A/N: This is a preview for a 'Big Four' fanfic I'm thinking about writing. The setting is high school where the characters attend. The pairings are HiccupxMerida and JackxRapunzel. This particular excerpt focuses on Jack and Rapunzel. So, if this fic gets good feedback, I'll make another preview focusing on HiccupxMerida and then if that goes well, too, I'll go ahead and write out a full story. So, read and review :)
Rapunzel finished readying the tower. She swept up the floors one final time (and the umpteenth time) and Pascal took care of the dust in the hard to reach places. It was the very first time she was expecting company after all; she had to make an impression. Finally, Rapunzel placed the broom against the wall, wiping sweat from her brow. She turned to Pascal, who was just emerging from a little corner. "Well, it's been an hour, Pascal… Does everything look ready?" Rapunzel questioned him.
Pascal nodded, a look of certainty on his little face. Rapunzel smiled, anticipation overwhelming her. She glanced at the clock; its hands ticked closer to the 12. Seven o'clock. The time that had been chosen for his arrival. "He should be here any minute." Rapunzel exhaled and opened the window that looked out onto the calm evening. She breathed in the cool, night air and then let it out. Her eyes became downcast as she peered out at the earth far below. Pascal appeared beside her on the windowsill and nudged her. She smiled at him sadly before she realized what the little chameleon was doing. His eyes gestured to the sky and she followed his gaze. A speck appeared far off, just in line of eyesight, but grew bigger and more identifiable. It was boy, soaring through the air, then plummeting down toward the tower. "There he is. Jack!" Rapunzel shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth. She waved.
Within seconds he was at her window, feet perched on the sill. "Hey." He greeted, not at all out of breath from his speedy flight.
"Come in." She spoke, trying to take on the persona of a good hostess. Rapunzel took a few spaces back, giving him room to enter. He did and as soon as his feet touched the floor, the temperature of the room lowered several degrees. Pascal began to shiver and snuggled up to the girl, trying to share the warmth of her pink hoodie. She peeked up at him and Jack quickly realized.
"Sorry." He apologized sheepishly.
"It's, uh, it's fine." She said, and then cleared her throat, "So, this is my home." She held out her arms.
Jack looked about the main room. "It's, um, a little old-fashioned, don't you think?"
"Yeah… it's sort of been around for a long time…" Rapunzel answered. Jack nodded, then noticed the abundance of paintings along the walls.
"That's pretty cool, though." With his finger, he traced in the air along the different pieces of art.
"Oh, that." Rapunzel giggled nervously. "Actually, I did all those."
Jack's eyes widened and he turned to the girl, "You paint? I didn't know you were into art."
Rapunzel bobbed her head, "Yeah. It's just… something I do to pass the time, I guess." Her gaze averted to the ground.
"You must have a lot of time on your hands, then…" Jack spoke, further inspecting the paintings.
Rapunzel nodded again, though more lightly this time. "Yeah, you could say that." She mumbled. After a couple of moments she announced, "We'll be working in my room upstairs." She turned and gestured toward the staircase. Jack furrowed his eyebrows, curious about her changing the subject, but dismissed it. He followed the girl up the steps, carefully walking around her flowing locks of golden hair. At the top, Rapunzel pushed past deep violet curtains into the next room. Jack quickly entered after. Inside was her bedroom, elegant and feminine as he expected. A large, purple canopy was on one side of the room and there was a vanity nearby. Some paintings similar to the ones downstairs were scattered here and there. "Over here." Rapunzel said and walked toward a bookshelf along the wall.
She plucked a rather thick volume off of the shelf and held it up for Jack to see. It read, The History of Animation. "This ought to take care of pretty much the whole project."
"And… you just happen to have that book lying around at your house?" He raised an eyebrow.
Rapunzel chuckled nervously, "No, actually Mother brought it to me."
"Your mom? Why didn't you just get it yourself?" Jack asked.
