Moana woke at the sound of the door opening. Chilly air rushed in before it was closed. A large figure walked towards her, but she wasn't scared of it. She felt warm at the sight of it. Not the kind of warmth you feel when you were once cold and now warming yourself by a fire, but warm like a bed in the morning: inviting, gentle, and comfortable.
Maui sat on the edge of her bed and smiled at her. "You awake?"
Moana looked up at Maui and with a touch of a smile on her face. With her eyes half opened she grumbled, "I am now. What are you doing here?"
Maui grinned down at her. He laid down and slid a hand to the side of his head and rested the same elbow on her pillow, facing her. "It felt wrong," he said whispered so the quiet wouldn't be broken. "Just leaving you when you were so scared earlier."
She laughed softly and tapped her fist on his chest where the Moana tattoo smiled up at him. She loved that it was directly over his heart. "What are you," she chuckled, "my protector?"
Maui rolled his eyes and started to list, "We faced Kakamora pirates, a giant crab, a lava monster—"
"You mean Te Fiti?" Moana interrupted.
"Yeah yeah, that's what I meant," he said impatiently with a wave of the hand not supporting his head. "And I've protected you from that weird slimy creature with all the legs—"
Moana interrupted again, "That was a squid! And as I recall, I got you off the you hook from all of those," she lifted and eyebrow, "not the other way around."
"Ugh, stop interrupting me while I'm trying to make myself sound cool," Maui said playfully in a low tone while smacking a hand over his eyes and pulling down his face.
Moana laughed, "Well maybe if you actually were cool, you wouldn't have to pretend."
"Ouch," Maui said, elongating the ow in ouch. "That one hurt," he placed a hand on his chest in a gesture of mock offense.
They stared at each other with wide grins on their faces, but Maui's began to fade. He straightened the arm that he was supporting himself with and laid down his head, so he was face-to-face with Moana.
Moana frowned. "What's wrong?"
Maui took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and bit his lip. There was a long pause, like he was really mulling over the words in his mouth. He finally mumbled without making eye contact, "I guess I'm not really good at this kind of stuff."
Moana tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean? What kind of stuff?"
"Sincere stuff, I guess," he mumbled.
Moana grinned in reminiscence. "I think the last time you tried to be sincere, you had a shark head."
Maui gave a low, short chuckle. "Ha, why do you always bring that up?"
Moana's mouth widened even larger and giggled, "You make it too easy." There was a long pause and Maui, although he was smiling, continued to nervously bite his lip. Moana's grin faded into a genuine and patient smile. "What is it, Maui?" she asked softly.
Maui pursed his lips to the side and took a breath through his nose. "Moana, that really scared me today. That—that monster thing. I don't know what it was." He turned and laid on his back and put a hand over his face. "Moana, you could have died." He lifted the hand off of his face for a second on the word died and let it fall back to his face.
His words lingered in the air and the silence took over. They listened to each other's breathing for awhile when Maui finally said, "Moana, I can't stand the thought that I might lose you."
Moana turned to face him and propped up her head on her hand. "You won't lose me, Maui." She punched his shoulder. "I'll always be your girl."
Maui removed the hand from his face and smiled, but he did not move from his supine position. He stared at the ceiling and thought about what she said. My girl, he thought. He smiled but it immediately vanished as he thought of the Chief's warnings. Moana will grow old and die one day, he thought. It disturbed him more than the day's events and he shuddered. What can I do? He thought. Could she become immortal? He pondered the question and thought, Could I become mortal? He remembered his powers, his hook, and all the adventures he had gone on as a demigod. That would all be gone—
"What are you thinking about?" Moana questioned, and again, interrupting him.
Maui turned to her and forced a smile. "You."
"Well, I'm right here, big guy." She reached out to him and put a hand on his chest and Moana realized that they had never been like this before. Not laying side by side—that was the norm especially when traveling in the canoe—but never had they been this close. He turned to face her and she did not move her hand from his chest as he did so. His hand rose to cover hers, and engulfing it entirely.
"You are my girl," he told her. He squeezed her hand and in one motion he put a hand on her upper back and gently dragged her into him. Her body gave in and squished slightly but her muscles were as solid as a stone. Maui found comfort in this, knowing that she could hold her own ground. She was feisty and knew how to kick butt, maybe more than he'd care to admit. He closed his eyes. She smelled like coconuts and salt; her scent was so intoxicating he couldn't help but to bury his head into her thick, curly hair and inhale as quietly as he could, so she wouldn't notice.
