A/N: One of my friends is Team Dohmnall and she's rubbing off on me. I want to be General Hux's bff.

As much as he truly, desperately wanted to, Armitage Hux couldn't bring himself to hate the girl.

There had never been anyone more out of place. She had no fashion sense and couldn't be bothered to properly style herself in the way an empress should. Instead, she bounced around frizzy-headed in old robes and boots as if she were a nobody from a desert planet. That may be the case, but it didn't help for their enemies and troopers to know. Polished and put together, virtually every other being in the First Order was the perfect opposite of her. Their outfit was a jigsaw puzzle with clear-cut lines and places for each individual, but the girl was a mist, a tornado that blew through and upset everything he worked so hard for.

Yet Hux fought back a smile as she yawned widely across the council table from him. Empress Rey. She may have been the single good thing Kylo Ren did for the First Order. Where the Supreme Leader was cold and instant to anger, the Empress was kind and understanding, thoughtful and quick to laugh. Hux could even detect the most minute shift in Ren's demeanor while she was around, and that gave him great hope that his weekly brutalizing at Ren's power would perhaps come to an end.

Suddenly the empress was looking at him expectantly, snapping him from his thoughts. "What do you think, General?" she asked solemnly.

Beside her Kylo Ren glowered in annoyance. His eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing. He never interrupted or questioned Rey, not in front of the council, not while they walked together in the corridor. The empress was the key, Hux understood, to bringing about the change necessary to execute his glorious plans for the galaxy.

"I apologize," Hux replied, making certain to lock eyes with Rey and ignore Ren entirely. "I was pondering another point. Forgive me, Empress."

"Sure," Rey smiled, shifting casually in her seat. "So the saboteurs and would-be defectors. How should we punish them? I think exile."

Before Hux could respond, a fat general inhaled loudly and brought a hand down on the table. "It's too dangerous for them to be left alive," he snarled from the far end of the table. He pursed his lips and looked to his fellows for confirmation. "If you throw them out, they'll band together and wasn't that their desired outcome? A foolish idea from a foolish girl," he snorted.

None of the other generals reacted. Hux held his breath.

Kylo leaned forward, eyes locked on the general. His voice was a sharp bark. "What was that, General? I don't think I heard what you said about the Empress." He brought his hand up; a claw squeezing the air as if it resisted.

The general's eyes bugged out of his head as he gasped silently for air, desperately grasping his neck for a hand that was choking him from ten feet way.

"Go on," Kylo said in a mockingly light tone. "You were saying?" He watched the general writhe and smirked. "I think you were disrespecting your empress."

"Oh, I think he was trying to say I'm surprisingly resourceful and clever," Rey said plainly, putting a hand on Kylo's forerm and gently lowering it back down.

The general gasped noisily as the Force released him. A black droid beeped and approached him.

"I don't believe General Daly is feeling well. See him out, won't you?" Rey ordered the droid. She turned back to Hux and smiled as the droid all but dragged the man from the conference room. "Sorry. Anyway. What do you think? Exile? Death? Prison?"

Hux calculated his options and quickly came to a decision. "As we move into a new era, it seems pertinent that we portray the message that we're in control, unthreatened by cowards and runaways. The Empress is right. Exile is wise." He bowed his head toward Rey.

Ren nodded and stood. "It's decided. Exile the traitors to the Outer Rim. Immediately. That's all for this afternoon." His gaze lingered on Rey for a moment and they shared a brief gaze before he nodded and left. His cape flowed out behind him as he stalked from the room.

The other officers followed suit, but Hux lingered, unwilling to answer to any of them for his decision. He knew he'd likely pay for his vote for Rey's plan, but for now the danger had gone from the room and he allowed himself a moment of relaxation.

"Thank you," Rey smiled, brushing her hand across his shoulders as she passed behind him.

Hux stiffened. "Empress. I didn't know you were still here."

She leaned on the table beside him, her body brushing casually against his. "I know I don't fully understand running a military, but I understand people. No one deserves to die because they changed their mind. Right?"

