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Natalia stuck out her tongue, mockingly miffed that he'd rejected all of her suggestions. But she sipped her tea thoughtfully, considering his recommendations with serious aplomb. Lowering her teacup slightly, the princess narrowed her eyes at Nikolai, then said, "What about Jean-Marc?" The cut of that cream colored suit and those tan leather loafers went nicely with that moniker, she thought.

"And what about a haircut, later this week?" But then she shook her head. "Mmnmm, nyet, I prefer you with this look. And Frenchmen also tend to have the shaggies, although you could comb it more often, moya zvezda."

"I could comb it," Nikolai agrees. He drains his teacup and looks at her, considering Jean-Marc with some seriousness. "I think I like Jean-Marc. Do you think you could walk around Malta with Jean-Marc instead of stone cold Nikolai? I think the Frenchman will be more fun."

Nikolai puts his palm on Natalia's thigh, pressing it flat there before giving her a warm smile. "Je m'appelle Jean-Marc, mon ange," he rattles off in low French. "Does it work?"

Oh, it definitely worked. The moment she felt and saw that large hand come to rest on her linen-covered thigh, Natalia felt a burst of heat explode between them, and she had to twist her napkin in her hand to keep from squirming.

The change in his entire demeanor was astonishing. Gone was the cold, granite Soldier she'd come to know better than herself and love unconditionally, and in its place was a bright-eyed, coyly warm Frenchman, with a crooked smile, beautiful blue eyes, and charm just oozing from every perfect pore.

She took a sip of too-hot tea to buy herself a moment, then cleared her throat, feeling heat also flood her cheeks. "Ahem. Oui, it works. It, uh, it works really well." Dropping her napkin unheeded, the princess put down her teacup and endeavored a return smile, covering his hand on her thigh with one of her own.

"I like this you, Nikki--or, Jean-Marc."

Nikolai laughs a little more and turns his hand palm up so their palms are pressed together. He links their fingers together and squeezes her hand, giving her a smile. Perhaps he is different now than he has been before but everyone knows he's happier when he's around Natalia regardless.

"This me? Am I different because I'm pretending to be a stylish Frenchman instead of a surly soldier?"

"Maybe a little," she smiled back, feeling herself blush even harder. But she linked their fingers together anyway, shifting over so she could snuggle against his right side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I think you could be anyone you wanted to be, Nikki," the girl said quietly, covertly tugging his hand into her lap and covering their joined fingers with her other. "And would fool anyone else who saw you, too." He was just that good.

"But I like you, no matter who you're pretending to be." Natalia lifted up and kissed his cheek, shifting slightly to peck his lips, and nuzzled his nose with hers. "'cause no matter who you are, you're mine."

"I sort of like being yours." They're cuddling an awful lot in the open but the staff of the palace and by extension, the plane, really don't care. Ever since the Grand Duchess was a little girl, he'd been her safe harbor and cuddling had just come with it. He'd been stiff at first, being the object of a little girl's affection, but now it feels natural enough.

"You need to go back to sleep so you can actually enjoy yourself in Malta. Don't worry. I'll make sure everything goes all right while you're out. I always do, don't I?"

"Da," she replied, smiling a little sleepily. "You always do." But she wasn't really all that tired anymore, although Natalia felt she could probably nap, if given the chance. But as usual, that particular chance only came if Nikolai was right beside her, snuggled close and holding her tight.

"Will you come lie with me after your flight checks?" She always asked, because she always wanted him to know that he was wanted, that she cherished his attention and his presence. "You know I never sleep well if you're not with me."

"I can," Nikolai promises. Speaking of those flight checks, he slips from her arms to do just that and when he's done, he settles back in his seat so that Natalia can sprawl across his chest. She seems like both a woman and a little girl at the same time and his feelings, for the first time, are Complicated.

"C'mere. Sleep for a little while, Natalia, and I'll keep you safe. You'll be all right, I promise."

She took the opportunity while Nikki was up front to freshen up a bit, brush her teeth, and at least attempted to comb out her curls, but gave up on the latter and return to crawl right into her Nikolai's lap at his invitation. Slender arms wound trustingly around his thick neck, and she tucked her legs up beneath her skirt, leaving her shoes on the carpet.

Nikolai obliged her further by leaning the seat back as far as it went, so that she might nestle comfortably in his arms, her nose resting right against the beating pulse in his throat, the most comforting feeling in all the world. "Je t'aime, ma Nikki," she whispered as her eyes drifted closed, and she sighed softly, snug in his arms with a blanket covering them both.

"Je t'aime, ma ange," Nikolai whispers back, letting Natalia arrange herself into whatever position is most comfortable for her. He rubs her back as she falls asleep and he's happy for the warm weight of her and glad she's comfortable enough to sleep next to him.

