Chapter III: Taking Over Me

The bell rang. Dib's eyes grew wide and he nearly broke the sound barrier trying to get out of the classroom first. He had a date and ZIM never disappointed. He was all smiles on the way home, laughing and thinking about all the fun they'd have when he got there. Gaz trudged along beside him, still playing her Game Slave 5. "What are you so hyper about?" She asked, her voice a low monotone as usual. Dib smirked. "You'll find out when you're older, Gaz." He said in lieu of an explanation. She made a face, remembering having seen the two of them on the floor together. "No thanks, Dib." He shrugged, stopping in front of ZIM's house. "Well, you go on home, okay? I'll be back later. ZIM and I have…things to discuss." He said quickly, turning down the driveway and up to the door. Gaz shuddered and continued on her way home, her nose stuck in her game. She was almost home when she ran into someone. "Oof!" She exclaimed. The person made a loud screeching noise and looked up at her. "Watch where you're going, kid!" The Goth shook her fist at him for a few moments before she realized who it was. "Oh, it's you. ZIM's little brother or whatever." GIR giggled and nodded, dancing around like a young child who needs to relieve itself. "Hi, Dib's Scary Sister!" The robot called triumphantly. Gaz shrugged. "Wanna play games?" GIR nodded and walked off with her, Mini-Moose squeaking incessantly on top of GIR's head.

"ZIM? ZIM, are you here? Where are you? ZIM?" Dib closed the door behind him and walked into the living room. He didn't notice the click as the door was locked behind him. He looked all around, through the house and down into the parts of the base he could reach quickly, but found no trace of the Irken. Dib was confused. ZIM had told him to come here…so, where was he? He sat down on the couch and turned the TV on. He sighed and stared at the box. Whatever…I guess I'll… An hour later, he got up and started for the door"You'd leave without saying hello to me?" Dib looked up and was caught in a kiss as ZIM pressed his hands down on his shoulders. His coat fell to the floor and he began backing up towards the couch. The invader straddled his hips as he sat down, his tongue exploring every crevice of Dib's mouth, causing the human under him to squirm and mewl in anticipation and pleasure. His hands came to caress ZIM's shoulders as the Irken shed the top layer of his own clothing. Breathing hard, ZIM broke the kiss. "I told you I have something for you, didn't I?" Dib was flushed and his body temperature was rising quickly, with every move of his lover's hips against his own. "Yeah, I think so….It's so hot and I'm dizzy so it's…hard to remember." He said, steadying himself with one hand on ZIM's back. The alien smiled and pulled back, getting ready to get up. Dib's arm shot out to grab him and pull him back down to him. "Don't…don't leave….Don't get up. I want…I want…." ZIM kissed him gently, stroking his tongue across Dib's lower lip. "I know what you want and I'll give it to you but there's something I have for you first. It can't wait." Dib whimpered. "But…neither can this. I need you to…finish this." ZIM smiled. "He took Dib's hand and led him out, back up to the house level and then, to the VooT cruiser. "Your family isn't going to be home tonight, are they?" Dib shrugged. "No, I think my dad's working and Gaz is going to be out all night. Some video game is coming out and she was going to get in line early to get it." ZIM smiled. "Good. I thought so." He said as he started the engine. Dib leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I love watching you fly, ZIM." The invader smiled and brought the craft into a hover, raising it up into the sky before initiating the cloaking device.

Dib smiled as ZIM laid him back on the bed, caressing him with warm, ungloved hands. "I love you." He whispered, letting the Irken take his wrists in his hands and pull them over his head. He leant down and planted a few tender kisses to his cheek and then to his neck as his hands ran up under his shirt, raising it as he went before pulling it off and carelessly tossing it to an unknown corner of the room. Dib arched himself up to the touches, wanting more. ZIM smiled at him and pulled Dib's thin arms around his neck, kissing each of them in turn as Dib laced his fingers together behind the Irken's head. "Come here…." he whispered softly. Dib raised his head, feeling ZIM cradle it gently in the palm of one hand as the other crept up to become slowly lost in his dark hair. Their lips parted naturally as they kissed and nuzzled, lost in the moment. When, finally, they had to part to breathe, they didn't move but a few centimeters and continued to lie there nuzzling each other's lips for what seemed like hours. Dib took off his glasses and put them aside on the bedside table before turning back to his lover. ZIM's lips moved from Dib's own to his cheek, then his jaw line, down to his neck, and back up to kiss his temple, then his eyes, his nose, and back to his lips. He kissed him gently once, twice, and on the third, their lips melted into each other.

Silently, ZIM slipped his tongue between Dib's lips, causing the boy to moan softly and the kiss deepened, shaped into something more. They broke apart for a bit longer this time, breath coming in little gasps as they caressed one another. "More…." Dib murmured against his lover's neck, kissing the skin softly. ZIM arched his neck and Dib bit down, gently but with meaning. It was a claiming gesture and both knew the significance. ZIM had taught him long ago that, when his people mated, they left bite marks on their lovers' necks as a marking of territory. ZIM responded in kind, breaking the skin slightly with his serrated teeth and eliciting a nearly inaudible groan from the teen. Dib lowered his hands from ZIM's shoulders to rub against his stomach then up under his shirt, determined not to be the only one undressed this time. The alien allowed this, although he was a bit self-conscious about his slender frame. Dib smiled knowingly. "You're beautiful….You should know I love you, no matter what." He nodded and let the human run his hands over his exposed torso and down his arms; his favorite part of ZIM's whole body. "I love you, ZIM." Dib's voice was a hoarse groan as his lover pressed inside him.

