Disclaimer: Please Refer to Chapter 1
AN: XP This one has been kind of odd to me...even though I've been randomly working on it on paper and believe me. Some of the stuff that's on there compared to this is COMPLETELY different in comparison to one another. Kind of like I did for the last chapter. Sorry if this one is kind of short, but I'm just running low on steam. And trying not to drag out the inevitable and as for the moments towards the end of this...don't worry. They'll be clear up eventually, especially why Cloud is blushing about Raechel reminding him about a deal they struck in private. As for some of the "Interaction with the Paparrazi" moments...^^; Slight take off of the blockbuster film "Paparrazi". Don't worry, I won't make the scene where the deliberately made car crash from the movie show up in this. I wouldn't do that our fave boys...but unfortunately, Cloud's childhood nightmares are going to come into play towards the end...and they'll be talked about more in Chapter 23. I'm not some sick person that gets off on the nightmares Cloud had as a kid, I just watch too many Lifetime Movie/Lifetime Movie Network movies involving incidents similar to his childhood nightmares.
Sidenote: There may be more time in between chapters coming up because as you all know I'm still in the desperate search for work and in the midst of staying busy with Fundraisers to help get my way to Ckara Ckara, Bolivia for a Mission Trip with my Church where for near on two weeks in mid-Oct. till the day before Halloween I'll be out of the country which means there will be a slow down in the fanfiction dept. from me ^^;
Other news: The fanfic I collab'ed on w/another Author from here has wrapped up and I've started in on my own way, of rough drafting out the Sequel as well as pitching it out to my partner in crime that I did it with; she likes it and we've gotten ourselves wound into a Trilogy, kind of a sequel to sequel once the Sequel has ended ^^; So. Be looking for the Sequel to "The Tiger and Chocobo" and the continuation/end of this fanfic and hopeful finish up on Fanfics still left in limbo on here ^^;;;;; And to stop jabbing away and such, today, Aug. 17th is the awesome CloudLeon among other pairings, fanfiction Author: Talinsquall's b-day! Go show her DeviantART some loves peoples! .com
Paparazzi are the equivalent of cockroaches; long after the world's population of humans is gone, either by the tribulations as foretold in the book of Revelations or a kind of Nuclear Holocaust, the cockroaches and the Paparazzi will still be around. They simply feed off living organisms that they end up slowly kill down over time till there is nothing left of the once proud being. Nicholas was such a man. Much like Raechel, his life had been filled with having to wear and bear different masks to make it through; a kind of, survival of the fittest as one would seem to fit him as. From the time he was born till the time his parents were on the road to splitting apart, but only trying to stay together for their son; he had worn several masks. Some as early as the first time his parents fought, when he was merely an infant. Psychologist may speculate that Nicholas was inbreed with the genetics of a sociopath, being able to wear a particular mask that showed no signs of emotions or feelings, but yet, it allowed him to get away with almost murder till he slipped up or the police were capable of arresting said sociopath. He cared not for his own Mother, nor for the fact his Father was an abusive alcoholic that whenever he would get into a fitful rage. Even while his Mother was nursing him; he would tear his Mother's head back and force liquor down her sobbing throat, the first time he had found himself having to bear such a tortured soul's mask when he was placed into the N.I.C.U. of the Hospital. Countless times of his Mother having liquor forced down her throat had caused the liquor to seep into the breast milk and had been affecting the development of young Nicholas.
