Jack lets gravity take control and flops backwards onto the queen-sized bed in his room, staring up at the ceiling. A few silent moments pass while he lays there sprawled on the mattress before he reaches behind to whip the pillow out from under his head and smash it into his face. Unable to hold it in any longer, he releases a long, frustrated groan.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!

His brain chants the word like a broken record. He'd let his guard slip, and he'd practically told her that he thought she was beautiful. But, really, how big of a deal is that? It was just a harmless observation, after all. Lots of girls are beautiful.

But not as beautiful as her.

He doesn't know what he was thinking, but he definitely knows what he was feeling. Just watching her stare out at the water with bright pools of emerald filled with child-like awe made his heart melt right there in his chest. She had looked so untouchable, like a priceless work of art on display for only him. This cove is her new canvas, her blank slate, but the rigidity in her body and the shadow of fear hiding behind her smile betrays the mask of confidence she relies on so heavily for security. She didn't tell him any of this; he just knew.

Because it's a disguise he knows all too well - one he recognizes every time he looks in a mirror. When he looks in her eyes, they reflect everything he's tried to keep buried inside of him for so long. He understands the loneliness, the emptiness, and the cover of invisibility that separates people from love. It was his life, and it always has been. No one should have to go through the pain he bites back every day, least of all someone like Rapunzel. She's too selfless, too innocent, too perfect. No, she doesn't deserve this, especially since the cause of all of it is her own mother, someone she's supposed to be able to look up to. His pain, at least, is basically his own fault; it's just a part of him. But she has no choice in the matter. She was thrown into this prison of isolation for no reason other than her mother's selfishness.

"It's not fair!" he protests into the pillow, his voice muffled by the fabric.

Jack shakes his head to force those thoughts out of his brain, but still his fingers itch to just take Rapunzel's hand and fly them both away from everything holding them back. He's always wanted to be free from his cursed hometown, but now things have somehow shifted in his min. His freedom along wasn't good enough anymore; he longs for hers, too.

His chest swells and deflates with every heavy breath, and it takes a moment for him to be able to calm down.

What the heck is wrong with me? I can't even think straight anymore. What the heck happened to me?

Then, as his eyes roam aimlessly around the room before settling on the stubborn sunlight still streaming through the window despite the imminent sunset, it's like the floor suddenly falls out from underneath him, and he grinds the heels of his hands against his forehead.

"Rapunzel," he mutters. "Rapunzel happened to me."

His mouth, however, refuses to admit what his heart already knows, as if saying it out loud would make it that much more real and keeping it locked inside would make it easier to swallow. Even without meaning to, vivid memories of those unforgettable green orbs smiling up at him and her breath-taking waves of hair swinging by her hips like a golden silk waterfall that makes his finger long to tangle themselves in it suddenly flood his mind.

Slowly, Jack lowers the pillow from his face and squeezes his eyes shut. In a voice barely above a whisper, he echos the truth his heart is bursting to admit: "I like her."

Cautiously, he pops open one eye and glances around the room, not quite sure what he was expecting. Everything was still normal, nothing had blown up or burst into flames. He inwardly cursed at himself for being such a wuss. It's not like he was going to cause an apocalypse just because he admitted he liked a girl. His pride wounded, he lets out a frustrated sigh and dares to repeat himself, louder this time.

"I like her. I actually like Rapunzel."

"Well it's about time."

Jack bolts upright at the alarming sound of his best friend's voice and stares wide-eyed at the other boy currently doubled over laughing in the doorway.

"Dude, you should have seen your face! It was literally sheer panic. And I know your skin is already freakishly pale, but you look like a ghost," Hiccup remarks.

Still in shock, Jack realizes his mouth is hanging open and promptly shuts it with an audible click.

Hiccup gives his friend a sympathetic smile. "Hey, you can calm down now, you know."

"H-how did you . . .?" Jack stammers.

"Next time you profess your love for someone you should probably make sure the door's closed all the way."

Jack's face flushes with a hot blush, and he rolls as his eyes before burying his over-heated face into the pillow in his hands once again. Flopping back onto the mattress, he mutters, "I was not professing my love."

"I read between the lines," Hiccup shoots back, smugly strolling over to sit on the edge of the bed. His voice is calm and light when he teases, "It's not the end of the world, you know. It's okay to like her, Mr. Drama Queen."

