A/N: Blargh. Okay, so I took a bit longer than I meant to getting back to this story. Sorry about that, you guys. I know some of you have been waiting for me to update and respond to your reviews, but I'm afraid an update is all you guys are going to get this time around. I had some reponses to reviews all typed out for the next time I posted, but unfortunately, those were typed up on my OTHER laptop, which is off being fixed at the moment. So yeah. Not gonna respond to reviews again this week. Just know that I really do appreciate you guys keeping up with this story and reviewing. And I'll do what I can to get the chapters coming out even faster now that I'm back from DoomCon.
Speaking of DoomCon, allow me quickly cover some of the highlights of our trip before posting this next set of chapters.=3 For those of you who DIDN'T read my A/N on the recently updated "Dib Is Sick," I'll just have you know that the trip was absolutely amazing. We couldn't have asked for a better time in L.A. Because not only did we have incredibly good luck throughout the majority of the convention, but we also got invited to hang out with Wally Wingert AFTER the convention was over, which was just spectacular in itself. Wally Wingert, for those of you who don't know, is the voice actor of Tallest Red, and let me just say, he's just plain awesome. His house is amazing, and he really does care a lot for his fans. ;3; I was just blown away by everything he invited us to do with him though, as were my two friends, Metro and DAF. For details about the things he invited us to do with him, please feel free to visit the A/N of Chapter 31 of "Dib Is Sick." I go into more detail there of what we got to do with him. But seeing as how I'm certain you're all dying to read the next set of chapters by now, I'll go ahead and get to posting them already so you don't have to wait any longer.
As always, your feedback is very much appreciated. And I just hope you guys enjoy the continuation of ZADR Orange. =3
ZADR Orange Chapter 81
Warnings: Extreme OOCness
Rating: M for later chapters
Disclaimer: We do not own Invader Zim, nor any of the characters from it. We do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Zim: Notgonnadie
Dib: Me
Enjoy. =3
Just allowing Zim to scoop him up and carry him over to the tub for a bath, Dib didn't even respond or look up, his dazed gaze focused on the ground beneath them. He couldn't look back up at Zim, even if he wanted to. It was almost as though he had completely shut down.
Worried about Dib but thinking it would be best to get the both of them cleaned up first, Zim stepped into the warm goo and sat down with Dib in his lap.
His antennae shivering before falling back to rest comfortably against his head again, Dib didn't respond at all save for a small shudder as they entered the gel. He wasn't exactly used to the gel baths yet, the semi-liquid substance still somewhat cold to him despite technically being a 'warm' gel bath.
Sighing heavily, Zim pet Dib gently. "I'm so sorry, Dib...This is my fault...Again...EVERYTHING is my fault...M-Maybe...you shouldn't have remembered...You could have been happier without me..." he said, looking away.
"Stop it!" Dib snapped the moment Zim said that. "J-Just stop it...Please..." he closed his eyes, the tears coming again. "You make things so much worse when you say things like that..." his voice came out strained. "This probably would have happened whether I remembered everything that happened or not..." he brought up both his hands to wipe at his eyes.
Zim's antennae drooped. "I'm sorry..." he apologized again, kissing Dib gently and rubbing his back.
His body quivering as he moved in to hide his face in Zim's chest, Dib sniffled wetly, letting out small, shaking sobs.
Wrapping his arms tighter around Dib, Zim rubbed them up and down his arms and back."Shhh...Shh. It's okay, Dib. It's okay. Everything's going to be alright..." he tried to soothe the sobbing hybrid.
His hormones making it very hard for him to completely settle down emotionally, Dib calmed only slightly at the Irken's words.
Zim kissed him. "I love you...And I don't want to hurt you...I'm sorry you're in so much pain..." he said, continuing to kiss Dib's head gently.
After a moment or two, Dib finally lifted his head slightly from Zim's chest, sniffling wetly still. "...The smeets are moving again..." he said in a fairly broken voice, pressing the hand to where he could feel the movement inside of him. It was making it harder for him to catch his breath as he attempted to take in a few more calming breaths.
Rubbing his hand on Dib's belly to feel the movements, Zim smiled warmly. "They're very active, aren't they?" he said, nuzzling into Dib.
"They're less active than my bladder..." Dib said before returning his face back to Zim's chest and closing his eyes to let the rest of his tears continue falling.
"Oh, Dib. It's okay..." Zim kissed him, wrapping his tongue around his antennae.
Shuddering, Dib, rather than responding positively to Zim wrapping his tongue around his antennae, pulled them away, no longer in any sort of mood to have them touched.
