Thereafter
Part II of II
Dib had observed the Irken for about a week, watching his every move on a video screen in a secure room. For the first day of his imprisonment, the alien wasted a good deal of energy trying to blast a hole in the wall. Every wall was dotted with dark, black spots where he had tried to break free, but it had been a futile effort. After he had finally given up trying to break free, he simply sat in one corner of the room, legs crossed Indian-style and elbows resting on his knees. He would occasionally glance down at the pants and shirt that he wore with a great deal of disgust, which amused Dib slightly.
After a couple of days, Dib had tried to strike up a conversation with the alien, but he didn't get two words out of the Irken. Well…he did get two words out of him, but they weren't exactly the words he had been hoping to get. The only food he presented Red was a plate of waffles, as it was the only human food he knew of that Irkens could tolerate. The first batch of waffles that had been presented to the alien ended up thrown against the wall…where they stuck, slowly sliding down to the floor in a goopy, syrupy mess. Eventually, though, the alien gave in to his hunger and ate the next plate given to him with disdain.
Dib once again tried to make conversation, hoping he could finally break the ice with the stubborn creature. Why he wanted to lessen the friction between them was beyond him. He was still trying to understand why he had brought his enemy back to his labs in the first place.
The human unlocked the cell door and stepped into the room, carrying a chair with him. "Hey," he greeted the alien, who continued glaring straight ahead. "I'd say nice weather we're having, but it's not like you can see it," he laughed, and then instantly winced, not realizing how cynical the joke sounded until it had left his tongue.
"Stop, you're killing me," the alien drawled sarcastically. Dib sighed, sitting down in the chair.
"So…how long did…um…you and him know each other?"
Red sent the man an icy glare. "I assume you're talking about Purple?"
Dib shrugged. "I guess."
Red was silent for a moment, debating with himself on whether or not to answer the stupid human's question.
"Pretty much since smeethood."
"You two were close," Dib replied. It was more of a statement than a question. The alien muttered something under his breath, which Dib assumed was another insult. "I'm sorry. Really…I am. I'm sorry it had to end the way it did."
Red chuckled coldly. "You know…you keep apologizing, and then in the very next breath, you keep tainting your words. Can you apologize and not blame me in the same sentence?"
"What? Do you think I'm going to say you didn't bring it upon yourselves? Really? You're damn right you're to blame! If you weren't so hell bent on conquering the universe, we wouldn't be having this talk right now, would we?" the human shouted. Red shot up to his feet, his long, slender fingers curling into fists. His antennae lowered in anger as he contemplated charging at the human, but after a few moments, he lowered himself to the floor again, his fighting spirit completely tattered at this point.
"Just get out."
"All right, look…we'll talk about something else."
"I don't wish to speak with you. I don't even want to look at you. Now GET OUT!"
Dib sighed as he stood to leave, not wishing to invoke the alien's wrath.
0ooooooo0
Dib muted the TV, staring at the silent screen as his mouth fell open. Was this it? Was he just like that deluded man on the television? Was that why he spared the alien? Was this just some kind of sick thrill for him? Did he enjoy the thought of keeping a dangerous creature under his control? The thought made him sick to his stomach.
The man returned the sound, continuing to watch the program with an icy feeling in pit of his stomach.
0ooooooo0
Red wasn't exactly sure where he was going or what he was thinking, for that matter. He knew the human would get out of that cell eventually, and it's not like the Irken had anywhere to go. He had no equipment, no ship that he could use to escape this planet, or even any way of contacting his people back on Irk. So why was he even bothering? Maybe he wasn't expecting to escape with his life. Maybe he didn't want to. He knew there was no hope of getting off of this planet, but he was not going to be a prisoner of war. Never. Death was the only dignified alternative now. The humans would chase him down, he knew it. They would find him, and they would either bring him in, or bring him down, and he was not about to go back willingly.
The alien stopped in front of a large, metal door, unsure of what waited behind it. An exit, perhaps? He didn't know. He looked down at the key card that he had managed to steal from the human and quickly swiped it over the scanner. There was a single beep as the light on the scanner flashed green, followed by a clicking sound as the door parted. Red placed his hand against the door, slowly pushing it open. He remained alert, not knowing what to expect on the other side. What he did find horrified him.
He was almost unrecognizable, but Red knew it was him. He was completely motionless inside the tank, and the taller Irken had to wonder if he was even still alive. He slowly approached the tank, mouth agape. "Zi…Zim?"
Slowly, the little Irken's eyes, or eye rather, opened, curiously staring up at the tall being. "M-My…My Tallest?" he whispered, his voice hoarse and weak. "You're…alive? The Dib said…you…were dead. B-But…where is…" Zim began, noticing Purple was not at Red's side. "No…Please tell me…"
Red frowned deeply. "He didn't survive the battle. The entire Armada was brought down, the Massive and all."
