Chapter Text
The Academy library was characteristically quiet. Being only the first week of school, most students were still focused on socializing and holding onto the last thread of adventurous summers. A few cadets were scattered throughout the room, noses buried in textbooks or computers. The dull gray of their uniforms bled together with wooden tables and bookshelves, but a tuft of red hair stood out among them. The redhead was the most composed out of the students: fiery hair gelled in place, the collar of his uniform stiff and fastened tightly. He brushed invisible lint off his slim shoulders then returned his attention to the book before him. The heavy library doors opened, hinges creaking with effort as a lean woman entered. A handful of heads looked up from their work to identify the intruder, but the redhead remained unaffected. Even as the footsteps quickly approached and stopped at the foot of his table, his focus was unaffected.
“Hux?”
The woman placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. He recognized her as one of the women typically found behind the reception desk in the Academy’s main office. Hux closed his book and turned towards her.
“Your new roommate is in the admissions office,” she continued. “Will you follow me?”
Hux provided a stiff nod and began collecting his belongings. A clean, unmarked textbook was slipped into his worn leather satchel, a singular sterling silver pen was placed gently into a small pocket. The woman stood idly by. She fidgeted with the hem of her black pencil skirt, waiting patiently for Hux to conclude the tedious task of packing his supplies in an orderly manner. Finally, the boy shouldered his expensive bag and looked to the library’s thick doors. The pair walked through the empty halls of Arkanis Academy; Hux following obediently behind the woman. Dread collected quickly in the young man’s mind yet stone-cold features refused to reveal such emotion. He didn’t want a roommate, he didn’t want the ridiculous responsibility of watching over a force user. Hux had survived three years at the Academy without a roommate, thanks to his father. He had hopped his early graduation would allow continued isolation, but Brendol was responsible for the mess he was currently in. Commandant Brendol Hux had started a program in which they accepted and trained force-wielding cadets. New students and existing cadets were paired according to their ability under the ideal that the duo would easily fall under the umbrella of companionship. The issue was: Hux had very few companions. There was a boy from his first year, Mitaka, that was tolerable although meak and feeble. Thanisson, a young man he met through Mitaka, was easier to spend time with than the aforementioned, but Hux saw less of him due to the year difference between them. All in all, the redhead was much better at making enemies than he was friends.
As Hux and the receptionist rounded a corner, the admissions office came into view. Through the large glass windows, Hux saw a boy no older than 18 squeezed in one of the small office chairs. Sure, the chairs typically seemed small, but the obnoxiously large body currently occupying hard plastic exaggerated the already obvious size difference. Hux rolled his eyes. The woman held opened the office door, smiling at Hux as he eyed his new roommate. She approached the large young man and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
“Ben, this is Armitage Hux, the boy you’re going to be rooming with. Hux, this is Ben Solo.” The woman smiled as she introduced the pair, obviously not seeing the discomfort passing through both boys.
Ben simply rose from his chair and gathered the few bags he had brought. A second woman in the office spoke to Hux briefly, simply going over what was to be expected of him when showing Ben around the Academy and technicalities of the sort. Ben kept his eyes glued to the ground for the entirety of the exchange. It wasn’t until the young men left the office, Hux leading the way to their shared dorm, that Hux decided to address Ben directly.
“Alright, Solo. Since we’re going to be spending far too much time together, we need to address a few things.”
Ben glared at Hux; warm, brown eyes offering a cold gaze.
“First and foremost, call me Hux. If you so much as utter a single syllable of my legal name, I won’t hesitate to slaughter you and hang your dead body from the flagpole.”
This caused Ben to chuckle, the sound emerging deep from his chest. That wasn’t exactly the reaction Hux had anticipated. His jaw clenched, persuading another laugh from the younger boy.
“If that’s the case, call me Kylo.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Kylo’s lips as Hux digested the response.
“Fine,” he said stiffly. Hux continued with his list of demands. “Second, in the time that we are required to spend together, don’t embarrass me. If you do anything stupid, I reserve the right to leave you to the will of the neanderthals that occupy the Academy. Third, stay out of my room. That one’s simple. Fourth, if you’re messy, I hope you have the discipline to overcome it. I won’t tolerate a messy ‘fresher.”
A beat passed. “How big is the stick up your ass?”
