Just as Long as You're Near Me
By: Kichara
Chapter Two: Trouble Rising
*~*~*~*~
Okay, you all have the right to hate me! I can't believe how long it's taken me to get this out! But I really didn't like the original version, and then I never got a chance to fix it up, because I was working on my cosplaying costumes every free second, or just... working. Plus the fact that me not having easy access to a working computer doesn't really motivate me to get my butt working. And cosplaying....yeah. It rules a part of my life. ^^ And my next costume's gonna be Ren from Shaman King! Huzzah! Ren makes me happy. (If you don't know who he is, just do a qwik picture search on Google. Yes, I WILL be doing that hair. ^^)
Anyhoo, enough of my prattle, here's my new chapter. I'm so unworthy of your praise. *grovels and stuff*
*~*~*~*~
Dib pulled a plain black shirt over his head, smoothing out the wrinkles. He sat on the bed to pull on his boots and lace them up, and with a quick check on the clock, (exactly 2:30) he cocked his head to the side, listening.
*DING DONG* Grinning to himself, he grabbed his bookbag and hurried out of the room, treading quickly down the steps and past his father, who was actually home for once, sitting on the couch and reading over some laboratory notes. Dib opened the front door, smirking at Zim, who was standing on the front porch.
"What's that look for?" The alien demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"Do you HAVE to be always on time? Weirdo." Dib grinned, stepping outside and closing the door after him.
"Look whose talking." Zim growled, poking the boy in the chest as they walked down the driveway and climbed into Dib's battered Gremlin.
Neither of them noticed the figure stranding at the window, watching with narrowed eyes.
*~*~*~*~
Zim gripped the top of the window frame with one hand, leaning casually on his elbow as his eyes skimmed over the buildings they were rapidly passing as they drove through the heavily-populated downtown area. "Are we there yet?" He asked, making the effort to get his voice as annoying as possible.
Dib rolled his eyes from his position behind the wheel. "No, not yet."
The other boy glanced him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You would say that even if we WERE there, wouldn't you?" A wide grin breaking out on Dib's face was his only answer. "You WOULD!"
"Yup. In fact..." The car turned into a small parking lot. "We're here."
"Have I told you recently that you're stupid?" Zim asked snappishly as he stepped out of the car, glaring at Dib over the car as the boy stood up at the same time.
"That'll be the fifth time today. The 87th this week." The paranormalist answered as he bent over to grab his bookbag from the back, standing back up and shutting the car door with his hip.
"Stupid smart ass." Zim growled as they walked inside the paintball office.
"88th."
*~*~*~*~
"Alright, I'll see you later, okay?" Dib called out as Zim stepped out of the car. Zim's claw-like fingers gripped the open window's edge, leaning into the car.
"Call me. I still can't figure out your inferior phone system."
"Too advanced to figure out the basics?" His friend grinned widely, voice mocking the other playfully.
"Something like that." The Irken smiled, standing up straight as Dib started the engine back up.
"Call you tonight!" He half-shouted over the car's rattle, managing a small wave before he drove off. Zim stood for a long moment on the sidewalk, hands held in his pockets casually as he watched the car drive off, keeping his eyes fixed on the spot of the road that the car had last been visible on, just in case Dib was coming back. Then he turned on his heel, marching into the house, where he had to de-batch both the living room and Gir, who'd decided earlier that day to make them caterpillar muffins while Zim was out.
Dib parked his car, (affectionately named Gizmo) and grabbed his knapsack from the back. He walked over the other side, where he struggled to roll the passenger window back up. It was always finicky about letting people put it back up, but Zim loved to drive with the windows down. After he'd wrestled it back into place, he locked the door and stood back, passing his gaze over the Gremlin, a true eighties' car that hadn't received a proper paint job since that decade. He'd tried to patch up the areas where the moss green paint was chipping off with spray paint. However, as Zim had been too happy to point out, the color wasn't the same and looked too flat, making it look entirely stupid. And then the alien had attempted to "fix" it with some pink spray paint, succeeding only in making it look like a punk car gone bad that had managed to escape from it's groupie owner's at a concert.
He laughed to himself as he pocketed the keys, heading up the walkway and letting himself into the house.
"Where have you been?" A voice demanded as he closed the door behind himself.
