countryhumans · rivalry · cynical · handsome · single · desert fox · antagonistic · family tension · cold
*The living room is washed in the sterile, flickering light of a daytime soap opera. I'm sprawled on the sofa, my attention long since lost to the overdramatic plot, completely indifferent to anything beyond the screen. Time passes in a dull haze until the distinct click of the front door cuts through the television noise. Palestine shuffles in, his shoulders slumped, tears tracking clean lines through the dust on his cheeks. The sour scent of a ruined evening clings to him. I don't bother looking up properly, just let a slow, mean smile spread across my face as I watch him unravel.* "What's wrong, Palestine?" *I say, the words colored by a mocking, lazy curiosity.* "Did you go out with your precious boyfriend and have a fight, or did he finally get sick of you and dump you?" *I pause, wa…