Chapter Text
Experiments had only confirmed what Kylo had already known, proximity to Hux made him stronger.
Prior to their meeting with his Master, or the Supreme Leader as Hux called him, a test of Kylo’s powers had been conducted. They were simple enough tasks, and while they might not give a perfect measurement of Kylo’s abilities or potential, the technology on the Finalizer would certainly show the difference in his power. Weights and dummies had been set up and Kylo would attempt to lift them or knock them across the room with the Force as best he could. In the first stage he had lifted as much weight as he could, and pushed the dummy back as far as he was able. At that point, Hux had been on the bridge at the other end of the ship.
Next, Hux had not been in the room, but he was close by, observing Stormtrooper training exercises with Captain Phasma. Kylo found that the second time he was tested his capacity to lift and push objects with the Force had increased by about twenty five percent.
That percentage had jumped to fifty when Hux was in the same room as him. The General hardly looked up to watch, instead busying himself by alternately looking at the monitors the lab technicians were working at and his datapad, watching the computers crunch numbers to the best of their abilities. As if a machine could properly measure the Force. Occasionally Hux’s blue-green eyes, surrounded by light bruising from sleepless nights and framed by wispy orange lashes would flick up towards Kylo before returning to the monitors.
Kylo had allowed the weights to clatter to the floor as he had looked over at Hux, who had seemed determined to keep his eyes glued to a screen. Hux had starting acting strangely, and Kylo, despite trying his best to scan his emotional profile and the Force that moved around him, could not figure out what it was. It was more than the General’s usual unfamiliarity with emotions or physical affection. Normally he responded to those positively, displaying curiosity, comfort, relaxation, and occasionally a sliver of happiness would bubble up from under Hux’s usual stress, frustration and ambition. Over the last few weeks though, something had begun to seem off. They would kiss, hold each other, and for a few hours everything would be fine. Then Hux would stiffen, make up a reason to excuse himself and make a hasty retreat.
It was incredibly confusing for Kylo. Hux did not project fear or nervousness, as had been Kylo’s worry the first time it had happened. It was not really even dread or worry that Hux seemed to be feeling. Kylo could feel Hux’s gut instinct calling to him to pull away, and then the General would. The only reassurance Kylo could gleam from the situation was that the Force that moved through Hux at those moments was always disappointed, slightly melancholic and certainly regretful. Hux did not want to stop, but something in his mind had compelled him to.
As small a consolation as it was, Kylo was grateful to know that whatever it was that was making Hux act this way, it had nothing to do with him.
After the experiment had concluded they had gone directly to the Holochamber. They walked in silence, which was normal. At Hux’s behest, the General being ever the strategist, they were keeping their relationship quiet. They still had a tendency to bicker and Hux did not want any serious debate they had over tactics or management to be dismissed as a lover’s squabble. They took very few pains to hide their relationship, but they did nothing to flaunt it either. Hux had set a few, admittedly understandable limits though. No public displays of affection and no discussing anything personal while they were both on duty. Kylo, in turn, had Hux agree that the bed would be a work-free zone. When they lay together there would be no datapads or talk of work. If Hux was called away by an emergency, that was one thing, but Kylo liked to have at least a few hours of Hux’s attention uninterrupted by the sounds of messages being sent and received or the clatter of furious typing.
The holochamber was not technically private, but it was private enough. As the blast doors closed behind them and they approached the large projector in the center of the room, Kylo could not help asking, “Are you alright?”
“Fine,” came Hux’s automatic reply. He always said he was fine, though at Kylo’s behest, and as part of his emotional training, Hux had begun to follow up the knee-jerk response with a more elaborate analysis, “I’m tired, I suppose. Last night was another bad bout with my insomnia. I’m surprised I didn’t wake you.”
“You know I can help you get to sleep if you need it, you just have to ask,” said Kylo with a slight groan. Hux had not mentioned anything about having a rough night before.
“I have medicine, I’m still not comfortable with you doing something with my brain to knock me out,” insisted Hux.
