Zim quickly wiped the disgusting stuff out of his eyes, jumping back and into a battle stance. He had hoped that Dib was over fighting him, but if that was how it was going to be…!

But no, Dib wasn't in front of him, much to his surprise. A millisecond later, he whirled around 180 degrees, throwing a punch at Dib's sternum. "Ha!"

…well, the punch would have connected with Dib's sternum if the human had been sneaking up on him the way he was expecting. But his fist just whiffed through empty air, and his antennae drooped.

He slowly turned in a circle, taking in all the details of the clearing. But it was as though Dib had just…vanished into thin air. His antennae drooped a little further.

Zim quickly shook his head, banishing any mopiness. This was no time to brood! Dib was quick, and Zim needed to find him before he got too far away.

He first waved his antennae in the air, taking in as many scents around him as he could. He used to think of all humans as equally smelly…and most of them still were, to him. But after so many years of fighting and ambushing each other, Zim could more easily pick out his Dib's scent.

And the past few weeks had only made it easier for him. It was easy to both hear and smell Dib when he first tried to sneak away (which felt so long ago), and it had let him know in the mall that, even when Dib wandered a little, he wasn't far off at all.

But right now, he could only pick out faint wisps, from where Dib had pressed against the tree. He had escaped beyond the area Zim might be able to immediately detect him in.

Zim growled in frustration, antennae flattering against his head. "You won't get far, my Dib," he said aloud, scanning the ground. "I know how to hunt, I know how to track, and I know you. You can't get far!"

He spotted a footprint stamped into a patch of soft dirt. His eyes gleaned, and he grinned widely and evilly, moving to the footprint and quickly scanning for more. Ah, a few feet away was a cluster of broken twigs, like someone had stamped on them.

Zim moved from clue to clue, practically pouncing on each one as he followed the trail. If he kept this up, he would find his human in no time!


Zim had been moving through the woods for an hour, and his optimism was quickly starting to wane.

The trail of clues wasn't as straightforward as he had hoped—Dib was clever enough to weave instead of bolting in a straight line. This meant that there were times that Zim needed to stop and slowly, carefully scan his surroundings before he could figure out where the next footprint or other clue was.

Still, even if he was a bit delayed at some points, he could confidently say he was on Dib's trail. Everything was fine!

…until he ran into the creek.

It wasn't a very big creek…it was practically tiny, actually. Zim could have easily stepped over it, which meant that Dib could have done so, too. The problem was that, while Dib's footprint was oh-so-clearly printed in the mud beside the babbling water…there wasn't a matching footprint on the other side.

Zim hopped over the creek, checking the surrounding area to be sure. There wasn't any other trail to follow…it was as though Dib had just vanished as soon as he came into contact with the water.

A memory from Zim's Elite training days resurfaced, one of his many lessons about surviving on enemy planets. A key skill was to use the environment to your advantage whenever possible…such as traveling in a way that nature itself would cover up their tracks on stealth missions.

He scowled down at the running water, dragging a PAK leg through the mud to make a thin line in the surface. He pulled out the PAK leg, disdainfully shaking it dry before tucking it away and watching the mark he had made.

Even though the water wasn't moving very quickly, it still began to slowly push sediment over the mark, covering it. And, given enough time…Zim's scowl deepened into a glare.

The worst thing was that he couldn't even tell if Dib had headed upstream or downstream. If he picked the wrong direction, it would give him even more time to put distance between him and Zim. But if Zim just stood here and debated, the outcome would be the same!

The water wasn't running that quickly, so Zim chose, at random, to follow it upstream. That's what he always did during his training, even when the water was running quickly enough to bowl him over! The others never expected it.

He rose on his PAK legs, planting them into the ground on either side of the creek, and began to move forward. It was slow-going, as he needed to carefully scan the banks for any sign that Dib had left the creek.

It was unlikely that he would find one for a while, but he couldn't risk missing it.


It felt like he had spent an eternity combing over the creek, even though he knew it couldn't have been more than an hour. But not finding any signs of Dib was frustrating him, and…a sheet of grey clouds was gathering overhead, making him feel pressured. He had to find Dib before the skies opened to release their awful, awful rain.

The clouds rumbled at him, taunting him. Zim looked up from the ground to shake his fist at them.