Hux scoffed. “How many times did your mother drop you on your head as a child?”
Kylo visibly tensed. He brushed passed Hux, knocking roughly into the boy’s shoulder.
Hux didn’t turn to follow, rather calling after the boy, “You don’t even know where you’re going, asshole.”
The sound of Kylo’s heavy shoes against the vinyl floor echoed down the empty hall. Hux sighed before following after the dramatic boy. As he approached the brunette, Hux saw Kylo leaning against one of the bare Academy walls. He didn’t bother looking at Kylo as he walked by, assuming his roommate would keep up. The pair reached their now shared room, Hux obviously desperate to deposit Kylo and his belongings. The redhead opened the main door, ushering Kylo into a short hallway. There was a door on his right which Kylo assumed was the refresher. The end of the hall broke into two doors sat opposite to one another. The second door was left slightly ajar and Kylo could see the room was almost empty. It held only a bare mattress, end table, simple oak desk, and a wardrobe.
“That one’s yours.”
Hux didn’t show Kylo the dorm properly, already moving towards his own room.
“There should be clean sheets on the desk. Take your shit out of the hallway,” he continued.
Kylo nodded, standing awkwardly between both rooms. He peered through Hux’s door and was surprised to find it almost as barren as the uninhabited dorm he now occupied. There was a dark blue duvet and matching pillow cases on the twin bed, the desk held a small pile of papers and a notebook. A single First Order propaganda poster was plastered above the desk next to a calendar and a whiteboard crammed with neat handwriting. It held the same utilities as Kylo’s room, but it was in impeccable shape. The cleanliness and organization looked nothing like the room of a teenage boy, rather the epitome of military perfection. Hux’s back faced the younger boy as he bent down to retrieve a notebook from his school bag. Kylo allowed his eyes to wander slightly, passing over the curve of Hux’s backside. His gaze lingered before the redhead turned around catching Kylo’s eyes. A blush passed over Hux’s hardened expression and he rolled his eyes.
“Do you need anything,” he asked.
Kylo stuttered, shifting his focus to the ground and shoving a large hand into the pocket of his dark jeans. “No-- nope. I, uh, I’ll just go to my room then.”
Hux’s eyes remained cold as he nodded. As Kylo retreated to the artificial comfort of his military-grade quarters, the young force user found a smirk forming on his lips. He allowed himself to ponder the possibility of Hux liking men before unpacking his bags.
---
Kylo emerged from his dorm roughly 30 minutes after the boys retired to their rooms. He had unpacked his bags; all clothes and personal belongings tucked away into the wardrobe or placed upon the desk. A standard clock above the end table told Kylo it was 18:00. Voices carried from the dormitory hall through their room’s main door. Kylo assumed the rush meant it was time for dinner and knocked on Hux’s door. The redhead responded almost immediately, the thin barrier between them breaking.
Hux kept a hand on the doorknob. “What?”
“Are we going to dinner now,” Kylo asked.
The older boy peered at the clock, a contemplative look graced his cold features. He turned back to Kylo and starred in an appraising manner.
“I assume we can,” Hux responded. “I normally avoid the mess hall, but you can head there now if you’d like.”
Kylo cocked his head, strands of dark hair shifting with the motion. “You’re not coming with me?”
The cadet scoffed. “Would you like me to?”
The question lingered between the boys for a few moments.
“No,” Kylo responded. “I just assumed a tight ass like yourself wouldn’t abandon your duties. Y’know you’re required to stay with me, right?”
Hux feigned a sympathetic expression, his forehead creasing with concern. “My mistake. I forgot you’re a helpless buffoon who couldn’t possibly navigate the halls on your own.”
The brunette simply turned away from Hux and stormed out of their dorm, the sound of the slammed door echoing through the small space. Hux was never a fan of the dramatic and considered leaving Kylo to brood. Abandoning him seemed justifiable due to his irritating nature. Yet, what Kylo said was true. The force user was unfortunately his responsibility for the time being and ignoring said responsibility would only disappoint Brendol. Realizing his disadvantage, Hux grabbed a simple knitted sweater and began the trek to the Academy’s mess hall.
