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*note: If you don't like ZADR, I suggest reading some other piddly earth smut. Got it? Good.
(c) Invader Zim & Characters to Jhonen Vasquez/Nickelodeon/Viacom. None of them belong to me.
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Chapter One
-- Miscommunication --
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Just pick up the phone. Dial the number, and wait. Just do it now. NOW. Dib gently placed his hand on the telephone receiver, picking it up with a faint "click". His free hand slowly pressed the buttons in perfect sequence. He had memorized the number years ago, refusing to let himself forget. He pressed his ear against the receiver, waiting. It rang.
Once,
twice.
Three times.
Good. I'll just....leave a message. Leave a message and hang up. Much easier than -
Click.
"Hello?"
Dib gasped. He wasn't expecting him to answer. "...Hello?" The voice repeated in a louder, slightly-agitated tone.
Dib stayed silent. He felt paralyzed, his mouth open slightly as if he was going to respond.
"Fuck, I told you, I'm not interested in buying any of your filthy crap. So take me off your list, or so help me I'll -"
"W-wait, Zim. It's me." Dib choked out the words. He paused, hearing only silence on the other end. He wondered for a second if Zim had already hung up, and he was just stupidly holding the phone to his ear for no reason. He felt his shoulders relax as he exhaled deeply.
"...Dib-human? Why are you calling me?? What...." Dib started to tense up again. He felt anxious, as if someone was watching him. Shaking, he responded. "Listen to me, Zim. I know we don't exactly like each other...." Zim was listening. Dib could hear him making slight noises in agreement. "- But I was thinking that maybe we could put the past behind us. Start over new....as friends?" Zim coughed. He was relieved that the human was finally apologizing, but friends?" "Um...." Zim trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Well, at least let me buy you lunch." Dib offered. Zim laughed coldly. "You know I don't eat the garbage you do. Dib laughed at himself. "Ha ha, right. I forgot." "You forgot that I was an alien?" There was a pause. Of course Dib remembered that. It was the whole reason he was calling Zim, after all. Dib rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're an alien....of course. How's the total world domination thing going? Real well, I assume?" Dib asked, sarcastically, obviously loosening up to the conversation. Zim growled into the phone. "Look, do you want to meet me and apologize or NOT?" Dib straightened up. "No, no, I do. When are you -" "Wednesday at 3:30. Coffee Shack. Don't be late." Zim quickly responded as if reciting a script. "Okay, I'll see you then." Dib said, trying to sound cheerful. The phone went dead. Zim had already hung up.
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Dib looked around the dreary cafe. The walls were brown, with large splotches of red and yellow splattered randomly all over them. Most likely grease, or food.... Dib let his thoughts wander for a minute. He was sitting at a booth, the seat nearly falling apart, and the table vandalized from pocket knifes and coins. "L x B". "Tom wuz here." "Leslee is a bitch". Dib smirked at the last one. If he had been here when he was a teenager, he most likely would have written something mean about Zim. Dib looked at the cafe door, and then at his watch, which read 3:31. So much for being on time, he thought to himself. He grabbed a newspaper off the floor and began flipping through it, looking at nothing in particular.
A sudden force ripped the paper out of Dib's hands and nearly knocked him over. Dib looked up, shocked. Zim was standing in front of the booth, his raised arm holding the shoe print-marked newspaper. "You're late," Dib pointed out. He was going to call him a hypocrite, but then remembered he was there to apologize, not pick a fight. Zim sneered, dropping the crumpled newspaper onto the floor. "I am NOT late, silly human. By my time, I am early by exactly one minute." He gestured to his wrist as if he had a watch there. Dib raised an eyebrow. "But you're not wearing -" he started. "WHATEVER," Zim sighed. "Let's get this retched thing over, shall we?" He slid into the seat across from Dib, and then placed his arms comfortably around the head rest. "Okay." Dib paused, looking at Zim. It felt as if he was talking to somebody different. Sure, Zim looked pretty much the same as he always had, but something felt different.
Zim cleared his throat loudly. "'Okay'....? What are you staring at, Dib-idiot? Get on with the show! Tell me how very, very sorry you are, and then we can part and go on with our lives." Dib looked at the table. He had no idea what he was doing. "Okay, Zim. I am sorry for fighting you all those years. It was stupid and childish. You know, after my dad died....things were pretty rough. But now I want to stop worrying about the past, and start my life clean, and fresh." Dib stood up, one hand on the table for balance, the other firmly in front of him. "What do you say? ...Friends?" Zim limply grabbed Dib's hand, frowning. "I accept your apology, even though it was terribly pathetic. But I don't see why you want to be..." Zim stuck out his tongue, slightly disgusted. "Friends so badly." Dib smiled, relieved. "You won't regret this, Zim. I really appreciate it!" He shook Zim's hand forcefully. Zim nodded in agreement, annoyed. "Yes," he smirked. "Yes, I am wonderful, aren't I?"
Dib smiled politely as he watched the alien slide out of the booth and head for the exit. He breathed a sigh of relief as he grabbed his trench coat from beside him and started to stand up. Zim stopped at the door, one hand pressing it slightly ajar. He turned, a look of suspicion plastered across his face. "And don't try any funny stuff, Dib-human. I'll be watching. I always am.". With that last sentence, Zim opened the door and walked out of the dark cafe. Dib smiled as he put on his coat. "Finally," he sneered. "You are mine."
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End of Chapter One