His parents were arrested, his Mother for negligence which she had screamed, swore up and down that it wasn't her fault; his Father faced a harsher punishment and was branded with the claims of far harsher words. Domestic violence against his wife and son, concealing a weapon, as well as a Driving While Intoxicated charge that had been slapped on him when he had fled from the Hospital when he seen Hospital Administrators as well as Child Welfare coming to speak to them. Such a harsh young life he was forced to endure. His first mask he wore and bore for several years through countless foster homes and families was one of a broken child, hiding behind the pain he felt that he couldn't have saved himself from that Hell. Done more to save his Mother whom he would later in his later years find out would eventually drown herself in liquor and die of alcohol poisoning while his Father would be killed in his own fit of alcoholic rage. This mask was heavy, and was soon given away to a new one, a one of fake hope and happiness that had later been discarded when a young woman had entered his life and had given him a sense of belonging as it may have seemed. She saved him from his despair for only a brief moment for once again he would bear a fair darker mask then anything else he had bore.
A mask that read of deceit, mistrust, and use of women that he would later use even into his adult years and even the present years; he had gotten away with something that even a sociopath couldn't have approved of. He had all but raped the innocence from the young woman and had made it out that she was telling tales out of school because his rumors he had started about school about the young woman. Using all that she had told him in secret to make them seem truthful and honest; discrediting her in the Court of Law when charges of rape were brought against Nicholas. He had moved on, finding a niche in the field of newspaper work and field work; even then he was deceitful and cunning little bastard of a fox. Photos he had taken of a promising Senator had given way to a sinister mask that even now, along with the one he had formed that he had been wearing since he had entered adult hood. These masks allowed him to rise into the ranks of where he was now; the Senator, the oh so unfortunate Senator that had become the base of this darker mask, far darker then the others, was later found, hung by his own shoestrings in his office.
Nicholas had acclaimed to the highest level of his masks and was about to do one step beyond any other mask he had laid claim to in the past as his gaze surveyed his surroundings like a hunting animal on the prowl. What he beheld in the light of the sun streaming down on a silver lake of shimmering locks sitting beside a spiked island would peek his attention.
"…Well, well…it seems our little prey doesn't know when to stay hidden to avoid the hunter's wild gaze," Nicholas darkly chortled as he reached for his camera, but a hand rested on his itchy trigger hand.
Mark's cautious hand had placed itself on Nicholas', "Wait…if we give away that we are here, he'll either make a run for it, or do something far more interesting…give him time and call for the back up…We're going to get our story one way or another…"
Nicholas liked Mark for one reason, and one reason only; he supplied him with the ammunition he needed to ruin other's lives. Mark was wily in his old days and had at his beck and call, a team of men just as blood thirsty for a story as Nicholas was and they ran like a pack of wolves after a deer on the run. Running in a black van so as to seem inconspicuous to the one they were hunting; they were able to get into places others couldn't and liked working with Nicholas.
Nicholas was as cutthroat as them, "Alright, but you better be right about calling the dogs out on this one…"
"Trust me…When they get here, act as if you're just taking some shots of the local flowers around the Café while inconspicuously snapping some shots of the man of the hour with his little "friend" and when he prepares to pounce on you…start making your way back towards the van and when he lands the strike…"Mark slammed his fist into his palm, "That's when we get the money shots and film proof to sell to the news."
"What would I ever do without you, Mark?"
"Probably off peddling photos like that fictional Peter Parker in Spiderman…"
Both men seemed to chuckle at the irony of such a thought as Nicholas punched in the number for the cohorts, "Hey Tommy, its Nicholas…Yeah, yeah…Pine and 1st, bring the cameras and the video camera, we've got us a new one to snag in…Nah, he's not some big movie star, but he's as big as they come in the literary world…I don't care! Just get your asses over here! Alright. See you in five."
"They coming?" Mark went back to sipping his coffee as he began to wrap up this little lunch break.
"Yeah, even though they don't see any reason to make an issue out of ruining some author's life…"
"If you haven't realized it yet, that man you snapped shots of you this morning…He's one of the top literary authors out there and let's just say, I did a little snooping into this guy's life."
Nicholas' smile turned dark, "What did you find out?"
