Invader Tak (DATR)

Chapter 16 

When they got inside, everything resumed as it had before the incident with Gretchen. Tak handed Dib his glasses, which she had picked up after he fell from Gretchen's hit.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to give you your glasses back when we were outside," she said sheepishly as she handed them to him. Dib gladly took them and put them on.

"You know, I'm quite surprised they didn't break. Hmm, maybe I just got lucky?" he mused while looking through the lenses. However, he soon noticed a few cracks. "Dang, looks like she did ruin my glasses. Oh well, I should have a spare in one of my pockets." He rummaged through his pockets, eventually pulling out a backup pair in perfect condition, not a single crack. He swapped out the damaged glasses for the spare ones.

Tak frowned, realizing she hadn't noticed the damage before. "I'm sorry your glasses got broken during the fight," she said, dropping her head in shame.

Dib gently lifted her chin, his face showing no anger, only forgiveness. "Don't worry, I forgive you. Besides, stuff like this happens all the time when I get bullied. My glasses usually break in situations like that." He paused for a moment, then added, "Speaking of bullies, I haven't seen them around for a while."

Tak waved off the subject. "We shouldn't worry about it tonight. Right now, let's party!"

He nodded in agreement, and they began to dance again. The music stayed upbeat for a while until it shifted to a slower, romantic song. Dib held Tak by the waist, and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I see we're getting into the romantic part of the dance," she said, smiling at him. They leaned closer, and soon their lips met in a soft kiss. They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away.

"Let's keep partying until we run out of energy!" Dib said with a grin.

"Agreed," Tak replied, resting her head on his chest as they continued to dance. Dib couldn't help but think to himself, Good thing I took that breath mint earlier. Thanks for the tip, Dad.

After the dance, they headed to the concession stand—what was left of it, anyway—and had some punch and cookies. When they noticed how late it was, they decided to leave.

Outside, the night sky was clear, the moon shining brightly, and stars scattered across the darkness. Tak looked at him with a loving smile and leaned her head on his shoulder during the walk.

"I had such a great time with you today," Dib said gratefully, putting his arm around her. "Well, besides the incident at prom. But even so, I really had a great time tonight."

"Same here, Dib," Tak responded. "I was really taken aback by what that girl did to you. It was completely barbaric. But I'm curious—why didn't you hit her back?"

Dib took a deep breath before replying. "The reason I didn't hit her is because she's a girl, and I was raised to believe it's wrong for men to hit women, no matter the situation. It doesn't feel right. My dad always told me to treat women with respect, even if they hit you. You don't hit back, simple as that."

Tak admired his response. Back on her homeworld, Irk, females were often disrespected and treated as inferior. She thought to herself, Oh, Dib, if only you could convince the empire to treat females with the same respect. Even though you don't know I'm not actually human, I hope when the time comes, you'll accept me for who I truly am.

They continued chatting for a while as they walked. When they arrived at Tak's house, they exchanged "I love you's" and hugged tightly before parting ways. Dib walked home, while Tak went inside. Once inside, she switched out of her human disguise and prepared to relax. Just as she was about to call her robot companion, she heard metallic footsteps approaching.

"Mistress, you've been gone a very long time. How was the human party? Were you cautious?" Mimi asked with concern.

Tak rolled her eyes at her SIR unit. "Yes, I was very careful during the party," she replied. Tak then approached the couch, lying down and pulling a blanket over herself. "I'll keep guard while you sleep, Mistress. Rest well," Mimi said.

Tak yawned, replying, "I will. Good night, Mimi."

"Good night, Mistress," Mimi saluted.

Back with Dib, he quietly entered his house. The living room and kitchen were dark. "Hmm, what time is it?" he wondered, checking his phone. It was 1:30 AM. "Geez, I partied way too hard, and it's a school night. I better get some sleep," he muttered, heading upstairs to his room. As he lay in bed, he smiled to himself, thinking about how wonderful the night had been with Tak.

"I might even consider marrying her someday. It's definitely going to be a long, happy future together," he thought, placing his glasses on the nightstand. Finally, he laid his head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep.