Review Replies :

Moth Mask - Well, I'd rather not be compared to THAT person. That's terrible :\

Invader Xi -Thankyou(: That was actually a last minute cliffhanger XD

Invader Cakez - I'll get right to that ;)

Moon Toy - Cuz they're EPIC XD

Invader Neo - You know, right when I read that it's like it clicked something in my brain and I instantly got half the chapter done.

Emo cat loverz - Here it is(^:

"Zim?" Dib was shocked to see the disguised green alien flat on his back in front of him.

"CAN'T YOU HUMAN-FILTHIES WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING?" Zim screeched. He sat up to confront the lousy human that knocked him over, but paused when he saw his face. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"It's me, Zim." Dib replied, pulling his shades down to reveal his regular glasses and golden brown eyes. Without thinking Dib offered his hand to Zim but Zim only frowned at it and stood up on his own.

Zim circled around the supposed Dib, and Dib was bewildered when Zim's hand made contact with his hair. He touched him. Nobody was able to touch him. Dib couldn't help but gasp at the feel of Zim's glove and almost wanted to lean into the touch. Zim's hand ran through the top of Dib's head, as if he were rubbing it, until he found what he was looking for and pulled the now shaggy scythe up into view.

"Aha! There you are Dib-stink!"

Dib was so lost in the relaxed feeling on his head, and he was dissappointed when that wonderful hand had pulled away and let his scythe fall back to its place on the side of his head. It stuck out a little from the hair gel being messed up, but Dib didn't seem to notice.

After the long pause, Zim opened his mouth to speak again, but Dib beat him to it.

"I can touch people again!" he announced triumphantly, snapping out of his dazed state. I should've noticed that earlier when I knocked Drey over, he realized.

"Zim was just about to say the same thing," Zim proclaimed. "I see you have obtained a disguise, even though ZIM could've done better!"

"Speaking of that," Dib suddenly looked serious and his eyes grew suspiscious. "What exactly have you been doing for the past four-and-a-half days, Zim? What if I needed you to open a door for me? You said you would be helping!"

"Calm yourself, Dib-creature." Zim waved his hand dismissively. "Zim has known all along of your progress and that you didn't require assisstance with the door-openy."

"What if I needed other stuff? Did you ever think of asking before assuming I was ok?" Dib combated with his arms crossed.

He started to think Zim didn't have a reply until he was caught off guard by Zim's mouth smashing against his. Dib jumped in surprise. Not two seconds later, Zim's razor teeth bit into Dib's lips, hard enough to make him bleed, but he didn't bleed since he was inhuman. He yelped against Zim's mouth but was quickly drowned out when Zim's serpent tongue dived down his throat and it made him almost gag a little. Dib felt his knees starting to go wobbly, and he couldn't figure out if it was because he was so shocked by what Zim was doing, or that he actually liked it. He slowly reached up to push Zim away, but his wrists were quickly pinned behind his back by Zim's claws and he was shoved roughly to the ground behind Zim's fence.

"Zmm..." Dib tried to say but was muffled under Zim's mouth.

Zim caught Dib's trying to say his name and quickly pulled away, panting with his dark pink tongue lolling out. He studied Dib's face as if he were searching hard for something. "Are you enjoying Zim's human infection?"

Dib blinked at him. When he finally snapped out of it he gripped Zim's shoulders and pushed him off so they could both stand up.

"Why did you just do that to me?" he demanded after a moment. "We aren't even... Why...I mean...did you even know what you were doing?"

Zim looked at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "Why are you speaking nonsense, Dib-thing? You should be returning the infection back to Zim."

Zim continued to stare at Dib, and that's when Dib realized something. If he had blood, his cheeks would have been brick red. "Zim...you don't mean...affection, do you?"

"Yes, affection. Of course, Zim knows what he was saying," Zim said.

"Why would you try to do human affection with me, Zim?" Dib asked curiously. That's when he considered that Zim was probably doing research, because he never really found out about human affection. It had to be what he was doing in his lab, but why now? And why hide it?

"Because you are supposed to do the lip-smooshing whenever you're angry! Is your brain vanishable as well? Shouldn't you know your own disgusting customs, Dib-thing?" Zim spoke as if he was completely confident he was right.

"What?" Dib shook his head. "No, no, Zim, that's not right. Not even close. You don't kiss someone when you're mad, and you can't just make out with me like this in public!"

Zim tilted his head, obviously confused. "Make...out?"

Dib sighed. He never thought he'd end up having to explain this to Zim. He thought the alien would know enough to Google it, but if he had it or not Dib didn't know.

"Zim..." Dib glanced around, thankful to see that no one was around. Or no one that he could see. He looked back at Zim. "Come inside. It's probably better we don't talk out here."

"Why?" Zim asked, narrowing one eye.

"Just come on." Dib pulled on Zim's wrist before Zim quickly yanked away and yelled something about not touching his amazing self.

"Why does it matter if you were just all over my mouth!" Dib wanted to say but decided better of it. Instead he pointed at the couch. "You might want to sit for this."

Zim normally would have argued but he was actually very curious about what the Dib had to say, so he quickly plopped his butt down on the couch.

Wow, that was easy, Dib thought. He tried to gather himself as he took a deep breath. He still felt a little shaky from Zim's kiss so it took him a minute before he could start.

