Disclaimer: I do not own Invader Zim.
For those who don't know, I have two versions of this story; this one is my Human DATR one-shot. It takes place a few years after the events of An Irken's Mistress and An Irken's Wedding. Some of it will be the same and other parts obviously won't be.
Personally, I believe Tak is a spiteful being when someone gets in the way of what she wants, considering she held a grudge against Zim for years. True, she had a valid reason to be upset, but in her own way she's a defect because even though she was assigned to work on Planet Dirt till she could retake her test, she 'escaped' which almost mirrors Zim 'quitting' his banishment.
On another note, the first part is some thoughts that occur during the story, you just gotta figure out where it applies.
I hope you like it!

I've never been one for romance, or even someone who romanticizes over things.
I never cared for that kind of stuff before. It's just not in my nature.

But lying here beside you, the one who holds my heart, as the fading sunlight passes through the curtains and casts shadows mixed with glimmers of light across our bare skin, I can't help but remember a quote I once read:

Love is like a friendship caught on fire.
In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering.
As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.

I know how our story will sound; the tale of two best friends who eventually fall for each other is an overdone cliché that has been used time and time again.
But I'd like to believe what I've found in you, that what we have, is going to last a life time.

And there's a part of me that thinks it will.

Tak eyed the small pile of papers in front of her with distaste as she sat at the kitchen table and reached for a folder. Although the position of 'Personal Secretary' involved more work and kept her busier than she had originally thought it would (humans were so complicated for such simple creatures), life on Earth was… mundane at best. She placed her head in her hand and sighed; there were days she didn't mind her job and others where she sincerely regretted helping Dib obtain a higher position in the Swollen Eyeballs since her arrival on Earth after her banishment. Despite her Irken nature she had never made any attempts to move up the 'corporate ladder'; her species was proud and craved success, so why was she content to stay where she was? It was probably something Dib could research…

And I'm thinking about him again. She thought with a sigh.

When Tak had attempted replicating the event that had changed Zim into the intelligent, cold and cunning leader he was now on herself, she had expected little to no consequences; Irkens were much more intelligent that even the smartest of humans after all. The first try had ended in failure and rewired her PAK in a way that she'd only been vaguely aware of, the second time Dib had helped and while it had proved more successful, emotions of affection and fondness for Dib had begun to develop, and lately spending any amount of time with him was becoming difficult. Which (if she was being honest with herself) was the reason she stayed in the same placement. Because, despite it all, she enjoyed spending time with Dib, he was familiar and amusing and…

Stupid Zim, Tak thought bitterly as she pet Mimi in her cat disguise, He wanted me to suffer from these stupid side effects!

Blaming the moronic narcissist made it slightly easier to accept some of the consequences her actions had caused. Although she was an Irken-Human hybrid, the same as him, her appearance had altered to the point she looked completely human! Her skin had become a pale white, pupils with amethyst irises, her antennae were hidden beneath a head of dark blue hair, she had four fingers instead of three and, after Zim and Gaz had found out about her new appearance, no longer had a visible PAK once the best Irken scientists had performed surgery to hide it within her body. Her organs and skeletal structure were much easier to work around than a humans', and the operation had done nothing to jeopardize the rest of her body.

Tak shook her head and looked up as Mimi, who was sitting on the table beside her, used her tail to gesture to a button that had popped open on her blouse. Although the changes she had gone thru were rather drastic in their own way, but the one she had found both intriguing and annoying was her new body shape: she possessed what the humans referred to as 'curves'. A slim hourglass figure that she inadvertently displayed with her work clothes and seemed to draw the attention of every male she walked by. She had even caught Dib staring at her a few times.

She ran a hand thru her tresses; human hair was an interesting thing but she also considered it a bit of a nuisance and therefore kept it short. Not because Dib had once commented how much he liked her hair short. Nope. Not at all.

Still, she wondered what it would be like to be the center of his attention; to feel the rough skin of his hands run thru her hair and move over the smooth skin of her back. She imagined the searing heat in his eyes as they panted for breath and he pulled her willing body to him, the way his lips could made a blazing trail of fire as he brushed them across her neck, the warmth that would pool within her as he touched her intimately and-

"Ready to go?"

Tak's squiggly spooch tightened as she turned to look at him; his defined chest and tempting physique simply added to his simple charm and after nearly three years of living in his home, Tak had found plenty of opportunities to appreciate his well-built frame. Training with him had proved to be beneficial in more ways than one (although Dib was more than likely unaware of it, something she had worked hard to ensure) and it had only fueled the horrifying and equally exquisite fantasies that plagued her sleep.

Tak felt her face grow hot and quickly looked at the holographic clipboard Mimi held out towards her before the cat scampered away, and picked up the small pile of folders. "Of course, I'm not the one who couldn't decide what to wear and spent an extra twenty minutes getting ready."

"Well if it helps, you look good today." He complimented.

