Chapter Ten

Dib sat with his back against the headboard of his bed, clutching his bruised cheek and aching stomach with a distinct pout. Glaring into the fort of pillows in the far corner of his room, Dib wished he'd just kept petting Zim. As it turns out, the little alien wasn't as desperate for affection as he'd thought…
The only 'service' Zim wanted from Dib was petting. Not even 'heavy petting' but actual petting, the one usually reserved for cuddly companion animals.
But, of course, Dib's current horn dog mentality meant he didn't quite get Zim's meaning.
One thing led to another and here they were: A sore, moody Dib and a rather offended, exhausted-from-beating-an-out-of-line-human Zim.

Dib furrowed his brow and turned his head side to side. How was he to know what space boy meant when he asked to be stroked? Alright, so it was pretty obvious he'd never just ask his mortal enemy to get it on with him, but surely he could've used better wording! Well, actually, he'd already had trouble using Basic English phrases in 'normal' situations…

'Still, screw him! It's still his fault somehow!
Just coming back into my life, all in heat or whatever, looking all weak and defenceless like that!
How else was I supposed to take it?
God, my gut hurts…'

'Disgusting human.'
How dare he try to touch Zim like that!
He should feel honoured to have the privilege of soothing Zim's urges.
Just rest, rest shall stave off these horrible wants.

Rest, rest, rest…

Urgh.
Why must Zim suffer?
Zim only tries his best, he destroyed more than any other invader!
Zim was even nominated the best Invader ever by the control brains!
Why must awesome me be condemned to such a wretched fate after all the loyalty shown?'

Zim weakly held his tired head in his hands, wincing at the tingles on his skin from the movement of the fabric. Drained didn't even begin to describe one eighth of how Zim was feeling. As resilient as Irkens were, they were not evolved to ignore potential mates. To fight theses urges was unnatural, it was basic instinct and to restrain was more trouble than it's worth.
Smallers were considered lucky if a taller chose them as their breeding partner. Most would be stuck with someone a similar stature, if they were even allowed to keep their reproductive organs at all. To become a mush of submissiveness was a small price to pay for the status jump brought by being a bonded pair with a taller. Height was power, and was there anything else an Irken could ever desire?

But this taller was off-limits.
Way off limits.
This was The Dib-stink.

Zim shook his head violently, sending a few pillows tumbling off of him protective cushion fort, stopping once becoming dizzy. Crashing though his cosy defensive wall, Zim found himself lying on the cold carpet floor, looking up at a bruised, confused human.

'The Dib-beast.
Why did it have to be the Dib-beast?
Why did he have to get tall?
Why did he have to get strong?
Why couldn't he have just let Zim alone?
What if he tries something?
I'm in his base, surrounded by his pod, alone and defenceless.
What-
What can I do?'

For the third time in his life, Zim found himself utterly petrified.

He wasn't in control of his own body. He could barely hold on to his thoughts. He was completely at the mercy of his former maniac of a rival whose main purpose in life was to dissect him. His traitorous Pak was releasing batch upon batch of hormones to make him submissive to the very same maniac. His Pak legs had been disabled once in his hiding chamber, set to a time limit of 32 rotations. His was without his disguise and there was no way for GIR to come to his aid. And now there was the possibility that the human before him would be more than willing to abuse his condition to get more than just his organs.
How could it possibly get any worse?

Zim had felt the oncoming tears prick his eyes, he had felt his bottom lip quiver, and he had felt his entire body, now cold and partially exposed, start to shake. Yet there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He was afraid.
He was terrified.
He just needed to breakdown.
And he did.

"Zim?"

Dib had watched with slight curiosity he movements in the corner of his room.
He'd figured that the few pillows rolling across the floor was just the violent bastard of an alien getting comfy in his large fortress of plush. The little whines were just a heat thing, why should he care after being punched? It was Zim's problem now.
But when Zim suddenly burst out, rolling to the foot of his bed only to begin sobbing out of nowhere, he forgot all about the previous incident.
Something had to be seriously wrong.

"Zim? Zim, what's wrong? What's the matter? Come on, tell me."

Bending down carefully next to the distressed alien, Dib's hands danced in the air as his mind struggled with what to do.
He'd never seen Zim cry before, what the hell could he do?
His thoughts raced in his head, his brain in a frenzy.

'Come on, Dib! Just stop him crying, just do something! Standing over him is not gonna do anything; pick him up for God's sake! Do anything, just do something!'

With unsteady hands, Dib lifted the distressed alien onto his lap as gently as possible, being careful to keep the little life form as steady as he could manage. Slowly standing up, he shuffled the both of them back towards his bed. Resuming his position against the headboard, Dib cradled a shaking Zim as best he could against his chest. God, this was a stressful day.

"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay. Shit. Calm down. You're freakin' me out. Shhh. Its okay, I won't do anything. You're okay. You're safe." Dib chanted to the little green head resting against his chest. Rubbing Zim's lower back, he could feel little sharp breaths hitch inside the tiny chest. Catching the nervous flittering of the fluffy antennae, Dib grew desperate. Zim seemed so… scared. Was this really his long lost rival? Why would Zim be scared?

'Of course he's scared, moron! You just molested him! And right after he told you what's wrong with him. He's trapped in his enemy's home just when he can't protect himself. Who wouldn't be fucking petrified after that!? Just calm him down, what did you do earlier?'

As if he'd just been slammed with a ton of bricks, it hit him. Dib mentally slapped himself for being so slow. How could've he been so slow? For a doctor, he was pretty shit at helping those in urgent need. Taking large calming breaths once more, he gently ran his hand down the two long, trembling stalks.
At first touch, Zim's body jolted as is struck with lightning. The sudden contact on the super sensitive appendages had shocked the small figures nerves to the point of momentarily freezing him. Ruby red eyes flew open before clenching shut, fingers shot out to their full length as the hunched back straightened before curling up again.
As the vibrations subsided into small shivers, Dib could feel Zim's breathing begin to steady. Little claws grasped at his t-shirt lazily, lightly grazing the skin underneath, out of a simple need to hold something.

Whimpers faded into gentle whines as Dib's soothing worked its charms, the small body finally relaxing into a slump against his holders thumping chest.
"Thank fuck…" Dib sighed, resting his head back against the wooden headboard.
It was clear to him what was needed of him now. Zim obviously wasn't in any condition to be left on his own, and there was no way Dib could just put him back in that cocoon with those chains. There was no freakin way he could be left in the room by himself either. No, Dib would just have to watch him 24/7.
"For Earth" Dib said aloud to no-one.
'For me' Dib thought to himself.
Closing his eyes in pure exhaustion, he let himself succumb to sleep.

This was going to be a hell of an experience.

Author's note:
Sorry it's so short! It's just because I plan on writing and posting another chapter tomorrow after college and there'll be a longer-than-usual chapter with a longer author's note! I wrote this in the past two and a half hours (Nothing's planned, remember? I'm just writing as I go by using previous chapters and extensive fan knowledge of IZ to do it). I just can't do anymore tonight though, it is 00:14 (I haven't had any sleep; please believe me when I say I'm utterly exhausted. I haven't even done the normal two proof readings (I just really wanted to post this quickly for all my lovely followers/reviewers/favouriters because I really do love you people) so I'll do that tomorrow too.)

See you there soon! =3