A tumbleweed rolled over the ground. A horse neighed. Women and men gathered around to watch. The old wild west architecture of the town stood as a backdrop.
Two cowboys stood face-to-face, each with guns slung at their hips. They tipped their hats to each other. They were standing off in a gunfight.
And Flynn was one of those cowboys.
Honestly, it felt pretty fucking cool to be a cowboy. Ever since Flynn read about the tales of Flynnigan Rider, he knew he wanted to have adventures. And being a cowboy was one of them.
It also meant he'd finally get his face on a wanted poster. Or so he hoped. Yeah, it was a strange dream to have but it was his dream. One of his dreams.
The other was finding Rapunzel but ever since he showed up in Tombstone, Arizona, 1882, he hadn't seen a sign of her. Which was incredibly disappointing since he missed her so fucking much, it almost hurt to breathe.
So, he decided - why not get drunk at the local tavern, get into a bar fight, challenge the man he got into a bar fight with to a gunfight, and here he was. Standing off with the man (who's name he couldn't remember), getting ready to shoot each other.
Was it stupid? Yes. Did Flynn care? Without Rapunzel, not really.
And he also really, really wanted to see his face on a wanted poster after this. If that didn't work, he'd have to request someone make one and that just wasn't really cool.
He got to wear an old timey cowboy outfit, complete with a cowboy hat, blue vest, long black jacket, and cowboy boots with spurs. He didn't have a horse but he still wanted to feel as much like a cowboy as possible.
"Ready, Rider?" the other man – maybe his name was Jimmy? – asked.
"Oh, I am ready… you."
The other man – possibly Johnny – frowned. "Did you forget my name?"
Flynn shrugged. "Does it matter? We're about to take part in a gunfight. One of us is going to get shot."
"It matters to me," the other man – god, was it Jacky? – said.
"Then tell me. I'm all ears."
The other man – seriously, it could have been Jacoby – crossed his arms. "Now I don't want to say. It's embarrassing."
"It's embarrassing to say because I can't remember or embarrassing to say because you're name is just embarrassing?"
"Embarrassing because you can't remember!"
Flynn held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry. I was just asking." He winked at a woman standing nearby. "I was just asking." The woman blushed, fawning herself with her hand. He still had it, which was a good feeling. But then that feeling was quickly smashed when he thought of Rapunzel and how much he missed her. She really needed to give a more specific time on her letter. He had been her for the past week waiting for her to show and nothing. Not even a glimpse of her blonde hair or her green eyes or her freckles or her body…
Dammit. Rapunzel was distracting him again but she was all he could think about.
Since she hadn't shown up yet, he needed something to do with his time. And making the other man – could it have been Joshy? – get all red in the face was honestly hilarious.
It reminded him of the times, back in high school, when he'd make the nerds lose their minds because of the things he'd say to them. Usually shit like the earth was flat or all science was a hoax. That really got them going and it always made Flynn laugh.
God, he was such an asshole.
Rapunzel helped him not to be one. She showed him there was more to life than thieving and general asshole-y-ness. But once again, he hadn't seen her in a week. He was getting bored and when he got bored, he tended to do stupid shit.
"Let's just have this fight!" the other man – Jesse perhaps? – shouted.
"Fine by me." He grabbed a hold of the two revolvers on each side of his hip. Getting into a better stance, Flynn prepared himself. The other man – for god's sake, was it Jaime? – got ready too.
"You're going to die, Flynn Rider!"
"No, I think you're going to die…"
The other man – Joely? – huffed. "You still can't remember my name?'
"Nope. Sorry."
Flynn draw his guns but before he could fire them, a woman walked between both men.
A woman who he knew forwards and backwards. A woman with long blonde hair and entrancing green eyes. A woman who had his heart.
A woman who was giving Flynn a 'really?' expression.
"We're seriously doing this, Eugene?" Rapunzel asked.
Flynn shoved his guns back into their holsters and ran over to her, grabbing her around the waist, dipping her, and then kissing her with all of his might.
Rapunzel kissed him back. The women and men staring hooting and hollering.
When she pulled back, she stared up at him with a small smile on her lips. "I wasn't expecting that reception."
"I've missed you," he admitted. Then he cleared his throat and returned to acting like his normal charming self. "And, you know, I got to give my best girl the best kisses."
"Your best girl, huh?" She stood up straighter, her face tinged pink. "Now, can you tell me what in the world you are doing?"
"Having a gunfight."
"Should I be worried how casual you made that sound?"
He waved over the other man… oh, he was tired of guessing. "No more gunfighting for today."
The other man's mouth dropped open. "But… we didn't get to shoot each other."
"Now I don't want to." He nodded at Rapunzel. "Gonna spend time with my girlfriend."
