A/N: There was a Tumblr holiday prompt-fest and I got a little carried away on the 'Snowed In' one.

All he did was go outside to get some air. It was as innocent as that, no matter what others might think. The peace treaty negotiations had been stuffy and irritating all day long. With dinner over, Hux was desperate to get away from everyone's prying eyes and sharp ears, trying to catch him in mistakes or even deliberately mistaking his meaning. Others were breaking up into small groups to exchange even more tedious chitchat. Hux escaped.

The air outside was clean, crisp, and cold. It smelled like Starkiller – pine-scented and fresh. He inhaled deeply, eyes shut as he let some of the tension fall away. He could hear the breeze in the tall trees and the creak of wood. Peace was nearly here. He had no place in this future they were jointly constructing. It left him nostalgic for the time when he felt he had a purpose and a future. He knew it was the right thing for the galaxy, for the Order, but it left him feeling empty. Once this was over, he would have nothing and no one.

It was a necessary sacrifice, he supposed. Someone had to be the scapegoat and everyone knew it wasn't going to be the last Skywalker. He walked forward, wanting a better look up at the snowy peak that towered over the lodge they were meeting in. Grey stone streaked with white loomed up beyond the deep green and tan of the trees. It was serene, aloof. It didn't care about him, his past, or his future. It simply was as it was, majestic and distant. The ground here was soft from millennia of accumulated pine needles and fallen wood. He stepped off the stone patio, wandering along a dark path that led into the trees.

He was soon surrounded by the forest. He wondered if this was what it was like to be alone. It was a pleasant desolation. He'd been lonely nearly all his life, taking comfort in ritual and protocol, in structure and knowing his place. This was different. This was literally being alone, with no other being here. He could be safe. For now. This world, like Starkiller, had little in the way of native fauna.

Which was why an unexpected rustle further ahead got him moving to investigate. It lured him farther along the path than he had planned to go. Nothing lived here, so what was that? A stone falling, perhaps? Snow shifting? There did seem to be a lot of wind – more than had seemed when he'd stood near the lodge. The tops of the trees swayed gently far above him.

The path looped around a boulder. He went around it and jumped at the sight of another human. Poe Dameron stood in the path, looking his way, clearly having heard his approach.

"You came out here after me?" Poe asked.

It seemed silly to admit why he'd actually come. "What are you doing out here?"

"Suspicious, huh?"

"I would accuse you of the same. You're not answering the question."

"Neither did you."

Hux sighed. He didn't have to deal with this. They weren't sitting across a conference table trying to hammer out an agreement. He went past Poe without shoulder-checking him or touching him at all. This sort of basic failure to interact was why he'd come out here in the first place. He continued along the path as it wound upward. After a moment, he heard the muffled padding of Poe's feet behind him. He glanced back.

"Where are you going?" Poe asked.

Hux didn't answer. Let the man stew. It wasn't like Poe had been all that forthcoming about the Resistance's position or needs at the negotiation table. He didn't need to know where Hux was going – this had no tactical significance and for once today, Hux wasn't obligated to cooperate. Poe still hadn't answered what he'd been doing out here anyway. Probably sending an illicit transmission of some kind, Hux assumed.

The path forked a few times. Hux consistently chose the branch that led up. He stopped when he came to a stream cascading down the slope. He stared at it, amazed at how beautiful it was when it was no more than a flow of water. Poe came up to stand next to him – too close in Hux's estimation, but he didn't remark on that. Instead, he found himself grudgingly glad there was someone here to speak to, that he might express the ineffable feelings he found within himself. Hux said, "It's gorgeous. I don't know how else to describe it."

Poe crouched and scooped up a handful of water. "Incredible. Breathtaking. Spectacular?" He sucked the water from his palm. "Icy."

"Are you sure you won't get sick from that?" Hux asked.

Poe shrugged. "Don't think so. Hope not. How long are we going to be out here?"

Hux snorted. "Are you intending to shadow me all the way?" He wasn't sure where 'all the way' was or how long he planned to be out here. He'd only thought to get out of sight of the lodge and clear his mind. But now that he had someone following him, he supposed he needed to pretend he was going somewhere.

Poe shrugged again, taking another drink of the water.

Hux said, "What if my secret mission is such that I can't allow you to witness it? You'd be putting yourself in great danger. We're far enough in that no one's going to notice either of us yelling for help."

Poe looked up at him from where he squatted. "What? You're going to kill me?"

"All I'd need to do for that is push you into the stream. You'd die of hypothermia." Hux moved away, though, eyeing a rock and a fallen log that might make it possible to jump across.

"That would just make me wet," Poe said, standing and following. "Hypothermia takes more than that."

"Are you sure? The air temperature is low. There's a sharp breeze even here under the trees. You wouldn't make it long if you were sodden." He balanced carefully as he crossed the log, jumped to the rock, wavered a bit, then jumped the rest of the way. His boot sank to the ankle in the wet muck on the opposite bank. He fell forward with a curse, dirtying his knee on the damp ground. He tried to work out his foot, but he had to take off the boot, then sit and turn to get both hands on it and extract it. Moisture permeated the seat of his pants as he worked.

Poe watched from the rock. Hux moved up the bank to put his boot back on, getting his foot wet in the process as he pushed off from the mud. He cursed again and got to his feet. "You should go back," he told Poe.

Poe smiled at him. "Not a chance."

Hux scoffed. "You really should. The same thing's going to happen to you if you try jumping."

