#I know it's very risky to call him Armitage instead of Hux but as someone who loves him it feels more personal to call him by his first nam

[ama-ships]

Dearest Armitage;

Words cannot express what you mean to me. You came into my life and from the first moment our eyes met, I knew it was love. At first, I would never admit to such a thing but alas, the heart wants what the heart wants. In my case, all my heart wants is you, and no matter what I will stand by your side.

Thinking about a life without you is a terrible thought, a nightmare, and not a reality I want. With you, I feel more complete than I have ever felt in my entire existence. You mean the absolute world to me. I know right now, you have no idea who I am but I know you, and the love and connection I feel towards you is more true than anything I have ever known.

No matter what, my heart is yours, my beloved General.

With love;

A secret admirer

[maybe-your-left]

A Case In Need: Am I Understood?

As always here is a link to my Masterlist with all my works. I just started a new Solo Triplets fic! 

Slight TW/CW: lots of swearing, some implied consent at the end. Violent overtones throughout. 

You haven't slept this soundly in a long time, usually you have to take some sleeping pills before lulling off to sleep but not tonight. Sunlight filtered in through your bedroom windows and you blinked your eyes open to rid the call back to your pillow. Behind you, there was a deep growling noise, followed by a hot breath on the back of your neck. Ren must’ve been sleeping with his mouth shut, you mused, wiggling your arm out you reached out for the clock on your bedside table. 

9 AM it read. 

“Mother fucker,” you yelled and threw Ren off with all your might. Successfully elbowing him in the face while untangling your limbs. 

“Jesus,” Ren cried out and applied pressure to his nose, “Why’d you fucking do that?” 

“We slept in,” you called from the closet. 

Ren whined in response, you heard the mattress creak while he threw his legs over the side followed by footsteps into the bathroom. He appeared while you were buttoning up a maroon blouse, keeping one hand on his nose. He stared at you with wide blinking eyes that were still fighting sleep. 

“Come on, we’re an hour late-” 

“What are you talking about (Y/N),” he grumbled before turning to his sink and inspecting his bruised skin. 

“My alarm didn’t go off this morning, we’re both late for work,” you pushed by him so you could reach for your toothbrush. Trying to get ready as fast as possible, throwing your hair up in an updo and smudging on your lipstick. Ren just glared at you while wiggling his nose, probably trying to get blood flow back after the hit he took. Hip bumping him to the side so you could spit out your toothpaste, he finally moved and went to the closet. Re-emerging seconds later with black slacks, buttoning up a dress shirt that was the same maroon as yours. 

“Oh you wanna be matching today?” you giggled while hopping out of the bathroom, searching for your phone. 

“Would it be wrong if I did?” he yelled back from the sink. 

Snorting back in response you made it down the hallway. Taking the stairs two at a time, pretty risky to do in heels, and finally making it to the kitchen. 

The Keurig was heating up with your coffee when Ren made it downstairs. Fixing the sleeves of his blazer jacket, seeming to look for his shoes he threw off yesterday night. You took a moment to appreciate the scene in front of you, silent domestic bliss between the two of you. This is how it would be if you and Ren were a… you shook your head at the thought. He was still very married, you couldn’t allow yourself to get used to the closeness. Clearing your throat you reached for a mug, “I forgot to tell you I’ve been working on the case file you gave me last week, found something interesting but we can talk about it when I get to the office.” 

“When you get to the office,” he mumbled while grabbing some cereal from your pantry, “Aren’t you riding with me?” 

“Why would I do that?” 

“Because you work for me,” a spoonful of cereal, “you sleep with me,” another chew, “you fuck me, you’re mine Angel I don’t know why you keep forgetting.” He ended with slurping milk from the bowl before standing up and placing it in the sink. “Let’s go.” 

He walked past you, grabbing his coat along with your purse which had your car keys inside them. Stopping at the front doorway he yelled for you, “Are you going to make me wait or should I have Ushar drag you to the car?” 

----- 

The drive to work was short and silent, except for the radio which was playing on some random talk radio bullshit. The man was droning on and on about stock prices and the unemployment rates, you felt yourself falling asleep because of how bored you were. Even the guy talking sounded like he was one sentence away from falling into a coma. 

You groaned, “Can we listen to some music, please?” 

“Hmm,” Ren smirked at you. You reached for the buttons to change it yourself but he was quicker than you, smacking your hand away. “Now now Angel, it’s my car. We are to listen to what I want.” 

“Oh my god…” you whined, trying to get him to release your hand from his death grip. 

“Someone’s being a brat today,” he slammed on his brakes, almost mowing over a pedestrian he was clearly not watching for. You would’ve slammed into the dashboard if it hadn't been for your seatbelt and Rens giant arm that was now outstretched in front of you. 

You pushed his arm away while he sped off again, “Maybe I wouldn’t be a brat if you didn’t try to kill me with your reckless driving.” 

“Hmm.” 

He slammed again, this time he didn’t shoot out his arm to protect you, leaving your head to whip forward and smack the dashboard. “Oh come on!” you cried, applying pressure to your forehead. You were so sure he had split it open, you fumbled with the mirror above you, examining the bump that was now forming. Luckily there was no open wound but it still didn’t make up for the fact that you had a screaming headache. “You fucking did that on purpose,” you smacked him in the chest. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he smirked again, “I would never do anything to hurt you, my dear.”

