Nowhere Else I’d Rather Be
THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Pairing: General Hux x Poe Dameron (Gingerpilot)
Warning: Abuse? It’s implied.
Summary: Rather than Finn blasting Hux and leaving him at the mercy (or lack-there-of) of the First Order, Hux returned with him and Poe and has officially defected. Poe, Hux, Rose, Finn, Rey, and Ben have become the closest of friends. However, they soon realize that they know close to nothing about Hux. Poe decides to attempt to get some information out of him and it turns out they have something in common.
A/N: The information Hux provides can be found in the Aftermath book series which follows the time between the Empire and the First Order. (Great book series, I highly recommend.) As for Poe, I relied on Wookiepedia for a lot of the info I found on him.
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The war was technically over. There were still a hand full of loose ends to tie up, a few battles to still be fought and won. Leia, the beloved princess and general, was gone and Poe Dameron, along with Finn, has taken her place. Although, there really is no replacing General Organna.
Poe walked into the cafeteria, BB8 close at his heals. People nodded to him as he passed and soon came upon a table filled with those who had become his best friends and family. Among them, sitting with his back perfectly straight, was the ex-general Hux.
Poe could still hardly believe that he was the spy. Part of him had always felt that the redhead could do amazing things if he had chosen the correct side. But he would have never imagined him actually changing sides. Of course, he told them that the main reason was to get Kylo Ren dead. That doesn’t change the fact that, when offered, Hux flew away with Poe and Finn back to the base. And besides, Kylo Ren was gone. When Rey had returned, another ship carrying one Ben Solo arrived soon after.
It had not been an easy transition. For anyone.
Hux had gotten cornered many times for Starkiller, people wanting to get revenge for the lives he had taken that day. Poe tried to keep an eye on him, be there as back up when needed, while adjusting to life as general. Rey had left and returned, having taken the Skywalkers’ lightsabers to Luke’s home planet. When she returned, she told him and Finn that she felt like she left a part of her on that desert planet with the sabers, but she also knew that now she could begin living as her own self, and hopefully make Luke and Leia proud. Ben had the most adjusting to do. He mourned the passing of his mother, while also getting the chance to properly mourn for his father as well. Rey helped him through it, though. They were there for each other.
Poe took a seat across from Hux. Around the table also sat Finn, Rose, Rey, and Ben. The six of them met up for at least one meal a day, often dinner, to catch up and have a few laughs before having to return to business. It was the highlight of all of their days.
“And he decides to go though regardless, this narrow opening between mountains and my father decides, ‘oh, the falcon can fit.’ I’m surprised we didn’t crash,” Ben laughed through the end of his story and everyone joined in.
Rose caught Poe’s eye and smiled. “We’re talking about our childhoods,” she explained.
Poe nodded understandingly. “What have we got so far?”
Finn, Rey, and Rose quickly recounted their stories. Poe smiled and laughed along with everyone before turning to the only person only slightly chuckling along. Hux sat there, only a small smile on his lips as he ate, but his eyes were kept down on the table.
“What about you, Hugs?” Poe asked, a wide, flirty smile on his face.
Everyone turned to look at the man in question.
“Yeah,” Rose spoke up, “We hardly know anything about you. We don’t even know your first name. I mean, Ben should. You’ve known each other for years.”
Ben chuckled. “Actually. I don’t know that either,” he turned and looked at Hux properly. “You were always just General or Hux.”
Hux sighed, knowing they weren’t going to let it go. He had gotten to know everyone around the table, it was only fair that he returned the favour. “Its Armitage.”
“Armitage,” Poe repeated. “I like it, it suits you.” As the rest nodded Hux smiled a little brighter. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Poe. What Poe didn’t know was that Hux hadn’t heard his name spoken so kindly since his mother last spoke it.
The group soon disbanded, everyone separating to their private rooms. Poe and Hux branched off down their hall. Their rooms were a short distance from each other’s and they often ended up sitting in each other’s rooms late into the night. They didn’t say much; Hux read and Poe would have a gadget that he was busy fixing. It was often something off his x-wing that didn’t get flown quite so often anymore since he became general.
Hux enjoyed the company. So it wasn’t a problem that when he entered his room, the dark haired man followed him. Hux sat on his bed, while Poe took a seat in the chair nearby. Neither of them moved to pull out a book or a gadget, they just sat in silence for a moment.
Poe took a deep breath before speaking. “So what else can I know about you?” He leaned back, his legs crossed so his ankle rested on his knee.
Hux shifted uncomfortably. “There’s not much to tell. Most anything you want to know, I’m sure you have seen from files I gave you from the First Order.”
