Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Zim!!! You won't get away with it this time!!" Dib screamed dramatically as he ran after Zim, who was carrying a dog under his arm

Eventually, after running for multiple blocks, Zim's robot managed to make Dib trip and fall. And when Dib raised again, Zim was gone. 

In the following weeks after the almost invasion, Dib was trying his best to capture the alien or expose him, believing that all the weird events could finally trigger some sense on the human race. This was the time that showing an alien could actually be seen as the truth. But Zim was going more low profile recently, that dog was the only thing he had done since then. And to be honest to himself, Dib was growing tired of his hunt. 

The human went home to do his homework and play some video games with his sister Gaz, feeling sorry for that lap dog all the way. He had a certain thing for pets, didn't like to think maybe Zim could be making him suffer. 

"What happened to your pants?" Gaz asked when they were sitting on the couch after dinner

When Dib looked, there was a small stain of blood on his knee. Wasn't hurting or anything, maybe he scratched it on his fall while he was chasing Zim. 

"Oh, nothing. Didn't even notice. I'll clean it up" he said getting up from the couch

Once again he found himself thinking about the little dog and the horrible things Zim could be doing to him. That green bastard had no limits on his bizarre experiments. He really fought with Zim about it before he ran after him, didn't hide how much it was upsetting to hurt such a small animal. The truth is that Dib liked that dog in particular. It would always come to him after class and give him company for a couple of blocks on his way home. Sometimes he would bring him a treat or something. 

The bathroom was at the end of the corridor, so when Dib passed his bedroom on his way there, he observed there was something on his desk by the window. He entered carefully inside the bedroom, paranoid as always. As he got closer, he saw a note under a book that wasn't there before. It was one of his books, it was just there to hold the note in place.

I didn't hurt him. I left it on your backyard by the three. Unleash it later.

"What the -?" Dib said out loud to himself 

Dib looked outside the window to find the dog on his backyard, there was a leash on him and it was tight to the three. He threw a pen he had close on the direction of the three to see if there was a trap or something, but no alien lasers attacked the pen, it just landed close to the dog.

Dib ran downstairs to see the dog and it waved its tail to him. He never bothered to think about adopting the dog but now it seemed like a good time to try his chances by asking his dad. 

Meanwhile, Zim was observing the scene sitting on his chair in the underground lab. He left a small camera on the three. His objective was to indeed dissect the dog but something about the way Dib tried to stop him made him change his mind. 

Zim spent his evening thinking about the whole thing. He even got another dog to dissect later, doing the procedure like it was nothing. But still, he couldn't bring himself to do that to Dib's dog. 

Since the time he placed Earth on his species route to invasion, he had been feeling different about a couple of things. For a start, he didn't feel comfortable betraying Dib on that occasion, only that it was too perfect to let it go. He remembers Dib’s expression when he revealed his own plan and it was somehow painful to know Dib was counting on him that one time. 

Next day in school Zim was getting his stupid human books for ridiculously primitive math - according to him - when he saw Dib standing some lockers away. He seemed uncertain about getting closer but did it anyway in a slow careful way.

"Uh… Zim?" He started

"Yes, Dib?" Zim tried to say with indifference

"Thank you for not harming Vortex" Dib said quickly

"So it has a name now" Zim said narrowing his big eyes

"Yeah, my dad let me keep it" He said smiling a little

"You're welcome. I think some mutual respect could suit us well. You never harmed GIR" Zim pointed out

During the first class of the day, the teacher returned them some corrected tests. Zim could swear he saw her growling at Dib while she gave him his Biology test. He looked upset and maybe he muttered something in the lines of "My dad is going to kill me". 

"Alright class, since this test was easy," she said looking at some students that had gotten bad scores, " Students with a C or less will be mentored by the other students with higher scores until the next biology test. I won't lose my time trying to teach you anything twice" she continued

She wrote names on pieces of paper and sorted them until every student had a pair. Zim and Dib exchanged looks when they were assigned together. The entire class was expecting a little show, but nothing really happened. 

"And I thought you were a little genius, just like you father," Zim said with his characteristic voice

"Come on it was Botanics, who cares about plants? And this test is from before the invasion, I wasn't studying back then" Dib answered him in an irritated manner

"I would help you Dib, but I also couldn't care less about your tedious native plants" Zim said as they left school

"How did you get a good score then?" He asked

"I cheated" Zim answered simply

"Hey!" 

"You would also cheat if you had this extremely technological thing attached to you back" Zim said pointing at his back

"Wait so it's not a backpack?" 

"It is, but it connects directly underneath my skin, that's why I can control it with my nervous system" Zim said with naturality

Dib hated to admit, but he was actually having a nice time talking to Zim for a couple of blocks on their way home. When Dib got closer to his own house, Vortex showed up and greeted him.

"What is this all about?" Dib asked himself seeing the dog Zim had spared 

Chapter Text

On the following days, Dib was constantly trying to engage in conversation with Zim as casually as he could. He would see if he was on the school corridors and even tried to sit on a lunch table that was closer to his. 

Zim noticed that the human wasn't being hostile to him, in fact, he seemed to be over the fact Zim was an alien. Maybe he just gave up on telling that to the world after a series of failed attempts to do so. If that was the case, Zim didn't bother to talk to him, in fact, he appreciated that. His kind was more of the loner type, they were all invaders after all, usually assigned to worlds in which there was no one like themselves. But with time passing, living on a foreigner planet could be too lonely if they didn't bring it to complete destruction. 

With that in mind, Zim decided to make a move. Dib was always trying to talk to him here and there, but today he didn't say anything. Maybe he thought he was bothering the other. 

"Dib, Gaz, may I join you on this poorly balanced meal?" He asked approaching their table

Gaz barely raised her head from her video game, but nod in response. 

"Uh… sure" Dib answered confused, but soon feeling silly with enjoyment 

They kept talking about a couple of things, like plans for the weekend. Apparently Dib was going to look at the stars using his telescope. Zim was about to say something about the ridiculously more advance telescope he had at home, but showing that to Dib made him uneasy so he kept quiet. 

"And you Zim, what will you do?" The human asked while drinking his juice from the box

"Repairs" he said simply

"Oh… on what? Your spaceship?" Dib asked

But this time, even Gaz bothered to look up. There was no anger, no irritability, no sarcasm or anything of the kind on the question. He was purely wanting to know for the sake of having a conversation with him. 

"Ahn yes! And I have to do something about the screen of my computer as well" Zim said in a paused way, still not believing. "Aren't you going to… you know…?" He finally asked after another pause

Dib sighed deeply and look at him to answer.

"Not really. I kind of gave up on this planet, Zim. Earth was taken to another part of the universe, people saw that black hole on the sky, they saw you and the spaceships and they still didn't listen to me. Humankind will never know we are not alone because they don't want to"

Zim looked at Gaz trying to find answers on her. The urge to say something to comfort him came almost as an instinct. 

"He has been gloomy. I felt the same when I gave up on humanity. Many. Many. Years ago" she said with her rough voice

Then didn't talk much more until the end of class. Only when Dib was going to his Dad's car he said a couple of things to Zim before joining his sister on the backseat. 

"I'll see the stars tonight, very late, around midnight. You can come to my house if you want, I'll see them from the roof"

Zim noticed Dib sounded rather shy, maybe insecure. Still, he liked the invitation.

"I'll show up at eleven, with pizza" he said touching Dib's shoulder and smiling briefly

Dib smiled on the corner of his mouth in return.

"Ok, see you later" He said before greeting his father inside the car

Later that night, Gaz was walking around the second floor when she caught her brother looking into the mirror on his bedroom. It was obvious to her that something was in the air. Dib wouldn't care about his appearance for anything in the world. As long as his hair had that right shape and his clothes were clean, he couldn't care less. 

"You look just fine, don't worry. He is coming already" she said from the door

Dib felt a shock travel through his whole body, he wasn't expecting to be seen.

"Gaz!! I have no idea what you are talking about" he said nervously

"Whatever. Go get the door" she said returning her face to the videogame

Dib was about to say he heard nothing, but one second after that the doorbell rang.

It was Zim, he had his contact lenses and wig on and brought two pizzas with him, as promised.

"Good night, human. I mean, Dib" he said teasing him a little

"Hey Zim, come on in. You can take off your disguise of you want, my father is not home for this weekend" 

"Good, thanks" he said while his mechanical extensions would remove his disguise from his face and storage it quickly on his backpack 

Right after Dib closed the door, Vortex came to see who the visitor was. The dog smelled Zim’s feet, and to Dib’s surprise, it didn’t seem scared of him. Vortex allowed Zim to touch him between his ears and they both pet him for a while.

They ate some of the pizza while sitting on the couch, the three of them. Gaz wasn't so difficult to conquer as Zim anticipated, you had to give her pizza and not distract her from her games and that was about it. 

They invited her to go to the roof but she declined saying it was a bit too cold for her and that she wanted to finish her new game. The boys just shrugged it off and took the rest of one pizza with them. When Zim looked back on her as he went up the stairs, Gaz gave him a thumbs up and a meaningful look. Zim got a bit scared by it, how could she possibly know when maybe he didn't know things with such certainty? Female humans had good intuition. 

Zim observed while Dib set up his telescope on the roof. The kid was very smart, Zim couldn't name another human he met that was smarter than him. Even his father seemed to have his eyes shut to alien existence. When Dib adjusted it just right, he looked to the stars above them for while.

"Your turn, Zim" he said in a friendly way stepping aside to eat another piece of pizza

"So this is how humans see the Universe" Zim said looking through the lenses of the telescope

"It just crossed my head that you probably have a way better telescope at home" Dib said feeling a bit stupid as he finished his slice

"My telescope is made with Irken technology, something humans can only dream of" Zim said stepping aside to let Dib use it again. "But if you want to see it, we can watch the stars from my roof next time" he added

"That would be nice" Dib said looking at the stars again, this time feeling the cold wind blow on their direction. "I think I'll go get another coat for me, do you want one too?" He asked

"No, I'm used to it. Space is really cold"

Zim was left there alone with his thoughts. Observing Dib watch the stars gave him a weird feeling. There was his spark on his eyes every time they talked about Space, Zim could easily imagine him spending his nights here on the roof, waiting to see something alien alike. 

Dib took about five minutes to come back, bringing two coats with him and soon putting the thickest one on.

"I said I'm ok" Zim said in a distracted way looking at the neighborhood with the telescope

"Oh, I insist. You've been on Earth for a while, maybe you got used to the weather here" Dib said placing the coat on Zim's back

It gave him a fuzzy feeling to have the human's hands on his shoulders, Zim felt himself blush a little bit and there was this pleasant but also unpleasant nervousness. 

Dib observed the stars for another while but soon they laid on the roof and looked at them just with their eyes.

"I used to be so fascinated about what is out there. I wonder if there are other species that live in better harmony with their planets. Earth is my home but… after all this time, I'm not sure I ever belonged in here. I mean, you've been around observing humans… I don't really blend in" Dib said looking to a particularly shiny spot on the sky

"There are multiple cultures out there, Dib. Some more advanced than mine and some in very primitive forms. We are invaders and there is one thing we notice every time: the smartest ones of each kind tend to feel lonely"

They fell into some comfortable silence for a while. Dib was adjusting to the fact that Zim had just complimented his intellect. 

"Well, I think you are pretty smart too" he said just not to be rude

"Maybe, but I'm not a good invader. They sent me here to get rid of me. I don't blend too well with my own kind as well" Zim said in a rather bitter way

"Did you have a family there? Friends?" Dib asked

"No. We are all created in the lab and grown artificially. We don't have family units. Some become friends while we learn to become invaders, but I never had such luck" Zim continued

Dib was starting to get nervous, he didn't want Zim to feel bad or make him feel sad for talking about things that upset him.

"I would be your friend. You tried to destroy my planet, so we didn't start well… but taking that part off… I think it could work" Dib said quickly

"You tried to unmask me in front of your disgusting planet - no offense - and turn me to the human authorities to dissect me. But taking that off too, I think you are right" Sim said with a grin

They were more comfortable now, although they were both feeling some words remained unspoken. Seemed like they were waiting a good moment to say some things to each other, maybe things they didn’t know for sure, things they didn’t allow themselves to speak out loud before.

"Hey Dib! Look!!" Zim said touching Dib's hand to catch his attention to the sky as he pointed with his other hand

"Wow! It was a shooting star!" He said excited

"Your hand is really cold" Zim said crossing his fingers with Dib's. "Maybe this will help" he said

Now, Zim wasn't completely oblivious to human's ways to show interest to others. He had seen humans hold hands and things of the sort. And on his species, it wasn't so different as well.

Dib felt himself blush a little, he wasn't expecting that contact. And still, it felt this was exactly what he wanted. When Zim turned his head to look at him directly, it all made sense in the human's head. Suddenly Dib knew why the word "friend" was a good start but not enough. He didn't think much about his next moves, it was almost automatic. He got closer to Zim, still with his hands together, and touched Zim's face with his free hand. 

The alien felt his antennas going backward and the place Dib was holding was so much more sensitive and warmer than the rest. Zim made up his mind about it, moving forward on the few inches that separated them.

When Dib felt Zim's lips touch his own, it was all very messy. He didn't really know what to do, he wanted that but he was also very surprised and he had never done that before. Zim was being nice, just kissing him with his lips while the other made up his mind as well. Soon Dib started to actually kiss him back, holding Zim's face with his hand.

The alien felt it was ok to touch him on his waist, just to bring him closer. When he did that, they weren't kissing just with their lips anymore. Zim also felt Dib's hand land on his waist and they continued for a while. 

After some time, they finally stopped kissing and looked at each other while the processed everything. Dib seemed happy, but he looked like he wanted to say something.

"What is it?" Zim asked as softly as his exasperated voice allowed

"I really liked it… I just need to be sure… Zim, do you know what kissing means to humans?" He said looking anxious

Oh, so that was the insecurity behind those big glasses. 

Zim smiled a little and said "Yes, I know what it means. Humans do that to show they like each other. Might involve feelings or just attraction to one's body. Is that right?" Zim answered

Dib got a bit uncomfortable with the answer, so he asked further.

"Ugh… you are right… but, which one is the case for you?" Dib asked gathering all his courage

"Both, of course. You?" Zim asked making a puppy-like expression

"Me too" Dib said laughing a little. It was a weird thing to admit the found Zim attractive. And also equally weird to know Zim found him attractive. "Good to know, that's all. Do you guys kiss too?" He asked

"We do. We hold hands, hug, kiss. Only that… we don't do those things without feeling anything. We don't have these urges unless we like someone. And irkens are usually lonely, so you won't see it too much in our spaceships"

"I see…" Dib said crossing his fingers with Zim again, this felt really good

They fell into some moments of silence, both exchanging shy looks.

"Zim?" Dib asked finally

"Yes?"

"Can we do it again?" Dib asked smiling softly 

Zim smiled back and kissed him again. This time they knew what to do a little better, the surprise of the first kiss was replaced with a bit more confidence. They touched each other more, on the neck, in the back of the head and arms. This second kiss was more passionate, they seemed to have found a rhythm that was at the right pace for both of them. 

After that, they stayed on the roof laying down side by side. Dib eventually fell asleep, his warm breath heating Zim's chest. The alien was also tired so he used his exoskeleton to carry Dib back inside. He left him on his bed and covered him.

