Hey kids. Guess what Auntie Ace did instead of homework? That's right, she put up a forum for your questions! It's called 'The Dentist Office', and I will be answering questions about this story for the benefit of my favorite people in the world...Or you all. Just kidding, guys. Feel free to express concerns or congratulate me there. Until then, happy reading! Oh...I don't own Dbz.
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Piccolo shook out two small tablets from his pain killer bottle, groaning as he did so. He felt like he was dying... He would never be able to do anything again, save for throwing up.
"It's JUST a hangover, Piccolo. Quit acting so damn dramatic." Nail was currently reading a newspaper, leafing through the various sections without much interest. "I mean, come on... I have them all the time."
"Well, that's because you are what most people would call an alcoholic." Piccolo muttered, laying down on his couch after swallowing the pills. His bare chest rose steadily as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. He felt so tired, he hadn't bothered to get dressed. He hadn't even put on any pants... just took residence on the couch. "I don't know HOW I let you talk me into staying..."
"I didn't have to. After a couple more drinks, you were right there next to me, cheering."
Piccolo blushed and covered his eyes. "God I hope no one saw me..."
Nail grinned and set the paper down. "Piccolo, you care too much about what people think. You know that, right? I keep telling you... Even IF anyone saw you, it's not like they'd bring it up... Like, 'Hey Doc, I saw you at the strip tease. I told my wife and she says hello.' " Nail patted his brother's head. "Really, it's ok. You are a man now, Piccolo."
"What the hell was I for the last thirty years?" Piccolo asked bluntly, making Nail sigh.
"A whiny little bitch."
"...That hurt. I mean, you didn't have to-"
"Piccolo!" Sarah suddenly burst in the door way, grinning. "I didn't believe you would go through with it! When Nail said...well, it doesn't matter... You are really a man now!"
Piccolo just turned over, back facing his small crowd, and sighed. "What IS it with you people? Can't anyone leave me the hell alone?"
Sarah ran up to the sulky dentist's prone figure and jumped on him, tickling his sides. "I love you! These shoes rock! I mean, converse with SKULLS? How bitching is THAT?" She hugged Piccolo and rubbed his head. "Did you like my gift?"
"Actually, some of it has already come in handy..." Piccolo muttered, putting a hand over his exposed ear. "Can you talk just a little softer, please?"
Sarah covered her mouth and hopped off the hung-over man. "Sorry, Picster!" She turned to his brother and grinned. "And YOU! You got me the BEST poker set ever! Pope John Paul II on every card, priceless!"
Nail grinned and waved off her thanks. "That really was only one of your presents..."
Sarah's eyes grew wide with wonder as she slowly walked towards Nail. "There's more?"
Nail smirked and nodded, motioning her to follow him. They went up the stairs, and a door closed a moment later. Piccolo raised an eyebrow as he watched the pair leave, grateful for the temporary lapse in talking. The silence only lasted a moment before a scream pierced his ears, making him instantly alert. He rushed to the second level, wondering wildly what could be the matter. He threw open the door to Nail's room to find-
A kitty.
Sarah was squealing with delight as she petted the small animal lovingly. "It's so sweet! Oh my gosh, I've always wanted a kitty that is cute and cuddly!" She stroked the little pet with care and grinned at Piccolo. "Isn't he darling, Pic?"
Piccolo's face held a slight frown, then changed into a strange expression as his nose wrinkled up and his eyes shut tightly. A moment later he sneezed violently, followed by two more seconds later. He sniffled and pulled out a tissue, blowing his nose. His eyes were red and watery as he glared in repulsion at the guilty little cat.
"Nail, what the hell were you thinking, bringing a damn cat in here? You KNOW I'm allergic, you asshole!" He sneezed again, making Sarah whimper.
"But Piccolo, can't you take some allergy medicine or something? I mean, I wanna bring the kitty over when I visit...He's so cute! Look look, he dances!" She made his little paws move from side to side, while the cat sat there looking like it needed depression pills.
Nail grinned, leaning against the wall. Piccolo's set his sights on his brother and growled. "You did that on purpose. What is your goddamn problem?"
Nail shrugged and chuckled. "Look, is it really going to kill you, Piccolo? I had to get it... Like the kid said, it's sooo cute." He petted the little animal on the head and gently took it from the kid's grasp. He held it up a moment later, practically shoving it in Piccolo's face.
"See? He looooves you, bro! Go on, give him a nice pet." Nail laughed, watching the dentist's expression go from pissed off to horrified.
"Get that nasty thing away from me! I hate animals! You know that. Remember when we were kids, and you HAD to have that stupid dog? The one that freakin' chewed through EVERY cable in my room? Son of a bitch. Pets are nothing but trouble, and the kid can not bring that...that monstrosÃty in this house, ever again." Piccolo agitatedly rubbed a hand across the back of his face, where tears were freely running down his cheeks. He was really allergic to the damn things. Nail handed it back to Sarah, shrugging. As if on cue, the darling kitty meowed softly, licking Sarah's fingers.
"Ok, I can keep it at home..." Sarah pouted, kissing the kitty on the top of the head. "But I'm not happy!"
"Oh no, I am a terrible person and I will go straight to Hell." Piccolo said in a monotone voice, making Sarah frown.
