Chapter Text
So perhaps asking his worst enemy on a date wasn’t the best idea Dib had ever come up with, but he couldn’t back out of it now. Zim had basically challenged him; what else was he supposed to do? Plus, he did offer to give Zim advice; what better way than to show him using first-hand experience? But how was Dib going to show Zim what being on a date was like if Dib didn’t actually likeZim? Sure, Dib found Zim to be the most intriguing person he’d ever met, and sometimes he felt like Zim was the only person who really understood him in terms of both an intellectual and emotional level, but that wasn’t the same thing as liking someone, was it? The thought of Zim made his heart race, his face grow hot, and his vision go blurry with rage. Just imagining that smug little smile made him want to shove his face into his pillows and scream, only to go to bed having nightmares about what it would be like to see that same smile over and over again for the rest of his natural life.
That was nothing like what Keef probably felt for Zim. Keef probably wanted to see Zim enjoying himself, smiling, laughing, and telling jokes. Keef probably wanted to feel loved and love Zim in return. To have someone care for what he said as if it were the most interesting thing in the galaxy. To have someone to cuddle with at the end of a long day and talk about his dreams and aspirations.
Dib kept thinking about these probabilities. How would Zim look in a loving relationship if he could actually manage to behave on a date properly? Would Zim be the type to listen to someone’s worries? Was he a gift-giver? Would he be able to comfort a person properly when they were at their lowest? Was Zim even capable of love?
Dib reminded himself that these questions weren’t his to ask. Regardless of how Zim might act, he knew Keef would love him anyway. He was unconditional like that. Yet, Dib just kept wondering about what kind of partner Zim would be. Perhaps he was just worried that Keef might get his heart broken, but he never really cared much about how Zim treated Keef specifically. He was just worried about Keef, even though Keef rarely crossed his mind while he was busy imagining what Zim would act like in a relationship. Dib thought about it while he picked the place, he thought about it while he picked his outfit, he thought about it while he fixed his hair, tied his shoes, and said a quick goodbye to his sister. He was still thinking about it as he drove outside Zim’s house and waited for the alien to come out.
Why am I even doing this? I have nothing to prove. Who cares if Zim thinks I would be a bad date?
Dib considered pulling away, considered texting Zim that he’d changed his mind, and just high-tail it back home before Zim even had a chance to argue, but then he saw Zim exit his house and figured it was too late to turn back. He eyed Zim’s attire up and down and thought the alien must have put some thought into what he was wearing. He wasn’t especially dressed up, but he was certainly more put together than normal. He wore a large, open, black-and-white flannel shirt with black sleeves which dropped over his shoulders, sporting a black turtleneck underneath (that turtleneck seemed to be a favorite of his these days), and he wore wine-red ripped jeans with black hightops and a black cap to top it all off.
Dib himself decided to ditch his long black trench coat for this event and instead chose to wear a dark blue cardigan over one of his white collared shirts and a pair of jeans, plus his regular old black converse. He sort of wished he’d chosen an outfit more like Zim’s, but he would never admit that.
Zim got into the van and shut the door with vitriol, “I hate this stink machine. It’s so slow.”
“Stop complaining,” Dib said, matching his energy, “Rule number 1 of dates: try to keep the energy positive. Like this; you look nice today, Zim.” Dib put on his best fake smile, to which Zim smiled back in a more mocking manner. This spurred a back-and-forth of them throwing overly-exaggerated and fake smiles to each other until Dib finally put the van in gear and started heading off, starting so abruptly that Zim lurched back in his seat. Dib chuckled to himself as Zim flipped him off.
Dib turned on the radio, to which Zim momentarily complained about the music until Dib reminded him of dating rule number one. Rolling his eyes, Zim leaned his elbow against the door handle in a huff and glared out the window.
For the first few minutes, neither said anything until Dib heard the alien mumble something under his breath. Thinking he was complaining again, Dib turned down the music and rolled his eyes, “Come again?” he said.
Zim didn’t look in his direction, still staring out the window as he repeated, “you… don’t look repulsive today, either. I guess.”
