It was at Skool, after what felt like years of hating the Dib-human that he finally realised the impossible.

What had happened was this: Dib was on one of his "ZIM'S an ALIEN!" rants again. There was nothing different about this one, but for some odd reason, Zim had noticed things about Dib he'd never noticed before. The way the child's body swished so unfathomably sensuously as he writhed in a psychological anguish, pointing elegant, accusing fingers at the Irken. Yes, it was true the Dib was a mere child... but he was so... cute. The angry eyes of his nemesis met his contacts and his squeedilyspooch began to expand and contract wildly like the dreaded Blagoogly when in a blind rage.

Zim, though Irken, selfish and seemingly unable to feel affection, human or Irken, was in love.

Now, back at the base, Zim was keying in house coordinates to the computer.

"Computer," he sighed as the stinking human's home came into view. "Get me the phone number for that house."

"555-2713," the computer responded. Zim smiled stupidly as he leaned into the controls without any regard for what he was hitting. A blender switched on somewhere in the background.

"Computer," he chirped again, his eyes fixed onto the house of the person only the day before he had hated with a passion. "Have you ever been in love?"

The computer seemed to think for a moment. "Er... I'm just a computer, Zim."

"Isn't it a wonderful feeling?" the so-called Invader carried on, not really listening.

"Um..." The computer seemed confused. "I guess it could be... Sorta... Maybe."

"Computer, I want you to send twelve roses to the house door. There has to be poetry on it; dark, brooding sensitive poetry, straight from the center of the squeedilyspooch."

"If you want it to be personal, shouldn't you write the poem?"

Zim laughed in a smug way. "Oh, Computer, you just don't understand my genius!" He traced a loveheart into the control panel in front of him. A cry of 'Ow! My eye!' could be heard outside. "And while you're at it, make sure you sign it with lots of kisses."

"O...kay..." Though not quite sure of what was going on, the computer set all these tasks to run in the background.

Whatever was to happen in the next few days, Zim quietly agreed with himself that it would be interesting. He slumped over the controls in a love-induced trance. The faint stomping of an odd and unfinished destruction device could be heard deeper underground.

The next day, Dib had woken to a bunch of flowers in the face. Spitting out the petals that had made their way into his mouth, he sat up bolt upright. Gaz stood above him, arms folded.

"These arrived for you this morning," she said, foot tapping impatiently. "Your stupid little friend sent them."

With an eerie cloud following her out of the room, she disappeared, Dib was confused. Little friend? He had a look at the card attached to the flowers; blood red roses. It read:

To My Darling Human,

How I long to feel your skin against my own...

Human nosebleed is red

A choking human is blue

Who'd ever have dreamed up

That I could love you?

I need to have you so I wrote you that poem.

Lots of dark, brooding and wonderful human ritualistic hugs and kisses,

ZIM

Dib was overcome with suspicion. What kind of twisted plan was Zim up to now? Taking care to remember to bring the flowers to Skool with him, he got ready to go, fuming with anger and paranoia over this odd, unknown "affection".

"I know you're up to something, Zim!" he yelled as he reached the classroom, throwing the roses into the alien's face. Zim just blinked in mock-confusion. "I don't know what it is, but I'll figure it out!"

"I haven't a clue what you mean," the badly-disguised green "boy" said. "Thanks for the flowers though..." He held them close to him cheek. "I will treasure them forever..."

The would-be paranormal investigator was about to start yelling some more when he saw that the Irken was being serious, rubbing the flower petals hungrily against his green face.

"Er..." He was almost speechless, seeing something so completely unexpected like this in front of his whole class. "There's all kinds of things wrong with this scenario..."

But Zim didn't agree with what his Dib had just said. After all, love is love... is it ever wrong?