veronica_rich: (not quite right L/R)
[personal profile] veronica_rich
"After Hours"
NC-17 rated, or M if you like
Summary: Each night, Lister and Rimmer need to shut off shop talk; it's a ritual Lister insists upon.
Disclaimer: Property of GNP and others; no profit earned here. Move along, counsel.
Spoilers: Takes place sometime soon after "Dear Dave" in Series X.
A/N: Unbetaed L/R vignette I wanted out of my head; all mistakes my own. (NOT the story I promised Carrie - it's coming soon, too.)


“Regulations clearly state you should be-“

“I don’t give two good smegs about the regulations.”

“You never do, and that’s the very heart of the problem; isn’t it time you started caring?”

Lister glanced at the oven clock, which was nearest him. “Actually, this is not the time, no.”

Rimmer frowned, the action wrinkling up his face. “Always putting off growing u-“

“In fact, Rimmer,” he interrupted before the man could spit out something that’d change his mind, “it’s not the time at all. Can’t you see the time?”

“What’s that got to do … Oh,” Rimmer trailed off as he saw the clock flashing 9:33. He kept his screwed-up frown a moment, and Lister knew he wanted to disagree. To finish and try to win. He pointed at Lister, snapping his fingers. “You’re still using the name.”

Lister sighed and nodded. “So I did.” He waited a beat. “It’s past nine-thirty, Arn.” He cocked his head. “Okay? Please?” He softened his voice to what worked.

Within about ten seconds, Rimmer let his expression relax visibly. “All right, Dave.” It was their nightly signal.

“Thanks.” Lister shrugged off his jacket with a few soft whooshes as the breaking leather crinkled, draped it over the back of a stool, and reached up to cup Rimmer’s jaw as he leaned in and met Lister’s lips in a long kiss. Their bodies relaxed much more guardedly, making their nightly adjustments from the daily work Rimmer insisted they tackle, into simply being together, through this weird Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hide-the-Sausage relationship technique Lister had read about in some ancient magazine. He was adamant they not go to bed angry or estranged each night, instead, putting any work squabbles on ice until after next day’s breakfast (which for Lister was anywhere from 8 to after noon). When 9:30 in the evening rolled ‘round, if one of them was not on watch, they had to switch to first names only and drop any work subject – even if they were with Cat and Kryten. It was a clear win for Lister, who then had twelve hours more or less to try to change Rimmer’s mind about some stupid report or other.

When the kiss ended, Lister leaned against him, eyes shut while their noses pressed together. Blindly, he walked his fingers up into the tightly-wound reddish concoction on top of Rimmer’s head, his lips curling into a silent laugh as he heard the air-blow of consternation that accompanied this part of the ritual most nights. He began tugging at strands, teasing out locks of hair sturdy with gel and rubbing them between his fingers until he could feel them softening and looping around his knuckles. He kissed Rimmer again, very slowly, as his fingers plowed and scrunched and carded, licking his teeth and tongue until the man practically purred “Listy” and hauled him closer by his backside.

By now, Lister knew where to reach without looking to hit the button that extended the lower bunk out toward the table into a double. They still wore a few clothes as they ended up in bed, but it wasn’t sex he was after immediately; neither did Rimmer push it, kissing him back somewhat breathlessly and with a little less aggression. Eventually Lister pulled back and waited until Rimmer opened his eyes, darker now, and fixed on him. “How was your day?” he began.

“Long,” he admitted on a sigh. “Had this annoying little toerag not listen to a goited thing I told him.” Lister laughed quietly. “Yours?”

“About what you’d expect,” he reported with a small shrug. “A petty dictator on my tits for the joy of power.” Rimmer rolled his eyes, but with a tiny smile – worlds better than the indignation and bluster that marked his first responses to this little game several months ago. “I’m pretty sure he just needs to get his leg over.”

“Is that so.”

Lister grinned like mad at the soft tone. “Yeah. And, he’s always interrupting me studying. Like that robotics certification’s gonna pass itself.”

“Maybe he just wants to know you’re not wasting work time pretending to read, by seeing what you’ve learned,” Rimmer suggested merrily. “Maybe he walks in and sees you with that nose in a book, and thinks its incredibly, really sexy, and can’t resist bothering you.”

“You think?” Off Rimmer’s bare nod, he scrunched his brow. “Hmm … wonder what I need to do about it.”

It was Rimmer’s turn to kiss him, long and deep, and whisper, “Say something engineery,” against his mouth.

“Mmph,” Lister thought out loud. “Coolant. Wires. Piston.” Rimmer murmured approvingly, his hand curling around Lister’s own hard shaft. “Diodes. Insulation. Coolant.”

