A/N: Heads up! Based on the direction the roughs I'm currently working on are going in, the inevitable happened and this is now an 'M' rated fic. Originally, I was going to write a one-shot smutty sequel to this, but not only have I combined the two stories, there's a helluva lot more touchy feeliness than originally planned. I know I'll lose some readers over this, but I'd rather piss them off now than !SURPRISE! them later. Frankly, no one whose caught up with the story should be shocked by this. For those sticking around, I hope you enjoy reading!

In a dreamy dreariness that woke him in the night, Flynn huffed and threw his head up at the alarming comprehension of foreign surroundings. A lonely, wiry branch gently tapped on his window. He lethargically turned his head and looked out the clear, brittle glass and sighed.

"Right…" he breathed, remembering he was sleeping within the royal walls of a silent, immaculate castle that housed a king, a queen, and a newly found princess.

He was exhausted. The previous day's exertions coiled around his shuddering thought patterns. It was interesting because it wasn't physical pain or unrest that suddenly rattled him awake. Rapunzel's tears did more than just mend his fatal wound; it repaired every serrated fiber of his being. Physically, he was actually feeling quite fantastic.

Unfortunately her healing powers had no ability to cure mental lapses within the abstract thinking brain. Otherwise Mother Gothel would've turned into a patron saint.

No— it was erratic thoughts, reminisces, reservations and uncertainties that seemed to echo through his entire body; and now it was keeping him from a good night's rest.

It wasn't at all miserable, just bothersome. He wanted to be completely fresh and buffered for an undoubtedly eventful and…for the first time in a very long time, unpredictable day.

He sighed again and licked his lips as the chatter in his head continued. They weren't dreadful thoughts, just important ones. And a single important thought had as much weight as a dozen apprehensive ones. In this case, he had many important thoughts on his mind— and they all teasingly danced around the strong, taut, petite figure of a young woman that made him seethe and grin stupidly.

Suddenly he found his remedy. Yes, don't think of the surrounding circumstances; the gaping, red faced guards throwing a fit at his presence, the gentle but cautious king and queen who managed to look at him with both trust and wariness at the same time— don't even think about Rapunzel…think of Rapunzel.

Yes, that did him well. Much better.

He sighed with a mixture of peace and pretentiousness.

Instantly feeling more relaxed, a quick recollection of the afternoon's events roamed his mind. In all his boundless imaginings, it never once occurred to him that he could one day be embraced by the king and queen. However, with his arms around Rapunzel and his head on her shoulder, the invite was warm and welcoming rather than terrifying. When the four stood up again, Rapunzel nervously but excitedly bounded to Flynn's side and entangled both arms around his elbow:

"Oh, um…" she began before her eyes darted around the ground. Her thoughts were firing a million miles a second. She had so much to tell, to explain, to discuss, and it all flooded to the tip of her tongue, wanting to escape all at once. Fortunately her quick, nimble thoughts prioritized accordingly. Even so, her unhindered excitement resulted in a statement more blunt and straightforward than she intended, though entirely genuine.

"This," she eagerly and (to Flynn's amusement) proudly announced, "is Eugene Fitzherbert. He's the reason I'm here and," she wrapped both arms around his broad chest, "I'm keeping him."

He almost laughed outright at such a candid and adorable statement, but he refrained and instead allowed an awkward twitch to flash across his face. He felt warm and fuzzy and frightened inside. Of course he wanted to belong to Rapunzel, but his eyes rigidly met those of the king and queen. Their tearful, cheerful, jubilant faces slowly morphed into calmer, deeper contemplation. Thankfully there seemed to be no loss of serenity. Their faces were soft but searching.

Flynn took a chance. This was the first impression; the initial step in a lasting relationship with these people. He couldn't cower and squirm and be tight lipped before them now. The need to assert himself anew became alarmingly clear. This was the time not necessarily to prove himself, but to prove his indisputable intentions and the thoroughness of them. This wasn't just Rapunzel's parents; this was the ruling king and queen, the very initiators of his wanted status.

With his eyes still on the studious parents, he stood straighter, squared his broad shoulders and eased his tense features into a calm, placid expression. Without ever wavering his gaze, he gently wrapped a strong right arm around Rapunzel, who not only had never released him since claiming him, but closed her eyes and nuzzled into him more. Her eyes momentarily opened and drifted downward to the spot that once felt a cold, searing knife plummet below his ribcage. Rapunzel's eyes closed again and she gripped him tighter. Her behavior was almost akin to a silent protest. She was not going to let this man slip away again, and this was becoming very clear to her mother and father. Flynn, while intensifying his stare into the swimming eyes of her parents, took his left hand, and smoothly gripped it over Rapunzel's.

The embrace was complete.

A quiet, confident smile smoothed over his lips, and a strange kind of gleam in his eyes sparked intensely. The king and queen shifted, but the king made a particularly acknowledged gesture. He stood straighter, his eyes widened and his hands clenched. He seemed to realize on a personal level, the wrought, resolute, protective, resonating roar Flynn was exhibiting through complete silence.

