Chapter I: A Poem Of A Small History

It was three years ago, thought Dib, That he landed here….How the times have changed. Now at seventeen, Dib and ZIM were seniors at the local high school. They had become friends and now, it had been almost a year since the two had become lovers. Dib contemplated this as he walked to school, having left ZIM at home to sleep. He hadn't even moved when Dib shifted and laid him on the couch. He was so exhausted that even GIR's insane antics, rolling around on the floor and screaming for tacos, hadn't awakened him. As for GIR, after the fall of The Massive and of the Irken empire, the ridiculous dog costume had been swapped immediately for a more believable, holographic, "little brother" costume. Now, the robot resembled a boy of about 14 with mid-neck length silver hair and electric blue eyes. His electronic brain had been updated and made to help him go insane less often and the circuitry and metallic chassis that made up his body below the neck was concealed with a green and black sweatshirt made from the dog costume of three years ago. To the unknowing eye, he seemed like a normal high school freshman who liked rave clubs. Most everything was going smoothly. Dib had worked out a system for erasing the minds of any human who happened across ZIM out of disguise and no one had suspected anything for quite some time now. Dib had even convinced his lover to stay on Earth and forget about going home to help with the re-building of the Irken society. ZIM had agreed on one condition; that he would be allowed to return home from time to time to re-supply and look in on whatever new technology was being handed out to the new class of invaders by the new Tallest, Tak. Dib agreed. He would have agreed to almost anything to keep his alien boyfriend on his planet and in his arms. As he pulled into the high school's parking lot, he sighed, remembering the day ZIM had left for the Armada after the Tallest's dethroning. The day he'd told him he loved him.

"But…you can't just leave, can you? I mean, we're so close now!" ZIM looked down, arms at his sides. "I know. I know we are, but…the Armada. They're going to need me to guide them here. I don't…I don't want to fail. Not again." The human moved forward a few steps, grasping ZIM's upper arms. "Forget the mission, forget the Armada, forget all that. Please! Forget about being an invader and just…be you! Be here….with me…." Dib whispered more to himself than to ZIM. The alien looked hurt, turning his face away from Dib as if he'd been slapped. "You don't understand, Dib….The mission…the mission is all I have. It's my life." Dib dropped his arms. "What about me?" ZIM looked up, toward the massive, starry sky. "I know….You have no idea how hard it is to leave you….I…I really like you, now. I just…can't give up on the mission." Dib turned around, trying his hardest to hide his tears. "You're the best friend I've ever had….Maybe…the only friend I've ever had. I…" ZIM turned to face his VooT cruiser. "I love you." Dib confessed. His words, however, were lost in the roar from the ship's engine as it started up. GIR jumped into the cockpit and brought the cruiser up into a slow hover, only a few inches above the ground. He giggled manically and banged his fists together on his head. "Waffles!!" He screamed, then began singing about a moose and juice. ZIM touched Dib's shoulder. "Um…I'm glad I met you, you know. I won't forget you…." Dib turned around and threw his arms around his friend's shoulders. "Don't leave me! I want to….If you won't stay, I want to come with you! I can't be alone anymore….You're the only one that understands me, really. Please, don't leave me all alone here! No one else…." Dib closed his eyes and leaned into ZIM's kiss, moaning softly, his arms wrapping around his neck as the alien's arms went around Dib's waist. The teen clung desperately to this person he'd come to love until, gently but deliberately, ZIM untangled them and thrust himself away from Dib. He got into the cruiser and let GIR drive them away from Earth, from Dib. ZIM wiped away a tear and looked down at his hands. "I miss him, GIR, I really do." Dib, also crying, turned and walked back to his house to collapse on his bed.

ZIM woke up later that morning, long after Dib had left. He felt around on the floor next to the couch for his clothes and, when he found them, got dressed. He walked into the kitchen, rubbing the wrinkles out of his shirt and looked at GIR who sat spinning on a bar stool. "GIR, what time is it?" The robot's eyes flashed red for an instant before going back to blue. "I don't know!" It screamed, running past ZIM into the living room and turning on the TV to watch The Angry Monkey Show and roll around. The invader sighed and started down into the lab, yawning and running a hand over his tangled antennae. "What a night…." He said, blinking sleep from his eyes. Once in his lab, he slumped into a chair and put his feet up on the console. "GIR! Contact Irk. We're almost out of fuel for the cruiser. GIR? Did you hear me?" GIR was nowhere to be found. There was a burst of static, then nothing. ZIM was getting frustrated. He called for Mini-Moose. "Where is GIR?" Mini-Moose squeaked and headed off to the house, leaving the Irken alone. He looked up, resting back in the chair, and let his thoughts turn to Dib. We've been together for…almost a year now. I should get something to show that…I still care for him. The computer burbled to life. "Sir, on Earth, they call that an anniversary." ZIM's eyes opened and he looked at the computer screen. It was blank, except for the green line that indicated it was on and listening. "How did you…?" The computer made a noise. "You were speaking out loud, sir." ZIM looked away. "Was I? Oh, well….Computer." A beep. "Tell me more about these…anniversary things." The computer made a few beeping noises, whirred a few gears and began its explanation.

Up in the house, GIR was watching TV, Mini-Moose settled on its head. "Master's changed, hasn't he?" The robot began on its thirteenth taco. Mini-Moose squeaked its agreement. "Since he met Dib….They always look so happy together….You think so, too?" Another squeak. "No, I'm not jealous. I'm happy for him. Master was always so angry before. It's like he's a different person." Mini-Moose let out a longer squeak. "Yeah, you're right. It's a good thing that he's found something that makes him so happy! Let's play Rock Band." Mini-Moose's squeak grew into a shrill howl. "Okay, you can be on vocals!" ()

Dib squirmed in his seat, resting his chin on his palm. School always dragged on forever when ZIM wasn't there. He knew that he needed his rest but he still missed him. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the class at hand. As soon as he had, however, his watch started beeping. The watch was a communicator ZIM had given him a few days after they'd gotten together. He raised his arm and the teacher called on him. A few moments later, he was leaning against the wall in the boys' restroom, swinging the hall pass from one hand. "Yeah? What's up, ZIM? You coming in?" The invader shook his head. "No, I've got things to do around here that will take awhile. I'll be here when you get done at school, though. Come by before you go home tonight, Dib. I have something for you." Dib's ears perked up and a grin broke across his face. "Something like last night?" ZIM's grin was a perfect match for Dib's. "Maybe, if you're good." Dib lowered his eyes and bit his knuckle in an attempt to look cute and innocent. "But, I'm always good, aren't I?" ZIM nodded. "Yeah, but, you'll have to be better than usual!" With that, he cut the transmission and went back to cleaning the house. Dib giggled evilly and went back to class.