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YOUNGBLOOD

♧

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER

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IT WAS ALMOST 2 A.M. when we finally stumbled out of the club. The air outside was cool, a relief from the humid chaos of the dance floor, but I was still buzzing—half from the alcohol, half from whatever spell the night had cast on me. My arm was slung over Val's shoulder, which wasn't doing either of us any good because she was as unsteady as I was. Every step we took was punctuated by bursts of laughter that neither of us could explain.

Malakai trailed behind us, holding our shoes like the designated saint he was. His patience for our antics was endless, even as Koko, squatting by a bush, loudly declared her opinion of Val's impatience.

"Koko, how long does it take to take a piss?!" Val yelled, her words slurring at the edges.

"Fuck you!" Koko hollered back, flipping us off without breaking stride. Malakai just laughed, lighting what had to be his fourth blunt of the night, the glow of the lighter illuminating his grin.

"I'm hungry," Val declared suddenly, as if the thought had struck her like divine inspiration.

"Let's get food," I agreed, because it was the only logical solution at that hour.

While Val started mumbling about tacos, I glanced around and spotted Antonio leaning against the car. He was on the phone, his voice low and clipped, a cigarette burning lazily between his fingers. The orange glow illuminated the sharp cut of his jaw, his dark eyes flickering toward me for a brief moment before returning to whatever business had interrupted his night.

I lifted a hand to my neck without thinking, brushing over the marks he'd left there. The memory made my stomach flip, a mix of embarrassment and something more dangerous. I bit my lip, suddenly hyperaware of how quiet he was compared to the rest of us.

"Hey, Tesoro," he called, his voice pulling me from my thoughts. He was off the phone now, slipping it into his pocket as he tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his shoe. "You good?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I shot back, though my words came out uneven, and I was sure he noticed. His brow arched, that damn knowing look on his face.

"You're wobbling," he said, pushing off the car and walking toward me.

"I'm not wobbling. I'm thriving," I corrected, stumbling slightly as Val snorted beside me.

"Thriving, huh?" His hand shot out to steady me, and I felt the heat of his fingers wrap around my arm. "Let's get you some water before you 'thrive' yourself into the pavement."

"I want tacos," I insisted, tugging on his arm as Val echoed the sentiment.

Antonio sighed but didn't argue, his grip on me firm as he guided us toward the car. "Malakai, get Koko out of the bushes. We're getting food before these two pass out in the backseat."

"Good luck with that," Malakai said, grinning as he gestured to Koko, who had now decided she was laying down in the grass.

Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath in Italian before opening the car door. "Get in. All of you."

It took longer than it should have to wrangle everyone into the car, but by the time we were driving toward some 24-hour diner, I had kicked off my heels and was leaning against the window, watching the city lights blur past. Antonio's eyes flicked to me in the rearview mirror, and I didn't miss the way his jaw tightened every time my dress shifted a little too high on my thighs.

"Tacos first," I mumbled, half to myself, half to him.

"Tacos," he repeated, his voice softer than I expected. But when I glanced up, his gaze was already back on the road, as unreadable as ever.

"What do you guys want?" Malakai asked, giggling as Val and I tried to shove each other out of the car to get to the drive-thru menu first.

"No, I'm ordering!" I slurred, grabbing her by the waist to hold her back as she fake-bit my arm.

"Celine," Antonio's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and low in Italian. It was the kind of tone that made me freeze for half a second before I rolled my eyes.

"I don't even know the menuuu," Val whined, throwing a leg over Malakai in the back seat to stretch for her phone.

"Oh, your ass is fat," I giggled, giving it an exaggerated squeeze.

"You know it," Val said, smirking over her shoulder.

"I want a fat ass," Koko pouted from the other side of the car, glaring at us like we'd personally offended her.

"You do, for a white girl," I said, squinting at her as if I was giving a professional assessment. "It's, like, the shape, you know? Very... bubble adjacent."

"Bubble adjacent?" Malakai wheezed, smacking the dashboard as he laughed.

"She's right!" Val chimed in. "You've got that almost there vibe, Koko. Just start squatting more."

"Shut up," Koko huffed, crossing her arms.

Antonio sighed from the driver's seat, leaning his head back against the headrest. "Can you all focus for two seconds? What. Do. You. Want?"

