The sunlight against Varian's face wasn't what he'd been waiting five years to feel, but it sure was nice. He hadn't been outside the prison since the day he'd been locked in, and the sun was a luxury he hadn't felt but from a window for all those years. The only luxury he'd ever had was spending time with Cass. After her adventures with Rapunzel had come to an end, she took over her father's position as captain of the guard.

She used to count down the time for him, reminding him, "only two more years left, just hang in there." Daily small talk became discussions about alchemy, though she understood so little.

"So you have to use Cassandrium shavings to make Cassiterite?" She'd asked, body leaning against the bars as they spoke.

"Yeah. Cassiterite is that element that makes trash smell sweet."

"I might need some of that. I smell like sweaty socks."

He wanted to tell her she smelled wonderful, but that would be weird, right? Instead, Varian settled for "It's not that bad, Cassie."

And he'd held off on the flirting. After all, he'd come to realize he was too young, and she was just a woman- though a beautiful one at that. Deep down, that longing never went away. It clung to him like a raccoon on his back.

Small talk and alchemy turned into chess games. He'd always let her win. He figured he'd already had an advantage with his intelligence, and he really liked seeing her so happy when she won. Her prizes were cheek kisses- nothing romantic, but enough to make his heart beat faster in his chest.

On his eighteenth birthday, he'd gotten a real kiss.

"Close your eyes. I have a present for you," Cass lilted one late night, torches illuminating her, bathing her figure in a light glow. She looked like the angel Varian perceived her to be. She pulled his hands out between the bars and held them as she kissed him, slow and steady.

That was the first and last time they'd ever shared affection like that. In the year between the kiss and his release, he'd thought about it every day. Surely, she didn't mean it. Surely she merely wanted him to have human contact.

The crunching of hooves against gravel pulled Varian out of his reflection. He sat up on his elbows, raising one hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked up at the man upon his steed.

It turned out to be Cassandra, free from her armor. "Hey," she said, hopping down and reaching out to help her friend off of the ground.

"Hey Cass. Day off?" He took the offer. Because of her strength, she pulled him up too quickly, and too close to herself. Varian blushed. "Sorry, sorry."

Cassandra's face flushed and she stood back. "Yeah. I took a day off to bring someone home from jail."

"Who might that be?" He asked coyly, giving her a smile.

"You."

Without thinking, she'd pulled him into a kiss, just like the one a year before. Delicate, sweet, and for the first time ever, they could touch without barriers between them.

"Come on, Var. Let's go home."