Realized I should do one of these. Remembered how bad I am at this. Meh. Will make it better later.
Falling Slowly
DinCobb | Modern AU | Homeless Din | Cop Cobb Vanth | Angst | Multi-Chapter | AO3
Summary: When small-town police officer Cobb Vanth meets a mysterious homeless man, Din, and his young son, he’s drawn to help them in a way he can’t quite explain. As Cobb opens his heart to them, the walls he’s built around himself begin to crumble, stirring feelings he thought were long buried. But as Din’s complicated past comes to light, it threatens to unravel the fragile new life they’re creating together and forces Cobb to confront old wounds he thought were healed. Can he fight for this newfound love, or will he lose everything all over again?
Warnings: MDNI (18+), homelessness, addiction, violence, smut (anal, oral).
Chapter 1: Routine Stop
Chapter 2: Off Duty
Chapter 3: Impact
Chapter 4: Shelter
Chapter 5: Half Truths
Chapter 6: Bent Frames
Chapter 7: Fault Lines
Chapter 8: Making Space
Chapter 9: Stories In The Dark
Nothing Personal
Nothing Personal DinLuke | 1973 AU | Vegas Crime | Fake Dating | Slow Burn | Multi-Chapter | AO3
Summary: The job was supposed to be simple. Keep the witness alive long enough to testify. But Luke Skywalker is too attractive for his own good, and Din is too attracted for his.
Warnings: MDNI (18+), Period-typical homophobia, gender identity themes, addiction, depictions of drug use, eventual violence, smut (handjob, semi-public sex, anal, contemplation of oral, intercrural/thigh sex)
🎵 Playlist (This fic is heavily influenced by music from the era, so I highly suggest giving it a listen!)
Chapter 1: Viva Las Vegas
Chapter 2: Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
Chapter 3: These Boots Are Made For Walking
Chapter 4: Well, You're Dirty and Sweet
Chapter 5: Let's Get It On
Chapter 6: You Don't Own Me
Chapter 7: Suspicious Minds
Chapter 8: Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Teenage Dirtbag, Baby!
Teenage!AU | DinPaz | DinBo | Early 2000s | High School | Foster Care | Multi-Chapter | Prequel to Falling Slowly | AO3
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Din Djarin is just trying to keep his head down and survive at yet another new school. That doesn't stop Paz Vizsla, his former foster brother, turned local golden boy, from noticing him. Or Bo-Katan Kryze from asking questions. With homecoming looming and old wounds reopening, staying invisible might not keep him safe anymore.
Warnings: MDNI (18+), internalized homophobia, bullying, self-esteem issues, character death (mentioned/implied).
Prologue: Can I Be Your Memory?
Chapter 1: I'm Not Here, I'm Not Here
Chapter 2: You Know You've Got Everybody Fooled
Chapter 3: Believe Me, I'm Just As Lost As You
Chapter 4: I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All The Time
Chapter 5: One Step Closer To The Edge
Ezra/Dio WIP Snippets
PPCU Crossover | Modern AU | Cozy Witchy Vibes
Summary: I don't know much about this yet except it involves Ezra from Prospect, Shane "Dio" Morrisey from NYPD Blue, an overlarge cat, and an antique shop.
Warnings: MDNI (18+)
See Masterlist : See AO3 : See Prequel Fic - The Ghosts of Bogota (With Javier Peña)
See Prologue : Previous Chapter : Next chapter
Chapter Summary: Frankie is worried about Esie.
See masterlist for fic warnings, but if you've made it here i think you know whats up by now.
Comment welcome and encouraged. 🥰
We Drink That Brown Liquor
“What’s wrong?” Javier asked Frankie at dinner time. Ana and Chucho had made a nice family spread. So, they sat at the ranch house dinner table together that night.
“Oh, it’s just… I still haven’t heard back from Esie.”
“She sent me a text when she got in.” Javier said stealing another empanada from the tray in the middle of the table.
“I know, me too, but she sent me a picture of photos of the market, I responded but she never said anything back, it’s been a couple hours.”
“I thought you were 40 not 14, she’ll get back to you when she can.” Javier said.
Ana hit Javier’s arm lightly in admonishment, “It’s his first time with Esie on a story. I wouldn’t worry too much Frankie, when she gets on a lead, she’s like a dog with a bone. You’ll hear form her later on.” Ana assured him still glaring at her husband.
