It was a quiet afternoon, the sun setting through the windows of their living room. Kareem and Santi were lounging on the couch, Kareem scrolling through his phone while Santi leaned back, watching him with his usual, relaxed gaze. They were just enjoying the peace, the kind of calm that only felt possible when they were together.
Then, the doorbell rang.
"Who the hell is that?" Santi muttered, sitting up straight, his eyes narrowing.
Kareem shrugged, not looking up from his phone. "I dunno, maybe one of the neighbors."
Santi grunted, clearly uninterested, but when the sound of a woman's voice reached his ears from the front door, he stiffened. He could hear the laughter and casual chatting, but his attention immediately zeroed in when the woman's voice became clearer, right outside their door.
"Hey, you're Kareem, right?" The girl's voice was light and flirtatious.
Kareem glanced up, surprised, and saw the girl standing in the doorway with a smile. "Yeah?" he replied, giving her a polite, but distant smile.
"I'm Mel, I see you around here sometimes... You got Instagram?" she asked, her tone a little too sweet for Santi's liking.
Kareem hesitated for a second. "Uh, yeah." He didn't think much of it and was about to give her his handle when he saw the flash of movement from Santiâhis jaw tightening, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Okay, cool, what is it?" Mel smiled, not noticing the change in the atmosphere.
Santi's body went rigid. He stood up, fists clenched, and walked over to Kareem in a few long strides. His eyes weren't on Mel, though. His gaze was locked on Kareem, a simmering heat in his stare.
Kareem opened his mouth to give the girl his Instagram, but before he could speak, Santi cut in.
"Don't give her shit," he said, voice low and dangerously calm.
Kareem blinked, confused, as Mel awkwardly stepped back, clearly sensing the tension. "Oh, my bad, I didn't mean to interrupt..." she said, quickly backing off, sensing the bad energy now filling the room.
Kareem turned his attention to Santi, eyes wide with disbelief. "What the hell, Santi?"
Without saying a word, Santi turned and walked toward the couch, throwing himself down with a scowl.
Kareem followed, sitting next to him, trying to get his attention. "Santi, chill. It's just Instagram. She was just being friendly."
But Santi wasn't having it. He scooted away from Kareem, the tension in his shoulders clearly rising. "Don't play me like I'm dumb, Kareem," he muttered, his voice colder now, sharper. "You over here entertaining bitches in front of me?"
Kareem frowned. "I didn'tâ"
"No, fuck that. Don't even start," Santi interrupted, his tone hard, now calling him by his full name instead of the usual "papi." "You wanna play in bitches' faces like that? You wanna be all nice and smiley with her?"
Kareem's eyes softened, sensing that Santi was hurt, but didn't know how to fix it. "Baby, I didn't do nothing. I swear," Kareem said, his voice quieter, almost pleading.
Santi's eyes locked on him with frustration, but there was a touch of hurt there too. He wasn't ready to let it go just yet. "You entertained that shit, Kareem. Don't act like you didn't."
Kareem leaned forward, placing both hands on Santi's thighs, his face full of remorse. He wasn't going to fight Santi's anger, not when it was like this. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, his voice low and soft. "I'm sorry. Please, don't be mad."
Santi's glare faltered for a moment when Kareem crawled onto his lap, pressing his body into Santi's. "You're so handsome," Kareem whispered, kissing his neck, trailing soft kisses along his jawline.
Santi stiffened, his grip on Kareem tightening, but he tried his best to maintain that tough exterior. "Stop, Kareem," he muttered, even as a small smile threatened at the corner of his mouth.
Kareem continued, undeterred, kissing all over his face. "You're my baby, I love you so much, you know that? You're the only one I want, just you, baby." He kissed Santi's lips, then his cheek, whispering soft things. "I'm so sorry. I love you."
Santi was still trying to fight the smile, but it wasn't working. His arms wrapped around Kareem, pulling him closer. "Damn, you're lucky you look so good, huh?" Santi muttered, trying to keep his voice firm, though the smirk on his face was already spreading.
Kareem kissed Santi again, now on the lips, soft and slow, just to reassure him. "I love you, baby. Only you."
Santi rolled his eyes, though there was a tenderness in his voice when he said, "Yeah, I know. You always say that shit." His tone was lighter now, the weight of the jealousy having passed, though the slight possessiveness remained in his touch. "But don't entertain that shit no more, Kareem. I ain't playing."
Kareem chuckled softly, his fingers running through Santi's hair. "Okay, okay. I got you. I won't."
Santi smiled, pulling Kareem in close again, his lips brushing over his forehead. "Good. Now, get over here, papi."
Kareem's lips curled into a smile, settling into Santi's lap with his arms around his neck. "I love you, baby."
Santi leaned in and kissed his lips, soft and lingering. "I love you too, Kareem."
And for the first time that day, the room was peaceful again, the tension completely dissolved as they simply held each other, lost in the quiet comfort of being together.
"Don't play with me like that again, though," Santi whispered, his voice teasing but still carrying a hint of seriousness.
Kareem smirked, his hands rubbing Santi's back. "I won't. Promise."