Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was obvious to any keen observer that Supreme Leader Ren had a lover, and Mitaka was nothing if not a keen observer. His family name held no power within The Order; climbing the ranks without nepotism to fall back on was quite challenging, so he was forced to fall back on his own wit.

It was very early in his career when he realized how valuable information was, and he had taken to meticulously collecting it. He always kept his eyes and ears open. It was fascinating how much someone could betray just by the way they held themselves. He knew all the tells of his superior officers. Captain Peavey had the habit of biting the inside of his cheek when he was nervous, while Colonel Kaplan had the habit of blinking excessively. It took him a while to discern General Hux’s tell; his mask was certainly impressive. However, everyone had a tell, even General Hux. It wasn’t until Kylo Ren had stormed onto the bridge to inform Hux that Snoke had summoned them to the Supremacy that he finally recognized it.

When the General was nervous, an unnatural stillness overcame him. To a passing observer, it might be mistaken for calm, but Mitaka knew better. The stillness he adopted was almost frightening; it was as if he had completely stopped breathing. He had nodded once and followed Lord Ren to the hangar.

Rumors were another valuable source of information, if one knew what to listen for. While the majority of rumors were largely nonsense, there was often a kernel of truth nestled in there somewhere. And while the average officer was content with laughing about a rumor with his mates before going about his day, Mitaka would follow the threads laid out for him.

People often underestimated him, fooled by his quiet nature and unfortunate stutter. But he had discovered several extramarital affairs, embarrassing family dramas, and cases of blatant corruption in this way. He collected evidence and waited for the perfect moment to call in a favor when he needed one. It was a dangerous game, but being a First Order officer was a dangerous profession.

His stash of blackmail material was impressive; he had something on almost everyone of notable rank, except for Hux. General Hux was careful, but nobody was free from ship gossip, and there were various rumors encircling the young General.

The first was that he killed his father, the late Commandant Brendol Hux. The Commandant’s death had been suspicious, and it didn’t take people long to point the finger at his son. It was no secret that General Hux was a bastard and that his relationship with Brendol Hux was troublesome to say the least. Mitaka had uncovered murky stories about how the Commandant had abused his son. When Mitaka heard them, Hux’s reaction to Snoke's summons took a new dimension, and it made something deep inside Mitaka burn. He never found any concrete evidence of General Hux’s involvement in Commandant Hux’s death, but if he had, Mitaka certainly wouldn’t hold it against him.

Since Hux was young and handsome, it was only to be expected that people started talking about how he used sexual favors to climb the ranks at the start of his career. And while he would have loved to find evidence of such a thing, preferably visual evidence (he was not ashamed to admit he admired Hux for more than just his professionalism), he never found a scrap of proof that wasn’t baseless accusations from geriatric imperial officers who couldn’t stand that a man of Hux’s age was climbing the ranks so rapidly.

When he looked through the records, Hux’s rapid rise through the ranks seemed to be based on hard work and the guidance and support from Rae Sloane. His service record was impressive, as well. Mitaka was quite surprised to learn he had briefly worked as a sniper.

Gossip about General Hux fraternizing with subordinates was equally unsubstantial. It didn’t come as a surprise, since the General was strict when it came to fraternization, where a significant power balance was involved. In fact, General Hux had personally demoted senior officers for taking advantage of their subordinates.

The other person he had nothing on was Supreme Leader Ren. It was hard to find trustworthy information of any kind, and it was very unwise to extort a man who could read minds and kill with a handwave.

At least, that was his takeaway before Crait, which had been the definitive turning point in the war. To everyone’s surprise, General Hux had been able to steady Supreme Leader Ren, and they had dealt a killing blow to the resistance. It didn’t take long for the New Republic to start to crumble like a house of cards underneath the First Order’s might.  

The war was over, and the First Order came out as the resounding winner. A new era of building a strong foundation on trade and diplomacy was just getting started, not an easy feat when your figurehead was Kylo Ren. Mitaka was not surprised that the man needed aid in keeping a schedule for the first time in his life; he pitied the unfortunate soul who was to become his aide-de-camp. He didn’t yet know that this unfortunate soul would be him.

_

He received his new assignment on his datapad and was summoned to Supreme Leader Ren’s office the next morning. To say he was nervous was an understatement. Ren was volatile and violent and had choked him out more than once. The memory alone made him tug at his collar. Sure, this could bring his career to new heights, but he might not live long enough to reach them.

