Chapter Text
Hux retreated to the refresher immediately after dinner. The unfamiliar feeling of stress blooming in the pit of the boy’s stomach sent him into a panic. He was desperate to alleviate the overwhelming emotion before it consumed him entirely. Hux typically wouldn’t allow himself to savor the feeling of hot water against his freckled shoulders as he stepped under the steady stream, but brief indulgence was welcomed. Exiting the ‘fresher meant possibly facing Kylo and he definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Instead, he distracted himself with soap suds and images of life before his latest nuisance arrived. Hux craved the freedom of his dorm, the ability to escape overbearing acquaintances and the Academy’s demands. He had lost that the moment he met Ben Solo. Now, his room was no longer a sanctuary, but rather a space shared with an aggravating stranger. Hux quickly completed his routine bathing and stood motionlessly under the showerhead. His ears strained against the sound of water hitting the fiberglass floor to detect any signs of Kylo. The sound of muffled footsteps was all he could distinguish. After patting himself dry and wrapping a towel around his slim frame, Hux opened the refresher door. He relaxed slightly at the sight of Kylo seemingly shut in his room and quickly padded across the cold floor to his own dorm.
Closing the door, Hux leaned against the cold wooden panels. He turned his head; eyes fixed on the wall currently creating distance between himself and the brunette. His mind wondered as he considered what Kylo might be doing while he stared at the sterile, white wall. Through the rhythmic ticking of the clock beside him, Hux swore he could hear the soft creak of Kylo’s bed frame and imagined the boy shifting beneath the standard issue duvet. He closed his eyes and sighed. What the hell was he doing? Hux moved away from the door, dropping his towel before donning a pair of soft flannel pants and pulling a grey t-shirt over his head. The boy sat at his small desk, pausing to look over his shoulder as his eyes landed on the same wall which held his attention only minutes before. His gaze returned to the desk, eyeing some homework which sat expectantly in a neat pile. Hux sighed and reached for his pencil. Just as the boy was about to tackle the indigestible amount of strategy and tactics homework before him, Hux sat up and headed towards Kylo’s door. Something in his mind begged to knock on the thin wood. He watched his fist rise; pale flesh swallowed up by dark brown. Moments before he had convinced himself to make his presence known, the sound of familiar footsteps echoed in the boy’s ears. Hux’s feet seemed anchored to the ground when Kylo finally opened his door. A head of brown hair peeked through the small opening he had created; soft, golden light creating a halo. Hux held his breath.
“Yes?” A loose strand of hair fell in front of Kylo’s eyes as he spoke.
The redhead sputtered. “I, um, I just wanted to say, uh, goodnight. So, goodnight.”
Hux turned away before Kylo was able to answer, knowing his resolve would soon break. He didn’t chance looking back at the boy, instead keeping his focus centered on the stiff mattress waiting for him. Hux entered his own room, undressing the twin bed before settling onto rough sheets. Despite his lack of fatigue, he shut his eyes, begging his mind to forget about the figure sleeping on the other side of the bare wall.
Kylo woke to heavy knocking against his door. He groaned and rolled away from the noise, bringing the thin duvet over his head. After a few seconds, the knocking stopped. Kylo peaked over the edge of the blanket, seeking out the standard clock beside him. It read 0530, an ungodly hour for the young man to be awake. Just then, the knocking proceeded, a bit louder than before.
“Fucking stop ! I’m awake,” Kylo yelled after realizing no one but Hux could be pounding on his door so early in the morning.
This response seemed to satisfy the older boy momentarily before his shrill voice erupted through the wooden frame. “Your first course begins at 0645. I’ve given you over an hour in the ‘fresher to fix that mop on your head.”
