Hux confronts Finn before the younger man has a chance to tell.
There was a small shred of hope in the general that he had mistaken what he saw. That Finn wasn't keeping secrets from him, lying to him.
"Finn," Hux is staring at the young man from his desk. The general had synced their schedules so they could spend time like this together each week. Hux working, Finn sitting quietly to keep him company. "I'm concerned about some of the things I have been hearing. I wanted to confirm with you before I issue any reprimands."
Finn becomes tense, unsure what the expect. "What is it?"
"Some business about you and Kylo Ren."
Finn's face is frozen and there is panic in his eyes.
"Is it true?" Hux's question is deliberate, exact. "Are you seeing him...romantically?"
"I'm sorry..."
Hux clenches at his pen, almost breaking it in two. "What are you apologizing for? I am not angry with you," Hux voice turns intensely gently, "I'm just scared we're drifting apart, Finn. A year ago, in your wildest dreams, would you have kept a secret from me?"
"No..." Finn's face is one of contemplation.
"Finn, I want to help you--there's nothing I won't do for you," Hux has moved from behind his desk, closing the distance him and his brother. He reaches out towards Finn, pulling as much of the sitting figure as he can into his embrace. He speaks with a disillusioned pain. "You're all I have in this whole universe. The base, the ship. They mean nothing--you're what counts."
He stills in Hux's embrace. Hux is not physically imposing but as he holds Finn, his presence was all-consuming. Like a cage.
The General looks down at Finn, who is sitting with his head facing the floor, eyes clouded with a nervous haze. "Finn, Kylo Ren is prone to violent outburst. I am just worried," Hux gently rests a hand on Finn's shoulder, "Are you sure he's...stable?"
The words strike a chord with Finn. He replies desperately but with a new-found quiet certainty. "Yes...! Yes, I'm sure. I know he is."
Hux picks up on the tone and it startles him. He's never used it before. "Finn," Hux lets out a light laugh, "I'm not fighting you. I just want what's best. It's just, when I think back to that little affair with FN-2154..."
Finn's eyes are wide-open at the name, considering Hux's statement gravely. He's looking up at Hux now, eyes wild in an attempt to explain too many things at once. "No...it's...he wasn't..."
Hux is satisfied with the younger man's flustering. "Don't force yourself, Finn," he coos.
Finn wasn't ready to stop. His voice is steady but hollow, speaking into the air, looking absent-mindedly in front of him: "He wasn't defective. He wasn't."
Finn isn't looking at Hux, not seeing the watchfulness in his face. "I said don't, Finn," Hux roughly pulls Finn even closer to him. "It's hard to come to terms with. But he was a liability, a threat to everything the Order stands for."
"They called him a traitor." Finn replies, choking on the words, "But be wasn't...I know..."
Hux's face contorts in disapproval but his tone stays level, cool. "You understood then that it was necessary to recondition him. You know what he was planning to do, how he was using you. What are you saying?" Hux begins to aimlessly stroke the side of Finn's face and continues in an affectionate whisper, "Why are you trembling?"
Finn pulls out of Hux's hold in a burst of uncoordinated energy. He tries to respond but closes his mouth in favor of pacing. Hux stares at him, face un-changing, his arms lingering where Finn had escaped. The other man moves with considerable agitation until he stops, eyes filled with a mix of apprehension and understanding. "Yes...yes, you're right."
A smile creeps onto the General's lips. Hux hold out his arms, inviting Finn into a comforting embrace. Against his will, Finn automatically walks into brother's open, waiting arms. "It's alright, Finn. It's over now." Hux is almost breathing into Finn's ear when he speaks, his fingers playing along Finn's back. After a moment, he speaks with seemingly sad affection, "I love you, Finn. I am just so scared something will happen. He's so violent."
Finn shakes his head, responding with that same quiet certainty that Hux was beginning to hate. "He won't...I know that."
"If you're sure, Finn, then I support you both. But if he hurts you..."
Finn cuts him off and Hux's heart sinks when he hears the smile in the younger man's voice against his chest. "He won't."
Finn breaks the embrace and the smile on his face is so radiating that Hux can't help but return it. The fact that the smile was because of Kylo Ren filled Hux with a jealousy he couldn't describe. When Hux finally speaks, it comes out desperate, almost begging for a response. "I love you, Finn."
Finn's entire manner has morphed from nervous wreck to bundle of joy as he excitedly gathers his helmet and blaster to head out. Hux's words reach him as he's almost out the door. Finn turns, still beaming, "I know!"
Hux waits until the door shuts before allowing his eyes to grow misty. Hux could only think about how Finn didn't say it back. How Kylo Ren has made it so he doesn't say it back. The fury growing in Hux's core was pacified only by one thought: destroying Kylo Ren.
