Kylo Ren had yet to sleep.

He stalked the halls, masked, robes flowing around his quickly-moving form as he made his way to Rey's rooms to wrest her from bed, earlier than usual. Getting up a few hours earlier than normal wouldn't affect her mood too detrimentally, he was sure – and if it did, well… he could sure use someone to clash tempers with on today of all days.

After Hux had left the audience chamber, Kylo had been able to focus all of his attention on spinning his lies for Snoke, with enough truth to them that they were easily taken in by Snoke, and easily remembered by himself. So many fools failed in manipulation by overreaching with the amount of lies they tried to tell and keep track of. He'd been smart enough, even from the first time he'd attempted that breadth of deceit – when he'd hidden his intentions of truly becoming the First Knight of Ren, rather than simply Snoke's figurehead – that he sometimes did not comprehend how others could not do the same.

No, he didn't hide how he felt about Rey from Snoke. But, he may have… focused on some feelings and emotions more than others. Dwelling on the lust, pride, and jealousy he felt over Rey's attentions – rather than the more… soft… emotions – were enough for the scarred devil, especially when mixed with Kylo's words. Hux wasn't the only one with oratory skills. Kylo's were certainly more subtle, however.

His lips twitched at that. Definitely more subtle.

His amusement didn't last for long, though. Seeing Rey's doorway up ahead on the right reminded him of the image he'd painted for Snoke. Of wanting to use her body for his own pleasure and nothing more, of wishing to use Hux's own lust – "for that's all it seems to be, my Master" – for Rey against the other man, and of breaking the woman down into nothing more than a killing machine bent to his will and needs. All of which, of course, would require him to pretend to care for her so that she could be more easily manipulated. If only Snoke knew.

Snoke was pleased, to say the least – and distracted. That was all that mattered. It was a lie he could easily cultivate for future encounters with the Supreme Leader. All it would take were a few carefully chosen memories, a few token words… and Rey would be protected. At least inasmuch as he was able to; Rey would need to protect herself as well. And she would be able to – oh yes that woman held so much potential and ability.

He pressed his fist against the chime on the panel beside her door, and waited, attempting patience and clarity of mind.

Yet after a few minutes of waiting – more than enough for her to rouse from her bed, throw on a robe, and pad to the door – there was no answer. He chimed the door again, growing increasingly impatient and aggravated. Where was she?

There was still no answer.

Opening himself to his awareness of the Force signatures aboard the vessel, he was surprised – no, you aren't, his mind told him – to find hers blazing, even muted by sleep, only a few hallways over. Whirling on his heel, he made his way to General Hux's quarters. He knew the other man wouldn't hurt Rey, but…

He did not even stop to press the chime on the door panel; instead, he simply opened the door with the Force and swept quietly inside, using experience more than the Force to silence his movements. He did, however, use said power to soften the sound of his helmet being removed and set on a chair, on which the General's jacket and belt were draped. He took in the rest of the living room quickly – the blanket meticulously draped across the back of the couch, though there were indentations on the leather still, the jacket and belt he had just taken notice of, and… the scent of her. It was faint. His nose was not any more powerful than any other human's, but he couldn't mistake the scent of Rey.

His eyes were drawn to the bedroom door. She wasn't in here, so…

Kylo clenched his fists – but not in jealousy. No… no, this was a feeling not unlike the one he'd felt that night he'd seen Hux carry Rey from the Knight's Lounge to her rooms. It was one of fascination… of desire… of yearning… and of fierce protectiveness for these two beings who had wormed their way into his soul. One had taken years – and Kylo had never been sure if he had actually cared or hated the man, not until recently – and the other had been like a spark, roaring into life. Consuming his every spare thought, and even the times he had no business dwelling on her… on them. Separately they distracted him; together they had the power to bring him to his knees. And the thought of them… in that room… His heart pounded, pumping blood in a rush throughout his body, making him feel feverish with desire.

Still, though. He may have been enticed at the thought, but a part of him – a part growing by the second, right then – was overcome with possessiveness. That she… that they… before he… The thought he'd had that night in the Lounge, that he wouldn't mind so much seeing them together… it seemed it was much better in theory than in practice. At least to a part of him.

But… the two of them… waiting for him? He felt his mouth go dry as the thought roared to life inside of him. The blood rushing through his body suddenly plummeted southwards, and he felt light-headed. He hadn't felt this out of control in years. This aroused. And it was only a thought; not an image, or an action, or a memory… A thought was doing this to him. It was only too easy to imagine the two of them naked, lying in each other's arms in the next room – not because they were lovers and he an intruder, but because they were waiting for him to arrive. Oh Force, how he wished it were true. He'd never even considered it, but now he could think of nothing else.