"Good night, Dib" he said touching the other’s hair and leaving the bedroom.

When he was about to open the front door to leave, he saw Gaz wearing her pajamas in the corridor carrying a glass of water.

"So?" She asked in a lazy way, rubbing her eyes

Zim just gave her a thumbs-up as he touched his neck. Gaz understood and gave him a friendly look in return. 

Zim went back home right after that, many things still being processed on his brain. It all didn't matter now, as long as things could remain how they were.

Chapter Text

"Good morning, Gazlene! How did things go on my absence?" Dr. Membrane asked as he stepped inside his house caring his bag from the trip

"Oh, just fine Dad" she answered giving him a brief hug

"Where is your brother?" He asked looking to the corridor to try catching a glimpse on him

"He left early to have breakfast at the bakery" she answered

"How strange, your brother never wakes up before the time for anything," he said closing the door and taking his shoes off

"Nevermind, how was the symposium?" She asked interested

"Amazing! I brought you and your brother some souvenirs" the tall man said messing his daughter's hair a bit

They went to the kitchen to eat something together. It had been some time since they didn't share a meal, planning this trip was very time consuming for her Dad. He was pleased to see his daughter a bit more closely, maybe she wasn't so easy to talk to but she certainly knew her way in the world, he never had to worry about it. 

"You seem upset, my dear. Did something happen?" He asked looking at her, trying to make her feel comfortable to talk

"Ugh… don't tell Dib, ok?"

"Of course, this will be just between you and me" he promised

"So… Dib found someone… and they started to spend a lot of time together..."

"Oh I see why he woke up to go have breakfast now" Membrane pointed out

"Yes… But Dad, what if he doesn't want to spend time with me anymore? Who will be my player two? He is perfect, he is not pathetic but I always win" she said in a lament

"My dear Gazlene, I'm sure your brother won't forget about you. You two have always been such a good team. He is just excited about this new thing, soon he will get back on giving attention to other things as well. You can tell him when you want to play, I bet he wouldn't say no to you. And if he really doesn't have time, I can be your player two" he said touching his daughter's shoulder since he was standing close to her now

"Thanks, Dad, you can be my player two whenever you want" she said feeling lighter

"Now tell me about this person! Who got your brother's interest? Must be someone quite… unique" he said scratching the back of his head, the idea of Dib going out with someone was unexpected

"I prefer he tells you about it" Gaz answered, unsure of what information her brother was willing to share but also making note that her father didn't automatically assume it was a girl

"Oh, see! You two are a team" he said laughing a little, having kids was always an unexpected journey 

Zim had indeed taken Dib to a new bakery that opened some days ago, he noticed the human would always look at the place with interest when they passed by. Zim decided to try his chances on eating a bagel there, scanning it when no one was looking. He had survived with the food from school so far, so what could be possibly worse, right?

Dib got himself some cake and coffee, something Zim wasn't expecting. Apparently, he liked to eat sweet things in the morning, like really sweet things, that cake had frosting and all. It was nice to know that since Zim also had a thing for very sweet things.

Dib didn't mind that he was falling fast for Zim, he trusted him. After all that craziness, he actually trusted him enough to fall asleep by his side on the roof, where Zim could have easily killed him or anything. This was the very first time Dib felt this way for anyone, the first time he kissed someone, the first time he wanted to share his time and interests, first everything, really. 

For Zim this was the second time, he had a heavy crush on a female irken once, but sadly she never cared about him. She was assigned to a very difficult planet to conquer and did it in record time, placing her on the high ranks and pretty much away from the most common irkens. Zim never had a chance to talk to her again. So this was the first time he felt something and got reciprocity.

They had talked about keeping things low profile at school at first. Dib had the displeasure of explaining Zim what homophobia was, among other types of discrimination. Zim was shocked to know all that, there weren't even records in the Irken History for those things. They had some discrimination between ranks in the armada and about height but that was about it.

Although some of these concepts were difficult to assimilate for Zim, he left Dib dictate how much other people knew. He was still an alien, after all, attention wasn't something he was willing to bring on himself.

When Dib was about to go home, it started to rain heavily. He looked at Zim, who was clearly uneasy in his chair. Water was like acid to him, he couldn't go home with this weather and they would always lock the school up after class.

"Don't worry boys, I called Dad. He will give us a ride home" Gaz said meeting them on the corridor.

"Thank you!" Zim said relieved

"And Dad will give you the talk later, Dib. Be warned" she said

"What? What talk?" he said confused

"Not a talk, The Talk"

Dib looked mortified. His first kiss was literally less than a week ago and now his father was going to explain human reproduction to him. Not that he didn't know about it, but his father never said anything so it was kind of expected. 

Meanwhile, Zim was completely off-topic. Whatever these people were talking about was a complete enigma. All he cared, for now, was that he didn't have to feel that terrifying liquid touch his skin on his way home. 

On the car, the four of them had a bit of small talk about school and Dr. Membrane asked Zim where he lived.

"Son, why don't you take Zim to his door with the umbrella I have there in the back?" He suggested in a friendly way

"Sure" Dib said opening the door and escorting Zim to his house

"Your father is the incarnation of the Irken God of Peace" Zim said to Dib. "Thank you, really. See you tomorrow" 

When they were finally at home, Gaz went to her room, knowing her Dad was going to talk to Dib.

"Son, can I talk to you?" He said while they were at the kitchen getting a snack

"Sure, Dad... What did Gaz tell you?" He asked feeling anxiety grown inside him

"In fact, she said nothing to me! Only that you had 'found someone', those were the words she used. So my son, who have you been spending your time with?" He asked in a light, not demanding way

"Oh, it's only been a couple of days since…" Dib started saying but interrupted himself

"It's ok, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. This would happen some day. And I don't mind if it's a boy or a girl, I'll support you anyway as long as you are happy" Membrane said in a pleasant paternal tone

"Oh Dad, you are the best" Dib said hugging him tightly and feeling his father's hand brush the back of his head. "I was scared to tell you" Dib said with his voice failing him a bit

"It's ok, son. I didn't suspect, to be honest, I just didn't assume anything because you never showed interest in anyone. Who is him? Is it Zim, the one we left at home?" He asked still hugging his son

"Yes, it's him. We kissed Friday night"

"Come on, I still have some things to talk to you anyway"

With that, Dr. Membrane sat by his son's side and explained many things related to sexual education. He answered his son's questions and shared his worries on people being hostile to them, asking them to just be careful about their surroundings. He also expressed his concern on their age, mentioning that Dib would know best when it's the right time, but that he was too young for now. 

Dib felt the same about it, knowing about things is one thing, doing them is a completely different deal. He wasn't in a rush anyway and as far as he was concerned, neither was Zim. 

"Wasn't that bad, was it?" Dib's father asked him sounding satisfied

"No, it was really ok. I'll ask if I have more questions, is that ok, Dad?" 

"Of course" Membrane said messing his son's hair a bit. "It was way easier than having The Talk with Gazlene" he admitted

They laughed a little. Dib just thought about her reaction to the topic. 

"Also, Dib. Don't forget to give her some attention. She is always in her own little world but she likes to… how do kids say nowadays… hang out with you"

"Oh, ok… I've spent the entire weekend with Zim, we usually play something. I'll make it up to her later" Dib said in a light-hearted way

"She is in her bedroom now, why don't you go?" Membrane asked

"But we have homework… oh, humm Dad, I… got a bad score in biology… I'm sorry… You'll have to sign the test to show you've seen it" Dib said suddenly feeling terrible about it

"You got a bad score, son? That is a new one. When was this?" Membrane asked almost sure of the answer

"The week before the launch of your bracelet" Dib answered, not wanting to mention the invasion

"I see… I was so busy with that, didn't notice you weren't studying. You got me concerned back then, Dib. I didn't know what to do to take you out of your room. But you're doing better now, right?" Membrane asked him feeling a pinch of guilt for not being there for Dib

"Yeah, everything sort of went back in place" he said, not pleased to remember the mess he was

"Very well then, I'll sign your test. I won't ground you if you promise me you will study for the next one, ok? The symposium is over, I can help you now if you find it difficult" he said in a more firm way, he still had to do the parenting

"Ok! I'll go see Gaz now" Dib said speeding out of the kitchen

Gazlene was wearing her headphones on a loud volume, there was this new album of her favorite band that had just been launched. When the songs switched she heard some knocks on the door and almost had a heart attack because she wasn't wearing any pants.

"Wait!! Don't open, give me a minute" she almost screamed 

She could hear Dib laughing behind the door and that made her blood boil a bit.

"Gaz! We've been to the beach last summer, it's fine. I know you have legs" he said making fun of her, for a change

She opened the door, first giving her brother a slap on his face and later laughing with him a little.

Dib asked if she wanted to play video games with him and of course, she said yes, brightening her expression instantly. It occurred to Dib that he never truly volunteered to play with her, she would always ask him. It was even a bit embarrassing to see how much she appreciated that, made him think that he had been assuming all along that since she is the edgy one, she should always be making the invitations. Turns out she is just like everybody, people like to be remembered and included on other people's plans.

When they were playing for some time, they paused to drink some water and stretch their legs. Dib heard his phone ringing in his pocket, Zim's name on the screen. 

"Hi Dib! What are you doing?" Zim asked on the other side of the line

"Hey! I'm playing some video games with Gaz" he answered

"Who is winning?"  

"Gaz, as always" Dib said grumpy

Gaz came behind him and grabbed his phone from his had quickly, Dib didn't even have time to react.

"Hello Zim, to say I'm winning is almost a joke. Dib is being massacred" she said narrowing his eyes to him. "Join us next time, if you want"

Zim looked around with his big eyes, a bit surprised.

" I'm honored to accept this challenge!! Brace yourself for defeat!! " He said on his characteristic way

"Yeah, dream on" Gaz said turning off the phone

"What was that all about?" Dib asked as he sat on the floor again to get back playing

"Now I have three options for my player two. I'm a woman of vision, Dib" she said pressing the buttons of her controller

Dib giggled a bit, Gaz would never admit she wanted people to be around her or anything like that. But she always had her way to get what she wanted, it was actually quite admirable. Maybe they could all figure how to make life fulfilling with the company of the ones they care and simple things like bagels and video games. 

Chapter Text

Most students would think that Ms.Bitters was not going to go further on the mentoring thing she mentioned but as soon as she saw an opportunity not to teach lessons and leave students on their own, she certainly took advantage of that. For that afternoon, Dib and Zim would sit side by side and study biology. At least, Dib would. Zim was just going to entertain himself somehow throughout the whole thing.

Some weeks had passed since that Friday night and things were going well between them. They were secretly happy to sit closely since they remained attending to class on opposite sides of the classroom. Once again, everybody was looking at them expecting some shouting or fights or weird accusations. But they gave them nothing to watch.

Zim was observing Dib study, for some reason it was interesting to see how he learned things. Zim noticed he was the type that understood everything on the first read, but took several to actually memorize data. Botanics has a horrible amount of names, not much logic to follow anyway regarding the content of the test. 

"What are you doing?" Zim asked him

"I memorize better if I write things down" Dib answered

"Do you feel ready for retaking the test? I wish I could help you" Zim said looking at the Botanics book

"For this chapter, yes, but there are still two to go" he answered with boredom carved on his face

"Everyone is going home, Dib. Let's go too, you studied enough of this today" Zim tried to convince him, he was also bored to death 

"Well since my mentor is telling me that… What do you wanna do today?" Dib said closing the book

"Can we go to your house and read some of those comics you showed me?" Zim asked dying to know what would happen in the following pages of the story he left there

"Yeah, sure. We spent a lot of time at your house this week too, I wanna see Vortex" Dib said gathering his things from his desk and getting up from the chair

When they arrived home, Dib told Zim to spend as much time as he wanted reading because he would give his dog some attention. He played with him outside the house and went back after some time, feeling a bit tired of all the running he did.

"You two look adorable playing together," Zim said when he saw Dib entering his room

"Vortex is a great dog, he learns really fast. I'm almost getting him to sit down and roll over" 

"That's more than I ever got GIR to do" Zim said giggling a little behind the pages of the comic book he was reading

"Was it difficult to learn our language?" Dib asked sitting close to him on the floor

"Speaking was really easy, reading and writing took me some months. And it's easier to write your language with my right hand, that's weird because I used to write the left one. Not that it matters, irkens write so much in digital keyboards that some of us never learned how to write on a paper or whatever" Zim said starting to deep dive on his memories

Dib yawned, he was dying to lay down a bit. 

"That's actually interesting. I think humans might follow the same path" Dib said sitting on his bed

"Why do say th- wait!! What are you doing?!" Zim said exasperated, but also considerably in shock

Dib had just taken his shoes off, showing his grey thin socks, threatening to remove them too.

"What? I just took my shows off to go to bed, take yours too and come here with me" he offered. "Here, I'll give you a hand with your boots" he said leaving the bed and starting to touch the zipper on Zim's shoes

What came next was very fast and Dib didn't really have time to process anything, except that something was really wrong. Zim almost slapped his hand, kind of taking it off of himself. He flinched a bit and crawled thoughtlessly behind.

"Dib stop… you're… making me uncomfortable" Zim finally said, sounding upset and hurt somehow

Dib was paralyzed on his place, he had absolutely no idea of what was going on, only that maybe he had done something Zim found offensive. 

"I'm… I'm going home" Zim said getting up fast and using his exoskeleton to literally leave using the window

Dib got up fast as well and called his name on the window.

"Zim! Wait! What's wrong? Come back, let's talk!" He said loudly, but receiving no answer. "What have I done?" He asked himself out loud

Meanwhile, Zim got home in record time. He didn't bother to greet GIR on his way to his bedroom. He just closed the door and freaked out a bit on his bed, breathing heavily. Soon GIR interrupted him, getting closer and sitting on the corner of the bed.

"What happened, Zim?" He asked on his silly voice

"I don't want to talk about it, GIR!" Zim said angrily

"Did Dib hurt your feelings?" He asked with the same silly tone

Zim sometimes loved and sometimes hated how brutal GIR could be on his choice of words. He didn't have a protocol to approach any subjects slowly, he would always get painfully straight to the point. 

Zim went quiet for a while.

"Yes… he did" he said in a lament

Meanwhile, Dib was freaking out himself walking around his house nervously. He tried to call Zim but he wouldn't pick up the phone and Dib also didn't want to be invasive to him and just go to his house forcing him to talk about it.

Professor Membrane and Gaz were just observing, not wanting to intervene since it was basically none of their business and Membrane believed this is something they could solve on their own. For him, Dib had to learn how to cope with this kind of emotion by himself.

Gaz thought differently, she knew how much Zim meant to him and how much he could damage himself on the alien's absence. Dib could cope with complex emotions very well, the one thing he never managed to process was Zim leaving him.

With that in mind, Gaz went outside the house with her phone and called Zim. 

Zim was on his lab, it was getting darker outside and he decided to do some maintenance on GIR to distract himself. Gaz's name showed on his big screen indicating she was calling him. He knew why she was calling and was tempted to leave it alone. However, he didn't want to be rude to Gaz, who he had been getting along with well.

