Summary: Zim and Dib are FINALLY ready to go on their trip ! ! And Gaz has to torture Dib before he goes of course .
Notes: Hai ! ! Surprise ! ! I am double updating today ! ! Yaaayy ^_^ ^_^ This chapter is told from Dib's POV and the title comes from the song Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay 3 3 . I think you'll see why by the end of this chapter Teeheehee ^_^ . Let's just say , this song speaks to how poor Dib is falling hard and fast :-) . As freaked out and confused as the past few months have been for him , he is exactly where he wants to be 3 . I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it ! ! As always , I will be SUPER grateful for any comments ! !
Something Just Like This
I pull my backpack on, hoist my duffel bag over my shoulder, and extend the handle of my suitcase with a sweaty palm.
"You pack your entire life in there?" Gaz asks from the couch.
"Honestly, I'm still not sure if this is enough." I say back, eyeing the other two giant suitcases I have parked by the door.
"It's just a couple of months. Not a decade."
"Yeah but between clothes, food, electronics, that stuff Zim gave me, and-"
"What stuff did Zim give you?" She asks, arching an eyebrow but still focused on her handheld game.
"Uh. Nothing, nothing. You're right, I'll be fine." I say, trying to take a deep breath that gets trapped in my chest and my lungs still feel starved. "Do I look okay?"
"You look fine. Don't ever ask me that again." She replies, still not looking up. I nod and look down at my outfit. What does anyone even wear to space? I figured it'd probably be offensive to wear clothes with aliens on it so I just went with solids. A dark green t-shirt, black jeans and black boots. Of course along with my black trench coat.
"Okay." I say more to myself than to her, then send a text to my dad letting him know I'm heading out.
"You really should give me your car keys." Gaz says.
"No." I reply, for the millionth time today.
"It'd be a shame if you came back to a keyed car with missing tires." She shrugs.
"Okay, fine but just don't ruin it! And don't tell dad I gave you permission to drive it! Get in trouble by yourself." I say, tossing the keys to her which she catches without looking up. She's only got her learners permit at the moment and she isn't actually a bad driver. She just isn't supposed to be driving without someone else in the car who has an actual license.
"I still don't get how you'll carry all that without your car."
"Me neither but the clearing we have to go to to get to the new ship is kind of far from here and I didn't want to just leave my car there."
"I could go with you." She sighs. "Drop you off and drive the car back home."
"What? Are you serious?" I ask and she shrugs. "Oh wow, that would be amazing, thank you!"
"Whatever. When do we need to leave?"
"Well we're supposed to meet there at sundown but I'm waiting for him to let me know." I say, finally starting to feel nervous. I can't pinpoint any reason why. I have literally everything I need. And according to Zim, I'll be able to breathe fine on Irk just like he can breathe here.
"Let's go now."
"What, why?" I ask.
"Because your nervous energy is annoying and I want you to buy me some things before you go." She says, walking over and tugging the door open.
After I load all my things into the trunk and the backseat, Gaz is already in the driver's seat so I sit next to her and click my seatbelt in place.
"So where exactly are we going?" I ask, watching the house disappear from view as she takes off.
"You're getting me pizza, coffee, and this new game at the mall."
"I don't know if there's time for all that."
"Zim can wait. Jeez, you're whipped."
"I am not!" I argue, feeling my face heat up. "And we aren't friends with benefits either! I still can't believe you said that!"
"I know that."
"Well I'm glad one of us knows." I say frustratedly.
"What… What are you talking about?" She asks and for a moment I'm not sure. I don't recall starting to feel slightly bitter about being in a situationship. I have no right to, I know that even whatever we are now is pretty much asking too much of him. And I'm the one that suggested it! I just wasn't really thinking very far ahead…
"I don't know." I lie, looking at the passenger window.
"Sounds like someone is ready for a DTR." She replies with a smug look on her face.
"DTR?"
"Defining the relationship, idiot."
