AN: ::shrugs:: I was just rereading "Nothing Special," and I got an idea for another chapter. Inspiration works in strange ways, no? I had intentionally meant "Nothing Special" to remain a one-shot…but life doesn't always work out that way. This chapter takes place AFTER "Future Dib," so Dib knows of the robot-Dib…and he was released from the cage with the monkey before he turned into an old man… Jeez. I have to clear everything up for the slow ones, don't I? No offense, I'm a slow person myself…had to remind myself that Dib was released before the real ending of "Future Dib" as I wrote this, so…

Warnings: Slash themes, my friends. Zim/Dib, somewhat one-sided… (you'll understand once you read)

Disclaimer: Sorry Jhonen for twisting your characters like this… I'm trying to be more and more in-character as I write these fics…while convincing people I don't OWN IZ…because you do, Jhonen, and I adore you. ::bows::

"Harsh Reality"

Zim knew he had the upper hand when he pinned the young human underneath him. After all, he did have enough military training in order to get a human under him. His thoughts were becoming distracting, though, but Zim ignored them.

"What…did you say about me, stink-beast?" Zim growled, leaning in close to Dib. Dib struggled beneath him, and Zim couldn't help but to like the feel of Dib under him. Silently, Zim cursed himself for thinking such things at a time like this; his pride was at stake!

"I just said…that maybe there was another reason behind that…robot you made of me…" Dib gasped for air as Zim continued to choke him unintentionally.

"There was no other reason!" Zim shouted, trying to keep himself from panicking; his grip loosening as he did so. "What makes you think there was another reason? You're obviously stupider than I imagined if you think so, Dib!" He tried to cover his panic; had to make sure Dib didn't see through him.

"Why are you…getting so worked up…Zim?" Dib asked between gasps, smirking at Zim even though Zim could see the pain in his eyes.

"Because I don't want you thinking something that was obviously not the case!" Zim's tone gave away a lot, and Zim cursed himself at that. Damnit, the Dib-human knew too much! That thought caused Zim to tighten his hold around Dib's neck. He seemed oblivious to Dib's gagging and gasping for air.

"Why…why did you…build it?" Dib asked, his pained expression compelling Zim to loosen his hold once again. Why did Zim have to hurt Dib like this? Because he's nothing special, Zim's mind hissed.

"To get rid of you! To get rid of the human race! I came here to destroy the Earth and that's exactly what I'll do!" Zim responded heatedly, pinning Dib down even worse than before, slowly letting go of Dib's neck.

"Why…do you have to…get rid of me?" Dib asked as he hungrily sucked in air. Zim looked away from Dib before glaring at the human, his claws now back around Dib's neck, but not strangling him.

"Because you'll only mess up my mission!" Zim shrieked. "I can't lose this mission…"

"But…is the mission all you want in life?" Dib continued to inquire, looking up at Zim with an expression Zim could not describe. All Zim knew was the funny leap his Irken equivalent of a heart did when Dib looked at him like that.

"My mission is my life!" Zim cried in response. "There is nothing else I have to live for!" Zim continued, glaring at Dib and inwardly glaring at himself. How could he lie so easily? He's nothing special, his mind reminded him, so forget about him. Yes! Yes, he would forget all about the Dib-human! In fact, he'll kill him right now!

But Zim just couldn't bring himself to.

And Dib seemed to notice that. "If there really is…nothing else to live for, then you could just kill me now and get it over with," Dib said, wincing slightly as Zim continued to glare at him, Zim's claws remaining around his neck. "Plus…don't Irkens fall in love, too?" Dib screamed in pain as he was swiftly kneed in the groin.

"Irkens do not need such a primary emotion!" Zim shouted more to himself than at Dib. Wincing again, Dib tried to move out from under Zim, seeming to know he had said the wrong thing to the Irken. "I would never fall in love! It's only a distraction! A distraction I must get rid of; just like how I need to get rid of you, Dib!" Zim realized his mistake the second the words left his mouth.

