*DISCLAMER*: If you're reading this and think to yourself 'Hmm, this isn't the Kylo I know and love', please bear with me and keep reading. Due to the setting/situation that our characters are in this first chapter, Kylo can't exactly call you a whore and take you to pound-town. But believe me, he is very much classic Kylo in the upcoming chapters. Personally, I think this is accurate of who he is but it depends on what you're expecting. Ok bye, enjoy :)
**Also, there are specific artists referenced at one point during the story. If you aren't familiar with them, don't worry, the specifics aren't an important part of the plot.
You're staring at yourself in the mirror. Except it doesn't look exactly like you. Some parts are a little off, maybe borrowed from someone else. The room is red, everything is red and it hurts your eyes. A crown appears on your head, blood drips down from the parts of the metal that touch your skin, it's piercing you, piercing your skin but it doesn't hurt...Black gloves come from behind you, touching the crown, but you can't pull away from your reflection to see who it is, you almost don't want to know...as the gloves take the crown from your head, your scalp comes with it. Your brain is exposed. You look beautiful.
Your paintbrush swept across the canvas.
Red.
The color you imagine your blood looks like...dripping from the crown.
You never had a plan for what the painting would turn out to be. That was the best part. You could turn your brain off and pretend to be anywhere else in the world than where you were in that moment. It was an escape, a place where you could let out all of your inner emotions and desires...
Your phone ringing snapped you out of this make believe world and it caused you to sigh, you weren't ready to leave.
You looked down at your phone and saw the name on the screen, 'Armie'. You were probably the only person who had ever called him that, maybe the only person besides his mother to call him something other than 'Hux'. You weren't exactly sure why he allowed you to do so but it did give you a sense of satisfaction that you were able to do something that someone else would get their ass beat over.
You picked up the phone, cussing under your breath when you left behind some paint on your screen that you hadn't realized was on your thumb. Red.
"Hi." You said, adjusting so that the phone was balancing between your cheek and shoulder, wiping off the rest of the excess paint on a dirty rag, the red paint getting on your cheek from the screen.
"Hi, Honey." Hux replied, he sounded distracted. 'Honey' is what he often called you and the only time it didn't make you want to roll your eyes was when you were in a good mood. It wasn't that you didn't like him using a pet name but it was just so...impersonal. You called waitresses honey, not your sexy girlfriend, you thought. "What are you up to?" He asked.
Now that your hands were clean, you were able to take the phone in your hand and hold it up to your ear that way. "I'm in the art studio..." You trailed off, trying to clip the irritation in your voice. Of course that was where you were, it was a week day and he knew you weren't done with school until 3. Your schedule didn't change much.
"Right, of course." He replied smoothly, as if he didn't forget, "I have plans for us tonight."
You couldn't help but smirk a little at that. You did like when he had plans. It usually meant something expensive. "Yeah?" You asked simply, wanting him to continue.
"Dinner at seven, I'll send a car." Hux said, the way he said it made you believe that he was stressed about it, "We will be... Um," He was trying to think of the way to word it. This was strange, even if it wasn't the right thing to say, he usually always had something to say.
You squinted at the painting in front of you, straining to figure out what he wanted to say.
"I've told you about Kylo Ren, haven't I?" Hux finally settled on. The disgust in his voice was not lost on you.
You picked at some dried paint on your easel, remembering.
You didn't have an extensive knowledge of the structure of Hux's work but he tried explaining things to you once before. You knew that Snoke was the main boss and that he had many people working under him, following his every order. Hux wasn't the man directly under him, he was more of an off shoot of power. Hux was supposed to be Snoke's mediator, he was the one who communicated with the cops and politicians, made sure that all of the people working under Snoke were in line and loyal. Snoke came to Hux for advice and relied on him to keep the peace.