“Then you should have woken me up so I could get your medicine for you,” argued Kylo.
“I took it, it just didn’t work,” said Hux, adding, “It’s an herbal medicine. If I take it too often my body builds up a tolerance for it and it stops working. I have to go to medbay and have a doctor prescribe me something else to cycle with it.”
“And when are you going to medbay?” asked Kylo.
Hux stayed silent.
Kylo groaned and rounded on the General, “Hux…”
“I just don’t have time,” said Hux, “After this there’s a problem with the shield generator that needs immediate attention, then I have a meeting with sanitation to discuss all these bloody monsters that seem to be popping up in the trash compactors and killing people, and then after that-”
“If you’re sick you need medicine!” snapped Kylo, much more angrily than he meant to. It still happened occasionally. Nerves and strong feelings would compel him to snap at Hux, or tease him or say something rude despite Kylo’s best intentions. He groaned, “Promise me you’ll see a doctor and get your prescription changed.”
“Ren, I can’t, not today, I’m busy,” insisted Hux, furrowing his brow.
“One of these days you’re going to collapse. Is that what you want?” demanded Kylo, “How much of your precious work will you be able to accomplish if you’re passed out and hooked up to an IV drip because you’re exhausted, malnourished and dehydrated?”
“It won’t come to that. I know how to take care of this,” said Hux, his voice becoming lower. Hux, unlike most, did not shout when he argued. He became more firm, more deliberate and much quieter, but the effect was nearly as intimidating as being shouted at.
“Hux…promise me, please? You’ll take five minutes. You’ll get someone to go for you. You’ll pull rank on some medic. But promise by the end of the day you’ll sort this out,” insisted Kylo, trying to be a little more gentle.
“No promises, but I’ll try,” said Hux, relenting only slightly.
Kylo sighed and let out a huff of laughter, “Of course, if you want to collapse so I can carry you around the Finalizer, just say the word. I’m not as big as E’Chon, but I can still give a decent piggyback.”
Hux coloured slightly, undoubtedly at the memory of being paraded around his ship over the shoulder of the Order of Ren’s largest knight, all while the brilliance of his tactics and shapeliness of his ass was proclaimed to the crew. Hux crossed his arms and gave Kylo a glare out of the corner of his eye, “Never again, Ren.”
“But you’d be so cute, all sleepy and curled up against my back,” teased Kylo. He watched Hux’s glare intensify with each word, “Adorable, absolutely precious, so sweet and harmless while your head nods up and down and you barely succeed in keeping your eyes open.”
“I am none of those things,” said Hux with a slight growl.
“You’re a bit on the clueless side,” insisted Kylo, patting Hux on the back, trying to be reassuring to make up for his ribbing, “But don’t worry, it’ll come to you. Once you work out your feelings, learn what they all mean, the rest comes pretty naturally.”
The Force around Hux was suddenly laden with that odd instinct that Kylo could not quite figure out a name for. Not fear, not anger, not sadness…a little frustrated and disappointed. Kylo sighed and slid his hand down to slip it in Hux’s, “Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yes,” said Hux automatically before adding, “Just something on my mind. I’ll try to have it sorted out soon.”
Hux squeezed Kylo’s fingers lightly as a way to indicate that their conversation was over. Kylo sighed through his nose. He wished Hux would just tell him what was wrong, but chances were that even if the General wanted to, if emotions were involved, Hux might not be able to communicate what was happening. He understood basic emotions, anger, fear, sadness, disgust and happiness, and seemed to have a grasp of more nuanced emotions where fear and anger were concerned, but he simply did not have the vocabulary for most of his feelings. From time to time Hux would describe something to Kylo and ask him to name it. It would have been sweet if Hux had not been in his thirties and struggling to identify things Kylo felt were fairly self-explanatory.
Suddenly the massive hologram of Kylo’s Master appeared. Hux sprang away from Kylo like a frightened wamprat and snapped to attention. With his mask, regaining physical composure was not an issue for Kylo. He turned his face upward and rubbed his gloved fingers together as Hux’s warmth slowly seeped out of them.
