I'm Yours {Sequel to Make Me}

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Ludwig was reading a book on the couch when he felt a small hand on his arm. He looked down to see Ciana staring up at him.

"I have a question." She announced.

"What would you like to ask me, bella*?" He asked, the Italian foreign on his tongue.

"Are you and Uncle Feli getting married?" The little girl asked, her voice full of curiosity.

"Yes. We don't know when but we are getting married." Ludwig nodded, blushing at the thought.

"I'm glad you guys are my uncles!" She smiled, hugging his arm. "Because Uncle Feli loves to play soccer, that's what mommy told me and I guess you like soccer to because you're from that place that starts with a G! Oh, what's the name? Germandy? No, it's Germany! Yeah, that's it and people from Germany love soccer too, right? Mommy told me that you're German and so you probably like soccer."

He chuckled lightly at her rambling and then nodded, confirming that she was right. "I do love soccer. I haven't played in a while but I'm positive that you can beat me."

"Yeah, I am pretty good!" She smiled. "Hey, nice dragon!"

She pointed to the dragon tattoo on his upper arm and traced the coiled tail. "Do you have any more?"

"Yes, I have seven." He showed her the half-sleeve on his left arm and the tribal design on his upper arm, the eagle on his ankle, the nautical star near his elbow, the roman numerals on his ribcage and finally the 'Ti amo' over his heart.

"They're so cool! But they hurt so I don't think I'll get one." She shook her head before resting her head on his arm. "I love you, Zio*."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, heart swelling at the little girls words.

"I love you too, bella*."

~

Feliciano sat in the pew between his aunt and Angelina as the priest read a chapter from the Book of Leviticus. He listened, forgetting this part - and many others - of the bible. They sat quietly in the second pew of the church and focused their attention on the priest standing at the podium on the altar.

Feliciano was half-listening as he looked around the church and took in the beautiful stained-glass windows and wood carvings in the frames. When he started listening fully again, he wished that he had missed the verse but he tined back in early.

The priest read Leviticus 18:22.

"Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as a women. It is a detestable sin."

Feliciano gripped the edge of the pew and glared up at him and was glad when the man caught his gaze.

Detestable. Detestable? I'm detestable?

Angelina, Dave and Anna glanced at him and he felt his aunt gently touch his hand but he just stood up, scowled at the priest who looked at him but kept reading, and walked out.

He didn't stop walking when he got outside. The Italian ended up walking all the way to the house, mumbling the verse over and over again.

Ludwig and I aren't a sin. We're not detestable. But that's what the bible says. I don't even read the bible.

He sat on the porch steps and didn't say anything for a long while, thinking about everything and nothing. Why was it detestable? It wasn't disgusting, it didn't hurt anyone, and it sure as hell wasn't detestable. It almost felt like the majority of people were coming to get them and tell them that they would burn in hell or that it was wrong.

How could love be wrong? Didn't god put us here to love each other? Sure, two people of the same sex wasn't the way it started but a lot of things have changed over the years so why couldn't people?

It was like back in highschool when he'd came out of the closet in grade ten to some close friends, it got leaked and then the whole school knew and they would taunt him and call him names. They would leave copies of Leviticus 18:22 posted to his locker and in his backpack.

Why was everyone such a douchebag?

But then Ludwig came along and they fell in love and no one bothered them because everyone was scared of "the tough German guy" and no more verses were left on Feliciano's locker, he could walk down the hall without being teased and he could hold his hand without fear.

The day they met, Feliciano had three broken ribs and a broken arm, he was all bandaged up from his attempted suicide. Ludwig was hungover with a flask full of whiskey in his bag and smoking pot outside the school, trying to waste his life away to nothing. They were broken physically, mentally, emotionally.

Can you believe that there are plants that are illegal?
Plants.

Can you believe that there is love that's illegal?
Love.

~

Bella - Beautiful (Italian)
Zio - Uncle (Italian)

~

To be continued...