So here we are at the end! I know it's been a pretty wild ride, but hopefully whoever has been reading, whether you've been there in the beginning or you're just reading now, has enjoyed what I've put out there for this little ship. This has seriously been a taxing project, but I've enjoyed the friends I've made from this! Thank you all so much.

The Ties that Bind, the Ties that Break

Chapter 17: "I Would Have Liked Us to Work, but Life Had Other Plans on Our Romance"

As requested, after some hesitation, Rey did indeed reach out to Luke. How strange it felt, to finally talk to someone who wasn't Hux, after so many days. Given the distance, she couldn't send him much, other than the fact that she was alive and on a remote planet. She didn't mention Hux, not yet. But she used everything he'd helped teach her: breathing, concentration, sharp wit, acceptance of her feelings… and she could feel Luke's signature. Finally she did something about it.

Her secret romance with Hux had a deadline, and now Rey had to consider it far more than she ever had before. First and foremost, she respected the privacy of it, the intimacy of knowing that this was only theirs to share. They'd act the role of colleagues when the Resistance arrived, and everyone would be none the wiser. It'd perhaps, Hux had said, sell her early promise of tying to vouch for him and how he'd helped her if everyone believed their relationship was nothing but platonic.

When Luke then started to reach out more to Rey in the following days, in small doses, she would send what she saw, her environment, the unfamiliar constellations. She couldn't describe any more than here, wherever "here" was. Luckily, given Luke and Leia had years of practice over her, and seemed to understand how to reach her. Somehow, someway, Rey knew they were certainly getting out of there soon. Every day she could feel Luke's presence more prominently.

She warned him about General Hux, about how he had helped her and that she only felt it fair to vouch for returning him to the First Order. Luke, though not truly understanding her position, respected it at least. For now, it was enough.

Hux was the type of person where if he didn't feel he had anything to contribute to a conversation, he wouldn't speak. Of course Rey was used to his usual silence, but now, watching his face slowly start to lose the feistiness that had once kept him so hardened, she couldn't help but feel unnerved with what was going on through his mind, especially with what she now knew about him.

Her only solace in trying to keep this happiness was finally allowing herself to sleep with him.

He'd protested, as she suspected he would, but Rey asked him if he had any doubt in her abilities, that she could wake at a moment's notice and protect him if needed. Hux, of course, couldn't argue with that. He conceded with an annoyed scowl, but even that disappeared when she kissed him and started to strip away his clothes. Even he had something rather normal about him—when they were this close, stripped nude and kissing, he had little to be angry about. Rey adored watching him, from how, despite his thin body, he was somehow able to exert such strength over, to his eyes, half-lidded and soft, instead of unreadable.

And then, afterward, when he showed her every bit of raw emotion he normally kept inside, they assumed their usual sleeping position, with their legs intertwined, Hux's arm around her shoulders, and Rey's head in the crook of his neck. It was so easy to fall asleep like that, so soothed just by someone else's presence. At times she would sing to him, but most of the time Rey would be so overwhelmed with emotion that she quickly fell asleep against him.

Waking up was even better. She savored the moments when she woke before him, where she could observe him up close. From a distance was one thing, but there was such a softness to his features. The slight parting of his lips, how she could hear his deep breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest if she laid a hand there… She committed it all to memory, like she would never see him again after this, and she hated thinking about that, despite everything Luke was sending her to keep in touch. She'd brush his bright hair back and think of that name, a name she figured he'd tried to bury with the rest of his past. "Tage," she'd whisper, just as he was waking up, and even at times when he was still asleep. He never said anything against it, as if he was granting her this one luxury she couldn't get anywhere else.

Days were spent doing whatever they damn well pleased, as long as at some point they gathered firewood and enough to eat, both of which they did together now. He wasn't so scared of her body anymore, and that made him so much more relaxed. She could splash him, if she wanted, and though he'd frown, he'd slam her back, his lips just barely curling up at the corners. Then she'd kiss him again, and just before things started to heat up, one of their stomachs started grumbling, and they remembered their priorities. And, given that they were quite close to being rescued, they made their portions larger. Hux just had great reflexes—he was able to catch fish so much easier than Rey, even though she'd been hunting for them for much longer. Of course it annoyed her, but then again, she figured he'd trained much longer to be that quick.

