Slightly more graphic kissing in this one, just to warn those that like to avoid that type of thing.

In theory the plan was simple. Twist the doorknob to the right, not the left. Step on the first and third floorboards, but skip the fifth and sixth. If light was needed, use the switch closest to the door. The bed was safe, but the wall against which the headboard rested is not. Do not touch anything on the dresser or shelves that held toys. Be sure not to forget that all drawers are rigged. And above all else, do not go within a two foot radius of the window or open the closet door. If a hiding space was needed, under the bed was safe.

There were no explanations to accompany the strict guidelines for entering Gaz's room and reemerging unharmed.

Dib and Zim stood before the closed door, unable to move. Human nudged alien. "Well, get on with it."

"You open the door. She's your sister."

"I'm not the one that wants to confess my love. Besides, I've never attempted to open the door without her consent. As this is your mission, you're the one that is going to have to make the sacrifices."

"I thought you used the door to get that camera in there."

"What? Oh, no, I attached that by the window from the outside. I'm not stupid. Now get going!"

"Do you not want to be known for your willingness to explore unknown territory?" Zim demanded. "What a great honor it is to be known as a pioneer."

"Exactly. Doing this isn't honorable, it's stupid and crazy. Go for it." Dib checked his watch. "And you better hurry. She'll be done with her Final in about fifteen minutes."

"Very well." Zim glanced down at the paper Gir had given him. He twisted the doorknob to the right and pushed. The door swung open. So far so good. He stepped gingerly on the suggested floorboards and made it to the bed in one piece. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Dib give him a thumbs-up before pulling the door shut.

Now all he had to do was wait.

…How boring.

Zim resisted the strong urge to walk around and touch things that he knew he wasn't allowed to touch. How could Gir stand to be in this room? Perhaps it was different when Gaz was inside. That made sense, he supposed. It would be stupid if she could never touch things in her own room. He doubted her room had changed much over the years. Dark colors, creepy-looking stuffed animals, posters that didn't make sense to him. His eye caught sight of a picture frame facedown on her side table. Itching with curiosity, he reached a clawed hand out to put it right, but stopped. He had better consult the paper for this one. Safety first.

Not a dresser, and not a shelf with a stuffed animal on it.

He set it straight.

It was the picture he had given her for her birthday. He allowed himself to smile as there was no one around. Good times. That day had been one of the happiest he could remember since coming to this planet. He didn't even look all that disgruntled. He felt a familiar twinge in his squeedily spooch as he traced her image. She seemed to be positively glowing. That day she had looked especially attractive.

Zim knew he had been a complete fool the past two weeks. The alien could only hope that she would be willing to consider forgiveness an option.

--

Gaz breathed a sigh of relief as the bell rang, signaling freedom. She was looking forward to three months without morons and teachers and waking up early. And now that she had rediscovered her love of video games she could hardly wait to spend eight hours a day indulging and making up for lost time.

She had been hoping summer would also mean spending more time with Zim, but of course that was no longer an option. The thought made her want to begin crying again, but that was all she had done the day before and she did not like having a stuffy nose. It made the whole breathing thing more work than it should be.

Dib was sitting at his computer when she walked up the steps and down the hallway. "How was your test?"

"Easy. A hamster could have passed it, I'm sure." She glanced around. "Zim isn't here, is he? I want to avoid him at all costs."

"No, but he did say he'd be over soon," Dib replied slowly. "If you're going to lock yourself in your room I'll just tell him you're out somewhere."

"Thanks. Not that he would come looking for me anyway." She turned to leave.

"That's what you think," he muttered under his breath and pretended to cough when she turned to peer at him.

"Weirdo." She entered her room and closed the door, dropping her bag on the ground. She went to the window, slid the pane up, and lit a cigarette. Twenty-eight seconds later she realized Zim was sitting on her bed. "You! How the hell did you get in here without setting off any traps?" she demanded, crushing her barely-smoked cigarette on the sill.

"I have my ways for I am the mighty ZIM!" he replied and laughed maniacally. Then he calmed himself. "I have some explaining to do."

"Yeah, well I don't want to hear it. I've had enough of your crap. You don't care about me, fine. That's your decision. But don't come around looking to cause trouble. I don't want to deal with you."

