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 Seven: Withdraw
A/N: uwahh D8 now I have almost 50 reviews, I-I feel so special 83 xD hmm, work is keeping me from writing during the day, but I'll always have the night =w= this story will be the death of me from lack of sleep 8D but it'll be a happy death :3 x3
To Mio-Chan's Return: Dibblet? 83 lol x3 sounds like a food xD and he's annoyingly amazing, though x3 cause he IS ZIM :D and oooo, *dances*
To Darkdagers: yes it is, and yess! Let us hope 8)
To Danny Anime Girl: I'm so glad 8D but it's a good kind of wait D8 cause the waiting just makes the next chapter THAT MUCH MORE EPIC :3 lol, ahh, you're soo kind ;W;
To rejectsuperstar: yay :D three comments in a row x3 lol, thanks, that's just what denial does to people D: poor Zim …oh well, things shall get better for him xD thanks for reviewing again!
To 1337kitsune: Ouch, knots hurt D: and lol, yes he does ;) haha, I hate when people do that. One day goes by… "I LOVE you!" "I LOVE YOU TOO!" "Let's get marrieedd…" and then I die inside :3 Lol, I'm glad your still enjoying it x3 and D: that should be offensive to me, but I know people have different opinions…so…it isn't x3 But anyway(this may be a long explanation xD) I said that because I'm open-minded, and don't know where my muse will decide to take me x3 so I'm just giving anyone who's antichrist is Mpreg to stand far away if I ever decide to add it, I'm not saying I will or won't(cause I hate spoilers xD) I'm just giving all those a warning who don't want to risk it, however, I'd never write a 9-month Mpreg( cause the actual being pregnant part for more then necessary…meh…) or one with stupid explanations, like, hermaphrodite!(then he's not a real man -_-) or, we should've used protection (they're men! They don't need it to keep away babies(from other men :P) D:) lol, sorry, just wanted to explain that to you and anyone else who was curious about that xD I tend to ramble =w=
To Invader Ang: lol, yayyy! And yes! I shall! D: xD
To lumpco:…I like the name you used xD ehem, anyway…thank you so much^^ I know it takes a lot for people to read and respect something they hate so I admire you thanks so much for the review :D it made me feel super :3
(You guys always make my day^^)
I give all who've read, reviewed, and/or favorited this story so far my love and this chapter!~
It'd been THREE DAYS since Zim and Dib's argument, and Zim was already regretting it. Dib no longer was at his house in the morning, he didn't sit with him, and at the end of the day he wouldn't walk with him, or spend time with him. It made Zim feel…really…he didn't know how to express it, but it was a bad feeling. Zim sat solemnly at lunch as Dib chatted lividly with the many girls surrounding him, Zim glared at them all, especially the one named…Gretchen. She kept moving closer to Dib, and it was PISSING ZIM OFF.
Half of Zim felt like going over and shoving the girl into the school's deep fryers, the other part of himself…well, actually, felt like doing the same thing… Zim sighed as he watched Dib continue to laugh without him, he always thought Dib would be worse off without him…but…apparently he'd been wrong. Zim eventually decided not to dump the annoying girl called Gretchen into the deep fryers, but only because, for some strange reason, he didn't want to see Dib's eyes glaring at him as he committed the act.
Zim had to admit, Gretchen didn't look as terrible as she had, she no longer had braces, and her purple hair now only was in two long pigtails instead of three ridiculous ones. However, he still didn't want her to get her hands on DIB. Because…well, he didn't have an answer for that. He just…didn't want that to happen.
Zim continued to watch Dib for the entire lunch period, and every time Gretchen made a move on him, he punched his fists onto his table and tried to resist destroying the human. Gretchen seemed to notice after a while, and looked mockingly at him before sticking her tongue out and moving even closer to Dib. Zim had had it.
"FOOLISH EARTHLING! I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Zim yelled as he ran toward the table Dib was occupying. Gretchen immediately yelped and jumped behind Dib, who just ignored her.
"Zim, what do you want?" Dib asked dully as Zim stomped his way over to Dib's table.
"That PATHETIC HUMAN is TAUNTING ME!" Zim yelled as he pointed a finger at the still hiding girl.
"Why would she want to taunt you?" Dib asked as Zim's face went blank.
"... I SAID NO SUCH THING!" Zim suddenly yelled, before running away. Dib rolled his eyes, before wondering what Zim couldn't tell him. Zim was back at his table in the blink of an eye, feeling stupid that he'd fled from Dib the moment he'd questioned him, but triumphant that the Gretchen girl was now two feet away from Dib. Zim then pretended he didn't care about Dib at all, and waited for lunch to end.
