Prison is a Marriage: EPILOGUE

by MiraNova23

RTA - Be sure to read the main chapters first! But I write sins, not tragedies, so here we are: Rapunzel and Eugene reunited; now to deal with the aftermath of this past month, come nightfall... (side) Series Char: Stalyan, Captain, Cassandra.

3. Friendship Set On Fire

A/N: Oh this is absolutely more singularly rambly!

Well, good luck with Thanksgiving. Here's 45 pages, (16.6K) finally with some lemon-free smut! Enjoyyy… ;)

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Prison is a Marriage

- Epilogue: Part III -

Friendship Set On Fire

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Quite a few minutes of snuggling caresses later, Rapunzel seemed the one more and more restless and tense.

And it was keeping Eugene from completely falling to sleep. ...if she's not comfortable sleeping with me -even just in a practical sense cuz of this makeshift crap, then why does she keep wriggling back into me? With his lips mushed against her back, he drowsily called over, "Meverything 'kay, Blondie?"

She took a deep breath, and popped a new question on him. "Eugene, do you want us to have sex?"

That snapped him back awake. "What?!" he nearly shrieked in her ear.

"I mean, you said you had sex with her, right?"

He tucked his head down, pressed harder into her upper back. Don't remind me! Not while I'm finally snuggled with you! "Yeah, so? I didn't want to..."

"I know. I know, but… I mean you had sex with her 'way back when?'"

"Back then was different. But, yes..."

"Like- just once?"

He felt his face burning, so he squeezed his arms, tightening around her where she lay in them. "No. It was… A lot, but-" Oh no, not explaining about the withholding! "But, ah, not just her. Any girl I could seduce… or… afford."

"Wait, while you were dating her?"

He dug his forehead into her back. "Yes… I said I used to cheat on her." Head turned light and voice was leaving him. "But Sunshine-"

"I know, I know," she cooed sweetly, warming his heart and calming his nerves. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you. That was a long time ago and I wasn't happy. But this month, it was..." His voice whimpered, and he tried to clear his throat. "Every night- and every night I hated it. After that first night again, I just- I figured nothing else mattered. Least of all, what I wanted. 'N I just wanted you..."

"Me?"

"Of course, but like, not necessarily sex- well, someday, definitely, but ya know-"

"But even though you didn't want it with her this past month, don't you miss any of that? I know you already make me feel so good with just, what we do, I can't imagine how amazing the whole thing would be. But then to go back to just this? It, must be hard..."

"Well naturally it still gets hard," he laughed off.

She chuckled with him, then needlessly clarified for her punny monkey's-paw boyfriend. "I meeean, it must feel like… Like you're... not fully satisfied."

Eugene anxiously waited for her to finish speaking before shutting her down. "Blondie- don't do this. Just don't. Please. Don't bother comparing yourself to anyone, especially some awful person from my past who I dumped. Who I ran away from. And how could I not be 'satisfied?' I'm in love with my best friend. Meeting you was the luckiest day of my life, and dating you is the greatest privilege I could've hoped for. I mean, like, I can't believe I'm here with you tonight! Sex is just sex. So... Ya know…" He sighed. "If it wouldn't be your first time, if I didn't just go through all that, then maybe I would say yes, let's do it. But right now, no. We are not doing that finally just 'cause of her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm dead sure. God knows I want you, but not tonight. Not for a while yet. And certainly not how you just brought it up."

"What?" she asked back, offended.

"I told you, I don't want her to touch anything else that's ours. That bitch is not going to determine our story. And you make it sound like I won't be happy with you til we do. Which is ridiculous. So the answer is no."

"Alright, but…" Her arms tightened around his. "Could we at least talk about it?"

"About sex?"

"About… how you feel about it?"

"Alright, that's okay." He took a deep breath, and kissed her neck. "Of course. We can certainly talk."

"Well, first of all, I meant- about not being satisfied- I'm sorry. I know you wanna be here and you're happier here, I do know that- I know that now, but…"

"It's okay," he easily forgave.

"That's just one of the things I was thinking about while you were gone. I felt guilty that I didn't move faster there at least. Especially since I do want that with you! I just, ya know, I get overwhelmed so easily, and it always seemed like you were the one who was guiding us in going 'slow.' But, I thought that if I'd just done more there, then maybe - like if you left 'cause you weren't happy, maybe I could've made you happier, ya know?"

He nodded. "Alright. Guess I can't blame you for being scared while I was gone that you didn't 'put out' fast enough. But now you can go back to not worrying about it." He chuckled, "Trust me, I- I like sex. And I want you. We'll get there, don't worry."

"But whennn…" she giggled out, feigning continued annoyance.

"Sweetheart," he chuckled back, accepting the lighter mood, "I know you're a bit younger than me, and especially with your circumstances, I can wait for you, no problem. And I've known that."

"How old were you when you first did it?"

"Uhhh… 16…" Don't you dare call me a hypocrite - our lives were complete opposites!

"But I'm already 19-"

"You're only 19, you're a girl, and I was the second person you ever touched in your life, exactly 13 months ago. My life was the complete opposite of yours."

She sighed again. "I suppooose… But… is this a long time to wait?"

"Maybe, I guess," he shrugged. "If people 'wait,' I think it's usually like maybe, a year at most? But some wait way longer for other reasons. We're not alone in that."

"...is it long for you?"

He chuckled. "Considering I was into one-night-stands before you, yeah. But don't-"

"That's such a huge difference though! When was the last time youuu- uh…"

"Relaaax, it was like a week before I met you. I'll live. Besides, here's something else: I never continued dating a girl if we didn't hook up on the first date. So there ya go. 13 months, going strong."

"'Hook up?'"

"Sex."

She pouted and hmphed, still worried.

"Blondie," he groaned. Do I miss it? Compared to what I do have already with her? Not really. Yet he thought back to see if it really were true. Okay, I miss it in that I reeeally really want it with her. He sighed deeply. "I don't miss it."

"But how? How can you say you don't even miss something like that?"

"Because I got something better with you. I love you, and I have the utmost respect for you. I'm not the same person I was before I met you, certainly not the same I was at 19- in a lotta ways. And this is one of 'em. You are the only one I want, for so many reasons, so however long you need to wait, I'll be right here, and we'll wait. And actually- I take back what I said, that 'it's just sex.' With you, it won't be just sex. 'Cause I've never loved anyone like I love you."

"Hmm," she blushed in the dark. "I love you too, so much…"

"Someday, I'm gonna 'satisfy' you like you have nooo idea. But I never want to push you… Uuunless we're swimming, 'cause then I'm totally pushing you in." He chuckled to himself and pulled her closer. "Warning you right now!"

She laughed. "Well I'll just have to pull you in with me!"

Their slumber-party giggles finally died down again, but emotions and nerves were still running high with the explicit topic. It had been so long that they were apart, that every tender touch had been sending fresh tingles through their systems all night. Both sighed out, just mushing his arms about her chest, their fingers wrapped around each other's arms, his mouth against the back of her neck, and hers on his knuckles.

"I…" he began again in melancholy, "I feel like I haven't been able to physically feel anything this whole month… At least not anything but pain…"

"No, um… pleasure?" she mumbled shyly. "At all?"

"None that I enjoyed," he whimpered. "I closed myself off from anything sensual… Til you tackled me with that hug this morning." A wide smile quickly grew on him, though he also remembered what he was comparing it to. "All month, it felt like I couldn't breathe, and like my chest- my heart, inside, physically, hurt…"

"I thought you seemed, like, like even kissing has suddenly been too much for you."

"Because I've been terrified I'd never kiss you again. Even if I got away, I didn't know if you'd wanna kiss me ever again. I was scared I was gonna be ALL alone and you'd never even wanna touch me ever again…"

"...I can't imagine that," she mumbled to him.

He whimpered on her neck. Of course, because you really are so perfect… "Part of me feels like I haven't even been kissed at all in a month…"

"She didn't even-?" Rapunzel balked, oddly offended at the thought that this other woman would not even at least try to pleasure him, regardless of anything else.

"No, she did, but I didn't feel it, ya know? For one, a lot of the time it was a fight, and then I just didn't wanna feel anything from her." His hand gently slid up to rest his fingers on her chin, then to trail his fingertips over her supple and moist lips. "But you… I feel everything…"

She felt a new spark everywhere he touched, leaving her whole body faintly tingling. One hand gripped his wrist to hold his hand there against her mouth, where she spoke right on his flesh. "Then… feel…"

He gasped and sighed, running the pads of his fingers over her lips, slightly parting and toying with them, his thumb curving around her chin. "I've missed your heart and mind, but don't get me wrong, I have also missed your body…" Against her neck, his mouth fell open and his arms shifted against her breasts, dying to devour her, despite the larger picture he had just painted. Subdued by circumstances, he reaffirmed with a froggy voice, "But I'm sure. Not now." He gulped. "Not like this."

"Okay," she cooed, her heart going out for his confliction, only concerned with him being happy and comfortable. "It's okay." She looked back over her shoulder at him to check.

They drifted in to kiss anyway; hungry, open, anxious kisses.

In the heat of the moment, Eugene took a deep breath, surging his body up against hers as he moaned from her kisses and how she gripped his arm. Then he moaned in frustration, which turned into a giggle. "Sorry, sorry, that was- that one was on purpose. M'sorry."

She giggled, "You liar."

He laughed and blushed. "Alright, alright, so, I DO really want you like that, like crazy. I've said I do. But, Rapunzel-" He turned serious. "I told you. I came into this relationship expecting you to need a lot of time. That's why, from day one, I was so slow in going to kiss you during the lights. Not that- ah, you know I don't- I mean, I try not to treat you with kid gloves, but just to be understanding of your needs, which come from, ah, a very unique situation." He broke to allow themselves a little chuckle. "But I chose you, Rapunzel, with my eyes wide open.