"No. I'm not."
"Yeah sure. You know what? Maybe you can initiate that conversation on the trip. Just don't say anything that makes him kill you."
"We're not having that talk. Also, if that's the case, I'd never be able to say anything to him."
"You're right. You don't need to." She shrugs, gaze still focused ahead of her.
"Why? What would you say we are?" I inquire as she pulls into the mall parking lot.
"Idiots." She replies simply. I just shake my head and turn my gaze out the window. By the time we get to the mall parking lot, my stomach has tightened into a triple knot.
That game she wanted seemed super popular and we ended up on a really long line. Then, she stopped off and picked up a new purse that looked like all the other black ones she already has.
"Gaz, Zim is not the type to keep waiting." I complain as she pulls the car into the Bloaty's parking lot.
"Then I guess you'd better hurry up, huh?" She says, parking the car. I sigh, jumping out of the car and rushing into the restaurant. The sound of children shouting, weird animatronics singing, and parents chatting scratches at my brain as I make my way to the counter and order the extra large extra cheese pizza, tapping my foot impatiently. The sun set just over half an hour ago and Zim texted me twenty minutes ago but I just said I was on my way.
They finally call my name and I swipe dad's credit card, hastily snatching up the box and heading back to the car.
"Okay, seriously, can I just give you cash to get that coffee? I really have to get going, now."
"Nope. Let's go." She says, starting the car and waiting as I position the pizza box in the backseat over all my stuff.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to spend extra time with me because you'll miss me." I say as I climb into the passenger seat next to her. Even though she's pulling the car out of the lot, she manages to backhand the left side of my face.
"Unless you want to stop off at the guitar store too, I'd suggest you shut up."
"What would you need to go there for?" I ask, fixing my glasses.
"A new carrying case." She replies. As we pull into the drive through of the coffee shop, my phone buzzes and I take a deep breath.
From SpaceBug: YOU ARE LATE.
I read it a couple of times, thumbs hovering over the screen, before typing out my reply.
To SpaceBug: Yeah I'm in traffic.
I bite my lip because I see the three dots appear, indicating that he's sending another message which isn't like him. After I hand Gaz the card to swipe and she hands it back to me, she pulls up to the second window waiting for the drinks. After what feels like forever of the dots appearing and disappearing, my phone buzzes again.
From SpaceBug: IF YOU EVER LIE TO ME AGAIN, I WILL USE YOUR OWN TONGUE TO CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU.
Right. How could I forget he literally put a tracker in my stomach. A tracker.
Gaz hands me the tray which is holding three huge coffees.
"Who are these for?" I ask, biting my lip again, still looking at my phone but she doesn't answer so I send out my text.
To SpaceBug: Sorry. My sister needed to pick something up.
I reply and it's unlikely that he even read it because my phone buzzes with a response immediately after I hit send.
From SpaceBug: GET HERE.
I sigh and lock my screen. "Gaz, I gotta-"
"Hold onto your leash, we're going. Just tell me where" she replies. About 20 minutes later, after a myriad of confusing directions from me and a lot of annoyed responses from her, I see the huge empty clearing just ahead. "Where should I park?" She asks, slowing up.
"Just stop here. I'll ask him." I instruct but before I can even pull my phone out, I jump at a loud noise from the top of my car and suddenly, a pair of bright teal eyes are staring at me through the windshield. "Jesus, GIR." I huff, rolling down my side window but when I turn to look out of it, Zim is standing there, undisguised and glaring at me. "Holy- what is wrong with the two of you?!" I ask, touching my hand to my chest.
"Dib-Sister." Zim says shifting his glare to Gaz.
"Yup." She replies and GIR jumps down from the car, running around to the drivers side and jumping up and down to look at Gaz.
"Okay. Drive the car forward. Just follow me. The ship is here, it's just cloaked right now. Drive slow, I don't want you hitting it with this earth junk" Zim says, turning on his heel and marching away. GIR hops over the car again and jumps through my window. I shift the tray of coffees just far enough so they don't go flying when he lands on my lap, cackling and staring at Gaz with wide eyes.