The hours of the flight pass quickly while she sleeps and he rouses her only so she can buckle in for landing. "Sorry, printsessa. We're landing and you have to go buckle into your seat. It won't be long before you have your bed at the house, though, and you can sleep all you want."

The flight wasn't that long, just a little over seven hours, and when they'd entered Maltese airspace, Nikolai woke her. Natalia yawned, stretched, and groggily roused, blinking a little blearily until she realized they had arrived and would be landing very soon. Smooching a kiss to her soldier's cheek, the princess slid into her own seat and buckled her seatbelt, yawning lightly as she opened the window cover to gaze out at the sparkling lagoon growing larger beneath them.

"At least the sun is shining," she observed, recalling the recent grey days of her home country. "And the water is always so blue and beautiful." Just like a certain soldier's eyes, crossed her mind, unbidden. Hiding a flush, the princess kept her gaze on the window, curtailing her excitement as she felt the landing gear descend and the plane begin its final approach.

"Do you think Mati will have bread ready? I texted her a day or so ago and told her we were coming for the spring and summer. She was so excited that we were coming early this year." The middle-aged housekeeper was always overjoyed to cater to the princess and her silent guardian, and always treated Natalia just as one of her own several children, many of which had been playmates for the Tsar's only daughter when she'd been just a little thing.

"She promised she'd have qassatats ready for you, too. And pastizzi with ricotta." She gave a little groan and pressed a hand to her stomach. "Ugh, now I'm starving, thinking about her amazing cooking."

"I'm sure they'll have everything ready for their princess," Nikolai says, laughing a little. "But we could call ahead in the car and make sure. They knew when we were landing, though."

Sure as that, when they pull up to the private compound, there's a full spread laid out for the Grand Duchess and her escort, including their favorites and then some. Not a touch of it is Russian, either, so no borscht to ruin the day.

"Think we ought to tan and swim a bit after we eat?" Nikolai suggests, grinning a little.

Natalia had been overjoyed to see Mati and her youngest children again; hugs were exchanged all around, then it was on to the dining room to indulge on all of their favorites, and the princess ate far too much than she should've.

She groaned when Nikolai mentioned swimming, even if it was one of her favorite pasttimes and the day was just beautiful for spending hours in the water. "How can you even think of moving right now?" she whined, sprawling low in her chair. "I feel like a whale. I probably don't even fit in my swimsuit now."

A lazy hand flopped. "And you know I never tan. I just burn and peel. Like a lizard, ugh." Natalia leveled a mild glower at her companion. "You always look like a native after we've been here a week. It's not fair."

"Because you're a redhead," Nikolai says sagely. "Your skin is like cream, my angel, and you have to protect it. Some of us go golden in the sun but if you like how it looks on me, I'm happy to tan as much as you want me to."

French does make it easier to say things he ought not be saying in front of the other staff so he does like their little game so far.

"You'll let me see all that creamy skin though, won't you? While we swim?"

Once more, Natalia felt her cheeks catch fire, and she ducked her head at those scandalous words, letting her unbound curls hide her face. "...Nikolai," she chided, sort of, far too flushed to be truly stern over his daring. But it didn't take too long for her own teenage flirtatiousness to bubble up, and the princess giggled softly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Of course," she told him in the same silken tongue, giving her head a little toss. "You can look all you want, and touch, because you have to put sunscreen on me after I change." The girl bounced to her feet, all curls, coy, and cute. "Five minutes," she told him, then all but ran up the curving stairwell to dig out her swimsuit.

"With pleasure, my angel," Nikolai shoots back, daring to wink at her when the staff isn't looking. This is a dangerous game he's playing, openly flirting with a girl this young, but this is his Natalia and he's always cared about her. The kiss had awakened something in him he didn't expect.

For his own part, he goes to unpack in the adjoining room and slide on his own swim trunks. He never uses sunscreen (how is a sunburn going to hurt him? he's functionally immortal, isn't he?) and he'll be golden brown in a few days. After a few minutes, he raps at the door between their rooms, calling out in French.

"Are you ready or am I going to have to help you choose?"

Thankfully, her Royal Beauty Team had prepared their Grand Duchess for a trip to the islands, so Natalia didn't have to worry about any of those issues that might present themselves when one's primary wardrobe consisted of beachwear. She'd brought several new swimsuits with her, but the first one she found in her luggage was the one chosen for this particular jaunt.

It was easy enough to wiggle into, although the ties gave her unusually clumsy fingers a few challenges, but less than a minute after Nikolai knocked a knuckle against the door, she called out, "I'm ready, Nikki. You can come in!" She yanked the tie from her hair just as the door opened, and twirled on her toes to greet her beloved with warm green eyes and just a hint of a naughty smile.

