Yay! There it is. Probably the most fluffy and certainly the most awkward chapter by now xD And a big thanks to my Co-writer EmilyTheKittyCat (deviantart) for editing the chapters. All my typos in the original ... jeez^^ Too many.
Enjoy!
Now with an extremely upset Dib on his shoulder, Zim wrapped his arms around the human's torso and hugged him tightly. He hated seeing his friend so stressed... Especially since he was part of the problem. It also didn't help how he wasn't used to dealing with human emotions either. Only anger and hate he was used to. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying to help the other.
So, reaching up a hand, Zim began to play with the human's hair once again, hoping it may calm him slightly. "No need to apologize. Like you said, it's not your fault. It's your brain, right?" He said, lightly knocking on Dib's head before continuing.
"And your head isn't that stupid, it can't be if your personality is stored up there. Well, that's your brain isn't it? But, it's still considered as your head..." Zim sighed slightly. He really wasn't helping the matter...
"All I'm trying to say is, don't be upset, okay?" He finished, returning both hands to the hug and tightening it.
Dib listened to Zim's speech, while he took several deep breaths, in and out, to calm him down. But what mostly calmed him down were the Irken's kind and concerned words. It was an incredible, lovely feeling to know he was wanted. To know that Zim cared... so much actually! It was sad, since he didn't remember feeling that way when he was with his father or Gaz. This was the first time he felt this way.
He quietly whimpered against Zim's neck and, out of instinct, gave it an affectionate lick. Enjoying the other's tight hug and the combing claws in his hair, Dib closed his eyes and huddled against his Irken. He still felt so hot and tingly, but now he wasn't upset and confused anymore. In that moment, he just basked in the oh so very nice tingling in his belly and the squeezing in his chest-area or rather his heart. When he spoke again, his voice wasn't hoarse and nervous anymore. Only soft and relaxed.
"O-Okay. As long as you hold me... l-like now, I will just be happy, standing here and such...a-and thanks for your nice words, Zim. Really, they mean so much for m-me." And with that, he gave green skin another swift lick, before smiling to himself and put one arm around Zim's waist, gently rubbing it.
Noticing the whimper from Dib made Zim slightly worried. Had his talk really not worked? He wouldn't surprised. He really wasn't good at this emotional stuff. Especially if it was negative. But the feeling of the other's tongue on his neck for a brief moment said something at least, yet caused a shiver from him to become present. Plus, the calm tone in Dib's voice was reassuring to hear. Maybe he wasn't so bad at this after all?
"Well what else was I meant to do? Watch you becoming upset? No way," he said, trying to get his point across without saying it in words; that in truth he did care. But of course would never say that. It wasn't like him to express something like that, and he wasn't going to start either. He still had some dignity left. Not a lot, but some. But then again, who would have all their dignity left after purring, becoming friends with a human -not that it was a bad thing-, cuddling, getting... banished, and admitting quite a lot of information. ...Probably not many people, if not anyone! Yet Dib didn't seem to mind any of them, and neither did Zim. Even the banishment so much after Dib had put such a good light on it earlier.
"Silly human emotions," he stated, after a moment of silence between them both.
Dib couldn't help but agree with Zim's last statement. Sometimes, they really get annoying. Emotions... But still, they were also the reason he was feeling so... so relaxed and happy in this moment. In Zim's arms. Slowly, Dib learned that emotions got two different sides. Worst feelings and best ones too. And in the course of the last 3 days, he felt both sides, but mostly the good ones. Being with Zim. Cuddling. Kissing. It all caused that nice tingling. Sometimes only in his belly, sometimes all over his body, especially during the shirtless cuddling.
Soon, it was getting hard to stand, since Dib felt too relaxed to keep his legs from wobbling, So. "W-Would you mind, if we sit on the couch...? So we can better...umm... talk, yeah." It was obvious that Dib really was intending to do and he knew that, but he didn't want to look like a weirdo in Zim's eyes. Well, more than already. A weirdo, who just wanna touch and kiss and cuddle. But it was the main thing on Dib's mind right now.
Somehow, he felt like he should give Zim some kind of 'reward' for being so nice and caring. Zim just tried to make him feel better and that alone made Dib happy. Yes, they were true friends. Very special ones. The boy felt this way like never before. So he gave the Irken one last lick, before he slowly pulled back and led Zim by his hand to the couch.
"Sure," was Zim's simple reply as they were walking towards the couch. Well, no matter what his answer it seemed like they were going to sit down anyway. He didn't mind though of course, sitting down would really be a lot easier to be able to talk.
Once they were both sat down, Zim moved his gaze around the room... It sure was quiet without GIR or Minimoose... Come to think of it, he hadn't seen that moose for a few days now... Oh well, happened most of the time. Always turns up eventually. But GIR was constantly around, and it was odd to actually be able to hear yourself think. Maybe he should invite the human round more often; since it gave him an excuse to kick the robot out for awhile without any complaints.
Leaning back, he put his hands behind his head and shut his eyes. Silence was definitely welcome, but then again sometimes unwanted too. It could bring awkward moments, but not this time. Well, for him at least. "You hear that?" Zim asked, and after a few moments of no reply, he continued. "Silence. No GIR. No annoying robot!" He finished, opening his eyes and smiling whilst sitting up straight again. It was then that he remembered Dib had wanted to talk. Maybe about something particular?
"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked, turning his head to face the other.
Indeed. It was quiet. And Dib was very glad for it. Because they would surely need it for a meaningful talk or even...cuddling. But first, he took off his glasses, so the Irken could see his eyes better.
"Zim, I...I wanna talk about the... weird thoughts I get, when I look at you long enough. L-like back at the diner." Rubbing is neck, he shuffled closer to Zim on his knees and carefully put both hands on one of the other's legs. Now the boy looked down again, regarding his next words.
