Ficlet: Risk

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Fic: Risk
Pairing: Rimmer/Lister
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Rimmer finally gets Lister to agree to play Risk with him.
Notes: This takes place sometime around Series X.

The invading forces swept through Mongolia and into Irkutsk. Their triumphant commander surveyed his armies. "Next stop, Kamchatka." His beleaguered opponent took up the dice again with a hollow groan. They rolled. Two sixes and a five to the other's four and a two.

"Yee-ess," Lister cheered, as Rimmer, looking as hang-dog as he ever had, removed two pieces from the board, lining them up neatly with their fallen comrades. "In your face, smeghead!" He laughed as Rimmer stared mournfully at the map.

"I don't understand it," he complained, absently taking the dice Lister pressed into his hand. They rolled again. Two more green soldiers fell. "At first, I thought it was just beginner's luck, but this is the fourth time we've played, and you're still winning." Another roll. The territory fell. Japan, with one lone green defender stood no chance. "I've been playing this for years, perfecting my strategy. How is this happening?"

Lister snickered, taking the last of the Asian territories. Only Alaska and the Northwest Territories stood in the way of total global domination, but those could wait until next turn. He drew his cards. "Must be my natural charisma and leadership qualities. My men would follow me anywhere."

"That's another thing," Rimmer continued, launching a futile attack on Greenland. "I thought you hated all this 'war smeg' as you so eloquently put it. You agreed to play the first time, because you lost a bet. Why do you keep playing?"

Lister grinned wider, "I keep winning. Maybe I just like giving you a good pounding." He realized the import of his words when Rimmer's startled gaze flew to his. He gave an exaggerated leer, and watched the other man colour, dice forgotten in his hand. Interesting, that. He held Rimmer's gaze for a long moment, before nodding pointedly to his hand. "Your roll, Rimsy."

Rimmer blinked rapidly, "What? Right, of course." He let the dice fall. They each lost one. Unfortunately, that left Rimmer's army unable to attack further. With a sigh, he handed the dice back to Lister, bracing for his imminent defeat.

"Y'know," Lister said, carefully counting out his armies, and adding them to the board. "We don't have to play the last turn. We already know I've won."

"What, just give up? Admit defeat? I'm a man of honour, Listy, a man of fortitude. I stand my ground to the end."

"Oh, yeah?" Lister challenged, cocking an eyebrow.

"At Risk, certainly."

"Oh, at Risk." Lister nodded in mock understanding, before changing tactics. "Are you sure?" Getting to his feet before he could think better of it, he stalked over to where Rimmer sat, and leaned in close to the startled hologram. Dropping his voice, he added, "We could discuss the terms of your surrender." To his delight, instead of turning red or moving away, comprehension seemed to dawn on Rimmer's face.

Raising an eyebrow of his own, Rimmer hesitated only a moment to clear his throat, before asking, voice hoarser than usual, "What did you have in mind?"

From there, Lister never was quite certain afterwards how things happened, but somehow he ended up with his tongue halfway down Rimmer's throat, Rimmer sprawled over the abandoned Risk board, his legs tight around Lister's hips, and colourful plastic pieces littering the floor around them.

It took him a moment to realize that Rimmer's hands were shoving him away rather than pulling him closer. "Sorry, man, sorry," he panted, backing off, as Rimmer, lips red and hair mussed, struggled to sit up. He groped behind him and ruefully extracted a blue soldier from beneath his left buttock. Relieved, Lister burst out laughing. For a moment, Rimmer's lips just twitched, and then, miraculously, he began laughing, too. It was a nice laugh, Lister realized, warm, open, one he would give good money to hear more often. He stepped forward to embrace the man, feeling lighter as hands wrapped around his back in return.

He was still smiling when they broke apart. Rimmer slowly turned pink under his gaze, reaching up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. He licked his lips quickly, a gesture Lister found himself very interested in. "That was." Rimmer cleared his throat and tried again. "That was interesting."

"Yeah," Lister agreed, unable to stop grinning at the way Rimmer's body seem to unconsciously lean towards his.

Rimmer licked his lips again, quick, nervous, but unable to stop the smile tugging at them, either. "However," he continued, "I don't think we've finished discussing the terms of my surrender."

"No?" Lister asked innocently, sliding his hands slowly up Rimmer's thighs. "Don't worry. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be signing my treaty."