Dlbn: Hey there, everyone! Time for another chapter of Iz Moth! I meant to update on Thursday, but I went to one of the local theatres and met Buddy Valastro from Cake Boss! Then I was going to update on Friday, but I was too tired…but no more excuses. Time for the chapter that may or may not get me killed (Shields self with Keef)

Nbld: Stop being so dramatic, you idiot. (Rolls eyes) Review corner! Thank you to Darkdagers, Ukana Uchiha, Invader Ang, yaoifangirlforever1716, ArcAngelCrystal, IHeartLink X3, suckishLEMONADE, morgana starfire, ecrounox, Silver Night Stalker, SonnyWithAFirefly, and XxFuTuRe-EaRtH-RuLeRxX for reviewing! (Passes out Iz Moth yaoi Fanart)

Dlbn: We have reached and went over 200 reviews to date! Thank you to everyone for all your support! (Passes out more cake) Now it's time for the Question and Answer segment!

Darkdagers: Yes, yes they are. :3

Invader Ang: That must hurt to have your face explode… (Gir pops up) Finally! (Laughs insanely, then blows up)

ArcAngelCrystal: Cake is your friend. Lol

Silver Night Stalker: Thanks for pointing that out. "Eyes and tied it behind his hand." Epic fail on my part! That was an awesome picture. If I had a Deviant Art account, I would so attack the like button. :D

XxFuTuRe-EaRtH-RuLeRxX: I could so see Gir saying that…Zim will make him eventually. He's just…not very good with robots for some reason. (Looks over to see Gir explode on Zim again) Sigh.

Disclaimer: I own nothing outside of Krill, The Mask, and the plot. Invader Zim and all related characters, titles, themes, places, species, etc, etc belong to Jhonen C Vasquez. I only do this for entertainment value and not money.

000

Dib arrived at school the next day to see his friends sitting on the steps as usual. He walked over with a slight flick of his wrist. Rob scooted over a bit to make room for Dib to sit on the bottom step.

"What's up?" Torque asked. "I heard you invited Zim to your place."

"Who told you?" Dib responded.

"Keef." Rob said. "He's still trying to convince us that you're gay, I guess."

"Ah." Dib nodded once.

"So did you invite him over? Or is Keef just being dumb?" Sarah wondered.

"I invited him." Dib shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, I figured it must get lonely at his place, seeing as he lives alone. You know?"
"So you asked him to hang out?" Brian wondered. "How sweet of you."

Dib rolled his eyes, noting his friend's sarcasm. "Thanks, Brian. I knew you'd like it."

"So what did you guys do?" Zita asked.

"Just hung out in my room and talked. Played some computer games. Nothing much."

"Talked?"

"He was telling me about his hometown and stuff. It's not that big of a deal."

"It must be if he made it a point to tell Keef." Torque pointed out.

"They're close." Dib shrugged again. "They probably share a lot of information between them. The whole group probably does."

"I don't think that's it, man." Brian shook his head.

Dib looked over to where Zim and the others were sitting. Zim shyly wiggled his fingers at Dib, receiving a smile in return.

"Looks like you might have another leech." Zita muttered.

"He's not that bad." Dib said. "Nothing like Keef."

"For now." Brian said. "He's gonna become like him once he gets more used to the school."

"I doubt that." Dib sneered.

The others shared a look. Torque started to say something, but the bell cut him off.

"We'll have to worry about it later." Rob said. "Let's go to homeroom. Wanna wait for your little friend, Dib?"

"Shut up." Dib stood and went inside, the others following slowly behind.

000

Zim dug through his locker for his math textbook. He'd forgotten it when he was at his locker before homeroom, so he figured he'd get it before class. It was close by, anyway. He felt a finger tap his shoulder and looked over it.

"Oh, hey, Dib." Zim greeted with a smile. He turned and shut his locker. Leaning on it, he spoke again. "What's up?"

"Why'd you tell Keef about yesterday?" Dib asked.

"Oh…" Zim paused. "I-I didn't know it was a secret."

"It's not." Dib shook his head in denial. "But I didn't think you'd tell him. He made it seem like a big deal to my friends. Like we were going out or something."

Zim flushed. "Well, I know we aren't." He said. "And you know it too. So why care what others think?"

"I don't, I just…" Dib paused. "You didn't tell him we…" Dib looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear him if he whispered. "…kissed…did you?"

"No, of course not." Zim shook his head. "You were right. If I told him, the whole Skool would know. And if you're not ready to come out, then I don't wanna be the one that breaks the news."

"I figured you wouldn't say anything. Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome." Zim looked at the clock on the wall. "We should get going to class."

"Yeah, I know." Dib said. He waited for Zim to walk before joining his side. He clutched at his backpack strap with one hand. "You wanna hang out again?"

"Tonight?" Zim asked. "Sure. You know I have no life." He laughed.

"Neither do I." Dib shook his head.

"Sure you do. You have friends."

"You do too."

Zim flushed. "Touché."

Dib laughed. "So…uh…about that kiss…uh…"

"That was no kiss." Zim said. "It was more of a make-out session, I'd say."

Dib flushed at Zim's words. "Yeah, I guess you have a point." He paused. "Sorry."

"For?"

"That make-out session."

"Don't apologize." A smirk played on Zim's lips. "I already told you I like you."