That's usually where the splashing came from.

And while Rey figured things were incredibly bittersweet, especially at night when she marked down another day of being stuck here, they were even sadder when Rey watched the sun sink under the canopy of trees and those familiar, unfamiliar constellations took over. It meant one less day of this, one less day of this childish romance she was still hanging onto. It was like she had her eyes squeezed shut and her fingers in her ears, screaming a tune so she could shut herself off to the world. Rey couldn't smile anymore without it having a hint of sadness.

Sex was a miraculous refuge from all of it, if just for a few moments. There was no inevitable, or the promise of escape. It was just the two of them together, and she could just kiss Hux, or look him in the eyes, and just maybe all was right in the galaxy. Or whatever galaxy in which they happened to find themselves. She could watch his lashes flutter, his lips part, the way his voice carried her name. They held each other tight, and Rey would feel his body against hers, hot and wonderful, and think, This is real. This is ours. This is mine. He'd kiss all the air out of her, and when his hands roamed over her body he practically worshipped her, like he was trying to memorize every crevice. Then again, she was doing the same thing—she would kiss whatever she could of his skin because she couldn't think of what was going to happen to them later.

And while she was glad Luke always sent where he was, and she tried her damnedest to project whatever she could about her signature, that meant she knew when that dreaded last night was coming. And she hated that their rescue out of here and back to her friends could also be seen as "dreaded."

When it happened, Hux immediately sensed that Luke had contacted her again. He seemed to just know her facial expressions now. His knuckles brushed her arm, his face forlorn.

When he opened his mouth to speak, Rey interrupted him. "Tage, I don't want to hear about… that." Why couldn't she even say it? Why couldn't she think it?

He sighed. "I was going to say… to just treat it like any normal day here."

"Okay." Rey nodded once. Of course she had to agree—it's what she wanted, too. They'd just gotten dressed, when she heard Luke. And given that Hux was right next to her when it happened, she couldn't hide it from him. She couldn't hide anything from him anymore, when he could read her face and body so well now. Then again, they'd promised to not be romantic when they were rescued, and Rey had to try and honor that, much as she knew she'd want to hold him in those moments before. But after tonight, there would be no contact. After tonight, Rey wasn't even sure she'd see Hux again.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe she'd be in her right mind if she was around the right people, and reminded herself that she was fighting for the Resistance, to stop people like Hux in the First Order from taking over the galaxy. But then things got complicated if she thought about him, despite everything he'd done, and Rey knew Hux was contemplating the same issues. Maybe one day it'd stop hurting.

"Let's gather our firewood early," she decided, looking out toward the river. "I want you to teach me one more thing about swimming."

"Oh, there's a lot more you need to learn," Hux pointed out. "Besides, we just got dressed." He gestured to his uniform.

"So?" Rey shrugged. "You used to take it off every morning to bathe. You still take it off every night for… other reasons."

The tips of his ears went pink. Rey reached over and kissed his cheek softly. "It's all right," she assured. "No one will know about that. I do want to learn how to float in deeper waters, though."

"Fine, fine," he conceded, waving a hand. When he stood, he offered a hand for Rey to take so he could help her up. It was laughable, she figured, that he was finally starting to be nice to her, when on the first day they were here he tried to show off his sharpshooting skills and refused to let her walk ahead. And now she… well, now they were in a secret romantic relationship that was on the verge of ending.

She kept their hands held together until they started picking up sticks for the night, realizing that things were dwindling down now that they'd used up a lot of this area's resources. But they wouldn't be there much longer. Rey hated that everything seemed to remind her of their last day when she was supposed to treat it like normal. In fact, it was all she could think about.

So when they gathered enough, talking about mundane things like the weather and how many languages they spoke, and went back to the clearing just as midday hit. Given it was the hottest time of day, and Rey wanted to swim, she began to strip down when Hux started to pile them up in his usual meticulous way. But now she could feel his gaze on her, when before he'd insist on covering his eyes. So she slowed her movements down, made a bit of a show out of it without being obvious. Then again, Hux noticed every single thing about her.

