LIE WITH ME

A/N: This is a direct sequel to Tremble for Me so if you haven't yet, go read that first.

01. Unforeseen Levels of Warm and Fuzzy

"I want you to tremble for me," Gaz had insisted huskily, echoing words that Zim had said almost three months prior, words that had started them both down a very strange path indeed.

"I'll do my best," Zim responded, smiling wryly at her flirtatious advances. He ran one of his odd talon-like fingers up her spine, sending a shiver of delight through her, effectively making her do the trembling.

"Cheater," Gaz hissed darkly, although the sparkle in her eyes told a different tale, as did the curve of her lips, which Zim quickly claimed with his own. Zim had been a suspiciously good kisser from the very first time, but he seemed to keep getting better. Then again, that may have all been the illusion created by how much Gaz liked him. His fingers danced across her body, leaving her skin tingling even under the layers of clothing. His slim muscles were deceptively strong, massaging whatever limb he happened to be touching.

The alarm clock buzzed, forcing Gaz to wake much against her own will. She had been having a rather pleasant dream, or rather replaying a rather pleasant memory, a memory of Zim. They had done a lot of kissing that afternoon. Gaz smiled despite herself, she had been intending to glare at her alarm clock and possibly smash the offending electronic into teeny tiny pieces. Unfortunately any thinking about Zim instantly lifted her mood and spared her clock.

When Gaz's favorite cereal bottomed out after only a measly half a bowl, she started off stomping back to the cupboards for something to supplement the extra space in her stomach. When she spotted the box of toaster-ready waffles her mind natural went to Zim, and she just couldn't stop smiling about her stupid breakfast.

Normally when one of her fellow students carelessly bumped into her they had about four seconds to apologize and run or otherwise forfeit their day to the nurse's office and a world of pain. Except when one of the jocks bumped into her while his eyes were following a pigskin in mid-air, Gaz couldn't help but image Zim attempting to 'defend her honor' with a laser weapon. Her smile was enough to terrify the jock into apologizing and pleading for his life anyway so it wasn't all that different in the end.

When a class lecture started to bore her, instead of pulling out her Game Slave Portable, Gaz leaned onto her arm and lost herself in thought.

It seemed like a happenstance that brought her and Zim together. Her once regrettable attraction to him was to be another trophy of his superiority. After that no matter what signs Zim gave that his regard was genuine Gaz had brushed it off. To her it was just the same as when he 'made friends'; he could show his emotions without changing the fact that he loathed everyone and everything around him. Gaz knew enough of Irken anatomy that his strange desires for touch, his lustful little purrs, and his eccentric innuendo were brushed off as if they meant nothing.

Zim did eventually show her the scans that proved his claims. Malfunction or adaptation, Zim's blood was full of the simple truth, he wanted Gaz in ways that Irken anatomy was simply no longer capable of accomplishing.

"Gaz, are you okay?" Maddy asked uncertainty and Gaz… giggled. She couldn't help herself, she had Zim on the brain. The whole classroom went rigid in fear, too afraid to move, or to speak. In fact, that may have been part of what had prompted Maddy, the only bridge to Gaz's good side, to ask in the first place.

"I'm good," Gaz responded, still beaming from ear to ear. She was better than good, she'd never felt so good in her entire life. No matter what stupidity was surrounding her she was loved. She felt loved.

"You're really getting into the Christmas spirit," Maddy smiled, able to recognize a genuinely good mood. It was certainly the best mood she'd ever seen Gaz in and slowly the rest of the classroom started to relax.

Gaz was in too good of a mood to correct her. Plus, Christmas was a good thought too. This was the last week of classes before winter break. Then there would be two full weeks without any classes or obligations to interrupt any plans with Zim. She should make plans. Christmas was always the holiday that fascinated the Irken most. It might be nice to actually celebrate it for once. Usually Gaz just got dragged along with whatever plans her father imposed upon her and then skipped out on. The only thing she needed to figure out now was what kind of present to get him. What could she buy for an alien with advanced technology and a constant desire to destroy Earth?

"Alright, I gotta know, what's his name?" Gaz flinched. Normally that sort of question would have resulted in some sort of personal injury, even to Maddy, but luckily for her she had waited until the class was empty. Maddy shirked away from the glare, before clarifying "You were humming, and the only other time you were doing that was when you were dating Hanzhi's older brother, but if you don't want to tell me-"

"I really don't," Gaz said with some chill to her voice.

"Subject dropped," Maddy put her hands up in surrender, not willing to invoke Gaz's considerable wrath. Gaz stood up, heading for her next class.

