A/N: I'm sorry I've been gone for so long! Christmas is a crazy busy time for me, it's been mad. I haven't given up on this story at all I promise! I've been slowing writing little chunks of this chapter in the occasional moment I could snatch for myself, so I hope it isn't too disjointed and still flows okay/generally isn't too shit.


Chapter 6

Dib groaned and stirred beneath the duvet. He was vaguely aware of some irritating sound that had been disrupting his sleep, and now he was finally starting to come to. He rubbed his blurry eyes and attempted to locate the exit to the duvet nest he'd tangled himself up in in an attempt to escape the noise. When he finally freed an arm he grabbed about aimlessly until his hand hit his glasses at last.

A mound of… something… swam into focus, sitting perched at his desk in front of the computer. The sound was like gunshots he realised, and as Dib squinted at what he could see of his screen he confirmed that it was indeed a shooting game. An evil chuckle sounded from beneath the blanket bundle on the chair.

"Take that pathetic Earth monkeys!" Zim cackled under his breath. "You are no match for an Irken warrior!" On the screen some sort of mass killing was occurring – Zim was wiping the floor with them all. Dib giggled bemused, he'd thought Zim might enjoy his video games.

Dib glanced at his clock. It was nearly 11am, he'd slept for so long! He sat up and stretched, feeling much better after such a good sleep. He softly slithered off his bed, trying not to alert Zim to his presence. He scowled as he looked down at the floor surrounding the Irken; it was littered with snack wrappers and games cases. Sometimes it was like looking after a child.

Dib carefully navigated his way through the mess and snuck up behind the alien. He watched Zim's actions on the screen for a bit, who was so engrossed he had no idea the human was right behind him. Dib noted some of the messages that were popping up from the other online players, 'Who the hell is this guy?' 'Is he using a cheat?'.Save for his sister of course he'd never seen anyone play a game so skilfully, he'd even give Gaz a run for her money by the looks of things. Dib watched as in the game Zim began creeping through a dark area – it was the perfect tense moment. He wrapped his arms around the bundle, hugging him tight and bringing his face in close to the Irkens to nuzzle into his neck.

Zim hit the roof. He shrieked and flailed, knocking them both flying backwards, chair and all. From their crumpled heap on the ground they both looked up as a message flashed in red across the screen: YOU ARE DEAD. This was followed by lots of players celebrating onscreen, whomever had shot him getting heavily praised. Zim turned on Dib slowly, his eyes seething. He kicked the chair out from between them and grabbed Dib angrily by the throat.

"YOU BROKE MY WINNING STREAK!" He spat furiously in the boy's face. Despite his smaller size he had the upper hand having landed on top of the human. Dib's eyes bugged in surprise as the grip tightened on his throat.

"Zim I'm sorry!" He choked out, grabbing at Zim's arms to try and pull him off, but the Irken was really strong. Zim seemed to quickly realise what he was doing was a bit drastic as Dib started to turn quite red in the face, his anger softening as he released his hold on the boy's neck.

Dib gasped for air desperately. Undeterred he saw an opportunity and took it. He grabbed the blanket that lay between them and swiftly wrapped Zim up tightly in it, flipping him over so that he was pinning the Irken down instead. Zim looked up at Dib in shock, for the moment speechless. He hadn't expected the human to fight back. He wriggled about in the blanket, but found it too tightly wrapped for him to move.

"Unhand me you APE!" Zim yelled, finding his voice. Dib just grinned down at him smugly. What a rare opportunity!

"Hey you started it Zim!" Dib smirked cheekily.

"YOU started it when you snuck up on me you sneaky SNEAK!" Zim writhed furiously in his blanket. "I order you to let me go!"

"What makes you think I have to take your orders Zim?" Dib teased. "I will let you go, but you have to pay the price first." Zim stopped writhing at this and looked at the boy nervously.

"P-price? What price?" Zim stuttered as Dib leaned in towards him. "What is it that you ask of Zim?" He panicked but the human kept getting closer, until his lips pressed down on Zim's. Zim relaxed into the kiss momentarily, before realising this was the perfect moment to catch the Dib while he was distracted.

His spider legs shot out of his back, ripping through the fabric with ease. The legs freed his limbs and pinned Dib back against the wall all in one smooth motion. "Zim always wins." He grinned smugly. Dib struggled to no avail – he was no match for the mechanical legs. "That'll teach you to touch Zim without permission." He said haughtily, folding his arms and sticking his chin in the air.

