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Ben Solo looked up from his history book, repressing a sigh as his gaze landed on the boy sitting on the chair next to is bed, a history textbook open on his own lap. It was obvious that he wasn’t seeing it, however, as his fist was propped up on his cheek and he was staring blankly out the window, letting out occasional sighs of his own.Ben had been best friends with the guy in question, Armitage Hux, practically since the two were born. Their mothers became close when the two went to the same maternity classes, and their sons had been in one another’s lives ever since.Ben and Hux had recently started their junior year of high school, and things were going well for both of them. Ben was a somewhat popular, charismatic boy that unconsciously drew people into him, like a magnet, and Hux was one of the most gifted students at school. So gifted, in fact, that Ben often took advantage of his brain by asking him to tutor him on subjects Ben had difficulty with, which was what was supposed to be happening today. The two had ordered pizza and everything, most of which Ben was eating while Hux still had the same piece on his plate, taking absent-minded little nibbles here and there.After a few half-hearted attempts at asking questions, Hux really hadn’t said much at all. Ben knew something was wrong with him ... and he had a pretty good feeling of WHAT that something was.Earlier last year, in a rather dramatic (for Hux, anyway) fashion, Hux had stood up at the dinner table (the two families often shared dinner with one another on Saturday nights) and declared himself to be gay.All of the adults had been shocked, but not Ben. He had suspected this for a long while, after all. So he had simply, calmly reached for more gravy for his mashed potatoes, while Hux went into a rambling breakdown into his ‘true self’.And Ben felt like this was what was troubling the skinny redhead now. Lately, it seemed that the two of them could never have a conversation with each other, without Hux bringing up the dreaded “P”-word: Poe. Poe Dameron, to be exact.A solid, somewhat athletic boy that went to their school. Hair like a shampoo commercial model. Eyes like a lost puppy. A voice that made women (and apparently a lot of men, as well, considering Poe was Bi) melt.And unknowingly the object of Hux’s romantic obsession for close to three years.Ben and Hux had ended up going to different middle schools from 6-8 grade, due to where they each lived (there were two large middle schools in their city, but only the one high school), and, during the time of not seeing each other for the majority of the day, Hux had secretly fallen hard for Poe, who was in several of his classes.Although this was before Hux officially came out, he would hang out with Ben after school and talk so much about Poe that even the stupidest of people would have put two and two together.But before Hux could work up the courage to tell Poe how he felt, Poe was dating somebody else. And then somebody else, after that. And Hux quietly watched from the sidelines, eating his heart out and trying his hardest to throw himself into other things so as not to be thinking about him.A few weeks ago, however, one of Hux’s friends told him that the rumor going around was that Poe was single again. And ever since finding this out, Hux had been acting ... funny, for lack of a better term.Personally, Ben didn’t see what the appeal was. He had had Poe in several of his classes last year, and had found the guy to be rude, and loud, and just plain obnoxious. The kind who would sweetly compliment a girl to her face, then turn around and talk shit about her clothes or her hair once she was out of sight.But for some reason, Hux didn’t see any of the bad things, and was wildly defensive whenever Ben even subtly tried to point them out.Lately, though, Hux’s brooding has gotten worse. Like today. So, in the interest of getting through his history worksheet, Ben took a deep breath and asked, “Okay. What’s wrong, man?”“Huh? What do you mean?”Ben set down his book, sitting up straight. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting fucking weird all day, here.”Hux just shook his head, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie. “It’s ... it’s nothing, Ben. Nada. Don’t worry everything’s fine.”“Just so you know, the last time you said that ‘everything’s fine’, you were hitting the floor after passing out in the blood donation chair.”Hux blushed and shook his head. “That really wasn’t my fault. I told the lady not to let me see the blood-bag. She let me see it.”“Come on, man. Just tell me what’s the matter. Maybe I can help you.”After a few long, silent moments, Hux spoke up again, so quietly that Ben had to lean towards him a bit, to hear.“I know you’re tired of hearing this, but ... I was thinking about him again.”“Poe?”Hux nodded.“Hux ... do you ever think you might be happier if you just asked him out, already? I mean, what’s the worst thing that could happen? If he says No, then at least, maybe, you could move on?”Hux just shook his head, taking a sip of his soda. “I ... I couldn’t be the one to ask HIM out, Ben! Look at me! I’m not in his league!”“No, you’re not. You’re above it. So he should be fucking flattered, if you asked him out.”Hux laughed raucously at that, so hard he had to clap himself on the back to breathe.“What have you been smoking, Ben? You know ... you say that, because we’re friends. But if you could step away from that, you’d see the truth. I don’t think guys like you or Poe, guys who are unfairly good-looking and can drop panties at will, will ever really get how hard it is for the rest of us out here.”“‘Drop panties?’ Whose panties have I dropped lately, Hux? Because I’m pretty sure I’m single, too.”“That’s because you choose to be. But if you changed your mind, you could have anyone at school, Ben.”Ben rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. He didn’t find anything about himself to be in the remotest bit appealing. Now Hux was continuing: “Anyway, here’s the thing. I’ve thought about it, and I finally realized something: Poe’s a hunter. He doesn’t like things that he can just have, if that makes sense. I think he like, he wants something more when it’s hard to get.”“I think you’re giving a lot of credit to a clearly brainless person, but ok, let’s assume you’re right. So what?”“So ... I thought, maybe Poe would want ME, if he thought somebody else had me. Like, if he thought I had a boyfriend.”Ben closed his eyes and shook his head. “Again, I feel like you drastically overthink things. BUT. Okay. Let’s say that you’re right, again. But how does that benefit you? Because, unless you’ve been hiding one from me, you don’t HAVE a boyfriend.”“You’re right, I don’t. But ... but what if I could get someone to pretend to be my boyfriend? Walk around with me at school, be all hands-on in front of Poe, that kind of thing. Just long enough for him to finally notice me. I think that it could work.” “Hux. Seriously?,” Ben said, laughing now. “Who in their right mind would pretend to be someone else’s boyfriend, just to help them make ANOTHER guy jealous?”“Well —““And that plan wouldn’t work for you! You know why? Because you get too emotional over shit, and you catch feelings way too easily. You’d end up being in love with the ‘fake’ boyfriend before Poe ‘notices’ you, if he even does at all.”