“Don’t worry Frankie, our diabalita knows how to take care of herself.” Chucho said with a wink as he stole a vegetable off of Lilly’s plate.
“What’s diabalita mean Grampo?” Lilly asked.
“It means little devil. But it’s a compliment when we say it about her, it means she’s powerful and smart.”
“And trouble.” Frankie muttered ruefully, put slightly at ease by the lack of concern from her family.
“That’s true too.” To his surprise it was Javier who agreed with him, eyes sparkling with pride.
The next morning when Frankie still hadn’t heard from her, he had gone from concerned to the edge of panic. When he found Javier in the barn office he told him as much. “She still hasn’t responded to me, I asked my friend Santi to go to her rental place, but it’ll take him an hour to get there.”
“Relax kid, its not even 8 am, she probably went to bed early with some jetlag and hasn’t woken up yet. That’s why we have the check in time. She knows how to handle herself.” But Javier said it softer than he normally talked to Frankie, he wasn’t trying to dismiss him, he was trying to calm the man down. Javier knew high-stress, it had cloaked him for years like a well-worn suit. Clearly, Frankie knew it too. Even if the younger man seemed visibly still, Jaiver knew the signs of a stressed out solider when he saw it.
“Right.” Frankie nodded breathing properly for the first time that morning. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“If she misses check-in, then we can worry, that’s the deal. For now, we have hungry cows and horses to worry about.”
“Right.” Frankie turned to leave.
“Frankie, one more thing? This Santi guy, is he solid?”
“He’s um… he’s my brother sir, I can and have trusted him with my life.”
Javier nodded, “Always good to have one of those.”
“It is, sir. I’ll saddle up Bandit for you.”
“Thank-you.” Javier said.
Despite Javier’s casual demeanour with Frankie, the moment the door closed behind Frankie, he reached for his cell, scrolling through his phone he pulled up Trujillo’s private number.
They never made it to check in time.
Frankie burst back into the barn the office a couple hours later. Javier was on the phone, but wary dark eyes met Frankie’s as he said to whoever was on the other end, “‘Okay just fucking fax it to me. Yes, I have a fucking fax machine still.” Javier said before rattling off the fax number. When he hung up he looked at Frankie expectantly.
Frankie didn’t wait for further permission to speak.
“Santi called, there was no trace of her, only a few flower petals on the ground at her door. They looked like the ones from the picture she sent me. He spoke to the woman who runs the rental, she hasn’t seen her since check in. She let him in and there was no sign she’d been there since the night before. Her suitcase wasn’t even opened. He’s checking the local hospital now.”
“Fuck.” Javier said, he picked his phone back up and dialled, whoever he was calling picked up immediately, as though they’d been waiting on that call. “It’s me, yeah, she’s not there…looks like I’m going to need that visa… actually,” he said glancing at Frankie. “Make that two, it’ll email you the information.” When he hung up, he said. “Pack your shit kid, Lilly will stay with Chucho and Ana.” Frankie stood for a moment processing what was happening. It didn’t feel real. “Better move , we’re leaving tonight. I’ll brief you on the flight.”
Frankie crouched in front of Lilly as he explained. “I have to go away for a little while with Mr Javi for work.” He lied smoothly, “But you’re going to have lots fun with Mrs. Ana and Mr. Chucho.”
“You mean Grampo!?”
“What? Fuck, yes, Grampo.”
“Daddy, that’s a bad word!”
“You’re right Lils, I’m sorry.”
“Daddy… is Esie okay?”
“Yes, she just needs a bit of help, that’s why we’re going.” He prayed to deities he wasn’t sure existed that he wasn’t lying about that. Then he started to pack, neatly methodically, just like he’d been trained to do. Frankie told himself he could do this. That this would be just like any other mission. He knew damn well that was a lie.
Javier was packing too, his list included a few more interesting items than Frankie’s did. “See cariño, I knew keeping this here would come in handy.” Javier told Ana as he shoved stacks of cash into his bag from the safe in their walk-in closet. When he got no response, he walked out to find Ana sitting on the edge of the bed staring, catatonic, into the middle distance.
“Cariño?... Ana.” he knelt in front of her, “Ana?” he said again softly. “Ana…” her eyes didn’t see him, so he tried her real name, not in the anglicised version they used for their youngest, but in the gentle Spanish he’d used many years ago he said, “Helena?” She finally lifted her gaze to meet his. “Helena, can I touch you?” he asked softly. At her nod, he took her hand kissing it lightly before holding it to his cheek.