We're creeping along for a few minutes until Zim stops walking, back to us and hands clasped behind his back.
"I'll take that." Gaz says, swiping the black coffee from the tray. "The lattes are for you two." She says as she places straws in all three cups.
"Zim doesn't drink coffee. You know that."
"I'm not talking about Zim." She replies, picking up one of the lattes.
"Here." She says, handing it to GIR who squeals joyfully.
"Thank you!" He screeches, already starting to guzzle it down. I'm still looking at Gaz a little surprised as she sips from her cup and looks down at her phone.
"Dib!" Zim shouts.
"Coming!" I reply, popping the door open and GIR jumps out first. Then I get out and walk up next to him. Gaz gets out too and stands on the other side of Zim, GIR seating himself at her feet, and the four of us are staring into darkness until Zim clicks a few buttons on a small remote he's holding.
"This is a Luxury Orbit Cruiser." He says as it comes into view and oh my stars it is huge. I didn't even know how close we were standing to it until now, I have to crane my neck to look up at it. We're standing right in front of the center which is a huge sphere, the majority of it looking like one huge tinted window. Past the window, the actual ship is purple in color and on either side of it are two slightly smaller spheres that are colored black with windows that also take up half of their fronts.
"This is… Incredible…" I say, a little breathlessly. Zim is still rattling off facts about it but I'm so fascinated I can barely understand anything he's saying. I run my hand along the glass window and it's cold under my fingertips. The paint on the rest of the ship almost has a sort of glow to it, it looks like it's covered in a layer of magic, like it's made out of stars and space itself.
"Do you want us to leave you alone for a minute!?" Zim huffs, crossing his arms and glaring at me. Gaz snorts and I feel my face get hot.
"No, sorry, I was-"
"I said go get your stuff!" Zim says.
"Right!" I say, walking over to my car to start setting bags and suitcases down in the grass.
"GIR, start loading the luggage onto the ship." Zim orders, clicking a few more buttons before the glass shield starts to lift upwards. He turns and looks at me, squinting. "Well?"
"Right…" I reply, looking at Gaz. "I have my communication watch if you need to talk to me."
"Alright."
"I'll see you when I get back."
"Alright." She says again and I look from her to Zim who's just watching us, then she starts talking again. "Make sure he actually eats while he's gone. People food."
"Gaz, don't." I groan watching GIR struggle with the last of my luggage. Zim grabs my wrist and drags me closer to the ship.
"He's in very capable hands." He says, eyes glowing slightly in contrast to the darkness surrounding us, and a wide grin stretching across his face. If it's meant to be reassuring, he failed miserably. Especially since Irkens have mouths that can stretch to basically where their ears should be.
Gaz just nods in response, turning on her heel and getting back into the car. There's a few more clicks of the remote he's holding and then a smooth conveyor belt type of walkway extends from the ship, stopping when it meets the grass, and Zim pulls me onto it. It takes us up a ramp until we're in the ship's main navigation area and Zim walks over to the left side of the open space, seating himself in what has to be the biggest pilot's chair I have ever seen. It's white and at the top, it comes to a point, resembling a mini rocket. It's the only chair that's rooted to the ground. There are four others on the right side of the room, all facing the window as well, but they're all smaller versions of the pilot's seat and while the pilot's chair has to be no less than eight feet tall, these chairs are no more than five feet in height and although they're in similar position, they're floating about three feet off the floor with a bright white light at the bottom. Zim is focused on all the controls in front of him, like a long black counter filled to the brim with buttons, levers, indicators, gauges, and knobs, all blinking and flashing different colors at different frequencies and reflecting in his eyes. It honestly looks intimidating to me. This is nothing like the voot cruiser or Tak's ship. How does he even know how to pilot something like this? I've never seen anything like this. He could fit at least ten voot cruisers in this cockpit alone, let alone the rest of the ship.
