They had fallen asleep beside each other in the dark room. When the sun rose and the rain had stopped, he woke to find her, still in her dress, on top of the sheets, hugging the pillow under her head. She was lying on her stomach, and her hair covered most of her face. He allowed himself a long moment of watching her sleep, mulling over what he'd told her last night. Somehow, saying the things he'd been hiding from for years made him feel a little lighter. She was still here, even though she knew his horrible past and the things he'd done.

And he felt better about knowing her story now, as well. They were both aware of each other's lives. Somehow he felt more comfortable with her now, as Eugene Fitzherbert, than he ever had hiding behind his Flynn Rider mask.

She stirred after a while, catching him watching her. She yawned widely. "Good morning," she grinned. "Eugene,"

"Morning, Sunshine."

She giggled sleepily. "Oh, I didn't brush my teeth last night…"

"We fell asleep. Sorry about that, kid."

"Hmm," she rubbed her eyes tiredly and pushed herself up. "Well, I have no clothes and no more underwear, so I suppose I'd better head home."

"Or," he suggested quickly. "You borrow my clothes and we wash them this morning? The sun is out. It won't take long for them to dry."

"That sounds better." She agreed, smiling at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good, all things considered," he pushed a dark lock of hair off her face, and she froze, watching him closely. "Thanks for letting me talk last night."

"Thanks for telling me your story."

He suddenly frowned. "You had something to talk to me about yesterday. You never told me."

"Oh," her eyebrows suddenly drew together. "Yeah…" she sucked in a huge breath and pushed herself up onto her left arm, frowning at the sheets beneath her. "I think I needed you for advice…they found my parents. My real parents. And they're alive and they live just outside of Corona. I had to do tests and swab my mouth and everything, and they found out who they were through my saliva. Isn't that interesting? But yeah, it's up to me whether I want to meet them or not. They're not going to contact them until I've made my decision."

Eugene felt his eyebrows raise into his hairline. "Wow," he chewed on the inside of his mouth, thinking it over. "Do you know anything about them?"

She nodded slowly, looking at up him with a very indifferent expression. Whether or not she was trying to distance herself from her new found family, he wasn't sure, but it was rare of Blondie to not give away exactly how she was feeling through those eyes.

"They were high up in the government or something at the time I went missing. Max said after that he – my father, retired and they moved out of the central part of the city. Now they have normal jobs. I was their only child, and there was a big investigation going on for years. I went missing from their home in the middle of the night, but they couldn't find any evidence of...my mother...or where she'd taken me."

"Wait, wait, wait," Eugene held up a hand to pause her as something clicked in his mind. "Your parents are Frederick and Arianna Levant?!"

"Oh…yeah…"

Now it was Eugene's turn to sigh. He leaned back against the headboard and crossed his arms over his stomach. "I remember all of that happening. It was everywhere, for ages. It happened when I'd just entered the orphanage, and there were pictures of you all over everything." He chuckled darkly. "I had a plan to be adopted by them, seeing as they were missing a child and I was missing parents. Not to mention all of their money."

"So you know about them, then?" her eyes were hopeful.

He hesitated. "Not so much about them personally. I have no idea what they look like, or how they act. They're basically Corona royalty, for this day and age. Both of their parents were involved in the council for years, and their grandparents. It's in their blood. I think Frederick is related somehow to the last royal family Corona had, as well. They've been here forever."

"Huh," Rapunzel was thoughtful for a long moment. "So what should I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

She scrunched her nose. "I don't know! What if they're over it now? It's been eighteen years…maybe they've forgotten about me. Maybe they're happy that it's just the two of them."

"Or maybe they're still waiting for their daughter to come home." Eugene offered. "I don't think that's something people get over, Blondie. You'd probably set their entire lives right if you showed up on their doorstep. But, it's your decision. Don't do it for them. Do you want to have family in your life?"

"I don't know…" she answered slowly. "I don't know what that would be like."

