Work Text:
The big five-oh deserved a party. Problem was, their dad didn’t want one. Threatened to turn around and bolt if he caught the faintest hint of a surprise celebration in the air. “I mean it,” Armitage Hux told his children. “If I unlock the front door to a darkened house, I’ll know. I’ll stay in a hotel.”
“Fine.” Mara Hux, sixteen, stretched out the word for a few seconds. Later, she met with her older brother to commiserate. “So what’s Plan B?”
A.J., eighteen and a near clone of his father, reached for a sugar packet on the table. “I was thinking, for Dad’s landmark birthday,” he said, “we give him what he wants rather than attempt to save him from himself.”
Mara huffed. “What he wants is boring.”
“He wants us there. Quite a self-burn.” A.J. laughed. They sat together at Starkiller Cafe, a family hangout from their days in diapers. Their unofficial Aunt Phas owned the place and always forgot to charge them when they ordered coffee. Wink. Great place for hatching plans and schemes.
“A card, a cake, dinner out with the important people in his life and a nice gift. When he turns sixty we’ll take him skydiving,” A.J. said. “I’ve made the dining reservations.” They waited for Phasma to get a free moment to invite her as well.
Mara grudgingly agreed, and held her brother to the skydiving promise. Quickly, she brightened. “You know what else he should have?” she asked. “A date.”
“Mara…”
“Come on, Junior,” she needled. “I get why Dad didn’t date when we were younger, but you’re in college now and I don’t need to be supervised twenty-four-seven. He should go out and have fun.” There were a number of divorced moms at her school.
A.J. hated being called Junior. He eyed her sharply. “That’s not our call.”
Ugh. “Fine. What’s the gift?”
“This.” A.J. turned his laptop to show the work in progress. “I’m putting together a custom print photo book of Dad’s first fifty years. I have pictures of his mother and his childhood home. His wedding photos and old pics of us as babies. Aunt Phas is giving me more.”
“That’s cool.” Mara liked the concept, and the accompanying artwork her brother chose for the design. Still, it seemed like a bittersweet gift. Their father might spend his birthday looking at pictures guaranteed to make him cry. They never knew their biological grandmother–Dad barely knew her himself–and their mother had passed at a young age as well. Armitage Hux played a dual role in raising them, with some help from his bestie.
Speaking of, Phasma joined them and handed Junior a thumb drive. “Here you go,” she said. “The entire Arkanis High School yearbook, scanned for your convenience, plus a few extras I collected from old friends.”
A goldmine of memories. Their father didn’t keep yearbooks, and Mara wanted to see everything. They spent the next several minutes gaping at their father in his totally Eighties glory.
“Is that a Flock of Seagulls haircut?” Mara cried. “Use that one.”
Phasma sipped the tea she’d brought. “Hey, everybody has an awkward phase. Don’t judge.”
“Did you?”
“Yes, and you can’t use any of those pictures.” Phasma glared at them.
It was fun to look at pictures of their father at their age. Armitage Hux seemed to run with the same circle of friends. They saw their aunt progress from too-tall middle school girl to cool goth chick, but a third constant presence in the photos caught Mara’s eye.
“Who’s he?” She pointed at the skinny young man with longish dark hair. Long face and stuck-out ears, arms like he lifted weights. Weirdly cute. “Was he your boyfriend?”
“Lord, no.” Phasma’s laugh settled into a sad sigh. “That’s Ben. He and your father were… well, they were close.”
“Besties?”
Phasma turned her head. “Yeah.”
Ominous. Mara leaned forward to get her attention. “Sounds like you’re not telling us something,” she said. She ignored A.J.’s warning tone and kept pushing. “Did they get in a fight over a girl or something? We’ve never heard of this guy and he’s in like a hundred pictures with Dad.”
“I’m not certain it’s my story to tell you.”
Ooh. A scandal. Their dad had a genuine past. “We won’t say anything,” Mara pleaded. A.J. was silent this time, which meant now he was curious.
Phasma thought for a moment, gave a heavy sigh, and said, “If your father finds out, I don’t know either of you.” She looked around the cafe, then lowered her voice. “Ben… was your father’s first kiss.”
Whoa. The absolute last words Mara expected to hear.
