Chapter Text
It took a very long time for Claire to gain the courage to tell her soulmate that she couldn’t see his face. Well, not in the traditional sense; her dreams with her soulmate were clouded around his face. Always scratched out or blurred, only ever seeing his body. He didn’t seem to mind now, but when she first told him, he had never seem more defeated; the way his shoulders slumped and everything seemed closed off, as though he saw himself as unworthy. She reminded him constantly that it wasn’t the case...she just wasn’t ready.
She hadn’t been ready for ten years. Ten fucking years. She was beginning to doubt herself, that there was something wrong with her. There were days and weeks where she couldn’t help but avoid him; she wasn’t worth his attention and his caring touch upon her shoulder.
Soulmates first connect when they’re twenty-one, and the first time she dreamed of him was a whirlwind of emotions. She turned twenty-one later than he did, he said he had been waiting nearly a year - he wondered if he was going to be alone in his dreams forever. It wasn’t common for soulmates to lose their other half so young, but it did happen.
Sometimes, Claire and her soulmate would just sit in a field and talk, or go to a cafe, anywhere they’re subconscious wanted them to go. Most of the time, they would be wandering empty streets and talk for what felt like hours just so they wouldn’t have to wake. There were times where she thought she could see his face but nothing ever stuck.
“Your hair is different,” he said, picking at flowers in the nearby. Claire tucked hair behind her ear, her red hair longer and out past her shoulders which she usually put up and out of her face. “You trying to impress me or something?” he chuckled. Coming back to Claire, he placed a little daisy past her ear; even though she couldn’t see his face, she felt like he was smiling at her fondly.
“Would it be so hard to impress you?” she asked, biting the edge of her lip. His hand slid up her face, thumb tugging her lip from her teeth. Claire felt the tremble in her breath, wondering if he would always make her feel like this; ten years of feeling weightless and swimming in air.
“Let me think,” his head obviously tilted. “Not at all.” When Claire laughed at him, she heard him giggle slightly, take her into his arms like he had done before, but there was a wanting that had only happened a few times before. Claire craved to know what the feeling ended with but she may not know.
“You’re a fool,” she shook her head, his rough hands running up her cheek, the sigh that left him was visible in his chest.
“I’m yours,” he said, voice low, gravelly and rough. And that feeling swelled in her chest, the urge to have him kiss and want her as much as she did. She sighed, her arms falling around his shoulders.
“One day, I’ll discover what it is like to kiss your lips,” she smiled, his hand still on her cheek, the same temptation seeming to fill his chest that filled her own.
“I know you wanted to see my face first, but...must we really wait?” he asked in a shaken breath and tempted laugh.
“I’ve made you wait ten years…” Claire looked at at his chest, her hands bound in his gray henley. “I don’t want you to wait ten more because of me,” she breathed, waiting patiently for anything to happen. Claire hated herself for never being able to see his face, to never know what the man she loved - the man the universe thought she was meant to be with for the rest of her life - looked like. It never mattered to her, but it mattered to her that she knew him.
Then, his head leaned down, Claire’s eyes fluttering to a close as his lips hovered over hers for a moment. And like that, his timid lips touched against hers, kissing her a little more eagerly each time until his forehead leaned against hers. Claire felt like she out of breath when it wasn’t even an intense kiss, there was just something so lifting about his lips on hers.
“I never knew you would feel so soft, taste like berries and….I want you to see me. I want you to know when I’m kissing you,” he rumbled, holding onto her like she could vanish from his arms in any moment.
“Once more,” she begged, and just as his lips were about to touch hers, alarms started to blare and sound, racketing around her room until Claire was startled out of her sleep. She leaned back into her bed, groaning loudly before she touched her lips, the soft feeling echoing with the strange scratched above her top lip. How Claire wished it hadn’t have been the morning. She wanted to fall right back into sleep and curl beside her soulmate for days on end. But work loomed and she knew she had to go.
The island had been her home for nearly six years, and waking up there every day didn’t hurt, but at the beginning and end of the day, she had a job to do. She changed and gathered her things, hearing the waking park as dinosaurs began to roar to life and wake for the day; a new start to a new day. As Claire put on her heels, she heard her phone alert her of something. Looking upon it, just noted more things she needed to do for the day; her mind now trained on more things.
Dressed in her bright red pants and white wrap shirt, Claire crossed things off her list as she made her way through the slow herds of staffers up before guests. Hair down and out, she was reveling in the fact that her soulmate liked it this way. She always liked impressing him.