Finally, she spoke, asking in a small, haunted voice. “What if they attack her…what if… what if… they hurt her, like they did me.”
“Then I will find her and kill them, and bring her home and you will fix her, just like you did for you.”
“Javi, promise me you’ll find her.”
“I will burn down the entire country and kill every drug lord I find before I will come home without our daughter. I promise.’
She nodded, and he sat beside her and pulled her to his side. “I don’t know what else to do.”
He squeezed her hand with gentle reassurance. “You booked the flight, you made the arrangements, I need you to stay by the phone, in case I need a wire transfer and to look after their niña until we bring her back, okay? You can do that.”
“I can.”
“Good.” He held her to him and kissed her forehead. “I have to finish packing.”
Ana once again drove to the airport. Lilly was at the ranch with Chucho, they’d said their goodbyes to them earlier since Javier and Frankie were taking the red-eye to Columbia.
Frankie said goodbye to Ana with the promise. “We’ll do everything we can to get her back. I have experience with these kinds of missions. My unit’s success rate was excellent.” Esie’s mother suspected he was assuring himself of that as much as her.
“I know you will Frankie.” Ana said but her eyes started to glaze, she cleared her throat and looked away, clearly trying to keep it together. Frankie stepped back as Javier stepped in to say goodbye. Frankie stood off to the side waiting for them to finish before they went through security.
“I’m going to get her back” Javier told her softly.
Ana had lost faith in many things long ago, a woman of logic and science as much as she was a woman of emotions. But she believed in evidence, the concrete and the tangible, and many years with Javier Peña had taught her that when he set his mind to something, no god or man would stand in his way, “I know you will Javi. Just try not to burn down the whole country while you’re at it.” She joked but the humour didn’t reach her eyes.
“No promises.” he whispered before kissing her lightly, and Ana hoped he only meant that about the fire.
As Frankie watched them, he wondered if he’d ever get the chance to have that with Esie. To get to have so many years, to know each other so completely. He’d seen love before, but having that sort of thing in a family, having the kind of home they’d given him and Lilly… He’d believed Esie’s word that day in the barn, when she told him that if anything happened to her it wouldn’t matter, that the Peña’s would still be there for them. That he and his daughter finally had a home and family. It had been a good reassurance, but not because he’d ever imagined it would be her who went too soon. Once again, it was supposed to be him, once again, he got the short end of the stick. His mind started going over everything they might need to get when they landed.
“Ready?” Javier said shifting his carry-on briefcase on his shoulder. One Frankie knew contained every bit of intelligence the Columbian police had. That they, for some reason, in the year 2017, had faxed to Javier that afternoon. Frankie had experience in missions, but the old agent had apparently run many recovery missions before too, at least that’s what Chucho had told him as he’d paced in the living room waiting for Javier.
On the plane, Frankie and Javier sat side by side, with Javier in the isle seat and Frankie in the window. When the plane reached cruising altitude and after the flight attendant came buy to take drink orders. They took down their trays and Javier slapped down a couple of benign looking tan file folders in front of them. “I had General Trujillo send me what they had on Esie’s father, if she was taken with intent, there’s a good can her presence was leaked to him. You already know she went because they wanted a DNA sample. Five years ago, they lifted prints from a crime scene in the amazon, at a drug lord’s compound.” Javier flipped open the folder and handed Frankie a photo of devastating scene. One that had been burned into Frankie’s psyche for years. Frankie felt his heart in his throat. Worlds collided in that moment, as Frankie’s past came to haunt his present.
“Frankie?” Javier said quietly but firmly. Looking at the younger man’s ghost white face. “I understand this is difficult, more than you’ll ever know. But I need you to focus solider. Esie needs you to focus.”
Frankie knew in that moment what he needed to do. Frankie understood how to execute a successful mission. That it required logic over emotion. That facts needed to be shared. The team needed a full briefing. Javier was a skilled and experienced agent, but he didn’t have all of the information, Frankie did. And Javier would need it to be successful. And Frankie needed this mission to be successful. He needed Esie back safe, even if that meant losing her, and his job, and his daughter’s stupid horse, and the beautiful cabin by the river. He knew he had to let go of his life if he had even one chance of saving hers.