"Ok fine, you win. Can you let me go now? These things hurt." Dib struggled to ease the leg that was digging into the flesh of his shoulder. Zim eyed him shiftily, and the legs withdrew. Humans were so damn delicate.

Zim moved back over to the computer and reclaimed his perch, sitting with his feet up on the chair and legs folded in against his chest, his chin resting on his knees. He began tapping his name into the high score screen. "I'd been playing for four and a half hours without dying." Zim growled at Dib accusingly. "Still, no human will ever beat that high score." He gazed smugly at his name on the top of the list.

"Blimey Zim. I should have known better than to get you hooked on video games." Dib began picking up the scattered discs and putting them away, before starting on the litter. "How much sugar did you eat?!" He exclaimed, heading over to check his snack box. It was rather empty. "No wonder you were so hyped up." Zim glanced over at him guiltily, antennae twitching a bit crazily.

"Do you have any other games?" Zim asked eagerly, and Dib just looked at him in disbelief.

"You've been playing them solidly all night!"

"So?" Zim pouted. Dib sighed and rummaged through his shelves to find another box of games.

"I guess you probably like them cause they're so immersive. I know that's why I do." Dib muttered as he selected one. "Do you have Irken video games?"

"Like invaders have time for games." Zim scoffed. "We did have simulations but they were for training purposes." Zim watched as Dib brought a new game over, eagerly trying to nosy at the cover.

"This could be fun, and I can play this one with you." He slotted the disc into his computer.

"You'll slow me down." Zim complained, huffing sulkily.

"Well tough, they're my games." Dib grabbed a big bean bag from the corner of his room and dragged it over to sit on, grabbing an extra games controller too. "Besides, you agreed to spend the day with me remember?"

"You could watch me play." Zim asked optimistically, but soon got distracted by what Dib was pulling over. "What's that thing?"

"It's just something to sit on Zim." He shook his head, Zim could be so dumb.

"It looks comfier than this chair." Zim sulked and Dib sighed again. He reached up and grabbed the Irken's arm, pulling him down on to the bean bag next to him.

"Hey!" Zim yelled, ripping his arm out of the humans grip disgruntledly.

"Oh stop complaining for once. Look there's plenty of room for both of us kay. Comfy?" Zim looked at him crossly, but shuffled about testing the intriguing texture of the seat and found it to his liking. He nodded reluctantly. Dib noticed how cold the Irken was to the touch, and reached over to grab the blanket from earlier. He looked at the holes in it in dismay.

"I liked that blanket." Dib said sadly, but threw it around the both of them anyway. He smiled as Zim snuggled in closer to him to leech off his body heat.

"So what are we playing?" Zim asked, burrowing into the blanket gratefully. The warmth the boy gave off was so addictive, he just couldn't hold a grudge because of it.

"It's a space game." Dib grinned, wondering how the alien would react. Zim turned to stare at him with a severely unimpressed look on his face.

"You want an Irken, highly trained in the ways of galactic war, to play a game comprising what some dumb human imagined space to be like?" He sneered incredulously.

"Hey it's good! Just give it a chance. You liked those other ones made by humans just fine." Dib teased him and Zim snatched the controller back up petulantly. "Besides what does it matter if it's not realistic, it's just a bit of fun."

"It matters to Zim to win. Are you actually any good at this one?" Zim probed.

"Well I do have a lot of spare time, so I've had plenty of practise." Dib smirked.

As they got stuck into the game Zim realised the Dib really wasn't too bad at games – for a human at least. He still wasn't as fast as he was of course, but he was a lot better than any of the humans opposing them and together they made a pretty good team.

"YES! Take that Earth scum!" Zim cheered as they won yet another round. Dib threw down his controller and gave a big yawn. They'd been at it for a good few hours at least, and he was getting bored now. "What are you doing? You can't play if you're not holding that." Zim asked in confusion.

"Yeah I know, don't you think it's time for a break?" Dib looked at Zim in disbelief.

"You have no stamina human!" Zim sulked.

"Maybe you're too easily entertained." Dib teased, grabbing Zim into a playful hug as he pouted. "Hours of playing the same game just isn't mentally stimulating enough for me." Dib puffed out his chest with a cheesy grin.

