Okay, so his words were border lining from poetic to corny, but thankfully she didn't seem to call him out on it. Not this time. And even when Rapunzel undoubtedly would, he wasn't bothered by the idea.

Though it seemed like they'd got what they needed to off their chests, that playful nature coming back in full. Except this time the glowing blue water sprayed itself all over his jeans. A little warning would've been nice, but then again, that was the point!

"Now, now madam," his tone is quite obviously teasing her, the grin returning to his face as he starts. "Ya get back together with me and attack me? No warnin'? Just a kiss to my palm to distract me, 'cause you know it'll work?" With a laugh of his own, he returns the kick of water towards her in an attempt of 'revenge'.

She was giggling well before he splashed her back, the glimmer of mischief still in her eyes. But once he kicked, it became straight up laughter. She didn't try very hard to block it, and instead, ducked down and threw a double handful of water at him.

"I'm glad we've got a fire going, because this is freezing!" she grinned.

She didn't mind the cold right now, though. How could she when her heart was so warm?

Just updating my Raipunzel RP/ficlet list with @xiaolindude/@xiaolintease for our own reference.

Xiaolin-verse:

Bodyguard AU:

Futbol AU:

Tempting Scandal AU:

"Villain" Rai AU:

Verses we've plotted but not RP'd in yet

Heylin Kids

Pirate AU

Don’t want to RP with Rapunzel in her normal setting? I have several verses available!

Pirate

18th Century High Seas Fantasy (not necessarily pirate)

The Owl House

Bridgerton/Regency Era High Society

X-Men/Superhero

Vigilante

I also regularly create new, unique verses to go with a specific RP I’m working on with my RP partner! It could be you!

It was the first time in well over a year that he'd seen that smile, the one that could rival the sun itself--the one that told him everything. One of his hands left hers, moving upwards to gently stroke her face with the palm of his hand.

This only felt right, at least to him, and just seeing that alone, gave him hope. Even though it was said that hope was a dangerous thing, Melvin however felt at peace. Obviously, seemed like she did as well.

"We tried our best at the time, but I quite agree. We're more who we're s'pposed to be, more ourselves. And I feel like I'm truly seein' you 'or the first time, seein' who you've become. I want to become better with you, though, to grow more together. Yet still be able to stand on our own feet and be in awe." His individuality and hers were the most important thing, and that's how he wanted to go into this. Stronger as a couple, but able to stand on their own at the end of the day. He'd do everything he could to be supportive this time, never for a moment hold her back. Never again, not like his foolish head had done previously.

She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing briefly as her smile became more serene. It was as if all the tension was leaving her body, leaving no room for anything but relaxed joy.

I'm truly seeing you for the first time.

Her eyes opened again, and she sweetly kissed his palm. Talk about being in awe! That was as poetic and real as his line about her being the most beautiful thing in the night had been corny!

"Well, then," she breathed, "now that that's settled..." With a wicked smile, she kicked water at him, at once going back to playful, and sending up a spray of glowing blue water. Now that she knew they were on the same page, she felt like she was allowed, to be as dazzled by the water as it generally tended to be.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

There'd been a few moments when he'd refer to her by that old nickname, but it was rare that he did. Did using it every time made his heart flutter? Most of the time, but not always, thankfully.

Yet these weren't his old feelings resurfacing, well in a way they were. No, the light in which he saw her in, even in all its blue and half lighting, that was lit by feelings he hadn't felt previously. Though, this wasn't the same yearning that he'd felt when he originally came back. Perhaps, since Melvin had been back for over a year, his life, rather their lives, had grown back together.

She'd already had his attention, but her words brought what little part that was distracted upon Rapunzel in full. Was she really implying what he thought? Such a thought made him smile, her way of putting things into perspective for him. For them both. "I'd like to try being us 'gain too. I just didn't know that you'd be up 'or the idea. No, that ship hasn't sailed in the slightest. And I'm not the same either, we've been over this," Melvin takes a pause thinking, then giving her hands another squeeze. "I don't want the you from back then, I want the you that's standin' right in front me."

Heart pounding and eyes wide, she looked at him, really looked at him, drinking in the sincerity in his voice and eyes. She'd like to think she knew him well enough to know if he was trying to pull one over on her.