She smiled wide at that, which only made him feel good. They linked arms together and headed off.
But Flynn just needed to know. "What was your name again?" he asked the other man.
"It's Arthur."
Flynn blinked. Huh. Not even close.
"What was that about?" Rapunzel asked as they walked to the tavern.
"I meant it when I said I missed you. I got bored."
"So you got into a gunfight?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, maybe not my smartest move."
"Maybe not."
He eyed her over. She was wearing a pink and red layered dress with a large backside. As in, she must have had something under her dress to make the back of her dress stick out like that. Her hair was pulled back in a simple knot. She managed to pull the look off effortlessly. But then again, she always managed to look great in everything he'd ever seen her in.
But he had to ask. "What's up with the backside?" He nodded towards the back of her dress.
"It's called a polonaise," she said.
"Polo-what?"
"It's when the dress is bunched up like this. The bustle underneath also helps." She waggled her hips a little, showing off her dress. It only made him turned on.
"Blondie, I'd be careful what you do with those hips."
She turned red again. It was interesting. He'd never seen her blush this much before. She was usually so unfazed by the things he said to her.
She opened her mouth to speak…
…and the building in front of them – the mercantile shop – exploded in a blaze of fire.
It blasted Flynn right off his feet. He landed on his back with a huff, his hat flying off his head. He huffed again when Rapunzel landed right on top of him.
She stared down at him, her face so close to his. He didn't care that a building just exploded. He needed to kiss her again. It had been a whole week after all.
Grabbing the back of her neck, he brought her face down to his. Their kiss lasted only a moment before Rapunzel pulled back.
"Eugene, I'm so happy you're so happy to see me but the building right in front of us just exploded. We should probably figure out why."
"Probably a good idea."
They got up and looked around. The townsfolk were losing their minds. People were running around screaming. Men were shooting their guns into the sky. Horses were standing on their hind legs, getting ready to run away. Children were crying. Women were praying.
It was total and utter chaos.
And at the center of it all stood a robot.
A literal robot.
It stood probably four feet tall, completely covered in a metallic coating, and had a large round head. But the head wasn't a human head. It was a box, almost like a TV. Its eyes and mouth were each a single black line. Unlike the automaton race known as the Scattal he encountered in Versailles who were part humanoid, this little robot was a full on… robot. Nothing human about it.
It was kind of cute except for the fact that it lifted its arm, aimed it at another building, and a blast bolted from it, causing another building to explode. It was the sweets shop. Damn. Now where would Flynn go to get a piece of candy?
"We have to run," Rapunzel said, grabbing his hand. "And hide."
The robot set its black lines for eyes on them and lifted its hand again, getting ready to deliver a death blow.
"I think that's a great idea," Flynn said. But first, he needed his hat back. He ran over to it and picked it up right as the robot fired. The blast hit the ground a few feet from him. He yelped and stumbled away.
"Eugene!" Rapunzel shouted, grabbing his hand again. "We need to run."
"I needed my hat." He set it back on his head, feeling proud of his decision to save it.
They took off running down the street. The problem though was that Tombstone wasn't a huge city. It was a small wild west town, meaning there wasn't many places to hide.
Rapunzel ducked behind the side of a building, pulling Flynn along with her.
"So, robots," he said.
"Yep. It looks like it."
"Is that why you came here?"
"My tower was getting a reading for something strange, so I came to investigate."
"When did you arrive?' he asked.
"Just today."
He huffed. "You left me hanging for a week, waiting for you to show up."
"You knew I was coming here?"
"You told me." He paused. "Your future self did."
She looked away from him. "That was nice of her."
"Yeah but she conveniently didn't mention the exact day."
"Sorry on behalf of my future self. I sometimes forget the actual day of things. Time travel can be so wacky."
"I agree. But why are we discussing this when we have a robot in a wild west down blowing up buildings?"
"I don't know. You were the one who brought it up."
That shut him up. She had a point. He was the one who had asked questions.
"Ok, so what are we going to do about the robot?" he asked.
"I don't know. We need to try talking to it and find out what it wants."
"That might be hard to do since it keeps blowing things up."
"There's only way to try." She stood up, poking her head around the side of the building. "Oh. It's gone."
"What?" He joined her. She was right. There wasn't any robot standing in the middle of the street. "Where did it go?"
Everything was quiet. Eerily quiet. All the townsfolk were hiding inside the non-exploded buildings. The robot was nowhere in sight.
"Let's go," she said, walking down the street.
"Let's go? Blondie, we shouldn't be out in the open like this. That robot could come back and kill us. Hell, it already tried to kill me."
"That's because you went back for your hat." She shook her head. "That was silly, Eugene. You could have been killed."
