oh…well if that's it, then I would be glad to." She stopped walking and turned standing on her tip toes she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. A look of surprise spread across his face which he quickly covered up "Wow Amu, you agreed to that pretty quickly, I almost wonder if you've been wanting to do something like that for a while now."

"As if!" she replied "I was just happy to thank you for rescuing me, that's all."

"Of course," he said in a tone that implied he was just saying it too appease her.

"I'm serious Ikuto, it was my way of saying thank you, that's it."

"I know…I know." He told her.

She rolled her eyes and continued down the hallway to their room. He rushed to catch up with her and slid his arm around her waist just as she was about to open the door.

She paused, her hand on the doorknob and looked down at his arm, "Ikuto…? What are you doing?"

He shrugged, "Just seeing what it's like."

"Well I would appreciate if you would let go of me."

He frowned, "Why, you let Ryan do it to you all day!" he complained in his whiny two-year old voice.

"That's only cause I had to." She clarified pointedly lifting his arm and removing it from her waist. She twisted the knob and leaned on the door pushing it open and walking through. Ikuto followed her through and shut the door behind them.

Amu paused a moment and looked around the room. "So….we're cousins huh…that would be why we're allowed to share the same room." She murmured her mind going back to what Ryan had said during his confrontation with Iktuo.

"It would appear so," Ikuto replied quietly.

Amu yawned and stretched, "It's all just so weird, who in their right minds would want to send us here?"

He shrugged, "I'm not really sure, I can't think of any good reason for someone to want to do so, I mean, it's a theatre nothing dangerous about it. Annoying, yes, but life-threatening….not so much."

"Agreed, and how on earth is it everyone here believes were someone different, I don't care what you say, the similarities can not be that close for them to believe we're someone else for several days in a row."

"Exactly, the whole thing is fishy."

"I know but…we don't have any leads, any time to investigate, or anything suspicious."

"Exactly…" he sighed and blinked a few times, his eyes growing heavy with tiredness.

Amu yawned once more and noticed Ikuto was tired as well, "Well…whatever, lets just go to bed for now, we can deal with it another time…"

He nodded in agreement as Amu got into the bed, she curled up in a ball and closed her eyes. They snapped open however as she felt movement on the other side of the bed, "….Ikuto?" she asked turning over and looking at him.

He pried his eyes open, "Yeah?"

"I thought we agreed I got the bed tonight."

"You do."

"But you're on it."

"Yeah."

"I have a problem with that."

"Well deal with it, I'm tired."

"If you're that tired you can sleep on the floor."

"Is that any way to treat the hero who saved your from a kiss with Ryan?"

She rolled her eyes, "Your pushing it."
He smirked, "I know. But only cause I know it'll work."

She frowned, hating the fact that he was right. "Fine, but tonight is the last night!" she told him trying to sound as stern as possible.

He grinned to himself. That's what you think. He thought quietly.

With that the two got settled and started falling asleep.

The night passed without anything to report and Ikuto found himself waking up before Amu the next morning. He blinked and looked down to find her snuggled against him as the night before. He wondered how it had happened. Probably just a subconscious action while sleeping… he thought. He rolled away from her and stretched lazily before sitting up. He rubbed his hands over his face trying to get himself awake and eventually forced himself to stand despite his clear desire to go back to sleep. He slid into the bathroom and changed his close. When came out her ventured towards the bed and looked at Amu, she looked so sweet when she was asleep that he almost hated the thought of waking her up. He watched her for a moment before hitting himself on the side of his head. I really am turning into a pervert!the thought dawned on him and he soon reached forward and gently shook her awake, "Amu…time to get up."

"Wha?" she blinked a few times then groaned and rolled onto her stomach burying her head in the pillow.

"Amu…." He called her named gently as he sat on the side of the bed and placed his hand on her back rubbing back and forth slightly. "Amu you need to get up," he told her as he stopped the massage.

"No…don't stop…." She murmured sleepily.

