Insane - An Invader Zim AU

Friends?

"Friends?" Zim said, confused. "Zim thought the Dib hated him..?" Dib stared at Zim and nodded, Zim, shifting uncomfortably. GIR screamed something nonsensical and Dib peered behind Zim.

"Is that your robot?" Dib asked like it was a completely normal thing to ask. Zim nodded, GIR waddling over to Zim and climbing up onto the window sill, holding out the small purple plush he had to Dib. Dib tilted his head at GIR, his eyes flicking up at Zim who was very uncomfortable with the present situation. "Did you make him?"

"Of course I did" Zim snapped, picking GIR up and setting him on his bed. GIR held the plush out to Zim who took it and put it on his bookshelf, smiling slightly and patting his robot on the head. Dib watched them until Zim spun around and stood back at the window. "Zim will be... friends with the Dib-Thing as long as he stops spreading his lies."

"The one about being an alien or the other thing?" Dib asked. Zim blinked.

"What other thing?" Zim asked and Dib grinned.

"Nothing."

Zim rolled his eyes and frowned. "Cease the spreading of both of the Dib's lies then," Zim said and Dib nodded.

"Deal," Dib said with a smile and put his hand out to Zim who shook it. Dib pulled away rather quickly and looked back past Zim as GIR screamed something about tacos, a car pulling into Zim's driveway.

"Zim's parents don't want him talking to you," Zim said quickly, "Zim will see the Dib at school tomorrow." Dib gave a nod and climbed down the tree, running off down the street quickly. Zim sighed and slammed his window shut as he watched his parents get out of their car. Zim went back to his desk, going back to doing his work.

"Son!" Zim jumped as he heard his parents call from the bottom of the stairs, GIR yelling something in response. Zim got up quickly and went to the hall, looking down at his parents. "Was that the Membrane kid in the tree?" His mother asked and Zim paused before nodding.

"Yes, the Dib and Zim have come to an agreement and are no longer enemies," Zim said, his parents looking at each other nervously before nodding and talking with each other as they went to the kitchen. Zim looked down at GIR who was staring up at him, "Yes, GI-" He was cut off as the robot screamed and ran back to Zim's room. Zim sighed and followed his mechanical companion back to his room.

The next day when Zim opened his door to leave for school, he was face to face with Dib who was smiling. "Hi, Zim!" He said, looking impossibly happy to see him. "I figured since we're practically neighbors, we could walk together to school!" Zim shifted uncomfortably, disturbed by the odd behavior.

"That seems logical..." Zim said uneasily, shutting the door behind him and silently walked down the driveway with Dib.

Dib stopped walking and looked back at Zim's house, "Your robot is staring at me-" Dib said and Zim blinked turning back to see GIR in the living room window, his eyes red and slanted as if he were glaring at Dib. "Is that cheese...?" Zim frowned as GIR ate directly from a bag of cheese in the window sill, still staring at them.

"Just ignore GIR, he likes the way food tastes," Zim said and turned back to the road, walking down the street towards school.

"But he doesn't have taste buds?" Dib said, confused.

"Exactly," Zim said with a frown. "Yesterday he tried eating soap." Dib laughed and gave Zim an odd smile.

"That's funny"

"I suppose so, yes," Zim said, pretty much ignoring Dib. He was still very uncomfortable, Dib having punched him only a few days before. The side of his face hurt just thinking about it.

"Does he always eat food?" Dib asked, still talking about GIR.

"Constantly."

"Really?" Dib said and Zim nodded. "Is that why he's so hyper all the time?" Zim glanced at him.

"No, he does not eat, any food that he consumes is put into a storage compartment that Zim has to clean daily because of how disgusting it gets," Zim said with a frown. "He's 'hyper' because he watches nothing but children's shows and absorbs knowledge from that."

"Teach him something else?" Dib suggested.

"His hard drive is used to the routine of only eating, screaming, and simulating sleep. Plus all the wiring and motor components are most likely broken because of all the putty he's shoved into his head compartment." Zim muttered. "Zim doesn't feel like getting a new one and...I'm quite fond of him as he is."

Dib grinned and nodded. "He's pretty cute if you ignore the melted cheese on his face," Dib said and Zim gave a nod. They got to school, Zim finding that it wasn't very hard to find common interests with Dib. Both of them enjoyed computer science and GIR was always a subject that both of them could rely on, Dib asking how he worked and Zim complaining about how he didn't work. When they got to class, the both of them had talked until the teacher yelled at them to sit down.

When class broke for lunch, the both of them had started talking as soon as they got into the hall. The hallway started to clear as they walked toward the lunchroom, but a few students blocked their path. They were a few boys from their class but none of them looked too friendly and Dib looked less than happy to see them.

"Well, well, well." One of the boys said with a smirk. "If it isn't the nerd and the freak."

"Shut up, Torque," Dib said, frowning. Torque stepped forward and pushed Dib who nearly fell but caught himself on a nearby locker. "What's your problem-"

"I advise that you leave, gentlemen," Zim said calmly, glancing at Dib. Torque rolled his eyes and attempted to push Zim as well but Zim simply moved out of the way, the bully glaring at him. "Me and my friend here would like to get past you to get to the lunchroom, please leave us a-"  The bully shoved him into a locker, the other boys laughing.

"Zim-" Dib looked at him, somewhat concerned.

"Shut up freak," One of the other boys said. Torque looked at Zim smiling. "So nerd, you and the creep are friends now, huh?" Zim gave a small smile.

"Indeed we are." He said, his PAK whirling as he stepped away from the locker he was pushed into. One of the spider-like legs slowly unfolded from his PAK and it pointed at Torque's face, glaring at the bully. "Now let us by and leave us alone, gentlemen." Torque backed away and looked at his friends, all of them running down the hall to the lunchroom. The PAK leg pulled itself back into his PAK and Zim glanced at Dib who stared at him.

Dib was silent, staring at him. Zim started to say something but Dib cut him off, "Did you make that thing?" Dib asked and Zim blinked, nodding. Dib was silent for another moment before smiling. "That's cool"

Zim gave a small hesitant smile back, "Thank you" He said, walking with Dib to the lunchroom.

"Are you okay?" Dib asked and Zim looked at him, confused. "He shoved you, full force, into a locker." Zim gave a silent 'oh' and nodded.

"Zim is fine, thank you for your concern though, Dib-thing," Zim said and Dib nodded. "And are you alright? You were also pushed by them." Dib gave a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, sitting down at their table. "Do you have lunch from home again?"

Zim nodded, rubbing his arm where he had been pushed into the locker. He sat with Dib, taking his lunch out from the compartment in his PAK. Dib looked at Zim's PAK curiously, tilting his head. "Before you ask, no it is not alien technology," Zim said, eating his food. Dib nodded, standing to go get his lunch.

"I'll be back," Dib said with a smile and Zim nodded, smiling as well.