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Chapter Text

Armitage Hux was good at his job.  After all he’d have to be to have worked as the lead production stage manager at the Royal Opera House these past five years.  He managed a team of dozens of stage managers and stagehands, often serving as the production stage manager on the most high profile opera productions.  Having wrapped production on Aida just two weeks ago, he was starting rehearsals today on a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro , or The Marriage of Figaro to laymen.  He took pride in his ability to just keep going no matter what as opera season took over his life. Yes, Armitage Hux was very good at his job; however, he was apparently not good at watching where he was going.

“Shit!” he hissed when a solid form collided hard with his chest.

There was a muffled, “Ow,” from the unsuspecting victim.  To be fair, she barely came up to Hux’s chest; she hadn’t even registered on his radar. 

“I am so sorry,” he stammered. “Are you quite alright? Here, let me get that.” Noticing some of his coffee had sloshed onto her shirt, he set his cup down and grabbed a handful of napkins to assist her. Without thinking, he started blotting at her shirt with the napkins.  That’s when she looked up at him.  

Oh, she’s pretty , Hux thought. He was taken in by her lovely almond shaped eyes and the inky black fringe that swept across her forehead.  It wasn’t until she smirked and cleared her throat that he realised there was something soft under his hands. Two soft somethings to be precise.  Soft and round and full and -

“I am so sorry!” he practically screeched. The napkins fell to the floor as he frantically lifted his hands up. 

“It’s okay,” she breathed out a laugh. “These things happen.”

Hux could feel the blush reach his ears.  People bump into each other all the time, yes, but he was pretty sure such incidents were not usually followed by one party feeling the other up. “Well, let me at least get your drink for you,” he offered.

“It’s really not necessary.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do,” he insisted. 

 She narrowed her eyes in contemplation. “Fine,” she finally agreed.

“Thank you,” he sighed in relief. “What are you having?”

“Lemon Ginger tea, please.”

Hux placed the order before apologizing again.

“I really am sorry.”

“I really know,” she grinned, the most adorable dimples blooming on her cheeks. 

Hux couldn’t help it, he smiled back. “Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here. Just...watch out for clumsy gingers.”

She laughed. “I will. Thanks.” She lifted her tea in a pseudo-toast.

Not knowing what else to say, Hux simply toasted back with his coffee before resuming his course to work. 

To the untrained eye, Armitage Hux was the picture of professionalism this morning. When he arrived at the rehearsal hall he immediately started delegating tasks, ever the leader as his team prepared for leseprobe before the creatives arrived.  But Phasma Parnassos knew him better than anyone. Not only had they been working together in this very opera house over a decade now, but they both got their chops at stage management in uni together.  If anyone could see beneath his cold exterior, it was her. 

“You’re late,” she stated quietly as they laid the various papers and scripts out on the table. 

“I was on time,” Hux clipped.

“That’s late for you.”  When he didn’t answer, she grew concerned. “Is Millicent okay?”  The man’s cat was the only thing she’d ever known him to prioritize over work. 

Hux’s face softened imperceptibly. “Millicent is fine. I just,” he sighed. “I nearly trampled a girl to death on the way here and it derailed me slightly.”

“You nearly trampled a girl to death,” Phasma repeated the words slowly. 

“Well, I ran into her anyway. Spilled my coffee on her. Felt her up in an attempt to help clean it up.  All in all it was a disaster,” Hux muttered miserably. 

Phasma let out a bark of laughter. “And let me guess, she was quite pretty too.”  Hux remained silent, but a blush bloomed on his sharp cheekbones, confirming her suspicions. “Well? Did you at least get her number?”

“What do you think?” Hux snapped back. “Besides, she was American, a tourist. Not like she’s going to be sticking around.”

“Even better,” Phasma countered. “You could use a good shagfest.  Tourists are great for that.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Don’t be crude, Phas.”

She shrugged, “Suit yourself,” before moving across the room to help Mitaka roll the set model in. 

It wasn’t long before the creatives started arriving.  Phasma watched as Hux got the stage director, Reginald Snoke, that miserable old excuse of a human being, settled at the head of the table.  To his right sat the music director and conductor, Enric Pryde.  He wasn’t much better, an arrogant, pompous ass of a man.  

The designers and singers wandered in sporadically.  Phasma stayed close to Hux, making quiet conversation while they waited for everyone to arrive.  He’d been in mid-sentence when he suddenly blanched, his eyes growing wide.  Phasma followed his gaze to where a small Asian woman had just entered the rehearsal hall.  The woman was taking in her surroundings when her eyes landed on Hux.  She hurried over to where he and Phasma were standing. 

“Well, hello again!” she greeted cheerfully. She gestured slightly to her shirt where Phasma could just make out a coffee stain. “Remember me?”

Hux apparently lost the power of speech, as what came out of his mouth was something between a gurgle and a whine. 

“Well, I’m glad we get to formally meet,” the woman ploughed on as though Hux weren’t in an apoplectic state of shock. She extended her hand, “I’m Rose, Rose Tico. I’ll be singing the part of Susanna.”

Hux slowly gathered his wits about him and extended his hand to shake hers, “Hux, I’m Hux,” he spoke hoarsely. “I’ll be your production stage manager. If-if you’ll excuse me, Ms. Tico, I’ve some business to attend to,” and with that he scurried off to do stage managery things.

Rose regarded him for a moment before turning back to Phasma. “He seems shy,” she stated simply.

Phasma had to purse her lips to keep from laughing. “He… can be.” She smiled, extending her hand to the young singer. “Phasma Parnassos, stage management. Let me show you to your seat, Ms. Tico.”

As she escorted Ms. Tico to her seat, Phasma couldn’t help but think to herself, Oh, this is going to be fun. 

Hux was fairly certain he’d angered every deity known to man. From Mount Olympus to Valhalla to the pearly gates of Heaven, they were all having their vengeance on him for some slight, though what he couldn’t possibly know.  Why else would his day have gone from bad to worse so quickly?

The incident at the coffee shop alone was bad enough, but of course that couldn’t be the end of it, oh no. No, as fate would have it, the lovely girl he’d embarrassed himself in front of turned out to be the up and coming ingenue in the show he was working on.  He’d be seeing her, and she him, nearly every day for the foreseeable future.  And of course she had to be friendly and charming, not pretentious like many divas he had worked with over the years. 

As if that weren’t enough, the gods dealt him another blow when their Figaro, Finn Thompson, another up and comer, waltzed into the room.  When Rose saw him she’d squealed and ran up to greet him with a kiss.  Hux hadn’t even realised the hope that had bloomed in his chest upon seeing her again until he felt it shrivel and die when she kissed Finn. Even as everyone settled in around the table for the design presentations, their affection for one another was obvious. 

Just as well, he tried to reason with himself. It would be unprofessional to involve himself with one of his singers. The fact that she was involved with her co-star should make it easier. Right? Of course right. 

