Lost and Found

by Glacecakes

Summary:

Hugo never really questioned where he came from.

He didn’t have a reason to. The area he grew up in was riddled with orphans. The people were far too busy to look up who his parents were before they probably died horribly like everyone else in this godforsaken town. Whatever. It didn’t matter to him. All that mattered was survival, and then, after escaping the town with Donella, pleasing her.
He had a family. It wasn't blood. He was content with that.
Which is of course, when it all goes to shit.

It starts with a dream.

Notes:

Watching Vox Machina: haha Percy kinda looks like Hugo
Season 1:
Me: oop

Hugo never really questioned where he came from. 

 

He didn’t have a reason to. The area he grew up in was riddled with orphans. The people were far too busy to look up who his parents were before they probably died horribly like everyone else in this godforsaken town. Whatever. It didn’t matter to him. All that mattered was survival, and then, after escaping the town with Donella, pleasing her. 

She never seemed all that bothered by it either. “Who you were before we met is irrelevant. All I care about is who you are now,” she told him once. “And who you are now has work to do.” That last part was said with a smirk at his kiddy groan. He’d grumbled to her amusement, and the matter was dropped. 

Even when his world expanded, when he went beyond her reach into his boyfriend's loving arms, he never considered it. Sure, he made fun of thief turned prince Flynn Fitzherbert, and the guy got pissy when he so much as held pinkies with Varian, but it was in good fun! Mostly!

He had a family. It wasn't blood. He was content with that.

Which is of course, when it all goes to shit.

 

It starts with a dream. 

 

He’s short. That’s the first thing that’s weird about the dream. 

The second thing that’s weird is that he’s in someone’s arms. 

The room is spacious, ornate but not overly so. Dark green wallpaper flickers as a fireplace illuminates the room, lined with rows upon rows of books. There’s a few circular portraits above the mantle, showing an older man, probably some sort of patriarch. For a dream, it’s remarkably clear. 

A soft, feminine voice is speaking above his head. There’s a smile in her voice as she speaks. “Look Hugo,” she croons. 

He looks up. 

The woman has brown hair tied back in a curled bun, a few wisps dangling over her ears. Her pearl earrings glint in the light. She smiles at him, and the dream blurs at the edges. 

“Look,” she says again. He looks down, and there’s a book in her lap. “Can you tell me what the cow says, Hugo?” 

“What?” Hugo asks. 

“Yeah Hugo!” He turns, and there’s a girl with blonde hair in a braid grinning at him. She’s maybe 12 at the oldest. “Go mooooooo!” She laughs.

“Don’t tease him,” the woman chides.

“Uh,” Hugo, distinctly not 4, despite the dream around him thinking so, squirms a bit. “No thanks.” 

But both the woman and girl light up. “Very good!” The woman praises. 

“Wait, who are you? Where am I?” He squirms in her arms, but she holds on tight, flipping the page. Instead of a barnyard animal, there’s a raven, beady eyes staring at him. It comes to life with a shriek, flying off the pages and out the window. 

“Now, Hugo… can you say… run?”

 

He looks up. 

The woman’s face is pale. Speckled with blood that drops from her mouth. The fire in the fireplace goes out, shadows creeping up on the walls. 

She looks at him, green eyes wide in terror. “HUGO, RUN !” 

Whatever he was going to say in response to that is lost in his mouth when a sword shines from above her, plunging into her torso and covering him in blood. 

Several dark clothed men run into the room, their faces blurry, some of them lacking any features at all. The words are lost, totally incomprehensible but angry as they descend on the now crowded room. When did so many people get here? They’re all dressed nicely, almost like palace staff, falling in showers of blood as bayonets fire and puncture any living creature in sight. 

In the chaos, a hand grabs him. He screams, but it doesn’t hurt, merely pulls him along. It’s the girl from before, covered in blood. They race out of the room, faster and faster, trying to outrun the men, but his legs are too short-

 

They run into-

 

Blood, so much blood-

 

The snow is covered in it-

 

He wakes up with a choked scream.

 

Each breath of air is practically a gasp, coughing as he struggles to get it under control. No matter what he does, all he could see was the red snow, the sword in her throat, the haunting laughter-

“Hugo?” 

Varian sits up blearily, his eyes barely open and hair a total nest. In any under circumstance he would melt at the sight, but now he’s just trying to calm down.

“Woah hey,” thankfully, the other is quick to wake up. He places his hand on Hugo’s back but nearly retracts it immediately. He’s coated in sweat. “Hugo, hun, you’re ok. Just breathe with me. In like you’re smelling a flower…” he places both hands on his boyfriend’s shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Out like you’re blowing out a candle.” 

Slowly, shakily, his breath calms. His heart stops trying to launch out of his mouth. 

“There we go,” Varian smiles softly. “Better?” 

Hugo takes in one final shaky breath. It doesn’t feel like shards of glass. “Yeah,” they touch their foreheads. “Thanks.” 

“Anytime.” He hums. “Wanna tell me what launched you from bed like a bat out of hell?” 

Hugo snorts at the line, thinks about it, and…

 

“….I can’t remember, actually.”

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

Hugo hates galas. 

Wait no that’s not strong enough. 

Hugo despises galas. 

No… that doesn’t cut it. 

Hugo totally and utterly abhorrs galas. 

Yeah. There we go.

 

The nagging headache that settled after his morning freak out never truly faded. Like a dull bell it keeps ringing, reminding him of… something. Whatever his dream was, it sure doesn’t want to go away. But he just can’t remember! It’s on the tip of his tongue, a general vibe of panic and fear clear, yet of what danger, he can’t recall. 

Varian, bless his heart, notices his funk. While sadly they couldn’t get out of the event, he can do all the talking for the evening and let Hugo’s mind wander. Why did the royal family want them there anyway? They’re both introverts, and castle staff didn’t need to attend. Hell, Lance barely went to these things and he loves the attention! 

Varian suspects Rapunzel wanted a friend nearby. Hugo suspects Eugene wanted them to suffer.

The ball, some charity auction or something or other, has invited a bunch of nobles from all over the 7 kingdoms. Sadly not Nuru, though maybe that is for the best. Last time they all went to a ball together they almost started a war, sent a chandelier crashing down, and caught ghosts with a magic bag. 

 

That was a fun New Years. 

 

Varian fidgets at his side, fingers clenching and unclenching. “I…” he looks like he wants to say something, but decides against it.

“Something wrong?” Hugo asks.

“I should be asking you that.” They both have a nasty habit of deflecting their problems to focus on the other. But it’s getting better! Hugo gives him an unimpressed look, and Varian deflates. “Ok, I wanted to talk to you about something, but it’s not important. It’s not!” He holds up his hands before Hugo can protest. “It can wait. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Are you sure? We can step out if you want-”

“No no,” Varian exhales through his nose. “I just. Wanted to ask you something, but now is not the right time. Despite what Eugene said,” he says that last part to himself. 

And well, Hugo is never one to ignore the opportunity to dunk on Eugene. “You actually went to him for help?”

Varian smacks his shoulder playfully, but doesn’t argue that point. 

 

“Presenting,” Nigel called. “Lord and Lady Willowith!” He moves aside to reveal a couple in their 40s at the oldest. The man is tall and handsome, with dark eyes and a square chin. His black suit gleams with rubies laden in them. On his arm, the woman stares cold and calculating, but equally beautiful. She holds herself with an elegant grace and a smirk, gray and purple dress nearly as wide as she is tall. 

 

And Hugo’s vision tunnels .

 

Red, red on the sword-

 

A feral grin stretched onto a beautiful face-

 

Wicked laughter amongst the screams-

 

“-Hugo!” 

 

He blinks, and he’s back next to Varian. “Are you ok? You look pale.” He presses his hands to his love’s head. “No fever, are you sick? Do you feel sick?” 

“W-what? No, I’m ok,” he brushes him off, but never meets his eyes, keeping them on the new couple. They practically float by, powerful grins and a poise that comes from years of being on top. 

He hates people like them… so why does he feel so scared?

The Willowiths approach the king and queen, bowing effortlessly. 

“We thank you profusely for the honor of attending,” the man croons, his voice velvet deep. In any other person soothing… yet in this man, it was like nails on a chalkboard. 

“We’re honored you could attend!” Arianna gushes. “I didn’t know you were in Corona this evening!” 

The couple exchange a look. “Corona has so many lovely things to offer, we stopped by on our way home.” The woman holds a hand to her heart as she speaks. 

Hugo narrows his eyes. He grabs Nigel’s shoulder as the man walks past. “Nigel,” he hisses. 

“Oh, my real name? Not just “Nosey?”” He jokes, but the smile falls at how serious Hugo looks… and how confused Varian is. “What is it?”

“Those people. Who are they?” His eyes never stray from the couple. 

Nigel’s gaze follows Hugo’s glare. “The Willowiths? They’re from Linsol, in the Iron Kingdom.” he shrugs. “They were in town, so they decided to stop by, I suppose. They’ve never accepted an invite from any royal family, not even their own.” 

 

Linsol.

 

His home town.

 

He only remembers bits and fragments of his youth. Times he spent huddled and hiding in a corner from the elements or guards. Crying late at night, asking why he was so alone. Watching the people turn indifferent to his plight, and then hostile. Leaving the smoke plumes, the trails of devastation, the rivers of oil, to greener pastures that were just as dark and dank and dream crushing. 

It was all a bit of a haze of depression until Don found him, and the memories before the streets are even sparser, if they exist at all. Maybe it was for the best that he didn't remember much. But now that he sees them, it’s like someone is knocking on the door to his brain, repressed memories hammering through the cracks and splinters of his walls, nearly there, just out of reach and yet he could feel them coming.

The couple passes by them, hand in hand. Their steps are controlled and light, with no change in elevation. The woman stutters to a stop, turning back to them with wide, almost terrified eyes. But Hugo blinks and the look is gone, replaced by a smooth smile as she redirects her husband to them. 

He turns to the two, and Hugo nearly shrinks under his gaze. He seems almost surprised to see them there. As if common folk existing was new to him. “I apologize, we came here to meet with Corona’s upper class. I don’t recognize you. I am Peter, and my lovely wife, Simone,” she dips in a small curtsey. “And you are?” 

“Varian and Hugo, royal engineers,” His boyfriend offers a smile, totally oblivious to Hugo’s mounting panic. 

“Oh?” That catches Simone’s interest. A bell nearby rings indicating dinner time, and the others shuffle to a large banquet table. “You are the ones who made the running water pipes?” 

“Uh-“ Hugo goes to lie, to get them off their backs, but Varian pulls him close and grins. “We are.”

“Fascinating,” Hugo gulps, gripping Varian’s hand so tight the knuckles are white. “You know, we could really use automatic sinks. Perhaps we could discuss this further over dinner?” Simone gestures to the table. 

“Varian,” Hugo whispers as they go to sit. “Varian I have a bad feeling about this.” 

“How come?” Varian hums. “I had a bad feeling about you when I met you.” 

“Wh-“ Hugo sputters at the other’s snicker. “I’m serious!” His face hardens. “These people… they’re from my home town. And it was a terrible place to live because of them.” 

Varian’s smile fades. “Oh. Oh .” As much as Hugo has pushed beyond his hatred for nobles after meeting Varian’s family (AKA he hates everyone except Rapunzel and sometimes Eugene), they never forced him into interactions with people he didn’t like. Especially not from his home, where the ruling class didn’t serve like Corona tried to.

“We can, we can back out,” Varian quickly reassures him. “We don’t have to talk to them, to help them, whatever makes you comfortable-“

 

“Boys!” Their heads snap up. Rapunzel is waving them over with a brilliant grin. “Come sit with me!” She gestures to the two empty seats beside her and Eugene. Hugo’s shoulders sag in relief, practically dragging Varian over to the people he knew he could trust to understand.

They sit down, and Varian goes to explain, when a voice pops up from across them. 

“We were just telling the princess how interested we were in your work.” 

 

The Willowiths are sitting across from them.

 

Hugo’s jaw clenched.

 

Varian reaches down under the table, grabbing Hugo’s hand. His eye twitches when Hugo squeezes tight as a vice, but he’s silent. 

Boring holes into the Willowith’s heads. 

Dinner is served, but Hugo barely notices. All he can do was stare at them, their pale faces immaculate and never losing their composure, yet all he could see are maniacal grins and fangs, sharp, piercing skin and ripping flesh-

 

“Right Hugo?” 

He blinks, back in reality to see Rapunzel looking at him expectantly. “H-huh? Sure! Yeah.” He gives her a weak grin. She raises a brow. “What did you say?”

“Her highness was telling us you grew up near our estate?” Simone wipes her face with a napkin. The steak juice glows red on white cloth. “You know, we’ve been working effortlessly to tidy up the place since… well since we took power.”

Hugo could feel his ears pop. The room spun, his chair a merry go round of nausea, colors swirling in and out of intensity. He wants out. “Took…. Power?” 

“Well,” Simone continues, cutting into her steak. “Stepped in is a more accurate description, really.” Her lips don’t even touch the fork as she takes in another bite. “Tell me boy, have you heard how we became rulers of Linsol?”

At his silence she continues. “The official story is that the city was administered by the deBellon family until they succumbed to a rare disease. But,” a predatory smirk blooms, “I'm afraid the truth is, we concocted that tale to protect their legacy.” Her face takes on more of a pout, cutting into her steak with a tad too much force, such that the knife grates against the fine China. Her smoldering eyes meet Hugo’s pale complexion. “The sad reality is that the deBellons abdicated. They grew bored of ruling, and after their children raided the treasury, they abandoned their people to rot.” 

 

“LIARS!” 

 

Hugo slams his fist into the stable, standing up abruptly as he glares down at them. His chest heaves with exertion. All conversation around them falls dead silent, eyes of all kinds judging him, the poor orphan boy who fell in love with Corona’s greatest mind, who nearly got him killed for money, yet took him in out of the kindness of his heart. The great mind who, in turn, was the perfect pet project of the princess.

Peter stands. “Thank you, your majesties, for the lovely dinner, but I believe it’s time we retire.” His wife stands up as well, smile never leaving her face. 

“It was a lovely dinner. We especially enjoyed the company. So refined.” Her gaze bores into Hugo’s, his fists and teeth clenched in fury in hopes that his stare alone could turn them to dust.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

The roaring fireplace did little to calm Hugo’s nerves. 