She raised an eye brow at him, "Flattery isn't going to chance the fact that you're late, in turn making me late. Not only do both of us have full work days, but we still have to meet with your father to convince him to create a smaller Perpetual Energy Generator* that could be installed in your home so you don't cause any more blackouts-"

"You could've left without me."

"I'm not the one who raved for three hours about how much more 'ecofriendly' it would be to go together since we lived in the same house and had the same hours and worked at the same company, not to mention the same floor, and made the other promise we'd share the same car!" She huffed as she brushed past him and walked out of the house towards her favorite car.

"Relax Tak," Dib smiled as he opened the passenger's-side door, "It'll be fine; let's get going."

It was an unspoken agreement between them that she was the designated driver to anything work related. Possibly because it gave her a sense of nostalgia; of a time where she could ride Spittle Runner and still consider herself a member of the Irken Empire before Zim ruined her life.

Still, Dib mused to himself. Things turned out ok.

He felt a bit of nervous anticipation creep up as Tak jumped into the driver's seat. Ever since he had finally admitted to himself that he was attracted to her, it seemed as though he was in a state of constant nervousness. Even in professional attire she was an absolute beauty; her work clothes consisted of a white 3/4 length sleeve button up shirt, black pencil skirt and black high heels that helped emphasize the natural curves she possessed. Which was bit odd (Gaz had once mentioned tall female Irkens were too skinny to physically resemble earth females) but he suspected her outer anatomy had changed the same way Zim's had. He also found it made him feel as if she was more approachable.

"So… how've you been?"

Tak glanced at him then looked towards the road again, "Dib, we're friends right?"

"Of course!" He gave her a sheepish smile, "I mean… I think we are."

"Then as your friend I mean this in the nicest way possible; that's one of the dumbest questions you've ever asked me."

Dib frowned, "Friends ask friends those kind of questions."

"I highly doubt it's needed when they live together."

"Even then," He insisted, "Besides, it's not like it'll kill you to just answer."

She rolled her eyes, "Stop acting like a child."

"And you're still not answering the question."

Maybe because I don't want to talk about the fantasies I've been dealing with! She thought bitterly, "Well get over it."

Dib threw his arms up in exasperation. While he understood her reaction (Tak was Irken despite her changes, and they were proud, self-reliant and condescending beings towards others), the other part was irritated that even after three years her nature took priority over their friendship.

He, on the other hand, had proven he was able to overlook the past and go against his beliefs from the moment she had reappeared in his life; when she had an opportunity for him to free his sister, to fight against the Irken Empire, to defeat Zim and save the Earth… even though they'd been defeated and she had been banished**, he had done everything he could as a supportive friend. He had welcomed her into his home, included her as well as asked for her opinion in his research. Tak was stubborn in a cute sort of way, but her cynical attitude annoyed the living daylights out of him most days.

And by all things supernatural, how were they supposed to move forward into a relationship if she refused to would soften her cold attitude…

Like she even wants a relationship right now. He scoffed inwardly and turned away to look out the window.

Tak's squeedly spoochsank. She hadn't wanted to argue with him, but he simply got under her skin. It wasn't exactly his fault she dreamt of him taking her with such carnal lust that she woke trembling with need and it was all she could do to not go to his room, crawl into his bed and-

Stop getting distracted! She tightened her grip on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. She knew she wasn't the only one who considered Dib attractive; the other females that worked at the Swollen Eyeball's headquarters mentioned it constantly when they thought no one outside of their pitiful little group was listening.

However, she had recently discovered that (as a female Irken) she produced the faintest aroma of sex pheromones and the males that were around when she released the scent were more aggressive in their attempts to gain her attention and she had to memory-wipe to keep them from approaching her.

Imbeciles. She huffed inwardly. As if they stand a chance.

She glanced over at Dib and gave a small smile when she noticed his pout. Aside from being physically appealing, there were times she found him so incredibly adorable it made her swoon.

"I'm feeling fine. Thanks for asking."

He perked up in his seat and looked at her in surprise for a moment then grinned, "That's good."

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, and Tak felt her insides churn with an unbelievable amount of emotion. Dib was sweet and thoughtful, a but eccentric and bizarre sometimes, but he was also passionate and determined and it made the feelings trying to blossom inside her harder to ignore. But despite that, she couldn't help but like him. It was also fun to rile him up a bit every so often. How else was she supposed to hold on to her sanity whenever she struggled with inner conflict against herself?

"We're here." She replied.

Dib glanced at her face; calm with a hint of amusement that made him grin wider. He quickly exited the car and walked into the building with Tak by his side, "I don't think those meetings during the first half of the day will take long, but just in case they do, could you wait and take you lunch break at the same time as me?" He opened the door to the building and smiled at her, causing her squiggly spooch to tighten once more, "we can go to your favorite place just around the corner?"

"That sounds fine," She walked past him then looked over her shoulder with a smirk, "You're buying though."

