Disclaimer: Well, actually, it's sort of mine because the only characters who aren't are the Red Dwarf posse. Everything else belongs to me! Ha ha ha!

A/N: This is a sequel to my earlier story 'Rimmer's Decision'. It will help with your understanding of this fic if you've read it, but for those of you who haven't and can't be bothered to do so now, here is a brief summary which will help.

'Rimmer's Decision' is set sometime after Rimmer has left Starbug to become Ace. The remaining members of the posse find a small planet and discover a community of human beings there. Unfortunately, the planet is also inhabited by an unknown species of hostile GELF's known only as 'The Furies' and there is a war brewing. Luckily for the outnumbered humans, a certain Ace Rimmer has recently arrived...

The time apart has made both Lister and Rimmer re-evaluate their relationship; and the reunion prompts them to finally acknowledge their respect and affection for one another. Rimmer asks for Lister's help in leading the people against the Furies and together with Ethan - the man effectively in charge of the community - they begin to formulate a strategy.

However, when the time for battle finally comes, they both start to realise that there are still some important things left unsaid between them; and one in particular. But time has run out.

The battle is long and bloody but the human army eventually wins the day. However, the victory is tainted for Rimmer when Lister fails to materialise from the battlefield. After a brief but desperate search among the fallen, Rimmer finds his companion alive – but seriously wounded and apparently close to death. Realising this may be their final chance; they finally admit their true feelings to one another.

Lister is brought back to the village with the rest of the wounded and, thanks to some painful but effective surgery, is saved. The story ends with the two of them sitting alone together by the firelight in Rimmer's hut, with a new understanding of one another...and all the time they need to explore it....

And now for part two...

Arnold Rimmer settled more comfortably into his bedding and sighed with content. He couldn't have pinpointed the exact date – an Earth calendar would be useless anyway in a star system three million odd years away – but he guessed that on the small planet of Santa Ria, that it was the time of year that would be roughly equivalent to October. The last of the summer heat had ebbed away, the crops had been gathered, and tonight was the first really cold night they'd had in the time Rimmer had been there. The huge communal fire at the centre of the village had been lit for the first time in months; and a smaller one was crackling away merrily in the hearth of Rimmer's hut. Of course, he probably could have avoided the problem of being cold altogether if he'd put some clothes on...

Snuggled down with him beneath the heavy furs and thick blankets that made up their bed, the warm naked figure of Dave Lister was stretched out, sleeping peacefully beside him. Rimmer yawned and folded himself against his bare back. They weren't often cuddly sleepers, it just wasn't a guy thing, but tonight he was pleased to have the extra warmth in such a pleasant way.

He and Lister had been carrying on a tentative relationship for about eight months now. Tentative because - in all honesty - neither of them were quite sure how to go about things; but also because Lister had spent several months recovering from a nasty battle wound, and hadn't been capable of much else. They'd had no choice but to take things slowly.

In a lot of ways, Rimmer felt that had probably been good for them. The long nights they'd spent together through that time had deepened their bond and their intimacy far more effectively than an instant plunge into the more sexual side of their feelings might have done. He thought of all the nights he'd spent sitting up with Lister when his wounds were hurting, just holding him and trying to help him through the pain. And then, as time had progressed and Lister had begun to regain his strength, the long nights they'd spent lying in each others arms and kissing for hours on end. Never going further than light gentle caresses, because they both knew that he was still very weak; but their self-enforced discipline had made every soft brush of their fingertips one hundred times more erotic, because it was the only way they had of making love to each other. Every tiny gesture meant that much more.

And then, at last, the night had come when the ultimate gesture could be made. And Rimmer knew he would never, ever, forget it.

He remembered sitting down on the bed, just like every other night, and Lister tugging him down on top of him; drawing him into a long, soft kiss. When their lips finally parted, Rimmer had seen a look in Lister's eyes that he'd never seen before. "What is it?" he'd whispered tenderly. Lister had hesitated for just a second. Then he'd kissed him again, more firmly this time, and started to slowly ease off Rimmer's shirt. They were forced to separate as he pulled it up over his head and tossed it aside. Rimmer looked down at him in surprise, "What are you doing?" he asked softly. Lister looked back at him with open and unashamed longing. "This is what I want," he replied simply. He reached up, timid, nervous, but oh-so curious and ran his hands lightly over Rimmer's bare chest. Rimmer let out a soft breath, his nipples stiffening, his cock immediately hard.

