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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

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[fatesdesign]

“I know,” Rapunzel says to Pascal once the call ends, leaning over the sofa to press a kiss the scaly top of his head. He saw the worst of it after Peter disappeared, laid with her while she cried and cried, so it’s no surprise that he’s nervous, too. “I think he might be worth the risk.”

He huffs and nuzzles against her cheek, then hops up onto her shoulder so she can go into the kitchen. She busies herself with filling the kettle and putting it on the stove, then taking some cookies out of the pantry. She makes a little plate of fruit and mealworms for Pascal, putting down in his private little nook in an empty cupboard. He grumbles a little bit goes easily, climbing into his little hammock and snatching a grape with his tongue.

“I love you,” she tells him, and he squeaks it right back at her. She smiles at him and pours water into mugs, dropping a tea bag into each just as there’s a knock at her door. She swallows hard and takes a breath, patting at her cheeks before going over to answer it. She’s still in a white tank top and purple sleep pants, but it’s too late to change, now.

“Hi,” she says as she opens the door, looking at him almost shyly. “Come in.”

[insteadofwords]

"Hi."

Despite his best efforts, he still looks like a guy who was in bed half an hour ago. Reflexively, he pushes a hand into his hair, combing it to one side as he steps into the apartment.

His hands itch to touch her, but he's already told himself that, in this, everything that happens is going to be guided by her. She likes him. It's enough.

[fatesdesign]

Keys comes inside and Rapunzel shuts the door against the late night chill, shivering a bit as she turns to look at him. His hair is a charming mess, sticking up wildly in places, and she itches to get her fingers into it.

“Hi,” she says again, fidgeting a bit before giving into the urge to press up onto her toes and throw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly with her cheek pressed to his chest. “Thank you for coming. And I’m sorry that Sweeney scared you. If it makes you feel any better, he’s pretty much like that with everyone.”

[insteadofwords]

She hugs him, her breasts pressed against him and, guiltily, he wishes he wasn't wearing a sweatshirt. He wraps his arms around her, squeezing her gently.

"Of course I came," he says. "And, honestly, I was more scared that I'd upset you than I was of him."

His heart is hammering in his chest. He tries to ignore it.

[fatesdesign]

It’s a sweet thing to say, especially considering how intimidating Sweeney can be, and she gives him another squeeze before pulling away from him. Even though she doesn’t really want to.

“You didn’t upset me,” she assures him, shifting her hair back over one shoulder as she looks up at him. “I got upset, but it wasn’t your fault. I didn’t mean for you to feel like that.”

She gestures for him to go sit on the sofa and then goes to grab their tea, carrying them out and setting the mugs down nervously on the table. “Um, do you need sugar or anything? Oh, and I have cookies if you want.”

[insteadofwords]

"It's okay. It's done. I'm here."

Dimly, he registers how she looks in what she's wearing and resolves to keep his eyes on her face. "The tea is fine. Just... just come and sit with me, okay?"

[fatesdesign]

“You’re here,” she says, nodding a little and then smiling at him. He asks her to sit so she does, twisting her hair in her hands nervously as she comes around the coffee table to sit down next to him, her knee touching his as she twists a little to face him.

“I haven’t kissed anyone since Peter,” she blurts out, heart pounding as she stares at his face. “I never even thought about it and when you tried to kiss me, I just— I kind of freaked out. I should have explained myself or at least not ran out like that. I’m sorry.”

[insteadofwords]

It all comes out of her in a rush and, after a moment, Keys shifts his hand and squeezes her knee gently, hoping that the touch is reassuring.

"Don't apologise for that," he says, gently. He takes his glasses off and hooks them over the neckline of his sweater. "You told me about him. I should have been more thoughtful."

[fatesdesign]

His hand goes to her knee and she places her own on top of it, squeezing as she meets his gaze and gives him a watery smile.

“No, it’s okay,” she assures him, patting his hand before reaching up to rub quickly under her eye. “I just— I needed to process some things that I hadn’t really confronted yet.”

She bites her lip and looks at him thoughtfully, trying to decide on the right thing to say. “It wasn’t the wrong thing. Maybe just the wrong moment.”

But there will be other moments, she hopes.

[insteadofwords]

It takes him a moment to parse what she's said, but then he nods, a bright smile spreading across his face. He ducks his head, reaching for his tea.

"Pretty sure that other moments can be arranged," he says.

[fatesdesign]

“Yeah?” She asks hopefully, feeling her cheeks lift as she grins. There are butterflies in her stomach and while she still misses Peter fiercely, it’s nice to feel like that again.

“I just— I need to know that you understand that I’m still healing,” she says, because she knows that it’s important to be honest. “He’s always going to be important to me, even though he’s not here anymore. And— and if that’s too much, I totally get it.”

She’s babbling nervously and she reaches up to wipe at her eyes again, since she can’t seem to stop tears from welling up. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

[insteadofwords]

"I don't think I either," he admits, squeezing her knee again as he takes a sip of his tea. "I...Believe me, I understand that. Back home. There's...somebody. We're not together. We're never going to be together. But I've loved her since I was like...nineteen, and she's always going to be important to me. So. I guess neither of us are coming into this with a clean slate." He tilts his head and, for a moment, he lets himself take in the whole of her.

"That's alright with me if it is with you."

