A.N.: A super duper long chapter because I didn't get to post last weekend due to several horrid factors. I hope you enjoy the kissing and relationship talk.
Foodcourtia buzzed with life, as always. Ships of all shapes and sized swarmed the planet's atmosphere, lights and signs flickering, seducing the pilots with promise of savory snacks and rare eatable delights. And although there was no sound to be heard in space, the sheer sight of the planet seemed, in a sense, noisy.
The tiny Voot Cruiser, with its mere two passengers, navigated easily between the other ships, passing them by swiftly but not without caution. Entering the planet's atmosphere was the trickiest part, but once they cleared the signs, landing platforms were easily spotted and orderly paths lead them to their destination without protest from the Voot.
Zim hopped out eagerly, his boots hitting the hard platform with a dull thud. A long stretch resulted in satisfactory joint pops and a relieved sigh. Once the human was clear of the vessel, a beam of pink light washed over the Cruiser, and after a few delayed moments, the Cruiser was scanned and processed and was gone in a flash.
Zim seemed unbothered, albeit a bit groggy from the trip.
"Now," He said, looking around. "Let's get off the platform before we get squished, and find you something your bottomless pit of a digestive system can handle." He tugged at the human's sleeve and lead him off the platform where a much larger ship landed only moments after.
Dib walked while stretching, fighting against the aches and pain that came from sitting still for days on end in a tiny space with a bony irken on your lap. He figured that if his stomach were full with food he'd been even more excited but that seemed hard to imagine at the current moment. This was the first planet he'd ever been on besides earth and everything was fabulous. His stomach grumbled angrily but, oh wow look the voot crusier just like got transported somewhere! And look at all the different kinds of aliens!
The ground of the planet buzzed with as much life, if not more, as the space surrounding it. Creatures from all wakes of the universe passed each other on foot, murmuring and squawking excitedly. The various food buildings and stalls loomed over them from every direction save where the platform was seated.
Zim took a moment to take in the sight, before turning to his taller counterpart. "See anything that piques your interest?" Which was a dumb question on his part; of course there would be.
A grin was stretched so wide on Dib's face, it kind of hurt. But, at Zim's question he looked around, clueless. He of course couldn't read any of the signs. But, luckily there were tons of pictures. Everything did look delicious. Well, except for some sort of squirmy thing.
"Lots of things. Do you have any suggestions? Because I'm pretty much about ready to try anything." They walked together, side by side and Dib didn't even notice as their arms brushed. It came from being in such close contact for nearly a week. However, other aliens did.
Irkens weren't uncommon on Foodcourtia but, they were still wary of them. Irkens were violent and prone to outbursts it. So, as they walked, people avoided them, walking around them.
Which Zim took as a compliment, naturally. He marched proudly through the crowd, not bothering to acknowledge the aliens and their wary expressions. He looked up at his travelling companion, taking in his obviously excited expression. The human's face was stretched so wide in a grin that Zim thought his face might tear at any moment. What was so exciting about Foodcourtia, anyway? This place was a dump, albeit the biggest eatery in the galaxy. A collection of the galaxy's scum in one place.
Zim let out a small hum as he looked around, looking for something that even he could stomach. His eyes met the large, familiar sign and his guts turned. "Shloogorg's" flashed bright, neon lights across the crowd as a sign of impending disaster. The Irken fidgeted under the memories of that short, yet horrible time he had spent at that fast food restaurant.
"I think there is a decent place over here." Zim stated in a nearly panicked tone, grabbing at the human's sleeve and dragging him in a bee line away from Shloogorg's. With little hesitation, he darted into a nearby building, not caring anymore where they ate, just as long as it was away from those horrible memories. "Alright, this place looks good. Just pick something off the menu." Zim said, pointing up at the colorful board hung above the counter.
Various patrons looked at the two with unease, not recognizing the taller male who accompanied the loud Irken as any species they had seen before. Low murmurs floated around the air of the pastel colored room as eyes dared a glimpse of the odd pair. As always, Zim didn't seem to mind or notice.
Dib noticed. He saw how all the different kinds of aliens were throwing them strange glances and whispering in their languages. He figured it was because they had never seen someone like him before and turned to look up at the menu. Lucky for him there were no words. Just pictures of each of the food items which he surveyed. There was something that looked vaguely like mac and cheese. Huh.
"What do you think of that one?" He asked, pointing at it. "Oh and I hope you're paying for this because I have no money."
Zim waved a hand through the air to dismiss the human's words. He wasn't worried about money; he had a plan. "Yes, that's fine." Zim answered half mindedly, not bothering to look at what the boy was pointing at. "Make sure to get enough to last for the remainder of the trip." He reminded, stepping towards the counter as the line shortened. He didn't much care for anything on this particular menu, but at this moment he figured that was the least of his worries.
"Actually, let's just get some of everything. I know it will hardly matter to your inferior gullet, but just in case." If Dib could scarf down anything on Earth, there was no doubt he'd be able to swallow anything the universe could throw at him. But he was still a universally unknown creature; there hadn't been a lot of exposure to what humans could and could not it was only a moment later before they were at the counter, being yelled at to order something by a greasy alien that sported a strange dialect.
"Yes, we'll just take some over everything. And make it snappy; we are sort of in a hurry, here!" Zim commanded. He got a skeptical look in return from the alien at the register, but no other protests. Zim ducked out of line and pulled the human down to his level by his shoulder.