"When you scratched the table...w-with your claws, immediately an image appeared in my mind. We...-" Gulping "-w-we were both shirtless on the bed...I-I laid on my back and y-you... sat on my stomach, while you scratched...a-at my chest, leaving visible marks a-all over my chest. A-and... and I was... I-I was moaning your name and squirming. I enjoyed how you were...marking me... That was actually the reason why I was...away for some moments, just staring ahead. B-But the thing is... it felt s-so... erotic... to think about it. I-I felt some kind of l-lust bubbling up in my belly. It's so strange!.. I-I shouldn't feel this way! We... we are not mates, but... you're so..."
During his monologue, his hands gripped tighter on Zim's leg and now they were nervously cramping with the jeans cloth. Dib was just too scared to touch Zim 'too much', so he would lose control. His other side was just waiting for this to happen! Lurking and luring Dib with thoughts... nice thoughts. He was getting upset again, but all he could do was whine.
"...Z-Zim... I don't know, what to do!" He helplessly whimpered and tightly closed his eyes again, hoping to shoo away these 'thoughts'...
At seeing Dib take off his glasses, Zim could now see his eyes clearly, but instead of wide and happy, they were filled with worry... And he didn't like it. They became even more clear when the human moved closer to him and rested his hands on his leg.
Zim was now concerned...
Very concerned.
Listening to the explanation, his eye's widened and a slight blush formed on his face. And instead of concerned, Zim was now scared. Not for himself, no, never that. But for Dib... Of course that news was slightly... 'embarrassing', but the human looked so... broken. So confused. Because of him! He felt so guilty now... And it felt like one of his organs had just hit the floor... Maybe that's what human's meant by 'felt their heart drop'...? Well, of course it wasn't his heart, since he didn't have one. Had something LIKE it, but not exactly.
He'd seen something on a show GIR watched awhile ago... One of the two characters had said they 'felt their heart drop' from news the other had said, and then put the other's head on their lap... Yet it seemed like it was a mother and a child. But, it wouldn't hurt to see if that comforted Dib?
So, placing his hand on Dib's back, he gently pulled until the human was on his back, head resting in Zim's lap. It was an actually surprisingly comfortable position. During this, Zim used his other hand to stroke the other's hair.
Ugh... the humiliation if someone were to see this besides him and Dib... But no-one was going to, so it didn't matter.
Looking down at Dib, Zim spoke. "I told you not to be upset, didn't I? We'll figure something out... Just don't stress out about it. You humans allow your emotions to control you, like they own you. But no, you own them, don't you? Be the controller, not the slave and everything will be fine." ...Had he really just said something that... 'weird'? Obviously he had...
"That sounded stupid, didn't it?" He asked, smiling slightly.
That was for sure, Dib didn't expect such a... caring gesture. Yeah, Zim was truly concerned for him. So his eyes widened for only a second by surprise, before they fell hald-lidden. Now he felt so secure and wanted! His stress slowly decreased. Zim's lap was actually more comfy than any pillow in the world. And the view was good too, well except for the contacts and the wig. But still... it was a smiling Zim. And the way the Irken's claws brushed against his scalp... hmm, so relaxing! So, as a result, his red face was slooowly getting less red, gaining back its usual pale tone.
Smiling back, Dib mumbled. "Ya' know, if I could purr, I would purr so loud now... even louder than GIR ever could be. J-Just so you know, you... n-nice I feel right now." Dib stretched out his lanky legs and fondled with the fingers of Zim's free hand.
But what Zim said about emotions was so... true, so logical. It surprised the boy quite a lot, since it was ZIM who said it. Apparently never dealt with human emotions, it seemed the Irken knew more about them than Dib, the human, did.
"And actually it didn't sound stupid in the slightest, Zim, but...well, controlling my emotions is said easily, but... it's a part of me, s-so it's hard to just separate it from...well, the 'rest' of my personality. Especially in my case... emotions are superior, they're making ME. A Dib without emotions, or any human without them- wouldn't be a real human... A-Also, I didn't say they're bad; I'm just so confused. I'm feeling so much, it's l-like a flood."
In the end, Dib's words were barely above a whisper, talking more to himself than Zim. But seeing that worried look on the Irken's face, he quickly reassured. "B-But it's not your fault, Zim! Really. It's just... just so hard to pull myself together, when I'm... with you..."
With that, he closed his eyes and concentrated on Zim's caressing claws and the soft skin of the hand he was playing with. "But... I don't wanna miss that. Especially these moments with you...So very nice..." He mumbled and grinned. "Heh... Zim belongs to Dib, yeah."
Happy that Dib didn't think that the motion was too weird, Zim leaned back slightly into the couch, though still looking at the human. The other's eyes were shut now, yet a huge smile was still present. Heh, this position must REALLY comfort him. Zim must keep that in mind incase a moment like this happened again in the future.
Yet the words from the explanation moments ago popped back into his mind. In Dib's daydream, he had been scratching him... Moving his gaze, he now looked at his own hand which the human was currently playing with. But knowing his claws... That would more than likely hurt... Badly even. So, how was that -as Dib had put it- erotic...? He didn't even know what that meant. Another human term he wasn't familiar with. Yet, it must mean something 'odd' if those thoughts were causing Dib distress and confusion. And this 'mate' matter kept popping up from time to time also...
Obviously it was a great importance to be named someone's mate. And awkward to do what mates do during a friendship. So, why did they do it every now and then? They clearly both liked it, but then, as said before, they were no mates. ...This matter really needed to be sorted out, before Dib had another breakdown. It's horrible to see a friend in distress... And even more so when it's you that is the problem.
The question now was: how to fix it?
Well... One answer was obvious, but then highly disconcerting at the same time; and very highly unlikely to happen. Another was to just stay away from each other.
Never going to happen!
Even Zim knew that, that was out of the question. He would hate to lose his first, and only, friend.
Maybe something in-between? ...Well, that was where they were at the moment, special friends.
Zim let out a sigh and sank back further into the seat. This would be more difficult than he thought. Yet, if he wanted to settle this matter he'd have to have one question answered... But it'd probably be extremely embarrassing to ask AND to answer. But, here it goes.