 

He hunches over on the couch, leg bouncing so fast it almost aches. His lip is nearly raw with how much he chews on it. And behind him Rapunzel paces back and forth, a waterfall of scolding pouring from her lips that Hugo doesn’t hear. 

 

It seems that’s a theme with him today. 

 

“What were you thinking? Accusing someone of a lie like that is really serious!” She cries. “I know this is new to you, it’s new to all of us, but we can’t go around angering nobles, especially ones from other kingdoms! What if word gets back to the king? What if they declare war?” 

“Hey hey,” Varian places his hands on her shoulders to stop her in place. “They won’t. You know that.” 

“They never leave their city anyway,” Hugo mutters in a daze. 

Rapunzel huffs. “Well clearly they do.” She rounds the couch to try and meet Hugo’s distant eyes. “Talk to us. What do you know that they won’t say?” 

He hunches further into himself, curling into a ball. “That’s just it,” his voice is muffled by his knees. “I don’t know . It’s just like… a feeling that won’t go away.” Skinny fingers bury themselves into blond strands in frustration. Why is he acting like this? Sure he may hate nobility, but in an “eat the rich, redistribute the wealth” sort of way. Not in a “I despise you as a person” sort of way. Well, sometimes it was both. But he isn’t getting the first version from the Willowiths. As if this anger… is personal. Like he’s mad at them directly for something they did.

He nearly apologizes, folds over and wishes to disappear, but Rapunzel places a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to meet her smile. “Hey,” she says softly. “I get it. This whole situation… it’s a lot. When I first came home it was a lot to me too.” She sits next to him, and he can’t help but melt into her side a bit. Varian sat on the other side, sandwiching him in the best embrace he’s ever had. 

“All my life,” he starts. “All my life I always saw nobles as… that. Double sided, hiding behind polite smiles while they screwed over people like me.” Varian squeezes his hand. “I don’t know what else to say other than… it’s a feeling. There’s something they’re hiding.”

“You have a pretty good intuition,” Varian hums. “Maybe there is something.” 

“But even if there was, where would we begin to look?” Hugo moans. 

Everyone stares at him pointedly. 

“Oh right. Magic library. Duh.”

 

The oak door opens as Eugene bursts in. He ruffles Varian’s hair from above, earning him a squawk. “Are we done chewing him out?” He pouts. 

“Just about,” Rapunzel smiles. “Where did you go?” 

“Got called away to captain stuff. Apparently some poor sap was found dead in the road.”

 

Dead. Dead like her vacant eyes, blood pooling around her, screams and spears and arcane runes-

 

“Hugo!” He snaps his head up to meet Varian’s. “Love, you’re crying,” he sighs, wiping a tear from his face. 

“I-it’s nothing,” he reassures, but no one is convinced. “You said something?” 

Eugene looks uncomfortable. “Yeah, see, the timeline… where the body was found and when they got here… it might’ve been the Willowiths.”

All eyes turn to Hugo, and he can’t help but preen a bit. “I told you. They’re up to some shit.” 

“Yes Hugh,” Varian sighs fondly. His brows furrow as he turns. “Here’s the plan. Me and Eugene will go investigate the Willowiths. I’ll distract them with the boilers and he’ll search their stuff.” Eugene salutes with a smirk. You two,” he points to Rapunzel and Hugo, “Check the library. There’s bound to be some local records or something in there.” 

“You got it, sweet cheeks,” Hugo grins weakly and places a kiss on his cheek. “Stay safe,” he mumbles. As smart and capable as his boyfriend is, he doesn’t want any of his family anywhere near those fuckers.

“We will,” Varian reassures him. “Team Awesome is always safe.” 

Hugo snorts at that. “Hey!” Varian shoots him a glare as the laughter grows. “We do!” 

“Cupcake, how many times have I had to put out a fire you two started?” He teases. That earns him a lighthearted punch in the gut. 

“Alright alright,” Varian grumbles. “Get outta here, go read your nerdy books.” 

“What, history is nerdy now? I always saw chemistry as more nerdy-“ he laughs and dodges another swipe, dancing out of reach and out the door where Rapunzel was waiting. 

“Cute,” she hums. Her expression is unreadable. 

“Damn right we are. We’re delightful.” He puffs up his chest.

The door slams shut, but before it does, he swears he sees Varian pulling something out of his pocket to show Eugene. 

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

The eternal library spirals on to infinity, ever looming, even after over a year of running it. There is no ceiling, just a black void where bookshelves seem to go on forever. The only vertical spatial awareness comes from the large Grecian columns that intersperse bookshelves. 

“How are you sorting this again?” Rapunzel asks, flitting through shelves. 

“We aren’t,” Hugo shrugs. “Shelves just sorta appear. We mostly catalog and map.” He points to the figure Varian had plastered up near their work station. A helpful little doodle of Hugo proclaims You are here! with historical records labeled as towards the far right. “This way.” 

Soft soled feet pad against the floor; how is she not cold? Maybe it has something to do with being the sundrop, Hugo stews. 

 

Listen. Tell no one. Not a soul. Not even Varian. But… sometimes… he’s terrified of Rapunzel. Eugene is a pushover, all bark no bite. Overly protective of his loved ones, but that includes Hugo nowadays. Rapunzel on the other hand hasn’t changed her behavior since day one. He is an expert on reading people, but she’s a total mystery. How much of her kindness is a front? How much of it is genuine? He has no clue.

They wander into the maze of books, past ancient tomes of long forgotten civilizations, past the secrets of forbidden cults, towards the section dedicated to family trees and individual biographies. If there was something to find, it would be here. 

Rapunzel brushes her hand against a book, smiling at the Corona symbol etched into the spine. “I wonder how many of my ancestors are here.”

“Probably loads. There’s a surprising number of books dedicated to random families from all over the 7 kingdoms.” Hugo quips. He’ll never understand the people who devote their time and energy to such a niche endeavor. 

“Including yours?” She asks slyly, and he freezes. “Oh come on! Don’t tell me you haven’t looked for your past here. I know Eugene has.” She nudges his elbow. 

“I…” when did his throat become so dry? “I wouldn’t know where to look,” he says. “I’d have to check every book here to look for my name, and I don’t even know…” His voice trails off. There, sitting innocently in front of him: The deBellons: a biographical look into the city of Linsol. 

 

His fingers move of their own accord. Strings pulled him closer and closer, a magnetic force forcing the book into his shaking hands. It was as if a black hole was going to eat his chest from the inside out. 

“Oh!” Rapunzel chimes over his shoulder. “Good idea! See if their story is true. I’ll look for their book.” Without any more preamble she grabs a nearby ladder and rockets herself up. 

Hugo swallows down a marble and opens the book, its spine creaking with youth. There’s a bit about their rise, the other families they came from, general boring nobility shit. But the pictures, of a moss-covered manor, photos of men with impressive facial hair-

 

He’s seen them before, in portraits-

 

His eyes tumble over the pages, searching for something, anything to answer the raging inferno of questions in his mind. These names, they sound familiar, but he’s probably just seen them in passing from town…? The feeling in his gut, the one that’s been building all day, it has to be wrong, right?

The final matriarch, Anne, was a philanthropist who held charity balls, the text read, and a vision of a ball with flowing dresses and towering figures flashes against his eyelids. No, surely he’s just imagining things. 

Unclear what exactly killed them-

Sources vary, the official story is vague as well-

 

He flips the page again, and his heart stops.

There, in the center of the page, is a black and white photograph, the kind only the richest in the iron kingdom could afford. A kind woman with a tired smile stares up at him. Her curled hair wraps around pearl earrings. She sits upright, her shoulder supported by a man with light hair and eyes sparkling with mischief. Eyes that shone as he threw his kids up in the air, as he ruffled Hugo’s hair till it was messy as a rats nest-

A young girl stood beside him, with a wild grin and long braid. Her dress has a few splotches of… paint? Mud? Something, but clearly she doesn’t care. 

 

Mom always seemed so exasperated whenever she came home with a stain…

 

And there, on the lady’s lap, a little boy no older than three or four, with misaligned teeth and long blonde hair. His grin is too big for his face. 

 

He drops the book and clutches his head. And he screams.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

”Hugo!” He looked up, face covered in dirt, to see his mom staring at him fondly. “Oh, Hugo.” She turned to his sister. “Clara, dear, why is he covered in dirt?”

“We’re archeologists, mom!” Clara whipped her head around, braid flying as she went. The thing was like a weapon. “We gotta get dirty! We’re looking for buried treasure!”

“Yeah!” Hugo cheered. “I’m helping!”

Mom smiled. “Yes you are, dear.” She scooped him up with a grunt. “But perhaps we shouldn’t be digging up your papa’s flower bed?” The poor violets lay ruined with mud and dust. “Besides, some things are better left buried.” Her face darkened, staring off into space.

Hugo pouted. 

 

“Now, who owned the land before your family?”
“Um,” Clara dangled her legs off her chair. “I dunno.” 

The teacher, a portly man, sighed. “Ms. deBellon. You need to know these things if you’re to rule the estate one day!”

“Says who?”

“Says your mother.”

Hugo perked up. “Mom?” He looked around, putting down the little mouse on wheels he’d been playing with. “Momma?”

The teacher rolled his eyes. “No Hugo, your mother is not here.” 

“Just me, sorry bud,” Clara teased, scooping him up onto her lap. “Come on, Professor Zhao! How can you focus when this cutie is right here?” She mushed her cheeks with Hugo’s. 

The Professor sighed, though this was much more fond. “I wish my kids got along as well as you two.”

“They’re not me,” Hugo replied, and his sister barked out an ugly laugh. 

 

He weaved between legs, giggling as Clara chased him around. The deBellons had gathered in their parlor, aunts and uncles and cousins mingling. Distantly he thought it was for a wedding or some other family function, but little Hugo was far more invested in what’s for dinner than why grandma was there.

He bumped into a pant leg, brightening when he saw the face. “Daddy!” He giggled, squealing when the man scooped him up. No longer in black and white, he had hair a shade lighter than Hugo’s own, with the same mischievous grin and build.

”Hello my little speedy!” Dad laughed, setting Hugo down after spinning him around. “Having fun?”

”Mhm!” Hugo nodded.

”And you’re being good?”

”Yeah!”

Dad raised an eyebrow. “Really?

”….no.” 

He laughed, loud and bright. His wife wandered over, face taught as a bowstring. “Everything alright?”

“Peachy keen, dear.” Dad’s face fell at her expression. “Something the matter?”

 

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off with a loud crack. Lightning illuminated the room. One moment, the doorway was empty, the next, a couple appeared dressed in red and black. Toddler Hugo didn’t know who they were, but the adult who watches on from his mind does. 

 

”Hello, Anne,” Simone smiled cruelly.

 

Hugo frowned, confused at the murmurs and fear in everyone. His mother stepped up from behind him. “Simone. What are you doing here?”

“I’m just here to ask that you reconsider my offer.” Her fingers brushed against the doorway as if to wipe off paint. 

Anne’s face hardened. “My answer will not change. No, Simone. I will not let you restart your dark practices under my roof.” She raised her chin. “As long as this house stands, you will not own it.”

The other woman blinked. “Oh?” She said, “Are you sure about that?”

With a snap of her fingers, the room turned to ice. Lightning flashed, and the room went dark. When the lights returned, there were several soldiers dressed in green, with gleaming bayonets and blinding teeth.

His parents paled. “Hugo,” Anne whispered. “Run.”

Hugo frowned, confused. He tugged on his mom’s dress hem.

 

She gasped for breath when a soldier stabbed her through the heart. 

 

Blood flew everywhere, darkening Hugo’s glasses as her heart continued to beat, pulsing more and more onto the carpet.

 

Her wild eyes met his. “RUN!” She screamed as all hell broke loose. The men fired into the small crowd, smoke and loud pops filling the room as his family shrieked and fell around him. The man who stabbed his mother released her from the bayonet and she collapsed to the floor, where he stabbed her again in the stomach.

Tiny Hugo was frozen, paralyzed in utter fear and incomprehension. He watched with wide eyes as his father tried to stop one soldier, only to be shot in the back by another. When he fell down, they stabbed him as well.

A small hand grabbed him, pulling him through the smoke and blood. His shoes slipped on the once pristine floor, the carpet squished underneath him, and as they fled the smoke that billowed from the parlor he could see Clara, pale and terrified as they ran.

”Stop them!” Peter shouted.

 

Hugo sobbed as they ran down the hall of their home. Blood lined the walls, the floor, everywhere, maids and staff alike slashed to pieces on their rampage towards the parlor, tracing back a horrific line of death towards the door. He tripped over his feet, his pants once clean now slick with red.

”Come on!” Clara cried, pulling him forward. Her face was streaked with tears like him, eyes wide with fear. If she had the time she’d pick him up, run with him in her arms, but even a second could cost them their lives.

Together they burst out into the lawn, where she made for the woods just on the edge of the property. The snow at her feet kicked up, face paling when she realized that it’ll mark their path.

A shot rang out, and on instinct, Clara moved, pulling Hugo into her arms as she ran. If she can just get him to safety, if she can just cut around to the village-

 

BANG! BANG! 

 

She tumbled, both of them falling to the ground. Clara sobbed in agony, her leg spilling red into the snow.

”Hugo,” she rasped, eyes meeting his, pained. Her nose was flushed red. And then, she smiled weakly. “Let’s play hide and seek, ok? Go hide in the village somewhere, and I’ll come find you in a bit.” 

Hugo whined. He shook his head, not wanting to leave her.

”Come on, please?” She begged.

The little boy slowly nodded. “Ok,” he whispered. “But you have to come find me.” 

She grinned. “I will. Now I’ll count to a thousand, you go!”

He took off, the dark night hiding his tiny footsteps as he raced forward. “One, two…” her voice slowly faded as he ran. There’s a crack at nine.

Ten never came.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

When he finally comes back to the present, Rapunzel is shaking him with tears in her eyes. The ringing in his ears drowns out whatever she’s saying. His eyes gaze back towards the book, still open on his face, his little face, and her gaze follows his. He can tell when she sees it, when it finally clicks, the color draining from her cheeks. Tapping his face a few times, the ringing finally dies down enough that he can just make out her words. “Huh?” He mumbles, dazed. 

“Are you ok? Do I need to call a doctor?” Her voice is tight with worry.

No, he doesn’t need a doctor. What he needs is Varian. 

 

Varian.

 

Who is in the same room as the people who killed his family.