"Tacos!" I said, practically yelling it into his ear as I leaned forward to hook my chin over his shoulder.

"You're going to make me regret this," he muttered, shaking his head but not moving away from me.

"Extra cheese!" Val shouted, still half-sprawled over Malakai.

"And fries!" Koko added.

"Fries with tacos?" Antonio muttered, glancing at me.

"Don't judge our brilliance," I said, poking his cheek. "And I want a milkshake too. A big one."

"Obviously," he deadpanned, pulling up to the drive-thru speaker.

By the time Antonio placed the order, the four of us were falling over each other in a fit of giggles, debating the merits of fries as a side dish. He glanced at me more than once, his gaze flickering to my bare thighs every time I moved.

"Antoniooo," I teased, leaning closer. "You're staring."

"I'm watching to make sure you don't flash the entire parking lot," he shot back, though his tone was strained, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel.

"Relax," I said, resting my chin on his shoulder again. "You're no fun."

"Trust me, Tesoro," he murmured, his voice low enough that I almost didn't hear it over Val and Koko's chatter. "You don't want to test how much fun I can be."

I bit my lip, feeling the heat creep up my neck as the car fell into a momentary lull. Then, as if on cue, Malakai shouted, "Where are my damn fries?!" and the chaos started all over again

"Where are they?!" Val yelled from the back seat, her voice echoing like a siren.

"Celine, go check on your husband," Koko said, nudging me with her elbow as she leaned against the car door.

"Why do I have to?" I groaned, half whining.

"Because he's your husband!" they all yelled in unison, pointing at me like it was some universal truth I'd forgotten.

"Ugh, fine!" I grumbled, throwing my head back dramatically before sliding out of the car barefoot. My feet hit the pavement, and I couldn't help but giggle at how cool it felt against my skin. I wandered toward the building, swaying slightly.

"Bello!" I called out, trying out the nickname for the first time, and immediately laughing at the way it rolled off my tongue. "What's taking so long?"

Antonio turned his head, his jaw clenching like he was regretting every choice that had led him to this moment. "Celine—"

Ignoring him, I brushed past, spotting the cashier behind the counter. "Hola!" I grinned, raising a hand to wave like we were old friends.

"Uh, hello," the cashier replied, her smile hesitant but polite.

I giggled again, propping my elbows on the counter and tilting my head. "Your uniform." I made a dramatic chef's kiss with my fingers. "It brings out your eyes. So much. So much. Let me see them!"

Before anyone could stop me, I hopped onto the counter, leaning closer to her like I was examining a work of art. "Wow. So pretty," I said, my voice all soft and awe-struck.

"Celine!" Antonio growled, and before I knew it, his hands were on my waist, pulling me down from the counter like I weighed nothing.

"I told you to wait in the car," he hissed, his eyes narrowing at me.

"I got bored in there," I replied, pouting slightly as my fingers trailed over the ink on his forearm. "And the lighting in here is, like, so much better."

His jaw tightened as he switched to Italian. "Then go wait outside for me."

The tone was sharp, almost commanding, and it sent a little shiver down my spine. For some reason, I obeyed without protest, giving him one last mischievous grin before sauntering back toward the exit.

The moment I stepped out into the night air, Val rolled down the window. "Well?"

"Well, what?" I asked, sticking my tongue out at her as I spun in a circle.

"Did you at least flirt your way into free food?" Koko teased.

"Not yet, but there's still time," I replied, laughing as I twirled back to the car.

"You're going to give Antonio an aneurysm," Malakai said, shaking his head as he lit another blunt.

I leaned against the side of the car, smirking. "Yeah, but it's fun, isn't it?"

I got up again, realizing I'd forgotten to take the cashier's name. Without a second thought, I ran back for the door, bare feet padding against the pavement. Just as I reached the entrance, I noticed a woman stepping out. She wore a skanky outfit almost identical to mine—tiny, tight, and unapologetic.

"Heyy!" I waved enthusiastically, my grin wide.

She stopped in her tracks, staring at me blankly for a second before giving me a small wave back. I skipped over to her, my excitement bubbling over.

"What's your name?"

"Cherry," she said, her voice flat but curious.

"Cherry? Oh my God, that's perfect. You look like a Cherry." I gasped, catching sight of her nails. "Let me see those!"

She raised her hands, her long, glittering acrylics catching the light.

