Work Text:
Hux ran the day’s schedule through his head: Attend general information meeting at 0700. Check bridge status at 0830. Discuss improvements on Stormtrooper Training Program with Captain Phasma at 0900. Check in on interrogation statuses at 1030. Check bridge status at 1145. Meet with Strategic department at 1300. Meet with head of Weaponry department at 1530. Attend interrogation at 1630. Check bridge status at 1800. And finally…
Meet with Kylo Ren at 1930.
Ugh.
Ren.
The man was a childish brat at best and an absolute migraine at worst. He was irrational, selfish, a disgrace to the Order. Everything the man did seemed to annoy him nowadays- it was as if his very existence irritated him. Had the Supreme Leader not coddled him so closely, Hux would have jettisoned the bastard years ago.
After his final check of the bridge status, Hux made his way to the meeting chamber. He was required to have these meetings with the revered knight, as they were in a dreadful co-commandership. The goal was to apparently encourage collaboration and communication. This, however, did not usually happen.
The general arrived at the doors of the meeting chamber, hesitating to enter. A headache was beginning to take form, and a meeting with Ren was the last thing he needed right now. However, there was nothing he could do to avoid it. He would just have to get it over with.
Hux sighed, adjusted his collar, and stepped through the sliding doors.
Inside was a wide, sleek table, accompanied by two seats at each end. Behind, a First Order banner served as the only decor. Unlike most of the Finalizer’s meeting chambers, this one was much more simple, devoid of the more lavish decor and artifacts of conquered planets on display used to impress diplomats. It was unnecessary. Hux and Ren were the only ones who used this room, after all.
Hux set his data pad on the table at his usual seat. At the other end was the knight, helmet off and feet kicked up on the table like a rowdy Academy cadet.
“General.”
“Ren.”
It wasn’t often he had his mask off. Hux figured he used it as some sort of intimidation tactic. A way to dehumanize himself, make him appear to be a faceless creature, and possibly even an odd tribute to his late grandfather. Why he chose to remove it at this time, Hux did not know. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t something of importance, mask on or mask off. What mattered right now was the meeting at hand.
Hux entered his minutes into the data pad. “The time is 1803. Begin meeting.”
The general took his seat at the end of the table. “Ren, I think we need to discuss the current status of our Stormtrooper Training Program. It has been reported to me by Captain Phasma that there are some signs of non-conformity within our troops.”
“I see. Perhaps this is a sign that we should be using a clone army, General .”
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite argument, here to make a comeback. Once again, Ren , I will inform you: there is no need for a clone army. My soldiers are exceptionally trained and programmed from birth, completely capable.”
“Then why do they show non-conformity? This will lead to treason, General, if left unattended.”
“Well obviously , that’s why I’m bringing the issue to attention you bloody idiot. However, we cannot attend to the situation unless we come up with a solution.”
“The solution is to use a clone army.”
“That is not the ‘solution’ I am asking for. We need to figure out how to reform the program itself, not scrap it.”
“You’re wrong, General.” The knight ran his fingers through his hair. His rather...nice hair. Huh.
“A clone army would be much more efficient. They are easier to produce and will be less likely to produce defectors, unlike this army you have provided. I don’t understand why you can’t see that.”
“I…! Ugh. Whatever. You are truly useless, Knight of Ren, and if I had the option, I would airlock you from this ship and have you die a cold, lonely death in the vacuum of space. Good day. End meeting.”
Hux swiped his data pad off the table and stormed out. The meeting had been a waste of time, as usual. Thankfully Hux decided to cut it short, otherwise he would have wasted even more time arguing back and forth with a brick wall.
By the time he got to his quarters, Hux was completely drained. He was used to being on his feet constantly and attending meeting after meeting, but even after years in the Order, it never failed to exhaust him. He changed into his standard-issue nightwear and haphazardly threw himself on the bed.
As tired as he was, something seemed to be refusing him sleep. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but after the meeting with Ren, something felt...off. He ran the entire meeting through his head, spent what felt like hours replaying the sequence of events- but he found nothing. Eventually his mind allowed him rest and sleep shrouded him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The meeting continued to plague his mind. Whatever... thing had happened there, he could not pinpoint, no matter how many times he analyzed and re-analyzed it in his mind. Obviously it had something to do with Ren, that much he knew. Maybe he had used one of his weird Force tricks on him, the bastard-
“General.”
Hux heard a familiar masked voice behind him.
“I never used any ‘weird Force tricks’ on you; your personal feelings are of your own accord. And I would recommend not calling me petty names if I were you.”
“Stay out of my head, Ren! Your mind reading is meant to be used for rebel interrogations, not on me!” Hux sneered.
“I use my abilities as I see fit. Good day, General.”
And with that, Ren left as though nothing had happened.
What the hell did he mean by “personal feelings”? The man was, as always, confusing as ever. Hux decided to straighten his collar and put the irritance out of his mind.
It was then that he received a comm from Lieutenant Mitaka.
“Yes Lieutenant, what is it?”
“We're picking up signals of a Resistance squadron on our detectors. We need you on the bridge, General.”
“Very well, thank you Lieutenant. I'll be there in a moment.”
———————————————————————————
Hux arrived on the bridge to find a frenzy of officers. He spotted Mitaka across the bridge at a control panel, frantically working at its numerous switches and buttons.
“How many fighters, Lieutenant?”
“20.”
“And their distance?”
“30 klicks away, sir. They're coming in fast.”
Hux looked out through the viewport across the ship’s front, cutting like a knife into the vast black of space. In the distance, he could spot the oncoming Resistance squadron. “Deploy the Tie Fighters.”