“See, I thought about that. That’s why whoever I got to be the fake boyfriend, would have to be somebody that there’s absolutely zero chance of me falling for.”“What are you gonna do, then? Put out a flyer that asks for dudes that are ugly and boring?”“No! Ugly and boring isn’t attention-grabbing, is it?”, Hux asked, rolling his eyes. “Besides, I already have someone in mind.”Ben snorted and picked up a piece of the now-cold pizza, taking a rather large bite. “Yeah?”, he asked through a full mouth. “Who?”“Welllll, he’s tall, and smart, and handsome. Handsome enough to catch everyone’s attention, for sure. And he’s even got some acting experience ... in second grade he played a show-stealing Peter Pan in the school play.”Ben started to choke on his pizza, and had to quickly take several long swallows of his soda, to calm himself.“Wait, wait ... what??”“Benny,” Hux said, smiling sweetly and putting a hand on Ben’s arm, “You know, I’ve always loved the fact that you’ve always been the one person I could count on, to —““No! No, no, abso-fucking-lutely NO!”“Why not?”“Because ... because NO, that’s why! Do you even hear yourself right now, and how crazy all of this sounds?”Slowly, quietly, Hux said,“Do you know what sounded crazy to ME? That time you said you were gonna sneak out and hitch a ride with those sketchy old dudes some 100 miles away to see a concert your parents didn’t want you going to.”“Hux —““At the time, did I say anything? Did I snitch on you? Or did I help you lie that you were spending the night at my house, then cover for you and the fact that you got so drunk you passed out and didn’t make it back until almost noon the next day? Because THAT was crazy, and I KNEW it was crazy ... but I was your friend and I helped you out, didn’t I?”“Oh, fuck, man,” Ben said wearily, laying back on his bed. “There are so many problems with this. You realize that, right?”“No, I don’t.”Ben sat back up, scowling.“For starters, me and you have been best friends since like, forever. You don’t think EVERYONE will think it’s weird that we just suddenly start dating?”Hux shook his head vehemently. “No, dumbass. In fact it would look natural, BECAUSE we were friends first. Argument invalid.”“Well, what about Poe? I’m not hiding that I don’t think he’s smart, but he’s not a complete idiot, either. You don’t think he’ll realize it’s all just an act?”“Not if we do it right. I’m not asking you to like, put a flower crown on my head and carry me on your back through the hallways. I’m talking simple, subtle things. Like holding my hand. Walking me to class. Maybe kissing my cheek a few times, if you don’t think that’s too gross, or calling me cute little names. That’s it. Subtle, but noticeable.”“Ok ... you don’t think this is a REALLY desperate thing to be doing, all to get some douchebag’s attention?”“He’s not a douchebag. It’s ... he ... Ben, you don’t know him like I do. He’s not like what you think. He’s sweet, he’s warm, he’s smart ...”Ben sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against Hux’s shoulder. “Armitage. I’m just worried that you’re not seeing things clearly, here. I feel like you’re holding on to how this guy was in middle school, and that’s making it so you can’t see how he is NOW. I just don’t think he’s worth it, man. And I don’t think you get that I’m not saying this stuff just because I don’t like Poe, or because I’m trying to hurt you. You’re my best friend, man. I love you a lot. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”Hux was quiet for a long time, sitting there with Ben’s weight against him. Finally, quietly, he spoke:“Ben. You don’t understand; I HAVE to try this. I HAVE to do whatever I can, to get to him. Maybe this will work, maybe not. But I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t give this a shot, you know? If I didn’t TRY. And you’re my best friend, and you know me better than anyone. So you know that I would rather die, most times, than beg anyone for help with my problems. But I’m begging you now. Please, please, help me out. Just for a few weeks, like, until fall break? If he hasn’t made a move towards me before then, you and I will ‘break up’ and I’ll come up with a new way to try and catch him. Please?”“Hux —““Please?”—-“Okay, lets go over the ground rules again.”“Right,” Hux said eagerly, pulling a tiny notebook from his pocket. Flipping to the first page, he read off:“No touching on any part of the body, other than the hands, without asking first. No kissing, without asking first. If somebody asks for details about our relationship, let Ben answer, because I’m a bad liar. Pet names are a free-zone EXCEPT for the word ‘Bae’, which Ben hates.”Hux put the notebook back. “Anything I’m forgetting?”Ben sighed and shook his head, leaning back in his seat. The two had driven here in Ben’s shitty old second-hand Toyota, and had arrived early enough to sit in the school parking lot for a while before going in.Ben still couldn’t believe he had caved to Hux’s wishes, and had agreed to be his fake boyfriend. He was in two minds about this whole farce, and came very close to backing out ... but Hux’s grateful, eager face helped to harden Ben’s resolve.From the school, the first of three warning bells rang, as Ben cut off the car, sticking the keys in his pocket as they both got out.“You ready?”, Hux asked, as he came around to Ben’s side.“As ready as I’m gonna get,” Ben replied. He shifted his backpack to his opposite arm, and then reached down and took hold of Hux’s hand, lacing their fingers together.“Ow ... OW,” Hux exclaimed quietly, as Ben pulled them towards the front entrance. “Jesus Christ, loosen your grip! You’re gonna break my fingers!”“Sorry,” Ben muttered, loosening his hold. He could feel that his face had gotten warm, and he struggled desperately to control the blush. They made it inside and headed to Hux’s locker, which was closer. Were people already noticing? Were they being stared at? Ben couldn’t tell; likely, he was just being paranoid at the surrealness of this all.He waited while Hux grabbed his books, and as he was watching the people around him, he saw Poe and two of his friends round the corner and come walking their way. Hux’s locker door was barring his view of that end of the hallway, so he didn’t see Poe’s approach.“Let me carry that for you, honey,” Ben said, somewhat loudly, as Poe got closer. He took Hux’s backpack and added it to his opposite shoulder, just as Hux straightened back up.“What —“, he started, and then he noticed Poe, who had stopped to chat with some people opposite where they stood. “Oh, thanks, sweetie,” Hux replied, also somewhat loudly. We really need to work on our acting skills, Ben thought to himself, feeling that the blush had come back. But apparently it worked; Poe, who had seemed indifferent before, was now looking curiously at the two of them.Before Hux could open his mouth and say something that would ruin the effort, Ben grabbed Hux’s hand again, gently pulling Hux in the opposite direction and towards his class.When they got a far enough distance away, Hux let out a shaky breath, and said, in a low voice,“Holy fuck, he looked! Did you see him looking at me?”