Disclaimer: Yet again, all Square-Enix/Tetsuya Nomura characters belong to them, filler characters no in the FF games, all out of my mind and belong to me XP

AN: Reasoning behind why I brought in a kind of backstory for Raechel in the start of this is because her whole 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' will come back to bite our budding lovers in the tail end, hard. You'll find and figure it out as the story goes on. But, please root on poor little Cloud; this chapter has him almost ready to bolt for the hills and not look back ^^;

Chapter 12

In life, there are women you do not scorn by pushing them aside or telling them that things are over between you and her, because as it is said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Sephiroth was in one of many ways had learned this in the years he had been working shoulder to shoulder with Raechel and he had been forced numerous times, anytime he thought he was going to walk out of the business, to listen to her sob story. As well as the stories of the countless men's career's she had ruined by being scorned. Yes, the term 'she-devil' is not only the title of a movie of a woman that had been scorned by her husband in which she spends her time getting revenge upon the man by ruining not only his life, but the young new wife that been worked her way into his life. She-devil was a term of phrase that had been coined and if it wasn't branded on Raechel, then it was and should have been done so to her years ago. One such account had been when Raechel was only in fifth grade; a beauty she was among her class and even before she was in Junior High, she had boys her age falling over their tongues and words as well as others to get to her. She knew how to work men and yet, she learned the hard way just a few short months into Junior High that men knew how to work her; that man can not look at a flag pole without balling.

Veterans of war would think that the boy was just showing his own sympathetic appreciation for the Flag and all it stands for, but only if they knew the truth. By the time Raechel had reached 8th grade most of the boys in her school feared her and a small handful had grown to wear an athletic cup even when the sports that required them wasn't needed just yet, but they had asked to wear them. Raechel was a force to not be reckoned with and it wasn't till at least her sophomore year of high school that she was deemed a threat to the other girls. No one girl would dare start a fight over a boy with her because they knew the moment they dared to step foot near her for a man that should've been theirs they would find themselves wishing they were lesbian. Not a single man was able to stand her until the late fiancée that had been willing to withstand her rash ways was slain in a car accident involving a drunk driver. It was only until she had found Sephiroth, a desperate and up and coming author that she could feel her claws sinking their way into him. He had been reluctant but willing to let her in and it didn't go beyond an Employer/Employee relationship and she could handle that, but now…

Her nails were drumming against the desk as she stared at her cell phone, debating whether or not to punch in Sephiroth's number and give the man a piece of her mind, but, "…I just need to get out and clear my head…"

Clear her head, just the one term that was coined for a reason for her to go out and case the local bars for a man willing to take her vile forked tongue, or in this case, a chance to go out and find Sephiroth. Chew him out in front of whatever was the reason for this new genre path. Then, calmly drag him off and force him to be force feed to write the romance novels that he was well known for. No man was going to get away from her, not even her Father was until his final days able to get away from her; she had been at his side as he died with fright in his eyes for the woman that was his daughter at his side. He could not see a flicker of honest care for others and with his shaky last breath, his shaking hand had died away in her hands and not a single tear had been shed from her eyes. What good were men if they were going to leave you anyway? She had learned that from her Mother and it had stuck with her even now as she drove through the streets; eyes prowling out against the scenery for where she had been that afternoon with Sephiroth and what she saw struck her.

"…Well, well, well…what do we have here?" a devilish smirk dressed on her lips as she rolled her window slightly as she saw Sephiroth sitting alone in a corner of the interior of the Café, "What could he be doing out here at this hour?"

Cloud pulled down the streets he knew would take him to the Café, but he needed a few extra minutes as he pulled into a parking spot in the Café parking lot as he turned off the car and adjusted the rear window mirror inside and the one outside. As the lamp light of the Parking Lot's street light hit against the exterior side view mirror the alter ego seemed to look at the man with sad eyes.