“Just shut up,” you snapped, “And can we change the radio station this guy's voice is giving me a bigger headache.” 

“As you wish.” He reached forward and pressed another preset, making sure to give you a glare as he sat back. 

“Thank you,” you huffed, closing your eyes and waiting for the music to start playing, or at least another boring old man to start talking. 

Slowly the music started, you furrowed your eyebrows trying to concentrate on it instead of the pounding in your ears. As it was getting louder you could pick out some noises, a saxophone, for one thing, was present. Followed by some other deep instruments, you blinked a couple of times trying to understand what was going on. 

“Ah, I love this song,” Ren said before turning the volume up another few notches. 

“What the fuck is this-” 

“You don’t like jazz, Angel?” he smiled at you, it wasn’t a warm smile. More like a taunt for you to complain again, setting a trap for you to fall into. He waited, staring at you while you slowly began rubbing your temples, the music was far worse than the NPR radio, each sound was so disorganized and trying to desperately outdo the other instrument he might as well have slammed you in the dashboard again. 

Fuck this was going to be a long day. 

-----

“We have a meeting today with a client,” Ren said as he seated himself behind his desk, “It’ll be at the prison, however, so maybe sure you stay by me.” 

“Sounds good boss.” 

You were rifling through your bags trying to find the case file on the client, Armitage Hux was the name, you had read somewhere that he was a known criminal with a record to show for it. Thrown in and out of jails so many times he probably had his own personalized cell. Most of his charges were small: theft, forgery, robbery, lots of organized crime work. Nothing you weren’t used to seeing, but this time he was charged with something much worse. 

During your research you noticed that Hux was always found ‘innocent’ of these crimes, usually, the bail was paid off quickly and whoever was representing him had him out of court within a few hours. It was strange for this type of crime, what was also strange was the lack of information on those cases. It was almost like someone was erasing any information about his past the moment he was set free. 

Ren cleared his throat, “I must go see Palpatine before we set off.” 

“Oh, okay, let me grab my things and we can go,” you started repacking your bag. 

“That won’t be necessary,” he stated, getting up from his chair and walking towards you, “It’s a private matter. Meet me down at the car in 15 minutes Angel.” And with that he kissed you on the forehead and walked out, shutting the door behind him. 

“Whatever weirdo,” you muttered, this would be the first meeting you weren’t brought in with him. He usually had you take notes or something while he spoke with colleagues. But he seemed to be on edge when he rushed out. You shrugged and got up, now would be a good time to look around his office. Since you started working here you hadn’t gotten much downtime between reading, writing, and fucking.  

Walking around his desk you scanned the stacks of papers. Lots were in order, alphabetical, and by date. He seemed to run a tight ship with his workload. Along with stacks of papers, there were two frames on the left side of his desk, behind his desktop. You grabbed them to get a closer look. 

One was an old black and white photo, containing a young man who was very tall and skinny, flanked on both sides with an older man and woman. It looked like it was the young man’s graduation picture, he had tassels and stoles around his neck, achievements of hard academic work, the woman was beaming next to him, holding a bouquet of some sort. The older man was handsome, a little rougher than the woman, but he had the same smirk on his face that you’ve seen Ren have. 

“Must be his parents…” you whispered, setting the picture back down. You had never heard about his family, but it wasn’t like the two of you had ever spoken about personal things. 

The second picture was in color. It showed the same man, slightly longer black hair and less of a smile, standing outside the First Order office building. He was shaking hands with a man you didn’t recognize, he certainly wasn’t the man from the first photograph. No, this man was very different, his face although smiling had no happiness. Rigid and stiff even as the photo was being taken,  and behind him was Palpatine. 

Humming, you set the picture back down and glanced around the room some more. To the left of the desk were bookshelves. Filled with texts about the ever-changing laws throughout the nation, and even some about national security. Most of them were covered with dust, but you noticed a very boring pattern of non-fiction work throughout. It figures, you thought, Ren probably reads these for fun when he’s not out dictating my life. 

Looking down at your watch you saw you had about five minutes left before having to hoof it downstairs so you took that time to scan the walls for any other information. Your eyes settled on two diplomas framed by a very large fake plant. 

University of Oxford 

Faculty of Law 

Kylo Ren 

“Of course he went to Oxford… pretentious ass,” you looked down to the second one. 

Harvard University 

J.D. Law School 

Ben Solo 

You stared at it for a few seconds. Rereading it over and over, looking back and forth between the two papers. Ben Solo? Who the fuck was that? Did they print his name wrong? There’s no way, it’s a Harvard degree. Also if they had he would’ve definitely raised hell over it. Maybe it was just a leftover decoration from a previous lawyer… the frame was a little dustier than the top one. Seemed like maybe that could be it- 

Your phone started buzzing in your pocket. Shaking your head you fished it out and answered, “Hello this is (Y/N)-” 

“Where the fuck are you? I told you to meet me in the car in 15 minutes?” 

Ren. Of course, it was, “Sorry I was uh… going to the bathroom. Coming down now.” 

He hung up after that, clearly, he was in a bad mood. Maybe something in his meeting didn’t go well. Maybe Rey’s dad confronted him about the two of you… not like there was any way for him to know about it. Unless there were cameras in the office that the two of you didn’t know about. 