They were greeted by various employees as they made their way towards the meeting room and office hallways, which made it a bit difficult for Tak to explain the purpose of his meetings, even more so when the female employees tried to get more out of Dib than a simple 'Hello'.

"Hi Mr. Membrane!" A female she vaguely recalled was named Michelle greeted, batting her eyelashes as she blocked their path.

"Hi, nice to see you." Dib replied out of habit.

"You should hold meetings on this side of the building more often Mr. Membrane. It would give me a chance to see you more!"

"If you don't mind," Tak interrupted in a strained voice before Dib had a chance to respond, "We need to get by, if not we'll be late."

"Oh I didn't mean to be in the way!" Michelle placed a hand on Dib's arm, causing Tak's eye to twitch slightly. "I'm so sorry! I hope your day goes well!" She gave a small wave as she walked by.

Tak raised an eyebrow and observed the female with distain; the girl often made attempts at manipulating Dib's attention whenever he had to attend a meeting, practically throwing herself at him the moment he was in the wretched little twit's sight. It was absolutely pathetic how most Earth females became mindless nitwits who made fools out of themselves to impress a male they held some sort of attraction for.

"Who was that?" Dib asked suddenly.

Tak stared at him, "You don't know?" Dib shook his head. "She greets you every time we have to walk thru this wing!"

"Tak, a lot of people say hi to me; it's not like I'm going to remember each and every one of them. Especially since I only see them at the Bi-Monthly meetings. Other than that I never really come here."

Tak felt her annoyance subdue a bit; despite Michelle's overly enthusiastic attention, Dib hadn't noticed her. Of course it only made it the girl's efforts even more pitiful.

Tak delivered completed files to different people in a slight daze. After Dib had escorted her to her office, he had given her a quick peck on the cheek then headed towards the conference room. Her face had turned a brilliant scarlet and she could feel the color creeping up her face once again.

"Enough," She scolded herself as she entered Dib's office, "You may not have the formal title, but your just as strong and proud as any Irken Invader! Stop acting as though you're part of some other species that allows such frivolous emotions to overrun them!"

She picked up another pile of papers that were on desk, took a deep breath and pushed her feelings aside. Not as much as last time but still... This is going to take a while.

"Hey Tak," A voice greeted as she stepped out into the hall.

She looked up and nearly sighed in annoyance. Nick was one of the few males who remained persistent in asking her out despite her busy schedule and constant rejection. She couldn't help but raise a conceding eyebrow at him as he gave her what he considered to be his most charming smile; part of her acknowledged Nick's determination as something to be recognized, but seriously, couldn't he just get over it?

"No." She stepped around him and he maneuvered to block her path.

"Hey, hey wait a sec!" He held out his hands, "You don't even know what I was gonna ask."

"Every Thursday as I make my rounds, you ask me the same question,"

"But-"

"And every time, I give you the same answer,"

"Well maybe-"

"No."

Nick reached for and grabbed her wrist as she passed him. While the force and strength he used was assertive at best, it still caused her to go into defensive mode. Her body tensed and prepared to strike a decisive blow that would've left him unconscious for at least two hours when common sense suddenly took a hold of her.

"I know we don't really know each other," His thumb moved against the inside of wrist as he brought her hand closer to his face and looked at her thru hooded eyes, "but give me a chance; I guarantee I'll make it worth your while."

"I'm not interested in any of the trivial activities you have planned, now let go!" She gritted out.

"You need a break from all this work and boringness, I can-"

"Don't assume you know what I need," She scoffed and yanked her wrist free, "You've wasted enough of my time." She stepped around him.

"Just a sec here, you can't just brush me off-"

Nick reached for her again when Dib suddenly appeared and grabbed Nick's wrist, leveling him with a disappointed stare as he stood protectively in front of Tak.

"She said no, Nick. I know she could've been nicer, but that's no way to treat a lady."

Nick frowned and released his hold to pull his arm back to his side. "I-"

"You got a conference in a few minutes; better hurry or you'll be late."

Tak watched in bitter-sweet satisfaction as the insistent male gave a reluctant nod and walked down the hall. "How's your wrist?" She looked up in surprise as Dib took her hand in his to examine her for any sort of injury.

"He didn't hurt me if that's what you mean." She scoffed, though she made no effort move away.

He smiled and Tak couldn't help the small blush that graced her cheeks as his thumb caressed her knuckles; his skin was rough and slightly cracked hours of working on machines. She noticed that he had large hands that completely enveloped hers and she couldn't help but lose herself in another daydream of what it would feel like if the uneven skin of his fingers touched her, as his rugged palms ran over the softest, the most delicate and tender areas on her body. As she arched into him while his lips ran over the planes of her neck and collarbone and her own hands made contact with the hard muscles of his chest…

Dib watched in quiet fascination as Tak's breathing suddenly deepened and her pupils dilated ever so slightly. Her lilac tinted irises changed from their deep violet to a glittering amethyst that caused his heart to clench and wonder if his attraction was truly one-sided. For a moment he wondered what the windows of her soul would look like as cradled her body close before gently laying her down on his bed…

"That's good." He whispered in a deep and unfamiliar husky voice.

