p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Like most people, Ben likes Christmas a touch more than most of the other holidays. While Halloween is a contender for best holiday ever (who wouldn't love the dressing up, eating candy, and watching Jason Voorhies knock off horny teenagers?), there's something undeniably magical about Christmas with its bright lights, irreproducible optimism, and all the people that suddenly want to feed him. He's mostly enjoying some icing with a bit of sugar cookie underneath when his co-worker Juan asks him what he's doing for Christmas. "Well," he starts, a bit of flaky green icing falling out of his mouth. He finishes chewing before answering, trying not to smile at the amusement his clumsiness causes. "I've had four people invite me to have Christmas dinner with their families and two for Christmas Eve. I told them all probably, so I think I'm not gonna need to eat again until New Year's."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Juan laughs. "Well, I'll toss my hat into the ring as well, if you want to visit with my family during your Christmas Dinner spree."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben smiles and nods. "I'll probably show up."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""At this point, you're going to need to be like Santa yourself, hitting all the places in one night. And you'll look like him by the end."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The little kitchenette in Empire Glass is seldom used. It's the cleanest room in the factory by far, kept up mostly by the secretaries out front. They've attached little construction paper Christmas trees and Santas to the fronts of the cabinet doors. The plate from which Ben had grabbed his icing disc has a sign reading "EAT ME!" propped against it. Since he's on the road for his job, Ben doesn't bring in lunch, opting instead for fast food./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben looks at the plate. "I'll take a couple to Gwen. I'm hitting her stop today."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Juan is lead production manager in the factory, so while he doesn't go out to the different customers like Ben, he at least knows their names. "I've heard she's kind of a bitch," he suggests lightly./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben laughs. "Yeah, I think she'd say that's true. She probably hates sugary stuff too." He doesn't say it, because he doesn't want it getting back around to the gal at the front desk who made them, but these cookies are pretty bad and probably wouldn't appeal to even the sweetest teeth. He's actually thinking he'll make it look like they're more popular than they are if he takes some to Gwen. She can chuck 'em if she wants and with the baker none the wiser. "She's pretty awesome."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""One of these days, I'll ride along with you on deliveries. Then I'll be able to put some faces to the names."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Speaking of… I'd better get going." Ben wipes at the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. He'll peek in his rearview mirror and make sure he got it all. It's good enough for now though. "They've had me loaded up since 9."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Oh right," says Juan. "You're working half days this week."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Quarter days, really." He'd come in at 10, four hours later than he usually does. Shipping is putting the longer distance drives together, only one shipment out to Taunton in two weeks. Even with how long they're waiting for that trip, there's still not that many units to take out there. Not surprising since it's the day before Christmas eve. Soon, sales associates will be sneaking downstairs while their kids are asleep and packing the underside of trees with presents and installers will make their way around rich neighborhoods with their church groups singing carols. Productive life will come to a screeching halt while everyone re-enacts generation-old traditions./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Anyway, Merry Christmas! I'm off!" Ben says, snapping out of his holiday reverie. He snatches up some cookies in a white napkin and makes his way to the truck. /span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"When Ben drives, he usually listens to music. He likes to sing along loudly, so loudly, in fact, that there are days when he returns the truck with a scratchy voice. He doesn't have much of a range but the notes he can hit are fine. He can fool listeners into thinking he's a good singer if the song stays within that small assortment of notes that his deep voice can make. When he's by himself, of course, he is free to strain too high or too low at his leisure, butchering any song that crosses his path./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Today, he's enjoying something he can't ever remember enjoying before. He flashes back to his dreams, reliving them, and expanding them. Normally when his shrinks have him go back and change one of his dreams, it's to try and get him to take away the dreams' power. How can you make this silly? They'll ask. Well, not a lot of ways one can make slaughtering a group of children silly. But he would try. 