"It's a nice support network for when you need it. I wished I'd had it when I was your age. I probably would have avoided a lot of trouble."

"What scares me, is that they're not going to understand me at all. What if they look at me like everyone else does? What if they're scared to say things to me incase I break down?"

"I don't speak to you like that, do I?" Eugene didn't make a move toward her, waiting to hear her response.

"No, you don't." she smiled a little. "Thank you."

"I figure I'm more the freak than you are," he brushed her off.

She laughed once. "I don't know about that."

It looked as though she was thinking way too hard, so Eugene suggested she jump in the shower and he would wash her clothes. He brought her one of his t-shirts that looked like a dress on her little body and a pair of boxer briefs and opened the door just enough to place them inside and reach for her clothes. A large part of him wanted to poke his head in and take a look at her, but he didn't know how she'd react and he didn't need to freak her out again.

He hadn't done washing for a week or so, with everything going on, so he filled his washing machine to the top, pausing when he threw in her bra and underwear. It was padded. He knew it! The small navy print and yellow daisies matched the fabric on the lace underwear she'd been wearing and he shook his head in an attempt to clear it when he imagined her wearing them. It wasn't a sexy pair of underwear by any means, but it suited her down to the ground.

He was making her a cup of tea and toast when she exited the bathroom, tugging at his underwear on her thighs while she grinned. "These are comfy! Extra room to hide butter!"

It was times like these he had to work to keep the humoured look off his face. If she saw it, she would proclaim that he thought she was weird and maybe run away again. He did hope, however, that she wouldn't be putting butter in his underwear any time soon.

"Extra room for you," he placed her cup of tea on the counter and she took a seat, looking toward him interestedly. Her eyes fell to his pants, and quickly back up to his face and he cleared his throat. "What did you want to do today?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "Honestly, I just like being with you where I don't have to think about anything. It's like another world in here. I forget everything else."

"I know what you mean," he sighed. He took a long sip of coffee and buttered her toast when it popped, covering it with chocolate spread he'd bought specifically for her on one of his last trips to the grocery store. He'd figured out that the more sugar in something, the better Blondie would like it.

"Did you have anything you needed to do today?" she asked him when he presented her breakfast. He leaned against the counter and watched her chew on her crusts.

"Nothing. Work is closed for a while, and I haven't made any plans for a couple of weeks," he swallowed when she looked down awkwardly. "You're kind of the only person I see anymore, Blondie."

"Hmm," she took another big bite and chewed it quickly. "I see you, and Cass, and the guys at the pub, but I like spending time with you the most."

"Oh, that's right," he perked up, and her eyes grew wide when he stood up as straight as he could, towering over her across the bench. "I have something to address with you, Blondie."

"What's that?" he noticed the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I'm not your type, huh?"

She threw her head back and laughed loudly, for way too long. "Well, I guess hearing that just serves you right for stalking me, Fitzherbert! It's not nice to follow people. Especially when they're angry at you."

"You're one to talk about stalking." He muttered. "No, but seriously. How could I not be your type?! Look at me!"

"And there's the Flynn Rider we all know and love." She rolled her eyes and took another bite of toast, so big she wouldn't be contributing anything to the conversation for a while.

Eugene grinned at her, good with his confident mask, but needing to hear her praise all the same. "Blondie. If I'm not your type, we'd better end things here and now. I don't want you breaking my heart down the line for something I can't control."

Rapunzel swallowed her toast, wincing as it scratched her throat. Her heart raced at his words and she stood to carry her plate to the sink, brushing against him as she did so. "As you said, Eugene. How could you not be anyone's type?" she turned and leaned her back against the counter, looking up at him slyly. "And I'll still think of you as my best friend, whether I think you're hideous or not. That's not going to change anything for me."

His fingers twitched at her taunting, and he suddenly realised he hadn't kissed her since before he found out about her story. He'd attempted something last night, but they were both too cautious after the long and depressing speeches that they'd been wary around each other until falling asleep.

