Author's Note: I was going to make this chapter longer, but it would've seemed really dragged out so I cut it at an appropriate place. Writing this chapter was especially fun and I hope you guys enjoy it.
"You are funny," Naveen remarked. Tiana quirked an eyebrow, but didn't take her eyes off of her work. They were working on the door to the restaurant. Now it looked like a grand entrance instead of the shabby one that was there before. The restaurant was really coming along.
"What's so funny about me?" Tiana asked, making another long stroke with her paintbrush. "I wonder when those men will be here to help install the windows," she mused.
"Well, every time we come here to work on the restaurant, even if your day has been less than enjoyable so far, you always light up again when you get to work on your dream." Tiana felt her face grow hot at Naveen's explanation and was glad her curls were in the way. "And my parents paid excellent money for the best workmen to be here bright and early tomorrow morning to start installing windows. I even volunteered to come down here and meet them!"
Tiana stifled a laugh. "And what did your parents say to that?"
Naveen huffed. "They said to get you to do it. They still do not trust me."
Tiana laughed and continued painting. The time she got to spend with him working on the restaurant was somewhat rare and precious. Usually they were busy planning the wedding and dodging the press. It wasn't like they were being hounded by them, but every once in a while they'd be walking down the street and a cameraman and a reporter would just come out of nowhere flashing pictures and asking a million questions. Naveen, who was more experienced at dealing with the press, would just pull Tiana behind his back so her eyes wouldn't hurt from all the camera flashes, and give horrible half-answers to all the questions so they would stomp away aggravated.
"I wish I could get more of this restaurant done before the wedding," Tiana lamented as Naveen came back out to the front of the restaurant. He had to go all the way around back to put away their painting supplies and tools every day since they obviously couldn't go in the front.
"Think of it this way," he encouraged as Tiana began to make her way down the ladder, "when we are away on our honeymoon, you can think of things you might want for the restaurant that you did not-you can let go, I have you- think of before." With one arm around her waist and the other under her legs, Naveen took Tiana off the ladder and set her gently down on the ground.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Well, like the name," he suggested.
"I was gonna go with 'Tiana's Place'. It's what my Daddy named it. I showed you the picture."
Naveen sighed. "I cannot compete with that man, can I? Well I was going to suggest 'Tiana's Palace' since you are a princess and it seemed fitting. But your father-"
"Would've agreed with you on the name," Tiana interrupted, putting her hand over Naveen's mouth to shush him. "And I do to. We'll call it 'Tiana's Palace.'"
Naveen, so proud that he came up with the simple name change, spun Tiana around and leaned down to kiss her. That was when an approaching car honked the horn. Naveen huffed when he saw the offending car.
"My parents," he grumbled as Tiana smoothed out her skirt and tucked a curl behind her ear, "have horribly impeccable timing." He smiled a little as they pulled up a short distance from them. Along with the regular Maldonian wedding supplies, the King and Queen had actually gotten a car brought over.
"Hello Mother, Father," Naveen greeted. "What brings you two here? I thought we were going to meet you for lunch tomorrow."
"Well, that was the plan," Sarita agreed as Dax went around to her side and helped her out of the car. "But we have arranged a special surprise for you."
"Really?" Naveen asked, a little curious now. "What kind of surprise?"
Dax opened the back door of the car. A small boy, who had been crouched low so he wouldn't be seen, jumped out on to the street. Naveen's eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Nathaniel!" he cried.
"Naveen!" Nathaniel cried. "Naveen, Naveen, Naveen!" he ran straight into Naveen's legs, nearly knocking him over. Naveen picked the little boy up by the legs and hung him upside down. Naveen blew a raspberry into Nathaniel's stomach, making him squeal with delight. He was slung over Naveen's shoulder, still upside down, still smiling, but like most six and half year olds, filled with curiosity.
"Who is that?" Nathaniel asked.
"It is not polite to point," Sarita scolded as Naveen flipped Nathaniel and put him back on the ground. But Nathaniel took one look at the ring and knew who she was immediately.
"You are the lady who is going to be my sister!" Nathaniel exclaimed excitedly. Tiana's eyes went wide and she looked at Naveen for explanation.
"Oh, uh, Tiana, this is my little brother Nathaniel. Nathaniel, this is Tiana." Nathaniel stuck out a pudgy little hand for Tiana to shake.
"Y'all didn't tell me you had a little brother," Tiana remarked. Nathaniel gasped and looked up at Naveen with wide eyes and a big pout.
"You forgot about me?" he asked Naveen, hurt.
"Of course not!" Naveen said hurriedly, trying to cover up his mistake. "How could I? I was just saving you to be a surprise for Tiana. I did not know Mother and Father would use you as a surprise for me."
"Oh." This was good enough for Nathaniel. When you really looked at him, it was easy to see the family resemblance. They both had the same dark hair with the same curls and the same bronze skin. The only differences were Nathaniel's eyes-which had a little green in them-and their smiles: where Naveen's was charming, Nathaniel's was just plain cute.
"Well Naveen and I were gonna head back to mine and my Mama's house for some dinner, if you'd like to come along," Tiana offered to Nathaniel. "I'm making beignets and something tells me that you'd love them."
Nathaniel's eyes went wide. "You cook?" he asked. Tiana nodded. Nathaniel flung his arms around Tiana's neck, hugging her tightly. "You are the best big sister ever." He looked over her shoulder at Naveen. "None of the other girls you have been with have been as nice and pretty as her!" Suddenly the older brother looked very uncomfortable.
Tiana turned and looked at Naveen with a quirked eyebrow. "Really?" she said. "Well, Nathaniel, you're just gonna have to tell me all about these other girls over dinner."
"There is no need for that!" Naveen exclaimed. But it was too late, because Nathaniel was already ranting.
"Oh, they were all terrible! They ignored me and would push me out of the way and out of rooms and one wore really icky perfume and too much lipstick and liked to hug and kiss me! Gross! And none of them did anything. They were so boring! But the chambermaids are worse! One of them started crying once she heard the news you and Naveen were getting married and she was still crying when I left to come here and-"
"Here have some candy!" Naveen cried, shoving a handful of sweets into Nathaniel's mouth. The little boy chewed, happily seated between his big brother and his new big sister in the back seat. Tiana was trying not to laugh. Naveen was just grateful his parents had had the foresight to have the candy in the car. "Please, drive," he told his father. This was going to be a rather long night.
Isn't Nathaniel the cutest little thing? I was originally gonna have him come over the same time as Naveen's parents. I also originally planned to have all of Naveen's family have their first names start with the letter "N" but I couldn't find ones I liked except for Nathaniel. Though I did originally name Naveen's mother Naomi.