Chapter Text
Yousef loved the mornings after a late night out. The boys would usually have late night kebabs to sober up before heading to the Bakkoush’s to crash on their couches for the night. Since he didn’t drink, Yousef was usually the first to rise. He’d find his way into the kitchen and make himself tea. Sometimes Sana would wake early and keep him company; other times it was her mom and dad, chatting about new developments in their lives.
Eventually the boys would wake up, grumpy and hungry. Mama Bakkoush always offered to make them breakfast but the boys craved greasy food and strong coffee. So off they would go to a nearby café where they could feast.
Today, they’d invited Sana along for post breakfast activities. They’d decided the night before to head down to the town center and check out the shops.
They were walking along in different groups. Elias was walking in the back with Mutta and Mikael who was going on about some new editing trick he’d learned on YouTube.
Yousef was up front with Sana and Adam. His phone was distracting him. His mom kept texting him about their Sunday plans to visit with his aunt and uncle. Despite the distraction, he still held Sana’s hand in his. Her hand felt so small and soft, he couldn’t resist playing with her fingers, rubbing his thumb over the skin. Occasionally she would squeeze his hand.
He could only faintly make out the conversation happening next to him between Sana and Adam, his arm itched to wrap around her. He loved the feeling of her next to him. She always smelled amazing, and it soothed him to feel her rhythmic breathing in and out against him. Sometimes when he pulled her close she would make a tiny noise, undetectable to others, but it echoed a feeling beating inside of him. Like maybe she felt better being close to him too.
Pocketing his phone, Yousef turned his attention to what was happening next to him. He belatedly realized that Sana’s shoulders were already covered by Adam’s arm.
Adam was complaining about his latest crush. A girl he had hooked up with several times but it never seemed to go anywhere outside of parties. Sana was offering suggestions; she often boasted that she’d learned a lot watching her friends try dating over the years.
Yousef loved the friendships that had emerged between Sana and the other boys these last few months. The boys always loved Sana. She was like a sister to them. They had often bragged about how badass she was, taking turns begging her to help them win basketball games and Mario Kart tournaments. But ever since Yousef and Sana started dating the dynamics had changed. Sana was one of them now, and each of them had a special connection with her; which sometimes lead to the boys monopolizing her time.
Normally, Yousef didn’t mind. But this week had been nothing but group time. He wanted Sana to himself. Sometimes holding hands or sitting next to each other wasn’t enough. He needs to be alone with her and let everything but them fade away.
“Bro! Come on. Off,” Yousef says.
“Chill. We’re just talking.”
“Too bad.”
Yousef gently tugs Sana away from Adam. She comes easily into his arms wrapping her own around his waist to bring them closer together. Yousef presses a soft kiss against the side of her head where her hijab meets her temple and breathes a sigh of comfort.
“We can talk later, Adam” Sana says.
Adam nods his head slowing down so he can walk with the other boys instead.
“I missed you,” Yousef whispers. Sana tries to make an annoyed face at him but he sees through it.
“You’ve seen me everyday this week.”
“It’s not the same.”
Sana bites her lip in thought. A new habit of hers that Yousef both hates and loves. He knows Sana has missed him too. Although Yousef is the more vocal one in the relationship, Sana has certain tells. Her texts get sweeter and he finds her gaze lingering on him more intensely as time goes on. She’ll even start to initiate random physical contact.
One of Yousef’s favorite weeks of their relationship had been the week after he had had the flu. He’d gotten it from one of the kids at the kindergarten. He’d been unable to see her for a full week stuck in bed coughing and fading in and out of sleep. The first day he had felt fine enough he met up with Sana at their park. She’d never been more affectionate with him; holding his hand, touching his face, rubbing his back as he coughed. He had never felt more loved by one person.
Sana reaches up to grab the hand draped over her shoulder, pulling Yousef out of his thoughts.
“I know,” she whispers.
They continue to walk along in silence both soaking up the feeling of the other pressed against them until Elias’ voice rouses them.