Dib was surprised to hear a compliment like that, but he was more surprised that Zim was actually taking his advice. He must really be serious about wanting this date with Keef to go well.
Dib felt his chest twist in a knot.
“Oh. Thanks, Zim. I’ll give you one thing; you definitely picked the right outfit to go to the aquarium.” Dib commented. Zim simply shrugged and began playing with the window, rolling it up and down and up again, much to Dib’s annoyance. Was Zim bored of him already? He couldn’t let that happen. He had to win this stupid bet, or else… well, he didn’t know what would happen if he lost, but his pride would certainly be hurt, and that was enough confidence to spur Dib into action.
“Do you want to play some music? Here, pick whatever you want.” Dib handed his phone off to Zim. He could feel the alien boring holes into his temple with his stare, but eventually, he took the phone out of Dib’s hand and began to search through his playlists. It didn’t occur to Dib that Zim might invade his privacy by searching for anything else on his phone, and it seemed Zim didn’t even bother trying to check. Of course, Zim didn’t recognize any of the songs, so the music would shuffle every 10 seconds or so if Zim decided he didn’t like the song. Eventually, Zim landed on a rock song and left it at that.
“You like rock then, huh?” Dib asked, noting that Zim hadn’t changed the channel in a while.
“The drums are pleasing to me. It’s full of… energy.” Zim responded. A quick glance in Zim’s direction told Dib that Zim was now looking up the history of rock music and the background of the band that was currently playing.
“I like it too. You know, I could make a playlist for you if you want.” Dib suggested.
Zim looked at Dib with… well, Dib wasn’t really sure what. But Zim nodded at the idea, his hand slowly reaching up to grip at his turtleneck. Dib smiled, letting out a small puff of air through his nose as he glanced at Zim, “Are you excited?”
Zim scoffed, the corners of his mouth turning up into a sneer, “to see fish? Not particularly.”
“It’s not just fish–it’s an aquarium. It’s gonna have–y’know what? Let me not spoil it. You’ll understand when we get there.”
“You are not convincing me of your date skills if I cannot even feel excitement for the fish.”
“Hey! This is a great date idea. You can’t really go into the ocean yourself because of your ‘skin condition,’” Dib used a free hand to mimic air quotes, “so this is actually a really good opportunity for you to study different earth sea creatures up close.”
Zim didn’t seem very convinced, but he didn’t bother arguing with Dib any further.
Dib thought he was doing as well as he possibly could have on this date, considering Zim was actively trying to have a bad day. He ran through his ideas of what they should see when they made it to the aquarium. Of all the sea creatures to see, Dib knew they’d definitely have to stop by the shark pools, so he planned to save that for last. He even brought some paste for Zim to use on his hands so they could actually feel the manta rays in the pool. He congratulated himself in his head for an amazing plan, even if Zim wouldn’t appreciate it.
They eventually pulled into the parking lot of the aquarium, and Dib ran around the van to open the door for Zim before he got out, making Zim raise a brow in confusion.
“Opening a door for your date is considered chivalrous,” Dib stated as Zim hopped out of the car.
“I am perfectly capable of opening the door myself,” Zim responded with narrowed eyes.
Dib let out a sigh, “there’s no pleasing you, is there?”
“No.” Zim flashed Dib a cheeky grin and earned a smirk from Dib in return. Zim was clearly trying to get on his nerves, but Dib found it entertaining for some reason. Hanging out with Zim always kept him on his toes.
As they approached the aquarium doors, Dib explained that sometimes, dates would hold onto the arm of their taller date when walking, offering his arm for Zim to hold onto. Zim hesitantly held onto his sleeve, just grabbing it with his fingers.
Dib chuckled, “No no, like this.”
Dib directed Zim’s arm to wrap around his own. Zim’s nose bridge scrunched up, “Why do people do this?”
“I’m not entirely sure. It’s kinda like, showing you’re comfortable with another person, and since going on dates is a way to get closer with someone, holding onto your date is a step in the right direction.” Dib pulled out his phone to get out their electronic tickets to scan.
