Have some fluff here before Rapunzel's day officially begins!

1. This is an edited version of this chapter. Check author's notes for any changes.

1. Apologies for any spelling/grammar mistakes that fall through the final cut. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 21 - Rapunzel's First Halloween: Part 3 of 5

Type: Five-shot short story

Description: Eugene is with Rapunzel when she wakes from her nightmare, and he comforts her as she slowly calms down. They share a special moment with one another, but not without some angst.

It looked to be 5:58, or something around then. A better way to put it is that the time was right before 6. Eugene was starting to feel... sleepy, the effect of all the coffee he'd been drinking is slowly starting to wear thin. Even though he was a thief on the run for many years, he's never had to suffer through a sleepless night like this one he's willingly put himself through.

He's running on pure reserve fuel right now, so he barely even noticed Rapunzel as she started to shake and turn in her bed.

As soon as he heard her whisper his name, his eyes jerked open. Immediately he looked to her bed to see her still asleep. He sighed a breath of relief and smiled before realizing what time it was and that she'd probably be waking soon.

But then she started twisting and turning even more, beginning to whisper his name through frantic breaths. He contemplated what to do for a moment and his thoughts went to that of her maybe having a bad dream again. They haven't been as common as they once were a few months ago, but he knows she still has them every now and then, just as he does.

He walked over to her and placed his inner palm on her cheek, relaxing her muscles with his thumb. He watched her breaths slow and relax, until suddenly her eyes jerked open at the sensation of his touch. Her hand immediately flung to his wrist and held it tight as Eugene's eyes widened in shock.

Her eyes glistened due to the dampness, and she brokenly whispered up to him. "Yo-you, you didn't... you didn't…"

Eugene batted away the few tears that had run from her eyelids with his thumb, whispering back to her, "I didn't what?"

"It... it was so real, it was as if I was back there…"

"Back where? The tower?"

"No…" Her eyes scrunched shut, "The.. balcony."

Eugene's brow furrowed, his eyes feeling as heavy as ever. No matter what happens, he cannot tell Rapunzel he stayed up all night for her. This day has to be perfect and in no case will he let himself be a distraction. "The balcony?"

"Ye-yes…"

Why on Earth would she be dreaming about a balcony? "Was it a nightmare?"

She bit her lip and pulled her hand up to hold the one he had placed on her cheek, just trying to feel, to make sure this isn't another one of her dreams. "I... I think.."

"Have you ever dreamed about this... balcony before?" He had a small idea on what balcony she was talking about but, why would that cause her nightmares? That was a happy moment when she met her parents for the first time, when he was asked by King Frederic about why he stole his daughter's crown to only return her days later. In response he said that he did so because of a change of heart, and that it was the right thing to do. He remembers that moment vividly. He didn't directly tell Frederic about his feelings he held for his daughter until that first talk they had after the celebrations ended, though.

Rapunzel looked up at him with saddened, reddened eyes, "No...not before.." The only nightmares she had all had two main themes to them: Either Gothel or that tower, sometimes even both. This one didn't have any of those two things, which kind of scared her.

"Do you have any idea why you dreamed about it then? Maybe there was some kind of message."

"I don't know," she sighed and looked off to the side. Eugene removed his hand from her cheek but still held it in his own as he kneeled on one knee by her side, getting a more level-playing field with her as he slept.

"Well, Rapunzel, whatever happened in your dream, whatever you saw... it's not true. I'm here with you, and I love you.. so, so much. You're my everything, please.. don't ever forget that."

She looked back at him. Her face had a little tint, a little glow to it from the light the fire emitted, making all her facial features perfectly visible to him. He loves every part of her face. The way her nose wrinkles when she finds something disgusting, her light freckles that dance near the tip of her nose. Her big, beautiful green eyes, if he hasn't said that enough.

A part of him aches whenever he sees her in this way. How can someone so beautiful, o innocent, be subject to such pain, such trauma?

She managed a faint smile but he could see the pain in her eyes. He leaned over and cupped her cheek, planting a kiss that lasted a few seconds to her lips before retreating, but still staying close. He rested his forehead against hers.

"No matter what you think, I'm still here. I will always be here for you, love."

Rapunzel rubbed his arm, whispering, "Thank you." She managed to turn her gaze away from this handsome man's face to look at the fire, which appeared as if it was recently lit. She could barely see the chair Eugene had been sitting on, a book planted face down, opened on its seat. "How long have you been here?"

"Hm?"

