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With Nix it started during training. Long hours spent together in close quarters was bound to either cause animosity or drive people closer. With Nix it was the latter.
Hell, they couldn’t have been more different. Dick didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, rarely swore. Nix did all those things, and frequently. Dick had been brought up in the farming community of Lancaster, raised on hard work and discipline. Nix had the discipline part, which he ignored, and was raised in relative comfort of the family fortune and an Ivy League education.
No, there wasn’t really much more opposite two people could get. Yet there they were, a couple of young guys, far from home, who had volunteered to go to war by jumping out of airplanes. When put that way, it was no wonder that men could be led to do crazier things.
Dick was fairly certain it didn’t get much crazier than kissing Nix. It wasn’t even as though he could blame it on the consumption of alcohol. It was entirely Nix’s fault in fact, the way he smiled softly and leaned into Dick’s space, the way his eyes lit up when he laughed.
What really surprised Dick was when Nix kissed him back.
“Lew, I-”
“Shut up Dick.” Nix slotted their mouths together again, tugging Dick closer.
“Someone might see,” Dick insisted, pressing his hand to Nix’s chest. They were in the shadow of the bar they just left - somehow Nix had talked Dick into actually using his weekend pass for once - hardly hidden.
Nix leered at him and Dick would have accused him of being drunk had he not watched Nix only drink one beer before he insisted they move along to the next bar. “Then I guess we better get back to our motel room.”
Dick felt his jaw slacken, watching as Nix walked away. Pausing when he didn’t follow, Nix looked over his shoulder at him. “Coming?”
He ignored the laugh from Nix as he scrambled to follow. After walking only a short ways, Dick had to ask, “Lew, are you sure about this?”
“You’re the one that kissed me,” Nix pointed out needlessly.
Dick grabbed Nix’s bicep, halting him. “I know Nix. I just… I’ve never...” He huffed, looking away. “I don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”
“Do you think I care?” Nix was smirking when Dick looked back at him. “In case you missed it, I’m kindda crazy about you Dick.”
Dick just knew he was blushing and there was no stopping his smile. “Really?”
“Yes really, dummy,” Nix laughed.
Dick shoved him away playfully. “I swear Nix, sometimes I have no idea why I put up with you.”
“Only sometimes?”
They were walking again and Dick shook his head. He didn’t say what he was thinking aloud - that yes it was only sometimes, because the rest of the time he was so completely caught up in his unabashed love for Nix that there wasn’t room for anything else; that Nix meant the world to him, so much more than just some fun out of boredom or lack of options, or some kind of experimentation. Nix seemed to already know all that though if the way he kept looking over at Dick and giving him those soft smiles were anything to go by.
Everything that needed said was spoken through devouring kisses and gentle touches, the scrape of nails on skin and the slide of bodies. It was in the soft breaths and muffled moans of pleasure, the way their eyes met and secrets spilled from their very souls.
Nix meant the world to Dick and he would be damned if anyone took that away.
* * *
With Lipton it was the Ardennes. Dick admitted he had come to rely on Carwood as an NCO long before they were confined to their prison of snow and blood. It was there in the woods surrounding Bastogne though that he knew for certain that Easy Company wouldn’t survive without Lipton.
It was one of the downsides to becoming Battalion XO, not being able to protect his men in a more direct way than simply altering patrols or where they dug their foxholes. Nix was a Godsend, triple-checking intelligence before even bringing it to Dick, helping him to make the best decisions for not just Easy but the other companies now relying on him. And Lipton’s leadership among the men was at least some stress off as well.
Once again it was Lipton coming to give him a report rather than Dike - no one could ever find the man but Dick wasn’t about to complain. He watched the way Lipton caught Speirs’ gaze as the Lieutenant passed by on his way out. There was something in the way they looked at each other, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
“Sir,” Lipton greeted with a shaky salute.
“Carwood,” Dick replied with a frown, “where are your gloves?”
“Oh, uh.” Lipton ducked his head like a kid who had been caught red-handed in the cookie jar. “One of the boys needed them more sir.”
