AN: I'M BACK! I kind of gave up on this story because I literally lost EVERYTHING for it on that phone, but I figured I would give it a shot trying to recreate most of the story from memory and I actually managed to write a chapter! I can't promise that I'll be able to finish this story the way i had originally intended to, but i will do my best not to give up on it again. I'm going to be rewriting this story to update it since I'm older now and my writing has improved some. I want to develop the characters, their relationships and the story in a better way this time around but I didn't want you guys to have to wait any longer for an update so I'm posting this chapter to fill the void for a bit while I get caught up rewriting the chapters. I highly recommend checking out the old chapters in the coming weeks because I really like the way I've changed things and I think you will too! Thank you all for your support and feedback, it means the world to me! If you'd like to stay in the loop about the chapter updates, consider following me on Twitter HumanNatureIZ

With Zim…

The alien could only watch as the girl stepped inside the elevator and disappeared, looking very amused. His hands clenched into fists on top of the examination table Gaz had been sitting on a moment before. He tried to reign in his breathing as he pressed his fingers to his mouth. The skin was still tingling where her lips had made contact with him, and his entire face felt unbearably hot. His pulse was racing as he stumbled over to a chair, sitting in it haphazardly.

"Computer," he called, his voice trembling ever so slightly. An affirmative beep indicated that the AI was listening for its master's command and the Irk closed his eyes. "Run a diagnostic on my PAK. I think the earth female might have planted some sort of virus inside me." He said, taking in settling breaths. There was another beep before the AI spoke.

"There is no forign virus present in your system. However, there were three chemical spikes. None of them are life threatening." The computer assured its master in a matter of fact tone.

"Lies! She must have done something to make me feel like this!" He snapped, angrily snatching the data pad being handed to him from the ceiling. His eyes searched the scans, seeing that his computer had been telling the truth. There was no forign presence and the chemicals that had been released were his own. This only frustrated the Irken more, because this suggested that the reaction was a completely natural response from his system. But why? He'd never felt anything quite like that, and for the Gaz-beast to be the cause...

"Maybe you just enjoyed it." Computer suggested, earning a scoff and snear from Zim.

"Enjoy touching faces with the Gaz-beast? Don't be so stupid!" He hissed at the AI, typing in more information on the pad, in hopes that he might find something about the spikes in the archives.

"Did it feel nice?" Was the simple question that followed. Zim pondered for only half a second, sighing as he recalled the exchange.

"Very, but that's beside the point! Just why is my system reacting this way to something so simple and...disgusting?" He wondered aloud, fervently searching through documents and logs from other invaders.

"It seems to be a common reaction when kissing, according to the Earths' online archives." Computer informed the alien, to which he rolled his eyes. He didn't need or want Earth data on the matter.

"Is there anything about it in our archives?" He asked impatiently, still skimming data entries and personal logs.

"No results appear when searching for this combination of chemicals." Computer confirmed flatly. Zim sighed again indignantly and sat back in the chair.

"Dammit all…" he cursed, slumping forward in a defeated manner.

"Why is this a bad thing, sir?" The AI inquired. Kissing was a normal part of Earth culture, and engaging in it might actually help his master blend in and learn something for once. But he knew the alien was too foolish and stubborn to realize that for himself.

"Because! Because it's...it's not supposed to feel like that…" he grumbled, his brow furrowing further in irritation. "Could it be a malfunction from the missing codes in my Pak?" He posed to the AI. There was next to no data on Paks that are defective, and it wasn't as if he could just ask the tallest outright. In fact, he would have to avoid mentioning anything about it to them at all. Irk only knows what they might do if they found out that a human had triggered a response like that from one of their best invaders.

"It's possible. Certain natural responses including those for reproduction are usually blocked by codes. Unfortunately, your codes don't function properly, thus enabling you to experience such a reaction." Computer confirmed, earning a grunt from his master. "Perhaps you should let her kiss you again so you can do more research on the matter." It suggested impassively. Not that anyone would bother to ask but he found the back and forth between his master and the human very entertaining, far more entertaining than the soap operas he would watch while his master was out of the base. The invader shook his head.

"Absolutely not, I'm not going anywhere near that dirt child until I know for certain that this isn't going to damage my system." He replied adamantly, going back to searching for other answers to the issue.

With Gaz...

