Zim entered the kitchen and skidded around frantically trying to find a place to hide.

Zim looked to his left and saw the trash bin entrance to his laboratory. He approached the garbage can, but stopped himself.

I can't hide in my lab, I'll lead her to everything!
Zim quivered at the thought of all his Irken information being exposed to the world.

Zim quickly refocused. He realized he couldn't think much longer and had to find a place to hide quick. Zim scanned the kitchen, and his eyes locked on the oven. He heard your footsteps approaching and quickly decided to just go for it and hide within the appliance. He whipped open the oven door and jumped inside, quickly slamming the door back behind him.

You ran into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway, and eying the room for any sign of the alien.

"Zim please come out, I can explain. You don't have to be afraid."

You walked further into the kitchen and peeked around a bit. While you searched, you quickly noticed the blatant toilet sitting in front of you, but decided you wouldn't even bother questioning it at this point. That's when your attention was suddenly caught by the sound of movement.

*CLANG CLANG*
*RUSTLE RUSTLE*

"Zim?" You questioned quitely.

You slowly stepped over to the location of the sound, approaching the oven.

You stopped in front of it, hearing more rustling from inside.

*CLANG RUSTLE RUSTLE*

"GEE, I WONDER WHERE HE COULD BE?" You said in an overly loud and sarcastic tone.

You got down onto your knees and looked in through the glass panel on the oven door. There sat Zim, in a very uncomfortable, squished position within it.

"GET BACK FOWL HUMAN! OR ILL, ILL-"

"Zim, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"YOU'RE LIEING!! YOU are working with the Dib! Trying to look at my insides, poke at my organs with your GRIMY human fingers!" Zim screamed from inside, his face twisted in disgust at the thought of it.

"WHAT NO! Why would you think THAT?!"

"BECAUSE MY PRECIOUS IRKEN HEAD IS CUT OPEN!" Zim yelled as he pointed to his injury.

You let out a semi-frustrated sigh.

"Zim, that cut is from DIB!
Don't you remember? We were walking home from the park and then that edgy nerd showed up.
He pulled out some alien taser thingy and shocked you.
That stupid device knocked you out cold."

This helped to jog Zim's memory, and the moments before came flooding back. This allowed Zim to ease up a bit as you continued.

"Then he grabbed you and tried to capture you. I was the one who chased him all over town just to get you back.
You got that terrible gash on your head when he dropped you during the chase. But at least I managed to get you home in one piece."

Zim just stared at you, allowing silence to fill the room. You just stared back, trying to understand his expression, trying to see what he was feeling. From what you saw through the murky glass, he seemed confused and simply lost for words.

"What do you want human?" Zim asked in a much lower more serious voice, finally breaking the silence.

"Excuse me?" You asked, clearly hearing his question but not understanding the meaning behind it.

"Do your human hearing holes not work? I said, what do you want?
You have been there assisting me since the day you arrived at our disgusting school. You have fought against the Dib, praised me for my obvious greatness, protected my skin from sky liquid-"

"You mean rain?"

"Whatever. You have been the perfect companion...
but why? I don't recall brainwashing you.
You must desire some form of payment, some gain from this.

So what is it?"

You looked up at him seriously.
"You want to know what I want Zim?"

"Yes."

"Well, I want...

GIR!"

"Eh?!"

"Just kidding (not really). Zim, I just want to be your friend. I want to laugh and joke with you, help you, even if you are an odd little space pickle."

"ZIM IS NO PICKLE! But I understand your admiration for my superior being. I hate to admit this...
but I think I like you human. You're not bad, for an earth monkey."

"Well, you're not bad for an angry spaceman."

You saw Zim let a smile grow on his face. You gave him one back.

"So, are you going to come out of that oven now? Or are you still afraid I'm going to 'poke at your organs'" you laughed.

You stood back up and moved back to let him come out. He unfolded himself and crawled out the oven, taking a quick moment to stretch and crack his back as he stood up in front of you.

"So, now that you know that I'm not human, I might as well tell you who I really am.
I AM ZIM!! Only the greatest, most intelligent, and best looking, Irken invader to ever live!!
I was sent to your filthy planet to conquer it and prepare it for my leaders, the almighty tallests."

"Yep, that sounds about right. Pretty much every alien movie ever made has your plan pretty much down."

"Do not compare your species' inferior form of entertainment to our ways human." Zim snarled.

"Ok, number one, how dare you to insult the beautiful art of film. And second, if we're going to be friends you're gonna need to stop calling me human. I have a name ya know."

"Fine, Y/N human then."

"NO, just Y/N."

"Alright, alright Y/N."

"Thank you, that's better."

You took a moment to look down at your phone.
11:30!! You needed to get home!

"Oh geez, alright I have TONS of questions but I really need to get home!"

"Oh yes, I forgot humans have the need to sleep."

"And you don't?"

"No, we Irkens can but it's more of a preference thing. But yes, run along home, we shall discuss this further tomorrow." Zim said leading you out of the kitchen and to the front door.

It opened for you and you stepped outside, walking down the steps. You turned and looked up at him.

"See ya tomorrow green-bean." You chuckled

Zim just deadpanned in the doorway, watching as you started to leave.
You walked down to the edge of his lawn and looked back again.

"Oh, and by the way, your antennae's look way better than that stupid wig."

Zim blushed lightly, not enough for you to notice from that far away. He tried desperately to think of a compliment to say back.

"Well...I like your head! It's a good head...shape!" Zim called out to you as you continued to walk away.

"THANKS?! BYEEEE!" You called back waving.

This time when you waved, Zim waved back.

Zim walked back in and plopped on the couch.

"ShEs gOnna bring me a piZzA tomorrow!" Gir said cheerfully beside him.

"Huh? And why is she going to do that?"

"BecAuSe she made a plan to make mE get yOu to go to the park, so she could go too, and plAy with yOu, and be all hAppy and sTuFf! SHe sAid if I did that she would gEt me PIZZA!"

Zim just looked at Gir with a bewildered face.

"You're telling me, she made a plan, using MY robot, to get me to go to the park just so she could BE WITH ME?!"

Zim just looked forward and slumped deeper into the couch, slowly becoming a blushing mess.

"Oh no," Zim said wearily and concerned. "I think I might really like this human."