Disclaimer: Please Refer To Chapter 1 and overall, I still don't own the characters. Just the ones that are put in as a fillers like Raechel, the newly added character Nicholas, Raechel's new Co-Worker, Doris and their Boss Mark Lawrence. No intentions of using actual people's names in this are intended, just coincidence.
AN: Sorry for the long wait guys ^^; Been on the job hunt warpath with no promises of anything opening up except waiting on an Email of a PreQualify test for the Air Force before I can get into see a Recruiter as a possible path to go for furthering Education that will help in the job hunt once out of the Service should I get into it. I had someone PM about a chapter of this and hoping I'd post a new chapter soon. Well, this one is for you and you know who you are. I've also been tied up with a Collab w/another person from here is who is also on DeviantART so my time has been on there as well popcorning AMV Projects alongside a phailing laptop battery and laptop which has slowed up the writing process and having to now and again sneak on to my Dad's laptop while he was at work to work on stuff like fanfics and checking emails as well as other random stuffs....and nosy around fanfics I've read over and over again by Talinsquall who you guys should HONESTLY check out for CloudLeon, CloudReno and a new pair that I didn't see possible: LeonSephiroth.
Warning: The first paragraphs here regarding Tifa...and the Ghost!Aerith...they aren't intended to be read into as provactive Yuri; there is no description of what she is doing to Tifa in this. If you feel offended or turned off by the TifaAerith moment in this, just skim over their dialogue and stuff together and skip to the moment afterwards when she is remorseful and begins her calls to those she's hurt in the past and going off to get help.
AN 2: This was intended to be longer where Cloud and Sephiroth visit Angeal and Zack in the Hospital, but figured I'd save that for the next chapter and try and drag this out as much as possible so that I don't rush everything into one chapter and make you guys have to suffer through scroll after scroll of your mouse to read a LONG and WINDED chapter.
Either way. Enjoy ^^ And thanks for all your reviews thus far and for being patient with me to get a new chapter up
Answering machines, a marvelous machine that allows us to hear from those who weren't able to reach us at home and allow us to be able to contact that person or persons back when we find our way back home to hear that we missed that person. But it is also a machine that can bring unwanted telephonic left messages; ones that are left for us from scorned, rejected, and jealous others from previous times before. There are the times when those scorned ex's call us with hatred that is laced with the sweet, but painful strings of liquor on the caller's lips. Tifa Lockhart, a woman that was just as devious and malicious as Raechel, but Raechel had morals, when she wanted to show them; Tifa was a woman that had ways of ruining men, physically and personally. She was a she-devil when liquor was introduced into her system, spewing out words that she would later deny ever speaking, cursing out a former love or fling, or even friend and when the person would face the she-devil; she would break down, claiming that she was just having an "off day". Lacing it with lies of why she had called up and said the things she had said. Others had at one time believed the lies, but, this time...her lies weren't going to be able to save her.
"So...you're screening your calls, huh, you little fruit? I knew you were a fruit before you even knew it...the mistake of wearing your Mom's perfume because you couldn't find your cologne, your choice of music in your room and car stereo, and letting me top and fighting me when I did top you...Tch...you were such a little fruit then..."sloshing could be heard in the glass that was against the receiver as jumbled raven hair toppled over the earpiece and mouth of the phone, "Bet you and that little fruity fruit tooty fruity fruit, Zack Fair friend of yours and you get it on when he gets kicked out of his room that he shares with that fruity Angeal...Or you probably do it one better."
"You three probably get together and threesomes. Shit..."
The woman was truly plastered as she swore over the receiver as she fell to her hands and knees, lapping up the fallen liquor off the floor, "Yeah, well fuck you too, fruit...I'm still getting mine...I can get whatever I want! Hell! I'll go and sleep with a girl! Will that make you happy, Cloud?! BECAUSE I KNOW IT WON'T BRING RENO BACK!" giggling could be heard as she heard and watched the liquor glass bottle break against the wall, empty of the contents, "You would like that wouldn't you? Watching me make out with another girl...maybe play a little sneaky hanky panky into her panties...make her squeal and drink her little juices like the sweetest wine...? Yeah...you would like you, wouldn't you little pervy fruit...?"
"Well fuck you...I'm going to go pass out now..."
A soft sigh could be heard against the raven haired woman's passed out form as the hand cradle the phone, "Sorry about Tifa...she doesn't know how to hold her liquor...I'll make sure she doesn't drown in her vomit...Bye Cloud...And if you haven't figured out who this is...maybe Zack will."
Tifa started to come around as she heard the click of the phone resting on the base, "Fuck you, Aerith...why do you have to be so damn sweet on the phone...apologizing for my fuck ups?"