"I lied!" he shouted and she froze. "I can't stop thinking about you or how much I enjoy our power struggles. I have a hard time resting because you plague my thoughts. And I am ashamed to admit that I have been horrible to you. I should not have tried to use emotions to get even with you for the brainwashing thing. I was wrong and I have to tell you the truth about how I feel. Gaz, I–"

She clapped her hands over her ears and started singing nonsense words as loud as she could. "I'm not going to listen to you. I don't want to hear it. Don't come in here and think that a speech is going to make me fall to my knees for you. If you can't be truthful with me about how you really feel, then I don't know how I can trust anything you say in regard to emotions." She blinked to keep back tears and turned her back on him. "Get the hell out and stay away from me."

"I'm not going to do that, you stubborn worm baby female," Zim growled, angry at her for being unwilling to take him seriously. He hopped off of her bed and walked toward her. "I think you need to know that—" He was once again cut off, this time by a metal chute appearing below his feet. He had unwittingly stepped on the sixth floorboard.

Gaz spun on her heel just in time to see Zim's head disappear before the hologram reset itself. "Oh, that's fantastic," she grumbled and headed down to the basement to set him free.

--

Zim was in a cage. It wasn't too bad. Plenty of room, and it even had a chair. In truth it reminded him of the time Gaz had been forced into quarantine. Either way, it sure beat being chained to the wall.

Although that had been kind of kinky…

No! Bad thoughts!

He paced the cell. Six feet by six feet, apparently. Not too small, but the fact that the cage was made of Plexiglas instead of metal bars was beginning to make him feel claustrophobic. That was probably because of whose house he was in. There was a decent chance that not-good things were coming his way, in Gaz form.

Ten minutes passed before the human female emerged, grumbling about security codes and guard spiders. She came to a halt before the cage, scrutinizing Zim. "I can't decide if I want to let you out or not."

Zim glared at her. "If you do not let me out, then at least listen to what I have to say. It is important."

"I don't have to do anything you say. You have no claim on me."

"But I want to!" he shouted. "You are more irritating than any creature I have ever met! Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because you broke my heart!" she shouted back. "Yes, I have been decidedly cruel toward you at times, but I've never done that, now have I? And it only happened yesterday! You can't just waltz in here and act like you can make everything okay again."

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Why can't I make everything okay again?"

"I…um." Gaz faltered. She didn't know how to respond.

"Gaz, if I did not care for you I would not be sitting in this cage right now, putting my freedom in your hands." He tried to give her what he hoped look like a patient smile. "I understand that I have hurt you. You need to understand how badly I feel about that."

She looked away from him. "It feels like it's going to take time before I can forgive you, and even longer to talk to you again." She glared at the floor. "I don't want it to, but that's how it seems."

"Don't do that to me!" Zim shouted. "It wouldn't be fair! For once in my life I am putting someone else as the top priority. I am willing to do whatever it takes for you to believe in me again." He shrugged. "Try to think of the effort I am putting into this. It is difficult to admit that I think you are more important to me than anything else."

The confession made her want to melt, but she would not allow it. He had screwed with her head. He had denied her love. He had pissed her off.

Yet he had also come here to make things right. And that did count for a lot.

She sighed. She just couldn't stay mad at him when she had him in a cage, all helpless and pleading for forgiveness. She walked over to the door and held up the key. "So, what are you saying, exactly?"

"What? Have you not been listening to me at all?"

"You have yet to actually say anything that I really want to hear."

Zim's eyes widened in horror. "Gaz. No. Not the 's' word."

"Say it or I'll – wait. What 's' word?" she demanded.

The alien gulped. "Sorry."

She frowned in confusion. "But I've heard you say it before. I'm sure I have."

"You have heard me say 'apologize', which is completely different. 'Sorry' is a horrible word." He shuddered. "Do not make me explain."

"Okay. But the 's' word wasn't the one I was waiting for. In fact, I was waiting for more than just one."

"So what are you waiting to hear?"

Gaz wanted to scream from her frustration. "If you are really that stupid, then I don't know why I'm wasting my time. I'll let you rot until you figure it out."

"What I am saying is that I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you love me. Or at the very least let me out of this miserable cage." He sighed and clenched his eyes shut, afraid of what she would do to him.