 

His head shoots up so fast it nearly collides with Rapunzel’s. 

“We have to warn them!” He doesn’t give pause for her to figure out what he meant. Hugo nearly skids over the carpet, shoes practically smoking with how fast he runs. From a distance Rapunzel follows, no longer slowed down by her giant trial of hair. Huffing and puffing, they finally reach the guest room the couple were staying in. 

Hugo jiggles the doorknob, and, finding it stuck, rams the door open with his foot, fully prepared to blow the place sky high if even a hair was out of place-

He stops so abruptly Rapunzel crashes into him. 

“Uh,” she blinks. “Eugene? Varian?” 

The two men turn around. “Oh!” Eugene perks up. “Well uh. It seems we were too late.” 

 

The room is totally empty.

 

Hugo struggles to catch his breath. “Huh?” He looks around. Eugene is right; nothing in the room is out of order. In fact, it looks like every other guest room in this castle. There’s no chest full of belongings or clothes in the closet, just a totally blank canvas. 

“Guess they figured the jig was up,” Eugene put his hands on his hips. “Aw. And I was so excited to do some good ol’ snooping! Get back to my roots! Team Awesome crime squad style!”

Ignoring the older, Varian approaches the others. “Did you find anything?” He falters at Hugo’s distraught face. “Oh no, Glasses, Honey, what happened?” He looks desperately at Rapunzel. 

Wordlessly, she bites her lip and holds out the book.

Hugo barely recalls anything the rest of the night. The soft whispers, Varian’s soothing voice as he sobs openly into his arms, Eugene’s knowing look. 

 

He does recall that Varian’s eyes glowed in the candlelight.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

Two weeks later

 

Hugo stands in front of the mirror, fidgeting in place. Normally he puts a lot of time and effort into his appearance, and today is no exception, but it isn’t his choice this time. Granted, there are a lot of times where he doesn’t dress up for himself but… it’s different when you’re wearing the vibrant green of Iron nobility. 

The kind you grew up despising. 

There’s a knock at the door as he twists this way and that. “Come in!” He calls, fully expecting Varian to be there. Rather, it’s Eugene who comes in, wearing his own red captain outfit. 

Hugo scowls. “I changed my mind. Go away,” his eyes are glued to the mirror, god they look so similar. In no world does he want to look anything like Prince Horace. But he does. 

It almost feels like overkill, his outfit. He’s wearing pearl earrings, the same kind that his mother always wore. The green is adorned with white tassels (tassels!!) on each shoulder, with a gold collar and black stripes up the lapel. On his breast is a crest he faintly recognizes of bells atop a raven. 

The symbol of the deBellons.

“Lookin good!” Eugene shoots finger guns at him. Totally ignoring the daggers his glare bounces off the mirror and towards him, Eugene wraps his arm around Hugo and practically lifts him up in a hug. “Like a refined gentleman! If only you acted like one.” 

That stung. It was just another painful reminder, this whole thing is, of the facts that everyone seemed to ignore. 

 

1. His entire family is dead. He had a father, a mother, a sister, who loved him, and they’re all gone. 

 

2. They were nobility. The very thing he hates most. 

 

Which meant that he’s a noble. Him. Hugo. The thief, the conman, Donella’s right hand who could barely stand working with anyone with more than 10 gold to their name at any given point. How ironic is that? It was a bit of a moral dilemma for him to even accept the job of royal engineer. The only reason he’s ok working here is that Rapunzel is not your typical monarch. 

It’s one thing to work for nobility. It’s another to be one of them.

“You know,” Eugene continues his standup routine as if Hugo isn’t having a total fucking breakdown, “Since you’re both nobles, I wanna see you and Varian do the classic courtship stuff. Y'know, putting your coat over a puddle, only holding hands after marriage,” he cackles at the second one. “Yeah! Let’s do it! Get you a top hat and a handkerchief too!” 

“I’ll strangle you with it!” Hugo snaps, crossing his arms and looking down. “Just. Go away. I’m not in the mood.” His shoulders hike up. 

Eugene pauses. Then sighs. “Guess the banter approach wasn’t a good idea.” He sits down on the bed, patting the spot next to him. “Come on, it’s advice time. Get over here.” 

“No.” 

“Not an option.” 

“Just leave.” 

A hand grabs the back of Hugo’s jacket and pulls him onto the bed. He refuses to dignify the squawk that he lets out, opting to glare at Eugene, whose face is still mirthful but more serious.

 

Well if there’s no getting out of this, he’s going to make it as miserable as possible for the both of them. Hugo crosses his arms and tucks himself up into a ball. “What.” He drones. 

Eugene looks him over. “It feels weird, doesn’t it?” 

The question is enough to give pause. “The outfit,” Eugene clarifies. “It feels like you’re an imposter. Or wearing a costume.” 

Slowly, Hugo uncoils a bit. “Yeah.” He admits. 

Eugene nods. “I was the same. When I found out who my dad was. Granted, I learned from him…” he hisses between his teeth. Hugo peers up at him through his glasses. Wrapping his arm around Hugo’s shoulder, he pulls the younger into a real hug. “I know first hand how scary this is. You feel like you’re gonna mess it up, like you’re not worthy of it.” He meets Hugo’s eyes. “That this isn’t who you are.” 

“…how do you always know how I’m feeling?” Hugo grumbles. “That’s my job.” 

“It was my job first, that’s why.” Eugene teases. “Criminals like us gotta stick together. Can’t let those snotty prisses get ya down.” 

“See this is why it was so easy to double cross you. You’re too trusting. Even back then.” Hugo yells when he’s pulled into a headlock for that comment. The older ruffles his hair, just like he’s done with Varian a hundred times, and it’s the first time he’s actually felt like Eugene accepts him as part of the family. 

“Come on,” mercifully, Eugene lets him go so he can fix his hair. “We get to join you for your first diplomatic lessons. How exciting.” He offers a hand for Hugo to take as he stands up. 

 

His brown eyes glow with compassion. 

 

Hugo pauses, almost shy, before taking the hand.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

“The Iron Kingdom emphasizes elegance and appearance most of all in their nobility. As such,” Nigel stands before him in the ballroom, cleared save for him, Hugo, Lance, and Rapunzel.  If only Varian could be here too, but someone has to watch the library while he… does this. “I will be teaching you the signature dance of your people.” 

His people. His people are goons who couldn’t so much as hold their pinky up when drinking. 

And then Nigel hands him a sword. 

“Today we’ll be learning Les Bouffons, a coordinated sword dance. The dance requires four people in a square, each with their own sword.” He gestures to Rapunzel and Lance, who pull out a frying pan and sword respectively. “Erm, princess,” Lance whispers.

“I know.”

Hugo snickers. She winks back, and it’s at this time he remembers she didn’t grow up royalty either. 

“Now,” Nigel positions himself across from Hugo, while Lance and Rapunzel stand next to them. “The dance doesn’t require any complicated motions, just rotating the sword in different directions at different angles.” He holds the sword up to demonstrate, turning his arm clockwise and counterclockwise. “There’s forward and reverse, and up and down.” 

“So like, fake sword fighting.” Hugo summarizes. 

“Precisely.” 

 

He takes them through the hand gestures first, showing Hugo how to spin and hit both Nigel’s and Rapunzel’s weapons at different points. And hey, it’s not so bad. It requires a bit of memorization, and some fast turns, but otherwise seems fairly simple. 

And then they introduce the footwork. Which requires him to kick his feet the entire time. With a sword. 

Explains why Lance is here at least. Dude was flexible.

“Focus!” Nigel snaps. “You’re forgetting to do the arm work. Don’t just do one half of the dance!” The advisor isn’t struggling at all, used to such footwork from years of experience. And while Hugo is definitely not clumsy by any stretch of the word, he has no experience with a sword. 

“Hugo!” Nigel snaps. Right. Sword up? Wait no, now it’s reverse down? He fumbles, unsure where to put the stabby bit-

And accidentally puts it into Nigel’s leg mid kick. 

The advisor stumbles, curses streaming from his mouth as he stops the dance. “Sorry! Sorry sorry,” Hugo drops the sword like he’s been burnt while Rapunzel and Lance check the man over. “Man, the one time I hurt the rich and it’s on accident,” he grumbles to himself. Lance bites back a laugh, but gives him a thumbs up.

“I’m fine, just a knick. Scared me is all,” Nigel brushes off the royal. “I think we’re done for today.” He directs that at Hugo with a glare. He tries not to shrink, no way will he be intimidated by some priss like Nigel. He still feels bad though. 

“Hey,” Rapunzel rubs his arm soothingly as the advisor storms off. “It’s ok. I made a lot of mistakes in my first week too.” 

“Oh yeah, you should’ve seen it,” Lance agrees. “She had to host the 7 kingdoms during her first month as princess. It was a mess.” 

Hugo cocks his head. “Really?” 

“We should make a club,” Rapunzel continues. “For royals who didn’t know they were royals. A support group!” 

 

The blonde sighs, turning to Lance. “And here I thought we were the only poor orphans in the group.” It had been a thing of pride, the two of them, with Lance sort of adopting him now that he’d moved out of Don’s place. They had dinner twice a month at his treehouse. 

“I mean, you’re still an orphan. Just a rich one!” Lance nudges him. “Trust me, this doesn’t change anything between us.”
“Doesn’t change us either,” Rapunzel reassures. 

Hugo raises a brow. “Were we… were we good before?”

“Of course! Why not? After all you’re my brother’s f-” Lance elbows her in the gut surprisingly hard. “Boyfriend! Boyfriend.” 

He’s not going to question it. “I mean, I don’t think it can get much worse than this.” Does that count as positivity? Rapunzel seems to brighten up, at least. 

“That’s the spirit! It’s only up from here!” 

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

She lied. It was only down from there. 

The throne room had been rearranged. Instead of an empty foyer save for the thrones, the king’s throne is now the head of a large table, around which several people sit, chatting wildly. They all silence when the doors open for them, and Hugo feels very very small. 

For a moment, he can’t move. It’s like he’s back in that house, staring powerless as his mother bleeds out. But then Eugene’s hand is a steady pressure on his lower back, guiding him towards the two empty seats. He’ll die before he thanks the older man, but good god is he grateful that Eugene is here.

It’s kind of terrifying to think about how he’s allowed in on royal meetings and Varian isn’t. Because that makes him higher rank than Varian and higher rank means nobility and he hates it wants to rip his skin off-

He practically falls into his chair. The nobles continue to stare. “Uh. Hi.” He manages, internally screaming. Hi? Fucking hi!? For Christ’s sake you are a con man! You swindle these suckers outta silver! Pull it together!

“Thank you for joining us, Mr. deBellon,” the king says. 

He can’t help it; he gags at the words. The politeness, being called mister, Freddy being nice to him- 

Thankfully he turns it into a cough. “Just. Call me Hugo.” There’s a beat. “Please.” 

The king takes pity on him. “Hugo. Do you know why we’ve called you here?” 

“To kill me with boredom?”Eugene stomps on his foot. “Uh, um, no. No,” he sputters. 

A few nobles seem surprised, even annoyed. “Your keep, Linsol,” Nigel explains impatiently. 

“What about it?”

“As an Iron Kingdom noble living at my court, you offer a unique opportunity for diplomacy.” Frederick explains. “You are the bridge between our kingdoms. And while we are not at war, it would always be nice to have cards in the case of… territorial disputes.”

“Cards?” 

“Marriage.” 

 

Oh hell no.

 

Eugene and Rapunzel look horrified . Rapunzel goes to stand, to object, but she catches herself at the last moment, slapping both her hands over her mouth. She sits down, composes herself, and then turns to her father. “I’m sorry, come again?”

“Yes, explain please,” Hugo agrees.

“You are the last of the deBellons, whether you like it or not. You have a duty to your family to continue your bloodline and better your standing,” he makes a face. “Surely your family could do better than… our alchemist.” 

“Dad!” Rapunzel cries in protest. 

“I’m just saying!” Frederick defends. 

“Are you implying he marry one of our daughters!?” A nobleman stands up. “I don’t want some gutter-raised boy corrupting my daughter! She’s a debutante!” 

“Oh, and Eugene wasn’t?” Another snaps. “No offense.” 

“That’s different!”

The room erupts in a bluster of debate. Half of the room seems to think Hugo deserves the right to marry a lady of status, while the other half pitch a fit about his former occupation. Neither side thinks to consult Hugo. Because if he’s going to marry anyone in this godforsaken world, it’s the boy with the blue stripe. 

 

And he’s had enough. “OI!” He yells, and the room falls quiet. 

 

“Wellllll,” Hugo pushes his chair out, ignoring the frantic look from Eugene and apologetic wince Rapunzel gives. “I’d love to help you. Really. Getting married to some random broad sounds great.” He stands with a stretch. “But uh. See I’m not exactly in charge?” He shrugs. “Of anything, really. I can barely keep my robot mouse alive. So.” He holds his hands up in a ‘what can you do’ gesture. “Not really sure what you want from me.” With a salute he saunters over to the door. “I’ll just be taking my leave thank you very much.” He stands at the grand doors. “Oh and Freddy. Fuck off.” 

 

The door slams shut.

 

He slides down onto the floor the moment the doors close, laying starfish on the tile. “UGHHHHHH.” This is hell. Is he in hell? Did he die? Is this his punishment for betraying Varian? It had to be. Otherwise the universe just had it out for him. It took a look at him, at his life choices, and went, “Yeah. Let’s turn this kid into the next Prince Charming. Get him some white horses and a gold carriage while we’re at it!” And then the universe laughed and took a sip of its champagne. 

 

The universe is a dick. 

 

Speaking of the universe, Varian leans over him. His face is shadowed, the only light reflected in his eyes that almost glow briefly. From his shoulder, Ruddiger hops off, opting to taste Hugo’s face instead. “That bad, huh?” 

Hugo just whines.

"Come on," Varian rolls his eyes. "Get up, you big baby."

"No." 

"Hugo."

"Leave me to wallow in my misery." 

Groaning, Varian grabs Hugo's arm and tugs. The taller man doesn't react, merely sliding a bit on the tile. So Varian pulls harder, actively moving him along and probably getting the back of his jacket dirty. Not that Hugo cares. Nigel likes the castle spotless anyhow. It's probably getting a wash as it moves. 

