December 20
Gift: Fanfic
Author: inahs
Fandom: Tangled
Rating: K
Eugene couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned for hours, trying to find a comfortable spot. Rapunzel however slept peacefully, the rise and fall of her chest and her light snoring indicating her deep slumber.
He envied her. How could she sleep so soundly while he’s still awake? He tossed and turned some more about five times until he gave up. He had enough of this. So he decided to go get a drink. Maybe if he drank some warm milk, it’ll make him sleepy. He pulled off the covers and rolled out of bed, careful not to wake her up. He put on his robe, tiptoed across the room and carefully closed the door behind him.
The hallways were empty, save for a few guards keeping watch. As he approached the kitchens, his eyes scanned over to the Christmas tree in the living room adorned with ornaments of the finest glass, draped in tinsel and lit with candles on every branch. They picked out this tree just a few weeks ago. It was just a plain tree but they picked out the biggest one they could find. Eugene remembered it well. It took them hours to pick one because Alex and his daughter Rose were being picky about it. Then Alex decided to be sneaky and threw a snowball at his dad. So of course Eugene threw one back, which hit Alex squarely in the chest. Rose decided to join in on the fun to defend her little brother. It didn’t end well.
Rapunzel scolded him for throwing snowballs at his seven-year old son. Truthfully, Eugene had wanted to say Alex started it but before he could get a word out they ambushed him. In his defense, they had the element of surprise on their side and he knew Rapunzel planned it. He’ll get her back eventually though. He’s just biding his time.
While he studied the tree again, he noticed some movement on the floor near the presents. His eyes flickered over to the gift wrapped packages and then to someone who was laying down on the rug. He stepped around the couch and realized it was Alex snuggled up with his favorite teddy bear, his brown tufts of hair sticking out from underneath his blanket.
“Hey little guy. What are you doing up?” Eugene asked.
“I’m waiting for Santa,” Alex replied.
"Alex we’ve talked about this. Santa is not going to come if you don’t go to bed. It doesn't matter if you stay up all night. He won't bring you the presents unless you are asleep," he said.
"How do you know?" Alex asked.
Eugene sighed, having gone over this conversation a hundred times. "Because he told me."
"How could he have told you if he's been at the Northpole working on the toys all this time?"
Eugene went rigid and stuttered a bit before he came up with what he thought was a good enough explanation. "Because he visited me over the summer. He was on vacation and decided to go visit one of the islands and he asked me which island had the best beach. He and I go way back. We've been friends for years."
Alex raised an eyebrow, and for a moment Eugene had a sense of deja vu. It’s the same look he gave to Rapunzel that day in the tower when she told him that she keeps her promises.
Did Alex watch him give that look to someone else and that's how he got it? Or is it hereditary? Eugene didn't know. What he did know is that it freaked him out a bit.
"What? Don't you trust your own father?"
Alex just stared at him some more. Well Eugene did have one trick left up his sleeve.
"Ouch! Oh no!” He gasped, one hand pressed against his heart. “My heart. It’s breaking. Why do you do this to me Alex?” He staggered backwards until he fell back on the couch. Alex just rolled his eyes.
Eugene seriously needed to come up with something new. His kids are way too smart for their own good. But he’s still proud of them knowing that in the future they won't buy anyone's crap.
"What's going on in here?"
Eugene turned around at the sound of her voice, knowing instantly who it was.
"Mommy! We're waiting for Santa!" Alex replied.
"Oh sweetheart, Santa won't come unless you're in bed," Rapunzel said.
"But I want to see him."
"I know but part of being a good boy is going to bed early like all other good little boys do. If you're up all night, he won't come because he wants you to get your rest. You don't want to make Santa worry do you?"
"Well...no."
"Good. Now let's get you to bed." Rapunzel walked up to him and took his hand as he got up.
Eugene sat there stunned. How did she do that? He practically said the same thing. Well almost. He followed them as she lead the way to Alex’s bedroom.
After Rapunzel tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Eugene did the same and whispered a goodnight. While they walked back to their room, he couldn’t help but ask.
“How is it that you could get him to bed and not me?"
"Because you have to give kids a reason why they need to do what they’re told. And because he listens to me," she said smugly.
