Hux squirmed beneath the heavy weight that was pressing down along his back. He squirmed until he managed to free himself and stretched leisurely, working the kinks out of his spine. He turned back, looking over towards the other side of the bed and jumped into the air in surprise. Memories of the previous day flashed through his mind as he stared at the large black jaguar lying on its side. Its chest rose and fell in slow succession as it slept, oblivious to the world around it.
Hux moved closer with caution. He approached hesitantly approached Ren, sniffing him when he got close enough. He skittered backwards, falling off the edge of the bed with a crash as the larger feline moved in its sleep, rolling onto its other side. He grumbled unhappily and shook his head as he climbed to his feet. He paused as he heard a rustling sound from the bed before Ren hopped down from the bed and used the momentum to twist himself around so he was facing him. He skirted around Ren and tried to ignore him as he heard him following him around the bed. He carried on walking through Ren's quarters and leapt up onto the kitchenette counter. He meandered around the objects that were scattered across its surface, wincing when he knocked a couple of spice bottles. He watched as they wobbled precariously but they thankfully stayed upright.
He peeked down from his place on the counter and looked back at Ren and waited for him to change back into his human form so that he could cook something for their breakfast.
He smirked as Ren sighed before he started to shift back into his human form. Hux ducked his head and crossed his paws over his head as Ren stood naked in front of him. He hadn't thought this through. Ren's crown jewels were now pretty much level with his face.
He waited, his paws still covering his face as he assumed Ren had decided to make himself more presentable. He (peeked) through his paws and meeped when he noticed that Ren hadn't put any clothes on, let alone bothered to cover himself with a towel. Hux deduced that Ren had taken note of his discomfort and was now openly flaunting his nakedness as he working around the small space.
When he was sure Ren wasn't looking in his direction, he admired Ren's body. His muscles bunched and relaxed beneath his skin as he moved. He meeped when he noticed Ren was watching him, his eyebrow raised with amusement. He turned around and gave Ren a view of his back.
'You want to watch a film later?', Ren asked him as they sat eating their breakfast.
Hux stopped eating as he thought about the offer before he nodded his head. He tilted his head to the side, hoping to convey his intrigue on what Ren wanted to watch.
Ren got up once they finished their breakfast, taking both of their plates as he headed towards the kitchenette. Hux licked his fur clean as he waited for Ren to finish washing the dirty plates and come back. He raised an eyebrow as Ren dropped the film he had decided to put on in front of him. He looked up at the other shifter with a look of disbelieve on his face.
'What? It's a good film', Ren defended. Hux just looked at him with a blank stare. 'Well I enjoy it anyway. Have you even seen it?' When Hux didn't reply, Ren just snorted and shook his head, his long black hair moving behind his head with the movement. 'That's what I thought. Don't dis it if you haven't seen it. You don't know what your missing'.
Hux just looked at the film case with scepticism, but he still moved closer to Ren and snuggled up against his larger warmer body.
Hux's eyes grew heavy as they watched as Gerard Butler spun and sang with Emmy Rossum on the television screen.
He jolted upright when Ren dragged his smaller body up on top of his chest. He nuzzled his furry head under Ren's chin as Ren stroked his back. He wriggled until he was lying on his back with his belly on display. He purred loudly as Ren scratched his soft fuzzy stomach. His purring slowly turned to soft snores as he napped atop Ren's chest.
He woke up from his peaceful sleep when Ren's comm chirped. His ears twitched as he listened as Ren talked, but after several minutes of listening to one-sided gobbledygook, he relaxed back into sleep.
'Hux. Hux', he was disturbed from his nap as Ren gently stroked behind his ears and called his name. 'Mitaka wants to have a word on the bridge, so I'll go and have a word with him. You coming or do you want to stay here?'
He looked back at Ren as he decided before he got up. His spine cracked and his joints popped as he stretched. He cocked his head as he looked up at Ren in bewilderment. Why was Ren's hand in his face? He squawked in indignation as he was picked up with the force and was settled onto Ren's shoulder.
'It'll be quicker than you trying to keep up. Don't forget, you've got short legs now'.
He hissed to show his annoyance at being manhandled, but by that point, Ren was already walking out of the door and into the ship's corridor. He relaxed and let his front paws slip down so that he was lying down on Ren's shoulders. It took no time for them to reach the bridge.
Hux pawed at the cowl around Ren's neck before he indicated towards the bank of computer terminals lined against the far wall. He nodded his thanks when he stepped from the other man's shoulder and onto the computer, watching with a critical eye as his officers worked with one another like a well oiled machine.
Ren's eyes narrowed as he spied _ working over by the computer terminals, conversing with the other officers with him. He stalked over to the group and separated _ from the others.
'You go anywhere near him again, and I will personally rip your organs out of your body. Am I understood?' He smirked menacingly as he recieved a vigorous nod from the petrified man. 'Now get out of my sight'. He watched with satisfaction as the man practically ran away. Ren was still chuckling to himself when he came face-to-face with Hux. He paused as he took in Hux's expression. Hux looked anything but impressed. 'What? Oh come on. He tried to eat you the other day and I don't get as much as a thank you. I won't help you next time someone tries to eat you'.