“Sana. Didn’t you say you wanted to go here?” Elias gestures to the coffee shop they had nearly passed. It was a small café widely known throughout their neighborhood for having the best tasting coffee.
“Yeah.” she says coming to a halt, “I’m just going to run in for a coffee.”
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Yousef asks.
“No. It’s fine.”
“Well, here,” Yousef says reaching for his wallet, “Let me pay for it.”
“No, it’s fine. Mama gave me extra money.”
“Yeah. But you should save that for shopping.”
“Babe, I’m fine,” Sana exclaims, coloring as she says it. She squeezes his hand quickly before ducking into the coffee shop. A moment of awkward silence follows her departure.
“Yo. Mutta and I want to get smoothies, so why don’t we just split up and agree to meet at the town center.” Mikael suggests.
Yousef and Elias agree, staying behind to wait for Sana.
“Babe?” Elias asks barely holding in his smirk.
“Shut up.”
“It’s a-. Ha. It’s cute.”
“Asshole. Like I haven’t heard you call Isabel worse.”
“Yeah, but she’s into those sappy names. I didn’t think Sana was like that.”
Yousef rolls his eyes.
“Maybe you don’t know everything about her.”
“Wow. Wow. Chill, bro. One swipe at your girl and you’re ready to punch me.”
Yousef makes an exasperated face. “I’m not going to punch you.”
“You sure?” Elias asks grinning.
“Just maybe don’t bring it up to her. She doesn’t really call me that a lot. She’s probably feeling embarrassed right now.”
“Yeah. I get it. It’s nice. Really. I know sometimes I play the annoying older brother role, but seriously, it’s nice seeing you both so happy.”
“Thanks man.”
They both grow quiet for a moment, thinking.
“For real though. How’s everything going with you two?”
“Amazing.”
“You tell her you love her yet?”
Yousef shakes his head.
“I feel it though.”
“Yeah?” Elias asks with a smile.
“She’s it for me.”
“Man, that’d be so cute if you both weren’t still kids.”
“What about Jamilla and Karim? They’re still young.”
“Yeah, but they only got engaged to have sex. They’ve still got a long way to go until they are ready for marriage.”
“Wait. What?”
“Oh man. I didn’t tell you? Sana accidentally exposed the whole thing to our parents last year too. They didn’t let the two see each other for weeks. It was hilarious.”
“Fucking hell. But how—“
“Sorry, that took so long, that line was crazy,” Sana says emerging from the café with her drink in hand.
She takes a small sip from her drink looking back and forth between the boys.
“What were you guys talking about?”
“Karim’s sex life.” Elias answers.
“Oh good. Then I missed nothing.”
Yousef snorts at that eliciting a proud smirk out of Sana.
Elias rolls his eyes at the couple.
“You guys are making me nauseous. Come on let’s go.”
They find the other boys two minutes later sitting on a bench in the town square brightly colored smoothies in their hands.
“Give me,” Elias says, stealing one of the smoothies from Mikael.
“Yo, Elias. They have a new skateboard store. We’ve got to check it out.” Adam says.
“I’m in.”
“Are you guys finally going to get new boards?” Yousef asks.
“Yeah. Maybe. But they’re all so fucking expensive.”
“Maybe if you didn’t spend all your money on kebabs and alcohol you’d have enough to buy one already,” Sana argues.
“Harsh, sis.”
“Yeah. He also spends all his money on Isabel. You can’t forget that,” Mutta adds.
“I’d say it’s like 20% on kebabs, 40% on alcohol, and like 50% on Isabel.”
“Mikael, bro. Your 4 in Math is showing. That’s more than 100%.”
“Whatever. You guys are assholes,” Elias says.
“I’m just saying. Put as much effort into finding a job as you do into getting laid and you’ll be able to buy whatever you want.”
“Ouch.”
“Damn.”
“It burns!”
Elias just shakes his head. “Alright. Alright. Quality diss, sis. I’ll let you slide this time.”