At first, I had found the whole ordeal rather funny. I mean, the look on Zim's face was absolutely priceless. I even shrugged it off when he didn't come to school for the next couple of days. But when Friday came and he still hadn't shown up, and still hadn't answered my calls or texts, I began to feel a pit form in my stomach. Maybe...maybe I'd pushed him too far. Yeah, I was trying to push him and make him uncomfortable, but I hadn't intended to make him feel so uncomfortable that he didn't want to be around me. Why did I care, anyway? It wasn't like I really wanted to be his friend or partner anyway. This was probably for the best.

Even still, I thought about how it would feel if the roles were reversed and I probably would have kicked his ass if he had done the same to me without my permission. I sighed heavily as I stared up at my ceiling, wondering if maybe I should just swallow my pride and apologize for taking advantage of his naivete. But how? I wasn't really the type to apologize when I was wrong, at least not in a verbal way. Would it suffice to just send him a text? I don't think I could stand to face him while trying to apologize, thinking about even saying the word 'sorry' made my skin start to itch. I rolled over and opened my pendant, a holographic display popped up with a keyboard. I internally cringed at the unread messages I had sent before that hung in the box with no reply, but I began to type.

'I'm coming over tomorrow.'

It was a threat, one that I'm sure would be ignored, like every other message. I stared at the chat box for a while, hoping against my better judgement that he would reply this time. Just as I was about to close my pendant and try to sleep, a small text appeared under the message I'd sent. It wasn't in english, but I'd figured out quickly from using this application that it was Irken, something along the lines of seen or read. Finally got your attention, huh? That was enough of a victory for me, as I closed the pendant and rolled over again, smiling now.

The next morning, I was deliberately taking my time as I got ready. I even had breakfast with Dib, which I tried to avoid at all costs on the weekends. I tuned in selectively as he happily informed me of the newest member in his paranormal group while I ate my eggs, trying not to think too hard about what I had planned for today. Well, I didn't really have a plan, but I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do. As for what I would say to Zim, that was a completely different story.

"You would really like her, Gaz." I looked up from my plate at my brother and blinked, trying to register what he had just said.

"You know I don't like people, Dib. Especially not people from your little group." I said back dismissively, earning a slightly peeved look from the older teen.

"But she's different, I mean it! She isn't as passionate as me or the others but she contributes a lot of helpful information and perspective." I snorted and rolled my eyes, not nearly convinced that they would let any sane individual into their group.

"You mean you allowed a skeptic to join your swollen eyeball circlejerk? Color me surprised." I snarked around a mouthful of eggs. My brother rolled his eyes right back and crossed his arms.

"I wouldn't say she's a skeptic, but she keeps everyone grounded." He explained with a contented smile.

"She's perfect for you, then. You need all the grounding you can get." I joked, though it might do him some good to surround himself with people who weren't so quick to jump to the paranormal. At the comment, I saw his cheeks flush and he dropped his gaze to his own food bashfully. My eyes widened a little in surprise as I spoke. "You're into her, aren't you?" I accused, smirking slightly. Dib shook his head but blushed even brighter as he spoke to defend himself.

"What? No, she's way too cool for someone like me." He scoffed into his coffee mug. I huffed in amusement and sat back in my seat.

"I don't need to meet her to know that's right." I jeered, feeling a buzz in my pocket. I pulled my phone out to see a text from Pepito. My chest tightened ever so slightly. I hadn't really spoken to him much since I switched schools, and I even stopped replying all together after what happened with Oliver. I typed out a response quickly and shifted my attention back to my sibling. "Hey, I'm gonna go hang out with Pepito today." I told him. He simply nodded and checked the time on his watch.

"Oh, okay. Just let me know if you're gonna be staying the night with him." He replied casually, making me stop mid-text in reply to my friend.

"Wait what? When have you ever let me stay the night there? I usually have to pull teeth just so he can come over here." I noted, my brow creasing in confusion. Dib just shrugged and took another sip of his coffee.

"I'd rather you hang out with him than Zim." He explained, to which I narrowed my eyes.

"You would rather I have a sleepover with the spawn of Satan than hang out with an alien?" I questioned, raising a brow. Was he seriously so distrusting of Zim that he would let me spend the night with someone who was probably ten times more dangerous?

"Pepito is...an unsettling entity, but he's never threatened to harm you before. The same can't be said for Zim." He reasoned with a frown. "What do you two even have in common?" He asked skeptically. I shrugged and stood from the table, grabbing both of our plates so I could wash them.