"Dib-friend? Can two males or two females become m-m-" He took a deep breath in before continuing. "-Mates?" He finished, avoiding the human's gaze at all cost. The question meant nothing serious, nor anything to affect something between them. Just a simple curiosity, along with a question with need of an answer.
Dib enjoyed the silence and Zim's hands. It wasn't awkward like he thought it would be, regarding his previous... 'confessions'. But eventually, he heard the Irken's voice again. And what was said, was something he mused about himself. But it was still a shock for Dib to realize, Zim got similar thoughts...! Dib's ones revolved around Zim, but he was sure the Irken asked it with the same intention.
If it was possible to be Dib's...mate.
The boy opened his eyes and saw that the other was looking somewhere else. Well, who could blame him? Dib himself didn't dare to say that out aloud what Zim just asked, because it implied so much... Now, the matter stood in the room, hanging over them like a cloud.
"Well... ya' know, to be honest, I recently thought about the same thing. About h-"
Scared now, he stopped himself, but looking at Zim's dark green face and the avoiding, kinda angsty gaze... he decided it was only fair to say what was going on his mind, since Zim already brought up the courage to ask the question.
"- about how it would b-be... to... t-to be y-your mate, Zim...b-but just hypothetical! I-I don't mean it to sound so...weird. But it IS possible for two males... or females to be mates. It's just... not really tolerated on Earth, so often it's a secret, only a few people knowing about it. Too many p-people think it's wrong, but... I think there's nothing wrong with it, i-if two males or females l-like each other that way, so much, than it's... v-very right to be m-mates..."
Dib was more nervous than embarrassed, because images were coming back. About him and Zim... doing stuff...! So, he hid his flared face into the Irken's shirt and smelled his faint scent. But that certainly didn't help to calm him down... quite the opposite.
"D-Do you think about, h-how...it would be... b-being my... m-mate?" He mumbled barely audible since his face was full of Zim. Oh boy, did he really said that aloud? Yeah, but he wanted to know! It was very important to sort it out, since Dib felt like they already 'crossed the borders'.
Now with this topic, it became quite a awkward moment... Especially since it seemed like they were both thinking of the same thing... Yet, neither one was going to admit it to the other. "Your... Your mate?" Zim mumbled, brain melting at that moment from embarrassment.
Well, obviously he'd never thought about it before... being... Dib's mate... Wait! Why was this conversation even present... Well, that was because of him now, wasn't it?
"I don't know... It's just this m-m...-" Ugh, why could he never say it properly!? "-m-mate issue, seems to be causing your distress... And... I w-was just... t-thinking..." He explained, words drifting off slightly at the end.
Come to think of it... What WOULD it be like to be Dib's mate...? ...Weird possibly, but maybe not in a bad way. Since, he had grown increasingly fond of the human over the past few days... That's why they became friends, but now... Now they both had this 'different feeling' coming to life inside of them.
Looking down, Zim now saw that Dib had now hidden himself, well... his head really, in his shirt. The sight made him feel quite guilty about bringing this topic up, but it had to be said. For both of their sake. Maybe this is what all those 'stupid emotions' Dib was talking about? About the thought of being mates. But as the human said, just hypothetical... What did mates even need? Care, well they both cared for each other... Check... Trust... Check. Commitment, well they had that, since they didn't give up on one another... Check. And the final one, l- Zim's eyes widened and jerked slightly, blush increasing. 'Love...' He thought. What a stupid human emotion... Causes so much pain... But then, so much joy also.
Zim sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "Zim doesn't know..." He simply stated.
The way Zim was saying the next few words, so... distant, almost slurred. It caused his head to come up from his nook, looking up. Of course, Zim's face was so very dark, but also he was so tense, rigid. Well, they both were.
After the other's last words, Dib decided to make the moment less awkward, more... nice. What did they do to reach this? Oh, yeah... So, instead of pushing the topic further, Dib pulled back from Zim's lap and hesitantly sat in the other's lap, straddling him. Then, without any doubts, he placed his hands on two green cheeks.
"I-I don't know either, Z-Zim... but THIS is for sure..." Dib whispered against the other's lips, before he slowly leaned forward and gently kissed his Irken.
Sensing movement from Dib, Zim looked back down to the human and saw that he was moving out of his lap. Well, of course Zim thought the worst, that Dib had found the topic too weird and wanted to leave or something... The topic was slightly weird, but he didn't think it was that weird to make the human want to leave. But no, he wasn't leaving...
He was sitting on his lap! Yet the position didn't feel completely 'innocent' as the last one was. The closeness of both their faces proved that. He could guess what was coming next. And sure enough, it did; they were kissing again. This time is was expected and welcome, so Zim shut his eyes and focused on the tingling feeling which had appeared in his chest.
It was funny, since the taller Dib sat on Zim's lap, while he needed his back a bit, but he wasn't complaining. After Zim offered his lap as a pillow, the boy thought this position will be more pleasurable for both of them. So peeking one eye open, Dib saw that the Irken already closed his own eyes.
Their tongues didn't fight so rough like during the 'battle' last night. For Dib, it was more a curious sweep, like their wet thingys were hugging each other. Also, Zim seemed to be more relaxed this time, since it wasn't so surprising to do this, since the boy climbed on the other's lap and such...
And regarding their topic just moments ago, Dib wanted to know, how Zim was feeling during the kiss, more than usual. The talk about mates and affection and stuff... So one of his hands firmly massaged Zim's neck, while the other wandered upwards and removed the wig. With one eye open, Dib happily watched the two antennae spring up in the air, relieved to be free. Using just two fingers, his thumb brushed ever so slightly over the feelers surface near the base.
Dib knew the tip was the most sensitive part, so starting at the base seemed to be smart. He didn't want to make Zim's brain stop working, but that the Irken got more used to the feeling his fingers caused on the antenna.
The thumb stopped and Dib backed away just an inch to speak: "...Zim?... H-How are you feeling now?" Dib whispered and caressed the green neck, while smiling reassuringly at Zim.
With a sudden loss of weight on top of his head, Zim realized that Dib had more than likely taken off his wig. He had almost forgotten that he actually had his disguise on, since he had gotten used to it after awhile. A sudden shiver made its way down the Irken's spine which shook him slightly, at feeling the other's fingers on his antennae, but this time his brain stayed functional, yet that didn't stop a purr from becoming active.
Usually Zim would have got annoyed at this, but after Dib had explained that he had liked the sound, he didn't mind it so much either.
After a few moments, they both parted, and that left him panting slightly. But his mind was already thinking about the question. Well, as usual his squeedily-spooch felt like it was twisting in knots, and that he was getting electrocuted by some type of wire going down his spine. It happened every time this type of moment became present between the two of them. Also, a warm feeling made its way into his chest whenever even just looking at Dib recently... Now, just to find a way to put that into words.
So, opening his eyes, he looked directly into the other's eyes whilst replying. "W-Weird... It f-feels like my organs are imploding in on themselves, but it's a nice feeling, w-which is odd..." He started, taking a deep breath before continuing. "And it feels like there's a fire right here-" He pointed to his chest. "-When you're c-close... ...Well that sounded stupid! But, it's t-true..." He finished, smiling slightly.
At hearing the other's purring, Dib instantly shuddered and felt a rush of excitement shooting through his body. The first thing Dib did, was carefully remove the contacts with shaky hands. Placing them on a armrest, he eagerly looked into Zim's slightly glistening red eyes. At seeing the Irken's true form in all its glory, Dib felt even more connected with Zim. Even more close, emotionally. It was such an intimate moment, Dib got somewhat dizzy and leaned forward, until their foreheads touched.
Now his whole view-field was filled with...red. Dib could watch, how the colour slowly got darker... Another deep shudder grasped his body and he took Zim's face in his slightly sweaty hands. Dib breathed the same air as Zim, when he spoke, panting and overly hot feeling. "Really?... Well, I'm feeling quite similar...r-right now, Z-Zim...A squeezing i-in my chest. And your purring m-makes me so... light headed and... hot. Also I can see... how dark y-your eyes can get. It's always so f-fascinating to see."
Closing his eyes for some seconds to let the feelings overflow him, Dib took a deep breath and opened them again.
"Y-Ya' know, there's a human term... saying you got b-butterflies in your stomach. I-I never understood it, but now... it f-feels exactly like this... l-like they are flying around inside me... and it feels so nice!"
Dib grinded their hips together, since his position kinda... offered it to him. But still, he was more in control than usually in such moments... Smiling dreamily at sensing the waves of heat rolling around in his body, not from day-dreaming, Dib slid his hands under the Irken's shirt and placed them on the Irkens side, needing to grasp more of his Zim.
"...Y-You're so close to me, Zim...right now... in so many ways, you... have no idea." He wasn't sure if the other understood the statement, but then again... he didn't really do either. He just felt this way.
Now that their foreheads had met, Zim could also see the human's eyes a lot better too. The mix of golden yellow and light brown... It was difficult to not just stare and study them, whilst forgetting anything else. But he managed it just enough to hear what Dib had to say.
"What a weird human expression..." He said, thinking out-loud, before gasping slightly as their hips ground together and at the feeling of the hands on his skin. It made his entire body heat up slightly and breathing to become more deliberate.
"W-Well of course I'm c-close to you. You're s-sitting on me," he replied, chuckling slightly, before wrapping his arms around Dib's torso in a hug. Being so close to the other made Zim feel so happy and warm inside, like nothing else mattered at all. All worries and issues went flying out the window not to return until they were apart. It was odd, since usually he would compare the current situation to what could be happening if they weren't 'special friends'. But that didn't seem necessary this time, not in the slightest. Here and now was what mattered, no thoughts about the past, or the future... Which was weird, since Zim usually thought about both those things without even realizing he was doing it; but not this time.
"You're Zim's human..." He mumbled, nuzzling his face into Dib's neck.
It was hard to hold back a laugher, when Dib heard the other's first statement. Well, that soon changed when he felt Zim's breath on his neck, actually the whole face of Zim. But what affected him the most were the other's last words. 'Zim's human...' Dib thought over and over again. It was odd, but he really, really liked how that sounds. And the way Zim said it...
"Yeah, I'm yours... Zim property..." It kinda slipped out, but the boy didn't complain or feel embarrassed. Belonging to Zim... only Zim... made his heart beat so fast, like it wanted to get out of his ribcage. That reminded him of his formerly broken ribs...the pain and... No! Quickly these thoughts were replaced with Zim. What he had done for him. Literally repaired him. Maybe in more than a physical way...
Dib gladly repaid the hug tightly and kissed the top of Zim's head a few times, before resting his chin on it, between lightly twitching antennae.
"Heh...I like sitting on you. This time... you're my couch and your head is my green pillow. And I can't... decide which I like more. You sitting on me... or vice versa, like now... my amazing Irken. My Zim... so very special, yes," Dib whispered.
After a few moments and before he even knew it, the boy absently nibbled at one of Zim's antennas, since they were so temptingly near, neatly placed on that comfy head-pillow.
"Like I said before, I am no pillo-" Zim began, but got interrupted at feeling Dib's teeth lightly biting on his antenna. Instantly his eyes went half-lidded and the purring increased significantly in volume. Yet, since it was near the base of the antenna it didn't fully make his brain go to mush, but that didn't stop it from sending electric bolts through every nerve he had.
The agreeing words from Dib was nice to hear, since that's what he believed. Dib belonged to him. No-one else. He claimed him as Irken property, so that's what he was.
"H-Human... G-Get off m-my a-antennae..." He managed, with some difficulty though, since the shocks made it quite tricky to speak. Zim didn't mind the other stroking his antennae, but using his mouth was a different story. Yes, it felt nice, but too nice was a bad thing sometimes. Especially since the reason they actually sat down was to talk, but now they were having another 'moment'.
After a few moments, Zim tightened the hug, as if to find a way to lower the amount of shocks and warmth he was radiating by now; yet it seemed to have no effect.
