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He’s there around every corner, behind every door, in any room Hux tries to escape into. Lurking in the shadows, silent and watching. A small teenager, too small for his years, clad all in black with careful and live eyes following Hux’s every move. The tiny Knight of Ren, destroyer of worlds, the last of the sith, who could crush a weak man’s mind with the turn of a wrist, follows around Hux like a shadow.
He’s been on the ship for months now and yet, Hux has never heard the knight make a sound. He has never once said a word but he latched himself unto Hux from the moment he stepped on board the Finalizer. He’s outside his door when Hux leaves his quarters, and follows him back 12 hours later, Hux is pretty sure the knight would follow him in if he didnt close the door before he could enter.
“He likes you.” Phasma explains to him one day. “He’ll grow out of it, once he gets his footing.”
--
He doesn't grow out of it.
Hux wakes up to find a pair of eyes staring back at him.
He barely bites back a scream.
--
“What exactly am I to say to him? Do not enter my private quarters when I am asleep because I almost put a blaster shot to your head?” Hux rubs his face, every time he closes his eyes, he sees those deep and strangely terrifying eyes just staring into his own.
“Give him boundaries, you never actually said he couldn't be in your quarters.”
--
Hux tries to talk to him but he just gets the same blank stare. He sighs and sits down on the couch behind him.
“Ren, I know you aren't very talkative, but please give me a sign that says you understand what I’m asking of you.”
Kylo’s eyes dart around the room for a moment before settling on the ground. He quickly reaches out a hand and places it on Hux’s knee, before casting one last look at the general's face, and quickly withdrawing his hand.
“Thank you, Ren.” The general smiles, because lord he hopes that means something.
If possible Kylo’s eyes become wider.
--
Hux is yelling at an ensign, Ensign Sun or Soon or who ever, over some trivial mistake. It's not like him but Hux has had a rough day damn it, and this ensign just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Half the things he’s yelling at him for isn't even the ensigns fault.
Everyone on the bridge it trying their hardest to ignore the screaming, and the almost palpable tension in the air.
Kylo is standing beside Hux, forgotten, as Hux works out his frustrations, until he reaches a hand up and grabs the back of Hux’s great coat, forcibly pulling him away from the cowering ensign.
“Ren, not now-” He begins, until Kylo reaches out his other hand towards the ensign, cutting off his air ways, without even touching him.
Hux as never seen anything like it. And before he knows it, the ensign is dead at his feet, eyes still open and face still a ghastly shade of blue.
How did this, this child, just kill this man in front of him, without ever even touching him?
He looks from the man on the floor at his feet, to the Knight of Ren standing next to him, and swears he sees a smile ghosting his face and a fire behind his eyes.
--
It's a routine like any other, land on planet, take cargo, leave no survivors. But they had intel from a reliable source that General Leia Organa herself was stationed on this planet, hiding out under a false name. Long story short, due to a small miscalculation on their part Hux winds up with a wookie caster bow wound to the leg, nothing bacta won't fix, but still leaves him unable to walk.
He feels it again, the tense, crackling in the air. A moment later three bodies are deposited beside him, all resistance fighters,and a glimpse at what appears to be a red lightsaber being extinguished, before he his being hosted onto the shoulders of none other than Kylo Ren.
When they are back on the shuttle, Kylo gingerly helps Hux into a chair, removing shredded and burned cloth from his leg. He skims a hand over it, before gently pressing into it, then more firmly. The pain is immediately gone. Kylo sighs and places his forehead on Hux’s knee.
“Better?” Comes a surprisingly deep voice.
“Uh, quite actually.” Hux says dumbly, in utter shock.
Kylo nods, and doesn't say anything more, just keeps his head on Hux’s knee.
Hux has never been more uncomfortable in his life.
--
He wakes up to find a mask staring him in the face.
This time he can't hold in the scream.
--
As time passes and plans for Starkiller base are finally coming to fruition, Hux becomes busier and busier.
Kylo Ren finds this increasingly more annoying every hour that Hux is in that room. The room Kylo was specifically told to stay out of until Hux came back out of it.
He paces around the hall, stares at the wall, sits down, stands up, meditates, takes out his lightsaber, thinks about just cutting the door open, decides against it, puts his lightsaber away, decides to open the door with the force, then decides against that, then-
Ugh! He’s just so bored! All Kylo wants to do is look at Hux.
And listen to him give orders.
And maybe, maybe touch him.
Or maybe, like, hold his hand.
Or maybe, like, even maybe, just like- kinda kiss him a little.
Or not! Or like maybe not! It’s you know, whatever, like you know.
Ugh.
--
“He- He keeps trying to, I don't even know what to call it, hold my hand? He’s just grabbing it and then letting go, and then pretend like he didn't just do it?” Hux takes a sip of his wine, “And he keeps just staring at me! Like why? What is the purpose?!
“Hes shy.” Phasma says as she takes the bottle, fills up her glass until it almost overflows. "And he like-likes you, didnt you hear?" She glances over the rim of her drink.
“Shut up! This is serious. And he’s creepy is what he is. And where did he even get that mask? Why does he have it? I’m pretty sure its only purpose is to scare the living shit out of me.” He rubs his eyes, “All he does is stand in dark corners waiting for me to find him, you know one time he gave me a severed head. A severed head, Phasma, I didn't even know who it was!”
“Yes I feel like I’ve heard this story before.” She sighs, and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Look, he's a teenager, they have crushes, he’ll grow out of it.”
“When Phasma? When? It’s been two years. I don't know how many more times my heart can handle waking up to find him inches from my face.”
“Leave him be, he’ll find his way, after all he is the destroyer of worlds. Once he begins his true mission he’ll forgot about you.”
“Please let it be soon.”
--
As Phasma rounds the corner, at the end of the hall, leading from Hux’s quarters to hers, she hears a distant scream of ‘Ren’, ‘under there’, and ‘whole time’.
She walks faster.