"I know you did." Dib said. "But I don't meant to lead you on or anything. I mean, I do have a sort of boyfriend."

"I know."

They were both silent for a minute. "So do you miss your friend from home?" Dib asked.

"Krill?" Zim wondered. "Yeah."

"Krill?"

"Strange name, I know. I guess his parents were having cravings for seafood when they named him."

Dib laughed. "I hope you never told him that."

"No way." Zim laughed. "He'd probably hate me if I did."

The bell rang before they reached their classroom door.

"Crap." Dib said. "What do you wanna do?"

"What do you mean?"

"We could either go in late or skip. What do you wanna do?"

"If we skip, your friends will think Keef's right about us. If we go in together, they'll think the same thing." Zim said. "We lose either way."

"Unless one of us goes in first."

"Or one of us skips."

"I've never skipped a class before."

"Me neither."

Then again, he'd never been to school before now.

"Wanna try it?"

"Fine by me." Zim nodded.

They both turned and walked the other way.

"So where do we go?"

"We could hide out in the bathroom." Dib said. "That's what people did in middle school, anyway."

"If you say so." Zim shrugged.

"Or we could go to the lounge. You haven't been there before, have you?"

Zim shook his head. Dib grasped his hand. "Let's go then."

Zim followed in the direction Dib was dragging him, not once trying to pull his hand free.

000

At lunch that day, Zim leaned his head in his hand, elbow on the table. The inedible gruel the Skool was serving that day wasn't much different from any other day. This time, though, it was distinguishable as catsup and rice. Keef was staring at him, unblinking, with a huge grin on his face.

"What?" Zim asked.

"You and Dib skipped math today." Keef said.

"He skipped too?" Zim wondered. "I wouldn't know."

"Don't lie." Gaz ordered. "You two passed my classroom."

Zim groaned. "Thanks a ton, Gaz."

"Something did happen when you were there yesterday, didn't it?" Keef leaned forward. "Details please!"

"Nothing happened." Zim shook his head. "We just talked and played computer games the whole time."

"Sure you did." Keef winked.

"I believe him." Gretchen said softly. "I know you wish it wasn't true, Keef, but Dib's not gay. I've seen the way he looks at Sarah."

Gaz rolled her eyes, but no one seemed to notice.

"I still say it's a cover." Keef shook his head.

"Its not." Zim agreed with Gretchen.

"How do you know?"

"We were talking about it." Zim lied. "He wanted to know why you're so convinced that he's gay. I said I didn't know, but I asked him if he was. He said no. I believe him."

"Uh huh."

Gaz raised an eyebrow. "I can't believe you asked."

"I figured I could let Keef know if I asked."

"What if he told you to lie?" Keef playfully stuck his tongue out at the Irken.

Zim rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't listen." He argued. "I don't respond well to being told what to do."

"Yeah, that's obvious." Gaz rolled her eyes.

Zim glared at her.

"I still say he lied to you, too." Keef argued.

Zim groaned.

000

After Skool was out, Dib and his friends walked down the front steps. They were still pestering him about having Zim over the day before. Dib was trying to change the subject, but to no avail.

"Are you sure you don't have a thing for him? Even a little?" Torque asked. "Just answer me and we'll shut up."

"We're friends." Dib said softly.

"That's dodging the question, still." Rob pointed out.

"We wouldn't care if you did." Zita assured him. "We'd just like to know."

"I'd like to know if I really have any chances with you or not." Sarah admitted. "So why can't you just answer us?"

"Do I have a crush on Zim?" Dib asked. "That's all you want to know."

"Yeah." Brian nodded. "That's what we've been saying."

Dib sighed. "Fine. I like him, okay?" He asked.

"So…are you gay? Or is it just Zim that you like?" Rob wondered.

"I thought you said you'd stop if I answered." Dib was really getting annoyed now.

"Last question."

"I don't believe you."

"We're your friends. You should believe us." Torque said.

"Just like how you guys believe me every time I tell you I'm straight?" Dib sighed, agitated beyond belief now.

"We believe you." Brian said. "You're just acting like you're only saying it to make us shut up, is all."

"I'm telling you to get you to shut up, yeah, but I really am straight." Dib leaned on the railing.

"We believe you, then." Torque said. "Let's go do something."

"Like what?" Brian asked. He seemed to notice something. "Your boyfriend." He muttered to Dib, causing a few snickers to rise from the others.

Dib looked out of the corner of his eye to see Zim sitting on a picnic bench with his friends. He and Keef appeared to be arguing over something. "He's not my boyfriend." Dib sneered.

"Sure."

"Alright, you know what, I'm sick of this." Dib pushed himself off of the railing. "You want to know the truth? Yeah, I have a crush on Zim. And no, he's not the only guy I like."

"What are you saying, Dib?"

Dib wiped a hand over his face. "There's no way you can all be this dense."

"What?" Rob wondered. He scratched the side of his head. "I really don't get it."

"You wanted the truth, right?" Dib spoke softly.

"About your sexuality?" Torque wondered. "We already said we believe you about being straight."

Dib chuckled. "You guys are dense sometimes, you know that?" Dib paused. "I lied."

"Lied?" Sarah asked.

"What do you mean?" Brian wondered.

Dib couldn't take it anymore. He felt like he was going to explode. "I'M GAY!"