AN~
Short chapter is short. Also a reminder that this one is in fact rated M, even though it doesn't seem like it at the moment. Trust me, it will get there. Hope you enjoy it, and as always feedback is much appreciated.

Dib knocked on Zim's door. "Zim! Are you coming or not?" he shouted. Dib only received rustling noises from inside the house. Dib sighed and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Even after Zim turned Dib's bio-scan off on his lawn gnomes, Dib still hated standing around in the yard with them. They smiled at him. He scowled back. Finally Zim stumbled out of his house, the smell of bacon and waffles heavy in the air even after Zim slammed the door.

"Good for nothing robot-computer-smelly-" Zim grumbled to himself as he tried stuffing his books into his bag. Dib helped him and noticed an antenna was sticking out of his wig.

"Erm, Zim-"

"And those horrible robo-parents! I'll need to get them fixed..."

"Zim!" Zim stopped, glared at Dib, then continued grumbling. Dib sighed in defeat and tucked it back under the wig himself. Zim started walking down the street and Dib followed, trying to stop papers from flying away.

Dib tried to ignore the stares they got as they walked down the sidewalk. "Zim could you PLEASE just listen for one second?"

Zim had finished getting his stuff into a filthy annoying human pak, and glanced up at Dib. His face showed confusion. "Huh?" he tried focusing on the Dib, instead of his awful, HORIBLE morning.

"Zim I'm getting really sick of you completely ignoring me! It's like I'm not even here!" now his face was more like anger.

"Hmm? Zim is very busy right now Dib, I have so much to do, sooo much!" his hand trembled with the last part, and he kept on walking. Dib stared after him.

"Well fine! You can just walk to skool yourself!"

Zim looked over his shoulder surprised. But Dib was already walking away. Zim figured it was just another one of those hyuman mood swingy things. He got back to his thoughts.

At skool Zim noticed Dib still seemed upset. He wouldn't look at Zim when he tried passing him notes, or even whisper for him to stop waving his hands around his face. At lunch Dib tried to sit with Gaz again instead of where he usually sat with Zim; even though Gaz had her own group of goth friends.

Although the Dib was acting strange, Zim couldn't help but get caught up with his work. The presentation for the Tallest had turned out to be much more complex than Zim had first thought. There were many more factors and Zim's-mighty brain-was still trying to figure out how to meet them.

Not only that but Gir had accidentally shut down one of the sectors of the main computer without which Zim had lost part way communication with the Massive, something of vital importance at the moment. (not that the Tallest minded that much, in fact they hoped it would stay down for quite a while)

And of course Zim needed to work on his latest mind blowing scheme to conquer Earth. Becoming Dib's partial mate or, "boyfriend" as he put it, did not change the fact that Zim would destroy the humans. Not by a long shot.

So of course Dib's slight change in attitude was far less important than the troubles of Ziiim!

On the way home from school, Dib ignored Zim's weak attempt at apologizing for not paying attention to him, giving Dib the same, "Zim has much to do!" speech. As long as Zim's head was filled with himself, Dib saw no reason to talk to him. He would have to deal with it himself.

Dib slammed the door on his way in. Gaz was already on the couch, her homework somehow done. How slow had Dib been walking?

"Not off with your boyfriend today Dib? What's wrong, did you guys have a little fight?" she glowered, the light from her game lighting up her face.

Dib sneered at her and went up to his room. He slammed the door and sat at his computer staring blankly at it.

The report. He should start the report. But he didn't move his hands.

What was wrong with him? He...he lifted a hand...put it on the mouse...and opened his old spy cam inside Zim's house. He had put it there a while ago, but never got around to removing it. Now he focused it in Zim's living room, turned up the sound, and waited.

At first no one was there. Then he saw Gir tumble in wearing his dog costume, something covering his face. There was a shout somewhere off camera and Dib strained to hear it. Gir sat up and turned to face the kitchen.

"Aww, but master, it so gooood!" Gir whined and ran off. Dib continued to stare at the screen, unmoving. Then, he heard a voice.

"Damn hyuman clothing materials...can't fit...on...stupid..."

Zim.

Zim struggled to shove a tiny trench coat onto puppet Dib, the tiny arm holes infuriating him. Zim rarely used human swear words but now they felt delicious. "Fucking crappy coat won't fit! Fine! Be gone with YOU! COMPUTER!" he yelled, "TAKE THIS, shit-filled trench coat AND THROW IT OUT INTO SPACE!"

"Yes Zim." it said and dragged it away with a robot arm.

Zim slammed his fists onto the counter. He was just so ANGRY. He hadn't felt like this in a while. Not only did Zim have to convince the tallest that Dib was not a threat to the Irken race if let anywhere near valuable Irken technology (which Zim knew he WAS) but Dib might also be used temporarily for slave work if a certain number of them dropped for any reason, and Zim doubted the Dib would agree to that. There was also complications with letting him on certain planets whom might not want a smelly human coming through, even if it was necessary to return to Irk.

Zim's head hurt. And the puppets. Irk save him if he screwed up the puppets. Zim groaned and set to work starting on a new trench coat for puppet Dib.