By Irith Ayllistira

Shush

Chapter III - Forever

Eugene slowly opened the door to Rapunzel's room. The dim candle light placed on top of her nightstand cast blurred shadows on the wall and curtained her bed with darkness. She was already tucked inside the sheets, with a small book on her lap. Her white, translucent nightgown showed the curves underneath and Eugene couldn't help but blush at the sight of Rapunzel's porcelain skin.

She smiled when she noticed him on the doorstep. Indicating him to enter, Eugene made his way across the room and sat down on Rapunzel's bed, taking her hand into his. Feeling the weight of the notebook inside the pocket of his jacket, he averted the thought of having to write to communicate with her. After all, Rapunzel was a talkative girl and he felt that since he lost his voice, she was losing the joy of talking to him, probably feeling that even if he wrote back, he wasn't able to keep the pace of their conversation.

He slowly traced his thumb along her jawline. He wanted to touch her, to feel her next to him; their distance was consuming him. He had been so close to marry her and now all of their plans had been spoiled by that event. He didn't need his voice to marry the love of his life! He didn't need his voice to be a good prince-consort – but the laws of the kingdom said otherwise and he felt unworthy of provoking and displeasing Rapunzel's parents.

Rapunzel wasn't reacting to his touch. He caressed her neck but she kept staring constantly at her lap. Eugene felt a big knot forming on his throat: what was happening to her? Would she stop loving him because of what was happening?

Eugene softly lifted her chin and their eyes met. His lips formed a single word: "Speak."

She avoided his piercing gaze; ignored his single, oh so consuming word. Frustrated, Eugene reached for the notebook inside of his pocket but Rapunzel's hand darted towards his own fingers to stop him from touching his jacket.

"I hate this, Eugene" she finally said. Her voice sounded hoarse, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time. "I hate the situation we are in. I just – I can't stop thinking that she is somewhere—out there, trying to hurt you."

Eugene flashed a reassuring smile. She wasn't comforted by the sight of it.

"You don't understand. Moth—Gothel is capable of great, terrible things. She held me there me for eighteen years just to use my hair. She kidnapped me, took me away from my parents, my crown, my people – just to be young and live forever. She is a very selfish woman and I can't imagine—I can't imagine what she is capable of. Specially for revenge."

She let him take the notebook out of his pocket. Now more used to write his quick messages, Eugene's hand flew on the paper.

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me."

"You have been saying that for the past three days but I can't help it. I can't help but worrying about your future."

Her hand traveled from his collarbone to his chest. She pressed her palm against his body, feeling the rough black marks underneath his shirt. They had called the most prestigious doctors and they couldn't even detect the origins of those marks, further remove them.

Eugene held her hand, feeling her warmth. Oh, how he wanted to cry out loud his love for Rapunzel! – and how he regretted that he didn't say "I love you" as much as he wanted to. The words, the whole concept of "Love" seemed different when he had no way of exposing his feelings to her. It would never fit in paper. It would never fit in written words. No testament could hold the enormity of his love for her. He feared that now that he was voiceless, she would never truly understand what he truly felt.

"I want to show you something."

She read the note suspiciously.

"What?"

Eugene leaned towards her and kissed her. It wasn't a gentle or soft kiss but rather a brutal, desperate one, a kiss that fought to consume in seconds all the hopelessness that he was feeling. She didn't respond at first but suddenly her fingers grasped his collarbone, her breath heavy with the urge of becoming his. She proceeded on unbuttoning his shirt while Eugene tugged at her nightgown, wishing to completely rip it off and feel the warm, smooth skin underneath.

When Eugene gathered enough sense to stop tugging at her clothes and simply remove them, he succeeded in reaching for the first button when Rapunzel froze in his embrace.

"Stop it" she pulled away and leaned on the headboard, panting heavily. Her whole face was red with embarrassment and desire. Gathering herself together and slipping the first pearl button under its case, she sighed and dropped on the pillows.

"We can't do this."

The thought of having to use his notebook to ask why was too much for Eugene to endure. His pride was breaking down with his own situation. He instead formed the word with his lips, as he did whenever he had to say a single or pronounceable word.

"We can't do it before we get married" she blushed even more.

He was puzzled at her sentence.

"No one will know" he quickly wrote.

Rapunzel looked around as if searching for the small book that had been thrown aside in the process. When she reached for it, she sighed.

"Eugene, I—There are things that I don't know how to do."

The smile that he flashed her wasn't genuine or kind.

"There isn't much science behind it, sweetie."

"That's not what I mean!" she pouted, angry. "What I mean is... I can't do it because—"

"Because I can't talk."

"No, Eugene! That's not it!" she reached for his hands, holding them in hers "I swear to you, Eugene, that to me, your lack of voice doesn't define you. Since we met, I've always felt that you spoke more when you looked at me rather when you truly talked."

He couldn't help but smile at that. Softly removing his hand, he scribbled something.

"Then why can't we?"

Rapunzel sighed again and combed her hair with her fingers.

"I don't know when we will get married, Eugene. I don't know when all this mess will get fixed. But I know one thing."

He looked at her, apprehensive.

"I can't marry with a big baby-tummy showing up under my dress."

If he had a voice, he would have laughed at her words and also at her frown. Feeling a sudden burst of adoration and love for that little, petite girl, he embraced her tightly, now more concentrated about smelling her sweet, husky perfume than rather feel the soft curves of her body.

"Can you wait for me?"

He pulled out of the embrace.

"Until the end of time."

Gothel looked at the paintings on the wall. Her eyes slowly traced the contours of Rapunzel's artworks. The tower looked shady and smelled of moist, mold and rust. It was damp with shadows, dark memories and desperation. It was damp with Rapunzel's screams and damp with the remains of the thief's blood – and Gothel loved the feeling of all of those things.

She reached for the doll on the pocket of her cape. It was a man's figure, with dark hair and dark eyes and a scruffy goatee. He had a smirk written on his face, but the cloth texture of his chest was bloated with dark stains, and a needle pierced the centre of his throat. Gothel smiled at the sight and threw the plush over the dust-covered surface of a table nearby. Capturing the glimpse of her own face on a shard of the old, broken mirror, she admired the deep wrinkles that formed around her eyes and the corners of her mouth.

After all, she had been able to live, but never again she would have her youth back.

But it didn't matter anymore. She didn't want her soft skin, her bright eyes or her perky breasts anymore. Oh no. Now she was driven by something much more darker.

Looking at the voodoo-doll, she chuckled.

She was now driven by revenge.

A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was so much fun. Tell me what you think of it, I love to read your comments and reviews! Thank you for all the feedback on this story and on "Hanging", I'm so glad you're liking both of my projects so far.

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