I just hope this does justice to your beautiful prompt...
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Claudia stares at the image on her laptop screen for a few minutes, vacillating between wanting to turn it off and the need to go find Jinks.
She sits, frozen for a few minutes, until she closes the lid on her computer and picks it up, walking almost automatically to Jink's room in the B&B. As she enters, she finds Jinks sitting on his bed, reading a book. "Hey," he says, smiling at her. "What's up?"
Claudia goes to the bed, dropping the laptop at Steve's feet, then reaches out, hugging him tight.
"Umm, Claudia?" he asks. When she finally releases him, she looks a bit sheepish. "What was that for?"
"Nothing," she lies. "Let's go get some ice cream."
"Ooh-kay," Steve replies, letting her pull him up. "Well of course you know that I know you're lying. So how 'bout you tell me first." As she starts to protest, he adds, "And then, ice cream."
"Don't be mad," she says as she goes for the laptop screen, opening the cover.
"Why would I be...mad..." Jinks' expression turns melancholy as he looks at the picture on the screen, and he loses his voice to a tight feeling in his throat. "Olivia..." he manages, voice barely a whisper, a sad smile on his lips.
Claudia puts her arms around him, squeezing him tight, as if that could help bring back the vibrant person from the screen. She feels Steve raise an arm, wiping at a tear on his face, and then they both turn to gaze upon the image on the screen. It's a much younger Steve, carrying his sister as she wears a bright pink shirt that proudly proclaims, "I love my gay brother."
In the picture, Olivia's hair is a near, match to Claudia's shade of red, with a shock of blue hanging over one of her eyes. The smile, though; it's Claudias. They could have been twins, same exuberant expression, same white teeth. And the eyes... They're a near perfect match as well. Not the same color, but the same spark of personality shining through is exactly the same.
Jinks goes to the laptop and looks at the website for the image. "I didn't know the New York Pride Parade organization had pictures that went back that far," he says, then runs his finger over the image. Turning to Claudia, he smiles and says "Thanks."
Filled! A Shock of Blue - Rated PG
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Claudia stares at the image on her laptop screen for a few minutes, vacillating between wanting to turn it off and the need to go find Jinks.
She sits, frozen for a few minutes, until she closes the lid on her computer and picks it up, walking almost automatically to Jink's room in the B&B. As she enters, she finds Jinks sitting on his bed, reading a book. "Hey," he says, smiling at her. "What's up?"
Claudia goes to the bed, dropping the laptop at Steve's feet, then reaches out, hugging him tight.
"Umm, Claudia?" he asks. When she finally releases him, she looks a bit sheepish. "What was that for?"
"Nothing," she lies. "Let's go get some ice cream."
"Ooh-kay," Steve replies, letting her pull him up. "Well of course you know that I know you're lying. So how 'bout you tell me first." As she starts to protest, he adds, "And then, ice cream."
"Don't be mad," she says as she goes for the laptop screen, opening the cover.
"Why would I be...mad..." Jinks' expression turns melancholy as he looks at the picture on the screen, and he loses his voice to a tight feeling in his throat. "Olivia..." he manages, voice barely a whisper, a sad smile on his lips.
Claudia puts her arms around him, squeezing him tight, as if that could help bring back the vibrant person from the screen. She feels Steve raise an arm, wiping at a tear on his face, and then they both turn to gaze upon the image on the screen. It's a much younger Steve, carrying his sister as she wears a bright pink shirt that proudly proclaims, "I love my gay brother."
In the picture, Olivia's hair is a near, match to Claudia's shade of red, with a shock of blue hanging over one of her eyes. The smile, though; it's Claudias. They could have been twins, same exuberant expression, same white teeth. And the eyes... They're a near perfect match as well. Not the same color, but the same spark of personality shining through is exactly the same.
Jinks goes to the laptop and looks at the website for the image. "I didn't know the New York Pride Parade organization had pictures that went back that far," he says, then runs his finger over the image. Turning to Claudia, he smiles and says "Thanks."