A/N: This is my first Antonio Cesaro story, I've wanted to make this for so long, but I also wanted to make one for someone so it's a joint between mine and a gift for one of my friends. Also the Cesaro tag needed a good quality fan-fic. So I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think of this!
Picture Your Ego Behind Your Belt
Chapter One
"Photography is the foundation of history and moments; there are many reasons why photography is important. First, it can be proof that something actually happened. Second, it can keep memories alive, when a person can look at a photo and remember that moment. Photos can also show someone something they themselves cannot see. It can show something that is happening all over the world, even if you are not there. Photography on TV is just as important, in fact I am-
"Your wanted lens, by the boss"
Interrupted by a backstage hand while she was answering a very important question on what her job here is, by a child with VIP passes. If anyone would take time to care about what her job here was she would give them a pretty decent answer to any question they had.
She quickly snapped a picture of the child as he marveled at a passing wrestler, his hands clutching pen and paper, and she saw the image that was on his shirt as he watched the passing wrestler, the child's feet bouncing slightly. The parents weren't noticing the child's excited behavior, but one with a trained eyed could see that child wanted an autograph. Too nervous to ask for one themselves, some parents expect the child to ask for an autograph themselves, but sometimes they need a little push when they are three feet away from an intimidating force.
"Hey, Randy. Can you spare a second for an autograph?"
The Vipers ears picked up and quickly turned, she watched the child's eyes go bright as Randy Orton, "The Viper" dropped down on one knee and speak to him
"Hey buddy I love your shirt? Where can I get one of those?"
She snapped another picture.
That's what it was all about right? Taking these types of pictures? Though if no one was willing for her to publish them she always had a place in her home for the memories.
"Hurry up lens"
'Lens' was one of the nicknames given to the photographers of the WWE a pretty iconic nickname.
Though when anyone said Boss is was specific to only the McMahon family, so that meant she was going to talk to one of them, though when photographers were sent to talk to the boss it was mostly in a group, unless a certain photographer was being singled out and or getting fired.
"I haven't done anything bad. I've managed last RAWs pictures, backstage and in the ring. I couldn't have done a bad job."
The door was already slightly ajar when she arrived, so she peaked in to see if she was interrupting anything. Knocking on the wall outside of the office she was called inside.
The air was chilled.
Silent whispers crossed the room.
In front of a mahogany desk was one of those steel chairs the ones that were comfortable to an extent but chilled your bare legs when you sat down. The Chairman Vince relaxed on the opposite side of the mahogany desk, looking as if he was enjoying the scene. Both Stephanie and Paul stood to the left and right of him.
Afraid to sit down, she stood behind the steel chair, until told to sit down by the Chairman himself.
"Cristine am I correct?"
"Yes sir, but no need for you to call me by that, many just me Cricket. Though that is up to your own personal preferences."
"I see, Cricket. Well if I may start you are quite decorated in photography are you not. Your father has served his role in this company for many years, am I not correct?"
"You are correct, starting with my grandfather, we have served for this company to provide the best quality wrestling pictures…Is there anything wrong with my pictures?"
"No, not at all" Stephanie spoke in as she rounded the chair Cricket was sitting in. Standing directly behind Cricket she placed a delicate hand on her shoulder.
"Out of all our photographers in the company you have provided the best results, and given the hardest effort for this company."
Cricket was sure Stephanie was sweet talking her into doing something like doing another Slim Jim promotional campaign with Kofi, and that meant jumping from a plane. She did it before, but it didn't go easy for her. Or anyone for that matter.
"Starting tonight at RAW you will be following the newly crowned IC champion Antonio Cesaro in this new storyline. All you have to do is follow him and take pictures and don't speak with anyone. Just take pictures, is that clear."
"Crystal. Just follow him and take pictures? It's seems that's what I do anyway what makes this so different?"
"Antonio has 'hired' you to be his personal photographer, after a couple of weeks; we will end up going with this further. Though if asked by the commentating team why you are here just tell them that you are focusing only on Antonio. Got it?"
"Yeah, will you be using the pictures I take?"
"Of course, so keep that camera on."
"Does Antonio know I'm going to be following him?"
"Yes, I will speak to him right now about this, so excuse me." Stephanie pulled down her business jacket and casually exited from the office. Leaving Cricket with the remaining family.
"Cristine, can I speak to you about your background?" It was Paul who spoke; she personally had no problem with it, she only just nodded her head and fixed her position in the chair.
"How long have you worked here?"
"12 years, almost half my life. It started with my grandfather in 1952 and it soon became a family job. Though I am the only one in my family working in the WWE, my father has retired only two years before."
"What about your siblings?"
"Younger sister, currently photographing in ROH, my younger brother in TNA."
"You and your brother did a switch; back in 2005 is that right?"
"Yes, with your approval I left for TNA and my brother for the WWE. That lasted three years before my brother wanted to return to TNA"
Cristine felt as if she was doing another Job interview, there was a large pause before Vince mentioned that she could leave. Foot barely out the door they called to her once more"
"What else have you done, do you wrestle or box?"
"I wrestle and box for my athletic regiment so I can keep up with the WWE, though with my three years in TNA I learned to be a referee."
They wanted nothing else and allowed Cristine to continue walking out the door.