Moana let Maui hold her and she prayed to the gods that he wouldn't let her go. She felt so safe when she was with him. This embrace made her feel like there were no sea monsters, or pirates, or forced marriages, or any evil in the world. It was only the two of them who even existed. She closed her eyes and let all of her other senses take over. She could hear his heartbeat, smell his sent, hear his breathing, feel his skin. It's all she ever wanted.
"Moana," he said gently while still holding her in his arms.
"Hm?" she hummed, answering him.
There was a pause as if he was making sure he wanted to voice what was on his mind. He sighed. "You are the most beautiful thing the gods have ever created."
Moana could feel the blood rush to her face and laughed into his chest, releasing some of her nervous energy. "That means a lot coming from the most beautiful man alive," she said impulsively.
Maui didn't laugh but he pulled her tighter to his chest. He looked down at her and thought about the woman she had become. He met her when she was only a child, but that was years ago. Now she had grown into an incredible, breath-taking, young woman. He thought about how much he wanted—no—needed her. There was no life without Moana. There was no meaning; life was pointless without her. Everything he did was with or for her. She was his best friend. His wanted to dedicate his entire being to her and he wanted her to dedicate herself to him and him only. Holding her, he felt vulnerable, but not the kind when you're naked in front of a crowd. It was vulnerable like standing in front of the ocean and realizing how vast it is and how small you are. It was like everything was stripped away. He didn't have to be cocky to be powerful. He didn't have to have a hook to be Maui, the demigod of the wind and sea, hero to all. He didn't have to prove to anyone that he was worth something. He could just be Maui. He took one look and Moana and planted a long, slow kiss on the top of her head, trying to take all of his feelings that he couldn't put into words and express them to her in one physical action.
As he did so, Moana could feel something in her chest, like a flower blooming in the warm sunlight, strong and steady. She slowly snaked her arms up to his neck without pushing him away and pulled herself up to his face. His dark chocolate eyes were alive with longing and he moved one hand to her lower back and the other behind her neck. "Please do that again," Moana whispered, leaving her lips parted, inviting him in. She wanted to show him that she understood what he was trying to convey, that she, too, needed him.
Maui brought himself closer to her face, his dark eyes locked with hers. Moana's heart was beating hard, but steadily. She felt as though they were suspended in time and space, floating somewhere between reality and a dream. The moon peeked in from the cracks in the roof and lit their skin in an ashy blue. They were so intertwined with each other that the only way to tell them apart from one another was from Maui's tattoos. It was perfect.
Maui looked at her one last time before he closed his eyes and gave in, accepting Moana's invitation. When their lips touched, it was like nothing had ever mattered before this moment. It was so perfect the way Maui's lips felt on hers. He couldn't believe how tender she was. Without leaving her lips, Maui slid her underneath him and supported himself with one forearm and caressed her head with the other, running his thumb back and forth on her cheek. His hand was so large that her whole head almost fit perfectly within it. Moana slid her own hands from Maui's neck to his chest, from his chest to his stomach, from his stomach to his lower back, and traced her fingers lightly back up to his shoulder blades where she pulled him in closer, kissing him more powerfully than before.
Maui lifted himself from her ever so slightly so that his lips were still brushing hers and said, "Moana, please tell me if you want me to stop."
Moana opened her eyes and shook her head. She pressed her forehead against his. "I don't want you to stop."
He paused. A mischievous grin wiggled its way into his mouth. "What if I do this?" he asked, running his hand from her cheek to the side of her torso. As he spoke, he tilted his chin up so his lips brushed hers.
"I wouldn't mind," she whispered, laying her head back.
"And what if I do this?" he asked, moving his hand from her side to her hip.
Moana half closed her eyes, not wanting to beak eye contact. "I would let you."
"And this?" he asked softly, moving his hand from her hip to between her legs and outside her skirt.
She gasped. "Please," she begged, her breaths quickening.
He bent back down to continue kissing her. As his lips met hers, he intensified the pressure on her, pleasing her as she wished. He wanted nothing more that for her to feel everything that she meant to him. He slowly took his time, building her closer and closer to him with every movement of his hand.
It was like he knew exactly what to do and Moana relaxed, feeling safer than she had ever felt before. She moved away from him ever so slightly and Maui immediately drew his hand away, "I'm sorry, was that too much? Do you want me to stop?" His voice was edged with panic and a tinge of sadness, but Moana shook her head.
"I don't want you to stop, Maui." She reached down to his waistline and bit her lower lip. She raised her eyebrows and begged him with her eyes. Please?
