#Pilot Officer Benjamin Solo | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

starwarringavengers · 4 years

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our own house [3/6]

Pairing: Rey x Ben Solo

Warnings: some angst, kissing, things get a little bit STEAMY this time around; rey wears a dress and ben can’t control himself; there’s a bit of espionage, you know, the usual

Summary: The five times Ben Solo and Rey of Jakku kiss, and the one time they do more. The jedi au that no one asked for but that I am nonetheless delivering.

AO3: Here!

The third time Rey and Ben Solo kiss, Leia Organa is laughing.

Coruscant is not Ben or Rey’s favorite place, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Jedi or any living thing that actually likes Coruscant’s overcrowded streets and constant humming of ships and neon lighting. The upper level of the city-planet is calmer - above the swarmed streets instead exists a totally different type of terror: politicians.

Ben had always hated having to follow his mother to meeting after meeting, Threepio trailing behind them and whirling facts and meeting times and Young Master Ben, tuck your shirt in. It’s how he came to be an avid reader and researcher in the first place. There was nothing to do other than bury his nose in a book.

He is not looking forward to going back to Coruscant, least of all with Rey.

“Lose the cloaks, kids,” Luke tells them, tossing them communication devices to take with them. “This is a diplomatic mission, and you don’t want to stand out. You’re guests of my sister, and that’s all anyone should think you are.”

“They’re going to know that we’re Jedi, Master Luke,” Rey says, cocking a hip and looking at the older man with an expression of annoyance.

“Not if you don’t tell them so, Miss Rey,” Luke states, wagging a finger.

“I have to agree with Rey on this, uncle,” Ben says, crossing his arms over his chest as Luke regards the pair of them quietly. “I’m not sure investigating one of the eight members of the New Republic is our best move, especially considering his anti-Order sentiments. He’s going to see right through us.”

Luke sighs. “Borsk Fey’lya is nothing but manipulation tactics and political strategies - you need not let him intimidate you. Do your digging out of his way, and you’ll be fine.”

“I can’t believe my mother agreed to this,” Ben mutters, shaking his head at the situation they’ve found themselves in. Covert operations are just this side of doable for Ben, given his mother’s incessant need to teach him manners and make sure that he can conduct himself around politicians and the wealthy. But Rey?

It’s not that she has bad manners, but they did take her a few years to learn. And when she says the wrong thing, it always shows on her face. Ben secretly loves it when that happens.

“Ben, you’ll take care of the talking, Rey will take care of feeling out the atmosphere,” Luke tells them, and then practically shoos them away.

It’s been a week since Ben returned to Yavin IV and consequently a week since he’d kissed Rey in the garden. Every time he sees her, he seems to keep fucking up. After the drunken kiss outside her door a year and a half ago, they’d finally gone back to normal and went back to sending each other letters almost every day and talking when they could, but now they’re back on the same planet and Ben just can’t seem to figure out how to act.

After so long away she’s not much different, except now Ben has in the back of his mind that she’s eighteen, and have her cheekbones always been that high? Have her lashes always been long enough to cast a shadow? Were her lips always that red? Did her voice always sound that alluring? She’s caught him staring at her more than once across the mess hall or during meditation, and he’d tried to hide it the first few times. Now though, she doesn’t seem embarrassed by his gaze - she seems almost…flattered? As if she wants him to be looking at her.

He’s waiting by the transport with a bag slung over his shoulder when she comes bounding down the steps of the temple, newly-knighted Paige Tico and their pilot, following close behind. Ben nearly chokes on his breath.

Rey isn’t wearing Jedi robes anymore, obviously, Luke told them not to, but she’s wearing an off-white bodysuit and traveling cloak that’s a stark contrast to his black sweater and pants, but seeing her in white isn’t just what does him in.

It’s her eyes.

Rey has never worn much makeup, and frankly, Ben doesn’t think she needs it, but he’s well-versed enough in women to know that it’s a useful enhancement tool and sometimes a fun artistic outlet. Many of the girls at the Academy wear makeup that represents their home planets or their clans - gold blushes and intricate markings that Ben’s mother would probably be glad to know he does appreciate artistically.

But Rey’s home planet is Jakku, and there’s no ties there for her anymore, except for a sense of longing, and so there’s no cosmetic to represent it. Instead, Rey’s eyes are smudged with a light brown color and lined with pure white. It’s just enough to make her eyes stand out, and look less brown and more green and wow, has it been this warm outside the whole time?

Ben is standing stock-still like an absolute fool when Rey approaches, tossing her bag into the transport before turning to him. A small whisp of hair is falling from her top bun onto her forehead, and Ben doesn’t think about it when he reaches up and tucks the strand behind her ear. If she’s surprised by the motion, she doesn’t let it show. She only gives him a gentle smile, squinting a little in the sunlight.

“Ready?” she asks.

This is going to be a long trip.

***

“Do not, I repeat, do not make me go to a party,” Ben groans to Leia, whose expression resides somewhere between amused and bored. They’re sitting at the table in her quarters having breakfast, and all had been going swimmingly until Leia had announced her wish for Ben and Rey to join her at the evening’s dinner party with guests from the Hapes Cluster.

Though Rey secretly shares Ben’s sentiments, watching him squirm in annoyance under Leia’s frightening use of his full name is too funny to risk interrupting.

“You’re going and that’s final, Benjamin. Rey, dear, please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with when you get ready. For now, I have a meeting,” Leia says, and turns back to Ben. “Please, don’t destroy anything while I’m gone. Either of you.”

And with that, Leia Organa-Solo strides from the room with a purposeful and regal air, leaving Rey giggling in her seat while Ben looks on with narrowed eyes.

“I hate dinner parties,” Ben mutters.

“I’ve never been to one,” Rey admits, though she’s sure he knows that fact. After all, the only people she’s ever taken meals with are the students at the Praexium and occasionally Master Luke. She doesn’t know the first thing about how to behave at a party. This only furthers her confusion as to why Luke sent her here to Coruscant with Ben - she’s not exactly a people person.

Ben looks at her strangely for a moment, with the same gaze that she can’t seem to decipher these past few days. It’s something like wonder, but darker. She finds herself blushing.

“You’ll be fine,” he assures her solidly. “For now, let’s go see what the Senate is getting up to.”

***

Being cramped in close quarters with Ben Solo is strangely not Rey’s idea of a good time, given that she’s flushing darker than the berry juice Leia had put out for breakfast for them. It’s not that she really minds being pressed against him, with her back to his chest as they both peer through the crack in the closet in Fel’lya’s office. How a Jedi Knight and an almost-Jedi got themselves stuck in a Senator’s closet is almost as confusing to them as it would be to anyone else.

They’d been arguing about the best course of action, Ben warning against Rey’s tendency to dive headfirst into the water without looking (she had done so, and that’s how she learned to swim at the Academy. Ben had practically thrown her in after she’d expressed interest in learning. He didn’t see the point in treading lightly when it came to learning). Regardless, they’ve been too busy arguing to notice that Fel’lya was on his way back before it was too late. So, they’d crammed into the coat closet and held their breath.

A bad idea? Yes. Their worst? Probably not.

Now they’re stuck listening while Fel’lya speaks over a channel to someone in native tongue that Rey doesn’t know too well, but Ben has a recording device held up over her shoulder to catch and analyze later. Even if he’d been speaking Basic, Rey isn’t sure she’d be able to listen well enough, given that she’s really, really flushed about the situation she’s found herself in.

