Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 90: His Giant Protector

That afternoon, after a minor argument, Zane finally gave in and followed Nathan to the cafeteria, something he had strongly opposed until now.

"I don’t see why we can’t just eat in the classroom," Zane muttered, adjusting his blazer.

"Because you need human interaction, Zane," Nathan joked, though he was mostly just trying to keep his own spirits up.

They were halfway through the main corridor when the air seemed to shift. A shadow loomed over them, and before Nathan could blink, Gabriel appeared like a wall of muscle, flanked by his two friends, Andy and Ivan. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Zane stopped dead, his face twisting into a scowl. "Really? You don’t have anything better to do? Why do you keep annoying us?!"

Gabriel didn’t even glance at Zane. His focus was entirely on Nathan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold-wrapped bar of Swiss chocolate, holding it out like an offering. "Sorry to disappoint you, Zane, but I only came for Nathan."

Zane rolled his eyes so hard he nearly stumbled. "You’re going to kill him with diabetes, idiot."

Gabriel ignored the comment, looking pleased with himself. He was about to turn and leave when Nathan pushed the chocolate back toward him.

"Please, don’t give me anything else," Nathan said, his voice firm but tired. "You don’t owe me anything!"

Gabriel paused. He looked down at Nathan, his expression softening into something uncharacteristically gentle, almost pitying. He stared for a long beat, his eyes scanning Nathan’s face as if he were looking at a rare, breakable doll.

"Look at you," Gabriel whispered. "So cute, so fragile, so small... and I was actually about to punch you. Twice. What a monster I am!"

Before Nathan could react, Gabriel reached out and pinched Nathan’s cheek with two massive fingers.

"Get off!" Nathan hissed, swatting Gabriel’s hand away, his face flushing with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. "Don’t do that!"

"I promise I will protect you," Gabriel said, his voice booming with a new sense of purpose. "I didn’t know you were from an orphanage... whatever the reason was, it doesn’t matter. I’m on your side now, Nathan!"

Nathan let out a long, frustrated sigh. "What is the problem with where I came from?! Why does everyone keep bringing it up?"

"It’s not a problem," Gabriel clarified, looking entirely too serious. "But I should protect the weak ones."

"Damn! You make me feel even worse!" Nathan snapped, throwing his hands up. "I’m not that weak, Gabriel! Forget it! Don’t come around anymore, I don’t need your ’repayment’!"

Nathan spun on his heel and kept walking, Zane trailing beside him with a smug, I-told-you-so look. But Gabriel wasn’t deterred. He fell into step right behind them, his large frame creating a human shield that forced other students to scatter out of their way.

"Hey, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings," Gabriel said, leaning over Nathan’s shoulder. "Are you angry?"

"No! But please, stop it! You’re making me uncomfortable!"

Gabriel glanced at Zane, then back at Nathan. "But you let him stay near you. Why can’t I?"

Nathan rubbed his temples. "We’re just going to eat, Gabriel. Just eat."

"Okay, then I’ll eat with you," Gabriel announced.

"No!" both Nathan and Zane said in unison.

It didn’t matter. Gabriel followed them all the way into the cafeteria, hovering behind them like a giant, over-eager bodyguard. Even as they sat down, Gabriel pulled up a chair, while Andy and Ivan hovered nearby, looking confused.

"So," Gabriel said, leaning his elbows on the table and making it creak. "Do you want to come over next Tuesday? My mom asked me to invite you."

Nathan thought quickly. "No, I can’t. I have lessons with Zane."

Gabriel tilted his head. "What is it about?"

"I have a lot to catch up on before the finals," Nathan explained. "I need to study harder. I only got a six on my French exam."

Gabriel’s jaw dropped. "A six! Wow! I only got a 5.5. But hey, at least I passed the minimum!"

Zane shook his head, looking unimpressed. "Empty head," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that, Leinster?" Gabriel glared at Zane for a second before turning back to Nathan with a grin. "Don’t worry about it, Nathan. You don’t need high grades as long as you’re a Salazar. After school, you’ll already have a mountain of money. Why suffer so much?"

Nathan looked up, his expression hardening. "I can’t rely on them. I want to stand on my own two feet."

Gabriel actually looked impressed for a moment, nodding slowly. "That’s good. Respect. How about coming over today, then? We can play video games. My father got me a new set last week."

"Why do you never invite us?!" Ivan complained from the sidelines.

"What? You broke my last controller!" Gabriel barked back without looking at them. "Anyway, you guys are over every week. Why do I need to invite you?"

"I have things to do today," Nathan said, carefully avoiding Zane’s gaze. He didn’t want to mention the car race and have Gabriel try to tag along for that, too.

"Study again?" Gabriel asked.

"No, I’m going with Zane."

The mention of Zane’s name made Gabriel’s eyes narrow with suspicion. "Wait, you’re hanging out with him but not me? I’ll join you, then. Where are you going?"

Zane leaned forward, a cold, sharp smile on his face. "Nope. You’re not invited, Meathead."

Gabriel looked like he was about to start a wrestling match right there on the cafeteria floor, while Nathan just lowered his head, wondering if he’d ever have a normal lunch again.

Eli came over, insisting on serving them.

Gabriel was not only loud, but he also talked a lot. It really annoyed Zane. It was not uncommon for them to end up arguing over even the smallest things.

Eli bowed his head and ate his food in silence. He was wary of Zane, but he was even more afraid of Gabriel, and here he was, stuck between the two most avoided creatures of the year.

Nathan just ate his food, trying to keep things under control. Because those two humans were there for him.

After lunch, Nathan was a little distracted, thinking about what he should say to Louis later. He felt slightly anxious, and that made him tense during the last class.