"Turns out he's got a following of little desperate housewives and some young teenage girls who think he's the hottest thing since the hottest selling boy band on the market now…Claims to have some kind of squeaky clean image of only running with a "good" crowd. But he's a pretty dark past…especially where he comes from. Claims for a girl that he stalked her for a good few months or more in High School that were later dropped, a little drug possession that was later dropped since it was some friends that wanted to have some fun. And it seems…"
"And it seems, Boss, that he's buddy, buddy, with your new Editor Secretary," Nicholas jabbed his thumb over his shoulder towards the table where Raechel sat talking to someone.
Mark waved it off, "Doesn't matter…as long as we can cook up a nice story to get it revealed that Mr. Squeaky Clean Romance Author likes "playing" with little boys…we could make some money off this story."
"You better be right," Nicholas pulled his phone out as he felt it vibrating in his pocket, "Yeah? Good…Park around the corner of where we're at…Yeah, yeah…okay…okay, just wait for my signal."
"Go get 'em, Tiger…" Mark chuckled as he paid his half of the bill and headed for his car and then home.
~XXX~
Sephiroth was never a patient man; he was always on the go about something, talking to himself on the car ride over to the Café had left Cloud a little uneasy as he watched the man all the way over on the car ride. Ever since he had come back from the Cafeteria with Zack, leaving him to hang around with Angeal before he was kicked out at the end of Visiting Hours that evening. He had noticed that Sephiroth had been on edge at the hospital.
"We're back!"
Sephiroth shushed the boys as they walked back into the room as he nudged his head in the direction of Angeal who had fallen asleep shortly after their conversation together. Zack quietly bounded over to Angeal's side as he watched the man sleep; he wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible with the man before they kicked him out when Visiting Hours were over. Something had been on Sephiroth's mind once Cloud had come back to the room; he had checked his messages to find Raechel's which was cause for concern.
"I hate to cut this all short, but we should get moving on back home…and I've got a friend I need to meet up…" Sephiroth waved his phone about a bit, "Come on, Cloud, I'll drive you home…"
Cloud shrugged his shoulders, "Alright, see you at home, Zack?"
"Sure…"
Once they were outside the earshot of Zack and Angeal and the Hospital, Cloud had begun the questions that had lead to Sephiroth nearly snapping at the boy then apologizing for his temper. Explanation of what was really going on as well as the quiet drive over to the Café. Something had set him off and even though Cloud hardly knew the man's personality quirks, he felt that something was rubbing him the wrong way.
Once they had reached the Café where they had first run into one another; he could feel what was setting the man on edge. Sitting at one of the tables was the woman who had been with him the day he had run into Sephiroth and had started this Domino Effect of everything that had transpired so far. She seemed to sipping at something out of a glass and as she saw Sephiroth had walked up; she gathered herself together to be presentable. Introductions had been made and then it was down to business; by the time talking was down as well as a run down of the reason for the call, Sephiroth had all but white knuckled one arm of the chair. Cloud had been looking on with a look of worry etched into his face. He knew all of this had been too good to be true so far.
Why did everything that made him happy come at the worst of times?
"I know you're upset, but don't go breaking the chair to satisfy your tension," Raechel reached across the table as she could feel that the man wasn't vibrating from rage, but more from fear, "Sephiroth, sweetie, you've got to talk to me…"
Cloud looked up with worry in his face and eyes as he softly whispered against his ear, "…Whatever is going on, we'll get through this…I won't leave you, no matter what happens…"
This seemed to settle Sephiroth's nerves for a time as the fingers that were clutched around the arm of the chair let up as they rested on Cloud's, "Thank you…"
"Heh…I know you guys are probably into showing some kind of affection for another to help the other, but right now, out here in public…I'd be leery of it…"
"You're afraid that they could be out here, right now?" Cloud's voice was shaky as he felt Sephiroth being the rock for him like Cloud had been Sephiroth, "…I don't know if I can do this…I'm afraid for you…"
"Its alright…Believe me, when I started to come into money off my first novel, I had people I hardly knew coming out of the woodworks claiming they were forgotten relatives looking for money…I can handle things…"
Raechel sighed as she began to sip on a glass of water on the table, "So, you're planning to be his Editor and everything for some new venture you two are planning?"
