Sorry, another short chapter. I've been a little busy lately, and it's hard to update. But I will persevere! Gambatte!

Anyway, this one's a little juicy...hope you like!

Private Rehearsal

By PhoenixTorte

Kyouko stretched lazily, arching her back much like a satisfied cat. Extremely content, she settled back into the soft mattress of the huge western style bed. 'Wait, a western style bed?' Her eyes popped open as she remembered just where she was. Unfortunately, it was a shock to see Tsuruga Ren's sleeping face opposite of hers. Well, maybe not unfortunate for any of the other girls on the planet, but Kyouko's demons started to shrivel at the heavenly innocence on Ren's face.

Feeling her move around, Ren opened his eyes to see that Kyouko was plastered against the wall, looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. "Look," she said. "I know that I didn't go to bed in the same bed as you last night…how did I get from the couch to here?" Ren propped himself up on his elbows. His body made a long, sensuous line so that he looked rather like a lazy panther relaxing in his habitat.

"Easy," he replied. "You got up in the middle of the night and joined me here."

"What?!" Kyouko shrieked.

"I wouldn't lie to you." Ren said, putting on his best, 'I'm-shocked-and-hurt-that-you-don't-believe-me' face. Now that Kyouko was fully awake, the last night came back in vivid detail…

Last night, after Ren and Kyouko arrived at Ren's apartment.

Ren, like any good gentleman, held the door open for Kyouko. Kyouko breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the apartment. "Boy, it's embarrassing to act like that in public."

Ren felt a prickle of embarrassment that she found how he acted towards her an embarrassment. He had meant every word after all. "Of course…" he agreed, like an academy award winning gentleman's smile. Kyouko didn't like that smile. To her heightened senses, it was clear as day that Ren was getting mad at her, though she couldn't tell what it was.

"Ano…maybe I should leave?" Kyouko looked at the door as though she was seriously considering it.

"No," Ren protested quickly. "If you leave this quick, Fuwa will get suspicious. It's best if you stay a little while, or even…all night." He looked away, peering sideways at Kyouko through his eyelashes. Luckily, she just looked thoughtful at his suggestion.

"You might be right. That would be the best way to stroke Shotaro's suspicions and make him jealous…and it's not like I've never stayed the night at your house before (when you were sick)," Kyouko tapped her loose fist into the palm of her hand. "Okay, we'll do that!"

Ren looked away, a dark shadow on his face. 'Always thinking about that guy, huh'. Kyouko whirled across the room, thinking so happily about revenge on Sho that she didn't notice the weird look on Ren's face.

"Anyway, what should we do until then," Kyouko said, changing the subject. "It's kind of early to just go to bed. Oh, maybe…" she trailed off into silence.

"What?" Ren asked her, curious about what she was thinking. She turned to him, her eyes shining brightly.

"Let's rehearse our lines for Garden of Tears! It'll be awesome to get some rehearsal time in, and perhaps…sempai can help me with my acting?" She gazed at Ren, her face as innocent, sweet, and begging as a puppy's. Ren felt his heart melting. Before he could change his mind, he nodded his assent.

"Sugoi!" Kyouko whipped a script out of her purse. "Which scene should we do?" Ren leaned over her shoulder, looking at the script that she was leafing through.

"How about we…" Kyouko blushed as she heard what scene he wanted to practice. Despite her blushes, she reminded herself that it was only a play, after all…and nodded her agreement.

"Akira-san…we can't do this…" Kuroko gasped as Akira pulled her into a heated embrace. Her clothes rumpled as the leaves from the bush they were behind rustled. Fragrance from the flowers of her father's garden drifted over them.

"Why not?" Shiroyume Akira looked deep into Kuroko's bright eyes, shining with unshed tears.

"It's wrong…we'll be defying my father's will…he wants me to marry Otome-san…"

"What's so wrong about the way we feel for each other? Is it a sin to love…to want to be together? Isn't it far worse to deny your feelings, and marry someone that you have no love for? What sort of happiness will you find in that?"

Kuroko looked away, her heart heavy with the words she must say, the things she must do…the love she must refuse. "Please…" the proud heiress said, begging for the first time in her life, begging to the forgiveness she needed from this fierce, bumbling, beautiful man that she had lost her heart to.

Akira looked away, the pain at her rejection evident on his face. He knew how much it cost her to beg him like that. But he knew that it would cost them both even more if he gave up on her. Tenderly, he kissed her on the lips. Kuroko pinked as the kiss deepened, became more passionate. By the time he stopped, her legs were weak and trembling so that she could barely hold herself up. "Please…" she said again. "Please…go."

Akira released her so suddenly that she nearly stumbled and fell. He turned away, stumbling away from Kuroko, out of the garden. As he stormed off, Kuroko began to weep, to weep over what she had lost. But she didn't see the bleak look on Akira's face slowly turn into one of fierce determination.

'Kuroko will be mine.' Akira vowed to himself. 'I won't let anyone else have her!'

In a jealous rage, Akira got into his car. He drove off, heading for Otome Yuki's house. Only one of them could have Kuroko, and it wasn't going to be Otome Yuki…not it Akira could help it.

Kyouko pulled herself together, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Darn, my eyes are going to be puffy tomorrow." Forcing her breathing to slow, she forced herself back out of character. It was hard though. The way that Ren had looked at her…had held her…as Akira had her heart beating so hard that she could barely breathe. Ren smiled a secretive little smile at the dazed look on her face. He had actually started to leave to go after Fuwa, but had pulled himself together before he had acted out the rest of the script. Going into his kitchen, he pulled out some tea bags. Soaking them in water, he brought them back out into the living room.

"Here, put these on your eyes. It'll help keep them from puffing." Kyouko accepted the teabags gratefully, and lay back on the couch so that she could put them on. She was exhausted however, from the long day and the draining scene she had just portrayed. She fell asleep in seconds, barely beating her previous record. Ren watched her, amused. Getting an extra blanket, he gently covered Kyouko so that she wouldn't get cold, and removed the tea bags from her eyes. Going to his own room, he prepared for bed. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to sleep at all. He couldn't keep that kiss out of his mind…finally, an hour after he had went to bed, he was able to fall asleep.

Back in the living room, Kyouko tossed on the couch. In her dream, she felt Ren's lips warmly covering hers again…

Morning, present time.

"Hmm," Kyouko muttered suspiciously. "I don't remember…"

"Maybe you were sleepwalking." Ren suggested. He brushed his collar casually with one hand and smirked. "Thinking about me, eh?" He watched with great amusement at Kyouko got flustered.

"As if!" Kyouko flounced away, slamming into the bathroom. "I'm getting a shower," she called out to Ren. "Don't come in!"

"As if I would," Ren called back, chuckling at all the angry rants that floated past the bathroom door. As he did, he got lost in the memory of how, in the middle of the night, he had felt a slim body climbing into bed with him. Of how that warm body had curled up next to him like a little kitten, burrowing under the warm comforter. Kyouko had fallen asleep like that, and Ren had enjoyed it rather a lot, until he sensed that Kyouko was about to awaken, and moved away. His heart was still glowing from her last words before she had lapsed back into sleep…

"Kuon…"

By the way, some of you may have noticed, but the names in the play are no coincidence. They all have something to do with colors.

Yuki (snow)

Shiroyume (white dream)

Kuroko (black child)

The other parts of their names are just coincidence, but these are because I thought like this...

The two men are like pure-hearted love love princes who love the torn black princess! Plus, in real life, Kyouko strikes me as someone who has a black stain on her heart from doomed love. But now you know!