"Oh my god." Varian rolls up his sleeves, and with both hands, grabs Hugo's arm. He moves backwards, pulling the blonde down the hall at considerable speed. And what is Hugo supposed to do in this situation? Not let his handsome totally worth marrying boyfriend show off how strong he was? Besides, he was getting a great view of the ceiling as it passed by. He never noticed all the art up there. Must have been Rapunzel's work.

Faith gives them an odd look as they pass by. Old Lady Crowley doesn't even blink. 

When they reach their lab, Varian lets him go, if only to open the door, before dragging him all the way in.

"Ok can you get up now."

"Never."

A new, familiar, always tired voice pops in. "Hugo, get your ass up."

 

He scrambles to sit up on his elbows, glasses skewed as the blurry face of his boss-slash-mentor-slash-mother-figure comes into view. "Don...?" He asks, dumbfounded.

She rolls her eyes. "No, Santa Claus." Her elbows rest against their workbench. "You really need to clean this place. I thought I taught you better." Emerald green eyes dart around disapprovingly. 

Dropping back onto his back, Hugo sighs. "Apparently that's not all you didn't teach me." 

"I heard. Varian sent me quite the interesting letter." A silver braid comes into view as she leans over him with a calculating look in her eyes. Varian blushes at her statement. "Come on. Up. We need to talk."

Sighing, he finally stands up properly, much to Varian's chagrin. "I'll leave you to it," he gives Hugo a peck on the lips before he goes, muttering to himself about 'boyfriend curling'. The door closes with a heavy thud, leaving the two of them alone for the first time in a good while. 

Donella steps back with her hands on her hips. She looks him up and down. "Are they feeding you? How about the work, is it difficult? Enriching?"

"You make me sound like I'm a cat," he complains.

"Well I took you in off the street, and you hissed at people, so yeah." The memory of a very confused and slightly scared Cyrus brings a wisp of a smile to his face before it fades.

"Did you..." she raises an eyebrow. "Did you know? Who I was? Am?" He held his forearms tight.

For a moment, Donella's face doesn't change. It's the same impassive look she always gave, the one that, despite Hugo's impressive people reading skills, could never crack. 

 

Then she laughs.

"Hugo," she shakes her head, lightly smacking him on the top of his skull. "If I knew that my boy was secretly the last surviving member of a noble family, do you think I'd put him to work as a thief?"

He blinks. "Wh-huh?"

"If I had known, I would've made you a puppet leader and ruled as your regent."

Ok wow . "You don't have to be that direct," he grumbles, pouting.

"Am I wrong?"

"No, you totally would have."

She ruffles his hair a bit, not too much as to mess it up. He likes that about her, she knows what makes him smile and what his limits are. Just as he knows hers. It's something they've worked on together over the years. 

 

As a family...

 

"How are you holding up?" Her voice is more serious now. Not that it wasn't serious before, she's always serious, but he can tell this isn't just a casual check-in question. 

"Honestly? I'm not." He ticks off complaints on his fingers. "Everyone looks at me differently, I have to wear this stupid mini-Fitzherbert uniform, I have to answer questions I know nothing about at meetings I have no desire to be at, they think I outrank Varian, hell, Freddy wanted to marry me off! And!" His other hand runs through his ponytail. "I don't know who I am anymore! Just when I was happy with who I was and where I was at, in comes these two assholes who apparently ruined my life! I barely even remember it!" He drops his head, missing how Donella's face falls with sympathy. "I hate this. I just want to be me again."

"Hugo." Her voice has no room for nonsense. "Nothing about you has changed."

"Everything has changed." he moans. "You taught me how to con the folks who gave birth to me." His eyes raise to meet hers. "Do you think they'd be proud of me if they saw me? That their precious little heir turned to crime? Double crossing and conning and stealing from even the people he cared about? Not caring about who I hurt or why?" He gripped both of her arms. "Would they be proud!? Really!" 

For a moment, all is quiet. The only sounds are his pants for breath echoing across the chamber.

 

"Well," she says at last. "I'm proud of you."

Hugo let out an incredulous laugh. “Really? I betrayed you for the son of your ex. That was like, the one thing you told me not to do.” 

“I don’t know everything,” she rolls her eyes. “At the time I thought I was right, but you made the right call. You’ve got a roof over your head, a job beyond crime, you’re happy, what else could I want from you?” He moves to tug at his hair again, and she stops it with her own calloused hands. When he was little Hugo loved fidgeting with her fingers, just marveling at the slender digits and how mechanically they moved. Now her motions are slower, relaxed, even fluid. 

“You’ve changed me for the better, just as much as you’ve changed yourself,” Donella says. “Don’t ever think I’m not proud of you, kid. And if your parents wouldn’t be proud,” she shrugs. “Then fuck em.” She brushes a cold finger against his too hot cheek. 

“You are who you want to be, you always have. No past, present, or future can take that from you. It shapes you, sure, but it doesn’t define you. I thought Varian taught you that.” 

“He’s a good teacher,” Hugo snorts. “Then… if I’m not a noble… if I’m just me…” he looks into her eyes. “I… I still.. even if I don’t remember them well. I miss them.” A stray tear falls, and then another, and his breath hitches. “I miss them.”

“That’s ok too,” she soothes. “You’re mourning what you never had. What you could’ve had.” Lord knows she’s mourned similarly. “But you’re not alone, Hugo. Me, Varian, Yong and Nuru, even the stupid ones,” he lets out a wet laugh. “You have a family.” 

“I know,” he brushes the tears away. “I do.” He looks up at her. And wraps her in a hug. When he was a kid, she always stiffened under his embrace. Every time she reassured him it wasn’t because she didn’t like him, rather she didn’t like hugs. But now that they’re older, a little broken, but also a little fixed, Donella doesn’t stiffen. She just hugs back.

Donella pulls back. "What you decide to do with this information is up to you. You can walk away, or embrace it, or whatever." She brushes his hair back. "But whatever you do, it'll be you."

Lord, how did he get so lucky to have Donella in his life? After all the shit he's put her through, she still sticks by him and always knows just what to say. To think he took it for granted as a kid. 

"Ok," he bites his lip. "I think I know what I need to do." With a smile, he places a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks Don."

"Anytime, kid."

 

From the doorway, Varian grins. His blue eyes glow with joy. He knocks a few times to catch their attention. “We have a few more visitors, if you’re up for it?”

“Uh, sure?” Were Eugene and Rapunzel done with the meeting already? His confusion morphs into pure elation when two familiar faces rush into the lab with similar grins. 

“Guys!” 

Nuru and Yong practically bowl him over in a hug, with Yong leaping up into his arms and Nuru tackling both of them. When did they get so tall? Or is he short? The idea of being the second tallest in their friend group is terrifying. He’ll have to get some heels. 

“We heard what happened and came as soon as we could!” Yong gushes, looking up at Hugo with bleary eyes. “It’s just so sad!”

Hugo laughs awkwardly. “I mean, I guess? I kinda figured my parents were dead before.”

“No! You being rich now!” 

“Oh yeah that part sucks.” The trio finally separate and Varian wanders over. “Nuru, I hate this. Make it go away with your princess-ness.” 

“Oh, did Varian not tell you? I had you all knighted ages ago. You’ve been nobility for months.” She cackles at the dramatic wail he lets out. The laughter fades out, while his eyes wander towards his workbench. And the smile fades. 

 

Sure, he may be happy with where he is now, he's realizing, but stars above, he's mad. Furious, even. It's the Willowiths' fault he grew up not knowing who he was, it's their fault his childhood was one of starvation and despair, it's their fault he never got the chance to know his family.

“You guys,” they all turn to him, and he smiles weakly. They can tell it’s fake, they know him too well, yet he presses on. “It’s getting late, yeah? Did you just get in? Maybe you should get some sleep.” 

His family each pass a knowing look, a silent conversation. “I’m fine,” he says. “I just… I think I need some space. To process.” 

“You sure?” Yong asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little drained.” 

Varian presses a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be back in a bit, ok?” He turns to his friends and Donella. “I’ll help you get settled in.” 

“Yeah, and you can show us-” Nuru cuts off when Varian makes a noise akin to a dying cat and smacks her in the stomach. “Never mind,” she manages out in between the coughs forced out of her.

Ok then. He’s just going to store that away for another day. 

 

And then he’s alone. His face hardens into a determined glare.

From the mess on their lab table, he grabs supplies, puts on a welding mask, and gets to work.

As the metal heats up, sparks fly. One catches a stupid tassel on fire, so he rips both of them off. They’re stupid, anyway. 

It’s not too complicated a design, but the mechanics are what’s tricky. He and Varian had been discussing it theoretically for ages, the issue was just figuring out how to make it not explode in your hand. Bayonets were incredible tools, but impractical for use outside of warfare (or mass murder). The closest Varian ever got was the amber gun, but that too was technically inspired by large rifles. Anything shorter than 2 feet risked blowing you up in the process of firing. 

Well. Until now. 

Who knows how many hours he was down there, working almost nonstop. Every few hours someone came by with some food and water, and Varian came by in the rare instance where he was dragging Hugo to bed. But he didn’t stop, not for anyone. 

By the time the sun rose over the kingdom of Light, he’s screwing in the final pieces. The weapon is over twice as small as a bayonet, with 6 rounds connected in a barrel. Its wood is polished to a shine, a small etching of a raven at the hilt. 

He loads the small bullets into the barrel and fires once, twice, into the wall. Pieces of rock shower from the wall, and the weapon holds firm. 

He grins.

 

It’s quiet as Hugo sneaks down to the stables. He'll be in and out of the keep before the next sunrise, then when he gets back he can pretend that he was just seeing Donella home or something like that. No one had to know.

"Going somewhere?"

Goddamnit. 

The blonde turns around to see the love of his life, unimpressed, and with a pack of his own. He's got his arms crossed in that way that Hugo knows he's messed up.

"Goggles," Hugo smiles weakly. "You're up early..."

"You're up late." Varian responds. "You're not usually one to go horse riding."

"Yeah," a female voice from behind Varian pipes up, "That's our thing." And yup, the royal busybodies are here too. 

“Man, the last time I was up this late was when Eugene and I stole from Rapunzel,” There’s Lance, with a story he’s going to get later. 

"How many of us are ex-cons?" He flinches at that one. Since when was he so easy to sneak up on? He's getting rusty. 

"You too, Don?" He groans. 

"Well," she says. "Someone's gotta keep you from dying."

Yong peeks out from behind Donella. “We’re here too!” 

He huffs, and Varian laughs, because they both know it's true. "You're not alone, Hugh," Varian reminds him softly. He grabs a few strands of hair and pulls him in so their foreheads touch. "Let us help you."

He's not a religious man, never was. But perhaps, a small part of him even hopes that some deity, perhaps the universe that screwed him over to begin with, took some pity on him. It saw the misery that his life is, and decided he could use a break in the form of Varian. 

If that's true, then he'll become a goddamned priest.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

Linsol is just as dreary as Hugo remembers it, if not more so. 

 

The city lies under a perpetual layer of fog, almost like the people's misery manifested. Dead trees line nearly every corner as the lack of sunlight has done them in, fingers stretched upward in a failed attempt to break the fog. Not that anyone had the time or energy to care for them. Broken stone in the cobblestone path trips up their horses, and so they go on foot. Each step clacks against pebbles that vanish into the fog. A lone rat scurries along, its squeaking one of the only sounds. It echoes for ages, in fact. Beyond it is just an unrelenting silence.

There are no shops open, no vendors, barely any people about. Anyone who passes by wears rags and a permanent scowl on their face, eyeing the newcomers with distrust. A child's eyes widen at the sight of them, at the bright colors of Corona, the fancy horses. They go to open their mouth, to point and tell their mother, but she covers their mouth and all but spirits them away.

 

Linsol, it seems, has barely changed since Hugo was here last. 

 

Varian shivers. "Gosh, this place is freezing," he mutters. He never did like the cold anyway. Not after... everything that had gone on in his life. Cold meant danger, meant instability, meant pain. And when he looks at Hugo, a boy who grew up on these streets... he can't even imagine the sleepless nights, the hiding in corners, the desperate struggle to survive. At least he always had a roof over his head... 

Tears well up in his eyes. "Var, what's wrong?" His boyfriend is quick to notice. 

Varian sniffles. "You... you were all alone out here..." he warbles. "And you were just a kid, no family left, the people who ruined your life were in power...!"

"Oh, goggles," Hugo deflates. "This is bringing up all sorts of memories for you, isn't it? The blizzard, I mean. You didn't have to come..."

"No, you selfless asshole!" Varian can't take it; he barrels into Hugo's chest, pulling him close. He's always so warm, like a furnace, Varian is the one who sticks his cold toes into Hugo to get a shriek, now he just feels like the biggest jerk in the world. "You didn't deserve any of this! You're the most caring person I've ever met, and yet everyone around you was just so... selfish!" He wails.

Hugo almost laughs. Him? Selfless? All he ever did was steal and lie and cheat. And yet, here was the kindest man he's ever known, crying for him. He wraps his arms around Varian, burying his face into black hair and shushing him softly. 

"It's..." he pauses. "Well I can't say it's ok. It sucked." He snorts. "But it's over. I have you."

"You always will." Varian’s eyes stay locked onto his as he toys with their fingers, his thumb ghosting over Hugo’s left ring finger. 

God he hoped so.

 

The rest of their walk is silent as night falls. Visibility doesn't improve, yet the keep looms over them enough to notice its shadow. This... this is his ancestral home, but it's been bastardized, used by the people who killed everyone around him. It's hard to connect the dots. His mind is still reknitting itself back together after the whole "repressed memories coming back to punch him in the gut", but there's an overlay of good and bad memories at the same place... it's uncomfortable.

 

Running around with his sibling, screaming with joy as they play with fake swords. Clara was always the bad guy in their games, delving into the theatrics to make everyone laugh. Hugo would whack her, and she'd pretend to stagger back as if mortally wounded.

"Oh! I am slain!" She cried, unable to stop smiling.

"Dead people don't smile!" Hugo protested, whacking her over and over. She shrieked, trying to shield herself. "And no moving!"

 

He couldn't move, don't move a muscle, don't let the guards find you. If they see you, they'll take you to the keep, and no one ever comes out of the keep. One time he saw them take a kid as young as three. Their parents were begging and screaming, but the guards just killed them. No one knew what was going on in the Keep, but everyone agreed it was nasty business.

He barely breathed, eyes closed and trying not to flutter. Why did he need to blink even though his eyes were closed? Why couldn't he relax? He needed to relax, dead bodies don't tense.