"Hi Gaz" he said sounding upset

" Hello, Zim. A minute of your time? " She said with her characteristic scratched voice

"Sure, I know why you are calling" Zim said growing irritated

" Maybe you can explain it to me, I don't know what happened. I just know Dib is really sad and worried " she said

"Oh is he now?" Zim said reactivating GIR

" Just tell me what is going on " 

"Your brother crossed the line, it was too early for that, Gaz… he didn't even ask me anything before he…" Zim let his voice fade before forming the next words

" Wait, what exactly did he try to do? Doesn't sound like him at all. Maybe you two had a misunderstanding " she suggested

"He… took his shoes off… and he was going to take his socks off too… and do the same to me! When I saw him he had his hands on my boots. I didn't even have time to say anything" Zim said distressed

" Oh, I don't know what that means to aliens but here on Earth showing your feet is no big deal, it's normal. Is like showing your hands and arms, nobody cares " Gaz explained

"Wait what?! You people show your feet just like that?! Is it not… intimate?" He said almost jumping from his chair

" Zim, haven't you seen people wearing sandals around?" She asked trying to make Zim understand 

"Yes, but I thought those were…" he said narrowing his eyes 

" Nevermind, I get it " Gaz interrupted him

" Finish this conversation with Dib, ok? You guys had a culture shock, that's all " Gaz said hanging up the phone

When Gaz left her room, Dib was in the corridor, sitting on the floor. She approached him and helped him get up.

"Go to your room, Zim will come to talk to you" she said to him

"What?"

"I give it five minutes" she added, going downstairs

Dib had no idea what she was talking about but he had nothing to lose so he entered his room and closed the door. It was getting colder, the wind was icy and maybe it would rain during the night. He waited in silence, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety until he finally heard the unforgettable sound of Zim's exoskeleton.

Zim knocked on his window and waited for his call to enter. It was a bit ironic because he came using the most alien alike way of transportation but had his disguise on. 

"Dib… can we talk?" Zim asked looking like he was the one who was going to apologize for messing up

"Zim… I'm so sorry, whatever I did, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just trying to be nice but I think maybe things have a different meaning to you" Dib said feeling he could start crying at any moment

"Did Gaz say that to you?" Zim asked

"Gaz? No… she just told me to come to my bedroom. Anyway… can you please tell me what I did wrong? I promise I'll never do it again" Dib said feeling the impulse to hold Zim's hand but not knowing if he wanted to

They both sat on Dib's bed, following Zim's lead.

"Dib, showing our feet is something very intimate to irkens. We only do it… when we are... mating" Zim said blushing a lot

"Oh!" Dib said in surprise widening his eyes behind his glasses and also blushing, "Zim!! I'm so sorry, I didn't know that. It must have been really bad for you. If I knew I would have never done that" Dib said upset with himself

"It's ok… it's something obvious to me, but I guess everything that comes from our culture is obvious to us, right?" Zim said opening his arms to invite Dib to hug him

Dib smiled and crossed his arms around him, they rocked their bodies a bit to the sides.

“Sorry I thought so badly of you, you wouldn’t do this without asking right?” Zim asked on Dib’s ear

“Of course not… Just don’t… go away like this, ok? Thought you were breaking up with me” Dib said feeling a tear roll down his cheek

“I got it all wrong, I won’t run away next time, I promise” he said cleaning Dib’s cheek with his gloved finger

They kissed in a tender way after that, it was almost a second hug. They simply wanted to express their apologies and how much they liked things better when there are no misunderstandings between them.

 They had their arms crossed for a while, Dib felt Zim’s slightly cold skin brush on his face.

"Ugh… Dib, what is the equivalent of this to humans?" Zim asked looking at him as he touched the human’s shoulder

"Well, I would say our 'intimate' parts are between our legs, it's where our reproductive organs are. For women it's also the boobs, you know, that volume they have on their chests" Dib explained 

"Our reproductive organs are also between our legs, but the feet have this whole special deal about them" Zim clarified

"And the antenna?" Dib asked

"Same as touching your hair" Zim explained 

"Hands?"

"It's like one-third of showing your feet, but I noticed humans didn't care when I first arrived. I'm used to it now"

"Ok… if I were an irken, would we be on the stage where we would show our hands to each other?" Dib asked wanting to understand better

"I think so, yes" the alien answered pleased to see Dib actually cared about that

"What about taking shoes off and wearing socks?" Dib asked him

"Thick socks are fine for naps or resting with a partner. The more you can see the shape of the feet the more intimate it is" Zim pointed out, thinking about these things and explaining to a human was actually funny

"Ok… I think I'm starting to understand this. You can have some lighter shoes here and socks if you want. I'll leave a pair at your house too, I don't want to be flashy unintentionally" Dib laughed a little

"Are you sure you are not an irken? We actually have lighter shoes that are more proper for each occasion" Zim laughed as well

Zim stopped laughing when he heard thunder outside and raindrops on the grass.

"Again?" The alien complained

"I'll ask my Dad if you can stay the night. He'll give you another ride if the answer is no. That if you want to stay, of course" Dib said holding Zim's hand

Zim nodded and Dib went downstairs to find Gaz and his Dad playing video games together in the living room. They both knew things had worked themselves out for the way Dib sounded.

"Sure he can stay, son. But he will sleep in your spare bed" Membrane said in a paternal way. "About our bedtime too, wouldn't you say Gazlene?" 

Membrane went upstairs to greet Zim and help them set the extra bed for the guest. When he left, Dib tried to find some pajamas to give Zim, so he could sleep more comfortably. And thick socks. He gave him his very thick winter socks. 

Professor Membrane knocked Gaz's room just to see if everything was alright and later knocked the boy's room to do the same. They were both lying down in their own beds talking to each other. 

When Dib's father closed the door, they exchanged meaningful looks. 

"What do you say?" Zim asked

"What are you waiting for?"

Zim went up to Dib's bed. They crossed their arms together for a bit. After Zim caressed Dib's hair for a good while, they kissed a little bit again, they just couldn’t help it. The alien knew he needed way less sleep than Dib, but he was happy to stay there with him, even if it meant some hours of heavy daydreaming before the actual dreaming. Zim took off Dib's glasses and put it on the nightstand. Rain had never been something so fortunate to an irken.

Chapter Text

Dib and Zim were happy in their relationship, only that neither of them had named it so far. And although it was obvious that they had feelings for each other and all things that orbit around a relationship, Dib was uncertain if he should ever approach this matter.

He didn't know much about what kind of social conventions of Zim had back home. Did they have boyfriends and girlfriends? Did they propose and marry? Do they choose partners according to their will or just arrange everything? That last statement would make sense since Zim said Irkens are lonely creatures. Do they go through this experiencing time called dating or they chose a partner and that's about it? And most importantly, was Zim applying whatever Irken's logic was to their relationship or he just knew enough about humans and was willing to do what they do on Earth? 

So many questions and possibilities were making Dib anxious every time he thought about it. If there is something he hates is not understanding something, especially if it's about Zim. Dib was also a bit concerned maybe there was something in their culture about dating that was important to Zim and he didn't know about. Like the equivalent to buying gifts for Valentine's Day or maybe some kind of practice that Zim always wanted to do with a partner, such as dancing for humans. 

"Dib? Dib! Don't ignore me!!" Zim said poking him with while they were on a break between classes 

"Oh, sorry, sorry… I'm listening" Dib said apologetically 

"You're not supposed to listen! I made you a question" Zim said exasperated

"Yeah, I missed that part… what was it?" Dib said scratching the back of his head close to his neck

"I asked you if you want to go to my house later, I'll do some maintenance on the... basement " Zim said the last word looking to the sides, it was the way he called his alien base underground 

"Really? Like, really? Sure!!" Dib answered excited with the idea

Zim had never allowed Dib to go downstairs with him before. Dib never felt offended by it, always saying that on Zim's place, he would do the same. Also, Dib guessed it must be part of their training to never expose this kind of technology to anyone. So, overall, he was really happy to see Zim trusted him this much and was also curious to see what Zim kept there. 

It was only Wednesday night but this week felt like a month in length. It was just exhausting. Maybe it was the tests, maybe it was the weather, maybe it was just sad to be at school in an endless loop of being underwhelmed by subjects and unimpressed by people.

Zim noticed that although things were great between them, Dib seemed tired. Which is fair, he had been studying a lot for all the tests and unlike Zim, he wouldn't cheat on them. But later Zim got to the conclusion that it wasn’t just school that was upsetting him. The last two tests were over but he still looked tense throughout the day.

Later that afternoon, Zim took him to the underground part of his house. Dib's eyes were shining underneath those big glasses in a way Zim only witness maybe once or twice before. He was clearly holding back not to touch and see everything, so his host took him on a little tour on what he had there. Zim still kept some of the chambers locked, but he allowed Dib to take a look at the main ones.

Dib was enchanted to see all that amazing technology, just wondering how much more they probably had developed. This was a very well selected kit for invasion and survival, the alien base should have even more amazing things. He had spent so much of his life watching shows about aliens and paranormal things, it was a dream come true to see all that in front of his eyes.

Observing Dib's pure interest and how respectful he was being with his things, Zim felt safe to share another very intimate thing with him. The took off his PAK from his back to calibrate it. Dib said that if he needed privacy for that, he could wait upstairs. But somehow Zim wanted to share this with him. It was a delicate operation, he couldn’t be more than ten minutes without it. So he explained that to Dib and kindly asked him to just step aside for that moment.

"It's ok Dib, you can see the holes in my back closely, I know you are curious" Zim said in a friendly way as they waited for the computer to finish scanning it after Zim calibrated the motion sensor.

"I won't lie, I've always wanted to see it… Well, excuse me" Dib said taking a few steps forward and looking at it directly

They were two and he wouldn't say they were holes, they had skin adapted to it at least on the entrance. Not like an open wound at all.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Dib asked

"No, after developing this, Irkens also modified the next generations genetically to have this kind of organ there to accommodate the PAK better and not making us exposed while we are repairing it" Zim explained

"That is really impressive… you guys changed your own evolution to adapt to your technology"

"Most of our changes happen by genetic engineering. Our evolution is fabricated, by all means" Zim said while placing in the PAK in the right place, making an unsettling sound while it made its way on Zim's body

They went upstairs to have a snack, it was actually nice to see Zim eating for real since he would eat very little at school. Zim noticed Dib didn't eat much this afternoon and that he also didn't finish his meal at lunch. Well, that wasn't his fault, the food was pretty much disgusting there anyway but still, something was up.

"Dib… I think we should talk about some things, can it be now or you have to go home?" Zim asked

Dib felt his stomach twitch inside him. He drank some water from his glass and Zim noticed his hands started shaking slightly.

"Hey, why are you so nervous? I haven't said anything yet… but anyway, this is kinda what I wanted to talk about” Zim said in a tender way while touching Dib's shoulder

"W-what is it, Zim?" Dib said nervously

"Dib, you have been so anxious lately. I thought it was school but I've noticed that sometimes you feel really insecure with me… what is going on?" Zim asked sounding a bit upset

"I… I don't know how to say this… But wait, you're not breaking up with me, right?" He asked

"What? Of course not! Why would I do that?" Zim said touching both Dib’s hands now. "Dib, really… ever since that time I feel you are getting uncomfortable with situations you keep creating in your head but you never say anything to me" Zim said referring to their first misunderstanding with the shoes

It was actually kind of cruel for Dib to have his insecurities to be exposed like this, but maybe there wasn't any other way to do it.

"I'm scared, Zim… I'm so afraid to hurt you again… I really don't want this to happen again, I just think of how bad it must have been for you… there is just so much about irkens that I don't know yet…" Dib said with his voice cracking a bit

"No, no... That's not fair… I forgave you on the same day" Zim said hugging him tightly. "I wouldn't be with you if I thought you were the kind of person that does that intentionally. Seriously Dib, I got really sad and it was bad for me but in the long term, it was so much worse to you. Stop, ok? I forgave you a million years ago. Do the same" Zim said stroking Dib's dark hair as he spoke

He felt Dib tense up a little. Maybe he was crying and Zim knew enough to know that this probably triggered a bad memory on him. For now, it didn't matter, Zim continued to stroke his hair and hug him until Dib loosened up a bit to look at him.

"If you say you forgive me, I'll believe it, ok? I'm just… so afraid to lose you... I have been since you were gone… I really lost track of my life when you were hiding. Maybe then I realized how much you mattered to me, but I had this horrible feeling it was too late" Dib said with his eyes filled with tears

"Oh…I never meant to make you suffer that way. If I knew, I wouldn't have done that. I couldn't even hide that I wanted to see you right after I came back. I thought I was being too obvious but I didn't care" Zim said feeling something weird on his eyes

It was unlike him and his kind to actually cry. But this time he felt two tears roll down his face. Dib was as surprised as him.

"What is it? I've never seen you cry before" Dib asked

"I felt so guilty after I saw what I did to you… I'm so sorry Dib… I didn't know… I felt like I broke our promise to always be around to be your rival… I just felt so bad, you seemed so unwell. It… really hurt me to see you were miserable because of me" Zim said feeling something crushing his insides

"I was miserable because you left, not because of you" Dib reassured him

"Still, you were so important to me already, how could I not see you felt the same? I'm responsible for all that… I hope you can forgive me one day" Zim said with his lips trembling

"I forgave you the moment I saw you again. I didn't know I felt this way for you back then, I wouldn't admit it to myself. It's not your fault, you couldn't have guessed" Dib said touching Zim's gloved hand

Zim started touching Dib's face on his cheek. They touched their foreheads for a while and then, they kissed. It was a kiss filled with warmth and tenderness, almost like they didn’t see each other for a long time. 

“What else have you been willing to say, Dib?” Zim asked smiling, giving him some comfort to be honest

“Is there anything you want me to do as a partner that I’m not doing? Something like traditions you irkens have about dating? Makes me anxious to think I might not be doing something you’ve always wanted” Dib asked him looking into his purple eyes

“Well, being honest… there is this one thing” Zim said a bit shy

“Tell me!” 

“Hmm, remember that I said that showing our hands has more meaning to us than it has to you guys? I.. ugh… wanted to do that sometime” Zim said blushing a lot all of a sudden

“I was actually waiting for you to do it, considering, you know… But sure, I want to do that too. I think we are quite there for a while, right? But… how does this work?” Dib said feeling himself blush a bit

“When we are kissing, in a more… intense way, you can take my gloves off slowly… it’s a piece of clothing just like yours” Zim said feeling his face burning and his antennae being very bent backward

“That actually makes sense… Ok, we can do that next time. Thanks for telling me. I’m sorry if some things won’t be so spontaneous because you have to explain to me… but if we have to manufacture these moments, at least we can make them exactly how we always wanted them, right?” Dib said brightening up his expression, he never thought about it this way

“Hey, you’re right! And… I’m glad you want to be this person for me. You’re great, Dib. I couldn’t wish for a better boyfriend” Zim said crossing their fingers together

Zim was sure he said the right things when he saw Dib smile in a way he hadn’t seen for a while. He noticed that maybe calling their relationship something more specific could be good for Dib and after saying it, Zim also ended up liking the term. Irkens didn’t have this in their culture, but maybe humans had something good to offer in traditions after all.

