Hey, A bit of a shorter chapter. It's the calm before the storm. If they don't seem as freaked out as the last chapter it's because they have a plan in mind and they're trying not to think too hard about failing, which allows for some rare moments. :) Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews and reading my story!

With a groan Dib flopped face down onto the couch in Zim's living room his feet landing on the armrest. He was tired and his brain was filled with more knowledge of demons than he thought possible. It had also been a horrible idea to eat so many waffles. However, he just couldn't say no to GIR when the little robot began crying at his refusal.

GIR came back to Zim's base an hour or so after Liz finished explaining her plan. They were going over more details when he burst into the living room with the floating moose. He ran excitedly around the room at seeing them all together to the point where it began to annoy Zim and the invader ordered GIR to stop as he chased after the hyperactive robot.

It was very late into the evening, almost morning, and the sudden break in tension made the exhaustion creep up on him and Liz. When GIR found out that they were sleeping over he threw an uncontrollable fit about them needing to have a sleepover in the living room. It had been easier just to comply and at that point neither Liz or Dib cared much so they crashed on the couch while Skoodge and Zim researched further on Liz's idea.

When they woke up the first half of the day was spent back in the med labs where the Irkens did their best to try and help their 'inferior' bodies heal and regain as much strength as they could. Next Liz crammed as much knowledge as she could into Dib's head about demons in hopes that even the slightest insight would help survive in the fights ahead. While Liz lectured, Dib ate the waffles GIR made and though Liz had some too she was able to distract GIR enough that he would forget she hadn't taken 3rd, 4th, or 12th helpings. Dib had only been spared when GIR suddenly felt the need for tacos and ran screaming from the house.

"Move, I get some couch too," Liz said her voice mockingly reprimanding.

Dib made a non-complaint noise in return, which was muffled by his face still in the couch cushion. He heard her click her tongue and then he felt a weight all across his back and legs as she laid down on top of him using him as her couch.

"Hey," Dib protested turning his head to try and peer up at her.

Liz rested her head against his and snorted. "You're lucky I didn't choose to sit on you, I don't think your stomach could take the weight.

Dib had been about to protest, but realized that she could still sit up and put all her weight on his back and press his already aching stomach further into the couch, so he wisely kept silent. Also he was too lazy and tired to move, and it was kind of nice to have physical contact with another human being.

So when Skoodge came into the living room after finishing cleaning up GIR's mess he found the two humans on the couch as they were. Dib saw Skoodge frown at the scene.

"Liz, what purpose does this contact have?" Skoodge finally asked after a moment of careful study. Liz turned her head when she heard him speak. "There is sufficient space to place your body."

"It's called skinship," Liz explained. "Humans bond, or show affection through physical closeness. It's comforting, and with tomorrow being a day we might possibly die, comforting each other is only natural."

Dib made a thoughtful noise. "I just thought you were being annoying," he said playfully.

Liz poked his side in retaliation and Dib squirmed from the uncomfortable jab making Liz fall off and lay down behind him. "Jerk," she said good-naturedly and sat up to swing her legs over his back, letting them dangle off the couch.

Skoodge shifted around in place, drawing Dib's attention, his frown had evolved into a slight scowl. "Zim should be coming up from the labs soon," Skoodge informed them. When GIR started making waffles Zim had retreated rather quickly into the underground base making Skoodge watch over them. "Human bodies need a full night cycle of restoration. Neither of you received that last night because of GIR. Liz, you should come rest in my room now."

"Are you suuuure?" Liz said drawing out the last word as she stretched, almost pushing Dib off the couch in the process. "Isn't it easier for the two of us to stay here? Then only one of you has to watch us," Dib thought the suggestion was reasonable, but her provocative tone added to the fact that she rested her hand on Dib's back as she spoke made it clear to him that she was trying to get a reaction from Skoodge.

"Liz?" Dib frowned and craning his neck around to look at her, "What are you—mphf," she cut him off by grabbing the back of his head with one hand and pushing his face back into the couch.

"I'm perfectly fine with snuggling up next to Dib for the night," she continued and ran her other hand through his long scythe-lock of hair. What the hell was she trying to accomplish by doing this?

