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ZADR? Or DAZR? Ch 4

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CHAPTER 4
ZADR? Or DAZR?
Rating: M
Warnings: romance and a wee bit of violence
Pairing: ZADR
Disclaimer: Invader Zim is owned by Jhonen Vasquez, but this lovely ZADR belongs to me
Summary: Hi Skool is hell, but not everyone sees it that way. Can two long-time enemies become the closest of companions? Only one way to find out. -ZADR-

CHAPTER4

Zim almost skipped to skool the next day. He was still giddy with happiness. Maybe he was winning the Dib over! Oh happy day it would be when he could finally hear those three simple words from the human's mouth! And maybe those lips would be on his instead of his cheek.

He arrived in his first period class: Calculus II. Zim, being a genius at universal math laws, was even far too smart for that class. But he took it anyway and played through the hour and a half. It was more or less a class to work on whatever he wanted but he usually did nothing.

Today would be one of those days, he was sure.

He bounced into class and sat down. No one was there yet, except the teacher. He seemed to live there. Maybe he did… Either way, it didn't matter much to Zim.

The Irken pulled out a notebook from his bag and started doodling the human boy and himself all over one of the pages. He was so busy doodling, he didn't notice when someone came in to talk to the teacher. At least, not until they opened their mouth to speak.

"Mr. Brown," a familiar voice began. "I was wondering if I could borrow one of your students during this class."

Zim turned around slightly to find Dib talking to the teacher. He would've squealed, but calmed himself down just in time. He flipped back a few pages in his notebook to where his English homework was: an analysis of one of Shakespeare's sonnets. He scribbled a few nonsense words on his analysis as he listened intently.

"Well, Membrane, it depends on which one you want to take," Mr. Brown replied in a business-like tone.

"I wanted to borrow Zim," Dib told him.

Mr. Brown seemed to think about it for a moment. "Well, he doesn't really seem to need the lesson. If he agrees, you're more than welcome to take him with you. May I ask why?"

"Scientific experiment," Dib replied. "We need to even out the control group. There are two many girls, not enough boys. I figured I could use Zim since he gets the best grades anyway."

Zim gulped. He missed the last part because of the shiver that ran down his spine at the word "experiment." He remembered all the old "experiments" from Dib's youth. Dib was moving toward him and Zim pretended not to notice, although he was on edge now. He would've been sweating had he the glands to sweat from.

"Hey, Zim," Dib said and sat down at the desk in front of the alien, turning to smile at him. "I'm sure you heard my proposal. What do you say?"

Zim looked up at him and blinked before returning to his work. "What kind of experiment is it?" he asked, trying his best to sound calm and at ease.

"Just something to test scientific method for the freshmen," Dib explained. "It's a bio 1 class. There too many girls for it to be even enough. I think you might find it interesting."

Zim sighed and got up. "Mr. Brown? What's tonight's homework?"

-*-

A few minutes later and they were on their way toward the science department.

"I don't see why you dragged me out of class for this," Zim mumbled. He was only acting annoyed out of habit, but it would be weird if he were skipping gaily along like he really wanted to.

Dib sighed. "I have to even out the gender ratio. It's almost equal now. And besides, you're the only person I could think of whose teacher would let them out for me. Mr. Brown likes me despite my lack of math skills."

Zim nodded. "It wasn't like I was going to do anything in there anyway." He twirled absently and continued to walk.

Dib raised an eyebrow at his behavior.

"Bored," Zim explained – as if it were an actual explanation.

"I bore you?" Dib asked, mock-offended.

"No, this hallway bores me intensely. It is most evil with its drab colors and blandness. It needs a hint of pink." Yes, it needed a lot of pink.

"Why do you like pink so much?" Dib asked.

The Irken popped out a contact and blinked. Looking over at him, he answered. "My eyes are pink. I like things to match them." He popped the contact back in.

"Huh. I thought they were crimson," Dib commented.

"Crimson, pink, all shades of the same color. Doesn't matter," Zim said, waving the matter off. "They could also be magenta."