"Go push one of those other fallen logs over here."

"What?"

"Help me. Give me a landing zone."

"Why would I? I don't want you following me!"

"I'm not following you," Poe said reasonably. "We're hiking together."

"Together? What, like friends or something?"

"If we were, would you help me?"

"You'd have to owe me," Hux told him, because he wasn't going to help a Resistance member just because.

"That doesn't sound very friendly," Poe said. But Hux ignored him. It was easy to find another partly fallen tree – the woods were full of them – but harder to find sections of it small enough that he could move them. The bark and sharp broken ends of branches cut into his soft hands. He wished he'd worn his gloves, having left them in his quarters along with his greatcoat. He managed to cut himself trying to break a branch off. He cursed again, but he returned with a small armload of branches and chunks of punk that he arranged on the bank, roughly where he'd landed before.

"Hm." Poe looked at it skeptically. Hux looked at the cut on his palm. He wasn't sure about bacteria here, but he assumed he ought to suck it clean. He didn't want to do that in front of Poe, though.

"You want more?" Hux asked. He was surprised to find himself willing to forage further. He just … he wanted to do the right thing, whatever that was anymore. All the same, he was glad when Poe shook his head.

"Nope. Here I come." Poe leaped. He was more athletic than Hux was and missed most of the landing area by jumping right past it, but then stumbled in the soft, crumbling bank. He went to his knees. Hux reached down, half without thinking and half thinking he might as well – the debt would be meaningless if he let Poe flounder. Poe grabbed his extended arm and shot him a look – grateful, and aware Hux was putting himself out on Poe's behalf.

Hux leaned back, pulled, and provided balance as Poe clambered up and out without losing a boot like Hux had. It was only after he was out that Hux realized Poe could have yanked him off-balance and into the icy water. Of course, that seemed unlikely. Poe could try something like that right now if he wanted, as they were standing next to each other, looking at the stream.

Hux turned away, surreptitiously sucking at his palm, making sure the wound didn't have splinters in it.

"What are you doing?" Poe asked, like an idiot.

"Nothing!" Hux jerked his hand to his side. He marched off up the trail.

"Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine!"

"Wouldn't want it to get infected or anything."

"I said it's fine! And why would you care, anyway?"

"Dunno. Maybe I'm looking for a chance to pay you back."

"Well, unless you have a bacta pad in your pocket, you can't. It's just a scratch."

"'Kay."

They walked for a while, finding stone outcroppings to climb up on and look down at the valley below. Hux didn't notice that the lodge roof wasn't in view. He was taken by the awe-inspiring views and the fantastical, towering clouds that loomed to the stratosphere. The trail had ended shortly after they'd crossed the stream, but the way was largely uncluttered by underbrush. Snow clumped around under the trees and on branches.

Poe tasted some of it. Hux laughed once to see that. "What does it taste like?"

"Not much."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because now I know what it tastes like."

"That's a strange reason to taste something." Hux chuckled again as he continued up the slope. It steepened into a tricky bit something like a cliff, but there were plenty of spots to put feet and hands to climb it. "It seems to me very childish, or playful or something, to go about tasting everything you encounter."

Poe laughed back. "Is that a bad thing? Playing? That's how you learn stuff."

"Pssh." Hux turned and watched Poe's progress up the cliff. It ran through his mind that he could shove the man off and possibly to his death, then tell people Poe had had an accident. They probably wouldn't believe him. Also, he didn't want to do it. He offered a hand when Poe got near the top, where gripping a loose stone would be the most dangerous. Poe flashed him that look, the same one he'd had when Hux had helped him cross the stream. It was a strange look. It made Hux feel strong. He clapped Poe on the shoulder as they continued.

They meandered a bit more until they finally reached what Hux decided he had been seeking – a clear view to the top. He had no intention of scaling the steeper, more dangerous, windswept heights. It was very cold up here. They were … actually … He turned and looked back the way they'd come. "We're … quite high."

"Uh-huh." Poe was still admiring the view.

Hux watched as the very tip of the mountain went from yellow to rose-colored. The planet's sole sun was setting. The clouds they'd seen earlier had spread through the sky. A few stray flurries were carried by the wind. "Night is falling," he said in a quiet, worried voice.

"Huh?" Poe turned to him, not sure what he meant. Quickly, he looked to the west, then back the way they'd come. His expression turned concerned as he figured out why this was critically important to the two of them. "Ah … um … we could call for help."

"I'm not going to call for help!" Hux huffed, starting down the slope. "We'll just go back. It's downhill. It won't take as long."

The first part of going back down went easily enough. It was darker under the trees, which was how they hadn't noticed the approach of sunset. The temperature dropped quickly without the sun to warm the air – and it had been cold to start with. Neither had anything that amounted to cold weather gear. Poe had a jacket and Hux was in his usual multiple layers, but that was it.

The hike had been bracing, the exertion warming. The sweat that had dampened their clothes now made them frigid. Hux's wet foot was numb inside his boot and the seat of his pants was giving him a chill that wouldn't go away in the moving air. To cap it off, the snow came down more heavily as twilight deepened.

They made it back to the cliff just as it was getting hard to see. Poe zipped his jacket and crouched at the edge, looking down. "This is a lot more dangerous to go down than up." He flexed his fingers restlessly.

"I know it is!" Hux snapped. He started down. "But we have to get back. This is hardly the most dangerous thing either of us have done."

