Chapter 8

"What are we doing here?" Rapunzel murmurs as she follows Flynn through the dark forest late at night.

She'd waited for him at the waterfall like he'd told her to the night before. Just when she thought he wouldn't come, he'd appeared out of the woods and whispered to her to follow him. She didn't ask where they were going but the words had sounded exhilarating in his voice, and the idea of being so far outside the castle again had made her heart pound with excitement.

The path he takes weaves deeper into the forest than Rapunzel has ever been. He effortlessly climbs up the side of a rockface and extends his hand down to her, "Well, I think I have a pretty good idea of what your life is like. I figured it's time I showed you a bit of mine." He explains as he pulls her up onto the cliff.

They walk toward a leaning willow tree covered in vines. Rapunzel can see orange light flickering through the gaps of its hanging leaves.

Flynn pulls the greenery back like a curtain and she follows him in dipping his head as he steps through the archway.

A clearing of mossy grass is revealed before them, nestled within a circle of leaning trees. The roots wind endlessly along the dirt ground and overlap the vines of the forest floor. In the centre is a collection of scattered tents and caravans on wheels with canvas rooftops. The area is filled with laughing men chatting amongst themselves, shouting joyfully over the sound of a fiddle playing somewhere nearby. A bonfire is flickering brightly in between it all, illuminating the dark area with a dim orange glow. There are long wooden tables surrounded by log benches, and sparkling fireflies are floating through the air. The leaves of the thick trees overhead almost completely shelter the area from the moonlight, encasing it all within a dark corner of the woods that Rapunzel swears she would have never been able to find on her own.

Her jaw drops as she finds herself completely fascinated with the sight before her. "You live here?" she asks in amazement, hardly believing what she is seeing. All this time, she had no idea this was all hiding so far outside the kingdom.

"From time to time," Flynn says casually. "I try not to stay in one place too long but… yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Wow," Rapunzel breathes, staring at the gathering of people in the distance who have yet to notice them. The sound of their chatter makes her grin excitedly. "This looks way more fun than the castle!"

"Fun?" Flynn laughs, "No, no, this… is paradise." He plants his hands on his hips, gazing among the thieves' camp before them. "No rules, no responsibilities… and all the ale you could drink." He leans over to murmur next to her, "Oh, and uh… don't mention anything about the princess thing. Some of these guys can't resist a shiny penny when they see it, if you know what I mean."

"Rider!"

They both turn toward the burly man sauntering toward them that Rapunzel doesn't recognize. He wears a red vest with heavy boots and a golden earring on one side, and his voice is deep and booming. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up! Where you been?" He exclaims with a welcoming grin, arriving in front of them.

"Lance!" Flynn gestures to Rapunzel, "This is…"

The princess flickers her eyes between them awkwardly, remembering what Flynn had just told her, "Uh—Cassandra," she says, "It's nice to meet you."

Lance looks pointedly over at Flynn with raised eyebrows, looking impressed. Then he laughs loudly, "So, this is the mysterious girl you won't stop talking about!"

Rapunzel glances up at Flynn next to her who scratches the back of his neck nervously. To be fair, Flynn had only briefly mentioned a girl to him. He should've known Lance would exaggerate that part.

"Call me Lance." The man tells her, flashing her a friendly smile. He begins walking backward toward the camp with his arms outstretched beside him, "You're right on time. The party's just getting started."

As they follow Lance toward the crowd, Flynn is acknowledged by various other thieves who greet him or clap him on the shoulder as they walk past. Rapunzel watches it all with intrigue, realizing that he must be pretty well known around here.

None of them pay much mind to Rapunzel's presence, which she supposes she is thankful for. She'd only received a couple peculiar looks upon walking in before they quickly realized she is here with Flynn, and therefore didn't end up questioning it.

So many criminals in one place couldn't be more unfamiliar to her. Despite the thrill of that danger, it excites her more than anything and she finds herself fascinated with how people can have such a lifestyle as this.

She does look like she fits in well, though. Instead of the dress she usually wears, Rapunzel is dressed in a pair of trousers and buckled boots that reach her knees. She wears a brown corset tied with string and her wavy hair falls from underneath the hood of her cloak.

"Oh yeah, Flynn and I go way back," Lance tells Rapunzel later in the night as the three of them sit around on a couple logs. The bonfire crackles nearby and there are various bandits lingering around them with tankards in their hands as they chat with one another.

