_a/n: so this will generally be a friendship!drabble-fic of the little adventures and shenanigans the "Big Four" gang get into during a mere road trip. and yes, the main pairing will be jack/rapunzel. but don't worry i'll hint around other pairings as well.

miles to go before sunrise
i. introductions

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He couldn't exactly remember who came up with the idea to begin with, (and he couldn't recall if they all thought it was a magnificent plan, either) but when he slept through four alarms and was ultimately shoved off the bed by a redheaded animal (who had also been screaming Scottish profanities in his direction), he wanted to assassinate the life out of the culprit who came up with the idea of adventuring on a road trip before graduation.

"Hurry up, ye' prick!" the girl sneered while unwrapping the blanket he had cocooned himself on the floor with. "Everyone's waitin' for ye'!"

"It's only eight—hey!" he growled as he lay bare on his wooden floor in nothing but boxers.

If her untamed, springs of hair could represent the frustration that was eating at her, it was definitely on point. "We were all supposed to be in the car by six thirty!"

Whoops.

As he jolted upright and stumbled to his bathroom, he ignored Merida's shrill complaints being muffled by the sound of his sink's rushing water. He gestured for her to leave his house immediately as he brushed his teeth and out she went, whilst muttering careless apologies to whomever she had awoken in the Frost household.

After quickly washing up (he hadn't even had time to at least decent up his hair) pajama pants pulled on as well as a hoodie, he grabbed his luggage, sang a quick good bye to the foster folks and strolled out his front door with groggy eyes and unswept tresses. Fuck it if the dudes saw him like this. Chances are they looked the same and wouldn't even give a damn. Fuck it if Merida judged—though he knew that would be immensely hypocritical since her whole head was an outrageous, tangled, fire.

He tiredly forced himself to walk up the steps into the recreational vehicle, which was amazingly huge, by the way. Props to Merida's father for this beautiful birthday present. He would have swooned at what was known as his safe haven for two weeks, but feeling shitty and sore, he packed his bag under one of the bunk bed before lousily nodding at the (probably) hung over Flynn on the bottom bunk and at Hiccup, drooling away on the top above the scruffy brunette under the sheets before throwing himself onto the only available cot.

"Yo, Mer'," he drowsily groaned from the bed, hoping that his voice travelled far enough to be heard by the driver, who had been blasting some damn indie song from the stereo. "Tell me when we reach the pit stop, I'll drive after you after we get some burgers and some Five Hour Energy in me."

There was nothing but silence on her part, and he initially thought she hadn't even heard him until she grumbled something quietly and he noticed it had only been a hesitation. The fiery red head only forced to speak louder when he yelled for her too. "Er, ye' see, we aren't makin' a pit stop just yet!"

Suspicious and skeptic and wanting a clarification, Jack stood up and trailed over to the driver's seat. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"Just…" the eighteen year old girl bit at her lip. "We're pickin' up a friend of mine, that's all."

Why had that been a big deal?

Jack could only shrug in response, "Whatever, as long as he buys the beer."

"About that…" Her words had either died down or he had zoned her out obliviously as the car came to a stop and his sky-like eyes focused on the girl waiting excitedly outside squealed in delight and ran toward the door with two duffel bags in one hand.

Oh.

Oh.

And before he even had the chance to process what this girl even looked like, she threw him a menacing glare and whispered harshly for him to duck. And confused as ever, he couldn't even register one simple word before Merida threw an unopened bottle of water at his groin, forcing him to fall beyond his knees.

"See, mother!" he could actually feel the stranger's grin despite his pain on the floor of a fucking RV. "Just me and Merida and her beautiful car, Angus!"

Luckily the so-called woman hadn't done an inventory check or they'd have all been doomed.

"Alright, have fun girls!" an older voice called out. "Be careful and be good!"

"Of course, mother," Jack watched irritated as the girl blew a kiss toward the window as Merida set the gear shift back to drive. The girl almost fell on him when the car started moving, but luckily for her she had grabbed onto the table's ledge for support. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't seen under her skirt from where he was still practically dead on the floor. "Oh! Oh, my god, I'm sorry she had to do that, are you alright?"

Her voice was sweet and soft, and just as he looked upward to meet her riveting, concerned gaze, she had leaned down and lent him a small hand. He doubted she had been giving him an insightful view of cleavage on purpose with that delicate, naïve face of hers, but goddamn was it distracting.

Just as he were about to take her hand, her eyes (which looked like limes) flickered upward and brightened as she stood and hopped over him screaming, "Hiccup!"

"Rapunzel! Long time no see!"

She hugged him tightly and a tad awkwardly (on Hiccup's part) before she giggled and clarified to whomever was listening (unfortunately Jack) that she and him had gone way back.

"Oh," was the only thing he could muster out when he stood up and wiped off his jeans, as if they were dirty.

"WAKE UP, EUGENE," the ginger screeched from her seat then, interrupting any chance of conversation that could have bloomed. From the sound of his repulsive, real name that he had been indignantly ashamed of, Flynn had practically flown off the bed and face planted.

About to lazily yell back to never let that name slip past open air again, Flynn ran his fingers in his flimsy hair, meeting unfamiliar eyes curiously locked on him. Typical Flynn, trying to be suave and charming, he drawled. "And who might you be, beautiful?"

She filled the air with her spontaneous giggle, to which Merida cut in (since she always cut in). "Eugene—Flynn—no, no, no, don't even think about layin' a hand on my Rapunzel! I warned 'er about ye' already!"

"The old Hit-It-and-Quit-It Rider, huh?" Rapunzel, her name, apparently, nudged him in the side playfully and knowing. Flynn could only shoot her a half smile before whipping out some lame pickup line and strutting before heading back over to bed. Her eyes roamed around the vehicle in something between delight and admiration before landing on a pair of blue that hadn't left her since she had gotten there. "Sorry, we didn't really have the most proper introduction, did we? I'm Rapunzel."

"Jack," he began, finally fully awake. "Jack Frost."

tbc.

_a/n: please tell me your thoughts on this! i've been thinking about doing a road trip story for a while, but i wasn't sure on the fandom i would use, and then i came across rise of the brave tangled dragons, and the big four would be absolutely perfect. and of course, flynn. bc why the hell not, right?