Glowzilla

Things Left Unsaid

Chapter 4

Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait, I've literally been swamped with school work that I haven't had time to update. I'll try to get one posted at least once a week, but I'm sorry for any delays. Enjoy this chapter! Oh! And thanks for the reviews; they make me smile when I see them in the morning!

Dib could feel his face heat up as he stared at Zim in disbelief. Why would he ask me such a question!? Dib thought frantically, he can't really want me to move in with him, does he? I mean we have been enemies since middle school! And now that we found each other, even though he's not an invader anymore, I can't believe that would really change how he feels, or felt about me all those years ago.

The more Dib thought about the strange question that through him off guard, the more frantic his thoughts became. What if this is all just a trick to get me to believe he's been abandoned, and then when I have my back turned he gets rid of me for good!? Or what if I agree to move in with him and he decides to do experiments on me while I'm sleeping!? Or what if he feeds me to Gir, or lets Gir eat all of my clothes!? I just don't know what's going on anymore!

The more scenarios Dib came up with that involved Gir eating him or Zim experimenting on him had Dibs head reeling. Zim saw the humans expressions change while he waited for Dib to give him an answer, and started to become anxious when he saw more than once, a look of fear cross into the humans eyes as he pondered the question.

Releasing the human from their awkward hold, Zim looked down at the human's still puzzled and slightly fear-filled face. This isn't going like I planned thought Zim sadly, and pondered on his earlier eagerness to just ask the human outright for him to stay without thinking about the actual weight his question held.

Moving in with your enemy, now that's something to really think about, and knowing Dib, he's probably conjured up a whole list of horrible scenarios that end with him being eaten or dissected in some way. Zim couldn't hold back a small smile that made it to his lips as he reminisced on the days of actually wanting to dissect the human. But now that the weight and the hurt he felt when the human disappeared made itself known to the invader, Zim couldn't stand the thought of losing Dib any time soon. No, Zim wanted to keep the human near him at all times, the new feelings that had become apparent inside of him forced him to realize that he needed Dib, more than he was willing to admit to himself.

Zim could forget about the tallests and the empire, as long as Dib was willing to stay by his side. But with the way the human was looking from the floor to the door made Zim think that maybe Dib didn't need him the way he needed Dib, and it just made it hurt more the longer the minutes ticked by as the invader waited for an answer that was sure to end in disaster.

I came on too strong thought Zim, I'm such an idiot and he's going to hate me! I can't believe I asked him that so quickly! Maybe I should tell him to leave and come back when he has an answer so he doesn't feel rushed. But what if he runs away and never comes back? Zim doesn't want that. But what can I do to make this right so that he doesn't fear me!? Zim… doesn't know what to do.

When the arms that were once holding Dib released him he looked up to the invader, wondering what had brought on the sudden movement, but was also relieved to have some space. It's not that he didn't want to be near the invader, but the whole situation had him asking questions, and coming up with answers to strange theories that weren't all that pretty. Dib didn't want to admit to himself or to Zim that he was still a bit scared of the ex- invader, and from the time of Dibs 'disappearance' Dib had had some experiences in the foster home situation that made him slightly more wary of certain situations. If Dib moved in with Zim and things went south, Dib wondered if he could get out of the situation unscathed. Although he may have been overthinking the whole situation, the time he spent in foster care made him rethink allot of things, and also made him unable to trust people as much or as willingly as he used to.

It wasn't all Zim's fault, or his fear of Zim, but Dibs inability to get past that fear of living with someone he barely knows. And although he was strong in foster care for his sister, Dib still suffered nightmares from his experience, and couldn't get past the habit of looking over his shoulder for an attacker.

Dib was more or less afraid of what Zim would say if he saw Dib having a panic attack, or if he woke up the invader at night with the screams his nightmares forced from his mouth. The memories of foster care still plaguing him, even during normal, every- day routines.

Zim might become overwhelmed with his new house mate and decide that he couldn't live with him anymore, and that's what scared Dib. He didn't want Zim to see him weak, and these occurrences Dib had made him the weakest, most vulnerable person in existence. Even now as he stands in front of the invader, Dib can't help but come up with multiple escape plans and attack plans he might have to use in case of an oncoming fight.

Looking up into Zim's eyes however had Dib faltering in the spiel his mind was throwing at him. He didn't expect the invader to look so, so sad and fragile in that moment. And when their eyes met, Zim broke the silence, shifting even further away from the human so as not to try and grab him if he attempted to leave.

