#anyway even if rei didn't know how to wear heels | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

imperial-martian · 4 years

Text

Broken & Bruised ][ Armitage Hux x Reader ][ Part Three

Author’s Note: I’m sorry with how long this took. Editing is hard and school sucks, nothing more to it, except that I was also traveling in early February (before the virus was a huge thing). So, here is part three, and although I pretty much have everything planned out- all seven chapters of the story -I might add one later on if I think I need more time or detail. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this part of Broken & Bruised!

Trigger Warnings: interrogation, physical violence, mentions of verbal abuse, many conflicted feelings, thoughts and emotions, angst with no fluff at all

PART ONE, PART TWO, PART THREE, PART FOUR

Tags: @songforhema, @edmunds-torch, @christmasallyearsthings, @indelwen-of-mirkwood, @agirlinherhead, @runhbo, @redsacrament, @lafy-taffy, @khaleesi-of-assassins, @dath23321, @fangirl570, @ahsfan23, @ah-callie, @aestheticcomatose, @starrmoondaisy, @thekeywordisbalance, @the-avid-book-reader, @coralsin, @thuutthuutbilly, @hoki-lokison, @stareyedplanet, @steve-thotgers, @llama259

You flinched as Poe's first collided with Armitage's stubbled jaw for the second time. The impact had caused the General's head to snap to the side, admitting a small crack from the force- nothing that could be permanently damaging to him. The well-known Resistance pilot was getting ready to connect his fist to Armitage's face again when you took a step forward and placed your hand upon his shoulder gently, unable to watch what would have been inevitable had you not stopped Poe.

You silently whispered the pilot's name, not wanting to come off too strong to anger the man further, however, your whisper came off strong enough to gain the man's attention. Poe's gaze traveled from Armitage to you, unclenching his first when he saw you look from him to Armitage.

"Let me talk with Hux," you suggested, not dropping your gaze from Armitage. His ginger hair was all out of order, and he looked beaten and scuffed, an unpleasant sight to see- especially as a nurse who was supposed to be healing him. "Please, just let me talk with him."

Poe shifted his gaze from you to Armitage, taking note of the blood that dripped from the cut on the ginger's bottom lip. His gaze followed the drop of blood that traveled down to Armitage's chin and was stopped by the stubble that had grown over the past few weeks. The ginger hair collected the deep red- almost maroon -color of the blood, acting almost like a dye.

A moment passed before, with a huff, Poe shook his hand to alleviate the slight sting. He wiped the blood off his hand and onto the tan-colored pants that he was currently wearing. Once he finished, he turned so that his back was facing Armitage, then he tilted his head to look at you over his shoulder. He accessed you for a moment, giving a firm nod when he finished. Walking towards the door, he said, "go ahead."

You gave Poe a thankful smile, trying your best to make it as reassuring as possible. You then turned to a guard that stood at attention by the metal doors, directing him forward. "Bring Poe to the medbay and ask a nurse to attend to his hand to be sure there are no fractures, although unlikely it is still possible," you explained, giving the guard his orders in a gentle tone, feeling no need to express any authority for this situation.

The guard nodded before he walked towards the metal doors, watching them slide open before he took a step to the side and allowed for the pilot to walk out first. Poe passed the guard, however, he stopped before he exited the room and turned to you one more time.

"Be careful with him," he warned, not waiting for a reply. He was out the door and walking towards Rey, Finn, and Rose who had all been looking over the interrogation with General Organa. She was stood in front of everyone else, her eyes focused on the General that sat bound to the chair and table. Her stance was firm, hands clasped behind her back and finger twitching with the itch to grab her blaster any moment she felt necessary.

You took a second to watch them before Poe left them to head to the medbay, then, with a soft breath, you turned to the disheveled man that sat only a few feet away. You walked towards the table, taking the seat across from Armitage and crossing your arms over your chest, hugging them to your body as if ready to defend yourself if needed. You needed to be on guard, no matter how much you wanted to believe he wouldn't try anything.

