A Place to Call Home
Story By: inuyashacat13
Summary: After failing for years, The Tallest finally get bored of Zim's meek attempts and decide to take over the Earth for themselves, just for the entertainment. Zim, devastated, begins to question if he ever had a purpose. As for Dib, he's just trying to convince poor Zim, who's has been his longtime friend AND rival, that there's still a purpose for him out there. Like, oh I don't know, saving the world? ZADR. May become Mpreg (but I might just be messing with you xD)
Warning: Contains M/M, some angst, slight romance, drama, some bad words, some suggestive themes, etc.
Disclaimer: I don't own Invader Zim, if I did, I'd shove it down nickelodeon's throats until they finally decided to continue it :3
Chapter Four: A Carnival Comes
A/N: Lol, for some reason, I plan out how my story's going to go, but when starting a chapter, I usually just start on impulse x3 This chapter I actually figured out how I wanted it to go first, though 8D I'm strange~
To Invader Callie: Well, that sucks for you :P you're missing out on all longer stories xD I don't like short stories or one-shots too much, because not much of a plot develops =w=
To 1337kitsune: thank youu 8D and of course your not overdoing it x3 love to you too 8D I'm glad you liked all the scenes x3 I love making them :D though some of them I was pouting because I was like, aww poor Zim x3 cause he wants to be happy but doesn't let himself yay for bitter-sweet moments :3 and no, no it's not D:
To Danny Anime Girl: thanks! and I'm usually the same way but this story just constantly keeps me motivated to write 8D lol, sure, I like to replying to people(I like talking too much, in other words xD cause I never get heard in REAL life =w=) and lol, my story beams subconscious rays that make people write related matters 83 lol(I read it, it was cute, btw^^)
To genderless-but strait: I like your username, it sounds interesting :3 haha, and lol, I do the same thing xD his dad just seems like he wouldn't care, as long as he doesn't interfere with his work, he's fine with anything, it seems x3
To snickers-03: aw, thank you, and lol, that's ok xD awkwardness is fun :3 and ZADR innocent moments are love :D
To OrihimeSill: thanks^^
To Darkdagers: thanks for reviewing again, here's more 8D
To Mio-chan's Return: hey, ur back 8D lol, thank you^^ and he probably does, he just denies it XD thanks again, and maybe ;) lol, but I can't spoil anything, so you'll have to wait and see :3
I give all who've read, reviewed, and/or favorited this story so far my love and this chapter!~
It was a normal, dreary day… but for some reason…all the kids in Skool seemed…happy…IT WAS SICKENING! Zim scowled at everyone as they bounced in their seats, while smiling.
"Dib!" Zim whispered harshly to his left side, causing Zim to turn.
"What?" Dib questioned. Zim had seemed to be talking to him more lately, since he'd carried him home.
"Why are all those meat bags SMILING and acting all giddy?" Zim asked in whisper, showing the problem by pointing at all the smiling children.
"Because a carnival's come to town for once," Dib explained with a sigh, he didn't get why everyone was over-reacting, a carnival wasn't THAT special.
"Carnival?" Zim voiced, sounding confused, "What's that?"
Dib rolled his eyes. Of course Zim didn't know what a carnival was… "I'll explain at lunch so we don't get in trouble," Dib hurriedly whispered, before turning his attention back to the board before Zim could get a word in. Zim huffed, but asked nothing more. I'll just interrogate him later, Zim thought to himself, before returning his own attention to Ms. Bitters's lessons.
Lunch had finally come and Dib was sitting nonchalantly at the table Zim and him always sat at. When Zim walked up and slammed his tray onto the table, breaking any peace he'd felt.
"HUMAN!" Zim announced as he stood in front of Dib and crossed his arms, "You will now tell me of this…CARNIVAL… thing…!"
"Sit down first," Dib responded unimpressed by Zim's antics, did he really have to make a big scene every time he had a question?
"…Fine! But only because I feel like sitting!" Zim yelled as a reply, before sitting beside Dib, and becoming quieter.
