The clouds covered any remaining sunlight that might have filtered through the foggy sky. A light drizzle seemed to sprinkle out of nowhere, coating Dib's thick glasses with a coating of moisture. The humidity made it hard to breathe, even more so when his thick mask was taken into account. Though the day was dark and quiet, nothing could keep Dib's excitement from mounting and bubbling up into his chest.
The wind whistled loudly, taking a few leaves off of the auburn trees above Dib and sprinkling them all around the small yard. The white "I Love Earth!" flag, faded from years of exposure to the brutal sun, waved silently with the movements, its tattered remnants a memory of Zim's initial arrival several years ago. Dib looked cautiously through the bushes on the sides of the yard, watching intently for any movement that may expose the presence of one, or most likely more, gnomes. He shuddered with the many memories of being hit and cut with the alien technology that often didn't heal entirely or left twisting scars across his body.
There didn't appear to be any movement, save for the trees and flag. It was eerily silent for Zim's yard, something that set Dib's teeth on edge as he thought about what the alien could be planning this time. It was this, Dib resolved, he had to discover.
Zim had been oddly quiet for several months. He didn't show up to school. His robot servant had been nowhere to be seen throughout the town, not even at Bloaty's or with a bubblegum and chocolate milkshake. It was strange, Dib thought to himself, that he had been absent for this long. It wasn't like him at all to bury his pride and sense of superiority at all, especially not for this long. Did Zim die? Was he working on a new project? Did he give up after all these years? Dib couldn't pick an explanation.
Dib looked once more through the bushes, scanning the usually fatal front yard, but finding nothing. He left his hiding spot, clad in a black tee and cargo pants, filled with the best weapons he was able to obtain. Slowly approaching the door, Dib stepped carefully onto the sidewalk, expecting a trap or alarm, but again, hearing nothing. He counted the steps to the door, one, two, three, four.
He grasped the handle firmly, despite his anxiety from previous experience, and pushed it. Surprisingly, the door was open and Dib found no resistance when he entered the home. It hadn't changed a bit, from the bizarre placement of the toilet in the kitchen, to the permanently affixed monkey portrait above the couch. The strangest part, however, was the thick layer of dust covering each and every surface, as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks, or perhaps even months. Unusual, Dib thought to himself, remembering that Zim's house was equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence that could quickly eliminate any mess imaginable.
Along with this was the darkness of the house. All of the lights were off. With this small detail now in mind, Dib looked around frantically for cameras or robotic arms making an appearance after his arrival. But there was nothing. No sounds. No movement. Nothing.
Dib stepped farther into the house, or room, rather, and looked around for anything that might indicate Zim's presence. There didn't seem to be anything, until Dib took another few slow steps forward. His left foot came down on something soft and squishy. Upon further inspection, when Dib picked them up, it was clothes. More specifically, Zim's uniform pants. They were wet.
Dib's suspicions immediately turned to dread. He touched them hesitantly, his fingers now coated in a sticky substance. They were also torn to shreds, barely recognizable apart from the two leg holes still intact. The fabric, some incredibly advanced engineering he had examined a year or so previously, tried to meld itself to Dib's fingers. It was unsuccessful, only managing to grip weakly before going limp. Whether damaged from the damage or the fluid, Dib didn't know.
All he knew was that it scared him.
A chill ran down his spine, his hands losing their grip on the fabric as they fell to the floor with a plop. Dib suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he were being watched from afar. He looked around the house, as small as it was, seeking anything that would indicate anyone. The stillness was suffocating, so entirely unlike Zim and at the same time the opposite of peaceful.
He pressed on, his curiosity overcoming his instinct to leave. Dib popped open the overly large trash can with his foot, finding that Zim's "hidden" elevator was still available. A low hum emanated from the space, at least somewhat comforting, rising and falling almost like it was alive. Dib had been into Zim's lab on numerous occassion, though only once was he invited. Despite his numerous entrances, he was aware that it was much larger than the few parts he had seen and the places he had been to had been long ago.
Zim could've changed the layout or made additions since then, and it made Dib uneasy that he didn't know his way around or know where Zim may be. The hum might've grown louder, or it was Dib's mind convincing him as such, but it was almost beckoning Dib to come inside. Overcome with desire, Dib stepped into it, the lid closing smoothly and quietly behind him.
For once, there was no computer asking him what he was doing or where he wanted to go; no sass or sarcasm heard from anywhere. The hum was still present, along with a new wooshing sound as the elevator descended into the depths of the base. Dib's unease grew, the ride growing longer and longer. Maybe this was a trap, he thought. Perhaps this was Zim's plan to finally rid himself of Dib. He was jolted out of his thoughts as the elevator ceased its movement. The doors opened slowly, revealing an incredibly large laboratory.
