Of course the one night that Tiana didn't want to have a long lengthy chat with her mother was the same night Eudora didn't want to leave her side. Normally Tiana loved talking with Eudora, and she did need to pick apart the evening with her - had she done okay with Naveen's parents? What did she think of them? What exactly did Eudora tell them when Tiana was out of the room?
But the clock kept ticking and Naveen's promise that he would return to her this evening was making Tiana antsy. She wished they had come up with more exact time frame for his arrival. Yes she knew what the deadline was (one o'clock seemed stamped upon her brain), but she didn't know what time it was possible he could start to arrive.
Just when was the king and queen's normal bedtime? It wasn't long after nine thirty, but that wasn't an unreasonable time to go to bed especially after a long day like today. What if they had already fallen asleep and Naveen was on his way over right now, and she and Eudora were still awake in the living room?
Eudora would, of course, hear Naveen's pebbles on her window and their private plans for the evening would be out in the open. Would Eudora understand, or would she take away their blessing?
Tiana took a deep breath and reminded herself that none of that had actually happened. Yet. Just to be on the safe side, though, Tiana figured she might as well hurry her mother along to bed.
Stretching her arms over her head, Tiana let out a long yawn."I don't know about you, Mama, but I'm exhausted."
"You poor thing," Eudora said with a soft smile. "It's been a long day for you, hasn't it?" She kissed her daughter's cheek. "Why don't you head on upstairs and get some sleep."
"You're not tired?" Tiana asked, feeling her heart rate spike.
"I'm beat," Eudora replied, "but I wanted to finish up a few of these hemlines before turning in."
Oh no. Knowing her mother, Eudora could be up for hours then. Whenever she said she just wanted to work on hemlines it always turned into something bigger.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Tiana asked. "Didn't you just tell me last week how working this late hurts your eyes?"
Eudora dismissed Tiana's concerns with a wave of her hand. "It's only a few hems. I could do them blindfolded if I had to." She gave Tiana a kiss on the cheek, and scooted her towards the stairs. "Don't you worry about me. But you need your rest."
Tiana spent the next forty five minutes in a constant state of panic. She had quickly gotten ready for bed, lest her mother figure out Tiana's real plans for the evening, and then she lay frantic in bed listening for any sound of Naveen outside, and hoping that Eudora would finish up soon.
At last Tiana heard the tell tale signs of Eudora coming upstairs and getting ready for bed herself. It wasn't soon after that, if Tiana listened carefully, she could hear the gentle rhythmic sound of her mother snoring softly in the next room.
Tiana could at last relax. They would be safe from her mother. Unless they made too much noise, but Tiana wasn't worried about that. Eudora could fall asleep within seconds anywhere and not wake for anything. It was a trait she had passed along to Tiana, who had on multiple occasions found herself sleeping standing up at Cal's on those slow night shifts.
Only tonight, Tiana definitely didn't want to accidentally fall asleep and miss Naveen somehow. But she didn't think she'd be falling asleep anytime soon. As exhausted as she felt, underneath it all was the growing buzz of desire for Naveen's touch and his kisses.
Her mind wandered, as it so often did, towards the more intimate letters he had sent to her. A shiver went down Tiana's spine as she recalled the words she had memorized long ago. She clutched absently at her bedsheets, wondering. Just how intimate were they going to be tonight? How many of Naveen's letters were finally going to come true?
She felt ready for anything that would (or wouldn't) happen that evening. No matter which scenario went through her mind - from just holding each other and talking to full on making love (the latter was a little hazy in her mind, as Tiana still didn't know all the particulars) - there was one constant thread that tied them all together. She wanted him.
Yes she wanted to kiss him and hold him and...so on, but Naveen was right earlier. It had been so long since they had seen each other, and today hadn't been what she had imagined. It would be nice to just be with him, no matter what happened.
If only he would get here.
Tiana sighed and glanced over at her bedside clock for what felt like the millionth time. Time seemed to be moving altogether too fast, and yet dragging on at the same time. It felt like she had been waiting in this room for months (though Tiana supposed in a few ways she had been), and still it wasn't even midnight yet.
She reached over to the window next to her bed and tapped her fingernails on the glass, as if recreating the sound of pebbles on her window could make him appear faster. Anything to keep her mind from wandering back to Naveen's letters.
Except trying to not think of them only made her think of them, and then her stomach flipped imagining Naveen's touch on her skin. His fingers slipping underneath her nightgown…
Her nightgown. Tiana sighed fingering the plain fabric between her own fingers. She wished she had something different to wear than her boring old practical nightgown. Tiana had never given it a second thought until tonight.
It had always seemed perfectly fine to Tiana, but when she changed into it earlier she realized just how shapeless it was, and how it covered everything. It was hardly the nightgown to inspire the night of unbridled passion that Tiana was growing so desperately to want.
She imagined what it would be like to wear more revealing negligee in front of Naveen, and what kind of reaction that would get from him. Then she'd be the one seducing him for a change. The blush that flooded her cheeks came hard and fast, but still, Tiana shivered in delight at the thought.
If only he would come.
Another glance at the clock, but Tiana's heart sank. Only five minutes until one o'clock. What could have kept him away? Surely he would be trying his hardest to come to her. He wanted to be together as much as she did, right? 'If I'm not there by one o'clock I wasn't able to come. Not for lack of trying, mind you.'
