Work Text:
“So you’re a fox familiar?” Kylo said
“Yes,” Hux said.
“Never been bonded to a witch before?”
“No, never.”
Kylo stroked his chin with one hand as he looked over at the man sitting across from him. Sure, witches weren’t exactly common anymore and familiars usually preferred normal human work but somehow they ended up in this situation. And it all started with a flyer that read “witchless fox familiar looking for work” with a phone number attached. Of course he had to call, of course he had to set up a meeting at this lovely little coffee shop they were currently at.
Fortunately for Kylo his boldness paid off. Armitage Hux was a gorgeous man even while he tried to act as if this were a normal job interview. He even wore a suit which Kylo couldn’t help but think was adorable given the circumstances. He himself looked as goth as always when he went anywhere. Dark clothes, smudged eye make-up and a dark lip. At the same time as being a preference it also served as a test to see how Hux would react. He didn’t seem to mind. Something bubbled in his chest, something giddy. A familiar was a prestigious thing to have these days, not many witches had them anymore. His own uncle certainly never had one and he was quite the famous witch. Kylo himself often felt like he had something to prove as a young witch. Having a familiar would give him an edge over others of his craft.
Hux took an audible breath which had Kylo snap back to attention and out of his own head.
“So, you work in magic?” he said.
It sounded strange, almost awkward, to hear it like this. There wasn’t really proper ‘work’ in magic unless you counted teaching at private institutes that fostered the talents of young witches in an extra subject and required extracurricular activities. But Kylo wasn’t a teacher, far from it, really.
“I’m a graphic designer, actually,” Kylo said, his lips in a crooked smile as he drank in the surprised expression on Hux’s face.
“But… why would you want a familiar if you don’t...”
He suddenly looked confused, downbeat even, maybe even pitiful if it weren’t from the way he held himself. Hux generally seemed like a proud individual.
“Oh, I still do a bit of magic work on the side. Usually for bored people who think they need a fertility spell for their garden because they don’t understand how plants work, stuff like that,” Kylo said with a shrug with a stray thought to the one time he had to figure out how to get rid of dandelions with a spell.
“If it helps, I can pay you well and there’s a free room in my apartment. My parents got it for me. It’s big. You’d have your own bathroom, too.”
The more he talked, the more he longed for Hux to say yes. And Kylo didn’t even see him in his fox form yet. It had to be just as adorable as his confused face.
“Why do you even want a familiar?” Hux said.
“Prestige. Why do you want to be a witch’s familiar anyway?”
Hux stuttered momentarily. His face flushed as he struggled for words.
“Because I feel like I can’t be myself with the way things currently are,” he eventually said, painfully honest. “I have a terrible job at my father’s company but all I really want is to be a fox from time to time. Most of the time, even and without anyone finding it strange.”
Hux couldn’t even meet his eye as he talked, his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily.
“Maybe I should just go, this was a terrible idea,” he quickly added and made to leave but Kylo caught his arm just in time.
“No, it’s not terrible, please stay,” Kylo said. If anyone understood the urge to break out of the cage others built for him it was Kylo.
“We can try it out and see how it goes if you like?” he offered hopefully as Hux sat back down, his face still adorably pink.
“And you don’t have to be human around me if you don’t like. I don’t mind,” Kylo said with a shrug. He never met a shapeshifter before, at least that he knew of. It would be an interesting experience.
The corners of Hux’s mouth twitched in an aborted smile.
“Fine,” he said, his voice wavering. “I’ll take time off of my day job so we can try it out.”
“Wonderful,” Kylo said. He grabbed Hux’s hands and clasped them together with his own. “I promise we’ll have a lot of fun together.”
Not even a week later Kylo opened his door to Hux who arrived with one big suitcase. His face was in awe when he entered Kylo’s apartment.
“Your family is quite wealthy, isn’t it?” Hux said as Kylo showed him to his room which wasn’t any less luxurious with a big double bed, a TV and various pieces of high quality furniture. All of them empty if it weren’t for little knickknacks here and there, like dull crystals Kylo couldn’t use for anything.