Maui let out a sigh of relief and gave a nod as he leaned back in to kiss her, his tongue darting out playfully into her mouth. Moana began to tug at his waistline as he began to unwrap her top, all while their lips were together, intoxicating their bodies, but not their minds. Maui threw Moana's top to the side and pulled her up from the bed and close to his chest to be skin-on-skin. He never felt so close to anyone in his entire life. He began to plant kisses on her neck and nibbled on the soft skin underneath her ear, the place he always dreamed about sinking his teeth into.
Moana had never felt so alive or so happy in her life, being so close to Maui. He was her safe place, her rock. He never let her down and all she wanted was to morph into one being with him so she could be this close to him forever. She never felt so alive.
Maui put his hand at the knot of her skirt. He parted from her lips and gazed into her amber eyes alive with a controlled fire. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered.
Moana nodded softly, reached down and untied her skirt for him. She put both of her hands on his cheeks. "More than anything."
"Me too, Moana," he breathed. He brought his lips down onto hers as he thrust into her, staying there for a few moments so they both could feel the connection fully. A moan escaped from Moana's lungs as he pulled away slowly and pushed back in. He began to set the pace and Moana followed him, allowing him to take the lead. He ran his fingers up the back of her neck and into her hair, taking a fistful and pulling her closer into him. She sucked in his lip and bit down to Maui's pleasure.
"Oh Moana," he moaned. He pulled himself in and out of her, making sure he never lost control of himself. He kept the pace and let the present moment be on the forefront of his mind. He slid one hand underneath her back and one hand underneath her leg, and in one fluid movement, he flipped over onto his back with her on top of him. He wanted her to set the pace that she needed. Using her legs, Moana pushed herself up and down onto Maui and felt how deep inside of her he was, not only physically, but in her soul as well. They were connected more than anyone in the entire universe. As she leaned down to kiss him, a bubble of tingles grew in Moana's belly and Maui could sense that it was about to pop. She was close.
"Come, Moana," he commanded quietly. Moana moaned in pleasurable frustration, not sure what to do. Maui, following his instincts, turned her onto her back and thrust deeper into her only but a few times before she tightened. One shudder escaped her body before her chest rose up and her head tilted back. She convulsed, and it took ever last bit of will power for Maui not to finish inside of her as she orgasmed. Moana relaxed and let out a soft moan of pleasure. She opened her eyes, which were still full of that controlled fire, put her hand on Maui's chest and guided him slowly onto his back.
"Your turn," she breathed into his ear. She laid beside him and grabbed ahold of him, careful not to pull too hard or too soft. She wiggled herself closer to kiss him and began to stroke him with a steady hand, all while kissing his lips, neck, and chin. Moana could feel him quivering beneath her lips and beneath her hand and she began to quicken the pace of her hand. After one big shudder, he exploded, moaning and pushing into her lips with his as he did so. He jerked and convulsed for a few seconds before he finally relaxed, put his head down, and sighed. Moana was proud of herself for making Maui feel so incredible. He deserved it and so much more. He deserved all the happiness and pleasure in the world. She laid down her head on his shoulder and cuddled up as close to him as she could. Maui lifted his arms and held her in a tight embrace.
They laid there, out of breath, in the silence. But the silence wasn't quiet. It was full of intensity, like the electricity right before a rainy day during a drought. They were both breathing heavy and neither wanted to break the silence. Maui sat and thought about everything that just happened. He wanted to sum it up in words. He wanted to tell her that she was his entire world. He wanted to tell her he wanted nobody but her. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to be a better person because of her. He wanted to tell her that she was incredible and she was his everything. There was so much he wanted to say.
"Moana?" he cooed, craning his neck so he could look into her eyes.
"Maui?" she answered, her eyes still filled with clarity and playfulness. She was still out of breath.
He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair and looked into her glowing amber eyes. "I love you," he said in a low, gentle tone. And he meant it.
Moana looked straight into his eyes as she whispered, "I love you too, Maui." She smiled. A giggle popped out of her chest. "I've loved you for a long time."
Maui chuckled with her. He said it. He finally said it.
She snuggled up to him and kissed his neck and chest before she closed her eyes. She listened to his heartbeat and quietly had one last thought to herself before she drifted off to sleep. This is what true love feels like.
Maui wrapped his arms around her and smiled. He was in love for the first time in his life. She was incredible. He began to think about the future and the smile off his face. She'll get old one day. I won't. He tried to shake the thoughts away, but they wouldn't budge. She will die one day. Maui bit his lip and furrowed his brow. He nuzzled his nose into Moana's hair and pulled her closer into his body. What can I do? What could he do? He laid wide awake as Moana started to snore. Then it came to him. He had to make a plan. The perfect plan.