"Practically nothing. But it's entertaining introducing him to Earth culture and seeing him struggle to understand humans. If you weren't so hellbent on dissecting him you might actually have an opportunity to learn about space and alien life on other planets." I shot back, busying myself with the dishes. This seemed to pique his interest, as he immediately responded.

"Does he tell you about his planet? What has he said about his people?" He inquired, a newfound energy and curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah I mean, I ask him basic stuff and he tells me what I want to know. But it's not like I interrogate him or anything like that." I told him casually.

"Do you think if you asked him deeper questions he would answer them? Like if you asked him about his leaders and his planet's defense system?" He wondered, making me pause in my work. My hand tightened on the scrubber as I resumed the circular motion of washing the plate.

"You know, he probably would." I drawled, my tone dangerous. But he couldn't see the scowl on my face and clearly didn't put two and two together.

"Really? That's amazing-"

I cut the teen off, turning to him with a deep frown and a piercing glare. "But you know what, Dib? I consider him to be a friend, and I wouldn't ask him something like that because I have no way of benefiting from it." I snapped, earning a shocked look from my brother.

"But-"

"And if you think that I would throw his trust back in his face by telling you his weaknesses and secrets, maybe you really have gone crazy." I hissed, shutting the water off before stomping towards the stairs. I stopped just before entering the hall, looking back at Dib, who had a helpless kind of expression on his face. "I wouldn't put energy into a friendship if I didn't really care about it. So can you just try to show me some respect in my decision to befriend him?" I asked, turning to leave the kitchen.

"Gaz," he called, grabbing my arm gently. I turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. The teen sighed and looked at the floor to avoid my pointed stare. "Look, I'll try to be supportive, alright? I just...I don't trust Zim, and I could never forgive myself if something happened to you because I let my guard down." He said reluctantly. "You know I only want what's best for you." He told me, holding my arms. I stepped back, slipping out of his grip.

"I can decide what's best for myself, Dib." I reminded him, heading for the stairs. I paused again and sighed. "Thank you...for caring." I said grudgingly, before heading up the stairs to my room.

I changed into a pair of jeans and a tank top, pulling my hair back into a ponytail so I wouldn't have to do it later before work. I stuffed my work shirt into my bag and headed to Pepito's house. Somehow, his house was less conspicuous than Zim's, despite being just as inhuman in appearance. The interior of the house was eccentric at the very least, whoever did the layout for it had my props, the black and red color scheme appealing to my dark inclination. I only got a brief glimpse of it when Pepito opened the door, instantly wrapping his arms around me in an embrace. And it almost didn't bother me, since it had been at least a month since we had seen each other in person.

"Mi amiga! How I've missed you!" He greeted me, pulling away and offering me a smile. I just smirked back and slipped out of his arms.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too." I mumbled, walking inside the dimly lit home. The demon passed me, leading me to the stairs down to the basement level of the house.

"I haven't heard from you in a couple of weeks, I was starting to get worried!" He admitted and I felt a little guilty.

"Sorry, a lot has been going on." I muttered, trying not to let my mood drop.

"So I've heard. Talk to me." I just shrugged as I followed him into his bedroom.

"You remember how I asked Oliver to stay away from Zita after she admitted to having a crush on him at that party?" I questioned, earning a wary look from the teen.

"Oh, I already hate this." He sneered, narrowing his black eyes into slits. I sniffed in amusement and plopped down onto his bed next to him.

"He'd been seeing her behind my back the entire time I was at the other school. I saw them holding hands one day while I was in town and when I came to confront him about it, I caught him about to kiss her-"

"No!" Pepito gasped, incredulous.

"Yes." Was my deadpan response. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"And you didn't kill him?" He challenged, looking at me skeptically. I nodded and looked away, a little embarrassed.

"My…one of my friends stopped me." I said, focusing my gaze on his black comforter.

"Someone else was able to stop you? No one has ever been able to stop you from dooming someone before!" He pointed out and I could only shrug.

"I don't know, he made a good point I guess. He said that I shouldn't waste the time or effort on someone like Oliver. And he was right. Ugh, he would be feeling so smug right now if he heard me say that." I grumbled, falling back onto the bed and covering my face.

"Well, who is this new friend of yours? Not trying to replace me, are you?" He teased, falling back next to me.

