#nonbinary!reader

"Do you think he thinks he looks brooding?" I stage-whispered, feigning secrecy between myself and the taller of my partners. Will snorted, and immediately sputtered toothpaste over the sink.

"It went up my nose!"

I cackled, throwing my head back and turning off the hairdryer to set it down on the bathroom counter. Nico's voice growled (read: whined) from the open door of the bedroom- "That's karma for laughing at their stupid comment."

"Aw, the edgy bastard can't handle being called an edgy bastard?" I teased, coming to lean against the doorframe as Nico stayed propped up on his elbows, laid on the bed.

He stuck up a middle finger and I blew him a kiss.

"Be nice to the edgy bastard," Will cooed, coming to wrap his arms around me from behind and hooked his chin over my shoulder. His minty breath brushed cool over my cheek. "You know how he gets about Poseidon's kids."

The other middle fingers came up as Nico flopped to lie flat on his back to swear at both of us. "I am not- I don't get like anything, fuck the both of you."

"Is that on the table?" I grinned, leaning back into Will and feeling his hands drag from my waist to my hips. Nico emitted an indignant, affronted noise that mellowed out into something approximating curiosity. Interesting. "Answer me, baby, do you wanna fuck both of us? Or... do you want both of us to fuck you?"

Will's hum vibrated through my ribcage and he nosed at my cheek. "Maybe he wants to see you all powerful and shit, I think. Powerful the way that P-"

The speed at which a pillow thumped into the both of us was honestly impressive, and I shrieked a laugh as it smacked into my (and therefore Will's) face. Nico was now sat up, arms crossed and a disgusted expression on his face. "Don't even, do not bring that name into our sex life, that boy was a mistake I wish never to repeat."

"Hey," I pouted playfully, picking up the pillow and throwing it back. "That's my half-brother, y'know."

Nico threw his hands up in the air and flopped down onto the bed. "Why, why must you remind me of that, do you hate me? I won't let either of you fuck me if you remind me that I'm dating the half-sibling of the first guy I had a crush on when I was 14 when I am now 24 and a whole ass adult who would like to not talk about dumb 14 year old love."

"Hey!" Will protested, waddling with me over to the bed and dragging me down onto it with him. "I have no relation to He Who Shall Not Be A Part Of Our Sex Life."

I had to agree that he deserved the second pillow to the face that Nico served him, and I wiggled out of Will's grip to go crawl over to the son of Hades. "Won't mention it again, Neeks, promise, I'm sorry."

The pout I recieved was adorable and I was utterly powerless to resist kissing it. I was rewarded with a shy smile and hands coming to rest on my shoulders. "Thank you, baby, I appreciate that."

I nodded, kissing him once again. "Now, seriously, do you wanna fuck? 'Cause you were definitely eye-fucking me in the bathroom and I wanna know if you're up for more."

Nico hummed, nodding his head and bumping his nose with mine. "Mhm, yes, I do, I would like to be fucked because I'm warm and still kinda sleepy and frankly being between the sea and the sun sounds incredibly appealing."

The soft whine came from Will, who squirmed over to bury his face in Nico's hair. "I love you so much and you're quite romantic really and I wanna hold you while you get fucked because I don't want to, like, do that bit right now. That okay?"

"More than okay," Nico replied softly, a hand leaving my shoulder to scratch gently at Will's golden halo of hair, freshly washed and smelling of roses and honey. I hummed an agreement, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"You can hold him together while I take him apart, hm?"

I felt the shiver of Nico's body and by Will's hidden smirk, I could tell he did too. Hefting himself up, Will crawled over to the headboard, making grabby hands at his boyfriend. "Come here, you." He recieved a pout, Nico's head tilted back to look at him and exposing his pale olive-toned skin to me quite nicely. Will rolled his eyes fondly and reached out to heave Nico up into his arms. "24 year old adult my ass, demanding to be carried everywhere."

I shrugged, grinning and crawling over to curl my fingers over the waistband of Nico's worn sweatpants that are only acceptable to wear to sleep. "He can be a pillow prince if he wants- what are you gonna do, say no?"

"...no, I'm going to indulge him every time because life was mean so I won't be," Will mumbled, face smushed into Nico's hair, voice dripping with affection.

Nico shifted uncomfortably, the skin of his cheek caught in between his teeth. "You don't have you, y'know? I'm not- if you don't want to, I'm not gonna make you." He looked at me, nerves spiking with worry that he's somehow forced us into this.

"Neeks, we want to do this," I reassured him gently, pulling at the elastic of his sweatpants and murmuring the words into the soft skin of his lower stomach. "Will just wanted to hold you, and you were totally okay with that, right?" He nodded. "And I know that if I didn't want to do this, I could say so and we'd do something else, right?" Another nod, then a blink and a visible steeling of his nerves and a softening of his body.

"Yeah, of course, anything, anything you'd want," Nico whispered, fingers tangling with Will's as they both watched me ease Nico out of his sweatpants and gently pull his thighs apart.

I brushed a kiss over the inside of his thigh, laying down on my stomach. "Right now, I wanna make my boyfriend feel good while our other boyfriend looks after him, does that sound good?"

"Colour, baby?" Will murmured into his ear, reminding him of the traffic light system- green is good, yellow is slow down to a stop and talk, red is stop immediately and transition into aftercare.

"Green, green, I'm good," Nico breathed, eyes locked onto me as I pressed my lips up his thighs. I blew softly over his dick and he inhaled sharply, the same moment he twitched under my attention.

The first swipe of my tongue had his stomach muscles tensed, lip caught between his teeth. Grinning, I looked up at Will. "Lube, please, loverboy." Will rolled his eyes but blushed at the name, obediently grabbing a bottle from the bedside drawer and passing it to me.

