Chapter Text
Just another day at the office for Lowery Cruthers. Sipping on what was left of his soda, keeping an eye on the animal enclosures, and listening to his boss have a very loud conversation with Owen Grady.
Sure, it didn't happen too much - probably happened a lot more outside of the control room, actually - but it happened often enough for Lowery to take it as routine. Worse and stranger things could and did happen. It was an island full of genetically altered dinosaurs for God's sake, an argument between exes was the most normal thing that could happen. That didn't stop Lowery from taking notice. Well, not really taking notice of the argument itself, but of one of the participants. The first time Owen stepped into the control room, Lowery hadn't ever wanted him to leave.
Maybe it was his rugged good looks or his way of controlling any situation he walked into or his gruff yet amiable manner of speaking. Or maybe it was just- well, maybe Lowery was nuts, but there was something about Owen's scent. It wasn't something most people would have noticed - or, at least, wouldn't talk about – but when Owen had brushed past his station, Lowery had caught a remarkable odor. Earth, flesh, sweat, leather, complete masculinity and even dominance. All things Lowery wasn't and maybe sometimes coveted just a little. He shook it off as anomaly the first time, but the second, Lowery had leaned in just a bit towards Owen as he got near and caught the exact same thing. And he had to admit, against his higher thinking, that it kinda made him horny.
Thus started a crush. Sure, Owen was way out of Lowery's league, definitely better suited to get back together with Claire, but that didn't mean he couldn't have his little fantasies and wishes and secret hopes. Every time Owen came in, which didn't happen very often at all, Lowery liked to imagine that he noticed the little nervous-but-very-interested looks he was getting from the nerd at the desk. Liked to think that Owen lingered just to tease him into gawking even more. Maybe even caught a glimpse of Lowery tilting himself just a tiny bit to get a better whiff of that intoxicating scent he gave off and kept letting it happen. God, did Owen even know how good he smelled? His girlfriend had to smell it too, hell, how could anyone not?
And maybe sometimes he thought Owen looked back. Gave him a sideways glance that Lowery averted his eyes from or maybe intentionally came closer than usual just to let Lowery take in his presence. It was, of course, all in his head, Owen did need to pass him if he had been looking at a console for whatever reason, and he did seem like someone who would keep track of everything and everyone surrounding him so it would make sense that he'd occasionally give Lowery a look or two.
That didn't explain Owen actually speaking to him.
One day, just as Owen was heading for the door, he stopped, looked right at Lowery, and spoke to him.
“You ever get outta here?”
“Huh?” Lowery said, sputtering a bit on the Coke he'd been sipping.
“I said, you ever get outta here?”
“Oh,” Lowery croaked, completely at a loss for words. Weird. He talked to his boss fine, his co-workers fine, he didn't have any issues with complete strangers, but suddenly talking to this guy who, of course, still smelled deliciously masculine was near-impossible. “I, uh, no, I don't- not really.”
“You ever want to?”
“Maybe? A little? Sometimes?” Lowery tried, very nearly dropping his drink on his console as he struggled to put it down.
“You should,” he said, glancing towards Lowery's plastic dino collection. “It's a big island. I could take you around some of it.”
“You could?" Lowery echoed, blinking rapidly. "You- you would?”
Owen shrugged, like it wasn't that big of a deal. Did he not understand how utterly insane this entire situation was?
“Sure. You seem like a decent guy, don't see too many of those running around here. Never hurts to make friends.”
“Yeah, yeah, friends are good,” Lowery agreed, probably sounding a lot more desperate than he had meant to. “So, uh, I'm off work Thursday after four.”
“Perfect,” Owen said, and- Was that relief in his voice or was Lowery hearing things?
“Bungalow 23 at four, see you there.”
Owen gave him a pat on the shoulder before brushing past and towards the door like he had somewhere he really needed to go.
Lowery just sat there for a while, heart beating faster than it should have, Owen's scent all around him like he was still right there. Did Owen just invite him on a date? Or a friendly thing? Or something? Or did he do the inviting? Lowery only barely knew how you were supposed to make friends, let alone how to ask someone out. Owen hadn't even told him what he had in mind. A walk around some part of the island maybe? Just some coffee? Where was bungalow 23? What should he do beforehand to prepare? Why was Owen Grady of all people even giving him the time of day?
Too many questions all at once. Lowery took in a deep breath. He would put a reminder on his phone to go see Owen at four on Thursday. He would avoid thinking about it until then. He would not agonize over whether or not the ordeal would be a disaster. Lowery had agonized enough at university to know that agonizing was bad for him. What would happen would happen and everything would be fine. Or it wouldn't be. Either way, worrying about it wasn't going to help. He picked up his Coke, now diluted and watery, and continued to sip.