AN: A thought on Altean culture and how Allura's hands almost always are covered (besides in her nightgown).
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Bare hands meant something in Altean culture.
Formal court attire consisted of full gloves and fingerless gloves. Sleeves always had a covering for the top of the hand.
Having uncovered hands amongst friends and family was a show of closeness and trust.
Deliberately holding and touching someone's bare hands was a gentle intimacy.
Shiro didn't know this.
He merely sat with Allura in the large cushioned window seat of the castle's library. He watched as she slowly took his left hand and placed it on her lap. She had taken off her white fingerless gloves earlier. She was now touching his fingertips but in a careful manner. He didn't pull his hand away.
Her fingers went up to his wrist and skirted the edge of his black, fingerless glove.
"May I?"
He couldn't find his voice. She was only touching his fingers and yet he didn't trust his voice to be even.
He gave a small nod of his head.
She slid a couple fingers under the wrist band. He felt a shiver as her slender fingers went along the pulse in his wrist. It was even more sensitive there than he remembered it being. She paused and looked up at his face.
"Do I need to stop?"
"No," he quickly answered. He cleared his throat. "This is fine."
It was more than fine. It was soft sensation - something he hadn't had in a long time. A part of him was embarrassed. He was a grown man getting flustered over hand touching. But her cheeks were a little flushed. She had been in hibernation for a ridiculous amount of years. He couldn't be the only one that was missing something as simple as a hand touch.
"Alright," she quietly murmured.
She peeled off his glove slowly, her other hand worked his fingers loose from the other end. He could feel the supple leather slide along his already hypersensitive skin. She put the glove off to the side with her white gloves.
She lifted his hand up, lightly traced his finger bones and the thin slivers of scars across the back of his hand. He watched her silently, felt his eyelids lower when she finally put them palm to palm. She let out a soft sigh as the warmth of his hand seemed to put her at ease.
"I like your hands," she murmured.
"I only have one."
She placed a hand on his right one. "Then what's this?"
"A handy glow up weapon."
She tutted at his pun. "It is still a hand." She slid her hand to better grasp his. "And it is yours."
He didn't stop her from bringing his right hand up to her cheek.
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