Zim let go of Dib’s arm to open the door for the two of them but went right back to holding his arm afterward. He looked at Dib as if asking if he was doing it right, which made Dib smile. Seeing Zim try to be a good date was actually kinda funny, but it also made Dib feel a little… warm inside. He’d never seen Zim like this for anyone else, especially not Keef. Dib bit his bottom lip when the thought of Zim holding onto Keef’s arm entered his mind. Right. This was all practice for Zim to do this stuff with someone else. They weren’t on a real date, nor did Dib want to be on a real date anyway.
There weren’t many people checking in. Dib expected this. Not many people cared for aquariums much anymore, and he remembered the weather app saying it was supposed to rain today, so he knew there wouldn’t be many people out.
The first part of the aquarium after the main ticket desk was a long, windowless, dimly-lit hallway with dark blue walls. Speakers above played the sounds of waves and whales, and the lights would fade between a cyan blue to white to mimic what it looked like to be under the water's surface. Along the walls were facts about the Earth’s waters, such as the fact that 71% of the Earth’s surface was covered in water, a fact that Zim refused to believe when he read it.
Zim pried his eyes off the fun facts on the wall to glare at Dib. “Is this supposed to be a horror attraction?”
Dib laughed, “What? No. One of the big mysteries of the world is what lies in the ocean. I think this is supposed to instill like, wonder or something.”
“It doesn’t.”
Zim cut himself off and quickly let go of Dib’s hand to run to a fun fact that had a picture of the colossal squid, his eyes practically sparkling as he read aloud how big the squid could grow to be. Dib recalled a time he remembered Zim had experimented on a squid before, creating some sort of Giant flesh-eating demon in the process. Dib would have thought that encounter would have turned him off from squids entirely, but clearly, it only sparked a deeper interest.
Dib rolled his eyes playfully. Zim could say he wasn’t amazed by this all he wanted, but that reaction didn’t lie. He walked beside Zim and pulled up a picture of a bigfin squid to show Zim. “If you like squids, you’ll love this one. It’s called a bigfin squid. Marine biologists don’t really know that much about them.”
Zim snatched the phone out of Dib’s hands, scrolling through the many online pictures of the specimen. He paused at one point and looked back up to Dib. “Will there be squids in this exhibit?”
“Ah, maybe. Aquariums don’t generally have enough space for squids, especially not the big ones. But who knows? I haven’t been to this aquarium before.”
Zim gave Dib his phone back and continued to walk beside Dib. A small part of Dib wondered why Zim didn’t hold onto his arm again, but he quickly dispelled the thought.
“There are other aquariums?” Zim asked.
Dib nodded, “Yeah, I used to go with my family a lot when I was a kid. I’ve even been to the largest indoor aquarium in Europe. I would love to go to the largest aquarium in the world one day, though, but that’s all the way in China, I think.”
The pair made it past the long hallway and into a room with about 30 seats and a huge TV with a timer displayed on the screen. Dib sat down at the front, and Zim followed.
“What is the counter for?” Zim asked.
“I dunno. I think they’re gonna show us a video about the aquarium before we go in. Rules and stuff.” Dib suggested.
At the same moment, Zim and Dib both tried to put their arms on the same armrest, which led to a very short-lived argument about who got to use the armrest before Dib conceded to letting Zim have the armrests on both sides. “Rule number 2, sometimes, being a little selfless can make your date feel appreciated. Y’know… like giving up an armrest?”
“You’re right, Dib. I do feel very appreciated. Thank you for giving up your armrest to the amazing Zim. Your services will not be forgotten when I rule over this miserable planet.” Zim said with a grin.
Dib wondered if the concept of selflessness may have been completely lost to the alien. The video began, and it was much of what Dib expected; a video with a freakishly 3D animated scuba diver explaining the rules of the aquarium and the types of sea creatures they were going to see. It also added that the Aquarium was taking steps to protect endangered sea creatures and the environment around them. Surprisingly, Dib noticed that Zim was watching the screen the entire time. He didn’t interrupt it or go on his phone or get up and walk away out of boredom. He actually sat there and listened intently to the information the whole time.