“We have three fighters in repair, sir. We would be 17 fighters to 20.”
“Noted, Lieutenant. We may be outnumbered, but they were foolish to attempt an attack on a Star Destroyer. Thannison, start the ventral cannons.”
It was then that a voice spoke.
I would suggest four fighters separate from the squadron. They can work together to-
Ren, get out of my head! Stars, I’m busy!
Listen to me. Do you think they don't know they're going up against a Star Destroyer? They'll take out your ventral cannons first, then go for the rest of your squadron.
“Ventral cannons hot.”
You need fighters to guard the ventral cannons.
Get out of my head.
“Order four fighters to guard the ventral cannons.”
“Yes, sir.”
And where the hell are you, Ren? You might as well be on the bridge if you're going to tell me what to do.
Meditating. Improving my control of the Force. Things that are none of your concern.
Have fun with that. Now stop talking in my head and let me do my job.
“Ready to fire, General.”
“Fire.”
———————————————————————————
The day came for his next meeting with Ren. He was beginning to have a constant headache with Ren’s constant mind chatter, and the man was relentless, no matter how many times Hux ordered him to stay out of his head.
Hux stepped into the meeting chamber, where Ren was once again, unmasked. It was then that a stray, unwarranted thought slipped into his mind: his face would be awfully distracting if he always left his helmet off. The thought was fleeting, subtle- he hardly even realized it crossed his mind.
“How did our run-in with the Resistance go?”
“You would know, Ren. You’ve been messing around in my head all day.”
You're not wrong.
“That was not permission to continue doing so. In fact, that's the first topic I would like to bring up in this meeting: Stop. Talking. In. My. Head. It's irritating, unprofessional, uncalled for, and extremely distracting.”
“Oh I'm distracting, am I?”
“I...what? If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting, then you must be as delusional as you are an idiot.”
“But I am distracting?”
“The only reason you’re so distracting is because you never stay quiet! Do you know how incredibly irritating it is to have someone talking in your head all the time?!”
The knight only snickered at his rebut.
“Keep telling yourself that. Now onto our next topic…”
———————————————————————————
It was approximately 2 am Standard Cycle Time when Hux received a comm message from Ren.
KR: Come to my quarters. Now.
The general rubbed his sleep-heavy eyes and squinted at his glowing data pad. What in the seven hells did this man want at 2 in the bloody morning?
AH: What do you want at this hour? I’m not walking halfway across the ship if all you need is for someone to tuck you in.
KR: It's better than talking in your head, isn't it? Please, General. We have dire matters to discuss.
AH: Can they not wait until tomorrow? I have a meeting tomorrow morning at 0700.
KR: No. Come now.
Hux sighed and glared at the message as though it were Ren himself.
AH: Very well then. Allow me a few minutes to make myself presentable and I will be there shortly.
KR: No need. Just come as you are.
Hux looked down at his standard issue tank and sweatpants. He could be in worse condition, he supposed. However, his hair was a complete mess without his gel. Ugh.
AH: …
AH: Fine. This better be important.
———————————————————————————
As Hux’s footsteps sounded throughout the ship’s corridors, he wondered why he even agreed to do this. Stars, this was Kylo Ren; Force-user, persistent annoyance, destroyer of ship equipment and Hux’s sanity.
And he was meeting him in the dead hours of the night in his pajamas.
The situation was almost humorous, he thought. Armitage Hux, General of the First Order, disheveled and meeting his irritating coworker in the middle of the night.
He turned a corner and there were Ren’s quarters. Hux hesitated for a moment, thinking about the absurdity of the situation, when the door suddenly slid open and some unseen force pulled him inside.
“Ren, what the hell are you-?!”
“Are you in love with me?”
The sheer blatancy of the question shocked him.
“What?”
“I…Are you…”
Ren let go of his hold.
“Do you have an…infatuation…with me?”
“An infatuation?”
“Yes.”
Hux froze. And then, as though a curtain were being pulled off the mystery that had plagued his mind for days, the realization dawned on him and all was made clear.
Oh. Oh.
Kriff, what was he supposed to say to that?
“Ah. Yes, I…I do. Very much so. I don’t where you got that information, but I’m sorry if it angers you. In fact, I never intended to tell you in the first place.”
“No, I’m not angered. I’m um…” The knight pushed that wonderfully thick hair back with a gloved hand. It was almost distracting. “I’m kind of glad actually.”
The knight took a step closer. And then another.
“I read your mind. I sensed it. All of it”
The man was beginning to back him against the door.
“Do you remember that meeting we had, when you were thinking about how much you liked my hair? Like you are now?”
Stars, he was right.
Ren was now standing just centimeters away from him. He could nearly feel the heat of his breath against his cheek.
“Or how distracting I would be if I always had my helmet off? Your thoughts betray you, General. You’re an easy man to read, you know.”
“Then what am I thinking now?”
Suddenly, Ren was kissing him. Ren was kissing him.
Hell, if it wasn’t the best kiss he’d had in his life. It stunned him like a blaster shot to the chest. He was being filled with some kind of warm, golden feeling, hell, he was being drowned in it, and it was pulling him deep into an abyss he never wanted to leave.
It seemed like it was over too quickly. Hux was dumbfounded.
“You can stay here tonight, if you want.” Ren gestured towards the bed. “I’m sure it’ll fit two.”
“Ren, if you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting-”
“Of course not. Just lay with me, that’s all.”
Hux felt almost weightless as he strode over to the knight’s bed. Ren pulled the general to his chest, and Hux was in complete bliss, at peace with whatever...whatever this was.
Do you still feel like airlocking me out the ship?
Sure Ren.