He sighed as he pressed the intercom button. It wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter. The door opened, and he was at once faced with the surly Supreme Leader. His dark eyes burned into Mitaka’s soul in an unnerving way.

He swallowed before saluting him.

“Hux recommended you,” Ren said as a way of greeting.

Mitaka internally cursed Hux’s very existence. “It’s an h-honor, sir.”

Ren rolled his eyes. The childish gesture left him both speechless and annoyed.

_

Being the Supreme Leader’s assistant was not as bad as he had feared it to be. For one, he was still alive a month after his promotion. And while Supreme Leader Ren was occasionally distracted and childish, he had not been violent, not even once. The change of behavior was remarkable.

His duties were complex as Ren’s schedule was demanding, but Ren never expected the impossible from him, and he respected Mitaka’s downtime more than any other superior he had ever worked under. In a shocking turn of events, working underneath Supreme Leader Ren was surprisingly pleasant.

Besides, his current function allowed him to get closer to the inner core of The Order than ever. He was present for meetings he would never be allowed to attend otherwise. The wealth of information he was gathering was astonishing.

But by far the most interesting thing he had discovered was that Supreme Leader Ren had a lover. He could barely comprehend it at first. Who was crazy enough to risk life and limb to court someone as mercurial as Kylo Ren? Holding the favor of such a powerful man had its advantages, but was it worth the danger?

Not only did he have a lover, he had a possessive lover. The signs were obvious if you knew where to look, and Mitaka had an eye for details.

The first time he noticed something off was when the Supreme Leader started wearing his new uniform. Since most officers had only seen him in bloodied rags with a mask on for years, it caused quite a stir when he showed up in his tailored uniforms. The cut differed greatly from the uniforms the rest of them wore. With slim-fitting trousers and gold details, he was quite the sight for sore eyes. A braided gold rope hung from his right shoulder as befitting his rank. It was very tastefully done, in Mitaka’s humble opinion.

The folds in his uniform were expertly pressed in a way Mitaka recognized as done with a human hand. While the laundry bots did an adequate job, they never quite managed to press the uniforms quite as expertly because they pressed them in bulk. Which was why many officers hand-ironed the folds in their uniforms to perfection. It was a simple matter of pride in one’s appearance and rank, something Mitaka knew Kylo Ren cared little about.

He certainly wasn’t doing it himself, and he doubted that Ren employed someone to do it for him. His mind wandered to memories of Thannision ironing his uniform pants. He started doing it after they started dating, saying he was already ironing his own uniform, so he might as well iron Mitaka’s while he was at it. Warmth bloomed in his chest at the memory. His fondness for him almost caused him to forget the horrifying idea of Kylo Ren in a committed relationship.

He stored the thought away. Perhaps he was wrong and there was some other explanation. This didn’t need to mean anything. Unfortunately, the seed was planted firmly in his mind, and once he started noticing the little things, he couldn’t stop.

When he stepped into the Supreme Leader’s office the next morning, it was the first thing he saw. Like any other reasonable person who had the will he lived, he had always tried to avoid Ren’s unstable lightsaber as much as possible. In practice, this meant he had spent a significant time keeping his eye on it so he could make a break for it once the man started reaching for it.

As long as Mitaka could remember, Ren wore it clipped to his belt; privately, he had always thought it looked sloppy. Apparently, he hadn’t been the only one who thought so, as Ren was now carrying his lightsaber in a beautifully made scabbard at his hip. It fit him like a glove, and the design followed the lines of his uniform perfectly. It was real craftsmanship. As he walked next to Ren in the hallway, he snuck a closer peek. This close, he could see there was a delicate pattern pressed in the leather, and he recognized it as a traditional Arkanian motif that represented a stormy sea. He fought to keep the expression of horror from his face as he realized that not only did Kylo Ren have a lover, but this lover was courting him according to Arkanian traditions.

It was a painful realization that whoever Kylo Ren’s lover was that they were much braver than Mitaka in every way. He clenched his hands behind his back as he thought back on his fight with Thanisson yesterday. Thanisson wanted to move their relationship to the next level, since they were not officially attached, they did not enjoy the bureaucratic perks of married couples, who were allowed to share quarters and could request to be assigned to the same ship.

Mitaka had been hesitant, afraid to initiate the courtship necessary for a proper marriage. For so long, he only had to worry about his career and his own well-being. At least, that’s what he liked to tell himself. In actuality, he worried about Thanisson constantly, and this is where the issues lay. Thanisson was from a good family; simply put, his prospects were much better than Mitaka’s. He deserved better than Mitaka, someone who had more to offer. Mitaka, with his humble origins, had nothing to offer besides a Lieutenant’s salary and a datapad full of sordid secrets. Thanisson had felt his hesitance, and it had hurt him deeply.

