Days Later
Anika is getting impatient, in more ways than one. While Kylo has been trying, unsuccessfully, to get information out of the blob, she's been cooped up in his quarters. She has only ventured out to get food or when she's tired of watching holovids. She's feeling antsy, ready to do something other than lay around.
She turns off the current holovid, an alien romance, and gets up to stretch. Anika's lost track of the day-night cycles on the Supremacy, without regular work shifts to keep up with.I wouldn't mind getting back to work…She considers that, certain she'd be able to be of use. The Supremacy uses the same kind of equipment and systems as the rest of the First Order fleet.
Maybe I'll ask Kylo later…Anika frowns though, as she tries to imagine the conversation. He hasn't been in the best of moods, between the blob problem and the Supreme Leader's anger with him. She's barely gotten to see him lately. He slides into the bed long after she's gone to sleep, and is usually gone by the time she wakes up. Their lack of time together is just another one of the things making her irritated.
What's a girl have to do to get some dick around here?
She yanks open the closet, searching for a warmer top to wear if she's venturing out. At some point, droids had stocked it with a fair share of clothing in her sizes. Anika picks through the First Order neutrals, making a face at the lack of options.I'll just slip into some cargo pants later, I'm sure that will seduce Kylo…
She tugs a sweater on, feeling her mood grow sour.Long day, baby? Don't worry. These pants have enough pockets to hold all of your problems.
A week ago, Anika would have loved the thought of escaping frigid Starkiller base. Now, she can't wait to get Kylo away from the Supremacy's busy schedule and the fury of Snoke. He seems to act differently when he is in the same place as the Supreme Leader, more on edge, as if his guard is permanently up.
Anika stomps over to the door, grabbing at her boots. She isn't even sure where she's going, she just needs to move. She finishes lacing them, standing up just as the door slides open.
Kylo strides in, his quick pace faltering the moment he sees her standing right there. He stops to yank his helmet off, his hair falling in a messy tumble. "Where are you going?"
"Out," Anika answers simply, frowning at the dark circles beneath his eyes. "You need to get more sleep."
"I'm fine," he insists immediately, his voice taking on a stubborn tone.
"Mmhmm," she humors him, stepping closer so she can reach up and fix his hair.You'd be better after a nap and a blowjob, but what do I know…
Kylo's hand locks around her wrist, stopping her attempts to straighten his locks. "You and your filthy thoughts," he breathes.
Anika grins up at him, blinking innocently. "Don't you like them?"
She lets herself imagine it then, trying to picture the view of him she'd have during such an act, the sounds he'd make, the taste of him filling her mouth. Her imagination is quick to supply it all, having had nothing else to think about lately. Kylo drops her wrist like her skin is burning him, taking a sharp breath as he steps back.
"I do," he admits.
She narrows her eyes. "Then why are you backing away?"
"I-I can't," Kylo admits, sounding annoyed. "I have to catch a shuttle-"
Anika feels her temper spike, but she holds back on a smart remark. She knows it isn't his fault. "To where?"
He grits his teeth. "Starkiller. We're assessing when we can reopen the base."
"Swell," she sighs. "Maybe you can leave me your lightsaber."I can use the handle when I go fuck myself. Maybe I'll even lop my own head off by accident, that would be fitting.
"Stop," he orders immediately, retaking the space between them. "Don't be dramatic."
Anika shoves her lower lip out in the most exaggerated pout she can muster, staring up at him like a dejected puppy. She's rewarded by an upward quirk to his lips, as he tries to suppress a smile.
"I'll be back late tonight," Kylo assures her, the warmth of his gloved hand cupping her cheek.
She lets the pout fall, but sighs anyway. "Great. Maybe after twelve hours of sleep, you'll feel up to some fun."
He smirks, his expression suddenly flirtatious. "I think you're underestimating my stamina and motivation."
"Oh? Are you motivated?" Anika asks curiously.
"Highly," Kylo assures, leaning down.
We'll see about that…She returns his grin, searching his eyes with hers, happy to see an emotion other than irritation or exhaustion there. "Guess I'll have to test your stamina, then."
The amusement in his gaze grows. "I'll look forward to it."
She holds her breath when he dips down those last few inches between them, his lips warm and soft against her mouth. His tongue licks tentatively at the seam of her lips, about the same time something gently brushes at her mind.
