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Chapter Text

Hux battled a slight hangover the following day. His meeting to discuss their plan going forward took three hours, and Hux spent most of it with his head resting against his fist while he argued with his officers about strategy and supplies, politics and weaponry, geography and tactics. It was arduous. It was boring. Hux had a headache. 

The fifteen officers he'd chosen had a variety of reactions. The youngest of them seemed resigned but ready, the elder of them seemed downright sulky. Rey found it all hilarious, and after lunch Hux accompanied her, Phasma, and his delegates to the starboard hangar to see them off. 

Kylo Ren decided to join them in the hangar, confidently striding towards them as Hux gave his final farewell speech to his officers. 

They saluted Ren crisply, clutching their travel packs, but Ren said nothing. 

"I expect an update as soon as you land," Hux told Rey. 

"Yeah, yeah," she grinned. "I look forward to our partnership in the coming days." 

"I'm sure you do," Hux rolled his eyes, wondering if he could beg off his shift for the rest of the day. "I'll begin writing an algorithm for you, we can start scouring the medical archives." 

She beamed, and skipped off onto her ship, taking a second to flip a middle finger at Ren before disappearing. 

"The cheek of it," Ren muttered, grinding his teeth hard enough to make the muscles in his jaw twitch. 

"You're right, Ren," Hux whispered to him, "she's absolutely coming round to our cause. She's so ready to accept you as her leader." 

"Shut the fuck up," Ren grumbled. "The pair of you are the biggest pain in the ass..." 

Hux considered throwing a barb out about pains in the arse but thought it better not to bring those memories to the forefront, especially after last night. Hux's attempts at boundary-building were shoddy at best. He'd let his superior assist him in a drunken mess over to his bedroom; as if his dignity could get any more shattered. 

Once they had departed, Hux turned smartly on his heel and marched out of the hangar, leaving Ren there. He was treading a thin line, but while Ren seemed willing to let him push at that line, he'd take what he could. 

On his way back to his rooms, he commed Phasma, and requested her presence ASAP. 

"What is it, sir?" She asked when she arrived, taking off her helmet and standing in front of his desk. 

"I need you to assemble a team to accompany me to Bothawui," Hux told her without looking up from his datapad. "I have unfinished business there." 

"Bothawui? Is that wise, considering your capture not too long ago?" Phasma looked unconvinced. 

"Whether it's wise or not," snapped Hux, disliking her backchat, "I need to determine why we were ambushed, when we were promised safety. To say Bothawui is full of spies is almost a tautology, but someone spied on us, and someone betrayed us, and I'd like to know who. It is the first step before we make a move towards Hutt space." 

"How many do you need in the team?" Phasma asked. 

"Yourself, and at least twenty-five others. We will go covertly, under an unmarked ship. I do not want any further nasty surprises, and if we are able to conduct our investigation without drawing attention to ourselves, the better. Do you have soldiers who are accustomed to fighting undercover?" 

"Sir, you know I do," Phasma smiled slightly. "I imagine you already have their names in mind." 

Hux lifted one corner of his mouth. "I do." He tapped on his datapad and got a spreadsheet up. "These troopers here marked best in the appropriate simulations. I'll send the list to you, select from them your favourite twenty-five, and we can go from there." 

"When would you like to depart, sir?" Phasma said, scanning the list. 

Hux considered this. Really, he'd like a few more days to relax, get back into the swing of things, but his agitation to get moving, to begin enacting his plan, was too much. "Tomorrow. If you are well enough?" 

Phasma puffed up her chest. "Absolutely, sir." 

"Excellent," Hux smiled. "Let me know when you've assembled the team." 

"Yes, sir." 

"Dismissed." 

He watched her go, and bit his lip. He had no intention of telling Ren about this little expedition. Ren would want to come with him, and frankly Hux needed some time away from his looming presence...his tall, muscular presence-- 

"Stop it," he mumbled to himself, dragging a gloved hand over his face. The time apart would do him good. He couldn't be salivating over the Supreme Leader for the rest of his life. 

Hux spent the rest of the day organising the mission from his desk; ordering civilian clothes, booking weapons for himself from the armoury, and drawing up layouts of their landing site. He got in touch with some contacts he had on Bothawui, but did not mention his upcoming visit; the chances were one of his contacts had sold him up the river, and he wasn't about to risk it again. 

The preparation and planning did him good, and by the time he settled down for sleep, he felt confident, with that assured sense of productivity helping him drift off into a contented sleep. 

It was very early the following cycle that Hux met Phasma in the hangar outside one of their unmarked transport ships, before any shifts began, so nobody would spot them. Hux felt a little uneasy at the prospect of going behind Ren's back, but considering Ren had the entire Supremacy to oversee, he doubted a quick trip to Bothawui would even register, and if Hux came back victorious, Ren would hardly have any cause for complaint. 

Phasma had selected twenty-five men and women who were stood at attention in their armour, but all carried a pack which likely held civilian clothes. The risk of allowing stormtroopers time to behave as individuals was that it might undo some of the careful work of the conditioning, so naturally Hux had develops simulations to tackle the gamble of allowing them to take off the uniform. 

"Are you ready?" He asked Phasma, lowering the boarding ramp. 

"Yes, sir," she said in her usual steely voice. "I sent you my pre-brief report." 

"I saw it," Hux nodded, climbing up to the cabin. "Very good. It should be a quiet in and out. I'm seeking answers, not retribution." 

"Yes, sir," Phasma gestured for her troops to follow and strap in. 

Hux took the captain's seat in the cockpit, and Phasma eventually buckled up beside him as he went through the pre-flight checks. 

"I searched the holonet for word of the battle from the other day," she told him, as he got the engine whirring. "It seems to have stayed quiet, not a word of a clean-up or anything." 

Hux mulled this over as he made to take off. "Someone doesn't want the authorities involved. Apparently it was common knowledge that Ren was available on the black market. That's how Rey found out." 

"Rey," Phasma said with distaste. "You like this girl?" 

"She's an annoying little blighter," Hux said. "More trouble than she's worth. But she's nigh indestructible. If Ren cannot defeat her, I have not a chance in hell, so why antagonise her?' 

"That's awfully pragmatic," Phasma grumbled. 

"You're just moody that such a small person could potentially defeat you in combat," Hux jibed, bringing the ship to orbit around the Supremacy, before preparing for the jump to hyperspace. 

Phasma murmured some more curses under her breath, which amused Hux, before they went to hyperspeed and the Supremacy disappeared into a swirl of blue. 

He activated the autopilot, and went to get his bag he'd brought with him, which had a supply of unexceptional clothes. He changed in the small 'fresher, hearing the troopers in the cabin following suit and divesting themselves of armour in exchange for sturdy pants and warm jackets. Hux had brought a tan shirt, rough hide trousers, and a thoroughly worn black bomber jacket. It was horrifyingly casual. 

"Looking sharp," Phasma remarked as he returned to his seat. 

"Aren't you going to change?" He asked, pulling out a nutrition bar from the dashboard compartment. He'd skipped breakfast. 

"I will," Phasma nodded. "After we've landed. What's the plan?" 

"I've planted stories to each of my contacts," Hux explained. "Each a little different to the last. Five people knew of mine and Ren's business the other day. I will set up five units at five different locations, and if anyone turns up, we can capture them." 

"I thought you weren't interested in retribution?" Phasma asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"If someone has sold me up the river, I need to know who. An innocent man would not react to my message, so in theory one of my traps should be sprung. Unless they all had a hand in it," Hux mused. 

"And then what? They're let free once you have your answers?" Phasma scoffed.  

"Of course," Hux said with a smirk. "I am famously forgiving like that." 

Phasma shook her head at him, grinning. 

After a while, they landed in Drev'starn, the capital, and Phasma landed the ship in a busy hangar. Hux and Ren had been doing business in the outer regions, but this was a good starting point for them to blend in. As Phasma changed into civilian clothing, Hux instructed the twenty-five stormtroopers of their mission. 

"I will be going with Alpha Unit," he gestured to the first group, "to the site of the ambush. The rest of you will wait at your posts. I will transfer to your comms a hologram of your target. Learn their face. It is very possible that none of these people will actually arrive. It is imperative that you blend in, lest you scare them off." 

