The Almighty Error.

Sector Three.

               Dibs' Perspective.

Zim hasn't missed a day of school since his return a month ago. It's now October, and I'm making plans to go to the high schools' Halloween dance. Not something I normally do, but this is my last year of high school and I should make the best of it.

As I purchased my ticket, I could feel eyes on me. Turning my head, Zim was watching fr down the hallway. When he realized I noticed his staring, he turned his head away.

It's been commonplace lately, Zim just.. watching me. It's confusing as to why. Am I part of a plan he's scheming? Who knows.. he's kept to himself ever since I pushed for more answers about his leaders.

After purchasing my dance ticket, I leave school to go home. The weather has already begun to cool off and a cold front has recently blown our way, so it was no surprise to me when I saw it was snowing.

As I was about to leave, I see Zim standing below the awning of the school to shield himself from the snow.

"Curse this stupid frozen earth rain.." I heard him mutter.

My gut told me to just leave him and walk home. But something else objected to that feeling.

I walk over to Zim with my umbrella in hand. "Not coated in paste today, are you? Care to use an umbrella?" I offer mine, but he swats my hand away.

"Disgusting! As if I would accept help from you!" His eyes were locked on my umbrella and although his tone was repulsive toward me, his gaze suggested something different. Not even seconds after after denying my offer, Zim snatched the umbrella from my hand and ran away while using it to protect himself from the cold snow.

"Zim!—" I sigh. No use in calling after him. My logic should have seen that coming; Zim stealing my umbrella and taking off with it.

'A little snow doesn't hurt me anyways..'

I start my walk home, my hair and clothes turning whiter every second that I was exposed to the weather. But suddenly the snow stopped falling onto me.

To my surprise, Zim was standing out underneath the snowfall, holding the umbrella that he stole over my head to protect me, all the while burning himself in the process.

"Zim? I—" It was surprising to see him do this gesture. But I smile.

I take the umbrella from Zims' hand and reluctantly step closer to him so that the both of us would be protected underneath it.

"What on Irk is the Dib doing?! Get your disgusting body away from Zim at once!" He hissed slightly, both at me and in pain from what snow has already touched his skin.

I merely roll my eyes. "If you want to keep burning in the snow, then be my guest. But you offered my umbrella back, so I'm being nice and still letting you be safe under it." I start to walk now.

Zim follows beside me not even seconds later.

"You are lucky to even be this close to the amazing Zim." He starts, with of course a little bit of attitude, staring ahead to avoid looking up at me. "But.. Zim thanks you."

I'm surprised. "You.. thanked me? That's a first, Zim." It makes me smile.

"Shut up, pathetic human, before I take it back!" He looks up at me now, clearly embarrassed but another expression was mixed in there too. Partially squinted eyes, trying to sink into my very soul to figure out something.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" I break the silent eye contact, watching Zim quickly look forward again.

"That is none of your concern."

"It is, when I'm the one you're constantly watching."

"Tch—I'm not watching you! Don't flatter yourself." He keeps staring ahead now.

"Oh, really?" I start, making way toward Zims' base. "Because you've been staring at me from a distance, keeping to yourself, which is not like you by the way, and—"

"Shut your human mouth hole already!" Zim hisses, finally looking up at me.

I smirk, because being about a foot taller than Zim now means I get to loom over him, and I know he hates having to peer up to make eye contact with me.

"Someone's being a little moody."

We walk in silence for a moment, going past my house.

"That was your base, human filth."

"Yes, but I'm going to take you home first. It's not like my father's going to notice me missing for a few extra minutes. Hell, he probably wouldn't notice if I was gone all night." I laugh off the joke, but part of it was serious.

My dad is around more, but still very immersed in his work. He wants to fix the membracelets, thinking they didn't work because they weren't peace-worthy enough.

I shake my head to clear my mind, looking back at Zim who had reverted to staring ahead again.

'Why am I being nice to him, again? He tried to kill everyone just to prove himself to his leaders. But I guess I would've done just as much to gain the acknowledgement of my father.. I can't believe I'm relating to Zim of all beings.'

Zim looks almost dull as I watch him while we walked. The moment his base was in sight, the alien started walking slower.

"Dude, is everything good with you?"

"What?! Of course!" He quickly gets defensive, hissing at me. Then unexpectedly, Zim makes a dash for his home base, not even caring that it was still snowing.

"Zim—dude!" Still being too nice, I run after him, trying to hold my umbrella over his head before accidentally ramming into him when we got to his front door. "Ugh.."

"Ergh.. Get off of me!" Zim pushes my body away and jiggles his handle. "Gir! Let me inside!"

"What's the magic wooord~?" A muffled voice asks innocently through the door, obviously the robot.

I decide to stay and keep Zim underneath the umbrella because his small aiming wasn't doing much protecting from the cold snow. "Are you going to tell me why you're acting weird?"

"I'm not acting weird! I am Zim! Please, Gir! Let. Zim. In!" He abruptly pushes me away as the door finally started to open, hurrying inside and slamming it before I could get a view of the interior.

I slowly stand up and brush myself off, then grab my umbrella. "What.. was that all about? Zim's acting really strange.."