A/N: Wow. Heh... it's been a while. So sorry for being ultra-mega-uber-slow with this update. My drive's been at zero for weeks. I hope this longish chapter sort of makes up for it...? This was written and edited in one go, so please point out any overlooked flaws. Thank you all for the continued support, you're the reason this story is alive! :D *hugs readers*

Something was lurking in the dark recesses of Zim's subconscious. In a gradual transition, the peaceful emptiness disappeared, leaving a surreal kind of darkness, like the surface of a deep black ocean. Inside it skulked random thoughts that buzzed and flashed before Zim's mind. He tried vainly to grasp some, but it was like catching flies or slippery eels – they simply skirted his outstretched 'claws'.

His mind squirmed and flailed in helpless confusion, trying to latch onto some kind of reality; and hold. The first thought that came back was a sense of déjà vu. The Irken had felt this sense of random, floating surrealism before, but where, when? In what dimension?

Slowly and reluctantly, other thoughts and memories floated home. He could remember… fire. Crumbling, eroding walls. Gold…

…

Gold?

…

Dib had almost dozed off when he sensed something stir. He sat up with a whipcord movement, immediately yelping as the action mildly jarred his back, which had grown stiff from the hours its owner had lain in that awkward propped-up position. Was it a chupacabra? A rat? He hadn't really thought about what creatures might be sharing the building with them. He'd been too busy looking after… er, guarding the small green alien sprawled beside him, albeit from a good few metres away. The hapless little Irken hadn't moved for a long time. Could he be waking now?

"Don't leave~!"

"Wh-whuh?!" The sudden outburst had Dib bristling in shock. "Zim?"

Day had turned to night while they'd been in Zim's musty refuge, but beyond the dreary fingers of darkness he spotted a blanket-wrapped shape thrashing and crying.

"Don't leave me alone! Please!"

Something in the helpless, whimpering tone made a cord snap in Dib's heart. Perhaps it was just a natural response to hearing a creature/person in torment, or perhaps it was something more…

"Why~? Where are you going? Don't leave Zim!"

"Zim, chill! Calm down!" Dib crawled over to the Irken, shaking his small shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to reality. He could swear there were tears in the alien's eyes, and the sick feeling in his gut increased in volume.

Was this guilt? Why did he feel guilty?

At the abrupt shaking, Zim recoiled violently, yelping and clawing fiercely at the boy's hand. In the alien's mind, heavy coils were twisting around his body, wanting to squeeze, and crush the life and soul out of him. He didn't want to be here again, why did he keep coming here? What had he done to be abandoned like this?

Dib flinched back when Zim reacted, heart banging against his chest. He thought about trying to pull the tightening blankets off him, but feared more negative responses. Damn it! What could he do? What were you meant to do when someone freaked out in their sleep like this?

Dib wracked his brain with some difficulty, fighting against panic to think over Zim's tortured wails. He'd never had a mother, being a genetic clone (something he'd long since stopped agonising over), and his father wasn't the sort to comfort his children, let alone know about these things. He recalled some nurse saying that taking someone having night terrors into fresh air would calm them down, but the teen was loathe to move Zim for fear of those slashing claws.

Zim's moans were growing more and more terrified; liquid streamed from his eyes and he seemed to be scratching at his upper body as if under attack, claws digging in, damaging the vulnerable, weakened skin further. He was going to make his injuries worse if he kept that up!

"Zim, stop it!" Dib shouted, voice high with panic. Eyes flashing a frightened tawny colour, he scanned wildly around, having a sudden desperate idea. He snatched the first item that came to hand – his bundled-up trench coat – taking a vague, uncertain aim and hurling it. It struck the writhing figure squarely in the back, and with a shudder, his cries died.

The coils pressing in on his ribs unfathomably, painfully tight, the demonic glint of the blade's arc closing in for a kill; both vanished with a sudden jolt, like something big had hit him. At first terror spiked back up and he curled away in defense, hissing silently at the invisible attacker. But the object – creature, thing, whatever it was - wasn't hurting him. He waited, but nothing happened. The frightful visions subsided back to their realm of despair and shattered hope, leaving Zim back in the folds of silent, fuzzy darkness, on the edge of sleep and wakefulness. The kniving dread had fled for the hills, leaving in its place an unpleasant ache. His abdomen tightened, nausea swirling within, and his chest gave a shuddering heave as more of the hot liquid seeped from his eyes. Why was it doing that? Was he ill? Or was it to do with this dreary, empty, achy feeling?

The Irken reached around to feel the object which had struck him and jerked him out of the terror-world. It felt soft and bunched between his claws. There was something oddly calming and familiar about its texture also, bringing other memories back which had initially hunched in the dark corner of his mind, bristling. Yes, those memories were coming back. Gold…

The alien's cries had died down to a gentle sobbing, and Dib's anxiety relaxed; mostly. He had no idea what was going on in Zim's head, but whatever dream that was, it must've been a horrid one. Dib had had his share of nightmares as a child, even as a teenager occasionally, and he felt bad for the alien. If in fact it was a nightmare. How could he be sure? From what he could make out, Irkens weren't really meant to sleep much anyway, and when they did, they slept very lightly. He'd have to ask a few questions when Zim was feeling better.

For now, he crawled over to the shaking form with a pitying frown. The sight put an odd ache in his chest. No, make that a strong pain. Zim wasn't supposed to fall so low, he was an Irken! Dib had always thought that he would be the one responsible for the alien's downfall.

/The expression on Zim's face tore right through Dib, a mask of pure animal terror./ Oh right, he did. And he hadn't enjoyed it. Choking down the horrible guilty sensation, he tried to rouse the alien again, more gently this time.