Stuffing down his own opinions, Hux raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid the council hardly agrees, but fortunately your and the Supreme Leader's opinions count for more."

The girl smiled. "But I'm glad to have you on the same page, Hux. Armitage, isn't it?"

Surprised that she said and more surprised that she knew his first name, Hux nodded. "Yes, my Empress." He looked up to her and noticed a spray of freckles across her cheeks and nose. And before he knew what had happened, he was smiling fondly at her.

"Want to get dinner?" Rey blurted. "I'm starving and Ben – Kylo," she corrected herself, "has another meeting."

Hux blinked, trying to process the request. Ren never asked him to eat together in their years of service together. It was barely Rey's first month and here they were. Though his intuition dictated he should stay away from her lest she probed his mind with her powers, he considered the offer. So what if she knew he was only siding with her to further his own motives? He was still supporting her where she needed it most; in front of the council. "I – I'm not certain how to respond to that request, Empress."

"Why not?" Rey asked indignantly. "Are you hungry or not?" She put her hands on her hips and stared at him expectantly.

Chuckling, Hux nodded. "I am. Forgive me. Officers seldom dine with the Supreme Leader. I assumed you would be the same." It had been a long time since he joined someone for a pleasant meal and conversation. Against his better judgment, he offered his arm. "Dinner, then?"

Giggling and eagerly looping her arm over his, Rey dramatically curtseyed. "Why thank you, General."

As they made their way toward the galley, the girl chatted easily, peppering Hux with questions regarding his life off the clock. The questions seemed unduly personal until Hux realized it was only because no one took the time to get to know him.

Rey talked with her hands, waving them excitedly before her as she thought up questions to ask. "At the end of a long shift, what do you love doing?"

Hux shrugged. "I suppose I love my duty."

"No," Rey snapped. "I mean for fun. Not work. For example," she thought a moment, "I love to try new food! There wasn't much to eat where I grew up, so now I sneak into the galley between mealtimes and one chef, the nicest old woman, always has some sort of exotic fruit or dessert for me." Her eyes sparkled and made Hux feel a burst of warmth in his chest. "Oh, oh!" she continued. "And if we're on a planet, I love exploring. There are so many plants and trees and green! I used to bring flowers back to my room until these orange ones gave me a horrid rash. Ben thought someone was trying to poison me." She giggled like a child confessing to a secret. "Have you thought of anything yet?"

Overwhelmed by her pleasant presence and the fact that for the first time in perhaps a decade, he didn't crave solitude, he allowed himself a genuine smile. "What I most like to do, I suppose," Hux replied thoughtfully, "is after a long shift, to just retire to my chambers with a good book and Millicent in my lap."

Rey pulled away and gasped scandalously, a wicked smile at her lips. "General! Who's Millicent?"

Blushing as red as his hair, Hux shook his head frantically. "No, no! My cat! My cat," he breathed. "Forgive me, Empress. Millicent is my cat."

"Empress? Stop that," Rey snorted. "I get Ben wanting me to be the empress in front of all of the generals who dislike me to remind them of their place, but we're friends, right?" Her doe eyes fixed on him innocently.

Hux nodded. "I could use a friend." As soon as he'd said the words, he wished he could recall them. He forced a hard look.

"I'm not afraid of B-Kylo," Rey rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't be, either. I know that's what you're thinking," she added sheepishly. "Sorry. I don't try to do it but sometimes thoughts just scream themselves at me!" She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I hate prying like that."

Suddenly regarding her with suspicion, Hux regretted his easy way with her. He was silent as they neared the galley. Finally as they reached a table, he spoke honestly, but hoping it further cemented his place with the empress. "Ren detests me. I fear any friendship between us would put us both at risk of his ire. I'm not sure how much more my body can handle." Frowning, he touched his ribs subconsciously and winced. They were newly mended, but tracing them made him uncomfortable. "I'm not an old man, but I feel like it."

Rey's face softened and fell. She slowed to a stop, holding him to the spot as well. "He hurts you?" She held his forearms and stared at him intently there in the middle of the galley. Troopers and officers were noticing.