He shook his head as he concentrated once again on making notes of Ren’s meeting. Ren and Hux were arguing about petty financial matters. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

_

That night, he went back to his quarters, alone. They were dark and quiet, safe for the humming of the ship. Thanisson’s shift ended two hours ago. Usually, he would come over to eat dinner and spend the night together. This wasn’t the case today.

Mitaka stamped down the ache in his chest as he started up his datapad. The more his own love life floundered, the more motivated he was to get to the bottom of what was going on with Kylo Ren’s. He was aware this was potentially unwise, but it might also be helpful. He certainly wouldn’t dream about blackmailing him, but any information could be advantageous when climbing the ranks. Threading carefully was of the utmost importance.

Exchanging gifts was a vital part of Arkanian courting rituals. A suitable gift was both thoughtful, useful, and an example of what the giver had to offer. Not just any gift would do; a gift was supposed to be highly personal. It was the chance for the giver to show that they knew the receiver and understood what was important to them.

As much as he loathed to admit it, the scabbard was an excellent choice. It showed the gift-giver recognized Ren as the warrior, and he understood the value of his sword. It was quite a daring gift, too. As it was worn so close to the body yet also clearly visible, it was a clear mark of territory.

Of course, there was a chance Ren bought the damn thing for himself, but Mitaka dismissed the thought instantly. Clipping his sword to his belt had suited him just fine for years. Besides, Mitaka doubted Ren’s taste was sufficiently sophisticated to choose such a pleasing design.

Mitaka started writing down his assumptions about the identity of the yet unknown lover. The mystery suitor was likely a senior officer, stationed on The Finalizer of Arkanian descent. He chewed on his stylus. This hardly narrowed it down.

Ren was accepting the gifts and wearing them openly, so he was clearly returning their affection.

Mitaka stood up to get a cup of tea as he pondered it. The idea of Kylo Ren in a romantic relationship was still quite surreal. With his mysterious powers, he always seemed larger than life, despite his childish behavior. But at the end of the day, Supreme Leader Ren turned out to be just a man like any other.

Did he have type? Mitaka couldn’t remember ever seeing him with a companion, of any gender. He took a sip before turning his eyes to Ren’s schedule. It was completely ordinary, and Mitaka was present for most of his appointments, and during those appointments, he seemed largely uninterested in the other people present.

Well, except for Hux, of course. He glanced at the schedule once more, noticing that three days a week, there was a scheduled debriefing with General Hux at 20:00, after Mitaka had been dismissed.

He nearly choked on his tea.

No, it couldn’t be. They hated each other. Mitaka had watched them argue for years. Ren had hurt Hux more than once, for Stars’ sake. Yet, he couldn’t dismiss the thought out of hand. More investigation was clearly needed. He powered down the datapad, but the possibility haunted him long afterward.

_

He arrived at Ren’s office at 07:00 sharp, surprised to see that General Hux was already present. They were sitting on the two chairs in front of Ren’s desk, with their backs to the door. Hux was showing him something on his datapad and talking quietly. Ren was leaning in; his hand casually draped over the back of Hux’s chair. Nearly touching, but not quite.

He scraped his throat to announce his presence, as his superior officers seemed hardly aware of him.

“Lieutenant Mitaka.” General Hux nodded. Kylo Ren pouted at him, as if annoyed at his interruption.

General Hux stood up and straightened his uniform before setting off to his shift on the bridge. Mitaka glanced at Ren, who was following Hux’s movements with undivided attention as he put on his great coat and his hat before leaving.

Once the door closed and they were alone, the silence was almost oppressive.

“You have a 07:15 holo-call with the Ambassador of Naboo, sir,” Mitaka said, almost hesitant to break the quiet atmosphere.

Ren stood up with a sigh. Mitaka didn’t miss how his thumb lingered on his scabbard for just a moment, caressing it. “Whatever,” said the Supreme Leader, before collapsing in his desk chair.

_

Alright, so the signs were there; Mitaka was willing to admit that much. But he was not convinced yet, mostly because it was hard for him to understand what General Hux could see in Kylo Ren. Sure, he was handsome, but he was also an unbearable menace of intergalactic proportions. Was it purely about power? Mitaka could respect that, of course, but he doubted it. If Hux had wanted Ren’s favor so badly, he would have been trying to get in his good graces since the beginning.