“And how about you, am I missing something important? Is there anything you would like me to do?” Zim asked him

This was a little shock for Dib, all this time he had been worried about Zim but he didn’t consider the same for himself.

“Actually… My Dad, Gaz and I have this super pretentious birthday party to attend to. It’s from one of his friends but they are extending the invitations to basically everyone, will be pretty fancy. Do you want to come with me? You know, as my boyfriend?” Dib asked

“Of course! But I don’t know how to move according to the sounds you people put on the enviroment” he warned him

“Yeah, I can’t dance either, maybe we can practice a little together”

They laughed for a while. And about ten minutes later they were already making a bet on who could learn basic moves faster and better. As much as they loved being sweet to each other, they also liked to remember how all this started. They have always been good rivals, competition between them was an element they were both willing to keep. It made them feel furious with each other, but deep down it was also something that made their relationship magnetic. If you are constantly trying to make a brilliant plan to impress the other, it only means that you are keeping your rival’s strategy to the highest of levels. And they could gladly live this way.

Chapter Text

It was Saturday morning when Dib woke up on his bed, his alien boyfriend on his side. It was quite rare for him to wake up before the other, Zim had a very particular sleeping pattern and he usually didn't need as many hours as Dib.

However, today, they went to bed at the same time and Dib found himself observing Zim mumble a couple of things on his sleep. He never moved, Zim was very still on his position while he slept. Maybe it was some kind of mechanism not to be found while vulnerable. The interesting thing was that he was mumbling in a language Dib couldn't understand. It didn't sound human, it was probably Irken language.

"Hey, Zim… wake up, we have to go to the tailor and Dad will knock here soon" Dib said hating to wake him up

Zim opened his eyes and his antennae make some moves, maybe adjusting to the vibrations of the environment.

"What were you dreaming of?" Dib said stroking behind Zim's left antenna

"Morning, Dib… I'm not sure, it was confusing. Something about my spaceship and meteors. And GIR eating pizza" Zim answered slowly, he was still waking up

"You were saying some things… in another language"

"Oh, yes, I usually dream in Irken" he answered now feeling more awake

"I never heard it, can you say something to me in Irken?" Dib asked curiously

Zim smiled briefly and started saying some things. He spoke for about one minute straight. It was really interesting to observe and hear, the way he used his mouth, tongue and throat were very different than any human language Dib had ever heard.

"Ugh… not that I got anything, but what were you saying?" Dib asked

"Just rambling, like 'hi my name is Zim and I think I would have sixteen human years, but not quite because we don't orbit around a sun so years are counted differently and we don't age the same' and stuff like that" Zim answered getting out of bed to put his disguise on 

"Wait, what?!" Dib said also getting out of bed

"What?"

"You said your name in the beginning? I swear I didn't hear anything like 'Zim'!" 

Zim proceeded to make a sound, normal speed first and then very slowly. The slow version kinda resembled the name Zim if you used your imagination.

"And before you think anything else, yes Dib, maybe I would be older in human years. But we wouldn't be so different in age, you turned thirteen a while ago. Now seems like a world of difference but when you are older it won't matter" Zim said turning around on his human disguise

"Yeah, I guess that… some years from now, it really won't matter" Dib said getting closer and kissing the other on the cheek. It made him happy to think Zim wanted to be with him in the future

They heard some knocks on the door and professor Membrane entered without waiting for an answer. The boys knew he was up to catch them sleeping together at night, which would be disobeying his rules but he never got them in time. They went downstairs to eat something and Zim just had coffee with lots of sugar. 

They said goodbye to Gaz, who was gathering her things to do her homework in the living room. She liked to do them early and have all the time in the world to play later. Also, she had already solved what she was going to wear for the birthday party.

The boys went to professor Membrane's tailor to get something for the occasion. Dib was more excited than he cared to admit, he wanted a new suit and he actually liked the store. Zim was pleased to get out of the routine, he even had to fabricate money to pay for the suit he was going to buy there. 

When they arrived at the little shop, Membrane greeted the owner and they entered. They let the younger ones look around while Membrane dressed his own suit and asked him for some adjustments, he had lost some weight since last time. 

Zim and Dib were looking around, trying to figure out the colors and models they could go for. Dib found it funny that Zim was clueless but he seemed to like black more than the other colors. 

"Your turn, boys. I think I'll measure you again, Mister Dib. You grew so much since I last made a suit for you" the man said getting his metric tape from the drawer 

Zim waited for his turn, intrigued with a simple idea that crossed his head. Dib was a human and his father had a considerable height. Maybe one day Dib would be the same height, even Gaz would be taller than she is now. But Zim wouldn't grow anymore, he was the size he would have until the end of his days. Did Dib know that? Would he be ok with it? 

"Your turn" Dib said touching his shoulder to catch his attention. "Don't worry, I'll help you" he promised

The older man took his measurements and Dib cared to explain that he had to make the suit adjust to the "medical equipment" Zim had on his back. The man didn't ask further and took note of it. When it was time to choose the model and colors, the three other gentlemen gave their opinions. Zim liked the idea Membrane gave better, but let Dib pick the colors and textures. 

Then all entered in the car to pick Gaz to have lunch somewhere. They entered the topic about huge parties on their way. Gaz didn't like them and hosting one was something she was sure she would never make. 

"She is just bitter because she didn't invite anyone to go with her" Dib teased

"Don't bother you sister, Dib. She is a charming young lady, any boy that is not scared of her would have said yes" Membrane said, sounding out loud what both Dib and Zim had in mind

Gaz was actually quite charming in her own way. She had a pretty face, good skin, her hair had a cool purple color and style that suited her. She was smart, had this mysterious aura around her and she played video games. She was scary sometimes, but that was part of being a little badass. 

"Quiet, peasants. I do have a date for the party as well" She said after a moment deciding if she was going to share this information

They all silenced up for a moment, processing that. She had a date. A date she invited because she was the one who had the invitations. And whoever this person was, she used the word date . No going- as-friends thing. A date.

"Who is the lucky boy, my dear Gazlene?" Professor Membrane tried to sound in a casual way but not succeeding on concealing his surprised tone

"It's Jasper, you saw him the other day, Dad" she said referring to that serious looking guy he had seen Gaz with after class

"How old is he? I thought he was in high school" Membrane warned her, he thought they were just friends 

"Jasper is just one year older than me, he is in high school because he's really smart"

"Wow, that's an awful lot to process," Dib said almost in a whisper to Zim, who was by his side on the back of the car. "Will you invite him to go to our house? You know, for dinner or something" Dib asked her, also trying to sound casual and failing

"No, not yet. Let's see how well he does at the party, will be our first date anyway" Gaz said looking outside the window

"I hope, for his own good, that he does well" Zim said, finally joining the conversation

They all tried not to laugh at first, but when Professor Membrane cracked a little laugh, they all started, even Gaz. 

"I'm not that bad, guys" she said giggling 

"Yes, you are! I'm your brother, I know better" Dib said not containing his laughter anymore

In the following week, professor Membrane's house became a dancing studio. Gaz bought a videogame just for that and they started to do competitions against each other. Gaz was surprisingly good at dancing and would always get first place. Dib had rhythm but his coordination wasn't all that good. And Zim was extremely agile so his moves were precise but he didn't understand the music well at first. It had a different structure than what he was used to. Maybe pop, rock and hip-hop were predictable to humans that grew up listening to it but not for him. But when he got the hang of it, became quite fun.

Some nights before the party, Dib agreed to do his homework at Zim's place and hang out. When he arrived, he took a look at the outside of the house. He had been there so many times hidden in the bushes, climbing the three, trying to see through the windows. Looking back at it, he just felt silly for not admitting to himself that his obsession with Zim stopped being about unmasking him a long time ago. He wanted to be with him, see him, interact with him and he was just too much of a confused kid to understand his own feelings back then. Now he felt so comfortable in the house and around the other, that all that seemed to have happened in another life. He liked this new one much better.

Dib was at the kitchen using the desk to work on the essay Mrs. Bitters had asked. They had another two days but he didn't like to leave things for the last minute. This one was a nasty topic, required some chapters of reading and although he had done that already, the historical content wasn't as straight forward to assimilate.

"Uh… Dib, are you done yet?" Zim asked impatiently as Dib wrote his essay 

"I would be if I weren't making yours too. You're welcome by the way" Dib said seriously annoyed, Zim was rushing him for the past hour

Zim noticed Dib was irritated, which gave him an unpleasant sensation on his core. Alien or human, bothering your calm boyfriend this point unintentionally wasn't a good feeling. 

"Sorry, sorry! Please don't hate me! I just want to lay down on the couch with you like the other night" Zim said in an exasperated way, moving his arms fast expressively

Dib took a deep breath, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, feeling a tension on his face. Was unlike him to have headaches but he was having them quite often on the past month. He let out a low grunt of discomfort, feeling the tension irradiate from more parts of his head.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Zim asked getting closer to the desk where Dib was, suddenly overly preoccupied and his voice in a more high pitched tone

"Zim, please , just be qui--- I have a headache, I need a moment of silence, ok?" Dib said stumbling on his own words, with his hand still on his eyes, this time starting to feel slightly dizzy 

Zim got him a glass of water, turned the lights off and opened a few drawers before he found some pills Dib had left there the last time. 

"Thanks" Dib said finally letting go on the pen that was still on his right hand and taking one pill

"Come on, I think you need a nap. On the couch.  With me" Zim said in a lower tone, he was being pretentious but it was true

Zim covered them with a blanket and started to massage Dib's forehead and close to his eyes. The human felt more relaxed with it, Zim wasn't wearing his gloves for it and the tip of his fingers were cold spots. Dib soon didn't have that annoyance within him anymore and since the medication was making him sleepy, he soon fell asleep for about one hour. Meanwhile, Zim entertained himself reading on the couch until he heard his phone ring of his pocket. It was Membrane. 

"Hello" Zim answered in an almost inaudible voice

"Good evening Zim, is Dib with you? I tried to call him a couple of times" He asked

"Yes, he is taking a nap. We were doing our homework and he had a headache" Zim explained

"Ok, then. I'll take him to make new glasses this week, I used to have many headaches when my sight got worse when I was his age. Anyway, tell him I'll pick him up at seven, please. Don't want him bothering your parents" 

"He is always welcomed here, but I'll let him know" Zim said stroking Dib's dark hair

Zim hang up and poked Dib's nose softly with his pointy finger. 

"Hey, it was really nice to hear that" Dib said opening his eyes and looking at Zim

"You were awake?" Zim frowned as this was treason

"I woke with your phone vibrating in your pocket" he answered simply. "Good to know my Dad is treating you well while I'm not looking"

"He's always nice to me… and, well… it’s true, I like this place way more when you are here" Zim said pressing his boyfriend's body more against his own

Dib raised a little from where he was to kiss Zim, they both knew it would be a more passionate kiss. Zim had his hands on Dib's waist and back while Dib held the alien's face. Zim put Dib's hands on his arms and the other got the message, starting to touch them as they kissed. Dib moved his own hands every time closer to Zim's hands, that were uncovered. 

"Not fair" Zim whispered in Dib’s ear, feeling him brush his fingers on his green wrists

To make it more even, Zim kissed his boyfriend's neck, making Dib lose focus for a while and let out a very low and shy moan. Dib started to use the tip of his fingers on Zim's right palm and between his fingers. This time the alien lost focus and buried his face on Dib's neck. After some time of this, they both just slowed down the kissing and stopped, looking at each other with very meaningful looks after it.

Maybe it was the way Zim took care of him this afternoon and the phone call he heard. Maybe he always got trippy good thoughts after making out with him or maybe he had just been waiting a good moment to say it. Dib couldn't really know, but he wanted to say those three words more than anything now.

"I can almost hear it from here. I feel it, why don't you say it?" Zim said in a soft way touching Dib's face, trying to encourage him

Dib smiled with all his sincerity.

"I love you, Zim" He finally said, feeling his cheeks blush

Zim brought him closer and hugged him tightly. He probably said something in Irken because Dib didn't identify the words.

"It means 'I love you too, Dib'. I wanted to say that for so long" Zim said not letting go of the other

"You don't have to explain yourself, I think I got it. I didn't understand, but I got it" Dib said smiling on the corner of his mouth

They stayed in silence for a while. Zim liked to feel and hear Dib's heartbeat. For Dib, the soothing part of hugging the other was Zim's scent. It was very subtle at first but Dib started to notice it more and identify it easily, eventually growing fond of it.

"Sorry if I was rude to you before. My head was hurting" Dib said on his ear

"It's ok, I bugged you for a long time" Zim replied. "Also, your Dad mentioned something about taking you to make new glasses" he added

"Maybe he is right, I can't see well from the back of the class anymore" Dib pondered

"He's very thoughtful with you and Gaz. I would like to have a father like him" Zim said starting to play with Dib's hair

"He's great, it's just that… he's not around too much. He has been here a lot recently because he's on vacation but soon he'll go to Switzerland and stay there for two months straight"

"I didn't know that. Maybe you should spend more time with him before that, you know… I see you at school every day, I can wait. And he'll be here in about one hour to kick you up"

"Hey, there is something we haven't practiced yet for the party!" Dib said suddenly, sitting on the couch

"What is it? I think I mastered all basic dancing skills" Dib said narrowing his big purple eyes

"We haven't tried to slow dance yet. This one has to be done in pairs"

They pushed the furniture in the living room to the sides, GIR showed up and helped them select some songs to practice together. Dib used to be afraid of how unstable the robot was, didn't trust him at first. But now he didn't feel uneasy with that silly robot eating stuff around the house.

GIR put a very traditional song on and sat to watch the boys dance. Dib explained that one of them should lead and how many steps they should take on each side. Zim wanted to lead, obviously, but he said Dib could do it better since he had more experience.

Dib put his hands on Zim's waist and on his hand, that was gloved now. GIR pressed the play button and watched it happen.

At first, it didn't flow at all. Dib was leading, but he lacked confidence to do it, not being decisive enough on the directions. And Zim was so concerned about helping him lead, that they ended up stumbling on each other multiple times. They stopped for a moment and collected their thoughts about it. They were about to continue, but they heard a knock on the door.

It was Dib's father. The sound of his shoes was as unmistakable as his shadow, that portrait the shape of his glasses and hair. 

Zim allowed his exoskeleton to apply his disguise quickly, the lenses being a very inconvenient part of it. The alien opened the door and invited Membrane to enter, who politely declined and told his son to hurry up since he had to be in the lab for the night shift.

Zim heard them talking as they walked to the car. Something on Dib's voice accused him of being upset. He was telling his Dad he shouldn't work during his vacation, even if it's at night.

“Does Dib know about his father?” GIR asked Zim when the alien closed the door

Zim sighed deeply, removing his disguise. 

“I’m not sure, GIR. He’ll find out one day, I think Gaz already knows or at least suspects. But that’s a family thing, I shouldn’t get in the middle of it” Zim said in a decisive way, watching Membrane’s car fade at the end of the street

Chapter Text

The night of the birthday party had finally arrived and Dib was watching his sister do her makeup in the bathroom. They had plenty of time and somehow, they just felt like enjoying each other’s company. Gaz was going for a basic look but that still had a slightly goth signature to it, probably nothing too dramatic since her dress would call attention in the middle of the other girls. 

