Chapter 5: A Normal Yet Fun Day
A/N: Hi everyone who's still reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far. Not much to say this time. Reviews are very welcomed! Favorite and follow if you want.
Sorry if this was released a little later than what I did for the first four chapters. I don't want to exhaust myself with writing, so I took a little break and played a lot of Genshin Impact. I'm glad to be back writing though, because it takes my mind off of everything.
A little side note but have you heard When Will My Life Begin (Reprise 1)? It's quite good. I'd advise checking it out.
I do not own Tangled… sadly…
The two returned to Flynn's car after the lantern's conclusion. Flynn didn't start the car. The two just sat there in silence. Rapunzel fumbled with the lantern, examining every angel. "Flynn… it's so beautiful…"
"It reflects its owner," Flynn winked at her. She blushed, hiding her face in her hands.
"Flynn, you're so mean."
"Only to you Blondie," Flynn laughed, starting up the car. "What do you want to do now?"
"Let's go back to your place. I'm a little tired,"
"Okay princess, I'll make sure to tuck you in," Flynn said, causing Rapunzel to pout. Flynn stepped on it, and drove out of the parking lot.
"So… since we're dating… what do we do now?" Rapunzel asked.
"Well, we should probably take it slow to be honest. We still don't know too much about each other, but we have this connection, you feel?" Flynn asked, getting a nod from Rapunzel. "We should go on a few dates and just hang out with each other. Maybe we can do something else," Flynn grinned suggestively.
"Sounds like a plan!" She responded cheerfully, oblivious to what he was implying. Flynn smiled innocently, just placing that comment off to the side.
"What do you wanna do when we get home?" He asked.
"Home?" She asked, a little confused.
"Oh shoot, I mean… My apartment? I guess it's your new home though. I don't want you to go back to your mom." Flynn explained.
"Isn't it bad for us to be living together since we're not married?" She asked innocently, flashing her wide eyes at him. Flynn felt he was going to die from cuteness overload.
"It most cases yeah, but this is not like most cases," he struggled to get out, still recovering from her cute attack. "But that's an option if you really feel the need to," he said with no thought. Rapunzel's face was crimson red, but Flynn was too focused on the road to notice. She went quiet for a while. "Blondie?" He checked up on her.
"Y-Yes, Flynn?"
"Why ya so quiet" He said nonchalantly.
"Well, I'm just… thinking about what you said?"
"What's there to think about?" He asked cluelessly.
"Well you said marriage, and that means we have to go to a chapel, hold some sort of celebration, then you have to quit school and get a job while I help at home, and…" she seemed a little freaked out.
"Woah Blondie, calm down," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Don't think so much about it right now. That's just an extreme situation. If we have to get married, it doesn't have to be big, and I'm basically done with school. But this is just a what-if situation. Sorry to freak you out." Rapunzel breathed in and out deeply, calming herself down.
"I'm sorry Flynn… I'm just new to all this, you know?" She sulked.
"Don't worry Rapunzel, I'm patient," he smiled at her.
"Yeah, I know," she had a small smile on her face. The rest of the car ride was quiet. Rapunzel's eyes were heavy, and she felt them closing. She tried to stay awake, but just couldn't. Rapunzel fell asleep, leaning on the car's window. They arrived at their apartment shortly after she fell asleep/
"Hey Rapu-" he started, but then soon stopped. Her face was peaceful, her chest slowly rising and falling. He smiled, and exited the car. He gently opened the door, catching her before she fell. Carrying her princess style, he ascended the stairs up to his apartment. Opening the door with one hand, he made his way to his room, laying her down in the room. He planted a kiss on her forehead, and joined her in the bed. He faced the other way from her, their backs to each other. Only my second day knowing her, and here we are. Dating huh? Never thought this would happen. He delved deep into his thoughts, eventually falling asleep.
Rapunzel felt something warm wrapping around her. Something warm pressed against her back. There was a slow breath running through her long hair. It felt rough but also somewhat comforting, like a large, hard pillow. She smiled and kept her eyes closed. She loved the feeling, and she knew exactly what it was.
