the smell of crisp batter and warm sugar laced the air like a ribbon around a letter , fluttering with every swing of the kitchen doors. heat curled up the walls like it was trying to hold the place together ( steam fogging the little pane of glass in the back window ): and tiana moved through it all like she’d been born there — not just in this kitchen , but in the heartbeat of it ( in the rhythm of chopped onions , in the sway of spoons through gumbo thick with okra and soul ): her presence wasn’t loud , but it was commanding. like a melody you didn’t know you’d been humming all your life. every few seconds someone called her name — ❝ chef , we’re low on cayenne , ❞ or ❝ tiana , the fryer’s acting up again. ❞ — and each time , she answered without hesitation , a hand reaching , a word given , sometimes nothing but a look. it was a dance , but it wasn’t for show — it was survival , it was service , it was love served hot in every plated dish. tiana didn’t shine because she wanted to be seen , no , she shone because the light had nowhere else to go , caught in the honey-gold glint of her eyes and the slick sheen of sweat at her temple. and then there was him. riku was all still and solemn in the doorway like he didn’t know where to put his hands ( like he wanted to be swallowed up instead of accepting her acts of generosity ): like he thought if he stood too long in one place he’d disappear into the pristine marble or kitchen tiles. he was a sea-salt boy with silver hair that didn't belong to the bright lights and noisy tables ( but still tried to sit at the edge of the warmth anyway ): tiana , enjoyed the contrast. she still wasn't used to everything involving worlds , realms , and the whole mess of being a princess of heart or being the key to some ol' kingdom hearts. but she tried to understand and was eager to learn more — long as it didn't involve her turning into a frog again , of course.
❝ pfft non-slip shoes , ❞ she echoed with a small laugh , a real one , the kind that curled at the edges of her mouth like the crust of a perfect pie , the kind that you do unexpectedly and causes you to snort water out your nose. her hand rested soft at her waist , elbow angled out , fingers brushing a spice-stained apron. ❝ well , i reckon remy would still be faster than most line cooks , suit or no suit. ❞ the words weren’t just banter — they were a bridge and she offered them like a slice of cornbread at the table , warm and easy , no pressure to take it , but there if riku wanted. sora had been this giant ball of warmth and sunshine that mirrored tiana's own. but riku? he was more subtle , more subdued in how the light inside his heart stone with goodness. it wasn't as loquacious or rambunctious but tiana knew it was still just as good , still just as genuine. even so , he was quieter than the noise around them — didn’t fidget , didn’t talk too much , but his eyes were watchful , and tiana could tell. he was soaking it all in : the smells , the laughter , the layered joy of people being fed and feeding others. the princess of maldonia knew that underneath that calm , she could see it — the readiness of him , like someone used to fighting off more than his fair share , someone who didn’t know how to be still unless stillness was earned. so when he spoke again ( all awkward and unsure and , seemingly , deliberating ): tiana was mindful of how his fingers brushed the back of his neck like maybe if he pressed hard enough he’d disappear and her gaze softened. just a little , just enough. because she knew how that felt. how one wanted the world to swallow them than deal with the reality in front of them. for tiana , she'd been ten years old and the reality of her being different than lottie had settled into the back of her throat and she wanted to scream. but no words would come out. it had been bitter knowing of just how much something she could not change defined her ( of how much it caused others to define her ): but she swallowed those feelings. and instead , choose to focus on the young man before her.
❝ suga , you ain’t neva gonna be in da way , ❞ she said , voice low and warm , the kind of warmth that filled a pot from the bottom up and made food that reminded you of a rainy day during childhood. ❝ if you were , i’d have said so already , trust me on that. i have no issue telling folks they've got ... other talents outside the kitchen , take ol' lottie for example. ❞ a small giggle escapes her. ❝ love me some lottie but she's the cat's meow , but damn she couldn't boil water without burning the joint down. lucky for her mr. eli got that new money and a habit of never telling lottie no. ❞ and she meant it. she loved lottie but just as tiana had her own claim to fame , so did lottie ( a firm fashionista and only person tiana would ever consult on outfits or decorating sense besides her own mother ): this was her kitchen , her home , her kingdom — built with her bare hands and every dream she never let go of — and she didn’t have time for pretending or polite half-truths. if he’d been a bother , she’d have shown him the door and truly meant no offense by it. after all , no use crying over spilled milk and to tiana , playing errand boy was more than enough of him.
but instead , she folded a dishtowel in her hands — once then twice , a pause between each fold like a heartbeat — not because the towel had need for it , but because she did. because there was something about him that drew her in , and she hadn’t decided yet if it was curiosity or compassion , maybe both. but maybe it didn’t matter. ❝ besides , ❞ she added , ❝ ain’t no one ever overstayed their welcome when they offer to help with dishes. ❞ cooking for the masses was a labor of love and tiana had love in over abundance but it also meant her dish pile was twice as stacked as the trays of food she made. her words came with a wink , sugar-sweet and just a little teasing , the way you tease someone you’re not afraid to let close. ❝ come on back , then. i’ll show you where we keep the good soap and scouring pad. ❞
she didn’t wait for riku to decide ( plus he did say wash dishes now ): the princess just turned on her heel and headed toward the back , passing trays and prep stations , dodging a waiter with a tray full of catfish and shrimp po’ boys without missing a beat. her fingers trailed along the stainless steel counter and when she passed him , her hand brushed his arm ( like an invitation sealed with butter and good grace ): back in the dish pit , the heat was wetter , and the air smelled like lemon oil , sanitizer , and industrial concentrates of bleach. it was like the kind of clean you could eat off of ( the kind that made folks say : so clean i'd eat off the bathroom floor ): a stack of pans sat beside the sink , and one of the junior staff had left a sponge soaking — far too long — in water that rivaled that of the bayou tiana had spent too much time in as an amphibian.
tiana clicked her tongue , plucked it free , wrung it out with practiced disdain. ❝ lord , i keep telling them , don’t let these sit like that , even when it's busy. ❞ before this , tiana was a waitress and knew just how chaotic breakfast or dinner rush could be. but letting the dishes pile up was all fun and games until you ran out of clean plates. not fun , not fun at all. thus , she dumped the old water , ran the tap till it hissed clean and hot. ❝ alright , riku , show me what you got. gloves are under the sink. soap’s labeled in big red letters , 'cause someone keeps mistaking it for the damn chili paste ... don't ask. i try to give everyone a fair shot 'round here. ❞ there was a rhythm to this too , a quiet one. not the shouting of orders or the hiss of the fryer , but the shared labor of hands in soapy water ( the knowing of what labor and hard work really meant ): the kind of work that made people equal. didn’t matter if you were of royal blood , a glorified delivery boy , or more favored patron of society : everyone looked the same within tiana's palace. ❝ and don’t go thinking i’ll let you off easy just ‘cause your buddies wit sora but i don't think you're the type , hun. though i will need a willing taste tester to make sure everything taste nice and fine for little remy. ❞ she added , peering sidelong at him with a grin lurking at the corner of her mouth. ❝ and i'll have plenty more that needs doing , maybe i'll even teach you how to mince. anyone can , if 'veen could learn. ❞ the sound of dishes being rinsed , stacked , dried. jazz threading through the kitchen like a second pulse. her voice , all velvet steel ( rising above it like a benediction , like a first seat soprano ): ❝ and just so ya know riku , seems like ya need to hear this : your alright by me just the way you are. ❞ and he was , while it wasn't like tiana was the hardest person in the world to work with , he had still shown upto deliver her a letter on behalf of another ( someone he didn't know from adam ): quiet and uncertain but fairly willing. and , well in tiana’s kitchen , that was more than enough to start with.