Smirking he stood and grabbed hold of the comforter. He gripped it tightly and pulled. The blanket was ripped from Amu and she jerked upright shivering, "Iiiiiikuto!" she whined while hugging her pillow tightly.

He grinned, "It's not my fault you wouldn't get up." Leaning downward he slid one hand behind her back and another under her legs as he lifted her into his arms bridal style.

She immediately woke up and her eyes widened as her arms and legs flailed as she yelled at him "IKUTO! What are you doing?! PUT ME DOWN!"

His smirk only widened as he struggled to keep her from falling out of her arms.

She could feel his muscles close in around her as her movement was restricted and he headed towards the door.

Ikuto toyed with the doorknob for a minutes before finally getting it open, "Seriously Ikuto what are you doing?!" she cried.

"I'm making sure you don't miss breakfast you goon."

"I can't go looking like this! My hairs a mess and I'm STILL IN MY PAJAMAS!"

He shrugged with indifference, "And who's fault is that? You wouldn't get up when you were supposed to."

She sighed in annoyance "Ikuto please put me down."
"Sure I will." He told her watching her face brighten at the news, "As soon as we get to breakfast."

The glow immediately dulled and groaned, "You. Are, ridiculous."

He grinned all the wider, "You really are quite ungrateful Amu, I mean really, don't you know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

She rolled her eyes, "I really couldn't care less about that right now."

"Well you should, cause if you did you wouldn't have gotten yourself into this mess."

With that the conversation came to a halt as they entered the large cafeteria type area, several of the actors paused a moment and looked up at them for a moment and then resume eating. It was only a moment but it was long enough for Amu to start blushing and feel hyper conscious of her pink tank top and matching silk pajama bottoms that said Chicks Rule! all over. Ikuto shook his head all the more amused at her discomfort and at long last set her gently down as he went to get some pancakes.

Once breakfast was over Amu snuck back to their room and took a long hot shower; changing from her pajamas to a pair of dark jeans that ended at her heel and had a sort of tattered look to the bottom as well as a small, but growing whole on her left knee, up top she wore a red-long sleeve v-neck shirt with a black undershirt that lined the bottom of the red one. She also added a black chocker with a red rose in the center. Her outfit complete she emerged from the room to find Ikuto still nowhere in sight. She glanced at the clock and cringed, it looked like practice had already begun. She speedily exited the room and rushed backstage. When she was there she was relieved to find that Ryan was mysteriously not present. She was glad since that meant she didn't have to deal with talking to him about the events of last night, she shuddered at the memory; and in an effort to push it away she turned her attention to the crack in the curtains where she could see the stage. She blinked with confusion as she saw a girl on the stage, and it wasn't the normal girl who played Westley's lover Buttercup but rather someone completely different. Oh yeah….they're beginning practice for Romeo and Juliet today… she remembered. She watched the girl with sudden interest, she would never admit it but, she actually really enjoyed the story of Romeo and Juliet, it was so romantic.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

Amu cringed, the girl was totally killing the scene, she didn't have the proper emotions coming through her voice and her facial expressions were even worse. Amu listened on hopping it would get better.

"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."

Amu frowned sincerely, the girl had it all wrong, she was focusing too much on the sing-songy affect of the word place and not the emotions behind the words, she was only concerned with sounding light and pretty. While she thought on this the play progressed and the next time she started listening it was several lines later. Now she could see Ikuto a standing a few feet away from the Juliet as he said his lines.

"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."

She sighed Ikuto was doing fine as always, but the play as a whole was suffering because of that girl. There was something about the way Ikuto looked at her too when he said his lines that unsettle Amu, she knew he was only acting but even so, she didn't like the thought of him professing love to this girl, even if it were only complete fantasy, she was unworthy of it all together.

Suddenly the girl spoke once more. "If they do see thee, they will murder thee."

Amu couldn't hold it in any longer, she let out a groan, "She's totally killing it!" she cried in distress, "Even I could do better than that!"
"Then why not give it a try?" asked a sweet voice beside her.

