#mountain ranger! Ari x reader

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 10: We Should Get Married

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Ari’s got a special date planned for you in a special location the two of you hold near and dear

Word Count: 3,229

Content/Warnings: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI, smut, outdoor sex, protected sex (woo hoo! He comes in the condom), cockwarming, nudity, kissing, mentions of alcohol consumption (champagne), happy tears, loooooove or whatever, nervous and organized Ari, semi-unsuspecting Duchess, good friends, discussions of marriage, I think an engagement ring should be a warning

A/N: It’s been too long! I’m so happy to finally release another chapter of our majestic mountain man.

PLEASE screech with me in asks, comments, and reblogs!! Much love!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter.

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Ari had run his hands through his hair in nervousness so many times today that he was afraid he was about to go bald. His hiking boots paced on the floor of the ranger station as he bit his nails, a nasty old habit, and went through the plan with his coworkers and friends once again.

“Max, you’re sure you can do that?”

Max rolled his eyes, albeit with a smile, and nodded once again.

“Yes, Ari. It’ll be good training for my next lumberjack competition, anyway. You know nothing is gonna keep me from climbing up a tree for a good shot.”

Ari nodded and blew out a breath, hands on his hips.

“Okay, okay, good. And Rachel, appointment all booked?”

She smiled. “Yep! Today after work, so she’ll be all ready for tomorrow. Oh! And before I forget, here is your special package. I know you said you were going to pick it up from the jeweler, but I knew I’d be seeing you today, so one less thing to worry about going into town for.”

Ari reached for the bag Rachel held out for him, feeling the small box was there. He gingerly nestled his fingers in the cinched opening and pulled to get to the contents, taking out and rolling the velvet box between his fingers. He carefully opened it up to check the contents, the sparkle in his eye matching that of the item in front of him. A rare grin grew on the mountain ranger’s face for how anxious he had been, planning for tomorrow this whole week.

“Thank you for this. It’s perfect, just like her.”

You were running around the house like crazy trying to tidy up as dinner was cooking on the stove. After a couple weeks of insane work, Ari had convinced you to take two days off to relax and treat yourself. It wasn’t without your resistance, but finally you gave in since it would be a good opportunity to finally get to some things done around the house you’d been putting off. It was a chance to deep clean, but unfortunately, rush it a little since you wanted your day tomorrow to be all relaxation.

So far, you had reorganized the entire kitchen and spice cabinets, swept and mopped the whole house, tidied the bathroom, and washed all your bedding and laundry. All that was left was a little light dusting that was sort of high up, so you’d figured you’d wait for the next time Ari came over for him to get those high places, or at least make sure you didn’t fall when trying to reach the top of your cabinets.

You were sprawled on your floor between semi-folded piles of laundry, dresser drawers pulled open and emptied in an attempt to reorganize when you heard a knock on the door. You pushed yourself up with a groan and shuffled over the hardwood floors in your socks, pushing up your old, oversized sweatshirt sleeves, and readjusting your sweatpants before reaching for the door handle. When you turned it, you were surprised to be met by Rachel’s smiling face. And then it hit you and you facepalmed.

“Rach! Hi, oh my gosh, it totally slipped my mind. We have that nail appointment, don’t we?”

She laughed as you gestured for her to come through the door. “Yeah, I figured you either forgot or were busy when I called twice and you didn’t pick up. No worries, though. It’s not for another half hour.”

You blew some hair out of your face and checked your watch as you closed the door.

“Okay. That’s good, then. I’m going to go change. You can help yourself to dinner if you haven’t eaten yet and then we can go?”

“Sounds good.” She nodded as she already went to open your cabinets to grab a plate.

Taking a rare chance to pamper yourself was a treat. You laid in bed late Friday morning, sighing as you looked out the window, sipping a coffee that was lukewarm at this point, but you didn’t mind. It was made with love. Ari had stopped by just an hour ago before his Ranger shift and made it for you, pleasantly surprised to find you still tangled in the sheets. It was rare for you to sleep in this late, but he was glad you’d taken his advice on giving yourself a break, a chance to relax for once. You deserved it with how hard you worked.

You watched him intently that morning, the then-steaming mug of coffee snug in your hands, as he strode over to your closet. He slid the hangers from one side to the other, searching for something specific until he found it. “Ah! Here it is.”

He turned and set it on your dresser: a sundress. The one you had worn on your first date in the mountains where Ari had shown you his favorite overlook of town.

“This one’s my favorite. Wear it tonight? I’ll take you out.”

Your face morphed into a sleepy smile, voice still a little raspy.

“Okay. Then you and me can come back here afterwards? We’ve both got the weekend off.”

He grinned, moving across the room in only a few steps, leaning over and reaching for his hands to frame your face, thumbs brushing your cheeks as his fingertips barely tangled in your hair. Ari nodded, his golden brown locks swaying beautifully as he did, as he leaned in, placing a kiss on your forehead, then your nose, and finally deeply and lovingly on your lips.

“Perfect, Duchess. I love you.”

And with that, he was out the door.

Ari showed up at your house that evening when the sun was low in the sky, but there was still a little time before it set below the horizon. You walked down the steps out to his truck, surprised to see him dressed up more than usual. He wore a flannel shirt, but you could tell it was a new, fresh one. Crisp. The colors were complimentary to those of your dress. Where was he taking you? Somewhere fancy? You trotted out to see him and leaned into him as he squeezed you tight.

When you pulled away, you ran your hands up and down his chest on the soft fabric while his hands rested on your waist.

“So what’s the special occasion, Bear?”

He smiled and shrugged, grabbing your hand and leading you to the truck. “Just another day in paradise. There have to be a special occasion for me to treat my girl?”

Ari was playing it cool on the outside, but underneath the surface, he was a nervous wreck. He had wiped his hands several times on his good jeans so you wouldn’t be able to feel how clammy they were. His heart was beating a mile a minute, but he did his best to keep his breathing even. This was meant to be a happy occasion, and deep down, he knew what your answer would be. He had known for months, really when he looked back at the signs, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still nervous.

You giggled as you hopped up on the seat. “Of course not. I’ve just never seen you this dressed up. You look spiffy. I like it.”

Ari huffed out a laugh as he climbed up in the truck behind you and closed the door. “More than the ranger shorts? More than that old ballcap I always see your drooling over?”

You turned your torso towards him, holding your hands up to stop that thought. “Woah, woah. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I will say it’s a top contender, though. Me and my sweet babe who looks absolutely dapper. But I’d happily spend everyday forever with you, in any clothes you want.”

Ari smirked as he turned the keys in the ignition. “Even no clothes?”

You poked a finger into his chest. “Now that, sir, might be my favorite outfit of yours.”

You knew exactly what was happening when Ari pulled onto the rocky road between the evergreens and past the creek bed. Well, at least you thought you did. The same magic was in the air as a year ago when he had brought you out here the first time, except now, there was somehow even more. More electricity, more love, more beauty in it all. After all that time, nothing had faded. It had grown brighter.

More than just metaphorically. Physically, too. As Ari pulled the truck towards the familiar Rocky cliff, small twinkling lights came into your vision. You looked over at him and tilted your head to the side as he put the truck in park.

“Ari, what’s going on? You did this?”

He turned towards you and smiled, gathering your hands in his and placing a kiss to your knuckles.

“Of course I did. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen out here, but I figured some extra ambiance would be nice. I’ve got picnic supplies in the back, why don’t we hop on out and I’ll grab them, meet you over at the blanket that’s set out. Sound good?”

You nodded and gave him a final kiss as he helped you down out of the cab. While Ari hung back, you made your way out near the cliff edge to the blanket where fairy lights were strewn across a small wooden arch, along with ivy and some buds of your favorite flowers. You leaned over to sniff one, the floral scent mixing with the surrounding pine in the refreshing mist that covered the mountains. As you looked out over the town in the valley, you could see the peachy sun just starting to dip below the horizon. This was your favorite time of day next to the sunrise, as the golden hour light bathed the scenery.

You stood back up and took a deep breath in, relaxing your shoulders as your heard Ari’s steps coming up behind you.

“You know, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this view.”

“Neither will I.” Ari’s voice came from right behind you, but not as high up as you would’ve expected. And he sounded like he had stopped moving. Usually, he would’ve come up and hugged you from behind to share the view, but something must’ve stopped him. You turned around to investigate.

When you did so, your gaze was drawn downward, finding Ari’s face lower than yours. He was on a knee, sharing the blanket you were standing on. Your breathing started picking up and you covered your mouth in a gasp as you saw what was in his hands: a small wooden box that housed a ring. A beautiful emerald, framed by twisting vines of gold. It was so unique. The deep green matched the wooded mountains around you, and somehow seemed mimetic to the love you and Ari shared. A comforting, natural, golden tie between hearts. The ring was perfect, and so you.

Before Ari could even say a word, tears were flooding your eyes.

“Yes! Oh my gosh. Yes, Ari, Yes!!”

He laughed and smiled as he gently took your hand that you had frantically shoved out in front of you and slid the ring on your finger. In a second, you were falling into him, throwing your arms around his neck in the tightest hug, turning your head to kiss his bearded cheek over and over again.

“I love you. I love you so much.”

Ari stood up, your feet no longer on the ground from his squeeze around your torso, spinning you around in celebration. When he finally set you down, he pulled back and held your hands in his, kissing the new ring that fit perfectly onto your finger, looking deeply into your eyes and giggling with elation.

“I love you, too, Duchess. Baby, I had a whole speech planned and I didn’t even get to say it!”

You shook your head and sniffled, smiling profusely. “Okay, okay, sorry. Go ahead, say it now.”

Ari took a quick breath and rubbed his thumbs over your knuckles as he began.

“When I brought you here a year ago, I told you that this was my favorite spot on earth. But I want you to know, you’re my favorite spot on earth. I’d be so happy anywhere with you. You saved me, and you’ve given me endless grace, and I’m so honored that you’re willing to let me be your husband.”

Ari’s eyes were watering now with emotion as you moved your hands to his cheeks, pulling him down for another kiss. Afterwards, he turned his head and kissed the inside of your left hand, right at the underside of your newly adorned engagement band. He was already obsessed with seeing you in it. Feral, even, and you could tell by the way his gaze darkened, exactly what he was feeling. A smirk grew on your face.

“Right here or truck bed?”

Ari’s grin matched your own. “Truck bed. You go ahead and get over there. I’ve gotta make a call first.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, so you slowly started walking as Ari pulled out his phone from his back pocket.

“Max, hope you got some good photos, but I’m gonna need you to climb down real quick from that tree and get outta here.”

Ari looked at you with a dopey smile. “My fiancée and I are about to do something I don’t want you to see, especially with a telescopic lens.”

Ari shoved his phone back in his pocket and jogged after you.

“Yes! Oh my gosh. Yes, Ari, Yes!!”

Your hands clawed into his chest as you ground your body against his harder, faster. Ari’s flannel shirt had been hastily unbuttoned and opened, his tan chest on display and pants tossed off to the side as you straddled his waist, sundress long gone. It was a wild act of love in the middle of the wilderness. Ari’s feet were planted on the blanket he had laid out in the truck bed as he thrusted upwards to meet you. His blunt fingertips dug slightly into your hips, guiding your movements. The sun had fallen in the sky, the last drops of light remaining, just enough to cause the new gemstone you wore to sparkle almost as much as the eyes of your new fiancé.

Ari grunted and groaned as he continued to look up at you, his muscles growing sore and faltering with exhaustion of chasing your mutual, pleasureful release. You could see the pleading in his eyes as you clenched, the both of you nearing your peak.

The sensation of the hair at Ari’s base tickling your clit had been stimulating you slowly in a gradual climb, but not enough to tip you over the edge, the two of you prolonging this aspect of your celebration of a life tied together.

Ari took one of his large hands and snaked it towards your belly, fingers putting pressure just above your mound and thumb making small circles on your slick clit. The begging that you had only read on his face became verbal as you clenched harder at the stimulation.

“Please, Angel. I’m so close. Come for me. Come with me, baby. I-I-“

Ari let out a loud groan that morphed into almost a whimper as he threw his head into your chest while he spilled into the condom. His breaths were heaving with satisfaction. Your arms cradled his head against you and your body shook with your orgasm, triggered by seeing him like that. You rode out your high with a few slow grinds of your hips before collapsing on top of Ari. He leaned back against the rear window of his truck, looking up at you, the happiest he had ever been. Ari had never been this at peace, this satisfied with his life, but right now, it was better than anything he could’ve ever imagined.

You looked down at him, having moved your hands to the sides of his neck as he had pulled away, your thumbs brushing the sensitive skin of his jugular.

Ari was positively enamored. He had been this whole time, but now he knew for sure, he belonged to you. You belonged to each other.

“Let’s get married right now.”

Your eyes went wide and you laughed. “Sex was that good, huh?”

The smile had no prospect of being wiped off Ari’s face. “I mean, it’s always good. But that was better somehow. I can’t wait to see what it’s like when we’re husband and wife.”

One of your hands moved over his heart. “Bear, I guarantee you it’ll be much better, considering I’ll be the one going feral over you wearing a wedding band.”

He shrugged. “So then why not right now? Drive out to a little chapel in Vegas, hire an Elvis, ride away into the sunset in one of those ridiculous pink limousines with the longhorns on the hood. We can find you a little white dress, I’ll rent a cheap suit. Ya know, feed each other wedding cake, the whole shebang.”

You just giggled and shook your head. “No. I’ve gotta tell my mom. I want our family and friends there.”

Ari sighed, but acquiesced. “I know, I know. It was worth a shot, though. Ain’t no point in waiting when you know, though…. ya know?”

You nodded. “I know, hun. And trust me, I’d get married to you in a heartbeat, but look how much work you put into this engagement. I want that in the wedding. Sure, it’s our special day, but we’re sharing it with family. And I want it to be as beautiful as the love we share.”

Ari’s eyebrows raised as he blew out a breath. “If you want what I did for this engagement on a wedding scale, I’m not sure we’re gonna have money for a honeymoon. We can go to Paris, but it’ll just have to be the one in Tennessee.”

You grimaced thinking about how much Ari must’ve spent. Flowers were expensive! And honestly, probably so was the ring. But you knew that the amount of money spent wasn’t what it was about. It was about showing how much you loved each other through your gestures.

“No need to go bankrupt. We’ll keep it small and thrifty. All I care about is people seeing how devoted I am to you.”

Ari smiled, the small stress that had painted his brow melting away from your reassurance. Just as he was sitting up to give you a kiss, his stomach grumbled, causing you both to laugh.

“Oh yeah, this was supposed to be a picnic. Okay, babe, pull out the food and let’s get at it.”

Ari stole a kiss and leaned over, opening the picnic basket as you let out a whine at the feeling of him inside you. That reminded you that you were both sitting here naked, too. From on top of the food, Ari pulled out a warm blanket, heated by the steamy container lids. He draped it over the two of you, the skin of your chests comfortably pressed together.

The rest of the night was filled with more than enough warmth, love, laughter, and champagne sipping for the two of you.

Next >

Bonus A/N: hngggg squeeeee!!😍🫣 that is all.

Taglist: @patzammit @hawkeyes-queen @identity2212 @jamneuromain @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @ronearoundblindly @mrsevans90 @steviebbboi @mercurial-chuckles

[bigtreefest]

Bigger Houses Masterlist

An Ari Levinson Series based off Dan + Shay’s latest album

Mountain Ranger! Ari x Female Reader

Main Masterlist

Series Summary: A year after shattering break-ups, two hearts start life anew in the Rocky Mountains. It’s always just when you swear off love that a new beast crosses your path.

*chapters are arranged in the order they are to be read but track # in parenthesis is as they are on the album

1. Breakin’ Up With a Broken Heart (Track 1)

2. Heartbreak On The Map (Track 3)

3. Save Me The Trouble (Track 2)

4. Neon Cowgirl (Track 11)

Thunder + Birds

5. Heaven + Back (Track 7)

Leads to You

Rocky Road

The Pizza Incident

6. Missing Someone (Track 9)

In The Stars

A Night Out

7. Then Again (Track 6)

8. What Took You So Long (Track 8)

Take a Stab

Garden Party

9. For The Both Of Us (Track 5)

You’re a Gem

Words Are Just Words Unless They’re Verbs

10. We Should Get Married (Track 10)

Keep it Move-in

Bound to You

11. Bigger Houses (Track 12)

A Little … Snow

Even Bigger Houses

12. Always Gonna Be (Track 4)

Drabbles & Extras

Sexy Sasquatch

How they Show Their Love (ask answer)

Who they run to (ask answer)

Happiness and Jealousy (ask answer)

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 7: Then Again

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Everyone’s got regrets they might wish to go back and change, but then again, you would have never gotten here

Word Count: 3,304

Content/Warnings: MINORS DNI, 18+ ONLY, SMUT, honest conversations, hiking, cuddling, soft intimate shower, oral sex (f receiving), p in v protected sex, lotsa kissing, praise and lowkey size kink, swears

Author’s Note: O. M. G. This is the first time I’ve written smut, so I wanted to make it super soft and loving like I feel really pairs for this couple. Nine months into the relationship, wowza. Talk about true love, somebody pls find me a bear of a man like this.

Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. It’s my favorite on the entire album. It just kinda puts warmth and longing into my chest, so I hope the vibe matches what I’ve written.

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“Yes Mom, I promise I’ll be safe.” You looked into the camera of your phone as your mom looked right back at you.

“As long as you promise. I don’t want you eaten by a bear, but apparently you’ve got your own bear of a boyfriend to ward them off.” You laughed along with her own chuckle at that joke.

“Yes, Ari knows these woods well. I have no doubt he’s taking us on a good and safe route.” Your head turned away from the phone at a knock at the door.

“That’s probably him now.”

It was Sunday morning and Ari had asked you on a nice hike with him. The weather was set to be sunny, yet brisk, perfect for a rigorous walk through the mountains.

You opened the door and Ari greeted you with a kiss on the top of your head. “Morning, Duchess.”

He turned to see you were on the phone. “Oh, good morning Mrs.—“

“Ari, please. Call me mom. How many times do I have to tell you?” You both smiled and blushed at that as Ari went into your kitchen and dropped off his things. You sat on the couch, continuing your phone call.

“I knew there was something about that boy the first time I saw him. I’m so glad the two of you are so happy together. I can’t wait to come visit and officially meet him in person soon.” Ari had spoken to your mom on several occasions over FaceTime now, each time garnering more of her respect and adoration, which was rare for her. She always had sky high expectations, and you were her daughter after all, but she didn’t want you to have to face the same struggles she did, both career and romance-wise.

You rolled your eyes, thinking she wouldn’t catch it, but of course she did. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady. You know I’m right. I’ll let you go have fun on your date, though. I love you!”

You smiled back. “Love you, too, Mom.”

Once the call ended, you walked over to Ari, watching him bent over and looking through your fridge. You just couldn’t resist the urge to smack the plump, ripe piece of ass in joggers before you. Just as you were winding up, a large hand went and covered both cheeks.

“I know what you’re, thinking, Angel. You’re not gonna get me this time.” He rose from his hunched position, and towered over you, eyes glinting with mischief, pairing with the sly grin on his face. Before you knew it, Ari had scooped you up and plopped you back on the couch, peppering your face with kisses and tickling your sides. You were helpless, kicking your legs from under his body, doing your best to fight off the attack.

“Ari, quit it! I give, I give, you win!” You squealed through your giggle.

Ari’s hands and lips stopped their assault, but he didn’t pull away, instead, leaning in and putting a fat kiss on your lips. “Get on your hiking boots! We’ve gotta go before it gets hot.”

You nodded and looked up at him through your eyelashes. “Help me tie them?”

Ari’s head drooped down as he sighed and grabbed your boots off the floor. He could never say no to that look. He kissed each shin as he slid the boots onto your feet. “Anything for you, Duchess.”

You helped by tying one of the shoes as Ari tied the other. He was just such an expert, having to do this everyday for however many years now. Looking at the single knot you had made on your right shoe, he untied it and pulled the laces tight, making his own double knot in its place.

“You’re so much better at that than me.” You huffed. He laughed back, kissing the wrinkle away from your forehead that showed up when you were frustrated.

“Nonsense. You’re great at it. I just like ‘em extra secure.” He grabbed your hand and helped to lift you off the couch, the two of you putting on your hiking backpacks and heading out the door, ready for the trail.

Your hike was filled with amazing views and sightings of so much wildlife. You truly loved seeing Ari in his element, as well. He constantly checked on you as he led you through the winding trails, pointing out his favorite spots and, of course, stopping for snacks and photo ops.

He could tell when the exhaustion was starting to creep in, but luckily by that point, the two of you were nearly home.

As you came back, Ari started on heating up the leftovers from dinner the night before. You went out to your back porch which overlooked the rolling landscape, rich with colors of green and rocky gray, mountains graced with snow caps when you looked up at the peaks surrounding you.

Ari came out carrying two warm plates of Thai food from the good place in town and you snuggled up on the couch of your patio furniture and ate together.

He grabbed your plates and set them aside, as the two of you chatted, the sun casting a warm glow over the landscape. Ari pulled you close so your back was against his chest, his strong arms tight around your waist. He wiggled to scoot until his back was up against the arm rest, finally placing his head on your shoulder as the two of you settled.

Ari kissed your neck, his beard lightly scratching the sensitive skin, as you sat there pensively. “Ari, do you ever wish you could go back and change things? Go back to a time that was simpler, where you didn’t know what it was like to live through so many hardships? Do it all differently?” You felt his chest heave with a sigh and he exhaled out of his nose, the warm air hitting your collar bone.

Ari let the question hang in the air for a moment, thinking over everything in his life while he formulated an answer. “If I could go back, I probably would’ve held onto my old Bronco. It used to be my grandpa’s, and it was getting old, so I traded it in for the truck. I probably would’ve visited him down in Atlanta a little more, too, before he passed.”

You nodded as he hummed, thinking of more things. “I probably would’ve stuck around for graduation, finished my degree so I could become rich.”

You giggled as his chest rumbled behind you. “I’d probably apologize to Savannah for wasting her time, would’ve hung out and vacationed with my childhood friends a little more….”

“Had a little more patience, or sent a few more prayers to heaven, but I don’t know if that all was really in the cards. If it were up to me, who knows where I’d be? I look back at all of that. The heartbreaks, the hard goodbyes, they led me here.”

You turned to look up at him, his gaze distant in thought before he looked down at you. “If it was all different, though, I wouldn’t be sitting here with my whole world in my arms, stealing kisses on a Sunday afternoon. Sure, there are a few things that I might’ve changed if God put me in charge, but then again, I would have never met you.”

Tears began to well up in your eyes at his words. “Why? Is there anything you regret?”

You laughed and sniffled as you shook your head. “No. Not at all.” He used his thumb to wipe the tears falling down your cheeks.

“I feel really dumb right now. I was gonna say something stupid like buying bitcoin to be rich. Or like, maybe just not date at all until I found you. But you make a great point. I wouldn’t have come up here if it weren’t for all that. I think I love you too much to regret anything that led me here. Anything that I thought was a wrong turn definitely turned out right.”

He shook his head, laughing along with you, kissing away the rest of your tears. “Trust me, I love you more.”

The two of you sat there, basking in each other’s presence, before you began to become overly aware of the dried dirt and sweat that sat on your skin.

“I, um…. I think I’m gonna go take a shower. Get the outdoors off of me.” Ari nodded and helped you up off his lap, preparing to head home and do the same when you lingered before heading inside.

“Do you want to….join…me?” Ari sprung up out of his chair, head nodding vigorously. He grabbed the plates off the table and ran to drop them in the sink. He watched as you sauntered, hips swaying while you discarded pieces of clothing, one by one, completely naked before reaching the barn door that closed off the master bathroom from your bedroom.

Ari shimmied down his pants with much less grace, shucking off his shirt and socks, before joining you in the steamy room. He watched in awe as you stepped into the water and it ran down the curves of your body. Ari reached his hand under the stream and immediately retracted at the sting of the heat.

“God, Duchess. I love you, but I don’t think I could stand it if the lava you’re standing under burns my skin off before I even get to touch you.”

You laughed and rolled your eyes. “Bear, it’s not that bad.”

You begrudgingly turned down the temperature as Ari joined you. This wasn’t the first time you and Ari had done anything, but it was the first time you had seen each other fully naked all at once, since you hadn’t fully had sex yet.

You turned around as Ari grabbed your shampoo, gently rubbing it into your scalp. You moaned in satisfaction at the feeling of his fingertips massaging your head, basking in the intimacy and ecstasy of the moment.

“Angel, if you keep making noises like that, I don’t think we’ll ever get clean.” You laughed as you leaned back to wash the shampoo out of your hair.

Ari leaned under the stream with you to wet his hair. You squeezed the shampoo into your hand and began to massage it into his scalp, scratching your nails through his hair just the way he liked.

“Oh, fuck Angel, that’s good.” You giggled, hitting him in the chest.

“If I’ve gotta stop, so do you, mister.”

The two of you continued to wash each other, sharing kisses and feather light touches here and there before getting out and drying off.

Once you had brushed out your hair and Ari’s, the two of you made your way to your bed, sheets freshly washed just the day before. You had your towel wrapped around your body while Ari’s hung low on his waist. Ari held your hips, looking into your eyes, as you slowly backed up until your knees gave out from hitting against the bed.

Ari moved to crawl over you, his towel coming undone as he did so. Your eyes trailed down his firm chest, to his chiseled abs, until you could see how hard he was. You moaned at the sight, watching how his dick twitched in response.

His eyes stayed locked with yours until he leaned down and kissed you, trailing away from your lips and down your neck before retracing the path with his tongue.

You shuffled under him, removing your towel and discarding it on the floor with his, adjusting yourself so your head laid against the pillows. He kissed you again, deeply, passionately, before smiling and pulling away.

“I love you. I’d never change anything about my life unless it meant I could have met you sooner just to love you that much longer.”

You could feel his heavy cock tap against your leg as he kissed down your chest, eyes never leaving yours. You watched intently, lips parted in a light gasp as he finally reached where you were yearning for his touch.

Ari’s biceps bulged when he pulled your legs apart, placing a gentle kiss on your clit. Your breath shuddered at the sensation.

“Is this okay, Angel?” You nodded and whispered back.

“Yes, please. Please keep going.”

Ari’s tongue darted out of his mouth licking a stripe up your slit. Your back bowed as he dove in, licking and sucking. You knew he called you Angel, but his tongue was heavenly.

You let out a high-pitched moan, entangling your fingers through the wet strands of Ari’s hair, using the leverage to grind against his face. He inserted a finger into you, pumping it and curling it against your spot just right. You felt your legs began to shake, but pushed Ari’s head away before you could reach your peak.

“Wait, hold on.” You spoke while still trying to catch your breath. He looked up at you in bewilderment, beard glistening with your arousal.

“What’s wrong, Duchess? Did I do something?” You shook your head, still gasping for air.

“No, no. It was so good, I just, uh…..I want you to be inside me when I come.” Ari nodded, coming back up your body to kiss you.

“Okay.” He whispered back, a soft smile on his face. “Gimme a sec.”

He ran over to his discarded joggers and fished in the pocket to find his wallet where he pulled out a condom. He returned to you in bed, taking his spot between your legs again, and rolled it on. You knew he was huge, and you’d only taken two of his fingers before, but you couldn’t help the anticipation to feel all of him.

“I’m gonna open you up first, okay Angel?”

You nodded and immediately threw your head back as Ari scissored two of his long fingers against your walls, preparing you and stretching you out for what was to come. You wailed when he added a third and Ari swore he had never heard or seen something so beautiful before. The movie that was you feeling this level of bliss from him made him feel warmth and pride through his chest. He needed to be inside you.

Ari pulled out his fingers, swirling his tongue around them and sucking them clean, moaning at the sweet taste. His eyes rolled back and he nearly came from the culmination of partaking in your pleasure up to that point. You couldn’t help but clench against nothing, watching the specks of lust within the love in his gaze after that as he leaned down and framed your face with his large hands. He leaned in to kiss you, then pulled away as his dark blue irises, thin around his blown pupils, shifted between your eyes.

“Are you ready? Are you sure?” It came out breathy and strained. He wanted this as badly as you, after taking everything step by painfully slow step for nine months together.

“Yes, Ari. Please. I just want to feel you so close.”

He nodded and ran the head of his cock

up and down your folds, gathering your arousal before perching at your entrance. He kept one hand at his base, the other on your cheek as he looked deeply into your eyes. You felt the bulbous tip breach your entrance, almost with a pop as your tight warmth welcomed Ari.

“Ah, oh, Angel, you’re so tight.” Ari nearly yelped at the feeling of being inside you. You watched as he couldn’t help but let his eyes flutter closed from the overwhelming pleasure. “I’ll take it slow, promise.”

All Ari wanted was for you to enjoy this as much as him, and when he was able to pry his eyes open to see the way your face was contorted, your eyes as sincere and pleading as his, he knew you were. He slowly pushed in further, accompanied by a deep moan from you. Neither of you were virgins by any means, but something about this moment with Ari felt like being born again, straight into delectation.

He pushed another inch in, slowly, and your hands flew to his broad back, nails digging in the muscles that firmly blanketed his scapulas. His hips jumped at the sting, pushing him in to the hilt, causing you both to brace against each other at the fullness and all encompassing warmth.

His head dipped into crook of your neck, breath fanning your collar bone and beard sending tingles through your body as he sucked on the spot that gave you chills.

Your hands ran down his back and to his ass, pulling him in closer to you, if that was even possible.

“Ari, I need you to move.” You felt him nod against you and his hips pulled out only a few inches before rolling back in.

You breathy moans were close to his ear, spurring him on to keep going faster, pulling out farther and pushing in deeper until the warmth from your core began to climb up your body again. He found a rhythm and could feel as your pussy began to clench.

“Duchess, I can feel you’re close. It feels so good. You’re always so good to me.” His praise pulled you that much closer to the edge, hands grasping for purchase across his back, slipping slightly from the thin layer of sweat.

“Fuck, Angel. So tight. It’s okay, you can let go. Let go for me.” Ari needed you to come for him. He needed to feel your body sucking him in, holding him tighter. He pulled his head from your neck to look into your eyes when it happened. He moved his thumb down to your clit, rubbing tight circles and sending you over the cliff you were hanging on.

“Oh god, Ari!” You keened, your ankles locking around his narrow hips as your entire body contracted in ecstasy. Ari wasn’t far behind, the tightness surrounding him causing him to drive his hips all the way forward and spill into the condom. He collapsed over your chest again as he grunted lowly into your ear.

The two of you stayed there for a few minutes as you caught your breaths. He pulled back, his now dry hair draping over the sides of his face and framing yours, making a small world where it was only the two of you. His silky brown locks blocked everything else out. The only thing in existence was your shared gaze, filled with hazy satisfaction and dopey smiles.

Ari leaned down and kissed your lips, and then your forehead before he whispered to you. “I’m going to pull out, okay? You stay here while I go get a washcloth.”

You nodded and gasped as you felt the sensation of the ridges of his dick passing against your walls until you were empty. On instinct you rolled over to your side and closed your legs, still sporadically convulsing from the orgasm. Ari returned and cleaned you up, pulling up the covers and crawling into bed behind you, wrapping his strong arms around you and pulling you closer.

He kissed you shoulder and muttered. “I’m so happy to have you. I love you so much.”

You turned over and tangled your legs with his, pulling him in for a lazy, filthy kiss. “I love you, and I’m the luckiest person in the world. Or more like, my whole world was just in me.”

You winked at Ari as his shoulders bounced in laughter at your ridiculous statement. You were drunk in happiness, but neither of you would have it any other way. You slung your arm around his waist and nestled deeply into his chest, a satisfied smile on your face.

Next >

Bonus A/N: as Paris Hilton says, “that’s hot”

Series Taglist:

@patzammit

@hawkeyes-queen

@identity2212

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 8: What Took You So Long

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Finding forever took forever. Now it’s time to slow it down.

Word Count: 3,414

Content/Warnings: moderate alcohol consumption, mildly negative self-talk, looking back on the past, poking fun, mild swears, entirely too much affection, learning to cook, mild allusions to adult fun times, pet name usage

A/N: hehehe, the thought of grocery shopping with a SO has been eating me up recently. Also, a good friend of mine thinks I’m becoming disillusioned to what real-life romance is like. Oops

Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. Talk about sappy.

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You and Ari were grocery shopping when it hit him. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with you. A part of him had known the whole time, but this moment had really made it click.

You weren’t even looking at him, your eyes instead favoring the rows of produce, mentioning facts about how to determine when each fruit or vegetable was ripe. It was beautifully mundane, it was you sharing a little more of yourself and your wide breadth of knowledge he could never get over, and it was everything he ever wanted to love for the rest of time.

He was in awe of the way you moved through the aisles, your natural understanding of everything a person could possibly need, and how well you knew his preferences.

You pulled out spices, describing the dishes that utilize them. You explained the importance of salt, but not too much, and why a person could possibly need more than one kind. You walked him through different ways to make a balanced meal. The entire time, he was enthralled. He was completely taken by you and hung on to every word like it would save his life. Well, it sort of already did.

The two of you went to the checkout counter with your full cart, Ari pushing it as you began to load the items onto the belt.

Ari helped the cashier bag them up, and before he could even think to pull out his wallet, you’d already swiped your card. Ari cocked his head to the side, his long hair that peeked out from under his hat swaying. The ball cap looked so funny in juxtaposition to his ranger uniform, which he still wore as a product of you picking him up from work. His eyebrow raised as if to say ‘seriously?’

You smiled and shrugged as you took the receipt, skipping off in front of him as he pushed the cart out of the store and to your SUV. You slowed to allow him to catch up.

“You know I could’ve gotten that. These groceries are for my house, after all.” You laughed before reaching the car and pressing the button for the lift gate.

As the trunk began to open, Ari parked the cart and you felt arms wrap around you from behind. His beard bristled against your neck as he nestled in with his chin on your shoulder and kissed your cheek.

A soft smile remained on your face. “Consider it a gift. Welcome to independence, and official adulthood.”

He laughed into your hair. “Well it hardly counts as independence if you just took care of me. Swooping down to save the day again like the Angel you are. If you’re not careful, people are gonna think you’re my sugar mommy. Then I’m definitely not independent or much of a full-on grown-up.”