"Because..."the brunette's fingers brushed away raven hair, running a pad of her thumb against the raven's liquor intoxicated lips as the other hand cupped her face up as she let her own sweet lips brush in against Tifa's, "I like revenge as much as you, and I'd rather not have to screw an unconscious little slut...like you..."her lips licked up against Tifa's plumped up ones as the brushing locks fingers made their way down a slender neck as fingers latched around supple bosom, "Come on, sweetie...time to make good on what you said to that big bad heartbreaker of yours..."
"Hmmm...noooo...Want to sleep...Get me some more booze..."Tifa slurred as she moaned against the fingers and hand massaging her breast while she continued to feel Aerith's lips peppering her face till she felt her knees give out under her as she fell backwards onto the bed, knees were bent from hitting the side of the mattress, "Sleepy...sleep..."
"Then just sleep...I'll make sure to help you get some sleep..."
As it is said, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, but they had never met scorned women who had found their own relationship in one another; Tifa had never considered a girl to make it with another girl, especially a girl that could have been labeled as a simple, wholesome, goody too shoes. If hadn't been for the fact that her face was now pushed up between Tifa's thighs, pleasuring the woman in a way that no man could have ever as the same girls hands had kept their hands latched on her bosom, driving the woman's mind back into utter, mind blowing pleasure. Neither girl had ever considered one another a girl to screw another girl since there wasn't any parts available for such things, but it seemed, they could make do as Tifa's thighs began to tighten around the brunette's head as her head flew back and her back arched up high. Fingernails clawing into the bed as her bosom became clawed with the brunette's fingertips. Alcohol seemed to numb everything and it also always wore off moments when it was wrong for it to wear off as Tifa brought her once clawing hands up to her own face as she sobbed into them; she didn't feel the sense of the brunette softly kissing the inner parts of her thighs as she crawled up onto the bed beside her. Holding her, rocking her simply in her arms as she let the alcohol's numbing sensation work itself out of her body; letting the young woman cry against her chest as she ran gentle fingers through the raven locks.
"...Just sleep...it's all just a dream...just a dream..." the brunette whispered as she seemed to slip away into Tifa's subconscious.
Aerith had truly disappeared from this World, but she only came to Tifa when the girl became liquored up and was out of her mind with the numbing feeling the liquor making her into someone she wasn't; Aerith had become a girl she could find herself in, if she was to ever truly make it with a girl. But she felt, that after every time Aerith would help to console and help her down from the numbing high of the liquor, even if she was a figment of her mind, that she could never be with any other girl in reality which always made her crawl into a bottle more and more. Tifa was a scorned woman. But she was a woman scorned by a figment of her mind as well as memories of her present time. It was time to move on.
"...Forgive me, Cloud...Reno...every man I've ever wronged...I need help..." when the morning broke through the window; the room would be vacant and a new message would be on a machine; Tifa's machine, "Hey, you reached me, well, not really...I've checked out of the house and I've checked into a place to help me with an ongoing disease I have...Don't know when I'll be back, but, I'm sorry is all I can say to those I've hurt in the past and present...You know the drill."
Reno was on a cloud as he danced into his room that he shared with no one but himself as he noticed a red light blinking on his machine; he had just spent the most wonderful time out in town with his boyfriend, they had spent time out a Cafe, strolling along the pond, but all of that had been replaced with a roll on the grassy hill and kissing one another into utter bliss. He still had Rude's scent and taste on his lips and fingertips when he had strolled in, nearl skipping, into his dorm as he roll like a French Roll towards his machine and phone.
"We just saw each other five minutes ago, there's no way he's home already," the red head chuckled to himself as he listened to the machine do its message.
What he heard next would frighten him, thinking that Tifa was starting to stalk him, but it wasn't, "Hey Reno...I know, I was a bitch before...and...I'm not making an apologies or lying to you about why I called your phone like I did...I...I'm honestly sorry...I'm checking into Rehab for my addictions and...I wish you happiness in your relationship with your man...You deserve to be happy. Call me if you want to just talk...Bye."
How do you react to a message left by your ex when she had all but chewed your ass out, made rude remarks at you and towards you that were vulgar in manner, when all she could now was honestly apologize? Reno was in utter shock, how was he going to react? Erase the message, leave a condiscending message of calling her out and a hypocrite on her machine, or be happy for her that she was making a better person of herself? A soft chuckle came from Reno's lips as he picked up his phone and began to dial a number he hadn't called since the last time he had dialed it, "Hey Tifa, its Reno...got your message, glad to hear you aren't lying dead somewhere in a gutter, not that I didn't wish that on you when I got your drunken message the other night...Keep me posted on your progress. I'd like you to meet my man...I'm sure you'd like him. Stay true to yourself..."