Holding it in one hand to warm it up a little, I used the other hand to wrap firmly around Nico's dick, holding it just so I could get my lips wrapped around the tip. The twin inhalations from the boys above me were fuel to the burning heat in my abdomen.

"F-Fuck," Nico whimpered, fingers squeezing tight at Will's as I dragged my tongue around the head, coaxing him harder and harder in my hand. Slowly, I took more into my mouth, feeling the familiar weight of his cock on my tongue and sucking very lightly. The taste of precome burst on my tastebuds and I shivered in delight that my tough, edgy, extraordinarily powerful boyfriend was so easy to please.

Will's lips were pressed to Nico's ear, voice soft and lilting. "Aren't they pretty, huh? They look so good with their head between your legs, does their mouth feel good, baby?"

"M-Mhm, r-really good, so warm, shit-" Nico gasped as his cock bumped the back of my throat, hips jerking up but Will moved both pairs of their hands to hold him down.

"Behave, Neeks, let them do the work," he hummed, kissing Nico's temple. I flicked open the cap of the bottle, releasing my grip on Nico to drizzle some lukewarm lube over two of my fingers.

I pulled my mouth off him slowly, blinking up at my boys through my lashes with a cocky smirk on my face. Nico already looked wrecked, my poor love. "Ready for more?"

His nod was almost frantic, and I laughed softly. "Alright, just relax, I've got you, hm? Will's gonna keep you nice and warm and grounded, okay?"

I rubbed ever-so-gentle at his hole, getting him used to the feeling before easing the tip of my finger inside. Nico threw his head back against Will's chest, gasping.

"Shh, I know, I know," Will cooed as I pressed in further, making sure not to hurt him as his hole swallowed up my finger to the knuckle. I moaned at the sight and the feeling, hips pressing into the bed as I dragged the finger back out. "Feels good, doesn't it? They're so good with their hands, so good at getting you ready for them, shh, don't squirm, be good for us, baby."

Nico's eyes were lidded and heavy, cheeks flushed down to his chest and lips parted in shallow breaths. He looked gorgeous and I kept my eyes on his face as I slipped a second finger inside him along with the first.

He keened, back arching and toes curling. Soft, almost sleepy moans fell from his lips and I soaked them up like ambrosia. "Beautiful," I whispered, pulling and pushing my fingers into the tight, hot heat of Nico. I could feel him relaxing, acclimating to the feeling and loosening up under my touch.

"B-Baby," Nico panted, hips making aborted little rolls despite Will holding him down. "More, p-please, want more, wanna feel you."

Will chuckled lightly, nuzzling into Nico's pink cheek and looking down at me. "You heard the man," he grinned. "Give our pillow prince what he asks for."

I saluted from between Nico's thighs. "Sir, yes sir!"

Nico scrunched his nose, a playful smile tugging at his bitten lips. "Cringe, ew, stop immediately, I will not let you fuck me in some kind of military kink scene, you two can negotiate that firmly without me."

Laughing, I crawled up to be face to face with him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "You don't wanna be the lowly soldier being taken advantage of by his captain and their general?"

"No," he declined flatly, one eyebrow raised in disgust. "No, I do not want that."

"Spoilsport," I pouted, leaning over Nico's shoulder to press my lips to Will's as well. "Guess I'll just have to fuck you without the honourifics." I opened the lube again, hissing slightly as my wet hand wrapped around my sensitive skin, pleasure and desire running thick through my veins as I knelt back between Nico's legs.

Will smothered a laugh, arms moving to wrap around Nico's ribs under the t-shirt he was still wearing. His eyes met mine and he winked. "You'd look hot in the uniform, though." Nico smacked a hand over Will's mouth, then repeated the action with mine when I opened it to reply.

"Enough! No military kink in this bedroom while I am also in this bedroom, and especially not when I am waiting impatiently to be fucked by my partner!"

"I love it when you get demanding," I smirk into his palm, leaning over him with one hand settled on the bed and the other guiding my dick to rest teasingly against Nico's hole. He clenched and released, making a punched-out sound as I applied the barest amount of pressure.

"You're such a tease," Will laughed, smoothing his hands down Nico's sides. "Let the poor kid have it, come on."

"I'm 24!" Nico protested, wriggling slightly to look back at Will. "Just 'cause I'm younger than both of you- oh!"

He choked on his protestations as I finally pushed in, head breaching his tight hole. My head dropped forward, chin almost to my chest as I moaned lowly, his warmth pulling me in little by little until I bottomed out. Nico's hands scrabbled for purchase at my shoulders, eyes squeezed shut as he tried to get used to the feeling.

"Just relax, deep breaths, baby," Will soothed, voice liquid and silky to my ears. "It's okay, I've got you, do you need anything?"

Nico shook his head jerkily, focusing on breathing as I stayed as still as I could, holding myself up over the two of them.

A hand pushed my hair out my face and I looked up at Will. "You too, hon- I'm literally wrapped around our Nico-" (our Nico, ours) "-but I've got you too, do you need anything from me?"

I melted inside, his striking blue eyes feeling safe and lovely and not for the first time I thanked the gods that I got to fall in love with both of them. I shook my head, a small, shy smile pulling at my lips. "I'm okay, I'm good, just waiting for Neeks to be okay."

"I'm okay," Nico parroted, hips rolling experimentally and I gasped harshly at the sudden sensation. He smirked, despite being slightly floaty. "I'm ready, are you finally gonna give me what I want?"

I laughed breathlessly, just once, before I moved my hips. I pulled out and pushed back in sharply, revelling in the yell the action dragged out of the man underneath me. I repeated the movement over and over, fingers curling harshly into the bedsheets and stomach tense as I pound into my emo pillow prince over and over.

