***
“Dib-
My plans have come to their fruition. I'm dropping this facade tonight. You know what I mean. If you still think you can stand up to me, come to my place at sunset. Things end tonight.
–Zim”
Dib looked up from the scrap of paper he’d found in his locker, his eyes already having memorized the plain black slanted text, but still unable to believe the message. What was Zim up to, if even inviting Dib’s interference mattered little to the outcome? It was enough to give the teenager a migraine and that wouldn’t help matters at the moment at all. The human gently massaged his temples, an act that always reminded him to cranking gears for some reason. With the paper stuffed in his back pocket, Dib straightened up and rang the doorbell. He knew enough about Irkin’s to know how much height mattered and he wasn’t going to let an inch off his scalp escape Zim’s notice.
The room behind the door was silent, a sure sign something was up. Gir was never that quiet, especially when someone was at the door. Before any thoughts of doubt or worry could materialize in the human’s mind, the door creaked open, the green skinned face appearing with an angry grimace.
“You’re late.”
Dib’s golden eyes widened, the dying sun on the horizon casting his shadow on Zim’s door and shaking the house in an orange-ish pink hue. “The sun hasn’t even set yet!”
“If you had any sense you’d have arrived an hour earlier.”
“If you want me here an hour early, than tell me to come an hour early.” Dib watched Zim, but the alien seemed set in his logic, his arms crossed firmly over his red clothed chest while black-booted feet tapped impatiently at the entry way. Dib tried to disregard it all. The alien was probably trying to psych him out. “Now, what’s this plan? I’ve been observing you for months and I haven’t noticed anything. How did you get around my surveillance?”
Zim’s impatience allowed a small, knowing smirk to cross the green features. “I didn’t have to. In fact, I’d say it worked to my advantage.
“What? How does that work?” Dib’s eyes quirked skeptically. “And second of all, why are you giving me a chance to stop you?”
“I’m not.”
“But the note-“
“The note asked if you thought you could stand up to me.” Zim let his arms drop to his sides, stepping out of the doorway and crossing to Dib. He stood before him with all the intimidation his stature allowed. Being an alien definitely helped matters.
Dib shook his head. “Either way, I am going to stop you, Zim.”
“Stupid stink beast. You think you know everything, don’t you?”
Soft. Not wet, not dry, not chapped, nor any other feel. Zim’s lips were soft against Dib’s own, though they pressed against him with ferocity and hunger. His startled gold eyes flew wide, Zim’s hands clasping around his arms to help keep him still as he kissed him. The human pulled away quickly despite Zim’s hold on him, jumping back a few paces. Whether it was in precaution or surprise, Dib didn’t really care.
“What the hell did you do that for?!”
“Because someone had to, and it wasn’t like you were in any hurry to get it over with.” Zim licked his lips, trying to savor the past few moments though his cold eyes burned into Dib like blue flames. “Let me guess, first kiss? You think any of that has any real value in this world?”
“It did to me!” Dib’s reaction spoke more than he’d thought, his fingers pressing against lips at the loss if his stolen experience.
“If it meant so much then why the long wait?”
“I wanted it to be special. With someone I loved.”
Zim scoffed. “So who were you waiting for? A princess in a tower? Prince charming? An enchanted frog? All that shit’s for children, Dib! The kind of love you believe in never existed to begin with. Love is not fairy tale romance. Love is hurting, pain, grief. Love is cheating on your partner; love is abuse and lies. Love is a conquest, a never-ending battle for nonexistent control. Love is fighting and maybe, just maybe in the light of all else, love is acceptance. But love is never first kisses and moonlit walks. Those are called delusions, things you humans seem so fit to delight yourselves with, only adding to the pain when reality bursts in with your lover in another’s arms. But that’s to be expected.” He took a step forward, pressing himself in Dib’s personal space once again. “From all my years studying your species I have found one thing to be universally true for each and every one of you: you all want to get hurt. You all fall in love with the wrong people, do the wrong thing for the right reasons; you all believe in true love but always settle for second, not-quite best. Well, Dib, I’ve got news for you. I love you, in the real life sense. I love your stupid big head, I love your goofy face, I love your nerdy laugh, I love your disgusting mind, I love every rotten horrible thing about you and I am the worst possible thing for you! I will hurt you, I will break your heart, I will lie, I’ll do whatever I have to get my way, I’ll treat you like shit and I’ll never tell you how much you really mean to me! If you have any brains in your head, you’ll run away. But I know that the moment I stop talking, you’re gonna march in this house and let me fuck you rotten because I am everything that is wrong and horrible in your life and you can’t help but love me, too!” Zim’s eyes were slitted with anger. “I am the wrong thing for the right reason, I am the second not-quite best, and I am tired of waiting! Now get in this house before I feel fit to fuck you right here and now!”
For a moment Dib just stood there, his face inches from Zim’s obviously pissed statement. Then, without a word and presumably without any conscious thought, he stepped past Zim and ambled into the house.
“About damn time,” Zim grumbled as he marched in behind him, slamming the front door shut.