Fic: A Man's Man, part 4 (pg-13)
Oct. 20th, 2008 02:22 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
hazeltea.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
reddwarfslashTitle: A Man's Man, part 4
Pairing: Lister/Rimmer
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dwarf, and I do not profit from this. I just do this to amuse myself.
I'm using a prompt from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
lgbtfest, which I didn't have time to play with back then. Thank ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kahvi for the awesome prompt.
617. Red Dwarf: Arnold Judas Rimmer/David Lister. While being Ace, Rimmer is confronted with a dimensional alternate of himself that is openly gay, and in a relationship with that dimension's Lister. This awakens his long-repressed homosexuality, and in desperation, he sets out to find a way to cure it.
This comes after
A Man's Man part 1
A Man's Man part 2
A Man's Man part 3
Lister was still fuming to himself when he caught sight of Ace. The man was reassembling some part of the navigation controls with a screwdriver, surveying his work before switching tools with a slight frown of concentration. Every movement was precise, so like his lover, yet so very different. Lister felt his heart flutter a bit in admiration before he could control it. He sternly scolded himself that would not even flirt, much less prove Rimmer’s suspicions right, assuring himself that it was to prove Rimmer wrong. His anger was too fresh for him to want to admit that he knew it was just as much that he refused to willingly hurt the hologram; if Lister lost his hard earned trust, he knew that he might never regain it.
Ace looked up, and smiled that heroic grin that made Lister’s stomach flip. “How’s the bump, Davey-boy?” he asked, flipping his meticulously highlighted hair from his deep hazel eyes.
Smegging hell, he was behaving like a schoolgirl. “Fine, thanks to you, Ace.” He replied, shuffling towards him. “I figured I’d lend a hand, less trouble for you.”
“No trouble at all.” Ace replied, and Lister cocked his head, sure that he’d heard a bit more of Arn than Ace in that voice. He sighed as he began to assist with the re-installation of the console.
“What’s eating you, Skipper?” Ace asked after a moment, hoisting the unit into place gracefully. It was a job that would have required the strength of at least three humans. Lister sucked in his breath. His Rimmer could do the same, he reminded himself. This was just misplaced lust.
“Nothing… just…” There was something about Ace that made you vulnerable, Lister realized. Something about the man that made you want to rely on him, be protected by him; trust him with your problems, knowing that he would set your entire world right. Lister hesitated, but when he glanced up, he met Ace’s green tinged eyes and found that he couldn’t look away.
“Had a bit of a row with Arn.” He admitted, looking down. “You know how he is around you.”
“Ah.” Ace looked mildly uncomfortable.
“It’s not your fault.” Lister said, hurriedly. “I know he probably said some awful things to you. Just don’t pay any attention. I mean, we all really appreciate you helping us out and all.”
Ace shrugged. “It’s understandable.” For a moment he paused, and it appeared that he wanted to say more. Finally, Ace looked down, busying himself with the control panel.
“He’s jealous.” Lister murmured. With good reason, a part of him nagged.
“Yes, we established that last time, I’m afraid.” Rimmer was certain that the last time had been the same sort of ordeal that he had been through with Ace.
“Yeah, well, he wasn’t my man back then.” Lister replied, sneaking a sidelong glace at Ace, who fumbled with his screwdriver.
“Pardon?” Ace asked, in a slightly more Rimmerish tone than he’d intended.
Lister looked as awkward as Rimmer felt. “Yeah, I figured I ought t’warn you. It’s only fair that you know why he’s at your throat.” It was the right thing to do, but Lister felt out of place having to explain his relationship, something that had evolved on his own terms and felt natural and comfortable when not being laid out to judge by an outsider.
“So… you and he…” Ace made an uncertain gesture with his hands, settling on locking his fingers together.
Lister smirked. ”Yeah. That and a couple other body parts.”
“I see.” Ace replied, looking stunned.
Lister looked up at him. “Don’t feel weird about it, or anything. I mean… it’s him I want, even though you’re him. Only not.” Smeg, he was babbling like an idiot now!
Ace seemed to come out of his stupor, then. “No worries, Skipper. I’m just… surprised. “
“You and your Lister weren’t like that, I know. Things happen, I’d just hate for you to…” what? Lister wondered. Be repulsed by him? Yes, that was what he was going for. He’d be sorely disappointed if Ace began to avoid him. “To be uncomfortable.” He finished, in an attempt to not sound as self centered as he was.
“So you fought about me.” Ace said, simply, not meeting his gaze any longer.
“Well, yeah.” Lister replied. “I mean… you’re amazing…” Lister shifted on his feet. “He thinks I’ll run off with you or something.”
“Did you tell him that you wouldn’t?” Ace asked, as he tightened the screws on the interface display.
“I shouldn’t have to!” he cried. “He should trust me.” Lister scowled. “After all we’ve been through…”
“You never told him that you wouldn’t.” Ace said, quietly. “You say how amazing I am, but you never told him how amazing you think he is, now did you? ”
“He should know. He should know all of that.” Lister said, softly. “He knows I’m with him. He knows.”
Ace looked annoyed, for just a split second. “He doesn’t know. Trust me.”
