***READ MAIN STORY FIRST!***

A/N: Just 1 playlist for all epilogues on YouTube at PiaM Epilogue.

(OG) A/N: I didn't bother participating in Whumptober, cuz I already have this whole fic, so I just started polishing up the Epilogue for some sweet closure & healing. Just in time to recover from Whumptober! I love Ghostgene, but heart can't take it anymore. Hugs & kisses now.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: April 29, 2021. So some people have asked about the entire epilogue I had been self-indulgently writing in messy clumps of google docs for the past couple years. I've finally gotten them all cleaned up at least. But they're long. And I don't want to double the size of the original story. So I'm doing some finaggling with the Epilogues being on their own. Here's to the Comfort! And some retribution.

CHANGES: Addressing the flinching & slapping has been added to this one.

WARNINGS: Confrontation, about all that happened in the main story:

- panic attacks
- anxiety attacks
- abuse
- manipulation
- coercion
- emotional abuse
- psychological abuse
- sexual abuse
- sexual manipulation
- sexual coercion
- sexual assault
- non-consensual
- inability to consent
- domestic violence
- C-PTSD

Prison is a Marriage

- Epilogue: Part I -

Love Is...

With some more business with the Captain settled, Rapunzel headed back through the pop-up neighborhood grid of tents, on her way to rejoin Eugene and Lance and the gang. They had stayed to keep celebrating after dinner, in a long, large tent that served as a mess hall. But as she approached, she noticed Eugene leaving. She paused to watch.

"Alright, I'll see you guys tomorrow morning. Night!" Eugene waved to everyone else, then he and Lance embraced in the entryway. "Good night, man."

Rapunzel overheard Lance ask something about "the Princess."

"Nah," Eugene shrugged off with a smile. "She's busy still. We'll pro'lly go straight to bed."

Lance made a suggestive face.

Eugene blushed but shoved him away. "Oh, knock it off. You know what I mean."

When they finally parted, Eugene, still with a huge grin remaining on his face, looked around, checking every other direction. He did not spot her, and her shadow did not stick out. His grin vanished, and he pre-determinedly headed off toward the back of camp. Her commander's tent was the other way. Curious, but not quite yet alarmed, she crept after him. As he walked, he twirled the cape he wore up off of himself, and merely draped it over his arm. His gait slowly settled back into the calmly confident and respectfully authoritative one he had been perfecting over the past year; his head held high, and his expression one not to be messed with.

She missed seeing him actually approach, in trying to get closer to hear, without being seen by either him, or the guard he had apparently dismissed.

"I said, 'Get up.'" Eugene stood at a wooden fence, shooting a menacing glare down at whom she knew was bound to a post on the other side. On the ground, she heard Stalyan's small protest; Rapunzel knew the way she had been bound, she could not stand up alone. Eugene, too, seemed to finally realize this practical impossibility. "Then at least look at me," he growled through gritted teeth.

Rapunzel crept closer, desperate to hear both sides.

Stalyan's voice came into focus. "Come to gloat?"

"So what if I have?" Eugene bit back, tilting his head out at her. "To twist a knife? Huh? Not like that's a foreign concept to you." He paused, letting his hate and rage pool together. "Just how exactly did you think this was gonna work out? That she'd let me go that easy?"

"Flynn, I- I still love you, but we're just a couple of thieves," she meekly cried, "They're not gonna make you prince. I was protec-"

Eugene rolled his head and his eyes before cutting her off. "First of all, you have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know her. You don't know her father. You don't even know MY NAME! Secondly, do you really think I ever expected to be here? To be saying I might be a real, actual, fucking prince someday?" He paused again, rhetorically. "I used to be a thief, I used to be a lowlife like you. But I'm not anymore. And not just because I'm dating a princess." He looked down, gathering the memory from his mind. "When we came back to the castle, and she met her parents for the first time-"

"Fly- I don't wanna hear about-"

"Well you're gonna," he snapped. "So sit tight and shut up. I never knew she was the princess until after I'd-" He halted himself, then took a deep breath. "I'd already given everything for her. I was willing to die for her, and she was ready to do the same, all for my pathetic ass. It wasn't till after I'd already sworn my love to her, that she said anything about even possibly being The Lost Princess. Then yeah, we were assuming I'd have the bounty and death sentence lifted, great, and that's all I was expecting. But these people have taken me in, given me absolutely everything I could ever want, and most importantly, welcomed me into their family."