"Zim…? Come on, you're safe. Open your eyes…"

The soft voice melted through the barrier Zim had tried to build around his mind, making his heart-like muscle miss a beat, causing both hope and grief to pool in his stomach. His antennae had lain idle for the most part, too limp to move, but now they began to pick up a distinguished scent and set of brainwaves. Interestingly, the scent and brainwaves showed a feeling he'd never come across before, or maybe once, three years ago. Concern. He cracked open a cloudy eye to confirm his hunch. He saw gold.

The human caught a glint of magenta behind gummed jade eyelids, and watched as his little alien nemesis peeked open first one eye, then the other, presumably looking up at Dib. His eyes were clouded with the minute remnants of fear and pain, and his expression was showing… hope? Maybe. But there were other feelings mixed in there, grief, loneliness, torment. Hope. Overall the Irken looked like a small, lost child; eyes huge and pleading, body hunched in uncertainty, antennae wilted over his head like dead flowers. Dib felt the sick, piteous feeling rise again. The ex-invader was the very picture of wretchedness.

Snapping out of his musings, Dib realised the alien's lips were moving; he was trying to form words – and his taloned hand reached weakly toward the boy – again, adding to the picture of a needy child. Dib blinked down at it, uncertain of how he should respond. He'd never been shown affection before. He had a fair idea of what it entailed, having seen plenty among his fellow humans, but had never actually given or received it; even his sister had never touched him in a non-painful way. Should he try now, or would it terrify the Irken? Irkens didn't have affection either. Perhaps it would be traumatic for both of them? Something told him it wouldn't be…

The alien's mouthing twisted itself into words; slurred, but Dib understood them.

"D-Don't go away… from Zim…"

Dib's human instinct asserted itself. Leaning forward, the human swept the trembling alien into his arms, cradling him against his chest, marvelling as the aching sensation in his chest turned into something unfathomably good. So, this was what affection felt like? He'd barely tasted it, but he liked it!

Zim squeaked when he was suddenly picked up like a baby animal, tensing instinctively; but once he was pressed into soft fabric, warmth made the tension melt completely. Fear and sadness suddenly gave out, and an uncertain kind of… something… replaced it. What was this? He didn't recognise the feeling, but he didn't want to bail from it. Was it some kind of weapon or curse? It didn't seem to be hurting him…

Don't be afraid…

Dib was feeling an uncertain kind of happiness; this seemed to be working. He hoped it was working. The little alien still gave soft tremors, but they weren't agonised like before.

The boy inhaled sharply when he felt claws sink into his shirt, but they didn't hurt him. Zim was clinging to his shirt! Dib grinned and wrapped his arms tighter around his nemesis… could they still be called enemies after all this?... confirming his happiness with the new arrangement.

Zim felt a small twinge of worry at the tightening grip, reminiscent of serpentine coils. But the lanky arms were warm and friendly, not drawing the breath from his lungs. This felt… rather nice. He didn't know what the fluttery sensation in his belly was, but it wasn't hurting him, in fact, it was getting rid of the nasty cold feeling he'd had less than a minute earlier. That must make it good, right? It couldn't be a trap to weaken his guard further. He clung to that hope. He had to. Having the courage to peek up at the warm being who was so un-threateningly squeezing him, he saw the gold eyes once again. They too were warm and friendly, not hostile. A foreign, yet vaguely recognisable sense of trust settled within him.

"I'm… not afraid." He offered a tiny but genuine smile to the being holding him, and ducked his small head to rest against the boy's chest, getting the hang of being comforted.

The human cocked his head a little at the unexpected statement; after a moment of puzzlement he assumed it to be a childish form of assertion, like a kid determined to show they could go in the water even though they were frightened. When the alien tucked his head in and became soft and pliant, Dib ginned even more and ran a hand over Zim's lithe back, deciding to improvise. Hey, he seemed to be doing okay so far! Zim gave a happy little whine at the stroking and Dib suddenly felt a subtle, yet sharp pricking at his stomach area. A little worried, he looked down and realised the Irken was attempting to burrow into him for more warmth. That was… sort of cute, when he thought about it. Smile widening even more, he brought his legs up and curled in on his little invader, resolving to give the poor little alien his happiness. In response to the action a low rumbling reverberated through his chest. What the- Zim was purring! Okay, Dib had to admit that was very cute. It made something in his stomach flutter with the sweetness of it.

"Don't leave me again." Came a soft, muffled growl between purrs.

Dib blinked. "Okay." He hadn't planned to abandon Zim, but if it worried the alien, he was happy to clear it up. He didn't want to break up this newfound affection now.

Zim appeared to be deeply satisfied with that answer, for the rumbling increased in volume and his fierce grip relaxed slightly, though he leaned further into the warm golden-eyed human.

Giving his patient a final squeeze, Dib shuffled them both to his makeshift bed, lying down carefully. Zim was purring comfortably in his arms and looked ready to drop back off to a hopefully less stressful sleep, and the boy felt his eyelids droop as well. He'd stayed awake for most of a day looking out for his injured house-visitor, and now Zim looked at least mentally recovered, he thought he could cool off his nerves for a bit. The low rumbling wasn't enough to keep him awake, but instead was quite soothing. Not to mention the cuddling made him happier than he ever remembered feeling. Dib sighed out, relaxing into the trench coat-pillow, and soon found himself deep in a better sleep than he'd had in a long time.

A/N:
Yay for fluff! Fluff is fun, especially when it's ZADR fluff! This was my first attempt so it's probably botched. Writing fluff is harder than I thought XD

Again, feel free to point out any mistakes or general plotholes, I'll do my best to iron them out. Ta guys :3 and again, keep being awesome.

I've unofficially decided to reply to reviews in PMs instead of at the end of the chapters. It just saves you having to wait, and saves me a few minutes in the A/N.