Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 144: The Sleepover

The next day in the cafeteria, Nathan was pushing a piece of salad around his plate, his mind clearly elsewhere. He looked at Zane, who was now starting to eat his vegetables. He just smiled without saying anything.

"Zane...," Nathan started. "I was thinking... why don’t you come over to my house? After we finish our final assignment together, maybe we can play some games."

Zane paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked at Nathan intently, his eyes widening in disbelief. It was common knowledge that the Salazar mansion was a fortress, nobody ever stayed the night there unless their last name was Salazar. Maybe not even the president had ever been invited to sleep there.

"You sure?" Zane asked, his voice low. They had already planned to spend the night at his house.

"Yes," Nathan nodded. "Alex actually asked me to invite you to our house instead of me going out. What do you think? Can you sleep over? We have those new games I haven’t even touched yet."

Zane leaned back, considering it. The thought of being in Nathan’s private space was tempting, but the workload was daunting. "The assignment is pretty massive, Nate. I don’t think I can finish it in a single day, let alone find time to play games."

"But we have our days off this week," Nathan insisted, leaning forward. "Just tell your dad that you’ll be spending the week at my place."

Zane stared at him again. Then, a realization hit him. If he stayed at the mansion, there was a high chance he would run into Natasha. He was really curious about that woman. He really wanted to meet her and maybe ask her a little about his mother.

"My father will definitely be okay with it," Zane said, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "He knows your brother very well. It shouldn’t be a problem."

"Yes!" Nathan grinned, relieved.

Before they could discuss the details, Eli arrived, sliding his tray onto the table with a loud clatter. "What is it? I heard someone mention games. Are we talking about the new RPG?"

Nathan looked at Eli and smiled. "Zane is coming over for a sleepover this week."

"Ohhh..." Eli’s face fell into a look of dramatic despair. "I’m so envious! I want to play games too. My PC at home is basically a toaster."

"Do it with your own friends," Zane said. He had been looking forward to some semi-private time with Nathan. He didn’t want Eli to disturb their study session.

Eli pouted, looking genuinely dejected. Nathan, ever the soft-hearted one, couldn’t stand the sight of Eli looking so left out. He could imagine Eli would enjoy playing some games too. Hadn’t he once been very happy when Vale invited him to sleep over?

"You want to join, Eli?" Nathan asked. "But we’ll be staying for a few nights. Don’t you still have classes tomorrow?"

Eli looked happy, then shook his head vigorously. "No, there are no classes! We can come to school if we want to use the library, but attendance isn’t mandatory this week."

Nathan blinked in surprise. "Wait, everyone has the week off?"

"Actually," Eli explained, "the first and second grades don’t have formal classes most of the time until the final exams are finished. We just focus on our projects. Then we have the actual exams."

Nathan nodded. This school was certainly different from his previous one. "Okay, then. If you want, you can come. I can pick you up after Zane and I finish our study session at his house. But what about your part-time job?"

"Since I knew this week would be off, I took the morning shifts," Eli said, his eyes brightening. "I can just head to work straight from your place."

Nathan shrugged. "Well, it’s up to you."

Eli glanced at Zane, who was currently radiating an aura of pure annoyance. "But... is it really okay if I join? I don’t want to intrude."

"We’ll be busy, like I told you," Nathan warned. "We really need to finish this assignment. But you can play while we study."

Eli’s smile practically glowed. "Yay!"

It wasn’t just about the games for Eli; he was dying of curiosity to see the inside of the Salazar estate. It was like getting an invite to a royal banquet.

Just as the plan was settling, Gabriel appeared out of nowhere, hovering over the table with his usual confident air.

"Don’t you have another place to sit?" Zane growled, not even looking up. "Why do you always end up here?"

"Because Nathan is here, obviously," Gabriel replied smoothly. He ignored Zane and turned to Nathan with a charming smile. "Hi, Nate. How are you? I brought you some chocolate. The dark hazelnut kind you liked last time."

