#and itsso intimidating watching the movie and working with the script

[an-island-of-bunnies]

Tending an Injury: Surprise Tangled!Au

So like... nobody asked for this. I didn’t even ask for this. But somehow I just got... really involved in the Tangled!Au. I did some sketches of it, but I also really wanted to recreate the healing scene. So hope you enjoy! <3 The fanfic is just below the read more!

Tending an Injury - Tangled!Au

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Garrett’s hair glows. His hair fucking glows.

Okay, well, to be fair, a lot of weird shit happened today. First, it was getting captured by a guy who had the longest hair he had ever seen on...well, anyone. Then there’s the fact that Garrett was much more willing to trade a crown worth millions over a nice view of some paper lanterns. And that they stumbled into a bar where a group of seemingly cold-hearted mischiefs began to dance and sing as if they were in some sort of musical (he refused to think about how he was coerced to join). Finally, he fought off a sword-wielding horse. Sword-wielding horse.

Oh, and to top it all off, there was a good chance Dario and Garrett were going to die, what with being trapped in a dark, claustrophobic cavern with rising water and nowhere to go. 

He tried desperately to find some way out. He couldn’t die here. Not now at least. But nothing was working. He pushed and shoved the cavern but it didn’t budge. He made a third attempt before a sharp pain cut through his left hand, causing him to draw back. There was a long gash in his palm and fuck, it fucking hurts, but he tried one last time to try and find their way out again.

It was too dark, nothing was changing, and there didn’t seem to be any escape route. It seemed all was lost. Panting, he turned to look at Garrett, who seemed so distraught and scared. For a moment, he felt terrible that the other was caught in this. The guy only wanted to see some stupid lanterns… He didn’t deserve to pay for Dario’s mistakes.

He guessed his face wasn’t good at hiding his emotions because Garrett tried diving in himself to find a path. It was a desperate move, and Dario couldn’t stand it. He grabbed the other’s arms and pulled him back up to the surface. “Hey,” he said quietly, hands at the other’s sides, “there’s no point. It’s pitch-black down there…” Garrett looked as if he was in denial at first, but eventually, the truth reached him. He pressed his back against the wall, apologizing to him over and over- that it was all his fault. That he should have never stepped outside. “I’m so sorry, Darren,” he whispered, his eyes swelling with tears and then delving into guilty sobs. Dario didn’t know exactly what to say. He wasn’t good at this kind of stuff.

Somehow, he ended up giving Garrett his name. His real one. That he wasn’t (sort of) Darren. But, “Dario,” he said quietly. Garrett only gave him a sad, confused look. “My real name. I just thought… someone should know.” The tears seemed to slow. The other’s face was mostly baffled, but then it softened, a small smile making its way to his face. Garrett let out a pleased hum as he wiped away his tears, before saying back,

“My hair glows when I sing.”

...Huh?

Dario… stared, flabbergasted. “What?” he asked, but a look of realization hit Garrett’s face, and the blonde suddenly became excited.

“My hair glows when I sing!” he gasped, and quickly, he began to sing. Dario didn’t know how to react. What was he doing? 

The water rose faster and faster until it engulfed them both, and all Dario could see was darkness. His life was over soon, he thought, but faintly, a glow began to emit. Against his better judgment, he opened his eyes, and Garrett was in front of him, his hair floating all around them but…

It was glowing. Garrett’s hair was glowing. Holy fuck.

He gasped, but quickly regretted it when he felt the sudden rush of water entered him. He covered his mouth with his hand, eyes wide to the view before him. The other didn’t waste any time looking for an exit, and even Dario followed his search, landing his eyes on the pile of rocks somewhere in the corner. Through some quick digging and pulling, they were finally able to break apart the wall of rocks, releasing the water and spilling them into the river nearby.

They lifted themselves to the ground as soon as they had the chance and collapsed onto the grass, trying to catch their breaths. 

Garrett’s first reaction was relief; a moment later he lit up with a smile and marveled, “We made it...” Dario realized that yeah, they did, but:

“Your hair glows,” was all that came out. It didn’t seem to affect Garrett at all, who didn’t spare him a glance but instead rose to his feet and faced the river.

“We’re alive!"

“Why does your hair glow?!” Dario reiterated, because no, fuck that, he wasn’t letting something like that go. The other didn’t have a care, leaning over the water and scooping up the rest of his hair still caught in the gentle stream, all while holding a pleased smile.

“...It doesn’t just glow,” Garrett finally responded. Dario could only stare back dumbfounded.

“... What?”

---

They stayed in that spot for the night, setting up a campfire next to the river they fell into. There wasn’t much talking as Garrett began to gather his golden locks to the find the end of them. Dario didn’t really know what to say anyways. The hair glows. That was all there was to it… except it’s not. Garrett said it can do more. How? He didn’t know what to expect from him.

Garrett asked for his hand, the one that was injured during their near drowning. Dario didn’t try to argue, merely rested it on top of the other’s awaiting one. The blond then showed hesitation, his face crunching with concern as he began to… wrap the hair locks around Dario’s injury. He suddenly looked so serious that it just... really didn’t fit him at all.

