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there will be more intereaction between spork and zim in this chapter and in chapters to come

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Normal POV [im sorry but I must...]

The walk didn't take very long, as Zim expected. After all, he was trained to run great distances...He just brushed it off as him being too distressed to concentrate on an actual destination or direction. Besides, it worked in his favor. He wanted to see Spork as soon as he could, even though it meant the humiliation of telling Spork the truth about what happened.

As they strode down the hall leading to Spork's room, Dib turned to Zim, seeing the Irken wringing his hands nervously. He reached to give a small pat to the alien's shoulder and offered a comforting smile. "Hey, it'll be okay," he assured.

Zim smiled weakly in return, nodding in confirmation, as though he was trying to convince himself that Dib was right. It didn't stop the small voice in his head from telling him otherwise, though...A voice that resembled the Tallest he had been devoted to for so long, switching back and forth between Red and Purple. A voice telling him that Spork would leave him...Maybe just flat out kill him since the Empire declared Zim a waste of space... Still, despite the fear, Zim took a deep breath. "Okay...I'm ready..."

Dib nodded, heading past the window first. He looked in and noticed that his dad was trying to cheer a distressed Taller. Both of them had yet to notice that Dib had returned with Zim. Of course, as soon as the door opened and the two stepped in, Dib noticed that Spork's antenea perked up.

Hearing the door open, Membrane turned to address what he thought would be a scientist or intern coming to pester him, but he groaned in relief. "Oh, thank science! You've both come back!"

Spork's lekku perked as the scent of his lover filled the room again and turned, relieved to see that Zim had come back. Whatever the boy had done, it had been successful. Spork made a mental note to find some way to thank the little alien later. He stood, about to go and embrace Zim, but became concerned when he noticed the small evidence of tiredness in his eyes. Had Zim been...crying?

Membrane, seeming clueless, strode over and patted Dib on the back hard, seeming to congradulate him. "Well, done, son! Well done! Now we can all sit and talk like the intelligent and civilized beings we are-"

"Dad," Dib interupted. "Maybe we could let Zim and Spork talk alone for a bit?" When Membrane gave his son a confused look, Dib rolled his eyes and continued. "Considering their relationship and how long they haven't seen eachother...?" He trailed off purposely, figuring that if he made the situation seem akward, his dad would need less convincing to leave.

Sure enough, Membrane visibly blanched. "Ah...right...W-well, I need to, uh...work...elsewhere..." As he went to leave, Spork fought back a laugh. As though he could actually be...intimate with Zim while being watched so intently in this damn lab.

Dib turned to leave, giving Zim an encouraging smile as he left. He felt his stomach flutter a bit when he saw Zim giving him a greatful look in return.

Finally alone, Zim turned to Spork, nervous all over again. "Spork...I..."

Not waiting to hear another word, Spork quickly strode over and lifted Zim into a hug. Sure, Zim had grown quite a bit since Spork had last seen him, but Spork was still a great deal larger than his lover. Feeling Zim relax into his touch, Spork smiled, allowing his eyes to slip shut. "Thank you for coming back," he said softly in Irken.

Zim felt his cardiac-spooch lurch hearing the language of his former home. "Spork...I need to tell you something...It's important and...and I need you to listen to everything..."

Feeling Zim tense in his grasp, Spork gently set Zim down and offered a seat to him before taking his own.

Zim sighed, taking his seat. He nervously looked away from Spork and wrung his hands again. He could hear Red's voice in his head, mocking him. He was broken from it when large hands held his own. Reluctantly looking up, he saw Spork offering a gentle smile, those golden eyes looking at him with the same love and adoration they used to. Zim felt his face heat up a bit at it and looked away again. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just get to the point. "I'm not an Invader," He looked up to see Spork's reaction, expecting the worst. Instead, Spork just looked a little confused. Understandable...Zim was in uniform, after all... "At least...not anymore...I've been...I've been banished..." He waited after he said that, looking down. He waited for Spork to rip his hands away and laugh or scold him or...something, but...

"Zim, look at me," Spork's tone was calm...gentle...Hesitantly, Zim looked up, fearful. "Why were you banished?" It was so strange...Spork's eyes were full of concern rather than judgement...

Zim swallowed nervously. "I...Th-they said I was...defective," Zim admitted. "That I was useless and...and I cause trouble and I mess things up-"

"Who told you that?"

"The Tallest...Red and Purple,"

"Red and Purple?!" Spork was appalled. Those two were Tallest?! Spork shook his head in disbelief. "I heard the Empire was falling but..." He huffed. "Well, that certainly explains a lot,"

Zim narrowed an eye in confusion. "...Spork?"

"Zim, listen to me," Spork raised a hand to grasp Zim's chin, forcing his lover to hold his gaze. "I don't care what those two idiots said about you. You're none of those things. You may have a tendency to have projects that get out of control, but you're not a defect,"

"But...I'm still banished and...I failed as an Invader-"

"Zim, you never wanted to be one, anyway," Zim's eyes widened at that. Spork sighed. "Zim...I'm sorry. I know I pushed the idea of you being an Invader...I just...didn't want to be away from you when I was Tallest..."

