A long way

chapter 5

Glad to see people are enjoying this~

hope you like chapter five~

_____________________

"Cheer up! I'm sure things will work out!" Membrane was beginning to loose hope, though. It had been some time since the little incident took place and he didn't even know if Dib had found the little green boy.

Spork didn't seem too optimistic, either, gazing sadly at the metal table he was tracing invisible doodles on with his claw. He sighed to himself for what seemed the millionth time. He wanted to go and see Zim...find his lover himself...but he had promised to stay and answer questions. Plus, he couldn't leave without a disguise and he knew nothing about the planet.

Please, Zim...Please come back...

ooo

"It was an accident...how we seperated," Zim explained, sitting next to Dib on a park bench. He was reluctant to go back right away, and Dib let him have the time to get things reflected.

"What happened?"

"I was a military researcher then," Zim explained. "And my projects had a way of getting out of control. A habit I never quite grew out of...Anyway, long story short, when Spork was just being declared the new Tallest, one of my experiments-which had escaped some time beforehand-interupted the ceremony and...and just...devoured him..." Zim's eyes were looking somewhere far away now, a pained glow in them that made Dib's heart go out to the Irken.

"So...Spork is Tallest? He's one of your leaders?"

"No...After he die-...after we thought he...Red and Purple were soon declared Tallest. And...and Spork was just sort of...pushed into the back of everyone's mind,"

"You didn't grieve at all?" Dib could hardly believe that..A culture too strung up on pride to allow a mourning session for someone of their own kind. "Did you have any friends or family to help you through it?"

"Help me through it?" Zim let out a bitter laugh. "No one cared really for me. No one except Spork...And...no one knew anyway,"

"What do you mean no one knew?"

"...We...we weren't supposed to be together. He's...He's a Taller. It's just not looked on as a good thing...so no one knew,"

"A secret romance, huh?" Dib smiled a bit. "Doesn't sound like you. I figured you'd be the kind to shout something like that from the rooftops. Ya know...declare your territory and such,"

Zim shook his head, smiling shyly. "I didn't need to...I was well convinced that his eyes were only for me,"

"...How so...?" Dib couldn't help but be interested. He didn't know a lot about true love. It was even weirder that someone like Zim knew so much about it.

Zim's eyes shimmered with something then. Something that made his eyes sparkle. "When he looked at me...Well, you probably saw how he looked at me," Zim blushed a deep blue at that, making Dib smile.

"No, not really,"

"...He makes me feel like I'm the only one there...Like I don't have a single care in the world...I used to love when we saw eachother...Even when we first met at the Research Station, I knew he was different. He was kind...and sweet...and genuine...He cared about other Irkens more than he did his pride. And..." Zim grinned, biting his lip. "It helps that he wasn't as...modest as most Irkens...walking around without gloves, his arms exposed like that...So rebellious..."

"So modesty...That's why your people dress the way they do? I thought it was to help blend in when conquering," Dib mused aloud.

"No. We're taught a strict dress code," Zim corrected. "When I first saw him, I couldn't look him in the eye. I had no idea what to think of seeing so much skin...and on a Taller!"

"...So how long until...you were...together?"

"Hm...measuring by your Earth years...I would say a few months perhaps,"

"And how long were you a couple?"

"A little over a year maybe..." Zim sighed. "It may not be long...especially to Irkens with such long life spans, but...it was the first time anyone paid me any mind...ever really believed in me...Spork was the one who told me to try and be an Invader. I told him time and time again that I was too small. I would be rejected...But he just smiled and...told me I could do whatever I wanted. That I had more potential than any Taller...I guess after he...After I thought he died...I had entered orientation beforehand, and tried to put up a front that I was confident. I mean, I had been accepted, anyway...But I went on to training because that was the only thing I could think of that would...that would keep me tied to him somehow..."

"...That's why it was so hard to not be one anymore..." Suddenly Dib understood. It wasn't just the banishment that was humiliating. It wasn't even because Zim was loyal to his leaders. Now Dib understood...The reason Zim kept at being an Invader, despite being so bad at it, was because of Spork. Because he loved someone and he couldn't let go...And now Zim was humiliated because he failed as he thought he would. Dib frowned. He must feel like he failed Spork...That must be worse than failing the Empire... "Zim...I don't know what to say,"

"You don't have to say anything," Zim replied. "You just...You need to understand that...how things were...They aren't going to be that way again. I can't be your rival any more,"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an Invader. I'm not going to conquer anything. I no longer have a reason to," Zim sighed. "And Spork...if he's going to be in my life again..."

"You don't want to waste any more time not being with him," Dib replied, understanding. Zim gave Dib a sad smile, confirming Dib's thought. "Does that mean you're ready to go back and talk to him?"

"Is there any chance that it could be...private? I'm a little embarrassed you and your parenta-...ah...your father...saw as much as you had..." Zim blushed a light blue.

Dib bit back a laugh at that. "I could try to work something out. But chances are that he'll still have to be in the lab. Dad wants to keep tabs on him for all sorts of questions and such,"

"He's not planning to slit Spork open is he?"

"Nah. He'd rather have a live subject,"

"Thank Irk," Zim smiled softly. "I can't bare loosing him again,"

Dib felt a twinge of jealousy at that, making him blink in surprise. That's weird... "Well we should get going while it's still daylight out," he commented, standing from the bench and gesturing for Zim to walk with him.

The Irken didn't need to be told twice, easily stepping along with the raven-haired teen

________________________
I have writer's block right now so barriers nor memories won't be updated until idk. I have the other chapters ready for this so-