A/N: Still on this kick… I know, I owe Broken Dreams the lemon finally but… Idk, I'm sorry, this is where the motivation/inspiration is right now… & I kept getting stuck when I was working on it last, so stepping away for a bit should be good.

Edited as of: March 27, 2022 to reflect corrections, additions, and general changes since publishing Ch9.

Suitors of Rapunzel

Ch6 □ Day 308 Part I

playlist on YouTube as SoR - Ch6 - Day 308 Part I

Rapunzel sat at the table, head in her arms, crying.

She had spent most of the night painting, then pulled the curtains closed again to conceal the new mural for now. She could still only sleep until her usual 6:45, though. And waking up all alone in the empty tower once again, continued to not bode well for her emotional state. Indeed, when she went downstairs, to check for him and to get a new dress, there was no sign of him having come back. In a simple green dress, she tried to go about a normal morning, but every step broke her heart over again.

Max could take her home to the castle just fine, but that did not ease her heart. She still had no idea where he had run off to, nor why he had not returned yet.

Yet, between her crying and reverie, she did not hear him come riding back, not til she heard him coming up the last few stairs.

Her heart thudded and she perked up and sat up straight, desperately trying to wipe the obvious tears away. She watched as the tile moved aside.

Eugene climbed through, careful not to look toward her just yet. He stood and shimmied the stone back into place with his foot. He paused a moment to collect himself, then turned around and looked at her, his deadpan turning sardonic. "I'm back."

Rapunzel scoffed but sniffled, tragically locking eyes with his- which he immediately took away.

He abruptly turned on his heel and headed for the stairs.

She jumped up after him. "Eugene, wait!" She grabbed for his elbow, but he immediately shook her loose. "Please, Eugene, just talk to me!"

"Later."

"No!" She lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of the coat he carried again. "NOW!"

He froze with his arm on the bannister and his feet spread on the first few steps. After a moment he turned back to her and stepped back down to the floor. "What."

"I..." she tried to blink her anger away and shook her head. "I was worried about you." She threw her arms around his neck & buried her face against where his chest was bare. Immediately, though, she realized something else was wrong, besides him not hugging her back.

"Urgh- uhhh…" He scrunched his nose up, recoiling at her putting her face there.

He... He smells like... What is that? Tinting his usual scents that she normally found so head-spinning, there was something stronger mixed in now that made her nose flare. Alcohol, smoke, those she could pick out, but lingering underneath was a smattering of some bodily thing more musty and sour than just sweat. Something almost faintly familiar, perhaps from their old nights together, only twice as pungent and more persistent. She backed away from him, searching his eyes for an explanation.

"Well now you know why I never came back last night."

"Brenna?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. She lives with her parents, and she's still a virgin, too. I went to a brothel in Beauvoir last night," he explained harshly.

"What…" Her heart fell out. She nearly doubled over, but fell back a step and dropped to her knees, feeling nauseous. The dry heaving sobs came back with her tears. "Why… Why- WHY?!"

He shifted his stance, hands on his hips, and cocked his head down at her. "Why else do ya go to a brothel? -with a bag of money?"

She shook her head, feeling faint. "No, I mean- I remember what a brothel is! But why, I really don't… I don't understand-"

"You mean why didn't I stay home and fuck you?" He picked her back up straight by her underarms. She looked at him in a mix of pity, confusion, and disgust. But he finally gave her the simplest, most direct version of his answer. "Because I DON'T want to have meaningless sex with YOU."

She shoved away from him. "So you paid a woman to have meaningless sex with you?!" So he just doesn't want ME...

He crossed his arms and leaned away, giving her nothing but a dirty smirk. "Paid a few people, so? Jealous?"

"No!" she automatically defended. Yes… of course I am! "But- I mean- Why wouldn't I be?! I want you! And you know that! So what's the difference?!"

"Well for one thing, missin' a few parts I was lookin' for last night, not to mention you're who I'm trying to get out of my head." He rambled off, then looked busy counting on his fingers. "Let's see," he mumbled, "Hm, yup. Made them each cum more times than I have you, ever."

That one precious night flew through her mind, though all she hazily remembered was his hot breath in her hair and the feel of his loving touch, his strong hands and nimble fingers on her, even through her nightgown still, but, everywhere. Basking in their incredible trust, his love, and then such bliss, until she faded off to sleep amidst all that. She gasped out of the memory. "Wha...? And you- Still, you- you-! You paid 'people?!' I still don't even know how you would- ah- and more than one, even?!" Her head spun trying to picture it, both from general logistics, and how she was loath to picture him in such positions with any stranger.