"What is on your mind, sweetheart? You've been shaking like a leaf for the last block and a half…"

He couldn't bring himself to do this, "…I…I…I can't go through with this…I'm not ready for entering this scene just yet…it's all happening too fast for me…"

A soft sigh uttered itself from the ego as it placed itself in the front passenger seat, "Cloud, honey, coming out is always the hardest…your friends are behind your one hundred percent…who is it you are afraid of? Your family?"

Softly nodding Cloud answered it for the figure, "Oh honey…" the ego placed its arms around the man's shoulders as he felt the tears welling in Cloud's eyes; "As long as they don't disown you…then you'll be fine. Believe me, I've been in your subconscious since that little bitch, Tifa, and I could see into your Momma's heart that she knew you weren't happy. As long as you are happy, that's all that'll matter to your Momma…alright?"

"…I guess so…"

"I know so, so…pocket those keys, clear those eyes, take one last look at yourself and go in there and stop making that man waiting before someone else snatches him up."

Sephiroth nervously drummed his fingers against the table for two to the sound of the music that was wafting softly out over the Café as his eyes now and again, nervously looked for the stock look of spiky blond hair, "Maybe he forgot to tell the Waiter that he's with me for the night…? Maybe he got lost? Maybe he got into a crash on the way over here?"

"Seph, darling, calm down…"the ego's fingers ghosted out over the nervous man's fingers as he stopped him from dialing or texting the man, "He'll get here when he get's here…"

"Alright, alright…"Sephiroth sighed to himself as started to calm down, "…Is there a way for you to pick up on his alter ego to alert me that he's here?"

The ego slightly snickered, "Like Gay-dar? Oh, Sephy…you are a laugh a minute, but yes…I can pick up on his ego's presence, so believe you and me, I'll be able to point him out before he's even at the table," there was some hesitation in the ego's words as its eyes looked out over the sea of people and no more then five feet away was the blond, "Oh, be still my fluttering heart…"

"What!? What is it?!" Sephiroth started to panic as at the same time, attempting to keep his cool without looking like he was losing his very mind in the back of the Café, "Tell me, what is it?!"

"…Seph, you didn't tell me your little crushes inner gay man was…oh, Seph…you've got to sink it for this guy, and I mean that as your Publisher for your new venture, but if you can get a relationship out of it too," he could almost hear the ego swooning and was, was he whining like a puppy that saw a treat that it can't get at?

Cloud walked up to the Main Desk as he spoke to the Waiter at the counter, remembering the details Sephiroth had called him with when he had a few moments to himself before leaving the house.

"When you arrive, tell the Waiter or Waitress that you are here with the Party of One under the name Sephiroth, he or she should be able to know who you are because I will be tipping handsomely to assure that you aren't shooed off…then, that's it, we just enjoy one another's company for the evening," Sephiroth had been on the edge of giggling like a school girl as he listened to the nervous voice of Cloud speak over the phone.

"At seven, right…?" Cloud responded back as he worked his fingers along the bottom edge his shirt, "I don't want to get their late…"

Sephiroth was suppressing himself so much that he was ready to blurt out through the phone that he wanted the man then and there, but, he had to control it, "Yes, seven…I'll be waiting and it shouldn't be hard to spot a seven foot, silver haired man in the back corner of the Café…"

Slowly but surely, Cloud stepped forward and before he could get the words out, the Waitress was escorting him back, "You must be a lucky man to get to have time alone with Mr. Sephiroth; he doesn't get many visitors or dinner guests. He is either dragged here kicking and screaming by that Publicist among other things she is for him to this place and then all he does is sit and just let her talk on and on while he probably wishes he could leave."

"…I see, I ran into him this afternoon and then again because I embarrassingly left my book, a copy of one of his books, behind here and…"Cloud began to blush under his bangs as he found himself stopping behind the Waitress, "Sorry about that."

"I believe this is your guest, Mr. Sephiroth," the Waitress giggled as she let Cloud find his steps and his seat, "I'll be by with your Menu's shortly."