"We did, too-"

"No. No you fuckin' didn't. You never did. You pulled me into your crime ring. You both treated me like shit back then, and this time you had to kidnap and blackmail me. You even had to use a story about her as bait to catch us in the first place, 'cause you knew I'd do anything for her, but you also knew you couldn't take us both head-on."

"But back then-"

"Back then," he raised his voice to correct whatever she was thinking. "I got the bare minimum after I had to humiliatingly beg for anything. Back then, your dad got richer offa my hard work, and never let us keep enough to get anywhere. And clearly, even back then, in your 'good ol times,' I wasn't even free to leave, 'cause you guys have been hunting us ever since. When we were still planning to elope- your dad tried to have me killed. Now? When I simply disappeared? Hers sent a fucking army to rescue me."

"If you wanted to leave them, would they let you go?"

"Yes. Keep tabs up with the Guard for national security probably, but I am not their slave. And the only reason I even could be a security risk with how close I've gotten with them, is because I don't want to ever leave. I'm on their side. Now and always. And they've got my back, too, 35-hundred fold."

She scoffed. "Well, and apparently 'everything you could ever want' just so happens to come with a castle and an island and control over people-"

Eugene shifted his stance back and forth, still as aggravated as he had started. "So what if it does? And anyway, here's one secret I will spill with you: She may not even want to become Queen. And if she doesn't, then big deal. I'm still gonna stay with her."

Stalyan chuckled with a sinister hopelessness. "For how long."

"Forever," he threw out at her. "For as long as I fuckin' can."

"As long as you can… withstand temptation?" she said, the last of her sultriness dripping off her lips.

A swallowed gasp escaped Rapunzel, her curious shock turning to scandalized embarrassment. But the noise was hidden under Eugene's own voice.

He guffawed loudly and ridiculously, "Oh, wooow… WOW!" Noting how he was freely walking amongst a friendly army, and she was bound to a post, he laughed even harder. "Temptation? You come on- You wanna talk about temptation? You think your side of this fence right now is tempting?! WHY on Earth would I ever wanna come near you ever again?"

"Come on, untie me and I can give you just one more night, even, at least-"

Eugene snorted with another chuckle. "Give me? Oh, Honey, the only thing you've given me is agida and a few more complexes I honestly could've done without. And, what, you think you're tempting? Maybe to Shorty. But neh-eh. 10, even 8 years ago, sure, I thought you were the best thing I could hope to do for myself. But I grew up. Nobody gives a damn how hot you are, or who your daddy is, 'cause you're a bitch with no heart. Kinda like how even Rapunzel wanted nothin' to fuckin' do with Flynn Rider, no, not till I actually started being myself, my real self."

Stalyan rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"And- and, actually, 'cause I know what you're gonna fuckin' say," he pointed at her, "About how you're so sure I got a side piece?" He threw his head out at her with the accusation. "What the fuck makes you think I was cheating on you 'cause I was tempted? I was cheating on you 'cause we didn't have anywhere near a decent relationship. I wasn't tempted. I just didn't care, so I made a decision to go out looking."

"That's still unfaithful! You are just not faithful!"

"Fine!" He yelled, then threw his hands out and looked around, as if he were shocked. "Oh nooo," he feigned, "I was tempted away by girls who at least I knew were only pretending to give a fuck about me."

"Come on," she began crying. "Alright, fine, Eugene, whatever. I LOVE you. I really do..."

