Apricity

by little princess 15

The truth behind a happily ever after is that happiness cannot truly last forever, but Eugene is determined to find the miracle within the life he's been granted beside Rapunzel. If the stars aligned long enough to tie their destinies together, he won't give up that easily, even if fate itself keeps testing the bonds of their love. Some things are well worth the sacrifice.

This is technically a companion piece to Wasn't Love Blondie, but you don't necessarily have to read that to catch the general gist of this (although if you want to, I do recommend reading that one first because this contains heavy spoilers for that fic)

Now, that being said. I was in a silly goofy mood and this was the result. You should know I'm incapable of writing fluff without angst and vice versa so I apologize in advance. Hope you enjoy!

Part 1: The Fates' Design

I. If you need to, darling, lean your weight to me. We'll float away, but if we fall, I only pray, don't fall away from me. ~ I, Carrion

It still bothered him, the eerie echo of his usually lithe footsteps reverberating across the hall, the telltale sign of a room too spacious to muffle the sound. It was so unlike the woods he was used to, not like the roads and alleys and tiled rooftops he used to scurry through without so much as a whisper. There was no reason for him to sneak around, he knew. He lived here after all, even if he couldn't get used to the decadent, unwelcoming atmosphere surrounding every corner.

Once upon a time he'd have considered it the height of his achievements. He'd wanted to live under this very roof, on a castle of his own surrounded by every piece of luxury money could buy. But the sumptuous allure of a palace life had quickly dimmed over time. Now it constantly felt like the walls were closing in around him. Stifling.

The only positive that came with it was that the sound of his footfalls seemed so loud to him it grated on Eugene's already frazzled nerves, almost drowning the insistent voice inside his head telling him he'd messed up.

He'd messed up, bad. So much so that Rapunzel's betrayed face was still imprinted behind his eyes.

He was slightly out of breath as he reached the grand double doors that led to Rapunzel's bedchamber. It barely registered to him that he still thought about it as hers, despite the fact that he'd been sleeping there with her for over a month, that half the walk-in closet was occupied with his clothes, his newly purchased high-quality hair and skin products rested right next to hers in the enormous vanity table, his boots were placed in the rack next to the one especially destined for her slippers. Never-mind that Rapunzel insisted from the very beginning that it was their room now, that she cared not for the long-held tradition that dictated he should have his own personal chambers separated from hers.

And so he didn't come barging into the room like he owned the place, instead knocking rather insistently while he waited for an answer from the other side of the door with bated breath.

The door opened unceremoniously only a moment later, but the sight that met him made Eugene blow an impatient huff.

Cassandra, Rapunzel's handmaiden, leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over her chest as she looked over at him, something that might have been judgment hiding beneath her pinched expression.

"I don't think this is a good time."

"I need to speak to her," Eugene muttered through gritted teeth, not really in the mood to deal with the opinionated lady-in-waiting.

"Haven't you done enough?" Cassandra scoffed, but there was a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "Are you laughing at me?"

The snort that escaped her was enough of an answer. She covered her teasing grin behind her hand but the mirth could not be hidden from her green eyes. It was clear she found this mishap hilarious.

"I'm sorry but are you kidding me?" Cassandra asked, her short, taunting laugh making him scowl. "You literally could not have chosen a worse thing to steal!"

"I wasn't stealing!" Eugene squawked indignantly.

The cook certainly thought differently if his irate glare when he found out was any indication. Cassandra merely answered his feeble defense with a quirked eyebrow.

Eugene pinched the bridge of his nose. "How was I supposed to know they were hers?"

Cassandra groaned. "C'mon, Eugene. Have you actually met your pregnant wife?"

Okay, fair. He supposed Rapunzel's cravings should be obvious to him by now. They were odd and outright godawful more often than not, but all of them had one special ingredient that could not be missing; hazelnuts.

Problem was, there were no more hazelnuts to be found in the palace's kitchen. The last of them went into the batch of cookies Eugene had inadvertently eaten earlier in the day. He'd missed breakfast, all because he'd been too wrapped up in the hunting lessons the King insisted he should have —a most regal pastime that every noble man should entertain according to him, one which Eugene ought to be familiar with if he intended to fit in with the rest of the royal court and be invited to their leisure engagements. The fact that Eugene hated the activity and had little to no interest in being included with the rest of the pompous men of the royal court was of no interest to King Frederic, of course.

He'd been ravenous after three hours spent riding through the private wooded lands surrounding Corona's Palace, but Eugene knew for a fact the cook despised unpunctuality when it came to his carefully prepared feasts and there would be no special meals prepared for him just because he couldn't make it to breakfast on time. And so, the jar of cookies in the pantry had seemed entirely too inviting. It wasn't until he'd finished the last of them that he'd realized with a sinking feeling that their nutty flavor had been in fact hazelnut.

Cassandra sighed, eying him with something akin to pity. "Look, I'm doing you a favor here. Perhaps she'll be in a better mood to see you in a few hours. This pregnancy thing is taking a toll on her."

Eugene shook his head, taking a deep breath. "No, I should be the one who's there for her when she gets like this."

Cassandra finally relented, shrugging her shoulders as she stepped outside to let him in. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Eugene entered the room like he was approaching the den of a wild animal, movements slow and calculated. He couldn't predict what mood he'd find Rapunzel in, but he knew by Cassandra's hesitation that it could not be an easily manageable one. Her mood swings had been so wild lately that they rivaled even the ones she'd had when he first met her, fresh out of the place she'd considered more her prison than her home.

Back then he'd thought her an emotionally unstable girl. He'd had little patience with her and the conflict behind her humor and he couldn't have cared less about what would've made her feel better. Now though, he liked to believe he was the best equipped to deal with this kind of crisis, even when he was the one responsible for it.

Rapunzel sat on the plush cushion by the window seat, feet tucked beneath her as she contemplated the landscape behind the crystal-clear glass, Pascal dutifully perched right next to her. The little reptile shot him a warning look as Eugene approached, but made no move to stop him. The pitiful sniffles that reached his ears made his heart clench painfully.

"Hey Sunshine," Eugene said softly, sitting on the opposite corner, as far as the windowsill would allow so as to not encroach on her space.

Rapunzel merely tucked her head closer to the window frame, as though trying to hide her face between what little her short hair could cover and the curtain right next to her. Even though she didn't turn to acknowledge him he could still see her puffy red eyes.

Eugene sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about the cookies. I swear if I'd known they were yours and that there were no more hazelnuts to make more I wouldn't have touched them."

At the mention of it, a fresh wave of tears spilled down her cheeks, and Eugene could've facepalmed himself. He dared to move closer, extending a hesitant hand to touch her knee. "I'll go look for more hazelnuts myself if it'll make you feel better."

Rapunzel's lip quivered, her hand coming up to wipe her wet cheeks hastily. "That's not necessary, Eugene. It's fine."

It didn't sound fine. She still wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Rapunzel mumbled, startling him with her embarrassed laugh. "You must think I'm ridiculous, crying over some cookies."

"Nah." He waved a dismissive hand, then smirked at her raised eyebrow. "Well, only a little."

She shoved his shoulder at his teasing, and though her lips quirked into a tiny smile her eyes still welled with silent tears.

"I know, I know. It is ridiculous. It's just," Rapunzel sighed. "I'd been really craving them the entire day. I swear the only thing carrying me through today's meeting with the Royal Council was the thought of those cookies waiting for me. And then I saw you eating the very last one and— you don't even like hazelnuts, what were you doing?!"

A hint of genuine anger slipped into her voice and Eugene raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, in my defense there was more chocolate in those cookies than there was hazelnut anyway."

She deflated with a resigned huff. "It's okay. It's fine, I'm fine, really."

It sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him, and the slightly shrill note that he detected there coupled with the tremulous smile she offered him made it seem like she was spiraling a little.

"I think, maybe…" Eugene chose his words carefully, trying for a placating tone. "Maybe there's more to this than just the cookies."

Rapunzel was silent for a long, tense moment. She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand in a discreet motion, like she didn't want to show that she was clearly still upset. He wanted to wrap his arms around her as much as he wanted to just walk out of the room and wait for the storm of her mood swings to pass.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she let out a big breath. "It's just… sometimes I feel…" she hesitated, then thought better of it and shook her head. "Nothing, forget it."

"Hey," Eugene scooted closer, placing a gentle hand around her shoulder, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb. "You can tell me anything, you know?"

"I don't want to say. It sounds mean."