Once it ended, Zim jumped out of his seat and pulled Dib up by his cardigan collar, “enough of this stalling! Where are the fish creatures?!”
Dib let out a yelp, prying Zim’s clawed fingers off his shirt, and fixing his glasses, which had almost knocked off his face when Zim pulled him out of the seat. “Alright, alright, relax. I thought you said they were just dumb fish anyway.”
“Do not tell Zim what he already knows!”
Dib hastily pulled out the pamphlet/map he had and searched through it to see where they would be heading first. The first section that included fish was a series of tanks lined against the walls, all containing different kinds of fish from different parts of the world. A few of those tanks even included eels and octopi, but sadly, no squids. Zim didn’t seem to be able to tell the difference, though, as he snapped a picture of the octopi on his phone excitedly. He was persistent about reading every blurb, and Dib didn’t dare try to pull him away. Dib remembered all the times he was rushed away from different exhibits when he would go to the aquarium with his family, and he was not about to do that to Zim. He was actually quite thankful that Zim was also interested in reading all the fun fact slabs because now, he finally had the opportunity to read them through as well. He could take his time for once.
Not only that, but Dib very much enjoyed being able to explain his baseline knowledge of certain creatures when the pictures or infographics didn’t provide it. None of his knowledge was especially life-changing, but it was all new to Zim, so he was shocked and awed by every fact. Or at least, Dib thought Zim was by how many questions he was asking. However, Dib wasn’t the only one dropping fun facts. Apparently, one of Zim’s recent projects had involved Zim sending some devices to the bottom of their nearest ocean to see what lurked in the depths, and since his technology was much more advanced than Earth’s, he’d actually learned some pretty cool information about deep sea creatures.
Dib could tell Zim was fascinated by all the different shapes and colors of the fish he was seeing, and he felt a well of excitement bubble in him at the thought of Zim seeing the rest that the aquarium had to offer. He’d only ever seen Zim light up similar to this when talking about the destruction of the human race, but Dib was smart enough to know the real reason ‘destruction’ made him feel joy. Zim just wanted to please his leaders, and he thought destroying Earth was the only way how; but this smile… This was different. It wasn’t a smile because he thought he’d done a good job, or a smile because he felt he had to put on an act. He was just smiling because he was enjoying himself. Dib wondered again, how many times would Keef see this smile on their date? Could Keef even bring out a smile like this from Zim? What would Dib do if he ever saw Zim smile like this while with someone else?
nothing, obviously. Jesus, Dib, what kind of thoughts are you thinking right now?
Dib shook his head and led Zim to the next exhibit once he was sure Zim had finished reading all the info blurbs. The next section was one of those interactive rooms where you could move puzzle pieces to find out fun facts about the ocean or look through scuba masks to see a recording of orca whales swimming in the deep. There was even a section where you could press various buttons to hear the different sounds different kinds of whales could make.
“Will we see whales here?” Zim asked as he pressed one of the buttons over and over, annoying the other people around him, but Dib didn’t really mind. He knew Zim was just curious.
“Definitely not. Whales are huge, and we don’t have enough space to keep them in aquariums.” Dib answered. He saw Zim physically deflate before he added, “But uh, we could always go whale watching one day if you really wanna see one.”
Zim’s head tilted up a bit, and Dib could tell that Zim’s antenna would have shot straight up if the wig didn’t cover them. Zim turned back to the button display and finally switched to a different button, his mouth hanging open once the noise played. “It sounds similar to a gentle giant… it kinda looks like one too… if you squint,” Zim commented.
Dib had remembered seeing gentle giants before when he was little and Zim had opened up that florpus hole. He’d passed a few on the way to moo-ping 10. He had always just referred to them as space whales. “That’s a blue whale you’re looking at. I bet they have some sort of common ancestor or something.”
