I think I'm Dumb or Maybe Just Happy (Invader Zim x Reader)

9: Looking For The Answers In The Pouring Rain

The two walked for a while. Talking and laughing the whole way as he ranted about all the people who wronged him, Dib in particular.

Zim managed to be just as expressive with his gestures with one hand wrapped firmly around theirs. He clenched and raised his fist, pointed at the sky, and placed a palm to his chest, to name a few. He'd occasionally motion with his busy hand, pulling theirs along with his.

With his ardent and theatrical nature, the sudden shriek seemed almost normal. Y/N almost failed to notice something wrong until they felt a drop of water. They looked in his direction to see steam rise off his skin. On instinct, they remove their jacket, shielding him in it.

He clings desperately to the fabric. Things seem quiet. Only the sound of falling rain and whimpers break the silence. Gingerly placing a hand on his back, they feel his shoulders shake as he takes in sharp breaths. Damn, even sad, he's got perfect posture. Blame military training, I guess.

They kneel, turning him around to face them. They cup his face in their hands, rubbing gentle circles on his cheeks.

"Hey...? It's okay." They speak barely above a whisper, in the most comforting tone they can manage, "You're safe. Alright?"

He seems to calm a little at this. His breathing steadies when he realizes he's not getting burned anymore. He sighs heavily, his gaze rising to meet their eyes. His eyes furrow in concern. "...But what about you?"

Their eyes widen for a millisecond. But their expression changes to a mixture of amusement and genuine confusion. "...What?"

"Zim is aware that your kind is immune to the filthy Earth-water. But are you not at risk of 'catching a cold,' as they say? At the very least, this must cause you discomfort."

They look down at themselves and find themselves soaking wet, except for their hands. Those were concealed under the jacket's hood, still holding Zim's face. Their face turns a bright red, and they whisk their hands away as if they had tried to touch fire.

They give him a nervous smile and stand up straight. "No, no, I'm fine! No worries-"

They try to distract from the awkwardness by taking a look around. The two were standing over a type of street Y/N could only remember the name of in Portuguese, 'paralelepipedo.' There were a few buildings and plants nearby. A cute little coffee shop managed to catch their eye.

"-But we could go over there if you want." They gesture towards the establishment.

He barely spares a moment to look at the place before accepting. Zim looks back at them with a mischievous smirk, "I'll race you."

"What-?"

He runs off without a moment's hesitation. Panicking, they chase after him, praying to God that he doesn't end up stepping in a puddle. The rain falls as harshly upon the ground as their barreling feet did. Being careful not to slip on the slippery wet stones, they continue their pursuit.

Some feet ahead, sure enough, he reached the place first. Standing under the coffee shop's awning, he raises his fist to the sky, loudly announcing his victory. He tugs his hood off and enters the store with a smug smile.

They finally set foot outside the shop, bending over to catch their breath. God, I wish I was an athletic person. Noticing some movement, they look to find Zim waving through a window. They pant through giggles. Aw, he saved me a seat!

They make their way to the counter first, ordering a drink for both. There's no way they'd trust Zim with this. He'd probably end up causing a scene. Or swearing vengeance on the barista for messing up his order. They leave a pretty hefty tip. Knowing Zim, the staff would probably regret coming into work today.

Zim smiles wide as they approach the table with two warm, sweet drinks. He urges them to sit down after they place one in front of him. They look at him over the cup's border as they take a sip. He looks so cute in that jacket.

After a few minutes of bragging about his 'undeniable victory' in that race, he goes back to talking to them as if there had been no interruption in the first place. The human soon joined in the discussion.

As the hours went by, the two laughed and joked as they talked.

... .. -- .--.

"Are you not gonna return that?" A robotic voice asked

"Silence! Do not question Zim!"

"They wore it for one day. I doubt it even smells like them."

A familiar alien sat huddled up in a varsity jacket, his face half buried in the soft fabric. A few weeks had passed after that second date. He merely told them that he 'did not know what they were talking about,' and they laughed and shrugged it off. So he kept it.

The computer was right in that it only barely smelled like his human. But that wasn't the point. They had tried to protect him with it. Then they comforted him and provided him with shelter and a warm drink. As much as he hated to admit it, those things did matter to him. And this jacket reminded him of that day.

Besides, with Zim's antennae buried so deep in the cloth, the human's scent was almost impossible to miss. And that was a bonus, especially since his original excuse was that he needed to analyze human scent for an experiment.

He liked wearing it, on cold days especially. Sometimes he'd make himself an Irken drink similar to mocha coffee.

"You know that jacket isn't yours, right?"

"Lies! They gave it to me!" He faced the other way with his chin up.

"Sigh. Whatever."

-.-. .-. . -.. .. - ...

Title's Lyrics:
Cage the Elephant // Cigarette Daydreams

Cover art by:
Esthyradler