Ben Solo is not really a hugger and neither is Rey, so their points of physical contact have been limited to touches on shoulders and brushes of hands, and the two or three times he’s carried her for some reason or another. And, of course, their kiss. Rey’s head is still reeling from it, and the way he’d looked at her when she went out to meet him at the transport and then tucked a curl behind her ear had her practically bursting with the need to confront him about it.

And now, she feels his whole body tall and broad behind her, his lips close enough to her ear that she can feel his breath on her neck and easily pick up the scent of mint in his aftershave.

I wish you’d touch me, is all she can think. No thoughts of the mission, none of translating languages, just a pure, unadulterated desire to feel Ben Solo’s arms wrap around her and his hands wander. Rey lets out a slow breath in an attempt to center herself.

Ben stiffens behind her.

Fuck.

If he’s heard what she’s thought, he doesn’t give any indication. He just continues to hold up the recording device. But, he does slip his hand into hers and tap her palm three times.

Good? The gesture asks, something they’d devised years ago during long meditation sessions, when they’d have to partner meditate for whole hours.

Rey taps back twice. Yes.

They’re thankfully not stuck much longer, because eventually Fel’lya leaves his office in a flurry and Rey lets out a huff of relief, surveying the Force for other lifeforms nearby before opening the door.

“Let’s get this back to Threepio,” Ben tells her quietly, and they make to sneak out the way they came.

They’re thisclose to leaving the hall undetected when they both sense lifeforms nearby. “Shit,” Ben mutters, grabbing Rey by the arm and pulling her over to one of the pillars and abruptly pressing her against it, an arm cradled over her head as his hand rests on her hip.

“Ben, what -“

He shushes her softly, craning to press his face into the crook of her neck. “Wait until they walk by.”

Rey can only nod in understanding, her heartbeat a frantic tattoo against her ribs as Ben’s entire body shields her from view. Their breathing is labored, unsteady, as the guard and Fel’lya near them, and Rey can see them eyeing her and Ben suspiciously as they approach.

They’re looking at us, Rey tells him in her mind, and Ben blinks in recognition, before lifting his free hand and cradling Rey’s face. She resists the very strong urge to once again ask him what he’s doing, and instead goes with it as he presses his lips to her neck, a soft trail leading up behind her ear.

Close your eyes; don’t be suspicious.

Rey wants to shout at him and question how they could not look suspicious in this position, but she vaguely feels when Fel’lya and the guard pass, catching the trails of a faint little chuckle from one of them. She catches the tail end of their thoughts, all along the lines of amusement at a young couple stealing away a few quiet moments in the halls of the Senate.

“See? Not so bad,” Ben asks, but it’s quiet and his voice is low and crackling like a fire and Rey wonders if he’d catch her if she quite literally melted to the floor.

“Yeah,” Rey concedes. “Not bad.”

***

Ben goes about the rest of the afternoon in a haze. Even as he’s getting dressed for the dinner and ignoring his mother’s plea of please wear something other than black, he can’t stop thinking about Rey. But, can he ever?

The scent of wildflowers is still surrounding his senses and the memory of her face in his hands is still raw, and he just can’t focus. He doesn’t like to intrude into her thoughts without permission, but she was practically yelling in the closet, her mind projecting so loud he barely had to do any work to hear her thinking just touch me. If they’d been stuck in that closet a moment longer, Ben reckons he might have done something extremely stupid.

“Ben? Please,” Leia is saying, holding out a cloak to him. He has to bite his tongue not to get annoyed with the whole thing once again. “Wear it.”

“Do I have to?”

“Are you five years old? Stop arguing and put the cloak on!” Leia says, and despite her tiny self, she flings the cloak around his shoulders and fastens it around his neck. It falls to his knees and turns to the side, leaving his arms mostly unencumbered and his lightsaber hidden on the other side. The cloak itself isn’t the issue - it’s the embellishment. It’s from Alderaan, and that’s the only reason he’s letting this happen, because he knows it’s important to his mother. Because here, he is Leia Organa’s son, and however defunct the titles of Princess and Prince of Alderaan are, he carries them nonetheless.

After she deems his hair fixed, Leia steps back and smiles softly at him. “My son,” she says, “You look very handsome.”

“Alright, mom,” Ben rolls his eyes, but can’t hide the smile when Leia turns away. He follows the sweep of her dress down the halls of the Senate to the ballroom, cursing himself yet again for agreeing to this. He’s about to resign himself to night of pure torture when he senses Rey, and in a moment he’s turned from his mother and her conversation and is staring at her as she descends the steps into the ballroom.

“Everything shows on your face,” Leia says then, more a sigh than a scold, as she looks at Ben looking at Rey. He barely hears her

Her dress is far from the sparkliest thing in the room, but she is the most beautiful thing he’s ever laid eyes on. The dress is dark blue and so silky it looks like water is falling over her, and the top is mesh embroidered with what looks like tiny stars that stretch over her collarbone and down her sleeves, and all Ben can imagine is that she’s wearing nothing but stars, because it looks as if she’s plucked the night sky from above them and wrapped her body in it. The skirt is not huge and thank fuck for that, because Ben is absolutely captivated by the way the fabric clings to her torso and her legs and falls gracefully around her feet.

Ben vaguely registers that she’s walking towards them, smiling shyly as she approaches. Thankfully, his mother possesses far more tact and is decidedly not as distracted by Rey as he is, and so she reaches her arms out for Rey, who goes sailing into them with a look of relief.

“Well, don’t you look lovely! Ben, doesn’t Rey look nice?” Both women are looking at him expectedly, and he thinks he might choke.

“Yeah, yes,” he says, before clearing his throat and nodding. “That’s a nice color on you, Rey.”

A nice color? He thinks, Fucking moron.

Rey smiles at him then, soft and sweet, her lashes touching her cheekbones as she blinks. He finds himself grinning back.

And then, much to his absolute annoyance, he is back to being Ben Organa-Solo, son of the legendary Leia Organa, who everyone wants to talk to. He barely gets a moment to breathe, let alone stare at Rey like he wants to.

Save me, he projects at her as he’s stuck standing next to his mother and trying his best to be polite even though he hates basically everyone in his immediate vicinity and kind of wants to ignite his lightsaber just to incite a little bit of action.

Aren’t you an adult? Fend for yourself. I’m having enough trouble over here as it is, Rey thinks back, and he catches her eye from across the room and nearly bursts out laughing. She’s speaking to a very tall gentleman, who is gesticulating wildly and each time coming close to absolutely sloshing his drink all over poor Rey, who is furrowing her brow and giving her best attempt at a sincere smile.

Balcony? Ben asks, and Rey practically lights up as she excuses herself from the man and Ben mutters a quick apology to his mother before following her from across the ballroom. There’s a giddy sort of smile on Rey’s face as she slips out onto the balcony, her dress melting her into the scenery seamlessly, like she was made to be near the stars. Ben slides out to meet her and practically catches her in his arms as she pulls them away, into a dark spot in the corner where they can breathe.

“I like your cape,” Rey tells him then, reaching a hand up to trail her fingertips along the embroidery over his chest. Ben rolls his eyes.

“I look ridiculous.”