You rolled your eyes before turning around to start placing the bags into the trunk, keeping your head down doing your best to hide your blush at what Ari just said. You loved that he thought the world of you, and loving Ari like that was easy. Now, in terms of the sugar mommy comment, you both knew your job paid better, but neither had an issue with it, so any time it came up, he loved to joke like that, despite him having some savings from living so modestly.

Once you finished loading, you looked up into his sparkling eyes, creased with the smile he always wore when around you, finally replying. “I’ll give you sugar, you just have to wait until we’re home for it.”

You winked before giving him a chaste kiss, far too short for his liking, closing the trunk, and hopping up into the driver’s side, leaving Ari to return the cart.

When Ari returned to you, you started the car towards his cabin. You drove with one hand on the wheel, the other holding his over the center console. His thumb absent-mindedly stroked the back of your hand as Ari looked out the window, thinking about how he was going to pick out a ring.

Ari was finally losing his bachelor fridge. Gone were the days of it only housing lunch meat and beer.

You had just helped him finish putting away the new haul as he had gotten changed out of his uniform. Everything had a place and he had never seen the cabinets so full. You had a methodical system he really appreciated.

Ari’s hands were on your hips as he was about to set you on the counter before you stopped him, placing a hand on his chest.

“Wait, stop.”

He looked at you confused.

You removed your hand from his chest and held a pointer finger up. “One more thing. Gimme a sec. I left it in the car.”

You dipped under his arm that had you barricaded against the counter, running towards the front door and slipping on the first pair of shoes you saw, Ari’s massive boots clopping as you ran on the driveway. You opened up the back door of your car, looking under the seat to pull out a small package wrapped in brown paper and a twine bow.

You ran back in to where Ari was still standing there with his mouth agape, one hand on the countertop, the other on his hip. You cautiously crept towards him with the package tucked behind your back.

His face morphed into a suspicious smile. “Whatcha got there, Duchess?”

You giggled, toes meeting his as you looked up at his towering form. He made a move to reach behind your back before you quickly slid out of his reach.

“Ah ah ah, surprises are meant to be given, not stolen, ya little klepto. Now close your eyes.”

Ari’s head fell forward with a sigh before looking back at you through his eyelashes. “Fine.”

His eyelids fluttered shut as he held out his hands and you pulled the small package out from behind your back, carefully placing it.

“Okay, open.” Ari looked down at the brown paper intently.

“What is it? What’s the occasion? You already bought my groceries.”

He set it on the counter before propping you up onto the island like he had tried to before. You shrugged, your hands gripping the edge as your feet swung.

“Open it. I know we didn’t really discuss gifts or anything, but happy one year of me almost hitting you with my car.”

He laughed, picking it up again and untying the twine. “The first or second time?”

He knew which time. It was the first one. He marked the day as soon as he’d gotten home from your first coffee shop date, counting back the days to that fateful run-in on the mountain pass.

You kicked his thigh lightly before silently urging him to tear open the paper. It revealed a small cookbook.

“‘Cooking for Two?’ What-“ His eyes grew wide. “You’re not…” he looked around before ducking his head slightly and whispering. “Pregnant…are you?”

You shoved him back. “What!? No. No!”

You shook your head frantically. “Absolutely not. That is not what this means.”

The two of you were more than careful enough to make sure that didn’t happen—at least not right now. You’d made sure to find the right birth control and Ari took proper precautions on his end, as well.

You laughed uncomfortably before going silent. Ari let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay, that’s good- I mean, not that I wouldn’t….like, well, kids….um.”

You calmed him, placing both hands on his shoulders. “I-I get it trust me. I want kids, too someday, just not right now. It’s okay, we’re on the same page about that.”

He nodded and placed his head on your shoulder as your hand moved to stroke his hair.

“Thank you for understanding me. Where have you been all my life?” Seriously, he couldn’t believe that heaven ever let him find you.

You placed a kiss on his temple. “I was getting prepared to meet you.”

You leaned back to catch his gaze. “Now let me explain. This book, which is most definitely not a pregnancy cookbook, is because I’m hoping to start spending more dinners here now that you’re all stocked. As much as I love cooking for you, I think it’s important we both know how.”

You gestured your head to the single book that sat on the shelf in the corner of his kitchen. “Plus, I think you’ve earned an addition to the collection. You’ve graduated on to the next best thing. The pizza incident is a thing of the past.”

He shook his head reminiscing on the memory. “It’s not my fault you distracted me.”

You looked at him with feigned shock and disbelief as he leaned in for a kiss. “But as my present to you, let me cook you dinner?”

You nodded, leaning in to meet him. The kiss was soft and slow before it became needier. Ari tried pulling you close, his one arm falling from your waist down to your hip, the other still holding the book, before you placed your hand on his chest again, pushing him away.

“Nice try, Bear, but I’m starving. As much as I wanted to see where that kiss went, I want food more. Chop chop.”

You grabbed the other end of the book still sitting in your lap and gently raised it, pushing it towards his face and turning him towards the stove.

“You pick out a recipe while I get some drinks started for us. Sound good?”

As much as Ari would’ve grumbled at anyone else, he was happy to oblige you, flipping through the pages as you pulled out two glasses and began pouring.

Ari was so happy with the way you took over his space. Everywhere he looked, he saw you. Every room in the small shack had been filled with laughs and memories that filled his chest with warmth. Gone were the days that pained him to even look at the walls as the darkness seeped in. All that existed was light. It shined off of you and stayed reflecting off every surface, leaving an imprint of contentment in Ari’s brain, even when you weren’t here.

Ari leaned back against the counter next to the stove, arms crossed as he simply watched you. Over the period of him preparing the meal that was nearly finished, you had changed into one of his old wildlife conservation hoodies he’d gotten from working a fundraiser.

You danced without a care in the world, swaying with your arms above your head to the music you had blasting through the small cabin. Your one hand held your second cocktail of the evening.

As much as Ari hated to, he had to pull his gaze off you for a second to check the roast on the stove. When he opened the pot lid, you caught a whiff of the truly delectable scent. The sweetness of carrots swirled with the seasoning blend over the braised beef.

You set your glass down on the island, dancing over to him and stepping up behind the wall of a man. No spanks in the kitchen was a long-standing rule, which was a shame for the sweatpants he was wearing, but nothing was ever contested about hugs.

Your arms snaked around his waist and up under the front of his shirt as you rested your cheek between his shoulder blades. You could feel the ripple of each muscle as his arms expertly maneuvered and he breathed steadily, it was like marble that moved. Yet, there was a softness to it, maybe from the sensation of the chest hair under your fingertips, maybe from the smell of the fabric softener he used. There was always a softness to Ari, especially around you.

He hummed, reaching to pull low-rimmed bowls down from the cabinet, serving up the meal and setting it aside before running his hands up his shirt to meet yours. He turned around and pulled your hands between the two of you, placing a kiss on each hand, right on the ring finger. Starting forever was at the forefront of his mind, unbeknownst to you.

“Ready to eat?”

You nodded with wide eyes, grabbing silverware and dancing over to the dining room as Ari followed with your meals, dancing along.

As the sun fell, you and Ari were still sitting at his dining room table. His small work-provided cabin didn’t offer much room to move around, but there was just enough for the two of you and you didn’t mind being cozy.

You were putting together a puzzle under the warm lighting, newly donned fuzzy socks on your feet that he’d tucked away as a surprise for this very special day, finally giving them to you after dinner.

The two of you moved quickly, but not hastily, as you passed Ari the outline pieces and you worked to piece together the internal scenery. Your movements were paired with witty banter and discussions about past lives. No matter how much time you spent together, you could never learn enough. You wanted to know everything.

“So that was the spring break I spent doing cleanup work for a tornado. It’s not like I had any plans otherwise besides going home, but my mom understood it was what I needed to do.”

Ari nodded along. He enjoyed learning about the road you took that led your hearts to each other. All the things you did with your hours and your minutes. Seriously, what didn’t you do? Even now you were constantly on the move, filling your schedule with valuable, enriching things. You chased your dreams even if they took you far away from your hometown. At least, that was how he saw it. How could you always find the time to be with him? To dedicate to him when you had so many other things on your plate?

He didn’t want to question it too much, though, for fear that you’d catch on and think he didn’t live up to how amazing you were. But Ari thought to himself more, realizing the good he really had done. What took him so long? Where had this version of him been all his life? You had awoken it in him. You had pushed him to become a better version of himself.

He was roused from his thoughts by your question. “So what about you? Ever do anything fun for spring break in college?”

Ari’s eyebrows rose as he thought back to it. He hadn’t finished college and it honestly seemed like a lifetime ago. He blew out a breath and leaned back in his chair.

“Well, I only had two spring breaks. I remember going down to Daytona beach with some buddies of mine, getting drunk on Coronas and them all being drunk on love with whoever they met down there.”

You took a sip of your drink, nodding as you swallowed. “Sounds about normal. I bet you were a charmer back in the day, too. Sometimes I wish we’d met then.”

Ari shook his head vigorously at that, taking the drink from your hands and finishing it down. “Ehhhh…I’m not so sure about that. I do not think you would’ve liked to have met me then. I probably wasn’t deserving to be in your arms.”

Your brows pinched together as you took the drink back, going to Ari’s fridge and getting a fresh round of beer, hunching over to reach the shelf. “I don’t agree that you weren’t deserving. Sure, we lived different lives, but you were still you.”

Ari thanked you as you placed the new bottle in his hand, taking your seat again and shuffling the puzzle pieces.

“I mean, Bear, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who actually cares about being a ranger as much as you do. You go to all those little conferences and retreats and trainings and actually enjoy them. That’s not just a trait that develops overnight. It’s character.”

Ari blushed. Not even the cold beer was enough to counteract the warmth in his cheeks that came around when you said little things like that. When he could see how much of the little things you noticed. When you saw him.

He scoffed and tried to brush it off, though. As much as he loved to hear your praise, he respectfully disagreed with your assessment of his college self. Sure, if it had been up to him then, he would’ve been ecstatic to meet you a lot sooner, but God knew what he was doing making Ari wait all this time.

“Nah, I was a bit of a punk. And I wasn’t ready then to meet someone like you, but I think I’m ready now.” It was true. Right when Ari met you was when his world started spinning, but he wouldn’t have been able to handle it as the immature, reckless, and restless young delinquent he was.

“I definitely wasn’t doing humanitarian work like you. Trust me, Duchess, if you would’ve seen me…let’s just say…I don’t think I would’ve ever gotten the opportunity like now to kiss you every morning with the sunshine. I would’ve blown it pretty early on.”

You shrugged and continued to snap pieces into place with one hand while the other reached for his, pulling it to your lips for a kiss. “Agree to disagree.”

The puzzle was shaping up now, as you worked to slide your solved chunks in towards the middle with Ari. Only a few pieces were left to be placed.

Ari continued to work on the task at hand, but it took a back seat in his mind to the main show that was you. Sure, he loved little activities, but mostly, he just loved you and the time you could spend together. He’d do anything if it meant just stealing another moment.

As you were close to finishing, there were two spots open, but only one puzzle piece left. You stood up, looking on your seat, spinning around to check the floor, and even peeking under the mostly-solved puzzle with no luck.

“Bear, stand up. Do you see the last piece anywhere? Can you please help me find it?”

He stood up and cleared his throat. “Sure thing. It’s gotta be here somewhere. This was a new set. Couldn’t have gone far.”

The two of you looked over every nearby surface, Ari even checking the fridge to see if you’d tracked it into there somehow, and to get himself another drink after looking for the piece at the bottom of his bottle.

Somehow this hunt had turned into a dance, though. Or…more of a hobble?, as Ari had wrapped his arms around your neck, hugging you from behind and resting his head over one shoulder, taking big, goofy, swaying steps with you.

He lived for this. Really. Where had you been all his life? This night was another quotidian moment he wanted to bask in. He felt like it had taken him forever to find the one he wanted to spend forever with, but now that he did, he just wanted time to slow down. He wanted to drag out this night just a little bit longer.

You turned around in his hold, hands rubbing his chest and abs over the old hoodie he wore. Your nails raked up and down, sending tingles to the firm muscles under the plush fabric. Ari held you close, large hands splayed against your lower back. As your hand brushed over the pocket in his sweatshirt, you felt something small and flat with sharp edges.

“Hm, that’s suspicious.” Your head tilted as you looked up at the tree of a man, a sly smile on his face, looking back down at you.

“Oh, Angel, I’m just excited to see you.”

Without breaking eye contact, you reached into the pocket, finding exactly what you’d expected, mouth open in a small gasp of fake shock.

“As much as you wish it were, not everything is about your dick, Levinson.”

You winked and leaned up to kiss his cheek. Ari simply gave a shrug as you shimmied out of his hold and back over to the table, sliding the final puzzle piece into place. This was a mimetic moment for him; a visual representation of what you’d done in his life, and he planned to never let you go.

Next >

Bonus A/N: Bro, a lil sap who thinks the world of me? That’s all I want. Fr Fr.

If you agree, I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a comment or reblog. Thank you for reading!!

Series Taglist:

@patzammit

@hawkeyes-queen

@identity2212

@jamneuromain

@whiskeytangofoxtrot555

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 6: Missing Someone

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: It’s time to tell all and talk about each other’s pasts

Word Count: 2,417

Content/Warnings: ANGST, kissing, use of pet names, no-good exs, crying and near-crying, miscommunication but it’s resolved

Author’s Note: I was gonna make it bad, but then I realized, it’s not like this couple to have a huge blowout fight and misunderstanding. They’re too good at talking it out.

Shoutout to my childhood friend I visited last week for helping me write this. He won’t read it, but I appreciate him indulging my thought process. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. It makes me very sad tbh. I skip it a lot when listening.

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You and Ari were going to build a new dresser in your bedroom. It had been nearly six months of being together officially. Your old furniture was breaking down already, so the two of you had gone shopping. Ari insisted he was just going so that he could provide his truck for hauling it, but you knew that wasn’t the case when he turned down the first three you liked.

“No, that one won’t match the wood grains of your cabin.”

“What’s the material on that one? Pressed composite? No good.”

“Sure Duchess, that one could work…if you’re blind.”

You rolled your eyes at that last one,

holding back a laugh. Sure, those were valid reasons, but any minor criticism was something you took personally. He didn’t even live with you! Finally, you’d gotten him to agree to a nice, subtle piece that complemented your bed frame without clashing against the rest of the cabin. The only issue was, you had to build it.

Once the two of you had gotten home from the furniture store, you were exhausted. Not only from the shopping, but from long drive since you had to go to the nearest city with hopes of finding anything good.

After eating dinner, you and Ari settled on the couch together, cuddling to catch up on the show you two were binging at the moment. Sure, you usually preferred to do things away from screens, but sometimes, there was nothing that could replace classic, trashy TV. The dresser could wait. Ari was laying on his back and you were laying directly on top of him, ear over his steady heartbeat until you drifted to sleep.

You began to stir awake and stretch when you realized the TV wasn’t playing anymore. Strong hands stroked your back and your eyelids fluttered open. Your sleepy pupils sparkled and dilated as you moved your chin to Ari’s chest to see him looking down at you the same way, him not even realizing the way he smiled when you were within this eye sight.

“Well good morning handsome.” Your voice was full of sleep.

“Good morning.” Ari leaned forward to kiss your nose as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“Looks like it really is morning. 2:47 am.”

You hummed in response. “I think we kinda threw off our sleep schedule with what was supposed to be a nap.”

Ari nodded and laughed. “Oh definitely. But now we’ve got all this time to be productive. You wanna build that dresser?”

You groaned and threw your head into his chest, smushing it your nose and mouth. “Yeah, I guess so.”

You groaned and sighed before your muffled voice came out against his pecs again. “Lemme go pee first.”

You pushed off of Ari’s chest, causing him to exhale most of the air in his lungs with a laugh before he watched you scurry to the bathroom.

Ari got up and walked toward your room to get started on the dresser while he waited for you. Just as he sat on the floor straddling the instructions and some spare parts, he heard a buzzing coming from the nightstand, lighting up your dim bedroom.

“Duchess, your phone is ringing.” He yelled out the bedroom door.

“You can get it. I’ll be out soon. It could be important since they’re calling this time of night.” He heard your faint response.

With a groan, Ari stood up again and took the few large strides towards your nightstand, picking up the phone off the charger. The number wasn’t saved.

“Hello?”

“Hey, is that you? I miss you s’much. You should come over.” A man slurred from the other side of the line.

Ari was confused. He knew the area code of the phone number wasn’t from around here, but who was this man and why was he calling at this hour?

“Who is this?” Ari gritted out the words. He was beginning to feel something. There was anger, there was frustration. He was hurt that this seemed like something that was kept from him. The man on the other side of the line continued to call out your name.

“It’s me. It’s Oscar. Where are you? My bed’s cold.”

That got Ari. It hit him where it hurts and he felt a pang in his chest. He hung up the phone and stalked over to the bathroom where you were washing your hands as his hands shook. You hadn’t looked up yet.

“Hey Bear, was it anything important?” You were met with silence, only Ari’s heavy breathing and the sound of running water filling the air. When he finally spoke up, you could hear a near-growl in his voice.