"I consciously made this decision and chose to, to try to be that patient, understanding guy you need. And I choose you again, everyday. I'll always choose you. I wanna be the best at loving you. And I know you're worth it. You're always worth everything- well- I mean- I'm sorry- you don't need anyone else to tell you what you're worth, but I will gladly remind you whenever you need!"

She blushed wildly, listening to him talk about how fiercely he cared for her. "Thanks, Eugene... And you're certainly worth dragging an army all the way over here."

He laughed. "Yeah, thanks again for that."

She laughed, too, but it turned into a sigh. "And I will always remind you of your worth, too. But, umm..."

"Hm?"

"I do feel like I'm ready," she tentatively stated.

"Sweetheart," he began, craning his neck around to see her face.

She looked back to see him. "I know you said no, but I just- I mean I don't wanna pressure you, but, I just want you to know that. That I do feel so ready for us. Like this." She reached behind her and pulled his hips up against hers.

He brushed her hair aside. He laid a kiss on her cheek, then stroked her opposite one. "I want you, too, Blondie. And, I believe you, that you are ready to at least, start moving towards that." He smiled lightheartedly. "We'll get there. Soon. Ya gotta let it build and explore and savor it. It should be fun. And stress-free. But certainly not here, not like this." His face fell farther. "And I don't think I'm ready to move forward right now. I want that, but not tonight. Not with this as the impetus. I want it to be romantic and all ya know? Not sad. Tonight I just wanna remember where we were."

"Okay, as long as you know that's what will make you feel best right now… I'm right here for you, too, now..."

He sighed. "I'm honestly not sure what will make me feel best. I'm just glad I finally got away from her." He shook his head. "She just- I just had to do it again last night to keep her from getting suspicious about you guys being here. I… Part of me does want you, Blondie, right here, right now, so bad. To erase everything else. But," he took a deep breath, "I don't want to have you just jump right into that suddenly, 'cause of her. So, I just wanna hold you and kiss you tonight. Just, remind me of our 'normal.'"

She pulled his arms closer around her. "Then I just want to make you feel good. And safe."

He nuzzled into her shoulder again. "Thank you… Plus I guess it's nice to actually get to say no…"

Her brow furrowed. "Of course."

He sighed. "I know, I know…"

"Please," she apologized, "Don't worry about it."

"I'm not," he hummed back happily. His fingers stroked where he was touching her arms, and still he felt that empty longing, as he thought about the prudish night ahead. More of him felt like joining the fight to antagonize his own decision for an abstain night. "But I-..." He shook his head as his heart rate picked up with a physical surge of hope injected through his veins. "I could touch you." He waited for a response, but when she was silent, he continued. "Anywhere you want." He leaned up to spy over her shoulder. "Blondie?"

Her face was red, and he noticed she had tensed and her heart rate had spiked as well.

"Or not!" he urgently added. "It's whatever you want, Sunshine."

But she answered him by swiftly twisting around, and yanking his neck itself to fumble into a kiss in the dark. Each let out a soft whimper as they found each other and how to correct their positions, to interlock their mouths. Their tongues eagerly met, but argued over who would suck who into oblivion; Eugene quickly gave up, letting her take him. He moaned so sensually as he felt her switch to pulling his collar, and at how she ran her tongue around this other part of himself she had so impatiently taken into herself. His mind of course imagined other applications for her tongue's efforts, but mostly just dwelt on how she wanted him.

With their mouths locked, Rapunzel silently took his hand, and brought it up to- He assumed her shoulder, and so he grabbed that, thumbing around through the familiar fabric of his shirts she wore. But that was not where she had intended, so she took his wrist, her own fingers as well feeling up the nuances of his carpals and tendons, and pulled down on it needily. He moaned questioningly, and she replied with an affirmative whine.

He opened his eyes during the kiss to watch her face, then allowed his hand to be dragged down, around her breast. He simply pressed around it, his hand merely between her and where his chest already squished them. And her face? Either needy or worried…? He carefully turned away from the kiss. "You okay?"

"Yes," she whined.

"Nipple or no?" he whispered on her cheek.

"Yes."

His thumb immediately swiped over it, and she moaned out as it perked out harder. He unlocked a memory of first grabbing her and accidentally feeling too much of her here, when they were floundering in the water, pouring out of the cave, and then in the river as he tried to help keep her head above water. Neither had cared where his hands had ended up, more worried about her making it to the shore. After that life-or-death incident, he remembered the cherished shock to his system when they collided together at the end of the dance in the square. He had suddenly become aware of the exact curves of her entire torso; he had already touched her back and sides plenty enough himself that day. He remembered wanting to stay pressed to her like that for as long as he could, but her startled uneasiness had seen him pulling away graciously.

Then, it was hugs, brief bumps, and eventually his caresses that finally wandered over all of her. In his fingers, she had come undone many times over, though she had not known him as far. A decent compromise, he reasoned, for his young lover. They had teased each other with all the more they could do out on the road, away from watchful eyes of authority, away from busy schedules. But with only that first week under their belt so far, they had not yet gotten the chance to.

Now, he rolled the nub around under his thumb, through the cotton, feeling his own hand tingle from the contact. He smiled and touched their foreheads together. "Even just this is gettin' me all hot." Despite everything, I actually feel like I've been even more out of the game than ever...

She giggled. "You suggested it." One arm draped across the back of his shoulders, and the other reached to run fingers through his hair.

"Heh," he smirked, but his brow winced. "I've just missed you so much," he whimpered out. "I was thinking about you all the time- ALL the time." His other hand came around, leaving him no longer propped up on his own anymore, but laying more than half on top of her. With each hand kneading a breast, each pair of forefingers and thumbs tweaking, he kissed from her throat down to her chest. "I've wanted you so bad, and, God, I missed your scent, your voice, I missed the way you feel, I've missed everything. I've wanted this, just wanted you."

"Eugene," she whispered breathlessly, petting his cheeks and watching his face. He was already sending powerful currents through her, building up in her chest, swelling that growing eager wetness between her legs, sparking from every nerve in her body.

He searched her eyes back, trying to predict what she seemed to be considering.

She saw the soft trust in him, and decided. She pushed up and flipped him onto his back, rising up over him, surprising his own breath out of him. She thought to pause, to see if he liked the change, but he beat her to it.

"Oh I love you!" his voice warbled, before his head had even settled into the pillow.

She giggled at his reaction. "I love you, too."

"God I can't-" He grabbed at her face to pull down for a kiss. Then he pulled the rest of her up into position over him, completely laying atop his chest, and simply clutched her tight. "I can't begin to tell you how much love I have for you, how happy I am to be back with you, how thankful I am that you came back for me, that you want me back...!"

"Eugene I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you, ever again. And no one's ever going to take you away from me either." She shoved her arms under his shoulders to hug back.

He squeezed her even tighter, as his voice strained with emotion. "I'm yours, Blondie, all of me, all yours. Everything. I always have been and I always will be." And you want to keep me?

"And I want you, and I'm yours, too." She captured his lips in a kiss again.

He squirmed beneath her in pure bliss. "Ya know I seriously began crying," he giggled, "When I saw Pascal."

She giggled back, but her voice fell again. "I… I knew you wouldn't ever wanna hurt me..."

"Never."

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you in the slightest..."

"Rapunzel. Every second," he held her cheeks in his hands, "Of every day," he kissed her brow, "That I was away from you," he kissed her lips briefly, then thumbed over her cheekbones again and locked eyes with her. "My heart was longing for you. You weren't wrong about me, or crazy; I wasn't lying."

She sniffled, about to try to respond, when he continued.

"So- so whenever," he choked up, "You were missing me, or wondering why I'd disappeared or what had happened or what I was thinking, I just want you to know, that I was feeling the same way. At the exact same moment. I was just as hurt and confused and… wishing I could just be with you. Out on that field I felt like I was screaming. You're the light of my life, my one true love, my new dream- Rapunzel! You - and your happiness and safety and freedom - that's all I want."

"Oh, Eugene!" She pitched forward into the crook of his neck. "I love you, and I will always fight for you. I… I can't rule without you."

He scoffed. "Sure you can, though. I mean, you don't need to be married to-"

"No! I need YOU with me. I came back to Corona with you - because I knew you'd be with me through it all. If anything happened to you - or if I lost you… I… I couldn't do anything this past month..."

His brow raised in understanding, and he answered seriously. "It was- your heart was broken…"

She whimpered and nodded.

"Oh, Darlin'..." He clutched her dearly, "Oh God, no. I never wanna break your heart. Never."

"I know, I know, but, I was all alone again," she cried as she turned her face into the pillow beside his head, turned away from him now, mumbling into it. "I thought you were-"

Eugene interrupted, pushing on her shoulders to make her turn back toward him. "No, no, no. No more pillow-crying yourself to sleep tonight. Come here. Come on. Look at me."

Finally complying, she twisted and tumbled around, then snuggled up atop his chest better.

His arms remained around her, holding her tight, while he kissed her forehead, then left his mouth resting against it. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here now." Another kiss, then he sighed. "But tell me about it." He stared out into the darkness, his fingers gripping her intensely, and his thumbs rubbing circles, preparing to listen carefully. Bracing to hear about the damage he still felt responsible for.

"My heart really was so... broken." A heavy shaking cry rippled through her. "I'm sorry-" she tried to wipe at her face. "I know everything's alright now, so I shouldn't be-"

"No," he said resolutely. "I know it's fine now. But still, get it out. Tell me."

"I'd lost you again and you were just, gone. I thought you were gone forever, and I was gonna have to find someone new, but it would never be as good as you. It wouldn't be the same 'cause no one could understand me the way you di- do. I love you so-hooo much…" She burrowed into him as she cried.

"I love you, too," he murmured, quietly taking it all in.