You shook that thought out of your mind and stepped out of the elevator into the parking garage. Ren was parked directly in front waiting for you. You swung the door open and climbed in while he slammed his foot on the gas, peeling out onto the road. 

“When I tell you to be somewhere I expect you to listen to me,” Ren spat at you. Not taking the time to look at you while he weaved through traffic. 

“Sorry, I just lost track of time, don’t know what the big deal is,” you huffed. 

Ren snorted, “The big deal is you have to listen to me. You’re mine. I expected that lesson I taught you yesterday to stick inside your head for longer than 24 hours.” 

“Oh, you mean when you almost drown me?” 

“Precisely Angel,” He purred at you, placing a hand on your knee, “You belong to me. I control where you go,” a squeeze, “What you do,” his hand slid upwards and squeezed again, “Even when you breathe.” gripping the inside of your thigh, digging his nails into you, “Am I understood?” 

You swallowed, “Yes Mr. Ren.” 

“Excellent, now we are meeting with a client. I expect you to stay quiet throughout and take notes diligently. We’ve worked with him before so it should be brief.” 

“We have?” you questioned, “Nothing in my research showed that he’s worked with the First Order before…” 

“Whatever the case, you will not speak while we meet with him. You are not there to counsel him, only to take notes about the conversation I have with him or any mannerisms he portrays during.” Ren looked over at you, he clearly needed you to listen to him. His usual auburn eyes were dark and cold, commanding you to stay in your place. You nodded and Ren patted your leg and the two of you drove in silence the rest of the way. 

—— 

You and Ren had walked in after parking. Every officer and guard seemed to know Ren personally, never checking his ID or anything, just waving him through. You were awestruck, the facility you were at was no laughing matter. It was a maximum security prison. Only for the worst of the worst criminals, crime bosses, murderers, rapists, serial killers, you name it and they were there. You scooted a little closer to Ren, hopefully to shield yourself from the fear rippling through you. 

“Scared Angel?” he chuckled, looking over his shoulder. “There’s nothing to fear. No one will touch you while I’m here.” 

“Okay,” you squeaked out. 

The guards led the two of you down a series of hallways before opening a steel door. Behind was a man, chained to a desk in the middle of the room. He was pale, not a shiner pale like Ren but more sickly. He had bright red hair atop his head, that was at one point styled but it seemed like he had been through the ringer. He had cold eyes, staring directly at you, not once looking at Ren. “Glad to see you’re finally here,” he spoke from behind a cigarette. 

“Apologies about our tardiness,” Ren spat, “Some pieces haven’t found their place yet.” 

He moved in front of the ginger, pulling out a chair and ushering you to sit before he did. “Thank you,” you whispered, trying to keep the gingers eye contact away from yours. 

“Whose this little fox you’ve brought Ren,” he cooed at you, leaning forward on the table, “She’s different than the last one.” 

“That’s enough Hux,” he spat, “Let’s get down to business.” 

You reached into your bag and handed Ren the case file. Grabbing out your pad and pen, you were ready for their conversation. 

“What’s your name little pet?” Hux blew smoke towards you. 

You coughed and shot a look at Ren, he was staring at Hux. His jaw clenched tight, his hands threatening to rip the file in half. 

“Cat got your tongue?” he taunted, “ Or are you not allowed to speak?” 

“Hux,” Ren boomed. 

“(Y/N). It’s (Y/N),” you spit out, staring down at your pad and pen. 

“(Y/N)... what a lovely name,” Hux cooed. The way he said your name felt like a threat. You knew immediately that you weren’t supposed to do that, Ren had told you not to speak. 

“If you��re not going to talk about your charges then my assistant and I will be leaving.” 

“Assistant, is that what you’re calling it now?” Hux laughed, taking another drag off the cigarette. “That’s a fancy way to say whore.” 

Ren lunges at Hux, knocking you to the floor in the process. Pinning him to the wall and repeatedly slamming him by his shoulders. You sat there with wide eyes, usually guards would burst in at the sign of commotion but the room was quiet. The only sounds were Hux and Ren's heavy breathing, both daring the other to make a move. 

“Kylo… we should go,” you squeaked out again. 

“Kyloooo you’re scaring your whore,” Hux smiled at him. Ren growled and shoved him one last time before turning to you. 

“Get up.” he barked. 

You scrambled to your feet, grabbing the papers that were thrown around. Ren's hand found purchase in your hair, gripping on and ushering you out of the room. 

Behind you Hux yelled, “I’m sure Snoke will be happy to hear about this!” and the door slammed shut. 

—— 

Ren said nothing. 

Not even when he shoved you into the car, buckled you into the seat and sped off. He was obviously not heading back to the office. His grip on the wheel was so tight it looked like he was going to snap it. 

“Where are we-“ 

“I told you not to speak.” 

“I’m sorry I just-“ 

He pulled in front of a hotel, “No I don’t think you understand Angel. I told you not to speak, and you disobeyed me.” 

The valet knocked on his window, tearing Rens stare from you. He stepped out and handed the keys to the young man. Rounding the car he ripped open your door and pulled you out by your wrist. 

You didn’t struggle, you were so confused as to where you were going. Why did he bring you to a hotel? Was he going to forgive you for earlier? What had Hux meant about you being a whore? 