'Maybe they're not children but balloons? Could you be popping balloons with your sword?' Ben had not looked at a balloon the same way again. But now, he's having dreams that he likes. Well, partially. He's still having the nightmares but they've got this element to them that he likes. Well, one character./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"General Hux. Kylo Ren watches Hux closer than a retail employee does a clock. He's memorized all those little mannerisms, some of them obvious, like how Hux rubs at his forehead when he hasn't had enough sleep or someone is annoying him, and some of them subtle, like how he always enters the command center with his right foot first, as though he's in a military parade. Kylo Ren is hypnotized by these things. Ben can see what it is that he likes about Hux, but he's not sure why Kylo is so taken. Maybe it's because in Hux, Kylo sees something of himself, sees shared flaws. Maybe it's because Hux doesn't show a single lick of fear around him. He might as well be a pesky child that Hux is babysitting for how he treats him. For Kylo, that's unique. Ben wonders why it feels okay when Hux treats him that way, feels good even. His alter ego does also have "daddy issues."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben likes Hux because he's smart and decisive. He's cute in an insomniac ginger way, too. Ben thinks that if Hux was ever to smile, not smirk like he sometimes does but truly smile, that he could be delicious. The closest that Ben has ever come to seeing a smile on those thinly pressed lips was the most recent dream, where they played goothball together./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Is there any point to playing a game with a force user?" Hux asks. At least he is no longer looking at Kylo like he'd changed into a three-headed rancor. Kylo had taken off his helmet in the gym before, but Hux had never been here to see it, never seen him maskless and exposed. The solid ten seconds of the general staring at him with shock had been almost too much to bear. Kylo had resisted the urge to grab the helmet and hide again only by the smallest of fractions. Before Snoke, he would have instantly, unable to handle the curious judgment and possible rejection. Instead, he sat still, willing the color not to rise to his cheeks as Hux viewed his features - the big nose, the fluffy hair, the giant ears. It was never Kylo's looks that gave him an advantage in life, it was always his birth and then, later, his force powers. It's hard even now, to have someone look upon him and think that he looks, well, a bit like a Corellian Beardless Crane, especially someone that he respects./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Force use is not involuntary," he assures./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux squints a bit. "Yes, but is it… Nevermind. Fine, I'm in." His resolution says everything that Kylo needs to know about how seriously the general is taking this little match in the gym. It also tips him off that Hux had not expected Kylo to actually take him up on the offer of a game. Perhaps he'd just been joking./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo nods and begins to remove his outerwear. Hux jumps up from the bench where he'd been sitting. His face is pink and Kylo can feel Hux's embarrassment through the force. "I'll fetch the equipment. Will a 22 racquet suffice?" he asks, not making eye contact with Kylo./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Yes," says Kylo, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. He's fully dressed underneath his robes with high-waisted black pants and a black sleeveless top with ruching on each side. Did Hux think he'd be otherwise? Space is cold. Even with the temperature controls, Kylo believes that he can still feel the cold that lurks beyond the hull. It could be imagination or just poor circulation./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Looking more composed and less pink, Hux returns with their racquets and a cylindrical container holding three white balls. Kylo accepts his racquet as Hux again looks at the change in his appearance. 'Yes,' thinks Kylo. 'Kylo Ren is a person.' But Hux should know that, dammit. He's not one of the silly crewmen that treat him like some sort of mythical figure. The symbol of Kylo Ren has importance, but of course, there's still him underneath. "Lead the way," he prompts, hoping that Hux will get on with the sport so that the scrutiny ends./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The goothball courts aboard the Finalizer are the nicest that he's ever played in. Most places that have courts are run down. Either the balls don't change color like they should (the color of the last hitter's racquet), or not all of the six holes light up, that sort of thing. He's only had the chance to play one time since he's been here, which admittedly hasn't been long, but everything worked perfectly and, moreover, it felt new and well constructed./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"They start the first match. It's pretty obvious that Hux is out of practice. Goothball is challenging because it's about both aim and timing. The holes are small, only diametrically double the size of the ball itself and you only score when you successfully hit the ball in while the hole is illuminated the same color as your racquet. Hux's shots are going too far off the mark for it to matter which color he's aiming for. He's trying though, pale cheeks red with exertion and eyes intent, nearly crazed with effort./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""It seems that you're out of practice," Kylo voices after winning the first match./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux glares at him. "The first game is yours. We'll see about the next."