“No, you look like a prince,” she jokes, grinning wildly at him. Ben catches her hand and keeps it pressed to his chest on some sort of pure instinct, taking in a deep breath of the night air, clean and fresh this high up. It makes him feel a little dizzy.

“Then you’re a princess,” Ben tells her, touching the beading on her sleeve.

“I could never,” Rey laughs, “Your mother has the royalty thing down, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Oh, there are so many things he wants to say to her as he watches her giggle, eyes lighting up and crinkling a little at the corners. He wants to tell her how lovely she is, how unworthy of her he’s always felt - but would she even want him? Lust and attraction are a different thing altogether from loving someone.

And there’s the question of their vows, which they’ve technically already broken. Or, was there even anything in the vows about relationships? Ben can’t recall clearly enough.

“I have a question,” Rey says suddenly.

I’ll give you anything you want, he thinks. If she hears it, she doesn’t respond.

“So, I guess I never really apologized,” Rey begins, looking down and staring out at the cityscape around them to avoid meeting his eye. Ben feels like his lungs will explode. “For being drunk that one night and kissing you. I shouldn’t have done that and I didn’t mean to make you feel like then you had to kiss me the other night on my birthday,” she stumbles for words, “I was so worried when you left the next morning that you’d never speak to me again and then I was worried that the kiss the other night would ruin everything all over again, and so, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, and also, thank you? I suppose? For the kiss?”

Ben stares at Rey as she speaks, his mouth half-open in amusement and amazement, as she blushes and stammers and continues not to meet his eye. “You’re welcome,” is all he can think to say, because his big fucking brain still has no idea how to function when Rey is around. Her responding laugh is musical.

She nods a little, her cheeks still rosy and the wind picking up a stray hair from her updo. Just like in the morning, Ben reaches up a hand and brushes it away, catching her face in his hand as he does. Her lips are soft when he runs the pad of his thumb across them and Rey’s eyes flutter shut, as if she’s breathing him in with the night air. He doesn’t think too hard about it when he turns her face and presses their lips together.

She tastes like semi-sweet champagne and chocolate and she’s warm in his arms when he pulls her close, hands skating over the beading of her pretty dress and feeling her spine beneath his fingertips. Rey keeps kissing him, lets him lead but responds with an equal amount of fervor, however cautiously.

Just kisses, Rey thinks to him, Just kisses - oh this is so wrong, we’re going to be in so much trouble - I love your lips.

So, perhaps she’s not thinking at him, but he’s hearing it nonetheless. When Ben reaches up and cups the back of Rey’s neck she sighs against his mouth and he wonders if that’s what peace feels like, what wells up inside of him at the sound and the feel of her kiss.

Unbeknownst to either of the two Jedi, Leia Organa-Solo is standing at the door to the balcony, laughing quietly to herself and reminiscing that Ben is truly his father’s son.

#reylo #reylo kissing #reylo fic #reylo fanfiction #ben x rey #reylo jedi au #rey and ben solo #ben solo #rey #mom leia #rey and ben #rey x ben solo fanfic #rey x ben solo #rey x ben fanfic #rey x ben smut #star wars fanfiction #star wars au #jedi au

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katiesghosts · 6 years

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Pilot Officer, Benjamin Solo.

For the ever brilliant @gefionne and her story Flyboys

#flyboys #ben solo #kylux #katie arts

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galactic-emo-kid · 6 years

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More modern headcanons that no one asked for, but I am completely obsessed with thinking up:

Padme’s family is Italian. And her grandparents are still back in Europe. (I blame how much of the Naboo scenes were filmed in Italy for this). This is partly why Luke and Leia were often dragged to Europe on family vacations (we use the term ‘dragged’ loosely here).

Anakin is most likely from New Mexico or Arizona. Somewhere with a lot of sand that makes him grumpy. He was an air force pilot and met Padme while in the service. After retiring he became a school administrator.

No. Seriously. Go with me here. The Empire as the administration of a high school. One Leia finds it her personal mission to rebel against. Fuck Principal Palpatine and fuck his sexist dress code. Down with the patriarchy.

Needless to say she ended up in her father’s office a lot.

You know Yoda is that weird old teacher that’s been around forever and often goes off on these tangents where you’re like HOW is this relevant. But it is. He’s also somehow the basketball coach...

Ben is definitely the older (and taller) of the twins. He likes to mouth things over his small sister’s head. (Rude, Benny).

Breha is named after her mother’s godmother, Breha Organa. And her grandmother, Padme, Making her full name Breha Padme Solo. Ben’s full name is Benjamin Jonash Solo, the Jonash being in honor of their paternal grandfather. Who is a bit less of a bastard in the modern world.

Amilyn Holdo was Leia’s roommate in college and remains to this day one of her best friends. She’s also Ben’s godmother.

Long before they got involved, Poe Dameron was Breha’s best friend. The two having grown up together.

Finn is TOTALLY Poe’s adopted brother. Poe just coming home one day when he’s like eight all “so this is Finn, he doesn’t have a family” and Shara Bey deciding right then and there they were keeping him.

The Knights of Ren is Ben’s band. YOU KNOW IT IS.

With Leia being a senator (oddly enough while political, her mother and grandfather were more involved on a global scale -- the UN and all that, Leia kept it more domestic), Breha’s pregnancy was something of a scandal. Or at least her opponents tried to make it so.

Seems the Skywalker/Solo women have a type. As after high school, Poe enlisted as well. The pair were married shortly after as it would ensure Ani had everything as a military dependent. And they were going to get married anyway so why wait?

Of course this means that for some chunk of time between Ani’s 2nd birthday and his 6th, Poe was most likely deployed.

Apparently there was a lot of swearing in Spanish when it was discovered Poe had gotten Breha pregnant.

Chewie’s real name is actually Chuy. But Breha misspelled it as Chewie when she was little and well, it kind of stuck.

Nine is named such because cats have nine lives. Also while BB8 and the guinea pigs love Nine, Nine simply tolerates everyone. Including the humans. If she has affection for anyone it’s Breha and Ani. That’s it.

The guinea pigs were acquired when Poe and Ani went to get kitty litter and dog food. NEVER AGAIN THE PET STORE ALONE. There are three of them.

Hoth is totally a Ski Resort. And Endor is a National Forest. Tattooine is a desert somewhere in the midwest and Jakku...well, Jakku is either a desert or an actual junkyard. Like the scrap metal yard where kids occasionally throw parties they should not be throwing.

#headcanon #modern au #random things I think of

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petalouda85 · 6 years

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Koi No Yokan, Chapter 8

Well, I’m having a promising time at NaNoWriMo (not). Oh well. I have a feeling a lot of you with be shipping Paro/Ben by the end of this ;)

I attempted to make an aesthetic post for Ge. You can find it here: X

You can also read this on AO3

When he was born, he was cursed. Doomed to die at 18 unless he joined the Dark Side. Snoke is confident but there remains one threat, it coming in the form of a prediction made by one of the Jedi Masters: Ben would meet his true love on his tenth birthday and this elusive individual would be the only one that could awaken Ben from his eternal sleep

He left Hosian Prime for the faraway Genian system within a week, leaving with a heart both heavy and elated. Leaving his mother had been hard and he was certain he had cried when he embraced her for the last time but he couldn’t recall. Leia had cried too, though she had tried to hide it; he knew it was difficult for her.

