Author's Notes: Hello one and all! Here I have a Princess and the Frog story for you. I've become obsessed with this, mainly Naveen, but I suppose it's only fair that I write a fan story about it. X3 So thanks for taking time to read! I hope you enjoy! I think there might be spoilers? I'm not sure. Tell me if there is and I'll make a warning about it. Review and leave me feedback, please! Disclaimer: I do not own The Princess and the Frog. Disney has full rights to this movie, obviously, because they own it. Thank you!
Childish
By The Sole Survivor
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"I got dibs on the big one!" The large alligator sneered before all of them lunged at once. Fear sprung in her heart as her and Naveen leapt off the gator and into the swamp water. Tiana quickly swam to the nearest darkest part of the water and climbed up inside the tree.
The gators snapping their large teeth startled her as soon as she got out of the water and peeked from the hole in the trunk. Tiana gasped and her eyes widened as she watched the swamp carnivores snap at anything that moved in an attempt to catch one of them, even their own tails. She hoped Naveen at least knew how to swim.
"Psst!" Her thoughts were cut short as she glanced down and saw Naveen with his eyes wide in panic, his back flat against the tree she was in. "Lower the vine!" He whispered to her, afraid of alerting the alligators. Tiana glared defiantly.
"Find your own tree!" She whispered back to him. Gaping up at her, Naveen's eyes narrowed and his mouth curled into a pout. Then to make matters worse, the alligators spotted him pressed against the tree trunk and his heart leapt into his throat.
"You're gonna taste so good!" One of the gators crowed, and the frog prince felt his blood run cold. He panicked and turned to Tiana.
"Okay, look! If-if you will help me get me out of this one, after I marry Charlotte, I shall get you your restaurant!" He promised with pleading hands and glanced back to see the gators closing in. His terrified gaze switched quickly between the gators and Tiana before he saw his lifeline, the vine, appear before him. Hastily snatching it, he scurried up the vine frantically.
"Quick, quick, pull me up!" He cried and rolled face-first into the small trunk, knocking Tiana back as he did so. They grunted when they landed and froze to listen as the gators outside the tree laughed haughtily.
"You can hop, but you can't hide! We got all night!" They cackled and soon their laughter grew quiet. Inside the trunk, Tiana took in a deep breath and sat back on the floor, her eyes wide. Naveen glanced to Tiana who was still in the process of catching her breath. He grinned and inched his way to her, his "ladies man" grin on his face.
"Well, waitress, looks like we're going to be here for a while, so we may as well get… comfortable." He drawled and slyly inched his arm across her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Her breath hitched and she froze. With a glare, she quickly brought her elbow back and jammed it into his gut. He let out a yelp and fell backwards.
"Keep your slimy self away from me!" She cried, disgusted. Naveen cracked open an eye to glare at her.
"I told you, it is not slime! It is mucus!" He protested with a glower and crawled over to the far side of the trunk, his face in a pout as he stubbornly tried to avoid looking at her. Tiana sighed and hung her head. Tonight certainly wasn't turning out the way she'd planned. If she had to bet on it, there was no way she would've guessed she'd have kissed a frog, turn into a slimy creature herself, and then be dragged around the bayou with… him.
Slowly, Tiana found her gaze wandering to him from the corner of her eye in her curiosity. She studied his profile as he gazed out the hole and into the night sky. With the moon illuminating his face, she saw he looked solemn, probably drained from what he'd gone through that night. Remembering what he'd said to her not too long ago, the Shadow Man did this to him. It couldn't be to just get rid of him. He was broke and apparently his parents wanted nothing to do with him, seeing as they cut him off from their money completely.
Tiana felt her eyes narrowing as she thought about their conversation not even 10 minutes ago.
"Voodoo?! You mean to tell me this all happened because you were messing with the Shadow Man?" The waitress felt herself shouting at the frog prince as they traveled through the air by the party balloons. Naveen rolled his eyes at her from above. "He was very charismatic!" He protested in his defense. It was Tiana's turn to roll her eyes. She groaned and leaned her head against her hand that was wrapped around the strings of the balloons before she responded. "It serves me right for wishing on stars." She berated herself. "The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work!" "Hard work?" Naveen repeated, making Tiana look up at him in curiosity. "Why… why would a princess need to work hard?" He asked with a slight grin on his face. The waitress blinked. "Huh?" She asked before it hit her. He still thought she was a princess. Shaking her head, she continued. "Oh, I'm not a princess. I'm a waitress." She admitted and glanced away. Naveen froze and his eyes widened. "A waitress?" He said again in disbelief. His eyes narrowed as he slapped his forehead. "Well no wonder the kiss did not work!" He pointed accusingly down at her. "You lied to me!" "Now I – I never said I was a princess." She remarked, refusing to let his icy glare get to her. "You never said you were a wai – a waitress!" Naveen rolled his eyes and Tiana glowered at him from below, her blood boiling. "You – you were wearing a crown!" "It was a costume party, you spoiled little rich boy!" She shouted back to him. Naveen's narrowed eyes turned mocking as he grinned. "Oh, oh yes? Well the egg is on your face, alright, because I do not have any riches!" Tiana's eyes widened. "What?" She asked, shocked. Prince Naveen grinned down at her, his face victorious. "I am completely broke! Ahaha!"
