Call Me Zero (Frerard)

16: I traveled far, I reached for the stars.

A/N: ok a thing i just realized is it fuckin christmas in new jersey and theres no snow and im literally from new jersey so i have no idea what im doing ?? this is what happens when you live in az for too long.

anyway, idk how long this one actually is but its something to lighten the mood at least

enjoy!!

~

Frank had two choices for which direction he was going to go. He could take the easy route, head down the turnpike and blow right into another state - or, he could take the dirt road down through the forest, past the small towns, and out into the countryside.

The more he weighed his options, the more he figured the feds wouldn't go looking for him if he went through the woods. They'd be expecting him to take the fast route, to make a quick getaway. This way was slower, but there was also less of a chance of being spotted.

Which was why, now, he and Zero were driving through the forest, with nothing to see but the blurred shapes and colors of trees whirling by, and the road stretched out in front of them.

Thankfully, the dirt road had turned into a paved one not too far in, so the ride wasn't as painful as it had been. But sitting in the car for six hours, no matter how smooth the ride is, makes your fucking ass go numb, and Zero did not hesitate to make it clear to Frank just how miserable they really were.

When they weren't whining and groaning, they were squirming in their seat - shifting their legs and trying to sit criss-cross, then resting their feet up on the headboard, then putting them back down again - and each time they moved they managed to kick either Frank or the door at least once. And if they weren't doing either one of these things, they were doing them both at the same time.

Frank understood of course, he could barely feel his lower body either, and no matter how much he shifted, he couldn't get the feeling back in his ass. But Zero was driving him up the wall. Obviously they weren't used to being in the car this long, and it was boring as hell, but it wasn't like they really had a choice.

The only moment of peace Frank had was when Zero had dozed off for about two hours or so, snuggling their E.T. close and snoring as usual, their head lolling off to the side and jostling with every bump they hit. Surprisingly, all that didn't wake them up.

Frank played music for them, let them snack on some of the food he had packed in their bag, and even ended up telling them stories for a little while. After six hours, there wasn't much else left to occupy their time.

They had been driving non-stop since they had left the house earlier that day, and Frank still wasn't planning on slowing down anytime soon. Though, with a cranky Zero, he wasn't sure how long he'd actually be able to stick to that statement.

The sun was beginning to go down now, but luckily there were street lamps lining the paved road. Frank flicked on his beams just to be safe. Zero was pouting and tapping their foot. They had both arms wrapped around E.T., and their eyes were pointed towards their feet, unfocused and seemingly deep in thought. Frank sighed and rolled down their windows to get some fresh air, and Zero's eyes shot up immediately to look outside. Frank heard them gasp as they gazed out.

"Frank!"

They began to tug on his shirt, finally acting a little happy for the first time since they'd left.

Frank smiled, but replied, "I can't look, sugar, I've got to drive."

Zero whined again, so exaggerated that Frank couldn't even tell if they were actually saying his name or not.

"What is it?"

Zero was quiet. Frank stole a glance out of the corner of his eye to try and take a guess of what they wanted him to see.