"What would that be, for you?" Poe watched him go. On the best route down, there was really only room for one of them at a time unless the lower one was okay with having the occasional stone tumble down on them from above.

"Mm. Realizing I had the opportunity to kill Snoke. He took it away from me, of course, but for a moment, there was that opportunity."

"Why didn't you take it?"

"Well, it was only an opportunity."

"You- Okay."

Hux huffed again, steadying himself as a rock he'd been putting weight on dislodged and fell. He stabbed his boot into the gap it had left, treads catching on the gravel. "That makes it sound like I didn't do anything. I … I didn't get a chance. He- He threw me to the floor. He stopped me. I couldn't-"

More rocks slid out from under Hux's other boot as he reached down for the next foothold. The foot that had become wet earlier was now achingly cold and he didn't feel the ground shifting at first. He lost his grip and floundered the rest of the way, but was lucky in that the base of the cliff was only a span down. He landed with a whump, but was unharmed aside from bruises and scratches.

"You okay?" Poe called down with alarm.

"Yes, I'm fine. Come down now, while you still have some light."

Poe started down. Hux watched him with concern. The man had … quite a well-developed posterior. To distract himself from that entirely unseemly line of thought, Hux asked, "What was your most dangerous thing to do?"

"Oh, I don't know," Poe said carelessly. "Probably shooting a blaster rifle at Kylo Ren."

Hux chuckled, but it was cut short by a yelp from Poe and a rain of rocks. Poe came down fast and from much higher up than Hux had slipped. He landed on his heels and immediately toppled to his back, sliding head-first down the slope until Hux managed to grab a leg and stop him. For a moment, he thought Poe was dead – he felt lifeless, dead weight. Stones and debris rattled down the slope.

"Dameron? Dameron!"

Poe grunted. "Whoa. Kriff."

"Dameron! You're alive?"

"I think so. Do people talk to you when they're dead?"

"Not to my experience. Are you alright?" Hux moved down Poe's body to his shoulders, hanging onto him to keep him where he was.

"Uh … I don't know. My … feet? Ankles. Help me up." Hux pushed him to sitting and Poe slung an overly familiar arm around Hux's shoulders to adjust himself. "My left ankle. Ow."

Hux decided not to make an issue of Poe holding him. Even that brief contact was warming. "What's wrong with it? Can you stand?"

"Don't think so. We should call for help."

Hux sighed in defeat. "Yes, I agree. It's snowing so much we won't even be able to find the path when we reach it."

Poe nodded. They both looked up at the flakes swirling thickly through the air, coating everything with a so-far thin layer of white. After a beat, Poe said, "Do you have a commlink?"

"No. Don't you?"

"Uh-uh."

A sinking feeling shot through Hux's gut at the implications of that oversight. He had assumed Poe was out here sending a private transmission. "What were you doing out in the woods then?"

"Just looking around. What were you doing?"

Hux stared at him. He desperately wanted to call Poe stupid or silly for going outside to stare around at nature, but that was what he'd done as well. He made several inarticulate, upset noises instead. They were going to die out here in the woods because of this.

Poe said, "Should I translate that as, 'That's all I was doing, too'?"

"Yes, fine!"

Poe smiled in the dimness, nodding. "Well, at least I'll die knowing. I've been wondering that this whole hike."

"You're not going to die!" Hux insisted, as though loudly denying it would do them any good.

"Why? You have a tracker on yourself somewhere?"

"No."

"Did you tell anyone where you were going?"

"No."

"Okay," Poe said reasonably, as though they weren't discussing the end of their lives. "So … how are they going to find us?"

Hux sighed.

Poe tilted his head and patted Hux on the shoulder. "Just go on. You'll find your way back. Tell them I'm out here. I'll be fine."

"You can't walk."

"I'll be fine," Poe said gently. "Go on."

"You will freeze to death."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will! We lost troopers all the time on Starkiller to weather, most in the winter. That's how I know hypothermia is serious and easy to succumb to."

"Then, fine. You'll be okay. Just go."

Hux gave him an incredulous look. "If I go back and leave you out here to die, the Resistance will blame me and the peace talks will end! I'm not leaving you out here!"

Poe tilted his head as he regarded Hux. A warm smile slowly lit his face.

Hux had to say something to dash whatever noble sentiment Poe thought might be motivating him. "Besides, there's that stream up ahead. How am I going to leap back across and land perfectly on that rock, which will be icy and snow-covered, without falling in? Because if I get soaked, I'm done. I won't survive it. I have to stay. We have to stick together, as you said earlier."

"I don't recall saying that," Poe murmured. He shuffled his butt across the few inches between them and plastered himself to Hux's side. "Those almost sound like made-up objections, like you're trying to convince yourself. Are you telling me you're going to stay out here with me, and keep me warm, all through the night?"

Hux drew in a breath to object further, then let it out. "We don't need to be having this discussion. Do you have anything that will start a fire?"

"Nope. You?"

"No. Don't you have a blaster?"

"The rules for the peace talks forbid weapons," Poe pointed out. "Why would I have a blaster?"

Hux sighed. "Not even a holdout?"

Poe shook his head.

Hux grumbled, "What a fine time for the rebels to decide following the rules was a good idea."

"Do you have a weapon?"

"Yes," Hux admitted. "I have a knife. Which is no good for starting fires so it doesn't matter. We need to find something that will pass as shelter."

Poe looked around them. "Well, let's, uh, maybe we can find a fallen tree and hunker down under it?"

