"Okay when did I become a literal koala bear?"
Sam opened his eyes at Santana's sleep-blurred voice, smiling at the disgruntled expression on her face. Her arms were wrapped snugly around his torso, her head pillowed against his chest, but she made no gesture to move away.
"Hey," he responded, running a hand through her tousled hair. "How did you sleep? I hope you're feeling better."
"Mmm little bit…why am I all over you?" she muttered, blinking her eyes and still making no attempt to move away.
"I came over to help take care of you and then I drifted off to sleep. You were cuddled up to me, I couldn't help myself," Sam explained with a chuckle.
Santana scowled. "I don't cuddle," she denied with dignity, attempting to pull away, but she slumped back against him because she was so still weak and he was so comfortable.
"Apparently you did last night," Sam pointed out, trying not to laugh at her attitude.
"Did not. I was…lazy about sitting up," Santana attempted, lifting her chin.
"Did too… That's the lamest explanation ever by the way," Sam countered, laughing for real this time.
"Did not. Was not. Why aren't you agreeing with the sick girl here?" Santana pouted, but even as she spoke she made no effort to pull away, still.
"Was too…" Sam shrugged, pulling Santana even closer. "Because you're fibbing."
"I do not fib. I occasionally make alterations to truth, but I don't fib." Santana smirked a little bit, covering his arm with her hand, then abruptly looked up at him. "You don't have to do this, you know. I'm better. You can leave, I mean who's taking care of Stevie?"
"Whatever you say, Tana," Sam chuckled. "I know I can, but I don't want to. Stevie's fine. He's in school right now and my uncle has him. It's good for him to spend some time away from me once in a while."
There it was again, calling her Tana. She smiled, shrugging. "You want to stay here? 'Cause I'm so entertaining right now, right? I know what it is, you want to cop a feel every time I pass out."
"I only do because you need my help. You can barely even stand last night." He rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh yeah, because that's what I do, I grope passed out and sick women."
"Hey, for all I know it's your weird little thrill," she smirked, adjusting more closely against him.
"If you keep talking like that, I might turn into that sicko who does," he laughed.
Santana laughed back, then broke off into coughing, covering it with her upper arm. "Ugh. I'm so disgusting. I need a bath…but that wasn't a come on or code for let me have my filthy way with you. I just reek."
Sam rubbed Santana's back gently when she began to cough and laughed. "I was going to say, are you inviting me to take a bath with you? If you need one, I can draw you one. Then you can take one in peace and I promise that I won't look at you naked." But even as he spoke, he crossed his fingers behind his back.
The problem with that scenario was Santana wasn't sure she'd be able to get in and out of the bath herself. She didn't mention this though, hoping this wasn't the case; she wasn't even ready to attempt standing up from Sam's lap right now.
"You got a deal. Although I don't believe you for a second. Peeper." She laughed, sitting up slowly but not standing.
Sam simply laughed at her comment, knowing full well that she was right. He was going to peep. "All right, let me go draw you that bath and help you get in it."
He kissed her forehead and went to accomplish the task. Once it was done, he came back to the living room. "You ready for your bath?" He wiggled his brows with a chuckle.
"Knew it…looks like you're way too excited about this." She chuckled too and reached up her arms to be lifted. "I need an air delivery, Mr."
"Hey, I'm a guy. Can you blame me?" Sam laughed and lifted Santana in his arms. "Air delivery you shall get, Miss Lopez."
He walked into the bathroom with her in his arms, noticing that she was still slightly warm, but not as bad as she was the day before. "Did you need me to help undress you?"
"You so wish." Santana laughed, but the truth was she may actually need some help since she was still weak standing up. She looked around, realizing this. "Uh, where you gonna set me down, stud boy?"
Sam laughed. "I could dream right? Can you even stand?"
"Yes, of course I can," she said this as if she knew it was true but it was actually more like she hoped it was.
"Okay." He let her down slowly, making sure that he still had a hold of her. "You okay?"
"Yep." From where Sam had set her on the toilet, Santana started to remove her clothes slowly. She managed with some effort, except for her underwear. Now entirely undressed, except for this, she looked up at Sam and tried to joke about this rather awkward state of being, but she was watching him closely too. "So turns out your dream's about to be big time reality. What, you have a genie?"
Sam turned around to give Santana privacy. He wanted to look. What guy in their right mind wouldn't want to? But it didn't feel right, so he kept his head turned. He heard her remark and frowned.
"Umm… What are you talking about? I don't have a genie."
"Getting your wish and all that. Must be rubbing the right spot on that lamp." Santana laughed but it sounded awkward. "Uh, I think I may need help, so don't blush yourself into an aneurysm."
"I wish I had a magic lamp." Sam gulped, his head still turned. "What sort of help?"
Santana was the one blushing a little now. "Hard to get something off your ass when you're sitting on it."
