The day had been quiet, almost suspiciously so. Kareem sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone while Santi leaned against the kitchen counter, rolling a blunt. Music played low in the background, filling the silence between them. Kareem's hair was loose, and Santi couldn't stop glancing at it, the wild strands reminding him of the last time he had them between his fingers.
"You want some food or somethin'?" Santi asked, breaking the silence as he licked the paper to seal the blunt.
"Nah, I'm straight," Kareem muttered, not looking up.
Santi lit the blunt and walked over, sitting down beside him. For once, he didn't immediately drape himself all over Kareem like usual, and Kareem noticed. He always noticed.
"You good?" Kareem asked, his voice casual but laced with curiosity.
"Yeah, why?" Santi replied, taking a hit and passing the blunt to Kareem.
Kareem took it, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "You called me Kareem earlier."
Santi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? That's your name, ain't it?"
Kareem frowned, leaning back into the couch. "You mad at me or somethin'?"
Santi blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Mad? Nah, I ain't mad at you. Why would I be mad at you?"
"Then why the fuck you callin' me Kareem?" Kareem asked, his tone sharper now. He handed the blunt back to Santi, crossing his arms as he waited for an answer.
Santi smirked, leaning closer. "Damn, I ain't know you liked it that much when I call you Papi."
Kareem's frown deepened. "Man, stop playin'."
"Aight, my bad." Santi leaned in, his voice softening. "I'm sorry, my Papi." He pressed a kiss to Kareem's temple, then another to his cheek, moving slowly, deliberately.
Kareem didn't say anything, just sat there letting it happen, his arms still crossed but his body relaxing little by little. Santi kept going, kissing his jaw, his neck, his shoulder.
"You still mad at me?" Santi murmured, his lips brushing against Kareem's ear.
"I wasn't mad," Kareem muttered, his voice quieter now.
"Good," Santi said, shifting closer, his hands settling on Kareem's thighs as he leaned in to kiss him again. This time it was slower, deeper, and Kareem didn't just sit there-he kissed him back. His hands slid up, resting lightly on Santi's chest, pulling him closer without even realizing it.
When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing heavier, their foreheads resting together.
"You got me actin' like a damn baby or somethin'," Kareem muttered, his voice low.
"You are my baby," Santi replied, grinning as he reached up to brush a hand through Kareem's hair, his fingers lingering there.
Kareem huffed, rolling his eyes. "Shut up."
But he didn't pull away.
Later that night, after they'd ended up at Santi's place, Kareem found himself sitting on Santi's lap in the living room. It was casual-at least, that's how it started. Santi had been lounging on the couch, and Kareem, too tired to deal with anything else, had plopped down onto him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You heavy as hell," Santi teased, wrapping his arms around Kareem's waist.
"Shut up. You can handle it," Kareem shot back, his voice carrying just enough sass to make Santi laugh.
Santi tilted his head, kissing the back of Kareem's neck. "Damn right I can."
Kareem stayed quiet, leaning into the affection like it wasn't a big deal. But Santi felt the way his body softened, how he didn't pull away or complain. Santi's hands found their way under Kareem's hoodie, his fingers brushing against his stomach.
"Yo, you always gotta be touchin' on me," Kareem muttered, though there wasn't any real bite in his voice.
"You love it," Santi replied, grinning against Kareem's neck.
Kareem didn't respond, just shifted slightly, settling into Santi like he belonged there.
By the time they made it to Santi's bed, Kareem was half-asleep. He didn't even question it when Santi pulled him into bed, wrapping himself around him like a second blanket.
"You comfortable?" Santi asked, his voice softer now.
"Yeah," Kareem replied, his tone quieter than usual.
Santi pressed a kiss to the back of Kareem's neck, letting his hands wander, rubbing slow circles against Kareem's stomach. "I like this," he murmured, his lips brushing against Kareem's skin.
"Like what?" Kareem asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Touchin' you. Holdin' you. Bein' close to you."
Kareem swallowed hard, his body tensing for a moment before relaxing into Santi's embrace. He didn't say anything, just let Santi's words hang in the air.
Santi kissed the side of his neck again, then his jaw, his hands never stopping their slow, lazy movements. "You feel good, Papi."
Kareem closed his eyes, letting out a soft breath. "You really don't get tired of this, huh?"
"Not even a little bit," Santi said, grinning against his skin.
Kareem didn't respond, just turned his head slightly, letting Santi kiss him again, slow and deep. There was tension there, building between them, but neither of them moved to break it.
When they finally pulled back, Kareem looked up at Santi, his expression softer than usual. "You somethin' else, you know that?"
Santi smirked, leaning down to kiss him one last time.
Kareem didn't argue.