She was grinning at him, that little smirk that he knew she'd been practicing. Blondie was getting good at her awareness around men. He eventually decided to just go for it, and took the one step that placed him directly in front of her, securing her against the counter, leaving her with no where to go.

"Is that all I am to you, Blondie? A friend?"

"I was under the impression you didn't take on more than friends," she breathed nervously. "Don't you have some kind of no-girlfriends rule?"

"Yeah, I suppose I did," he agreed quietly, watching her with burning eyes. Her fingers were shaking on the counter behind her, and he traced his arm from them to her shoulder, under the sleeve of his shirt. "Before you showed up and turned my life upside down."

She met his lips gently, sighing against his face, the scent of toothpaste flooding his nostrils. He held her tightly by the shoulders, holding her still, his hips pressed into hers to trap her completely. He kissed her slowly, tasting her, smirking when her untrained lips slipped up and made a messy mistake. He again noted how his heart thumped against his chest, though he'd done this and so much more with hundreds of women in the past that hadn't had this affect on him. Blondie was something else.

Her hands finally left the counter and found their way around his neck, and he resisted groaning when she pushed herself up, onto her toes, brushing against his groin roughly. Their kisses became quicker and messier, and he pushed her more forcefully against the counter, until she was bending slightly backwards and he was leaning over her. He finally decided enough was enough and grabbed her hips, lifting her and seating her on the bench in front of him.

He grinned at her face, her emotions easy to read as they paused long enough to steal a look at each other. Her lips were parted, her breath hot and quick, and she stared down at his mouth, their faces perfectly aligned while she sat at this height.

She didn't answer his smile with one of her own, and a worrying thought struck him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded quickly, pulling him back toward her.

They'd kissed before, but never like this. He tasted her tongue, egging her on to push the boundaries and explore his mouth. She grabbed the hair at the back of his neck so tightly he winced, but didn't tell her it hurt. He didn't want to do or say anything that would put a stop to this.

When she rubbed herself against his hips, he groaned into her mouth, unable to help himself, and she stopped immediately, her shoulders turning forward as if she were protecting herself.

"Sorry!"

"Don't be," he gasped. He grabbed her and forced her mouth back to his, then left her lips to trail quick, messy kissed across her jaw and down her neck. Her collarbone was completely hidden from him by the neckline of his t-shirt, and he held himself back from sighing in frustration and scaring her again. Her hands were gripping his shoulders so tightly, encouraging him to continue, and her breathing was so fast he would have been worried about her under other circumstances. He let his hands trail from her backside, along her thighs, pulling her against him as tightly as possible, rubbing back against her while her body responded naturally in return.

The kitchen counter is not a good enough place for her first sexual experience.

Eugene stopped, standing up straight in front of her, pulling his hips from between her legs, his hands still braced on her thighs as he stared into her eyes. They were full of confusion and sexual frustration, and she opened her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it.

"Trust me?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah," she breathed heavily.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Blondie. If you get scared, tell me. I'll stop straight away."

"Okay," he could see the fear in her eyes, but he picked her up gently and carried her across the room, depositing her in the middle of his bed. She was so light, like he was only carrying half a person in his arms.

Her head rested on his pillow, her back to the bed, and he propped himself up on his left elbow, leaning toward her, his right hand rubbing comfortingly on her hip. He kissed her once again, easing her into it in their new position, and ever so slowly, allowed his hand to travel to her thighs, just at the hem of his t-shirt, easing it up, higher and higher, until he felt his underwear covering her. He hesitated, playing with the edge at her thigh, until her kisses were once again so desperate he couldn't deny her. He nudged her thighs apart with his hand, finally rubbing his finger tips against her, holding back his groan at the damp fabric he was met with.

She squeaked into his mouth, and he pulled his face from hers immediately, his hand still hovering above her, but no longer touching.

"I won't hurt you," he repeated quietly. "I promise."