Dick shook his head, attempting to hide the slight smile - it was the same thing he would have done. “Here,” Dick said instead, taking his off, “I think these will fit.”
“I can’t do that sir.”
“I should have another pair stashed away in my foxhole,” he assured, holding the gloves out.
Lipton hesitated, finally shaking his head as he insisted, “I can’t.”
Dick sighed but let it go, knowing full well about the only way to make Carwood go along with it would be to order him, and Dick wasn’t about to do that. Slipping them back on, he asked, “So how are they doing?”
“About as well as could be expected sir. They’re freezing, hungry, and generally just plain miserable.”
Dick nodded. “Hopefully this weather clears so we can get some air drops.” He reached over and picked up the newest orders for Easy Company. “Here’s the latest that was passed down.”
“With alteration I’m sure,” Lipton mused. His eyes widened a moment before he schooled his features and apologized. “That was out of line.”
Dick chuckled. “Relax Carwood. You’d be correct in any case.”
Lipton gave him a grateful look, accepting the orders and excusing himself back to the line. He passed Nix on the way this time and there was no missing the long look Lipton gave Nix over his shoulder.
Not a day later when Lipton next returned to the CP, Dick gestured for the man to follow. The foxhole he and Nix shared, covered by a tarp, was right there and Dick wasn’t expecting any further company that day.
Flipping back the tarp revealed Nix wrapped in blankets. “You’re letting in the cold,” Nix griped, reaching up and grabbing Lipton by the jacket and giving him a tug inside. Lipton yelped, landing right on Nix. Dick only laughed, slipping inside and closing the tarp behind him.
Lipton was attempting to right himself, stammering out an apology to Nix in the process. “Relax Carwood,” Nix assured, yawning. “I’m quite comfy in this particular position.”
“Take a load off,” Dick encouraged, sitting beside them and reclining back a little. The hole was pretty snug with just he and Nix, but with another grown man added it was downright cramped.
“There’s, uh, not really much room sir.” Lipton tried his best to squirm into a seated position opposite Dick. Their legs ended up tangled together and he was still partly on top of Nix. “Not to complain but what was wrong with giving my report in the CP?”
Nix was the one to ask, “Anyone dead?”
“No.”
“Well, nothing important to report then.” Nix attempted to stretch but found it didn’t really work with the extra body.
“You need to warm up for a bit,” Dick explained.
His hand fell to Lipton’s knee in what was meant to seem a casual gesture. From the way Lipton’s eyes locked onto the contact, he knew it was anything but. Dick felt rather proud of that actually, that Lipton had cared to pay enough attention to know Dick and casual touching were not a thing - unless it was Nix.
“I have a foxhole,” Lipton replied, voice pitched quiet in the near darkness.
“Not as good as this one,” Nix threw in, his hand landing somewhere north of Dick’s.
There was a pause before Lipton commented, “You’ve got me there sir.”
Dick’s lips twitched up and Nix was grinning.
Lipton reached down, some of his fingers twining with Nix’s while the others thread with Dick’s. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he admitted, “I didn’t know you two were… I mean I suspected.”
“Is that why you never pursued Nix?” Dick asked.
Carwood about choked on his own tongue. “I didn’t think I was that obvious.”
“You’re not,” Nix quickly assured. “Dick’s just really observant. Although,” there was a smirk in his voice, “not enough to notice you were looking at him too.”
Dick nudged Nix’s leg with his foot, jarring their hands in the process.
“To be fair,” Nix continued undeterred, “he completely missed it with me too.”
Lipton appeared to be holding back a laugh. As he looked over at Dick though, he became serious. “But if the two of you are together…”
“We talked about it,” Dick replied, looking away as he felt a blush heating his cheeks, “and we both wanted to pursue something with you. Together… If that’s alright with you.”
Lipton didn’t reply. Instead he shifted as best he could up onto his knees, leaning over to press a kiss to Dick’s cheek. “I’d like that.” Lipton’s breath hitched when Dick’s arm wrapped around his waist. Dick was less shy than he’d been with Nix that first night, lips coming up to meet Carwood’s.