“Who is Oscar?” Your head darted up and your wide eyes met his through the mirror. You shut off the water, dried your hands, and turned around.

“He’s no one. No one that we should be concerned about, anyway. Why did he call?”

You could see the worry on Ari’s brow and the tears that threatened to fill his reddening eyes. “He said his bed was cold. He misses you. Is there something I don’t know?”

You broke your gaze with Ari, looking at your shifting feet on the cool floor while you fiddled with your fingertips. You took a deep breath and a step towards Ari, surprised by him taking a step back. He’d been hurt before and he didn’t need it coming from you, too. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his distance.

“Oscar is my ex. I should’ve known it would be him calling at this hour.” Ari’s look of hurt took on even more emotion; it was his turn to be confused.

“So he calls you often at this time of night? When I’m not around? And you don’t tell me? Do you always pick it up?”

You shook your head, reaching out to Ari, glad that this time he let your set your hands on his waist.

“No.” You whispered back, your watery gaze meeting his. “I know you and I have been a little private with our pasts, but I think it’s time we tell each other everything.”

Ari nodded as you followed him to the couch. A place where you two had just had your bodies pressed together found you sitting on opposite ends, your legs criss-crossed in front of you and Ari’s long legs out to the side. You weren’t touching at all as you pulled a pillow up against your chest for comfort and took a deep breath, preparing to start.

You told Ari everything. All about the relationship. The expectations, the lies, the late night phone calls, the broken promises, the new girl after the breakup. He nodded along, keeping a mostly level face, although he maintained a mild layer of disgust. How could someone so awful keep you for so long? You were too good for Oscar. Heck, Ari thought to himself, you were too good for him, too. But he would spend the rest of his life becoming better for you if he had to.

As Ari was taking it all in, you continued on. “Mostly during the relationship, but even for a few months after, he would still call me late at night. It’s been over a year since the last time. I honestly thought he would’ve forgotten all about me by now. I don’t have his contact saved anymore. Something must’ve happened, though. But it’s not my problem. He was always whiskey drunk and saying he missed me, just like this time, but I knew that wasn’t the case.”

You looked up at Ari. He seemed like he was beginning to understand. “When we were dating, I fell for it. I fell for all the sweet, yearning things he would say, and I’d come over. We’d dance down the hallway and fall into his bed. We’d lay there and talk, well, it was almost always him doing the talking and lying until the sun came up. I really lost my voice over that whole thing.”

Ari felt such deep sadness for you. His favorite thing was when you would talk passionately about something random or speak your mind against the popular opinion. To hear that someone took that away, someone didn’t appreciate you and your amazing qualities, made him want to scream. His jaw clenched and he kept his silence, grateful for the full insight on your life. If Ari ever met Oscar, well, who knows what would happen to that punk?

Your voice began to break as you sniffled. “I know he wasn’t trying to hurt me, or break my heart, but I felt used. Like I was a late night lonely drug. I know he thought he loved me, and he would say that I was all he wanted, but I think he just wanted someone. At one point, I wished that I was that one he wanted, but I think a part of me always knew I wasn’t.”

Ari had crept closer again over the duration of your story. He pulled you in tight to his chest and rubbed your back as you wept, tears staining his old t-shirt. He had no idea how someone so awful could bring down someone so amazing, so angelic. You were everything. The sun rose and and set on you for Ari.

He pulled away and set his eyes deeply on yours, his hands holding your fingers. “I’m so sorry, Angel. I’m sorry you had to go through that. You deserve the world. Anyone who can’t see that was never worthy to even be in your presence.” He kissed your forehead and your eyes gently closed at the gesture as a soft smile graced your face again at his true, genuine sweetness.

“You are the world. You’re my world, and I’m going to spend as long as I have to so you can see how much you mean to me. Every day, I’m going to do everything I can to give you the love you deserve. To show you just how much I really, truly, honestly love you.”

You sat there, mouth agape in shock. There it was. That was the first time either of you had dared to say the L-word to each other. It wasn’t haphazardly thrown out there as a last-ditch effort to stay. It wasn’t overused and thin. It was heavy, it was intentional, and it was true. It carried such a weight to it, but your were sure Ari wouldn’t have dropped it had he not meant the word with his whole soul.

You felt it too, though. That was the part that astounded you. There was no other person who you believed could ever hold a place so fitting for the word love. There was only Ari.

“I love you, too.” You spoke firmly, gazing into his bright blue eyes, lit up extra from his beaming smile. His hand moved up to your cheek and he leaned in for a kiss. His soft lips met yours as your tongues danced together. There was no greed, no rush. Just love.

When you pulled away, you rested your foreheads against each other. You sighed and giggled. “While I’m out here being honest. I feel like there’s something else I should tell you.”

Ari’s head tilted to the side, confused on what other bombshell you could be hiding. The truth was, you had never been completely forthright with your thoughts.

“Did I do something to make you feel like you couldn’t be honest with me before?” You could hear the wavering in his tone. After such a vulnerable moment, what else could be coming?

“No, no, that’s not at all what’s going on. It’s just…ugh….” You were beginning to grow frustrated with yourself. There was so much you kept locked inside as a result of how Oscar hurt you. You were elated it was coming out for Ari to see. He deserved to know every side of you, but words were hard to formulate in the right way.

“I’m sorry. I want to communicate more openly with you. But it’s scary. I thought when you found out about everything with Oscar, you’d judge me for it. You’d look at me differently.” He shook his head, about to speak up before you cut him off.

“I want to be able to explain it all fully. I should’ve told you all this sooner. I knew once I gave you everything, it would lock me in. It would have solidified everything in a way we can’t come back from. You knowing all the details of my life. I didn’t want it to blow up, because I knew if it did, I would never recover. If I’m being honest, I was so scared to give it all over to you because I’ll never get it back.”

Ari’s blew out a puff of air, processing your words. He simply nodded, allowing you to finish. He completely understood where you were coming from. To trust someone so deeply again after pain like that was the scariest thing he could think of, and he was going through it, too. He was just glad you did trust him. Because he’d give you everything you deserved and more in a heartbeat. The two of you weren’t locked in to anything bad at all, you were just securing yourselves in something you already knew.

After all the heaviness, you made an attempt to lighten the mood. “And, I think you should know, I’m completely capable of assembling a dresser by myself. There are just some times I ask you for help because I want to spend time with you. Not because I need it.”

You winked and Ari heartily laughed in response. “Is that also why you asked me if I needed help cooking dinner last week?”

It was your turn to laugh, throwing you head back before pulling it forward and shaking it back and forth. “No. Sometimes I offer help because I can’t stand to watch as you do something wrong.”

Ari playfully rolled his eyes and pulled you in close for one of his signature bear hugs. He spoke into your hair. “Well, I’m just happy you keep me around. And I’m always happy to do whatever, right by your side, like a true partner. I love you.”

You both inhaled each other’s scents deeply. “I love you, too.”

When you pulled away, Ari opened up and told you everything about his past, too.

Next >

Bonus A/N: reverence is rare and lies are plentiful

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Chapter 5: Heaven + Back

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Heaven isn’t even half as far as you’d thought it’d be. It’s barely out of town.

Word Count: 2,181

Content/Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, kissing, sundresses, size difference (applies to all readers bc Ari is just THAT HUGE), dry humping (imma call this technically smut), like sickeningly loving glances but don’t call it love, dancing, getting fed dinner

Author’s Note: I’ve never written anything sexual before, so go easy on me. Also, nothing gets me going like a man who treats his partner equally, taking care of certain things and not expecting anything in return, even though the relationship is full of equal exchanges. I hope this chapter shows a little bit of that back-and-forth. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. Kinda a sweet little flouncy tune.

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You and Ari had been officially dating for about two months now, but had agreed to take it slow for the sake of both of your hearts.

At this point, you were much more aware of the other’s schedule and trusted each other enough to share your locations, something he made sure of so you never had to stress over where he was like that one night. The one night that changed everything for him, for the better.

As you were getting off work, you looked down at your phone to see a text from Ari:

‘I’m picking you up at six. We’re going for a picnic. Rest is a surprise😘’

You smiled at the device in your hand. Ever since that night, he also made sure to tell you a general plan of the dates to ease your worries. Whether or not to eat before, what you might want to wear, could all be implied since he gave just enough detail without spoiling the whole plan.

Ari smiled down at his phone when he saw your reply:

‘I’ll be ready, see you then, Bear❤️’

Ari’s buddies at the ranger station took note of his dopey smile, the way he was always checking his phone unlike anything they’d seen in years of working together. Not even when he was dating his ex, Savannah, or as they all said amongst themselves, ‘the she-devil who must not be named,’ had he ever been this plugged-in.

She never cared to be around, and Ari never cared enough to check his phone for his messages while on the job, and that’s all they needed to know. You, however, they all really liked you. You had come by to surprise Ari during one of his later shifts, so only a few of them were around. Rachel and Max sat with Ari in the dim shack, lit mostly by the golden light that came through the blinds facing the west, a product of the sunset.

You knocked and came in, wearing a sundress and carrying a light dinner you had made using croissants you got from the bakery in town, along with a few baked goods for Ari and the other rangers. It was your day off, and another day of trying a new spot, so you’d figured it was as good a time as any to see where he worked and make a good impression on the closest things he had to friends besides Sammy.

You introduced yourself and sat with the three of them for dinner, everyone raving about the food and thanking you for the rare treat. When you got up to leave, Ari walked you out, giving a bear hug and kiss before he opened your car door and watched until you drove away.

He returned to the station to be greeted by two smirking faces as they chewed their desserts. “We like this one. Don’t mess it up.” Rachel quipped.

Ari went to sit back down at his desk, thinking about you in that sundress, unable to wait until the next time he could get you alone.

Ari was far from a home cook. All that his fridge really housed was enough to get by, but not enough to impress you, so Rachel helped him pick the best restaurant to get some takeout for your picnic date tonight. He’d cook for you someday, but he figured it was better to have enjoyable food now, while he was still learning. You didn’t deserve to be fed garbage.

He stopped by town to grab the meal before heading up the winding road to your place. You stepped out on the front porch in another one of your sundresses, hair down and sunglasses perched on your head to combat the evening light. You weren’t wearing a jacket, but this was by design. Maybe Ari could keep you warm. Little did you know, he had the same plan. He had purposely not said anything about needing one, excited for the chance to put you in a jacket of his own. It made him feral.

Ari walked up and greeted you with a peck, holding your hand to guide you back to the truck. Well, more like him holding out his pointer finger for you, with your smaller hand wrapped around it. You learned that first night after holding his hand that it was a little difficult to spread your fingers to accommodate for his large ones, so this was one of the solutions, besides holding hands without interlocking fingers, just as good of a fix.

He opened up the driver’s seat of his truck, knowing you would’ve slid as close to him as possible anyway, and grabbed your waist to help you get in as you jumped and slid, scooching over. Ari followed and held your hand once again as he drove.

“So where are we going?”

Ari glanced between you and the road with a smile. “Somewhere very special.”

He took a turn off the paved road and onto a dirt path, an access route that was part of the lesser-used hiking trails. Ari pulled past a creek, and through the evergreens, until he reached a rocky clearing, turning the truck around so the bed was facing a cliff.

He hopped out of the truck as you scooted to the edge of the bench, legs dangling over the side as Ari moved to stand between them. He rubbed your sides, leaning in and placing his forehead against your chest. He took a deep inhale, comforted by the scent of your perfume, but you could tell it was more than that. He was about to say something important, something that made him feel vulnerable. You ran your hands over his hair to comfort him, an attempt of telling him he could take his time, you would wait. His eyes raised to meet yours.

“This is my favorite place. I don’t think many people come out here, but it’s probably the best view you’ve ever seen. I used to run up to this spot just to get away from everything. Seeing town so small really put everything into perspective at a time where I was so fragile and everything was falling apart. I wanted to share it with you.”

You looked down at him, grateful that he trusted you with something he valued so much. “Thank you, Ari. Thank you for bringing me here.”

You leaned down and kissed him before he helped you down and led you to the edge of the cliff. He was right, it was a phenomenal view of the town below, framed by the rest of the mountains that created a valley for it to sit. A haze was falling down the mountainsides, covering everything in a light mist that caught the golden-pinkish hue the sun began to cast.

Ari opened up the truck bed, where you saw pillows and blankets wrapped up. He helped you in before joining, the two of you working together to lay them out before he pulled out the food through the back window of the truck.

You offered a hand, but he insisted on finishing the setup himself, pulling you across his lap and feeding you bites, alternating with his own.

As you finished up and Ari set the containers aside, you shifted to straddle his lap, your sundress draping over both of your legs like a puddle of fabric. From his point of view, he swore the setting sun formed a halo over your head. You looked angelic, and it was fitting, for the grace you always gave him. Sunday morning had nothing on you and the miracles your simple existence had done for Ari. He didn’t know he had needed saving, and that was just what you had done for him and then some.

Ari admired everything about you. It’s like there was magic in your eyes. For all he knew, this gravel road was a street of gold because you touched it. The only thing he hadn’t seen you do yet was turn water into wine. But to be fair, he hadn’t asked.

As you looked into his eyes, searching back and forth, you could see how deeply he was looking into your soul.

“Hey, Bear, what’s going on in your head?” You leaned in closer. He always looked at you with such deep care, but it was too soon to call it love, right? Maybe it was longing? Maybe it was trust, or appreciation? What was a word to describe all of those things together?

He looked up at you with the dopiest grin. “Just thinking about how amazing you are.”

His hands rubbed your back, slowly pulling you down closer to him until your lips met. Your fingers ran through his hair, nails scratching his scalp, causing him to moan into your mouth. This kiss which was soft and tender at first became needier. Ari’s hands moved to your hips and squeezed.

His grip pulled you forward, creating a delicious friction against your core. You could feel yourself growing wet through the thin fabric of your panties as he continued to guide you back and forth in his lap. You pushed yourself against him harder, feeling his erection grow through his jeans as you maintained a rhythm.

You finally pulled away from the kiss, gasping for air and tucking your face into his neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses on his sun-kissed skin. The salty taste of a thin layer of sweat hit your tongue, swirling with his familiar cologne and the surrounding pine, creating a comforting musk that was so him.

One of Ari’s hands moved to your cheek, guiding your head so you could look into his eyes again.

“Eyes on me, Duchess. You look so beautiful right now. You’ve gotta be an angel, this feels heavenly.” Ari panted between his words.

You began to move your hips furiously against his, whines leaving your mouth as you could feel yourself cresting towards a peak. You could tell Ari was getting close, too, his moans growing deeper and raspier as his fingertips dug into you.

“That’s it, baby. Just like that. I can feel how wet you are through my jeans. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”

His eyes, his words, his body. They were all begging for release. The combination pulled you towards the edge as you felt a warmth flush over your entire body, your eyes squeezing shut, abs tensing, and pussy clenching around nothing. Ari’s strong hands kept you moving, riding out your high as he finished below you with a low grunt, your open mouths against each other, exchanging air.

When you opened your eyes again, you were met with Ari’s, half-lidded and hazy with satisfaction. You scooted back towards his knees to see a shared wet spot on his pants from both of your releases, but Ari wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed at all. He had just shared an intimate moment with his favorite person in his favorite place, and every second of bliss was worth the slight discomfort he was beginning to feel. You grabbed his hands and pulled him to sit up from his spot leaning back against the truck cab.

Ari could see the shiver that ran through your body now that the sun had set, taking the heat with it.

“I’m, uh, gonna change into some of the spare clothes. You want a jacket?”

He vaulted over the side of the truck bed, landing in the dirt with a soft crunch of the pebbles under his feet as he opened the back door.

“Yes please.” You had moved to the edge of the bed, looking out over the cliff at the lights that now glowed in the windows of homes and shops below. It was picturesque, almost like a model village.

You turned over your shoulder as you heard music start to play. Ari had turned on the radio, low on the dash, a familiar type of music coming through the speakers and open driver’s side doors. You could see he had changed pants as he reached out a hand toward you.

“Care for a dance?” You jumped down and joined him as he slipped a hoodie over your head and pulled you close. Once a couple songs has passed, Ari stopped swaying and pulled away, looking at you sheepishly.

“I kinda didn’t think this through, but I need to turn off the radio so I don’t kill the truck battery.” You laughed and nodded, heading back to push yourself up and sit on the edge of the tailgate.

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. As much as I love being out here with you, I’m sure being stranded bear bait is not a good look on me.”

Ari returned to you and scrunched his nose, leaning close. “Too late.” He whispered in your ear before playfully biting your neck and joining you up in the bed again. You giggled as he pulled you closer, the two of you eventually falling back, laying there and looking at the unobstructed sky full of stars.

Next >

Bonus A/N: How badly do you think a person needs a pinky toe? Because I would definitely cut mine off for a truck bed date with Ari.

Series Taglist:

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@hawkeyes-queen

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Chapter 3: Save Me The Trouble

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: People need to be more careful and watch where they’re going. You could run into a handsome stranger and get asked on a date!

Word Count: 1,821

Content/Warnings: oblivious walking (once again), like one swear, internal self-doubting monologues that hopefully still indicate a healing process, female reader, it’s pretty much fluff

Author’s Note: I’m so grateful for all that have been reading. I hope you enjoy this new part, a cute little bridge. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Here is the song this is based off of loosely, good song, listen if you please.