"I don't know that they're big enough." Hux pulled away reluctantly and stood. "I'll look around."

He returned shortly. Poe had moved over a few strides and had a stick in his hand. He was digging at the ground with it as snow accumulated in his dark hair. Hux told him, "I found something. Either I drag you or you limp along while I support you. The choice of shelter is predicated on me not being able to move you far."

"Maybe I can limp?" Poe tossed the stick aside. "I was looking for a walking stick so I could help, but there's nothing good in reach. The ground's too rocky here to dig ourselves in."

Hux helped him up. It was awkward given he was inches taller than Poe, but they didn't have far to go. Hux spoke as they went, "I don't know much about survival, but it's important we get out of the snow, keep dry, and stay out of the wind. Even better if we could find an insulated spot where we could trap our body warmth, but I didn't find anything that good."

"But you found something," Poe said. "What do we have?" They were moving along the base of the cliff, where it became more sheer above them. Ahead of them loomed several fallen stones where portions of rock the size of banthas had broken off and tumbled to the bottom.

"Here," Hux said, pointing out the black opening that came up to mid-chest. "A crevice. It's not very wide, but it goes back most of a body length and the floor is reasonably flat – soil, not stone, and dry, so it has some insulating qualities."

Poe hopped to the side of the opening, leaning on the stone as he looked inside skeptically. "Nothing's living in there, right?"

"The whole of the planet is empty of terrestrial animal life." Hux crawled inside and turned. It felt warmer immediately to be out of the wind. "This fits the basic requirements and it was close. Do you want me to keep looking?" It was a sincere query, although he thought this was the best they were going to find.

"No," Poe said quietly. "That's very thoughtful, but no." He lowered himself to his knees and moved inside.

Hux could see him silhouetted, but he doubted Poe could see him. Poe moved in further, putting a hand on Hux's shin. That was when Hux realized the positioning. "Ah. Well. You're either going to be facing me or facing away. It's not wide enough to sit side by side."

"I'm not going to be facing you," Poe said as he continued to move in, nudging Hux's legs apart and then turning to sit between them. "It would put my ankle between you and the rock and my back to the outside. Unless we were hugging or something."

Hux sighed. He clamped his hands into his armpits for the moment, preventing any 'hugging'. "It is cold," he admitted. Despite the obvious need for one another, he found himself hesitant and concerned by how Poe was simply helping himself to Hux's body.

Poe scooted backward until their bodies were touching. "Yep. It's cold." Poe glanced back. Hux leaned away from him. Poe faced forward and bent that way, arching his back so Hux could sit straight again without touching him.

For a few minutes, they just sat there, neither moving or speaking. The wind swept across the entrance with a low, wavering howl. He knew Poe had very politely given him a moment to adjust even though they were both freezing. Hux's foot was so cold he couldn't feel it, but his ankle ached. Hux finally moved his legs closer, putting them in contact with Poe's. It was necessary and … well … he had to admit he was curious. He could see Poe nod against the lighter colored background of the entrance. Hux uncrossed his arms and put his hands on Poe's hips. "What do I do?"

"Um, conserve body heat? How long do you think we'll be out here?" He was still bent forward, though.

"It's dark and snowing heavily. The wind's picked up. Neither of us told anyone we were leaving. No one was waiting for me in my bedchamber. Yours?"

"No."

Hux shrugged. "There's no reason why anyone would notice us missing until we fail to show for breakfast. Is there?"

Poe chuckled and shook his head. "No." He kept laughing.

"It's funny?"

"That I might freeze to death out here with you, a few clicks from civilization, because I was too dumb to bring a commlink when I walked off into the woods to look at all the pretty trees? Yeah, that's funny."

"I didn't bring one, either. And you were following me. The leader bears responsibility."

Poe kept giggling. "No, you don't get to make this your fault. I was the one chasing you. You're prettier than the trees. Plus I thought you had to be up to something."

"I'm, I'm … what?"

"You heard me."

"Oh." Hux was still. On the plus side, his face felt abruptly warmer. After another long, quiet moment, he lifted his hands and pressed them lightly to Poe's chest, pulling him back. Poe straightened and made a subdued, pleased noise as his back came flush with Hux's front. Carefully, Hux wrapped his arms around him. "Is this how we should be?"

"Uh-huh." Poe wiggled backward a little so there was no space at all between them. Hux was either going to have his face in Poe's hair, or put his chin over the man's shoulder. He opted for the latter. It was clearly getting warmer between them. The hard edge of the cold was beginning to melt like the snow in Poe's hair.

"No one has ever … said anything like that to me."

"Then you're long overdue." Poe put a hand over one of Hux's and complimented him easily, like he was stating irrefutable facts. "You're very handsome. Sharp. Smart. Passionate. You have so much emotion about things." His voice grew low toward the end.

"That's … acceptable?"

"Uh-huh. Very attractive – when people have a cause and believe in it with every fiber of their being. Your hands are freezing, though. Let me help." Poe took Hux's hands down and slipped them under his jacket, digging under his shirt to put them against bare skin. Poe sucked in air, probably at the discomfort.

"You don't have to do this," Hux offered, but it felt so lovely – necessary, yes, but also illicit, forbidden. His hands were too numb to register anything aside from glorious body heat and pressure. But he could imagine. He didn't pull his hands away. "I'm confused about why you'd even offer."