Before Rapunzel's heart could even feel anything in reaction to hearing that directed at her love, she saw Eugene take a step back. He looked instinctively disgusted; a feeling his voice also expressed. "You don't even know what that means."

"Look, come on, please," she tried to calm herself, "Last week, you had just come around. You were finally starting to let yourself be happy with me."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm a good fuckin' liar," he chuckled, nodding with his entire body.

"No," she shook her head. "I know you. And the man I know would never betray us like this. You were crazy about me. And last week? I felt that. I felt how bad you wanted me."

Eugene huffed through his nose, a proud smirk coming over him. "Like I said. Good. Fuckin. Liar."

"No…" she whined more. "You… It can't be…"

"I sent word to them just over a week ago. Convenient timing, isn't it? Don'tcha think? The night I made a desperate plea for Corona to save us is the same night I 'came around' and 'gave in' to you."

"No, I can tell when you're lying. You let your emotions run you and slip through everything."

He gestured to the rest of the camp and laughed. "Clearly, you can't! And if you could tell before, I guess I've just gotten better."

She shook her head in despair. "You unimaginable asshole… You said you loved me! Even if you lied to me, I know you're lying to her, too!"

He picked his head up at that twist in her accusation.

"I know what I felt, Flynn."

"Okay, so, what? So what? You 'felt' what?" he sneered. "You felt me press my body up on you. You felt me say some specific words to you. All calculated and connected to no true feelings, but sure. I did go through the motions. I- I love romance. That much is true; you know that. It's hard work, but I know exactly what to do when I want someone to fall for me, and man were you just all too willing to believe that I actually meant any of it."

Rapunzel's heart pounded, tiny nagging hooks of doubt trying to worm their way in.

He readjusted the cape in his arm and wiped his mouth. "But tell me, Stalyan. 'Sweetheart.' If you were trapped in a burning building, but I had the option to walk away, are you really under the impression that I'd choose to stay, and face certain death, with someone like you?"

Rapunzel felt the memory jolt to the forefront of her mind.

"If it came down to you or me, and I had to pick? You think I would genuinely be thinking about your future and your welfare, over my own safety? Or would I maybe just be worried about what your dad would do to me if you didn't come home?" He shrugged. "And even then, your dad always believes my lies anyway, so I mean, I could tell him anything. I would never give up my life for someone like you."

Rapunzel touched her hair at the nape of her neck, expecting to feel the lovingly shorn edges but actually surprised to feel the mass of her braid there.

"I've put myself in a little bit of danger for you before, and you happen to have seen me risk my life for a job - for myself. But certain death? For YOU? Pfft," he shook his head. "Fuck no. Never. And it's not like you'd do any better for me I know."

"That banquet, the one when I went after you instead of the diamond-"

"And I left you knocked out in the street. 'Cause there was fighting, but I hadn't been made, so I could just walk away. And I did. If you put my life over a diamond, that's your own business. I would never've done the same."

Stalyan was openly crying, with no hands free to wipe her face.

Eugene took a deep breath, and even after all that had happened, Rapunzel could see he was starting to feel bad for making her cry so much. But he bit his lip and looked away with eyes closed, thinking for a moment before he began again, softer, gentler. "Alright. Listen, Stal. You want some truth involving you and me and these words?"

She sniffled. "You really are such a bastard…"

Rapunzel could tell exactly how his neck stiffened; this was going to be difficult for him to say. She stayed extra still, just barely able to still hear his quiet voice.

"Yeah, I probably am. But… I did love you."

Despite the past tense, Rapunzel felt her stomach twist and her vision blur.