Most staffers went for quick food and coffee to get them through the morning before heading off to their zone. Claire was the same, but she couldn’t help but feel a little out of sorts that morning. It was a beautiful island where most staffers enjoyed themselves, but something about the grass and the sea mixing in scent, filling the air; it just took her back to why she was stressed out in her dreams. This stupid island didn’t help her figure herself out.
It was early that morning, a few families around, but mostly staffers trying to get breakfast in before the day drained them out. Waving to a few staffers she knew and quickly meeting with a few she had to get quick information off of, she thought she had the morning under her belt. Yet, she knew better of herself.
It wasn’t until she was making her way to the main building that was caught by Owen Grady, the velociraptor trainer. She’d known Owen since he had arrived at the park, nearly two years ago, arriving nearly directly out of the army or something; and he had been a thorn in her side ever since. It wasn’t as though he was annoying - she did like his company - it was just, he had a way of getting under her skin, knowing her too well for comfort.
Owen came rushing over, that same leather vest and blue button up shirt with sleeves rolled up to his bicep. He tucked his hands in his pockets as he began walking beside her. “Grady,” she sighed, scratching another thing off her list.
“Claire,” he smiled. “A pleasure as always.”
Her hand covered her brow, stopping herself. One sentence was all it took for Claire to regret this morning. Bed. Sleep. Dreaming. All things she wanted right at that moment. “Not in the mood, Grady,” she snapped, knowing it was a far bigger snap than was probably justifiable.
“What’s got you in such a mood?” he scoffed. “Oh, trouble in paradise?” His brow wriggled and a cocky smile on his lips.
“What?” she asked, her clipboard firmly to her chest defensively.
“Trouble with your soulmate. Long distance?” he clarified.
“I can’t…” she started out of habit; the idea of telling someone everything was easier than she once thought - Owen made it far easier than she thought. “If you must know, I can’t see his face,” she confessed.
“Wait, really?” he asked, eyes a little wider than normal. When she nodded, Owen scoffed. “Like at all?” he exclaimed.
“I know roughly what he looks like but his face is just a mess,” she huffed, walking off abruptly.
Owen caught her arm, stopping her entirely. “So what’s with the mood?”
“I haven’t been able to see him for ten years,” she blurted out in frustration. “Look, I just -”
“Wait, Claire,” he paused, tugging her lightly to keep her still. “Just….talk it out with me,” he nodded down the long street full of shops and barely any tourists.
“You don’t wanna hear this,” she waved it off, Owen’s hand shaken off of her. But he remained in her sights, smiling in kind regard and making sure she knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Her chest felt tight.
“I offered. I want to help,” he nodded. Claire huffed before nodding along. They began walking back down the street slowly, keeping a distance between them - more so that Owen was keeping distant from her, giving her space to talk about this all. He had never done this before, given her room, made her vulnerability feel safer. In his defense, she’d rarely been vulnerable in front of anyone, so he was doing a really good job of it so far.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I thought I was fine with it. I would figure myself out and be able to see him but it’s been ten years. Why have I still not been able to see him for ten years?” she rambled, tucking hair behind her ear.
“Claire, what happened?” Owen asked, stepping a little closer to her.
“He kissed me. For the first time. And I realised how much I’ve been avoiding figuring out what’s wrong with me. He loves me so much and I can’t….I can’t even see his face,” she said in a cracking voice. Owen’s hand suddenly came softly onto her back, rubbing it to soothe her.
“Let’s keep going and I’ll buy you a coffee,” he said and Claire sniffed, a strong and needed sigh escaped her.
“God I would kill for a coffee,” she exasperated.
“It’s your lucky day and you don’t have to kill anyone,” he smiled and Claire laughed. They continued on until Claire pointed out that her favourite cafe on the island was coming up. “Look, figuring out your dreams is hard enough, but mix that with a soulmate, you’re in a completely different ball game,” he explained and Claire crooked her eyebrow.
“Really? Sports analogy?” she laughed.
“Yeah. I’m going to get you to throw a football one time. I’ve got a pool running and I want to win it,” he commented with a blush of red running over his cheeks. She’d known about it from Zara, who mentioned the men in some of the training departments didn’t believe she’d ever thrown a football before - despite her father being a college football coach.
“How much?” she asked to his surprise.