He got his answer when the couch suddenly tipped backwards startling the both of them as they were dumped onto the floor. Zim stood on the couch one hand gripping the back cushions and the other pointed dramatically at Liz.

"Liz-human, get your feely hands off the Dib!" Zim ordered loudly.

"Why should I?" Liz asked pouncing back onto Dib. He hadn't been able to move much besides hold his stomach and do his best to keep the waffles down. His stomach did not appreciate being rolled and when Liz added her fully body weight on top of him he had to focus even more on keeping them down. His hands trapped between their stomachs, he could do little to stop her when she snaked her hands back up to bury them in his hair. The action and their position might have seemed more sensual if not for the fact that Dib was sure he was grimacing and Liz wasn't looking at him at all, but grinning mischievously at Zim.

"Do not question Zim!"

"Well, I see no reason to stop our perfectly normal family interaction," Liz said and Dib rolled his eyes, there was nothing normal about this. Sure Liz leaned on him before, or rested her head on his shoulder while they watched TV, but it was usually brief and nothing as full on as this. However, it was kind of fun to see Liz teasing Zim, mostly because it meant she wasn't teasing him. "Unless, of course," Liz added pretending to look thoughtful. "You want to have your feely hands on Dib instead."

Dib turned bright red as the sudden memory of their kiss played out in his mind. Zim angrily sputtered nonsensical things as a faint blue tint appeared on his face. Laughing at them both Liz removed her hands from his hair so she could prop herself up.

"Too cute," she said grinning down at Dib, who grumpily scowled back, she had managed to tease him after all. She leaned in to kiss him on the forehead, she did that sometimes after teasing him pretty bad. The affectionate gesture always made him embarrassed, but Liz never made a big deal of it, the small kisses were second nature to her. She told him once that her brother did the same to her. However, she never made contact with Dib's forehead.

She hovered a moment in the air above him as Skoodge shifted his grip and hefted her over his shoulder. This time, Liz wasn't flailing and shouting, instead she simply let Skoodge carry her away like it was completely normal. She smiled and mouthed 'you can thank me later'. The last thing he saw before she vanished around the corner was her hand waving to him.

Dib had no idea why he would want to thank her and he mused on it from his place on the floor until a loud thunk from a metal PAK leg slamming onto the floor next to his head pulled his attention back to Zim. Using the leg as a pivot Zim hopped over the back of the couch to stand over Dib, one leg of either side of him. With one eye squinted he scrutinized Dib.

"Why were you being submissive to the Liz-human? Hmm?"

Dib rolled his eyes as he propped himself up on his elbows. "I wasn't being submissive to Liz, Liz was just being Liz. She knows my family isn't very—at all—affectionate and doing things like that to tease me is her idea of fun," Dib complained, but there wasn't much to it in his voice. In all honesty, while he didn't enjoy the teasing, he didn't hate it either. "It's how she shows she cares," Dib said surprising himself with that revelation.

"Well, make her stop it," Zim said leaning his back against the couch with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Dib said getting to his feet now that Zim wasn't in the way. He patted down his clothes, the computer had made him a brand new set out of Irken fabric, it looked a lot like his usual outfit, except his blue shirt was skin tight and had a gray Irken symbol on the front instead of a neutral smiley face. His traditional black trenchcoat was sleeker as well with small silver buckles going down the front instead of a zipper. He even had new boots, again tight fitting and black. The material was supposedly pretty strong and Zim boasted loudly about how it would protect him much better than his 'inferior' human clothes.

Reminded of the reason why he needed more protective clothes Dib sighed. "I hope Liz's plan goes smoothly." There were too many factors in her plan that could go wrong. They were banking a good part of it on the hope that she and Dib would be able to bargain with the demons so they could fight together instead of in separate rounds. Liz was pretty confident that she could convince them, but now that he didn't have to put on a brave front for Liz all the worries and doubts he had about tomorrow were creeping up on him.

"I still think my plan with the weasels would work better," Zim said with a slight pout. Maybe he was still grumpy about his and Liz's loud and in unison response of "No!" when he brought it up.

"C'mon, Zim, you aren't still on that are you? That was a terrible plan," Dib said.