Eugene chuckled. "Well, good thing you're not talking to a saint here. How many mean things have you heard me say since you've known me? Believe me, I'll be the last to judge."

"Well, yes but what you say is usually about people that irritate you and most times you don't even know them."

That made him pause, a sinking feeling settling into his stomach. True, his caustic criticism wasn't usually directed toward someone he'd consider a friend; although he'd made more than enough sarcastic comments about Cassandra even to her face, but he'd consider her an exception. Rapunzel's words made Eugene wonder if he was really the source of her irritable mood.

She must have noticed his arm stiffening around her shoulder, because she chanced a look at him through her eyelashes, as though afraid to find something upsetting in his face. He braced himself for an unpleasant truth.

"Well, you can tell me anyway. I'd rather know. Am I doing something to upset you or something?"

"No!" Her green eyes widened, hand reaching out to hold his in a tight grip. "No, of course not, you've been so patient with me. Truly, you've been great this whole time… except when you're eating my cookies…" she mumbled the last part under her breath, startling a small laugh out of him.

Eugene cupped her cheek, lifting her chin gently to make her meet his searching gaze. "Well then, what's wrong, sweetheart?"

Rapunzel bit her lip. "I just… it's all so overwhelming sometimes. It feels like everything is happening so fast and there's no chance for a single pause, and I just wish I could… escape, run away from all of it every now and then."

She shifted, lifting her knees towards her chest and hugging her arms around her legs, curling into herself like she was trying to make her frame as small as possible. The motion was rendered awkward by her protruding belly, which only managed to frustrate her more. She huffed. "You know, today's meeting with the Council was about what to do once the baby comes, how to mitigate the rumors that will inevitably arise once people start counting and realize it came three months too early."

Eugene suppressed a grimace. Their wedding had been barely a little over a month ago, just about in time before Rapunzel's baby bump could no longer be concealed even beneath her loose-fitting, exaggeratedly large gown. Nevertheless, her growing belly would soon be enough of a sign to announce to the entire world that their child had been conceived long before their wedding night. This was bound to be the scandal of the century surely, perhaps only overshadowed by the fact that the Crown Princess of Corona had chosen to marry a virtual nobody. No, scratch that, she had decided to marry a former criminal, the most wanted thief in Corona to be more precise. Even the change of his name and a hastily granted title could not erase that little detail from his rather public history.

It had all been so quick; a rushed engagement that was barely even permitted and only because the King and Queen had adamantly refused to be cowed by the negative opinion of the Royal Council, who had only been persuaded to allow it because Rapunzel was already too far along to pass that baby for another's; a more suitable fiancé with an unblemished past. Anyone but Eugene would've been more acceptable in their eyes. And then, a hastily arranged wedding under the stress of public scrutiny. They hadn't even had time to readjust to their life quite literally upending before they'd been forced to tie the knot.

Not that marriage hadn't been in the cards in their foreseeable future by their own choice. One doesn't literally die for the person they love without being certain they're the one they want to spend the rest of their life with, after all.

But he understood. Eugene would've appreciated a much less hasty arrangement too.

His contemplative silence seemed to unnerve her, and Rapunzel rushed to justify her slightly bitter words. "I don't want to seem ungrateful. I don't regret any of it, not you, not the baby, not for a second. I wouldn't change a thing if it meant I couldn't have you." She held his gaze, intent to make him see the truth behind her words. "I just…"

"You wish it had happened differently," Eugene finished for her.

Rapunzel winced, shrugging one shoulder. "The timing seems a bit off sometimes."

"I don't get it." Eugene tilted his head. "How is this a mean thought? It's perfectly understandable."

Rapunzel shot him a disbelieving look. "It feels like I'm wishing I wasn't pregnant and I hadn't married you. Which couldn't be farther from the truth. I love you, you know that right?"

She seemed genuinely worried that he would take her words as a sign of the contrary. Eugene smiled gently at her, taking her face between his hands and placing a placating kiss on her forehead.

"I know," he murmured against her skin.

"Good," she said, curling her fingers around his wrist. "Because I don't want you to doubt that even for a second. Not even when I'm being irritable and irrational and get upset over you eating my cookies."

Eugene chuckled. "It's alright, Rapunzel. I get it, I do."

She looked skeptic so he continued, taking her hand in his. "Look, I might have done things differently too. I know I would've liked to marry you anyway. I don't think I'd have waited that long to propose, although perhaps you would've preferred to wait a little longer. I know I would've waited much longer to have kids, if I'd had it my way. Doesn't mean I don't want this."

He placed a hand on her belly, knowing for a fact he meant it, even if he was terrified at the prospect of becoming a father. Eugene felt her relax under his touch, like some tension had been cut from her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and Rapunzel melted into his embrace, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"I think I'm just too restless." Her voice was muffled against the crook of his neck. "I feel antsy cooped up in here again. It's like I'm back at the beginning, not allowed to go outside."

There wasn't much they could do about that. The Council deemed it necessary for Rapunzel to remain hidden behind the palace walls for the remainder of her term, to conceal the timing of her pregnancy as much as possible, lest rumors start spreading. People would talk anyway, once the baby came, Eugene knew. But he didn't feel the need to defy the Council or Rapunzel's parents in this regard.

He thought for a moment, his hand rubbing soothing circles against her back, until he finally came up with something interesting enough for her to blow off some steam.

"I think I have an idea."

II. Kaleidoscope, love, yeah that is you and me. Forever changing, we make life interesting. Some days we're red and some days we both think green. But I like the nights when we leave the canvas free. ~ Colourblind

It had been meant as a personal project for her, to take her mind off of things and let her concentrate on something that made her happy. But Eugene quickly became quite invested in it too.

Rapunzel poured her heart and soul into the baby's nursery as soon as he proposed the idea. She loved the fact she had complete artistic liberty, that she could paint murals all over the walls without having to restrain her paintings to the limited space of a canvas, like she usually had to because heavens forbid she paint the castle's walls. But the nursery was its own separate room, one that had not been used for the past twenty odd years and would not be used again after their children outgrew it. She could do with it as she pleased, Queen Arianna had said with an indulgent smile.

Eugene was surprised to find he had quite strong opinions about furniture and color schemes. Perhaps he'd been too influenced by the over-the-top opulence of the castle's interior decor. He knew he wanted something far simpler, something that felt cozy and warm and perfect for a baby, none of that luxurious gilding and ridiculous embroidered upholstery, all covered in deep reds and purples and clashing gold to show off that essence of royalty. While Rapunzel wanted splashes of pastel colors all around, he thought a creamy white for the furnishings would be a perfect balance; soothing and simple.

Rapunzel spent long hours working on her murals, all carefully crafted to show adorable woodland creatures scattered around stunning landscapes and flowery designs to make the room feel like it was its own little world. Eugene noticed she fixated on suns, dozens of suns hidden within her paintings, like a secret symbolism, like a talisman she wasn't even consciously depicting. He wondered if she knew, if it was her way of invoking the power of the Sundrop to protect their child from any harm. A power he knew she still mourned the loss of.

He never asked, never pressed her when she'd immersed herself for hours upon hours without a break, a little frown of concentration between her brows, tongue poking out between her lips. Sometimes he would sit there to keep her company in comforting silence. Sometimes he brought a book to read out loud to her while she worked. Eugene didn't even mind it when she poked his cheek or nose and smeared paint all over his face with a teasing smile.

It had become soothing, almost therapeutic. At least for a short while. Until he came in one day to find a sight that stole the breath right out of his lungs.

"Rapunzel!" It came out like a strangled cry, making her jump slightly in surprise.

"Oh!" She looked down from above, where she balanced precariously over a rope she'd placed like a makeshift sort of swing, helping her reach the high ceiling. "Hey, Eugene! Thought I wouldn't see you for a while."

"What on earth are you doing?!" He choked out, feeling his heart in his throat.

Rapunzel looked confused at his question. "Um, I'm painting the walls?" He just gaped at her in disbelief, and she seemed to catch up on his worry. "Oh, this just helps me reach the highest points. I'm working on the sky. Don't you like the constellations I painted today?"

Eugene looked over at Pascal, like he expected the reptile to share in his very rational concerns. The frog only shrugged from his spot on the dresser. Eugene's widened eyes returned to Rapunzel

Her carefree smile was a stark contrast to his anxious frown. "I don't think it's safe for you to do that."

She waved a dismissing hand. "It's nothing. I used to do this all the time with my hair. I'm perfectly balanced, don't worry about it."

Eugene tried to take a steadying breath, shaking his head. "Please come down."

