Rapunzel listened intensely as Eugene finished his story. She had come to visit him since he was technically still grounded. She tried not to laugh thinking about it, but there was just something about the way that her headstrong husband had been put in his place so easily by his adoptive father.
Speaking of adoption.
"So Tulio was worried about him and Miguel getting arrested for kidnapping, so they let you change your name to avoid suspicion? And that's how you became Flynn Rider?" She asked, amazed at how he had kept this from her. While it's still sort of hurt that he had lied to her about his life before he met her, she understood why he would lie.
He had to lie all the time to avoid getting his fathers killed when he was younger and it just stuck with him.
"Yeah but that's always been what Papa's like. He worries about every little thing, I had to wear a full-body cloak for a month because he was scared someone might recognise me from the missing posters. But once the poster stopped showing up, he let me take it off." Eugene laughed, he was glad he was able to look back on these memories and laugh about them.
Rapunzel laughed along with him but couldn't stop thinking about the one thing that stuck in her mind.
That Tulio and Miguel had to 'kidnap' Eugene to adopt him.
They could have been in very serious trouble if they were caught back then, even if Eugene vouched for them and said that he wanted to go with them, they probably would have been jailed for a very long time, even if people didn't know they were together in that way.
But things were different now. The kingdom of Corona had changed a lot in 18 years, people's opinions have changed. People were more tolerant than ever.
But people of the same sex still couldn't marry... yet.
Ever since Eugene in Rapunzel got married, she had been trying to push for some new laws. Some of which, that she had gotten word of, was going to be put in place that day.
"It was such a shame that you all had to flee, but then again if you haven't run away with them, you would have never found me," Rapunzel stated, gently putting her hand on his. "I should really thank them, they raised an amazing man. One that would grow up to find the long lost princess of all people. When you think about it; they saved me just as much as you did." She said as she leaned against Eugene's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around Rapunzel, smiling down at her.
"Yeah, I guess when you put it that way." Eugene stroked her hair, it was always so incredibly soft.
"Eugene, I need to show you something. Something that I think you're gonna like." Rapunzel giggled as she brought out some papers that she had hidden under the bed and handed them to Eugene. He took them from her and gave them a good look before his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"Are these...?" He couldn't get the words out, he couldn't believe it. It had to be a joke, these papers couldn't be real.
She nodded eagerly. "I think we should find your parents."
Miguel and Tulio were in shock. There was no better way to describe it, in the last week, they had; found Eugene again after 5 long years of searching, been acquitted of all their crimes (Order by the princess), found out they were now inlawed to not only a princess but a magic princess (who was just the sweetest thing) and now have a room for themselves in the palace.
It was a lot to process. There lives, once again, had been altered in ways they couldn't hope to understand. It was like the universe had decided to finally to give them a break from all the hardships they had.
It was so overwhelming, they wouldn't admit it, but they had cried with tears of joy.
"If this is a dream, I don't ever what to wake up..." Tulio said as the two stared out of their new huge window, over the kingdom.
"It must be a dream since I see always see an angle in mine," Miguel said as he wrapped his arm around Tulio "And there you are." He laughed when Tulio pushed him away by his face.
"You're such a sap!" Tulio said, deadpanned.
"I can see your blushing and you know you love it. " Miguel teased, pulling him closer.
"Maybe I do." Tulio teased back before a knock on their door caused them to break apart. When Rapunzel walked in they welcomed her warmly when they saw Eugene in the doorway, Tulio raised his eyebrow, he didn't need to say a word his look said it all.
"I know, I know I'm still grounded but this is important." Eugene defended, stepping into the room.
That caught their attention.
"Is everything ok?" Miguel questioned, a concerned look on his face.
"Things are more than ok Dad." Eugene comforted, putting his had on Rapunzels lover back as she held some papers close to her chest.
"What's that hun?" Tulio questioned, pointing to the papers.
"Why don't you find out yourselves?" Rapunzel said as she held out the paper to them, keeping them face down. She and Eugene both had a strange look in their eyes that neither man could identify, Miguel reached forward and took them before flipping them over, both scanning the paper and what it entailed.
Slowly both eyes widened to almost comical sizes as they read the first paragraph of the paper.
By decree of the royal family of the kingdom of Corona, it is hear by legal for same-sex couples to marry, under the new law of this land, same-sex couples are now able to obtain a legal marriage licence the same as other individuals and marry in public or private ceremonies. Not only that, but they also may adopt children that have either have been unfortunately orphaned or been taken away from those who are unable to care for them, they'll undergo the same required inspections of that of any other couple to make sure they could handle the responsibilities of a child or children; if they pass then they are legally able to adopt that child as there own and that child will be considered there's, by law.
There was more, but that first paragraph was all that Tulio and Miguel needed to see.
There were no words. Nither man could think of anything to say while the young couple were bearly keeping in there laughter s they watched the older men gape like fish out of water.
"Why don't you see what's on the next piece of paper?" Eugene encouraged, stifling his laughter with his first.
Tulio grabbed the second piece of paper from the small stack and scanned it over, Miguel doing the same over his shoulder, but soon there faces morphed into confusion, which the young couple quickly picked up on.
Oh, right! You probably don't understand what they are, I was worried you wouldn't but... Their adoption papers. The law may not be out to the public yet but it's still technically in effect, I know it may be late but I think it's time for you guys to be considered a real family." Rapunzel said as she walked forward pointing to some lines on the paper. "See? I've already signed it, I signed it as the officiant. Which means if you two sign here and here, legally, Eugene will be considered your son.
I'm not to say that he's not your son, it's just I thought you might appreciate it and to I heard the story about how you technically had to kidnap him and it wasn't fair, and you could have gotten into a lot of trouble and-!" Rapunzel was cut off by her rambling when the two men brought her in for a tight hug.
After a moment of hesitation, she hugged the back. She had known her in-laws for less than a week, and things were still a little awkward around them even if they were all trying to get to know one another. This was the first time she felt truly close to them.
She could hear them quietly sabbing and she pulled back.
"Is everything ok?" She asked, somewhat concerned.
"Oh Novia, everything is more than ok," Tulio said as he pulled her in again. "You've given us something that we've wanted for so long. You've given us so much, how could we ever repay you for not only giving us our son back but allowing us to call him that in public for the first time in well, ever! Thank you, thank you so much..." The speech was too much and Rapunzel burst into tears as well. Before long there was just a huge group hug as all four people in the room just held onto to one another, all crying their eyes out.
After everyone's eyes had dried, rapunzel picked up the adoption papers that had dropped to the floor when the men pulled her into a hug.
She directed them on how to sign it properly and explained most of the details to them.
By the end of that day, Eugene's official name was now:
Eugene Fitzherbert-Maduro-Terrazas... a bit of a mouthful, he knew but he didn't care.
It felt nice to be finally considered a family not only in their eyes but that of the law.
They all had a laugh when they thought about it, it was probably the only time when the three of them were ok with following the law.