Chapter Text
The pipe hissed and sputtered, spraying a mixture of lukewarm water and stale air into the thirsty shrubs nearby, the dross falling onto the browning grass underneath. A lawn mower buzzed in the distance, its monotony filtering into the thickness of the Southern Californian sun.
Rey yawned as her mind picked its way out of the rusty, cobwebby haze of a lingering slumber. Kylo was already gone—no surprise there--and an indentation in the mattress let her know that Hux was up and about as well. Several days ago, she would have welcomed that divot of a space, embracing her ability to splay out unencumbered by another's presence, but it now felt empty and achingly incomplete.
She arched and stretched as her feet hit the floor on her way to the shower, her lean legs working along the variegated surfaces of knotted wood, smooth marble and pebbled tile. A gentle spray of water greeted her from overhead, its rivulets running alongside the curves of her breasts and in between her legs, a mixture of sticky opaqueness and soapy lemon verbena which streamed downwards, circling the drain until it finally ran clear.
She toweled off and slipped into a sundress. It was one of those strappy, gauzy numbers, a confection of pure white color and flirty innocence which contrasted with her tanned skin and her indecent ways.
She found Hux in the courtyard, his gear half-packed and a bent and scuffed tripod by his side. He was poring over the video feed from last night, his head bowed, the fine, golden-strawberry strands of his hair both lightened by the sun and dappled by the shade of the overhanging leaves.
"Good morning," she purred, sliding in behind him, breathing in the spicy, clean scent of his aftershave as her arms encircled him in a hug.
Hux startled fractionally. He had the fleeting desire to slam the cover of the laptop shut, the hard evidence of him being taken over and over by Ren in this very spot causing him a flash of shame. The sounds of his naked lust, loud and distorted in those tinny speakers, seemed to mock him as he now sat fully clothed, the collar of his Oxford crisply folded and his cuffs neatly rolled.
Instead, he edged the cover wider, allowing Rey full access to his ignominy. She didn’t say anything as the images and sounds played out on that high definition, 3200 x 1800 pixel display. Hux sighed, appreciative for the absence of judgment and censure as he finally clicked off the link.
"We need to leave today, Rey." His fingers flew over the keypad.
She frowned. "But our flight isn't for another couple of days."
"So we'll change our tickets. Or we rent a car and have a nice, 12-hour road trip. Or we leave our stuff here and just start walking. It doesn't matter, as long as we do it today." He clicked more forcefully as he flipped the laptop around, reading the text.
"Religious tradition holds that repeated sexual activity with an incubus or succubus may result in the deterioration of health, or even death." A resigned look washed over his face.
"I won't pretend that I'm strong enough to resist him. I wasn't even asleep, Rey." His eyes were hurt and angry as he gritted out his next words. "I stood there, awake and aware, and repeatedly begged him to fuck me."
Her face paled as she pulled him in.
"OK. We'll go." she breathed. She made a half-hearted attempt to lighten his mood. "Maybe we'll find a church along the way. Get lucky, confess or find a priest experienced in exorcism, all before lunch."
The images grayed as shadow suddenly fell across the screen. Rey and Hux looked up to see Kylo, monstrously beautiful in his unfettered fury. The yellow in his eyes brightened and his body flickered as he angrily struggled to maintain his human form.
"So. You think to seek the Sacrament of Confession. Tell me, what are the sins for which you seek penance?" Disdain rolled off his tongue as he inched closer. "An unhealthy attachment to creatures? Impure language? Concupiscence? Fornication?"
"All of the above?" He coolly brushed off a speck of dust from his suit, his words lingering and hovering in the air between them.
"I wouldn't recommend exorcism, for the record," he added nonchalantly. "It's terribly ineffective. The last person who attempted such a thing against me--" He paused as his moue of distaste at the memory quickly transitioned into a smirk. "Well, let's just say, like Icarus, he found out very quickly what can happen when you get too close to the sun."
"Kylo please. Let us go."
There was a brief, wistful quality to Kylo's gaze.
"And would be so terrible if you were to stay here with me?" he asked earnestly. His voice slid into its baritone depths, seductive and warm, like a slowly rolling river. "Discovering all your secret pleasures? Indulging in all your deepest desires? The three of us together, forever?"
His register dropped even lower, the silky and smooth tones giving way to a gravelly plea. It was the closest he had ever come to doing so with a mere mortal.
Remain here with me.
Rey looked directly in those beautiful golden eyes, molten liquid light that put the brightness of the sun to shame.
"No." she whispered, aching, refusing to be caged and imprisoned by her own desire until there was nothing left of her to give.
Kylo huffed, and there was a fatalistic set to his shoulders.
"Very well then." He drew himself up fully to his imposing height. His eyes took on a predatory quality, and his white teeth flashed sharply as he spoke.
"I have watched you both, at night, and in your dreams."
