A/N: From the Happily Ever After chapter, 'Lounging':
Poe asked, Have you ever had anyone make a pass at you? One that you did notice?
Yes.
Tell me?
On Starkiller. During construction. Two of the technicians. I declined.
Why?
I was uninterested. They wanted to have sex. I did not wish to. It never went further than that. There was no … emotional intimacy, as there is with you. No one has ever offered to be close to me as you have.
"You're al-, uh, is everything alright?" Cheskar sounded hopeful.
"Yes, it is," Hux told them. "I'm being transferred in the morning. That gives me a chance to collect my things and say my good-byes, although I suspect I will be back at some point."
Cheskar nodded, a smile forming. "But you're going to be okay? That's more than you were expecting this morning!"
Hux smiled back fondly, touched by their concern. "Yes, it is."
"I didn't say it this morning, but I will now – he would be an absolute idiot to get rid of you. You are the most devoted and dutiful person I've ever met. You're the one who's held this project together for years now, always pushing, but never too hard. I don't know what we're going to do without you."
"Try not to get yourself killed. Snoke has no tolerance on certain subjects – lack of effort and lack of loyalty chief among them. I think it may be that our leader is wiser than I knew in that he too has recognized that I have become burned out here. It's time for a change of scenery."
"We'll miss you."
"As I said, it's probably not permanent." Hux turned to go.
"Hey."
He turned back expectantly.
"You're alive. I'm not going to see you for a while. You're not my commanding officer anymore. You want to celebrate before you go?"
Technically, he was still in command here until morning, but that wasn't what Cheskar was getting at. Something else was afoot. "What do you mean?"
"Do you want to get laid?"
Hux blinked at them, mouth suddenly dry. "What?"
"Do you want to fuck? I've talked to Lanlisa about it in the past. If you're not into me, she's interested. Or the three of us if you just want to feel it out."
"Three?"
Cheskar smiled and blushed a little. "We're not a bunch of unsexed slaves, General. We've been trapped on this base even more than you have. Some of us fight burnout different ways."
"Oh." He'd never known. Or paid attention, since what happened in people's bunks didn't concern him.
Cheskar blushed harder. "Is that a yes or a no?"
It wasn't a terrible idea, as he thought about it. Sex was supposedly exciting and good with a friendly, willing partner, although Hux didn't really want to have it despite the positive reputation of the act. He doubted he could perform. He doubted even more that he'd be able to tolerate their hands on him … or their mouths … or any of the other things he understood to come with sex. So maybe it was a terrible idea after all.
The more important thing was that although he was friendly with Cheskar, and that was obviously mutual, there was nothing in Cheskar's comportment that made Hux think there was any interest in who he was as a person. They apparently fucked their subordinates (a dicey situation, unethical and unwise) and did it as stress relief. Maybe just to alleviate boredom. Cheskar wanted to get off and involve Hux in that. Hux didn't want to be involved.
"I'm … I'm afraid … that would be a no. I would have to decline your kind offer. Thank you for making it."
"No problem. Need any help with anything tonight?"
"No. No, I'm fine. Thank you." Hux made his retreat as gracefully as possible.