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo can't stop his smile even though he knows it's probably a bad idea to antagonize him too much. He doesn't want Hux to take this as seriously as he probably will. The point of the exercise is to train the body and the mind. He'd just been expecting to work out as normal, choosing an off-peak time for using the gym and as soon as he'd seen Hux sitting there, dressed down in civilian clothing, Kylo wanted to keep him there, keep him like that for as long as he could. Is it any wonder, then, that his brain blocked any humor in Hux's suggestion, tried to see it as an actual challenge?/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The room echos with a satisfying thwack whenever they hit the ball. The constantly changing rings of lights around the holes they're aiming for create dancing patterns on the room. Hux does much better the second round, finding his aim though not his timing, and his intensity begins to transform into something resembling pleasure. Hux is enjoying himself now that he's not playing terribly. He still loses, but the game is more sportsmanlike./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux says, "I think I've got time for one more, though you've won the night."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo replies earnestly, "I'd love to."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"That's when he sees a thing very close to a smile on Hux's lips and they begin round three./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben had woken up feeling giddy, like he'd just gone on a really good date. His brain doesn't seem to care that Hux is an imaginary person, an imaginary coworker if he's really gonna start listing off reasons why this isn't a good thing; it's still releasing copious amounts of oxytocin, giving him lusty romantic feelings one way or the other. What would it have been like if after the game, they'd gone at it like rabbits right there in the gym of the starship? What would Hux be like in bed? These questions had been flitting through his lizard brain fucking constantly since then. With the long bursts of driving time, he's having a chance to ponder them in detail./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Maybe they accidentally collide with each other on the court. 'Shit! Are you okay?' asks Ben. He's half-sprawled on top of Hux. Nothing feels broken on his part, so he looks down at Hux, checking to see the damage of the human pillow beneath him. Hux smiles at him, goofily, which the situation warrants but which still melts Ben. 'I'd be better if I didn't have all your weight on me!' he says, but it doesn't sound like he means it. 'Do you want me to get up?' Ben asks with a playful tone. Hux, surprised by the flirtation, stammers, 'I...I mean, yes! Do you think I intend to just lay here all night?' Then, catching his own words, attempts to backtrack from that, but Ben cuts the pedaling off with his lips./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"No, probably not. He can't see Hux going for that. He'd probably just be mad that he was being squished./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Maybe, then, after they wrap up in the court, Hux makes a move. He watches Kylo put back on the robes and the belt, like he's disappointed to see Kylo putting his clothes back on. But that's probably wishful thinking on Kylo's part. "Did you want to play another game?" he asks, wondering if that's responsible for the wistful look on Hux's face. "Of a sort," says Hux crossing the distance between them. He places a hand behind Kylo's head and pulls him in for a kiss./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Strong no to that one. Again, the cheesy lines don't feel very Huxish. The thing is, Ben isn't sure how something would kick off between Kylo and Hux. They're both so proud; he can't really see either of them making a first move. It would have to be something mutually felt and pretty much synchronized. Ben is pretty sure this attraction goes both ways. The way that they antagonize each other always feels more playful than pointed. If they wanted to destroy each other, they could. Ben suspects that it's the closest thing that Hux has to entertainment on the Finalizer. Then, with the two of them interacting as they did, with Kylo dressed down in normal streetwear, face exposed, Ben got the impression that Hux was into it that way too. Maybe. Hell, it's his dream, he might as well make it be so. He's never put so much thought into the preferences of a figment of his own imagination before./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The very short work shift passes quickly with his Hux daydreams and speculations. The highlight of the actual work part is giving Gwen the smuggled sugar cookies. She looks at him with a 'really?' sort of look on her face as she unwraps the napkins to find a splatter of green icing. "Thank you?" she asks exaggerating both words./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He smiles. "I thought of you as soon as I saw them!" he jokes, laughing at the disgusting little pile that the cookies ended up becoming shoved in his pocket./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Gwen flips him the bird which he accepts happily since he totally deserves it. "You missed an awesome Thanksgiving."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Yeah, sorry about that. I ended up a bit too drunk to be driving very far."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Well, you have to come to my New Years Party then, and I won't take no for an answer on that one. Don't forget that you also turned down my fourth of July party too."