"GIR!" He shouts without even looking up from what he's doing and GIR comes racing up the ramp with a slice of pizza in each hand, seating himself in one of the floating chairs. Zim looks between him and myself for a moment before holding down a button that retracts the walkway and then shutting the ship. "You should probably sit down." He says, pulling a lever down at the base of his chair so it lifts him up higher and then he adjusts some of the overhead controls. "And stop staring at me." He says without even looking my way.
My face heats up and I glance at the floor which resembles some type of glitter infused marble, so shiny it looks like liquid. "Sorry I was just-" I say, glancing back up at Zim and freezing. He's still getting ready to take off but I cannot believe I was so enthralled by this new cruiser that I didn't notice. How did I not notice? The deep crimson tunic, black stripes, rose-pink long sleeves with sharp collar and shoulder accents, black leggings, gloves and boots. He is in full uniform. All at once, I feel like laughing and crying and I don't know why. It's probably the worst feeling in the world - nostalgia. Yeah, that's it. The wave of nostalgia that washes over me swells my heart and I get this flood of memories just by looking at the Invader Uniform.
"Dib-Monster, what is wrong with you?" He asks and I finally tear my gaze away from his outfit and focus on the annoyed confusion in his face now that he's twisted in the seat to properly glare my way.
"Huh?" I ask, shaking my head.
"I said sit down somewhere!" He glowers and I blink several times, adjusting my glasses.
"It's not my fault! This is a lot!" I reply quickly, trying not to make it obvious I'm still mostly just fascinated by his uniform at this point, and he sighs.
"Feeble human mind, so easily amused." He seethes and I bite back a laugh. "Fine. Stay standing, you'll become part of the floor kararitin flooring. We're leaving." He shrugs, turning forward again and pressing more buttons. It sounds like several industrial strength fans just turned on at once and the large windshield becomes a black screen displaying what might be a countdown. I'm not sure because it's not in English.
"Whoa, okay okay!" I say, stepping past all of my haphazardly placed luggage and lunging for a chair next to GIR at the last second as the ship begins a quick ascent into the clouds. It feels like going up in a fast elevator and I feel my face pale as I realize I'm just sitting in a chair with no seatbelt! "Where are the seatbelts?" I exclaim and Zim just laughs at me. "Zim!"
"You will be perfectly fine!" He declares loudly over what must be the engine? Or maybe it's intense winds from the way we are tearing through the sky? Either way, we're still flying straight upwards and Zim isn't moving to adjust the controls yet. "Just stay in your chair until we get to space. It's a prodigiva chair. It'll keep you in place. Almost like a gravitational seatbelt. You love those"
I am not convinced. It feels like I'm sitting at a dinner table right now and I can fly out of this chair any second. Or I could stand up and be immediately flattened to the oddly named flooring. But GIR doesn't seem worried at all, he's still munching on pizza. We're flying straight upwards for what seems like hours but when we get up far enough and Zim finally adjusts the ship to move forwards instead of up, I check my watch and it was only about a minute and a half. The ship comes to an abrupt halt but I don't go flying from my seat as I expect. Zim clicks around on the controls, shifting the screen back to a window and then inputs a few more commands before pulling a lever on the counter to the left of him. An Irken word pops up on the window briefly, then it's back to a view of the stars. "You can get up now." Zim states, walking over to where we're both seated and opening up GIR's head. He roots around inside for a minute and then pulls out… Minimoose?
"He was here the whole time?" I ask leaning over to look inside and realizing just how out of breath I really am.
"Where else would he have been?!" Zim replies, batting me away and releasing Minimoose to float about the room, then sealing up GIR's head. "Now seriously, get up." He says, reaching up and grabbing my hair to tug me out of the chair. "You need to learn to follow orders''
"Ow. Okay. Ow, ow, let go!" I complain and he finally releases me so I can right myself.
