It was one of those rare days when Kareem didn't have to work, and somehow, Santi had found his way over to Kareem's place. He'd barely been there five minutes before he stretched out on the couch like it was his own, kicking off his slides and lighting a blunt.
Kareem stood in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed, watching him with an unimpressed look. "You don't even knock no more?"
Santi glanced over, grinning as he took a slow drag. "You was gon' let me in anyway."
Kareem rolled his eyes, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and walking into the living room. He plopped into the armchair across from the couch, not bothering to turn on the TV.
"Why you sittin' way over there?" Santi asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
"'Cause this my house," Kareem shot back, twisting the cap off his water.
Santi snorted, sitting up slightly. "You so damn mean for no reason."
"That's just me," Kareem muttered, taking a sip of his water.
"Uh-huh." Santi grinned, putting out the blunt and getting up. He walked over to Kareem, standing in front of him with his hands in his hoodie pocket. "Move over."
"Nah," Kareem said automatically, frowning as Santi smirked down at him.
Santi didn't bother arguing. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Kareem's wrist, pulling him up with ease. "C'mon, get on the couch."
Kareem tried to pull his arm back. "Santi-"
"You gon' argue or you gon' listen?" Santi interrupted, his tone playful but firm. He guided Kareem toward the couch, pushing him down gently before sitting beside him.
Kareem sighed, leaning back with an irritated expression. "You real touchy today."
Santi smirked, leaning into his space. "You say that like it's somethin' new."
The next couple of hours went by in a blur of music playing low in the background, Kareem scrolling on his phone while Santi made himself entirely too comfortable. At some point, Santi shifted closer, draping an arm around Kareem's shoulders and letting his hand slide down to rest on Kareem's chest.
"You good?" Santi asked, his voice softer now, almost teasing.
Kareem didn't bother looking up from his phone. "You keep askin' me that, I'm not gon' be."
Santi chuckled, leaning over to kiss the side of Kareem's face. "Relax."
Kareem stiffened, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You gotta chill with all that."
"All what?" Santi asked innocently, pressing another kiss to Kareem's cheek, then his jaw, trailing them up to his temple.
"You know what," Kareem muttered, his voice quieter now.
Santi didn't stop. He tilted Kareem's face toward him, brushing his lips against his neck. "You talk a lot for somebody who don't move when I do this," he murmured.
Kareem finally put his phone down, giving Santi a deadpan look. "You real proud of yourself, huh?"
Santi grinned. "Hell yeah." He kissed Kareem's lips briefly, just a peck, but before Kareem could say anything, he leaned in again, this time slower.
Kareem froze for a second, then let out a soft breath, his lips parting slightly. Santi took his time, one hand sliding up to cup the back of Kareem's neck while the other rested on his thigh.
When they finally pulled back, Kareem's face was flushed, his expression caught between annoyed and flustered.
"You gon' kiss me back one of these days, or you just gon' sit there lookin' cute?" Santi teased, his thumb brushing against Kareem's jaw.
"Man, shut up," Kareem muttered, looking away.
Later, when Kareem got tired of sitting around, he moved to the bedroom, figuring Santi would take the hint and leave. Instead, Santi followed him, leaning against the doorframe as Kareem took his braids out in front of the mirror.
"Let me help," Santi offered, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed.
Kareem gave him a skeptical look in the mirror. "You know what you doin'?"
"Yeah, I know what I'm doin'," Santi said, sounding offended.
After a moment, Kareem sighed and sat on the bed, handing Santi the comb. "Aight. Don't pull too hard."
Santi chuckled, sitting behind him and running his fingers through Kareem's thick hair. "You act like I'm tryna hurt you."
By the time Santi finished, Kareem's hair was untangled, soft, and hanging loose. He leaned back against the bed, watching as Santi played with the ends absentmindedly.
"You really be doin' the most," Kareem said, his tone lighter than usual.
"And you love it," Santi replied easily, tugging gently on a strand of Kareem's hair before leaning down to kiss his forehead.
"Man, stop," Kareem muttered, though he didn't move.
Santi grinned, pressing another kiss to his temple, then his cheek. "I'm just showin' you some love. Ain't nothin' wrong with that."
Kareem sighed, shaking his head. "You gon' kiss me to death."
"That's the plan," Santi said, smirking as he leaned in to kiss Kareem's lips again, softer this time.
And, for once, Kareem didn't say anything back.