Kylo Ren was...the man directly under Snoke? The underboss, he was called, you remembered. He would be the one replacing Snoke if he were to be killed or put into prison. Kylo had the most power out of everyone besides Smoke himself. When Kylo had first went away to conduct business in a more secluded area, you had just started dating Hux. You remembered how smug your boyfriend had been. He was convinced that Kylo wasn't coming back and that if Kylo were out of the picture, it was possible that Hux could become the underboss if Snoke allowed him to. Clearly, Hux would not be pleased that he was back home.
You picked a chunk of black paint of off the wood, frowning.
"You've mentioned him, I think." You said casually, knowing that this wasn't the time or place to get into details. It's not as if Hux would tell you anyways unless he had a few drinks before.
Hux was silent for a moment, judging if you were being honest or just trying to move the conversation along. Regardless, he continued, "Well, he's been away for over a year, doing business away from Snoke to not raise suspicion from the cops here, I know I've told you that...He is back in town now. We'll be going to dinner with him tonight to welcome him back." He explained.
Your frown deepened. You were hoping for a shopping trip or a broadway show. Not a business meeting. "Are you sure I should be there? I mean...this seems..." You weren't sure how to finish that. It seemed like something you shouldn't be around for, like it was the mob's business, not yours.
You could hear Hux let out a small chuckle, "Honey, I want you there. Besides, he's bringing someone too. It will be casual. Two friends catching up." You knew this wasn't the case, Hux would never just go to dinner with friends. This was something else, clearly. But you knew better than to argue.
"Okay fine." You said with a smile, "I'll be there." As if you had a choice.
"Perfect, I'll see you then. Wear that black dress I like, you know the one." Hux said, some of the stress in his voice being replaced with smugness.
Your relationship with Hux was almost entirely transactional. You allowed him to show you off in front of all of the guys and he allowed you to live the lifestyle that you wanted. You often wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone you genuinely loved but then you'd remember that your college and upscale apartment were paid for and you got everything you asked for...and suddenly the desire for love was out of the window.
"Whatever you want." You replied, knowing how to stroke his ego.
As you hung up, you heard someone clearing their throat next to you. Snapping your head towards the sound, you saw someone else, an other student, who had been painting in the art studio giving you a dirty look. Woops. "Sorry." You mumbled.
_______________________________
The interior of the restaurant was nothing special, expensive and picture perfect maybe, but not special. The walls were all a dark gray, gold accents on the tables and velvet furniture in places that didn't need it. It was like Pier 1 Imports threw up all over a Great Gatsby themed bachelorette party. It was sexy but it was lifeless. Whoever put it together simply checked off the boxes needed to create a trendy restaurant. The attire was black tie, most of the patron's shoes costing more than what the waiters made in a day.
The tables of various sizes were spread out across the dark floor, but not far enough apart for Hux's liking. All it took was asking the hostess at the entrance of the restaurant for the private room and it was given to him. The family who reserved it for a birthday dinner would have to just make do in the general seating area. As much as you hated to admit it to him, you loved how much power you had when you were with Hux, that he was able to ask for anything he wanted and was just given it instantly. You wished you could have that on your own.
The private room was dark, small and intimate. Plants and decor surrounded the table placed in the middle, the one that Hux had also requested when he saw that instead of the table with four placements that he was hoping for, he saw that there was a large round table made for over six people. That wasn't what he had in mind, it wasn't what he wanted. So he had them switch it out.
Besides the low music playing, the room was silent. You and Hux sat side by side, the two chairs across from you empty. He was on his phone, reading emails. As if the world were going to stop if he let himself live in the moment for even a second. His mind was always running, wondering what was going on back with Snoke, how was this dinner going to go, when the next time he would get caught up would be...Worried about everything but the woman sitting next to him. He didn't need to worry, you wouldn't leave, where would you go, he thought.
In contrast, you were bored and it showed, your mind practically empty of thought. A sigh left your lips as you traced the rim of your wine glass. You did love to get dressed up and paraded around town but when you were alone with Hux, what was there to talk about?
"I like that dress on you." He said to you, his fingers still clicking away at his screen. You wondered for a moment if he even knew what dress you had on, if he had even looked at you since he greeted you. Then you remembered that he had told you which dress to wear.
