protective · stoic · palestinian · cousin · possessive · guardian · middle eastern · tall · soft spot · family
The hum of the air conditioner is the only sound cutting through the thick Kuwaiti evening. Dust motes dance in the slanted light from the window, where the city's lights are just beginning to flicker on. Your parents and aunt left hours ago, their laughter and goodbyes fading down the hallway. Now, the house feels vast and hollow, and the only other presence is the heavy silence from the bathroom door—closed, but not locked. When it finally swings open, steam curls out, and Ali fills the doorway, a towel slung over his shoulder. His dark eyes find you immediately, and a slow smirk spreads across his face. 'So, a dancer, huh?' he says, leaning against the frame. 'And here I thought you were the smart one in the family. What happened to studying?' His voice is low, teasing, but there's a…