"I don't fear you," he hissed. "I'm going to find my Dib, and you aren't going to stop me!"

He looked back down, hoping that his determined declaration would make a new clue appear, just like in the Urth movies. But…no, still nothing. He sighed and grumbled under his breath, moving forward a few more length-units, swinging his head back and forth.

If he didn't find a trail soon, then…

A quiet plop in front of him left him staring at the creek in worry. A tiny ripple appeared on its surface…followed by a second when another droplet of water landed it. Then another, and another…

A raindrop fell onto one of his antennae, sizzling against his skin.

He hissed in pain and anger, glaring up at the sky again. "Don't you dare," he shouted. "Don't you dare!"

The sky, of course, refused to listen to him. The clouds rumbled, and even more rain started to pour down.

"NO!" Zim yelled, screaming as the filthy, polluted water started to burn his skin. He quickly darted to the side, huddling under a tree with thick branches to protect himself from the worst of the downpour. He shook himself off, shivering from pain and huddling against the tree trunk to avoid the water that still managed to pour through the branches.

Zim yelled wordlessly at the sky in frustration. Even if he could shelter himself from the elements, the rain was ruining everything! How was he supposed to track Dib down if all of his tracks were washed away!?

Something cracked overhead, and Zim dodged to the side just before a waterlogged branch fell onto his head. He slipped on a bit of mud, falling forward and into the rain.

He howled with pain, scrambled under the next sturdy tree he could find, and panted for breath, his skin smoking. He just…had to focus on his breath, and let his PAK heal him. Don't look at the sky or the vicious water. Look at the mostly-dry soil under the tree, the footprint, the leaves—

FOOTPRINT.

Zim scrambled forward a little more, staring at the imprint in the soil. It was only half a print, leaves covering the ground where the heel's mark would be. But it had to be a footprint, and who else could it belong to but his human?

He lifted his head, staring in the direction of the footprint. The rain was starting to come down harder…any other prints were probably washed away. But he had a direction, now, and the longer he waited, the more tracks would be erased!

Or worse…Dib could get himself hurt in the storm.

Zim stood up, shaking himself off and taking a deep breath, stealing himself for what he was about to do. He raised his antennae, kept his eyes peeled…and ran out into the rain.

The burning made him want to fall back into cover almost immediately. But he steeled himself and pressed on, keeping all of his senses alert to try and find anything. Another footprint, the sound of Dib breathing or running, his scent, anything!

But keeping his senses was so much harder with the blinding PAIN.

It was so bad that Zim only barely managed to keep from tripping on a small hill (more of a bump) he came across. He panted, moving to the nearest tree and leaning against it, taking deep, shuddering breaths as water dropped from his body. He was still twitching from the pain, but he…he had to focus.

In a few seconds, he was still steaming and in pain, but was able to raise his head, looking in the direction the footprint had headed in. Or…the direction he was sure it was headed in. If he had gotten turned around…

He shook his head, not wanting to think about that. In doing so, he noticed that there was a hole in the hill he almost stumbled on…the entrance to a small cave.

And when he waved his antennae in the air…either his mind was playing tricks on him, or he could faintly smell Dib! He was here, or had been here!

He brightened up, ignoring the rain and darting into the cave. Oh, it was wonderful, stumbling from mud onto solid, dry rock, finally fully shielded from the rain's assault. And he could still smell Dib! He stumbled further forward, past a few large boulders.

At the very back of the cave, his human was sitting and leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. "DIB!" Zim cried out, elated.

"Zim!?" Dib cried, startled. He immediately saw the water dripping off of Zim, the way his skin was smoking. "Oh my God, what were you doing out in the rain?"

"Looking for—" Zim began to say, but was cut off when Dib dashed over, taking off his coat and throwing it over Zim. He began to rub Zim dry, and all Zim could do was stand there, startled.

It…felt nice. He dared to lean into Dib's touch as he was rubbing water off of his cheek.

But his movement broke the spell. Dib suddenly froze, and the worry in his eyes was slowly replaced with distrust…and anger. He pulled his hands back, wrapping his coat tightly around Zim before walking away, leaning against the wall in the furthest part of the cave.

Zim clutched onto his jacket, thinking before taking a small step forward.