"Hey...Rude..." as soon as Reno had hung up with Tifa, he was on the phone with the man he had just left no more then five or even ten minutes ago, "Do you want to go out to dinner sometime this week?"
Rude chuckled in his own way, "You miss me that much?"
"Can't I spend time with my man? Let him know that...I love him so much and I don't want to let a good thing pass me by because I don't know when I'll ever find someone like you again?"
"Reno, what's wrong? Are you drunk or something?"
Rude could hear a mangled sob choking Reno as he heard his boyfriend's tears, "Reno, what's wrong? Baby, why are you crying?"
"I guess, you just don't know what you have till its almost gone..."
"I'm on my way over..."
Reno laughed through his tears, "I'll be fine you big worry wart...I'm just so happy to have you in my life, can't a guy just cry because he's absolutely happy?"
"I guess a guy can...Love you, Reno."
"Love you too, Rude..."
Reno hung up the phone as he held the phone against his chest as he let his tears roll down his face; love was an odd thing, it makes us do the craziest things and makes us realize things that we never would have realized till they were ripped away from us. He had been living on a tightrope when he had found himself hooking up with Tifa, but on the side, when he had left her one night after a huge fight they had had, alcohol being involved; he had wondered off to a local bar and from there, the alcohol that was limited in his system then had increased and he had found himself spooning a man that night. When Tifa had at that time, questioned the bite marks and odd cologne with interspered perfume on his form, she had started to make accusations that he was sleeping around on her. She had almost cost Reno the new relationship he had found with his one night stand at that time when she had grabbed Reno's phone when it had begun to ring; when Rude had shown up at the door to save Reno from beating beaten by Tifa. Tifa had turned it around that Rude was an intruder that was planning to rape her and possibly kill her boyfriend, Rude had been escorted away and slapped with a restraining order, and Reno had been slapped with psychological handcuffs by Tifa.
Stay away from Rude or she was going to go to the cops and tell them that Reno had been raping her.
Blackmail.
He had stayed with her for the sake of being able to save the newly forming relationship that the two had created in the shadows; Reno would always show up with her perfume on his body and her scent of a previous bedroom fling on him. Rude had been willing to overlook, but Reno would always tell Rude that he didn't want that scent; he wanted only Rude's, but it wouldn't have to be a long wait for them to be together on an all the time basis. Zack and Cloud's little "act" in the Cafeteria the other day had become his saving grace; that night at the Club, where Cloud and Sephiroth had furthered their own blossoming romance. Rude had shown Reno a world he would never had known, doing it on the floor of the Club of others, not caring or having any shame that people were disgusted at the act of the two men necking on one another while grinding it down onto the floor; Rude had been his everything up till now and that call had all but settled a fear he had been fearing since breaking it off with Tifa, but when he heard it through. He knew then, that it was safe to let down all the fear barriers and love Rude unconditionally without fear of being ripped away from the thing that had been making him happy.
Thank You Cloud...
Cloud softly sneezed as he wriggled his nose against Sephiroth's bedsheets, someone must be talking about me; he had thought it was merely the scent of the odd little cologne that was dappled gently against Sephiroth's pillow cases from where the man had slept nights without Cloud in his bed. But there was a superstition Cloud had about odd body functions, a sneeze meant someone was talking about you in a positive way or maybe a bad way; whoever it was, they must have been good thoughts. The one good thought he had playing in his mind was the sensation of his inner ego, still lying snuggled up against Sephiroth's, but how could that be? And where was Sephiroth? After realizing he was in nothing more then the nude, Cloud chucked on a pair of pajama pants he had brought with him should he be asked to stay over as he softly padded out of the man's massive bedroom, through a quiet hallway as he came upon the silver haired man. Typing away at his keyboard, keystrokes being laid to; Sephiroth's eyes never once leaving the screen, but his keystrokes seemed to slow down slightly as he felt arms drape down his shoulders. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he felt a soft kiss brush his cheek as he felt a warm cheek brush in against his as a chin rested on his shoulder with a soft sigh; curious soft blue eyes watched the screen as he looked over the man's words.
"Writing about us again?" Cloud's chuckling laughter was musical in Sephiroth's ear as he gave a soft grunt in answer; he had ideas in his mind of what he wanted to do next for the chapter he was working on, "What's happening to our young school boy and Teacher this time?"
Sephiroth finished the final keystroke as he pushed the Ctrl+S button as he leaned back in the desk chair, a hand came up as the fingers curled around Cloud's chin, pulling in chaste lips for a morning kiss against eager lips as both moaned against one another, "Our Teacher, showed our little student some ways on how to help him get a particular girl he likes in class, but it seems our Teacher is falling more and more for our student while the student remains oblivious to his teacher's interests, but its becoming obvious since our little student had his first dream about the teacher which is leaving this chapter...at a cliff hanger as to whether the boy will act on these feelings or..." the man's lips softly nipped Cloud's lips once again as he felt Cloud softly purr, licking the man's lips on the way apart from them, "...chalk them up as the Teacher getting too close to him and trying to put feelings on him that shouldn't be. What do you think?"
