Insanity | a Jurassic World Fanfic & Zach Mitchell X Reader

Chapter Eight : Night in the Jungle

FOR WHAT SEEMED like hours, your group trekked through the dense jungle, swatting away ferns and killing mosquitos.

The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon as pangs of hunger and exhaustion ran through you. Your eyelids were sagging and your stomach was so empty that it hurt.

"We should find somewhere to rest for the night," Zach stated, shielding his eyes as he looked towards the setting sun.

"We have to sleep out here?!" Gray exclaimed fearfully.

"It's okay, Gray," you reassured him, patting his head. Your (color) eyes scanned the foliage ahead and a large tree with a bed of branches caught your eye.

"What about there? It's off the ground," you pointed it out to the boys.

"That should work, yeah," Zach nodded and led you and Gray to its base. He looked up, searching for a way to climb the thick trunk.

You walked around the tree, carefully stepping over the roots, and found a wad of vines hanging from a branch near the top of the tree. The vines reached down, above your outstretched hands.

"Damnit, hey Zach! Give me a boost, will ya?" You called them over.

The said male gave you a quizzical look before wrapping his arms around your knees and hoisting you up.

"A.. little.. further...!"

Zach leaned against the tree and pushed you into the air with a burst of energy. Your fingers closed around the vines and you climbed to the nearest branch.

"Okay, Gray, your turn!" You called down to the timid blonde.

"B-but -- " he took a step back.

"You can do it, Gray. I believe in you," Zach ruffled his brother's hair before gently pulling him to the tree and picking him up.

Gray bit his lip and reached for the vines, a little too short to reach. You hooked your legs on the branch and hung upside-down from it, reaching out your hands to help Gray.

He grabbed your hand and you lifted him high enough to grab the vines and join you on the branch.

"C'mon, Zach!" You held out your hands.

He stepped back and took a running start, leaping up and reaching for your hands. He missed and fell back down.

"Try again," Gray urged.

Zach did. This time you caught his wrist and hoisted him up as far as you could.

"Jeez, you weigh a ton!" You huffed as he scrabbled for the vines, "Hurry up!"

Zach finally got a hold of them and climbed to your branch. Next, the three of you climbed to the nest of intertwined branches.

The sun had set by the time you were all settled comfortably in the tree. Gray was searching through his fanny pack while you counted the stars.

"Ten.. fifteen... seventeen.." You shivered, a chilly wind whipping your hair from your face. You rubbed your arms, forgetting about the stars, but something warm fell onto your shoulders, startling you.

You turned to see Zach patting your back, his gray jacket now draped around your shoulders.

"Oh, uh, thank you," you mutter, heat rushing to your face. You slipped your arms into the sleeves and felt much better as you zipped it up.

"Anytime, (Y/n)," a warm smile played across his lips as he just looked into your eyes. You were frozen as you stared back, (color) locked on brown. It amazed you with how much raw emotion swirled in the depths of that one pair of eyes.

The crunch of a wrapper interrupted your staring contest.

Gray was opening a granola bar, he looked up when he realized you both were staring at him. "Want some?" He held out two more.

You took one and ate it quickly before laying back in a nook between two fused branches. Exhaustion bit into you and your eyelids began to close.

×××

You were awaken around midnight when you had a nightmare about the white creature that had attacked earlier. You sat up, too terrified to fall back asleep. The boys were sound asleep, Gray was even snoring.

You held a hand to your chest, feeling the quick beats of your racing heart. You took a deep breath to steady yourself.

Then you pulled out your phone, which had somehow stayed in your pocket. You checked to see if you had any service, but you didn't. Which meant you couldn't call Owen to come and find you.

Sighing, you pulled up your gallery and began going through pictures of Foxtrot. You really missed him. Once the sun rises and you aren't at the Velociraptor Paddock, he's going to know there's something up and he'll freak out. He did that once before when a guy tried stealing your money.

But there wouldn't be a striped Velociraptor hero in this story. You and the boys were on your own.

You bit your lip, running through the photos of your boy. There was one of when he was just an infant. He had gotten himself stuck in a plastic log.

You suppressed a giggle.

"Who's that?" Someone whispered in your ear. You jumped and turned to see Zach had shifted to look over your shoulder.

Shit.

"O-oh, nothing! J-just photoshopping at its finest." You laughed nervously, turning off your phone.

"Is that what you meant by "job"? And that's where you got that scratch, huh?" Zach pried, scooting closer to you.

You sighed. There was no use hiding it now. "Yeah, his name is Foxtrot. I've been taking care of him for awhile now," you looked at the stars, sighing again.

"Do you miss him?" Zach whispered his question.

"Yeah.. he was like a big, dangerous puppy. Always so hyper and eager to play. And so, so loyal," you laid back down.

"I had a dog once," Zach stated, "She was big and fluffy and white. Best dog in the entire world. And then someone broke into our house. She attacked him, nearly killed him. But he shot her first."

"What was her name?" You turned to look at the male and saw a tear falling down his cheek.

"Our mom named her Maxi. She was my best friend."

"I bet she's still protecting you," you murmured.

"I hope so," Zach smiled sadly. "Anyways, why are you up?"

"I had a nightmare.."

"Oh," you looked away from him only to have his fingers brush away some of your hair, "I won't let anything happen to you, okay? So why don't you just get some sleep.."

"T-thanks, Zach. Maybe you're not such a bad guy afterall," you smiled, leaning your head against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around you, opening his mouth to say something.

"Remember, I said maybe."

And he closed his mouth with a quiet chuckle.