Sighing, Zim looked away, his own antennae drooping. "Sorry..." he apologized in a quiet voice for the contact.
Crying until he finally couldn't take the headache it was causing him, Dib's own antennae drooped as he just sat there in Zim's lap. Then, lifting his head slightly, eyelids still drooping and eyes red, he sniffled wetly. "M-My head hurts..." he said in a somewhat tired voice, antennae shivering on and off.
Zim smiled sadly at him. "Would you like to go back to bed?" he asked.
Shifting his gaze off to the side, Dib didn't answer right away, his antennae drooping even more. He didn't really feel like doing anything at the moment, even sleeping. He knew that if he went back to bed, he would just end up crying even more, making his headache worse. But at the same time, he didn't want to go anywhere or do anything else. He just felt as though the life had been sucked out of him.
Waiting patiently for an answer, Zim didn't know what to do to make Dib feel better.
Bringing his gaze back up to Zim after several more minutes of silence, Dib finally nodded his head slowly, as though in response to the earlier question. "...O-Okay..." he agreed, not wanting to lay down but knowing whether he wanted to or not, that's where he would ultimately end up after something like that happening to him. He didn't even have the will to go out to Jack's and Rose's place with Zim any longer to let them know he was okay and apologize for everything they had put them through.
Zim rubbed Dib's cheek. "Okay, Dib...I'll carry you to bed." he said, draining the goo and picking Dib up to carry him on down to the bedroom.
Finding himself nuzzling his face back into Zim's chest, Dib tried to keep back the tears the best he could until they had reached the bedroom where he sank down into the covers the moment Zim set him down and hid his face away in one of the pillows.
"Dib..." Zim sighed, crawling up next to him, not wanting to leave his side despite not being tired. "Please feel better..." he said in a soft voice, running his hand up and down on the hybrid's back.
His body still shaking with emotion, Dib merely closed his eyes as his sobs continued on into the pillow.
About to scoot in to try and comfort Dib, Zim jolted however when the doorbell rang, drawing his attention up to the direction of the house level of his base.
"Master, there are two unidentifiable humans waiting at the front door."
Looking confused, Zim then glanced down at Dib. "Will you be okay while I go check the door?" he asked, a little nervous about leaving Dib, even if only for a second.
"...I don't care..." Dib said in a quiet whisper before turning over in the bed and curling up under the covers, antennae pressed to the back of his head.
Remaining silent as Zim seemed hesitant to leave at first but finally got up to check the door when the bell rang a second time, the computer finally decided to speak up just as Zim was heading for the elevator. "Ummm...Master? You do realize you're not wearing any clothes, right?" it informed him of his still naked state.
"Uhh...OF COURSE I DO!" Zim glared at the ceiling. "But gimme some anyway." he said, holding out his arms for some clothes.
Debating on whether or not to do it, the computer finally figured he'd rather not have to deal with naked Zim much longer. "Fine." he dropped clothes on top of Zim, who quickly put them on before heading to the door.
Opening the door a crack to look out, Zim very quickly tried to rid them of whoever it was at the door. "We don't want any." he said before really getting a look at who it was.
"Oh, no you don't, Zim!" came an all too familiar voice that could only belong to Jack. Jamming his foot in the doorway before Zim could close it, locking both him and Rose outside the house, Jack refused to let him close the door until after they were allowed to see Dib. After a night in the hospital after what had happened back at their house, he and Rose had agreed they needed to have a talk with Zim, whether he wanted to hear it or not. And they had no intentions of leaving until they had made sure Dib was okay, of course.
Realizing who it was at the door, Zim's eyes widened. "Jack! Rose! Y-You're okay!" he opened the door wide to let them come inside, surprising them a little as they hadn't been expecting Zim to so willingly let them in.
The first to recover from her surprise, Rose moved in confidently, Jack following behind her as they had no intentions of beating around the bush. "Zim, where is Dib? What did you do with him?" she asked in a serious voice, keeping a somewhat defensive stance as she wasn't sure what to expect from Zim so far as his state of mind was concerned.
Realizing this, Zim blushed and looked away. "He's in bed right now...He...Umm..." he wasn't sure whether he should tell them about everything that happened, just knowing Dib would get embarrassed if he did. "There was an accident..." he said, leaving it at that and changing the subject quickly. "Are you okay?" he asked, directing his question at Jack.
But rather than catching that question, both Jack and Rose sent him horrified looks. "What?!" they said in unison, then sending each other worried looks, afraid of what kind of 'accident' Zim could be referring to.
A/N: And there you have it for Chapter 81. =3 Once again, responses to reviews will be picked up the next time I update a set of chapters. But until then, hope you guys enjoyed~