"If you ever get the chance Ren… Leave."
The words were still ringing in Hux's head… nothing else could be heard, not even Snoke droning on.
Resisting the urge to scoff as the words "incompetence", "useless", "replacement", "weak" and "punishment" were repeated over and over again, Hux kept his eyes fixated on a spot just above the Supreme Leaders' head
This would probably be his last meeting with the Supreme Leader ever… and the hysteria was started to build up.
To be honest, after the destruction of the Starkiller Base, he knew it would end like this; his failure quickly catching up with him in the worst possible way. The only thing he hadn't factored in was the strange sense of serenity he felt standing there, feeling the tension build up all around him.
For the first time since he first became a part of this war, Hux finally felt at peace.
It didn't matter that the protests of Ren behind him and Snoke's voice made it impossible for him to forget where he was or what was about to happen. This had to happen if Ren was going break free of Snoke's control.
He focused on the memory of Ren earlier that morning… the soft brown eyes frowning in confusion as Hux told him to just leave. Leave the First Order and run.
He felt his heart swell in his chest as he remembered the confusion turn to concern… the fear on Ren's face when a stormtrooper reported that Snoke had demanded to speak to them.
They both knew he'd managed to find out about them…. And any sort of attachment was a weakness in his eyes.
Hux knew what needed to happen to make sure Ren left this situation alive, and that thought comforted him like a shroud, wrapping ever-tighter… like Ren wrapping his black cloak around him after they'd both been caught in a blizzard.
That was the first time Hux even considered any thoughts about a relationship with the Force user.
Soon… soon his fight in this war would all be over.
He was terrified, and he was exhausted…. And there was some regret as well.
He didn't get a chance to say some proper last words to Ren.
No, he wasn't a good person…. He hadn't been a good person ever since being dragged from his mother at four years old. The memory of the blaster shot hitting his mother in the chest caused him to tighten his fists, knuckles turning white at the force.
Maybe people like him didn't deserve a happily ever after with someone they love… but that didn't mean he didn't wish for it.
The worst part was that he could see it… a life with Kylo…. The perfect dream that was evaporating like smoke the longer Snoke spoke, the angrier the Supreme Leader grew.
Finding a planet far away from the First Order's reach, eating breakfast together in a little house…. Kylo complaining about something (as per usual).
"Am I boring you General?"
Hux was torn away from his daydreams, as something seemed to grab him by the ankles and pull his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground face first.
His end was almost here… but he didn't want to think about that.
He tried to take his mind back to the dream… maybe they could have got married some day? Adopted some children before the First Order got to them.
He'd seen pictures of Han Solo and General Organa…. He could imagine what Kylo would look like as he got older. Silver hair at his temple… maybe he'd grow his hair out, tie it back in the extravagant hairstyles that the Organas' were known for. His temper would probably stay the same, but Hux knew he could live with that.
Kylo was strong… he would make it through this.
He was something special, more so than anyone Hux had ever met before and the pain he felt at the knowledge that he would probably never see Kylo's face again, threatened to over-whelm him.
But he couldn't let it.
Steely determination rippled through him as he pushed himself back to his feet, straightening up again and trying not to let it show how affected he was by the entire situation, just as an invisible hand wrapped around his neck, squeezing tightly as it lifted him into the air.
He screwed up his eyes, fighting to control his expression, taking in as much air as possible through the death grip. His hands grasped at the invisible grip, shaking slightly with the effort, despite knowing that he wasn't going to survive this.
He knew he had to relax…. Tensing up was only going to make it worse
Turning his mind away from the situation and focusing on the last evening him and Kylo had spent with each other, Hux desperately tried to relax. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, that it felt like it was trying to get out a lifetime's worth of beats in the few moments he had left.
The love he could feel was outweighing the fear now, and that was the moment when Hux realised his time had come.
He closed his eyes.