“Yeah, Yeah, I saw. But don’t get cocky; we were both being really weird and unnatural so of course he was looking.”Hux sighed and nodded. “You’re right. Okay, we’ll have to work on it. Anyway, this is a good start.”They had reached Hux’s classroom door, and Ben handed him his backpack. “Okay. I’ll see you third period,” he said, starting to walk away.“Wait!”, Hux called, making him turn.Hux went to to him and leaned up, putting both arms around Ben’s neck. “One of Poe’s friends from his Lit class is in my class here,” Hux whispered to him quietly. “And he’s looking at us right now. So please, hug me back ... and is it alright if I kiss your cheek?”Ben sighed and nodded, putting his arms around the redhead’s waist and squeezing. Hux lightly kissed his cheek, and Ben could feel his face explode into fire, as this time he was positive they were being watched. Then Hux smiled and said, “See you later, sugar,” before walking into his classroom.“Bye ... bae,” Ben called after him, and immediately scowled. He had used his own hated word ... but he couldn’t help it. His mind had literally gone blank, during that pseudo-romantic exchange.“This better work,” Ben said to himself, as he headed towards his own class, “Because this needs to end as soon as possible.”—-“Wow, so, you guys are really dating?”It was several days later, and Ben and Hux were still going strong with their act. And apparently their ‘hard work’ was paying off: they were seen by enough people around the school for news of their couplehood to become official.Now they were at lunch with a group of mutual friends, and one of them, Phasma, had finally broached the topic that everyone was thinking about.Remembering Ben’s earlier warning about letting him do the talking, Hux simply nodded, taking a bite of his salad.“We’ve been together our whole lives,” Ben answered smoothly, utilizing one of his most charming smiles, “Only now we get to play kissy-face and stuff.”“That’s so cute!”, Phasma exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “I’ve never said it before but I’ve always thought that you two were just like, perfect for each other. Like two puzzle pieces.”The boy next to her, Mitaka, simply rolled his eyes. “You say that about everyone, though,” he told her, stealing a handful of ketchup packets from her tray. “You just want everyone to be locked together in a room, hugging and shit.”“Do you mean that literally? Like, hugging in a room, and then taking a dump in that room? ‘Cause that’d be nasty.”It was Finn who said this, from his corner-end of the table. Ben had to question why he was sitting with them; normally, he’d be sitting with POE and his group of friends, at the circle tables across the room. But today he was here.He’s friends with Mitaka, but, not THAT good of friends, Ben thought to himself, taking a bite of his hamburger. Could it be that Poe sent him over here, to ... to spy, on them? And if that was the case, did that mean it was because Poe was buying into their act ... OR was it because he was skeptical of it?He looked at Hux, who was smiling and eating his salad, seemingly completely oblivious to the (possible) situation they were in. So Ben knew it was up to him, to step up their charade a tiny bit.So he pushed back his tray and yawned loudly, stretching.“Feel so tired today,” he murmured, scooting closer to Hux. He laid his head on Hux’s shoulder and wrapped both of his arms around his waist, saying, “Let me sleep on you, babe.”“O-okay,” Hux replied, somewhat startled, and not really understanding what was going on. Ben stayed where he was, laying on Hux and keeping his eyes closed, pretending to sleep as the others talked and ate around him.He even kept his eyes closed as he heard the familiar sound of Poe’s voice, meaning he had come over to the table. He made it out as though he had come to ask Finn something; but fairly quickly, he addressed himself to Hux and observed, smirking, “You look like you make a pretty good pillow, Red.”From where Ben’s face was touching Hux’s neck, he could feel how Hux’s face had flushed. He was about to pretend to wake up, so that he could prevent Hux from saying something stupid, but Hux surprised him by simply responding, smoothly, “Yeah, I have a lot of hidden talents like that. Sometimes, with my hair, I stand in for the sun on cloudy days.”Poe laughed, and then he moved on. Ben could feel Hux’s sigh of relief when he left. Suddenly, without warning, Hux kissed the top of the ‘sleeping’ Ben’s head.
What the hell —?
Ben heard the first warning bell, and decided that now was a good time to ‘wake up’. So he took his arms from around Hux and moved his head off of his shoulder, sitting up and stretching. One by one, the rest of the group said their goodbyes and dispersed, leaving the two of them alone at the table. “I can’t believe how brilliant you are,” Hux whispered to him, as the two picked up their trays and headed towards the trashcans. “Your timing for doing that was so f-ing perfect!”Ben just smiled and shook his head. “What are you talking about? I really was just tired, and Poe is right: you DO make a good pillow.”—-“Okay, you’re sure you’re ready for this?”Ben nodded, looking in the rear view mirror and adjusting his hair. “Yep. Are YOU?”Hux nodded nervously, fidgeting with his hoodie strings. “I guess. I just ... I mean ...”“Look, it’s like we talked about, Okay? Keep it simple, don’t do too much, and don’t look too obvious.”“Okay.”It was two weeks later, Saturday night, and the two of them were at the movies. Hux had managed to find out, through mutual friends, that Poe and some of his friends were going to be seeing the latest scary movie at the 9pm showing. So, naturally, he wanted to show up with Ben, showcasing their ‘relationship’ outside of school.Now that the time to go into the theater was here, though, Hux had started to doubt his acting skills.Nevertheless, Ben pulled him out of the car and into the lobby, to stand in line for snacks. They were holding hands; it had gotten to be such a matter-of-habit with them (in public, anyway) that they didn’t really think about it anymore.“I look okay, right?”Ben nodded. “You look great. You ... you know you always look great.”“Yeah, right. But you know what I mean. I HAVE to look good tonight.”Ben nodded in understanding. They had purposely arrived to the movies a little later than normal, in order to get a seat down near the front. Hux knew that Poe and his friends would be towards the back of the theater, where they could put up their feet on the seats in front of them. So he and Ben planned to arrive late, spot where they were sitting, and then sit several rows in front of them. That way their presence was sure to be noticed by Poe, and, hopefully, he would be paying attention to Hux from that point onwards. By the time they got into the theater, the last of the previews was ending, and the lights were going into their final dim. Ben glanced up, and spotted Poe right away, just where Hux had said he’d be. So he put his arm around Hux’s waist and led him to a perfect spot about four rows down from them, positioning them so that Hux was directly in Poe’s line of vision.The first hour of the movie went by without incident, and then, during a particularly boring stretch, Poe passed them by, to go to the bathroom. When he came back, he stopped by their row and gave them a little half-wave, smiling at Hux.Even in the dark, Ben could see how pink Hux’s cheeks had become, at being acknowledged.