"Flynn…" she whispered.
"Mmm... five more minutes" he mumbled, prompting a quiet giggle from Rapunzel.
"Okay sleepyhead," she somehow turned herself over, facing him. Their faces were so close and his breathing tickled her face. She smiled, examining his facial feature. He had a scruffy goatee, and fleek eyebrows. He had smooth skin. He seemed perfect in her eyes. She leaned her face towards his, placing her forehead on his. He mumbled something random, and slowly opened his eyes.
"Mornin' Blondie…" he said, yawning.
"Morning" she smiled at him.
Opening his eyes fully, he saw her face, so close to his. "Whatcha up to?" he asked.
"Just looking," she replied, blushing just a little. The two stared into each other's eyes. It was their first day as an official couple. They had so much to learn and experience. They still had so much to learn about each other, so much to learn about love. One thing was for sure though, they were truly in love.
"So, feel like going to school today?" Flynn smirked.
"What do you mean? Don't we have to go to school?" Rapunzel was confused.
"Well, you don't really have to. You can always skip a day, just have to catch up on your work."
"Really? I would like to stay in bed. It's comfy and warm… and you're here," she buried her face into his chest. He hugged her tightly, resting his chin on her head.
"Sounds good Blondie… Maybe just for a bit longer, then we can go out and do something again." Rapunzel agreed with a nod, and closed her eyes. She felt herself drifting, Flynn feeling the same. The two eventually dozed off.
Flynn was the first to awaken. He was still embracing his new love. He smiled and gently brushed her hair with his hand. If he could stay like this forever, he would.
"That feels nice," Rapunzel mumbled. "What time is it?"
Flynn looked over at his nightstand where his digital clock was, "It's 12:32PM."
"So late… I've never slept in like this before," Rapunzel yawned.
"Your mother always wake you up?" Flynn asked, getting a nod from Rapunzel. "How'd you like sleeping in?"
"It feels nice. I think I should do it more."
"We can do it whenever you want," Flynn assured her, "So, what should we do today?"
"I'm hungry," she said, feeling her stomach grumble. Flynn unwillingly released from their embrace and sat up in the bed, Rapunzel doing the same. She was still in her dress, but now it was all wrinkled and messy. Her hair was all tangled and needed some brushing.
"Let's get ready, then we can grab something," he said, examining her.
"What clothes should I wear?" She asked, looking around. They had completely forgotten to buy her some casual clothes. She found the baggy sweats and the Snuggly Duckling t-shirt. and decided that it was good enough.
"Let's go shopping for more clothes after eating," Flynn suggested, prompting a nod from Rapunzel. "Anything you want to particularly eat?"
"I've never been to a cafe," Rapunzel thought out loud.
"Alright, I know a perfect one," Flynn nodded to himself. Flynn got himself ready, wearing some joggers and another one of his Snuggly Duckling t-shirts. "Lets go now," he said, grabbing his keys. Rapunzel followed him out of the apartment and they went down to his car.
"So, what's a cafe like?" Rapunzel asked, opening the car door.
"It's calming and very relaxed. I usually just sit down and do work or something like that," Flynn explained. "There isn't that much of a variety of food, mainly sweets and baked goods, but there are some meals."
"Sounds amazing," Rapunzel had a childish grin on her face, "I love baking, and sweets!"
"That's good to hear. I especially like the cupcakes here, but their bread is also real good," Flynn went on about the cafe. The two chatted away in the car about unimportant things like what they would usually eat for their meals or how they liked their steak cooked. Rapunzel said medium rare, while Flynn said rare.
"That's disgusting Flynn. You're basically eating bloody meat," Rapunzel insisted.
"Nope, I like the taste and texture, and there's nothing you can do about it," Flynn grinned. Rapunzel would keep arguing with him, and they did it for the whole ride there. "Alright Blondie, you win. We're here, and I'm hungry," he ushered her out of the car.
"We're not done with this topic yet!" She said passionately, her belly rumbling. "Okay, maybe we're done now…" she said, embarrassment all over her face. Flynn laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. Rapunzel looked up
"Welcome," a somewhat familiar man said, "Take a seat wherever you want…" the man turned around to reveal his hook hand. "Flynn!"
