Hux spent the evening scouring the file of one Aurelia Smitte. It was bizarre to have already scoured every inch of her body and to know so little about her, but he meant to amend that fact by memorizing her file.
She was a smart girl who rose to her position fairly quickly. Though she be only an assistant, she was an assistant on the largest ship in the First Order. Her superiors wrote glowing reviews and commended her skills and diplomacy regarding personnel issues. With her excellent testing scores and high compatibility rating, Hux wondered why she stopped at assistant. She could easily be managing the department or serving in a leadership role of some sort. Perhaps she's smart enough to keep her head down and let Ren take his anger out on the higher-ups, he figured. He didn't blame her.
His finger lazily dragged across the datapad screen, enlarging her picture. Yes, she was something to look at, but there was more than met the eye. It was her fiery personality and daring that hooked him at the party. Hux never had a one night stand until her, but even as they drunkenly tore each others' uniforms off, he laughed at her dark jokes and easy nature and made a mental list of questions to ask her over breakfast. When he awoke alone the next morning, a mixture of awe and loss shocked him, but Hux reminded himself it was to be a one night stand and nothing more.
Her picture stared up at him, not quite solemn as it was supposed to be. The corners of her eyes ticked upward in a joyful, victorious way. Hux leaned on his hand and stared at the picture. Yes, there was something about the mother of his baby he still needed to discover.
The HR office was cheerier than the rest of the ship, but still held its industrial feel. Cheeriness radiated from the receptionist. Her bright yellow cardigan atop a light blue dress looked like something from another world and Hux had to remind himself that uniforms were optional for non-military personnel. The pink gem sparkling in her nose, however, was not authorized. Stifling a cringe at the blatant disregard for order, her forced a pleasant expression as he approached.
"Grand Marshal," the receptionist exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and throwing up an awkward and incorrect salute. "Your highness."
Wrinkling his nose at the display, he cleared his throat. "Could you escort me to Ms. Smitte's workstation?"
"Aurelia? Yeah. Her desk is just in the back." The secretary stood and looked him over for a second before offering her arm. "Uh, this way, sir." Hux raised an eyebrow and she dropped her hand to her side. "Sorry, we don't usually get caps in here. Oh! I mean officers." She took a breath and focused on the floor, sheepishly scurrying deeper into the office spaces. "Here she is, your highness. Permission to go back to my desk?"
Not entirely sure how to respond, Hux nodded curtly.
Aurelia was sitting at her desk, focused on holograms of information spread around her. Her bright brown hair caught the blue light and cast a bizarre halo about her. Hux sucked in a breath and watched her for a moment. She scrutinized one file before swiping it away and scanning another, clearly hunting for something. A strand of hair fell into her face and she swept it back, sighing impatiently.
"Ms. Smitte? I thought I might escort you to lunch."
Caught off guard, Aurelia squeaked and jumped backward, looking up from her work at last, chest heaving. "Sir!"
"I didn't mean to intrude. Do you care join me? If you can get away from what you're doing, that is."
Still catching her breath, she nodded. "Of course, Grand Marshal." Now that her shock wore off, she tilted her head and smiled at him. "What a surprise."
"Excellent." Hux turned for the door with Aurelia on his arm and couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the secretary, who was peering over her cubicle in wonder.
"The communicator is ringing," Aurelia called, pointing to the blinking lights on the girl's desk.
"Oh!" Yellow cardigan dove to answer, still watching Hux out of the side of her eye.
Aurelia giggled. "I'm afraid you've created a scandal that will burn through the department in no time. Officers don't think twice about us unless there's been an error." She faked a scandalous gasp. "What could it be? Why is the Grand Marshal escorting me away? Am I a spy? A secret Jedi? Your mistress? Will I be sent away, or executed? The rumors!"
"Nonsense," Hux scoffed. "If you were a Jedi, Ren would have you to himself. No one would believe that." He flashed a smirk. Her teasing way was a relief compared to the stuffy people he worked alongside. "You could have turned down my invitation. Any rumor is as much your fault as it is mine."
"Yes, it takes two to tango, doesn't it?" Aurelia pulled closer to him as they passed the secretary's desk, then giggled mischievously once they passed the doors.
In the officers' mess hall, Aurelia ravenously devoured her food while doing her best to look refined and not out of place among the high-ranking officials. Cap after cap strolled through the doors, most of them wearing similar scowls. When Kylo Ren breezed in, black cloak flowing out behind him, Aurelia sat up straight, eyes wide.
"I promise he hasn't even seen you," Hux said, noticing her reaction. "You have every authority to be here as long as you're with me."
Nodding, she returned to her food, but kept a sideaways glance trained on the supreme leader.
"Are you feeling well?" Hux asked, hoping to relax her.
"Yes, sir. Just hungry." She frowned at her already empty plate, wondering if she'd truly eaten the heaping amount of food already.
"Then have more!" He drew his datapad from his pocket and set it on the table. "The meal plan says you're allowed a drastically increased caloric intake-"
"You have my meal plan? Sir?"
A smile ticked at the corners of his lips. "You don't have to call me sir. You're pregnant. That seems a step beyond 'sir.'"
A giggle bubbled over her lips, drawing attention and earning murmurs from nearby officers. Aurelia pursed her lips and stared down, trying hard to silence herself.
"Ignore them," Hux said. "This hall is a joyless pit. They don't know what laughter is."
Nodding, she watched him eat and thanked the stars he chewed politely with his mouth shut. There were dozens of things she didn't know about him, but at least that was a reassuring trait. Plus, even sober, he was charming and kind, making sure to make her feel at ease. She smiled when he looked up at her.
After a moment, he returned the expression. "Have dinner with me tonight. I can cook in my quarters."
"You cook?" Aurelia asked in surprise.
"I assure you I'm not trying to entice you with that fact, in your current condition," Hux chuckled. "But yes, I like to think I'm sufficient in the culinary arts."
"What are you cooking?"
He glanced down at the datapad again and brought up her menu. "Let's see. I could sautee-"
Aurelia reached across the table and stilled his hand. "Grand Marshal, I know you're quite by the book, but I don't intend to follow that day by day. Droids made it. No human could eat eerything on that plan."
Hux looked up in surprise. "This is optimized for your nutritional needs. I'd hate for you to collapse again, Aurelia." Before she could react, he hardened his expression and tone. "You'll eat from the list."
Realizing she shouldn't rebut him again in the company of so many officers, she pursed her lips. "Yes, sir."
Crestfallen at her sudden change, he pulled his hand back. "Forgive me. I don't mean to treat you like a soldier." He cringed. "Old habits."
It made sense, Aurelia realized. Hux from the party who whispered in her ear and proposed marriage was the real man, but a military leader couldn't be quick with a joke or compassion. The First Order ran like a well oiled machine and she imagined the Grand Marshal was much of the reason for it. Seeing him trying so fervently to balance his role was endearing.
A frown sliced across his lips and Hux leaned forward, reaching out to rest his fingertips on her forearm. "I can only improve if you allow me time to practice." Real remorse echoed in his words. He took a deep breath and tried again. "If you've not had enough gossip fodder for one day, I'll cook you anything you'd like in my quarters this evening." He inclined his head with a knowing smile at his lips. "Better?"
Aurelia ran her hand over his. "I don't see any harm in going to a strange man's quarters after hours," she replied playfully. "I'm already pregnant. What more could you do to me?"
Hux chuckled darkly in spite of himself. "Yes, I suddenly recall why that happened in the first place. Your gentle demeanor is a good cover for your depraved sense of humor."