“I guess,” Kylo said with a shrug.
Of course he was aware of the differences between himself and other people, especially the money but he didn’t want to bring it up all the time. It was one of the reasons why he tried to distance himself from it all, even if he did take the money and even if he still lived at the place his parents got for him. But he knew how it looked from the outside, despite all of his own thoughts and feelings. To most people he was just a rich brat. Hux had the same look on his face, the same look which came before people judged him for his privilege he obviously had. And why shouldn’t they? He certainly didn’t work for his family’s reputation. Still, it made the distance between him and other people sometimes uncomfortable. Kylo didn’t want his potential familiar to feel alienated. But he couldn’t think of anything to make it better, every phrase, every sentence in his mind sounded like a shallow excuse or a strange and uncalled for attempt at pity. No, he had to keep it to himself.
“You know, if it weren’t for dumb stuff like midnight rituals and spells that require moonlight I wouldn’t badger you to stay over,” Kylo said with a shrug. “It’s just that’s when I really need someone. You don’t have to stay otherwise if it makes you uncomfortable. I can understand if you’d rather stay at your own home.”
The way Hux inspected the room had Kylo’s pulse quicken in anticipation. He already prepared a few choice words in his head, counters to rude remarks and mean quips. But then Hux put his suitcase down.
“This will do, I think,” he said, then he turned to Kylo who stood in the door, his face slightly flushed.
“If you’ll excuse me I’d like to unpack some things.”
“Uh, sure,” Kylo said even though he didn’t even show Hux the rest of the place yet but something told him he needed to give Hux some space. He certainly needed to get his own thoughts together.
“I’ll be in my room if you need me. I’ll leave the door open. Still got some work to do,” he said and left Hux to his own devices, hopeful he wouldn’t suddenly decide to leave.
It was quiet when Kylo settled down in his own room in front of his computer, his graphic program open with the photos he needed to touch up for an ad. He decided 5 minutes in it was too quiet so he grabbed his headphones and turned on some music to lose himself in his work. At least until he saw some movement in the door which had Kylo push down his headphones so they rested against his neck, still blaring the music.
In the door stood a fluffy red fox and watched him. Just as Kylo had expected, Hux was beautiful and terribly cute.
“Do you want to watch?” Kylo said and patted to his lap, more as a joke than really meaning it, but Hux leisurely walked up to him.
“Sure, why not,” he said, surprising Kylo. Only after hearing Hux’s voice as a fox did Kylo remember about familiars being able to do exactly that: talk in animal form.
“Do you want to sit on my lap or should I get a chair for you?” Kylo said, secretly hoping Hux would opt for his lap. Something about having a fluffy animal close seemed really appealing even if Hux was actually a shapeshifter and had a perfectly normal human body if he wanted. Instead he jumped into Kylo’s lap once Kylo pushed the chair back enough to give him access.
“Did you get your winter coat already?” Kylo said as he steadied Hux with one hand while he turned back to his work.
“I’m an early turner,” Hux said. He settled down nicely in Kylo’s lap, his warm weight a pleasant presence. To Kylo’s surprise Hux didn’t smell as musky as a real fox probably smelled. Or at least it was something Kylo heard of once, that foxes had a really strong smell. Hux on the other hand smelled like himself. It was pleasant.
Without putting his headphones back on, Kylo went back to work under the curious gaze of his hopefully future familiar. He was currently touching up the photograph of a female model when Hux looked up to him for a second before turning his gaze back to the screen.
“Say, are you retouching this according to what you find attractive in a woman?” he said. Kylo wanted to laugh but he tried not to. He might as well tell Hux the truth since he’d sooner or later figure it out eventually if he decided to stick around.
“Nah,” Kylo said. “I’m not into women but there are some industry standards as to which things to change and I get this back for revisions if I don’t do them so it’s best to just do my job.”
Sure, he was aware how much he changed these images of already pretty models but Kylo didn’t really care all that much. It was a job. People had to know by now how much photographs got edited for magazines and ads. It wasn’t anything special. In the past he did care, yes, but not anymore.
