For my favourite girl, April Alice. I hope you had a wonderful birthday.
"I pray you, do not fall in love with me, For I am false than vows made in wine."
— William Shakespeare (As You Like It, Act 3 Scene 5)
Eugene, although a thief and wanted in more areas than he'd care to admit, is not an idiot. He'd only had to be hit with that blasted frying pan once and before he knew that he was in trouble. But brains and all, he'd never quite anticipated being in this much trouble.
It's not as if he's not experienced. Oh, he's got plenty of experience.
...it's just that he's not so sure his previous experience is going to be any use when it comes to a girl like Rapunzel.
Rapunzel with her innocence, naïvety and completely impossible-to-understand way of seeing the best in everyone. He's never met a girl like that before. And he's almost certain that despite her undying need to see the best in everyone and everything, that she's not going to be impressed if he pulls all his usual moves.
He shouldn't be surprised, really. He should've known when the Smoulder didn't work on her (because really, the Smoulder works on everyone).
Other things work on everyone as well. For example, the tales he tells (all completely true, of course) of his bravery and the fortunes he's managed to snipe; those tales usually get the ladies fluttering their eyelashes. Or he leans a little too close and whispers about how beautiful and lovely she is until she's putty in his hands.
...no, none of those things would work on Rapunzel.
Hell, none of those things should work on Rapunzel, even though he kind of wants them to.
Eugene isn't stupid. He knows that Rapunzel is wonderful, beautiful, lovely, funny, kind and that she deserves someone that's ten times the man than he is. He knows that she doesn't deserve someone that's lied his way through life. And more than anything, he knows that in reality, he has no idea how to treat a girl like a Rapunzel.
He doesn't deserve her.
The only way he knows how to do anything is through lying and stealing.
He doesn't matter if he loves her desperately and worships the ground she walks in...he still doesn't deserve her.
All he knows is trickery and lies.
He's not stupid. He knows he doesn't deserve her.
But that sure as hell isn't going to stop him from trying.