"I love you, too," she repeated. "But I just kept thinking, over and over, like all those horrible things- Like, how could you…" She sighed. "Like we said. Ya know?"

He winced, and squeezed her in the hug a little tighter. "Oh, Sunshine… I'm telling you now, but this has been true since we saw the lights- No matter what I say or do, I will always love you, and I never want to be separated from you. I. don't. want. to lose what we have. Whatever happens, anything I do, is ultimately because I don't want to lose you."

"Or Lance," she smiled.

He frowned. "I still didn't wanna lose you. I want you to have a good life- I want you to have the best in life. I always have. I was starting to think maybe you'd be better off without me-"

"Never..."

His frown cracked into a smile, but he sighed. "See, you do understand. I trust that you feel the same about me, as I feel about you." She nodded along as he continued, "But still, all that worrisome stuff right now is just what, we feel and how we've felt because of all of, this. Because of her. We just need to rely on how we trust each other's commitments. And I am perfectly comfortable betting my life on you."

Rapunzel blushed.

"I love you forever." He kissed her forehead again. "Just please remember that."

She hummed, then sighed. "I know, but it's hard when I'm alone…"

He grinned as he nuzzled the top of her head. "Then I'll just always have to be with you to remind you."

She chuckled, but whined, "I'm serious!"

"I know, I know. And it's times when I'm not with you that you need to hear it from me the most."

"Yeah…"

He sighed, but snuggled her into his arms all the more. "Just know that, I am always on your side. You were left alone, yes, but even as you were feeling all of that pain, and loneliness, rejection and confusion, feeling lost and lied to," he pulled them apart to look her in the eye. "I was missing you, terribly. I was a mess, too, crying all the time, utterly heartbroken, and I knew it was my own fault. I knew how it looked. But I knew that you would still have other people around you, people who would try to help you get over me by throwing me under the cart. I knew how thinking you shouldn't've ever trusted your own judgement on even ME would hurt you worse than anything, but you were still alive. Lance wouldn't have been. I have known all along how you must've been hurting, thinking I suddenly didn't care, or never cared, trying to make sense of me just vanishing like that."

"My mom didn't, 'throw you under the cart,' though. She felt hurt and confused, too."

"Well that's, kind of, nice to hear," he laughed it off, but devolved to a yawn.

"My daaad, on the other hand," Rapunzel cringed, "Just didn't seem to even want to acknowledge it most of the time…"

Eugene had tensed, but then rolled his eyes. "Well that's how your dad seems to deal with all his problems.

They both sighed in unison, then fell into a chuckle.

"My point is," Eugene continued, "That whatever happens, wherever we are, please know that, I am always trying to act in your best interest. Don't believe anything that tries to tell you I don't love you more than life itself, alright?"

"Only if you'll do the same!" she chuckled. "You really thought I'd bring an army over here, rescue you, and then not want you back?"

"Well, I…" he sighed, then bit his lips and paused, clearly trying to get something else out, but choking on the words. "I know that for the security of Corona, you had to get me out of enemy hands, but- but Stalyan said-"

"Eugene," Rapunzel said adamantly. "She hurt you. Whatever she said was to manipulate you. You know that."

"I know, I know," he said reflexively, as his hands held more tightly to her, literally his mental rock, as the tumultuous waves of pain and suffering tried to fling him back out to drown in the depths. "I know she was wrong, but she felt right. She said I shouldn't have asked you so soon to marry me, that I was trying to take away your freedom, that I didn't deserve you, she said your dad would never let you marry someone like me, and that you… would've said yes the first time if you really loved me- which I KNOW is not true, I know you love me, I know you've forgiven me, and I know I'd wait as long as you need me to."

"Oh, Eugene," she stroked his face. "You-" She sighed. "You too. Don't let anyone tell you that I don't love you more than anything in the world. You've been my biggest defender, my best friend, and my dad has told you how much he respects you for saving me, and for saving him! And you… You're the love of my life. I can't imagine a future without you." She trailed off, squeezing him back. "But I had such horrible dreams again."

He could not help but chuckle, "Alright, well, there's one difference."

"What?" she looked up, almost offended.

"I had good dreams. Mostly of trying to get Cap to arrest me, or that he did arrest me, so he'd haul me back to Corona-"

"You dreamed of that?" she began to chuckle back. It had been too long since she found herself comfortably certain again that he was about to go off about something ridiculous, but here they were at last.

"Like when I slept-"

"So, prison is your New Dream now?" she teased.

"When I sleeept!" he laughed out loud. "I said, I tried to sleep a lot to like escape it all, so when I did manage to sleep, I mean, I literally had a dream like that- a spinoff of an old nightmare. This time, though, I was like, yes please! Then I'd get dragged in front of you in cuffs in the throne room, or you'd come make out with me in a jail cell…" He snickered, teetering on raunchy.

She laughed back. "Okay, that does sound much better. And I have you now."

"Yes you do," he answered, entranced.

"So were those dreams, maybe something like…?" She took to kissing his neck, reveling in his scent again, and re-exploring where the rough stubble gave way to smooth sweetness. One hand slid down his side to his waist, feeling up the front of his hip at least.

"Yeah…" he gasped, while trying to control his breathing to contain his excitement. "Oh, fuck, no…" He gripped the back of her neck and waist, pulling her in. "What are you doin', Princess?" he asked, genuinely, but also delightfully. Falling back into normalcy like this is making me rethink that… only "rethink" as in… In the loose pants, and how she laid atop him, she would soon see just how conflicted he was becoming himself.

She merely snickered and hummed on his flesh in her mouth. Quietly, she gasped. "I've felt almost ready since we had first set out, and then to suddenly be without you for a month?! I've just been dying for your touch, dying to touch you!"

At that, he squeezed her side. "I know, Sweetheart. I might've's well been dead without you." He laid a kiss on her cheek where he could reach. "You… You comfortable Blondie?"

"Mm-hm!" she chirped.

"Good." At her confirmation, Eugene wrapped his legs around hers, where they lay between his. One just snaked around into a twist with hers, but the other he pulled up, pinning his shin across the back of her thighs. "I have everything I want, right here."

She moved on to rest her head atop his chest and sigh into his comfy pects there, "I love you."

He kissed her temple. "I love you, too." His hands roamed around her back, reuniting with every bit of the shape of her. "D'you still want me to touch you some more?" he whispered with hope.

She chuckled, but answered cheekily as she wriggled atop him, "Uh-huh!"

He chuckled seductively, biting his lip. He brought his hands down around her butt, and pulled up on her cheeks to part them as she gasped. Then he slid back up her sides to grope her breasts, his fingers stroking her nipples out again.

She moaned out, and tried to lift her chest off him to help.

"I just wanna make you feel so good tonight," he whispered. "I owe you a month's worth."

She giggled. "Well, uh…" She tried to shimmy her waist around against his teasingly, but she was still unsure as to where exactly she would need to be- until she hit it. They both jolted, locking eyes. She had pressed her lips down right on a small bulge in his pants. But she panicked, suddenly not sure she could handle more than that.

"Blondie?" he asked, trying to sound nurturing. "You don't have to do any of that…"

"I know, but…" She picked her head up, her half-lidded eyes starving for him. "Are you sure you don't- want to…? I mean, I know you said not all the way, I know you said nothing new, but..." Slowly, she figured out just how to roll her hips to grind against him again. The newness to herself, and the contrasting hardness of his hip bones compared to the relatively soft mound that she was pressing onto, and the possible embarrassment of such intimacy, drove her to giggle at themselves. "I'm sorry-" she giggled, shaking her head, "You said you wanted to stop anyway." She pushed off him, intending to lay down again beside him like she had begun-

But he stopped her, a rich darkness coming over his eyes and voice. "Do you want to?"

She froze. "I-... uh…"

"'Cause, if you really want to…" He cupped her cheeks dearly. "Goddammit I do want you, I DO, I just..." His voice cracked. "I worry about you. And everything."

She sighed. "Just, what are you thinking?"

"I'm…" He pursed his lips. "I still mean it- not all the way. But I'm just worried that you can't give me something I do want - JUST YET. I'm worried it's too far for right now. Or, too much, that you won't want to, or can't… 'Cause I'm honestly not even sure how…" If even touching my marks was too much for you… It's late, we're tired, I don't know how to explain this...

She touched his cheek, making him lock eyes with her. "What do you mean? What is it you want me to do?"

His brow winced again. "No, nevermind it's too-"

"Tell me."

He sighed. "I-..." His eyes fell to the wayside again, landing on her hair that trailed off the bed. Well, you could do that, for one. But to what end? She's never actually gotten me off herself. "No," he shook his head, "It's- it's fine."

Both hands closed around his cheeks, startling him back to her face. "Eugene," she whined, "No more secrets. Especially here. No secrets in bed, pleeease."

Well when you put it that way- "Well I suppose that's a no-brainer deal then," he nodded with a growing smile. They grabbed each other in another kiss. She pulled away, holding onto his bottom lip. His voice strained, "I want-" She let go to let him speak. "I need you to 'reclaim' me, as much as you can."

"Hmmm, you may be my dream, but I don't own y-"

His voice fell with severity as he cut her off. "Yes you do."

With shock now, she still protested. "Ah- but I- How can you say that? I've nev-"

"Because I want you to. And tonight, I need you to. This is what I was afraid of asking for- you don't have to, but I need you to understand. I want you to own me and I want you to realize that you do. That you have owned me. All this time- since your birthday last year. To see how I could never leave you. How many times have I told you 'I'm yours?'"

Her fingers slowly played through his hair, studying his dark eyes beneath her. "You need reassurance," she concluded.

He pouted and looked up at her. "You said you felt ready to start moving towards sex, so," his look and voice lit up aflame, "There's still infinite possibilities of what we could do without going all the way. So, what shall you have to do with me, Your Highness?"