Zim glared at him, insulted. "I never have terrible plans. Each one is PERFECT!" he shouted the last word. "You just end up in the way. If it weren't for you," he pointed at Dib fully extending his arm. "I would have taken over this ball of dirt by now and have conquered the demons."

"Yeah right, Zim. You didn't even know they were involved until Liz told you. I bet you didn't even know they existed!"

"Foolish human," Zim scoffed. "I knew about these demons. Zim has faced many trials, oh such trials have I faced. And the facing of which I have faced them would astound you." Zim shook his clawed hands out in front on himself for emphasis, after a short moment of that he lowered them again. "I fought a ham-demon once."

"That doesn't even make any—wait, what? A ham-demon? Like a pig-demon?"

"Are your listening satellites not functioning?" Zim squinted one eye at him. "I said ham, a ham-demon, a hideous demon made of-ugh-hammy meats."

Dib made a face. "I don't know whether to be disgusted or curious. When did you fight that?" he asked and not wanting to stand anymore, walked around to sit on the couch.

"Hm," Zim scratched the underside of his chin, tilting his head back slightly. As he did so he extended his PAK legs out, lifted himself up and casually plopped himself down on the opposite end of the couch, his back against the arm rest and his legs stretched out, taking up all of the couch but the small area Dib occupied. "It was that time with Tak," Zim began then proceeded to tell the story of how he ended up in that mess. That story evolved into another, then another as Zim went on about his 'amazing' plans and how they were always successful.

Dib listened making comments here and there, a question, or a head nod when called for. Zim was a magnet for trouble wherever he went, most of it was his own fault though. He didn't think things through when it mattered, in fact the only plans that ever came to a close call were the ones that directly involved Dib. He felt a little zing of pride in that fact, like he was important and thus Zim put in extra effort when it came to him. It made him feel like he was worth something, even if their battle for Earth had been moot the entire time. Zim gave him value. Zim thought he was worth the time and effort.

"Stink-beast," Zim paused in the middle of his story to eye Dib. "I fail to see how Earth being taken by the planet jackers would make you stupid-happy."

"What?" Dib said as he was pulled out of his thoughts.

"Your face is stupid, fix it."

"My face isn't stupid," Dib retorted, but realizing that he been grinning to himself like an idiot, Dib quickly schooled his features.

"What was going on in your brain meats that distracted you from my amazingness?" Zim asked.

"Nothing much," Dib said but when he saw Zim's dark look and remembering what happened last time he appeared distracted around Zim, Dib quickly continued. "I was just think that this isn't, well, that bad," Dib shrugged.

Zim stared at him, suspicious. "What 'this'?"

"What we're doing now, hanging out, I guess," Dib said rubbing the back of his neck. "It makes me feel like we're...close, sort of."

"We are close," Zim said like he was stating the obvious. "Zim isn't that far from you, but we have been closer," he said completely missing the meaning of what Dib was saying. Dib was about to correct Zim when the other crawled towards him across the couch. Invading his personal space he put his face right in front of Dib's. Dib froze in place not sure what to do. "We have been this close before, Dib-thing," Zim paused as he thought. "And we have been closer than this."

"Er, ah, yep. You're right, Zim," Dib said nervously and quickly looked away so he wouldn't focus his attention on Zim's mouth. He could see his tongue when he spoke and it was very... distracting. He wanted to grab Zim's face and kiss him again so bad, but he didn't have the nerve to do so. He felt guilty and weird about it because he was sure Zim had no idea what it meant. Also he didn't know if Zim would comply or try to rip his face off and Dib liked his face.

Zim turned to look in the direction Dib had, "What is it you are looking at that has distracted you from paying attention to Zim?"

"Er, nothing," Dib said standing to put a little more distance between them. "I was just thinking that it was late and that I should go to bed, because it's late and stuff," he said mentally slapping himself for rambling. "So, um, goodnight," Dib said and stiffly but quickly retreated from the living room and upstairs. He reached Zim's room just at Zim caught up with him.

"Did you forget that you are not allowed to be alone?" Zim asked irritated that he had to chase after Dib.

"I'm just going to sleep, you don't need to be in the room, right? Can't the computer keep watch?" Dib asked hopefully.

"No," he said simply and shoved Dib so he stumbled into the room. Dib protested but Zim ignored him. "Start your rest cycle, wormbaby."