His mind flashed back to the day she was killed. He promptly shoved that away.
"Well, I wasn't. And now I really don't want to. Since we don't know where our robot friend is, I say we hole up inside somewhere until he shows himself again."
"And wait for him to hurt more people? I don't think so. We need to find him now." Rapunzel strode through the street like she owned the place. He admired her ability to seem so confident in the face of danger.
He would have just run away, found something to stole, and gotten out of there. But Rapunzel gave him something more to fight for. Something more to live for.
"Where do you think a robot would hide out?" she asked.
"It's doesn't exactly blend in, Blondie. It shouldn't be hard to find."
They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with…
A little kid.
It was a boy, probably around six, sitting on the ground, curled into a ball, looking utterly scared.
Rapunzel kneeled down beside him. "Are you all right?"
He shook his head.
"Where are your parents?"
He pointed ahead of him where two dead bodies lay.
Flynn winced. "Ah, buddy, I'm sorry."
The boy sniffled, curling deeper into a ball. "It killed my parents," he whispered.
"Who did?" Rapunzel asked, placing a hand on the boy's knee.
"That… thing. It wasn't human."
The robot.
Rapunzel and Flynn shared a look. "All right." She turned back to the boy. "Did you see where it went?"
"A knife came out of its hand and it killed my parents."
"I'm sorry, honey. But I need you to tell me where it went. That way we can make sure this never happens again."
The boy pointed off towards the hills around the town. "It went over there."
"All right. Thank you. Let's get you inside." She helped the boy stand up. "What's your name?"
"Jasper."
"We're going to make sure you're safe, Jasper." Rapunzel smiled down at him and the boy seemed a little bit calmer. "I'm Rapunzel. We're going to keep you safe. Where do you live?"
Jasper shook his head. "I don't want to go back there."
"Ok. We'll find somewhere else you can stay." Rapunzel turned to Flynn. "Eugene, where have you been staying?"
He cleared his throat and threw a pointed look at the boy. "Uh, not exactly the place one takes a kid."
Rapunzel stared at him. "Where?"
"It's not-,"
"Eugene. Where?"
"The bordello," he whispered in her ear.
"Eugene!"
"What? They had free rooms available for rent. I needed to sleep somewhere. I haven't, you know…" He flicked his eyes to Jasper pointedly. "With any of the women."
"Are you talking about the brothel?" Jasper asked.
Rapunzel gasped and gave Flynn a look that said 'fix this.'
Flynn turned to Jasper. "How do you know about the brothel?"
"My daddy went there and told me not to tell my mama."
Flynn did not know what to say. That was honestly one of the saddest things he'd ever heard. "Right." He cleared his throat. "It's not a place for a kid. We'll take you somewhere you'll be safe from the robot."
"Robot?"
"You know, the thing shooting laser beams out of its hands."
Jasper just looked even more confused.
"Where's the boarding house?" Rapunzel cut in. "They'll have rooms."
Jasper pointed down the street. "Down that way."
"Then that way we'll go." She grabbed Jasper's hand. "Come on, Eugene." There was a level of anger radiating off her.
Flynn knew he shouldn't have mentioned the goddamn bordello. He honestly hadn't even touched any of the women. Sure, they propositioned him when he first went in there but after making it clear he was just looking for a room, they left him be. He thought most of the women looked relieved not to have to sleep with another man. It only made him feel sorry for them and made him feel guilty for all the times he'd slept with prostitutes in the past before he met Rapunzel.
They found the boarding house on the next street over. It was a large blue house with a fancy looking door. There was a problem though – the door was all boarded up.
Rapunzel knocked. "Hello? We need a room for the night."
The curtains by the side window parted and a woman popped her head into view. "I'm not opening the door. That… thing could come inside."
"It's not out here," Rapunzel explained. "Please. We need to get this boy to safety." She showed the woman Jasper.
The woman sighed and nodded her head. She disappeared from the window and after a moment of creaking wood sounds, the door opened.
"You can stay for a good price."
Rapunzel reached into her pocket, pulled out a coin purse, and handed the woman some money.
She sniffed it. "Good. Come on in." She froze when she saw Flynn. "Uh-uh. Not him."
Flynn paused in the doorway. "Why not?"
"I saw you earlier today. Having a gunfight in the street. I don't want any drunkards in my boarding house. You need to leave."
"He's with me," Rapunzel said. "Please. Think of the boy."
The woman looked down at little Jasper and sighed again. "Fine. But where are the boy's parents?"
"They didn't make it. He needs our help." Rapunzel looked at the woman with her large eyes.
The woman relented but she tossed Flynn a dirty look. "He doesn't need your help."
"What did I ever do to you?" Flynn asked.