"While the ship is in autopilot, I can show you around." He replies.
"But I want the scary monkey show!" GIR whines loudly and Zim scoffs.
"That horrible monkey." He says, but still proceeds to remove a small gray metal cube from his PAK. When he sits it on the counter in front of GIR, it projects a large screen and Zim hands him a similar looking remote so in a few seconds, GIR is clicking through the device. "Let's go." Zim demands, turning to walk further into the ship and I follow.
"What is that?" I ask as we walk down a long hallway bathed in bright blue lights.
"It's a travel screen I made. It's just easier than putting a tv in here." He shrugs. I nod and we keep walking but it's a long hallway. When we get about halfway through, I finally clear my throat.
"I didn't even know you still had the uniform." I say, side eyeing him.
"I do have my old uniform but this is not it."
"Then where did you get this one?"
"I had it made for me."
"Oh, that's cool. It's nice. It looks nice I mean. I um, kind of missed it." I mumble and he stops walking to give me a puzzled look.
"You missed my uniform?"
"Ah… Well yeah. Like, you. You know, wearing it?" I continue, stopping and looking at the weird floors.
"You're being weird." He glares and I sigh.
"I like how you look in your uniform." I say flatly but my face still turns red and he looks at me surprised.
"Oh. Of course you do." He says, looking down towards where we were walking and gesturing that way before continuing to walk. I'm just walking beside him quietly for a few more seconds when he starts talking again. "Actually! I'm glad you feel that way."
"Okay…?" I say as he stops at the end of the hall. In front of us are two large, pink, opaque double doors. On the left and right walls are two smaller black doors and he pushes open the door on the left wall, motioning for me to go and when I step inside, I see a room with deep red walls and a ceiling that mostly consists of glass, making it a huge window.
"This is your room. During the travel. And that's your uniform." He points to the clothing that's been laid out on a bed covered in deep purple blankets and pillows. There's also a door across from the bed and it's open, revealing a small bathroom.
"I have a uniform?"
"Yes. You didn't earn it but that'll be between us." He says. "It should fit perfectly because I sent your measurements."
"Wait, how'd you get my measurements?" I ask and he just waves a hand like it's not important.
"Now, I've been sure to rewire a few things so that you have as much electricity as you need for your weird earth devices. The bathroom also has running water. And this wall" he continues, crossing the room and stopping in front of a blank purple wall, pressing down in the center of it, "is your personal storage unit." The entire wall is a door that slides to the left and retracts, sending a wave of arctic feeling air throughout the room.
"It's freezing in there." I comment, looking over all the available shelves.
"Well yes, you brought perishables, did you not?" He asks.
"I did."
"So the temperature depends on the shelf. The top shelves are for pantry items and the very bottom shelves are for items that must remain frozen. The middle will keep things cold, but obviously not frozen." He explains and then walks back over to the door. When I walk away from the cabinet, it slides shut.
"Did you really make all these changes?" I ask as we leave the room and he opens the door across the hall.
"A few of them." He shrugs. The second room appears to be an exact copy of the first. "This is GIR and Minimoose's room. The only difference is that there is no running water. The faucets are still set to dispense cleansing chalk because I didn't alter them."
"Where is your room?" I ask and he squints an eye at me.
"I am piloting the ship." He replies.
"You plan on sitting in that chair this entire time?"
"I sat in my voot for six months when I traveled to earth. I will be fine."
"True. And you sat in the toilet forever too." I say thoughtfully.
"I did."
"Okay. And how long will it take us to get to Irk?" I ask, following him as he pushes through the pink double doors. There are three flights of stairs that lead to total darkness but he descends the steps so I do too.
"This ship is much faster than my voot. Also, when the Tallests sent me to Earth, they didn't know the exact coordinates, so that slowed me up as well. And like I said before, Irken technology gets better everyday. It'll only be about a week." He says but I can't see him anymore aside from the faint glow of his PAK.