They nodded their understanding, and Hux let out a shaky breath. It was dangerous being back here, but he knew they looked inconspicuous. 

Alpha Unit led the way down the ramp, as Phasma emerged in a sturdy looking jumpsuit, boots and fur-lined jacket. 

"Not a word," she scowled at him, her short blonde hair catching the light as Hux pressed his lips together in amusement. She was rarely out of her armour. 

"Regroup in a quarter cycle?" she checked with Hux. 

"I'll have my comm," Hux nodded. "Alpha Unit with me." 

They went their separate ways, blending into the busy crowds of the port. 

"We will be taking a public shuttle to the site," Hux informed them, and saw excitement pass across their faces. He grit his teeth. They were human, it was only natural to be curious, but exposing them to this Republican life was always risky. 

The public shuttle was a large, tram-like transporter, that stopped at various locations in Drev'starn before leaving the city. They had to stand the whole way, Hux distastefully hanging on to the beams and supports over his head as he watched the dirty city race past the windows. His troopers chatted quietly among themselves, and when Hux eavesdropped it was sadly endearing: discussion of the new ration packs, small talk about the old sniper rifles that had been decommissioned. Dull. 

When he and Ren had visited these outer parts of the city, they'd taken a very expensive looking speeder, big enough to stand up in. Ren had sulked by the windows, hood drawn over his head, while Hux had dealt with the admin. It was startling how quickly Hux could realign what had then been annoyance and irritation to a fondness, recalling Ren's long nose silhouetted against the brightness outside. 

"Punch drunk," Hux muttered to himself, scowling at his own sentimentality.  

"Sir?" JB-0014 asked, looking at him in confusion. 

Hux rolled his eyes in exasperation at the use of the formality in public. Clearly the simulations weren't that thorough. "Nothing." 

When they finally arrived, Hux ushered them out, and led the way out of the station, towards a sprawling town. There was much more greenery here, and no skyscrapers. Hux eyed every passer-by, but there were not many. It was a historical town, preserved in its white marble buildings with tall pillars and extravagant verges, reminiscent of the Old Republic. The town's streets were cobbled, and shops were quiet and quaint, with big willow trees planted at intervals to create a canopy over the street. 

"This way," he muttered to his group, and they ambled down the street in an unhurried manner. They made their way to the outskirts, where houses started getting bigger, and land more untouched. 

He and Ren had been invited to a large stone building, almost like a government building, but sequestered away in a residential community. Hux's contacts on this god forsaken planet had sent him here for diplomatic negotiations with the ambassador, a man Hux had known for over a decade. But once they'd arrived there had been no ambassador, and they'd barely stepped out of the speeder onto the steps before that twice-kriffed bounty hunter had been on them. 

Hux started to become aware of the fact that they were the only ones travelling in a group. It made him uneasy. His eyes darted around, looking for signs of life or droids, or anything hostile. It wasn't far now. 

"Round here," he hissed, ushering them through an iron gate. They filed through down a path, again rooved by the native willow trees, and towards an opening where the ambassador's house was meant to stand. 

All that stood there now was ruins. 

Hux gaped out at the large driveway, where he had been kidnapped not long ago. 

"Wow," JB-2478 said lowly. 

No clean-up job had even been attempted. The front of the house was blown apart, just as it had been left when Botrus had caught them. Hux could see dark stains of his own blood still soaked in the rock, dusted with dirt and debris. The signs of a fight were everywhere. The stormtroopers who had died protecting them were scattered all around, their white armour scuffed and blood-smudged. 

"Any lifeforms?" Hux said, not letting his voice waver. 

"None, sir," JB-0014 said, holding up a scanning device. 

"Good, keep a lookout. You," he barked at three troopers, "go sift through the rubble, see if you can find any bodies of the inhabitants." 

He saw the beginnings of a grimace on all their faces before it was schooled by blank expressions. "Yes sir," they intoned, and trotted off to begin lifting blocks of rock. 

Hux picked his way through the debris and mess, over to where he and Ren had been bound on the floor. It had clearly not rained in this bit of Bothawui since. Dark, dried blood had started to flake. 

A shining object caught Hux's eye over by a pile of rock, not too far away. His breath caught as he recognised the hilt of a lightsaber. 

He hurried over to it, dust blooming with his heavy footfalls. 

"That's-" JB-2478 had followed him and was peering over his shoulder.  

"Yep," Hux muttered, more to himself, and knelt down to pick it up. It was surprisingly heavy, and quite long for just a hilt. Hux gripped it in his leather-clad hand. The urge to turn it on filled him. 

"Not broken?" JB-2478 asked timidly. 

"Looks alright," Hux noted, feeling the temptation to test it. He wiped the dust off it on his jacket sleeve. There were some dents and scratches. 

"Alpha Unit?" It was his comm at his belt. "Come in Alpha Unit." 

"Hux speaking," Hux swiftly stood up, pulling his comm free and bringing it to his lips. He absently attached Ren's lightsaber to his belt using the loop at the end. 

"I have our guy," it was Phasma, her voice crackled. "He's...well I am 99% sure this is it." 

A grin spread out over Hux's face. "Excellent. Status update?" 

"We might need backup," Phasma's voice sounded hurried. "A firefight, sir." 

"Fuck," Hux rubbed his forehead. "Pull out, Phasma. We can return at another day. I want no casualties." 

"Yes, sir," she replied, but it was muffled by the sound of blaster fire. "Back at the ship?" 

"If you're confident," Hux frowned. He wanted to be sure, before he made any decisions. 

"I am, sir," came her steady reply. "Muster at the ship, no casualties, got it." 

"Sir!" One of the stormtroopers in the rubble of the remains of the house called out. "Sir, I have a body!" 

Hux jogged over, clambering over large blocks of rock to join them, as they began hauling rock off the spot he'd called from. 

Hux grimaced in distaste as the battered and broken corpse of a man was revealed. 

"Recognise him, sir?" the stormtrooper asked. 

"Yes," Hux said shortly, looking down at the purple, crumpled skull. It was Bothawui's ambassador for the Republic, but an Imperial through and through. Hux immediately cajoled himself for thinking this man would betray him. 

"Let's pull out," Hux sighed. Considering Phasma had attracted a firefight, he decided they shouldn't linger. At least he had Ren's weapon, and a suspect. His mission wasn't totally fruitless. 

"Shall I call a speeder?" JB-0014 asked, eyes glued to her device. "There isn't a lifeform for half a mile in all directions." 

"We will draw attention that way," Hux frowned, mulling it over. 

"The transporter will take longer," JB-0014 pointed out. 

"True," Hux tapped his dusty gloved finger on his chin. "And it seems our presence is already known back in the capital." 

"Silence from the others?" she briefly looked up, raising her eyebrows. 

Hux deliberated then, knowing if it wasn't the ambassador, and one of his traps had been sprung elsewhere, then there really wasn't any need for stealth at this point. Hells, the abduction site wasn’t even being watched! Nobody had expected him to come back. 

"Call a speeder. There's a taxi rank back in the town," Hux waved his hand back towards the small town flippantly, rubbing his forehead with his other, and scowling down at the gruesome remains of the ambassador. 

"On it, sir," JB-0014 replied, and they began picking their way back to the footpath at the other end of the driveway. 

***  

Hux's unit were the last to return to the ship, in the busy central port of Drev'starn. The other twenty, including Phasma, were holding a figure against the ramp of the ship, which was primed. 

"What is this?" stormed Hux, marching ahead to confront Phasma. "You brought him?" 

"Yes, sir," Phasma peered down at him, a hint of amusement at her lips. 

"Are you mad?" He hissed at her, watching her unit struggle to hold the prisoner down. "We'll draw attention!" 
"Best get going then," Phasma drawled, stepping over the man and heading up into the ship. 

Hux ground his teeth furiously, and crouched down to get a better look at their suspect. 

"Yull," Hux said primly, greeting the spy Hux had known his whole life. Yull Kesyk had been gagged, but he was making angry muffled noises, his eyes wide and afraid. "Surprised to see me?" 