"Don't flatter yourself human. And I told you not to touch me without permission." Zim protested grumpily, but they both knew he didn't mean it and he didn't put up any resistance as Dib squeezed him. Zim's antenna brushed against Dib's cheek, and Dib leaned into them lightly as they tickled his skin. It was just enough to soften Zim's expression, and his stiff posture eased a little. The boy's breath blew lightly and warmly against them, making them quiver gently. It was such a subtle sensation but it turned his mind to jello.

Dib was surprised when Zim didn't try to push him off, even when he lingered. He felt they could have stayed like that forever, and his heart soared with the simple pleasure of holding the petite alien close. Was this what it felt like to have someone special in your life? He was sure he could get used to it, but maybe he shouldn't he reminded himself. He'd already missed most of today, and it might be the only chance he'd have to spend time with Zim.

"We shouldn't just sit here all day anyway." Dib eventually muttered, withdrawing his arms reluctantly. He finally had a friend (of sorts) and he still hadn't managed to leave his bedroom.

"Why not?" Zim murmured, still lost in his contented state.

"Wouldn't you like to go out and do something different?" Dib sat up a bit, and Zim finally moved away, coming to his senses. He stroked back his tingling antennae as his mind cleared.

"Like what?" He eyed Dib sceptically.

"Well we've already lost most of the day," He pondered their options. Video games was the first thing Zim seemed to actually enjoy, so maybe he should play it safe. "We could go play laser tag? It's pretty much that shooting game you were playing but in real life… sorta."

"We call that war." Zim grinned evilly.

"Well you'd have to behave. As much as you might want to you can't actually hurt the other people playing… it's still just pretend," Dib began to doubt whether it was a good idea to put Zim's competitiveness against normal people in the real world. Zim huffed at that – more rules. "But I think you'll enjoy it, it's fun." Zim looked at him cynically but nodded his agreement.

"Fine. But prepare to taste defeat at the hands of Zim."


"I don't think I've ever seen any one play laser tag like that… ever." Dib admitted as they left the building, feeling a little shell shocked.

"Of course you haven't Earth-smeet! I'm a trained warrior, or had you forgotten that?" Zim strode down the road smugly with high steps, still very high off his victory. "Those Earth stinks never stood a chance against my superior skills."

Zim had been lightning fast in the playing zone. Dib had barely been able to catch a glimpse of him as he darted about, his movements remarkably elegant. Zim was so different now that his pak was fixed. There was a time he would have just fallen flat on his face in such a situation. Dib found it quite exhilarating to see Zim at his full potential.

They'd tried to make as swift an exit as possible, as several unhappy customers piled out of the building behind them scowling in Zim's direction. They hadn't had much of a game as no one had managed to go more than a couple of minutes before getting shot out of play again. Dib found it kind of funny, as he'd somehow managed to convince Zim to be his ally.

It had also unnerved him though, to see first-hand how lethal Zim could be. It may have been just a game to everyone else but Dib knew the truth behind his expertise was that he'd done this for real many times, and killed many. Heaven help them if the Irkens ever did come here, they truly were a deadly race. He shuddered and tried to brush it off.

"I'm so never taking you there again."

"Awwh, but I had fun," Zim's proud posture fell and he looked at Dib sadly. Dib smiled, Zim could be so cute sometimes. "Why are you always showing me fun things and then taking them away." He frowned. "What are we doing next that I can wipe the floor with you at?"

Dib had a little think. He didn't want the night to be over just yet but there wasn't a vast amount of options open to them. It was getting late, which left them the typical dating activities such as seeing a film or going to a restaurant. But Zim didn't eat much human food and Dib wanted to do something a bit more sociable than go to the cinema. He felt a pang of anxiety that he had slept in so late and done nothing but play games, he felt like he had wasted too much time. This could be his only real opportunity to be with Zim before he left, and he wanted to get the most out of it. His feelings toward the Irken had grown so much in just a few short days, he almost couldn't bear it.

As they walked through town Dib realised they were coming up to a bar that he liked. Perfect, he sure could use a drink right now.

"Hey can you drink alcohol?"

"What's that?" Zim questioned suspiciously.

"How can you not know what alcohol is Zim, everyone at school is obsessed with it." Dib sighed. "It's a drink with… I guess the best way to describe it to you is that it's a kind of diluted poison." Dib cringed at his own description.

"Why on Irk would you drink poison?" Zim looked at him like he was a drooling moron.