Lister nodded, unsure of what else to say, and unsure of his feelings. Ace was right, of course. He knew all about Rimmer’s insecurities. He couldn’t expect the other to be well adjusted, or even halfway sane when it came to their relationship, or any relationship, for that matter. Slowly, he felt the anger drain from him, replaced by a tender pang of sympathy for the man that he loved.
Ace stood, wiping imaginary dust from his hands. “Good as new, Davey-boy.” He grinned.
Lister ran his hand over the console, now glowing reassuringly with light. “Heh.” He smiled at Ace, and was rewarded with a small grin in return. What a guy.
*****************************
Rimmer’s heart was thundering as he turned to exit Starbug after saying his goodbyes. Had the Wildfire brought him here on purpose? She seemed set on making him uncomfortable, after all. Was she simply seeing how much he could take before he had an electronic aneurism? Maybe that was it! Maybe she secretly wanted a new Ace, and was trying to kill him.
“Not so fast, my old fruit salad.” Rimmer winced as his own voice echoed in the corridor behind him. “You and I have to set something straight before you go.”
Just keep going, Rimmer’s common sense told him, but Ace made him freeze, and turn. “And that would be?” I helped you, you ungrateful pile of fetid smeg, he cursed silently. Just go back to Lister and do… whatever it is that I don’t want to think about, that I suddenly can’t stop thinking about.
He paled as his alternate held up his left hand, displaying a faintly glowing hologramatic ring. “The last human alive has sworn his life to me.” He replied, smugly. “What have you got, then?” His eyes gleamed in a way that Rimmer had never seen in his own expression. That ring, and what it represented, was clearly the center of this unbalanced man’s world.
“He chose me, Ace. Me! When he could have had any of them, any of those disks. He refused Kochanski’s disk. I serve and protect humanity every bit as much as you, you know, without the thanks. If you make a mistake, it’s regrettable, now isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be the end. But you see, I don’t have that sort of luxury. If I make a mistake, it’s extinction.” Hazel eyes narrowed with a meanness that was thoroughly recognizable, this time. “You look down on me as though you’re so much better, and maybe you are, maybe you’re everything that I failed to be. Just remember this when you think about your Lister. Just remember what I have.” With a self satisfied snarl, his alternate spun elegantly on one heel and clicked down the corridor.
Rimmer felt his stomach sink. He had to get out of there. He was fairly sure that he was losing his mind. With that sole thought, he broke into a brisk run towards the questionable safety of the Wildfire.
Pairing: Lister/Rimmer
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Red Dwarf, and I do not profit from this. I just do this to amuse myself.
I'm using a prompt from
lgbtfest, which I didn't have time to play with back then. Thank kahvi for the awesome prompt.617. Red Dwarf: Arnold Judas Rimmer/David Lister. While being Ace, Rimmer is confronted with a dimensional alternate of himself that is openly gay, and in a relationship with that dimension's Lister. This awakens his long-repressed homosexuality, and in desperation, he sets out to find a way to cure it.
This comes after
A Man's Man part 1
A Man's Man part 2
A Man's Man part 3
Lister was still fuming to himself when he caught sight of Ace. The man was reassembling some part of the navigation controls with a screwdriver, surveying his work before switching tools with a slight frown of concentration. Every movement was precise, so like his lover, yet so very different. Lister felt his heart flutter a bit in admiration before he could control it. He sternly scolded himself that would not even flirt, much less prove Rimmer’s suspicions right, assuring himself that it was to prove Rimmer wrong. His anger was too fresh for him to want to admit that he knew it was just as much that he refused to willingly hurt the hologram; if Lister lost his hard earned trust, he knew that he might never regain it.
Ace looked up, and smiled that heroic grin that made Lister’s stomach flip. “How’s the bump, Davey-boy?” he asked, flipping his meticulously highlighted hair from his deep hazel eyes.
Smegging hell, he was behaving like a schoolgirl. “Fine, thanks to you, Ace.” He replied, shuffling towards him. “I figured I’d lend a hand, less trouble for you.”
“No trouble at all.” Ace replied, and Lister cocked his head, sure that he’d heard a bit more of Arn than Ace in that voice. He sighed as he began to assist with the re-installation of the console.
“What’s eating you, Skipper?” Ace asked after a moment, hoisting the unit into place gracefully. It was a job that would have required the strength of at least three humans. Lister sucked in his breath. His Rimmer could do the same, he reminded himself. This was just misplaced lust.
“Nothing… just…” There was something about Ace that made you vulnerable, Lister realized. Something about the man that made you want to rely on him, be protected by him; trust him with your problems, knowing that he would set your entire world right. Lister hesitated, but when he glanced up, he met Ace’s green tinged eyes and found that he couldn’t look away.
“Had a bit of a row with Arn.” He admitted, looking down. “You know how he is around you.”
“Ah.” Ace looked mildly uncomfortable.
“It’s not your fault.” Lister said, hurriedly. “I know he probably said some awful things to you. Just don’t pay any attention. I mean, we all really appreciate you helping us out and all.”