Dib jumped, looking for the source of the voice. "Shit, Dad, you scared me!" Professor Membrane was sitting on the couch in the living room, the lights turned off. And since the sun had set over an hour ago, it was getting quite dark inside.
"You didn't answer my question." His father demanded.
He raised an eyebrow, one hand reaching up to adjust his bag that was slung over his shoulder. "I went out with Zim. What's it matter?"
"You left HOURS ago. What did you do?"
Dib shrugged. "We went to go play some paintball," he motioned to his paint splattered clothes to emphasize the point as he talked. "And then we got hungry, so we grabbed some food and then walked around by the lake for a while, and then I drove him home and came home."
"You're sure?" His tone was suspicious and Dib's eyebrow narrowed further.
"Uh, yeah..." He trailed off, regarding his father's shadowy figure almost suspiciously. "Anyway, what do you care? It's not like you ever wonder where I am any other time, anyway."
"It's just that it's been brought to my attention that you've been spending an awful lot amount of time with that boy."
"And---?" Dib prompted, wondering where the hell this was going.
"And I think that he's a bad influence on you. Why don't you spend time with someone else?" The professor demanded, sounding exasperated.
"Because I don't HAVE any other friends, Dad. Haven't you realized that by now?" The boy grit his teeth, getting irritated. "Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject of you ignoring me, I graduated the other day from Hi Skool, just so you know. And Zim was the only person who went with me, because Gaz had to go to a college interview and my own father was too busy to come watch me get my diploma that I worked for and passed with one of the highest' ranks in my class!"
"So why didn't you have a girlfriend or something to go with you?!" Membrane's voice was starting to rise, matching his son's angry tone.
A bitter snort of laughter escaped from Dib's lips. "Oh yeah, Dad. Because I'm SUCH a chick magnet." He rolled his eyes. "Like a girl would ever go out with me. They've been throwing spitballs at me since third grade!"
"But you went there with that---'friend' of yours." He sneered.
"Um---yeah?" Again, the boy was wondering where this was heading towards, especially after hearing the twinge in his father's speech. "Are you making a valid point somewhere?"
"Why are you always with that boy?!" His father demanded almost shrilly, shocking his son.
"Because he'd been my best friend for years, Dad. It's not like I have anyone else." Dib explained slowly, trying to sort everything out. "And why do you care?"
"Because I don't want my son to be gay!!" He shouted. Dib took a step back, eyes wide and mouth dropping in surprise.
"What---?"
"You do everything with that boy, do just expect me to believe you aren't doing something disgusting and unnatural?!!" Dib shrunk, back touching the wall and he stepped back again as his father stood up.
"But I haven't, we're just---" But it wasn't like he hadn't wanted something more---.
It was as if his father had read his mind. His fists clenched and he took a step closer. "No son of mine is going to soil the family name with something that---THAT." He shuddered, as if the mere thought of it was painful.
"I---I---" All speech had left him and Dib grabbed at the bag strap, desperate for something to twist his fingers around in comfort.
"I've seen you two--- Always together, always close. It's NOT right! And I'm stopping this before you think you'll do it, if you haven't already, you---" He began stepping closer and at that moment, Dib bolted, pulling the door open and dashing through the lawn and down the street. His father stood in the doorway, mouth set in a fierce frown before slowly closing the door.
Dib ran blindly, instinct directing him through the streets and to a very familiar cul-de-sac, past a group of lawn gnomes and pounding against Zim's door. The alien opened it almost immediately, shocked when he saw Dib there.
"Dib, what' s---" Whatever the Irken was planning on saying was cut off as Dib fell against him, wrapping his arms around the other in a desperate hug as he began sobbing openly. Wide-eyed, Zim stood still for a long moment, then he reached out, closing the door and wrapping his arms around the trembling figure clinging to him. He managed to lead him over to the couch, letting Dib sob against his chest for hours, never asking anything, knowing that all he needed to do was hold the boy close and let him know without words that he was there.
*~*~*~*~
Whelp, there ya be, boyz and girlz! Tell me what you think, gimme suggestions, blah, blah blah, ferrets, blah...