It was a lot more difficult to maneuver three grown men in a foxhole than two, but it wasn’t as though any of them were complaining either. Somehow they made it work, Lipton pressed between them, biting his lip until he drew blood to keep from crying out. Nix’s teeth found purchase on Lipton’s neck, unconcerned with leaving marks when no one would be able to see them. For his part, Dick had left an array of bruises blossoming on Lipton’s opposite collarbone.
Not that they were unmarked, Lipton leaving behind his own reminders to go along with the ones they already had. He had become apart of them, and they weren’t about to let him go.
* * *
With Speirs it happened after Foy.
The men were lucky to be alive, all of them too distracted by the adrenaline to notice Dick among them. He would let the NCO’s handle the wrangling. Dick wasn’t exactly worried about clean-up or reports for the time being.
He found Speirs in an abandoned house, going through the drawers. Anyone else might have used the excuse they were looking for intelligence, but Speirs just gave him a smile full of teeth and pulled out a silver candlestick no one had managed to loot.
“Looks like there’s two pairs,” Speirs mentioned. “Want one?”
“Keep ‘em,” Dick replied, watching Speirs as he continued to move easily through the room. “You did good out there,” he mentioned. “Better than good.” Speirs hummed, apparently more interested in poking through what was left behind than being praised.
Dick didn’t let up, walking over and grasping the man’s bicep. “You were downright amazing out there Ron,” he said as Speirs slowly straightened. He looked from the hand on his arm up to Dick’s face, a question in his gaze. “We would have lost a lot more men if you hadn’t fixed that mess. Wanted you to know that I appreciate it.” Dick released his arm. “I’m making you Easy’s new CO. And I’m putting in for a commendation as well.”
Speirs didn’t say a word, just studied him in that quiet way that Speirs had about him. To others it was unnerving but to Dick it felt rather intimate. It was as though Speirs were dissecting him, peeling back the layers to look inside. Perhaps he hoped to find more behind Dick’s words than face value.
“Ron,” he prompted when the man didn’t reply.
“I’d like that,” was the answer. Speirs watched him for another long moment before giving a nod and returning to his looting.
Dick took a deep breath, willing himself to step away. As he started to walk out however, Speirs called after him, “Winters.” Dick paused. “I’ve been wondering…” When Speirs hesitated, Dick turned to look at him, finding Speirs for once seemed unsure. “Never mind,” he finally said. “It’s not important.”
“Speak up,” Dick encouraged. “If it’s something that matters to you, I’ll try to answer if I can.”
Speirs studied him before quickly assessing their surroundings. “Follow me,” he said, going through a door that led deeper into the house. Dick didn’t say a word about giving orders. This wasn’t something between officers, that much was clear, but rather something personal.
He followed Speirs up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms. “I wanted to ask about you and Nixon.”
“What about us?” Dick attempted to play it casual, picking up a framed photo off the dresser and pretending to study it.
“I wanted to. Then I wanted to ask how Carwood Lipton fit into it.”
“Lipton? How do you mean?”
“Don’t patronize me. I see things. It’s why you asked me to spy on Dike for you. It’s why you didn’t just happen to pick me as the officer to run in there today.” Dick turned around as Speirs stepped into his space. “You, Nixon, Lipton.” Speirs’ gaze was filled with heat. “All I want to know is if there’s room for one more.”
Dick dropped the frame. It clattered to the ground as lips found his. There was no hesitance at the way Speirs kissed. It was fire and possession and intent. Dick would have expected nothing less from someone like him.
Dick ran his tongue over his lower lip when Speirs released him, both of them just watching each other. It was Dick that initiated it that time, drawing Speirs into something softer, slower. Perhaps he’d thought about Speirs a little too much, especially when he already had two gorgeous lovers. Was he just being selfish now?
The reason behind Speirs’ seclusion to the second floor was evident when the steps creaked to announce someone’s presence. They pulled away, Speirs practically hurling himself across the room towards the closet. Dick had to admit he looked completely casual as he pretended to be rifling through it.
Dick was just picking up the picture he dropped earlier when their intruder stood at the door. It was Lipton. “Ah, there you are.” His gaze snapped over and noted Ron there, no doubt readjusting what he was about to say in his head. “Captain Nixon was looking for you sir.”
