Call Me Zero (Frerard)

29: So many stars in the sky and I don't know why.

A/N: i hope this chapter doesn't seem to choppy.. also i guess its a little short since i split it with the other one, but oh well.

enjoy!

~

Of course as the time passed since Zero's return, Frank grew more worried.

In his mind the FBI could show back up on their doorstep any day now, but he hadn't heard a single word from anyone since they had brought him home that day. Not to mention he hadn't even seen anything on the news. They never even mentioned the "mysterious fallen object" anymore. It had all been covered up; put to an end.

This eased Frank's mind a little, and he allowed himself to forget and relax during the day, but at night was when all the fears came out. He would wake up sometimes in the middle of the night from nightmares about that place. The facility. The bureau. Whatever it was. The nightmares had plagued him nearly every night since then.

Frank would wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes crying at the same time, and if not, he would start crying just a few minutes after. He would force himself to take a deep breath, and just breathe. Zero would always be pressed against him, and Frank would press his face into their soft skin, or hair, whichever was closer, and just breathe them in. He would hold them close, careful not to squeeze too tight, and he would relax. Every morning he would wake up in the exact same position he had fallen asleep in after that.

Zero had gotten better though. They were finally able to walk and move around by themselves, without help from Frank, though he tried to help them with everything regardless. It had made them laugh and first, and slowly they grew more and more frustrated with it, beginning to bat his hands away and whine at him.

Both of them knew the other was amused by it, no matter how secretly.

Zero had taken to feeding and caring for Mitch themself, now that they finally could, and Frank could see they took pride in it. They would sit with the kitten in their lap every day, wrapped in the fluffy blanket, eating, watching cartoons, and petting his back gently. They would feed him every morning after they woke up, and every night before they went to bed, and play with him almost all day in between. Every time Frank caught a glimpse of the two of them together, he couldn't help but smile.

It was early February now, and still pretty chilly outside. Ray and Frank worked tirelessly in the garage, keeping a portable heater running the entire time, and occasionally taking breaks for a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.

The two of them had just finished eating lunch inside, and were heading back to the garage. This time, for the first time, Zero followed after them. It was a particularly stormy day, and Mitch had taken off to hide somewhere, most likely under the bed, to get away from the thunder, leaving them bored and alone. This of course, defaulted Zero back to clinging to Frank.

They followed behind him like a shadow, hooking a finger in the belt loop on the back of his pants to prevent him from getting more than an arms length away. Frank made no comment; this was normal Zero behavior.

He stopped next to the ship, gently removing Zero's hand and kneeling down to pick up the tool he had been using earlier.

"You can sit right there if you want, sugar," Frank said, pointing at the stool that was sitting just a few feet away.

Zero dragged it over so that it was right next to him, and sat down.

Frank shifted his position so that he was sitting criss-cross and was able to work comfortably. Zero swung their feet back and forth gently, dangling them just above the floor. The radio was on again, playing low in the background.