“You comin’, blondie?”

Haepunzel gripped his blonde hair tightly, his feet just several inches away from the edge of the window pane. He peered down anxiously, the green of the grass down below so bright and inviting. He could see Euntyrone making slow progress down the side of the tower, using two arrows to guide him down the brick slabs, grunting all the way. He strayed his attention back at the view.

“Look at the world, so close, and I’m halfway to it.” He sang under his breath, about to leap out into the great unknown if he wasn’t holding his hair to pull him back. “Look at it all, so big, do I even dare?” He continued before moving his gaze to the inside of his tower, specifically the mural above the fireplace. “Look at me, there at last! I just have to do it.” Haepunzel now looked a bit hesitant. “Should I?” He furrowed his eyebrows. “No. Here I go.”

Henry peeked out from underneath his golden mane to see the view. Haepunzel glanced at him just in time to see the tiny chipmunk tying a small strand of hair around his waist as a seatbelt, causing the boy to chuckle.

The thief nearly released his arrows in fright when he saw a flurry of yellow shoot out from the tower and continued down onto the ground behind him. Euntyrone only got a few seconds to duck his head out of the way when he noticed Haepunzel sliding down on his own hair. The boy giggled excitedly, the rush of the wind whooshing through his figure and causing his satin shirt to fly up, giving the world (including Euntyrone) a glimpse of his pale stomach. If the man blushed from top to bottom at the view, well, he’s not gonna say so.

Before Haepunzel could reach the ground, he gripped his hair tighter, causing him to abruptly stop just half a meter above the earth. His big, brown eyes studied the grass carefully. He managed to gather up his wits and slowly uncurled himself to stretch a foot towards the dirt. His left toes felt the soft grass first, followed by the whole foot and the other. His golden hair sprawled onto the ground, and he giggled in delight. Haepunzel wiggled his toes at the amazing feel of the dewy grass.

The boy went onto his knees and let his fingers roam the dirt. “Just smell the grass! The dirt! Just like I dreamed they’d be!” He let his whole body slide onto the grass, inhaling the scent and making sure his whole body memorised it. “Just feel that summer breeze, the way it’s calling me.” Haepunzel stood up to follow a flurry of dandelions that got airborne from the wind, causing him to step into the stream. “For like the first time ever, I’m completely free!” A little bird managed to catch his attention, and he followed it towards the tunnel separating him from the tower and the rest of the world.

“I could go running, and racing, and dancing, and chasing, and leaping, and bounding, hair flying, heart pounding, and splashing, and reeling, and finally feeling.” He burst out of the tunnel on the other side, eyes meeting a series of tall trees and bushes and everything he had been expecting to see and more while he was inside the tower. “That’s when my life begins!”

He ended with a flourish, and with an excited yelp he spun around in circles joyfully. “I can’t believe I did this!” Haepunzel looked distressed for a second. “I can’t believe I did this.” His eyes regained the excitement it lost for a moment and he yelled out into the world, “I can’t believe I did this!”

Realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. “Mother would be so furious.”

Euntyrone’s next hour was passed watching Haepunzel go through a series of terrifying mood changes as he tried to set his mind on if what he was doing was the right thing. The thief saw him talking to himself on a rock in the middle of a small lake, scrunch himself into a ball to freak out inside a dark tunnel, run and scream (and causing a stupid leaf to poke itself into Euntyrone’s left eye), somehow managed to climb onto a tall tree branch to sulk, roll down a hill and got himself wrapped in his own hair, cry into a meadow of dandelions, swing around a thick tree trunk by using his hair as a rope, and finally sob into his hands while his hair draped itself around slabs of rocks. Euntyrone felt like crying himself by then.

Instead, because his masculinity was stronger than Haepunzel’s, he just cleared his throat to announce his presence and crouched down next to the sobbing mess. “You know, I can’t help but notice you seem a little at war with yourself here.”

Haepunzel wiped his eyes and peered at the man. “What?”

He waved a hand and stood back up to his full height. “Now, I’m only picking up bits and pieces, of course. Overprotective mother,” he stuck out a hand to emphasise his point. “Forbidden road trip, I mean, this is serious stuff.” 

“But let me ease your conscience.” Haepunzel looked up at him with teary eyes. “This is part of growing up. A little rebellion, a little adventure–that’s good, healthy even!” Euntyrone noticed the boy’s rodent managed to climb it’s way onto his shoulder and easily swiped it off.

Haepunzel let out a small chuckle while wiping his nose. “You think?”

“I know. You’re way over-thinking this, trust me.” He rested a foot on top of the small rock Haepunzel was leaning against. “Does your mother deserve it? No.”

The boy shook his head in agreement.

“Would this break her heart and crush her soul? Of course. But you just got to do it.”

The smile on Haepunzel’s face was close to gone now. “Break her heart?”

Euntyrone plucked out a grape sticking out in between the boy’s long hair. “In half.”

“Crush her soul?” Haepunzel said, mortified.

The man pinched the grape in his fingers. “Like a grape,” he said nonchalantly.

“She would be heartbroken, you’re right.” Haepunzel said as Euntyrone pulled the boy back up onto his feet. 

“I am, aren’t I. Oh, bother.” He left Haepunzel’s side to get the boy’s skillet. “All right, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m letting you out of the deal.”

Haepunzel looked at him with horror. “What?”

“That’s right. But don’t thank me.” He picked up the frying pan with one hand and Henry in the other, effectively squeezing him in the process. “Let’s just turn around and get you home-” Euntyrone stuck the pan underneath the younger’s underarm. “- your pan-” and dropped Henry onto his shoulder. “-and your rat.“ He then wrapped an arm around his small shoulders and pushed them all back from where they came from. “I get back my satchel, you get back a mother-daughter relationship based on mutual trust and voila! We part ways as unlikely friends.”

Haepunzel finally gathered up his thoughts and shoved the man with an arm. “No! I am seeing those lanterns!”

“Oh, come on! What is it going to take to get my satchel back?!” Euntyrone huffed in frustration. He shut up when Haepunzel lifted the frying pan at his face.

“I will use this,” the boy said as menacingly as he could.

A sudden movement coming from a nearby bush surprised all three of them, and Haepunzel let out a gasp before throwing himself onto Euntyrone, wrapping all of his limbs around the taller man. “Is it ruffians? Thugs? Have they come for me?!” he freaked with his frying pan poised towards the thicket.

They waited in suspense before the ruffling stopped and a rabbit popped out, it’s round eyes staring up with curiosity. Euntyrone looked at boy hanging onto him for dear life with a blank expression. 

“Stay calm. It can probably smell fear.” 

new chapter ;u;

alright, our haepunzel has finally left the tower! i can't wait for the next chapter, because it's gonna involve the 'i got a dream' song c: hope you all like this chapter! comment and subscribe <3