I'm alive I swear! I just went away for Christmas Vacation. I hath returned, and have seen Tangled for the third time just yesterday. So yay more stories!
Shorter. Drabble-ier. Takes place between the first and second chapter.
Nope. I still don't own Tangled. Sad day…
Of Flowers and a 'Fair Trade'
Flynn didn't know what he was expecting to do after he gave the crown to his ex-partners in crime. He'd never liked them, and he knew they despised him, so it wasn't as it this was going to be a real bonding experience for anyone. More of a 'hey, now we never have to lay eyes on each other again. Everyone wins!' deal.
But truthfully, whatever outcome he'd had planned, most of his thoughts went into what would happen after the crown and the brothers were a distant memory that he would no longer have to deal with. He'd return to the boat and Rapunzel, tell her the crown meant nothing to him anymore, that he wanted to be with her – preferably without any more near death situations. It was ridiculous, absolutely absurd, but it had happened. He'd fallen in love with her and it was enough for him to want a new life. He didn't know how he'd get it after this exchange, but it was a step in the right direction.
So vaguely leaving the beautiful girl with her flower-woven hair he took off, planning to make this as short and painless as possible.
The second one of them – he'd never kept them straight – came into view he attempted the usual cocky smile he'd had before. It didn't come as easy. "Hey! I was lookin' everywhere for you guys since we got split up back there." He didn't bother to try to sound convincing. When he got the usual dead-pan glare, he shrugged, awkwardly, "Anyways, I shouldn't have taken off – the crown is all yours!" He tossed it to the man's feet, and took a step away, "It's been great – I'll miss ya – but I think it's for the be-"
He cut off as he'd turned around and promptly walked into the second of the men. He was hit again with just how BIG both of them were. Flynn wasn't a particularly short man and both of them stood over a head taller. And in his way.
"Holdin' out on us again… eh Rider?" The vocal of the two asked menacingly.
He turned to him, eyes wide, "Wha?" What on earth did THAT mean?
"We heard you found something…" Flynn's heart stopped. No. "Something much more valuable than a crown." He kicked it a little away from him. Oh, please no. "We want her… instead."
He didn't know what he was expecting… but this was not it. He struggled to calm himself, "Her?" He asked. His voice shook. Damn.
Now the smallest smirk came on his face, only making him look more wicked, "Saw yer little companion knows some tricks with her hair. And here we'd thought you'd taken her for other purposes." A short laugh for that, "And you couldn't spare any of that for the two partners you nearly drowned, hm?"
Flynn, who'd been consciously struggling not to do anything ridiculously drastic in his fear for Rapunzel's safety, took a moment before he could think of an appropriate response, "Wha- oh- yes, the hair. Clever, yeah… er… well, you may CERTAINLY have some if you really want. Ah, so, dagger? Either of you? Would only take a second…" He trailed off, as neither moved out of his path.
"Doesn't work that way, Rider, and you know it. Girl's a package deal – not that there's anything particularly wrong with that either."
His fists clenched subconsciously, but he was more aware of the two bandits' knowledge on Rapunzel and her hair. Sure, they may have seen her heal with it, but he couldn't believe they'd learned everything just from that. Someone had to have told them. But how could anyone other than him have known to begin with?
When he said nothing to that – now aware that if he spoke nothing incredibly wise would come out and this situation would only get worse – he was handed the crown again, "So, pretty boy, here's your crown back. Go buy that castle of yours. We'll take the girl."
"Ah, no can do." He spoke before thinking. "You see, that dream's a wee bit tacky now that I've thought about it. But if you don't want it, I'll take it back. But, she's ah… she's not negotiable."
The smirk faded in the course of that speech but by the end was back in full dark force, "That's rich, Rider, you've become lover boy too. Shame… we'd be willing to share…" Never had a word like share ever sounded so terrible. Flynn struggled to keep his growing anger in check.
"Not an option." He said tightly.
"Thing is, Rider, you're not in charge of what's an option for us. Never were. We're going to have that girl."
He opened his mouth again, ready to say anything, ready to yell for Rapunzel – hopefully in hearing distance to run, and the brothers caught on. Before any sound left his mouth he felt a sharp pain in his head – similar to a frying pan but worse – and vaguely heard one of his ex-partners-now-captors chuckle "Too bad – you could have at least had your castle…"
And then Flynn's world went black.
