Tinkering and Dabbling Summary: Unfinished ideas with Eugene (Flynn) as the main focus. Some updates will be fleshed out one-shots, unedited notes, or just summaries of story ideas. Many will be angsty, dark, and/or graphic themes. Prolly lots of one-sided and/or abusive shipping.

Notes: Mostly this is a place to dump random ideas and flashes of inspiration. Lots of angst. Or at least, if I can sit still long enough to brainstorm and then write those angsty ideas, there will be.

Maybe someone somewhere will enjoy these scattered thoughts

Ch. 1 Summary: There were many things Corona nobility didn't like about him. Though Rapunzel didn't understand the antagonism, Eugene could easily list several reasons why.

Warnings: Implied physical abuse

Chapter 1: Outcast

There were many things Corona nobility didn't like about him. Though Rapunzel didn't understand the antagonism, he could easily list several reasons as to why.

One, he was a thief. Former thief, technically. But they weren't big on technicalities. They figured "once a thief, always a thief."

Two, due to his former thief-ness, he was thus a bad influence on the fresh out of the tower princess.

Three, former thief or not, he was not of noble blood. Therefore he did not deserve her. She deserved someone of higher rank. Someone of value. Someone worthy of her time.

That…was a point he could not argue with. After all, she was…well, she was Rapunzel. Positive, determined, and fair. She cared about anyone and everyone. She brought the best out of the worst of people because she believed everyone deserved a second chance. She was Rapunzel: beautiful on the inside and out. And him? He was just Eugene Fitzherbert. Former thief Flynn Rider and now prince consort to the one day Queen of Corona. Corona nobility were right.

He didn't deserve Rapunzel.

But he didn't dare tell her that. It'd break her heart. And he'd do anything to avoid hurting her. He'd already done it once by accident what with the crown misunderstanding and the Stabbington Brothers. He didn't intend to do it again. So he endured noble and civilian taunts and disparaging comments alike. Whenever the princess and her family were out of earshot or eyeshot, they'd strike with a shove here and a rough grip there. They'd throw harsh words and even harsher truths. To be fair, he deserved it. What was a small beating or two after all that he'd done in his past?

So no. He didn't intend to tell her.

But it was getting harder to hide.

"Eugene." Green eyes were wide with worry and he flinched from the gaze. His girlfriend knelt beside him as he sat in the desk chair of his room. "What happened to your eye?"

"Ah," he forced out a laugh and held the ice pack tighter to his face. "You're never gonna believe this, Blondie. See, Lance and I were rough-housing–you know, just wrestling between friends–when he swung a little too hard and I didn't move fast enough." When her expression darkened he hurried to soothe and prevent an even worse situation. Lance didn't know about the beatings either. "I'm okay, really! He didn't mean to, you know that."

The anger softened. "Yeah, okay. Lance wouldn't try to hurt someone. Especially you. Just…be more careful next time. Okay?"

"Yeah," The guilt threatened to choke him. "Yeah, I'll try."

"Well," She sighed and stood, patting his thigh. "Dinner should be ready soon. Are you feeling up to eating with us, or…?"

The bruise on his eye throbbed. You think you're clever, Rider? The King only pardoned you because it'd upset our poor, naive princess. Once she knows better, you'll be thrown away like the trash you are.

He swallowed. "I'm…not hungry right now. Save me some leftovers?"

Her expression softened and she walked to the door. By the sun, he felt like such a jerk. Or a coward. But he just couldn't bare to face her and her family with the mark on his face. The visible reminder he wasn't accepted by the kingdom as much as the King and Queen wished to believe. And Rapunzel! It'd only hurt her to know the truth. But, stars, did he have to ask for anything? He should just–

"Okay," Rapunzel stood in the doorway. She looked at him with such warm eyes it broke his heart. "Anything for you. I love you, Eugene."

–leave.

He sucked in air through his nose. "I…" his voice hitched and he prayed to the stars above she wouldn't notice. He managed to whisper. "I love you too."

Judging by the way her brows furrowed and the way she leaned away from the door, he hadn't fooled her. Thankfully, Cassandra of all people came to his rescue.

"C'mon Raps," his girlfriend's best friend grasped her arm. "We've been waiting."

Cassandra completely ignored him, as per usual, and he didn't take the chance to make a dumb joke about "ladies" and "in waitings." Which, really, he should have because his lack of insult only seemed to worry Rapunzel further. She pulled against her lady-in-waiting's hold but Eugene waved a hand. He mouthed 'go' and she went.

Now alone in his room, he stood and shuffled to the bed. The ridiculously expensive bed. A canopy with curtains allowed him mild privacy in the massive room. Privacy from what, he didn't know. And how the see-through curtains could provide that, he didn't know either. He pulled back the curtains to reveal embroidered covers and feather-fluffed pillows. He let himself drop to the squishy mattress and squirmed on the soft surface. It was utterly comfortable. And utterly uncomfortable all at the same time.

