Hello again everyone! Thank you for sticking around with this story, it means a lot to me. I also want to thank Elise-Collier for her endless support through all of this. As always, REVIEW!
Owen's POV
The rest of the week went by pretty quickly and Karen, Zach and Gray were leaving before we knew it. It was nice having them here and I even got to take the boys fishing once while Claire and Karen had a "girl's day". Gray was more of a watcher, but Zach seemed to really be into it, which made me even more proud every time he caught something. Sadly, I couldn't just take a whole week off, so I did have to go to work during a couple of the days they were here, but I tried cutting them as short as I could. Claire was even kind enough to stop by each day I did work and let everyone see a training session, which never seemed to grow old to them.
We were scheduled to drop them back off at the docks by 1 o'clock and it was nearing 11 when everyone finally decided to roll out of bed. Claire and Karen, equally as panicked, ran around the apartment trying to make sure everything was packed and tidied up after the weeklong visit. Gray and Zach moaned and groaned when they were forced out of bed at noon, but didn't seem as upset when they saw the burgers I had cooked up for lunch. The five of us ate quickly, then packed the truck before piling in.
"This wasn't exactly how I envisioned our last morning." Claire chuckled from the passenger seat, turning her body so she could face Karen in the back.
"We were up pretty late, no worries though, we had an amazing week. I'm so sad it's over." Karen confessed, her shoulders sagging. I saw Claire's frown and I reached over to grab her hand for support.
"You guys are welcome back whenever you want. I mean it! I want you guys here!" I stopped at a red light and looked over at Claire, whose neck was starting to get blotchy, a telltale sign that she was about to cry.
"You guys better come visit for Christmas! Both of you! I know you were too busy for Thanksgiving, but Christmas is important and we want you to come. I know it's only a couple weeks away, but if you can get the time off, please." Karen was basically begging.
"Please!" Gray and Zach chimed in at the same time, looking at each other and actually laughing. I could tell the two had gotten closer since the start of this trip which was nice to see.
Claire looked over at me and smirked, turning back around and unbuckling her seatbelt when she noticed we arrived at the docks. Everyone piled out of the truck and the boys helped me once again to unload everything from the bed while Claire and Karen stood off to the side talking quietly to each other. I placed the last bag on the ground and turned to hand Karen her own. She grabbed it and placed it next to her, pulling me into a tight hug that I reciprocated immediately.
"Thank you so much." She mumbled into my shirt, just loud enough for me to hear.
"It's really no problem. We had a great week." I told her honestly.
"No, Owen." She stepped back and held me at arms length. "Thank you for being in Claire's life. I was starting to worry about her. She is on of the most amazing people in my life and she just needed someone to crack her open and realize that." Tears started to brim her eyes, threatening to fall.
"Please don't cry, Karen. Claire completes me and you don't have to worry about that ever changing."
"Ugh, I'm so emotional lately. Oh! I also meant what I said back in the truck. If you don't go to your families for Christmas, you are more than welcome to come celebrate with us. No presents. I told Claire, but I don't think she's going to listen, but this was present enough. We are beyond grateful." I smiled at her adoringly.
"I would love to come to yours for Christmas. I'll talk to the boss." I gestures towards Claire, making both of us lightly laugh.
The two of us walked back over to Claire and the boys after our talk. Claire's cheeks were becoming blotchy now too and she looked as if she would sob at any second. I wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her close to me, rubbing her upper arm in a comforting manner. She turned and smiled up at me in appreciation, settling into my embrace.
Gray ran up to us, Zach right on his heels. The younger boy wrapped his arms around both of us at once, squeezing as tight as he could. I ruffled his hair when he stepped back and I saw tears running down his face. Claire broke off from me and brought him back in for a hug.
"We will see you so soon, Gray!" She told him confidently. "This will not be like last time. I'm here to stay, just had to work through some things." She wiped a couple of his free falling tears before he could wipe the rest away with the back of his hand.
"Christmas can't come soon enough." He mumbled.
Now it was Zach's turn to say goodbye. He walked slowly up to us, hands in his pockets, this time there was a smile on his face though. He hugged Claire, almost taller than her and only seventeen. I heard her sniffle against the older boys shirt, making him hug her tighter before breaking off.
"Thank you so much for letting us come. Gray isn't gonna shut up about this like, ever." We all laughed at the truth behind his statement.