The guards moved on.

 

A gentle hand touches his shoulder, and he jumps. Rapunzel smiles weakly, and he gives his own shaky one back. She knows how it feels. 

Finally, the keep's main door is within view. They had to get uncomfortably close in order to even see it. Two guards, the despicable bastards, stand at the entrance. Their beady eyes glow as they survey the area.

 

Seeing people from all over enter through those gates-

Running through them while dodging gunfire-

 

“The city’s crawling with guards,” Hugo gripes. “There’s no way all of us are getting in undetected.”

“So we need a distraction,” Yong grins, taking off his pack and digging through it. Lance peeks over his shoulder in interest, and practically squeals at the explosive he presents.

It is at this point Hugo remembers why Lance and Yong have never met. 

“I’ll make sure no one dies,” Nuru promises. 

"Comforting. The rest of us need to sneak in," Donella hisses. She turns to him. "Do you remember any secret passages?"

 

On a warm spring night, when he couldn't sleep, he saw his mother sneaking out through the gardens-

 

He swallows thickly. "I think so."

He leads them around back, leaving the big boom trio to instill the fear of god in those around them. Just like the rest of the town, the trees stand with no leaves, uncut, but they stand out. The rest of the garden is just as lush as he remembers, with green grass and the smell of lavender. Most of the plants have been replaced, though. A patch he vaguely remembers as being the one he and Clara trampled is now barren, with black roses framing the empty plot.

 

Donella runs a callous hand over a gnarled root. What would his life have been like, she thinks, if she hadn’t found him? If none of this awful mess had happened? Would he be happy and carefree? Would he reject the noble life wholesale? Maybe he and Varian would still be together, but with different circumstances. She glances ahead at her boy who looks at Varian with such a soft smile, his eyebrows just the slightest scrunched up as they walk… just looking at him seems to calm Hugo’s nerves enough to be in a place he would be totally valid in never wanting to set foot. It’s so familiar to her it aches. 

She shakes her head. There’s no point in dwelling on what ifs. He’s her boy now.

 

They round to a small door, more akin to a vent than a door. With deft fingers Hugo makes quick work of the lock, bowing dramatically. “After you,” he says. 

Eugene rolls his eyes. “I could’ve cracked the lock in under a minute.” 

“Of course you could, gramps. Now come on, let’s get you to shuffleboard.” 

“Wh-“ he sputters and his wife hides a laugh. “Who are you calling old! I swear, the things I do for you…” he ducks into the door, with the rest following. 

The passage is dank and dark, water dripping from the cavern and into small puddles below. Boxes lay untouched, coated in dust and cobwebs that tickle the nose. Varian sneezes little tiny kitten sneezes. “Not a word,” he warns Hugo, who looks like he’s about to explode rainbows. He did this on their quest, too. Back when he first sneezed, Yong nearly exploded while Nuru howled with laughter. 

“It’s still so cute.” 

“I’ll break your knees.” 

“Precious. My love. Adorable.” 

“Don’t we have a couple to overthrow?” 

“It is pretty cute.” Rapunzel offers. 

Hugo throws his hands up. “Yes! Thank you!”

 

At some point the tunnel widens into a large chamber. The floor lies covered in strange dust and debris, and the walls with runes. There's another doorway on the other side, opposite from where they came in, at which two statues guard the exit. Nondescript bodies that hold their hands out at their sides, palms up. And at the center is a massive dais. The runes seem to spiral from the floor over the dais, covering the floor and then reaching up onto the walls like limbs. 

"Uh," Eugene grips his sword a little tighter. "Glasses, do you remember this?"

"No," he mumbles. "This is definitely new."

The group splits up, each investigating a different piece of the strange puzzle. A gloved hand brushes against the etched runes as Varian frowns. 

"I've never seen this language," he mumbles. "It doesn't look like anything on the Demanitus scroll." No, unlike that cipher, which used ancient common, symbols still distantly familiar, these were in a script so foreign they may as well be from another world.

"Which means... this predates him?" Donella's eyes wander up the statues. They tower over everything, at least 30 feet in height. Aside from their eyes, they are completely stone.

"Has to," Varian agrees. 

Hugo frowns as he approaches the dais. None of this is familiar, or headache inducing, or anything else that the rest of his past has made him feel. In fact, if anything, this reminded him of the trials: totally foreign, even arcane. He was totally out of depth during those too. It was always one of the others to figure out some clue that led to the totem. In fact, when he first tried to steal the totems from Yong and Varian at the fire trial, the only reason he beat them was because Donella told him what to expect. The rest? He had to rely on the others.

Well ok, being out of his depth and having to work nice with others were totally different concepts, but stupid, younger Hugo didn't know that! To him, friendship was just as foreign as well... a giant temple under his city! 

He shakes himself out of it. It's just the nerves, the place giving him the heebie jeebies, he thinks. The whole atmosphere is tense, as if every living thing in the world is waiting for something to pop, to explode, or go wrong. Knowing them, something will.

 

And it does.

Because Eugene, stupid, so-fucking-stupid, big brother Eugene, accidentally steps on a stone sticking out of the ground. It sinks in, because of course this place is boobytrapped. His eyes widen and shine with fear.

"Oh crap," he mutters right before the crunching sounds of gears moving begins. He backs up against the wall, from which a black substance begins to flow. "Euck!" He rears back. Oil? Of all the fluids to drown them in, why oil? Chains move slowly, following a large system of pulleys, and with a sinking heart, Donella sees where they end just a bit too late.

"The doors! Everyone!" She cries, taking off towards the exit as stone walls begin to lower from the ceiling. Rapunzel and Eugene take off after her, quickly passing the threshold. But Hugo and Varian, on the far end of the chamber, can only run so fast. Neither of them were particularly athletic, though skilled in combat their brains were much stronger than their leg muscles, especially against a rising flow of black. 

"It's no use!" Varian cries, slowing to a stop well before the door. The lowered door is practically at their heads now. He grabs Hugo before he can keep going, and he can see determination in fear lighting up baby blue.

Varian turns to the door, where the adults stand watching in horror. "Go on without us! We'll find another way!" 

Donella hesitates, before Eugene pulls her away from the door just as it slams shut. The noise it makes as they are sealed in will haunt Hugo's nightmares.

 

"We'll find another way!?" Hugo mocks. "What other way do we have? Through the oil!"

"It worked for Rapunzel and Eugene when they first met!" Varian protests.

"Was it OIL!?"

"No...!"

"Oh my god we are going to die." He runs his hands down his face. "We're gonna die! You're going to meet my family early and they're going to lecture me into another afterlife!" The oil is up to their waists now.

"Hugo shut up!" Varian scolds. His eyes look around. They weren't struggling to breathe, even before the doors closed it made no sense. How was air getting in this far below the surface? Unless there was... there!

"A vent!" He cries, pointing to a grate on the ceiling above the statues. "Come on!" Slowly, the two of them wade towards the behemoths. The warm oil is sticky and thick on their clothes, and Varian scoops up some extra into his hands. 

"Are you nuts?" Hugo hisses.

"Do you want to live or not!"

You're lucky I love you," Hugo grumbles as he copies his actions. "Stupid oil, stupid booby traps, stupid dead parents..." he really needs to exercise more often. Just a few feet and he's already out of breath. How does Varian make it look so easy? It barely looks like he's trying at all. Stupid farmboy strength. The worst part was that if he wanted to bulk up he'd need to go to Eugene. Aka guard training.

 

Gross.

 

Thankfully, it's not too hard to climb up the rest of the way. Once at the top Varian leans down and pulls Hugo up. He grabs the grate with still sticky hands, using the binding properties to rip the metal off. 

"Hot," Hugo grins.

"Shut up." Varian climbs in and scoots back so Hugo can follow. He grabs the grate behind him and slams it closed so the oil can't follow. For a moment, they pause, catching their breath. 

"Come here," Hugo whines, pulling Varian close in the small space. "I need to hold you to prove we didn't die."

Varian's eyes are clearly visible despite the low light. "We're here. We're ok." He takes a shaky breath. “When… when all this is over…”

“If. If this ends.” 

“When.” 

“Ok.”

“When this ends…” Varian bites his lip, eyes down in thought. “We should go on a vacation. Visit Nuru and Yong.” 

Hugo blinks. “Uh. Sure, yeah. Reminiscing about the trials?”

“Something like that.” Varian says, watching as Hugo begins to move deeper in the vents. He smacks himself on the forehead. “Stupid! Coward!” With a sigh, he follows. 

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

“Damnit!” Donella slams her first into the wall once twice, three times. She only stops when Eugene pulls her away. For a brief moment she contemplates kicking his ass. “Let me go! Hugo!” 

“You’re gonna break your hand!” Eugene grunts. Man, for an old lady she was fierce. But also, if she ever found out he thought that he’d be dead in a minute. He may not have crossed paths with her as Flynn Rider, but he knew she was something to fear. Especially considering her protege. 

“How are you not worried about them?” She finally gives up struggling and lets Eugene set her down. “For all we know they could’ve drowned!” 

“You think I’m not freaking out? I’m totally freaking out! That’s my little brother in there!” 

“That’s my kid !”

 

“Enough!” Rapunzel buts in between, pushing them apart. “Varian and Hugo can handle themselves. They’re the smartest people I know.” Her eyes soften. “If there’s anyone who could solve that puzzle, it’s them.” 

The two pause to think on her words, before relaxing. She’s not wrong; those boys created some of the most advanced technology the world had ever known. But they also pronounce debutante as “de-butt-ant” , drink their own chemicals, and Eugene has caught them on more than one occasion trying to get Catalina to bite them for science. 

“We just need to trust them,” Rapunzel says.

Eugene sighs, his shoulders sagging. Varian always rags on him for being so protective, he just can’t help it. Those two have been through things no kid should ever see (despite them being in their 20s now). After everything life has thrown at them, they deserve a break. They deserve to be happy. 

 

He’s throwing them out the castle for a vacation when this is over. 

Or maybe just wait for the honeymoon…?

 

“Ok,” he turns to the women with a weak smile. “We’ll keep going, try to meet up at some point. Let’s go.” 

They follow the corridor for a while longer. The runes from the chamber have expanded, forming spirals along the walls and floors. As a precaution, they try to avoid stepping on them. There’s no telling what booby traps are written into magic coding. 

Eventually the catacombs open into another large room, this one with stairs on the other side. From their point in the room, they can just make out the beginnings of actual decor. This must be the final layer before the actual keep. 

“Oh, good, civilization.” Eugene laughs. “We’ll just keep going up the stairs!” He moves forward, only for Donella to pull him back. 

“Wait. We don’t know what’s up there,” she warns. 

“Uh, yeah we do. The rest of the manor.”

“No, as in,” Donella pinches the bridge of her nose. “What’s the layout? What are their defenses? We can’t just go in guns blazing!” 

“To be fair,” he says. “That was Hugo’s plan.” 

“Oh for the love of-“ honestly. Did that boy learn nothing from her? She sighs. “We need to be careful.” 

“Yes,” Eugene agrees, brown eyes flickering in the candlelight. “But we need to keep moving. We need to find Hugo and Varian.” He grabs Rapunzel’s hand, hard, pulling her up the stairs. “Come on, no time to lose!” 

“How would we know where to find them?” Rapunzel insists. “Eugene, slow down! You… you’re hurting me!” She cries, wrenching her hand free. That’s not the strange part. The strange part is that Eugene doesn’t apologize or calm down immediately, like he normally would. That way, Rapunzel could chalk his impatience up to worry for the boys. 

No, Eugene doesn’t apologize. He pauses, and turns back around. His shadow looms over her, causing her to take a step back. 

 

And his eyes… 

 

They’re glowing.

 

“We need to find Hugo,” he says, voice monotone. “And give him to the Willowiths.”

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

The vent opens up into the main castle, they find. Of course, find means they fall out of the vent and onto the floor. 

 

The halls are dark, with almost no candles illuminating the halls. Only pale moonlight shines through massive arched windows that line the entire way, twice as tall as them. The curtains are pulled back with a large rope that connects to a pulley, and each pulley to the next window, so that all the windows can be opened or closed at once. It's quite a nifty little contraption; did the Willowiths design it? Or maybe Hugo gets his smarts from somewhere...

The decor is lavish, with deep maroon carpets lining on polished wood floors. The dark oak practically shines and squeaks as they walk over it, and so they stick to the carpet. Small antique console tables, all midnight black, follow the hallway with various decorations atop them, most prominently, black roses. 

A few portraits are covered. Hugo has a feeling he's related to whoever's on them. 

 

"We must be getting close," he whispers to Varian, pulling out his handgun. "Be on your guard."

"Right," Varian agrees.

As they walk down the hall, Hugo spins the barrel anxiously, his jaw clenched. Of all the people to be separated with, he's glad it was Varian. He loves Donella, but they don't work well on missions together, and never have. Hell, most of the time Donella doesn't go at all, preferring the bureaucratic aspects of organized crime. Varian, on the other hand, has no issues with getting down and dirty. On at least more than one occasion on their journey he had to pull back an infuriated Varian from trying to bite the head off of some crook. 

He has no intentions of holding Varian back tonight. 

The whirring noise fills the silence, and Varian's eyes drift towards the new invention. "Did you make that?"

"Just last night, yeah."

"It's beautiful," Varian admits. "We could fit the guard with that no problem."

Hugo pauses. "Do we want to give Eugene a mini cannon?"

"Fair enough." Varian smiles softly. "It really is amazing, though. But what happens when you run out of bullets? At least with a bayonet you can just," he mimes stabbing someone with his tongue sticking out. 

"That's the fun part," Hugo smirks. "Went down to the library and added some... enchantments to it." He twirls the trigger around his finger. "As long as I have the bullets on my person, I don't need to reload."

"Wow," Varian breathes, cheeks dusted pink and eyes shining.

Wait a minute. Hugo smirks. "Are you turned on right now?"

"What?"

"Oh my god you are! You're blushing!" 

"N-!" Varian nearly shouts, before remembering where they are and what they're doing. "Hugo!" He whisper shouts instead.

The blonde opens his mouth to snark some more, but a cold breeze shuts him up. The wind feels almost painful with the sudden temperature shift, curtains blowing in the wind. But all of the windows were closed...

He cocks the gun and points forward, Varian behind him. His eyes harden. 

"I know you're here," he says. "Show yourselves."