Bracing himself against the wall, he took a series of deep, controlled breaths. His imagination was so vivid that he found himself experiencing a vicarious sort of anticipation and even frustration on behalf of his imaginary self.

He felt, more than heard, the pipes in the wall shudder. Someone had turned off a 'fresher, and he had a feeling that it was the one in the next room. Glancing at the chronometer on the desk in the living room, he realized that it was very likely the General, going about his daily ablutions before seeing to the needs of the ship.

He pushed himself away from the wall, removing his gloves and dropping them carelessly on the floor as he walked to the bedroom's entrance. The door was open, and the soft glow coming from within steadily resolved itself into light seeping around the edges of the less-secure door to the 'fresher. Yet he found his eyes drawn to the bed.

Limbs akimbo, Rey was sprawled across Hux's bed, sheets twisted up and over her form and half covering her face, which was turned away from him. Kylo stared, frozen, taking in what glimpses of skin and hair he could in the dim light of the room. She was… she was…

She was in Hux's bed.

The bed of a man who had agreed to protect and look out for her.

She was in the other man's bed… without him.

Kylo felt his blood boiling for a completely different reason. His eyes flickered to the 'fresher door, then back to Rey's sleeping form. He didn't even realize that she was still wearing her clothes from the previous day; nor did he acknowledge that just a moment ago he'd wanted nothing so much as to climb into that bed with both of them.

All he felt was an upwelling of anger at the man for sullying their – his – Rey. Before he'd even had a chance.

Casting one last, furtive glance at Rey, he stormed over to the 'fresher door, acting entirely on impulse as he unlatched the mechanics of the lock with the Force and then barged his way into the steamy, quiet room. He didn't even bother to shut the door behind him – he was too focused on getting his hands on Hux.

It wasn't until he had the thinner man pushed against the back of the 'fresher wall, forearm braced horizontally over his chest, that he realized he had moved towards him. Hux was frozen still, one hand grasping tightly onto Kylo's bicep, and the other pressed beside him against the wall.

Kylo breathed deeply, trying to control the impulse to beat the hell out of the man in front of him, as Hux slowly worked his way into a rage to rival Kylo's.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Kylo?" the redhead hissed, eyes like green ice shooting daggers at him. He kept the rest of his body still, however, as if attempting to not draw the attention of the beast circling within Kylo. There were barely more than a couple of inches between the two of them.

"Fuck you, Hux. Do you not remember our agreement?" Kylo gritted out in reply. Before the other man could reply, he barreled on. "You slept with her? With Rey? I thought we were supposed to look out for her; not be the ones to protect her from."

"I didn't –" Hux started to protest, his eyes flashing in anger.

"She's in your bed, damn it. What the fuck else am I supposed to think happened? She obviously stayed here overnight, and now she's in your bed. Before I –"

"I didn't touch her, Ren," Hux interjected again, getting angrier. This time, he reached up with his free hand and pushed it against Kylo's clothed chest in an effort to push the other man away. He wouldn't budge.

But Kylo was listening, now, at least.

Hux kept his hands where they were, acknowledging the futility of pushing the man off of him when he was like this. Part of Kylo's brain thrilled at the acknowledgment in the choice of actions. The other part was intent on the General's words.

Hux saw that he was listening, and continued. "Like I said, I didn't touch her." His tone was aloof but there was still that spark of anger in his eyes. "I came back here after our audience with the Supreme Leader and she was asleep on my couch. Obviously she'd never left after we did. She woke up, and we talked, but she fell back asleep so I put her somewhere where she'd be more comfortable, and then went back to the couch myself." He raised an eyebrow at Kylo. "I'm sure you approve more of her being in my bed than of her sleeping on the couch, don't you?"

With that, Kylo's mind immediately dredged up the image of Rey in Hux's bed – the one he'd just seen – and promptly started to fill in the blanks underneath the covers. He could feel himself stirring, and became aware of exactly what he was pressing against when Hux's lips parted in a soundless gasp, his eyes widening slightly.

He felt his rage transform quickly into white-hot passion, with the image of Rey and the feeling of Hux spurring it on, feeding it, and fueling it until it burned inside of him.