Upon hearing this, Rapunzel tensed up. Nonetheless, she answered, "Um… she says the library is pretty far from here and doesn't want me going all the way there…"
"Why? You're 18, right?" Jack further questioned.
"Well, yeah, but…. never mind." Rapunzel shook her head and exhaled, putting on a faint smile, "We should get started, don't you think?"
"Sure, but…" The winter spirit began, however Rapunzel made it quite clear that she'd dropped the subject and was expecting him to as well. "Yeah, let's, uh, let's do it." He offered a grin and she returned it with a satisfied smile, dropping onto her bed. Rapunzel laid down the book and patted at the spot beside her. He came forward and sat down putting down his staff, looking over the book. He opened it and began flipping through; at the very end, in the bottom left corner read the page number. "450 pages… yikes…" He groaned. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack caught a glimpse of something green dart from Rapunzel's shoulder into the pocket of her hoodie. Startled, he let out a "Whoa!" which in turn surprised Rapunzel.
"What?" She asked, her eyes growing big.
"Something just… just ran down your shirt and, and…" He found himself at a loss for words.
"Oh." Rapunzel laughed, relaxing. "That's only Pascal." She pulled the entrance of the pocket open wider, so that the little creature could be seen. He had his arms wrapped around himself for comfort, snuggled in the deepest crevice of the hoodie's fabric. Rapunzel attempted to coax him out, "Come on out, Pascal. It's okay." The animal stared at Rapunzel, next Jack and then shook his head fervently, going further into her pocket. Rapunzel exhaled, saying playfully, "Alright, have it your way, then." She let go of her hoodie, and Pascal disappeared out of sight.
"So, why exactly do you have a pet chameleon?" Jack questioned.
"Well, he's more of a friend than a pet." Rapunzel turned to face him. "Pascal keeps me company while Mother's away." She explained.
"You don't ever have friends from school over?" Jack asked. Rapunzel shook her head, a sheepish smile on her face. "Not even Flynn?" He tried to hide the venom that seeped from his lips as he spoke the name of Rapunzel's boyfriend. Once again, Rapunzel shook her head.
"You're actually the first person I've ever invited here, Jack." Rapunzel revealed. His eyes widened in disbelief at this discovery.
"Wow… why?" He asked, genuinely concerned. The blonde-haired girl bit her lip, avoiding Jack's gaze. Her fingers found a lock of her hair and began playing with it absent-mindedly.
Finally, she spoke and she did, Pascal poked his head out of her pocket, surprised that she was about to confess, "The truth is-"
She was interrupted by a loud, shrill and sing-song voice, "Rapunzel! Let down your hair!" Rapunzel's eyes grew as wide as saucers as the girl stiffened where she sat.
And then in disbelief, she said, "Mother?!" Jack's eyes got a little big, too. "She's not supposed to be home for at least another hour!" Rapunzel began to panic. After another few moments, the voice yelled again. Rapunzel stood from her bed, stumbling for the curtains. She pulled them apart and shouted, "Coming, Mother!" She then turned to Jack. "Wait in here." And then she disappeared, her hair trailing behind her.
Jack stayed inside her room as told. He leafed through the pages of the book for a little while, scanning over pictures of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Then, Jack heard voices and his attention left the book. He heard what sounded like Rapunzel's mother talking about her long tiring day and doting on her daughter. Curiosity got the best of him and he made his way to the curtains, peeking through them.
"Rapunzel, be a dear and sing to me, please?" A woman who appeared to be Rapunzel's mother spoke, holding a brush in her hands. She seemed to be a little past middle aged, for she had some gray hairs and slightly wrinkled skin.
"Uh, sure, Mother." Rapunzel agreed, pulling out a wooden chair. Jack cocked an eyebrow. Sing to her? He thought. Over the years, he'd seen little girls request their mothers to sing for them instead of the other way around. He continued to watch as Rapunzel sat down in the chair, allowing her mother to take a hold of her hair. And then she began to sing.
"Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt
Change the fate's design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine…"
Jack's eyes grew large as he saw what unfolded. The short, simple verse that Rapunzel sang was quite literally, magical. Rapunzel's hair golden hair began to glow as she sang, shining as bright as the sun and illuminating the room. And then he looked to the girl's mom, who seemed perfectly calm, but slowly changing. One by one the gray hairs in her head began to turn as black as the rest of her hair; the wrinkles along her flesh began to disappear. Rapunzel's light, airy voice diminished into quietness and her mother withdrew her hand and the brush from the girl. She let out a refreshed sigh and patted Rapunzel's shoulder, "Thank you, Rapunzel."
"It's no problem." She responded modestly and stood from the chair.
"Now, I think I'm ready to start up dinner. Should be ready in a little bit." She said and then went into the kitchen.
"Ok." Rapunzel smiled until she could no longer see her mom. Then she quickly turned on her heel and headed upstairs.
Jack backed up and positioned himself on her bed, pretending to be occupied with the animation book. "I'm back." Rapunzel huffed. Jack waved nonchalantly in return. Rapunzel let out a breath of air and plopped down on the mattress. Then she eyed Jack suspiciously, "Did you hear any of that?"
He tried to keep a straight face, but as he met her gaze, his lips cracked into an ashamed grin. "Sorry."
Rapunzel groaned and asked with worry, "How much did you hear?"
"Um… all of it, I guess." Jack admitted. He watched as her face fell and he started to feel a little guilty for listening in on the events downstairs.
"You're probably wanting an explanation, then?" She asked.
"That'd be helpful." Jack uttered. Rapunzel took in a big breath and then exhaled. She began where she did when she'd been interrupted.
"The truth is I have magical hair and it, well, when I sing it glows." As she finished her sentence, her face quite obviously showed she expected Jack to give her a funny look.
"Yeah, I saw that." Jack responded.
"Yeah, so- wait! You saw what happened?" Rapunzel inquired.
A shamefaced grin split across his face like before. "Yes."
Rapunzel's expression grew somber, "I'm betting you think I'm some sort of freak, now, right?" She turned away from him.
"You'd lose that bet." Jack chuckled, good-naturedly. Surprised by this statement, she faced him again, and then a small smile formed upon her lips.
"What makes you say that, Jack?" She cocked her head to the side, eyeing him with interest.
"Trust me, Rapunzel. I spent 300 years feeling the way you do and… well, long story short I know you're not a freak. If anything you're…" He stopped himself, realizing what he was about to say.
"I'm what?" Rapunzel, grinning good-naturedly, pushed for him to continue. Jack gulped and gathered to courage to finish his sentence. Suddenly, the purple curtains to Rapunzel's room parted and her mother appeared in the entrance. Rapunzel blinked looking to her and Jack slightly tensed. The dark-haired lady entered, asking,
"Rapunzel, have you seen the frying pan? I can't find it?" She didn't even glance at Jack. He calmed down; the lady could not see him as he expected.
Rapunzel looked to Jack, then stood from the bed, "I'm sorry, Mother. I was… borrowing it." She apologized and dug into her nearby backpack, pulling out the cooking utensil. She turned and handed it over. Her mom eyed her daughter strangely,
"What were you doing with this?"
"Uh, I bring it to school with me in case, you know, I run into ruffians, thugs, men with pointy teeth, etcetera, etcetera…" As she went on, her voice decreased in volume.
"You're mumbling." The woman eyed Rapunzel sternly as she took the pan into her hands.
As Rapunzel enunciated, Jack watched on, looking over the lady with an immediate sense of dislike. Rapunzel's mom smiled upon hearing her daughter's answer and patted the teenager's head. "Good girl." Then her hands wrapped around herself and she shivered. "Why is it so cold in here, Rapunzel?"