"We've been on loads of adventures since we were teenagers," he continues with glee. "You know, stirring up trouble and all that. Before that, we just caused trouble at the orphanage. They loved us, of course. We were the head mistress' favorite. That's where we met each other, actually."

"I was always the more outgoing one out of the two of us," Flynn boasts confidently. He nudges Lance next to him with his elbow, "But that's why we complete each other, right, Lance? I've got the looks and… actually, I've got the brains too, but…"

"You sure like to talk yourself up as the kid who got suspended for kicking in a window… three times."

"Two times, actually!" Flynn corrects defensively. "And the first one was an accident."

"Okay," Lance scoffs, "And the second one 'wasn't your fault', right?"

Rapunzel chuckles at their entertaining banter, though there's a sadness behind her smile. They seem to have so many amazing memories together. Rapunzel doesn't remember much of her childhood. She'd spent most of it inside the castle, and she hardly ever spoke to anyone. Everything about it seems so dull compared to Flynn's.

"Sounds like you two had a lot of fun," Rapunzel comments.

"Eh, getting into trouble wasn't always the fun part," admits Flynn. "But yeah… we made some good memories."

Lance looks to Rapunzel sitting across from him. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"I'm from… the village," she says.

"The village," Lance ponders that, before squinting at her suspiciously. He leans forward and points a finger at her. "You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Uh…"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Flynn jumps in, patting Rapunzel on the shoulder. "Don't let her looks deceive you. This little thief is gaining quite the reputation out there."

A burly man with an eyepatch and a bandana around his neck wanders into the clearing in front of them. They all turn their attention at the sound of his deep voice speaking over everyone. "What do you boys say we start the night off with a little fun?" The crowd erupts into cheer, raising their drinks in the air excitedly. The man circles around himself with his arms outstretched. "Been a while since we've had a good round of some combat entertainment!"

The people standing behind Rapunzel bump their tankards together and she swears she feels some of it spill onto her shoulder. She chuckles at their enthusiastic reactions despite her confusion of what's going on.

"Now… who wants to go first?"

One of the bandits slaps a hand on Flynn's shoulder, "I think we all know Rider here has the best hand with a sword."

Flynn shrugs, looking away, "Well, I wouldn't say I'm the best but…" A couple of the men pull him to his feet, and everyone begins to holler encouragingly. They push him into the clearing as Lance also shouts words of encouragement from the sidelines.

"Looks like you're up, pretty boy." The burly man shoves a sword into Flynn's hand before he can protest. "Anyone dare to prove their skills against Corona's most wanted?"

The laughter of the crowd dies down when a small voice speaks up from nearby. "I'll do it."

A silence falls among the camp as everyone turns their heads toward Rapunzel.

"Ha!" Flynn laughs after a moment, "Seriously?" There's amusement in his smile.

"What?" she stands up, joining him in the clearing. "Afraid you'll lose?" Everyone makes an excited 'oo' noise, snickering at her comment.

"Pfft, no," scoffs Flynn, conscious of the audience listening to their banter. "I'm just afraid you won't be able to handle it."

"Well then… Flynn Rider," she saunters toward him with a raised chin, "Why don't we find out?"

He studies her as the onlookers marvel at the scene before them. She's putting on a show, and he likes it. "All right," Flynn shrugs after a while, deciding to accept that challenge. This will be interesting. "You're on, Blondie."

Someone hands a sword to Rapunzel who accepts it with a smug smirk. She takes a moment to feel the weight of it in her hand. They both take a step away from each other as the crowd forms a circle around them.

Flynn raises his weapon slowly, readying his stance, "Now, just know, I'm not gonna be taking it easy on—"

Rapunzel swings her sword at him, and he stumbles back. Flynn jumps to react, their blades colliding in a cross above their heads.

As they freeze in that position, Flynn gapes at her from underneath their swords with wide eyes. He hadn't been expecting that. "Okay, never mind then."

Rapunzel scrapes her sword along his as they back away from each other.

The rowdy crowd hoots and shouts from the sidelines, observing the fight with anticipation. The two slowly circle around each other with their weapons raised, watching the other's eyes intensely.

The sound of metal clanging rings out among the camp as Rapunzel lunges for him again. This time, Flynn doesn't hesitate to block her attack, countering it quickly. She dodges just in time and swipes at him again. He whips around himself and clangs his weapon against hers repeatedly.

They back away and circle each other again. Their boots crunch into the dirt as their feet step in unison like a mirror.

Rapunzel swipes again as she bounds to the other side of him, switching places. Sparks fly to the ground as Flynn attempts another strike at her, but she is quick to duck underneath his sword.

