A/N - For those of you who want to know, a more explicit version of this chapter is available at the RDSS. Your choice...

They were sitting on the sofa in Alex's room, a clichéd action movie running on the vid screen. Lister had his feet tucked up beneath him; Alex was slouched down with his legs stretched out in front of him, both of them working on finishing off Alex's beer stash and making fun of the film. They were both a little drunk and Lister could still feel the warm burn of tequila in his chest. He knew that shot had been a bad idea.

Alex turned round and looked at him, "That a new t-shirt you're wearing?"

"Yeah," Lister preened slightly, pleased that Alex had actually noticed, "You like it?"

"Red looks good on you," Alex commented, "You should wear it more often."

"I'll wear it every day," Lister proclaimed, with drunken grandeur, "Then maybe someone will fall in love with me."

"Aw, Dave..."

"Who knows? It might work."

"You're nutsh...nuts, I mean."

"Yeah, well you're pissed."

"So're you."

"Yeah."

They turned back to the film but it was over. "Smeg. Did you see what happened?"

"No. But it doesn't matter; I think I could probably guess." They both took a swig from their beer bottles.

"Are you going to ask out that barmaid?" Lister asked suddenly.

"Why?" Alex asked; his voice slightly tense, "D'you fancy her?"

"No. I was just wondering."

"Hmph."

"She seemed to really like you. The way she was touching you and everything...Trying to make you laugh..."

"Hmph."

"And she was checking out that little dimple in your chin."

"You have one of those too."

"Yeah, but yours is better."

"How?"

"Just is."

Alex grinned, "They seem about even to me."

"Okay, well you've got better cheekbones."

"You've got nicer eyes."

"You've got a perfect square jaw."

"You've got a perfect complexion."

"You're thinner than me."

"You look better in red. This could go on all night."

"Bet you'd run out of nice things to say before I did."

"Dave?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

Alex leaned over and gently cupped his face in his hands; and then Alex's mouth was on his and they were kissing, soft and deep. Lister felt the tips of their tongues touch just slightly. He could feel his head spinning lightly. He really, really, shouldn't have had that tequila.

When Alex's lips finally left his, he opened his eyes and they regarded each other silently. "That was...weird," Lister said finally.

"Are you angry with me?" Alex asked anxiously. They were both whispering, but neither of them were sure why. "No...I don't think so," Lister shook his head.

"Was it...okay?" Alex seemed genuinely nervous, "I've never done it like that before. With a guy, I mean."

"It was definitely..." Lister searched for the right word, "Different. But," he paused thoughtfully, "Good different. If you know what I mean." Alex seemed relieved, but still a little edgy. "Have you ever done that before?"

"No."

"Did you like it?"

Lister thought about the way his lips were still tingling, the butterflies in his stomach, the warm pulsing between his legs. "Yeah," he said softly.

"Me too," Alex whispered, "Is that bad?"

"I don't know," Lister whispered back, "We had a lot to drink...Maybe we..." They seemed to move closer somehow as he spoke; looking up at each other through their eyelashes as their faces came nearer and nearer. "Perhaps..." Lister tried again, in a soft murmur. He felt Alex's warmth on his skin; felt him nuzzle against him. "...we should..."

His lips were still parted, still trying to form words that he couldn't quite get out, when Alex covered them with his own. They sank into another kiss and already it was more familiar, already they were learning each other; their different movements, different techniques, different tastes...

He felt Alex's hand travel up his thigh, then pause, nervously. Eyes still closed, he let his own hand wander - letting instinct guide him- to the catch of Alex's jeans. Slowly...carefully, he undid the button, pulled down the zip, and slid his hand inside. Without breaking their kiss, Alex drew in a deep breath against Lister's mouth; then kissed him harder.

Lister let him control the kiss, his own mind focusing on something... somewhere...else. He could feel the long, hard line of Alex's cock, so erect it lay almost flat against his stomach beneath the soft fabric of his boxers. It felt so warm, so strong beneath his curious fingers. Everything about Alex's body was strong. His arms, his shoulders, his hard, toned stomach muscles; all of it so unlike a woman's soft, giving body. He wondered what it said about him that he was so turned on by this; whether this made him weaker, more feminine. But he didn't feel feminine. In fact, he'd never felt more masculine, more aware of his own body, in his whole life. You could almost smell the testosterone sizzling in the air between them.

He felt Alex's hands eagerly pulling his trousers open and down; relieving the cruel pressure on his own burning erection. It sprang free and he sighed with pleasure. His balls felt huge; swollen and heavy. He was going to need a release soon, he couldn't hold back much longer. Next thing he knew, his t-shirt was being lifted up over his head and Alex was pushing him back across the sofa, his mouth moving over his neck, his chest, his nipples. Lister gathered up a couple of handfuls of Alex's shirt in his hands and pulled it up over his back and off. They embraced, each relishing the feel of the other's naked torso, kissing passionately.

Lister grabbed the waistband of Alex's jeans and boxers and eased them down over his buttocks. Once he was free of them, Alex propped himself up on his hands, and his mouth started to make its way down Lister's body. "Oh fuck, Alex!" was all Lister managed to get out before the power of speech deserted him altogether.

He almost went off right away, but a sudden thought, a sudden need of his own held him back. With great effort, he managed to move Alex's mouth off him, "Wait...wait a sec..." He wriggled and turned around so that he was lying the other way, his head by Alex's lap, and it didn't take long for Alex to catch his drift. Tangled together on the sofa, it only took moments for them to come together, writhing and moaning as they rocked each other to an intense, all-consuming orgasm.

They lay silently for a moment or two, fighting to get some control, some perspective back. It was Alex who spoke first, "Christ, Dave, what the hell did we just do?"

"I know." There was another short silence as this sank in.

"So...You wanna stay here tonight?"

"Yeah. But let's try and make it to the bed, okay?"