tangled (mileven au)

birthday girl

๑ 10 ๑

Today was the day.

Papa would be returning home, meaning it would be the end of El's newfound freedom.

He'd actually be home any minute now and El couldn't say that she was excited about it. Really, she'd been dreading it ever since she got that phone call from him yesterday.

She wished Papa could've stayed away for a little bit longer, just long enough for her to spend another day or two with Mike. She was having such an amazing time getting to do all these new things and going to all these new places with him, but now she wasn't sure how much of that she'd get to do again.

Sure, Mike said he'd come visit her whenever it was safe, but Papa would still be nearby, meaning he could show up at any unexpected moment and ruin everything.

She didn't even want to think about what would happen if he ever found out she broke the rules... or that she's planning to continue breaking them. It certainly wouldn't be pretty, but not seeing Mike wasn't an option, so she would just have do everything in her power to make sure that Papa didn't find out about any of it.

As soon as Mike left the cabin last night, El made sure there was no trace of him ever being there. She cleaned that place from top to bottom, knowing that if Papa spotted even one thing out of the ordinary, he would be suspicious.

It made her sad to rid the place of Mike's presence, like the way he had moved the coffee table so he could prop his feet up or the way his scent had been left behind on her favorite blanket. She was grateful to still have the memories though, all those wonderful memories that replayed in her head over and over again.

She truly couldn't decide which was her favorite, there were just too many... like when he said she reminded him of the flower she painted or when he complimented her paintings, saying he would hang them up in his own house... when he read one of her favorite books to her, a request she had certainly expected him to decline... when he hugged her as she cried and kissed her forehead, which only made her want another kiss, a much different kiss... when he had assured her that he would come visit her again and he held her hand during the scary movie.

She would cherish each and every one, and couldn't wait to have even more. For now though, she was just going to have to live off the memories. That would surely hold her over until-

"Eleanor, open up the door! It's me."

That cold voice, his voice, snapped her right back to reality.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the abundance of emotions that would sink in once he walked back in that cabin. After another moment, she unlocked the door, greeting the man with the brightest smile she could force onto her face.

"Hi, Papa!"

"Hello, my dear. I've missed you." He smiled, before pulling her in for a tight hug.

"I've missed you, too." She spoke against his chest, though her words weren't entirely true.

A small part of her did miss him, seeing as he was her father. He was the only person who had ever taken care of her. He was all she had, it would only make sense for her to miss him while he was away.