March 2021 Monthly Prompt

  Carmelo avoided another puddle on the path as he walked. As happy as he was to have it warming up he was not so happy to see the rain. He tucked his face to brace against the winds as they rippled past.

  Not that it is very warm today. He mentally lamented. It had been warmer and then it had rained for several days straight, the overcast skies and steady rainfall leaving the day cool at best.

  All the same the ampha could just imagine the warm sunshine across himself. Orange scales and feathers soaking in the heat of the day, the light playing along them. He sighed as images fluttered through his mind as he forged ahead.

  As he continued his walk his thoughts drifted elsewhere. Once it was warmer maybe he could take Diyan on a picnic, that was a lovely thought. He made a mental note to keep an eye on the forecast, he would need a nice day for that. But it would be worth it to see the other in his preferred warmer weather attire, the breeze ruffling his hair. Diyan’s darker red and yellow scales always did contrast nicely with the lighter shade of the new spring grass.

  Carmelo allowed himself to get lost in that nice image, Diyan’s bright smile beaming at him, until he had reached the complex where Diyan and Alan’s shared apartment sat. He climbed up the stairs of the relatively well kept building to the right floor. A couple of the other tenants waved or verbally greeted him as he passed by. He had become a rather common sight about and said neighbors were fond of socializing so they were often in the hallways chatting. It wasn’t uncommon for them to say hi. Sometimes Carmelo would stop and chat with them for a bit, but he didn’t stop today, he had somewhere else to be.

  Approaching the end of the long hall Carmelo stopped outside the door he was looking for, the numbers on it an indicating the correct place even if he had not been so familiar with the layout of the building he was in. He knocked lightly on the door and then stepped slightly back as he waited for it to be pulled open.

  A moment or so later Carmelo watched as Alan pulled the door open. Alan seemed to be practically hiding behind the door as he opened it wide enough to allow Carmelo to enter. “Diyan will be out soon, he’s finishing getting ready.” Carmelo was informed as Alan closed the door behind him.

  The two wandered into the living room and Alan tucked himself into a seat, tail wrapped around his legs as he pulled both them and his sketchbook into him. Alan easily got back into whatever he was sketching and Carmelo quietly observed the other while they waited. It was relatively impressive how small Alan could make himself seem, between the tucked posture and the oversized sweatshirts. The warmer weather would bring with it the begrudging shedding of such articles in favor of more breathable fabrics, but more likely than not Alan would stick as close as he could to the shirts that he could practically hide in.

  “Alright I’m here, I’m ready.” Diyan appeared from his room, pulling a brush through his hair a few last times before tossing it back inside the room. He grinned at the other two, hands on his hips. “Let’s get this show on the road, I’m hungry.” Carmelo chuckled at Diyan’s cute antics as he stood. Diyan hooked his arms though one of Carmelo’s and one of Alan’s, himself in the middle.

  Carmelo followed along happily as Diyan tugged them lightly forward. With Alan’s awkward steps and Diyan’s bright smile Carmelo felt as though despite the relatively chilly weather that they would soon face on the way to lunch, that it already felt a bit warmer.