He tried to wriggle free, but the stormtroopers held him fast. 

"Strap him to a seat between you all," Hux instructed. "We must leave immediately." 

He marched after Phasma, and found her in the cockpit, entering co-ordinates. 

"What were you thinking?" he demanded, flinging himself into the captain's seat. 

"Well, the little bastard opened fire, so I figured that must mean he really doesn't want to be caught," Phasma replied nonchalantly. "Which means he must have some pretty interesting information." 

Hux made a grumpy noise, but decided to deal with her later. He radioed into the tower to request permission for take-off, fuming. 

Once he got them out of the atmosphere, Phasma took over, jumping them to lightspeed. 

"Did anybody recognise you?" Hux began immediately. 

"Oh relax," Phasma sat back, seemingly at ease for someone who had just come out of a fight. "We're in civilian clothing, we just looked like a roaming gang. This ship is untrackable, and I sincerely doubt anyone will be desperately seeking that piece of scum." 

"Yull has been a spy for as long as I can remember," Hux grumbled. "He'll have his own network that keep an eye on him." 

"Then we can dump him out in space once we're done with him," Phasma shrugged. "No biggie." 

"If he works for the Hutts, then we're done for," Hux pointed out. "This campaign will be a lot harder without the element of surprise. And if they know the First Order is tracking down their spies, they'll know what is coming." 

"You worry too much," Phasma stretched out. "Besides, don't you want to know what the little shit has to say? I'm assuming you still don't know who sent that bounty hunter?" 

"No," Hux ground out, glaring at the blue swirl of hyperspace. 

"Well there we go," Phasma said matter-of-factly. 

Hux unhooked Ren's lightsaber. 

"Fucking hell," Phasma yelped, noticing it. "Careful with that." 

"You don't have to tell me twice," Hux said ruefully. 

"Did you just find that lying on the ground?" She asked incredulously. 

"Yes," Hux turned it around, inspecting it. "Nobody had even moved the bodies. I imagine we'll have to send our own clean-up team. Something very fishy is going on." 

"So you and Ren are abducted, with much destruction and commotion, and not a single official in Drev'starn has been involved?" Phasma raised her eyebrows. "What of the diplomatic mission?" 

"The diplomat had been killed," Hux sighed. "Drev'starn is a fucking shithole, someone high up is conspiring." 

"The Republic?" 

"Possibly." 

"We need to find that bounty hunter." 

"I plan on it," Hux grit out, fingering the lightsaber. 

Phasma watched in silence for a moment, before saying, "do you think we can turn it on? Later? Without him noticing." 

Hux looked up at her, and tried not to grin. "Maybe? I mean, he can't know that we returned to Bothawui anyway, so as far as he's concerned, we don't have it." 

Her eyes glinted. "I always wanted one." 

"Same," Hux smiled at it. "I've only ever had blaster training." 

"I'd rather have a blaster over a primitive sword any day," Phasma scoffed. "But...the aesthetic isn't as good." 

Hux snorted. "The aesthetic. Supreme Leader sure does have a unique aesthetic." 

Phasma let out a bark of laughter, and held out her hand to look at it. 

"Hefty, isn't it," she commented, weighing it in her hand. "Battered, too." 

"Everything he owns is battered," Hux shrugged. 

She eyed him carefully for a moment before speaking. "So what exactly happened with you two?" 

"Phasma!" Hux snapped, feeling his cheeks redden. "I've already told you to drop it." 

"You fucked him." 

Hux choked on his breath, and spluttered. 

"How-how dare-" he gasped out, coughing. "How dare you!" 

"So you did fuck him," she said flippantly, holding the lightsaber aloft like it was a talking piece. 

"I don't see why-" 

"Do you fancy him?" 

Hux gaped, his jaw working like some sort of dumb aquatic invertebrate. 

"Or was it more like a hate fuck?" 

"Please!" burst out Hux. "Stop talking!" 

"Wow," Phasma raised her eyebrows. "I'd have thought you might have loosened up a bit, since finally losing your v-" 

"Phasma!" Hux all but shrieked, purpling. 

"Was it not good?" She asked, with a hint of sympathy in her voice, like a concerned mother. 

Hux gaped a little more, seeming to fail to find any words, before stammering out, "N-no..." 

"No it wasn't good, or no it was good?" she pushed. 

"It wasn't not good," Hux offered tentatively. 

"Oh my stars," Phasma managed to hold back before letting out a guffaw. "Finally." 

"I don't see why it's any of your business," Hux snapped, crossing his arms and trying to collapse in on himself. 

"Wait," Phasma sobered. "He didn't...it wasn't..." 

Hux saw the seriousness in her eyes. "No!" he said hastily. "I...he wouldn't do that. It wasn't like that." 

"Good," she said firmly. "Otherwise we'd have a problem." 

Hux sighed and scrubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. 

"How big is he?" 

He thumped Phasma as hard as he could, which made her cackle, and only served to hurt is knuckles on her hard shoulder. 

"Are you two like a thing now?" she went on. 

"Stop asking questions." 

"He's a fair bit younger than you isn't he?" 

"As your commanding officer, I order you to stop asking questions." 

"Did he initiate it?" 

"I will execute you myself if you don’t stop asking questions." 

"I can actually see you two together, seriously." 

"Or I'll just push you out the airlock-" 

"That wasn't actually a question!" Phasma pointed out with glee. 

Hux glared at her, shuffling further into his seat, arms clamped over each other. 

"If you don't tell me, I'll have to just assume the worst," Phasma said, eyebrows raised. "The hot Tatooine desert...two men delirious with hunger..." 

"Okay stop!" Hux snapped, grimacing. "I'll tell you." 

She grinned her sharky grin. "Spill." 

"We were sold off to a Hutt," Hux sighed. "To be kept as possessions." 

"That's...creepy," she pulled a face. "Oh I see, and now you want retribution." 

"Definitely," Hux said firmly. "I'm sorry, call it a misuse of First Order resources, but you can't just buy someone who has a whole army at his disposal and not expect consequences." 

"Fair enough," she shrugged. "I'd want the same. What did he want? Slave labour?" 

"Worse," Hux cringed, remembering Murrat's grubby little leathery hands crawling up his arms and down his torso. 

"Oh," Phasma said, cottoning on. "Oh fuck." 

Hux nodded, feeling nauseous. "Ren was kept for gladiatorial style entertainment." 

"I see," Phasma said calmly. "So one evening he came back to the cell, beaten and vulnerable, and you needed to wash the feeling off your skin." 

Hux was surprised at her insight. "Pretty much." 

"That's...not as dramatic as I was hoping," she said with some disappointment. "And he agreed, just like that?" 

"He took some persuading," Hux said reluctantly. "I had just rather it was him than..." 
"Yeah," Phasma sighed. "That's fair enough." 

They lapsed into silence. Hux had Ren on the forefront of his mind, specifically the time they'd spent in that cell. His mouth went dry. 

*** 

Hux felt a real sense of relief when the Supremacy came into view as they fell out of hyperspace. He wanted to get Yull in the detention block, get back into his rooms, have a real shower, and go to bed. There was still a quarter cycle left to get some sleep before his shift started on the bridge. 

"I'll deal with the spy," Phasma told him, handing Ren's lightsaber back after they'd docked in the hangar. "I'll make sure he's...comfortable." 

Hux gave her an appreciative smile, gladly watching her wrestle the squirming Yull towards the lowering ramp. He sighed, leaning against the cockpit door, and watched the stormtroopers file out behind Phasma. 

"Oh, Supreme Leader!" He heard one of them say, and stiffened. 

Fuck. 

"Where is he?" He heard Ren's voice. 

Double fuck. 

"Sir-" Phasma tried to interject. 

Hux considered the immaturity of potentially hiding somewhere on the ship, but he could already hear Ren's heavy footfalls stomping up the ramp. 

He braced himself, and grit his teeth. Ren emerged into the cabin, his expression livid, his hands in fists by his side. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he erupted, advancing on Hux. 

Hux instinctively stepped back. "Just...recon." 
"Recon!" roared Ren, his dark eyes shimmering with rage, and Hux flinched. "Where were you? Tell me now." 