The king slightly lowered his head, and gave his future successor a slow, approving nod.

The queen gracefully strode up to the couple and put a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder.

"I know you have so much to tell us…both of you. Of course, if you wish to rest first, that's completely understandable."

Rapunzel slid her hands from Flynn and, still with an air of shyness, reached out to her mother. The queen took her hands wordlessly and patiently waited for a reply.

"Actually, I think the sooner the better as far as explaining things go… we could at least go over things broadly," the ruffle-haired princess suggested.

"As you wish," the queen said kindly.

Flynn chimed in. "We'll get into the nitty-gritty details later. It seems inevitable anyway, " he said, easily resorting back to his relaxed, casual self after his bravado cooled down.

"And tomorrow…" the king's low voice rumbled, "we celebrate! The return of the princess will be known by every citizen of the kingdom!"

The queen felt a fluttering warmth at the sight of her husband so elated. It had been a very long time since he glowed with bliss and trembling happiness.

"Come, let's go inside," he suggested, voice still crackling with joy, "we can talk over everything during lunch."

As they entered the castle doors, Rapunzel's breathing became intentionally deep and controlled. Flynn watched her carefully. He could see that she was trying to emotionally manage herself on many levels. There was the mental preparation to tell her tragic tale to her parents, the bottled excitement wanting to escape at the site of all the beautiful artistry and grandeur of the halls, the instinctively imposed commitment to be civil and well-mannered in front of her parents…to what degree, she did not know yet, so she tried to imitate their melodious mannerisms as she saw them.

All of this however, was far too taxing on her nerves as far as the observant Flynn was concerned. He brushed his fingers against her palm before his large hand swallowed it up. It quietly thrilled him to see the immediate softening in her eyes, the relaxing of her tight shoulders, and the unwinding of her tense gait. Her eyes drifted to meet his, and she took the first calm breath since she first arrived. She would have liked to have stopped and given him a deep, slow kiss as a way of thanks, but the situation seemed to be demanding their best behavior.

Once they situated at the table, the normal (at least for the king and queen) lunch order began. Rapunzel ordered what was familiar to her, which drew a small, guilty smile on her mother's face. As for Flynn—

"I think I'll continue on my honest streak and confess that I'm starving."

"Order the whole cow as long as you eat it," the king chuckled heartily, watching Flynn with intent. The vitality and strength of this former bandit's honesty only made the king more curious of Rapunzel's story, as his transformation was undoubtedly a large part of it. He knew quite well of 'Flynn Rider', most wanted thief in the kingdom of Corona, and this specimen before him definitely held no resemblance to him. The king gently looked to his daughter and gave her a gentle smile.

Rapunzel happily smiled back and somehow understood his subtle implications. She began to weave her tale, but she started in a rather interesting place—backwards. She wanted to explain just how she managed to arrive, and still had a desire to defend Flynn, just so she made sure that they understood his importance, both to the story as well as to herself. The king and queen gave each other sideways glances and exchanged tweaked smiles. They could discern the poorly concealed desperation in her voice as she fervently spoke on his behalf. Flynn listened in silence, allowing Rapunzel to freely pour her emotions into her explanations as they came sputtering out, with very few intervals of control. He stared and smiled at her, finding the entire scenario both comical and depressing. No matter how blithe and innocent and endearing she was to him, the knowledge of that 18 year separation she tried to relay to her parents still struck him like a hammer.

The entire afternoon consisted of their exchanges. They ate their meals gregariously, shared meaningful silences and finally, when all was told and lifted off her chest, Rapunzel was placid, content, and tired.

"I think a much needed nap is in order for the princess," the king suggested tenderly.

Rapunzel gave a satisfied nod and the king summoned an older female servant.

"This is Ingrid. She will be your private servant and will be a very helpful guide as you learn to adapt to your new home, dear."

Ingrid had been beaming down at Rapunzel and approached her much like an elderly grandmother, placing her hands on the girl's cheeks and fussing over her for a few moments. The woman was amply built but not rotund. She had a kind, shrewd eye and carried herself much stronger and sounder than what her age suggested.

"Would you please take these two to their rooms? They will rest until dinner."

"Yes, sire," she crooned stoutly. "Come children, follow Ingrid."

'Plural…' Flynn thought to himself as he stiffly got up and lowered his eyes tensely. 'Room-ssssss'

He resisted the urge to slap himself on the forehead. Of course they were going to different rooms. He never doubted for a second that they wouldn't be staying in the same room. Was his mind that forgone already? What was he thinking? He shook his head in agitation and ran a hand through his thick hair. It was starting wasn't it? He could hear the thundering echo of conditional pillars falling atop one another like dominoes, each pillar representing an incident that was ultimately leading to something that hampered his breathing; something he had never truly experienced before, not genuinely; something that began with a freakishly large, overly serifed 'L'.

