the rapunzel plot with lohen. except that lohen is rapunzel and reader is flynn rider/eugene.
tw: stabbing, mentions of blood and death
rapunzel!lohen who isn't actually stuck in the tower and being gaslit by his 'mother'. he's been sneaking out ever since his hair grew long enough and figured out her schedule just so he could get back in time. they also look nothing like each other. how can she claim to be his mother? does she think he's stupid?
rapunzel!lohen who knows why mother has kept him close. his magical hair helps to keep her young and lohen can't help but respect the means she's taken to do so. he personally thinks it's rather pointless and unsustainable in the long run.
rapunzel!lohen who used to think mother's excuses were amusing, but they've grown repetitive over the years and now he's bored. the outside world is far more interesting and he wants out.
rapunzel!lohen who continues to stay, however, because he just wants to "mess with the hag" and "pay her back" for taking care of him. but once he's had his fun, he'll leave forever and cut off his hair. the upkeep is quite a hassle. he'll miss using it to bungee jump off the tower though.
rapunzel!lohen who stores various handmade knifes, poisons, anything that can be used as a weapon high up in the small corners where mother can't reach, but he can. while she's not at home, lohen does target practice, close combat with the daggers and creates poisons through trial and error.
who does he test them on you ask? himself of course. might as well put his powers to use.
rapunzel!lohen who befriends a black widow spider and names her charlotte. at first, he wanted to see if he could harvest her poison but the thing scuttled around so fast that he couldn't catch her. (lohen also tripped on his hair multiple times.)
the cat-and-mouse chase went on for a few days before lohen baited her out with a fly he sniped on the wall. charlotte took it and in the end lohen decided not to harvest the poison as thanks for the thrill she provided him. plus, he'd rather talk to her than mother. hence a friendship was formed.
rapunzel!lohen who, while lounging up in the air, hears someone enter the tower. it's not mother as she would always call for him to hoist her up, so who is this intruder?
rapunzel!lohen who from his vantage point sees you skulking around the room, looking cautiously from left to right. once you deem the coast clear, you clutch your satchel close and visibly exhale. whatever's in there must be important to you, and lohen finds himself wanting to know what it is. oh, and to teach you a lesson. breaking and entering is so very rude.
rapunzel!lohen who drops down without a sounds and presses a blade to your throat, smiling as you freeze up and drop the bag. he kicks it to one side and addresses you.
"no sudden movements, alright? unless you want to die. though, i don't have any problems fulfilling that particular wish if you have it."
"let's all just relax, okay?! no need for drastic measures!"
rapunzel!lohen who ties you to a chair with his hair and interrogates you. it's funny how you try to charm him into freeing you, flirting by using lines that hold no meaning to him. it gives lohen a good laugh especially when he turns the tables. a simple touch there, a light brush here and you've turned as red as a tomato.
rapunzel!lohen who figures out you're a thief on the run pretty easily. you didn't hold up well against the knife he was brandishing in your face and the threat of charlotte biting you was the nail in the coffin. what lohen doesn't expect is how you had the guts to steal from the royal family, a crown belonging to the lost prince at that. honestly, it's earned you some brownie points with him.
rapunzel!lohen who cuts a deal with you. bring him to the mondstadt city you speak of and he'll spare your life. lohen's never managed to travel that far as he doesn't know the way and had to get back on time to not raise mother's suspicions. but since you are familiar, you can bring him there. it's about time he left the tower for good anyways, he's done all he wants to already. to no one's surprise, you agree (reluctantly).
rapunzel!lohen who revels in the screams you let out as he propels the both of you down the tower. a hand around your waist and the hair securing you guys tightly together, the wind rushes past his ears as you wrap your arms around his neck with a death grip. once on solid ground, your legs give out and you collapse.
"wasn't that fun? the wind in your hair, the view as we dropped down... ah, how exhilarating! maybe we should go again!"
"no way! are you crazy?! i felt like i saw barbatos himself for a moment there..."
"careful with that mouth of yours. remember, your life is in my hands~"
"and you need me to lead the way. so maybe you should focus on keeping me alive??"
rapunzel!lohen who endures many trials and tribulations with you. you two meet some hooligans who start singing about their dreams, almost drown in a collapsed cavern and even meet a horse with a vendetta against you. all in all, this is the most amount of action lohen's had his entire life. if being with you can give him such experiences, he doesn't want to let you go just yet.
plus, lohen hasn't told you his dream yet.
one night, by the fire, a heart-to-heart took place.
"yeah, so that's why i wanna make loads of money so i can retire on a small little island where no one knows me."
"how practical. gotta say, that's very on brand for you."
"what about you, princess? what's your dream?"
"first of all, don't call me that again. second, i don't have one."
"you don't have one? why did i tell you mine then?!"
