13 Years Before
The reflection of color from the stained glass windows reflected on his face and fingers. The colors danced on his hands as they fidgeted in his lap. He could hear the drone of the homily vaguely, but wasn't picking up on the message. He looked around at the faces of the other church goers. All politely quiet and watching the priest with rapt attention. His focus then drifted to Lovino, who just seemed to fit into his religious world as smoothly as everyone else. He seemed deeply enraptured by what was being said. He continued to let his eyes wander over the congregation until he locked eyes with a boy a year or two older than him. His auburn curls fell loosely over his freckled forehead. Green eyes peeking through the loose strands as he broke a smile at Feliciano. Feliciano smiled back, relieved that someone else felt just as lost and out of place in this building as he did.
He was abruptly brought out of his reverie when he felt a sharp smack to the back of his head. He looked up to find his father giving him a glare that would have had the devil himself shaking.
"Pay attention," his father hissed, then turned his eyes to the front of the room. Feliciano sighed, and quickly stole a glance of the boy again, who was seemingly trying to hide a laugh at Feliciano's expense.
Feliciano cracked a small smile and looked back to the front of the room.
What felt like an eternity finally ceased after 3 to 4 more stand ups, sit downs, kneels and 'Amens'. They started to file out of the room when his father grabbed both boys shoulders and bent down to speak from behind them.
"You boys go on ahead, I have to speak to Giovanni before we leave today," he patted his boys on the shoulder and left them to attempt to get through the mass of bodies on the way to the exit.
"Another boring sermon about sin and damnation," Feliciano sighed.
"Hush, you obviously weren't listening," Lovino rolled his eyes and grabbed Feliciano wrist so as not to lose him in the crowd.
"No, you're right, I wasn't," Feliciano conceded and attempted to find the boy in the crowd with no luck.
"Maybe if you started listening, you'd start behaving a bit more," Lovino teased him half heartedly.
"Or, maybe if it wasn't so boring I would actually care to listen," Feliciano challenged, with his eyes still wandering around the room.
"Who are you looking for?" Lovino asked with narrowed eyes, finally noticing his brother's searching.
"No one," Feliciano sighed and followed his brother out the door.
The sunshine hit Feliciano in a wave of warmth that set his body at ease. The stuffy nave could never compare to the feeling of the outdoors. Lovino let go of his wrist as they both stood off to the side to wait for their father.
Feliciano's eyes caught a mop of auburn hair in the crowd spilling out of the church, and smiled as the boy turned and saw him. Lovino's eyebrow raised as he followed his brother's stare.
"Who is that?" Feliciano asked with part curiosity, part suspicion.
"I don't know, we just met today," Feliciano continued to smile, his eyes falling to the rest of the boy as he walked over to them. As he came closer Feliciano noticed his dark green eyes bore into him. As he parted the crowd to let him through he noticed the boy's forearms, the sleeves of his button down shirt were rolled up to the elbows. The boy finally stood in front of them, only an inch or two taller than the brothers.
"Hey," the boy winked, his focus mainly on Feliciano, while occasionally looking at Lovino as well.
"Hey," Feliciano mirrored back. He could vaguely make out his brother looking back and forth between the two, while crossing his arms and waiting for some sort of explanation as to who this guy is.
"And you are?" Lovino finally cut in, impatience dripping from his tone.
The boy thrust out his hand and held it out to Lovino, and then Feliciano. "I'm Dante," he smiled, the dimple in his cheek creating a small shadow that winked a few of his freckles out of sight.
"Feliciano," he said, staring into his eyes.
"Lovino," his brother muttered. "I thought you said you met him already," Lovino questioned.
"Well… not really met. I just saw him in the pews," Feliciano flushed and looked down at the ground, trying to hide the heat in his cheeks.
"Did you find this mass as boring as I did today?" Giovanni's dimple appeared again, directing his attention to Feliciano.
"Yeah… super boring," Feliciano agreed, shifting his attention from his shoes back to Giovanni's dimple.
There was a long standing silence where all that could be heard was the murmuring of the crowd spreading out to their cars in the parking lot.
"Well as exciting as this conversation has been… let's go wait for Dad in the car," Lovino grabbed Feliciano's wrist again and started dragging him in the direction of the parking lot.
"It was nice to meet you!" Feliciano yelled, struggling to break free of his brother's hold on his arm.
"You too," Giovanni's smile widened as he watched them go.
"Ugh, what's your problem?" Feliciano groaned as he finally freed his wrist and stood by the car door.
"I don't know, what's your problem?" Lovino bit back. "You're acting like you were talking to a girl or something," Lovino screwed up his face in disgust at the idea and looked back at the church doors.
"I already told you I-"
"No, I don't want to hear it. You're just confused," Lovino cut him off in exasperation.
"I'm not confused! I just like both girls and guys, that's all-"
"Hush! If you don't lower your voice someone will hear you," Lovino lowered his voice to a whisper and looked around desperately hoping someone wouldn't hear.
"I don't care if someone hears, don't you get it?!" Feliciano shouted.
A few church-goers lingering in the parking lot looked around in curiosity and Lovino's eyes widened in panic.
"And if Dad knows? Then what?" Lovino snapped, watching his father's figure walk out of the doors of the church in the distance.
"Dad… that's different," Feliciano's back was turned away from the doors of the church with his hand running through his hair in thought.
"Then shut up, he is on his way here," Lovino whispered as his father approached. Feliciano's eyes widened in surprise and turned around to see him only a few strides away.
"What do you say we all go out for breakfast this morning?" His father smiled at the boys and brought them in for a small hug.
"Sure!" Lovino smiled and turned to Feliciano. To anyone but his brother, Feliciano may have seemed at ease, but Lovino could catch the turmoil behind his eyes at keeping his secret from their father.
They all got into the car, with only a minor argument about who would get the front seat. After it was settled Feliciano settled into the back seat and spotted Giovanni once again out the window. He seemed to be helping his grandmother into their car. As if he felt him staring, Giovanni looked up and met eyes with Feliciano once again. He gave a small wave, and Feliciano waved back.
"I don't like that new boy at the church," his father cut into his reverie like a knife.
"W-who?" Feliciano stammered as the car pulled onto the street and sped farther away from the church.
"That red-headed boy. I've heard some things about him and his family… I don't like it. I can't believe the church allowed them in to begin with," his father scoffed as he waited at the red light, and met eyes with Feliciano in the rearview mirror.
"What's wrong with them?" Lovino asked.
"I've heard that the boy isn't right in the head. He's a faggot," his father spat and looked back out at the road when the light turned green.
"Dad that's not a nice word," Feliciano piped up, but immediately regretted his words once they were out.
"That's what they are… it's against human nature. It's against God. I want you boys to stay away from him and the rest of their family," his father commanded and met eyes with Feliciano once again in the mirror. "Do you hear me Feliciano?"
"Yes…" Feliciano sighed and looked out the window. There was a knot tying up in his stomach that felt like it was weighing him down into the seat.
They pulled into the parking lot of the breakfast spot, and his father put the car in park. "Now let's go enjoy breakfast," his father smiled and his entire demeanor changed.
The thought of food made Feliciano's stomach churn, but he attempted to shake the feeling off and open up his door.