"No one could replace you, Pepito." I assured him with a smirk. I hesitated to answer though, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. "You remember Zim from middle school?"

His eyes widened and he sat up in his excitement, chuckling. "You're joking!"

"I really wish I was." I groused ruefully. Pepito just blinked in shock, shaking his head in disbelief.

"When, how, why?" He demanded, blindsided by the information.

"A couple of days after I started at the other highschool. I have anatomy with him, and I paired up with him for a project, it was either him or be forced to work with Iggens." The demon put up a hand and nodded solemnly.

"Say no more, I completely understand the strategy behind that. But you're...friends now?" He posed, raising a brow at me.

"I mean, I guess, kind of. I dunno, I think I might have really fucked that up." I replied, rolling onto my side to look at him.

"How so?" He asked, cocking his head curiously. I met his eyes and sat up, my face becoming serious.

"You cannot tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. Especially not Dib." I warned, and the demon dismissed the sentence, blowing a raspberry.

"Why would I ever willingly talk to Dib about anything?" He reasoned.

"I've been teaching Zim about Earth and its culture, as well as human anatomy, biology, and a little bit of our psychology." I told him.

"Isn't he trying to destroy the planet?"

"Don't you get off on the destruction and downfall of civilization? You hate the human race almost as much as he does." I fired back. The demon threw up his hands in surrender.

"I wasn't judging, I just feel like this isn't within your best interest to pursue. Mine, his, sure, but you and your family would end up suffering greatly if this information ends up fueling his mission." Pepito explained, and I felt another involuntary sting in my ribs. I wasn't sure if it was guilt or not though.

"I've already got that all figured out." I said quietly, shifting a bit where I sat.

"Okay, so back to the original topic. You think you ruined this little friendship with him?"

"Yes. And it's really his own fault for pushing me to do it but...I should have just stood my ground." I felt my face flush and hated myself for it. It was just a stupid kiss, and it wasn't even good!

"Out with it. You know I adore the drama of mortals." I covered my face again before I dared to answer.

"He asked me...to show him what a kiss is." I finally admitted, and the demon gasped again, grabbing me by my shoulders.

"You didn't!" He exclaimed, and I pulled away from the demon, rolling onto my side.

"I did, and I regret it." I complained.

"Why? That's like, your 7th grade dream come true!" He taunted, earning a swift blow to his chest in retaliation.

"Shut the fuck up!" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. The demon just smirked at me. "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

"Was it good?" Pepito pried, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I mean, about as good as kissing a socially inept alien can be." I relented, but he didn't seem convinced. "Okay, okay, it was very cathartic, especially after all of those stupid fucking dreams-" cackling laughter cut me off and I felt my anger boil over completely as he tried to speak over his own laughter.

"You're back to pining after Zim! Man, that takes me back!" He goaded, sending my rage over the edge. With a growl, I pinned the teen under me, hands wrapped around his throat. He smiled mockingly up at me and I bared my teeth at him.

"Shut up, before I wring your stupid neck!" I hissed venomously, tightening my hold on his throat. He chuckled, unfazed by the act and I knew as much, but it did make me feel better to vent my frustrations like this. He could handle it, and that's why he treated teasing me as a pass time. He was the only creature that could face my wrath and live. The demon easily peeled my hands away from his neck and held them as he watched me catch my breath, beginning to calm down from the violent outburst.

"Well, I'm assuming he didn't react well?" He continued casually, sitting up now.

"Yeah, he kicked me out of his base. I haven't seen him or heard from him since, and it's almost been a week."

"I know this is a long shot, but have you tried apologizing to him?" I scoffed.

"How am I supposed to apologize if he doesn't come to school or answer my calls or texts?" I retorted, arching a brow. Pepito pursed his lips in thought.

"Fair point. Maybe you just need to do what you do best and use force to get your point across." He suggested.

"That's what I was planning to do today." I replied.

"Then what the hell are you doing here blabbing to me? Go make up with your alien boyfriend." The demon said with a smirk.

"He isn't my boyfriend!" I snarled, hoping my gaze alone would set him on fire. No such luck, as Pepito rolled his eyes.

"Go on, prima. I'm sure he's missing your dark aura just as much as you miss...whatever it is you see in him." He said, shooing me with his hands. I glared at him hatefully as I got out of his lap and stood from the bed.

"If I didn't have this nonsense to take care of, I'd scalp you." He blew me a kiss that I rolled my eyes at and ignored, shutting his bedroom door as I slipped into the hall.