"Because it's fun!" Dib laughed, it really did sound stupid when he thought about it. "It just makes you feel good, and it tastes nice. It's not strong enough to actually hurt you unless you drink too much of it. Come on we should go in here for a bit, they play good music." Zim hesitated, but Dib was already dragging him in.

It was an alternative bar, darkly decorated and buzzing with the heavy bass of the music. It was still quite early for a club so it wasn't too crowded at the moment, and Dib headed straight over to the bar and ordered himself a beer. He looked to Zim, unsure what to get him.

"What would you like?" Zim just looked back at him with a mildly worried expression and shrugged. The loud music made his antenna feel funny, and he found it a little disorientating.

Dib thought for a moment and decided to get Zim an alcopop. He was sure Zim would like the sweetness and probably the bright blue colour of it too, plus they were pretty weak for his first taste. He got their drinks and led Zim over to a quieter corner where they could sit and talk. Dib eagerly drained his first bottle. He was keen to calm his nerves and quiet his mind for a time. He just wanted to be able to enjoy spending the night with Zim, and he hoped it might give him a little more confidence. He glanced at Zim who hadn't even tasted his drink yet.

In truth Zim was a bit nervous. He didn't know how this 'poison' would treat his system, though he felt that if the human body could cope with it so should his superior Irken form. He took a tentative sip.

"Mmm, it is tasty." Zim smiled at the sugary flavour. He burped suddenly from the fizz and Dib laughed, smiling at him endearingly. "Why are you staring at me like that human?"

"Sorry," Dib looked away, blushing. "I just… I really enjoy spending time with you Zim." He couldn't look Zim in the eye as he spoke. Dammit, he needed more confidence. Zim just looked back at the boy in surprise, not sure what to say. He felt his cheeks darken as his pulse quickened, though he was thankful that it was hidden by his hologram disguise. He shuffled awkwardly and took another tiny sip of his drink.

"No one's ever said anything like that to me before." He finally said in a tiny voice, and Dib had to strain to hear it over the music. "I… feel good when I'm around you too." Dib's stomach flipped at Zim's words. Was this too good to be true? His mind whirled, his conscience telling him not to get any more involved but his heart was telling him otherwise.

"I'm gonna get another drink, I'll be right back." Zim watched in surprise as Dib got up and strode back to the bar, looking from the boys empty bottle and back to his own practically full one. He hadn't even notice Dib finish it he had drank it so fast.

He watched curiously as the Dib leaned at the bar, waiting his turn to be served. He was quite surprised at himself for agreeing to spend the whole day with him, and even more surprised at how much he had been enjoying himself. Who'd have ever thought they would end up on such good terms. He felt such a fondness for the boy as he watched him, butterflies tickling at his squeedly-spooch.

Suddenly the girl stood next to Dib at the bar turned to face him, and he watched her appraise him with satisfaction. Zim had a strange moment of smugness, and a voice in his head went, yes human fool, that is mine. But then she began to talk to Dib and his good feelings dissipated as Dib smiled at her and spoke back. He saw the Dib receive his drink and his stomach dropped when the boy didn't instantly leave and walk back to him, but instead stayed at the bar with this female.

Zim scowled in frustration. He thought Dib didn't like any other humans, and wasn't he here to spend time with Zim? He'd never really seen Dib talk to anyone else before and it evoked a strange feeling in him that he couldn't quite identify. Then the human girl truly pushed her luck – she placed a hand on Dib's arm in a very familiar way, and Zim nearly blew his top. He was sure no one else was allowed to touch the Dib.

He was considering going over there when Dib finally redeemed himself by responding awkwardly to the touch, backing off a bit before gesturing Zim's way and heading back to their table. Zim shot daggers at the girl as she disappointedly looked his way, not phased at all by the aliens glare. Dib's cheeks were quite rosy as he sat back at the table, a small smile playing on his lips. Zim glared at him and his already half-drunk second bottle, until Dib finally looked up and noticed.

"What?!" Dib looked abashed and guilty all of a sudden.

"Someone you know?" Zim asked tersely.

"Zim are you… jealous?" Dib laughed. "Just cause some girl said two words to me? That's never even happened before… figures." Dib mused the last part quietly to himself.

"Why would Zim be jealous? Don't be so ridiculous." The Irken huffed, crossing his arms angrily and glaring in the direction of the girl unintentionally. Dib smiled knowingly, loving Zim's reaction. He'd never expected it from him, it was quite touching.