"Can I at least assume you're doing something together for Christmas?" Maddy asked, apparently not having learned her lesson yet.

Gaz let out a long breath, burying her immediate frustration to consider the circumstances. Despite Gaz's normally foul moods, Maddy had always been the closest thing that she had to a friend, and for the most part steered clear from spreading gossip. It wasn't like having holiday plans was particularly juicy to begin with. "Yeah," Gaz nodded, and that damn smile that was infectiously Zim reached her face again and her thoughts headed back to her predicament. "Hey Maddy," Gaz called getting her friend's attention, "can you help me pick out a present?"

"Yeah, okay," Maddy accepted with ease.

"You know this might be easier if I knew something about who we were shopping for," Maddy protested.

Gaz didn't reply. If knowing about Zim didn't make shopping for him any easier for her then it probably wouldn't make it any easier for Maddy.

"Anything?" Maddy pleaded, then let out a sigh. "Fine, guess I'll have to make general suggestions… Could you get him clothes?"

Gaz grimaced, she already had to tell him how to dress half the time, actually choosing his clothes for him made her stomach churn. Controlling wasn't exactly her type, and she wasn't going to start down that road either.

"Movies, everybody likes moves," Maddy pointed to the video store.

"I think his dog has watched more movies than he does," Gaz said aloud. Gir did spend an inordinate amount of time in front of the television despite not having a console. Gaz never liked the feeling of most shows, the characters were idiots who she could do nothing to hurt, most of the time she rooted for the slasher.

"He has a dog, I can work with that," Maddy brightened, "all kinds of dog toys, accessories…" Gaz ignored her drifting into the movie store, still wasn't buying any movies though. She drifted to the back corner where the video games were kept. "He's a gamer, duh," Maddy smacked her own head, like it was obvious that Gaz would date someone who shared her interests.

"No, he's not," Gaz said simply.

"So then… you're just here to distract yourself from the having to buy your boyfriend a Christmas present."

"Yep," Gaz stated coldly. She had already seen most of the GSP games that were laid out, movie stores tended to have a very limited selection. She either owned them already or they were just sucky.

Maddy let out a groan, before she started looking through titles anyway rather than struggle. "What about this one?" Maddy held up a title.

"I've already got the GSP version," Gaz replied.

"Ah, but the GSP version is different from the full console version."

"I don't have the full consoles, anything that can't be played when I need it is useless to me," Gaz said darkly.

"Oh, that's too bad," Maddy put the game back. "I guess multiplayer modes aren't really your style anyway, the GSP version has more levels so it evens out."

Then Gaz's GSP blinked, e-mail, and Gaz didn't really have to guess who when the subject line was: THIS IS NOT A BREAKUP

Gaz,
You did not come to Zim's house. Are you occupied elsewhere? Provide data before Zim's squeedly-spooch is filled with the worrying.
Love, Zim

It made her smile, stupid alien worrying over nothing. Gaz paused, Zim had said something about two player games when she was using her GSP to ignore him. "Does the multiplayer let you play as the aliens?" Gaz asked extending an open hand towards Maddy.

"Yeah, I think so," Maddy handed over the case.

Gaz wondered if it was compatible with Zim's computer. He was able to integrate her GSP with the house computer seamlessly after all. Zim had already proved that he was at least adequate and fairly adaptable when it came to games. Plus, the fact that it was a close combat war game seemed like it would strike a chord. Zim was naturally inclined to the maniacally destructive side, but he'd had little to express himself with while quietly infiltrating this planet since Dib had always gotten in the way. It would at least give him something to do if she needed to avoid the all-consuming desire to express very strong feelings. Although, knowing that Zim wasn't immune to those horrible hot and heavy thoughts just made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

The teller smiled, asking questions about finding everything she was looking for, or whether she had noticed the new releases section which the store always made impossible to not notice anyway. Gaz didn't realize why someone would do that. Usually her menacing glare kept the teller from saying anything except for the purchase total and "here's your change".

Except… she hadn't been glaring. She was still smiling, off in la-la-land with her warm and fuzzy feelings for Zim. Damn him.

Zim,
Yes, I was occupied elsewhere when your stupid e-mail distracted me and made me let another idiot live. Thanks a lot, dumbass.
Love, Gaz

END MISSION LOG

A/N: Teehee, Gaz wasn't paying attention and ended her e-mail with "Love" for the first time evers just then, which is hilarious because the rest of the e-mail is her ragging on him for being a pest. Laugh laugh laugh laugh.