Chapter Text

The last few weeks had been a whirlwind for Rose. Just six months out of her Adler fellowship in San Francisco, she’d landed the role of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at the Royal Opera in London!  Since landing at Heathrow she often pinched herself to confirm she wasn’t dreaming. This was far from her first professional performance, but it was certainly the largest role she’d played on such a prominent stage.  

The biggest thrill, though, had been reuniting with Finn.  They’d glommed onto each other early in their fellowship. Truth be told, she’d had a bit of a crush on him in the beginning, till it became clear she wasn’t exactly his type (nor were any of her fellow divas).  Still, their voices blended so beautifully together, they were often paired on-stage and for workshops. They worked well together, and that working relationship quickly budded into a great friendship.  Now here they were again, making their debuts in London as Figaro and Susanna.  

The stage director, Snoke, was a harsh, exacting man, but that was to be somewhat expected in the high stakes world of opera. The same could be said of Pryde, the music director, but there was something about him that unnerved her; something about the way he looked at her. 

Nevertheless, despite the pressure from the men in power, Rose was thoroughly enjoying her experience.  She was in awe of Harter Kalonia.  Now singing the part of Marcellina, the famous soprano had sung the part of Susanna to great acclaim several times in the course of her career.  The older woman would often impart wisdom to her successor while they were waiting around for things to happen in the rehearsal room. Meanwhile, she had a blast getting to know Zorii and Lanzora, who were singing Cherubino and the Countess, respectively. It helped that all their scenes together were full of hilarious hijinks, which often carried over into the green room.  

Yes, Rose was having a great time working on Figaro . Even the great Kylo Ren, who had a reputation for being broody and difficult, had been pleasant to work with when she rehearsed her scenes with the Count.  There was just one person on this production who got her hackles up. Armitage Hux.

She could not figure him out.  He’d been so nice when she ran into him at the coffee shop that first day. Awkward, but nice. It didn’t hurt that he was nice on the eyes. She'd been about to chew him out for fondling her with napkins until she looked up to see the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on.  Whatever protest she’d formulated died on her lips at the sight of his seafoam green eyes, strong cheekbones and light, ginger hair. Yeah, maybe getting fondled by a stranger wasn’t all that bad. 

But now he wouldn’t even look at her or speak to her except when it was professionally necessary.  He wasn’t rude per se, very polite in fact, but cold, distant. She’d tried several times to engage him in conversation before and after rehearsal, or during breaks, but he always had some excuse for why he couldn’t speak to her. 

“Of course, Ms. Tico, but I’m afraid I must check in with Maestro Pryde before rehearsal begins.”

“If you’ll excuse me, Ms. Tico, I must prepare the room for the next scene.” 

“Most kind of you to offer, Ms. Tico, but I’m afraid I must decline on account of… my cat.”

It was driving Rose to distraction. She knew she should give up, but she couldn’t help herself. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.  Watching him move about the hall, ordering his team about in their preparations for sitzprobe, she sighed longingly. 

“Rose, hey Rose!” Finn was rushing over to her with another girl in tow. “I want you to meet someone. This is Rey.”

Rose smiled, “So this is the infamous Rey Kenobi I’ve heard so much about.”

The other woman had a violin tucked under one arm, the bow hanging off her pinky. She extended her free hand for a shake. “Guilty,” she grinned.  “And you must be Rose Tico. I’ve heard quite a bit about you too from this one.”

“Only good things, I hope.”

“Of course.”

Finn slung his arms across both their shoulders, pleased as punch his favorite girls were finally meeting. He and Rey had grown up together, but though he hadn’t known Rose as long as he’d known Rey, the singer had grown to be just as important to him.

“Hey Tico,” a deep voice approached, “do you want to run - oh. Hello.” Kylo Ren stopped in his tracks when he saw Rey.  

“Hello,” Rey smiled brightly at him. 

Shaking the stars from his eyes, Kylo continued, “Tico, I think we should run these bars from our act three duet before things start up.”

Rose glanced at the sheet music in his hands, “Yeah, sure.”

“Well, we’ll get out of your hair,” Finn proclaimed. He pecked Rey lightly on the lips before heading to the refreshments table for some hot water. 

Rey chuckled before turning back toward the orchestra with a, “Nice to meet you, Rose.”

“You too,” Rose smiled. When she turned back to Kylo she couldn’t help but notice the crestfallen expression on his face. 

Sitzprobe had gone relatively smoothly, though Rose couldn’t help but feel that Maestro Pryde had been a bit harsh on her with his criticisms throughout.  She understood critique was to be expected, but she couldn’t help but notice none of her co-stars were singled out as much as her, nor as vehemently. She couldn’t have been that off, could she?

As she was packing up at the end of rehearsal, Pryde approached her asking to see her in his office. “Yes, Maestro,” she complied.

A few minutes later she found herself standing in his office. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so nervous; her gut was churning.

“Close the door, love,” Pryde ordered gently. Rose obeyed. “I think you know why I’ve called you here.”

“Not really, sir.”

“Really? So you think that caterwauling you did up there was acceptable?”

Rose was taken aback by that comment. “I- I’d hardly call it caterwauling.”

“Oh really? And what would you call it, Ms. Tico?”

“I’d call it singing,” Rose bit back, anger rushing to her cheeks. “I’m not proclaiming to be perfect, but I know what I’m doing, I know my craft. I was no worse out there than my castmates.”

A sinister smirk crept across Pryde’s face. “Right you are, of course. You are a brilliant artist, Ms. Tico.” He moved closer into her space, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You’re also a beautiful young woman. I’d be a fool not to see that”

Rose had to bite her cheek to resist the urge to bite his finger off. 

“With you on my arm, I’d be the most envied man in the room; and think of the doors I could open for you… and the doors I could close.”

The threat was clear. If she refused him, he could ruin her career.  Before she could respond, he moved away from her, opening the door. “Think about my offer, Ms. Tico,” he smiled. “It won’t be open for long.”

Flustered and embarrassed, Rose rushed from the room. 

The last few weeks had been a special form of torture for Hux.  Susanna appeared in more scenes than Figaro himself, so his days were full of Rose, Rose and more Rose. Rose kissing Finn, both in and out of character. Rose’s ample bosom on display in her practice corset. Nearly every male character burying their face in said bosom at some point during the show. Hux had never been jealous of Kylo Ren, in fact he despised the man, but he was jealous now watching him try and seduce Rose through his Count Almaviva role.

Fortunately, there were no corsets or fondling involved at sitzprobe, though Hux couldn’t help but notice how Pryde needled Rose more than the other singers. It made no sense; her pitch was perfect and she was always on the beat.  Her voice soared beautifully over the orchestra. He tried to ignore the niggling feeling in his gut at Pryde’s actions. 

Most everyone had cleared out. He was doing his rounds to lock up the building when something collided with his chest for the second time in as many weeks. “Oof,” he grunted. “Pardon me… Ms. Tico?”

