The apartment was quiet, the soft hum of the air conditioning the only sound as Kareem leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone. His hair was still braided from when Santi had done it, and though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he liked how neat it looked.
Santi was sitting on the couch, rolling a blunt with his usual ease, the smell of weed already faintly in the air. The ashtray on the coffee table was empty for once, probably because Santi had cleaned it earlier.
"You ain't done yet?" Kareem asked, glancing up from his phone with a frown.
Santi raised an eyebrow without looking at him. "What's your rush?"
"I ain't got all day to sit here and wait on you," Kareem snapped, pushing off the counter. His tone was sharp, his usual defensiveness creeping into his voice.
Santi looked up now, his movements slowing as his dark eyes locked on Kareem. "What's your problem?"
"Ain't got no problem," Kareem muttered, but the attitude was clear in his tone.
Santi sighed, setting the blunt down on the table as he stood up. He crossed the room in a few steps, his presence commanding as he stopped in front of Kareem. "You sure about that?"
Kareem's jaw tightened, but he didn't back down. "I'm just sayin', you takin' foreverâ"
Before he could finish, Santi reached out, grabbing Kareem by the back of his neck and pulling him closer. Not rough, but firm enough to get his attention. Kareem's eyes widened slightly, his phone slipping from his hand and landing on the counter with a clatter.
"Watch your tone, Papi," Santi said, his voice low but steady, the kind of calm that demanded respect. "You not gon' talk to me like I'm one of them niggas in the street. You hear me?"
Kareem froze for a moment, his pride warring with the heat rising in his chest. He wanted to snap back, to tell Santi to let him go, but something in the man's eyes kept him still. Instead, he just nodded, his voice quieter when he finally spoke. "Aight. My bad."
Santi held his gaze for another moment before letting him go, his hand lingering just long enough to make a point. "Good. Now chill out before you get yourself worked up over nothin'."
Kareem huffed, his usual attitude bubbling just beneath the surface, but he didn't push it further. Santi stepped back, grabbing his blunt off the table and lighting it like nothing had happened. Kareem watched him for a moment, still standing by the counter, his hands in his pockets as he tried to shake off the heat in his face.
"Go get dressed," Santi said after a long drag. "We hittin' the store. You keep sayin' I ain't got no food, so you comin' with me to fix it."
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The grocery store was buzzing with activity, carts squeaking along the floors and the faint hum of pop music playing overhead. Kareem pushed the cart, trailing a few steps behind Santi, who was scanning the shelves with a focused expression.
"You cook?" Kareem asked, breaking the silence.
Santi glanced over his shoulder, smirking. "You act like you don't know already."
Kareem rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He'd seen Santi throw together a meal more than once, but it wasn't like Kareem had spent enough time in anyone's kitchen to know much about cooking.
"What you even makin'?" Kareem asked as Santi tossed a pack of chicken breasts into the cart.
"Somethin' better than ramen," Santi said with a chuckle. "You'll see."
They moved through the aisles, Santi tossing items into the cart with the ease of someone who knew exactly what they needed. Kareem mostly stayed quiet, his hands resting on the cart handle as he followed along.
At one point, Santi stopped in front of the produce section, inspecting a bunch of bananas. Kareem snorted. "You tryna be healthy now?"
"Mind your business," Santi said, tossing the bananas into the cart.
Kareem shook his head, a small smirk playing at his lips. He wasn't used to thisâshopping with someone, moving through the mundane parts of life with another person. It felt... strange. But not bad.
They checked out without much fuss, the cashierâa young woman with braids and a bright smileâthrowing a little extra attention Santi's way.
"You need help to the car?" she asked, her voice sweet.
Santi shook his head, not even looking at her as he handed her the cash. "We good."
Kareem smirked to himself, pushing the cart toward the exit. Once they were outside, loading bags into Santi's car, he couldn't help but tease. "You ain't even gon' say thanks to her?"
"For what?" Santi asked, closing the trunk and giving Kareem a look.
"For flirtin' with you."
"She wasn't flirtin'."
Kareem scoffed. "You blind?"
Santi chuckled, leaning against the car "Why you care, anyway?"
"I don't," Kareem said quickly, grabbing the cart and shoving it into the return corral with more force than necessary.
Santi just shook his head, his smirk widening. "Yeah, aight."
Back at Santi's place, they unloaded the groceries and settled into a more comfortable rhythm. Kareem found himself leaning against the counter again, watching as Santi unpacked the bags and put things away.
"You always this neat?" Kareem asked, tilting his head.
"Somebody gotta be," Santi said without looking up.
Kareem let out a low hum, his eyes lingering on Santi's hands as they moved. He didn't say it out loud, but there was something calming about watching Santi work, about being in his space.
"You gon' keep watchin' me, or you gon' help?" Santi asked, glancing up with a teasing smile.
Kareem rolled his eyes but grabbed a bag anyway, pulling out a loaf of bread and shoving it into the pantry.
"Good job, Papi," Santi said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Kareem turned to glare at him, but there was no real heat in it. Instead, he just shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
For all his complaints, being here didn't feel so bad.