Work Text:
Armitage Hux tried his father’s mobile first. Three rings, four. Then came a clicking noise and he hung up on the sound of Brendol Hux’s voicemail message.
He tried the Hux home landline next. Similar results–rings, clicks, answering machine. He ought to have expected this, however. It wasn’t quite four o’clock yet.
He called his father’s firm last. Asked for Brendol Hux and didn’t give his name. The gatekeeper of an office manager refused to send him any further without identification, and Armitage relented without thinking to give a false name.
Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, he thought. Maybe Brendol had trained his underlings to recognize his persona non grata son. Armitage was shunted once again to voicemail, but this time he spoke.
“Hello, it’s Armitage. I just wanted to let you know a small graduation ceremony is scheduled for the doctoral candidates in my department.” He rattled off the date and time and location on campus. “Afterward, we are going out to dinner at Takodana,” he added. “It would be me, Ben and his parents. They would very much like to meet you. I’ve also sent you an email with the information. Hope you can make it.”
Highly doubtful, but Armitage promised Ben he’d extend the invitation. He had much more to relay to his parents, but preferred to save that news for in person.
Armitage rang off and fanned out both of his hands. On one he wore his newly purchased class ring. On the other, his newly received engagement band.
Yes, he thought, definitely news to tell in person.
~*~
His crimson graduation robes clashed with his hair, and the baby blue doctoral hood he’d received from his major professor definitely didn’t match. To see Ben’s take on it, and that of Ben’s parents, Armitage Hux, Ph.D. may have been a supermodel.
Pictures, every two minutes. Leia Organa-Solo must have directed him into every conceivable pose. One by the school sign. One near the stage he’d cross to get his degree. One with Ben. One with Ben and Han. Now one with everybody–Leia snatched the first poor stranger to pass by for that task.
Afterward Armitage took Ben aside. “Your mother doesn’t have to use her flash,” he said. “I literally cannot see a thing right now.”
“Please give her this.” Ben kissed his cheek. “She finally has a doctor in the family. I was such a huge disappointment.”
“You are not.” Because of Ben’s culinary skills, Takodana was the place to go and be seen. From the looks of the gathering audience, though, Armitage surmised his parents would pass on that opportunity.
“Not since I first brought you home.” Ben lifted Armitage’s hand with the engagement ring and kissed that knuckle. “We’ll be in our seats and we will behave.”
“Thank you.” Armitage scanned the small auditorium of the education department. Nobody resembling his father or stepmother showed their faces in the audience. Right up until the point when the head of the department began his opening remarks, Armitage sat twisted in his seat to watch for them.
Dr. Rae Sloane, his major professor and advisor through much of his educational career, leaned close. “Are you alright?”
“No.” He ought to be excited today, he knew. He’d spent a little over a decade studying and researching to reach this goal. Earned his scholarships and grad assistant positions, spent a term abroad, and co-authored papers for prestigious journals. Soon he’d become a college professor himself, and married to an incredible and supportive man.
He ought to be happy for himself. Others were for him. He glanced back into the audience again and caught Leia’s thumbs up, and he smiled. “It should be enough,” he whispered to Dr. Sloane. “I don’t understand why they’re not here.”
A lie. Armitage knew. He thought their reasoning archaic, but he knew. He could only extend so many olive branches before realizing they were best planted elsewhere.
He looked down at his hands, to where Dr. Sloane twined her fingers with this. “It’s not your loss,” she said. “Please don’t mourn. It’s not your fault they can’t see what they had.”
“I won’t,” he said.
Concentrate on the people who care, she told him. “Right,” he said. “Ben and his parents. And you.” Their gazes locked. “You’re all the reason I’m here.”
Dr. Sloane’s hand in his helped him through the rest of the ceremony. When they ascended the stage together she handed him his degree and draped the hood over his neck. He expected the handshake but the hug surprised him.
~*~
Ben checked his phone and leaned close to whisper to his parents. “Arm’s parking his car now. His parents aren’t coming.”
“Fuck them,” Leia said.
“Very classy, mother. Let’s not bring it up, okay?” Ben pleaded. “It’s a very sore subject.”
Internally, though, Ben fumed. Today was supposed to be a happy occasion, and for the most part it was. Ben was so proud of Armitage, and once he secured a professorship they could set a wedding date. He only wished his fiance had the support of loving parents, as he did. The Huxes’ absence would leave a gap in the evening, not to mention the table. Ben was about to remove some of the chairs when he heard Armitage’s voice.
“We’ll need one of those.”
Armitage approached with a familiar person on his arm. Ben had met Dr. Sloane and was happy to see her, more so to find his fiance smiling. Perhaps the night would go well, if Leia kept calm.
She stood from the table and clamped “her other son” in a tight bear hug. “My beautiful doctor!” she cried, and heads everywhere turned. Leia then smiled at Dr. Sloane and said, “How are you? I’m Leia, Armitage’s mother.”
Dr. Sloane took her hand. “I am well. I’m Rae, and so am I.”