#trinefluff

In the end, the Dark Side was about embracing power, and power, sometimes, was brought about through emotion.

Kylo Ren was, at his core, a man very much influenced by emotion: he had hopes, dreams, and aspirations like anyone else, focused though they may be through his training...

And sometimes all that energy, all that focused emotion and careful, regimented, and channeled power tended to break loose, break free, manifest in a myriad of ways...

Usually in violent outbursts, broken machinery, inanimate objects torn and sliced apart, followed by long periods of time spent alone, reassessing himself, connecting with his goals, his bloodline, his destiny, and calming down...

But never before had his emotions swung out and landed on attraction, before.

"General Hux."

The general turned to him, staring at Kylo with those stern, piercing blue eyes, eyes that Ren felt stab straight right through him...though, in truth, he had nothing to fear from this man: the power gap between a Knight of Ren and a mere, an ordinary General was simply too great...

Regardless, he took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"What is it, Ren?"

"..."

Some called Hux weasely, thin-boned, high-strung, and vain...but Kylo could see past all that gossip and bad-mouthing: Hux was a man of dedication, one who believed, strongly and without fail that the First Order would bring order to a chaotic galaxy, that his troops, trained nearly from birth, we're superior to mass-produced clones, and that, at the center of all things...

Power could bring peace and progress.

"Yes, Ren? What do you need? If you're just going to stand there and stare I will have to ask you t-"

"I have a request."

Hux's upright, commanding stance didn't falter, but his gaze did: his eyes traced over the Knight of Ren quickly, noting what he could from Ren's body language, unable to come to much of a conclusion, thanks to his hidden face...

He could glean tell that this request wasn't about business, though.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you need assistance on your next surveillance detail."

Hux's stance tightened as Ren's relaxed.

Ren knew that Hux took his last surveillance detail of each day alone, late in the night, when half the troops were resting and the others that were awake were occupied with training, mission preparation, and other menial tasks.

This night surveillance shift was usually quiet, consisting of standing at a security console near Hux's quarters, alone for several hours while he put some battle plans together and worked on some personal projects of his.

Why would Ren want to "help" him on such a detail?

He thought of their usual banter, of how they would butt heads over just about every decision made on-board and elsewhere, how at odds they seemed despite, in the end, sharing the same eventual goal: the victory of the First Order.

Perhaps, Hux mused, Ren had had a change of heart, and wanted to talk outside of the heat of battle or the tension of being on a mission. He could certainly handle that.

Hux looked Ren up and down, then responded, evenly:

"Yes. Meet me at the console in Block 336 at 01:00."

"Very well."

And with that, the Knight of Ren strode away, leaving Hux to return to his duties, while Kylo, in turn, breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He'd said yes.

---

When Ren entered block 336 he found Hux staring at a screen, subdivided into about a dozen camera views from around the station, sitting, leaned back in a chair.

Kylo tilted his head: he was not accustomed to seeing Hux sitting, let alone reclining and without his usual straight-backed, focused attention.

"General Hux."

"Kylo Ren."

The two greeted each other tersely, both aware that the situation was a bit more that it seemed to be.

Kylo reached for the back of Hux's chair, gently resting a hand on it near Hux's head, and although the general didn't flinch at the close proximity of the limb, he did turn his head to look up at the masked man, quizzically.

Ren met his gaze, and calmly reassured him:

"You can relax, there's no one else near this block. I would feel their presence."

"I'm aware, Ren."

The general nodded and waved a hand towards the screens ahead of him, letting out a slightly annoyed sigh as be stood up.

"Ren, what is this about?"

"..."

Kylo was silent for a time, then cooly replied:

"I simply have something to say to you, something I didn't want others to hear."

"What?"

Ren...flinched slightly. He was, for the first time in a while, unnerved by Hux's coldness, and it didn't go unnoticed: Hux's icy glare turned to a look of bewildered concern as Ren tightened his hands into fists, and glared the general right in the eye from under his helmet.

"I admire your dedication. It takes much for a man unattuned to the Force to do as much as you do. I have never seen you raise a blaster and yet you run the most important base, critical to our success efficiently, powerfully, and with certainty. Your work is beyond appreciated, General Hux."

Hux...stared at the man, and although his body language denoted discomfort, his gaze grew a little softer. He wondered, perhaps, if Snoke had put Ren up to this, had had enough of their petty squabbling and had sent Ren to him to make amends...

But even with that helmet in the way, with the lack of facial cues to discern the full emotional impact of Ren's words...

Again, Hux could tell this wasn't just about business.