"This good enough, huh?" I gasped out, grinning in satisfaction as Nico only nodded his head. He squirmed and twitched against Will's chest, hands grasping at my body wherever he could reach.

Will gently spread Nico's legs further, hooked Nico's knees over his own and suddenly Nico yelped, cock jumping against his stomach where it had been smearing precome over his skin. I grinned, aiming for that one particular spot again and again, reducing my boyfriend to a moaning mess of pleasure as he melted into the arms of our other boyfriend.

"There it is," Will cooed, teething over Nico's ear. "That's where it feels so good, doesn't it? Our baby, they're so good at this, found your prostate so easily, they know your body so well."

Both Nico and I flushed at the dirty talk, the sinful words of the child of Apollo who became an utter menace the moment he found out how his voice affected us. He kept going, muttering filthy things into Nico's ear just loud enough that I could hear him over the pounding of my heart in my ears.

"B-Babe, W-Will-!" Nico groaned, shaky hands clutching at the back of my neck. "Can you- please touch me, wanna come, 'm so close, baby, please?"

I snapped my eyes to Will, knowing that Nico might be too out of it to remember that Will didn't want to be too involved. "You don't ha-have to, sunshine, I've got him i-if you don't want to."

Will shook his head, smiling softly at me and dragged his hand teasingly down Nico's torso to palm at his neglected cock, flushed and weeping. "I've got him, I want to, we can make him come together, right?"

I nodded, breathless and beginning to chase after my own peak after focusing on Nico for so long. Will's long fingers wrapped around Nico's cock and I cried out as Nico's hole tensed around me at the touch, dropping my head onto his shoulder.

"Fuck, fuck, need- need Nico to come first," I pleaded, ever the polite gentlefolk even as I was falling headfirst (dick first?) into pleasure.

Will's hand jerked and tugged almost ruthlessly at Nico, sending him spiralling into an orgasm. He thrashed between us, a soft scream ripping from his throat as he came all over himself, white streaks staining his pink, blushing skin. I pulled out of him quickly, giving a throaty, choked moan as I released over Nico's stomach, hips twitching against nothing as I bit my lip hard.

Nico's eyes were closed, lips parted as he panted, but he waved his hand about until he found my head, dragging me down into a fierce kiss. We kissed until we were dizzy, tongues tasting like each other and bodies settling down from the highs.

"Love you," Nico mumbled, words pressed against my lips and I thrilled at the admission, just like I did every time.

"Love you too," I whispered back, nose bumping into his cutely.

"What am I, furniture?" Will joked, earning tired laughs from both me and Nico.

"Very comfy chair," Nico hummed, tilting his head back to press clumsy kisses into Will's jaw. "Favourite chair."

"Love you too," I whispered again, this time leaving a kiss on Will's forehead and he blushed at the simple affection, rolling his eyes and kissing my cheek back.

He sighed quietly, looking down at the mess we made of Nico. "You know you're for sure gonna need another shower, right?"

Homelander went to his appointment, planning on leaving until you said something that caught his attention. You said, 'I am here for you. I took this job because you all spend your days helping and saving people, but at the end of the day, who helps and saves you? Obviously, I couldn’t physically save you, but I can be a place for you to talk if you need it. Nothing you say will leave this room.' Boy, did that stroke his ego in all the right ways. He decided to stay. Something about you was comforting, and he wanted to talk, so he started small with the obvious stuff. He led the conversation by making off-handed remarks about being better than everyone and having to be perfect for Vought. It was clear you didn’t understand his pain, but you were listening to him. You were actually listening to him and responding.

You weren’t like Madelyn, who seemed to argue with every other thing he said; you didn’t respond with dismissive and uncaring responses like Queen Maeve, and you could actually keep up with the conversation, unlike The Deep.

Homelander surprised you and himself when he began attending regular scheduled sessions. You usually led the discussion by asking various questions. Some questions he would lie about, not feeling totally safe to dive into certain topics, or he would just dodge the question and change the subject. Homelander knew you noticed this because anytime he did either of those things, your body language would change, and you would write something down in your little notebook. That notebook had made Homelander incredibly nervous until he found out you were not in there calling him a useless pussy. You were just simply writing topics you two had discussed and what topics made him uncomfortable.

You seemed to actually care about Homelander’s feelings, even the bad ones. Stan Edgar put Homelander in his place, and Homelander looked down avoiding Edgar’s pointed gaze like a child being scolded by their father. Homelander needed some reassurance, but he would never admit that willingly. Homelander felt weak and stupid for needing someone, but you didn’t seem to mind even when he was ranting and raving, so he went to you. You had been his haven. The one person he could confide in and actually be himself.

He arrived at your office in the morning while you happened to be filling out some paperwork. He knew you didn’t have any appointments today because this had been previously the day Vought scheduled for the evaluations of the heroes. Homelander spent the whole day pestering you. 'What are we doing now?' He asked, not entirely oblivious to your mild frustration. 'Still just filling out paperwork,' you replied. He rolled his eyes. 'God, your life is so boring. Go to work, talk to the crazies, fill out paperwork and go home, and you do that all alone? I forgot how boring normal people can be.'

You laughed before telling him, 'no one is keeping you here.' Homelander’s jaw tightened. This pissed him off. You’re not supposed to say that. You’re supposed to offer to do something more fun. You seemed to notice that 1,000-yard stare he has as he retreats into his own mind. 'Look, I just mean that I have to finish work. I know it’s probably boring you to death just sitting here; you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,' you told him, which seemed to make him feel a bit better, but he’s not entirely out of his head. 'It’s fine, we can just talk while you work,' he tells you with a feigned smile.

Homelander begins to perk up while you finish your paperwork and finally asks you the million-dollar question, 'What are we doing when we get home?'