Kylo was silently grateful for the allotted time Hux had given him. Whether his roommate did it out of compassion or as a means of control, Kylo wasn’t sure. He entered the dorm hallway, moving towards the refresher before glancing into Hux’s room. There the boy sat: hair gelled neatly in place, gray uniform undone to reveal prominent, pale collar bones and a white wife beater. Kylo swallowed. Hux didn’t seem to notice him, too occupied with the task of perfecting his already impeccable appearance. Slim fingers worked the uniform’s black buttons and smoothed down the front of his wrinkle-free shirt. The cadet looked up, fearlessly meeting Kylo’s gaze. His expression remained unaffected and empty, challenging the other boy to act. The brunette smirked before turning away.
Kylo exited the ‘fresher with 20 minutes to spare. Hux would knock on the door periodically, reminding the boy of the schedule at hand. It was one of those times that Kylo opened the door unexpectedly. A white towel was wrapped around his waist, hanging a bit too low for Hux’s liking. Steam traveled through the doorway, enveloping the pair in a thin veil of warm discomfort. A flush settled high on Hux’s cheeks, something he would blame on the heat settling around them. Kylo seemed to notice this and removed his gaze from the boy’s green eyes, shifting to watch the pink tinge spread.
“This seems a bit familiar,” Kylo remarked. Confidence consumed the boy’s tone frustrating Hux to no end. “Everything okay?”
The cadet straightened his spine. “I just wanted to see if you drowned, considering how long you’d been in there.”
Kylo smirked, a look the redhead was beginning to despise. “Worried about me?”
Hux was determined to hide any signs of disgust. He refused to give Kylo the satisfaction of knowing he had wiggled his way under the boy’s skin. “You could be taken by a pack of barbaric smugglers and I wouldn’t worry about you. Don’t flatter yourself, Solo.”
A grimace bloomed across Kylo’s features. Hux’s blatant disregard of his name quickly ruined whatever flirtatious tone he had previously adapted. “I suggest you treat me with respect. Unless you’d like me to embarrass you, Armitage ,” Kylo sneered.
Hux was momentarily shocked by the boy’s response, but shook his confusion quickly. “Maker, you’re such a brat. How could you possibly think you reserve the right to insult me? And over something so stupid ?”
He paused, waiting for Kylo to respond but was simply met with an intense gaze.
“Have you made the mistake of placing your value above mine? There’s nothing special about you. I’ve yet to see your force in action and I already know you’re a mediocre magician at best. You’re attending a school with skilled fighters and future leaders. You don’t belong here and it’s wildly unfortunate that Brendol couldn’t see how invaluable you are.” Hux’s eyes darkened as he rattled off insults in the direction of the force user.
“You know nothing of the force, you know nothing of me.” Kylo leaned over, crowding the redhead’s space. “I never wanted to come here and play cadet with you and your distinguished peers. You’re a fucking asshole, y’know that? How can Phasma stand being in the same room with you, let alone your friend?”
Hux released a bitter laugh, locking eyes with the boy before him. “Do you hear yourself? You’ve latched on to my friends. You haven’t even been here for a day and I’m desperate to shoot you between the eyes with a blaster.” He checked his watch. “Congratulations, you’ve wasted my morning with your whining.”
Hux placed a firm hand in the middle of Kylo’s chest, pushing him back before sauntering through the main door, never giving the other boy a second glance. His appearance was surprisingly composed despite the angry red spreading across his skin. Kylo, however, was less collected. A flush similar to the one seen on Hux colored the expanse of Kylo’s chest. He was angry of course, but also embarrassed, which manifested into more anger until the boy found himself punching the ‘fresher door frame. Kylo assessed the damage, making a note to tell someone about the new dent in the wall, before focusing on the conclusion of his morning routine.
The next time Hux saw Kylo, a few hours had passed since their early morning feud. Hux didn’t feel particularly guilty. In fact, he didn’t feel guilty at all. Everything he had said to Kylo was true; the boy behaved solely off of impulse and offered very little respect, much like an infant. Yet, when the pair met again, it seemed Kylo’s mood had drastically changed.
