"You and I'll Be Safe and Sound" (Zadr)

Chapter 5: Return

It was finally evening. The sun had been long gone, replaced with the gorgeous rays of the moon. Zim was awake, sitting at the end of the bed. The human was still asleep. He had been resting for, what seemed to be, a decade to the impatient Irken.

Suddenly, the young boy began to stir, getting up sleepily. Zim smiled softly, his lips curled. Dib rubbed his eyes, looking at the alien and sighing heavily.
"What time is it?"

The Irken looked at his robotic wall clock and bit his lip. He then looked back at the human and said, "seven-thirty in the evening. Why?"

Dib groaned, rubbing his face. He reached for his glasses and put them on his face. "I have to go back to bed later. For school."

"I see," Zim said, looking down at his dark blanket. His smile faded into oblivion as he began to feel upset. Of course, anyone would be saddened if their leader(s) abandoned them and told them that you were a falty or, in this case, a defect. He wondered if he should keep attempting to take over Earth as originally planned. He also began to wonder if he did so, would his beloved leaders notice such an Invader-like act? Of course, they were all just simple, curious thoughts.

The zig zag haired boy looked at Zim, tilting his head slightly. He got up, putting on his eye contacts and wig. Dib tilted his head in confusion, not sure on what the Irken was doing. He thought that he did not like the disguise. Perhaps, he had adjusted to it.

Zim licked his lips with his long earthworm-like tongue, grazing over his zig zag teeth. He sighed, looking down and then at the human with sad eyes. Dib tilted his head, adjusting his glasses slighlty. He did not understand why the Irken looked upset.

After a moment of complete silence, the human spoke up, cutting through the silence like a knife. "Why are you in your disguise?"

"I am going to walk with Gir before he begins destroy the base," he said flatly. "Besides, I need to think about something."

Dib nodded, clutching at the Irken's blanket. He looked at him worriedly. There must have been something wrong with the other. It made his blood boil with curiosity. Perhaps, he is plotting a new plan to take over Earth? Or, perhaps, a new plan to destroy the human. But, if Zim wanted to destroy the human, he would have done that moments ago.
"You want me to come with you?"

"Thank you for the offer, Dib-stink. However, I must decline," he replied politely. The Irken glanced up at the boy, eyes filled up with sadness. He knew the human would ask him what was wrong soon enough. It was obvious. Of course, he did not understand why the human would care about some useless Irken. But then...

"Are you upset over something?" Dib asked silently, looking up at the green boy with worry.

Zim paused for a moment. If he expressed his emotions with the human, he wondered if he would make fun of him. And the Irken knew that he did not want that. At least, not today.
"Yes. I am okay. Why do you ask?"

"Because you look sad," Dib replied, looking into the Irken's grey-ish blue contacts. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

"No. I don't, earthworm. Why do you care about my emotions?"

"Because it's something us humans do. We stress over others if they're hurt in some way."

Zim was about to say something, but stopped himself. He glanced downwards, sighing heavily as he searched for the correct words to use.
"Fine. But, you must not tell anyone. Can you do that, Dib?"

Dib nodded hesitantly, eyebrows furrowing a little. He licked his lips as he watched the Irken. His attention focused on only him.

"My leaders have lost full contact with me. They have told me that I am a default. A mistake, if you will. Us defaults must be destroyed once found out. But, I did not want that to happen. I felt as if there was a purpose on this miserable planet, filled with dirty creatures. At least they, somewhat, pay attention to me. The only reason why my Tallests have sent me here was to be rid of me. To kill me off. They thought that I would not have made it with the poor supplies they have given me. But, to their avail, I survived and made it onto the planet.
"I am a useless Irken," Zim continued, his voice becoming shaky. "They do not appreciate the data that I have gathered what-so-ever. And, because I am supposed to be dismantled, I have disobeyed many of my Tallests' requests. I have tried my best. However, they do not care for some idiotic, delusional, and deaf Irken, like myself."

Dib's eyes widened. He did not expect Zim to say something like that. He had no idea that the Irken had been through so much already. He felt that he could relate very much to him on a personal level.
"I understand you," he said silently.

"How?"

"Because my race does the same thing! Everyone here hates me. Like I told you, there was a time when some people loved me. But now? Now, everyone thinks I'm crazy and dumb. And it hurts. So, I understand what you are going through."

The Irken's antennae began to stick if slightly, irritated about what the human had just said. How could Dib think like that? He had thought that some of the humans had liked his company. Then again, he did remember all of the times where he would sit in one spot, and all of the other humans would move away from Dib. It was strange, and the Irken did not like it.
"I do not hate you," Zim said silently. He looked up at Dib and smiled, "if anything, you are a good human."

"So are you!" Dib exclaimed, receiving a strange look from the Irken. "I-I mean, you're not useless. If anything, you're the nicest person I know. When you choose to do so, though."

Zim blinked rapidly, taking in all of what the human had said. A smirk curled on his lips. "You're not bad as well, Dib-stink." He then leaned over towards the human and smirked. Pulling out his earthworm-like tongue, he licked Dib's left cheek, humming softly. He pulled away, his face was wiped with a dark green blush.

Dib blinked, eyes widened. He put his hand on the area where Zim had licked him as he face grew warm. He then asked, "what was that for?"

"That, Dib, is an old Irken method to show their affection. And, Zim does not do it to any other filthy human. But, you are different and special to Zim," he said with a sly smile.

Dib nodded and bit his bottom lip nervously. He took in a deep breath, exhaling through his nostrils. He looked at the Irken and smiled softly as he quickly pecked him on the lips, making the green boy very confused.