She moved to sit up against the back of her bedpost, pointing to his book.

"Oh, erm-" He rubbed the back of his neck. Remember Fitzherbert, no distractions. "I couldn't sleep."

"Did you have a nightmare, too?"

He shook his head. "No. Just couldn't get comfortable."

Rapunzel looked at him suspiciously. "Did you get any sleep?"

Eugene clenched his jaw and bit his lip, turning away to face the fire. "Yes," he chuckled, "enough to survive the day's plans I've made for you."

She opened her mouth to comment on that, because the way he told her that made her instantly think he was lying. But before she could, a frantic wave of exhaustion rushed over her. She felt the need and desire to try to go back to sleep, so she wouldn't try to pry the truth out of him. Just not yet. "You can come lay in my bed with me if you want."

"Excuse me?" He turned his head back and faced her.

Rapunzel looked at him innocently and rested both her hands in her lap. "If you want to try to go back to sleep, like I want to, then we can both try together. If you want." She said it as an actual statement instead of a demand, but he feels as if she is indirectly telling him that she wants him in her bed. That she wants him close to her, to comfort her, to whisper sweet-nothings into her ear, just do this one thing for her that he hasn't done in weeks and months!

But he can't sleep now. She can't sleep, either. He's not sure how much longer he can last and while he's perfectly fine with the idea of her sleeping in a little bit late, if he falls asleep and she somehow wakes up and goes to her art room without him, the plan's all over. "No.. actually, I was hoping you'd want to get up."

She tilted her head ever so slightly, "Why? Don't you like to sleep in?"

He chuckled, "Yes, I do. It's one of my favorite things in life. I always say you need a good night's sleep, and that you need a healthy amount to take on the day. You know, Blondie, sleep deprivation is a real thing that actually affects how you manage things throughout-"

"Eugene," she sang and laughed.

"Oh, right." He brushed his longer-than-normal hair back and sighed. He always makes these things so awkward. "Seriously, though. Yes, I do love to sleep." He laughed ever so slightly, "but I also love when a certain Princess wakes me up at an obnoxious hour in the morning because she wants me to take her to go see the outside world."

She sighed in discontent. "I haven't woken you up like that in months, you know. Aside from yesterday."

"Yes, I know. How do I know? Because I've been getting a healthy amount of sleep! And it's actually affected how I function throughout the day! Crazy, right? Seriously, girl, how do you keep waking up at such an ungodly hour!?"

Rapunzel couldn't hold in her smile anymore. He really knows the right ways to cheer her up. All of a sudden, it was as if that nightmare had never even happened.

Eugene leaned over and pecked her cheek before ruffling her hair with his hand. "That's my girl." He stood up and walked over to the seat he was sitting in and grabbed the book, but not before he grabbed another log and carefully maneuvered it into her fireplace. He has to make sure she keeps warm, of course. The temperature outside is mostly the same as it was yesterday, but it turns out the maintenance men who control the temperature, heat, all the stuff like that: They just didn't have it turned on yet when he woke up in a frigid chill yesterday. They, like everyone else, didn't expect it to get this cold this quickly.

The heat is pumping now, thankfully. "Unlike yesterday, I do have something planned for us. It's mostly a you thing, though."

"Hmmm," she tapped her chin and hummed, "I wonder what it could be."

"Trust me, your royal perfect highness, you will see soon enough." He walked over to the wall right next to her door and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Standing here. Until I see with my own two eyes you getting out of bed, I'm not moving another muscle. Once you're up, I'll take my spot in the hall while you get yourself ready and grab everything you want with you for the day."

In response, Rapunzel grinned and slowly dropped back into her cocoon of covers. "And what if I don't want to get up?"

"Then you've left me no choice." Eugene dropped his head. "If you won't comply with my demands, then here comes the smolder.."

She opened her mouth and let out a small laugh, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me, princess!" He then jerked his head back up, his lips puckered, his eyes narrow and his eyebrows angling upwards. Rapunzel giggled as she sat back up against her bedpost.

"Oh, the horror! Whatever am I going to do against the magical smolder!?" She held the back of her hand up against her head in pretend angst.

Eugene held the face but slowly approached her, eventually leaning over to her as she backed away and swatted at him, giggling. He held the face for a few more seconds as Rapunzel looked visibly uncomfortable but still grinning ear to ear.

Finally he broke and exhaled a deep breath. "Oh, come on!"

"Haha!" Rapunzel flung her hands into the air in triumphant glory. She had beaten the daring spell of Eugene's smolder once again!

