"Heat"

'Chapter Three'

The hours passed by.

Zim had finished tinkering with his Pak a long while ago, but he still hadn't moved from his computer chair. Earlier he had shown Dib where the snacks were kept; Zim didn't need to eat, but that didn't mean he didn't like to – Irkens indulged in a few things they didn't have to just because they could.

Currently the human boy was on the opposite end of the lab, sitting on the metal surgical table again for lack of anything else to sit on. He had finished his bag of chips as well as some sort of alien candy which hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. His bright eyes remained on the green-skinned creature that had yet to move from his tense position.

It was unnerving.

Zim was never this quiet or this still.

Dib didn't know what to expect, Zim gave him a brief over-view but it didn't tell him too much. But, it had to be something serious if he had disarmed himself on purpose. Dib sipped from his juice box, continuing to stare at his rival.

What was mating like anyway?

Well, with an alien, of course he knew what human mating was like.

Was it the same?

Dib kicked his feet in an almost care-free manner as he let his mind wander.

He began to wonder what Zim's skin would feel like, what he'd taste like, what he'd smell like.

He had wondered this all before.

For research purposes only of course.

Dib was trying to be a paranormal investigator and he needed to know everything about the paranormal things he planned on studying. He especially wanted to know more about the Irken – before he killed him and dissected him anyway.

The juice box became empty and he found himself sucking audibly in the silence, the slurping sound grating on Zim's nerves.

"Stop it." The Irken finally mumbled shooting a glare at Dib on the opposite side of the room.

Dib set down the empty little box, leaning back on the table – bracing himself on his hands. "Why are you so quiet?"

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"Things."

"What things?"

"Stop questioning Zim!" The alien snapped leaning back in his chair and folding his arms, his feet kicked up on the console of the computer.

Zim wasn't looking at him anymore, "This is boring." Dib said flatly.

"Then go to sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"You should sleep."

"So," Dib decided to push the conversation elsewhere, "If you aren't a female, why can you get pregnant?"

"I don't want to talk about this." Zim hissed, his muscles pulling tight under his skin. He was trying his best to keep his train of thought off the whole 'heat' issue. He was trying not to think about Dib on the opposite side of the room, trying hard not to think about mating or think about what the human might look like under his clothes.

Stop it!

He growled to himself, once again yanking on his antennae to get his own attention, wincing from the harsh contact he forced on himself.

"Why do you do that?" Dib asked tilting his head to the look of pain on Zim's face.

"Stop talking." He murmured, his eyes still shut.

"Why?"

"Stop!"

Dib huffed, "God Zim, you could at least talk to me about something. I'm stuck with you for a whole week anyway."

Zim's eyes finally opened, glaring at the human, "You don't even know how serious this is."

Dib shrugged, "You're brooding over there." Dib pointed at the alien, "That's about it. What should I be preparing for? What should I be scared about? You normally run at me trying to kill me, it probably won't be that different."

"I won't want to kill you this time." Zim murmured as if Dib had forgotten that detail.

"You seem normal to me." Dib said in the Irken's own defense, "Quiet though, which is weird enough, but basically normal."

Zim looked back at his computers, still stuck in his rigid posture.

"C'mon Zim." Dib tried to coax, "It's probably not even that bad." He was attempting to get more information out of the alien, trying a different tactic than usual because Zim was more bottled up than he normally was.

"It is bad." Zim countered, "You don't even know."

"Then tell me." The human said easily, trying not to grin, knowing the conversation was heading in the direction he wanted. Too bad he didn't have a notebook to write things down – he'd just have to rely on his memory, so once he got home he could write down the more intimate details of the alien's race.

Zim was quiet again.

"C'mon." Dib said in a complacent tone, slowly getting off the metal table, making sure he wasn't heard. Zim didn't perk an antennae or even twitch to look in his direction just yet – he seemed very concentrated on his own reflection.

Zim didn't want to get into the details. Didn't want to talk about it.

He didn't want to admit to the inner workings of the mating process. Didn't want to try and explain his future mentality. Didn't want to admit that because of Dib's height he would automatically want to submit; unconsciously, that he would be the one wanting to bear the smeet.

Not that he had another option -- Dib couldn't bear an offspring anyway.

He learned human anatomy in the high-school health class; males of the human race had no ability to bear young.

This wasn't the thought process Zim wanted right now.

He glared hard at his feet trying to dispel the thoughts in his head; trying to ignore the warmth as it started to pulse in his veins telling him what he needed to do.

He wasn't going to do it.

Zim was going to try his hardest to avoid mating with the stupid big-headed worm-baby.

Dib drew closer and closer without the alien even noticing. It was a little unnerving; Zim never let his guard fall this low. Dib wasn't really complaining, but the closer he got something wafted his way and he didn't know what to make of it.

Something smelled like…

Flowers?

Not really flowers.

It was too heavy, almost sour, but at the same time pleasant to his nose.

He didn't know where it came from but the closer he got to Zim the stronger the smell got. He stood just a foot or so from the Irken, his hands tucked casually in his pockets, not sensing any danger from his day-dreaming nemesis. "Hey Zim," The alien started, "What's that smell?"

"Argh!" Zim yelled, bracing himself in his chair, his claws digging into the arm rests of it, his magenta eyes narrowed at the human who was too close for comfort. "Go away!"

Dib remained where he was, grinning slightly, "You're so high-strung, it's funny."