A dark shadow seemed to cast over the opposing General's green-blue eyes, the usually crystal colored eyes were now dark and foggy. It caused an uncomfortable shift in the room.

A moment passed before anybody had spoken, but just as you went to open your mouth to say something, Armitage spoke first.

"I refuse to talk with those scum standing outside the door," he started, nodding his head to the clear window. "If you wish to speak to me, we will do such activity alone," his tone was sharp, letting everybody know that unless his request- or rather his command -was met, he would not say a word. Although typically a patient man, Armitage seemed to have very little patience left.

For a moment you sat there, biting your lip in thought until finally you gave him a soft nod and stood to walk towards the door. The remaining guard stood stiff still until you began to speak to him, explaining to the man that you'd like for him to inform the others that you'd wish to speak with Hux alone, and for him to stand at least ten feet away from the door so that if anything happened- although you knew nothing would -you'd yell.

The guard had given you a nod full of reluctance before he walked out of the room, hesitant to lock the door and leave you alone with a man who's given a command to kill billions. Eventually, the door was closed and the guard made his way over to General Organa. Minutes passed, and so did words between the two until Leia's gaze shifted to you through the glass window. She looked you over, and with great difficulty, agreed to allow you some time alone to interrogate Hux. She knew that if she didn't ultimately agree to his commands nothing would come out of the interrogation and time would be wasted.

The Resistance General looked over your shoulder to the opposing General, and with narrowed eyes, assessed him before she spun on her heel. She must have asked the others to follow her because within seconds they were all walking away from the room, leaving you alone with Armitage.

A breath left you, of relief or of fear you couldn't tell. You were now facing Armitage, standing a few feet away with your bottom lip between your teeth in thought. You took a few strides forward until you were once again sitting across from the ginger-haired man. Instinct had taken over, and without being able to stop yourself you had leaned forward and were gently chipping off the blood which had dried around his lip. You were careful to not touch the exact spot where the cut had been made, but you were thorough in removing most of the dried blood that you could.

Armitage has closed his eyes at the touch. He was holding his breath and he only released it once he realized your gentle touch could no longer be felt. He opened his eyes and instantly, he had connected his gaze to yours. Armitage knee that you were silently scolding yourself, asking why you had done that.

This was no time to allow your instincts as a nurse to take over, what is supposed to be a tense and threatening moment. Clearing your throat, you sat up straight with your back pressed tightly against the metal chair you sat in.

"Alright, Armitage," you started, leaning forward so that you were prepared to continue. "I'll have to ask you a few questions-"

You were interrupted instantly, and startled by the sudden disruption to your thoughts, you shut your mouth and looked at Armitage.

"I sincerely hope you do not believe I will truly answer every, if not any, questions you have for me simply because it is only you and I now," he stated. He was leaning back in the chair as casually as he could with his hands cuffed to the center of the table. It was hard to be comfortable like this, and it was even harder to be intimidating without being able to cross his arms, but he used his voice to get his point across.

You weren't surprised by his words. You knew better than to believe he would so willingly give you answers. "I would never be so stupid to think that you would so willingly give any answers, however, that reply does bring me to my first question. Why did you ask that the others leave if you aren't planning on answering the questions I ask?"

Armitage sighed, "I didn't ask for us to be left alone so that I could answer questions. You know that though, don't act foolishly. I'd never give you rebel scum answers so freely."

You had to admit that his words, although true to him, stung. It was no hidden secret that Armitage held a low value to the Resistance, so you didn't know why you assumed that Armitage would have thought anything different of you.

"I had asked for us to be left alone because you are the least threat to me. I have no need to fear that you would harm me in the spur of the moment. You not only don't have a weapon," he explained, nodding to your waist as if to signal at the blaster that was not there. "But you are also a healer, you couldn't bring yourself to kill me even if you wanted to."

You scoffed, "and what makes you so sure about that, Armitage?" you asked, your arms crossed.