She shook her head with a patient smile, but obliged, pulling on one end of the rope like one would with a pulley to lower her to the ground, where she hopped off, still a few feet too high for Eugene's liking.

"Doesn't the pregnancy affect your balance?" Eugene asked, eyes roving over Rapunzel like he expected to find signs of an injury.

"Yes, and losing seventy feet worth of hair did too, yet I'm perfectly fine, see?"

He did not appreciate her slightly patronizing tone. "I don't like this, Rapunzel. What if you fall?"

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly, smudging his cheek with paint as she gave it a teasing pinch, like usual. Somehow the action seemed less endearing when she was dismissing his worry. "I'll be careful, promise. Besides, it won't take too long, only until I finish the upper walls."

Eugene pursed his lips, thoroughly unconvinced. He didn't think she should even be straining herself like she surely did to pull herself all the way up. But Rapunzel patted his cheek with a placating smile.

"I'll stop when I'm too far along to push myself up easily."

Eugene resigned himself. It's not like he could forbid it, despite how much he loathed it. He never ruled anything over Rapunzel. Their relationship had always been one of equals, just like she never pushed her lawful authority over him.

It would have to be one of those things they'd have to agree to disagree on. Rapunzel wouldn't be persuaded to stop, but she agreed to at least have Cassandra with her when she attempted this. Eugene didn't like the idea one bit, but he trusted Cassandra's judgment and careful supervision enough to soothe a bit of his worries, if marginally. And even though he hated the thought of her balanced all the way up, high enough to touch the tall ceiling, he didn't have the heart to downright ask her to stop. Not when she looked so happy when she lost herself in her murals.

He had to admit though, the tall ceilings painted with her flowery designs added a beautiful touch to the once austere room.

III. Knowing that the storm can come, you feel just like the sun. And I hear you say "we'll be alright." I'm gonna trust you babe. ~ The Light

"I just don't get how these inane topics of conversation are at all useful," Eugene commented, snark heavy on his tongue. "Isn't it more productive to talk about, I don't know, actually important political matters?"

Nigel, the King's Royal Advisor, frowned with such evident disgust Eugene might have thought he'd swallowed a lemon. He seemed to think himself the most unfortunate man in Corona, tasked with the duty of being Eugene's tutor and easing him into what should be considered appropriate royal etiquette.

Apparently he wasn't succeeding in instilling in him the artful conversations which were safe to be had within the royal court.

"Let me make this perfectly clear for you, Mr. Fitzherbert," Nigel spat his name with obvious contempt. "The art of politics is a most important and delicate matter. A conversation which requires savvy, thorough knowledge and finesse, which you are sorely lacking."

"Excuse you," Eugene scoffed. "I don't think I lack cunning of all things."

Nigel examined him for a long second. "No, you lack a good name. A well-bred background. A noble upbringing." He listed, like he'd been waiting a good long while to point out all his flaws and the many reasons why he was not a good match for a Princess. "Who are you exactly to have any kind of opinions about political matters?"

"I do have a title, much as it pains you," Eugene reminded, hating himself a little for playing thatcard.

Nigel's lip curled. "The legitimization of your name does not erase your origins, I'm afraid."

It had certainly not granted him as clean a slate as his absent father might have wanted, Eugene thought bitterly. Prince of the Dark Kingdom or not, he was still a former thief, still a former orphan, even if he'd found his father after all. Too little too late, apparently.

"So what, am I supposed to show my presence at court just to talk about the weather and whatever the latest fashion trends are, and gossip about the vapid lives of the rest of them?" Eugene huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "What am I, an accessory?"

Nigel's smile couldn't have been more condescending. "Precisely. And not a very fine one, if I may be honest."

Eugene's affronted scowl had no effect over the older man, in fact he continued as though he was merely pointing out the requirements of a position Eugene intended to fill.

"You are a Prince Consort, Mr. Fitzherbert. None of your opinions have any kind of weight over our politics, not in court and certainly not among the rest of the important nobility around the Seven Kingdoms." Nigel looked him up and down, assessing just how unfit Eugene truly was for the position. "Perhaps if you had come from a suitable background… alas, you're only lucky enough to be where you are right now because you so cleverly managed to seduce yourself a Crown Princess."

"I didn't—"

"Your only job is to try not to further embarrass the Royal Family. Your presence here is already a blight on their reputation," Nigel interrupted, eyes narrowed in distaste. "So please, be so kind as to keep your unwanted opinions to a minimum. You've caused enough of a scandal as it is, burdening our princess with your bast—"

"Enough!" The sound of Eugene's fist slamming over the table startled Nigel enough to make him jump in his seat, successfully cutting off the man's loaded barb.

A thoroughly uncharacteristic display, coming from Eugene and his usual laidback manner, but Nigel looked at him with some sick sort of triumph, like he'd finally managed to uncover the true nature behind his usually suave demeanor. Eugene could practically read it in his eyes; you see, this is the kind of barbarism we've invited into our palace, staining our society.

Incensed, Eugene glared back. "Listen, you can insult me all you want, I honestly couldn't care less. But you will keep my child out of it. I will not hear another word about it."

"I was—"

"I married Rapunzel, so our baby's name is as legitimate as your own." Eugene stood up, now towering over Nigel's bewildered frame. "Besides, need I remind you the child you're referring to will be your future sovereign?"

"Certainly not," Nigel sniffed, turning his head in disgust. "Isn't that precisely what makes this entire situation so unfortunate? The future ruler of Corona, the child of a common thief."

Eugene knew he should grow used to this kind of cutting remarks. They would surely abound in the months to come; how he was a disgrace to Corona's Royal Family, how his name provided a burden rather than prestige for their child's life. How there could've been a thousand better suited noblemen to father Rapunzel's baby, anyone but a pardoned thief.

But even though Eugene could bear this criticism with grace, if only for the sake of Rapunzel, he would not tolerate such talk about his baby.

"That baby has Rapunzel's blood too, your King's blood. Should be enough to command at least a little bit of respect from you." He clenched his jaw, eyes narrowed.

Nigel pursed his lips, but said nothing more, which Eugene considered enough of a win. Now, feeling thoroughly done with the older man's presence and like his self-control was dangerously close to snapping, Eugene turned to leave without so much as a parting glance.

"Excuse me, where do you think you're going? We're hardly done!"

"Oh, I beg to differ." Eugene simpered, mockingly polite, his voice taking on that posh accent that always rattled on his nerves. "I do believe our lessons have concluded for today. Have the day you deserve, Nigel."

It was all he could do not to slam the door on his way out.

The conversation left Eugene in such a foul mood he didn't even notice where his feet were carrying him until he barged into one of the very few places inside the palace that generally managed to soothe his temper.

The mid-afternoon sun bathed the parlor in a warm, pleasant light, and Rapunzel looked aglow where she sat, peacefully lounging over a cozy-looking armchair, hands diligently working on knitting what still looked like an irregular lump of intricately woven yarn.

She looked up in surprise as he entered like an unexpected gust of wind, feeling like there could be steam coming out of his ears.

Rapunzel's greeting smile instantly vanished at the sight of his dark scowl. "Hey! Didn't you have lessons with Nigel right now?"

"They're done for the day, would you believe?"

"Actually, I wouldn't." Rapunzel quirked an eyebrow. "Why? How did it go?"

"Oh, splendid!" Eugene exclaimed, sprawling over the sofa across from her with an exaggerated smile. "I'm as promising as a raw diamond."

"I take it that it went horribly, then?" Rapunzel cringed.

"It was alright." Eugene waved off, not really in the mood to repeat Nigel's infuriating insinuations.

But Rapunzel seemed to pick up on his darkening humor, despite his best efforts to conceal it. She examined him with a slight frown, tilting her head, her knitting project completely forgotten on her lap.

"What's wrong then?"

Eugene heaved an exasperated breath. "Must there be something wrong?"

"I don't know, you look different lately."

"Different how?" Eugene raised his brow, suddenly worried the stress of his new life might be having an effect on his physical appearance.

"Well…" She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. Her eyes were distant, like she was looking into his newly crafted mask of affected civility and trying to find his real self hiding somewhere there. "You used to have this larger-than-life confidence. You carried yourself like you could have the entire world in the palm of your hand."

Eugene deflated with a tired sigh. He felt so far removed from the silver-tongued rogue he'd been before, cool and collected. The one who'd believed he could charm his way all the way up to success, whose only concern had been selling the stolen crown that would grant him more fortune than he would know what to do with.

"Wasn't that just arrogance?" He drawled.

