Dib sloped over to Zim and Gaz. The Irken was sitting beside his sister, obviously looking uncomfortable. Gaz seemed oblivious to the Irken's discomfort. Zim smiled at him, standing up and moving away from Gaz.

"Hey." Dib smiled back, glad someone was happy with his arrival.

"Shall we go then?" Gaz looked up from her Game Slave briefly.

"The freaks coming too?" Dib watched Zim shift further away from his sister.

"We're friends now, remember?" A shrug of a black-clad shoulder was his reply so Dib set off with Zim on one side, Gaz on the other. He wouldn't be getting any conversation from Gaz so Dib turned his head to face Zim, letting his legs guide him home on autopilot. "You okay?" He asked and fake blue eyes met his before returning to the ground.

"I'm fine. Freak isn't the worst thing I've been called." Dib nodded. He himself had called Zim plenty of names from 'alien' to 'space-scum'... He tried to change subject.

"That lesson was hell..." The Irken smirked at his comment.

"It wasn't too bad. It was more fun to watch from the side lines." Dib rolled his eyes.

"It was bad." He repeated, he felt tired and dirty still.

"It was basic~" Zim whined and Dib scowled.

"Basic?" He asked, that was a real army course so how was it basic?

"No lasers, weapons or enemy combatants coming at you from everywhere." Dib blinked at the reply. Blue eyes met his. "That's the training I was doing when I was just a smeet." The proud smile on Zim's face annoyed him.

"Smeet?" It was the Irken's turn to roll his eyes.

"Our version of your Erth child." Dib paused, Zim stopping beside him as Gaz ignored them and walked on.

"How old are you?" Zim opened his mouth to reply but got cut off.

"GET HERE NOW." Gaz ordered and both of them raced back to her side. "Shut up and walk me home. When i'm on my couch, you can talk all you want." Dib sighed, stashing that thought away for the future. He gave Zim a reassuring look since the Irken had paled at his sister's words.

"Okay." Gaz glared at him and Dib settled into silence once more.


Dib opened the door for Gaz to enter, letting Zim in next before closing the door behind him. The Irken fidgeted on the threshold while Gaz stalked off to the living room.

"Come on, i'll show you around." Fake blue eyes settled on him.

"Okay." Came the mumbled reply and Gaz snickered at them despite being in a different room.

"Don't forget to hold your boyfriend's hand!" She called and Dib felt his face flush. What was with Gaz and her teasing?

"Boyfriend?" Zim echoed and Dib jolted from his thoughts. "What's a 'boyfriend'? I take it from the Dib's expression that it's more than a male friend, right?" Dib yelped, trying to change subject. How could Zim be clueless about so much one second then super observant the next?

"It's nothing important!" He grabbed Zim's wrist to get his full attention. "Dump your bag and let's go." He breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Zim's bag hitting the floor.

"Fine," Zim conceded and Dib noticed the look Zim was giving him. It seemed the Irken wouldn't let this drop completely. "I will find out, you know." Dib grimaced.

"Let's start with the lab." That'd get Zim's interest, if only for a little.


Dib groaned, practically dragging Zim from the lab as he tried to correct mistakes in a few of his father's formulas. He wasn't really allowed down here and if he changed a formula his father would realise and make getting in harder.

"But Dib-child..." Zim whined at him and Dib huffed.

"I'm not a child and I already said no." The Irken huffed, finally allowing himself to be dragged back to the living room. Gaz looked up as they entered.

"Just because I suggested it, you went and did it, huh?" Dib blinked, confused before looking down and finding himself holding Zim's hand still. He didn't comment, only dragging Zim into the kitchen.

"Stay here." He ordered and the Irken shrugged at him.

"Fine." Dib shook his head, Zim wouldn't stay put and they both knew it. Dib had more pressing matters though. He had to hide most of his surveillance stuff or Zim would think he was creepy... if he didn't already. The main thing was that their trust was frail at the moment and if Zim saw all that stuff, he'd assume Dib was still trying to expose him as an alien. Against his better judgement, Dib left Zim in the kitchen and raced off upstairs.