Once inside the elevator, he let go of you and sighed. His shoulders finally relaxed, and he cracked his neck left and right. “I think it’s time you understood who you belong to.” 

You stared at him, eyebrows furrowed with concern, “What do you mean?” 

“What I mean is,” the doors opened and he walked out, “You’ll either listen to me tonight, or you’ll be severely hurt.” 

You gulped, was he going to beat you? Was this it? You had always felt safe with him but something about the meeting earlier had left him… unhinged. He opened the door and shoved you in. 

The suite was huge, full kitchen and living room. Large king bed, and a huge bathroom. 

“Strip for me.” 

“What?” 

“Strip for me or I’ll do it for you,” he threatened. 

Swallowing again you slowly took off your clothes, all the way down to your heels. Attempting to cover yourself from his predatory gaze. He walked over to you and held your face. “Do you trust me Angel?” he whispered. 

“Yes.” 

He gave you a soft kiss, delicately tracing your lips with his own. “Sit down on the couch.” 

You followed his instructions, eager to see where this was going. Ren disappeared into the bathroom, re-emerging with items in his hands. “Now, I’m going to put these on you, and you’re not going to struggle, do you understand?” You nodded. “If you struggle this is going to hurt you more, tell me you understand.” 

“Yes Mr. Ren.” 

“Good,” he cooed. He pushed you back against the sofa, and tied a blindfold over your eyes. You giggled, excited about where this was headed. 

Suddenly Ren was behind the sofa, grabbing your left wrist and attaching something around it. He repeated it with the other one. “Try to move Angel.” 

You tried to pull your arms back over the couch, but found that they were chained to something. “What’s going on Ren-“ 

He then attached chains to both your ankles. Leaving you spread eagle across the couch. Unable to move, unable to see his intentions. A knock at the door, Ren sighed, “Their here early.” 

“Who's here? What’s going on?” 

“One more thing before I forget,” he hummed. He pinched your jaw, forcing it open and shoved a gag in your mouth. Strapping it around your skull. You trashed and cried out, but they came out as moans because you were unable to speak. 

“It’ll all be over soon.” Ren whispered and then opened the door. 

TAGLIST: @finn-ray-nal-beads​ @morby​ @onlykyloscenes​ @direnightshade​ @clumsycopy​ @candycanes19​ @kirah36​ @desiraypark​ @princss-bucky​ 

[elopez7228]

Scenic route 23/47

Read on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/18268208/chapters/43229774 

Start over : https://elopez7228.tumblr.com/post/620919089893933056/scenic-route-0147

***

Perched on the sidewalk with his elbows on his knees, Ben Solo lit a cigarette.

With his other hand he scrolled through his phone, reading and re-reading Rey's last messages.

He knew exactly where she was and what she was doing: Syed was sending him a brief every hour. Yesterday she had visited the southern reaches of Yellowstone, today she was up north. Syed had even mentioned something about bathing in the river.

He had hoped for a picture that never came. Imagine his reaction if he ever saw Rey in a swimsuit—of course, that would go beyond the strict definition of surveillance—he’d be flirting with the boundaries of stalking. And he had taken enough liberties with his initial mission to know not to venture there.

Was she going to text him?

He had ended their conversation last night...was it pathetic of him to contact her first?

She said she wasn’t ready for a fling and instead wanted to get to know him better. But that evening...her hands and mouth told a different story. He could feel the desire coiling in his abdomen at the very thought of their heated embrace...

He gave in, thumbs gliding across his screen:

Good morning stranger, sleep well?

Should he sign it with a name?

He would have liked her to call him Kylo Ren, like everyone else. Ben Solo was the name of an anxious teenager with voices in his head, abandoned by his parents, misunderstood by the world. Kylo Ren was the name he had given himself to turn the page. It was the emblem of his reincarnation as a critically-acclaimed rockstar and celebrated prodigy, Andrew Snoke’s prodigy, and Armitage Hux’s infamous nemesis.

He felt that she was suspicious of Kylo Ren...but the only person who called him Ben was his mother, and that was one more reason to bury the name. It brought him nothing but bad memories. She would just have to get used to calling him Kylo.

But he couldn’t bring himself to sign it.

The answer was almost instant:

Good afternoon to you.  It’s 1400 hours, if you just got up I reckon you had a rough night?

*

Touché. I’m more of a night owl. Music and inspiration are nocturnal things.  

*

And I’m ever the early bird. It's amazing that our paths crossed, in the end.

*

The day and the night...

*

The sun and the moon?  

*

Okay stop.

Rey and Ben looked down at their phones, simultaneously terrified.

What was this? Some heartfelt exchange of poetry? Flirting, both??

They were thousands of miles apart, her sitting on a park bench and him on a patch of asphalt. She was brilliant, shining in the sunlight as the wind swept against her face. He was taciturn, his heart preoccupied and his vision clouded with worry. Yet they found themselves back to back, each contemplating the absence of the other.

So far and yet so close.

In that moment suspended in time, Rey was the first to breath again.

What had changed? Nothing, in a sense. She was still mourning her marriage, drowning in anguish for Finn, and lacking insight on Ben. On the other hand, she was no longer angry, and under the Wyoming sun, on the cusp of happiness. Soothed, to say the least. She was no longer afraid of what the future would hold for her.