Hux pursed his lips, suddenly uncomfortable with what he'd shared. "You've seen his tantrums. At least the former supreme leader is dead. Suffering both of their abuses was intolerable. Though I still suspect it wasn't truly you, thank you for taking care of that overgrown gremlin. Snoke had no place leading the First Order." His heart hammered, but Hux couldn't place whether it was because he was finally speaking the words he longed to for so long, or because he was trying to bring her into an alliance.

"I'm so sorry." Rey hesitated awkwardly. Conflict burned in her eyes and she chewed at the inside of her lip. "Ben is teaching me the ways of the Force, but I'm teaching him to control his temper. Don't rob me of a friend because you're afraid. Give me a chance."

Sighing and knowing life was about to change, Hux nodded. He could feel control slipping from his fingers and falling into her hands. "Very well, Empress."

"Stop that."

"Very well, Rey."

After dinner Rey and Hux strode back through the ship, arm in arm and chatting as if they were old friends. As hard as he tried to put up a wall and remind himself that Rey was obviously in cahoots with Kylo Ren and that she needed to be kept at an arm's length, the scavenger empress clawed her way back through, demanding his affection and rewarding him with a warm feeling in his chest when he presented her with true friendship.

"So you're going home to Millicent?" Rey giggled. "I didn't know we could have pets."

"She isn't exactly on the approved list of personal belongs," he muttered. "Should the council find out I have a contraband, well." Then he smirked. "There is a place for rules and there's a time for breaking the stupid ones. Everyone loves Millicent. She's a treasure." Then his eyes brightened. "Would you like to meet her?"

Beaming, Rey nodded. "Yes! Of course! I've never met a cat."

"You've never?" Hux breathed, staring at her like the Jakku nobody she was. "You uncivilized swine."

A pair of stormtroopers turned their heads and stared.

Hux cleared his throat. "As you were." As soon as they'd gone on their way, he looked to Rey in horror. "This is why I can't have friends, Empress. The Supreme Leader will surely hear about that."

She rolled her eyes. "Well I'm the empress and I say it doesn't matter. Let's go!"

A few moments later Hux paused at his door and entered his security code, his fingers moving slowly as he pondered whether Rey would still want to come in after his hot and cold signals of wanting and then not wanting her presence.

A meow greeted the pair. Pushing past and nearly toppling Hux over, Rey dropped to her knees in the doorway and stretched out her arms. "Millicent!" she cooed at the large ginger cat.

Millicent mewed and blinked at Rey, rubbed against a chair, and flicked her tail before running to Hux and launching herself into his arms. He buried his face in her fur and stroked her silky fur. "My girl," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "Hello there."

Rey approached the cat cautiously, vibrating excitement. "Can I touch her? Can I hold her?"

"Yes, she's quite friendly," Hux replied, tipping the cat into Rey's arms. He watched the empress beaming in awe as she petted Millicent, the cat purring contentedly. "She likes you." Watching Rey coo and rock the cat like a baby ignited the tingling in his chest. Life was structured and predictable before Ren brought her on board, but the general suddenly found himself thankful for Rey's bubbly personality and intrusion on his solitude and routine.

"I love her." Rey rubbed her nose against the cat's and giggled. "Can I visit and play with her more?"

"Any time," Hux agreed. "You know my shifts coincide with Ren's. I'm generally here all evening, especially now that wartime action has dropped off." Did you just give the Empress an open invitation to your private chambers? Hux swallowed and imagined the scenarios. Surprisingly, none of them were bad as he imagined.

Two Months Later

Rey easily tapped in Hux's security code and strolled into his quarters as the door slid open. "Millie! Here, Millie, Millie!" she called, slapping her thighs and dropping to her knees in anticipation. The cat mewed from deep within the chambers and came running.

Hux looked up from the floor, entirely unsurprised at the empress's presence. He was practicing yoga, stretched in a strange knot on a mat on the floor. "You're late," he commented. "Long training lesson tonight?"