“So, what do you think? Which eyeshadow?” She asked Dib, pointing to her pallet

“Humm… I think I need to see your dress again to decide, but I think the light purple one” Dib answer touching his chin

“I agree and no contour, right?” she asked applying the makeup

“Yeah, I don’t even know why you bought that contour thing, I think you look prettier without it” Dib said looking at his sister while she applied the eyeshadow 

She smiled a bit and asked him for some help on pinning her hair in the back. Dib took a while to do it the way Gaz wanted, always checking the reference picture she had on her phone. Gaz kept looking at Dib behind her through the mirror, they were very similar and yet extremely different from each other. Eventually, they both got satisfied with the hair and Gaz was about to leave the bathroom when Dib called her name.

“Yes, Dib? Do you need anything?” she asked

“Not really… I was just thinking… it’s your first date, right? Are you nervous or something?” he asked getting closer to her

“Well… a bit” she said in a low tone

“That’s normal, I got really nervous when Zim came here the first time” Dib said in a reassuring way

“That’s not it… All the girls will be there and they are all so… I mean, I’m so… different from them, what if Jasper doesn’t like that? Maybe I should have gotten that other dress” she said in a regretful way

“I get it Gaz… You have your own style, but that’s a good thing! And that dress looks perfect on you… And if Jasper can’t see all that, then there will be somebody else that will, ok?” he said touching her shoulders in a brotherly way

“Even if he comes from outer space?” Gaz joked feeling better about herself

“Humans suck, if Jasper doesn't have game I’ll ask Zim if he has any cool invader single friends to introduce to you” Dib joked along

They both giggled, noticing how unconventional their life was.

It was Dib’s turn to get ready for the party, so he decided to take care of his hair first, borrowing some products from his father. Their hair could get really dry, so he hydrated while reading a comic book. By the time he took his shower and was styling it in front of the mirror, he could already hear Zim’s voice downstairs. 

It was funny because Zim had no clue on how to put on his suit, especially because of his PAK attacked to his back. So they went upstairs to execute the task before Membrane came home, the professor wouldn’t like the idea of his son helping his shirtless boyfriend with his clothes. 

Dib could tell Zim did something to his skin and wig. His green skin seemed smoother and had a perfumed light scent. The human knew Zim avoided water since it was harmful to him but he had his own ways to keep himself clean.

“Hey Zim, did you shower? Your skin feels different” Dib asked as he finished buttoning Zim’s shirt

“Yes, did you like it?” He asked with the puppy eyes he would put on when he wanted to be praised

“Of course, it’s so smooth and smells really good. But didn’t it hurt you?” He asked concerned

“No… You see, I’m actually ok with water, what hurts me is the bacteria found in the water around here” Zim explained

“You mean, the water from Earth or from town?” Dib asked

“Not sure, anyway, I sanitized it - no offense - and took a shower with some Irken oils to remove the dead cells from the surface” Zim informed him, visibly happy with his skin

“I guess the results speak for themselves. Ok, you’re all set, take a look” Dib said opening the door of his wardrobe that had a mirror on the inside

Zim looked at himself while putting his new gloves on, being pleased with the final result. The suit had a dark blue tone and Dib chose a grey bow tie that made Zim’s slightly lilac eyes more evident. Dib observed from the middle of his room, wondering how he ever denied his attraction to the alien. Zim was unbelievably handsome to him on that suit, even his green skin was appealing in its own way. 

Zim felt Dib’s eyes on him, turning around to see his expression. He thanked him for the help and gave him a quick kiss, feeling his antenna move under his wig.

“You helped everyone in the house, put your suit on and let’s go” Zim said in a friendly way, leaving the room to join Gaz and Jasper in the living room

Membrane came home some minutes later to find his son and daughter with their pairs in the living room. The scientist kept wondering at which precise moment they had grown so much as he heard them talking to each other from the kitchen. He was soon ready to go since he came from another event held in the afternoon.

They all went on the same car, arriving at what was probably the most expensive neighborhood in town. Membrane was expected there, not having the slightest trouble to enter the gates with his car, unlike the two cars before them that waited in line. The house they entered to be with the other guest was huge and very well decorated, it was one of those expensive places most people would only see in magazines for decoration and TV shows.

Membrane had a tight schedule to socialize with people there, so he excused himself to talk to people around the garden behind the glass door that separated the internal area to the outside. The four of them sat outside in one of the circular tables and chat until they felt more comfortable walking around. Dib noticed after some time that maybe Gaz and Jasper would appreciate some time alone, it was their first date after all. So he asked Zim to join him on finding something the alien could eat.

“Gaz looks nervous, I’ve never seen that before” Zim pointed out as he scanned some fancy sweets underneath a table cloth, picking only one to eat

“She doesn’t like social events and people always keep staring at us because of dad. She hates that” Dib said eating some things from the table

“Oh, so that’s why people are staring at us too? I was starting to think my lenses fell off” Zim said looking around

“I think people are looking for another reason, Zim. A lot of people here know me and it’s the first time I bring someone along with me. We were holding hands a while ago and stuff. I think people noticed” Diz explained feeling discomfort take over him

“Noticed what? That we date? I have green skin and humans are seriously more shocked with two boys holding hands?! No Irken would believe me if I said that” Zim said with his characteristic intonation

“Yeah, humans don’t really know what is a threat in their society... Thinking about it, they really don’t” Dib said upset

“So you’re saying I was a big threat? Maybe the biggest threat humankind has ever seen?” Zim said trying to tease Dib into being more light-hearted

“Oh don’t flatter yourself, you’ve seen what they serve at school for lunch. No threat could possibly overshadow the meat there” Dib said allowing himself to smile a bit, although he wasn’t done being mad yet

“Well said, but maybe I deserve the second place?” Zim continued with the puppy eyes

“Sure sure, Spaceboy” Dib said amusing himself on how Zim always managed to get him out of his internal loops of anxiety and anger

They were very close to each other by the table, it was in a more isolated place so not many people would pass by. Zim felt tempted to lean forward to kiss him, he loved the way Dib looked when he tried to keep his seriousness but couldn’t contain laughter. He could feel the other also wanted to kiss but was hesitant on doing that in the environment they were. Observing that, Zim decided to let him take initiative when he felt the time was right. 

The boys continued to talk there, strategically positioned to the place they found their favorite foods and observing Gaz and Jasper from afar. They were trying to figure out how their evolution was going as they talked. 

“I think he is doing well” Dib said in a reflexive way

“Why? She is playing with that part of her dress under the table all the time, she is bored” Zim pointed out

“Nah, she is just nervous, but look! She’s not looking around anymore, she’s just looking at him. Do you know how hard it is to make her look at you while you talk to her? Gaz only gives a break on her video games for good reasons”

“She brought it here?!” Zim asked

“Why do you think she’s got such a big purse?” Dib said sarcastically

“Engineous” Zim said touching his chin

They went outside this time, the sunset was late today and very worth watching, catching the attention of the other guests as well. Zim and Dib observed the orange and pink colors on the sky holding hands in the middle of the crowd. 

“Hey Dib, how are you doing?” A ginger guy asked from behind them

They both turned around to see how it was, Zim was obviously clueless.

“Hey Anthony, didn’t know you were here. How are things in Switzerland? My father will be there soon”

“I know, my dad is planning on taking him to a restaurant close to our house. Aren’t you coming this time?” The ginger asked

“No, I have school and stuff” 

“And who is your friend? Never saw him around" Anthony asked not noticing they were holding hands

“Oh sorry, this is Zim, my boyfriend” Dib corrected him in a light way but feeling nervous about it

“Hello Anthony, a pleasure to meet you” Zim said as they shook hands

“Same here. Sorry to look so surprised, I had no idea. Does your father know?” Anthony asked apologetically, he didn’t mind but wasn’t expecting that 

“He does, he even helped me choose an outfit to come here” Zim answered for the other

“That’s great to hear. Well, I’ll head back to my table, see you guys later”

The night fell and after a speech from the host and some more chatting with Gaz and Jasper, that seemed far more comfortable around each other now, Membrane finally joined them at the table. Needless to say, he seemed exhausted. 

“I’m glad some people don’t recognize me without my normal glasses and lab suit. I could sleep for twelve hours straight now” he said to them, eating for the first time that evening

"We are not leaving before the cake, dad. You promised" Gaz warned him

It was getting to the part of the night in which people would dance. Two different bands were setting their things, making it implicit that the slow dance would come first and later things would be more casual. 

Zim noticed Dib was growing more self conscious over the night, he was right all along, people were looking at them all the time.

Some musicians started to play, soon the notes echoing the place became a well-tuned melody. The adults started to find their partners to dance and the four teenagers, alongside Membrane, observed people start forming pairs. So far, no teenagers or young adults on the dance floor. Being all sons and daughters of the introverted scientific community, they were all waiting for that brave couple who would start. 

Many eyes landed on Dib for the matter, expectations of catching him showing any kind of affection to his boyfriend during the night were still high. Even Membrane noticed all the unwanted attention his son was getting as he spent time with them in the table.

Zim looked to the side, feeling his boyfriend irradiate discomfort next to him. The alien was about to suggest they leave for the gardens when Dib held his gloved hand.

"Zim, would you like to dance with me?" Dib asked in a firm way, deciding to show everyone the nature of their relationship

"Sure" Zim said with a smile and they walked closer to the band so they could find a place to dance

The walk was followed by looks and the two boys got a spot that wasn’t crowded. Dib was about to ask him what he would prefer but Zim answered the implicit question for him.

"Lead, I'll follow" Zim said placing his arms in the right places and feeling Dib's touch on him

They started dancing and a few moments after it, they forgot all about the party, the people around them, nothing else mattered but that moment. They danced exchanging deep looks, sometimes brushing the side of their faces a little when they were close. They still stumbled here and there, but they were able to laugh it off tonight.

Meanwhile, Gaz and her father watched Dib just ignore the looks to have a meaningful moment with Zim. Gaz was also having a great time with her date, only that he turned out to be very shy. Some younger couples had joined the dance floor while she made up her mind about it, finally deciding to take a step further.

"Jasper… do you want to go there too?" She asked standing in front of him but asking as softly as her rough voice allowed

“Yes!” he said smiling as they walked together until finding a place to start 

Membrane knew his ways on being sociable and also how to dodge situations that would make him uncomfortable, but he rarely stood his ground the way his son and daughter just did. Seeing Dib face something like this at a young age made him proud. And also, seeing his daughter coming out of her shell and taking the initiative to be around someone she liked, made him realize that the world would be too small for her once she understood how much she had an influence on people.

As they danced, Dib looked around and was happy to see Gaz and Jasper had joined them. The music made them turn around so now Zim was looking at Jasper’s face. The alien blinked with one eye and nod in Gaz’s direction. That was great timing to return a favor. The slow music was coming to an end, making the couples stand even closer. Dib and Zim, that had their heads in a different galaxy now, just kissed like that first time on the roof. 

“I’m glad you came with me, Spaceboy” Dib whispered to him

“I’m glad I accepted that invitation to see the stars” Zim replied

Chapter Text

Zim was having a great morning so far, he had found some food he could eat in a nearby store and was having it on all his meals, including today's breakfast. He was doing some maintenance on his equipment and even had the time to take care of his eyes, which were getting irritated with the continuous use of lenses. Nothing some Irken medication couldn't fix.

He was reclaiming the portable cameras he had on some locations, coming to mind that he still had one on Dib's yard, although he never used it again. He turned it on one last time before making it come back when he saw something odd. They were home. All the Membrane's were home, meaning that for some reason Dib and Gaz didn't go to school and Membrane was not working. They were in different places in the house and Membrane was walking in his living room from one side to the other.

Zim was alarmed by it, getting his phone to check if Dib had said anything but there were no messages since the night before. Looking once more, Zim observed Vortex requesting entrance in the house and Membrane opening the front door to it. The dog went straight upstairs and that was the absolute proof something had happened. Vortex always knew when Dib was sad or going through a lot.

Zim was about to call Dib but right before hitting the Call button, he realized it would give him away on his camera and that it wouldn't be nice to explain Dib why he had something like that on his house. So he tried another approach that didn't include sneaking on them. Texting.

" Hi Dib I went to school to get some stuff I forgot in the locker and you weren't there. Are you ok? " 

Wasn't the most ingenious story ever but it should do the work. Sometimes Zim didn't go to school simply because he hated the place and he didn't have an interest in getting a degree or anything. He just went there to be with Dib. 

Almost one hour passed and Dib still hadn't answered him. Maybe now the alien had a good excuse to come by his house and check if things were ok, although he suspected what it could be by now. 

"Do you think Dib found out?" GIR asked as he watched a disturbing kids show on TV

"I think so, GIR. Membrane is home, I think Dib found out last night… he is always on his father's lab"

"What are you going to do?" GIR asked with his metallic voice as Zim was unlocking his door

The alien sighed and stood there for a moment. 

"I… don't know. But he'll need someone to talk to and I'm the only one he has outside his family" Zim said as his PAK inserted the lenses and wig on him

Dib was in his bedroom, the door was locked and the curtains were closed. He allowed Vortex to enter some time ago, finding some comfort in its company. The young Membrane had been crying all night after his most recent discovery. 

The night before he was analyzing some things on his father's microscope just for fun. They were some tiny samples of Zim's skin, that the alien had given him willingly to satisfy his curiosity. He was saving the pictures he had taken with it on the computer when he saw that a recently used file had his name as the title. 

It made him feel nervous, maybe deep down he kind of knew the truth. He tried some passwords to open it and after sneaking on his father's notebook he found the right one.

He felt his throat get tight as he discovered the folder was an obscenely complete file on him. It was documented in details of days until he reached the age of seven. After that, the data started to be less dense. The most important report he found stated clearly that he and his sister were genetic clones of their father, the only difference was that Gaz was manipulated to be a female. The same file contained pictures from the older Membrane among side with pictures of Dib in different ages.

Dib's heart was racing as he read all the reports he clicked and every time he found his father's digital signature on the end of the reports, his chest felt heavier. He had never noticed before, but even their handwriting was extremely similar. 

Wasn't a surprise to him that he and his sister resembled each other, when pulling their hair back they looked like twins. Now that they were teenagers and their bodies started to change they became evidently different but as kids, people would often say they were identical. 

He made a copy of all the files of him and his sister in a flash drive and as he waited for the process, he just sat on the nearest chair and cried. Why didn't his father ever tell him about it? Did Gaz know? But most importantly, why wasn't he brilliant as his father? He was supposed to be his clone! Dib never felt he was good enough for him, more than ever now, he believed to have failed his father on whatever mission his existence was based on. Dib felt as if he were a failed experiment and now Membrane had no choice but to raise him anyway. 

The young Membrane left the flash drive on his sister's table as she slept, choosing not to wake her up to talk about it. He also chose not to go to his father's room and demand answers, it was all well documented, there was practically nothing left to the imagination. Dib could even look at his father's pictures to see how he would look like in a couple of years.

On his bedroom, he locked the door and laid on his bed, finally letting all those thoughts sink in. He had never been in so much doubt about his father's love and approval. He even thought about writing him a letter apologizing for being a defective version of him and leaving. Dib always felt Gaz was better than him in everything, maybe she was the version that actually worked. Maybe he was the "control group" of the experiment. Nothing he couldn't finish reading on his reports and on her reports the next morning.

