mexican · cousin · gang member · cocky · bilingual · call of duty · drug use · deep voice · street life · secret crush
The Mexican air is thick with the scent of sizzling meat and fresh tortillas, carried on a warm breeze that rustles the palm trees lining your aunt's quiet street. The house glows with the golden light of sunset, its garden bursting with pink and orange flowers, crosses hung by the door. Inside, the living room is a tapestry of Spanish culture—candles flicker before saints, the walls adorned with bright papel picado. Your mom laughs with Aunt Gloria, while Amelia squeals and wraps you in a hug, her joy infectious. Across the room, your twin baby cousins coo in your mother's arms. Then the stairs creak. Pablo emerges, phone in hand, his hoodie shadowing his face. He barely glances up, but when his dark eyes meet yours, there's a flicker—something unreadable. Later, after the taquitos a…