Our Masks

"The chairmen missed you last night, son," Membrane's voice crackled on the other end of the phone.

Rubbing his aching head, Dib rasped, "I'm sorry, dad. I... uh..."

"Don't say anything," his father answered. "I know that you're still young... You haven't had a chance to really let loose and enjoy yourself. You've been working very hard for a very long time. I've been thinking that maybe you've earned a little vacation."

"You're the best, dad..." Dib sighed. "But I don't need a vacation. I just... ah..."

Even though he wasn't there, Dib could visualize his dad putting his hand up in his face, shushing him. "Someday I'll be dead, and it'll be up to you and Gaz to continue my legacy. And then... there will be no vacations."

An almost bitter laugh erupted from Dib's throat. "Okay, dad. Okay. I'll take the weekend off. How's that?" I'll take the weekend off to fuck boys, while you assume I'm at home reading Ghosthunting magazines.

"See you Monday, son."

He had three days to... to do what?

*****

By that night he still hadn't decided on a plan of action. But there he was at the bar, same stool, same drink, trying to figure it out. Thankfully, the answer came to him.

"After the way you humiliated yourself last night, I didn't think I'd see you here again."

Dib turned on his seat, looking the boy dead in the eye. He wasn't too drunk to do so yet. "'Humiliated myself?'" He grinned impishly. "I did nothing of the sort. You might not want to admit it, but you enjoyed kissing me."

"I did, did I?" he scoffed. So belligerently adorable.

"You did... And I could tell. Easily. I'm pretty good at reading people, you know."

Alabaster rolled his eyes. "You are. Well, can you read THIS?" He held up a skinny middle finger mere inches from Dib's face.

Smiling wide, Dib grabbed his hand and slid the digit into his mouth. After sucking lightly on it for a moment, he pulled it out, licking the tip sensuously. The boy seemed to stop breathing momentarily.

Returning his hand to its owner, Dib leaned forward and whispered, "Whenever you're done playing with these little boys... Whenever you want a man... Give me a call."

After throwing a fifty onto the bar, he stood and walked out, not even bothering to gauge his companion's reaction. He couldn't help but smile. Even if he actually had humiliated himself the night before, all was redeemed. Even if he never saw the boy again, he could feel closure. Halfway across the parking lot, however, a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

"What is with these--these-- MIND GAMES you're playing?? I don't understand."

Pushing the hand from his shoulder, Dib glared a little. "You're the one playing mind games. It's obvious you don't have any regard for any of the men you string along. All they want is to get into your pants. They have nothing in common with you." He put his hands on his hips. "Yet WE have things in common... but when I wanted to get in your pants you blew me off. What's so wrong with me?"

The boy regarded Dib for a minute, blinking quickly. He finally shook his head and looked at the ground. It was as if he were struggling for an answer, perhaps one he didn't even know himself yet. "I... don't know." He looked back up. "We have things in common? Like what?"

"The masks we wear."

Confusion was clear on the boy's face. "I've... never seen you wear a mask."

"Mine is figurative." Sighing, Dib put his hands in his pockets. "All day, every day, I pretend to be someone I'm not... To make people happy. My family, my friends, my coworkers..."

"I am who I am. I've been who I am since the day I started being who I am!"

Tilting his head, Dib said, "I don't recognize you at all."

The alabaster boy's features fell. Suddenly, he couldn't meet Dib's eyes. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked wildly at the ground. "No... Then... that must mean..."

In a single moment, Dib fell forward, pulling the boy's hands away from his head. Almost melting into the boy's body, he captured his lips again. At first, the boy tried to resist, but he finally relented, falling slack into Dib's arms.

"Come here," Dib growled, pulling the boy towards his car. Without any argument, he followed, and allowed Dib to push him onto his back in the rear seat. Stealthily, Dib climbed in atop the boy, closing the car door behind him. Pushing his knee up against the console, Dib bent forward, meeting the boy's lips again.

After a few moments, Dib pulled away and whispered, "Yes. I'm sure of it."

"...what?"

Gently, Dib reached up and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "That smell. Even after all these years, I remembered who it belonged to..." His voice trailed off as his thumb and forefinger reached their goal.

"OW!"

Pulling a little harder than he intended, Dib was able to unearth one antenna.

"ZIM! I knew it! I knew it was you!"

"UNHAND ME, EARTH STINK! UN--FFF--HAND ME." Roughly, Zim pushed Dib back, causing him to slip sideways off of the seat. However, he was still halfway on top, their legs helplessly entangled.

Laughing, Dib ruffled Zim's hair. "I knew it! I knew it was you!"

"ALL OF THIS WAS JUST A MEANS OF FIGURING OUT WHO I AM?" Clutching his injured antenna, Zim moaned, "If you had asked, I would have told you." After a moment, he looked up at Dib again. "You... didn't know it was me all this time?"

Shaking his head, Dib replied, "No. You don't look anything like you used to." He shrugged. "Well, okay, the hair's kind of the same."

Zim's face became very worried. Though it wasn't Zim's face. To Dib, it was still the Alabaster Boy's face, and it was so cute with the lips all pouty and the forehead all wrinkled. "Then... Were you... really attracted to me?"

Before Dib could come up with an answer, Zim reached out and roughly grabbed his crotch.

"What the f--"

"It's not too hard. But..."

Pushing his hand away, Dib cried, "What's the big idea?"

Zim put his head in his hands. "Oh, no. No... Even the Dib wants to make smeets with me!"

"Make... whats?"