"What's up Hooken," Flynn greeted with a slight wave.
"Wait, aren't you that guy that was in front of the bar?" Rapunzel looked down at his hook then up at him.
"That's me, and you're that blonde girl that wanted to see Flynn," Hooken commented. "So, what are you two doing here?"
"Just here to grab some food," Flynn said.
"Alright, take a seat. I'll bring out the menu," he said walking away, "our special today is cupcakes, as always," he added. The two made their way to the seat by the window. The cafe was small and quaint. Little decorations hung on the walls and a paper angel hung from the ceiling. It was rather unusual, to say the least, but somewhat comforting.
"Order anything you want Blondie, it's on me," Flynn said as they sat down.
"Why are you always paying?" Rapunzel asked.
"Because it's what a gentleman does. Also, do you have any money?" Flynn jabbed at her a bit.
"No, but I can always get some," she frowned.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Flynn replied. He looked a bit happy though. She really wants to get money for me… wow… "Don't worry about it Blondie, I've got a job and extra money saved," he concluded the conversation. Rapunzel didn't say anything else, knowing she had no way to change his mind.
"Here's your menus," Hooken said, placing them on the table.
"Thanks Hooken," Flynn winked, earning an eye roll from Hooken.
"So, how do you know them?" Rapunzel asked, intrigued by their friendship.
"Not that much of a story. Was in a fight one day at school, they stopped me, and then we became friends somehow. Nothing too out there," Flynn said nonchalantly.
"A fight? For what?" Rapunzel looked concerned.
"Nothing Blondie. Just me being stupid, picking fights with whoever I wanted," Flynn shrugged.
"That's not very nice Flynn," Rapunzel scolded him.
I'll make sure never to do that again," Flynn swore to her. Rapunzel smiled and nodded, feeling accomplished. "So, what are you gonna order?"
"I want to try the cupcakes here, but it's a little early for that," Rapunzel thought for a bit longer and finally decided. "I'll have some pancakes! Those are always good. Plus, we can share them! Maybe some orange juice too..." She seemed happy.
"I guess I'll go with… a breakfast croissant sandwich. That's always good," Flynn nodded his head, closing his menu. They served the same thing throughout the day, so no matter what you could order breakfast for dinner, or vice versa.
"You two ready?" Hooken called out from behind the counter. There was no one else in the cafe at the time, so Hooken didn't care about appearance.
"Yeah!" Flynn called back. "The lady will have the berry pancakes with orange juice while I'll have the breakfast croissant with coffee. Black please."
"Comin' right up," Hooken called and walked into the kitchen. He informed Attila of the order, and the two got right on it.
"So Blondie, I've been meaning to ask you about your hair," Flynn said, looking at her long, blonde hair.
"Well… mother liked my hair long so she made me keep it this way. Also, she dyes my hair blonde," Rapunzel looked down.
"Your mother huh…" Flynn frowned a bit. "Do you like your hair?"
"Not… not really," she paused, before sputtering out. Then, an idea popped into his head.
"Let's cut it then," he said. Rapunzel looked up at him, confusion on her face.
"Cut it? Why would we do that?"
"Since you don't like it, and it brings back bad memories, you might as well cut it. It's like your cutting off your mother," Flynn compared the two.
"I don't want to cut her off completely… She did care for me for all these years…" Rapunzel hesitated.
"Care for you Blondie? Really?" Flynn raised an eyebrow.
"F-Fine. Maybe just a trim," she finally gave in. She really didn't want to cut her off completely, but she now knew what her aunt had done was horrible.
"How about the color?" Flynn added.
"Apparently it's originally brunette. I saw it one time on my baby photos," Rapunzel recalled.
"Alright, lets dye it back to that too."
"I like that idea… blonde isn't my style at all," Rapunzel agreed, but then realized something. "But I won't be Blondie anymore," she said, seeming a little sad.
"I'll still call you it, I mean, it is your nickname," Flynn assured her. Rapunzel smiled, standing up and giving him a hug on his side. "Hey, not in public Blondie," he laughed.