Jack removes the pillow from his face and hugs it to his chest like a child's teddy bear, instead. "Wait a minute," he starts, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice, "you're not mad?"

The other boy laughs and shakes his head.

"But you told me . . . I thought you liked her?"

Hiccup shrugs. "I did."

This only makes Jack's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"I wasn't lying to you; I did like her. But I also have fully-functioning eyes, Jack, and it was obvious she didn't feel the same way."

Those words sting Jack's heart with a pang of guilt, but Hiccup's smile never wavers.

"And you were happy about that?" Jack asks in disbelief.

Hiccup runs his hand through his hair and clarifies, "Well, no, I'm not heartless or anything - of course it hurt. But then . . ."

Jack slowly props himself up on his elbows and eyes his friend carefully. "Then, what?"

"Then I saw the way she looked at you."

A warm blush starts to crawl up Jack's neck again, but he swallows hard and stutters, "I-I don't know, Hic, are you sure she wasn't just . . ." He lets the rest of his sentence trail off after seeing his friend's smug expression.

"It's like you've never had a girl swoon over you," Hiccup jokes, poking his best friend in the ribs.

"Swoon? Hic, for all we know she could have just been acting friendly."

"'Friendly'?" Hiccup laughs. "You've got to be kidding me, Jack, no one just fakes that look, least of all Rapunzel; her eyes light up like freaking diamonds whenever you walk in the room. I of all people know she has an amazing smile, and she always puts on her brightest one when you're around."

Jack can't bring himself to look in his friend's eyes as he nervously wrings his fingers through his messy white-blond hair.

"Seriously, bud, it's okay." When Jack still doesn't meet his gaze, he adds, "Plus, Astrid kinda stole my heart."

At this, Jack finally snaps his head up to listen.

"Literally, I'm pretty sure she did, because that's sounds like something she would totally do: skip the asking part and just steal it anyway." His comment draws Jack's mouth into a smirk, so Hiccup smiles and hurries to continue, "She's not like any other girl I've ever met before, and I know that that sounds so stupidly cliche, but it's true. Sure, she's all tough and rough around the edges on the outside, but while we were out there, just the two of us walking downtown, she let her guard down. And let me tell you, behind those thick walls is the biggest heart I've ever known."

In that moment, Jack could see it - that flame behind his best friend's eyes as he talked about Astrid - and it was clear that she'd made him fall head over heels. Or, more likely, she'd pushed him over that edge before cannon-balling off after him.

The room is still for a few minutes as each boy stares at their folded hands in their laps, trying to think of something to say.

Taking a deep breath and noisily exhaling it, Jack broke the silence. "So, what now?"

Hiccup cracks a smirk. "Now you gotta go get your princess."

~Rapunzel~~~~

Her composure snaps the instant the door is closed, and she can't stop herself from squealing while jumping up and down in circles in the middle of the bedroom floor.

He'd called her beautiful! He actually said she was beautiful!

Rapunzel collapses onto her bed and giggles at the ceiling. Her heart is pounding from all the excitement, and it takes a few minutes for her breathing to return to normal, but her smile does not leave her face. Closing her eyes, Rapunzel thinks back to that moment when Jack had said those words, and her heart flutters once again. There was no trace of teasing in his voice, no sarcasm. The words had simply slipped out of his mouth almost naturally, like they held no surprise for him, though clearly it was a surprise that he had said them out loud. That fact piques her curiosity and begs the question: What else has he been thinking? She halfheartedly wishes she had the ability to read minds so that she could know exactly what's been going on in that blond-haired head of is. He was obviously unprepared to tell her what he thought of her, but that tease has left her wanting so much more. She's been waiting longer than she's willing to admit for him to say something like that, and now that he had, however accidental, that sampling wasn't enough.

Her head is spinning from all the thoughts swirling around in her mind, but there's one thread of doubt that's weaving itself among the others. What if I'm wrong? It's something she hadn't considered before. The thought that she had simply misheard him pulls her down harder than if her heart had suddenly turned to lead. She has to admit that it's a logical explanation since he had never said or done anything to even suggest that he thought about her that way before, but she had been so sure that she had heard him right the first time. Although it's been her mission to keep Gothel out of her head during this trip, she can't help but hear her mother's condescending voice ringing in her ears and telling her that this just proves how stupidly naive she is. Just imagining the sound causes Rapunzel to curl up into a tight ball on the mattress. This has always been her default when Gothel criticized her: cowering. It makes her feel small yes, but it makes her feel safe nonetheless, like a method of protecting herself.