“They were kind of boyfriends in high school. They kept it on the down low, for obvious reasons,” Phasma said. “It was the Eighties, the height of the AIDS scare, and their parents weren’t exactly tolerant people. If people found out you were gay you were basically ruined.”
“Our dad’s gay?” A.J. asked. “This whole time?”
Mara’s heart thudded. “Wait, was our mom Dad’s beard?” Were their whole lives a lie?
“It’s not like that. Your parents had a real marriage. They loved each other, okay? If anything your dad is bisexual,” Phasma said. She obviously didn’t look comfortable telling it, but they were down the rabbit hole. “Anyway, your parents didn’t meet until college.”
“We knew that. What happened with this guy?” Mara looked at one picture of Dad and Ben together. With this news, the look they exchanged took on a different meaning. More affection than friendship.
“Short answer, they got caught.” Phasma’s smile was gone. “I went to prom with your dad. Ben went with another girl, but it was obvious they wanted to be each other’s dates. They sneaked off together and one of the teachers found them kissing. Called their parents.”
From what little Mara remembered of her grandfather Brendol Hux, she predicted an unhappy ending.
“Ben’s parents forbade them from seeing each other. The day of graduation, they put him on a plane to live with his uncle. Didn’t matter that he was eighteen and an adult. They controlled the money.” Tears formed in Phasma’s eyes. “He and Ben didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
“Have they spoken to each other since?” A.J. asked. Checked up on social media, something?
Customers came in, and Phasma stood. “Kids, it was a long time ago. Your dad’s had a good life, and Ben… I hope he has, too. I’m sorry it happened that way, but maybe it’s best to leave it.”
The reminder of their gift assembly passed in a somber mood. Mara hated to see A.J. deselect the pictures with Ben for the album. He didn’t want to trigger bad feelings, he said.
Mara, however, now knew what to give her dad for his birthday.
~*~
Step one: find out if this Ben Solo was still alive. Mara searched for Ben Solo and Benjamin Solo against secondary keyphrases like their Dad’s hometown and Arkanis High, but the trail turned cold somewhere in the Nineties. However, she failed to find a death certificate, and hoped the man had gone off the grid.
Assuming Ben lived, Mara next created a Bookface account for herself, and cringed. Bookface was for old folks, but there was a group for AHS alumni. Her dad didn’t have an account, either, so she felt safe infiltrating it and asking about Ben Solo’s whereabouts. Twenty minutes passed after her posting when she received an invitation to chat from one Rey Skywalker.
Are you related to Armitage Hux?
I’m his daughter.
OMG how is he? He never comes to the reunions. It’s like he vanished.
“Him and Ben Solo both,” Mara muttered. She obliged Ms. Skywalker with pleasantries before steering the chat. Do you know where Ben Solo is? My brother and I are trying to reach him. Dad’s birthday is coming up.
I see him every day. He’s my cousin.
Mara couldn’t help the joyful squeal at that revelation. It also brought unwanted attention.
“Mara?” Armitage opened his daughter’s door, looking concerned. “Everything alright?”
Mara hid her phone from view. “It’s all good.” Damn it, but her voice quaked. She stared her dad down, willing him to go away. Armitage lingered a moment before nodding and wishing her goodnight.
She turned back to her chat. We would really appreciate…
~*~
“Phas, what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.” The answer came quickly, by Armitage’s perception.
He eyed his normally put-together friend. The tall, beautiful blonde before him fidgeted and refused to meet his eyes. “You’re lying.”
“I am,” Phasma said.
Armitage worried. He noticed business was slower than usual today. When he asked about that, Phasma put that concern to rest. “The cafe’s fine. It’s just…” she sighed, “the kids found out about Ben.”
“Found out?”
Phasma sighed. “Because I told them, while they were researching our school for your birthday present.”
“I see.” Armitage set down his tea. He disliked discussing the past, only because the bad memories supplanted the good in his mind. It hurt too much to think about other paths he might have taken in his youth. “I’m sure it’s not your fault. Mara can be a pest when she gets a bug up her nose.” He tried a smile and thankfully Phasma responded in kind.
Phasma laid her hand on his. She had to spoil his birthday gift to explain it, but it all came out–the pictures, the prom, the parents pulling two would-be lovers apart. “So if you see any pictures of Ben in that album, will you be okay?”