"Mr. Membrane!"

They turned and Dib let out a small chuckle to disguise clearing his throat, "I was hoping to leave before they found something else to bug me with." He intertwined their fingers, "Think you could bring me back something to eat?"

Tak gave him a curt nod but her voice was calm, almost peaceful when she spoke, "Same place as always?"

"Yeah; I'll let you know when I'm out." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and pulled away with such tenderness she felt her insides melt.

She looked at her hand once she was left alone and almost expected to see the sparks of heat that flashed across her palm and fingers. "Oh great Irk..." She breathed.

Tak nibbled at a corner of her moosminky as she headed towards the break room. Since it was right next to the conference room Dib was in (and because she had absolutely no desire to trap herself in his office while sensual erotic thoughts plagued her mind) it seemed like the perfect place to wait for him.

"Mr. Membrane is so hot!" Tak froze mid-step. "And if that isn't enough he's rich too! I would do anything to go out with him!" She peaked around the corner and noticed Michelle, along with two other females, huddled around a table in a way that reminded her of senseless school girls.

"It's a shame he's into all that science stuff though," The brunette said, "I mean, I would so not want to put up with him talking about that kind of stuff all day, no matter how rich and famous he is."

Tak rolled her eyes, Shallow idiots...

"I wouldn't care," the short haired one retorted, "I would put up with a million lectures a day just to live such a luxurious life!" She giggled, "I hope he's not a disappointment though… It'd be such a shame if he turned out to be bad in the bedroom like other science nerds are."

BAM!

The girls jumped back, glancing from Tak (who had suddenly materialized before them) to the dent in the table, to Tak again. She slowly lifted her fist from the metal table glaring at them in a way that the shadow king himself would tremble in fear.

"I won't have you say such things about my friend. He is a good man, worth much more than any of you!" She sneered. "Yet you treat him as if he were like any other male of your kind." She leaned towards them, hatred burning in her purple irises "You pathetic insolent fools!" She growled, "If you ever dare speak of him in such a way again you will answer to me personally!"

She turned on her heel and began walking away.

"... I can say whatever I want..." Michelle grumbled once she believed Tak was out of hearing distance.

"What was that?" They jumped and stared in disbelief; not only did she possess excellent hearing, but she was obviously fast! There was no other way for them to explain how Tak had managed to appear in front of them when she'd been almost to the other side of the room.

"..."

"Well?" Tak mocked, "If you have something to say, you can say it to my face."

"... I... I... I can say... whatever I want..." The girl whispered.

"Is that so? Because as far as I'm concerned, you can't; especially not about Dib."

"You... You can't tell us what to do!" The brunette countered, attempting to sound brave though she, along with her friends, knew she was failing miserably. "It's not like you own him or anything, you're just his secretary!"

Tak glared at them, then gave a blood-chilling smile, "Maybe you think so, but I'm his best friend, and what I say about others has a lot to do with how he is towards them. So if you ever believed you had some remote chance with him, consider it gone because there is no way I'm ever going to let someone as shallow as any of you three get near him!" She leaned closer and whispered menacingly, "So I suggest for your own safety, stay away from him."

The three girls clung to each other and were near tears as Tak left the room.

Fools! Tak thought with distain. There's more to Dib than just his appearance! I know better than anyone! I spend more time with him than his sister these days!

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and glared at the ground for a moment.

"It's not like you own him or anything, you're just his secretary!"

Tak clenched her fist and resumed walking with her chin held high. She was more than that! He comforted and defended her (not that she needed him to) from other people when they said things about her and had kissed her cheek and held her hand only hours ago!

"You should ask Tak, not me. It's her choice who she wants to hang out with after all."

She stopped again and bitter sadness filled her. Hearing Dib tell his friend to ask her whether or not she wanted to go on a date rather than tell him to back off unnerved her; if they were something more to each other he should've said something.

She sighed and lowered her head. They weren't anything, she was the real fool in believing they were and yet she couldn't help but hope. She needed something to prove to herself that there was more between them than friendship; something that would not only give her confirmation, but finally give her the right to call him hers.

Her eyes widened suddenly and, with a determined expression on her face, she ran towards the elevators, skidding to a stop in front of the floor's receptionist, "Here!" She shoved the box of food at the frightened young girl. "This is for Dib Membrane. He's in a meeting; it directly to him and tell him Tak said an urgent matter came up and it had to be taken care of immediately." She moved away and pressed the down button repeatedly, rushing inside the moment the doors opened.

"Mimi!" She commanded through her wrist communicator as soon as the doors closed, "Find all the intimates store within a 25 earth mile radius and send me the information!"

Adrenaline mixed with an odd but pleasant feeling filled her; there was no way Tak would ever allow another female to take him away from her. And if she had to seduce him to ensure her claim… well, that was just a bonus.