Speirs looked over his shoulder at Lipton, expression carefully neutral.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Dick mentioned.
Speirs nodded. “Of course Captain.”
“I’ll get back to you on that matter we were discussing.”
Speirs’ lips ticked at the corner. “Yes sir.”
Dick barely held back his own answering smile, instead gesturing for Lipton to go out ahead of him. His hand pressed to Lipton’s lower back as they walked down the stairs. “Need to talk to you and Lew about something,” he mentioned cryptically, ignoring Lipton’s questioning looks until Dick could explain it all at once.
Speirs didn’t get his answer until the monastery, where they were spending the night before returning to Mourmelon for some much needed rest - and leave for Paris, to hear Nix tell it.
Dick had been expecting Speirs to report in, he and Nix waiting in an office they had been offered to use. When he entered, Speirs’ eyes cut to Nix a moment before focusing on Dick. He pulled some paper from a coat pocket, passing it over. “The duty roster you requested.”
“Thanks Ron.”
Catching that their meeting wasn’t to be formal, Speirs relaxed his posture. “Is now a good time to talk?”
“In a moment.” Dick was flipping through the pages, skimming the names of those left. “Carwood should be joining us.”
Sure enough, as though on cue the door opened and Lipton came in. “All the men are taken care of for the night sir.” Lipton glanced at Speirs.
Dick gave him what he hoped was a grateful smile. “Thank you Carwood.” He waved the papers before setting them aside. “And for these. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”
Licking his lips, Lipton looked at the floor and shook his head. “It needed done,” he replied softly.
Nix sighed, not in the least immune to Lipton when he got like this - or when Dick did the same thing, beating himself up for things he couldn’t change. “Come here,” Nix encouraged gently, pulling Lipton to him when he could reach. No words were said, Nix holding him close and pressing a kiss to his temple. Lipton sagged against him, fingers curling into the back of Nix’s jacket.
Speirs was watching them, eyes snapping to Dick when he stepped into his space. “Well, now that we’re all here,” he spoke pointedly, drawing the others’ attention. “We talked about it, and we’d like to have you with us… if you still wanted.”
Speirs’ returning smile wasn’t the usual smirk or snarl, but a genuine one. It went all the way to his eyes, making them shine in the candle-lit room. By way of answer, Speirs closed the remaining distance and pressed a kiss to Dick’s lips.
Speirs jumped when a hand fell on his lower back, Nix chuckling. “Easy Sparky,” he teased, using the nickname he’d been saddled with.
“I will gut you if you call me that again,” Speirs said with a straight face, Nix’s eyes widening in response. They all froze. After a minute Speirs chuckled. “You should see your face.”
Nix let out a startled laugh, Dick shaking his head. “Jesus fucking Christ, Ron,” Nix replied.
Speirs apologized by way of pulling Nix into a kiss, biting and dominating, just as it’d been with Dick at the house in Foy.
It was Lipton’s turn to interrupt, though that time Speirs wasn’t startled by the touch. Sharp eyes cut to Lipton, leaving Nix standing there in something of a daze. “You’re the one that gave it away you know.”
“Me?”
“Dick and Nix were pretty good at keeping it hidden. I suspected, but I didn’t know for certain until Bastogne when you joined them. You , Carwood, gave it away.”
“It’s the ridiculously happy puppy look, isn’t it,” Nix guessed.
“Hey!” Lipton protested, shoving Nix a little. It wasn’t the first time being called such - far from it.
“It is,” Speirs agreed. He pulled Lipton to him, holding his chin. “Same look he had out there just a few minutes ago when he was pretending not to sneak looks at me.”
Lipton huffed, opening his mouth to say something, but cut off by Speirs. There was no room for doubt when it came to the way the man kissed. It was all-consuming, filled with a passion that burned from the inside out.
Lipton stood in something of a daze, while Speirs looked rather proud of himself. “When did you say we were getting leave Nix?” Lipton inquired, Speirs’ smirk only growing.
“About that…” Nix frowned as they turned to him. “Word got passed down to us a little while ago. We’re not going back to Mourmelon. We got called in to relieve the men at Haganeu.”