“Ben,” he whispered after a few moments.“Huh?”“He’s definitely watching. Can you pretend to kiss me?”Ben quickly leaned over and kissed Hux’s cheek.“No, no, not that,” Hux hissed at him, quietly. “I mean, pretend that you’re actually kissing me, kissing me. Like, on the lips. Like we’re making out.”“How the fuck am I supposed to pretend that??”Hux pulled what appeared to be an orange peel from his front pocket.“I’m going to put this over my mouth, like orange teeth,” he explained, quietly. “Kiss that, and it’ll look like we’re kissing for real.”Ben shook his head slightly, wondering (and not for the first time) how Hux had come up with such an insane idea.Before he could agree or disagree, Hux had discreetly put the peel over his mouth, and looked at Ben pleadingly.So Ben just sighed, tilted Hux’s head back, and began kissing the orange peel. He prayed that it was dark enough so that nobody, especially Poe, would SEE that it was an orange peel, because this was definitely one of the oddest and most embarrassing things Ben had ever done.After what felt like an appropriate amount of time, Ben started to pull away. The movement caused Hux’s peel to fall to the floor ... but for some reason, for a few seconds, it seemed like Hux hadn’t gotten this memo. Hux’s lips, his actual lips, were pressed against Ben’s own, giving him an entirely REAL kiss. Not many thoughts made it through Ben’s shock, but one thing he couldn’t get over was Hux’s lips. Ben had always imagined that kissing another boy would feel rough, but Hux’s lips were so full, so soft that it was nearly like touching a small piece of silk.It was only a few seconds before Hux made the realization, but it had felt like an eternity.“Shit ... I’m sorry!”, he whispered, his face even redder than before. Ben just shrugged, turning back and giving his attention to the movie once more. After some time had passed, he changed a casual glance backwards.There was no mistaking it; Poe, was DEFINITELY watching them.After the movie, Ben and Hux headed back to Ben’s car quietly, each deep in thought. The temperature had dropped quite a bit since they had gone in, and Ben noticed that Hux was shivering. He was about to take off his own jacket and hand it to him, when a voice from behind startled them both.“That was a pretty fun movie, huh?”They turned; it was Poe, standing next to a car that was parked just a few space away from them. His friends had already gotten in, and were waiting for him.“Yeah, it was,” Hux said brightly, immediately peeking up out of former his quietness. “Scary movies are my favorites.”“Mine, too,” Poe said, smiling. And then: “You look like you’re really cold, Red. You wanna borrow my hoodie?”“Oh, no, I’m fine.”But Poe was already taking it off, and holding it out to him. “Nah, here, take it. I’m wearing like two more underneath, see?”, he said, showing him. Then he paused and said, “That is, uh, if it’s okay with you, Ben.”Ben simply nodded, saying, “What’s a hoodie between friends, right?”Poe nodded, then turned and opened up his car door. “Have a good rest of your night, you two,” he said, before getting in and pulling off.When he was gone, Hux turned to Ben, pulling Poe’s hoodie over his head and saying, excitedly, “Oh my GOD! It’s working! It’s really working!”He threw his arms around Ben in a tight hug, and said, “I’m so fucking happy right now, I could kiss you for real!”; and then he got into the passenger seat, leaving Ben standing momentarily by the door.You already DID kiss me ‘for real’, he thought to himself as he fished around in his pockets for his keys. But ... but that was just an accident, right?Right?—-“I’m starting to worry about you, a little.”“Huh?”, Hux asked, turning his head. “Why?”“I dunno. It’s like, I’ve known you forever, but I had no idea that you could be such a good stalker. It’s kinda scary, honestly.”“I’m not a stalker!”“Hux. These past few weeks, you’ve shown that you know a REALLY good amount of stuff about Poe. What he likes and hates, his class schedule, who his friends are ... and shit like knowing where he’s gonna be, outside of school.”Hux just laughed and brushed off Ben’s comment. “A series of coincidences, that’s all. Now come on, aren’t you ready yet?”Ben sighed and nodded.It was after school on Friday, and Hux had dragged Ben along with him to the indoor pool at the Sports and Fitness center across town. High school students got in free on Fridays and Saturday’s (with ID), and today, Hux had “coincidentally” learned that Poe was planning on coming to hang out with some classmates.Ben and Hux were in the locker room now, having changed into their swim trunks. “I hate public pools,” Ben mumbled as they walked out. “Everything’s all slippery, and people pee in the water.”Hux reached down and grabbed Ben’s hand (both out of standing habit and precaution, should Poe happen to notice them when they walked in), and shook his head.“Nobody pees in the water, Ben. That’s your imagination.”They had reached the pool area now, and Hux was casually looking around for their target. He spotted him right away, in the deep end of the pool, playing water volleyball with several other boys with a floating net.“It’s not my imagination. Look,” he said, pointing to the area for toddlers and little kids, “You’re honestly gonna tell me that every single one of them isn’t creating a warm bubble right now?”“Well, that’s over there, okay? We’ll be in a completely different area, so we’ll be fine. Plus the chemicals and chlorine takes care of all that, so —““That’s not how chlorine works.”But Hux wasn’t paying attention. He was tugging Ben along to the makeshift snack stand on the other side of the room.“I’m hungry. Buy me a hotdog?”Ben rolled his eyes. “You know you’re not supposed to swim for like, 30 minutes after eating, right?”“That’s just a rumor. It’ll be fine. Come on, please, Benny? Just one hotdog, I’ll eat, we’ll splash around long enough for Poe to see me in these trunks, and we’ll go. Okay?”So Ben just sighed and bought him a hotdog, sitting down at the edge of the pool with his toes in the water while Hux ate.“Okay, lets go,” Hux said, brushing off his hands and lowering himself into the water.“You’re positive you’ll be okay? Seriously, that guy seeing you in the water isn’t worth you dying for.”“It’s fine. I’m fine. Now come on,” he said, swimming away. Ben followed him.They went out to the right-center of the pool, where they were (coincidentally?) in Poe’s line of sight from across the way.The two swam races against each other back and forth, with Ben letting Hux win, in order to make him look good to Poe. Ben glanced back a few times; Poe’s group had given up on volleyball and were now just lazily floating in the water. But Poe was angled in their direction, and there could be no mistake that he was, indeed, looking at Hux.