Sleek machines adorned the walls, though they were dark and quiet. No lights illuminated them; no alarms alerting their owners of a completed experiment or observation. Dib touched their cool metal, awed by the machinery despite his unfamiliarity with them. There were no buttons or dials or small screens, as human engineering often had. They were completely smooth, no screens visible in their unpowered state, though Dib knew that they were somehow available with power to touch and move across the surface.
Dib kept his hand pressed against the smooth surface, dragging it down as he walked across its length. It was incredible how thin yet so capable they were; processing power rivaling a thousand Earthen computers. He wished they were on so that he could spend hours, or even days, deciphering the language that would display across the clean screens. Wait, clean? Dib observed the machines more clearly, seeing that they were free of the dust that covered the surfaces upstairs. There was, without a doubt, someone or something here.
What could it be? Could this be the beginning of Dib's end? His questioning was cut short by a sound, echoing throughout the room. It sounded animalistic, almost painful in tone. Whatever it was, it was not human, and Dib wasn't sure if he considered this a good or bad sign. He heard it again, though it was longer this time, and he could have sworn it sounded desperate. He tried to follow the sound, despite his mounting fear.
The machines on the walls became less frequent, the only decoration on the wall the rivets holding the structure together. Dib wasn't surprised; Zim didn't seem to be the decorating type. A few doors were placed here and there, like they had been designed quickly for efficient movement in and out of the lab. The sound resonated again, louder this time, and much, much closer. Dib felt his heart beat faster, whether from fear or excitement, he didn't know. He stepped on something again, soft like the pair of pants upstairs. He looked down, barely able to make out its shape in the darkness.
A...blanket?
No, that couldn't be right. Zim didn't sleep, did he? He just recharged his PAK, Dib thought, or so he believed. Did it break? Maybe it was being fixed. The fabric was wrinkled, indicating that it had perhaps been there for a while. Regardless, Dib was pretty sure he was standing on a blanket. He looked up from the fabric and his eye caught a glimpse of something else.
There was an opening in the wall, an opening that turned out to be a smooth corner upon a closer look. Its gilded surface curved and wound its way into a hallway adjacent to it, elegant and perhaps a little bit purple. Paintings of what he presumed to be an alien landscape now were placed in the wide hall, evenly spaced and perfectly symmetrical. Dib almost rolled his eyes; of course it had to be perfect. A statue stood in the center of the hallway, an abstract form so abstract that Dib could not find a name to give it. Another blanket covered its bottom, looking as if it was thrown haphazardly.
Dib touched it too, feeling a similar fabric to the one in the lab. It wasn't wrinkled like that one, though, and Dib thought maybe there was a faint warmth radiating off of it. The strange sound echoed off of the metallic walls, and he was sure that he had found the source. It was coming from the room a few doors down. He wasn't sure which one, as all of them were closed. He could hear a quiet panting, though, so perhaps he could pick the room based on that.
He walked down the hall as quietly as he could in combat boots, listening for when the sound would intensify. Dib found himself stepping on yet another blanket, this one thicker than the last two. It was halfway in one of the doors, which had closed around it without much effort. The sound also became louder, and suddenly, Dib wasn't sure he wanted to open it. Well, he didn't get much of a choice.
It opened suddenly, and Dib cursed the motion-activated technology silently. This room, unlike the rest of what he had seen, was dimly lit and he could see a bed in the center of the room. A smell also hit him, enveloping his senses with a rather strong floral smell. Flowers? Surely Zim wasn't a fan of an Earth plant. Whatever it was, it was strong.
Dib looked around, seeing another door or two in this room. The bed, however, was the only real object of the room he was currently in. It hovered just slightly off the ground, but resembled mostly what his own bed looked like at home. It was facing away from him, the headboard blocking his view of whatever, if anything, was on the sheets. The panting was easily audible now, straining and desperate. Dib felt his cargoes tighten slightly, something that startled him, as he was nervous about what he was going to find. He heard another sound, this one almost erotic. It was a low moan, and it ensured that there was no extra space in the crotch of Dib's pants. He rounded the corner of the bed, blushing from the unexplainable situation he was in, finding a lump in the blankets.
It wasn't so much a lump as it was alive, a being with two antennae on top of its head. He stayed back and out of sight, but Dib's excitement peaked. He had found Zim after his untimely disappearance.
