It's Okay

Like No Other You Can't Be Replaced

It had been three days since they were stranded on Boros. A rain storm had kept them grounded. There wasn't much to do except veg out on curries, play some poker, wherein the Cat was somehow better at than the others, or just sleep for hours on end, which wasn't easy to do. Rain was not something they were used to; it wasn't that it scared them — they just hadn't encountered it being constantly on the move, always flying through deep space.

While Aria and Lister were fast asleep, the Cat was on watch in the cockpit, and Kryten was off cleaning, Rimmer tossed and turned in his slumber. His breathing erratic, hologrammatic beads of sweat formed on his forehead; he gripped his teddy bear as tightly as a python. Finally his eyes shot open, only to realise it was still pitch black. Rimmer let out a few whimpers, and Lister's only response to it was a bit of stirring in his sleep.

Rimmer got up and staggered out, teddy bear in hand. Eight feet down the corridor — he stopped at another sleeping quarter — Aria's. After placing a hand on the door's touchpad, it whooshed open. There she was, sleeping without a care in the world.

"How could she sleep so soundly?" he thought. "It's pouring out there."

He walked in a bit more. The door shut behind him, causing him to jump. Poor Rimmer was on edge. But at least it was somewhat lighter in her quarters. He stood beside her bunk, tightly clutching his teddy bear. All he did was stare; he didn't speak, didn't make any sound, he just stood there silently, staring. Somehow watching Aria's chest slowly rise and fall was soothing.

For some unknown reason, she woke up. With eyes still bleary, she could make out a figure looming over her. She screamed, which in turn caused Rimmer to flinch and squeak.

He swallowed hard, and attempted to stop panting. "I-I'm sorry. I'll just—"

"Arn—? Wait, no, no, no! Come back! Wh—?" She chortled as she tried to catch her breath. "What are you doing here?"

Hesitantly, he replied sputtering like a misfiring spitfire, "I-I had a-a bit of a-a nightmare." He looked at her like a frightened child longing for his mother's comfort.

Rimmer was getting worse. Panic had suddenly assailed him. His whole body trembled profusely, and he could barely stand up straight; the ground beneath him began to shake — his knees were about to give.

Aria couldn't help but feel badly for him. She smiled thin-lipped, laid down on her back, then scooted back as far as she could. "Come here." she softly said, waving him in to join her.

It was difficult to get comfortable, but not impossible. They had been in a tiny bed such as a bunk before, and under worse conditions. He wrapped his arm over her stomach, still cradling his stuffed toy; his leg laid across both of hers. He nestled his head into her neck. He couldn't get close enough to her, not as much as he wanted to. In fact, if he could fuse with her, he would.

Aria debated if she should pull him on top of her. He practically was already. She was about to suggest it, but he seemed content where he laid. Almost blissful, actually.

"You died." Rimmer said out of nowhere.

As the words sunk in, her brows knitted. "I what?"

"In my dream... you died."

"Well, we both know that's not gonna happen."

He squeezed her tightly. "I've already lost you once." he quavered.

"Hey..." She ran her fingers through his chocolate brown hair.

"It can't happen again." Rimmer was nearly in tears at that instant.

"Arnold, I've been shot in the head, I've been stabbed in the heart, shocked, you name it... I'm still here. It's not gonna happen, okay?"

He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes still filled with worry and tears that hadn't fallen yet. Rimmer wished he could believe her — but there was always that one chance, that one rare possibility, that she could actually die and never come back.

"And I'm not going to leave you, either. Not ever again."

Rimmer wondered if he was becoming too dependant on her. Even if he was, he didn't care. He enjoyed it — probably a bit too much. As he laid his head back down, he sighed. "Good." he said.

They were silent for a moment. Aria thought he'd fallen asleep. In actuality he was awake, thinking and crying. Whenever he did start to drift off, a hypnagogic jerk would wake him right back up again.

"You okay?" she asked.

He sniffled. "I'm fine." he replied, voice sounding nasally.

Once more, she raked her fingers through his hair. "It's okay. No need for tears. Just close your eyes and get some sleep."

The only response he gave her at first was a slightly annoyed groan. Rimmer moved his teddy bear to the foot of the bunk, so he could hold her more comfortably. Then for a while he was silent once again, until...

"Don't tell the guys about this,"

She let out a light snigger.

"I mean it!" he exclaimed insistently.

The laugh wasn't out of defiance, but rather out of disbelief. "Like I would."

Rimmer wasn't exactly tired yet. He was turned on, in more than one sense of the word. The closeness, the way she smelled, it was enough to drive him mad. His hand ventured down, and he began rubbing her slit up and down over her pyjama bottoms.

It startled her to an extent. She sharply inhaled. "Well, hi there."

He slid her a come-hither gaze. "You know," he began as he checked his watch. "I have an hour before change over." His eyebrows raised while he still had a suggestive look upon his face.

"An hour you say? Whatever shall we do in the meantime?"

"I'm sure we'll think of something." Rimmer kissed her tenderly. Then got under the covers, and began kissing her breasts. From there he went further and further down.

She started to feel light headed, and giggled out of reaction. Her eyes widened a moment when Rimmer's tongue reached a certain sensitive spot. "Oh, we're going there already." She looked down at her feet, where Rimmer's teddy sat, staring back at her — she almost felt as though it was judging her. With a gentle shift of her leg, it fell off the bunk.

The two spent the last hour in her sleeping quarters. The occasional sound of loud moaning and grunting emitted from the room. As Kryten walked past, he grimaced in shame and disgust. He had a good mind to burst in and stop their love making, but Lister had taught him the all important rule when sex was being had — and by mistake — Never walk in on it happening! It was embarrassing for everyone. So, he continued on, as did Rimmer and Aria.

They went a little over an hour, and normally that would bother Rimmer immensely, but this time he didn't care. He was with the one person who could vanquish the demon that had devoured his confidence, paralysed his initiative and poisoned his self-esteem. That made him happier than he ever thought he could be.