He circled them slowly, turning to each one individually, watching the other flinch as he inflicted his cruel and biting words.
"The longing, the dissatisfaction, the rancor." He ran his hand deliberately along Hux's shoulders, resting it over his chest.
"The distaste, the boredom, and resentment." His other hand trailed over Rey's mouth, his thumb pressing into her lower lip as his fingers grazed her cheek.
"And yet you run away from that which I can offer you, choosing to return to the confines of your small apartment and your suffocating, desperate lives." There was a look of genuine confusion at his statement which flickered over his face as he finally released them from his touch.
"I find myself in a generous mood today. I will allow you to leave, on the condition that you can prove yourselves worthy of one another, and the choice that you have made."
Kylo waved his hand. Rey found herself suddenly blindfolded, the silken black fabric which he pulled from the air tickling her skin even as it plunged her into sudden darkness. Everything quieted in that moment, save for the roar of her breathing and the thundering of her pulse. The summer heat stilled on her skin, unrelenting, until she felt something shift beside her. There was a glowing brightness, a pulsing and wavering of the air which rushed and beat against her, a cacophony of sounds punctuated by gasping and throaty laughter until everything around her quieted once more.
The blindfold slowly slips from her eyes. The sun is too bright, after those minutes of darkness, and she opens them slowly, her pupils constricting slowly as she tries to make out the hazy, fuzzy forms in front of her.
Choose.
Kylo’s voice filters through her dizzying vision, commanding and mocking at the same time.
Choose correctly, Rey, and you are free to walk out the door.
Choose incorrectly, and you both remain with me.
When her eyes are finally able to adjust, Kylo has disappeared. Standing in front of her instead, were two Huxes.
~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~
Rey stared. Two exact duplicates, more faithful than a Xerox or carbon copy, without a single tell-tale crease or fade or smudge to differentiate between the two.
They stood side by side, each measuring exactly six foot tall. Copper-colored hair and pale brows, black pupils rimmed in a starburst of gold which floated on an ocean of green. The smooth, graceful jaw of one of the men was clenched in frustration while the other was slightly agape, both eventually settling into a look of determination.
"Rey." The one on the right spoke softly, his voice cracking, aching for her as the other looked on incredulously.
Not to be outdone, the second reached out, his eyes imploring, willing her to believe. "Rey, it's me..."
She felt a slight hysteria bubble up into the back of her throat.
They looked. Exactly. The same.
Her heart caught in her chest, dizzying at the impossible choice standing in front of her.
She started by walking around the pair, inspecting each one clinically as if she were looking over a stud horse to breed. Rey examined the width and fall of their shoulders; the suggestive stretch of their shirts against their chests; the shape of their forearms against their sleeves; and the bleaching of their arm hairs by the sun. Her eyes traveled lower, to the muscular curve of their calves, sinewy and lean from their daily runs; the slimness of their hips; the turn of their buttocks.
Visually, they were identical, perfectly matched. She plied her most intimate memories, hoping that her other sensations could do what her eyes could not.
"Hux?" she asked as she turned to the right, her fingers gliding over his lips.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice happy and triumphant as he kissed her softly. She knotted her fingers around his hair, its silkiness and thickness familiar in her grasp. His tongue was sweet and strong, growing confident and demanding they deepened their kiss, and she felt a sigh leave her lips as her body molded comfortably against his.
She pulled away reluctantly, avoiding his hurt gaze, as she felt the brush of another pair of lips on her cheek. This Hux's mouth begged to taste her as well, nipping at her lower lip, his breath an intoxicating mix of sweet mint and spice. His tongue flickered out to graze her teeth and she's suddenly sheathed in the warmth of his entire mouth, losing herself in its soft, wet heat.
They're both pressing up against her now, the hardened planes of their chests creating friction against her sensitive nipples, the unmistakable hardness of their arousal grinding against her hips. She divests them of their shirts, marveling at the flush which appears below the freckling of their collarbones, endearing imperfections against the smooth paleness of their skin. Their breaths catch, their hearts hammer underneath her palms, and she skims her hands lower, over taut abdominal muscles and the trail of hair which disappears behind the waists of their shorts and into the wiry hairs of their groin.
Their skin pulses hot, and one of them exhales slowly as she removes the remainder of their clothing. Their cocks are already half-hard, curving slightly upwards. She takes one into her hands, its smooth, circumcised head velvety soft underneath the pressure of her thumb, his shaft already further hardening from its half-masted state. A moan escapes from the back of his throat as she begins to stroke, grasping him tightly on the upstroke with a twist of her wrist and relaxing on the down, just as he always prefers. Another cock presses against her hip, its owner pumping the shaft, firm alternating with loose, until it sits engorged and heavy along her thigh.
She takes them into her hands, weighing them simultaneously, two bookends laid side by side. They're beautifully matched, and she wonders how they'll taste as she lowers herself to her knees.