“I trust the results of your tests were satisfactory,” observed his Master.
Kylo nodded as much as his neck would allow while it was craning to look up, “Yes, though the equipment used could have been more specialized.”
“It was short notice. It was the best we could do,” Hux nearly growled back, now on the defensive. Hux still took comments about his ship, men and equipment far too personally.
“And the conclusion?” asked his Master, ignoring Hux.
“When the General is present, I become more powerful,” explained Kylo, “My feelings for him strengthen me.”
Hux turned his head down slightly at that. He knew that his Supreme Leader was aware of their relationship. It was impossible for him not to know. Deciding it would be better to be upfront about it rather than trying to hide it like a pair of naughty children, Kylo had announced to his Master that Hux was the vessel for the Knights of Ren’s concurrence and that he was the primary care-giver. His Master hardly seemed surprised, and warned them not to let their personal interests and feelings interfere with their respective missions. All the same, Hux did not seem terribly comfortable with their relationship being brought up at meetings. Due to the nature of the dark side and its connection to passion and emotion, it was impossible for Kylo not to mention it occasionally, but he did his best to avoid it.
“I would like for him to accompany us to the Living Temple,” said Kylo, “Do I have your permission, Master?”
Kylo heard Hux’s boots click as the General rounded on him. Hux’s voice growled out, “And when exactly did you plan on asking my permission?”
“After I asked my Master,” replied Kylo bluntly.
“The Living Temple is a test for only the strongest with the dark side of the Force,” said Snoke warningly, “You may need to expend all the strength the Queen of Ren provides in order to ensure his survival.”
Kylo felt outrage radiating off of Hux. It was clearly all he could do to bite back an exclamation and interrupt his Supreme Leader. He mouthed the offending word at Kylo, ‘Queen?’
‘You haven’t made mention of his official title?’
‘No, Master. His masculinity is…fragile.’
“The Knights of Ren, through the generations, have made use of a vessel for concurrence. Until recently, that role has always been filled by a woman,” said Snoke, turning his attention briefly towards Hux, “I prefer this. A male vessel will bring the benefits of strength and release to your knights without the nuisance of procreation.”
Kylo could feel discomfort and humiliation rolling off of Hux in waves. He could only guess which of the revelations felt worse. That Hux had been given a woman’s function, that his superior was speaking so brazenly about him having sex, or that his superior was implying that he wanted Hux to have sex with seven different men in order to make them more powerful.
‘Master…this is upsetting for him.’
‘It is his function. If you wished to spare your vessel, Lord Ren, you ought to have informed him yourself.’
“However, the presence of the Queen of Ren may be as great a boon as it is a detriment,” warned Snoke.
“Supreme Leader, Force-Sensitive or not, I’m hardly fragile,” protested Hux.
“The longest the First Order can spare General Hux is two weeks and he must be able to function upon his return. Consult with your knights and ensure that I am informed of your decision,” instructed Snoke, “And should General Hux accompany you, be sure to leave an allowance of time for preparations to be made for his absence.”
‘Master, if it is possible, if another could be trained and the General requested it…Would he be allowed to retire? So he might dedicate himself fully to-’
‘General Hux is, at the moment, an indispensable asset to the First Order. He may serve the Order of Ren in addition to his military duties, but he is not to forsake them. Bear this in mind as you move forward, Lord Ren.’
The hologram disappeared and Kylo felt a pair of angry hands give him a rough shove. He ought to have expected it, but it caught him off guard and he felt his anger starting to boil as Hux slapped his chest harshly.
“Queen of Ren!?” barked the General.
“I was going to tell you!” insisted Kylo, “It’s just a title.”
“A woman’s title!” snapped Hux, “Well, I suppose all that ‘care-giver’ nonsense makes sense now! I suppose I’d need one of you to help me look after all the bloody babies, is that it!?”
“Calm down Hux!” Kylo snapped back.