As class droned on, Dib couldn't help but notice Zim was constantly staring at himself, before noticing Dib had caught him, and turning away. Dib wondered what was up with Zim, he'd been fine the other two days he'd ignored him…maybe he actually…nah… Dib decided to ignore Zim eventually, and instead focus on Skool. He didn't catch the disappointment on Zim's face as he ignored his existence again.
By the time Skool ended Zim was feeling even worse then he had been, and as he watched Dib walk right by him, he swore part of his spirit sunk. Zim began to reach out for Dib when he caught himself and quickly brought his arm back, he needed a distraction…
"Gir!" Zim yelled into his wrist-communicator, as he began to walk off school grounds.
"Yes?" Gir replied excitedly from Zim's home.
"I need you to accompany me on my way home from Skool…it's very important…" Zim announced with not as much enthusiasm as he always did. Gir's eyes saddened at the way Zim seemed lost, but he ignored it, he had a mission to accomplish!
"Yes, master!" Gir yelled excitedly, before appearing by Zim's side a few minutes later.
"Where's Dib?" Gir asked as he looked all around Zim, Zim glared.
"Not here," Zim scoffed coldly, before beginning to walk, Gir hurrying his pace to catch up.
"But Dib ALWAYS is with you!" Gir exclaimed not taking the hint, Zim closed his eyes and pulled at his synthetic hair.
"Shut up! No he's not! Now stop talking about, DIB," Zim yelled as Gir looked up at Zim innocently.
"…You-you didn't have to yell," Gir pouted, as tears began to fill his eyes.
"Not this again, Gir," Zim exasperated, before patting Gir's head. "There…there," Zim comforted awkwardly, causing Gir to smile.
"So why isn't Dib with you?" Gir asked as soon as Zim was beginning to get in a better mood, Zim immediately scowled.
"He died," Zim responded coldly, causing Gir to freak out.
"D-Dib's dead? I better go tell him!" Gir cried before running off in a random direction, Zim laughed bitterly, though he felt no joy at all. Zim sighed as he once again began to walk home alone, and pretended he didn't feel like he was cloaked in darkness.
Gir had run all the way to the park before forgetting what he was doing. He was about to go back to Zim…when he noticed a nest of squirrels.
"I want to be a baby squirrel TOO!" Gir yelled as he quickly clawed his way up the tree with the squirrels' nest, completely forgetting he was supposed to be acting like a dog. Gir felt triumphant as he finally reached the nest, only when he reached it, he realized it was just a newspaper.
"Awww," Gir sighed with a pout as he sadly began looking through the squirrel-less paper.
Dib couldn't help but feel lonelier without Zim, but pretended it was no big deal. He even pretended to be happy by sitting with girls who offered him a seat in exchange for information about Zim and him…which he mostly lied about. Dib let his head fall into his hands as he nearly started going to Zim's house instead of his own. But…he had to get over liking Zim…it was the only way they could continue to be friends, even if it meant he had to stay away from Zim for a while…
As Zim entered his house, he was greeted by the mocking voice of his computer.
"My, my, someone seems sad," his computer said as Zim glared.
"Shut up, Computer," Zim seethed as he went down a lift to his base, and settled down on his floor.
"I'm just pointing out the obvious," Computer replied sounded offended, Zim only tried to ignore him.
"Like for example," Computer stated as Zim continued to ignore his words, "lying on that human's coat won't make you feel any less sad."
"I'll get to experimenting with it eventually…" Zim mumbled as he rolled over and try to cover his now exposed antennas.
"No you won't," Computer responded with a scoff, "You can lie to yourself all you want, but you'll never actually do it."
"I'm not lying to myself!"
"And I'm not a computer…"
"SHUT UP! I have NO NEED to lie to myself."
"Yes you do, you feel worthless because of the Irkens, and lonely without Dib, correct?"
"FOOL! Irkens DON'T. FEEL!"
"Apparently, you do."
"Well maybe that's because…BECAUSE I'M JUST A DEFECT!" Zim's own eyes widened at his words.
"Ahh, there you go, doesn't telling the truth feel good?"
"THAT WASN'T THE TRUTH! I-I was just…"
"You were just…?"
Zim frowned, "I…was just trying not to…"
"Go on…"
"Trying not to…to keep myself from really knowing that I…"
"Yes?"
"I…am not all that…great…"
"Bravo, Zim, you've finally admitted something to yourself."