"Are you just going to stare at me the entire time?"

Zim narrowed his eyes. "I can stare at whatever I want."

"I can't sleep like that, besides I don't know if you'll do weird experiments on me when I'm asleep," Dib said.

Zim blinked his eyes wide with surprise and his mouth slightly open, in the next instant an evil grin crept into place. "Yes," he nodded. "That's a good idea, Zim will do that."

"What?!" Dib said and began panicking.

"COMPUTER! Sedate the Dib-worm!" Zim shouted over Dib's protests and before Dib could do much else a metal coil from the wall slithered out and sprayed something in his face. Immediately Dib felt woozy and he stumbled back. His legs hit the round bed and he fell backwards onto it.

"Zim...you...jerk..." Dib managed before blacking out.

Zim looked down at the unconscious earth-boy. He should feel honored for Zim to even consider making Dib one of his amazing experiments. But Zim had other plans for Dib, he still wanted to make his enemy his slave, nothing else would do. However, in order for that to happen he would need to protect the boy from others who wanted to do the same. The earth-monkey was his future slave and Zim would destroy anything that got in the way of that goal. And annoyingly enough Zim also had to make sure that the human didn't destroy himself. The human needed a rest cycle if he wanted to survive tomorrow and Zim doubted his human's abnormally large head would stop thinking enough for him to sleep, so Zim had to intervene.

Dib began a rhythmic breathing, and Zim watched his chest rise and fall with the slight breaths.

While he didn't want to make the Dib an experiment, that didn't mean he couldn't preform one or two small experiments on him. Zim crawled onto his bed and hovered over the human. Despite what the fellow humans at skool thought, the Dib was a perfect specimen of his stupid race. As much as Zim hated to admit it the human had grown tall over the years, especially in the last two. However, Skoodge was slightly taller proving once again that Irkens were clearly superior.

There were taller humans, but they were of lesser intelligence and were often stinky or much wider and too squishy. Pinching Dib's side, Zim nodded to himself. The Dib had the perfect ratio of flesh-meats and muscles. He trailed his clawed fingers down the human's belly noting the firm muscles under the tight blue Irken-made shirt. Dib kept his body in a much better condition than his peers, his form was similar to Zim's own; thin, slender with tight muscles.

Although Zim often called Dib, Dib-stink, Zim did not hate his scent. He was not smelly like the other humans. The Dib's scent was more intriguing, even now. Zim bent his head closer, smelling through the thin membrane on his face as well as his antennae. There was a slight hint of that scent Zim found so intoxicating, needing to fully absorb it he lowered his antennae forward ghosting them over Dib's face. As they passed by his mouth Dib's shallow breath breezed across them causing Zim to bolt up at the sensation. It was as if his entire body had been lightly touched by a warm air current. It felt...odd.

Curious, but still apprehensive, Zim slowly lowered, he kept his body directly over the human's without touching him, his forearms and shins braced against the bed on either side of Dib. His face just above Dib's neck, he tilted his head and—prepared this time—let his antennae hover above the human's mouth. When the soft breath hit them Zim once again felt the sensation all across his body; warm air brushing across him as a tingling sensation ran along his skin. It felt...not bad, but he needed further experimentation to figure it out. He needed more contact.

Feeling more confident Zim let his antennae fall forward to rest against Dib's face and, Oh Irk, the sensation! Dib's scent and the texture of his smooth skin encased him until he felt like he was being smothered in a Dib-skin blanket. It was too much and Zim perked his antennae up and wiggled them around to dispel the feeling of the Dib smothering him. Zim's eyes fell to the dark head-fur, the hair, on top of Dib's head. There was just one last experiment to try.

Shifting just a slight bit more forward, Zim slipped his antennae into the strands and...Oh! This was much, much better. The Dib scent was strong, and his hair was not wiry or stiff, but as soft as the silken threats used to make Vort's most comfortable couch. This...This...

Zim collapsed against Dib, his head just off to the side so his antennae could stay entangled in the silken strands. Movement was not something he was capable of doing at the moment, his body so completely wrapped in that soft, soft sensation. The sleeping drug he used on Dib wouldn't wear off for sometime, which meant that Zim could stay encased in this pleasant feeling for a little longer.