“Ha, sound sensible I guess,” Hux said.
“What about you? Do you prefer the touched-up version or the original?” Kylo said and pulled up the original image to show them next to each other. It was quite the difference, he had to admit. He had touched up a photograph that was already great to begin with.
Hux made a weird sound – not a human sound, a fox sound – before he talked.
“I’m also not into women if that’s what you’re asking,” he said. “But still, both images have something worthwhile about them I think. I don’t know. I worked in account. I mean, I’m working in accounting. Not much to do with media things.”
Kylo couldn’t help a chuckle.
“Doesn’t take working in media to have an opinion though. Maybe you won’t be working in accounting any longer, who knows,” he said.
Hux laughed in his lap, a cute, animal-like ‘he-he-he’. Kylo had to hold back from stroking Hux’s soft fur. Sitting in his lap was one thing, treating him like an animal to pet was quite another. Maybe at some point it would feel appropriate but not now.
“Maybe,” Hux said before he curled up in Kylo’s lap, no longer watching him work but simply being near him. Kylo couldn’t help it, he put one hand on Hux’s warm body, not moving it, just letting it lie there. He could feel Hux’s tail wiggling somewhere under the table, sometimes it even hit the wood with a dull ‘thud’.
The rest of the day had some more work in store for Kylo. In between they had some lunch which was the only time Hux took human form, then later they were relaxing in the living room together, Hux once more in fox form lying somewhere close to Kylo on the couch. It was fun. It was almost like relaxing with a pet, only Hux proved to be very intelligent with remarks that constantly had Kylo laugh. Hanging out with him already felt like hanging with a friend of which Kylo didn’t have too many these days.
It wasn’t until Hux announced he would retire to bed that Kylo found himself asking: “And? Did you enjoy today?”
“I did but there wasn’t any work for me to be done,” Hux said with a sound which might have been a sigh.
“Yeah, I mean, being a witch and a familiar isn’t always about work, I feel like. I bet back when magic was more prominent they didn’t cook potions all day either or sing to the sky for rain, or use the moon for a weird curse,” Kylo said with a shrug. He could only hope the lack of work didn’t turn Hux off but Hux gave him another long look, before he turned away.
“Good night, Kylo,” he said before wandering off.
“Good night,” Kylo said before leaning back. He wondered briefly if Hux slept in human form or as a fox. Sure, he could go and see for himself but instead he chose not to be creepy.
The next day was rather similar with Kylo working at a project at home with Hux in his lap when his phone alerted him of a new text message.
“Looks like I have to go into the office for a meeting,” he said after reading it. Hux shuffled around a bit on his lap, probably waking up from a nap. It wasn’t always clear to Kylo if he slept or simply dozed.
“Do you want to come with?” Kylo offered. “I mean, you could also stay here but I guess if you decide to be my familiar you might as well go where I go.”
“Alright,” Hux said and hopped off of Kylo’s lap. Looking at him like this, still a fox, still fluffy and cute, Kylo couldn’t help but ask:
“Are you a backpack kind of guy or are messenger bags more your thing?”
Hux gave him a puzzled look which was terribly adorable, so much he had to resist reaching down and petting him.
“Messenger bags but how is this relevant?”
“Well, I’m taking the subway to work, it’s faster and I thought you might want to stay like this? But I’d have to carry you so no one steps on you,” Kylo said with a shrug. “Or you can just change forms and come as a human but we do have comfy pet beds at the office since some people bring their dogs.”
Hux made a face for a second even though his tail moved slowly from side to side.
“So you’re saying I should lie in the hair of some dogs? You know my sense of smell is a lot better in this form.”
Kylo chuckled nervously, somehow he conflated Hux enjoying being a fox with all aspects of being a canid which included smelling other animals, especially dogs. But of course Hux was different, after all, he had a human mind even if he could slip into the body of a fox.
“You could have my chair then, if you like. I’ll be in the meeting room anyway,” Kylo said. He would have to brush off the fox hair later since it would show up on the usually dark jeans he wore.
“Okay, just give me a second to get ready and then we’ll go,” Kylo said before he left Hux to his own devices for a moment while he went to the bathroom.