"Oh okay. Why is it so dark down here?" I ask.
"Because I forgot you can't see in the dark. One second." He replies. I hear a click a few seconds later and the room is bathed in a soft pink glow. Now I can see the room is filled - and I mean LOADED with snacks. Hundreds of what looks like bags of chips, boxes of cookies, candy bars, packets of candy, cans of sugary beverages, plastic wrapped trays filled with pastries, and plenty more.
"All this for one week?"
"Have you met GIR? And it'll be a week traveling back, remember?" He asks and I nod. He's right, I can't recall a time the little robot wasn't either eating, getting ready to eat, or just finishing eating. "I know you packed your own food but feel free to root around here too. I'm sure you'll be able to tell the difference between Earth snacks and Irken snacks." He continues, picking up a few small packets that I assume are full of candy. One is blue, one is orange, and one is yellow. I pick up a black bag and observe it. There's nothing on the front aside from the Irken symbol and it feels like it's full of air. The back is loaded with strange symbols that don't even look Irken to me.
"What is this?" I ask, shaking it but I don't hear anything from inside.
"Trinsiq bark." He says, taking it and putting it back. "You can't eat that."
"What's it made of?"
"Genetically engineered trinsiq trees. From our colony planet Lox." He says walking back towards the staircase. "Are you coming?"
"Yeah I'm just. I'm on an actual space trip. With you." I say and I have no idea how many times the reality of this situation is going to hit me.
"Yes you are quite lucky. I must return to the controls." He says starting up the steps and I snap out of it and go up too. Back in the cockpit, he shows me where I can find an emergency space suit just in case. He also gives me a similar travel screen to the one GIR is using except mine is compatible with the flash drive I brought with me. When he sets back to working on the controls, I start dragging off all my luggage to my room, mostly to put my food away. I'm talking; pints of neapolitan ice cream, frozen pizzas, prepackaged breakfast muffins, tons of drinking water, tons of meal replacements, cartons of iced coffee, and a lot of other things that were awful to carry.
When I've got everything put away and on the proper shelves, I sit down on the edge of the bed and look up at the stars. It's nothing like looking up at the sky from earth. This is like being in the middle of an ocean, with diamonds floating around so close by, it's almost like I could reach out and grab a handful. It's nerve wracking but so comforting at the same time, it gives me the same feeling I had from my weighted blanket all throughout elementary school. With earth getting farther and farther away, the longer we're in motion, I feel safer and more secure than I ever have.
I remember when I felt anything but safe just living in the same neighborhood as Zim. Now, flying through space with no one but him makes me feel completely invulnerable. Who would have thought it would feel this good to be this far away from everything I've ever known. Part of me wonders what it would be like to just stay here with him. I mean… this ship is pretty livable… There is no kitchen but I'm sure there are plenty of planets we could stop off on. Or we could just go back to earth every so often. We could even build a kitchen somewhere, probably down in the storage area and just-
Wait a minute. I'm getting ahead of myself. That would be the equivalent of moving in together and we're barely even in a relationship at this point. Also, I'm pretty sure Zim fully intends on staying on Irk. Either that or he'll want to be reassigned to some other planet which, in that case, I have no idea what would happen. It's not like he would take me with him to invade another planet… Not that I would want to go! I don't agree with it or anything… I guess I just wouldn't necessarily be opposed to keeping him with me all the time.
I sigh and pick up the tunic sitting next to me. This whole situation is a lot more complicated than I anticipated. I don't even know where I expected it to go. All I knew is how badly I wanted it but I didn't even know what 'it' was. Zim himself has told me he wants to try but can I really expect him to settle into my idea of a relationship? Settle into something so normal? Ask him to give up everything he clearly loves and just focus on trying to love me instead? And what even is my idea of a relationship? I know I have a tendency to develop… sort of… less than healthy obsessions so how could I ever figure out what I want in a relationship? Jeez, even if I did, if we both came up with what we want out of a relationship, if everything goes as it should on Irk, he'll be invading a new planet and I'll be in college…
Maybe Gaz was right… It's a conversation we need to have. I guess I just need to figure out when and how.