"I love you too. Lay back and just…let me…." Eventually, coherent speech was impossible and they settled to kiss feverishly until it was over and their vision was laced with stars. Settling down into the embrace of the black haired teen beneath him, ZIM yawned. "You're everything I didn't know I needed, Dib. I'm so glad we're together." Dib squeezed his shoulder. "I am too, love. Nothing can ever tear us apart. Nothing at all." ZIM smiled and yawned again, getting comfortable in his lover's embrace. Dib pulled up the blanket and rested his cheek against the crown of ZIM's head. "Don't my antennae bother you? They must be itchy." Dib shook his head. "No. I love your antennae. I love all of you." He whispered. Both sighed and moved a little closer together, their legs tangling as exhaustion finally got to them and they drifted off to sleep.

Dib rolled onto his side and took his glasses from the bedside table. The clock's face read 3 am. Dib sighed and, replacing his glasses beside the clock, rolled onto his back again. "God….I hate this. I wish he'd…just come back. I miss him!" He said out loud in the dark. There was a long silence, broken only by Dib's breathing. Then, ho rolled over again and got up. "Gaz, I'm going out." He said, waving to her as she still sat on the couch, playing her game. She didn't even look up as he opened the door and went out into the night. "Stupid. He doesn't even know, does he?" She looked down at her game. "Oh well."

Dib walked along the sidewalk, alone with his thoughts. He missed ZIM, that much was for sure. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I don't understand this….Why'd he have to leave in the first place? It's not like Irk really wanted him back, right?" Dib looked up, noticing that his legs had dragged him to stand in front of ZIM's house, as he knew they inevitably would. He sighed and went in. The place looked as it always had, nothing out of place wince he'd last been here. Although….that pile of clothes on the floor near the elevator hadn't been. He looked it over, recognizing it as GIR's dog costume. "Why would…oh, yeah. He's going home. They wouldn't need the disguises on Irk." Dib looked down, disappointed. He shook himself mentally and straightened. "This is stupid. Why am I even here?" He asked no one in particular. He sat down on the couch and leaned back. "I should just go home." He laid an arm over his eyes. "There's no point to being here…." He laid on his back and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired, though….I don't think ZIM would mind if I took a nap on his couch." The human whispered to himself as he fell asleep.

Dib woke up in ZIM's arms. It was just about dawn and Dib rolled over in his lover's embrace, watching the sunlight glint off his face. Smiling, he tightened his grip on the Irken's waist and kissed his cheek gently. ZIM snored and nuzzled closer to Dib. He's so cute when he sleeps…. Dib said to himself. He didn't know what ZIM was dreaming about but he was smiling happily and that was good enough for Dib. He wrapped his arms around the Irken's neck and pulled him closer. He knew this was the person he'd spend the rest of his life with and that thought comforted him. ZIM yawned, cracking one eye open. "Hm? Good morning, Dib-love." He slurred, still drowsy. Dib kissed his eyelids, nuzzling him. "You're awfully cuddly this morning. Something happen?" The human shook his head. "No, I'm just happy to be with you." ZIM yawned again and snuggled down into Dib's arms. "That's good. I'm happy to be with you too. I'm glad you love me back, you know. Didn't want it to happen." Dib cocked his head. "Why? What would have happened if I didn't?" ZIM shrugged. "Probably the same thing that happens to all Irkens." Dib stroked one antennae thoughtfully and ZIM lifted his head. "What happens to all Irkens? You never talk about your customs or things like that." The alien blinked and looked away. "No, you wouldn't want to hear about it. It's a long story." Dib kissed his forehead and cuddled him. "Do you think I care if it's a 'long story'? What else do we have but time?" The alien sighed and, rolling over onto his side to cuddle with Dib, began his story.

"Well, on Irk, we only ever fall in love once. If the one we love loves us back, well…we mate, have children, and so on. If they don't…." ZIM shuddered, as if the thought alone was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. "we go horribly insane, eventually killing ourselves with the spider legs that come out of our paks. We also turn them on the one we loved. I've seen this firsthand before and, I'll tell you the truth, I was scared to death when I kissed you. I really didn't want to be insane." Dib snuggled closer. "But, weren't you already insane?" ZIM shook his head. "Only a little." He explained. "So, you were saying something about love on Irk. Go on/" The alien nodded. "Okay. Well, um, let's see…What else do you want to know?" Dib shrugged. "Well…why does water hurt you so badly?" ZIM closed his eyes momentarily. "That's because Irkens aren't used to the molecular structure, I guess. I really don't know. I've never really seen water before so…there's no rain on Irk." Dib nodded. "Okay. I can understand that. Um, what else? God, ZIM, before I met you, I'd always thought about what I'd ask an alien if I ever met one, but now…I just don't know what to say." ZIM stroked Dib's hair. "It's okay. You can ask me anything and I'll answer if I can." Dib closed his eyes and cuddled against his lover. "Let me think." ZIM continued to stroke his hair, nuzzling at his temple. "As long as you need." Dib tilted his head. "Well…why do you have that weird thing on your back?" ZIM turned to shoot it a look over his shoulder. "This? This is like…a second set of organs, I guess. You see, Irkens are really weak when we're off our home planet so these things keep our organs working." Dib reached back to touch it, running a finger against it slowly. "So, when I fixed it after you'd been injured…?" ZIM nodded. "Yeah, you saved my life. I was awake too and could feel every move of your fingers. I could tell how gentle and careful you were being. It was…surprising, back then, to say the least. I thought you hated me and…that you'd never help me out like that. I was surprised that you'd even tried to fix it. Thought you'd pull it out, to be honest." Dib shook his head and nuzzled against ZIM a bit closer, even though their bodies were pressed together without any space between them. "Let's go back to sleep. I'll think up more questions later." ZIM didn't protest and they fell back asleep.