“Hux...I…” Rose was visibly shaken by something, what Hux didn’t know.

“What are you still doing here? I thought you left with Finn.” He held her by the shoulders at arms’ length, confusion etched across his face.

Before she could answer, Maestro Pryde appeared in the hallway. Rose gasped and backed away from Hux. 

“Ah, Hux,” Pryde smirked. “Closing up, I see?”

"Yes, sir.”

“Very good. Ms. Tico,” he set a smoldering gaze on Rose, “a pleasure as always.” He tipped his hat before making his exit.

Suddenly it clicked for Armitage. He’d seen Pryde do this before. In fact the man was notorious for sexually harassing young ingenues. It all made sense, the way he’d singled Rose out in rehearsal. That was his modus operandi. Publicly humiliate the young woman about her abilities so if she denied his advances, no one would think anything of it when he dismissed her. It wasn’t unheard of for a principal performer to be replaced before a show even went into performances. He was simply laying the groundwork.  

It had always bothered him how men like Pryde treated women. His father had been the same way, a prominent producer of opera in his day.  Everyone thought opera stars lived a life of glamour, but in many ways they were just as susceptible, if not moreso, to this type of harassment. The true power lay with the producers and the opera houses. Seeing it happen now to Rose had Hux seeing red.

But rage was not what Rose needed right now. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he asked, “Ms. Tico, are you alright?”

“Yes,” she answered quickly, rushing past him.

“Wait!” he grasped her wrist as she passed him. When she turned back he saw fear in her eyes. She was afraid of him. It made him cringe. He released her before explaining. “At least let me see you out.”

She nodded her assent, following him as he finished locking up the building. They exited through the stage door. Hux made sure to keep his distance lest he spook her again. She was clearly still unsettled. Comforting others wasn’t exactly his forte, but he couldn’t stand to leave her like that, alone on the streets of London. 

“Come with me?” he offered. When she looked at him with suspicion, he added, “You can trust me.”

She must have seen something trustworthy there, for she followed him. They walked in silence a few blocks, toward the coffee shop where they first met. 

“Chamomile?” he guessed as she settled in at a table. Having worked with opera singers as long as he had, his nose had grown attuned to the various teas and tinctures they relied on to keep their vocal chords in prime condition. Through scent alone he knew that Rose started her day with lemon ginger tea, after which she mostly drank hot water with honey and lemon throughout the day, before closing the day out with a cup of chamomile tea to soothe her throat and her spirits. 

Rose however, seemed surprised by his correct guess. “Yes, thank you.”

Hux nodded before heading to the counter to order her tea and an espresso for himself. Caffeine might be a singer’s worst enemy, but it was pure fuel for the morlocks like him working behind the scenes. Returning to the table with their beverages, the pair drank in silence a moment.

“Ms. Tico, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, sorry,” she tried for a smile but it fell short. “I’m usually better company.”

“Just being in your presence is company enough,” Hux smiled before realising how his words sounded. He felt a blush creep up his neck. 

“Really?” Rose quirked an eyebrow, some of her usual confidence resurfacing. “Cuz you can’t seem to get away from me fast enough when I try to have a conversation with you that doesn’t involve blocking.”

This of course only made Hux blush harder. “Yes, well, perhaps I’m still rather embarrassed from our first meeting.”

“You mean when you spilled your coffee on me and felt me up?” her voice was light.

“Yes, that would be the incident I’m referring to,” Hux stared into the depths of his cup, the reflection of the lights in his dark beverage suddenly fascinating. “Please know I do not make it a habit to fondle young women. Not without their consent, anyway,” he managed to brave a smirk.  

Rose was grinning again, her dimples on display. “Good to know.”

The ice broken, Hux felt a tension uncoil in his gut. The conversation flowed from that point on and Hux was thrilled to find that Rose laughed at even his most macabre jokes (even if she did insist that he was terrible, all while laughing). Too soon their cups were empty.

“Well, I should probably go,” Rose sighed, pulling her phone out to call a cab. 

Suddenly plummeting back to reality, Hux sobered. “Yes, of course. Finn must be wondering where you are.”

“Um, yeah, I guess,” Rose crinkled her brow in confusion. 

A silence fell over them.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I’ve seen him do this before. You should talk to HR.”

Rose frowned, shaking her head. “I’ve seen this before too. HR was useless in those cases. Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.”

As she got up to grab her purse, Hux laid his hand over hers. “Well if you need anything, anything at all, Ms. Tico, I’m happy to help.” 

“Thanks, Hux,” she smiled softly before leaning in to kiss his cheek, the light stubble there scratching at her lips, “and call me Rose,” she whispered in his ear before pulling away.

Hux watched her walk to her waiting cab, waving farewell to her with a smile. It wasn’t until the car pulled out of sight that he released the breath he was holding, burying his head in his hands. 

There was no denying it. He was head over heels in love with Rose Tico. He was so fucked. 

Chapter Text

In the days following, the pace ramped up on production as opening night loomed ever nearer, but Hux felt inexplicably light. It might have had something to do with the newfound ease he had conversing with Rose.  He no longer fled when he spotted her crossing the room toward him, in fact he welcomed her easy smiles and witty banter.  He still felt a pang of jealousy watching her with Finn, but he supposed he couldn’t have his cake and eat it too. 

It was the first day of piano tech. He and Phasma were out back in the alley, enjoying a quick smoke before lunch wrapped up. 

“So,” Phasma asked casually, “how are things going with your little prima donna?”

Hux snorted. “She’s not my anything.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Don’t be absurd. She’s clearly quite happy with her boyfriend.”

“What boyfriend?”

“Finn, of course.”

Phasma frowned, “You sure about that?”

“Have you not seen them together?”

“Yes…” Phasma drew out her words, as though speaking to a slow child, “it’s called acting.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “I mean offstage, Phas. They’re constantly hugging and kissing...holding hands,” he muttered.

“I suppose so,” Phasma pursed her lips, thinking over the interactions she’d observed between the pair, “but I don’t know. He just seems like a friendly guy, and you know these opera types. Overly affectionate, the lot of them.” She flicked her cigarette in mild disdain. “Besides, there’s no real fire in their interactions. If they are dating, they must have the most boring sex.”

“Hux?!” a voice interrupted them.

The pair looked up to see Rose fuming at the end of the alley.  

“What,” she pointed at the cigarette in his hand, “is that?”

“Erm, a cigarette?” he scratched at the back of his neck.

Storming down the alley, she continued her interrogation, “You smoke?!”

“Don’t act so surprised, love. Surely I’m not the first stagehand you’ve caught smoking. We don’t have to preserve our voices the way you do.” Even as he spoke, he moved the cigarette up and away from her so as to avoid any of the smoke getting in her face.

“First off,” Rose placed her hands on her hips, “you’re not just a stagehand, you’re our stage manager. Second, you might not be a singer, but you’re not stupid. You have to know what these things can do to you. Cancer,” she jabbed his chest with her finger on each ailment, “heart disease, emphysema, COPD. Do you want to die?”