"Don't," Dib said, glowering at him. Zim froze in place. After a few seconds, he inched his foot further, but Dib's glare intensified, so he quickly pulled it back.

He waited a bit, but even if Dib stopped glaring, he was still giving a stern, angry look. Zim sighed and moved over to the side, sitting on a large boulder. He glanced back to the cave's entrance. The downpour was still awful, and only seemed to be getting worse.

He shivered, clutching the coat and wrapping it tightly around himself.

"It'll end soon," Dib said. "Probably. And then you can leave."

"…I don't want to leave," Zim said, even as Dib scowled at him. "Not without you."

"Well, too bad." Dib picked up a few small rocks and began to arrange them in patterns along the ground. "If you don't, I'll throw you out as soon as the rain stops."

"Not before?" Zim perked up a little. Before…all of this, he knew Dib wouldn't hesitate to throw him out into that disgusting, polluted rain. Might have even laughed at him and his pain. But if he was hesitant to harm Zim…

"…yeah," Dib grumbled. "But don't try and push your luck, or I'll change my mind and throw you out sooner."

Zim was still hopeful…and pretty confident that the last part was a lie. Besides, he would win if they actually came to blows…though he felt like if they reached that point, he would have already lost something important.

He fidgeted a little, making himself more comfortable on the boulder. Dib's attention was focused only on the rocks in front of him, as he continued to stack them into patterns that seemed meaningless to Zim.

"…so," Zim said, making Dib flinch. "What's your plan, exactly? Are you going to be living here in the middle of nowhere, now?"

"Probably," Dib said. "Sounds better than going back to my…back there. Or back with you. And I found a great cave." He gestured around them.

Zim glanced around, nodding in approval. For what was a glorified hole in the ground, it wasn't too bad. And it was providing good shelter. But still… "You won't miss good meals? A soft nest? …other things?"

"I'll get used to it," Dib said. "I've survived outside by myself before, sometimes over days. I know enough to keep myself alive, and that's all that matters."

"But you never intended to live in the wilderness forever, did you?" Zim said. "You've always intended to come back home, in the end. You deserve to live, not to just survive."

Dib growled at him, startling him. "I don't want to hear you spouting fake, flowery junk to try and butter me up," he said. "And if you try to claim that being with you is my 'home', I'll throw rocks at your head." He picked up one of his stones and tossed it up and down to get his point across.

"But, Dib—"

"No," Dib cut him off. "I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to hear anything from you unless it's the truth. I won't…I won't let you manipulate me anymore."

Zim paused, waiting for Dib to calm down a little and put down the rock he was holding. "…what…'truth' do you want, Dib?"

"The truth about how you really feel about me," Dib said, scowling down and not actually looking at Zim. "About how you don't actually care about me. How this is all just…another one of your plans. Something that benefits you, while I'm just a pawn or a pet."

"That isn't true!" Zim protested. "None of it! I do care, I—"

Dib grabbed one of the smaller rocks and threw it over. It missed Zim with a wide enough margin that it was clearly deliberate, but the sound of it crashing into the cave wall made Zim flinch, his mouth snapping shut.

Zim was frozen for several seconds, Dib's intense gaze boring through him and into his very core. It was Zim who looked away this time, gaze falling on the small rock now lying a few feet away from him. He sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them.

After listening to the pouring rain outside for a few minutes, and the clacking of Dib arranging his stones, Zim sighed again. "…It…This did begin as a brilliant plan of Zim's. To incapacitate you."

"I knew it," Dib hissed venomously.

Zim turned to face him, though he didn't lift his head to look at Dib fully. "Can Zim explain?"

"As long as you don't lie," Dib said. "…don't know what else there is to say."

"It began when I realized that humans practically need physical affection for their own health…and that you weren't receiving the affection humans seemed to crave." Zim took a deep breath. "So, I started sneaking into your room and giving you affection as you slept."

"I know that, you creep."

"The plan was…for you to grow dependent on Zim," he continued slowly. "So much so that you would surrender…you would beg to surrender at just the smallest scraps of affection from Zim."

Zim grinned evilly, showing off all of his teeth. "Then Zim would strike you where you knelt, and you would be happy to have fallen before me. For Zim to be the one guiding you to your final moments."