The halls were starting to get fuller as the clock winded down to class time. Dib led the Irken into the lab prep room.

"Sit anywhere you want. I've got to finish copying this lab." Dib moved over to the copy machine and pushed a few buttons.

"There isn't an experiment, is there," Zim said suspiciously.

"How'd you guess?" Dib responded, chuckling lightly. He gave him a sly grin. "I'm just borrowing you for my own personal gain. It's not like you were doing anything in your math class anyway. It's win-win here."

"True…" Zim sat on a table and started swinging his legs. Dib had gotten him out of class just to spend time with him. How sweet. "You are a strange one, Diblet. What do you want of me today?" He cocked his head to one side, watching the busy bee work.

"Hmmm? Oh today I just want your company. And anything else I can think of." He glanced at the Irken before turning back to the copy machine.

"Oh…" Zim looked around the room. There were cabinets full of chemicals and compounds and boxes of specimens. It reminded him of when he was a scientist and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"What's wrong?" Dib had been watching him and definitely noticed the shiver.

"Oh, nothing. This room just reminds me of my scientist days."

"You were a scientist?" Dib actually turned all the way around to face him, his full attention on the Irken rather than the papers in his hands he was supposed to be copying.

"Still am at heart!" He smirked at the human, but his face fell as he continued. "It was before I became an Invader. I created this awesome blob thing! But it was a complete failure in the end. It ate Tallest Miyuki. And Spork…" He smiled, embarrassed. "Complete failure."

"Miyuki sounds like a girl's name," Dib commented.

"It is," Zim responded, knowing what the next question would be. "Yes, there are female Irkens too."

"I knew that! Tak, remember?" Dib chuckled. "I just didn't think there would be a female Tallest."

"Just because your society doesn't like females doesn't mean mine doesn't. We believe in equality. Thus, we've had female leaders, not many, but a few," Zim explained. "Miyuki was one of the best leaders we ever had. We were in a golden age. Our Empire grew tenfold during her reign. And I ended it. It's my fault." His eyes had been shimmering with pride at the memory, but now he looked pitiful, his eyes dull with pain. "Heh… Then Spork could only give a speech to the Invaders before my unstoppable blob ate him too. My Tallest, I'd forgotten how much of an idiot I've been through the years. I was twenty and already screwing up." He looked at the floor and let out a pathetic laugh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be telling you this. It'll only depress you too."

Suddenly, arms were around him. He looked up, or tried to at least. Dib was hugging him. He gave into the comfort and buried his face in the boy's shirt and pulled him closer by wrapping his arms around him.

"It's okay…" Dib mumbled. "You became an Invader after that. And now you're here. You're here with me."

"Dib…" Zim cried, burying his face deeper into the fabric, pulling the human even closer to him. "Oh Irk!" There were tears leaking through his tightly closed eyes. He was sure that Dib could feel them against his skin.

"Shhh…" Dib crooned, petting the Irken's fake hair. "You don't have to worry about any of that. There's no one here to judge you on your past." He slipped out of the alien's grip only to level himself with the other. He cupped his cheek, searching his eyes. "You're perfect. Nothing could change that in my mind. Not your past nor what anybody thinks of you. I don't think that the blob-thing was entirely your fault. It's not like you designed it for the soul purpose of Tallest killing, nor did you assign it the task. It was an accident, right? You are still Zim, alien conqueror, in my eyes."

Zim rubbed his eyes and smiled. "Dib, thanks…"

The human smiled. "Thank you? Did the amazing Zim just show gratitude?" He ruffled his hair and returned to the copy machine. "You're so weird."

Zim blushed as he straightened his wig. "You're the weird one, Diblet. Ranting about aliens and no one believing you."

Dib grinned. "Well, you're the only proof I have and they all think you're human." He pulled a stack of paper out of the copy machine. "Want to help me staple?"

"Guess so…"

-*-

They spent the rest of the hour and a half talking about new movies and stapling papers together.

