Hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to read important author's note in the end.

Shush

A Tangled Fanfic

"Eugene" she whispered.

A wisp of light peeked through the curtains of their room, casting a golden reflection on the bed. Rapunzel smiled dreamily and placed her hand on Eugene's cheek, listening to the sound of his breathing, the peaceful heaving of his chest. Everything was quiet in the castle and Rapunzel had been the first to climb out of her bed, just in time to ran to the other side of the castle and sneak into Eugene's room. His clothing were scattered all around the floor, the tips of his muddy boots hidden beneath the fallen blanket that Eugene managed to unwrap from in the middle of the night. Rapunzel smiled at the chaos and started to fold his clothing, laying it out on the top of a chair nearby. She then proceeded to clean his boots and polish them, placing them near the door. All those tasks she did with a smile on her face because the simple fact of touching his vest and smelling the perfume that emanated from his shirt were enough to make her grin with joy; for the love that she felt for that man who lay in the bed with an angelical expression was big enough to fill her heart with the most simple little things.

A few minutes later, Eugene moaned from under the blankets. Rapunzel climbed the bed and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Good morning, you sleepy head." He answered her comment with a smile and his hand poked out of the bed to gently caress her neck. She closed her eyes while he traced a line from her jaw to her shoulder and playfully inserted a finger beneath the strap of her nightgown. She giggled and pulled his hand away, flashing a "you'll-have-it-someday" smile. Eugene smiled in return and forced himself up to met her lips. He slowly kissed her, lingering on her lips, his hand playing with her short brown hair. And the castle remained quiet as they kissed, the whisp of light slowly warming up the bedroom, inviting them to go outside.

"That's enough, Eugene" she said, still smiling, pulling away from the kiss.

And then the strangest thing happened.

Eugene's mouth moved but no sound came out. He tried again but only a faint gasp, a shirll sound slipped through his lips. Panicking, Eugene straightened on the bed and reached for his throat, and tried to speak again. But only silence met the room and Eugene, distraught, threw his hands around his neck in hopelessness.

"Eugene, calm down" Rapunzel said, trying to retain her composure. She grasped his hands that desperatly tried to reach out for something; anything to hold on to. He gasped again, as if he was trying to puke, loudly inhaling air as if it could unclog whatever could be stuck in his throat. But no sound was heard.

"Let me get you out of that shirt" she started to unbutton his damp shirt but as she did, tears started to run down her face in desperation and in panic. She didn't know what was happening to him. Last night he was just fine, playing cards with her and their friends next to the fireplace. The last words he had spoken to her had been "good night, my love" and when that memory rang painfully in her head more tears wet her eyes and she found out that she was sobbing like a child.

When she finally managed to take out his shirt, horror struck her hard and both of them stopped breathing.

Black marks scattered around Eugene's chest and throat – blurred dark stains that formed patternless figures and ran up to his shoulders and down to his wrists. Where skin remained intact Rapunzel could detect the glittering of his sweat. When she looked to meet his gaze she saw the tears that brimmed his eyes and with a sob, she held out her hands for him and reached for an embrace, burying her face in his neck and inaling his moist scent as if she was doing it for the very last time.

Without words, Eugene stood motionless, one hand caressing Rapunzel's hair and the other one touching the protuberant marks on his chest. He felt thoughtless as if with his speech all other emotions had vanished. He wasn't exactly searching for answers or for an explanation. Death's cold grip was taking over him, he thought, and so he was starting to search for all meaning in his life – and there it was, crying in his arms.

"Eugene" she managed to say and raised her head to search for life in his eyes. He returned the look and the corners of his eyes wrinkled, in a smile. He touched the markings of his chest again, searching for pain or discomfort. Feeling none, he gently grabbed Rapunzel's shoulders and pulled her away. Parting his lips, he soundlessly spoke to her: "I am not going to die."

She understood his words and calmed herself down. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Rapunzel inhaled deeply; but as she started to inspect the markings that patterned his chest, she saw Eugene's eyes fixed on the wall behind her. And when she looked back, all air left her lungs and her heart felt suddenly heavy.

A black line was moving up and down the wall, slowly forming words. And when it finally stopped, she painfully recognized the writing:

"The Thief is to be hanged for his crimes."

It was Gothel's writing.

A/N: I leave it up to you guys: should I continue this or leave it as a one-shot?