Hux opened his mouth but his voice was failing. 

"You went back to Drev'starn, didn't you?" thundered Ren, taking another step forwards. Hux stepped back to keep the distance, now fully in the cockpit. 

"Maybe," Hux managed. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ren growled. "You could have been killed, you could have been taken!" 
"I had a perfectly strong team with me," Hux argued. "We were undercover-" 

"I don't care if you had Palpatine himself accompanying you!" Ren was starting to become hysterical, waving his hands in the air. "It is unsafe!" 

"I needed to see the aftermath-" 

"You could have sent Phasma-" 

"Phasma doesn't know my network as well-" 

"You could have briefed her. You could have briefed any of them!" 

"I needed to see for myself!" snapped Hux, losing his patience. 

Ren was heavy breathing, his broad chest moving up and down, as his eyes bored into Hux's.  

"You needed," he repeated, but in a lower voice, "to see for yourself." 

"Yes," Hux said irritably, crossing his arms. 

"You wanted to see what you missed. Where you went wrong," Ren continued. 

"Yes," Hux scowled. It was an arrogance thing; he couldn't stand the idea of being outsmarted. 

Ren sighed heavily, and looked down. "I understand." 

Hux was taken aback. His tightly crossed arms loosened. "Do you?" 

"Yeah," Ren rubbed his forehead. "I...I need to see too. I need to know. Who knew I would be there. Who knew I'd be powerless." 

Hux felt is chest clench in pity. Powerlessness was not a feeling either of them enjoyed. 

"Here," he unclipped the lightsaber from his belt and held it out. "I found this." 

Ren slowly looked up, and locked on to the outstretched weapon. 

"I don't know if it's still working," Hux shrugged. "Looks fine to me." 

Ren took another step closer, his expression unreadable as he stared at it. 

"Well?" Hux said, wandering if Ren was having an emotional moment. 

Ren knocked Hux's hand aside, and grabbed him by the front of his jacket with both hands. 

He registered the lightsaber falling from his grip and clattering to the floor, before he was being yanked forward, and Ren's mouth was on his. 

"Mph!" Hux lost his footing, but Ren had a strong grip of him and held him up. His lips were soft, and had more squish than Hux could've anticipated, and for a moment Hux was sure his brain was malfunctioning. 

What in the stars? 

He reflexively closed his fingers around Ren's forearms, ready to push him off, before he realised that he rather enjoyed this. Ren smelled good, like soap and speeder grease and rough-hewn gaberwool. His mouth was warm, and it was making Hux's skin tingle. Warmth was spreading from Hux's chest up his neck and down his spine, and along his toes. He could feel his cheeks flushing. 

Ren was insistent with his pressure, holding Hux against him with a tight grip of his jacket. The healing split in Hux's lip throbbed in protest but the sensation of Ren's tongue brushing over it trumped any discomfort. His lips were firm and yet so, so soft. 

When Hux angled is head so their mouths slotted together better, Ren let out a deep groan, and began pushing Hux backwards, holding him up when Hux nearly stumbled.  

He ended up with the cockpit console against the back of his legs, and Ren bracketing him in with his thighs. His hands released the jacket, and trailed up to either side of Hux's neck, holding him in place as he kissed him insistently. 

Hux's mind was in meltdown mode. He was kissing Ren. And he was enjoying it. White noise was filling his ears, other than the sound of his own frantically beating heart. He floundered on where to put his own hands, and decided in the end to perch them gently on Ren's hips. 

Ren started bending him backwards, supporting his neck but never breaking the kiss, until Hux was splayed out on the console, buttons and dials digging into his back, but he didn't care. He wanted Ren, like he'd wanted him back on Tatooine, huge and strong as he was, but also fierce and powerful. 

Ren brought a hand down to hitch Hux's left thigh up to his waist, and Hux was pretty sure he was going to combust. His fingers found their way into Ren's lush hair, and they both groaned. 

"Sir?" A distant voice called out. 

Hux pushed Ren away roughly with a gasp, their bodies still pressed against each other. 

"Phasma," Hux explained, his voice hoarse,  and tried shoving Ren off of him. Ren seemed reluctant, and growled into Hux's neck, digging his fingers into Hux's skin. 

"Sir? Hux?" He heard Phasma ascending the ramp. 

"Fuck," Hux hissed, and hauled himself up, pushing Ren away. He straightened his jacket and darted out, smoothing down his hair. 

Phasma entered the cabin at the same time. She paused, and took him in. 

"What can I do for you?" He asked her breathlessly, trying to look normal.  

"I ...just wanted to...tell you that the spy is in the-" at that moment Ren stomped in behind Hux. Phasma's face broke out into a gleeful grin. 

"Yes, Captain?" Ren said in a low, gravelly voice that made Hux heat up. 

"In the detention block, sirs," Phasma finished, still smirking. "Cell 4477." 

"Is that all, Captain?" Ren stepped up until his shoulder was brushing Hux's. 

"Yes, sir," Phasma stood to attention but her eyes were glittering. Hux glared at her. 

"Dismissed," Ren said in a daring voice. 

They watched Phasma march back out of the ship. 

"Gods help me," Hux exhaled roughly, running his hands down his face. 

"You told her," Ren said neutrally. 

"She can be very persuasive," Hux said weakly, unable to look at Ren. His body was still burning from the kiss. 

"I'm sure," Ren rumbled. "Come with me." 

Hux glanced up, nervousness replacing his previous arousal. What would Ren want now? To berate him some more? To say it was a mistake? To do some mystical Force trick on his brain to make him forget? Where would they go from here? 

Ren didn't seem fazed, however, but hesitated before exiting the ship to stretch out his hand and summon his lightsaber to him with the Force. His lips turned up a fraction as it settled in his grip, before he swept down the ramp, leaving Hux with no choice but to follow him. 

Hux realised they were headed towards his quarters, but kept pace beside Ren, fingers twitching. What was going to happen now? Maybe Ren expected them to have sex again. Hux swallowed the lump in his throat. 

Ren stood aside at Hux's door to let him put in the security cylinder, and gestured for him to enter first. 

Hux couldn't deny the relief at seeing his rooms. His comfy sofa, his desk, his small conservator. He was desperate to go into his bedroom and fall down into bed. 

"Where'd you get the clothes?" Ren asked, awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. 

"Here and there?" Hux shrugged, fingering the edge of his jacket. "In my travels." 

"I'll be honest, I didn't think you owned anything other than uniform," Ren huffed a laugh. 

"Do you own anything other than dramatic robes?" Hux shot back. 

The corner of Ren's mouth lifted, and Hux felt his stomach flip. Hells, why did he have to be so handsome. 

"I'll have you know I own non-dramatic robes also," Ren winked. He actually winked. Hux was doomed. 

He cleared his throat loudly. "Do you want a drink?" 

"Is that all you do when I come in here?" Ren smirked. "Try to get me drunk?" 

"Well what else can I do?" snapped Hux. "Put on a holodrama?" 

Ren snorted, and smiled, and stepped into Hux's space, running a finger down Hux's zip. He gulped, feeling goosebumps erupt over his body. 

"Why don't you go have a shower and change, and I'll order you in some food? Since you missed dinner," he suggested quietly. "Then we can talk." 

Talk. Stars, Hux was a doer, not a talker. What would they talk about? The kiss? The mission? 

"Okay," he said weakly, forcing his knees to not wobble. He stumbled into his bedroom, closing the door behind him, and hurriedly stripped off, grabbing a fresh towel from his cupboards, and then locking the door behind him once in the 'fresher. The idea that Ren was in his rooms, waiting for him, while he was washing was sending a thrill down his spine. Mental images of Ren coming into his shower, all dark and terrifying, and cornering him under the water... 

Hux turned the water to colder than he would have preferred, but his body was in a rather alarming state of arousal, and he'd rather kill it now than face Ren later with a flush in his cheeks. Nonetheless he felt the stress of the day rinsing away with the grime of Drev'starn, and he let himself have a moment with his eyes closed and his face under the pouring water. The ghost of Ren's mouth was still on his lips, like a stain or a brand. Hux wondered if that's how all first kisses felt. 