"For the boy's sake, I'll let you in. But no getting into gunfights with anyone in here. You hear?"
"When you say gunfight do you mean-."
"Eugene," Rapunzel said.
He stopped being an ass. "Sorry. And yes, I wont cause any trouble."
The woman sighed again. "I'll get y'all a room. The name is Sarah by the way."
"Rapunzel. This is Eugene."
Flynn didn't object to his real name being used to introduce him, which was a first. When did he start becoming ok with Rapunzel always using his real name?
"I know Jasper," Sarah said. "I know-," She stopped. "I knew his parents. Mary and Jackson. Good people. Such a shame." She walked behind a counter and grabbed out a pair of keys. "Here. A room for the boy and a room for you."
Rapunzel took the key. "Thank you."
Sarah eyed Rapunzel and Flynn over. "I take it y'all are married?"
"Define married," Flynn said.
Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Yes. We're married."
Sarah looked appeased by that. "Go. Get out of my sight."
They hurried up the stairs.
"We're married, are we?" Flynn asked Rapunzel in a low voice so only she could hear. Jasper went on ahead.
She gently swatted his chest. "Oh, shush. I had to say it otherwise she'd wondered why an unmarried woman was spending time in an unmarried man's room."
They reached their rooms.
"Are you going to be all right on your own?" Rapunzel asked Jasper, handing him his own key.
"Yes."
"You don't need me to stay with you?"
"No. I'm used to being on my own. Daddy worked a lot and Mama slept through most of the day."
Flynn's heart ached for this kid. He knew what it was like being an orphan and not having parents to take care of you.
"Well, if you need our help, don't hesitate to ask," Rapunzel told Jasper.
The little boy nodded and then headed into his room.
Once Rapunzel and Flynn were in their own room, they sat down on the bed. The room was simple. A bed, a washing basin, a mirror, and a dresser.
"Poor kid," Flynn said. "Losing both your parents on the same day."
Rapunzel got right back up and looked out the window. "We need to find that robot and make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else. Stay here in case Jasper comes looking for us."
"Uh, where are you going?"
"Out. To look for the robot." She headed for the door.
"I don't think so." He grabbed Rapunzel's arm, stopping her. "You saw what happened to Jasper's parents. That robot killed them. It blew up a freaking building. It's dangerous. You could get hurt."
"I've been in dangerous situations before. Some before I even met you. I'll be fine." She gave him a peck on the lips. "Trust me."
He could only think about the day she died in his arms at Versailles. "Rapunzel, no."
"You don't trust me?"
"I do. I just don't want to see you get hurt. Or worse. We need to work together."
"But someone needs to stay here to look after Jasper."
"I know. We'll find someone to care for him. But I'm not letting you go out there on your own."
She placed her hands on her hips. "You're not letting me? Since when did you have a say in how I lived my life?"
"Since I fell in lo-," he stopped.
Rapunzel froze too.
Neither one said anything.
Flynn finally cleared his throat. "You have a tendency to just rush into the action. And while that's admirable, it's also dangerous."
"Says the man who admitted to being a thief. I don't think you get to lecture me right now, Eugene."
"I'm not. I'm just saying that we're dealing with a robot with immense power here. You can't go off and do this on your own this time. We need to work together."
"I'm flattered you want to work together. But I can handle myself." She pulled out of his grip and headed for the door.
He ran forward and blocked the door with his body. "Let's think this through."
"Eugene, what are you so afraid of?"
"I'm afraid of you dying!" he snapped.
She flinched back. "Why are you afraid of that?" she whispered.
His shoulders sagged. "I can't say. I just need you to trust me."
"Like you trust me."
"I do." He cupped her face with his hands. "I do trust you, Rapunzel. There's no one more in this entire galaxy that I trust. But I am asking you not to run off without me. I don't want to lose this version of you right as I just got you back." He couldn't stop seeing the moment she made him leave her when the Vikings were surrounding them. He didn't want anything like that happening again.
Rapunzel's eyes softened. "Ok. We'll do it together. It's getting dark out anyway. In the morning, we'll find someone to watch Jasper and then you and me, we'll go deal with the robot problem."
He pressed his forehead to hers. "Thank you."
"I've never had anyone care about me as much as you do. Gothel never loved me. I never knew my real parents. And the Time-Traveler's society only saw me as a student and nothing more. I wasn't family to them. But you…" She laid her hand over his heart. "You care for me. and it's thrilling and exciting. But it's also terrifying."
"Why?"
"Because it means that I could lose you too and that thought hurts more than anything else in this world. I'm used to rushing into danger because no one cared if I did. In fact, the Academy encouraged that kind of behavior."