He thought back on the rumors of Hux’s loveless childhood and his cruel father. Hux was a good man, a just superior who treated his staff well and who truly believed in their cause. Mitaka thought he deserved better than an unhappy marriage.

The thing was that they did not look unhappy at all when they were together. They were constantly arguing to the point of exasperation, but there was no fear present there. In fact, the angrier Hux was, the more doting Ren’s expression turned. It was hard to watch sometimes.

He was walking behind Ren on his way to a meeting when he suddenly stopped, nearly causing Mitaka to bump into his broad back.

Ren patted his pockets. “I forgot my damn datapad. Left it in my quarters.” He flung his personal code cylinder to Mitaka, who caught it just barely and looked at it in awe.

“Go get it for me, will you? If I’m late for another Supreme Council meeting, Hux will have my head.”

Mitaka barely heard him; he was too shocked to be holding the code cylinder with the highest clearance in the entire Order. He could cause an intergalactic incident with the access it afforded him, and Ren was handing it to him because he didn’t want to risk Hux’s ire.

He must have broadcast that thought quite loudly, and he heard Ren snort. “No mutiny, Lieutenant,” he said, wagging his finger, before walking to the meeting room with a grin.

Mitaka stumbled to the Supreme Leader's quarters. He realized this was the perfect opportunity to lay his suspicions to rest once and for all. If his superior officers were indeed having a love affair, there ought to be some kind of evidence in Ren’s quarters. The thought of snooping made his ears burn.

He held the code cylinder against the security lock with a shaking hand before stepping into the room. Ren had chosen to keep his original quarters instead of moving to larger quarters that were more befitting to a man of his rank. As it was, his quarters were where they had always been, right next to Hux’s.

For a wild and unwise moment, he considered sneaking into Hux’s quarters as well, but it would be too obvious. Better not risk it.

As he stepped into Kylo Ren’s quarters, he immediately recognized there was not much to be seen. There was very little personality to be found in his Spartan living room and kitchenette. The datapad was nowhere to be seen either, so he continued to the bedroom, which was so dark he could barely see anything.

“Lights 80%,” he commanded. His eyes were drawn to the large bed in the middle of the room. There was nothing particularly special about the bed itself, nor the duvet cover, which was standard issue. No, it was the coverlet that was spread lovingly and neatly at the bottom of it that almost caused Mitaka to pass out right then and there.

The knitted blanket covered about a quarter of the bed when it was folded over. The wool was beautifully dyed dark green. Mitaka reached out with a shaking hand to lightly touch the fabric, and he gasped at the texture. He would recognize the softness anywhere; this was not itchy synthetic wool, or coarse gaberwool, this was wool from Arkanis Coastline sheep. A special breed that lived around Scaparus, known for its soft and durable wool. He knew this because he remembered seeing a similar blanket when he was a child, the courtship blanket that belonged to his mother. It had been smaller; Coastline sheep wool was expensive, and his father had saved up months to buy the materials needed to make the blanket. It had not been nearly as intricate as this once; his father had not been a particularly talented knitter, but he recognized some of the geometric designs that were traditional for their region. The same region that Hux had also grown up in.

He recalled how his mother would throw it over her shoulders on chilly nights as his father was working at sea. He would climb into her lap, and she would envelop him in her embrace.

When he was young, he used to dream of such a love, of someone working diligently for months to give him something beautiful and special. Did he deserve it? He didn’t know.

The blanket was proof that this courtship and been going on for a significant amount of time, as such a project would have taken months. The fabric slipped from his fingers as he took a shuddering breath.

Since Crait, perhaps.

He finally located the datapad on Ren’s bedside table. When he turned to leave, he noticed that the door of the bathroom was open, and there were two toothbrushes in the cup on the bathroom sink.

_

The evidence was staggering, but he still did not have definitive proof that it was Hux. However, it was getting hard to care. He stumbled through his days with a heavy heart. Thanisson had returned to his quarters, and he had not replied to any of his messages or calls. And since he was now dedicated to his new function as Aide-de-Camp, he didn’t have the chance to run into Thanisson by chance, as he worked the bridge shift. Mitaka had been too frightened to show up in person at his quarters, because it meant he had to decide once and for all. He was selfishly holding onto affection he hardly deserved.