'I am going home to cook up some dinner and watch some television,' you told him, trying to hint that you were wanting to be alone. Homelander was undeterred. 'What are we eating? I could use a home-cooked meal. We could watch one of my movies. I’ve been told I’m a great actor.' Homelander needs you to agree and compliment him. He desperately wants you to tell him he does a good job, even if you’re just talking about acting. 'Yeah? Your movies are pretty famous,' you say, accepting your fate that he isn’t leaving you alone tonight.

The night is spent with him at your house. Homelander wastes no time making himself at home and pilfering through your things. He feels comfortable being so ensnared in your scent. He becomes more comfortable as the night carries on. You fix his plate and drink for dinner, and the two of you share a dinner that he perceives as romantic. Your food isn’t as good as the private chefs at Vought, but Homelander loves it because he got to see the love you put into making it just for him.

You two clean up together. It’s really you cleaning, and Homelander helps by talking about which movie of his you should watch tonight. Finally, you try to retire to your room, but he follows. 'I thought we were gonna watch a movie… it doesn’t have to be one of mine,' Homelander tries not to sound too desperate, and he hated to say that last bit.

You’ll be happy to know that everyone on the team is cool with the whole nonbinary thing.

Mostly.

Alexei is a little confused but has the spirit.

Definitely ‘his/her pronouns are they/them!’ energy.

He is curious but not judgemental, and if anything he thinks it’s pretty cool.

Yelena, Bucky and Ava are normal about it and don’t treat it like a big deal.

At first Bob is clearly nervous about messing up how he refers to you, so you might have to reassure him that it’s fine for him to mess up as long as he tries his best.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Walker, who, when you first meet him, can’t give less of a shit about offending you.

He doesn’t go out of his way to do it, and he isn’t malicious about it, but I can imagine him thinking ‘oh, great’ and rolling his eyes about it.

He doesn’t strike me as someone who has queer friends. Or friends. Especially after he bashed that guy’s head in.

He misgenders you and the only apology he offers is sarcastic and otherwise insincere because he’s got bigger things to worry about, like his wife leaving him.

Of course, Bucky, Ava and Yelena will all tell him to shut up and stop being a dick.

I adore my silly little idea of Ava and Yelena misgendering him to piss him off and see how he would like it, and it isn’t long until he concedes that it’d just be less of a headache to show you some basic respect and refer to you properly.

And, he will actually come to not be bothered by referring to you properly in the end.

I feel like Ava’s main way of showing support is by being a dick to people who are dicks to you about the gender thing.

Bucky knew you long before the whole Thunderbolts/New Avengers thing.

(TLDR: My headcanon is that, after Civil War, you lived in Wakanda after Steve busted you out of prison, which gave you a chance to get to know Bucky and vice versa)

When he first met you, all he knew about you was that you had stuck your neck out to save him, something for which he was grateful.

And, if you had Steve’s stamp of approval, that was more than enough for him.

The whole ‘nonbinary’ thing was unfamiliar to him.

He’d noticed how you were referred to by Steve and the others.

He took the approach of not questioning it, despite being confused.

Not asking about it became unavoidable when you grew closer.

One night, when you were both sitting around a fire in Wakanda, he very awkwardly asked you about it, and you had a long conversation about it.

After that, he understands well enough and he gets the hang of gendering you correctly in no time.

(I’d like to think you help explain other queer concepts to him).

If someone is a dick to you, he will stand up for you.

Whether or not you can handle things yourself, he takes it upon himself to have your back, like you had his, and like he always had Steve’s.

It’s in his nature to stick up for the little guy, you know?

I’d like to think that, after Bucky and the rest of the population is revived post-blip, you remain close to him.

You wind up being his best friend by default.

And, he does his own research on queer shit because he cares that much about you and being a good friend to you.

He doesn’t admit it or bring it up.

Even though you’re friends, he feels awkward about asking you things directly too much.

Either way, it’s clear he’s done his homework.

I’d like to think, as a congressman, he does what he can to advocate for queer people like you.

I feel like Valentina would try to encourage you to be the LGBTQ+ New Avenger.

Even though, y’know, there’s probably a few fruits in that basket if you get what I’m saying.

Her image of you is one of a corporate Pride poster child- someone who can appeal to a demographic, rather than an actual person.

She will try to parade you around like her token queer associate.

Hopefully, you’ll have none of it.

Bucky and Yelena will advocate for you.

They will tell you not to do anything you don’t want to do or otherwise feel uncomfortable doing.

There’s something so compelling about a superhero who is given the opportunity to be positive, visible, real-life representation for their community whilst also knowing they’ll have to be palatable in a way that likely sacrifices facets of their own identity and experiences.

I haven’t seen much of The Boys but that’s a storyline in that show I think.

If you exclusively use they/them pronouns, or pronouns that aren’t ‘they’, ‘she’ or ‘he’, Val definitely fucks up your pronouns a suspicious amount of times for someone who likes to appear like an ally.

If you use any pronouns, she will default to the pronouns of your AGAB with the occasional ‘they’ thrown in for good measure.

She really is one of those kinds of people, I fear; someone who isn’t queerphobic but is performative in her allyship.

If/when you’re feeling dysphoric, Yelena will be there to listen to you vent.

I love the idea that Yelena will warn everyone that you’re not feeling great, and Alexei will take it upon himself to hype you up.

“Heyyy, if it isn’t the most not-woman, not-man person I know!”

He claps you on the back and looks to Yelena for approval that he just did allyship right.

Again, he’s a little confused but he’s got the spirit.

If you seem down and you’re clearly withdrawing from the rest of the team, I can imagine Bob asking you if you’re okay and stumbling over some clumsy words of comfort.

I feel like Yelena, Bucky and Bob would be more observant than the rest of your teammates when it comes to realising you’re reacting negatively to gender stuff.

