#clawen edit

As soon as they pulled up to the main office, they were escorted to what looked like locker rooms. They were given fresh clothes to change into, toiletries to freshen up, and instructions to meet in the board room on the seventeenth floor when they were finished.  

As soon as Claire stepped out of the shower and put on the skirt and blouse Masrani had provided for her, she felt closer to herself again. She blow-dried her hair and styled it into the usual straight bob. She and Owen had no plans to meet before they ascended to the seventeenth floor, so she went on without him.  

The doors opened and Claire prepared to step out and face the company. She was surprised to see that the sun had almost set, yet they hadn’t turned on many lights in the room. Owen was already sitting across from her at the table, typical of large board rooms such as this one. The first thing she noticed was how goddammed good he looked, even after being chased by multiple dinosaurs only hours ago.  

“Claire, thank you for joining us,” Masrani’s CPA interrupted her private gawking. “If you would please take a seat, we can get started.”  

She nodded and walked to the table. She took a seat across from Owen, there was no way she could sit next to him so soon. 

“Let’s review the damage that you two managed to cause in the last forty-eight hours,” the CPA, who had skipped the formalities of introducing himself, brought images up onto a screen on the opposite end of the room, images that were enough to make Claire lose the crackers she had eaten on the boat ride over. 

There was a picture of her, there was a picture of her, Owen, Zach, and Gray standing amongst the damage done to Main Street, there was a video of Owen running from the I-Rex and diving under the truck. 

It was all too much for her. She looked at Owen, hoping he could see the panic in her eyes from across the dark room. With one look across the dark room, he managed to calm her, even if it was just a fraction. 

“Do we really need to be looking at these right now?” Owen objected. “We just got finished fighting the damn thing, the least you could do is let her try to find peace in her sleep before you go reminding her about the losses and the consequences and the price of damages. Jesus.”

Claire was stunned. No one had ever stood up for her as passionately as Owen had. 

“C’mon, Claire, we’re leaving,” he grabbed her arm, pulling her out of her chair and into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, she turned to him. He was still brooding, but only slightly at the edges.

“Oh my God,” Claire breathed. “No one has ever done something like that for me before. 

“Jesus, Claire, I couldn’t believe you were actually going to keep sitting there, looking so helpless and not doing anything,” he was still facing the wall. Claire grabbed his arm and gently turned him towards her.

“Hey,” she whispered, “thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. It was a few moments before he finally wrapped his much larger ones around her shoulders.

time moved too fast

you played it back

A month later

She hadn’t realized how quickly she had let Owen move into her life, how fast he was becoming a second nature, or how soon they would be moving in together. But before Claire realized it, she had gradually, but willingly let Owen move into her apartment. It had started after their first date, well their first date after their horrible first date. He was just coming up to the front door to kiss her goodnight before they found themselves collapsing in between the sheets, either from exhaustion or pure lust, she couldn’t tell which. 

It’s funny how traumatizing events like almost getting eaten by a dinosaur can bring people together, instantly. She was starting to rely on him to keep her grounded and keep her safe. So what if things were moving too fast? Whenever she thought about it and played back the events of the last few months, she realized she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Inevitably, both knew in the back of their minds that they would end up together, but neither of them had anticipated how quickly time moved.

buttons on a coat

light hearted joke

no proof not much

but you saw enough 

It was the little moments like these that she loved when she would catch Owen staring at her for far too long, pretending not to. If you laid on her bed just so, you would have a direct view of her bathroom vanity, all lit up and covered in skincare products. Owen had teased her about the length of her skincare routine before, often taking her more than twenty-five minutes to complete. But, only if she decided to use a face mask.

On this night, they had just gotten home from a day of grueling press meetings. They both had been dealing with Jurassic World this and when will you return to the island that. When they had finally stumbled into her apartment well after eleven pm, they had both collapsed together onto her bed. They laid there in silence until Claire mustered up the strength to stand up and get ready for bed.

While she was standing at the mirror washing her face, she glanced at Owen for a quick second. It was only one look, she had no proof of it, but she had seen enough. He was staring at her again. He often did this on nights he was most tired. Sometimes she would catch him, but most times, she knew she missed it. After all, she probably stared at him as much as he stared at her, being all sharp jaw and muscle.

“You’re staring again,” she lightheartedly called to him from the bathroom.

“What, no I’m not,” he frowned playfully.

“Yes you are I saw you watching,” she finished drying off her face, switched off the bathroom light, and came to lay on her stomach beside him. Gently, she rested her chin on his stomach. 