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You were finally settling into your new job and your new life in town. Your schedule was all figured out, and to get to know the area a little better, each day, you had started going somewhere different over lunch, driving down the mountain and into the quaint little town.

After a hectic morning, coffee seemed like just the thing to lift your spirits, so you set up your navigation to a little mom and pop shop on Main Street, cruising there with the windows down to soak up the sun and the breeze. Town was beautiful and surprisingly empty today, so it caught you by surprise when you were pulling into the parking lot and saw a khaki smear coming out of your blind spot. You stood on the brakes as soon as the tall figure took a step in front of your vehicle. A man in…were those…ranger shorts and a hat?….slammed his hands down on the hood of your car. It was him again.

You leaned your head out through the window. “You trying to make a habit of me almost hitting you? I thought you were a bear….again. Seriously, you’d think I’m out here trying to take out the nation’s wildlife if it wasn’t you walking out in front of my car every time.”

He let out a sigh as he hung his head in relief, his heart still beating fast at the near-death experience, and made his way over to your window. As you pulled yourself back in the car, he rested his elbows at the bottom of your window and leaned forward.

“I really am sorry. I’m not sure why that keeps happening. My head was kinda in the clouds.” He grimaced slightly and let out an awkward laugh.

You wanted so badly to be angry with him, but his genuine response, paired with his eyes that reflected the sky had you melting. “I-I’m not sure if I accept your apology yet.” You said then bit your lip, caught up between your slight frustration with the stranger, yet your want to believe anything he said. “You’re gonna make a reputation for me around here as ‘that girl who almost flattened the mountain ranger…twice.’”

He let out a genuine laugh. “I promise your secret’s safe with me and it won’t happen again. And I’m sure I can think of a couple people who wouldn’t be too bothered by that.”

You let out a giggle at his joke, it wasn’t too often people who looked like that had a good sense of humor to pair. The two of you sat there awkwardly for a second before you spoke up. “Well I, uh, kinda need to park, I’m on my lunch hour and was planning on getting a bite to eat.”

“Oh yeah, of course.” He pulled away from your window, walking a few paces behind the vehicle as you pulled into a spot. “You know, there’s a nice little coffee shop around the corner. I’d love to make up that whole ‘not paying attention’ thing to you. Lunch on me?”

You pulled your keys out of the ignition, stepping out and looking up at his towering form. Maybe he really was a bear. “I suppose, as long as this isn’t your way of secretly trying to lure me as bait for the mountain lions as a revenge plan.”

“Ah, no, that’s only on Tuesdays.” He shrugged.

“Today…is Tuesday….” You looked at him with mild concern as he smirked at you.

“Well, I guess you’re just gonna have to trust me. I’m Ari.” He held out his hand and you introduced yourself. He nodded at you and his eyes sparkled when your hand met his. His hand was callused, but warm and comforting, almost embracing yours. “Alright, let’s get to it, you said you’ve only got an hour?”

You nodded as his hand made its way to the small of your back and he guided you along the sidewalk into the shop.

You laughed as you sat there stirring your second drink: the free refill the shop offered if you sat and stuck around. Ari had just finished telling you about the time his pants had snagged on a tree when he was miles away from any sort of refuge or spare clothing, leaving his cheeks in the breeze until he could run the two miles back to the cabin to change. Your face began to grow red, you could feel it. You knew you’d never be able to get the thought of his ass in those ranger shorts out of your head, or better yet, out of those ranger shorts.

He spoke through his own hearty laughter. “Yeah, learned that one the hard way. From then on, I vowed to always keep at least two sets of backup clothing in the truck, and in my duffel if I’ve got to respond to a call.”

You laughed and stirred your drink again before taking another sip, while something stirred deep in Ari’s core. He was staring at you so intently and hung onto every word you said. Part of you wished he’d keep those pretty blue eyes to himself, while another part of you wanted to lean closer and fall into them.

Over the period of your conversation, the two of you had somehow shifted closer to each other. Everything was just flowing so well.

“I can relate to that too easily. It was probably three months into me getting my SUV I’ve got parked out there and I was visiting my mom. On the drive over, it was sunny with clear skies, so I had the windows down and sunroof open when I parked it in her driveway.”

Ari giggled. The gruff tree of a man in front of you giggled and you couldn’t help your gaze that dropped to his pink lips. “I can already see where this is going.”

You snapped yourself back, laughing distractedly. “Oh yeah, as soon as I got in there and convinced myself I had definitely closed the sunroof, the sky opened up. When I left after dinner, I was greeted by soaked seats and full cup holders.”

Ari’s jaw dropped. “Yeah, yeah, that’s not even the best part. Besides the fact that I had to sit in a soaked seat on the way home, when I took the first big turn on the drive, water started leaking out of the overhead lights. You know the ones up by the rear view mirror? I don’t even know how it got in there!”

Ari was snorting at your story. Your genuine nature charmed him and he appreciated how you were able to laugh with him over silly mistakes. He noticed how long it had been since he’d taken this much joy in human interaction, heck, he realized it’s been so long since he’s really interacted with another person, period. The bartender and the other rangers didn’t count. Ari’s eyes continued to roam your features as you passionately told your story, a reminiscent smile on your face. A lace of humor that could retrospectively cover the embarrassing moment.

“Ever since then, I’ve carried at least three towels in the trunk. And also a change of clothes, just like you. It took all night for me to dry out the seats my garage. Had to open all the doors and run a box fan.”

Ari laughed and shook his head. “Well, cheers to learning from mistakes and always being prepared.”

You nodded, eyebrows raised in agreement, as you raised your coffee cup to meet his. “Amen to that. I knew you were a ranger for a reason. And I’ve been told I was a boy scout in another life.”

The two of you sipped your drinks and laughed together. You were surprised how a conversation as mundane as this could be so entertaining. Seriously, who took up twenty minutes just to note how prepared they were by keeping spares of everything possible on their person?

Wait. Twenty minutes on that one subject? And you’d discussed several before? What time was it!?

You checked your watch and your eyes got wide. You’d been sitting here with Ari for two hours. “Oh my gosh. I didn’t even realize how much time has passed! I really have to go and get back to my actual life. I should’ve been gone an hour ago!”

You frantically started gathering your things.

Ari stood from his chair, causing it to skid against the floor, watching you pack up and unsure what to do. “Wait, can I see you again sometime?”

“That’d be great but I don’t have time to exchange numbers.” You debated chugging the rest of your coffee, opting for the smarter decision of just carrying it back with you.

“There’s a bar two blocks down from here. Share a drink with me Friday night?”

“Perfect.” You threw over your shoulder as you rushed out the door and back down the sidewalk.

You didn’t have it in your to tell a guy like him ‘no’ to a request as simple as that. Ari looked like the kind of guy who would just love and leave, but his behavior said otherwise. Through your entire time together, he only ever indicated that he cared about you. His eyes never left yours, he asked you questions about the stories you told him. But was it too good to be true? Maybe you should just save yourself the trouble you thought as you got back into your car.

No. You’d played with fire like this before, but this time, for some reason, you didn’t fear you’d get burned.

Ari flopped back down in his chair after you left. He should probably get back to the ranger station soon, but he needed time to gather his thoughts.

He was finally relearning himself, and he had no plans on adding someone else back into the equation. Was it too soon?

He wanted to let you in, let you uproot his life from the inside. But he didn’t think it’d be wrecked. It would be rebuilt, regrown like the flower buds on the trees in spring. Everything about you seemed to shine so bright, like the rays from the sun he loved to watch filter through the leaves and hit the forest floor. Even through the clouds, his and your own that you both seemed to carry, something was glowing and warming up, he could feel them dissipating.

This feeling, the whole day and time with you, it felt like a movie he’s seen, but he didn’t believe it could be true. For a second, a tinge of doubt crept into Ari’s mind. What if it didn’t work out? What if this put him back where he started? Alone in that bar drinking doubles. He was quick to push it away, though. That heartache belonged to somebody else. Someone he never wanted to know again.

Next >

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Chapter 1: Breakin’ Up With a Broken Heart

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: (Future) Mountain Ranger! Ari Levinson x Reader, mentions of past ex x reader

Summary: A year after a breakup that left you shattered, you’re ready to start life anew in your secluded Colorado mountain cabin. Just when you swear off love is when a new beast crosses your path.

Word Count: 1,896

Content/Warnings: Mentions of heartbreak, in-depth description of a breakup and feelings regarding that, safe driving in juxtaposition to a reckless person, deep introspection, enjoyment of mountain cabin vibes, lmk if I missed any

Author’s Note: This serves as a lot of exposition for what I hope will be a very lovey story; everyone knows you’ll probably face some heartbreak first. Also, yes, this is heavily based on my first heartbreak. What about it? Anyway, please enjoy the start of this long-anticipated fic. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are appreciated more than you know. And in case you didn’t hear it yet today, I love you.

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

I STRONGLY suggest listening to this song, not just because it’ll help get across the vibes I’d like, but also because it’s a really good song.

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Your break-up

It’s been months since you walked out on him and left town in a cloud of dust. It didn’t end well, but you’d be lying if you said you thought he was right for you.

One year ago

It ended in a text. Nine months gone in a text.

I’m done.

To which you responded: You mean our relationship? Ok.

It was honestly a relief. You had been looking for a way out, but couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Maybe a part of you wondered if someone would ever want you that much again, even though he only ever showed it in words and not action. Your head was okay with the situation, but it seemed your heart didn’t get the memo. Even though it ended by what you considered a mutual agreement (if that’s what you call him dumping you over you not visiting on a weekend you were spending with your family since he didn’t prioritize anyone’s time but his own), it still hurt. Three days later, he posted a pic with a new girl and a new car the same price as the ring you two had looked at.

He was a textbook narcissist with mommy issues, how’d they always find you? It was the kind of relationship where three months in, you should’ve ended it, but stuck around for another six. It was full of late-night calls, but not even the good ones. These were the ones that happened because he never seemed to have time for you during the day. The attention seemed good at first, but the calls would leave you tired the next morning, unable to get up as early as you wanted to so you could be productive. And you couldn’t talk to your mom and sister about it. They hated him. They saw through his selfish behavior before you and you wish you would’ve listened before giving him everything you could, which still wasn’t enough.

He said he wanted to get married hardly a month in because he loved everything about you. At first, you thought it was a joke, but the more he said it, the more you somehow convinced yourself that was what you wanted, too, but it could not have been more far from the truth. You wanted a happy life with a partner, but not like that and not that fast. Well, was it too fast? Or did it just feel that way because it was with the wrong person? Plus, it was less of a partnership, and more of a continuous compromise put on your part. Either way, as time went on, you realized that every small conversation was leading to a fight and your work and other relationships were suffering from the time he expected of you, but never returned. All he did was expect you to give, not holding himself to that same standard, but for some reason, you kept holding on. You had even looked at rings, not committing, though, because he knew you’d want him to speak to your mother first and she would never go for it. So, the relationship continued to drag on until he got upset since you said no to him one too many times.

But that was so long ago now. You did your time crying, listening to all the sad songs, wondering where you could have possibly gone wrong until you had enough. The only thing you really did wrong was not trust your instincts. You went too far following his heart and not far enough with your own mind. Love can be cerebral, right? It should be. There was no reason to feel sorry for yourself, you were better off and doing all the things you wanted that he’d held you back from before. He had very evidently moved on, and so could you. Sick of feeling down in a town that only reminded you of heartbreak, you found what you needed right now: a new job and an open Zillow posting you’d been watching for forever: your ticket out.

You were taking a vacation to your brand new start, tears long gone and dried with the wind that blew through your hair as you drove through the wooded mountainside. The sun was warm on your face, all loneliness was left in the darkness you left behind. Boxes and bags graciously organized by your mom filled the back of your SUV, and her’s sat just as full, driving behind you up the mountain passes. Before you’d gotten up here, the two of you had stopped at the last gas station, filling up your cars, getting a couple snacks, and stretching your legs before the final couple miles upward. Standing outside your cars gassing up, she looked over to you.

“Hey, just a reminder to be careful in the mountains. You don’t know what’s up there. Mountain lions, bears, snakes.”

“Oh my” you said giggling at your own Wizard of Oz reference.

She smiled and rolled her eyes at you “haha, very funny, but I’m serious. Not just about living there, but driving, too. You never know when a deer could jump out.”

You’d heard this a thousand times, being from wooded, albeit less dense, areas before. Plus, your mom was always concerned about you. Perks of growing up with a dad who was never really present. All of her focus could go to you. Never seeing a proper model relationship was probably half of the reason you had gotten into this mess, too, but you’d never blame that. She’d given you all she could and done a darn good job raising a driven, successful daughter (in every aspect except romance). You were eternally grateful for her support of moving where you had always wanted. It was honestly the perfect opportunity. Once the pumps clicked and the gas was finished, you both prepared to hop back into your cars.

“And remember, don’t talk to strangers.”

“Mom, we’re driving. I doubt we’ll run into anyone else up there.”

She shrugged and you responded with a small smirk, shaking your head as you put the keys in the ignition.

Back to driving higher and higher in elevation, you were drumming your fingers on the dashboard to the songs on the radio that you had blasting. Benefit of driving alone: no interrupted music. As you kept going, the road was becoming narrower and windier, pairing with the dimming afternoon sun. As you were rounding a big bend, you saw something step out into the road and you immediately swerved around it to avoid crashing, pulling over onto the side right after. What was that? A bear? A deer? No, not a deer, too tall. Your mom pulled over right behind you and rolled down her window as you got out of the car and walked back to hers to fill her in.

“What happened?”

“Something stepped out into the road. I’m not sure what it was.” A tall man with cascading brown hair and a full, fitting beard stepped into your vision through your mom’s passenger window. “Or should I say someone. I’m gonna go talk to him, make sure he’s okay.”

“Alright, kiddo. Be careful, though. I’ll be right here.”

You stood up from leaning against your mom’s driver side door and made your way around the front of the car, your eyes drifting upwards from the ground to a narrow waist and broad shoulders, chest rising and falling with deep breaths, eventually meeting with the most gorgeous pair of ocean blues. All these features belonged to the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen, but that didn’t excuse the fact that he ran out into the middle of the road and could’ve killed either of you.

Caught off guard by the whole situation, your brain defaulted to panic and defensive mode.

“Oh my gosh! I thought you were a bear! I almost hit you!”

The man looked at you with wide eyes and simply blinked, unable to form a response until he stuttered out

“I-it’s really my fault. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

Even when evidently distracted and out of it, he was still insanely attractive, making you grow more anxious by the second under his intense stare and scrutinization as he continued to stand there, taking you in and then catching himself and looking anywhere else. You were self-conscious of your hair that was tucked under a beanie to combat the cold mountain air and likely disheveled from your long day. He was obviously in a state where arguing wouldn’t benefit either of you, and honestly, you were in the same boat, ready to get to your new home and start unpacking. The sun was starting to set already and you definitely didn’t want to be out after dark, plus you knew the exhaustion from the drive would be catching up soon.

“Um, it’s ok, I just think you need to be more careful next time. Listen, I don’t wanna be pulled over on this stretch of road for too long, God forbid a real bear, or someone without good reflexes comes around, but, I’m glad you’re not hurt. Take care.”

Wanting to avoid any more awkward interactions and the opportunity of embarrassing yourself in front of an adonis, you rushed back to your car and started back up the mountain. You could see the image of the man in your side mirror getting smaller, his gaze still fixed on your car, until you turned and lost sight of him.

Once you pulled into your new home, your mom met you with a suitcase, ready to take the stairs to the entrance.

“Well he was cute, albeit a little reckless. Wonder what was going on”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever see him again, though. Maybe that’s for the best. I don’t need to make a habit of almost hitting things when driving around up here.”

You unlocked the door and held it open for your mom as she walked in and turned back to look at you. “Well, by the looks of how small this town is, you might. And once you figure out whatever’s going on in his head, maybe he’ll be a nice new friend to have up here.”

“Um, yeah, I guess. Maybe. After all this time, I think I’ll need a friend. Someone to restore my hope for humanity.”

You tried to lighten the mood regarding your distaste for others that had grown from feeling so deeply betrayed and your mom gave a knowing glance in response. But it seemed there was something more to it. It was knowing in more ways than one, hardly noticeable, as you turned to go get another load to bring in from the trunk.

Your mind raced with thoughts of having to get all of this junk into the house. You stepped out into the crisp mountain air, admiring the deepening blue sky and unobstructed stars, the darkness in contrast to the way your mood had brightened slowly from something similarly dark over the past year, becoming more like the stars that glowed in the beautiful night ski. As you trotted down the stairs, your tried to convince yourself that being here was going to be everything you hoped for yourself and your future ticket to happiness. That the last thing on your mind was love.

Next >

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 2: Heartbreak on the Map

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: (Future) Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader, Ari x his ex mentioned

Summary: It’s okay to grieve and sulk after a breakup, but at some point, you need to gather yourself together and find the things that make you the happiest, best version of yourself. This is Ari trying to do that, but not perfectly.