Silent tears tickle her cheek as they trail down her face and disappear into the pillow below. Gothel's right - she is too naive, too gullible. To think that Jack could ever like someone like her is ridiculous. He's fearless and charming and fun; everything she's not. Sure he may act friendly, but it's more than likely that he's being nice just for the sake of politeness. Everything she had thought was real, all of his so-called "feelings" for her, were all her imagination. An excessively exaggerated fantasy.

What bursting energy she had had coming into this room had drained completely by the time a knock shatters the heavy silence. Merida's wild mop of ruby curls pops through the doorway, and when her blue eyes settle on Rapunzel, her face brightens. "There you are!" the red-head exclaims as she strides into the room. "I've been looking all over for you! You're not hidin' from yer best friend, now, are you?" When Merida pads over towards the bed, her expression scrunches up in confusion. "Why're you cooped up in here, anyway?"

Her question receives no reply, but it's clear from the way her face falls as she draws closer that the dried tear-streaks are answer enough.

"What's wrong? What happened? I swear, if Jack hurt you in any way I'll kick him so hard he won't be able to stand up straight for a week."

The concern behind her friend's eyes puts a weak smile on Rapunzel's face.

"What're you grinnin' at me like that, girl? No one messes with my little cub - No one."

"I-it's not Jack, Mer. I . . . I actually think he's starting to like me."

Rapunzel sheepishly glances up at the other girl and is surprised to see a look of pity on her best friend's face. This sends her heart racing with fear of making wrong assumptions about him when the edge of Merida's mouth turns up in a smirk. "A blind idiot would've known that, Punz."

"Really? You think he really does?" Rapunzel asks quickly.

Merida throws her a wink along with an answer: "I think you've got him wrapped around your little finger."

Her confidence brings a genuine smile to Rapunzel's face, and it doesn't take long before Merida's bubbly voice replaces Gothel's criticism in her mind. If her best friend can have faith in her, then she can have faith in herself. "So what do I do?"

Merida is quiet for a few moments, concentrating so hard on her thoughts that Rapunzel can almost see the gears turning in her brain. The red-head suddenly snaps her fingers and meets Rapunzel's eyes with a grin before announcing, "I've got it! The fair's tonight!"

Rapunzel narrows her eyes in confusion. "Fair?"

"I remember my mom talking about how Land O' Lakes is hosting a Fourth of July Fair tonight to get everyone in the mood for the parade tomorrow or something like that," Merida explains animatedly. "Everybody, and I mean everybody, is going to show up. There's food and games and prizes and rides and music and a ton of lights and everything!"

"That does sound like a lot of fun, Mer," Rapunzel agrees, "But what does that have to do with Jack and I?"

"You're gonna go, dummy!"

"What, us? Alone?"

"Well it doesn't have to be a date date if you don't want it to be, I s'pose."

"How would it not be date if we were going to a carnival alone?"

"Well do you want to go on a date or not?" Merida asks exasperatedly.

"I do," Rapunzel admits, but I don't know if that's such a good idea so soon. . . what if we all go, instead?"

"Aw, Punz, do I really have to go? I don't want to spend the whole night gagging while I watch my brother make a complete idiot out of himself trying to impress Astrid," Merida complains, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth for emphasis.

"It'll look suspicious to the others without you there - I don't want it to look like a we're on a double date or something!"

Merida lets out a long sigh and blows her bangs out of her face. "Fine," she relents while rolling her eyes. "But I'm bringing a blindfold. . . and possibly some earplugs."

Rapunzel's smile brightens as she quickly envelops her friend in a bear-hug with a squeal, "Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Behind the blonde's back, Merida's smile only grows as she hugs Rapunzel back. Still, she teases, "Don't thank me, yet, cub."

Rapunzel pulls back. "But what if Hiccup and Astrid don't want to go? Or, worse, what if Jack doesn't want to go?"

