Yvonne

What had started as a simple infatuation – casually watching her as she walked past, catching her eye and then looking quickly away, had gradually grown into an obsession.

His every waking thought consisted of this woman he barely knew, his dreams were of her, her body, her mouth, the way he could look into her eyes and forget for a moment who he was. He wasn't the git everyone hated, he was just Arnold Rimmer. The Arnold Rimmer he was meant to be instead of the one he had become – and it was all because of her.

It was late on a Saturday night and he was alone. He preferred it this way, he could think about her without being interrupted. He lay back on his bunk and closed his eyes, her image formed in his mind and he sighed. He repeated her name over and over as if scared he might suddenly forget it.

"Yvonne, Yvonne, Yvonne."

He had never much cared for the name but he didn't mind it for her, granted she deserved a far grander name, a name that spoke of grandeur and goddesses…something….something like Athena….he smiled. No, Yvonne, always Yvonne.

Just as he was drifting into sleep he heard a commotion in the corridor, thinking it was Lister he ignored it and rolled over closing his eyes tighter. Silence. Then he heard a gentle knocking and he could have sworn he heard his name. He opened his eyes but didn't move.

"Arnold." Definitely his name and definitely a woman's voice. He sat up. Was he dreaming? No, he was cold, you couldn't feel cold in a dream could you? Dreaming or awake he stood and walked over to the door.

"Open." He commanded, with a zip the door slid to one side and there she stood, his dream, the love of his life. Yvonne McGruder.

"Hi," She leaned against the door, one bare leg in and the other out. He stared at her in silence. She looked drunk but not paralytic, her cheeks were beautifully flushed and her eyes sparkled. He couldn't breathe, what was he supposed to do? He took in her outfit. She was still wearing her uniform but it was creased, her blond hair, which was usually fastidiously tied in a bun had worked loose, strands of it curling about her face and shining in the low light of the quarters.

"Can I come in?" She didn't wait for an answer but clip-clopped her way into the room with purpose. He stood back to let her pass and was suddenly painfully aware that he was only wearing his pyjamas. She looked him up and down, one hand placed provocatively on her hip.

"Living it up I see Arnie." She smiled and he wanted to die. Why now? Why pick now to come and see him?

"Well you know how it is when you've had a busy week, you just want to relax don't you and GOD I've had a busy week." He was rambling he knew it. He rocked back and forth on his heels and clenched his fists. She sat on the edge of his bed.

"No Lister?" She asked, crossing her legs. He shook his head.

"No, out, well in we are on a ship but not here if that's what you mean, of course it's what you mean ha!"

The laugh died in his throat. If this was a dream, he thought, then it sucked! Surely he could be more charming than this in a dream!

"Come sit next to me." She was slurring now but only slightly. He felt sick as he sat next to her. He could smell her perfume, faint now, but still present on her skin. He looked down at her legs. She giggled catching his eye.

"Sorry." He said, beyond humiliated that he had been caught staring.

"Don't be."

She leaned forward and rested her chin on his shoulder. He couldn't move. She uncrossed her legs and looped one of them over his leg. He sat up straighter. Her hand crept up his arm and behind his head, her long fingers twirling in his hair. He could feel his skin tingle but he didn't want to breathe in case she stopped. He slowly turned his head toward her and she smiled, leaning in slightly further she lightly touched her lips to his. He closed his eyes and when he knew she wasn't going to pull away he kissed her back. After a while she broke away and stood up slowly, a small sigh escaped her lips and she turned to look at him.

"Potential Arn, potential."

With that she hit the release pad at the side of the door and disappeared. Arnold Rimmer fell back in a state of ecstasy on his bunk and closed his eyes again, the memory of her lips on his filling him with a strange kind of joy.

As he drifted off into a calm sleep he realised he was shockingly in love with her and almost as shockingly terrified of her. After all he had never gotten close to anyone who hadn't wanted to hurt him in the end…..

My first fic! Oh and I love Rimmer so I like to make nice things happen to him :-) Please review if you liked or even if you hated!