A/N: omg ok i have so much to say about this

first of all im super excited for this oneshot i love it so much ok

also its super rainy and stormy here today and ive been listening to across the universe by the beatles on repeat for some reason but anyway thats what inspired this!! as well as a scene from the fic Ain't nobody gonna love you like the devil do by dear_monday on ao3 (its literally one of my fav fics ever pls read it but tw for violence and smut n stuff)

also, im sure you've noticed this is "pt. 1". there's this chapter, w no smut, and ive decided to put the smut in a separate chapter for those who dont want to read it. thats pt 2 and its coming v soon.

i hope you guys like it!!

~

Sounds of laughter, shades of life are ringing through my open ears

Inciting and inviting me

Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns

It calls me on and on, across the universe

~

Zero inspected Frank closely for any signs of him waking up. They poked and prodded at his mind, but it was obvious to them they'd have more luck trying to wake up a rock. Their partner's mouth was partly hanging open, a little bit of drool pooling out and forming a little wet spot on his crooked pillow.

"Fraaank..." Zero whined, mostly just to themself.

Looking up and out the bedroom window again, they eyed the swaying trees and gray sky through the sheer curtains. It was storming outside, harder than Zero had ever seen before, and they were eager to go outside and experience it first-hand.

"Frank," they snapped again, shoving at his shoulder and causing a hitch in the snoring sounds he was making.

Other than that, Frank did nothing.

"Frank. Up."

They tugged at his t-shirt - still nothing.

Leaning down so they were curled into a little ball in front of Frank's face, Zero found themself so close to him that their noses were almost touching. Tentatively, they poked at Frank's cheek. Met with no response, they jabbed harder. It was no use. With a sigh, Zero let their fingers trail down from Frank's cheek, over the tattoo of the scissors on his neck, and finally back to their side.

Finally admitting defeat, both to their own curiosity and Frank's unrelenting sleep, Zero slowly slid off the bed and padded down the hallway. They turned into the kitchen, where the backdoor was, opening the lock and swinging the door open.

Right away, they were met with a damp, cool breeze and the sounds of rain and wind. Hunching up their shoulders and tugging the sleeves of their hoodie over their hands, Zero stepped outside, shutting the door behind them. They held their hands up close to their chest, rubbing them together to keep warm. The wet grass was icy against their bare feet, the droplets of water clung to their skin and sent shivers up their spine, making Zero squeeze their arms even closer to their own body. Looking up, they could just barely see the white light of the sun peeking through the barrage of gray-blue clouds. To Zero they looked soft, like Mitch's fur, or the top of Frank's hair, or the pink sugary stuff Frank would always buy when they went to the boardwalk. The rain beat down on the top of their head and shoulders, the drops big and heavy, making little splats and dripping down Zero's bright hair and clothing. A small giggle bubbled up from their throat and they smiled to themself.

Cautiously, Zero stepped out into the yard further. With a shiver and an even wider grin, they titled their head back, with closed eyes, and spread their arms with palms facing up, letting the rain fall onto them.

~

It took Frank a good moment to realize when the warm puffs of breath on his face and the weight on the bed had disappeared. But when he did, he sat up quickly, rubbing his eyes and murmuring Zero's name in his mind, trying to get their attention and bring them back to bed. He figured they had just gotten up for a snack or something, or maybe to even play with Mitch.

A few seconds later, it was made clear to him exactly where Zero was.

"Frank!"

The shout overpowered the ruckus of the weather, still sounding distant and a little muddy through the glass of the window. Jumping out of bed and crossing the room to the window, Frank tugged the curtains aside and slid the glass open. He was instantly met with a barrage of water droplets billowing through the screen. Shielding his face with one hand, Frank called out.

"Zero! What the hell are you doing out there?!"

"Frank!" Zero called again excitedly, "It rains!"

Frank was torn between laughing right along with the alien, or running outside to catch them before the ended up with pneumonia. His nature got the better of him and his chest began to shake with laughter. He watched his partner with a toothy smile, and in the next moment found himself dancing in the rain right next to them.

Grabbing Zero's soft hands in his own, Frank spun them around, pulling them closer in order to grab onto their hips and lift them completely off the ground. They were both hooting and hollering, filling the air with laughter. Frank's feet squelched in the wet, slippery grass and he finally slipped under Zero's weight, collapsing to the ground with his partner piled on top of him.

Despite the shooting pain in his tailbone and knowing he'd have a hell of a bruise tomorrow, Frank cackled along with Zero all the same. Both of their hair was drenched and stringy, falling into their faces and dripping water down their flushed skin. Frank let himself fall back, laying on the ground as one does when they're about to make a snow angel. Zero remained in the same spot on his lap, moving their legs so that they were straddling him and playing with the hem of his soaking wet t-shirt.

Their manic laughter had died down to giggles now, the two childlike lovers grinning at each other wildly, an equally wild look emitting from both their eyes. To the common man, they would have looked insane.

Wordlessly, Frank cupped his hands around the back of Zero's neck and pulled them down, so that they were laying flush along his body and their lips brushed against each other. He pulled them further, into a kiss, and splayed a hand flat between their shoulder blades, while the other moved down to the small of their back.