Dib fell asleep late and was awaken by his sister’s voice yelling at their father in the morning. 

“So it is all true! Why didn’t you tell us yourself ?! Why did you let Dib find out this way?!” she yelled from the living room

Dib had never heard his sister talk like this to their father before. He held his breath in anticipation while hearing her steps getting closer to his room. She knocked, but he didn’t answer, not finding the motivation to get out of bed. 

“Just tell me if you are in there. I have to know... if you’re not I’ll have to ask Zim’s help to find you” she stated still on the other side of the door

Dib didn’t want to bring her trouble so replied with a simple “Don’t say anything to him”.

On the course of the next hours, Dib had only left the room to use the bathroom. Gaz heard and would have talked to him, but she was upset herself in her own bedroom. 

Meanwhile, Membrane was walking around his own house not knowing what to do. He loved his children, he made them clones of himself because… well, science! But he always wanted them, clones or not. How could he possibly explain himself with all those files? He didn’t write them in a fondly way at first, it was scientific. Wasn’t a family picture album or a personal journal, it was exactly the same language he used for all his scientific journals. He was always waiting a good moment to tell them but since he was always away, he didn’t want to waste the moments they were together fighting in case it went wrong. Well, it all went wrong anyway.

Membrane looked up the stairs and saw the closed doors, trying to think of how this could possibly get any worse. He closed the front door behind him and sat on the steps in front of the house. There was nothing in the world he cared more than Dib and Gaz, but now giving some thought, he didn’t act on it. His plane tickets to Switzerland were bought and he was always too caught up on his activities.

Zim approached the place slowly when he saw Membrane outside his own house. The scientist was wearing normal glasses that allowed Zim to have a glimpse into those familiar colors and angles. The alien knew the truth for a while now. When he and Dib weren’t together yet, once he got saliva samples of cups they were using at a restaurant. He was sure he got from both but the DNA was the same. Another day he did the same to Gaz at school, finding out Membrane’s secret. He was upset with Dib’s father, knowing how much this probably hurt his boyfriend. Was it a remarkable scientific achievement? Of course! His entire race was genetically engineered and a human was headed in the right direction. But he never agreed on concealing it from his children.

“Good morning Professor, is Dib home? He didn’t go to school and didn’t answer my text” Zim tried to sound as if he hadn’t a camera on the three

“Hello Zim, he is in his room. But we are in the middle of a family situation, as much as you’re welcome here, I’ll have to ask you to come back some other time” Membrane answered

The truth was simple: human cloning wasn’t something legal or openly studied in the scientific community. It wasn’t something Membrane would brag about to others, he kept it to himself.

“I see… but maybe I could talk to him? Whatever it is, maybe I can cheer him up, you know” Zim suggested

Zim could see the internal conflict on Membrane’s eyes.

“Ok, Zim. Give it a try” he finally said

Zim was entering the house when he heard Membrane’s steps behind him, he touched his shoulder to make him turn around.

“Zim… Can you take him some things to eat and drink? It’s worth the try” he said going to the kitchen to get some things there

Dib heard someone knocking.

“Not now, Gaz” he said with a cracked voice from the inside

Don’t be a coward, Zim . That was all the alien could think of as his legs wanted to run away from the situation. 

“It’s actually me. Can I come in?” Zim asked, terrified for not knowing what to do and how to it

Dib froze for a moment. He was crying and a complete mess, he didn’t want to be seen this way by his boyfriend. He checked his phone and saw the text he didn’t reply, he had this coming. Dib asked for some minutes, just enough time to blow his nose and dry his tears. 

Zim entered the dark room, his boyfriend was standing behind the door. He couldn’t see his face well, but he could tell Dib had been crying. 

“Come here” Zim said giving him a hug after leaving the food in the desk

Dib hugged him back, burying his face on Zim’s neck. He tried not going back on crying again, but soon Zim felt the spot get humid and heard Dib’s breathing get heavier. 

“Let’s sit in your bed and you can tell me what happened” Zim offered, taking Dib’s hand and guiding them in the dark

Dib started telling him about the night before, how he found the files and started to read them right there at the lab. He said he felt betrayed by his family too. Gaz apparently suspected and his father never mentioned a thing. Dib also said he felt terrible because his own family didn't trust him with the truth. That his dad probably didn't tell him because he thinks he is crazy and that Gaz thinks he is just too weak to handle it. Overall, he felt more alone than ever and worse, a burden to his family. Even his reaction to lock himself in the bedroom made him feel they were right on hiding things from him.

Zim listened carefully, never interrupting him. Dib never shared much of his insecurities with anyone. The alien had no background to talk about family with him, but he noticed he couldn't go wrong on just letting Dib talk freely about his feelings. When he went silent, Zim tried to comfort him by telling Dib he wasn't a burden to anyone. And that he wasn't insane, he just knew things people didn't know to be true.

They both went silent as Dib finally accepted to eat and drink some of the things Zim brought. 

"There is more, isn't it?" Zim asked, feeling Dib still had something heavy to speak out loud as they laid in bed

"I don't want to say it" Dib said avoiding Zim's gaze

"Come on, you'll feel better" Zim said in an encouraging way

Dib spent some time gathering his courage to say the words. As he rehearsed them on his mind, he felt his throat tighten up with anxiety.

"I… don't… understand" Dib started, his voice failing him already. "I'm his clone… I was supposed to be like him... But I'm not. I'm all fucked up... and dad and Gaz are so great at everything they do…"

Zim was heartbroken to listen to his most beloved one say those things about himself. He would never imagine he felt this way. When they first met Dib seemed so confident. 

"Stop, stop, stop! You're not a failure! You are as great as they are, Dib! So what your sister doesn't have to study for her tests? You know far more about science than her. And your father didn't have anything published when he was your age" Zim said it all fast, trying to fix what was going on inside Dib's head

"You really think so?" He asked

"Yes! Honestly, I wouldn't be interested in you if I didn't think you were brilliant. I only like the smart ones, you see" Zim said narrowing his eyes, trying to making Dib crack a smile but also meaning it

They stayed in bed for some time, just cuddling a little under the blankets. Dib fell asleep for a while, being tired for sleeping very little at night. Zim started to wonder what he should do next but he figured he should go home and give them some time to talk to each other. 

Zim waited for Dib to wake up and said that if he didn't feel well the next day, he would go to school and take notes for him. As he went downstairs, Zim found Gaz and Membrane talking in their living room. They both seemed tense but at least they were talking. Zim said goodbye to them in a low tone as he passed by.

"Zim, wait. How is him?" Gaz asked before he left

"He's upset you guys didn't say anything until now, even you Gaz… and he is sad… but you should ask him why" Zim answered, not knowing what he could share or not

"Even me ? Look who's talking. Whatever, goodbye" she said getting her eyes back at her father, apparently, she had asked him something and was expecting an answer

Zim didn't like her tone, he had never been in real trouble with Gaz before. If Dib was the type that would quietly enter his room and lock the doors, she was the one to drag people to the couch to get things straight. As uncomfortable as that could be. 

For the rest of the day, Zim texted his boyfriend just to check on him, only receiving a brief “I’m fine” as an answer by the end of the evening. Zim hated to invade his personal space but he was checking the house all the time with the camera, promising himself he would never use it again after all this is over.

Dib eventually left his room at night to take Vortex for a walk, receiving surprised looks from his family to see him out of his bedroom in less than a day. Gaz was still furious but her anger ceased for a moment when she had a glimpse of her brother’s expression passing by the corridor. Membrane didn’t have the courage to say anything as he heard Dib’s footsteps from the kitchen. However, the Membrane’s and Zim all wished they had taken a closer look at Dib since no one noticed he had a backpack and was nowhere to be found for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

Dib had been walking with Vortex for about two hours now only carrying a few items such as his notebook, wallet, a change of clothes and phone, that was turned off. The young Membrane wandered around the city thoughtlessly, deciding where to turn left and right only when he reached a new intersection. Vortex followed him with complete loyalty, never needing a leash to be close to his favorite human. 

When his feet started to hurt from the distance and the weather began to be unfriendly with thin icy drops of rain, Dib sat by a bench in a park. He noticed his hands were pale due to the cold wind and began to consider the possibilities. After some thought Dib was making up his mind on whether going back home or staying at a hotel. He looked around, trying to identify where he was for the first time since leaving home and when he acknowledged the location, his heart sank on his chest with concern.

“Oh no... We shouldn’t be here, Vortex” Dib said looking at a sign indicating the name of the park

Meanwhile, Gaz was furious at her house, waiting just behind the door for Zim. When he knocked, Gaz didn’t care about concealing Zim’s identity as she grabbed him by his shoulders and made questions.

“ Where is him?! You talked to him before, he must have said something! Don’t you have a tracker on him? Can’t you use the stuff in your basement? You have all kinds of stuff there!” She said angrily

“I... don’t know where he is right now Gaz… but I’m looking for him with my remote cameras. I uploaded some pictures of him and programed them, I think they will recognize him fast, he's probably close to the neighborhood” Zim said trying to calm her down

“Gazlene, I’ll get the car and drive around. Where should I start?” Membrane said getting his keys and leaving some questions he had for Zim for another moment. He had heard everything from the corridor.

“He walks three blocks and turns right when he is with Vortex, he probably started this way. Just think where would you would walk” she said, but this time she wasn’t angry anymore

“ You can do the same, for that matter” Membrane answered bluntly. “You know him better, call me if you have any ideas. Don’t go after him, leave it to me… I don’t want you to be outside so late”

Gaz was about to say something back to her father but looking at Zim, she just nodded in response and waited until his car was out of sight to continue talking to the alien. She didn't want to reveal Zim completely, although by now she was aware maybe her father knew something was a bit off about Zim. 

Zim knew he could protect them with the things he had on his PAK, or at least provide them with a quick escape. Still, the alien made a point out of using his ship to take a look on the streets from above with Gaz. She was sure that purple alien ship with the sign of the Irken Armada was conspicuous, even for the most skeptic humans, but they had no choice this time. 

Meanwhile, Dib was maybe in the most despairing situation of his life so far. The park was known to be a dangerous point in town, people would go there to purchase illicit things and sometimes reclaim debts, definitely not a good place to be at this time of the night. Dib’s blood froze when he heard cars stopping nearby, people's steps on the grass following. It all only got worse when he looked around, trying to find a place to leave, but noticing the park only had one entrance. This wasn't good. 

He saw some trees reasonably close to where he was and decided it was the only place he could hide. 

"Vortex, go home! Go, go!" He said in a low tone and pointing to the gates

The dog resisted the command at first but obeyed later. Dib was scared to death to be completely alone there but he couldn't even grasp the possibility of something happening to Vortex. 

He climbed one of the trees and tried to find a place up high where he couldn't be seen, his heart pounded heavily as he observed Vortex run fast from above.

The situation only got worse as some very suspicious people started to be visible to him, clearly separated into two different groups. Dib was about to have a heart attack up in that tree. There, between the branches, he started to regret every single choice he made that night. His family was probably worried sick about him, and the only thing he truly wished was to be with them in the comfort of their weird home. 

The people on the park were keeping their meeting very low profile, sometimes raising their voices a little, which always made Dib's heart rate increase. The young Membrane was in a very bad position, trying to balance his weight on the branches without being seen or making sounds. Which wasn’t an easy task since the thin rain made it all slippery.

As this happened in the park, Zim and Gaz were flying about three blocks away, observing some abandoned houses.

"Zim, look! It's Vortex! Dib must be close!" Gaz said next to him 

Before Zim could say anything, they both heard the onboard voice computer say something in Irken that only Zim could understand.

"One of my cameras found him… but he's in real trouble" Zim said feeling himself get even more nervous as he let the camera display Dib's image on a screen

Zim had never faced a situation that made him so panicked in his life and being an invader, it certainly meant a lot. He was acting calm for Gaz and Membrane but deep down he was anxious as he had ever been. Zim had come to understand he also couldn't handle the idea of losing Dib forever.

Dib knew he was about to be revealed, the people down there were still talking and he was losing strength on the muscles that were keeping him positioned where he was. Overall, it was a position someone could stay for a couple of minutes but not more than that. He felt his legs starting to tremble and the fearful anticipation of the fall filled his core. He wouldn't die from it but it had too much potential to injure him badly. The though his phone was deep inside his backpack made him regret not putting it in his pocket before he left. 

When a strong wind started to blow, it all happened fast and still, Dib knew this would be imprinted on his memory forever. He felt a chill invade his body as he started to fall on his back, a second later, pain irradiated from his back as he felt he had hit a branch. It made him twist in the air and before hitting the floor, he used his left arm to protect his face and some of his chest.

For his luck he had fallen in some bushes, it made the impact less bad and the people in the park couldn't spot him right away. They knew something moved, but not sure where. Dib had bitten his lip with the impact and he was crushing them together to avoid making a sound as he felt a horrible pain come from his arm. He could easily scream due to it but he was way too lucky not to be spotted instantly and throwing that coverage away was out of the question. 

The man standing there left in a matter of a minute after hearing something from the bushes. The police had reportedly been more active in the neighborhood in the past few weeks and Dib hear their steps fade away. The panic hadn’t left him yet, but it gave room to some relief.

Gaz and Zim were petrified to know Dib had fallen, they watched it form the screen as the spaceship took them there. They had to wait until everyone was gone and while doing so, Gaz called an ambulance and her father. 

When they could finally get closer, they ran to Dib's direction calling his name.

"Dib it's ok, we called an ambulance, no one's here, where are you?" Zim almost screamed

Dib was still scared to death on his spot, he had no idea how his voice would sound but he managed to reply.

"I-I'm here" he said loud enough to be heard by them 

Zim ran faster to him using his exoskeleton and quickly activating the scanner to see if Dib had something severe to be treated. When he got closer it was a shock to see his boyfriend in that state. He was extremely pale and his mouth was stained with some blood, where he had bitten his lower lip. 

"Zim… Gaz…” Dib said weekly in relief. “I think broke my arm, just help me get out of here" he almost cried out

Gaz was about to help him get up since he was tangled in the middle of the bushes but Zim stopped her in an exasperated way.

"Wait!! Don't move him around! I'm not done scanning, he might have broken other bones! Dib, don't move anything , especially your neck and back" Zim yelled concerned

They all hear a siren approaching the park and also Membrane's unmistakable boot sounds.

"So?" Dib asked feeling his eyes get heavy, he would probably pass out

Zim checked the little screen, suddenly looking less alarmed. 

"Broken arm and maybe a little crack in your left collarbone. Your spine, neck, skull and internal organs are fine but… you hit something really bad in your back" Zim stated as people approached them fast

Membrane ran in their direction and covered his mouth with his hand as he observed his son be taken care of by the medical team. This was by far the worse mistake he had ever made as a parent. 

"Gazlene, enter the ambulance and go to the hospital with your brother. I'll take Zim home and meet you two there" Membrane said visibly shaken by all that scene

Gaz followed the adults wearing the uniform from the local hospital and entered the ambulance with Dib. As Membrane and  Zim headed towards the car, the alien said that he would go to the hospital too and some bullshit about his parents being ok with it. 