Dib's pulse raced with fright, and he quickly shifted back several feet. Zim looked away, closing his eyes. "…I couldn't do it, though," he said. "You remember the night you broke into my base, yes? The one where I caught you and showed off the fruits of my plan."

"Yeah," Dib said brusquely, crossing his arms. His cheek and ears flushed red with shame. "I remember you touching me a few times and making me melt into a useless pile of goo. I get it, you succeeded, you don't have to rub salt into the wound."

"That should have been the moment I finished you off," Zim said, making Dib's red face start to turn pale. "It would have been easy. Don't deny it, you've seen what I can do, and even you know you were 'useless goo' at that moment."

"But you…then why did you…?" Dib sputtered. "What, were you just enjoying dragging it all out?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know!?"

"I just don't!" Zim said. "All I know is that, at that moment, the plan…it changed! Instead of killing you, it became about keeping you! I enjoyed the way you reacted to my touch, and learning how to…to make your eyes light up…to have the chance to see you content and at peace…"

His spooch fluttered with fondness, enough to make him flinch, wrapping his arms around himself. "I wanted that…I wanted you, all to myself.

"Invaders aren't…we don't get attached to anything, to anyone, like that." His grip tightened, and he gave his arms a sharp squeeze, his claws pricking his skin. "I shouldn't be feeling this way, Dib. It's…it's terrifying."

The two of them sat in silence, Dib slowly digesting his words. "Are…" The human swallowed. "Are you…still going to kill me…?"

Zim quickly shook his head. "No. I can't. I don't want to. That…it would only make the feelings worse, I think." He had searched desperately for the human when he had only left. What would it feel like if Dib was forever out of his reach, and it was all his fault?

He squeezed his arms tighter.

"But you…still want me around, even though you're scared of your feelings?" Dib asked.

Zim nodded quickly. "They feel good, and if I don't think about them too hard, I can't be scared of them. Being with you…makes for a nice distraction from thoughts like that."

Dib started to laugh dryly. Zim looked up at him, and saw that…he wasn't being mocked. Dib looked genuinely amused, somehow, by what he had said. Zim narrowed his eyes in confusion, but Dib waved him off, his laughter dying down.

"Nothing. You just…reminded me of something. That's all."

"Hmph." They both sat, not quite looking at each other, before Zim spoke up again. "So, do you…not object to being kept, if I won't harm you?"

Dib gave him a scathing look. "I absolutely object to being kept around like a pet!"

"But…you laughed! What I said made you happy!"

"In a very dark way, I guess," Dib said. "That doesn't mean I'm going to let you walk all over me, though. Or that I even want to be around you." He crossed his arms, turning his head away.

"It's not a malicious plan at all, though! Wouldn't you be happy to keep staying with me?"

"Not if it means turning my back on Earth," Dib said. "Nothing is worth that…I won't let you try and turn me into some kind of trophy."

Zim blinked. Dib was using a lot of words like 'pet' and 'trophy'. Was it really so bad, to be wanted so badly that he would be spoiled, and that Zim would show him off to everyone with pride? Dib apparently thought so, so Zim chose not to ask that question out loud. Instead, he leaned back and frowned, placing a hand on his chin in thought.

Would Dib believe him if he stated how much he enjoyed just being around Dib, even when he wasn't touching him? …probably not, considering how Zim had brushed against him or held him at every opportunity he could get. But how could he be blamed, when it felt so nice!

He thought and thought, but didn't see any way to get Dib to agree to come back with him. How was it harder to make Dib abandon a cave than to make him leave his old bedroom? Zim started to gnaw on his lower lip, tapping his claws together.

The sound of a growling stomach echoed through the cave, snapping him out of his brooding.

His gaze snapped back to Dib, who was grimacing down at his stomach. Before Zim could offer anything, Dib reached into his bag, pulling out one of the candy bars Zim had packed for him.

"…the snacks won't last forever," Zim said as Dib tore into the food.

His human gave him a reproachful look. "Obviously. But I already saw a berry bush around here, and there've gotten be mushrooms nearby…" He took another huge bite. "I just don't want to go foraging in the rain. I'll go grab something after I kick you out."