Zane’s hand shot out, snatching the chocolate bar before Nathan could touch it. "You give him chocolate every single day. He’s going to die because of you."

Gabriel’s expression soured. "What? What is your problem, Leinster? I gave it to Nathan, not you!"

"I’m not letting you give it to him," Zane retorted, placing the bar firmly on his side of the table.

"Why?" Gabriel snapped, leaning in. "You aren’t his father. Why are you acting so protective? Anyone would think you were his lover or something!"

The table went silent. Zane stiffened, the urge to shout the truth, that they were together, burning in his throat. He caught Nathan’s warning glance and forced himself to stay quiet. Everyone at school sensed something was going on between them, but the official confirmation remained a secret.

Gabriel snatched the chocolate back and handed it directly to Nathan.

Nathan sighed, feeling a headache starting to form. "Well, Gabo, I really don’t need chocolate every single day. I appreciate it, really, but thanks."

Zane didn’t miss the opportunity. He looked at Gabriel and mockingly stuck his tongue out, a petty gesture that looked ridiculous on someone as intense as him.

Gabriel ignored the provocation and sat down across from Nathan. "I heard you’re having a sleepover. Can I join too?"

Zane immediately turned his head. "No fucking way!"

Gabriel looked genuinely offended. "Why not? I always invite Nathan to my house. Why can’t I join him for once? Is the Salazar mansion a restricted zone?"

Nathan looked at the three of them: Zane fuming, Eli vibrating with excitement, and Gabriel looking expectant. If he said no to Gabriel now, the drama at school would never end.

"Just come," Nathan said with a resigned smile.

"Very good! I’ll tell my mom you invited me over!" Gabriel chirped with a victorious grin.

Zane slumped in his seat, wondering how his romantic, productive week had suddenly turned into a full-scale Salazar house party.

And Alexander was going to have a heart attack.

Nathan’s sleepover plan became a big problem at the mansion, and without the boy realizing it, Alexander had delegated the task of watching over Nathan while Zane was there. That meant either Roger, Malvin, Leo, or Lucas had to ensure Nathan’s purity until the sleepover was over.

But that night, Malvin was on duty first, looking confused by the number of teenagers Nathan had brought along. Not only Zane, but also one small boy and one giant boy.

"Well..." Malvin stared at the four of them entering the living room together.

Eli carried his bag while looking around in all directions. He was amazed by the building he had entered. The living room was like a ballroom with a high ceiling. He even saw paintings on the ceiling.

"Wow..." His mouth opened every time he looked at the beautiful things around him. It was like visiting a museum.

Gabriel was equally amazed, looking around with delight. Meanwhile, Zane, who had been there before, remained silent.

They then greeted Malvin and introduced themselves.

Nathan looked at Malvin. "I brought my friends to sleep over. I already told Alexander."

Malvin nodded, looking at the teenagers in front of him one by one. "Yes, Alexander told me about it. But I didn’t know you would bring so many friends. I’ll prepare some rooms then."

Nathan shook his head. "Please prepare more mattresses in my room. We don’t need another room."

Malvin looked hesitant. "Maybe they won’t be comfortable."

Eli immediately shook his head. "No, we’ll be fine. It’s better if we can spend the night together."

Malvin thought about it, then nodded. It would be better if they slept together so that the possibility of Nathan and Zane being alone together would be smaller.

As long as they didn’t plan to have an orgy, which was very unlikely considering Nathan’s innocent face.

That night, Eli sat tensely at the dinner table. He repeatedly stared at the chandelier next to the vase of flowers neatly arranged along the long table. The table resembled the one used for the annual banquet at school. But this time, it looked more luxurious and private.

Nathan was grateful that only Malvin and Nael had joined them. Gabriel easily lightened the mood with his often unscreened remarks.

Eli, who had been quite tense from the start, relaxed a little when Malvin started talking to him. In his opinion, the Salazars were not as scary as their image suggested. He looked at the handsome and friendly Malvin. Then the kind-hearted Nathan. He also knew the humble Nael.

But the sleepover did not end as happily as they had expected.