With Zim…

Gaz went straight to Zim's, hoping to resolve whatever this was before her shift started. She rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally she banged on the lopsided door with her fist, scowling at it. Gir immediately popped his head up in view of the window and waved at her dumbly. She rolled her eyes and turned her gaze up towards the rest of the house again.

"Hey Zim, open up!" She barked, knowing if he didn't hear her, his security system would, if it hadn't already alerted him of her presence.

"Go away, Gaz beast." A disinterested, monotonous reply came from a vaguely doorbell shaped box next to the door. The teen narrowed her eyes at it and stepped closer.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She asked, annoyed that Zim was acting like a child. For all she knew, he probably was still a child by Irken standards.

"I am not...avoiding you. I'm simply busy with my independent research." He retorted loftily, his distant tone only serving to piss her off more.

"Uh huh, so this doesn't have anything to do with the kiss on Monday?" Gaz challenged, raising a brow. There was no rebuttal and she smirked. "Thought so. Look, can you just let me in so we can talk, please?" The girl asked, nearly choking on the 'please'. Zim didn't deserve niceties, but she couldn't deny that she felt...guilty for what she had done. Niceties, a verbal apology, who the fuck am I?

"There isn't anything to talk about! I'm very busy, I don't have time to argue with you." The alien responded curtly. Gaz clenched her jaw and hands in an effort to placate herself, leaning in again to speak.

"Zim, if you're gonna keep acting like an idiot, I'm just gonna break in to talk to you." She growled threateningly. Nice never really worked out for her, she was much better at getting her way using violence and fear. There was a pause before Zim answered.

"You wouldn't…" He murmured, sounding equally afraid and defiant. The human pulled away from the speaker and looked around herself for an object to bust one of the windows. Near one of the lawn gnomes, she found a sizable chunk of broken concrete, probably missed during the cleanup of one of Zim's stupid schemes. She picked up the chunk and tossed it into the air, catching it easily as she glared at one of the windows of the house.

"Wanna fucking bet?" Gaz snapped, tossing the chunk again, testing the invader's resolve.

"You're insufferable." She heard him hiss through the speaker. The teen grinned triumphantly and waited patiently for the alien to let her in. When Zim opened the door, he wasn't in his disguise, which wasn't all that surprising because the neighborhood he lived in was mostly vacant now.

"What do you have to say, worm baby? My time is very precious and I'm in the middle of an experiment." He said, looking down at her. Normally that tone would earn him a swift punch in the face, but she couldn't help as her gaze fell to the ground in embarrassment.

"Look, I came here so I could…" the words stuck in her throat and she tried to clear it before speaking again. "So I could say that I'm-" sorry, she kept saying the word in her head, but it refused to manifest. Gaz sighed in frustration, still unwilling to look up at the alien. "I'm not good at this." She finally admitted, earning an amused chortle from the invader.

"Zim agrees, whatever this is it seems to be going horribly." He quipped, his arms crossed as he stood there trying to look superior to her. She felt her resolve snap as she bared her teeth in warning.

"Listen, you stupid Lima bean, I came here to apologize, alright?" Gaz snarled, her fists clenched at her sides as she glared up at Zim. His expression changed from one of surprise, to one of confusion, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Apologize?"

"Yes, damit." She hissed, stepping towards him. The invader actually stepped back, further into his base and she followed, so she wouldn't have to apologize on his doorstep. Somehow that image just made this whole thing worse. "I shouldn't have kissed you, knowing you wouldn't be able to handle it. I thought it would be funny to see you freak out, and it was, but I didn't think you would be so embarrassed by it that you would avoid me."

"Zim avoids no one! And I was not embarrassed by your disgusting human kissing!" He argued, his face flushing the way it had after she had kissed him.

"Oh really, because you're blushing right now." The girl teased with a smirk, earning a clueless look from the alien.

"Eh?" Gaz tried not to roll her eyes.

"Blushing. It happens when people are angry, embarrassed, or ashamed." She explained. The Irken frowned at this, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"Zim does not blush!" He argued, even though he could physically feel his face grow warmer, as if to spite him.

"She's right, sir." The AI chimed in, lowering a mirror from the ceiling. The invader scowled and examined his face, flushing even more when he realized that she was telling the truth.

"I've never seen this type of reaction from another Irken." He muttered to himself.