“Oh please, a gentleman like me would never gawk at a pretty woman. He would whistle and catcall.”

“Oh? Who said you were a gentleman?”

“Excuse me, who are you and what have you done with Ms. Dearing?” 

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him, her hands on his stomach. “I’m right here, baby.”

small talk, he drives

coffee at midnight

There were some nights where neither of them could sleep. The nightmares were too much, the demons haunting. Claire could count on both hands the number of times she had woken up close to midnight and found Owen still awake, fiddling with his motorcycle in the garage, or reading something online about the damage they had caused.

Those nights were the worst. The nights he had gotten to lost in his head to even think about coming to bed were the nights Claire was glad something had woken her up, whether it be her own nightmares or a gut instinct. Oftentimes, driving would help. Claire would grab the keys from the drawer and set them in front of him. That always brought him out his trance. 

There was a twenty-four-hour diner ten miles from their house. Claire would try to make small talk with him as she sat in the passenger’s seat. Some nights he would be responsive, other nights he would just stare at the road in front of him. She would normally be able to get him out of his head by the time they pulled up to the diner. Other nights, if was well past midnight and three cups of coffee later, he finally would come back to her.

the light reflects

the chain on your neck

“Good morning, babe.”

His voice flutters into her dreams, pulling her peacefully from her sleep.

“Guess what day it is?”

She groaned and rolled over to bury her face in the pillow next to hers. It smelt of him. He had started singing happy birthday quietly to her. This had become a tradition of theirs over the years. They would make each other breakfast in bed and have a lie-in.

“I made your favorites. Crepe’s with fresh crème and blueberries.” She sat up. He knew she was a sucker for fresh crème and blueberries any day. “I also have a present that I want you to open first.”

He pulled out a small white box and handed it to her. Inside was a beautiful diamond necklace on a delicate silver chain.

“I love it,” she smiled at him, lifting it out of its box. “Will you put it on me?” 

He crawled behind her and clasped the chain around her neck. It rested perfectly between her collarbones, accentuating them perfectly.

“Beautiful,” he breathed. They ate her breakfast together, laughing about stories from birthday’s past.

“This one time, Karen thought it would be funny to fill the hallway outside my room with balloons. When I woke up and wanted to go downstairs, the only was to get there was by popping multiple of those balloons. She got so mad.”

The sun was streaming in from the window on the other side of the room. She noticed that while Owen was paying attention to her, he was studying the necklace on her chest.

“Hey, sir, my eyes are up here,” she smirked at him.

“I’m sorry babe. The light just keeps reflecting off the chain on your neck and it’s distracting.”

he says “look up”

and your shoulders brush

a year ago

Every year around the holidays, Masrani pulled out all the stops. Claire had looked once in an account she wasn’t supposed to have access to. On average, they spent over ten million dollars on holiday parties alone. There has yet to be a party that Claire has gone to where everyone wasn’t dressed to the nines.

This New Years, however, was different. She had no one to kiss this time, she didn’t know who to ask to bring along. She didn’t want to force anyone to be her date either. She was close to coming to terms with herself. She and dating did not mix. It was as if she was a jinx and no one could save her. 

She had played the part of Masrani’s operations manager, mingling and meeting the uppers of the company. She had come when he told her to, “Claire, live a little. I need you to have fun tonight.” He had needed a business wing-woman apparently. He had this keen knack of pitching a sale to the richest investor after getting them tipsy on the most expensive bottle of champagne they could find. 

As the hours drew closer to midnight, Claire was getting tired of watching Masrani do the same thing repeatedly. She had wandered up to the top deck of the building, which just so happened to be the tallest hotel in all Jurassic World. She could see the lights of Main Street from here. People filled the streets, she could hear their music. 

“There isn’t anything in the world you could say to me right now that would make me come home,” a gruff voice said in the shadows. “I already told you, I’m fucking done.”

She was never one to be curious or pry into other people’s business. But when the stranger with the rough voice walked out of the shadows with the most handsome face she had ever seen, she decided that she needed to know.

“Well if that wasn’t the most touching conversation I’ve heard all night,” she smirked at the handsome stranger. She was surprising herself. Normally she wasn’t this forward with someone she even she knew well.

“Well, you gotta let them down easy sometimes, adding a few ‘I love you baby’s’ and an ‘I’ll bring home some chocolates’ also doesn’t hurt either.” He returned the smirk with vigor.

“Tough breakup?”

“You got it,” he came to stand against the railing next to her. “Sometimes I think I’m a jinx when it comes to dating. 

Claire almost snorted on her drink.

“So tell me, what’s a pretty lady like you doing standing out here when the parties in there?”

