Another Lister/Rimmer slash, please don't read on if you don't like it get's real mushy towards the end!
Copyright: I own nothing except the song Lister plays at the end, that I've Copyrighted as my own. :)
Enjoy! Please Read and Review
Note: I imagine Lister sings using the same voice he did in Red Dwarf's: Marooned: Season 3 Episode 02 :D
Their shared bed was always warm and cosy and comfortable, Lister never felt closer to Rimmer than when he was lying in his arms in bed. But tonight for some odd reason Lister really couldn't sleep, he was exhausted but yet his body wouldn't give in and he just wouldn't go to sleep.
He'd tossed and turned so many times that he thought he'd wake his sleeping lover beside him. Luckily for Rimmer he was so deep in sleep that he hadn't felt a thing, in fact he was having a nightmare…
"Rimmer…" Lister touched his arm and soothed it a little trying not to startle him.
Rimmer didn't reply, in his mind he was running for life trying to escape some giant monster that had just eaten Lister, stood on Kryten and torn apart the Cat. "No…Over there…Help me!"
"Rimsy…" Lister cooed, leaning in to kiss his lips ever so softly. This seemed to settle him for a few minutes which left Lister still trying to fight staying awake and going to sleep.
Sitting up he called for partial lights and rubbed his eyes as he looked around the room and towards the doors. Mr and Mrs Bob Scutter turned their heads up from the floor in the corner just like a dog would to his owner, but Lister shook his head and they soon went back to re-charging.
"Maybe I'll do some exercises…" Lister thought to himself almost dropping of in a second at the thought.
"Listy…" Rimmer's strained voice beside him made him look to his lover as his arm circled his hips and tried to pull him in closer in his sleep.
"I'm here Rimsy…" Lister again leant down to kiss him as it seemed to be the only soothing effect Lister had on Rimmer whilst he was asleep. Now that he was wrapped in his boyfriends arms it appeared he wouldn't be getting out of bed to do some exercises after all. 'Shame…' he thought with a smirk and sunk into the warm blankets.
"Okay let's try this again shall we? Lights off!" He commanded and they turned off, Lister sunk his head back into his warm comfy pillow, closed his eyes and tried not to think of anything. It was all quiet for a moment it was sublime and peaceful…Just as Lister felt sleep about to take him Rimmer suddenly shouted, thrashing about a bit before sitting bolt upright in bed.
"Lister!" He screamed as he suddenly became aware he was panting heavy.
"Rimsy…" Lister sat up and put his arm around him. "I'm right here…"
"Thank god…" Rimmer looked to him almost checking him over with his eyes. "I had this god awful nightmare…"
"You weren't looking at Kryten naked again were you?" Lister smirked.
"No it was even worse!" Rimmer paused and looked to him leaning in to kiss his soft lips. "You were dead so were Kryten and the Cat. Something was eating us alive in our sleep and I couldn't get to you…"
"Well I hope Bob isn't getting peckish…" He leaned over to check.
"Listy…" Rimmer said and pulled him back not wanting to be apart from his arms.
"Alright, alright…Do you want me to get the princess story collection out again?"
"Ha, ha very funny Lister. In fact so funny that I might actually take you up on the offer."
"You're kidding."
"Would I?" He gave his trademark smirk and then just as Lister was about to get out of bed Rimmer pulled him back down, leaning up on his elbow as he looked down at him.
"You woke up quick…" Rimmer said gently playing with one of Lister's dreadlocks.
"I couldn't sleep I kept threatening to get up and exercise, but you wouldn't settle and the thought of getting up about drained all me energy."
"Sorry for keeping you awake."
"Don't be daft." He lifted his hand to let his fingers dance over Rimmer's chin. "I love you." He whispered after a moment of staring into his eyes.
"I love you too Listy." They shared a long passionate kiss reeling in each others touch and smell for a long moment before Lister pulled him to his chest, wrapping an arm around him softly as his Rimmer legs entangled with his.
"Night Rimsy."
"Night Listy."
After a few long moments Rimmer was back to sleep, Lister could feel his chest softly rising and falling against his and moved his hand to Rimmer's back to smooth it softly in circular motions.
After half an hour Lister was bored, he was wide awake now and it was getting on for three in the morning. His body felt exhausted but it wouldn't give in, its internal clock was reading party time and if he wasn't with Rimmer or if it was back in the old days he'd have gotten up and gone to the disco.
