Chapter Text
Control Risk : The risk that material error in a balance or transaction class will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal controls.
Hux had always had terrible taste in men.
That was the first thing Hux thought of when he walked into the Finance department and saw the man he would be working with for the next several weeks, during the course of his newest client’s audit. One quick glance showed broad shoulders, messy hair, and an elegant profile. His desk was cluttered with stacks of papers everywhere, three coffee mugs, and a cardboard Starbucks cup perched precariously close to the edge of his desk.
Truly, inexcusably bad taste. His preference in men was one of the only things Hux genuinely disliked about himself.
Hux prided himself on order: he was ambitious in his career, fastidious in his appearance, and always purposeful in his day-to-day actions. He liked to surround himself with like-minded people - that was why, after a few years of working at a reputable auditing firm, he decided to start his own. Too many companies were simply too inefficient: they were bogged down by HR and that inevitable handful of terrible employees who never did their jobs properly but also never quite poorly enough to warrant termination.
When Hux started his own firm, his vision was for a small team of dedicated auditors that would be able to work with ruthless efficiency. First Order Auditing would be able to take on a select number of clients for unparalleled service.
Hux liked rules. Liked making rules, following rules, and people who followed rules.
Except, unfortunately, when it came to men.
“And this is Kylo Ren,” Maz said, gesturing to the lanky man with dark hair who was watching them warily from his cubicle. Maz, director of the Finance department, was an intense, excitable woman, who had wasted no time in taking him around all six floors of the building, popping her head into each department to do quick introductions and let everyone know that Hux and his crew would be invading their work space for the next several weeks. She merrily dragged him through the courtyard green space with adirondack chairs a great place to eat lunch, the big kitchen upstairs this is where most people gather, the kitchen on our floor is terrible, what kind of kitchen doesn’t even have vending machines, the smaller kitchen down the hallway eh, it’s good enough to get a cup of coffee or toast a bagel, the meeting room next door to the department that had been reserved for his team when additional space was necessary, the parking garage, the coffee cart in the lobby, the largest meeting room on the sixth floor (for reasons Hux still could not determine), the rooftop garden, and, finally, the actual Finance department, where Hux would be doing the bulk of his work.
The company itself seemed decent enough - one of the many non-descript government contractors peppering the region. Not quite up to Hux’s standards of efficiency, but few places were. Even so, this man slouched in his cubicle seemed out of place.
The man, Kylo Ren, unfurled himself from his office chair and stood to shake Hux’s outstretched hand. Hux focused on keeping his expression neutral, faced with the impressive height and bulk of the man in front of him. He could already feel that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad part of himself perk up at the tableau before him: the man was wearing slacks with no creases, a wrinkled button down with the top few buttons undone, and no tie. His eyes were dark, his features were oddly proportioned, and his hands were enormous.
What Hux wouldn’t give to be attracted to one of the men from his country club, just the once.
“He’s the administrative assistant in the department, so if you’re looking for any odds and ends he’s the first person to ask. He can get old paperwork out of storage or whatever you need. He’s always happy to help!” She shot Kylo a pointed look, as the expression on his face most definitely said that he was not happy to help. “Kylo, this is Brendol Hux, the lead auditor. I expect you to be accommodating while he and his team are here.”
“Of course,” he drawled, “Anything you desire, it would be my honor to fetch for you.”
Maz sighed and looked heavenward, then shook her head. “You can find your way back to the auditor’s room, yeah?” She gestured towards the doorway about 15 feet away from where they were standing. “I have to get back to work.”
“Yes, thank you very much for the tour.”
Maz puttered away towards a ringing phone, leaving the two of them standing together.
Kylo cleared his voice to get Hux’s attention, then quirked an eyebrow. “Brendol is an interesting name.” His voice was deeper than Hux would have initially expected, and a smirk tugged at his lips in a very distracting way.
“So is Kylo.” As if the man had any room to talk with a name like Kylo Ren. It sounded like something an overdramatic teenager came up with; Hux could only imagine what his parents must be like. Hippies, maybe. Or drug addicts.
“Touché.”
“But please, call me Hux. Brendol is my father.”
Kylo laughed. “Isn’t that supposed to be the other way around?” Hux tilted his head quizzically so he elaborated. “You know, someone says ‘hello Mr. Hux’ and then you say ‘no no, Mr. Hux is my father, please, call me Brendol.’”
“Perhaps I like defying clichés.”
“But not enough to avoid them entirely,” Kylo pointed out.
“Apparently not.”
“So does that make you Brendol Hux Junior, then?” He leaned his hip against his desk and peered at Hux with teasing eyes.
Hux mentally shuffled through an extensive list of reasons why it was a terrible idea to hit on a client’s employee on his first day on the job. Especially a new client. Terrible. Truly.