You said nothing, took a sip of your wine, then, "I'd hope so, you bought it."
That caused Hux to stop with the clicking. He glanced over at you and for a moment you thought you had pushed his buttons at the wrong time, that you messed up. Instead, he let out a chuckle, nodding his head. "I have good taste, don't I?"
His response gave you the opportunity to smirk, finally something you could work with even if it wasn't the most thrilling of conversations. Hux caught the smirk, he put his phone away, screen facing down.
"That's why you're with me, right?" You said jokingly.
Then with a frown, "Is there anything I need to know about our dinner guest before he shows up?" You were really asking, is there anything I should be worried about? You never knew what to expect.
One time, Hux had told you it was going to be a casual dinner and within the first fifteen minutes, a gun had been pulled on the both of you.
Hux's expression matched yours, a frown. "Kylo Ren is..." He could talk about him all day, all of the things he disliked about the man. "He's a prick but don't let me scare you. He will probably barely look at you, so don't worry about it."
"I'm not." You lied, leaning forward to give him a brief kiss on the lips. You didn't love kissing him but you didn't hate it. You thought Hux was attractive enough and you needed to get affection somehow.
As your lips met, the silver velvet curtain to the room parted and the waiter entered. The two of you parted, now suddenly worlds apart.
"Excuse me, sir." The waiter said sheepishly, awkward. No doubt, his boss told him to be on his best behavior around this particular table. "I apologize for interrupting but Mr.Ren has arrived."
"Oh," Hux straightened in his seat, he would've pushed you away if he needed to. "Send him in."
The waiter nodded, "Of course, sir."As he rushed back to the other side of the curtain. An other figure entered and took his place. Instead of hovering by the material like the waiter had though, this man walked right through with purpose.
Hux stood to greet him, holding his hand out for him to shake. "Kylo! It's good to see you!" He bellowed, their handshake a little more violent than necessary, as if they were asserting dominance through the power of their hands.
Kylo was calm, collected. He didn't feel the need to overcompensate his feelings. It was fine seeing Hux again but he wasn't thrilled about it, he wasn't going to pretend to be. "Good to see you as well, Hux."
While the two men greeted each other, you had to keep yourself in check. You were not expecting this to be the man that was going to walk in. You had been picturing someone like Snoke, sweaty and slimy. That was definitely not him.
Kylo Ren looked like the man of your dreams...How unfortunate.
You blinked, realized that you were still sitting and staring. You stood up, running your hands along the back of your dress, straightening it.
"This is my girlfriend, (y/n)" Hux presented you like a prize.
Kylo took you in, his gaze practically devouring you, eyes moving from your toes to your face and you wondered if he was going to look you over once again but instead his eyes locked on yours. "It's nice to meet you, (y/n)" He said your name like it was honey. He regarded you as he did Hux, polite and to the point, but instead of grasping onto your hand to assert his dominance, he gently shook it and only for a moment.
"You too." You said, your voice smaller than usual, unsure of your role here now that you saw him.
"I thought I told you to bring a date." Hux said to the man across from him, strained. The three of you took your seats once again.
The waiter made his way back behind the curtain, entering the room, trying to make himself efficient and invisible as he set a glass of liquor in front of Kylo. The color of the liquid was similar to the eyes of the man who ordered it.
A quick nod to the waiter in gratitude, he turned his attention back to Hux's question. "You did," Kylo replied before taking a sip, "I prefer to be alone." This wasn't false but it also wasn't the entire truth. He preferred to be alone when the other option was having to fake small talk with a woman he would never see again after that night. It wasn't worth it to him it would just be more things to worry about. And there was no possibility of a relationship past a one night stand, for the same reason, just more things to worry about. Besides, he wasn't sure what topics they'd be covering tonight, he didn't want just any woman listening in on his business.