"Three, actually."

"Three?!"

"Heh, yeah. I had a guy all to myself, then two girls I only had to share with the other, which is also a nice treat," he grinned.

She scrunched her face up, "How even-"

"At the same time, yes. Sure you can figure out how the puzzle pieces fit together from there." He wiped at his bare chest where her nose had spied the residual smell, stirring it up himself, confirming it was indeed more than sweat. "Ewugh, for the most part, at least, but yeah I need a bath." A tousle through his goatee flaked out another substance that had dried in it. "Really need a bath," he chuckled.

She was over his gross after-party state, and switched to focus on why he should feel guilty. "And Brenna loves you! How could you?!"

"Yeah. SHE DOES. But like I said, can't do anything there yet. I was just tryna get this outta my system, and a back alley or even an hourly-rented room ain't my idea of romantic. Marriage is coming soon enough, so, I can actually wait for that if she wants."

"You call this 'waiting?!'"

He rolled his eyes. "A brothel is different. What I've done with you this week is worse than a paid-for orgy. Besides, I'm a 27-year-old guy, only 11 months on the right side of the law even- I don't think anyone's expecting me to be 'untouched,' so what does it matter?"

"So she knows you've had sex," she shrugged, but came back with an accusation, where she had since picked up on the nuances about. "Does she know you've had sex with guys?"

That had him drop the ego; dropped his smirk, his expression, his shoulders, his voice... "...n-...n-no. It's never come up and I- but if I'm marrying her, though, that doesn't matter."

"Why'd you tell me then?"

"Be-caaause… it came up." He shrugged. "And you're different- I figured you wouldn't care."

"So why not bring it up to her?"

"'Cause she doesn't need to know! And I've never said I haven't, so it's not like I'm lying about anything!"

So you're still hiding parts of yourself from her, not just individual moments. That's a secret. That's almost a lie. "If you're so worried about losing her, then why not tell her the truth? Why didn't you tell her the truth from the very beginning, about everything, when you met her?"

His breathing was getting jagged. "It is because I'm scared of losing her, alright? I told you- I always am. That's also why she doesn't know about this place. But you can't get on me for not telling her everything, especially from the start. Because I didn't know if we could all trust her. I couldn't give away secrets to somebody new that aren't just mine. And now…" He shrugged his whole arms out. "It's been too long. Now she's just… on the other side of the one big lie." He knew that in this vulnerability, he was safe with her, but it still set him back on edge, defensive. "And I don't ever wanna know what she'd think of the whole truth."

She narrowed her eyes in thought with more: "Alright, mostly agreed." You're living another lie. "But as for privacy, ya know your room in the castle is still empty. Why haven't you taken her there?"

He glared at her knowingly. "Yeah, IN the castle," he dropped the words at her feet in a sarcastic deadpan. "Anyway how can you be mad about me going to a brothel? Haven't you been askin' me for the same thing for FREE? 'Cause somehow I doubt your dad would pay me a bonus for it."

She laid her hands out, offering again, "I asked if you wanted anything!"

"Well I dunno now," he raised his tone back to putting up a fight. "Come to think of it maybe I would do it for say 360 gold? Hmmm?! At least. 'Cause that's how much I need for an engagement ring."

"But- wait-" Yesterday he said he really didn't want to do it like that? "Eugene, you said-" she whined, searching anywhere else around them for where to look, hopefully for answers to questions from her heart that she did not even quite understand herself. "Why change your mind now?"

He shrugged. "'Cause I dunno, maybe whorin' my body out to you would finally cure me once and for all! But I ain't doin' it for nothin'."

"No, I know you especially don't want that. And I know why! But I mean why wouldn't you- why not me or Brenna? At all? That's what I don't understand! I'm not asking for money and she wants to marry you, so what is it?"

"You mean why won't I have sex withyou, 'Princess?' Or why won't I take out my sexual frustrations on my beloved girlfriend's first time? Like I said, because, hi, hello, I used to be known as Flynn Rider, like I was last night, and now I usually go by Eugene Fitzherbert, but either way, got a shiny pardon and now I work for the King of Corona, nice ta meet ya, favorite color's teal-" suddenly his casual rambling switched to shouting, "AND I DON'T CARE WHO I FUCK! So I am NOT going to screw things up with my soon-to-be-fiance or just FUCK YOU so that you already know how to handle your fucking Royal High-husband next month! He's not gonna love you anyways." At that, even he felt he was going too far.

