Chapter 1: Dom

6 Months later

"I'm fucking bisexual.

Fuck, I didn't mean to say those words out loud. But seeing Matteo, well Matt now, standing in front of me holding hands with his boyfriend, getting ready to stand up against our parents, the words just tumble from my mouth. At this moment, I need him to know that I'll be by his side. I want to stay, want to be there for him, but he's begging me not to. He's telling me that he doesn't want me to witness what's going to happen. Matt's never looked like that before, so I reluctantly leave.

I pretend to go upstairs, but I pause when I get to the top, turning slightly. They have all gone into the living room to wait for Momma and Papa. I stand at the top step and wait, and the moment that I hear the key in the front door, I hide, but keep listening. When I'm sure they're in the living room with the others, I move to sit on the top step of the stairs.

Its surprising how voices carry in this house, and I can hear everything clearly but can't see what's happening. I think I can guess from the tone in Matt's voice. Momma and Papa do not like him being gay too well.

That's when it hits me fully. Matt is gay. I know that Trip was joking about all the men in the family being gay, but he's right. Me, Matt, G, Lorenzo and Marco. We're all queer, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. There have been all these men in my life who I could've turned to for help when I was discovering who I was, and it never once occurred to me to do that.

Its strange to suddenly hit your twenties and question everything about yourself. Okay, if I'm being honest, that's a lie. I've always felt different and knew that it wasn't just girls that I liked. Whether I was just too scared to actually admit it to myself, I have no idea. But, that all changed a year ago, because of him. He made me want things I didn't even know that I wanted.

When G came out a year ago, I was so proud of him. I knew Momma and Papa wouldn't take it well. Just watching their reactions to Lorenzo and Marco told us that, but I never expected them to go to the lengths that they did. Deliberately hurting G, and then stopping us from seeing him, our own brother. Now it looks like Matteo coming out to them is going the same way.

I can hear Trip standing up to Momma and Papa. Defending Matteo in a way I have never heard anyone do before. He must care for Matteo very deeply to be doing that. Suddenly, the room is silent for a moment. I shift in my spot, wanting to crane my neck to see what is going on, but I know that it would be useless from this angle. Then I hear Momma exclaim that Trip hit Papa, and God I wish I was in that room with them.

Momma and Papa have openly disowned both G and Matteo now, which means that they're sure to do the same to me. I can maybe hope that because I'm bi they'll give me some leeway, or that I'll meet a girl, and everything will be okay. But I don't see that happening. My parents' views are tearing this family apart, and I have no idea where I am going to fit in.

Finally, I hear Papa tell them to leave, and I get up from my spot on the stairs and quickly walk to my room. Laying on the bed, I pull out my phone and pretend to be looking at it just in case Momma or Papa come up to my room.

"Domenico," I hear Momma shouting instead. "Are you home?"

"Yeah, Momma," I yell back.

"Can you please come downstairs? Papa and I need to talk to you."

"On my way," I shout back while getting off the bed. I quickly change into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, trying to give the illusion that I've been home awhile and wasn't just listening to them from the top of the stairs.

"Momma," I say as I get to the bottom of the stairs, again pretending that I have no idea they are in the living room.

"In here," Momma replies, and I make my way over to them.

"Hey."

"Have you been home long?" Momma asks

"A while," I lied.

"Did you know that Matteo was here?" Momma asks.

"Matteo was here?" I ask, trying to add as much surprise to my voice as I can, I say, "No, I had my headphones on in my room. Where is he?" I ask, pretending to look around the room for him. I have never acted this good in my life, but Momma seems to be fooled.

"He's gone," Momma replies, and there is a note of something in her voice I can't place.

"Gone where? Isn't he coming home?" I ask, thinking this is the right thing to ask in this situation.

"No, Matteo isn't coming home," Papa states. "And you are no longer permitted to talk to him."

I had a feeling that this was coming, but it shocks me all the same.

"Why?" I ask.

"Your brother has been corrupted," Momma states.

"Corrupted?"

"Yes," Momma says, looking over at me. "Matteo is a homo..." but I can see that she is struggling to say the word, and a small part of me wants to help her, but I also want to make her say the word.

"A what, Momma?" I ask, giving her what I hope is an encouraging smile.

"Homosexual," Momma spits out.

I pretend to burst out laughing and say, "Momma, Matteo? No. Wasn't he involved in the Giovanni thing last year?"

"Yes," Papa replies. "This is why we know he has been corrupted and you are to stay away from him. Alessia will be told the same."

"Papa! Corrupted? Really? By whom?" I ask, not sure why I am still playing along.

"Giovanni, probably," Papa snaps back.

"Giovanni isn't going to corrupt Matteo. After what happened last year they don't even talk." I know this is going to fall on deaf ears. Momma and Papa aren't going to listen to a single thing I say.

"Domenico. Please. Do not argue with me on this. You are not to see Matteo or Giovanni and that is final," Papa tells me.

I can no longer keep my act up. I defied them when they asked me not to see G. There was no way that I was going to stop seeing my brother, and the same applies now. The only difference is that I am not going to hide it. They can hate my brothers, but they will always be my brothers.

