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Hux smoothed his hair one last time. “Not a single good idea came to mind in the morning.”
Maybe what he was planning wasn't worth it at all.
Hux checked his watch. In a couple of minutes or less, Master Ren would be rushing past his door, hurrying toward the hangars.
And it happened so.
Hux heard footsteps in the distance. A group of people passed by his door, trampling noisily on the perfectly polished floors.
It's time.
Hux pressed a button, and the doors hissed open. Looking at the retreating group, Hux called out to only one of them. “Master Ren.”
The crowd froze, and the man turned. After a brief pause, Master Kylo Ren nodded to the knights. “Leave us alone.”
One of the knights made a gesture, then moved forward, followed by the others.
Kylo was already walking in the opposite direction from them, straight towards Hux, who was still standing at his cabin door. “Yes, General?”
Hux took a short breath. If he has decided to take matters into his own hands (again), then he needs to keep moving on. “Remove your helmet.”
It didn't sound like an order, but a request. That's probably why Kylo didn't hesitate long to do as he was asked.
“So what was it you wanted to tell me?” Kylo's voice, not distorted by the vocoder, sounded different, more pleasant.
“I wanted to wish you good luck,” blurted out Hux.
“Aren't you going?”
“I'm needed here.”
“You're needed everywhere, General,” Kylo cautiously allowed himself a small smile, when he saw the faintest hint of a smile touch Hux's lips, and he snorted in response.
Hux returned his tone to seriousness, “Come back. Alive.”
“I've been on hundreds of missions like this,” Kylo said, looking more like a reckless smuggler now, except that he didn't spread his hands carelessly. “I've always come back. I'll be back this time too.”
“Yes,” Hux came a step closer. One more, and they'll be nose to nose. “Then don't let me down this time too.”
“You?” Kylo swallowed, and Hux allowed his gaze to linger on Kylo’s neck before returning to his eyes. “I'll never let you down.”
No need to be Force-sensitive to notice how fast Hux's breathing was. To feel how aroused, excited he was. But Kylo didn't notice – he was breathing in sync with Hux, clinging to the air that was becoming less and less between them.
Hux always believed that everyone builds their own destiny and is free to do what they want. So he did now. Just the way he wanted.
He lightly touched the back of his hand to Kylo's cheek, and Kylo reacted instantly, snuggling up to him tenderly.
“Come back soon, be careful,” Hux repeated.
Kylo decided that it would be better to give in to the impulse while he had a minute to spare before departure, and while Hux was with him. Kylo wrapped his fingers around Hux’s wrist and pressed his open palm close to his chest, where the heart is. “I promise you.”
Hux listened to the feel of his heartbeat under his hand. And the way the blood rushed to his own ears, drowning out everything.
“And don't try to destroy the hangar with your lightsaber along the way,” Hux said, trying to pull himself out of his limp state, using the win-win method as always.
It seems that he did miss a certain amount of time. Because Hux's hand was in Kylo's, and the kiss was already cooling in the open palm’s hollow, and Kylo, moving slightly away from Hux, reluctantly broke the touch. The hand slid out of his with the characteristic silky sound of leather gloves. Kylo put on his helmet, glanced over his shoulder, and once again promised to return to Hux as he walked away.
Hux looked down at his hand and smiled. “Such is our fate."
The cabin door hissed shut behind Hux.