A/N: Hello! Sorry for such a long hiatus. I have much on my plate, not to mention that I have no idea where to go with this next. I know what I want the ending to be, but to get there....and the songs I need to have in order...Bah. Well, here I go, let's give it a whirl. Please have patience with me; regard me kindly. -bows respectfully-

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.

The next morning, they both awoke in a state of fuzzy haziness. Was what happened yesterday....truth? Zim turned his head to look at the figure lying next to him, as Dib turned his head to meet Zim's frighteningly bright red eyes. They smiled and Zim came closer, caressing Dib's cheek. "Stay and rest; Zim has some things to take care of."

Things? "Like what, Zim?" Dib inquired. Was this still all a trick? Was Zim still plotting something? Dib watched Zim's lip curl into that familiar vicious smirk and he felt his stomach clench in fear.

Reading the fear in Dib's eyes, Zim laughed shallowly. He shook his head and got up and walked over to the elevator that would take him back up. "Zim promises not to blow up the Earth. Just sleep, Dib-human. Zim will wake you when it is time. Until then, just relax and," he paused to motion around, "make yourself at home." And with a simple wave, he was gone, leaving Dib to lay back down on the surprisingly comfortable goose-feather mattress. Dib had had no idea Zim actually knew the concept of comfort when it came to resting. Dib wondered what else Zim knew.

This was the beginning of a knew world; a new understanding, for them both, Dib was positive. A lot of questions wandered around idly in his head as he examined everything.

That familiar twitch was soon back as he continued to gaze around. The twitch to get up, steal something and run or to dissect and dissemble something and then run, but he held back. This was...a new start. They were no longer enemies...but... Well, they weren't exactly lovers. Nor were they boyfriends....were they?

What exactly were they? How did Zim view their relationship? Dib had never been in love with someone not of blood, so he had no idea if that's what he was feeling for the foreigner being or not. He didn't feel the same towards Zim as he did Gaz. Well, this was just another one of the many topics to bring up when he spoke to Zim next.

Tired of laying there on the soft mattress, he decided to get up and stretch. Putting his glasses on, he blinked a few times before standing up in the room. It was spacious to behold, there was no doubt. A little bit dark, considering there was little light coming from one light bulb hanging askew from the ceiling. Zim really had no knack for interior decorating, that's for sure. Dib smiled at the thought and laughed a little. He wondered when Zim would come for him. He was getting lonely down here. Not to mention it was a little cold and he wasn't wearing any socks. He didn't mind the cold so much until he was beginning to chill. Only then did he decide he was too cold and jumped back into the bed just as Zim came back down. Giving him a funny expression, he walked over towards the boy.

"What are you doing...?" He asked cautiously. Dib blushed and hid his face behind the covers, explaining in a muffled voice that he'd gotten up but then got cold and got back in bed. Zim smiled and nodded. "Tell me next time. I'll be sure to keep the temperature up." Zim attempted a wink but failed and Dib just smiled, nodding. Zim offered a hand to Dib, asking him to come up stairs with him and Dib took it. Once standing, Zim's hand flew to Dib's face and held it there while he brought their lips together. Dib, taken aback, was stunned into motionlessness. Zim released those lips and smiled.

"What was that for...?" Dib asked softly after a moment. Zim laughed and told him that he'd read somewhere that it was customary to give your love a kiss in the morning to show affection. Dib blushed and laughed a little. So Zim was trying to follow Earth customs for him? It was sweet, but Dib wanted to know more about Irken traditions. He'd ask later; as they traveled up, the tantalizing aroma of breakfast hit Dib's nose and he smiled, leaning against Zim. Zim offered the same odd look as before but started smiling at the human and simply allowing him to rest his head on his shoulder.

Zim had realized long ago that humans really loved food, but homemade food was even better. It was a rarity, something Zim had never even heard of, what with Food Courtia and other inter-galactic vendors. His race didn't need to worry about such things as heart attacks and other diseases that came along with eating too many carbohydrates. His body was equipped with large storage spaces beside his squideleespooch(spelling may vary.) that simply obliterated the fatty cells. The only danger they face when eating was getting bloated stomachs or developing what they called on his home planet, neurotic vainglorious overindulgence. His Tallests were a prime example of this case.

Reaching the top level, Did spotted Gir at the stove, making waffles by the quadruplets and piling more onto a stack as Dib stepped over to him. Gir looked at him and smiled, waving obnoxiously and shouting a high-pitched, metallic greeting. "Hello," Dib responded and looked at Zim, questioning Gir's behavior of making enough waffles to feed an army regiment of twelve. Zim rolled his eyes and told Gir to stop making so many waffles or they wouldn't all get eaten. Gir fell, defeated, before springing up and saluting Zim, guzzling down the rest of the waffle batter, making Dib almost lose his cookies right there.

Taking their seats, Gir served them each eight waffles and ate the rest himself, belching rudely afterward. Dib looked at Zim and Zim gave him an almost apologetic look. Dib sighed and took a huge bite, moaning with approval of the taste. Gir began chattering excitedly at the sound Dib made. He was excited that Dib liked his waffles but Zim couldn't take his shouting voice at the moment and pushed him off of his chair to clatter to the floor.

"Zim!" Dib shouted, surprised at Zim's course of action. Zim shrugged and put more waffle into his mouth. Dib shook his head, looking over the table at the small tin can and saw that he was asleep on the floor. Curiously, he glanced at Zim. "What happened?"

