Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim to own any characters or concepts related to The Princess and the Frog. This is a nonprofit work of fanfiction.

Many thanks to everyone for reading! I know at this point you're like, "Yeah, yeah, I've heard this all before, Mem," but it's as true now as it was when I first started posting these. Thank you. I'm still so blown away by the response to this collection and to the kindness you've all shown me. Thanks. :)

This is set after the film and like far too many of the pieces I have written thus far, it involves waking up in the morning. I am beginning to suspect I enjoy this kind of story a little too much!

Somniloquy

A late morning scheduled as such meant Tiana had the luxury to wake as leisurely as she liked, and to fritter away long minutes trying to decide if she was ready to be awake yet or not.

Naveen petted her back absently, his hand drifting aimless across her shoulders. Slung casually between her thighs, his leg drew up. She leaned into the warm circle of his arms.

"Are you awake?" he whispered.

"Not yet," said Tiana, but she turned her face up to kiss his chin.

Naveen wriggled and caught her kiss with his own. His breath was very dry and a little stale, a natural consequence of the hour, but his lips were gentle; his touch, too. Tiana drew the kiss out a moment more. His mouth opened beneath hers: he laughed, silently.

She smiled, answering, and said, "What's so funny?" into the softened corner of his mouth.

Naveen kissed her again, lightly. "You," he said.

Tiana leaned back, not all the way out of his arms, but far enough she could look him in the eye. "Excuse me?"

"You were talking in your sleep," he said, with relish. "My name came up, quite a lot. 'Naveen, Naveen, ohhh,'" he moaned, "'I love you.'" He batted his lashes.

"I do not talk in my sleep," she said.

"You talk all the time in your sleep," he countered. "'Please, Naveen.' 'I love you, Naveen.' 'Who ate all the beignets...'" He paused for effect. "'Naveen.' And of course my favorite, 'More, Naveen, oh, mor-re,'" he groaned, dragging out the r.

Tiana leaned even further out of his arms. "Do you ever feel ashamed of yourself?" she said.

"What for?" said Naveen. He did not appear terribly ashamed.

"These awful lies you're telling me," she said.

"What?" he said. "Lies?" he said. "I would never-- in my life-- these hurtful accusations--"

"Mm-hmm," she said. "What are you doing watching me sleep anyway?"

"You're so cute when you snore," he said. "Your nose, it wrinkles, like this." He demonstrated, crossing his eyes. "And sometimes your mouth, it falls open, like this--"

She threw her hands up, covering his face.

"And then," he said around her fingers, "you drool. Just a little. So adorable." He tipped his head and kissed her fingertips, his lashes fluttering.

"Well, you cling," she said, because he did; it was like waking up with a crab some mornings. "And you steal the sheets, too."

"But it's so cold," he whined from the depths of his nest, the bedspread lumped on top of him, sheets twisted up around him, "and you're so warm." He squirmed close again, his leg sliding higher between her thighs; he buried his face in her throat with a sigh.

"There is no way you are that cold," she said, as Naveen made his way down her throat, humming against her skin. "It's not even September yet."

"Yes, but I am a Maldonian," said Naveen. "I'm accustomed to heat."

"New Orleans not hot enough for you?" she said.

"It could be hotter," he said. "We could ... make it hotter." He blew air across her breast, his breath cooling, then tickling.

Tiana laughed and reached up to push him away, her hand on his face again, fingers framing his elegant nose.

"No, I think it's hot enough as is," she said. "You'll just have to make do."

"Oh, but you had some very interesting suggestions earlier," he said, his lips soft on her palm. "When you were sleeping."

"Did I, now?" she said.

"Oh, yes," he said. He leaned against her, his eyes dark, lidded.

"That's awful strange," said Tiana, "because as I recall, I don't talk in my sleep."

"Allow me to remind you," he said.

"You can try," she said, smiling at him.

This story was originally posted at livejournal on 12/31/2009.