Zim's one eye squeezed shut in grief, his teeth clenching. "That…filthy…pig-smelly." He returned his gaze to his Tallest, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I…was beginning…to lose hope, My Tallest. I was starting…to…think you would…never come. I was…a fool to ever…doubt you."
Red averted his gaze for a moment, feeling an uncharacteristic wave of guilt hit him full force. After seeing the Irken in this state, he knew he couldn't bring himself to tell him the truth, that the only reason the Armada had even set a course for Earth was simply because…they had nothing better to do. The Irken Empire had pretty much every last stretch of the universe under their reign, with the exception of Earth. Several years ago, they would have scoffed at the idea of even bothering with the planet. Knowing Zim's uncanny ability to ruin anything and everything, they figured they'd be putting themselves at risk if they attempted an invasion of the planet with him still on it, but after they had stopped receiving transmissions from the Irken, they had assumed he had finally met his demise. The thought of invading the planet suddenly became more tempting after that.
"How…How long have you been confined here, Zim?"
The Irken growled. "Twenty Earth years."
Yep, that definitely explained why they had stopped receiving calls from him. Why wasn't this funny to him? Why didn't he find amusement in this defective's suffering? Had his PAK been damaged during the crash? All he could feel at that moment was disgust…and pity.
Red took a step back, deploying his spider legs and pointing them upward at the tank. He fired a shot at the glass, which shattered instantly, sending dozens of shards and pink-colored liquid pouring to the floor at his feet. Zim had shielded himself the best he could with one arm as the glass fell all around him. He tried his best to stand from his chair, but after being immobile for so long, his legs quickly buckled underneath him and he fell forward. Red shot a hand forward and caught him, extending his other hand to detach the various cords and wires that were attached to the Irken, tossing them aside with disgust. He gently lay the Irken back, his hand still cradling the back of his head.
"I'm…sorry, My Tallest. I…I gave in to him. It's like…he had some…kind of power over me. I…I couldn't fight him. I let you down, My Tallest. I've…failed you. I've failed as an invader."
The taller Irken's antennae lowered slightly. The defective never lost his desire to please his leaders, and look where it got him. "You're not a failure, Zim," he said quietly. "You did your best. You have the tenacity of ten invaders put together."
Hearing this seemed to bring a bit of light to the tiny Irken's face. "Really?"
"Yes. You've done the Empire proud." The Tallest sighed sadly, knowing what he was about to do…what he had to do. "Would you close your eyes, Zim?"
The smaller Irken did as his leader asked, never once questioning his intentions. Always quick to follow orders.
Red's PAK clicked as it opened, a single metal appendage emerging from within it. The metal limb lowered itself, its incredibly sharp tip pointed at the smaller Irken's throat. He hesitated only for a moment, regarding the defective briefly with remorse. Swallowing hard, he plunged the leg forward, slicing through the Irken's neck and severing an important artery. Red winced as blood splattered across his face, pushing aside the nausea that suddenly overwhelmed him. The little defective was finally dead, but there was no cheering, or even a sigh of relief. There was only silence as the Tallest stared down at the lifeless corpse that still hung limply in his arm. His grip tightened on the little body as he shook with anger, an anger that was directed at himself more than anyone else. Zim had ended up like this because of him. He had put him here. He shared just as much of the blame as the humans.
Red grit his teeth as he heard multiple footsteps enter the room. He laid Zim's body down and slowly rose, turning to face the humans. Dib stood glaring at the Irken, several armed guards flanking his side with their guns cocked. Dib's gaze traveled past the alien, coming to rest on Zim's corpse. "What did you do?" he growled, snapping his attention back up to the Tallest. Red only glared. "You killed him?" the human shouted in disbelief.
"I had to! There was nothing left of him! It was the only way to save him from your cruelty! He was better off dead than living another second of these indignities!" Red cringed at the hypocrisy of his words.
"Take him back to his cell," Dib ordered. Two guards quickly approached the Irken and seized him by his arms, while a third stood behind him, pressing the end of his gun to the alien's PAK. He could have easily resisted, resulting in a swift end to his life right then and there, but he didn't. After what had just happened, he felt as though he deserved to rot in a cell. Death just felt too good for him now.
Now only Dib remained in the room, staring with a conflicted gaze at the dead alien. He slowly approached the base of the tank, ignoring the monitoring equipment that urgently flashed and beeped at him. After all, it was too late now; he was dead. And strangely enough, as he gazed upon the lifeless form, he felt as though a part of him had died with him.
0ooooooo0
Dib turned off the television and started to head back upstairs. As he reentered his bedroom, he could still make out his partner's form in the dim light. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, looking over his shoulder at the creature he had grown to love, his mind wandering to the brief period back in the labs after Zim's death. Red had fallen silent, never speaking, or eating, or moving. No matter how many times Dib had tried, he could never rouse a single word from the alien. It was during that time that Dib had drifted into a period of self-loathing. Whether it was brought on by Red's depression or Zim's death, he wasn't quite sure. Most likely both.