"The sunscreen is in my travel bag." She pointed a mischievously imperial finger at her dresser, while trying not to let her eyes simply devour the generous serving of athletic and aesthetically gorgeous male that walked through that door. A difficult task, evidenced by the princess involuntary nibbling on her lower lip, and fighting the very unwise idea of just throwing herself at him.

Nikolai has a little more control but that's only by virtue of being older and better capable of hiding his expressions. Still, he gets a generous look at creamy skin and generous curves. He goes to get the sunscreen and motions her close to him so he can start to apply it.

"I need to be thorough," he says, grinning a little at her. "Because if I miss any little spot you'll be red as a lobster and it'll look so strange against your porcelain skin. Turn around. I'm doing your backside first."

Natalia sidled over when he beckoned, and obediently turned around, pulling her hair over one shoulder to give him all the access he wanted. The first touch of the cool lotion made her softly gasp, but she resumed chewing on her lower lip to keep from moaning aloud.

When had such a simple thing turned so erotic? Probably right around the time she'd realized just how good kissing him felt. She could still smell his cologne, something Armani and warm from his skin that she'd cheerfully drink right out of the bottle.

The top of her swimsuit tied in the back, just two flimsy little strings holding it together. Since he wanted to be thorough, Natalia slowly licked her lips and said over a pale, bare shoulder, "...I can take it off, if that would be easier for you.."

"That would be a little bold," Nikolai says softly. "I can move them out of the way for now."

Slow is better. She's new to this and he shouldn't be doing it anyway, no matter how good it feels. He slides his hands under the strings instead, thoroughly coating her skin so when they inevitably move around, she doesn't get burned.

He leans in and whispers against her ear. "Not everything at once."

Teeth bit into her lip this time; if he wanted slow, then he'd be wise to stop torturing her like he was! Whispering in her ear, rubbing against her bare back as he coated her skin with the cool lotion; Natalia honestly thought she was going to melt right into a puddle on the carpet.

But she was a princess, a sovereign of Mother Russia. So she summoned all the royal decorum she could manage and barely whispered back, "...all right," and forced herself to endure it. She was strong. She could handle this. And him, the no-doubt-smirking bastard.

Natalia waited until Nikolai's hands had glided around her to caress her bare stomach, and she swayed back into his arms just enough. "Then," she inquired in just as soft a tone as he'd given her, "just how much?"

"I'll decide," he says in flawless French, trying to be coy when really he just wants to go all in and do everything all at once. He wants to spread her out under him and just devour her but that's not something he can do right now. She's a young girl. He has to be the one with restraint because he know she can't and he won't hurt her.

"You'll be better off if we go slower. I promise you. You won't want me to go too fast and regret it. I swear I won't let that happen." He works his hands over her skin as he talks, memorizing it as he does.

She was still young enough to pout her frustration, and did so, dropping her head back to Nikolai's left shoulder - but not hard enough to hurt him, never - and huffing softly. "That's not fair," she replied in kind, nuzzling his neck directly beneath his ear. "I want you now, Nikki." Or, so she thought. But this longing ache down in her gut whenever he was near had to be something, right? She wasn't just imagining it or being infatuated for no good reason.

"Just...promise me," she said a moment later, "soon?" Natalia lifted a hand and sank fingers into Nikolai's thick hair, guiding his head down to hers, pressing her cheek against to his, even as her young, ripe body moved without conscious thought against his, sliding her slick skin against his chest. "You know that I love you. I'm not just saying it because of some silly, childish dream I might have had five years ago."

"I'll decide," he says again, firmer this time. "I know you love me. I love you too. I'm the older one, the more experienced one. It's on me to make sure I do this right. Let me make sure it's right."

It's to protect her, all of this, but he holds her close and kisses the crown of her head. He doesn't want to hurt her even if he's giving her what she wants and if that means telling her no sometimes, it means telling her no. He doesn't take issue with it.

"I love you too much to do this the wrong way."

She didn't verbally voice her agreement, but the soft press of lips against his grizzled cheek conveyed it well enough. Natalia knew that everything he did was to protect her, to assist and guide her in some way, and she'd do well to trust him now.

She'd just have to yearn for him in silence, until the time came to do otherwise.

An accord somewhat reached, the Grand Duchess allowed her companion to complete his task, ever nibbling on her tender lower lip at the glide of his large, sure hands over her exposed skin, but once she was covered head to toe in the cool lotion, it was time to get in the water.

She'd always loved to swim, and did so like a fish, no matter where; the lagoon, the sea, the pool, anywhere. The sun was warm and bright, and the water just cold enough to make her shiver before she slid beneath its rippling surface, emerging with blood-red hair plastered down her bare back. Oh, but she'd missed this lovely place.

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