"I've never seen her before in my life, okay? Her name is Kat and we just chatted a bit." Dib scooched over to Zim and snuck an arm around his waist, pulling him in closer and placing a quick kiss on his cheek. This caught Zim off guard and softened his angry expression.

"What was that for?" Zim asked almost shyly.

"Do I need to have a reason?" Dib smirked. The beer was definitely going to his head.

Zim leaned into Dib's warmth trying to act casually as he sipped delicately at his alcopop, but Dib noticed of course and beamed as he knew that meant he was forgiven. He turned his head so that his mouth was near where he knew Zim's antenna would be and breathed warm air over them like he had earlier. He knew it had had the desired effect as the Irken slumped even more into him.

They talked for some time snuggled close in their booth, and Dib drank while Zim sipped. Little did Zim realise how drunk Dib was slowly but surely getting. Himself he had barely put a dent in his drink, but he didn't think his guts were taking it too well. They grumbled uneasily.

Zim looked up warily as he realised the girl from earlier was approaching their table. He glowered at her but she ignored him, focusing her gaze on Dib.

"Hey, do you want to come and have a cig with my friends?" She asked confidently. She was a slim human, with electric blue hair and wearing a punky black dress with stripy blue and black tights. She was smaller than the Dib, but marginally taller than Zim – a fact that he could not stand.

"Sure! You coming Zim?" Dib clambered up, not really waiting for Zim to answer. Sheepishly Zim got to his feet and followed them through the now quite crowded room. Pushing through the intoxicated youths, he tugged on Dib's sleeve as he struggled to keep up.

"Hmm?" Dib looked back at him woozily.

"What is a 'sig'?" Zim asked worriedly.

"Oh, she means cigarettes. You know, those things people smoke. You must have seen some of the kids at school smoking."

"Oh. I didn't know you did that." Zim was a bit dismayed. It was one human habit he had heard of because he'd seen so many of them doing it, but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't understand why they did it. He just couldn't stand the acrid smell of the things. The humans had even proven that it made them sick over enough time, and yet they still found it fun and even 'cool'. He was disappointed the Dib had fallen into such a stupid human custom. He'd thought his human was different.

"I don't really, just sometimes after a drink." Dib shrugged it off, not really noticing Zim's disappointment.

Zim was thankful when they finally reached the exit, grateful for the break from the loud music and stale air inside. He trudged along after Dib grudgingly as he went to join Kat and the other humans, hanging back sullenly when they got there.

Dib was feeling very thankful for his liquid confidence at that moment, he didn't think he'd have had the guts to attempt to socialise without it. He was so overwhelmed that this girl was paying attention to him, and her friends amazingly weren't looking at him like he was some hideous freak. He was so astounded that he almost forgot all about Zim. It wasn't until he heard a small coughing sound and felt a pull at his coat that he turned to see Zim's sad eyes gazing up at him.

"Zim, are you ok?" Dib asked worriedly, wobbling a little.

"I don't like this smoke stuff." Zim spluttered. "I feel sick, I'm going to the toilets." He turned and walked away from Dib and back into the club before waiting for any response - he was pretty sure he was actually going to throw up. His guts churned angrily and he felt dizzy. He just about made it into a cubicle before he brought the small amount of alcohol he'd consumed back up. He felt better almost instantly though, quickly becoming very aware of how disgusting the floor he was sat on was. He got up shakily and brushed himself off, taking a moment to just breathe and calm himself.

Now it was time to deal with the human. Zim would not be ignored! He had had enough of this stinking place, and he was leaving with or without the Dib-smell. He pushed his way angrily back through the crowd, not bothering about the glares and curses that he received. He was nearly at the door when someone stepped out directly in front of him, blocking his way. Zim was forced to stop and looked the human male up and down with irritation. He was tall and dressed darkly in gothic clothes, bleached blonde hair falling across his face. He was about the same age as the Dib human by the looks of things. Zim moved to go around, but the boy stopped him by placing a hand on Zim's chest.

"Don't touch me human," Zim snapped irritably, batting the hand away. He felt a tremor of fear at the stranger's boldness, his eyes quickly darting about hoping to find the Dib. He suddenly felt very closed in by all the humans in this dark crowded space, and it was getting too much for him.

"Okay grumpy, I just wanted to say hi." The youth held up his hands to show his innocence and smirked at Zim, winking.

"Hi." Zim said brusquely and moved again to leave, but once more the boy stood in his way.

"Can I get you a drink?" This guy wasn't taking the hint.

