Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed Day 1. Your comments made me so happy, and I truly appreciate them.
Jack Frost and Rise of the Guardians are the property of DreamWorks Animation and William Joyce. Rapunzel and Tangled are the property of Disney.
Day 2: Legend
The orphanage has strict rules against climbing onto the roof. And Jack understood that. When you lived in a house with twenty-three children, of varying ages, you came to appreciate the rules that maintained some sense of sanity – especially after the third broken arm.
But tonight, they needed the quiet only the roof could offer.
The vines that grew up the orphanage walls were older than they were, the tendrils thickened into branches that could easily take their combined weight.
Even with her long skirt, Rapunzel was an adept climber, her bare feet finding traction on the smooth bark, her deceptively slender arms pulling her up with ease.
A late spring breeze caught some of the golden hair that had come free from the braid Jack had helped her with that morning.
The clay tiles of the roof were still warm under their bare feet as they walked up to the peak of the roof. Corona didn't get much snow, so the angled roofs weren't very steep, and were more for appearance than anything else.
Jack heard Rapunzel sigh as they sat down.
It had been a long day for both of them. The older children of the orphanage were responsible for helping with the younger children. And as the two oldest, they were given the most responsibility. It wasn't that they minded – just that they were tired.
It had been a while since they had had a few minutes to themselves. Hence, Jack's decision to climb to the roof tonight.
After a moment, she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder as they looked out over the bay. Jack smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
The moon and stars reflected off the calm dark water, while the city was lit with the feint glow of street lights and candles. They could see the bridge that led to the main land, and the forest beyond it.
"Jack?"
"Hmm?"
Rapunzel paused a moment before she asked her question.
"Why didn't you leave when you leave when you turned eighteen?"
Most people left the orphanage on their eighteenth birthday, with little in the way of a backward glance. They had grown up watching it happen.
Jack's birthday had been several months back, but he hadn't made a move to leave. A few of the adults had hinted that he needed to leave at some point, but he knew they didn't have the heart to kick him out.
Jack rested his forehead against the crown of her head. He inhaled the sweet herb-and-flower scent of the shampoo she used.
"You really don't know?" he asked in a near whisper.
She pulled away to look up at him with her green eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I couldn't leave without you," he said.
Rapunzel blinked. "You want me to come with you?"
He nodded. "Why would I go anywhere without my best friend?"
"But what will we do?" she asked.
Jack shrugged. "What do you want to do?"
He really wasn't picky.
Rapunzel stood up, walking a little way down the roof. Jack stood as well, and followed a step behind. She wasn't afraid, and she could handle herself. But he had promised not to let her fall.
After a moment, she turned to him with a wide smile.
"I want to paint the world," she said. "I want to read, and learn, and see things. I want to meet people."
Jack smiled back and reached out to rest a hand on her forearm. "We can do that."
Her eyes sobered as she met his gaze. "Jack, I- I want to do... something. Something amazing. Something that will touch people, that will make them smile. I- Maybe it's foolish, but I just..."
She trailed off and bit her lower lip, clearly nervous.
Jack understood why.
Rapunzel was an incurable dreamer. Her eyes saw wonder and beauty, and her sanguine heart overflowed with hoy to the point it splashed over onto everyone blessed enough to be in her light.
With all the children that came through the orphanage, the jaded adults didn't have time for her dreams.
But hers was a light Jack refused to see dim. There wasn't enough light in the world as it was. She was the sun, and he was the moon, reflecting her light.
He reached up to touch her cheek, brushing aside a strand of her hair.
"Then that's what we'll do," he said, lifting her chin so she looked up to meet his eyes.
Her smile slowly returned.
"There is one condition, though," Jack said, with mock solemnity. That was the closest he could get to solemnity at the moment.
"What?" Rapunzel asked.
"A young man and a young woman running around together isn't strictly proper." He said. It was very, very hard to bite back his grin. "So you'll have to marry me."
Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Jack..."
He touched her cheek again, and now his seriousness wasn't so mock. Even he knew what he was doing, and it was no small thing.
"I love you," he whispered. "I want to make your dream come true. I've be honored if you would give me that chance."
Rapunzel smiled.
"Yes," she said, hugging him.
Jack hugged her back, his heart pounding whith excitement. He had known for years that he would ask her, but that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking.
"Do you think we'll be able to do it, Jack?" she asked. "That we can change the world somehow? It seems so... pretentious, just to think about it."
Jack pulled back to look in her eyes.
"Rapunzel, we'll be legendary."
Can I admit that I really don't like writing traditional proposals? Most of the proposals I write are in the face of near-death experiences, and anything that makes the girl go "you're asking me NOW?!"