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He frowns. "You have a lot of parties." Then, he feels like an asshole because she actually does look hurt. "Count on me for New Years!"/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"She studies him, trying to glean how much he's just trying to placate her. He opens his eyes wide, daring her to find any lack of sincerity in his offer. "Good. I'll text you the address."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Juan laughs. "Well, I'll toss my hat into the ring as well, if you want to visit with my family during your Christmas Dinner spree."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben smiles and nods. "I'll probably show up."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""At this point, you're going to need to be like Santa yourself, hitting all the places in one night. And you'll look like him by the end."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The little kitchenette in Empire Glass is seldom used. It's the cleanest room in the factory by far, kept up mostly by the secretaries out front. They've attached little construction paper Christmas trees and Santas to the fronts of the cabinet doors. The plate from which Ben had grabbed his icing disc has a sign reading "EAT ME!" propped against it. Since he's on the road for his job, Ben doesn't bring in lunch, opting instead for fast food./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben looks at the plate. "I'll take a couple to Gwen. I'm hitting her stop today."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Juan is lead production manager in the factory, so while he doesn't go out to the different customers like Ben, he at least knows their names. "I've heard she's kind of a bitch," he suggests lightly./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben laughs. "Yeah, I think she'd say that's true. She probably hates sugary stuff too." He doesn't say it, because he doesn't want it getting back around to the gal at the front desk who made them, but these cookies are pretty bad and probably wouldn't appeal to even the sweetest teeth. He's actually thinking he'll make it look like they're more popular than they are if he takes some to Gwen. She can chuck 'em if she wants and with the baker none the wiser. "She's pretty awesome."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""One of these days, I'll ride along with you on deliveries. Then I'll be able to put some faces to the names."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Speaking of… I'd better get going." Ben wipes at the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. He'll peek in his rearview mirror and make sure he got it all. It's good enough for now though. "They've had me loaded up since 9."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Oh right," says Juan. "You're working half days this week."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Quarter days, really." He'd come in at 10, four hours later than he usually does. Shipping is putting the longer distance drives together, only one shipment out to Taunton in two weeks. Even with how long they're waiting for that trip, there's still not that many units to take out there. Not surprising since it's the day before Christmas eve. Soon, sales associates will be sneaking downstairs while their kids are asleep and packing the underside of trees with presents and installers will make their way around rich neighborhoods with their church groups singing carols. Productive life will come to a screeching halt while everyone re-enacts generation-old traditions./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Anyway, Merry Christmas! I'm off!" Ben says, snapping out of his holiday reverie. He snatches up some cookies in a white napkin and makes his way to the truck. /span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"When Ben drives, he usually listens to music. He likes to sing along loudly, so loudly, in fact, that there are days when he returns the truck with a scratchy voice. He doesn't have much of a range but the notes he can hit are fine. He can fool listeners into thinking he's a good singer if the song stays within that small assortment of notes that his deep voice can make. When he's by himself, of course, he is free to strain too high or too low at his leisure, butchering any song that crosses his path./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Today, he's enjoying something he can't ever remember enjoying before. He flashes back to his dreams, reliving them, and expanding them. Normally when his shrinks have him go back and change one of his dreams, it's to try and get him to take away the dreams' power. How can you make this silly? They'll ask. Well, not a lot of ways one can make slaughtering a group of children silly. But he would try. 'Maybe they're not children but balloons? Could you be popping balloons with your sword?' Ben had not looked at a balloon the same way again. But now, he's having dreams that he likes. Well, partially. He's still having the nightmares but they've got this element to them that he likes. Well, one character./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"General Hux. Kylo Ren watches Hux closer than a retail employee does a clock. He's memorized all those little mannerisms, some of them obvious, like how Hux rubs at his forehead when he hasn't had enough sleep or someone is annoying him, and some of them subtle, like how he always enters the command center with his right foot first, as though he's in a military parade. Kylo Ren is hypnotized by these things. Ben can see what it is that he likes about Hux, but he's not sure why Kylo is so taken. Maybe it's because in Hux, Kylo sees something of himself, sees shared flaws. Maybe it's because Hux doesn't show a single lick of fear around him. He might as well be a pesky child that Hux is babysitting for how he treats him. For Kylo, that's unique. Ben wonders why it feels okay when Hux treats him that way, feels good even. His alter ego does also have "daddy issues."