She unlocked the door and moved back several paces. "There is only one thing I want you to do right now," she announced and he opened his eyes and exited the cage with as much dignity as he could muster.

"And that would be?"

"I want you to promise that you won't lie to me anymore about your feelings. In return, I won't lie to you."

"Is that all?" Zim was skeptical.

"No. But that's what I want for now."

"Very well." Zim stood before her and took her hand. "Gaz, I promise on Gir's life that I will never lie to you again about my emotions because this is not worth it."

"Thank you. You can go now."

"What?" He stared at her. "You're going to kick me out after all of that?"

"You weren't expecting me to jump in your arms and declare this happily ever after, were you?"

"Well." Gaz shook her head and looked away. In that moment he hooked his foot around her ankle and yanked. She fell back, but avoided hitting her head by Zim's hand blocking it from hitting the floor. She was effectively pinned. "I did something for you, now you do something for me."

Her eyes widened. "No. I'm not going to do that, Zim. Get the hell away from me."

He glared at her. "That's not what I meant, you insufferable female. I know better than to attempt that. I am wounded that you would assume such a thing."

"I'm sorry." She wiggled to get more comfortable. "You're heavier than you look."

"Right. Anyway, I want you to try to calm down more. You're always on edge. Try to relax when you're around me. You know I won't let harm come to you."

She nodded. "I'll try." On impulse she lifted her head and brushed her lips against his cheek. "So what are you going to do tomorrow?"

"Oh, you shall see. The stupid worm babies won't know what hit them. It will be GLORIOUS!" He smirked down at her. "For now there are more important things to do."

"Like what?"

"Kissing you."

"I see."

"Indeed."

"Get on with it all ready," she commanded and he did. Their lips met forcefully and he used his teeth to nibble on her bottom lip. She moaned from the shock of emotion that flooded through her. She felt feverish and light-headed. It was nice. Shyly, she kissed back, slanting her mouth against his, and used her tongue to gently lick his lips. It shocked her when he responded in kind. They had never kissed like this, so intimately, not even when she had him chained up.

Her hands would not keep themselves still, running from his antennae to the bottom of his shirt, and back up along the lengths of his arms. She was thrilled by the way his hands cradled her face. She felt as though she could do this forever.

It made her question why she had avoided doing this with Zim for so long.

The floorboards above creaked and Gaz was thrown out of her dizzying kissing mindset. She pushed him away and stood up.

The alien accepted her hand and popped up beside her.

She cleared her throat. "Um, that was quite not what I expected."

He grinned. "I studied up on your so-called kissing as part of the mating experience. There are many ways to make it quite enjoyable."

"Hm," she replied absently. "Well. I suppose this means that we are back on good terms then."

"Indeed."

"Stop saying that!" She glanced up at him. "So…what does this mean?"

He frowned in confusion. "I thought you just said it meant we are on good terms."

"Yes, but what does that mean?"

"You are the one that said it."

"I know, but –"

"Gaz, stop talking." She did. "I suppose this means that I am claiming you to be the affection monkey of my squeedily spooch. Which means no hugging, kissing, talking, or looking at another male for as long as you live."

"Did I do that anyway?"

"Fair enough."

"So will you kiss me again?"

Zim grinned evilly. "Maybe." He grasped her shoulders and she couldn't keep the smile from crossing her face as her nerve endings sent little pulses racing up her spine. Their lips almost met until Dib found a way through the giant spiders.

"Zim, are you okay? What – oh, gross! Stop doing that!" Dib yanked them apart forcibally. "Have some respect for me, and spare my eyes this horrible sight. The last thing I ever wanted to see was my sister kissing someone."

Gaz glared at him. "How did you get past the spiders?"

Dib paled. "It was harder than it seems." He looked at the two of them. "So, I guess you won't be trying to kill each other any time soon. How disappointing."

"Why is that, stupid human?"

"I really wanted to see her kick your ass."

Gaz shook her head and began to walk away. "Juveniles. Zim, order me some pizza. I'm hungry."

"I am not your slave, Gaz-human. Do not think that you can boss me, The Mighty Zim, around like some common peasant! It is an outrage," the alien howled. She looked over her shoulder at him and he sighed. "Very well."

Dib followed them back upstairs, wondering how he had failed to notice all of the twisting tunnels and stairways that were below his house.

Tomorrow was bound to be interesting.