"Ok, listen," The Invader whispered. "You'll have to be fast, and you'll need to stay close to me. Just grab what your lanky arms can and follow my lead, understand?" Without waiting for Dib to respond, he released him and leaned against the counter, mentally mapping out an escape route while trying his best to remain inconspicuous.
Regardless of the large order, it only took them a few minutes to fill it out and the alien behind the register was carrying out the bags of food, piping hot. Zim gave Dib a small nod and motioned for the human to get the food. Once he was sure the he had as much as he could fit in his arms, Zim scooped up as much as he could grab as well, unfortunately leaving a few stray bags behind.
"Ok, go!" Zim snapped the order and he was bolting out the door like a bat out of hell, anybody unfortunate enough to be in his path was knocked out of the way.
"What?!" Dib gasped but, then the moment to act arrived, and it was filled with stolen food and running. Instinct took over and he obeyed orders, stuffing his arms full of the bags and taking off after his companion, unable to stop fearful laughter from bubbling up in his throat.
Of course Zim didn't have any money! He was one Earth for who knows how long, and it wasn't like Invaders were having cash thrown at their feet. Or at least, Zim wasn't getting cash thrown at his feet. As he understood it, you got paid on your completion of a mission. Basically-no planet, no cash.
So, it wasn't Zim's finest moment, bursting out of that restaurant's doors, arms full of stolen food with various shouts and gasps trailing after him. But like he had said time and time before, one did what he needed to in order to survive. Although, in this case it could be argued that Zim wasn't even doing this for his own survival. But of course this wasn't something that was on the forefront of his mind at the only hoped that human was keeping up as he sprinted down the plaza of confused and surprised aliens.
So, there he was. Who knows how far from Earth, sprinting through a huge crowd after an alien on a strange planet, arms filled with even stranger food and cackling about it. This was crazy, insane and wonderful.
The Irken ducked into an alley way and Dib followed his lead, skidding to a stop, panting beside him. His eyes were impossibly wide behind his glasses and he had to put the food down because he was still laughing. "O-oh my god." Several guards(at least that's what he thought they were) ran past the alley way and Dib collapsed against the nearest wall.
He could feel his asthma starting to take its toll but, holy crap that was awesome. "I've never…"Gasp. "Done something so," Giggle. "Stupid in my entire life." Gosh, his face kind of hurt a little bit. Was that normal? He glanced at Zim and his grin increased. The alien seemed hardly out of breath, standing under the shadows cast by the high wall against the thousands of bright, neon signs.
Zim set the bags down and pressed himself closer to the wall, scooting to the corner and peeking out to see if they had successfully evaded their pursuers. He snapped his head towards the sputtering human to order him to keep quiet, but was stalled by the look on his face. He looked insanely….giddy about the whole situation, and that was not at all what Zim had expected.
"W-we just," Dib made his fingers do a little run while he had his other hand on his knee, bending over to breathe better. "took off and their faces were just—" Dib snorted again.
Dib's face was bright as he wheezed, bent over, laughing and trying to get a coherent sentence out. And while Zim should have known better; the human's excitement seemed contagious, and Zim couldn't help but laugh.
The situation wasn't funny in the slightest, but the idea that Dib seemed to think so WAS. The alley echoed to life with the sound of their spastic laughter. The Irken relaxed a bit against the wall and took a deep breath, watching the Dib creature continue to wheeze and cough.
"What's wrong," The 'this time' hung at the end of his almost worried inquiry as Zim approached him. Was the excitement too much for the human's weak heart? Maybe Dib was more frail than Zim had anticipated.
Dib's laughter faded into a few chuckles here and there. He hadn't laughed in…forever it felt like. Maybe that was why it had gone on for so long. He gasped in air and shook his head, taking deep breaths until the majority of it seemed under control. It would hurt for a while to breathe but, it would be okay for now.
"Nothing. I just had asthma as a kid. Seems a hint of it is still there." Go figure it would turn up now, he thought sliding down the wall and looking at their spoils, digging through the bags curiously. There was everything from hot dog like things to squiggly, alive looking tentacles in a little container. Dib's nose wrinkled. Weird. Oh hey, water bottles. Neat.
And something that reminded him of a churo. Dib licked his lips, deciding he would eat that first when he got the chance. "So, are we staying here for the night? Because honestly, I'm worried about Earth and all but my back and legs are killing me."
Zim scrutinized the human a bit, his brow furrowed and his lips pursed in thought. Asthma? Whatever it was, it didn't sound pleasant. Was it a disease? Was it contagious? Zim doubted it, but he still cringed a bit. If it was something that was going to cause problems, Zim would have to find a way around it, somehow. He had made it this far, he was pretty much committed to it now. Whatever IT was.
Zim tapped one of the bag with his foot, causing the contents to squirm a bit in protest, but it was easy to tell that whatever was in the bag was losing its luster. They'd have to eat it soon before it went bad, Zim decided.
"If we must," The Invader groaned. "But honestly the living quarters on this planet leave something to be desired." He peeked around the corner again. It was clear now that whoever was looking for them had since given up. Fast food wasn't worth fighting an Irken over, it seemed. He had to admit to himself that a few hours rest might do them both good. Zim's neck ached a bit from the awkward tilt that came with sitting on a taller male's lap in a confined space.
"Alright. We better get moving before we get spotted hanging around this filthy alley way." Zim grunted before scooping up the bags once more. He waited for Dib to get his bearings before leading the way through the crowd.