“Got about two hundred riding on it,” he nodded without delay.
“Next staff picnic, you’re getting that two hundred,” she quipped and Owen laughed.
“Nice,” he smiled. Owen ordered her the coffee she so desperately craved and sat them down at a table as they waited. He huffed before relaxing into his chair, confidence radiating from him; a trait that Claire loathed and admired depending on the day. “Now, you’re stuck because you haven’t figured out who you are. What kind of woman are you? Twenty-one is a confusing time because we’re pulled to jobs and careers, but we never really think about ourselves. Maybe you need some you time before you think about him. It’s a two way thing. If he really loves you, he’ll give you time.” The vague shrug he gave made Claire giggle a little; how could he talk like that as if it were nothing?
“I never knew you could be so profound,” Claire said, shaking her head and taking the first sip of her coffee. Amazing little drink that was going to keep her awake for the next few hours until food could sustain her.
“Eh, toss it up to my soulmate,” he beamed, a wonderful gleam in his eyes as he spoke.
“They must be really something,” Claire gave a melancholy smile in return.
“She is,” he replied, biting at the edge of his lip.
“What’s she like?” she asked and he blinked a few times, stuttering before he could answer.
“Stubborn, kinda loud when she wants to be,” he smiled, and Caire cleared her throat, looking away from him. “Not like that. We’ve never…” he defended.
“Seriously?” she exclaimed and Owen rolled his eyes.
“Says the woman who just got kissed by her soulmate.”
“Shut up.”
“I don’t know. She’s like...the world could be on her shoulders but she’ll hold it up with her fingertip.” The blissful way he spoke made Claire’s heart flutter. She didn’t know he could be so loving and caring.
“You really love her, don’t you?” He nodded.
“Since I was twenty-three years old.”
Brow crinkled, Claire leaned in slightly. “Not twenty-one?” she asked, taking another tentative sip of her coffee.
“She’s younger. Kinda sucked at the time but as soon as I met her, she was everything,” he explained, hand gripping onto his coffee cup a little tighter.
“Must have been lonely,” Claire said, knowing she had done something similar to her own soulmate. It wasn’t their fault, age just made things more confusing and frustrating to connect with a soulmate.
“Worth it,” Owen corrected.
They sat drinking and talking for a while. Owen talked about his family, how he missed them when he came to the island but it was better than dealing with his mother ask about his soulmate constantly. Claire related to that, but she also got questions from her sister, the pestering on when she’ll find out. The island kept those away for a few months of the year until holidays rolled around, but it was worth it. When the coffee finally ran out and both of them knew they needed to go to work soon.
“This coffee is exactly what I need,” she sighed, a weight off her chest.
“Glad,” he nodded, walking with her to the main building again. At the steps, they stopped. “You out of your own head now?” he asked, hand on her arms, soft and comforting.
“Yeah. A little,” she nodded. Looking down at the time, she knew she needed to get inside and talk with Zara about the day ahead, and Claire was already late. “I’ve got a meeting with investors today. Might catch up for a meeting later,” she said, starting away from him. Owen threw back his head in groan.
“Ugh, boring. You could have lured me with coffee or beer,” he started, but soon noticed Claire’s unimpressed look. “Or coffee, considering working hours,” he smiled and Claire rolled her eyes.
“Just keep your phone on you,” she told him, walking up the stairs and glancing back at him. Owen looked down at his watch before commented something under his breath and racing off. Claire scoffed and went inside for one long day ahead.
Zara met Claire outside her office, taking Claire’s clipboard and marking off things from the list within her own. They two conversed for a short while before Zara led Claire to the board room. Claire fixed up her attire before going into the room. The meeting seemed to go just fine, investors nodding and looked pleased with the current outcomes of the park. It wasn’t until her presentation was all complete that there were looks exchanged and soft murmurs. God, how she hated when they whispered amongst themselves.
It took a few more moments of politely smiling before any of the investors actually spoke to Claire. “Indominus Rex?” one asked, hands folded and looking far too concerned for Claire’s liking.
“Considered the next step in dinosaur genetics research and development,” she reinforced.
The same one replied, “Have we considered something docile before…”
“Something murderous?” another injected, taking Claire by surprise. When Mister Masrani originally talked with investors, they all expressed interest in seeing something like the T-Rex, yet with actual projections and viewings of it, they have changed their minds….again.