He noticed, and Rey only realized this when she heard him utter, "And this is why you're a little minx."

Given Rey liked the little name, she could only smirk, and stepped right into the water. As always, this was where she could forget, where the water was so peaceful and it clogged her ears and there wasn't anything she could think about other than being weightless. She remembered the way he taught her how to swim, and she floated on her back for a bit, keeping her stomach up and her legs kicking lightly. Sound blurred; Rey closed her eyes and just felt the sun on her face as she tried to let all those troubles about the future finally start to slip away.

They slipped away a bit too far, though, or maybe Rey had been floating for too long, but when she tried to stand upright, she couldn't touch the bottom of the river. Damn! She knew she was supposed to relax, and kick, but the panic set in too quickly and she let out a yelp before sinking underwater. And then she popped back up, letting out a strained cry of Hux's name, and she was back under. She shouldn't have just… escaped like that! And even if she did, she should have done it when Hux was in here, too. She couldn't see under here, only the blurred way where fish avoided her. She cried out again helplessly when she couldn't really hold her breath anymore, but then she noticed something bright coming toward her, and thin arms wrapped around her before pulling her up to the surface.

Rey gasped for air, wrapping an arm around Hux. He'd undressed quickly, she realized. "Kick," he ordered, his face stern. "I'm not doing all the work here." All she could do was dumbly nod and obey, kicking until Hux set her down and she could feel the mud on her toes. Still trying to catch her breath, she moved her arms up to his neck and held on tightly.

"I'm sorry," she uttered when she could talk again. At the moment, she couldn't look him in the eye. "I just didn't want to think."

"Consider us even," he replied, not letting go of her just yet. Probably because Rey was still shaking. "You saved my life when the beast attacked, and I just saved you." If anything, he pulled her closer. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she assured, leaning against his shoulder. "I'm fine, if not a little shaken. Told you I wanted to learn how to float."

"You seriously live up to your nickname." Hux rolled his eyes, but Rey could somehow tell that was playful.

"Teach me," Rey pressed, pursing her lips. "So I don't have to go through this again anytime soon."

"Fine." Hux shrugged and pulled away from the embrace so he could show her. When he waded out a bit deeper, Rey noted how he kept his legs kicking, his arms slowly treading though the water. "The trick is the legs. You always need to be kicking. Why do you think that was the first thing I taught you? It's the first thing anyone is taught when learning how to swim."

Hux insisted Rey to practice in shallower waters, and not as far out as she had been. But Rey got the hang of treading water, and even though it was a bit difficult keeping her head above water, she was determined to learn, to get it right. One more lesson with Hux, and it made her forget about the day after. All she focused on was the task at hand, and all her other troubles seemed to melt away, if just for these few moments.

It was like sex, just not as pleasurable, she figured. Still, it required less clothes, and for them to get closer. When Hux moved closer to her with a nod to tell her she was getting it right, Rey wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, knowing it was impulsive and stupid, but she just… had to. And Hux certainly wasn't protesting when he splayed his arms on her spine and kissed her back, like he didn't want to let her go.

That was their afternoon: swimming, a few more lessons, and then they caught dinner before the sun went down so they had sufficient time to start the fire. Again, there was the silence, but it wasn't very comfortable anymore, not when they both knew what the other was thinking about: the future. The day after. And neither wanted to really talk about it, especially since there was no use. This affair was almost over, and all they could do was let it happen for the best. She wrapped her overcoat over her nude body, and Hux pulled his pants on.

Rey glared at her fish bones, knowing that after this, she would have better food, better water. Her friends, her cause, her training. She should want all those things over Hux, she knew that. But she… she couldn't admit what was really going on through her mind.

She threw her scraps in the fire and turned to face him. He'd been done for a bit now. Just now he moved his gaze from the fire to her. Behind his hardened eyes, she suspected a bit of fear, but she wouldn't comment on it. Instead, Rey reached over and let the coat slip from her shoulders. She pulled him to her with a gentle kiss, trying to forget. She just needed to forget for another few hours.