Stalyan made a noise, but Eugene silenced her. "Ahh-dtch-dtch-dtch! Ergh. ...I DID. I can be a player if I want, but I do have a heart, which I've learned is apparently way more sensitive than most other people's. That's why I need to guard it. I loved you when I was too young and stupid to realize how it was hurting me. I gave you parts of myself that I should have known better than to have ever even shown you. I wanted you to love me back- to really, really love me back. I tried to tell you my real name, 'cause I wanted you to call me by my real name and love the real ME." To her surprise, Rapunzel heard the squeakiness rising in Eugene's voice. "But I never even felt safe with you."

"Of course you were safe," Stalyan pleaded. "And we were going to have a future! But you broke my heart when you left-!"

"And you destroyed mine," he raised his watery, wavering voice as it became sterner and more sure, "Long before I finally left." He sniffled and cleared his throat. He settled back to strong and serious. "I was just 'never enough' for you."

"No," she gave in and venomously sneered, "You weren't. And you never could be."

He smiled. "And ya know what? Neither are you."

She double blinked in shock.

"You're not enough for me. And I don't care what anyone else thinks of us, I want her. Coulda skipped town with a pardon and cash, but I freely chose her, for better or worse. And somehow, I'm enough for a Princess."

Stalyan bit her lip and shook her head. "You'll be sorry. And I swear, I will really make you pay for all this that you've put me through!"

Eugene shook his head. "I don't think so. See, in Corona, and pretty much the entire civilized world, the crime of forcing yourself onto somebody, is generally considered a greater crime than saying 'No.' So you won't be doing anything."

"Ugh," she sneered and threw her head aside, "You're a guy."

Eugene looked away. "I think we're done for tonight."

"And even so, you still got hard! 'Cause of course you wanted it. You always wanted it! You just admitted it!" She struggled at the ropes, desperate to prove her point.

"Good night, Stalyan." He looked and pointed all around. "Hope we've got all good men representing Corona around here. But if not," he shrugged, "Well. If you get wet, you want it, right? That's how that works, right?"

She snarled after him, "Rrriderrr!"

"Yeah, as for me, well, I'm gonna go see if the love of my life, WANTS me to make sweet, sweet love to her."

Rapunzel felt something spark inside her, suddenly thinking of that territory involving them again. A chilling heat rushed over and through her, even as she felt hot from her cheeks to her core, even in the cool night air- which quickly informed her that her body was indeed prepping itself as he had just referenced.

Stalyan scoffed. "Your girlfriend, the 19-year old virgin?"

She frowned hard, through dozens of swirling conflictions.

"Heh, figures you don't understand what I mean by 'making love.' Doesn't necessarily involve sex." Then he turned to start walking away, but even in the colorless dark, he spotted the soft braided hair and pale face hiding behind a barrel of halberds. He froze in his tracks, eyes bulged, blood ran cold. He saw the frown on her face, and felt a flood of guilt at the mere sight, though he was not sure as to which part of this apparently eavesdropped encounter she would be most upset about.

Rapunzel blinked, as a bolt of terror shocked her at being caught. Her frown vanished as her jaw dropped.

Eugene carefully gulped to get his voice back, but to not give away his unease to Stalyan behind him. "Rapunzel," he said steadily with a small nod, as if it were a normal greeting. She's gonna kill me...

She quickly calmed, noting that he looked just as caught as she felt. She stepped out of the shadows, and walked up to him, watching his smile grow, only to vanish again at the sound of Stalyan's instigating voice.

"Heh, looks like someone just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar!"

Mostly just because she could, Rapunzel reached out to touch his chest, and his hand came upon hers.

He dipped his head to kiss her temple; a pretense to whisper, "Y'okay?"

She huffed a happy smile in return. "I'm fine," she hummed onto his cheek, then pecked it. He still looked worried. She stepped away past him, toward the fence, to address the prisoner, the other woman. "I'm sorry, that you can't see the bright side of things, and that you won't let yourself be a better person."

"Shove it, blondie," she spat.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. "Well, can't say I'm surprised you hate me..."

"Me?" Stalyan questioned. "Why don't you ask your loverboy what he really thinks of blondes?"