“He’s watching,” Hux whispered, echoing Ben’s thoughts. “I think I’m gonna show off my diving.”Hux had taken swim lessons when he was younger, and, in middle school, he had become a master of the diving board. He could do all kinds of neat jumps, twists, and flips into the water, and even Ben had to admit how impressive it was.But still —“Maybe you should wait a bit on that, Hux. At least until your food settles a bit more!”But Hux was already swimming away from him and to the shorter board. When he reached it, he waved at Ben and blew him a kiss (which Ben’s growing anxiety just barely allowed him to remember to return), climbed up, stretched, and leapt off.It was very fast, but to Ben, it felt like slow motion. He watched as Hux began curling his body mid-air to do a twist. But halfway there, he gasped, clutched at his side, and went plummeting hard into the water.Ben was in shock for a few seconds, and then he could hear the whistle of the lifeguard from across the room, and the squeaky sound of feet running towards them from around the pool edges.Before any of them got close, Ben jumped into action. He held his breath and dove under the water, finding Hux and grabbing hold of his arm just before he hit bottom. Then he propelled them both upwards and out of the water, using one hand to hold Hux’s head up and the other gripping his waist.By now the lifeguard had made it over, and several bystanders helped Ben lift him out of the pool. Hux was choking and gasping, and he spit up several mouthfuls of water on the toes of those standing close.The lifeguard examined him, and, after determine Hux was okay, just a little stunned, he suggested that Ben take him home to rest. Then he and the crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the two of them alone at the edge of the pool.“What happened?”, Ben demanded, once everyone else had gone.“I ... I got a cramp, in my side,” Hux confessed sheepishly, still trying to catch his breath as he looked down at the floor.“Fuck, Hux! I TOLD you! I TOLD YOU THAT THAT WAS A BAD IDEA! You can’t eat that close to swimming! You fucking idiot, what if I hadn’t been able to pull you up, and you drowned or something?!”Ben was actually crying now, out of anger, relief, and fear. But, thankfully, the few that were still close around them just mistook the moisture on his face as being residue from the pool.“Is he okay?”Poe.
Of course, it was Poe.Ben turned and glared at him, unable to stop his anger from seeping out. Whether Poe knew it or not, HE was the cause for this happening. All because Hux was trying so desperately to get his attention.Hux could see this in Ben’s eyes, and perhaps he feared that Ben was about to open his mouth and SAY this, and completely blow their fake boyfriend scheme, so he said, hurriedly.“I’m okay. Just a cramp, that’s all.”“Oh, fuck off with that ‘just a cramp’ bullshit, Armitage! That was the stupidest, most irresponsible thing you’ve ever done! I can’t believe that —““Hey,” Poe said, walking up with his hands out, trying to diffuse the situation. “Let’s all calm down. I get that that must have scared you, Ben, but that’s no reason to —““Back off, Dameron,” Ben snapped at Poe, in a vicious snarl. “Hux is MY boyfriend and I’ll tell him he was an idiot if he was an idiot. Okay?”Hux and Poe were both staring at Ben, not really sure where this sudden anger was coming from. To be honest, Ben wasn’t quite sure, himself.“Ben —“, Hux started to say, softly.“Er, sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean that,” Ben said quickly. “Sorry, Poe. Ah, can you sit here with him while I go get our stuff?”“Yeah, I will,” Poe answered, still looking at him with that confused expression. He went on patting Hux’s back as Ben walked away.He turned around as he got to the door, and looked back at them. Poe still had his hand on Hux’s back, only now he wasn’t patting and the hand just sat there, rubbing small circles along Hux’s skin. Ben was too far away to hear what they were saying to each other, but he could see that Poe had on that stupid smile of his again ... and Hux was blushing.Ben turned back around quickly and continued to the locker room, before he could do or say anything else stupid.—-“You know you didn’t have to do this, Hux.”Hux huffed in frustration and reached across the seats, hitting Ben’s shoulder.“Would you please shut up with that? I told you like ten times, now; this is the LEAST I can do, considering all you’ve done for ME this past month.”“But this is different, though. It might be ... uncomfortable.”“Look ... what kind of best friend would I be to you, if I can’t support you for ‘uncomfortable’ things?”Ben just sighed, but gave up arguing. He could feel all his muscles tense up as he made a turn, and passed the familiar row of gray buildings. They were almost there.It was early Sunday afternoon, a week after the pool incident, and Ben was on his way to visit his grandfather, Anakin, at his assisted living home. Ben’s grandfather had once been a powerful man, owning several lucrative businesses spread all over the country. When Ben was younger, he had admired his grandpa to the point of idolatry, and would always be happy whenever the lively, charismatic man would stop for a visit at the house.Then, when Ben was around 8 or 9, a series of tragic events had happened one after the other to his grandpa. The first being that his wife, Ben’s grandma Padme, became ill. All the money and resources in the world hadn’t been enough to save her, and she went much more quickly than anyone had expected.After her death, Anakin became a different person. He was quiet and withdrawn, and no longer showed any joy in the things that had once made him happy.He began entrusting more and more of his finances and his business to one of his senior partners, a man by the name of Palpatine. The family wasn’t aware, but the smooth-talking snake had slowly been embezzling from the company, as well as making poorer and poorer decisions in regards to the well-being of employees. Eventually, inevitably, Palpatine’s selfishness and Anakin’s listlessness brought about the complete collapse of their financial empire, leaving Anakin virtually bankrupt. So he moved into a cheap little apartment tucked far away into the city, beckoning more and more isolated as the years passed and he didn’t make the effort to reach back to the family that was trying so desperately to reach him.Then two years ago, he had had a stroke. He eventually made a full recovery, but now, he had to live with nurses that came several times a day for medications and care. And he had become, for lack of a better term, “scattered”. Sometimes he had really cheerful, lucid days; and other times visiting with him was like sitting in a room with mannequin.Ben visited him at least once a month, and he never knew what he was going to get. The last time he had come, his grandpa kept mistaking him for Luke, his son, and carried on an hours-long conversation with him about the old days.It was emotionally hard for Ben to come alone, but he was really left with no choice in the matter. His uncle lived too far away to visit often, and his mother had made it clear that it was too much for her, to have to see her dad like that.So Ben was surprised when, upon telling Hux where he was going, the redhead insisted on going with him.They finally pulled up in front of the senior building, a small, cheerful blue and white complex surrounded by tall fir trees.“I’m sorry in advance,” Ben said, feeling anxious as they walked up the path, “If he like, forgets your name, or CALLS you names, or —““Relax, Okay? I get it, it’ll be fine.”Ben nodded, taking a deep breath as he fished his key out of his pocket. He opened the door and the two stepped inside the dim front hallway.