Cloud seemed to blush as he hid away against Sephiroth's shoulder, "He's still new to everything, and I was hoping you could help us a little Raechel since you are the best."
"Oh come on…"
"No, you really are…"Cloud chirped up as he could hear his own feet shuffling under the table, "…A-And…And I would be grateful if you could help me figure it all out and maybe help us with some things…"
"You're sweet, kid…" Raechel chuckled to herself, "Alright, but on one condition…"
Sephiroth knew that look in her eyes and it wasn't from the liquor that had gone into her system before they had shown up, "What is it?"
"Should you two ever decide to tie the knot…I want to be your Coordinator for the Wedding and maybe the Matron of Honor…if it's not too much to ask?"
Cloud reached his hand out across the table quicker then he could think to draw it back, "Deal!"
"Alright then!" Raechel shook the boys hand as Sephiroth watched on with amusement as he saw Cloud's face light up as he watched the teen and his former Editor and everything else in between talk about what he would need to do and know about the business.
~XXX~
"Yeah, yeah…Fifth and Lemon…You'll know what I look like when you show up and this time, be inconspicuous about it!" Nicholas growled as he slapped his phone shut, pocketing it as he smugly grinned at his Boss, "They'll be here and then that pretty man's face will be all over the evening news."
"You better know what you're doing. I can't afford to bail you out of prison again after your last run in with a celebrity; you should know better then go breaking into their houses when they are home."
Nicholas waved his employer off as he brought his camera around and began to snap a few test shots, "Leave it to me…I know what I'm doing and that woman didn't know what she was screaming about, let alone what her husband knew what she was doing when I showed him the shots of his wife doing another woman. Priceless."
The man rolled his eyes as he started to hear the sounds of a van slowly creeping up around the bend, "Showtime Nicholas."
~XXX~
"Uh, sweetie…I wouldn't look now, but I sense cockroaches on the move," a voice that hadn't been heard from since making it known that Cloud was getting his ass handed him to him by a hypochondriac with a mean streak the size of the street running next to the Café, "And it seems he has friends this time. What is this? A party?"
Sephiroth carefully began to scope out the area as he leaned in against Cloud's ear, "…I'll be right back, I have to go use the little boy's room…"
"Alright," Cloud softly smiled up at him as he let Sephiroth leave, but he wouldn't know was what happened next.
"Get your smug asses out of here!" Raechel screamed as she attempted to throw the table cloth over Cloud's head and start ushering him towards her car as if in slow motion; the locomotive that was Sephiroth came out of nowhere, "Sephiroth don't do it!"
Someone should've said that sooner or the infamous line from the Star Wars Captain for the enemy, 'It's A Trap!' before the landed his punch in against Nicholas' face as well as camera. The moment the crack of glass on Nicholas' camera was heard; Cloud feared the worst as he ran towards Sephiroth like a child that was only half draped in a bed sheet as a cheap Halloween costume. He could see that not much damage had been done to the man's knuckles or hand but the sound of a sliding door on the van that pulled up just as Nicholas was picking himself up was reason enough to fear that something was wrong.
"Smile Mr. Maximus, you're on the ten o' clock evening news!" chuckled one of the men as they continued to snap photos and film the duo, more or less, trio as Raechel came up and started placing her hands over cameras and the video camera, "Come on lady! This is our job, we wouldn't bust into your client's hotel room while you're servicing him."
"You smug little son of a bitch!"
