Eugene had some sex drive. They hadn't gone to bed until late last night and had already made love once this morning, and he was still kissing her like he wanted more. Rapunzel couldn't help but feel like she was being used. She would have been fine with this escalation of love – even pleased by it – if only he would pay more attention to her afterwards.
"I have to meet with some diplomats tomorrow and we're all going to have dinner afterward. Mom and Dad said I could bring a date. Do you want to come?"
"Mm…sounds boring," Eugene said, giving her a long kiss. He was smiling when he pulled away; Rapunzel was just glad that her lips were finally getting a break. "Why should I?"
"Because I'll be really bored with you," Rapunzel said. She was hoping she could make him feel guilty if he chose not to come – but she had to remember that he was more insensitive than she liked to admit, especially recently.
"And I'll be really bored there," Eugene said with a roll of his eyes. Fair enough. She can't blame him for not wanting to go.
"Please?" she asked, pouting her lips.
"Alright, fine," Eugene said. "But you'll have to make it up to me."
"With what, sex?" Rapunzel asked. She didn't mean to say it – it just kind of slipped out.
Eugene looked annoyed, almost insulted. "I'll think of something," he said finally, sliding out of bed and getting dressed. "I better go back to my room." Rapunzel muttered a goodbye, and he was gone before she knew it.
Because Eugene and Rapunzel were not married, they had to be pretty careful about spending the night together. They figured out that it wasn't as difficult as one might think. Rapunzel had a feeling that the guards knew that Eugene was coming over to her room and were just too embarrassed to say anything. Rapunzel felt pretty guilty about it herself. At first she hadn't. At first, it had been exciting and romantic – something that she had never experienced before. But now they were seeing each other so often that it was beginning to lose its meaning. She still loved being with him, but it was different than it used to be.
Sometimes she wondered if he even loved her at all. Sometimes she wondered if he cared anymore.
She was aware that she had a reputation for being paranoid. She had proven that many times. Eugene was always scolding her – albeit playfully – for overreacting too much. For thinking too much. She was sure that the thoughts she was having about her and Eugene's relationship were no different. Just another foolish notion from a foolish and apprehensive girlfriend.
Rapunzel had to admit she was pleasantly surprised when Eugene showed up for dinner the next day. He hadn't shown much interest in it. For a while she told herself not to expect him.
She caught herself staring at the way he looked in his suit – mainly the way that his muscles weren't as clearly defined as they were when he was wearing a plain button-up. He wasn't invited to many events that elicited formal wear, so Rapunzel didn't get to see him in it too often. She blushed when his eyes met hers, taking his hand and walking into the dining hall together.
They sat next to each other, of course. Eugene spent most of the dinner with his hand under the table on Rapunzel's thigh as Rapunzel tried hard not to show her embarrassment. Eugene seemed to think this was funny and kept doing it even though she was uncomfortable. Rapunzel also noticed how charismatic he was – he was actually talking to the diplomats. Not about anything important, but still, he did a good job of making himself seem friendly. He also seemed to listen intently to everything they said. His face mirrored concentration and interest, and even if he was faking it to an extent, it had still been a while since Rapunzel had seen that look.
What was his purpose? She supposed it was good that he wanted to make a good impression, anyhow. He was skilled at it, that much was obvious. Rapunzel had heard many bad things said about her boyfriend, one of the most popular being that he would never make it as a prince, but it was clear to her that this assumption was wrong. He was already showing some of the skills that he would need to have as a royal. As far as the social game went, he had it covered.
"Maybe your folks will invite me to more things now, huh?" he asked later that night, leaning back in a chair in Rapunzel's room. It was a rocking chair – although he always, well, rocked it more than he should have. Rapunzel swore the thing would break soon. But that was Eugene Fitzherbert for you, always testing limits. Including Rapunzel's.
Rapunzel reached out to put a hand on the chair to stop it, but he always ignored her warnings. Glaring at him, she sat down on the edge of the bed, facing him and hoping that chair would break underneath him. "Yes, maybe they will," Rapunzel agreed. He had impressed everyone, even her.
Eugene smiled, looking proud of himself. Rapunzel crossed her arms over her chest, shifting slightly. "Is that what you want?" she asked.
"Well, sure," Eugene said. "It's always good to have your girl's parents liking you. And trust me; you're in for a rough time if it's not the case. When I was sixteen, I was caught jumping down from a girl's balcony, and – " Rapunzel shot him a look. "Well I almost didn't survive," he finished.
Well, what kind of parent would like him in that situation? Suddenly fear crept over her. How would her parents react if they knew she and Eugene had been sleeping together? Would they hate him? Did they already know? "The King and Queen have always liked you," Rapunzel said.
"Yeah…always," Eugene muttered. She knew what he was thinking about. That before he had brought her home, the King and Queen wanted him dead, just like everyone else in the kingdom.
"Well, you know what I mean," Rapunzel said quietly. "Anyway, they love you. They tell me that sometimes. They think you're funny, and sweet, and…a good match for me."
"Yeah? And what do you think?" He looked curious, his eyebrow raised slightly. There was some other emotion in there too – was it worry? What did he have to be worried about? It was Rapunzel who was losing faith in the relationship, not him.
"About you? I think the same thing, of course." Rapunzel got up, walking to him slowly. "I think you're perfect," she said softly, smiling and touching his cheek. That got a smile out of him.
"Thank you," he said, kissing her hand. "You're perfect, too." They looked each other for a few moments before he looked down. She couldn't read his emotions anymore.
"So," Rapunzel said brightly, her hands on her hips, "I was supposed to give you a reward for accompanying me to dinner, right?"
Eugene chuckled, looking up at her. He was smirking, but he didn't look quite as arrogant as usual. "You were. But you know what, I don't really need any of that tonight. Maybe another time." Standing, he pressed a long kiss to her forehead and embraced her. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. Goodbye," Rapunzel said. She smiled and waved to him as he walked away. Once he was gone, Rapunzel collapsed onto her bed, feeling utterly confused. Curse Eugene. Why was he was so confusing? He had been so nice tonight… She hated to say it, but she was actually kind of disappointed that he had gone back to his own room. Her head was spinning right now, and she knew that if only he were here – kissing her, holding her – she would be taken away from everything.
It was unfortunate how things turned out. She was upset when they were together too much, she was upset when they weren't. What was wrong with her? She vowed to figure it out later, when things made more sense.
That night, she had a dream about Eugene being crowned prince, and Rapunzel being left in the crowd with all the commoners, utterly forgotten.
In the morning, the first thing she did was take her crown from her armoire. She admired its beauty for a moment before placing it on her head. Eugene doesn't have one of these, she thought. She wondered if he wanted one. In a way, it represented how she had control over him – how she could have authority over him, if she chose to make use of it. For a moment she felt hopeful. It was all in vain, though, because even she could not mold Eugene into someone she could make sense of.
She hoped that when she saw him later today, she wouldn't be focused on analyzing his behavior. She just wanted to forget about these stupid fears and enjoy herself.
It turns out she was successful. She had a perfectly normal day with him – nothing striking her as usual at all.
But she knew it wasn't over yet. After all, the worrying always came when she was alone.
A/N: Um…I actually don't have much to say here. Except for that you should review, because that's what keeps me motivated. And…yeah. That's all for now.