But Ben was drowning. It felt like they were at an impasse. Rey carried the weight of her grief like a burden, she lived on another continent and entered his life only by accident. She seemed destined to exit it just as quickly. They had met for the first time only a week ago, and the conviction that she was going to escape him and disappear forever from his life plunged him into an abyss.

Rey got up, stretched, slipping her phone into her back pocket. Maz was still playing fetch with BB8.

“You’re turning red. From the sun, no doubt?” Maz smiled mischievously.

“Of course. It’s only sunburn. Why else would I be turning red?” They smiled;  neither fooled by this coded little conversation.

Rey sat down at the wheel of the Millennium Falcon and put both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

“Maz...would you like to attend a concert tomorrow?”

Maz, busy fastening her belt, turned her head to look at the girl before her. “What kind of concert?”

“The rock kind. I would like to introduce you to someone.”

"A rendezvous with the sun himself, I take it?”

"Perhaps," said Rey, who felt the "sunburn" come back to her cheeks, “it's up in Gardiner tomorrow night. That still leaves us this afternoon and most of tomorrow to see the park...if you’re alright with the agenda, that is.”

"Nobody's waiting for tea with me in Anchorage, child. I can bring myself to spare time to meet someone tomorrow night.”

“Okay,” Rey giggled, she couldn’t repress her broad smile. “I hope you'll like him more than BB8...And honestly, I want to know what you think!”

“Ah, so it's BB8’s dear friend Ben Solo, the same man you had to speak to...I see.  I don’t know if I'm the best judge of character, you know.”

Rey turned to her, beseeching. “Please.  I cannot stand to be left alone with my contradictions, I lose focus. I need an outside opinion, and an objective one at that.”

Maz nodded, but she had stopped smiling. “You know Rey, we have not known each other for a long time, but I feel that sometimes, it feels good to be a little lonely. I think you did well to undertake this trip, and I think you shouldn’t go too fast with this Ben Solo.  Concentrate on yourself, your needs. The temptation of meeting someone “new” is great, I understand. But don’t let him lead your heart astray.”

“Well you'll be there to stop me from doing something stupid, right? Please?”

The little woman took off her glasses. Her eyes were tiny, almost lost in the middle of her face. “You must also learn how to cope with what is happening to you, instead of letting your entourage deal with your problems...Take charge, make decisions, learn from your mistakes.  It would not help you at all, if I "stop" you from anything. It's time for you to stop letting others decide for you. "

These words, though spoken kindly, pierced Rey like a dozen stab wounds. It was all her fault, in the end.

Her breathing became uneven and she looked away, so that Maz wouldn’t see her glistening tears. But the old woman could guess, all the same. She laid an affectionate hand on the girl's forearm:

“I'm sorry to have hurt you. You are a wonderful, bright girl. You simply lack confidence in yourself. Listen to your heart, it will never lead you astray.”

“My heart led me to marry a man who could never love me the way he was supposed to,” she replied bitterly, “you will forgive me if I'm suspicious of my intuitions, now.”

Ben Solo crushed his cigarette underfoot.

He would have to handle the tour and the mission at the same time. He had to be in Gardiner that very evening, after what was shaping up to be three hours of skirting Yellowstone traffic. The roads were flooded this time of the year. Syed, who was still chasing Rey on her adventures, was ahead of him.  The rest of the group was split into three vehicles and a van, all parked in the 4B parking lot for lunch.

His phone vibrated and he grimaced as Hux's name appeared on the screen.  Hux calling never meant anything good.

“Kylo Ren.”

“Hello, Kylo. I have Snoke on the other line, let me activate conference mode.”

Hux’s voice was too smooth, overly honeyed and precise in a way that indicated he was plotting something...and there was no telling what trouble was brewing with Hux and Snoke in the same room. Ben ran his fingers through his hair, straightened his shoulders, and took a deep breath. Every conversation with Snoke these days smacked of lawsuits. He wondered what it would be this time.

The sound of Snoke's slow breathing filled his speaker.

“Kylo Ren. How have you progressed?”

“As discussed, I’m tracking the girl, sir.”

“What were the results?”

"For now...her connection to Earth Soldiers is still unascertainable, apart from the fact that she is traveling with BB8 aboard the Millennium Falcon.”

"I’m certain she's walking you across the country when we need to concentrate our forces here at the headquarters. The mission is over, you are to come back.”

Ben Solo's heart skipped a beat. He had expected a reprimand, but not this. He did his best to control the trembling of his voice. “With all due respect, sir, it's too risky.  We would have a lot to lose from letting an activist agent go. "

"She's no more an activist agent than you are a musician, Kylo Ren," rasped Snoke. “The party is over.”

Ben was looking for the right words when Hux intervened.

“Don’t forget to keep your receipts, I will ask my assistant to prepare your expense report.”

The bastard was having a ball. He would pay for it dearly when the time came. Ben felt his blood boil with a combination of fury and humiliation. “Every single move Rey Jakku makes is being monitored. Where she's going, who she's talking to. I will make her talk, it's only a matter of time.”

“We are out of time. This conversation is futile, I’m sure Skywalker’s devotees are tired of running around like chickens without heads. It is time to silence them. Get rid of the girl and come home.”

Ben’s blood turned to ice. “Get rid of? What do you mean…?”