For weeks playing with Millicent became Rey's post-dinner ritual. No matter her schedule, one constant was Rey unabashedly walking into Hux's home like she owned the place and making herself comfortable, no matter the time or what Hux was doing. Sometimes he would return home and sense that Rey had already been there.

"Mmhmm," Rey nodded, scratching the ginger cat between the ears. "My brain is sore. I guess it is a muscle, isn't it?" At last she finally looked to the general and smiled as he gracefully moved from one yoga stretch to the next. "I'll never figure out how you twist yourself into those positions." She cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "Kriff, you're flexible."

Oddly flattered, Hux rolled onto his side and twisted. "Help me, would you? Press down on my hips. Not hard, but some pressure."

"Mmhmm," Rey nodded, ducking so Millicent could jump onto her shoulders and perch there. "I'd learn, if you wanted to teach me." Balancing the cat on her back, Rey straddled Hux and lowered down so that she was sitting on him. She placed her hands on his pelvis and leaned into them. "Here?"

"Yes, perfect," he moaned softly. Hux exhaled as Rey stretched him further. "Thank you. It would do you well to learn yoga, what with all of the stress I'm sure your body and mind are under, working with your boyfriend."

Rey laughed, her breath warm in his face as she threw her full body weight into his stretch. One false move and she'd tumble onto him. For a brief moment the thought was appealing, but Hux pushed the notion away and instead took a deep breath and relaxed even deeper. "I've wanted to ask," he cautiously ventured, "where do you tell Ren you are when you're here?"

Nonplussed by the question, Rey shrugged. "I don't have to tell him. He generally knows what I'm doing. The same goes the other way." She sat up, straddling him still. "Other side?"

Obeying, Hux shifted his weight under her and twisted the opposite way, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply as Rey folded over on him, applying the perfect amount of weight on him. "I find it hard to believe he has no qualms about you coming over every night."

"Well, he knows." Rey shrugged. "I'm not sure whether you're ready for the information, but we can always see what the other is doing, if we want. It's the Force between us."

Hux drew a deep breath and opened his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"If I thought about it, I could see what he's doing right now, almost like a hologram." A look of uncertainty passed her face. "What's wrong?"

Hux's blood ran cold. "He could look and see you sitting on me?" He shoved her, causing Millicent to yowl and Rey to tumble backward. The dozens of bizarrely intimate yet platonic moments from the past two months flashed through his mind. Rey touching his bruised ribs and applying a Jakku remedy to them. Hux spoonfeeding her a dish he baked special from his home planet. The way Rey danced around with Millicent and sang silly songs to her. Knowing that Ren had unlimited access to him in what Hux thought were private, safe moments chilled him to the bone. "Are you spying one me?" He blurted. "Get out."

"Armie," Rey cooed. "I'm not spying on you. You asked and I was only telling you the truth."

"If your boyfriend sees us pressed together on the floor, you're telling me he isn't going to come kill me?" His heart pounded in panic and something darker. Though he couldn't immediately identify the second emotion, Hux knew it had something to do with the comfortable position of letting his wall down and trusting that Rey was truly his friend. Betrayal, he realized. I thought she was my friend.

Rey nervously cracked her knuckles and struggled for words.

"What are you still doing here?" Hux roared as he jumped to his feet. "Get out! Get out!"

Rey's mouth moved up and down wordlessly before she managed, "Armie?"

"No," Hux barked, quickly putting on General Hux as Armitage's heart was breaking. "You're a sorceress and I knew I never should have trusted the likes of you. You're just like Ren!" Before emotions could overtake him, he snatched Millicent from the floor and marched toward his bedroom. "Stay away from me. Stay away from Millie. You're not welcome here."

The last thing he saw before mashing his hand against the door panel was Rey, reaching out but letting her hand drop back to her side as her big brown eyes shone with wetness.

Armitage exhaled shakily and leaned against the wall, not bothering to straighten when his back began to slide. Instead he slid down the door and sat there, Millicent purring in his lap and frustrated tears burning his eyes.