“A very valid opinion. We’ll discuss this with our research division,” Claire bared a smile that pricked at the side of her lips, paining her fully but she shook it off. The investors began to leave, shaking Claire’s hand as they left. “Thank you for your time,” she said to every one of them. Zara zoomed into the room, her tablet to her chest and a look of concern on her face.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“Tell Henry Wu I'm coming to meet with him,” Claire huffed, watching as Zara called down to Henry’s team. Claire marched on down, to the labs and past all the morning tours. Claire walked into Henry’s office, who was preparing himself a tea as another sat on the other side of the desk, just steaming in wait of Claire.
“Henry, the new dinosaur, how is it coming?” she asked, sliding into the chair opposite Henry’s desk.
“It’s good to see you too, Claire,” he commented. “Investors again?”
“I don’t know what they want,” she said, throwing her head back a little. She looked back at Henry and smiled at him, knowing he understood her. Crossing her legs and holding onto her phone tightly, Claire drummed against the metal. “Well, scratch that, I know what they want, I just hate that I know what they’re like,” she corrected.
“Changed their minds again?” he answered his own question and knew it.
“They want a friendly dinosaur, not something big and scary. All dinosaurs are scary! You wanna be chased by a triceratops? Because I don’t!” she said in frustration. Henry nodded, putting aside the Indominus research he had laying on his desk, putting it inside the drawer.
“We’ll put indominus on the back burner, get something smaller,” he said with a reassuring voice.
“I would kiss you if it wouldn’t be so weird,” she giggled, standing from her chair and shaking hands with Henry.
“See you tomorrow, Claire,” he nodded.
Claire’s day went from one asset to the next, everyone seemingly coming to her at once and one drama to the next. She’d been busy before, and this was building to her busiest, but with her brain all over the place, she didn’t know if she could handle so much on her plate. When there was a complaint from Masrani about the raptors, Claire had to drive out to meet with the team - which meant Owen.
Half way through her drive there, she got a call from one of the most irritating men she’d ever come across in her life; Vic Hoskins. Even before answering the call, she felt like she needed to take at least three shots of vodka before she even considered it. The next half of her journey resulted in a shouting match between the two, Claire’s hatred of the man was gathering to new heights. Pushing past it, Claire started to negotiate the issue.
Stepping out of the car, Claire was met with Owen, cleaning his hands on a cloth. He started to walk towards her when Vic began yelling at her again. She rolled her eyes. “Vic,” she groaned, rubbing at the ridge of her eyes. Owen smiled as he greeted her. “Yes, Vic, no -, hey! Let me speak!” she yelled.
“Hey, Clai-” Owen started before Claire raised a finger and continued raging back at Vic, who apparently loved the sound of his own voice.
“No, if InGen wants to do Indominus than its gotta go through me and I will make damn well sure you don’t get your hands on the research! Do you think I’m playing around here? Good, now go back to whatever the hell you actually do with your life.” She hung up before he had a chance to question her again.
“That seemed like a fun conversation,” Owen smirked and Claire shook her head.
“I’d rather cut off my ears than listen to that man’s voice again,” she exaggerated and Owen laughed.
“You don’t have to see him every other day,” he reminded.
“Lucky me,” she grinned.
“What can I do for you?”
“Checking up on the ‘raptors. Are they ready for showing?” she asked and Owen guided her to the paddock. They went up the metal stairs and walked along the walkway until Owen gave the all clear for the raptors to be set loose. The raptors started to screech and race around the paddock, the sound of it enough to set anyone on edge. Claire stuck closer to Owen, just for safety.
“Honestly, I don’t know. They can deal with me right now, but they may get distracted with a bunch of people around taking pictures,” he was pained to say.
“So more training?” she asked, listing new things in her head.
“Maybe,” he shrugged. As Claire’s fingers pulled at her lip, Owen tilted his head. “Is that a problem?”
“For me. Nothing more,” she waved it off.
“When are we expected to show them?”
“Preferably in two weeks,” she confessed.
“That’s not gonna happen.”
“I figured. I’ll talk to Masrani, push back expectation dates,” she reassured.
“I can try and work harder,” Owen offered but Claire shook her head.
“Just make sure they aren’t going to kill anyone,” she joked.
“Got it,” Owen scoffed. “Okay, you’re still stressed out, aren’t you?” he huffed.
“Am I that obvious?” Claire scoffed, running her hand through her hair.