But life had changed and he was older now. When Rimmer released him and turned over Lister tried hard to snuggle down, relax, chill-out, mellow and force himself to sleep but all he did was succeed in tangling himself in the bed sheets and there was nothing worse than being wrapped up in sticky sheets that clung to your every turn.
"Oh forget it." Lister sat up and pushed his legs out of the bed finally standing up and stretching. Leaning over to Rimmer he gently whispered "I'm going to the medical unit to get something to help me sleep. I'll be back soon don't go anywhere will you?" With a soft kiss to his cheek Lister grabbed his jacket and pulled it on as he left their bedroom.
Rimmer was sleeping peacefully, drinking in the wonderful thoughts that were coming to his mind. Things about his past and childhood, probably not wonderful but still treasured memories and then things about life on Red Dwarf and Lister, Kryten and the Cat. A smile drew across his face for a moment before the nightmare he'd been having before slowly found the hole back into his brain.
He fought the monster in his head but all the while he thrashed about again in the empty bed Lister had left except this time Rimmer woke up and Lister wasn't there. His heart pounded he desperately looked to the bathroom, to the scutter's who were sleeping peacefully in the corner, to the doors which were closed everywhere he looked Lister was nowhere to be seen.
"Holly where's Lister?" Rimmer asked desperately.
"Blimey you're really up for it ain't you!"
"Holly shut up, where's Lister?"
"But you just…"
"Holly!" Rimmer demanded and Holly rolled his eyes.
"He's just entering the medical unit Arnold."
"Why?"
"I dunno…"
"Didn't he say?"
"He's not speaking to me."
"Why not?"
"I put Ex-Lax in his coffee…" Rimmer almost spat the drink he'd picked up out and glared at him.
"Why?"
"Dunno, thought it'd be funny." He paused looking at Rimmer.
"Off!" Rimmer said after a moment and got up out of bed looking around for his jacket or something to wrap up in, but only succeeding in finding Lister's work shirt which was too big on him. He pulled it around him and left heading for the medical unit.
Rounding the corner Lister finally arrived in the medical unit and looked around. He went straight over to the medical cabinet where all the pills were kept and began sifting through them. None of them were organised and he could hardly believe how many different types of drugs they had here.
Continuing in his search he finally found what he was looking for and popped open the cap to see what was inside, thankfully there were five or six left inside. Reading the instructions on the bottle, he turned and walked over to the drinks machine and ordered himself some cold water taking two of the pills and necking them.
"Listy?" Rimmer asked bleary eyed and leaning against the doorframe.
"Rimmer?" Lister looked around at him. "What are you doing up?"
"Bed was cold couldn't sleep."
"You had a nightmare again didn't you?" Lister smirked.
"No!" He shot back defending himself. "I wanted to see what you were up to."
"Just taken some sleeping pills should sleep like a baby now." He popped the pills back in the cupboard and walked over to him slipping his hands around his waist inside his shirt.
"Was I keeping you awake?"
"Nah." Lister smiled kissing his neck. "It's a shame I'll probably be conked out in a few minutes now we're both wide awake." Rimmer blushed, looking down and playing with the zip of Lister's jacket.
"I've got a surprise for you anyway." Lister said taking his hand as they walked back towards their quarters.
"Oh really?" Rimmer looked curious. "What's that then?"
"You'll have to wait till morning." Lister smirked pulling him into the bed once they'd reached it.
Finally they both settled Lister and Rimmer cuddled until morning and both were well rested when Rimmer woke up and looked around. Lister was gone but there was note.
"Meet me at breakfast."
He obliged still curious as to what his lover was planning. Getting up he got washed and dressed then made his way down to their usual breakfast place, one of the canteens on floor 159.
When he arrived Kryten was stood outside smiling. "Kryten?" Rimmer asked as he walked up to him.
"Good morning Mister Rimmer sir, you're right on time I think Mister Lister is waiting for you."
"Why are you stood out here?"
"Waiting to give you this sir." He handed Rimmer a tissue.
"Have you gone completely bonkers?" Rimmer asked giving him back the tissue now more worried than excited. Stepping around the corner he made his way slowly into the room.
At the end of the room Lister was sat at a table eating his cereal. Rimmer's heart sank a little, he expected something big. "Morning Rimsy." Lister called him over.
Rimmer moved slowly to the table and sat down his usual breakfast waiting for him. Looking back at Kryten then to the Cat who'd just appeared, Rimmer frowned and looked to Lister confused. "Listy?"
"Umm…" He looked up from his own breakfast.
