I didn't check but I assume this is the first Henry/Hercules fic. It was mostly written at 11:00 at night on a school night :p so there is probably some spelling errors. Hopefully i'll write another story like this. (maybe rated M). Anyway thanks for reading and please review.
Henry does not go to his the underworld's version of his mother's office. It was decided that it was too dangerous (by two overprotective mothers) and he was left at the apartment with Hercules to guard him.
"So you're Hercules?" Henry asked. He was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching the surprisingly young demigod pace back and forth across the small apartment.
"Yes" The boy responded curtly, staring straight ahead at the wall his was pacing towards.
"Why are you pacing?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow at the other boy.
"Because" Hercules stated, still ignoring Henry. The living boy sighed, and pulled his jacket closer to his body. He hadn't expected the underworld to be cold. He wondered if it normally had chilly days or if the weather mirrored Storybrook. It was winter when they left.
"Is it normally this cold?" Henry asked. Hercules shrugged, not even bothering to respond. Henry scrutinized the other boy. He was tall, taller than Snow. He wore a blue sweater and a vest over that. Henry assumed he had muscles but he obviously wasn't showing them off. He looked like any ordinary high school kid in Storybrook. His brown eyes were wide and seemed to stare into nothing. "You're scared" Henry thought aloud. Hercules stiffened. "It's the dog isn't it?" Henry asked.
"Dog?"
"Cerberus. He's the three headed dog that guards the underworld right?" Henry asked. He knew his mythology. He'd started looking into myths and legends as well as old fairy tails after the curse had been broken and everyone remembered who they had been.
"Something like that" Hercules answered.
"Was he the one that killed you?" Henry asked. The pacing stopped and silence filled the room. "He was your final labor and judging by your age you would have died soon after you met my grandma. You were leaving to slay Cerberus."
"You're smart" Hercules sighed, finally looking at Henry. "Yes, Cerberus killed me. I would like it if you kept that to yourself." Henry nodded, smiling.
"Only if you sit down and talk to me. This is really boring." Henry chuckled.
"You remind me of her a lot you know" Hercules said. He turned and walked to the spot Henry was sitting. Henry felt like he was being scrutinized just like he had been doing Hercules a minute earlier. "You have her cheeks. You're not as fair skinned but your cheeks have the same rosy look she had as a girl."
"No one ever told me that" Henry said, smiling at the boy who unceremoniously slumped to the floor. Hercules mirrored Henry's posture, crossing his legs.
"You have the same hands too." He whispered. Henry shifted slightly. He didn't know how he felt about the long look running up his body.
"You're not really what I expected" Henry said, changing the subject.
"Oh? What were you expecting?"
"Someone older and buffer. Disney portrayed you as a ginger too."
"Disney gets a lot of things wrong" Hercules chuckled. "Especially my story."
"It was different from the legends." Henry agreed. "But you do have muscles don't you? Or does you super strength prevent you."
"I have muscles" Hercules stated. "But it's not as incredible as that guy in the movies."
"That's good his muscles were a little too big. You're cuter than him anyway." Henry mumbled, eyes going wide. "I didn't mean it like that!" Henry exclaimed, scrambling away from his companion. Henry's cheeks were beat red and his mouth felt dry. His voice came out cracked and scared.
"You're gay?" Hercules asked calmly. "It's fine if you are. I'm not going to tell anyone." Henry seemed to calm slightly.
"You… you aren't angry?" Henry breathed, biting his lower lip.
"Of course not. I'm not going to get angry because of a compliment. You aren't the first boy to hit on me." He chuckled. "People tend to get star struck when they find out who I am."
"But. People from the enchanted forest aren't the most… accepting of people. It's one of the few bad things about Storybrook. Everyone's stuck in the dark ages at least to some extent." Henry scooted back to his original seat but he still looked uncomfortable.
"Can I ask you something?" Hercules interrupted. Henry nodded.
"Am I the first person who knows?"
"Um…" Henry breathed, looked more scared than before. "N-no?"
"No. or no?" the taller boy asked, leaning in. Henry's mouth opened but no noise came out. Pert of him was furious. He hadn't slipped up since Neverland and at least with the lost boys no one would believe a word they said. This was Hercules. His grandma's childhood friend, who also unfortunately had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes that glimmered in the dim red light coming through the windows.
"No." Henry breathed. "A boy on Neverland found out so Pan knew."
"But your family doesn't?"
"Of course not!" Henry exclaimed, a little too loud. "I don't have any friends but them! I'm pathetic and if I lose them I won't have anyone." Henry looked away, a single tear falling from his eye. He gasped as a finger wiped away his tear.
"I don't know you well Henry but I know you well enough to tell you this. You are not pathetic. A pathetic person would not have come to the underworld to save someone. You are brave and strong. If others can't see that then they're the pathetic ones."
Henry chuckled darkly. "That's nice but you don't have to lie. I know what I am and I accepted it a lon…" the words trailed off. Hercules had taken Henry's chin with a finger and turned it gently so they were face to face. Henry hadn't realized how close they had gotten. He knew for a fact that he hadn't moved, so Hercules must have been the one to lean in so close, close enough for Henry to see his reflection in the sparkling chocolate eyes that made his heart flutter. "I…"Henry stuttered.
Hercules's cheeks darkened and his eyes flicked down. Henry swore those eyes were looking at his lips. "You think I'm cute?" He breathed. Henry gave a shaky nod. "I… I think you're cute too." Henry's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. He had to have imagined that. No, he was dreaming. Hercules got angry when he found out Henry was gay and punched him in the face. Yes that had to be it. He was knocked out.
"I… I" Henry stuttered again. He knew he was as red as Hercules.
"Can I kiss you?" the demigod asked. Again Henry gave a shaky nod. The world went in slow motion. Henry could see the other boy close his eyes. He could see the other pair of lips slowly make their way to him. In the last second when Herc's lips were less than a centimeter away henry let his eyes flutter closed.
Sparks flew. It was as different from any kiss he had had before or ever even imagined. The difference was like night and day. It was like kissing the sun, being filled with a warmth than engulfed his heart and lightened his soul. The world was everything and nothing at the same time. All he knew was Herc's lips and he loved it.
The kiss was so short but felt longer than life itself. When they finally inched apart Henry kept his eyes closed. He was terrified when he opened them he would wake up. He didn't want this moment to end because even if this was real, if this wasn't a dream than his world was still over.
He could only describe that kiss in two words, the two words he always wanted for himself. But fate had to punish him again. It had to be here, now, in the home of death itself. He had found him, Hercules, his true love. He knew it was nothing less than true love and would forever hate it because he was in the Underworld. The boy sitting across from him was dead and he knew, no magic could bring back the dead.
THE END. There will not be another chapter, sorry. I tend to get people asking for more chapters on my one-shots but this one will defenetly not be added on to. Thank you for reading. PLEASE REVIEW and if you liked this check out my other stories. For OUAT i mostly wrote Henry/Pan if you like that paring you should defenetly check my profile out.