They each take a heavy breath, deep in focus. With one last attempt, Flynn swings his blade across his chest before it collides abruptly with her own.

Rapunzel swings her arm around so quickly that Flynn's weapon falls out of his hand and clatters to the ground. As he stumbles away, Rapunzel kicks her boot into the side of his knee, and he falls back into the dirt all within a manner of seconds.

She points her sword at his chest, peering down at him with panting breaths.

The men cheer and whistle loudly around them, but the sound is nearly blocked out completely as Flynn only stares up at her in shock. After a moment, Rapunzel smirks at him and holds out her hand.

He watches her blankly before chuckling softly to himself, shaking his head. He grabs her wrist, and she pulls him back to his feet.

"Oh-ho, that was awesome!" Lance exults, springing directly up to Rapunzel once everyone begins to disperse, "You shoulda seen his face! I would pay to see that again!"

Flynn brushes off the sleeves of his tunic. "Well… I can't say I saw that coming."

"Like I said, I can handle myself," she reminds him, passing off the sword to someone nearby.

"You know what, Cassandra? You're not half bad," Lance admits, beyond impressed, "I can see why Flynn likes you." He leans in next to her, raising a hand up to his mouth secretively, "Though, I totally believed he'd get his butt kicked by a girl."

Rapunzel giggles as everyone around them begins to chatter again, directing their focus elsewhere.

"I heard that," grumbles Flynn. "This is just an off day for me, okay?"

"Yeah, sure it is," continues Lance sarcastically.

"All right well, while you two make fun of me, I'm gonna go get myself a drink." He definitely needs one after that fight. With that, Flynn disappears through the group of people who are currently discussing who will compete next.

Lance seats himself around the bonfire where it's slightly quieter. He sighs audibly, "Yeah, that's just like Flynn. He's a real softy on the inside."

"Oh, yeah?" Rapunzel takes a seat next to him, intrigued.

"Oh, big time." He leans closer to her again, lowering his voice, "Believe it or not, his real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. Don't tell him I told you that, though."

When Flynn returns with a couple of tankards a few minutes later, Lance decides he needs to get himself one before also disappearing into the party.

"I got you one too," Flynn steps over the log Rapunzel is sitting on, taking a seat next to her. "I wasn't sure what you liked."

"Thank you." She accepts the mug he holds out to her, briefly sniffing whatever odd liquid is in there. She's never been the one for alcohol, mostly because her parents would probably kill her if she tried it.

"So… Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he asks, taking a heavy swig.

Rapunzel holds her drink in her lap. "When I was ten, I convinced my mother to let me take sword fighting lessons. She thought it'd be useful for me to learn how to defend myself. Plus, Cass and I used to always sneak out and practice together. She's always been good at that kind of stuff."

"You just keep surprising me more and more, don't you?" Flynn glances behind himself where he spots Lance becoming distracted and conversing with an old friend. "Be honest. What'd he say about me when I was gone?"

"Oh, nothing," Rapunzel hums innocently. "Just that… your real name is Eugene Fitzherbert."

Flynn throws his free hand in the air. "Ha! Of course, he did. Just when you think you know a guy, he tries everything in his book to embarrass you."

"What? That's not embarrassing," says Rapunzel, completely serious.

"Oh, come on."

"No, really!" she insists. She glances around them, noticing that no one is close enough to hear them. "I mean, my real name isn't even Cassandra."

"Yeah, but Cassandra isn't nearly as bad as Eugene." Flynn grimaces at the name. The fact that he actually sounds upset about the matter makes Rapunzel laugh.

"So… where did Flynn Rider come from?" she asks curiously.

"Well… let's just say Flynn Rider is who I wanted to be." He takes another sip of his drink. Then his eyes trail the dirt ground, his voice becoming somber as he fiddles with the tankard in his lap. "I wasn't really anybody when I was growing up. Then one day I decided I was gonna change all that. So, I picked myself up, left the orphanage and made a name of myself. And… I haven't looked back since."

He makes it sound so easy. Rapunzel knows all too well what it feels like to want to be somebody else. The fact that he had completely turned his life around like that without even thinking about it makes her heart flutter with wonder. It all sounds like a fantasy to her. Somehow, he is everything she wants to be.

Rapunzel feels herself smile brokenly as she watches his dreary expression, hoping to ease his mind somewhat. "For the record… I like Eugene Fitzherbert much better than Flynn Rider."