Sana smirks. Yousef can’t help smiling at how proud she looks. Lately Sana’s been joining in as the boys rag on each other. She gives as good as she gets.
“Anyway. You guys ready?” Mutta says standing as he slurps up the last of his smoothie.
The boys all nod in agreement and start heading towards the shop. Yousef begins to follow them. It takes him a second to realize that Sana’s not with him. He stops and turns, seeing her standing behind him with a torn look on her face.
“What’s up?” he says walking back over.
“Elias is going to spend like three hours in that store. It’s going to drive me crazy. Maybe I should just meet you guys in a little bit.”
“No. No. It’s fine. Let’s go somewhere together.”
“You don’t mind?”
“And get to spend alone time with you for once this week? Hell no.”
Sana smiles at that.
“Hold on,” Yousef says, as he walks away to catch up with the boys. “Hey guys. Sana and I are going to go off and do our own thing.”
“Seriously?” asks Adam.
“Yeah. We haven’t had alone time all week.”
“Alone time?” Elias says raising one eyebrow at Yousef.
“You know what I mean.”
Mikael and Adam look at each other with matching evil grins.
“Oh Sana, even though I text you 24/7 and see you everyday it’s never enough. Just let me be alone with you so I can stare at you for hours on end.” Adam says in a high-pitched voice.
“Yousef, I really like you. But sometimes your staring creeps me out and—“
“Are you mocking me?” Sana interrupts having walked over to join the group.
Mikael and Adam sober instantly.
“No.” Just as Elias and Mutta say “Yes.”
Sana glares at Mikael and Adam.
“We’re teasing Yousef because he’s obsessed with you.”
Sana rolls her eyes, “Did you ever think that maybe I’m just as obsessed with him?”
All of the boy’s eyebrows go up, as Yousef feels a wide grin split on his face.
“Are--?” Mikael dares to start.
“None of your business,” Sana snaps.
The boys all mumble apologies looking properly chastised. Yousef shakes with silent laughter making Sana look over at him, a proud smirk across her face, and wink.
“Let’s go. Bye boys.”
Sana walks away without waiting to see if Yousef is following her. Yousef waves before heading off, still silently laughing at the shocked expressions on the boy’s faces.
When Yousef catches up to Sana he wraps his arm around her waist again, pulling her flush against his side. Sana has her phone out checking her group chat with the girls.
“So what do you want to do?” Yousef asks.
Sana sends a couple texts before pocketing her phone. “Basketball?”
“Sounds perfect.”
They walk along in silence for a minute wrapped up in each other. Sana’s fingers are fiddling with one of the belt loops on Yousef’s pants and it’s driving him crazy. She seems to be lost in thought and if he mentioned it, he knew she would pull away.
Sana’s often guilty of distracted touching. Yousef can’t really blame her though. Somehow even after four months she doesn’t seem to realize the effect she has on him.
“Yousef.”
He’s pulled from his thoughts by her soft voice.
“Hmm?”
“Sometimes I really hate the way they tease you,” she says looking straight ahead like she does when she’s confessing something difficult for her.
“They’re trying to rile me up.”
“It’s just. I feel like they always focus on your feelings for me. Like it’s somehow one sided. Like maybe I don’t feel the same.”
Sana’s expression looks distraught. It makes Yousef wonder how long this has been building up inside of her.
“Sana,” he says softly, “They don’t think it’s one sided.”
“Then why is that always the joke?”
“Maybe they’re thinking about the way I acted around you over the years. God. It’s so embarrassing how much I pined after you. They’ve got years of ammunition to use against me. But how can they tease you too? They didn’t think you liked me until last April.”
Sana stays quiet in thought.
“Plus they know better than to even try now.” Yousef feels her laugh against his side.
“That’s true.”
“But Sana,” he pauses, “I just want you to know. No matter what they may say or make you think is true, I will never doubt your feelings for me. Since the day I left for Turkey, I’ve known that you like me as much as I like you. That’s all that matters to me.”