It was Hux who replied, his nasal drawl annoyingly triumphant.

“Burn the Millenium Falcon to ashes, kill the dog, steal the girl's papers to scare her. Come tomorrow, she will be back in England and her hitchhiker will find some other pathetic tourist to ride with.”

"What hitchhiker?”

The question came out reflexively and Ben regretted it in an instant. The first rule of the First Order was to never, ever admit failure, even if you were behind. Too late.

“How is it that you didn’t know?” Snoke said, sotto voce. “Am I to understand that you are supposedly monitoring every single one of Rey Jakku's actions, to use your own words, but that you did not know that she had picked up a travelling companion along the way?”

Ben remained speechless as he processes this new information. How did Hux and Snoke unknowingly get such intel?

“Perhaps you owe this failure to a pair of pretty eyes. If you want to keep your job, Ben Solo-Skywalker, you have an interest in getting results. Immediately.”

His full name was uttered with such contempt that Ben got goose bumps. He could feel his throat growing tight with hate as he held his tongue.

“Get rid of this girl, her car and her dog, and come home. I leave you twenty-four hours. If I don’t see results by then, I think you would benefit from a stay in the office. Hux will ensure your field work gets done while you go back to the drawing board.”

So that's what Hux had been up to, Ben thought, he wanted my place. Ben could feel his jaw clenching. Hux would pay for this in blood.

But he had to admit, it was the ideal form of blackmail: Rey or him. Whatever decision he made, it would cost him dearly. He knew he would not be able to recover.

His throat constricted, his eyes began to burn. Everything was falling apart so fast...as a young man, Ben had risen past his childhood trauma to become one of the most powerful men in the United States, respected and feared by all. But Snoke called the shots. He could reduce Ben to misery as easily as he had propelled him to the top.

"Do you hear me, Ren?” Snoke hissed.

“Yes sir. Crystal clear.” He paused. “Have you canceled the concerts?” He added quietly.

“I think your little publicity stunt, once a credible cover to justify your absences and trips with your cohorts, has gone to the head. You will play Gardiner tomorrow.  As for Bozeman...we'll see. You know what you have left to do.”

Ben hung up and screamed. In his rage, he snatched a metal trash and hurled it to the ground, before kicking it violently against the wall.

It was Syed. That fucking bitch. She had doubled crossed him and sold him out to Hux. Oh, that she was going to pay for, very, very dearly.

It took him a long time to catch his breath and find a semblance of sangfroid. A few yards away, Shakti, Skylar, and his other knights watched the scene in terrified amazement.

They heard nothing of the conversation but knew that only Snoke and Hux could ever make Kylo feel this way.

And Shakti, though she would never tell anyone, could have sworn she saw him cry.

[starlightlotus]

🧜‍♀️ with you and poe vuv

Beyond the Waves (Little Mermaid AU)

A/N: From two different worlds, but that doesn’t stop love overall. A small twist and changes to this AU for sure. I’m sorry if this turned out to be really long as well!

Pairing: RavenPilot

Warnings: None

Padme Solo lived near the ocean all her life, going down to the beach was part of her daily routine. Her along with her family lived in a house near the sea, as they were a well known family in the town they lived in. Ever since she was little, she was always accompanied by her brother, Ben. Ben always made sure for her not to get too close to the waters, but now that Padme is older she is able to swim. Padme always enjoyed the fairy tales her mother, Leia Organa, would tell her before going to bed. Fairy tales about the God of the Sea Poseidon, sirens, selkies, merfolk, sea witches, and more. Ben would always brush that aside saying that they are only fairy tales, but Padme always believed that there is something more beyond the waves other than fish.

One day when Ben decided to go back to their house on a hill near the sea, Padme stayed behind lingering around the tide pools. Padme admired the life thriving in the pools until she heard something catch her attention. The sound of splashing other than the soft crashing waves near the rocky tide pools. She stood up slowly only to see a glimpse of an orange fin dive back into the waters. Beyond that was a small island, perhaps from there she could get a closer look at what was going on.

Beneath the waves there was life more than just fish and coral. In the open sea were two mermen and a small peppermint angelfish. The first merman had a sand beige fish tail and a few black speckles along with dark skin and short black hair. The other merman had tan skin and curly black hair, but his fish tail was orange and a hint of red. The angelfish, Beebee, accompanied the merman with the orange tail. 

“Dude what are you doing out here!? We’re going to be in huge trouble if we don’t return!” The first merman said.

“Relax Finn, no one ever saw us!” The second merman had said to Finn, not realizing that was seen by Padme.

“You’re wrong about that, Poe. A human girl saw your fin tail splash in the water, I saw it. She only saw you, but thank god she did not notice me..” Finn said as he saw his eyes grow wide slowly.

When Finn expected Poe to be a bit guilty, instead Poe went up to his friend and asked him questions at the speed of a dolphin. “A human girl? What did she look like? Was she pretty? I want to meet her!” Finn sighed knowing that once his best friend makes up his mind, he does not want to change it. He knows that if they do meet a human, there will be consequences. But not for this case.

That night, Padme and her family went on a boat for a party, Leia’s friend Holdo received a promotion from her job so she invited the family to help her celebrate. They all enjoyed the celebration until a nasty storm hit them. 

