Hey hey hey :) Man, it has been a while, hasn't it? I misseded you guys! Did you miss me? No? Oh...well, I missed you guys XD I kid. It's good to be back with this new fic! Hazaa!

This story is an interesting one. Short. Simple. And...interesting. It'll be udated monthly, and follows a timeline that stays true to a timeline in real life. In other words, whatever season it is right now, it'll be the same in the story. The month we are dragging ourselves through will be the same in the story :D Cool, right?

Please go check out my DA account for pictures related to the story as well! (and if any of you feel like doing FanArt PLEASE PLEASE let me know...I would love to see it)

Hazy eyes tried to open as the beeping of the alarm grew louder. Dib groaned as he turned onto his back, rubbing his still shut eyelids, "Damn, it's too early for this. Five more minutes!"

His pleas fell on the deaf metaphoric ears of the alarm clock as it continued to beep. It almost sounded louder now, like it was defying him or something.

He sighed, reaching across and slamming a fist down onto it in the hope that it would shut up. And to his delight, it did.

He sat up, running a hand through his messy hair as he let the tiredness sink into his still asleep muscles and mind. Perhaps going to bed at one was a bad idea. Well, he had little choice in the matter in all honesty. How else was he going to finish that website design for the presentation tomorrow? He moved his head around in a circle, cringing at the number of clicks he managed to hear. This was such an awful bed.

After his legs eventually managed their way to the edge of the creaky mattress as he stood, stretching his arms next. If someone was observant enough, they would almost think this was a ritual as Dib did the same pattern of events every morning. Dib, eyes now a bit more focused, looked around. Damn, this room was small. Cluttered. Messy. He let out a breath. This wasn't exactly how he imagined his first year out of college to be like. Living in a dingy one room apartment, struggling to get work, barely making the bills each month. The IT firm he worked for did give him good work and enough exposure to keep afloat. But he only made enough money to keep his lifestyle going. He wasn't exactly making enough for some of it to go into his Savings Account, now was he?

If something happened that would add another expense to his life…well, he wouldn't be able to handle it at this rate.

And of course, his dad was being such a great help with things, wasn't he? Cutting his only son off like that…and all because of who he chose to spend his time with? Dib couldn't believe the Professor. His dad was just so…narrow-minded. Pig-headed. Moron.

Speaking of those he chose to spend time with…where was Zim? He turned, surprised not to see the alien slumbering away next to him like he usually was at this time of morning. Dib left for his job earlier than the alien did, and it always bugged Dib that Zim got to sleep in. But when he'd catch the cute dream-like look on the Irken's face…well, the anger sort of dissipated into mild irritation as a smirk took hold of his face.

But there was no dreamy-sleepy-headed alien there now. So where did he go?

Dib began making for the door, something catching hold of his hearing. He opened it in a swing, and the noise became clearer. It was…coming from the bathroom down the hallway. Flushing. Dib grew a curious look as he headed towards the room in question. Zim hardly ever stepped into the bathroom, other than to comb out his wig, or to check out his appearance smugly before heading to work.

He placed his clenched hand against the old chipped wood of his door, knocking against it slightly, "Uh…Zim?"

He heard something fall, like a container. The alien's movement inside became erratic, like he was panicked or something. The human took a step back as the door opened slightly, Zim stepping out with a slight carefulness in each step. He looked awful. He was sweating. Pale. Shaky. He had a strange odour wafting around him as well. Had he been sick?

The alien, with weak trembling eyes, looked up at Dib, "What?"

Dib moved a little closer up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "What's going on? You look…sick."

"I'm fine," Zim shrugged, trying to get away from Dib. But the human wasn't having it, keeping a grip on him, "Yeah, just like how I'm not going to be late for work…again. Come on, talk to me. What time have you been awake from? Is your stomach sore or something?"

Zim gave him a dirty look. He hated looking ill, especially around Dib. It showed him during his weakest, and it was a disgraceful quality for Irkens to give off, "Just leave me alone, Dib-Stink! Your concern is not wanted, alright?!"

Dib gave him a look as Zim was about to continue. He was defensive now. Hmm, something was up. He only got this way if he was trying to hide something.

"You're just annoying me and wasting time and…!" Zim was about to continue his yelling fit, but was quickly cut off by a lurch in his stomach. He groaned out as his teeth gritted. He leant into the human unintentionally, grabbing hold of his stomach, "No, no; not again."

Dib held onto him gently as the alien huffed. At the back of his mind, Dib was a little worried that Zim was about to hurl all over one of his favourite shirts…but his main concern at the moment was the fact that Zim – an Irken who was not genetically capable of catching human illnesses like a stomach flu or something – was sick. Did he eat something new that wasn't to his body's liking?

No. Dib was always with him when he was eating, and he hadn't noticed him eating something strange. Zim knew what he could handle and what he couldn't, anyway. And besides, if Zim ate something that didn't agree with him, he would have immediately spat it out. So why was he getting sick now in the early morning?

Zim covered his mouth with both hands. Alarm bells went off in Dib's head and he quickly led the alien back into their bathroom. Dib lifted the toilet seat up just in time as Zim leaned over it, spewing up whatever was left in his stomach.

After coughing slightly to be rid of the bile caught in his throat, he fell back into the human's chest, clinging to him in agony. All worry over showing weakness was momentarily out of his mind as his stomach panged. Dib wrapped his arms around the sweaty figure, rubbing his back gently as the alien panted, scared warm breathes hitting against the human's thin shirt, "Shh, Shh. I'm right here, Zim. I'm staying right here with you."

Dib reached across and flushed the toilet once more when he saw Zim had begun drifting into a sleep. He placed his hands at the correct points and gently lifted the alien up, carrying him back over to their bed. Zim clung to him still, even in his doze.

He pulled the covers over the slumbering figure, before grabbing their waste bin he had next to his desk. He decided to be safe rather than sorry as he left it by Zim's side of the bed. He next yanked his phone from its compartment on the side table as he sat on the edge of the bed, sighing.

"BigBop IT Centre. How may I help you?"

"Hey Jean, it's Dib."

"Ah, morning Dib. What's up?"

"I've got an emergency at home and can't make it in today."

"Hmm. Well, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll let your Rep. know," she hummed on the other side. Dib smirked. She was at least a little easy on him. She understood what life was like for him at the moment, thankfully.

"Thanks, Jean. I'll see you again tomorrow."

Dib placed the phone back in its holder and slipped in next to the snoozing Irken, wrapping an arm over the still pale figure, "You are such maintenance, Zim."

"Mmm, you still love me anyways," the alien slurred in his sleep.

Dib sat a little straighter, not in his wildest dreams expecting the Irken to have heard him. But he smiled and leaned a little closer, "I guess so."

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