The clock ticked steadily on until it finally hit one. Tiana felt like she might weep. Damn that clock and damn the rest of the world too. None of this was fair! All they wanted was to be together, so then why was everything trying to pull them apart?
Tiana turned to her side in a huff, feeling her anger and sadness mix in with her ongoing desire. The whole idea of this one o'clock deadline was so that Tiana wouldn't stay up all night, but how was she supposed to sleep with everything so pent up inside her?
She wanted to throw that damn clock out the window. The stupid thing wasn't even ticking right anymore. There were extra ticks in there now, and they weren't even regular.
Wait. Tiana sat up with a gasp and scooted over to the windowsill and threw open the curtains. There, down below was Naveen, ready to throw another pebble at her window. When he saw her at the window, he grinned up at her.
Tiana quickly opened up the window. "What are you doing here?" she whispered as loud as she dared.
"I told you I would come."
Tiana shivered, either from the fresh night air or the sound of his voice, she didn't know. She didn't care either. "You're late, you know. It's past one o'clock."
Naveen tossed the handful of pebbles to the side and brushed his hands together. "You almost sound disappointed," he teased. "I thought you might still be awake, so I took the chance. But if you are too tired, I can always go back to the hotel."
He took a playful step in the opposite direction and Tiana had to stop herself from shouting.
"Don't you dare," she whispered loudly.
Much to her relief, Naveen immediately turned and came back below her window, laughing softly as he did so.
"Hurry up and get in here, mister. I've missed you too much to wait any longer."
"As you wish, princess."
Naveen climbed up the trellis carefully pulling himself up. When he was just about level with the windowsill, Tiana surprised herself by grabbing him by the collar and pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss.
Naveen moaned and happily returned the kiss, climbing clumsily the rest of the way through the window, giggling softly as he fell gracelessly inside and onto Tiana's bed. Once safely inside though, they quickly lost themselves in each other as their kisses grew frantic and deeper.
Naveen moved himself on top of Tiana and his hands and his kisses were suddenly everywhere. Chills of delight traveled over her body, all heading toward the bundle of throbbing sensation between her thighs.
He kissed her cheeks and her neck while his hands cupped and kneaded her breasts. When he moved down and kissed her breasts over the thin fabric of her nightgown, Tiana had to stop herself from crying out. It was all escalating so fast, faster than even her imagination had taken her, but it felt so good that she was never going to stop him.
He kissed his way back up to her lips, but his hands moved lower, down the plane of her abdomen as if her desire was calling out to him. Though maybe in a way it was.
When his hand slipped under her nightgown, Tiana gasped, and then moaned as he cupped her mound and then push her undies aside as his fingers pressed and parted the folds where she wanted him most, exploring in delicious strokes and slides.
Tiana had taken hold of his shirt again, pulling him in close as they kissed, lost to the sensation of it all. There was nothing else but this moment, these feelings of his touch and his kiss. She couldn't part with any of it, not for anything, not even to breathe.
His fingers curled inside her, and his thumb brushed against her sensitive nub, and that's when the pleasure that had been building so swiftly burst in her, pure and bright and sweeter than anything she'd ever felt before. There was nothing else in that moment, just the pleasure of it all. Just Naveen.
It was then that Tiana remembered to breathe, and she unwillingly broke the kiss, still holding tight to Naveen shirt as she panted and felt a marvelous throbbing between her legs . He eased his hand from her and moved to the side, bringing her with him and holding her tight to his body, pressing light kisses along her chin and neck as he did so.
"Are you alright, Tiana?" he whispered, once her breathing had somewhat returned to normal. He chuckled softly as he pressed another kiss to her neck. "That was pretty fast."
Panting, and still out of breath Tiana flushed even as his kisses sent more waves of pleasure through her. She was trembling slightly, and her mind was all a glow, and maybe that's why she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"It's because I've been fantasizing about you for the past six months," she said, then blushed again. Had she really said that? She hid her face in Naveen's chest, too embarrassed to look at him, and yet she felt giddy for saying it. Or was that the aftershocks that were still coursing through her body? Either way, it was true, so why should she hide it from him?
Tiana also had no doubt that Naveen would appreciate hearing how much she had thought about him, and when he moaned against her neck, low and soft, it only confirmed it for her. The sound he made was familiar, but somehow obscene and inviting at the same time. It was the groan of a man who had tasted something delicious and that something was her.
He pulled back to look at her with those bedroom eyes of his and gave her a lopsided grin. "So what kind of things did this Fantasy Naveen do, hmm?"
Tiana felt another blush rush up to her cheeks. Her skin was dark enough that it could hide her blushes most of the time, and so she was thankful now that they were in the dark so it would be completely hidden from him. She shouldn't have said anything, but now it was too late. Despite how much she loved and trusted Naveen, and even after everything they had just done, Tiana felt embarrassed to share her fantasies with him.
She lowered her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know," Tiana said softly.
Naveen inched closer to her, and playfully nudged his nose against hers, turning her face back towards him. "It's alright, Tiana," he whispered. "You can tell me. It'll be our secret." He pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. "Tell me. Please."