"I can't take his voice sometimes, so I pushed him. It ended the racket and he will get back up and be as annoying as he always is in about ten minutes, so just enjoy the peace." Zim smiled and Dib settled for putting more waffle into his mouth instead of saying something against that. Zim had a point. Gir's voice was grating sometimes and it was nice to enjoy breakfast in peace. Although, he couldn't take the silence; he wasn't used to it.

At home, Gaz usually was berating him for something and he would be rambling on about how he would catch said invader who sat next to him, eying him carefully. Dib swallowed and cleared his throat, unnerved by Zim's gaze and the silence. "So...is this what it's like every morning here?" Dib asked lamely. Zim shrugged and nodded. He swallowed to open his mouth and tell him that he normally didn't eat as many waffles though and that sometimes it was bacon. Dib nodded slowly, putting more waffle into him.

Ten minutes later, Gir was up and bounding off the walls, as predicted and Zim had finished his waffles clean and was still standing. That was much more than he could say for him human counterpart, however. Dib had eaten all on his plate for fear that Gir would be upset if he didn't and wound up passed out on the floor. Zim had chuckled at Dib, at first thinking it was a jest. But when the large-cranium'ed boy didn't awaken, Zim stooped down to check his pulse in a panic. He'd thought for a second that his robots cooking had killed his objective.

With immense relief washing over him, Zim picked Dib up bridal style and took him to the couch and laid him down there. He put in a new song and set it to loop so that when Dib woke up, he would get the mood of the day Zim wanted him to have. Then he wrote him a note and took Gir with him, leaving Dib to wake up all alone.

Dib,

I've taken Gir out for a walk and to get some food-stuffs.

Will return shortly. Don't panic and enjoy the music.

With love,

your Irken.

Corny enough, he thought and left it beside Dib's massive forehead. With a smile, he got suited up and took Gir out on the leash with him in guise. He would return and before he would enter, he would see his love's reaction to the song he chose for today. He had it turned up a little, so that after awhile it might wake him up.

Turns out, it looped three times before it woke Dib up. He woke up dizzy and a little achy. Looking around, he realized he was alone in the house. "Zim?" He called out a bit intimidated to be left alone. The twitch was back, but he held back. That's when he realized that there was music playing in his ears, that there wasn't silence like there was at his house when he woke up.

Turning sadness into kindness
Your uniqueness into strength
It's okay to get lost so begin walking
Once again, once again

Do you like to be praised by
Answering everyone's expectations?
Will your smile always be beautiful
Even if you hide your true self?

Just dreaming the beginning then waking up
The continuation can be reached someday by myself

The most important thing is always
Without any shape
Even if you have it or lose it
You'll never know

Turning sadness into kindness
Your uniqueness into strength
It's okay to get lost so begin walking
Once again, once again

Unfair adults are always
Giving lectures every time we meet
Being unable to show their true selves
They get grouchy as they get hurt

Getting the new wind on your side
It's now okay to search for the blue bird

The most important thing is always
Without any shape
Even if you have it or lose it
You'll never know

Turning sadness into kindness
Your uniqueness into strength
It's okay to get lost so begin walking

It's natural like the rainbow
That somehow appears after tears
The rain stopped

So the most important thing is always
Without any shape
Even if you have it or lose it
You'll never know

Turning sadness into kindness
Your uniqueness into strength
Believing that you should be able to do it
Once again, once again
Once again, are you ready? *

Dib listened intently to the Japanese lyrics and wondered what they were saying and why Zim even possessed this song at all. He looked at the note and read it, sighing. Looking around, he spotted another note on the stereo and picked it up. It was the translation for the lyrics. He read through them and smiled. Zim was telling him it was okay, that he was going to be okay. THEY were going to be okay. Did that mean Zim was serious about loving him? Dib was still uncertain and a little reluctant. He had no idea what Zim's intentions were, he was so mysterious and secretive still. He didn't want Zim to hide from him, he wanted him to be honest with him.

Maybe that's what he was telling him? That he was going to be okay now....because of him? That he could now let down his facade? Dib supposed it was plausible...but...would Zim be the type of person to say something like this in this form?

No.

The Zim he knew was blunt, honest, obnoxious, brash, impulsive and always and never calculating in his moves. So what was going on....? Dib's head was spinning and he hated it. He was tired of thinking. He just wanted to not think and have happiness for once in his life. But, once again, he came to the realization that all good things came to those that waited and that thinking was a part of life that he couldn't get around. 'Without thought, we would not be alive,' he thought redundantly.

Sitting on the couch, he placed his head in his hands and rubbed his temples absently. The song on a continuous loop, he sat there until Zim came walking back into the room. Although, this was not the reaction he'd been expecting of the human. "Dib? What is wrong?" Zim came close to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Dib brushed it aside and looked at him seriously.

"I need to talk to you."

So, that was chapter eight. Woot. I still need a beta...bleh. If anyone would like to help...? Sorry again for the wait. This took me a little while. ^__^' So, what's going on? What's going to happen? Bleeehhh, cliff-hangers are cruel when you're not the one writing them. Bwuahahaha! Review please! They make me happy.

* This song is the third opening to Naruto. Kanashimi Wo Yasashisa Ni by Little by Little. I tried not to pick a Japanese song, but I was really at a loss for this one and I really just wanted to get this story on the road. Hoped you enjoyed!!