With the storm pushing and pulling the tides, most of the passengers got to safety. From the change in currents this caused Poe to feel cautious, only then to see that a ship above the waves caught on fire from a struck of lightning. Small boats headed their way towards shore, but when Ben counted the passengers everyone but his sister was present. He looked back to see Padme stranded on a piece of the boat until the sail crashed on the piece she was on. 

The rope from the sail with chains from the ship went around Padme’s feet dragging her down into the depths of the sea. The weight from the rope along with the density of the water was crushing Padme, until she ran out of air. Poe saw the woman sink slowly and decided to help her ignoring what consequences he had to face. He quickly swam over to her and managed to set her free from the ropes that held her down. Reaching the surface, the ship was now a wreck and the remaining passengers safely made it to shore. Poe had to find a way to get this woman back to shore without being seen.

By morning, Poe still kept an eye on the unconscious woman he saved last night, wondering if anyone will come for her. But before anyone would find her, Poe got out from the water halfway to keep his tail hydrated and looked the woman’s features. Long dark wavy hair, fair skin, average body size, a handmade bracelet with shells and a blue gem, and soft lips faintly pink. She was a beauty for Poe, slowly caressing her soft cold cheek, a thought came into mind. But this thought alone seemed risky for sure. That thought was to become human to be with this woman he just saved.

Before he could say anything, he heard soft shouting of men saying they spotted her. Quickly, Poe returned to the depths of the water to hide his identity away from the other humans that came for Padme’s aid. But now he knows what must be done, to become a human to be with her.

Snuggled in bed, Padme woke up slowly, not remembering everything that happened that night. She looked around to find herself back at home in her room, until she remembered feeling her cheek being caressed and a shadowy figure above her. 

“Thank the stars that you are alright.” Padme turned to the direction of the voice to see Ben, sitting beside her. “I was worried the worst happened for you when the ship fell apart on you. We searched all night for you, thank god you’re still alive..” Ben said as he pats the blankets covering your form.

“Well, now that I’m home safe and sound, you can stop worrying.” Padme said earning a soft chuckle from her brother. “I know, I’ll get you something small to eat and tell mother that you’re awake.” Ben said while making his way out. Closing the door, you were met with silence once more only pulling you back to your thoughts about the man who saved you. Just who was that man? Why didn’t he stay after Ben found her and brought her back home?

“Poe, are you sure about this? You know he is unforgivable, and those that went to him have never came back..” Finn said a bit cautious about meeting the sea witch for Poe to become human. “I am sure of it, that woman I saved before is the one for me.” Poe said not bothering to turn back to look at Finn.

“Welcome merfolk, what brings you two here? To meet me? Armitage Hux, the sea witch.” A pale man with red hair and a shark body came out from the shadows of his dark ominous cave. “I want to become human for a woman I love.” Poe said as Finn stood behind at the entrance of the cave. Looking at the merman with suspicion, Armitage inspected Poe with a serious look before letting out a dark laugh. His sharp teeth showing before he swam around Poe making him uncomfortable.

“Love you say? With a human girl? You can’t be serious!” Hux said before turning away from Poe. “If you do insist… Then it is going to come with a price. Human legs for your voice.” Hux said turning with a twisted smirk on his lips. “Poe don’t do it!” Finn warned his best friend not to. “Why not? He’s got his handsome looks and his charm! He will be just fine as long as that woman loves him back. So… do we have a deal?” Hux says reaching out holding a contract for Poe to sign.

Padme walked along the shore with Ben by her side. Dressed in a white sleeveless dress and a red hibiscus, she held onto her brother’s arm to admire the unchanging view.

“How can you not get tired from this? Even when we nearly lost you.” Ben asked you quietly. “Oh please Benjamin, I’m not fragile. Mom raised us to be strong people.” Padme answered only hearing her brother grumble when she called him by his full name. Padme giggled until she heard something unusual. “Brother, what was that sound?” She asked Ben, but Ben heard nothing. The crash happened after and Padme let go of her brother’s arm and ran to crashing sound. Padme went to a cove to find the unconscious Poe with only a piece of thick cloth covering him, she tried to wake him up only to call Ben to carry him. “He needs help or else he’ll die, we have to take him back home with us..” Padme concluded only to get a shocked expression from Ben. “Are you nuts? We know nothing of this guy!” Ben argued, but Padme snapped at her brother, “And? Our family is well known and respected for our generosity, turning our backs away from someone who needs help is betraying our family name. You should know that by now since you are older than me!” With that, Ben knew not to anger his sister and stood silent and the two went home with the unconscious Poe.

Since it was Padme’s idea, she had to take responsibility to nursing the man back to healthy conditions. Maids and servants would come into the guest room where he stayed, but Padme was always there so as soon as the maids came for whatever they needed, they were quickly dismissed right after. 

The moment Poe opened his eyes, Padme checked to see if he was okay, but the moment he opened his mouth, nothing came out. Padme wondered if he was mute as she heard nothing come from him, so she only told him to make gestures so that he understands. And from there the two started a relationship. Padme figured that he wasn’t a resident here, so she told him the lifestyle of the town, showing him around, and teaching him whatever is necessary. 

