"Pascal, today is a big day!" the blonde squealed with joy.

Pascal squeaked with excitement and jumped up and down.

It seemed like another normal night, but today was forecasted as a full moon.

Rapunzel was excited. The radiance of the moon had always captivated her.

It was dusk now, and the dying light of afternoon waned. A purplish glow encircled her room.

When she was younger, Rapunzel would sneak out after curfew to the fire escape and watch the beautiful luster of the full moon. She and Pascal would daydream about the day when mother would get better and they would be able to move out. She dreamed of settling down with a special someone and watching the sunset everyday and the stars every night.

Even though she had freedom, she still feels trapped by her mother's death and the guilt she harbors in her heart. But Eugene, the man who fatefully ended up in her house, had changed her life.

It was dusk now and Rapunzel was painting with Pascal to kill time. It was a strange feeling. Freetime. Eugene, though injured, was much less needy than mother was. But still, even though he said he didn't need anything, Rapunzel baked him cookies with milk anyways, still with a lot of free time to spare.

Rapunzel turned her head towards Pascal, as he ran up her arm, perching himself onto her shoulder, briefly interrupting her thoughts.

"Pascal, what do you think about Eugene?" she blurted out seemingly random.

Pascal looked at Rapunzel and gave an unsure squeak. What do chameleons know about love anyways?

"Well, I don't know, he seems nice" Rapunzel stated, gently petting Pascal. 'Nice' was the understatement of the year.

To others, it might seem weird that she would be talking to a chameleon , but to her, it was the most natural thing ever. Pascal was a friend, someone she could talk with, especially about important issues like this.

She thought back to childhood. Rapunzel had never housed or cared for anyone else but her mother. But unlike caring for mother, she enjoyed spending time with Eugene. He would never chastise her, but instead would compliment her every time he saw her. She didn't need to try her best to impress him. He just seemed to be happy with who Rapunzel was.

But no, this couldn't be right? How could she say these things about her mother? Rapunzel furrowed her brows and closed her eyes, trying to shake away these intrusive thoughts. More and more she began to doubt the things mother has told her, but still she couldn't let herself believe that 18 years of her life was devoid of true love, devoid of freedom.

As the light grew darker and darker, Rapunzel began to pack up her art supplies.

She left her art room and walked towards Eugene's room, hearing the quiet breathing of the man. He was asleep, his bare chest rising and falling peacefully. She quietly tiptoed towards his bed and pulled his covers over his body. She looked down at his bullet wound, which had healed remarkably these past weeks. But it left a scar, a reminder to her of how they met.

She left the room, quickly scurrying to the fire escape. She opened her window and felt the fresh air hit her face. She climbed to the highest point and suddenly the moonlight glow was revealed, over the horizon of houses and stores. It was so peaceful and tranquil. But she wasn't as joyful as she hoped she was. She stared into the nighttime sky and thought about what she was meant to do in this life. Tears began to form in the young girl's eyes and she curled her knees into her arms, the air suddenly feeling a little colder.

Something scared her. At first she didn't know why she was so sad, why her heart had a dull pain.

But slowly, her thoughts manifested. She thought about Eugene's wound, now nearly healed. It scared her knowing that after he was healed, he would leave. This past month with him had been amazing and fulfilling. But the thought of him leaving tore her heart in half.

Pascal crawled into her hands, trying to ease her crying, but to no avail.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a deep and familiar voice, and a gentle but firm hand fell on her shoulder. It was Eugene.

"Hey blondie, what are you doing out here? Are you cold?" Eugene wrapped his hand around her back, holding her tight.

Rapunzel felt warmer as she snuggled her head in the crook of Eugene's neck. They held each other tight, their communal warmth flowing between them.

"Rapunzel, why were you crying? You're the most cheerful and sweetest girl I know."

"Eugene?" she asked. "What would you do to make someone you care about stay with you?"

"Well…" Eugene smiled. "That special someone must be really handsome if I would think that. I would tell him he is smart, and devilishly good looking."

Eugene nuzzled her hair with his face, inducing a cute sigh of relief from the blonde. "But Rapunzel. I won't ever leave you. Remember when I told you my dream?"

"You mean becoming rich and living in a mansion?" she laughed.

"Yeah. Truth is, you're my new dream."

A small gust of wind blew across the fire escape, sending a small chill down his back. But he held on tighter to Rapunzel, preventing the frosty wind from hitting her.

"And Eugene… you were my new dream."

Rapunzel looked up at Eugene, her eyes locking with his. The moonlight glare illuminated her face. Eugene had never seen such beauty. And for that brief moment, there were no worries. For that brief moment, there was no pain, no sorrow. Just pure bliss.