“No, not stuff about General Hux. I’ve been told and have read plenty about him. I want to know about Armitage. Your childhood, your parents-,”
Hux let out a scoff before he could stop himself. At Poe’s puzzled look, he explained, “Anything regarding my parents is...complicated. That’s saying the least.” Poe just gazed at him, eyebrows slightly raised, urging him to continue. “Surely you don’t wish to hear about my childhood. Or lack-there-of.”
Poe smiled softly. “I do.”
Hux could feel his wall breaking slowly. He always could when Poe was around. It was even worse when they were alone together. He could never be cross or cold with him. He sighed before leaning forward and deciding to speak, staring at his hands folded in front of him.
“My father was...not a good man. He started training me to be in the military from a very young age. For most of my life he refused to call me his son. It wasn’t until I ranked general that he did. By that point though I couldn’t have cared less.” It was the first time he was ever being honest with someone about his father. Someone who never saw the way Brendol treated him, someone on the outside who otherwise wouldn’t have known.
“What about your mother?”
Hux’s face dropped. He should have seen that question coming from a mile away. Part of him had. And yet, it still stung.
Poe opened his mouth to apologize, but Hux quickly cut him off. “She died when I was young. She was kitchen staff where my father lived on Arkanis. I don’t remember much about my life there. But I remember her.” He was still looking down at his hands. He wanted to brush off the topic, as he had so many other times. But this wasn’t like other times. This time he was with Poe, and for some reason unknown to him, he had opened up to the general, and he couldn’t find it in himself to close back up again.
Poe sighed softly and hung his head. “My mother died when I was young too. She was an a-wing pilot in the first war. She taught me how to fly.” Poe let a small smile grace his features. Hux looked up just in time to see it. Poe reached around his neck and pulled out a chain with a ring hanging on it. “Her wedding ring,” he explained, meeting Hux’s gaze. “I had told my dad that he should have kept it, but I had always loved it. I never take it off now. It’s my good luck charm.”
“I’m sure your mother would be very proud of you,” Hux spoke softly.
Poe smiled and gave a chuckle that was hardly audible. “So would your’s.” The two men gazed at each other for a long moment before Poe cleared his throat. “My mom, she would have liked you. She probably would have tried to put us together.”
“Would she really have to try so hard?” The words were out before he could think them. Anxiety rose in Hux’s chest as he prayed that the comment went unnoticed. But this was Poe. Of course it didn’t.
Poe’s features softened to that of a sort of realization. He gave that cricked flirty smile he gives that makes Hux believe that he would’ve defected from the First Order much sooner if only he’d seen that smile. “No,” Poe said at last. “No, she wouldn’t.”
Hux’s ears turned as red as his hair as he lowered his face and turned away from Poe. He was so caught in his thoughts that he hadn’t seen or felt Poe move to sit next to him on the bed until a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned and faced the dark haired man sitting closer to him than anyone had ever sat before.
Their eyes scanned each other’s faces; Poe’s searching for a go-ahead, Hux’s looking for any sign of doubt. Because Poe would never do anything unless he knew for certain that Hux wanted to; and the situation was so unfamiliar to Hux that he was sure Poe didn’t really feel the same way he did. Hux reached over and blindly took Poe’s hand, which had been laid on the bed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to him. That gesture was all Poe needed, and the gentle squeeze Poe gave in response reassured Hux.
Poe’s hand which had been placed on Hux’s shoulder moved up to his face, running along his jaw before coming to just above his ear. He pushed some fiery hair behind Hux’s ear. It sent chills down Hux’s spine and Poe nearly melted when Hux leaned into the touch. It couldn’t have been a more perfect moment.
Poe leaned forward and closed the gap between them. Their lips collided in what Hux felt was an electric shock. It was a soft kiss, one that lasted a long time, with Hux rubbing his thumb against the back of Poe’s hand, and Poe running his fingers through fiery hair. It was perfect.
When they broke they rested their foreheads together and laughed. Neither really knew what to do now.
“Armitage,” Poe spoke softly.
Hux hummed in response, waiting for Poe to continue. He loved the way Poe said his name. And Poe loved saying it. It rolled off so naturally that he felt like he had no other words.
“I’m really glad you’re here.”
Hux smiled and pulled back to look at Poe’s face. What he was about to say was the most honest he had ever been with anyone in his entire life. It scared him a little. “There is nowhere I’d rather be, Poe, than here with you.”
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A/N: I typically don’t write fics with major spoilers in them. However, I feel like our wonderful General Hux did not get the ending he deserved. Neither did Ben but that is beside the point. (We’re also never specifically told that Ben is dead. Maybe something could have happened to save him. Just my thoughts on it.) If people like this fic I will happily do more based of this idea of these six becoming friends and Ben and Hux being accepted into the group.