Even with hyperspace jump, the journey was long. Ben normally would’ve attempted to talk to the pilot but the man was a stranger that seemed to have no interest in the teenager so Ben spent all his time in the small sitting lounge, rereading his messages to Paro

She had been more than excited to hear that he was coming and had messaged him about Ge’s culture and people so he wouldn’t go incompletely unknowledgeable. She had told him of some etiquette so he wouldn’t be considered the rudest person to have ever set foot on Ge the moment he landed but he honestly couldn’t remember most of it. Off the top of his head, he could name three: no public displays of affection; don’t eat, accept gifts or do anything with the left hand, and don’t touch people’s feet. How he was supposed to remember all of it, he wasn’t sure. She had also given him instructions on what would happen once he landed so it would create a good impression for the people accompanying her. She would place a flower garland around his neck and perform something called a puja, which was a prayer of some sort that was said to honor important guests. The only thing he really needed to do at this point was stand there and wait until the prayer was over, which wouldn’t take more than 2 minutes. From that point on, he only needed to remember the etiquette of the planet, he hoped.

He had gotten other advice but they had been much more foreboding than anything Paro had send him. After announcing his trip to the elusive planet, both the Chancellor and his mother had filled him in with their knowledge of the planet, most of it falling on the political spectrum. While slightly different, one piece of information was the same from both women: beware Neerav Bhattacharya, Paro’s Grand Vizier.

A staunch isolationist, he was Paro’s most trusted advisor and the reason the planet had largely remained closed off despite the Queen’s efforts. Rumors had it that Paro and Neerav were as close as siblings and other rumors said that he would be the prime candidate if Paro decided it was time for her to consider a spouse; the last rumor made Ben feel uneasy, probably because he imagined the Vizier to be some old man who was three times Paro's age and Paro was just barely 18.

Another individual he was warned about was Sarika Kulkarni, Paro’s grandmother. Much like the Vizier, she was also a staunch isolationist and, on the occasions her words had reached the Senate, they were harsher and colder than anything the Vizier had said. The rumors were that she had ensured that the Genian government would close off the planet, that she and her son-in-law were the masterminds behind the elaborate shield that now encompassed the planet, and that she was the one to discover the powerful potential of the clypsoate. If it was true or just rumors, Ben had no idea but he decided to be wary; he’d rather not make enemies while he was there.

The entire trip ended up being an hour long at least. Once they dropped out of the jump, Ben rushed to the nearest viewport, anxious to see the planet and its infamous shield. Against the bright green land, the blue hue of the force field was easy to see but challenging against the blue of the oceans. Ben could spot many buildings below him but it was impossible to determine which one was the palace; so many of the large buildings looked like a palace from above. Once he spotted the ominous black metal of the gate, he headed towards the cockpit, wanting to see what would transpire there. He had barely stepped in when he heard someone speak through the communicator.

“Hosian Prime ship, this is the Genian Gate Control. State your business.”

“Genian Gate Control. We are escorting Benjamin Solo to Ge. He was invited by the Queen. We were told you were notified out our arrival.” The pilot responded. There was silence on the other end.

“Bring your ship closer and prepare for inspection.”

Ben had been told that there would be an inspection but regardless, he was nervous. Nervous because, these people would decide whether or not he would be allowed onto the planet. Yes, he was there by Paro’s personal invite but if they found something on the ship that was illegal or raised red flags for the gate control, that invite would be void and he would be turned away.

Within minutes, a ship departed from the gate and headed towards them. Both the pilot and Ben left the cockpit and headed to the door to greet them. When the door opened, Ben spotted five people: an officer and four soldiers, all dressed in uniforms made of a dark red fabric and carrying weapons of black metal. As the officer approached him, the soldiers spread out and began searching the ship, some carrying scanners that checked for heartbeats and signatures of narcotics.

“This won’t take long.” The officer assured the pilot and Ben, barely sparing the two a glance; it was obvious they didn’t trust them. When she spotted Ben’s lightsaber on his hip, they said. “Given a normal situation, I’d have to confiscate that but, the Queen has given permission for you to carry it around, granted that you don’t do anything reckless.” By their tone, Ben figured that they were probably hoping he would do something reckless.

A soldier returned to the entrance and said something to the officer in Genian. They turned to a pad and tapped a few buttons.

“You’ve cleared the inspection. You may land. Gate control will instruct you further.” As the Genians returned to their own ship, both the pilot and Ben took a breath of relief.

Once back in the cockpit, they received the instructions they had been informed of and headed past gate towards the surface. Now that they were landing, Ben could view the buildings better. IN addition to stepping into a foreign planet, it felt as though he was stepping into the past as the buildings reminded him of the buildings built millennia ago. Nothing looked at all like the current buildings on Hosian Prime or at the Temple and all of the buildings had an ancient, traditional look and feeling to them. If it weren’t for the ships that were zooming around them occasionally, Ben could’ve convinced himself that he had traveled back in time.

He was so fixated at the beauty of the buildings and fascinated by the people walking below him that he barely noticed the building the ship was heading towards. He snapped out of his trance quickly and headed towards the exit, his hands beginning to sweat from nervousness. After six years, he would finally see Paro again. How much had she changed? Was she still the shy 12 year old he had met 6 years ago? Or was she a completely different person now?

The door opened. Straightening his back, he stepped out into the Genian heat, feeling as though his heart beat faster when he spotted Paro. It couldn't be any other. She looked every bit a queen, dressed in rich yellow silks and more gold jewelry than he ever recalled her wearing.

As he walked towards her, she began to move too, a servant following her close by, the promised flower garland in her hand. When they met halfway, they merely looked at each other, conveying silent messages of greeting and hopes of rekindled friendship

Silently but with her eyes on him, she stepped forward. He bowed his head towards her, put his hands together (as he was told to do) and let her put the flower garland on him. She then took a small gold plate containing a small oil lamp and a small gold bowl containing a red powder. Whispering in her native tongue, she waved the smoke of the oil lamp towards him. She then took some of the powder and smeared it in the area between his eyebrows.

“Benjamin Solo.” She said softly, a smile on her face while she handed the plate to a servant. “Welcome to Ge.” And etiquette be damned, Paro flung her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly.

“I thought you said this wasn’t allowed.” Ben joked softly.

“It’s not like the entirety of Ge is watching.” Paro joked back, nudging to the small group of people that were watching them.

“You know,” He said after they separated, though he remained close, “If I put my head close and whisper something to you, they’ll think we’re plotting something.” The two giggled.

“And then if I gasp and looked shocked,” Paro added, letting out a fake gasp and putting on a look of shock, “Then they’ll definitely know we’re plotting.” They laughed and embraced once more. “It’s so good to see you.”

“I missed you.”

“Come. You have to meet my family.” Paro said, pulling away. Taking Ben’s hand, she pulled him towards the group. Excluding the guards and a man in black, there were five people. Paro first turned towards an elderly woman dressed entirely in white. “This is my grandmother, Sarika Kulkarni.” Ben bowed his head and put his hands together. The woman bowed her head in return though her expression was anything but welcoming. They continued down the line, where Ben was introduced to Paro’s younger sisters: Neela who only smiled at him, the twins Dipika and Dipali who giggled loudly when they were introduced and the youngest, Reshani, who was so shy that she quickly ran to Sarika when Ben greeted her. Paro then led him to a man that had been standing next to Sarika.

“This is my Grand Vizier, Neerav Bhattacharya.”

