Rating: PG? Maybe?
Category: Angst, Romance
Fandom: Tangled
Summary: But, now that she had memorized the entire castle layout and the celebration had passed, Rapunzel was left with one undeniable fact: she was the lost princess.

  It was almost too much.

With a sigh, Rapunzel flopped on the closest chair. She couldn’t understand why, exactly, she was feeling this way; she had everything she wanted: freedom from Gothel, a homecoming with her real parents, love from Eugene.

And yet...

There was a small, but undeniable part of her that was completely and utterly overwhelmed with everything that had happened over the past two weeks since her birthday.

The celebration of her return had been an effective distraction from the almost suffocating pressure that threatened to surround her. She had lived in a tower, away from the world, for eighteen years. And while Rapunzel considered herself far from weak and helpless, she knew that when it came to learning how to run a kingdom, she had a lot to learn.

Her parents had been more than understanding, allowing her to roam the castle on her own to discover and connect with everything she had missed during her captivity. The king and queen had given her more freedom and shown more trust towards Rapunzel in the short time that they had been reunited than Gothel had throughout her entire life.

But, now that she had memorized the entire castle layout and the celebration had passed, Rapunzel was left with one undeniable fact: she was the lost princess.

Occasionally, she wished she hadn’t told Eugene about her true origins and had followed him on his next Flynn Rider inspired adventure. But, she had told him and now she was stuck with the aftermath of that decision.

"I would offer a duit for your thoughts, but I do happen to know how much money is in the royal treasury, so I think they’re worth a guilder or two."

Rapunzel turned to Eugene, who had somehow managed to sneak into the library without her knowledge. He leaned against the fireplace with a cocky-Flynn-Rider grin on his face.

She shook her head, her lips not curled into anything resembling a smile. "I’m afraid they aren’t worth that much."

Suddenly, all traces of Flynn Rider were gone. Concern swirled on Eugene’s face. "Hey," he said, approaching her, "what’s wrong?"

Closing her eyes briefly, she answered, "Everything? Nothing?" She shrugged softly.

Eugene knelt in front of her and took her hand into his own. "A little too much?"

She sniffed. "You could say that."

"Everything will be fine," he said encouragingly. "You are the kind of person who isn’t afraid of ruffians, thugs or using a frying pan against dashingly handsome surprise visitors. Becoming a princess will be a piece of cake."

She looked at him suspiciously and said nothing.

He appeared to think for a second before snapping his fingers. "I could whisk you away on one of my infamous adventures, but that would just confirm what I bad influence I am," he said with a wink.

She let out a soft laugh, which she assumed was his purpose all along.

"Rapunzel." All traces of humor in his voice were gone.

She raised her inquisitive gaze to him. "Yes?"

He caressed her cheek softly. "Nobody is expecting for this to be easy for you. Take all the time you need. You are a princess worth waiting for."

Several seconds passed as she considered his words. It was so different than how it was in the tower with Gothel! Expectations to live the way Gothel wanted was ingrained so deeply in Rapunzel’s mind, the idea of being free, to live how she wanted seemed impossible to believe.

She brought her hand up and covered his. "You really think that?" she whispered hopefully.

"Well, I am still waiting around despite the fact you turned down my proposal," he replied good-naturedly.

"Eugene..."

He lifted his hand away from her cheek and held it up briefly, dismissing her would-be apology. "Hey, I understand why you said no. You had just saved my life and hadn’t given your ‘by the way, I’m the lost princess’ speech to me yet. But, really, Blondie, after that kiss you gave me how could I not ask you to marry me?"

She felt a blush creep on her cheeks. Someone in the castle might hear him! "Eugene!" she hissed.

A deep chuckle escaped at her embarrassment. "The point is, the kingdom loves you, your parents love you, I love you. We will all be here for you while you go through this. This is your journey, Rapunzel, but you are not alone."

She swallowed thickly. No, she wasn't alone. But, unlike the repressive Gothel, the people who now surrounded her were there to encourage her to be the person she wanted to be and loved her for who she was.

"Thank you, Eugene," she said sincerely. As she leaned forward, she weaved her fingers in his hair and pulled him forward. Their lips met each other halfway. As the kiss lasted, Rapunzel felt the worries and demands fall away. She would become the princess, in her own time, and her loved ones would be with her, supporting her throughout the process.

But, for now, she wanted nothing more than to spend time with the man she loved. Royal duties would be there when she was ready for them.

"I have something to show you," she said, pulling away from Eugene. With a sly smile, she pulled the top book off the rather large stack on the table and held it up so he could see the cover.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Is that..." He sat on the floor as he took the book from her hands.

"The Tales of Flynnigan Rider," she said proudly. "The royal library has just about every book you can think of. When I found it, I knew I had to show it to you. And I was sort of hoping..." She slid down on the floor next to him. "...that you could read it to me."

An assortment of emotions passed over his face: surprise, embarrassment, hope, and joy. "I’d like that," he said with a slow grin growing on his face.

She leaned her head on his broad shoulder, relaxed and at ease for the first time since the reality of being the lost princess dawned upon her.

He looked over at her and dropped a kiss on her hair before opening the book. "Once upon a time, there was a man named Flynnigan Rider. There was no adventure that was too great or dangerous for the bravest man on earth…"