Tak stood in front of the mirror and examined the babydoll she had chosen; a deep, rich purple that not only brought out the color of her eyes, but highlighted her pale white skin. It was modest enough that it covered the most enticing areas of her body, yet she was sure it left little to the imagination. For some reason, made her feel sensual, enticing and just a touch wanton…

She shook her head; she was getting off topic. "What do you think Mimi?" She turned to the thoughtful cat, "Does it look ok?"

The little robot nodded approvingly. Tak had spent the rest of the day after contacting her trusted SIR Unit trying to find something to seduce the human male and had spent more monies during the excursion than any other outing she had gone on in the past 3 months. Mimi was slightly pleased her mistress had eventually settled for the simple but elegant dress. While she couldn't understand the fascination Tak held towards Dib (to the point she was willing to mate with him!), she trusted her superior and knew everything that was done was always well thought out and beneficial.

Dib had arrived little less than an hour before, continuously asking Tak whether or not things were alright, though the Irken had insisted nothing was wrong and that she simply needed to finish a few more things in her room. She was more than relieved once he had decided to quit asking and left her mistress to finish whatever she was doing.

Tak spun in a slow circle as she inspected her appearance once more. Part of her wondered if her actions made her a mindless nitwit, the very same as the insufferable girls she both scorned and despised. On the other hand, she wasn't giggling pathetically at everything he said in front of an audience in a desperate attempt for his attention. Still… she felt nervous. While the thought of becoming intimate with Dib had occasionally crossed her mind, she had never considered acting on the desire; Irken soldiers did not feel such things and she knew it was better to forget about it. She even had the means to leave him and create a life for herself without his constant presence hovering around.

She brushed a hand near her hip to smooth out an imaginary wrinkle in the matching panties. Tak knew she never would've abandoned him; the affection towards him that she had felt in the beginning had kept her in a near incorruptible constraint. And there was a part of her that ached when the thought entered her mind and she knew with her whole being she wouldn't ever leave unless he rejected her very presence in his life. Now that very fondness had grown into something more; and it caused her to yearn for him in a way that made her feel as though fire danced across her skin. Her infatuation for him was in a constant war with her pride as an Invader, but the anger she had felt at the realization that they were nothing more than friends had been enough to push her over the edge.

Gathering her courage, she walked to her door, "Wish me luck Mimi." and headed over to Dib's room.

Dib lifted the pillow on his bed then tossed it back in frustration; where on earth had his stupid shirt disappeared too? It wasn't as if it grew legs and walked away or some supernatural creature snuck into his room to steal it.

He looked at the ceiling in consideration for a moment; actually, the latter was slightly possible.

A sigh escaped him, despite his irritation at the elusive shirt Dib knew it wasn't the reason for his annoyed mood. In all the years they had lived together, Tak had never skipped a work day; she was practically the physical embodiment of professionalism! And what 'urgent matter' could she have been talking about? True, she was the one who managed virtually everything he did, but she always told him whenever something happened; she had even interrupted, or canceled, a few of his other commitments if the situation was serious enough. Not once had she simply ran out with only a vague explanation. It bothered him more than words could describe.

He sat on the bed and ran a hand thru his hair, maybe he was taking things to personally? Tak was sharp, quick and much more intelligent than anyone else gave her credit for. He trusted her judgment and knew she would communicate if there was something to be worried about; just because they had shared a moment at the Swollen Eyeballs Headquarters, there was no reason for him to be so upset. For all he knew, it had been something personal and Tak had every right to keep things to herself and not tell him every detail of her life.

"Dib?"

He looked up, a touch surprised to see her poking her head around the slightly open door after her refusal to speak with him earlier, but equally pleased she was willing to talk to him.

"Tak?" He stood up, "Is everything alri..."

His eyes widened when she stepped into view. Even his wildest, most scandalous fantasies couldn't compare to the exquisiteness he was presented with and Dib felt a blush creep up his cheeks and his breath hitch as he noticed her nightgown; completely sheer silk hugged her slim waist and was trimmed with satin lace that reached just above her thighs. And her chest… he felt his mouth water at the amazing job the babydoll was doing at both cradling her breasts and pushing them upwards to make them look as if they would spill out at any moment. His gaze lowered and he took note of her delicate, beautiful feet and gorgeous ankles that lead to long, magnificent legs that he yearned to have wrapped around his waist as his hands gripped her hips and her nails dug into his back...

Tak watched curiously for a moment as Dib examined her; her confidence strengthening as his pupils dilated and his breathing deepened. She took the slightest step forward as his face reddened and the heat that ran thru her veins burst into an animalistic and blazing inferno of desire that threatened to consume, devour and drive her to the very edge of madness if she didn't feel his hands on her skin, the caress of his lips or the weight of his body as she laid beneath him.