"i didn't tell you to. you said it yourself."
lohen's never really thought about what he wants in life. all he was focused on was getting revenge on mother and leaving, he didn't care or think about what happens after. furthermore, dreams will only be dreams. how many people have been lucky enough to fulfil them?
compared to false daydreams, lohen would much rather focus on the here and now.
"well, how about this? when you've thought of one, i wanna be the first to know."
"...sure. you'll be the first i tell."
"you're getting serious huh? fine, pinky promise."
rapunzel!lohen who finally arrives at mondstadt city with you. unexpectedly, the annual windblume festival is in full swing. streamers line the eaves of houses and petals are thrown everywhere on the streets. children laugh and weave through stalls selling food and drink. the atmosphere is bright and lively.
rapunzel!lohen who watches as you call over a few children to braid his hair. they make a game of it, going under thick stands and hopping as if playing jump rope. various wildflowers are placed as well and even though he's never been one for aesthestics, lohen can't deny that they've done a good job.
you seem to like it too, with the way you keep staring at him.
"flies will go into your mouth if you don't pick up your jaw from the ground."
"is that so? keep doing it though, it's cute."
rapunzel!lohen who enjoys the festivities with you. stealing cupcakes, drawing on the stone paths using chalk, and playing darts at one of the game booths.
lohen enjoyed the last one most. not only did he make a clean sweep of all the targets, the impressed look on your face did wonders to his ego. the stall owner didn't seem too pleased with him though. whatever, all that matters is you.
strange. when did he care about how you think of him?
rapunzel!lohen who gets dragged into the kingdom dance. his philosophy is that if he has to do something he doesn't like, he will pull someone else to suffer with him. in which case, congratulations! you are that poor, unfortunate soul.
rapunzel!lohen who quickly got into the tempo of the dance, spins and twirls with the other citizens of mondstadt alongside you. the music swells and descends around him and he switches partners with each beat. lohen catches glimpses of you every now and then across the crowd, his heart thumping faster each time he sees the grin on your face.
as the music reaches its close, the two of you finally meet each other. you bump into him with full force, hands in his and breathing heavily.
your cheeks are flushed pink and lohen can see the beads of sweat rolling down the side of your face, yet all he focuses on is the jovial spark in your eyes. it lights a similar spark inside his heart and for some reason, lohen can't look away, greedily taking all that he can of this view of you.
for a moment, time seems to stop as lohen mutes out the cheers and applause. he doesn't even realise he's leaning in until you move first, apologising in that soft voice of yours and looking away.
uncharacteristically, lohen apologises too and places his hands behind his back.
"what a bunch of idiots we are." he thinks, as he flexes both hands and wrings them together, his skin still tingling from the brief contact.
rapunzel!lohen who, come twilight, gets into a boat with you and rows out into the water near the dock. above, countless lanterns float in the sky, carrying with them the wishes of the people.
rapunzel!lohen who releases two lanterns, one for each of you. as they float up to join their companions, lohen looks back to you. the glow on your face is absolutely radiant and he finds himself unable to think or breathe.
how troublesome, you are. who knew the thief who broke into his tower so long ago would cause such feelings inside him?
true, you're nothing like the princes they write about in fairytales who come to save the princesses, but lohen never claimed to need saving.
instead, he finds himself preferring a rogue who will go along with his whims and allow him the freedom to do as he pleases. a companion who will watch his back and support him as he charges ahead. someone like you.
"it's beautiful, isn't it?" you sigh, eyes up towards the glimmering lights.
"yes, it is." lohen replies, eyes directed at you.
unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
rapunzel!lohen who, while waiting for you to return the boat, got knocked out. when he woke up, he found himself bound and gagged on the cold floor of the tower, with 'mother' standing right in front of him. it seems the carefree times spent with you have made him complacent.
rapunzel!lohen who prays that you don't come looking for him, lest you put yourself in danger. as he struggles against his chains, 'mother' speaks.
"you really think (name) will save you? you have nothing to offer! thieves only help if you have something to give. you're just a little boy."
lohen wants nothing more than to drive his blade through her chest and ignore her words, but they still sow seeds of doubt in him.
the both of you have never established what you are to each other. all lohen knows is that over the course of time, he's grown fond of you and cares more than he should.
yes, he doesn't want you to look for him, yet a tiny part of him hopes you do. to see if somewhere in your heart, there is a space reserved for him.
rapunzel!lohen who watches with both delight and horror as you climb through the window, calling out to him frantically. delight, because you actually came. horror, as all he could do was watch you fall into the trap 'mother' laid out and get stabbed from behind.
you slump to the ground instantly, clutching the deep gash at your side. even so, all you do is reach out to him desperately.
with all his might, lohen tries to lunge forward towards you. he wriggles and lets out muffled screams, the look in his eyes feral and crazed, spit soaking his gag. however, 'mother' holds him back by his chains, rendering him unable to close the distance between you two.
rapunzel!lohen who, for the first time in his life, begs. amidst your weak protests, lohen pleads with her to let him heal you, promising her that he'll stay as long as she lets you go.
he'll do anything, just please, let him heal you...
rapunzel!lohen who rushes to your side once he's free. as he opens your vest, he clearly sees the red spreading on your tunic. you're pale and clammy and coughs interrupt your speech. lohen has to resist the urge to attack the old witch right then and there.