"It could be psychological, a behavior you've picked up on subconsciously." Gaz suggested with a casual shrug.

"This is not about Zim! You came to apologize for...something?" Zim deflected. This time Gaz frowned and avoided his gaze once again.

"Yes…"

"Very well. Zim is nothing if not a gracious partner, so I will forgive your foolishness," the teen glared at the invader, but it only served to amuse him. "if you say the words." He finished with a viscous grin.

"Fine." She mumbled, shutting her eyes tightly. "Zim," she began, chancing a look up at the alien.

"I'm listening, Gaz-partner." He patronized. He couldn't resist a cursory glance at the exposed cleft of her breasts before quickly glancing back up at her amber eyes. They were an odd feature to be sure, but they were enticing all the same.

"You are the absolute worst!" Gaz shouted suddenly, catching the invader off guard.

"Eh?" Did she catch me looking?

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She definitely caught me looking. In their short hiatus, Zim had discovered just why his partner was so protective of her breasts. And after learning how sensitive they were, it only made his interest in them grow. "You knew exactly what was going to happen. You've seen kids at school kiss before, hell, I'm pretty sure you've seen me kiss Oliver." The invader blinked, finally catching up. Oh. That. "You knew what I was going to do, but you still tried to make me feel bad about it!" She snapped, jabbing a finger in his direction.

"Eheh, well…" Zim trailed off sheepishly.

"I should kick your ass for getting me all worked up!" She yelled, sweeping the Irken's legs out from under him, catching him by the collar of his uniform before he could deploy his PAK legs or hit the floor. He had to admit, he was in awe of her raw prowess. He felt his squeedly spooch stutter a bit before forcing a cocksure smile.

"Did you really miss Zim that much?" He teased, grinning when she once again blushed a scarlet color.

"You! Ugh, I can't stand you!" She ground out, pulling the alien closer, her face fierce despite her flushed cheeks.

"And yet, you're here." He pointed out smugly, at which point the girl dropped him without warning. Zim landed hard on his tailbone and resisted wincing visibly at the pain.

"You know what? Forget it. We're not doing this anymore." She groused, heading for the door, which had closed without her realizing.

"What are you talking about?" He questioned, dusting himself off as he stood.

"I'm calling off this stupid test of your resolve. You clearly aren't capable of handling intimate contact. And if you can't handle being kissed, even briefly, then there's no way you can use human sexuality as a control tactic." She clarified, her tone firm and resolute. There wasn't any point in trying to teach him about this if he wasn't going to take it seriously. Not that she really had been, but this was supposedly for his benefit. The least he could do is be...professional. Unbeknownst to Gaz, the invader was indeed taking this very seriously. He had been researching non-stop for the past five days in order to figure out why he felt the way he did when she kissed him.

"Is that what you think, little Gaz?" He provoked, cornering the human against the door. She spun around in surprise and immediately pressed herself against the wood, trying to put a distance between them. There wasn't much room for that, and the girl, deep down, felt a small spark of panic.

"W-what are you-" he moved closer and Gaz shut her eyes in defiance, unwilling to acknowledge the way her stomach was flipping, unwilling to face that inkling of intimidation. You're really going to let this moron get one over on you? She scolded herself. It didn't seem to embolden her, though she managed to meet his eyes.

"I have been doing independent research, while simultaneously running an experiment." He carefully trailed a hand along the outside of her leg, maintaining eye contact with her. His studies revealed this to be an intimate act, but he found it rather clinical in this context. After all, he was simply testing out what he had learned. He would form an opinion on the act after seeing the human's reaction. "I wanted to see how you would react to my absence, since you humans are so clingy. And you didn't disappoint." He chuckled, recalling the messages she had sent him and her calls, all of which he ignored. He hadn't expected it to be as difficult as it was, but if this, watching her squirm under him, was the reward, he could manage.

"But avoiding you left time that needed to be filled. So I've been studying your human seduction rituals, and I've also studied what areas on your body could be considered sensitive to stimulation. I believe I've made a bit of a breakthrough, wouldn't you agree?" The Irken purred into her ear, his voice low. He grinned, hearing her breath hitch when he pressed his body against hers. This was a pleasant change of pace. Normally, he would find any sign of weakness pathetic and vile. But something about backing the Earth girl into a corner, forcing someone clearly powerful (less powerful than him, of course) into a state of submission...it was exciting. It was different from the rush he got when he was in the forest with her, more intense, and burning. But it was exhilarating, and he wanted to chase that feeling to its end.