"You're always welcome here." Claire told him back, me nodding behind her. Then Zach turned to me and I stretched out a hand for him to shake. He looked at it once, then back up to my face. He gave me a full smile and went in for a hug instead. I wrapped my arms around him and we clapped each other on the back, in a manly way of course.
"Uh… Thanks for everything, Owen. It really does mean a lot. I really needed to talk to someone." I felt my throat constrict. I wished I had someone who understood what I was going through when I was his age and I was over the moon that I could be that rock for him now.
"Give me your phone." I told him, reaching my hand out. He gave me a questioning look, but did what he was told. I added my phone number and saved it before handing it back to him. "I put my phone number in. Don't be afraid to call or text me whenever. I meant it when I said I'm always here to listen, regardless of what happens." He smiled at me and nodded before stepping back and joining the rest of his family.
We watched as they started to walk toward the ramp to get on the ferry. At one point, Gray turned around and waved enthusiastically at the two of us.
"Bye Aunt Claire! Bye Uncle Owen!" He screamed, jumping up and down before Zach grabbed his arm and tugged him along. I felt myself gasp and blink quickly a few times just to make sure that I had actually been awake and not dreaming. I felt Claire's grasp on my arm tighten and her head hit my shoulder. We stood and watched the ferry until it was nothing but a speck on the water. I looked around and noticed that no one was around us anymore, so I gently tugged on Claire's arm and led her back to the truck. Once we got inside, we sat in silence for a moment, taking in everything that just happened.
"Uncle Owen." I said aloud once, liking how it sounded.
"Uncle Owen." Claire repeated, turning and facing me with a smile on her face. "Are you okay with that?" She asked me, making me scoff almost immediately.
"God, of course I'm okay with it. This is crazy." I couldn't believe that in a matter of a week, I have these three extra people in my life that I care about so deeply. "So where are we headed now?" I asked her, starting my engine and putting the truck into drive.
"Home." She said simply, making my heart all but jump through my chest. As lovely as it was, I felt my mood changing dramatically. I have spent a whole week with this woman and would assume she finally wants to be alone for a little while after having so many people at her place. I hummed in response and made my way to hers. When we arrived, I didn't park, but just pulled up to the curb closest to the main entrance and unlocked the door. She turned and quickly looked at me, panic on her face.
"You're not coming in?" She asked, flustered.
"I do have to head to my house. I haven't been there much this week and just wanna like clear out my fridge." I couldn't think of a better excuse than that? Not that I didn't wanna spend the rest of the day with Claire, but I didn't want to over crowd her either. She nodded slowly at me, opening the door at the same pace and hopping out.
"I'm guessing I won't be seeing you for dinner either?" She asked, leaning against the side of the truck.
"You've had people at your place all week, I thought I'd give you some alone time. Ya know, to catch up on work and stuff." She looked disappointed, but nodded in response, quickly turning into professional Claire and straightening herself up.
"Alright then, Owen. I guess I'll see you when I see you." And with that, she spun on her heels and strutted toward the building. I waited until she walked through the doors to leave, liking to know that she made it safely into her building before I headed to the seclusion of the bungalow.
I was happy to see that everything was exactly how I had left it, not expecting anything different, but it was reassuring. Most of my food in my fridge had consisted of fruits and vegetables and meats, so I actually did have to clean it out almost completely. After that, I grabbed my fishing poles and a cooler and headed down to the lake to catch myself some dinner, not wanting to head back into town to get food.
While I was fishing, it gave me plenty of time to think. I thought about everything under the sun, but mostly about Claire. Her family had been so amazing and welcoming and Karen telling me, oh so many times, that she approved of us being together also made me feel good, but it also made me think about my family. My mom is gone and my brother has his own life and obviously my dad is out of the picture. I was so happy this past week and being completely alone now made my mood change fluctuate. I caught a few fish and decided to only keep two, heading back up to the house to cook them and get ready for bed.
After I showered, I hopped in bed and couldn't believe how lonely I felt. Claire wasn't there to hold against my body or talk to when I couldn't sleep. Her light breathing that sometimes turned into light snoring, even though I'd never tell her that, was absent from my night as well and I just laid there feeling empty inside. I tossed and turned for the better part of an hour, but when I knew sleep wouldn't come, I grabbed my phone and FaceTimed Claire.