The living quarters stationed on foodcourtia were mainly used for the Foodening, when people would be stuck here for twenty years. Though the quarters were open all the time, regardless, they were hardly ever used. And for good reason. The buildings were notably different than the majority of the restaurants that occupied the surface of the planet. They seemed more run down and out of repair, the dull colors peeling and metal rusting.
Usually one would have to pay a fee in order to use one of the quarters, but due to the inactivity there was a lack of security roaming about. Zim was able to scale a wall of the outside building using his PAK legs and knock a window loose. Once he dumped off his half of the loot, he went back and carried Dib up the wall and into the room.
It was strange how Zim was already so used to being in close proximity to the human.
The room was dim, the only light coming from the open window. The light coming from the neon signs only barely illuminated the egg shaped sleeping pods that would have otherwise glimmered in the strange light if not for their obvious disrepair.
"Alright, this will have to do." Zim huffed in reluctant acceptance.
Dib still kind of freaked out about being carried up a wall but, this time he was more prepared for the sensation and actually kind of enjoyed staring at the scenery. He didn't want to admit that he was seriously starting to trust Zim. But, then again hadn't he trusted him from nearly the beginning? Still, this felt different. More…personal? Yeah, let's go with that.
Turning around to stare at the rundown place, he let out a low whistle and smirked, going over and laying down on the bed thing. It was comfortable enough, lined with a soft, plushy padding. There were tons of different kinds of buttons on the side of it. He wanted to press them all but who knows what would happen if he did so restrained himself. Or at least distracted himself by finally opening up the bag and grabbing that churro like thing and chewing on it thoughtfully. It was delicious and Dib's eyes slipped closed.
Real food. Something besides chips. He licked the grains of sugar and cinnamon (he thought that's what it was) and hummed happily. Really he was in a fantastic mood, the threat of the Empire, hanging above his head, was kept at bay at this current moment in time.
Once most of the churro was gone, he explored the rest of the bags and tried some of that noodle stuff, coated in cheese. Half way through he glanced up at Zim and gestured to the bags. "Thanks for all of this…kind of. We did steal it. But, you did get it for me so…yeah." He nodded awkwardly, slurping down a noodle. "You should eat something too…do Irkens eat?"
"When the mood strikes us." Zim answered, though he seemed slightly far away as he examined the room. He marched over to one of the other pods and slumped down into the padding. It would have been a lie if he said he didn't feel drained. He looked around at the sea of paper bags before finally grabbing one and peering inside. His eyes lit up when he found something of interest and pulled out a small box.
"I didn't even see these on the menu." He mused to himself, popping the box open to reveal the treasures inside. They were golden brown, and slightly resembled tater-tots, aside from their strange shape and texture. He popped one into his mouth and his eyes rolled shut. It had been too long since he had the opportunity to partake in food that was actually edible. He had eaten plenty of human food to keep up appearances, and of course the few snacks he had in his base. It was nice to finally get some actual sustenance.
He ate the strange delights eagerly, only stopping when the box was empty and back in the bag. After a moment of savoring the flavor, he turned his head to look at the human, who seemed to be enjoying his own treats.
"How does it compare?" He asked with a small smirk.
Dib watched the alien eat curiously, wondering what the things were before glancing down at his own food at the question. He scoffed, taking another hearty bite and talking with his mouth full which was a gross thing to do but, it felt right in the moment. "No contest." Chew and swallow. "Although most of the food back home looks like some of this stuff, everything tastes much better. I wonder why." Another bite as he pondered the question, chewing. "Because it's space food. Made by aliens. My gosh. There are aliens and I'm sitting in a sleep pod…thing." Dib was seriously near to exploding. He wanted to jump up and down excitedly but, he also wanted to eat.
"This is too cool." He cracked open a bottle that said H2O in big letters and downed nearly half the bottle. Guess he wasn't the only creature to drink it. That was a nice thought and also really convenient. Dib turned to glance at Zim and in the dim light he could easily see the Irken's bruise that was nearly done healing. It was just a bit darker than the rest of his skin.
"Oh yeah. You can punch me now if you like."
The thought tickled Zim and he couldn't help but smirk, his magenta eyes glowing in the dim light dangerously. He sat up and leaned forward a bit, resting his hands on his knees. To say that he wouldn't like punching that smug, happy face would be a lie. He owed him, after all. And even though Dib had agreed to come in the first place, he was still way too happy about being thrown into a whole new world filled with unfamiliar creatures and places.
"I don't know," Zim said slowly, bringing a hand up to tap on his chin thoughtfully. "You aren't going to kiss me again, are you?" His tone was teasing, but it was a legitimate question. Maybe kissing was a natural reaction to danger. Zim didn't know, of course, but it did seem pretty effective.
The bottle made a clicking sound as Dib finished the last of it and the plastic squished around his fingers, he dropped it into the bag and turned fully on the bed towards Zim, glancing up and being taken aback by a dangerous glimmer he saw there. It sent a shiver up his spine, reminding him of a lion seizing up its prey.
Dib lifted his chin though and smirked, knowing it would hurt. But, he owed Zim. He wasn't a violent person. Of course, he wouldn't let himself get pushed around either. But, it seemed like the right thing to do. Regain some trust. Or something. "I'm not going to kiss you. Again." 'Maybe.'His traitorous mind whispered and Dib scowled, throwing his hands to the edges of the bed.
Zim pushed himself off the bed, standing over Dib as he prepared himself to get hit. Zim scoffed at the sight, but his gut turned a bit as well. Why was Dib doing this, what did he think he would gain from it? Zim would have completely forgotten, so why did the human feel the need to remind him?