Tiana bit her lip as Naveen held her against his body while he kissed her, waiting for her answer. She could feel him pressed against her, especially that stiffness between his legs. It felt bigger than she would have thought, but then again the only thing close to a naked man Tiana had ever seen were those greek statues that Lottie had on her lawn. She and Lottie had giggled plenty over those statues as girls, but now Tiana was beginning to think those weren't the most accurate depictions of men, especially below the belt.
Or maybe it was. What did she know, after all? She shivered though, at what she did know, wondering what it would be like to have Naveen hard inside her, where his fingers had been. If his fingers could work such magic on her, she was almost afraid of what else he could wring from her.
There her thoughts went again. She had never ever had such dirty thoughts before Naveen, and lately she couldn't seem to stop. Maybe it would be good to share them with him. After all, hadn't he shared his with her in all of those letters? It was only fair... right?
Tiana pulled back from the kiss and pressed their foreheads together. She whispered so softly, even as close as Naveen was he had to strain to hear her. "I imagined you and me...together. Alone."
"Where?" Naveen breathed. "Where were we?"
"Here."
"In bed?"
"Yes."
Naveen kissed her, his tongue running across her lip encouragingly. "And did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you?"
She nodded against him. "Yes."
"How?"
Tiana closed her eyes, but didn't pull away. How to describe it? "By...doing what we just did," she eventually settled on. "And the things you wrote about in your letters."
Now it was Naveen's turn to shiver. He pulled her closer and whispered, "Did this Fantasy Naveen pleasure you with his mouth? Because Real Naveen wants to do that very much."
Tiana gasped softly and opened her eyes. The expression on Naveen's face was full of earnestness and need, and Tiana knew her own face mirrored his, even as her knowledge on the subject at hand was nil.
Naveen had written to her many times about using his mouth, but it had been hard enough to write to him explaining that she didn't know what to do in the main act of making love, so how could she also tell him that she was just as naive about this?
It must be more kisses, she supposed, which were always okay in her book, especially right now when they were pressed so close together. The echoes of her earlier pleasure still flooded through her veins, and Tiana would welcome anything he wanted to do to her.
She nodded and Naveen grinned before planting a swift kiss on her lips.
"I think you'll like this, Tiana," he whispered, moving his body so it was once again covered her. He nuzzled against her jaw and ear, pressing soft kisses to her cheek, the corner of her mouth, her lips. "But if you don't like it, that is okay too."
"Okay," Tiana breathed. His lips were hitting every sensitive part of her neck, and then as he began to kiss lower along her nightgown, her pulse quickened. This was already going differently than she expected but it was nice and she wanted more.
"You just have to tell me and I'll stop," Naveen said, kissing over her breasts now, and then lower to her quivering stomach. "You can say 'Naveen, I don't like this, please stop', or 'Naveen let's do something else', or just 'stop', and I will."
"Okay," she said again. He had now moved more fully between her thighs and was kissing his way to up to her knee. The stubble of his beard scraped against her sensitive skin, making her tremble with desire.
Naveen smiled softly as he kissed one knee and then the other. "You look confused and slightly terrified," he said calmly. "Are you alright? Do you wish for me to stop?"
"No, I…." Tiana licked her lips and struggled for the right thing to say. "When you say that you're going to use your mouth," she blushed again but continued, "what exactly do you mean?"
Naveen gave her that naughty smile that made her insides squirm. "I mean that I want to kiss and lick you, until you cry out with pleasure," he said, lowering his voice so it was nice and husky. To emphasize his point, he moved his hand back between her legs and cupped her once more, making Tiana gasp.
"Wait. There?!" Now this was all making sense, and Tiana couldn't believe how naive she had been. But the thought of kissing someone there had never even occurred to her, so how was she supposed to know?
Naveen let out a low chuckle and bent over her, slowly rubbing her all the while which had her squirming with anticipation and nerves. "Mhmm." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "What did you think I meant?"
"I don't know," Tiana admitted, with a slight laugh. Any other thought she had on the subject had vanished with this new and exciting possibility in front of her.
"Does this change your mind about things?" He asked, kissing her dimple.
Tiana gasped again. His kisses and his touches were amping her up again, hardly leaving her in a state to think rationally, but when it came to matters like this, maybe she didn't need to. She shivered, thinking of all the ways he made her feel when he kissed her normally. How much better would it feel when he kissed her there.
"No, it doesn't," Tiana answered after a moment.
Naveen pulled back. "You still want to?" he asked, a hint of a smile on his face.
Tiana cupped his cheek. "Yes. If you do."
"Oh, Tiana." Naveen let out a shaky breath and rubbed their noses together. "I'm desperate to taste you."
She kissed him. "What do I need to do?"
"You don't have to do anything, love," he answered. "I'll take care of everything. Just lie back and relax." Naveen kissed her forehead, her nose, and then finally her lips. "Though you should make sure that you are quiet. Much as I want to make you scream in ecstasy, now doesn't seem like the best time for that."
Tiana giggled as he kissed his way down her body again. "Okay. I can be quiet."
"But still talk to me, okay?" Naveen stopped his kisses and waited until she looked directly at him. "I want to know what you like, or don't like. I want to know everything. Will you promise me that?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Alright, then." He was back between her legs again, kissing one thigh and then the other. This time he was kissing down towards her center. "Are you feeling relaxed? Are you…. comfortable?"
