Call Me Zero (Frerard)

12: I've got an offhand way of getting information.

A/N: didn't have to wait too long for this update! im v happy.

another special thing coming in this chapter :) it'll explain a lot, for those who i haven't told already.

and just fyi, yes, this was planned from the start. enjoy!

~

Frank sat up bolt upright in the bed, breathing hard. The alarm on his phone was going off and it was vibrating hard against the wood of the nightstand.

Shit.

He had to go back to work today. His head was already pounding from being so tired and he rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up a little more. Frank felt a warm heat pressed against his side and looked down to see Zero curled up against him, as usual. Their face was buried in his shirt, and they had partially kicked the blankets off themself in their sleep. Their pajama shirt had ridden up a bit and Frank could see their belly peeking out.

He leaned down and kissed their temple, then shook them slightly to wake them up.

"Zero."

Zero made a whiny noise and rolled over away from him.

"Zero."

Frank leaned over them and looked down so he could see their face. They had one eye partly open and they were frowning at him.

"I gotta go to work," Frank told them, "I'll be back later, okay?"

Zero was silent.

"You'll be okay, right? I taught you how to do everything..."

Frank knew as always that they couldn't understand him, but this time he hoped more than ever that just maybe they could. Otherwise he knew there would be trouble when he got home. Zero grumbled at him and pushed him away, rolling over to go back to sleep.

"Fraaank," they whined as they shoved him.

Frank leaned back in closer to kiss them again, shutting them up for a moment and making them giggle, and then they resumed their grumbling and pushed him away once more.

Frank got off the bed and went over to his dresser to pick out his clothes. He got dressed, tossed his pajamas into the hamper, and then headed into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

As he finished brushing his teeth and looked up, he saw Zero standing behind him in the mirror. They were leaning in the doorway.

"Frank," they said in a sad voice.

"I gotta go," Frank told them again.

Zero's expression grew sadder.

"I'll be back in a few hours, I promise. Come on, it won't be so bad. You'll have the whole house to yourself."

The sad expression faded a little. Zero nodded. Frank didn't see their smirk as they turned around and headed back into the living room.

~

Frank worried the entire way to work.

He had poured Zero a huge bowl of Lucky Charms before he left, giving them a little help on their first day, and set them up on the couch with their fluffy blanket and notepad, watching E.T. He had tried to teach them how to work the DVD player too, but he wasn't sure exactly how well that had gone over.

As he walked out the front door he looked back at them for a moment, sadly. They seemed very content, in the middle of picking out all the colored marshmallows, like they always did. Frank tried to tell himself he had nothing to worry about. But of course he couldn't stop worrying. What was Zero doing now? Were they in the same place he'd left them, still eating their breakfast? He hadn't even been gone more than twenty minutes yet, so they had to be. They would be fine at least until the movie was over, he tried to convince himself.