She giggled, suddenly embarrassed. "Welllll, ummm… I, uh, I don't really know..."

He chuckled charmingly at her imposition. "Just c'mere." He pulled her down in a hug, to kiss. With his hand on the back of her head, he deepened the kiss, then ran both his hands down and back up over her back and sides. She got situated on her elbows on either side of his head, hands playing in his hair and on his neck. Once he felt her get comfortable there again, he raised his hands up over his head, before rippling a professionally controlled surge down to his hips. She moaned into his mouth, and he nearly broke the kiss with his grin.

But she pulled away in a happily overwhelmed huff. "You- you're so- you know everything and I don't know what I'm doing," she whined, flicking their noses back and forth.

He laughed. "That's never stopped you before!" He bopped up to kiss her nose, then again to capture her mouth again. When he rested his head back down, he smoothed her hair back, making sure it stayed out of her way. "Basically same as always. You go with what you feel. And there's usually no right or wrong. If there is, I'll take over. But Blondie, you can touch me anywhere."

She quirked at that. "Are you sure?"

"With you I am," he nodded. "I've always been sure about you." He nipped at her throat, moving about so sensually, carefully drawing out each little noise she made responding to his actions. "And you're the reason I'm alive. So I wanna be the reason you're happy."

She winced. "You don't have to, do this to make me happy, either..."

"I-" He shook his head clear. "I know… I know that."

She leaned back to lock eyes with him. "I'm sorry I was complaining before-"

"Blondie, I WANT this. I want YOU," he whined through gritted teeth. "I wanna only be able to think of YOU. I wanna remember YOU and how you feel on me…"

Her lip trembled as she pressed them together hard. "Understood," she nodded, but then broke into a chuckle. "Sooo, you dooo wanna go for a walk?"

"What- ah-" But he got it and burst out laughing. He brushed her hair away, their sparkling eyes lost in each other. "YES. Yes, I wanna 'go for a walk' with you." He popped a kiss on her nose, then smirked. "Not all the way, but I, ah, got a few ideas. Just talk to me, ya know, okay?"

She grinned and nodded erratically, giggling at his absolute charm, and how she had missed it.

"Promise me. Even if you wanna just slow down, or come back to something else later."

"I promise."

"Your bed here is too tight and might make noise, so, floor? We'll lay a blanket down, okay?"

"Yeah!" she gasped, still giggling. She climbed back off of him and the makeshift bed, followed by him. He relit the lantern but kept it as low as possible, while she found another thick tufted quilt and laid it out. Then he knelt up in the center of it, looking up to her. She stepped up onto it right in front of him, hugging him around the neck and holding his head against her bosom.

He raised his face to her cheekily, "Your Royal Highness." Then he pulled her close and rubbed his face around her chest, the scent of her mixing most notably with his own shirts she wore. "Oh, my princess..."

She ran one hand through playing with his hair, the other around his shoulders, cooing for him. "My big strong man…"

"Yes, 'yours.'" He hugged her waist dearly, stretching his arms up from her hips to her back, rolling his head around as he reveled her hand there. "Awgh, Rapunzel, I have missed being at your command."

She loosened her hold and tilted his chin up to raise his eyes to her face. She giggled at the love-drunk look on his face already blissfully falling into submission. "The one authority you don't have a problem with?"

"Well," he snarked, "I think, you give me preferential treatment."

"Oh, Eugene," she laughed off.

He ran his hands up and down over and around her waist, backside, down to her thighs, feeling up every soft, reassuring bit of her. His lip caught in his teeth as his fingertips sparked, so sensitive to the only form he wanted those hands to know so well.

She giggled, hugging him to her and hiding her face in his hair.

"Seriously, Blondie, do you know how powerful you are?"

"Well," she shrugged, standing back up straight. "I know I can fight alongside you and Cass perfectly fine-"

"I mean YOU. Alone. And not just how your magic saved my life, not just how you kickass with, whatever all it can do now- Blondie. You wanted me to feel how loved I am, with this entire army encampment as proof?" He stroked her sides. "Sweetie, who's in control of that entire army?"

She blushed. "Me…"

"You. You! -who was scared to touch grass when we first left your tower. Who was scared I had pointy teeth to, I dunno, eat your hair with?" They chuckled. "You're next in line to rule an entire kingdom. Out here, you're in control of the entire army, including the Captain, including Max, and Cass, and, me…"

She suddenly locked eyes with him. "I know, but you know I've never thought of you like that-"

"But it's true. I'm just a citizen of Corona. What you said yesterday morning is right- I'm your subject." But I want… more… Make me your consort, yes, but even more than that still! Your lover, the father of your children!

She smirked. "Are you saying I control you?"

"You can," his voice rasped, as his mind fell deeper, "Because I want you to."

"Actually," she looked off, thoughtfully distracted. "I can't even control the rocks anymore."

He lifted his head at that. "What?"

"The black rocks, you remember how I could control them?"

"Yeah."

She shrugged. "Now they don't do anything when I touch them anymore."

"Oh…" He glanced away, still wondering just how little they actually understood about how her new magic worked. When he looked back, though, he had on his most seductive look. "I know somethin' else you can still control with just a touch…" His eyebrows waggled. "That's rock hard right now."

She guffawed, and slouched her height a bit to hang around his shoulders as she knelt down as well.

With one hand, he caressed up and down one of her arms, while his mouth slid kisses on the other one. Finally, he kissed up to her ear, to whisper. "You sure you don't wanna just go to sleep?"

She shook her head. "I'm done waiting. Not missing a night full of free time with you, no matter what."

His entire forehead folded in creases, as he leaned it against hers. "And you're not just sayin' all this 'cause you're scared you'll lose me to someone else? Scared that I'll leave you? If you don't?"

She gulped but shook her head as she pulled away to look at him. "I'm not, 'scared that you'll leave me,' or stop loving me or anything. Not anymore. It's just that I- I've realized…" She took a deep breath and sighed. "Eugene, that first night without you, I cried sooo much."

He winced; his grip tightened.

"I- I thought we knew why you were gone. I thought you left because I didn't say yes, again. Because you didn't think I loved you anymore, because I didn't love you enough, because you didn't love me anymore…"

"No," he tried to hush her, "No no no no no, Sweetheart..."

"It made sense!" she cried, "But nothing I was really thinking about or feeling made much sense. It wasn't until the middle of the night, that everything came together as a whole, and I could actually understand all the things I was feeling." She had brought her hands closer, resting on his shoulders.

He lifted them off of there, and held her fingers reverently before himself, against his heart. "And what were you feeling?"

"I was staring up at the moon," she felt him squeeze her hands, "Thinking about you, and our lives as a whole. But, it was more than that empty void that calls vaguely for 'adventure' and 'destiny.' It was more like, a list. A very precise list."

"What was the list?" he asked quietly, entranced.

"Well, it was a visual list. Of all the things you and I always said we would do, all these things we hadn't done yet. That I thought-... Like-" Her breathing panicked a little. "Like- like getting married, and solving the mystery of these rocks, and racing our horses every morning, and getting back out on the water during the lanterns, and having our own family! Everything. Just the way we wanted it. You and me." Her voice quivered. "But in reality, you weren't there anymore, and I had no idea where you'd gone or why and if you still wanted those same things- and if we EVER would-"

His hands on her cheeks stopped her spiral. "I'm here now. Look at me. I'm right here. Look me in the eye, and you listen to me. I still want all those things. With you. You're still mine, and I'm still yours." He clutched one of her hands back to rest over his chest again. "And Blondie, my heart was with you that night. When I woke up, afterwards, in the middle of the night still, too, even looking at the moon too…"

"...it was cloudy," she dazily recalled, "We couldn't see any stars…"

"No, so even I couldn't tell where we'd been taken. But we were looking at the same moon and I was, mourning all those things, too. I know exactly what you mean. I still want all those things, though! Believe me, my night was a hell and a half-"

"Eugene," she interrupted, scared to even think about his night, "If I had known-"

"Oh- shh shh shh," he caressed her cheek, "I know, Blondie. I know you would've saved me right then and there. You didn't know what was going on, so it's not your fault either."

She smiled, blinking and swallowing back those dreadful emotions, to stay in the present. "And so that's why, I want this, with you. I'm not scared of you leaving for real; I'm scared of anything else that might separate us. I want to do everything with you, not because I'm scared of you changing your mind, but because I'm ready to start living."

Well, damn, now I'm choked up. "Then," he smirked, playing as if irritated, "Are you comin', Blondie?"

She giggled and dove in to kiss him.

He still held her hands, and so moved them down his chest to his abs, still above his shirt. He rocked their foreheads against each other, noses brushing. "Alright?"

She let go of his hands, and hooked her fingers into his waistline.

"Take that as a yes," he chuckled.

She giggled back as she found a button to undo, and hesitantly pushed them down, just a smidge. Then she froze.

Eugene held her arms comfortingly, and rested his head against her shoulder. He planted a small kiss on her neck. "Rapunzel, it's just me. And you know I'm nothing for you to be afraid of. But, you don't have to."

"No, I know," she said, "But just- could you just do it?"

He chuckled. "This is gonna be more of a getting-acquainted night, isn't it?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Shhh, shh shh shh shh," Eugene grinned as his eyes found hers again, hand in her hair, holding the back of her head. "It's okay, Precious. I know. I figured."

She breathed a sigh of relief, yet remained frustrated with herself.

"Did you wanna do anything else?"

"You can take them off if you want, it's just that it's awkward, doing that to someone else."

Eugene took a deep breath and pulled them down slowly, to his knees on the ground, then pulled off the cream peasant shirt, leaving only his dark blue sleeping shirt. With the long tail of the other one gone, she could finally see all of him bared down there. He was indeed hard, and for too long, she could not help but stare. He smiled and chuckled at her dumbfounded expression.