Rapunzel shot him a tender smile. "Somehow you managed to make it look cool instead of annoying."

"I think you're just being biased," Eugene said, his own lips twitching into a smirk. "You were probably charmed by my superhuman good looks, is all. It's all right, it's been known to happen."

"Lies! I was always immune to your Flynn Rider charms," Rapunzel laughed.

"You were so not!"

Their shared laughter only lasted a moment, before Rapunzel's face sobered again. She stood, crossing the space between them to sit on the arm of the couch where he sat.

"Listen, I know sometimes this place can be… stifling." She ran a gentle hand through his hair, the soft caress making a pleasant shiver run from the nape of his neck to the tip of his fingers, uncoiling his tense muscles. "How it can feel like it's sucking the life out of you."

"I don't want you to go through that too." Rapunzel let her hand rest a moment on his cheek, turning his face so she could look straight into his eyes. "Just promise me you'll tell me if it becomes too much."

Eugene wasn't sure how that would help. He could swallow his pride and pretend the snubbing he constantly endured was nothing, but ultimately he would never belong here, surrounded by luxury and royalty. This was where she belonged, and it wasn't like she really had much of a choice in the matter. As long as she was Crown Princess she was tethered to this place made out of vacant opulence and cold, gilded cages. He'd made his choice long before he married her.

"I'm fine, Sunshine," Eugene murmured, turning his face beneath her hand and placing a soft kiss over her wrist. "As long as I get to be with you, that's all I really need."

Rapunzel didn't look quite convinced. He tried to forget all about it as she gently kissed the tip of his nose. Some things were well worth the sacrifice.

IV. Oh, ain't it nice, this life? We've got each other. And I am right beside you. More than just a partner or a lover, I'm your friend. ~ Love Someone

"How about Rain?"

"You're joking."

"I'm not! It works for both boy or girl."

"Oh yes, you're right. It does have a nice ring to it," Eugene quipped. "For a woodland sprite or something!"

The light breeze tousled Rapunzel's short hair, blowing choppy strands into her face, which made the sight quite adorable as she brushed it out of her eyes with a huff. "You've ruled out every suggestion I've made!"

"I'm sorry!" Eugene lifted his hands in an apologetic gesture, smile playing on his lips. "It's just your suggestions are a bit… peculiar to say the least. What's wrong with a normal, fashionable name, like Isabelle."

"I know at least three princesses named Isabelle," Rapunzel groaned. "I want an original name for our baby. Like, what's so bad about Andromeda?" Rapunzel frowned, kneeling to tend to another patch of flowerbeds. It was a habit that confused Queen Arianna to no end, who insisted they had very experienced gardeners working on the Royal Gardens already, there was no need for Rapunzel to do this herself.

Rapunzel, however, adamantly refused to have anyone else tend to her daisies. Eugene suspected it gave her an excuse to dirty her hands and feet as she let them sink into the fresh soil, to feel nature against her very skin.

"Andromeda sounds like a Greek tragedy," said Eugene, leaning against the intricate fence covering the perimeter of the gardens. "And it's so long."

"I don't see anything wrong with that. Rapunzel is long too," she commented, hands working on cutting the bad leaves off of the colorful bushes, full in bloom. "Did I ever tell you the story behind my name?"

Eugene shook his head, prompting her to continue.

"My mother's cravings were very particular when she was pregnant with me. My father says for months she refused to eat anything but salads. And there was this very specific one that she liked the most." She took his hand and guided him through the Royal Gardens, until she stopped before a patch of unassuming bushes, the leaves wide and dark green in color. Eugene would've thought they were spinach, if it weren't for the little purple flowers sprouting here and there.

"They're called Rapunzel, the flowers. The leaves and the roots are edible." She smiled, somewhat wistfully. "When she got sick, that was the only thing she would tolerate eating."

Eugene squeezed her hand, lost for words. He'd always thought the peculiarity of her name came from an ancient royal name she'd probably inherited from generations' past. He found he liked its somewhat humble origins much better.

"I want to choose a name that has a special meaning behind it," Rapunzel explained. "I want it to be unique. I don't care for those traditions that repeat the same name over and over just because another great King or Queen bore it before."

"Have you told your father Frederic II is out of the question, then?" Eugene chuckled.

Rapunzel laughed, bumping his shoulder. "You know, I'm willing to make an exception for the name Eugene."

His gag reflex had never been triggered quite so quickly before. "Absolutely not! Hell, Flynn would actually be an acceptable option. Or Rider maybe. Why'd you go for Eugene of all things?"

"Because I still like Eugene better than Flynn, honey."

"I'm starting to question your taste."

"Well, I married you, so what does that say about my taste?" Rapunzel teased, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"According to everyone but you, it just proves me right; you have questionable judgment." Eugene grinned despite the self-deprecating quip, quickly bouncing back to his usual conceitedness. "Not that anyone could blame you though, few have ever resisted the smolder for long."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes, but she couldn't quite hide her smile. "Your father suggested Horace, you know?"

Eugene let out an undignified squawk. "That's even worse than Eugene!" He shook his head, part of him somewhat grateful that his father had never had the chance of naming him. "You know, we should just keep your mother's tradition. Let's just name the baby Hazel and be done with it."

Rapunzel mulled over this for a moment as they walked leisurely through the neatly trimmed paths across the Royal Gardens. The warm afternoon sun hit her face at a very flattering angle, making her laughing green eyes glow. After a while she shrugged in half-hearted agreement. Neither of them had any objections to that particular name.

They kept throwing suggestions back and forth, hating each other's options more often than liking them. In the end they managed to narrow it down to two more, one for a girl and one for a boy, and though Eugene was still unsure, Rapunzel suggested they wait until the baby came to know for sure.

"I feel like we will only know for certain once we meet them."

"Fine, but let me tell you now, I don't think there would be an instance in which l'd think the name Meadow would fit our baby."

Rapunzel's tinkling laughter carried through the light breeze, making something deep inside his chest flutter.

V. You know I'd fall apart without you. I don't know how you do what you do. Cause everything that don't make sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you. ~ Wanted

She pushed him against the door as soon as it closed behind them and before Eugene had time to react, her lips were crashing into his with almost frantic enthusiasm, hands clutching the collar of his shirt to pull him down, closer to her. He was startled by her eagerness, only for a moment, until he melted into her touch, returning her kiss with slightly mellower energy.

It still surprised Eugene, the way sometimes Rapunzel kissed him like the very first time, like he'd just come back from the death and she was trying to clutch him impossibly close to her, breathing life back into his lips.

Not that it was a rare occurrence at all. He often found himself in this position as of late, with her lips fervently seeking his, catching on any part of his body she could reach if not his mouth. She'd become especially clingy in the past few weeks. It seemed as though Rapunzel's pregnancy only increased her need for him, making her movements bold, her gaze heavy with want, and Eugene was only so happy to oblige.

He parted his mouth, letting her probing tongue meld with his as he deepened their kiss, his hand coming to rest on the back of her neck, buried into her soft hair. Rapunzel nipped his lower lip, eliciting a low sound from the back of his throat, and it was only then that he noticed her hands had already made quick work of the buttons of his vest.

There was something different about her tonight. She guided his frame towards their bed, her movements decisive as she pushed him back into the mattress, climbing into his lap before he even had time to process what was happening. And it wasn't exactly rare for her to be this passionate, but there was something slightly wild about her energy now. Something dominant and… almost possessive in the way she straddled him, the way her hands cupped his cheeks to pull him closer, the way her lips traveled down his jawline and nipped at the sensitive skin of his neck. If he didn't know any better he'd say she was trying to leave a very visible mark upon his skin.

"Sunshine," Eugene murmured, only to be interrupted by her insistent lips, making him have to speak between kisses. "Not that I'm… complaining or anything but… what is this all about?"

"I want you," she said simply, voice sultry in a way he'd never heard before. It made all rational thoughts leave his head for a moment.

"You have me," he whispered back, his lips now on the crook of her neck, mouthing at the spot that always made her sigh.

Rapunzel held his head there, but he noticed her posture was stiff, unsure. "Do I?" She lifted his chin, making him meet her eyes, luminous beneath the candle lights. "Are you all mine?"

"All yours," he breathed without even thinking about it, hands clutching her hips in a tight grip, making her grind against him.

She gasped against his mouth, sending a shiver down his spine. It was all he could do not to lose all form of self-control as Rapunzel's eager fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt, shoving the garment off of him in quick movements. Her little hands traveled from his broad shoulders down his chest, catching on the muscles of his abs, setting his skin ablaze as they trailed lower still.