Once clean and calm, he towelled dry and took out his First Order regulation loungewear. His satin robe was left in the closet; Ren wasn't quite yet ready to see that. 

He had finished towelling his hair, and was combing it into some semblance of order, when there was a knock on the door. He leant over to press the release, and a service droid that had a tray of food was waiting expectantly. 

"Come eat," Ren called from the front room. Hux was mildly reluctant to be taking orders within his own rooms, but he was also hungry. And bone-tired. He padded out, barefoot, trying to remind himself that Ren had seen him in much less, and to be less shy about it. Nonetheless, he felt Ren's eyes rake over his casual attire, and grit his teeth at the inevitable blush. 

The service droid put the tray down on Hux's desk, and left with a beep. Ren had situated himself on the sofa, and his casual splayed position had Hux swallowing slightly. Bloody bastard, he thought, sitting at his desk and inspecting the dinner he'd been brought. Stupid perfect hair, stupid perfect face. 

He picked apart the salad the kitchens had thrown together for him, hyperaware of Ren watching him. 

"Tell me about this spy," Ren said suddenly, and Hux paused, mid-crunch. 

"Yull?" Hux thought for a moment. "He's...er...a prickly sort of chap." 

Ren's lips twitched into that nearly-smile, and Hux felt his stomach flip again. 

"He's always been an Empire man, though. Got very rich after the fall of the Old Republic. Before he spied for me, he spied for my father, and before that he spied for the Empire. Before that? No idea. Probably spied for whoever in the Senate had the biggest pockets," Hux shrugged. "Right now, the biggest pockets are the New Republic, or the Syndicates of the Outer Rim." 

"Hutts?" Ren asked, watching Hux pop a small root vegetable into his mouth like it was the most riveting thing in the galaxy. 

"Why on Earth would the Hutts want to kidnap two First Order officials?" Hux raised his eyebrows. "It makes no sense. It's like a call to war." 

"I'm sure we'll find our answers in our new friend tomorrow," Ren smirked, but in a relaxed way. He looked so much better like this, without any tension in his jaw or eyes. Hux could see the features of his mother better like this. The warm round eyes, the curved lips. Sometimes Hux wished he better resembled his mother, what he could remember of her. Instead he was a direct replica of his thrice-damned father. 

"What are you thinking about?" Ren asked, tilting his head to one side. 

Hux considered lying, but decided against it. "My father." 

Ren grimaced. "Why?" 

"The little shit manages to remind me of him pretty much every day," Hux gave a rueful grin and continued with his meal. He didn't want Ren pitying him. 

Ren frowned slightly. "He's dead now." 

"Thank the stars," Hux said jokingly. 

"You didn't get along?" 

Hux couldn't help it. He let out a bark of laughter. "If someone used you as their personal punching bag since childhood, would you get along with them?" 

A cloud darkened behind Ren's eyes. 

"It's fine," Hux shrugged, skewering the last of his meal with his fork. "I must just have one of those faces that people want to slap." He had meant it as a joke, but something akin to horror passed over Ren's face. 

"Hux, I-" 

"No," Hux held up a hand, finishing his mouthful. "Leave it." 

"I never meant to-" 

"I said drop it." 

"You know I'd never-" 

"Ren, I don't want to hear it," Hux said, a little too loudly. It was true, he didn't want to hear Ren's apologies. He didn't want to remember the numerous times Snoke and then Ren had thrown him around, or choked him out. The number of times his own blood had spilled on his own bridge in front of his own officers. His whole life, bigger men had abused him, he wasn't about to start demanding pity from it now. 

Ren seemed to be having an internal battle, and Hux could see it in his eyes. They were so expressive. No wonder Ren had preferred a mask. 

"Besides," Hux continued, determined to erase the hurt and sadness in Ren's expression, "it's not like I've never made a shot at you too." 

The scene on Botrus' ship, where Hux had had a very real urge to put a blaster bolt into Ren's head, swam into his mind's eye. That was before they'd learned to rely on each other in a time of crisis, learned the true value of each other outside of a petty rivalry. Hux swallowed nervously as he realised that in the space of a few days, he'd gone from happily being willing to commit treason, to wanting Ren by his side. 

You're so fucked, he thought to himself miserably. 

"This is true," Ren gestured in admission. "Good luck trying that again without those suppressors though." 

"I'm sure the opportunity will present itself in time," Hux smirked, pushing the tray away from himself. 

"I'm sure it'll be very amusing to watch," Ren rolled his eyes. "Like a kitten trying to hunt." 

Hux's jaw popped open in mild offense. "Well fuck you too, Ren. Maybe you should re-watch the holo-footage of Rey wiping the floor with your behind, and come back to me about kittens." 

A very dangerous smile spread over Ren's face. "You think you can goad me, it won't work." 

"Oh please," Hux scoffed. "I've spent the last five years goading you. Your temper is on a silk string." 

Ren's eyes flashed, and he stood up slowly, like some sort of long-legged bird, and stalked to the desk, almost predatory. Hux kept his gaze, not wanting to betray any sort of fear. This was his room, and Ren would not intimidate him. Although the emotion Hux was feeling as he watched Ren's towering frame come closer wasn't intimidation, it was something quite different... 

"Go on then, General," he said quietly, in that deep rumble that made Hux shiver. "Provoke me." 

Hux should not be aroused at this behaviour, and yet somehow he was. He wanted to reach out and feel Ren's ridiculously built body underneath the tight black tunic. But this was a game, and Hux hated losing games. 

Instead he reclined back in his chair, smirking, and swung his feet up onto his desk, stretching his arms to rest behind his head. "Maybe another time, Ren. I have a lot to do," he unabashedly smirked. 

Ren's eyes flashed again, this time in a challenge. He raised a casual hand, and with a flick he sent Hux's desk sliding to the left. Hux's feet fell to the floor with a thud, and he flinched with surprise, but before he could even complain, Ren was on him, straddling him on the chair. 

Hux opened his mouth in shock, but it was quickly smothered by Ren's. Ren's hands were on his shoulders, holding him in place, and his knees either side of Hux's hips. He was a heavy man, but the weight was comforting in some ways, and his mouth was as warm and insistent as before. 

Hux groaned, melting at the sensations, and happily adjusted the angle to let Ren totally take over. He felt Ren's teeth take his lower lip, and Ren's tongue run along it, and Hux wondered if he'd ever been so aroused in his life. But damn, Ren was good at this. He approached kissing the same way he'd approached fucking; thorough in every aspect. When Ren's tongue started tentatively pushing between his lips, he parted them willingly, wondering since when he'd ever been content to let another person put their tongue in his mouth. Ren knew exactly what he was doing though, and every moment, every swipe of his tongue or bite of his teeth was designed to be as erotic as possible. 

It wasn't long before Hux realised he was shamelessly grinding up, and panting, like he'd lost all dignity and respect. 

"What...what's gotten into you?" He gasped when Ren finally resurfaced for air. 

"I want you," Ren growled, biting Hux's exposed collarbone. "I can't stop thinking about the other night." 

"We agreed to forget it," Hux breathed, his hips twitching as shivers went down his spine. 

"And how well was that working out for you?" Ren demanded, meeting Hux's twitch by grinding down, and making Hux moan out loud. 

"Fuck, Ren," Hux groaned, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back. "I can think of a dozen reasons why this is a bad idea." 

"Such as?" Ren asked, licking up the column of Hux's neck. Hux was pretty sure he was one more touch away from begging Ren to fuck him again. 

"You're the supreme leader?" Hux suggested, arching an eyebrow. "This is technically fraternisation with a subordinate." 

"Are you kidding me?" Ren murmured, biting Hux's earlobe. "Besides, you're more like an insubordinate." 

"Shut up," Hux said with no bite, grabbing Ren's hips to stop him from grinding any further. 

"See?" Ren grinned. His face was so different when he smiled. Hux felt a rush of affection for his crooked teeth and too-wide smile, and the way his eyes crinkled up. 

So, so fucked, Armitage.  

"We'd be compromising the integrity of the structure of leadership," Hux tried, but it sounded lame even to his own ears. 

