Leave Me Alone, Big Brothers! [BL]-Chapter 50: The Lock Hill

Chapter 50: The Lock Hill
New Year’s Eve
The chaos was palpable. Instead of a sleek yacht or a private island party, the Salazar brothers found themselves in a traffic jam leading up to the public hill, crammed into a large black SUV.
"This is humiliating," Roger complained, adjusting his silk shirt under the fur jacket. "I should be drinking champagne in a jacuzzi right now. Instead, I’m smelling exhaust fumes and desperation."
Alexander held his head, he had never been in a traffic jam like this before. Unfortunately, the terrain at Lock Hill did not allow for helicopter landing. And in order to avoid them scattering, they finally chose to use the car.
At times like this, they dismissed all staff except for Huan. So Alexander was responsible for driving at the moment. Huan repeatedly offered to drive, but the man insisted, and now he seemed to regret it.
"Why did they all go out at the same time?" he snapped from the driver’s seat. He was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. "Nathan, do you see him?"
Nathan sat in the middle, arms crossed, fuming. Who could refuse Alexander’s offer to take him to see Vale?
Nathan looked around, searching for Vale. The place was packed and very noisy.
"Can I go myself?" Nathan asked.
"No," Alexander replied, grumbling again at how crowded the place was. Teens were shouting from all directions, running around, laughing. It was real chaos.
"You guys are psychopaths. All of you," Nathan grumbled.
"We’re protective," Lucas corrected, checking his watch. "My girlfriend is going to kill me for being late, so this Vale better show up soon."
When they finally reached the drop-off point, Alexander insisted on walking Nathan to the meeting spot. The brothers formed a phalanx around him, Alexander looking like a hitman, Roger looking like a bored celebrity, and Malvin looking like a worried mother hen.
"There," Nathan pointed to a bench near the edge of the hill, where the view of the city lights was best. "That’s him."
The brothers squinted. Leaning against the railing was a tall boy with messy hair, wearing a worn-out fur jacket and ripped jeans that reveal thick pants underneath. Looking like the definition of "bad news" in Alexander’s eyes.
Nathan took a deep breath. Vale never wore clothes like that. Why today?
"He looks like he steals car radios," Roger whispered.
"Don’t you dare talk like that about my friend!" Nathan snapped angrily.
Alexander’s jaw tightened. "Stay here."
Nathan didn’t care. He ran ahead, eager to escape his brothers. "Vale!"
The boy turned around and grinned. "Nat! Finally! I thought you bailed. I’m waiting for Gerry."
They did a complicated handshake that involved a fist bump and a shoulder check. Alexander watched like a hawk, analyzing every micro-expression. Is that a romantic touch? Is he looking at Nathan with lust?
Alexander marched forward, his brothers trailing behind.
"Nathan," Alexander announced his presence, his shadow looming over the two boys.
Vale looked up, surprised. His eyes widened as he took in the expensive suits and the intimidating aura.
"Uh, Nat? Who are the Men in Black Coats?" Vale asked, taking a step back.
"My brothers, from the family who adopted me," Nathan groaned, covering his face. "Ignore them. They’re leaving."
"We are not," Alexander said coldly. He stared Vale down. "So, you are Vale."
"Yeah..." Vale shifted uncomfortably. He stared at Nathan’s adoptive brothers, who looked exactly like the boy. Were they really his adoptive family?
Roger snorted in the background. Alexander didn’t blink. "You chose a very romantic spot for a meeting, Vale."
Vale looked confused. "Romantic? It’s just free. And the fireworks look cool from here."
"Right," Alexander said, stepping closer. "Listen to me. Nathan is naive. If you have any intentions that are... inappropriate, or if you plan to drag him into trouble—"
"Babe! Over here!"
A voice cut through Alexander’s threat.
A tall, muscular and young guy with a buzz cut walked out of the crowd, carrying two large sodas and a bag of roasted corn. He walked straight up to Vale and wrapped a possessive arm around Vale’s waist.
"Sorry I took so long, the line was insane," the new guy said, kissing Vale on the cheek.
The Salazar brothers froze.
Vale smiled at the guy, then looked back at Alexander. "Oh, sorry. This is Gerry. My boyfriend."
Silence.
Absolute, deafening silence fell over the brothers.
Roger’s jaw dropped. Malvin blinked rapidly. Lucas choked on air.
Alexander, for the first time in years, looked completely dumbfounded. He looked at Vale, then at the muscular boyfriend, and finally at Nathan.
Nathan was standing there, looking awkward. "Yeah... I told you Vale was bringing Gerry. I’m literally just the third wheel tonight because Gerry has a car and promised to drive me home."
He thought his brothers would be satisfied and let him enjoy the night. It seemed Alexander wasn’t sure about Vale. So they kept following, albeit from a distance.
Vale and Gerry looked at each other.
Nathan grinned sheepishly. "I’m sorry, please just ignore them," he said.
Gerry smiled, luckily the boy was very friendly. "No problem, they’re probably worried about you."
But their fancy appearance really attracted attention, even though they tried not to be seen while monitoring Nathan.
Vale didn’t want his best friend to feel bad. "Hey, we have to enjoy tonight, the last night of the year."
Nathan nodded. He was used to Vale giving him snacks and drinks, but today he wanted to buy them both food and drinks.
"Let me buy you food," said Nathan. Gerry had already brought snacks, but they never refused snacks and food, of course.
Vale hugged Nathan, chatting unconsciously as he accompanied them to the grilled corn seller. Steam billowed every time they laughed.
Alexander watched their every move. He couldn’t stay still, so he walked calmly toward the grilled corn seller, pulling Nathan aside to make him the mediator between them.
Nathan stared sharply. "What? What are you doing?"
"I need food too," he replied. And he ended up buying a lot of food for Nathan and Vale, as well as Gerry. His other siblings didn’t miss out, making the grilled corn area even more crowded.
Lucas had left earlier.
Nathan was annoyed, but Gerry and Vale seemed to be having fun. They were easygoing, easy to get along with new people.
They even shouted in disbelief when Huan came up from below carrying a box of fireworks. Breathless, he put the box on the snowy ground.
And that night, Lock Hill got an extra show that wouldn’t happen every year.
The visitors were stunned by the shower of fireworks. Usually, they were there to watch from a distance because the view was beautiful from above. But on this particular night, they were lucky to see a variety of fireworks up close.
Nathan momentarily forgot his annoyance when he saw that everyone else was having fun.
Huan continued to light the fireworks, which seemed endless.
Happy New Year!!
Nathan stared at the vibrant fireworks in the sky, hoping that next year his life would be better. Don’t let his life be like those fireworks, which are only beautiful for a moment.
"Give me a spark that will never fade," Nathan pleaded.
Alexander hugged him from behind, startling Nathan.
"Happy?"
Nathan immediately remembered that he should still be upset. But he didn’t want to ruin the night.
"Well, those are beautiful fireworks."