~XXX~
"In other news, former Editor, Publicist, multi-talent agent of sorts Raechel Montique was arrested at the local Emergency Room this afternoon after a bout that came between herself and a horde of photographers, trying to snap shots of the seemingly well known romance novelist, Sephiroth Maximus. Mr. Maximus himself claimed self defense of his privacy when one, Nicholas Marilli was seen taking photographs of the man with whom he calls a 'friend' and former Agent. Mr. Marilli claimed he was only doing his job when Mr. Maximus smashed into his cam---" Mark turned about as he saw Nicholas sitting like a fat, happy cat in the plush chair on the other side of his desk.
Mark had warned Nicholas, but it seemed Nicholas had gotten what he deserved, but he left a few jabs towards Sephiroth and Cloud that afternoon, "There are reports that Mr. Marilli made a threat against Mr. Maximus and his "friend" that we managed to get a sound bite of."
"Stay away from us!"
"Yeah, just try and stop me, Mr. Novelist, I'm planning to make sure that everyone of your precious little Housewife fangirls knows how big a fruit you are…"
The camera had then chosen to zoom in on Sephiroth's anger and fear that was etched all over his face, "What did you say?"
"Didn't know about that sting now did ya? Yeah, I caught some photos of you and your little friend playing tonsil hockey outside your apartment this morn---"
"From there, the fighting escalated, Mr. Maximus was not formally arrested, but was held at the local Police Station for a few hours to "cool off" as the police officials had to say. Word about the words Mr. Marcilli remarked towards Mr. Maximus have spread like a rumor wildfire across the internet; fans of the man's work have been questioning whether or not Mr. Marcilli was just trying to start something. Being that Mr. Marcilli has a track record of instigating fist fights to bar room fights with well known celebrities, just for a good story.
But that was not the main threat that was thrown towards Mr. Maximus and his "friend" this afternoon; there were threats of harm to be brought upon the man's "friend" and to be careful where they walked. No telling when they would strike again and in what form they would strike. I'm Michelle Brannigan, signing off."
Nicholas was still licking his wounds, laughing at the report as the news went to the evening sports reports, weather and other reports that were coming over the airwaves, "Bait has been set…now, we just wait till they let their guards down, separate them and then do the real damage…Oh, this is going to be one fun story."
"Just don't do anything stupid, at best, don't go getting yourself get killed…"Mark remarked as he turned the T.V. off and left his office; he had his limits on how far he would listen to Nicholas' actions for getting a story.
From what he heard on the news report to the way the man had just worded his words; something was going to happen to someone and he would rather not be involved in, You're a sick man, Nicholas, even I know that…there is only so far you can go for a story before it becomes more then just getting the story…
~XXX~
Cloud had been clutching one of the pillows from Sephiroth's sofa through out most of the news report in regards to what had happened that afternoon; Raechel was sitting beside the boy while Sephiroth sat at his computer desk. His fingers had not once left the keyboard since they had gotten home; he had taken to the internet and had begun to write out a formal and public letter on the many sites dedicated to him. Telling it how it was that he truly wasn't the man they thought he was and any rumors they may hear of him being gay were to be taken as not rumors, but as the utter truth. He even posted alongside the public notice on each site a photo of him with Cloud; the photo was of one they had taken recently. Cloud's soft smile could light it up and would appeal to the fans, if he still had them after the news report that was being broadcasted over every news station, T.V. channel, even the Spanish channels. What he hadn't expected was the in pour of supportive letters and responses from the fans; some stating that they had known for a time he wasn't your typical man. They even stated that they would even look into buying or even reading his newest work he would be bringing out; they also asked if there would be chances, when he would do his book tour for the book. If he would bring Cloud along so that they could meet the little man who had stolen their favorite author's heart much like he had stolen their hearts through the words that had been sown throughout the novels.
"…Seems they have a real soft spot for the kid, sweetie…" Sephiroth's inner self purred as it rubbed up against Sephiroth's subconscious, "Give the internet a rest for the night, sweetie…go console your little man because I think he's a little shook up at the moment."
