{Tangled belongs to Disney.}

It was a lovely night. The breeze was soft, the crickets were soothingly loud, and the grass was surprisingly comfortable.

But Rapunzel hardly breathed – she was afraid she'd wake up Eugene. She had her back turned and couldn't really tell if he'd even shifted, but she felt that if she moved a muscle it would wake him up, even if he was across the campsite.

Mother had those kinds of reflexive instincts. Maybe Eugene didn't.

But Rapunzel didn't feel like testing it out. Some sort of fear was tickling her throat and she had to figure out what to do about it. If Eugene woke up and asked her what was wrong she wouldn't be able to process it clearly.

It wasn't really even fear, when it came down to it.

She hadn't lied when she told Eugene – Flynn this morning – that she had decided to trust him. And she certainly wasn't afraid of ruffians and thugs anymore. And somehow thoughts of the plague and quicksand were not very concerning at the moment.

It was Mother's voice echoing in her head.

"Look at you...you think that he's impressed?!"

Well...she had, a little.

Eugene had looked impressed back in the tunnel. Like he hadn't measured her up correctly before the encounter with the thugs. Like there was much more in her than just an annoyingly determined kid.

And it felt good - happy and warm and sparkly.

But maybe all guys who were coerced into going on death-defying adventures with you made you feel that way. How would she know?

She had no way of knowing.

After all, it didn't sound like a good idea to put all your faith in a happy and warm and sparkly feeling. But she wanted to.

Rapunzel hadn't had a lot of experience with people but she was certain he liked her at least as a person. He had told her his backstory...and she wouldn't be surprised if she were the first person he'd ever told.

She knew he didn't wish any harm on her.

But would he stay if she gave him his satchel back? Maybe the day had changed her more than it had changed him.

Maybe he really just wanted to get his precious satchel back and hit the road – the road headed away from the kingdom and the floating lights.

Okay. So maybe it was fear.

But maybe it was more than the fear of being abandoned on a road she had never traveled before or the fear of what she would do after seeing the lights (How could she ever go back to Mother now? After tonight's conversation? After Mother had basically told her she was a fool for ever attempting this journey and that Eugene would ditch her once he got the satchel back?), it was…well, it was the fear of losing her first real friend (excluding Pascal, of course). A friend who made her all happy and warm and sparkly.

She would hide the satchel for now. She would give it to him – she would – but when she had seen the lights. When she had a plan. When she wasn't so emotionally vulnerable.

She'd figure it out. After all, so much could happen in one day.

She felt better with that thought in mind, even if it didn't quite reach her heart.

And after forever, or maybe fifteen minutes, her eyelids finally shut and she slipped into a misty dream where firelight and deep backstories made her feel snug and needed.

If you enjoyed that check out my other Tangled oneshots, Don't Spare Me and Your Dream Stinks! And let me know your thoughts - would you like this to become a twoshot? :)