Tomboy

And one day, Sol just sees her in the process of making a snowman by herself

Just a silly li’l scene I imagined, lol

Soft fluffy stuff incoming!

☃︎ Best One We've Made ☃︎ [Prince x Maid]

The capital was quite beautiful in the winter, snow covered the ground, and snowflakes fall in a gentle sway. It would have been a sight to behold, except Solivan didn't exactly feel like beholding anything right now. The snow irritated him more than anything. He shouldn't have been here in the first place, as during the winter he was usually allowed to move to the southern parts of the kingdom to enjoy the 'winter'. But no. He was wrapped up in some idiotic negotiations by the order of the king, entertaining rebels who should have been squashed immediately, yet somehow play at diplomacy in the face of royalty.

It was disgusting. Useless.

Solivan toyed with the edge of the paper, his eyes sweeping over the subpar penmanship as he read. If it were up to him--Well, the snow would have looked so much more pure and white with their blood splattered upon its surface. He could already imagine how it would sparkle. He sighs, his eyes shifting from his work to the window, watching the snow peacefully fall upon the gardens.

Then he blinks.

And sits upright, squinting slightly.

"...For the love of... "

He abandoned his work to make his way down to the gardens, where you seem to get into most trouble. He stood watching in the doorway, as you knelt in the snow and using your scarf as makeshift gloves, attempted to shape the snow. It was ridiculous. Childish. A waste of time in which you could be doing better things, like providing a distraction so he could actually pretend to care about the rebellion documented on his desk.

But somehow all he could think of was how beautiful you looked with the snow settling in your hair.

"What. Are. You. Doing?"

The smooth curt voice made your head whip to the source, his highness walks into the snow, his angelic features looked even more delicate in the snow. You hurry to your feet, "Your highness," You couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at the state you were in, especially in front of his highness. Your dress was wet and cold, sticking to your knees and shins, and curtsying was an uncomfortable feat you managed in the snow. "I... I was Um..."

You glance up and see his icy eyes move from your messy state to the terribly chunky piece of snow you were trying to cobble together. "Playing. You are... Playing."

You lowered your head, embarrassment heating your cheeks. You nod, a jerky little movement that would have been missed if he wasn't studying so intently.

He moved closer, the snow crunching under his boots. You yelp when he lifts your skirt without a warning.

"Not wearing proper attire." He noted. You stumble back, your hands resist yanking the skirt from his grasp, but stumbling back in the snow made you nearly lose your balance.

He really would have let you fall. It would have been funny. But, he did not want you catching ill on his watch. In one swift move, before you could manage to steady yourself, the scarf resting over your elbows was yanked tight, forcing you to fall forwards instead.

Right into the warmth of his chest.

See? How easily his mood shifts when you're where you belong.

He could feel how you tense in his arms. His fingers hook under your chin and taps it twice, a silent command which you obey, tilting your head up to meet his eyes. He smiles at you, he eases the tight hold of the scarf from around you, adjusting it gently around your arms again. It was wet because of the snow, useless. "Clumsy little fool. Are you planning to face plant into the snow as well?"

"Y-your highness, you..!" You began to point out that it was his inappropriate behavior that almost made you fall, that you could have righted yourself if he had just waited a second more---but your words falter when he raises an eyebrow. "... Thank you, your highness."

A small smile tugged at his lips, and he pinched your cheek in a strange form of affectionate praise. "Hm." Truly, there was no better sight than that indignant heat in your gaze, the sweetness of your cheeks in the cold, and the sight of your lips parting, your breath misting in the air. His gaze lingered, softening when snowflakes fell on your nose and lashes.

"You should not be outside. You insisted you had work in the palace, that you could not simply loiter in my study and assist me this morning, and now I find you clowning carelessly in the snow instead?" His voice lowered, his eyes narrowed slightly, "Are we lying now, angel? Have I grown too soft on you, spoiled you too much to believe you can simply opt out of your work to pretend you're a child?"

"No," You manage, your eyes growing wide. "My prince, I was just... Just..." You were never used to the shame that came with his admonishments, no matter how often it happened. You never wanted to disappoint him. It felt like he was towering over you, with you shrinking with each word.

"Just what?"

"Just..." You didn't know what to say to deflect this. You didn't usually skip out on your work, but with snow, and the gardens... For once, you couldn't help yourself. You didn't think it would take too long--and what terrible luck you had that he'd seen you the moment you'd succumbed to the temptations of the perfect sparkly white plains. They had no imprints, no footsteps, nothing. What were you supposed to do?

"... Just wanted to build a snowman."

He blinked at you, his expression unreadable just like the silence which followed your admission. Build a snowman? It had been years ago the last time you did such a thing in the palace, not since constantly playing in the snow as children kept 'putting the crown prince's health at risk' and you were banned from it.

His eyes bore into yours, for a long, silent moment.

"... You...." He mutters finally. Your breath hitches when he simply pulls you closer, wrapping his coat edges around you as well, until you're surrounded in his warmth, without a space between you. You could feel the heat in your face, and you're sure he could feel it too, with your face buried in his chest, your body pressed too close for anything resembling propriety. You don't dare make a sound, you listen to the chuckle which is muffled against your hair. "You are so lucky I tolerate you."

He pulls back, cupping your face and tilting your head back, to place a kiss on the tip of your nose. "... A snowman, huh?" He glances at the lump on the ground. "This is disappointing even for you."

You step back when he lets go of you. Glancing down at what was supposed to be your snowman. "I... I have just started."

He pulls your wrist up, your hands are already freezing. "No gloves."

"I don't..."

Without another word, he pulls his own leather padded gloves off, and tugs them onto your hands. Your attempts at protests are completely ignored and disregarded. "Warm up first. Then we share, one for each. I'm not planning on getting ill because you are an idiot."

You weren't sure if that's how things worked, but you didn't disagree. The gloves were too large for you, but they were warm, making you shiver slightly, "Your highness is too gracious."

"Yes." He huffs and sighs, crouching down. "Now let's fix this dreadfully ugly thing."