Sketches
Written by: kohee
Fandom: Disney; Princess and the Frog
Summary: A series of drabbles, and some bits and pieces here and there – may be before the movie, during the movie or after the movie.
Genre: A mixture of mumbo jumbo with some gumbo.
Disclaimer: Wants to own but own nothing except pocket lint.
-----
eleven: Pancakes
(Naveen x Tiana, post-movie)
-----
Naveen peered at the batter in the mixing bowl and poked at it gingerly with his wooden spoon. The spoon came away sticky and a little stiff, and he frowned. Taking a smaller silver spoon, he scooped up a little of the batter and sampled it, clicking his tongue thoughtfully as he so often saw Tiana doing whenever she taste-tested her cooking.
The taste was fine, but he wasn't sure the consistency was correct. If he remembered correctly, Tiana's batter seemed to be a little more watery than the mix in his bowl. Then again, he had followed the recipe, as exactly as Eudora had said and written, and he could not think of anything that he might had done incorrectly. He had been very, very careful, because after all, this was a special breakfast.
It was the first time he was cooking – by himself – for Tiana. For that morning, Naveen was neither the mincer nor the assistant, he was the chef, and he thought he rather liked the sound of that.
But right now, he was certainly having doubts about his pancake batter.
"Maybe it will look different, rightfully different, once I pour it onto the pan," Naveen muttered under his breath, carrying the bowl over to the stove.
Carefully, he placed the pan onto the medium hob, and after several tries, managed to turn it on without burning himself. As the pan heated itself up, he flicked a little butter into the pan, and once it melted to a nice, golden-yellow liquid, he scooped up a spoonful of batter, and drizzled it to form a flat cake.
He thought his movements were fluid and quite professional, and quite like Tiana, and he was pleased. The batter sizzled, and browned, and it looked very much like the pancakes that are of the preparation of his wife.
"Ah, Prince Naveen, you will surprise your princess yet," Naveen chuckled to himself, and turned his attention to the strawberries and peaches on the kitchen counter.
Now, he would mince.
-
Tiana woke up to the smell of something that smelt distinctively like pancakes, but yet, not quite like pancakes. The spot next to her on the bed was empty - which meant Naveen was up and awake, before her, on a Sunday morning.
That was such a rare occurrence that Tiana wondered for a moment; perhaps she might still be in dreamland.
Slipping on a robe and shoving her feet into a pair of slippers, she wandered into the kitchen, to see her husband placing a plate of pancakes on the table.
She stopped at the archway for a moment, watching him as he picked up a plate of minced fruits, scattering it over the pancakes. Then, he placed a rose in the blue vase next to the plate. A steaming cup of coffee was then placed on the other side of the plate, and he stood back, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Naveen turned towards the door, and gave a start as he saw Tiana leaning against the door frame, a little smile on her face. He hurried over to her, and kissed her briefly.
"Good morning, my sleeping beauty."
"Well, well. It's certainly a surprise to see you up and runnin' before me this morning." Tiana said, with a teasing smile as she gently scraped a smear of dried batter off Naveen's jaw.
"Ah, but as you have already seen, I was preparing breakfast for you, and it is ready." He took her by her hands, and led her to the small dining table, pulling out the chair for her.
Tiana sat down, and looked at her plate. Naveen's pancakes were haphazardly shaped, and resembled triangle pizza slices more than circular pancakes, evidently the result of unsuccessful flipping. The edges were a little burnt as well.
"So they are not perfect." Naveen shrugged, crouching down next to her, his elbows on the table and his eyes wide. "But please, you must try, yes? And tell me how they taste."
She picked up her knife and fork, and cut a piece of pancake, chewing the bite carefully, and complimenting it with a forkful of minced fruits. The pancake was a little too hard, but he managed to get the taste right, if not the consistency and the shape.
Tiana swallowed, and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Looking down, she saw that Naveen was smiling, but she could see that his eyes were more than just a little worried. She could see how much effort he had put in, and she knew her thoughts would mean a lot to him, and suddenly, she felt a rush of love.
"The taste is good." She said, tapping his nose lightly with her fork. "The batter consistency could be improved, though. But for a first timer...I'm gonna say you did a great job."
A wide smile breaking over his face, Naveen took Tiana's hand in his. "I have to admit, that I did not think it was going to be difficult at first. But oh, I find controlling the heat very very difficult. And the flipping, I am, too, unsuccessful."
Tiana traced his fingers with hers. "You just need a few more lessons, Prince Charming, and you'll be making the best pancakes yet."
"Not to worry, I have the best teacher in the world to give me lessons."
Tiana laughed, and picked up her fork again, spearing another piece of pancake. Naveen watched her as she chewed, his forehead creasing in thought.
"I am thinking," he said, "you should maybe teach me a few breakfast recipes. Different ones."
"One at a time, Naveen. And besides, what's this sudden desire to learn about the ways of breakfast?" Tiana asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.
"Well, I do want to be making breakfast for you, every single morning, for the rest of our lives. There should be variety, yes? Or it will be very boring."
His words were casual, but the meaning was not. Right then and there, her heart melted.
Tiana leaned down, placed both hands on the sides of his face, and kissed him, and Naveen tasted pancakes and strawberries, and Tiana.
-----
1104 words
-----
Note: I think there is something a little off about this one, can't put a finger to it exactly. Maybe Naveen should be more of a disaster? Muhahaha.
Possible next stop for cooking!Naveen: beignets. Maybe, maybe not.
Also, I am planning a chaptered AU PatF fic...and I worry I may not have the discipline to finish it. Besides, the idea is kinda nuts in my opinion. Make that REALLY nuts. I'm hashing out the prologue and plot, and I'll see how it goes. I may end up posting it if I have the confidence that I can finish it.
As always, I am so so so so so appreciative of all the lovely, lovely, lovely reviews. Thank you all so very much for reading, and taking the time to review.