They’re the ones who will catch you looking at your reflection for a few seconds too long, or obsessively readjusting your clothes or your hair, or doomscrolling through anti-trans headlines.

If you seem to be way too caught up in it, they’ll ask you if you’re alright, or otherwise try to distract you with something else (even if it’s obvious they know something’s up).

Ava will pick up on a lot of things but she is far less likely to say anything.

It’s not that she doesn’t care; it’s that she doesn’t think it’s her place to say anything because she wouldn’t be your ‘go-to’.

If she notices that you’re doomscrolling, though, I’d like to think she snatches your phone off you without a word.

You have to be so visibly bad for John or Alexei to notice.

And, even then, they might not realise it’s a gender thing.

But, if Alexei knows what’s wrong, he’ll try his best to comfort you.

He’s paternal like that.

John won’t bother saying anything.

His version of being nice is the bare minimum of not making you feel any worse.

Quickfire round:

If you’re transmasc, Alexei will offer to take you to do some stereotypically masculine activities.

He may also let you win an arm wrestling contest to make you feel better.

(If you couldn’t tell, I love the idea of Alexei being paternal to you).

If you ever want/need to go shopping for gender-affirming clothes, Yelena will be happy to go with you because clothes and other forms of self-expression mean a lot to her.

If you bind, Yelena and Bucky are really good at picking up if you’re doing it unsafely.

They will pick up on if you seem dehydrated or if your body language shows some discomfort, especially if you’re someone who isn’t great at taking care of themself.

a @dieterbravobrainrotclub Secret Santa exchange gift for @perotovar - hi my love, tis I your Secret Santa! 🎅 I hope my silly anon messages were entertaining enough while I was working on this. I SO wanted to have this finished earlier, but Dieter had a lot more to say than I originally thought. 😅 I hope you enjoy this silly, fluffy (with a touch of angst), borderline crack-fic AU written straight from my heart to yours. I was ECSTATIC when I found out I would be your secret santa, you have been such a great friend (despite my lacking communication skills) and the greatest cheerleader when i come to you with any fic ideas or kinky thots that pop into my mind and I hope this fic can help convey just how grateful I am to have you in my life! ❤️ I took some different Yule traditions and legends I had found and mixed them together to create the town celebration, and I so hope it reads well. This is also in a way an ode to a pairing I never would have been obsessed with if it weren't for your fantastic mind - Dieter x Din, and I had to make them poly. AND I couldn't resist writing Grogu and Dieter. I hope you had a joyous Yule and a bountiful feast, here's to many more my friend 🫂🥰

Tucked away in the northernmost valley of Washington lies the quaint mountain town of Mandalore. A place rich in community where the people, most often referred to as Mandalorians, value honor, tradition, and the seasonal festivals within the Wheel of the Year. A charming little town currently coming closer and closer into view as the airport taxi crawls closer to its outer limits before coming to a stop.

The crisp chill of the air bites at Dieter's nose as he steps out of the dry warmth of the cab, his barely worn leather boots crunching into the thin layer of freshly fallen snow; it's here, the first day of Winter.

The solstice, you would remind him, and along with it Yule— a celebration that honors the rebirth of the sun, where people come together in merriment to feast and rejoice in the promise of more light, hope, and new beginnings.

A celebration that you and Din so graciously invited him to without a second thought, so easily extending the reaches of the generosity the two of you have already shared with him within the last eight months Dieter has known the both of you.

If anyone had asked Dieter this time last year where he would be spending the holiday season he would have rolled his eyes and walked away, grumbling under his breath something trite and sadly cliched such as "probably at the bottom of the finest bottle of cognac," or "lost in a coke fueled haze," or even the all too mature response of "balls deep in your dad while your mom watches in the corner."

That last quip landed him in the hospital for a short stint after some drunken asshole thought it best to sort his feelings out via fist to Dieter's mouth.

Nothing new for the Oscar winning actor though, that moment was just another notch in that increasingly shitty year since his divorce had finalized.

Things with Anika… well, they just didn't work out. It was a whirlwind romance bred from hero worship; his guardian angel saving him from an accidental overdose. But that's all it sizzled out to be— a flash in the pan, too much too fast, and by the time it was all over Dieter was… lost.

And the drugs and alcohol were all too enticing.

"BREAKING: DIETER BRAVO GOES ON BENDER, AGAIN!"

Splashed across every tabloid, a headline on every news station almost every week. Day by day someone new would drop out of Dieter's life. Some left quietly, without warning. Others thought it best to throw every wrong doing back in his face, as if he were unaware of his own actions. At the end of the day it didn't matter how they left, they left all the same— one by one until there was no one left in his corner.

Dieter couldn't even blame them, he envied them. If it was possible, he would have left him behind too.

After he was released from the hospital, he took some time to truly be by himself— sold his house, fucked off and booked a one-way flight to somewhere in the PNW where he could peacefully dive deeper into rock bottom and luxuriate in it. He almost convinced himself it was more comfortable by his lonesome down there, that being holed up in his own misery and self-loathing was some form of karmic retribution he was destined to live out. He very well could have lived the rest of his life that way if it weren’t for one fortuitous outing: an emergency grocery run Dieter begrudgingly took on after being blacklisted from every grocery delivery service within the area.

Turns out people don't take too kindly to a drunken middle-aged man dressed in a threadbare green robe yelling at them to "get the fuck off" his property after simply doing their job dropping off his groceries.

And he was out of mac and cheese.

One barely half-assed shower and a 30 minute cab ride to the nearest store later, Dieter had found himself squinting over his sunglasses at two boxes in his hand, stuck between the tried and true Deluxe Original Cheddar and the intriguing Pepper Jack promising a "subtle jalapeño kick." He continued to weigh his options, about to throw both of them in his cart when he felt a small thud against the lower half of his leg, followed by the tiniest oof echoing from below him.