The way he said that word sent Tiana down a rabbit hole of memories. Lord, the first time he had talked that way to her, they had been frogs and she had kicked him away. Now she felt like she might die if he didn't keep touching her.
"Very comfortable," she told him, and reached for his head and stroked his cheek, partly wishing he would just get on with it. She was feeling relaxed but the longer he took, the more nervous she was getting.
"Good," he said, giving her another kiss. "Though perhaps we can make you more comfortable?"
Tiana raised an eyebrow, wondering what he meant, but it all became clear as his hands slid further under her nightgown and he fiddled with the waist of her underwear.
"How about we lose these, hmm?"
Tiana didn't know what to think. Taking off her undergarments was a whole new level of naughtiness compared to everything else they had done, or everything else they were about to do. Though, was it really naughtier than having Naveen's face between her thighs? Would it really be so terrible to do something like this with her own husband? Because yes, they were married after all, even if no one else seemed to think so.
"Okay," Tiana said, even as her cheeks burned.
She closed her eyes and turned her head to the side as Naveen began to slide her underwear down and off. She was much too embarrassed to look Naveen in the eyes, though she did lift her hips a little to help with their removal. Then she heard the soft thump of her underwear hitting the floor, and Tiana knew the deed was done. At least she wasn't completely naked, she told herself. She still wore her nightgown, though it was feeling thinner than usual. So much for being the one to seduce him for a change.
Naveen started kissing his way down her thighs again, switching between them as he got lower and lower. Even though this was the same skin he had been kissing before, the fact that she no longer had her underwear on made everything feel different, and more intimate.
"You're so beautiful, Tiana," Naveen said softly against her skin.
Tiana let out a soft whimper as she felt his hot breath against her skin. His fingers touched her lightly. She knew now that he was teasing her, and it was torture.
"Naveen. Please," she begged, trembling as she did so.
He set his mouth to her at last.
Tiana gasped loud, too loud, and sprang forward sitting up straight.
"What is it?" Naveen asked, coming up for air. Tiana immediately covered her mouth with her hands and Naveen gathered her to his chest. They both stared at the door breathing hard while trying to be quiet. Had they been too loud? Where they going to get caught?
Naveen counted to twenty, and then fifty, but still no sound could be heard other than their frantic breathing. He let out a shaky breath and nuzzled against her hair. "What was that you said about being quiet?"
She giggled softly into his chest. "Sorry."
He kissed her, open mouthed, gently teasing. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No," she said with a smile. "It was nice. Really really nice."
He pressed her back down onto the bed, kissing her again. "Do you want me to continue?"
"Yes please."
"Then you must be quiet, my love. We musn't be heard."
Tiana nodded. She could do it. She could be quiet. She could do anything so long as he touched her like that again.
Naveen wasted no time. His mouth consumed her like fire, his tongue stroking in long, slow licks, curling in a slick promise at the hard center of her pleasure. His touch was lewd, and lascivious, and lovely all at once, and Tiana found she couldn't get enough of it.
Her hands searched for him. Finding his soft hair, her fingers curled against him, and she gasped his name.
He lifted his mouth from her. "Do you like it?"
"Oh god yes," she panted. "Don't stop. Please."
He laughed, low and soft in the dark. "As you demand, my princess." And he set his mouth to her again.
Tiana bit her lip to keep from crying out, as he licked, long and slow and devastating. She lifted her hips to meet his remarkable mouth, not caring that the action could be called nothing but wanton. She did want.
She needed.
And he gave without purchase. He set his tongue to the hard bud at the top of her, working until she gasped his name again.
"Shh." He spoke directly to the core of her, the rush of air making her wild. "Be careful."
The words did nothing but excite her further, and it grew worse as he teased and tempted with his tongue. When he set his mouth to her, she widened her thighs and lifted herself to him. Biting back the cries that came again and again as he pressed more firmly, giving her everything she desired.
She rocked against him, and then the tension inside of her released, in a glorious, wicked sensation, and she forgot everything but him, and his strong grip, and his wonderful mouth.
When the pleasure crested, breaking over her, breaking her, it was Naveen who held her together, letting her explore all the corners of pleasure without hesitation. Any embarrassment she had felt earlier was gone. Now there was only the pleasure, and Naveen. Always Naveen.
He kissed his way back up her trembling body and settled by her side once more. He wrapped his arms around her tight, and Tiana curled into his heat. He cupped her head and held it to his chest and kissed her temple softly. As she lay in his arms and breathed him in, Tiana didn't think she had ever felt more loved in her life.
It was all too much for her, and she sniffed as tears sprang from her eyes.
"Tiana, are you alright?" Naveen pulled back and brushed away her tears with his thumb.
"Yes," she sniffed and smiled. "I've never felt better in my life."
"Then why are you crying, love?"
"Because I'm happy." She cupped his cheek, stroking along his chin. "Naveen, I'm just so glad you're back." She sniffed again, even as she smiled. "I missed you so much."
He pressed a light kiss to her lips. ""I missed you too." Naveen pulled her back to his chest and gently stroked her hair. "I thought of you so often, when I was away. You were always in my mind, and my heart." He kissed her temple and whispered softly into her hair. "Can you forgive me for taking so long to come back to you?"