Anika flounders for a moment, taken back by the sensation. But then his tongue strokes into her mouth, finding her own, as images flitter past her imagination. His mouth trailing her skin in a blur of places, her neck, her chest, her belly-Wha? What's that?She blinks, withdrawing slightly from the kiss as Kylo laughs against her mouth.Is that you?
"Just deciding where I want to kiss you tonight," he murmurs, his fingers trailing lightly down her neck.
He kisses her again, and she's torn between the soft teasing of his tongue and the increasingly naughty nature of what he's thinking, what he's sharing directly with her mind. The thought of his hands on her thighs, spreading them wide, his dark hair tickling against her as his head dips down, his breath hot on her center-
Fuck-A heady moan escapes her, and Kylo chuckles again, nipping at her lip. She takes the chance to accuse him, voice rueful, "You've been holding out on me."
Something strokes at her, like a lick of power vibrating against her senses, as he only smirks at her darkly before recapturing her. Kylo sinks his fingers in her hair to pull her back to his mouth. "Get back here," he demands softly.
Anika yields to his needy kisses, melting against him, her fingertips trailing against the rough material of his combat suit and wishing it were skin. The room around them might as well vanish as her focus is only on his taste, his lips, his heat. His grip supports her more than her own feet do, contorting herself to fit against him, to angle so he can kiss her as deeply as possible. Another moan against his hungry tongue, and she's ready to yank him towards the bed.
Kylo breaks away from her with a grumpy growl, and her senses come rushing back to realize his communicator is going off. The buzzing of it on his belt is angry and insistent. He snatches at it, toggling the alarm off.
Anika heaves a sigh of disappointment, backing up a step. Kylo halts her, his fingers tilting her chin up, urging her eyes to rise back to his.
"I want you naked in my bed when I get back here tonight."
Her eyebrows jerk up at the surprising amount of dominance in his voice, so different from how tentative he'd been the first time they'd ever kissed. It occurs to her to tease him, to find some smartass quip to fling at him. But the darkness in his eyes is demanding, stealing that silly urge away, and she only takes a quick breath before nodding. His lips quirk with satisfaction.
He gives her one last, quick kiss before leaving, his departing glance heavy with lust. She peeks Ap'lek in the hall, the Knight pointedly looking away from both her and his leader. Then the door slides closed, and she's left with a pounding heart.
It takes several minutes before she remembers what she had forgotten to ask him, about getting on the Supremacy's work shift. She groans, realizing she still has nothing to do to occupy her time.
Later
The orange cat is about as friendly with Anika as its owner, flicking her tail in a minimal greeting before retreating to a pink, tufted cushion in the corner. Darial coos after her, feeding the little animal compliments.
"Who's the prettiest kitty in space? You're the fluffiest of space kitties," her friend assures the feline.
Anika sighs, glancing around Hux's quarters. It isn't quite what she'd expected. There's a lot of art bolted to the walls, and a plush carpet in the sitting area. She picks up a throw pillow, the embroidery and coloring nothing like standard issue First Order black.
"I wasn't expecting Hux to have so many…pillows," she muses. "Or plants." She whacks at the drapey leaves of a particularly low-hanging tendril from the nearby pot. There's plants all over the space, from tropical looking ferns and flowers with sturdy stems, to delicate, lacey little vines.
"He was never allowed anything personal in his quarters growing up," Darial explains. "So now, I guess, he compensates."
Anika frowns, realizing for the first time what it must have been like for someone like Hux. Growing up on a fleet of warships, raised to be exactly what he is now without question… Something like pity stirs in her chest.
"I guess that makes sense," she concedes, gesturing around at the greenery. "Does someone take care of all this for him?"
"When he's at the base, yes," Darial nods. "Though his androhegia didn't make it during this last stint at the base. It was dead when we got here, he was pretty upset."
Anika quirks her eyebrows. "His angrohywhat?"
Her friend laughs. "It's a plant from Scarif, really rare. He was cultivating it for years."
"Ah," Anika murmurs. "Where's your lover boy at now, anyway? Off at Starkiller too?"
Darial nods, sighing. "Yeah. I hope they get it up and running again soon."
"Are you bored, too?" Anika asks, perking up.