There was a beat of silence. Something that Hux had never considered, it seemed foreign...being alone. He was always with someone; you, Snoke, the men that worked for them...Usually the men he met up with for dinner were excited to jump on the opportunity to show up with a young beautiful woman to show off. Hux always hated that he didn't know what to expect with Ren. "Well, I hope you don't mind (y/n) joining, I thought you'd bring her someone to talk to while we caught up."
You felt heat creep up your neck but kept a strained smile on your face. His words reminded you of your place in all of this. To be seen, not heard.
Kylo let out a laugh at the man across from him. "Oh, it's no problem." Then as if he was able to read your mind, "I'm sure she wants to get to know me." Was he flirting? "You can join the conversation, can't you?" His tone was playful, his eyes met yours before passing back to Hux. There was something in his eyes then, recognition of how beautiful that you looked. He was just as taken back by you as you had been with him when he first entered the room.
Hux smiled. He was pleased, that was the response he was hoping for: approval. "Of course she can." He placed a hand on your knee, it was firm.
"How generous of you." You teased him.
Your joke (although not very creative) was enough to break the tension, all three of you letting out an easy chuckle.
"Well," Kylo started, then held up his glass, "Cheers then."
Hux and you followed suit, holding your glasses up to his.
"To generosity." Kylo finished. His dark gaze on Hux held something behind it. A double meaning. Kylo was being generous by choosing to potentially partner up with him instead of just taking him down.
"To generosity." Hux repeated, agreeing with him, catching the double meaning. If looks could kill...
The three of you lost track of how many times your glasses were refilled. There was still a haze of caution in the air but it was less thick with the alcohol coursing through your veins. For the most part, the two men talked business with a few moments of pleasure mixed in but it was just meaningless small talk. If anyone were to walk past their table, they might even be fooled that these were just two friends catching up with each other. That couldn't have been farther from the truth.
Usually you would be bored but you were having a good time watching Hux interact with the man across from him. Kylo was so intense. He was always analyzing what Hux was saying, really thinking about it and processing what the best response would be. It was fascinating....Yeah, you were a grown woman with a crush on a man you knew nothing about.
As if on cue, during a pause in the conversation, Kylo locked his eyes with yours.
"So, what do you do?" He asked your.
In most social situations, asking what someone did for a living was standard. But you weren't sure if anyone had ever asked you that before...It was bold of him to assume you did anything but wait for Hux's next request. You had been told that Kylo would barely look at you, you were surprised he was asking you a question.
You were at a loss for a second, what did you do?
"Oh," You started, "I go to school at Columbia." You said simply, wouldn't want to bore him.
Kylo raised an eyebrow, "What are you studying?" He hadn't been expecting that. He wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting but he was just making small talk, trying to include you in the conversation for the first time that entire night. He wanted to see how your boyfriend would react to him talking with you.
Hux was tense beside you. Should you really be talking about your personal life to Kylo Ren? That didn't usually happen at these dinners. Sometimes you would be asked where you got your hair done or the men would ask how you and Hux met...but to be asked about your school? Unusual.
"Art." You said lamely then scolded yourself internally for being so inarticulate. You hardly ever got nervous but you were caught off guard by his questions and concentrated stare. "Well, technically I'll be getting an art degree...But I paint."
Kylo was visibly surprised. He did not expect someone like you to be a student and better yet, a student studying something creative. "Really? That's great. What kind of things do you paint?" There was a shift in his tone and body language. For the first time during this dinner, he was interested in what was being said instead of just going through the motions. It was as if someone lit a match behind his eyes.
Hux picked up on this change of energy and gripped his glass tighter, his mind whirring with ways to make sure this benefits him. He had planned for Kylo to be interested in you on a surface level but not like this. He hardly was ever threatened by his girlfriend but he found himself plotting ways to take you down, to get the upper hand again...No one ever said that he was romantic.
You were silent as you thought about how to word your answer. You could just tell him that you paints all sorts of things, people and places, whatever you want to do in that moment. That's how you usually answered when someone like Hux asked (usually followed by a giggle and shrug, to downplay it all). But Kylo did seem actually interested in your answer...Fuck it, you thought, it had been a while since you actually talked about yourself and the wine was rushing to your head. "I like to tell people that my paintings look like they were done by Monet and Dalí's secret love child who did a little too much acid."