Hux watched as Ren stormed off, his boots stomping heavily on the metal floor. He rolled his eyes as best as he could in his animal form. He swore the other man was like a child. When things didn't go his way, he would have a tantrum, and they were not pretty to witness.
Hux huffed in annoyance, whilst Ren was having his tantrum, he had left him on the bridge. Hux wasn't sure if it was unintentional or not. He arched his back as he stretched before he jumped down from the terminal and headed for the door.
He was halfway back towards Ren's quarters when he was unexpectedly picked up. He yowled and scratched at the hand that was wrapped around his midsection. He only stopped when the hand lifted him and turned him around so he was looking at his manhandler in the face. He was sure his jaw had dropped, because it was none other than the cocky rebel pilot. What was he doing roaming free on his ship? Hux squirmed furiously as he tried to escape the rebel's grip, but to no success. If anything, the rebel seemed to tighten his grip even more.
'What is such a cute thing like you doing here? Did the First Order take you from your owner? Hmm? Well, I think you'd prefer it at the rebel base'.
Hux didn't give up trying to escape. He yowled louder, trying to draw attention to them, but it seemed that there was no-one around when you wanted them. He slumped into the hand that was holding him against the other's chest. He watched despondently as they made their way through the corridors. He frowned when they didn't meet a single soul. Something wasn't right. His eyes widened comically when the rebel met up with a couple of his friends. How did they all get onboard his ship without him or anyone else knowing?
He practically fainted when he saw that the rebel was not alone. He actually had a small group of friends with him. There were three rebels on his ship. If he didn't watch, he would start hyperventilating.
Hux scowled as the traitor tried to pet his head, so he snapped his teeth as the fingers got closer. He could feel as the toothy grin spread across his face as the traitor whipped his hand away. He didn't even care that he looked suspicious or that he was grinning like a maniac.
He grumbled unhappily as he was squashed against the rebel pilot's chest as the trio headed towards the hanger bay. He yowled loudly as he caught sight of Ren entering the hanger after them. His cries for help were cut off when the fighter ship's door closed and he was left alone with the mix-match band of rebels.
He scowled when he was dropped unceremoniously onto the bench seat, until he startled by another human sitting down beside him. He peered up at the new person as he curled his tail tightly around his body, trying to make himself look as small as possible. He didn't think the rebels knew that he was in fact General Hux of the First Order. Otherwise he assumed he would have been killed by them by now.
The journey from the Finaliser to the rebel base on some unknown planet took longer than Hux thought. He was sure the trio of rebels would only have boarded his ship if they were close to it to begin with. As they continued to travel for the foreseeable future, Hux decided it would be best if he caught up with some sleep. And it would certainly pass the time quicker. He was awoken from his nap sometime later when he felt the ship land with a sharp jolt, knocking him into the first aid box lying beside him on the bench.
He arched his back and hissed at the offending rebel pilot, his lips peeling back from his teeth. He felt his claws slid out as he swiped at the human's hand, daring him to try and pick him up again. He stalked along the bench like a caged animal, snapping and snarling at any of the humans if they got too close. He (screeched) as he was pulled off the bench by the scruff of his neck. His limbs dangling uselessly beneath him as his lower body drew itself upwards to make himself smaller.
'Excellent idea Rey. Why didn't we think of that Poe?'
'Because we're not intelligent like Rey, that's why'.
Hux watched with interest as the trio walked through the rebel base, weaving their way through the maze of corridors. He scowled when several rebels tried to pet him as they passed. He plotted his escape, deciding on where to hide and who to steer clear of. Any thoughts of escape were shredded when the door to the room they had just entered was closed. He looked around in surprise. He seemed to be in some sort of office, papers were scattered messily around him as he stood on the desk in the centre of the room. He tripped backwards, sending papers flying through the air as his paws slipped and he fell flat on his face. He tried to regain some of his dignity as he rose to his feet, but he glowered as he noticed that he had a post-it-note stuck to the bottom of his left front paw. He shook his paw, trying to dislodge the offending piece of paper, but the thing was glued to his paw.
He jumped as he heard a musical laugh sound from behind him. He turned and almost collapsed in shock. In front of him was his arch enemy. The General of the Rebellion. And she was laughing at him. He felt his ears flatten against his head in humiliation as he barred his teeth at her.
His thoughts came to a screeching halt when he felt a hand gently scratch the top of his head. He melted against her side as they moved their fingers down to the side of his head and massaged behind his ears. He leaned into the touch as the pressure decreased. He leapt away from the General when the door to her office opened and a man with greying hair and a shaggy beard walked into the room.
'Since when do you have a cat?'
'I don't', at the raised eyebrows she amended, 'I didn't. Poe found it onboard the First Order flagship. Apparently, he thought I could do with a pet. God knows why the First Order had a cat on one of their ships'. She shook her head as she finished speaking.
'Had you considered the thought that it might be a shifter?'