“Grandpa?”, Ben called, waking into what appeared to be a living room and opening up the blinds, to let some light into the place. “It’s me, Ben!”“Ben—?”A deep, yet whispery voice floated out of a little opening to the side, and the two boys went into the kitchen, where they were met with the sight of Ben’s grandpa, sitting at the kitchen table. Looking at him, Hux could see his resemblance to Ben: both were tall, somewhat muscular men; and although Anakin’s hair was gray, it’s tousled, wavy quality was the same as his grandsons.Ben approached him and leaned over, hugging him.“You’re looking good today, grandpa,” he said, smiling. “I hope you don’t mind, I brought my friend over with me,” he said, gesturing to Hux. “This is my friend Armitage Hux. Hux, this is my grandpa Anakin.”Hux walked up and cautiously held out is hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir.”Anakin took his hand, giving it a surprisingly firm handshake. “Armitage,” he repeated slowly, as the two sat down at the table. “I knew a man named Armitage once. Smartest man I ever met. Are you smart, son?”Hux grinned and shook his head. “Not really, Sir, but I get by.”Anakin chuckled, and Ben let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like he was having one of his ‘clear’ days. This was proven further when Anakin said “I made tea. Chamomile. You boys want some?”Ben shook his head, but Hux nodded, saying, “I’d love some.”Anakin stood up slowly and made his way to the stove, where a tea kettle sat on the stove.“Tea is good to ward off colds,” Anakin said, his back to them as he slowly reached a cup out of the cabinet. “Now is the season for warding off colds. Looks like you’re smart after all, Armitage.”Hux smiled at this, but Ben’s heart dropped, when Anakin brought over the teacup.It was empty.So was the kettle that sat on the stove.But Anakin was carrying it so carefully, as if it was full of liquid. Then, when he set it down, he said, “Be careful; it’s really hot.”So apparently he WASN’T having a clear day.Ben didn’t know what to say, and he could feel how red his face had become. But Hux, handled it as tactfully as anything. He simply smiled, thanked Anakin, and then he pretended to take a sip from the empty cup. “Hey, grandpa,” Ben said brightly, trying to salvage the situation, “I brought over something for you.”He removed his shoulder bag and took out a large, leather-bound photo album, which he put on the table in front of Anakin. “Remember the last time I visited, and you were talking about the pictures from your and grandma’s honeymoon? How you lost the album? I found it, buried on our attic!”Anakin slowly opened the album, and smiled. “Honeymoon,” he said, lightly touching the pictures with the tips of his fingers. “Happiest time in a man’s life.”While Ben carefully leafed through the pages for Anakin to look out, Hux got up and, after rummaging through the cabinets, began to make them some REAL tea.“This,” Anakin said, tapping the image of a small infant in one photograph. “Who is that?”“That’s my mom, your daughter, Leia.”Anakin’s face twisted in confusion. “Daughter? But ... but this is my honeymoon album?”Ben nodded and smiled. “Yeah. Remember, grandpa? You didn’t marry grandma until after your kids were born. Actually I think you’d call this more a family vacation than a honeymoon. Look,” he said, turning the page. “See? Here’s you holding Leia, and grandma holding Luke.”“I didn’t marry my wife until AFTER the babies?”, he asked, shaking his head. “What a scoundrel.”Then he squinted at Ben, and said, “Just like that one man. Scruffy-looking scoundrel. Wouldn’t marry my daughter until after the baby. I should have kicked his ass.”Ben burst out laughing, as the man his grandpa was talking about with such disdain was indeed Ben’s father, and the baby in question, him. “I’m sure it worked out,” Ben commented mildly, as he turned another page. “I heard the kid turned out alright.”“Better than alright,” Hux contributed, bringing Anakin over a teacup. “I heard he’s like, the best guy in the world.”“That’s good,” Anakin said, sighing before taking a sip of his tea. “I’d like to meet him someday.”Ben bit his lower lip, but said nothing. They spent the next half hour going through the album, with Ben helping his grandfather to identify the people and the places captured in the photographs. At around 2, the doorbell rang, and Ben got up to answer it, leaving Hux temporarily alone with Anakin.“Do you want some more tea?”“People never tell you,” Anakin replied, shaking his head.“Pardon?”“People don’t tell you. They don’t tell you about this,” he said, tapping a photo of his wife. “They don’t tell you how fast it goes. What’s important. Armitage,” he said, reaching out and gripping Hux’s hand, “I’M telling you, so you’ll know. It’s important. Nothing else. Okay?”Hux nodded, although he had only the faintest clue what the man was talking about. Then, as if hearing the confusion in Hux’s mind, Anakin went on:“Love, love, LOVE is important. Nothing else. Be with someone who takes care of ALL of you. It goes fast. It’s important. Okay?”Before Hux could reply, Ben came back in, with a small lady trailing behind him. “The nurse is here, grandpa,” Ben said, gesturing to her. “Hux and I are going to go now, and let her give you your medicines, okay?”Anakin nodded, the light that had been there when he was talking to Hux having faded from his eyes.“Okay,” he said, a sanguine smile spreading across his lips, “See you later.”Ben leaned over and kissed his grandpa’s cheek. “You can keep this album with you, Okay? We’ll talk about it some more the next time I come to visit.”“Okay. Do me a favor, please, if you see Ben ... tell him I miss him. If he has time, I’d like him to come visit me soon.”“Okay,” Ben agreed cheerfully, backing out of the kitchen with Hux at his heels. “Goodbye.”The two got into the car in silence, and made it several blocks away before the first word was uttered. “You okay?”, Hux asked, looking at him with concern.“Yep. I’m fine,” Ben replied, although he really wasn’t. He could hear the shake in his voice and feel the tears starting in the corners of his eyes. But he didn’t want Hux to see him like this, and he didn’t want to talk about it.So he reached over and turned up the radio. Not loud enough to shatter their eardrums, but loud enough so that conversation would be impossible.Hux seemed to take the hint, and didn’t say anything else to him. But, at some point, he reached down and grabbed Ben’s limp hand, which was laying at Ben’s side, and gave it a warm, reassuring squeeze.And held on.—-“We gotta talk, like now,” Hux said, grabbing Ben’s sleeve and pulling him behind the tree.“What the fuck? Where did you even come from? What’s wrong??”It was Ben’s gym period, and he had been in the middle of following his classmates to the outdoor soccer field, when Hux appeared from no-where and dragged him to the side.Ignoring Ben’s question, Hux pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Ben, his face flushed and his eyes bright as he said,“Poe slipped this to me during math class.”Ben unfolded it and began reading, his heart sinking just the tiniest bit in his chest.
