Chapter Text
“I should have known.”
Poe’s head had been craned upward, watching the approaching shuttle, but at the tone in Hux’s voice, he snapped back to look at him. His lips were pursed and he looked like he might be sick.
“I should have known you were planning to have your friends come to- to ambush me!”
Alarmed, Poe held up his hands, like he was trying to calm a spooked animal. “Hux, that’s not-”
Hux glanced down at his body, as if only just now realizing he was still naked. "And fuck, I’m not even wearing-” Poe didn’t hear the rest of his sentence because Hux dove into the water, swimming quickly back to the shore of the main island.
“Shit,” Poe muttered, gliding into the water to swim after him. There was no doubt Hux was the better swimmer. By the time Poe reached the sand, Hux had his pants on and was already pulling his abandoned shirt back over his head, the fabric becoming almost translucent as it clung to his wet skin.
Poe grabbed his own pants, yanking them on as he hopped over to get closer.
“Y-You lured me here and seduced me, and-”
“Hux, listen to me.” Poe grabbed Hux’s trembling hands, trying to ignore his own racing heart so he could figure out what Hux needed to hear to calm down. “I didn’t call them here.”
“Then how did they find us?”
“I don’t know! Maybe Rey used the force or something. The point is, no one is ambushing anyone. I promise.” He ran his thumbs in circles over the smooth skin of Hux’s palms. “Look, if you want to come with me, we don’t have to leave with them,” Poe continued, gesturing to the shuttle overhead. “Our ship is repaired. Why don’t you and I leave together? And we can talk. No ropes, no tentacles, no sex pollen.” Hux’s lips quirked a bit, his hands growing steadier in Poe’s, and Poe felt a spark of relief. “We’ll talk and we can make a plan. Together. And then we can meet with Leia.”
At the mention of Leia, Hux’s brow furrowed. “If I did want to join you,” he said, speaking slowly, like he was parsing through a million thoughts at the same time. “If I decided to come with you, what makes you so certain anyone else would accept that?”
Poe cupped Hux’s face in one of his hands. “It might take some time, but people will come around. And if we’re together, that will help. I’m kind of a big deal in the Resistance,” he said, unable to stop himself from winking.
Hux rolled his eyes. But he was also starting to smile.
“So, what do you say, Hugs? Will you come back with me?”
The silence between them stretched out as he waited for Hux, drowning out the roaring shuttle, the crashing of the waves on the shore, and the bonfire further up the beach. Hux’s eyes were watery, accentuating the green of his irises in the moonlight.
Reaching up, Hux covered the hand on his face with his own.
“Yes, I’d like to go with you.”