"They will! I'll take care of it, don't worry. We'll get ya your man," she adds with a wink. Her eyes wander over to the fading light filtering through the window and widen as she exclaims, "Sunset! The fair's supposed to start after sunset! I'd better go tell the others." Hopping to her feet with renewed fervor, Merida strides over to the door. She glances back and gives her friend an analytic once-over before suggesting, "You should wear that frilly purple-y blouse-y shirt tonight."

Wrapping her arms protectively around herself, Rapunzel stammers to explain, "I-I don't know, Mer, I think it's a little too revealing."

"I know," Merida blurts, "that's why I know Jack'll love it."

Rapunzel gasps and grabs the nearest pillow, but her best friend quickly disappears into the hallway before she even has a chance to throw it. After crossing the distance to the door to close it, she turns around and skeptically eyes her suitcase sitting in the corner of the room. Hesitantly, she walks over and kneels in front of it before plunging her hands inside of it and rummaging through its contents. Once her fingers brush past soft, chiffon fabric, she yanks the amethyst blouse out of the bag and holds it out in front of her for inspection. It's designed to be a peasant-style blouse with three-quarter-length sleeves that look, and feel, like billowing wings, but the plunging v-shaped neckline bothers her. In reality, she knows it's not that low-cut, but it's still more cleavage than she's used to showing. Shaking her head, Rapunzel scolds herself for making such a big deal out of a blouse. No, she didn't want to make a wrong impression on Jack, but she also wants to look nice for a change. All week she's worn nothing but t-shirts and her tank-ini swimsuit, and there's nothing wrong with being seventeen and wanting to show a little bit of skin. After all, Gothel's not even here to force her to cover up, anyway. Nodding to herself, Rapunzel switches her t-shirt for the blouse and slips on her favorite lavender sandals before heading to the bathroom to try to quickly fix up her hair.

Looking in the mirror, her heart deflates when dull, untamed waves reflect back at her. She usually keeps her hair down just because it's easier that way, but tonight she's determined to look as well put-together as possible for Jack, so she gathers her mass of yellow strands and wrestles it into a high ponytail near the top of her head. Examining her handiwork, Rapunzel's mouth turns up into a small smile as she tilts her head left and right just to watch her hair swing from side to side. Admittedly, she does look at least a little prettier than normal, but that could just be her excitement talking.

She's so engrossed in tweaking her appearance for perfection that she doesn't notice the boy leaning against the door frame, gaping at her.

"Wow," he breathes, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rapunzel quickly whips around to face him, her knee knocking into the vanity in the process. "Oh, Jack, I, uh, didn't see you there," she stutters, trying her best to force down the heat flooding her cheeks.

Jack shuts his mouth with an audible click and runs a hand through his white-blond hair. "Sorry, Punzie, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that."

She nervously shuffles her feet for a few moments before asking, "So, I guess we're going to a fair tonight. I thought since the whole town is supposed to be there I might as well look decent."

"Well, I think you look great," he offers quickly.

A bright smile finds its way onto her face as she pulls her ponytail over her shoulder and lets her fingers absentmindedly play with the strands. "Really?"

"Yeah . . ." He replies, trailing off while staring at her hair before coughing and adding, "Too bad Ginger couldn't come with, though, I was actually looking forward to beating her at all those carnival games."

Rapunzel gives him a confused look. "Wait, Merida's not coming? Why?"

"She has to help her mom do chores around the cabin or something, at least that's what Hiccup told me."

As the words leave his mouth, she glances over his shoulder to see Merida stroll into view and catch her eye. Rapunzel does her best to give a subtle glare, but her best friend simply shrugs and winks before disappearing again.

Unaware of the exchange, Jack clears his throat, and Rapunzel returns her attention back to him before replying, "Oh, okay. You ready to go, then?"

He seems to think for a moment before dashing into his room and quickly reemerging with his signature cobalt blue hoodie tucked under his arm. "Now I am!" He announces proudly, and Rapunzel merely rolls her eyes before following him outside where Hiccup and Astrid are already waiting for them in the driveway.

Since it's his dad's SUV they're borrowing, Hiccup slips into the driver's seat and leans over to prop open the passenger-side door for Astrid. Jack and Rapunzel climb into the backseat as navy blue bleeds across the sky and the first stars burn bravely in the now faded light.

