A hand propped upon his waist, it wasn’t long before the other swept the salt from his brow, a wearied sigh accompanying the motion. Thus far his efforts to get back on the right track (following a rather brutal lesson) since last he was here yielded little in the way of results. The bearer of a green thumb he was not. And yet, it was stubbornly that he continued to tend to the weary saplings just now springing from the earth beneath his feet.
If anything, it was a way to preoccupy a wearied mind. Rather than sit in silence and dwell upon that to which he had returned (not to mention everything he’d left behind), he had a project to which he could devote his time and efforts– a distraction. Imagine his surprise, then, when a far more happy distraction from this distraction came around.
His name upon familiar lips caused the man to turn on a dime, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of leafy hues and a shock of golden hair to greet him. It took a pinch to convince himself he too wasn’t dreaming before the watering can slipped from his grip. And, seemingly as clumsily as the motion could be made possible, the Once-ler stumbled from the recesses of his garden towards the main pathway.
“Rapunzel? Hey–!” The exuberant warmth of a beaming smile rained down on the young woman as arms were swift to envelop her, a solid embrace holding the princess to his chest as he babbled on in glee. “Hey, hey, don’t cry! Come on, it’s okay. Oh man,” He paused, in close proximity now scarcely able to believe the woman for whom he’d harbored such affection was here. So with a hint of a sob which bordered more upon laughter, he spoke again. “It’s no dream– honest! Rapunzel… Man, am I glad to see you…”
{{☀}} The scene before her was far too picturesque to be feasible, or so she believed. Plant-life seemed dipped in gold as the sun hung low casting its yellow glow across the garden. As he turned toward the princess her breath returned to her at last. He was flesh and blood, moving in his unique clumsy yet charming fashion. When the can fell from his hands neither paid the blunder any mind. For the young ruler, the world seemed to have gone quiet with nothing but the pounding of her heart breaking the stillness.
Even as he spoke her name the pleasant sound seemed muted by her own relief. The lull of the businessman’s voice soon rose above the rapid thrumming all while long arms wrapped around her. Watery trails streaked her cheeks as she became keenly aware of his warmth now knowing that there was no conceivable way she could be dreaming. For a moment, she was too stunned to move but almost as if being shaken awake her eyes became wide and aware. With fervor, she returned his embrace. Thin arms desperately pulled him closer as if the slightest amount of distance would be far too much.
❝I-I can’t stop…I thought I lost you! I thought– I thought you were gone…forever.❞Words were muffled as Rapunzel had taken the liberty of hiding her dampened cheeks in the safety of his chest. She had begun to believe she would be unable to cease her sobs but upon hearing the crack in his voice she revealed her reddened cheeks and misty-eyes. ❝I still can’t believe it… I–I shouldn’t be crying. I just…❞ Missed him? Saying so hardly felt like it encompassed even half of her emotions. Fathoming the ache in her chest into coherent thoughts as his gaze bore into her own became increasingly difficult. ❝I missed you but,❞
He was close, closer than she had initially thought. Leaning in on the tips of her toes, remaining doubt was put to rest as soon as her lips brushed his. The kiss was firm but chaste despite it all being very rushed to start. For a moment, the contact almost felt familiar as if done before but the notion was chased away by its seeming impossibility. Lingering in his warmth her retreat was slow despite flushed cheeks, which betrayed her bold gesture. ❝Saying only that wouldn’t have been enough.❞
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