InsaneJournal

According to the weather reports snow was going to hit the city pretty heavily come the morning sun. It was by far the busiest winter in years, even though they did live in northern temperatures. Things were getting a little quiet. Though with Hebe in a state of disarray, Hercules was bothered. He was her protector, god or goddess wasn't going to come between them again. Hera had already tried and failed. Out of all his wives, Hebe was his favorite if only because she'd worked to understand him in a way others could not. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, nor was he the biggest conversationalist, but he he did have something special about him that wasn't just his inhuman strength. Hebe had found that.

The keys in his hand had been sent weeks ago by Zeus to his golden child. There were some privileges to being his son and the favorite. Having walked through the cold chill, as buses and trains usually gave him trouble, Hercules finally reached the penthouse. He was instructed that any time he wanted to show he was given the green light. He unlocked the door and walked inside, shaking off the light drizzle that had started to fall, looking around for his father. The lights were on.

"Father?"


Zeus had been working at home to avoid the people who were looking into his company for fraud. When he heard Hercules' voice, Zeus left his computer immediately, standing before he called out, "I'm in the office. I'll be there in a moment." Going to him seemed like a better idea than getting Hercules lost.

Zeus materialised in his entryway and he smiled at his son. "Come on, Hercules, come in! How are you, my boy?"

The usually stoic looking Hercules gave his father a small smile. Out of everything the boy ever was subjected to his father had never turned a shoulder or his back. It was the kind of devotion the brute Hercules needed and what kept him going for so long.

At first he'd hated his father having left him to rot to Hera's torment. He later came to realize the kind of reward he'd receive for continuing to press forward. Hercules wasn't only strong physically, but mentally he had been through hell and back.

"Father," he said even softer as he approached forward. "I'm well."

"Excellent," Zeus said with a nod, glad that sort of business was now over. "Do you need something, or did you just come to see me?" It was always better to get all the business out of the way quickly.


Hercules stood for a moment as if to remember why he was there. Hera had backed off for a time, Hebe was distressed, but he'd come on his own terms. "No, father," he started shaking his head albeit somewhat confused. "Came to see you." He then held up the key and dangled it, hearing it clink against the key chain. "Said I could come at any time. Should I go?"

"No, of course not!" Zeus said, waving his hands about. "I just wanted to make sure if you needed something, you got it quickly. Come into the kitchen and we'll have a drink," he said, leading the way. "It's starting to come down out there. Best to have a little warmth inside."


Hercules nodded, complying and following his father after taking a glance at the snow out the window. He had come just in time, not that it would have mattered. He would have braved the harsh blizzard to see his father and made it where any normal man may have been too anxious to make the trip.

"I'm well," he repeated, "Hebe is too. Frazzled, but well. Won't let anything hurt her," as if his father needed to worry he'd would be anything but a shield for Zeus' favorite daughter.

"Of course you won't," Zeus said easily. "Why is she frazzled, Hercules? Has that wife of mine been bothering her again?"


"Enyo," he said strongly, brows knit together. "Threatening her." Another daughter of Zeus perhaps, but Hercules didn't care about that.

Zeus had been taking wine glasses out of the cupboard when he stopped to look at Hercules. "Enyo is threatening Hebe? How is she threatening her?"

"About me," he said looking to Zeus sternly. "Hebe reacted. Enyo threatened to hurt." There was a huff to his voice now.

"Father won't let that happen," though what he'd meant to throw out as a question came across less of one and more of a statement.


"No, I will not let Enyo hurt Hebe. What is she threatening, Hercules?" Zeus asked, hoping for specifics.


"Don't know exactly. To hurt for Hebe's forwardness." Things were strained between he and Hebe as it was. He had seen her, but not as much as he would have hoped for. Hera had worked her fingers to sabotage that.

"Things are different now." He shook his head. It was hardly understandable for his father to cope with the feelings of monogamy. While Hercules had had his share of bed mates, when he had his wives he was completely devoted. He'd been the one to hurt Hebe this time out of poor judgment and bad timing. "I hurt Hebe too."


"Come have a drink," Zeus said, handing Hercules a glass of wine he had been supplied by Dionysus. "In the lounge, come on." He led his son through to the lounge and when he had sat down, he tried to think of something to say.

Zeus was not good at this.

"Have you bought her anything to make up for what happened?" Zeus suggested.


This was one area Zeus and Hercules shared. Hercules wasn't much of a talker, when he spoke his words were very simple. Hercules followed his father, getting a glass before sitting himself.

"No," he said somewhat confused. "Should I?"

Zeus, who really shouldn't have been giving any advice, tried his hardest anyway. "Sometimes when a woman is angry, it helps to buy her something to show you care."

Hercules just kind of stared at his father dumbly. "Oh?" he said having never recalled having to take such measures before. Hebe had hardly ever been angry with him in the past, or at least if she did she was good at hiding it with her sweetness.

"What do I get?"

"Something expensive," Zeus said easily. "I can help with that if you require. Something nice like a fur coat or a car."

Hercules was rather stunned, if not just for the fact that his father was giving some sort of relationship advice when their views were very different.

"Mmm," he said with a nod. Hebe was simple, he wasn't sure what would be suitable. There was little he really knew about her now, only what he remembered. "Hebe is simple. Would you?" He had a feeling his father did this often, his mother hadn't been the only consort of the mighty king.

"She may be simple, but she enjoyed shopping with her mother. They bought clothes, I believe. Perhaps just gift her with a shopping trip?" Zeus had only ever really had to buy jewellery or threaten people with death and they tended to calm down.


Hercules nodded with a deep hum in his voice. "Anything she wants." He would always take care of her. Zeus would never need worry that he failed to do so.

After a moment Hercules eyed his father, looking him over. If either of them were the kind to embrace he would have hugged him. It had been a long time, sometimes times feeling darker than others. "You, father?" he was curious as to how his father was doing. "Busy?"

"Always," Zeus nodded. "And the company has been looked into for fraud, which has kept me more busy than usual. But it's coming along."