Red,
You’re gonna think I’m awful for saying this. You’re gonna think I’m a bad, immoral person, because you have a boyfriend and I KNOW you have a boyfriend. But I can’t help it: lately, I’ve been thinking of you a lot. I mean, really, a LOT. I think about us in middle school and I can’t help but feel like we missed out on something, that maybe if we had both been more open with who we were and what we wanted ... WE could be in a relationship right now. I know I’m awful for even thinking like this, but, I have to know ... is there ANY chance in this world that we could end up together? Please, let me know your thoughts. I’ll meet you today after school, by my locker, if you’re interested in talking.
Poe
“Can you believe it?”, Hux asked, as Ben gave the note back to him.“I ... I guess, I’ve gotta hand it to you, Hux. I didn’t think this plan of yours would work, but clearly —““What should I do?”Ben tilted his head and looked at him, confused. “What do you mean, what should you do? This is what you’ve been waiting for, isn’t it?”Hux nodded, but for some reason, Ben thought that he didn’t seem as sure of himself as he normally did. He didn’t really seem that happy, either; which was odd considering how hard they had been acting to get to this point.“I ... well, I can’t just go running to him right away. That would look suspicious. So ... I think the thing to do is stage a fight, and a public breakup.”Ben nodded, looking down and pushing around a runner of dirt with his feet. “Okay. Sounds good. Maybe on Friday? During lunch?”Hux nodded too, also looking down. “Okay. Um ... I’m going to meet him after school today, then. Give him a whole speech about how I love you, and I don’t plan on leaving you. That way the breakup will look unplanned and genuine.”“Cool. Ah, do you want me to wait for you in the parking lot, then?”Hux shook his head. “That’s okay, I’ll catch a ride home with Phasma or someone.”Ben nodded, then abruptly turned away, walking in the direction his gym class had gone. “Okay. See you in the morning, then,” he called out to him over his shoulder.So it ends, Ben thought, as he walked across the grass. This is it. After Friday, I’ll be free again. No more lies, no more pretending. Hux will have Poe, and we can go back to the way it was, when we were just two normal friends.Ben was on the verge of crossing the street to get to the soccer field, when, suddenly, he turned and ran in the opposite direction, back towards the student parking lot. He went to his car; the left back door was always unlocked, because of a problem with the lock mechanism.He just barely made it inside and closed the door, before he burst into tears. Loud, uncontrollable sobs wracked his body, and Ben curled up helplessly on the back seat, unable to fight them off.He stayed there for the rest of the day, getting out only to retrieve his clothes and keys from the locker room, to go home.—-“Do you feel okay?”Ben nodded, taking another long pull at his water bottle. The anticipated (and dreaded) Friday had arrived, and Ben and Hux were about to act out their break-up. They had rehearsed a couple of lines in Ben’s car earlier this morning, but that was the extent of their practice.They had chosen to sit separately from their usual cafeteria group table, and were sitting alone, at a table that was very near Poe’s own.“I’m fine,” Ben replied now, putting the cap back in his water. “You’re sure? You look kinda sick or something,” Hux observed, peering at him closely. “Like you’re about to puke. If ... if you want, this can wait ‘til you feel better,” Hux told him, still speaking low enough so that no one else would hear.“No, no, let’s get this over with.”Hux visibly flinched at the words, but made no reply to them. Instead, he said, in a louder-than-normal speaking voice, “Fuck, what is WITH you, Ben?! I do everything to keep you happy, but you can’t stay awake for like, two minutes, to even TALK to me? Am I boring you??”Ben glanced to the side: Poe had taken the bait, and was sitting up straight, watching the two. So were several others that were in proximity to their table, everyone eager for drama.“Oh my God, shut up, Hux,” Ben snapped back, sneering at the redhead. “You’re so fucking needy! Do you ever stop whining?”“I’d rather be needy than a dick,” Hux retorted, really getting into the act now. “You know what your problem is, Ben? You don’t fucking appreciate me. You never did! You —“Suddenly, without any prior knowledge that he was going to do so, Ben jumped up from his seat and pushed in his chair. “I — I can’t do this, Hux. I can’t.”He began walking quickly away, leaving Hux momentarily stunned, staring after him and genuinely wondering whether Ben was still just acting ... or whether this was real.Deciding that it was real enough, Hux jumped up and chased him, catching him and grabbing his arm before he got to the doors.“Seriously ... IS something wrong? You’re acting —““No, I’m not,” Ben said, yanking his arm away. “I’m through acting, because you know what? It’s not worth it. HE, is NOT WORTH IT, or worth YOU. I don’t know why you can’t see that, why you can’t see how fucking wonderful you are ...”Here Ben paused, letting out a little half-hysterical sob, before continuing:“What you want ... I can’t help you get. Not anymore. From this point, you’re on your own, Hux. Get him yourself — but I can’t be involved anymore. I can’t. I’m sorry!”; and with that, he turned and kept going. He went straight out to his car, got in, and drove home, leaving a very confused Hux back at school.—-“Hey.”Ben looked up, surprised to see Hux standing over him. It was late, going on 7pm, and the sun was just starting to set behind the trees.Ben had stayed out of school the following day after cafeteria incident, telling his parents that he felt ill. He DID feel sick, but not physically. Mostly, he was embarrassed. He felt awful, that he had likely messed up everything Hux had worked so hard to make a reality. Yesterday, Hux had called and texted his phone until far past midnight, only to have Ben just ignore him. He couldn’t face him, he wasn’t sure how to even begin apologizing for this.Now, having grown restless, he left his house and walked down to the old park several blocks away from his house, resting on a swing and staring blankly at the ground.“Hey. How did you know where to find me?”Hux sat down next to him. The metal of the swing-chains ate through his pants, making him shudder, so he pulled his arms back into his sleeves.