"You don't need to rush into danger alone anymore. You've got me, Rapunzel. I'm not going anywhere." God, he hoped he wasn't. What if he died when she first met him, just like she died when he first met her? And she just never told him it would happen? Was he heading for his own death like she was?
Only time would tell.
Her eyes glimmered with tears. "You mean so much to me, Eugene."
Without waiting a moment longer, he kissed her.
It was full of passion. A little sloppy in the best way. And had a taste of love in it that just made it that much better.
Flynn knew he needed Rapunzel right now. He hadn't seen her in an entire week and after everything he had just gone through between losing one version of Rapunzel to Vikings and never getting to see her again to having to say goodbye once more back in the 1920s, it was too much for him.
She was in his arms right now and that was all he cared about.
Pushing her back against the wall, he kissed her with everything he had within him. She clutched his shoulders, kissing him back with passion.
Lifting the ends of her dress up, he felt underneath, hoping she wasn't wearing any underwear like when they were in Venice. But his hands brushed a waistband. Looking down, he saw that she hand on white pants of some sort.
"Pantalettes," she explained, her face going red. "You look disappointed."
"I was just hoping you didn't have anything underneath this dress."
She gasped. Then said, "Well, if you take them off, I won't have anything on underneath this dress."
He growled and kissed her again. He just wanted her naked beneath him. He tugged at her dress and she helped him take it off, including the bustle at her backside and her pantalettes. She still had a shift on which was under a rather form fitting corset.
"God, you're sexy," he said, making her blush. It was the most he had ever seen her do it.
Once her corset and shift were off and she was finally completely naked before him, he lifted her up in his arms, pressing her back to the wall. She kissed him hard.
"Eugene, shouldn't we go to the bed?" she whispered against his lips.
"We could. Or we could do it right here." He set her back down and quickly made work of his own clothes. Rapunzel let her eyes linger on his body once he was naked. He threw his hat off across the room.
"What if Jasper needs us right now?"
"Blondie, don't mention the kid when we're about to have sex."
"Ok." She melted into his arms as he drew her close to him.
Lifting her back up, she wrapped her legs around his waist. His cock was so close to her entrance. He could feel her warmth, her wetness.
"Are you ready for me?" he asked.
"I am." She clung to him tightly. It only made him feel more powerful.
With a thrust of his hips forward, he entered her in one smooth motion. He covered Rapunzel's cry with his mouth, kissing her deeply. His hands tightened on her thighs, holding her up. Her fingers dug into his back.
"Eugene," she gasped out as they began to move.
He buried his face into her neck. Every time he grinded his hips against hers, he let out a groan. Rapunzel's small breathy pants were driving him crazy. He had never been this consumed by a woman before.
Needing to be even deeper inside her, he walked backwards until they fell onto the bed. Rapunzel gasped and laughed at the same time.
He rolled on top of her, gently thrusting deeper inside of her. Rapunzel wrapped her legs tighter around him. The way she was gazing up at him made him feel powerful. Alive.
He circled his hips around, letting her feel his cock from all angles within her. She let out a sigh, slightly closing her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her breasts. Rapunzel cried out, clutching his shoulders.
Sex was never like this with all the other woman he'd been with. It had been pleasurable, yeah. But his heart was never in it. With Rapunzel, his heart was all the way in it. He didn't even think he could exist without her anymore.
He kissed her again as they made love. Because that's what this was. Making love. Flynn almost wanted to laugh at himself but he knew it was right. It wasn't fucking when he was in love with her.
"Eugene!" she cried out as he thrust harder into her.
Gripping her legs, he showed her with his body how much he loved her. She was breathing fast. Her skin was flushed and her eyes were ablaze. Rapunzel had never looked more beautiful to him than in that moment.
The bed was gently hitting the wall but Flynn didn't care if anyone heard them. This was a moment between him and the woman he loved. Nothing or no one could get in the way of that.
Rapunzel gasped and arched her back right before she began trembling. "Oh," she panted out, her lips parting. She looked so beautiful as she came, it almost hurt his heart.
Her legs clamped down around his waist as she rode out her orgasm. It didn't take him long to follow her.
He groaned as he fell over the edge. His body shuddered until he finished his release.
Flynn laid on top of her, keeping his weight just off her so she could breathe. He kissed along her neck, not wanting the moment to be over.
Rapunzel ran her fingertips over his back, causing goosebumps to rise up on his skin. "Eugene, that was…"
"Amazing?"
"Yeah. It really was." She looked so gorgeous underneath him. Her hair sticking to her sweaty head. Her green eyes wide. Her cheeks still a little red.
He rolled off her, taking her with him. Laying her head on his chest, she snuggled into his side.
"I am a little sore," she admitted.
"Was I too rough with you?"