A couple of days went by and for some reason, teaching Poe the lifestyle that occurred in this town along with a few basic knowledge and manners, he started to grow on her. Even though he was mute, he was very handsome, and he is a fast learner. Padme did not know much about him, his family, what he likes and dislikes, not even his name! Yet she wants to know more.. if only he could tell her somehow in any way possible! So Padme arranged a small date with Poe on the beach, in fact Poe had so much fun with Padme, he nearly forgot about Finn and Beebee. So having a date on the beach will give him a chance to see them again. 

On their date night, Padme had her arm around Poes as they strolled along the shore letting the ocean water soak their feet. Padme leaned her head on Poe’s shoulder not knowing of a few guests from the sea had also come to help their friend. “That reminds me, I never got your name. What is your name?” Padme asked Poe before taking random guesses only to get a head shake as a way of saying ‘no’. “Poe, it’s Poe.” Finn whispered from the surface of the water. “Poe?” Padme guessed and Poe nodded. 

“I’ve been thinking.. for the past several days now, teaching you everything and such about this place. I… I really like you, even though I still do not know much about you.” Padme admitted only to turn and have her gaze meet with Poe’s surprised gaze. This was it, the moment Poe had waited so patiently for! To hear her admit her feelings and how she loves him. Closing in the space between them Poe was ready to seal the contract and remain human by passionately kissing Padme until something grabbed Poe by his foot and dragged him back into the ocean breaking off the kiss before it even started.

Last night felt like a dream to Poe, but it all happened with his very own eyes. Poe woke up in the morning, excited to be with Padme, until things took a huge turn. 

“This is the man that saved you, sister?” “Yes, I am sure of it. He’s the one that saved me and in return I want to marry him.” Poe heard a conversation going on downstairs only to see Padme with another man. Poe’s heart began to shatter silently as he saw what was going on right now. The man looked up to Poe and quietly giving him a twisted smile showing his sharp teeth. At that point, Poe knew it was Hux. That trickster had used his own voice to capture Poe’s lover in a spell. “The wedding will be today at sundown,” “So sudden?” “Ben, you and Sophia married within the the week. This and I want to marry my savior..” the hypnotized Padme insisted only earning a sigh from her brother. “Very well, I’ll make the preparations now..”

Poe was furious, he ran back into the guest room to find out what he is able to do. Time was running short for him, if he does not stop that wedding and get that kiss before the sun sets beyond the horizon, he’ll turn back into a merman and then into sea foam. Finn was right all along about doing such a thing with Hux. He should have never done that in the first place. But now is not the time to be sad, Poe had to do whatever it takes to stop the wedding and to break the curse Hux placed on Padme. 

Poe ran down by the shore and thank Poseidon that Finn was there and luckily Finn knew some sign language in a way. Upon receiving the news, Finn was outraged and knew that his best friend needed all the help he could get, so all of them came up with a plan to stop the wedding. 

The sun began to set and the wedding has begun, Hux smiled as he noted how Poe was not present. Padme looked like a princess as a bride walking down the aisle on the beach. Leia and Ben felt that this wasn’t right, but did not know what was going on and why the sudden change. Hux was ready to claim Poe’s lover his until a gust of strong wind blew. 

Seagulls by the dozen came in and only attacked Hux. Some dropped clams letting those critters clamp their shells down like a snap trap. Crabs came out of the waves and crawled on him. Acquainted with Finn, Phasma, an albatross swooped in snatching the shell that sealed Poe’s voice and smashed it upon impact with a boulder. With the shell broken, the voice went back to its rightful owner and the spell holding Padme was broken. Hearing the voice, she turned her head in shock to see that Poe can talk.

Padme ran to Poe and tightly embraced him coming back to her senses. “Poe! Where were you? I was so worried about you! I thought you ran away from me..” Padme said not caring about being in a bride’s dress. Her ran all over Poe before coming up to caress his cheek. “I would never do such a thing, and to tell you the truth. I was the one who saved you, that night your ship crashed from an awful storm. You nearly died drowning, but I set your foot free from holding you down. I stayed by you until your brother found you. I… I was the merman you saw that day.” 

Padme could not believe the truth that was being revealed to her, it was a lot to take in for sure, but she knew that Poe would never lie. “I couldn’t talk because I made a deal to be human for you, and I nearly thought I lo- mmph!” Poe wanted to say more until Padme pressed her lips against his. All of a sudden, the contract that Hux once held has been broken. Outraged by this Hux slowly walked into the waves deep enough to where a shark fin was seen before it disappeared into the sea. Sure enough this is not the last time Poe will ever see Hux as he knows that the witch will come back for revenge.

Before the sun went down beyond the horizon, Poe’s feet remained as the rest of him became more tidy with new clothes and his hair combed neatly. To Padme he looked like a prince, and she stayed close to him before Poe leaned in for another kiss to be with his one and only bride. Leia then pieced everything together realizing that those fairy tales she told her daughter were all true. Ben couldn’t believe that after all those years of doubting, he finally saw such a thing happen with his very own eyes. 

After sharing their second kiss, other family members and friends came to congratulate the two newly weds. Sophia was certainly happy for her sister-in-law especially teasing her on what they should do for their honeymoon now that they are together. Either way, Leia, Ben, and Finn were happy to see these two together without any losses or tragedies happening. 

But with Hux still lurking in the sea, Poe and Padme must be cautious. However, they have nothing to fear. They have each other after all.