Her eyes snapped to his cherub ones.

"It's okay, it's just me," he soothed. "It's always been here, nothing new."

"It looks new to me," she smirked.

He watched her, then took her hands again. "C'mere." He pushed them down his chest again, stiff as she was. "t'sokay." He separated them, so each of her hands was holding his hips. "There. Okay?"

She kneaded his flesh and wriggled her fingers around, finally holding his bare hips firmly. "Yeah, yeah I'm good," she giggled.

"You don't have to touch it, but you can." It had gotten a little harder, with her finally gazing upon it. "I- I want you to touch me."

Slowly, one hand wandered toward it, lightly trailing a single finger around the base, until he giggled and pulled away while grabbing her wrist.

"That tickles!"

"Oop, sorry!" She giggled at his reaction, but abruptly brought her hands back to herself.

"It's okay," he nodded.

She looked to his half-lidded eyes, soft bangs falling over them, large black pupils glancing light back off like polished obsidian. She brushed his hair back out of the way. "Alright, then…" Then she reached for his hips again.

Lost in her gaze, he forgot about his own exposed self for the moment. His lips slightly parted, his breathing shallow and head light, completely drunk on her presence alone. His tanned and toned arms slid around her to delicately hold her soft and smooth back under the shirts. Large warm fingers caressed her shoulder blades and spine, all the way down to the small of her back, where he remembered all the times he had held her there, any little mundane moment throughout the year full of days they had been blessed with even thus far. Here was one of the rare times he got to feel that area without a corset or nightgown in between his loving hands and her body. With yet another contented sigh, he dropped his face to the crook of her neck, brushing his nose against her ear, then into her hair for a deep breath. His mouth moved to suck on the lobe.

She gasped sharply and gripped his hips tighter.

He smirked as he teased out, "Dooo youuu, want me to, finger you? I'd love to do that like usual," he chuckled and shrugged, "Like to do anything like usual, really…"

She giggled, giddy at the proposition, nodding against him cheek to cheek. She pulled his hips against herself, even as he poked at her legs.

"And Rapunzel?" he whined. "I wanna do something else for you..."

"What's that?" she moaned out, softly eager to see what else he had on his mind.

He picked his head up to meet her eyes again. "Well, it's one thing I wouldn't mind making progress on."

"Something we haven't done yet?"

He nodded, as he pulled his pants back up and resecured them. "Something I never did with her, that I would love to try with you… C'mere." He kissed her lips, slowly, tenderly, his tongue slipping out just enough to taste and tease her. "I… I wanna kiss your other lips." He tightened his own grip on her waist and his mouth cringed as he awaited her thoughts.

Her eyes widened with apprehension, dumbfounded by the idea. "Okay…" she breathed, surprised as she was. Then she gasped when he swept her feet out from under her.

He gently laid her down on the quilt, as he leaned over her and they quickly reconnected in a light kiss. "You okay?"

"Yes," she chuckled, seemingly exasperated already.

"Blondie," his eyes fell hooded, entranced on the single point of light reflected in each of hers. Thoughts drifted back to her initial worries about satisfying him. His sleepy voice in the dark rumbled huskily, past his slight but carnal smile. "You're worried about me being 'satisfied-' Do I look like a man dependent on a woman 'pleasing' me?"

She trembled under him, instincts tearing themselves between how frightfully he presented on the surface, yet how intriguing all of him was, and how deep her trust in him ran, how she could simultaneously tell his strength was at her mercy. Though none of this was new, but it seemed like it had been so long. That combination always resulted in their best times together. Her own lips pulled back, mirroring his mouth with excitement, just as ready to pounce. But she did not know how to answer his question. "I wouldn't know," she giggled innocently, as she shrugged, arms still draped over his shoulders, playing with the back tips of his hair.

He licked his lips and huffed a single chuckle. "No, I'm not. I make sure I'm 'pleased.' I don't need you to just cater to me."

She drew in a sharp breath, his words and manner alone sending tingles through her. "But-"

"'But-!'" he teased back, "I don't need my young girlfriend forcing herself to open up and move too fast for me, just for me to get off. No 'side piece' but I got a right hand."

She blushed.

"And I'm the man who's going to please you." He grinned crookedly. "I want to kiss you everywhere, all over." He added with a shrug, "Don't want you to get chilly, though." At her nod, he began moving down, planting solemn kisses and muttering vows and adorations. All along the way, he worshiped and prayed to her sacred temple here, where just this morning he still feared banishment from. Even above his clothes that she wore, his tender lips moved from her shoulder, clavicle, bosom, her sternum down the center of her chest, stomach to navel, and farther still across her flat belly, from hip to hip. There, he smirked, musing. "Ya know, for the most part, my 'intentions' with you have been so pure." His eyes rose to find hers in the distance. "Be your emotional rock, protect you- just as much as you protect me. Wanna get married, support your rule, have kids, and just, count my blessings to gaze upon you and be your best friend, your partner even."

"You really are my best friend," she petted through his hair and around his jawline. "And I do want you to… to 'be my partner in all things…'"

"Yeah…" He chuckled, squeezing her fleshy hips, then his hands started drifting inward to unfasten his pants she wore. "But God do I want to ravage you. I wanna pleasure you til you don't know which way is up." That smirk turned devilish, shyly returned but just as devious, as he pulled down on the pants and she lifted her hips to help, though he left her front covered still. He flashed a lustful look at her, then dropped back to the inside of her hip. "And I really, really wanna kiss you down here." He could already smell her, and the thought of her taste had his mouth watering. "Wanna…" he gulped, trying to focus, "Wanna lick you… Rapunzel?" he called up as his voice devolved into a whine. "If you don't like it, then, I'll stop of course, but…" God, please like this Sweetheart...

She was busy psyching herself up for it, but finally croaked out a woozy, "Yeah…"

Slowly, he pulled the pants down, revealing his first close-up look at her here, even though it was so dark. She had been exposed to him before, for easier access for his hand, but never yet with his face right there. He stared just a moment, then smirked up at her.

She giggled, but relaxed.

His hands gently nudged her legs apart, then languished his mouth closer and closer to her slit. Rapunzel moaned out in curious anticipation, and in a moment of absolute trust, lifted her hips, to press up against his mouth. Eugene gasped as he met with the sensitive flesh, but then stroked his tongue all the way out to taste her. Ohhh yesss… He moaned out as soon as he registered the musty sweetness.

She yiped and giggled away, too sensitive to the foreign squirmy muscle, but he pulled her back tight and close as she sighed into it. He could still read her as easily as ever, forward and back, inside and out. A startle at first was her usual, and did not mean it was too much yet. He pushed on with more moans of his own, but he purposely kept her clit from direct contact, to prolong how long she could last.

Her giggles all turned to moans varying from deep to whimpering, as her every nerve and synapse went haywire. Unable to contain any of it, she squirmed so much, both pulling away from him and pushing towards him, slowly finding a rhythm.

Eugene lapped up all he could, moaning into her for this chance alone. His mind emptied except for his mouth taking careful notes exploring her here, and praying she liked it. He pulled away only so far and long as to exclaim in delight, "God, Blondie! You taste so good… You alright?"

"Yes, yes," she gasped. "Oh Eugene! Oh, I love you!" Her whole body still convulsed from the lingering sensation, humping back towards his face for more.

"More?" he chuckled.

"Yes!" she gasped.

He slid back below her clit and lingered there, brushing up around it, and sucking up her juices from below. He held her down more tightly as she could not control her writhing.

She squealed and panted out the excitement and thrills, laughing off her old fears: of men literally eating her up, touching her private parts, of terrifying-looking men hurting her, and her latest fears of never feeling, seeing, or speaking to him ever again. Fears that he would never touch her there, or anywhere, ever again. It had to be him, was always meant to be him, could never be anyone else. She could not think of what to say, other than to moan out his beloved name. And with her waist secured, her legs tightened in a vice grip around his head.

He took another breather, gasping, barely getting his face away enough from where he was stuck between her thighs. He licked his lips off, absolutely savoring her taste. "Ohhh, I'm gonna make you cum." His finger trailed around her entrance, prompting a hand to grab his hair to firmly hold his head in place, mouth engulfing her again. "Mmph!" he chuckled, "Mm-hmm?"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she let go of his hair, instead just holding the back of his head. "Nnnnnerhhhh, YES!" she whined out. "Yes, please!"

Slowly, he slid one finger in, deepening and elongating her moans again. She grabbed his other hand that rested on her stomach, and he turned it to hold each other properly, as each pulled and squeezed with all their might.

Quickly enough, she was on the verge of cumming, with his reassuring moans pushing her over the edge when he finally slid his bumpy tongue up and over her clit. She lost her breath and threw her head back. He sucked on her clit as she bucked with his face, more wildly as she rode out her orgasm on his mouth, contracting around his finger. His arm around her thigh bulged, his other hand squeezing hers as tightly as he ever could, moaning at feeling her cumming so intimately all over him. Her cries remained at minimal volume; they did not need anyone barging in, unable to distinguish on the outside, passion from distress. Finally as she came down, she tapped at his shoulder and he tactfully pulled away.

The whole bottom half of his face was drenched, with her sweetness all over his nose, lips, and goatee. Panting, in a haze, he merely glanced back up at her face, before she sat up and instead tackled him onto his back. "Rgh-whoa!" he grunted but ended up laughing - which quickly ended up being through her mouth as she planted it on his.

She yanked on the back of his neck even as she pressed his head to the quilt-covered ground, and would not settle for anything less than sucking his tongue out like she was trying to get his soul along with it.

His dry hand found itself wandering her back, eventually realizing he should collect her hair out of the way. Otherwise he relaxed, thrilled to let her do whatever, as long as it was her desperately pulling his flesh any which way.

