Spring Month: 1 
Day 
Heavy Rain
Feo stepped up beside Lucius, shoving his hands into his coat pockets, watching as the rain misted against the pavement. The streets were slick with it, the glow of streetlights and neon signs reflecting in pools on the asphalt, shimmering like something out of a dream. There weren’t as many cars passing now, just the occasional set of headlights cutting through the steady drizzle. It was quiet, in a way cities rarely were—just the sound of distant traffic, the whisper of rain, and the rhythmic tapping of their footsteps against the wet sidewalk.
-
He flicked his gaze toward Lucius, who was standing there with the umbrella, looking more at ease than Feo had seen him all day. He still had that almost permanent energy to him, that glint in his eye like he was always just about to say something clever or reckless, but there was something else underneath it now. Something softer. The edges weren’t quite as sharp. Maybe it was the rain. Maybe it was everything they’d just been through.
-
Feo exhaled slowly, shifting his weight as he considered the question. “Steak sounds good,” he said after a moment, rolling his shoulders as he fell into step beside Lucius. “Something warm. Feels like the kind of night for it.” He could already picture it—something hearty, something solid. Something grounding, after everything that had happened today.
-
They walked at an easy pace, the city stretching out ahead of them. The rain wasn’t too heavy, just a light, steady drizzle that clung to the air. It was cool but not unbearable, the kind of night where the world felt a little more still, a little more hushed. The occasional glow of a passing car’s headlights illuminated the streets, casting long, shifting shadows.
-
Feo tilted his head slightly, glancing at Lucius out of the corner of his eye. Even now, he had that brightness to him. It wasn’t the same wild, chaotic kind of energy that he usually carried—this was something quieter. More settled. Maybe it was the night. Maybe it was something else entirely.
-
“I guess you were right,” Feo admitted after a beat, the words slipping out like an afterthought. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “It’s not a bad night for a walk.”
-
He lifted his gaze to the umbrella, watching the way the raindrops collected and slid down its surface, the soft pattering sound mixing with the ambient noise of the city. The streets around them were lined with restaurants, their signs glowing warmly against the rain-slicked sidewalks, beckoning with the promise of shelter and food.
-
“But you’re the one holding that thing,” Feo added after a moment, a teasing edge creeping into his voice as he nudged Lucius lightly with his elbow. “So if I get wet, I’m blaming you.”
-
It was easier to joke now, to let go of some of the weight he’d been carrying. The tension from earlier was still there, lingering in the back of his mind, but it wasn’t crushing him anymore. It was something he could breathe around, something he could put to the side—at least for now.
-
A flickering neon sign caught his attention up ahead, its red glow casting a soft reflection on the wet pavement. The scent of grilled meat and warm spices drifted faintly through the air, mixing with the damp, fresh smell of rain. Feo nodded toward the sign, nudging Lucius’s side again.
-
“That place look good to you?” he asked, glancing over at him with an easy tilt of his head. His hands were still stuffed in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched against the cool night air. “Or you got somewhere else in mind?”