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben likes Hux because he's smart and decisive. He's cute in an insomniac ginger way, too. Ben thinks that if Hux was ever to smile, not smirk like he sometimes does but truly smile, that he could be delicious. The closest that Ben has ever come to seeing a smile on those thinly pressed lips was the most recent dream, where they played goothball together./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Is there any point to playing a game with a force user?" Hux asks. At least he is no longer looking at Kylo like he'd changed into a three-headed rancor. Kylo had taken off his helmet in the gym before, but Hux had never been here to see it, never seen him maskless and exposed. The solid ten seconds of the general staring at him with shock had been almost too much to bear. Kylo had resisted the urge to grab the helmet and hide again only by the smallest of fractions. Before Snoke, he would have instantly, unable to handle the curious judgment and possible rejection. Instead, he sat still, willing the color not to rise to his cheeks as Hux viewed his features - the big nose, the fluffy hair, the giant ears. It was never Kylo's looks that gave him an advantage in life, it was always his birth and then, later, his force powers. It's hard even now, to have someone look upon him and think that he looks, well, a bit like a Corellian Beardless Crane, especially someone that he respects./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Force use is not involuntary," he assures./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux squints a bit. "Yes, but is it… Nevermind. Fine, I'm in." His resolution says everything that Kylo needs to know about how seriously the general is taking this little match in the gym. It also tips him off that Hux had not expected Kylo to actually take him up on the offer of a game. Perhaps he'd just been joking./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo nods and begins to remove his outerwear. Hux jumps up from the bench where he'd been sitting. His face is pink and Kylo can feel Hux's embarrassment through the force. "I'll fetch the equipment. Will a 22 racquet suffice?" he asks, not making eye contact with Kylo./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Yes," says Kylo, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. He's fully dressed underneath his robes with high-waisted black pants and a black sleeveless top with ruching on each side. Did Hux think he'd be otherwise? Space is cold. Even with the temperature controls, Kylo believes that he can still feel the cold that lurks beyond the hull. It could be imagination or just poor circulation./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Looking more composed and less pink, Hux returns with their racquets and a cylindrical container holding three white balls. Kylo accepts his racquet as Hux again looks at the change in his appearance. 'Yes,' thinks Kylo. 'Kylo Ren is a person.' But Hux should know that, dammit. He's not one of the silly crewmen that treat him like some sort of mythical figure. The symbol of Kylo Ren has importance, but of course, there's still him underneath. "Lead the way," he prompts, hoping that Hux will get on with the sport so that the scrutiny ends./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The goothball courts aboard the Finalizer are the nicest that he's ever played in. Most places that have courts are run down. Either the balls don't change color like they should (the color of the last hitter's racquet), or not all of the six holes light up, that sort of thing. He's only had the chance to play one time since he's been here, which admittedly hasn't been long, but everything worked perfectly and, moreover, it felt new and well constructed./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"They start the first match. It's pretty obvious that Hux is out of practice. Goothball is challenging because it's about both aim and timing. The holes are small, only diametrically double the size of the ball itself and you only score when you successfully hit the ball in while the hole is illuminated the same color as your racquet. Hux's shots are going too far off the mark for it to matter which color he's aiming for. He's trying though, pale cheeks red with exertion and eyes intent, nearly crazed with effort./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""It seems that you're out of practice," Kylo voices after winning the first match./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux glares at him. "The first game is yours. We'll see about the next."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo can't stop his smile even though he knows it's probably a bad idea to antagonize him too much. He doesn't want Hux to take this as seriously as he probably will. The point of the exercise is to train the body and the mind. He'd just been expecting to work out as normal, choosing an off-peak time for using the gym and as soon as he'd seen Hux sitting there, dressed down in civilian clothing, Kylo wanted to keep him there, keep him like that for as long as he could. Is it any wonder, then, that his brain blocked any humor in Hux's suggestion, tried to see it as an actual challenge?