Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled.

Chapter 1

Rapunzel sighed, a brush in her hands, as she gazed once again at the clock on the wall. It was nearing eight o'clock and Eugene still wasn't home. She was getting worried.

Turning back to her easel illuminated by the candlelight, she continued on with her painting, depicting the forest not far from the house.

She was almost finished at half past nine, when she heard the front door open and Eugene walked in.

Tossing her brushes down she scrambled up to meet him but stopped in her tracks in the doorway.

It was apparent by the innocent look on his face and the stiffness in his body that he was hoping she would be asleep when he arrived.

"Eugene, where have you been?" she exclaimed, managing to add both worry and anger into the question.

"Ah, here, I brought dinner," he said and produced a sack from behind his back.

"I've already eaten. Do you know what time it is?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, Rapunzel, but I was held up at work." He tried to get out of the room but she stepped in front of him to block his way. That was when she finally saw him clearly in the flickering candlelight and gasped in horror.

He was covered in cuts and bruises, his clothing was dishevelled, and he was holding his side tightly, his teeth gritted in pain.

"Eugene!" she gasped, dragging him into the kitchen and sitting him in a chair. "What happened? Who did this?" She didn't wait for his reply as she ran into the next room to retrieve the medical supplies.

Gingerly, he began to take off his vest and shirt, wincing as it stuck to the dried blood. "Don't worry about it, Rapunzel," he hissed as she came back and applied a sort of stinging ointment to his skin.

Her eyes widened. "Don't worry about it? Eugene, someone hurt you! Tell me what happened!"

She hurriedly but tenderly began to dab at what she saw as the most serious of his injuries. It was a long gash on his side and bleeding, but she deemed it not so deep as to require stitches. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she spotted a longer, jagged scar just beneath it, a scar he had earned almost a year ago, risking his life for hers. But she ignored this scar and all the other scars that littered his body, for this was not the time to lament about his perilous behaviour as she had so often done before.

This brought a realization into her head. "Eugene," she said softly. "What did you steal this time?"

The look in his eyes, and the fact that he couldn't look her in the eye, made her want to cry with sorrow.

He saw the tears brimming in her eyes and quickly reached out his hands to wipe them away. "Oh, sweetheart, please," he whispered, caressing her face.

"Why?" she asked, putting down the bandages.

"Rapunzel, we simply don't have enough money to live off of! We barely have enough for food as it is, and we need some for clothing and to keep this roof over our heads!" he gestured wildly around him.

"I don't like that you steal, Eugene. You know that!"

"I know, honey, and I work hard every day but it doesn't pay much and I can't get a better job because someone is bound to recognize me! It's not enough. We have to live on the outskirts of the kingdom where rent is cheaper and people are less likely to notice me, but it also makes finding work harder."

She tugged anxiously on the short strands of brown hair, a new habit she had developed. "What about the money I make at the market? Selling baked goods and jewellery and my paintings?"

He grabbed her hands, stopping her from pulling out her hair. "That helps, Rapunzel. And I love you for it. But it's my duty to take care of you and provide for you. I want you to have your own money, something you can spend on yourself."

"Then I'll sell my paints and paintbrushes. I don't need them, but we need the food."

"No, no!" he cried, stroking her hair. "No, I won't let you sell them. You love to paint and I'm not taking that away from you."

She shook her head. "But I don't want you to steal! It's not right!"

He sighed and looked down. He had told her he wouldn't steal anymore, and he had tried. Rapunzel had offered him a whole new life – almost quite literally – and he knew his actions were wrong. But sometimes things just couldn't be helped. Once a thief, always a thief.

"I know, I know," he whispered. When she began to cry again, he pulled her into his embrace, ignoring his injuries. "I promise you, that once we get back on our feet again, I will stop."

"Promise?" she asked feebly.

"I promise."

Sniffing, she pulled out of his arms and grabbed the bandages she had set down. As she applied them she asked, "So tell me what happened?"

He then recounted his story about stealing the luggage of some noble passing through town, but getting jumped in the process by his guard.

Rapunzel applied the last bandage and then sat down with her face in her hands. "Eugene," she groaned dejectedly. She looked up when a large bag was placed on the table in front of her. "How much?" she asked.

"Enough for more than a month," he replied, throwing his shirt back on. "And he won't even miss it."

Rapunzel was too tired to fight with him right now. She'd been worrying all night about his safety and she was too relieved that he was all right to be overly angry about this new source of income. It wasn't the first time; that was for sure. The first time he had told her that he'd stolen a small statue she had been really angry. Furious. She didn't want him to continue to lead his life of thievery. He didn't want to either, he said, but winter was approaching and they needed the money for coal and warm clothing and food. She admitted, albeit grudgingly, that they wouldn't have survived the season otherwise.

Sighing tiredly, she rose from the table. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Eugene."

He rose from his seat and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Blondie."

Eugene watched as she made her way into her room, closing the door behind her. He turned back to the table and stared at his bag of riches morosely. He hated putting Rapunzel through this, but he also wanted to see her alive and healthy. Standing, he too, headed for bed.

They stayed in separate bedrooms, in compliance with Eugene's wishes. He had wanted separate houses, but Rapunzel had pleaded with him that they live together. He hadn't wanted to, as they weren't properly married and Rapunzel was a sweet and respectable girl…but she hadn't seemed to understand that concept. He was happy, however, that this enabled him to watch over her and make sure that she was cared for.

At first, they had ended up sleeping in the same bed because Rapunzel was terrified of being left alone for a single minute. She would constantly wake up from nightmares about her mother or Eugene dying, but he was always there to comfort her.

But after awhile, as Rapunzel was able to go a full night without waking up, he insisted they occupy separate rooms. He was getting more and more uncomfortable sharing a bed with a beautiful woman and didn't trust himself half the time. So he figured the best thing was to maintain his distance.

He wouldn't have to for long, however, he thought with a smile. Because Rapunzel's nineteenth birthday was coming up, on the day of the Lantern Festival, which she adored, and he planned to propose to her that night. He had it all planned out and it was going to be perfect.