“You’re being so serious as someone who is wrapping their magic hair around me,” he commented, because how could he not? Those blue eyes peered up at him, and with a sudden jerk, wrapped the hair a little too tightly. Dario winced at the sudden pain, and Garrett held his hand in his own.

“S-sorry,” he apologized. He still looked... so worried. Dario was surprised at this. “Just don’t… freak out, okay?” Dario glanced over to his hand-covered hair, now a little worried. He tried to look back at Garrett with reassurance, but the other wasn’t stupid. Nevertheless, Garrett sighed and closed his eyes.

… and he began to sing. “Flower, gleam and glow…” His hair began to lit up once more, beginning from the top of his head. Dario watched with amazement, as Garrett’s soft melodic voice continued,

“Let your power shine.

Make the clock reverse.

Bring back what once was mine.”

The glow of his locks spread across the length, with Dario’s eyes following. To a point, it was… almost pretty, the way it shined apart from the darkened night. Eventually, it reached to the locks around his hand, and Dario… could almost feel its energy. His palm was beginning to tingle, and he turned his glance to Garrett, who only continued to sing.

“Heal what has been hurt.

Change the fate’s design

Save what has been lost

Bring back what once was mine.”

The other… looked… beautiful, too. His eyes were still peacefully closed, and his hands were still securely wrapped around Dario’s, a gentle hold fit for someone who seemed so… kind-hearted and naive... but maybe not as naive as he thought. Still… to risk his life at home for some lanterns… he wondered the reason behind it. Garrett never really told him why, but maybe it was best not to ask.

The song had finished, the tingling was gone, and Garrett’s hair slowly returned to the duller blond it was before. He opened his eyes and looked at him expectantly. Dario lifted his hand and tugged the hair off.

His wound was gone. Healed as if it was never there. He tried to ignore the rising panic in him.

Okay. So glowing hair. That’s strange. Glowing hair that heals. That was fucking mad.

“Please don’t freak out!” Garrett shouted quickly, and Dario realized his mouth was open. He closed it quickly and looked to the other as confidently as he could (which wasn’t much).

“I’m not freaking out, are you freaking out, oh no, your hair is totally normal!” he tried, and Garrett gives him a look. “... except it has magical qualities that make it glow and heal!” He squeezed his palm. “That you’ve had for how long again?”

“... Uh… forever, I guess,” Garrett answered. He looked to the ground and began to run his fingers through his locks. “Ever since I was a baby, actually. People tried to cut it to take the power for themselves, but once it’s cut, it turns brown, and it doesn’t work anymore.” He sighed. “Something like me… has to be kept away. That’s why I never…I never left the…” He was struggling to get those words out. Dario frowned.

“You never left the tower,” he finished for him.Garrett nodded. “... Are you gonna go back?”  The other looked at him sternly.

“No.” Then immediately his face softened. “Maybe, I don’t know… It’s really complicated.” But he didn’t continue or elaborate, and Dario didn’t push. He didn’t really have anything to offer him, after all. 

Garrett didn’t let the silence hang over them long. He fiddled with his hair as a smile grew on his face. “So… Dario?” he teased. Dario huffed and ran his hand through his own hair, embarrassed.

“It was.. just stupid. I didn’t really like my name and I… changed it to something people wouldn’t make fun of me for.” Garrett sidled closer to the other.

“I really like your name,” he said. Dario felt his cheeks warm, caught off-guard from the innocent compliment. “Why didn’t you like it?”

He bit his lips, a bit on unsure on whether he should say. Did he really trust Garrett anyways? 

Then there was a soft touch on his hand, where the wound used to be. It was Garrett’s fingers, trailing lightly over his palm. It was… a comforting touch. He let go of the breath he was holding and continued, “I just… didn’t grow up with a lot, you know?” He looked to the ground. “My dad… I haven’t seen him since I was 12. My mom-…” He paused for a moment. “And my grandparents... were trying to be everything I needed… but I was tired of being nothing.” He withdrew a breath, his hand curling to squeeze over Garrett’s smaller one.

“...  It’s why I ran away.” The other squeezed his hand. “I wanted to do something. I wanted to help out. I wanted to… be someone. And it just… seemed like the right choice at the time.”

Garrett gave a sad smile. “... so your dream. About being home with riches? It really wasn’t you being greedy, huh?” Dario groaned.

“Listen, don’t tell anyone, okay? It would ruin me.” Garrett laughed.

“Wouldn’t want that~” He squeezed their hands again, and Dario realized their hands had been interlaced for a while. He blushed again and stood up quickly, catching Garrett by surprise.

“I should probably get some more firewood,” he coughed and began to make his way into the woods.

“... Hey,” he heard. Dario stopped and looked back. Garrett was still sitting on the log, but his eyes were pointed towards him. “You have it here,” he said, touching the middle left of his chest, “... Dario.”

“...”  Dario smiled at him. “Thank you…” Garrett returned the smile to him before he stepped off into the woods again.