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[insteadofwords]

He wouldn't admit to being scared, but he's definitely a little bit shaken by his run in with Rapunzel's friend at the mall. Yeah, he'd screwed up when he kissed her, but he'd honestly thought that everything was okay between them, but then he'd had his...conversation with Sweeney and now, honestly? He's not so sure.

He turns it over and over in his head and then, finally, after dinner, he pulls out his phone to send her a message.

Did I do something? x

Comments

[fatesdesign]

His soft lips touch her forehead and Rapunzel relaxes against him, sighing happily and closing her eyes. It feels so much better, reminds her that he likes her because of who she is, not what she can do.

Keys teases her and she opens her eyes to tip her head back and smile up at him, nose scrunching slightly.

"Thank you, sir," she tells him, squeezing his hand. "And I think-- well, I think that we just need to be kind to ourselves with this. Ourselves and each other."

[insteadofwords]

"Yeah, that sounds...Yeah." He strokes his thumb against her skin, head tilted so that he can look down at her. "Kind sounds like the way to go. Just...be kind and make sure we're talking to each other, and...Yeah. We'll see."

God, he wants it to work out.

[fatesdesign]

"We can take it slow, feel it out," Rapunzel says with a nod, squeezing his hand. They're both bringing a lot of baggage into this, a lot of loose threads to pick at, so that's the smartest way to do it, she thinks.

The heart wants what it wants, but she's been through enough that her head is a little louder now.

"We'll start with a date," she says with a smile, lifting their hands to kiss Keys' knuckles. "Like people do."

[insteadofwords]

"How does dinner sound?" he asks, his cheeks flushing, lightly, when her lips brush against his knuckles like that. He'd had his mouth on her breast a few minutes before but, somehow, that slight touch feels incredibly intimate. "Somewhere quiet? We can go somewhere really nice if you want an opportunity to dress up? Or just burgers or something. I basically don't care as long as you're there and happy."

[fatesdesign]

"Dinner sounds great," she tells him, smiling wider the more he speaks. "Somewhere nice, I think. I do love dressing up. But not too nice, because those places make me feel awkward and they're far too expensive."

She squeezes his hand and then smiles at him again, holding the tip of her tongue between her teeth. "I'll be there. And I'll be happy."

[insteadofwords]

He smiles in response, warm and broad, his hand still twined around hers. He tilts his head.

"Definitely sounds like a date," he says. He pauses, his eyes darting down to her mouth. "Can I...is it okay if I kiss you again?"

[fatesdesign]

The question makes her blush, and she finds him asking at all very romantic. She bites her lip and nods quickly, smiling and leaning in a bit closer to him.

"You can kiss me," she assures him, tilting her chin up expectantly.

[insteadofwords]

She's so pretty when she blushes like that that it actually makes him feel a little giddy. She leans in, tilts her chin and he lifts his free hand, fingers skimming along her jaw as he leans in to kiss again. Like before, he keeps it light, chaste. He's detirmined not to rush her.

[fatesdesign]

Keys kisses her softly and Rapunzel hums, eyes falling shut as she puts her hand on the side of his neck. She can feel how easy it would be to fall into this, to let him touch her all over, and while a part of her wants that very badly, she knows that it'll smarter to take their time and not rush into things. She wants to do this right, if she's going to do it.

She knows that he respects her, and that he'll let her set the pace, so she deepens the kiss a little, touching the tip of her tongue to the seam of his lips briefly before pulling away and smiling at him.

[insteadofwords]

He's holding himself back so hard that his hands are trembling, finely, when she breaks the kiss and leans back. He makes a soft sound and leans in, pressing his forehead lightly against hers.

"I...should go home," he says. "Because, if I don't, it's going to get harder and harder to take this slowly." He brushes his thumb against her cheek. "And I want to do this right."

[fatesdesign]

"I know what you mean," she says breathlessly, reaching up to clutch at his wrists as he touches her face. She kisses him again, brief and soft, and then takes his hands in hers as she stands up from the sofa.

"Okay, okay. You go home," she tells him, smiling up at him once he stands. "I'm-- I'm really glad you texted me earlier."

[insteadofwords]

"Yeah," he says, curling his arms around her shoulders and tugging her in against his chest for a moment. He waits until she pulls back enough that he can press a kiss to her forehead, rather than drop it into her hair. "Me too."

Reluctantly, he pulls away from her. "I'll text you in the morning, okay?"

[fatesdesign]

He hugs her and Rapunzel returns it eagerly, squeezing him tight. He kisses her forehead and it feels deliberate, like he'll remember what she's asked and take it to heart, even if he doesn't understand it, and that makes Rapunzel just feel more confident in her decision to try this.

"Please do," she tells him as she presses up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Text me when you get home, too, okay? It's so late and I want to know that you're home safe."

[insteadofwords]

"Yes, your majesty," he says, affectionate, gently teasing, bending to press one more kiss to the corner of her mouth before he turns to go.

"I'll text you as soon as I'm through the door," he says.

[fatesdesign]

"Goodnight, sweet prince," she says with a playful roll of her eyes, pushing him out the door and resting her temple against the edge of it as she watches him leave. once he's out of sight, she shuts the door and then lets out a loud giggle, stamping her feet a bit before running toward her bedroom.

"Pascal! Come here!"

They have a lot to talk about.