“Yes, of course. It was a long time ago.” Nearly three decades, holy kriff. In that time he thought of Ben often, and wondered what became of him. The occasional Google search brought no recent results, leaving Armitage to assume the worst. His heart ached for the young boy with the lopsided smile and long nose that bumped his when they teased each other.
“Hux, you’re crying.”
“Am I?” Damn it all. Armitage wiped off the tears and downed the rest of his tea. “I’m sorry, Phas. I won’t lie and say the memory hurts less, but I feel bad.”
“You shouldn’t. Your parents were all assholes.”
“I could have fought for him,” Armitage said. “Gone to California to find him. Let Ben know I never forgot.” When Phasma finally met his gaze, he read her every rebuttal to his arguments. He was young, he was scared. Family held his sexuality over his head and threatened his life with it. Poor Ben got the same treatment; for all he knew, his uncle filled his head with all sorts of stories.
“I’m sorry,” Phasma said, “for spilling it, for upsetting you. Everything.”
Armitage forgave her. Nothing to forgive, really. He figured he’d have the talk with his kids eventually, but he didn’t want them thinking he didn’t love their mother because he was also attracted to men. He promised Phasma to have a good time at his birthday dinner and not bring up the subject of Ben Solo.
If Mara and A.J. asked, though, what could he say?
~*~
Miracle of miracles, Ben Solo wasn’t far away.
For one, he went by the name Kylo Ren these days. According to Rey Skywalker, he changed his name to separate himself from the family following the prom incident. His residency with his uncle, Rey’s adopted father, lasted a year before he ran off with a motorcycle gang. Thirty-odd years later, he and Rey–the only relative he could stand–co-owned a garage.
“You seriously want to hook up our accountant father with a biker dude?” A.J. asked.
Mara looked out the passenger side window. “Biker dudes pay taxes, too,” she said. “Turn right on Euclid.”
A.J. gave the signal. “Not all of them. Ever seen Sons of Anarchy?”
“He’s not a criminal, Junior.”
“Still, it’s been thirty years. This Kylo guy probably doesn’t remember Dad.”
Mara considered that point at first, but when she asked Rey if they could visit the woman seemed enthusiastic. I have to let Kylo know first. He hates surprises. Minutes later, Rey informed her that Kylo wanted to meet them.
Skye Auto Repair was a large establishment. Three open bays, each with a vehicle on risers. A.J. and Mara walked past several men in oil-stained jumpsuits and into the office, where they met a petite woman with her hair held up in multiple buns. She was on the phone with a customer and paused on seeing A.J. Her face paled.
“Great kriff, you are a dead ringer for Armitage Hux, class of Eighty-Nine,” she said, and took his hands. “Hair’s not right, though.”
Mara snickered to picture her brother in a Flock of Seagulls cut. Introductions were short; Rey dragged them toward the first car. A tall man in a cap crouched underneath it.
“Kylo, guess who’s here?”
Kylo emerged, stretching to his full height. He towered over Mara, but not so much over A.J. The man before them resembled a version of the high school Ben Solo grown into his features. He wore some chin scruff and his lips were fuller. Same line of moles along his face, and his eyes pierced Mara. Yet, he appeared more guarded than mean. Looking at A.J., his expression softened a bit.
“You look just like him,” Kylo said. Flicking his gaze to Mara, he added, “And you look like your mother. So very different.”
Mara twisted a lock of her dark hair in her fingers. “You knew her?”
“I saw pictures.” Kylo looked to say more, but asked Rey to take over the job. “Let’s use the back office for this.”
He shut the door, creating quiet, and offered them coffee. Kylo snapped away the top buttons of his jumpsuit, revealing a white tank and a peek at his chest tat. Mara caught A.J.’s wince at that. Tattooed biker dude blind date, he no doubt thought.
“How is your dad?” Kylo asked. He sat behind the desk and gestured to the empty chairs. “Last I heard he was getting his Masters.”
Long time ago. “He’s good. He has his own tax firm. April is always busy, of course.” Mara gave a nervous laugh but Kylo smiled at the joke. It added youth to his face and Mara imagined him smiling at her dad like that. “Our mom died seven years ago, and he basically raised us. With Aunt Phasma to help.”
“Phas. Haven’t seen her in forever.”
