Here's chapter 9! :D I'd like to thank everyone for reviews and answer those that I can/need to;
For date ideas, I don't think bowling would work, just because repetitively throwing a ball isn't an overly exciting thing to read/write, for traveling into space, Zim would have to make that offer to Dib. That might require more trust and a reason for him to do so, so I'll keep it in mind but I can't use it now. Biting, there will be biting, but I'm saving that for later too~
More touching will occur, but I need something for them to do like, right around now. Little games like twenty questions that they can play in Zim's house... Ooo! Here's an idea, who votes for truth or dare?
To everyone else, thanks for your encouragement! And I want to give another special thanks to TwoCute for reviewing this story. To those who don't know her, she's high among my favorite ZADR writers. Check her out and give her some luv kay? ^^
Enjoy the ninth chapter of Reality Problems!
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The alarm that had stopped the alien's... exploration, was just the timer for a snack, as Zim discovered when he opened his refrigerator. The tub of creamy looking, psychedelic colored alien dip was done cooling, successfully gelatin-ized.
If Zim hadn't had a particular liking for this snack, which he hadn't been able to get in ages with the communication problems, he would've been a lot more upset and frustrated at the interruption.
As it was, he stood in front of his fridge holding the door open and he scowled quite blankly, just running his mind back over the events of the past few minutes in silence.
Dib was still in the other room. He'd sat up on the couch and was now idly swing-kicking his legs, consumed in thought; an identical state to the alien in the kitchen.
The human's face still burned red, the skin of his neck tingling from the massaging, cool touch, and the prickling of insectoid claws.
What... What had just happened was... It felt glorious, but his heart was pumping adrenaline through him, instincts chanting; 'fight or flight! Flight or fight!'
It wasn't that he shared some fear of touch with Zim, it was that he'd been so new to that. But moreover, it was the feeling of utter helplessness that had seized him in an iron grip, holding him still to take in what his shattered mentality needed. Whether Zim proved his control over him through pain, or satisfied his curiosity for him through more gentle, wandering touches, didn't matter. Dib needed stimulation. He needed attention from another living being. It didn't matter if what he enjoyed was from love or masochism. He just knew he needed SOMETHING.
And that scared him a little. Because he knew the control Zim could put over him so easily, made Dib the biggest sitting duck in the pond, open to abuse.
There was no question of whether Zim would hurt him at some point. Not in Dib's mind. Zim was a predator. For all Dib knew, they might show interest in each other through things a fragile human would call torture.
For Dib, it was a matter of how far Zim might go, and what he himself could survive without having a breakdown... Or even, what he could literally survive.
But if Zim gave him more of what he'd just given...
He needed SOMETHING.
And he'd gotten something just now. Now not only his damaged brain cells but also every nerve Zim had contact with was singing the invader's praises.
The human drew his knees up and hugged himself slightly, shivering badly.
It... It had felt so GOOD... How could he deny himself that? He HAD to find a way to get more of such attention from Zim. He just absolutely NEEDED to.
The irken freaked out when Dib was in control. Fine. The boy could live with always being the submissive, he thought. Just as long as Zim didn't lose interest in him.
Yes, Zim had actually enjoyed the touch so long as he was in control. So it seemed to Dib.
While he was relieved with this, at the same time, Zim was busy examining the thought.
This weakness caused the irken almost no problem so long as he had control. As long as Dib was in submission and held down under him, Zim could do as he pleased with almost no nudging paranoia and certainly no massive waves of fear.
So then, what things came down to now was; what to do now?
His snack was ready, he was staring into his fridge at the swirled mess of color, but he sure as hell wasn't sharing it with Dib. Irkens might be major predators, but they also had just enough scavenger instincts in them to desperately hoard, and viciously defend, their stashes of food. If an Irken shared food, either something was wrong with them, or they trusted and cared about the recipient on a deep, deep level, or at least on a level that was just deep enough to cut it if said person was dying. Everything had its variables.
At current, Zim barely even considered gifting the human, unless one counted wondering how Dib's digestive system might react to the alien chemicals; would it blow him up? More importantly, would this potentially amusing explosion be worth the amount of bloody mess it made?
Closing the fridge door, Zim left the subject. No, Dib wasn't getting any of his morsels yet.
But the fact that Zim had visualized him eating some and suffering a consequential torturous death... it might be a start. Maybe.
And whether the irken even realized it or not, the fact that Dib had offered him the last of his cake at the little cafe, had made an impression on the alien.