“You know the usual, trying not the be a jinx.”

“Oh?” He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “There’s no Mr. Pretty Lady in there waiting for you?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” she heard faint counting in the distance. “What would happen if I said yes?” 

“I probably wouldn’t do this.”

He swooped in and pressed his mouth to hers as the fireworks exploded over their heads. For just a moment, Claire let herself forget and live in the moment, happy that she was following Masrani’s advice and “living a little.”

He pulled away slowly from the kiss but kept his arms solid around her waist.

“Look up,” he tells her. She turns her body ever so slightly to get a better view of the fireworks overhead. When she does, their shoulder brush, standing, together on top of the building. After the last spark explodes overhead, he turns to her.

“I guess I should be more of a gentleman, I apologize,” he smiled down at her. “The name’s Owen Grady.”

She smiled back.

“Claire Dearing.”  

no proof, one touch

you felt enough

They had just run into the garage when the ground started to shake. Claire knew that she had to remain calm, under no circumstances was she allowed to panic. Zach and Gray had somehow miraculously started the other Jeep and had safely driven away. Well, she hoped safely, she wasn’t going to allow herself to think anything differently just yet.

They quickly ducked next to the other jeep, leaning up against it for support. If they remained completely still, maybe the Indominous Rex would leave them alone. In their haste to find shelter from the dinosaur, Owen had almost sat down on top of her, his shoulder completely crushing hers. As if it was an instinct, his arm had flung out in front of her body, crossing over her stomach and resting on her opposite hip.

With that one touch, she felt enough. There was something radiating from Owen, something almost protective. It was in that moment that she knew he was not going to let her die. He would give his life first before the dinosaur would get to her.

The ground shook again and she squeezed her eyes closed. She could feel Owens gaze on her and it was as though his arm felt even heavier across her front. He squeezed her hip, trying to reassure her. In his own mind, Owen had hoped this gesture would communicate to her that he wanted to protect her.

It did.

you can hear it in the silence

you can feel it on the way home

you can see it with the lights out

you are in love, true love

Morning, his place

Burnt toast, Sundays 

They always stayed at Owen’s house on the weekend. During the week, Claire always worried too much about work. They had tried it before, staying at Owen’s during the week, but Claire had almost had a mental breakdown when she realized she had forgotten some papers she needed for work the next day. And so, they started crashing at Owen’s on Saturday nights. 

They always stayed in on Sunday. Owen had a fancy thing about making breakfast for her in the morning, and on this morning, she woke up to the smell of burnt toast. 

“Owen,” she called as she walked slowly from the bedroom. She could hear pots and pans clanging, typical kitchen noises. When she walked into the kitchen, she found a shirtless Owen surrounded by burnt toast and fried eggs.

“Babe,” he groaned. “You weren’t supposed to see this. I was supposed to bring you breakfast in bed.”

you keep his shirt

he keeps his word

He turns around to look at her and gasps. There she stood in the kitchen doorway. She looked so effortless and stunning standing there in only his t-shirt from last night. She hadn’t an ounce of makeup on her face, but the morning sunlight streamed in through the window, hitting her eyes just right and making the green sparkle.

He knew he was beyond lucky to have her. After their disaster of a first date, he never thought that they would end up spending a single night together, much less more than one. He realized right then and there as they were standing half-naked in his kitchen together that she was the one he wanted to be with. He could get used to seeing her messy head every morning, even if it meant burning toast every Sunday.

“Go back to bed babe,” he smiled softly at her. “I must keep my word. Breakfast in bed for the most stunning woman on the planet.”

and for once you let go

of your fears and your ghosts

There were nights like these that were to be expected. Unfortunately for Claire, they had come to be expected. She would wake up in a cold sweat and realize with a start that an irregularly large dinosaur was in fact not trying to eat her alive. However, as bad as these nights were, they had come to be some of her favorites. 

Owen had learned to detect the signs of a nightmare, waking him almost immediately. He could tell almost immediately when Claire’s body became cold and rigid against his. She would try to escape his grasp, mentally trying to fight something that was holding her down. In response, Owen fought back. He held on to her harder, refusing to let such a beautiful woman slip through his arms and into the darkest parts of her thoughts.

