Antigravity (Flynn Rider x Reader)

IX

Published: December 9th, 2021

You freeze. How did your mother find you? The door is cold against your ear.

"Stay back!" Rapunzel says. The terror in her voice spreads through your veins.

"Rapunzel? What's going on?" Reina asks groggily.

"Rapunzel. We're going home. Now," Mother demands.

"No! You don't understand. I've been on this incredible journey and met these incredible people!" Rapunzel exclaims.

"You're coming with me," Mother repeats. You hear a struggle.

"Wait! Stop that!" Reina says worriedly.

You fling the door open just as Mother draws her knife on Rainy, her other hand holding Rapunzel. You've never seen Mother like this.

"Stop!" you shriek. Eugene goes to take the knife from Mother before she turns it on him, and with every intention of using it. You remember your frying pan and whack her over the head with it, one eye closed. She crumples and releases her hold on Rapunzel.

"What just happened?" you yell. You hear muttering from behind you and spin on your heel to see a crowd of tired tavern patrons gathered on the other side of the open door.

"What just happened..." you whisper. You turn around and remember the knife. Reina was thinking the same thing. You watch her pocket it.

"In case she wakes up," she explains.

"Okay, the party's over. Someone call the guards to get this lady out of here," Eugene instructs the crowd. Twenty or so minutes later, your mother is dragged off by the guards.

"Wait," Rapunzel says. "Where are you taking her?"

"To the dungeon for the night," one of them answers. She nods and sits down on one of the beds. You sit next to her, followed by Rainy and Eugene.

"What just happened?" you ask for the last time. Rapunzel trembles.

"She woke me up and told me I was in danger. She said she could save me, but I would have to go back home with her. She was being sweet and motherly, like normal. But then she said that Rainy was going to hurt me, and I told her no... and she got angry," Rapunzel says, leaning into you. You stroke her hair and shush her.

"I would never hurt you," Rainy says, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know," Rapunzel says, her voice cracking.

"Hey, Reina?" Eugene says quietly. "You're not gonna sell me out to the guards, are you?"

"No," she says firmly. "I was going to... but we're a team now, aren't we?"

"Yeah," you smile. Rapunzel finally breaks down.

"She was going to kill you guys," she sobs. "Mother was going to kill you guys. She's the bad guy."

You stay numb, absently shushing your little sister. Mother was going to take Rapunzel and leave you, proving your suspicions. She was willing to hurt people just so she could have her favorite daughter by her side. Stay numb. You have to stay strong for Rapunzel.

"What do we do now, (y/n)?"

~+~

You wake up the next morning to Rainy gently shaking you awake.

"Um... sorry. We've agreed that we have to go somewhere else. She's going to be released soon," she says. Remembering the events of last night, you quickly roll out of bed.

"Where? The forest? We won't be safe. We won't be safe anywhere. She'll hurt you. She'll probably hurt me, seeing as the only person she cares about is Rapunzel," you blurt out -- and instantly regret it.

"Wait, no. I didn't mean that," you say quickly. Rapunzel gives you a sad smile. You have to stay strong for Rapunzel.

"I wonder why she was acting like that," she says, changing the subject. You're grateful for that.

Eugene has been quiet a lot recently. You make eye contact with him and he holds your gaze. You admire his features; the way his eyebrows lift slightly when you look at him, the way his hair delicately brushes against his forehead, the way his jaw comes to soft points by his ears.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Rainy says. Your eyes dart toward her and you look down sheepishly.

"I said, 'we should ask the king and queen for help'. They hold court on Wednesdays, which happens to be today."

"Damn, I thought it was Sunday," Eugene says sarcastically.

"Why not?" Rapunzel says. "But what would we ask?"

"I don't know, shelter? Safety?" Rainy says.

"Yeah, that makes sense," Rapunzel says distractedly.

"You okay?" Rainy asks.

"Just reliving last night," Rapunzel says, shrugging. Rainy hugs her and Eugene wiggles his eyebrows at you. You grin. A few moments later, Reina steps back awkwardly and clears her throat.

"We should get going now, to um, get ahead of the line," she says.

"Yeah. Yeah, we should," your sister says, brushing her hands on her dress.

"Hold on," you say. "You're all forgetting something."

"What?" Reina says.

"We're traveling with a wanted criminal. I don't really think going to a castle packed with guards who have been looking at his wanted posters all day is a good idea. Plus, if they decide to check the satchel, they'll find the missing crown," you explain.

A few minutes later, you're stuffing the satchel with provisions: flasks with fresh water, plenty of bread, and some apples.

On your way out of the kingdom, you stop by the marketplace and think about how perfect everything was yesterday. But no, it wasn't. Stop it. You have to be strong for Rapunzel.

Reina buys a knapsack and packs it with some knit blankets and a tarp. She also buys three more knives; one for each of us. A little boy walks around, selling miniature Corona flags. Eugene steals one, giving it to you.

"We'll come back and see the lights," he says in your ear as he walks past you. You ignore the flutter in your heart.

And with that hopeful notion, the four of you leave Corona to go camp in the woods.

You have an awful feeling that you won't get to see the lights with Rapunzel.