To his instincts, it meant that Dib cared. Very, very deeply.
Just another symbol of another link on Dib's chain leash. Zim relished this new-found cool, metallic lead, eager to give it a tug and watch the choke collar tighten on Dib's throat, forcing him to follow his master.
With food in mind, and wanting an excuse to eat his favorite dip without being obligated by human culture to share with his new potential-mate/pet/he-really-needed-to-find-someth ing-to-call-Dib, Zim suddenly realized how late it had gotten. It was a human meal time. He didn't want HIS human, HIS new property, to whither away on him. Dib would need some supper.
Tapping his foot against the dark purple tiles, the invader looked around.
Gir had plenty of human food. He wouldn't mind sharing. Zim could give some of that to Dib.
...
Gir wouldn't mind.
...
Because Gir wasn't there any more.
As that knowledge slithered into Zim all over again, he felt that strange tingle in his face, especially around his eyes, and by his antenna; that tingle that made his eyes water and his body weaken and tremble and his breaths come in gasps if he didn't hold it off. It was an evil, evil tingle. He had to fight it!
He bit his lower lip and slammed the feeling out of mind with cold, hard logic, harshly wiping his not-yet teary face off and rubbing his temples.
Gir would never return to reclaim his food.
...
Don't think about it. Don't think about it...
-Therefor! It was only reasonable to give it to Dib. Dib needed food. Zim had food he needed to get rid of before it spoiled. Two problems solved!
At this moment the human male was in the middle of mentally replaying the former scene with Zim, wanting to relive some of the sensations, eyes closed in enjoyment as he hugged his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them.
Sad thing was he had nothing better to do. He didn't want to follow Zim EVERYWHERE in a clearly annoying manner. He needed to allow space. So in the mindset of not intruding on the alien, he just stayed where he'd been left off the couch.
That soft cool touch... Against... His neck... Unrestrained shudders passing through his body... Zim's weight and heat felt through his clothes as the alien was straddling his waist, Dib laid back under him...
"DIB!"
Zim's loud voice shouted out and Dib jumped, startled, face flushed with a guilty embarrassment of his own mind, a feeling akin to what he'd felt the other night... After he saw something he hadn't meant to through his cameras. He swallowed thickly, only half admonishing himself and not at all bothering to say he'd never think such things again.
"Wh-what?"
He called back towards to kitchen, where Zim assumably still was, out of his sight.
"Are you hungry again and needing something to stuff your face with human?"
Dib considered that question all too calmly considering the semi-insulting way it was worded. He was rather used to such Zim-speech.
"Not really. We just ate, and I normally don't have supper until seven or eight, sometimes nine. It's only... What... Five?...
Oh! But, uh, thanks! I mean, you know, if you were offering. And if you're hungry, g-go ahead and eat. I don't mind. Not that, uh... Never mind."
Zim found himself smirking at the cautiousness of the wording. At least Dib had basically spelled out that he could go ahead and eat his dip without the human running in to steal any.
Getting it out of the fridge, Zim got to work scooping glops of substance from the container into a bowl, and then tossing in a good sized helping of puffy alien chips in on top.
It took a long moment of consideration, but finally he got out a bag of some earth snack for Dib. It was on the grounds that the human was sneaky and clever, and might have said he wasn't hungry and that Zim shouldn't mind, only to make the Irken feel comfortable, so he wouldn't be on the lookout for any evil snack-stealing plans!
Stinky human! But Zim was too smart for him! Zim would make sure there would be no room in the earthling's stomach for Dib to steal his food without making his gut explode! How clever he was!
"I'm amazing..."
Zim hummed to himself before goose-stepping back over to Dib and the couch.
Dib meeped slightly as some thrown crinkly object smacked against the side of his head, jumping to look and see what it was and who his aggressor was.
"Eat that. It will give you human nutrients... And stuff."
Picking up the bag as Zim sat down next to him, Dib squinted at the label. 'Puffy Cheesies.' He couldn't think of many foods that could possibly be LESS nutritious, but with Zim, Dib knew, he'd probably be very limited to 'its-the-thought-that counts' in many such situations.
And this thought was startling. Zim had gotten him something!... Amazing!... Come to think of it, Zim had made sure he got some of the best and most expensive food at that coffee-house-restaurant too! The realization that he was being... CARED FOR, caused Dib to blank and freeze as a foreign but pleasant warmth spread through his chest.
