Work Text:
~~~
Things in this world were naturally pulled together, like two leaves swirling over the ripples of a lake, or the trees and the sky as the tree grew upwards and out.
Perhaps they were tied together by fate, or maybe something about them just made them interlock in a harmonious way that made sense in the universe, but that was left to those who built this world.
And of all the places Dib could have picked, he picked to show up at Zim’s house, on his front doorstep, soaked from walking in the rain, wearing sweats and a t-shirt and most likely going to catch a sickness from the cold of the rain. But what caught Zim’s eye wasn’t the strange outfit for this hour or the wetness from the rain, it was how red and raw his eyes looked, glossy and broken as if made of glass. His face was flushed, and water leaked from his eyes like a dripping broken faucet.
“I’m sorry...I had nowhere else to go…”
Zim didn’t need to be told twice, he stepped aside and ushered him in, shutting the door and letting his nemesis sit on his couch as he went to the kitchen and oversaw GIR as he boiled water and poured powdered hot cocoa into two mugs.
He gave one to GIR, and the other to Dib. Maybe not to drink, but just as something pleasant to hold and cling to as he sat on the couch and tried to get warm.
He took a few sips before setting it down on the table beside him, still staring at his lap and fiddling with his hands in his lap. Zim didn’t ask why he had come, that wasn’t his place, and frankly he didn’t want to know. He just wanted Dib better.
He quietly asked Dib if he had eaten, to which Dib shook his head ‘no.’ Zim stood and went back to the kitchen, going into the cabinets and pulling out what little Earth food he had for decoration.
An old can of soup, a box of uncooked spaghetti, and some bad cans of tuna. He settled for the soup, globbing it out into a bowl and heating it until it was warm and somewhat liquidy. He brought it to Dib.
Dib ate a few spoonfuls before he began to cry again, his sobs coming harder and rougher like a storm within his body. Zim was quick to remove the bowl from his hands, grabbing his shaking hands in his and rubbing the knuckles softly, gently nuzzling against the Dib’s forehead and purring. Dib clung to him tightly, burying his face into Zim’s ribs as he struggled to breathe through his sobs.
Zim only laid back and continued to soothe him, finding a comfortable position on the couch where his PAK rested nicely in between the crevice of the cushion and the arm. He gently ran his claws through the Dib’s hair, over the soft ‘M’ shape of his hair, cooing and clicking softly.
Finally, Dib settled. Zim had GIR fetch him a soda from the fridge, which Dib immediately drank half of.
The couch pulled out into a bed, and there Zim stayed for the night, gently cooing and petting his Dib into a peaceful slumber, the soft hum of the nonsense that was TV only a pleasant background noise.
Zim powered down sometime later, his low power state allowing for time to pass quicker. It was only when the rays of golden morning light streamed in from the window did he realize where he was, and who was with him.
Maybe one day he would ask Dib why he came to him crying last night, but right now that wasn’t important.
What was important was letting Dib sleep, and letting him heal.