It was beautiful, just like all those pictures they had spent their evenings looking through. Beautiful. The doors swung open and familiar faces, some he had only met through photos, turned to see him. Wouldn't they? He was beautiful too, after all. At least, that's what the Dib would've called him. Not that Zim would dare disagree.
A smile lit up his face when he saw the other male at the end of the aisle. This was their day, and nothing could ruin it. Not even-
A strangled sob tore the alien out of his daydream. He glanced around to see who had made the intruding noise only to remember he was all alone now. He was the one crying.
His Irken equivalent of a heart thumped painfully in his chest. Reality turned his delicate white bouquet to a dreaded ash-colored black arrangement. Reality had been doing that a lot, these past two weeks. The faces had vanished along with the flowers, along with the lights… along with his human.
"Dib?" He called out. But there was no answer. He knew there wouldn't be; there hadn't been for a while now.
His feet trudged forward for the last few steps, leaving his mind in the past. The kissing, the touching, the loving… how could it all disappear so easily? It had been Dib's father's fault. He was the one who made Dib leave. HE was the one who thought the military would be good for his son. He was the one would was too busy with work to even show up at the viewing!
Hot, angry tears streamed down Zim's face before he had the chance to brush them away. No. No tears. Dib wouldn't have wanted that.
The flowers slipped from his fingertips at the foot of that horrible wooden box. His hands came up the grasp the picture frame, holding his beloved's last photo. It was one Zim himself had taken.
"Dib… you promised me forever." Tears spilled over again. He couldn't stop them now. With a shrug of his shoulders, he pulled the well-worn black jacket tighter around himself. It was the last thing he had of Dib's. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.
"Why…"