The Ink In-Between: An Anthology

Snap, Click

PROMPT: Pick a random scribble and write a story about the first object that comes to mind from it (ex. a snap hair clip). 

CW(s): swearing and instances of strong language, feelings of gender dysphoria.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Holla, Miguelito! What took you so long? I was this close to hanging up."

Miguel placed his laptop on the table, bending over a bit so his face would be in full view of the camera as he waved at the young woman on the other side of the video call.

"Sorry, Mia, I–" 

Moving away from the table for a second, he reached out for the old duster he'd left on the kitchen counter, along with all of the other cleaning supplies, turning back around so he could shake its few remaining feathers at his laptop's screen. 

"I've been doing some Spring cleaning."

Not the best idea, it turned out, as some of the dust that had clung to the feathers was shaken loose. It hovered in the air, despite his frantic attempts to wave it all away. If it weren't for the disposable medical mask, he'd definitely be sneezing his brains out right now.

His sister seemed to enjoy it though, openly and loudly giggling at his ineffectual efforts to catch all the flying dust bunnies.

"Well, that's no excuse! I expect at least a curtsy or a tiny serenade whenever I bless you with my presence. Is that really too much to ask for the best sister in the whole wide world?"

Laying down the duster with a bit more care this time, Miguel slid down the mask, tucking it under his chin to smile at the young woman.

"Maybe next time, Mia." He plopped down on one of the chairs, whipping the sweat off his brow with the back of his equally damp arm, nose scrunching up in disgust when that action achieved absolutely nothing except remind him of how much he needed a bath right now. "It's way too hot for that."

Mia wasn't nearly as quiet about her frustrations. Throwing her head back, she let out a drawn-out groan and sunk further into her much comfier-looking chair, one hand tugging at the already stretched out collar of her blouse.

"You don't need to tell me that. I just showered and I still feel like I came out of a sauna. I know I bitched about the cold all winter, but this is ridiculous."

Miguel snorted, but nodded all the same, looking away from the screen to stare at the sky outside. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, only this searing shade of blue that reminded him of the swimming pools he would give anything to dive into right now. The sliding doors that led to the balcony had stayed wide open all morning, but not even the slightest of breezes had come through to cool the apartment, or to at least offer some respite from the heat.

"Yeah." He let out a sigh of his own, picking up the hem of his muscle shirt to wipe down the build up of sweat from his neck and collarbone. "And it's not even summer yet."

There really was no helping the way the corner of his lips twitched at the second and even more dramatic groan his sister let out after his words.

"I'm going to die!"

"No, you're not," he said, trying his hardest to keep his grin in check as he rolled his eyes at the camera. "Stop being such a cry baby. You get to stay at our family's house, with a functioning air-conditioner and everything."