And she smiled. A big, bright genuine smile that rivaled the bioluminescent light and moonlight all around them. A smile that could be compared to the midday sun.

"I want the you from right now, too," she agreed. "We were kids back then, with no idea what we were doing. I think we're better people now, more experienced, and more sure of who we are as individuals." And being individuals was so important to her. Back then, she had been about as dependent upon his attention as she'd previously been dependent upon Gothel. But she was a stronger, better person now, and maintaining her independence while also being in a romantic relationship was so important.

She was tidying up after him and he tried not to sulk about it. It didn’t have to be a big deal - she was just trying to help him, make things that little bit easier. But man, did he feel pathetic. He couldn’t even just exist right then, let alone put his own dishes away, much less fight against evil. Who even was he, now? Because he sure as hell wasn’t Raimundo Pedrosa.

Swallowing hard and clearing his throat, he shook his head when she offered her help. No. At the very least, he could pick himself up and get himself to his room. He had to do that. His eyes were burning suddenly, his throat tight, heartbeat a little too fast. He fought to ignore it all and gave her a little smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he pushed himself to a stand, hand braced on the back of the chair to support himself. God, he was so weak now…

“Aight,” he said, forcing life into his voice. “Let’s go sleep forever.”

She laughed softly, a mirthless sound that was just as clearly forced as his smile had been. But he was trying, they both were. "Sleeping forever sounds like the best pastime in the world."

She threaded her arm around his waist, not to hold him up, but because she wanted to be close to him. To prove the point, she rested her head on his shoulder while they walked.

"It'll get better," she assured him. "It has to. It doesn't have room to get worse."

She laughed softly, a mirthless sound that was just as clearly forced as his smile had been. But he was trying, they both were. "Sleeping forever sounds like the best pastime in the world."

She threaded her arm around his waist, not to hold him up, but because she wanted to be close to him. To prove the point, she rested her head on his shoulder while they walked.

"It'll get better," she assured him. "It has to. It doesn't have room to get worse."

Given that she kept looking downwards and avoiding his gaze, he knew that giving her a nod in response wouldn't cut it. He'd have to use his words, not that he was bad at it.

Yet being around her, at least like this, always managed to make him breathless. Maybe it had something to with familiarity or that they'd been together. Just years and years ago.

Except when she pulled her hands back, he couldn't help feeling like didn't want her to. So with a swallow, he took her hands back into his own, even going so far as to give them a gentle squeeze.

"Punzie…please don't be sorry, okay…?" He couldn't remember the last time she'd called him that old nickname, but the very sound made his heart flutter once more. "I'm nervous as well, and I don't normally do that. Would it be bad if it was all of it…?" Of course the water did things to her, he hadn't thought of this until that moment.

"Do…ya want to talk 'bout this…?" He looked down at her hands in his own, then back up at her. "Tell me what you're thinkin'? Please?"

A part of her was surprised that he took her hands again, and warmth flooded her. Of course he did. If nothing else, he was her friend, and he knew what kind of comfort this sort of thing gave her.

Punzie... When was the last time he called her that? Probably the day he'd vanished, or the day before that. The years of missing him were working their way up to the surface, and it didn't make sense! He'd been back for over a year, now, and things were going so great! Why was it all resurfacing now?

Nervously, she wet her lips, then looked at him plainly. What she had to say was far too important to be shy or try to hide. "I'm thinking," she began slowly, trying to find exactly the right words, "that I want to try again. Us. I want to try to be us again. But I totally get it if that ship has sailed. I know I'm not as soft and gentle as I was back then, not the same person."

Something something about Rapunzel having an amoral vigilante verse where her biggest interest is defending those who cannot defend themselves no matter the cost. She allows her righteous indignation consume her and does what it takes to champion the oppressed, abused, and exploited.

This. This is the au I might be developing further now.

Paradise Tanager

There hadn't been time to find Remy. Not even time to think, or to realize what was happening until it was too late. By the time Kurt realized an explosion had rocked the building, he was already laying dazed among the rubble, tuxedo completely ruined, his ears ringing and his head throbbing.

With a pained groan he pushed himself up into a kneeling position and looked around, assessing the situation. He could tell one thing instantly: They were under attack.

