Storm Clouds

Chapter 18: Exposed!

I'm fit to help no one…no one. I can only picture the faces the world would wear if they learned that their hero moans like a whore for money. How would Zack react if he knew what his little angel cake was doing? Probably take me away from the business a long time ago. If Aeris was here, I would have settled down with her in the country and we would live our life together, away from everyone else.

Cloud raised his hand towards the light bulb as if he was trying to catch freedom but all in vain. I'm fit to help no one because no one can help me, not even myself. Another hand reached up and interlaced its fingers around Cloud's.

"What are you reaching for?" The man asked. Cloud turned his oceanic eyes away from the light and stared into the man he slept next with. "Nothing." He laughed the question away. He kissed the customer fully on the lips then slowly inched his way down.

The man was probably about in his late 30's early 40's. He had kids; a boy and a girl—twins. Both of them are teenagers. Cloud looked at their photo in his pocket when he was sleeping. Their faces caused him to stop picking money from his wallet. He was still good looking even though he mostly wore a hard face. Stubble on his chin and dark heavy eyes. Cloud had no problem acting for his attention.

His lips were approaching his stomach. The man's toned muscles quivered under to their heat; Cloud suspected he was new to this. Afterwards he paved a trail of licks along his hip bone until he meet the sheets that covered what laid below.

"RIIIINNNNNGGGG!" A shrilling call of his cell phone screamed from his pants which were tossed below.

"Damn it!" He mumbled. Cloud allowed him to reach for his phone. "What...Not now, I'm—I'm busy… Of course I'm still at work, you know the deadline is soon…I'll be home when I think I'm finished…Make sure you and your brother are in bed…Okay, I love you…Night." He shut the flap of the phone and looked up. "Sorry about that."

"No it's fine. Anyway it's time for me to go too."

"Now?" The man looked at the clock that the motel provided. "How much?"

"I needn't tell you twice, you know how much." Cloud was already tugging on the last of his clothes. The man found his check book and filled out the small sheet before handing it to Cloud.

"When can I see you again?" He asked. Cloud looked at his eyes and knew well enough what they were of. In the past he'd seen thousands of customers tripping over themselves after giving them 40 minuets of bliss. He was addicted to Cloud.

"Reservations cost extra." Cloud answered with a monotone expression while zipping up his pants. The man watched him scramble for his shoes.

"How much extra?" He asked. Damn, this guy doesn't know when to quit. Cloud pulled out a smoke and lit it before inhaling its poison.

"I'm not what you need." Cloud exhaled a cloud of smoke. "You should go back to your kids." And he left leaving the father all to himself.

"What did you say?" Reno whispered.

"What don't you get?" His friend asked. "The guy's a rent boy! A male prostitute. In the past he was the best thing you can get for a fuck. Lots of people lined up for him but then he disappeared for a good while and now it seems he's back." Reno lost control and seized the man's collar.

"Tell me his name! Is it Gabriel? Blonde, slim, and goes by Gabriel. Mako blue eyes and white skin?"

"Yah--yes! That's him." Reno couldn't believe it. His grip on the man's neck loosened at his words. "No one can forget a face like that." His eyes couldn't face the truth. He looked everywhere but the voice that spoke the truth. "Why? Do you know the guy?"

"He's my lover." Reno answered softly. The man didn't say anything more but continued watching Reno accept what he had just been told. "Do you know where I can find Gabriel?"

"Down Providence in the Boons of the city. I don't know where you can find him exactly but he should be there."

"Thanks." Reno left without a goodbye and went straight for his car. As he got in he hesitated to start it up. Cloud—a rent boy! How? What happened that made him go that way? There's no explanation why he would be so desperate for money. He could have went to Tifa, Cid, Yuffie, Me! Then he realized the truth and leaned back in his seat. No, he wouldn't because it was us that he was running away other than himself. He was so desperate to erase everything of Cloud Strife, even if it means becoming Gabriel the notorious courtesan.

"Vincent!"Reno gasped. He would want to know where Cloud was. I mean, he's been looking for him longer than me. But Tifa is with him. I can't let that bitch get her hands on Cloud. Seeing her again, screaming and clinging for his attention, would only make him run away once more. He started the car. Sorry Vincent, but I found him first.

Cloud was losing his footing. The large intake of the ecstasy and alcohol was too much for his body. The poison ran through his veins like electricity but now his blood was slowing down, causing his reason to blur under the weight. He stumbled once again but the iron-gate that ran next to him was his faithful servant, always standing by for his safety.