"Is that the best you have?" Ren nuzzled into the juncture between his jaw and his neck, and bit him, making him gasp. 

"We would be compromised," Hux choked, moving his hands down to Ren's thighs. By the stars, this man was built like a battle station. 

"I'm already compromised," Ren mumbled, biting and licking down Hux's neck. "When you disappeared, I...did not remain calm." 

Hux huffed. "I did not intend for you to notice my absence." 

"Dick," Ren muttered, tugging at the collar of Hux's t-shirt. "We agreed we would do this together." 

He felt a little guilty at this. He hadn't wanted Ren to find out, half because he wanted to work alone, and half because he knew Ren would take it as a betrayal of their new tentative trust. 

Hux didn't have time to defend himself because Ren had found the hem of his t-shirt and was now pulling it up and over his head. He half wanted to protest, he was a little nervous at how fast this was progressing, but another part of him wanted to feel Ren's large, warm hands on his skin. He was very aware of how slight he was, especially compared to Ren's bulk, and mentally made a note to try and use the gym a bit more, in case this became a regular thing. He mentally berated himself; this was not going to become a regular thing. Was it? 

Ren descended on his mouth once more, his hands running down Hux's bare chest, and Hux decided to throw caution to the wind. It felt good. He wanted to feel good. He deserved it, damn it.  

When Ren's hand skimmed down over his pants, and pressed onto Hux's erection, he cracked, and let out a very undignified noise. Ren seemed to find this hilarious, and was grinning down at him. 

"You're so vocal," Ren purred, using his palm to tease Hux through the fabric. 

"Should- should I not be?" Hux panted. 

"No, it's great, carry on," Ren grinned. 

He kissed him again, and Hux was starting to become desperate. He was pretty sure he was leaking pre-come through his pants, and every bit of his skin was tingling in a way that was itching to be touched. Ren had taken him apart, yet again, with just kisses and touches, and not a lifetime of conditioning could help in the slightest. 

"Let me take you to the bed," Ren murmured in his ear, and trepidation filled Hux. He wanted to fuck, again? Part of Hux wasn't averse, but part of him was very aware of how fast this was going, and how vulnerable it made him. 

"Don't worry," Ren soothed, running both hands down Hux's arms. "Just, this isn't the most relaxing place." He kissed Hux's jaw, and kept stroking him. Hux was reminded once again just how annoyingly considerate Ren had been. Clearly it was just part of his nature, rather than a favour Ren had done for their circumstances. This served to irritate him as much as it reassured him. 

"Okay," Hux said hoarsely. Ren clambered off him, helping him up with an outstretched hand, and then dramatically swept him up into his arms. 

"Ren!" Hux squawked, clutching his tunic. "Put me down!" 

Ren laughed, ambling through to the bedroom, not even exerting himself. Hux didn't think he'd ever heard Ren laugh before. He felt a tightness in his chest. 

"You've gone back to Ren. You do realise that's like if I called you General the whole time?" He said cheerily, depositing Hux on the bed and climbing over him. 

"I could get into that," Hux smirked, lying back and stretching. 

"Oh wow," Ren raised an eyebrow. "Already considering your kinks. Impressive." 

"Shut up," Hux shoved him gently. "I've had a long time to think about what I like." 

"And what do you like?" Ren purred, ghosting the tip of his nose along Hux's neck. 

"I like that," Hux said stupidly, shivering. 

Ren chuckled. "Do you know what I like?" 

"Skinny, pasty looking men with vibrant hair?" 

That earned him a harsh bite that made him gasp. 

"I like hearing you enjoy it," Ren hummed, licking the spot he'd bitten. 

"You like the ego boost?" Hux clarified, wriggling under Ren's ministrations. 

"You could call it that," he smirked, eyes trailing down Hux's torso. 

"Give me something worth making a noise over then," Hux replied, tucking a lock of hair behind Ren's ear. Those were some incredible ears. 

"Oh I will," Ren said lowly. 

In that moment, a loud, insistent beeping came from Hux's console by his front door. 

"Emergency in Delta block," blared out an automated voice. "Emergency in Delta block." 

"What the fuck," Hux groaned out, flopping flat onto the bed in frustration. Ren was looking over his shoulder into the main room, his brow furrowed. 

"I can't ignore it," Hux shoved at Ren's massive chest. "Get off." 

"For kriff's sake," Ren growled, rolling off Hux. 

He picked up his comm which was on the bedside table, and commed Phasma, while padding out to the main room miserably. 

"Captain Phasma," he said curtly, acknowledging the alert on his console to turn the damned thing off. "What's happening in Delta block." 

"Sir," Phasma's curt voice replied. "A blown nitro pipe. The whole block is in lockdown." 

"Are you fucking kidding me," Hux deadpanned. "What's being done?" 

"We have emergency response teams on the scene," Phasma sounded a little unsure of how to proceed. 

"Oh, gods," Hux croaked, running a hand down his face. "I'll be down in a minute. Casualties?" 

"None, sir," Phasma replied, and Hux sighed in relief. 

"Okay, thank you, I'll be down shortly," he said curtly, and switched off his comm. 

He turned to find Ren leaning on his bedroom door frame, arms crossed. 

"We need to go," Hux said, irritably. 

"Why?" Ren didn't hesitate. "Get an underling to deal with it." 

"What kind of leader would that make me?" Hux said exasperatedly. "If anyone dies, it's my head your mother will be after." 

Ren scowled at the mention of his mother. "Nobody has died, General. It sounds like it's under control." 

"It sounds like," he stomped past Ren into the bedroom, and threw open his closet to find fresh uniform. 

He hurriedly dressed while Ren watched, aware of his flushed body and half-hard erection. Damned Ren and his damned bad influence. 

"Phasma can deal with it," Ren tried again, coming behind him to smooth his hands down his waist as he buckled up his belt. 

"Phasma could escalate a toddler tantrum into galactic war," was Hux's scathing retort, but leaned in to Ren's touch. "I'll be back in a second." He didn't look back, aware that Ren was about to argue, and not wanting to see his disappointment. 

He strode out of his rooms, and hurried to the rec room of Delta block, ignoring the troopers and officers he passed who he was sure could tell what he had been getting up to a moment ago. 

Phasma could tell immediately. She smirked, handing him a gas mask as he approached the locked down deck. A crew was already making repairs and the pipe had been blocked. 

"Sorry to interrupt you," she drawled through her mask. "I do hope the Supreme Leader didn't discipline you too harshly. Or maybe you were hoping he would." 

"I will not hesitate to airlock you," Hux muttered, fastening his own mask. 

"This isn't a bad position you know," she said thoughtfully, as they approached the chief engineer further down the deck who was yelling commands at technicians as they assessed the damage. "If you get him eating out of your palm, why- the whole Order would be yours." 

Hux gulped, mulling that thought over as he greeted the engineer. For sure, if he and Ren came to some sort of working arrangement, it would make his life much easier. Blood flushed his face as he considered what kind of favours he might be required to offer in order to get his plans to fruition. Ren often pointedly rejected his proposals, out of petty spite, but if Ren were to gain something in return for his cooperation... 

"General?" 

Hux snapped back to reality, clearing his throat. 

"Sorry Lieutenant, do continue," he focused on the engineer's report. 

"This may take several days," the lieutenant said gravely. Hux sighed, looking around. He could see some simple fixes to be made and what sort of materials might need to be called in, but the safety tests would certainly take some time. 

"Very good," he said. "I will make time for you tomorrow and we can arrange for any special requests. Do you need more staff?" 

"Maybe ten more technicians, sir," the lieutenant admitted. 

"I'll have it done," Hux nodded, returning the salute and then retreating back down the deck. "Phasma," he instructed. "Get ten further technicians over from Alpha block, and send a circular to the superior officers. Get Mitaka to do it if you have no time." 
"Yes, sir," she nodded. "Are you retiring for the night?" 

Hux let out a laugh. "No I'm heading down to the workshops to see if I can take stock of what we'll need, and if I can begin on anything. Look at this place, it's blown apart." 

"Isn't that beneath you, sir?" She raised an eyebrow. "Especially when you could be..." 