So what did he do? In a desperate attempt to relieve his conscience, he set up an entire ruse, fooling the world into thinking the alien had escaped, when in reality, he was sharing a bed with him. Sure, it hadn't started out that way when he had first brought the Irken into his home, and he never once expected it to. What had started out as just simple fascination and curiosity became so much more, even when he didn't want it to. The stress of it all was beginning to get to him.
"If you're going to stay up, could you please just go downstairs and stay there? You're driving me crazy."
Dib jumped as the voice sliced through the silent air, as he had assumed the Irken was asleep.
"How long have you been awake?"
"Since you stepped out onto the balcony."
Dib swung his legs onto the bed and leaned back into the pillows, resting an arm behind his head. "I thought I was quiet."
"You're stressed," Red said after a short silence.
"Of course I'm stressed. Why wouldn't I be stressed? Everyone thinks I'm on a mission to find a missing alien, when in reality, I'm shacking up with him." The human growled as he pressed his hands to his face. "It's only a matter of time before we're found out."
"And if we are?"
"Fuck, I don't know."
Dib felt the weight of the bed shift, and he suddenly saw Red's dark silhouette sitting upward now. "I never asked you to do any of this."
"I know that."
"I also never asked you to spare my life."
Dib paused for a moment before repeating, a bit more quietly, "I know that." Even in the darkened room, he could feel Red's penetrating gaze on him.
"Do you wish you hadn't?"
Dib pushed himself into a sitting position, seeking the Irken's gaze the best he could in the dark. "No." The human slid his hand across the sheets and took the Irken's hand, pulling it towards him. He ran his index finger up the length of the alien's arm slowly, hearing him exhale contently. He had learned months ago that the Irken enjoyed this a great deal.
"Why didn't you kill me that day?" he asked softly.
"You've asked me that so many times."
"And you've never answered me."
"I told you I wanted to keep you locked up so you couldn't hurt anyone."
"Oh, please, you're still holding onto that excuse? That's a load of crap, and you know it. I already poked a hole so big in that argument that even the Massive could fly through it."
Dib sighed, stifling a laugh. "I don't know…I guess…I just thought it'd be a waste."
"A waste? So you did want to experiment on me."
"I don't know. I guess I was just sort of holding out hope that I could learn more. And the thought of holding you captive was sort of…"
"Thrilling?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
"And…I don't know…I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It just didn't sit right with me."
"Well, that's because you're soft."
The human didn't seem at all offended by this. "Yeah, I guess I am. It's easy to kill your enemy when you don't actually have to see them up close…to see their faces…to see the pain you've already caused," Dib added, referring to Purple. Red stiffened slightly, pulling his hand from Dib's. "Sorry," Dib said softly as he scooted closer to the alien.
"So…if we're found out…what are your intentions?"
"I don't know, all right? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, and hopefully, we'll never come to it."
"Would you hand me over to the Earth authorities?"
"No."
Dib touched his fingers to the small of the Irken's back, feeling him shiver slightly. He ran his fingers up his spine and gently over the surface of his PAK. When his fingers finally found the base of his antennae, he finally relaxed. After a few gentle strokes, Red grabbed the human by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards him, crashing his lips against his. Dib responded quickly and pushed the alien down onto the bed, taking his position on top of him, which Red didn't have as big a problem with as he used to.
Clothes were strewn about without a care, and hands sought every inch of each other's bodies, seeking out those special areas that they knew would earn them the loudest reactions. Dib's lips found the Irken's neck, kissing downward until he was just above the collarbone. He smiled against his skin when he felt him open his legs for him, something he normally never did without complaint.
After sharing their intimacy, Dib rolled off of the Irken, falling back onto his side of the bed, completely spent. His hand found the alien's again and he pulled it towards him, lacing his fingers with his.
"Narro," said Red softly after a long silence, his breathing now even again. Dib turned to him, brows furrowing.
"Huh?"
"Back in the lab…you asked me what my real name was. It's Narro."
Author's Note: Well, this pairing came out of nowhere. Out of curiosity, I did a search for this pairing and came up with practically nothing. I think I found like one story that involved this coupling. I was kind of glad, honestly. It's always fun to experiment with something that's not very popular. I was really only testing the waters with this couple to see how I felt about it. I wasn't a big fan of it when I first started writing this, but now I totally ship these two XD
A small part of me really wants to expand on this. I was really holding back while writing this. It was already getting long enough without all the other details I wanted to throw into the mix, and there were some things that I was originally going to add but had to cut because it was just getting too long. I thought it was going to be about 4,000 words but it just kept getting bigger, so I decided to split it into two parts. I don't like to overwhelm my readers with huge chapters.
As long as this is, I still want to do more with it. If this were to be expanded, I can't see it exceeding past 20,000 words, so if it were to become a multi-chapter fanfic, it wouldn't be a very long one. I may fool around with it and see what I come up with.
