One day, after Lister had been working at the farm for about a month, he found himself working alongside one of the guys he still didn't know all that well. Jason was usually about, but he generally worked in the farm proper, whereas Lister spent more of his time out in the fields. They knew each other well enough to smile and wave but they'd never really talked. They were taking this opportunity to get to know each other better.
Jason smiled at Lister as he handed him the bundle of wheat, "You're going out with Rimmer, aren't you? That guy who used to call himself Ace."
"Um...Yeah. Yeah, I am," Lister smiled back weakly. It still felt odd to talk about their relationship so openly in this way. Not just because their relationship had changed so much from what it used to be, but because people were so laid back here about their homosexuality. Lister was from a time when homophobia had been almost entirely a thing of the past, but it hadn't been gone completely. If he and Rimmer had been together back before the accident on Red Dwarf, they wouldn't have been reviled or ridiculed, at least not to their faces, but it would have raised a few eyebrows. But here, people just accepted it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What happened with him?" Jason asked, "One day he was strutting round in shiny gold trousers calling himself Ace, and then next thing we know he's cut his hair, got a sensible wardrobe and started telling people to just call him Rimmer. It was bizarre."
Lister snorted a laugh, "You could say that. It's a long story. Let's just say he realised he could be himself at last."
"Fair enough," Jason nodded, "It must have been difficult for you guys at first...Not knowing if you would have to hide your feelings from everyone. I don't know how I would have coped with it. I suppose I'm lucky that I grew up here; I never had to be ashamed of who I was."
"Oh," Lister said, blinking as the penny dropped, "You mean you're..."
"Gay. Yes," Jason laughed, "God, you really are still sensitive about it, aren't you?"
"I'm sorry," Lister stammered, "I was just...I don't know. Sorry." He blushed and tried to continue with binding the wheat, "So, who's your boyfriend? Do I know him?"
"I'm single at the moment. Have been for a while."
"Really?" Lister asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. Jason looked at him, amused, and he found himself blushing for the second time in as many minutes. He hadn't meant it to sound like that, but he had been genuinely surprised. Jason was very good-looking and it seemed odd that he wouldn't have found anyone who thought so. In fact, the more he looked, the more he noticed just how attractive he was. "I mean...it's just...You're in such great shape, I would have thought you'd..." he trailed off embarrassed. Jason smiled sadly, "I went through a bad break-up a while ago. It put me off the whole couple thing for a bit."
"Oh, I see," Lister said sheepishly, and went back to what he was doing; silently resolving to try and not say anything else stupid for the next five minutes.
Jason was looking at him oddly. "Why do you never take your shirt off when we're working out here?" He asked suddenly, "Everyone else does. You must be boiling." Lister felt his cheeks burn red for a third bloody time and laughed nervously without looking up, "I don't look quite as good out of my clothes as you guys do."
"Oh, come on, like that matters. You'll tone up quick enough after a few more weeks of this."
"It's not just that," Lister said awkwardly.
"Well, what then?"
"I've...got scars," he finally admitted softly. He looked up, shyly, "From the battle..."
Jason's expression changed from curiosity to a kind of sympathetic realisation, "Oh...I remember! That's why you weren't around for ages. You were recovering..."
"Yeah."
"Is it bad?" Jason asked gently. Lister shrugged uncomfortably,
"Not really, I suppose. Just ugly." Jason looked at him seriously,
"You shouldn't feel ashamed about it, you know. I mean, if anything you should be proud of them."
"That's what Rimmer tells me," Lister smiled ruefully, "But being proud of how I got them doesn't make them look any better."
"I think scars are sexy," Jason told him loyally, with a mischievous smile.
"So does Rimmer. Luckily," Lister smiled back.
"Well, there you go then. Come on, strip!" Jason ordered him, tired of the debate. "There's no room for vanity out here. Seriously, you'll feel better. It's too hot for clothes; you'll make yourself ill."
"Right. Instead I'll just get sunburn."
"I've got lotion," Jason replied, "No more excuses. Off, off, off!" He tugged hard at Lister's shirt, grinning.
"Okay, alright!" Lister backed away, overwhelmed, "Smegging hell, man! Anyone ever tell you you're kind of pushy?"
"All the time." He seemed pleased with the fact.
Lister started to pull his shirt off, but fixed Jason with a look, "No staring, okay? If you stare I'm putting it right back on!"
"Stop stalling and take the damn thing off, Dave," he replied stoically, his arms folded. Squirming with embarrassment, Lister slipped the shirt over his head and dropped it to the ground. He had to admit, the feel of the cool air on his skin was very refreshing. He eyed Jason, "You're looking!"
"I just wanted to see what you were making such a fuss about," He eyed the two welts on Lister's side; one up on his ribcage, the other lower down on his waist.
"Crossbow bolts," Lister explained quietly, shuffling self-consciously. Jason whistled through his teeth,
"Two?"
"Yeah."
"Christ, you're one lucky bugger to survive that; I'll say that much," Jason shook his head, "Doesn't look that bad though," he added reassuringly, "If you'd caught a slash from a sword or something it would have looked a hell of a lot worse." He reached forward to touch lightly, but Lister backed away suddenly,
"I suppose so," he said quickly, picking up another wheat bundle and carrying on with work. He was trying to be nonchalant, but Jason had picked up on his reaction; although he chose not to say anything. "You'd better get some lotion on before you burn," he said pointedly, "Want me to do your shoulders for you?"
Lister seemed to relax slightly, "Yeah, okay then."
He stood still while Jason briskly rubbed the cream into his back and shoulders, then took the bottle himself to do the rest of the bits that needed it. As Jason tossed the bottle to him, he caught his eye and grinned, "Scars really are sexy, you know," he said meaningfully. Lister, despite himself, felt a blush spreading over his cheeks. And a smile.