"There's nothing to forgive," Tiana said. "Even though it was hard, I think you needed to go back. There were a lot of loose ends that needed tying up." Tiana sighed softly. "There still are."
Then it was Naveen's turn to sigh. Pressed up against Tiana like this, the last thing he wanted to do was to talk about all that stood in the way of their happily ever after. But they had to figure it all out if they wanted future nights like this one, and Naveen wanted that very much.
Still, maybe they could postpone it for just a little longer. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent and nuzzled against her. "Are you sure you want to talk about this now?"
"No," she whispered, nuzzling back. Then she laughed a little under her breath. "But I think I need a break from… well… you know."
Naveen chuckled as he kissed her. Oh, he knew.
Her fingers traced along his neck and down to his tie. Even knowing little about men's fashion, Tiana could tell it was an expensive tie just by the way the fabric felt between her fingers. The tie wasn't as interesting as the man wearing it, though.
Now she could really feel him, pressed up against each other as they were. She pressed her hand flat to his chest, marveling at the heat she could feel even through his shirt. What would it be like to kiss his bare skin there? Would he like it? Judging by the way he murmured softly as she ran her hands there, he would like it very much. Tiana thought she would rather enjoy it herself.
Tiana bit her lip, giving him fleeting glances as her hands went back to his tie. "Unless you want to…." She didn't know how to finish that sentence. Instead, she pulled at his tie, loosening it just enough to get to the top button of his shirt.
Naveen's breathing was getting shallower now. He pressed against her again, and Tiana could have sworn she felt him twitch.
"That's you, isn't it?" Tiana asked. There was no need to clarify what she was asking about. She popped open the top button, making him gasp softly.
Naveen licked his lips. "Yes," he breathed. "As I said before, I am… very happy to see you again."
Tiana pressed a kiss to his lovely collar bone, and she knew he was trying to stifle his moan. It was wonderful to hear, and slightly alluring knowing just a simple kiss could make him act like this.
She pressed her hand against his chest again, but this time she ran it slowly downward, towards his quivering stomach.
"Do you want me to….?" She didn't know exactly what she was asking, but she was willing, and she trusted Naveen to show her what to do.
"Oh god yes," he whispered. But he covered her hand with his own and stopped her in her tracks. Holding it tightly, he brought it up to his lips where he kissed it hungrily. "I've dreamt of it so often, you have no idea."
If it was anything like how often her fantasies drifted that way, she did have some idea.
"But we can't, love," he finished.
"Huh?"
"I'm starting to remember why I wanted to wait in the first place," he said, kissing her hand once more. "It's already going to be hard to leave you and go back to the hotel, but if we start doing that, I'll never be able to tear myself away."
Leave? Oh no. He would have to leave sometime, wouldn't he? Of course he would. Tiana knew that all along, and still there was some small part of her that had hoped he would be able to stay all night. Now she worried that this was his way of saying he needed to go.
She stroked his cheek softly and whispered, "I'm not asking you to leave."
"I know." Naveen pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I don't have to leave just yet, but it might be safer if we… avoid temptation."
Naveen almost had to laugh. If he had told himself a year ago that he would be in bed with a beautiful woman trying not to make love to her… well, he wouldn't have believed it.
Tiana smoothed back her hair, and gave him a shy smile. "You're right, you're right."
"It's not going to be easy though, with you looking at me like that," Naveen said with a smirk.
"Like what?" Tiana giggled and propped herself up on her elbow. She raised an eyebrow at him, challengingly.
Naveen gave an appreciative hum and reached up to her, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "You have this smile that makes you look very… satisfied." He let the last word linger on his lips, lowering his pitch and making it as husky as he could.
Tiana bit her lip but didn't deny it. She playfully tugged at his tie. "What else?"
"Mmm, your nightgown is all wrinkled." He licked his lips, knowing there was nothing underneath. "And your hair is coming loose."
It was still mostly tied back, but there were more strands loose than he had ever seen before. Oh how he wanted to untie her hair and run his fingers through every strand. He wanted to bury himself in it, and see it spread out on the pillow while he lay on top of her naked body and…
This was not avoiding temptation.
He needed to change the subject or he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from kissing her senseless and rolling her over on her back again.
"Can I ask you a question, Tiana?"
"Of course."
"Why do you always have your hair tied back?"
"Oh. Um… what do you mean?" But she sat up completely and pulled all the strands that had come loose back and tied them all up again.
"In all this time I've known you, I've never seen your hair down," Naveen explained.
"Well, it's just… it's just easier to keep it out of the way when I'm cooking," Tiana said, matter of factly.
"But you still have it pulled back even when you aren't cooking," Naveen countered.
"It's.. Well…" Tiana fiddled with the hem of her nightgown, struggling with how to put it into words. But Naveen deserved to know. "With hair like mine, it gets… complicated."
Naveen was sitting up now, too.
Tiana took a deep breath. "I used to wear it down sometimes when I was younger. But when your hair isn't seen as the status quo…" She took another breath. "You find that there's a lot of nasty comments thrown your way, and that people don't take you as seriously, or people just try to touch it without permission."