She's heady from their musky scent and their leaking tips as she licks back and forth, the taste salty at the front of her tongue and bitter in the back. She takes one all the way in, wrapping her lips around his swollen head as he pushes further into her mouth, her tongue flicking and encircling his glans as she fists his shaft.
A warmth slicks between her thighs as one cock thrusts deeply into her throat while the other rubs the side of her cheek, leaving a trail of spit and precome in its wake. She glances up, startled to find twin faces looking down at her with equal amounts of lust, their pupils blown, their mouths slightly open and panting. Frustration gives way to yearning, as she's overwhelmed by her need to be filled by their hands and mouths, their tongues and cocks, pushing and probing, filling and fucking.
She's gently pushed on all fours, her dress lowered to her knees as she continues to suck. She feels the pressure of Hux's cock pressing into her wet cunt, the feel of his hands as they grip her hip, and the slap of his balls as he begins to pump. She smells the scent of Hux's sex as he fills her from the front, the weight of his sac near her chin, and the tickle of his hairs as she takes him all the way deep. She hears Hux's pants and his moans, those indecent sounds which escape his lips, causing her to arch against his speeding thrusts and sink deeper against his length even as he falls further down her throat. She tastes Hux's wicked tongue as he stripes kisses along her neck and her lips, mimicking the movements of his dextrous hands as they circle her clit, causing her to mewl and grind against his palm.
Their grunts fill the air, each Hux trying to outdo one another in a show of conquest and ownership. And as she feels them shudder, their hands clawing at her ass and grasping at her hair, she feels herself tremble and spasm as she begins to shatter, holding them deep inside of her.
She swallows and cries as their come fills her throat and her cunt. A dull ache follows the slowing of their movements, their bodies shuddering and collapsing against her own. She squeezes her eyes tightly, and her breaths come too quickly and shallowly as her orgasm subsides.
She can't tell them apart. The horrible consequences of her failure weigh upon her; she can't identify the real Hux alongside an imposter, even in the most intimate and personal of settings.
She wills herself to remain on her hands and knees, as if to prolong the inevitable. A sadness sets in, causing her to choke on the bitter residue of come and her unshed tears. She feels the light brush of a hand against her cheek amidst the heaviness of her thoughts, and opens her eyes to see ones of green, sorrowful yet filled with love and forgiveness.
"It's you," she whispers, her eyes flying open as he begins to weep, taking her into his arms.
She folds into him, kissing him fully with all her might. Neither notice as the second Hux disappears with a keening cry, leaving behind a winged figure with sadness and loneliness in his eyes.
~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~
8 months later
"Yeah," Hux said into the phone. "We're on the Foothill Freeway.....yes, Americana Way in Glendale. No worries, we'll be there in time."
There was a brief pause as Hux rolled his eyes, grinning at Rey. "No worries, Luke. We're prepared; at this point, we've seen it all."
Rey looked at her fiancé questioningly as the Audi cornered the next turn.
"What was that all about?"
"Just a friendly reminder from our agent about what we can expect to see tonight."
They pulled into the Barnes and Noble five minutes later and were quickly ushered to a table. It was their fifth book signing in just a little over a week. Through the Glass, Darkly had already spent several months on the New York Times' Best Seller list. Its supernatural and salacious content had attracted legions of fans, including bored housewives, angsty teens, and followers of the occult. It was a broad and rabid fanbase with enough buying power and internet and social networking savvy to capture the attentions of Hollywood, who had just picked up the story for a multi-movie deal.
The book signings themselves were always an interesting event. There were the casual readers and the cosplayers, the sexually adventurous and the quasi-religious, and the true diehards who looked to find the subtext in each and every word. Some brought books to the signings, others pictures, and there were always several who tried to gain the attentions of the young and attractive co-authors with gifts and requests of a more personal and intimate nature.
Hux looked at Rey, smiling gently as he placed his hand over her expanded belly.
"You feeling tired?"
She looked up and smiled, reaching up on her toes to give him a kiss.
"I can go all night," she winked suggestively.
Hux groaned as they sat down, murmuring in her ear. "Don't start now. It's bad enough that I have to make it through the next hour without trying to deal with a raging hard-on."
The book store employees collected the letters and gifts as the autograph seekers made their way up the line. Hux and Rey posed for pictures, and responded to questions with a steady flow of "Thank you," or "The sequel will be out later this year," or "Yes, Riley Kendall's backstory will be explored in the upcoming books." Their ink-stained hands cramped as they continued to sign: book covers, photographs, drawings, phone cases, sex toys, and the occasional boldly-presented breast or an even bolder penis.
Luke approached them at the end of the night, a huge box in tow. "Where do you want these?"
Rey didn't take their fanbase for granted. She had made a promise when they were just starting out to respond to each and every item personally.