Phasma and Hux sat on the damp ground next to the Academy’s shooting range. They had just completed their daily target practice, taking a break as other cadets continued firing in the distance. Various students wandered along the edge of the range performing miscellaneous tasks; Hux didn’t care enough to notice. Phasma was spread out next to him, complaining about something Unamo had done, though the boy only focused vaguely. If her next question was any tell, the she must’ve noticed the slight distraction.
“So, how’s Kylo?”
Hux kept his head directed towards the field, but his gaze moved to the sound of his friend’s voice.
“Why do you care,” he asked.
He couldn’t see her, but Hux felt Phasma smiling.
“Thanisson told me he arrived late to hand-to-hand combat.”
Hux turned to her. “And what does that have to do with me?”
“I just thought you’d know, or care, considering you live with him.” Phasma’s smirk remained undeniably smug in response to the boy’s short tone.
Hux shot his friend an unamused look. “If you must know, he may have been late due to a small argument that arose between us.” The boy held his chin high in the air. “But I wouldn’t know, I left before he was finished.”
His confession sent Phasma into a fit of laughter. “You couldn’t make it 24 hours without making him hate you?”
The sound of her bubbling cackle broke the otherwise quiet area, causing several students to turn and watch the girl’s display. Hux eyed the onlookers, desperately trying to distance himself from Phasma while keeping his resolve in tact. He wanted to scold her for the outburst but refused to outwardly acknowledge her. After a few excruciating moments, the laughter fizzled into a soft giggle.
“Are you quite done,” Hux asked with a pointed expression.
Phasma sighed happily. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”
“And I didn’t make him hate me. Maybe if he wasn’t so annoying, he’d experience an ounce of my respect.”
The redhead crossed his arms across his chest and immediately reprimanded himself for the drama of the action. Clearly he had been spending far too much time with Phasma (and Kylo). Hux watched as his friend looked passed him, gazing over the boy’s shoulder.
“Speak of the devil.” Phasma’s smile curled around her words.
Her grin grew as Hux whipped his head around to see Kylo parading towards them. He noticed other students swarming towards the school’s academic hall as the force user wove his way through the group. Some moved out of his way, desperate to avoid the awkward, looming figure. In a way, Hux felt the same. He wanted to run; to simply stand up and walk past Kylo much like he did earlier that day, but it seemed as though his pride wouldn’t allow it. Phasma waved enthusiastically at the brunette and the corner of Kylo’s mouth twitched slightly. It was strange, but Hux felt out of place. Watching his friend treat the boy with such kindness seemed unusual. Did Phasma treat him that way? He supposed it didn’t really matter. Hux typically wasn’t concerned with the nature of their friendship, but perhaps that’s why he hadn’t noticed. A flurry of unfamiliar emotions plagued the redhead, something that was beginning to happen too often. A feeling Hux assumed to be regret attempted to break from the corners of his mind, but he ignored it. Suddenly, Kylo crashed ungracefully beside him, landing hard on his ass. The boy crossed his legs, making himself look unbelievably childish, and offered Phasma a warm smile. He turned to Hux and evaluated the boy before turning away.
“Alright cadets,” Kylo said in a deep, militant voice. “What are we talking about?”
This caused Phasma to smile once more. “It’s funny that you ask. We were just talking about you.”
“Is that so?” The brunette turned to the boy beside him. “And was our friend Armie participating in this riveting discussion?”
The nickname earned Kylo a swift punch in the side. Phasma stifled a laugh at the sight of the force user’s hunched figure and bemused expression. Hux, however, seemed satisfied with the turn of events. He watched Kylo’s hands cover the affected area and noticed the raw red skin on the boy’s knuckles. He wanted to comment on the obvious injury, but decided it was simply a byproduct of Kylo’s first hand-to-hand combat class.
“Marker, Hux, show some mercy,” Kylo whined.
“Ah, see that’s where you’ve been mistaken, my friend,” Phasma quipped. “I’m afraid Hux isn’t familiar with the concept of ‘mercy’, or so it seems.”
The brunette rubbed his side and pouted. “Clearly.”