“Yes, they certainly are blue. IS THAT HOW BIG THEY ARE?” Zim cut himself off to point at the giant display across the room, which did, in fact, show a cutout of a life-size blue whale in terms of length. The area was cut off and far away, with cutouts of humans beside it so that people could see how ginormous blue whales were.
“Huh. Yeah, I guess so.” Dib said, putting his hands into his pockets and leaning onto one side.
His arm accidentally brushed against Zim’s, and he shot a sideglance to see if the alien had noticed. If Zim noticed, he made no such move to indicate he cared. Dib felt his heart race. Suddenly, a scene played out in his mind. A scene in which he took Zim’s hand, without fear or worry that the other would pull away, and he just held it in his own. He dispelled the image just as quickly as it appeared, chalking it up to weird impulse thoughts he couldn’t control.
The pair filed into the next room, which had a conveyor belt that lead down a hallway. Zim tried to eye where the conveyor belt was heading, but it made a turn that made it difficult to see what lay beyond. People were getting onto the conveyor belt and heading into the darkness without a care in the world, disappearing into the unknown; meanwhile, Zim’s feet were glued to the ground.
“Is there no other way forward?” Zim asked.
Dib looked down the hallway. He, of course, knew where it led, but he didn’t want to spoil the surprise. He could understand Zim’s reservations about following a bunch of strangers down a dark and unfamiliar hall. Dib held out his arm, “It’s nothing crazy, I promise.”
Zim stared at his arm for a few moments. Dib was sure Zim was about to brush right past him when he finally took a step forward, but instead, he held onto Dib’s arm and squeezed it tight. Not as an intimate squeeze, of course, it was a “If you’re lying, I’m taking this arm with me when I leave” type of squeeze. Dib gulped, hoping that Zim would like this next attraction lest he lose an arm.
They stepped onto the conveyor belt together, being pulled forward by the force of the ground below them. It may have pushed them forward a bit faster than they were ready, but the payoff was worth it as they entered into a semi-dome room where the walls and ceiling were made of tanks. It was as if they were underneath the ocean itself as fish and jellies swam by. Zim’s hold on Dib’s arm loosened, but he didn’t let go. His eyes followed an eel as it swam by above their heads and away past where he could see the end of the tank.
Dib wished he could say he was looking at the fish in the tank, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t stop admiring how the blue light from the water illuminated Zim’s green skin. He wondered how Zim’s ruby eyes would look in this light too. Dib felt his heart race quicken as he saw Zim’s eyes snap to make contact with his own. Zim’s smile became a confused frown, and it hit Dib right in the center of his chest. Why couldn’t Zim ever smile when looking at him?
Shit…
Dib may be generally oblivious, but he was not entirely stupid. He knew what was happening. Zim had always intrigued him, he’d always felt a desire to be around the alien—ever since they were kids—but the more he learned about Zim, the less that desire was born from fear of the unknown and the more it was born of intrigue. The thought of getting to know him on a deeper level, and not just what Zim showed on the surface excited Dib. He was ecstatic when he found out what candy was Zim’s favorite despite the alien never telling him. Being able to read Zim that well was his new passion. He wasn’t afraid of what Zim could do. That’s not why he followed him around everywhere he went. He just wanted Zim to look at him for once the way that he looked at Zim, like he was the most interesting person in the world. Well, in all the worlds considering Zim was from a faraway planet. Dib didn’t know how many planets Zim had been to, but he wanted to be the favorite.
“You are staring,” Zim commented. For just a second, Dib swore Zim’s eyes flashed down his face, but they were back on him before he could confirm if what he’d seen was a hallucination.
“Sorry, I was just…”
“Just?...”
Dib looked back to the tanks and covered his face with his sleeve, “Shut up.”
“Huh?! You are the one who was–you–ugh!” Zim struggled to find the words but eventually just shoved Dib’s arm away and crossed his own around his middle in frustration.
Great. Now Zim had let go of his arm because he couldn’t think of a good enough reason for why he was staring. Why did he have to stare?
Zim seemed to quickly get over the little argument as a leopard shark swam by the tank, drawing his attention as it swam alongside them on the tank floor. Zim crouched to examine it closer. “This creature, what is it?”