He could go through a rest cycle and let his PAK recharge before the human would even become close to waking up. But Zim never slept while on his mission, so he wouldn't do that. Sleeping was a luxury for when missions were completed. But still he could just stay here a little longer. Closing his eyes was just giving his ocular implants a chance to recalibrate. In a few moments he would move. Just a little longer...

Skoodge carried his potential mate, his girlfriend, up the stairs feeling both frustrated and confused by her actions and the emotions he was picking up. She was feeling a lot of things, her scent too complicated for him to fully identify. But as he climbed the stairs he heard her giggle to herself.

"You can put me down now, Skoodge," she said. "I promise I won't run back and attack Dib."

He wasn't worried about her attacking Dib, her scent and actions held no hostility, but he couldn't rid himself of the gnawing irritation he felt when they were in proximity of each other. So while he believed her, he did not set her down until they were in his room and he activated the lock on his door, making it so only his, or Zim's (it was his base), bio-signature could open or close it. The lock had been installed as extra protection against GIR in case he ever tried to enter their rooms.

Once she was released, Liz faced him a small smile on her lips as she tilted her head from one side to the other, studying him. Skoodge frowned at her, he felt bothered by her actions but he couldn't understand why or what question to ask to make this irritation go away.

"I fully expected Zim to get jealous and act like that, but I thought you were more level- headed," Liz said her smile expanding. "Did it upset you so much to see me being affectionate with Dib?"

Skoodge nodded, understanding a little more now. "Why did you want to test your compatibility as mates with Dib?"

"What?" Liz's eyebrows came together as she thought before they sprung up. "Oh, you mean when I was about to kiss him?" Skoodge nodded and she chuckled. "There are different types of kisses, Skoodge." She shifted her weight to one hip as she spoke. "Humans kiss as a way to show affection to those whom we hold as important. Family members usually give small quick kisses on the cheek or head as a way to show love for each other. However, that love is different from the feelings that two individuals in a potential mating period have. Those types of kisses, the ones we've had, are never done between family members.

"Humans need physical contact with each other, we find it comforting and affirming, it's called skinship. Contact between friends is usually casual; slight touches, hugs. Contact between family can have the same plus some periods of prolonged contact when we sit next to each other called cuddling. Potential mates can have all of that plus more intimate and purposeful contact. Make sense?" Liz asked finishing her explanation.

Skoodge turned thoughtful as he absorbed this new information, and it did help ease some of the irritation in his spooch. Just because his girlfriend was having contact with Dib it did not mean she was interested in Dib as a mate. However, there was one thing that did make him upset with this information.

"We have not preformed this 'skinship', yet we are...dating," Skoodge said applying his new knowledge of human terms. He was rewarded with Liz's surprised then pleased expression.

"Would you like to?" she asked her expression reminding him of Zim when he came up with a new plan to unleash upon Dib. Zim's expression usually meant there would be trouble and a mess to clean up, so he never liked seeing that expression. But seeing that expression on Liz made his antennae tingle with her mischievous scent.

"Yes," he said immediately, but then he thought about the how the contact worked and frowned in disappointment. "My PAK will be uncomfortable for you to lie on, skinship might not be possible between our species."

Her eyebrows came together again in confusion. She must have forgotten that he had a PAK and thus it would be hard for her to have skinship with him like she had with the Dib. She could lie on his back but it would be uncomfortable with his metal PAK. Her confusion cleared and she laughed, probably imagining the action playing out in her mind. Skoodge became disheartened by her laughter, he wanted to do all the things that normal potential mates did.

"Hm, yes, that might not be the most comfortable position," she chuckled. "But let's try it anyway, go ahead and lay down on your stomach."

He didn't have a stomach, but he knew that humans also referred to their abdomens or the common term 'bellies' as stomachs so he knew what she meant. He smiled as he stretched out his body onto his comfy bed. She still wanted to have skinship with him even though it would not be the same. He laid out like he had seen Dib-human do, his arms down by his sides, but he had his head tilted so he could see his girlfriend.