One more time. They both knew that. Yet she had no trouble taking his tongue in her mouth with a long sigh, and she was so used to taking off his pants now that she didn't need to break the kiss to do it. His hands moved up her sides, massaging her breasts, and Rey could only lean into his touch and crave more of it. He was all too willing to let his long fingers crawl back down, from her stomach to in between her legs as he laid her down, right on his coat. If he had a problem with that, he certainly didn't show it.

Despite not being well versed in romance, Hux seemed to know his way around her body, and knew just where to touch her to really make her forget who she even was. He teased, pressing his fingers against her opening, then just a tad higher, and Rey pulled his face toward hers for another bruising kiss, making him swallow her moans. When he pressed closer, she felt his hardness against her thigh, and she spread her legs a bit wider, wanting him to completely engulf her. There was something about having him atop her, in not being completely in control for once. It was this strange freedom from it all she couldn't explain.

"Make it slow," she requested, kissing from his lips to his ear, then back again. His brows furrowed.

"Please," she added, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hips bucked on their own accord, like she wanted to contradict what she'd just said. But her body had needs of its own. And it wanted Hux, completely.

Nodding, he dove in for a kiss when he pressed inside her. The initial penetration always had Rey's toes curling, and she always had to tell herself to relax when it happened. But Hux respected how she pleaded, making his pace slow for now. Rey found herself caught up between looking him in the eye, kissing him passionately, and looking up at the stars, focusing on how much pleasure he brought her, how much he cared about making her feel good.

He moaned against her neck, shaking a bit, and Rey wrapped her arms tighter around him, enjoying the press of their bodies moving together, despite the hot weather. Again, he didn't protest, as if he was trying to give her everything in just the course of one night. Rey gazed into his eyes again, his half-lidded, lust-filled green eyes, and let out a hint of a smile, murmuring his name. There was his nickname, the one she'd made for him based on his first name: "Tage," and then there was "Hux," and she used them interchangeably. Every time Hux leaned in for a kiss, Rey would smile again, savoring how he started to lose control, his pace speeding up a bit.

She didn't want it to end, but she was reaching that high. She wasn't going to leave this damned planet without her last time with Hux being nothing short of amazing. So Rey broke the kiss to look him in the eye, and other than the occasional heated press of lips and tongues, it was the eye contact that made everything that much hotter, that much perfect. Rey adored seeing Hux lose control slowly, his concentrated brows furrowing, his eyes closing for longer periods of time. He always made Rey swallow his moans like he was embarrassed of them, but Rey allowed it when he brought her to the edge, and she jumped, her body shaking as she reached her high. Hux followed soon after, collapsing against her breast.

Before he could roll over, like he usually did, Rey stopped him. "No, stay here," she whispered, her voice still quite breathy. Her legs wrapped around his waist, while her hands cradled his head, much like they had that first time. He closed his eyes, and he wasn't shaking like he had then. He held her close, though, knowing this was the last time. He didn't mind giving her exactly what she wanted.

Rey kissed the top of his head and just watched the stars, catching her breath. She didn't want to sleep yet, not with Hux still wrapped around her so perfectly, his warmth surrounding her. She memorized it and made sure to not let her hands wander against his scars, given that he didn't like when she did that. Soon his breathing slowed, and Rey could tell he was asleep, more quickly than usual. She didn't have time to sing to him…! But she couldn't wake him up just to do that, much as she knew both of them would enjoy it.

She let her mind wander to as many places as it could, places where she thought about the best case scenarios, where somehow she and Hux were still able to keep up this terrible secret romance. Maybe if she humored the idea enough, it might actually come true. At least, that's what Rey's post-sex mind figured, as it was still all hazy, not quite there yet. While she could have reached out to Luke, she didn't, not while she was supposed to have this private moment with Hux.

She didn't know how long she'd been up when it happened, but some time during the night, as she was petting Hux's bright hair, savoring these final moments, she saw it. Rey noticed a star falling through the sky. Then another one. And then another. It was almost too perfect.

Slowly she nudged Hux's shoulder—he shouldn't miss this. "Tage," she whispered. He woke, but not as abruptly as usual. When he gave a confused face, Rey pointed toward the sky. "Look up."

