Soli Deo gloria
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Tangled. I came up with this cutesy idea just because it seemed to be something that Rapunzel and Eugene would do.
"Eugene, come on, tell me," Rapunzel asked, smiling excitedly. She was all wrapped up in a blanket on the loveseat in the family parlor. She overed herself so that all you could see was the top of her brunette hair.
Eugene stooped next to the fire, stoking it with the poker and occasionally adding a stick of wood to make it grow higher. The log he just added crackled and popped, shifting the other logs in the fire and causing the growing flames to leap even higher. It was the night before Christmas Eve, and the King and Queen were busy with running-the-country stuff, so he and Rapunzel took this as an opportunity to do something alone together, without even Pascal, who had fallen asleep immediately following supper.
"I'm not going to tell you, Blondie," he answered her, keeping his eyes on the fire.
"Oh, please, I just want an itsy-bitsy teensy weensy clue about my Christmas present," Rapunzel said, her voice muffled by the green blanket. She curled her feet in more. The snow outside seemed to make the room colder even though there was windows and walls separating them.
"Well, princess . . ." Eugene said slowly as he put the poker down and went over to the loveseat. He sat down on the left side, nearly crushing Rapunzel's toes. She squealed and curled them closer to herself. Eugene didn't finish his sentence for instead he picked up the end of the blanket to reveal Rapunzel's bare toes.
"Eugene!" she squealed. "Put that blanket back! My feet are getting cold!"
"I should say they're getting cold," he counteracted, "ever heard of socks?"
"Yes, yes I have," Rapunzel said. How could he think that she hadn't know about socks? She sat up straighter, the blanket falling off her shoulders, and said, "They fall off under the covers."
"Sure," Eugene rolled his eyes. He let his arm run along the top of the loveseat until it came upon Rapunzel's shoulders. She smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against his shoulder, quiet for that moment. It was hard to be mad at each other, especially if it was just over socks.
The only sounds that could be heard was the howl of the snow-filled wind outside and the warm crackle of the fire. Rapunzel could feel his chest go up and down, making her smile bigger. It was nice, knowing that he was alive. When he had died . . . she shook her head quickly to rid herself of such sour thoughts. She never wanted to remember that part of that day. Ever.
Rapunzel decided to think about happier things, like Christmas. Christmas was never much of a thing growing up in the tower. Gothel got her a small present, they'd make a nice dinner and they'd sing a song. Period. Done. Rapunzel had never questioned her about anything else, like what other people did for Christmas. She never asked because one, Gothel would get angry, and two, it was most likely gruesome and such. After all, practically everyone in the world was a ruffian or thug back then.
But now there was all this stuff that people did for Christmas that made Rapunzel happy. Singing songs, decorating, spending time with her friends and family. There was one thing that nagged at her mind though, and she didn't know the answer to it.
"Eugene?" she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Hmmm?" was his answer.
"Why do we celebrate Christmas?"
Eugene cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "Well, Rapunzel, the reason why we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of God's son. Now, the reason we give each other presents is because Christmas is the season of giving, and when we give presents to each other, it makes us all very happy."
"All right, so it's like we're celebrating a birthday?" Rapunzel asked.
"Exactly. Giving gifts is one of the many traditions of Christmas. One of the other traditions of Christmas is Father Christmas," Eugene added on.
Rapunzel sat up straighter, her brown locks falling in front of her face. She wiped them away and asked, "Who's Father Christmas?"
Eugene's eyes twinkled. "Ah, yes. You see, Rapunzel, on Christmas Eve night, when all the children are tucked in their beds, Father Christmas goes to each house where there are children, but he won't go to your house if you've been bad."
"Why not?" Rapunzel asked.
"Well, do bad children deserve presents?" Eugene asked her.
Rapunzel thought about that for a moment and answered, "I think some of them do. I mean, if they do only a couple of bad things, they should get a present, but if they're bad children, I guess not."
"Right. So, Father Christmas comes with his bag full of gifts. He wears a dark red robe trimmed with white and tied with a belt around the middle, and big, black boots. He wears a floppy red hat, trimmed with white fur. He rides on a sleigh covered in bells that is pulled by eight magical deer. He goes up to each house and quietly slips through the door. Each child will have hung their stockings on the mantlepiece for him to fill."
"Was that why the thugs had stockings on the fireplace in the Snuggly Duckling?" Rapunzel asked eagerly, the story bringing a blush to her cheeks.
"Yep."
"Do you think I can make us stockings so we can hang them tomorrow night?" Rapunzel asked eagerly. She knew how to knit very quickly.
"Sure, if you want to. If the children are good, he fills the stockings with oranges and such and if they're bad, he fills them with coal. Then, if the children are good, he leaves presents under their Christmas tree for them, and he does this for all the children in the world."
"He does?" Rapunzel wondered curiously. She sat back in her seat and said softly, "He's never been to the tower."
Eugene smiled softly at her and whispered into her ear, "That's because he doesn't exist."
Rapunzel sat straight up and gave him a WHAT? look. He smiled and laid back against the seat. Rapunzel scowled and frowned as she gave him a poke to the arm. He stifled a laugh and rubbed his arm. "Then why did you tell me he exists?"
"I never said that! I never said the story was true! It's folklore, Rapunzel. There is no Father Christmas! It's something parents tell their kids to get them all happy for the holiday," he explained in his defense.
"We don't need Father Christmas to get us all happy for Christmas! I'm already happy! Besides, Eugene, that's lying!" Rapunzel accused.
"Don't blame me!" Eugene quickly said. "I didn't come up with it!"
Rapunzel sighed and leaned against his shoulder again. "Parents shouldn't have to lie to their kids."
"Yeah, they shouldn't," he sighed. He smiled after a moment and said, "And so when we have kids, we won't lie to them."
Rapunzel instantly stiffened at his words. She would have sat up and said something to him—that is, if she could think of something to say. She merely blushed a bright pink and snuggled into his comforting shoulder. It was times like this where she couldn't love him more.
They sat in the dark parlor (save the fire) for a few more minutes. The snow covered windows covered the light that might have come through into the room, and the Christmas tree candles added to the holiday atmosphere.
Eugene wrapped the bit of loose blanket around her shoulders, causing her to hmm in happiness. She lifted her face to look into his brown eyes and said softly, "Eugene?"
"Yes, love?" he answered just as quietly.
"You haven't answered my question," Rapunzel explained.
"And what question was that?"
"What are getting me for Christmas?" Rapunzel reminded him, her bright green eyes full of mischief.
"Ah, that," Eugene said, sitting up straighter. "I can't tell you that."
Rapunzel pleaded, "Please, just one clue?"
"No," he answered. No one besides himself and Maximus and maybe one or two unimportant people knew what he was getting Rapunzel. He had thought himself to be quite original to be getting this present for her.
"Please?" Rapunzel asked again, her lower lip stuck out in a pout.
"Don't look at me like that," Eugene smiled. In truth, she looked very adorable like that.
"Please?" she asked again, this time filled with less wanting, for she knew that he probably would never give in.
"No," he replied. When she sighed and didn't change the expression on her face, Eugene said, "Now, stop making your face look like that, or I'll change it myself." When she didn't, he sighed and said in a quiet voice, "All right then," and he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around hers.
Rapunzel wasn't all that surprised that he did that. She couldn't help but smile as much as she could as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He carefully placed his hands around her waist and pulled her closer.
The little chameleon who was watching them through a crack in the door squealed and ran back to his room.
I hope you did like it, though, and please leave a review!