It was so easy to lose himself in her, and the way her mouth worked a determined hickey on his neck, the way her fingers curled in a delicious scratch down his chest. But Eugene was not so lost he failed to notice the way her body reacted to him.

He immediately caught on something wrong, when she kept pushing his wandering hands away from her body, stopping him as he tried to lift the hem of her dress up her thighs.

"What's wrong?" Eugene stopped, breath heavy.

"Nothing's wrong." Rapunzel shook her head, her hands going back to where they were trying to unfasten his belt.

Eugene caught her wrist before she could go farther, prompting a little noise of complaint from her.

He quirked a curious eyebrow. "If there's nothing wrong, why won't you let me touch you?"

Rapunzel hesitated one second too long, her sheepish smile not quite meeting her eyes. "I just want to keep the dress on tonight."

It would be an innocuous request if it weren't so unusual coming from her. She'd never been particularly shy about her nudity with him, in fact she'd always seemed to relish the skin on skin contact, cuddling her bare body close to his whenever she had the chance.

Eugene's brow furrowed. "Okay. Should I ask why?"

Rapunzel gave a little shrug, eyes averted. "I'd feel a little more comfortable if you didn't see all of me, is all."

Now, this was slightly disconcerting. Eugene couldn't help but feel more than a little bit concerned over her sudden shyness around him, and he voiced his thoughts before he allowed her to continue her insistent efforts to undress him.

"It's just…" She sighed, a bit frustrated. "You're beautiful."

Eugene blinked. It wasn't the first time she'd said it but it never failed to catch him off guard, like he'd never heard that particular compliment before. And she always said it so matter-of-factly, like every time she did, it didn't make something like butterflies flutter in his stomach. He failed to see how that was an issue, however.

"Um… thank you." His hesitant reply came out more like a question than an answer, but Eugene was thoroughly confused now. He tried to smile comfortingly through it anyway, not unused to her sometimes baffling comments. "Not as beautiful as you are, though."

This did not seem to be the right approach.

Rapunzel frowned like he wasn't taking it seriously, clearly exasperated now. "No, I mean it. You are. I know you know it, you flaunt about it all the time."

Eugene felt like he was missing some very important context in this conversation. Yes he knew he could sometimes appear a little vain but… she'd never complained about it before.

"…Is that a bad thing?"

"I'm not the only one who notices," Rapunzel mumbled, her eyes now trained on her fidgeting hands. "The way you look, I mean."

"I'm… not sure I'm following."

She let out a deep sigh. "I can see their stares. I hear the way they talk about you when they think neither of us can hear it. I hear the rumors."

"What are you talking about?" He was so clearly out of the loop, it was starting to feel unsettling.

"I'm talking about the way the chambermaids all fawn over you," Rapunzel explained, like this was an obvious fact he should be perfectly aware of. "And the way the ladies at court won't take their eyes off of you, like you are some piece of artwork. They all ogle you when they think you're not looking."

"What?!" To say he was surprised by this turn of events would be an understatement. Especially considering he'd been treated like the dirt beneath everyone's shoes since he came to the palace. "I don't think the ladies at court see me with anything other than contempt, sweetheart. I can assure you they all look down their nose at me. Pretty sure I'm the lowest of the low for the whole lot of them."

Rapunzel looked at him, thoroughly unconvinced, shrugging her shoulders in what she tried to make a dispassionate gesture. "Doesn't mean they don't find you attractive regardless. I'm sure they wouldn't waste a chance if they had it."

"You are making me sound like a piece of cake." Eugene's lips twitched into a disbelieving smile. "I know I boast, Rapunzel, but I don't actually think I'm that much of a hit."

"Well, that's the way they look at you when you turn your back on them!"

"Sunshine, are you jealous? Is that what this is about?" He asked, not entirely able to mask his amusement. She looked slightly affronted by the suggestion.

"I'm not! I just…" Rapunzel fumbled for words for a moment, and then her shoulders dropped in defeat. "Well, some of them are downright gorgeous."

It dawned on him suddenly, the way she'd been acting this entire time. How she'd seemed uncharacteristically subdued as they mingled with the rest of high society that constituted the royal court, how she'd hardly smiled the entire night, how it sometimes looked like she wanted to blend into the walls, so unlike the happy, outgoing young woman he knew. Eugene had attributed it to nerves, what with this being the first formal social gathering they'd attended together since their wedding, not to mention this time Rapunzel's baby bump was a little more than just barely noticeable.

If it had been up to Eugene they would've forgone the whole thing. But Rapunzel's parents had organized that little soirée, as they liked to call it, especially for her. Apparently, it would be best to make an appearance while still early enough in her pregnancy, to quell the inevitable rumors that may arise later about Rapunzel's condition. The guests were handpicked by Frederic and Arianna themselves, people of considerable influence and political power. Queen Arianna insisted on the importance of these allies to sway public opinion once it became necessary, and what a better way to get in their good graces than to flatter them with the King and Queen's favor.

Eugene, for his part, had barely noticed anything that wasn't the way the high nobility of Corona could not be bothered to look at him with anything less than thinly veiled disgust, and the way they all pranced around like peacocks on display, all of them flaunting their extravagant lifestyle like they were competing with each other to see who could be granted the title of most pompous of them all. Rapunzel, however, seemed to have picked on widely opposing signs.

He supposed he could objectively see where she was coming from. Compared to the exaggerated splendor the ladies of Corona's royal court had donned tonight, basking in sparkling jewelry, dazzling gowns and the most extravagant hairdos Eugene had ever seen, Rapunzel had appeared somewhat modest in comparison. In her loose-fitting lavender dress, not one to favor the intricate designs that other noble ladies preferred, and her short brown locks simply tamed to make her pixie cut look more elegant, she'd looked far less ostentatious — and in Eugene's opinion, much more tasteful, her natural beauty enhanced by the simplicity of her outfit.

She was the only person he'd had eyes for that night, and on any other occasion since he met her to be honest.

"None of them are you," Eugene said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear in a gentle caress, willing her to meet his earnest gaze. "And you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Not true." Rapunzel shook her head, stubborn as always. "I know for a fact Stalyan was prettier."

Okay, that one really threw him for a loop.

"Stalyan?!" Eugene exclaimed, and if his voice came out more like a squeak, could he really be blamed here? "What does she have to do with anything?"

He never would've thought his long-forgotten ex-lover would be brought up in conversation with his now wife, much less when said wife was still very much straddling his lap, skirt halfway up her thighs and bodice all but undone. He'd almost forgotten Rapunzel had ever met Stalyan, for how scarcely he ever thought about that particular encounter. Eugene didn't think this situation could get any more puzzling, but Rapunzel was apparently determined to prove him wrong.

"Well, that's kind of my point." She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly anxious. "You've been with beautiful women before, you could have any woman you wanted, way prettier than me."

"Rapunzel…"

But she interrupted before he could even think what to say. "And I'm… just plain old me; sloppy, underdressed more often than not, clumsy, ditzy…"

Hearing her talk about herself like this sent a pang deep inside Eugene's chest. He'd never thought Rapunzel to be insecure about herself, and this very much sounded like words put into her head by someone else.

"Where is all this coming from?" He frowned, concerned.

"They used to whisper it behind my back," Rapunzel muttered with a small shrug, making his jaw clench. She didn't have to elaborate for him to know who 'they' meant. "I heard them talking about it tonight, about how I'm getting kind of chubby…"

"You are pregnant!"

"Well, I'll only get bigger!" She exclaimed, eyes bright with welling tears. "My body is changing and it will probably never look like it did before, and I'll very likely get stretch marks, and my ankles are getting swollen and big and— it's not like I'm vain or anything but… I don't feel beautiful, not like them."

Her breath hitched in a repressed whimper, and Eugene was pretty sure he felt his heart break a little.

"Oh no, love, come here." Eugene immediately wrapped her in his arms, bringing her petite body closer, tucking her into his chest like he could protect her from the entire world if she stayed right there. Rapunzel buried her face in the crook of his neck, her silent tears felt cool against his bare skin.

"I meant what I said. I do think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, but you know what's more important?" Eugene placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head, his words murmured against her hair. "You're the only woman I've ever truly loved. None of my past matters, none could ever compete with you."

He drew back slightly, just enough to lift her chin up to make her meet his eyes, thumbs brushing the apple of her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

"I adore you, you have to know that right?" He kissed the tip of her nose, then the faint freckles on her cheeks, tasting salt against his lips. "I love you so much I'd give up my own life for you again in a heartbeat."