“No, I will not calm down!” growled Hux, “For once, I’m going to have the outburst! Why didn’t you approach me about this first!? You can’t just go volunteering me for away-missions!”
“I was going to!” Kylo shouted back, “Alright? I was going to ask my Master first, then let you choose if you wanted to come or not. I figured it was better this way.”
“And you didn’t think I didn’t deserve some warning!? And that was…completely humiliating and uncalled for!” thundered Hux, taking a moment to search for the right words.
“I said I was sorry!” Kylo yelled, “Once again, everything is all my fault! Forgive me General, I just can’t seem to do anything right for you!”
“Don’t give me that self-pitying tripe!” said Hux, lowering his voice to a hiss as he regained some of his composure, “I’m going to check on the shields. I’m going to walk away and pretend this didn’t happen for the rest of the day, but don’t think I’ll forget it. We’re going to have a very serious talk about this later.”
“Go ahead and run away,” growled Kylo. He instantly regretted the entire exchange. Clearly he had miscalculated and was in the wrong here. He should have talked to Hux first. He at least deserved some warning. Kylo could see that now. And Snoke talking about Hux’s function had only made things worse. Kylo wanted to apologize, sincerely, say he never meant to hurt Hux, send out his feelings and hug him close until all the hurt and embarrassment went away.
Instead he put his foot in his mouth by calling after Hux, “You can’t just boss me around like one of your pawns!”
Hux turned and stood before the now open blast doors, “Oh, can’t I Ren? After all, I’m your god damned Queen.”
Kylo sighed. Hathor was going to kill him…
***
‘You WHAT!?’
‘Dearest brother of my heart, I beseech you to stay your wrath-’
‘No! No, no, no. Absolutely not. What were you thinking, Master of Ren!?’
‘I just…I thought if I asked him first and he said yes, then our Master told him he couldn’t, it would hurt him.’
‘So you tell him that it’s tentative! Ugh…You are all going to make me go grey before my time…’
‘I should have thought the vessel would have been informed of his true title by now, not to mention his functions.’
‘I thought you were going to tell him, Kylo. If he’s involved he deserves to know everything. And you really should have asked him first too.’
‘The poor dear must have been so embarrassed. He might be physically and mentally sturdy, but he’s still delicate when it comes to emotions.’
‘He’s got a good head on his shoulders. I’m sure he’ll bounce back okay. Pain’s part of the whole emotional gig.’
‘Ugh, I know…I just think about him getting embarrassed and walking off alone and…I need to mother him.’
‘Gentle love…seeing you so struck with deadly pain causes endless misery…’
‘I agree with the dandies! Were the slight not caused by a most moronic misunderstanding I would behead whoever dared wound our soft-handed General and make a present of his skull!’
‘…thanks E’Chon, I feel a lot better now.’
‘I see you have begun using the General’s sarcasm! He will be most pleased!’
‘Either way, you should make it up to him tonight. It sounds like he’s going to have a long day, and if he isn’t sleeping he’ll be really tired.’
‘If Eleo Ren’s sleeplessness is any indication, the vessel will require a great deal of care.’
‘Yeah. If he’s like me, he’ll go back to his room ready to kill for a decent massage and sellout his own mother in exchange for a hot bath.’
‘…would you really…?’
‘Yup.’
‘Your ruthlessness never ceases to delight.’
‘Seig, stop encouraging him.’
‘Although methinks I agree. Our divine claret treasure would surely appreciate a soothing gesture after such a trying revelation.’
‘And then you will conquer him!’
‘N-no E’Chon, apologize first, conquer later. Without the conquering. Being on the receiving end of conquering is really scary.’
‘Right, well, a bath and a massage are wonderful, but please apologize to him Master of Ren. I understand how difficult it is for you to verbalize feelings, but I have to insist on this.’
‘I know, I know…I don’t like hurting him it just…comes out. I promise I’ll talk to him. But in the meantime…if he forgives me and wants to join us, should we bring him along? Our Master doesn’t think there will be a significant benefit.’
