We Have Leverage

The Calm Before the Storm

Three Years Later

"Oh, my goodness – he's flirting with her!" Cassandra said, looking across the Snugly Duckling with a glare. Rapunzel followed her line of sight, taking a sip of her drink, and failed to suppress a smile at the sight Cassandra was currently upset about.

He – being Varian – was indeed flirting with a girl, or at least trying to. He was standing awkwardly by where a young girl his age with dark brown hair was talking, her smile turned up as she watched him. This was no surprise – this was Juliet, the girl Varian had been trying to impress since they arrived in Corona again two years ago.

"Good for him," Rapunzel said. Cassandra grumbled and took a large swig from her own drink.

"He's fifteen, Raps," Cassandra said, voice low with slight annoyance. "He's not supposed to be flirting with girls!"

Rapunzel chuckled softly. Cassandra was over-protective of Varian to ridiculous degree, treating him more akin to a small child than the young teenager he was. Varian was always quick to point out that he is not a young child, which always fell onto deaf ears in regard to his unofficial guardian.

"That's exactly what he's supposed to do," Rapunzel said. Cassandra didn't answer, continuing to glare daggers at the laughing form of Juliet.

Rapunzel frowned.

"Cass – he's the odd man out," Rapunzel said. Varian was the only one of them not in a relationship – or an implied relationship that is. Eugene (or Flynn, as everyone else had to call him) had two years ago finally confessed to her that he loved her, which had quickly been met with joy on her part. Cassandra and Lance as well had quickly established themselves as a duo, regardless of how much they tried to deny it.

And as wonderful as that was, it also left the younger Varian on the outside of that. Rapunzel didn't blame him for crushing on a girl his age. He could have picked someone much worse than a petty thief. At least it was someone that wouldn't scream and alert guards when he tried to impress her.

Cassandra pursed her lips.

"Still too young," Cassandra decided.

Rapunzel sighed but let the issue drop, casting one last look in Varian and Juliet's direction. Varian was laughing now too, and she could see Juliet looking up at him now, a light blush dusting her face. Rapunzel smiled, it seemed that Juliet liked him as well.

"If we can move on from your little brother flirting," Rapunzel said, drawing Cassandra's attention. "When do you think another job will pop up? It's been a few weeks since our last one."

Cassandra, finally turning her eyes away from Varian, gave a shrug and leaned back in her chair.

"That boyfriend of yours said he was working on something big," Cassandra said. She smiled slyly. "But I won't put too much stock in that, remember the last time he said we had a big score?"

Rapunzel did indeed remember when Eugene said that a year ago. What Eugene had thought was a shipment of rubies turned out to be a shipment for Ruby Red Punch, which was just a punch of red powder to make drinks with. And while Varian had been fascinated by it, it hadn't really done much to keep them from going completely broke.

It had kept them hydrated though, she would admit.

"Not all of them can be winners, Cass," Rapunzel said.

"Yes, true, but the losers end up with us starving," Cassandra pointed out. Rapunzel looked down at her drink. That was the risk – not every job was a winner, and you never knew which one it was. A series of bad jobs in a row meant complete disaster, and given that they were a family of five, that meant a series of flops meant even more disaster for them.