Her bare legs straddled his clothed ones, sitting her pelvis right over his. She naturally ground against him, as she had done on his thighs or hips or butt so many other times. But suddenly she startled herself when she felt him twitch back against her.

Eugene moaned deliciously, lifting his hips to grind back. With her hair corralled loosely in one hand, he raised both hands above his head, which was getting more thick and muddled with every gasped breath of sensations. She still held his tongue, the sting from the bloodrush only making it all even better.

When she released his mouth, to his dismayed fluttering lashes and paralyzed tongue, she only stared back, at a loss.

The bottom half of his face was still all damp. "Wha...?" he asked, still blissful yet dumbfounded.

"I don't know," she scrambled, slightly shaking her head. "I just want you." She lifted her head, biting her lips together, knowing this was as far as they would be going tonight.

"Whadaya want, Blondie?" He stretched out beneath her, squirming, teasing her to repeat herself.

"You," she gasped in a whine, her throat closing up behind it. "I just want you…"

Between how strong a grip she had on his heartstrings, and how she pressed against his full on boner, he had not been so comfortable himself in a month. Happy he still had her love, happy she still wanted him like this. Like, how he saw the transferred wetness now glistening on her own face. He reached his wet finger up and traced her lips. "You already got some of yourself there…" he smirked, but it turned charming with his own breathy declarations. "And you have me again. All of me."

She gripped his wrist, and began sucking off that finger as well.

He snickered, reveling in those textures and pressure, and especially her own forward playfulness. "Sweet, huh?"

She chuckled shyly and nodded.

He patted her ass again, "Here, come on, lay back down."

She dazedly flopped back to where she had originally lay on the quilt. She readjusted the pants she wore, while he sat up to follow.

After merely a brush of his goatee though, he then slid up to lay atop her and kiss her likewise blissful face. "God I love you."

Still panting and scatterbrained, she returned, "Love you... too..." Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, holding him close.

"'Sthat good?"

"Wha…" she gasped, still barely comprehending words. "Oh, yeah… yeah," she giggled. "That was… oh my goodness, wow…"

"Hm, good!" His leg wrapped around hers, and his hips surged to drag himself against the side of her thigh. "And thank you! I love doing that. Just, the taste, the reactions, hearing that other guys either won't do it or are bad at it." He laughed like a giddy schoolboy, on Christmas morning. "Like, sex is cool, but that is my absolute favorite." His eyes drifted close, replaying it all again in his mind already while he licked his lips again. "Mmm! God! Thank you, so much Sweetheart." His heavenly grin never waned, as he clutched her close, his tender face resting upon her shoulder. He sighed out sweetly, though, "I don't understand how anyone wouldn't want that."

Rapunzel had to laugh at his immediate and thorough explanation, so casually referencing practically every other girl he had ever been with. But he was so honest and so happy, she took it as a compliment. And she could guess at who he mostly had in mind. "She never liked that?"

"Never let me try," he confirmed, then cringed. "I'm sorry- My head- I'm still-" He tried to shake his head clear, then nuzzled her face. "There's only you-"

She held the back of his neck. "I know, I know, Eugene."

"Your taste and your reactions, are amazing," he corrected. "And that is something I've actually been dying to do for you."

"You'd dropped hints about that before, and it seemed, like, daunting, but everything's new to me so everything seems that way at first. And possibly, embarrassing," she giggled shyly.

He nuzzled around to her neck. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. I love all of you. N' you're so beautiful, everywhere, you're beautiful when you cum, you're beautiful when you're in a uniform, when you're on your throne, when you're fighting, God- Rapunzel," he gasped, unable to convey all that he felt. "I love you so much." His want for their future crept back up on him, but he swallowed proposal talk back. He may have relented and even changed his position on engagement, but could not ignore the big picture he wanted more than anything in the world. "I just… I just wanna stay with you." His hips rolled up against her again.

She laughed out lazily, running her hands over his arms and neck and back, wherever she could reach. "Mmmyesss…" she drawled out.

"I've missed you sooo much," he turned his head down to rest on her bosom, and her hand followed to pet his hair. "I missed how you feel, I missed your scent, and I've wanted to taste you, up close- you've always tasted so good on my fingers- And God, tonight I did wanna- I know I said we wouldn't do anything, but I did wanna make you cum. That I've missed, and I wanna make you happy, make sure you know I want you. I just- I love you so goddamn much, Rapunzel."

The high fuzzy feeling from her orgasm, and from simply being so close to him, had Rapunzel feeling like she was halfway between sleeping and waking up, but in a most pleasant way. "I know," she hummed out drowsily. "I know… And I want and love you, too. And you certainly made me feel good..."

"Good," he chuckled. He snuggled her shoulder some more, then began fervently kissing her all over, travelling back up towards her face. "Good. It's only you, Blondie," he said in between kisses, "Love of my life. Only you."

She gasped and moaned as he tickled and tingled her. "And I don't want anyone else but you! I don't wanna lose you, I don't wanna have to try to start over with somebody else."

His arms wrapped around and squeezed her tight, with his head down away from her eyes. "You never lost me."

"Oh my God, Eugene," her breath shuddered again, "You're welcome to do that again anytime you like."

He chuckled against her neck. "I would love to do that again anytime you like."

"Would you like me to do that for you?" she teased, surprising even herself with her forwardness.

He chuckled. "If n' whenever you feel ready, Darlin', I'm here, ready and willing-" His smile turned sad and his eyes fell away from her. He took up her hand, running his thumb over her fingers, then found something to smile about as his eyes returned as well. "Always eager to try new things with you."

She hummed a smile. "It seems a lot harder, though, don't you think?"

He grinned sweetly. "I'll take it easy on ya, go slow, walk you through it…" His voice devolved into a light chuckle, imagining giving step-by-step instructions for his own blowjob. "Don't worry about it."

"Hmmm alright then." She snuggled into him.

As he imagined what lay in store for them someday, Eugene pressed his face into the crook of her neck. It was a strange combination of lust, relief, fear, sorrow, and the finally regained warmest love. "We're gonna do everything. Anything you want." A kiss turned into sucking on her neck, earning a gasp from her. "I love you, Rapunzel. You'll always be my Blondie, my New Dream. You're my girl, you are my princess. I promise you. Please. I'm just asking, begging you, but please don't ever doubt my love for you again, pleeease."

Rapunzel felt her arms weaken but her hold on him strengthened. However, she chuckled, "What happened to 'Sunshine' and 'Light of my life?'"

He chuckled back. "Those, too. And," he smiled, getting a little choked up and thumbing her cheek, "Don't forget, I meant it- you're my best friend." She smirked at him, but he challenged, "And ya know what, we're all adults here, I think I can handle having two best friends." He shrugged. "Cassandra's even growing on 'close.'"

She hummed a smile in agreement.

"But I'd love you under any name or title." He booped her nose. "And," he winced, biting his lip. "Could I… try to cum?"

"Uhhh…" She sounded uncertain.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to figure himself out. "I, don't even know if I'll be able to, but I don't wanna pressure you into anything."

"Well, what did you have in mind?"

"You don't have to do anything," he eagerly offered as he looked up to her again. "I'll just, I guess like masturbate?"

She chuckled and thumbed his cheek.

He fell against her hand. "I just don't wanna leave you but I am also reeeally turned on right now," he laughed.

Through giggling, she brought his face back up for a kiss. "Go on…" she whispered on his cheek.

His eyes locked with hers, and breathing got heavy. He shoved his pants back down just enough, then reached to take himself in his hand. Finally feeling the direct stimulation, the satisfying pressure, while looking into her eyes, he moaned out immediately. "Rapunzel..."

"Are you sure?" she checked; he almost looked pained to her.

"Yes," he moaned, feeling his will power comfortably fall and sink into a soft pillow of safety. "I just want you," he choked on bubbling emotion, "I love you."

She smiled graciously and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you, too, Eugene. More than anything else in the world, ever."

He stared up at her as he pumped his hips into his hand, struggling to keep the rhythm; everything felt too good, for the first time in a long time, and the first time like this with her. Her hands in his hair and around his shoulders, her soft body beside him, the tenderness on her face. In her eyes, he was safe, and free, and known.

His panting grew frantic, but as he felt his desire and passion climbing toward their peak, he leaned up to her face. He wanted her to take his lips again, to accept his tongue again. And she did exactly that. Take me, he blindly thought, though the only images that came with it were of him blissfully melting into all that she was, laying out beneath her and falling apart for her. In her presence, there was only freedom. I wanna give you everything… All of me… Stay with me, keep me!

A memory cropped up, from right before that terrible snowstorm, of spying her on her throne, with the crown that had initially brought them together, as the line of dozens looked to her for direction. He had forced himself to split, to relieve himself from seeing her in such power, alone for the first time. He had wished those people all gone, so he could request a private audience with her; one where he merely lay spread out on the steps below, leading up to her, begging for her direction, but with no words, as he reached as far as he could up her scandalously bare-as-always calf. He could never care less than he already did, about the attempted insults of his attractions to powerful women, especially if he ever did get to lock in that fantasy. She was powerful even before we knew she was a Princess; but now it's even legally all-encompassing! Never thought I'd ever have a lover using the State to protect me. Who wouldn't want this? She's just- mmph!

In reality, his other hand shoved underneath her, grabbing hold of her side, as he rolled onto his back, pulling her onto her side against him. He still maintained humping into his hand rather than jacking it off.

She sucked on his tongue, their eyes barely cracked open to never leave each other's sight. His moans slipped through each breath and into her mouth, and her own breathing reciprocated. Her hands switched to be in his hair and on his chest instead. As his noises pitched higher, he became desperate for release, and he could not keep his eyes from rolling back, cutting his vision out. His arm around her moved from wrapped around her shoulders to gripping a handful of hair, wrapping a bit around his hand, and holding onto the knowledge it was her for dear life, as he pulled her face hard against his.