"I love you, Zero," Frank said against their lips, still laughing slightly.

They pulled back and looked down at him with a smile and chubby chipmunk cheeks.

"Love you too Frank," Zero replied, "Come on!" and with that, Zero bounded to their feet, tugging Frank up with him and grasping his hands tightly.

They began to dance again, some sort of off-beat alien take on the Waltz, from what Frank could gather, and just like that they were laughing like crazy again.

Frank lifted the arm that was holding onto Zero's hand, pulling them underneath and spinning them in a tight circle as they laughed together. As they completed the turn, he pulled them close against his chest, their clasped hands held apart from their bodies like the way people would in a traditional slow dance.

It didn't take Zero long to catch on to the gentle sway of Frank's hips and the shift of his feet, and soon they found a perfect rhythm together. Their pace picked up more and more until they were resembling some sort of gay, New Jersey, rainy day reenactment of a scene from Sleeping Beauty.

The second time they collapsed into a shivering, giggling heap on the ground, Frank decided it was time to head inside and warm up.

"Come on, sugar," Frank said with a breathy laugh, half-heartedly attempting to dodge the barrage of kisses that Zero was attacking him with, "Zero, come on, let's go inside."

Zero was giggling under their breath as they peppered kisses all over Frank's face and neck. Their hands were pressed against his shoulders, pinning him down on the drenched, muddy ground. Without thinking, Frank reached a hand up and began to tickle Zero under their arms, causing the alien to screech with laughter and fall to the ground next to Frank, writhing under his touch and caking their red hair with mud as they turned their head back and forth.

In a split second of deja vu, the image of Zero on the night they had arrived flashed into Frank's mind. The night they had been covered in mud, and he'd had to give them a bath. How far they'd come since then.

Frank rose to his feet and loomed over Zero. Their shirt had ridden up, exposing their pale belly as it bounced with their laughter. With a soft smile, Frank helped them to their feet.

"Let's go before you catch a cold, baby."

Zero buried their face into his neck and let out a whine, but Frank could feel them smiling against his skin. He chuckled and patted them lightly on the bum.

"Move it, snuggle bug."

With their feet planted firmly on the ground, Zero just nuzzled deeper into Frank's chest. He wrapped his arms around them, squeezing lightly and pressing a kiss to the top of their wet head, careful to avoid the mud.

"Come on we can go take a bath," he whispered into their ear.

Zero made another funny noise, but went along as Frank guided them into the house. He hurried them right into the bathroom, not even stopping to wipe their feet, because Frank knew all too well that at the first chance they got, Zero would shake all the water and mud off like a wet dog. He could worry about the tracks on the floor later.

"Let's get you warmed up," Frank murmured as he undressed a shivering Zero.

The wet clothes landed on the tile with a splat, and Frank turned to get the water running before he removed his own clothing. Zero wrapped their arms around their middle, their chubby body shaking with each shiver that swept through them. As Frank stepped out of his muddy sweatpants, he came to stand behind Zero and rested his arms over theirs, pulling them against them and rubbing up and down their biceps to try to warm them up a little until the water was heated up.

After a moment, he stepped around and tugged Zero over to the tub, climbing in carefully first and then helping them in to sit in his lap. The hot water sloshed around both of them, loosening up their muscles and bringing the feeling back into their icy fingertips. Steam rose from the bath, prickling at their skin as they relaxed against one another.

Frank leaned back against the wall, stretching his legs and tilting his head back with closed eyes and sigh. Zero was rested between Frank's side and the side of the tub, with their head resting against his chest and their mouth just near the surface of the water where they were blowing tiny bubbles.

Gently, Frank rubbed his thumb back and forth on the soft skin of Zero's shoulder, using the arm he had wrapped around them to bring them tighter against him and nuzzle his nose into their hair. He pulled back in a split second, wiping the new spot of mud off the tip of his nose and chuckling.

Frank sat himself and Zero up slowly, reaching over to the side of the tub and grabbing the shampoo to wash out their hair. His fingers ran through their short hair, untangling the knots, and his short fingernails scraped at their scalp. Zero leaned into him again and let out a sigh of contentment, eyes fluttering shut just as Frank's had moments before.

When they were all clean, Frank washed himself quickly and returned the shampoo to its place. The bathwater was now slightly tinged brown from all the mud, and Frank was well aware of it, so again, he eased Zero back up into a sitting position and rose to his feet, helping them up along with him.

Without protest, to Frank's surprise, Zero climbed out of the tub right behind him. He grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around his partner's dripping body, rubbing it over their skin to dry them off. He then rubbed down their hair with the towel before taking his turn to dry off as well. Once they were dry enough as to not drip all over the floor, the two made their way to the bedroom.

Zero rolled onto the bed, not even bothering to put their pajamas on. As they looked up at Frank with a grin, he let out a laugh and followed suit. He propped himself up on his hands and knees and hovered over their bare body, leaning down to give them a peck on the nose. Zero giggled and twisted a hand into Frank's hair, pulling him in for a real kiss.

~

A/N: pt 2 coming in a little bit!!!