When he was finally done dressing for going out, Hux stood waiting for him near the door, still in fox form.
“Do you always go out like this?” Hux said, as if he hadn’t seen Kylo all done up the first day they met: Dressed in black, dark nails, smokey eyelids and dark lipstick. Usually he didn’t bother with all of it when he worked from home. Maybe just the nails and sometimes the lipstick if he felt like it. It was something he started doing as a teen, just as a little rebellion against social norms but instead of stopping once he grew older he turned it up a few levels. Since he was a massive beefcake no one dared mess with him anyway. Going to the gym at least three times a week really paid off.
“Sure, why not? You don’t like it?” Kylo said with a chuckle. Hux gave him a long look before he answered.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Would it change anything if I said no?”
“Nah, I dress like I want,” Kylo said. He grabbed his big messenger bag which he usually used for books and magazines and presented it to Hux.
“Come on, hop in,” he said. Hux hesitated for a moment before he went into the bag. It was a bit of a tight fit because of all his fur but he still managed to settle and Kylo put the strap over his shoulder so Hux was at his side.
“Alright, let’s get to the office,” he said.
Kylo found Hux a lot less talkative once they left home and Kylo tried to make it seem as if it was quite normal that he had a fox with him. Some people gave them looks which Kylo returned with a slight glare but otherwise nobody bothered them. It was probably the fact that Kylo was a big, beefy goth who often scowled at his phone while he was in public to check work-related things. Not just for his graphics design job but also whenever someone wanted to book him for some magic work. It was strange not to immediately pull his phone out when he saw the opportunity to sit down. At least not without talking to Hux first which seemed the more sensible thing to do.
“Are you comfortable or do you want to get on my lap?” he said. Hux audibly sniffed before he answered.
“I’m quite fine here, thank you.”
Kylo decided to not bother him anymore and pulled out his phone to check his emails only to find a few requests for spell work. He had to check his calendar later as well as his storage to see if he had enough of the items he needed.
“Looks like we’ll get to do some magic this week after all,” he said which had Hux perk up momentarily. “It’s going to be fun, I think we’ll do some cleansing. Apparently this lady thinks her living room is haunted. Should be interesting. I’ll need you as a human for that though.”
“Sure,” Hux said, the bag wiggled a bit which had Kylo wonder if Hux’s tail was wagging. “I’m looking forward to it.”
The rest of the train ride went smoothly without any incidents and once Kylo was at the office he let Hux out of the bag at his own desk. He wasn’t often in but still had his own equipment.
“Are you going to be okay here?” Kylo said, suddenly unsure. He knew his coworkers wouldn’t dare mess with his stuff but Hux wasn’t stuff, he was a living, breathing being. Hux looked up at him from where he sat on the chair, his ears twitched once.
“I’ll be fine, I’ll just take a nap I guess until we go home,” he said, then yawned and curled up into a ball.
“Right,” Kylo muttered and went off to the meeting room where he probably wouldn’t talk much anyway since he did this new thing where he tried keeping his temper in check. The first few times they had returned his work for revisions there had been an unfortunate incident. Now, several years later, Kylo knew how to deal with it. Most of the time, anyway.
When he sat there in the meeting, listening to quarter goals, upcoming changes to how the magazine covers were going to be in future issues and so on, Kylo listened and didn’t offer any input. He was going to do his work and worry for things that truly mattered to him. Right now his only thoughts were if Hux was alright.
It was about twenty minutes into the meeting when the glass door somewhere behind Kylo opened and one of the people from the office peeked in.
“Ummm, Kylo?” they said and he turned around to look at them, so did everyone else at the meeting.
“Is that a talking fox on your chair at your desk?”
Kylo was about to say something when Hux bounded through the open door in fox form.
“One of those dogs tried to eat me!” he exclaimed scandalized before he jumped up into Kylo’s lap which jolted Kylo so much he reflexively held onto Hux.
“Uh. Sorry, everyone. This is Hux, he might become my new familiar. You know, for magic and stuff?” Kylo said while Hux’s tail angrily beat against his leg.
