Call Me Zero (Frerard)

9: Give 'em hell, kid.

A/N: yo! happy new year's eve everyone!

big surprise in this chapter. and an even bigger one in the next. (which is already like halfway done btw)

also, i made accounts separate from my main ones just for this fic. the twitter is @chubbypinkgee and the tumblr is callmezeroiero! it's basically a place for you guys and me to discuss the fic/share art/talk about headcanons or ideas/ask me questions about it/etc. i'll still be posting on my main ones too but this is just more in depth i guess.

i hope you guys like it :)

~

Frank finally came back to himself when he was startled by a loud crash coming from the living room.

Zero had walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the front room, cackling the whole way and Frank couldn't do anything but stare in disbelief.

Now, with the interruption of the noise, his eyes came back into focus and he was brought back from his thoughts. He stomped into the living room, ready to demand just what exactly that was all about, but he was met with another scene that made him fall silent. Zero had dumped out the entire DVD cabinet, and all of the contents were now in a pile on the carpet.

Frank wanted to yell. To ask them what the hell this was about, why they were acting like this. But he stopped himself. Who was he kidding? This was typical Zero. Barely a week they had been with him and he was already used to their antics.

What the hell am I turning into?

Zero rifled through the DVD boxes, picking each one up one by one, inspecting it for a moment, then tossing it over their shoulder back onto the floor. Before Frank could say something, they picked up another DVD and paused, holding it out in front of themselves and grinning. They turned the box around and held it up proudly for Frank to see.

What else? E.T.

Frank had no idea what to say. He stood in the doorway to the hall, still dumbfounded. Zero rose to their feet, kicking aside stray movie boxes as they walked over to the TV stand. They opened the case to E.T. and pried the disc out, pausing and trying to figure out what to do next. They looked at Frank with a pleading look, asking for help.

He finally managed to get out, "You just expect me to sit down and watch a movie with you now?"

Zero stared at him blankly for a long moment, cocking their head like a dog.

Frank sighed. He didn't know what else to do, so he said, "No way. We've watched that a million times already since you've been here. If we're going to watch something at all you need to pick something else."

He trudged over to the couch, feeling worn out and slightly defeated. He slumped down onto the cushion and leaned back, mind still racing. Zero whined and held the disc out to Frank again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them and looked up at Zero.

"I said pick another movie."

Frank crossed his arms and stared right back at them. Two could play at that game.

God, their attitude's rubbing off on me...

Zero put the disc back in the case, then, taking it in both hands, they set it down gently back on the floor, giving it a long, sad look before turning away. They began to dig through the pile of movies again, the same way they had been doing before. Frank watched from his place on the couch, arms still crossed.

Zero carried on for nearly ten minutes, before Frank finally snapped.

"Just pick one already!"

Zero scrunched up their face and gave Frank an angry look. They reached out and snatched up a DVD without breaking eye contact, and held it out to Frank, not even bothering to look at the case. Frank took the movie from them and had a look at it himself. He recognized it as one of the movies that an ex had left with him. An old cheesy rom-com. He rolled his eyes.