That word…

He knew it all too well now, and it was all thanks to this bouncy princess beside him that still struggled to contain herself, even in obvious fatigue.

This princess…

He saved this princess, he loved this princess, he wanted this princess, and she was going to be his princess soon. They would share more than just chaste kisses and innocent embraces. The looping realization of this was gaining momentum and clouding his vision, nearly causing him to stumble.

Before his mind could become any more depraved, his thoughts were thankfully broken— but they welded themselves back together just as swiftly when he saw the cause for the interruption. Rapunzel was grabbing him and whispering to him frantically, which only sent his blood surging. Now that Rapunzel's parents were out of sight, she felt freer to express her giddiness. Ingrid, being able to walk these halls backwards and blindfolded, turned her head enough to watch them from the corner of her eye as she strode onward, making pivots and turns without flinching her gaze. Rapunzel didn't notice but Flynn certainly took this into terrifying account.

"And here, Princess Rapunzel, is your room," Ingrid graciously proclaimed, touching the handle of a slender, intricate doorknob.

"Where will Eugene be staying?"Rapunzel asked immediately.

"Yeah, where will Eugene be staying?" Flynn asked with a sly, toothy grin.

"Down there," Ingrid pointed with less enthusiasm.

Both Flynn and Rapunzel stared down the dark, uninviting hall.

"That's funny, I don't see a door through that murky abyss," Flynn said, squinting his eyes.

"Your room is on the other side of the castle."

"Uh—Other side?" he asked as innocently as he could. In truth, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his mouth twitched, knowing full well that her suspicions were prodding a guilty conscience.

"Why so far away?" Rapunzel questioned naively, "I want to visit him as often—"

"It's for your own good," Ingrid said in a matter-of-fact tone and grabbed Flynn's arm, dragging him off. "As for you, come with me."

Flynn was startled that he was being manhandled so heedlessly.

'Hey I did bring the lost princess back after all, ye old Heifer!' he thought, but dared not say aloud.

"H-have a good nap Rapunzel, I'll see you at dinner," he waved meekly, wishing he could explain to Ingrid that their relationship status at least merited a temporary goodbye kiss, but the look on her face suggested he be very selective with his words. To combat her heavy-handed protectiveness, he turned around enough to blow an especially loud kiss at Rapunzel. Rapunzel laughed and returned a much more refined version.

"All right, all right," Ingrid groaned, "keep your eyes in front of you and remember your surroundings. I have a feeling you'll be staying here awhile…"

Flynn smiled as he stared blankly at the dark bluish ceiling. The reminisces were beginning to fade as his tiredness was overcoming him again. Then his smile abandoned him entirely at the last fragment of memory that wrung in his mind. He never did get to see Rapunzel for dinner. Although he was well fed with whatever he wanted, his dinner was alone. Rapunzel's parents made the last minute decision to have a very private conversation with their daughter…no doubt about him.

This didn't bring him fear as much as it did frustration. His broad fingers dug into the mattress. He wanted to see her. He missed her. He just died for her, didn't that earn him the right to hold her and kiss her before she went to bed for the first time in her new home? He had no doubt it would have been something to remember him by till morning. That was only a few hours away by now. Still, he wanted a reason to stay upset at the situation, and so kept internally pouting.

Besides, there was something about kissing her at night…something that wound him like a hot iron coil. There was a tangible, delectable foreshadowing that rippled through his hungering desires and clawed down his entire body.

"Uh…" he sat up, burying his face in his hands. "Dammit…"

Apparently thinking of her was no remedy for sleep at all. Good God, he felt stupid now.

He rubbed his face rapidly and let them fall to his sides. His fingers twitched sharply, as if each digit had a torturous craving for her…

He huffed, tensed and flustered. Who was he kidding, they were starving for her.

Flynn spat out curses sloppily in a testosterone driven stupor. Almost instinctively, he glanced at the empty side of his bed…staring…staring into the nothingness and the absence and the emptiness that was there. He was going to have to do something about that—soon, if he wanted to keep his sanity.

Flynn threw himself down again, taking a deep, groaning breath and trying to settle down. The thought of her scent made him snarl and grunt and roughly shift before placing a second pillow over his head.

"Tomorrow…" he bleated like a dying ram, "I'll see her tomorrow…sure they purposely gave me a room practically a mile away, but that won't stop me…besides, I'm her guide. She never relinquished me from that job…"

With sheer determination, he forced his eyes shut and set his mental alarm clock for morning. Normally that would be a tedious chore for him, but he did so willingly, considering who it was ultimately for. Finally, as the tire began to seep further into his moist eyes, he managed to fall into sleep.

A/N: Oh Flynn, you sex-fiend you. :D If only Rapunzel knew just how much he's wrapped around her finger. Of course, she just might discover this in upcoming chapters? We shall see...