The air in front of him distorts, like a painting smudged with water, until a familiar, haunting couple stands before him. Man and wife look down at him like he's the cutest thing they've ever seen. "Well well well," Peter croons. "The littlest deBellon, all grown up." 

The world tilts as he stares them down with his new knowledge. These people killed his family . He could’ve had a happy life with them, with his sister and mom and dad. But these assholes, their greed, or wrath, or whatever, caused so much pain for him. He couldn’t care less why they did it. He just wants justice. 

He fires. 

 

The form of the Willowiths flicker, bullet seeming to vanish through them. And suddenly, Peter is right in his face. He rears back to fire again, but the man punches him in the gut. 

“None of that, young man,” he chides. 

Hugo slides back, clutching his abdomen as he glares with one eye shut and teeth barred. He fires once more, twice more, the spark from the flintlock, the only artificial light in the room, but again Peter’ form distorts as he dodges. 

Now Simone decides to join in, her nails practically claws as she runs up to them. Her dark dress hides her in the room, blending in with the shadows that rise higher and higher, obscuring even the moon. She practically dances around Hugo, so focused on firing at Peter he can’t account for her appearing behind him. She swipes at his back, causing him to arch in pain and nearly drop the gun. He can't fire this close, but he can pistol whip her, smacking the gun into her face. She hisses, like full on hisses, like a cat, and skids back. Her nose is gushing blood. He can't help but laugh a little. He got a hit in, he's actually fighting back, he has a shot to avenge his family. He fires once, twice, and this time she's distracted, so the shots hit. But she only staggers, arching in pain, and not falling. 

 

"Simone!" Peter cries. He wipes the cut from his cheek, the one that Hugo gave him. Blood flies in the air, but never falls. It stays in place, suspended. He moves his arm, and the blood flies at Simone, drops absorbing into her skin with nary a sizzle. 

She moves her back forward, hinging upright with a grin. 

"Oh, what the fuck ," Hugo gapes.

"What? Never seen blood magic before?" Simone mocks. "All we wanted was to use the ritual altar that your ancestors buried under this mansion, but no! Your mother wouldn't let us!" She gripes. "Do you know how hard it is to gather power without a sacred space? The only one in Corona is stupid Janis Point! We had to go out of our way for it!"

 

She grabs him by the scruff like a kitten, throwing him with a scary amount of strength. He flies straight into Varian’s arms with a cry. Varian, who’s been oddly silent. Was he shocked? 

“Stay still god damnit!” He whines. “Varian, a little help?” Lord he prays Varian has his goo bombs.

Hugo looks up and his eyes meet neon blue. 

His very insides freeze. He’s seen that empty expression before, once. 

In the library, on the night they first opened it. 

 

“Varian…?” He whispers.

 

Varian’s arms wrap under his armpits, trapping him in place with the strength he gets from his father. His eyes stare blankly ahead. 

“No no no, Varian!” Hugo cries, legs flailing. “Varian, let go! Please!” His voice cracks in desperation as Peter and Simone approach. 

 

He glares at them, fists clenched despite the fear drumming in his veins. “Let him go ,” he snarls.

Instead of answering him, Simone grabs his face with slender fingers. She eyes him appraisingly. Almost amused by the death glare.

"Little baby Hugo, all grown up," she croons. "You look so much like your mother, you know? The same green eyes, that long nose," she pokes his nose for emphasis. He tries to bite her. "That same temper." 

She waltzes away, and Hugo attempts to break free again. But Varian was always the stronger of them, even back when they first met.  His grip is iron tight, a bruising hug that Hugo usually adores. He often would just throw Hugo over his shoulder when they teased one another, playfully shrieking and laughing as Hugo would insist he was right. His hugs were so grounding, assuring Hugo that he was here, and he wasn't going anywhere. But now they're possessive, they're a force that says you're not going anywhere.

"Your mother was quite the stubborn lady," Simone sighs, a hand to her face. "We offered her riches and power beyond her wildest dreams. The kind that most of the Iron Kingdom would kill each other for! And she threw us out the door."

"Yeah, 'cuz you two are such nice people," Hugo rolls his eyes. "Real charmers, that's for sure. That's why you gotta hypnotize people into helping you." His snarks are cut off when Varian pulls harder. He grits his teeth, trying to bear the pressure that grew in his arms. 

"We did what we had to," Simone insists as she adjusts her collar. "Anna was a fool and she died for it. As did the rest of your weak, pathetic family." She smirks. "But you, you're clever. Smart, even. You wormed your way out of our grasp so well. We thought you were dead! So imagine our surprise," with a grand gesture, she turns to him. "To see baby Hugo alive and well, in the lap of luxury. An engineer! A member of the court! And well, we couldn't just let that go so easily. No, we knew you were coming. So," she circles around Hugo and Varian, until she's behind Varian, and she brushes a hand through his black hair. "We needed some eyes on the ground."

 

A cold chill settled over the blonde. "You've been watching us the whole time," he realizes. 

 

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Simone croons, almost condescendingly sweet. "You never stood a chance."

 

Hugo flails, panic overtaking him as he manages to weasel his way out of Varian's grip. Varian stares blankly ahead, none of the concern or love poking through his eyes. "Varian!" Hugo cries, stepping back so as not to get grabbed, but oh, did he want to cup his face in his hands. "Varian, love, we've done this before, you fought off your mom, snap out of it!" 

Simone laughs, placing a hand on Varian's shoulders. Anger floods his veins. How dare she. How dare she steal everyone Hugo has ever loved, even if he barely remembers, he knows this witch has ruined his life, has hurt him so thoroughly, and the one salvage he finds in the life she ruined, she takes it too. He levels his gun at her, even if it's useless, he won't go down without a fight. "Let him go, you bitch!" He spits.

"Now now," she tuts. "Such foul language. Do you kiss this one with that mouth?"

"You're goddamn right I do!" He backs up more and more, ready to run, to find the others, the people who he knows can help, can fix this, when his back collides with Peter. 

He looks up to meet the man's wicked glare.

 

"Where are you going, Hugo?" He grins, and Hugo's vision goes black.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

Donella and Rapunzel stand on one side of the room, away from the exit, while Eugene blocks the way. His eyes glow like the moon he comes from, face completely blank in a way that even Donella knows is uncomfortable on his face. Ever since giving up crime, he's embraced emotion, either through witty quips or genuine sincerity, the kind he didn't have when a thief. But now, there's nothing. 

 

"Eugene," Rapunzel says, voice shaking a little. "What are you talking about?"

"I serve the Willowiths," he monotones, pulling his sword from his belt. "You can't stop them. They will see their plans finished."

"What plan?" She begs. "You don't mean... killing Hugo?" She turns to Donella.

"He knows their dark secret," the older says. "You can't leave witnesses for a crime like that." Her scar ripples across her cheek as her teeth clench. 

"The deBellons must die so the Willowiths can live forever." Eugene summarizes.

"Ok, enough with the creepy cult shit," Donella pulls out her knife and rushes him.

"Wait!" Rapunzel yells, but Donella has already lunged at the taller man. "Don't hurt him!" Despite her asking that, she's fumbling for her frying pan and jumping into the fray. 

"I don't exactly have a choice!" Donella argues, ducking underneath Eugene's sword. "He wants my kid dead!"

 

"Death to the deBellons," Eugene agrees. 

 

"Yeah but," Rapunzel swings her frying pan so hard she stumbles, but Eugene dodges out of the way. "That's my husband!" 

"Your husband you are trying to give a concussion?" 

"DIDN'T YOU EXORCIZE YOUR EX?"

Donella pauses. "Touche," She admits, before Eugene lands a solid kick to her stomach that sends her skidding back. "If I drop the knife, will that make you happy?"

Rapunzel pauses in the fight. "Yes," she admits.

"Fine," she tosses the blade aside, cracking her neck and flexing her hands. "I've needed some practice." 

 

Her feet kick up dust as she sprints back in. Before Eugene can react, she's landed a hit to his face, right in the cheek. He stumbles back with a cry of pain. 

"Hey hey! Watch the merchandise!" He cries, eyes flickering like a dying candle as he cradles the injury. Unfortunately, the light doesn't die, reigniting, and his hand falls back to his side. 

Donella and Rapunzel share a shocked look. "Eugene?" Rapunzel calls, but doesn't get a response. "Eugene! Fight it! You're still in there!" 

“Let me try," Donella sweeps her leg as Eugene charges, causing him to fall flat on his back. "Captain, are you with us?" He groans in pain, the light flickering for a shorter time. So less pain has less effect...

 

"Princess," Donella looks to her. "I think we have to kick his ass."

 

Rapunzel looks at Donella. At Eugene. Her poor husband, who she loves so much and would never hurt the ones he loves. If they don’t stop him now, he’ll be devastated. She sighs, lowering her frying pan. "Ok. You hit him, I talk to him."

 

"Works for me." She's gotten so many letters from Hugo bitching about his man, this will be therapeutic for her. The man rights himself, charging at Donella. She ducks out of the way of a punch so powerful it leaves a dent in the wall behind her. He moves to punch her again, but she catches his arm, throwing him into the wall instead. He slides down, upside down.

"Eugene!" Rapunzel stays at a distance to avoid his brainwashed anger. "Eugene, snap out of it!"

"Wh..." he grumbles. "Is Hugo even a real blonde..."

Unimpressed, Donella grabs him by the lapels, forcing him to the ground and straddles him. She punches him in the face, his nose now dripping blood.

"Come back to me! Come back to our dream!" Rapunzel calls over Donella's shoulder as she keeps punching him. His head hits the floor several times.

"Ow! Jesus, fuck!" He complains. "You knocked 'em outta my head, I'm good, I'm good!" 

 

Donella hums, and Rapunzel relaxes. She gives one more punch.

 

"Hey!"

 

"Better safe than sorry," Donella shrugs.

Ignoring her, Rapunzel practically shoves the woman off of Eugene so she can help him sit up. He's missing a cap on a tooth, and his nose is definitely broken, but it's him, with regular eyes and a tired smile. "I haven't gotten that wrecked since my dad tried to kill me," he jokes as she pulls him into a hug. 

"Never do that to me again," she whispers. Eugene smiles softly, melting into the embrace. 

"No plans to." He agrees, and she pulls him into a kiss. They part abruptly when Rapunzel gags, spitting into her hand. A pearly tooth stares back at her. 

"Oops." Donella doesn't actually sound apologetic. 

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Eugene laughs. 

Rapunzel frowns. "Speaking of bad side, how did that even happen...?"

Eugene thinks for a moment, his mind slowly clearing of the fog that's rested over it all week. "When me and Varian went to confront them. They hadn't left yet. We fought..." his mind wanders back to it, Varian's bombs only making them angrier, the way they were more annoyed than anything. Peter pinning Varian to the wall by his throat, and when Eugene tried to stop him, getting restrained by Simone. Their eyes glowed, and next thing he knew... they were gone. And so were the rest of his memories. "They hypnotized us. And left without anyone stopping them."

"Both of you?" Rapunzel asks. 

 

Eugene's face pales when he realizes. "Shit. Oh shit. Hugo is so fucked." 

"Don't say that!" Rapunzel insists, but it's forced. "He's more than capable of handling himself."

"No, he's right," Donella grabs her knife off the floor. "He's fucked. We need to move."

Rapunzel pouts as she stands up. “I thought since you raised him you’d have more faith in him.”

“Hah!” The woman lets out a full belly laugh, perhaps the loudest she’s laughed in a while. “That boy was on a leash half the time or else he’d get himself killed! Cyrus made him a baby sling for his birthday.” 

“When he was 5?”
“15.”

“Ah.”

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

When Hugo comes to, it's in a room, damp and moldy. The walls are a deep gray, thick stones walling him in. He leans back to try and look around, but his arms are tied behind him, and his arms are locked behind a chair. For a moment, he panics, and then scoffs. Please. Donella taught him how to escape this predicament when he was a baby! This is kindergarten stuff! He fidgets his hands, tongue poking out, in an attempt to reach his sleeve cuff where he keeps a tiny knife for this exact occasion.

His fingers hit air. He's wearing the noble coat. 

 

Fuuuuuck. 

 

Simone and Peter slink out of the shadows, arm and arm like they're at a wedding and not a dungeon. "Comfortable, boy?" the man mocks.

"Yeah, could use some refreshments," he leans back, trying to stay nonchalant. "Like your head on a platter."

"Such fire! I'm sure if you'd been raised right you wouldn't act like this," Simone tuts. "If we had known you lived, maybe we would've adopted you."

"Yeah, you seem like great parents." 

Ignoring him, Simone turns over her shoulder. "Darling, come here," she calls. Varian steps into the light, his eyes pulsing with magic and his expression is vacant. He doesn't even blink. 

 

Hugo's heart leaps out of his throat.

"Varian...?" He calls, hesitant. "Varian, say something." He struggles a bit in his binds, a desire to reach out to him powering his movements. 

Simone hums in delight, wrapping her arms around Varian from the back. "Varian, dear, can you grab that hook?" Her eyes travel behind the blonde.

"Yes, mother." Varian says, going behind Hugo, who's face falls in shock. 

Mother ? She's making him call her mother !? Varian has mommy issues the size of the kingdom! When he wakes up, she's going to be dead . "Varian," he whispers. "Varian, are you in there?"

Varian just reaches over him for a large, metal hook, a foot long and wicked sharp. More like a sickle than a hook. The rust along the edges, when Hugo looks closer, isn't rust at all. It's dried blood.

"I wouldn't play dumb," Simone says, as Varian circles him like he's prey. "It won't end well for you." She motions with her hand, and Varian smacks Hugo in the face. His glasses splinter with a crack, webs of glass taking up his vision. "A good listener, he is." She remarks with a grin. "You found a good boy. Maybe when we're done we'll keep him."

Hugo scowls. "Don't you dare." He doesn't give a damn what they do to him. He'll kill them for all they've done to him, and his family before. But hurting Varian? That's unforgivable on its own. He's already decided that if he ever sees Andrew he's bashing his face in. The Willowiths are just another name on that list. But he's more than happy to get rid of them now. 

"Oh, we won't hurt him," Varian takes the hook and traces it across Hugo's neck. He grimaces. "If you comply. All you have to do is tell us who knows about your little secret and this will all end."

Varian places his hands on each of Hugo's shoulders. In any other situation it would be comforting, loving even. Varian isn't tall enough to do this normally, so in times he wants to show this sort of tactile comfort, he would force Hugo down to his height. Now, it's a terrible feeling, a danger at his back. He never wants to feel like this around Varian again. 

