Ice clinked in his glass as he moved across the kitchen to get to the liquor cabinet in the parlour. His hands only shook slightly as he reached for the bottle of whisey. That made him glad, perhaps he had more bones than he thought. He smiled grimly to himself. Or perhaps He'd been afraid of this for so long that it actually being here didn't seem real.
Regardless, he didn't spill a drop as poured the dark liquid into the glass. He brought it up to his mouth, as he took his first sip he smelled oak, smoke, carmel. It tasted the same.
The two young adults had been making their way up the long and twisting driveway that led to his mansion. At first he was curious at who Videl was bringing home, and then he was angry when he realized it was a boy, and then he grew worried as he recognized who exactly it was. When he had originally seen that she was bringing home a boy he'd planned on putting the fear of Hercule into him a little. Put on a little show, something that would make the fear of God pale in comparison. But now, his bravado seemed in short supply.
He'd finished his first drink by the time they had arrived at the front door, and he had finished his second to make sure the first wasn't lonely. He had started his third, telling it that it had the mission to make sure the first two hadn't been distracted on the way down.
The fron door opened and closed. He stood silently in the kitchen. Videl's voice came echoing from the entrance, "I don't think he's home right now. Which is fine, I'm not sure how'd he'd act if he saw you." He could almost hear the blush on her face.
"Oh, uh, well there would be no reason to worry! I'm not stopping you from anything important. I mean, we're just going to be working on the project we wre assigned. Heh. heheh." He could hear the nervousness in the second voice though.
The two kept walking, and Hercule knew they'd pass right in front of him. He tossed back the third drink for courage. As they stepped around the corner he steeled himself and barked out, "HEY! Who is this you've brought sneaking around MY house? Huh?" He thought it sounded tough, angry, indignant, as a father aught to sound. Double for when his daughter had brought a boy home. It wasn't how he felt.
"Dad, it's not like that! This is Gohan, he's harmless. We're just doing some school wok together." He could see the annoyance on her face, the twitching eyebrow and clenched jaw. Fists balled at her side.
"I'll tell you when he's harmless!" Another line he thought sounded like the tough father.
"Mr. Hercule Satan sir. It's uh, it's a pleasure to meet you sir. I was just going-"
"You'll speak when I speak to you boy, not before! Understand?" He qualied at his own words. He knew what this boy could do. Gohan, for his part, looked suitably embarrassed. A clever act if he'd ever seen one.
"DAD!" Videl's face now had color and her twitch had gotten so severe it looked like a seizure.
"Don't you start! I want to be able to talk to the boys before you start trying to sneak them in!" He just needed her to go. It pained him to yell at her, to be so mean. She looked so much like her mother it and it shattered his heart to treat her like this. "I'll let him go up after I've talked to him some. Okay? So just go up to the library and he'll be along shortly."
Videl looked like she wanted to saw more, inhaled deeply, stopped and thought better of it and let what ever she had planned to say go. She stuffed into down into her gut. He hoped it wouldn't fester there.
"Fine, but we have a lot of work to do. Don't keep him long. He's harmless." She turned and let a small smile escape her as she looked at Gohan.
Hercule stood with Gohan, the younger doing a remarkable impression of being a nervous and bashful young man. He should become an actor, he seems talented enough at it. "Come with me into the sitting room Gohan." Hercule turned and hoped the boy would follow.
"Wow, I've never been into a room just for sitting!" Gohan sounded genuine. Hercule was convinced now that he could be a world class actor.
They both walked into the large room. Truth was he didn't know why he had it there. It had just came with the house. People had decorated it with large and ornate chairs, all gilded with jewels embedded on the crest. The two chairs the sat in both smelled of old cigars, spicy tobacco, let from the previos owner. The heads of large and exotic creatures adorned the room. She never liked this room much, so he had never often come here. After she died he hadn't been in it more than twice. It had always made him slightly nervous. He hoped it did the same to the boy.
A tense minute crawled by like a wounded man. "Uh, um. Mr. Hercule sir, did you want to ask me about something?" Gohan laughed nervously again and rubbed the back of his head.
"You can stop acting now, I know who you are." Hercule had meant the words for Gohan, but he seemed to take them to heart as well. He deflated himself, the mask he was wearing slid off and underneath was the face of a worried father, scared that the world he had built for he and his daughter was about to come crumbling down.
"I don't know what you mean?" Gohan seemed genuinely puzzled. His large black eyes looking into his.
"You think I can't recognize you? You think can be a little bit taller, but a little more fleshed out, have a different haircolor and I wouldn't know who you are? I recognize you boy! I know who you are!" The words had come out with more fervor than he had meant. He panted slightly, and his bowels felt watery. He'd seen this boy wield power like that of a god. He knew that he was nothing next to him.
"I really don't know what you're talking about sir!" Gohan nearly pleaded with him.
"Stop lying!" Hercules fist came down on the small table next to his chair, splintering the wood. His voice filling the room. The animals looked on unblinking. "Stop lying." He repeated almost to himself. Gohan sat, quiet and confused.
"I don't know what you have planned, I don't know why you're back now. But please, please leave her out of it. Don't play games with her, don't harm her. Do whatever you want to me but don't hurt her in any way." Hercule could feel the emotions welling up in him. The worry over the years that one of them would come forward, show the world the lies he'd told. The fear that he'd be exposed. That Videl would be ridiculed, forced to live the rest of her life known only as the daughter of a charlatan, a liar, a moron.
When he had seen the strength they had shown at those retched games he knew he was outclassed. But what could he do? They had all left before anyone else had arrived. When the cameras and reporters had shown up he was all that was there. He'd had a hungry wife, a daughter, a middling career as a martial artist. It was going to be his big break. He'd done what any person would have in the same situation. At least that's what he'd told himself. But across from him was the boy who'd done it. Who'd killed Cell. Back to enact whatever revenge he'd planned on Hercule for taking what by right was his.
Gohan cleared his throat and leaned forward in his chair a little, shiting from side to side. He said, in a clear and level voice. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me I ahve some school work I need to do." With that he stood, and slowly walked out o the room. He didn't look back
Hercule sat for awhile longer, the whiskey sitting sour in his stomach, and wept. Knowing that the fragile kingdom he'd built out of blood,sweat, and lies was going to come crumbling down and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
A/N
So, there's my weird little oneshot into a neurotic Hercule. I thought about using his real name, Mark, but decided that it could confuse people. Oh, and to stop the quesion, no, Gohan isn't planning anything. Hercule is just worried.
I used to hate Hercule as a kid, but now he's fairly relatable. He's human in a world of superhumans, of gods. Of course he'd recognize Gohan. His face was probably imprinted into his mind. It's not like we fail to recognize people if they dye their hair in the real world, right? AH well, I guess you don't have to agree with me. It's just a story.