(This is a rewrite. I am keeping the original author's note at the top- though I'm not entirely sure why- and have added a more recent one for this specific version at the end. Orginally published in 2002 when I was still a fresh faced babe...)
AN:alright, this is a song fic, HUMOURUS, and has a pinch (what am I talking about? a whole barrel full!) of slash, Z/D..duuuh! Please R&R, and i suggest that u find the song "No Day But Today" from RENT, if u dont already have it. It's not required, but hey, it'll help. The tempo is UPBEAT. Read on!
-I don't own any IZ characters, especially those that i might of used without thinking. I also do not own RENT. If you haven't even heard of it, i suggest you at least download (youtube) it.
No Day but Today
Dib stood quietly, the rigid ice cold street lamp pole digging into his back and the bitter winter wind whipping at his face. Inwardly wincing, he shifted his position slightly, vainly searching for a comfortable position and shuffling his feet to stay warm. His eyes scanned to deserted street, and he checked his watch for what must have been the millionth time.
Zim's message, when he had received it abruptly earlier in the evening, had been weird; weird even for him. Dib had sensed that Zim had seemed nervous, jittery almost, and unable to modulate his tone or look at the camera. The message had been clear though, on some points: the what, when and where, but extremely hazy on the 'Why'. He took it as a good sign. He liked when Zim was on edge, it gave him the upper hand even if he was unclear as to the specifics.
Dib had, of course, acted as if he didn't care, and hadn't made any promise to even show up. As soon as he got off the phone, however, he rushed to get ready. Yelling to his sister that he was going out and to call swollen-eyeball if he was gone for x amount of hours, he slammed the door and hit the street. Trench coat flapping, he ran all the way to the meeting place, only slowing down as he neared it. He circled it twice, at a slower pace. When he was sure the area was safe and not booby trapped in any way, he walked back a few blocks. He approached the meeting place as a stoic pace, hoping to make it look like he had taken his time and couldn't care less. All his preparation had gone to waste though, because Zim wasn't there when he showed up, wasn't hiding in the bushes ready to ambush him five minutes later, and still hadn't made his entrance. Dib checked his watch again, and decide he'd give the little green guy five more minutes before he bagged the whole crazy thing. Sighing, he gave up on leaning and slumped into a sitting position.
Five minutes later, he looked drowsily at his watch. I'll stand up in a minute. he thought. Minutes passed, and Dib fell slowly asleep.
He woke up to someone shaking him roughly. Yawning his way back to reality, he looked blearily up at the now starry sky. Blinking, he attempted to focus on his watch.
"Ugh. What time is it?" he asked, as the time zoomed into focus. Two A.M. Wow. "I guess I fell asleep."
"Yeah," a familiar voice replied, "I showed up and found you lying there with your mouth wide open." He stared incoherently up at Zim, who had backed off as Dib rubbed his eyes and woke up. "At first I thought you were dead." Dib chuckled.
"No such luck, huh? That'd be a blessing for you." he said smiling, then it hit him. Here he was, Dib Membrane, having an almost normal conversation with Zim of all not-people. Instantly, he switched gears. He stood up slowly and his smile faded from his face. He braced himself, assumed a defensive stance and his eyes turned cold. He saw Zim shiver outwardly. At least he had the upper hand back; Zim seemed to be terrified of him.
Zim was actually thinking a million things simultaneously. He had seen the quick change in Dib, and had shuddered not just out of fear of him, but that his task might be harder than he had imagined. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he inwardly said the same phrase he has been repeating to himself all day. Now or never. I can't do it anymore, I've been hiding too long. It's now or never.
"What do you want alien scum?" Dib asked him icily. Zim took another breath, and started on his suicide mission.
"Dib, we've, uh, known each other a long time..." he started then faltered. Dib raised an eyebrow, but otherwise his face remained unchanged. Oh this is way harder than I imagined, he thought as he plunged on, "And, well, that's given us a long time to- to get to know each other, and we know each other pretty well, almost too well, I mean we don't either of us really spend any time with anyone else or have any other friends... not that we're friends! But-" he was cut off suddenly by Dib.
"You wanna get to the point sometime?" he asked impatiently. Zim rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Oh yeah, this is going to be hard.
"Dib, I- I don't know how to put this," he stammered, "My-my feelings for you have changed." He looked cautiously at Dib. Dib stared back, his face scrunched up with confusion.
"Your feelings?" he asked slowly, his face mixing disgust in. But something deep in his eyes had sparked for a moment, before it was frozen again by pure coldness. Zim's heart picked up a beat, and it made him wonder. Maybe...
Zim closed his eyes momentarily, and forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath. Now or never, he told himself, right? Now or never. You're strong enough for this. He slowly opened his eyes and held his gaze steadily on his nemesis. Dib took a step back at the intensity, and a mild look of alarm crossed his face.
Do it, do it, get it over with. Zim screamed at himself, Just do it! "Dib, I-I'm in love with you." He blurted out before he could stop himself. Dib's eyes widened farther than Zim thought humanly possible. An unearthly silence followed. He held his breath, staring at Dib, and waited. The silence stretched for what Zim felt must be minutes, days, hours. He wondered if time had stopped somehow. Just give me an answer, he silently pleaded, or at least say something. Anything. As time continued, or possibly didn't continue, to tick by he became more nervous. Anything! At first nothing came. Then, Dib's brain seemed to jolt back to life, and his eyes narrowed to slits. His mouth turned down into a thin frown and his face became quizzical and then blank.