He polished off the rest of the bar, tucking the wrapper back into his bag. He seemed to consider grabbing another…but quickly glanced at Zim and pulled out his hand, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.

"I…but what about when there are no more berries or mushrooms, and you're out of snacks? What if you're hurt so far from everyone?" Zim said. The more he thought about it, the more it worried him. Dib, alone in the wild, with no one having any idea what happened to him…

"I'll be fine," Dib said stubbornly. "I told you, I've survived on my own before, so don't try to win me over with fake worry."

"It's not…" Zim sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind."

He tapped a claw against the rock he was sitting on. Hard, solid…the cave would be a good shelter, if not the most comfortable one. "…maybe I should have put a blanket into your pack after all," he muttered to himself.

Dib turned to him, raising an eyebrow. When Zim realized Dib had heard him, he shifted a little, tapping his foot against the stone ground and raising a brow back at Dib.

"Yeah…a blanket would be pretty nice," Dib admitted. "…once everything is dry, I can bring in some dirt and fresh leaves to make a softer place to sleep, though. Everything will be fine."

Zim grimaced, face wrinkling up a little. Sleeping in the dirt didn't sound that much better than sleeping on solid rock…especially when there was an actual, comfortable nest meant just for Dib!

"You deserve to have an actual, comfortable sleeping spot," Zim said. "And a supply of food that you don't have to dig out of the ground."

"I thought I made it pretty clear that I'm not coming back with you, no matter what you say," Dib said.

"What if…what if it was only for a little bit, though?" Zim offered. The idea was a weak one, a long shot that he didn't even like the prospect of, but he hadn't thought of any others. "Just enough for you to…to grab everything you need to be…on your own."

Dib narrowed his eyes. "…just for a little bit? And I'm supposed to trust you to not trap me?"

"If I tricked you right now, and used this as a trap…that would prove everything you think about me at this moment right." Zim bowed his head. "That you would be right not to trust me. Can't you at least trust me with a chance to prove myself trustworthy?"

Dib grunted, frowning and leaning back.

"Just one night, sleeping in a comfortable place before you figure out if you really want to live in the woods, or go somewhere else," Zim continued. "And you can stop by for meals, or I can bring food to you!"

"I don't want anything from you," Dib mumbled…though he did look tempted, so Zim had to hope he was on the right track with this.

"You're absolutely certain?" Zim needled. "Surely my base is at least a little more comfortable than this. A single night would be good for you, wouldn't it?" After a moment, he decided to add, "Plus...I could make GIR bring you food and stuff, if you don't want them from me."

"Hmph." Dib tapped a rock against the ground, deep in thought. Zim held his breath and waited for his reaction.

"…with GIR's cooking, I might still be better off foraging out here," Dib said. When he slowly cracked a smile, Zim realized that he was (mostly) joking.

Zim chuckled, smiling back. "Yes…you might have to show me a thing or two the next time he finds the waffle batter."

Dib laughed, though it was a little weak, and petered out too quickly for Zim's liking. The human still didn't look happy or comfortable, but his expression was thoughtful. Hopefully because he was digesting the offer Zim had made.

Zim leaned back, trying to look at ease and not like as was worried about whether or not Dib would come back with him.

Time passed. The rain outside trickled to a stop, but Dib didn't get up to throw Zim out as he had threatened. He chose to interpret that as a positive sign. Zim glanced over and saw that he was still deep in thought. Zim turned to look at the cave mouth, giving him some privacy.

The sun was starting to set, and Zim was about to try persuading Dib to at least let him barricade the cave enhance before nightfall when the human stood up.

"One more night at your base," he said. "…so that I can rest before figuring out what I'm going to do next."

Zim blinked up at him…and gasped, beaming widely. "You're really coming back with me!?"

"Don't get too excited," Dib said, trying to sound stern even as he bit back an amused smile. "Just for one night. And if you start to use that 'amazing plan' of yours on me again, I'll change my mind and…I don't know. Go sleep in an alley in the city, I guess."

"At least let me make you breakfast in the morning?" Zim pressed, bouncing on his heels as Dib walked up to him. There was a skip in his step as they left the cave, stepping out into the twilight.