"Dismissed, Captain!" Hux snapped before she could finish, his cheeks reddening at her smirk. The truth was, Hux was good at engineering and the sooner they fixed this massive hole in Delta, the quicker they would be space-worthy again. Not that the Supremacy couldn't operate without a small hole in one deck, but it was still in such a structurally fragile state he'd rather not risk it. 

He left his mask with a technician and took a turbo lift down to the Research & Development centre, wondering if he should comm Ren about his whereabouts, and then stressing if that seemed overly familiar, and then further stressing about if he was not being familiar enough. 

This was why relationships were dangerous; one night with one man and he was already losing focus. Old Armitage would never consider a frisson with a colleague (let alone a superior) worthy of his time. And yet Ren had managed to completely scramble his mind. A few days ago he would have gladly never seen the man again, and now he was vividly picturing his naked torso, shining with sweat as he did push-ups as easily as Hux lifted a teacup. 

The turbo lift dinged angrily at him as he failed to exit when the door opened, and he staggered out, berating himself at such a mindless fantasy. 

The workshops in R&D were exceptionally well stocked, and Hux began pulling out welding equipment, sheets of durasteel, wiring, solder, adhesives...after a good half an hour his workbench was piled, and he was busy cataloguing and updating the report his lieutenant was compiling. Thinking that he may as well get some leeway on the task, he summoned a droid and began programming it to build some basic chips to replace the door mechanisms of the ones that had been blasted to pieces. 

It was calm work, and work Hux preferred after a long tiring day, and he barely noticed the time passing by, allowing him to clear out his mind of anything other than work. 

The lights up above flickered and went out, and Hux looked around in alarm.  

The workshops had fluorescent paint to outline the exits and power switches, and he edged over to the nearest one without bashing into any equipment.  

As soon as he flicked the lights back on, he nearly screamed. 

Ren was standing across the room, casual as anything, inspecting his leather gloves as if he hadn't just given his General a near heart attack. 

"What are you doing in here?" Hux demanded, clutching his heart. "Don't do that!" 

Ren flashed him a grin. "Serves you right, imagine my reaction when I found out the General had disappeared from the ship on an undocumented, unscheduled mission." 

Hux made a derisive noise. "Careful Ren, with talk like that I might be inclined to think you cared about me." He returned back to his bench and powered down the droid, who was busy soldering wires to a breadboard. 

Some sort of unknown, unsure emotion flickered in Ren's dark eyes, and Hux swallowed. Since his humiliation on Tatooine and Ren's noble rescue, it was exactly this conversation he wanted to avoid. Because Ren's actions had been the acts of someone who cared. And now Hux was stuck in the grey, wishy-washy middle ground where they had no hope of pretending they weren't attracted to each other, but no excuse to remain together. 

"Why are you doing this?" Ren said lowly, and Hux felt pinned. 

"I don't know what you mean-" 

"Shut up," Ren snapped, advancing on him. "You know what I mean. A couple of hours ago you were gripping hold of me just as hard as I you." 

Hux swallowed but words caught in his throat. But stars he was menacing, all six feet and two inches of him, as wide as a star destroyer and built just as hard. Once the bulk intimidated him but now all Hux could think about were those abdominals... 

"It wasn't me that started this, Hux," Ren brandished a finger in his face. "I was quite happy keeping this...thing," he gestured between them, "purely non-personal." 

Hux gaped in outrage. "I told you to forget it, after it happened." 

Ren laughed harshly. "Which we both know is an impossible ask." 

"You could have said no!" Hux retorted shrilly. "You could have just let that slug do what he wanted. But no, Ren, you always have to be the hero, the knight in armour." 

"I fucking should have," Ren hissed. "I don't know what I was thinking, having compassion for you." 
"Because deep down," Hux taunted, "it's all about control. And I have made you feel out of control." 

"No Hux, all I felt was pity," Ren said without mercy, and the word pierced Hux like a knife. "A pitiful little man stuck between two pitiful choices. It seems that's been the situation your whole life." 

The air escaped Hux's lungs in a rush, and the worst chapters of his life flitted across his mind's eye; his father, belt in hand, whipping him 'til he bled, being ripped from his mother's grasp at just age five, Brooks and Pryde and numerous other Imperials slapping him, spitting on him, and most recently; Murrat's leathery fingers holding his face, reaching down his body, that thick, putrid tongue reaching out to his neck, ripping his clothes free and holding him down... 

"I shouldn't have said that," Ren cut through the mental onslaught. His gloved hand grasped Hux's arm but he threw it off. "Hux, that was too far, I didn't mean it." 

"Why don't you fuck off," Hux managed shakily. 

"What happened that evening," Ren crowded even closer. "Why were you nearly in tears that night? You said he just wanted to look at you." 

"Don't be naïve," Hux snapped, sidestepping and heading for the door. His hands were shaking. 

"Hux," Ren used the force to put the emergency shutters down over the door before he could escape, and Hux ground to a halt, seething. "Did you lie to me?" 

Hux spun round furiously. "What was your uncle doing in your bedroom, that night you burned the jedi temple down?" 

Ren visibly flinched. 

"Some things are best not dwelled on," Hux said with finality. "Let me out." 

"I need to know," Ren's voice was rising. 

"Why?" Hux found himself yelling. "You just said yourself, you should have let him do it. Why do you care if he did or not?" 

"Because I can't bear to think of it!" Ren exploded. 

Silence settled after Ren's voice stopped ringing around the workshop. 

"I don't hate you enough for that," he managed, when Hux said nothing. "I don't hate you at all. Anymore." 

Hux frowned. "Your pity is worse." 

"Hux," Ren growled, and stepped forward again to grasp his elbow. "What happened that night?" 

His eyes were burning, his face deathly serious, and Hux capitulated. "Nothing like you're thinking." 

"Did he touch you?" 

"Yes." 

"Did he violate you?" 

"What bullshit archaic phrasing-" 

"Hux." 

Hux levelled him with a stare and spoke steadily. "Kylo Ren, I chose you as my first because I wanted my first to be with a man. And that's what I got. The Hutt got nothing from me." 

He could blatantly see the relief flood his expression. 

"Why do you care for my virtue anyhow," Hux pulled himself free. 

"You prefer men?" Ren completely dodged the question and stepped closer again. Hux stepped back to maintain distance. 

"What does that matter?" he could feel himself blushing. 

"It matters if I'm wasting my time," Ren's voice rumbled quietly, his fierce gaze fixing Hux in place. Hux's heartrate was picking up, sweat was beading on his palms and brow. 

"I don't think there's much question of my attraction to you," Hux managed to choke out, going crimson. Why was the workshop so hot suddenly? "Detestable as you are." 

A sly grin cracked over Ren's face, an endearingly crooked thing that gave Hux palpitations. 

"I would hate to waste your time, Supreme Leader," Hux tried to sound blasé but it just came out desperate. He couldn't pull his eyes away from Ren's lips, those sinful things that just a couple of hours prior were reducing Hux to a quivering wreck. "I know how precious it is to you." 

"Yes so precious," Ren mocked. "I don't appreciate being hung out to dry after finally getting someone in bed, and then they run off to go play engineer because they're too cowardly to face me." 

"I'm not afraid of you," Hux protested. "I just..." 

"What is it you want, Hux?" Ren prowled forward again and this time Hux held his ground. "You asked for my body, I gave it to you, and then since then you can't keep your eyes off me." 

Hux was sweating profusely at this point. He did want Ren's body, but it was more than that. The gentle domineering that came with Ren's shipwreck personality had lit a fire in Hux's core that refused to go out. 

"You kissed me, Ren," he managed, staring him square in the eyes. "I was ready to let this-" he gestured at Ren's chest and accidentally collided with his abs. Stars above, was the flesh made of stone?? "-go. I was ready to put down the boundary. You are obliged to do nothing out of pity." 

Ren's brow furrowed. "What I said before, it wasn't true...make no minds Hux, what happened that night was not an act of pity." 

"It wasn't an act of your own idea though either," Hux muttered, feeling a fresh blush at the reminder of Ren's systematic dismantling with little more than his tongue and hands. 

