Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 120: Last Destination

Zane swallowed hard. "What are you saying? You... accept my feelings?"

"Yes! Obviously!" Nathan said, then lowered his voice, embarrassed, looking around to make sure they were alone.

Zane still stared in disbelief. His heart seemed to stop beating at that moment.

"Well, I thought you didn’t like it. I was afraid I might ruin our friendship," Zane admitted.

Nathan took a deep breath. He had been thinking all night and couldn’t sleep, while Zane was thinking about his answer. He didn’t know that the boy had been waiting for his reply.

"Sorry, I didn’t say it yesterday because I was... I was processing! But we’re together now. Which means," Nathan pointed a stern finger at the cigarettes, "don’t smoke anymore! Not at all! I’m not letting you ruin your lungs even more. I will not allow it, okay? I will be an asshole for you."

Zane sat there, completely stunned. The "weak, moody loner" internal monologue was suddenly silenced by the sheer force of Nathan’s bossiness. He felt a weird, fluttery warmth rising in his chest. "You’re serious?"

"Of course," Nathan said, busy crushing the remaining cigarettes in the pack before tossing them into a nearby trash can. He looked like a man on a mission. "I’m in charge of your health now, since you clearly can’t do it."

That wasn’t what Zane meant. "You’re serious about accepting my feelings?"

Nathan looked sharp now. "You don’t like it?"

Zane looked away, his face reddening. "Well, I was..."

Nathan looked back at Zane, his expression shifting from bossy to slightly shy, a deep red creeping up from his neck. He cleared his throat and stood a little taller.

"Anyway... since we’re officially lovers now... I want to be the top."

Zane, who had just taken a breath to finally speak, ended up choking on his own saliva. He coughed violently, his face turning bright red as he stared at Nathan in pure, unadulterated shock.

"W-what?" Zane finally wheezed out.

Nathan’s blush deepened until his ears were glowing. "I said I want to be the top. I thought about it all night."

Zane blinked, his mind racing through various adult definitions that Nathan, judging by his innocent expression, probably didn’t fully grasp. "Nathan... do you... do you even know what that means?"

"Yes!" Nathan said defiantly, crossing his arms over his chest. "It means I’m the one who decides things. And it means the top is the one who gives a lot of kisses. I want to be the one who gives them to you."

Zane stared at him. The sheer, wholesome innocence of the statement hit him like a freight train. He started to laugh, a real, genuine laugh that started in his chest and made his shoulders shake.

Nathan frowned. "What’s wrong?"

"Seriously?" Zane asked, his voice shaking with amusement and a sudden, overwhelming affection.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Nathan pouted, looking genuinely offended. "Is it because I’m shorter than you? That doesn’t matter!"

Zane stood up, his fear and insecurity completely evaporated. He stepped into Nathan’s space, looking down at the "top," who was currently blushing like a boiling shrimp.

"No, it’s not because you’re shorter," Zane whispered, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind Nathan’s ear. "If being the ’top’ means you’re going to give me a lot of kisses... then I guess I’ll just have to let you."

Nathan’s eyes widened, his bravery wavering for a second. "Serious?"

"Yeah," Zane smiled, a rare, beautiful expression that lit up his whole face. "But I might have to challenge you for the title every now and then."

Anyway, he was too happy that they were sharing the same feelings now.

"Do you want to go to Gabriel’s this weekend? They’ll have a barbecue again, I think," Nathan said.

Zane sighed. "Idk. I don’t like you being close to him."

Nathan frowned. "Why?" Then he realized something. "Oh, so you were being bitchy and ignoring me last time because you were jealous of Gabo?! Seriously?!"

Zane felt his face flush, but he admitted that he was jealous.

"I’m yours now. You shouldn’t be jealous anymore. I’m just happy to see Kim. It doesn’t mean I have feelings for Gabo," Nathan said. He needed to explain properly; he didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings because Zane was his current boyfriend.

Zane just looked down, then smiled slightly. "Sorry. I’ll try to compromise. Maybe I’ll come to accompany you. I don’t want him to touch you too much."

Nathan looked at Zane. "Well, it’s a bit weird to have someone so possessive of me."

Zane immediately looked at Nathan, his eyes widening with concern. "No, I’m not trying to control you. I just..."

Zane looked down, his hands restless. "Sorry... I’ll try to control myself."