Ace shrugged. “It’s understandable.” For a moment he paused, and it appeared that he wanted to say more. Finally, Ace looked down, busying himself with the control panel.
“He’s jealous.” Lister murmured. With good reason, a part of him nagged.
“Yes, we established that last time, I’m afraid.” Rimmer was certain that the last time had been the same sort of ordeal that he had been through with Ace.
“Yeah, well, he wasn’t my man back then.” Lister replied, sneaking a sidelong glace at Ace, who fumbled with his screwdriver.
“Pardon?” Ace asked, in a slightly more Rimmerish tone than he’d intended.
Lister looked as awkward as Rimmer felt. “Yeah, I figured I ought t’warn you. It’s only fair that you know why he’s at your throat.” It was the right thing to do, but Lister felt out of place having to explain his relationship, something that had evolved on his own terms and felt natural and comfortable when not being laid out to judge by an outsider.
“So… you and he…” Ace made an uncertain gesture with his hands, settling on locking his fingers together.
Lister smirked. ”Yeah. That and a couple other body parts.”
“I see.” Ace replied, looking stunned.
Lister looked up at him. “Don’t feel weird about it, or anything. I mean… it’s him I want, even though you’re him. Only not.” Smeg, he was babbling like an idiot now!
Ace seemed to come out of his stupor, then. “No worries, Skipper. I’m just… surprised. “
“You and your Lister weren’t like that, I know. Things happen, I’d just hate for you to…” what? Lister wondered. Be repulsed by him? Yes, that was what he was going for. He’d be sorely disappointed if Ace began to avoid him. “To be uncomfortable.” He finished, in an attempt to not sound as self centered as he was.
“So you fought about me.” Ace said, simply, not meeting his gaze any longer.
“Well, yeah.” Lister replied. “I mean… you’re amazing…” Lister shifted on his feet. “He thinks I’ll run off with you or something.”
“Did you tell him that you wouldn’t?” Ace asked, as he tightened the screws on the interface display.
“I shouldn’t have to!” he cried. “He should trust me.” Lister scowled. “After all we’ve been through…”
“You never told him that you wouldn’t.” Ace said, quietly. “You say how amazing I am, but you never told him how amazing you think he is, now did you? ”
“He should know. He should know all of that.” Lister said, softly. “He knows I’m with him. He knows.”
Ace looked annoyed, for just a split second. “He doesn’t know. Trust me.”
Lister nodded, unsure of what else to say, and unsure of his feelings. Ace was right, of course. He knew all about Rimmer’s insecurities. He couldn’t expect the other to be well adjusted, or even halfway sane when it came to their relationship, or any relationship, for that matter. Slowly, he felt the anger drain from him, replaced by a tender pang of sympathy for the man that he loved.
Ace stood, wiping imaginary dust from his hands. “Good as new, Davey-boy.” He grinned.
Lister ran his hand over the console, now glowing reassuringly with light. “Heh.” He smiled at Ace, and was rewarded with a small grin in return. What a guy.
*****************************
Rimmer’s heart was thundering as he turned to exit Starbug after saying his goodbyes. Had the Wildfire brought him here on purpose? She seemed set on making him uncomfortable, after all. Was she simply seeing how much he could take before he had an electronic aneurism? Maybe that was it! Maybe she secretly wanted a new Ace, and was trying to kill him.
“Not so fast, my old fruit salad.” Rimmer winced as his own voice echoed in the corridor behind him. “You and I have to set something straight before you go.”
Just keep going, Rimmer’s common sense told him, but Ace made him freeze, and turn. “And that would be?” I helped you, you ungrateful pile of fetid smeg, he cursed silently. Just go back to Lister and do… whatever it is that I don’t want to think about, that I suddenly can’t stop thinking about.
He paled as his alternate held up his left hand, displaying a faintly glowing hologramatic ring. “The last human alive has sworn his life to me.” He replied, smugly. “What have you got, then?” His eyes gleamed in a way that Rimmer had never seen in his own expression. That ring, and what it represented, was clearly the center of this unbalanced man’s world.
“He chose me, Ace. Me! When he could have had any of them, any of those disks. He refused Kochanski’s disk. I serve and protect humanity every bit as much as you, you know, without the thanks. If you make a mistake, it’s regrettable, now isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be the end. But you see, I don’t have that sort of luxury. If I make a mistake, it’s extinction.” Hazel eyes narrowed with a meanness that was thoroughly recognizable, this time. “You look down on me as though you’re so much better, and maybe you are, maybe you’re everything that I failed to be. Just remember this when you think about your Lister. Just remember what I have.” With a self satisfied snarl, his alternate spun elegantly on one heel and clicked down the corridor.
Rimmer felt his stomach sink. He had to get out of there. He was fairly sure that he was losing his mind. With that sole thought, he broke into a brisk run towards the questionable safety of the Wildfire.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Ahhh love it!
Date: 2008-10-21 12:09 pm (UTC)Oh wait...
that's in MY Brain
Ah well I can dream
Re: Ahhh love it!
Date: 2008-10-25 03:44 am (UTC)Re: Ahhh love it!
Date: 2008-10-25 05:08 pm (UTC)