The ride was a rather silent one, Zim being more relieved and Membrane wondering how the heck did Zim and Gaz reach that place first. When Membrane parked the car in the hospital’s parking lot, they received a quick call from Gaz, telling them Dib would go through X-ray soon and where he would be taken after it. Only one person could go with him and since she was already there, she would go to give him some company.

Membrane informed Zim about it and they both decided to go to the waiting room, a moment of silence following it. Zim was processing a billion things on his mind while unbuckling the seatbelts, but he came back to Earth as he felt Membrane's touch on his shoulder before he could open the car’s door. 

"Zim… what did Dib tell you about all this? Please, I need to know…" Membrane said looking straight at him

"The truth... That he and Gaz are genetic clones of you. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone. No one would believe me anyway" Zim promised

Another moment of silence lingered between them and Zim was sure Membrane was gathering his courage to say something.

"Thank you… and, well… Zim… You are not… from around here, are you?" Membrane asked shyly, this time not looking at Zim

Zim got startled with the question. Checking his wig instinctively in the corner and starting to feel his pulse accelerate.

"It's ok… You can tell me. For all these years I thought my son was insane… But now I can't deny he was right… He forgot to storage the samples he was analyzing in the microscope last night. That is your skin, isn’t it? There is no human DNA there" Membrane tried to say in a not intimidating way

"I don't know what you are talking about! I swear!" Zim answered as a reflex 

"I won't tell anyone. It will be one of our secrets” Membrane continued, still determined to get the truth from him

They fell into a heavy silence, filled with tension. Zim was quickly analyzing how he could be in orbit in the next four minutes and also imagining how Membrane could use this information against him. And still, a part from him also wanted to say the truth. Living in secret was becoming a heavy burden over time and Professor Membrane, of all people, could be someone with enough resources to give him proper shelter from the scientific community. 

Membrane had a soft heart to have Zim feel uncomfortable around him, he hated to bring up unpleasant topics.

"Ugh… I don't want to say it but I can't escape from your evidence. Yes, I'm… not from around here" Zim answered reluctantly, feeling all those years of training echo painfully on his mind

Membrane smiled underneath his high collar. So it was all true, aliens had indeed reached Earth. He allowed himself a moment of pure scientific wonder about everything his son could be right about, returning to their conversation as he observed Zim was still tense.

“It changes nothing, Zim. You can still come to our house. You have given me more than enough proof you have good intentions with my son" Membrane said in a friendly way

“Thank you, I’m… really concerned about him” Zim answered

“Me too, let’s go, maybe they’ll let us see him already” Membrane said unbuckling his seat belt

As they walked side by side Zim couldn’t avoid thinking that one day Dib would have this height. Also, Membrane would aways use his lab outfits and even in social events that required suits, the tall collars were his signature. With that in mind, Zim noticed he had never truly seen the professor’s face without all that and he was curious to know how Dib would look like as an adult.

Membrane noticed Zim was trying to have a glimpse of his features as they sat in the waiting room and the idea amused him.

“Oh no Zim, no more spoilers for you. You’ll have to wait” The scientist joked

“Curse you!” he responded in a playful way. “Anyway here are some spoilers for you, he broke his arm and maybe cracked his collarbone a little bit but he’s fine. I scanned him at the park” Zim informed

Membrane nodded in a thankful way, feeling more relieved knowing his son would be ok soon enough. 

When they were allowed to see Dib, he was laying down in a hospital bed and had a cast on his left forearm. He wasn’t as pale as before although he looked in pain. The doctor said he could go home as soon as he felt well enough to leave.

“I think we are going to have a doctor in the family” Dib said as Gaz left the room to get herself something to eat and use the restroom

Apparently, Gaz was interested in medical procedures and she watched the doctor put Dib’s broken arm in place before immobilizing it with extreme naturality. 

Dib waited for his sister’s return and started apologizing to everyone about what he had done, also promising he would never go missing again. 

“I don’t know what I was thinking… probably, I wasn’t. I’m just so lucky to have all of you… I can’t even say how happy I was to see you all there at the park to pick me up… I was terrified and my arm was hurting so much I couldn’t even think” Dib said with them around the bed

“If you do this to us again I’ll find you and destroy you, do you understand?” Gaz said looking straight into his eyes

Dib nodded fast to reply to his sister. 

Membrane and Zim were more warm-hearted and gave Dib some hugs, although they made it clear they would support Gaz on her quest if Dib repeated his actions. 

While Membrane and Gaz talked to the doctor, Zim had a chance to talk to Dib more closely. They had been exchanging deep looks for a while in complete silence and Zim approached the bed, soon putting his arms around Dib, who was sitting close to the edge.

“I know how it feels now… How could you be so mean? How could I be so mean? We belong together Dib” Zim said as he hugged his boyfriend carefully

Dib felt his T-shirt get wet where Zim’s face was and the human rubbed the alien’s back instinctively to comfort him. He noticed Zim was abnormally contained until this moment, probably because he was trying to keep it together until the emergency was over.

“I’m not going anywhere without you, I promise” Dib said in a low tone on the other’s ear

Gaz and her father observed it from a distance, not wanting to interfere with their private moment. They exchanged looks to get back to the room when Dib and Zim seemed to be having a normal conversation again. 

They all waited until Dib’s medication for pain kicked in to leave the hospital, it was very late when they arrived home. Dib was happy to see Vortex waiting for them by the garage door, allowing it to sniff his arm. 

Membrane opened the door so they could eat a snack and have some rest, the sound of Zim’s exoskeleton reached Dib’s ears and he turned around rapidly. 

“Zim what are you-??” Dib said nervously as his boyfriend removed his disguise on the living room 

“It’s ok son, Zim and I talked. I know the truth now” Membrane said behind him. “I believe I owe you an apology” he added messing his son’s hair a bit

Dib widened his eyes in surprise. After all these years, his father actually believed him. He couldn’t wait to share everything he knew, it was years worth of collecting data and analyzing it. 

After receiving help to shower and put on clean clothes, Dib was trying to find a position in bed that wouldn’t be too uncomfortable to sleep. He had plenty of time to think about everything that had taken place since he found out he was a clone the night before. At first, the truth was desolating and also infuriating. But giving it some thought, he had overlooked many things his father did for them as a parent. He could be a busy person, but he was always thoughtful and never left a call unanswered. They had far more family pictures and good memories together than reports on their early development as babies. 

Dib also thought about how Gaz was brilliant, but how that brilliance was developing in a completely different way from their father. She was a girl but inside their house, they had always been treated the same way. Gaz had a strong sense of individuality and Dib started to believe he did too. No son is a copy of their parents, he decided. Maybe he knew some things about himself ahead of the time like how bad his sight would get, how his bone structure would mold his features and when he would start having grey hair, but even so, he didn’t feel the obligation to be a perfect replica of somebody else anymore. He had his own story to be lived and now, with his family and loved one, the future seemed bright again.

Chapter Text

Gaz was wearing her grey pajamas with skulls on it as she entered the bathroom Sunday morning. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, getting ready to have breakfast downstairs. The youngest Membrane was sure her brother was awake since she heard him use the restroom before her in the morning. 

When she closed the bathroom door behind her and was midway the hallway, she heard someone whispering her name.

“Shhh, shhhh, hey, Gaz! Wait!” Dib whispered almost entirely behind his bedroom door

“You almost gave me heart at-” 

“Get here now!” He whispered louder, interrupting her

Gaz would never obey his brother’s requests easily but this one seemed quite serious and considering Dib was still using a cast on his arm, she entered his bedroom to aid him on whatever it could be.

“What is going on?” she asked after analyzing him in silence

“Gaz, I think Dad had someone over last night. You know… someone... over the night… that didn’t use the spare beds” Dib continued giving clues to his sister since she looked confused with his first statement

It took her a moment to realize what Dib said and when she did, she had this awkward look in her face.

“Oh, you mean…”

“Yeah” Dib said nodding and raising his eyebrows

“Ok I guess, he’s been single since ever but what should we do? Are they downstairs?” She asked Dib

“Yes, in the kitchen. Let’s just wait here. When I went downstairs I heard him saying something about having coffee and leaving soon. Then I panicked and came back here” Dib remembered feeling awkward again

“How did he look like?” she asked curiously

“I didn’t see him, but he sounded… foreign? And I think he wears glasses too, saw his shadow” Dib said 

They talked about some things on Dib’s bed, mostly speculating on their father’s companion. They both reached the conclusion it must be someone from work, where else would Professor Membrane meet people? After some giggles about trying to guess who invited who, they just started to catch up on each other while they waited for the front door sound. Apparently, Gaz and Jasper had broken up recently but they were still friends and she was going to hang out with him the next day. Dib was pleased their dad developed a better cast for him and they would make the change by Wednesday. Gaz was absolutely into it and said she had to watch the procedure. 

They were about to go downstairs after hearing some key sounds and a car leaving the street when they heard steps approaching the room. This would be embarrassing. 

“Dib, do you have a moment?” Membrane asked opening the door without knocking and feeling a chill to see Gaz there too

The older man froze there, not knowing how to proceed. He knew Dib had heard them in the kitchen.

“Don’t worry dad, we get it. How long has it been?” Gaz asked in a non-judgmental way

“And we’re ok with it too, really” Dib added quickly

Membrane seemed more relaxed suddenly, like a masterplan he had in mind was no longer necessary.

“I can see there is no fooling you two” The older Membrane said scratching his neck. “His name is Toshiro, he’s about my age and we’ve been working together at the lab”

“Toshiro? He’s Japanese?” Dib asked interested

“Believe me, he is very Japanese. We met in Japan a few years ago, whenever I went there he would show me some good restaurants and temples. Now he was transferred here, his things will arrive soon to his new house. We can talk more about it downstairs, let’s eat” Membrane said feeling more comfortable to share this information with his family

As they went down the stairs Gaz couldn’t help but making a question to her father.

“Dad what do you mean he is very Japanese?” she asked expecting literally anything as an answer

Her father giggled a bit under his collar.

“He doesn’t put salt on his rice, bows while shaking hands with people and he is very, very , respectful to people’s personal space”

As Membrane enumerated those things, Gaz and Dib seemed to catch a smile forming on their father’s face. It would always be an awkward situation to find your father’s date on your kitchen by the morning, but they were happy Membrane seemed to have found something to bring him joy in life aside from them and science. 

While Membrane made their favorite breakfast to apologize for not notifying about the visitor, they kept talking about other things until a phone rang inside Membrane’s pocket. He picked up and spoke a mixture of Japanese and English for no longer than two minutes.

“When are we going to meet him?” Dib asked excited

“I don’t know, Dib... We need some time to see how things will be, but I’ll present him to you two when the time comes. This was only our fourth ‘official’ date anyway” He answered

As they ate the pancakes Dib noticed Gaz was quiet. She was surely ok with her father going out and being in a relationship later, it was something else.

“Is everything alright, Gaz?” Membrane asked her, afraid of her disapproval

“Yes, yes, Dad… Toshiro seems to be nice I just… don’t understand…” she said looking at her pancakes

Dib and Membrane tensed up on their chairs, something was about to come.  

“What is it,  that you don’t understand?” Membrane asked trying to conceal his anxiety

“Why did you make me straight, Dad?” she finally asked

The two males felt a huge release after listening, they weren’t expecting that question. And still, there she was, with her demanding eyes laying on them waiting for an answer.

“My dear, I didn’t” Membrane answered simply

That answer got Dib and Gaz out of guard.

“But… how is that -” she started

“The only thing you differ from us, genetically speaking, is that we have an X and Y chromosomes, while you have two X chromosomes. I never did research on why some individuals are attracted to the same gender and others to the opposite, I don’t believe this is the right question. We should be asking ourselves why is this such a hassle to some people, they should be the ones under evaluation in my lab if you allow me to say so” Membrane explained

“But don’t you have any clues?” Gaz insisted

“Yeah, yeah, maybe Dad likes man so much that even being a girl this wouldn’t change, who knows, right?” Dib joked knowing he was overstepping his limits

Membrane would normally disapprove this kind of joke, but he couldn’t deny it was funny and somehow truth. Even Gaz was laughing a little and had her smile back on.

During the rest of the day, Dib occupied himself studying a little for a quiz they would have this week and doing his homework. Later on, his father helped him organize his room and get his backpack ready for school, his arm was still healing. 

Dib was texting Zim during the day and receiving no answer from him. At first, he didn't think much out of it but as night time came, he started to feel uneasy about it. The truth is that Zim was acting differently in the last weeks, something changed on his mind after the night Dib went missing. He was constantly nervous about something he wasn't sharing with anybody else and often would show up late at school with a tired look on his face. 

Dib tried approaching the matter many times but Zim would always change the subject. This Sunday, in particular, was making Dib melancholic. He felt extra needy with his arm broken and Zim's presence would make him feel better. Not being able to play video games with Gaz with his immobilized hand, he stayed in the living room watching Membrane be defeated by her multiple times.

By his bedtime, Dib tried calling him and once again, received no answer. So this time, he decided to dial a different number.

"Hello" A silly robotic voice answered on the other side of the line 

"Hi GIR, is Zim home?" Dib asked in a gloomy way

"Yes!!! He answered, an unsettling laugh following. "I'll call him" he said in a very high pitched tone

"No, no, don't" Dib said fast to prevent him calling Zim's name "What was he doing today? He didn't answer me. Is he ok?" Dib asked

"He is running compatibility tests since yesterday night. And - I have to go"

Dib got the phone out of his ear and let out a deep sight. This would have to wait until tomorrow.

On the following morning, Dib found Zim by the entrance, where his father would leave him for school and handle his backpack to the alien. Zim seemed exhausted, simply grabbing the backpack and starting to walk toward class, not even greeting Dib.

"Hey, don't I get a kiss? I've missed you all weekend" Dib said trying to make fun of the situation but meaning it

"Hum? Oh… Sorry" Zim said perplexed, like being snapped back to reality all of a sudden

He touched Dib's face and gave him a kiss on the lips. His eyes were deeply apologetic and agitated. 

"Why didn't you answer my calls yesterday?" Dib asked seeming sad about it

"I was busy all day long, didn't even look my phone. I'll make it up to you tomorrow" Zim said while placing Dib's books on the locker and getting two on his arms

"Tomorrow, what's wrong with today? Zim, honestly, what's wrong? Why don't you even look my face these days?" Dib said frustrated suddenly closing his locker's metallic door

The sound made people stop talking in the hallway and people started to look at them both. Dib was upset but one second after doing that, he regretted it. He didn’t know the locker would be so loud.

Zim's reaction was visibly bad. Seemed like he had received a slap, he couldn't even answer, he just put the books Dib needed inside the backpack and zipped it closed.

"I'll leave them in your seat" he said leaving fast

Dib hated himself for it, he saw Zim's lips tremble a little. 

"No, wait… I'm sorry, I take it back, I didn't mean to sound so harsh" he said reaching the other. "We need to talk, don't we? The first class is PE, I can't play volleyball, we can use this time" Dib offered

"Ok" Zim answered in a defeated way, he had been avoiding this conversation for quite some time

The boys went to the room used for the science class. Dib had keys for that classroom because he stole them once and made a copy. No one would bother them there.

They sat side by side and Zim removed his lenses.