/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The room echos with a satisfying thwack whenever they hit the ball. The constantly changing rings of lights around the holes they're aiming for create dancing patterns on the room. Hux does much better the second round, finding his aim though not his timing, and his intensity begins to transform into something resembling pleasure. Hux is enjoying himself now that he's not playing terribly. He still loses, but the game is more sportsmanlike./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Hux says, "I think I've got time for one more, though you've won the night."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Kylo replies earnestly, "I'd love to."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"That's when he sees a thing very close to a smile on Hux's lips and they begin round three./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Ben had woken up feeling giddy, like he'd just gone on a really good date. His brain doesn't seem to care that Hux is an imaginary person, an imaginary coworker if he's really gonna start listing off reasons why this isn't a good thing; it's still releasing copious amounts of oxytocin, giving him lusty romantic feelings one way or the other. What would it have been like if after the game, they'd gone at it like rabbits right there in the gym of the starship? What would Hux be like in bed? These questions had been flitting through his lizard brain fucking constantly since then. With the long bursts of driving time, he's having a chance to ponder them in detail./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Maybe they accidentally collide with each other on the court. 'Shit! Are you okay?' asks Ben. He's half-sprawled on top of Hux. Nothing feels broken on his part, so he looks down at Hux, checking to see the damage of the human pillow beneath him. Hux smiles at him, goofily, which the situation warrants but which still melts Ben. 'I'd be better if I didn't have all your weight on me!' he says, but it doesn't sound like he means it. 'Do you want me to get up?' Ben asks with a playful tone. Hux, surprised by the flirtation, stammers, 'I...I mean, yes! Do you think I intend to just lay here all night?' Then, catching his own words, attempts to backtrack from that, but Ben cuts the pedaling off with his lips./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"No, probably not. He can't see Hux going for that. He'd probably just be mad that he was being squished./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Maybe, then, after they wrap up in the court, Hux makes a move. He watches Kylo put back on the robes and the belt, like he's disappointed to see Kylo putting his clothes back on. But that's probably wishful thinking on Kylo's part. "Did you want to play another game?" he asks, wondering if that's responsible for the wistful look on Hux's face. "Of a sort," says Hux crossing the distance between them. He places a hand behind Kylo's head and pulls him in for a kiss./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Strong no to that one. Again, the cheesy lines don't feel very Huxish. The thing is, Ben isn't sure how something would kick off between Kylo and Hux. They're both so proud; he can't really see either of them making a first move. It would have to be something mutually felt and pretty much synchronized. Ben is pretty sure this attraction goes both ways. The way that they antagonize each other always feels more playful than pointed. If they wanted to destroy each other, they could. Ben suspects that it's the closest thing that Hux has to entertainment on the Finalizer. Then, with the two of them interacting as they did, with Kylo dressed down in normal streetwear, face exposed, Ben got the impression that Hux was into it that way too. Maybe. Hell, it's his dream, he might as well make it be so. He's never put so much thought into the preferences of a figment of his own imagination before./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"The very short work shift passes quickly with his Hux daydreams and speculations. The highlight of the actual work part is giving Gwen the smuggled sugar cookies. She looks at him with a 'really?' sort of look on her face as she unwraps the napkins to find a splatter of green icing. "Thank you?" she asks exaggerating both words./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He smiles. "I thought of you as soon as I saw them!" he jokes, laughing at the disgusting little pile that the cookies ended up becoming shoved in his pocket./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Gwen flips him the bird which he accepts happily since he totally deserves it. "You missed an awesome Thanksgiving."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Yeah, sorry about that. I ended up a bit too drunk to be driving very far."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;""Well, you have to come to my New Years Party then, and I won't take no for an answer on that one. Don't forget that you also turned down my fourth of July party too."/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"He frowns. "You have a lot of parties." Then, he feels like an asshole because she actually does look hurt. "Count on me for New Years!"/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"She studies him, trying to glean how much he's just trying to placate her. He opens his eyes wide, daring her to find any lack of sincerity in his offer. "Good. I'll text you the address."/span/p