...

For a town of less than five-thousand people, they sure know how to throw a party. When Merida was describing the event to her, she wasn't sure what to expect. But she certainly didn't expect this. Everywhere Rapunzel looks, there are bright colors and neon lights pulsing against the darkened sky. The smell of funnel cakes and corn on the cob fill her nose as she inhales deeply. This is her chance to be a normal teenager, to go out with her friends on a cool summer night and have innocent careless fun, and she's determined not to waste one minute of it. Rapunzel grabs Jack's hand and excitedly pulls him over to the ticket booth with Hiccup and Astrid trailing behind, and they all buy wristband passes for the rides.

Immediately after slipping on the bright green wristband, Astrid gasps and exclaims, "Oh my God! I love Bumper Cars! Come on, Dragon Rider, we have to try them out first!" She takes Hiccup by the wrist and tugs him away, and he gives the other two teens a salute as he stumbles along behind her to keep up.

Jack laughs and shakes his head at the pair. "They sure are something else."

Rapunzel nods and adds, "I think they balance each other out, though."

He turns to throw her an amused smirk as he comments, "You love to look at the glass half-full, don't you, Punzie?"

She merely shrugs. "I'm just happy for them, that's all."

"So I guess it's just you and me for the rest of the night, huh?"

The thought terrifies and excites her at the same time, but his voice is warm when he teases, "Come on, I can't be that bad. Lighten up! I don't bite or anything." He faces the mass of booths and carnival rides sprawling before them and gestures animatedly towards it. "So where to first, Princess?"

She purses her lips in thought before suggesting, "Games?"

His ice blue eyes smile down at her. "It's like you read my mind," he replies with a wink, dramatically holding out his hand as if asking her to dance.

Rapunzel rolls her eyes, a common habit around him it seems, before hesitantly taking his arm. For a few moments they wander in silence, taking in all of the brightly-colored booths and delicious smells. As they walk, people wave in greeting or say hello as they pass by, and some of the older couples smile warmly at them.

After a few minutes, Jack leans down to whisper in her ear, obviously uncomfortable, "Why is everyone smiling at us?"

She was hoping he wouldn't ask, but she tries to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she answers slowly, "I think they think we're . . . you know . . ."

His eyes glinting with mirth, he presses, "They think we're what?"

Rapunzel focuses on her shoes to avoid his gaze. "You know . . . together . . ."

The smile on his face broadens, and he knocks his shoulder playfully into hers as he jokes, "Ah, we wouldn't want that, now, would we?" Jack squeezes her hand as they make their way through the maze of paths weaving between the various carnival rides. They pass many cliche fair games, like darts and squirt gun competitions, but one catches Rapunzel's eye.

Like a little schoolgirl, she pulls Jack over to where a bored looking girl, probably in her twenties, is running a Skeeball booth while smacking her gum and glaring at the ceiling. Rapunzel scours her pockets for a stray dollar, but Jack covers her hand to stop her and pulls a bill from his pocket.

"My treat," he tells her, handing her the crumpled paper with a wink.

Blushing, Rapunzel gives the dollar to the annoyed woman and picks up one of the heavy balls. Aiming for the center tube, she rolls it up the ramp as hard as she can, but the ball bounces off the top, only to fall into the bottom ring. Frustrated, she tries again with the same result, so with her third ball Rapunzel decides to throw softer. This time the ball barely makes it to the second ring, but at least it was an improvement. She reaches down for another ball and realizes she's used up all of her chances just to get to the second slot.

Laughing, Jack hands the woman another one-dollar bill and takes a ball from her outstretched hand. "Here," he offers while moving to stand behind Rapunzel and curling himself around her to place the sphere in her hand.

"It's easy," he says, his breath tickling her ear. "Just ease your arm back nice and slow, and pretend like you're serving a volleyball underhand." Jack wraps his over her small one and gently pulls her arm back, pressing his body to hers in the process. Her heart is pounding like a bass drum in her chest as he guides her hand forward with the perfect amount of force before whispering, "And release."