Amu jumped with surprised and turned to find Mrs. Walker standing there, apron on and feather duster in hand. Amu shook her head, she was starting to get used to the cooky old lady, "There's no way, I have horrible stage fright, besides I'm a stagehand remember???? Not an actress."

"Oh come now deary, there's no harm in trying!" With that the woman gave her a rather forceful shove and Amu found herself stumbling onto the stage.

She gained her balance quickly and looked around to see the director and all the other actors and actresses staring at her. She bit her lip.
"Rose?" Ikuto asked curiously.

"What, are You doing here?!" came the harsh shrill of the directors voice.

Amu opened her mouth but her courage failed her.

Suddenly Mrs. Walker's voice trilled from behind the curtain, "Why she wants to try out, she wants to see if she could be Juliet!"

The director spluttered in disbelief, "Try out?" he mocked, "She's a stagehand, besides, we already have someone cast as Juliet."

Mrs. Walker's head popped out of the curtain and she looked at the director, "All she's asking for is a chance, what's the harm in that?"
"What's the harm? It's a colossal waste of precious practice time that's the harm!"
"Not nearly as much as the time you're spending arguing right now, just let her try."

He sighed in defeat, "Oh very well, but you've got one shot miss, and that's it."

"Uh…right…" came Amu's dazed response as a script was thrust into her hands.

"Now," the director commanded, "We'll start from Romeo's Line, "She speaks."

Ikuto just nodded, he was probably the only person who wasn't unsettled by the sudden turn of events, but then again he could just be acting like it. He turned to face Amu and started to recite. "She speaks 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 wond'ring eyes Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him When he bestrides the lazy puffing clouds And sails upon the bosom of the air."

For the first half of Ikuto's lines Amu was nothing but nervous as the butterflies decided to throw a dance party in her stomach. Just don't think about it! She told herself Just be yourself, be natural she somehow managed to calm herself enough to where she could actually listen to the second half of what Ikuto was saying, and then she was suddenly sucked into the world of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's world of the two lovers started falling into place right before her eyes, and then, the moment of truth came as the time for her line came. Amu opened her mouth and, "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." Amu's heart soared within her, she had done it! It felt so wonderful, for some reason she couldn't explain she felt a deep connection between her and Juliet, as if they were the same person. She wasn't out of the woods yet, Ikuto only a short line and then she would speaking again.

"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" came Ikuto's honeyed voice.

Amu found herself saying the lines once more, this time more confidently and with even more emotion then before. She stared longingly into the audience pretending to look out over her garden as Juliet had as she continued to wonder aloud.

"'Tis but thy name that is my art thyself, though not a 's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face. O, be some other name Belonging to a man. 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 thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself." Amu breathed deeply after finishing her lines and grinned, knowing she had put all of herself into those lines and had done the best she could to convey the proper tone and feeling. Silence reigned for a few seconds and her nervousness came back to her, who was she to know that even though it was her best that it was good by others standards. She bit her lip and looked shyly at the director who had a rather intense and intimidating gaze locked onto her. She shrunk back a few steps. It was horrible…I should've known I couldn't act, I don't know what I was thinking… she started to turn away when suddenly she was stopped by the sound of someone clapping. She looked in amazement as the director rose from his seat, broke into a huge smile and started clapping, and one by one everyone around him did the same. She looked at Ikuto incredulously this had to be a joke, he seemed to sense what she was thinking and shook his head gently as if to say, no this was no joke. She turned her attention back towards the director as the clapping slowly came to an end.

"That was….the most beautiful I have EVER seen!" he cried joyously, "I've never seen that role played with so much heart, so much emotion, you held nothing back! And the interaction between you and Jake, the chemistry, it was practically skyrocketing!" his tone rose to ecstatic. "It's simply wonderful, pure beauty, this is what real acting is all about! Congratulations miss! You are officially our new Juliet!"