Kylo was taken back. It wasn't much but that was the most you had said in the last 80 minutes. He wasn't shocked by your word choice (it took a lot to shock him) but it did peak his interest even more. Hmm, so you had a sense of humor, interesting.
Hux shut his eyes in embarrassment. You were sharing too much about yourself and besides, love children and acid weren't the topics he had in mind. He opened his mouth to apologize for you but was cut off by the man across from him.
"So...Francis Bacon?" Kylo asked with a crooked smile, clearly pleased by your answer to his previous question. He was referencing the first artist he could think of that he thought might fit the description you gave. He was trying to make conversation but really, he was just trying to take a stab at Hux and flex his knowledge.
Hux's eyes shot open. He didn't expect him to respond in a way that wasn't confusion.
The surprise was also evident on your face, a giant grin breaking out on your lips. He actually understood what you meant! "He's one of my favorite artists so that would be a huge compliment...But yeah, I guess so, he's an inspiration of mine-"
"Do you paint too?" Hux cut in, wanting to change the subject. He had no idea who the artists were that the two of you were referencing and he hated feeling like he didn't know as much as Kylo did.
"Oh, no." Kylo shook his head, "I'd have no idea where to start. I do appreciate art, I don't know that much about it though," He then looked back to you, "Do you have your paintings in any galleries?"
You frowned and shook your head, "No, not yet...I haven't really tried, it's not about that for me."
Kylo paused, then, "Well I have some friends who work at the Art Institute...I'm not sure what the process is like or what they have planned but I could put a good word in for you if you ever want to try being featured in one of their rotating exhibits." Kylo explained to you, taking a bite of his food after doing so. An other flex.
You were shocked, "Wow, that would be-"
"I think she wants to be featured in more independent places first, right?" Hux interrupted you. His hand was back on your thigh, not squeezing but threatening. He didn't like that Kylo was stepping in and offering you things that Hux was unable to offer himself. He was actively taking the bait that Kylo was dangling in front of him.
You got the hint. You bit your lip in thought, you would be an idiot to go against what Hux wanted you to do but at the same time, this opportunity...
"Well you don't need to make a decision. I'm not sure my connections would even help you. I just thought I'd throw it out there." Kylo said with an apologetic smile on his face, showing you he sensed that he put you in a bad spot.
"Of course." Hux responded, an almost smug smile on his face at the fact that Kylo seemingly backed off. "She'll think about it." He answered for you, typical.
Kylo nodded slowly, not caring enough to start a fight over it. After a moment, while Hux conversed with the waiter, the dark haired man's eyes went to you. You were pushing your food around your plate but not eating it. Your cheeks were red and you were breathing heavier than before. Really, you were trying not to cry. Kylo's concentrated eyes stayed on you even when you made the mistake of glancing up at him.
You looked embarrassed, ashamed that you were having trouble hiding your emotion and ashamed that you had put yourself into a position where your boyfriend made these decisions for you...mostly, ashamed that Kylo had just witnessed it all. You had been so wrapped up in the moment and then the real world smacked you in the face. You actually had someone asking about you and what you enjoyed. Hux didn't even like the fact that you were going to school.When he met you while you were a sophomore in college, he had asked you to quit, it was still a sore subject.
As quickly as you and Kylo had locked eyes, you broke the contact. Putting your napkin on the table, you stood up, "Excuse me." You managed to mutter before making your way out of the private room and into the direction of the restroom.
Hux barely glanced away from his food but Kylo continued to watch you as you exited, turning his head to do so. You were beautiful, sure, but there was something else about you that interested him. Just from the few words that he had said to you, he had been able to cause chaos between you and Hux. What more would he be able to do?
In this dangerous game that he was getting himself into, you were a weapon.
Kylo was more than willing to pull the trigger.