He looked down and was frozen on the spot. He didn't remember dipping into his stash of mushrooms before heading out, but tripping balls could have been the only explanation for what Dieter had been looking at in that moment.

A small frog-like creature? No, it looked nothing like a frog save from its green skin and giant black eyes. And it was wearing clothes. Clothes that looked specifically made for the little thing; a tiny black knit jumper featuring a- oh, a frog, how hilarious, a pair of black trousers that looked so cozy Dieter started to wonder where he might be able to find some of his own, and a little yellow knit hat that had to have held no purpose besides being adorable because the poor things ears were way too big to fit under. Wait, no, Dieter was wrong, there were slits in the hat specifically to fit around its ears. If that didn't make his heart grow just a tiny fraction bigger.

This…thing continued to stare back at him, almost as if it were also trying to figure Dieter out, its head cocking to the side as it conducted its own exploration of Dieter's features, looking at him from head to toe. A puzzled expression as if this thing found Dieter familiar, but confusing.

"Grogu! Where did you wander off to this time? I told you, we don't have any more room in the pantry for a tenth bag of parmesan goldfi- oh there you are!"

And then there you were. A somewhat flustered thing dressed in various textures of all black, the different fabrics highlighted your curves in ways that had Dieter gripping the macaroni boxes even harder in hopes his usual smart, and incredibly filthy, mouth wouldn't scare off the first person that had intrigued him in a long time.

You bent forward, scooping the creature up and cradled it in your arms as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Perhaps it was, maybe Dieter was the one out of touch. He had spent a better portion of his time up until that moment blasted out of his mind in one way or another, perhaps these little beings, Grogu you had called it, were normal in this part of the country?

Either way, he couldn't keep his eyes off of you. The way you fussed over the thing in your arms, fixed its clothes as you chastised it for running off, the various rings on your hands glinted in the fluorescent light of the store, the chipped black polish on your nails took hold of his interest even more— was it a by-product of working with your hands, or an insight to a possible nervous habit you were trying to kick?

It wasn't until his gaze traveled to your face that he realized you had been talking to him. A poorly hidden smirk twisted your features when you caught him staring. He felt a long forgotten heat creep up his neck as he cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't catch that."

Your eyes, so gentle, softened even more when you smiled at him.

"I said, I'm sorry about this little guy running into you. Hopefully he didn't bother you too much."

He shook his head, working up the courage to introduce himself when a hulking figure rounded the corner right behind you, placed a hand on your hip, and presented what looked like a pre-prepared meal for four in front of you.

"Cyare, what about this for dinner?"

Cyare, was that your name? If so, it was fitting, a uniquely beautiful name for a uniquely beautiful person.

Your eyes never left Dieter's when you responded, "that looks delicious, my love."

Ah, of course you already had someone. Dieter gave you a slight nod as he stepped back towards his cart, he was just about to turn around when you continued.

"But don't you think that might be too much for just the three of us, Din? Maybe we should invite our new friend over for dinner?"

With that you looked up to this other man, Din, as he in turn gave you a puzzled look.

"What new friend?"

"This new friend," you held a hand out gesturing towards Dieter, the little one in your arms babbled joyously at the suggestion.

Dieter froze in his spot once more, not really knowing what to do. Were you punking him? Did that annoying show get green-lit again? Was that bastard Ashton Kutcher about to pop out, or did they get someone new and equally as terrible to host this reboot? The lights in the store suddenly felt too bright, Dieter's clothing felt a tad too tight, and he had a fleeting thought that maybe chucking the boxes of macaroni at the family of three before him might be a reasonable enough distraction for him to make his escape, but then your voice sounded out once more, mooring him to his spot.

"I mean, c'mon ner kar'ta, it's not everyday you get to dine with your doppelganger."

Din finally looked at Dieter, really looked at him, Dieter doing the same. The man beside you was most definitely taller than Dieter was, a bit more broad in stature, but there was no denying the many similarities between the two. Even their names were similar; obscure and starting with a "D."

He wasn't certain what possessed him to speak, but he couldn't help it when he shared, "I-I'm, uhm, I mean, well- my name is Dieter, by the way."

Your eyes widened just a fraction in delight, Din murmured a noise caught somewhere between bewilderment and wonder, and Grogu clapped his tiny palms together as if he had won a prize.

"Well," you started, "what do you say, Dieter? If it makes you feel more at ease, you can bring over some mac and cheese."

And that's exactly what he did.

You and Din took a chance on this physical embodiment of a scared, wet raccoon with his defenses up, and in turn Dieter took a chance on opening himself up again. Little by little, each day he got to hang out with you two, he felt more and more like he was coming home to himself. You opened your hearts, home, and relationship to him, unknowingly helping him repair pieces of himself he thought might forever remain fractured.

Yet now, as Dieter stands before your door, that worry that lives in the recesses of his mind claws its way to the forefront. Sure, eight months is a good amount of time to figure out if someone is worth keeping in your life, but… what if you and Din are still deciding? What if this invitation to celebrate Yule with your town is some kind of… test? Not that he believes you or Din are in any way cruel enough to put him through something like that, but… he's had longer relationships disintegrate over less. Maybe they just weren't as strong as what he believes he has with you and Din. Just maybe.

"Welcome back home!"

Dieter drops his bag in time to catch you in his arms, his chuckles turning into a sigh as he holds you closer to him, breathing in your scent— orange and clove. Your warmth enveloping his senses and wrapping around his heart. Home. The sentiment not lost on him as he squeezes you tighter.

"Come, come, let's get you out of the cold," you laugh as Dieter shoves his chilled nose into the warmth of your neck.