"Don't you dare do that again, never!" Rapunzel frowned, arms circling around his shoulders in a fierce embrace.

Eugene just smiled in return. "Well, it's true. Because you mean more to me than anything else in the world. And this just makes me love you even more than I even knew was possible." He placed a hand on her belly, now big enough for him to feel the swell of it beneath his hand. "You're growing our baby, for crying out loud! That's nothing short of miraculous. So I don't care if your body changes. All I care about is that you are safe, and our baby is safe, and I get to spend the rest of my life by your side."

Rapunzel sniffled, peering at him from beneath her lashes. "So you'll still want me, even when I get as big as a whale?"

"Always." Eugene brushed his nose against hers. "I'll love you at your best and I'll love you at your worst, and I'll keep loving you until we are both gray and old and beauty is just a thing of the past. I vowed it at the altar, didn't I?"

Her answering smile could've put the sun to shame in his humble opinion, and Eugene had never really been one to wax poetic about his feelings, but if Rapunzel needed the reassurance he'd even sing it to her if he had to.

"I'm sorry." She let out a watery laugh, wiping her stray tears away with an embarrassed blush. "I don't know why I get so emotional all the time. It's so silly." She rolled her eyes at herself but Eugene shook his head with a soothing gesture.

He wrapped his hands around her waist, gently rolling them over so he could now hover over her, mouth just inches away from hers. He relished in the way Rapunzel gasped in surprise.

"Well then," Eugene murmured against her lips, voice low, half-lidded eyes suggesting his intentions quite clearly. "Let me show you just how much I truly do love you, Blondie."

He'd called her that a thousand times before, when they'd been strangers, and then allies. When she'd distrusted him and he'd dismissed her. And then, more tenderly, when he'd started to think of her as a friend; devotedly, once he'd realized he loved her. But after he cut her hair, the nickname that had once rolled off his tongue so easily felt different. Not only because it no longer really fit her, but because somehow it felt… special, almost sacred. It reminded him too much of before, of all the struggles that they had to overcome to get here. So now he reserved the nickname like a precious endearment. Rapunzel was only ever Blondie when he was feeling particularly vulnerable, nostalgic. When he needed to show her just how much he'd come to love her, against all reason, against all odds.

Eugene kissed her now with renewed fervor, determined to worship every corner of her body until there were no lingering doubts left in her head. He felt her slowly unwind beneath his hands, melting a little more against him with every caress of his fingers, with every uttered sigh tumbling past her parted lips.

Rapunzel didn't stop him now as he finished undoing the laces of her bodice, his lips trailing heated kisses down every inch of smooth skin he slowly uncovered, starting at her freckled shoulders, moving past her collarbone and pausing for a few delicious moments at the swell of her breasts, until her soft sighs turned into moans that could very well drive him mad.

And perhaps she disliked the changes she perceived, but if he were to have an opinion on the matter he'd say there was something particularly enticing about the way she now seemed overly sensitive to his touch. He could've sworn there wasn't quite this much enthusiasm coming from her when he'd touched her chest before, he'd definitely not heard the positively sinful noises she was making now as he brushed his tongue over her sensitive nipples, and if he'd ever heard her cry out like that when he slipped his fingers between her legs, finding her wet and wanting already, he was sure he couldn't recall it.

All that there ever had been, all memory or thought of anything that had come before this moment was suddenly wiped from his mind. There was only Rapunzel, soft and warm under his touch, only the sight of her flushed cheeks and bright eyes and kiss-swollen lips could hold his attention. Her body writhed in pleasure beneath him, her legs wrapped around his waist, nails scratching down his back, making his hips buck against hers, prompting a groan that he muffled against her shoulder, whilst his name escaped her lips in something close to a whimper; only that was enough to erase every thought from his brain.

There were only so many words Eugene could use to describe the depth of his feelings for her, but he could show her in a thousand and one ways; in the way he held her in his arms every night, lulled to sleep by her breathing; in the way he endured every snide remark against him with barely a complaint if only to wake up every morning by her side; in the way that even as he'd felt the life leave his body after a fatal wound, he'd used his very last breath to tell her being with her was his one and only dream; in the way he held her gaze now as he pushed into her, willing her to understand all of this through the intensity of his eyes and the heat of his caresses because words would never be enough to express it, not for this.

"Eugene." Rapunzel buried her hand in his hair, tugging just slightly, just enough to capture his ensuing moan in her lips. "I love you too. Always. Forever."

"Forever," he whispered back, the last coherent thing he uttered other than her name before he lost himself in the feeling of her.

VI. When the pain cuts you deep. And when the night keeps you from sleeping. Just look and you will see that I will be your remedy. ~ Remedy

The nightmares never really did go away for either of them, they plagued their sleep often enough with images of that harrowing day when he thought he'd exhaled his last breath, and many other instances in which they'd almost lost each other. But Eugene was especially susceptible to them, even more so than Rapunzel.

He supposed dying was bound to be a traumatic experience, of course, but he didn't quite expect the after effects of being brought back to life to be tortured by night terrors every now and then even months later. Eugene would wake with the gruesome sight of the wound that nearly killed him still imprinted behind his eyelids, of Rapunzel's tear-stained face and whimpered pleas, the sound of her heartbreaking cries bargaining for his life still haunting him. Sometimes he even startled awake holding his side, as though the now healed wound still pained him.

So, it was safe to assume that when Rapunzel woke him in the middle of the night it was either because she was trying to drag him out of his tormented dreamland or because she was having a nightmare of her own.

That's what his sleep-addled brain told him was happening then, as he faintly registered her poking his shoulder, still more than half asleep.

"Eugene… Eugene…?"

The sound of his name was so faraway and faint it barely registered to him.

"Eugene, wake up!" It wasn't until he felt a plush pillow hitting him over the head that he managed to wake with a start.

"Wha- what?! What's happening?"

He scrambled to sit up, fighting against the sheets that tangled in his legs while turning to face her side of the bed. He could barely see anything in the faint moonlight and his eyes took a moment to adjust to his surroundings until they landed on her.

Rapunzel laid back against the headboard, propped up on a pile of fluffy pillows. Her hands rested over her stomach, but her wide-eyed look made his heart stop for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Eugene asked, already working himself into a panic. "Are you alright?"

She didn't answer immediately, just reached out to take his arm.

"Here, feel this."

Rapunzel guided his hand towards her belly, and Eugene wasn't sure what he thought he'd find but his still befuddled mind half expected to find something horrid like a stab wound when she placed his hand on the side of her abdomen. Now, five months along in her pregnancy, the swell of it was clearly discernible even beneath her loose nightgown.

He waited with anxious expectation for a moment, and he was about to get up and call for help for whatever it was that ailed Rapunzel when he felt it; a faint, fluttery movement beneath his hand.

He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Can you feel it?" She asked, mouth slightly slack with wonder.

Eugene could only nod mutely, still wrapping his head around the idea of it; the very first kicks of his growing child moving inside her.

"It's not the first time I've felt it, but it's more intense now. I can actually feel it beneath my hands." Rapunzel said softly, and at the sound of her voice he felt the baby move a little more beneath his fingertips.

"Well, she's kicking up a party in there isn't she?" Eugene said distractedly.

But Rapunzel caught on his comment immediately. "She?" A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You think it's a girl?"

Huh, he hadn't really put much thought into it, but he supposed his subconscious must have betrayed him.

"I have a hunch." Eugene shrugged.

"Would you rather it be a girl?" Rapunzel asked hesitantly.

He thought about it for a moment, but it wasn't much of a challenge to come to a conclusion. All he really hoped for was an uncomplicated delivery and a healthy baby.

"I don't really have a preference," he answered honestly, his hand still seeking that foreign fluttery movement over Rapunzel's belly. "What about you?"

"Me neither." She smiled, placing her hand over his and intertwining their fingers. "Although I feel compelled to oppose you on principle and say it's a boy."

"Poor thing if it is then." Eugene shook his head with exaggerated pity. "He'll end up with a ridiculous name, like Florian or something, all because his mother has terrible taste."

"That's not even the name we provisionally agreed on for a boy!"

"Only because I very firmly rejected the other one!"

He let her laughter wash up over him like a soothing balm, let her cuddle into his arms as she fell back asleep with a smile on her face, their hands still clasped over her baby bump. Eugene never told her how the faint feeling of the baby's first kicks made a nervous chill run down his spine, squeezing his chest with a heaviness he'd never felt before, the air freezing inside his lungs.

