Negotiations (Kylo Ren x Reader)

The Wedding, Part II

Hux was clean-shaven, his red hair slicked back, standing out against the speckled white marble of the cathedral walls. His gaze locked on you, a half smile spreading over his face. As you reached the steps up to the dais, Leia looked at you, piercing through the veil that covered your face, and smiled sadly. It was almost as though she pitied you. She disappeared into the crowd as you accepted Hux's outstretched hand.

"This is not the dress I picked out." He said out of the corner of his mouth, but his tone was amused.

"You're lucky I'm in a dress at all." He squeezed your fingers in response and you turned to face each other.

"Welcome one, and welcome all." The elderly officiant began, silencing the excited whispers flitting through the room. "We gather from all corners of the galaxy to celebrate this most historic union." Hux took your hands and ran his thumb along your skin. "I will admit, I've officiated many weddings in my time, perhaps even a senator or two, but never have I joined two of such famously feuding organizations." The comment earned a flitter of laughter from the room, but a glare from you.

"Yet here we are." He continued, "And we honor the timeless Hosnian Prime tradition of union with the cloth of stars." Two young attendants came out of the shadows with a shimmering black cloth in their arms, directing you to stand next to Hux and draping it over both of your shoulders. The material was silky, almost fluid, and each glittering white dot emitted its own light. "This cloth has been draped over the shoulders of every couple that has been married in this cathedral as a sign of good fortune, a symbol of love that spans across the stars." You had to bite your tongue to keep from snorting. The officiant laid a hand on the top of Hux's head, then yours. "May your union grow strong and tenacious, and may it last until the final star in the galaxy burns out." The fabric glowed brighter than ever, the audience making delighted noises before breaking into applause.

"Yes, yes, a bright glow for a well-made match." The cloth slipped from your shoulders and was ushered away by the attendants, and Hux turned to face you again, his gaze bright with anticipation. "And now, it comes time to make your vows, before the eyes of the New Republic, your families, your friends, and most importantly, before each other." The officiant's eyes twinkled as he looked between you, directing Hux to lift the veil from obscuring your view. "General Armitage Hux, do you vow to take the woman before you as your wife, to grow and prosper together, to bring her under your protection? Do you promise to honor her and every life you bear together, and keep the highest covenant in the galaxy to her alone?"

"I will." Hux said without hesitation, unable to keep his grin contained. Someone in the audience sighed. As the officiant turned on you, saying your full name, something rippled in the far back of the room, catching your eye. Time ceased to exist, the words of the officiant were dull and distant, as though the entire event was above the surface of a treacherous sea, and you were being pulled down into an unrelenting undercurrent. The faces in the crowd were little more than blurred dots of color, your heart racing in your chest: Kylo Ren was standing in the back of the room, his expression impassive as he locked your gaze. You forgot how to breathe. Someone nudged you, and everything came back into focus.

"Your response is, 'I will'." The officiant murmured gently to you, a swell of whispers growing through the room.

"I-" Your mouth was bone dry, and your face reflexively shot back to where Kylo had stood, but he was gone. Gone as though he'd never been there in the first place. "I will." You swore you could feel a hurricane of rage swirling from somewhere light-years away as soon as the words left your lips.

"Then it is my privilege and honor to pronounce you husband and wife." He turned to Hux. "You may kiss your bride." Hux cradled your face in his hands, looking at you for a moment before kissing you, applause erupting through the hall like an explosion. You barely remembered to kiss him back, to plaster a blissful smile over your face when he pulled back, your mind was far, far away, watching a red lightsaber hit a gray paneled wall until it was little more than scrap metal.