With a small smile to express infinite thanks, Dib looked over to see Zim had thumped down next to him, crossed his legs -goodness those pants were tight- and was eating some... Thing... That looked to Dib like the rotten remains of dead rainbow. Dib's smile faded as he looked at Zim's food and tried not to grimace. Eventually he gathered the wits to look away.
Zim was scooping up the 'colorful' dip on the equally 'colorful' chips and popping them into his mouth. He'd crunched through three chips before grabbing the TV remote again.
Dib restrained a sigh, averting his gaze heavenward. No, please, no... not another fifteen minutes flipping through channels. Why couldn't the alien just make up his mind and pick one thing to watch? Dib wasn't even too keen on watching TV but they could at least ACTUALLY WATCH SOMETHING... Zim was being like a 'popular' high-school girl deciding on clothes to wear. This was ridiculous and unnecessary.
Was this how the Irken spent his afternoons and evenings on a regular basis? Television and food? Dib knew he USED to spend them plotting, but now...
... If a human did nothing but vegetate on a couch didn't that signal depression?
... Was this why Zim had wanted him over? Was he counting on Dib to give him something else to do? When he was too down to find anything for himself?
The human started almost going into a panic. Was he failing Zim? Was he losing relationship points here? What was he supposed to do though? He didn't know how to entertain another person! He didn't know any social games! What was he supposed to do?
Dib bit his lip, thinking hard.
Games... Games... Entertainment... Something... Anything...
Why now? Of all times why did his brain have to run dry now?
"Do you not like your chips?"
Dib looked up, not overlooking the miffed air to the alien's face and voice. The very idea that this lowly creature would refuse his offering... Just sit there holding the chips and doing nothing... Filthy little...
"Oh, ih-it's not that... I was just thinking. Yeah. Thanks a lot by the way. You didn't have to give me anything..."
Zim made a funny snorting noise, which seemed doubly odd due to his lack of a nose. Dib theorized he might breathe a little through holes at the bases of his antenna, or maybe even through his skin; amphibians could do it. Zim was a slightly mammalian insectoid from Dib's guesses, not amphibious at all as far the boy could tell, but still, who knew.
"Zim does not HAVE to do anything. I can do whatever I want within reasonability, logic, and my own physical capabilities."
Yup. That was Zim. And that didn't sound like a 'you're welcome' either, even from him. Dib didn't know how to respond so he quickly stuffed several chips in his mouth for an excuse not to speak.
Eventually the human got upset with the non-stop channel changing, and got up enough nerve to throw out the interest catching line; "Woah! Wait! Wait! Go back!"
Dib hadn't even seen anything he'd usually watch to tell Zim to go back to. He just wanted to find something to stick with.
As the earthling suggested, Zim went back. They wound up watching some sort of murder mystery, psychotic serial killer, dramatic, violent show. Dib wasn't too interested except in the psychological aspects, which he felt weren't explored as much as they should have been in the given scenarios, but he thanked his luck that Zim seemed to enjoy it... Though after a while he wondered if that was so good, and if he was giving the predator ideas.
It gave Dib nervous jitters to see how Zim stared at the gore and torture scenes with raptured fascination and an... Oddly, intense look.
The killer on the screen expertly knifed open another victim, and Dib saw himself laying there covered in blood having his own guts taken out by a certain grinning invader.
It was not a pleasant thought. He might be questioning whether he was a masochist, but certainly not to that level. He preferred his insides inside him where they belonged without any doubt.
Zim meanwhile was taking silent notes on which ways the blade went, what lines it followed, the science of the tortures, the deaths... And what was done with the bodies, almost in a sort of trance, feeding it into his brain, giving no sign of any inward emotion the whole time.
Dib could almost sense the type of thoughts the Irken was having, paranoia had for once given him the correct answer. Minutes ticking by until he was far more concentrated on Zim's reactions then the actual movie. He was getting more and more butterflies in his stomach.
The movie came to a very poor, inconclusive ending. The suspected killer committed suicide leaving hundreds of questions never to be answered, and the police seemed to react in a manner best described as 'well that's that!' The protagonist got paid for his work and got all rich and famous and got together with his girlfriend and they kissed and went home and the credits rolled.
Dib grunted out something about 'stories and cartoons and movies these days.' What he said was completely drowned out by an infuriated shout from the Irken though.
"THAT'S IT?" With his usual unnecessary drama Zim swung his arms up and nearly snacked Dib in doing so.
Dib sighed, barely aware of the close call, reaching into his bag of chips only to be surprised to find it empty and to not even remember having eaten many. He turned it upside down with one hand, shaking it over the other to get the last salty crumbs to lick off his palm and fingers.