He didn't bother asking if Lister was sure. He knew that he wouldn't have started this unless he was sure. They melted into a deep passionate kiss and Rimmer began to carefully remove Lister's shirt. He ran his eyes over him, eager to see what had been denied for so long. His gaze hovered over the scars on his side. Two small, but noticeable, ridges of flesh; one between his ribs, the other lower down on his waist. The marks left by two crossbow bolts that had almost ended Lister's life. He brushed them with his fingertips. Lister winced and – putting one hand gently beneath Rimmer's chin – guided his eyes back to his. Rimmer caught a flash of unease in his expression and it occurred to him for the first time that Lister might actually be self-conscious about the scars. He said nothing, but bent down to kiss him again; then moved lower to suck firmly on each nipple. Lister gasped and arched his back, and Rimmer started to relax slightly. He slid an arm beneath him to hold him closer, using his tongue to toy with the swiftly hardening nubs. He didn't really know what he was doing – he had next to no experience in this area – but it seemed as though everything he wanted to do to Lister in his head was working well for both of them in reality. He was just following his desires and hoping that Lister was enjoying it as much as he was.

As if reading his mind, and wanting to reassure Rimmer that he was enjoying himself, Lister took his hand and guided it to his crotch. Rimmer stroked him gently through the cloth of his trousers and felt his cock twitching eagerly at the attention. Their eyes met and they began to kiss again, and soon Rimmer felt Lister's hands working on undoing his trousers. He felt the blissful release of pressure on his erection as he pulled them open, and then Lister's hands sliding against his bare skin as he pushed the offending article of clothing down over his hips and buttocks to expose the full, throbbing glory of his cock.

Lister stopped for a moment to gaze at it silently. Rimmer's heart was thumping with excitement and arousal; and the anticipation of the long pause, coupled with the dark sweet knowledge that Lister was looking at him this way, was causing it to beat even faster. He went to kiss him again, but suddenly Lister's hand was on his chest, moving him gently but firmly back. Rimmer's heart sank. Maybe they'd dived in a little too fast. Maybe Lister was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Then he realised that Lister wasn't pushing him away. He was pushing him over onto his back so he could climb on top of him. He complied happily, matching the pressure of Lister's mouth against his when their lips finally met again. They kissed, deep and intense, then Lister started to work his way down his body; dotting kisses along his neck, chest and stomach until he reached his cock. Poised above him, he looked back up along his body to his eyes and their gaze locked in a last moment of purely emotional love-making before they moved on at last to the physical.

It was Lister who looked away first. His eyes went to the tall, proud penis waiting eagerly before him and he curled his fist around it and stroked it gently upwards. Rimmer made a small sound in his throat and Lister smiled, gaining confidence from the reaction. He closed his eyes and began to lap teasingly at the sticky clear sap at its tip, while firmly caressing the base. Rimmer gave a heartfelt groan and reached down to hold Lister's head, his entire body tensing up with pleasure. Lister, seemingly unfazed by his reaction, gently cupped Rimmer's balls in his other hand and started to massage them, continuing to run his tongue back and forth over the head of his shaft, pausing occasionally to pay particular attention to the tiny hole in the centre. Finally, deciding Rimmer had been tormented enough, he sucked the whole long length of it into his mouth.

Rimmer made a sound that was half-sigh, half-moan as he felt Lister's soft, wet lips moving slowly and steadily, up and down on his penis. It was as though all time had stopped, that the whole world had ceased to be apart from the two of them in their own tiny, warm little bubble. He felt muscles low down start to flex eagerly and knew he was going to come soon. But he didn't want this to end; not yet.

With a great effort of will, he moved Lister back and then pulled him up none-too-gently into his arms, rolling over and pinning him beneath him. "Let's see what else that little kitten tongue can do, hmm, Listy?" He kissed him hard, delighted by the feeling of Lister's cock nudging against his. He reached down between their bodies and took both of them in his hand, squeezing them together and felt Lister wriggle and press against him in excitement.

Rimmer knew what he wanted to do now. He knew what he needed in order to feel that this was really it; that they were together for good and that Lister was his. But he wasn't sure how Lister would react. The time had come to find out.