"Take off your lenses, first." Zim ordered. He didn't want to end up breaking them; Dib would be useless if he wouldn't even be able to see. He watched the human peel the lenses off, obviously hesitant about being visually impaired, especially since he was about to get hand reached up and touched the tender skin of his poor cheek, as if to channel the rage he had felt when Dib had stricken him. Even then, everything about this was still absurd. Not that Zim was complaining, entirely.
He reeled his fist back, readying himself. "This is going to hurt," He warned. And then only a moment of hesitation before he swung. He didn't mean to, but he found himself holding back a bit. Quite a bit. It was probably the impromptu way it had been brought up. His fist made contact with Dib's jaw with a solid WHAP, his glove slapping against the human's skin.
"There," Zim huffed. "We're even now."
Dib went reeling to the side, falling sideways on the pod. It had hurt, yes. He was sure he'd have his own bruise. But, it had not hurt the way he'd expected it to. Dib had been expecting little black spots to wink, stars to dance above his head. Right now all he felt was the pain and of course irritation which was irrational because he'd let it happen.
Something about Zim's expression before it happened…hesitation? Huh. The human sat up with a groan and rubbed his cheek. "Good one." Even indeed. A little bit of guilt eased even though it was a bit dampened with the ache in his face. Now that was over with…he put his glasses back on and blinked everything into focus again, staring up at Zim with pained grin.
Zim twitched, his antennae perking up at the sight; Dib grinning up at him like he was proud of something. Maybe not proud…but there was a bit of accomplishment in that look. Zim didn't know why that bothered him so much—maybe he just wasn't expecting it. Then again he didn't know what he was expecting in the first place. Things with Dib, he was slowly learning, never went exactly how he expected. His gut turned again.
The Irken waved his hands around in exasperation.
"Why are you smiling? You just got punched in the face!"
Dib raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I did. Thanks for reminding me." He shrugged and stared right back at the irken. "I'm smiling because I did it. I let you punch me in the face and because we're even now. I like being even with people. No debts or trust issues."
Nodding, he stood up, blinking when he nearly stumbled but caught himself on the edge of the bed. Maybe that hit had been harder than he'd only that but, they were suddenly quite close. Not that he really noticed all that much. They'd been close for nearly a week.
Yeah, because Zim was the shining example of someone that could be trusted. Zim's brow furrowed a bit; this creature was even more naive that he had previously thought.
The human stumbled and Zim held up his claws, prepared to catch him out of instinct.
"Well, then, you're an idiot. Why be even with someone when it means getting punched in the face? And what are you stumbling for; I didn't even hit you that hard." Zim grumbled. He hardly noticed the closeness they shared—after sitting on Dib's lap for a week, this was nothing.
Dib poked Zim in the chest. "Ah-hah! You did hold back!" He searched the alien's eyes, mystified by the incredible foray of colors he found there. For some reason he found it nessacary to learn how to read the Irken. Maybe it was because they would be married. Maybe because he knew that Zim was his greatest ally. Or maybe it was because Dib was crazy. "How come? I could've taken it you know?" Though Dib was sort of grateful, it didn't seem all that fair.
Zim sputtered at the accusation. Looked down at his chest, where he had been poked, then back up at the taller male. He straightened his spine, puffing his chest out which did him little good; he was still short. "Maybe it was because you didn't punch me that hard! If you could even call that a punch!" He defended, maybe a bit louder than necessary.
From here, though, he could see a nice bruise forming along the human's jaw line. Absentmindedly, a gloved hand moved up and softly traced the damaged skin.
"And anyway, it did the trick; we have matching wounds." His eye dragged away from the bruise and snapped into focus with Dib's. Magenta jewels meeting amber orbs. He could see those golden eyes trying to read him, trying to learn even more about him than he already had. Obsessing over him. Not that Zim was complaining. His chest tightened and he withdrew his hand a bit, letting hover awkwardly between them, suddenly feeling unsure.
Dib felt like he should argue that he'd put everything he had into that punch and that he wasn't exactly an alien with crazy strength but, all of that seemed to fly out the window when the same hand that had punched him, reached up and gently caressed the bruise forming. Zim withdrew his hand and Dib could see a question there. He had about a billion of them himself.
However, the only one that really stood out was, Should I kiss him now? Dib tilted his head to the side, contemplating it before slowly bowing his head, eyes on Zim's, giving him the chance to push him away. You can stop me, he said mentally. They were inches away, the alien's breath brushing his lips.
Zim's head tilted in the opposite direction, almost for the same reason. He wondered if this was something he should be letting himself do. This wasn't exactly what he had planned when he took Dib with him, and once again he found himself mentally slapping himself for expecting anything to go smoothly with this creature.
But, Dib was getting closer now, and it was getting harder to think rationally. His breath was against Zim's lips, warm and sweet from whatever he had been eating before. His own breathing felt labored as everything in his body seemed to be churning and pumping all at once. Everything was slowing down, but it still seemed to be happening too fast.
Zim's eyes went half lidded as he watched Dib's lips. Until finally Zim closed the gap between them; mashing their lips together softly at first, but leaning into the kiss eagerly after a moment of surrealism. Gloved hands slid over the human's shoulders and brought the two closer.
It felt like Dib was overheating, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. His lids slid shut at the first contact and the world was muffled. The sounds from outside; people talking, cabs honking, the sound of a million orders being called out…gone. But, he could hear his own breathing and the tiny ones that Zim took in between slight kisses, lips parting. Unlike their first one, this wasn't going fast or hard.