If Ben had been anticipated one thing when he had heard about the Vizier was that the man was likely old enough to be Paro’s father, as most individuals in such positions would be. But the man standing in front of him looked hardly older than 25. Regardless of his youthful look, Neerav looked as authoritative as any Vizier would be. He was dressed entirely in black, hints of purple and red in his outfit and in his hand, he carried a staff that the Viziers of Ge carried, a black staff with the top embellished with a gold snake head with emerald eyes. The combination made him appear powerful and wise. Much like Sarika, he bowed his head, his expression hinting at displeasure.

"Welcome to Ge, Benjamin Solo." Neerav said, his voice low but polite. "I trust you had little hassle getting past the gate."

"It went as smooth as it could." Ben answered. Behind him, he heard Sarika mumble something, which made Paro glare at her. She then turned back to Ben

"Let me show you around." She walked in the direction of the palace, the guards following once Ben had joined her. When they were out of sight of her family, she began to speak. "Six years and you've finally managed to get onto my planet. So, what do you think so far?"

"Hot." He answered, which made Paro laugh.

"You're not the first visitor that has ever told me that. You’ll get used to the heat. How is your mother?”

“She’s fine. Still busy ruling Alderaan and being a Senator.”

“How about your father?” Ben was a bit surprised to hear that question; whenever anyone asked about his family, they always wanted to speak about his mother, never his father.

“Still getting into trouble.” The two laughed at his answer. “Now, enough questions from you. How have you been? What have you been doing these last six years?”

"Truth be told, not a lot. Being Queen and training with my Bendu are both time consuming activities, especially now that the regency has stopped and I rule on my own."

"Regency? I thought you were already ruling on your own." He had had that assumption, considering that neither his mother nor the chancellor nor anyone else had ever mentioned a regency; although, a regency would explain why messages between the senate and Ge were always signed by the Vizier and not by Paro.

"I wasn't. Not fully anyway."

"Your father helped you?" He asked but when Paro's face fell, he instantly felt guilty. "Sorry, I didn't know." He quickly apologized.

"It's alright." She assured, though her expression said otherwise. "I didn't expect you to know; it wasn't as if it was publicized all over the Galaxy." They continued their walk, heading down some steps into a marble courtyard, which would lead the way to Ben's room. His mind was racing with ideas for conversation topics to ease the silence when Paro suddenly yelled,

"Stop!" And yanked on Ben's arm, stopping his pace. She pointed down once she noted the confusion on his face. On the floor was a massive drawing of a lotus flower colored bold shades of red, pink and orange. "I made it this morning and I'd rather not have it destroyed now."

"What is that?"

"Rangoli, made with colored sand. It's a tradition for Deepavali."

"Deepa- what?"

"Deepavali." She repeated, enunciating a little more. "It's the Festival of Lights. It celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair. And decorating our homes with rangoli is one of the many traditions for the festival."

"What other traditions are there?" Ben inquired as they continued to walk, the boy now careful to watch his step as they walked by images of birds, more flowers and geometric shapes.

"It varies according to region and families but the most typical traditions include gifting of candy to your neighbors, prayers and shopping. But that all happens during the day. I personally think that the most amazing time of Deepavali is at night. Everyone lights diyas in and outside their homes; it's such a magical sight. You'll be able to see them this year; Deepavali is in a few days."

"Do I need to dress up?"

"A little. It's expected that people wear their finest when the lights are turned on."

"Would these be okay?" Ben took a step back and spread his arms, showing his slightly dirty Jedi robes. Paro frowned playfully as she inspected him.

"If you want the true Genian experience, you'll need new clothes. I can have someone escort you to the market to help you find some clothing."

"Want to come with me?"

“I would love to join you but I had a prior commitment with my Bendu today.”

“I see.” He shouldn’t have been surprised but he was still a bit upset to hear it.

“I can send Neelam to help you. They’re always a joy to have around.”

“Do you have any other commitments I should know about?” Ben inquired.

“Other than Queenly business that I can’t imagine would interest you in the slightest, my time will be entirely devoted to you.”

-----

“I don’t like this boy.” Sarika and four of her granddaughters were relaxing in a private room, Neela, the twins and Reshani making the finishing touches on the outfits they would be wearing for Deepavali while Sarika sat on a swinging bench and Neerav looked out the window overlooking the garden. “He’s hiding something and I suspect it has to do with the Senate; he came directly from Hosian Prime after sitting through one of their meetings.”

“You think that of every outsider, Badi-Ma. You said that those Rus mercenaries that came a few days ago were here to spread communist thoughts and they haven’t caused any trouble whatsoever.” Neela said. “Ben doesn’t seem that bad to me.”

“Me neither. He’s really cute actually.” Dipika said, causing her twin to blush and giggle.

“Girls!” Sarika scolded, causing the twins to fall silent. “It doesn’t matter. That boy is trouble.”

“Say what you want about the boy,” Neerav said, “he’s here at Paro’s invite so we have to treat him as a guest, as much as it pains me to say so.”

“I’ll treat him as a guest if he acts courteous enough. You saw his behavior at the landing pad.”

“That’s not bad, Badi-Ma.” Reshani piped. “You let me hug Paro all the time.”

“Paro is your sister; Ben is a senator’s and smuggler’s son and an outsider.”

“Why are you so against outsiders?” Neela suddenly snapped, throwing down her cloth and glaring at her grandmother. “They aren’t so bad.”

“You know nothing, child.” Sarika snapped back, “You know nothing of what the outsiders are like; I lost my daughter and my son, your mother and uncle, to those monsters and our planet would be destroyed if it had fallen into their hands. They will seem kind and lovely and good at the beginning but they turn on you and destroy everything. That’s what outsiders are like, Neela, so do you think this Jedi boy is any different? Don’t fool yourself; you’ll save yourself much pain in the future.” The two glared at each other before Neela got up, threw down the purple cloth she had been embroidering and stormed out the room, everyone watching her go. “Foolish child.” Sarika muttered.

It became awkwardly silent for a while, the three girls continuing with their clothing while Sarika watched, occasionally giving them instructions, and Neerav continuing with his stare out the window, likely thinking about the Queen’s guest. Eventually, a servant walked in, directly addressing Sarika.

“My lady, forgive the intrusion but it’s time for the princesses’ lessons.” The woman nodded and motioned to her grandchildren to go.

“Go ahead, I will see you later.” The three girls scrambled up, Dipika taking Reshani’s hand and leaving the room. Neerav moved to leave as well but was stopped when Sarika spoke.

“I want that boy watched, Neerav.” She said sharply, rising from the bench. “I don’t trust him.” The man merely nodded and tried once more to walk away. “Something is bothering you, Neerav. I can see it.”

“I’m just concerned for Paro, that is all.” The man answered.

“Your concern is mine.” She walked back to the bench and motioned to the Vizier to sit next to her. “Many years ago, my son-in-law spoke of the birth celebration of the boy.” She began once Neerav was seated. “He told me that it was predicted that he would meet his future wife when he was 10; Ben met Paro on his tenth birthday.”

“But he met the heiress to Mandalore on that day too.”

“Perhaps but what is Mandalore compared to Ge. We have resources that cannot be found anywhere else in the Galaxy while Mandalore offers nothing to the Republic.”

“You think that Ben is here with the intent to marry Paro.” Neerav said. A marriage between Paro and Ben would make it easier for the Senate to get access to the planet and therefore, its resources. A union as that would make it significantly harder for Ge to remain in its isolated state.