"Okay," Dib began as Zim looked at him intriguingly, "A carnival is kind of like a street fair…though you many not know what that is either…but anyway! It's basically a little attraction that's filled with games, unsafe rides, fattening foods, and cheap merchandise tents that travels to different towns."
"How does it get to different towns?" Zim asked. Could these carnivals transport themselves to different areas?
"They come in big tucks that carry everything and then set up once they find a suitable town."
"Do those unsafe rides you mentioned earlier…ever kill people or explode?
"Well, rarely but…"
"Let's go then! I want to see people blow u- I mean…I want to observe the ways of this…carnival…"
"You want to go to the carnival?"
"Yes! And you shall come with me!"
"Why?"
"Because!"
"You don't have a reason, do you?"
"I do! I just…can't tell you! Because of…reasons."
"We can't go to the carnival together, Zim." Zim glared at Dib.
"And why not?" He asked venomously.
"Because," Dib said with a sigh, "going to carnivals together is only something couples do."
"Then why don't we go as a couple?" Zim asked, causing Dib to smack his head into the table.
"B-because Zim, couples are two people who are dating, or married, or really like each other!" Dib explained, not lifting his head from the table.
"Hmm, I see your point, Dib-Worm…" Zim replied seriously, before then saying, "Though we could pretend to be one to take part in the…carnival."
"WE'RE NOT PRETENDING TO BE A COUPLE!" Dib yelled at Zim, who remained unfazed, while the rest of the cafeteria suddenly went silent and stared. Zim suddenly figured out a way to use the moment to his advantage.
"D-Dib, how could you be so mean?" Zim questioned while pouting, knowing fully well what to do to get the other humans' sympathy. Soon everybody glared at Dib and he heard shouts that went like, "What an asshole!" "Poor Zim!" "Dib is awful!" Dib smacked his face into his palm before he glared and Zim and stood up.
"N-now everyone, this was all just a misunderstanding," Dib announced as everyone continued to glare. "ZIM," Dib said painfully while shutting his eyes so he wouldn't witness his own embarrassment, "Will you…accompany me…to the carnival." Dib finished, voice almost going out as he finished his question.
Zim looked contemplative for a minute and everyone waited for Zim to respond, wanting to know if they should pummel Dib or not. "I guess I'll allow you to take me to the carnival," Zim finally responded, "though only because I pity you." At those words, everyone in the cafeteria settled down again, with a few last threats that went something like, "we better see you with him at the carnival tonight or you're DEAD Dib!" Some days, Dib really hated his life, while Zim couldn't look more triumphant.
"Foolish HUMAN, I have once again outsmarted you and your species!" Zim gloated as Dib tried to mold into the table. Until he got an idea of his own, if Zim was going to mess with HIM, then why didn't he repay the favor? Dib smirked. Oh, he couldn't wait for tonight.
Zim was suspicious…ever since the incident at lunch Dib had been acting strange…well…stranger then usual. However, that didn't matter at the moment! Because now what it was dark out, he was finally getting to go to the carnival of exploding JOY.
"Zim, come on!" Zim suddenly heard as Dib walked out into his living room. Zim gasped at Dib's appearance. His glasses had been replaced with contacts, instead of wearing his normal, ridiculous looking outfit, he was wearing a jet black shirt and jeans, and he smelled oh so…Zim shook his head, What was Dib DOING?
"DIB! What is the meaning of that outfit?" Zim exclaimed, pointing at Zim as if he committed a crime.
"What, this?" Dib asked innocently, "you said you wanted to pretend to be a couple, so why not look nice?" Zim glared as Dib smirked, so that is what Dib was doing, trying to BEST him at embarrassment. Well…He'd show HIM!
As Dib and Zim got to the carnival, everyone stared. Dib was looking very good for once, and Zim well…had his legs Dib's waist and arms wrapped around his neck passively. "You can't win, DIB," Zim hissed as Dib walked into the carnival as if their wasn't an alien strapped onto half his body.
"Oh, you'll see," Dib replied with a laugh, before un-hinging Zim from his chest and throwing him up only to catch him bridal style. Zim nearly blushed before getting a hold of himself. Everyone was still gawking at the scene before them.