"Are you sure?" Dib asked seeing his boyfriend's lilac eyes

"My eyes hurt" Zim answered

"Well, why don't you start telling me what were you doing yesterday?" Dib suggested

"Honestly, Dib, why don't we start with you apologizing for slamming that stupid door in my face? It made me really upset, you know? I hate this filthy place and I only come here because I care, ok? Actually, all I've been doing in the lab is for you and… I'm so… tired . Nothing fucking works" Zim said touching his temples with his hands

Dib was still clueless on what Zim was talking about but he deeply regretted his previous actions on the corridor. 

"Zim I'm really sorry I spoke to you like that. I don't know what I was thinking, I mean, you seem so tired and you probably woke up early just to help me out with my books. I was so rude, now looking at you I just realize how unfair that was… I'm sorry" Dib said trying to fix his mistake

Zim nodded with his eyes still closed and his hands making pressure on the temples. Dib came closer and embraced him the way he could, his broken arm in the way.

"Your eyes must be really irritated. Happens to me as well when I don't sleep right. Let's go to your house"

"You have classes, we can't go now" Zim said finally looking at him

"Man, your eyes seem really dry. Don't put your lenses back. I'll leave my homework on Ms. Bitter's desk and call this driver from my dad's lab to drive us to your house" Dib said getting up

As much as Dib wanted to talk to Zim and get things straight at all costs, getting him to rest seemed to be a more urgent matter. Zim didn't need as many hours of sleep as humans to function, so his level of exhaustion was a symptom he was neglecting his needs in a severe way. 

Dib waited for the driver outside and when he arrived, he politely asked to borrow his sunglasses, telling Zim was very sensitive to light when he had a strong headache. 

When they arrived at Zim's house, GIR was cleaning the living room and the kitchen had a pleasant smell from whatever he used for cleaning it. It never occurred to Dib, but although GIR was sort of crazy and erratic, he and Zim actually cared for each other in their own way.

They went to Zim's room and Dib made them a little nest on the bed so they could lay down together in a way it wouldn't hurt Dib's arm. When Dib saw Zim removing his boots he blushed a little. Zim had socks on but they were lighter than any socks he had ever used for napping together. Maybe Zim was too tired to even care about it. Dib did the same, removing his shoes but for his luck, the fabric from his socks was heavier. They cuddled on each other and in a matter of minutes, Zim was already sleeping. 

About an hour later, Dib woke up feeling the need to use the restroom. He asked for GIR’s help, that was passing by in the corridor. The robot helped him get up without waking Zim up.

“You have to leave something with your scent or he’ll wake up” GIR said to him

Dib had no idea why this was a thing but he left his coat there in the pillow. His heart melted a little when he saw Zim instinctively cuddling deeper on it as he slept. 

The robot gave him some company during the many hours that followed. Talking to him wasn’t very easy, the subject rarely lead to a conclusion and there was a heavy layer of nonsense in the middle of it, but overall GIR seemed to like Dib’s presence at the house. When lunchtime came Zim was still asleep and GIR made them some waffles.

“How much longer do you think he will sleep?” Dib asked him while he finished his last waffle, that GIR kindly chopped into pieces for him

“I don’t know, he never did this before” GIR answered

“Did what?”

“Stayed awake for a week”

“What?!” Dib said widening his eyes and almost choking

“Master Zim went straaaaaight to the lab every time he came from your house. And then went to school again” GIR said with his silly voice

“Shit GIR, I was such a jerk to him at school today. I didn’t know he was doing this. By the way, can you give me a hint on what he’s working on?” 

“Ahhh no” GIR answered right away 

The young Membrane was an anxious human being, always overthinking and trying to predict everything that was about to come. However, he accepted his defeat on this matter and was willing to wait for a more opportune moment. 

With this in mind, he asked for GIR’s help to get back to bed next to Zim without waking him up. They brought a book and some headphones among and GIR moved Zim around in a slow way. 

In bed, Dib had what he wanted so badly the day before. Zim had been more distant, only now Dib understood it was because he was worn out all the time. As he daydreamed, the human caressed Zim on the back of his head and close to the base of his antennae. It was delightful to see him react nicely to it on his sleep, changing his expressions to more relaxed features.

“Dib-boyfriend” Zim mumbled on his sleep

Dib loved it when Zim called him this way. In the irken language, it is common to say the name of the individual followed by their relationship status, rank in the armada, job or even a physical characteristic that stood out. It was a way of identification, they were all very alike in big in population. Zim used to call him Dib-thing, as a way to show his despise for humans and to provoke him. Being called boyfriend by a sleeping irken was a huge sign of affection.

“Take your time, Zim-boyfriend, we’ll figure this out” he whispered to the other, getting ready to take his second nap of the day

Chapter Text

Zim woke up with Dib by his side. The human was passing the time reading a book with a familiar cover, something Zim had probably read but forgot to give it back to his boyfriend. It was something soothing to have him close, the alien had been extremely anxious since the night his beloved human disappeared. 

There was something about the way Zim was less present in spirit and the way he would embrace Dib when he remembered to do so, that was bringing concerns to the human. He could almost feel Zim was constantly worried about losing him, but it didn't make sense since their relationship was going well and Dib was healing from his injury. 

Dib gave his boyfriend some company as he ate the waffles GIR made earlier that day, deciding not to push Zim to talk before he was ready. He clearly needed time to articulate his ideas first. 

"How long was I asleep?" Zim asked while adding a massive amount of strawberry jelly on his waffles

"We got here around nine and now it’s about seven. So about ten hours I'd say" Dib said getting up to get more jelly for Zim, he had finished the jar on the table

"I feel weird. I think I slept too much"

"Promise me you won't skip your sleeping hours like this again, GIR told me you didn't sleep for a week. I also worry about you, you know?" Dib said rubbing Zim's shoulder standing beside him 

"I know… I feel better now. Weird, but better. Anyway, this was horrible I don’t have plans on doing it again" Zim said finishing his dish

After eating, Zim took Dib to his secret base to finally show him what he had been working on so eagerly. It almost felt as if Zim was doing some kind of walk of shame as they were transported to the right place by the subterraneous tunnels.

When they arrived at the chamber, Dib noticed it was way colder there and a chill traveled his body while the metallic door opened. Inside, there were all sorts of transparent tubes with different colors and graphs pinned on the walls. In the middle of it, there was a metallic table with something underneath a grey cloth. One last detail to be added to the place was some fault smell that resembled putrefaction, probably coming from the corner where Zim was placing the waist resulted from his experiment on big trash cans. 

"Alright, Dib. This is it" Zim said defeated

Zim removed the grey cloth that was protecting his work and allowed Dib to have a closer look.

Dib didn't seem to understand where all that frustration was coming from. It was a PAK. Identical to Zim's but the color on the back was blue, the same tone as Dib's favorite T-shirt. The alien had mentioned this was for his used the day before but as much as Dib would love to have a PAK for his own, with a cool exoskeleton, he couldn't understand why Zim was working day and night on it all of a sudden.

"Zim, this is really cool! I love it already! I always liked your PAK, it's amazing you're making one for me! But… you don't have to rush, take your time. I wasn't even expecting it" Dib said excited about his future PAK

"I'm glad you liked it… I'll find a way to make it compatible to you, I must find a way" Zim said squeezing his own hand closed

"It's ok if it's impossible, you tried! And I appreciate it. This is the nicest gift ever! Even if I just get to keep this version" Dib said happily, trying to make his boyfriend feel better

But none of it made that expression of defeat fade away from Zim's face. There was something on his heart that weighed a ton and he couldn't keep it to himself anymore.

"Dib… I didn’t want to make you anxious, so I didn’t say anything before… The thing is, my age could be compared to 16 human years. But I've lived more than 160... How can we be together forever if I'm starting my third human lifetime as we speak? This universe is worth for nothing if I can’t explore it with you" Zim said feeling his lips starting to tremble

Zim approached the metallic table where the PAK was. First grabbing the edges strongly, in anger, frustration and fear creeping inside him. He couldn't fail this one.

Dib had never thought of it this way, he was only thirteen, not even close to the age humans start to wonder when they will eventually die due to health problems. That reality was a harsh one to handle, Zim was right, Dib would reach old age before the alien even turned into a fully developed Irken. It was simply not enough time for them to live everything they wanted to share with each other.

They stayed in silence for a while, Dib holding Zim from behind and taking a deep look into the PAK in front of them.

"We'll figure this out, love" Dib finally whispered to the other

"How? I haven't even found a way to attach this to your nervous system without breaking your spine and causing an anaphylactic shock in your body. If you put this thing on it will kill you right away... I'm such an idiot, if my race wasn't on the Florpus I could try talking to some engineers from the Armada. They would probably say no, but I could steal their equipment and researches" Zim said in a lament

This was something new for Dib. Zim was notorious for never letting anything get on his way of doing things, not even his own limitations. Dib had always been an overthinker and admired the way Zim never bothered to start something he was wildly unprepared to finish. Until now.

"Hey, you can teach me and Dad all you know. We can try working this out together. Even Gaz could help, she will be a doctor one day, I think. Anyway, how does this work? Why does it have to be a PAK? Maybe we can try something else” Dib asked, already thinking full speed on what would probably be the work of a lifetime

“Because the body is just a vessel for us. My real consciousness is on it, all my memories, experiences, feelings, everything. But it’s still organic, like a brain that won’t deteriorate. It’s the finest technology we have, we can also encode things there. Mine still has me tagged as a worker in that filthy cafeteria that I escaped from” Zim answered, feeling hopeful for the first time 

“Wait, you guys are immortal ?” Dib said in shock

“We die in battle and accidents. But since the PAK became part of every irken, no one has actually died of old age. It has been over six hundred years since” Zim informed somehow proudly

“So when you say you can’t stay more than ten minutes without it, you wouldn’t really die, right?” Dib asked trying to understand better

“This body would self destruct and you’d have to find another irken vessel to reactivate me. And do some coding. So no, I wouldn’t die, but it would be really troublesome. Still, we only change the vessel as an extreme measure, it is designed to last” Zim said starting to get anxious again

“Ok… we’ll find a way…” Did said visibly overwhelmed

He wasn’t someone that was afraid of death itself, he was afraid his life wouldn’t have enough years for him to enjoy everything he could in outer space with his lover. Putting himself on Zim’s place it all sounded terrible, the prospect of Zim dying of old age while he still had so much to live didn’t seem fair.

“I know it’s a lot to take in, dear. But I think with your family’s help this could work. One way or the other” Zim said looking into Dib’s eyes

They stayed there in silence for a while holding each other’s hand and Dib was making up his mind about making one last question.

"What is that in the corner? Smells horribly" Dib finally asked

Zim didn't answer right away. Dib didn't have a clinical look to things yet like Gaz and Membrane, he was sensible to some images. He always dodged his gaze from the TV if it had a graphic image of a broken bone or something. He would eventually grow used to it if they worked together, but there was no need to rush it.

"Those are failed attempts to attach the PAK to something with a spine" Zim said in a paused way

"Wait you…" Dib said starting to get uncomfortable

"No, I haven't tested on anything living yet. I need to find a way not to break anything first. And… I know you wouldn’t approve of it" Zim answered, trying to soothe his boyfriend

They left the place soon after that, it was freezing cold in there. The alien told GIR to get rid of the content of the metal containers by incinerating it and Dib had the idea to place the ashes somewhere for their own test controls. It was a bit morbid, even for Zim, but it was a project for his PAK, he should have a voice on it as well.

After his rough day, Zim was having an extreme who-the-fuck-cares moment and took Dib home using his spaceship. Even Membrane was surprised to see it landing in front of his house.

Dib tried on again to invite Zim over but he just wanted to be back home and read, he would probably be awake until the next day due to his oversleeping. With that being said, Gaz opened the door and got his brother’s backpack from Zim, saying goodbye for the night.

"So, is the issue from the locker solved?" Gaz asked in the kitchen while calling for some pizza

"The what?" Dib asked distractedly

"Everybody at school was talking about it, you guys had a fight and nobody saw you two for the entire d- Hi dad , going to Toshiro's house?" She quickly changed the subject not wanting to tell Dib missed classes

"I'll help him unpack some boxes that arrived while we were at work today. I might spend the night there, unless you two need me here" Membrane answered, still shy to talk about it with them

"We're good, I'm getting us pizza. Good luck there and don't forget to take off your shoes before entering" Gaz said in a casual way 

That was a good sign. Gaz never showed any kind of interest in Japanese culture, it was an indicator she was reading about it, maybe to get to know Toshiro better when the time came. 

Maybe deep down she wanted a feminine touch to her life, she was always surrounded by boys. She usually had male friends, she also had a brother, a father, maybe would have a stepfather one day, even the freaking dog was a male. But it was ok, she could try making some female friends that were into videogames. 

Before leaving for Toshiro’s house, Membrane helped his son to get changed into something to sleep. He was looking in a very observant way to his son’s arms. It was a weird nostalgic feeling to remember himself at that same age.

“Ugh, what is it Dad? I'm fine, my arm is getting better fast" Dib said to him

"Oh, that's not it son. I just miss having arms made of flesh and bone. Take good care of them, no technology replaces that feeling" He said in a lighthearted way

It occurred to Dib that he never talked to his father about his arms, maybe it was a touchy topic for him but it was worth the try.

"Do they hurt, Dad?" Dib said touching his father's hand over his gloves

Membrane was a bit moved by it, ever since Dib started dating he had become more considerate with him and Gaz.

"Sometimes, when it's too cold or hot. The metal expands and retracts according to the temperature and it's not too great to feel those little changes when it's bound to your skin. But they are extremely functional, as you know" Membrane said feeling better for talking about it, nobody ever would

“...when it's bound to your skin”

Those words echoed on Dib’s mind for a moment. His father was the ideal person to help with biocompatibility! Maybe he had other projects of his own on the same subject. But that could wait, Dib didn’t want to talk about it right away.

“Well, might not be the same but your arms are awesome! You’re like a cool cyborg with high tech gadgets” Dib said in an admiring way

“Thank you, son... But I would give it all away to be able to hold you and your sister with my real arms. I don’t like how my metallic touch affects people”

Membrane started to regret being so deep in the very moment the words left his mouth. He hated it when people pitied him for any reason. He was about to say something else to make up for it, but Dib interrupted him to hold his hand again and smile at him.

“Gaz and I always loved when you carried us, we would even take turns. We never thought about it this way, we thought you were the coolest dad ever, we still do. And… Toshiro is lucky to hold your hand, you don’t just let anyone into your life, right?” Did said hugging him in the end

Membrane was so glad to hear all that coming from his son, it meant so much to him. He hugged him back, carefully, not to hurt his broken arm and messed his hair a little. Membrane looked at his son’s eyes, identical to his, but so different in spirit. The truth is that as Dib grew older, Membrane sometimes forgot he was his clone, the boy always seemed to have his own energy going on inside that shell. And the scientist was certain he was still too much of a kid when he was thirteen, Dib seemed to have lived and learned so much more on the same period of time. 

The older Membrane went to his daughter’s room to say good night as well, she would always stop what she was doing to talk to him. Being her, it meant a great deal of appreciation. He was well aware Dib had skipped his classes today, the driver had told him earlier in the morning. Still, he didn’t say anything because he liked to see them working together. One day at school was no big deal, sometimes you need to let teens have their own moments of harmless defiance.