We all have secrets

Zim ran around the little room unit with his arms outstretched, chasing Tak. She was holding something that he did NOT under any circumstances want her reading.

"Give me that!" he yelled as she jumped over the bed and landed on the other side.

The purple-eyed Irken smirked and held up a five-inch book that had the words ZIM's Diary written sloppily on the front in the Irken language. "What, do you mean this, Zim? Do you not want me weading your pwecious wittle diawy? Does it have all your wittle secwets?"

"Shut up! That's personal!" he shouted as he made a grab for the diary but Tak pulled back.

"Uh-uh-uh." She shook a finger at him. She pointed to a chair but Zim shook his head.

"No. I am not going to be tied to a chair!"

Tak shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way." She set the diary down on the bed and picked him up in her arms. He was surprisingly light. He squirmed to get out of her grip but to no avail.

Tak threw him onto the chair and pulled out a pair of Irken handcuffs that the guards use. With one hand she held Zim's wrists behind his back and with the other she handcuffed him. Satisfied, she went back to the diary.

"Tak, no!" Zim begged desperately. "Please, don't read it. I'll do your laundry every single week and I'll do all your chores (and yes Irkens do have chores) or something else, just don't read it!"

Tak ignored him and flipped to a random page. "'Day 385,'" she read. "'Today, I met the Dib-stink and told him his head was big. I am awesome!'" she glanced up at him and said sarcastically, "Wow. That's really something new."

Rolling her eyes, she flipped to another page. "'Day 473, I miss my home planet. I miss the Massive, I miss my Tallests, but mostly I miss Tak…'" Tak's voice trailed off as she gazed at the last three words. He missed her? Why?

The atmosphere in the room grew awkward. Zim's eyes had dropped to the floor and it seemed as if he was studding a very interesting piece of dust. "Told you not to read it." His voice barely reached her for it was so quiet.

Not responding, Tak flipped to the last page and found something that shocked her. "'Day 789…'" she whispered. "'Yesterday I came home. I had been told my mission was a fake, but my Tallests allowed me to live on Irk again. It was a surprise to me that they wanted me to stay. They probably had a change of heart or something. When I got to my unit I ran into Tak! She was even more beautiful than I remembered. With those pretty violet colored eyes and her sometimes-snappy attitude. I didn't realize how much I missed her. I also didn't realize that I like her. I mean like her, like her. I don't even know if she likes me back. I guess I'll never know.'"

Tak lowered the book and stared, incredulous, at the alien in front of her. Neither one spoke.

"So…" Zim said, finally breaking the tense silence. His voice was stiff as he tried to keep from showing how mortified he was.

"So…" Tak echoed.

"Yeah…" Zim mumbled.

"Yeah…" Tak repeated, not knowing what else to do.

Zim looked at her. He tried not to get distracted by the way her outfit showed off some of her natural curves. Short cut-offs and a cream colored tank top. (A/N: who said that aliens couldn't get comfortable? They don't always have to wear the same thing do they?)

"Uh, listen, Tak, I was uh…wondering if you…uh…" Zim stammered.

"Yes?"

Zim squirmed uncomfortably in the seat. The he took a deep breath and blurted out, "Iwaswonderindifyoumightli-"

"Not that fast!" Tak snapped.

"Oh right." Zim inhaled and exhaled again. "I was wondering if you might like me back. But it's okay if you don't…." his eyes dropped to the floor.

The silence grew until Zim was about to burst with anticipation. He was about to say something else when a claw lifted his chin. He stared up into purple eyes that were sparkling.

"Sure took you long enough." Tak whispered and then kissed him.

When they broke apart she teased, "So, do you still wish I hadn't read it?"

Zim shook his head. "I have absolutely no regrets about that."

Tak pulled away. "Well then I guess you wouldn't mind me reading some more…"

"NO!"

She laughed as the poor ruby-eyed alien, still handcuffed to the chair, struggled to stand up and chase her as she sauntered away, hips swaying, and continued reading.