She picked up almost immediately and when I saw her face appear on my screen, reading glasses and all, I felt whole again. No one said anything for a minute, but she was situating herself in bed so she was sitting up and no double chins were showing. Finally she sighed and took her glasses off, moving slightly out of frame to place them on her bedside table.
"Hi honey." I started, regret thick in my voice.
"Owen." She wasn't gonna give into me that easily.
"Please don't be mad at me. I miss you."
"Yeah!" She scoffed, "I miss you too. You basically dropped me off and ran. That didn't feel to good." I loved that she was being honest with her feelings and not making me guess, even though I knew exactly what I had done.
"I was overwhelmed." Simple, but dumb and I knew it.
"With my family? Were they too much for you?"
"No, no, no. I loved your family. Love them. They're great and they were so welcoming and I just… ugh. I don't know. I just love you and I wish my family situation wasn't so shitty because I want everyone to know you're mine and you're literally the only family I have Claire." She was silent, taking in everything I had just told her. She finally looked me in the eyes, for the first time since the call started and a small smile started to make its way onto her face.
"I'll be there in 20 minutes." She stated simply, moving to get out of bed.
"It's late, are you tired? I could come pick you up. I don't want you to get hurt because I can't sleep alone anymore."
"Who said it was only you? I was about two minutes away from calling you." We both smiled and just stared at each other for a second.
"Okay, I'll see you in a few. Please drive safe, baby."
"I promise I will. I love you."
"I love you too." I finished before hanging up and plugging my phone back in. I got up and turned my porch lights on again, so it wouldn't be dark when she pulled in. I poured some water into the tea kettle and started the stove, just in case she wanted some when she arrived.
Twenty minutes felt like forever, but when I heard the shifting gravel as she turning into her spot, I sprang from the couch and met her at the door, opening it for her and kissing her soundly on the lips. Claire didn't stop in the kitchen like normal for tea, so I turned the kettle off, following her as she went straight to the bedroom. She kicked her slippers off on her side and lifted the covers, cocooning them around her. I was stood in the doorway, smiling endearingly at her, watching her feel so normal and natural here.
"You gonna join me or what?" She asked, causing me to laughed and nod my head, shuffling my feet across the floor and hopping in next to her. I pulled her in immediately, missing the feeling of her in my arms, her head resting on my chest. This was full contentment. Claire was my happy place and my home. I couldn't bare not having her with me every night any longer.
"You still up?" I asked, moving my arm gently to shake her.
"Yeah, we just laid down." She laughed at me, but moved away slightly to rest her head on her arm so we were face to face.
"My day was shit without you." I stated simply, moving my hand down to rub up and down her thigh lovingly and slightly suggestively.
"I did do a lot of work, but mine was also not as good as it could have been."
"Move in." I blurted out the second she finished her sentence. She eyes widened, but quickly went back to normal. The hand she wasn't leaning on came up to rest on my cheek, brushing over my scruff in a loving way.
"I would love to, honey, but I can't be this far from work. My apartment is no more than five minutes and Sunrio is easily a half an hour." We both sighed in unison. I thought for a moment.
"I don't wanna invite myself, but I'd give this up for you." Her eyebrows knitted together.
"I wouldn't want you to give this all up for me…" I sighed exasperatedly when she said this and my grip on her thigh I was teasing tightened slightly as I pulled her in closer.
"You are my everything Claire. It wouldn't be so much a sacrifice as a step toward our future, if you'll have me of course." Claire's smile widened, her teeth nearly blinding me. She pulled my face down to hers and she peppered kisses all over. My hand moved up her thigh to her ass, squeezing and teasing her before flipping us so she was trapped underneath me. Her smile never left her face as I move to remove the tiny sleep shorts she is wearing. I feel her hands move around my waist and slip into the back of my boxers, her hands felt like fire on my bare skin. She used her newfound leverage to pull me in closer to her. Sure, we have played around this whole week, but the whole 'no sex while the family is here' rule stayed true throughout. We had gotten each other off every single night, but I needed her now.