"...You really don't care? That I'm banished?" It was too good to be true...

"Of course I don't. I just wanted to find you," He moved the hand holding Zim's chin and ran it soothingly over the side of Zim's face.

Zim relaxed into the gesture, bringing his own hand up to cover the back of Spork's, gently pressing for more contact. "How did you find me?"

"I told the Meekrob I wanted to find you. I didn't want to tell them why and for years they refused my request to leave. They didn't have much place for me, but they didn't want to kill me in case they could use me against the Empire. They noticed that the Empire was failing...that it's movements seemed erratic and the new Tallest was more a being of immediate gratification...They told me these things, to try and get a rise out of me, I think...But when they were finally done gloating and asked me what I thought about what they said...I just said I needed to find you,"

"You didn't try to escape? Or go back to Irk?"

"No...If I did escape, where would I go? At least if I was there with the Meekrob, I had access to information. I decided to just convince them that I didn't have ill-intentions," Spork realized how stupid it sounded, but Zim knew that Spork was known for his patience and planning. That's why so many were looking forward to Spork being Tallest. The Meekrob didn't get it, though... "Finally they just flat out questioned me. They asked me who you were and why it was so important I find you. I didn't want to tell them anything, but...I was getting desperate...So I told them that you were my lover," Spork smiled at the memory. "The looks on their faces...Then they became curious. How long had we been together? Had we been intimate? Was it consenual?...It got very tiring. I asked them to help me find you...They finally agreed. They hacked some information from the Massive's computer and found that you were an Invader stationed on Earth. Then they got me a ship and sent me off,"

"And all that time waiting, they knew you wouldn't bother to come back and betray them," Zim answered, smiling as he understood. "Sounds exhausting,"

"It was..." Spork smiled pulling Zim into another hug, the smaller one being pulled up from his seat and practically into his lap. "But it was worth it,"

Zim didn't hesitate this time, instead wrapping his arms around Spork as well as he could. He found that it was easier now since he'd grown. Nuzzling into Spork's chest, he breathed in the Taller's scent. "I'm so happy your here..."

Spork could hear Zim begin to purr and responded in turn with his own as he rubbed a hand up and down Zim's back. He had missed this...Having Zim's warmth joining with his...He wished he could do more but so long as he was still being questioned...Well, until he found other arrangements, he wasn't going to be able to have Zim as he wanted. Irkens are taught modesty. And though Spork had a risky way of dressing compared to any other Irken, he would be irrate at the idea of Zim's skin exposed for any alien to see. He didn't even want to remove Zim's gloves while there. Just the thought of Zim naked while all these primitive so-called scientists gawked and stared...It was enough to make him ill.

For the first time since he found out, Zim was at peace with the fact that he wasn't a part of the Irken Empire anymore. It didn't matter if Red and Purple despised him. The years of mockery and making him a punch-line to use for all of Irk didn't matter, either. The burns, the explosions, the faulty equipment sent to trip him up...None of it mattered. He had Spork. He had his everything back.

Time drifted by without either of them noticing.

Eventually the door opened again and they both looked to see Membrane and his son standing there, Membrane curious and a little uncomfortable and Dib smiling.

Zim, blushing a faint blue slowly brought himself from Spork's lap, straightening his clothes.

Membrane cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, uh...Did we interupt?"

"Not at all," Spork assured. "We can't really be...any closer under these current conditions,"

"Ah..." Membrane looked a little relieved. "I see..."

"Zim," Dib stepped closer to the smaller Irken, speaking softly, but Spork caught every word. "Since you're now going to be living on Earth permanently...Well...your base is equipped to tend to an Irken better...And it's within walking distance of the lab..." Dib had been thinking of a way to help Zim as a way to make up for all the years of fighting. He had decided he rather liked the idea of being friends and figured it was the right thing to do to prove he had Zim's back.

Sure enough, Zim's eyes widened in realization and he nodded softly. "I...can also show them some of Irk's technology...Things safe to work with...to make it better for them..."

Dib smiled and turned to Membrane. "How about Spork stays with Zim, Dad? They are both Irken, after all. You can interview them both. Zim even offered to give some stuff to your lab to study,"

"Interview you both?" Membrane rubbed his chin in thought, humming to himself. "Well...I suppose that could work..."

"But we'll only answer questions to him," Spork spoke up as he stood, pointing to Dib. "He seems to already have a good understanding of how to behave around Irkens and Zim trusts him enough to let him into his home,"

Zim and Dib exchanged a look of confusion. Dib felt a little honored that Zim trusted him but...Something about seeing Spork and Zim together...It made him happy, sure, because Zim was happy, but...he was unsure...

Membrane and Spork gazed at eachother for awhile, obviously looking over the other to see if there was a hint of malice or betrayal. Finding none, Membrane took the first step and extended his hand. "Alright. We have a deal,"

Spork returned the gesture, smiling. "I'll need a disguise, however,"

"Yes, of course. I'll provide one myself until you can get a better one,"

Dib turned back to Zim, seeing the smaller beaming with delight. He'd never seen Zim so happy!

So why did his stomach lurch?

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