Fearless ≫ Zach Mitchell

xv.

f i f t e e n

~

Countless minutes passed by the pair as they waited it out inside the dark and abandoned building. After knowing the Raptor for five years, Ashton knew that Echo was too persistent to give up that easily. She told Zach that it was probably a trick, that the sandy-gray Velociraptor was probably just around the corner, waiting for them to exit the building when they assumed it was safe.

So the pair decided to trick the trickster- to wait out the patient, stealthy hunter of the Cretaceous.

Ashton ended up resting her head on Zach's chest, listening closely to the sound of his heart beating through the fabric of his maroon shirt. Several times, she had almost fallen asleep, though every time, she would shift around, not allowing herself to drift away into the world of dreams. She wouldn't allow herself to sleep until everyone she loved and cared about was safe.

So she only sat in silence, listening to the sound of Zach's steady heartbeat and fighting the exhaustion that tugged at her heavy eyes. That was, until his raspy voice broke the silence.

"Since we're just sitting here, we might as well do something." Ashton lifted her head and turned towards him, wanting to ask what the hell they could do in a dark steak house, though instead, she was surprised to feel his lips crash against hers. Though surprised, her hands immediately found their way around his neck, her fingers entangling themselves into his dark hair.

Zach slowly leaned into the kiss, allowing himself to cherish the feeling that he enjoyed so much, even though he had only felt it once. When he kissed Ashton Grady, he could think of nothing else; his heart raced, his hands shook uncontrollably, his head pulsed and his felt a sudden flush of light-headedness. On a normal basis, he would hate every single one of those things, but when her lips were attached to his, he loved them. His hands gently rested on her hips, and he hoped that she wouldn't notice how shaky his fingers were. She leaned into the kiss, pulling back after a moment before their lips reattached once more.

It was then Zach Mitchell realized just how innocent this girl was. The way she nervously touched his chest, sheepishly climbing onto his lap as he leaned back, huddling girlishly against his warm chest and the fabric of his maroon cotton tee. Though Zach was different. He had kissed many girls before, and he knew just what to do and when to do it. One hand still rested on her waist, while the other slowly cupped her cheek. He hungrily pressed his lips against hers, allowing himself to savor the moment he knew would end far too soon. Though Zach had kissed many girls before Ashton, none of them felt this good. None of them felt so right.

That was why Zach let out a small moan of disappointment when Ashton broke the kiss, slowly sliding off of his lap with one last peck on the cheek.

"I think we can leave now. Echo should be getting back to her new pack members by now." She said this with a scowl and an evident shudder, causing Zach to purse his lips in sympathy. Though he didn't understand why the girl was so attached to the carnivorous dinosaur that was set out to kill them, he guessed it was something like the bond he had with his German Shepard back home.

So instead of saying some snarky remark about her crazy attachment to the animal, as he usually would, Zach only pulled himself to his feet, doing the same to Ashton moments later. Though before he opened the thick wooden door that shielded them from the hellish outside world, he pulled her closer to him, connecting their lips in a short kiss. As he pulled away, Ashton's pink lips curled into a cheeky grin.

"Can't get enough of me, can you, Zachary?" She asked teasingly, wriggling her eyebrows and leaning closer to him.

"Never, baby girl," Zach responded and chuckled lightly. He too leaned closer, his eyes fluttered closed and his plump lips puckered slightly, expecting yet another kiss. Though instead of complying (no matter how much she wanted to), Ashton only silently leaned to the side. Instead of his lips crashing into hers once more, Zach only leaned forward to meet air, causing him to stumble forward slightly. Opening one eye, he stuck his bottom lip out in a slight pout. "That's no fair."

"Tell you what," Ashton said cheekily, poking the tip of his nose with her finger. "Once we survive this mess, I'll give you all the kisses you want."

Zach's lips curled into his signature smirk, and he nodded slowly. "You got yourself a deal."

~

Main Street was empty as Zach and Ashton exited Winston's Steak House- no sign of any dinosaur, nor human. It reminded Ashton of a ghost town, like the ones in the stories Owen used to tell her when she was younger, and it made her uneasy. Clutching onto Zach's warm hand tightly, she stayed close to him as they slowly made their way towards the Innovation Center.

Though before they even had the chance to turn the corner, Echo leaped out from behind the dark building, crouching down into attacking position with her lopsided jaw agape.

"You persistent son of a bitch," Ashton mumbled, staring at the Raptor with wide eyes. Zach immediately began pulling her backwards, though she stopped in her tracks.

"No. We're not running," she told him through gritted teeth, keeping eye contact with the Velociraptor in front of her.

"Are you crazy? Ash, come on!" Zach hissed, pulling her hand once more, though she only shook her head.

"Just trust me." Reluctantly slipping her hand out of his, Ashton took a slow step towards Echo. The Raptor hissed loudly, snapping her jaws, though she didn't give up. As she took another step, careful not to appear too threatening, the Raptor cocked her head to the side, a confused chirp falling from her mouth.

"It's okay," Ashton whispered softly as she began reaching her hand towards the dinosaur. Echo recoiled a bit, snapping her jaws, though not with the same intensity as before. Though Ashton still wasn't giving up. She reached towards the animal, her hand shaking violently as it touched her scaly head. She slowly reached towards the black strap that held the camera onto Echo's head. She twisted the strap, loosening it until the device fell off of the Raptor's head and onto the pavement below.

"There you go," Ashton said shakily, retracting her hand back to her side. Echo only stared at her, unblinking and her head cocked to the side. After a moment of tense silence, the Velociraptor made a series of chirping sounds, almost as if she were trying to communicate with her. She then dipped her head, as if nodding, before taking a step backwards. Echo's golden eyes landed on Zach, who was standing behind Ashton in a shocked silence, before darting back to her questioningly. Ashton only shook her head, though the Raptor still obeyed.

"That was fucking amazing," Zach breathed out, finally stepping up so that he was standing beside her. Slipping his hand into hers, he leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. "You really are a bad ass."

Ashton opened her mouth to speak, though was cut off by Echo's soft bellowing. Turning her attention towards the dinosaur, she watched as the Raptor looked behind her before turning her back to the teenagers, chirping once more.

"I think she wants us to follow her," Ashton told Zach slowly, watching as Echo stomped her foot almost impatiently.

"What if this is all just a trick? What if its gonna lead us into a trap?" Zach fretted, though Ashton only rolled her eyes.

"Then just stay behind me," she said simply, already taking a step towards Echo as the dinosaur turned around. "I have control."

Though she could tell he was reluctant, Zach didn't argue. He eyed the Velociraptor uneasily, taking a step closer to Ashton protectively. Once Ashton nodded towards the dinosaur, Echo twisted her neck around to face forwards once more. Chirping lightly, the Raptor began leading them towards the Innovation Center.

Ashton just hoped she made the right decision.