“You should go on vacation or something.”
“What?” That idea was ridiculous. Where did she have the time? She worked in Costa Rica but it didn’t feel like a vacation spot anymore, it was where she worked.
“Take time, relax. Do something for you,” he suggested but it still made her laugh.
“I’ll find time in my very busy schedule,” she exaggerated.
“Just fall asleep first tonight,” he said.
“Hm?” Her brow furrowed.
“You never took Dream Theory in college did you?” he asked, leading her back down the walkway and down towards her car.
“Not at all,” Claire shook her head. Owen opened up her car door, letting her slide inside as he held open the door.
“Whoever falls asleep first usually picks the locations. Just go to bed early enough and dream first, you’ll be fine,” he told her, a reassuring smile on his lips. He shut her door and walked back from the car. He gave a loose wave before turning back towards the paddock. There was something inside of Claire that begged him to turn back and smile again. Pushing it down, Claire drove back to the main building.
Not managing to get out until past nine, Claire knew she wasn’t going to get to sleep before her soulmate tonight. She wondered if she fell asleep before him every night they dreamed together. Hurrying back to the hotel, Claire went up the elevator, her whole body aching with just moving around to a dozen of locations. Finally making it to her room, Claire collapsed down on her bed. Hand laid on her forehead, it dawned on her that she did need to relax - to take time for herself. She’d been living in her own head for far too long; she needed something. Changing and fitting into her king sized bed so wonderfully, Claire fell into sleep easily.
She stood in the middle of a street, paved with blue rock and builds that were a pale pink. As always, the sky resembled that of as a green meadow switching between that and a pale blue - her dreams were a scattered mess of colour that had her more at ease than unsettled. She stood in the bare road for a little while until her soulmate, with his still present blurred face, walking down the street to meet her.
“Where are we?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Let’s keep going,” Claire shrugged. He took hold of her hand, warming to his side quickly as they walked silently down the street. When they rounded the block, they were met with the most elegant and stereotypical beach Claire could imagine. It was her dream after all. With perfect golden sands and sharp blue waves crashing onto the shore with white foam. “A beach!” Claire beamed. Her soulmate raced to the sand, taking off his shoes and unbuttoning his shirt.
“Good,” he chuckled. “We can relax, take some time off from worrying,” he said, stripping out of his shirt and pants, walking backwards into the surf as Claire began to undress herself. He only wore his boxer briefs, so there was no reason Claire wouldn’t brave it in her underwear. She stepped out of her dress, tied up her hair and raced into the surf behind him.
He laughed as she got slashed and squeaked loudly at the force of it. He caught onto her to keep her from falling into the rough swells of the water. “How did I get so lucky?” she batted her lashes and bit her lip.
“Must be fate,” he shrugged. She couldn’t see his face but she knew he was smirking.
“Funny,” she smiled, even though she rolled her eyes.
“I thought so,” he chuckled himself before dragging her into the water, dunking them both down and forcing them back to the surface. Claire gasped, not sure if she was mad or exhilarated. It wasn’t as though she wanted to get dunked into the water, but it felt fun and childish; what else were dreams made for?
After splashing around and watching as her soulmate acting like a fool with his diving and pretending to be sealife, they made it back towards the sands. Laying on the untouched ground were two towels, one in which Claire collapsed down onto and her soulmate taking the other. As Claire looked on him, seeing him fully shirtless for the first time, she noticed the striking and brutal scar on his left shoulder and part of his chest.
“Where did you get that?” Claire said, reaching over and tracing her finger over the raised skin.
“Navy. Was with the SEALs for a bit. Getting shot leaves a nasty scar when it’s a shotgun,” he explained, letting her finger run over the scar before he kissed at her fingertips.
“Shotgun?”
“Civilian recruit. Knocked me down in my last deployment. Hence why I’m back with people again,” he huffed, trying not to sound upset, but Claire could feel that he missed what he did. Moving up, Claire rested fully at his side and leaned directly onto his chest.
“I’m glad,” she reassured.
“I wish I could kiss again,” he gave a longing sigh.
“You can kiss me however many times you want.” When she giggled, she noticed the way he shifted and went silent. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Never,” he replied quickly. “I just….want you to know who I am,”
“Someday,” Claire pursed her lips, looking down at his chest once more.
“Yeah,” he muttered, kissing at her crown. They would remain in the dream, relax and not let any more worries take them. This was the peace they needed.