Poe tilted his head to the side, looking back at him although he probably could see little in the dimness. "Because you're a human being. You got your boot stuck in the mud." Poe chuckled. "You could have let me fall in the stream, but you didn't. You waited for me at the base of that cliff, watching out for me. You could have walked off before it got completely dark, but you stayed here with me. Aside from that, you're easy on the eyes." Poe turned his head a little further. "I'm interested. I'm not hearing a 'no'."

Hux flexed his hands against Poe's abdomen, turning them to put them palm outward and warm the other side. Poe hissed softly. "Mm." Hux said quietly, "So that's the angle: you're depraved." Obviously, he said it too blandly, because Poe froze. Hux touched the tip of his nose to an exposed bit of Poe's neck, trying to send some kind of signal.

"Am I?" Poe relaxed a little, but he was still holding his breath.

"If I understand you correctly, what you're proposing is filthy." Hux rubbed his nose back and forth. His shoulders hunched. This didn't seem to be going well.

Poe let out the held breath and tilted his head to the side. "Yeah, I suppose. Is that how you see it?"

"I … I don't know how to talk about this." Hux had a little feeling in his hands now. He turned them back over and caressed Poe's belly. Poe made an appreciative noise and pressed against him. Hux said, "I'm … interested, as well. Is that what I should say?"

Poe nodded. Hux used his nose and cheek to push the guy's loosely curled, dark hair away from the part of his neck that Hux wanted to get to. He rubbed his lips back and forth along the exposed skin. Poe moved his hands to Hux's thighs and kneaded them with large, firm strokes.

Hux inhaled the man's scent directly from his skin. It was captivating – layered and intriguing. He'd never had anyone in this way – utterly at his disposal. The closest he'd had was having people at blaster-point, but that wasn't the sort of thing that skewed sexual for Hux. Not the way this was. It was curiosity that had the tip of his tongue dart out for a taste, to see what he could get away with, to see just how much Poe would let him have.

"Oh," Poe sighed, digging in his fingers along the seam of Hux's pants. He reached up unzipped the top of his jacket, tugging it aside to lay bare more of his neck. Heat rose off him. Hux bit into him with a moderate pressure that he eased off of at Poe's sudden cry. But Poe didn't pull away. The hand that had been at his zipper reached up to touch at Hux's hair, mussing it. Hux lightened to sucking at the skin, savoring the unique flavor of another human being. It was a feast. He wondered if he'd ever have such a chance again. So far, everything was registering as something he wanted to do again and more.

Hux brought one hand out from the warmth of Poe's belly and pushed away Poe's hand. He wasn't sure how he felt about being touched in return, especially not on the face where Poe's fingers had roamed down to. As long as his hand was free, Hux used it to sweep Poe's hair to the side. He ran his closed lips from just under Poe's ear down to the join of his shoulder. It was as far as he could get without adjusting Poe's clothing, which seemed … too pushy.

He felt like an awkward cadet all over again - not that he'd ever done this as a cadet, but he'd had urges and fantasies. He'd had more of them then than in the tumultuous years since, when he'd sublimated them into other drives – ones that were irrelevant if they succeeded at peace. He didn't have to sublimate anything now. He could let himself feel and even act on those feelings.

He threaded his hand into Poe's damp hair and pulled at it experimentally. Poe groaned. Then Poe did something – Hux realized Poe had unfastened the front of his own pants. Hux hesitated, feeling Poe's body shift as he released himself. He certainly wasn't alone in having an erection. Much of Poe's shifting seemed a deliberate effort to press back against Hux's growing bulge.

Hux huddled closer if it was at all possible. He hooked his lower legs over the top of Poe's, trapping him. Poe shuddered against him, starting to stroke himself. Hux nibbled on the man's neck, pulling his head to the side and rolling Poe's face upward. Poe was panting, stroking himself faster. Hux wrapped his other arm tightly around Poe's waist, keeping them welded together. He rocked slowly against Poe's backside, taking his time in exploring what worked for him and what didn't. Poe was lost in ecstasy.

Hux nosed along the stubble of the man's jaw, then licked the back of his ear. Poe turned his face further, lips parted. It was clearly an attempt or request for a kiss. Hux tightened his grip in Poe's hair and turned him back where he wanted him, denying it. Hux wasn't ready for that yet. There was too much going on at once already. He felt like he might come in his pants and he assumed he would eventually if this continued.

Poe whined, but his hand didn't slow and his erratic grinding into Hux's crotch didn't stop. Hux rested his teeth over Poe's pulse point and pressed, hearing Poe whimper. He moved to the man's earlobe. It was soft. Fleshy. Delicious. He sucked at it, shutting his eyes and losing himself in the moment.

"Ah! Ng …" Poe's hips jerked and his breathing became rough. Hot ejaculate spurted forward, between their legs.

"Over here!" The voice wasn't from either of them.

Light played over both of them, so brilliant and foreign that it took each of them several seconds to realize it was coming from outside the crevice they had taken shelter in. Hux looked up, blinking, into the starry point that starkly illuminated both of them. He could imagine what they were seeing – Poe's penis on full display and Hux obviously wrapped around his body in shared passion. It crossed his mind to wonder if these were people he was going to have to kill.

The light abruptly jerked downward and Kylo's voice sounded this time, "Maybe we should come back later?"

"We'll be over here," Rey said.

"Will we?" Kylo sounded amused, but his words were followed by the dark hulk of their shapes disappearing from view. Any sound of their footsteps was lost in the storm – the creaking of trees, steady rustle of branches, and erratic moan of the wind.