“Sir I…” he paused as the flight attendant dropped off Javier’s whiskey. “Actually, could I have one of those as well, please.” He asked her. She nodded before returning to the bulkhead.
Javier stared at him brows drawn wondering why the young man looked so on edge. “Sir, 5 years ago I engaged in a private tactical mission in the southwest amazon region of Columbia.”
“So, you know the area.”
“Sir…”
“Fuck sakes kid, call me Javier already you’re practically family.”
“Uh – I… The mission was to take out, and subsequently… um rob a drug lord, that drug lord by the name of Lorea.”
Javier’s expression darkened as he realized that Frankie had been at the crime scene, the cause of the destruction in the pictures in that file folder. The one he’d studied every spare second before getting on that plane. “Then you better tell me fucking everything right now.”
So, Frankie told Javier what he’d sworn he’d never do, betraying his unit, his brothers, his only family, for his would-be - but perhaps no longer - future one. He told him about the money, the crash, the villagers, Tom, the shoot out and he even told him about the fucking mules.
As if on cue the flight attendant dropped off the second glass of whiskey. Frankie nodded and muttered a soft “thank-you” as she placed it in front of him. But his eyes never left the scowling dark gaze of the man next to him. Waiting for the blow of his response.
Frankie imagined many, many, outcomes in that moment of silence that felt like decades. But he never imagined the stern Peña patriarch would… fucking smile. But he did. Then Javier scoffed his tone somewhere between mocking humour and patronizing sympathy, “So you killed your first drug lord and committed your first non-US sanctioned crime huh? Adorable. Breath kid, you look fucking pale.” Then he reached over to grab the untouched glass of whiskey on Frankie’s tray. “And give me that, I can’t have you fucking relapsing or whatever when we get Esie back. She’ll be pissed at me. And I don’t want to fucking hear it, alright?” Then he poured the whiskey into his glass took a sip and waved over the flight attendant “Hello miss, this shit’s too strong for him, can you give him some of whatever your weakest beer is, thank-you.”
Frankie stared at the man in shock. Javier rolled his eyes. “Close your mouth kid, I’ve got a record that would make all this bullshot look like child’s play. But to be clear, now that you’re with Esie I don’t want you playing fucking mercenary anymore. Understood?”
“Yes… sir…Javier.”
“Good. Now, I assume you’re familiar with the topography in the area.” He pulled out an areal shot. “Trujilo believes Vega is operating in a similar area but it’s even more remote. Accessible only by plane and then boat, there’s a little fucking runway for old bush plans here for trafficking. Esie was staying in the closest city. I’m hoping she’s there but since your little shit-head accomplice Priest or whatever the fuck you call him, is operating there I think it’s better we spread a wider net. Search his suspected home base. But we’ll be on our own. Army won’t fucking touch the area its too remote and still crawling with cartels and militias. I called an old contact who managed to get us a plane. You can fly a plane, right? Not just a chopper.”
“Yes, sir I can fly anything.”
“That’s good, because my old “friend” said it was the best he could find on short notice. Sounds like it might be an old piece of shit so…”
“Anything sir.” anything to get her back he’d fly the fucking Wright brother’s plane if he had to.
“Well then, at least you aren’t fucking useless, criminal or not.” Javier said mostly to himself before plopping the picture of a tiny overgrown runway slip in front of Frankie. “That’s where we’re headed.”
It was the drip of a leaky tap she heard first. She cracked open her eyes, mercifully it was still dark in there. She allowed her vision to adjust. There was no natural sunlight, just the dim glow of a lamp in the corner of the room. There was a table in front of her, she was sitting on a chair… no she was tied to a chair.
Out of the darkness she heard. “Hello ‘Esperanza Cordona Peña,” He spat the last name like it tasted bad in his mouth. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you. Do you know who I am?”
“Should I?” She asked feigning ignorance.
AN: I always hate the part of fic where the romantic leads separate... oh well...
sometimes u headcanon a character as a sexuality but then also ship things that contradict that. sometimes you ship things you would NEVER EVER want in canon. this is because these things are fun and silly and not legally binding.
"I know he's a 30-something ex-military pilot, but he's also sad, and he needs a father figure." - @awkwardpaws
Now every time I write a scene with them together this line plays in my head. If fics had those endorsement review quotes on them like some books do on the back cover, I'd use this. 😂
This makes me so happy. Oh my god. 😅
I have such ridiculous, soft feelings for that man... Both of them really, but I still occasionally want to slug Javi, whereas Frankie I just want to wrap him up in blankies and make him hot cocoa or something. It's an oddly maternal emotion. 🤔 Let's not try to unpack that.