“Alright,” the team’s manager said despite looking rather irritated.
“I guess he can stay if he keeps quiet.”
Instead of saying anything else, Hux curled up on Kylo’s lap and went to nap there. Kylo couldn’t help but put his hand on him, like he did yesterday. Despite rousing a couple of times, Hux didn’t say anything during the meeting. He even poked his head up every now and again which caused some of Kylo’s coworkers to curiously glance over to him. Even after the meeting was over no one dared to say anything about the fox in his lap.
Before Hux could jump off his lap, Kylo held him and carried him out of the room, despite his slight wiggling in the beginning. He settled down easily as Kylo held him, safe and secure so no one could step on him and none of the other pets at the office could get to him. Maybe it was also because he wanted him close, jealous of anyone else who might try and touch him.
“I bet that dog just wanted to play,” Kylo eventually whispered as they made their way to the elevator.
“He growled at me. Look, I like dogs, all animals, really, but that one … he tried to eat me,” Hux said. “That was some kind of hunting dog.”
“Hey, come on, don’t be prejudiced against dog breeds,” Kylo said with a laugh. Despite collecting his bag he still didn’t offer Hux a ride in it, instead he kept carrying him. It was nice and Kylo felt as if they were already forging a bond. Hux didn’t ask about the bag either which was alright with him, he also didn’t try to leave Kylo’s arms. Even at the subway he sat in his lap. Only when they were back at Kylo’s place did he let Hux down.
“Well, that was interesting”, Hux said. “Now, what about the magic work?”
“Oh, yeah,” Kylo said and pulled his phone out. “There’s some things we need to do before I can set up the appointments. Let’s go to my room, it’s easier to do it on the computer.”
He quickly kicked off his shoes and put up his coat before making for his room but not without picking up the one chair in his entryway which usually served for guests who needed to sit down to put on shoes. It’s been a while since he needed it there for the lack of guests. When he put it down next to his office chair Hux hopped right on.
“Right, so with these spells I need to check my stores first if I have the required items at home. I know for sure I need some new crystals,” Kylo said. He pulled up his digital spellbook which made things a lot easier to organize than carrying around his big, printed tome. It was also easier printing out shopping lists like this.
“Crystals?” Hux said and even from his fox mouth the doubt in his voice was easy to hear.
“They’re mostly for show, to be honest,” Kylo said with a shrug. “After all, magic work is 50 % theatrics these days. It’s not like most people really need it, honestly. A few years ago curses were in fashion so at least curse breaking was profitable but I haven’t gotten a request for that in a while now.”
“And curses?” Hux said. While they were talking Kylo pulled up his emails on his computer as well as his calendar and the file with his spells and such. He wasn’t sure if he should really answer Hux’s question, pretend like he was a ‘good guy’ but he might as well be honest.
“I get requests for curses maybe once or twice a year, I guess?” Kylo said. “Nothing really dangerous or anything. You know, the usual stuff like stubbing toes and such. Small and petty things. I have to admit I curse people myself every once in a while. Takes a bit of preparation and it’s only really worth it when they don’t know you’re a witch.”
“I mean, if they wrong you, why not?” Hux said which made Kylo chuckle. It surprised him since most people would be scandalized at Kylo using his powers for ‘evil’.
“I knew you had a bit of a dark side,” Kylo said. Although it was only meant as a joke, Hux grew a bit quiet before he cryptically said, “Maybe.”
They worked for a while, or more precisely Kylo copied the spells he needed into a new document so they could sort out his stores, then he printed everything out and went to the kitchen where Hux turned back into a man so he could help out better. He currently had a clipboard, the list of things Kylo needed and a pen for notes. It was difficult to concentrate though since Kylo couldn’t tear his eyes away from Hux. His hair was a bit tousled and he wore a big, soft sweater. He looked softer like this even if his tongue was still sharp when he commented on some of the things Kylo needed for the spells. Not that Hux knew anything about magic, he said so himself, but he still had his opinions. Whenever their eyes met, Kylo’s heart fluttered. It was strange. He only knew this man for two days now but he already felt a connection with Hux.