"They're so cute!" I gushed, grabbing her hands for a closer look.

"So are yours," she replied, nodding toward my own nails. "The bows? Super classy."

"I knowww," I drawled, holding my hands up to show them off better.

"I got dollar signs, though," she said with a smirk. "Like a real whore."

"No, but you're manifesting with that!" I nodded seriously, pointing at her nails like they were a vision board.

"Celine!" Antonio's sharp voice snapped through the air, and I turned to see him standing just outside the door, three bags of food in hand, looking less than thrilled.

"Oh, who's that hunk?" Cherry asked, her eyes darting toward him.

"The guy who gave me this," I said, holding up my left hand to flaunt my wedding ring.

"Oh, you go girl," she said, giving me a knowing nod.

I winked at her. "Always."

"Celine!" Antonio barked again, this time with a little more bite.

"Coming, bello!" I sang back, waving goodbye to Cherry.

As I skipped toward Antonio, he shot me a look that could've turned someone to stone.

"You're barefoot, talking to strangers, and leaving me to deal with all of this." He lifted the bags slightly for emphasis.

"She was nice," I said, grabbing one of the bags from him. "Her name's Cherry. Isn't that fun?"

"Yeah, real fun," he muttered in Italian under his breath, his jaw clenched.

I ignored his grumbling, too busy rummaging through the bag I'd taken. "Oh, fries! You remembered!"

"You're lucky I'm married to you," he grumbled, holding the door open for me as we headed back to the car.

"Lucky? You're the lucky one," I teased, popping a fry into my mouth.

Antonio just shook his head, muttering something I couldn't quite catch, but the smallest twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

"I wanna go to a beach and eat fries, papi!" I yelled out from the backseat, popping another fry into my mouth as I sprawled across Val and Koko's laps.

Malakai cackled from the driver's seat. "She's got her tourist era unlocked now."

"Beach at this hour?" Antonio muttered from the passenger seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you know how cold it'll be?"

"I don't care," I sang, dragging out the words. "Fries. Sand. Ocean. Now."

"Now, she says." Antonio turned slightly in his seat to glance back at me, his eyes heavy-lidded and irritated.

Koko nudged me with her elbow. "You're like a bratty little princess when you're drunk, huh?"

"She's like this sober too," Antonio muttered, lighting a cigarette and rolling down his window.

"And yet," I said, sitting up and leaning forward until my face was inches from his, "you married me anyway, papi."

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw his tongue press against the inside of his cheek. He turned back to the front without a word.

"Beach it is!" Malakai announced, swerving the car at the last second toward the exit for the coast.

The drive felt like chaos. Val and I kept reaching over Malakai's shoulders to mess with the playlist, screeching lyrics to old pop songs while Koko recorded it all for her Snapchat. Antonio was dead silent in the passenger seat, but every so often, I caught his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror, his gaze trailing over me like he was keeping tabs on every move I made.

"You're gonna get carsick," Antonio finally said, his voice low.

"I'm fine!" I yelled, throwing my hands up, one of them still clutching a fry. "I have an iron stomach, baby."

Koko burst out laughing. "Iron stomach? Didn't you puke in the sink last week?"

"Shhh!" I hissed, dramatically shoving a fry in her mouth.

The beach was almost deserted by the time we arrived. The moon reflected off the water, casting a faint silver glow over the sand. The air was crisp and cool, biting at my skin as we stumbled out of the car with the bags of food.

We spread out on the sand like we owned the place, shoes discarded and fries spilling out of their containers as we attacked the food like wild animals.

"Oh my God, this burger is orgasmic," Koko moaned, leaning back against Malakai as she took a giant bite.

"Same," Val said with her mouth full, ketchup smearing across her cheek.

"You're disgusting," Antonio muttered, sitting a little ways off from the group, eating his fries methodically, like he was too proper to join the chaos.

I crawled over to him on all fours, holding out a fry. "Here, Mr. Grumpy Pants. Live a little."

"I'm fine," he said, his eyes locked on the ocean.

"Fine?" I leaned closer, practically in his lap now. "You're sitting all stiff and broody over here while the rest of us are having the time of our lives."

"I'm enjoying the quiet," he said, his tone clipped, though his eyes flicked down briefly to where my chest was practically spilling out of my top.

"Oh, quiet?" I teased, tilting my head. "Then you must love me."

