This Woman and This Man
Disclaimer: I do not own Tangled, any of the characters or the song This Woman and This Man.
Summary: Whatever her reservations were he had to know because Eugene wasn't the only one in love with her. She'd effectively captured the heart of Flynn Rider as well and it was so rare that both sides of his personality agreed on anything that, when they did, they must be right.
A/N: This takes place between the end of Tangled and Tangled Ever After. The title is taken from the song This Woman and This Man by Clay Walker but this is not a song-fic; the song merely served as inspiration. This is my first Tangled fic and I hope everyone enjoys it.
She was pulling away from him.
It wasn't hard to see, of course; Rapunzel didn't have a subtle bone in her body. He supposed that it was due to her lack of human interaction that she couldn't hide anything from anyone but even if she had been a master of deception, she still wouldn't be able to hide anything from him. She was an open book when it came to him.
He knew he loved her, that wasn't hard to see either. She was the only woman he'd ever met that actually cared for him, not his reputation or what he could do for her. She could tempt him like no one else and not even the thought of having his dream island and money could coax him from her side.
If she wasn't with him to share his riches, what did it matter?
He knew what it was like to live without her and he never wanted to experience that again, not after being so close to happily ever after. The mere thought of existing in a world she was not part of was unacceptable.
No, this simply would not do. He had to find out what he'd done wrong and rectify the situation immediately. Living and watching as she avoided eye contact, went out of her way to not be in the same room with him and pulled away from his touch was torture and he had to stop it now.
He truly didn't understand, things between them were great. She was a princess, he had stopped thieving, her parents actually liked him, Max and Pascal tolerated him; they were living the dream in a huge castle. Their relationship had even reached a new level that thoroughly pleased everyone concerned, or so he had thought.
Being with Rapunzel physically was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Her sexual naivety, while occasionally exasperating, was quite endearing and he loved teaching her everything he knew. She was an eager pupil and to have her so close and so responsive was indescribable.
Then everything changed when she began to slowly but surely remove herself from his day-to-day.
Eugene was nothing if not honest and so could freely admit that he'd never been with someone he actually cared to spend more than one night with, not until Rapunzel. She tugged at his heartstrings like no one else and he couldn't help but agonize over what the problem could be.
Was she bored with him? Had she only fancied herself in love because he had been the first man she'd ever seen? Whatever her reservations were he had to know because Eugene wasn't the only one in love with her. She'd effectively captured the heart of Flynn Rider as well and it was so rare that both sides of his personality agreed on anything that, when they did, they must be right.
Everyone agreed that Rapunzel was the best thing that ever happened to him and he was determined to keep her no matter what.
Muddy brown eyes followed Rapunzel's graceful form around the library as she glided from shelf to shelf with joyful abandon. It didn't matter that, technically, she could only read one book at a time, she'd pick up any volume that caught her eye.
She seemed so happy, so in her element that he hated to disturb her, especially with something that could possibly upset her. It had to be done, though. He'd been on edge since their first time nearly a week ago and he just couldn't take it anymore. Instead of waning his desire, being with her had only intensified it and now, having her so close but not being able to do anything about it - well that was just too much to expect from anyone.
Taking a cautious step toward her Eugene cleared his throat, prompting her to spin around like a guilty child caught with forbidden cookies. "Take it easy, it's just me."
Unfortunately his assurances didn't seem to comfort her. If anything she seemed even more unsettled at the knowledge that he was the one behind her.
His heart twinged painfully as she took a step away from him unsurely. She looked like a cornered rabbit mentally mapping out potential methods of escape. It wasn't attractive on her and it hurt him to know that she felt the need to escape him of all people.
She visibly swallowed and her eyes kept darting to the door behind him. "Hi." She sounded so unsure of herself that he wanted to sweep her up in his arms and magically transform her back into the confident young woman who'd blackmailed him into taking her to see the lanterns.
"Hey." He wasn't surprised to hear a quiet tremor in his own voice; he was scared to death, terrified she'd give him his marching orders. "Can we talk for a minute?"
Her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing in what appeared to be determination. She nodded her consent to the idea even as her eyes filled with tears.
He internally panicked. "Whoa, what's with the tears?" What had he done to upset her? Why did she want to cry? She was the one who wanted to end this, wasn't she? He took a step forward and reached out to take her hand but she side-stepped, evading his advance effortlessly.
She shook her head almost violently, still refusing to let the tears gathered in her eyes fall. Her mouth opened and moved a bit but she was so quiet he could barely hear her with the distance she'd put between them.
"What was that?" He took another step closer, mentally willing her to stay rooted to her spot, to not back away from him as though he'd harm her and, for the first time in a week, she stood her ground.
"If you're going to leave, just leave," she whispered, eyes downcast.
He reeled back as if she'd hit him. He wasn't sure what surprised him more: the fact that she thought he'd just leave her or the sheer confidence with which she thought it. He could understand her having doubts as he didn't exactly have the best track record but she'd obviously thought about this extensively.
