All I Want For X-Mas

Chapter 1 Part 2

What was wrong with the Dib-pig?

Asking such ridiculous questions. Sending him away without a decent reason! Zim sniffed angrily, crossing his arms. "Stoopid worm child." The Dib had ruined a perfectly good evening. This was obviously not Zim's fault. All the hyuman's doing.

The knot in his spooch didn't loosen any.

Scoffing, the irken stormed across the living room, ignoring his robot on the couch, devouring the left over's of bacon and motor oil, turquoise eyes glued to the television.

Zim kicked a piece of junk from some long past battle on the floor, sending it into the wall. Sparks kicked up, catching something on fire. The computer immediately put it out.

Zim paid it no mind as he punched the code into his refrigerator and let it take him down to his lab. The mechanics whizzed and buzzed obnoxiously in the alien's silent stewing. His heels made little clacks on the metal floor as he stalked across the room to flop into his chair. It made no noise like the bed springs and it just ticked him off more.

His fingers went to the keys and stayed there. What had he wanted to type in? Something about an evil genius plan to destroy the earth. Something about the best ways to dissolve overly large, brunet haired heads. With a livid roar he yanked his hands back and crossed them over his frozen chest. Stoopid monkey boy! The Dib ruined everything. Why had he even raised that question tonight?

Maybe it was the moon. Sometimes humans did stupid things when the moon was full.

Zim spun in his chair since it helped him think from time to time, undisguised eyes catching the little strings of lights all over the lab tables and tubes of goo.

Bulbs hung from his tools and all around the computer screens there was this annoying shiny, tinsel stuff. A few days ago they'd teamed up and decorated the entire thing on a whim.

Frustrated, Zim stopped spinning and began to type. 'Couples' the screen read. A few more seconds of hesitation before a pointed claw pressed the enter button. Immediately, a slew of pictures and information popped up. He scanned it quickly, his spooch sinking. Yes, his idea of this word had been correct.

There was a male and female kissing. Another picture of hugging. And—he froze. Two hands intertwined, fitting together perfectly. His left eye twitched erratically.

Finally, at last, the question sunk its way into his head, demanding the attention that he'd been so reluctant to give to it; were they a 'couple'? They did the holding of the hands. They had um, bug like eyes squinted at the bright screen, cuddled. Did this automatically make them 'together'?

Zim tugged on his left antenna, his teeth cutting into his top lip with the anxious questions. So what if they were? The irken had never been in such a relationship before, besides the one with Tak and he imagined that didn't exactly count since they had never held hands or anything else of the sort.

Sniffing resentfully, the alien lifted his chin and glanced at the closest string of lights. The way it illuminated every normally shady, icy corner. The warm tawny color reminded him of the Dib's large eyes with their dancing laughter and stupid confused look. And when he thought about the way they'd dulled so quickly to such an ugly brown…
Another sharp pang cut through his spooch. "Stupid monkey brained moron…"

His large magenta eyes swept over the large conjuration of couple-y pictures, catching and holding onto a picture of mistletoe. Zim spun to look at the lights. Huh. Perhaps, the answer all lay in this holiday nonsense.

-**-**-**-**-

The media really didn't go into a lot of detail when it came to these sort of unnatural occurrences and especially now, around Christmas, everyone was reluctant to be the bearer of bad news. So, when they did finally report the large increase in missing persons and mysterious break ins of many mall across the country, it was fourth in line behind the best toys for your child, time saving tips for all shoppers, heartwarming church donation stories and the Hobo with the Golden Voice.

And normally Dib's attention would've been snagged. This was a job for the world's savior and paranormal investigator extraordinaire. However, he wasn't watching the television, instead he was up in his dark, cold room moping. He'd carefully plugged every possible spot that could let light in and had flopped himself on his unmade bed, brow furrowed and hair limp.

With Skool out, all Dib had to do was think about his weirdness; the way he'd grown so hurt and angry when Zim had acted like the idea of them together was absurd. Which in a way it was. Enemies for years. Friends for barely more than a few months. And now he wants more?

Dib sighed and shook his head. Still, he couldn't deny that the idea of being with Zim in more than just a friendly way held appeal. Way more than it should've. More than his younger self, who had been so assured that they had hated each other, that they would be enemies forever wanted. At least if his frequently occurring dreams held any indication.

And there was still the slowly decreasing pit of denial that proclaimed that Zim would turn back to his evil alien ways at any moment. It had been months. If the irken hadn't tried to kill him by now Dib was fairly positive that Zim never would.

With a distressed groan, the teenager rolled over onto his face, fighting the childish urge to screech into his UFO shaped pillow. Despite all odds he ended up falling asleep that way.

Over a hundred miles away and up in the atmosphere, beyond what any creature's ears could pick up on, a earsplitting inhuman roar rung out, followed by a merry Christmas jingle.

END OF CHAPTER 1 PART2

A.N.: This one is much shorter than that wall of text.

See you tomorrow.

Merry Jingly!