"Go on," Simone coos. "Who outside this castle knows about you?" 

"Wh.." Hugo's mind is racing. The only people who know are those in Corona, and his family, thanks to Varian telling them. Varian, who’s been brainwashed this whole time, possibly unable to control his actions before this. What if this was their plan? To have Varian rat out the people he loves so they can all be killed? To feed their power with the blood of even more innocents?

 

"No one," he holds his head up high. "We kept it under wraps."

"No one?" Peter repeats. "Truly?" His eyes look to the crest on his breast. 

"I do love it when they hold out," Simone remarks. 

 

Varian dances the hook down his collarbone, following the curve of his breath. He presses down with the hook. Blood pools onto the point of the hook as he drags it down his chest, opening a gaping wound. Hugo arches his back as he screams , a guttural wail of agony. The jacket crumples like paper, darkening with his blood as it's torn to shreds. 

Varian finishes the cut with a flourish, blood splattering across his face that still remains impassive. 

With breaths that are more like gasps, Hugo looks up at Varian in desperation. "Varian, goggles," his pleas are weak and painful. "Please, fight this." 

"Come on, Hugo," Simone tuts, as if she's scolding him for cheating on a math test. "You've tried that before. Just tell us who else we need to kill." Varian forces the hook into the skin of Hugo's neck, pulling but not piercing. "And we'll let you live long enough to watch everyone you love die."

He can't move a muscle, in fear of Varian accidentally slitting his throat. It's in this moment, perhaps the closest to death he's ever been (and that's saying a lot) that he understands his moms, both of them. Donella, who gave up her life of happiness to keep a demon in the library, and Anne, who lost her life trying to stop these buffoons from killing anyone and everyone who knew about their blood practices. And he is every bit their son. Both of them. 

 

"No one."

 

Varian raises the hook off his skin, and Hugo braces himself for another scar. He brings it down into his back this time, a short streak with a scream to accompany it. 

"I have an idea," Peter taunts, licking his lips at the blood that drips down his torso. He crooks a finger, and it slides down and off his body. It stays in the air as he grabs a vial, directing it into the flask for later use. "Varian, give him... One mark for every family member of his we killed."

"Yes father," Varian drones. He raises the hook high, blood dripping like the grim reaper's scythe. "This was for Clara deBellon."

Sister.

Another strike. "Johanna."

Aunt .

"Julius."

Uncle .

"Oliver."

Grandfather .

"Whitney."

Cousin .

"Francis."

Father .

"Anne."

... Mother . 

 

At this point Hugo can barely keep his eyes open. Darkness pools into the room, spots of tar flashing across his vision and growing with each second. Was it hot in here, or was it the blood, warm and wet, that painted his back? He's hunched over, nearly suffocating with pain, when a purple dress enters his view. Simone's hand gently pulls his chin up so they make eye contact. 

"Hugo, dear," she says so softly he almost thinks she's Anne. "Just tell us, and all the pain will go away. We can even be a family." She waves her hand, pulling some blood from his back and producing a vision on his eyes. 

He's smiling, tall, wearing a black coat with tails, either Willowith at his side. "We'll tell the people we saved you, the last deBellon, from where Corona had kidnapped you years ago," her voice rings in his ear. "You can grow up in your ancestral home, with a loving mother and father." Their smiles solidify into a portrait, the kind he would see hanging in the Corona castle. "And together, we'll destroy anyone who stands in our way." The portrait catches fire, and burns. 

The vision fades, and with it the pain comes back. He'd almost lost it, a blissful peace on his back replaced by waves of pain. She's still smiling at him.

 

He opens his mouth to… admit defeat? Tell her to fuck off? Cry? Whatever it was, it’s lost when he feels a relieving wetness on his back. He cranes his head to see Varian staring down at the marks he just made, the tallies of the Willowiths’ atrocities. And he’s crying.

 

Simone follows his gaze and frowns. “Varian,” her voice is too sweet, fake. “Why are you crying?” With her finger she wipes a smidge of blood from Hugo to power her spell. “You don’t feel bad for him.” 

The words are like whiplash. “Yes he does,” Hugo says. “Earlier today. He cried for me. He… he mourned for my family. For the life I never got.” The tears pour faster down Varian’s face. 

“But it’s ok,” despite it all, he can’t help but smile at how much he loves this man. Wholly, truly adores Varian. How compassionate he is. His little nerd jokes. How he snores. Everything about him, it fills him to the brim with love. 

 

And it’s not just him. 

 

“Because he’s here for me. Because he’s my family.” There’s a spark of blue in his eyes. “They all are.”

 

The way Lance invited him over for dinner, independent of the others. The way he took offense to Hugo’s skinniness.

How Nuru and Yong sent letters all the time, and visited just as much. At any big occasion or holiday, they sent either a gift or themselves, launching at him in a big group hug.

Cyrus and Mona helping him when he got into trouble, teaching him how to swim or cook or ask out a girl…

How kind Eugene and Rapunzel were to him… how they opened their lives to him with no questions asked…

Donella’s fond smile a constant in his later years, scar pulling at new smile lines.

Varian’s warmth, his scent, his voice, everything about him. 

 

“I might not know my birth family.” He tells Varian. “But it’s ok. I’m not alone. I have people I love. And they love me, no matter how much of a smart ass I am. And I’m happy.” He meets Varian’s eyes. They’re clear. 

Varian sniffles loudly. “Hugo,” he whines. “I’d hug you but I don’t want to hurt you,” 

“I appreciate it.”

 

The Willowiths look openly shocked. Like this isn't even a possibility they had considered. But Hugo has never been one to stick to conventional outcomes.

"If I could sweet talk my way out of getting murdered when he was possessed, I think mind control is honestly a step down," he jokes as Varian swings the hook into the ropes. They fall apart on the ground. When he stands, tatters of the jacket fall too. He ignores it in favor of his pistol that Varian tosses him, twirling it with a cocky grin. The two alchemists share a smirk. 

"Don't get so cocky," Simone warns, stretching her fingers with so much force they shake. Hugo lurches forward, gasping as the blood that coats his back rips off of his skin, surrounding her and solidifying into spears. 

"Genuinely, what the fuck," Varian gapes, ditching his fighting stance to gesture at it. 

"I know, right?"

"I mean, we've seen a lot of magic, but this," he gestures again to the unimpressed Willowiths. "Isn't this the kind that totally corrupts you? Yknow like the kind my mom got into deep shit for?"

 

"They literally killed my entire family."

"Oh yeah."

 

Simone chucks the gross blood spear at Varian, who yelps and throws the hook. The spear shatters on collision like glass, shards all over the floor. 

Damn, Hugo thinks. That was in me once. 

Pulling his alchemical weapons off his belt, Varian charges at Simone, and Hugo takes Peter. The bombs fly at the other spears, trapping them in goo or dissolving them in flames. Simone shrieks in anger, throwing the remaining flaming spear at Varian, who just barely dodges. 

Hugo spins the revolver, and when it clicks, fires at Peter multiple times. The loud bangs reverberate in the small space as he blurs and dodges, barreling into Hugo with all of his strength. Before he even has time to process, he's pinned against the wall by his throat, pressing on his injuries.

 

Peter' teeth are barred, sharp and pearly, almost at his throat. "You have a lot of nerve, boy," He snarls. "We've worked so hard to get where we are. The rivers of blood, the sacrifices we've slaughtered... you're just a speck among hundreds. Your death will mean nothing to us." 

"That's a shame," Hugo grunts. Because Peter has left his arms free. 

 

He jabs the gun under his chin.

 

"Because your death means everything to me."

 

He fires. Blood splashes across his face, and he grimaces, scrunching nose in disgust as it paints him red. He falls to the ground, and the body of Peter collapses as well. 

 

He gasps for breath, taking a moment to just lean against the wall. He's hurt, badly, and he's never taken a life before, but god does it feel so fucking good. Well, not the taking a life part, the getting closure and justice part. He has no plans to commit any murder beyond this. 

An agonized, ear piercing shriek cuts through his ears, and he remembers oh yeah, I am committing another murder. He scrambles up, gun at the ready to help Varian. And Simone is shaking, staring at the love of her life, dead on the floor. Her eyes are wide and distant, tears streaming down her face. 

"You... can't! I broke the world for us!" She screams, arms outstretched. "Everything I did was so that we could rule together, forever!" Her eyes dart side to side, seeing Varian, who takes an uncomfortable step back. With a distorted cry she launches herself at the man, grabbing him in a headlock with one hand and holding up her final spear in another. 

"Varian!" Hugo cries, cocking the gun, but stopping when she poises the spear above his throat. 

She bares her teeth at him. "YOU!" Her spit flies. "This is all your fault, you horrible, awful, brat !" 

"My fault? None of this would've happened if you hadn't killed my parents!" Hugo insists. "Now let him go, so you can join him!" 

"You think it's that easy?" She laughs, tears streaming down her face. "You think that you can just destroy everything I've worked for without consequence?"

Hugo grits his teeth, the gun staring her in the face. His arm shakes a little, aim wobbling in fear. "Go on!" She taunts. "I have nothing left to lose! But you! You have everything to lose! So what will it be! Your old life, or your new?" 

Varian can see it in his eyes. He won't shoot. He can't. Not when his life is at risk. He loves Hugo, truly, but his loyalty is his greatest weakness. He's all for every man for himself until it's the ones he loves. His stupid, selfless Hugo...

"Hugo." 

 

Hugo looks through a watery film. Varian eyes point down to his shoulder, a shoulder that is right in front of Simone's heart. He looks back up at him with determination, a silent plea: do it.

A tear falls down Hugo's face. He doesn't want to hurt Varian, lord knows he's done everything to prevent it tonight. But they both know this is the only way to end this. 

He takes a deep breath, and fires. The bullet plows through the skin of Varian's shoulder, not enough to punch a hole. He fires again, this time going through him and hitting Simone square in the heart. She gasps, dropping the spear onto the ground, and falls back. With his good hand, Varian grabs the spear and jams it into her stomach for good measure. She gurgles up blood, and then falls still. 

 

The room falls quiet. The reverbs from his pistol fade into nothingness. Hugo gasps for breath, falling to his hands and knees. The gun skitters away from him as he heaves. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, the pain is back at full force. He's still bleeding, maybe too much, sun he just shot someone, he shot many people-

He shot Varian.

His head snaps up, about to panic. If it weren't for the fact that he can no longer move his body he'd run over to Varian. But instead Varian staggers over to him, a hand wrapped around his destroyed shoulder. He falls to his knees next to Hugo. 

"Goggles, are you, I, I'm so sorry," Hugo sobs, a shaking hand going to touch the wound, but Varian shakes his head. 

"It's you I'm worried about, love," And the blonde realizes Varian is crying too. "I hurt you. I tortured you."

"And I shot you." 

Varian lets out an incredulous laugh. "Why won't you let me just-" he gives up. "Let's just call it even, ok?"

Yeah, he can live with that. They lean against one another, just taking a moment to breathe, finally safe again.

 

The moment doesn't last. Thundering footsteps sound from down the hall, getting louder and louder.

"Varian? Hugo?"

"Where are they? We've searched all over!" 

"Hugo, if you're dead I will kill you!" 

Hugo snorts, leaning against Varian's chest. "Can we just leave them?" 

"Do you want to get murdered by your mom?"

He pauses. "Good point. We're in here!" He raises his voice so they can hear them. The footsteps stop, before turning to them and starting anew, getting closer and closer until the door flies open with a solid kick from Eugene. 

 

All three spill into the room, weapons at the ready, only to lower them in shock and terror. It's at this point Hugo remembers the whole room, and they, are covered in blood.

"Uh..." he looks around, at the corpses, the bloody hook, the... all of it. Honestly, it's a miracle Varian hasn't passed out yet. "Yeah I can't make this better than it looks."

Donella runs over, not caring about getting blood on her as she slides over to them. The other two are a bit more cautious, Eugene muttering a "Jesus," as he passes the body of Peter. "The heck happened?"

And honestly, what are they supposed to say other than the truth? Donella places a hand on Hugo's back to steady him, but retracts like she's been burnt when he lets out a strangled yell. His vision fuzzes out for a moment, before coming back into focus with Donella holding one arm around her neck to keep him upright. Rapunzel has wrapped her hands around Varian's waist to do the same. "Some mind control, some blood magic, some death." he thinks for a moment. “Should we check on the others?”

 

No sooner than he says those words, the wall bursts open in a flurry of fire and debris. When the dust settles, Nuru, Yong, and Lance stand armed to the teeth in Yong’s explosives and hungry for battle. Their yells stop pretty fast though.

“Oh, hi guys,” Lance breathes. “Turns out the guards were all mind controlled so we blew em up.”

“Neat.” Varian says. “We got tortured.”

The idea of Hugo and torture seems to seriously upset Donella, considering she's showing emotion for the first time in Hugo's whole life. It's plain as day on her face, eyebrows pulled up in worry as she pulls him close. "It's ok," she says softly. "It's all over. You were so brave, both of you. Just rest now."

 

Yeah, rest sounds great. So great his eyes flutter shut immediately and Hugo passes out.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

It ends with a dream. 

 

He’s floating in an abyss, deep murky waters on all sides of him. His hair floats upwards free of his ponytail. And his glasses are gone too. He looks at his hands. They’re tiny. 

 

He’s a kid again. 

 

He sinks faster, until the water rushes away from him, spreading out into a thin layer like a mirror at his feet. The sky is so blue above, a perfect sunny day. Just like the kind he has in Corona all the time. The kind he never saw at this age. 

A few yards away stands a woman, he knows her. Her kind smile and pearl earrings stand out. 

“Hugo,” she says. “My baby.” 

He can’t help it, perhaps he really is a kid again, or maybe it’s the pure sorrow in him, but he bursts into tears. “Mom!” Running forward, he barrels into her skirt. 

Donella hugged him sometimes sure, after a nightmare, or a particularly nasty mission, but this gentle feeling of a hand on his back is unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Her hand runs through stringy hair, petting him with gentle coos. “Such a brave boy. My sweet boy.” 

He peers up through her skirt. It’s hard to find words, what do you say to your dead mom? “‘M sorry I didn’t remember you.” 

“It was probably for the best,” she says. “You were safe from the Willowiths.”