"Claire, I need you." My hot breath spread over the skin under her ear, goosebumps waking in its path that I soothed down with a sloppy lick down her neck. I felt her squirm under me and her breathing was becoming ragged when I reached down to remove her shirt, leaving her in only her panties under me. I felt her hand grab my jaw and bring it up from its place near her neck and she kissed my lips feverishly, our tongues battling for dominance. I brought my hands down to her hips, ready to remove her last article of clothing, but Claire's hands rushed to the hem of my boxers, teasing the waistband and snapping it back once, making me wince and hiss at the feeling. Her bare touch on my skin burned in the best way possible. It consumed my senses and made me feel things I had never felt before. Her nimble fingers dipped into my boxers, brushing over member and spreading the precum that was glistening on my tip, down the rest of my shaft.
"Fuck… Baby, I need to be in you." I whined into her ear. I could feel her satisfied grin against the skin of my bicep right before her teeth gently took it as prisoner. I moaned this time, feeling her jolt under me from the sound. Her pace on me started the quicken and she was pumping me just how I liked it. I couldn't take it anymore and pulled back from her, making her look up at me in confusion. I kissed the worry lines off of her forehead and moved her hand from my member onto the waistband itself, pulling my boxers off with her hand and pushing them down under the comforter that was enveloping our lower halves.
"Are you gonna give me what I want?" Claire asked me, helping me as I shimmied her soaked through lace panties down her silky legs. She spread her legs around me so that I could comfortably slide into her when the time came. My hand was lightly scratching the skin on her calves from their new position of being hitched around my hip and I leaned down to kiss her once more before questioning her.
"And what exactly do you want m'lady?" I kissed her again.
"All of you. All the time." She practically moaned into my mouth. My eyes rolled back when I felt her hips flex forward and my tip felt how drenched she was.
"You already have me, baby." I responded, moving my hips froward this time to tease her. The moan that left Claire's lips was animalistic and hotter than anything I had ever heard in my life.
"Not all the time though." She mumbled, her hands coming up to grab onto my upper arms, squeezing them to prevent herself from thrusting upward. We were teasing each other in the most delicious way and were both enjoying every second of it.
"It's just you and me in this. I love you, you love me. We have this crazy hot connection. I wanna move into your place with you. Can't wait to do this every. single. night." Just as I was finishing my sentence, I buried myself into her. Her grip on my arms tightened even more and her nails digging in slightly. Her insides contracted and her walls started to clench as I picked up speed and pulled out almost all the way before burying myself again. Her lips were everywhere on me. My neck was definitely going to have a mark on it in the morning and the scratches she was leaving on my back were fueling something in me that I hadn't ever felt. This is what making love really was. We were working in unison to please the other person rather than worry about our own pleasure.
"Baby, I'm really close." She whimpered, willing me to keep going when my thrusts started to falter. She grabbed onto my hair and pulled us face to face, noses and foreheads touching, as I continued to thrust. I grabbed her leg and pulled it up higher on my hip so I could reach even farther into her as her eyes rolled back into her head and her mouth opened wide and inaudible noises came rushing out. She pushed the back of my head forward so our lips would mash together and her walls tightened around me as she snapped. I came crashing down quickly after her, spilled into her and filling her up completely, just how she likes it.
I collapsed on top of her, moving myself so I wouldn't crush her with my weight. My hair was matted to my forehead and she played with the ends of it that had started to curl. Her smile was infectious and her eyes were drooping, telling me that she was going to fall asleep at any moment. Her legs slid down to the mattress and it took everything in me to not start thrusting again. She hummed out in satisfaction, seemingly too sedated for Round 2. It was quiet for a few moments before I felt her pepper kisses on my jaw which surprised me.
"Could you… uhm… keep going? I still feel this need in me, but I'm too tired to move. Just go slow." Where had she been all my life? I slowly, but surely thrusted into Claire again, making her head dramatically smack against the pillow below her. "Fuck." She whispered out, bringing her hands to lightly trace against my sides. I felt tingly all over and felt this dying need to give Claire what she wanted.
"You're so tight, honey." I whispered into her ear, teasing her earlobe with me teeth as I pulled it back once and let it go. She hummed to let me know that she knew. My thrusts stayed at the same, agonizingly slow pace the whole time, because that's what she asked for and pretty quickly, she gasped when I hit her sweet spot and she came tumbling down again. It took me a few more deep thrusts before she was being filled to the brim again, a bit of our combined spunk seeping out of her and dripping onto the sheets below us. "Shit you feel so good around me."
"I feel so full." She exhaled, content and basically asleep. I flipped us over, not removing myself quiet yet, knowing she liked the feeling of me inside her for a little bit afterwards. When I moved to get up and get a washcloth to help her clean herself, she kept me close to her.