She glanced up at him before quickly looking away. "No. I just haven't… done that many times."
"What do you mean?"
"That would be a spoiler, Eugene. You'll just have to wait and see."
"Ok. Be sneaky like that." He tickled her waist. She gasped and then began tickling him back. "Ok, you win. You win."
They laid in each other's arms for a moment.
"So, you've really been staying at a bordello for the past week?"
"Yeah. But I swear, I didn't sleep with any of the women. You're my girl, Blondie. There's no one else I want."
"I believe you. But I am curious… how many woman have you been with?"
He dropped his head back with a groan. "Trust me, you don't want to know the answer to that."
"Well, now I really want to know," she said, propping herself up on her elbow.
He was insanely distracted by her naked breasts.
"Eugene." She placed her finger under his chin, drawing his attention back up to her face. "Tell me. I can handle it."
"Why does it matter?"
"Well, you know how many people I've been with."
"I do? You've never told me."
She flushed. "You'll know the next time you meet me. But I don't know about you. I know you've been with other women. There's no use hiding it."
"Rapunzel, the number doesn't matter."
Squinting at him, she asked, "Does it really not matter or is it because you don't remember?"
He had no choice but to look sheepish. "I… might not remember."
"Have you been with… ladies of the night before."
He snorted. "Ladies of the night? What are we? In the 1800s?"
"Yeah. We are."
Flynn paused for a moment. Damn. That's right. They were. "Are you asking me if I've ever had sex with a prostitute?"
"I have a right to know about your sexual history."
"I could say the same for you." He really didn't like thinking of her with other men. Sure, he had no right since he had been with his share of women but still. Jealousy didn't always make sense.
"Remember, you'll find out next time. So?"
"So?"
She tapped his chest. "The prostitutes."
"I mean… it wasn't like it was that many."
"But there were some."
"Yeah." He let out a deep sigh. "There were. Also other women who weren't. Just one-night stands and all that."
She ducked her head. Flynn didn't miss the look of disappointment on her face.
"Hey." He lifted her face back up. "None of those women meant anything. It was just about the physical. But with you… Rapunzel, you need to know you mean so much more to me. My heart is in it." He felt like a fucking dork saying those things but he had to say them. It was time to tell her he loved her.
He opened his mouth – and there was a knock at the door, effectively ruining the moment.
"Who is it?" Rapunzel called out.
"It's Jasper."
Flynn let his head slump to the pillow. "Great timing, kid."
"He needs our help. He just lost his parents, remember? Jasper? We'll be right out. Just give us a moment."
"Ok," came his little reply.
"This is what happens when you take in an orphan," Flynn said, slipping his pants back on. "They get needy."
"Weren't you an orphan?"
"How do you know about that?"
"You told me, Eugene."
Right. Somehow, he still found himself forgetting that she knew parts of himself because he must have told her in his future. She told him back when they were in New York that she already knew about The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. He just didn't know when he'd actually be ready to talk about all of that. But clearly, that wasn't now since she knew about him being an orphan. It was kind of a relief talking to someone who already knew all your secrets.
But then again, it meant that one day he'd have to tell her because she wouldn't know. And that only meant he'd be getting one step closer to the day she didn't recognize him.
They finished getting dressed and opened the door to let Jasper on in.
He rushed right inside and threw his arms around Flynn's waist.
"Woah there," Flynn said, staggering back. "What's up with the hug?"
"I'm scared," Jasper whispered into Flynn's vest. "I'm scared that creature is going to come back and hurt me."
Rapunzel kneeled down beside the little boy. "We won't let it hurt you." She looked up at Flynn and mouthed, Say something.
Flynn sighed. He may have known what it was like to not have parents but that didn't mean he was parent material himself. He had no clue how to act around children. "Uh, listen to Rapunzel. You'll be ok."
She shot him a look. He just shrugged. What did she want from him? "I'm not good at this, ok?" he said.
"You're going to have to get good at it because I think Jasper likes you."
As if on cue, Jasper hugged Flynn tighter.
Flynn didn't know what to do with his hands so he just patted the boy on his head. "There, there," he said awkwardly.
Rapunzel just smiled. "Do you need to sleep in the same room tonight?" she asked the boy.
Flynn frantically shook his head. He didn't want to share a room with Jasper. He wanted Rapunzel all to himself.
But Jasper just had to nod his head and say, "Yes."
"All right. Let's go to your room," she said.
Flynn was confused until Rapunzel motioned at their bed. That's right. They just had sex in it. Yeah, that wouldn't be right to let a little boy sleep on the same sheets they just made love on.
"Let's listen to Rapunzel," he said, gently unclasping Jasper's arms. That didn't last long because Jasper immediately threw his arms back around Flynn's waist. "Ok, or not."
