This story was inspired by the intriguing line toward the end of the campfire scene, when Flynn tells Rapunzel that she would be the first to ever like Eugene Fitzherbert better than Flynn Rider. Along with that line, I have had an idea floating around my head of how Eugene ended up at the orphanage. Both trains of thought finally clashed together to give birth to this! As always, enjoy!
It's for the Best
Prologue: What's in a Name?
"For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."
He chuckled softly, looking down on his hands with a sheepish grin before addressing her with the small reply of: "Well, then, you'll be the first—but thank you."
He looked up then, expecting to see a playful smile filled with mockery and amusement on her child-like face—but neither were there. He only saw honesty reflecting off of her smile.
His brown eyes met her emerald ones, and he held her gaze for a moment. In that one moment something changed. One side of Flynn blamed the fire, but deep down he knew it wasn't the flames that were creating this sudden warm feeling around his heart.
No one had ever accepted him as Eugene Fitzherbert. Not the children at the orphanage, not the people in the Kingdom—and certainly not Flynn Rider. No one had ever cared for the little orphan who read so he could escape into a different world. No one had ever cared enough to realize the remarkable resemblance between the wanted posters of Flynn Rider and a man who once went by the name of Eugene Fitzherbert.
But everyone admired Flynn Rider. His flawless looks, his boy-ish humor, and his notable ability to always outwit the guards had earned him a sense of admiration as well as hate. But he had decided long ago that being infamous was better than being invisible.
But then this girl, so innocent and wonderful, had accepted him as Eugene. Without hesitance or prejudice she had accepted him. And for that, he was eternally grateful.
As Flynn continued to hold her gaze, he smiled. She was the first to like him as Eugene—and not Flynn.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Although Eugene will never know, there were three women who came into his life long before Rapunzel, who liked the name Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider.
Sorry that it's so short and doesn't give much in-sight, but there's more to come!