invader zim x reader oneshots ! 💫✨

𝐙𝐢𝐦 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 // 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐈 𝐀𝐔 𝐏𝐓.𝟐 🥀☁️

— I know I saiddd this would be a super fluffy chapter but L PSYCHE. Prepare for emotional Investment >:>

The muddy puddles along the path (Y/n) takes to school were nothing but a nuisance today. She grumbled under her breath as she watched her sneakers splash through the gravel, the leftover rain soaking through the fabric of her shoes. She pulled her hood up as she started to feel the vague sprinkling returning to the cloudy skies, her hands shoved in her pockets.

Her mind drifts to Zim, hoping he had his umbrella so the rain wouldn't hurt him. Her stomach begins to churn at the thought, rising once again the ocean of feelings connected to the alien. It had only been a week since her confession —since Zim, in his awkward and clumsy way, reciprocated her love. She should be feeling overjoyed, she knew that. But the feelings inside her were far from simple.

Every time she thought about him, her heart would stutter, the way it always did when he was near. There was still that strange warmth, the happiness she couldn't fully explain. But.. it was different now. It was muted, dulled somehow. Zim was ever-curious about the concept of romance upon discovering it, yet he still hadn't broke past the uncomfortable nature of it.

The first time he had kissed her— his first attempt at affection, his lips were stiff and uncertain. It was clear that he didn't fully understand what love was. He seemed to think of it as if it were some kind of concept, something to be figured out, not something to be felt. And that bothered her more than she would care to admit. Could Zim really love her in the way she loved him? Or had he just mimicked the idea of love, thinking it was the most logical thing to do?

She found herself questioning whether his feelings were actually reciprocated, or simply a reflection of what he thought she wanted. She appreciated his efforts, he was trying his hardest to be smooth in his attempts at human affection— something that always ended up nervous and uncomfortable. So, she couldn't deny the nagging fear that his "love" wasn't the kind that would last. Maybe thats why, even after the flowers of her Hanahaki infection had disappeared, something still felt missing inside her. Something important that she hadn't yet grasped.

Her feet naturally followed the path, her body moving on autopilot as she had retreated into her mind— contemplating the growing emptiness inside her, a numbness that seemed to be spreading, making it harder to feel the excitement and joy she once had. It left her with a hollow ache every time she thought of Zim, even as she forced herself to smile at his antics or when he said something unintentionally endearing.

She looked up when she noticed she'd reached the school, seeing both Dib and Zim at the entrance of the school waiting for her. Her heart fluttered, the sight of those two standing next to each other without somehow fighting a rare occurrence. She approached them with a smile, pulling her hood down once she'd reached the safety of coverage, and combing down her hair.

"Hey you two," she greeted, eyeing the two with a soft suspicion.

"Human," Zim returned the greeting with a courteous nod, his hands folded and resting.

Dib, beside him, looked uncomfortable, his fingers clenched in a fist at his side as he side-eyed the alien. "Your boyfriend nearly killed me this morning," he informed bitterly, clearly feeling tense that he still has to remain in his vicinity.

(Y/n) raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she watches the two. Zim immediately became defensive, his mannerisms breaking off from the decorum he held before, "The sky was leaking!" He hissed, waving his hands about. By this point they unfurled into another argument, only stopping once (Y/n) begins to giggle at them, understanding their predicament from the bits of what they said.
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