Dib wasn't really aware what he was doing, since he just concentrated on this strange, incredible sweetness on his lips. However, soon he got out of his half-dazed state of mind, when he heard his friend speaking. So struggled and... pleading. His eyes shot wide open and he drew back. He couldn't look at Zims face, since it was nestled in his neck and moving was difficult, since the Irken hugged him so tight.
He didn't intend to do that, having one of these feelers inside his mouth. It just happened in the literal heat of the moment. Speaking of it... Zim was so much warmer than before and so tightly pressed against Dib's body, that the boy could smell Zim's otherwise faint scent rather strong now. This and the now omnipotent, loud purring... Oh boy, it didn't help in the slightest to keep control. Zim's purring... that unique sound... Dib heavily concentrated not to do something 'unexpected'.
But... his body reacted in ways he never experienced before... His loins gradually warmed up, more than the rest of his body, so that had to mean something...But Dib wasn't really embarrassed by it, more... scared. Of what could happen. In the next moments. He decided to just ignore it for now and smacked his lips instead, tasting the lingering sweetness of Zim's antenna on it. He remembered it from his first 'mouth-encounter' with one of the feelers. It also tasted sweet back then... But now it the taste was ten times more intense and... yeah, kinda yummy. It was a wonder Dib was still able to speak rather intelligible, since his body and mind were filled with purring... Irken scent... Zim's warm body pressed against his... and that sweet taste!
So, resting his drugged-up head on the other's one, he heavily panted against the previously nibbled on antennae. It wasn't easy to resist the urge to suck on it for dear life, like licking at the ice-cream the day before. "...Z-Z-Ziiimm... I'm s-sorry...I-I didn't know I was...I was doing... b-but, god it tasted sooo sweet! ...W-What is this...t-taste, Zim?... It's so intense...the w-waffle before is n-nothing... compared to this sweetness... l-like honey and sugar and so much candy and stuff..." His hands under the the Irken's shirt now just pressed flat against the skin there, absorbing Zim's warmth, like the rest of Dib was doing.
"B-But Zim... p-please don't s-stop... with whatever you're doing to me... right now," the boy mumbled in sheer delight. Since he could feel his groin heating up more and more and something came to life down there... Dib got scared of even thinking about what 'it' could be, but was more afraid it would stop this wonderful moment any time soon.
With a now free antenna, Zim lessened his grip around the human ever so slightly, since the feeling was still there, just not so intense. And the intense feeling from before made him feel like he was going to lose his mind, since he wasn't used to it at all. Neither of them were it seemed.
The question caught him off guard slightly though, and caused his previous blush to intensify greatly. This information was going to be extremely difficult to explain without turning awkward... Or worse! But Dib had asked... And deserved an answer. So, taking a deep breath in, he spoke.
"W-Well... Back when Irkens w-were allowed t-to have m-m...mates on Irk... T-They could release a natural c-chemical from their antennae around a-another Irken they... l-liked..." He couldn't believe he was having to explain this to Dib... And the situation they were in with this conversation wasn't going to help... "And i-if the other f-found their chemical 'nice'... then they w-were compatible with e-each other, and w-would become... become m-m..." Zim shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. He really couldn't finish that sentence... No... Not when it seemed like he was sending out these chemical.
"B-But... it's always t-there! Just... increases at t-the right t-t-time... And we c-can't control it." He added, feeling like he was going to explode from embarrassment at any moment. The situation they were in, it seemed to have activated that chemical... The talk from earlier and now this... And Dib knew!
Zim mentally screamed in frustration, and slicked back his antennae until they were flat against his head, wishing they would just disappear for a moment. "Usually it's w-when two Irkens rub their a-antennae together... B-But since y-you don't have any..." He admitted, opening his eyes slightly in shame.
A whine escaped Dib's lips and he pressed even more into his Zim, if that was possible. He was being overwhelmed by a mixture of fascination and guilt.
On one hand he was mesmerized by Zim's reaction to his actions. Especially after he knew what the sweet taste meant... He already heard of such things by watching documentations about wild animals. Males radiated some kind of pheromone too attract females... for mating... Well, of course, Dib's face, his whole body flared up, until he felt like he was burning from the inside.
Dib couldn't believe what the other had said. Apparently, Zim was giving off a similar chemical... ZIM! And he, Dib, was the reason for it!
On the other hand, he now felt really guilty for making Zim so very embarrassed. He probably wanted to die out of pure shame... And it was Dib's fault... Alone from the way he forced out his words and stuttered... oh boy.
Dib felt so much like a perv in that moment. And it didn't help that a part of him, his 'other' side, still wanted to go further; getting turned on by the display of his trembling Irken beneath him. But for now, Dib controlled at least his mind, and shuffled an inch away from Zim, parting their hips. However, Dib didn't notice the slight bulge in his pants.
"W-Well... I have to say I... I-I really like that... taste...it's ...umm... kinda y-yummy... B-But, Zim...I really got no intention...t-to make you react l-like...this. To m-make you so embarrassed... Please, I don't... want to push...a-anything. Or force y-you to..." To what? He didn't know.
Dib grabbed Zim's shaking hands and rubbed them, trying to calm his Zim without too much more touching. It was really hard to resist the urge though... "Do I r-really... m-make you feel this way...Z-Zim?...b-because it all seems... so s-surreal right now...a-and I can even s-smell you so strong a-and-" Wait... Dib was finding the taste and the smell 'nice'. Even more than that. Does that meant that...that they were 'compatible' to... being mates...?
Unintentionally, he mumbled out aloud the last part of his musings. "...But we didn't rub something together... just our...hips..." And with that, Dib tensed and looked down with wide eyes... down at the bulge in his pants.
Out of instinct, he tried to hide it up with his hands, before he noticed he was still holding Zim's hands in his own... So all he was doing was pressing the Irken's hands on his awakening '-ness'. Well, they were even, since now Dib was no less embarrassed than Zim was in this very moment.