He'd known about this for months, should've had enough time to get used to the idea by now, but somehow this was what finally made everything seem all the more real.

And it made him realize just how ill-prepared he was to become a father.

How was he supposed to know how to be a good parent when he never even had a good example of one growing up? He'd practically raised himself and made a shoddy job of it at that. Hell, he'd already damned their unborn child with his name and all the unsavory reputation it carried. For the first time, he wished Flynn Rider had never existed at all in his life. He felt completely inadequate and ashamed of who he'd been before.

Eugene supposed he carried that somewhat high-strung energy with him well into the next day, letting the lingering doubts in his mind distract him from his usual activities.

Which is why the resulting strike of a blunt sword on the side of his shoulder didn't come as much of a surprise.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Cassandra asked as she stepped back, sword lowered at her side. "I mean I know your technique leaves a lot to be desired, but you seem sloppier than usual."

Eugene scoffed. "You may dislike my lack of professionalism but I'm not sloppy."

Surprisingly, his fencing sessions with Cassandra were one of the few of his many imposed lessons he actually didn't thoroughly dislike. Rapunzel had suggested them when hunting proved to be an utter failure and the King insisted he still needed to develop a taste for an acceptable leisure activity.

Eugene liked to believe he was not a terrible pupil, considering what he lacked in formal training he made up for in agility and what he'd picked up over the years on his own. He wasn't an expert swordsman, but he knew enough to make him somewhat decent.

This was not up to par for Cassandra's standards, however, who liked to criticize his posture and his moves to no end, despite the fact he insisted no one thought about any of this in a real sword fight, much to her annoyance.

Cassandra tilted her head, eying him with evident skepticism. "You're barely decent at the best of times, and that is me being generous. Right now, you're not even trying."

"I have a lot on my mind, that's all." Eugene shrugged dismissively.

"Well, might as well get it out of your system." She nodded at him to continue. "So, what's wrong?"

Eugene hesitated for a long moment, unsure if he wanted to spill his guts to anyone, let alone Cassandra. But it's not like he had any friends here, and talking about this with Rapunzel didn't seem like a great idea.

He finally relented, shoulders sagging as he let out a deep breath. "Rapunzel felt the baby kick last night."

"Oh." Cassandra blinked, clearly unsure of how to react to this news coupled with his despondent attitude. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is, it's just…" Eugene shook his head, searching for words. "It made everything seem all too real all of a sudden."

"Because the pregnant belly wasn't doing it for you?"

He shot her a look at her sarcastic comment. "I mean, it's kind of a monumental change in our lives." He nodded towards the palace. "And everyone in there has an opinion about the whole thing. Excuse me if I'm a bit anxious about it."

"Alright, fair." Cassandra lifted a hand in a placating gesture. "Have you talked to Rapunzel about it?"

Eugene shook his head. "She's got enough on her plate as it is. I won't bother her with my nonsense."

"Well, then you're gonna have to hide it better," Cassandra commented as she walked leisurely back towards the bench where she'd put the rest of her equipment. "Because she's definitely going to notice it if you keep up with that long face."

She sheathed her practice sword again and let it drop down next to her. Eugene joined her where he'd left his own things next to hers, wiping his sweaty brow with a towel. The afternoon sun shone brightly over them and the courtyard where they trained provided little shade, but he welcomed the distraction of a slightly uncomfortable weather if only to keep his mind occupied with other unpleasant thoughts that weren't centered around his immediate future.

Eugene leaned back against the stone wall with a heavy sigh. He felt Cassandra's eyes on him for a long moment, looking over at him from where she sat on the bench, but he said nothing, not really in the mood to elaborate on feelings he didn't quite understand himself.

"I was an orphan too, you know?"

The seemingly random comment startled Eugene from his reverie. His eyes snapped back towards Cassandra, but she was no longer looking at him, instead her gaze was lost somewhere faraway.

"I was adopted." She nodded, noticing his silent stare. "Never met my real parents."

Eugene remained quiet, unsure of where this conversation was going. Cassandra squinted, tilting her head as she looked up towards the bright sky instead of at him.

"People didn't always treat me like I was really the Captain of the Guard's daughter. Not here anyway, where your name and your bloodline carry more weight than your personal merits." She lifted her shoulders dispassionately. "I figured, if my father didn't care about their opinion, why should I? You know what I did instead?" She finally looked at him, green eyes firm and astute. "I learned to command their respect."

She stood again, swinging her sheathed sword lazily from side to side. "I trained my ass off, until I was way better than all those mediocre guards my father leads, never gave them a reason to doubt my competence. I proved myself over and over until my actions mattered more than my origins. I built a reputation for myself that even they couldn't take down or ignore."

Cassandra stopped, shuffling her foot a little as she kicked a stray pebble across the cobbled ground. "You already skipped ahead of all the groundwork. You're already there; Prince Consort. It's not gonna get better than that, believe me. They won't change the way they think, title or not." Her olive green eyes bore into his, her face firm. "You'll learn to do the same as I did."

"How?" Eugene's brows lifted in disbelief. He wasn't like Cassandra, he didn't have any major talents that could possibly ingratiate him with the palace's gentry. "It's not like I have much to offer in the grand scheme of things."

"Well for starters, don't let them get to your head." Cassandra flicked the side of his forehead, making Eugene shove her hand off with an eye-roll.

"I'm serious! Don't give them a reason to tear you down. People will talk if they want to talk. They'll gossip and whisper and say all kinds of nasty things if they so wish. You can't stop them, and you can't shield Rapunzel or even your child from it forever." She searched his skeptical gaze, willing him to understand. "But you can give them a new reason to talk, find something you can make yourself useful in. Learn to endure their scorn and turn it back around. And they will have to eat their words. You'll learn to command their respect."

Eugene remained skeptical, unsure of what he could possibly do to achieve that and even more of why Cassandra would feel like helping him.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asked. "I was under the impression you still disliked me more often than not."

Cassandra shrugged lightly. "Ah well, after all this time, I figured you're not all that bad." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I know how tough it can be, having to rise above their opinion when they think you come from nothing. How isolating it gets. I think… you and I may have more in common than either of us would like to admit."

"That… might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Who are you and what did you do with Cassandra?" Eugene joked, because frankly he never did well with the touchy-feely stuff.

She pursed her lips against a reluctant smile. "Yeah, don't let it get to your head. You're still only barely decent with that sword so let's get back to work."

He followed Cassandra's lead, but her words remained with him for the rest of the day. They echoed in his head as he made his way through the palace's hallways much later, his feet carrying him directly to the nursery. For some reason, Eugene felt like he needed some time there to think, wrap his head around the idea of his imminent fatherhood in the one place designated for his future baby.

The room looked cozy under the warm light that filtered through the open window, basking the walls in a golden sunlight that enhanced the already finished murals that Rapunzel had worked on. Not a single corner of the room remained blank, all the walls adorned with her beautiful artwork. The nursery was still a work in progress, with the furnishings not halfway finished yet, but overall the room already carried a soothing atmosphere.

Eugene was surprised to find Rapunzel already there, sitting on a rocking chair by the window. She smiled as he saw him enter, waving a colorful knitted blanket she lifted from her lap, the corner still tied to her knitting needles.

"Oh, hi! Look, I finally finished it!"

Eugene approached, coming to stand beside her. "I thought you'd finished that weeks ago."

"I couldn't decide between the two designs I'd planned," Rapunzel said, reaching down into the wooden chest next to the rocking chair, from which she lifted another similar piece of fabric. "So, I made two. What do you think?"

She extended both between her hands, and Eugene helped her with the other ends, so that both baby blankets were fully straightened, their intricate designs clearly visible. One had a sun Eugene recognised all too well over a light purple background. The other one was a pale yellow, with a golden flower right in the middle, the petals similar to those of a wild lily. The woolen yarn was downy between his fingers, so soft it felt almost velvety. Rapunzel had spent months working on this, with as much care as she'd put on the murals all over the nursery's walls. And the results were once again a work of art in his humble opinion.

"They're beautiful, Sunshine." Eugene smiled, leaning down to drop a kiss over her forehead. "Our baby is lucky to have you, you're going to be an amazing mom."

"Thank you." Rapunzel beamed, lifting her hand to rest on his cheek. "And you are going to be a wonderful dad as well."

Eugene straightened, letting her hand drop at her side, his answering smile stiff on his lips.

"Not so sure about that…" He muttered between his teeth, but Rapunzel still picked up on it anyway.

