-4 pm, Heavy Snow.

The boys arrived at Dib's house when the snow was getting heavy. Dib saw Gaz playing her game on the living room TV. Most of the light in the dark house came from the large TV screen and the kitchen ceiling lamp. Zim inched his foot back since the house currently had mice and one was by the entrance of the kitchen. Dib grabbed Zim's hand and led him up the stairs to his room.

Dib opened the door, allowing Zim to enter first. Zim sniffed the air, then glared at Dib. It was oddly fresher in the room, mainly because Dib had been attempting to distract himself from Zim lately by cleaning. However, it just mostly smelled of computers. Zim saw the stuff that was hung up on the walls and was confused by most of them, especially the unintelligible writing on some of the newspapers. 

"Oddly fresh in here..." Zim commented.

"Uh... yeah," Dib said, "I just decided to clean up a bit..." He started doing more chores around the house to keep himself from going insane about people not believing him. He also might have had a few breakdowns which could have led to cleaning up afterward. It was also to prove to his family that he was still a functional human being, but it has worked less and less over time. Zim looked away from him and sat on the bed. Dib sat down next to him, not giving a look back. They sat in silence for a few moments before Zim faced Dib.

"Talk to me..." Zim started, "...You've been avoiding me, haven't you... What, am I not a threat to you anymore?"

"You are a threat..."

"Then what gives, Dib?" Zim asked, "Are you accepting me as your new leader? Knowing you, I would doubt-"

"You've became a bigger threat to me..." Dib interrupted, "You've became so much of a threat to me that I... I had to focus on something else for a while... It's gotten bad..."

Zim looked around a bit nervously, "Uhh... How bad?..."

"Bad..." Dib replied.

"Like... a doom kind of bad, or an annoying kind of bad?... Hopeless bad?"

"Define hopeless..." Dib said.

Zim had the urge to cross his arms a little tighter. He fidgeted his feet, "Like giving up kinda bad. Giving up on hunting me down, Dib," Zim said a bit annoyed.

"And what's doom?"

"DIB, QUIT IT," Zim yelled, "Fine, if you're not going to specify what kind of bad we're talking about, then don't waste my time! I mind as well go home..."

Zim stood up and headed for the door. However, he stopped by it. He looked over his shoulder, then back at the door. Dib raised his head.

"....Doom..." Dib replied, "Things have been complicated on my end because of you..."

"W-Well why is that special?" Zim asked, "I've 'ruined' many lives before you! I nearly ruined my own~" He said proudly. He then sniffled.

"Because it's... It's not about you invading," Dib said, "I don't know why my mind is acting dumber, but you have ruined my life fully, Zim..."

He stood up and walked toward Zim. Zim backed up a step.

"My life has been nothing but complicated for the past two years, all because you want to be an invader! Why? Why did it have to be an invader!? Is this where I am now??"

Zim looked at the visible strain on Dib's face. He backed up a step steps more, "Huh? Why are you talking to yourself now all of a sudden?-"

"I LIKE YOU and I HATE IT!"

Dib's fists were shaking by his side. Zim stared back in shock. He then folded his hands behind his back.

"Well, I guess I do have good charm~" Zim said, "In return, I do like that you've grown in height. Height looks nice on you, Dib."

Dib couldn't help but just stare in disbelief.

"No no... I don't think you understand what I meant by that..." Dib said shaky, " I mean I like you..."

"...Like me? Yes, I have many great things about me."

"No... you... mor- ugggh..."

Dib facepalmed. Zim sighed and looked at him, "...I know what you meant, Dib," Zim said, "I was just giving you a chance to take it back in case you regretted saying it..."

Dib noticed Zim's tone and placed his hands in his pockets. A hint of guilt suddenly appeared and he sat back down on the bed.

"Zim?" Dib started, "Why do you like your 'Tallests' so much?..."

Zim's eyes lit up at the question. He would always go into a little dream state when talking about them.

"Oh?~ Well they're the most powerful Irkens in our world, and if I do enough to impress them, aka conquer the earth, they will finally respect me and see me as the invader I am!" Zim said. He had his hands clasped together as if it was the ultimate dream to have. 

"Aaaand.... What happens after you take over the earth?" Dib asked.

"Well, the earth is MINE!" Zim said, "And the moon is Gir's..."

"....And once the earth is yours... theeeennnnnn...." 

Zim got a little less excited, "My Tallest will see me as a great invader, they will take the earth and use it for what they wish, and they'll ask for me to come home~" 

"And if they don't?...." Dib asked. Zim was still smiling, but his eyes gave him a threat to silence himself. They then were strained.

"Zim... I don't know if they're gonna do all that..." 

"Well you don't know that, Dib," Zim said, "Irken culture is a bit too complicated for you humans to understand..."

Dib decided to lay off a bit on his Tallest and ask a slightly different question, "So they just sent you here at random?... And you don't find that... odd?... At least the way they did it?"

"W-Well Dib, I have placed enough time into thinking about it, and I've concluded that the Tallest work in mysterious ways, hence I shouldn't drive myself crazier with questioning."

"Crazier?..."Dib asked. Zim tugged on his collar a little.

"Well, I did have my moments of feeling great amounts of......." Zim took a rather long pause, "skepticism... but why would they waste such advanced materials sending me off when they could have just offed me then and there?"

Dib just looked at him. Zim's confident smile slowly lowered to a neutral stare. He sat down next to Dib again.

"You think my Tallest want to kill me..."

"Well, what evidence is there that they aren't? I mean, based on what I've seen, they barely gave you equipment that listens to you..."

"They did that so I would learn to be resourceful, Dib..." Zim said defensively, "They wouldn't do that to me."

Dib sighed and went into silence. Zim's shoulders were a bit twitchy.

"They wouldn't!"

"Zim... I would be less reluctant to be with you if you weren't trying to destroy my world..." Dib said.

Zim didn't reply. He just turned away from him. This mission had meant a lot to him, but he had gradually lost faith in the mission over the years.

"..... I doubt every winter..." Zim replied quietly.

Dib looked at Zim, "What do you mean?..."

"Everything..." Zim said, "...I see that we're both not exactly at our best during this season..."

Dib nodded slightly in agreement. Zim turned toward Dib and eyed his hands. He felt his spine tense up. He grabbed one of them, which slightly scared Dib.

"Perhaps one day of the year, we can... take a break from our missions," Zim said, "I mean, rest is good..."

"What day?" Dib asked. He was hesitant about it, but wasn't fully against it either. A day where they could get to know each other more seemed oddly okay. Simply taking a break was fine too.

"Well, Valentine's Day seems like a good day to do so," Zim said, "Plus it reminds us that we're supposed to be nice to each other that day."

"So you won't do any evil plan to ruin-"

"Nope... I won't even look at my planner on this holiday..." Zim said, "But prepare for Halloween Dib, for I will have to make up for this day somehow..."

"Noted..." Dib said disappointed, "Then be prepared for me to be at my most prepared that day as well!"

"Noted~" Zim said and folded his hands, "But... since today is Valentine's Day, let's place that aside for tomorrow..." He smiled a little, which he didn't mean to do. Dib instinctively smiled back.

"Soooo... do you want to watch a movie?..." Dib asked.

Zim kicked his feet a little playfully, "Sure."