Layers of conversation greeted Hux as he entered the overwhelming dining room. The experience was almost nostalgic for the young cadet, having eaten his dinner in the comforts of his dorm since a few weeks into his first year. It wasn’t difficult to find Kylo in the sea of students. The boy certainly stood out with his wide stature and dark features. As Hux moved through the sea of cadets, he noticed Kylo wasn’t alone. A head of platinum blonde hair towered over a majority of the surrounding students but sat at the same height as Kylo. Thanisson and Mitaka sat across from the pair; Mitaka looking slightly frightened of the force wielder. Hux stormed over to the group, pushing passed students walking casually with their dinner in hand. A few boys almost dropped their food and attempted to pick a fight with the redhead, but Hux had little time for testosterone fueled brawls. Hux reached his destination and placed a hand on the blonde’s shoulder, forcing her to turn and face him.
“Phasma.”
Hux spoke the young girl’s name through gritted teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kylo’s smug smile. He wanted to scoff. Of course the boy was able to find Hux’s one true friend and persuade her into companionship.
“Hux! How nice of you to join us.” Kylo’s lips curled around the words spoken smoothly as honey falling from its jar.
“Ah,” Phasma quipped. “I assume you two have already met, then?”
Kylo offered a warm laugh, the sound sending a chill through Hux before settling at the base of his scalp. He ignored it.
“We’re roommates,” Hux replied. “Move over.”
The boy squeezed into the seat next to Phasma and settled dramatically beside her. Thanisson nudged him under the table causing Hux to meet the younger cadet’s gaze. He tilted his head slightly towards Kylo and raised a blonde brow. Hux rolled his eyes and mouthed ‘later’. When his gaze shifted to Mitaka, it seemed the boy’s fear had intensified after the conversation that unfolded before him. Kylo and Phasma were oblivious, too engrossed in their own riveting conversation. Hux watched Kylo as he spoke. He intended to pass the boy a cold glare, but the animated nature of Kylo’s expression was captivating. His lips wrapped around each syllable perfectly creating wide o’s and pronounced t’s. Kylo’s tongue would occasionally pass over his lips leaving a subtle shine on the pink flesh. Objectively, Kylo was attractive. There was no sense in denying it, but the acknowledgement meant nothing. Kylo was still a petulant child; unbelievably smug and aggravating. These characteristics were obvious despite the short time Hux had known him. Even if the cadet was open to pursuing a romantic relationship, his roommate wouldn’t be the first choice. Phasma shook the boy lightly, pulling Hux from his overanalyzation.
The blonde gestured to her food, “I’m done, do you want any?”
Hux accepted the offer, eating a few pieces of roasted potato and antarian peas before pushing the leftover food around his plate. Mitaka, Phasma, and Thanisson collected their trash and stood from the table, leaving Hux in the company of Kylo. The force user was nursing a cup of fruit fizz and carefully watching the conversations around him. It seemed Kylo was purposefully keeping his gaze far from the general direction of Hux. The redhead was infinitely thankful for Kylo’s sudden consideration. Their previous attempts at small talk had been painful, and Hux wasn’t exactly eager to try again. They remained in an uncomfortable silence before the rest of their group returned.
“I think we’re turning in for the night, boys.” Phasma approached the pair. She looked between them, allowing her gaze to settle on Hux. Her eyes pleaded with him to behave. He complied.
Hux sighed. “Are you ready to go, Kylo?”
The boy let a look of shock pass over his features at the sound of Hux addressing him before he schooled his expression and offered a nod. He then turned to smile at Phasma, joy radiating off of the force user. They said their goodbyes before Kylo turned to Mitaka and Thanisson, his smiling softening as he waved. Phasma grabbed Hux before she departed and pulled the older boy into his side.
“Be nice to him, alright? He’s a pretty cool kid. I’d like it if you didn’t scare him away.”
Hux scoffed. “He’s infuriating.”
“You don’t have to love him, you just have to tolerate him,” Phasma said with a smile. She laughed as Hux glared and gave the boy a quick pat on the back before walking out of the mess hall with Unamo.
Thanisson and Mitaka had abandoned Hux during his momentary conversation with Phasma, much to his dismay. He scanned the room, watching cadets file out casually before finding Kylo standing near the mess hall doors. His hands clenched and relaxed, wiggling his fingers before repeating the process. Hux couldn’t help but notice the boy’s discomfort.
It’s only the first night,
he told himself.
He’ll get over it
.