Horrified, Zim noticed the strange look Dib was now giving him. "You…love someone…Zim?"

"Never!" Zim protested, snarling, his grip now tightening on Dib's neck. "It's only a distraction! It's a stupid emotion, one I do not need in order to survive, unlike you humans…" he was getting too unsure of himself, and Zim knew Dib could tell. Damn the human! Just kill him now, he pleaded with himself. He just couldn't though, even if he was choking Dib at the moment.

"Everyone…needs love, Zim," Dib responded.

"Irkens do not need!" Zim continued. "Continue to blab, human, and I will kill you."

"Somehow I don't…think you can," Dib whispered, smirking up at Zim. Growling, Zim finally forced himself to choke the human with all his strength.

"Damnit, Dib-human! Just because I love you doesn't mean I won't kill you!" Zim hissed, his teeth bared in a snarl. Somehow, though, Dib had found a way to free his arms out from under Zim and tried to pull Zim's claws away from his neck. "I'll kill you for every time you've mocked me! Every time you ruined my plans! For…for causing me to love you…" Zim felt the tears sting at his eyes, but he ignored them. The human deserved to die, and to die now.

Rid himself of distractions had been his goal, and Dib was distraction number one. So what if he had feelings for Dib?! The human was nothing special! Zim didn't need him…and the human certainly didn't need Zim. Suddenly, Zim realized what he had told Dib and let go of him in shock. "Good Irk, no, I didn't!" Zim growled to himself.

Dib's pained, yet surprised expression told him otherwise as he stopped struggling under Zim. Zim's already wide eyes grew wider a Dib just lied under him, unmoving. Had Zim finally killed him? Was the human now dead? Zim's breath grew erratic as he suddenly realized that the human had been lying still for far too long, then Dib blinked then coughed for air.

Zim had neither been so terrified nor relieved in his entire life. Slowly, Dib blinked at him, almost too weak to move anymore than that; but Zim knew. Knew that Dib had heard him, and was no trying to process what he had been told. Should he run before Dib even asked? Or should be finish killing the human now and get it over with, never to hear Dib's voice again?

Despite the questions going on his mind, Zim did something that shocked him and Dib both. Leaning in even closer than he had before, Zim softly kissed Dib, almost as if asking for the human's forgiveness through the kiss. Dib instantly tensed under him and didn't respond to the kiss; just as Zim had expected him to, but it was all right. He knew Dib could never love him back since the day he realized his feelings.

Once Zim ended the kiss, he felt ashamed of himself. He just kissed a human! He was supposed to have killed the human, not kiss him! Dib was nothing special, Zim continued to tell himself. How could he betray himself like this? How?

"Zim…?" Dib's voice interrupted his inner rant, causing Zim to look at the human, seeing the shock…but no disgust…in Dib's eyes. Why…why wasn't he disgusted? Zim asked himself. Dib sighed, weak yet gaining strength. "Zim…do you really…love me?"

The human only continued to look at him with those pleading eyes, but Zim refused to give him an answer. Instead, Zim looked away from Dib, almost tempted to get off of Dib and let him go. He's nothing special, forget about him, his mind repeated, but he ignored that, too. Zim turned and gave Dib his best glare. "I hate you; you're a distraction, a stupid stink-beast like the others. Loving you is simply out of the question, human," Zim growled.

"But…you do, anyway," Dib responded, rubbing his neck where Zim's claws used to be. "And you…kissed me, Zim."

"Leave me alone!" Zim shrieked, placing his claws over his antennae. Block Dib out, block Dib out, block Dib out, he thought to himself. He just couldn't though…not when Dib was under him like this. Couldn't Dib just have kicked him off by now? It would have made sense for Dib to do that…but he hadn't done anything.

"Zim…" Dib sighed, causing Zim to look at him even though he didn't want to. "Why me?"

Shocked, Zim's arms fell to his sides. Unable to respond, Zim just looked at Dib desperately. That was the question Zim had never asked himself; he didn't know how to answer. And why was Dib acting like this? Shouldn't Dib be disgusted that he, Zim, loved him?

