Title: Plans

Rating & Warnings: G, none

Word Count: 817

Summary: He wasn't going to make a big deal about it, but he had to do something.

*Plans*

He wasn't going to make a big deal about it, but he had to do something. After all, it was not every day one turned eighteen. Eugene's own eighteenth birthday had been a regrettable, forgettable affair involving an empty barn, a random farm girl he'd met hours before at a pub, and copious amounts of stolen alcohol - a literal roll in the hay.

Today's kind of the biggest day of my life, that's what she'd told that obnoxious horse this morning after he'd rudely woken Eugene up from a most pleasant slumber.

He wanted Rapunzel's eighteen birthday to be special and memorable. He wanted to make her happy. For reasons, he couldn't quite fathom, that had all of a sudden - in the span of one night - become really important to him.

They were approaching the kingdom now, just a narrow, bridge's length away from the promised land. She was a few steps ahead of him - eager to get across the cobblestoned overpass - when she turned around and mouthed wow to him, her face all aglow, teeming with excitement.

He'd been here countless times before on "business trips," but he'd never once stopped to really look at the place. To admire the architecture and all the little flowerboxes overflowing with summer blossoms. She was right, it really was wondrous.

He decided he would take note whenever Rapunzel's eyes showed interest in something - Rapunzel's eyes always showed interest in something - and he would make sure to pause for her so she could inspect whatever it was that had caught her attention. He would wait patiently for her to run around and take it all in to her heart's content. He wouldn't rush her.

Eugene racked his brain and tried to think of everything he knew about the tiny island kingdom. It wasn't much. Of course he knew gobs about the layout of the throne room where he'd stolen the crown, about the path and rotation of the guards on duty, and the fact that the ceiling tiles could easily be removed allowing one to enter the room from above, if one were so inclined. But he didn't think Rapunzel would be interested in details like that. Or maybe she would be. Rapunzel - he'd discovered - was full of surprises.

Telling her tidbits about the kingdom, seemed very important to him right now. He could make educated guesses for her benefit on exactly who lived where and what kind of work they did and what was in the different buildings and shops they passed. That was the best he could do for her right now. And maybe that could be enough. Maybe if he did just that, Rapunzel would be pleased with his knowledge, however limited, and reward him with her smile. He couldn't get enough of that smile. It did funny things to him, like speed up his heart. Making her smile had suddenly become very important to Eugene.

He knew there was a small bookstore near the fountain. He had gone in there once or twice to do "research." He would steer her into it. She seemed to like books. She'd certainly shown interest when he'd told her about his favorite novel. He could pull out an atlas and point out to her all the places he'd traveled to, impressing her with his worldly knowledge. He wanted to impress her. He very much wanted to impress her.

And he'd need cake. It wouldn't be a true birthday without a birthday cake. There had to be a bakery in there somewhere. And he'd even pay for it. She would be pleased with him if he did the honorable thing and paid for it.

Then there were the lanterns. She'd been dreaming about them her whole life, that's what she'd told him. He had to get her the best seat in the house. He'd nick a boat for her - - a small gondola - well more like borrow it from its owner, leave some coins behind when the man wasn't looking. He was all for doing the honorable thing, but it was impossible to find an unchartered vessel on this late notice.

"It's lovely," she declared when they had reached the gateway, as if she wasn't the loveliest thing in it.

Eugene hummed contently as they crossed the threshold. He wanted her to have a good time, to enjoy her first visit to the kingdom. And suddenly - in an unexpected pang of possessiveness - it seemed very important to him that he would be the one to show it to her.

He wanted to make this the most memorable night - most memorable birthday - of her life. He had an idea, a plan, on how to accomplish just that. He just needed to find a way to ditch his four-legged parole-officer.

He wasn't going to make a big deal about it, but he would do something for her.

AN: I figured Eugene must've done some advanced planning before the whole Kingdom Dance montage.