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He awoke, and quickly scanned the room. No sign of her. Of anyone.
Swallowing, Hux pushed back the covers and began to get up. As he swung his legs over the side, he felt a stabbing ache in his left thigh. Wincing, he forced himself to stagger to where a tunic and pair of loose pants had been draped over a chair.
As he began to pull them on, he could feel his arms start to shake. He paused, willing himself to continue. Suddenly, the door slid open.
"What are you doing?!"
He blinked and turned. Rey stood in the doorway, staring at him with wide eyes. "Hux! You shouldn't even be out of bed-"
Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes were travelling the length of his torso. He blinked, and then glared at her. "Do you mind?"
She averted her gaze. "I'm sorry, I was just bringing you breakfast." He watched as she set what appeared to be an obscenely loaded tray down on a small folding table.
He shook his head. "I'm beginning to think that you are intending to fatten me up." He looked from the tray to her face. "Please do confirm that this is your intention."
Rey gave a small smile. "Well, at the moment, if we were attacked by the remains of the First Order, I can assure you you would not be able to withstand a fight. As I said when you were found, you are skin and bones."
Bristling, Hux looked away deliberately, trying to open the tunic top and pull it over his head with as much dignity as he could muster. Angry thoughts flashed through his mind as he wrestled with the material, finding his fingers were slow to grasp it. "You assume I would join the Rebellion. You make a lot of assumptions." He turned round again, Rey wincing slightly as she saw the bones move under the paper white skin. He glared again.
She spoke again. "I don't."
"What?" Hux turned abruptly, his naked torso yet again fully in her gaze. "You -"
She blushed. "I can assure you I do not find obese men attractive. I'm just trying to help."
"Stop reading my thoughts!" Hux practically shouted. "Get out of my head!"
"I cannot help the fact I-" she swallowed. "I can hear them. I can start to see why this has happened." She took a step towards him. "That you're scared. You're scared that you no longer have a purpose, that you've been cast off, that you need to prove you're strong."
"You dare to lecture me?!" Hux spluttered. "You dare!" Furious, he dropped the tunic, forgetting he was half naked. "If one of my troopers had spoken to me the way you just did, I would have had them-"
"Executed?" Rey countered. "Because you're just a bully?"
"A bully?!" Hux's face was turning pale. "No. Disciplined. Discipline is all that matters. Discipline is what leads to victory. And you need to follow orders to understand that. Do you understand that?"
"I do," Rey said quietly. "Because-"
"You think you're a little Jedi," Hux sneered. "A little Jedi, who can get into people's heads, and interfere with their thoughts. But you can't get into and control mine. I used to command troops. I used to be a leader in the First Order. I'm not going to take orders from a mere scavenger!" He took a step forward, his torso beginning to glisten with beads of sweat. "Because that's all you are. A scavenger. Who then happened to hoodwink one of my stormtroopers into thinking she was something she wasn't. And who then managed to convince Ren she was something she wasn't. But you don't convince me. It doesn't matter who you claim you're related to. It doesn't matter how much you try to use your alleged powers on mere mortals. Because its not going to work, little girl." He smirked, his face twisting grotesquely. "And you're not going to feed me up, either. Perhaps you would like to take your offerings, and leave."
"I'd call you a monster," Rey responded, "but I think you'd be flattered."
"Do you think I care what you call me?" He snapped.
She swallowed, and took a step forward. "You are going to sit back down on the bed."
He turned. "Don't."
"You are going to sit back down, on the bed."
He took a step backwards. "I-"
"You are going to sit back down on the bed."
He blinked. "I am - going- no! You can't do this to me! You can't control me!"
She took another step forward, "Then accept something's wrong. Accept I'm trying to help you."
Hux paused. Then he moved swiftly, pushing her hard on the shoulder. As she staggered, he turned, and fled for the door - only to be confronted by Ren. The slightly taller man looked at him in astonishment.
"Hux!" Ren swallowed as his dark eyes travelled the length of the shorter man's bony frame. "What - what have you done?"
Pity and concerned was etched into his face. Rey took another breath, and moved forward again. "You will sit on the bed."
Ren looked at her, then nodded. "You will sit on the bed."
Hux looked at them both, then quietly nodded. "I will sit on the bed."
The two watched as he meekly sat down, the fire of his previous rage extinguished. Rey walked over and sat next to him, hesitantly placing a hand on his arm. Ren followed, noting the amount of muscle wastage.
"You can't go on like this," Ren commented. "You're-" he shook his head. Tight lipped, he turned and left the room.
"It will be all right," Rey said. "It will be all right."
Hux smiled slightly. "I shouldn't have underestimate you."
Rey shook her head. "Well, we can deal with that later. But first...breakfast?"
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