‘The Living Temple will devise a trial for each member of our party. As we journey deeper and take longer to complete our tasks, it will learn more about us and our challenges will become more difficult. An extra person will mean an extra level, giving the Temple more time to test us and increasing the chances of failure.’
‘But Kylo said he gets almost twice as strong around the General. If that goes for all of us, then we should be able to get through levels twice as fast as we could on our own.’
‘Indeed, and the General himself is not to be taken lightly! Surely he can hold his own in combat and assist us in our battles!’
‘Yeah, but remember with the Rathtars? Sure he helped, but after he was a wreck, and during the fight it was all he could do to keep himself together. Besides, it’s a temple designed to chew up and spit out Force-Users. Someone like the General, tough as he is, will have an awful time.’
‘A lot can be said for a powerful bond, though. Mako and I are decent on our own, but we’re unstoppable together. When the love of your life’s survival depends on your performance in battle you fight significantly harder than you would if you were only protecting your own skin.’
‘Well spoke dearest brother. Though the blessing of the Force has passed him o’er, I believe a case might be made for that wily tenacity. T’was his command to rain fire from the sky betwixt us and our foes.’
‘I get that, and you can get a lot of mileage from a decent arsenal. All I’m saying is someone with no training is going to have a bad time. Do we really want to drag him into that?’
‘I think if we tell him about the danger beforehand he can make the best decision for himself. He has a lot of people who depend on him. I don’t think he would take on a challenge that would put him at too big of a risk.’
‘This…does not bode well with me. It is a temple and a Rite of Passage intended for us alone. Though he is our vessel, and perhaps it would serve us well to rally about him before the battle for strength…the thought of that blasphemous man running about a sacred temple with his guns and poisons…’
‘Hey, I fight with guns and poison. What does that make me?’
‘A grease-monkey who likes butts.’
‘Not helping, priss.’
‘Maybe let him decide? I still think with his crew needing him to come back safe he won’t take on something he can’t handle.’
‘But his sinful thoughts…’
‘Probably aren’t any worse than yours Seig. Thanks again for last night’s episode of Wet-Dream Theater, by the way. Really could have done without that while I was fixing the hyper-drive.’
‘Yeah…that was…that was…that was a thing your subconscious produced…’
‘I can’t believe your subconscious wants to do that to Hux…’
‘You all snivel as if you haven’t thought of compromising him.’
‘Uh right…well…this conversation is getting weird, and it’s hard to stay connected with you all so far off. I’m going to go get that bath ready.’
‘Oh! Don’t forget the perfumes and salts!’
‘Show the knots in his back and feet no mercy, Master of Ren!’
‘Don’t forget to rub his neck and play with his hair a lot. It’s short, but I think he likes having it touched.’
‘And speaking of hair, after a long day of thinking, nothing beats a scalp massage.’
‘And be sure it is done with the proper technique.’
‘And do remember us to the fair General. We do miss him dearly.’
‘I will. I’ll tell you how it goes next time we have joint-meditation.’
‘Fare thee well Master of Ren.’
‘Please, please do your best to apologize.’
‘Grab his ass for me when he’s feeling better.’
‘…really, Eleo?’
‘What!? It’s a nice ass!’
***
Hux sighed as he stood outside his quarters. Another day another fight with his ‘boyfriend’ it seemed. He was still not used to calling Ren by that term. It seemed like such a juvenile thing to say. There had to be something more mature. Hux did not think it was appropriate to call themselves anything so forward as ‘lovers,’ but there had to be something else. Partner? Bedfellow? Co-habitator?
Either way, what might have been called the ‘honeymoon phase’ had run its course. The novelty of being in a relationship had worn off slightly. While at first they had both taken great pains to be more civil and courteous than usual, they had quickly gone back to bickering over everything from military structure and training regimens to whose fault it was that chores around their now shared living space had not been done properly. Kylo still had his quarters, but he spent more nights beside Hux than he did in his own bed.
