Negotiations (Kylo Ren x Reader)

Champagne Problems

A shocked silence settled in the room and persisted for a whole minute. Hux's face went from pink to a delicate shade of purple, his jaw twitching as he attempted to repress his scowl. Nobody seemed to know what to say, not even Dane, whose mouth was hanging unabashedly open. A fit of laughter fell from your lips so sharply that everyone's gaze snapped onto you, watching while you wheezed, your stomach clenching painfully as you tried to catch your breath.

"I don't see what's so amusing." Hux couldn't hide his distaste anymore, narrowing his eyes at you.

"You're... serious?" You whispered, laughter dying away at once, a heavy feeling carving a home in your abdomen.

"No," Dane found his voice, looking incredulously between you and Dane. "Absolutely not." Leia still had not spoken, but Dane turned to her for support. "She is a human being, not some political pawn that can be married off to form an alliance!"

"It is merely an offer, a show of good faith to you and the Resistance." Hux said coolly, speaking directly to Leia now and ignoring Dane's protests. "Nothing will change if she denies."

"She will never marry you." Dane growled, kicking back his chair so hard when he stood that it hit the wall with a clatter of metal. His eyes shone with deep hatred, spit flying as he spoke. "She is worth more than-"

"Dane," You stood too, a rough hand pulling Dane back from where it seemed he was about to leap across the table to attack Hux. "Hux, would you give us a moment to discuss?" He got to his feet, swallowing hard.

"Of course," He nodded and turned on his heel, leaving the room. Dane was glaring at you with a contempt you rarely saw directed at anyone that wasn't the enemy.

"You can't be considering this," He sounded angry, but underneath it, he was scared. You could see it in his eyes. "Please," You turned away from him, pacing the length of the room and back again, looking at the blue-tinged face of Leia.

"I would never ask you to do this." She was trying to keep her expression neutral, but you could tell, even through the hologram, that she was conflicted, perhaps for the same reason that you were. "He said himself that nothing will change if you don't want to." You took another lap of the room, your brain so addled that you felt a headache coming on in your temples. Hux was a liar; everything would change if you refused him, you'd never be able to get close enough for him to confide in you. If you said no, you'd be even worse off than you already were. The words of Krisara echoed in your head, about keeping Hux close, about convincing him to tell you more, how you could make him trust you. You were just scratching the surface of the secrets The First Order was keeping, and the only way to expose them was to climb further inside. This marriage was the way, you could feel it in your bones. You sighed, pulling out Hux's empty seat and lowering yourself into it.

"I'm on the verge of discovery on more than one front." Dane glowered, shaking his head as though he knew what you were going to say. "The only way forward is to accept Hux's proposal." Dane opened his mouth to protest, but you held up a hand to silence him. "For all intents and purposes, I will be his wife. I collect the necessary information to bring the entire First Order down, and the marriage will be dissolved. Like it never existed."

"Do not forget about the drawbacks, you will inherit the First Order's enemies." Leia reminded you gently, but the relief on her face was unmistakable. "And there's the expectation of children," At these words, Dane pounded his first so hard into the table that it left a small divot.

"This is madness!" He exploded, eyes suddenly bloodshot as he rounded the table, pulling you up out of your seat and looking you in the face, hands hard on your shoulders. "Don't do it," He whispered your name so heartbreakingly softly that you considered lying to ease his pain. "Please don't marry him."