"I think I need a little development before I can really give it a 'yeah' or 'nay'..." Cloud softly chuckled as he felt Sephiroth pull him into his lap as Cloud curled arms around Sephiroth's neck as Sephiroth's arms linked around Cloud's; each purring against one another's lips; everything was peaceful aside from the buzzing of a cell phone nearby.
The phone could wait as it went to voice mail, "Hey Cloud...guess you're in class, out...or doing something with I guess your own boyfriend...just thought I call and say...I'm sorry for the message I left on your apartment's answering machine...I won't be bothering you anymore...I hope you have a happy life with your boyfriend..."
"Morning Mr. Hewley," the attending Nurse poked her head as she whispered, seeing that Angeal was partially awake while Zack still lay asleep against his chest, "How are you doing this morning?"
Angeal ran his fingers through Zack's locks as he felt the boy gently shift, mumbling something about not wanting to wear the muffins on his feet to school in his sister's tutu; it always made Angeal smile and laugh when he got to hear the random ramblings in his Puppy's sleep, "I'm doing fine, but I do feel like I have to pee..."
"Sorry about that," the Nurse empathically laughed as she watched Zack shift about on Angeal's chest, fixing the blanket on the boy's shoulders, "The Physical Therapist will be in to see you this afternoon and go over the details of your Therapy...from what the Dr. found, it doesn't seem like you have any long term spinal trauma, but it'll best that you not over do it too soon. Some help will probably be needed here and there when you are released home; will you need someone to care for you at home?"
"Dr. Hewley to Patient Fair's Room...Patient Fair requests the attention of Dr. Hewley," Zack mumbled in his sleep as a sleepy smile crossed his face; Angeal began to blush darkly while the Nurse chuckled to herself, "Patient Fair requests immediate attention of Sex Dr. Hewley..."
Angeal had to end this now, "...A Home Aid wouldn't hurt...especially since my little man here is going to need to keep up with his school studies if he wants to be able to get a job for us to get a place of our own someday and not embarrass his roommate with the role playing he does when he thinks the roommate isn't home..."
"I only did that once and Cloud forgave us..."Zack tiredly mumbled as he started to come to; the Nurse started to back away with a cheery laughter to her voice as she drew the curtain back around to give them some privacy, "Besides, don't go thinking I don't know what you're planning to do with that Home Aide."
"Oh, now what do you think I'm going to do?" Angeal sternly looked at a fully awake Zack, "You think I'm going to lavish affection and attention on someone else but you?"
"N-No...it's just..."
"Zack?"
Zack traced his fingers against Angeal's hospital gown dressed chest, "...It's my responsibility to take care of you...I should have read into your body language and what was wrong with you...I didn't stop you from walking into the Lion's den...I won't miss too much class..."
"Heh, Zack..."
"And don't you even start in with 'You're acting like a child', because I'm not!"
"Zack, please..."
"NO! I WILL NOT PLEASE!"
Angeal began to wince as he tried to shift as he felt Zack's hands beating on his chest but the teen's lower weight had been weighing down on his fractured pelvis, "Z-Zack...you're..."
"I'M WHAT!"
"...You're leaning on my fractured pelvis and unless you want me screaming in pain directly into your ear, making you deaf, you will...get...off...me...now..."
Zack scampered backwards as he huddled himself into a knees drawn to his chest ball at the side of Angeal's bed, "Oh Puppy...don't be like that...It's just...I'm still hurting really bad from what happened and you were making it worse, but not in a bad way..."
"...Sadist. You're a sadist. You knew I was hurting you and you weren't saying anything..."
"If I was enjoying letting you do that to me without saying anything, I wouldn't be a sadist, I would be more of a sadomasochist, taking pleasure in pain being inflicted on me and you..."
Angeal chuckled to himself as he felt the urge to use the restroom leave out through the tube that had been placed up the one place for it all to come out of as he placed his I.V. clad hand over the side of the bed, feeling for familiar bouncy raven haired spikes, "Come on, Zack, I'm not in any shape or mood to play the guessing game of where you're hiding now..." when he didn't hear anything or felt anything; he began to slightly panic in the back of his head, "Zack?"
"…Who was he to you?" Zack's voice picked up as he kept a close hold on his lower lip, "What was he?"
"Who Zack?"