Word Count: 1,643

Content/Warnings: Mentions of excessive alcohol consumption, heartbreak and descriptions of how it’s dealt with, Ari being reckless but lucky, lovesick/hopeful thoughts despite a previously broken heart, angst high key stress me out, but did I just write some???, lmk if I missed any

Author’s Note: I honestly like this chapter way better than the first one. I’m not sure why it just flowed better and was way easier to write, despite being shorter. As always, likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are very appreciated. Please send me an ask, I’m begging.

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song this is based off. I strongly suggest you listen, not only because it helps give vibes, but it’s also a really good song with creative lyricism.

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Ari’s breakup

This barstool knew his name by now, as he sat there sometime around midnight nursing another longneck beer, alongside a couple abandoned whiskey glasses. He’d asked around town if anyone had seen her. That girl. The one that did him wrong, left him here sitting like an old, sad country song. That kind that bars play all night long on the jukebox. He’d know that’s what they play, he was there every night. He didn’t know where to look anymore.

Ari had no idea where she could possibly be at this point. Could have been west of Texas, east of Tennessee, but he didn’t care. Because all that mattered was that she wasn’t here with him anymore. It all went south, and maybe she did, too, as he watched her taillights fade in a dust cloud. No goodbye kiss. Ari was left to wonder, with only whiskey on his lips.

He had hardly slept in weeks. The beer and whiskey sometimes had the opposite intended effect, not aiding his sleep, but keeping him up to overthink. The truth was, he knew why the relationship ended. It wasn’t his fault, and he could tell it wasn’t meant to be from the start. But he was mostly happy, and he thought that’s what he deserved: to be mostly happy and to settle down because it seemed that was all she wanted. But that’s all he was doing: settling. She never pushed him, unless it was to find a way to make more money and support her, but Ari didn’t truly want that life. He didn’t want to come home to a perfect little housewife. But she wanted that. And she kept pushing, and he kept molding himself to her demands, because love is compromise, right?

No. Not if it’s only on one side.

Despite knowing better in the back of his head, Ari convinced himself there was something he could do. Making use of another restless night, he threw the covers off and shuffled out of the bedroom and into the rest of his small shack of a cabin provided by his ranger job. He found himself sprawled at the dining room table with papers scattered all over, a magnifying glass in hand. He had looked through his old maps, trying to find all routes she could’ve possibly taken, but instead, all that he saw was heartbreak. She put it there. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh in frustration. Frustration of wasted years, frustration at himself for trying to talk himself into something he knew was wrong. That’s why he never got a ring, even when she pushed. He knew it wasn’t meant to be. So she left, for someone who had her ring waiting.

Losing her was heart wrenching, but also, a relief. Slipping out of your uncomfortable shoes and unbuttoning your pants after a six-mile hike kind of relief. Ari knew the one for him was still out there, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still hurting. He needed to recover the places she’d been with new memories: starting with the living room. No need for the bedroom, at least. (Another product of the voice at the back of his mind that knew she wasn’t right.) So he flopped down on the couch, tv low in the background, staring up at the ceiling, humming one of the heartbreak songs from the bar until sleep embraced him.

Ari woke up with cramps in his back and a sore neck from curling up on the couch that was just barely too small for his tall, broad frame. It was still dark out. His phone was plugged in at the night stand by the bed, so he walked over to the kitchen. The clock on the stove read 5:48 am. Might as well start getting ready for the day. He put on a pot of coffee and opened the fridge to look for leftovers to heat up. While that was going, he shuffled back to his closet and slipped on his uniform, ready to start another day in the only place that gave him true peace: the mountains. (Luckily, the only other place she hadn’t tainted. She hated the out doors.)

Ari’s days carried on like this for weeks. Wake up too early. Make coffee. Go to work. Come home. Try and sleep. Look through old paper maps. He loved routine, it often kept him sane, but he was spiraling. He needed to figure out a new one. He was sick of moping around and he was sick of putting himself down like he had done something wrong. How was she still able to hold him back after being gone? He was going to start living his life for himself again. He needed to find the schedule and the things that truly made him happy. But first, dinner.

A few months later

One of the routine things that kept Ari sane now: cleaning the house. He needed a true, clean slate, so we went and cleared off the dining room table, nicely refolding the maps which had laid there for months. Despite him having been single for so long now, he kept them there. They used to give him peace and comfort. Ari liked his old, paper maps. It was easier to see it all laid out instead of crammed onto his tiny phone. His place was a lot like that: full of things he could do with his hands, like mini projects, instead of being glued to a screen all day. But she had tainted it: she tainted his favorite things. It wasn’t as bad now, but his nervous evergy kept building up and he needed to get out of there so he didn’t scream.

Another aspect of Ari’s healing: working out. Any time he got like this and couldn’t stand being in the small space anymore, he ran. He ran until he drove all those what-ifs and doubts out of his mind, along the mountain trails and out to the cliffs where it was just him and the sky, overlooking the small town below, dwarfed even more by the mountainous elevation. He slipped on his tennis shoes and bolted out the door as quickly as he could. The mid-week afternoon air was refreshing. All he could focus on was go farther. Go faster. He kept running and running, through the trails, and didn’t even have a second thought to look when crossing the road, the music blaring in his headphones making him unable to hear any cars approaching as they went along the mountain path. As he stepped out onto the road, Ari saw movement out of the corner of his eye and his head snapped. Before he knew it, anhorn sounded and a car swerved around him, skidding to a stop as it pulled over on the narrow mountain pass. Ari jumped back into the greenery lining the road, surprised at his own recklessness that he usually preaches against. Another SUV pulled over right behind the first as he heard a driver’s side door slam shut. He could faintly hear a conversation between two women, followed by one of them emerging from between the cars.

“Oh my gosh! I thought you were a bear! I almost hit you!”

Ari was in shock from how careless he was and how he watched his life flash before his eyes.

“I-it’s really my fault. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

He stood there with wide eyes, hands on his hips, shoulders rising and falling quickly with heavy breaths, truly in bewilderment at what had just gone down, as well as bewilderment at the woman standing before him. Something about her was so captivating that he had to force himself to look away after taking her in, hoping she didn’t think he was a creep from his reaction.

“Um, it’s ok, I just think you need to be more careful. Listen, I don’t wanna be pulled over on this stretch of road for too long, God forbid a real bear, or someone without good reflexes comes around, but, I’m glad you’re not hurt. Take care.”

And with that she rushed away, leaving Ari standing there in shock before he could even squeak another word out. He watched her and the trailing SUV until they rounded the bend and went further up the mountain.

Huh, there was only one house Ari knew of up there. It’s where an older couple used to stay during the summers, and he had only been inside once to help fix something after they sought out the ranger in his cabin, but he remembers it having the best view he could imagine, despite the cabin’s modest size. It was pretty much the perfect home. What a was she doing going up there?

Realizing he had stayed standing eerily close to the road for too long, Ari decided it was probably time to head back since the sun had started to set. He trudged through the tall trees and deeply inhaled the sharp pine scent that opened his airways and comforted him as it wrapped around him like a blanket. This was his domain, and he truly enjoyed the sanctity of his environment, but he still wished he had someone to share his favorite things with. An equal partner who appreciated this environment as much as him, but still had their own wants and didn’t force him to be what he wasn’t.

As he made his was back to his front steps, Ari looked up at the unobstructed stars that danced into the sky during his long walk home, shining brightly like every night. He couldn’t help but wonder if the one for him was looking up, sharing the same sky as him. The one who could one day share his heart.

Next >

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 4: Neon Cowgirl

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Miscommunications often lend themselves to worries, but almost everything can be fixed with the right tools and the right person.

Word Count: 2,911

Content/Warnings: Miscommunication, heavy drinking, crying, vulnerability, Ari in relaxed non-work clothes (this is very much a warning), kissing

Author’s Note: Wow, just wow. That’s all I have to say, and I hope you agree. Likes, comments, reblogs, and asks are sooooo welcome and appreciated!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which served as inspiration of this part. I think it’s my favorite incorporation of the lyrics thus far.

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You had been anticipating the date with Ari all week. In your rush to leave, you didn’t even know what time to meet him. You had no idea of his shift schedule or what the true plan was, and it was putting you on edge.

Were you going to get dinner, or was it just drinks? Was there a different bar in town? You looked it up and found a bar two blocks away from that coffee shop, but was there another one? Did he say two blocks and actually mean four blocks? Could he count? Could you count?

What was the right time to go? Not everyone ate dinner at 5pm like you, what would a normal person think? Six, seven? Ugh, you couldn’t even fathom eating dinner at seven. Might as well go to bed at that time, honestly.

Living alone was great, you loved having your own schedules and routines, so branching off outside of it was difficult. You started to get annoyed, and honestly, hangry. You made the final decision that you would eat dinner, then head down to the bar and get a drink and wait. He had to show up sometime, right?

You walked into the bar to hear the jukebox playing a slow country song. Neon lights and old pictures lined the walls, evidence of a well-worn and well-loved establishment. You couldn’t see Ari anywhere, so you walked toward the back and claimed a seat in the far corner of the bar.

The bartender made his way over to you, wiping his hands on a towel he threw over his shoulder. “Hey can I get you started with anything?”

“Well, I’m here to meet someone, so probably whatever’s best to not be absolutely plastered before he’s even here.”

He laughed and nodded, placing a coaster in front of you. “I gotcha, I think I have just the thing.”

You smiled gratefully as he turned away to get started.

He returned and slid the drink over to you and you took a sip. “This is perfect, thank you so much.”

“No problem. So you said you’re meeting someone? I might know them, so I can keep a look out for when they show up.” His hands rested against the bar as he leaned forward to engage in conversation.

“Um, his name’s Ari? We got coffee earlier this week, but kinda forgot to say exactly what time we’d be meeting tonight.”

The bartender laughed and nodded his head. “Ah, yes. I’m familiar. He’s a regular around here. I’m Sammy by the way, you new to town?”

He reached out his hand and you shook it in return, introducing yourself. “Nice to meet you. Yeah, I just moved in up in the mountains. I love it so far.”

He smiled back at you. “Oh, that’s great. Real beautiful views I bet, huh?”

You grinned down into your drink. “The best. Very beautiful, and very much all mine.”

“Well, I know the guy meeting you here shares in that that opinion. The mountains are his favorite place to be.” He pushed off the counter as another customer took a seat. He slid them a coaster and took their drink order, looking back at you as he made it.

“So Ari’s in here a lot? Should I be worried?” You laughed with a hint of uncertainty.

He sighed, looking down at his feet, before he raised his head and his gaze came back up to yours with a small smile on his face. “No. Not at all. I just know he went through a rough time awhile back, but he’s a lot better now.”

You nodded, taking in anything anyone could give you about this man. “And you’re the only woman he’s asked to meet here, or at all since then, as far as I’m concerned.” He tilted his head and looked at you knowingly. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

You smiled and ran your finger around the rim of the glass. “Good to know. Thank you, Sammy.”

He gave you a curt nod, walking to check on his other customers while you leaned back in your barstool.

Come to think of it, Ari was the first one you had really put this time into since everything, too. There was just something about him and the way he made you feel appreciated and seen. There was something worth getting to know there.

Sure, you were nervous, who wouldn’t be? But you didn’t find yourself tripping over words, or trying to filter your thoughts like you usually felt you’d need to for a guy. Ari felt like the embodiment of comfort. But that’s what scared you. Because you’d been waiting here nearly an hour now. And for someone where everything meshed so perfectly, you so badly wanted it to continue. For it to be guaranteed and real. Genuine from the start. If Ari didn’t show up tonight, it would crush you, and honestly, any hope you had for men. That would be the sign to officially become a recluse, or maybe even a nun, who knows?

You were staring down at your empty drink, your eyes zoned out as these thoughts ran through your mind. Sammy grabbed your glass and replaced it with a fresh one, snapping you out of your trance. “This one’s on the house. I know Ari’s got some pretty weird shifts, so I can’t tell you what time he’ll come in, but this is one thing I can do.”

You smiled up at him, doing your best trying to make sure the sadness didn’t show through, as he grabbed a bowl of popcorn from a little further down the bar. He set down the wooden bowl before you. “You let me know if you want anything other than this.” He leaned against the bar on an elbow.

You gave him a thumbs up as you took a heavy gulp of your drink, half of it already gone. “Popcorn should be good for now, but I’m definitely gonna need another one of these.” You gasped, pointing to the drink.

Sammy nodded and got to work while throwing back over his shoulder, “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. He wouldn’t mess up something like this. He might just need a little patience.” Of course, he meant this in more ways than one.

You promised yourself that as soon as you finished your third drink, you would be gone. When you made a move to take the first sip of the fourth, you watched the door open, assuming it was just like any other time tonight, a random patron coming through.

You were wrong though, across from you stood Ari, frantically looking around and breathing heavily. Sammy caught his eye first, pointing back to you with a thumb over his shoulder. Both of their heads turned towards you, Sammy’s wearing a grin that said ‘I told you so.’

Ari’s face held a more complex range of emotion. Relief that you hadn’t left yet, remorse for not giving you more details and evidently making you wait for so long. He took long strides toward you in the bar, and that’s when you noticed he was still in his ranger uniform, carrying a duffel bag.

“Hey, I’m so sorry I’m late. I know we didn’t specify a time, but this is way after I intended to get here. I had to deal with a call.”

You stood as he reached to give you a hug and you returned it. That was the first time the two of you had hugged each other, and it was so warm and all-consuming that you never wanted it to end. You could feel the way his whole body wrapped around you and firmly squeezed, almost like the best weighted blanket.

Ari released you, letting his hands trace down your arms until you were linked only at your fingertips. “It’s no problem. Is everything okay?”

Ari nodded. “Yeah, all is good now. It was just a kid who got separated from his parents on the trail. Are you okay?”

He dipped his head down in an attempt to catch your gaze which had found its way to the floor and stuck there. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good.”

He tried again to break through, eyes still searching for yours while his callused thumbs rubbed over your knuckles. “Are you sure? Because you were kinda drinking alone, all by yourself in this corner. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I could almost see how blue you were just from your eyes alone.”

You finally gained the courage to look up at him, tears coating your lashes, making his gorgeous face too blurry to appreciate. “Yeah.” You squeaked out. “You’re not wrong. I almost thought you weren’t gonna come.”

Ari moved one of his hands to your cheek, wiping the single tear that was falling down. “I’d never do that to you, I’d never stand you up on purpose, I swear.”

You nodded, bringing up your hand and placing it over his. “I believe you. Now what’s up with the bag? Spare clothes?” You let out a small laugh and a sniffle.

Ari laughed and nodded. “Yeah, spare clothes. I rushed right here, couldn’t keep you waiting longer or risk missing you all together by stopping home first. I’m gonna go change really quick. I’ll be right back.”

You nodded and he kissed your knuckles, gaze lingering on your eyes, walking backwards until he had to turn around to make sure he didn’t bump into anything. You watched him glide past tables and into the back hallway towards the bathroom, sure to enjoy the view those shorts provided. Sammy came over to you and set down a coaster, along with a beer that must’ve been Ari’s usual. “I told you he’d make it.” You gave him a lopsided grin, to which he returned a wink.

Ari in his ranger uniform was jaw-dropping, but Ari in regular street clothes was deadly. Once he had come back to you from the bathroom, he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, his hair tucked under a ball cap.

He slid into the stool next to you and ordered some snacks from Sammy, offering to share, which was good, since you were way ahead of him alcohol-wise.

“I hope you don’t mind, it’s been a long day and I haven’t eaten since before noon. You’re welcome to have some, unless you want something of your own. Have you eaten yet?”

The corners of your lips turned up slightly at his concern. “Yeah, I ate before I came, Sammy told me you can have some weird shifts and I expected as much. But, I will definitely be stealing a few fries.”

He grinned down to you. “I wouldn’t expect any less.”

He sat there and continued to look into your eyes as your smile naturally faded before he spoke up again. “I really am sorry for being late. I should’ve given you a time, or asked to exchange numbers earlier into getting coffee when I knew I’d want to see you again.”

Your brain got caught up on what he said. He knew he wanted to see you again earlier in the coffee date? Not just because you had to leave so abruptly?

The truth was, Ari knew he had wanted to see you again way before then, even. But how do you ask a girl out when she just almost hit you with her car and it was entirely your fault? Well, he guessed he had figured it out the second time, at least.

He could see the blush start to form on your cheeks. “So could I get your number now so we don’t have to deal with that worry again?”

You simply nodded, reaching into your pocket to pull out your phone which had been happily tucked away since Ari arrived, as he did the same. There was no need for them when you were together, they were just a means to keep contact when you were apart.

After exchanging phones back, Sammy arrived with the food, and you talked with Ari for what felt like forever, but also the blink of an eye. Time passed quickly, yet stood still.

Then, you noticed a shift in his demeanor as the song on the jukebox switched to a new one.

“What? What was that, what’s going on right now?” You asked softly, gesturing to his face, as Ari looked down into his glass, running his fingers around the sides, collecting the condensation.

“It’s nothing, just been awhile since I’ve heard this song is all.” You gave a sympathetic nod.

“Does this have to do with a ‘hard time’ you were facing some months ago? Sammy told me something happened. You don’t have to go into any detail, but trust me, I can assure you that I get it.”

Ari looked up at you through his eyelashes. There was a new vulnerability in his features. It softened them, saddened them, and it killed you to see. He was so sweet with you when he first showed up, he deserved the same treatment in kind.