“Ah shit. It’s a shark. I wanted to wait till we got to the shark tanks to show you those. I thought you’d really like them.” Dib said, scratching the back of his head.
“You… were planning?” Zim pried his eyes away from the shark to turn his head to Dib.
Dib’s heart skipped a beat. He was caught. “W-well, any good date would make a plan before they go.”
Zim narrowed his eyes.
“I mean–the person who suggests the date is the one who usually plans,” Dib amended, realizing he might have unintentionally insulted Zim, “uh, you’re still a good date even if you didn’t plan anything!”
Zim's gaze fell to the ground as he stood up again, “What makes you think I didn’t plan anything?”
“Huh?”
Zim’s chest puffed out with indignance, “Zim planned his outfit! He brought his camera and took stupid photos! He studied water creatures extensively before coming! Does that not count?” Zim took out his phone and practically threw his phone at Dib. The camera roll laid open so that he could swipe through them.
To say that Dib was surprised that Zim seemed to be so upset that his efforts weren’t recognized was an understatement, but how could Dib have known? Zim had acted like he wasn’t putting any effort into the date at all. Dib grabbed the camera and began to swipe through. Zim really had been taking pictures, a lot of them. Dib’s face tinted red as he swiped through them and realized they weren’t all just pictures of the tanks and infographics. There was a picture of Dib while he was driving, there was a picture of Dib freaking out about one of the interactive puzzles, there was a picture of Dib pointing at one of the plastic recreations of a seal, and there was a picture of Dib in the room just before. That last picture really struck a chord with Dib, as there wasn’t even anything of interest around him in that photo. It was simply just a picture of him. It wasn’t just pictures in the camera roll either; every time Dib had stopped to answer one of Zim’s questions, the camera was on his face, sometimes even zooming in. Dib felt a little guilty now. He noticed only Zim’s outfit (and the occasional attention to the info blurbs). Dib didn’t realize Zim had also been trying to pull this date off.
Wait a minute.
“You did research on marine creatures before this? Then… why do you keep asking questions about this stuff?” Dib asked.
Zim’s angry face suddenly switched to surprise. He sputtered unintelligibly for a minute before finally just guessing that his computer must have given him defective information, but that answer didn’t make much sense knowing Zim.
Dib smiled; whatever the reason, Zim was trying. He wasn’t attempting to just settle some stupid bet. In an act of newly acquired confidence, Dib put Zim’s phone back in Zim’s pocket, and smoothly took the alien’s hand in the same motion. “That’s fine. I’ll explain whatever your computer missed.”
Zim took a deep breath in, as if he were holding back a snarky remark, and averted his gaze back to the tank. He didn’t thank Dib, but he didn’t need to. The fact that he didn’t pull his hand away said enough.
The conveyor belt ended off inside the next exhibit, sharks. Zim was excited, to say the least. Posters of different types of sharks hung above their heads, including a lifesize skeleton of a great white that was on display in the center of the room. Despite all the tanks and posterboards with information, Zim was drawn to one display in particular; a recreation of a megalodon's jaw. With the human’s hand still in his own clutches, Zim dragged Dib over to the display and gushed over the large assortment of teeth.
“Look at the size of that mouth! This creature could probably devour a human whole!” Zim said as he read through the info-board.
“Yeah. Too bad they’re extinct. But hey, I can get a picture of you in front of the jaw if you want.” Dib suggested as he pulled out his camera with his free hand.
There was not a moment of hesitation as Zim quickly let go of Dib to rudely shove some onlookers out of the frame of view, gaining a disapproving look from Dib and some angered comments from the other people. Zim was, obviously, unapologetic until Dib crossed his arms, refusing to take the picture unless Zim apologized.
Using one of his pak legs, Zim instead dragged Dib beside him and used his own camera to take a selfie in front of the megalodon’s jaws. Dib should have guessed this would happen. In what universe would Zim apologize for being a little shit?