Pt. 4
There was a small shred of hope in the general that he had mistaken what he saw. That Finn wasn't keeping secrets from him, lying to him.
"Finn," Hux is staring at the young man from his desk. The general had synced their schedules so they could spend time like this together each week. Hux working, Finn sitting quietly to keep him company. "I'm concerned about some of the things I have been hearing. I wanted to confirm with you before I issue any reprimands."
Finn becomes tense, unsure what the expect. "What is it?"
"Some business about you and Kylo Ren."
Finn's face is frozen and there is panic in his eyes.
"Is it true?" Hux's question is deliberate, exact. "Are you seeing him...romantically?"
"I'm sorry..."
Hux clenches at his pen, almost breaking it in two. "What are you apologizing for? I am not angry with you," Hux voice turns intensely gently, "I'm just scared we're drifting apart, Finn. A year ago, in your wildest dreams, would you have kept a secret from me?"
"No..." Finn's face is one of contemplation.
"Finn, I want to help you--there's nothing I won't do for you," Hux has moved from behind his desk, closing the distance him and his brother. He reaches out towards Finn, pulling as much of the sitting figure as he can into his embrace. He speaks with a disillusioned pain. "You're all I have in this whole universe. The base, the ship. They mean nothing--you're what counts."
He stills in Hux's embrace. Hux is not physically imposing but as he holds Finn, his presence was all-consuming. Like a cage.
The General looks down at Finn, who is sitting with his head facing the floor, eyes clouded with a nervous haze. "Finn, Kylo Ren is prone to violent outburst. I am just worried," Hux gently rests a hand on Finn's shoulder, "Are you sure he's...stable?"
The words strike a chord with Finn. He replies desperately but with a new-found quiet certainty. "Yes...! Yes, I'm sure. I know he is."
Hux picks up on the tone and it startles him. He's never used it before. "Finn," Hux lets out a light laugh, "I'm not fighting you. I just want what's best. It's just, when I think back to that little affair with FN-2154..."
Finn's eyes are wide-open at the name, considering Hux's statement gravely. He's looking up at Hux now, eyes wild in an attempt to explain too many things at once. "No...it's...he wasn't..."
Hux is satisfied with the younger man's flustering. "Don't force yourself, Finn," he coos.
Finn wasn't ready to stop. His voice is steady but hollow, speaking into the air, looking absent-mindedly in front of him: "He wasn't defective. He wasn't."
Finn isn't looking at Hux, not seeing the watchfulness in his face. "I said don't, Finn," Hux roughly pulls Finn even closer to him. "It's hard to come to terms with. But he was a liability, a threat to everything the Order stands for."
"They called him a traitor." Finn replies, choking on the words, "But be wasn't...I know..."
Hux's face contorts in disapproval but his tone stays level, cool. "You understood then that it was necessary to recondition him. You know what he was planning to do, how he was using you. What are you saying?" Hux begins to aimlessly stroke the side of Finn's face and continues in an affectionate whisper, "Why are you trembling?"
Finn pulls out of Hux's hold in a burst of uncoordinated energy. He tries to respond but closes his mouth in favor of pacing. Hux stares at him, face un-changing, his arms lingering where Finn had escaped. The other man moves with considerable agitation until he stops, eyes filled with a mix of apprehension and understanding. "Yes...yes, you're right."
A smile creeps onto the General's lips. Hux hold out his arms, inviting Finn into a comforting embrace. Against his will, Finn automatically walks into brother's open, waiting arms. "It's alright, Finn. It's over now." Hux is almost breathing into Finn's ear when he speaks, his fingers playing along Finn's back. After a moment, he speaks with seemingly sad affection, "I love you, Finn. I am just so scared something will happen. He's so violent."
Finn shakes his head, responding with that same quiet certainty that Hux was beginning to hate. "He won't...I know that."
"If you're sure, Finn, then I support you both. But if he hurts you..."
Finn cuts him off and Hux's heart sinks when he hears the smile in the younger man's voice against his chest. "He won't."
Finn breaks the embrace and the smile on his face is so radiating that Hux can't help but return it. The fact that the smile was because of Kylo Ren filled Hux with a jealousy he couldn't describe. When Hux finally speaks, it comes out desperate, almost begging for a response. "I love you, Finn."
Finn's entire manner has morphed from nervous wreck to bundle of joy as he excitedly gathers his helmet and blaster to head out. Hux's words reach him as he's almost out the door. Finn turns, still beaming, "I know!"
Hux waits until the door shuts before allowing his eyes to grow misty. Hux could only think about how Finn didn't say it back. How Kylo Ren has made it so he doesn't say it back. The fury growing in Hux's core was pacified only by one thought: destroying Kylo Ren.