Drabble-fest Hidden Message: 'My Love Won't Die'

Answer: They both are ageless, timeless and will never die (no matter what Nickelodeon says)

One-shot Dedication: Koori (again you made me smile and your answer made me grin all day), Vithian (despite the last chapter, haha), Invader Ang (ahhh, you spoil me to much! 33), (perfect amount of words, dear-heart) and SingingFoxes (I can't get over your username, I just love foxes!)

Notes on Dedication: Plenty of requests for Drabble-fests, not-a-one for One-shots :P Guess I have to come up with a few one-shots on my lonesome. The drabble-fests to come next are dedicated in order to the following; Invader Ang, and Vithian =] I'm looking for One-shot requests to go between them, but if you have none, I'll work something out. Thanks for all the reviews, they blow me away :3

Summary: It was in all they gave, all they fought with and for. Somehow, even through the hope, they forgot to wish for it back.

Chapter Warnings: Angst. Some sap.

Recognition / Dedication

Zim was an irken soldier. An invader, the symbol on his Pak and dotted all over his base were obvious enough for anyone who happened to realize.

His life was lived for the irken elite - he was bred and born to serve them with unwavering dedication, unweakening resolve.

But the Tallest abandoned him.

Somewhere along the line, as Zim searched and fought and tried despirately to earn their recognition, he was abandoned by them.

Zim wasn't 'normal' for an irken, though he always pointed out that's his awesomeness showing through, but after being abandoned, exiled more surely then his time in Food-courtia, he spent time wondering if it was because of his unique awesomeness he was cast aside without comment.

Then, he saw Dib's glare aimed in his direction. Caught the human's watchful gaze, his observant motions.

Somewhere in the depth's of those eyes, written between the lines on the boys over-large head, Zim saw recognition.

Dib was the only one who knew about the invader in their midst. The only one who cared enough to notice, the only one who fought enough to keep him from taking the world over.

His life was full of hissed insults, muttered comments about his mental health and silence where his family should have given him reassurances.

Dib was alone - in a planet with billions of people, he was alone.

It didn't matter to anyone else how many years he'd fought the alien from destroying them all, didn't matter how long he'd protect him - they didn't believe him. Even Gaz, who knew, wouldn't listen...

Dib wasn't 'normal' by their standards, though his ability to discover the alien had saved the world countless times. He wasn't accepted by his peers, wasn't acknowledged by his family, hell even his shrink didn't listen to him. After all this time of being ignored, not a day went by he didn't dream of being praised for his actions.

Then, he noticed Zim's silence. Wondered about his motives, watched for any signs of a new, delayed plot forming.

Somewhere in the depth's of his being he sensed something, some sort of dedication despite their failures that they only ever saw through the other.

After the ending of the school year, the parting from their 'peers' and usual routine, Zim and Dib grew closer.

It was a teetering ledge they balanced on, as they tried to assimilate themselves into each others lives. It was a tentative silence they shared, a border-line hate running through them both.

They fought a lot during the first few months. Bitterness from the history they shared breaking out and enslaving them in both old memories and new one's. It wasn't easy to forget the past, despite the way they tried.

But... their interactions now, were different regardless.

Flavored with kisses and shared secrets, murmured words and heart-felt confessions. Similarities they once refused to think of, now wonderful and something to be shared.

When the board wobbled between the attraction-affection and the lingering hate, they played a game of tug-of-war with themselves.

Bickering, kissing, fighting, caring.

The days they shared in Zim's base watching the 'teevee', the walks they shared between their houses... these things began to steady the board, foundations being built (better later then never).

Slowly, the bickering became tainted with affection. Quietly, the kisses became more frequent, more lingering. Gently, the fights were ending swifter, smoother. The caring only grew in strength, though it was an unspoken emotion between them.

Eventually, the irken without Irk and the human without 'stupid' came to belong together.

Then, one day when Dib returned home, smiling and happy from a day with his 'boyfriend', came face to face with the most attention he'd ever gotten from his family.

Dib shouted, enraged.

No one listened.

He threw things, screamed things, demanded things.

No one listened.

He packed his bags.

No one stopped him.

He divorced himself from the family, exiled himself the only way they hadn't done for him.

No one stopped him.

Membrane pointed at the door. Gaz returned to her game-slave.

Dib left.

Every step he took seemed heavier and heavier.

Every time he blinked he was fighting back tears.

He didn't know why he expected any different, though he cursed the fact he couldn't.

Zim opened the door to his base, pushing the robotic parents out of the way.

He raised a brow at the human, silently asking why he'd returned not three hours after leaving.

He raised the other at the sight of the duffel-bag on Dib's shoulder, eyes widening a little at the sight of tears.

"Dad found out," Dib murmured, softly in case his voice would break and the tears would overwhelm him, "I didn't know where else to go."

Zim hesitated only a moment, and it was somehow a moment that didn't sting as those pink eyes slowly seemed to connect the dots. Then the irken shifted, stepping aside from the door.

"There's no where else you belong," the irken whispered, in one of the rare moments he was focused on the conversation, rather then reminding the world how great he was through them.

Dib's smile was shaky, but bright.

Zim's echo was similar.

And something grew atop the foundation's they'd spent months building.

(xxx)

A.N: Just wanted to fill in a few gaps between drabbles and one-shots. I like the flow this collection had so far, it's all connectible so far :P Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews xxx