"…The man you were found with yesterday…"
Jealousy is something that can rear its ugly head at the times we least expect it or need it; Angeal had gone through the motions when he had heard Zack's sob story about a girl he had been with before he had considered himself to be into men. How he had left her to suffer on her own account, deal with the problems afflicting her that my have at one point later on, would have afflicted Zack. He had had his moment or moments of jealousy, and now, it was Zack's turn. He had every right to confront his present lover about his own past. It wasn't going to be easy to explain how a childhood friend had become a potential love interest that he himself scorned to only have him find him again years later and try and hook up. Only to have it go horribly wrong and have it all relived no more then twenty fours hours ago happen nearly ten years ago.
A soft sigh left Angeal's lips, "He was…someone who at one time, I had been with before we met…Someone that I had grown up with as kids, but…Something changed in him."
"His name was Genesis and for as long as I could remember, we had been life long friends; same school, same street, neighbors practically. Every class together clear up into High School, which is where things went array; I was into my Studies and Genesis…he was into the latest trends," Angeal hated dragging his past back to the surface, but if it mad Zack understand who Genesis was and that never once had Angeal thought of ever going back to Genesis; then he would spill his guts if he had to, "At first, it was a just a simple case of trying out new fashion styles, lingo, food, books and even drink…then he got into the heavier side of it all…He started to experiment with his sexual orientation…"
"At first, it was a just a few girls, a guy now and again; nothing big, a mere peck on the cheek, and a few laughs, a movie here and there, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted more of the experiment, so, he began looking into the pleasuring side of each relationship; so many girls lost their innocence to him that would later regret it when they found out he was a Queen."
Zack looked up, puzzled by Angeal's words," A Queen?"
"He was a drama queen and at best, queen of the screw you and run off to the next guy or girl…even dressing like a woman now and again, drag queen," Angeal sighed as he felt the Morphine drip working its magic to help ease the pain from Zack's earlier pressure on his pelvis, "At first with guys, it was just a simple hand or blow job…but then he started getting curious…that's when…"
"What?" Zack was worried by the tone of Angeal's voice.
"…That's when he started to experimenting with penetration…the night he called me over to his house when we had been together as an almost platonic couple…I hardly recall what happened after the fourth or fifth shot of tequila…all I remember was waking up on the floor of his bedroom; his Mother railroading us both, especially Genesis…."
She had known about our platonic love, but what she didn't know was that her son was a drugging sex maniac…He didn't do it that night; it seemed the tequila was enough to knock me out cold and he figured screwing with an unconscious victim wasn't his style. He even told her till he was blue in the face that he hadn't "stuck it to me"; all he done at best was do other things…that I had the marks from and…even though I never would've brought charges against him…"
Zack had slowly picked himself off his petty little ball as he looked over the side of the bed to find Angeal trying to hold it together for not only his shattered psyche, but for Zack's sake, "…His own Mother brought charges down on him for trying to raping me…I was grateful for it after she had told me she had found his diary describing the acts he was going to perform on me…But she took that gratefulness the other day…put in a blender and shred it to Hell."
"She literally begged me to reconsider Genesis at the Parole hearing…claiming he had changed his ways, but what she didn't know was; he had been hiding away from his Court Appointed Jailhouse Psychiatrist a little journal that he had been writing in…detailing what he was going to do to me if he ever got released…"
"How do you know about that?"
"He showed it to me…at the Café…"
Zack started put down the rail on the left side of Angeal's bed as he slowly crawled onto the bed, straddling over the man's hips which left Angeal in utter surprise and shock, "Zack…what are you doing?"
"I want to help you take your mind off all the pain…"the teen slowly leaned in as he cupped Angeal's face in his hands; at first, Angeal had placed a hand against one of Zack's while trying to push the boy away, "…Isn't it the job of the Nurse to help the Doctor alleviate the stress and pain?"
Angeal softly chuckled as he felt more brushing of lips against his own as they began place pressure in against one another; Angeal's fingertips started brush against the backside of Zack's hands. A hand brushed down the length of Zack's slender arm as it began to trace up to the backside and base of the boy's skull, pulling him in closer as a tongue began to probe at wanton lips. Zack purred to himself as he allowed entrance of the tongue into his mouth, softly sucking on it like a candy lollipop as Angeal's fingers caressed in harder against the base of Zack's skull as they now and again, dragged themselves through spiky raven locks. The other hand began its descent down Zack's other arm as one of Zack's own began to follow the pattern that Angeal's had; his fingers finding a grip on the underside of Angeal's long locks. Angeal faintly groaned at the hair pull, but it could've been because of other factors; even with Zack nowhere near his pelvic region, he could feel the heat. The man's straying hand had found its leverage and landing on Zack's lower backside which caused Zack give a yelp against Angeal's teeth as air began to pull through now and again pulling away lips and through flaring nostrils. Zack rocked back into the backside gripping hand as the hair gripping hand gripped hard onto Angeal's shoulder as did the other hand upon Angeal's other shoulder; everything was almost too much. In need for air, Zack pulled away as a hazy string of spit hung between bruised lips.