"...your praise is appreciated, Ren."

The general turned back to his chair and away from the Knight of Ren, Kylo responding by immediately calling out:

"Wait!"

Hux turned back, just in time to see Ren removing his helmet, tousled black curls framing a...suprisingly winded and flushed face.

"The Dark Side is about embracing power, and power sometimes comes from passion. It is obvious that you have passion for what you do, General Hux..."

Ren reached forward, placing a trembling hand on Hux's shoulder, Kylo suprised that the general didn't move away or back, a relieved smile unconsciously crossing the Knight of Ren's face.

Hux, on the other hand, was stuck a little still by this development, especially by the instability of Ren's hand as it shook on his shoulder and that odd smile that had crept across Kylo's face for a moment there: was he mad? Going mad? Why was he acting this way?

Regardless, he remained quiet as Kylo finished:

"...I can appreciate that, despite our occasional disagreements."

Hux was...starting to lose his nerve. His shoulders relaxed slightly, his gaze becoming less stern, his jaw not set, glancing from Ren to his hand on his shoulder and back.

"Well, I'd say they're a little more than 'occasional', Ren."

"..."

He didn't move back as Ren took a step closer, didn't flinch as he brought his face close to Hux's.

"...for some who heed the call to the darkness, our power is increased when we allow certain emotions to grow stronger, when we explore and pursue certain..."

Ren was visibly shaking, nervous, heart racing as he moved his hand up to cradle the side of Hux's face. The general stayed still.

"...emotions. Would you be willing to indulge and, perhaps, reciprocate such emotion, with me?"

Hux tilted his head slightly into Ren's hand, an eyebrow raised, looking him up and down.

He...hadn't considered romantic endeavors in quite a while...but with Ren staring at him with that terrified, blushy face, a side of the frightening Knight visible, now, that he had never seen before: with that helmet off, with Ren shaking like a frightened child approaching their playground crush, with Hux able to see the genuine longing and fear of rejection in those dark eyes...

He was quite intrigued.

"Very well, Ren," Hux said, his tone stern, but his words accepting:

"I will give this endeavor of yours a chance."

"...th-thank you, General Hux."

The Knight of Ren took his hand from Hux's face, quickly gathering his composure and reaching for his helmet.

"Ren!"

Kylo startled slightly at the General's loud command.

"I have a request to make of you."

Hux strode forward, getting very close to Ren, who in turn, blushed even more brightly, it taking everything in Hux's power not to laugh at such a display.

"...y-yes, General Hux?"

Hux looked him over one last time, weighing options, noting facial features and the tone of Ren's voice...

He moved swiftly, cupping the back of Ren's head and pulling him in close, planting a short, soft kiss on the man's forehead before pulling away and nodding towards Ren's helmet.

"You should go. Report back to my chambers after this surveillance detail tomorrow for further discussion on this endeavor of yours. Understood?"

Ren nodded, placing his helmet back on...

Unable to hide the little, blushy smile that spread across his face as the dark helm clamped down and hid his features from view.

Finn leaned back against the wall, sitting a secluded corner of the rebel base's cantina, half-heartedly eating his dinner.

Ever since he'd regained consciouness and found out that Rey left, things had gotten a bit quiet. The base was recuperating its losses, holding ceremonies for the fallen fighters, and chasing down what dregs of the First Order it could.

Finn was considered a hero, a brave, valiant soldier, and for once, was actually a bit of a big deal in the Resistance.

He had everything he wanted, really: fame, being recognized as a person, not a number, and a place to call home far away from the First Order, but he was missing just having someone to talk to-

"Hey hey, Finn! How's it going?"

The former Stormtrooper looked up, practically jumping out of his seat as Poe Dameron approached him, BB-8 rolling up behind him.

"Poe!"

Finn darted forward, and before he could really think about what he was doing, embraced the pilot that had given him his name...and his jacket, for that matter.

Poe reciprocated the hug, patting Finn's back before pulling away, smiling.

"Good to see you again, buddy. All healed up too, huh?"

"Oh, um, yea, I have some scars and stuff but yea, all better!...how'd the scouting mission go?"

Poe took a seat across from Finn, BB-8 making several beeps and whistles, roughly translating to "we didn't find anything."

"Nope, nada," Poe continued, "no trace of the First Order anywhere in this quadrant of the galaxy. Either we really took them out or they got far, far away."

Finn shook his head.

"Definitely got away: they're regrouping."

Poe's expression fell slightly, noting Finn's tone. Even after escaping the First Order, after fighting them, WINNING against them there was still a fear in his eyes, a fear that could only come from a man that had seen horrors first-hand, up close.