Just came across a comment online criticizing The Mandalorian and Grogu for having Din be knocked out 3 times.
This reminded me of the common criticism of "The Mines of Mandalore" in season 3, with people complaining about Din being in peril twice and needing to be rescued by Bo (and Grogu).
And... Look, I ADORE Din and I consider him an excellent warrior... But come on now, dude was knocked out by Jawas in the second episode of the show, and would have been killed by a mudhorn had Grogu not intervened in the same episode. Din may be tenacious and skilled, but he's NOT invincible, and I like that the show (and the movie) frequently reminds us of this fact.
THIS!! I don't understand the interpretation of Din as this invincible unstoppable super soldier. He's just a guy. A skilled guy, but still. Personally, I think it makes his character far more compelling. I even thought they made him a little too OP in the movie...
All the criticism that either calls Din too weak or complains he is too powerful makes me think that people are complaining more about not getting what they wanted/read into the character, than an inconsistency in the actual storytelling.
Din, as a character, is both a one man murder machine AND the world's biggest loser. But "the world's biggest loser" fan crowd gets mad if he is too cool on screen, and the "one man murder machine" fan crowd gets mad if he is anything less than hyper-competent and inhumanly capable.
But one of the points of the show is that it's about a guy who spent literally his life getting good at doing one thing (being a murder machine) and then finds himself in a series of situations where those skills are almost completely irrelevant (fatherhood/making friends). So naturally, as the story progresses, we get more and more instances of him having no clue what he's doing and being very out of his depth, which makes the moments where he IS actually using his skills competently feel more and more incongruous with the character, but that is the point!!
I'm not going to argue that the show is well written; there are many many instances where the script of the movie or the show is total dogshit and there are a lot of valid criticisms of it. It's true that he comes off as a bit of a damsel in distress in s3, and they may have overcorrected for the movie, but nuanced characters being handled imperfectly in canon is basically the crux of star wars media and leaves so much room for us to play. If what people want is to see Din Djarin either be good at everything, or be bad at everything, they aren't going to get it, because both of those guys would be super boring characters to base a show around.
I love your analysis. I like the idea that it's supposed to feel incongruous because you're right, the tension of the story and the character hinges on Din trying to balance who he's always been with who he needs to be now.
I do think they tried to overcorrect some of the mistakes they made in S3. I view the movie as just 2-3 episodes of what would've been S4 mushed together, and if you notice, they also didn't try to connect it to the larger Star Wars plot (no Bo-Katan, no Boba, no Jedi at all).
I guess I just like when there's a balance. My favorite episode is S1E6, I think it's a really good example of him being a competent warrior without being perfect or invincible. He makes mistakes, he gets hurt, but he still comes out on top, not because he's a murder machine, but because he's *smart*. It's notable that Grogu isn't right with him for most of the action in the episode, so he's probably not struggling to find the balance of being "Dad" and "bad-ass warrior", like you said.
Reed Richards and Sue Storm are the embodiment of the "Me and the baddie I pulled by being autistic" meme.
Although I firmly believe Sue made the first move, Reed was very confused.
Just came across a comment online criticizing The Mandalorian and Grogu for having Din be knocked out 3 times.
This reminded me of the common criticism of "The Mines of Mandalore" in season 3, with people complaining about Din being in peril twice and needing to be rescued by Bo (and Grogu).
And... Look, I ADORE Din and I consider him an excellent warrior... But come on now, dude was knocked out by Jawas in the second episode of the show, and would have been killed by a mudhorn had Grogu not intervened in the same episode. Din may be tenacious and skilled, but he's NOT invincible, and I like that the show (and the movie) frequently reminds us of this fact.
THIS!! I don't understand the interpretation of Din as this invincible unstoppable super soldier. He's just a guy. A skilled guy, but still. Personally, I think it makes his character far more compelling. I even thought they made him a little too OP in the movie...
Has: pedro pascal playing a general daddy, paul mescal in barely any clothes, joseph quinn in three different kinds of eyeliner, fred hechinger playing a sick baby with a pet monkey
@annwrites24 the second to last gif is how you know it ain't all sunshine and roses in that pretty lil head. This is a man who thought about offing some people, per our previous conversation.