"No," I state firmly.

"Excuse me?" Momma asks, shock written all over her face.

"I won't stop seeing him or Giovanni," I tell them. "They are my brothers. I don't care who they love, and you are not going to keep me from seeing them."

"Domenico, what on earth has gotten into you?" Momma asks.

"Momma, I know that you disapprove of them, but I don't, and I want my brothers in my life. You don't have to like it, but I am still going to see them."

"Domenico," Momma says and goes over to a chair to sit down.

"Domenico," Papa states. "This isn't a request. You are not to see Giovanni or Matteo."

"Papa, no. I will not stop seeing them. Alessia will feel the same. Are you prepared to lose all of your children? Because that's what will happen if you hurt us like this."

"Ernesto," Momma states. "Remember what Lorenzo said."

Lorenzo? What did I miss? Why did I stop paying attention to the conversation? If the expressions on their faces are any indication, whatever Lorenzo said scared Momma and Papa.

"What does Lorenzo have to do with all of this?" I ask, hoping they'll tell me, but thinking that they won't.

"Lorenzo pointed something out with the paperwork linked to the restaurant," Papa states. Now the surprise on my face is genuine as I look at them.

"Fine," Papa finally states. "You have permission to keep seeing them, but we do not want to know when or where."

I know that they want me to thank them for granting me permission to see G and Matt, but that's not going to happen. Permission or not, I was seeing them.

"Okay," is what I say instead.

Momma nods her head and I know the conversation is over. "How was your camping trip?" she asks.

How was my camping trip? If they only knew how loaded that question was. It may have been the best camping trip of my life, I think, as the image of my dick sliding in and out of someones mouth pops unaided into my mind.

"Good," I managed to get out without giving myself away.

"You never mentioned who you were going with," Momma says. She's fishing for information, but it's information that I'm not going to give her. Especially after the events of this evening.

"Oh, it ended up being a group of us," I tell her, and mentally cross my fingers that she's not going to ask any more questions.

"Oh, that's nice," Momma replies. "Maybe we can meet some of them soon."

No Momma, you are not going to meet who I went camping with, are the words that flash through my mind, but what I actually say is, "Maybe," before faking a yawn. "Sorry, the hard ground didn't make for the best sleep. I'm going to go up to bed."

It's really early for me to be going to bed, but I need to get away from my parents, I need to have my space. I need to think over everything that has happened tonight, and what it means for my future. Matteo and the others now know that I'm bisexual. Are they suddenly going to want to get involved in my love life? That is when it hits me that I'm going to need to tell a certain someone what happened tonight.

Getting to my room, I take my place back on the bed and pull out my cell, opening up our text conversation.

gt;Hey. Came home to Matteo being here.

Hitting send, I keep looking at the screen, and within seconds I see bubbles appear in the corner letting me know that he's replying.

gt;Really? Did he say where he's been?

gt;Not really. He looked good, better than I have seen him in years, but there is something else.

I reply to him, not sure if I should be outing my own brother, but knowing that I need to talk to someone about this evening.

gt;What?

gt;He came home with his boyfriend.

gt;Shit. I did not expect to read that.

gt;Me neither.

Because I really didn't. Of all the things I thought had happened to Matteo over the last week, him meeting and falling in love with a man wasn't on the list. But I also know that I need to explain that I came out too. Taking a deep breath, I pause for a moment, I'm not sure how he's going to react. It wasn't part of our plan. We don't necessarily want to keep our relationship secret; we just want to keep it private.

gt;I came out to Matteo and G.

I keep looking at my cell. I watch as the message is delivered and read, but then nothing. The bubbles appear to let me know that he's writing, only to disappear again. Finally, I get a message back. Two words.

gt;Call me!

Shit. Is this good or bad? How angry is he going to be that I went against our plan?

Scrolling through my contacts, I see his name and hit call. It only rings once before we're connected.

"Hey."

"You okay?" he asks. I can hear the edge of concern in his voice.

"Good question." Am I okay? A lot has happened this evening. Hell, a lot has happened this year, let alone today. I have to admit, G coming out last year never surprised me. I think that I always knew deep down. G never talked about girls, never brought one home. What did surprise me was seeing Matteo today, and hearing his news. My family dynamic has shifted in ways that I never thought was possible.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asks.

Taking a deep breath, I tell him the story of what happened when I came home. How Matteo had wanted to shield me from the events that were about to unfold, and how I knew that I needed to be there. That my future depended on it too. I explained that Matteo hadn't understood why I wanted to stay until I blurted out that I was bisexual.

"Fuck," comes a rushed response down the line. "What happened next? Did Matteo let you stay?"

"No," I explain. "Matteo was determined to protect me. I have never seen him that passionate about anything, so I agreed. I left."

"You left?"

"Well, I moved to the top of the stairs, pretending to go to my room, and then sat and listened," I say, and hear the chuckle down the line, causing a smile to spread across my face.

"I had a feeling you would listen somehow. So, what happened next?"