Mara called up a picture of the two on her phone. “Here they are last Christmas.” She showed Kylo the photo and he let out a long breath. He still had feelings for Dad, no mistaking it. “His birthday is coming up in a few weeks–”
“I know,” Kylo cut in. “The lucky thirteenth. He’ll be fifty. I’m already there.”
A.J., the dunderhead, took this moment to spoil it. “Look, Mr. Ren, we don’t want to pressure you or anything…”
Mara shut it down. “Would you like to join us for his birthday dinner?” she asked, loud and fast. “You don’t have to view it like a date or anything. We wanted to do something special for his fiftieth, and Phasma will be there, too.”
“Kids, I appreciate the invite, but I don’t know,” Kylo said. “Your dad was a very good friend in school. I don’t know how much you know, I’m assuming everything.” He paused, then, “I will always think fondly of him, and I never blamed him for what happened. It’s just too much time has passed, and maybe it’s better to keep the good memories close and leave it at that.”
“It’s never too late to learn to fly, Mr. Ren,” Mara said.
A.J. scoffed. “What does that even mean?”
Mara stood and the chair scraped the floor. She grabbed a pen and a business card off the desk. “It means you shouldn’t let age or time deter you. Everybody deserves a second chance,” she said, writing on the back of the card. “Mr. Ren, your cousin told us you never married and that you’re single now. No pressure, like A.J. said, but if you’d like to see for yourself how Dad is doing we will be at this restaurant on the thirteenth at seven o’clock.”
Terse goodbyes said, she and A.J. left the office. Mara turned and looked through the door’s clear window. Kylo sat, turning the card in his hands and reading the address. After a few seconds he tossed it on the desk. Her heart sank.
~*~
“I just thought of something,” Armitage said.
Everybody looked up from the bread course, butter knives poised in the air.
“If I’m fifty today,” he pointed his martini glass at Phasma, “that means you’re–”
“Thirty-nine.” Phasma countered with a knife greasy with butter. “Don’t you forget it.”
The birthday dinner was off to a light-hearted beginning. They ordered appetizers and drinks, and Armitage demanded his gift. He loved the album and card and set both aside so as not to stain them. “Very thoughtful of you all,” he said. “Some of those pictures I haven’t seen in forever.”
“Aunt Phas helped.”
Armitage nodded. “I’m sure to pick out the best ones of herself.”
Mara had to laugh, yet inside the opposite reaction festered. In the end, they omitted any pictures of Ben Solo. Kylo. A.J. didn’t want their dad hurt, and subsequent DMs to Rey revealed Kylo was likely a no-show tonight. It despaired Mara to think her dad and Kylo might not take their shots, now that their parents were gone and nobody was around to judge them.
She sighed and opened her menu, still indecisive about her dinner choice. “Dad, is it better to get a prime rib or a filet?” When he didn’t answer immediately, she looked up.
Armitage was staring past the table. He sat facing the restaurant’s entrance, and when Mara turned her head she felt her lower lip split from her grin.
Kylo Ren had walked in, clean shaven and in a nice dark suit. He stood near the hostess stand, scanning the space and pausing when he spotted their table. He carried a small wrapped package in his hand.
Mara heard a chair moving. She moved to stand with her father, too, but Phasma held out her hand and cast a silent warning glare.
“Ben.” Armitage greeted Kylo when he approached. “Kriff, it’s been years.”
“Hey, Hux. Yeah,” Kylo said, not correcting him. He looked down, obviously counting the chairs, and said, “I… I was invited.”
“Of course. So glad you could make it.”
Phasma was already up and arranging for another chair. She had it put next to Armitage’s, facing A.J. and Mara. Once settled, Kylo went in for a hug with Phasma before turning to Armitage.
“Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” Armitage glanced at his kids. “I’m glad you came, and that you remembered.”
“I never forgot it. Lucky thirteenth.”
Conversation smoothed out from there. Mara watched the reunion unfold as joy swelled in her heart. Next to her, A.J. tapped her foot and shot her a look that spoke of caution. He went along with her on this plan, but he obviously didn’t want their dad hurt.
Mara was optimistic, though. Maybe something would arise from this night or maybe Dad and Kylo would just be friends. Either way, they were learning to fly again and she loved to see it.