The man's gaze turned towards a hidden in the pillow faced Cloud as Raechel held him in close, as close as she could with the bruises and marks she had from her scuffle with the Paparazzi that afternoon. This boy was too sweet to be involved something as heavy as this; her eyes went over to Sephiroth as if to telepathically tell the man he was needed.
"…I-I…I-I-I don't know if I'll be able to go out alone anymore without someone…" Cloud nearly choked on his words; memories of the afternoon had been on his mind.
"Hey guys! Look at the blond Casper!" one of the men put his camera down as it pulled the sheet down over Cloud and had attempted to drag the boy into the back of the van, "I didn't know that he scream like a little girl! Let's see if he'll scream some more for us!"
Cloud was in a panic as he went for feral as he clawed at the fabric of the table cloth; screaming for help as well as screaming in pain as he was dragged against the asphalt of the street, whacking his head and self against the back of the van. He had feared such things happening to him as a kid; he had been girl pretty as a young boy that he had feared some dirty old pervert trying to pick him up off the street. Nightmares had always filled his head of some old man calling him over to his car while a younger boy would jump out of the backseat. Chase him around the car till he had him bound, gagged and blindfolded and thrown into the old man's backseat where things would be done to him that he couldn't even bring himself then to remember. That nightmare was reliving now as he found himself being dragged into the back of the van and just as the second door was about to be shut, that was when Sephiroth's black eye had come from.
"SEPHIROTH!"
"LET HIM GO!"
Raechel rocked the boy as Sephiroth shut down the computer and made his way over to the sofa, gathering Cloud into his own arms as he nestled his chin into the boy's soft golden spikes, "…I'll make sure that no one ever does that to you…if you have to, I'll go and talk to your Professors to have your school work sent to your apartment; until this over…I don't want you going to class alone."
"…What about you?" Cloud softly whispered as he lifted his head up a little, "What will you do?"
Raechel chuckled, "He's a big boy; he'll survive…but, remember what I said about earlier Cloud…"
A blush crossed Cloud's face as he tried to hide against Sephiroth's chest as Raechel chuckled again, "What is she talking about, Cloud?" Sephiroth seemed intrigued now.
"…Se…cr…et…" Cloud said in between kisses to Sephiroth's lips which slowly turned into purrs then giggles Sephiroth seemed to lay the boy out against the sofa till Cloud's head was nearly in Raechel's lap.
"I'll leave you two to your love fest…"Raechel chuckled as she started to head for the door, "…Take care you two. Especially Cloud, you take care of that kid, Sephiroth; he's a keeper."
Sephiroth made it seem like he hadn't heard her words, but he had as he left searing kisses against Cloud's mewling throat which was later turned to gasping moans to roof splitting, toe curling, saliva choking in his throat scream. Raechel shook her head as she headed for her car, but it seemed that she wasn't alone as she stopped in her tracks, turning around to see what she didn't want to see.
~XXX~
"…Didn't you raise enough Hell today, Nicholas?" Raechel's gaze pierced him on as she watched his smug smile never once change.
"No, just thought I raise a little more Hell…"
She never saw what happened next as her world went dark; all she could remember was waking up the next morning, in her own apartment with every muscle feeling as sore as the last. A note had been left pinned to her pillow; she could've spit when she read what it said; little bastard!
Raechel,
Last night was great…and just a little bit of advice.
Back. Off.
Unless you want to see your former prize turkey's little "friend" to be found lying face up in some gutter somewhere dressed up all pretty and left for dead…You'll back off.
Sephiroth is my story.
Tell him anything about this note and let's just say…His little "friend" maybe even "play mate" will become a few friends of mine's new "play mate."
See you around,
Nicholas
P.S. Boss says 'You're Fired', come clean out your desk.
"…You cheeky…little…son of a bitch…"
^^; Sorry again for the short chapter...I had other ideas of what was going to happen with this chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to try and recover the ideas in my head. Sorry if this isn't the best chapter, but thanks in advance for any and all reviews I get for this chapter