Hux narrowed his eyes, “Listen, piccola -”

“Piccola, really? Like I haven’t heard that one before,” it was Rose’s turn to roll her eyes. 

Hux continued as though she hadn’t spoken, “we’re all going to die someday. What does it matter if I want to speed up the process?” He brought the cigarette back to his lips, purposefully taking a drag.

Rose’s face flushed with rage as she slapped his hand, sending the cigarette flying to the ground.  

“Hey!” Hux exclaimed, shaking the pain out of his hand. 

“Just because you don’t care doesn’t mean I - doesn’t mean other people don’t!” she corrected herself quickly before turning tail and storming back up the alley toward the stage door.

Hux stared after her, wonder and lust in his eyes. “What the bloody hell was that?”

“I don’t know, but clearly she doesn’t care if I kill myself with these,” Phasma waved the pack of cigarettes, “which is good, because I’m going to need another after watching that little display.” She lit a fresh cigarette, inhaling deeply before releasing the smoke. “Show me that kind of passion between her and our Figaro, and maybe I’ll believe they’re together. Till then,” she gave him a little salute before making her own way back to the stage door. 

Rose was still fuming as more people filtered back in from lunch. She knew she’d overreacted, but she couldn’t help it. She cared about Hux and she’d seen first hand what those things could do.  

“Hey flyboy!” Zorii startled her from behind. She turned to see the mezzo-soprano waving to someone up on the catwalks. When Rose looked up she saw a handsome man with curly hair waving back. 

“Zorii!” he exclaimed before descending the ladder quickly.  He rushed up to pull her into a bone-crushing hug. “That’s fly captain to you.”

“Potato, potahto,” she hugged him back. “Poe, this is Rose Tico, our Susanna. Rose, this is Poe Dameron. He’s responsible for making sure none of us are crushed beneath flying scenery.”

“She’s leaving out that we used to date,” Poe grinned.

“Let’s just say we make better friends than lovers,” Zorii added.

“Who makes better friends?” Finn walked up slinging an arm around Rose’s shoulder. Zorii quickly made introductions.  It didn’t take long before Finn and Poe hit it off, wandering upstage where Poe could brag about his crew and fly system. For what it was worth, Finn was duly impressed.  It was amusing watching them both try to hide the fact they were flirting.  

“Could they be any more obvious?” Zorii asked. 

Rose laughed. “Not even if they tried.” 

Piano tech trudged on, as it always does. 

They’d hit yet another snag, leaving Rose to hurry up and wait onstage with her scene partner.  While they worked well together, she and Kylo Ren were anything but close. Apart from polite greetings, they’d barely spoken to each other about anything but the work. But Rose was bored and she couldn’t help but notice the way he kept glancing longingly at the orchestra pit.

“She’s not here you know,” she stated simply. 

Kylo diverted his gaze, suddenly becoming very interested in the light fixtures above them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “I’m not blind you know. I see the way you look at Rey,” She watched his jaw tighten, “and you know as well as I do the orchestra won’t be back till we start dress rehearsals.”

Kylo’s cheeks reddened a bit, but he said nothing. 

“Look,” Rose sighed, “I don’t know her that well, but I think she likes you too.”

“Really?” Kylo asked eagerly, looking like a little boy despite his giant, hulking frame.

“Really,” Rose smirked. “Just ask her out.”

“I’m not…” he frowned, “I’m not good at talking to women.”

“You talk to me just fine.”

“You’re not a woman.”

Rose’s eyebrows shot up beneath her bangs. “Excuse me?”

Realising how he sounded, Kylo blanched. “I just mean you’re not a woman I like. I mean, I like you fine! I’m just not attracted to you. Not that you’re not attractive.” He ran a frustrated hand through his long locks. “Shit. See what I mean?”

Rose just laughed. “Calm down. I get it. Girls make you nervous. Who’da thunk?” Kylo just frowned. “Look, just be yourself and try not to insult her.”

“Noted,” he nodded. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you pining after a certain stage manager.” Rose blushed. “Ah ha, I was right,” he grinned in triumph. 

“Shut up,” Rose swatted at him. 

“I don’t know what you’re worried about. He clearly likes you. Though what you see in him is beyond me. He’s such an asshole.”

“He’s not an asshole,” Rose defended vehemently. 

“Whatever,” Ren rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ve worked with him off and on over the years. He’s professional, I’ll give him that, but he’s one of the most surly bastards I’ve ever met. Except when you’re around. He’s almost tolerable when you’re around.”

Rose wasn’t sure what to say to that. Fortunately, she didn’t have to come up with a response, as the nervous little assistant stage manager, Mitaka, interrupted them to let them know they’d be starting up again in a few minutes. Still, as she and Ren took their pleases, she couldn’t help but think over his words. Could it be Hux felt the same way about her as she did him?

If this kept up, Hux was going to break his pencil in half. Pryde was at it again. He was pushing Rose, and Rose alone, to use her full voice. Anyone in the opera world who was worth their salt knew piano tech were vocal rest days. Pryde knew that. He was doing this on purpose.  If he forced her to sing at full volume, she’d blow her voice out before they even got to final dress. The only good news about this development was that it must mean Rose hadn’t given in to his advances. 

When the next break was called, Hux approached the conductor. “Maestro, a word?”

“Hux. What can I do for you?” Pryde looked down his nose at the younger man.  

“Today is a vocal rest day. If you keep pushing Ms. Tico you’ll damage her voice.”

“Is that so,” Pryde smirked. 

“You know it’s so,” Hux frowned. 

“Mr. Hux, are you a musician?”

“You know I’m not.”

“What are you, Mr. Hux?”

“I’m a stage manager,” he answered through gritted teeth.

“Yes, you are a stage manager and I am the Maestro.  Yet you presume to understand my art?”

“I understand perfectly well what’s going on here. We both know what you’re doing.”

“And what am I doing?”

Hux bit his tongue. Pryde was baiting him, hoping he’d lash out in full view of the company. “You’re doing a splendid job, Maestro,” he forced the words out. 

Pryde smirked. “Why thank you, Mr. Hux.” Hux turned to get back to his station and call the end of break. Christ, he hated that man.

Still in a foul mood, Hux was doing his end of day sweeps through the building when he heard sniffles coming from one of the dressing rooms. He knew that dressing room. “Rose?” He poked his head in. There she was sitting at the make-up table, sobbing quietly.

“Oh!” she turned her face away, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “Sorry, I’ll get out of your hair,” she tried to steady her voice.

“No rush,” he approached her slowly. “Is everything alright?” He knew full well it wasn’t, but it wasn’t his place to tell her how she felt. 

Seeming to gain some of her composure, she turned to face him. “What if he’s right? What if I don’t have what it takes?”