“Said that already,” Rimmer muttered, his thumb grazing the sticky head, long fingers wrapping and stroking. “Sorry,” Lister apologized, as he thought Lips. Tongue. Big nose. Fingernails. Touch. Fuuuuuck. “Protocols. Hard … warm metal,” he gasped as fingertips caressed his balls. He reached into Rimmer’s hair and squeezed a handful of thick curls, grateful they were long enough not to pull too hard at his scalp. “O-rings. Cables. Wren-ches,” he drew out as the hand palmed the underside of his shaft and rubbed up and down. His hips rocked. Your lips around my cock, Arn … oh sweet need, please.

“More,” Rimmer was ordering, licking his neck as he scooted in closer and got a knee between Lister’s. He’d willed the rest of his holographic clothes away and Lister felt the heat of his skin through his thin t-shirt. “Tell me about those pistons …”

“Oh,” Lister groaned, as the other man used his hand to cup both cocks together. “The pistons. Um … long and hard, and hard, and … powerful.”

“Indeed?” Rimmer’s voice was strained, too.

“Oh, yeah.” He lifted his foot and curled the leg around Rimmer’s hip, leaning into him. He licked his lips, staring at Rimmer’s mouth. “And boilers … They need constant … stroke, and lick and suck, to run at their best.” He gave up and lunged at that mouth, enveloping it, letting Rimmer roll him onto his back as they took their time, then, and rutted and wrestled their way to climaxes, Lister first for a switch.

When he came back to himself a couple of minutes later and could breathe again, his face was half-immersed in that lovely strawberry brunet hair, as Rimmer still panted quietly into his chest. “Easy,” he soothed, settling a hand on the back of his shoulder and rubbing, as Rimmer turned his head enough to clearly say, “You certainly are.”

“Hey!” Lister barked. Rimmer began laughing; so did he, feeling the rest of the tension bleed off. “I’M easy … I’m not the one putting out for a little vocabulary, miladdo.” He did a fair imitation of Rimmerian officiousness, reaching back behind the pillow for a handful of tissues to pass down to him. “You don’t have to shift just yet,” he reassured Rimmer, putting the hand back on his shoulder.

But Rimmer lifted up to clean them off, settling afterwards hovering over him, forearms on the pillow bracketing his head. “The real thing is, Dave,” he asked, tugging at his dreadlocks as he resettled them, “is, do you know what all of that means and how it all works?”

He thought that over. “So far, yeah,” he nodded. He didn’t have to lie; there was a time Rimmer would have been insanely offended that Lister could pick up on anything that gave Rimmer such difficulty, but so far he’d been surprisingly supportive of Lister’s studies. “I just have an aptitude for that stuff. Gran said I was taking Dad’s model cars apart when I was little and sometimes putting parts of them back together right.”

“Jim seemed like he’d be good at that, too.” Lister nodded. They didn’t talk much about the twins, but he suspected Rimmer knew he thought about them more days than not. Especially lately, after the post and all.

“Well, he would be. They both might. Makes sense, I mean, since they’re basically clones of me. Not really my kids in the regular way one would be with some different woman’s DNA in there, too, are they?”

“I think of them as children,” Rimmer countered. “You were miserable with them for nine months; that has to count for something.”

Lister counted some white strands in Rimmer’s hair, reminded of how long this argument had gone on. “Wasn’t all misery.” Some days had been nice, even sort of blissful. But not the illness; not feeling giant and clumsy; and not the horniness, especially the days when Rimmer had looked good- He laughed at the irony of it, took pity on Rimmer’s suddenly confused expression, and leaned up for a quick kiss.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say it, but Kryten’s right. You need to quit moping for what and who isn’t in reach, and focus on what you’ve got in your life now."

“You mean sort of like a promotion that just isn’t happening?” Lister asked dryly. He tried to mitigate it by reaching up and smoothing back some of Rimmer’s frizz. “We’ve all got things we want that we can’t have, Arn. Doesn’t make us want ‘em less, or bad for it.”

“Believe me,” he said, turning his head and resting its side on Lister’s chest again, “I know.”

Date: 2012-11-03 06:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bayliss.livejournal.com
Oh that was lovely dear. Just the right amount of angst to go with the HOT.
:-)

Date: 2012-11-04 04:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
I try my best - glad you liked it!

Date: 2012-11-03 06:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] janamelie.livejournal.com
Aaah, this is lovely. Sweet, sexy and bringing in all the themes that weren't addressed in the ep and should have been, such as the fact that Rimmer's also obsessed with something he can't have (promotion). And of course the twins - of course they'd come up in the wake of this ep. :) And the two relaxing at the end of the day.