Armitage grinned. "I have yet to see you handle a weapon. Not a blaster, not a blade, not even a staff. Even the other nurses are cautious enough around me to wield a blade," he explained. "I know you don't have one hidden. I'm no fool, believe me. I'm much more observant than people make me out to be."

You took a moment to process everything he said. He was right, you didn't hold any weapons on you, you never did. You were a nurse, it felt wrong to hold a weapon meant to kill when you were assigned to do the opposite.

"Is this your way of telling me that you plan to attack me?" you questioned. The answer was evident, he wasn't. He wouldn't plan such an action when he knew he'd be taken down the minute it was set into motion.

Armitage cocked a brow and looked at you, a grin plastered on his face. You know the answer, he was sure. He felt no need to waste his breath on verbalizing what was so painfully obvious.

You shifted, sighing, and then deciding that it was best to start what was meant to minutes ago. You folded your hands and placed them on the table, leaning forward before you wasted any more time than you already had.

"I’m going to start asking you questions now,” you mumbled. It was rather pathetic how weak you made yourself seem in that moment. A Resistance nurse was about to interrogate the First Order General and had no idea what to ask.

“What is the title of the ship you command?” you asked, deciding you begin with basic questions and build up from there. They were questions that had been asked before, but it was best to clarify.

Armitage smiled, a sinister smile as if to tell you he was not impressed by this already. “The Finalizer,” he answered simply.

You nodded, straightening out and asking him another question to which he replied with a broad answer. The next few questions were simple and small, with no problems arising as you asked them. A moment of silence had taken over as you scribbled his latest answer on a piece of paper that had been left on the table. Every question was broad and had no real benefit to the Resistance. It was nothing that they didn’t already.

“Question six,” you said, “are there any planned attacks against the Resistance that had been confirmed to take place soon?” you asked. It was a stupid question. Nobody would answer it directly unless they were a fool, and that was not Armitage Hux.

You paid close attention to the General’s features, hoping to spot a slight twitch of the finger, or slight shift of his legs, or even a blink that lasted a moment too long. Something that would tell you enough that his answer- which would so obviously be ‘no’ -was a lie.

You had caught Armitage shifting his gaze around the room, but took no note of it when his sharp green-blue eyes caught your own as if holding them in place so that you could not look away. His stare- which looked cold and lifeless -caused your breath to catch in your throat. It caused goosebumps to arise on your skin and to crawl up your neck. It sent a shiver down your spine and he made you feel trapped.

His answer was nothing like what you had been expecting, and it showed you the power that the First Order held. That he held because no man would answer that question the way he did. No one except a man who didn’t fear to lose. A man who knew they wouldn’t lose.

“There are.”

The breath that had been caught in your throat was released all at once with so much force that you nearly choked. You hadn’t choked, but rather gripped the edge of the desk and leaned forward again. Urging yourself to lift your head up, you met his gaze again in search of any hope he was lying. You had hoped he was, although you knew he wasn’t.

Panic flooded through your body, your veins and arteries, every bit of you, and in the moment you stood up with such urgency that the metal chair slid back and tilted till it fell to the floor. Your attention wasn’t shifted to it, and instead, you paced back and forth, a common practice that helped you think when with a patient.

You paused. “The attack,” you started, “when is it planned?” you questioned, glancing at him as you began to walk back and forth once again. You wondered if he’d be so honest as to answer that too.

“I’m not sure,” he said simply. He was in no mood to actually continue this interrogation. “Even had I known, I wouldn’t have told you. It would be pointless. They are far too strong to be stopped with the number of casualties you have been dealt over the last two years.”

He was honest and forward, and never sugarcoated what he meant. Armitage was born into this war and he was no doubt ready to win it.

You gritted your teeth, the panic you felt now turning into anger. You should’ve expected that reply, but you had hoped that it would have been different.