Cottoning on to precisely whom she was talking about, Hux answered quickly, “He’s not. You’re brilliant.”

“I just don’t know how I ended up in this mess,” Rose turned to look at herself in the vanity mirror. “I’m not exactly a femme fatale.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re gorgeous,” he blanched when he heard the words come out of his mouth, adding quickly, “not that that matters. What he’s doing is wrong.”

“I know.” A short silence fell over them before she asked, “Why are you being so nice to me? I was terrible to you earlier.”

Hux chuckled. He’d almost forgotten their earlier altercation, so consumed by rage he’d become watching Pryde abuse Rose all afternoon. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, I’m sorry all the same. I overreacted. It’s none of my business if you smoke.”

Hux smiled, “I must admit, the thought of someone besides my cat caring if I live or die is quite touching.” This seemed to trigger something as Rose started crying again. “Shit, Rose, I’m sorry, I was only joking.”

“No, I’m sorry! I just,” she took a big breath. “My dad died a couple years ago. Lung cancer. It wasn’t pretty. He fought it for a year or so, but ultimately the cancer won.”

“And I’m guessing he smoked,” Hux finished slowly for her.

She nodded. “His whole life.”

“Shit, Rose, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” he gently tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. “I can’t stand the thought that I hurt you.”

Her lips parted as she gasped. Hux knew he should look away from those deep, brown eyes, knew he shouldn’t want so badly to lean in and kiss her, but he couldn’t. She took his breath away. Just as he was about to give into his desires, a door closing down the hall startled them both.  

“It’s Pryde!” Rose whispered, hearing the man humming as he approached.  She quickly moved to push Hux into the freestanding wardrobe with her costumes. 

“Rose!” Hux whispered loudly, “You know we don’t actually live in an opera, yes?”

“Just get in!” she hissed, shoving him in roughly and closing the doors. 

Hux huffed. What the bloody hell was she thinking? Just as he was about to burst out again, he heard Pryde’s voice.

“Ah, Ms. Tico,” Hux could hear the smarmy grin on the maestro’s face, “fancy seeing you here so late. Finally come to your senses?”

“In your dreams,” Rose’s disdain for him practically dripped from every word. 

Pryde chuckled darkly, “I must admit, Ms. Tico, I admire your fiery spirit. But it will only get you so far.” 

“Stop,” he heard Rose say as Pryde stepped toward her.

“Stop what, my dear?”

“Back off, don’t come near me.”

Hux tensed. Surely Pryde wasn’t planning on assaulting her right here and now, was he?

“Just relax, my dear,” Pryde took another step.

Not able to stop himself, Hux burst out of the wardrobe, grabbing Pryde and slamming him against the wall. “Keep your filthy hands off her,” he growled.

Pryde released a bark of hollow laughter. “I should have known. You really are just a rabid cur, aren’t you? Lying in wait for the bitch to go into heat.”

“How dare you,” Hux tightened his grip on the lapels of Pryde’s jacket.  

The amusement on Pryde’s face dropped immediately. “Unhand me at once,” he demanded. Still glaring, Hux obeyed. Pryde straightened his shirt out before moving toward the exit. As he reached the doorway he turned. “Oh, it goes without say, Mr. Hux, you’re fired. Good evening, Ms. Tico,” and with that the maestro turned on his heel, making a dramatic exit.

Releasing a breath, Hux turned to Rose, his hands going gently to her shoulders. “Christ, Rose, are you alright? Did he-”

He didn’t get to finish his question as Rose launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the mouth. His initial shock gave way quickly as he surrendered into the kiss, overwhelmed with the feeling of her soft mouth on his and the way her body pressed up against him.  Eventually, though, his reason returned to him. 

“Rose,” kiss, “Rose, love, we have to stop.”

“Why?” she whined, not stopping her onslaught of kisses.

“What would Finn think?”

That stopped her. “Why would I give a fuck what Finn thinks?”

“He’s, he’s your boyfriend,” Hux stammered. 

“He is?”

“...Isn’t he?” Hux nearly squeaked.

Rose started laughing. “Oh my god, you thought Finn and I were dating? That explains so much!” 

“I’m glad you find this amusing, but care to fill me in?”

“Hux, there’s no way I could be with Finn. You’re more his type than I am, if you catch my drift.”

“He’s gay?” The wheels in his head nearly came to a grinding halt. “ But...but, he’s always kissing you; and you kiss him back!”

She rolled her eyes, “Finn kisses everyone. Like, literally everyone. I’m pretty sure he was starved for affection as a child so now he’s making up for it in spades.”

Hux just blinked in confusion. It was so adorable, Rose couldn’t resist from kissing him again. That seemed to break him out of his haze as he kissed her back.  This time the kiss was sweet and gentle. When they finally stopped, he smiled.

“Say, why did you shove me in the wardrobe?” he asked.

Throwing her hands up in the air, Rose huffed, “I panicked!”

Hux chuckled. “You’ve been living in Mozart’s world too long.”

“No such thing,” she grinned. “Mozart is the bomb.”

“Indeed,” Hux agreed. “Come now, let’s get you home.”

“If you insist,” she feigned being put out by the notion, but took the arm he offered her nonetheless. 

Hux couldn’t believe his luck. Rose and Finn weren’t an item after all and Rose actually seemed to like him! Things were starting to look up.

Chapter Text

Rose had been dismayed that her situation had gotten Hux fired, but he assured her Pryde didn’t actually have the authority to fire him; that lay with the opera house as he was their resident stage manager. As it stood, however, he was very much suspended from working on Figaro , so gone were the long days of seeing Rose.

The morning after the incident he awoke to his phone ringing. It was Phasma.

“Hey, Phas,” he sighed in greeting, knowing what was coming.

Sure enough, Phasma had more than a few choice words for him getting himself thrown off the project, leaving her with all the work, as she’d been appointed his replacement as production stage manager. Hux calmly listened, chuckling now and again, to her tirade, scritching Millicent’s chin all the while. 

When she’d finally calmed a bit, Phasma asked, “What exactly happened?”

His mood darkened immediately. “It was Pryde. He’s at it again and this time he’s set his eyes on Rose.”

“Well, yeah, that’s obvious; but that doesn’t explain what happened.”

“He cornered her, Phas,” he could feel his anger spiking just thinking about it, “he cornered her and I just…”

“Omigod, you punched him!”

“No,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “but I really wanted to. Instead I just...kind of threatened him.”

“Oooooo,” were it not early in the morning, Hux would swear Phasma was munching popcorn as she listened to the regaling of his tale. “Did Rose see your act of heroism? Was she swept off her feet?” Phasma couldn’t see him turn bright red at the mention of Rose, but his silence spoke volumes. “She did, didn’t she?”

“Phas…”

“Was she ever so grateful?” she was teasing him now. “Did she throw herself at you?” His silence told her more than she needed to know. “Omigod, she did! Wait, are you with her now?”

