5 Times Zach Was Hugged (+ 1 Time He Hugged Someone Else)

Chapter 2: 2) Love (To Hate)

Aviva owed him big time.

Yes, his Zachbots were malfunctioning and threatening her precious Wild Rats (who would've thought he'd ever meet Chris and whoever Kratt again? Especially like this?).

Yes, he'd have to reprogram them anyways.

Yes, he very much wanted to avoid a murder charge (especially with those two, enemies or otherwise, not that he was admitting that).

But none of that changed the fact that Aviva called him for help. She couldn't hack his systems in time to save her team, she needed him, and he was never going to let her live it down.

He sat on the cleanest rock he could find, hunched over his laptop, fingers clacking quickly enough to almost distract him from the fact that he was outside without his Zachbots.

"Can't you go any faster, Varmitech?" Aviva complained, pacing.

Zach smirked. "Real genius takes time, Corcovado."

"You better not be stalling purpose, Zach!" Aviva growled, her professionalism lasting longer than he thought it would but still snapping under her temper.

"Believe it or not, my programs are complicated and delicate." Zach growled back. Oh, how he'd missed hated arguing with her in person. Texting wasn't nearly as aggravating or as much fun. "It's going to take me a while, but don't worry — I'll save your pwecious wittle teammates for you, since you can't~"

"Move over and let me see it." Aviva demanded, grabbing his shoulder to push him to the side and gain access to his laptop.

Zach yelped, torn between jumping away and not leaving her alone with his laptop. "Stop, you're going to mess up the program!"

Two hours of tug-of-war and reluctantly taking turns clacking away at keys later, the Zachbots were finally back to normal and the annoying no-longer-kids he used to know were perfectly safe.

"We did it!" Aviva cheered, laughing.

"You don't have to sound so surprised." He sniffed, gesturing between himself and her. "Between the world's greatest and second greatest inventors, it was hardly a challenge."

"Aw, thanks for calling me the greatest, Zach." Aviva winked, pulling him into a side hug.

Zach tensed up, rolling his eyes, but didn't pull away. He never did, with her. "You know what I meant, you arrogant bitch!"

Aviva just laughed harder.