Disclaimer: Well...You must know I don't own anything, because if I did own something...I wouldn't be writting fanfiction that's for sure...

Sorry about the wait people. I sort of got grounded and then when I got ungrounded I was all 'Oh yeah! I am sooo gonna update now.' Then I sat down to type and writers block hit me like a migraine, so bear with me here.

Chapter 3

Dib felt surprisingly well about his day so far. After he had left Zim's house and had come home Gaz was playing her Game Slave 2 and his dad was no where in sight so he faced no interogation about his whereabouts. Though Gaz had paused her game and gave him a cross between a glare and inquire as if she had known what had happened, but he supposed that was just his concience speaking, because then she had merely said something about him eating all the cereal and had beaten him until she had gotten bored and walked off. Apart from that, the next few days where bliss. Him and Zim had a sort of unspoken agreement to not talking about Zim's plans to take over the world, but Dib honestly didn't think that Zim was planning anything. There were none of the usual signs of smug triumph he usually wore when he believed he had won, in fact, he appeared positively genuine. Dib actually witnessed Zim smiling...may God be his witness; it was not a smirk, scowl, or grin it was a pleasant, satisfied, sincere smile. Dib liked this new Zim, in his mind it suited him better than the evil manipulative Zim. Dib still wasn't sure what he felt for the alien, but it certainly different than what he felt before, and considerably in Zim's favor this time.

All he had ever known about Zim was that he wanted to take over Earth, but apart from that there was nothing. Dib now knew that there was more to Zim than his mission; if only he could get Zim to realize that. There was so much more personality to Zim that he didn't even think Zim himself knew he had. Dib never realized how nice of a person Zim was apart from the whole ' i'm going to take over the Earth' thing. They still hadn't discussed it yet since that night, but Dib knew it was coming. He could tell by the way Zim's eyes shifted from his gaze or how he would be happily chatting one minute, but drift off into his own thoughts in another, and his face would fall and his eyes would appear to be crying though there were no tears. Dib knew it was coming, he could feel it.

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"He didn't know what he was talking about. He said that he doesn't think I belong with the Irkens! But he is wrong isn't he?! How could he even say something like that to the Great Zim?!"

For the first time since, well, ever really the Tallest listened to Zim's rant. Which was unheard of, they were positively gaping open mouthed at Zim who took no notice at the moment. Zim had finally worked up the gall to call the Tallest and tell them what happened that night with Dib, but for some strange reason he felt terrible doing it and once he started he couldn't stop talking. After he had cooled down he stopped and turned his head towards the Tallest for a verdict...

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Dib hadn't seen Zim at school today which hadn't happened ever since Zim had confessed his love for him. Lying down in his bed several hours after he had actually made the decision to try to sleep; he felt lonely, he wanted Zim. ' I geuss I didn't realize how attatched to him I was becoming...' Dib thought as he closed his eyes trying to block thoughts of Zim, but it was no use, his mind obviously wasn't going to relent and sent a mental picture of Zim to Dib's brain. Dib shook his head which jarred his thoughts a little. He had a bad feeling like things were going down hill fast, Dib honestly didn't think that their relationship together wasn't going to last much longer. I mean honesty is the basis of a realtionship right? So how were they supposed to stay together if they were keeping this ' Earth debate' I geuss it should be called; under the covers? Almost as if his thoughts had floated out of his window, he heard a tap on the glass. Dib decided to ignore it and go back to his thoughts...another tap...another...

Finally relenquishing the fact of getting any sleep tonight he pulled the sheets off of him and crawled over to the window above the lower edge of his bed. Looking out of thick pane he saw Zim standing down on the ground gazing up at him. Dib raised the window up, and stared incredulously down at the ground as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"What are you doing here Zim?"

"I wanted to talk...now."

Dib had a feeling he knew where this was going and was none too keen to trek on.

"Can't this wait till morning Zim? It's in the middle of the night."

"It's REALLY important. Zim must talk about it!" Zim said in his 'I will rule you all' voice, as Dib liked to call it.

"Okay, Okay just be quiet. Gaz'll wake up...Hold on for a second."