Pressing his hips slowly, inexorably, against the other man's, keeping his arm exactly where it was, with Hux's hand trapped between them, he felt Hux's breathing pick up. He flicked his eyes down to catch sight of a droplet of water rolling its way down the hollow of his neck and onto his bare chest, disappearing finally against the cloth covering his arm where it was pressed against Hux's skin. His own breath hitched as he felt Hux hardening against his hipbone, pressed between their bodies. Hux's breaths were coming much shallower than before, but his face was desperately trying to hold on to some semblance of control. Kylo wanted to make him lose all control; he desperately wanted that. His obsession with making the uniform blink and stutter and rage and wonder for all of these years had transformed into wanting to make the man beneath the uniform blink and stutter and gasp and wonder in completely different ways – in a way that was just as dangerous to Kylo as it was to the man whose skin he was trying to get under.

Though they were nearly the same height, Hux was still a smaller, wirier man, and when Kylo leaned in, pressing even more tightly against his body, the other man was practically enveloped by him. He braced his other, free hand on the wall beside Hux's head, and then tilted his own head down the opposite side. The redhead tilted his head to the side, likely subconsciously, and his eyes were fighting against fluttering shut as Kylo ghosted his lips over the muscles in Hux's neck, all the way up to his ear where he nipped at the flesh of his lobe.

"Do you know what I'm thinking about right now… Taj?" Kylo whispered huskily against his ear, trying to get a reaction. Hux's hips jerked forward at the mention of his given name coming from Kylo's mouth, though he was obviously still trying to control his facial features. But Kylo was patient when he wanted to be… he'd get a reaction yet.

"What?" Kylo was vaguely disappointed to hear the steel still in the General's voice. Ever the professional, even with his bare cock pressed hard against Kylo's through his clothes. Kylo was impressed, though still disappointed.

Kylo decided then and there to go all-in with the different options he'd been considering telling Hux, settling on the unabashed truth. "You and I… and Rey… in your bed, naked as sin and reveling in it… in each other." His heart raced with anticipation and anxiety and even fear of rejection as he spoke the words, but he kept himself as still as possible to observe the redhead pushed against the wall and held there by Kylo's body.

That certainly got a reaction out of the man. Hux moaned once, softly, his head lolling to the side, and his cock got even harder – Kylo hadn't thought that was possible, at that stage, but apparently it was.

"Fuck," Hux said, his breath catching in his throat. Suddenly, he used his hips and hands to push Kylo off of him, seemingly needing the space to breathe.

Kylo allowed the motion, having accomplished what he wanted – though not necessarily what he had planned to do when entering the 'fresher. He stood up straight, and let his eyes roam slowly over the aroused man standing in front of him. He was quivering slightly, and yet he pulled himself into a stiff posture that only those born and bred for the military could pull off, his spine ramrod straight and his chin held just so, denoting that it was not just a soldier, but an officer, who you were in the presence of.

Even bare, it was an impressive sight. Actually, Kylo thought as he lazily swept his eyes over Hux's prominent erection, enjoying every long inch of the sight – especially bare.

"Fuck," Hux repeated, drawing Kylo's eyes up to the other man's. There was nothing professional within those green eyes anymore, despite the posture he maintained, refusing to hide himself from Kylo's eyes. Out of stubbornness more than pride of self, Kylo was sure. Kylo could see the flame of desire behind Hux's eyes.

Kylo remained where he was, still, as he waited for the General's next move.

"Why did you say that, Kylo?" Hux finally murmured, holding his gaze.

"You know why. I've seen the way you look at –" He cut off abruptly as another voice – Rey's voice – called out.

"Master? Is that you?"

Obviously they had woken her up. Kylo held Hux's gaze a second longer, and then stepped further from the other man so that he could grab the underwear that was neatly folded on a shelf above the sink. He watched in curiosity and appreciation as the long muscles and tendons in the General's body stretched and pulled with the motions of pulling the tight shorts over his body, and then called back to Rey as Hux pulled his slightly wrinkled uniform pants over his legs. They were all that were available to Hux to shield his still-hard member from view of Kylo's apprentice. "In here, Rey. I apologize if we woke you – we were… discussing an important matter."

Hux's eyes flicked to Kylo's, flashing a final hint of something more at him before it disappeared behind his professional façade. He reached for the roll of tensile bacta-laced bandage and started to – rather unsuccessfully – wrap it around his middle.

Kylo had completely forgotten about the injury. It still looked red, raw, and inflamed, but it was a lot smaller than it had been two days ago, when the injury had been sustained. A quick flash of anger at the memory of Hux getting hurt was soon supplanted by the absolute satisfaction of seeing the soldier responsible get what he deserved – at Rey's hand, no less. She certainly exhibited the signs of a woman invested in the man in front of him…

"If you're not going to help him with his dressing, then move aside, Master." Rey's voice came from the doorway to the 'fresher and it almost sounded… amused.