'Why me? WHY ME?' Was all that was going through Zim's head during the awkward silence which followed. And he still didn't lift his gaze up when he heard Dib speaking. He was too ashamed to show his face now... Never had this happened in his life... And he never thought it would either! Especially not with a human... A male... DIB! Ugh...
Zim was now gritting his teeth so bad, he was surprised that his teeth didn't just smash from the pressure. 'Why me...' he repeated for the last time, before his hands got snatched up. Now he had to look up, or he'd have two pairs of hands right in front of his face. So, leaning his head back, he began to look at their hands, still too embarrassed to look directly at Dib at that moment...
He wouldn't be surprised if he couldn't look Dib directly in the eye again for a long time... But then again, that may just be because of his embarrassment in that moment... It should lower in time...
'Stupid time...' was all Zim could think, finding everything 'stupid' in his current embarrassed mind.
Hearing the next question, Zim honestly thought he was just going to die there and then... "It would seem so..." He simply replied, no stuttering and no pauses... He couldn't get anymore embarrassed than he was in that moment, so why even bother?
Sighing, Zim wished -for the first time in his life- that GIR would come running through that door, throwing around mud and screaming his head off... Just to get rid of this topic, but to his horror, no such luck came his way.
Now he was confused like crazy... He wasn't attracted to this human... Was he? With great difficulty, he raised his gaze even more to look at Dib's face, still avoiding his gaze though. ...His 'big head' seemed to have another meaning at the moment... No longer was it an insult, but more of a compliment... Since if he had a big head, it meant his face's features were more noticeable... His nose, lips, ears... and beautiful eyes...
The eyes he couldn't look at, at this moment!
Zim wanted to see that golden yellow and brown combo, but couldn't bring himself to looking. Yet, suddenly he didn't need to avoid his gaze anymore, since Dib looked down and seemed very embarrassed by what he had seen. But, before Zim could look down also, his hands, which were still connected to Dib's, were pulled down to the other's lap... Well, not his 'lap' EXACTLY... But Zim, thinking that it was just another pocket, didn't make a big deal out of anything... Except one thing... What ever was in that 'pocket' was very noticeable. And his hands were right on it...
"Dib-human... W-What's in your pocket?" He asked, now curious about what the human was so shocked about.
'OH GOD... Oh my goddamn goodness!' Dib screamed in his head. It was hard to believe, but he felt it...Zim... got his hands...his hands on his... well, yeah... And it didn't help, firmly pressed against 'it' for some seconds, after Dib got the brilliant idea to remove Zim's hands first, before that would 'affect' him even more than it already was...After all, while speaking, the Irken unintentionally rubbed against his member, causing it to only awaken more.
Once the green hands were gone, Dib immediately covered his half erection with his own, tightly sealed his eyes and looked down. Normally, he would have laughed at Zim's innocence, asking what was in that 'pocket' or if it happened to someone else, but now... it happened to him. Zim...ZIM had almost grabbed it with his hands... Dib couldn't believe he did something so stupid, because he was the one who literally forced Zim to touch it..well, not directly, more through the...Ugh, no! Wrong thoughts.
"...Z-Z-Zim..I...w-was just...I-I'm..." How should he explain this?!
He wasn't even aware, that all this touching and kissing...all this Zim... was making him not only happy, but really aroused, sexually... Oh, boy. That was a whole new level of feelings for the poor boy. Sure, he already explored his body two or three times by now, but of course totally alone with his thoughts and...sounds he had made. But now, ZIM was the reason for his... yeah, his erection. Simple as. It was too much for him.
Dib wanted to just get off of Zim and crawl into a dark corner. But he couldn't... he really couldn't. First, because he still liked the Irken's closeness very much and all the making-out stuff... And second, he was worried how Zim would react if he just left without any explanations. Probably, he would blame himself for that, and that was bad. He definitively didn't want to make Zim feel guilty... for something stupid he did. God, he already made his friend so embarrassed that Dib almost thought he kinda deserved this moment. His own embarrassment. Getting even this way. Heh, funny if you thought about it. At another time...
Wait!
Now Dib thought about what happened with Zim just moments ago... the purring, dark eyes, the smell and especially the sweet taste on the other's antennae... Regarding what Zim had said...weren't those things the same reaction like his own body? A slight hard-on...? Of course... That chemical... if Zim 'liked' another being around him, his body would make that sweet chemical... So, that means.. Zim was aroused too!
It... it just shows in a totally different way from humans. That fact reduced his current embarrassment a little bit. Enough that he was able to speak again. It as only fair to explain it to Zim. Quite a 'hard' task...
"N-No, Zim... t-there's nothing...in my pocket; it isn't even a r-real pocket, just... j-just a zipper...I mean, listen, I'm wearing... underwear and because...N-no I mean...there's a sensitive part of my b-body which... I-I mean-"
Why couldn't he just say it? Having a penis. An erected one... Well, the Irken's would probably be just confused, thinking it was a bad thing and it's his fault. Hmm...
"Listen, Z-Zim... this 'thing in my pocket' is actually... a r-reaction of my body... similar to s-sending out that chemical of y-yours ...I-I guess it got the same r-reason for it... or for y-your eyes getting so dark... It happened... b-because I'm feeling... l-lustful or ... aroused. A-And I can't really c-control it either..." There. Now he hoped, Zim understood the rough concept. And wouldn't back away.
With the silence which followed, and the expression seen on Dib's face, Zim's curiosity turned into confusion... It looked like the question had only increased the other's embarrassment... But why? It was only a pocket, right?
Apparently not.
After Dib had explained what 'it' actually was, instantly Zim's eyes widened and changed his gaze away from that certain place... Right, so he had just been staring, and technically touched...
'Oh Irk!' He mentally whined, blush increasing slightly.
So, basically they were both having the same reaction? That increased the moment's awkward level to a whole new scale... Yes, the moment was strange beyond belief... But that didn't change anything between them, did it? He hoped not... This just proved how different both their species were. Physically, but maybe not so much mentally for both of them? They could both feel embarrassment, pain, guilt, but over all, affection. Even not in the way they both first thought. Friendship was both their first thoughts, yet, they had just had a quite meaningful talk about 'mates' and now THIS!