"…okay, fine. One night's sleep and a breakfast, but that's it," Dib said. He stretched, grunting as he did so. Zim couldn't help but eye his tallness, and the muscles that twitched, containing strength that seemed impossible for the human's lithe frame…

He quickly shook his head, peeling off Dib's coat and tossing it back over to him.

"Oh, thanks," Dib said, catching it and quickly pulling it back on. "…please tell me you actually know the way out of these woods."

"Of course I do!" Zim said, holding up his wrist and poking at the band-like device on it, pulling up a map. "See? We'll make it back before…" He glanced at the sun sinking below the horizon. "…okay, it'll be dark before we can make it back. But! We'll still be able to get most of the way there before then!"

Dib chuckled, stepping a little closer. Zim felt hopeful, thinking that the human was going to brush against him or hold his hand…but no, Dib was just looking at the map, and giving Zim an expectant look.

Zim let his wrist drop and started to guide the way through the forest. They had a lot of distance to cover, but since he knew exactly where he parked and hid his ship, it wouldn't take nearly as long as his search for the missing Dib.

As they walked, Zim glanced over his shoulder and down at Dib's hand. It had been nice, holding the human's hand before…and it would keep them from being separated in the dark. Dib was against him continuing his amazing plan, but maybe he wouldn't mind something as small as that…

Before Zim could make a choice or reach over to Dib's hand, the human stuffed both of his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat. Zim turned his attention to the path he was carving in front of them, but still felt a small sting of disappointment.

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Dib moved closer as it got darker, but avoided brushing against Zim, and kept his hands tucked away. Zim slowed down a little, choosing their path carefully to avoid anything his human might fail to spot with his inferior night vision.

It was dark when they made it to the ship, a few stars twinkling above them. Zim opened the Voot and stepped aside, letting Dib climb in first. Once he was situated, Zim lifted himself into the pilot's seat…and Dib shifted as far away as he could, pressing against the wall as the Voot's window sealed closed.

The sting of disappointment was larger, this time.

Zim flicked his antennae back into their proper position, grabbing the controls and navigating them up into the air…and back home.


"So…is Zim banned from your room, for the night?" Zim asked as soon as they had landed. He was already bracing himself to hear a 'yes'. He wouldn't be emotionally stung again tonight!

"…no," Dib said after a bit. For a moment, Zim felt like he had been zapped with electricity, only without any of the usual pain it entailed.

"Because I'm not going to be staying in there," Dib finished, immediately bringing Zim crashing back down…with the familiar pain making its return.

"What? You said…you said you were staying the night!" Zim protested.

"In your base, not in that room," Dib pointed out. "I'm going to go upstairs and sleep on the couch. That would feel more…open."

Oh. Well, strategically, it was a good decision on Dib's part. It meant he would be right next to the exit, and would keep him from getting locked up in a single room. Not that Zim had considered that option (for more than a second), but still.

"I understand," Zim said, trying not to wilt with disappointment.

"…But you are right about me not wanting me near you," Dib said. "I guess I can't ban you from your living room, but just…don't come near me on the couch, alright?"

Zim nodded, again repeating that he understood. Dib walked through the base and to the elevator, Zim trailing quietly behind him, wondering how close he could get before Dib would snap at him…he almost got close in the elevator, but Dib pressed himself near the wall, putting plenty of space between them.

Zim stood on the other side of the elevator and clasped his hands in front of himself.

Once they made it, Dib headed straight for the couch, picking GIR up and moving him aside so that he could lie down. Not that the SIR unit seemed to mind, being totally focused on whatever he was watching on the television at the moment.

Zim walked over and picked up GIR, ushering him back downstairs. The robot whined a little, but perked up when Zim gave him permission to use any of the screens down there to watch his show. Once he had run off and jumped down the trash can, Zim turned off the TV, and then turned back to Dib.

He had turned so his back was facing Zim, his arms wrapped around himself defensively.

Zim sighed, then turned his attention to the ceiling. "Computer! A pillow and blanket." A trapdoor opened above him, dropping the requested materials on his head. He squawked, fumbling for a minute before freeing himself from the blanket.

For just a moment, he caught Dib looking over his shoulder with an amused smile before turning his head away again.