As she pushed him aside so that she could get past him and to Hux, he realized that he had been lost in thought to the point of not paying attention to his surroundings. For the first time since this… whatever it was… had begun, he realized how dangerous it could be – how dangerous it would be if they pursued it.

Hux looked up, startled, as Rey entered the increasingly-cramped 'fresher and made her way towards him, holding her hands out for the bandage. Gone was the persona of the officer, though the bones of it were still there. Instead, a mild panic could be seen warring with a degree of tenderness within the eyes that were flitting back and forth between Rey and Kylo, over the young woman's head. Rey bent to her task, stepping right up in Hux's personal space, nudging his arms upward for better access, and starting to wrap the bandage around his midriff.

"It's looking better," she mused quietly.

Hux was silent a beat before responding. "It's feeling better."

"Good." She nodded.

Kylo noticed that Rey wasn't quite able to get the wrap pulled snugly around Hux's body. Her arms were long enough but she was being oddly hesitant in stepping closer against him. Kylo tilted his head in amusement. The little scavenger was still displaying some of her predilections from being raised in near-isolation. Normally that would just anger him to think of – at least of late – but this morning it only brought a small smirk to his lips.

Nothing if not opportunistic, Kylo took his chances and stepped up behind Rey, inches separating their bodies, reaching his arms around her for the loose end of the wrap in her left hand. He took it from her grasp as she stilled, startled like a wild animal. A moment later, she tilter her head around to catch a glimpse of his face, of his expression – but it was schooled and he was looking past her at Hux's body.

"Take this and pass it around," he murmured gently so as not to startle her, practically into her mussed hair. He pulled the bandage taut behind Hux's back, making sure it was smooth, and handed it into her right hand. He dropped his right hand so that she wouldn't feel completely trapped, as that was definitely not what he wanted her to feel.

When she passed it around Hux's far side, Kylo deliberately took a single step forward so that he could 'better grip' the bandage roll being given to him. He knew this would either force her out from between the two men, or she would instinctively step closer to Hux – or there was even a small chance she would stay exactly where she was and let him press against her back.

She chose the second option, stepping nearly up against Hux's side. Kylo saw the hitch in her breath, and he smiled in satisfaction. He caught Hux's eyes, holding them as he pulled the bandage around to give to Rey one last time. He pushed it into her hand when she didn't immediately pull it from his fingers, and then she took a deep breath and passed the roll around Hux's body again. This time, her breasts brushed against Hux's bare torso and they all stilled as the redhead drew in a quick, sharp breath. There was no mistaking that sound for anything but what it was. Yet she still didn't move.

Kylo continued after a moment, latching the clips supplied on the end of the bandage's roll onto the bandage itself, securing it snugly over Hux's form. He brushed his fingers briefly along Hux's hip bone as he withdrew his hands, though he remained standing exactly where he was.

Glancing briefly at him over Rey's head before turning his eyes back to Rey, Hux lifted his hand and touched the back of his hand to Rey's cheek – though only for a moment before he dropped the hand in question. "Thank you," he said.

She nodded once, curtly, holding her shoulders stiffly, before withdrawing from between them both. She turned around to face them once she was clear, and there was no way that Hux or Kylo could miss that her pupils were dilated to pinpricks, lost in the golden brown of her irises. Her voice was strong, however, as she addressed them both, and Kylo was turned on even more than before. "Thank you for letting me sleep here overnight, General. I'm sure it was inconvenient to you, especially with your injury, but I appreciate it nonetheless. If you'll please excuse my Master and I, I believe that we have some training to see to. I believe that was your aim in… fetching me this morning, correct?" She raised an eyebrow at Kylo.

He smirked back at her. "Yes," he acknowledged. Go shower and get dressed, and we'll meet for breakfast before training as I'm sure you have yet to eat." She nodded in confirmation at that before turning around, forgetting to bow – though she didn't need to, she usually included one – and practically hightailing it out of the General's quarters. It was the last action that revealed the extent of her frayed nerves behind her strong exterior.

Kylo turned slowly back to Hux, though he didn't take a step closer. He met the other man's eyes, and then flicked his gaze to the doorway and back.

General Hux didn't need an interpretation of that look. He knew exactly what Kylo Ren was pointing out, and Kylo knew that the General knew. It was obvious every moment that Rey had been caught between them – stars, even every moment she was simply in the 'fresher at all.

"'Fuck,' indeed," Kylo laughed as he walked out, following his… apprentice… out the door.