"Come on, Jasper. Let's go into your room." Rapunzel started heading across the hall.
Flynn had to walk awkwardly with Jasper clutching him. He felt like a freaking penguin or something – having to walk careful so as not to disrupt the egg under him. In this case, Jasper was the egg.
They entered Jasper's room but the boy still wasn't letting go.
"Try to get some sleep," Rapunzel offered. "We'll be right here."
Jasper nodded. "Can you lay with me?"
"Of course," she said.
"I meant you."
When Flynn looked down, he saw Jasper staring right up at him. "Me?" he asked.
"Yes," Jasper said in his little kid voice. Flynn would give it to the boy – he was pretty cute in a puppy sort of way.
Flynn glanced over at Rapunzel, who had a hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter. But he still saw her shoulders shaking. Traitor, he mouthed to her. She only shrugged.
He laid down on the bed, which was tough since Jasper wasn't letting go. Trying to get himself comfortable, he wiggled around, which only made Jasper snuggle in closer. Flynn gave up. He had no choice but to lay there and get an awkward night's sleep.
Rapunzel settled herself into the armchair in the corner of the room.
It didn't take long for Jasper's eyes to close and his breathing relax. The little man was asleep.
"You're good with him, you know," Rapunzel said in a quiet voice.
"Am I? Because I can't stand kids."
"Really? Not even after your own past?"
"Apparently you know all about me being an orphan but just because I was one, doesn't mean I have a kindred spirit with all other orphans in this world."
She tucked her legs underneath her. "Maybe you should. Jasper is drawn to you. That's a good sign."
"Of what?"
"That you'd make a good father." She blushed right after she said it.
He stared at her a moment. "Are you… are you suggesting we…?"
"Oh, no." She waved a dismissive hand. "I'm only twenty. I'm not ready for kids anytime soon."
And she never would be because she'll die in Versailles. And Flynn will have to live with that the rest of his life.
Unless of course, he'll die too when she meets him for the first time. How poetic would that be?
"Whew," he said, wiping a hand over his head. "You had me worried for a second."
She smiled then ducked her chin. "But… would kids be so bad someday?"
He tensed all over again. Jasper didn't even notice for how deeply he was asleep.
"I mean," she continued, "I could see myself being a mom when I'm older. Could you see yourself being a father?"
He gulped. There was nothing on this planet that could have prepared Flynn for this conversation. "I mean… maybe? When I'm older too. You know, I'm twenty-eight. I guess kids never passed my mind. I figured that would be something to think more about when I was in my thirties. Though, I just assumed I'd still be thieving well into that time."
"You're so much more than a thief, Eugene. Know that."
Her intense gaze made him feel funny in a way he couldn't explain. "So you've told me."
"Of course I have. It doesn't matter if it's my past self or my future self. I know you, Eugene."
"Your confidence in me is astounding."
"No." She shook her head. "It's just fact. There's no one I trust more in this galaxy than you."
He squinted at her. "Are you quoting me?"
"How does it sound?"
"Like a smart man came up with that."
She chuckled quietly. "A smart man did." The way she looked at him with so much love in her eyes made his breath hitch.
"What are we going to do about him?" Flynn nodded down at Jasper, changing the subject deliberately.
"We'll find someone to care for him when we go out tomorrow. We have to stop that robot from killing anyone else. It's getting really dark out now. Let's try to get some sleep."
Of course, that was impossible with Jasper clinging to him the entire night.
And in the morning, when they told him they had to leave to find the robot, Jasper made it very clear he was coming with them.
"You are not," Flynn said.
"You can't leave me alone. I'm just a kid."
"That's why we're going to find someone to take care of you," Rapunzel explained.
"No! I want to go with you. That…what did you call it?"
"Robot," Flynn said, crossing his arms.
"That robot killed my mama and daddy. I want to be there when you find it."
Rapunzel leaned down to meet Jasper in the eye. "And do what? Revenge? This robot could hurt you and I don't think your mom and dad would want you to die to avenge them. Let us go find the robot. You stay safe here. We'll have Sarah watch you."
Jasper scrunched up his face. "No. Sarah is old. She can't protect me. Let me go with."
Flynn sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe we should."
Rapunzel shot him a look. "What? We can't put a child in danger."
"I was in dangerous scraps when I was a kid."
"And how did that go for you? You want another kid to have to go through what you went through?"
Flynn glanced away. That was one thing he hated about him and Rapunzel going in opposite directions. She knew everything about him. All his secrets. Because he told her himself – just a future version of him.
He didn't want to think about his own childhood at the moment. That was something he really hated to relive.
"I'm going with," Jasper said.
