Oh noooooooooo. Poor Ben! I can't wait to see what happens next. I really liked these parts:
Ben shrugged. “You know what Hux is like.”
Han snorted. “Yeah. I do.” He signaled a waiter over and took a drink for himself and one for Ben. “Just like your mom, that one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Han gestured at the room. “You see your mom here?”
“No.”
“Exactly.”
“Your Mother – .” Han’s finger was not exactly steady in front of Ben’s face. “Always put her Mission above everything. Destroy the Death Star. Save the Galaxy. Get Colblie to vote down the import tariff on Green Milk from outer rim planets,” Han made an expansive gesture, “and so on. Everything else first. Love of her life third.” Han made a slightly alarmed face. “You were one of the “everything else” by the way. Luke came second.”
Ben allowed Han to pat him reassuringly on the head. In moments like this, he was exceedingly glad he’d allowed Hux to talk him into seeing that therapist all those years ago. “Mom didn’t love her job more than you Dad.” He reminded Han. “She just… wasn’t right for you.”
Ben didn’t answer. Hux never came out to things without a formal invite from Leia herself. He was very particular about Family Events. Han knew that.
“Luke. Fuking. Skywalker. Phasma!” Hux was all but screaming. “Even Luke fucking Skywalker managed to get it together enough to get married! There’s no way Ben’s going to come home from this wedding and be just fucking fine with the way things are! He’s going to notice. He’s going to notice that I -. That we -.”
“Calm down? Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down? It’s been SEVEN years. What if – What if he comes back and suggests we get married right now? What if he -? You know how impatient he is. What am I supposed to do then Phas?”
Hux sighed. He must have been standing, pacing even, as Ben heard him fall into the cushioned chair at his desk. In his mind’s eye, Ben could see Hux dropping his head into his hands. “Phas,” he said in a low voice, “what if he doesn’t come home wanting to get married? “
“Well, if he’s finally sick of you using him for his Mother’s contacts I promise I’ve got all sorts of eligible bachelors who’d line up to meet you.”
Ben turned and left before he could hear any more, using the force to silence his already quiet footsteps. She’s joking. Ben thought. She must be.
Han had always projected his insecurities onto Ben, he’d done so Ben’s entire life. And Phasma wouldn’t be Phasma if she didn’t make off color jokes. And when Ben played Hux and Phasma’s conversation over in his head, Hux had sounded… well, to be sure he had sounded panicked about the idea of Ben wanting to get married. But, on the other hand, he’d sounded equally panicked about the idea of Ben *not* wanting to get married. So… maybe he did want to get married. Just… not right now?
Han was right. He’d never met any of Hux’s friends *other* than Phasma. And his one interaction with Hux’s dad had involved Brendol sneering in Ben’s general direction in the main Senate building on Hosnian Prime six years ago. Hux had reacted to that sneer by dropping Ben’s hand and scurrying after his father. The only part of the ensuing conversation Ben had caught had been Brendol’s disgusted. “Very well. If you have to.”
“Look – kid,” Han began. But whatever he was about to say was cut off by a string of cursing. Of female cursing. Of familiar female cursing.
“… is that Mom?” Ben asked in disbelief .
Han didn’t reply - he just terminated the connection. So, yes, that had been Ben’s mom.
From the other night stand, Hux's datapad beeped twice with an incoming message. Hux would never leave his datapad behind on a business trip. With two quick swipes, Ben unlocked the device and read the incoming message.
Don't worry about things at the office. Enjoy your vacation. - Mitaka.
Comment on Our Fathers, Ourselves
Cats_on_ao3 on Chapter 1 Sat 26 May 2018 11:35AM UTC
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lucifel on Chapter 1 Tue 29 May 2018 08:44PM UTC
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