You grab his bag from the snow before he can even make an attempt to get it himself and take him by the hand over the threshold, leading him into the effortlessly cozy abode. You gently grab his chin, guiding his lips to yours for a kiss, melting into him for a moment before leaning back.

"We missed you, Dee. Din and I are so glad you were able to make it back in time to celebrate with us."

His breath hitches, the ease in which you can be so sincere and open with him never fails to catch him by surprise. He had missed you too, all three of you. He just had some loose ends left in California that he had needed to take care of; closing that chapter of his life and wiping the slate clean in a way, making way for this new, and maybe even the best, chapter to come.

"I'll take your things to the bedroom. You know the drill, go make yourself cozy. You can dress down if you want, but just warning you we'll be heading back out in the snow once Din is finished, which should be soon."

Your voice fades slightly as you bring Dieter's stuff to the bedroom the three of you will be sleeping in, Grogu getting his own room of course. The guest room is always there if Dieter ever wants some space of his own, but so far he's found nothing but solace in yours and Din's bed.

He walks closer to where that scent you were wearing smells stronger: the kitchen. Trays of dried orange slices sit on the stove top, while the counter is filled with jars of whole cloves, star anise, and bundles of pine. He wonders what you might need with all this, but before he can voice his question, someone interrupts his thoughts.

A tiny tapping on his shins brings Dieters attention away from the objects. Tilting his head down towards the source, his eyes lock with the giant obsidian of the baby's. Grogu's ears perk up in intrigue as he continues to tap Dieter's shins. Grogu's eyes stuck on the man's face, just like they always seem to do when Dieter visits. Before he has the chance to fight the urge, Dieter finds himself bending forwards, hands outstretched. Grogu raises his little arms in excitement, a cheerful "Patu!" exclaimed in response.

Dieter chuckles, taking the child's quirky little noise as a green light and scoops him up in his arms.

"Patu to you too, little one."

Grogu giggles, clearly thrilled as he excitedly pats Dieter's face while babbling away.

"Brrr… brrrr!"

Dieter can't help but laugh along with the kid, he's too cute for his own good. This isn't the first time the child has tapped at his face, babbling and making the very same noise, yet Dieter never questioned it before. His brow furrows as he speaks.

"Are you trying to blow raspberries?"

"He's trying to say buir."

Suddenly you're right next to him, your left hand coming to gently rest in the hollow of Dieter's lower back. Your head laying on his shoulder as you bring your other hand to Grogu's face, lightly pinching his cheek, eliciting another round of giggles from the baby.

"He looks awfully a lot like your papa, doesn't he Grogu?"

You get your answer when he shrieks excitedly, patting Dieter's face again as he continues to repeat "brrr! bbfrrr!"

Dieter's heart suddenly feels like it might burst, this is all too good. What if it's too much, too soon again?

He clears his throat, trying to distract his racing thoughts from ruining this moment for him.

"So, uh, where is Din anyway?"

The smirk on your lips matched with the mischief dancing in your eyes should worry him a bit, he thinks, but it only ever excites him. You guide him with your palms on his hips towards the giant glass window of your reading nook, and points his gaze towards the forest. It takes Dieter a moment to realize what it is he's looking for, but once he does oh is he done for.

Din is a vision in a tight, thick-knit deep crimson sweater, his coat laid off to the side. His nose and cheeks dusted red, no doubt from the chill in the air, yet he wipes at his brow as if he were sweating. Peculiar, Dieter thinks before taking another moment to glance at what Din was holding in his occupied hand. The sun gleams off the silver of an ax, the reflection flashing as Din moves about, setting a log in place before he grasps his hold around the wooden handle, his shoulders moving underneath his sweater— rippling under it like the still water of a lake being disturbed by a pebble. The fabric around his arms tightening as he swings the blade back before bringing it down dead center in the log. If Dieter wasn't holding the cutest baby he's seen in the world, he would be barking like a damn dog.

It also helps when Grogu starts pounding his tiny palms against the glass, chanting "brrrr! brrrr!"as he looks out at his papa chopping wood.

You laugh sweetly, absentmindedly rub Dieter's back as you take the scene in for yourself. You turn your head towards Dieter, melting his heart even more with the way you're looking at him. As if he hung the moon for you. He can't help but think he really would if it were possible, for both you and Din, and even Grogu too. He would do anything really, for this little found family who welcomed him in with open arms.

"So the town Yule Log for the festivities tonight will be chosen by The Armorer this year, but Din and I already discussed it, and we would be honored if you would like to choose the Yule Log for our home. Only if you want to, no pressure of co-"

"I'd love to. I can't believe you would even consider me for something that seems so special, I mean…" Dieter laughs at his own ramblings, takes a moment to pause and take a breath before continuing. "What I mean is, I would be honored to."

You lean into him then, nuzzling your nose into his arm before placing a kiss there.

A rap at the window pulls yours and Dieter's attention towards it, Din there on the other side smiling and waving for the three of you to join him outside.

Your voice whispers excitedly next to him.

"Let's bundle up and join the others."

Turns out all the dried oranges, spices and greenery in your kitchen Dieter was wondering about before were all gathered for the townsfolk to peruse through and choose as decorations for their trees and Yule Logs for their own private celebrations at home. You had him help you gather everything together and bring them to the town center as Din followed behind, balancing sacks of chopped wood in his hands and Grogu in a baby harness across his chest.

Neither Dieter nor you were great at hiding your cute aggression when getting Grogu dressed in his little snowsuit.

After debating what was probably a little too long over two different logs, Dieter finally chose one he thought would be perfect for the four of you. You then ushered him back to the table where you dropped off your contributions for the decorations, pointing out different options and the many different meanings behind them: the dried citrus for happiness or prosperity, the star anise for clarity or luck, the cloves and sticks of cinnamon for wealth or abundance, the pine for strength, protection, or fertility. He also noticed other contributions that must have come from some of the others— poinsettias, holly, mistletoe, nutmeg, and cranberries.

