Epiphania (Boyxboy)

Part 1: Prodemeni Agapi "Betrayed Love"

A/N: There is rape in this chapter. But it has unintended circumstances for the rapist that he could have ever imagined.

Tarpon Springs, FL circa 1980

The sixth of January. Tonight was the night of Epiphany Day. Earlier today, the same as every year, fifty boys between the ages of sixteen and eighteen swam to small fishing boats and dove into the frigid waters of the Spring Bayou. They hoped to capture a weighted wooden cross tossed into the Bayou by the Archbishop. The boy who retrieved it would be blessed by the Archbishop, ensuring a year's worth of good luck. After a small service at St. Nicholas Cathedral and a celebration at the nearby park, the real celebrating would begin at the home of the lucky boy. In fact, that would be right about now.

At fifteen, Angelo had a year to go before he could join the next fifty boys. Too bad it wasn't gonna happen.

Oh yes, he could see it now. With his luck, he'd end up with that cross, only the thought of it turned his stomach, instead of making him feel blessed.

He wondered if lightning could strike water.

Angelo knew Ari Papandreou, the boy who won this year, and he had no doubt there was a big party at his house. Just like the one that had been held at the Lambrakis household two years ago, when his cousin Dimitri had been the lucky one. Angelo still respected the sense of ritual which commemorated the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan and the Holy Spirit descending upon him in the form of a white dove. But Epiphany Day held a sense of deep irony for Angelo, because that was the same day he'd lost all faith in Christianity and God. On that night, in the quiet of Angelo's bedroom, a very drunk Dimitri released an unholy spirit that had lain dormant in Angelo's soul and had been active ever since.

A smile flickered across Angelo's lips as he remembered his last Epiphany Day...

The morning had begun with a Divine Liturgy, then a liturgy procession made its way to the Bayou. The schools were closed. Everyone in the community was there. Even if someone from their own family wasn't diving, it was a close-knit community, where everyone knew everyone, so if it wasn't their brother or son, chances were that it was the son or brother or even boyfriend of someone they knew.

Angelo had been excited that Dimitri was diving, and was there to cheer him on. Dimitri was almost three years older than Angelo and it seemed like he did everything first. He rode a bike first. Then he drove first. He was much more experienced than Angelo was in a lot of things, but he was always willing to share his knowledge.

Especially when it came to the bedroom. Dimitri taught Angelo that first lesson at the age of eleven.  By the time Dimitri left that night, Angelo knew how to kiss, and how to give pleasure with his mouth.  Of course, he never bothered to tell Dimitri that he'd already known how to do the latter since he was seven.

When his uncle "taught" him.

With all the preparation and practicing, Angelo hadn't seen Dimitri for a while and was excited that the family would be getting together tonight. He was always happy to see Dimitri, even though it didn't take him long to figure out that if they weren't messing around, Dimitri would have no use for him. He was just grateful that Dimitri did have a use for him.

It wasn't like Angelo didn't enjoy it. He did. Very much. It was just that Dimitri was becoming more and more demanding, wanting to go all the way. It wasn't fair. Angelo gave him everything else. Then again, he gave a lot of people everything else. His uncle. The sailors that came into town. The sponge divers who worked with his father and would never DARE reveal that it was Costas Lambrakis's son they were receiving favors from.