"Just wanted to thank you again Flynn. Thank you for everything," she looked him in the eyes. The two lovebirds sat there, looking at each other.
"No PDA in the cafe please," Hooken's gruff voice said behind them. Rapunzel jolted off of Flynn and awkwardly laughed.
"Sorry…" she apologized, embarrassment all over her face.
"I'm joking," Hooken gave a hearty laugh, "It's good to see Flynn getting along with a girl finally." Rapunzel smiled, knowing that Flynn has been treating her well. Maybe even better than everyone else. She felt special.
"So, you have the food?" Flynn questioned.
"Here you are sir, ma'am" he said, placing the plates onto the table. The food looked delicious. The pancakes were still steaming. They were fluffy and covered in jam and other fresh fruits. The croissant was fresh alongside the ingredients inside. Rapunzel looked at her pancakes. They looked perfect. So perfect that she didn't want to eat them. "Enjoy," Hooken said as he walked away.
"Dig in Blondie," Flynn said. Rapunzel hesitated, catching Flynn's attention. He looked at her, and saw her eyes just staring at it. He put two and two together. "Just take a picture," Flynn suggested.
"Oh yeah!" Rapunzel completely forgot of her phone. She hasn't been using it often since meeting Flynn since she's always entertained around him. She snapped a few pictures of the food, then moved the camera up to Flynn. He was mid-bite of his sandwich when she took the picture of him.
"Blondie, it's rude to take pictures of people without their permission," he commented with his mouth half full.
"Sorry not sorry," Rapunzel said through a giggle. Flynn smiled at her, still eating his sandwich.
"Alright that's enough playing. Eat your pancakes, they're gonna get cold," Flynn advised. Rapunzel took the fork and knife, and cut into the fluffy pancakes. She rarely had pancakes because she thought she was already a little chubby due to Gothel's teasing and name calling. She looked like a child, grinning at the pancakes. She picked up a piece of the pancake and proceeded to eat. Her smile grew wider.
"Is it good Blondie?" Flynn smirked at her. Rapunzel nodded her head rapidly, shoveling more of the pancake into her mouth. She looked like a little chipmunk with her puffy cheeks. Flynn adored her cuteness. It was something refreshing since most of the women he had been with were more on the sexy side. She was so distracted by the food she didn't even realize Flynn had taken a picture of her. Flynn laughed and put his phone away before she noticed. Rapunzel kept eating, eventually some food got stuck. She coughed and hit her chest, trying to dislodge it. Flynn chuckled and handed her the glass of orange juice. She held it with both hands and chugged it down, letting out a sigh afterwards.
"That was close!" Rapunzel said, relief on her face.
"Sure was. Eat slower next time," Flynn let out a light laugh. Rapunzel went back to eating, finishing up the whole plate of pancakes. She rubbed her stomach and let out a small burp.
"That was cute," Flynn commented as he took a sip of his coffee.
"No it wasn't…" Rapunzel blushed.
"Anything you do is cute, sweetheart." Rapunzel became a darker shade of red. What did I do to deserve her? Flynn thought as he stared at her. "Alright, let's head out. We still have to buy you some clothes." Flynn called for Hooken, and he gave them the bill.
"Enjoy yourselves you two," Hooken smiled and pulled Flynn aside and whispered to him threateningly, "and don't mess this one up, Rider."
"I don't plan on it. She's the best thing that ever happened to me," Flynn said honestly.
"Good, because she's a catch." Flynn agreed with him, she was a catch. The biggest catch he's ever made. The best catch he's ever made. Rapunzel raised an eyebrow, wondering what they were talking about. She shrugged then made her way to the door.
"Come on Flynn!" She called out.
"Wifeys calling, gotta go!" Flynn slipped out of his arm lock and made his way to Rapunzel. Wifey? Hooken raised an eyebrow while looking at him.
The two walked out together hand in hand, the sun shining down on them. "So, what were you two talking about?" Rapunzel asked as they walked towards the car.
"Oh, nothing much. Just… stocks… and stuff," he said, avoiding her eyes.
