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The rising sun paints the clouds pink and gold. Light filters through the weak leaves of the trees, leaving small, blurry, glowing patterns in its way, contrasting with the shadows cast by the tall trees. The wind blows steadily and swiftly, scattering snowflakes everywhere. What's left on the trees is full of snow, as are the roofs and gates of the houses and stores.
If Rapunzel squints, she thinks she can see a couple of red and gold autumn leaves peeking through the pale snow and purple shadows.
It’s beautiful.
Rapunzel's face feels stiff, her cheeks cold and flushed, as is her nose. The scarf is not thick enough to keep out the cold.
Beside her, Eugene walks around as if it won't bother him. A light jacket and boots are the only indicator that it is winter.
Very different from her ankle-length coat.
A surprisingly strong gust of wind blows past them, and Rapunzel, huddling in on herself, hides her hands in her furry coat, disgruntled.
However, when Rapunzel stumbles for the fifth time into a half-formed puddle of snow, with Eugene laughing at her in the background, she clings to Eugene's arm.
If she falls, so does he.
"God, Punzie. You're like a baby horse." His voice is amused, warm despite the cold atmosphere.
"Thank you for the compliment! Baby horses are adorable. Not that I've ever seen one, of course, but if they're cuter than Maximus, I think I'll go crazy and—."
She pauses, embarrassed, as her boyfriend looks at her, marveling.
"I could—I could. Horses— Babies—show you. If you want." Her boyfriend stammers, excited. He looks so cute when he does that. Rapunzel can't help but kiss him on the nose. His expletive is cut off, and the blush grows strong on his face.
Now, thinks Rapunzel satisfied, they match.
"I'm sorry, you looked so passionate, I couldn't help it." Rapunzel smiles softly at him, her eyebrows arched. "I'd love to, by the way."
Eugene, still pink, nods. Rapunzel giggles, clutching her boyfriend's bare hands.
"Aren't you cold, Eugene? I'm freezing. How can you stand it?"
Something passes in Eugene's dark eyes, a pain Rapunzel doesn't understand, but wishes she did, just to ease even a part of that pain.
He throws him a grimace that he tries to disguise as a smile. "And you, why are you cold? It's barely winter, how can you not stand it?" It's biting, and if Rapunzel didn't know her boyfriend the way she does, she would have been angry. Because he should know, after all, he was the one who first showed her the world.
But Rapunzel is better than this— She's better than mother Gothel; she's going to try to understand.
Because something she said upset him, even if she doesn't know what. That doesn't mean she doesn't expect an apology from Eugene. But for now she's going to try to explain herself, maybe then he'll feel safe to share with her what's tormenting him.
With a quick glance, Rapunzel locates the beginning of the forest, which she knows leads to a very quiet clearing.
It's perfect, just the two of them and nature, with no prying eyes or spying ears.
With a hand on the inside of her elbow she guides him, and Eugene, even annoyed as he is, allows himself to be guided by her.
Rapunzel tries to put her thoughts in order. Mother Gothel used to tell her that she had to think before she spoke, and although she usually did it to make her feel useless and pathetic, now it's a good idea. She doesn't want Eugene to get more upset or misunderstand her.
"The first time I saw snow I was eleven, you know?" She begins, voice soft. The wind now feels softer, as they are surrounded by trees. Just as well, because Rapunzel is freezing and doesn't want to ruin her voice. She is a princess now after all.
Next to her, Eugene stops suddenly in his tracks, gears whirling in his head until he looks at her, horror and regret coloring his features.
"Shit, Punzie. I'm sorry, I'm an idiot, I wasn't thinki—."
"Shh." She shushes him softly, a gloved finger over his lips. "Let me talk, alright? You can apologize later, it'll be fine."
Because the fact that she understands that Eugene didn't mean it, even if he subconsciously meant to hurt her, doesn't justify him talking to her like that. But it's okay, the sun won't set for hours: they have time to talk and forgive.
Eugene swallows, but nods. A couple of stray locks fall over his face, and Rapunzel gently pushes them away.
"That was the moment when Mother Gothel deemed I was strong enough for her to climb the tower by my hair. I always thought she was afraid of hurting me, now I realize she was afraid of hurting my hair. I'm an idiot." She let out a self-critical laugh, she really had been an idiot, hadn't she? It was so obvious in retrospect.
As if Eugene could read her thoughts, he grips her trembling hands between his tightly. "You were a child Punzie, and whether you wanted it or not, she was your mother for eighteen years. She manipulated and isolated you, and none of that was your fault, you understand?"
Still shaking, more from emotion than cold, Rapunzel nods.
Eugene sighs, his shoulders slumping. "All right. Good. Go on if you want to."
"...Yeah well. So, she'd always kept the window closed, always said there was nothing outside that was worth the danger. But she needed a way to get up the tower faster, and my hair was long enough and my head tougher, I guess. That day, I also saw the floating lights for the first time."
"Wow, Punzie, that's a lot, I'm really sorry. You didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry I said that. I wasn't thinking, sorry."
"Mmmm, it's okay. I forgive you. But you're still hurt, aren't you? You can talk to me if you want, it's just me here, and I'll never judge you regardless of what you tell me, you know that, don't you?"
Even stammering as she sounds, Rapunzel means it: she loves Eugene, every part of him, the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. And there is nothing he confesses to her to make her stop loving him.