"Just leave it tonight." She told me, making me gape at her. Claire was always very clingy and cuddly after sex, but we always cleaned up. It was an unspoken rule.
"Are you sure? I can be right back." I mumbled into her ear.
"It just feels so good. I want to keep it in me for tonight." I could've died and went to heaven at this point.
Claire and I slept hard for the whole night and the next morning we both returned to work. We decided that I could move in whenever and there was no rush, but my bungalow was packed up within the next three days and all of my stuff was in her apartment by the end of the week. Our weeks started to slowly morph into one and before we knew it, it was Christmas and we were boarding our plane to visit Karen and the boys. Claire spoiled me and surprised me with those seats that turn into beds and have dividers. It made it pretty easy for us to join the Mile High Club… twice.
When we pulled up to the house, the boys greeted us anxiously at the door and grabbed our bags, bringing them to the room we would be staying in for the week. We walked into the foyer, hand in hand and I helped Claire take her coat off. We were led into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway to kiss under their mistletoe Karen had hung up.
"You're here!" She hollered from the top of the stairs. Karen's arms were around us before we could even blink and we were immediately being scolded for bringing the boys gifts. Before we realized what was happening, we were being taken away and given the tour of the house, last stop being our room for the next three days.
"Finally alone again." Claire teased when I closed the door behind us.
"I love your family, but they are energetic." I said, pulling her in for a hug, dancing with her slowly to a song that was playing in my head.
"Karen asked me about kids when we got here." Claire confessed. I hadn't understood what she meant.
"What about the kids?" I asked her.
"Not the kids, our kids." I stopped dancing and looked down at her stunned. My heart was hammering in my chest and my hand came down to her stomach.
"Are you…?" She chuckled lightly and kissed me on the lips, moving my hand away from her belly.
"No, silly. I would've told you first. I think I brought up babies the last time I called her." I was shocked. I didn't think Claire even wanted kids, let alone was thinking about them.
"What about babies?" I asked.
"Nothing really, I was going to talk to you about it soon. Would it be horrible of me to be thinking about them?"
"Not at all, sweetheart. I want to have babies with you and only you. I can imagine a little Claire with red hair and freckles running around. Whenever you want to start trying, I'm all in." Claire pulled her head off of my chest and stared at me.
"Really? Even though we aren't married?" I scoffed and shook my head.
"That literally wouldn't change anything. I love you and I don't need a stupid piece of paper to tell me that. I understand if you want to, but I don't need it." Claire nodded and started to sway again.
"I would like to get married. Probably after kids though. I don't really care much, but I like the thought that we are legally bound to each other forever. It makes it feel more real." She kissed me, "And if you have a ring on," her fingers weaved in between mine and kissed my ring finger, "all the other girls will know you're taken." She teased. I laughed a hardy laugh that shook me and her.
"Karen's going to go bananas when I tell her all of this." I hummed and felt the velvet box burning a hole in my pocket.
"I bet she'll go even crazier when you tell her you're engaged." Claire stopped dead in her tracks, her face looking nervous and excited. I dropped to my knee and fished around in my pocket for the ring. "I know we literally just said we'd wait to get married, but that's okay, we'll be one of those couples who have a long engagement. I love you and I want everyone to know it. I want you to be with me forever and I want to grow old with you and just want you. No, I need you. You changed me from a lost boy into a man who loves a woman more than he ever though humanly possible. So, Claire Dearing, even though I'm just rambling and none of this probably makes any sense, will you make me that happiest man alive and spend the rest of your life by my side?" Tears were streaming down her face and she nodded her head enthusiastically before launching herself into my arms and kissing me passionately. I placed her back on the ground quickly and opened the small, velvet box infringed of her. Her hand immediately rose to cover her mouth and she gasped. I fished the small diamond band out of the box and slid it effortlessly onto her finger.
"Owen… it's beautiful." She gushed, rotating her hand and watching it sparkly in the light.
"You haven't even said yes yet." I teased, smiling down at her lovingly.
"God, of course I'll marry you, baby." At her words, I picked her up and spun her around, kissing her with every emotion I was feeling.
"I love you, Claire Dearing."
"Soon to be Grady." She corrected me, making my heart swell and effectively ending the conversation as I picked her up and dropped her down onto the bed
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