"...you look a little uneasy there, Finn."

"Wh-What?"

Finn looked up from his food, putting on the most fake, unconvincing attempt at bravado that Poe had ever seen.

"Me? Uneasy? Nah nah, just tired is all, scars and attention and all that...uneasy? No, no..."

BB-8 glanced from Finn to Poe and back, Poe just smiling slightly and nodding to Finn, asking:

"Why don't we blow this joint, huh?"

"...what-"

"Just...follow me."

---

The sun was setting overhead, the celestial skyscape revealing itself as Poe and Finn walked through the base's docking area, past ships, the droids and mechanics repairing them, and the few people that were still out as night came in.

"I'm telling you Finn, as much as I love flying, sometimes nothing beats a good walk."

"Speak for yourself: between lumbering through the desert, tripping in the snow and all the running and fighting I am DONE with walking. Where can a guy get one of those little cars the mechanics use to move stuff around?"

Poe chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're still on about that? The attack on Starkiller Base was months ago, Finn."

"Yea, and I was unconscious for most of them, and when I woke up everyone was on my case and giving me attention and Rey was gone, off to find Skywalker..."

Finn let out a sigh, stopping in his tracks and panting slightly: his wounds were still not completely healed, and his old stamina hadn't come back just yet.

He stood still, shaking his head before sighing and letting his mouth run:

"I dunno man, I just kind of feel lost in it all, you know? So much changed so fast, it's a lot to take in, and I feel like there are not many people I can talk to about anything...th-they don't see Finn, the former First Order guy who got slashed in the back and woke up confused three months later, the guy that watched Han Solo die, they see Finn the war hero, the First Order insider, the guy with Poe Dameron's jacket...I kinda feel like they don't see ME, y'know?"

Poe stood still, lips parting slightly as he looked the panting, tired Stormtrooper over, then nodded his head back towards the far end of the docking area.

"C'mon, I got something to show you."

---

"Do you do this all the time?"

"Only when I've got too much on my mind."

The duo was lying on top of Poe's X-Wing fighter, staring up at the flickering, vast and beautiful night sky above.

Poe raised an arm, pointing at the innumerable stars.

"Y'know, I can point out and tell you the names of a lot of these stars, Finn: I've flown missions on a lot of them for the Resistance."

"And I can't even name five."

Finn sighed.

"I've spent my whole life on ships and in bases, getting used to hallways and being on troop transports: sometimes we weren't even told what planet we were on because it wasn't 'important information'..."

Finn turned his head to Poe, practically whispering:

"I can't lie, I feel like a kid here, some stupid kid that's far in over his head and has no idea what he's doing most of the time, Poe Dameron. And somehow, people look up to me..."

He turned his head back, letting out an exasperated chuckle, staring up at the stars again, sighing sadly.

"...it's just a lot to take in. I feel kind of helpless."

Finn startled as Poe rolled over towards him, sitting up and standing on all fours over Finn's reclined body. Poe rested one of his hands on Finn's shoulder:

"Finn, we all feel like that at some point in our lives. I can assure you: it will get better with time, and you'll realize that you actually know more than you to think you do, okay?"

Finn opened his mouth to respond, but all that come out of him was a suprised yell as Poe crouched down, planting a small kiss on Finn's forehead before leaping away, moving for the side of the ship, calling back:

"Now, I'm gonna go get some rest, and I suggest you do too, Finn..."

The pilot saluted the former Stormtrooper before leaping off the side of the ship and walking towards the barracks:

"...stay positive!"

Finn waited for Poe to be well out of sight before lying back against ship's hull, staring, unblinkingly, at the starry sky above, touching his forehead from time to time and trying to halt his oddly fast-beating heart.

After what felt like a century he climbed down from the ship, pulling Poe's jacket around him tighter against the cold nighttime air.

By the time Finn got to his quarters, he passed BB-8, who quickly turned around and bleep-booped at him, Finn responding quickly:

"What?! No! What'd he tell you?"

BB-8 made a series of coos and beeps that can best be translated as a winky face and several kissy noises.

"WHAT?! NO NO NO THAT IS NOT HOW IT WENT DOWN! You tell him that if he tries to pull that again I'll destroy him, you got it?!"

BB-8 just made the Droid equivalent of an eye-roll and assured Finn he wouldn't let Poe indulge in any "funny business," as it were...but did make one more series of beeps before scooting away.

"A cute couple, huh?"

Finn blushed, scratching the back of his neck, making Poe's jacket rub against his shoulders a little.