Rapunzel peered over at Jack and he snickered at the lady's discomfort. "Well, it is getting close to winter." She offered lamely.
"Might have to invest into those air-conditioning systems…" Rapunzel's mother said in response. "Well, dinner will be ready very soon. Start washing up, ok?" Rapunzel bobbed her head and saw the woman brush past the purple curtains. She twirled around to face Jack once more.
Pascal peeked out of Rapunzel's pocket as his friend approached the winter spirit once more. "So… what were we talking about?" When he heard this, Jack took the opportunity to chicken out from what he was going to say earlier.
"You were explaining your magic hair."
"Right." Rapunzel sat down again. "My hair… it's really special. Something plenty of people would love to get their hands on." Jack thought back to the previous scene he'd witnessed. How Rapunzel's mother had appeared to gotten younger when the golden locks glowed. What Rapunzel said was definitely true.
"Mother tells me that I stay here because it's the only way I'll be safe from people like that." Rapunzel said. Jack nodded to show he was listening, but he was starting to catch on to something. "So you have to promise not to tell anybody." She spoke with complete seriousness, leaning in close.
"Sure, no, yeah…. Yeah, I promise." Jack agreed, bobbing his head, a bit taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor. Then he said, "Nobody else knows about your hair?"
"No." Rapunzel said.
"Not even Flynn?" He further questioned, the previous query popping up again.
"Nope." Jack contemplated this.
Then Rapunzel looked him dead in the eye and said, "Jack, every day I go to school and come straight home. On weekends, I'm just here."
Jack returned her gaze with wide eyes. "Are… are you serious? Man… Rapunzel, I can't believe… there is so much you haven't seen…"
"I know." She said, solemnly.
"No… you don't know what you're missing!" Jack stood impulsively, grabbing his staff. "I've got lots to show you," He grabbed her hand, pulling her off the bed. Rapunzel gasped lightly, a shock of cold running through her skin.
"What? But, Jack-" She started as she was led to a nearby window. And then the sound of Mother's voice was heard once more.
"Rapunzel! Dinner time!"
Jack stopped and looked in the direction of the curtains. Rapunzel withdrew her hand from his, "Mother's expecting me…" A wave of disappointment washed over Jack and it was apparent on her face.
"Maybe some other time, though… I'd be more than happy to go." She said, placing a hand on his shoulder. A little smile crossed his lips as he looked Rapunzel in her green eyes.
"Rapunzel! Your food is going to get cold!" Another call sounded.
"Coming!" Rapunzel responded over her shoulder. Her hand slipped off of Jack's shoulder and he said,
"I'd better be heading home, anyways…" Jack shrugged. The two headed down the steps.
At the window that led outside, Jack stood on the windowsill. "We didn't get any work done." Rapunzel realized.
Jack laughed, "Well, then I guess that means I'll be coming over again."
Rapunzel grinned, "I guess it does..." Jack took a step back closer to the edge of the sill and placed his hand against the side of one of the window's doors.
"I'm holding you to that offer. You're gonna see the world, Rapunzel."
Rapunzel only smiled, "I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Jack waved and then turned to the sky, "Hey! Wind! Take me home!" He shouted. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind blew past and Jack flew off the windowsill. Rapunzel gasped, peering outside of the window. She caught a glimpse of him to her right and then saw him rise up higher and higher until he was by the moon; a small spot of light flying across the sky like a shooting star. Rapunzel sighed in wonder and Pascal made his way back to her shoulder, watching until Jack disappeared out of sight.
"Rapunzel? What are you doing? I told you dinner is ready." The raven-haired lady appeared at the kitchen entrance.
"Oh. Right. I was just… looking outside…"
"Well, close the window… no wonder it was so cold in here…" She said. Rapunzel obeyed and gave one last look at the sky before swinging the wooden doors together and joining her mother for supper.
A/N: Review, Follow, Favorite, please!