If Kylo Ren, of all damn people in the universe, could accept and return affection, why was it so hard for Mitaka to do the same? He took off his hat and flung it on his single-person bunk, followed by his gloves. He wiped his hand over his exhausted face before sitting down on the edge of his bunk.

These last few days have allowed him too much time to think, as Kylo Ren was on an impromptu mission. General Hux did not seem concerned, and it allowed Mitaka to catch up on the administrative tasks that he usually didn’t get to do when he was dogging Ren’s steps.

His racing thoughts kept him from sleeping, so he settled at his desk to finish the last paperwork. When his comm buzzed, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He fumbled for it and felt a stab in his heart when he saw it was not Thanisson, but Hux.

General Hux: Report to the medbay, now.

Mitaka scrambled out of his chair as he rushed to the medbay. When he got there, he was expecting some kind of panicked situation, but was surprised to find that the medical staff was perfectly calm.

“Ah, Lieutenant Mitaka. General Hux told me you would visit, this way please.” The medical officer guided him through the restricted areas where high-ranking officers were treated until they reached a private room.

She knocked and waited patiently for permission before opening the door with her code cylinder.

“Lieutenant Mitaka is here to see you, Supreme Leader Ren.”

Mitaka had expected Ren to be seriously injured, but he was upright in bed, drinking a cup of tea. The ring on his finger was clicking softly against the glass cup.

Ren looked at Hux with an exasperated look. “Did you seriously call him out of bed for this? No wonder all the younger officers think you’re a tyrant.”

Hux was seated in a chair by his bedside and crossed one leg over another with an annoyed noise.

“A head injury is nothing to scoff at, Kylo,” he replied. Ren only smiled.

Mitaka felt like he was still asleep, and this was some kind of fever dream.

“I’m glad to see you are well, sir,” he finally said.

Ren waved a disinterested hand before letting it rest on the sheets, centimeters from Hux’s. Neither of them was wearing gloves, which was curious.

“Hux is just making a big deal over nothing. He insisted you come here right away so we could get my schedule in order, but I feel fine and will return to work tomorrow.”

“You most certainly will not. Please clear the Supreme Leader's schedule for the next 3 cycles, Mitaka.”

“Uh, yes, sir,” he said, as he focused all his attention on the task at hand, so he didn’t have to see the way Hux was currently looking at Ren. Mitaka had never seen him like this before. Despite his ramrod straight posture, he was fidgeting with the slim, gold band around his finger, and his normally steady gaze flitting from Ren’s face to the screen monitoring his vitals. Ren, in his turn, just looked at him with fond exasperation.

It was abundantly clear who the Supreme Leader's mystery suitor was.

“I thought I was supposed to be the Supreme Leader,” Ren teased.

“Oh, don’t be childish.”

“What shall I tell people when asked about the Supreme Leader’s absence, sir?” Mitaka said.

Hux turned his eyes to Ren.

“Tell them nothing, Lieutenant,” he said, without looking at Mitaka.

Standing here in close quarters with the two of them, it was difficult to imagine anyone not noticing what was between them, as they didn’t seem to have eyes for anything besides each other.

Mitaka shifted his weight from one foot to another. They hadn’t dismissed him yet, but when the medical officers knocked on the door, he felt like it was his cue to leave.

He walked around the ship in a daze, unsure of where he was going. The easy affection had left him lonelier than ever. Mitaka worried about Thanisson. What if he hadn’t returned his messages because he was ill or injured? Had he been eating well? Sleeping well? Mitaka didn’t know.

Without intending to, his feet led him to Thanisson’s quarters, and he knocked on the door before he thought better of it. He was surprised that Thanisson opened the door, and shocked by the pure relief and joy he felt at seeing his sleepy face.

“Dopheld,” he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, “are you alright? It’s in the middle of the rest cycle.”

At that moment, he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. When he enveloped him in his arms, he was warm and soft. Mitaka buried his face into his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent.

“I’m sorry, I got scared and I ran away and I’m sorry,” he said, as he felt Thanisson’s arms encircle him. He moved back a bit and brought his hands to Thanisson’s face, cupping his cheeks gently as he looked into his shiny, brown eyes. Mitaka swallowed at the sight. “Please, let me try to prove my worth.”

Thanisson smiled a watery smile. “Dopheld, don’t be ridiculous. You were worthy all along. I was waiting for you to realize it.”

Mitaka felt a wide smile break over his face before he kissed Thanisson right there in the doorway of Hall 45C-8.

It wasn’t until much later that he realized that Supreme Leader Ren and General Hux had been wearing matching rings.