As the night goes on and the party becomes busier, Rapunzel feels warm, and her fingertips are becoming numb.

She drinks what everyone else is drinking because she's been taught never to deny something that is offered to her. After a while, she doesn't entirely realize the effect it has on her because it feels like she is walking on the clouds. At a certain point, she stops questioning what is happening around her as her mind seems to sway and melt into her surroundings.

She keeps drinking because she likes the way it seems to make her feel. Maybe she does it because she knows that she normally would never be allowed to at home, and there's a thrill of rebellion behind it all. It makes her feel like she fits in and for once, she can live a life that isn't her own. She can pretend even if it's just for a few hours.

She likes the way Flynn hasn't yet left her side since they arrived here, and she likes that she hasn't thought about her parents or her marriage for the entire night either.

Flynn talks to everyone, and Rapunzel follows him like a shadow, but she feels safe standing next to his shoulder in a crowd full of strangers that may as well be twice her size. Even when she does wander off, Flynn watches her the entire night and she would glance at him just after he looks away.

Eventually, he pulls her out of a conversation and asks her gently, "You doin' okay, princess?" He lowers his voice despite the number of people around them, as if they are discussing their own secret.

Rapunzel feels her eyes wanting to close as she sways, standing inches in front of him, "My head feels fuzzy."

He'll admit he's felt the same way for a while, but it's clearly affecting her more than it is for him. "Wanna go for a walk?"

She nods at that suggestion. Flynn wraps an arm around her small frame, and they wander away from everyone else without being noticed. The sounds of laughter and music fade away as they head deeper into the dark forest.

Rapunzel isn't sure how long they walk alongside each other, but she knows she doesn't stop smiling to herself the entire time.

She finds the silence in his presence entirely comfortable, yet something about being suddenly alone with him makes her incredibly nervous. Maybe it's because nobody even knows they are here right now, but the possibility of them getting caught makes it all the more exhilarating.

After a while, they feel the rain beginning to drizzle from above. The air smells like pine and the ocean that can't be too far from where they are.

Within minutes, it begins to pour. Before Rapunzel can process it, Flynn grabs her hand and pulls her ahead into the woods.

She stumbles after him and her legs feel numb, but Rapunzel finds herself laughing as they run carelessly through the downpour that only gets heavier by the second. She shrieks at how cold the water feels against her skin, which only makes Flynn laugh too.

They are already soaking wet by the time he pulls her underneath an enormous tree. It shelters them enough from the storm. The water drips off the leaves overhead and the vines that fall all around them.

Everything is a haze as Rapunzel leans her back against the tree trunk, breathing heavily from running. She doesn't let go of his hand though, and he ends up almost crashing into her when they slow to a stop.

They're both panting now, but neither of them mind the chill of the rain anymore. Rapunzel feels butterflies in her stomach as Flynn reaches up to pull her hood down. He can see her face more clearly now and that blonde hair he finds so beautiful. He likes her better this way. His hands linger on the fabric of her cloak long afterwards.

She can hardly remember how they got here. Everything is a blur, and she feels dizzy from the ale. She doesn't know what time it is or what Flynn is thinking or when she will be going home again. All she knows is that everything about this moment feels like a dream that she wishes would never end.

"What are we doing?" Rapunzel breathes, still catching her breath. She scans Flynn's eyes as he stands so much closer to her than anyone has ever been.

"I don't know," he murmurs with a chuckle beneath his words. "Are you cold?" He asks after a while.

She shakes her head. "No." She isn't even thinking about that anymore.

His hands slowly move from her cloak to her hair. He strokes it gently, pushing it back behind her shoulders. "Is this okay?" His voice is just above a whisper.

His touch sends shivers down her spine and Rapunzel's breath nearly catches in her throat. "Yes," she says. Their faces are inches apart now, and the princess swears she can feel his heart beating against hers. She loses herself in the calming sound of the rain pelting above them. "I wanna stay this way forever."

"I know," he whispers. There is so much more about that he wants to say, but he doesn't. "Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts."

They stare into each other's eyes until Flynn decides he can't go on any longer without kissing her.

Then before either of them knows it, their lips collide, and Rapunzel cups his face in her hands quicker than she means to.

Her back presses further into the tree behind her as Flynn completely melts into the feeling of her body against his. It isn't until now they realize how badly they had both wanted to do this since the night began. It's evident in the way that he kisses her, and everything about it is complete bliss.

If this is a dream, Rapunzel swears she never wants to wake up again.