"…Does the Doctor feel any better yet?" Zack purred as swayed his hips in Angeal's grip, "Or does the Doctor need a little more medicine?"
"No, I think we're good for a while…"Angeal softly chuckled as he let his hands fall from Zack's hips, "I think I'll just sleep it off…"
Zack was well known for being a devious little son of a bitch when it came right down to it; patience was never anything he had when it came to anything, especially when he had his boyfriend laid up. Knocked out on Morphine and incapable of stopping him from going down South and shaking his maraca to make sure it still had some rhythm to it. Now was the perfect time to test out a theory he had been going over in his mind while he had slept; with the hairline fracture on his lower back; was it in any danger of affecting his sexual life?
Only way to find out.
Angeal was beginning to close his eyes when he felt a shift on the bed, "Zack? Where are you at?"
A shift of sheets and the sight of stocking feet at the end of the bed that weren't his own told him other wise, "Just checking your reflexes…"
This isn't going to end well…
Cloud was happy in his own little world until the real world started to knock at his backdoor, much like his subconscious inner gay man who had been knocking for the last five minutes, "Cloud, sweetheart, I know you're enjoying Sephiroth as much as I am, but, there are more important issues other necking your boyfriend right now…A little to the left…Ummh…y-yeah…"
"Heh…"Cloud softly sighed as he gave a playful nip to Sephiroth's neck as he walked over to the buzzing he could hear now as he got closer to it, "Hello?"
"…He did what?!"
Sephiroth rubbed at his neck where the nip had been left, close down his computer as he walked over to where he saw the dramatics going on; a blond figured form version of the classical tune of 'Flight of the Bumble Bee', "Something wrong at home, Cloud?"
"Hold on a second, Angeal," Cloud took a moment to gather his thoughts as he tried to get the mantra of 'I'm going to kill him' out of his head, "Angeal was in an accident of sorts yesterday…Zack got the call first, he's been there since yesterday and then today…GAH! THAT IDIOT!"
"Then what?" Sephiroth wasn't following where Cloud was going with this tirade, "Did something happen to Zack now?"
"You could say that…little idiot decided he was going to see if…Angeal's parts still worked…"
The gesture Cloud made of the particular area that had been mentioned made a dark blush cross his face and Sephiroth turned just as red, while hiding a chuckle behind his hand, "You think we should go rescue him from his boyfriend before ends up killing him?"
"I'm liable to kill him! From what Angeal told me; his pelvis is fractured and he's got a hairline fracture on his lower spine…Zack should know better then play around with Angeal like this at a time like this…"
"Calm down, calm down…"Sephiroth enveloped Cloud into his arms, "Let's get your stuff together and I'll take you over to wherever they have him at and check in on him, maybe convince Zack to give Angeal a few days to rest in the hospital and maybe drop him by to check on him later this evening. Sound fair?"
Cloud couldn't help but chuckle at the last bit of Sephiroth's words, "What?"
"Fair, I can't stop laughing when I hear that word because it reminds me of Zack…"
"Why's that?"
"His last name is Fair…"
Sephiroth began to chuckle along with the boy as he gave a soft kiss against his forehead, "You have some pretty crazy friends…"
Yeah, but they're the crazy ones that made it all possible for me to find you…
"What is going on in he---Oh…Oh my goodness," the Nurse from earlier began to chuckle to herself as she the bundle up white ball on the floor with short stocks of raven spikes peeking out while Angeal was doing his best to hide himself, "Mr. Hewley, are you alright?"
Zack was embarrassed for the both of them while he began to inchworm away from the hospital bed to hide in a corner; still bundled up in the sheet while he listened to the Nurse attending to Angeal. Angeal was feeling a dusting of a blush crossing his face as the Nurse fetched an extra set of blankets and checked to make sure that everything as it should be. The man continued to apologize continuously over and over to the Nurse while she waved it off as nothing, claiming she had seen worse in regards to couples trying to reunite with one another. Things could've been worse. Much like the time Cloud had walked in on the duo, on his bed, in his room back at the Student Housing that they had gotten kicked out of and ended up in the apartment they were in now. He had never seen the boy blush that hard and use such language before; it was truly embarrassing to find out, after he managed to pacify Zack, that Cloud was the boy's roommate and childhood friend. No harm was intended towards the bed or anything that their hands may have touched; even then, Zack had tried to hide away in a ball of sheets to avoid the wrath of his friend.