Hux only moved his face toward the stars, and he hummed as he noticed the meteor shower. Rey continued to pet his hair back. She'd seen meteor showers on Jakku, of course, But there was something about having someone else here with her that seemed to make the moment all the more special. "Make a wish," he murmured. Maybe it sounded a touch cynical, but Rey closed her eyes and made one anyway. It was for a million different things, but mainly she hoped that when she vouched for Hux, the Resistance believed her, and allowed him to return back to the First Order, if he wanted.

They watched the shower until things died down, and at that point Rey could hardly keep her eyes open. She still had her arms wrapped around Hux, one hand in his hair, and she fell asleep like it was any other night, and she didn't have to worry about what would happen to them in the morning.

Rey had a dreamless sleep, and when she opened her eyes the next morning, the sun was rising fast and the humidity starting to suffocate her. Hux had fallen back asleep on her, his head still on her breast, and she could not be more grateful that that had been their sleeping position for their last night. And now… she could only think of the end, of that future coming to rescue them in due time. She wanted one more kiss… needed one, she figured.

But when Hux awoke, he treated things like they hadn't been so romantic over these past few weeks. He was really sticking to that agreement they'd worked out, even though Rey couldn't see the Falcon anywhere in sight. She dressed slowly, but looked at him, trying to communicate that she wanted that kiss.

"Rey…" Of course he knew what was on her mind. "You know we can't. We agreed." Stubbornly, he pulled his boots on. No more glancing at his pale skin anymore, those scars, even.

"Right…" Rey shook her head and tried not to think too much about it as she put her lightsaber back into its holster. This time she was the one kicking the burned sticks aside, making room for the Falcon to land. The clearing was certainly big enough for it. Chewie would probably be there, as would Finn, who probably insisted on joining Luke. Of course her heart ached to see them, and there was still a part of her quite excited to finally get a new change of scenery. Luke had sent her just how far they were from… well, any civilized world in this galaxy, really. Had it not been for the harsh, tropic conditions, it'd be a decent place for a base, now that she thought about it.

As they waited, Rey just tried her best to not reach out and touch Hux. They both kept their distance, as if close proximity would tempt them too much. It was a good precaution, she knew, especially for her. At the same time, there was little to talk about. Rey didn't want to discuss the future, what would likely happen to him, and she doubted Hux did, too.

It seemed like an eternity when Rey heard the familiar hum of the Falcon. Her heart was hammering in her chest when she realized that this was their end. This was it. All this time on this planet, suddenly over. Two X-Wings accompanied the ship—Poe, she figured, and this was confirmed when she noticed the unique orange and white droid, and Snips, probably. Rey stood next to Hux, her hands at her sides in fists to keep herself from touching him.

She at least granted herself another look at him before the ships landed. While the light in his eyes had been dying as soon as Rey contacted Luke, he suddenly looked hopeless as he accepted the worst outcome that could come from this. It was like he accepted death, but with a defeated slump, rather than a proud head. It was like he had nothing to live for, that giving up now was more reasonable than fighting to the end. Rey couldn't leave Hux like this—couldn't say goodbye to this relationship and toss it aside like they were trying to.

And Rey knew how wrong it was, to throw her arms around Hux and crash her lips to his one last time, in front of everyone. She knew she was throwing away all her credibility to vouch for him when she kissed him with all she had, aware of his surprised expression, his eyes wide. Her hands threaded through his hair, ruining it all. If this was the end, she was making sure he had a last kiss they both deserved. And she couldn't leave this romance without being honest with him, with herself.

Her arms were still wrapped tight around his neck when she pulled up for air, trying to be unafraid for the both of them. "No matter what happens, just remember that I love you," she declared. Rey had never said those words aloud to anyone before—but she knew this was how she felt, and he had to know. He was shaking.

Hux didn't look at her; his frightened eyes focused solely on the ships landing on the soil. The roar of the engines was too loud for her to hear him, but as she read his lips, she could have sworn he replied with, "I know."

You don't end a Reyux anything with me without there being a Han and Leia moment. And does this seem like a bit of a cop out if I said I wasn't truly done yet? Yes, this is the end I imagined for this fic, but I came up with three epilogues for this story, in different universes. They will be as their own one shots, with the appropriate tags to show just what would spark reader interest the most. Read all, read one, read none. But hopefully you've enjoyed this story! As always, never be afraid to discuss ideas with me.