"Zim, would like to apologize if he has offended you Dib- friend, I can see that my question has caught you off guard and is somewhat troubling your brain meats, but please believe me when I say that I genuinely want you to stay with me. And if you still feel like this is all a trick, I will in whatever way you wish, show you that I won't be a threat to you. So please just, just think about it before you outright say no. I don't want to beg, but your disappearance has made me realize that, that you, to me, are well, I, I just, don't want to lose you again."

Now that really caught Dib off guard, and he couldn't help but smile a little at the aliens flushed face and garbled words. The statement was so genuine, and so raw with natural emotion, that Dib wondered just how much his disappearance really affected Zim. He'd have thought that with his presence gone, Zim could take over the world without any troubles, and during the first year of his absence, Dib couldn't help but continually look out of any window or roof top to gaze at the sky in order to catch a glimpse of the oncoming invasion. When none of that happened, Dib had first guessed that Zim had left the planet, making the want to find the invader nil and for a short period he had forgotten about Zim.

It wasn't until his year in foster care that Dib began to remember the invader, and wanted so badly for Zim to just appear at the house one day and demand he come back with him. Dib wouldn't have cared where he would have ended up, he just knew that Zim would have made it better, and allot more interesting. He kept thinking, and letting his imagination soar on the days when his life in the house became bad, what would happen if the invasion did come. He would come up with scenarios about his foster house being exploded, but it wouldn't be because of the invasion. Zim would be there, helping Dib plant the bombs around the house while his so called foster parents were still passed out on the couch. These thoughts and imaginations are what kept Dib from going completely insane, deciding he wanted to live a better life than what was given to him. The day he turned 18 was the day he finally left that house and went in search of a job. Anything worked so when he was hired in the strip bar, he accepted without complaint.

He didn't start out a dancer, but worked his way up to becoming one since their tips were phenomenal. But he never took off his clothes. There was a reason behind it, but it was one he didn't want anyone to discover, and since his dancing was so good no one complained.

"Zim, listen, there's thing about me that, well…. I don't want you to find out about, and by me living here, I'm just scared you'll see these things and hate me for them." Dib tried his best to sound like it wasn't a big deal, but his voice wavered a bit. As much as he tried to deny it, Dib was actually ecstatic about seeing someone from his past, and all the more enthralled to hear that they wanted him to stay with them, even if only to keep in touch or to keep track of, Dib wasn't sure.

"You should know by now Dib- human that Zim knows all about your paranormal obsessions, and is even granting you access to his labs, so there's no need to hide that from Zim. Although it did bother me in the past when you spied on me, I won't look down upon it now since we will be living together." This was all stated mater of factly as Zim hoisted his hands upon his own hips, tilting his body to the side as if to say, Duh, that was a stupid thing for you to be worried about. But Dib quietly shook his head at Zim's mistaken thought's, knowing that explaining to the alien about his nightmares and panic attacks without actually telling him about them was going to be hard and complicated, so he just decided with a heavy heart to tell the alien what he would be getting into if he let him stay in the house.

Stepping back from the alien a little more, Dib hesitantly began to remove his black hoodie, getting it over his head and then tossing it lightly to the floor. Then, ever so slowly, Dib began to remove the bright red shirt that clung tightly to his body, revealing more and more of his pale alabaster flesh to the alien before him.

Zim stood stock still as Dib began to undress, confused beyond belief on why the human was suddenly taking his clothes off in front of him and trying desperately to quell the sudden burning in his face.

But as soon as the shirt left the human's skin and he turned around, his back to the alien, did Zim finally piece together why the human never removed his clothes on the strip club stage. A slow burning rage seemed to boil in the invader as he stared at the being in front of him, lost for words as he realized that this, was what Dib was referring to when he said 'there were things he didn't want Zim to find out about him.' The longer Zim stared however, the more he wanted, no, needed to find out about what happened to Dib the two years he had disappeared. Even if the human didn't want to share, this gruesome new evidence pushed Zim past his own limits to just let whoever did this to get off without being brutally murdered and or tortured for the rest of their measly existence.

The Dib was going to tell Zim what happened whether he liked it or not. And the Dib was going to stay with Zim, because Zim couldn't stand to let the human go after coming face to face with this new and harsh reality the teen had been living in up until now. He didn't even care if Dib put up a fight, or how many inconceivable plots or mind twists Dibs brain had come up with that tolled him living with the invader was a bad idea. Zim, at this moment, was not going to let his human, his Dib, out of his sight, even if it meant getting on his own knees and begging for the human to stay. He was not going to let him leave.