It had been about a week since Kareem let Santi kiss him for the first time, and things between them had shifted. It wasn't like Kareem was suddenly a whole new personâhe was still mean as hell, still had a short fuse, and still didn't let people in easily. But when it came to Santi, something was different. Kareem found himself craving the closeness, even if he didn't know how to ask for it outright.
Kareem was over at Santi's place again, a spot he was starting to get used to. The apartment was small but clean, with mismatched furniture that somehow felt like Santiâcasual, comfortable, and just a little rough around the edges. The smell of weed lingered faintly in the air, and the ashtray on the coffee table was half-full. Santi was in the kitchen, making noise as he rummaged through the fridge, while Kareem sat on the couch, scrolling mindlessly through his phone.
"You want somethin' to eat, Papi?" Santi called out, his voice carrying easily through the open space.
Kareem looked up from his phone, his lips twitching into a faint smirk at the nickname. He still wasn't fully used to it, but it didn't bother him like it used to. "What you got?" he asked, setting his phone down.
"Not much," Santi admitted, poking his head out of the kitchen with a sheepish grin. "You cool with ramen?"
Kareem rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't burn it."
Santi laughed, disappearing back into the kitchen. Kareem leaned back against the couch, letting his eyes wander around the room. It wasn't much, but it felt... safe. He hadn't felt that way in a while, and it caught him off guard.
A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Kareem turned his head just as Santi came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. "Hold up," Santi said, heading to the door.
When Santi opened it, a woman stepped in without waiting for an invitation. She was short, with dark curly hair pulled up into a bun and a sharp, confident energy that filled the room immediately. She carried a large duffle bag over one shoulder and shot Santi a knowing look.
"Damn, you still alive?" she teased, brushing past him and dumping the bag onto the floor. "I thought you forgot about your family or somethin'."
"Chill, Gabby," Santi said, closing the door behind her. "I told you I've been busy."
"Busy, huh?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking to Kareem, who was still sitting on the couch. "Oh, I see. You got company."
Kareem stiffened under her gaze, his usual defensiveness kicking in. "Who you?" he asked, his tone flat.
Gabby smirked, clearly amused by his attitude. "I'm Gabby, Santi's sister. And you?"
"Kareem," he replied, keeping it short.
She nodded, then turned back to Santi. "You gonna introduce me properly, or what?"
Santi sighed, walking over to the couch. "Gabby, this is Kareem. Kareem, this is my nosy-ass sister. Don't let her bother you."
Gabby grinned, unbothered. "Don't worry, I'll behave. For now."
Kareem just stared at her, his expression unreadable. Santi shook his head, grabbing Gabby's bag and moving it to the side. "You stayin' long?" he asked her.
"Nah, just came to drop this off," she said, nodding to the bag. "Stuff for the kids. I gotta pick them up in an hour." She glanced back at Kareem, her curiosity evident but unspoken.
"Kids?" Kareem asked, raising an eyebrow at Santi.
"My nieces and nephew," Santi explained quickly, giving Gabby a look that said don't start nothing. "She drops their stuff off here sometimes."
Gabby smirked but didn't push it. "Anyway, I'll get out of your way. Nice meeting you, Kareem." She shot him a wink before heading for the door. "Don't let him boss you around too much," she added as she left.
When the door clicked shut behind her, Kareem let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "She talk a lot."
Santi laughed, coming back to sit beside him. "She's alright. Don't mind her."
Kareem shrugged, leaning into the back of the couch. He didn't like strangers much, but Gabby didn't seem too bad. "Whatever. You said you makin' ramen?"
"Yeah, yeah," Santi said, standing up again. "Hold tight. I'll bring it out."
Kareem watched him disappear into the kitchen, a small, almost unnoticeable smile tugging at his lips.
Later that night, after they'd eaten and spent a couple of hours watching some random show neither of them was paying much attention to, Kareem found himself leaning into Santi more than usual. They were on the couch, Santi sitting back with his arm draped lazily along the backrest, and Kareem was tucked into his side. It was subtleâKareem wasn't about to admit he was cuddlingâbut he didn't pull away when Santi's arm settled around his shoulders.
"You tired?" Santi asked after a while, his voice soft and low.
Kareem stifled a yawn, his head resting against Santi's shoulder. "Maybe."
"You can crash here if you want," Santi said, shifting a little to make them both more comfortable. "My bed's open."
Kareem hesitated for a moment, but his body betrayed him, leaning further into Santi's warmth. "Aight," he mumbled, already half-asleep.
Santi helped him up, guiding him to the bedroom without saying much. Kareem flopped onto the bed, barely kicking off his shoes before he was out. Santi smiled to himself, watching him for a moment before climbing in next to him.
By the time Kareem woke up the next morning, the sun was creeping through the blinds, and Santi was draped over him like a human blanket. His face was pressed into Kareem's neck, his arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Kareem blinked groggily, realizing what was happening but not having the energy to care.
"Santi," he muttered, his voice rough with sleep.
Santi stirred, mumbling something unintelligible before tightening his grip. "Mmhm," he hummed, nuzzling closer.
Kareem sighed, rolling his eyes even though no one could see it. "You comfortable?"
"Very," Santi mumbled, his lips brushing against Kareem's neck in a way that sent a shiver down his spine.
Kareem didn't push him off, didn't even try. Instead, he let himself relax, his hand coming up to rest on Santi's back. It wasn't something he was used to, but maybe, just maybe, he didn't mind it as much as he thought he would.