Rapunzel fell back a step, stunned. "You," she growled back, red-faced and finally ready to fight back, "Have been saying, ALL along, that they'll treat me right, that I'll be alright. Why would a husband not love me?!"

He took a deep breath, walking it back from that harsh edge. He continued more softly, but in the same direction, shaking his head. "He will treat you right. 'Cause his options'll be to treat you right, or else. A royally-sanctioned 'or else.' But he can't-…" His voice cracked off. Not nearly as much… He gulped, continuing with another item on his own agenda. "You know, everyday, on the way to lunch, we pass each other in the same hall. For months now, since March, when I started doing that office work for your dad again, too. You always look at me, in exactly the same way, whether I actually look back at you or I try not to. But do you ever say anything? Ever mention that to anyone? Ever try to actually talk to me before this whole scheme of yours this week? No."

She cried out, "Well what do you expect me to say! Beg you to come back?! In a hall full of people?! Ask you to throw your whole future away for me, for nothing?! Expose the truth of our past to the whole staff so my father can know within minutes?! And why haven't you said anything?! Or why don't you just take a different hall?!" She motioned all around her at all these things she could not do.

He took a step back towards the stairs and ran a hand through his bed-head hair, trying to hold it all back with a bit lip, but failing. He turned back to her, hands on his hips, shaking his head. His face broke; brow wrinkled and pinched, mouth contorted, those earthy eyes now dark with lack of sleep and too much pain, besides the actually smeared black makeup from the night.

Trying to control the whine in his voice only made it sound worse. "And do you know what all those people say about you?! They say you were so NAIVE and STUPID for being ready to give up your freedom for a man you'd just met only three days before- a lying thief, a total conman, no less." He laughed out, pitifully. "Even to me, they say that about you! That I duped you good! Sure, I came through, but they say you were STUPID for ever trusting me! Makes sense I behave now that I got all this good stuff to lose, so they also trust and like me now. But they say you were my 'meal ticket' that they can't fault me for, 'cause they think, 'Sure! The fuckin' Legendary Lost Princess! Who wouldn't bring her in for a reward, especially a pardon?' They have no idea but I can't even say I disagree, 'cause if I defend you too much-!" He gasped to catch his hyperventilating breath.

She was breaking down close to her own tears following his revelation overview. Although, at least he seemed clearly on her side throughout.

"But ya know what they don't say? Nobody ever mentions how I chose to die for some crazy girl in the woods I'd only met three days before! So what does that say about ME?! God, was I the NAIVE and STUPID one!"

"No, you're not, Eugene, please," she begged, "Calm down, come on-"

"NO!" He sneered, viciously sobbing, "I died for you, and you never even loved me."

She gasped quietly, taking the hit. Never-?! Speechless, frozen. "H-h-how could you…"

"Thank God you brought me back to see even that was in vain."

"It wasn't." Her voice was strangled, faint and dazed. "You… think I…?" You really do think I never loved you…? No- you knew! I KNOW YOU KNEW! I- I thought you knew… "Eugene, no, listen, you know-..." She sighed. "Just calm down and let's talk about this."

"But then again lots of men have died for your family. I guess you just got used to it real quick." He grimaced at her.

Rapunzel searched for something to actually reply with. "Eu... Eugene, you... I don't-... You're not listening and I don't even know what to say to you right now…" I do- but I can't say THAT! And not just like this!

He had been hearing her just fine of course; and spitefully actually replied. "You don't have to. That part's over."

She shook her head. "No, please, just listen- It's not what you think- it- it wasn't like that. I keep telling you, it wasn't like that. Everything you've been saying is wrong!"

"'Everything' - was just some deal to you!" he cried out, but then spoke quietly and calmly, though still so hurt. "So here we are. We've got our mutual secrets, equal leverage against each other, and different powers over each other on opposing sides-" That I would never wield for harm, even if I could get away with it… The thought of where that ended for her made him shudder. Yeahhh, that's why I was given such a position to begin with...

"Wha-?" she gasped, logistically confused, "You DON'T have any power above me- but EUgene! Listen! It wasn't just some deal!"

You only think that 'cause I promised not to tell you! But God I wish you knew! If only to prove you wrong! He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Wasn't it?! You said it was! Even in the end, you were right - It's all just been equal deals. My satchel back for the lanterns. I save you, you save me. I bring you back, you get a family and the crown, I get a pardon and the reward. You get to pick out a prince, and I get any job I want. And now?!"

"So now it's all just deals to YOU?!"

