Beep. Beep. Beep.
Zim's cheek rested on the white sheets of the hospital bed. His eyes closed, he slowly started to drift off. Right before his head would fall off the bed, he felt a big hand on top of it. He jumped up.
Dib smiled at him.
'Go get some rest. You haven't slept for days.'
Zim mumbled something, lifting his hand to rub his tired eyes.
'What?'
'Don't scare me like that.'
Dib set back in his pillow, sighing a bit annoyed.
'Scare you? I can't even touch you without making it seem like I'm dying?'
'You know what I mean.' Zim answered, replacing his head on the mattress.
'Just go get some sleep, damn it!' Dib said, doing his best to raise his voice.
'No.' Came the short reply.
'I feel fine. I'll be here when you wake up.'
Zim raised his head and stared at the old man angrily.
'I have no doubt you'll be here. I'm just pretty sure you'll be here dead.'
'If I'm dead, they move me downstairs.' Dib chuckled.
Zim jumped up, nearly bumping over the vase on Dib's nightstand. He pointed a warning finger at his husband and started breathing heavily.
'DON'T JOKE ABOUT THAT.'
'Zim-'
'NO! YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!'
'Zim, calm down, or a nurse will take you away.'
That helped, and Zim flopped down on the bed.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
With an annoyed face, Zim adjusted the huge, white pillow behind Dib's head. The human reached for his wrist.
'Zim. Go to bed.'
'No.'
'The nurses will warn you if something happens.'
Zim pulled his wrist away.
'You want me to sleep? Fine. Scoot over.'
The alien didn't give Dib time to 'scoot over' or even to consider, since he pushed the fragile body aside, making way for his own. He lied down on his stomach and burried his face in the pillow.
'Wha- Not here!' Dib protested, faintly pushing against Zim's shoulders.
'Why not? I always sleep next to you.'
'Yes but- Not now!' Dib seemed to panick a little. Zim raised his head to study his lover.
'What's wrong, Dib-thing?' the alien turned on his side so he could face Dib. He let his claws slip over Dib's chest to his neck, settling them there.
Dib swallowed and averted his eyes.
'I'm smelly.'
'You've always been, and you will always be.'
Dib didn't seem to like the joke. He shook his head, grabbed Zim's wrists and pushed them away.
'I'm old and smelly and haven't showered in God knows how long.. Get out of the bed!'
Now, Zim chuckled, stubbornly replacing his claws in Dib's neck.
'Shut up, Dib.'
'But I-'
'I refuse to feel disgusted by you.'
Dib swallowed again and Zim saw his eyes getting wet with tears. He closed them and then opened his arms a little, as to ask for a hug. Zim smiled and moved closer, carefully kissing the pale, wrinkled forehead.
'You are as sexy as ever right now, Dib.'
'I'm wearing a diaper.'
'A sexy diaper.'
Dib seemed to choke on the sudden wave of laughter that came over him. He covered his face with his hands and shook it.
'Oh my God, Zim..' He chuckled. 'You're the only one who could make me laugh at my deathbed.'
The alien enjoyed his husband's joy, softly chuckling with him.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
It got quiet. They lied still next to each other, listening to the machines, the sounds outside the room and each others breaths. Zim played with Dib's thin fingers for a while.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
He looked up. Dib's eyes were closed, he was smiling faintly.
'Dib?'
'Hmm?'
'Where do you think you'll go when you die?'
Dib opened his eyes and blinked them slowly. He seemed to think about this for a few seconds, playing with Zim's fingers in return.
'I don't know.' He then decided.
'Are you scared?'
'A little.'
Beep. Beep. Beep.
'What are you afraid of?'
'Ehm..' Dib whispered, 'Going to hell for being gay?'
Zim chuckled quietly.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
'Dib?'
Dib didn't answer. Zim looked up immediately, his heart beating alarmed.
'Dib!?'
'Hmm..' Came a soft answer. Zim sighed in relief and dropped his head again.