"Let's go to the rides of DOOM… I mean, let's go to the…ehem…rides," Zim finally announced, pretending to be unfazed by Dib's efforts.
"Anything for you," Dib replied with a devious smile, which Zim was determined he could wipe off his face. Laugh for NOW, DIB, Zim thought as Dib continued to carry him throughout the carnival, but I find a way to BEST you!"
After walking through and viewing all the rides, Zim decided to go on something called the ferris wheel. For some reason a lot of earthlings liked it, and he was determined to find out why.
"You know Zim," Zim suddenly heard Dib whisper, breaking him out of his thoughts, "most people think ferris wheels are VERY romantic."
"How interesting," Zim replied snidely, while pulling Dib forward (at some point they'd switched to holding hands instead of Zim being carried). Dib wasn't going to win this!
As Zim and Dib walked up to the ferris wheel with some tickets that of course, had been bought by Dib, the gruffy man maintaining it gave them the oddest of looks.
"You're immoral!" the man yelled as Zim and Dib got onto the ride, Dib only sighed.
"What was that man's problem?" Zim asked as he waited for something to happen, Dib shook his head.
"Some people are just rude," Dib explained. Zim thought about it a second before nodding his head, and cursing at the gruffy man. Though a moment later he regretted it, the ground was MOVING! He was going to DIE! Dib laughed as Zim panicked and clung to him.
"How can you be laughing a time like THIS!" Zim yelled, infuriated at the stupid human.
"Zim, it's a ride, it's supposed to be moving," Dib explained lightly with a laugh, "You ride in spaceships all the time, how could THIS scare you?"
"I…just didn't expect it," Zim explained, digging his claws into Dib's sides when he began to laugh again.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Dib yelped as Zim's claws began to hurt, Zim removed them and smiled smugly.
"You humans are pathetic," Zim stated before he subconsciously leaned on Dib's shoulder, looking around as the ferris wheel brought them around in a circle. "This is actually…kind of…nice," Zim voiced after a couple minutes of silence. "Yeah," was Dib's only response, as he rested his own head against Zim's.
"B-but, just because it's nice doesn't mean I'm not going to destroy it now and the world now…and I still hate you…" Zim said after a minute.
Dib laughed, and said, "Yeah, I figured." Suddenly the ferris wheel stopped at the top and Zim began to panic again.
"It's stuck! Should would escape!" Zim questioned as he looked around wildly, trying to see if anybody was watching.
"No Zim, this is just part of the ride," Dib replied with a mocking smile, and Zim glared.
"I knew that," Zim quickly said, and Dib held back laughter. Tonight was going a lot stranger than expected.
After walking around for a little and going on a few rides, Zim decided he quite liked carnivals. They were perfect human death traps…and also kind of…fun… Suddenly something caught Zim's attention. At one of the game stalls, there was a GIANT minimoose like thing, and Zim wanted it. "Dib! We are going, THIS way," Zim announced as he pulled Dib along with him, Dib only shrugged and followed.
The game seemed pretty simple as Zim got to it, you just had to bounce a ball off a board and get it into the bucket below. Dib paid for Zim to play it, and although it seemed simple, Zim failed every time. "What kind of trickery is this!" Zim yelled as the man behind the game counter flinched. Dib rolled his eyes.
"It's not too hard to figure out," Dib said with a sigh after paying the now shaking man for another round, "You just have to spin the ball and hit it at the right angle." Zim watched shocked as Dib immediately won, he had to be cheating. Zim's accusations were cut short when Dib shoved a giant prize into his arms. "I don't want it," Dib explained as Zim looked at him strangely.
Zim looked at the prize, before deciding he could just pretend he stole it from Dib, and called Gir. "Gir! I have something for you to take home for me!" Zim commanded through the little wrist-watch type thing he always used to contact Gir.
"Yes Master!" Gir replied in his serious mode before going back to normal and ending Zim's transmission. A few minutes later Gir appeared in his dog-suit and nearly died of excitement when he saw what Zim was holding.
"Octopus!" Gir yelled before jumping on the giant mouse, causing Zim to slap his forehead.