Sometimes Claire would have to pin Owen down, which was hard for her to do considering she was a good hundred pounds lighter than she is. Usually, Owen was a still sleeper, never moving in his sleep, but when he began to move around, that was when she clued in to the problem. She could always tell what type of nightmare it was. If he was thrashing and kicking, she knew he was fighting the valiantly for his life. If he whimpered and pulled her closer, he was fighting for her life, fighting for the only thing he had ever loved. 

one step, not much, but it said enough

you kissed on sidewalks

you fight and you talk

“Please try and remember Owen, bread, milk, and cheese,” Claire pleaded as her pointed heels clicked down the sidewalk. “And please make the bread gluten free. And try to keep up, we’ll be walking for forever if you don’t pick up the pace. Now, what are you supposed to remember?” 

Owen, who was indeed walking behind her admiring her behind, did not remember what she had asked him to remember. This was a common occurrence on their weekly jaunts to the local supermarket. Owen much too often picked up chips, salsa, and guacamole instead.

“Owen!” her voice brought him out of his head again. She began lecturing him once more about the power of paying attention, but he wasn’t listening. Go figure. He was watching her lips move as she spoke, thinking about how much he liked it when they were on his. He was watching her hands, the way they moved when she talked and how they felt against his own. 

Suddenly, he was pulling her into a kiss, right there on the sidewalk, perfectly. At first, Claire was reluctant, but then he felt her body slowly giving into his, accepting his warmth and accepting his kiss.

“I always remember everything you tell me,” he said against her lips. 

one night he wakes, strange look on his face

pauses then says you’re my best friend

and you knew what it was, he is in love

Claire was up late that night finishing going over reports for an executive meeting the next day. She was sitting in bed with the files on her lap, her bedside lamp the only source of light. The digital clock on the wall across the room read two-thirty. She should probably be sleeping soon. She had to be up in a little less than four hours if she wanted to be to the meeting on time.

Owen had gone to bed around midnight. At this point, his steady breathing was the only thing that was keeping her sane. He always told her that she worked too much. She knew that she did, but after the Incident, she needed to work overtime to prevent it from happening again. 

A couple of minutes later, she decided that if she were to try and learn anything new now, it would be a lost cause. She set the files on the floor next to her bed and mentally made a note not to step on them when she woke up. When she leaned over to turn her light out, she felt a rustling beside her. Owen stirred beside her.

“Hey Claire,” he propped himself up on his elbows but didn’t open his eyes.

“Hey Owen,” she responded, smiling just a little. 

“Hey Claire, you’re my best friend.” 

She started a little. She had never had anyone speak so fondly of her.

“Hey Claire, I love you and all, but you should really get some sleep.”

She was definitely startled. He had never told her he loved her before.

“You love me?” she asked quietly as if she didn’t believe it herself.

He opened his eyes. “Of course I love you, Claire. I thought that much was obvious.” He smiled softly back at her. She switched off the lap and leaned over to kiss his lips.

“I love you, too.” She kissed him again, and for once she let go of her fears and her ghosts.

you can hear it in the silence 

you can feel it on the way home 

you can see it with the lights out

you are in love, true love

so, it goes

You two are dancing in a snow globe, round and round

and he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown 

“Man, are you serious?!” Barry laughed.

“What?” Owen acted unaware, unaware that he had just been caught staring at Claire’s picture for much too long.

“You live with the girl, you don’t need to stare at her picture twenty-four-seven.”

“C’mon man, give me a break.”

“So have you told her you love her yet?” Barry teased.

“What?! How do you know that I love her- if I love her?”

“I didn’t know until you just confirmed it for me.”

“I-” Owen was speechless. He had never had anyone who could see straight through him, and yet Barry could always tell what and how he was feeling.

“It’s alright man, I like her. She’s good for you.”

you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars

She looked crazy and wild standing there with the gun in her hands, the dirt on her face, and the tear in her skirt. She had been keeping up with him since the very beginning, fighting all the battles alongside him. Owen realized she was someone he was starting to trust with his life, given that she had just saved him from getting his head bitten off by a flying dinosaur.

He respected her so much, for wanting to find her nephew’s when they disappeared, and for wanting to save the whole park from the invasion of the dinosaurs. She was running wild and free alongside him; she was learning to love the dinosaurs and accept them as equals.

Not only that, but she had a better sense of what her park was all about. Owen could see that within the course of a few hours, she had grown to care more about the animals in her park and how they were feeling than customer satisfaction and numbers on a spreadsheet. She was starting to see those number as animals.

In the last few hours she had become a powerful warrior, someone strong and someone who cared enough about another person to kill for them, and that was why Owen Grady lost his mind and kissed Claire Dearing on Main Street right in the middle of a dinosaur invasion.

headcanons:

Claire is more musketeer than Owen and the others fully except that.

She isn’t happy just excepting the roles given to woman so she educates other woman on academics and self-defense