Eugene nods softly, but doesn't answer. Suddenly nervous, Rapunzel pretends to pull her hair, only to end up touching her neck. Her hair barely falls past her ears now. Feeling the breeze behind her neck is a new sensation, not bad, just new.
"You don't have to talk if you don't want to, sorry if it sounded like you had to."
"...No, it's okay. I want to tell you, and no, not just because I think I owe it to you, Punzie, but because I think I owe it to myself. I love you, Rapunzel, and I want you to know me like I want to know you."
"... Oh. That was very sweet, thank you..." Rapunzel sighs, hiding her head in Eugene's chest, and he puts his arm around her, not stopping his walk but slowing down. "I love you too."
Rapunzel feels Eugene smile into her hair. "Mmm."
A minute passes before he speaks again. "You know how I lived in an orphanage, don't you? I grew up there and lived there, until I ran away, but that comes later."
Rapunzel nods, leaning harder against Eugene, listening to his heart hammering against his chest. It's a nice sound.
"And well, I wasn't the only orphan there. They were too many mouths to feed and to clothe. Summer was bearable, after all it never gets too hot here. But winter, Punzie? Winter was lethal." His voice grows lower and lower as he speaks, pain echoing in his vocal cords and Rapunzel just wants to protect him as he did for her so many times.
"Some, well, most would have their coats. The good kids, who listened and didn't talk back, who did their homework without complaint and prayed every night at the foot of the bed. Me? I was the problem child. Always trying to run away, or encouraging delinquent behavior in the other kids. They didn't want to spend the money that didn't go to food and the facility on me, not when they had kids with higher chances of being adopted than me." His voice falters on the last word, and Rapunzel feels the arm over her shoulder shake.
Rapunzel feels anger like hot iron in her throat. She pulls out of her boyfriend's grip and stands in front of him, clutching his face with her gloved hands. From close, she notices that it is flushed like hers from the cold, because even though he is used to it, he is not immune and her heart aches for him. If she hadn't said that and he hadn't blurted out, she wouldn't have known. She wants to cry.
"You didn't deserve that, Eugene."
"I can take it, Punzie. I was and am used to it." He gives her a strained smile, tired, wet eyes looking at her softly, trying to comfort her.
But Rapunzel won't allow it, even if she appreciates it. He can hug her later, as they snuggle under the warm blankets, away from the cold of the world.
But now? This is about him.
"Eugene, listen to me. I am used to being isolated, but that doesn't mean I deserved it or deserve it. You said so yourself. And just because you're used to the cold doesn't mean you don't deserve a coat. You always deserved basic necessities; you were a child, no matter how unruly or loud you were. More than a need, you were denied a comfort, and that's not right."
Rapunzel can see the beginnings of tears at the corners of his eyes, and she is angry. These words of basic kindness should not reduce him to this. Eugene deserves better, and she will make sure he gets it.
"No, look at me, Eugene."
"This is embarrassing, Punzie, please let me look away."
Rapunzel's hands falter on his wet face, but her voice doesn't. "If you want to turn your head away because you really don't want me to see you cry because it makes you uncomfortable, I won't stop you. But there's nothing to be ashamed of, a few tears won't make my love dissolve, you know that don't you?"
Rapunzel's eyes glaze over, and she needs to blink several times to clear them.
"Punzie? Are you crying?" His voice is hoarse and worried.
"Of course I am! I'm angry and sad for you! I love you and I don't like you thinking you don't deserve anything less than the world." And without even thinking about it, she wraps her arms around him. Eugene hides his head in Rapunzel's neck, and considering the height difference, his neck and back will hurt later, but neither one cares.
"...I guess we can cry together, Sunshine," murmurs Eugene into her shoulder. Rapunzel feels the tears wet her shoulder, but her tears wet his hair as well. So they're even, she supposes.
...Sunshine?
Rapunzel tenses, her face growing hot. Eugene lifts his face from her shoulder, pulling away slightly so he can look into her face.
"Punzie? All right?" His face is stiff and wet from crying, and Rapunzel never found it more beautiful.
"...Yes, you...you called me Sunshine." She squeals, hiding her face in her hands, embarrassed.
"...Don't you like it? I can call you Princess or Sweetheart, or Goldie or—."
Rapunzel squeals louder. "I, I like it. Very much. Very much, very much. I love you very much you know."
Rapunzel grabs him again by the face, and this time kisses away every tear still clinging to her boyfriend's face.
Eugene sighs, surprised, but doesn't pull away from her. She takes it as a victory.
"Thank you, Darling." He gives her, for what is the first time since they've been walking, a real smile.
One of Eugene's cold hands runs a lock of her face. And without thinking, Rapunzel grabs it.
"Punzie?" He looks confused.
"Wait a little bit,please. When we get to the castle, I swear I'll order you the biggest coat closet on the entire planet. But for now—," she says, as she slips one of his gloves into Eugene's hand. "—this should do it."
Eugene looks at her, his jaw dropping in surprise and his eyes sparkling.
"But...won't you be cold, Punzie? You said it, it's your first winter, I don't want your hands to get cold."
Rapunzel just smiles.
"It won't, see? If we hold hands with the ones without gloves, we'll warm them enough until we get to the castle. Do you think so, my prin
ce?" Rapunzel looks at him under her eyelashes, and knows she won.
Eugene looks at her, blushing but glowing with happiness. "Of course, Love of my life."