Invader Zim ZADR: How did we get here?

Chapter 5: Do we have a deal?

While fumbling through his pockets, Dib started walking towards the machine. Zim took a quick glance at him, before directing his attention back to the trees, trying to see if anyone had followed them. He wondered why the Dib-thing had to drag him out here, in the middle of a giant dirt patch. Was he trying to get them killed, putting them in a vulnerable position where all kinds of human scum could come and attack them? He leaned down while grumbling to himself about how stupid Dib was, trying to divert his mind from the annoying voices in his head, asking him what he was even doing here.

Dib was now standing in front of the vending machine, still pushing his hand around in his pocket, trying to find his wallet. When he finally located it, he yanked it up.

"Yes!" He said triumphantly, now searching its contents for money. In the end, he decided it could wait until he figured out what he was even going to get. Fo himself, he was just going to get a cheap orange soda like he usually did. No, the hard thing would be finding something for Zim. He started thinking about what he knew the alien liked to drink and eat. Two words were what first came to mind. Sugar, and sweet. He started looking at all the different items behind the glass, trying to find something matching the requirements. He didn't have to look long, as his eyes quickly noticed a pink and neon green can, and read its name

'SWEETBOMB: EXPLOSIVE SUGAR FLAVOR!!!'

Dib stared at it for a bit, before shrugging.

"Well, seems close enough." He muttered to himself, as he found the required money in his wallet, and put it into the machine. He punched in the numbers and waited as the two drinks were slowly pushed out. If there was something that could make this machine an unnatural phenomenon, then it was that nothing ever got stuck on the glass.

He crouched down and grabbed the two cans, and prepared to walk back over to Zim. Making sure he wasn't looking in his direction, Dib gulped loudly, before letting out a nervous sigh, hoping it would help him relax a bit. Though there was no need for it. He was only about to hand a beverage to his mortal enemy and sit down and drink with him like they were actual friends. Nothing out of the ordinary. And especially not something he was going to regret in the coming months.

Having mentally prepared himself, he started taking uneasy steps towards the alien, who was still acting very nonchalant towards the whole situation, which just made Dib more nervous than anything else. After a walk that Dib wished could have gone on for a little more, he was now standing in front of Zim, the cans still in his hands. Zim finally seemed to acknowledge Dib again, as he looked up at him and on the cans with confusion. Dib rolled his eyes and looked away from the alien, as he offered the pink and green can to Zim. He looked from the can up at Dib with a suspicious look, before snatching the drink away from the human's hand. Dib nearly had a heart attack at the sudden movement, but once he saw Zim doing nothing else than investigating the snatched object, he felt a little calmer and sat down on the wooden bench with a bump.

The distance between them wasn't too close, but Dib couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. The night before they at least had the distance of the height between the floor and his bed. Now they were willingly sitting right next to each other, and if the other moved a little too much to the side, they would rub up against each other.

Dib took a curious glance at the alien, realizing he was still looking at the object, probably trying to tell if it would poison him. It was also then he noticed something else.

"I think you can take those off now." He timidly said, pointing at Zim's eyes. In return for interrupting him, the alien gave him an annoyed look, before understanding what he was referring to. His expression then started softening.

"Oh." He simply replied, before taking his hand up to his eyes and pulling the contacts out, with some kind of fluid dripping from the edge. Then two pairs of metal tentacles shot out from his PAK, one taking off his wig, revealing the thin antennas underneath, and the other grabbing the contacts. Then as quickly as they came, they went back in.