Legal Transmissions: I suppose that You Wish deserved a sequel. Plus my muse and the plot bunnies kept hitting me over the head. Extremely, extremely short and sort of angsty, but not really… And as usual, Red Dwarf and all characters are © Doug Grant & that lovely Naylor chap who's first name escapes me at the moment. .Anway…enjoy!

Dave Lister could not sleep. Ever since the You Wish incident, he found himself wondering whether or not he felt anything for the hologram known as Arnold Rimmer and more importantly, did Rimmer feel anything for him. He sighed, tossing and turning in his bunk. He longed to ask Rimmer if he thought that the event had actually happened, or if it was just some deranged dream that seemed freakishly real.

I'm in love with a man who formerly ranked 168 out of 169 people, a man who could never pass his astronavigation exam, and what's more…I can't even touch him. Lister shifted to look over his bunk and watched Rimmer sleep, the hologram hovering a good half a centimeter above his bunk and shook his dread locked head. Sometimes I feel so sorry for him…not being able to touch or feel or taste or anything…it's a wonder he hasn't gone bonkers.

Rimmer snorted in his sleep, making Lister jump and topple out of bed.

"Lister?" he mumbled sleepily, hearing the younger man fall.

"Ow…" Lister sat up and rubbed his head, blinking rapidly, trying not to stare at Rimmer.

"You all right there, Listy?" Rimmer leaned the side of his head on his elbow, looking at

him in mild annoyance for waking him up.

"Mmm…fine. Must have fallen out of me bed in me sleep," he replied, doing his best to sound groggy.

"Ah. Well, good night then." Rimmer flopped back down in his bunk.

"Rimmer?" It was now or never.

"Yes?"

"I…um…" Lister stalled. "Nevermind." He clambered back in bed. It was going be never, apparently.

"Right…" Rimmer raised an eyebrow and shook his head, lying back down.

As soon as Rimmer was sure Lister was asleep, he got up and leaned close to the sleeping body on the top bunk.

"I don't care if you're another guy…I love you, Lister…" he whispered, reaching out to brush his hand against Lister's cheek. It was an interesting act, as the soft light hologram was doing his best to keep his hand from going through the other man. He sighed, feeling frustrated. Not only did he like a guy who treated him like a complete smeg-head (though he had to admit; it was easier to treat Lister the same way, instead of being nice), he couldn't even touch him. No "accidental" brush-ups against him, he couldn't help the younger man back into his bunk when he got completely wasted, hell, he couldn't even punch him if he felt like it. Sighing, Rimmer crept back down to his bunk. Forget keeping you sane, how the hell am I supposed to stay sane?! I hate this!! He groaned loudly, running his fingers through his unruly curly hair, feeling like he was going space crazy. He thought what had happened in the AR unit would have made him a bit happier, but instead it left him even less satisfied. It was like offering a little kid a single piece of candy and refusing to give him any more. Once he had a taste, he wanted more. Just to be able to touch him, that would be just fine!

****

After the Legion Incident

****

Rimmer was the happiest he had been in over 3 million years. He had a hard light body! He could touch, he could feel, he could eat; he could do ANYTHING! He ran his hand along his mattress, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. Lister watched, a smirk on his slightly pudgy face.

"So you like your new body?" He looked over the edge of his bunk to get a better look at Rimmer.

"Are you kidding me? Listy, it's amazing! Fantastic! Absolutely smegging amazingly fantastic!" He looked up at his bunk-mate, nodding rapidly. Now if you were mine, I'd be in heaven.

"Good, I'm glad for ya, man, honestly," Lister had one of his rare moments of sincerity.

Rimmer found himself wanting to hug him just to reassure himself of his sense of touch. "Thanks, Listy."

The other man nodded, chewing on a pencil that he was using to drum on the wall. "Hey…um…Rimmer, can we talk?"

The now hard light hologram blinked and then nodded. "Ok."

Lister jumped down and sat down next to Rimmer. "You remember a long time ago…that AR game—You Wish?"

Rimmer nodded again. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I…well…was it really you?"

Rimmer looked confused for a moment. "What?"

"Was it really you in there? I was talking to a Rimmer…I wanted to make sure it was really you."

"Depends…What did that Rimmer say?" He saw where it was going, and silently prayed it was going where he wanted it to be going.

"He…well…he told me that he liked me…" Lister felt his face get hot, and then he felt Rimmer's hand on his shoulder. It took him a few seconds for him to realize that he was actually being touched by Rimmer and how strangely…natural it felt.

"What did you say in response?" Rimmer's eyes were locked on Lister's.

The shorter man tensed up. Just tell him already… His eyes went to the hand on his shoulder before back to Rimmer's anxious face.

"I…I told him…that I liked him too."

"Do you?" Rimmer could hardly believe what he was hearing.

"Yes."

"Oh Listy!" The hologram squeaked and threw his arms around Lister, pressing his lips against his.

"My god…" Lister pulled back in shock. "You're so warm."

Rimmer frowned. "That bad?"

Lister shook his head rapidly. "It's wonderful…" He pulled Rimmer close and kissed him again….and again….and again.