Rapunzel lets go of the ball, and watches it roll up the ramp and sail into the center tube. Although her mind claims it's purely for practice, she asks him to help her again just so that she can lean back against him and feel his strong arms around her. Because his body is so close to hers, she feels almost scared to breathe for fear of making him back away and ruining everything. With two more perfect rolls, the buzzer on top of the machine sounds while bright red and white lights blink furiously above them. The woman running the stand rolls her eyes and exclaims sarcastically, "Congratulations! You've won a prize. Pick anything you want."

Giddy and slightly dazed, Rapunzel speechlessly searches the stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling for the perfect prize. Her eyes settle on a small, bright green chameleon, and when she points excitedly at the little lizard, the woman jabs it with a metal pole and brings it down. She thrusts the prize towards Rapunzel without any hint of interest. "Here."

Rapunzel hugs it close to her chest, burying her cheeks in the soft fur. She glances up at Jack, her face half-hidden by the animal's green head, and says, "Thank you."

He smiles back at her and asks innocently, "What for?"

"For winning this for me!"

Jack shakes his head and insists, "That was all you."

"Fine, but I had some expert help, though," she adds

"True," he agrees, his signature smirk resting on his lips.

The woman behind the counter gags and yells, "Ugh! Just get a room!"

The two teenagers quickly slip away, holding their hands over their mouths to cover their laughter, and hear the lady mutter, "Puppy-love. Absolutely disgusting."

Annoyed, Jack shoots back under his breath, "Maybe that's why you're thirty and still working at a carnival."

Whipping her head to face them, the now enraged woman glares at them, obviously aware of his comment. Bursting with laughter, Rapunzel grabs Jack's hand and drags him as far away from the Skeeball stand and the moody woman as possible.

~Jack~~~~

Jack swears that that lady has to have super-sonic hearing or something because there was no way she should have heard him. Shaking that irritating woman out of his head, he blindly follows behind Rapunzel as she pulls him deeper into the carnival. Finally, she slows to a normal pace when they reach the far side of the fair grounds, falling into step beside him once more.

"That was too close," she breathes. "I think she was about to bite your head off."

He just shrugs, "Serves her right for being so . . ." A not-so-pleasant word is perched on the tip of his tongue, but he quickly changes his adjective with a glance at the girl next to him, ". . . rude."

"I guess," she admits, tucking her prize under her arm.

Tired from the escape, they rest on a park bench in front of the Tilt O' Whirl with Rapunzel's chameleon slouching beside them. Jack watches as the cool summer-night's breeze rustles the sleeves on Rapunzel's shirt and tosses her ponytail from side to side. Another gust blows over them, and she rubs her legs, which are covered in tiny goosebumps. Although she doesn't complain, Jack automatically unfolds the blue sweatshirt in his hands and drapes it over her shoulders. Giving him a grateful smile, Rapunzel slips it over her head and pulls the cuffs over her fingers.

"Thanks, Jack. I knew I shouldn't have worn this stupid shirt," she mutters.

"Hey, now, I quite like that shirt," he replies, giving her a wink for emphasis.

She playfully glares and jabs him in the ribs.

He throws his hands up as if in surrender. "Just saying, I am a guy, you know."

Rapunzel rolls her eyes, but her smile is sincere when she adds, "Still, thank you."

"No problem, Princess."

Her cheeks flush pink as she buries her face into the sleeves of his hoodie. Pride swells up inside of him to see her snuggle up so comfortably in his jacket, and he carefully wraps an arm around her shoulders. She stiffens at his touch, and it almost makes him draw away, but then she slowly lays her head on his shoulder in response. His heart pounds in relief, and he gently rubs her arm to try to warm her up.

"Better?" He asks, his voice soft and calm despite the butterflies beating wildly in his stomach.

She nods into his neck, and her reply is barely audible as she answers, "Much."

He leans down to rest his head on hers, his cheek pressing into her soft golden hair, and lets himself simply relax and breathe in the intoxicating scent of her perfume. If he had the choice, this is where he'd want to stay for the rest of his life: surrounded by the blending chaos of talking and shouting and laughter while holding Rapunzel there in their own perfect little world. There's no overbearing parents, no two-faced friends, nothing from his life back home - only her and the soothing rush of wind swirling around them. Tonight it's just the two of them teasing and laughing together under a blanket of dancing stars, soaking up every moment of freedom they can.

A muted buzzing sound along with a soft laugh reaches Jack's ears.