Just how long had she been feeling this way? How long had she been burdened by this thought process?
What could he do to stop it?
"Rapunz-" he began but she wouldn't let him finish.
"I understand it's what guys do so if you're going to do it, just do it and get it over with." She had finally looked back up at him but wouldn't meet his eyes, instead focusing on the door behind him.
For a moment all of his Flynn Rider cool left him. All of the suave, smooth-talking, smoldering persona he'd built up over the course of twenty six years just evaporated into the thick air that surrounded him and choked his heart. It was getting harder to breathe as he stood there sputtering, trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong, what he'd done to put these doubts in her mind.
How could he help if he wasn't sure how it had started? Who had painted him the villain and made her doubt him? He loved her. He'd died for her and he had no plans of leaving her. Not now, not ever.
"Look," he began, voice low hoping it would soothe her. "I'm not sure what's going on here-"
She pulled her eyes from the door, lazily turning them back to him. "Don't make this hard, Flynn."
He shook his head with wide eyes; she never called him Flynn. Sure some people around the kingdom still did but she hadn't uttered the name since she'd found out his real name was Eugene. It was strange to hear the name come from her mouth when he didn't associate himself with that part of his personality anymore and even more so when he knew that, deep down, she didn't either.
And as his head was still reeling from the small identity crisis she delivered the killing blow.
"Don't make excuses, just leave." Her voice broke on the last word and the tears she'd been holding back finally broke loose.
His blood ran cold and he was sure his heart stopped for a couple of seconds. She couldn't mean what she said. They'd been through so much together and he didn't know what he'd do without her. He had hardened himself to the ways of the world but she had opened him up and made him feel. How was he supposed to go back out there, raw and vulnerable without her? She had completely shattered his defenses. She was his defense now. He needed her.
"Do you really want me to leave?" he asked suddenly, voice hoarse from the tears lodged in the back of his throat. He swallowed them roughly, he would not break down. He hadn't cried since he was six years old and he wouldn't start back now, not here and most definitely not in front of her. One of them had to stay strong.
She was silent for a moment as though composing herself and for a while he thought she would ignore him and his question. When he was beginning to think all hope was lost she shook her head, though just barely, and launched herself at him.
His arms folded around her like second nature and he almost broke composure to cry with relief as her tears soaked his shirt. She was close again.
"Shh, it's okay," he murmured, running his hands through her hair soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded and mumbled into his chest, tightening her grip on him. The incoherent mumbling continued and, though distance wasn't really at the forefront of his mind right now, he figured he should try to put some between them so he could hear her. He began to draw back slowly but she clutched at him fiercely as though he would disappear if she let go. After endless moments of trial and error, inspiration finally stuck and he let her get as close as she wished. When she was settled he gently took her face and made her look up at him.
"Now what's this really all about?" He questioned gently, forcing nonchalance into his tone in an attempt to calm himself. If he acted like everything was okay, everything would be okay.
She sniffed and rubbed her nose on the sleeve of her dress before quickly wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. It was very unprincess-like behavior and he found it incredibly adorable.
"Mother always told me that men were only good at leaving once they got what they wanted. I never really knew what she meant by that but then the other day the Queen and I had a talk about sex and the importance of being married and I just got to thinking-" she trailed off sheepishly.
He didn't miss the way she still referred to Gothel as her mother and how she still couldn't quite accept the Queen as one or her lack of embarrassment at the mention of sex. All very Rapunzel and all reasons he loved her.
"You just thought that I would leave too, right?" He paused, giving her time to respond but she just nodded. "And that it would be better to distance yourself so that it would be less painful when I did leave, right?" Again she nodded and he sighed, tightening his grip on her marginally.
"I thought it would be easier that way but it wasn't. Seeing you and not being able to be with you or even be around you was terrible," she whispered and he felt bad for the jolt of pleasure he received at the knowledge that the past week had been torture for her as well. "I missed talking to you after my classes and sneaking into your room at night when I had a bad dream. I missed you touching me and kissing me," she confessed boldly and unashamedly in that naive way of hers that made his heart skip a beat.
She would surely be the death of him. Or at the very least be responsible for giving him some type of heart condition.
"Well let me put your mind at ease," he began, watching as she looked up at him with hesitant curiousness. "I'm never going to get bored of you. Sex with you is never going to be enough for me or a reason to make me leave. I love you and I want all of you every day for the rest of my life."
Tears flowed freely from emerald eyes at the declaration and, though he hated making her cry again, it had to be said; he couldn't stand many more episodes like this. She had to be secure in him, in them.
"Understand?" he prodded, playfully tugging on her short locks. She nodded and buried her face in his neck, gripping the back of his shirt tightly. He welcomed her embrace and rested his chin atop her head. "Good because you almost gave me a heart attack back there. Don't ever scare me like that again."
She laughed and looked back up at him. "I won't," she promised, eyes slipping closed in preparation for the long awaited make-up kiss she fully expected to receive.
And who was he to deny her anything she wanted?
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