"You're worried, aren't you?"

"Zim!" Dib jumped. He had watched the alien leave the classroom at the sound of the bell, but hadn't expected him to wait outside the door. He cleared his throat so his voice wouldn't falter. "What am I worried about?"

"My illness," the Irken said plainly. He wanted to smirk, but he was still feeling kind of weak. "I mean you should be… after all if something happens to me, what will you do with yourself? No more solid proof of the supernatural… no more interaction with it on a daily basis… no more…"

"Driving myself insane trying to stop a half-wit alien from conquering the human race? Effortlessly sabotaging increasingly pathetic plans? Wasting my days away thinking of you when I could be moving on to more productive research?"

"So you waste your days thinking of me?"

Dib blushed. He couldn't help it. The words… and the sly tone in which they'd been spoken. "That's not what I meant and you know it…"

"I know nothing, Dib… but I fear this illness of mine has something to do with you," he gritted his teeth in pain, looked away, and added softly, "I need your help."

It was Dib's turn to be sly. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I need your help…" Zim said in the same weakened tone, feeling himself blush.

"One more time, I couldn't hear…"

"I need your help!" Zim hissed, loud enough to not have to repeat it again, but quiet enough that some ounce of his dignity remained. Dib crossed his arms and smirked.

"And I should help you, why?"

"If my theory is correct, you'll know why."

The look on his face, the sound of his voice… the alien was making the human very nervous.

"And if it's not…?"

"Then I'll have to continue the research on my own to find out what's causing my superior Irken body to do such revolting things."

It just wasn't the same when he said it without passion… or any other emotion whatsoever. It was so… unlike him. Dib felt himself nodding before he could stop it. What harm could it do?

"Okay, I'll help you," what are you doing? "But… we do it at my house."

Zim opened his mouth to protest then realized he was in no real position to. He closed his mouth and looked away so as to avoid admitting defeat. "Can we do it tonight?"

"My dad has a seminar…"

"Tomorrow then. Will your sister be home?"

Dib got very defensive, "what do you want with my sister?"

"You'll see," Zim said, peeling himself from the wall and leaning in close to Dib. "Soon enough."

Dib felt his cheeks burning and his lips tingling. His mouth was dry and he swallowed in an effort to cure it. He regulated his breathing and mentally scolded himself. Don't let him have this effect on you! He's an alien… an alien!

Suddenly, Dib was being pushed out of the way. Lunch period was over? But, they hadn't been talking that long… had he been standing there the whole time? Just standing there looking stupid, and thinking about HIM? Where had he gone, anyway…