“No!” Hux bit out indignantly. “Honestly, Phas, I’m a gentleman. Besides, it would be unseemly to make a move on her after she’d just been through that ordeal. I escorted her home, that is all.”

“Okay… but she did kiss you,” it wasn’t so much a question as a clarification.

Hux couldn’t help the small smile that graced his lips when he thought back to their kisses, first in the dressing room, then again as he bid her adieu on her doorstep. “Yes,” he confirmed. He had to move the phone away from his ear to protect from the ensuing squeal that escaped the normally formidable woman on the other end of the line. When the ringing in his ear stopped he braved bringing the phone closer again. “Are you quite done?”

“For now,” Phasma was probably grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “I told you she liked you.”

“Yes, yes,” Hux rolled his eyes. “But listen to me, Phas, this is serious. She can’t be left alone. Ever. Be discreet, but make sure the crew never leaves her alone. Pryde isn’t going to stop, and he’s only going to feel emboldened now that I’m gone. Promise me you won’t let him get to her.”

Phasma sobered immediately. “Of course. That goes without say. Pryde is a boil on the butt of humanity. I only wish there was a way to take him down. But in the meantime, don’t worry. We’ll protect your precious flower.”

Phasma was true to her word. She assigned one of the dressers to Rose with the express instructions not to leave her side when she was offstage. The stage crew also understood that they were to have eyes on Rose at all times. Maestro Pryde might technically have the power right now, but they were loyal to Hux.

Even so, Pryde’s campaign against Rose continued. He might not be able to corner her as he did that night, but he continued to openly berate her performance in front of the cast and crew. Hux knew this both from Phasma’s reports and his conversations with Rose. They stayed in communication via text message throughout the day. Not having much to do until he was assigned to his next project, Hux was always at the ready with encouraging words for her to get her through the day. 

At the end of the day he often met her outside the opera house, waiting across the street lest he run into Pryde. From there he would escort her home, sometimes stopping somewhere for dinner along the way. Sometimes she would invite him inside. Being a gentleman he would politely decline, though it was getting harder and harder to resist her. 

Nevertheless, resist her charms he did, if for no other reason to keep a clear head for strategy. When he awoke on the day of final dress, his mission was clear, though he was loath to take it.

The great Kylo Ren, nee Ben Solo, had a very specific morning routine. It started with a brief meditation, after which he imbibed an herbal tea with a breakfast rich in protein (he went through a dozen eggs every few days or so) before heading out for a run. 

It was at this point, on the morning of final dress that the baritone hit a hiccup in his routine, for waiting outside his building was none other than Armitage Hux. 

Kylo frowned. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Hux’s disposition was no cheerier. “I’m here to implore you to put aside our differences on behalf of one whose virtue exceeds our own.”

“God, you’re so pretentious. Just say you’re here to ask a favor,” Kylo rolled his eyes. 

“Very well. I’ll cut to the point,” Hux stood straighter. “I know you’re not blind. You know as well as I do that unless someone takes action, tonight will be Ms. Tico’s last performance. Pryde has been laying the groundwork to dismiss her, and we both know why.”

“It’s not my responsibility to look after your girlfriend.”

Hux’s cheeks blushed at this but he pressed on. “That’s not what I’m asking. Pryde can’t get away with this. Not this time. It has to stop.”

“What the hell do you expect me to do?”

Hux took a step forward, invading the larger man’s personal space. “You have sway. You know as well as I do that you’re the greenlight for this production. Rose and Finn, talented as they are, are still nobodies right now. Ticket sales would suffer if you were to pull out from the production.”

Kylo barked out a laugh. “You want me to quit? Are you insane?”

“I want you to threaten to quit. Tell them you won’t perform unless Rose is kept on in the role. They won’t call your bluff. You’re too important to them, or more accurately their pocketbooks.”

“And if they do call my bluff?”

“They won’t,” Hux shook his head, insistent. “I’ve known Pryde and Snoke most of my life. My father worked with them; they were all alike. Trust me, they won’t.”

“You’ve got a lot of balls,” Kylo muttered, frowning, “ asking me to put my career on the line like this.”

“Don’t do it for me. Do it for Rose. Do it for his next victim.” Hux took a breath before driving the next nail in. He knew it was manipulative, but it just might push Kylo over the edge to their side. “Once Rose is out of the picture, who’s to say who he’ll set his sights on next. Perhaps a certain violinist? He’s been known to dabble with the orchestra as well, you know.” 

“Fuck off,” Kylo’s frown deepened. 

 “T’would be a shame if he turned his attentions to Ms. Kenobi.” 

Kylo grabbed the front of Hux’s shirt with both fists, shoving him back against the mailbox behind him. “I said, fuck off!”

Hux jutted out his chin, not backing down, not breaking eye contact, but choosing not to speak anymore. He’d made his point. 

After a moment, Kylo released him before bolting off into the run he’d left his building to pursue. Hux in turn released the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, watching his sometimes colleague, sometimes enemy, jog down the street, hoping his efforts wouldn’t be for naught.

Kylo hated it when Hux was right. Ever since they first crossed paths early in their careers, the pretentious ginger had always rubbed him the wrong way. They’d eventually settled into a professional alliance, but that didn’t mean they liked each other. But Hux was right, and more than that, Kylo knew he was right before their conversation, or rather he knew what Pryde was doing to Rose was wrong. 

You have to do the right thing, a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like his mother said. 

Sure enough, events unfolded just about as expected. Final dress went off without a hitch, and the handful of donors in attendance gave them a hearty applause at curtain call. Afterward they gathered back in the auditorium for notes.

When Pryde started the notes session by announcing, “We want to thank Ms. Tico for sharing her final performance with us today,” it was as though all the air was sucked out of the room. You could hear the proverbial pin drop. 

Just as Pryde opened his mouth to proceed with the remainder of his notes, Kylo stood up. “I guess you’ll be moving forward with a new Count Almaviva too, then.” He turned to exit. 

“Are you insane?” Pryde snapped. 

“What’s this all about, Ren?” Snoke sneered. 

Kylo turned to face the decrepit old men. “There’s absolutely no reason to dismiss Ms. Tico. She’s been nothing but professional and gracious in the face of adversity. Not to mention her talent is unparalleled. I can only suspect there are ulterior motives at work here. Now I can’t imagine what those might be,” his voice feigned innocence but the way his eyes bored into Pryde spoke volumes, “but rest assured if this production proceeds without Ms. Tico it will also be going on without me.”

Red-faced, Pryde advanced toward Kylo, “Now hear this-”

“Let the girl stay,” a voice croaked from the mezzanine. 

Kylo looked up to see the cloaked figure of Sheev Palpatine, the executive producer on the production. He’d always been an eccentric man, with his robes and cloaks, but with the amount of money he gifted the opera house, nobody ever dared to comment on it. 

“But sir-” Pryde protested. 

“Silence!” Palpatine barked in a voice that would accept no resistance. “We’re not losing Ren and Ms. Tico’s performance is perfectly serviceable.”

