Welcome to my newest story! This is based on an AU I've created with IrkenProperty over on deviantart; please check out our art and I hope you all enjoy this new adventure!
Hi son! Sorry I can't be here to see you off, I was called into the labs last minute. Send me a text once you've settled in. Don't be a stranger, you and your boyfriend can come over anytime you like.
Happy birthday! Love Dad
Even after a lifetime of neglect it still held a sting. His room was like a chasm now; everything was packed away, safely stored in Zim's base just waiting to greet its new home. Only a single suitcase remained, that and his beloved laptop. His room smelled so strange, so very clean. The abyss took place of the one that once made up Dib's heart. That chasm was filled now.
It was filled by Zim.
With a initiative smile Dib moved along, bags in hand and ready to go. Oh, how he'd yearned for this day. The house was so eerily quiet – save for the gentle drumming of a d-pad.
"Not so alone, I guess." Dib smiled again, lingering upon the border of hell on Earth. "H-hey . . . Ga-"
"Oh. You're still here?" The door was thrust open but even without it Gaz's voice grated the air. And much like a blade, Dib flinched away from the attack.
"Um . . . Yeah, well. The taxi's gonna pick me up in about ten minutes." Nervously, his fingers twitched here and there, anticipating an attack. The pain of his father's neglect was nothing, beside the fear Dib bore for his sister.
Gaz sank back into her chair. "Good." It struck Dib like a punch, strong enough to make him bleed. "The sooner the better." Gaz took up the controller and resumed play. She wouldn't look at Dib, she wouldn't cast him a line. In fact, had it not been for the open door, she might not have granted him any acknowledgement.
And that hurt.
"That's all you have to say?" Dib's eyes pricked. "I know we've never exactly seen eye to eye but even so . . ." There was a pause, filled only by Dib's desperate search for the right words. " . . . We've had some good times Gaz, and I'll miss that." He was greeted suddenly by Gaz's harsh glare and again Dib flinched, but tried to quell the anger with a smile. "I'll still come over sometimes. I can buy pizza, and we could play some games?"
Always, no matter the case, it was always Dib who reached out for his sister's love. He always bought her pizza, played the games she wanted . . . He did it because he loved her, because Dib craved Gaz's love too. Now, standing before her, her eyes burned through into his soul, as if to burn him inside out.
"Why the fuck would I want that?" Teeth bared and Gaz leaped to her feet. "You've plagued my life since the day I was born,brother. You've ruined Dad's life since you were born, and now you want to hang out some more . . ? Ugh!" Gaz shoved him backwards, the forced knocked Dib clean of his feet. "Fuck off, Dib. Crawl away to your alien boyfriend and ruin his life for the next seventeen years, just like you've done to everyone you've met. You ain't even got the balls to bone him yet, because, oh, I don't wanna freak him out!" Gaz paused, and spat like a pan of hot oil. "Yeah, like you alone ain't enough to creep Zim out!"
There was blood where the carpet had ripped through skin – ignored. It was his bleeding heart, bleeding soul, that set Dib's eyes burning. He turned away from his sister, from a lifetime of pain, and rose to his feet. ". . . I'm waiting because I love him, Gaz. Do you even know what love is?" A flash of fire ignited into the world, and filled Dib with strength. "I doubt it." Slowly, he bend down for his bags. As a child Dib was ignorant of his wrong doings. Now, all grown up, he knew of his mistakes, how he'd upset Gaz. Was it any wonder she hated him?
But what I did to her . .. It was never as bad as how she hurt me.
The realisation was sudden, like a slap in the face. Tears streaked his cheeks, hot and hurting. Above the pain he heard a car horn, calling Dib to his future.
To Zim.
"Oh, and by the way, Gaz," Dib paused, and looked over his shoulder. "I turned eighteen today." He waited for no answer; Dib walked away from the pain, away from the darkness at his back.
"I'm sorry for wasting your time, sir. Here's the money anyway. Treat your other half or something."
In the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to get into the taxi, to face the bombardment of questions and cheery conversation. Dib's heart was bruised; so many years of hatred, so many scars lay atop each other, and even then Gaz still found a way to cut deeper, and scar his heart even more.
The walk to Zim's base wasn't far, but weighed down by a suitcase and his precious laptop, the journey seemed that much more arduous. Dib didn't mind. In truth, the aches within his arm and shoulders was a welcoming relief to the pain inside.
"Why does she hate me so?" The streets were clear but still Dib mumbled. He spoke to his old companion; Misery, stalking his shadow. "I mean, I know I've done bad things. I'm human, I make mistakes . . . But it was never that bad, was it? I always said sorry, I always made up for my wrong doings . . . Why won't she move on? She always hurt me back, a thousand times fold at that. Why is she so mean?"