Hux scoffed. “You should take advantage of that combat course.”
“Hey! If we were sparring, you wouldn’t be so cocky.” If the boy’s smile was any tell, Kylo seemed to believe the words he spoke with an undeniable confidence.
The cadet wasn’t convinced, but humored him anyway. “Alright,” he began. “Come to me in a few weeks and we’ll find out.”
Hux stood suddenly, looking down at Kylo with bright, cunning eyes. He held the brunette’s gaze for what felt like hours before breaking away to address Phasma. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
Kylo expected the boy to walk away after watching Hux collect his belongings in his satchel and shoulder the bag. Instead, he turned to the brunette with a hand on his hip.
He looked to Hux with furrowed brows. “What?”
“We have our next class together. Are you going to walk with me or not,” Hux stated matter-of-factly.
Kylo floundered, surprised by the offer, but soon lifted himself from the ground. The cadet didn’t wait for Kylo this time; instead strutting ahead of him, leaving the other boy to catch up. Eventually, the brunette joined Hux, struggling to walk in time with his roommate. Together, they strolled down the mostly bare halls of the Academy. Classes would begin in only a few moments and any stragglers that remained clearly had no intentions of making it to class on time. Hux ignored the few students leaned against lockers or walls until Kylo stopped beside him, squandering the sound of the boys’ footsteps echoing down the hallway. There was a boy Hux knew only as Jasko standing across the way from the pair. His eyes were glued to Kylo, disregarding the existence of the redhead. Hux was surprised by this, considering Jasko’s known discontent for his father. The cadet watched Kylo stand a little taller as Jasko slowly approached.
“I didn’t know you were friendly with the Commandant’s son.” Jasko never broke Kylo’s gaze as his voice rumbled through the silent hall.
Hux could see Kylo’s nostrils flare despite the distance between them. The brunette looked down, licking his chapped lips before cracking a smile. “How long have I been here,” he asked, looking back to Hux. “A day?” He turned to Jasko again before saying, “Your attention is quite flattering. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you have a crush on me.”
Kylo’s straight, white teeth were blinding in the face of Jasko’s grimace. The shorter boy stepped forward. “I’m not queer ,” he spat. “So don’t get any ideas, perv.”
“It’s cute that you think you’re my type,” Kylo responded. Hux was surprised to see the force user’s quick rebuttal. He seemed prepared, almost as if his mind was simply a rolodex of calculated insults.
Hux sensed Jasko’s growing anger and knew the situation was taking a turn for the violent. He needed to remove Kylo from the other cadet’s grasp. It wasn’t that he was concerned for the brunette’s safety, he was simply looking out for himself. Hux couldn’t let word get around to his father that he had been involved in a fight by association.
“Kylo,” he began, reaching out to grab just above the boy’s elbow. His hand wrapped around the loose tunic Kylo wore over his Academy uniform, the material bunching up under his grasp. The boy kept his eyes glued to Jasko, leaving Hux’s plea to hang in the air around them. The bell rang before anything else could happen and the redhead found himself sending his thanks into the universe. Kylo allowed himself to be pulled away from Jasko, though he threw his opponent one last intimidating look. Hux hated to admit it, but his roommate executed the scare tactic well. This fear wasn’t at the forefronts of his mind, though. He couldn’t stop considering Kylo’s reaction to Jasko accusing him of being gay. Was he? Hux couldn’t imagine it, but when had he ever met another gay man? He realized his hand was still attached to Kylo and quickly pulled it away. As the pair approached their classroom, Hux thought up an excuse to present to the teacher as to why they were almost 5 minutes late to class. He went to open the door, but Kylo beat him to it. His arm stretched out in front of Hux, blocking the redhead’s reach.
“After you.” The cadet nodded at Kylo’s offer and ducked into the room.
Hux took his seat in the classroom, immediately bending down to fish through his satchel. As he rose, he caught Kylo’s eyes.
Maker
, he thought.
It was going to be a long year
.