His jaw ticked, but he didn't reply. Instead, he reached up and brushed a stray piece of hair out of my face, his fingers lingering just a second too long.

"Eat your fries, Celine," he murmured, his voice lower than before.

I smirked, grabbing a fry and biting into it slowly, purposefully. "Whatever you say, papi."

The tension crackled between us like the waves crashing against the shore, and I could feel his eyes on me even as I slid back into the group's chaos. I knew I was playing with fire, but for some reason, I couldn't help myself.

I shoved three chicken tenders into my mouth with one hand as I tried to fix my boobs with the other. Since when did I have D-cup boobs that refused to stay put? It felt like they'd grown overnight just to spite me.

"I'll help," Val offered, shoving her burger in Koko's hands and tugging my top up, completely unbothered by my struggle.

"You both suck at this," Malakai said, wandering over with a smirk. Without asking, he adjusted the straps and tugged the fabric higher, his fingers brushing my skin.

"Thanks, Mom," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Antonio was sitting a few feet away, staring intently at the ocean like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. But I noticed the sharp line of his jaw, the way his fingers flexed against his knee when Malakai leaned closer.

"You're good," Malakai said, giving the top one last tug before stepping back.

Antonio's voice cut through the moment like a blade. "Maybe next time, wear something that actually fits you."

I turned my head toward him, a teasing smile tugging at my lips. "What, this doesn't fit your husband standards?"

His eyes flicked to mine, dark and unreadable. "It's not about me. It's about not needing half the beach to stare at you like you're up for grabs."

"Aw, are you jealous, papi?" I teased, tilting my head as I crossed the sand to stand in front of him.

He exhaled, the cigarette in his hand burning low. "You're drunk. Go finish your tenders."

"I am finishing them," I said, grabbing another from the bag and biting into it dramatically. "And you're avoiding the question."

"I'm not jealous."

"Sure you're not," I shot back, plopping down beside him. "But you didn't seem too thrilled when Malakai helped me out."

Antonio finally turned to face me, his gaze locking with mine. "Because you don't need him. You've got me."

The words hung in the air between us, heavier than I expected. My teasing smirk faltered for a second, caught off guard by the way he said it—not possessive, not angry. Just matter-of-fact.

"Then act like it," I said softly, my voice losing some of its bite.

His eyes flicked down to my lips for just a moment before he looked away again, grinding out his cigarette in the sand. "You're impossible."

"And you're stubborn."

The tension simmered between us as the others called out from a few feet away, their laughter echoing across the beach. Antonio sighed, brushing his hand down his face before standing.

"Come on," he said, holding his hand out to me. "You'll freeze if you sit out here all night."

I placed my hand in his, letting him pull me up. "You're lucky you're hot, papi."

"Lucky's not the word I'd use," he muttered, shaking his head as he led me back to the group.

The night settled over us, the ocean waves crashing against the shore as the remnants of our food lay scattered in the sand. Antonio sat a bit away, leaning back on his elbows, smoking and silently observing. The rest of us were slouched in a loose circle, a strange heaviness lingering in the air.

Malakai broke the silence with a sigh, brushing sand off his hands. "You know what? Sometimes, I feel like you guys just... don't get it. I'm always here, holding things together, keeping all of you from going completely off the rails, but no one ever asks if I'm okay. No one ever thinks about me."

Val turned to him, frowning. "What are you talking about? Of course, we care about you."

Malakai scoffed. "Do you? Or do you just assume I'll always be fine? That I'll always be the one to clean up your messes and make you laugh when things go to hell? I'm just... the background guy, right?"

"That's not true," Val said, her voice rising a bit. "You're being dramatic."

"No, I'm being honest," Malakai shot back. "You don't know what it's like to constantly feel like you're just there, making things easier for everyone else, and no one even noticing."

Val's jaw clenched, and she sat up straighter, crossing her arms. "You think I don't know what it's like to feel invisible? I have five sisters, Malakai. Five. And they all look exactly like me. I was nothing more and nothing less than one of them, and no matter what I did, I was never different enough to stand out. So yeah, I like attention now. I like feeling like someone sees me because I spent most of my life being just another face in the lineup."

Malakai blinked, the fight draining out of him a little as Val's words hung in the air.