For a guy who wanted an island of my own, he moaned into the silk covered pillowcase. I really don't belong here.

After tossing and turning for several minutes, he threw off the covers and clambered off the bed. Throwing the icepack to the side, he shrugged on his vest and hurried out the door. He needed to clear his head. He needed air.

He needed to talk to Max.

Why he felt a horse was the best option to confide in, he wouldn't know. But he did know that damn horse was ridiculously smart. Despite their rocky relationship, Max had helped him at his lowest. Maybe he'd help him again.

So he wove through the palace halls. Narrowly dodged palace guards. And emerged out the back gates to then sneak into the stables where several horses ate hay. Near the back was one Maximus chowing down on a large pile of apples in his stall. The stable hand emerged from the last stall with an empty wheelbarrow. The boy pushed it towards the exit and Eugene ducked into the shadows.

Once the boy was gone, he entered the stable. "Max." He called, voice low. It was almost too dark to see the horses.

The white stallion shot a look in his direction before snorting and continued to eat his dinner.

Eugene hesitated and a bout of hurt flashed. "Man, no one likes me around here, huh?"

Something in his voice must've struck a chord with the jerk because Max actually lifted his head with concern in his eyes. Max neighed.

"I'm fine." He lied instinctively. When Max shot him a raised brow (did horses even have brows? He didn't know), he slumped. "No, I'm not."

Max huffed.

Despite himself, words tumbled out of him. "I think I should leave."

When the horse only stared at him with wide eyes, he drooped further. He leaned against the wall of Max's stall and sank to the ground.

"You don't get it, do you?" He chuckled mirthlessly. "Everyone here hates me."

The stallion neighed, light and fast. Max was laughing. Eugene honestly couldn't tell if the horse hated him too. He tipped his head back to rest against the wall.

"Yeah, yeah. If it weren't for Rapunzel, I'd be gone like you all want me to be." It must've been his tone that stopped the laughter because suddenly Max fell quiet. "So I'll give you what you all want, okay? I'll leave. She'll be better off without me, anyway. She'll find someone worthy. Someone who can give her the world. Not someone like…like me."

The stall slammed open and sent him flying. He tumbled to the ground, face smashing to the dirt floor. The bruise flared with sharp pain and he whined, cupping it as he sat upright.

"What was that for?"

Hooves stomped beside his face. He glared up at the scowling face. Max stormed back into his stall and kicked an apple at him. He didn't catch it in time and it smacked against the bruise.

"Why." He groaned. "Now I'll need to ice it again!"

Max neighed, clearly confused. The horse snagged him by the back of his shirt collar with his teeth. Eugene grumbled as he was dragged into the moonlight so the dumb horse could take a good look at him.

Promptly, Max reared back with a wounded sound.

"Relax." He lifted a hand. "This wasn't from the apple."

Max settled and cocked his head. Eugene sighed.

"You remember the noble with huge curly hair? Wears bright blue purple coat and pants?" Max neighed. "Right, well…he thought my face was better used for target practice instead of good looks."

Max scowled down at him.

"What? I didn't even do anything!" He huffed. "Last time it was the one with weird wig and killer high heels. That bruise lasted for a week. Couldn't even walk without it hurting. Do you know how hard it is not to limp?"

When Max didn't respond, he took the chance to properly look at the horse.

Wide eyes. Jaw dropped. Stance wide. Max was…surprised? Why would he be surprised?

"…you didn't honestly believe my stories about tripping down stairs and getting too rough with a punching bag, right?"

Max coughed.

Eugene sighed and let himself sprawl on the ground. "Point is, I should leave. They're getting bolder. Before they'd never hit anywhere visible. Now, my face?"

And then he had an angry Max in his face.

"Max?" He blinked.

The horse stomped, pointed a hoof at his eye, and stomped again.

"I don't follow."

Max pointed more insistently at his black eye. When he only blinked in response, Max began to tug at his shirt.

"Whoa, wait, what are you–?" He flinched when Max revealed another bruise on his stomach. Realization clicked, "oh."

Max huffed through his nose.

"I should tell them?"

Max released the shirt and neighed.

"I shouldn't. What would Rapunzel think? What would her parents think? That I'm too weak to defend myself? That I deserve to be beaten? I mean, I do, but–"

Max cut him off with teeth on the front of his shirt to shake him.

"Oh, c'mon!" He wiggled and kicked but Max lifted his head up high. Now held in the air by his shirt, feet dangling uselessly, he whined as the horse carried him out of the stable, past the startled palace guards, and into the palace itself.

"This is a bad idea." He warned. "They won't believe me. Correction, they won't want to believe me."

The horse ignored him.

Notes: Not too thrilled with this slice of life idea. Mostly just trying to get back into the groove of writing. See what happens, ya know? Who knows, maybe someone somewhere will like reading this so I figured I might as well share it. Just in case.