Dib reached out, searching for a grip, needing something and he took Zim's hips in his hands, dragging him as close as possible. A soft nip to a jade lip, a soft kiss pressed to the corner of that mouth. He tasted sweet. Whether that was Zim's natural flavor or because of his food from earlier, Dib didn't know.
Zim took a step closer, his boots bumping the sides of Dib's as he did so. A small gasp as he broke the kiss, getting a small nip in return. Zim's face was thoroughly flushed by this point, and his whole body felt as though it might melt under the human's touch, their combined body heat almost being too much. Almost. He wanted to find out how much he could take; how hot they could get before melting completely.
Jade lips trailed over the soft, bruised skin of Dib's jaw, planting soft kisses along the darkening wound. A dark pink tongue flicked out to taste as Zim continued moving, making his way down the exposed flesh of the taller male's neck.
Irk, Dib tasted good. Better than he had expected. Zim was ready to give up all expectations when it came to Dib, at this point. His skin was salty at first, but as Zim licked and suckled, the more the saltiness faded into something sweet. It was difficult to describe—he had never tasted anything quite like it. It was exotic and wonderful. He couldn't help but groan softly into the human's neck.
Distantly, Dib could hear himself gasping and panting at each touch, kiss and caress. He leaned his head back to give Zim as much access to his throat as possible, thinking that maybe the dark spots were kicking in late because they danced before his vision. It was hot. The heat was unbearable but, delicious.
Dib pulled away, reaching up and cupping Zim's chin, returning the favor and lightly passing his lips over the fading bruise, slipping down his cheek and dropping a kiss on the corner of his mouth. His hands felt unsteady, shaking as they slid under the alien's tunic, pushing it upwards and letting his thumb slide across bare skin; warm and softer, softer than he'd imagined any being's could be.
He opened his eyes and stared into the heavy lidded ones before him. They shone brighter than they had before, glowing. Maybe it was the darkness of their room or the desire that swirled in them. They'd darkened in color, twin rubies with a faraway look to them. With a soft groan, Dib slammed his mouth down on Zim's again, harder, faster, rougher as frantic urges rocked him.
A fire built up in Zim that the human sparked and fed with each hungry kiss. It engulfed him from the inside out and he didn't want it to ever stop. He shuddered at the feel of Dib's hand trailing softly against his sensitive sides and belly, a shaky gasp breaking the fierce kiss. He panted softly against those lips, trying desperately to catch his breath, only to give up and slam their mouths together again.
Zim's hands snaked their way down Dib's heaving chest and belly, until finally finding the end of his shirt. Following a deep seeded urge, Zim parted from the eager human to lift his shirt up and get a glimpse of that heated skin. He smirked a bit at Dib's flushed face, those heavy lids over burning golden eyes. Burning with an intensity that was new to Zim, but he figured this was something he could get used to.
He opened his mouth the say same thing, but found himself sputtering as his foot landed and slid on one of the many paper bags thrown about half-hazardly. His foot slid forward and swung out from underneath him.
A flash of red as his skull hit the floor with a loud, solid THUD! Zim lay on the floor, a pained grimace on his face as he dared not open his eyes, hoping that what just happened didn't really just happen. But the warmth that came trickling down the back of his neck, and the dull ache that ebbed through his whole head confirmed that it did, in fact, just happen.
Dib's hands were suddenly empty and his eyes flashed open, stepping forward instinctively to catch Zim and then something rolled under his foot, probably one of the water bottles and then he was falling too. The bags made a collective crunching sound as he flopped next to the Irken with a startled yell. Luckily, he wasn't hurt but the shock had him giggling. The adrenaline had gotten to his head. They'd been making out and now they were on the floor. Shaking his head free of the cobwebs, he glanced over at Zim who was spread on the floor and smiled. "Oops."
Zim groaned and chanced a glance at the human, who was smiling and Zim wished he had punched him harder all of a sudden. "Yeah, oops." He said in a tight, pained voice. Gingerly, he lifted himself up, bringing a hand to the back of his head. "Wretched…food." He cursed lowly as he brought his hand back into view, grimacing at the warm, light pink substance that he found there. "Great..." He groaned again, feeling another wave of dull pain wash crash over him as he sat up.
Embarrassment rippled through him. Sure, Dib was obviously not sporting much grace, himself, but then again Dib wasn't representing his entire race. Dib wasn't a trained Invader. "Ah, look at all this ruined food." Zim grumbled, trying his best to take the focus off the fact that he had tripped on a bag and was now bleeding because of it. "Good going."
Dib brushed himself off, ready to make a sarcastic comment when his eyes flickered to Zim's hand and the faint smear of pink on the black rubber. A quick deduction and his lips formed an 'oh' before he stood up, brows furrowed. "You're bleeding. I know basic first aid. I just don't know if that would work for Irkens." He was…worried, but he knew that Zim was okay. Head wounds bled a lot. Or at least on humans. But, the sight of his blood was enough to make Dib's stomach twist.
Hoping over the bags he dug in what was kind of like a bedside table, rummaging before pulling out a little white box which, after a closer inspection, had bandage like things, a needle and thread, some weird sort of blue goo that had the name 'Huglo' across it in big, bold letters. But, it was apparently nessacary enough to be added to a basic first aid kit so Dib kept it.
Zim groaned and attempted to wipe the blood away, effectively smearing the pink fluid against the back of his scalp as more only replaced what he had wiped away. He looked up at the human, who seemed rather panicked by the sight of blood, as he rummaged around. He seemed a bit confused at the contents of the first aid kit, which only unsettled Zim.