Dib disappeared from the window for a few minutes and reappeared again, this time with an armload of something that he dropped out the window. It clattered down the side of the house and ended at Zim's feet. It was a make shift ladder, but it wasn't constructed with the 'best' of materials. Zim looked up at Dib, shocked.

"I swear it's safe Zim. Gaz uses it to sneak out at night after dad gets home and she thinks i'm out spying on you."

Zim, somewhat reasurred clambered up it and landed sprawled on Dib's bed. Dib pulled the rope ladder back up through the window, rolled it up and went out of his bedroom for moment and came tip toeing back in, closing the door quietly behind him. It was then that Zim noticed that Dib wore nothing but a pair of what looked like shorts, on when he slept. Zim, startled, looked away and his cheeks tinted blue for a couple of seconds. Dib sat down next to Zim on his bed, saw his expression and smiled.

"What?"

"Oh! uh nothing..."

"Come on Zim, you can tell me."

"It's just, you aren't wearing any pants."

"Oh!" Dib blushed and quickly slid under his sheets and propped his back up on his pillows and sat up, admiring Zim's blue tinted blush while deepening his own. He felt his face burning and steered the conversation away from the lack of clothing he had on.

"You...wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Oh! That..."Zim's face fell and he looked solemly at the carpet.

"Um...I- that is 'we' have to talk about me taking ov-"

"Look. Zim, I know your mission is important, but the Earth is my home and I just can't let you- well, you know..." He trailed off and looked up at Zim. He saw Zim had that crying look in his eyes, but no tears fell.

"Zim?"

"There isn't...a mission anymore, Dib."

"What do you mean? I don't think I-"

"There's just not going to be a mission anymore."

"Zim, what happened?" Dib asked. Zim looked up into Dib's face and saw concern etched in his gaze. Zim decided he owed Dib the truth.

"The Tallest...It was all fake. They just made it all up- and..." Zim broke down and his form shook as Dib leaned over and pulled Zim's slender green body towards him in a comforting embrace. As hard as it was for Zim, he had to tell Dib the last of it.

"Y-you were r-right all along. I don't belong with the I-Irkens."Zim stuttered.

"No, you don't." Dib said in a commanding tone. Zim looked up at Dib questioningly with undisguised red ruby eyes.

"You belong with me." Zim gave a weak smile and curled up against Dib's bare chest feeling his chest rise and fall as he inhaled, there was something comforting about the way it happened consistantly, never ended. Dib was the only thing Zim had at the moment and he was glad Dib hadn't pressed on the issue and purged him of more information. The Dib creature was peculiar sometimes, he would do things that were uncharacteristic of himself and took Zim off guard. This was one of those times, he hadn't expected Dib to just accept his explanation, but he had; maybe it was just another thing about the concept of love, it was just one of those things that happened with no explanation.

"Hey, Zim?"

"Hmm..."

"I...I think I love you..."Dib managed to get out and looked at Zim for a reaction. Zim looked up and smiled.

"I love you too...And Dib?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not that different...you and I. We're both on the edge of things aren't we?"

"On the brink...I get it."

"But, I have you and you have me."

"Yeah...and Zim?"

"Huh?"

"I'll always be there for you."

Zim felt a hot sensation dropping into his stomach, not an unpleasant sensation, but a startling one.

"Hey Dib?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could maybe stay here for the night?" Zim's words came out in a rush as if he was afraid of the answer he would get. Dib contemplated the concept for a moment. His dad wouldn't be home until later tomorrow night and he wasn't exactly sure of what Gaz's reaction would be, but quickly squashed the fact by deciding he didn't want Zim going home in this state, not when he had been let down and betrayed by his own species.

"Sure Zim." Dib said with a reassuring smile as he scooted over and let Zim curl up next to him pushing down the blush that threatened to surface. Dib felt Zim lock his arms around his waist and Dib, reassured that everything would be fine closed his eyes and fell asleep.

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Sorry it took so long, again. I know i'm sort of rushing everything in here but there's gonna be a plot that i'm sort of eager to get to, I usually don't rush my stories this much though... Also there was alot of conversation in this chappie, I also thought it was sort of fluffy...Anyway, review please!