She didn't elaborate on just how bad it would get sometimes. The memories were painful, and Tiana didn't like to remember kids putting things in her hair, or forcefully pulling on it. And then of course that one time her teacher had cut her hair…
Tiana glanced up to find Naveen had gone slightly pale, even in the moonlight. "Tiana, I didn't know, I-"
And she realized that he must be thinking of all the times he had touched her hair. Tiana gently silenced him. "I don't mean you," she said. "I like it when you touch my hair." She gave him a shy smile. "It feels nice."
Naveen sighed. "Okay."
"These would be complete strangers who would just…anyway." Tiana smoothed down her nightgown and continued. "A lot of other women straighten their hair, or relax it, but I didn't want to do that. Pulling my hair back lets me keep it natural while nullifying everyone's reaction to it."
She glanced anxiously at Naveen. "Bet you didn't expect such a complicated answer, huh?"
He let out a nervous chuckle. "I confess, I did not. Thank you for telling me, though." Naveen kissed her cheek and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Did people really say such horrible things to you?"
"Yes."
Naveen grunted. "Well, they are very rude, and very very wrong." He kissed her cheek again. "I hope you didn't listen to them. You know you are beautiful, yes? Every part of you."
"Naveen…"
"It is not just me saying this, you know," he said with a grin. "This is a fact. And you know I would never lie to you."
"I do know that," Tiana replied. "Thank you." She kissed him and settled back into his embrace.
After a moment, Naveen tentatively asked, "Will you show me sometime?"
"Really?"
"Yes," he whispered. "It doesn't have to be now, or next week, or even after we are married, but… I would like to see. If you want to, that is. If you feel comfortable."
Tiana stroked his cheek. "I will, but not now." She kissed his chin. "Gotta save something for the honeymoon, right?"
Naveen chuckled. "Right."
"Speaking of…" Tiana playfully tugged at his tie again. "We still haven't talked about what we're going to do about your parents and that law. We need to figure it out if we're ever going to have an actual honeymoon."
Naveen sighed. "Yes, you're right." He laid down on his back on the bed and opened his arms, gesturing for Tiana to join him.
He didn't have to ask twice. She happily settled down next to him and rested her head on his chest.
Naveen pressed a kiss to her temple and asked, "So do you have any ideas?"
"Not really," Tiana admitted. "The only thing I can think of is to somehow make your parents like me enough that they'll want to change the law. But that seems unlikely."
"Not necessarily," Naveen said. His fingers lightly danced over her back as he held her. "They already like you."
Tiana snickered. "Even after tonight?"
"Oh yes, definitely," Naveen said. "There's nothing more that Baba respects than someone who speaks their mind. And it took a lot of courage to stand up to them the way you did." He kissed her temple again. "I don't think anyone has done that in years."
Tiana pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You did."
"I don't think that counts."
"You wouldn't be here if you hadn't," Tiana pointed out.
"Mmm. I suppose." But he had to smile at that. He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her again.
"Nevertheless," Tiana said, "I don't think we can rely on this plan, if you want to call it that. We should have some other ideas. What do you know about changing Maldonian laws?"
"Not much, unfortunately," Naveen admitted. "I know it had to go through a council, maybe two. Then I think a chamber has to vote on it, and of course Baba has the final say."
"Oh gosh," Tiana whispered. "This might be harder than we thought."
Naveen hummed in agreement, and then sighed. "I'm sorry this is all so complicated."
"It's not your fault."
"Yes it is," he said. "If I was just plain old Naveen Mahajan instead of Crown Prince Naveen of the Royal Mahajan's of Maldonia we wouldn't have to worry about any of this. We'd probably already be married and halfway to building your perfect restaurant."
"I know," Tiana said, tracing invisible patterns across his chest. She'd be lying if she hadn't thought that too. "But we have to focus on the reality of the situation, and the truth is that we don't live in that reality."
He knew it, but it didn't make him feel any better. Despite their united front, and how hard he was willing to fight for the future they wanted, Naveen knew there was still a chance they couldn't change that law. But the wheels were starting to fall into place as an idea formed in his head. And then he had it.
Naveen sat up abruptly with a gasp.
"What is it?" Tiana asked. "Did you think of something?"
"Yes, I-" He put his hand on his forehead and had to stop himself from breaking out into roaring laughter. That didn't stop a few chuckles from escaping anyway. "It's so simple! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"
"What is it?" Tiana repeated.
Naveen turned to Tiana and grabbed her shoulders in excitement. "I'll abdicate!"
"What?!" she gasped, a little too loudly, then covered her mouth with her hands. She turned towards the door, but it stayed safely shut. "Are you crazy?" she whispered to Naveen after a moment.
"No," Naveen laughed. "I've never felt more sure about anything. Except you, of course."
"You can't do this," Tiana said.
"Why not? It will solve all of our problems."
"And create about a million more," Tiana countered.
Naveen tsked and waved that argument away. "No it won't."
"Do you even know what it takes to abdicate? What if you need your parents permission? You know they won't let you."
"It is not their decision," Naveen said. "It is mine."
"So is getting married, and we've seen how that's worked out so far," Tiana said.
Naveen grumbled. "Why are you fighting me on this? It is a good idea. Listen to me." He grabbed her shoulders again and looked her square in the eyes.