Very carefully, he started to caress Lister's backside as they kissed. Then he let his fingers creep slowly inward and began to gently stroke the tight opening there. Lister gasped, but he didn't protest. In fact, Rimmer thought his cock might have just got even harder. He kissed his neck gently, "Is that good?"

"Yeah," Lister whispered back, sounding a little nervous, but also incredibly aroused.

"I don't want to hurt you. If you don't want to..."

"Butter..." Lister managed to get out breathlessly. Rimmer looked up in surprise,

"What?"

"There's butter...on the table..."

"So? What are you....?" Rimmer paused. "Ohhhhhh...I see."

He jumped up to fetch the small earthenware pot and brought it back to the bed. Setting it aside, he pulled Lister back into his arms and continued to kiss and stroke him for a while. He wanted to make sure that Lister was as relaxed, and aroused, as possible before going any further. At last, when he felt the moment was right, he knelt back, scooped a generous amount of the softened butter onto his fingertips and began to massage it thickly over his cock. Grasping Lister's hips, he pulled him forward so that his buttocks nestled perfectly into his lap. Lister crossed his ankles behind Rimmer's back to keep his balance. He looked slightly nervous now; but when Rimmer reached down to reassure him, he playfully licked some of the butter from his fingertips and smiled. He was okay. "I love you," Rimmer said; and his eyes said it with him.

"I love you too," Lister told him.

Slowly, Rimmer began to rub his cock back and forth along the crease of Lister's ass, sliding it repeatedly over the sensitive bud within. He saw Lister swallow hard and close his eyes; murmuring softly with pleasure. Rimmer took hold of Lister's cock and started to stroke it in time with his movements and when he could see that he was past the point of no return, that he would come now no matter what Rimmer did, he eased forward and pushed himself up inside him.

Lister went rigid all over, every muscle tensing. He whimpered slightly, from a mixture of pain and pleasure; the emotion demanded some form of verbalisation and he couldn't hold it back. Rimmer paused, "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," Lister managed to reply. He opened his eyes and stared up into Rimmer's anxious face. "No." He curled his hand around the back of Rimmer's neck, his fingers stroking him lightly, and the sensation made Rimmer shudder all over. He began to thrust. Sheer desire overcame him - overcame them both - and before Rimmer even knew what he was doing, he was fucking Lister hard enough almost for their bed to collapse; and they weren't even in a proper bed. He knew he was close, knew he couldn't hold back much longer and when he heard Lister's desperate cries and suddenly felt the spurt of his hot come trickling down over his fingers and his stomach, he exploded with a mixture of triumph, pleasure and utter joy. When he opened his eyes again, Lister was looking up at him with a slightly shell-shocked expression. "Are you okay?" Rimmer asked breathlessly.

"Okay?" Lister repeated stupidly, "Okay? That was...I've never..." He sank back against the bedding, barely able to even get the words out; "It felt like there were stars exploding inside me," he whispered finally. They looked at each other and laughed suddenly; their happiness overflowing. It was either laugh or cry and neither of them wanted to spoil this moment with tears. Rimmer detangled himself from Lister's limbs and kissed with drowsy satisfaction every part of him that he could reach. He gently ran his tongue along Lister's inner thigh and tasted sweat, come and quite a lot of melted butter. Lister giggled and tugged at Rimmer's shoulder, "Cut it out, man, it tickles. Get your damn head out from between my legs and come give me a hug!"

They lay quietly in each others arms for a little while, trying to regain their breath. "What was it really like?" Rimmer whispered when he could speak again.

"It was...It was like nothing else I've ever felt before," Lister replied honestly, "But in a really wonderful way." He rolled over to look Rimmer in the eyes, smiling faintly; "I think the only way I could let you know would be to do the same for you."

"Tomorrow," Rimmer said, kissing him; "There's always tomorrow..."

And now - many tomorrows later - here they were; in the same bed and still in each others arms. And still crazy mad in love. As Rimmer closed his eyes to the world around him, and to the memories within, he found himself thinking how lucky they had been. Lucky to have found each other again after he had left to become Ace; to have been given that second chance when it could have been lost forever. He thought how lucky it was that Lister was still here, alive and breathing next to him; and not buried out on the plains with the other soldiers who hadn't been as lucky on that fateful day. And most of all, he thought how lucky they'd been to find a place at last that they could call home; where they could live out their life together in peace, without shame or judgement.