Holiday ficlets?! May I please have something Hanukkah-themed with any combination of Kylo, Hux and Mitaka?
Kylo was waiting on the sidewalk for him, just like he did every weekday morning.
He was staring up at the apartment so Dopheld waved, almost knocking over the candles he’d set up the night before. He didn’t wave back, but he rarely did, so that didn’t worry Dopheld too much.
That he was waiting for him at all was proof enough that he cared.
It was strange-Dopheld couldn’t pinpoint exactly when happening to meet on the way to work had changed to deliberately walking together, but the ritual had quickly become the highlight of his day.
Dopheld had been living alone in this city for over a year now, a few thousand miles from his family, and while he loved his career his hours made finding friends a little difficult. At least he’d found a sense of community thought the local synagogue- Kylo didn’t even seem to have that.
To say his coworker was enigmatic would be like saying water was slightly damp. Kylo talked very little about himself, though he could talk for hours on any number of other subjects given half a chance. He’d once explained calligraphy so well that Dopheld felt he could do it without ever having held a brush in his life, and yet Dopheld still wasn’t clear about his actual role at the company.
This morning he was being quiet, the collar of his stylish but impractical jacket turned up high around his ears.
One of these days Dopheld was going to ‘accidentally’ bring an extra scarf out with him. He just couldn’t stand seeing those adorably huge ears turning red all because Kylo chose aesthetic over dressing appropriately for the weather.
Dopheld was just about to say something about that when Kylo muttered toward the asphalt, “I really miss my mom’s cooking this time of year.”
Kylo almost never mentioned his mother. From what Dopheld understood she’d passed away just before Kylo had moved here, a year after his father’s death. She’d been a politician or something of that type, and rarely at home when Kylo was growing up. Though that seemed to conflict with what he was saying now.
Just as Dopheld was about to ask a follow up question Kylo sighed and went on, “She hardly ever cooked. Leia wasn’t the cooking type. Han had the kitchen renovated for a wedding present and I swear she only went into once a year. He did all the cooking, him and my uncle Chewie. But man… her latkes were the best.”
Dopheld eyebrows went up at that so fast he almost felt the urge to cover them with his hand, but Kylo glanced at him, and blushed, and wasn’t that just the cutest thing.
6’3” guys with more muscle than a rhino had no right looking so cute.
“My mom’s latkes are good, but you should try her sufganiyot,” Dopheld chuckled in an effort to make him feel at ease. “If you’d lived within five miles of our house you wouldn’t have had a choice, I swear she can’t make less than fifty at a time.”
Kylo smiled though he didn’t meet his eye. A laugh was almost unheard of from him, but a smile was more than good enough.
“Oh the doughnuts…” He said with another sigh. “I used to climb on the counter just to watch them go in the pan. I thought it was almost magic back then.”
They paused as they waited for the crossing signal, Kylo nervously running his fingers back through his long hair.
“I didn’t realise you were Jewish,” Dopheld said quietly. It had never come up in all Kylo’s many monologues, but then he didn’t really talk about himself, just his interests.
The gesture Kylo made was almost a shrug and almost an attempt to hide further into his jacket.
“It’s complicated. Mom… Leia was adopted and Han didn’t really believe in anything specific. I…” He stared off into the distance for a few seconds then shook his head. “Sorry. I saw your menorah, and I guess it brought back some things.”
Dopheld bit his lip while his brain tried to argue itself in circles. They walked to work together every day but they rarely saw one another after work- apparently Kylo had a lot of gym sessions, and Dopheld tended to work late at the beginning of the week. But that didn’t mean Dopheld didn’t want to spend more time with Kylo.
And right now Kylo seemed like he’d appreciate the company.
“You know,” he said with all the bravery he could muster, “Hanukkah is supposed to be a social thing, and I guess I’ve inherited my mom’s cooking skills because I have absolutely no portion control so, well, you know, if you want, you could uh… would you like to come over to my place after work tonight? I could do with someone to help me with all that food…”
Kylo gave him one of those rare bright smiles.
“I’d like that. Thank you.”
The relief was so palpable Dopheld almost melted into the sidewalk.
“Great,” he said around a grin that was so wide he knew he looked like a fool but was powerless to resist. “We can walk back together.”
Kylo only nodded in reply, but while they waited at the next crossing light he hooked his pinky finger around Dopheld’s own.
This was going to be the best holiday he’d had in ages.
He’d have to text his mom for recipes the instant he got to his desk.
❄️Holiday Ficlets ❄️