"This is some kind of trick." He finally said, with absolutely no emotion. Zim shook his head silently, unable to trust his voice. Dib continued to look at him stoically, until Zim could no longer handle the tension and looked down, shaking his head again. Dib raised an eyebrow.
Then suddenly he turned away.
"I, uh. Well." He started, and Zim looked up expectantly, his hopes rising. Dib took a deep breath, his back still to the alien. "That's not what I expected to hear." he said finally, with a cold voice, but Zim could hear an edge on it. Suddenly he wished he could read minds, so he could read Dib's. The other boy seemed to be composing himself, and Zim allowed himself just a second to think Maybe, maybe…
Then Dib started laughing. It began almost silently, so quietly, that Zim as first couldn't figure out what was going on. But as the laugh grew louder, it also grew colder.
"You idiot." Dib said nonchalantly, "obviously you have lost your mind." He kept his back turned to Zim, straight and strong. He wiped a fake tear from his eye, and chuckled again. "How could you possibly think I would feel the same way?"
Zim's heart sank to the ground. He quickly turned away, and his vision began to blur at the edges, tears forming in his eyes. He could feel a lump forming in his throat and his body felt slightly numb. Stupid tears, stupid heart, stupid human. He thought angrily, I won't cry in front of him, I won't give him the satisfaction. He couldn't stay there any longer. He had to go, go back to his lab, go anywhere that didn't have this stupid boy standing there staring boredly at the sky and absently crushing his heart. He could drown himself in work and start actually trying to leave this idiot planet. He started to walk away, glancing over his shoulder to take one last look back a DIb.
To his surprise, Dib was watching him leave, and his expression was almost…
Sad?
It was instantly gone, but a smile crept back onto Zim's face. He walked cautiously over to Dib.
"That's how you feel. huh? I don't know if I believe you. Otherwise why are you blushing so much?" he asked pointedly. Dib blushed crimson before he realized it hadn't been true, but was now, and Zim watched him dial his expressions into a furious stare.
"No Zim. I don't like you that way. Or any way, for that matter." Dib's voice was even, but he looked away as he said it, turning up his trench coat collar. Zim's heart soared back to life. He's lying, I can hear it, but why won't the damn prick admit it? What's holding him back?
"I don't have time for this," Dib said tensely. And then, to Zim's horror, Dib turned abruptly and started to leave, walking slowly. His mind began to race, trying to think of something he could say, something he could do to make Dib stay just a little longer. Suddenly, he got an idea. He opened his mouth, and sang;
"The heart may freeze or it can burn..."
Dib's entire body froze mid step. The silence was back with a vengeance, and even the trees seemed to be pausing to listen. Zim took a gulp, and forced himself to continue.
"The pain will ease
if I can learn,
there is no future
there is no past
I live this moment as my last."
He held the last note in the dead silence, breaking off suddenly and still starting at Dib. The boy turned slowly around and stared open mouthed at Zim.
"What the-?"
Gathering his courage, Zim walked towards him, continuing;
"There's only us
there's only this," he sang, his eyes locked firmly on Dib.
"Zim..." Dib started.
"Forget regret
or life is your to miss."
"Zim, there's no way it'd work." Dib mumbled, not meeting the other's eyes..
"No other road
no other way
no day but today" Zim sang on.
"Zim, you can't be serious. You must really have lost your mind! You don't know what you're saying," Dib said desperately. Zim grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and made him look him in the eye, and continued;
"There's only us
Only tonight," he suddenly let go and jumped up on the top of a bench near them, continuing,
"We must let go!
To know what right."
"Zim! Get down, you'll fall!"
"No other course,
no other way,
no day but today." Dib pulled him down, exasperated. He turned his frantic eyes onto Zim.
"But, what- what about the Tallest?" Dib sputtered, "Or the kid's at school? Or the rest of the world! Won't they all be against this? We're supposed to be enemies!"
"I can't control
my destiny
I trust my soul,"
"Who says that there's a soul?" Dib asked, but he was faintly smiling.
"My only goal
is just to be..." And suddenly they were very close, Zim's eyes staring unwavering into Dib's.
"There's only now
there's only here," Zim pulled him close, almost whispering,
"Give in to love
or live in fear,
no other path
no other way," Then suddenly he leaned in and kissed Dib.
For a moment, the human boy was stunned. Zim remained as still as alienly possible, their lips barely touching, but unwilling to push things further or end them. He could feel his pulse rushing wildly through his veins, his heart drumming like a jackhammer, the smoothness of Dib's lips on his. He loved the smell of the boy, breathed him in. He could stay like this always. If only he could know what Dib was thinking right now.
He was just beginning to doubt himself, starting to edge on to frantic panic that maybe he had misjudged the whole situation and maybe he should pull away, when Dib's lips parted just a fraction. He leaned in to Zim, and lightly, softly kissed him back. Zim's heart skipped a beat as Dib pulled away. The boy was blushing like a tomato. Zim smiled at him.
"No day but today." He said, and Dib rolled his eyes, pulling Zim in for another kiss.
AN:I tried to keep as much of the fluff and charm as I could from the original, but lose the cringe-worthy writing. Today I write much different stuff (under a different name), a bit darker but people change a lot in ten years and I kind of wanted to hold on to the innocent, romantic, corny version of me through this. And the story is still pretty sweet. So although I still feel the whole thing is a step away from POPPED-corny, that's what it originally was supposed to be. And I guess corny can be good…