There were many things crossing Cristine's mind, her first though was to call her father to tell him the good news, though she wanted to surprise him. Though not to give him a heart attack when he sees what happens on RAW tonight, Cristine just decided to give him hints, not so easy that he would freak out, but ones that would make him prepared for tonight.
"My father is going to go crazy."
Cesaro never thought to seek her out during the future hours before their segment, though anyone backstage would know where she was when she wasn't given a job to do. Either in catering, or walking around taking pictures. Classic lens.
She sat at the edge of her chair in catering, glasses askew as she cleaned out her camera lens. Three different cameras hung around her neck each with a different viewing angle. It took too much time focusing with one camera, is was automatically better to have three different cameras with different focuses on them to spare important time.
A backstage hand called her out in the middle of catering.
"Cristine! You are wanted up front!"
Shoes, sliding against the slick floor, she moved quickly to reach the backstage hand, who held her shoulder, eyed her up and down and walked with his hand a deathlike grip on her shoulder.
Cristine didn't know the matter, no one ever told her to dress differently. They never told her anything at all.
The black curtain that separated the world of the WWE to the hysteria that was the crowd, and Cristine was automatically pushed through it.
"You know what to do."
At first glance she saw no sign of Cesaro so that meant he was to come after her, grabbing her short focused camera, she knew she would be getting some up and personal shots with him as he came down the ramp. When she was correct she began snapping pictures as if her life depended on it. She had taken pictures of him before, though not in this way really. She had to admit, Antonio Cesaro had no bad side.
In front and around him she slid on the pads of her shoes as she did a quick 360 around the newly crowned IC champion. Always five steps ahead of him she slid down the ramp snapping pictures, following each and every move he made to make the perfect picture. Hair fell to her face as she climbed to the inside of the ring to take pictures more pictures of Cesaro, she needed to restrain the interrupting stands of hair sooner or later.
Slipping away from the ring she took her medium lens and snapped pictures, against the barrier she tried her best to create the perfect picture that personified Antonio Cesaro.
"Well Jerry aren't we going to learn her name?"
"I can't tell you that answer because I don't know it myself."
"Well, I've seen her around backstage before, this must be new Jerry did we not get the memo."
Cristine pulled herself to the side to put up her hair, camera's resting against her stomach she was called on by Michael Cole.
"Excuse me? Can I ask who you are?"
"I apologize, but I don't have time to speak right now, I must capture Sir Antonio Cesaro's many good sides. Please excuse me for now." Cristine though that was a perfect line for her to say, so she just smiled and continued taking pictures, switching cameras as an experiment.
"The many good sides of Antonio Cesaro? I only know of one and that is annoying."
"This match is brought to you by Hardee's Extra THICK Burger, they added double the bacon so you get even more bacon with every bite!"
"Gosh that looks so good Cole! Do you think that I could have some?"
"Watch your heart Jerry…"
Antonio Cesaro's match was over before it even began. Yoshi Tatsu exited the right after that brutal neutralizer. Antonio never even broken a sweat, he called for the microphone, and Cristine took it in her hands and scrambled up to the ring to hand it to him. She stood there all smiles as she watched as he held the microphone in his hands. Her shoes crossed hands behind her back she smiled up at him.
"Ah-hem"
Cristine looked up to see Cesaro eye her suspiciously, soon her eyes grew bigger than the frames of her glasses as she blushed and grabbed her camera to take profile shots of him as he spoke.
A minor mistake. Cristine smiled again as she did another 360 around Antonio.
"This is the best you can do? I am your newly crowd Intercontinental Champion and you give me this match. I didn't even break a sweat. Also pay no attention to the photographer taking pictures of me, I've hired her to be my own personal photographer, and that's all you really need to know. Now please if you excuse me, I have more important places to be."
Cristine sped ahead of Cesaro to take more pictures of him, as soon as they both passed the black curtain. Cristine dropped her camera against her torso and stretched her arms out.
"Success!" Cristine spoke to herself
Cristine smiled at her new partner and held out her hand.
"Cristine"
"Claudio, also known mostly as Antonio Cesaro but you already knew that. Nice to meet you Cristine."
The hand shake was strong, but Cesaro gave an unexpected smile as he looked at Cristine.
"Now if you excuse me everyone, but I would like to get to know my new storyline partner as well as look at those pictures. So please speak to me when I am finished."
Cristine only smiled. This was the start of a beautiful partnership.
Four three weeks, that was the routine. Every show he was at she would follow and do her job and then when they were finished they would take time learning about each other, as well as reviewing the pictures.
It was nice that Claudio was actually giving in an effort to learn about who his storyline partner was, though Cristine didn't speak much in the ring, she made that up in explaining Claudio her picture choices. Though Claudio never paid attention to who she was during the storyline he was making a great effort in learning who she was outside the ring. A good effort for the both of them trying to make this storyline work.
Though in the WWE Universe people were pulling out each other's hairs trying to find out who Cristine was, questions covered Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Tout and other social media. Both Cesaro and the mystery photographer's power ranking were growing with each week in the WWE, and they were even featured in a small article in the WWE magazine. It was a closeted secret who Cristine was and why she was here, but that changed the day they were told to be given the green light with this storyline.
"Featured the next Monday Night RAW, guests Antonio Cesaro and his mystery photographer interviewed on the Peep Show, hosted by the one and only Captain Charisma."
At the mention of the plan, she smiled at Claudio. Who returned the grin.
"The next step, Let's go and create some hell."