Cloud was on the edge of his seat by his alter ego was throwing a fit as he was almost about plastered against the window of Cloud's subconscious, drooling and whimpering at the sight he was seeing. Sephiroth wasn't the ego's image he was throwing fits over, but the fact that Sephiroth's own alter ego was nearly undressing Cloud's with his eyes and vice versa. Reluctantly for the two men, they were blissfully unaware of the plotting and planning going on between the two men, oh sweet Goddess, what is about to become of these men? Cloud couldn't bring himself to look the man in the eye but the sound of Sephiroth clearing his throat seemed to spring his attention upwards. Which in turn, caused Sephiroth to divert his own gaze from Cloud; those eyes of his and those eyes of Sephiroth's were the wild fire that was driving both men into giggling school girls.

"I just…"Cloud paused as he heard Sephiroth's voice speaking in amongst his, "…Oh, go ahead."

"N-No…you…"Sephiroth composed himself as he saw the Waitress coming over with a couple of glasses of water and their Menu's, "Thank you, Miss."

A soft smile crossed the Waitress' face as she took out her tablet and pen, "Would you gentlemen like some appetizers? The Special of the evening is roasted chicken with red potatoes and greens."

Cloud feared the word appetizer and had ever since the last time he had gone out to a restaurant with Zack and Angeal, especially the time that Zack had introduced Angeal to Cloud. Zack, being the utter and hopeless romantic he was, had ordered oysters on the half shell; he had been hoping to get lucky that night since he had read that they worked as an aphrodisiac. As fate would have it, it didn't pan out like he had hoped; the trio had gotten ill and spent most of their night running for the bathroom and fighting one another for it. When Cloud heard Sephiroth speak up and tell the young woman that they would bypass on the Appetizer's and the man ordered a salad.

"And for you, sir?" Cloud had been aware that the woman had been speaking to him, "Soup or Salad?"

"S-Soup please…"

"Split Pea or Chicken Noodle?"

Sephiroth perked up slightly as he broke the awkward silence as he called to the young lady, "I think I'll have the Chicken Noodle soup instead."

"Alright, and for you, sir?"

Cloud couldn't decide, there was an innuendo hidden there in the Chicken Noodle soup and it was peek out into his subconscious, no thanks, once again, to Zack, "C-Chicken Noodle as well…"

"I'll be out with those shortly, and I'll be back to take your orders as well," cheerfully she seemed to dance away to the kitchen.

Yet again, awkward silence hung between the men; if the Twilight Zone theme started playing in the next five seconds then they could deem this the most awkward night ever.

Zack and Angeal had spent a good five or so minutes sitting in the outside Patio of the Café as they now and again gazed to where Cloud seemed to be having a little of bit of trouble finding reason to speak up and even converse with the man. It unnerved Zack to see the young blond sitting there like he was afraid of even looking the man in eyes. Angeal could see how much Cloud was like Zack the first time they had gone out anywhere, Zack had been unable to even keep his eyes focused on one thing and had about stepped on the man's feet at least twice under the table throughout the night. Aside from the coffee that was spilled that time, things had gone smoothly the rest of the night, but for Cloud, the guy was trying his hardest to keep that glass of water drained and each time it was, there would be a man that would come by and refill it. By this time, or sometime in the near future, Cloud was going to have to excuse himself to the restroom.

"…How do you think it's going, Angeal?" Zack pouted as he watched with reluctant eyes at how quiet the pair seemed to be from the distant they were from the men.

Angeal took a sip of his coffee, "Well, Cloud is utterly scared stiff and his Host is starting to ponder if he should say or do something to get a conversation going."

"You can tell that from here?"

The man's eyes turned back to the duo, "That and the fact that Cloud hasn't stopped playing with his own feet for last half hour."

"Heh, that poor guy…someone has to go in there and start something to get them to talk to one another," Zack was prepared to put his foot down and start something, but Angeal's gaze stopped him, "And that will be someone else."

"Good boy…"

Sephiroth had been fighting reaching out and going to the extent of slapping the blond to get him to at least react or something, but as he saw Cloud's eyes gaze upwards to him, for once throughout the whole night, "…You said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Finally.

