Fade Away

By Bleeding Cherry

Chapter two:

Fantasy is of Reality

Dib pressed his palm to the shower wall balancing him self so that he wouldn't fall over. He blinked several times as the heated droplets attacked and stung his eyes. He felt the moister in the air cling to his skin. He felt nauseous and his head felt like led. He slowly allowed himself to slide down the wall and he gently sat on the floor of the tub. He examined his shaking hands. Looking at them over and over and over again. After thirty minutes he finally pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself.

Something salty trickled into his mouth and he realized he was crying. Through all these months his body refused to cry. His mind had begged and begged but they're cries had fallen on deaf ears. Now for the first time in a year he was crying. He decided to take full advantage and he let out all the sobs that had been locked away. He cried for so long he forgot what he had been crying about. Finally hours later the tears stopped flowing and Dib sat in silence letting the now freezing water hit his head and trickle down his back.

Something that sounded like plastic hit the floor. It was most likely a toothbrush. Dib's ear twitched. He turned his head. There was a shadow on the wall. The shadow was shaped like-

"ZIM!" Dib quickly tore down the shower curtain not caring that he was completely naked… save for his glasses. There standing right in front of him was… nothing. Absolutely nothing. There wasn't even anything on the floor.

Suddenly the water stopped running. The whole bathroom became eerily silent. Dib just stood there. Trying to comprehend the entire situation. Then he heard him laugh. And it echoed. It bounced off the walls and Dibs head turned violently as if trying to follow it. Dibs gaze finally stopped shifting and he found himself staring at the center of the bathroom. He was there right in front of him. His red orbs narrowed into tiny little slits.

"Hello Dib." He said. There was nothing in his voice. No malice no sympathy. Nothing.

He took a step toward Dib. A teasing smile plastered on his face. Dib didn't react. He just stood there. He wasn't even sure he was in his body anymore. He felt as if he was just watching the scene unfold from above as if he had floated out of his own body.

Zim came closer. His teasing smile turned to more of a pout. "What's wrong Dib? Aren't you glad to see me?" He came closer. Closer. Closer. Till his body was only centimeters away from that of the naked human's. His red orbs filled with worry. He lifted a gloved hand and held it up to the human's face. Dib watched himself watch Zim slowly pull his sleek rubber ebony gloves off revealing his mint green flesh.

Dib was then suddenly sucked back into his body. He barely had any time to reflect on what it had felt like because all he could concentrate on was Zim caressing his right cheek with his naked claw. He was touching him. And he could feel it. His green skin was perfectly smooth but there was no shine. Irkens did not sweat. They had no pores. Not any kind of texture to their skin. It was a smoother than glass. It was so smooth it almost hurt. Zim's fingertips sent electric shocks all through out his body. Dib winced.

The alien smiled uncharacteristically warm and cupped the human's cheek with his palm. "Hello Dib." He repeated.

Dib's mind was now racing. He was sure it had stopped and was now desperately trying to catch up with reality. How could this possibly be real? He could feel everything. He could feel Zim's breath on his lower lip, he could feel Zim's little red outfit slowly brush against his bare chest, he could feel Zim's cool palm resting gently on his cheek. What was going on?

Dib suddenly flinched as he detected movement from Zim's hand. Zim slowly raised his thumb and rested it under Dib's eye. Zim then leaned in forward and whispered in Dib's ear.

"This is so you won't forget me." Even though Zim's mouth was practically touching his ear his words were barely audible. But Dib heard them all the same.

"I could never forget you." He whispered back slightly surprising himself.

Zim then looked back into Dib's honey colored eyes longingly. Dib then felt unexpected pressure under his eye that soon turned into a painful sting. Zim was dragging his claw down Dib's cheek tearing his flesh. Despite how painful that really was Dib barely even squeaked. Zim then stepped back a good five feet and waved.

"Goodbye Dib."

Dib blinked. Wait! Stop! "No!" Dib squeaked out. He looked up just in time to see the fleeting form of Zim disappearing into the air. He took a step forward but then began to feel dizzy. His vision began to go black. The last thing he saw was Zim's large red eyes dissolving into nothingness.

Dib later awoke finding himself still in the shower. He immediately examined his surroundings. The curtains that he had torn were perfect. There were no wet spots on the floor were he had stood. Even the water was still running. Dib sighed. He slowly turned the shower knobs and the soft pounding of running water on the bathtub floor ceased. He clumsily picked up his legs and hopped over the rim of the tub. He pulled a towel off one of the rungs and dried himself off. He walked toward the sink reaching for a toothbrush when he stopped. He looked in the mirror that was placed right above the sink. He lifted a shaky hand toward his cheek gently stroking the long red scar beginning right beneath his right eye.

End chapter two.

A/N: yay! Well that took long enough. Well now what do you think? Was that Dib hallucinating or was that REAL! is this romance or some really weird stuff! Yay for confusion!