Zim didn't respond, instead, he let his antennas fall flat and his head sink down.
"Are you still going to say you don't have emotions, now?" Computer asked after Zim continued to stay silent.
"YES!...wait, no…I-I don't know," Zim replied, confused, he'd never felt so strange before, never so…vulnerable.
"Stop hiding EVERYTHING, Zim, you're making yourself miserable," Computer started as Zim tried to decipher what he was feeling, "everybody has their secrets…but you…you don't let ANYTHING escape."
"Just let SOMEONE in on how you feel, and you'll feel better," Computer promised as Zim looked up with the saddest expression.
"B-but, I don't have anyon-" Zim started before Computer cut him off.
"Yes you do, you just keep telling yourself you don't," Computer exclaimed with something that sounded like a sigh, "just stop blocking everything for ONE minute, and I'm sure you'll know I'm right." Zim wanted to complain, wanted to yell that his computer would NEVER be right…but, he couldn't, and as his computer shut off, he found himself actually listening to what his computer had said. Maybe he really was always blocking everything off…No, he definitely was… Zim hung his head as he came to the realization, that most of the life he believed in, was just a delusion of his…He wasn't really all powerful and he really did…Zim had something he needed to fix.
Dib was getting ready for bed after a very bad day, when he heard a knock on his door. If that's Gir again I swear I'll turn him in to the FBI, Dib thought bitterly as he dragged himself to his front door. Dib slammed his door open, ready to yell, when his eye's widened.
"Zim?" Dib exclaimed, as he blinked his eyes and wondered briefly if he was dreamy.
"Yes, yes, it is I, ALMIGHTY ZIM," Zim replied as he looked empowered for a moment, before sighing and dropping the act, "can I come in?"
Zim sat awkwardly on Dib's couch as Dib sat beside him in silence, until Dib got fed up with it.
"Why are you here?" Dib asked, though Zim only let his still-exposed antennas drop and turned away from Dib, "did you just come over here to make me feel awkward?"
"NO! I…" Zim started, before averting his eyes again and letting silence take over once more.
"Well…" Dib said after another minute of doing nothing, "I'd love to stay and not-chat, but it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow soo…" Dib stopped as Zim gripped onto his sleeve.
"I," Zim began before stopping again.
"Yes?" Dib asked in the most encouraging tone he could muster.
"I…need you…" Zim whispered so low Dib couldn't hear him.
"What?" Dib asked, making Zim turn more serious.
"Even though you're just a weak human I-I may actually need you…just a tiny bit and…I may somewhat like you but…"Zim began before a sudden rush of heat to his face made him stop.
"I'm dying!" Zim yelled as he grabbed onto his face, while his face flushed a dark green.
"You're not dying! You're just embarrassed!" Dib yelled back, before realizing what he had just said. "You're embarrassed because you…"Dib started before Zim shoved his hands into his face.
"SHUT UP!" Zim yelled, turning away. Dib blinked, before beginning to laugh, and then smiling.
"So you actually do like me?" Dib asked with a smirk while Zim crossed his arms.
"I never said that!" Zim replied with a huff, but it wasn't as harsh as usual.
"You're lying now, aren't you?" Dib asked.
"Maybe…" Zim replied, and although it wasn't a strait answer, Dib still smiled.
"That's good enough for me," Dib said with a laugh, before his eyes became softer, and he suddenly hugged Zim to himself.
"Dib?" Zim questioned as Dib held him close.
"Whenever you need me, I'll be here for you, I'll never let you feel alone again," Dib whispered and Zim tried to keep his face from flushing all over again, he'd really have to get better with controlling his emotions, without completely blocking them off.
"…I'm…glad," Zim finally replied as he allowed himself to act on his emotions and real thoughts for once and hug Dib back. Even if some emotions were painful and seemed unbearable, Zim felt he could deal with them, as long as he had someone…to keep him from falling completely. However, there were some things he still wasn't ready to let go of yet… but…he'd only just started to accept his reality, and completely changing his perspective…would take some time…if not all the time in the world.
END A/N: THE END :D just kidding xD this is far from over x3 hoped you liked this chapter, I really didn't think I'd finish it today since I worked till 11pm but that's just determination for you! I was really excited to write and finish this chapter 8D because Zim finally starts to let his dark little shell crumble the smallest bit :3 Lol, something random, I put the prologue for this on deviantart and drew a picture for it xD so if you're curious, I'm going to put a link to it on my profile sometime later today =w= yes, I draw, write, and bunches of other stuffs xD ok, I'm done :3 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