Sana puts her hand on Yousef’s stomach abruptly, causing the muscles there to jump; he feels her pushing him into a side street they had just passed.
Yousef realizing that she’s aiming for privacy turns his body so that they are shielded from people walking past.
Sana turns herself to face him reaching up as she pulls him into a tight hug. Yousef wraps his arm around her back holding her just as tightly. Yousef feels a part of him let out a sigh of relief. Hugging Sana feels like the sun on your skin after a long winter trapped inside.
“Sometimes,” Sana says, “You say the sweetest things.”
Yousef smiles pulling away slightly to look at her face.
“And it makes…It makes me want to kiss you,” she whispers.
Yousef inhales sharply. They never talk about this. The things they both want. The unspoken heated tension always there between them.
“Sana,” he says painfully.
They stand there staring at each other as time passes on. The longer they stand there together the more Yousef’s brain starts focusing on the curves of Sana pressed against him. The way their chests feel pressed together, how their legs are slightly entwined, how amazing she smells. Yousef lightens his hold when he feels his thoughts start to become too dangerous. He stares in awe at the high flush on Sana’s cheeks as they break away, wondering if it could be possible that her thoughts went in the same direction.
“You can,” Yousef says clearing his throat, “If you decide that’s something you’re okay with. You can kiss me anytime.”
The look she gives him causes a white-hot heat to form in his stomach spreading to every part of his body. He can only imagine the look on his face, the naked desire.
“Yousef. You can’t…you can’t say things like that,” Sana whispers her voice strained with emotion.
Yousef nods. Rubbing his thumb over her cheek.
“You can’t look at me like that then.”
“Hey! You started it.”
Yousef scoffs softly.
“What about that hug then? Huh? Huh?”
Sana laughs breaking the tension that had been building up between them.
“Yeah. Okay. I’ll give you that one.”
“Exactly.”
Sana rolls her eyes unable to mask the smile on her face. Yousef looks at her softly before cupping her cheeks between his hands again so he can place a soft kiss on her forehead.
“You know, I really did miss you this week.” Yousef says softly, lips barely removed from her forehead.
“I know. I missed you too. I hate sharing you with Elias.”
“Let’s do something Monday, just you and me.”
Sana nods in agreement.
“Overpriced coffee?”
“Yes!” he exclaims, “That’s my favorite thing we do.”
Sana laughs, reaching up to push his hair back as it falls into his face, her expression turning serious and thoughtful. She stands on her toes, pushing their faces close together. The look she gives him makes his heart feel full to the brim.
“Yousef,” she pauses, “Thank you for always believing in me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s easy, especially once I knew how pathetically adorable you were over the last few years.”
Sana groans, “I hate that I ever told you my secrets.”
“You’re so obsessed with me.”
“No.”
“You kept my flowers.”
“Don’t.”
“You stalked me on Face.”
“Babe.”
“You stole my cologne so your room would smell like me.”
“I’m leaving,” she says shaking her head as she starts to walk away. Yousef chases after her grabbing her around the waist and holding on to her so that they are awkwardly walking together. Yousef's head on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“Fine,” Sana fake huffs.
“Come on. Let’s go play basketball. Maybe you’ll finally beat me for once.”
“What?” Sana says in mock outrage.
“You heard me.”
“Alright. How about this? Loser buys coffee on Monday.”
“Okay. But no cheating.”
“I never cheat,” Sana argues.
“Really? You never ‘accidentally’ touch me on my stomach during the middle of the game?”
“It’s called defense.”
“It’s called turning your boyfriend’s brain into mush and it’s definitely cheating,” Yousef whispers into her ear, seeing her blush bright red at the idea.
“Fine. No more ‘cheating’. You do have nice abs though…”
Yousef hangs his head in pain, “You’re trying to kill me.”
“Not today. Come on,” she says tugging on his hand, “You’ve got a game to lose.”