But, something was different. Something was off with Zim. He was wearing a full-body suit, or some kind of protective gear. It only took Dib a moment to realize that this wasn't a full-body fabric at all, but was instead Zim's bare skin. It was light green, perfect and without a scratch, something Dib could attribute to Zim's healing implants. His body moved minutely, trembling with every gasp and cry. Dib also quickly realized that Zim's hand was wrapped around his own member, and Dib suddenly became more flustered than he was just a moment ago.
He also immediately feared for his life. If Zim saw him, he would surely end Dib's life for the trespass. Still, Dib couldn't help but watch, his eyes transfixed on the sight before him and on the perfect being that was Zim. He was truly beautiful, his muscles lean but powerful just below the unmarked skin, in patterns that were equal parts alien and elaborate.
Dib wanted to mark it, bruise it, make it his.
He shook his head with a start, surprised by that particular intrusive thought. Sure, he had thought about Zim that way a few times, just out of curiosity, but it had never developed into a full-fledged interest, had it? No, surely not, Dib assured himself, even though one could admit he was attractive. Zim's jaw was sharp, his eyes dangerous, things that Dib was noticing in detail for the first time.
Another thought popped into his mind out of a will that was not his own, demanding that he touch the vulnerable form in front of him. Though he tried to resist, it was impossibly hard with the smell that compelled him to do so. Dib stepped into the light, Zim's face whipping from the sudden movement on his right side. He gasped in what Dib thought might have been surprise, his ungloved hand reaching out to grab a blanket and cover himself.
Dib recoiled, afraid that he might become victim again to Zim's sharp nails. He watched the blanket rip from the impact, though it was flung quickly over Zim's bare form. Zim closed his legs quickly, though it was still obvious his length was engorged with need. His antennae lowered in and his face burned blue in shame.
Zim's eyes were wide and they struggled to look at Dib's directly. His voice was shaky and he stammered several times before he was able to coherently speak.
"W...What are you doing here?"
Dib wasn't sure what to say.
"Oh, um, well..."
Shit! He had to come up with something, and fast.
"I, um, I noticed you hadn't been coming to school, or, uh, scheming or anything lately? I wanted to, um, check if you were ok?"
Dib cursed himself for being so awkward. Zim bit at his lip, still trembling as if he were cold.
"I think you should...leave." Zim said quietly, with obvious difficulty.
"Oh! Right. Um, well, I didn't mean to intrude," Dib replied, trying not to upset the usually short-tempered alien.
"Please. You really should go," Zim pressed, swallowing after trying his best.
"Why?" Dib asked, before immediately regretting it. Zim's blush darkened visibly.
"Dib-thing. You see, my people face a, ahem, cycle every seven years. It compels my kind to breed. It is not something I can avoid," Zim was as serious as Dib had ever seen him, no trace of spite or sarcasm in his voice.
The reality dawned on Dib quickly. He saw that he had a choice. He knew it would be best to leave. It would be best for him, and more importantly, for the sake of his planet, to leave now. But, the form in front of him quivered with need and was giving off a scent that didn't exactly leave Dib with a sense of free will. Given the two choices he had, one of them seemed much better than the other, and he wasn't sure it was the right one.
Dib sat down on the bed next to Zim, who curled even farther inwards on himself with his former enemy's proximity.
"Please...please leave," Zim protested weakly, who knew his pheromone had most certainly had an effect at this point. It was apparent with the tightness he saw in Dib's cargo pants that it had worked, and even more obvious with his choice to sit next to Zim.
Dib, overcome with the desire sparked by the scent, placed his hand on Zim's blanketed thigh. He jumped from the touch, trying to make the human leave before things escalated to the level he knew they would. Zim didn't want to mate, didn't want to participate in such an unnecessary act, but deep inside he knew there wasn't much of a choice now.
"Do you really want me to?" Dib asked the alien, growling against his skin and sliding his hand further up. Zim couldn't find the energy to reply, his protests dampened by the hormones that were quickly dumped into his system from the touch. His PAK, unable to regulate his hormones and emotions during the cycle, didn't help his growing lust to mate. Dib, taking Zim's lack of an answer as a yes, leaned in for a human kiss.
Zim's desire soared, though the saliva of his once-enemy stung against his lips, and though he was unfamiliar with this mating ritual, reciprocated as much as he could. He felt Dib's hand travel underneath the blankets to his most private, most secretive area, and touch him with his fingers. He hated himself for the way he moaned into the kiss, hated how his body reacted to the touch, but couldn't find a good enough reason to resist it. The relief from the heat was unbearably good, and he didn't want to stop.
Dib's fingers played with Zim, somehow knowing where to touch and for how long all at once. Zim's louder cry resonated across metal walls of his bedroom, echoing into the lab outside. He knew he was in for a long cycle.