"I cannot stomach a single drop more of your disgusting Earth filth, now get out of my way!" Zim's nerves snapped into anger, and he finally managed to barge past the boy and back out of the club. Though he was still quite riled up, Zim felt relieved to see the Dib still standing where he'd left him. It didn't last long though as he saw the stupid human was still smoking with the other teens, and he stormed over scowling all the way.

"Dib, I want to go home. This place makes humans crazy!" Zim demanded throwing his arms up in the air in aggravation.

"Aw really? But I just got a drink. We'll go soon okay?" Dib responded dismissively, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"But you've had lots of drinks. Why are you acting so weird?" Zim was starting to get very frustrated. What was it about this place that made the humans act so odd?

"That's what you do here, you drink. I'm not acting weird." Dib looked at Zim with a puzzled and slightly dopey expression on his face, before turning back towards the other teens.

Zim growled irritably, taking a few steps away to try and calm his anger. He then became aware of someone approaching him. It was that irksome blonde boy again, and he walked right up to Zim and stood closely over him.

"You ran off so quick, I just wanted to talk to you." The teen said flirtatiously.

"Why would you want to talk to me?" Zim asked impatiently. He really didn't need this hassle right now, he was already trying to deal with one frustrating human.

"Because you're cute that's why." The guy raised a hand to touch Zim's face, leaning closer still.

"I'm not interested in your vile affections Earth-pig." Again Zim swiped his hand away, starting to feel nervous again by the boy's confidence. This time the human wasn't giving up, and Zim was feeling very vulnerable. He tried to back away and found his pak hitting the wall of the club. The boy moved his hands to the Irken's waist to hold him in place as he drew their bodies close, and Zim felt the panic rise in his throat. "Let go of me!" He screeched, screwing his eyes shut and covering his face with his arms.

Suddenly the body against him was gone, and Zim peeked through his hands to see if it was safe. Dib had pulled the teen off him, and was now facing him with a face of thunder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dib demanded of the goth, his voice low and dangerous.

"What's your problem dude, mind your own business." Zim saw Dib's eye twitch in anger before he slammed his fist into the guys face. He fell to the floor, clutching his chin.

"He is my business!" Dib raged, and lunged forward to attack the kid some more, but Zim grabbed him back.

"Dib I think we should leave." Zim struggled against him, pulling him back by the arms. He was pleased that Dib had jumped to his rescue – at least he'd redeemed himself a little – but they were going to get in trouble if Dib continued the way he was. He didn't like the way everyone had stopped to stare, and Zim just wanted to be as far from this place as possible. Dib's anger ebbed at Zim's touch, some realisation of what he'd done coming to him. He stopped struggling and let Zim drag him away without looking back.

"I'm so sorry Zim, I wasn't looking after you properly." Dib hung his head sorrowfully as Zim pulled him along. Seeing that guy forcing himself on Zim had been more than he could handle, even if he knew that left to Zim's own devices the boy probably would have ended up in a hospital bed. He just couldn't bear the thought of anyone else touching Zim so intimately.

"It's fine." Zim answered curtly. He was still a bit shaken by the audacity of that human, but he was just thankful that they were alone again and away from that loathsome place. He flinched a little in surprise as he felt Dib's hand grab tentatively for his.

"Will you come back to my place with me?" Dib asked in a tiny voice, afraid that Zim was going to turn him down.

"If you want Zim to, I will." Zim grumbled a little sulkily.

"Of course I want you to, I said I'm sorry. I didn't realise you didn't like that place so much." Dib said dejectedly.

"One human at a time is more than enough for Zim. That place was full of them and their loudness and smell. And now you smell of that revolting 'alcohol' and 'cigarettes'." Zim said the words with disgust.

Dib pouted. He had been enjoying himself, but he should have known it would be a bit much for Zim. He'd been selfish when Kat had taken an interest in him but it was such a first he'd felt like it was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss, especially if Zim was going to be leaving soon. He'd been waiting his whole school life for something like that to happen, it hardly seemed fair for it to happen tonight.

He looked over at Zim as they walked in silence, feeling guilty and heartsick. God he didn't want Zim to leave, it hurt so bad. He had to tell him somehow, if only he could find the guts. This weekend had only made his feelings towards the Irken grow and he couldn't help but wonder if Zim felt a similar way, even if he knew it was somewhat unlikely. His head spun from the booze - he really shouldn't have drank so much.