Before she could say anything, though, the door bell rang. Piccolo groaned and went downstairs. Who could be here the day after Christmas? When he got to the door, he looked through the peep glass and gasped. Iris was standing there, holding something in her hands. The dentist looked down at himself and groaned. He was only in his boxers! He couldn't open the door like this! He growled at Nail, pointing a finger at his chest.
"Answer it...but act normal. DON'T say anything other than Merry Christmas, ok? Just...talk about the weather or something." Nail grinned an saluted Piccolo like a captain, striding towards the door cockily. Piccolo turned on his heels and fled to the stairs. He went back upstairs in a moment's time and into Nail's room, finding Sarah still playing with the kitty.
"Cat, I'm a kitty cat! And I dance dance dance, dance dance dance- Cat! I'm a kitty cat, and I-"
She stopped abruptly and looked at Piccolo innocently. Her hands were still holding the animal's tiny paws up. Her eyes quickly shifted to the cat and back to Piccolo. "Uh..."
Piccolo groaned and slapped his head. "Look, I don't have time now. Help me find a pair of pants, ok? I'm going to find a shirt."
He left the kid and went into the small walk-in closet ajoined to the room. He searched for a decent shirt to wear, coming back with a plain collared shirt. Sarah tossed him a pair of jeans, obviously confused.
"What the hell is going on, Piccolo?" She asked, frowning slightly. "I mean, here you were, bitching and moaning about Spock-"
"You named that thing Spock?" Piccolo asked, pulling up the jeans in a hurry. "And quit looking at me."
Sarah rolled her eyes and turned slightly, so her gaze wasn't on Piccolo. "Get bent, Spock rules. I mean, it was that or Oswald... But I thought that sounded kinda gay, you know? And Pinkus sounds too much like penis... ANYWAY, what's the deal? Is someone here now or what?"
Piccolo pulled the shirt over his head and straightened the collar slightly. "Yeah. Iris is down there." He picked up a tie that was folded on the chest of drawers and threw it on. He tied it perfectly within a matter of seconds, letting the air he had been holding out through his teeth in a small hiss.
Sarah's eyes grew slightly larger as she bit her lip, thinking. "Wow. Umm, Nail is down there now, right? Is that ok? I mean, I thought you wanted to keep Nail from really talking with-"
"I couldn't answer the door like I was! Come on, it's way too late in the day for me to be walking around in my boxers... It would look like I was some kind of-"
"Lush?" Sarah finished, making Piccolo growl.
"Ever wonder what makes some people's opinions more valued than others, kid?" He went to the door and opened it softly. "Stay up here until I say come down... Hopefully she won't want to stay long enough for you and Nail to talk with her." Sarah held up a very rude gesture but said nothing as Piccolo walked out of the room, and soon after down the staircase.
'All I have to do is act natural.' He thought with more confidence than he felt. He froze when he saw Nail and Iris laughing together, losing all coherent thought. 'What the hell am I thinking? I don't know what I'm doing... I'm going to end up fucking it up, plain and simple.'
"Piccolo, bro! You have a visitor." Nail said in a voice that sounded friendly to most people. Piccolo, however, knew that he was being extremely sarcastic, and wanted nothing more than to strangle his brother with whatever was nearest.
"Iris, hi... Merry Christmas!" Piccolo said, receiving a warm hug and a shy kiss on the cheek from the woman. The dentist felt his ears redden slightly, but tried to keep cool.
"Merry Christmas, Piccolo! I um...I brought you something... I wanted to drop it off earlier, but I had relatives come in...I was swamped." She gave her small smile that made Piccolo tingle inside, and continued. "Thanks so much for the gifts...That was so thoughtful of you. You even got something for Noah!" At this statement Nail's brow rose from behind Iris's back. Piccolo hadn't mentioned that to him. He did the thumbs-up just the same, and coughed slightly.
"I need to visit some people, so I'm just going to...let myself out. Iris, nice to see you again... Glad it's under these conditions, and not because of my brother's blindness. Have a nice holiday, ok?" He winked at Piccolo and left, shutting the front door a moment later. Iris giggled and shook her head.
"You two are really different... You know, he makes the silliest jokes ever. When I asked how you all spent Christmas, he said he took you to...I know this is ridiculous, but to a strip show!" Iris burst out laughing at the look on Piccolo's face. It was a mix between shock and turning a pale, sickly-green. "Oh, come on. I know he was just playing. But still, it does make for a funny scene, imagining you there..." Iris wiped a tear away, the result of her laughing. "Seriously, what did you all do?"
Piccolo's eyes darted to the side as he grinned softly. "Nope, Nail was right... He had to carry me back home last night."
Iris burst into hysterics again at the statement, clearly not believing the dentist (to his relief). She shook her head and pushed a stray lock of hair from her glowing face. "Maybe you two aren't so different. I wasn't aware you could be so naughty!" She joked, playfullyhitting Piccolo's shoulder. Piccolo grinned back, this time completely relaxed.
'Nail was right, in a twisted way...It really is less stressful to tell the truth.' He raised a brow and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a lost cause." His toothy grin turned into a soft smile as he gently took Iris's hand. "Could you stay for a cup of coffee or something? I would offer to cook you something... But I am severley lacking in that department."
Iris smiled back and squeezed Piccolo's hand. "Coffee sounds good, thanks."
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Will everything turn out ok? Will Piccolo finally spill the truth to his new-found admiration? Or will things take a turn for the worse?
Only the next chapter can tell.
-Ace
Oh yeah, go to my new forum!