Safe in her arms, he let himself go. He broke the kiss as his gasping mouth gave way to whimpering noises falling from it, and white spurts popped up from below. Strings and blobs landed around his hand. The whimpers and sighs continued, though, as he suddenly took stock of the entire situation, the ecstasy already having separated his mind from his body. She- I wanted this with her for so long, and then I never thought I'd get another chance. But she's here! She came back for me! And I finally got a sexytimes night -with HER!- where I actually wanted everything… "Blondie," he cried, feeling tears suddenly swell past his lids, unable to control all the good things he was feeling in all ways. Chuckles escaped laced with sobs, and of all things, he knew that combined, all he felt was Love. And this is the first time- oh my god- oh my god- oh my god…!

"Eugene, are you okay?" Rapunzel whispered with delicate concern.

"I'm-" Eugene. She called me Eugene! He lost it again in a few chuckles. "I'm fine," he managed to say through a smile. He looked around for a moment, then noticed she was already handing him a small towel. "Oh, thank you," he accepted it, not yet completely registering her smirk. He wiped himself off, then fell against her again. "I just- You're here, I'm here," he rubbed his face all over her shoulder, "I'm yours, I'm all yours..." Suddenly he looked up. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I-I kinda just..."

"I'm fiiine!" Chuckling, Rapunzel secured him in her arms. Her fingers slipped into his hair at the base of his neck, and an arm wrapped around his back, pulling him close. He clung to her as tightly as he could, and she hummed to him. "I'm right here. I love you," she kissed him in between, anywhere she could reach, "I love you so much, Eugene."

"I love you, too," he squeaked out. "Always. I love you." His breathing shuddered in her arms. His hand slipped into hers and squeezed. "Thank you for saving me. Thank you… For taking me back, and another chance... I love you, Blondie."

"I'm here for you, and I am so lucky to have you."

He sniffled and chuckled and held her tighter. "And you always will."

"And I told you, taking you back was never a question for me. I thought you didn't wanna come back."

"I never wanted to leave. I'm sorry I must've made you think I ever might even want to. I'm on your side, always. Just," he cringed, "Please…" He bit his lip and pressed his face into the crook of her neck. "Tell me I'm yours," he cried again. "I'm so sorry for everything, but please, I love you! I just wanna know that I belong to you, Blondie, please!"

"Eugene, Eugene, Eugene," she soothed, "Hey, hey, hey… Eugene, I've told you, I don't own you- I can't-"

"But I want you to! Always! You've had me since I first laid eyes on you. Pleeease…" He could barely catch his breath. "That's all I wanted that morning! When I was gonna ask you again - I just wanted to know that I'm yours, that you want-t-to-to… to keep me… That I'm safe here, to relax- That this is-" -IT… He held back, ever fearful of the rocky edges that 'forever' held for her. "Just- that- you'll always love me- no matter what I've done or how I still screw up!" He sobbed it all out, hiding his face in her.

"Y-you want to be mine, then, you are. You are mine," she said confidently. "Of course for always. You're mine. You…" She ran her hand through his hair, holding him close, "You are the love of my life, too, Eugene! You're my boyfriend, my New Dream. As badly as I wanted to go find those lights all those years, I want you even more. I always will. You're my most trusted partner, and, you belong to Corona. You belong WITH us."

Eugene finally took a staggeredly deep breath. "Yes. Thank you…" he sniffled, "Thank you, Blondie." He sighed, a tiny bit more at ease. "I'm sorry, I've just been… so scared… I thought I'd lost you before… I thought I lost everything- I gave it up for Lance, but- my whole life-!"

"Shhh," Rapunzel pulled him tighter. "You didn't lose me. Eugene," she stressed with such care, "I'm not gonna let you go. I won't let you go. Never. I promise you that."

"No, never, please…" He finally blinked hard, pushing tears out. He gripped her shirt and sleeve, and burrowed into the crook of her neck, hiding, as he fell apart, sobbing and shaking. "I'm sorry… But I need you."

She kissed his forehead. "I understand," she whispered, stroking his arms and back. "It's okay… It's okay… It's okay… It's okay now, you're safe. You're safe with me, you know that. I will always protect you."

A full on cry took over his body, but he fought to make the simple words out to her. "I know…"

She pulled him as close to her as she could, even grabbed behind his knee to direct his leg to wrap around over her all the way, which he did. His foot then hooked behind her legs to tighten how they twisted together. He wrapped his arms around her, under her own arms clutching him back as he wriggled into her. She surrounded him, rubbing his back, locking him in securely.

He tilted his head to press his lips against her neck. "And my loyalty may extend to Corona, but…" His breath came in ragged spurts. "It's only because of you. I'm all yours, Rapunzel. And I swear, on my life, I would never willingly leave you- My heart could never turn against you. I promise. With all that I am."

"I know, Eugene," she gently soothed him. "I know. I know you. The real you."

He kissed her neck, which morphed into sucking on it. He gasped through a sob and another soggy chuckle popped out. "The blouse with your dress has a high neck, right?" He smirked against her flesh, but then sniffled back noisily.

"Yes," she giggled, then sighed. "But let me see you," she tried to move his face away enough to look at him, but he resisted.

"No," he whined, "No- I'm cryin'- Don'- Don' look at me..." 'You just stay handsome.'

"Eugene, it's okay-"

He shook his head, crying harder. "No- I'm NOT 'okay!' N' my face- you… You don't wanna see me like this- I'm sorry, I don't even know what-"

"Hey, hey, Eugene," her hand stroked through his hair, "Come on, I've seen you worse. Lemme see your handsome face."

He tightened up all around her. "No!" he cried out, muffled in her shoulder. "I'm- I'm- not 'handsome' like this-"

"Please, I love you, no matter what your face looks like right now."

'She could have kept me young and handsome forever…' "Blondie," he strained as he rolled his face around there. "Promise," he pleaded.

"I promise. I'll always love you, no matter what, and I won't make fun of you, or laugh, or make you feel bad in any way. Trust me, okay?"

"Okay..." He grit his teeth and, slowly, reluctantly, picked his head up for her to see. He could hardly see her through his tears though.

She gazed into his puffy reddened face and tired, tear-soaked eyes. "Eugene," she smiled as she stroked his wet cheek.

"Heh," he tried to laugh but failed, desperately trying to hold the eye contact, even as his eyes kept instinctively twitching away, though he kept forcing them back. "Tolja I've got an ugly cryin face-"

"Never," she interrupted with mock-sternness, "But hm, I thought you said no more lies? Because all I see is my extremely handsome boyfriend and his dashingly rugged good looks."

He whimpered at that, but his eyes still begged for more. Still screamed volumes of how he could not help but feel: absolutely worthless, pitiful, used, broken, helpless. Make me stop hurting, Princess - I still can't even believe you're a princess. Still can't believe how wonderful my life's been with you, how much we love each other. Force me to accept all these good things I can't handle right now! "Rapunzel?" he managed to force out of his sob-ridden mouth and trembling lips, "Help me…"

"Eugene…" she gasped. A pet on his cheek merely made him wince again and again, drifting his eyes closed as more tears flowed. Finally, she tried switching to the method he had been trying to coax out of her. While his eyes were still shut, that soft delicate hand on his cheek crept up, to firmly grab him by his hair, moving his head herself to look more prominently up at her.

His eyes shot wide, unfocused as his vision swirled, but directly pointed at her face. Lax jaw fell open from how she had moved the rest of his skull. Fingers, hands, arms, legs, all tensed around her; toes curled. And while he may have been too spent for another round, he felt the bolt of lightning shoot from her hand straight down to his core. YES! But his throat could only make the weakest of tiny noises.

"Eugene Fitzherbert," she said roughly, channeling all of her frustration from the whole month. "You look at me."

He desperately focused his eyes to obey, blinking in disbelief, some part of him aware enough to be shocked.

"You wanted me to 'reclaim you?'"

He feebly tried to nod, despite how she held his hair, and how she had successfully emptied his head. "Yeh…"

"You've already given yourself to me, so, yes. I do own you. And I will never let you go. There is nothing you can ever do to change how I feel about you." Then she smirked, "Ya got that?"

A blissful smirk finally settled on him as well. "Yes…" he faintly gasped.

"Good. You're so good, Eugene," she remained stern but her delivery was getting softer. "You're good."

His smile grew, but he had to fight to keep his eyes open, as the praise threatened to shut him down again, and more tears freely flowed out.

"But no matter what, I love you. You ARE mine, and you are safe here. You know I would never hurt you, or be mean to you, or anything. And I want you to be able to come to me about anything! No matter how awful you think it is! I just wish you'd told me about her before, or called for me sooner -" She dropped his hair, but cupped both hands around his cheeks, still tugging at him dominantly. "Because then I would have been able to help you sooner! I swear, I went positively feral when we couldn't find you that day!"

His lips curled back as his face screwed up again. He still dove his face back to press against her chest, but managed to squeak out a few more words. "I never really lost you, did I?"

"No," she ran her palm over his cheek and through his hair. She clutched him close there, defending him from the world around them, that had convinced her wonderful man that he was instead awful, that had her everything certain that he could never be enough. "No, you never 'lost' me. I don't think you ever could. I've wanted you so desperately all this time. I trust you. I just got a good feeling about you at first, but, really? Since then, you've built that trust, constantly, piece by piece."

"I lied about sneaking out with Lance," he offered up.

"Another rock and a hard place. You were just trying to help your friend."

He nodded, then squinted, pushing more tears out. "I just wanna be better for you."

"You're already the best. You're good, you're so good. And I will fight your mind all night if I have to. Or however long. I'll fight for you for the rest of our lives, Eugene. The same as you've promised to help me."