"Don't worry about it," He dismissed as he pushed himself off the floor, causing his head to swim a bit. He had an unsure moment before finally regaining his balance, standing with his knees together to keep him steady. "Just a bump. Besides, I don't need you making it any worse."
Dib set his jaw and turned back around to respond just in time to see the Irken wobble a bit, eyes going a smidgen unfocused. An eyebrow rose, as he ignored Zim, wrapping his fingers around his elbow and gently pushing/pulling him down to the sleeping pod thing. "Oh? How could Ipossibly make it worse?"
Walking around to the other side of the pod to see the back of Zim's head, he winced. It wasn't that bad. It wouldn't need stitches. But, there was quite a bit of blood. A very strange, translucent sort of pink. It was kind of pretty. In the way that it stood out starkly. Hesitantly, Dib reached out and smeared some of the stuff on his finger. It felt like normal blood. But, lighter and cooler, his skin tingled through the first aid kit, he snatched a large enough bandage from the little pile and quickly undid the packaging.
"I'm sure you'd find a way." Zim mumbled as he plopped down on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. His feelers pressed themselves against his scalp as he seethed in his own embarrassment. He had fumbled around like an idiot, and was now being patched up by this human. How had he let things come to this? It was hard to keep the events straight in his head; everything since he met Dib seemed to blend Invader huffed obnoxiously. "Irkens are fast healers, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you."
"Yeah well, I already have the bandage out so, deal with it." Unconsciously gentle, Dib slowly smoothed the adhesive medical strip over the alien's leaking wound. Then he dug in the kit for a moist towlette, ripping it open and swiping at the drying blood around the bandage.
As he worked, the haze around his brain began to clear and Dib realized that Zim had gotten this injury when he'd stepped forward to get a better angle for their kiss.
A shiver ran up his spine. This one had not been in self defense. Wadding the little towel into a ball along with the bandage wrapper and threw it at the trash can. Of course his aim had never been good so it was totally off. Oh well.
Dib stepped away, running a hand down the back of his neck. "There. That's good for now." Should he bring it up? Or let it fade? Both seemed like daunting tasks.
Zim grumbled, as unappreciative as one being could be, and turned to face the human. He fingered the bandage as it clung to his skin obnoxiously. He always hated bandages; they were unnecessary and annoying. His eyes met the human's and it was clear that there was something just under the surface that had him troubled. His golden eyes really were a window to the boy's mind; the tricky part was being able to decipher just what each specific glimmer meant.
Zim's brow furrowed in annoyance. What was he upset about, now? Wasn't this his dream? Wasn't everything to his liking? "What is it?" Zim barked.
"Huh?" Dib asked, coming back from his own musings, staring at Zim for a second before frowning and shaking his head. "It's nothing. I'm just.." Well, this was as good enough time as any. Get everything out now before being trapped in the voot cruiser. Although, he would've expected it to be awkward. In fact, after the first time he'd been counting on it.
Hey…come to think of it, even when they'd first met, trapped inside that giant glass cube that now felt so far away…it had never been awkward. Odd. "Thinking. The first time we..kissed was in self defense." A story they were sticking to apparently. "This time, well this time was not." Dib moved his gaze from where it had fallen to the floor back up to Zim's eyes. "And I don't know what that means."
The corners of Zim's mouth tugged downward, taken aback by this realization. He had let Dib kiss him, hell even invited him to do so, but what did it mean exactly? Just like everything that had happened since he had met Dib, he wasn't quite clear of his own motives. Though it would be a lie to say that he didn't enjoy looked down and picked at the fabric he was sitting on, trying to seem disinterested.
Did it have to mean anything? Zim wanted to say no, but he knew that would be a lie, as well. "Why? Did you not enjoy it, Dib-creature?"
Dib had. Enjoyed it that is. His heart had been beating so fast, the blood rushing in his ears. Zim was so close and there had only been one real option. Dib licked his lips, swearing he could still taste how sweet the irken was. Damn it, he was looking at the floor again. "I…well, I'm not sure if it I matters if I enjoyed it…just that it happened."
Then a thought occurred to him. "D-did you enjoy it?" It seemed like Zim had. He'd leaned in too, gave as good as he got.
Zim shifted a bit on the bed, his eyes darting around the room as he tried desperately not to make eye contact. His jaw set and he let out a small groan. Of course he enjoyed it; wasn't it obvious? What did Dib get out of this by making Zim squirm? He continued to pick at the material of the covers until he managed to create a small hole. He felt dizzy, and he was sure it wasn't because of the fresh bump on his head.
"You said it yourself; it doesn't matter, it happened anyway." The Invader grumbled after clearing his throat. "And anyway, it's better than throwing punches around. The union will be much easier if we at least get along."
There was that. Dib cleared his own throat, shoving his hands into his coat pockets and sitting on the bed, only to jump up again realizing he wouldn't be able to keep still. "Yeah." Shifting from foot to foot, the human bit his lip and began the questions. "So…if it's better than throwing punches…does that mean you plan to let it happen again?" The possibilities were endless, his thoughts buzzing helplessly.
"Whenever I feel like punching you I kiss you instead?" It was…certainly better than them socking each other to keep even. Unconsciously, his fingers brushed against his cheek bone where the bruise was forming.