“That’s a lot of herbs,” Hux said when they were close to finishing.
“Yep,” Kylo said. “Magic work is mostly herbal these days. Not summoning demons or old gods or whatever. I more often than not have the feeling people mix witchcraft up with homeopathic crap. Like sure, I’ll do that on the side if people pay for it but it’s so far away from what the craft is about… Makes me angry sometimes.”
He must have raised his voice because Hux was giving him a strange look.
“Well, I have to admit I thought it was part of it but I’m relieved globules are not on our agenda,” he said which had Kylo laughing so terribly much he had to slap a hand in front of his mouth. The way Hux said it really did it, even though it really wasn’t all that funny. At first Hux looked disgruntled but then his expression softened and he also started to chuckle, the sound like music in Kylo’s ear.
“Alright,” Hux eventually said. “There are some things you don’t have enough of. So how are we going to go about this?”
“Oh, that’s easy. I’ll give you the money, you get the herbs while I go buy crystals,” Kylo said with a shrug. “Saves us a bunch of time.”
One corner of Hux’s mouth quirked but he didn’t protest. He had to know being a fox wasn’t always going to be an option while working as Kylo’s familiar.
“Sure, but how do I know they’re not selling me something expensive that I don’t know what it might be?” Hux said.
“You just tell them I sent you,” Kylo said. Maybe he misjudged Hux. Sure, he liked being a fox, so much he didn’t even change into human form when a dog chased him but it surely didn’t mean he was entirely against walking on two legs. A thought wormed itself into the back of Kylo’s head, an idea he wished was true but he couldn’t be sure. What if Hux jumped into his lap because he wanted to be close? The thought warmed his cheeks, so much he cleared his throat and turned back to his work. There were still some items on their list to be sorted out. And yet, he couldn’t help but watch Hux when he had the chance. Even if it turned out Hux didn’t want to be his familiar, he could at least try and ask him out. For now he had to do his best and show Hux that it was worth working with him, even if it meant a lot of down time in between practicing the craft. Kylo simply had to make the down time worthwhile.
“You know, you could make a system where you actively keep track of the things you already have,” Hux said. “So you would always know when to stock up.”
It wasn’t something Kylo hadn’t already thought about but he never really had the resources to set such a thing up. But maybe with Hux…
“Well, if you decided to stay with me we could try and work something out, I guess,” Kylo said with a shrug. Hux only smiled back at him, something in his gaze told Kylo he already had a plan somewhere in his mind.
“I didn’t make my decision just yet,” he said.
A little later they went out shopping for the items Kylo had written down. Hux actually dressed nice and even gelled back his hair before going out, to Kylo’s big surprise. But he couldn’t really complain since he had his own rituals before showing his face to the public. Still, he missed the way Hux’s hair looked when it wasn’t forced into a style.
They agreed to meet at the small esoteric store where Kylo purchased his crystals. He knew it would take him longer to pick out the right ones compared to how long it took for Hux to get all the dried herbs he needed. There wasn’t much to measuring out and packing up plants unlike getting crystals that looked extra mystical. It wasn’t that he lost his old ones, it was more so that he sold the crystals sometimes with the promise of them keeping their owner safe. Even when most of the crystals Kylo sold didn’t even have a spell on them. Anything to make some money on the side even if it wasn’t a very honest way to make it.
Kylo was in the middle of looking at some quartz crystals when the door jingled as it opened and Hux walked in with a visibly full bag in his hand. He deflected the shopkeepers offer to help by telling her he was with Kylo and came over.
“Hey. They gave me extra,” Hux said, somehow baffled at the generosity. “They said I was, and I quote, ‘cute’.” Hux even made air-quotes as he talked and for some reason he sounded as if he didn’t believe it. He even looked a little bit disgusted. Kylo bit his tongue since he had to agree. Hux was awfully cute, especially when he scowled like this. Instead of voicing any of his thoughts he simply shrugged.
“That’s good, I guess. Seems like we unlocked a hidden talent of yours,” Kylo said with a chuckle while Hux’s face flushed.