At the horrified face she pulled, she hadn't. 'I hadn't thought of it like that'.
The man frowned and walked over to her. 'We don't even know if it is', he tried to comfort her as he rubbed her arms. She turned away as she tried to compose herself. Whilst she was turned away, the man walked over to desk where he was sitting, 'I will admit, he seems rather small for a shifter. But it is possible. We could get him checked out by one of the medics'. A purr rumbled out of his chest when the man tickled beneath his chin.
'Him?'
'Uh. Well, I don't actually know. It just looks like a him to me'.
She shook her head in affection. 'Your logic isn't very good. It's like that time when you thought Ben was a girl for a whole week until you had to change his diapers. I bet that was a bit of a shock'.
'Just a bit', the man chuckled.
'Oh Han. I miss him so much'.
'I know. I miss him too'. They stood together in the middle of the room as they hugged each other. 'Come on. We really should get it seen to. Find out what it's gender is and then whether it's a shifter too'.
Leia nodded, but she didn't show any signs of moving from the hug the two of them had initiated. After a couple of minutes, she pulled away from the scruffy looking man and straightened her clothing.
'Let's get this over with then'. She hefted Hux into her arms and craddled him against her chest as she moved across the room and opened the office door. He watched with fascination from his perch as the rebels they encountered greeted their general with both respect and fondness. It was an interesting sight to witness. Before long, the they arrived at the medbay, and the strong smell of anesthetic played havoc with his sensitive nose. He sneezed thrice as he tried to expel the pungent odour.
'What can I do for you General?', the medic inquired as she made her way over to them.
'We need you to look the cat over. Find out what it's gender is and we need you to confirm a suspicion we have'.
'Right. Let's have a look at you then'. The medic wrapped her hands around Hux as the two women exchanged him between them. She lay him down on the counter before she grabbed a couple of packs of syringes. She scattered the packages on the counter and grabbed one, ripping open the paper which kept the needle clean before she approached him. Hux winced at the sharp pain as the needle was plunged into his skin. He hissed softly as his back legs were spread so that the medic could take a closer look at his genitalia.
'Well. It's male', she informed the two awaiting for her verdict. Hux watched from the corner of his eye as Han made a "I told you" so gesture. They had to wait a further ten minutes for his blood tests to come back, but finally, the medic walked back into the room with a contemplative look on her face. 'It's odd. It's a cat and yet it has the blood work of a human'.
'It's a shifter then', Leia confirmed as she looked down at Hux. 'Who are you? Hmm?', she asked rhetorically, since he couldn't answer.
'Whoever they are, they work for the First Order. They could be dangerous. We need to have a plan together for when they shift back. They may even be willing to give us some information'.
What was going to happen to him now? What if he shifted back into his human form whilst he was here? Would he be executed on sight or would he be held captive? He whimpered at the thought. Where was Ren when you needed him? Don't get him wrong, he was a proud man when he was a human, but when things don't go your way and you end up in the unknown, anything can happen.
He was swept up into the general's arms before the two humans left the medbay with a "thank you" thrown over their shoulders at the medic.
'I should go and make plans with the other commanders'.
'Go. I'll take him back to your room. I'll wait for you there. See you later'. They departed after they shared a quick kiss.
She entered the command room and a nostalgic smiled spread across her face as she watched as the other commanders worked in organised chaos. She headed over to the group of commanders. 'I want plans made. The cat we have with us on base is a shifter. We don't know if he's too scared to shift back or whether he's stress-shifted. We don't know if he'll give us information or if he has a more dangerous agenda. So I want plans made yesterday. Have a cell made, just in case he turns out to be dangerous. For now, he'll be staying me in my rooms'.
'General, do you think that's a wise idea? As you said, we don't know who it is. It could be an assassin sent to kill you in your sleep'.
'Thank you for your concern Commander, but if I remember correctly, you were the one who picked him up from the First Order's clutches'. Poe's cheeks pinked as she raised an eyebrow at him.
'Eh. What can I say? He looked cute'.
'You can't just pick up every creature you come across. For all you knew, he could have had an owner there. You should have thought before you randomly picked him up'.
Leia turned on her heel as Poe grumbled his affirmation. She continued until she entered her shared quarters with Han. She leant against the closed door and gazed around the living room. She pushed off from the door and shimmied her jacket from her shoulders. She let it slip from her fingers and watched as it fell onto the back of the sofa. She stretched the kinks out of her spine and groaned as rough calloused hands massaged between her shoulder blades.
'Hello handsome'.
'Princess, or would you rather General?'.
'Shut up and kiss me, you scruffy looking nerfherder'.
'Yes ma'am', he murmured before he leaned down and kissed her as they stumbled towards the bed.
Hux buried his head into the soft fabric of the sofa, trying his hardest to ignore the two humans in the bedroom. It just wasn't his week. He'd seen Ren's crown jewels, been unintentionally kidnapped by the Rebellion and now he had to listen to the two humans he was forced to stay with reunite with each other. He crossed his paws over his head to try and dampen the sound.