Flynn placed a hand on the boy's head. "Buddy, you can't come with. It's not safe. You're going to stay here."
Jasper wrenched away from him. "It's not fair."
"But… it's what's right."
Rapunzel nodded at Flynn. "We have to go. We'll ask Sarah to keep an eye on you."
Jasper slumped onto the bed and pouted. They had no choice but to leave him there.
After they asked Sarah to watch Jasper – which she reluctantly agreed – Flynn and Rapunzel headed out to search for the robot.
The streets were like a ghost town. Everyone was still holed up inside after the explosion.
They left the town and headed for the hills surrounding it. Most of the landscape was a flat, barren wasteland but there were a few hills far out in the distance.
"I feel bad," Flynn admitted as they walked.
"What for?"
"For leaving Jasper behind. The boy really wanted to come with us."
She stopped. "Eugene, I get it. You told me all about your past. How challenging it was growing up in the orphanage. But don't let your past get in the way of what's happening right now. Jasper might be disappointed he couldn't come with but he's safe."
"Is he though? That robot could be back in Tombstone right now, blowing up more buildings."
"Do you hear any explosions?"
He sighed. "No. I don't."
"Then that means the robot is still out here somewhere. We'll talk to it. Convince it to leave with us and spare this town more hurt than they've already experienced. That's what's best for Jasper."
"Yeah, but his parents just died. Maybe what's best for him is giving him something to keep his mind off of it."
She stared out into the horizon. It was so hot out, Flynn could see the heat waves in the air. "Gothel gave me a lot of things to do to keep me from asking questions. That way I could never figure out she kidnapped me. But it never helped. Sure, it helped me not go stir crazy. But it didn't help the feeling that I didn't belong with her. That my real parents were out there somewhere. They still might be."
"You never found them?"
"No. After I escaped Gothel, the Time Traveler's Society found me and took me in. I've been working with them ever since. I did ask them about my parents but they didn't know."
"Have you tried looking?"
She sucked in a quick breath. "Every day of my life." After a beat, she resumed walking. "I know what it's like to lose the people who you love. But I can safely say that distracting myself with time travel and going all over the galaxy hasn't made me stop thinking of the possibility of finding my parents one day. Including Jasper in something serious isn't helping him. It's only going to get him hurt."
Flynn couldn't argue with any of that. "Rapunzel, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You have your story. I have mine. We share one thing in common – we both know what it's like to grow up without our parents. And now Jasper will too."
They kept walking through the open plain. Flynn shuddered when he saw a rattlesnake. It scurried off thankfully.
They made it to the hills after walking through the dense heat for about an hour. Suffice to say, that was something Flynn never wanted to do again.
"Why couldn't we have just taken your tower?" he asked, panting and sweating.
"My tower would be offended you just asked that." She climbed up the hill, stepping on sliding rocks and patchy grass.
"Did you just say your tower would be offended?"
"It has a mind of its own sometimes. It wouldn't appreciate being used just because we don't want to physically exert ourselves." She wiped a hand across her sweaty forehead. "All right. Keep your eyes peeled for the robot."
"How about a robot ship?" Flynn asked, pointing to something shining in the sun.
It was a spaceship. A freaking spaceship.
"That looks like a place a robot would live," she said.
"I'm really not looking forward to this."
They walked over to the spaceship, which was hidden partially in the hills. It wasn't huge but it wasn't exactly small either.
When they reached it, Rapunzel knocked on the side door.
"What are you doing?" Flynn hissed, grabbing her hand.
"Knocking."
"That thing could come out and kill us!"
"We'll only know if we let it know we're here. Otherwise, we're just waiting around without answers." She knocked again.
"Go away," a voice said on the other side of the door. It didn't sound like a robot. It sounded… human. It sounded… like a child.
"Did it kidnapped another kid?" Flynn asked.
"We just want to talk," Rapunzel said, knocking again.
"Leave me alone. I know I messed up. I made a mistake. I didn't mean for that to happen."
Rapunzel frowned. "For what to happen?"
"I didn't mean to blow up that building. It was an accident. Don't hurt me."
Flynn barked a laugh. "Us hurt you? Listen, robot, you're the one with death rays for hands."
"Just go away. I don't want to hurt you too."
"How did you end up here?" Rapunzel asked.
"Just go away!" the voice was getting angrier.
"What is that?" another young voice said behind them.
Whirling around, Flynn saw that it was Jasper.
"I said, go away!" the robot screamed as it ripped open the door. Pointing it's blasters, it aimed right for Jasper. "Go away!"
Flynn had to act without thinking. He ran for Jasper, trying to think of some way to save the boy, right as the robot fired it's lasers.
Everything was loud and chaotic and then everything went silent.
Until Saturday!