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The most unexpected revelation Armitage Hux has experienced following having met Snoke’s apprentice was the man’s strangely feline nature. The first time he’d noticed was before he’d ever seen his face. During those first few meetings when Kylo was curious about something he would tilt his head and then demand clarification on something. The full effect, though, wasn’t felt until he’d begun to remove the awful bucket hat to reveal the features Hux will only ever think of as ‘unthreatening’ while in the presence of Ren.
Hux can’t even remember why Kylo was in his rooms right before his bedtime, having not heard Ren’s reasoning due to being distracted by his lack of facial covering. Hux had been so… occupied mentally by Kylo Ren’s absolutely not stunningly gorgeous visage that he had missed the question he was asked.
Focusing back on the situation Hux registered that same head tilt that was painfully reminiscent of his cat Millicent who had been hiding at that moment. As Hux had stuttered out some sort of response Kylo’s large warm eyes had squinted, giving the sensation that he was peering into Hux’s soul, maybe he had been. Hux had yet to learn of the mind reading so he, unfortunately, hadn’t been referring to Kylo’s distressingly pouty lips as ‘unthreatening’, though they certainly were to his sanity.
The combination of the tilt and the narrowed eyes of suspicion cemented itself in his brain, calling back to a time when Millicent was a kitten and had been wary of trusting Hux. She’d direct appraising stares at him with uncanny familiarity to the man before him. The vague insinuation that they comprehend precisely what’s going on, they’re just waiting for YOU to- becomes much less desirable when its source is human.
There was also Kylo’s very cat-like desire to have you believe he was only in the same place you’re in by coincidence, not because he wanted to be there with you . As well as his inclination for calmly knocking things over or off of surfaces; seemingly just because he wanted to watch them fall and (very often) break.
Hux had caught the man several times doing it. He’d casually glance at the object in front of him, appearing to just be considering whatever thing was offending him every few minutes before he’d take a precursory glance around to make sure no one was watching (Hux would swiftly pretend to be reading his datapad) Kylo’s eyes darting around then nonchalantly nudging it off the edge, not at all bothering to play it off as an accident.
All in all, He’s decided to take it as a sort of blessing as it’s helped him to understand and tolerate Kylo Ren in a way he otherwise wouldn’t. The temper tantrums and violent outbursts reveal themselves as excess energy and emotion. Milicent being, in some part, as frustratingly destructive on a much smaller scale in her kitten days, colouring his opinion on the dismembered service droids and wall panels, increasing his patience. Without ever meaning it to happen, Millicent enthusiastically attempting to disembowel a fabric cat toy causes him to recall the Supreme Leader’s capricious apprentice and his sudden outbursts of murderous destruction.
Ever so slowly the genuine disdain for Kylo transforms to half-assed resentment, to endearment when he once catches from his peripheral vision the amusing sight of Millie looking dwarfed in Kylo’s arms as he places a tender kiss on her forehead. Hux had pretended not to see it, in case he wasn’t meant to.
The final straw took place on a random ice planet, Hux had been walking the narrow streets of the cramped village that called the ice ball home, in the mesmerising swirl of snow and fog Hux had nearly not recognized the form of a helmetless Kylo crouched in a dead end alleyway feeding some loth-cats. His face, however, Hux’d pick out anywhere.
Hux remembers just standing there listening to the gentle coos of one of the most deadly people he’d ever met asking the chilly cats if everyone had gotten their fill of steaming bone broth, his tone sweet and adoring.
The whole scenario caused Hux’s heart to ache with some obscure emotion he’d thought incapable of comprehending, the sensation so foreign yet so stirring he hadn’t even heard himself mutter an incredulous “Kylo?” until the creatures, along with Ren, had- in an act that was so synced it had struck him as peculiarly almost practised- raised their heads to look over to return their attention. It took all of Hux’s years of careful neutrality to keep from giggling as all the tiny faces and one big one fixed him with inquisitive gazes. Drawn by some intangible pull Hux had strolled right up to Kylo who’d stood up with the intent to acknowledge Hux and was pulled into a dazzling lightning-fast kiss that served to confound Ren immensely as he gawked at Hux with flushed skin.
Kylo seemed to believe he was hallucinating as he blinked back at him twice, forcefully before tilting his head and uttering a bewildered “Hux?” and it was all he could take before threading fingers through Kylo’s dark locks and tugging him close for another heated kiss that they’d both participated in, scattering cats forgotten.