You shifted and hopped off your stool, holding out your hand for the man who now appeared even taller as he still sat in the chair. “Come on, ya bear. Dance with me. Make some new memories.”

He grabbed your hand and returned a smize, following you to the small section of open floor to the side of the bar. He pulled you close with a twirl, your face showing surprise at the smooth move which juxtaposed his mood just moments ago.

The two of you swayed to the music, looking deeply into each other’s eyes. Your hands crept from his waist, up his abs and chest, before they snaked around his neck. Sure, you were copping a feel discreetly, you appreciated the hardness that lied under his shirt, which hid nothing, but that wasn’t what this was about. This was about the two of you, sharing a moment together. One that was well-deserved on both ends. One that should never be shared with another.

It was like you could see the clouds breaking apart in his eyes. A storm which once raged on, thunder rolling, was getting blown away, replaced with light, a new twinkle.

You moved your hands to the sides of his face, the scruff of his beard rough against your palms as you whispered to him. “Rain stops falling. Hearts unbreak.”

You didn’t need to know his past, not unless he wanted to share with you, but what you could appreciate was being here with him now. And the fact that he was letting you in, letting you see his eyes and smile that could light up a room. What fool could ever hurt this man, tell him goodbye?

Ari was thinking the same in the shared moment. You were made to be taken dancing under these lights, he hoped you let the things that hurt you before ride away. Darkness couldn’t last forever, and he was finally, truly seeing the light.

His eyes shifted between yours as the song came to an end, and he caught a glimpse as you licked your lips. He leaned down slowly, wanting to be closer to you, just as you raised up on your toes and smashed your lips against his. The feeling was stronger than the drink in your hand before. You felt Ari’s teeth against your lips as he pulled away with a beaming smile, you doing the same, before going and sitting back down, two fresh drinks sitting there, courtesy of Sammy. He had been looking on at the two of you dancing, an approving smile on his face which you both missed.

You sat and talked for hours more until the bar was closing. By that time, you knew you were in no state to drive, so Ari offered to take you home. You gladly accepted, Ubers were scarce up here.

Ari guided you out of the bar and into the chilly mountain air, draping a jacket from his bag over your shoulders that he knew you’d need. He helped you up into the passenger side of his truck and closed the door, jogging around to the other side as you scooted over to the middle of the bench seat.

He got up in the driver’s side, smiling when he saw you had moved closer and started the truck, following your directions to climb higher in elevation. At some point in the drive, he hand crept closer to yours, his pinky reaching out, as you noticed and happily obliged him, interlacing your fingers, pulling his arm towards your chest and kissing the back of his hand.

When he pulled into your driveway finally, Ari looked over to you, your head snuggled up against his shoulder, hands still woven together. You blinked up at him through your sleepy eyelashes, blanketed in a slightly buzzed and lovesick haze. He smiled at the sight before him as he cracked a joke.

“So what do you have this house here, way up on a mountain for? What are you, royalty? You think you’re some sort of queen?”

You laughed in response. “Oh no, a queen? You give me too much credit. I think I’d consider myself more of a duchess.”

He softly smiled back at you. “Okay then, Duchess, let’s get you inside.”

Next >

Bonus A/N: (This is fitting for both my mention of neon signs early in the chapter, as well as the chapter title.) Neon signs have been around for over a century! They work by sending an electrical current through elemental neon gas (housed in a glass tube shaped into lettering and such), which excites electrons. When these electrons ‘relax,’ they emit that extra energy at a wavelength that shows up as reddish orange light. If you see a ‘neon sign’ that glows a different color, it’s not actually the element neon. It could be another gas that emits a different energy/wavelength of light. This could be argon (blue, green, yellow, or white), helium (pink/red), xenon (lavender), krypton (yellow-white), or any combination of these stable noble gases and other elements.

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@hawkeyes-queen

[bigtreefest]

Sexy Sasquatch

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Warnings: literally none, adorable fluff

Word Count: Like, 300

A/N: A huge thank you to @sweater-daddiesdumbdork for inspiring this Drabble. It’s been eating at me for the last few days. It takes place a little farther into our couple’s relationship, but there aren’t any spoilers. I hope this can tide everyone over until the next part

Divider by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Series Masterlist

You were laying on Ari’s couch after the two of you had gone on short a hike through the paths by his cabin. As Ari went to the fridge to grab a water bottle, you pulled out your phone to play the new game on it, which had become an addiction.

Your provider had given you a free trial to the premium App Store for a few months, and you couldn’t stop playing the one game. Your character wore disguises, went around and worked odd jobs, and fished, all in what was supposed to be a national park, not unlike the area you and Ari lived.

Ari made his way over to you, lifting up your legs to take a seat, resetting them on his lap.

“Whatcha up to, Duchess?” He tried to peek over the pillow you had tucked up underneath your chin and pressed over your chest for comfort.

“Snky Ssqtch” came out muffled.

Through laughter, Ari spoke. “What? Did you just call me a ‘Sexy Sasquatch?’”

His face was covered in amused confusion as you sat up further to look into his eyes. You shook your head as you crawled into his lap and placed your hands on his cheeks, leaning in to kiss his nose. “No, I said Sneaky Sasquatch. Although I don’t think that’s an entirely inaccurate description to use.”

He smiled, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You pulled up the app on your phone, showing your character. “Look, he’s even wearing a little ranger uniform, just like you.”

Ari laughed and shook his head.

A few days later, you were walking down to the ranger station to pick Ari up for lunch. As you greeted his coworkers, a new sign on the wall caught your attention. ‘Beware of Sasquatches posing as Rangers’. Below the words was a photo, your character from the app you had shown Ari, your Sexy Sasquatch.

Series Taglist:

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@hawkeyes-queen

[bigtreefest]

Take a Stab

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: You and Ari rent a secluded cabin at the lake for your one year anniversary.

Word Count: 2,537

Content/Warnings: MINORS DNI 18+ ONLY, SMUT, protected p in v sex, outdoor sex, praise, secrecy and surprises, coffee sipping, happy crying, mentions of knife usage for whittling, pet names, like one swear

A/N: Ro, thank you for this hot gif. Ari with that sexy lean and the chest hair will never not do something to me. This. This is Ari getting up and making himself a pot of coffee when Duchess doesn’t think he’s awake yet.

As always, a great thank you to everyone who reads. I love your feedback in all forms. 🥰

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

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Ari woke up to the creaking sound of the screen door at the front end of the cabin opening and closing. He immediately turned in the flannel sheets, reaching out for you, only to find your side of the bed still warm, but empty. Had you left something in the car? No way, he remembers checking one last time last night when bringing your bags into the cabin you had rented for the weekend. So what were you doing up when he knew this was a weekend built for sleeping in?

You and Ari were celebrating your one year anniversary together at the lake. Sure, you had your own cabin with gorgeous views, but this was a special occasion. And you didn’t live this close to water. A word to the wise: always take the opportunity to be near a body of water with Ari Levinson. He’ll most likely be shirtless, and that’s an image created by God himself. And definitely don’t turn down the opportunity of a canoe ride sunset picnic, either. The view is gorgeous…

But that was last night, and this is now. You woke up early in the hopes of getting a few minutes to prepare your surprise for him. A gift of true love to show how much you really valued Ari and took note of the meanings of his gestures. This was one you wanted to return: you were whittling him a spoon.

About a month into your relationship, Ari had gifted you one, along with his prized pocket knife over a bonfire in his backyard. He pulled out a block of wood to show you a few different techniques and how to get started, and that was one of the first moments you realized you really just enjoyed being with him. Sharing knowledge. Growing.

At the time, you didn’t know the significance of either of those things: the spoon and the knife. You just thought whittling was a cute little thing he did since he had the time and he had handed the knife over because he wanted you to be prepared since you were newly living in the outdoors. Nearly a year later, now, though, you were finally almost finished with your spoon for him. And Ari was constantly still shopping, looking for a knife like the one he gave you since it was no longer in stock, unbeknownst to you.

You had no idea the level of skill that went into making something as simple, or so you believed, as a spoon. It definitely wasn’t a throwaway gesture. And for him to do it that early into your relationship? You realized how much you’ve meant to him this entire time.

You could tell the knife was special, too, by the way he looked at you when you used it. He loved knowing it was almost always on your person, especially on hikes, and he was always trying to show you how versatile it was.

All that was left were the finishing touches: completing a small little carving of a bear in the handle, and then sanding it. If you played it right, you should be able to finish before Ari gets up. He should be exhausted from all of last night’s….activities still. So you had carefully slipped out of bed, reluctantly leaving his naked warmth, as to not jostle him, grabbed your supplies, and headed out onto the cabin’s wraparound balcony which overlooked the lake. It was a beautiful view, which in a few minutes would host the sunrise.

When Ari woke up in a jolt, he immediately padded through the cabin, looking through the windows to see where your possibly could’ve gone. As he got to the kitchen, halfway to the front door, he was relieved to see your head peeking over the outdoor furniture. Ari breathed out his sigh of relief as he moved around the large island and started to make a pot of coffee. You hadn’t even done that, probably out of fear of waking him, which led him to wonder what you were keeping so secretive.

He pulled down a mug from the cabinet, rinsing and filling it with hot water as the coffee brewed, to get the mug warm, doing the same for yours. He leaned back against the counter as he waited, looking out towards you. The amazing scenery around him didn’t hold a flame to your glow, even coming from someone who had admired nature his entire life. This was a dream vacation for him, but honestly, Ari would’ve visited a garbage dump as long as it was with you.

The front door surprisingly blocked out the loud whirring of the old machine since you didn’t stir as the last drops of coffee sputtered out. Ari poured out the water and filled the mugs, sauntering towards the side door of the cabin to the balcony. If you could be secretive, he could, too. And this door was much quieter.

As Ari rounded the corner of the porch, the high-pitched scratching of sandpaper became louder. He perched himself at the corner, silently setting down your mug and leaning against the railing. He just stood and watched you for another second, the way your brows furrowed in concentration as you were completing a task he was all too familiar with.

You held the spoon in front of you, checking if you missed any spots when you were startled by the sound of slurping coming from your side. You jumped, dropping the spoon when you saw Ari taking a sip of his coffee. The smile that grew on his face when your eyes met took your attention from his nearly nude form. He must’ve slipped shorts on before coming out here. Shame. You were about the same, though, only wearing a fresh shirt you plucked from his duffel on your way out here. Now he had one less clean shirt to wear? Tragic. Guess he was gonna have to find a way to deal. You wouldn’t mind.

Your face mirrored his, beaming in the soft haze of first light, before your face fell when realized what he had walked out to see you doing. You scrambled to pick the spoon up off the deck, tucking it behind your back. You sighed, slumping back in your chair and raising an eyebrow at him.

Ari continued to smirk at you, taking another sip of his coffee before clearing his throat. His voice still held a bit of a deep grumble from how early it was. “Good morning, Duchess. Keeping secrets, are we?”

He gave a light laugh as he grabbed your mug, making his way over to sit next to you. You grabbed your coffee in defeat, taking a big gulp before setting it down next to the knife on the small coffee table and turning to face him. Ari pulled your legs over his in habit as you reached up to stroke his bearded cheek.

“Less of a secret and more of a surprise. I thought you weren’t going to be up yet.” You leaned in to Ari kissing your forehead and pulled away.

Ari set down his mug next to yours and took the opportunity to pull you close, resting his chin on top of your head before pulling away again and leaning in for a proper kiss.

“Kinda hard to sleep when you’re missing…And you’re a loud walker. Zero stealth skills, Angel.”

You rolled your eyes playfully and lightly smacked his chest before reaching a hand behind you.

“I’m sneaky enough to have gotten by for this long. Now do you want your surprise or not?”

Ari knew the drill by this point, closing his eyes and pulling a large hand from its place rubbing your back and holding it out between the two of you as you pulled out the spoon. His one eye cracked open just enough for him to catch a glance at your proud smile before closing it again. He hadn’t gotten a very good look at what exactly you were doing before, so when he felt the curved wood hit his palm, Ari froze with stark, full realization.

His long eyelashes fluttered open just for tears to immediately soak them. He looked down and examined the smooth, freshly sanded wood before looking back up at you. You were immediately struck with worry at his visceral reaction.

“What, did I do something wrong? Are you upset I used your knife for it? Is it that bad? You don’t have to accept it.” You bit your lip in worry as Ari shook his head and ran his thumb over the small, intricate bear engraving in the handle. He could see how much time you put into it.

He quickly pulled the spoon to his chest like he would die if it ever left his grip. “No, it’s perfect. I love it so much. I’m just so…happy. You made this? Just for me?” He was touched beyond belief.

You giggled as tears began to fill your eyes at his reaction. “Yeah, of course I did. It took me way longer than I expected, but now we match.”

Ari nodded and sniffled before pulling you into a tight hug, tucking his face into your neck. You shivered at the vibration against you as he spoke. “God, I love it so much. I love you so much. I can’t believe you made this. Thank you.”

You ran your hands up and down his back in a soothing gesture, moving upward until you were at the nape of his neck. You began running your nails through his hair and Ari pulled away to look at you, deep blue eyes sparkling in the first few rays of the sunrise. He moved to set down the spoon, careful to keep an eye on it before he dragged you to straddle his lap.

“Really, Duchess. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. How long did it take you?”

You continued scratching his head as his eyes closed in satisfaction. “Hmm, about a year. I worked on it on and off. It’s not very easy, especially the little carving.”

Ari hummed. “Yeah, I bet. It’s absolutely amazing. I’ve never tried anything like that but you did great. You put me on it.” He opened his eyes and beamed up at you.

“Of course I did. You’re my sweet Bear. You deserve the same as you give. I love you so much.” You returned the smile and leaned in to kiss him.

Your tongues danced together in a tango of deep, overwhelming desire before pulling away, Ari pulling your hips down tighter against his crotch. You didn’t miss the deepening smirk on his face and the fire filling his eyes. “You know, it would be a shame to waste such a beautiful sunrise. What do you say you and I go up to the railing to watch it together?”

The sunrise was beautiful, painting the sky in pastel strokes of orange, red, and purple. You were enjoying the view, bent at the hips, leaned over the railing, with Ari right behind you, holding you close. Your shirt was hiked up, hanging on your hard nipples as Ari’s shorts hung just low enough for him to have pulled out his cock.

Ari was dragging against your walls in slow, deep strokes, as one hand rubbed your clit in circles in time with his hips and the other gently tweaked a nipple. His head rested on your shoulder, body molded against yours, as he looked out over the lake with you.

Every now and then, Ari turned his head to kiss your neck in the spot just above where it met your shoulder. The one that made you let out those delicious moans every time. He whispered in your ear as your one hand squeezed his forearm over your chest, the other digging into the railing as you braced yourself against the overwhelming pleasure.

“Fuck, you’re so amazing. So talented. I can tell you worked so hard for me. Can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

You whined and clenched at that, thriving on Ari’s praise and having thought the same about forever before, but never verbalizing it. Ari was it for you and the perfect shared moment proved it. You couldn’t have expected a better reaction to your gift. To have someone just as understanding of the little things as you was soothing to your soul. To have someone who carried their gestures with the same weight was one in billions and you couldn’t believe you found him.

You threw your head back against Ari’s shoulder, whimpering between heavy breaths. “So good, I-hmmm- I love you, Bear.”

You felt Ari’s chest rumble as he moaned against you, picking up his pace and grunting near your ear, captivated by the way the sun was hitting both of you, lighting up the heavenly moment. “Ah, I love you more, Angel. You’re so good to me. So sweet.“

He rubbed your clit faster, both of you rising towards your peak with the sun that was nearly cresting the horizon, almost fully in the sky. Your eyes squeezed shut before Ari looked over and caught it, taking his hand off your clit. “Ah ah ah, eyes open. Don’t wanna miss this moment.”

You forced your eyelids apart and looked over at Ari, a thin sheet of sweat causing some of his hair to stick to his forehead. The golden light was highlighting his features and weaving through his beard gorgeously. He was right, you wouldn’t have forgiven yourself for missing out on this view. He put his hand back on your clit and rubbed in furious circles, leaning in to kiss you harder, sloppier. When he pulled away, he softly smiled at you and spoke through red kiss-soaked lips. “Good girl.”

His warm breaths hit your cheek as your smile mixed with your blissed-out face. Your pussy fluttered and squeezed harder. You could feel yourself getting close as Ari’s thrusts became uneven. “Please. Please, Ari. Give it to me. Come with me.”

Your words set him off as Ari spilled into the condom within your tightening walls. He continued rubbing your clit and shuddering in response to your rhythmic squeezing against him as you leaned more of your weight into the railing, gasping for air after your release. Ari placed a kiss against your shoulder as he gingerly pulled out. He rested his forehead between your shoulder blades before quickly running inside to dispose of the condom and refresh your coffees.

When he came back out, he wrapped his arms around you, pulling your back close to his front and kissing you cheek. You turned and smiled up at him, nestling in closer, enjoying the view of the brightened trees and reflective water, surrounded by Ari, nature, and nothing else for miles.

Ari’s eyes twinkled when he caught your gaze again and held it. “This is the most amazing day ever already, Duchess.” He kissed your forehead. Neither of you had even been up for an hour yet, but you agreed that there’s not much else that could make it any better.