"Oh..." Was all Zim could say... Both their faces looked like a neon sign that was outside a club door, and their embarrassment shooting through the roof! "T-Then... Maybe we s-should do something else?" He nervously added, not wanting this situation to turn even more 'weird'... Maybe if they did something to take their minds of this conversation, then the chemical and the thing in Dib's 'pocket' might go... Since it seemed they both wanted to get rid of them, because they sounded just as bad as the other. Yet, in all honestly, he didn't want to move... Apart from the awkward moment and things which had become 'active'... It was a quite comfortable position still. And he would gladly stay there all day, just talking...
But what they were talking about at the moment was just... strange. How did they get to this anyway? Just awhile ago, it was just an innocent talk. That seemed like forever ago now though...
"S-Something...else?" They could do so much...else, actually. But nothing would be comparable to... this! Despite all embarrassment, Dib wanted to stay close to Zim. If they would flee from the awkwardness by just forgetting about the 'moment' and doing something else... such a moment wouldn't occur for a while. Dib was sure they would trying to prevent any more of this happening. That means no cuddling... or kissing...maybe even hand-holding...No! If that what happens during a... quite intense making-out, then it's a part of it! And despite the embarrassment, they both get apparently only good feelings, caused by the other. Still, a break from intense 'moments' was needed.
"Okay... as long as we stay together...it's fine," the boy explained. "We could...umm... just talk, how that sounds?" Dib's 'bulge' was slowly disappearing, so he just crawled out of Zim's lap. Then he lied down on his back, head resting on a armrest and lifted his arms a bit, making grabby motions.
Relieved that the conversation they just had was going to be in the past within a few moments, Zim's blush was close to gone. He never expected to have to have a conversation like that with anyone in the first place, let alone Dib. Yet, that meant he didn't have to explain it ever again, well, unless the human forgot, which was unlikely to happen... Hopefully. Expecting the other to sit next to him, Zim was surprised to see that he in fact lay across the couch.
He remembered that hand motion that the human was doing from earlier, and remembered its meaning. So, he moved over so that he was now lying on top of the other. Instantly the warmth from Dib met his own heat, and he sighed contently. Yes, so... talking. After a few moments of trying to think of conversation ideas, he finally found one.
"You said that other humans found your paranormal-thingys crazy before I even arrived here... So, what other 'paranormal' was there?" He asked, actually quite curious to what other things Dib had seen, other than him.
In Dib's mind, this position was perfect. It was very comfy and they were close to each other, yet it didn't really feel embarrassing. Hopefully, it would stay like this for a while. Still, he noticed a rest of a sweet scent coming from Zim. Faint, but there. Guessing it would vanish soon, Dib tried to ignore it and replied a bit nervous.
"Umm... I don't know, but ever since I got to Skool, I was interested in such things. L-Like... ghosts, bigfoot, time travels...or even psychics. All that stuff is called 'paranormal', mostly because it's not... proofed, no evidence... a-at least in a scientific way. B-But I've never really seen such things... J-Just read about it. I'm just interested in this stuff, b-because I'm sure there's more in the world than we human are able to see... or measure. A-Actually, the m-most interesting thing I heard about is, a theory... thereby extraterrestrial beings, aliens landed... here on Earth, thousands of years ago and taught the primitive humans all kind of stuff."
The more Dib spoke, the less he was nervous. It was his favourite subject after all and he was glad, at least to someone... well, not someone. A real alien. An Irken!
"S-So, you're maybe not the first alien, who came to this planet," Dib smiled smugly up at Zim. Then he hugged his Irken tight and nuzzled his neck.
"But you're my personal 'paranormal' proof, Zim. So what more I could hope for than a live alien as my special friend." Closing his eyes, Dib only tightened his hug and smelled still that nice scent. "Y-You belong to me, Zim... and I won't share my Irken. Nope!"
That worked; the moment was a lot less awkward now, which was good. Now they could just talk normally. And talk Dib did. A full explanation about the paranormal. Zim knew that it was one of Dib's favourite things. Ever since they'd met it had been 'paranormal this' and 'paranormal that'. He didn't mind now though, not in the slightest. If the other liked talking about it, then he liked listening. It was actually really interesting to hear about. But what really peeked his interest what that about another species possibly coming to Earth before him...
Zim didn't know of another species which knew of Earth... Even the Tallest didn't know about this 'secret planet'... It wasn't even meant to exist, it was just... There! So, it could have been a possibility.
"See? Even you humans couldn't have evolved without a guidance of another species. It's surprising you've got this far from the apes." He teased, not really intending it to be an insult, before returning the hug.
"And, yes I know, you've made that clear before," he added, chuckling slightly at the last statement.
Glad that Zim was happy again, Dib just replied: "Yeah... humans are horrible, heh. And... Did I really made it that clear? Because... I could show you again... i-if you want." It sounded like a joke and was meant at that, but... it was exciting for Dib just to think about... 'No... I have to control myself,' he quickly reminded him mentally. So, talk. Hmm... yeah!
"N-Now that I think about it...is it normal... for an Irken to clam s-someone as their 'property'? E-Even if it's forbidden to have... m-mates...?" Damn, he didn't intend to bring up that subject again, but Dib was curious. Oh so curious... It was strange, because he liked being Zim's 'Irken property' or 'his human'... The two times he said it, it sent a tingling spark over his skin... just by hearing it. It was so... affectionate when Zim said it.
Hearing the question, Zim was caught slightly off guard with that one, thinking that the 'mate' conversation was over... But that question sounded innocent enough.
"Well, yes and no really... Yes in the way that invaders claim other's as their property; as in slaves or test subjects. And no, since I-I didn't mean it t-that way at all... You're neither of them, and shouldn't ever be." He explained, slightly embarrassed again.
