Hanging

Hanging

Eugene wasn't a very spiritual guy, but he had to admit that the world worked in mysterious ways.

He had wanted a castle, and gotten it. Along with a lost Princess who had him wrapped around her little finger, a fact he would deny until the day he died. Well, he day he dies again.

Sometimes life gives you more than you bargained for, and it's best to not ask questions and roll with the punches.

Making his way throughout he castle, he was embarrassed to admit he still got a little bit lost in the enormity of it all. It had barely been a few weeks, but he still didn't like the idea of getting lost. Thankfully his target was hard to miss, the castle's largest tower which was visible from nearly every window in the palace.

Rapunzel was currently in the mist of a major project. Seeing the abandoned tower, she had taken it upon herself to turn it into her own personal utopia, working to fill it to the brim with paintings, books, knick-knacks, and whatever else tickled her fancy.

After he had helped her gut it out, together they unscrewed the door off its hinges. Unlike her previous tower this was her domain, not her prison.

Making his way across the courtyard, Eugene squinted up at the overcast sky. It was lousy weather, and he learned that rainy days around the palace were particularly boring.

Walking through the entrance of the tower, he instantly noticed a long rope in the middle of the room. Following it upwards, he saw Rapunzel, curled around the rope as she painted the highest wall, Pascal napping on the pegs holding her paints peacefully.

A now familiar wave of nervousness swept over Eugene, an emotion he often felt due to Rapunzel's naive ideas. While he understood that climbing her hair for years had made her rather agile, but there was a big different between her 70 feet of magical hair and an every day rope.

He thought of all the terrible things that could happen to her as she painted. He was ripped from his morbid and panic inducing thoughts as a dirty wash cloth landed on his head. Instantly looking up as he wiped the filthy rag away, he saw Rapunzel laughing at him from above. Some time during his crisis, she had adjusted the rope into a makeshift swing, sitting comfortably above him.

"Well, don't you look pleasant," he joked, trying to shake off his nerves.

"I was just finishing up," she smiled, adjusting the rope yet again. "Hold up, I'll be right down."

Eugene swallowed hard as she readjusted the rope and slide down in front of him. He grimaced as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Yikes, doesn't that hurt?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "Father showed me that it's better to use chalk when dealing with double braided ropes, since it avoids rope burns."

"Good call," he looked up to see how her paintings were progressing. "Wow, you've been busy. It's a regular Sistine Chapel in here."

"I'm almost done with the ceiling," she explained excitedly, pointing out her favorite parts of her painting. "I'm going to work my way down around the walls and eventually to the ground-floor."

"What are you going to do when it's done?" he asked, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her.

"Y'know, I'm not sure," she answered earnestly, biting her lip. "It took me a really long time to fill up the old Tower, so I'm sure I'll figure it out by the time I'm done with this."

He nodded, looking around as he admired her work. He had always felt guilty that he was too busy being knocked out and stabbed to really appreciate the murals in her old Tower.

"You want to help?"

"What?" he asked, turning to her as she smiled, her freckled noise covered in paint.

"Do you want to help me?" she repeated, picking up an extra brush.

"Um...I'm not sure," he laughed nervously. "I'm not nearly the artist you are."

"It's okay," she handed him the brush. "I'd like to see your work here too."

He smiled slightly, looking upwards wondering where or what he could paint without ruining her walls too much.

"I'm gonna need a ladder."

"The ladders in here aren't tall enough," she explained, handing him her extra coil of rope. "You're gonna have to use rope and climb."

He looked down at the rope, up at her, then down at the rope again. Raising his eyebrow he silently said, 'You're joking, right?'

"Here," she said, taking one end of the rope from him. "I'll climb ahead and tie this to one of the support beams so you can get up."

"Uh...okay...sure."

Climbing with surprised skill and speed, Rapunzel quickly made it to the top of the tower. After the rope was secure, she gave him the thumbs up. Nodding dumbly, he tied one end of the rope around his middle, climbing upwards easily. When he got to the point where he wanted to paint, he hung lamely.

"So, uh...how do I paint like this?" he asked, feeling silly just hanging from the ceiling."

"Here," Rapunzel said, outreaching her arms with small buckets of paints hung, her brushes snugly behind her ear. "Pick your colors and hang them on that peg across from you. You can secure yourself with your legs to use both your hands if you want."

As he placed the colors he figured looked the best, stupidly he lost his grip on one of the colors' handles. He was able to catch hold of the handle with his foot, however, kicking it upwards and catching it gracefully. Looking up at Rapunzel, he rose an eyebrow.

"That was impressive, wasn't it?" he smirked.

"More like a fluke," she laughed. "You're having a bit of trouble with this, aren't you?"

"Not my fault you're insane and can't use a ladder like a normal person," he said, handing her the recused bucket which she placed on her peg gingerly, Pascal still snoring from the resting spot. "I still dunno what to paint though."

"Do whatever you want," she smiled, closing one eye and measuring the wall with her thumb. "Is there anything you're really good at sketching?"

"Well, I was pretty good at chalking up maps for heists."

"Then paint a map," she leaned back, facing him upside-down as she hung from the rope like a monkey. "Get creative!"

He shrugged and began sketching a map of some mythical place. He figured she asked for it, so she couldn't get mad at him for messing up her mural. Suspended from the support beams, the two of them painted in comfortable silence.

A roar of thunder crashed and the two of them looked up at the ceiling as the sound of rain echoed from the roof.

Placing her paints and brushes gently on her pegs, Rapunzel adjusted her rope and hung gently, staring up at the ceiling. From below her, Eugene went back to his painting. Paint was smeared on his face, as his tongue stuck out in concentration, engrossed in his work.

"Eugene?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm happy you're here with me."

"I'm happy to be here with you," he shot her a grin over his shoulder. "Kinda wish I wasn't suspended seven stories by only a rope though."

"I don't mean just the painting," she smiled, climbing down slowly so she was facing him. "I mean for staying with me through...well, everything."

"Eh, what can I say," he smirked as he placed his bucket and brush away so he could take hold of her hand. "Hanging with you is surprisingly a lot better than getting a tan on some lonely island."

Pulling her towards him, he leaned down to cover her lips with his. She sighed as he moved into small caresses against her lips. Letting go of her hand, he reached for her back, pulling her towards him, as his other hand held onto his rope. His foot coiling around tightly for adding security. He felt her move closer to him, running one hand through his hair, and her other hand...wait her other hand?

Their kiss broke suddenly as she scrabbled to grab hold of him, clenching her arms around his neck as he grabbed her from behind, still holding onto his rope as if for dear life. From above them, Pascal squeaked in sleepy confusion, wondering why they both needed to be on one rope.

"Sorry," she managed as they swung slowly, taking a deep breath to calm her erratic breathing. "Totally forgot about the whole rope thing."

"Yeah, kinda an issue," he looked down, growing uneasy about their situation. "I think it's time we get some taller ladders."

"Think so?"

"Yup," his grip on her tightened as he kissed her forehead. "I love you, but dying a second time is not on my agenda."