Dib instead ended up having to apologize for Zim as they ran off to the next display. For Dib, it was like chasing an energized, unleashed dog around a park, having to apologize to all the people Zim carelessly flew by. Dib didn’t really mind, though, he could see how much fun Zim was having, and he wasn’t about to ruin that for a couple of strangers' feelings.
Zim stopped them in front of a large tank that rose to the ceiling, and actually went even further above. There were stairs that were closed off to the public leading to the top of the tank, which Dib assumed was meant for staff to climb when they needed to feed the sharks and fish or change the filters and stuff like that. Dib was thankful that Zim didn’t seem to have an interest in mischief at the moment. Otherwise, he was sure this visit would end with them being kicked out because Zim wanted to climb the steps and wouldn’t listen to Dib’s protests.
Various types of sharks and fish swam by, Zim gazing in awe at each one. He was watching so intently that Dib could swear the alien was trying to memorize every detail for later. And once again, it occurred to Dib that he was missing seeing the sharks in favor of watching Zim. He watched as Zim knelt down to a shark grazing the ocean floor and bared his teeth as a show of superiority. He watched as Zim flinched when another shark seemed to make a go at him, only to change course just before hitting the glass. And he watched as Zim stood, straightened himself, and went on some rant about how he wasn’t scared just now and that he was just having pity on the animal. All of this was more entertaining than whatever was happening in the water in front of Dib.
Dib turned his attention back to the tank. The two stood in a comfortable silence, watching the sharks swim around algae and rocks in an ongoing cycle whilst other viewers passed around them. Eventually, it was just the two of them left in the room as the majority of the other people had moved on to the next exhibit. For just a moment, Dib’s pinky brushed against Zim’s. Dib’s stomach dropped as he felt that brush happen again. Without moving his head, Dib snuck a quick glance to Zim, but Zim was still looking at the tank.
Dib didn’t know what he was thinking, in fact, Dib wasn’t thinking as he brushed his pinky against Zim’s hand once again, a bit less subtle this time. Zim didn’t move his hand, so Dib continued. Heart pounding in his chest, Dib carefully wrapped his pinky around Zim’s.
What am I doing? What am I doing?
Dib repeated the phrase over and over in his head like a mantra as he turned to face Zim more fully, now drawing the Alien’s attention. Zim shifted to face Dib as well, but he was careful not to break the contact of their hands as he stared at Dib like…
Like he was the most interesting thing in the world.
“You know…” Dib spoke quietly, surprised he was even speaking at this point, “some people only consider a date successful if they get a kiss at the end.”
“Is that so?” Zim responded. His eyes darted to Dib’s mouth, and his gaze stayed there. “That’s that… lip smashing thing you humans do, yes?”
Dib leaned in a little closer, eyes lidding as Zim stood frozen in front of him. “Yeah..” Dib said, his voice barely above a whisper. He had never felt this much adrenaline before. Not when he was hunting for supernatural creatures. Not when he was inventing. Not even when they were fighting. This type of nervousness was an entirely different beast, and he kinda liked it.
“Are you saying this date will be unsuccessful if we don’t?” Zim said, still not looking up at Dib’s eyes.
Dib only nodded. That was all he had time to do before Zim grabbed Dib’s face and pulled him in.
“Liar.”
Their lips met unceremoniously, completely losing all resolve. Dib’s hands grabbed at Zim’s waist, which was a lot skinnier than he’d ever imagined (not that he’d imagined this before, of course), to steady them as Zim had pulled Dib down to his level. It was harsh at first, born of a bold desperation before slowly dissolving into something softer as Dib began to coax Zim’s mouth open with his own. Dib’s fingers tightened on Zim’s waist as the alien’s hands fell to his shoulders.
A moment of vulnerability.
Dib felt an even stronger urge to kiss the living daylights out of Zim when he’d realized that Zim was letting him take control. Zim was letting Dib hold him close and deepen this kiss knowing full well he didn’t have to for this ‘practice’ date. Zim did this because he wanted to.
They slowly parted, Dib’s heart beating louder than ever before; So loud that he swore Zim could hear it. He probably could, as they were still only an inch apart.