His eyes bugged out then he straightened out a little. "Oh… Umm… I'll help you."
He knelt down before her, hook his fingers on the sides of her panties and gently pulled, baring her completely to him. He had to mentally scold himself for getting excited. She was sick and he shouldn't be looking at her like that, but he was a guy and she was a beautiful woman. What was he to do? Not look?
"Umm… You're good now." He turned his head again, mostly so that he could reign in his raging hormones.
Santana wanted to tease him, but bit her tongue, having pity for once. She made an effort to stand, but her leg muscles were still shaky and weak, and she reached out to grab his arm.
"Shit. This is ridiculous!"
Sam with his head still turned felt the wobbly movements coming from Santana. He helped her out, picking her up and then slowly putting her into the bathtub.
"There, you should be all good. Did you want me to leave to give you privacy?"
This was definitely not the circumstances that Santana wanted Sam to see her naked for the first time, let alone touching her that way. She was still blushing a little, but it was not entirely unpleasant for him to touch her and help her. Actually it wasn't at all. She thought about his question and struggled against pride and truth, before deciding, speaking quietly.
" I want you to stay."
"Okay…" Sam nodded. This was going to be harder than he initially though. He had never been given this much temptation in such little time in his life. Shaking the lustful thoughts from his head, he decided to massage her shoulders. He was gentle with his touch, putting just enough pressure, but not too much to hurt her.
Santana sighed, letting her head lean forward, her arms resting on her legs, partly covering herself. Her shoulder started to loosen up under Sam's hands, and she smiled softly, closing her eyes. Sam felt Santana relaxing a little. He smiled at this and continued to knead at her taut muscles and without much thought, he leaned down to kiss her shoulder. Santana continued to smile, then straightened up just enough to lean back into his chest. Her hand grasped for his, twining their fingers. Sam closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, enjoying the warmth of her body. Their fingers were laced together and at that very moment, he swore he had never felt more connected to a person.
"You feel good…"
He kissed her shoulder again. Eyes still closed, dimples appeared in Santana's cheeks with her smile. She was quiet, just relaxing. The warmth of the water was easing the achy weakness of her muscles and the congestion in her chest and nose, and Sam holding her had given her a sense of comfort she couldn't remember feeling any time recently, maybe ever. She sighed, whispering back.
"This is making me feel better."
Sam could only smile and hold on to Santana, her remark widening his smile even more. "I'm glad. Then maybe…the next time I get sick, you could do this for me. Especially the undressing me and bathing together part."
Santana nodded slightly, laughing too. "Sounds good…I knows you're hiding some good stuff under all those silly clothes."
She continued to rest, then slowly sat up, reaching for the soap to finish washing herself off. When she had rinsed off and felt clean, she looked up at Sam for help again. "Here's the part you love and adore where you get to put your hands on me again."
Sam had to drag his eyes away from her delectable breasts and concentrate on the present. "Yeah, sure." He cleared his throat and then went to pick her up. "Which way is your bedroom?"
One arm wrapping around his neck, Santana pointed the way. She rested her head against his shoulder, again breathing in his scent with her slightly stuffy nose, and smiled, relaxing. Despite being held by him while undressed, definitely a stimulating situation, she was sleepy, so much so that when she breathed him in again deliberately, she didn't realize in time that she was about to sneeze. She sneezed against his shoulder, then, mortified, wiped at the spot with her hand, then hid her face against him, not wanting him to look at her.
" Shit, I'm sorry. Told you I'm disgusting right now."
Sam was almost at the bedroom when he heard and felt Santana sneeze on his shoulder. It was disgusting, yes, but he didn't flinch, reminding himself that Stevie used to drool, puke, sneezed and once, even pooped on him.
" It's all right. Trust me, I've had much worse things happen to me thanks to Stevie."
He chuckled and entered her bedroom. Slowly, he put her down on the bed, tucked the blankets onto her and kissed her on her forehead. "As much as I'd love to stay, I promised Stevie that I was going to pick him up today. I don't want him freaking out on me, so I have to go, but if you'd like to, I could stop by again later, and check up on you?"
Santana could barely believe his reaction, although the same was true with Antonia. She'd been peed on, puked on, pooped on, sneezed on, everything under the sun that comes with having a child; still, that didn't make it any less embarrassing for her to have done that to Sam. Her eyes were already drifting shut when he tucked her in and kissed her, and she nodded, mumbling back to him.
" Tell Toni I miss her if I you see her…and love her. See her soon."
88
From where she stood close to the other child, moping by the blacktop during recess time, Antonia spoke up as she so often had over the past few moments, louder this time, not willing for the little boy to ignore her.
"I miss my mami."
Sighing, realizing that Antonia was not going to walk away or lose interest in talking, Stevie spoke up too, shrugging.