“So, do you want to help me pick out some quartz? I’ll tell you what to look for,” he said instead of teasing Hux further since he quite enjoyed the state Hux currently was in.
“Sure,” Hux said but the close proximity to Kylo while he explained didn’t help with the redness of his face. While it was fun to tease him, Kylo knew he already selected enough stones. When he paid for them the cashier winked at him and wished him good luck in a whisper. For a second Kylo thought to himself he hardly needed luck but when he looked over to Hux, luck was all he had.
A few days later they actually went to the first appointment Kylo had arranged for a house cleansing. For the purpose of a nice show he carried Hux in fox form. The owner of the house was delighted when she saw them, mostly about Hux who greeted her politely. She was old and kind and if Kylo were a better person he might have tried to scam her a little less. But as it stood he carried his things into the room which was supposedly haunted, stopped for a moment to inspect it and then proclaimed they really needed to cleanse this. In reality he couldn’t detect any curses or such, not even something one would describe as ‘an evil spirit’. But still, it might put the woman’s mind at ease if he did something and he could make more money from it than from a simple consultation.
“Now, I need my trusty familiar,” Kylo said and Hux, just as they agreed, jumped from his arms to shift into a human mid-air to land on his feet. The old lady’s eyes sparkled at the display of magic. They went to work with Kylo actually preparing for real magic while Hux handed him things. It wasn’t very difficult but he made sure to make a show about waving his incense around and putting down crystals at parts of the room he thought they might look nice in while he chanted. He would charge extra for them though, unless she didn’t want them. Hux looked extremely professional even if Kylo talked him out of wearing a suit. He was a bit softer, his hair not as swept back as usual when he went out. It probably had a little bit to do with how Kylo couldn’t help himself whenever he saw Hux using a softer hairstyle when not in fox form. He couldn’t help to stare a little and imagine himself messing Hux’s hair up even further. The thought occupied him so much he didn’t think about much else as he muttered a few spells to purify the room further. When it was all said and done he explained the crystals to the house owner who happily paid for them – more than Kylo initially bought them for, no less.
It was nice having an assistant for these kind of things and when they left the old lady’s house, Hux gave him a look, a really, really long look.
“That was different from what I expected,” he eventually said.
“Good or bad?” Kylo said as they walked down the path away from the house.
“I feel like you scammed her a little bit there on the crystals but otherwise, I could get used to this I think,” Hux said with a shrug. “It’s not as bad as what my father’s company does.”
Even though Kylo wanted ask, he felt he had to let it rest, at least for now. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Hux considering him as a potential partner for a bond.
“You know, I can teach you a little magic. As a familiar you should be able to do some minor spells at least,” Kylo said while they walked. There was something close to a smile on Hux’s face. One could easily miss it but not Kylo, not after studying his face for almost a week – at least when he was in human form, which he wasn’t very often. But on their way to Kylo’s car which he only drove when he couldn’t get to a place with public transport Hux stayed human. He didn’t even change form when they were inside the car.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” Hux said after they were on the road for less than five minutes. Hope bloomed in Kylo’s chest. This had to be it.
“I think,” Hux said with a sigh. “I want to do it. “I want to be your familiar.”
Kylo looked over to him for a moment, then back on the street.
“I’m glad,” he said. “Even though I just scammed that old lady?”
Hux chuckled a bit.
“I feel it’s her own fault if she falls for it, same with anyone else who doesn’t research things beforehand,” he said. “I can see why you can afford your lifestyle and why you’re offering me such a generous pay as well as my own room at your place.”
“I mean, if you want it. You could of course come to my place in the morning and leave in the afternoon if you like that better,” Kylo said although he would hate if Hux wasn’t always nearby.
“Ah, I think I do. My place isn’t as nice as yours and I feel all of the things I want to keep would easily fit into that room,” he said, making Kylo’s heart flutter at the thought of constantly having Hux close.
“Do you want to do the bonding spell when we get home or at some other time?” Kylo said. Hux was quiet for a moment, he tried to say something but it took him about three tries to finally get his words sorted and out of his mouth.