"shhh, it's okay, (name). it's okay, everything will be alright. once i heal you, you'll be fine. we'll be fine. we have to be."
"lohen, you'll die if you do this..."
"i don't care. you have to live, you don't have a choice in this. i won't allow you to die. so just relax, and the pain will go away."
"...okay. lohen, one last thing...?"
rapunzel!lohen who leans into your hand as you caress his cheek and closes his eyes, preparing for a kiss that never happens. in one swift and clean motion, you cut his hair off with a shard of glass, golden hair turning murky green.
in real time, the woman he once called 'mother' ages instantaneously. wrinkles replace her supple and fair complexion, forming all over her body like a tree's roots invading the earth. her hair turns white and gray as she claws at herself, shrieking about her loss of youth.
to 'aid' her, lohen pushes her out the window with all his strength, his eyes cold as he watches her disintegrate in the wind, leaving only her cloak remaining at the very bottom. once he confirms she's gone, he immediately turns back to you.
there's barely any life in you now, the tiniest movement of your chest being the only indication you're still somewhat alive. lohen presses his hands over your wound, as if it would somehow magically heal it.
"why did you do that? answer me."
lohen's livid. he's mad at you for doing what you did, and he's even angrier at himself for failing to protect you. but above all else, lohen is afraid.
you can see it in the way his eyes dart left to right, how tears well up in them every time he glances at his blood-stained hands, how he puts more pressure on your gash to make you stay awake.
lohen hates being helpless, abhors the fact that he can't relieve you of your suffering, that there is truly nothing he can do but wait for your eventual death.
how cruel fate is. he's finally gained the freedom he's always wanted, yet the only person he wishes to share it with is leaving him.
"don't give me that bullshit. 'sorry' isn't going to be enough, you hear me? you better stay alive, don't fall asleep."
you let out a non-committal hum. in his bones, lohen knows you're slowly slipping away.
"don't speak. save your strength."
rapunzel!lohen who stilled after you said those three words. he would've missed it if he weren't so close to you. with a shaky breath, lohen repeats them back to you.
"i love you too, (name)."
"hey, wake up. this isn't funny."
rapunzel!lohen who shakes you slightly and watches your hand fall limp on the floor. you're dead.
lohen gently cradles your lifeless body in his arms, rocking back and forth slightly.
"you're horrible, you know? telling me you love me and then dying. you didn't even wait for me to say it back. since when were you so heartless?"
he tucks a loose hair behind your ear, cupping your cheek with his cold hands.
"you haven't even heard my dream too. but it's fine, i'll tell you right now. i decided on it a while back, and you'll be the first to hear it."
rapunzel!lohen who dreams of building a life with you. you two could settle in a little house away from the world, where he would join the knights and you can do whatever you want. lohen will always support you.
you'll go for walks in the evening, cuddle each other in bed, and attend each windblume festival if you so wish.
the both of you could live out your lives together side by side, until you're both gray and old. then, when you two pass, your graves would stand next to each other, surrounded by your favourite flowers.
rapunzel!lohen who has only dared to dream because he met you, because he fell in love with you throughout your adventures together, making him curious of what it would be like to be with you forever.
because lohen fell in love with you, he fell in love with life too. when he thinks of his future, you are undoubtably a part of it. you are both his future and living dream. of that he is sure.
rapunzel!lohen who doesn't notice he's crying until he feels a drop on the back of his hand. his vision is blurred by tears, and a few land on your cheek. gradually, his sobs get louder and louder until they echo throughout the tower.
rapunzel!lohen who also doesn't see how the tears that landed on your cheek glow yellow before seeping into your skin. soon, your chest begins to glow as well.
pure magic seems to flow out of your chest as strands of gold spill around the room. they dance in the air as lohen looks up and watches them dissolve into nothingness. then, a gasp is heard from you.
your eyes flutter open slowly and your gaze focuses on lohen, whose eyes are puffy and red. though, there seems to be a bit of life in them as well now.
at your words, lohen only lets out a laugh and presses a kiss to your lips, firm and hard.
rapunzel!lohen who eventually returns to mondstadt city with you, reuniting with his family and reinstating himself as the prince. however, he soon requests to give up his position and voices his wishes of being a simple knight, to which lohen is granted.
rapunzel!lohen who after getting a stable income and proper lodgings, doesn't waste any time in marrying you, sharing his first kiss with you as spouses in the holy cathedral.
rapunzel!lohen who admires your wedding rings in the morning light after your wedding night, vows to protect you for as long as he breathes and give you a happy life, just as you deserve.
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