"There is a real possibility that we won't be able to change the law, and that we will have to go our separate ways, and I don't want that. I can't go through that again. I want to stay close to you, no, I need to stay close to you, no matter what, and if that means I have to give up the throne I'll do it. Because I love you."
Tiana was shaking her head as her eyes glistened with tears. "Naveen, I can't ask you to do this."
"You don't have to," Naveen replied. "It was my idea. I want to."
"It's too much," Tiana said.
"It's not."
"Yes it is!" Tiana wiped a stray tear away. "People have killed for that kind of power, and you just want to throw it away?"
Naveen ran a hand through his hair. "Well… yes."
"You can't do this," Tiana repeated.
"I don't understand why you're against this," Naveen argued. "This is it. This is the answer."
Tiana placed her hands on his shoulders and let out a big breath. "Okay, let's take a step back. Please."
"Fine."
"When you say that you'll abdicate, that means you'll give up the throne, the crown, everything having to do with royalty, right?" Tiana asked.
"Yes, that's right," Naveen replied.
"That's everything you've grown up with, though," Tiana countered. "It's your whole world."
Naveen cupped Tiana's chin. "You are my whole world. I never cared about any of that, and everyone knows I would be a horrible king."
"I don't think that," Tiana said, truthfully. Maybe the old Naveen would have been a bad fit, but the Naveen she knew and loved would be a good and decent king. It might take a bit for him to learn all he needed to, but Tiana knew he could get there.
"You're sweet," Naveen smiled softly at her. "But Maldonia already doesn't care for me much. Having me on the throne would only make it worse. There will be riots in the street, the economy will crumble, and I wouldn't be surprised if the entire country collapsed. They will be much better off without me."
Tiana thought that seemed extreme, even for Naveen, but she didn't know enough to argue her point. "What about your family?" she asked.
"What about them?"
"We don't know if you need your parents approval to do this. I suppose we can find that out later," Tiana added as an aside to herself. They would have to do a lot of research on this.
Naveen brightened a little, thinking she was starting to go along with the idea.
"But you yourself have admitted your relationship with them is pretty rocky," Tiana continued. "They've already cut you off financially, what if this they cut you out completely? I don't want to be the reason you never see them again."
Naveen fidgeted a little. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but there was a small part of him that didn't seem to mind that outcome. His parents always seemed to bring out the worst in him, would it really be so terrible to never have that part of himself come out again?
But then he realized that he wouldn't just be cut off from his parents, he would also have cut ties with Ravi. Now that thought was heartbreaking. Lately he had begun to envision himself as a proper older brother. He wanted to help guide Ravi through life, making sure he didn't follow the same path that Naveen had. He wanted to teach Ravi to play the ukulele, and to mince, and most importantly, Naveen wanted to make sure Ravi never felt alone.
Could his parents be cruel enough to take all of that away if they disapproved of Naveen abdicating? Naveen didn't even have to think about it. The answer was obviously yes.
Naveen shifted again. "I'll make sure it will all work out peacefully."
"But you can't guarantee that, can you?"
"No. I can't." Naveen sighed, and took Tiana's hands in his. "I can't guess how they'll react. I don't know if they'll be angry or, of they'll understand…. But what I do know is that it's the right decision."
"How can you know that?" Tiana whispered.
"Because we'll have the life that we've always planned," Naveen said. "Even back in the bayou, when we were too afraid to think much of the future, we always wanted two things: to be together, and to have your restaurant. If I abdicate, we can have that life."
"I know, but it still feels like too much," Tiana said. "Why should you have to give up the crown, the throne, and anything else that might come up, and I still get to keep my restaurant." She took her hands away from his and rubbed her arms.
The gesture was so familiar to Naveen, and yet at the same time it broke his heart to see it again.
"It feels like I'm being too selfish," Tiana continued.
"You're not being selfish," Naveen said. He opened his arms, inviting her to come into his embrace.
Tiana hesitated for a moment, but then, to Naveen's relief, she relented and settled into his arms.
"Is that really how you feel?" Naveen asked softly.
Tiana nodded after a moment.
"It's not true, love," Naveen assured her. "You're not selfish at all. The two things are completely different."
She stayed silent, fiddling a bit with his tie, but Naveen knew she was listening intently.
"Growing up, I never really wanted to be a prince," Naveen said. "Oh sure, I enjoyed all the attention it gave me, but anytime I thought about what it meant… that I would one day take my father's place and be King of Maldonia…"
"It's like a pit, deep inside my core." Absently, Naveen made a fist and brought it to his stomach.
"Sometimes if I thought about it too much, it would make me sick," Naveen admitted. "I think… I think that's why I always ran away from those types of responsibilities."
"My whole life, it's been like a great shadow looming over me. To give it up… to be able to cast it aside, would almost be like a blessing. Not that I'm using our situation as a reason to do so, mind you," Naveen added quickly. "If we wanted that life, I would be doing everything I could to make myself into a better prince. You know that, yes?"
"Yes, I know," Tiana whispered.
"But I think we can both agree that it is not the path for us," Naveen said. "Why would we when you have the most beautiful dream to have ever existed?"
Tiana snorted at that, and Naveen broke into a smile. "I'm serious!"
She laughed again, and this time Naveen leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"You want to share your passion for food with the world." Naveen cupped her cheek and tilted her head towards him. "You deserve to have your dream come true."