"What was this surprise you had for me?"
"Surprise? Oh surprise!" He leaned over and touched his hand. "I think it'll be best to wait till we're alone in bed tonight don't you?"
Rimmer furrowed his brow a little looking around and then leaning in to whisper. "Why couldn't you show me this morning?"
"Because you'll like it more tonight." Lister stuffed another spoon full of cereal in his mouth and got up walking towards the doors. "Oh Rimmer can you do me a favour and go down to the botanical gardens, one of the food machines keeps jamming and the scutter's have got their hands full."
"Why can't you do it?" Rimmer asked looking at him over his shoulder.
"I've got to go and see to the medical unit's drug problem."
"Drug problem?"
"Yeah, Holly needs me to do a stock count."
"Right…" Rimmer said watching him a little dejectedly. Lister smirked as he walked out the doors; so far all was going as planned. As he dashed back to his quarters to change into his black suit he wondered what Rimmer would say when he found out.
Rimmer on the other hand didn't spend long eating his breakfast, he felt in a bit of a bad mood and had already snapped at the Cat and then Kryten as he was leaving, deciding it was best just to go down there now so he was out of the way. He made a brief stop to get some bits from the workshop and then headed down there.
As soon as he walked into the botanical gardens Lister was in place already for the surprise. As he waited Holly gave him a second by second count down of Rimmer's location and E.T.A, finally Lister heard the doors open and close and he saw Rimmer through the vines of the plants that had overgrown in the past few years.
Looking around as he entered Rimmer noticed immediately how there was soft music playing in the background; he couldn't help but wonder where it was coming from it was guitar strings playing softly to a wonderful tune but where? Putting down his tool case Rimmer slowly moved around the vines and around the corner of some plants, looking right down to the other end of the room where Lister was sat with his guitar in his hands, closed eyes and head low.
"Lister?" Rimmer asked a little confused. Lister stopped playing and then looked up at him smiling lovingly. Without another word Lister began to play, really and seriously play the guitar so wonderfully slow and beautiful. Then from no-where he started to sing.
"If I were a soldier, stood at the golden gates of heaven,
I'd tear me apart piece by piece
I'd call out your name and hear the songs come in vain,
Of a love that's truly beautiful
As it stands I'm just a man, standing at the golden gates of heaven,
Not really making much sense at all
The gates probably close and all anyone knows,
Is the love I gave was beautiful
So here I am, waiting just for you
And giving you whatever I have
Rimmer if you'll have me,
There's on thing I'd like to ask ye…"
Getting up and walking over to Rimmer slowly Lister stared into his eyes as he got down on one knee, lifted up the guitar and continued.
"Will you marry me?"
Rimmer stood there in complete and utter dire shock, since when did Lister play the guitar? He had to be dreaming he was mind slapping himself to wake up but nothing.
There was a long silence and Rimmer never ever thought he would ever be in this position with Lister on one knee it seemed so surreal so…Scary. What would his parents think? His family? His friends? Lister was getting hot under the collar, his knee hurt and he didn't think he could keep his neck cranked back much longer.
Finally Rimmer spoke slowly. "I…" Was he really going to be married to a man?
"Rimmer you don't have to answer if you cant, I love you and I want to spend the rest of me life with you. I don't have much and I know I'm not much to look at but what's inside my heart is all yours and I don't know if that means a lot but…But…" Lister struggled; Rimmer put his finger to his lips as he too got down on his knee and placed his hands on Lister's cheeks.
"I will." He whispered as they stared at each other. Finally Lister let go of the guitar and they embraced each other, kissing passionately their love entwining in a mix of emotions.
"Hey dudes I hear congratulations are in order!" Cat said as he and Kryten joined them. Lister and Rimmer broke apart but Lister rested his head against his lover's chest as they stood.
"Oh sirs! My first wedding ceremony I just can't wait…" Kryten was already planning it out in his head.
"I guess I'll be Mister David Lister Rimmer from now on." He smirked to Rimmer.
"We could always do it the other way, Arnold Judas Rimmer Lister."
"We've got time to work it." Lister laughed picking up his guitar.
"That's another smegging thing, since when did you learn to actually play guitar AND sing?"
Lister pointed to Kryten. "He's been teaching me for years how to actually play it guess I've actually got it now." They all laughed and began to walk for the exit.
"Hold on a minute so where did you learn to sing…" Their voices trailed as they left the confines of the botanical gardens and towards their new lives as husband and…well husband!