“I won’t let Paro marry some outsider.” Sarika said, gritting her teeth. “You are far more suitable than that boy could ever hope to be.”

“My Lady, forgive me.” Neerav said, nearly jumping up from the chair and trying to hide the stutter of surprise. “Honored that I am that you would deem me worthy, my place is at Paro’s side as her Vizier, not her husband.”

“We shall see.” Sarika smirked. She rose from her seat and headed for the door, saying, “But mark my words, Neerav: Ben will never marry Paro, if it’s the last thing I do.”

----

The excursion into the city to find an outfit for Deepavali had been interesting, to say the least. Ben had thought it would simply consist of going to a store, finding an outfit and returning to the palace; he had been very wrong.

At first, Ben didn’t know what to make of Neelam. He thought they were a little odd in their mannerisms but, with their goodhearted nature and good sense of humor, Ben found himself warming up to them quickly. They were obviously quite excited to accompany Ben as they spoke quickly and pointed at everything worth pointing to and sharing interesting facts or comment about said thing. Once Neelam had actually paused to take a breath, Ben had the opportunity to ask questions himself; he was quite curious to learn more about Ge.

The first and only question he managed to ask was in regards to why everything and nearly everyone on Ge looked more traditional. Neelam explained that, back when the Empire occupied the planet, the Imperialists had forbidden the Genians from practicing anything from their ancient culture. This included being forbidden from wearing the traditional dress, speaking the language, making traditional dishes, and even forbidden Genians from designing buildings or reading texts written in Genian. When the Empire was forced off the planet, the previous King had enforced policies that revived the culture, these policies continued by Paro.

It was then they reached the shop, which had been stuffed to the brim with people buying outfits for the festival. Neelam exited the palanquin and a few words later, the shop began to empty, every eye watching as Ben exited the vehicle and entered. Quite quickly, they found an outfit for the visitor and the two were back on the street. They could’ve headed back to the palace right then but Neelam insisted Ben see more of the city.

It was nighttime by the time they made it back to the palace. Neelam helped Ben back to his room and ordered a light meal for him, before leaving him in peace. After eating the dinner, Ben decided to explore and attempt to find Paro. He had no idea where anything was so trying to find Paro or any familiar face was challenging. He had been walking around for maybe an hour when he finally found his friend, feeling a sense of elation when he saw her.

She lay sprawled out on a bench, playing a card game, her outfit changed from the yellow silk and excessive jewelry to a light pink sari with no veil and only small earrings, a thin necklace and a few bangles as accessories.

"Enjoy your time in the city?" She asked, flipping over a card and placing it on a pile, not even sparing a glance for him.

"I did." He responded, squatting down next to the table on which her cards were.

"How did you find it?" She asked, putting down her cards.

"It was much more crowded then I thought it would be but I liked it."

"Glad to hear the planet hasn't been entirely ruined for you yet." She giggled. "So, did you find your outfit?"

“Yes, I did.”

“And did you get anything from the market; Neelam would never let you go back without seeing the market first.”

"I bought a gift for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled forth a bracelet. It was gold in color, and several intertwined flowers creating the circular jewel, the center of each flower decorated by a colored gem. Hearing a light gasp from his friend, Ben held the bracelet out to her. She took it, gently holding it as she admired it.

"It's very beautiful. Thank you." After a few moment of admiring it, Ben took the jewelry back from her, took her right hand and tried to slide it onto her wrist, only to find that it wouldn’t go on. He pushed a little harder but the jewel wouldn't go past its spot. Paro wasn't helped by either as she was trying to hold in laughter. He tried again but the bracelet stubbornly remained on her hand.

"Ben." Paro eventually interjected after he tried a third time. She took the bracelet off and pulled at a clasp that was blended into the bracelet. Just like that, the bracelet clipped open, allowing for it to be put on.

Ben stared at the bracelet then at Paro before the two burst out in laughter.

"You could've told me!" Ben laughed.

"I couldn't resist." They laughed a little longer as Ben finally managed to put the bracelet on.

----

A shadow had been watching the pair from afar but their keen eyes saw what had transpired. Having seen enough, they dashed down the hall, slithering from one shadow to the next towards their destination. As expected, the Vizier was in his work room, working on something the shadow cared nothing for. He whispered his words into the Vizier’s ear, who immediately stopped his work at what he heard. The two exchanged a knowing glance.

Sarika’s suspicions had been correct. The gifting of bracelets and bangles was not an uncommon practice on the planet. The exchange of such jewels were strong symbols of the bond between siblings or the strength of friendship. But when gifted from a man to a woman, the bangles were signs of courtship.

#kylux #huxlo #ben solo #oc #sleeping beauty au #koi no yokan #my writing

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gefionne · 7 years

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363 (Eagle) Squadron Roster

[Contains spoilers for Chapter 16]

Motto: Virtus et libertas (Valor and Liberty)

Armitage Hux Rank: Squadron Leader Home: Guildford, Surrey Age: 26 Red hair, green eyes, tall for a pilot, sharp in uniform

Benjamin Solo Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Oakland, California Age: 21 Dark overlong hair, tall for a pilot, brown eyes

Poe Dameron Rank: Flight Lieutenant Home: Jakku, Oregon Age: 27 Dark hair, bright smile, Hux’s second in command

Temmin Wexley Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Madison, Wisconsin Age: 19 Brown hair, slight, brown eyes

Clifford Strickland Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Dallas, Texas Age: 24 Blond hair, round face, stocky, blue eyes

Norman Crowe Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Lawrence, Kansas Age: 22 Black hair, narrow-shouldered

Theo Meltsa Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Portland, Maine Age: 25 Curly auburn hair, on the shorter side

Jacob “Shorty” Putnam Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Bozeman, Montana Age: 26 Light brown hair, very short

Andrew Ward (KIA) Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Raleigh, North Carolina Age: 24

William “Bill” Taylor Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Houston, Texas Age: 23 Brown-haired, mid-height, broad shoulders

[Brewster Mills] (Discharged) Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Tucson, Arizona Age: 23 Brown-haired, brown eyes

[Lewis Mills] (Invalided Home) Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Tucson, Arizona Age: 26 Blond, hazel eyes

Virgil Gilbert Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Albany, New York Age: 27 Dark hair, green eyes

Nathan Shea (KIA) Rank: Pilot Officer Home: Waterbury, Connecticut Age: 22 Stout, light brown hair, talks a lot

#by request a list of all the pilots in the 363 #flyboys #gefs fic

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delisalicious · 7 years

Text

Turn Ons: Ginger Nuts and History Channel Documentaries

A continuation of this Gingerpilot smol. The works I have in this verse can also be found here. And thanks to @sithofren for the beta. This is for you, and I thought I had an ask to attach it to, but it’s not there so...XXX

Hux was sitting in the main room of the shared office space that had been dubbed the Ancient Wing of the University Library. It was a secured space that required a key card to enter, or somebody to unlock the door to allow visitors in. There were ten small desks for the interns, as well as a sitting area for those with research requests. He shared the space with the Librarian in charge of Ancient Texts and Manuscripts, Doctor Benjamin Kylo Organa-Solo, known as Kylo Ren to his interns.