I use my communicator watch to message my dad, just to say I'm fine, then I decide to start a transmission. It projects a small blue screen in front of me with three white dots in the middle as it rings a few times before the call is connected.
"Calling me already?" Gaz asks immediately, sounding disinterested.
"Look, you were right. I need to talk to Zim about where this relationship is headed but I don't know how." I sigh loudly and drag my other hand through my hair. It looks like she's sitting in her room in the dark as she squints down at me.
"Did something happen already?" She asks.
"No but…" I try to form my thoughts but nothing else comes out. My tongue completes ties and she's just looking at me expectantly.
"Alright. Listen. You're in space. With Zim. Are you not?"
"Yeah."
"Something you've wanted to do for a while, yeah?"
"I . . . I mean I have but-"
"Then just enjoy that. Stop over complicating everything."
"But what about-"
"My God, Dib. You've got forever to have that talk. Don't waste your first trip together agonizing over it. It'll happen when it should." I just sit for a moment and let her words really sink in before taking a breath.
"You're right." I say, exhaling with relief. She IS right. This is something I've always wanted to do! I have to give myself room to actually enjoy it.
"I know that." She replies and I huff out another breath, looking down at the comforter.
"And… You're okay?" I ask.
"I'm fine, dad." She replies, rolling her eyes. "I'm going out."
"What, now? It's… after 10pm there! Where are you going?"
"None of your business."
"Gaz, someone has to know where you are and I know you didn't tell dad." I complain and she just yawns.
"Can I go now?"
"At least-" My response is cut short by the sound of my door opening and when I look over, Zim is there.
"I want to show you something." He states.
"Alright." I smile and look back at Gaz, reminding myself of what she said. Just seeing him standing across the room reminds me that this is something I want, something I've wanted is finally happening and I'm excited for the experience. "Look, text my communicator when you get home. I've got to go."
"Seriously, Dib, just have fun. And try to stop being such a loser while you're at it." She replies and promptly hangs up.
"What did you want to show me?" I ask and he walks over to the bed, sitting down next to me.
"We are almost out of your chocolate bar galaxy."
"You mean the Milky Way?"
"That's what I said!"
"Wow…" I say, looking up through the window again.
"You've never been this far into space, correct?"
"No, I haven't. Not enjoyably anyway…" I say back and he nods.
"We'll be out in just over 30 seconds and you'll be able to see it from afar." He says, checking over some device on his wrist. We're both silently watching the window and when we do get out of the Milky Way, the ship jolts slightly and then I can see it growing further and further away. It's nothing short of pure magic. It looks like a blizzard, like this amazing hurricane of ice and jewels and my breath gets caught in my throat just watching it drift away. It feels like I should be at least a little scared but all I feel is this hypnotic calmness and I could watch this forever. "I thought you might like this. With all the stargazing and things you do so much." Zim says, gaze still fixed on the window.
This is nothing like stargazing, it's nothing like watching the stars through my telescope. Even though I've got one of the most advanced telescopes on the planet, it doesn't hold a candle to what I'm experiencing right now. "Do you think it's beautiful?" I ask, still watching the galaxy as it drifts further and further away. I can feel Zim shift his gaze to look at me but I can't tear my eyes away from the window.
"It's… Definitely different from Irk." He nods, looking up again. "As you may imagine, traveling planets cannot form much of a galaxy. Not in the way a galaxy full of sedentary planets can."
"I'm just… Wow." is all I manage because I'm really at a loss for words. "You've probably seen so many amazing things before, so this is nothing to you. But I don't think I could ever get used to this." I say, tentatively reaching out to grab his hand. He looks at it then at me for a long moment before turning back to the window.
"It's nice." He replies and I think it's the softest I've ever heard him speak about anything.