Bruises Shaped Like Finger Prints

Ch. 1

General Armitage Hux sat in his chambers utterly disheveled, a bottle of Johrian whiskey three quarters of the way gone in his hand. He shakily raised it to his lips again, the burning sensation of it sliding down his throat was all he had to his name in this moment. Now that... that sniveling child was supreme leader and there was no telling if he'd even have a position anymore. So, he thought, "Could Kylo Ren be that daft though? He'd be stupid to let me go. He'd be absolutely lost without me..." He raised the bottle up again, nursing it until the contents were completely spent. "Or maybe it would be me who'd be lost without him..." He spoke aloud to himself. Tears welled up in his eyes and he started laughing. He'd let his emotions get the better of him... "How weak..." He thought.

Armitage thought for sure that the battle on Crait would have gone much smoother... and without getting thrown like a rag doll either, explaining the current state of his appearance. He would never admit it, but it was also the reason he was on his second bottle of whiskey now. After everything they had been through... he supposed it meant nothing at all to Kylo. As he screwed the top off of the bluish beverage, he heard the compressor locks of his door hiss open. He groggily turned his head knowing damn well who it would be, his vision trying to focus through the alcohol-induced blur. "You..." He muttered quietly.

Kylo locked eyes with him, taking in the miserable sight that was the general. Empty bottle on the floor, a glass long since discarded in favor of just drinking straight out of the source, data pads broke on the floor, a nasty purple bruise high upon his cheek, his usually tamed red hair sticking out in unkempt ways about his head, and his clothes rumpled and appearing as if they hadn't been pressed in months. "Armitage, I am so s-..." Before he could get the rest out, Armitage let out a loud laugh. "You're sorry Kylo? Were you going to try and apologize to me? We both know it's an empty gesture..." He said beginning to nurse the new bottle. Kylo walked forward to Hux's immediate side. He had never known the general to drink. He didn't even know where he had procured such a rare liquor from. "Hand me that this instant! Just look at you!" Kylo demanded, now reaching for the whiskey.

Armitage only gripped it tighter and shot straight up, leaning on his desk a bit to help him stand. "DO NOT DARE TOUCH ME! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME REN!" Fresh tears sprang into his eyes, streaming down as he screamed in the new supreme leader's face. Kylo's eyes went wide and he stumbled backwards, his own tears pricked in the corners. "Armitage... why would y-..." And for the second time in a matter of mere minutes the general interrupted him again. "Why would I not want you near me? You dare ask the reason? You treat me like shit and expect me to be in my bed waiting for you after your every failure or victory Ren! I am done being used! I could deal with the yelling, I could deal with the degrading... but you put your hands on me... you used your powers to lift me from the floor and choke the air from my lungs... you mindlessly tossed me about in the AT-M6 Walker! And all for what Ren? To demonstrate your little empty power struggle you seem to have with me in front of everyone else? Why is it that behind closed doors you seem to worship me but once we leave your quarters or mine it's back to all the abuse I have do endure from you? I'm finished with you Ren! Finished! I'll listen to your orders. I'll carry out what you need me to for the sake of the First Order but if you come to seek me out for any other reason, you can just fuck right off! Now get out of my sight if you have no official business with me!"

Kylo just stood with his jaw nearly at the floor, silent tears racing down his cheeks, catching in his scar. "Y-you know we had to hide our relationship from Snoke... I only ever did that to..."

"No you didn't Kylo! Do not make excuses for your behavior! You did not ever physically harm me until after you killed him! You actually expect me to believe that the girl did it? A mere child with no training? No... I know it was you. You just couldn't wait to inherit aaaaaaaaaaall this power, could you? Just to most likely rub it in my face as usual and now I have to answer to your every whim. How is my crew supposed to look at me now? After what you've caused? When I saw you down on that floor... I nearly pulled my blaster on you... but I stopped myself. Do you have any clue why Ren? Any clue at all? Well I'll tell you why... I thought all this pain you bring to me could end right then and there. We both know I am more then capable of running the First Order without your constant tantrums and crazy sith religion or whatever the hell you follow. A-a-and I thought to myself... just maybe t-this aching in my heart would leave... the ache for you to actually love me back and not treat me as just another warm body... But I couldn't bring myself to do it... I can't harm those who I care for... It seems though you can quite easily... though again I doubt you have feeling at all..." Armitage finished, his voice growing hoarse and breaking with emotion.

"Please Armitage... I..." Kylo reached to touch the other man's shoulder. Armitage shrugged him away again, turning his gaze upon the empty bottle on the floor. "Just leave Kylo... Just leave me to my sorrows... Don't fret though... I'll be able to preform adequately tomorrow and will report to bridge at my usual time. I know you only care I'm drinking because it could interfere with First Order business." He said, feeling bile rise up into his throat. "At least let me help you to your bed Ar... General." Kylo said holding out a hand. Armitage scowled at him and wordlessly pointed to the door. This time Kylo nodded and left, a flurry of black robes was all Armitage saw before the doors hissed once again, signaling that he was finally alone in his room... Though he still couldn't figure out why that hurt worse than having Kylo Ren here.