"Stal," Eugene sighed as he turned back to face both women, though he was unperturbed.

"'Dumb blondes, only good for T'n'A,' he used to say."

Eugene sighed again, crossed his arms and cocked his stance.

Rapunzel raised her brow, but merely at Stalyan's tenacity. "Oookay," she said as she backed up, back to Eugene's side. "I don't know what 'Tea and Aye' means exactly, but-"

"Tits an' ass," Eugene boldly clarified to her, but kept his glare on Stalyan, who blanched in confusion.

"Oh," Rapunzel blinked, but then smirked up at him. He eagerly returned it with shy machismo and a shrug. She giggled and took his arm. "But, ah, yes he has told me before. And I used to think all men had pointy teeth and were only out to hurt me. That was back then, anyway. Clearly," she took his hand and pointedly intertwined their fingers, "Many things have changed."

Eugene exchanged smiles with her, but fidgeted and dropped her hand, to rather slide his arm around her waist. His smile turned to a smirk again, as he squeezed her side, relishing how it made her breath hitch, and pulled her close. "Stalyan, you can't undo me when I've actually been honest with somebody who actually loves me. Of course I'm attracted to her, but there is so much more to Rapunzel. She cares about people. She's fierce and talented, funny, brave, strong, intelligent-"

Stalyan laughed pitifully. "She's just as young and stupid as you were."

He took a deep indignant breath; one he knew Rapunzel felt and now, she understood.

But Rapunzel raised her brow again and took half a step forward. "The difference is, we're both good people."

He let the breath go and looked to her, overcome with admiration.

Stalyan quietly huffed and grumbled under her breath. "Yeah right…"

"You just can't see it." Rapunzel looked up to him, smiling sweetly as she placed her hand over his on her waist, giving it a squeeze. "But that doesn't mean it's not there," she finished with a wink that lit his heart ablaze.

He in turn smirked at Stalyan, but squeezed Rapunzel's hand back, secure again in which woman was correctly speaking about his true self. Yet his voice still wavered, more with overwhelming love than fear this time. "You can't break us."

"I'm still the one married to you."

"Not for long. I already threw your dad's ring away. Ugly thing, too. Who designed your sigil? Ugh."

Rapunzel followed his gaze back to her and gently noted, "Iii don't think there's anything more to be gained here tonight."

"Well not over here, no," Eugene turned to her, happy, but still with an underlying worry that she was upset he came over here at all to start with her. He jerked his head back over his shoulder. "C'mon, let's get outta here." He turned with her to urge her to leave, which she receptively followed.

Behind them now, Stalyan called out. "If he really loved you, Princess, he would NOT've married me. Not even for his best friend!"

Eugene felt it pierce him on all levels. He focused on not reacting, but he knew Rapunzel could feel how his muscles tensed and his breathing skipped. She IS supposed to be first in my life - but I put Lance first… and for a time, I had lost her forever… "Rapunzel, I-..." he whispered in desperation, but then only sighed. "I dunno what-"

Rapunzel turned around as they walked. "He protects EVERYONE who's important to him."

Eugene bit his lips, nose flared and brow furrowed deep. "Thank you…"

Rapunzel clung onto his arm, and at the first opportunity, she pulled him down a side row of tents, finally blocking out the prisoner corral.

He took a deep breath, and Rapunzel held him as tightly as she could. Even in her arms, he slouched against a wagon, hiding his face as he tried to quiet his mind.

"Eugene," she began solemnly, "I want you to understand that I'm proud of you."

He sighed. "I know." But he looked away.

She grabbed for his face; he flinched; she retracted her hands just as quickly. "What?"

His eyes snapped back to her. "What- no, no- I'm sorry, you just- startled me…" His hands fumbled reaching for hers to come back.

"Oh," she perked up, but remained confused.

He sighed heavily, wistfully closing his eyes and pointedly pressing her right hand against his cheek.

