(A/N) For everyone else spending New Years at home… avoiding the mad throngs of the human worm-babies…
Have some ZaDr. Some ZaDr FLUFF no less. :3
Also, for anyone looking for a bit of New Year's cheer. Welcome to you, as well.
I do not own Invader Zim or its characters.
"How long have you been on Earth, Zim?"
He quirked his invisible eyebrows- it would be easy to claim he had none, but if you paid close enough attention you could see muscles move, so similar to a human's facial structure. And of course there were those antennae that told me exactly how he was feeling.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Dib-stink?" he asked bluntly, in that Zimmy way that he had. I sighed.
"Well, its New Year's Eve," I said, exasperated despite how adorable his confused look was. "We humans tend to get nostalgic when we ring in a new year."
"Ring? Zim hears no ringing!" the Irken snapped, and I smothered a laugh.
"You'll never change."
"Of course not!" he replied, eyes glowing with narcissism. "I am Zim!"
"You've been here four years," I said, answering my own question. "Four years of my life, spent chasing your ugly green mug."
"Four years putting up with that overly-large head of yours," he retorted, turning away.
"My head isn't big!" I said, reflexively, and then laughed; his antennae twitched with surprise at the sound. "That's the last time I'll say that this year."
"The Dib will certainly say it again before an Earth year has passed- you refuse to see what is so obviously true- that your head is enormous," Zim said authoritatively, and I sighed, once again annoyed despite how cute his pout was.
"You just don't get it," I scoffed, leaning back and letting my feet dangle over the edge of the roof. "Even after all this time, you don't get the subtleties of Earth humor."
"Zim is a master of comedy!" the alien snapped, rounding on me and nearly tumbling to the ground below. I laughed again, and he scowled. "You will not question Zim!"
"I'll question Zim all I want to," I replied, giving him a hard shove and watching in amusement as he scrambled to stay on the roof. Though I should have seen it coming, I was startled when he shoved me back, and I landed with a thud on my back atop the shingles- breath knocked from me, I started up at the alien on top of me.
"You will not question Zim!" he repeated, his tone inappropriate for how close together our faces were. "Foolish Dib-stink!"
I shoved him off with a growl, desperate to hide the powder-pink blush I could feel spreading across my face. Zim laughed, loudly claiming his victory.
"Why did you even come over?" I demanded, hiding my embarrassment in a flurry of anger- that was safe ground for us, the default setting in our relationship. "What sort of stupid, weak alien comes over to his enemy's house?!"
"Because the Dib invited Zim," the Irken purred, and my blush grew more pronounced as I realized I had. "Zim figured it would be a good chance to do some reconnaissance."
I didn't have an answer for him, and he seemed to realize how awkward things had just become- a small miracle, considering how thick he was about such things. In the sudden silence, I vaguely heard the TV drifting up from below us.
"And with barely half a minute remaining in the old year…"
And suddenly I remembered why, exactly, I had asked Zim to come over that night.
"It's about to start!" I squeaked, making Zim jump. A grin broke out over my face, and I scooted closer to him and pointed up. "Watch the sky, Zim!"
He glanced sideways at me, lurid scarlet gaze serving as a reminder that my companion was far from human. "What trickery is this?" he asked warily, and I shook my head.
"Just watch."
The seconds ticked by and then- just I had known it would –the sky lit up in an explosion of color and sound, accompanied by a rising cheer from my neighborhood. Zim jumped, colliding with my side and clinging there, rigid as he stared with impossibly wide eyes up.
"Dib-thing, your sky is on fire," he said, his tone surprisingly calm despite his obvious shock and questionable terror. "Is that normal?"
He winced at another bang- the chorus of celebration was only just beginning to subside. I laughed softly, putting my arm around his shoulders as he stared up, now seeming more awed than frightened.
"Perfectly normal, Zim. They're called 'fireworks.' They're used to celebrate here on Earth- in this case, the start of a new year. People always want to celebrate new beginnings."
The Irken stuck out his tongue briefly, though his eyes stayed wide with astonishment. "What a… stupid ritual."
I rolled my eyes. "Not every Earth tradition is automatically stupid, you know," I said softly, tightening my grip on him slightly.
"Oh? Name Zim one that is not, stink-beast," he challenged, eyes still fixed on the firestorm of color. Seeing the enchanting flashes reflected there in his gaze, I acted on some deeply buried impulse and leaned over, pressing my lips softly to his. He stiffened in shock, though he didn't draw back as quickly as I had expected- feared.
"Wha…?!"
"It's also a human tradition to welcome the New Year with a kiss," I informed him, adding indignantly, "I don't think that's a stupid tradition."
I watched as my enemy's expression melted from one of raw shock into one of surprise, and then to an impish delight.
"Prove it to Zim. Prove that this tradition is not as revolting as Zim is inclined to think."
Laughing, I obliged, feeling my skin heat as I pressed my mouth to his again, careful not to leave more than trace amounts of the saliva I knew would burn him. After a moment of careful observation, he mimicked my motions, and suddenly I found myself flat on my back once again.
"Perhaps the Dib-human has a point with this… 'kissing,'" he purred softly, nuzzling my face. "Tell Zim more."
"I'll show Zim more," I said teasingly, shoving him off me and sitting up. "But not tonight. We have a whole new year ahead of us- plenty of time.
"Consider it incentive for not taking over the earth this year."
"Very well… perhaps Zim will not… this year..."
THE END
(A/N) Happy New Year! Leave a review on your way out, please! It would get my year off to a great start!