“Don’t go on that date…” Dib whispered, the words spilling from his conscience before he could stop them.
“I won’t.” Zim said without hesitation, matching Dib’s tone. His fingers curled up on Dib’s shoulders, and it was at this moment Dib realized Zim had been standing on his tip-toes as he stood flat-footed again. If that kiss wasn’t enough to make Dib go crazy, that fact certainly was.
Zim opened his mouth, trying to find words to say for a moment before letting out a small chuckle and staring down at the ground. “I can see why you humans like mouth-smashing so much.”
“Please don’t call it that—“
Dib was cut off by another chaste kiss from Zim, which he was not complaining about.
Zim tilted his head to the side as he watched Dib’s reaction, his hand moving down to his chest as he felt the organ beating just behind his fingers.
There was no denying it anymore, Dib liked Zim. really liked him. In a way he’d never liked anyone before. In a way he didn’t even think he was even capable of before. The only question he had left now was; how did Zim feel? Why did Zim kiss him? Did Zim want something more? Did Dib even want something more? What would that even entail?
Ok, maybe he had more than only 1 question.
There was a moment of silence before they both opened their mouths to speak, only to be interrupted by a speaker overhead informing them that the Aquarium would be closing soon. They stared at eachother before Zim finally pushed himself off Dib and made a dismissive motion with his hand, “No one tells Zim when to leave! However… I have seen all I wanted to see. Zim desires to be brought home now.”
Zim began walking in front of Dib, signaling the earthling to follow.
Dib felt saddened at the thought that their date was ending, he didn’t even get to show Zim the Manta Ray Pool. Then again, if he had to pick between seeing the pool and kissing Zim, he was glad to miss it. At least he knew that Zim wasn’t going to go on a date with Keef anymore.
wow. And I don’t even care that I was that openly jealous… what is happening to me?
Dib had to stop himself from throwing his face in his hands in embarrassment as they finally entered the Gift shop. At first, Zim said he didn’t want anything. Dib found that surprising since he was sure he saw the alien eyeing a shark plushie, only to realize Zim was going to steal it. They argued back and forth about whether or not Zim should pay for it (Dib obviously suggested Zim pay) but in the end, Dib ended up paying for it as Zim was going to take that plushie no matter what, and he certainly would not be spending any money on it.
The ride back to Zim’s house was full of rock music and Zim’s excited ramblings about all the facts he’d learned as if Dib wasn’t there to read it all himself. Dib didn’t dare interrupt Zim though, he liked to see how excited the alien was. He never thought he’d be thinking that thought so unabashedly, and yet here he was.
Eventually, they found themselves back at Zim’s house. Zim sat in the passenger seat for a few moments, and Dib wondered if he should say something, but before he got the chance to, Zim spoke up.
“Zim…” Zim started, “I want to… uh… thank you. For this. It was not the worst experience I could have imagined.”
Dib stared at Zim in shock, which caused the alien to glare.
“Don’t make a big deal of this. I still hate you.” Zim commented.
Dib put his hands up in surrender and looked away, his face tinting a light red, “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”
“Good. I don’t want to hear your stupid human noises.”
There was utter silence in the car now, the radio having been stopped long ago. Zim fumbled with the seatbelt (something he only agreed to wear because Dib wouldn’t start the car otherwise) and let out a slew of epithets directed at the contraption under his breath.
“Zim, are we–?” Dib began to speak, but Zim had finally freed himself of the seatbelt and decided to make a show of it.
“HAHA! You thought you could best me human seatbelt?! But I have bested you! I always win. I AM ZIM!” Zim let out a maniacal laugh and pretty much kicked the door open to let himself out.
Dib couldn’t get another word out before Zim shut the door in his face and went rushing off into his house. He’d never seen the alien run that fast before, nor had he ever seen his face such a deep green. Rather than sit outside Zim’s house for a few minutes longer, wishing he’d said something yet not knowing what he should have said; Dib put the car in drive and headed back home, thinking of that kiss the whole way.