"Your phone tickles," Rapunzel comments, still giggling behind her hand as she pulls the device out of the hoodie's front pocket.

"What? Oh, yeah, I forgot I put it on vibrate," he explains as he takes the phone from her and checks the text message. "It's from Hiccup."

She leans over to peer at the screen and asks, "What did he say?"

"His dad told him we have to have the car home by eleven tonight," he reports.

"How much time do we have, then?" She asks almost nervously.

"My phone says it's 9:30. So, we have an hour and a half it looks like."

The corners of her smile visibly waver ever so slightly, but she sets them firmly in place when she glances up at him. "Do you want to go check out some of the rides, then?"

"Only if you do," he replies, silently wishing to stay holding her forever.

"Well we did pay for the unlimited-ride wristbands, and I wouldn't want to waste the money by not using them."

"Rides it is," he announces, giving her arm a little squeeze. Reluctantly, Jack stretches and rises from the bench before offering his hand to help Rapunzel up. She tentatively places her small palm in his and allows him to pull her to her feet, but even when she's standing fully on the ground he forgets to let go of her hand.

They walk through the fair in silence for a few minutes, their fingers still absentmindedly intertwined, until Jack spots one of his favorite rides.

"Dude, I love Ferris Wheels!" he exclaims excitedly, not caring that he probably sounds like a little kid. He pulls Rapunzel over to the attraction and moves to stand in line under the towering metal wheel. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices her staring up at the bleach-white seats floating above them, but she quickly flashes him a wide smile. When it's their turn, they climb the metal steps up to the loading station, show the supervisor their wristbands, and climb onto the bench. Rapunzel sets her chameleon on her lap when she sits down, hesitantly letting go of Jack's hand when the man running the ride pulls down the metal safety bar and secures it in front of them. The man returns to his station and presses a big green button that sends them gliding effortlessly backwards into the air. Abruptly, the car stops about halfway up to let other passengers on, and Jack can feel Rapunzel tense up beside him as she grips the metal bar in front of them with white knuckles. He unconsciously slips a reassuring arm around her shoulders, concern flooding his voice when he asks, "What's wrong?"

She scoots a little closer and replies sheepishly, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little scared of heights, that's all."

He reels back in surprise. "Scared of heights? Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have made you go on this if I'd known you were scared of heights!"

"And that's exactly why I didn't tell you - I didn't want you to have to miss out just because of me."

"As sweet as that is, you're more important than a stupid ride, Punz."

"I'm fine. Really, I am." But her words become meaningless to him when a stifled scream escapes her lips as they suddenly lift higher into the sky. Jack instinctively pulls her closer, and she wraps her arms around his waist, squeezing him a little bit every time they jolt forward.

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't look down, just look at me," he whispers in her ear.

Rapunzel does as she's told and meets his gaze, but squeezes her eyes shut when they sail over the climax of the wheel. "Jack, I'm scared."

"I know, I know," he coaxes, "but you're gonna be alright. You're not going to fall." Jack feels her relax against him, the tension slightly fading from her grip around his waist. She rests her head on his shoulder, the sweet scent of her perfume seeping into his cotton shirt. Rapunzel winces when a couple of girls scream in front of them, so he pulls the hood of his sweatshirt over her ears in order to block out their voices.

An idea pops into his head and he quickly adds, "We're gonna have a little fun, instead."

"No we're not," she protests quietly.

"Would I trick you?" he asks.

"Yes!" she shoots back indignantly. "You always play tricks."

He laughs softly and reassures, "Well not this time."

She looks up anxiously at him, doubt written all over her face.

"I promise, I promise, you're gonna be- you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me."

Her expression softens, but fear is still bright in her emerald eyes.

"You wanna play a game? We're gonna count the constellations, just like we used to do every night as kids. It's as easy as one," he explains, pointing at Orion.

Before he even has a chance to say the next number, they lurch forward as the wheel brings them lower until they pass the loading station and continue to lift higher for a second revolution. The car halts suddenly again, and Rapunzel tightens her death-grip on his arm.

He hesitates before resuming his counting, "Two." Cygnus. "Three." The Big Dipper. "Alright, now it's your turn," he urges, nodding up towards the sky.

