Donnie reached for his coffee mug. You blinked, mid-thought, as your eyes caught the colors—soft stripes of yellow, white, purple, and black.

Wait. That was the nonbinary flag. Your brain hiccuped. Donnie—uh… they? Were they…?

You felt your heart skip a beat, your thoughts fumbling like puzzle pieces dropped on the floor. You weren’t trying to assume, but now you couldn’t stop thinking about it. You chewed your bottom lip, debating whether or not to say something.

Just ask. Be respectful. Chill.

So you finally spoke up, a little hesitant, a little soft:

"Hey, um... I saw your mug. Is that—like—do you... identify as nonbinary?"

They looked up, surprised at first—but then their expression softened. A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of their mouth.

"Yeah," they said, casual but honest. "I'm a they/them. Not a he/him or she/her."

It wasn’t defensive. It wasn’t guarded. Just… truth. Like exhaling. You blinked, processing it. Then you nodded, maybe a little too fast.