"He listens to me too and I did give him a reason."
"Well, apparently, it wasn't a good one."
He grumbled.
"Oh come on Eugene. Admit it, you spoil him too much."
"I do not."
"Yes, you do. You're always giving him what he wants."
"Oh and you don't spoil our kids?" He crossed his arms.
"No, I don't."
"What about that time Rose was crying so much you bought her that doll?"
“She wanted that doll for days, Eugene.”
“So you gave in to her just because she wanted it?”
Now Rapunzel was the one stumped. "Well, what about that time you let Alex play with Pascal despite the fact that we agreed he's not allowed to play with him until he learns that playing Operation does not mean getting your pocket knife to see if Pascal changes colors on the inside too."
“How was I to know he was going to play that game and use my pocket knife? I hid it now so he couldn’t find it.”
“Well then you didn’t hide it very well because he did it again the other day.”
Eugene grumbled some more. Alex is in so much trouble. But he's not going to punish him on Christmas day.
He sighed again. Okay so maybe he did spoil Alex a bit.
“Alright, fine. I guess we both have spoiled them.”
Rapunzel didn’t want to give in just yet but she knew he was right.
Growing up, Gothel didn’t buy her many gifts. They lived a humble life and Gothel never bothered to celebrate Christmas so she didn’t get to have the same experiences as other children had. The same experiences she promised she’d give to her children.
“But can you blame us if all we want is for them to have what we didn’t?”
Eugene didn’t have much of anything growing up either. He lived in an orphanage where you had to share everything with about a hundred other kids. When Rose was born, he too made a vow to give his kids what he never had.
“Yes, very true. Besides, it’s not our fault those little rascals turned out so cute. I mean look at us.”
She giggled. “I guess we should try to discipline them more.”
“Well I still have my old belt we could use.”
“Eugene!” She slapped his arm.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he held up his hands in surrender. “You know I would never do that.”
She smiled, satisfied.
Once they were back in bed and snuggled up against each other, he couldn’t help but tease her some more.
“Or maybe we could just use Pascal to give them wet willies.”
He earned another smack from her.
Well it was worth a shot.
Author: inahs
Fandom: Tangled
Rating: K
Eugene couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned for hours, trying to find a comfortable spot. Rapunzel however slept peacefully, the rise and fall of her chest and her light snoring indicating her deep slumber.
He envied her. How could she sleep so soundly while he’s still awake? He tossed and turned some more about five times until he gave up. He had enough of this. So he decided to go get a drink. Maybe if he drank some warm milk, it’ll make him sleepy. He pulled off the covers and rolled out of bed, careful not to wake her up. He put on his robe, tiptoed across the room and carefully closed the door behind him.
The hallways were empty, save for a few guards keeping watch. As he approached the kitchens, his eyes scanned over to the Christmas tree in the living room adorned with ornaments of the finest glass, draped in tinsel and lit with candles on every branch. They picked out this tree just a few weeks ago. It was just a plain tree but they picked out the biggest one they could find. Eugene remembered it well. It took them hours to pick one because Alex and his daughter Rose were being picky about it. Then Alex decided to be sneaky and threw a snowball at his dad. So of course Eugene threw one back, which hit Alex squarely in the chest. Rose decided to join in on the fun to defend her little brother. It didn’t end well.
Rapunzel scolded him for throwing snowballs at his seven-year old son. Truthfully, Eugene had wanted to say Alex started it but before he could get a word out they ambushed him. In his defense, they had the element of surprise on their side and he knew Rapunzel planned it. He’ll get her back eventually though. He’s just biding his time.
While he studied the tree again, he noticed some movement on the floor near the presents. His eyes flickered over to the gift wrapped packages and then to someone who was laying down on the rug. He stepped around the couch and realized it was Alex snuggled up with his favorite teddy bear, his brown tufts of hair sticking out from underneath his blanket.
“Hey little guy. What are you doing up?” Eugene asked.
“I’m waiting for Santa,” Alex replied.
"Alex we’ve talked about this. Santa is not going to come if you don’t go to bed. It doesn't matter if you stay up all night. He won't bring you the presents unless you are asleep," he said.
"How do you know?" Alex asked.