"Tak… what-"

His throat tightened when she placed her hands against his chest, and his eyes fluttered as her fingers grazed him with a delicacy that seemed so foreign for a being capable of destruction and misery. Her creamy white skin looked so smooth and he watched as she examined him thoughtfully, almost admiringly, before her bewitching eyes met his; brilliant amethyst orbs that glittered with such need and fervor it nearly brought him to his knees.

They regarded each other for a moment before her hands moved up lazily, one to cradle the back of his neck as the other buried itself in his hair. She gently coaxed him forward as she leaned towards him; the kiss was tender, affectionate and held a serene, almost reverent quality to it that left them breathless and gasping for air when they broke apart. It reminded Tak of delicate, glowing embers that held such warmth and zeal the tiniest spark would catch fire and transform into a raging heat that would scorch them from the inside out. It was almost surreal.

She pulled him to her once more; their second kiss was passionate, electric and filled with sensual promises that made her blood curl as he clutched at her hips. A mewl escaped her when his hands moved beneath the silk nightgown to stroke the skin of her back and his desire pressed against her thigh. Her hands lowered to his chest and she nudged him to sit on the bed as she moved to straddle him, heat pooling in her stomach and flames of carnal lust searing her skin as he made hot, open-mouthed kisses along her neck that left her quivering with need.

Dib tugged at the silk for a moment before she guided his hands lower. They pulled her hips flush against his and it earned him the sweetest cry before she ground against him in response and he gave her the deepest, most exhilarating moan in return. He turned and laid her on the bed, both of them clutching and grasping at each other as whimpers, groans and gasps left them. Tak reached for his sweatpants, her fingers teasing the band of his boxers when he suddenly pushed her hands from him and sat up.

She blinked in confusion as she watched him squeeze his eyes shut and angle his face away from her as he panted for breath. She slowly reached for him when he moved to the edge of the bed, shoulders tense and his hands clutching at the bedsheets.

"Get out Tak,"

She stared at his back for a moment as hurt and embarrassment flooded through her; had she done something wrong? He had encouraged her every movement and laid her before him so they could experience the throes of ecstasy together… why was she being thrown out of his bed?

"… Dib-"

"I said get out!"

Indignation and fury replaced the ache in her chest and with Irken-fast reflexes; she was out of his room and in her own. How dare he?! She seethed. After all the effort and time I put into this… how can he-

Tak reached out blindly and grabbed a random object; she pulled her arm back to throw it when she caught a glance at her reflection. Her face paled with dismay and mortification as she took in her appearance; great Irk… how could she have behaved so shamelessly? She had thrown herself at him, allowed him dominance over her and she had dressed in such foolish and outrageous clothing! She'd acted like a fool! She had allowed her ridiculous attraction to control her and in turn it had left her exposed, vulnerable and utterly humiliated! Because while he felt a smidge of lust for her, it wasn't enough for him to actually mate with her.

Her breath hitched and she covered her mouth to keep the sudden devastation and anguish at bay. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing how much suffering his rejection was causing her. Despite her exile, she was an Irken soldier and no species in the universe was stronger than her own.

Gaz looked up from her Game Slave as the driver parked in front of her childhood home. Dib's frantic call the night before had annoyed her more than words could've described (he knew better than to call in middle of the night, damn it!); but his shattered tone had caught her attention and, despite Zim's endlessly loud protesting, she had ordered for her ship so she and a steward could head to Earth***.

She stepped out of the car and saved her game. Dib rambled often, but Gaz knew him well enough to follow his train of thought if she truly wanted to. Basically, his dilemma was that Tak had dressed in something exceptionally appealing but he was not some one night stand meant to boost her confidence then be tossed aside and only noticed when it was convenient for her.

The door opened and the source of her brother's distress stepped outside, "Gaz?" The she-Irken greeted in bewilderment.

"Where's Dib?"

Tak scowled, "In your Father's lab, and even though I don't think he will, let him know I'm taking a personal day if he asks."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" She snapped indignantly.

"Right."

"Spare me your sarcasm, Gaz. If anything I'm the only one who has the right to be upset; I was the one rejected after all."

"Rejected?" Gaz raised an eyebrow; Dib hadn't mentioned that.

Tak crossed her arms, "Not that it's any of your business, but yes. Your brother was exceedingly affectionate with me yesterday so I decided to act on my feelings and in return he practically threw me out of his bed!"

Gaz stared at her; honesty she could've gone her whole life without knowing that. Then again she'd always thought a relationship between Dib and Tak was inevitable; the way they acted around each other whenever she called or visited...

"Like I said," The Irken raised her chin slightly, "I'm taking a personal day. Don't bother trying to contact me unless he does something stupid." They brushed by each other and Gaz raised an eyebrow when the front door slammed shut.

"This is stupid." She huffed with a roll of her eyes and headed down the stairs. The sight of her brother muttering under his breath as he looked at various computer screens brought a sense of nostalgia over her and she couldn't help but watch for a few moments before she interrupted him.

"Hey, did you have any idea what time it was when you called me last night?"