[fatesdesign]

As Keys talks about this girl he loves, Rapunzel listens intently and nods along, finding herself feeling almost relieved, like a weight has been lifted. It’s a sad story, him never able to be with her, but Rapunzel is relieved because that means that he understands. He won’t fault her for reserving a piece of her heart for someone else, because he’s doing the same.

“It’s the girl you made the game with, right?” Rapunzel asks with a sympathetic smile, thinking back to that conversation now that she has this information, and it seems obvious.

Her smile widens a bit and she rests her hand on top of his again, sliding it up to curl loosely around his wrist. “It’s alright with me.”

[insteadofwords]

"Her name's Millie. Mills." He wonders his obvious he is, that she was able to put it together that easily. The only other person who's ever managed that is Moira, his big sister."

She touches him again and Keys feels his face get warm. It's not from the tea.

"So what do we do now?" he asks.

[fatesdesign]

“You were just so… lit up when you were talking about it.” Rapunzel explains, thumbing at the soft skin at the inside of his wrist. “At the time, I thought it was just the game you were so passionate about, but she seemed like a good guess.”

It feels like a weight has been lifted, like some of the pressure has been taken off of her, and she laughs at the question, cheeks pink as she shrugs.

“I have no idea,” she says with a giggle. “What so you want to do?”

[insteadofwords]

The touch is barely there, but he can feel it all over his skin anyway. Now that they're here, on the edge of something, he feels a little dizzy with it.

"Honestly? I'd like to kiss you again, but I'm also absolutely happy to wait for, like, a formal invitation."

[fatesdesign]

She laughs again, but it’s not at him. It’s a nervous, happy laugh, because he’s adorable and sweet, and it feels a little like she’s climbing to the top of a tall tree even knowing how badly it’ll hurt if she falls.

“Well, the mail system here is kind of slow, so.” A flush spreads down her neck and to her chest, disappearing under her shirt as she bites her bottom lip, letting her gaze dip to his full mouth.

Like Sweeney said, she can love Peter and have this, too. It’s not all or nothing. It’s not a bad thing to want.

“Keys.” She smiles softly and leans in a little. “I formally invite you to kiss me.”

[insteadofwords]

Part of him had been expecting her to say that she still wasn't ready and he would have been alright with that, he really would, but then she says that and a shiver goes all of the way through him. He takes a moment, taking his glasses off his sweater and putting both them and his tea down on the table. He leans in, eyelashes fluttering, his fingers coming up to skim along her jaw as he presses his mouth to hers. It's gentle, at first. Chaste. It's a start.

[fatesdesign]

It’s so sweet, the way he looks nervous, and the way he touches her face. She feels a flutter of nerves as he leans in and she closes her eyes as his lips touch hers.

She appreciates that he doesn’t dive right into it, because she does like him, but she’s kind of the type to want to take things slow even if she weren’t still hurting.

It’s a nice kiss, slow and chaste but full of promise, and Rapunzel pulls back only long enough to shift the angle a bit before kissing him again, reaching up to touch the side of his neck.

[insteadofwords]

He feels the moment she starts to kiss him back and, slow and soft as it is, it sends a shiver straight through him. His hand stays where it is, cupping her jaw, and he lets her set the pace. He'd be pretty content to kiss her like this for hours. His free hand finds the curve of her waist.

[fatesdesign]

Rapunzel does her best to stay present, rather than thinking about what she’s lost, or could lose again, and it’s easy to do because it feels so nice to be kissed.

His hands are so big and Rapunzel hums her approval as he squeezes her hip, shifting her hand to the back of his neck and shuffling closer. It’s obvious that he’s taking his cues from her, which only makes her feel more affectionate toward him.

“You’re really sweet,” she says once she breaks the kiss, nudging her nose against his playfully. “And very cute.”

[insteadofwords]

"I try," he says, and means it. That's all he's ever done, really -- tried not to be an asshole, not to make choices that would make his sisters ashamed of him. Her top has ridden up and he brushes the pad of one finger against her bare skin as he presses another kiss to her mouth.

"You're just... You're so beautiful."

[fatesdesign]

"Stop," she says with a soft laugh, feeling her cheeks flush at the compliment. She puts her hand on his thigh to brace herself as she shifts closer to him, then lifts it to the back of his neck, kissing him again as she slides her fingers up into his thick hair.

His hand feels so big against the small of her back, fingertips brushing the bare skin above her waistband in a way that makes her shiver.

[insteadofwords]

He makes a soft, dissenting sound in the back of his throat.

"Can't. Sorry." She shifts closer, and he's so intensely aware of her hand on his thigh, the fact that she could so easily be in his lap. He's so intensely aware, also, of the fact that he's wearing sweatpants and that doesn't really give him much room to hide. He feels her shiver against him, his hand stilling in the small of her back. "Is that okay?" he asks, bending his head again to smudge a kiss at the corner of her mouth, along her jaw.

[fatesdesign]

The answer makes her giggle, and she smiles at the question, pleased that he checks in with her. She's still so inexperienced with this, having only ever been with one person, but she likes being touched. She likes sex, like a lot, even if she's not sure that she's ready for that yet.

"Maybe just-- hands stay above the waist for now?" She suggests, because that feels okay to her. More than okay, and she sighs contentedly as his mouth travels along her jaw, tipping her head to the side to give him better access.