“Brendol Hux the seventh, actually. My father considers himself a traditionalist but I think he was just rather uncreative.”
Kylo hummed and looked at Hux, considering. Hux wasn’t sure if he was being checked out or sized up - maybe a bit of both.
“That’s quite the legacy to live up to. Is First Order a family business, then?”
“No, First Order is my own. I come from a long line of military men - my father was… not initially enthusiastic about this business venture. Not very honorable, chasing numbers and typing up spreadsheets.”
“Honor is whatever you make of it. There can be honor in refusing to become a killer.”
That wasn’t why Hux had decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he didn’t want to correct Kylo.
“Though I do have to say, it looks like a general’s uniform would suit you,” Kylo said, flicking his eyes over the tailored suit that Hux was wearing. Hux had always put effort into his appearance - how you looked was the first thing that people would notice about you, and their opinions would be built from there. Best to have a solid foundation to create a strong reputation, rather than trying to play catch-up after a negative first impression. Today he had chosen a medium grey bespoke suit, white shirt, and light green tie that brought out the color of his eyes.
One that probably clashed terribly with the pink flush he could feel creeping up his neck.
Hux swallowed. “I best get back. I like to arrive early to see the space we’ll be working in, but the rest of my team will be arriving shortly and I should have everything ready for them.”
Kylo bowed his head. “Of course,” he said, waving a hand at his cubicle, “I’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Thank you. I look forward to working with you, Kylo.”
***
Kylo Ren (9:28 AM): holy shit you guys have you seen the new auditor?
Rey Skywalker (9:28 AM): which one, the ginger or the viking goddess?
Kylo Ren (9:28 AM): the ginger
Rey Skywalker (9:29 AM): yeah he came by earlier
Rey Skywalker (9:29 AM): why?
Kylo Ren (9:29 AM): i want to lick his eyebrows
Finn Galfridian (9:29 AM): OMG Ren WTF WHYYYYY is that a euphemism???
Poe Dameron (9:30 AM): You’re ridiculous.
Rey Skywalker (9:30 AM): seriously? That guy does it for you?
Kylo Ren (9:30 AM): hes hot
Rey Skywalker (9:30 AM): he reminds me of your mom a little
Finn Galfridian (9:30 AM): lol
Kylo Ren (9:31 AM): dont make it weird god
Kylo Ren (9:31 AM): hes way too bitchy
Kylo Ren (9:31 AM): my moms practically a saint
Rey Skywalker (9:31 AM): you met him like 5 minutes ago how could you possibly know that
Rey Skywalker (9:31 AM): he seemed perfectly nice when I met him
Kylo Ren (9:32 AM): i have a sixth sense for these things
Finn Galfridian (9:32 AM): dude if that’s your type no wonder you and Poe never worked out
Rey Skywalker (9:33 AM): his loss is our gain =)
Poe Dameron (9:34 AM): Don’t make it weird, you’re going to have to work with the guy
Kylo Ren (9:34 AM): im not the one making it weird rey is
Kylo Ren (9:34 AM): ive been a perfect gentleman
Rey Skywalker (9:35 AM): oh I trust that you’ll be able to make it weird all on your own
Rey Skywalker (9:35 AM): don’t blame me for your personality
Kylo Ren (9:36 AM): fuck you
Rey Skywalker (9:36 AM): watch your language, you know HR has a filter on this thing
Poe Dameron (9:37 AM): I’m pretty sure they only look at the chat logs if there’s a complaint
Finn Galfridian (9:38 AM): I’m gonna be the one to make a complaint if Ren keeps taLKING ABOUT LICKING EYEBROWS
Kylo Ren (9:40 AM): whatever im gonna be able to look at that a$$ for weeks i hope this audit lasts forever
***
Someone had already brought a not-insignificant number of files to the auditor’s room in preparation, so jumping straight into work was easy. He and Phasma spent some time in the morning laying out a plan for the next several weeks and then left everyone to their own devices.
Hux appreciated having skilled employees that required little supervision; it gave Hux plenty of time to focus on his work and aggressively not think about Kylo Ren.
The man had potential, which was perhaps the most deadly thing about him. Hux was never attracted to the sort of man his mother would approve of, because he universally found them boring - their lives were already together, their finances were impeccable, they were too easy. The “right” sort of man provided no challenge, no chase.
Kylo, on the other hand, was a diamond in the rough; all he needed was to be cleaned up, have his rough edges worn off, and he had the potential to be perfect. Hux could imagine him in a tailored black suit, tousled hair combed neatly but still long enough to curl around his ears, those dark eyes staring at him intensely…
Maybe he wasn’t doing such a great job at distracting himself after all.
Hux should know better by now. Did know better by now. On the wrong side of thirty, he had had his fair share of failed relationships, most of which had ended in screaming matches about how he was always trying to change them, how he could never accept his boyfriends for who they “really” were.