"Stocks? Really?" She saw through his obvious lie.
"Fine. He just told me not to hurt you and that I should keep you," He admitted.
"Why would he think you would do that?" Rapunzel was confused.
"Well… I don't really have that good of a past when it comes to women," Flynn cringed a bit. He thought back to his old ways. It was only just a day ago he was trying to sleep with as many women as possible. He would throw them to the side afterwards, not caring what they said to him, or how much they loved him. He was a heartless player.
"We all have something we aren't proud of, Flynn. It's in the past now though," Rapunzel tried her best to comfort him, with the little experience she has of the world.
"Yeah, and I have you now. I don't want to trade anything in the world for you. I promise I won't hurt you," he said, gripping her hand tightly.
"And I promise I won't hurt you either," Rapunzel smiled at him.
The two got into the car and drove off to the salon. The salon was nothing too extravagant, just a normal place to get your hair done. Walking in, Rapunzel was amazed to see all the mirrors and hair supplies. There were all kinds of people there, young and old, male and female.
"Welcome!" A lady called out to them from a counter. The two approached her. "What are you two here for?" She asked politely.
"Well she wants to dye her hair so she can have her natural hair color, being brown, and also cut it," Flynn said. The lady looked over at Rapunzel and she nodded, confirming that what he was saying was true.
"Alright,." She said, gesturing to Rapunzel to follow. Rapunzel followed her, and plopped herself down in the chair. She was then covered by a sheet, which shocked Rapunzel at first, but she soon got comfy in her seat.
"So, what kind of cut would you want sweetie?" The hairdresser asked, prepping her items. Rapunzel sat there for a bit, thinking of what. She had long hair for a long, long time now. For all her life, basically. She wanted a change, something different. Then something caught her eye.
"I want hair like that," she said, looking over to another woman getting her haircut.
"Are you sure? You have such beautiful hair," the lady asked her.
"Yes, I'm sure," Rapunzel confirmed. The hairdresser shrugged and began cutting her hair. Rapunzel giggled a bit. It felt as if she was being tickled on her head as the ladies fingers went through her hair. She heard the snipping of the scissors, and saw her hair fall to the ground. She smiled a bit. It was like she was releasing the past, cutting it off. It felt… refreshing.
"So, you also wanted it dyed dark brown right?" The hairdresser asked as she continued cutting her hair.
"Yup! Apparently that's my natural hair color," Rapunzel thought.
"So, why'd you dye it blonde?" The hairdresser continued on.
"It wasn't… my choice," she said, sadness lingering in her voice. The woman didn't dig further into it, sensing she would step over a boundary. The hairdresser cut her hair, and started on the dye. It took a while, so Flynn decided to take a nap on a chair. He placed a magazine on his face, and slept.
"Okay, almost done. Just make sure not to shampoo your for 72 hours. After that, you'll be fine," the lady said, finishing up everything. Rapunzel looked in the mirror. She smiled at herself, her new self. She stood up and waltzed over to Flynn.
"Flynn," she whispered into his ear.
"Five more minutes," he grumbled, shifting himself in the chair.
"Flynn Rider!" She said a little louder. This jolted him awake, the magazine falling off his face. He opened his eyes and blinked a bit, trying to adjust his eyes to the light. In front of him was Rapunzel but with a dark, brown pixie cut.
"Woah Blon- I mean Rapunzel," He caught himself and stayed silent for a bit. "Did I ever tell you I had a thing for brunettes?" He finally said, after trying to find something to say.
"You really like it?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yes, I think it's wonderful. It's special, and it's something new! I love it." Rapunzel smiled and wrapped her arms around him.
"I wouldn't have been able to do this without you. Thank you so much Flynn."
"No, thank you Rapunzel. Thank you for everything you've done for me," Flynn squeezed her back. They walked out together, hand in hand, into that summer evening.
A/N: I know it's kind of a filler chapter, but I promise I'll get to some drama or something like that soon enough. Still world building a bit since I think this is going to be a long series. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave a review, follow and favorite.
See ya in the next chapter.