Rapunzel hesitantly glances at the stars and begins by pointing at Cassiopeia. "One-"

She gasps in alarm as they surge up again only to stop at the very top of the wheel.

"That's it," he encourages, gently lifting her chin up to face the sky one more.

"Two." Draco.

The car moves down the other side, but he keeps his hand steady under her jaw to keep her from looking down.

"Three," she whispers, quickly pointing at Sagittarius before they make their last stop back at the loading station.

Jack smiles proudly at her and pops out of the car as soon as the man running the ride lifts up the safety bar with Rapunzel slowly following his lead towards the exit. He pushes on the metal gate and is about to step down onto the first stair when his back foot slips. His momentum throws him forward down the steps and he lands hard on the grass below.

~Rapunzel~~~~

Rapunzel frantically reaches out to grab his arm but all she can do is yell his name as she watches him slip just out of her grasp and tumble to the ground. She races down the stairs and sinks to her knees next to Jack, who's eyes don't open and mouth refuses to respond when she shakes him. Worry causes her hands to shake as she rolls him onto his back. Tears blur her vision and threaten to spill down her cheeks as she holds his face in her hands. "Jack," she cries, "say something!"

The corners of his mouth twitch, and his voice is barely above a whisper. "Aw, you do care."

"What?" She asks incredulous, her tone flat.

Without warning Jack bursts out in laughter, and Rapunzel simply stares at him in confusion.

"You should have seen your face! It was hilarious!"

She gives him no comment as she narrows her eyes, her gaze hardening into a glare.

"Oh, come on, Punzie. I just tripped down some stairs, did you really think that would have killed me? You know I have a thick skull!" He muses, rapping his knuckles on his head for emphasis. Jack hops to his feet and turns to flash her a dazzling smile, offering her a hand, "Here, at least let me help you up."

Rapunzel crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Aw, Punzie, come on." He runs his fingers anxiously through his white-blond hair and admits, "I didn't mean to make you panic or anything. I just wanted to make you laugh, for, you know, comic relief after being so scared."

She shifts her body away from him without reply but is all too aware of him lowering himself next to her and reaching out to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Her mouth quirks up into a smirk as she turns on him and tackles him onto the ground. His blue eyes are wide with surprise when she glances down at him, her palms pinning his shoulders to the ground, but his smile is even brighter as he visibly registers what had just happened.

His hands shoot to her sides and tickle her while he comments, "I see how it is, Princess. The student thinks she's become the master, eh?"

Rapunzel doubles over in laughter and squirms to try to wiggle her way out of Jack's reach, but his grip is tight on her sides.

"This'll teach you a lesson, Missy!"

A squeal of surprise bursts out of her mouth when Jack suddenly flips her over onto her back and kneels beside her to tickle her harder. She's more than positive her face is red as she gasps for air and attempts to push his hands away. It occurs to her then how close his face is to hers, and it's as if he reads her mind when his hands stall on her hips and his gaze settles on her with a small lingering smile. She catches herself staring at his lips and, blushing, forces her eyes to look anywhere but at his soft blue ones.

"Rapunzel I . . ." Jack whispers without finishing, the sound barely reaching her ears.

It could be just a trick of the neon lights above them, or her mind playing games with her heart, but she swears that his face is getting even closer to hers. As if he's leaning down. As if he's going to . . .

The sentence trails off in her head as she watches his mouth dip towards her own before letting her eyelids close. Her brain shuts down and it seems like her heart stops altogether when she feels the slightest brush of his lips against hers.

A/N - Hello my lovely readers! I'm back! It took me a long time to get this chapter going just because I had inspiration issues, but I'm back and ready to rock and roll! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and messages to help me reset my plan for this story. Trust me, it helped a lot. This is officially my longest chapter and that makes me super excited! So much happened, including their very first kiss! EEEEEEEK! Yes, I'm allowed to fangirl over my own story . . . I think. Anyways, it was so much fun writing this update, and I hope you guys like it as much I as I do. Did you guys catch the Rise of the Guardians references to when Jack saved his sister? And the "fake death" thing? ;) I hope you did, cause it was super fun doing that! Please send my your thoughts and any comments you have about what you loved or what you want to see happen now that Jack and Rapunzel are more comfortable around each other romance-wise. I love reading them so much! Until next time!

~Jackunzelhayniac3~