"Yes, as you know…I am an author of novels by trade, and…cheesy romance at that," he hated talking about his work especially when it wasn't something he loved doing, "And…

Cloud interjected, "They aren't that cheesy, they are just…they feel like the emotions in it are forced…there wasn't any real emotion in it, just the same typical, girl meets guy, guy meets girl, gives girl cold shoulder, she spend several chapters trying to win his affections through acts that would've render any other human dead by at least the fifth chapter and then they magically have a happy ending by the end."

In all the time that Sephiroth had been writing the stories he had peddled out to the public; he had never heard such a true and precise appreciation and commentary of one his work, but from the way Cloud looked. He looked as if he may have offended the author and was looking down at his hands, but that's not what he wanted as he reached his hands out to lift the man's gaze back to his.

"Thank you…that is the first honest opinion I have ever gotten of the work…ever other person whose met me has done nothing but sugar coat it for me, thank you for honesty," there was an honest smile on Sephiroth's face and it seemed to light up Cloud's face as he softly smiled and his fingers worked up to remove the man's hand from his face; he did something he didn't think he'd do.

Cloud began to softly move the man's fingers to the front of his lips as he placed a soft peck against each till they reached the man's knuckles and if that was alluring; his eyes gazed to the man, "…Anything for a man who can write literature that captures not only women's hearts but also, probably the only male heart…"

Who or what was this side of Cloud? No, it couldn't be, oh he wouldn't and just as Cloud started to gain back his senses; his face began to burn bright red as he tried to find reason for the Waitress to hurry with their soup as he tried to apologize for what he had just done. Sephiroth, on the other hand, hadn't seemed to have minded the gesture, but in his subconscious, his alter ego was swooning but at the same time, not even speaking to him or anyone.

"What happened…?" Sephiroth growled to the blushing alter ego, "Why did he just do that?!"

"Oh, oh…I just…Gah! And I thought the Bi alter ego's were fresh! That…That…AH! Your little friend is a gentlemen and a quiet little flower, but his inner Gay man, oh…sweet and gentle, but…he tried to get fresh with me! Did you not see how long he spent on that middle finger knuckle?! Oh! Why I never?!" Sephiroth's ego was flittering about angrily at the fact he had gotten the side of Cloud that Sephiroth didn't know existed, "You better start getting your boy talking sooner or later before he decides to dart…he's more scared then a rabbit fearing hunting season to be part of some rich little old ladies coat."

Sephiroth cleared his throat as he reached his hand out to the man again as he tried to get his attention, but the soup was at the table and it didn't take long for Cloud to find reason to divert his attention to slurping down, politely, to avoid conversation.

"Have you gentlemen decided on your meal?" the Waitress watched from the corner of her eye as Cloud tried to stuff his face, "Or would you like a few more minutes?"

Cloud couldn't get the soup down fast enough until he started gasping from the heat of the soup, "I…I…Excuse me…" there was no other sight of him as he dashed to the bathroom for a moment.

"Would you like anything, Mr. Seph---" once again, the woman was stunned at what passed by her as she watched him leave for the same place as the blond, "I guess that's a 'No'."

"Um, Zack…"Angeal peeked up from his coffee as Zack was rounding the bend on the Coloring Page the Waitress had given him, "We might have a red alert on Cloud…he's making a break for the restroom or at best, the back door, red alert."

"WHAT?!" Zack's hand dashed out across the page as, yet again, like the first time they had been out, at the same Café, Zack spilled Angeal's coffee in his lap, "We've got to stop him before he ruins his chance with the guy!"

Angeal hissed as the coffee fell in his lap as he grabbed at the back of the man's shirt, "You leave me right now, and I promise you, you'll be sleeping on the sofa for the next week and a half and helping me dress whatever burns I might have on my lap now…"

"Yeah, but, Cloud…"Zack whined and pouted, but Angeal's furrowed brows and glare were worse, "Alright, but you owe me big time for making time for making me lose sight of my best friend before he misses his chance to be happy."