Din joined the two of you after dropping the extra firewood off for the ceremony, making it in time to help Dieter decide on some green and gold candles for the altar back at the house. You had brought a bag specifically for this occasion, Dieter and Din laying everything in there carefully so you all could enjoy the festivities without anyone having to drop everything off at home.

"Come," Din hums, the clouds of his breath floating in the air. He grabs Dieter's hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. You loop your arm through Dieter's on his other side, smiling at the two men. Din continues, "Let's grab some ale and find Grogu a spot for the show."

"Okay wait, but if the Holly King's… 'powers' are at maximum capacity on the Winter Solstice, then how does the Oak King defeat them?"

You had tried explaining the legend of the Holly King and Oak King to Dieter before the show started, but your obvious excitement over the many different versions and interpretations of the story got the better of you ending in an information overload word vomit. Dieter wasn't complaining though, he could get lost in your ramblings for as long as you'd let him.

But now he was still a little confused.

"Okay, well, I wouldn't say the Oak King 'defeats' the Holly King necessarily. It's more of a… succession? Mmm no, not the right word… Din?"

"More like a 'handing off of the baton.' Until the Summer Solstice, that is."

"Yes exactly!" You whisper excitedly, trying to keep your conversation just between the three of you.

Grogu sits in a group towards the front with the other children of the town, while you, Dieter, and Din hang out standing towards the back of the crowd. Others are seated on the logs that were placed down for this occasion, most of them busy with their own murmured conversations.

Bo-Katan flits about the open "stage" as the Holly King, dressed in heavy green robes, wearing a crown made of evergreens and holly. The Armorer moves about directly opposite of her as the Oak King, dressed in a old brown coat and donning a helmet made of gold— specially made by The Armorer herself to represent the gold of the sun.

You continue your explanation, "you see it's more of a dance than a battle."

"Okay, but they are literally dueling with spears right now-"

"Staffs, not spears," Din cuts back in.

You giggle as Dieter rolls his eyes petulantly, his gaze returning to the play duel at the front. He can't stay quiet for too long, a smirk stretches across his lips as he turns his head towards the two of you again.

"How much you wanna bet that The Armorer is gonna end the night slinging Bo-Katan over her shoulder and whisking her away from the rest of activities early, tonight?" Dieter mutters under his breath, wagging his eyes in gesture towards you and Din.

You scoff dismissively, the ale loosening your composure in a way Dieter always finds amusing. "Oh please, we both know Bo-Katan is more likely to do the whisking away," you retort as you fix him with a stare that all but screams duh, idiot.

Before Dieter could start poking fun at your sudden attitude to rile you up even more, Din cuts in, sounding a bit annoyed when he whispers "could you both please knock it off? They're like vod to me, like sisters."

Dieter never knowing when to leave well enough alone can't help but deadpan, "Well, Din, I hate to break it to you, but your sisters are fucki- ooof."

The shock of frigid snow meeting the small sliver of skin on Dieter's belly is enough to shut him up, but the weight of Din spread across Dieters back, his arm coming around to hold Dieter in a light choke-hold, is what really turns his mind to mush, loosening his tongue once more.

"Y'know big guy, I don't think this is having the effect you were hoping for."

"Actually," Din all but croons in Dieter's ear, his weight shifting as he gently but firmly pushes his knee between Dieter's thighs, "I think I'm having the exact effect I was shooting for."

Dieter has to bite his lip to keep a pitiful whimper at bay, the small amount of ale in his system doing fuck all to keep his mind out of the gutter. But can you really blame a guy when he's got a full blown hunk pinning him to the ground?

It doesn't last long though. They hear your mischievous giggle of "it looks like you two could use some cooling off," before they feel a pile of snow being dropped on the both of them.

You bring your hands to your mouth, attempting to muffle your fits of laughter, but a snowball hitting you square in the back cuts you off. The three of you turn to find Paz Vizla and Boba Fett attempting to look unbothered and innocent, but the snow on Boba's gloves are a dead giveaway.

More snowballs start flying from different directions before everyone hears Koska and Fennec shout "snowball fight!"

Luckily the impromptu snowball fight didn't put a damper on anyone's celebration; in fact most of the townspeople joined in. The Armorer took advantage of the diversion to get the last finishing touches for the Yule Log ceremony in place, only regaining everyone's attention when Bo-Katan rang the bells set out for the band.

The night goes on as the Armorer and Bo-Katan speak some words of wisdom, and recite a poem of gratitude honoring the return of the sun and the longer days that come with it before lighting the Yule Log together in front of everyone in the town as they cheer.

The band takes their place around the fire and starts up their joyous melody, a spirited tune to celebrate the resilience of the people and their hope during these darker months.

And it suddenly occurs to him.

Dieter thought that true love would hit him like a freight train, that when people said "you know when you know" it meant it was loud in its arrival; a howling, shrieking thing that made sure its presence was known.

And maybe in some cases that's true, maybe that's how it is for others.

But for him? It's this moment right here. A quiet warmth, wrapped up in the embrace of his two lovers— you snuggled in his arms as Din envelops the both of you in the wide breadth of his hold. Din's face nuzzling into Dieter's hair, Dieter's hands pulling you closer into his chest. The three of you swaying in time, enjoying the sounds of the band playing and the joy of the children as they dance and laugh along. The warmth from the fire almost feels like a physical embodiment of the warmth Dieter feels whenever he's with his three favorite people. He knows now there's nothing to be afraid of with his little family here. It's not too much too soon, too good for him to deserve.

It's simply perfect, exactly where he needs to be.

Where he belongs.