"Now? Yes." He leaned closer, bitterly consumed, his eyes bloodshot, wet and glassy, his shaky mournful voice carrying his agony in it like gravel over sandpaper. "You want me to fuck you? Pay me." The dams of his lids spilled over, wetting all around them, glistening the leftover black.

Pay him? And he's crying? In double shock, she carefully stepped toward him, set on comforting him. "You don't mean that." She slowly reached to wipe a tear from his cheek.

He lightly smacked her hand away, then roughly brushed away one eyeliner-blackened tear that had streaked down his cheek himself. "500. For a ring and for lost wages and my troubles with you all fucking week. And you'll get what you want." He raised his misshapen, hoarse voice as he pointed to the window, "Go ask your father for it - go on tell him what it's FOR!"

She huffed it off and threw her head aside, but looked back at him, still heartbroken for him now. She held her hand out again. "Eugene, come on, you don't want that. I know you don't want that!"

"I want it to be done. So that's my deal," he sassed her, then slowly shook his head. "I'm going to take a bath." He yanked on the banister railing as he headed up the stairs.

Rapunzel watched, somewhat surprised he was giving up on the fight, but then again not surprised he was fleeing rather than trying to communicate. But with Eugene's left hand on the railing, her eyes caught the flash of their same green amidst sparkles and gold, and then her breath caught in her chest.

She watched him disappear into the bedroom. Knowing he would be back down soon for that bath, she busied herself in the kitchen, listening.

This ends today.

Upstairs, he could barely catch his breath. Oh, God, what have I just done - did I really just? Did that just happen? - Oh what old hell have I just gotten myself back into - just this one last big time - oh God no what the fuck stop thinking like that! I got my reward and I don't really need to replace what I dropped last night - but I do want her, I want her firsts, I wanna take care of her! and finally taking all of her should get it out of my system - and wake up with her again for what I now know will be the last time? - oh, duh, no, no, not sleeping with her, just fucking her then I'm out, back to the sofa… Alone… He sniffled, running his hands over his face, accidentally rubbing at his eyes, "Ah, fuck." He tried to blink it out but it still stung. Then he looked down at what had spread off to his fingers, shaking his head.

He pulled the red rings off, clunking them back to the jewelry box, then the emerald. He held that one for a moment, looking it over again, tears sparkling his vision of the deep green reflections of the past. His thumb ran over the three teardrop zircons on one shoulder. Everything was so perfect… At least I thought it was. What was so wrong? WAS it me? Was it her? She really just didn't feel it? All that… He chucked it back in the box. Doesn't matter. One fuck and it's all over.

He stripped everything else off down to his black shirt and those tight brown leather pants, grabbed a change of shirt and much more comfortable pants, and headed out down to the bathroom. His heart raced as he passed through, still sniffling, desperately 'ignoring' her, even with her back to him in the kitchen. Then he slammed the bathroom door closed, and collapsed back against it. He looked up to the ceiling, but lost it again, crumbling to a crying fit. After one accidentally audible sob, he clamped his hand over his mouth, and rushed to start the water to muffle himself.

Love… His mind raced through them around the campfire, during the lights, bloody on the floor, days on end of dancing, and in her bed swearing things that would never happen. Love like that can't be real. I WAS naive and stupid. She got me thinking like a little kid again. Like we were a fairytale. Like it was some great love story. It wasn't. It was just me blinded by my own one-sided passion and hope. From my stupid little kid dreams. What's real is what I have with Brenna. Where it's mutual, stable, where I can have a future and a family.

I got back in touch with Little Eugene. But now it's time to grow up. Only I'm still dealing with Little Eugene's biggest problem: I'm too damn sensitive…

He finished stripping and plopped in the giant steel tub of hot soapy water, and began washing up.

Even once he finished though, he zoned out, simply enjoying the still-warm soak, but staring blankly into the water. What happened…

Back in the kitchen, Rapunzel had actually finished washing her brushes and paint cups all out a while ago. The dishes she had finished before those. Yet she stood leaning on the edge of the counter, staring into the sink full of water. What happened...

A/N: Next chapter we go back to the past! We'll actually be there for the next 7 chapters at least, as we see for ourselves what really happened. Thennn we'll get back to here.

Follow me as MiraNova23 on tumblr, at miranova23 dot tumblr dot com for Tangled Fandom Resurrection, messaging, keeping up with what's going on in my life, how the writing's going, my other fanworks, lots of Chuck vs Tangled, and all-around general Disnerdiness!