Eventually they reached Dib's house, and once they were safely in his room Zim let out a big sigh of relief. He didn't know why he felt so safe here or when that had started, but for some reason it felt like coming home. He felt the tension leave his body and flicked his human disguise off – that was more than enough being human for one day. He found himself taking off his boots and gloves too, a human habit he seemed to have picked up. Why had he never realised how comfy that feeling of taking them off at the end of the day was? He gave a big stretch and threw himself happily into the messy heap of duvet on Dib's bed.

Dib hung back by the door watching Zim. He smiled sadly at how at home the Irken had become here, it was so heart-warming to see him snuggled up on his own bed. He'd gotten used to this too quickly, he couldn't see how he could ever live without it now. He had to try and tell Zim how he felt.

He clumsily made his way over to the bed, kicking his shoes off and ditching his trench coat before clambering into the pile of duvet next to Zim. They turned to face each other, and for a moment just lay there looking into each other's eyes. Dib's eyes seemed sort of glazed over to Zim – he still didn't seem quite himself, and was acting very peculiarly. The amber of the boys irises gleamed even in the dim light of his room, and Zim realised he found the colour quite beautiful. Little did he know that Dib was thinking the same of Zim's deep crimson orbs. Suddenly Dib's eyes seemed to quiver and his brow crinkled, moisture beginning to gather in his eyes.

"What?" Zim asked in confusion. Dib buried his face into the duvet to hide the tears in his eyes before they could fall. When he didn't say anything Zim prompted him, "Dib?"

"It's just that…" Dib sniffed back his tears, refusing to cry. Dammit, why was he so drunk? "I want things to work out for you, I really do. But… I'm really gonna miss you if you leave." His voice was muffled, his face still buried in the sheets.

Zim's face fell at hearing these words. It was something that had been bothering him too, but he just couldn't think of a solution. He couldn't have both an Irken life and stay with the Dib - at some point he'd have to choose what he wanted. So he didn't know how to respond to the boy, personally he'd just been trying to avoid thinking about it at all. This weekend had been so good. Never before had he felt the joys and contentment of companionship. Even just lying here next to the Dib was such a simple but wonderful comfort. He knew it was something he could never have if he returned to the Irken way of life.

Dib's pulse quickened with worry when Zim didn't say anything, and he lifted his head a little to peak at him. Zim looked vexed, his brow furrowed in thought. He wished Zim would tell him what he was thinking, but he was terrified of him telling him something he didn't want to hear too.

After a few more minutes of silence he couldn't hold back anymore, and reached out towards Zim. He wrapped his arms gently around the Irken's waist and drew him nearer, bringing Zim's attention back on him and their eyes locked once more. Dib couldn't resist the urge any longer and leaned in to touch their lips together. He sighed contentedly into the kiss as Zim responded timidly, snaking his own skinny arms around Dib and bringing them closer still.

Dib felt his heart begin to pound, his alcohol-ridden blood rushing around his body furiously, giving him the confidence he needed to move things on. Tentatively he ran his tongue across Zim's lips, encouraging them to part so that he could gain entry. He successfully deepened the kiss, his body trilling with excitement as he felt the alien texture of Zim's strange tongue against his own. He felt Zim gasp but was elated when he didn't pull back, and slowly began to respond in kind.

Zim hadn't been expecting such a move from Dib, but though it was a shock at first he didn't dislike it. The human's mouth tasted bitter and smoky but it also felt good and it gave off so much heat. He liked the softness of the boy's tongue - it was so much more delicate than his scaly one. Though a voice in his head said he should be finding this gross, the feeling of it moistly running along his own was actually intoxicating. He could feel the butterflies in his squeedly-spooch going crazy, but something more than that was stirring deep within him.

Dib felt a need growing in him also, and he was sure Zim was feeling the same way. He had an idea and reached up to gently caress Zim's antenna between his fingers. Zim moaned at the touch and curled tighter against Dib's body. He wanted to be angry or embarrassed that the boy was being brash enough to touch them, but the combination of sensations happening in his mouth and his antennae were causing so much overwhelming pleasure that he just didn't care right now. He gave in completely to the barrage of feelings as everything else just seemed to fade into the background.

Dib could barely stand it anymore and as Zim pressed against him he thought he was going to finish right there and then. He rolled them over so that he was on top of Zim, who looked up at him worriedly before Dib smashed their lips together once again, more forcefully than before.