Fuck! I don't even know where to go home to. This doesn't look familiar to Rayne's place. Can I really be lost? Well after all those drugs, it's a miracle that I can even stand.

"Where you going off to Angel?" Shit. Cloud turned around, still clinging on to the gate for balance. Behind him stood Dice, just as greasy and slimy as he was before when Cloud was an assassin.

"What do you want dick head?" Cloud slurred.

"Man, you don't sound so good." Dice chuckled. "Looks like you've found the cookie jar and got too much of a good thing."

"Like you care." Cloud continued walked as he once was.

"You really surprised me Gabriel, coming back and all. But I knew you where the moment I saw you in the market, just not this soon."

"What are you getting at, Dice?" Cloud snapped. A cold hand shoved him against the gate. Dice leaned against Cloud with his breath, thick on vodka, breathed into his face.

"How much?" Dice asked. Cloud shoved him off.

"I never took you up when I first began and don't think I'm going to take you up now. Go screw a naïve 19 year old; you'll never have enough for me." Cloud struggled to move but his body was going limp.

"Hold the fuck up you slut!" Dice's clawed hand reached for Cloud's chin. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you? Now that you're back, you still love teasing me but slapping me in the face; like dangling a piece of meat in front of a starved dog."

"Because you are a dog Dice, or at least lower then a dog to me." Dice slammed Cloud against the gate.

"There you go again!" He roared. "Well it ends here tonight, and I don't care what the hell you'll say during it." Cloud tried to free his legs to kick Dice but the man was stronger against drugged up Cloud. For the first time Cloud felt the teeth of panic and fear of his life nipping at him.

"Let—go!" He tried to say but Dice held him down like a caged bird. Dice began tearing Cloud's shit dress shirt off from the top down. "No—Stop!"

"HEY!" Dice froze and so did Cloud as both man turned their heads at the one who called out of the darkness. Out of the street light's light, a figure stood from afar but Cloud and Dice could see pick out his form. "Let Cloud go!"

Cloud knew that voice well and at once knew who now stood there in defiance against Dice. Reno!

"Cloud? Sorry kid, but you're at the wrong party. Keep walking and don't turn back you dip shit!" Dice was sure sorry he had said that the moment Reno slipped out his gun. Dice may not see the Reno's face but he did see the gleam of his silver gun which he gripped in his hand. He immediately released Cloud as he backed up from the scene.

"Hehe, sorry. Had no idea he was reserved." Dice shot a last glance at Cloud before shooting off down the street. Reno didn't let him go that easily. He aimed the gun low and with two bullets shot his knee cap and foot. Dice feel instantly and his cries filled the sky.

Reno ignored them as he crept slowly towards Cloud. Now Cloud's attention was towards Reno and he then knew what Reno now understood.

"Stay back!" Cloud yelled. He used his little strength to straighten himself up. "Get away from me! You shouldn't have come here! Why did you come back!"

"Cloud, you need help—''

"Fuck you!" Tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Why did you have to come here! You ruined everything!"

"Cloud?"

"Stop calling his name! Cloud's dead!"

"What are you saying; Cloud…what's wrong with you!"

"I'm not Cloud, I'm Gabriel!" Cloud's knees buckled under him. "Why did you have to come here? Why couldn't you remember what I was before and cherish those years! Why did you have to ruin those memories?" Cloud lost his footing but Reno held him from crashing on the sidewalk.

"This is why!" Reno called. "Cloud, you can barely stand and you have no one to hold you up…Let me be that person! Why do you always push me away! That's why I left you so long ago, because you were pushing me away. Pushing me aside so that you have someone else. I'm tired of being your second resort!" Reno now found that he was the one crying while clinging to Cloud like it was his only was for redemption.

Cloud's tears ceased. His expression fell calm upon his sweet Reno, his winged warrior. For the first time in the longest, he felt all his fear, guilt, sadness drip from his fingertips; releasing their hold on Cloud and floating away like dust carried by the wind.

"You can't hold the weight of the world alone, Cloud!" Then stop clinging to me. Let me be free of you and the world, let me go.

PLEASE REVIEW! So do you like that little twist? If you don't know already that were Cloud's thoughts towards the ending. It will set you up for next chapter. Anyway expect a long pause for now since I'm going away for Spring Break. Probably just a mere 10-12 days. But I expect LOTS of REVIEWS to read!