Angeal couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Zack doing the same thing he had done the time before; he had a finger pressed into the sheet and was tracing circles on the floor through the sheet, "Zack…Zackary…"
Silence even still.
"Don't make me use your full name, Mister," Angeal was still not in the mood for the boy's antics as he watched the once inchworm stand up and begin to shuffle towards the chair placed at the bedside, "Take off the sheet, Zack."
Shake of the head negatively said otherwise, "It's safe in here."
"Zack…"
"I'll be back later to check on you, Mr. Hewley," the Nurse was trying her best to not laugh in his face at his current predicament.
Where is Cloud?
In the world of high end stardom, there are always those people out there that will make or break you; the make you ones are out there for a number of reasons, money, fame, and the glory of discovery the rising star. As well as the other known perks that go with the make you end of the stardom spectrum and then there is the other side of the make you spectrum. There are those who have the best interests at heart for their discovery and become the greatest and most important friends that star will ever hold dear to their hearts when they fall on hard times. Then, there is the break you side of that spectrum. The paparazzi. Glory hounds that once they catch a whiff of something that is enticing and worth pursuing because it'll result in sales of photos snapped for magazines; be it smear or true and honest publicized magazines. Sharks such as these are only interested in one thing.
The glory of another life ruined thanks to their photos.
Nicholas McCarthy was one such shark and was good at his job; the stars that had had their lives and careers ruined thanks to his deceitful camera knew well of the man and it showed in the "fan mail" he received. In which he simply blew off; they had it coming was all he could say as he would now and again toss, shred, and burn the "fan mail" from the stars he had ruined. He had no fear for this line of work, if a few death threats came to his house, it didn't matter to him; they were all full of hot air and not backed up by anything. Claiming they were just blowing smoke out their ears, but he didn't care to listen to their dribble, but lately, there was becoming less and less fish to play with. It was as if the fish had wised up and had decided it best to stay off the streets, no matter how well they covered themselves up to look like the average Joe or Pam on the street. This made find means to come by and eat for the rest of the week hard, but it seemed, even stars that weren't in the movies or in T.V. showed up on his radar as he sat up, noticing a silver haired man standing outside an apartment.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Sephiroth Maximus himself…"Nicholas chuckled to himself as he fished about the mess of empty coffee cups and fast food wrappers littering his once expensive sports car, "What's he up to today, huh? Because word on the street is…he fired his former Editor among other things she was because of something that had come up in his life…"
Snap.
Click.
The shutter clicked open and close as he snapped shots of the silver haired God pacing back and forth as if he was waiting for someone; there had always been suspicions as to whether or not the renowned Romance author was seeing someone. Rumors had speculated he was seeing a particular starlet and no one had been able to get a comment out of the man as to whether or not the rumors were true. Nicholas was reared and ready to take the fatal shot to reveal the rumors as truth and ruin some lives before lunch time; such a devious plot.
"Come on, come on, come on, show me the money shot…"Nicholas' smile grew bigger and bigger as he saw a door open at the front of the apartment complex, but what he saw wasn't the figure of a Hollywood Starlet, "What the Hell is this? Is he entertaining little kids now?"
Click.
Click.
Snap.
Something was here, Nicholas could smell it, there was a story here somewhere, but where?! And then there it was, right in front of him as he saw the head of the small figure that had come out jump up to wrap arms around the silver haired God's neck; he couldn't hear the chuckles between the two. Only the sounds of his camera clicking as he caught the money shots of the boy and Sephiroth kissing, Sephiroth spinning Cloud about in his arms till both men had fallen to the pavement. Then came the final shot that would seal them; Sephiroth dusting Cloud off while Cloud seemed to help him as well as they climbed into Sephiroth's car and headed off to who knew where.
Nicholas chuckled from his car as he threw his camera into the passenger seat, started the engine and headed for his other known home. The office where all his dirty deeds were laid out in front of the man responsible for paying his salaries and where the men schemed about how to spin the stories that went with the photographs, "Oh Mr. Maximus, you and I are going to have a little chat once I show you these shots and make you handsome little deal that you won't be able to resist…especially if you want to keep your relationship with your little boy toy secret…"
A screech of tires could be heard tearing up the street as Nicholas made his way to the high rise building where he called home, his primary home, to develop the damning shots.
"Hey, patch me through to the Head Man, its Nicholas McCarthy…Tell him I've got a story for him that he'll enjoy…Just tell him that the Romance Novel Community is about to crumble…Yeah…Thanks doll," Nicholas chuckled to himself as he dropped his phone in the compartment near the gear shift of his little car, Your life is mine now, Sephiroth Maximus
Achoo!
A young woman sat at her desk as she went about her business of keeping track of appointments for her Boss as she pushed a button on her desk, "Mr. Lawrence?"