Tiana reached and cupped Naveen's cheek in turn. "You won't resent me, if you do end up abdicating?"
"Never."
"And you wouldn't hold it over my head when we argue?"
"When would we ever argue?" Naveen asked.
"We just did," Tiana pointed out.
"That was not an argument. It was a spirited discussion," Naveen said, grinning when she laughed again. "But no, I won't use it in arguments. I think I can be a little more creative than that, no?"
Tiana was smiling widely now. It made her eyes shine even in the moonlight. She kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I love you, Naveen."
"I love you, too."
They kissed again, and Naveen leaned back, taking Tiana with him until they were lying side by side on the bed once more.
"I'd still like to try and win your parents over," Tiana said. She was stroking his cheek now, looking deep into those lovely hazel eyes of his.
"If anyone can do it, you can," Naveen said, rubbing his hands along her back. "Just teach them to mince and they'll fall head over heels for you."
"I did have something similar in mind," Tiana admitted.
"Oh really?" Naveen laughed. "What are you going to make them do?"
She tapped his nose playfully. "You'll see."
He kissed her in response.
When they parted, Tiana smiled softly at him and smoothed back those curls that always seemed to fall into his eyes. It was so lovely to touch him like this, to be back in his arms where she belonged.
"If it doesn't work though," Tiana said, "or if you still want to abdicate… I'll support you with whatever it is you want to do." She smoothed back those curls again. "Lets just learn more about it first, okay?"
"Alright," Naveen agreed. "While you are wooing my parents, I will study up on Maldonian law." He wrinkled his nose in faux disgust. "I never thought I would say that."
"It won't be so bad, will it?"
"I hope not," Naveen said with a sigh. "But I'll do it anyway." He stroked her cheek softly. "Anything for you."
Tiana pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.
Naveen gave a pleasant sigh this time, and shifted onto his back, letting Tiana rest her head on his chest again.
"I missed this," he said when they had settled into each other.
"We've never done this before," Tiana pointed out.
"I mean just being with you," Naveen said, stroking her hair. "Holding you like this. Talking to you. You're the only one I don't have to use a filter with. I can tell you exactly what's on my mind and in my heart."
Tiana kissed his cheek. "What's in your heart now?"
"My heart is very, very, very, very happy."
"Mine too," Tiana said, and nestled further into Naveen's chest. She closed her eyes, with no intention of falling asleep, but she must have, lulled as she was by the steady rise and fall of his chest. It could have been a few minutes or a few hours later when Naveen shook her gently.
"Tiana, I have to go."
"What? No," she said, blinking quickly from her sleep muddled brain. It seemed like he had just gotten here. "Can't you stay a little longer?"
"The sun will be coming up soon," Naveen said. "Much as it pains me to leave you, I don't think I should risk it."
Tiana glanced out the window, and sure enough the sky had that gray tint to it that meant the day would soon begin. She'd never been so disappointed to see the sun in her life.
Now faced with this reality, Tiana knew what Naveen had meant earlier about it being too difficult to be apart after being intimate with each other. She felt tears spring to her eyes but was determined not to shed them.
"I don't want you to go," she said, her tears betraying her as they fell onto her cheeks.
"Hey now," Naveen said gently, pulling her into another embrace. "I'm just across town, remember? I'll see you again in a few hours." He kissed her cheek. "There's no need to cry."
"I know, I know," Tiana said, dashing the moisture from her cheeks. "I never cried so much before I met you, you know."
Naveen shifted slightly, but Tiana hugged him close. "I never laughed so much either," she finished.
He brought their lips together for one last kiss. And then one more. And then another. It would be so easy to just fall back onto the bed and kiss her until eternity, and it took all of Naveen's will to tear himself away from her.
"I love you, mi sitara lu'seinn," he whispered.
"I love you too, Froggy," Tiana whispered back.
Naveen snorted. "That's your pet nickname for me? You couldn't think of anything better?"
"What do you mean?" she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think it fits you perfectly." Tiana kissed him, even as she was giggling.
"I don't know what you're talking about." And then Naveen did his best to imitate a frog's ribbit, which sounded more realistic than he would have thought. Still, it had the desired effect of making Tiana laugh.
She muffled her giggles into his chest, and Naveen held her, muffling his own laughter into her neck.
"I'm so glad you're back," Tiana said, once her giggling was under control. "Did I already tell you that?"
"You may have mentioned it once or twice."
She pressed another kiss to his lips. "Well it's true."
"I never doubted you."
He kissed her again, but the sound of birdsong outside brought him back. Time was running out. "I really need to get going."
"Okay," Tiana said, tracing a finger along his chin. "I'll see you later though, right?"
"Nothing in this world could keep me away." He kissed her quickly. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Another quick kiss and Naveen climbed out the window.
"Please don't break your neck," Tiana whispered to him as he climbed down.
"I'll be careful." When he was close enough to the ground, Naveen let go of the trellis and jumped landing firmly on his feet. He then took an exaggerated bow, making Tiana laugh again.
She leaned on her windowsill and blew him a kiss, which Naveen caught in another exaggerated gesture. With a contented sigh, she watched him walk down the block with that confidant step of his, hands in his pockets, whistling a jaunty tune.
Just before he turned the corner, she saw him jump and click his heels together.