The blood drained from Pryde’s face. “Of course, sir.” He turned back to the cast. “Well. Shall we continue?”

Kylo sat back down, glancing over at Rose. She was visibly shaken by what had just happened, but mouthed a “Thank you” to him. He nodded back in acknowledgment. 

Later, as Kylo sat in his dressing room, wiping the last vestiges of stage make-up from his face, a voice at the door broke his concentration. 

“Hey,” the voice said quietly. 

Through the reflection in the mirror, he saw it was Rey, and immediately stood up too quickly, banging his knee on the vanity counter. “Uh, hey, ow!”

Rey’s eyes widened as she took a step into the dressing room. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, fine,” Kylo averted his gaze, blushing furiously.

“Okay...well, I just wanted to say, you know, what you did back there. That was really brave. It’s been really hard, watching him go at Rose the way he’s done, but having someone like you take a stand for her, well, that was just really good of you.”

Kylo shrugged. “They weren’t gonna let me walk. There was no real risk on my part.”

Rey rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Oh my god, just take the compliment, will you?”

“Sorry,” Kylo frowned. 

Rolling her eyes again, Rey just smiled and took a step forward onto her toes, placing a kiss on his cheek. “You did the right thing,” she whispered in his ear before retreating back to the doorway and picking up her violin case. “See you at opening,” she gave him a little wave before wandering off.

It took Kylo a few minutes to recover from her lips on his cheek before he stuttered out an awkward, “Bye!” Placing a hand on the spot where her kiss lingered he turned back to the dressing room mirror, a rare grin on his face.

Chapter Text

Hux couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually attended an opera as an audience member, instead of working it from the booth. But he’d be damned if he was going to miss Rose’s debut performance. So he’d brushed the cobwebs off his tux and made his way to the opera house, two dozen long-stemmed roses in tow for the lady of the hour. 

He somehow managed not to sneer when Pryde came out and took a bow before queuing up the orchestra for the overture. Despite basically having the score memorized, Hux found himself getting swept up in the excitement of it. Rose was magnificent. Her voice danced over the chords with an effortless grace, and her comic timing was on point. It wasn’t long before the audience was eating out of the palm of her hand. Come the first intermission, Hux thanked the stars he’d gotten thrown off this project so he could simply enjoy Rose’s performance, instead of dealing with the distractions of calling cues and backstage drama. Later in the show, when Susanna finally marries Figaro, he couldn’t help but wonder what she might look like as a bride in real life. The thought both scared and titillated him. 

By the end of the show, Hux was grinning so hard his face hurt. He stood along with the rest of the crowd to give a standing ovation to the cast, and couldn’t help but whistle and shout a little when Rose came out to take her bow. (He was hardly the only one, after all. The crowd was going wild.) Before joining the rest of the company, he noticed her eyes quickly scanning the audience… until her eyes met his and her smile grew. When she blew him a kiss, he could swear his heart stopped. 

Of course it wasn’t over yet. As the leading lady she still had a role to play. Hux felt tension creep back into his body, waiting for what came next. But it never came, at least not in the way he expected. It was tradition for the leading lady to escort the conductor out onto the stage to take a bow, but it seemed they’d opted to buck tradition and instead Lanzora hurried over to the wings where Pryde was waiting, accepting a kiss to her cheek before escorting him center stage to take a bow with the company. Hux released the breath he was holding, especially when the audience, still swept up in their excitement for the production, overlooked the faux pas. 

It was of course awhile before he could actually see Rose to congratulate her. The cast needed time to get out of costume and make-up, making themselves presentable for the opening night celebration. So Hux stood awkwardly in the banquet hall, with his giant bouquet of flowers, chatting idly with former colleagues and even with some of the donors he knew from his long tenure with the opera house. 

When Rose finally made her entrance, she was greeted by applause. He caught her eye and she smiled, making a beeline for him, only to be stopped by her adoring fans along the way. Hux couldn’t help but smile watching her. She was clearly overwhelmed, but handled it all with grace, smiling sweetly and accepting the praise being heaped upon her. 

When she finally made it to him, she took a deep breath. “Armitage,” she sighed.

Hux smiled. They’d taken to calling each other by their first names since embarking on their little romance. “Rose,” he passed her the flute of champagne he’d been saving. “Here, you look like you need this.”

“Bless you,” she practically moaned before bringing the glass to her lips. 

“You were brilliant, Rose, truly. Congratulations,” he presented the flowers to her. 

“Oh, Armitage, they’re beautiful,” she cooed as she took the bouquet into her arms. 

“Not as beautiful as you,” he countered sincerely. 

Rose blushed. At a loss for words she simply stood on her toes, using his arm to balance, to place a kiss on his cheek. 

Once she settled back on her feet, she sighed. “I wish I could just stay here with you all night, but my mother is around here somewhere, and besides, I think I’m about to be ambushed again by more audience members.”

Hux chuckled. “Of course you are, love. You were bloody brilliant tonight. Everyone’s going to want a piece of you.”

“The woes of being a diva, I suppose,” Rose smiled cheekily. 

“Indeed,” Hux smiled warmly. “Well, I don’t want to keep you from your adoring fans. Besides, Pryde might actually skin me alive if I stay here much longer. But I wouldn’t miss tonight for the world. Congratulations, Rose.” 

“I’m glad you were here,” she took his hand. “Can I call you later?”

“Of course, I’ll look forward to it,” he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. “Until then.”

They reluctantly parted ways, Rose wading back through the crowd, Hux making his way for the door.

Rose usually enjoyed opening night parties, the high from the performance carrying her through the night. But ever since Hux left she felt restless and distracted. Suddenly celebrating her success didn’t feel right if he wasn’t by her side. Still, she managed to plaster a smile on her face, hobnobbing with London’s elite as long as she could bear it. 

When her mother told her she was getting tired, Rose took the opportunity to excuse herself from the party, despite Thanya’s insistence that she didn’t need an escort back to her hotel. Rose insisted right back, though, calling a cab and riding with her mother to the hotel. Once Thanya was safely inside the hotel, Rose gave the cabbie a new address to take her to. There was only one place she wanted to be tonight. 

As Rose ascended the steps to her destination, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. This was so stupid. He was probably asleep by now. What was she thinking? Still, something drove her forward. 

It didn’t take long for him to answer the door after she knocked. Though he’d changed out of his tux, he’d clearly been awake, a pencil and some sheet music in his hand. When he saw her his eyebrows shot up. “Rose,” he opened the door wider, ushering her in. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” she breathed, “everything’s great, just… I don’t want tonight to end.”

Hux smirked, “I’m pretty sure the party is still going at the opera house.”

“I don’t care about the party. I want to be here. With you.” She took a step forward running her hands up his front, toying with the fabric of his t-shirt.

Hux gulped. “Rose, love,” he tilted her chin up with his hand. “How much champagne have you had?” 

