"Alright, I've got parts for a shoulder missile launcher, since the gun store isn't letting me in the premises anymore." Dib dropped his bags on the counter before shrugging his backpack off his back. Who knew assault weaponry was so heavy? "If I work through tonight it should be ready for a test run before Christmas."

"What food did you get?" Zim started rummaging through the bags.

"Ice cream since you liked it before, pickles because I wanted some, protein bars, a few apples. What else… some stuff for me, cookie dough, popsicles, uh… beans, cheese, and tortillas, and then a pair of- seriously, Zim?" Zim had found the frozen pizzas and ripped the plastic off one, trying to take a bite but only letting out a whine.

"You could have said they were frozen!"

"I would have, if you'd waited five more seconds," Dib sighed. "Guess we're having that one tonight." He held out his hand, but Zim kept gnawing on it. "Okay, fine. Knock yourself out." Dib grabbed the box of popsicles, pulling one out and dropping it on the table before setting the rest in the fridge. When he turned around, Zim had grabbed the tube of cookie dough and waddled over to the nest of blankets, curling up as he tore the end with his teeth, the slowly-melting pizza beside him. "Really?"

"I just had to interact with Keef . I deserve it." Zim took a big bite of the dough.

"Wait, Keef? Was he- did he come to the base?" Dib crossed the living room to check out the windows as Zim shook his head. "I thought you boarded up the extra entrances I was using in middle school, but he's-"

"I was going to find food," Zim cut Dib off. "He found me. He always does…"

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Dib tugged the curtains closed. Zim swallowed loudly.

"He touched my stomach."

Dib's hands curled into fists. "I swear, every time I think we got him, he just keeps popping up… at least skool's over now. If he tries to show up at the base, I'm pretty sure we'd be fine legally if we took care of him." He walked back over to Zim, sitting down next to him. "You're sure he didn't-"

"Yes, I'm sure. It was uncomfortable but I've had worse." Zim chewed the dough, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk before swallowing. "Hold me."

"Huh?"

Zim grabbed his arm, yanking Dib over so he was squished against him. "I said, hold me. My temperature regulators are fuzzing and you're consistent."

"If you wanted to cuddle, you could just ask, but I need to finish putting the groceries away or they're going to melt."

"No."

"Zim…"

"I said no." Zim burrowed his face into Dib's shirt, and Dib rolled his eyes.

"Look, you can be clingy in two minutes, but you're getting frozen cheese all over the nest. You deal with that, I'll put the food away, then we can cuddle, got it?"

"Don't get up!" Zim's arm wrapped around Dib's, his grip like iron. Dib sucked in a deep breath before wrapping his free arm around Zim and scooping him up. "Wha- unhand me!"

"So do you want me to be next to you or no?" Dib said, standing up on wobbly legs. "Geez, how do you feel so much heavier than normal when the kid's only like three pounds?"

Zim kicked frantically at the air as Dib slowly made his way over to the kitchen. "I won't let you demean me like this! Unless you want to face my-" He froze when Dib set him down on the table and grabbed the bags.

"If you're done being a baby, can you help me?"

Zim crossed his arms. "I'm not going to after that."

Dib's fingers dug into the bag of bread. There had been a lot of yelling at the store- some obnoxious little kids had spilled the tower of wine boxes, and everyone had been complaining, and they'd tried to card him before realizing his energy drinks weren't alcoholic. "Okay, fine." He pulled open the fridge, putting away the cheese, pickles, and ice cream. He grabbed the popsicle on the table, popping it in his mouth before finishing with the food for the cupboards.

"What's this part do?" Zim had opened the bag with the missile parts, and Dib only realized that when he was plugging them together.

"No! That's the-"

A cloud of smoke erupted from it, and Dib heard a terrifying thud. "Zim?"

Zim coughed, and Dib waved at the smoke with his arms. Where was he, where was he, where was-

A flash of green. A few more seconds of swatting furiously at midair revealed that Zim had slammed against the wall. Dib crouched in front of him, feeling at his neck- no, that was dumb, Zim had always been wearing that stupid thick collar before and he'd never been able to really track his baseline heartbeat. Spoochbeat? Dib could feel something beating at least. Zim's eyes blinked open, and he stared up at Dib.

"What were you doing , you moron?" Dib grabbed Zim's arms, shaking him. "I said those were parts for the missile!"

Zim opened his mouth, but all that came out was a series of confused-sounding clicks. Dib's heart dropped.

"What?"

Zim's eyes widened, and he grabbed Dib's arms in return, pulling himself up. More throaty clicks and hisses streamed from his throat, and he pushed Dib away, starting to pace.

"Did your Pak jolt something lose when you hit the wall or something? You get thrown around all the time!" Dib stared at Zim, who was already leaning against the wall, winded. "Did anything hit your stomach? Is she okay?"

Zim held up a hand in a 'wait a second' motion, before balling it into a fist and smacking the side of his Pak.

"何?"

"Huh?"

Zim tilted his head. "Vad?"

"Nope, not that one either." Dib crossed his arms. "Okay, so it's just a translation thing, but is the baby okay?"

Zim furrowed his brow, clicking in irritation.

"Can you even understand what I'm saying?" Dib walked over to the table- luckily, the mini-explosion hadn't destroyed any of the missile parts, but it had completely destroyed the apples, mostly because the casing had fallen on top of them and smushed them into applesauce with peels.

Zim didn't respond at first, before Dib heard another thump.

"Come on, Zim."

"What?"

"Oh, good, that one was English!"

"That was unsettling." Zim rubbed his arms. "I couldn't understand you at all."

"That's it, I'm definitely building this thing on my own, since you can't keep your grubby little hands to yourself," Dib said, waving the printed-off rolled-up blueprints at Zim. "Think you can keep yourself occupied for the rest of the night?"

"But… what if Keef comes back?" Zim swayed a little on his feet. "Or Gir raids the fridge and makes a mess? Or it blows up on you? "

"It's not going to blow up. I'm competent with mechanics, and it was made to be built by humans." Dib paused. "Okay, there was that thing in seventh grade, but I'm still pretty sure that one was your fault, so as long as you stay away-"

Zim bumped his forehead against Dib's shirt. Not for the first time, Dib noticed just how small he was compared to him now. "No. You're not leaving me."

"Zim, you're not going to risk all three of us because you're feeling lonely. I'm going to be just an elevator ride away." Dib tried to step back, but Zim had grabbed his waist without him even realizing it. "Zim, come on. "

"Not until you say I'm coming with you."

"If you stay across the lab, could you not bug me while I'm working on it?" Dib asked, sensing a battle that was lost before it even started.

Zim's antennae perked up as he looked up. "Yes, yes I could."

"You won't, but as long as you aren't actively a bother… it's only because you're going to do something stupid if you're left alone, you know that, right?"

Zim just grinned up at him. "I will be the least distracting Zim that I can be!"

"Somehow," Dib grumbled, "I doubt that."