Zim jumped a bit when Dib leapt off the bed. He seemed jittery, which only made Zim more uncomfortable. He wished the human would calm down and stop acting as nervous as Zim felt. Those golden eyes were reflecting endless questions within the teen, and Zim knew this was going to be a long night. His eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Dib touch the dark spot on his face. Zim felt a little proud that he had hit him hard enough to leave a mark, regardless of him holding back. "That would be….preferable. Unless you WANT Zim to punch you."
Dib blinked and made a face in response to the Irken's statement, fighting the urge to flip him off because Zim would probably not understand it. "I was the one who punched you. I let you punch me." He reminded, feeling suddenly exhausted and looking around the room at all the food. There was no fridge in here so hopefully most of this stuff would hold until they could eat it/get it into the voot. Yawning, he slipped off his trench coat and folded it, laying it on top of the pod's light.
Zim's eyes shimmered as they rolled. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but was otherwise quiet for the time being. The human's face scrunched up at Zim's statement, which was an odd thing for him to do. Maybe it was because Dib was finally becoming comfortable enough to show a more defiant side of himself, not to say that Dib was ever really accommodating. Regardless, it was interesting how emotions seemed to play out on the human's face, and Zim couldn't help but mimic them. "Does that bother you?" He finally asked, still not moving from his spot on the pod.
The human unbuckled his pants and let them fall to the floor, kicking out of them, as well as his boots before flopping onto the pod and staring straight ahead, thinking. "Does what bother me? That I let you punch me? That you want to kiss me instead of punch me? Or that we're still talking about this?"
Okay, that last part was just him being stubborn. But, Dib found it was difficult not to be when Zim was already so hot headed. He had to hold his ground somehow. Plus, holy hell, he was confused. Feelings were not really something he dealt with often considering he'd grown up with nothing but, science and rage in his household, so the thought of trying to sift through the ones he had inside of him now…was a daunting idea.
There was confusion, want, frustration, determination, hate and…lust? And tons of other things. It was a practical cess pool of emotions and Dib was unsure what to do with them fall back was thinking. If you didn't know how to do something…figure it out. Take a second to breathe and think of a solution.
Zim shouldn't have been as surprised as he was when the human began undressing in front of him. They had spent nearly a week sitting on each other; of course the barriers of what was ok and not ok were going to be weak and blurry. And it didn't help that Dib had tried to undress Zim a bit today as well. Zim huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as Dib plopped down on the bed, causing the small alien to bounce a bit.
"Kissing, of course." Zim said, adjusting his position on the bed to look at Dib. "I don't care if Zim punching you bothered you; you were the one who let me do it. And you are the one who asked these questions, in the first place. Aren't you the nosy one who wants answers to everything?"
Dib groaned and closed his eyes. But, he swore he could still feel Zim's magenta gaze all over him, analyzing everything. "I…I don't know. Yeah I'm the nosy one, I guess." He turned on his side, away from Zim, facing the wall. The window's lights and shadows played over the white plaster.
"It's just…everything is just…so sudden." He flinched because it sounded like a cliché old movie where the hero asked the damsel to marry him and she swooned because it was 'so sudden'. "We meet. I realize I need to save you. I don't know why, but I do. I do whatever it takes and that means locking myself in that cube. And it isn't awkward. Which is weird because I'm like the most awkward human being ever." Dib flailed his hands a little even though he was sure Zim couldn't see.
"Then I find out this whole time you've been lying to me about being a helpless being. You're actually like a soldier who wants to destroy earth. And then for some reason, you're willing to marry me to try and save my planet…then we fight and then kiss. My first time punching someone. My first kiss…" It felt like he was giving everything away.
"And now, here we are. Kissing again…and I'm not sure if that means anything to you guys, but to humans it's a decent sized deal." Understatement; he could remember being picked on in middle skool because he hadn't been kissed yet. "Usually when people do that, they like each other. And if they do it more than once…" It was because they were in some sort of relationship.
Zim opened his mouth to say something, but promptly clamped it shut again. What did he do with all this information? It wasn't like Dib was telling him anything he didn't already know; he was there for all of that. But it still felt heavy in his words; he was bringing it into light in the form of some sort of confession, and Zim wasn't sure what to do with it. After a moment of watching the back of Dib's head, Zim huffed a bit and slumped his shoulders.
"Kissing is an intimate act for Irkens, as well. That isn't exclusive to you humans." He finally admitted. "It's not very often kissing is preformed, however, as Irken romances are rare. Even in the off chances that it does occur, it's never publicly displayed. But this doesn't make it less meaningful," a brief pause. "In truth, kissing means more to Irkens than it does to humans." Zim grumbled and leaned over, giving the moping human a soft push to make sure that he was grasping the gravity of what he was telling him.
"So I'm not so sure you have a right to be sulking, Fool-boy."
"'m not sulking." Dib grumbled glaring at the wall. But, he was having some rather heavy realizations; that he had really enjoyed the kiss, that Zim had as well and that they were talking about kissing some more. Did that mean they were in something of a relationship? "I'm just thinking. It's something I do a lot. So, you better get used to it." Since you know they'd be married and Zim would have to deal with it.
Zim's brow furrowed in frustration; this human was beginning to grate on his nerves. If he was going to be thinking so much, then at least he should be able to provide a coherent string of thoughts. Zim huffed a bit before turning away from the human, setting his arms on his legs. He stared into the dark room and at the bags and wrappers that littered it.
"What are you expecting to get out of this union, Dib-creature?" He finally asked.