About how it was impossible to live up the standards of who Hux wanted them to be.
Hux realized that it probably said something about himself that he always wanted a partner that he could rebuild in his own image, someone he could mold and prod and perfect until he could be proud of the partner that he had created.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice that the rest of his team had left the room until Phasma stood and stretched in his peripheral vision.
“I’m going to go down to that deli down the street, grab a sandwich. Do you want anything?” She knew better than to ask if he wanted to go out to lunch on their first day. They had been working together long enough.
“Yes, please. Something you think I would like.” She nodded once and then ducked out the door. Hux glanced and his watch, then winced. No wonder the others were out - it was well past lunch time.
Coffee was in order.
Hux stood and stretched, feeling his shoulder pop with the movement. Since no one else was around, he allowed himself a yawn. When he left the room he was momentarily disappointed to see that Kylo wasn’t at his desk - he had been hoping for the opportunity for a short conversation - but then realized that Kylo was possibly in the kitchen, where Hux could “coincidentally” run into him.
Now he just had to choose his kitchen. Kylo was most likely to be in the large kitchen upstairs, based on what Maz had said, but then so were other people, and Hux didn’t want to get trapped into making small talk for fifteen minutes with people he didn’t even know before he could get back to work. Looking for Kylo was foolish, in fact. He should walk past the small kitchen, and if it turned out to be occupied, could attempt to avoid small talk in the larger kitchen.
The decision was made for him when he heard voices emanating from the kitchen as he walked nearer.
Upstairs it is, then.
Just as he turned towards the staircase his attention caught on the quiet conversation. Wait - Did he just hear his own name?
He silently took a few steps closer but stood out of view.
“I heard something interesting about that new auditor, Hux.”
Definitely talking about him. How could someone here have heard rumors about him already? He had only been here for a few hours.
“Really? How?” The second voice was a familiar baritone - the very man Hux had been looking for.
“I know a guy.”
“How do you always know a guy?” His voice sounded petulant, much more casual than the gentle teasing Hux had been subjected to earlier.
There was a pause, and Hux could only imagine that the owner of the first voice was shrugging.
“Do you wanna hear what I heard or not?”
“Fine.”
“I know a guy another place he audited, and my friend? Says he’s gay.”
“What.” The tone was hard to read on a single word, but he sounded surprised. Maybe displeased. Maybe even annoyed? “Why would you even tell me that Poe. I swear to god, I have to work with this guy.” Now, he definitely sounded annoyed.
“I thought you would appreciate knowing.” The first voice sounded smug.
“You know I’m never going to be able to act normally around him again right? You’ve just single-handedly ensured that.”
“Or, you could act like an adult, interacting with another adult. You know, like you do every day.”
“You know me. You know I won’t be able to put that out of my mind when I look at him. Christ. This is going to be a disaster. How do you expect me to work with him now?”
Hux flushed hot, then cold. This was -
Unexpected.
Hux backed away from the kitchen slowly, trying not to alert them to his presence. The only thing that could make this moment more unpleasant would be for one of them to walk out right now and see him eavesdropping in the hallway.
Once he was a safe distance away, he walked towards the staircase to go to the large kitchen upstairs.
The one without the apparently homophobic employees talking about him.
After acquiring coffee he returned to the auditor’s room. Thankfully he did not run into anyone in the kitchen upstairs, so he managed to make it back before the others returned from lunch.
This was a - peculiar problem. Hux had come across homophobic assholes before, it was impossible not to, but this was a new and unsavory situation for him. While he was not closeted he did not flaunt his preferences at work; he had never had his sexuality come up with a client before, and had intended to keep it that way. He surely had not acted out of turn at any of his other clients’ offices, either.
How had the other man’s friend known that about him?
Most likely it was someone who had heard through the grapevine. Having a five star general for a father had its advantages and disadvantages, one of them being that he had had to put an end to the endless parade of potential suitors - women, specifically - relatively early, and likely everyone had heard why.
Hux had prefered his social circle know him to be gay, rather than to have women constantly throwing themselves, or their daughters, into his path.
So now he had a client who, by his own estimation, would not be able to work with Hux knowing about his sexuality. That would make for a very trying audit, surely.
What was most baffling about the whole situation was that he truly thought they were flirting, earlier. The bantering, the teasing - it hadn’t been so long that Hux couldn’t recognize interest when he saw it. Perhaps Ren was one of those self-hating gays, so far into the closet that he didn’t know he was in there. Or maybe he did know that he was in there, and resented others for it.
Either way, this was going to make for a very unpleasant few weeks, but Hux could ensure that is passed by as quickly and smoothly as possible.
On second thought…
Ren was his go-for, the person tasked with acquiring any odds and ends Hux may decide he needed. So if Ren thought it was going to be hard to work with Hux?
Hux could make sure of that.