SAVIOR [Kylo Ren]

Fool Me Once

"I-I suppose." A small blush crept up on her cheeks, she felt awfully childish.

"Here," Hux offered his jacket which she took and put on.

"This is the second time you've handed your jacket to me in a Command Shuttle," Keelor joked, making Hux smile and look down at his feet, she swore to the Force that she saw a color on his cheeks similar to his hair.

"I suppose." Is what he answered but if Ree could have heard his thought she would have heard him say, and I hope it isn't the last time.

- - -

The light of the high-ranking officers dining hall was dim. It was closed but when you were the General and the Commander, nothing was ever really closed. They sat at a table, the female had some leftovers from dinner in front of her, it was chicken and potato. Even if you had the fanciest of titles, you still got crap food. Hux didn't eat anything, he just sat there, looking at the Commander in front of him eating the food. She wasn't really hungry but it felt better having some food in her belly, all that crying and rage had drained her of energy. "Was it good?"

"Not really." She shrugged, "but what would you expect?" He grinned at her remark, the food on the Supremacy was horrible. "If you're the General don't you have the power to hire some good chefs? Everything we eat taste like rotten vrelt."

"Vrelt?" He looked confused.

"It's a kind of rat that lives on Corellia." He nodded understanding, remembering that the Commander was from the factory planet that was Corellia, "when the factory owner didn't give us any food, we'd have to eat Vrelts. Taste like shit." Hux looked down at his hands on the table, he felt guilty. He had never needed to hunt for his food, it was always there on the table, ready to be consumed. "Something wrong?" Ree had noticed the look on the General's face.

"Oh, no." He brushed it off but Ree wasn't really convinced.

"Armitage," at the sound of his first name his look snapped up from his hands, not in anger but in surprise, "you just saw me cry my eyes out, have a panic attack and I'm wearing your coat right now. I think you can tell me." He sighed, knowing that he was being ridiculous.

"Well, I," he cut himself off, not really knowing how to phrase it, "I grew up always knowing I had food to eat, a roof over my head, I have never had to fight for my survival. I just feel like a... failure."

"A failure? You're the General, you can't get much higher than that." Ree had put down her fork and knife.

"It feels as if I was handed everything on a silver platter." They were being more honest with each other right now at that moment than all their encounters summed up together.

"I don't know your story, so I can't tell if you were but from what I've gathered you're the most hardworking man in the First Order, ambitious, dedicated, all great qualities in a leader." She tried her best to cheer him up which had seemed to do its job since he was smiling shyly, he didn't thank, Ree didn't expect him to either but his nod was enough.

The rest of the meal was shared in silence. Ree continued eating the Vrelt tasting food while Hux continued looking on. His presence was enough for her not to have another panic attack. As the plate in front of her was clear she put together her utensils and rose. The sudden action had sprung Hux up from his seat too, "well, I-" She cut off the startled Hux.

"Thank you, for everything. If you wouldn't have been there I probably would have blown myself up trying to get away from here." Ree admitted again causing him to smile like a shy boy.

"M-my pleasure." Those words didn't really fit right in Armitage's mouth but it felt right to say them to Keelor, "goodnight, Keelor." His nod was stiff and he looked like he didn't know what direction to walk in.