Eugene sighed, having gone over this conversation a hundred times. "Because he told me."
"How could he have told you if he's been at the Northpole working on the toys all this time?"
Eugene went rigid and stuttered a bit before he came up with what he thought was a good enough explanation. "Because he visited me over the summer. He was on vacation and decided to go visit one of the islands and he asked me which island had the best beach. He and I go way back. We've been friends for years."
Alex raised an eyebrow, and for a moment Eugene had a sense of deja vu. It’s the same look he gave to Rapunzel that day in the tower when she told him that she keeps her promises.
Did Alex watch him give that look to someone else and that's how he got it? Or is it hereditary? Eugene didn't know. What he did know is that it freaked him out a bit.
"What? Don't you trust your own father?"
Alex just stared at him some more. Well Eugene did have one trick left up his sleeve.
"Ouch! Oh no!” He gasped, one hand pressed against his heart. “My heart. It’s breaking. Why do you do this to me Alex?” He staggered backwards until he fell back on the couch. Alex just rolled his eyes.
Eugene seriously needed to come up with something new. His kids are way too smart for their own good. But he’s still proud of them knowing that in the future they won't buy anyone's crap.
"What's going on in here?"
Eugene turned around at the sound of her voice, knowing instantly who it was.
"Mommy! We're waiting for Santa!" Alex replied.
"Oh sweetheart, Santa won't come unless you're in bed," Rapunzel said.
"But I want to see him."
"I know but part of being a good boy is going to bed early like all other good little boys do. If you're up all night, he won't come because he wants you to get your rest. You don't want to make Santa worry do you?"
"Well...no."
"Good. Now let's get you to bed." Rapunzel walked up to him and took his hand as he got up.
Eugene sat there stunned. How did she do that? He practically said the same thing. Well almost. He followed them as she lead the way to Alex’s bedroom.
After Rapunzel tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Eugene did the same and whispered a goodnight. While they walked back to their room, he couldn’t help but ask.
“How is it that you could get him to bed and not me?"
"Because you have to give kids a reason why they need to do what they’re told. And because he listens to me," she said smugly.
"He listens to me too and I did give him a reason."
"Well, apparently, it wasn't a good one."
He grumbled.
"Oh come on Eugene. Admit it, you spoil him too much."
"I do not."
"Yes, you do. You're always giving him what he wants."
"Oh and you don't spoil our kids?" He crossed his arms.
"No, I don't."
"What about that time Rose was crying so much you bought her that doll?"
“She wanted that doll for days, Eugene.”
“So you gave in to her just because she wanted it?”
Now Rapunzel was the one stumped. "Well, what about that time you let Alex play with Pascal despite the fact that we agreed he's not allowed to play with him until he learns that playing Operation does not mean getting your pocket knife to see if Pascal changes colors on the inside too."
“How was I to know he was going to play that game and use my pocket knife? I hid it now so he couldn’t find it.”
“Well then you didn’t hide it very well because he did it again the other day.”
Eugene grumbled some more. Alex is in so much trouble. But he's not going to punish him on Christmas day.
He sighed again. Okay so maybe he did spoil Alex a bit.
“Alright, fine. I guess we both have spoiled them.”
Rapunzel didn’t want to give in just yet but she knew he was right.
Growing up, Gothel didn’t buy her many gifts. They lived a humble life and Gothel never bothered to celebrate Christmas so she didn’t get to have the same experiences as other children had. The same experiences she promised she’d give to her children.
“But can you blame us if all we want is for them to have what we didn’t?”
Eugene didn’t have much of anything growing up either. He lived in an orphanage where you had to share everything with about a hundred other kids. When Rose was born, he too made a vow to give his kids what he never had.
“Yes, very true. Besides, it’s not our fault those little rascals turned out so cute. I mean look at us.”
She giggled. “I guess we should try to discipline them more.”
“Well I still have my old belt we could use.”
“Eugene!” She slapped his arm.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” he held up his hands in surrender. “You know I would never do that.”
She smiled, satisfied.
Once they were back in bed and snuggled up against each other, he couldn’t help but tease her some more.
“Or maybe we could just use Pascal to give them wet willies.”
He earned another smack from her.
Well it was worth a shot.