"Gaz!" Dib snapped towards her in surprise and smiled, "Boy am I glad you're here; I just uncovered-"

She growled slightly and pointed to a chair, "Sit and tell me the reason you decided it was ok to bother me when I had finally managed a moment's peace after I had stayed up for almost 36 hours straight!"

"Oh, well let me activate the sound proof-"

"She's not here; said she was taking a personal day and not to call her."

Dib sighed in relief, "That's good, it would've been awkward if she was."

"Why? Because you threw her out of your bed?"

"GAZ!"

His sister shrugged and pulled out a chair for herself, "You didn't mention that, but I guess it makes sense; that would explain your comment about her tempting outfit. I'm surprised you're not willing to take your relationship to the next level even though she wants to."

Dib scowled, "We're not in a relationship. I don't know if after what happened yesterday we can still be called friends!"

"You like her Dib, don't bother denying it." She gestured to the chair across from her, "So what happened?"

He sighed, "Things were going great yesterday! Sure she was being difficult in the morning, but that's just how she is sometimes and I asked her on a lunch date and she said yes, but then Nick decided to ask her out-"

"Nick?"

"This guy we work with." He waved his hand dismissively and sat down, "And he was just making it worse 'cause he wouldn't take no for an answer so I stepped in to keep her from destroying him and then it was just like... wow..." Gaz raised an eyebrow as his dazed expression and waited for him to continue.

"There was just this look in her eyes; it was... amazing and electric and I was sure she liked me back! But then she ran off while I was in a meeting and when I got home she absolutely refused to talk to me and then she decides to barge into my room and start kissing me and…" His face became an alarming shade of red as he trailed off and for a moment, Gaz expected him to scream or pull his hair in frustration. To her surprise, he let out a defeated sigh and placed his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward.

They sat in silence for a while; Gaz staring at Dib as he stared at nothing. She was considering pulling out her Game Slave when he finally spoke again, "She has a hard time fitting in with some people at work. I know she's a bit of a loner but they're just mean, and for no reason! Yesterday… she got me lunch before she left and the person she gave it to put it in the break room. I overheard this group of girls talking about her, how she was so stuck-up and thought she was better than everyone else and… well-"

"You seriously eavesdropped?"

He gave an uneasy shrug, "Before I could walk in and say something, they started harping about how she was probably like that because she hadn't 'gotten any'." He couldn't help but scoff as he made air-quotes, "That she was probably just as cold in bed as she was with everyone else and couldn't hold on to a man."

"You think Tak heard and decided to prove them wrong." Gaz stated.

"It's not like she has any other reason to try and seduce me." He rolled his eyes, "People are always talking so she's probably heard them before and it's a little weird how before yesterday afternoon she never gave me any signals or hinted that she liked me. It'd also explain why she was in such a bad mood that she was willing to destroy a coworker…"

Gaz face palmed; seriously, she had better things to do than to play cupid. When had her life become a senseless romance novel full of unnecessary drama? She sighed and activated her watch to send a quick message. "You're going to talk to her."

Dib stopped his rambling and blinked owlishly at her, "… Talk?"

"You're too dense and she's too proud for it to happen without help; it's a wonder you've managed to almost fall into bed with each other-"

"GAZ!"

"-but you will clear this up. I'm only 15 hours away from celebrating my 3rd anniversary so either I make it back to the Massive before then or I'll make you wish I was never born." She glared at him and stood, "Come on."

"But… but Gaz!" He stammered as he ran after her, "I don't even know where to start! And she's going to want to! What if-"

"Be quiet." She opened the door to his room and grabbed one of his inventions.

"I can't talk to her in here! This is where… I mean… We… uh…"

"Stop whining." Gaz walked over to her own room, grabbed one of her stuffed animals and headed towards the living room, "Don't try to escape; my security will activate if you do."

"Security? Gaz… what are you-"

"DIB!" The front door burst open to reveal a furious Tak, "If you touch my Spittle Runner I swear I will- HEY!"

Gaz pushed the agitated Irken into the living room and held out a control, "I've programed them to eat Irken and Human flesh. If either one of you tries to leave before you talk things out…" She pressed one of the buttons and they were suddenly surrounded by deformed mechanical creatures.

"GAZ!" Dib yelped, "You can't just leave us here!"

Tak watched in slight amusement as Dib pleaded with his sister only for her to give a disinterested shrug and walk out the door. Although the tiny, almost unnoticeable smug grin on Gaz's face instantly destroyed the mirth she had felt. She looked away from the door as Dib let out an irritated sigh and sat on the couch.

"How are we even supposed to get out of here?

Tak shrugged, "Its likely Gaz had thought of that when she set this up. My guess is that these… toys are already programed to recognize a specific phrase, or at the very least certain words that will deactivate them once said out loud."

"Really? Oh, then all we have to do is figure out what phrase is and-"

"When has your sister ever been that simple, Dib? She relishes in torture to get what she wants; it wouldn't surprise me if she's actually listening to make sure we don't try to work around actually saying what she wants to hear."