Poe began laughing. He tucked himself away and sprawled back against Hux. "Oh baby. We're rescued. What timing."

Hux was still, silent, and mortified. And realizing he may well have signed his own death warrant in exchange for a few minutes of pleasure. But stars those had been a good few minutes. His erection had vanished like it was never there. He unhooked his legs from over Poe's and pulled his hand from around the man. In a voice that was struggling to be steady, he said, "We might as well get out. They saw everything."

"Yeah, they probably did." Poe turned his face to look back, but he likely saw nothing in the darkness, especially with his eyes so recently dazzled. He rubbed Hux's thighs rapidly. "We're okay. You with me?"

"Obviously," Hux growled, nudging him. "Move now."

Clumsily, Poe extracted himself. Hux followed, moving gingerly and hoping he wasn't putting his knees on wherever Poe had spent himself on the ground. Hux stood as he exited, wincing as the wind instantly stripped away the cocoon of warmth they'd built around one another. His foot felt like a block of ice.

He flinched when Poe put an arm over his shoulders. Remembering Poe's need of him, Hux put his arm around him in turn and said in the direction of the light, "He hurt his ankle. He can't walk without help." He started guiding a limping Poe toward Kylo and Rey, who were standing downslope with the lights of a ship somewhat further down, obscured by trees and the heavily falling snow.

Quietly, barely carrying over the wind, Poe said to him, "It's okay. It's okay, baby." He hung onto Hux tighter than necessary. His voice sounded hurt and not in relation to his ankle. The tone twisted in Hux's gut.

Hux stopped and pretended to adjust the support. "It's alright. I enjoyed that. Thank you." He said the words quickly and with a flat intonation, trying to get what he imagined the standard post-coital reassurances were out of the way.

"Okay?" Poe asked. "We're good?" Rey had taken the light from Kylo and was casting it over their legs and the ground in front of them, so they could see where they were going … if they started going again. For now, Poe wasn't budging.

Hux snorted. "I have no idea! I may be court-martialed for conduct unbecoming of an officer, or executed for aid and comfort to the enemy. Was that your intention all along?"

Poe turned to face him, his face close and his gaze serious. "No. No, it wasn't. Never. Never." He petted Hux where his hands rested on him.

Hux looked down and away. His lips pressed into a thin line. His face felt frozen. He could feel where the wind had parted his hair and the snow was melting against his scalp.

"Are you guys coming?" Kylo said, sniggering at his own pun. Rey whapped him on the arm.

"See?" Poe said gently. "They think it's funny. It's okay. No one's going to die over this."

Hux looked back at him and stared for a long moment. Humor was no guarantee of safety. "Just in case I will-" He leaned forward and kissed Poe firmly. Ineptly, maybe, but Poe kissed him back and Hux tried to copy what he was being shown. It felt good. What a stupid thing to die for. He parted, looked away, and went back to helping Poe to the ship.

Once aboard, they sat together quietly as Rey and Kylo went in the cockpit and got them off the ground. The warmer air of the shuttle felt luxurious. Hux held himself stiffly with his hands in his lap. His foot was throbbing. His thoughts were an unending loop of scolding and reprimanding himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Poe watching him.

Finally, Poe said, "You're serious about this. But I've seen Kylo and Rey …"

"You may not have noticed, but I am not the supreme leader."

"He's the final authority on all this, huh?"

"Until negotiations are finished and the treaty is signed, yes."

The trip to the lodge was very short. They were already setting down. Poe rose and hopped along the wall to the cockpit door, putting both arms across it as though for balance. But it also blocked in Kylo and Rey. "Hey."

Hux stared at Poe's back, wondering what he was doing.

Poe said, "I'm going to ask Mr. Hux there if he'd like to come to my room for the night. If he happens to say yes, is he going to get in trouble for that?"

Hux covered his face. He was sure he was blushing. There was a long pause, then Kylo said, "No." Hux's hands dropped away. He couldn't see Kylo, but the tone was definite and the answer unambiguous, delivered in front of witnesses and without limitation.

Poe turned and came back to him, leaning on the wall. "The best way to handle a chill is with a hot bath. I've got a tub in my room that might be able to fit two. You want to find out if it does?"

Hux smiled tightly and stood. "You need help getting there anyway." He glanced past him at Kylo and Rey, who were lingering in the cockpit responding to a comm signal, confirming they'd been found. To Poe, Hux said, "What about your ankle?"

"I should probably keep it elevated and have someone help me with an ice pack after the rest of me gets warmed up. Think you can do that?"

"I believe so." Hux moved into position to brace Poe as they went to the rear of the ship and extended the ramp.

"You're limping, too," Poe said.

"I just need to get out of the wet clothes and into something warm."

Poe chortled. "That's … well, that's pretty much what I had in mind."

The helped each other down the ramp. Finn, Kaydel, and Mitaka were on hand, looking concerned.

"Hey guys," Poe said. "We're alive!"

Finn tried to take Poe away from Hux's support. "We're okay. I got this," Poe told him, waving Finn off. Rey and Kylo came down the ramp behind them.

Hux did not miss the way Mitaka was eyeing them. He steered Poe in the lieutenant's direction. "How was it discovered that we were missing?"

Mitaka shot Poe the briefest look, then fell in next to Hux as though him supporting a Resistance member was perfectly normal behavior. "Kaydel attempted to find Poe to remind him of a pre-breakfast conference the Resistance was going to have tomorrow. When she couldn't find him, a limited search was done. Kylo and Rey used the Force and said he was with you, out in the forest. There's a blizzard going on."