"You win this one, Princess. But.. I don't think you'll be able to hold your own so easily when I do THIS!" He threw his hands all around her body and tickled her, feeling her body squirm and jerk and move, flailing her arms and legs under her covers.

"Hey, stop!" she laughed, "Eugene, no!"

"Not so strong anymore now, are ya?" He tickled her all over her body some more before finally managing to pry the covers off her body, and he took her in his arms. She still squirmed but eventually she calmed after adjusting to her new scenery, and he rocked her back and forth like a giant adult baby.

Rapunzel dangled her legs and slowly rocked her head back and forth as she smiled up at this all so loving and caring man she's been blessed with in her life. His hair is so long now, with the back of his neck barely visible. He gave up on that goatee look a few weeks ago when he started working at the... docks. She visibly cringed at that word. But back to the beard: he's been growing the it out ever since and... she can't lie, it fits him well.

He kind of looks like a viking. She wonders if she'd ever be able to convince him to let her braid it..

Rapunzel was thrown out of her thoughts when Eugene suddenly started spinning rapidly. She screamed and yelped, holding on for dear life, before eventually succumbing to her happiness and laughing. He laughed too, and slowly came to a stop before gazing down on her with his brown orbs he had for eyes. She looked up to him, and slowly the gap between them had shrunken, until there was nothing between the two.

She kissed him passionately, as did he.

Eugene could've very well held her like that for hours, but something... something was pulling him to her bed. He carried her over, their lips still locked, before slowly lowering her down. She wrapped her legs around his waist as they slowly inched closer.

He leaned over and kissed her neck as she wrapped her arms around the back of his head, moaning in absolute pleasure. She dug her nails into his back, suddenly not caring if she was hurting him..

This was not how he wanted this morning to start, but it feels... amazing. Oh, god, it feels more than amazing! He has never felt such a rush, such a drive like this ever before! He feels her skin, her muscles as they tense up while he pours kisses down her neck, bathing in her taste and scent... they're so close... he's so close..

But he can't do it. He can't. His heart feels like it's going to explode out of his chest as he backed away slowly, his face still ever so close to hers and her arms and legs still wrapped around his body. He feels her hot breath against the tip of his nose. He knows what she's thinking right now.

Rapunzel is an adult, and she's never had an experience in her life with a man... or anyone, really, before. It's only natural, and he can only envision the hot, steamy cravings she's feeling for him in this very moment.

Rapunzel wants him. Eugene wants her just as much, if not more. But customs, traditions, and an over extending fear of the unknown are among many things keeping them apart.

Eugene laughed awkwardly as Rapunzel looked at him with confused eyes. "I'm sorry," he breathed.

her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed, "Sorry for what?"

For not giving you my everything, for not succumbing to my desires, my lust for you, my love….for not taking this next step... "For spinning you like that."

"Oh," she laughed, "I'm not mad about that. It did lead to something nice," she bit her lip and lifted her finger to touch it.

He chuckled, "That it did." He slowly lifted himself up and felt her arms and legs unwrap from his body's shape, standing tall now. "I've worked very hard to make this day perfect for you."

She smirked and blushed up at him, "Have you now?"

He smiled a toothy smile, nodding, "Yes I have, Rapunzel. So, if you wouldn't mind, please go ahead and get yourself ready. I'll be waiting out in the hall if you need anything." Rapunzel watched him as he walked back and grabbed the book he had dropped when he tried his smolder trick on her.

She's never told him.. .but in secrecy, he does look... cute when he does that. He's always looked cute when he does.

I can't help myself... if he held that face for just a few seconds I would've broken..

But then he wouldn't have swept me up into his arms, and kissed me like he did…

He stopped kissing me, though. Why did he stop? Was it something I did?

I don't know…

"Don't take forever, Blondie."

She smirked, "Oh, I'm going to take my time now that you just said that."

Eugene held a hand up to his heart, widening his eyes and gasped, "You've broken me."

"Don't you have to be in some hallway, Mr. Rider?" she giggled.

He licked his lips and returned to his normal gaze. "I did. Seriously, please be quick... and grab everything you want with you for the day."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes, her head tilted sideways as she nodded up to him. She watched as he closed the door behind him, before letting out a breath of contentment. She then fell back and laid on her bed, looking up to see a perfectly wide-awake Pascal who was colored a deep flush of red staring down at her.

A/N: Just some adjusted/refined dialogue.

Edit History (MM/DD/YY):

1. 6/11/20