Snowy Days
"Shiro! Shiiiiiro!" The black paladin blinks slowly, his vision blurred by the fog of sleep. A fluffy white cloud floats above him as well as a pair of sparkling sapphires. A finger pokes his cheek insistently. Shiro doesn't remember the last time clouds had such soft fingers or precious stones in them or the voice of an angel, albeit a very annoyed angel. He blinks again and Allura's face comes into focus. Concern with a hint of irritation knits her brows together and wrinkles her forehead. Her lips form a pout, indicating her impending request. "Yes, Princess?" he finally asks. She grabs his hand and pulls him from the bed without a word. Like the loyal paladin he is, he follows her lead. She is still in her night gown and the halls of the house are quiet and dark, the other paladins and Coran likely still in deep sleep.
Her determined strut leads them to the kitchen. She drops his hand and he rubs the sleep from his eye, lazily wondering what the urgency is about. She raises the blinds and throws her hands toward the window. He comes closer to lean over the sink at her suggestion. The single street light illuminates a heavy snowfall in its warm golden glow. His gaze follows the falling flakes to the ground which is completely covered in a frosted alabaster blanket. Her wide eyes anxiously wait for an explanation. "It's snow," he says matter-of-factly. Her eyebrows rise, waiting for a more in-depth exposition. He wants to laugh at her curious, child-like, slightly worried expression, but he settles for a smile instead.
"We should put some clothes on," he suggests, surveying her nightgown and his tee shirt and shorts. Once they meet back in the kitchen, both in full winter garb, he takes her gloved hand in his and opens the door. A gust of frigid wind blows in, sneaking into every open crack it can find in their armor. She shivers and tightens the scarf around her neck, nestling closer to Shiro. He leads them into the fluffy sea of snow. Their boots sink into it with a soft crunch, disrupting its otherwise clean slate.
"So, what is this stuff?" She holds her hand out to catch the delicate particles and watches in fascination as they melt almost instantaneously. "Snow is basically water that freezes during the condensation stage of the water cycle when the temperature falls to 0 degrees Celsius." She hangs onto every word with acute attention, lips pursed in deep thought. Seeing that she is waiting for something more… substantial, he kneels and begins to form a sphere with a handful of snow. He stands and holds the ball out to her. She removes her gloves as to not hinder her tactile experience. He gently places it in her care and waits for her reaction, intrigued by her skeptical amazement.
Her fingers squeeze it and it crumbles, returning to the ground below. The purest smile spreads across her face and the marks beneath her eyes twinkle. She picks some more snow up and forms her own chilly sphere. This time, she bites into it without the slightest hesitation. Shiro stares in horror, mouth hanging open. He bites his tongue, imagining the shock of cold against his sensitive teeth. But no such reaction is apparent in the Altean princess. She simply swallows and exhales a frosty breath in the freezing air. "Incredible," she whispers in awe. Yeah, incredible he thinks to himself.