He scowled, "Why are you here? Weren't you taking a personal day?"

Tak held up her wrist-watch. Dib says he's going to sell your Spirttle Runner. He already posted pictures.

He stared at the screen for a moment then let out another sigh, "So that's what she meant…"

"You told her about yesterday, didn't you?"

"Well it's not like I had anyone else to talk to about it!" He snapped.

She crossed her arms and raised her chin, "I deserve an explanation as to why you threw me out of your bed, Dib!"

"You didn't even want to talk to me earlier! You were going to spend the entire day out avoiding me!"

"And you were so forthcoming by hiding out in your room this morning!"

"It's called thinking things through! Which you should've done last night instead of assuming you could treat me like some sort of one night stand!"

She blinked, "Is that what you thought I wanted?"

"Like I told Gaz," He stood and walked over to her, "You never gave any hint that you were romantically interested. And then yesterday I hear these girls talking about you and you show up in my room later dressed in lace and trying to seduce me just to prove them wrong!"

"As if I care about what a bunch of dimwitted fools say about me! I've told you more than enough times I don't need your protection as if I was some helpless smeet!" She growled slightly and moved her hands to her hips, "Not only that, they were talking about you, not me! Saying how only your popularity and money mattered! I know better than anyone that there's more to you than that!"

He shot her a sarcastic grin, "Oh and I'm sure the fact that one of them had hit on me had nothing to do with you 'staking your claim'."

"Stop trying to twist things around so you can justify yourself!" She snapped, "I didn't go into your room yesterday to prove those bimbos anything! I did it to prove to myself that there was more than friendship between us! That what we had was more than familiarity or common acquaintanceship! I did it because I have feelings for you!"

He cut her off with a kiss, one full of such animalistic need and carnal desire her legs would've given out if Dib hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her to him. She clawed at his clothes, ran her hand thru his hair and allowed the simmering heat that that had pooled in her stomach the night before to flow thru her veins as he gently rocked her against him.

She wasn't sure when he had removed their shirts, but when he pulled back to look into her eyes, she saw such tenderness and devotion the blazing inferno surrounding them became a gentle fire that warmed her in a way she had never felt before. Not even the desire to be an Irken Invader had tugged at her heartstrings the way Dib pulled at them when he looked at her.

He lowered them to the floor and, as he placed a reverent kiss against her collarbone, Tak admitted to herself that she loved him.

Dib gently brushed his fingers across Tak's cheek as she slept. It was almost surreal; Tak was so very independent, self-reliant and preferred to distance herself from others… out of anyone she could've chosen, she had picked him. It only made him love her more.

Her eyes fluttered open to reveal pools of glittering amethyst that stared back at him in quiet appreciation as she gently shifted thru the sheets. "Hi," She whispered, and he couldn't help but smile at the shy tone.

"Hi, are you cold?"

"No," Tak shook her head and reached up to lace her fingers with the hand that had been caressing her skin, "I wonder when your sister deactivated her security system."

He chuckled slightly and his fingers tightened around hers, "Hopefully before she could be scarred for life. I'm just glad we're in my room."

"Your bed is comfortable." She commented.

He nodded and watched patiently as she examined their hands, "Dib… I've never cared about anyone the way I care about you. You have no idea how much I struggled when another female looked at you or vied for your attention… yesterday when I overheard those shallow girls talking about you, I decided to act on my feelings."

"You said it was to prove to yourself." He whispered.

"Yes, and I realize I should've talked to you about that first. But I've always been a being of action."

"You're important to me, Tak. I hope you know that too."

"I know."

They both sighed in irritation when his watch beeped and he turned to grab the device from their pile of clothes, "Hey Gaz," He grinned sheepishly at the screen when his sister raised an eyebrow at him.

"If you call me in the middle night again, I will destroy you." She paused for a moment then continued "Looks like you're feeling better. Good."

Dib laughed as the call ended and turned to wrap his arms around the beautiful, human looking Irken beside him. Tak leaned up and kissed him slowly, gently. Reminiscent of their first kiss but with much more love and filled with the knowledge that their feelings were reciprocated.

"Yeah," He sighed, "I guess I am."

The End.

*From the episode "Future Dib"
**This is a reference to this One-Shot's companion story: An Irken's Mistress
***In the episode "Back Seat Drivers from Beyond the Stars" even though she was reluctant and needed encouragement from her dad, Gaz still went to listen to her brother ramble and talk, even though it annoyed her, in the hopes it would help him become 'less insane'. She actually does listen to Dib even though it doesn't always seem like it.
So it's mostly the beginning that's different. Very minor (if hardly any) changes to the end. The Thesaurus has been my best friend throughout the "An Irken's" series, and I'll admit it was a bit of a headache coming up with different ways to say things and descriptions that added appeal instead of take away, but I enjoyed the challenge.