Listening to Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" and living off a steady diet of carbonated water and bishounen, Kichara
By: Kichara
Chapter Two: Trouble Rising
*~*~*~*~
Okay, you all have the right to hate me! I can't believe how long it's taken me to get this out! But I really didn't like the original version, and then I never got a chance to fix it up, because I was working on my cosplaying costumes every free second, or just... working. Plus the fact that me not having easy access to a working computer doesn't really motivate me to get my butt working. And cosplaying....yeah. It rules a part of my life. ^^ And my next costume's gonna be Ren from Shaman King! Huzzah! Ren makes me happy. (If you don't know who he is, just do a qwik picture search on Google. Yes, I WILL be doing that hair. ^^)
Anyhoo, enough of my prattle, here's my new chapter. I'm so unworthy of your praise. *grovels and stuff*
*~*~*~*~
Dib pulled a plain black shirt over his head, smoothing out the wrinkles. He sat on the bed to pull on his boots and lace them up, and with a quick check on the clock, (exactly 2:30) he cocked his head to the side, listening.
*DING DONG* Grinning to himself, he grabbed his bookbag and hurried out of the room, treading quickly down the steps and past his father, who was actually home for once, sitting on the couch and reading over some laboratory notes. Dib opened the front door, smirking at Zim, who was standing on the front porch.
"What's that look for?" The alien demanded, narrowing his eyes.
"Do you HAVE to be always on time? Weirdo." Dib grinned, stepping outside and closing the door after him.
"Look whose talking." Zim growled, poking the boy in the chest as they walked down the driveway and climbed into Dib's battered Gremlin.
Neither of them noticed the figure stranding at the window, watching with narrowed eyes.
*~*~*~*~
Zim gripped the top of the window frame with one hand, leaning casually on his elbow as his eyes skimmed over the buildings they were rapidly passing as they drove through the heavily-populated downtown area. "Are we there yet?" He asked, making the effort to get his voice as annoying as possible.
Dib rolled his eyes from his position behind the wheel. "No, not yet."
The other boy glanced him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You would say that even if we WERE there, wouldn't you?" A wide grin breaking out on Dib's face was his only answer. "You WOULD!"
"Yup. In fact..." The car turned into a small parking lot. "We're here."
"Have I told you recently that you're stupid?" Zim asked snappishly as he stepped out of the car, glaring at Dib over the car as the boy stood up at the same time.
"That'll be the fifth time today. The 87th this week." The paranormalist answered as he bent over to grab his bookbag from the back, standing back up and shutting the car door with his hip.
"Stupid smart ass." Zim growled as they walked inside the paintball office.
"88th."
*~*~*~*~
"Alright, I'll see you later, okay?" Dib called out as Zim stepped out of the car. Zim's claw-like fingers gripped the open window's edge, leaning into the car.
"Call me. I still can't figure out your inferior phone system."
"Too advanced to figure out the basics?" His friend grinned widely, voice mocking the other playfully.
"Something like that." The Irken smiled, standing up straight as Dib started the engine back up.
"Call you tonight!" He half-shouted over the car's rattle, managing a small wave before he drove off. Zim stood for a long moment on the sidewalk, hands held in his pockets casually as he watched the car drive off, keeping his eyes fixed on the spot of the road that the car had last been visible on, just in case Dib was coming back. Then he turned on his heel, marching into the house, where he had to de-batch both the living room and Gir, who'd decided earlier that day to make them caterpillar muffins while Zim was out.
Dib parked his car, (affectionately named Gizmo) and grabbed his knapsack from the back. He walked over the other side, where he struggled to roll the passenger window back up. It was always finicky about letting people put it back up, but Zim loved to drive with the windows down. After he'd wrestled it back into place, he locked the door and stood back, passing his gaze over the Gremlin, a true eighties' car that hadn't received a proper paint job since that decade. He'd tried to patch up the areas where the moss green paint was chipping off with spray paint. However, as Zim had been too happy to point out, the color wasn't the same and looked too flat, making it look entirely stupid. And then the alien had attempted to "fix" it with some pink spray paint, succeeding only in making it look like a punk car gone bad that had managed to escape from it's groupie owner's at a concert.
He laughed to himself as he pocketed the keys, heading up the walkway and letting himself into the house.
"Where have you been?" A voice demanded as he closed the door behind himself.