“What?” Lipton’s face fell. “But the men… They need a break. And they want to ship us off to the front again?”
No one had anything to say. They wouldn’t argue as they felt the same, but it wasn’t as though any of them had the power to do anything about it.
Instead, Dick pulled Lipton close, brushing a kiss across his lips. “We’ll be alright.”
Lipton curled his hands into the front of Dick’s jacket.
“We’ve got tonight?” Nix suggested. “We should take the time while we can.”
Speirs reached out, running a hand down Lipton’s spine. Dick felt Lipton press back into the touch. Nix, meanwhile, seemed rather fascinated by their new addition, hands grasping Speirs’ hips from behind. Dick smiled softly at Speirs, leaning in and pressing their lips together. He coaxed Speirs into something gentle, something to savor into the night and carry onward.
Speirs was theirs now, and they were his.
* * *
It was jarring when they were pulled off the line. They had lived their lives in such a heightened state for so long that it was almost overwhelming to no longer feel the constant stress. While in Hagenau, Dick and Nix were kept busy and away from their other lovers for the most part. However they trusted Speirs to take care of Lipton and nurse him back to health.
Being together again was as comforting as the relief of leaving Hagenau behind. Granted, with Harry back it was slightly awkward, but mostly he seemed completely oblivious to the changed dynamics. Or perhaps he did know and he simply chose to ignore it.
They always took quarters in fine homes when they had the opportunity, picking out a room with a large bed. It would officially be called Dick’s room but when it was time for bed, well, no one had to know that three other rooms stood empty. Most of the time it was a tight fit, but no one complained - well, much at least. The occasional elbow was expected, but they were creative enough now with rearranging themselves to work in a harmony of sorts.
It wasn’t until Austria when they realized they had a problem. Speirs had enough points to go home but he wasn’t going to leave the men behind - or them - while they were sitting on close but no cigar. Dick thought about putting in a transfer to another division heading into the Pacific right away, Nix naturally willing to follow, but in the end he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave Easy Company, and they couldn’t leave Speirs and Lipton behind.
It wasn’t hard shuffling the guys around, trying to get the men most deserving of it away from the fighting - rigging the lottery for Shifty, sending Malarkey off to Paris, and the like. When Lipton was told about being moved to Battalion Headquarters, he smirked and stepped forward to whisper in Dick’s ear, “I don’t mind staying close.”
It wasn’t as though they didn’t have time together now that they spent their days as an occupation force in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Perhaps that was part of the problem though - they had too much time on their hands. The anxiety about jumping into the Pacific couldn’t compete with what was to come after the war.
“Sink asked you to stay?” Lipton said in disbelief.
“He did,” Dick confirmed.
“What’d you say?” Nix asked.
“That I’d think about it.”
They were hidden away in a secluded spot by the lake. They had been coming there regularly in fact to hide away. That morning it had been Dick out for an early morning swim before Speirs and Lipton joined him after passing over morning drilling to Harry. Nix, as always, was only half awake.
Neither he or Lipton were looking very pleased with Dick’s answer. Speirs couldn’t say anything since he too had been thinking of continuing on with the army. Nix and Lipton though, they were set on returning home.
It was Speirs who asked, “What do you want us to do?”
Dick looked over at him, but the question had been directed to Lipton and Nix. Both of them were frowning. “I don’t know,” Nix muttered.
“Could we really stay together?” Lipton prompted. “Is there even a way to do that?”
“You want to?” Speirs was apparently surprised.
“Of course I do!” Lipton answered, shoving Speirs’ shoulder. “What kind of question is that?”
Speirs was effectively cowed. “You could have wanted to go back to your old life. I wouldn’t blame you.” He looked to Dick and Nix as well. “Any of you.”
Dick smiled softly. “Well, I think that answers it then. If you all feel the same.” They all nodded in agreement. “We stick together then. We’ll figure out a way.”
Nix finally relaxed, leaning against him. Lipton and Speirs moved closer as well. All of them snuggled together, comforted by the fact there was a future for them.
Together.
/End