Hux was supposed to be working on his latest research article on battle between the Romans and Carthaginians, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it; the pilot had suggested he research the subject on their second date, and days later he was gushing about the article he was going to write in the specific battle and the stylized tactics used. Poe encouraged it whole heartedly and offered to put on a reenactment. At the time Hux scowled at him, but now he felt like he was about to burst into tears at the thought.

Which was absurd! They had only been dating two months. Why was he so upset? Why had he obsessed about something as ridiculous as not fucking yet and Poe’s stupid fucking opinion of his sweater vest? Why did he care that it was over? His relationships never lasted. He always ended it. He always got bored or disinterested and he would leave. And he was never this torn up about it. So what was different?

He refused to acknowledge or even entertain the idea that he might be in lo-

Doctor Ren entered the office pushing a cart with three wooden crates. Hux knew they contained ancient texts of one sort or another inside containers that were impervious to the water, heat, and rodents. And if he were in his right mind he might be curious which texts Ren had tracked down this time, but he sat there with a glum look on his face.

And that’s when Ren noticed he was there.

“Hey, Huxy!” he greeted over the rattling of the cart. Then he stopped when he saw his office-mate’s face. “You look like shit, Armitage.”

“Thank you for that wonderful appraisal of my appearance, Doctor Ren, but don't you have some ancient texts that you need to catalog and study?”

Kylo blinked at him, but instead of continuing on with his cart he walked over to sit down next to him. Hux huffed a groan.

“You've been down in the dumps for five days, Hux. What gives? Wait... did the pilot dump you?”

“No, he did not dump me. You can't exactly dump a person when the relationship spontaneously combusts right before your eyes.”

“But you broke up. How did it happen?”

“I... I may have started it.”

“Oh, so you dumped him?”

“No. I do not believe I would be sulking this terribly if I had simply dumped him. I... he was going to give me flying lessons. I believed we would be going in the air, and he informed me otherwise. I was upset and I asked him if he was ever planning on having sexual relations with me.”

“You didn't actually say ‘sexual relations’ did you?”

“So what if I did?”

Kylo rolled his eyes. “Just not the sexiest thing you can say to a guy you want to bang.”

“Jaysis! Are ye twelve?” Hux cringed as he slipped into his native accent. He took a breath and continued in his Received Pronunciation. “Who even uses the word ‘bang’ anymore? Why am I even discussing this with you?”

“Because if you didn't with me, you'd be left discussing it with your cat.”

Hux sighed, but Kylo was right. Even if they had nothing in common and the big oaf had no idea what it meant to dress professionally (today's ensemble consisted of ripped black jeans, a holey shirt worn under a slightly less holey shirt, chains, studded leather, and black sneakers that were held together with staples) Kylo was the only person he even felt remotely familiar enough to discuss anything personal with.

“He ended up insulting my sweater vest.”

Kylo did his best to hold back a snort of laughter.

“He called my look ‘sexless professional.’”

“Hux, I have told you that if you dress like you've never had sex, then you never will.”

“I thought that was going to be the date we, you know, and it wasn't even set up to be romantic.”

“Since when are you into and/or wanting romance?”

He never was, ever. Not once before. But he wanted it from Poe. He wanted everything from Poe. A relationship, romance, and an endless future. And it terrified him.

“Shit, you’re in love, aren’t you?” Hux felt his face start to heat up. “Oh my God, look at you blush! Oh my God! Huxy’s in love!”

“Shut it, you eejit! It doesn't matter what ever my feelings are because it's over... so... so I don't have to worry about getting attached. And I don’t have to… So maybe it's better this way.”

“Ah, Huxy, I’m sure he’ll call.”

Hux wiped his hand over his face.

“Will you please cease and desist with that horrid name! And… if he hasn’t by now, I’m sure he won’t. Now if you don’t mind, let’s please get back to work as usual. You take your books to the clean room and try to decontaminate yourself so you can examine them, and I will go back into my office.”

“You let me know if you actually need to talk, okay, Armitage?” Kylo stood up and went back to his cart. As he pushed it past one of the interns’ desks he stopped. “Here have a cookie. It will help you feel better.”

He tossed the package of cookies to Hux. Hux stared at them.

“Where did these come from?” he asked almost breathless.

“Uh, I don't know. I think one of the kids brought them in yesterday. Why?”

“They're Ginger Nuts. My favorite from back home. They're not available in the US.”

“Huh…well, maybe Rey brought them in. She’s from the UK.”

Hux felt a mix of confusion and clarity. He was almost certain the cookies had been meant for him…but…that would mean they came from Poe. (The pilot was the only one who had known he even liked them before he told Kylo.) He frowned at the package and went back to his office.

***

A few hours passed. Kylo had taken his cart out for three more loads of crates. A few of the interns had come in for their office hours. Kylo didn’t let his interns handle the ancient texts without him there, so they were sitting at their desks in the main space being general nuisances.

Hux still hadn’t been able to set himself to do the research work that had been inspired by Poe. He wondered if he would ever be able to work on it again.

Then he heard the call signal that they had a visitor.

He didn’t hear the lock click open, but Rey called out, “Come on in, the door is open.” Whoever it was entered the office, and Rey greeted them sweetly. “Hi! Thanks for coming to the Antiquities Department. Do you have an appointment?”

“I… no, I don’t. I was hoping I could see Professor Hux. I checked his condo, but he’s not there. So I thought he might be here.”

It was Poe.

Hux wasn’t aware of standing up and walking towards the door of his office, but he caught himself short of walking out into the lobby. As it was he was already standing in the doorway.

“We haven’t seen Professor Hux yet today,” Finn answered. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not hiding in his office. He tends to do that when we’re stuck out here waiting for Doctor Ren.”

“Says we’re too obnoxious,” Rose agreed. “Like his interns are any better…just because he chose them and Kylo chose us.”

Poe looked like he had something to say when Hux spoke up.

“I am standing right here,” Hux glowered at them. “Just because my student interns decide to spend their time here doing research while you seem to think being in the outer office is an invitation to have a party doesn’t reflect badly upon them or me.”

“Professor, I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it.” Rey only said it to pacify him, but he couldn’t be bothered to lecture the three on respect in a workplace and student/professor professional relationships.

His gaze turned to Poe…who looked as torn up as he felt.

“Armitage, I…” Poe started, but let the words die when Hux held up his hand.

“Perhaps we could have this discussion in my office, instead of out here with the audience.”

Poe looked around at the now quiet interns, who looked like they were trying to look busy and not like they were all set on listening.

“Yeah, not a bad idea,” Poe mumbled as he walked towards Hux’s office.

As he stepped aside to let Poe in, Hux realized the pilot was carrying a box. Hux wondered if this was the customary giving back of personal items that came with break-ups, but he couldn’t remember leaving anything in Poe’s quarters on base.

“I thought you would call,” Poe said as soon as Hux had the door closed.

“I had the understanding that our...whatever it was...is over.”

“You got the cookies I left for you. I see you’ve eaten half the package. Did you just ignore the note?”

Hux closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll be right back.” He marched out and directly to the interns. “Exactly when were Ginger Nuts delivered, and where is the note that was attached to the package?”

“I’m sorry, Professor,” Rose started as she bit her lip nervously. “See, it was only Thanisson and I here when he dropped them off a couple days ago. You left early that day…and…well, we were hungry. Thanisson said you’d never know, and took the note off. I think he tossed it. I…We’re sorry, sir. If we had known why he left them…”

Hux held up his hand to stop her talking. He walked over to Thanisson’s desk, but there was no sign of any notes, let alone the one Poe left. Hux sighed.