“There’s magic involved in this? I just thought it was like… a contract I sign or something,” Hux said. Kylo’s heart sped up. He hadn’t thought about the possibility of Hux not knowing all the things involved when it came to a witch bonding with a familiar. There was a real chance Hux might back out.
“It’s deeper than a contract, we’d share our lives in a more intimate way. We’d feel each other’s presence, each other’s emotions, that sort of thing,” Kylo said.
Hux was quiet for a while but then he took an audible breath.
“Yes, I want it, I want to be your familiar. We can do it when we get home,” he said. Kylo didn’t dare to look over to him, his own cheeks felt flushed.
“Alright then,” Kylo said. He found himself stepping on the gas a bit too much on their drive home, just to get there faster.
Back at Kylo’s place they sat down in the living room on the plush carpet, facing each other.
“Hold out your hands, palms up,” Kylo said and Hux followed his lead. He put his own hands on top of Hux’s so their palms touched. Kylo closed his eyes and took slow, leveled breaths as he focused his magic on Hux who trembled the slightest bit. Kylo spoke the ancient words of the bond, the magic swirled around them, linking their hearts and minds together. It was like pure energy which flowed from his own body into Hux and back. There was a surprised gasp from Hux,
His face was flushed when Kylo opened his eyes.
“Is it supposed to be like this?” Hux said and for a second Kylo didn’t know what he meant but then he felt it – Hux’s attraction to him, his budding love too. It had to be strange knowing his feelings were mirrored in Kylo himself. Hux looked him in the eyes, his breath fluttered as he grasped Kylo’s hands in his own.
“Yeah,” Kylo said, somewhat breathless himself. He didn’t think Hux would like him too, not like this anyway. He pulled him closer, into his lap. Hux’s arms were on his shoulders almost instantly, mostly to steady himself but also to touch. One hand carded through Kylo’s hair while Hux leaned closer. Kylo closed the distance easily to kiss him. Their connection sang and Kylo could feel how much it affected Hux. His love. His arousal. Kylo didn’t want to ever let him go. His mouth was so sweet, when he licked over Hux’s lips, Hux opened his mouth to welcome him.
“My beautiful little fox,” Kylo whispered when their lips separated. Hux chuckled.
“I’m not that small.”
Kylo nuzzled his nose against Hux’s neck. It had been a long time since he felt this happy.
A few days later Hux let himself into the apartment with the spare key Kylo had given him. Kylo met him at the door where Hux carried a big bag over one shoulder while carrying a large potted plant in one hand.
“Hey foxy fox,” Kylo said with a smile but then he took a better look at Hux and his face dropped. Hux had a black eye and a split lip. Earlier Kylo had felt some form of distress from him but he had assumed it had been the talk he had with his father about quitting his job.
“Shit. What happened?” Kylo said and took Hux’s bag. He also wanted to take the plant but Hux didn’t let go of it.
“Well, my father didn’t like that I wanted to quit and he liked it even less when I told him that I bonded with someone,” Hux said. “Anyway, let’s find a good spot for Suzie, she needs a lot of light.”
If it weren’t for the boiling anger Kylo felt for Hux’s father he would probably ask why Hux called the plant ‘Suzie’ but as it were he already went through possible curses he could cast on Brendol Hux.
“Come on, I knew he wouldn’t be happy,” Hux said and even though he too felt angry, there was something calming about his energy. Still, Kylo couldn’t let this go.
“I bet there’s a good spot in the living room,” Kylo said. “I’ll get some stuff for your bruises, I have a spell to make it heal faster.”
He carried Hux’s bags over to his room before he returned to him where he still selected a nice spot for Suzie, the houseplant. Hux settled by putting her on the windowsill. A good space. Then he stepped into Kylo’s space, close enough for a hug and Kylo didn’t hesitate to put his arms around him.
“How about we put a curse on your father?” Kylo whispered into his ear before kissing it.
“I’d like that,” Hux said with a laugh. His malicious streak was probably one of the many reasons why Kylo knew he found the right familiar. They would do a lot of great and terrible work together.