"I miss Sammy too. I wonder where he went? He was away last night and he said he might be tomorrow. Maybe he'll come pick me up later."
"Sam is missing too?!" Antonia's eyes grew wide, and she reached out to grasp hold of Stevie's arm, shaking it urgently. "Is he sick like my mami? Did someone take them away?!"
"No!" Stevie insisted, even as his lips started to tremble despite his shaking head. "Don't say that. No one can take Sammy away from me."
"But what if they did…what if they are never, never coming back?" Antonia lowered voice suspensefully, leaning in close, even as her own lips trembled.
Tears started to build up in Stevie's eyes even as he shook his head again, doubting. "They won't go away. Sammy can't leave me."
"But what if somebody tooked them? Like the oogie boogie man?" Her eyes very wide now, Antonia moved closer still to Stevie. "He's scary!"
"Nobody took them! Specially not the Oogie Boogie man," Stevie scoffed, wiping quickly at his eyes. "He's gross and has tons of boogers!"
Stopping short, Antonia gave Stevie the most withering look she could conjure up, hands on hips. "He's not a BOOGER man. He is the BOOGIE man. Like boogie bad guy. Dum dum head."
Stevie sniffled, wondering if his brother will come before looking at Toni with a glare. "It is too! Don't call me a dum dum head. I didn't call you poopy pants…"
"Is not…shouldn't act like one then." Antonia scowled, but it slipped into a pout as she stuck her lower lip far out. "I want my mami. She shouldn't go away and leave me."
"Poopy pants," Stevie murmured under his breath and sighed. "Sammy will come home. He always comes home. He promised me that he won't leave me."
"Am not a poopy pants, pukey face." But it was not said with much anger, her lip quivering now. " I really, really want my mami. I think it's so mean she isn't home no more."
Stevie ignored Toni's taunting, cocking his head at her. "Your mommy will come home. Did you check at home?"
Antonia shook her head. "My abuela came and got me and I'm in her house now. I wanna go home. My mami is taking FOREVER to come and get me." She rubbed her fists over her eyes, not wanting Stevie to see that she was trying not to cry.
Stevie saw how sad Toni was and he felt bad for her. He began rubbing her back, moving closer again.
" Don't be sad. Your mommy will come get you. Sammy is going to come get me from my uncle's today. He always comes."
"But what if she don't? What if she don't ever, ever?" Antonia was sniffling, still rubbing at her eyes. "I want my mami!" She looked up at Stevie, eyes shiny with unshed tears. "Are you gonna share Sammy with me if my mami don't come back?"
"She'll come back." Stevie looked around, uneasy and a little embarrassed by her behavior. "Don't cry. The teachers are going to think I made you cry…stop it. Hey, stop it! Fine, I'll share, but you gotta promise not to cry."
Rubbing her eyes again, Antonia gave a small smile. "Kay…if you share Sammy." She looked around as if to see if anyone was watching, then moved forward and hugged Stevie briefly. Then, turning her back deliberately on him like this never happened- and also so he couldn't see- she slipped her thumb in her mouth.
"I'll share him. I promise."
Stevie was shocked by her hugging him. He wanted to push her away, but he didn't want her to cry so he kept his mouth shut. "Um…you want some gummy bears? Sammy got it for me the other day."
He opened the bag and offered it to her. Eyes widening, Antonia turned around fast, giving an eager nod. Dimples cropped up in her cheeks as she removed her thumb from her mouth with a loud popping noise.
"Uh huh! I like gummy bears! And gummy worms. And gummy fishes. And gummy spiders and gummy sharks!"
Stevie rolled his eyes at Toni's excited rants, but didn't bother to comment. "Eat up. We have to go back to class soon."
"Do not. I'm in pre-K so I get out earlier than you. I'm alllllll done today!" Antonia was stuffing gummy bears in her mouth as she spoke.
"Lucky….well, you can have the rest of these, I guess. I'll…see you later." Looking around again as though to make sure no one was watching, Stevie gave her a little nod, then walked back towards his teacher. Sam would be proud of him if he knew how super nice he was today.
88
Texts
Sam:Hey, Tana. I just wanted to see how you're doing and if you're up to having some company.
Santana:Yeah, I'm doing much better. Still taking it easy but I'm actually mobile and not contagious anymore. Toni's back home, so can't take it too easy, right?
Sam:Thanks good to know. I get it, that's why I wanted to stop over. I can cook dinner and then the kids can play...or fight. Lol.
Santana:I'm thinking "fight" is the likely choice. But Stevie did give Toni gummy bears apparently.
Santana:That sounds great, but you know you don't have to cook. You can pick something up.
Sam:Yeah, I think so too. Did he now? He didn't tell me that. That was nice of him.
Sam:I know, but I figured that you might want something home cooked, that doesn't include soups. I bet you're sick of soups by now.