"That's enough, you've made your point!" She said, her voice half an octave higher than it usually was as she pushed on the alien's chest. He acquiesced, but kept one hand on her hip with the other blocking her only route of escape. Zim offered a cocky grin as he reached out a hand to stroke her cheek curiously.

"I've seen your face turn red like this many times, but I can't figure out what it means." He muttered, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized her face.

"Embarrassment, and arousal, it would seem." Computer suddenly butted in, causing both parties to stare at one another with wide eyes.

"Computer!" Gaz hissed, completely mortified by the AI's revelation.

"Anger." Computer noted and the human growled, forcing the AI into submission.

"Sorry." It muttered. Zim felt himself swell with pride. So I can cause a positive reaction from her after all...

"Arousal, huh? And you said I couldn't handle this sort of thing." He quipped, leaning in a bit again. Gaz almost smacked her head on the door in an effort to pull away.

"You're blushing too, idiot. What do you think that means?" She fired back, crossing her arms.

"Eh, anger?" The invader replied dumbly. The teen rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Get a clue, Zim." She sneered, ducking out from under his arm while he was distracted.

"Arousal." Computer offered, and the girl quirked a brow, smiling at the bewildered expression on Zim's face.

"Nonsense! You've simply infected me with your filthy Earth germs and I'm having an allergic reaction." He reasoned with a nod. Perhaps the burning in his veins was part of this allergy. Surely there wasn't any way a primitive creature like her could evoke...feelings like that. Even if all the evidence proved otherwise, he could never! He was above this, above her, above being attracted to such an insignificant, but terrifying being. Gaz scoffed and shook her head in pity.

"It's not an allergic reaction." She insisted, grabbing him by the front of his tunic and pulling him to her, her face only centimeters from his. The invader blinked in shock from the sudden movement and swallowed nervously. The girl loosened her grip a little and pulled back to survey the alien's face. As she had predicted, his cheeks had a light pink tinge to them now. It was difficult to discern because of his skin tone, but he was definitely blushing. "See, you're embarrassed." She murmured with a knowing smirk. Zim remained mute, simply watching her, or rather, he was focused on her mouth. Gaz hummed in amusement, cupping the Irken's face with one hand. She slowly guided his face towards hers, hoping to give him enough time to pull away or protest this time. But he said nothing, he didn't resist her guidance, he didn't shy away like she had expected him to. She pressed her lips to his gently but firmly, keeping the pressure for a few moments. She eased up and ended the kiss with a chaste peck before pulling away. The human watched him as his brow furrowed in thought and he pressed his fingers to his lips.

"This feels strange." The invader mused, his eyes finally meeting hers. Gaz nodded in understanding and smirked.

"Yeah, but it's a good kind of strange, right?" He nodded in agreement. "Then maybe you aren't hopeless in this endeavor. However, I don't suggest focusing the majority of our time researching this. Primary focus should be on collecting data about the population, current relations with countries, the planet's means for defense, and just how we're going to seize control over everyone." She continued. When the Irken didn't reply, she waved a hand in front of his face and he seemed to snap out of his stupor. Gaz sighed and rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "You're gonna quit ignoring me now, right?" She asked, to which the alien just waved her off, like it was a silly question.

"Yes yes, Zim will resume regular communications with you." His noncommittal reply did little to convince her, but he was still deep in thought and couldn't be bothered to offer anything better.

"Good. Because you're failing anatomy now." That seemed to catch his attention and his head snapped up to look at the human.

"WHAT? HOW?!" He demanded, grabbing her arms. Gaz sneered and elbowed him to break his hold on her.

"You ditched on two of the worst days possible. Thursday was our test, and Friday was the makeup day." She answered simply.

"Stupid Earth education." He grumbled under his breath.

"My advice; start coming to school. Idiot." She jeered, turning away from the invader.

"Where are you going?" He called after her.

"Work. I'll see you tomorrow so I can help you study for the makeup test you're going to have to take Monday." She told him, opening the door. She halted suddenly and looked back at the alien. "And Zim, if you ever try to touch me like that again without my permission, I'm breaking every one of your PAK legs and shoving them down your throat." Gaz warned, slamming the door behind her. As she walked back home, she found herself tracing her lips with her finger, losing herself in thought. Strange...but good.