'Sorry.. I'm tired..' Dib whispered. It was so quiet... Zim took a deep breath.
'Well, go nap, then.'
'Thanks..'
Beep. Beep. Beep.
'Dib. Wait.'
Dib sighed and seemed a little annoyed. 'Hmm? What now?'
Zim waited for Dib to open his eyes. When he did, he said quietly:
'Before you take a nap... You should know that I love you.'
Dib took a few seconds to let that sink in. Then, he smiled widely, closing his eyes.
'I love you.' He whispered.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Zim closed his eyes, too. Damn, he was so tired. He hadn't slept for days, too scared that he'd miss Dib's death if he would go to bed. So this time, he didn't allow himself to fall asleep either. He just lied there and led his muscles rest a little. The slow, steady breaths and the beeping noise soothed him. It proved that Dib was still alive. Alive and here, with him.
Zim smiled a little, getting comfortable in the soft sheets.
He couldn't get enough. He couldn't get enough of that taste. That tongue, those hands on his body. Those muscular arms holding him up, pushing him against the wall.
Zim moaned, pulling Dib's yet black hairs, trying to deepen the kiss even more.
'Easy there..' Came his soft voice. Oh, so filled with desire. So sexy.
'Come on, Dib, let's go downstairs.'
'Oh, but we've just started?' Dib chuckled, shaking his head.
Zim cupped it with both his hands, staring into his golden eyes. He took all of his beauty in. His pink lips, his long eyelashes, long nose and those black locks.. Irk, he loved that face.
They seemed lost in each other's looks. Dib raised one hand to brush it across Zim's soft skin. He carefully traced the freckled cheekbones before pushing up his chin.
'God, Zim, you drive me crazy.'
Zim's smile widened all over his face. Without wasting more words, he pulled Dib closer in another kiss. He won't let go. Ever.
Beeeeeeeeeep...
Zim jumped up. He stared at the machines next to Dib's bed. He didn't even see the doctor and nurse running into the room. All he could look at was the straight line on the monitor.
Beeeeeeeeeep...
No.
Time slowed down. Zim's vision blurred, his hearing weakened. He felt hands on his arms and shoulders, trying to pull him away from Dib, trying to get him off the bed. Away from Dib.
'N-NO! NO! DIB!'
Zim could hear faint words. People were trying to talk to him, trying to get him off the bed, trying to calm him down.
Zim lurched forward. He pulled the blankets off of his lover and grabbed Dib's head. He stared at that face. That beautiful, sweet face he came to know so well. He knew it by heart. Every beauty mark, every freckle, every wrinkle. He held it in in his hands and stared at it, waiting. Waiting to see him open his eyes.
'DIB! DIB WAKE UP!'
Zim choked in his tears, and that's when the nurses and the doctor gathered enough strength to pull him off the bed. Zim tried to hold on to Dib's face, burying his nails in his cheeks, but they pulled him away. Away from Dib.
'DIB! DIB WAKE UP! WAKE UP!'
One of the nurses pulled the plug and the long 'beeep' got cut.
'NO! HE NEEDS THAT TO LIVE! PLUG IT BACK IN! DIB, WAKE UP!'
The other nurse pulled up a white sheet and covered Dib's lifeless body with it. Inch by inch disappeared under the white sheet and Zim didn't understand why the fuck he didn't just wake up.
'DON'T- GET IT OFF! HE CAN'T BREATHE LIKE THIS!'
The doctor turned towards a nurse.
'Time of death: 10:17.'
Zim screamed. He collapsed to the ground and screamed his Irken lungs out. His world had collapsed. It was all over. Dib was dead. Dib was dead.
His screams got cut short with sobs. Sobs that wrecked him to the bone. The pain, oh god, the pain. It felt like there was knife stuck in his chest. He ignored the hands that tried to get him to stand up. He ignored everything. He just stared at the silhouette of Dib's body under that goddamn white sheet.