“You always come here when you’re upset,” Hux answered, chuckling a little. “When you flunked that math test in 5th grade and you were scared to go home; when your parakeet died, when you got that speeding ticket and didn’t want to tell your parents ... you always end up here.”“I ... I guess you’re pretty disgusted with me, huh?”“No. I ... ““Please, at least tell me that Poe asked you out or something afterwards?”“Ah, about that ... Poe came up to me after you ran out. Said that he’d changed his mind, and I was ‘too messy’ to get involved with,” Hux told him, chuckling a little.“Shit. Hux, I’m so sorry,” Ben said quietly, hanging his head. “Are you okay?”“What do you mean, am I okay? You fucking idiot, you’re the one who looks like you haven’t slept all night!”“No, no; I mean, are you okay, about Poe?”Hux sighed, biting down on his lower lip.“I’m okay. And I should apologize to you, I really should. You did so much, you’ve been helping me so much these past few weeks ... and ... and it turns out you were right from the beginning. He HAS changed. He’s not that boy I fell in love with in middle school. Before I left, I heard him and his shit-stain friends laughing and talking about what had happened. Calling me and you names. Like ... like it was something that didn’t matter, or like, nobody had any feelings. He changed. Or maybe he didn’t change at all; maybe he’s always been like that, and I was just too stupid to see it.”“You’re not stupid,” Ben told him, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “Shit like this is just a crappy part of life, you know? You’ve just gotta learn from it, and get stronger from it.”Hux nodded. “You’re right. But still ... I know I keep saying it, but, you have no idea how sorry I am, Ben. You put up with a lot more from me than anyone would expect you to. And I’m sorry I put you in such an awkward position for so long.”Ben shrugged, them chuckled, saying, “Eh ... it’s okay. And hey, I always said I’d like to be in the movies someday. Now I’ve got some good training experience under my belt, huh?”, he joked, making both of them crack up into laughter.“Well,” Hux said once he had calmed down a bit, “I’m nothing if not resilient, Ben. And good news: I’ve already set my sights on somebody else. A boy so handsome, so sweet, so utterly amazing that he blows Poe right out of the water.”“Really? That’s ... that’s great, Hux,” Ben said, unable to help the feeling of sadness that flooded his chest. “Is it someone I know?”Hux nodded. “You do. And I guarantee that you’ll approve of him. In fact, I’ve decided that I’m going to be straightforward this time, and ask him to Fall dance. But I’m having trouble deciding HOW to ask. Any suggestions?”“Just keep it simple. Maybe find out what his favorite kind of flower is, and give him a bunch. Be honest, and speak from your heart. I’m sure he’ll be flattered.”Taking a deep breath, Hux stood up, mumbling, “I hope you’re right.”He lifted his backpack from the ground and unzipped the front pocket, pulling out a magnificent bouquet made up of red and pink carnations... Ben’s favorite flowers. He couldn’t help but grin at Ben’s bewildered expression when he handed it to him, saying, “It helped that I already knew your favorite flowers, I guess.”“Hux? What ... what is ...”Gently taking hold of Ben’s hands, Hux said, softly,“These past few weeks pretending to be your boyfriend, have been strange. On one hand, the pretending made me happy, really happy, somewhere deep down. The idea that I could land someone like YOU in real life ... well ... it’s incredible. But at the same time, also deep down, I felt a little sad. I even felt sad when Poe started to notice me, because I thought, that means that the pretending will end soon. There would be no more hand-holding, no more ‘dates’, no more hugs and cheek kisses. And, honestly, I didn’t know what to make of those feelings, and I was scared and confused by them.”“Hux, I —““Let me finish, please. Then the breakup thing ... that surprised me. You didn’t say a word about how YOU felt, not really; just that Poe wasn’t right for me. You were saying those words with your mouth but it’s like your eyes said something completely different. Yeah, I could be reading way too far into this ... but I’m not, am I, Ben? You ... you couldn’t let me go to Poe, not necessarily because of him, but because of YOU. How YOU felt.”Here he paused, chuckling a little. “I’m just sorry that it took me this fucking long to SEE it. And I think that you think it’s one-sided but, Ben, do you remember the day of the movies? With the orange peel that slipped?”Ben nodded.“Well, yeah, THAT wasn’t a slip, it wasn’t an accident. I wanted to kiss you. But then I got scared because I saw your face and you looked so surprised and ... and honestly, if I hadn’t freaked out when I did ... I could have gone on kissing you forever. I would never have been able to stop, because you, and every single thing about you, are just so goddamned beautiful. So ... I guess this is my very, very long way of asking ... but, Ben, will you go to the fall dance with me?”Ben was silent for a long time, clutching his flowers to his chest.“No.”“No?”, Hux repeated, his heart dropping down to his shoes.“No,” Ben repeated, and a sudden wide, mischievous smile spread across his face, as he continued, “No, because I want to go to something like that, with my BOYFRIEND. Not my classmate, not my best friend, not my pretend boyfriend, but my real, walking-around- kissing-and-hugging-and-holding hands-and-going-on-dates boyfriend. You need to rephrase the question.”“Okay,” Hux said, his heart thudding. “Then ... Ben, will you be my boyfriend?”“Yes.”“R-really? You mean it?!”Ben answered him by yanking him close and laying into him with a kiss. The last rays of the sunset hit them full in the face, causing both to squint as they separated.”I’m gonna warn you right now, though; now that we’re ‘real’, if Poe tries to hit on you, or give you his hoodie, or pass you any more notes ... I will break every stupid bone in his stupid face.””’Poe’? Who’s that?”, Hux asked, playfully smirking, “All I can see is YOU,” and he leaned in for another kiss. This one was deeper; Ben felt it in the very pit of his stomach.“So, we just started for-real dating but ... is it to soon to tell you that I love you?”Ben gently kissed him again, and afterwards, as he pulled away, he mumbled, “17 plus years, it’s about damn time you said it. And I love you too, by the way.”Ben stood up from the swing, and pulled Hux up with him.“Come on,” Ben said softly, extending his arm. “Let me walk you home.”So Hux grasped onto Ben’s fingers, and the two went home, walking hand in hand through the fading sunlight.