"Dib," Zim struggled between gasps for breath. He was starting to feel a little intimidated, the Dib wasn't acting like himself again. He'd never been this rough before, and the grip on his fragile antenna was starting to get too hard. He could feel something else digging into him as well as Dib pressed himself harder against Zim, but he didn't understand what it was or what was really going on.

Dib was oblivious to Zim's growing discomfort, continuing to press himself down on Zim's lithe form. He ran his free hand down Zim's side till it reached the bottom of his red uniform, slipping it under until he felt the smooth skin of Zim's belly. He felt Zim shudder beneath him and took it as a positive sign, and moved his hand downwards over Zim's black trousers and towards his crotch. Was there something there?

"Can you even…. could we do it?" Dib mumbled breathlessly against Zim's lips, not really fully coherent.

"What?" Zim was starting to feel very nervous about where Dib was touching him, even though his body was craving more.

"Can you have sex?" Dib whispered as he began to slip his fingers under Zim's waistband. Simultaneously Dib pulled just a bit too hard on Zim's already tender antenna, sending tremendous bolts of pain shooting through Zim's body and blacking out his vision.

"GET OFF!" Zim yelled violently pushing Dib away, his spider legs involuntarily shooting from his pak and slamming Dib against the wall, pinning him there by his shoulders. Dib coughed, completely winded from the blow. His head spun and it took him a moment to work out what had happened.

Equally it took a moment for the pain to stop lancing through Zim's body before he could think straight. As the throbbing in his antenna eased his vision cleared, what he'd done swam into focus. The Dib was hanging from the points of his mechanical legs where they were impaled in his shoulders, and he was starting to leak red. Zim was horror-struck by what he'd done and quickly withdrew the legs, allowing Dib to fall to his knees on the floor. The boy clutched at his bleeding shoulders, his whole body trembling.

"I… I didn't mean to…" Zim stuttered, but he stopped as Dib finally looked up at him. His eyes burned into Zim with such a terrifying intensity - a combination of fear, anger and pain. Zim felt sick as the look seared into him, until he couldn't bear it any more. He scrambled to his feet and fled through Dib's bedroom window in a flash and was gone.

Dib stared at the open window for some time after Zim had disappeared, his mind in utter turmoil. Things had been going so perfectly, how had it suddenly gone so wrong? He stumbled to the bathroom to inspect the damage done to his shoulders, his head spinning. When he saw the wounds in the mirror his stomach plummeted. How could he trust Zim after this? This was the second time he had sliced him with those dammed things, never mind what he'd done to those jocks at school. He should have learnt the first time that Zim was dangerous, that could have – should have been him lying in hospital.

He had to stop treating Zim like he was a human. It was time to face the facts - Zim was an alien, and he was going to leave Earth and he'd never see him again unless it was destroy them all. What had he thought was going to happen? That Zim would fall in love with him and decide to stay, and they'd grow old together and live happily ever after? He'd been putting all these human emotions on him, but the fact was Zim wasn't human and never would be. Who knew what feelings Zim was capable of even without the inhibitor. Dib thought about what he'd just done, or been about to do… had he really been ready to lose his virginity to an alien?

It was time to start protecting himself mentally and physically. He had to toughen up, there was no point in getting upset over Zim when he was just going to leave anyway. Who knew if he'd even see Zim again after what had just happened. He'd certainly scared him off and he didn't think Zim would be stupid enough to return to the school after the incident with the bullies. It was the perfect opportunity for Dib to move on. Tomorrow was Monday, a new week and a fresh start was just what he needed.

He had to forget about Zim.


A/N: Regarding Zim being able to drink the alcopop – I realise it has water in it and I'm probably pushing my luck but if you want to get really technical he shouldn't be able to even breathe our air cause it has water vapour in it. And then there's saliva of course but he had to be able to kiss Dib :P So I'm just sticking to he's allergic to pure water, and the alcopop made him feel sick cause it had water in it not cause of the alcohol. Also I decided Dib is 18 so he's old enough to drink, I don't think I previously was specific about his age.

Anyways! I hope you enjoyed that :3 Naughty Dib shouldn't drink so much. And just so we're clear, Dib is hurt cause he thinks Zim freaked out cause he tried to put his hand down his pants, and also kind of embarrassed cause he feels a bit rejected. He doesn't realise that actually Zim was just in a lot of pain from his antenna being yanked. Silly boy!

Merry Christmas 8D