"Eugene," she whispered delicately, "I saw that."

His eyes snapped open. "Saw what?" I didn't do anything!

"That's not the first time you've jumped when I've reached for your face. But you never used to do that before."

His breath caught, but finally he took a deep breath. "I didn't used to."

"Eugene," her watery voice broke so quietly, "What did she do to you?"

"Oh, Sweetie, no," he shook his head. "She just- she just slapped me a lot."

"What…" she gasped. "Why?"

"Well, for like when I…" His brain automatically unfurled the mile-long list of things that could prompt it, but he shook his head again. "Whenever I would upset her. And it was always with as little warning as she could manage."

"She…" Rapunzel bit her trembling lip. "She…" Her thumbs rubbed over his cheekbones.

"It's alright, I'm fine, Blondie," he forced a smile. "See?" He took her hands in his to hold between them, then turned his head side to side. "No marks."

Rapunzel's eyes widened and her shoulders dropped. "Eugene, I know she hurt you. You don't let anyone mess with your, beautiful face."

He merely looked to their hands, his thumbs running over hers. He could not help but notice her bare left ring finger, compared to his, where an indent was still fading. "I'm sorry…" he mumbled.

"Don't apologize to me…"

His eyes darted up to hers, leaving his mouth open.

"But you know I would never do anything to hurt you." While he was distracted, focused on her face, she managed to cup his cheek without alarming him.

He closed his eyes and leaned into it. "I know." He held her wrist there, and kissed into her palm.

"Ohhh!" Her heart fluttered, starved for the affection herself. She in turn grabbed both his cheeks, and began pecking kisses on them, one after the other and back again. "Eugene!"

He quickly started giggling "Alright, alright, Blondie! Ti amo anch'io!" he laughed as he held her wrists in place on himself.

Finally she giggled, too. "What?"

"Ti, you. Amo, I love. Anch'io, too." He grinned as he went in for a quick kiss on the lips for a change.

"Oh…" she laughed, but fell somber. "I just don't want you to feel alone or to be hurting anymore, but I don't know what to do to help you..."

He held his forehead to hers. "You're doing fine just being here, with me… Thank you..."

Their eyes locked; hers timid and his desperate. Suddenly he lunged to grab at her, securing her mouth with inter-lip-locking and grasping ahold of the back of her neck and her waist. He pulled her body in flush to his, at the same time he took the few steps to pin her against the broadside of the wagon that served as a wall enough for how their bodies were concerned. His pelvis followed the ripple of his body up along hers, happy to feel hers returning the neediness. He lost his breath in this surprise instant gratification, leaving him panting forehead to forehead with her. "I've missed you," his cracking high-pitched voice whined. "I've missed you so much!" His hand from her neck delicately brushed her loose swoop to behind her ear. He bit his lip hard and moaned, "Everything- Hev-everything!"

Her hands rested over his shoulders to hold herself steady, but she moved one to hold his hand close to her cheek. "I've missed you, too! Nothing's been the same without you."

Eugene watched her nuzzle his hand, but the other he twisted to grasp hers, and pulled down to rest her hand directly over his pounding heart. "That is all 'cause of you."

She laughed through her own issues of suddenly being blamed for something; at least this was a good thing. And she laughed through all her longing, thinking both of when she restarted his heart, and also how his simple, inexplicable attraction to her also got his heart pounding that much. Unfortunately, his previous words also still hung in the air now, and she frowned, worriedly looking up to him, hoping she would not need to say anything. Hoping, that this was real.

But Eugene was fully aware of himself. He huffed out a chuckle, his voice still whining underneath. "Ya know, I can cry on command, act concerned when I'm not, and even be flippant when I do care, so much-" That break in his voice signaled to start his sinuses dripping. Tears were trying to get out now. "But once I get myself goin' for real, I can't stop." He sniffled, but smiled, almost embarrassed. "You heard when I almost lost it lying to you yesterday morning. I love you, Rapunzel. You know I do. That was the hardest lie I have ever had to tell."

