"Why don't we go for a walk?" Eugene asked, stealing Rapunzel away from her painting for a minute.
Her eyes lit up. It was mid-December, and she loved the snow. Setting her paintbrushes aside, she took off her apron and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of her painting-room to get bundled up.
As they walked, they were mostly quiet; Rapunzel drinking in the scenery with new-found adoration, and Eugene taking in how breathtaking Rapunzel looked.
Finally, they left the crowded town square and off the beaten path. Rapunzel's boot barely came up far enough to keep the snow out, but she didn't mind if a little bit of the cold material slipped down and melted on her toes! She was watching her feet kick up snow as she walked when Eugene spoke up.
"So...Rapunzel," he addressed her awkwardly, his face growing a little pale. "We've known each other for over two years, and I can assure you that you're the first and the last person I think of in a day. You're everything to me, and while I know I can't possibly be the only thing you think about in a day, I hope you at least feel the same way."
She grinned at him. "I do. I most definitely do," she nodded. "I think quite a lot about you, actually. When I'm not contemplating books or knitting patterns for Pascal, or breeds of birds and...well, you know," she giggled.
He chuckled, growing a little calmer. Her quirkiness is why she was so dear to him. "Well...I'd like to ask for your hand in marriage. And if you don't think you're ready yet, we can, by all means, wait to get engaged."
She froze to the spot, staring at him. Instead of being frozen in terror, she felt her heart rate drop, then start to surge with a sudden burst of excitement. "Yes."
"Y-you...yes?" he stared at her, wide-eyed and hoping he hadn't heard her wrong.
She laughed. "Yes, Eugene!"
Despite the mix of surprise and panic in his eyes, he glanced down to rummage in his pocket, finally retrieving a simple ring. Rapunzel didn't care for flashiness or big rings; she only cared about who she was marrying. His dark eyes never left hers as he slid the cold metal band around her ring finger. Before he could do anything else, she squeaked with excitement and grabbed him into a firm, excited kiss. He could practically feel her contagious enthusiasm filling him as well, and he chuckled, breaking off the kiss. She stared at him with those wide, exquisite green eyes of hers, and he tipped her back dramatically, planting a kiss on her in return. They dissolved into laughter, and finally resumed their walk.
Eyes that had previously been filled with longing and heartbreak were now full with happiness, excitement, and wonder; wrecked hearts were sewn back together again, and an imprisoned soul found herself free once more. Fingers that had wiped away many a tear in their lifetimes now interlaced, a promising and exciting new future lying just ahead.