"You wouldn't get that, though, would you, Koko?" Val turned her gaze to her, her tone sharper than usual. "You've been an only child for most of your life. You've never had to fight for space, for people to see you."

Koko stiffened, her expression hardening. "You think being an only child was easy? I didn't get to be a kid, Val. I had to be perfect, had to stay in line, had to be a fucking dog—speak only when spoken to. That's what it was like in my house. And when my little brother finally came along, it wasn't like things got better. I just became the babysitter, the second parent. You think I've had it so easy, but you don't know shit."

Val's mouth opened, but no words came out. For once, she looked stunned, her usual sharpness dulling as she stared at Koko.

The silence was deafening until all their eyes turned to me.

I tilted my head, smirking faintly. "What?"

"Nothing to add?" Malakai asked, raising a brow.

I shrugged, sitting up and crossing my legs. "I don't have a sob story. I don't give a fuck enough. I could go on and on about how my mother and I don't have a relationship. How the day I got my name as Taipan, I stopped being her daughter at thirteen. My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt."

No one said anything for a moment. The waves filled the silence as they all stared at me, but I didn't flinch.

"Celine..." Koko started, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

"Don't," I said, cutting her off. "I don't need sympathy. I don't want it."

Antonio's voice cut through the quiet from where he sat. "Enough of this. Let's go."

Everyone turned to him, his tone sharp but calm. He stood, brushing sand off his pants, and walked toward the car. We all slowly followed, the weight of what had been said settling like the tide receding back into the ocean.

Once we got home, everyone drifted to their rooms in a haze of exhaustion and alcohol. I practically ripped my clothes off and slipped into one of Antonio's oversized shirts. The fabric smelled faintly of him—cologne, cigarettes, and something warm that I couldn't quite place. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair before making my way downstairs to the kitchen.

The tension from earlier wasn't gone—it wasn't exactly tension anymore. It felt like a weight had been lifted, like we'd all pulled at each other's seams but somehow stitched things tighter. Still, there was an ache in the air that lingered.

I opened the fridge, the cold air brushing against my legs, and grabbed a tub of vanilla ice cream. The faint smell of weed wafted in from the den, and I knew immediately where Malakai was. Probably his 27th blunt of the night, knowing him.

"Can I come in?" I called softly from the doorway.

"Sure," he said, exhaling smoke through his nose.

I crouched down beside him on the couch, holding out the ice cream. "Vanilla?"

He glanced at the tub, then at me, his lips twitching into a lazy smirk. "You're really hard to stay mad at, you know that?"

"That's the weed talking, Kai." I grinned, cracking open the lid and handing him a spoon.

He scooped a bite, his expression softening as he leaned back. "You're not a monster," he said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"You're not invisible," I replied, matching his tone. "You were one of the first people I trusted when I got back home. You came with Val, she brought Koko, but you? You were always seen. Even on days when we couldn't stand each other, we still wanted you around."

"She's right," Val's voice cut in from the doorway. She walked in barefoot, her hair a mess, and flopped onto the couch beside Malakai. "We did."

"We're all fucked up," Malakai muttered, taking another hit from his blunt.

"We're fucked up together," I said, leaning my head against Val's shoulder.

Malakai exhaled a slow stream of smoke, staring up at the ceiling. "Crownies?"he asked,with a lazy grin.

We all grinned at the nickname we had received in high school for the amount of Crown Whiskey Koko would sneak in for us.

Val perked up. "Cro4L."

"Cro4L." I repeated, the corners of my lips lifting.

"Cro4L," Koko's voice rang out as she joined us, plopping onto the carpet with a bag of chips in hand. "Forever locked. Ride or die. All that shit."

We all laughed softly, our voices mixing with the hum of the night. Somehow, no matter how messy it all got, we'd always find our way back here. Together.

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i heard y'all complaining and asking bout Koko so I thought it'd be a great idea to show y'all how they friends and how Koko didn't get stomped on when she was giggling at Antonio. she's Val's cousin if y'all don't remember chapter 3 and and chapter 13 and it's like a love hate relationship with them but they all cozy and friendly AND I gave y'all some scenes with Antonio 🤭🤭 hope y'all like that there's more on the wayyy probs gonna be uploading a shit ton over the weekend so watch outt

but how did y'all like this chapter?? thank y'all so much for reading and commenting btw it means so much to me i love y'all!!

please remember to drink water today !!

- zio 🍸