In no way had he meant it like other invaders do... No, he'd meant it as HIS property. HIS friend. No-one else's. Zim tightened his hug possessively, as if a way to make that thought official. And just as Dib had said, he wasn't willing to share him either.
HIS human.
"Does that answer your question Dib-friend?" He asked, wondering if the other had wanted a simple answer.
For a brief moment, Dib cringed at the mention of slaves...But just for a second, because he knew Zim didn't mean it that way. Maybe in the past... but that was certainly over!
"Yes. It says all. I think I could get used to it. Being Zim-property. In fact... I-I really like it. It may sound... kinda cheesy, but there's a unique bond b-between us, Zim. We know so much about each other, like no-one else could do. So, you can squish me as long as you want. Heh, how would you say it... 'the Dib is pleased,' yeah."
Taking a deep breath, he quietly added. "...and I can still s-smell you... i-it's nice." He let his heavy lids fall down and concentrated on the faint scent and Zim's arms tightly wrapped around him. Dib felt safe. He felt comfy. He felt complete...
At least that answered the question, he was slightly worried that Dib might find the answer confusing or off topic, but if he was happy with the answer, so was Zim. Yet, Dib seemed to be happy just being called his property... Odd, since he hadn't expected that reaction when he first said it. But now, it seemed like they both were each other's property...
Was that even logical? Probably not, just thinking about it just began to give Zim a headache, so he gave up trying to un-puzzle that thought.
He just about heard the other's last statement, since it was quite quietly spoken, and it caused more thoughts to pop up in his mind... If Dib liked the scent... And what he just explained about if an Irken liked the other's scent. Did it comply to humans too? If so, wouldn't that mean they were 'compatible'? Zim quickly shook his head. No! He wasn't going to think down that road again!
"Uh, thank you..." He said, smiling slightly, feeling like he should say something at least.
"You're welcome, Zimmy..." Dib contently replied and began to firmly graze his fingertips along the Irken's sides. But what was it with this...smell? This lightly sweet scent... He noticed it before, when Dib was cuddling shirtless with Zim. But back then, it was barely there, very faint and kinda distant. Since the 'moment' just minutes ago -he, sitting on the Irken's lap-, Zim's scent was rather strong now, compared to before... And it made him somewhat light-headed and feeling warm inside; like like when he heard the other's purring, same reaction actually.
Oh boy... recently, Zim was so tempting, so irresistible... A part of Dib just wanted to make-out with Zim all day. Getting this friction and tingling feelings back and so much more, even Dib didn't know about... yet. Pulling himself together, he concentrated on things they could do; 'friend's activities'. And, on itself, suddenly an strange idea became present... yeah, that would be funny. After another unintentional deep breath, to smell Zim, Dib stopped his hands and made his suggestion.
"Hey, I thought about something... nice we could do. I-I like to cycle and, as a child, used to make tours through the city with Gaz. But... someday she found that Gameslave stuff and now her bike uselessly lays around in the cellar... S-So what I'm trying to say is...ummm... m-maybe I could show you how to ride a b-bike, Zim." Now he concentrated not to laugh out loud, because the image of Zim riding a bike, or at least trying to do so... well, it was REALLY hilarious.
It was a relaxing moment for sure. Just the both of them lying there and talking. And Zim was starting to get used to that nickname, since it no longer caused him to get embarrassed as much as it did before. He'd seen it as a teasing name before, but now he saw it for what it was meant to be, an affectionate nickname. The mentioning of another activity brought back Zim's curiosity. He'd heard about these bicycles, and seen a few on the streets whilst walking to Skool, yet never been on one... And didn't intend to either until now.
One: since he'd seen many children fall off them, so they looked quite dangerous.
Two: since it wasn't needed. And three... they looked difficult.
But, if someone, that someone being Dib, was going to teach him... How difficult could it be?
"O-Okay... But is it difficult?" He decided to ask anyway, just to be sure. It sounded like fun though, and it surely would be if they were together. Looking back to Dib's face, he noticed that he had a wobbly smile, as if hiding a laugh.
Zim narrowed his eyes slightly in suspicion. "What's so funny?" He asked, leaning forward slightly, to make sure that the other knew that he wanted an answer.
Dib couldn't hold it any longer... but before he laughed, he quickly shut himself up by furiously kissing his Irken, including licking lips. But not too much... After some seconds, Dib parted their lips, before anything 'further' could happen.
Still, a small chuckle left his mouth as he simply answered: "You..." Smacking his lips, he added. "And it isn't really difficult to learn, heh. Especially for my amazing Zim. You can fly spacecrafts, so that shouldn't be a problem."
Otherwise, Zim already got his struggles with a belt... Oh, well, Dib was there after all to take care of his friend, so it seemed to be a nice, funny activity. Hopefully for both of them... Dib now used his hands again to firmly caress Zim's sides, but this time under the shirt, digging his fingertips in here and there. He couldn't help it!
"Sooo... do you want to learn it now or... should we stay like this for a while, Zim? It's your choice." It felt like an eternity for Dib since the last time he looked directly into these magnificent red orbs of Zim's... Along with the feel of velvet-like, soft skin and the lingering Zim-scent... Well, it was very nice...
Now with tingling lips, Zim bit down on them both to remove the sensation before resting his chin on Dib's chest, blushing slightly, whilst looking at the other.
"Yes, but 'spacecrafts' are a lot more stable and safe to use than those two wheeled death traps..." He argued.
But Dib did have a point... They looked a heck of a lot simpler to use. Pedal-powered vehicles usually were though. Especially Earth made ones. And if he could use a bike, then that maybe restore his dignity which he lost back at the store when he couldn't use that stupid snake-like looking thing which held the jeans up... 'Belt' he thought it was called... Well, it was just TOO simple to use... Hearing the last question, Zim only thought about it for a moment.
Would he rather fall of a bike and destroy any dignity he had left, or stay like this with Dib for a while longer? Easy decision.
"It can wait till later," he answered, shivering slightly from the feel of the other's hands on his sides, whilst reaching up a hand to mess with Dib's hair once again.