Standing despite the pain in his skull, Kurt took off at a run toward the sound of screaming. He didn't have time to think. All his brain could do now was urge him to find survivors and help them. And offer a brief prayer.

He could hear someone calling out, to get to the gardens, but the voice was cut off all too quickly. He rounded a corner, and there he saw Rogue and Magneto. Battered, but alive, thank God. But he saw it, too... looming like a terrible stormcloud. The most enormous sentinel Kurt had ever seen. And it was firing right at the two mutants.

Without hesitation, Kurt leaped for them both to teleport away. But they hadn't vanished before a terrible heat shot through Kurt's body.

He was out cold before they had even finished teleporting.

The sensation of falling, bouncing, and then a palpable pressure that nonetheless didn't hurt her. And yet Rapunzel's hair wouldn't unwrap and let her out. That could only mean one thing: she was caught in a precarious position, and lowering the shield of her hair would be detrimental to her survival.

What was she surviving right now?

With a burst of energy, she threw her hair outward, effectively pushing whatever it was off of her, and as the dust cleared, she finally managed to look around.

Chaos. Utter chaos.

The entire building was rubble, and there were screams and the sounds of blasts everywhere. The sky, once filled with fireworks, now just looked like it was on fire. Everywhere she looked, there were dead and dying mutants. Rapunzel stood in shock, feeling sick to her stomach.

Another scream, and every instinct told her, I have to help them!

Nausea gone - or at least shoved aside for now - she took off at a sprint, dodging huge chunks of twisted metal and concrete and ignoring how uncomfortable it was to run in heels to get to the nearest person, living or dead. She didn't know this one, but it was a girl, still in her teens. Still alive. Without thinking, she pressed her hands to the most obvious wound, and her hair lit up. She poured her healing light into the girl, and just as she heard that all-too-familiar mechanical voice of a sentinel declaring that it detected a mutant, the majority of her hair came alive once more and acted as a shield against the blast. Even so, the percussive force shoved her and the girl aside, and distracted her too much to keep healing.

Still, the girl got up.

"Get to the gardens!"

She didn't know who'd said it, but she grabbed the girl's hand in one of hers and her hair in the other and ran.

Moments ticked by in a blur. The Danger Room had never been like this, never so many sentinels, so enormous. Never an entire nation of people under attack. This was outright genocide. By some miracle, they made it to what seemed to be a safe spot among panicked group of mutants. They were only there a moment when a familiar cloud of purple appeared out of nowhere. Kurt, Rogue and Magneto burst onto the scene, hitting the ground hard. And Kurt didn't get back up.

With a gasp of horror, Rapunzel ran to him, having to shove her way through the terrified crowed. By the time she reached him, both Rogue and Remy were on the scene.

"Alive," Remy diagnosed, and suddenly Rapunzel was crying. She wiped hot tears from her eyes so she could see what she was doing.

"Give him here," she instructed. "I'll make sure he's standing."

"Rapunzel?" Remy recognized, surprised.

"Yeah, hi," Rapunzel responded, smiling bitterly through her tears. "Wish this was a happier reunion. We'll catch up later."

And then Magneto was giving orders, and the two more experienced X-Men were springing to action, off to save the Morlocks. Or as many as they could.

She couldn't worry about that, now. She had to focus on Kurt.

There was only so much healing she could do at a time. Only so much energy she could give. So she would have to be conservative in her healing efforts for now. She could fix everyone up better, later, but for now, the order of business was to take care of the worst of Kurt's wounds, ones that would drag him right back down, and let his natural healing handle the rest.

She closed her eyes and ears to the chaos and panic around them, and focused on the problem at hand. The problem she wanted to solve. The problem she wanted to give her all to, but knew she couldn't.

Rapunzel wasn't a religious person, not by a long shot, but she knew Kurt was, and so, as she began to focus her energy, she let up a silent prayer to the God he so staunchly believed in. Please, God, save his life! Don't take him from me so soon after giving him back!

Just as she had with the teen, she poured her healing light into him, bringing him back to functional health. It was so hard to ignore bruises and cuts that she knew would cause him pain, but at least there was no more internal bleeding or broken bones.