He nodded along solemnly, but smiled crookedly. "I also wanna give you a hickey. Maybe get a couple, too?"

Rapunzel giggled. "Like marking territory?"

He shrugged, eyes still red and puffy. "Maybe a little. The other marks I can keep hidden. But hickeys from my loving girlfriend? Who cares if someone sees? Show everyone where my heart truly lies." He moved back to working on one on her throat. Concentrating on sucking the delicate flesh also soothed him.

"Sounds like you care," she teased, "Like you want people to see marks from me on you."

He moaned in response, but did not let up until he was sure it was already purple. "Hmm, or from me on my loving girlfriend." He thumbed over his proud handiwork, where two ovals had formed a heart shape. "And I care that I went 28 days and 28 nights without kissing you, so I intend to make up for it, dammit. All that time, everyone thinking I didn't want you? That I'd just dumped the most incredible woman in the world, who's saved my life countless times and literally brought me back to life? I may have been a jerk in the past but I am not stupid. Everyone thinking my wanting you more than anything in the whole world, that all my love, was just another lie? So YES, I DO want the world to know just how much I want you and only you. And I want everyone to know I'm yours." He craned his neck up, giving her access to wherever she wanted. "That you'll never let anyone else take me away from you."

She giggled, and leaned in. He gasped when he felt her lips make contact; towards the front, where he could feel it in his throat, and his jacket collar could not possibly reach to cover it. She lost suction at her angle, so she pushed him over, pressing his back into the ground, and climbed over his waist to lay on his chest. There she could comfortably reach to continue branding him, relishing in his little whimpering noises.

He strained to speak. "You know… You… never lost me, either." His hands slid down, grabbing handfuls of her buttcheeks. "And you were worried… about me, 'coming back'- heh. I was dying without you!"

She eventually picked her head up to examine her work, and gasped, covering her mouth, but then a small laugh exploded through. "Oh, Eugene!"

"Heh, what?" he smirked, feeling around himself.

"Well I'm afraid the Captain might think I've hung you myself," she traced her fingers over the marks she had left.

He laughed, a little more brightly than any other time that night. "Good! Let everyone see I belong to the Lost Princess." He pulled her back to his lips, swimming together in another deep, life-giving kiss. "Thank you, for everything, Sunshine."

She brushed his hair away and kissed his temple. "I, um…" She bit her lip, mulling it over, and he looked up, curious. "I have something else to show you."

He heard the nervousness in her voice, and it reflected in his own. "What is it, Blondie?"

"My, journal…" She froze.

As he waited for her to continue explaining her answer, he had to laugh out his absolute worst fear. "What, you find a new boyfriend back home?" He said it ridiculously, begging to be wrong.

"Nooo! Oh my gosh, NO- Eugene!" As Rapunzel whined her protest though, her courage to actually show him grew. "Here, sit up. I need to show you this." She struggled off of him and dashed to pull it out of her bag near the bed.

"Sweetie..." Eugene got to his feet, fixed his pants and replaced his other shirt, then sat back on the bed. "That's your private space. You don't need to show me. You don't need to prove anything to me."

She plopped back beside him with the book. "I know, but I," she sighed, "Here." They got situated snuggling together up against the pile of crates that served as a headboard. "I wanna show you this, and maybe it'll all make more sense? When I don't fully understand what I'm feeling, I like to paint it out." His face came to nuzzle against hers, his arm around her shoulders. "Basically, I just don't want you to worry." She dipped her face downward but turned in toward him. "You're the most important person in the world to me, and I want you to know that."

His arm squeezed around her as he pecked her forehead. "Alright, Blondie," he whispered, "Go ahead and show me…"

She took a deep breath, and opened the cover.

"Plus est en vous?" It rolled off of Eugene's tongue with a vibrato that made her head spin.

"You…" she gasped, "Know French?"

"Yeah, do you know what that means?"

"My mom said it means, 'There is more in you.'"

He brushed some of her hair away to nuzzle his lips against her temple. "There certainly is."

Rapunzel blushed. "You can read it out loud if you want… I miss listening to you read…" she mumbled.

"Alright," he winced at the loss, but smiled that they could fix yet another tiny thing that meant so much. "So, let's see. 'It's been six months since coming to Corona. Or, coming back, I should say. Castle life is busy! But, this is "happily ever after," after all…'" He squinted at a splotched out spot in the corner. "'Or… is it?'" He picked his head up, alarmed. "Blondie?"

"Just, keep reading."

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore it. "The, uh castle looks really cool the way you painted it here," he mindlessly complimented. He turned the page, to see himself down on one knee. He gulped, took a deep breath, then set to reading the blurbs floating above his head. "'Eugene asked me to marry him. It started out so sweet and in that moment, I don't think I've ever been happier.' Aw, a little heart. 'Thennn… I freaked out. I'm so sorry, Eugene! I do want to marry him somed-' Wait, WHAT?!" He pulled away from her a bit to look at her.

Rapunzel hid her face away from him.

Eugene smiled slyly at her. "And just when were you going to let ME in on this little secret?" he teased.

She looked back at him, apologetically full of regret.

His smile softened. He glanced back down to the book. "You wrote this six months ago."

"Y-yeah- well, seven months ago, now."

He finally fell into a little frown. "Honey, why couldn't you tell me? Was I really making you feel that pressured or something? That we couldn't even talk about this?" He held his hand under her hair on her upper back, rubbing soothingly.

"I don't know…" she whimpered, tears coming to her defense.

"Easy, easy. You know you can tell me anything."

"But I didn't even know how to explain it."

"Well," he dipped his head in concession. "Okay." He thought for a moment as she calmed herself down.

She sighed. "I didn't want to upset you. I know, it's stupid, but I didn't know what to say, and I didn't know what you would say, and everything seemed fine the way it was going afterwards, sooo…"

He pulled her close again, hugging her waist as she leaned back against his chest. "It's not stupid. You're not stupid. But yes, I… I was already upset. But I wasn't angry with you. I was, scared. That there must be this horrible undercurrent in our relationship that I've been completely oblivious to. I promised to be patient, but I do wish you had kept talking to me."

She leaned up and kissed the bottom of his jaw, eliciting a big genuine grin. In her lap, she gathered up and clutched his arms around her. "I'm sorry. And I was sorry for saying no, because I wanted to say yes, but I guess I just wasn't ready yet maybe..."

He smiled sweetly, relishing her caresses. "I did ask too soon, didn't I?"

She cringed. "I guess so? But I still love you, and we're still together! I just, I dunno…"

He rubbed her arm back and ran his thumb over hers, as he fell into his thoughts. We need to just get this out there. "Rapunzel, I need to tell you something," he stated matter-of-factly.

She tensed on him and her heart skipped a beat. "W-wha-"

"Ah," he noticed her state, and squeezed her tightly. "Don't worry! It's actually a very good something," he said cheerfully, but then dropped off again. "And I hope you'll tell me your version."

Calm once more, she asked, "What is it?"

"Rapunzel, I've been thinking about marriage since we were out on the water under the lights." He felt her tense again. "Just, listen. And certainly since you healed me. I almost asked you then. But then, at the castle, well, one, I didn't even know if we'd be allowed to be together, but then two, I figured I should wait til you got more settled… To me, six months was a long time, when dedicating my life to you was all I could think about. And with the coronation already being a big thing, a big step for you, I just… Wanted to make it like, I wanted to be part of all that with you. Then a year out, and despite all that was going on with Varian and all, I just got butterflies every time I thought about it being your birthday again, like, we made it to a one-year-anniversary! And I still only wanted you more than ever." He looked down to her. "But I'll still wait however long you need." He brought her hand up to kiss. "I'd wait forever for you. I promise."

Rapunzel finally breathed easy again. "Eugene, I…" she chuckled, "I don't know what to say to all that-"

"You don't need to say anything. I just needed you to know." He moved her hand to over his heart.

"And my version?"

"If you want to..."

"I… thought about, 'staying' with you, under the lights, but I was still worried about, well, Gothel… But when I saw you lying there, the way you were looking at me, and knowing how she had lied about everything, it looked like I saw my whole future dying with you… I was just thinking about it in terms of staying together forever, til I talked with my mom about it. And I realized what I wanted was, that… That's why that very night you asked, I wrote that I did want to marry you, someday, but… I don't know, I guess I just didn't feel like it was right yet. But I DO know it's you."

He rolled half over her and said so gently, "That's good enough for me. I'll take a 'it's you' and 'someday,'" then dove for her lips. "So," he smirked, "We have been on the same page all this time?"

She grinned, stopping tears up. "I love you, my future-Prince Consort."

He blanched and lost his breath at that. "Blondie…" I can't believe I really… But she's only- He suddenly cringed. "You're only 19. We're fine as-is, but that really is such a big decision for you-"

"And I've already had to make big decisions, that affect entire kingdoms."

"But this is different- and I dunno, I'm 27 now and I was only 19 when I…"

"When you were with someone who did not treat you well! Eugene, she won't even say your name, even now."

He shrugged. "You are right about that."

"And, especially after everything- everything we've gone through this year and just now- the very least I could do is assure the one person who means the most to me, that his future, is secure. And full of more love than he's ever thought possible."

His lip trembled as his mouth hung open and expression crumpled. "And I won't let you be wrong about me. About this. You're not gonna be wrong like I was."

She cradled his head to her. "I know. I know."

I-... I've pictured what our wedding might look like in the throne room a thousand times- imagined what our kids might be like if- but… There is no 'what-if.' Only when… For all of this. The rest of my life, with her. For the first time since before he first tried to propose, he felt rock-solid-sure about it all. His mouth flapped silently and helplessly, til he finally found his voice. "I'm home."

She flopped over atop his chest, hugging him for dear life, and he squeezed her as tight as he possibly could.

"I'm home."

"Yes you are."

---

A/N: One more!

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