A/N: I am very sorry but this shall be the last chapter. I've been too lazy to do this recently and I fear that if I continue making chapters, I will completely loose interest in writing this and leave without warning. As I did for the last… 2 or 3 weeks. I can honestly say that the popularity of this was higher than I expected and thank you to those who read this. I'm sorry that this is stopping so soon and without much clarification on recent happenings within the story, but I can't squeeze out another filler chapter made of fail. Enjoy this last chapter.

--

After Dib woke up from his dream he realized that he was in Zim's house. He stared at everything and blushed ferociously as the alien walked into the room and gave him soup. He ate it heartily and had an uneventful conversation with Gir, before being thrown out of the house and into the hands of Gaz.

He was taken home and had to face his father who had (surprisingly) noticed his absence and worried.

Weeks passed after this without another word from the alien.

--

Christmas was fast approaching and Dib's worry about Zim grew with every day. He hoped that whenever he went to the stores he would see him there observing the strange human "ritual" but to no avail. He was never there.

Trying to find an excuse to see the invader, Dib decided to go and invite him to a Christmas party that his family was holding this year. (Recently Dib's father had been acting more and more like a parental figure and was throwing all sorts of events.)

"Dad, I'm going out." Dib yelled as he pulled on his coat.

"Okay, Son. Be back before midnight!" Dr. Membrane said happily.

Dib shut the door and started to run to Zim's house.

He passed his Skool which was closed for Christmas break and swore that he saw Ms. Bitters staring through the window. He stopped for a moment after that and then he continued running to Zim's house.

--

Sitting alone in his lab, Zim was face down on his computer board. Ever since the day that Dib stayed a night he had been mumbling and sitting alone in his lab, only coming up to eat.

Gir was growing increasingly worried about his master and proceeded in entering the lab, very cautiously.

He inched towards his master and when he was finally within arms reach he spoke quietly.

"Master…?"

"Mmmmph…..Hhhhrrrrrnn….." was all that Zim could mumble back.

Gir stared down at him and water dripped from the edges of his eyes. "MASTER ARE YOU DYING?!" he yelled grabbing the edge of Zim's uniform and falling to the ground.

Raising his head slightly, Zim turned and looked at his little, naïve robot.

"No, Gir. I am NOT dying." He said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I have merely been in a state of concentration for the last few weeks and YOU BROKE IT. But. It is okay. FOR I HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION." The Irken stated, rising from his chair and waving a confident finger in the air.

Gir's crying immediately ceased and he began clapping with joy.

"What con…clush…on… YAY. Did you come to?!?!" Gir yelled and clapped.

Zim's confident look was immediately erased and he fell back into his seat, hands clenched on his knees and head facing downwards.

His green face turning a shade of red, Zim began to mumble his response to the robot.

"WHAT."

"Well…uuh…nnnn…"

"WHAT?!"

"Nnnnh….Dib…. Eeeeh…."

"WHAT?!?!?!?!!"

"Ee.."

"WHAT!??!!!!!?!!!!"

…

"WHAT!!?!!?!!!!!?!?!!!!?!!!!"

Before the robot could blurt out another what, the alien screeched at the top of his lungs.

"I LIKE DIB."

Zim sat there with a shocked expression on his face and Gir's face held the familiar blank stare. The alien once again faced downwards and turned a glowing shade of red. "Uh… Yeah…" Zim began twiddling his thumbs and mumbling to himself. The robot stayed with the blank expression on his face for a few moments before doing a jubilant dance and, once again, crying out in joy.

"Yay! Master likes Dib! Master likes Dib!" He repeatedly shouted this phrase in a teasing manner, unknowingly making his master quite angry with him.

"SILENCE, GIR." Zim shouted.

Gir was obedient and immediately stopped shouting. Staring at Zim with a happy face he innocently asked, "What're you gonna do noooow?"

The alien's face once again got that same shocked expression before finally admitting that he didn't know what he was going to do.

Gir was insisting that he tell Dib but Zim was refusing to admit his feelings for a human. Especially TO the human himself.

After much annoyance on Zim's part he finally decided to comply and went out in search of the worm-baby.

--

Dib took a turn and slowed to a stop underneath a lamp post. He panted and watched the steam from his breath float away and vanish. He looked around onto all of the snow that had fallen and realized how close to Christmas it was. Just a few more days.

A few more days that he might not get to spend with alien. If he was even still on earth.

Dib feared that Zim was either planning on leaving soon, or did leave earth. He mentally kicked himself when ever he thought of the fact that maybe the alien had already left. In fact, that had been the dominate thought as he was running to find his alien.

HIS alien.

Dib never thought he would use that phrase when thinking about Zim. And he never expected to like it either.

Suddenly a beam of light surrounded him and he covered his eyes as it reflected off of the clean white snow. More of those lights began appearing down the street. Dib realized that it was the street lights turning on.

It was so dark out now. If Zim was wandering around somewhere he would never find him. One word stuck out in his mind. IF.

'NO. Don't think like that! He's still here! I can feel it…' Dib thought, clenching his fists.

Just then he noticed a figure approaching him. The figure looked like…

Zim!

Dib stopped panting and watched as Zim walked into the light of the street lamp. Just then, the human felt all of his emotions for the alien come up at once and he had to get it all out.

He opened his mouth to tell Zim but the alien raised a finger, and as if he was a trained dog, Dib closed his mouth.

"Human. There is something I must inform you of. It's very important." Zim spoke in a serious tone.

"Wait. Zim. Please. There is something that I NEED to tell you or I think I'm going to explode." Dib said desperately.

The alien raised an eyebrow as he stared at the face of the human he had once hated with all of his life. He seemed so weak now. So vulnerable.

"Yes, human?" He asked.

Once again, as Dib was about to speak he was interrupted. This time by a mistletoe floating down from the top of the street lamp. He blushed as he understood what this meant and closed his mouth.

Zim looked with confusion as the plant and asked what it was.

"It's a mistletoe. People hang them up around this time of year."

"Why do you seem so embarrassed by it?"

"When two people stand under it… They have to kiss."

"Oh."

They both looked down at the small plant. Standing there with their faces glowing red, the two looked up at each other.

Dib then held out his hand towards the alien.

"We don't have to kiss… We could hold hands instead…"

"…"

"I know… It's stupid. But we have to do something…"

"Okay…"

Dib felt a clawed hand take his and he felt the worst case of butterflies ever. Zim felt the same exact thing.

Though both had been acting reluctant to do this, on the inside they both had a severe case of butterflies and were both saying the same exact thing…

…

He isn't that bad…

--

The End.