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.
"Fine, whatever."
Frank rose to his feet again and put the disc into the DVD player. He saw Zero climb onto the couch out of the corner of his eye and curl up into their fluffy blanket, in their usual spot in the corner. He changed the input on the TV, then stepped back and sat down next to them.
He kept telling himself not to make a big deal out of what had happened in the hallway. After all, when you thought about it, it wasn't one. Right?
Frank rubbed his eye and leaned back into the couch cushion as the television screen flickered to life.
He made sure to keep a little distance between him and Zero.
~
Frank had let his mind wander during the movie, having lost interest after the first fifteen minutes or so. He thought a little about what had happened earlier with Zero. He thought he was more in shock over what had happened after the underwear incident, rather than the incident itself.
Zero had laughed. They had fucking laughed. It wasn't a little giggle, or something quiet like he had heard before. It was a real, honest to God laugh. And he had no idea what to make of it. What the hell did they do that for?
He tried to move on and think of something else, knowing that asking himself these questions was pointless. There were no answers to describe Zero. He had no idea what went on in their mind. Ever.
Instead, Frank thought about his other friends. They still hadn't made any attempt to contact him. He had lightened up, having sent just one text message to each of them today instead of his usual five or so. And he hadn't called them once.
Frank's mind wandered more, and he vaguely noted that the couple in the movie was now kissing on top of a Ferris wheel. Could you get any more cheesy than that? Frank was startled out of his thoughts when his phone buzzed loudly on the table. He felt Zero jump a little too. He reached out and picked it up, checking the screen to see who it was. He was shocked when he saw it. It was a text from Ray.
im sorry
Frank unlocked his phone and typed back right away.
are you gonna explain?
The phone buzzed again immediately, except this time it was a call. Frank answered on the first ring.
"Hey."
"Hey Frank. What's up?"
Frank tried to fight the urge to snap and Ray and stay calm. He needed his friend back, and he didn't want to start a fight. But in the end, he snapped anyway.
"That's all you have to say to me? After ditching me for days?"
"I'm sorry Frank but how do you expect me to react when you invite me over your house and tell me there's an alien living with you? And you were so calm about it Frank! You didn't even seem phased by it! I thought you had lost your fucking mind!"
"You know what? I know. I know, and I just didn't know what to do, so I-"
"No, stop. It's okay. I didn't know either. So that's exactly what i did. Nothing. And I'm a shitty friend frank, I'm sorry."
"No you're not. Stop. I don't blame you."
Then there was silence on both ends.
"...Are... they still there?"
Frank glanced over at Zero, who was turning their gaze from him back to the movie every minute or so.
"Yeah. They're still here."
"I saw on the news that the police were looking-"
"Yeah they already came here. Don't worry about it. I think it's taken care of."
"But how-"
"It'll be easier to explain in person. Don't worry. You gotta come over soon though, man. I miss you."
"...I miss you too dude."
Zero began to tug on Frank's shirt sleeve, frowning and pointing at the TV. The credits were rolling. Frank hadn't realized that much time had passed already.
"Look I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Alright. 'Night Frank. Miss you."
"I miss you too. Night, Ray."
Frank hung up the phone and looked down at it for a moment, just thinking. Then he put it back on the coffee table and looked back over at Zero. They were watching him patiently.
"You wanna watch another movie?"
Zero hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Frank raised his eyebrows. Were they actually starting to be able to understand him? He guessed if they had heard the phrase "movie" often enough, and in context, they would begin to know the meaning.
Frank stood up and looked down at the pile of DVDs. Then, he reached down and picked one up, turning around to show Zero. They gasped and smiled at him, perking up in their spot on the couch.
It was E.T.
~
Frank payed close attention to the movie this time, as well as Zero. All the other times they had watched it, he had just sat back and let his mind wander.
As E.T. learned to talk throughout the movie, Frank began to get some ideas. If they could teach E.T., why couldn't he teach Zero? At least they looked human. They should have an even easier time learning, right?
He decided that after the movie, he would try teaching Zero again.
And of course Frank stuck to his promise.
As they credits rolled up onto the screen, he rose to his feet and walked over to the kitchen counter where he had left the notepad. He went around through the doorway, grabbing a half-eaten bag of chips and two sodas for them to share, then sat back down, putting all the items on the coffee table.
Frank turned cross-legged on the couch facing Zero, who was still bundled up in the corner, slightly facing him. He took the notepad in his lap and opened it to the page where Zero had been practicing writing their and Frank's names. He held it up and pointed to Zero's name.
"Zero. That's your name Zero. I told you last time remember? Z-E-R-O. You wrote it. Can you say it now? Like E.T?"
Zero stared back at him with their eyebrows just barely scrunching together. They were almost expressionless. Frank sighed.
"Zero, come on."
They didn't move a muscle.
"At least try. I know you can make noise. Y-you laughed at me before... you have a real voice, I've heard it..."
Frank trailed off. Zero remained unchanged in their spot.
"Come on! We've been through this a million times. I'm Frank, you're Zero. Now try to say it back!"
He pointed at himself and Zero respectively to emphasize. They didn't move.
Frank huffed and slapped the notepad back down on the table.
"You know what, forget it. I don't know why I tried. You're too stubborn for this..."
He turned and moved his legs off the couch, then stood up and strode down the hallway without looking back. Frank needed to be in his music room. He just needed to relax after having to deal with Zero all day.
He sat down and strummed a few chords, not even bothering to plug Pansy into the amplifier. Just playing to relax and clear his mind. He heard shuffling coming from down the hall but didn't bother looking up.
A moment later he could feel Zero's eyes on him, but he just kept playing.
Zero made a whiny noise in the back of their throat, a sound they had made several times before when they wanted to get his attention.
Frank kept playing.
"Fraaank..."
Frank's head snapped up. His hands froze in place and his eyes were bulging so wide they were practically going to fall out of his head. His fingers stopped in their places on the guitar neck and the notes rung out, slowly being replaced with a deafening silence.
Frank just stared at Zero. They were leaning in the doorway, pouting, and shuffling one foot in place on the floor.
"...What did you say?"
Zero looked up at him curiously. As if they hadn't even realized what they had done.
"Frank."
They said so causally. As if they had already said it a million times before, and speaking was nothing new.
Frank felt another wave of shock overcome him. He was silent for a good few minutes, then said, "...Yes?"
Zero furrowed their eyebrows together again.
"Frank."
Frank's mind raced. Then he let out a deep breath. This wasn't some "Zero-all-of-a-sudden-gave-in-and-revealed-they-can-talk" thing. All they could say was his name.
But what the fuck?
His name was an alien's first word. Zero's first word.
Frank felt like he was going to pass out.
Zero really was going to kill him.
~
told you guys there would be something special in this one!! i hope it was at least a little bit of a surprise.
get ready for ch 10 now. it s gonna be a big one. big as in importnat. it might be long too idk
let me know what you think!!