She brushed off a wisp of hair which had plastered itself against the side of her face.
"You can put it in the car, Luke. Thanks again for everything."
The older man nodded. "No problem." He couldn't resist teasing her. "You do realize I'm not doing this out of the pure goodness of my heart? I still get my 20% at the end of the day."
Hux frowned as he responded, half-jokingly.
"We may have to renegotiate that contract, Luke."
Luke scoffed. It was the same argument they had at every book signing. He dipped his hand into his jacket, bringing out a simple, folded note.
"I forgot. Someone asked me to give this to you." He headed out to put the rest of their things in the car.
The elegant parchment was thick and watermarked, with a crimson red seal which captured their attention. Rey leaned over Hux's shoulder to look as he broke the seal and unfolded its pages.
The ink filled out the sheet beautifully, in a neat and calligraphied script
I enjoyed the book -KR
~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~
They made several attempts to reach out to Kylo afterwards. Hux dug up Lilin's number from his old cell phone records, but their calls were always forwarded to a pre-recorded message, never to be returned. The email address which Kylo had used to respond to their ad was traced to the secretary of a public school in Wisconsin, who subsequently threatened to go to the authorities if they persisted in contacting her again.
A last ditch effort brought them back to the house. Nothing seemed to change, it's tall, monastic-like walls bathed in the same brown-red color, its roughly stained pictographs still suggestive after thousands of years.
The heavy, paneled door finally opened in response to their relentless knocking. A striking woman emerged. She was taller than Hux by several inches, with clear blue eyes and platinum blond hair. She appeared confused to see them, and was unable to provide further information on the prior resident, or even having heard of the name 'Kylo Ren.'
She suddenly took in Rey's swollen form and invited them inside. Hux and Rey politely declined, turning back to the car, simultaneously dejected and relieved. They missed the small smile which graced the woman's lips as she watched them drive away, her pupils narrowing into vertical slits as yellow seeped into its cold, crystal blue.
~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~~O~
By the ninth month, thoughts of Kylo continued to fade. In the evenings, Hux would rub Rey's belly, whispering sweet nothings to the miracle growing inside and naughty ones into her mother's ear. A framed picture of the sonogram lay next to their bed, a snapshot of ten perfectly formed fingers and ten tiny toes, cherubic cheeks and the angelic smile visible against its monochromatic tones.
It finally happened one night, as Hux was in the midst of suckling Rey's heavy breasts, rolling and stimulating her nipple with his tongue. It started as a slow ache, a squeezing sensation that wouldn't let go, reaching and pulsating between her legs. It grew stronger and more frequent, as Rey grabbed her phone to time her contractions.
The seconds ticked by, the cramps strengthening and easing until another one rolled from behind.
90 seconds. She motioned to Hux, her eyes widening in excitement and fear.
"Call Ms. Kanata," Rey gasped
The doula was there within thirty minutes, and the midwife within the hour. Hux held Rey's hand, massaging her back and whispering words of comfort. She grew more restless, as the contractions increased in strength and frequency, falling into all those clichéd stereotypes as she fervently wished that she had NeverevermetHux while wondering Howcouldyoudothistome. And finally, an hour later, sweaty, aching, and exhausted, she gave forth a final push, the pain dissolving into an overwhelming joy.
Ms. Kanata gently sponged and cleaned both baby and mother as Hux's face filled with happiness. He couldn't stop his lips as he kissed them both, their names tumbling out uncontrollably along with words of his love and promises of forever.
Lily was perfect, gorgeous and healthy, with a downy patch of lightly gingered hair. She had her mother's perfectly bowed lips, and her parents' smattering of freckles across her pale skin. Her tiny fists clutched at the air, grasping uncertainly, unseeing in the first minutes of her life, until they latched onto Rey, holding on and not letting go. She finally rested, nestled between her mother's breasts, her father's finger against her cheek.
Ms. Kanata quietly left to give the new family their privacy.
"Lily Kendall Hux," Rey breathed. "I wonder what you'll be? What you'll like, who you'll love?"
Lost in their thoughts, they didn't notice the shadow which fell over the moon, or the slight breeze which rustled in the trees. Lily did, however, her face turning slightly, as she struggled to open her eyes. They were not the typical pale blue of a newborn, or even a gentle green, but an unusual amber gold. She focused despite the darkness, spying a man in the third story window whose wistful smile she returned in full. She watched as he remained for another minute, his finger pressing quietly against his lips before gently blowing her a kiss. He finally turned with a cheeky grin, satisfied, his wings unfurling out beside him as he disappeared into the night.
To beget offspring is a vital act. But this has befallen the angels in their assumed bodies; for it is related
Still, if some are occasionally begotten from demons, it is not from the seed of such demons, nor from their assumed bodies, but from the seed of men, taken for the purpose
-Thomas Aquinas