Nathan smiled. "Gabriel is my friend. You are my lover now. Gabriel isn’t a bad kid, try to be nice to him, okay?"

Zane sighed. He never liked that kid, but he had to give in for Nathan’s sake. He nodded. "I’ll try."

The day went by pleasantly for the two people who were in love.

***

Meanwhile, on a cold Saturday night, Alexander was looking at several areas in Malta, just because Huan wanted to go there the following Sunday.

For their farewell.

He was the one who insisted, to be exact.

"You have to come with me. Just think of it as your retirement money," Alexander said. He knew Huan loved Malta so much. They had been there several times, and he wanted to capture those memories one last time before he blocked all meetings there.

He would never go there again.

Then he realized something. He hadn’t seen Huan since noon.

Alexander stepped through the heavy doors leading out to the study room. He scanned the entire mansion as he passed through.

The foyer was empty. Huan was nowhere to be found.

Then he called Jack.

"Where is Huan?" Alexander asked.

"He hasn’t returned since this afternoon," Jack replied, his tone neutral but his eyes observant, looking worried.

Alexander paused, his hand gripping the railing of the grand staircase. "It’s nearly midnight. Where did he go?"

"He mentioned he had errands to run," Jack said, following Alexander toward the study. "Preparations for his move. He said he needed to finalize some personal things at his house before his departure date."

Alexander scoffed, a sharp, bitter sound. "What is there to prepare? He has his clothes and his things. What else does he need to prepare?"

Jack remained silent for a beat too long. "I couldn’t say, Boss. He seemed focused."

Alexander let out a sharp sigh, his jaw tight. His hand moved toward the inner pocket of his jacket, where his phone sat, a heavy, silent weight.

He wanted to call. He wanted to demand to know which street Huan was on and why he wasn’t back in the house yet. To tell him that he was worried. So worried.

But pride, cold and jagged, held him back.

No, he thought. If he wants to leave, let him start now. He needs to get used to the silence.

"Fine," Alexander muttered, turning away. "Inform me when he comes back."

Miles away, in the middle of the road, there was the hum of tires on slippery asphalt and the rhythmic flicker of moonlight through snowy trees.

Huan drove steadily and slowly, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel. He daydreamed along the way. He stared at the black bag beside him, then took a deep breath.

His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.

Two sets of headlights. Black cars. They had been there since the last toll booth. They weren’t passing, and they weren’t falling back. They maintained a predatory distance, lurking in his blind spot like twin wolves.

He remembered Steven’s words. Be careful of Argonne.

Could they be Athena’s men?

Huan didn’t accelerate. He didn’t panic. He simply shifted his grip, feeling the cold leather of the wheel.

Suddenly, the roar of engines shattered the night.

The two cars surged forward with terrifying synchronization. One pulled into the left lane, the other stayed behind, pinning him. The car on his left began to veer inward, the screech of metal grazing metal sparking against the darkness.

"Shit!!" Huan gripped the wheel, his muscles coiling. He tried to brake, but the car behind him slammed into his bumper, a violent jolt that snapped his head back.

The car on his left surged ahead and then swerved sharply, cutting across his nose. Huan slammed on the brakes, the tires screaming in protest, but the car behind him didn’t stop.

It hit him at full speed, a calculated maneuver that sent Huan’s car into a sickening sideways slide.

The world tilted.

A heavy SUV, a third vehicle he hadn’t even seen, roared out from a side dirt road, aiming directly for his passenger side.

CRUNCH!

The impact was deafening. The glass of the side window exploded into a million diamond shards, spraying across the interior. The force of the hit sent Huan’s car spinning off the road, the headlights cutting wild, chaotic arcs through the trees.

Huan fought the wheel, his vision blurring, the smell of leaking gasoline and deployed airbags filling the cabin. The car tumbled, metal groaning and snapping as it rolled down the embankment.

One roll. Two. The world went upside down. Then a final, bone-jarring thud as the car landed on its roof in the hard snow.

Silence returned, thick and suffocating.

High up on the road, the black cars stopped. Doors opened. Heavy boots hit the gravel.

"Damn..."

Huan lay amidst the wreckage, blood trickling into his eye, his breathing shallow and ragged. His hand moved feebly toward the dashboard, trying to reach the phone.

But two people suddenly appeared and pulled him out of the car, leaving his phone behind.