She crawled onto the spongy surface and over to him, however she didn't turn to lay down on him, instead she climbed over him so her knees were on either side of his hips. His antennae twitched, unsure about this move and tried their best to pick up more information on her scent, but nothing had changed. He felt hesitant and leery as she placed her hands on his shoulders just below the base of his neck. Then she moved her numerous digits, kneading and applying fluctuating levels of pressure to his back muscles. With a jolt he realized that she was giving him a massage.

It was something only highly successful invaders and the Tallest themselves were at privilege to have. That Liz would willingly and on her own accord preform an action that would solely benefit him astounded the invader. He once thought of being able to have such a luxurious act given to him after he successfully conquered the slaughtering rat people.

He had no intention of keeping any of them as slaves, they were too primitive and ruthless to have as slaves, but he thought that the Tallest would at least reward him with a pass to Restopia; home to universe's greatest and most luxurious spa. However, he was sorely mistaken and was rejected from all hopes of reward, glory and fame because of his small and ugly stature.

But now Liz was willingly preforming such an act for him without any reason for her to reward him. She was not his slave and he hadn't ordered her to do this either. The reasoning for her action baffled him and he wanted to ask her why, but as her precise and skillful human fingers smoothed out his muscles all that come out of his mouth was a pleased hiss. This, he mused, is why humans have so many fingers.

"Skinship has many forms," he heard his girlfriend say above him, her voice slightly distant sounding as she focused her hands on the tense muscles surrounding his PAK. "I don't have to lie on top of you, it's about physical closeness and comforting touches, which, I can see, you are enjoying."

"Only the greatest...accomplished Irkens can have... this," Skoodge mumbled as his eyes slipped shut. He could feel his PAK shutting down as his body relaxed, soon he would go into a rest/ recharging cycle. Irkens didn't need them often and could forgo them by plugging in their PAKs to a computer every once in a while. A fully-body restore was something of a great reward, or something you did only when severely damaged to help the PAK heal the body faster.

"Well, you've managed to make the infamous Liz Membrane fall for you, that's a pretty big accomplishment in my book," she said sounding amused.

Fall? Skoodge thought, his brain becoming foggy. Fall down? She is sitting already. Maybe surrender? Become submissive? Yes. She has been submissive before during the kissing ritual. Does that mean I am the first to make her submissive? The thought pleased him immensely. If that was true maybe he did deserve this after all. Yes, he deserved a short rest cycle. A moment later Skoodge fell asleep.

Liz peered down and paused in her moments when she asked Skoodge a question and didn't receive an answer. His eyes were closed and he had a slight smile on his face.

"I thought Irkens didn't sleep," she thought out loud.

"Normally they don't," Gunn answered. "But you lulled his PAK into one. He'll wake up in a few hours, until then, unless his PAK perceives a threat, he'll be unresponsive."

"So easily subdued," Liz chuckled to herself. "But he's taking up most of the bed," she noted and tapped a finger to her lips as she thought out loud. "I'd hate to try and wake him, he looks so peaceful, but I'm getting pretty tired myself and I don't want to disturb Dib and Zim if they're still downstairs. And I don't want to be asleep on the couch GIR will want to play when he gets back. Maybe I can..." Liz rolled off Skoodge and hooking her arms under him she gently pushed him over to rest on his side. Gunn was correct, Skoodge didn't even flinch at the movement.

She grinned slyly down at him, she would give him something to be surprised about when he woke up. Grabbing a large soft pillow she lifted his head to rest on it. His antennae went limp and flopped over to the side, like floppy dog-ears and the action made her smile. After asking Gunn for a blanket she snuggled up next to Skoodge tucking her head up under his chin. She used his arm as her pillow allowing his other arm to drape over her under the blanket she threw over the two of them. Wouldn't he be surprised when he woke up?

Liz bit back a giggle as she settled down into his arms. In all honesty she was fairly comfortable like this. She hadn't had the opportunity to notice before, but he had a slightly sweet and pleasant scent to his skin, burying her nose closer into his shirt she wrapped her arms around the sleeping Irken, the bed was soft enough that she didn't think her arm would fall asleep underneath him. Breathing in deeply and letting her body relax it didn't take her much longer to fall asleep herself.

Some peaceful tender moments for the couples :) Next chapter will include the start of the Challenge!