Dib jumped, looking for the source of the voice. "Shit, Dad, you scared me!" Professor Membrane was sitting on the couch in the living room, the lights turned off. And since the sun had set over an hour ago, it was getting quite dark inside.
"You didn't answer my question." His father demanded.
He raised an eyebrow, one hand reaching up to adjust his bag that was slung over his shoulder. "I went out with Zim. What's it matter?"
"You left HOURS ago. What did you do?"
Dib shrugged. "We went to go play some paintball," he motioned to his paint splattered clothes to emphasize the point as he talked. "And then we got hungry, so we grabbed some food and then walked around by the lake for a while, and then I drove him home and came home."
"You're sure?" His tone was suspicious and Dib's eyebrow narrowed further.
"Uh, yeah..." He trailed off, regarding his father's shadowy figure almost suspiciously. "Anyway, what do you care? It's not like you ever wonder where I am any other time, anyway."
"It's just that it's been brought to my attention that you've been spending an awful lot amount of time with that boy."
"And---?" Dib prompted, wondering where the hell this was going.
"And I think that he's a bad influence on you. Why don't you spend time with someone else?" The professor demanded, sounding exasperated.
"Because I don't HAVE any other friends, Dad. Haven't you realized that by now?" The boy grit his teeth, getting irritated. "Oh yeah, and while we're on the subject of you ignoring me, I graduated the other day from Hi Skool, just so you know. And Zim was the only person who went with me, because Gaz had to go to a college interview and my own father was too busy to come watch me get my diploma that I worked for and passed with one of the highest' ranks in my class!"
"So why didn't you have a girlfriend or something to go with you?!" Membrane's voice was starting to rise, matching his son's angry tone.
A bitter snort of laughter escaped from Dib's lips. "Oh yeah, Dad. Because I'm SUCH a chick magnet." He rolled his eyes. "Like a girl would ever go out with me. They've been throwing spitballs at me since third grade!"
"But you went there with that---'friend' of yours." He sneered.
"Um---yeah?" Again, the boy was wondering where this was heading towards, especially after hearing the twinge in his father's speech. "Are you making a valid point somewhere?"
"Why are you always with that boy?!" His father demanded almost shrilly, shocking his son.
"Because he'd been my best friend for years, Dad. It's not like I have anyone else." Dib explained slowly, trying to sort everything out. "And why do you care?"
"Because I don't want my son to be gay!!" He shouted. Dib took a step back, eyes wide and mouth dropping in surprise.
"What---?"
"You do everything with that boy, do just expect me to believe you aren't doing something disgusting and unnatural?!!" Dib shrunk, back touching the wall and he stepped back again as his father stood up.
"But I haven't, we're just---" But it wasn't like he hadn't wanted something more---.
It was as if his father had read his mind. His fists clenched and he took a step closer. "No son of mine is going to soil the family name with something that---THAT." He shuddered, as if the mere thought of it was painful.
"I---I---" All speech had left him and Dib grabbed at the bag strap, desperate for something to twist his fingers around in comfort.
"I've seen you two--- Always together, always close. It's NOT right! And I'm stopping this before you think you'll do it, if you haven't already, you---" He began stepping closer and at that moment, Dib bolted, pulling the door open and dashing through the lawn and down the street. His father stood in the doorway, mouth set in a fierce frown before slowly closing the door.
Dib ran blindly, instinct directing him through the streets and to a very familiar cul-de-sac, past a group of lawn gnomes and pounding against Zim's door. The alien opened it almost immediately, shocked when he saw Dib there.
"Dib, what' s---" Whatever the Irken was planning on saying was cut off as Dib fell against him, wrapping his arms around the other in a desperate hug as he began sobbing openly. Wide-eyed, Zim stood still for a long moment, then he reached out, closing the door and wrapping his arms around the trembling figure clinging to him. He managed to lead him over to the couch, letting Dib sob against his chest for hours, never asking anything, knowing that all he needed to do was hold the boy close and let him know without words that he was there.
*~*~*~*~
Whelp, there ya be, boyz and girlz! Tell me what you think, gimme suggestions, blah, blah blah, ferrets, blah...
Listening to Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" and living off a steady diet of carbonated water and bishounen, Kichara