It was probably for the best that they went back to squabbling so quickly. There had been something slightly disingenuous about being so careful around each other. If this was going to work, they needed to be honest with themselves. Hux was stubborn and Kylo was verbally awkward. They were going to fight. That was the simple truth of the matter. Fondness or no, it would likely always be a part of how they interacted with each other.
Hux entered his quarters and saw Kylo. There was nothing unusual about that anymore. He had his mask off and looked dejected, which was slightly unusual. He looked away and sighed, “Look…I thought about it and I should have warned you…you were right.”
Hux let out another sigh and began the process of removing his boots, jabbing a heel into the nearby bootjack, “I could have told you that.”
Kylo scowled slightly, “I’m trying to be nice.”
“Ren…Kylo, that was the Supreme Leader. My superior. The person who gives me commands. Then he…talked about the seven of you using me for release…can you begin to understand how awful that was. I’m not going to get over this as quickly as you might like,” said Hux firmly.
“Look,” said Kylo, crossing the room and taking Hux by the shoulders. Hux was not sure how he felt about the gesture. With the size of Ren’s hands covering the pads inside his uniform it always made him feel small. Hux did not like feeling small, but the warmth and security that came with Ren having his hands on him always felt pleasant. The knight continued, “We don’t want to use you like that. It’s an emotional experience. Thinking of you as a tool for release sort of defeats the purpose. And…I’m…I’m sorry that happened…I could feel how embarrassed you were.”
“Would he…order it?” asked Hux quietly.
“What? N-no!” protested Kylo, giving Hux a slight shake as he reeled from the shock of the question, “I…why would you think that!?”
“He commands me, and he wants you to become stronger. I’m not an idiot, I can put one and two together,” said Hux with as flippant a shrug as he could manage, “It would be a sound, tactical deci-”
“He won’t,” said Kylo firmly, “That’s not how the…what you are…works.”
Hux grimaced, though he was grateful Kylo did not use his proper ‘title.’ Hux crossed his arms and looked up at Kylo slightly, “I don’t suppose you could call me the King of Ren instead?”
“Well, technically I’m the King of Ren,” said Kylo. He thought for a moment, “Consort of Ren? That’s gender neutral.”
“And yet somehow sounds worse…” muttered Hux, “If you have to call me something, ‘vessel’ will do.”
“Anyways, I know today was rough, so I made you a schedule,” said Kylo.
“Oh, you remembered I like schedules. You’re so romantic,” chided Hux sarcastically.
“First, you’re going to take a bath before the water gets cold. Then you’re going to lie down and let me work on your back and feet. Then you’re going to take your medicine and I’m going to mess with your hair until you fall asleep,” instructed Kylo.
“I suppose it’s a good thing I picked these up from medbay then,” said Hux, pulling a telltale prescription bottle from his pocket, “Otherwise you’d be trying to tangle yourself in my hair all night.”
“You went to the medbay,” said Kylo with unabashed relief.
“Of course. I couldn’t have you following me around the ship and whining about how I can’t look after myself,” replied Hux. He walked toward the refresher and could already smell the salts and scents the knights seemed to love putting in his bath water. They were nice, but Hux had not quite adjusted to them. All of the smells could be a touch overwhelming for his senses. He glanced over his shoulder at Kylo, “Thank you for the bath.”
“Don’t stay in too long, or you’ll wrinkle,” warned Kylo, “And Hathor will never forgive me if I let you wrinkle.”
“No, I image he wouldn’t,” said Hux with a slight grin.
“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you!” said Kylo suddenly as Hux began to turn to enter the refresher.
“What?” asked Hux, his brow furrowing in concern.
Kylo sighed slightly, “That you’re beautiful.” His mouth curled into a grin, “Really Hux, I’ve gotten you with that every day this week. What happened to that genius level intellect?”
Hux rolled his eyes, “If you weren’t on the other side of the room, I’d slap you.”
Kylo shrugged and replied, “I know. Why do you think I’m standing over here?”