And did I mention sexy?;)

EDIT: Thanks for reminding me why I love these characters - I've been reading too much meta, I think. :)
Edited Date: 2012-11-03 06:46 pm (UTC)

Date: 2012-11-04 04:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
Meta is fascinating, but I swear to God it's the death of actual enjoyment of fandom. I've seen it happen; I've experienced it. You gotta be careful when consuming or participating in meta and limit yourself. :-)

Happy you enjoyed it - now go write something yourself!

Date: 2012-11-03 07:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kronette.livejournal.com
Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hide-the-Sausage

*snort* Okay, that had me chuckling, then it got very, very hot in here as Lister played with Rimmer's hair. I reread that a few times before getting to the really good stuff. I like the idea of them being on way during the day, and another at night. I could see Rimmer insisting on it as well, as he'd want to keep work stuff separate from any relationship/private stuff.

Did I mention the hotness? The engineery words being spat out and Rimmer getting turned on by them (Lister more than Rimmer, but my brain substituted Chris there and went into a bit of overdrive).

*Happy sigh!*

Date: 2012-11-04 04:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
I'm glad I was able to give you such happy times while reading ... hopefully you can read again and again and again, and continue to enjoy (and the hair-messing was my favorite part, by far). ;-)

Date: 2012-11-03 08:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kathie-d.livejournal.com
It was a bit weird that the twins WEREN'T brought up in that episode. Thanks for the fix!

Date: 2012-11-04 04:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
Well, he's had two episodes about parental relationships this season and the twins have been mentioned NOT AT ALL. Makes no sense to me. Thanks!

Date: 2012-11-03 09:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] missflibble.livejournal.com
Phwoar gotta love engineering porn. *fans self*

Giggle-inducing, HOT, and touching. All the good stuff.

WHERE'S MY FIC, THEN? ;-)

Date: 2012-11-04 04:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
Thanks - glad you enjoyed!

IT'S COMING, WOMAN. CHILL, DUDEBRO.

Date: 2012-11-03 09:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] daasgrrl.livejournal.com
Oh, that was lovely (and I haven't even seen the ep yet!). It reminded me of some perverse variation on that cartoon where the dog and wolf (?) clock off on being enemies for the day and slouch off together. Loved Entangled, my clear favourite so far; hope Dear Dave is as good.

Date: 2012-11-03 09:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
RALPH AND SAM! I totally intended that reference; glad somebody else's brain is similarly wired, LOL.

Thanks!

Date: 2012-11-04 01:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fantasysci5.livejournal.com
Awwww! Love the idea of putting their fighting on hold, and it always has bothered me that Rimmer seems to be okay with Lister taking the engineering exam...wouldn't that mean Lister would outrank him? I'm trying to think why in the show he was terrified of being demoted to Lister's rank, but not Lister moving up, and I guess he thinks Lister can't do it. But I love how supportive and turned on about it he is here.

Date: 2012-11-04 03:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
I would like to think this Rimmer is more OK with Lister attaining a goal like that than very young Rimmer (though I have no assurance this isn't because he thinks Lister won't actually do it; he might well think the guy's going to end up slobbing off like he has for 50 years so far). So this is the version *I* would like to see, and I'd like to think counter to what Rimmer thinks he wants, that he WOULD want someone intelligent.

Thanks!

Date: 2012-11-04 08:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] felineranger.livejournal.com
This is so cute and sexy. Are you sure there wasn't a little bit of RPF in there with Chris, I mean Rimmer, getting all excited by pistons and whatnot? :-)

Date: 2012-11-04 12:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
I actually left out a lot of automotive things I was going to put in, once I realized it could easily get that way, LOL. I would've had Lister spouting principles and theorems instead, except I wanted short words and mechanical is what I know (Dad worked at a car plant for 30 years and is a mechanic), LOL. But still, yeah, I thought it still comes across a little like you say. ;-)

Glad you had a good time reading it!

Date: 2012-11-04 11:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] a-silver-rose.livejournal.com
Good stuff! (sorry, I don't has RD icon, so used Will instead *G*)

Date: 2012-11-05 12:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
See, you have to earn a Red Dwarf icon ... once you watch enough episodes that you know the characters' names and their basic, basement-level personalities, you tell me and I'll get you an icon for your very own. We'll call it early Christmas. ;-)

Glad you likee!

Date: 2012-11-05 12:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] a-silver-rose.livejournal.com
LOL! That wasn't a pander, just a statement heeeeee.

Date: 2012-11-05 05:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] veronica-rich.livejournal.com
Thanks!

Have you been watching the new episodes? You can find them here: http://www.reddwarf-x.com/episodes/

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