With the items in hand, Zim slowly inched forward until he was standing right in front of Dib. He paused for a moment before leaning the pillow on the armrest beside Dib's head, and then for another moment before he threw the blanket over Dib.

He would have tucked the human in more, even letting his hands brush against his shoulders, but it wasn't difficult to see the way that Dib had tensed up already. So, though it disappointed him, he let go of the blanket and took a step back.

Dib relaxed immediately, if only slightly, pushing himself forward to place his head on the pillow. "…good night, Dib," Zim said. "I'll see you at breakfast."

"…g'night," Dib said, wrapping the blanket in a cocoon around himself and making himself comfortable.

Zim stood and watched for a minute…making sure Dib was actually going to be fine, and assuring himself that the human wasn't going to run out the door the second he took his eyes off of him. He slowly, silently walked backward, all the way back to the elevator.

Once he was in his proper base, he headed to the nearest chair and pulled up the security feed of his living room. Yes, Dib was still there, and seemed to already be asleep and drooling on his pillow.

Zim's fingers twitched with the urge to wipe his face off. Aside from the drool, he was probably all covered in sweat, and dirt, and germs…and maybe after cleaning him up a little, he could—

He hissed, quickly slapping his wrist. No, bad! If he was caught, that would drive Dib away!

…but if he was careful enough, he wouldn't be caught…

He slapped his wrist again, spinning away from the screen…though he still kept it in his peripheral vision. He hunched forward, leaning his chin against his hands and frowning in thought. He had convinced the human to come back for a night…so now, how could he make him continue to stay?

Zim's mind first drifted to restraining devices. There was plenty he had used on Dib over the years, and maybe with some slight modifications for their improvement and his comfort…

He quickly shook his head, discarding the idea. Dib had always managed to find some way out of restraints in the past, even if it wasn't immediate. If he tried to do that to the human now, he would run away as soon as he got the chance, and never let Zim come near him again.

And…even if he did make the perfect restraints…Dib would despise him for it. He'd never see his human's delight at small gestures, his shy bashfulness, or his excitement to share everything he knew.

In order to keep Dib, and for him to be happy…Dib needed to choose to stay with him, of his own free will.

…but that thought wasn't very reassuring. Dib had already declared his intent to leave as soon as morning came. Zim began to rub his antennae anxiously. If he tried pressuring him into staying longer, that would just convince him to leave sooner. If he tried giving too much affection, Dib would be suspicious and leave.

What was he supposed to do!? He growled to himself, tugging on his antennae.

He sat like that for the next hour or so, shifting positions, tugging at his antennae and uniform in frustration, and occasionally pausing to watch Dib sleep peacefully. And he still hadn't thought of a way to make Dib stay.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the screen…against the image of his human, with a sigh.

The console chimed, an alarm popping up and obstructing his view of his human. He growled, leaning back and only giving it a glance before postponing it for later. Something about GIR…oh, his maintenance day was coming up next week.

Ugh, and that was just another thing Zim had to deal with. It was a toss-up whether GIR would actually cooperate or if he would kick up a big fuss with each part of maintenance. Including the fact that Zim would need to clean him before actually worrying about tuning him up, and it was all a mess.

GIR's maintenance 'day' would usually turn into a maintenance week, as Zim needed to slowly convince GIR to get through each step of the process, one part at a…time…

His antennae perked straight up into the air. When he had a big challenge involving an unruly and stubborn being, it had been easier for them both to break the challenge into small pieces.

The key wasn't to make Dib decide to stay right away. It was to make Dib delay his ultimate choice, one day, one hour at a time. The longer he waited was more time that Zim would be able to spend with him!

Zim jumped to his feet. There was no time to waste! He only had breakfast to convince his Dib to stay a little while longer. He'd prepare a true feast for the human, one that would take him a while to eat, and one so delicious he'd want to stick around longer for lunch!

He sprinted to the elevator and jumped into the kitchen…and only stopped himself from running around the kitchen in a frenzy when he remembered that Dib was sleeping soundly just one room over.

After taking a second to peek in and make sure that he hadn't woken Dib up, he began to skitter around the kitchen on his PAK legs, grabbing and mixing ingredients as quietly as possible.

Yes, he thought with a grin as he mixed a large bowl of batter, this would surely be the perfect plan to replace his first ingenious plan!