No answer. Of course not. Dib's eyes were red and itchy, his vision masked with tears. "E-even Zim forgave me for what I've done . . . Why won't Gaz?"
Zim . . .Just to say his name was enough to lift some of the pain. Zim . . . The centre of his world for so long now; the bind that kept him to the earth. He was putty in Zim's capable hands. Zim chose to stay on Earth, and thus Dib stayed with him. Should Zim chose to leave, Dib would gladly follow.
That strange green house slid into view. So obvious and unique, much like its resident. My home too. Dib smiled warmly, his heart only somewhat elated, and he pushed his way inside. "Hey Zim, can you help me with me-"
"NO!" Zim's voice grated the air. "Get out! You can't be here!"
Just like that, the pain was back, great enough to crush Dib where he stood. "W-What? Wh-what d'you mean? What's going on?" A thick black smog poured in from the kitchen and shrouded the room in darkness. It seeped into Dib's mouth and he coughed violently. "Koff koff . . . Z-Zim! What's hap- koff – happening?!"
"Nothing, Dib-worm! Just get ou- AAAHHH!" And the blackness parted and Zim plunged into view. He was naught but panic, darting about like a terrified rabbit.
The sleeve of his tunic was engulfed by flames.
"ZIM! Hang on!" Dib charged in. His mind was blank; only Zim existed, his own beloved mate – his only companion. "Stand still!" His hand darted out and ripped at Zim's tunic. Thread and fabric fell away beneath Dib's grasp. "Jesus Christ!" Dib screamed over and over and leaped upon the fire. It seared, hissed and fought for life beneath his stomping feet – to no avail. The flames died away and Dib spun around. "Zim! Are you okay?!" He pulled Zim deep into his embrace, where both they could feel the pounding of Dib's heart against Zim's chest.
" . . . Yes, Zim is fine." Zim's tone was thick both with smoke and stiffness. He coughed, and eased away from Dib's hold. He could not bring himself to look upon Dib; his gaze was averted but his cheek tinted with purple.
"What's going on back there?" Dib dragged his sight from beautiful Zim to the kitchen, where flooded the masses of smoke. "Is something burning?" He pushed past Zim into the kitchen.
Zim's lekkus sprung to attention. "No Dib, don't go in!"
The cry came far too late. Already Dib was opening windows, fanning through the smog. "Are you cooking something, Zim?" That's strange for you! Did you read the instr- . . . instructions . . ?"
And then, silence.
". . . You weren't supposed to see it," Zim's tiny voice came from Dib's back but Dib couldn't see. His eyes were fixed upon the table. There, uneven and dripping with ooze, was a cake. Huge globs of runny, burned frosting painted much of the surface, but there remained naked patches of sponge, black as night, burned as hell itself. Two tiny figures, moulded from icing, sat proudly atop the mess – the only shred of perfection amongst the chaos. At the bases of the figures lay more icing, fashioned onto writing. Poorly spelled, and with a messy hand:
Wellcom hom Dib-wurm
hapy birth day thing
". . . It's not ready yet . . ."
Slowly, Dib turned around. Zim was aflush in purple; he rushed to the stove and switched off the gas."Stupid primitive device . .. Unable to make even the simplest of foods . . ."
The smoke hovered not be the oven, but the stove. ". . . Did you try to make butter cream on the stove?"
Zim nodded stiffly. "The stupid butter was too hard so I made it softer, but the stooopid powered sugar made all the smoke! I swear, you humans and your idiotic cooki-"
He never finished. Zim's antennas sprung to attention. Three years of dating, and he still couldn't get used to this 'hugging'. Zim's eyes flickered back, from Dib's arms warm around his waist, back to his face. "Why are you crying, Dib-worm? D-Did I do something wrong?" Zim's lekkus wilted, just a bit, only to spring back to life as Dib smiled.
"No Zim," Dib sniffed yet the tears still came. "It's just . . . I'm so happy you did this for me . . .Th-thank you. . ." He turned Zim to face him, so small beneath him, but so very beautiful. Such perfection, beyond anything one could dream of. Gaz was forgotten; her harsh words didn't exist. Only Zim mattered. Zim, and his touching attempt at romance. "Thank you, Zim." Dib moved in and captured Zim's lips into a kiss. Hands slipped downwards, from strong shoulders to a bare torso, silk soft and glorious. Zim moaned, and all but melted into the kiss.
Then they parted. Faces were aflush, sweat dripped down excited bodies, and Zim cocked his head. "You looked sad before, Dib," he whispered. "Are you happy now?" His hand slipped into Dib's; soft, firm, and so very inviting . . .
When Dib opened his eyes, he saw the want. He saw readiness within Zim.
". . . Yes Zim. I'm happy." And when Dib moved in, so did Zim.