reddwarfslash | Double Trouble

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Double Trouble – Part 3

Rimmer lay rigid on his bunk, staring blankly ahead into the darkness. His double was clearly deranged; there could be no question about it. The man was in love with Lister for smeg’s sake and what further proof could you need? It was pure narcissism for him to project his twisted desires onto Rimmer. He’d spent too long in that escape pod probably. All the stuff he’d told Rimmer about that other universe was most likely one big delusion he’d convinced himself of while floating alone in space. Yes, that was probably it. Space crazy - that was his problem. Nothing at all to do with old Arnie J. Still...

Lister lay on his back, arms folded beneath his head, trying to unwind after his long shift in the cockpit. He had checked and re-checked the scanners obsessively all day, anxious to prevent any repeat of what had happened on the alternate Starbug, but the stress was starting to get to him. He needed to relax. He needed to think about something else. He wondered if Rimmer had enjoyed any luck in bonding with their new crew-member. Both Rimmers had lain very low today and he hadn’t seen either of them since breakfast. Experience told him that they’d probably traded a selection of increasingly petty put-downs before retreating to separate corners of the ship to sulk, but there was always hope. Maybe they’d spent the time poring over some telegraph poles or rhapsodising about Yvonne McGruder. Maybe by tomorrow the new Rimmer would have mellowed a bit and they could get on with their lives without this awful tension hanging around like a toothache. Maybe...

Rimmer entered the cockpit and was surprised to see Lister sitting alone at the controls. “I thought your shift ended hours ago,” he remarked.

“It did, but I came back and took over from Cat,” Lister traced a finger restlessly around the head of the joystick, “I can’t sleep,”

“Me either,” Rimmer dropped into his chair, “Mind if I join you?”

“Nah,” Lister smiled warmly, “I could use the company.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Rimmer cleared his throat, “I er...did what you asked.”

“And?”

“I’m not sure what to tell you,” Rimmer said honestly. Lister shrugged,

“That’s up to you, I suppose. Both of you.”

“I just...don’t know what to think about him yet.”

“Maybe I should talk to him,” Lister’s finger continued its slow path around the control lever as he thought. Rimmer swallowed hard, “No,” he said urgently, “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“I think you should stay away from him,” Rimmer said, uncertain of where the words were coming from. Lister smiled, “What’s this? Are you jealous at the thought of me spending time with another Rimmer?”

“I’m not jealous,” Rimmer snapped, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t try and make me feel...”

“Feel what?” Lister seemed amused.

“Like you’re mine! You’re not mine. You never have been!”

“Rimmer,” Lister got out of his chair and came to perch on Rimmer’s console, “You know that’s not true. I’ve always been yours,” he reached out to stroke his cheek and Rimmer closed his eyes. “You just never reached out to take me.”

“No,” Rimmer said, even as he clasped Lister’s hand to his face. “That’s not true. If I tell you how much I want you, you’ll laugh at me. You’ll tell the others and you’ll all laugh at me! You’ve lied to me before. You told me you loved me!”

“I wasn’t lying,” Lister whispered to him, “If you tell me how you feel I’ll show you I wasn’t lying...”

“No...” Rimmer murmured, turning his face and pressing his lips to the silken skin on the inside of Lister’s wrist, “It’s a trick. You’ll hurt me. You always hurt me.”

“If you tell me you want me, I’ll let you hurt me. I’ll let you do whatever you want.”

“Lies!” Rimmer gasped desperately. He jumped up and pulled Lister to him, crushing him to his chest and kissing him over and over again. “Why...do you...always...lie?”

“He knows I’m not lying,” Lister purred through the kisses, “He sees everything you miss. He understands what I mean when I smile at you. He understands everything.”

“Stay away from him,” Rimmer growled, starting to tear at Lister’s clothes, “Don’t go near him. He’s not like me. Do you understand? Lister? Lister! Lister........!”

Rimmer jolted awake, sweating and painfully erect. The dream was slipping away fast but enough of it remained to make him groan to himself, “Oh smeg. It’s true...” He fell back against the pillows and reached for his cock, unsure why – lingering just below the desire – he felt an awful feeling of dread.

Lister was still sleeping. In his dream he was surrounded by Rimmers. Rimmers in blue uniforms, Rimmers in red, Rimmers in gold flight suits with long hair and confident smiles, Rimmers in suspenders carrying holo-whips in their hands. Enough Rimmers to fill a zero-gee stadium and more. Some of them were smiling, some of them were glaring, but they were all talking at once and they were all trying to tell him something...something important. “One at a time!” he was shouting, “I can only cope with one of you at a time!” He rolled over, half-waking and for a moment he was sure there was a Rimmer here with him in the darkness of his sleeping quarters, standing over his bed. But then he closed his eyes again, falling back into a fitful sleep and he knew it must be part of his dream. “Rimmer...” he murmured, but then tailed off into a snore and didn’t stir again. Even when the door to his quarters hummed softly open and a shadowy figure slipped out of his room into the dark corridor.

Double Trouble - Part 3

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