“Damn it,” you muttered. This was not how you wanted this interrogation to go. You hadn’t expected it to go so sour so soon, but it had and you couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

Armitage rolled his eyes, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. “Don’t act like you had a chance,” he said, causing you to snap your head towards him. “You got your hopes up since you captured me. That’ll be your downfall. All of you thought that because you had found me and taken me, that I’d be tortured into giving you all of our—”

“Shut up! Just shut up Armitage!” you yelled, your fist clenched at your side. “Don’t you get it?” you asked.

“Get what?” he asked sharply. “What don’t I get?”

“Don’t you realize why we fight this war? We fight this war for our friends, our families! Don’t you know what it’s like to have them and to want to—”

He rolled his eyes and a growl like sound erupted from his throat. “It’s nothing worth fighting for in my eyes!”

You were shocked by his answer. Your eyes had gone wide and the anger had grown once more. The realization came through to you. Armitage Hux cared for nobody but himself. You shook your head and scoffed.

“You’re- you are insufferable,” you shouted, pacing back in forth in front of him in anger. “God, you are-”

“Useless?” Armitage offered. It was random and out of the blue, but he needed you to understand that not everybody is worth fighting for. At least not to him. “It’s not very original,” he said spitefully. “I've been told it before, but it’s a sufficient enough insult for the situation,” he stated casually as if he wasn’t bothered by anything he had just said.

You had frozen once again. Guilt and sorrow building up in your chest, replacing the anger and shock that was once there. You turned your head to access at Armitage.

His head was leaned back, eyes towards the ceiling even though they were closed as if he were holding back tears when in reality, he had cried so much over the years that no tears remained.

“Armitage... Armie,” you choked, realizing your mistake. Everything you had felt earlier seemed to instantly switch. Now, you wanted nothing more than reach out to him and hug his waist, to apologize even though you know you shouldn’t, even though just a second ago you were so angry at him you felt like strangling him. Those feelings- the realizations! -be damned.

Armitage scoffed and opened his eyes the minute you poke that horrid name. He was looking directly into your eyes with his dark ones. “You have no right to utter my first name in any form. Stop acting as though you’ve ever cared. You fooled me twice already, I’ll be damned if you did it again.”

You looked at him, eyes wide and confused. You were about to speak when he shook his head and did so first.

“How can you act kind and caring towards me then in the very next minute stab me in the back?” he asked, the hurt evident in his voice. His General facade was slowly slipping from his firm grip. “You were concerned last night for my well being, doing your best to nurse me back to health, and just now you throw insults at me. Was that General Organa’s order too?”

You felt sick. You couldn’t even be angry at Armitage because all that he had said were true. You were toying with him. Playing every single emotion he had shown and snapping them like a string on a guitar.

“Do you think so little of yourself?” you finally asked. You moved to pick up the chair so that you could across from him again. Looking at him intently, you reached to the center of the table and took his restrained hands in yours.

It was Armitage’s turn to be surprised, not shocked, not startled, but surprised. The question had caught him off guard, and a few moments had passed before he eventually replied. “I’m not sure what I think of myself. The opinion I hold over my head wavers every day.”

You lowered your head and frowned. “Then I apologize for adding onto the doubts. You’re words, although harsh, we’re true. I deserve no respect from you,” you expressed, letting out a small breath before standing. “I’ll inform the others that I have gotten little results besides the planned attack mentioned,” you explained, looking at the door.

Walking away from him was so hard to do, perhaps because you knew his death was inevitable now that he refused to share any of the First Order’s secrets. Although Armitage was an enemy, he had been nothing short of pleasurable up to this point, no matter what the weight of his past had put on his shoulders.

The guilt of not being able to help him any longer and the regret of feeding into his insecurities with your words chewed you from the inside out. Tears clawing at the back of your throat and threatening to spill. “Have a nice day, Hux,” broke through the silence in a shaky exhale, chipping at a piece of your heart, and breaking the rest of Armitage’s facade.

One of the few people Armitage had ever harbored any attachment- though very little -towards, had walked away like all the rest. That moment last night had been the closest thing to what he assumed love was that he had ever felt, and the memory, along with everything else, was shattered just a second ago when you walked out the door.

138 notes · View notes