“Rose, you know I expect better of the interns in this office, even if I’m not your direct advisor. Stealing is wrong, no matter the circumstances. I will be speaking to Mr. Thanisson about this. I expect you to broach the subject with Doctor Organa-Solo. I will be asking him about it in the future.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Hux walked back into his office and shut the door behind him again.

“I’m sorry, Poe. I have only had one cookie from the package. The interns have absconded with the rest. As for the note you left? I never saw it; so I haven’t the faintest idea why you’re here, or why you would even expect me to call you when whatever we had between us is obviously over.”

He refused to look at Poe. He knew Poe would have that look, the one that made Hux’s legs feel like jelly, the one that made him want to beg for any form of affection, the one that made him want to say things he’d never said to anyone. So instead he bent over his desk and acted like he was very interested in an article that was part of his current research project.

“I didn’t think it was obviously over. I thought it was a misunderstanding…”

Poe had walked up beside him.

“Yes… well…” Hux didn’t like how shaky his voice sounded. Like he was about to burst into tears.

“Armitage…” There was a hand on his back that he shrugged away.

“Look, it was bound to happen eventually. Let’s just be happy it happened now, and not when things were more invested.”

“I think that’s bull. See I was going to come over here right away and apologize, but then I realized that the only thing I really needed to apologize for was insulting the way you dress yourself, which, by the way, if you didn’t notice I’m kind of into the nerdy professor thing.”

“And just what is your point to that?”

“That you’re trying to push me away for some reason.”

Hux snapped up and glared down at the pilot. “That’s ridiculous!” he hissed. Then he stomped over to the window that looked out at other campus buildings. (Okay, so it wasn’t ridiculous, but it would have been easier for him if Poe just left.)

“It’s not… I’m just trying to figure out why.”

Poe stayed back at the desk this time, apparently giving Hux space.

“Just what is there to figure out?”

Hux knew he was being difficult. He tried to tell himself he didn’t care.

“Well, listen. We’ve been dating for two months. And I’m pretty sure it’s been going well. I know I’ve been enjoying my time with you. And I’m pretty sure you have, too. So what gives? And don’t think for a minute you’re going to convince me that it was simply because we haven’t had sex yet.”

Hux didn’t respond for a long time, and when he finally said anything it wasn’t an answer.

“I would prefer it if you would just leave,” he grimaced when his voice cracked.

“Nope! Not when you sound like that. I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s wrong, and don’t try lying to me!”

Frustrated, Hux slammed his hand down on the window sill so hard it hurt. It hurt because he cut the side of his hand open on the sharp edge of the stone window sill. The next thing he knew Poe had his hand wrapped in the handkerchief he’d given him on their fifth date when the pilot had refused to cancel on him even though he was clearly sick.

Poe guided him over to his desk chair and had him sit with his hand lifted.

“I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but we should clean it and bandage it up. Is there a first aid kit in the office anywhere?”

“I love you!”

Hux slapped his good hand over his mouth.

“That isn’t exactly what I asked you, but… WHAT?”

Hux left his hand over his mouth as and let his head drop back against the desk chair.

“Fuck…Oh Fuck!...Oooohhh FUCK! I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

And there was his natural accent bleeding through again.

“Uh, yeah... is… is that a problem?”

“I… I didn’t…”

“You didn’t want me to know?”

“I… shit! No, I didn’t.”

Hux looked up at Poe to see the confused expression on his face.

“Okay. That… that’s why you… want to end this?”

“YES!” Hux sobbed. “I don’t… but… I… FUCK!”

And that started water works that Hux didn’t know he was capable of. Damn! What had Poe done to him? He was crying at work. He was crying, period. He was crying because he was in love with the man taking care of his cut hand, but he wanted their relationship to be over.

But… he really didn’t…

He felt the hanky pulled tight around his hand. Then Poe crawled onto the chair with him, straddling his lap, and he pulled Hux into his arms. And Hux allowed it. Allowed the pilot to comfort him. Pressed his face against his shirt. Melted at how he smelled like good cologne and jet fuel. Loved the feel of the fingers in his hair, the hand rubbing his back.

“Hux, ba- er, uh, Ginger… Nut… talk to me.” Poe murmured against his hair. “What’s going on in that brilliant head of yours?”

His breath hitched at almost being called Babe again, and he almost burst out laughing as Poe stumbled through the new thing he’d called him. He tightened his own arms around the pilot and turned his head to the side so he could talk.

“I love ye, Poe, that’s the problem.”

“I… I don’t understand why, though.”

“Because… I’m not the guy who gets invested, but, jaysis fuck, I’m invested in ye.”

Hux felt lips against his neck and shivered. He felt Poe smile against his skin.

“Would it help if I told you I’m invested in you, too?”

“No.”

“Okay. Why?”

“Because eventually ye’re going realize that I’m a neurotic, pretentious arsehole and leave me for the trouble I give ye.”

Poe chuckled. Hux felt outraged and tried to push him off his lap. But Poe only moved his hands to Hux’s face, demanding he look at him.

Poe kissed him, and then pressed his forehead to Hux’s.

“News flash, Ginger Nut, I figured out that you’re a neurotic, pretentious asshole the day I met you. I’m still here. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You... you do?”

“Yeah, I do.” Poe kissed him again. “So, does this mean you’re going to stop trying to self sabotage our relationship?”

“I… yes, Poe, I will try. I’m just… this is so new to me… this… and I…” I’m afraid.

Poe brushed the wetness from his face with his thumbs.

“It’s okay. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere. Now what do you say we get out of here? Maybe go to your place?”

“My place?”

“Yeah.” Poe gave him another soft kiss. “I thought we could go watch that, and see what happens from there.”

He pointed to the box he’d brought in with him.

“YOU DID NOT BRING ME PORN IN THE HOPES OF GETTING IN MY PANTS!”

“Of course not! I brought you a documentary series from the History Channel on ancient naval battles in the hopes of getting in your pants.”

“Oh!” he moaned sadly. “But I still have three hours left of my shift.”

“You’re salaried. You can make it up later.”

Hux stared longingly at the box and what it promised. (Hours of documentaries on his preferred subject, wrapped up naked in a blanket with Poe.) His cheeks flushed.

“But… my schedule…”

“Hux…”

He pushed Poe off of him and reached for the box.

“You’re a terrible influence.”

Poe laughed. Then he offered his hand to help Hux to his feet.

“I am the exact type of influence you need.”

***

That evening Hux found himself nestled against Poe’s naked chest feeling quite content. The last episode on the current disc had ended, but he didn’t move to change it. His lover had fallen asleep, and he was in no hurry to move and risk waking him.

Hux pondered on how he never felt that way before, content just being with his boyfriend. Happy that the man was still in his condo and wouldn’t leave until after breakfast the next morning. Happy that there was the prospect of this happening many times in the future. Happy to have his head on his chest and listen to the thump of his heart beat.

He was happy. All because of a man who wasn’t afraid to prove him wrong.

#Gingerpilot #Prove Me Wrong AU #Modern Day AU #Pilot Poe Dameron #Ancient Historian Hux #Angst #Fluff #The strange things that turn Armitage Hux on #The origin of the nickname Ginger Nut #this was supposed to be smol #oops

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