Her friend nods. "I thought it would be nice to have a break, but there's nothing to do on this ship, and Armitage is so busy-"
"Right!?" Anika agrees. "Kylo, too."
"I'm sure it won't get any better for a while, with Zach and other Zach holding back information. Armitage said they still can't tell which one is which."
"I wonder who all has tried interrogating them," Anika muses. "I mean, between Kylo and Hux, it's kind of bad cop-bad cop."
Darial raises her eyebrows. "Bad cop?"
"Yeah, you know. In all the crime holovids, you have to have different personalities interrogating someone. The good cop-bad cop thing, one's nice and friendly while the other one is an asshole."
Her friend's eyebrows raise higher. "Anika, you have definitely been watching too many holovids."
She rolls her eyes. "My point remains. If they both go in heavy and aggressive, there isn't much contrast. Maybe someone else should try talking to them, like a different approach."
Darial shrugs. "I mean, maybe… But who?"
Anika grins.
Minutes Later
"Absolutely not," Ap'lek says, shooting her down without a second of hesitation.
Anika pouts up at his fierce mask, as if dramatic sadness can sway the hardened warrior behind the ghoulish helmet. "…Please?"
"Unlike Master Ren, you cannot sway me with a bat of your eyelashes," Ap'lek grounds out. "No."
Oooh, challenge fucking accepted.
She bats her eyelashes, cocking her head to the side in a sarcastic display, before rolling her eyes. "You and I both know that they aren't making any progress on getting information from the blob or maintenance officer in custody."
"It was my understanding that you are a technician. Nothing about that qualifies you to interrogate prisoners," Ap'lek hisses, sounding as though he's in a foul mood.
"I worked with Zach-the maintenance officer- all the time! I know how he is, I can at least figure out which one is him," Anika insists.
"It doesn't matter which one he is," Ap'lek points out. "He helped one ofthemsteal Master Ren's ship. He's a traitor. He won't be getting out of that cell."
She huffs an impatient sigh. "What harm is there in letting me talk to them? Kylo's approach clearly isn't working."
"And you think yours would work any better?" the Knight challenges her.
"It's okay," Darial tries to interject, her voice carefully neutral. "We don't have to-"
Anika waves her off, straightening up as she stares into his mask. "I may not be intimidating, but I can be annoying and persistent." A soft snort of amusement issues from the helmet, and she chooses to ignore that. "At least let me see if I can get them to slip up and share something… anything."
Ap'lek is silent for a long moment, long enough that she wonders if she's gained any ground with him. But then he says, "Master Ren would not like it."
She narrows her eyes. "Why not? He usually considers my ideas."
"You in a cell with a blob could be dangerous," Ap'lek says, as if it is obvious. "The blobs know how much you mean to Master Ren."
She furrows her brow with confusion. "So come in with me. I'm sure he wouldn't try anything in your presence, you're very…" she gives a wave towards the spikes on his wrists, the weapon currently strapped across his back. "Well, terrifying. With you there, I'd be perfectly safe."
He says nothing, silence taking over the hallway as they stare at one another. Anika tries not to show too much hope on her face.Come on, please… It's worth a shot… Please please please? Please please please please please-
Ap'lek holds a hand up. "Can you stop that?" he asks, irritated.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE,she chants louder. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Anika says evenly.PLEASE PLEASE AP'LEK, PLEASE? PLEASE-
He snarls with irritation. "Are you trying to annoy me into agreeing to this pointless plan?"
"You know the easy solution would be to stop listening to my thoughts," she suggests sweetly.Pretty please?
"I'd have better luck screaming into a vacuum," Ap'lek snaps, but he finally shifts. "You get one chance, and if it goes badly-"
"It won't go badly," Anika assures quickly, shooting a victorious grin at Darial. Her friend returns it with an uneasy one.
"If it goes badly, you're dealing with Master Ren's anger," Ap'lek says ominously.
My pleasure.She can't help but think that even angry sex would be good sex with Kylo. Of course, that sends her thoughts down an aroused rabbit hole that she is trying to avoid at the moment. The whole point of this excursion, after all, was to distract herself.
"Shall we head to the detention level?" she asks, her voice far more upbeat now that she has a goal to focus on. Ap'lek groans, muttering something angrily under his breath, but leads the way.