"Yeah, what is it is, Doris?" a gruff voiced man came through the intercom; the man sounded as if he had been busy shortly before the woman had buzzed him, "Make it quick, I've got a hot deal on line 3."
"Nicholas McCarthy just called and it sounded like he has a hot scoop for you, sir, will you be able to see him today, Mr. Lawrence."
"…The minute he gets here, send him to my office," there was no other sound on the other end of the intercom as the sound of the call being disconnected on both the woman's desk and the man's was heard on the intercom.
With a stretch, the young lady pushed away from her desk as she shuffled through her bottom desk drawer for her purse, "Hey, I'm going downstairs for a smoke then I'm taking my lunch break, care to join me?"
Auburn red hair shook about as the young woman looked up from her keyboard; glasses slipping down her nose slightly as she checked her planner that read as if she had nothing to do before answering the girl, "I'll take a rain check, Doris…but thanks for the offer."
"No problem, see you later," with that, the young lady was gone and out the door, heading down an escalator and out front for a first cigarette of the day and then lunch, alone.
Not too much time later after the young lady had left; Nicholas made his way into the office, carrying a manila folder that she knew all too well what they held: the keys to someone else's life being destroyed by a Polaroid. She gave a half hearted smile to the man as he walked in and proceeded to stop her desk. Typical. Every man that came in here only came by her desk, even when Doris was around, just because she was a little older then Doris and no one cared for the name Doris. It made her sound old, Doris had claimed it was because she had been named after her Great Grandmother; old family tradition it seemed. The name Raechel, as it was imprinted on the plaque on her desk, just seemed to roll off the men's tongues among a few other things that would've gotten them kicked in the goodies if they didn't keep their eyes in their heads.
A familiar chuckle caught her attention upwards, "Afternoon Raechel, the Boss in?"
And with the same typical demeanor she gave every man; the finger and then used the other one to dial up her Boss' office, "He'll see you now…"
"And here I thought you were a lady, Raechel…"
"I'll point one out to you when I see one…"
Nicholas would've made a further remark or even passing gesture to her, but it wasn't good to keep the Boss waiting as he opened the door, "Hey Mark!"
"Nicholas my boy!"
The two men continued to converse and talk among themselves as the office doors closed, but little did any man know was; Raechel had bugged the office; she had had her suspicions that her new Boss wasn't on the up and up. Suspicions had arisen on her radar the day she saw a man that wasn't a typical Newspaper man walk into the man's office and only moments later; screams were heard from the office and a shattering of glass. No one had made a move to investigate being that a number of other employees in her department had worked at the office longer then she had then there had been the odd calls being forced to be sent through to the man's office. She was right to be suspicious and the machine she had clicked off had not only been the Intercom; it worked as a recording device for listening to the men's conversations.
A buzz soon came through, "Raechel…"
"Yes sir," she had to act like she was happy to be here; she would've rather been sitting in an Editor's Office or in a position of Editor of the Newspaper and Magazine Company she now worked for.
"Nicholas and I are heading out to grab some lunch in the city, would you mind closing up the office up early today?"
"Can do sir…"
"Thanks…"
No problem you fat lying sack of crap…I'm one more step closer to catching you…
"So Nicholas, do you honestly think we can nab this Writer on sleeping around with a possible Jailbait?" the man Nicholas had called Mark asked as he looked over the photos on his desk, "This Sephiroth character isn't some big time guy, except in the Romance Novel department; a lot of housewives would be upset to hear he's got a thing for little boys and sleeping with them…"
Nicholas picked up one photo in particular, "I'm sure we could run with this…if the World knew who this guy was, they would think twice about buying his works ever again and his business will tank faster then that former Editor, Publisher, whatever she was that he had working for him."
Both men began to laugh, "Yeah, whatever happened to that woman."
Raechel had been the wiser woman, she would've quietly turned the machine off and walked away, let it roll off her back and close up the office once her Boss left and then if she felt like it, leave him a nice little message. A nice "Screw You" message written in lipstick on his pristine oak desk and then soak it along with other non important papers then set his office on fire. Claim it was a power shortage that caused it or at best, say that he had forgotten to put his cigar out completely and dropped it into the wastebasket while it was still hot.
No.
Raechel was above that.
She had been scorned once, but now, someone she now cared about as a friend was about to become hurt and that was something you did not do in her book; mess with any of her friends and you will get hurt. Both men's footsteps could be heard coming from the office as her Boss locked up his office and walked right past her desk; with a fleeting smile and then a gesture behind their backs. She picked up her things, told the others in her department to close up shop and just go home for the day; as she neared the exit to the building, she pulled out here phone.
Sorry Sephiroth, I know I said I wouldn't get involved in your life again, but this time…it's personal.