Her nerves settled but her heart soared. She did know. "I do know. And I love you, too, Eugene." She laughed, waving a hand out toward everything around them, "In case you couldn't tell."

"Oh, I think I could tell," he chuckled, looking around the camp. "I know you do. But, I'm sorry I came down here to see her, I-" He literally looked from side to side for an explanation. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Eugeeene," she drew out with a grin. "It's okay! I understand." She pulled him into a hug.

"You looked mad," he whimpered into her neck.

"Just for that moment, about what she had just said." She pushed him away and held his cheeks again. "Eugene, I'm not her."

He smiled, still worried. "Thank God for that." They both giggled and kissed again, til Eugene embarrassingly asked, "Um, how much of that did you actually hear, though?"

Rapunzel blushed. "Ummm, all of it?"

Finally, he smiled fully. "Blonnn-diiie," he chastised, as a tease.

"Sorr-yyy!" she whined playfully, fanning her hands out in front of her.

He giggled and kissed her forehead. "Everything I said was true. So it's whatever," he shrugged, "And no silly things like if you only heard half of something."

"Hm hmmm, no." She beamed up at him, spreading her fingers over his chest again.

His hands followed, sliding onto hers. Their eyes met. Even in the dark, they got lost gazing upon each other and just savoring the love between them. Tonight, Eugene thought, Tonight I want us to- Suddenly his smile faded. "Blondie?" he asked.

"What is it?" she asked back, noting his new seed of worry, whatever it was about this time.

"I wanna ask you- if you want to-" He let go and took half a step back, flailing his hands in surrender as he tried to explain. "Like, you can totally say no, and that'll be fine, I promise. You don't have to explain or anything, no hard feelings, I won't take it personally at all. Like, we're still good, even if you don't want to-"

She chuckled at his nervousness. "You wanna ask to make 'sweet sweet love' to me?"

Shit… He pursed his lips a moment more.

She smirked knowingly. "I also heard you say that you… didn't mean all the way."

His crooked smile popped out at seeing her happiness and ease. He took her hands to hold between them. "Yeah, so… I wanted to ask if I could stay with you tonight. Not to really do anything, but I just wanna sleep all snuggled up with you. Don't have to do anything, ya know? But only if you're really up for even that-"

"I'd love it," she burst, squeezing his hands more tightly than before.

"Really?!" he double-checked, surprised but overjoyed.

"Yes! Of course I want that, too! Eugene," she giggled, "I'll always take any excuse to snuggle you!"

"I promise you never need an excuse at all," he chuckled. He enveloped her in a hug and kissed her neck. "But thank you! Ohhh, thank you, Sweetheart. I just don't wanna be away from you for another minute."

"Me either," she replied as she burrowed her face into his jacket. She sniffed it awkwardly, then jerked her head away. "But I… I just have to get ready for bed…"

Eugene eyed her carefully, but just smiled softly. "You do that. I'll be in in a little bit. Just gonna wash up and get ready, too."

She smiled brightly. "Okay! See you in a few minutes then." She kissed his cheek, before quickly pulling away.

He turned his face to kiss her back again, but she was already gone. She snickered as she headed off toward her tent, peeking back at him. He smirked and called after her. "I'll get you for that later!" Her faint giggle came back. He looked around and blushed to himself. "Damn," he smiled, concentrating on how thrilled he was about the night to come, whatever it may bring. He shifted awkwardly, dizzy with renewed infatuation, on top of what he felt even more strongly than ever was truly a lasting love. He swung his foot out at the dirt and turned around. After all the things forcibly done to him, he suddenly could not wait to see what she would do with him.

A/N: Still more epilogue to come! It's just too long, still has multiple versions, and is a general mess.

Follow me at MiraNova23 dot tumblr dot comfor updates, chats, my other fanworks, and general Disney geeking. =)