"I know," she whispered back, then hesitated, glancing down toward his hand. "What should I do?"

"Just relax," he murmured. "I just want to watch you."

She nodded urgently, watching him closely as he lowered his hand once again, stroking her with a little more pressure.

She blinked erratically, still staring into his eyes, her lips parted as if she had something she wished to say, but couldn't form the words.

She eventually relaxed beside him, her eyes closing and opening with his movements, her breath in time with his hand, as if she was anticipating everything he did. When her hips began moving against his hand and small whimpers escaped her lips, he tugged at the waist band of his underwear, moving it slowly down her hips, over her thighs, down her calves and off her feet, dropping them to the floor behind him. Her nerves were back in her face, but he pushed a lock of hair away from her left cheek and gave her a comforting smile, letting her know without words that he wasn't going to look, just touch.

She saturated his hand as soon as he touched her, and he gritted his teeth to stop from reacting and freaking her out. Her lack of experience was so obvious it made him want to cry out with glee. He'd been with virgins before, but he'd never, ever gotten a reaction like the one she was giving him. He used her liquid, coating his fingertips, moving them where he knew he'd have her undone in a matter of moments, his fingers circling her expertly, applying pressure and taking it away with her movements against him.

She was panting beside him, her eyes squeezed shut tightly, small yelps leading him on, telling him to continue. It only took thirty seconds or so, and she suddenly gripped his arm tightly, her fingernails digging into his forearm, forcing him to keep his hand exactly where it was as she rolled her hips against him firmly, her mouth opening wider and wider until she let out a long, loud gasping breath, her legs clenching and shaking on either side of his hand. He felt her pulse against his fingertips as he circled her; once, twice, three times, four times…he watched her face closely, strained through her orgasm, until her legs and expression relaxed slowly, her fingers releasing his arm and falling to her stomach, still covered by his shirt.

He grinned and pulled his hand from her gently, bending to kiss her lips. She kissed him back lazily, opening her eyes to offer him a small, nervous smile, though her entire face expressed how sleepy she was suddenly feeling.

"You're beautiful," was all he could manage to say.

"What was that?" she asked him in a whisper, as if there were others around who could hear her.

He chuckled. "Your anatomy books don't tell you about orgasms?"

"I've read about them," she yawned widely, her eyes slipping shut for a moment too long. "But it didn't say what they felt like. And I didn't know that they could happen from…that."

"What did it feel like?" he asked, genuinely curious. He'd asked girls before, but none of them had actually explained it to him. He knew Blondie would have more of an answer than anyone else he'd ever met.

"Like fire," she said immediately, readjusting her head on his pillow. "Like it was burning me, but not in a hot way. Maybe more like electricity. And it crept up on me, and suddenly it was there, and my whole lower body just ran away from me and did what it wanted, and I wondered if I would ever get it back. And then, like it crept up on me, it faded away." She chewed on her lip for a second. "And now my body doesn't want to move."

He chuckled, watching her as her eyes fell shut slowly. "Blondie," he said quietly. "Are you falling asleep on me?"

"Hmm," she nodded lazily, not opening her eyes. "I think I am."

"Well, I'll take that to mean 'job well done'," he snorted.

"Eugene," she breathed as he made to climb off the bed.

"Yeah?"

She frowned, opening her eyes just enough to stare him down. "I can feel my heartbeat in my vagina. Is that normal?"

He couldn't resist from laughing loudly this time. "Well, I've never had one," he told her gently. "But yeah, I think that's pretty normal."

"Okay," she yawned, rolling onto her side so her back was to him. He snuck a look at the creases on the top of her thighs, breathing deeply to attempt to bring himself back to earth. "Goodnight, Eugene,"

"Night, Blondie,"

I've been thinking very hard about how to explain orgasms in preparation for this chapter. Apparently my face has been giving me away because the last few times my partner has asked me if I'm alright after. But this story is a secret in my personal life so I had no response :)