"Matteo stood up for himself," I answered. "It was amazing, and his boyfriend, Trip, stood up for Matteo too. Lets just say at one point I think even Frank was impressed. But the best thing that happened? I'm pretty sure Trip punched Papa in the face."

There is another chuckle down the line. "Really? I would have loved to have seen your dad's face after that."

"Me too, but everyone was told to leave after it happened, and I quickly moved from my spot. I didn't want to be seen, so I have no idea how it ended. Would you believe that Momma called me down and told me I can't see Matteo now?" I ask.

"Seriously? They are still pulling that shit?"

"Yep."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I kinda told them I wouldn't be listening to them. I am just so sick of their shit. How on earth do they think it's right to tell me that I can't see my brothers?" I ask, feeling the anger beginning to fill my veins. Anger that has been lying dormant for too long.

My outburst is met with silence. Well, there is nothing more that can be said.

"Come over," he says.

"What? Now?" I ask, confirming that I heard him right.

"Yeah. You need to get out of that house. Come over and stay."

"I just got back," I say with a chuckle.

"I know, but I think it's best for you to get out of that atmosphere."

"But, I really need to see Alessia," I responded, even though I'm already getting up.

"Text her and warn her about your parents. They're going to talk to her anyway."

The thought of leaving this house and getting away from my parents is just too damn tempting, so, "On my way," is my response.

Picking up a small bag, I quickly throw some clothes in and grab my phone charger. I change out of my sweats into some jeans and a clean shirt before I head out the door and back downstairs.

Momma and Papa are still in the living room, just sitting in silence. I would love to think that they're thinking back over the evening and reconsidering everything that happened, but they really don't think they've done anything wrong.

"Momma and Papa," I say to get their attention. They both look up at me, and I have to bite my lip to stop the smile from showing when I see discoloration starting to appear on Papas cheek. By tomorrow he is sure to have a black eye, and I make a mental note to thank Trip next time I see him.

"Domenico?" Momma questions when she sees my bag.

"I'm going to stay with a friend," I tell them.

"No. You need to stay. We need you here when Alessia gets home," Papa says to me.

"Papa, I wasn't asking permission," I respond as I pick up my bag. "Oh, and if you think Alessia is going to side with you, and agree not to see Giovanni and Matteo again, you're wrong."

I turn to walk out the door, but I pause and look back at them. For too long this family has never stood up to Momma and Papa and their backward ideas. All of us think it's easier to turn a blind eye than to challenge them.

"Tonight," I say, looking first at Momma and then at Papa, "should be a lesson to you." Pausing for a moment before continuing, I say, "A year ago you were happy to lose Giovanni, but look whats happened. Now you've lost Matteo too. You taught us that family is everything, yet you've turned your back on yours, and if you aren't careful, you'll lose me and Alessia too. We don't care if Giovanni and Matteo are gay. We just care that they are happy."

Both their eyes widen in surprise, but before they have a chance to answer me, I walk out the door. At this moment, I have no desire to hear what they are going to say to me.

Out on the sidewalk, I take a deep breath, finally allowing myself to relax for the first time since seeing Matteo. But, I also admit to myself, I am relieved that I came out, especially to Matteo and Giovanni; I know that they're going to accept me, regardless of who I am in a relationship with.

Thirty minutes later I am pushing the buzzer to be let in. I considered taking a cab to get here sooner, but decided that a walk would be better for me and my bank balance. The door buzzes and I push it open, walk inside, and make my way over to the elevator. I press the call button and wait, rocking back and forth on my heels.

I have been here so often over the last few months, that even some of the neighbors recognize me when I leave. Just giving me the nod hello or goodbye or the ‘nice day'. This place has been my escape from home. The place I know I can be me, and its freeing.

The elevator arrives and I get in, pushing the button for the second floor, and I can feel the smile already spreading across my face. I know this is crazy, considering we were together only a few hours ago, but everything feels right with him. The elevator dings when I arrive on his floor. Within a matter of steps, I'm outside the apartment. Lifting my hand, I knock on the door, which instantly flies open. A hand reaches out and grabs my shirt, pulling me forward.

I stumble into the apartment and the door quickly closes behind me. Next thing I know I'm being pushed up against the door and his lips connect with mine in a searing, demanding kiss. I yelp in surprise before returning the kiss. Our tongues twist and dance together. Our bodies are pressed together, and I can feel myself getting hard with the intensity of the kiss.

Finally, we break apart, both of us breathing hard.

"I am so proud of you," he gasps.

These aren't the words I was expecting to hear, but I love hearing them, and can't help but pull him into another kiss, my arms wrapping around him. The relief that he's okay with me coming out is overwhelming.

"I missed you," he says.

"You just spent all weekend with me," I tell him teasingly, but I can feel the smile on my face.

"And?"

"How can you miss me already?" I ask, enjoying myself way too much.

"Well, if you didn't miss me..." he says, and turns as if to walk away.

"Hey, I didn't say that!" I exclaim. I reach out, taking hold of his hand, and pull him back into me, sealing his protest with another kiss. When we come up for air I tell him, "I missed you too, Danil."