Warning: ZADR. If you don't like it, I suggest you leave.
Disclaimer: I don not own Invader Zim.
_-Hello-_
*Playground Schoolbell rings, again.*
Dib slowly got up from his desk and followed his classmates out to the cafeteria, completely ignoring everything around him, even Zim.
*Rainclouds come to play, again*
Looking out the window almost caused Dib to grin. It was fitting; the weather had been dark and gloomy ever since...
*Has no one told you she's not breathing?*
Dib bit back a sob, he just couldn't stop thinking about it.
*Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to. Hello.*
He couldn't get her voice out of his head; all the times she'd insulted him, threatened to make his life a living hell...and yet, they'd always cared about each other, even if they didn't know how to show it.
*If I smile and don't believe, soon I know I'll wake from this dream. Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken.*
When it had happened a few of his classmates had pretended to care, but he ignored them, ignored the fact that she was gone. The skool councilor had tried talking to him, but had no effect, Dib just ignored her, too. He had begun to shut himself off completely, not caring when Zim did everything from beating him to weakly insulting him, trying to bring his rival back to his old self.
*Hello, I'm the lie living for you so you can hide, don't cry. Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping, hello. I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday.*
Eventually, Dib realized that Gaz wasn't coming back. It was in the middle of lunch one day. He just froze, dropping his tray. A moment later he'd fallen to his knees, his long black hair covering his face. When Zim eventually came to try to get the boy to stand up, Dib exploded.
"You! It's all your fault! You did it, you killed her!"
"Killed....? What are you talking about, stink-beast?"
"You killed Gaz! I know it!"
"Gaz? I would not kill her, she was not a threat to the mission."
"No! It had to be you! She was too young! She was too young...."
Tears were streaming down Dib's face as he curled up into a ball on the cafeteria floor, just as the bell rang. Sighing quietly, Zim grabbed the boy by the elbow and led him down to their next class.
~~~~~
Dib numbly sat through the rest of skool that day. Gaz, the only person who'd cared for him since mom died, was gone. She wasn't coming back. And as if that wasn't more than enough, he'd broken down and cried in front of Zim, his mortal enemy.
Zim watched Dib out of the corner of his eye, as he had been since lunch. He'd heard of what'd happened to Gaz, of course, but he hadn't realized how much it was affecting Dib. He'd always thought the two siblings had hated each other, and that Dib would be glad to be rid of her. Obviously not, considering that Dib looked ready to burst into tears at the slightest provocation, and seeing Dib cry was....strange, to say the least. He'd always been focused, rarely showing weakness, and this....this was almost like watching himself cry, something that would never happen.
When skool ended Dib slowly gathered his things and began walking towards his house. Zim grabbed his stuff and followed quietly, watching him.
Dib made it to the front door before dropping his backpack and running. He couldn't go back in there, not alone. The house had seemed empty even before Gaz was killed. The silence would be deafening now. And the memories....There was no way he could go inside.
Zim suppressed an aggravated sigh before grabbing the human's backpack and running silently after him, worried about what the depressed boy might do.
It started raining as Dib ran. As his glasses became blurry with water, he simply pulled them off, leaving them on the street. He had no idea where his feet were leading him now, and simply ran, enjoying the sting of ice-cold rain on his face. Eventually he ran straight into a blue door that was opened by a small green blur that dragged him inside.
Zim cursed as the rain came down harder, he hadn't used enough paste that morning to survive this for long. He turned towards home, figuring that he could track Dib from there, when he saw something glint on the road. Recognizing them as the human's glasses, he grabbed them before sprinting home, trying to dodge the drops of water that were beginning to burn his skin.
Dib couldn't see much of anything that was farther than five inches past his nose, but the house still seemed familiar. The green blur had given him something resembling a blue muffin, which Dib had quickly declined. Not long after that, the door burst open and the green thing squealed.
"MASTER!"
"Gir, I'm in a hurry. Go away. Computer! Track the Dib-human!"
"Human Dib is on the couch."
"What?! Oh...so he is. I knew that. Dib, what are you doing here?"
Dib ignored the question, opting to smack his forehead repeatedly. Of course he recognized the house! He could get through most of it in his sleep!
Zim watched Dib for a moment before drying the human's glasses and handing them to him. Dib put them on quickly, frowning at the crack that ran through one of the lenses.
"So Dib, why are you in my base?"
"I needed to get out of the rain."
"You could have gone to your own house. Oh, this is yours."
Zim tossed Dib's backpack to him as he ordered the computer to bring in a chair. He refused to sit on the same couch as Dib.
"I can't go back to my house. And how did you get my backpack?"
"You left it outside. I had been thinking of looking through it, but it's all wet now. And why couldn't you go to your house?"
Dib ignored Zim's question as he went through his backpack, checking his stuff for water damage. Zim narrowed his eyes as he approached Dib, whose eyes had begun watering at a death threat he'd found in one of his folders. Zim slapped him hard enough to cause the human to fall on his side.
"Ow! What the hell was that for, Zim?!"
"What is wrong with you, Dib!? You've completely lost yourself over Gaz's death! An invader would never be so weak! And to think I considered you a worthy adversary!"
Dib pulled himself up from the couch, staring Zim in the eye, his own dangerously narrowed.
"You wouldn't understand, Zim. She was the only one who cared about me. You have no idea what it's like to have everyone ignore you, laugh at you, hate you. Gaz was the only one who didn't, at least not really, and she's not here anymore!"
A brief flash of pain crossed Zim's face, unnoticed.
"Invaders need no one."
"Well in case you haven't noticed, Zim, I'm not an invader. I'm a human, and humans do need people.....And why the hell am I telling you this?!"
Zim smirked a little.
"Because everyone else hates and ignores you?"
Dib punched Zim hard enough to knock him down.
"Not funny, alien scum"
Dib grabbed his backpack and walked quickly to the door. Zim sat up, holding his hand to his cheek.
"Where are you going, Dib-worm?"
"I'm leaving."
"I noticed. But where are you going? You said you can't go home."
"Anywhere is better than here."
"Computer! Restrain him!"
Wires wrapped around Dib's limbs, lifting him slightly. He glared down at Zim.
"Finally gonna kill me, then?"
"Feh, too easy. ZIM likes a challenge. No, I'm simply going to keep you here until you stop acting all crazy. Taking over the planet would be far too simple without you in my way. Computer! Take him to that little room near the Weasil Pens.
As Dib was dragged away Zim sat on the couch, looking out the window as the strong storm outside suddenly let up.
"Huh."
Moments later, Gir walked into the room, holding a large bowl full of batter.
"Master, why is the Dib still here?"
"He's staying until he's not crazy no more."
"Okiedokie."
Gir turned around and walked back into the kitchen, singing a strange song. Zim caught a bit of it, but it only confused him.
'..Master and Dibby, sittin' in a tree....'
Strange, why would he sit in a tree with the human boy?
~~~~~~
Whoo! First chapter done, the rest will be on their way shortly. I have them, I just hafta type them. So, whaddya think? Please tell me.
Oh yeah, and the song is Hello, by Evanscence.