Rose glared. “I’m not drunk, Armitage. I know what I’m doing." 

He was clearly skeptical. “You’re sure?”

She crept her fingers up his chest, stood up on her toes and breathed, “I promise,” before capturing his lips with hers. 

That seemed to be all the permission he needed. Next thing Rose knew, he had her pressed with her back against the door, kissing her passionately, their tongues battling for dominance. When they finally broke for oxygen, their eyes locked. At the same time Hux moved to lift Rose up, she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her into the living room where he sat back on the couch, settling her into his lap, her skirts billowing around them. They continued their feverish makeout session, licking, biting and tasting every inch they could reach of the other. 

Rose tucked her hands up under Hux’s shirt, sliding them up until he relented, lifting his arms so she could pull the garment off over his head. He was breathing heavily, full lips parted and pupils blown wide, barely revealing a sliver of green in his eyes. He was beautiful. 

When Rose reached behind her back to unhook the bodice of her dress, letting it fall and allowing her breasts to spill out, she was pretty sure she heard Hux utter, “Bloody hell.” He leaned forward, but rather than grabbing at her greedily, he shut his eyes and leaned his forehead against her chest, his hands, shaking, resting gently on her ribcage. She felt him release a shuttering breath before placing a gentle kiss to her sternum. The amount of restraint he was showing was impressive. 

Licking his lips, eyes still focused on her breasts he asked, “May I?” 

“Please,” Rose practically begged him. 

Hux hesitated no longer. His large hands reached up to cup her breasts, agile fingers curling up to tweak and pull at her nipples. Rose gasped. He kissed her mouth quickly before moving his lips down to capture one of her nipples. She felt her hips buck in response. He bucked back, instinctively. She could feel the length of his hard member pressing against her core under the layers of tulle and lace. 

Not wanting this sensation to end, Rose carded her fingers through Hux’s ginger hair, gently holding his head in place as he suckled at her breast. “Oh stars, Tage, yessss,” she moaned. This seemed to encourage him, as he increased his efforts, circling her nipple with his tongue, which seemed to be just as agile as his fingers, and pulling ever so gently with his teeth. 

Rose honestly thought she could cum just like this, but she wanted more. She tugged sharply on his hair, stopping his ministrations. She stood up, taking a few steps back. Reaching behind herself again, she undid the lower half of her dress, letting it pool around her feet, leaving her bare save for her lacy panties. It felt risky. She was proud of her body; it was strong and allowed her to perform feats very few in the world could, but she was hardly a supermodel.  But she wanted Hux to see her, really see her. See her large, barrel-like rib cage and soft belly that allowed her to send notes to the highest rafters without the assistance of a microphone. 

As it turned out, she needn’t have worried. Within a matter of seconds Hux fell to his knees on the ground before her. He placed his hands gently on her hips and gazed up at her reverently. “My goddess, my queen,” he spoke as though in prayer before placing another gentle kiss on her belly. 

Rose was overwhelmed. No one had ever looked at her the way Hux was looking at her right now. She’d never felt so powerful. “Tage, please,” she begged, her voice shaky. 

 “Anything, my love.”

“Take me to bed.”

He needed no further instruction, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her bridal style into his bedroom where he gently lay her on the bed, kissing her deeply. Rose allowed herself to get lost in the sensations, feeling him slide her damp panties down her legs, kissing a trail as he went, then kissing his way back up her legs as he parted them gently with his hands, kneeling between her thighs as he lapped at her core, first gently then hungrily, as long, slender fingers opened her up, stroking expertly at her g spot. Time no longer had any meaning as he brought her to climax. She could have been swimming in ecstasy a mere few minutes or for days as far as she knew. Frankly it didn’t matter. 

Once her orgasm had ebbed away, Hux stood up. He’d removed his pants, palming his cock which stood tall and proud, red at the tip. His lips glistened with her juices. Rose had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful. Instinctually, she widened her legs, pulling her knees up closer to her torso, presenting her pussy to him. “Tage,” she whispered, reaching her arms up toward him. 

Not breaking eye contact, Hux retrieved a condom from his nightstand, rolling it over his cock before accepting the open invitation. As he crawled over her, Rose ran her hands over his skin, feeling him shudder with pleasure at her touch. He brought one large hand up to her throat, gently holding her in place by the jaw. 

“My Rose,” he whispered, before kissing her at the same time he gently but quickly sunk his dick into her core. “Fuck,” he groaned, “so wet for me.”

Rose merely moaned, feeling him stretch her. She bucked her hips up to urge him on. Taking the cue, Hux started pumping his hips, faster, harder, till the bed was practically rocking with the force of his thrusts.

Once they reached a rhythm, Rose and Hux never broke eye contact. Their hands were interlocked on the mattress, and Rose could swear their breath and heartbeats were in sync. She’d never felt so connected to anyone in her life. 

Finally, Hux approached his limit. “Fuck, Rose, love, I’m going to cum.”

“Do it,” her voice was husky, but commanding. “Cum for me. Cum for your queen.”

“Oh, fuck,” Hux’s eyes practically rolled back in his head as the orgasm overtook him. He roared as he pounded Rose into the mattress, releasing his load. 

It took awhile before either could speak again. Instead they relished the feeling of being near each other, listening to each other’s heart pound with the exertion of their activities. 

Once Hux finally seemed to have his wits about him again, he peeled himself off of her, departing briefly for the adjacent bathroom where he disposed of the condom. Rose heard water running before he returned with a wet washcloth. Rose reached her hand out for it, expecting him just to toss it to her to clean herself up. To her surprise, he applied the warm cloth to her skin, gently wiping her down before returning to the bathroom again to presumably deal with the towel. 

When he returned again, Hux laid on his side beside her, reaching a hand out to stroke up and down her body. “Well I must admit,” he finally spoke, “this was most unexpected.”

Rose huffed out a laugh. “How so? I’ve been trying to get into your pants for days now.”

Hux chuckled. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” Rose snapped playfully, “and you know it.” 

“Forgive me, darling,” he placed a kiss to her temple. “I didn’t want to assume.”

Rose sighed dramatically, “I suppose I forgive you.” She then smiled and pecked him on the lips.

Hux smiled, pulling her closer by the hip. “You’ll stay the night?” 

Rose snorted. “Like I’d be able to stand after you fucked me like that?”

His brow furrowed. “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“No,” she rolled her eyes. “Quite the opposite I’d say. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed.”  Just thinking about it she felt her eyelids start to droop.

Even through her sudden sleepiness, she could see Hux beam with pride. “Well then,” he smiled, “I’ll be sure to be more forthcoming with my services moving forward.”

“Good boy,” Rose moved to pat his cheek, but missed the mark, not being able to keep her eyes open. 

She heard Hux chuckle lightly as he gently took her wayward hand, kissing her palm. “Good night, my love. Happy Opening Night.”

Rose smiled as sleep took her.