"Uh, my planet being saved." That was the bare minimum at least. Who knew what else? Dib knew that he would get a 'partner' who was an alien, access to lots of knowledge…where would they live? Dib nibbled his bottom lip. Did Zim plan to keep him around after his planet was safe? Or would he go back to Earth?
Giving up on sleep, Dib sat up and crossed his legs, turning to Zim. "What about you, huh? What do /you/ want? Are you really doing this for me? For someone you barely know? You told me that a union is a big deal. How big of a deal are we talking here?"
Zim's expression became smooth, nearly blank. He wasn't really expecting the human to ask him that, and he wasn't exactly prepared for it. For a moment, the Irken said nothing. He turned back to him, eventually, to meet his gaze. "You sacrificed yourself to me for the sake of your planet, but did not consider what you would become out of our agreement. For all you know, you could become my slave. At this point, you wouldn't have much of a choice, would you?"
Zim's tone was almost as smooth as his expression, until he sighed and his face retained the scowl he usually wore. "But, no, that isn't what is to become of you. A union is more of a partnership, as it is on your planet. But it is a life changing decision. You can't get separated, unlike on Earth. It's a life-long commitment, and the only release is death."
The light in the room began to distort as the mixture of neon lights became the only source of light; the sun was setting over the busy horizon of the planet. The strange lights played off the human's face and illuminated all of his flaws—the soft lines that came from years of repressing his own desires for the sake of his father's wishes. The light freckles that lay just underneath his shimmering eyes seemed to be darker in this light, and stood out against pale skin. Raven hair splayed out messily due to their journey, his bangs that were normally pushed back now rested against his forehead. Lenses caught and reflected the light and somehow made them beautiful, alluring even.
"What does Zim want out of this?" He repeated the question before turning his head away thoughtfully. "To be honest, it was more of a whim that I acted on, to bring you with me. But I think it's starting to become clear." He bowed his head a bit and looked down at the messy floor, wondering briefly how they were going to be able to fit all the food into the Voot when there was already such limited space.
The idea of being someone's slave did not sit well with Dib at all, and he had no time to consider this possibility before Zim was moving on, albeit reluctantly. He spoke in a voice of reason glancing over at Dib and holding his gaze for a few seconds. Suddenly, the human felt exposed, studied. The fading sunlight from the window, gave way into night and neon flashes that played across the room, casting Zim into shadow. His face looked softer, his eyes glowing with an inward light that left Dib fascinated.
But, then the moment was over and those eyes moved away to look down at the floor. A whim. A whim, eh? Dib smirked. Great whim. But, now…"Clear. What's coming clear?" Something good? Something bad? What was the definition of either? That Zim was deciding this was a horrible idea? 'the only release is death'.
Dib wouldn't blame him for being…unsure. He himself was just beginning to realize what he was doing. Chaining himself to an alien for the rest of his life…maybe. No. He wanted Earth safe and this was the solution. A union to keep his planet. This was a more than even trade. Even if the idea made him want to hyperventilate.
Zim needed to learn to keep his mouth shut, sometimes. But this was never a trait he had grasped very well. He turned back to the human after a bit, a look of apprehension seemed to take its place there.
What was becoming clear? That he actually sort of enjoyed having Dib around, even if he was annoying and never shut up? They had spent so much time confined in a small space together; it wasn't hard to believe that they could have become accustomed to the other's company. But they had been alone for the majority of their lives, was it really that simple to become attached to somebody?
Zim didn't like to think so. It was never his plan to actually like Dib and that much was certain. He had always seen a spark of something there that compelled him to do what he was doing now; saving him. Because in the end, that was what the invader was doing.
"That we should maybe rest for the night, while we can. We start back on our journey tomorrow." Zim dodged.
There was something there in those ethereal eyes, and Dib was getting better at reading emotions in them, that screamed at him. He fought to understand and ended up shivering a bit from the effort, from what he thought he found there; uncertainty, confusion…and before he could decode anymore Zim spoke, clumsily avoiding the topic. "Riiiight." Dib agreed, nodding and reaching up to remove his glasses, laying them carefully on the edge of the bed and flopping down.
The sounds from outside, ships zooming, people talking, food orders up, faded with the sound of Zim's breathing. And the fact that the alien's breathing was becoming familiar…that it was almost soothing, scared him even as he felt his eyelids fall shut.
Zim sat for a bit, staring out the window as Dib lay down beside him. His eyes darted about the varies flickering signs of the planet, letting the lights blend together to form a horrendously odd color as he stared. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was getting into something that was bigger than himself; like he was getting in way over his head. But that was nonsense, surely, as there wasn't anything the almighty Zim couldn't handle. Right?
The human beside him snored softly, a sound that he had hated at first but had gotten used to in their time in the Voot. Not that it didn't still annoy him. But that was how things seemed to be, now. He couldn't say he ever really hated Dib, but there were aspects of him that he couldn't stand. But these days, they just seemed to blend in with the things that made the Dib-human the person that he had seen so much potential in; the person he had taken off a doomed planet, and who he was going to marry soon. Maybe.
Zim wasn't quite sure if that was going to happen, or if he just said that to make the human more willing to leave with him. It was getting to the point where the invader wasn't sure where the line between truth and lie was anymore. He had been working so hard to keep the human convinced, was Zim starting to believe it himself? And what exactly was he beginning to believe? The fact that he wasn't quite sure almost frightened him. If the great Zim frightened easily, that is.
But the thought didn't leave him, and before he was even aware of it, he had slipped into a comfortable position next to his sleeping companion and drifted off.