"What do you mean?" Her brows furrowed, suddenly looking a bit concerned.

Eugene tried to wave it off, but Rapunzel caught his hand in hers.

"Eugene, you said I could tell you anything," She reminded him, her expression growing somberly serious. "It goes both ways, you know? It doesn't always have to be me unburdening on you. I'm here for you too."

"I know." Eugene nodded, still trying to affect an untroubled air with little success.

Rapunzel lifted an eyebrow. "So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I guess I…" Eugene trailed off, looking for the right words to mask what he no longer could hide from her. He finally gave up with a heavy breath. "I guess I don't see how I could possibly be a good parental figure. I mean, how is a thief in any way a good role model, or someone our child can look up to."

"That's not who you are anymore." Rapunzel frowned.

"No, but it's part of my past. A past that our kid is going to find out eventually. Especially when everyone here won't let me forget about it," Eugene said, trying not to sound quite as bitter as he truly felt. "The council, the people at court, the royal tutors, hell even the guards. They all take good care to remind me every chance they get how inadequate and unworthy I am of being here, of being married to you. They already think my name is a disgrace that I've unfortunately burdened on your future heir."

"That's nonsense!" Rapunzel exclaimed, her eyes alight with that defensive spark he knew all too well, like she was prepared to fight the entire world for him. "I don't care what they think or say about you."

"Yeah, we'll I'm starting to care, Blondie, that's the problem," Eugene sighed, leaning back against the windowpane. "Sometimes I think they're right. I mean, what is our child going to think when they grow up and realize their dad was once the most wanted thief in Corona?"

Rapunzel stood, coming to stand right before him, her face as firm and resolute as the day he met her and she'd stubbornly stood up to him.

"You are so much more than just a former thief, Eugene." She placed her hand on his shoulder, willing him to look at her. "So what if our kid knows about your past. They're going to see the truth behind a fake reputation, just like I did." She smoothed her fingers over his jawline, eyes so tender he could've melted under her gaze. "They will learn about your courage, and your selflessness, and your protectiveness over the people you care about. They'll know their dad loved their mom so much he was willing to give up his own life for her. They'll know you'd do anything to protect us, even if it means sacrificing a piece of yourself."

Rapunzel leaned up on her tiptoes, kissing the corner of his lips. "They will know the real you, and they'll be proud to call you their father, just as I'm proud to call you my husband, and they will love you just as much. Anything else won't matter."

Eugene leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. "You really believe that?"

"I know it." Rapunzel brushed her nose against his, soft and sweet. "I know it feels like a lot but… as long as we are together, everything's going to be alright. I promise."

And he felt so comfortable in Rapunzel's warm embrace, so lulled into a sense of safety and tranquility, that for a moment, Eugene actually believed it. The entire world could have an opinion against their union, but as long as he had Rapunzel everything else mattered little to him.

VII. Sycamore in the field, a lonely tree. Darling what will become of you and me? ~ Sycamore

But, as life tends to be, things did not actually remain alright for long. In retrospect, Eugene supposed the signs had been subtle but they had been present all along, slowly making themselves more noticeable until they sneaked up on both of them seemingly out of nowhere.

Call it fate or destiny, either way it appeared it had been written from the start that it would go this way regardless, Eugene had just been too distracted to notice.

Ironic, he would call it, that it had all started on a breezy sunny day.

Rapunzel had insisted on a walk around the Royal Gardens, tired of having been cooped up indoors for a while, not out of her own volition precisely. Eugene wouldn't describe her pregnancy as having been easy so far, what with some of her symptoms being rather extreme every now and then, but she'd been particularly more tired as of late. Her constant drowsiness had resulted in her napping for prolonged periods of time at odd hours of the day. Eugene for his part was happy to let her rest as much as she needed, but for Rapunzel, who was usually so full of energy, her sleepiness was more than a little inconvenient considering how much time she deemed wasted by her disturbed sleeping pattern.

The air was just beginning to get a bit colder now as the first signs of fall appeared, but the sun was still warm enough for her to declare it a perfect day. And though Eugene had been reluctant to humor her on her designated activity for the day, Rapunzel had insisted on her need for a walk, complaining about her involuntary inactivity and how it had resulted in swollen legs and a persistent ache in her back.

"I just need to stretch a little, and what a better way to do it than this?" She'd said as they approached the orchard deep in the innermost corner of the Royal Gardens, right where the fence met the private woods beyond.

The apples were ripe and ready to pick, and Eugene let her ramble about the many baked goods and jams she'd make with her harvest as she stretched just enough to reach the lower branches of the apple trees, while Eugene helped her with the ones too far out of her reach.

It was a bit comical, seeing her stubbornly struggle to do it on her own, despite his many offers to help her. She stood on the very tips of her toes, reaching as far as she could with the added obstacle of her pregnant belly. At six months, Eugene wouldn't have thought it would be quite this big already, and he wasn't quite sure if it was just her very petite frame that made her stomach look absurdly large.

"Almost there, Pascal. Just jump a little more," Rapunzel grunted as she stretched up, instructing Pascal where to stand and jump on the branch to weigh it down enough for her to pick the ripe fruit dangling just out of her reach.

Eugene watched her with an amused smile as she struggled a bit longer, until he finally caved with a light chuckle, placing his hands on either side of her hips to give her a little boost.

She finally caught the apple with a triumphant whoop, bouncing on her toes in excitement as she put it in the basket with the rest of their harvest, finally deeming them enough to declare it a day.

"See?" She squeezed his cheek with a teasing smile. "Easy-peasy, G-Bug."

"Excuse me?" Eugene grimaced. "What was that?"

Rapunzel giggled. "Sorry, I'm trying out some new pet names."

"Well, try harder," Eugene said dryly, picking up both their baskets and making his way down the path that led to the main entrance of the garden. "See, this is why I'm starting to think you should not be allowed to name anything from now on, it's just getting out of— Sunshine?"

He stopped, only now noticing she'd not been following beside him. "Rapunzel?"

Eugene turned back around, frowning as he noticed her a little way back, leaning a hand on one of the trees for support.

A feeling of unease suddenly washed over him, chilling him to the bone. He approached her with hurried steps, his heartbeat only increasing as he noticed her slightly labored breathing.

"Hey, sweetheart, you alright?" Eugene snaked his arm around her shoulders, helping her to steady herself.

Rapunzel leaned on him a bit, but waved off his concern with a small smile. "I'm fine, don't worry about it. I just get a little winded more easily now."

Eugene shared a look with Pascal, who did not look at all convinced either. "You sure?"

"Yes, yes, it's alright," Rapunzel said lightly, despite the fact he could clearly notice she'd gone a little pale. "I've been getting these random bouts of dizziness every now and then, but they come and go, nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, I don't think that's quite alright, Sunshine." Eugene frowned, feeling his stomach tighten in concern. "Let's go back, you need some rest. Maybe this was a little too much."

"I'm fine, I promise," Rapunzel insisted.

But she hadn't taken more than a few steps forward before she suddenly collapsed in his arms.

"Rapunzel!"

The baskets of apples promptly rolled over the ground as Eugene scrambled to catch her, gently easing her down before she fell like a puppet without strings.

"Hey, sweetheart?" His trembling hands softly patted her cheeks. "Stay with me, what's wrong?"

Her eyes fluttered, but didn't fully open as her head lolled to the side, completely unresponsive. Eugene was only faintly aware of his cries for help as his mounting trepidation turned into a full blown panic, he could hardly hear Pascal's panicked squeaks over the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

"Rapunzel?!" Eugene shook her shoulders more insistently now to no avail. "Wake up. Please, wake up! Help! Anybody!"

But they were nowhere near the palace's doors and the orchard was so big and secluded, their shouts and squeaks might as well have been whispers in the wind. There was no one near to come to their aid.

Eugene cradled Rapunzel's prone body in his arms, lifting her up as he rose to his feet with only slight difficulty.

"Pascal, you run ahead, find Cassandra and look for help. We need the doctor, now!"

He watched the little reptile scurry ahead and disappear into the grass, his heart in his throat.

There were no reasonable thoughts left in his mind, no cool-headed plans or even a hint of a clue of what to do as Eugene hurried down the path back towards the palace as fast as his feet would carry him with only one thought in his brain.

Rapunzel was not waking up.

And the longer she remained unconscious in his arms the more it felt like something close to agony.

---

Don't you worry, it gets worse. But it only gets worse before it gets better, promise. So if you liked it and would like to read more soon please consider leaving a review to feed my muse.