Zim got off of his chair and talked to the human, once again grabbing the front of his coat as he had before, "Stop taunting me." He hissed, his whole body exerting a dominance that Dib didn't submit to.

The human, though a little put-off by Zim's rage didn't shrink away just yet. His hands were on Zim's shoulders but he wasn't so occupied on the alien's dark expression.

…the smell.

It was much stronger now.

It had to be coming from Zim.

Dib had never noticed the alien having an odor before, especially not one that smell fragrant, almost like outside. "You smelly funny." He said before really thinking; words tended to spill from his mouth without the proper screening of conscious thought.

Zim's antennae lowered, almost drooped as if he realized something. He hissed something in his native tongue before throwing the lanky teenager as far as he was able.

Dib's body fell just a foot or so from the alien, skidding across the metal floor. He groaned as he picked himself off the floor – used to being punched and kicked around the action didn't really phase him. Dib dusted off his coat and arranged his glasses better on his face before he stared at the back of the moody Irken. "Can't you tell me things? I'm stuck here, you said you're going into…eh…heat," Dib flushed, "I'd like to know everything to expect."

Zim didn't answer.

"You smell weird now too." Dib said, not entirely knowing it was Zim, but for lack of any better explanation he assumed it was the alien. "Can't you at least tell me what that is?"

Zim had to count his single blessing in this situation. The fragrance hadn't provoked Dib into getting any closer to him – not for the purposes of mating anyway. The human seemed unaffected by the scent, if only curious – but he was always curious. "Pheromones." Zim grumbled, still having his back to the human he lifted a gloved hand pointing a single digit to the base of his antennae. "Here there's a gland that secretes that smell to attract…mates."

Ah, that made sense.

Dib stored the newfound knowledge in his head for later use. He'd definitely have to write up a whole report on Irkens when he got home. This was simply too fascinating to pass up. "Weird." Dib found himself saying in astonishment rather than disgust.

Zim finally turned back to the human, his arms now folded and his expression holding irritation. "Go back to your side of the lab."

"I don't want to." Dib nearly whined, remaining where he was, wanting to get closer, wanting to touch the base of those stalks on Zim's head.

He normally was interested in the alien, wanting to know everything he could. But, for some reason he felt more drawn to him, wanting to touch, feel, explore the expanse of unknown territory.

His mind didn't even catch up to the almost lewd thoughts as they continued to run through his head – the brunette barely aware of it even happening as he found himself walking towards the green-skinned creature.

Zim didn't know what he saw in Dib's eyes but it enticed him.

This…

This couldn't be happening.

Attraction.

Attraction was going on between them.

So perhaps Zim had been wrong about the pheromones; apparently they were attracting the horrible Dib-beast.

Zim found himself backing up; his mind not yet delved into the frenzy for mating, still mainly himself and he didn't want the human to get any closer. He ended up tripping and falling back in his chair; his body tangled a moment as he tried to get back up.

"Zim." Dib found himself saying, leaning over the chair over the alien, one hand on the back of the chair, the other on the cushion near Zim's hip. "Hm," Dib had an almost predatory look in his eyes; one he often had when he gained an upper hand on his nemesis. "You do smell good though."

Zim's heart hammered in his ribs, his body felt so hot responding easily to the human that leaned over him. He felt himself nearly melting into the chair, his head tilting back and exposing the tender flesh of his throat. His antennae were limp, not as rigid and hard as usual. Zim's whole body felt like it was trying to unwind, relax, like he was actually giving up control to the human above him.

He was submitting.

Dib wasn't entirely aware what Zim's posture meant, but as he saw the column of neck exposed to him; not hidden by the high pink collar of Zim's shirt he found himself compelled to touch it. His hand reached up, fingers itching to touch the jade skin, wanting to know its texture. His digits brushed the skin – taking note of the feel, like silk only smoother. He cupped the alien's jaw, his head leaning in closer, his gold eyes half-lidded as he drew in.

Zim groaned to the feel of the soft warm fingers on his skin; tilting his head up to see Dib moving ever closer, feeling the contact of his thumb under his jaw as the human kept his face still.

As he looked up into Dib's heated eyes was when he finally figured out what was happening, what was going on.

Zim almost seemed to snap out of a trance, wailing an inhuman wail as he pushed Dib away with everything he had, climbing up the chair as if the floor was made of lava.

Dib didn't know what hit him when he found himself on the ground, his chest ached from where he was basically punched and he had lost his glasses in the fall. He made an unintelligible noise in the back of his throat feeling the cold floor for his glasses.

Zim remained on the back of his chair, claws digging into the fabric of it, his legs straddling it for support. He glared at the human still stumbling on the floor. "Don't touch me!" Zim yelled to him, his antennae pulled back in usual hostile fashion, his back arched like an angry cat. "Go back to your side!"

Dib finally found his lenses, setting them on his face and finally getting back to full height. His face was a red as a tomato when his mind finally caught up to the actions that went on between them.

…he had just tried…

Ugh.

Dib didn't look at Zim, he really didn't think he could right now. With his back still to the Irken he trudged over to the other side of the lab, once again picking himself up on the metal operating table.

That was embarrassing.

Beyond embarrassing.

Dib kept his back to the alien, listening to the sound of movement – Zim probably going back to sit in his chair.

Silence stretched on between them but it was welcomed.

What the hell came over him?

--

A/N:

Another chapter down! I'm on a roll~ Please leave a review if you want to see what happens next. Thanks for all the support so far!