Santana:Yeah, he did. Toni was very impressed with that. She loves all candy.
Santana:Well I can't lie, that sounds good. You seriously don't have to though.
Sam:He didn't tell me. I wonder why that is?
Sam:It's my pleasure to do it. Besides, I'm going to get to spend more time with you. Can't beat that, right?
Santana:Don't tell me he's starting to not totally despite my baby girl :p do we need to watch them for entirely different reasons now?
Santana:I'm gonna have to raise that low bar of yours one day.
Sam:I don't know. I'm beginning to worry now. He better not like her, like I like Toni's mommy, then we'd really have some problems. :P
Sam:How are you going to do that?
Santana:Damn right he better not. I do not need the headache of worrying ten years earlier than expected about her dating life.
Santana:Oh, you'll want a surprise, believe me.
Sam:Should I have a talk with him?
Sam:Now I'm curious. Is this something really good? Maybe involving some nakedness?
Santana:Do you think you need to?
Santana:Hmmmm would this be you guessing, or you making a list of requests?
Sam:I don't know. I don't want to have to, but maybe I should...to be safe?
Sam:Both. Mostly requests though. :P
Santana:He's five. He can't be all lusty at five, can he?
Santana:Hmmm I will keep that in mind stud :p
Sam:Who said anything about lust? I'm not even lusty over you. Lol.
Sam:I hope you do.
Sam:So what did you want me to cook for dinner?
Santana:(five minutes later) You aren't?
Santana:(another five minutes later) Whatever.
Sam:Of course, I am...
(phone rings)
Sam:[Waits a few minutes and answers] Hello?
Sam:Umm... Whatever is not an answer.
Santana:Why are we talking about me getting naked if you don't lust over me?
Santana:I get it, I was pretty gross last time but damn.
Sam:I was kidding. Do you really think that I don't lust over you?
Sam:You were not gross. You were sick.
Santana:I don't know...you said you didn't.
Santana:Oh.
Santana:I don't let people see me sick, so...I don't know, maybe you thought I was.
Sam:I was joking, Tana.
Sam:I have a kid brother who I treat more like a son than a brother, trust me when I say that a little snot is not going to bother me.
Sam:And just so we're clear, I was trying not to jack off to your nakedness today. Does that sound like I'm grossed out by you?
Santana:Right, um...so was I.
Santana:Totally joking.
Santana:...seriously?! hahahahahaha
Sam:Uh huh... Sure.
Sam:Yes, and don't laugh at me! It was hard. I was hard!
Santana:Yeah, I was. Totally joking.
Santana::P :D ;) we'll have to take care of that one day
Sam:One day? How about today?
Sam:Kidding! I have hands and an imagination. I'll use them.
Santana:Maybe I could provide you with some visual aid? (picture of herself in bra attached)
Sam: Oh wow. Although I've seen something much more sexier in your bathroom the other day. :P
Santana: You get to keep this one though.
Sam: So… Do I have permission to use for umm…extracurricular activities?
Santana: Are you SERIOUSLY asking me for permission to wank to this?! You are such a dork.
Sam: Hey! I was being polite. I know how women work. Some of you ladies might get offended when a guy jerk off to your naked body or whatever.
Santana: Here's a hint, stud. Don't TELL girls you're doing it.
Sam: It would be pointless for me not to tell you when I already told you that I almost wanked off earlier. :P
Santana: I'm not a dumb woman, you don't gotta spell it out. Do whatever, just don't describe it to me lol
Sam: Fine, I won't. But what if I want to? That might be a turn on to you. Lol.
Santana: Lemme give you a hint. Any woman who says that she's turned on by a dude jerking off is a liar.
Sam: Not true. I heard from a friend that his girlfriend get off to that. Would she be lying if she's masturbating to him jerking off to her?
Santana: I bet your FRIEND is lying.
Sam: I've known my friend for years and he's not the kind of guy to lie about that. His girlfriend likes it.
Santana: Well she's one of the very rare few then. Anyway finish up your "stuff" and then come over, give me about an hour to try to make Toni somewhat presentable though. I've sort of been letting her be a ragamuffin lately.
Sam: That's why I'm saying that not all girls are disgusting by it. Hey! I wasn't going to do that right now. I'm waiting for the right moment, preferably after Stevie goes to bed. I'll be over in an hour. I get it, you're not feeling good, that's why my uncle helps me out when I'm sick or poor Stevie would go hungry and not to mention very dirty.
Santana: I don't let her go hungry, I'm taking care of her. Just not sweating the small stuff. My mother helped enough already.
Sam: She's fine, I'm sure. Toni's not the kind of child who would let you starve her anyway. She's vocal about stuff.
Santana: You've got that right. If she wants it, she makes it clear. Most of the time she's not getting it, but she hasn't learned that yet, or else she keeps hoping the rules will change. Anyway, see you in an hour.