"No, GIR, it's a MOOSE! Now take it home!" Zim tiredly commanded.
"…okay! I'll name him Mr. Inky and we'll live underwater together," Gir yelled, before blasting off in plain site with the stuffed animal. Zim sighed, before looking to Dib.
"Come, Dib-Worm!" Zim said as he was off again pulling Dib along, "We still have much more to do before this pathetic carnival closes!"
"Yeah, yeah," Dib responded dully, but he couldn't help but smile a little at the excitement in Zim's usually cold eyes.
It was starting to get late, and rides were starting to shut down, but Dib and Zim only walked casually eating cotton candy.
"So all this is sugar? And not that stuff that's in earth pillows and stuffed animals?" Zim asked for the third time that night, and Dib nodded, once again. "Hmm…It's pretty good, for earth filth," Zim announced, before taking some more of it and letting it melt in his mouth.
Dib stood there bored for a moment until he realized half the students from his Skool were whispering and staring at them as they slowly were walking out of the carnival. Zim soon noticed too as he was about to question why Dib had stopped paying attention to him.
"Why are they staring?" Zim asked as he glared at the students, who only continued to stare at them more.
"I don't know, I can't hear what they're saying," Dib replied.
"Stupid human, leave that to me," Zim said as he strained his hidden antennas to find out what the humans were saying.
"They're whispering stuff like, "I knew Dib was only pretending," "Poor Zim," "How could he NOT do that," and some other stuff I didn't understand what they meant," Zim said after a minute of listening. Dib's eyes widened briefly but he then closed them, I CAN'T let Zim win this, Dib thought as he turned to Zim, He WON'T be able to best this! And those stupid kids will leave us only if I…
Zim looked at Dib strangely before he was suddenly pulled into Dib's embrace.
"Tonight was really fun," Dib whispered as he held Zim, before backing up and putting his hands on Zim's shoulders. Zim was beyond confused at Dib's intentions, but before he could question him, Dib leaned forward and pressed his lips into Zim's.
Dib expected Zim to freak out, and push himself away, or something along those lines, however, he DID NOT expect Zim to kiss himself back with twice as much force and jump into his arms, wrapping his own arms around Dib's neck. Zim obviously didn't like to lose, but neither did Dib, which lead them to continue to kiss until Dib finally had to breathe. The entirety of Dib's school had gone silent by then.
Dib's face flushed as he tried to convince himself they'd just been putting on a show, while Zim had finally run out of words to say. Everything stayed silent for a while, until Dib finally recomposed himself and took Zim's hand.
"W-well I guess I should take you home now," Dib stuttered as Zim walked airily behind him, leaving the student body to continue to gape at nothing.
"YES! Good plan!" Zim finally responded quickly, trying to get a grip on his thoughts again.
"Let's go then!" Dib shouted manically, feeling completely delusional.
"We're going!" Zim yelled back, laughing with Dib for no apparent reason. The entire walk to Zim's house they then continued to laugh, as if it would keep the situation from getting any more awkward.
"Well…Good Night! Pathetic HUMAN!" Zim said as he reached his house, stumbling to open it.
"G-good night!" Dib yelled back, before rushing all the way home and trying to recover his mind, which was fading in and out. It wasn't real, It was just an act, Dib then repeated in his mind until he fell into a confused sleep. He really needed to stop getting caught up in Zim's schemes!
END A/N: xD I loved writing this chapter soo much! x3 Rivalries sure are fun, huh? Lol x3 I probably would've gotten this done earlier but I got food poisoning and was in bed sleeping all day D: but I'm really glad to have finished it now :3 not too much was actually accomplished in this chapter, I just wanted to have a fun chapter before some more serious ones x3 an no, they're not in love or anything like that yet, right now they're just confused xD they hasn't been much of their rivalry like this in my fic yet, but this idea was just too fun to pass up XD Hope you all enjoyed as much as I enjoyed making it :D Reviews make my day! Favorites and Watches make me smile! Views are precious! And Constructive criticism is fine, if reasonable, but flames will be shunned! I love you all for reading this! :D
~Kitty