Finn held the door for them, continuing to give Poe a concerned look. Kaydel had gone in already. Rey and Kylo, neither of them much bothered by the weather, hung behind to make sure no one strayed a second time.

"Yes," Hux told Mitaka. "We noticed the shift in weather a bit too late."

"No one knows what you were doing out there," Mitaka said. Hux said nothing.

Poe chuckled and said, "Is that First Order-ese for 'What the kriff were you thinking?'"

Mitaka gave him a longer-than-normal look. Hux nodded and said, "Yes, that is exactly what it means. And my silence is to be interpreted as 'I don't answer to you.'"

"Oh no!" Mitaka said with a start. "I wasn't implying that you should-"

"I know," Hux cut in. "I know. I have answered to the supreme leader. I will be helping Poe to his quarters. The evening was quite trying. I will see you tomorrow."

Mitaka nodded and stopped. Finn, who had been trailing them, stopped with him. Hux glanced over his shoulder to see the two men looking at each other with perplexed expressions. He sighed and continued on. Poe opened the door to the room he'd been assigned. The two of them entered, shutting out uncertain looks and confused subordinates.

"They know," Hux said.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Poe asked as he hobbled on his own to the refresher. "Kylo and Rey know anyway. It's not a big deal. The war's over. Everything will be wrapped up and signed in a few days. We're good."

"Everything will be signed? You've been suspicious of us the whole way through! Secret pre-breakfast meetings. Hmf!"

Poe pressed buttons on the tub. It sealed and water began filling it. He shrugged out of his jacket. "Come here." Hux walked closer. His lips were pressed together again. Poe began unfastening Hux's shirt. Poe told him as he worked, "I'm not suspicious of you anymore. I'm not going to the meeting in the morning. I'm going to do my best to get the negotiations over with."

"Why? Because of what we did out in the woods? It didn't change my mind about things!"

Poe curled his hands into Hux's shirt for balance, leaning forward and pulling Hux down. He kissed him. Hux let his eyes slide shut and enjoyed it for what it was. Poe's lips were warmer this time and Hux knew a little better what he was doing. He opened his mouth and touched his tongue to Poe's lips, getting a low moan. Poe pulled harder on his shirt.

Hux raised his hands to Poe's hips and then the soft bare skin he found above them when he burrowed under Poe's shirt. Another moan. His tongue touched Poe's. Poe transferred the shirt to one hand and hooked the other around the back of Hux's neck. Hux slid a hand around to the small of Poe's back. The other rucked up Poe's shirt along his side, then left it behind to reach up for his hair.

They parted eventually. "Point taken," Hux said. "I've changed my mind as well – at least about some things."

"Um … that wasn't really what I was trying to say."

"What were you trying to say then?"

"That you're hot and I'd rather kiss you than argue about stuff."

Hux snorted. "I'm still cold. Let's get in the tub."

"Have a seat on the edge." Poe put a hand on the tub and lowered himself to the floor, gesturing at Hux's boots. Hux sat on the wide edge and slipped off his shirt, tossing it on Poe's jacket. Poe unsealed one boot and worked it off gently. "Is this the one you got wet?"

"No, the other. I assume I have frostbite."

"Probably." Poe set aside the boot and peeled off the sock, then moved on to the other. Hux gripped the edge of the tub and inhaled sharply. Poe moved slower, being more careful.

"You read people," Hux paused as pain surged when Poe pulled off the boot, "well."

"Thank you." He pulled off the sock to reveal waxy, swollen skin. "That doesn't look good."

Hux tried to flex his toes, but they were unresponsive. "I don't think submerging this immediately in hot water is a good idea."

"The tub has a recirculation and warming function. I didn't put it up very high. Get the rest of you warmed up and then we'll see about this. You can just prop it up for now. That's what I was going to do – keep my foot elevated." Poe turned and began to unlace his boots. "I'm not sure I broke my ankle. It might just be sprained."

"Let's hope for the best then." Hux unfastened his pants, noting that Poe's attention was occupied. He knew he'd have to strip at some point. He wasn't ashamed of his body, but wasn't sure he wanted to be seen at close range by someone who might want to (or think they were allowed to) reach out and touch or grab him. He inched the pants down and worked them off. Poe didn't look up from getting his footwear off and examining his ankles.

As Poe pulled his shirt off over his head, Hux turned and dipped his better foot into the water. It was warm but not hot as Poe had said. Hux sank into it carefully, leaving his frostbitten foot propped on the edge. His butt and his knees, which had also been wet in the cold and had milder frostnip, felt like they were burning despite the mild temperatures. Poe took off his pants while on the floor, then climbed in on the other end. Poe set one foot next to Hux's hip and elevated the other.

"That ankle is swollen," Hux observed. "Do you think it's broken?"

Poe shrugged. "It hurts. Right now I just want to get comfortable, warm, and some rest." He rubbed at Hux's hip with his other foot. "What do you want?"

"Same."

"I still owe you one."

"What's that?"

"From out in that cave. I don't think you got there, right?"

"Do you mean I- No. No, I didn't. We were interrupted. I was, at least. Does it matter?"

Poe flexed his leg, putting it in the tub for the moment. He rearranged himself, folding his legs back and moving closer to Hux. He rested his hands on the tub on either side of him. "Does it matter to you? You seemed pretty hung up on the idea of fairness during the negotiations."