"There…has to be a reason, Zim…" Dib continued. "You just wouldn't…fall for a human like…like myself," he mumbled, turning his head so that he was looking away from Zim.

"You're too young to understand," Zim said, his voice unusually soft as he forced himself off of Dib. He needed to get away from the human; Dib was distracting him again. Why did the human have such a hold on him? "You're only a fraction of my age, Dib…"

"That…may be so, Zim," Dib whispered, sitting up for the first time in what seemed to be hours, but was only fifteen or so minutes. "But I know you well enough to know you don't know why you love me…" Dib stated, his voice stronger.

"Go, Dib," Zim hissed, glaring at Dib. "You don't love me back; you can't love me back," Zim's voice was hard and final. "Forget I ever said anything to you…because you'll only be nothing special to me."

"How can I be 'nothing special' when you love me?" Dib asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zim growled. "Don't question me, human! Leave my lab, your presence disturbs me."

"Whatever, Zim," Dib said, standing up. Zim stood up as well; he had to make sure Dib did leave, anyway. There was no way he would just let the human wander around his lab, anyway. He was shocked when Dib turned to face him, moving closer to Zim. "Does this change anything between us, Zim?"

"No," Zim growled, defensive. He didn't like the look the human was giving him, nor did he liked the fact that Dib moved closer to him still. What did Dib think he was doing? Dib was too young to know anything; he was still just a child, and Zim knew this. Knew this so well that it unnerved him that he fell for a growing human.

"I think it does, Zim," Dib responded. "Thanks…for not killing me. Man, did I think I was goner!" Dib shuddered, then leaned against Zim. "I may be young, Zim…but maybe, when I'm older… I'll grow to love you." With that, Dib kissed Zim clumsily on the lips before turning away.

"You do know the way out of my lab, right?" Zim asked, keeping his emotions under control.

"Yeah… I won't take pictures this time, I promise."

"Dib-human…promise never to stop chasing me, because I'll always try to destroy the Earth. Doing so is my mission, and my mission comes before any of my own emotions," Zim stated, his voice stronger, now sounding sure of himself.

"Alright, Space-boy. You won't ever destroy it! I'll make sure of that," Dib said, turning to grin at Zim before turning about around and walking out of the lab.

"Awww…why did you let the Dib-human go, Master?" Gir asked, walking up to Zim.

"Because I had to…for the mission's sake. He's really nothing special, though," Zim responded, though his mind told him otherwise.

"Oh…are you and him gonna make any mo' kissy faces? I like kissy faces!" Gir shrieked, grinning widely and throwing his arms up in the air. "'Specially the ones on TV!"

Zim just shook his head and looked away from where Dib stood moments ago, still feeling the brush of Dib's lips against his. Didn't the human understand Zim would never let the human love him? Didn't the human know he would eventually get around to destroying the Earth? Then again, that would probably only happen if Dib gave up.

Which, Zim noted, was something Dib would never do. Zim was glad for that…glad that Dib had at least tried to understand him. Maybe…maybe he could let the human love him…maybe he could destroy the Earth and keep Dib for himself….

No, that would never work and Zim knew that. The Dib-human loved his planet and would protect it with his life. That was why Dib could never love him; Dib would have to choose between the Earth or Zim, and Zim already made his decision on his mission or Dib. The mission came first, always had and always will. For Dib, Zim knew, that the Earth came first. It was a harsh reality, but Zim grew used to it.

He just hoped that Dib would be able to handle the harsh reality when it finally came crashing down upon the young human's shoulders. If not, then Zim would help Dib come to terms with hard reality. If and until that happens, Zim would continue to believe that Dib was nothing special.

It was the only way he could deal with harsh reality on his own.

Ahhhh. Well, I'm CERTAIN that "Nothing Special" is done now… At least, I sure hope I don't get any more ideas for it. O_o That would be just creepy if I continued to get ideas for this fic ever week or so… Creepy in a good kind of way, I guess. ^_^;;