“But… I forgot who I was. And even now that I know…” 

“You didn’t forget who you were, you never have. You have always been Hugo.” She seems almost confused. 

“Even as a thief?” He can’t meet her eyes. “Even when I hated people like you?” 

She sighs fondly. “Hugo,” leaning down, she brushes a hand through his hair. “Who we are doesn’t change who you are. It’s where you come from, sure, but you choose the path you walk. Didn’t your other family teach you that?” Her voice teases. 

The thought of them makes him smile, and it’s through this Anne relaxes. Her boy is happy. Her boy is safe. 

“Are you even… here?” Hugo asks. “What if you’re just a figment of my imagination I designed to comfort myself?” 

“Would that be a bad thing?” 

“It would mean… you’re not real.” 

She shrugs. “Whether I’m real or not is irrelevant. What matters is how I make you feel. Did talking to me help?” 

“Yeah. It did.” 

“Then my work here is done.” She presses a kiss to his head. Man, moms sure are smart. He’s  lucky he has such amazing ones. “It’s time to wake up now.”

“Huh?”

 

It’s morning. 

Soft light is filtering through the window, illuminating Varian like a literal angel, his soft breaths whistling through his teeth. Hugo blinks the haze out of his eyes. He’s always enjoyed early mornings like this, just spent dozing in the warmth that only a morning bed could give. That feeling of waking up long before your alarm, so you can go back to sleep. 

He snuggles into Varian, relishing the furnace of a boyfriend he has. His fingers splay across freckled shoulders, absentmindedly connecting the dots of them. 

His eyes drift over to the side, and Ruddiger is snuggled up against his legs, slowly trying to push them off the bed. He pushes back, moving the animal, and in response Ruddiger gives him a look and noise of utter betrayal. 

As if on cue, Varian’s eyes blink open, soft blue revealed. “Morning,” Hugo murmurs. He places a kiss to Varian’s cheek, just like always. And then Varian would grin all sleepily, and muzzle his head into Hugo’s chest for a few more seconds of sleep. 

“We should probably get up,” Varian mumbles against his collarbone. 

“Do we have to? I’m injured,” Hugo whines. “An invalid. Bedridden. Wasting away.” 

“You can’t use that excuse and sneak to the kitchen at 2 am,” he gives Hugo a pointed look. “Don’t think I didn’t notice.” 

“Lance made croutons! What, am I not supposed to eat them?”  He wiggles his eyebrows. “And you’re one to talk, Mr. Hot Chocolate at 3 am.” 

Varian blushes. “That’s different,” he tries, but it’s a lost cause and he knows it. “Come on, we have a long day.” 

“Yeah yeah, lemme just.” He nuzzles his face into Varian’s black hair and takes a deep, calming breath. Mourns the loss of his sleep. “Ok. I’m good.” 

 

Hugo can put on his pants and shoes no problem, but his shirt is another story. He sits on the edge of their bed, grimacing as Varian slowly undos the bandages covering his torso like a grim quilt. Gentle, calloused hands trace the tick marks on his back. 

“I’m sorry,” Varian whispers, not for the first or last time. 

“It’s not your fault.” 

“But I hurt you. I hurt you again. After I swore I wouldn’t.” 

Hugo looks up, a sad smile on his face. “I don’t think that’s how it works, sweet cheeks.” 

“There’s a difference between emotional hurt after a fight and tearing your back open.” 

“Meh, I’d prefer the latter.” It’s odd having his feelings so open, and while it’s getting easier, it sure as hell isn’t nearly as fun. Emotional wounds, he’s learning, take a lot more work to heal than physical.

Varian sighs, as if he expected that answer. The wounds are cleaned, bandages replaced, shirt carefully slid onto his back, Varian moving his arms into the right spots. At least Hugo can get the buttons. His fingers are fine. 

“Are you going to be ok today?” Varian’s hands hover. 

Hugo flashes a smile. It’s not as wide as normal, but it’s genuine. “Yeah, I can handle it.” 

“Just take a break if you need one.” 

“Var. I’m fine.” 

“You were the one joking about being an invalid,” he grumbles. 

Touché.

 

They part ways at the door, giving a quick smooch before heading off on their own: Varian to the library, Hugo to their lab. He smooths over his vest as he walks, making sure it's tucked into his new belt. The vest itself hasn't changed, still bearing the Corona emblem to indicate his position, but the belt now gleams silver. Varian has a similar one, in the shape of the brotherhood; Hugo's has a raven. He likes it. 

"Hugo! My man, my buddy," He turns to see Lance sauntering up. A giant arm wraps around his neck, careful to avoid the injuries on his back as he pulls him close. "How's my favorite alchemist?" 

"What did you do?"

"Wh-!" Lance puts a hand over his heart. "What makes you think I did anything! Maybe you're just my favorite alchemist, hm?"

Hugo smirks. "Ok, ok. What do you want ?" 

"Well now that you mention it, there's a few artifacts in that new house of yours-" he yelps with laughter when the blonde shoves him aside to get into the lab. The door slams shut on Lance's grinning face. "Don't forget you're coming for dinner tomorrow!"

"I know!" Hugo chuckles to himself as the footsteps fade. He couldn't even give that stuff to Lance if he wanted anyways. The manor was turned over to the people. Last he heard, they're planning to elect officials to improve the city.

Shaking his head, he makes his way over to the ticker paper, reading off the list of orders and requests that came in. Some of them he'd have to give to Varian, since he can't get down and dirty at the moment. The younger keeps telling Hugo to take library duty until he recovers, but he's not going to sit with the place until he's all better. Besides, it's not like Varian walked out unscathed. He kept the sling on for all of twenty minutes before chucking it to the side in favor of reaching for hard to reach books. 

Eugene's gonna put them both on bedrest if they keep this up, he thinks with an amused eye roll. 

 

His eyes scan the complaints and questions until he sees the one that came in last night: the visiting diplomat of the week requests the hot water blueprints for his own kingdom. A deal's already been reached, he just needs to hand them over. The man is due any second now, according to the report. 

Sure enough, there's a knock on the door. "It's open!" He calls. There's a brief hesitation, as if the visitor is expecting him to get the door, before a finely dressed man peeks in. He's wearing the same style as Nigel, or, in Hugo's books, total fucking dweeb attire. But hey, he can't judge. It's probably protocol or something. 

"Um..." the man looks around nervously, as if the place will blow up at any second. Honestly, given their track record, it's not an unfair assumption. There's a little sign on the wall that reads Days without an explosion: 22. They'll never make it to 30. 

"Is this the laboratory?" He pronounces the o . 

"Yeah. You're here for the blueprints?" Hugo turns to fully face him. "I've got them right here." He walks over with his hand outstretched, the rolled up plans open for taking. 

The man relaxes, relieved he's in the right place. "Thank you very much! Your princess spoke very highly of your work."

God he loves Rapunzel. What a bad bitch. A true icon. 

 

The man's eyes widen, looking Hugo up and down, before narrowing in on his belt. He lights up in recognition. "You're a deBellon!"

“Yup,” Hugo pops the p, tucking his hands into his pockets. “Last one.” 

“But… you live in Corona?” 

“Yeah, my boyfriend’s the princess’s brother.” 

“Ah, so it’s an arranged marriage?” 

“No.” They need a better way to phrase Varian’s relationship to the royals. Prince and Princess’ brother? Prince Consort’s cousin-brother figure? Not-Royal Sibling? 

The poor man looks so confused. The gears turning in his head are practically visible. “Then, why are you working as a servant in Corona?” 

Hugo shrugs, and tries not to wince at how it tugs on his wounds. “I’m not a servant. I’m one of the Royal Engineers.” 

“Castle Staff.” 

“Yeah.” 

“As a deBellon.” 

“Yeah.” At some point he has to take pity on the guy. It’s just too funny to watch him tire himself  out. “I’m only nobility in name. Otherwise me and Varian run the library.” 

“And you’re… happy with that?” The man asks. “To lower yourself?” 

“Actually,” Hugo smiles. “I see this as an improvement.” 

 

The rest of the day is fairly average, all things considered. He reads requests on the ticker tape, fills them, and works on other projects in the in between. Old Lady Crowley needs him to fix the iron. Nuru sends a letter asking him to look over a treaty (along with several threats to visit). The Queen invites him to gossip during lunch. To some, it might even be boring, but it's just the right type of quiet that Hugo has come to love so much. There's only so much adventure one can take in a given time, he's come to realize. 

Donella says that's actually called growing up. He's refusing to believe it on principle. 

The clock strikes six, and he's back in their room, freshening up for the evening. Varian already changed, according to the note he left. He's not exactly thrilled about having to go to a formal event so soon after the last one, but Varian said this one would be different, and if he's wrong Hugo is going to make him oil Olivia for a month. 

When he opens the door, though, he's not expecting Rapunzel and Eugene, waiting with wide grins. "Good! You're ready!" She says, dressed... normally. So is Eugene, actually. Neither of them are wearing remotely fancy attire, no uniforms or shoes to be seen. 

"Um. Yeah? There's a party tonight, right?" Oh god please don't tell him it's like, his debutante or something. He made Rapunzel promise her dad wouldn't do that. 

Eugene raises an eyebrow at his getup. "Wrong kinda party, kid." 

"You mean in all this time, we haven't had a real party?" Rapunzel gasps. "Oh my gosh! We have to fix that! Now that we know his real birthday we gotta have one of those, and one for the library-iversary, and-!"

"Hold up," Hugo waves his hands. "What's a 'real party'?"

 

The couple share a knowing grin.

———————————————————————————————————🜝———————————————————————————————————

The Snuggly Duckling is packed.

Thugs from all walks of life crowd into every available space while lively music blares. There’s a full on band, in fact, and the tables have been pushed aside to make room for dancing. Despite that, most people are dancing on the tables. Life and joy seeps into every crack of wood, laughter thick in the air. 

“This,” Rapunzel says with a flourish. “Is a real party.”

She’s right. It seems it’s a more family friendly night, considering there’s no alcohol aside from a few drinks for adults to nurse, and Kiera and Catalina are there with some other kids their age. He recognizes a few people from the palace, around town, hell even Quirin is there! Lance waves a hand to the royal couple, who head over with grins. People from all walks of life, young and old, rich and poor, they’re singing and dancing like it’s their only job.

That’s the magic of Corona, he muses. Everyone knows everyone, and everyone is open to everyone. The kindness is so foreign, and yet so familiar, it’s easy to see how everyone he loves turned out this way. It’s just the culture. 

 

He moves to join in, but a hand grabs the back of his shirt instead, dragging him away with a yelp. He hops on one foot until he’s out the door and face to face with a grinning Varian. 

“Well hey there,” Hugo purrs. “Some party in there, huh? Not your thing?” 

“You’re more my thing,” Varian’s eyes are lidded with a lovesick grin. Oh , how did he get blessed with such an adorable boyfriend? How could he not squish Varian’s cheeks in pure happiness? The younger laughs, face moving up and down with Hugo’s hands. “Stop, stop!” 

“Never!” Hugo cries. They break into giggles, heads resting against one another. Hugo sighs, moving his hands to wrap around Varian’s waist but staying just as close. In response Varian takes one hand off his hip, clasping their fingers together, the other arm around Hugo’s neck. They sway back and forth, totally independent of the music drifting out from the bar. His heart feels full to burst, love for his friends and family and home and self overlaying his very being.

“So,” Varian hums. “It’s been a crazy few weeks…”

“I mean, crazy is relative,” Hugo snorts. “For us this wasn’t too nuts.”

Varian rolls his eyes, exasperated. “As I was saying,” He twirls Hugo around, continuing their little waltz. “It’s been a bit crazy lately. And I figured I should wait until things died down a bit, and also when we’re both healed, but I can’t wait a second longer and I’ve already waited this long-”

He steps back from Hugo, and the latter misses his warmth almost immediately. He goes to chase it, but freezes when Varian gets down on one knee. 

“Oh shit.” 

Varian snorts, but doesn’t let it stop him, and wow, is anyone else faint? Hugo feels faint. He staggers a bit, but manages to stay standing and not keel over and die. 

 

“Hugo,” Varian begins. “The past few years have been so wonderful, because I’ve been with you.” It takes every ounce of willpower to not burst into ugly tears, but dammit, Hugo has always been an ugly crier, and he does not want to look ugly right now. “Just. Being with you makes me so happy. Every joke, even the ones at my expense, god you just… you make me so happy! But don’t take that as an invitation to do it now,” the last part makes Hugo warble a laugh. “I love everything about you. How your eyes light up when you start a new project… how you never give up, despite the odds… Your past, your present, everything that makes you you.” Varian looks up hopefully. “You are my new dream. You are my future.” 

“Oh, Goggles….” Hugo breathes, taking a shuddering breath. The tears finally fall when Varian pulls out a black box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a green and gold ring with pearls surrounding it. 

“I had the ring made before the whole… everything,” he admits. “But one of the townspeople in Linsol found some of your mom’s jewelry. I figured… I could use the stones?” And now that he’s looking, he recognizes those pearls. 

“So, Hugo deBellon, will you marry me?”

Hugo laughs, raising his head to the wind in sheer disbelief. It feels cleansing. “I don’t think there’s a force in this universe that could make me say no.”

Varian pauses. “Wait, that’s a yes, right?”

“Oh my god just give me the ring.” 

Varian grins, standing up to properly slip it on his ring. From within the bar Hugo can hear cheers; it seems the party is actually his engagement celebration. Better than the last party he went to. 

“So,” Varian hums. “Being a noble’s not so bad, huh?”

“I suppose I can get used to this.”

Their lips collide with a raven cawing above. 

 

Notes:

Hello welcome to English Class where I will be gushing about my own fic because I like to be extra

This thing was a monster. A true beast of a fic. It got so wildly out of hand so fast. I cranked most of this fic out in like a week live on the 7K discord server (dm for link) and tumblr got to see my meltdown too. A MASSIVE thank you to Justine, without who the fic wouldn't be done, and Wally, the lovely artist who drew such wonderful angst! Mwah mwah

A couple more notes:
1. Yes the dance is a real dance. Google it. I learned it in my Baroque dance class which I actually go to and am actually learning this dance it is harder than it sounds
2. I had to take a lot of liberties when turning Percy's backstory into Hugo's obviously. But go watch VM I highly recommend it there's a lot of twists I didn't even get to

And uh. There's more I can write here but words no worky rn so please comment and i will gladly infodump at a later date