"If you weren't such an uptight, pompous pain in the ass," Ren said roughly, closing the gap between them and unceremoniously pushing Hux against the wall, "I'd have done this years ago." 

Hux's mouth popped open in surprise at being man-handled, but his protest was quickly stifled by Ren's lips. Heat bloomed from Hux's chest, and for the third time today his brain short-circuited. Ren's gloved hands found his neck and jaw, angling his head up enough to compensate for the one inch height difference. The wall was cold against his back, which he was grateful for as the rest of him burned and allowed him to lean against it as his knees weakened. Ren's lips were firm but undemanding; he was letting Hux set the pace. 

Fuck it, Hux thought, creeping his fingers to Ren's waist and tugging him flush to his body. Ren let out a soft pleased noise, a gentle hint of teeth playing at Hux's lower lip. 

"What have you done to me?" Ren murmured when Hux gasped. "Since when have you been so irresistible?" 

"Don't be ridiculous," Hux panted, chasing Ren's lips again and landing a chaste kiss. "You just needed a sexual partner to blow off steam. I'm not unwilling." 

"Oh how romantic, 'not unwilling' is the first thing I look for in a partner," Ren rolled his eyes, leaning back to pull off his gloves with his teeth and discard them on the floor. "Nobody is going to touch you again, do you understand? Nobody is going to lay a finger on you. Not a mark, not a scratch. I am not here to 'blow off steam'." 

Hux's throat tightened, and blood flooded to his cock at the ardent declaration. Ren claimed his mouth again, his bare fingertips trailing down Hux's neck, making goosebumps erupt. The sensations were overwhelming and Hux was losing his breath. 

"So you do pity me," Hux gasped, after several minutes. "You pity my past, my scars. Did you see them?" 

The look that clouded Ren's eyes confirmed to Hux that he had indeed. It was the stormy, furious expression that Ren wore when he wanted to kill. 

"Am I just a fragile, helpless creature to you Ren, is that what really gets you off?" Hux accused, rolling his hips to feel Ren's erection against his own. "Is that what you really want? To lock me up and fuck me when your ego needs the boost?" 

Ren's hands, huge and strong as they were, tightened around his collar, and Hux felt his cock twitch. 

"When you took off that uniform," Ren hissed, his mouth scant millimetres from Hux's own, "you proved to me that you don't need anything but your mind. And if you're going to force me to say it, then fine. I need you. And then you have the audacity," he punctuated the word with a sharp bite to Hux's neck which caused him to gasp and slide an inch down the wall, "to parade around with this pure skin, this slender body," he pinned Hux harder against the wall, "these lips-" he bit Hux's lip as if to prove a point, "and you make noises like this-" a hand finally closed around Hux's neck as Ren's lips came to his ear, nibbling and licking the lobe. Hux made an involuntary groan, embarrassed and his own loss of control. "-and you dare speak of pity, of obligation. As if I wasn't as guilty as the Hutt of wanting you, as soon as I saw what lay beneath that awful, stuck-up façade you put on. You don't know how irresistible you are, Hux. Scars or not, nobody will touch you again because you are mine and nobody else can have you." 

Hux was a quaking mess. He was gripping Ren's hips for dear life, saliva pooling on his tongue as Ren gently tightened his grip around his throat. There was no chance of choking, but the threat of it was making Hux see stars. He rutted up against Ren's body, his arousal so strong he wasn't sure if he would come in his own underwear. Ren kissed him again, more insistently, his tongue asking permission to enter his mouth. 

He let it, pushing his own tongue out to meet it. It was a wet, hot, messy kiss and Hux didn't know if he was doing it right, but he knew he wanted Ren. 

After several minutes, Hux had to push him away. 

"Stars," he gasped, as Ren re-attached at his neck. "I- do you- shall we...?" 

"I think I pushed you too far before," Ren murmured his hands roaming Hux's body through the uniform. "There's no imperative for us to go any further." 

"What?" Hux asked, aghast. "I- Ren, I appreciate the consideration but..." 

But what? Did Hux want to fuck him now, here in the workshop? Where anyone might enter, on a cold bench? Even with his dick making the decisions, the thought filled him with anxiety. 

"Here's a deal," Ren smirked, licking at Hux's neck and making him woozy. "Join me for dinner tomorrow, and we can do whatever you like." 

"Kriff," Hux's mind ground to a halt. Why had he regressed to such a primitive imbecile? "Deal. What's my part of the bargain?" 

"All you have to do is tell me when to stop," Ren growled in his ear, pleased with the sad, guttural groan that escaped Hux's lips. With one last grin, he began to sink to his knees. 

If Hux's mind was in meltdown before, it full on exploded now. 

"What are you doing?" he squeaked, his palms landing flat on the wall beside him. Ren had the most mischievous smile as he reached up to unclasp Hux's belt. 

"Let me," Ren said, making short work of the buttons and zip, his fingers brushing Hux's erection through the fabric. 

"Ren, I-" 

"General," Ren said in a singsong voice, and Hux realised his error. 

"You want to hear me say your name." 

"Loudly," Ren grinned, before pulling Hux's trousers and underwear down to his knees, and grasping his cock in a hand. 

"Fucking kriff, fucking kriffing fuck, Kylo," Hux gasped, all self-conscious embarrassment evaporating as Kylo rewarded him by engulfing his cock in his mouth. "Oh stars, you don't- this is unnecessary. You- I-" 

He trailed off, his vision blurring as Kylo's clever mouth brought him very close. 

"I won't last," he managed to grit out. "I- you need to stop." 
"Stop stop?" Kylo popped off. "Or stop because-you're-close-stop?" 

"You don't need to do this," Hux gasped. 

Kylo rolled his eyes, and reached out with his spare hand to take one of Hux's hand. "Pull my hair." 

"Oh kriff," Hux moaned, sinking his fingers into Kylo's hair as he returned to sucking his General off. Hux was careful not to pull too hard, but quickly realised that when his hand jerked with his hips, Kylo made a contented noise, which felt so wonderfully good. 

"I- I'm close," Hux warned. "I'm sorry, I-" 

Kylo pulled off one last time to scowl. "Come in my mouth," he said fiercely and then took Hux as deep as he could, gagging slightly. Hux used his grip in his hair to pull him back slightly, causing him to make a wonderful noise, which tipped Hux over the edge, a litany of curses interspersed with Kylo's name spilling from his lips. 

Much like the last time Kylo had sucked him off, he grinned as he licked his lips, sat contentedly on his heels, looking up at Hux. Ordinarily this sight would have given Hux such an immense sense of power and domination over the infamous force-user, and was a position Hux had often fantasised of (minus the sexual activity), but now he felt intensely vulnerable; cock out, trousers down, panting like he'd been running laps, collapsed against the wall. Kylo Ren, on his knees, looked for all intents and purposes like a man who had just won a prize. 

"L-let me," Hux stammered, as he put himself back together, tucking his shirt back into his trousers. "Let me return the favour," and he reached down to join Kylo on the floor. 

"No, that won't be necessary," Kylo said, imitating Hux's earlier tone, and hauling himself back onto his feet. "I can wait 'til tomorrow." 

"But-" Hux protested, seeing the bulge under Kylo's tunic. "I want to." 

"Then you'd better ask nicely at dinner tomorrow," Kylo winked, using a casual hand to release the emergency shutters on the door next to Hux. 

"But I feel bad," Hux blurted out. "Going to bed unsatisfied can't be fun." 

"Do you pity me?" Kylo shot back with a grin. "Besides, I'm very satisfied." He yanked Hux close by the waist and kissed him, humming with pleasure when Hux raked his fingers through that lush, thick hair. Hux could taste his own come on Kylo's lips, and the thought both repulsed and aroused him. 

They took a turbo lift back up to the officers' quarters, the whole time pressed against the wall, languidly kissing. Hux was utterly overwhelmed by it. It felt unreal. He couldn't match in his mind this glorious, handsome figure with the velvety lips to the crazy, uncontrollable, immature petulant idiot whom he'd had to share command for the last five years. And yet they were the same man. Hux was kissing Kylo Ren. Hux was infatuated with Kylo Ren. And yet he couldn't find it in him to worry.