Hux swallowed. He's raised his head and pulled it back when Poe approached, but now Poe had stopped. "That was when I thought we were on opposite sides. If either of us leaves the table feeling cheated, the deal won't hold up. It has to be fair."

"Is that any different from now?"

"We're not on opposite sides." Hux rolled his eyes briefly. "Well, we are. Somewhat."

Poe smirked. "I've come over to your end of the tub now. Does that count?"

Hux smiled a bit. "Yes, I think it does. What I mean is that fairness doesn't matter so much if the relationship is … different. Between a commander and a subordinate – it's normal for it to be unfair. I would expect that. The supreme leader can have whatever dalliance he wants. That's not the same for the rest of us."

Poe nodded slowly. He eyed Hux's lips. "Tell me what kind of relationship we have."

"I have no idea." He reached up and touched Poe's elbow. He'd realized Poe was waiting on him again, waiting on him to accept or reject. His hand moved on to Poe's chin and cheek. Hux cupped it. It was lightly bristled with a day's worth of growth. "We'll have to find out," Hux said, leaning forward slightly. He couldn't come up all the way with his foot propped up as it was, but Poe took the motion as acceptance and leaned in the rest of the way for him.

They kissed again – long, slow, and unhurried. Hux slowly melted back against the side of the tub. Poe moved closer, working his mouth with admirable thoroughness. Hux could feel his heartbeat ramping up (oddly, he felt it most in the throbbing of his foot, but it wasn't so painful as to make him stop). Hux reached between them in the water. His fingers skimmed down Poe's belly, following the trail of curly dark hair. Poe was erect again.

Poe broke the kiss, shifting his weight so he could touch Hux's wrist and nudge it away from himself. "How about yourself? It's your turn."

"I … I don't know." It was easier to see to another's needs. He knew how to masturbate perfectly well, but to do it in front of someone seemed unconscionably selfish.

Poe kissed him again, his tongue delving deeply until Hux heard a soft moan emanate from his own throat. Poe made a faint growl in response and touched him along the inner thigh. Hux broke the kiss and panted as Poe's thumb grazed over his scrotum. Hux's hands were on Poe's sides, touching lightly and not doing anything else. He was too distracted by the feathery light touch between his legs.

"Up," Poe said. "Up on the edge of the tub."

"What?"

"Sit on the lip there. Put your foot over my shoulder and the other one in the water. Lean against the wall."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to blow you."

Hux blinked at him, wide-eyed. A second later, he moved to comply. Poe settled between his legs, caressing the outside of his thighs as Hux made himself comfortable. Poe curled one hand around Hux's thigh as the other gently ran fingertips up and down his shaft. Hux put his head back, lids fluttering, then forward because he wanted to see this.

Poe licked at his tip. It was a warm, wet, slight friction, a lovely pressure. Poe slid his fingers around his shaft and began to pump. Hux shuddered and said, "I am not-"

"Hm?"

"I will … I mean … I'm not going to … How does this work?"

Poe smiled. "I keep sucking until you get off. That's how it works."

"Well, that's going to be right away."

Poe chuckled. "That's not a problem."

"I'm … You …" He gestured loosely at Poe's face. Hux felt incredibly keyed up. Someone was about to fellate him and that someone was a Resistance leader and Poe Dameron and the intensity of the erotic transgression nearly had him coming from the very idea. "Your mouth," he got out. He was breathing hard as though Poe were doing his best, when in reality Poe was only stroking him slowly as he waited for Hux to communicate successfully.

"Do you mean," Poe asked, "you're going to come in my mouth and you're concerned about that?"

"Yes."

"Don't be. Just enjoy yourself."

Hux nodded breathlessly. He put a hand in Poe's hair, making a fist. Poe put his mouth to him in earnest, taking the top third of his length. Hux whimpered. His hips jerked. His foot throbbed. He could feel his body rushing to orgasm just as he'd expected. Poe's grip on his shaft tightened, which delayed it a little but not much. His tongue rubbed and caressed Hux's glans and frenulum – a warm, wet, sucking stimulation that sent him right over the edge.

Hux's cheeks clenched and he kept making noises – gasping, shuddering exhalations that became louder as he came, echoing lewdly off the hard walls of the refresher. He made sharp, irregular thrusts into Poe's mouth. Poe held him steady with the hold on his thigh. He slurped once, but otherwise managed it without any trouble.

Hux loosened his grip on Poe's hair and flopped back against the wall. He tried to catch his breath as the wonderful sensation of completion coursed through him. Poe suckled at him slowly. Hux gasped with each pull, but didn't object. Poe adjusted Hux's penis and sucked it clean as he finished with it. He looked up at Hux smugly. "We're even now."

"I don't want to be even," Hux blurted out. "I want to keep doing that forever. I will find ways to make you eternally in my debt."

Poe looked at him for a long beat, then kissed the inside of Hux's thigh. "One blow job and you want to marry me? I can make you so happy."

"What are you going to do after the war is over?" Hux asked with sudden intensity. "Is that an option? Or are we just …"

Poe kissed him again. "It's an option," he said quietly. "I don't know what I'm going to do, but if you want to work that out together, I'm open to exploring it."

Hux pushed him back and slid into the tub, embracing him. His frostbitten foot got in the water, but he'd warmed up enough that the burning sensation from it wasn't overpowering. Poe nuzzled his neck. Hux hugged him tightly. "We have a deal then," Hux murmured. Poe nodded slowly, holding him close.