When the bell rang, they headed off to physics where they sat far apart due to the teacher's brilliant seating chart. After that, they parted ways, Dib heading for art class and Zim for shop.

The Irken had a knack for the technical aspects of life including working with his hands. He was one of the best in the class. But that came from years of rigging models and setting up large-scale experiments not to mention fixing robots and machines for years. Yes, he was an accomplished Earth-stink-baby. Yay…

Then it was lunch and the pair met up again.

"I never asked you if you were feeling better," the alien said as the two stood in line.

"I am," the other responded. "Much, actually."

"Good," Zim mumbled as he took his food from the lunch lady. "Diblet needs to be healthy to succeed at life."

Dib blushed lightly and slid his tray along.

They sat at a table in the far corner of the crowded cafeteria, closest to the sunlight filled windows. It was late fall and it was particularly chilly today. Any warmth that could be gained from the sun was more than welcome – the skool system had not turned on the heat just yet.

"Physics was something else, wasn't it?" Dib commented as he opened his milk.

"Hmmm? No, not really. It was pretty easy for me," Zim informed him as he too opened his dairy product of choice – chocolate milk.

The human pointed his fork at the alien. "That's because you're a math genius." He stabbed the utensil into his mystery meat. "Besides, you must have learned all of this way back when you were a kid."

Zim nodded. "I've been in the loop of physical science for forty years!" he proclaimed proudly. "And I sure as hell should be good at it by now, or I'm a complete idiot."

Dib chuckled. "You still suck at natural science."

"I only suck at human life sciences. I know everything there is to know when it comes to Irkens and our "allies" slash prisoners. Just not Earth creatures, understand?" He twirled his fork in his hand before stabbing it maliciously into his meat. "Damn meat won't cut."

"It's mystery meat for a reason. Half the mystery is how to cut it."

This joke got a grin out of the Irken. "And what's the other half?"

"What it's made of, of course," Dib responded with a smirk. "I maintain that it's tofu."

"I still think it's ostrich or something equally creepy," said the other. "Like buffalo."

"Those would be too expensive to serve for free."

"So would tofu."

"Maybe it's-" Zim started, looking scared.

"Humans!" they cried together, clapping their hands over their mouths. But it was merely play. They burst into laughter seconds later. "Humans! What a riot!"


"So, what are you doing after school today?" Dib asked a little while later.

The Irken shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Homework most likely. Got to maintain that perfect GPA!"

Dib snorted at his honor-roll-student impression. "Well, I was wondering, since it's Friday and all, if you wanted to go see a movie. You thought "Attack of the Wolfclan" would be good, so maybe we should see that." He swirled his food with his fork. "What do you think?"

Zim blushed. Was he doing what he thought he was doing? "You mean, like a date?" Zim asked. Maybe he really was winning him over!

"If you want to call it that," Dib responded, glancing at him. "I'd call it a 'friendly outing.'"

The alien squealed in delight. "You bet, Diblet! Shall you pick me up around seven? Maybe we could go get dinner too. Or coffee!" He was clearly excited, as he should've been. Dib Membrane was asking him out! Sort of… "This is going to be great, Dib!"

Membrane looked up, surprised at the Irken's excitement. "Yeah, seven sounds fine. And coffee sounds good too," he responded. "It should be great. After all, this is the Dib Membrane taking you out!"

"So it IS a date!" Zim cried, glee written all over his face. "Yay!"

"Like I said, if you want to call it that."

Just then, the bell rang and Dib and Zim had to spit ways once again. Well, at least in the class room. Mr. Brown had them sitting on opposite sides of the room for their AP Statistics class. Today, they were working on probability – one of Dib's specialties (for once) – and it was, as usual, a boring lesson for Zim who spent the entire time day dreaming about his date with Dib. It was going to be great. Oh so very great!

~*~*~
You guys asked for it. MORE ZADR GOO!!
© 2011 - 2024 FortheLoveofKei
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catlover0616's avatar
It was going to be great. Oh so very great!
Or will it?
Nice job!