"What are you staring at, waitress?"
Tiana roughly shook her head and blinked in surprise at how easily she'd dazed off, especially about their argument. Focusing her eyes, she noticed Naveen had not only noticed her staring at him during her flashback, but had completely turned his head in her direction, his eyebrow raised. Tiana blinked and her eyes narrowed, aware she'd been caught in such an act and cursed herself when she felt her face growing warm. Quickly turning her head, she covered her cheeks before he could see and before it could make his ego any bigger than it was.
"Nothing, I was just…" She trailed off. What was she doing? It was obvious she'd been staring at him, but did he even know the real reason? Suddenly, she could hear a low chuckle coming from his direction and before she knew it, she had paused in her breathing to listen. She tilted her head to glance at him in confusion.
"No need to be embarrassed. I know even as a frog, I am quite handsome." He remarked and inspected his frog fingers with a grin. Tiana rolled her eyes and scoffed, turning away.
"Right…" She muttered and rested her chin on her knees. Naveen watched her for a split second before he pursed his lips, thinking.
"You know, waitress…" The frog prince began before she shook her head, cutting him off.
"Tiana." She murmured bitterly. Naveen paused and his head cocked to the side.
"What?"
"My name is not 'waitress', it's Tiana, and I would appreciate it if you called me by my name." The waitress grumbled and glared at him from the corner of her eye. "So if you're going to address me, prince, do not call me by my job." Naveen's eyes shifted before he shrugged, his carefree grin back.
"As you wish, waitress." He commented and his grin widened at her irritated growl. Tiana clenched her fists and stood up, her eyes narrowed.
"What if I started calling you something other than your name?" She demanded. "Like your lack of a job?" Naveen raised an eyebrow before he too stood and his eyelids lowered as he regarded her almost disinterestedly.
"Oh? And what name would that be?" He challenged her.
"How about good-for-nothing? Lazy? A moocher?" She reprimanded him harshly. Naveen didn't even bat an eye as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Tiana stared into his eyes spitefully before she shook her head. "Never mind, forget it." She muttered and sat back down.
"No, please continue." He remarked slyly with a grin and strode toward her until he was right beside her. Plopping down, he regarded her shadowed face carefully. "What is it that bothers you so much about me?" He asked quietly as his grin vanished. He saw Tiana stiffen beside him and she finally raised her head to glare at him again. He gazed back as his eyes searched hers before she sighed and glanced away.
"You just don't understand." She murmured. "I've had to work nearly my entire life. You were born lucky." The waitress closed her eyes as a small smile lit up her face and Naveen had to blink just to make sure it was there. "My daddy… he… well, he would've been proud of me and happy that I was still carrying on his dream, trying to accomplish it." She told him and buried her face in her hands as the harsh words of the Fenner brothers rang in her mind.
"Do you know how long it took me to save that money?" Tiana demanded, her eyes narrowed. The taller Fenner brother grinned. "Exactly, which is why a little woman of your background would've had her hands full trying to handle big business like that. You're better off where you're at."
"I – I'm sorry." She muttered with a small, breathy laugh. "I didn't mean to get all emotional like that." She cleared her throat before she finally raised her head a bit to glance at him before her eyes grew wide in disbelief.
He fell asleep!
Naveen was bent over with his head resting on his knees as he dozed. Tiana's eyes narrowed and she huffed before she shoved him over on his side, effectively waking him up. He jolted away, his eyes wide as he glanced around in panic before his gaze landed on her steely glare. He blinked before slowly sat up.
"Um… I feel asleep, didn't I?" He asked and grinned sheepishly at her curt nod. He shrugged and stretched out beside her on his back, positioning his arms behind his head for a pillow. "Well, did you answer my question, waitress?" He ignored her irritated sigh.
"No." She muttered and turned away. Naveen glanced at the back of her head before he gazed out of the hole into the night sky. Yawning, he arched his back and groaned.
"I think it is getting pretty late. Perhaps we should be getting to sleep, yes?" He asked sleepily, his eyes drooping. Despite his dreariness, he felt Tiana turn her head to look at him. Right before he was about to doze off again, he heard her soft voice, almost like the wind.
"You're too childish." She whispered. Naveen cracked open one eye.
"Is that a problem for you?" He murmured softly with a small yawn. Tiana shrugged and deciding it was time for her to get some sleep herself, she curled up into a ball on her side, facing away from him.
"I don't think it will be." She breathed before she was out like a light. Naveen struggled to keep his eyes open as he stared at the ceiling of the trunk in thought.
Childish, huh?
"Interesting…" He hummed and a small smile spread across his lips and he closed his eyes.
The End.