"Diiiib. Dib!" Zim waved his hand in front of Dib's face, not understanding why he wasn't speaking.

"Hey, quit!" Dib irritably swatted his hand away. "I'm just trying to think."

"Are you mesmerized by my affections on you?"

Dib wasn't prepared for that, and at this moment he was so thankful he couldn't blush, or else there was no doubt Zim would notice and ask a question. But before Zim could say anything else, Dib managed to catch up with himself.

"Look, Zim, you know what my mission is? Finding somebody to love? Well, that's when you use human affection, when you love somebody."

"Luurrve..." Zim looked thoughtful. "And when the Dib finds the female human he lurves...then you give her you're affections?"

"Well, um, yes." Dib thought he saw something on Zim's face. Was it...was he angry? Maybe he was just thinking.

Zim looked up at Dib with his blue-grey eyes. "And you...do not want the affections from Zim, correct?"

Dib lost his voice for a moment and found himself sitting on the couch beside Zim. "Zim...do you still think of us as enemies? Forget that we're in a truce and just tell me what you really think. Say if I were to return to my human life again, would you still hate me?" Dib himself knew that if he got to go back to human life, nothing would ever be the same between him and Zim.

"Irkens are trained to feel only for their mission and their Tallests. We do not feel the lower lurve emotions that humans do simply because it gets in the way of our mission." Zim explained this as if he had practiced the line one-hundred times.

"It's LOVE Zim. L-O-V-E." Dib corrected. "Wait, so Irkens don't feel love?"

Zim shook his head. "Irkens feel only a small amount of love, but it is only for the Tallests and certain objects. But we are unable to feel love for another being."

"But that's wrong. Isn't that up to you if you want to feel love for somebody?"

"Do not insult the Empire, Dib-leech!" Zim growled. "You cannot question the laws, you only follow them."

"But..."

"ENOUGH questions Dib!" Zim stood up suddenly as if to leave, but Dib quickly caught his hand.

"Come on, Zim. Don't go. I'm sorry, ok?" Dib didn't know why he was apologizing, he just didn't want to Zim to abandon him again.

Zim quickly yanked his hand away. He turned around to face Dib completely and said, "Don't touch me! I have a business to attend to, and I will be back shortly." And at that Zim fled off towards the toilet and threw himself down. He knew Dib was still able to follow, so that's why he had prepared an energy shield. Nothing that produced any kind of activity could get through, or that's what he was hoping for. He hadn't tested it yet.

Zim tumbled over to the spot set for the shield, and quickly hit the ON button. But to his surprise, he hadn't heard any noise indicating that Dib was down here, and for a moment thought that his shield didn't work. After waiting quietly in one spot he finally realized.

Dib didn't follow him.

Zim let out a relieved sigh but decided not to let the shield down just to be safe. He didn't want to be around Dib right now. There was this weird sensation that came over him when they started 'kissing', and it stayed in this warm fuzzy feeling when they were talking. Zim didn't know that human affection was for 'love', and his intentions were completely different. From what he knew, human affection was meant to be for the one you wanted to rule over or claim, and you were supposed to do it when you were angry. But this love...Zim wondered what Dib thought when he kissed him. Could he have the love feelings for Zim?

Zim looked up into the reflection of his blank monitor. The stupid disguise was getting itchy all over, so he tugged off the wig and discarded the contacts into their case. His alien form was now the reflection in the computer. He touched his antenna gently and started caressing it with his finger tips. It was thin and had a different texture than soft human hair. His eyes were pupiless, and were instead completely pink, a color humans couldn't have in their eyes. He was so different, he wondered, could he be loved by a human?

But why should I care what these filthy hyuumans think about ME? I am Irken. I am the superior race and these humans will soon be at their knees before me! Zim thought. He pulled himself out of his chair, and without leaving the shield, headed over to a desk with his recent project. Maybe if he worked a little it would help him clear his head. That and he really needed to make these modifications now that he knew more about human affection. A sudden thought occured to him that he had promised Dib he would be back up soon. Zim glanced at the clock and thought for a moment.

He can wait one more day, Zim decided. I NEED to finish this before tomorrow!

With that, Zim picked up a few tools, started a page on his computer, and got back to work.

I've been going back and forth from the pool to cleaning the house to moving furniture to setting up my next trip to here all day. So here it is! Hope you all liked the surprise ZADR in there :) I was going to mention it at the beginning but I decided it'd be better to be a surprise.

Ok, so real quick before you review or pick your nose or whatever you have the urge to do! I'm just wondering about the people that have offered to do drawings, because I haven't heard back from any of you guys.

The OFFICIAL name of the sequel is Next To You, and I'll tell you where it came from on the first chapter of the sequel or probably the last chapter of this story. As of now this story is going to pick up some speed, but it won't be too much of a change so don't worry.

LAST THING: I'm going to Daytona Beach for my church trip in two days, and they don't allow phones or computers, and it's for the whole week. So I may or may not get another chapter in before I go, it depends how much time I take to shop and pack tomorrow.

Ah, review quota. Let's have 120 reviews this time, unless of course I get to update tomorrow I don't expect that many in one day. Otherwise this should be fairly easy :)

THANKYOU EVERYONE!

RxR (120)

PEACE!