"They probably ran out of money for making the movie and had to cut it short or something. It was definitely rushed."
"It was definitely awful!" Zim snapped, and in a fit he threw his remote at the TV. It just bounced off but Dib went quiet, not wanting to draw any of that hostile attention to himself.
The alien stomped into the kitchen with his now empty bowl. He'd eaten all of what Dib had mentally referred to as rotten rainbow flesh.
Dib watched him go, still keeping silent. Had HE upset Zim somehow? He hoped not. He also certainly hoped Zim wouldn't go taking out his frustration on him. So he continued to keep his mouth shut while the alien yelled at his computer to do the dishes. He just crinkled up his chip bag in his hands and looked around.
It had gotten dark outside. Quite dark actually. And that meant something because it was summer now so it didn't get dark until late. He considered the few stars in the polluted sky before calling to Zim, happy for a chance to change the subject.
"Are you going to want me to stay up with you, or go to sleep and get out of your way?"
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Zim's frustration was not simply at the movie's ending. Something, more then just the way it was cut off, was making him feel strangely unsatisfied. It was fading by now though. So he was calming down more by the time Dib called out, and when he thought about the question, he found himself softening even more. Finally he answered, in a frustratingly small voice that made him clear his throat afterwards to dust away the awkwardness of the too-caring tone;
"Dib is not in the way."
The human automatically beamed at that response. That was certainly the opposite of what he usually heard.
"Okay, well then, would you mind if I change into cooler clothes? It feels kind of hot in here."
Zim returned from the kitchen with a look on his face that heavily suggested he'd just had a weird case of mis-hearing.
"You want to turn into a WHAT?"
Dib smiled but forced himself not to laugh.
"I want to put on different clothes, so I don't feel so hot."
With a polite smile he tapped his backpack with his foot in a less dramatic sort of emphasis then what Zim specialized in.
"Oh, yeah, sure, go ahead." The alien waved the request off with an 'I-don't-care' tone, before looking around the room, desperately wanting something besides television to amuse himself, but seeing nothing, as usual.
Dib waited for a moment before awkwardly speaking up again, having had a sudden rather unwanted realization.
"You don't have, like, a bathroom or anything do you?"
Zim looked confused for a moment, then his eyes widened, then he looked disturbed.
"Humans and your filthy biological needs... Yes... I suppose if you will be here for long you'll need a 'bathroom.' It'll take the computer a while to construct one with running water that'll fit in with my current base though...
Computer! Construct a functional human bathroom just under the house with a lift going down to it."
Before Dib could put in that he didn't need to 'use' the bathroom right then; he only needed a place to change and maybe wash up; out of the blue Zim was giving an order to change HIS OWN HOUSE, for Dib's convenience and comfort. He just sat there for a moment in a sort of shock, before remembering what he was doing, and stuttering up his voice again, burying away the thought to analyze and hopefully revel in later.
"I-I just need a place to dress... I mean, is there..."
Zim looked at him confused.
"What do you mean? Just change your clothes. Zim already gave you permission."
Dib felt an embarrassed warm tingle spread through his cheeks. Zim didn't understand...
"Uhm, yeah but, I mean, you're in here so... Uhm... Should I go in the kitchen?"
The Irken looked mildly offended. He opened his mouth... And said something that sent Dib into shock.
"No. I want to watch."
...
He... He couldn't have just...
But he had.
Zim had found something other then TV to amuse himself.
"Uh... Uhm... I, I don't think... W-why?" Falling into stress relief habits the poor earthling began to scratch at one of his arms, and then the back of his neck.
Zim merely shrugged as if this were no big deal at all, offering an all too calm smile.
"Zim is curious. I have rarely even seen you without your big jacket thing and... Dib your face is all red." Zim grimaced. "You aren't getting a germ-fever are you?"
"N-no... I just..." Dib shifted from foot to foot, swallowed heavily and kept his eyes turned away.
"I-I'll just go dress in the kitchen, okay?"
Dib stepped forward to grab his backpack, unable to make eye contact. Immediately Zim glared at him and pushed his backpack away with a foot.
"I said I wanted to see!"
"Z-Zim, I-I cant... I... You..."
"Why not?"
He wasn't getting out of this. Dib began to feel faint as he realized his former nemesis was demanding that he strip in front of him, now.
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I think that's a great place to end it, don't you? Trolololol... XD
Seriously though, please review! Any constructive criticism is welcome, and I need ideas for where to take this from here.