“Absolutely perfect, Bear.”

Bonus A/N: Whittling a spoon for someone is like, a HUGE sign of love. That PAIRED WITH giving over your prized knife? Y’all can deduce what that means. And yes, I do have a spoon whittled, waiting for the right day… what about it??

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@hawkeyes-queen

@identity2212

@jamneuromain

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[bigtreefest]

Chapter 9: For The Both Of Us

From: Bigger Houses Series

Pairing: Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader

Summary: Your mom comes to town to see your new house and chats with your long-term boyfriend

Word Count: 2,362

Content/Warnings: kissing, nudity under an apron, nervousness, a very important question, fluff, sweet words

A/N: It’s been awhile and I miss my sweet baby Ari. Hope you all enjoy. I’d love to hear your feedback in all forms!!

Dividers by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more

Below is the song which inspired this chapter. Very sweet and heartwarming and just makes me wish someone loved me like that.

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You stirred as the light of the sunrise reached your eyes and the smell of breakfast floated through the house. You stretched out to your side, feeling cool sheets where Ari once was and frowning at the emptiness even though it’s what you had expected it find.

You groaned as you rolled out of bed, your feet hitting the cold wooden floors shuffling over to the dresser to find a cozy pair of socks. You picked up Ari’s shirt from a chair, discarded the night before, and inhaled the comforting scent before walking out to the kitchen.

You were met by quite the sight: two pale ass cheeks hanging out of your apron. Your hands raced up to clap over your mouth as you let out a squeal at the sight. Ari spun around in alarm holding a spatula in his hand.

“What? Did something happen? Are you okay?” His eyes were searching around frantically for a hazard, something that might’ve scared you.

You moved a hand over your eyes and dramatically felt around for one of the stools at the kitchen island to pull it out and sit down. “I’ve been mooned!!”

Ari threw his head back in laughter before turning off the stove and setting down the utensil, waltzing over to your seat. He gently pried your hand away from your face, met with a giggle and your beautiful smile.

“C’mon, I thought you would’ve liked that view first thing in the morning.”

You shook your head, barely accepting the way he leaned in and planted a kiss on your hairline. “I would, but it’s so blinding. So…bright against the rest of you.”

He pulled back with fake offense as he went back to the cabinets to start pulling down plates. “Well what would you rather I do? I can tan naked in your back yard if you want me to even it out that badly.”

You graciously accepted the coffee he slid over to you before he turned back around to serve up breakfast, constantly glancing back at you as your eyes were glued to his rear. “Should I take your drool as a yes?”

You shook yourself back into focus and looked up to meet his mischievous eyes. “Um, no-I mean, not no? Just….um…not right now.”

He laughed at the way you still got flustered after all this time. He couldn’t blame you though, he probably would’ve done the same if that’s what he had woken up to. He presented your food and leaned against the counter to face you while the two of you ate.

You looked up at the clock above the stove as your eyes went wide. “Oh no, definitely not now. Ari, you’ve gotta get clothes on.”

Ari looked at you with a teasing grin. “My sweet Duchess, you live so far away from anything else, why would we possibly ever need clothes?”

You picked up your fork, shoveling food into your mouth, doing your best to quickly savor what Ari had gotten so much better at making. You nudged his plate towards him and gestured that he did the same. Ari went along with your silent demand, a confused look on his face, as you finally swallowed, prepared to talk.

“Because we have to pick my mom up from the airport in less than an hour and she’s staying here for a week.”

Ari’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as he ate even faster, thoughts frantically racing through his mind.

After breakfast at your place, Ari rushed home to his to get showered and changed while you did the same at home. You kept the house generally tidy, so all you had to do was wipe down the counters and straighten things. Ari was back before you knew it, parking his truck to the side of your driveway. You ran outside and tossed him the keys as you hopped into the passenger side of your SUV, Ari preparing to drive.

The two of you started down the mountain and towards the city, mostly quiet, matching the mid-morning misty air. Ari drove with one hand on the wheel, the other holding yours over the center console. You tore your gaze from the window and the passing trees, taking note of his clenched jaw and white knuckles.

“Bear, everything okay?”

Ari simply grunted and nodded, making a turn to get onto the highway and checking his blindspots as he removed his hand from yours to turn down the radio from its already low volume.

You shifted in your seat to face him, concerned since you’d rarely seen him like this. He only went silent when he was really stressed or angry. You knew it wasn’t the second one, or at least hoped it wasn’t.

“I’m really sorry. It totally slipped my mind that she was coming in today. I meant to tell you earlier in the week that she had a good deal on flights, but with how busy we both were, I missed the chance.”

It was true. Ari had had a string of overnight watch shifts and you were working ridiculous hours finishing up a project presentation, plus the two of you still didn’t technically live together. The first time you’d seen him all week was last night into this morning and you didn’t want to put more stress on him when he was already exhausted. He hummed and adjusted in his seat, muscles pushing at his collared shirt.

He took a deep breath before reaching for your hand again and sparing you a few quick glances between focusing on the road. He could see the way your eyebrows were furrowed and raised in concern.

“Angel, baby. I’m not upset. I’m just…a little nervous? I wish I would’ve known your mom was coming sooner. That way I could’ve prepared. Gotten her flowers. Maybe picked out a nicer outfit that wasn’t so old.”

You relaxed a little, squeezing his hand and pulling it up to your lips for a long kiss before looking him up and down. “I think you look great, Ari. She’s going to love you. You’ve already spoken to her on the phone dozens of times. And you know she’s never given a sign of dislike. It’ll be great. Nothing to be nervous about at all. I’m by your side now and I’ll be there the whole time.”

He spared you another glance and a soft smile before looking back to the road and giving a self-assuring nod. You could see the way his shoulders lowered slightly and his grip on the wheel loosened at your reassurance. He knew your mom liked him, he just didn’t know if she’d like the very important question he had planned to ask her.

When the two of you pulled up to the airport, your mom was already waiting outside. Ari spotted her almost immediately and pulled the car to the curb, smoothly popping the trunk and jogging over to greet her behind you.

“Hi honey. It’s so good to see you. It’s been too long since I’ve been back here.” It really had been awhile. Sure, you’d gone home to visit a few times before, but this was the first time she’d been back since helping you move into your new place. You gave her a hug and a kiss before stepping out of the way, her eyes already on Ari.

She reached her arms up to his tall shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. “It’s so wonderful to see you, too, Ari. Handsome as ever and apparently very handy recently from what I can tell.”

Ari laughed and nodded, greeting your mom and giving her a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her bag and putting it in the trunk. You slid into the back, allowing your mom to take the front seat with Ari as he drove your car. You could see the surprise on her face at the gesture. You had never been one to allow someone else to drive this dear SUV ever since you had gotten it. She raised her eyebrows, but only for a second. Anyone else would’ve missed it, but you knew it seemed reminiscent of something. Perhaps the trust you put in Ari for something like this mirrored what you remember seeing between her and your dad in the earlier years of their marriage before everything went south. Perhaps it spoke to just how deeply you had confidence you could rely on each other. Whatever that look meant, though, she didn’t verbalize it, instead deciding to chat Ari’s ear off for the entire ride home about the new pergola he had just built for your garden that she was beyond excited to see.

The afternoon consisted of you and Ari showing your mom around town to see all your favorite places that you’d grown so fond of over the time you’d been here. She raved about the quaint little town and fresh mountain air, as well as your home and how you’d truly settled in.

In the evening, your mother insisted she’d teach a couple family recipes to you and Ari before finally relaxing for the evening. Food was very evidently a love language passed down.

The three of you sat in the back yard around a campfire on a few log benches Ari had built for you recently, as well, as you talked and laughed, drinks in hand until you got up.

“All these drinks are catching up with me, so I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Can I get anyone refills?”

“Yes please, Duchess. Thank you so much.”

Both Ari and your mom smiled and nodded at you as you went to grab the empty vessels from their hands.

“Okay, I’ll be a few minutes. I’m probably gonna package up the leftovers, too, before I forget and leave it all out overnight. Will you guys be alright out here?”

You mom smiled and nodded again. “Of course we will, honey. Ari said he’s going to show me around your new garden. We can keep ourselves busy.”

You looked over to Ari to confirm and he gave a wink. “And of course, if you need any help, just text me and I’ll come up to meet you.”

You smiled and thanked them before backing away and ducking into the house.

Upon your departure, Ari stood up and helped your mom off her bench before offering his arm for her to hook her hand around. She absolutely adored him and they got along so well.

He walked her through the small garden, showing her the small pergola, and the string bulb lights he had hung up to surprise you, along with your favorite flower he had hounded the hardware store to obtain for him just so you could have it planted here. She was absolutely charmed, but it was more than just that; she could see how deeply Ari cared for you and felt the change in the air when Ari took her to a bench at the edge of the garden. From there, he had a view of where you’d be walking through the doors soon so he could ensure the privacy of this conversation.

Ari’s heart was racing like hell and his hands shook. He did his best to fold them firmly in his lap and leaned an elbow on his knee to steady himself before looking up at your mom’s face. She rubbed his shoulder, an attempt of settling the nervousness and reassuring him with a small smile, not unlike the one you’d used so many times before. He took a deep breath, sat up, pushed his shoulders back, and started.

“Now that it’s just me and you, I wanted to talk for a few minutes. I’ve got something to get off my chest.”

She sat up and nodded for him to continue, his worried blue eyes shifting between hers. “I’m sure you already know, having been here before, but I’m just going to come out with it, I guess.”

Ari took another deep breath, eyes shifting towards the sliding glass door, still not seeing you, but smiling at the thought having to do with anything about you.

He looked back at your mom with a dopey grin on his face, although his eyes held an earnestness. “I’m in love with your daughter. And I have been since the very moment that I first saw her. I’d like to ask her a very important question, with your blessing, of course, and if she so chooses to take my hand, you can trust that I will love her more than enough, for the both of us.”

Your mother sat there for a second in contemplation over Ari’s words. They were strung together so beautifully and she could tell that he meant them with his whole being. He had no idea that this wasn’t news to her. She saw it on both sides. At her lack of response, though, Ari’s heart raced even faster and his palms got sweaty. He burst out with nervous babbles.

“I-I know that she’s your baby and you loved her first. But i-it’s true, for better or worse, I’ll treat her like I know you’ve always prayed someone would. You can trust when I say I’ll give her everything I can for the rest of my life. From now, to when she’s dressed in white and you’re giving her away, until my last breath. I’ll give her the world if I can.”

His chest was almost heaving as he panted through his nose, lips pressed together tightly with anxiousness for a response. His body was kicking into survival mode from the stress. He could see across the yard as you slid the glass door open with a smile on your face, walking over to two of your favorite people, the two you loved most. She easily took note of the way Ari’s shoulders eased at seeing you. She patted his knee before standing up to walk towards you a few steps when she turned back over her shoulder. She gave him a warm smile and nodded her head before saying a single word.

“Yes.”

Next >

Bonus A/N: gahhhhh. I love him, your honor. Fun fact: my family just told me that out of all of us, they think I’d be the most likely to elope. Lol bc I would in an instant if it were Ari.

Series Taglist: @patzammit @quebruv @hawkeyes-queen @identity2212 @jamneuromain @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @ronearoundblindly

[bigtreefest]

Essie, saw that you reblogged this prompt post and was curious about how MountainRanger!Ari x Reader are doin', maybe considering prompt #3 or #4? or if we are to stir the pot real saucy and to the extreme -- prompt #7? 👀 (cause jealous ari kinda does something to me 🫣)

Mel! Oh, thank you so much for asking about Ari and Duchess, my beloved. I’d love to answer these for you.

#3 if they're happy? who will they want to share it with?

If Ari were happy, I think the first one he would go to tell is Duchess, he wants to share a life with her! I feel like it would be something that happens at work. Maybe he gets an award for his service. I would say that he’d call her right away, but the ranger station isn’t known for great reception on cell phones, just landlines and the radios. And he wouldn’t want to block the line with a personal call just in case. So as soon as he walks through the front door, he’s beaming at her, throws his bag down, and spills all about his day.

Duchess is pretty close with her mom, so I think that’s the first person she calls. And that’s on the drive on the way to the ranger station. As soon as she gets close and the connection starts to crackle, she’s ready to see Ari. No matter what the news, or who’s present, he’s picking her up and spinning her around, giving her kisses and telling her how proud he is.

Overall, I think the two of them just spend a lot of happy time together and with their friends, which I haven’t gotten into much. It’s smiles all around, really.

#4 if they're sad? will they go to anyone for comfort? if yes, who?

Ari has some hard days. It’s when the doubt seeps in again, no matter how much he knows he’s loved or how good his life is. Because the thing is, he’s afraid that could be taken away from him. Nothing in his life has ever been this good. There are some moments when he’s sad and heads to the bar in town. Sammy is there to listen, and to give a pep talk and some direction. That all really ends up leading him back to Duchess. Sometimes he’ll talk it out, sometimes it’s just silence. He doesn’t always want held, but he does want her presence, even if it’s just silence in opposite sides of the same room.

Duchess really likes to go for a drive when she’s sad. The cold mountain air feels nice on her face when she puts the windows down. She’ll take Ari along and he’ll hold her hand sometimes. And when they stop, she climbs between his legs and he just holds her close against his chest with his chin resting on her head. Again, there’s no need to talk, just silently comfort each other.

#7 if they're kissed by their ex?

Oooofffff. So here’s the thing, if Duchess is getting kissed by an ex, Ari isn’t blaming her at all because he knows she would never cross him like that. He’s pissed, though, at that guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer, the guy who he knows thrust himself on her. He’s pissed at himself for not being around to stop it. Say Ari was in the bathroom at his hometown bar and somehow Duchess got cornered, once he gets back and sees the sad and uncomfortable look on her face, he’s ready to fight. One punch and that jerk is down, end of story. Cops and other patrons aren’t gonna do anything because they know Ari was justified. Then, he’s leading her out by an arm around her shoulder and taking her home.

Duchess knows the same thing. If Ari’s ex is around, it’s because she came back to stir the pot and cause problems. She left him without a second thought, so why is she back? Who cares if she’s from around here? Doesn’t she have a new fiancé? Oh…it didn’t work out? Wonder why. I don’t think she’d go in for direct confrontation, unless she actively saw the ex lean up for a kiss, but she’s telling Sammy to get that lady out of here and never let her come back. I also think she’s taking Ari home, but it’s a little different. Duchess is going to remind him how good he has it just to drive the point home. We’re talking possible road head, and then riding him in some slightly possessive sex in their shared bed in her cabin.

Again, thank you so much for sending this. I’m trying to get back in the zone to finish up their main storyline!! They’re just so in love and need their happy ending! Fall weather should be good to give me the inspo for that.

Taglist: @hawkeyes-queen @ronearoundblindly

[bigtreefest]

Masterlist

Fluff 💞| Smut 🔥| Angst 🧊| Allusions to/smut-adjacent ❤️‍🔥 | Semi-dark ♟️| Light Angst ❄️

Series

Bucky Barnes

You Catch More Bees With Honey (Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader) part of the Outta Nowhere AU

Steve Rogers

The Rainmaker (Mob! Steve x Forensic Scientist! Reader) part of the Outta Nowhere AU

Kill for Me (Lloyd Hansen x Dark! Reader, Steve Rogers x Dark! Reader)

Good Things (lost love, bbf! Steve x reader) (coming soon)

Bodyguard Steve???

Stucky

Guardian Angel (Mafia! Stucky x Bodyguard! Reader) part of the Galvanized AU

Ari Levinson

Bigger Houses (Mountain Ranger! Ari x Reader) a series based off Dan and Shay’s latest Album

Curtis Everett

Handiwork (Mechanic! Farmhand! Curtis x Bartender! Reader) part of the Outta Nowhere AU

Jimmy Dobyne

The Banes of the Ball (Jimmy Dobyne x Heiress! Reader)

Lloyd Hansen

Kill for Me (Lloyd Hansen x Dark! Reader, Steve Rogers x Dark! Reader)

Jake Jensen

Pressed Code (Mafia! Jake Jensen x Bodyguard! Reader) part of the Galvanized AU

One-Shots

Bucky Barnes

…just a quickie 🔥 Bucky can’t keep his hands off you an an event. It’ll be quick, he promises.

Steve Rogers

Sick of It ❄️💞 Steve looks good in everything and you’re sick of it

A Celebration Just For Us 💞 You want to celebrate Steve’s actual birthday

Jake Jensen

Touch My Butt💞❤️‍🔥 Dating Jake is great, he’s such a gentleman

Wait Until We Get Home 🔥 (CT 2024) You promised Jake anything he wanted if he could keep his hands to himself until you got home

Marshmallow Dream 💞🔥 A rainy day can still be a good one if the right person knows how to turn it around. Jake’s Rough Days That Should Be Me

Can’t Fight the Moonlight 🔥💞 Your werewolf boyfriend can’t fight how badly he wants you when he sees you in your Halloween costume

In Your Arms ❤️‍🔥💞 Jake tries to treat you to a spa day on your honeymoon

Curtis Everett

From Both Ends 💞❄️ When work and responsibilities spill over, Curtis helps you clean it up

Morning Mewl 💞(PhD Candidate! Curtis) Curtis is nervous for his PhD defense

I’m So, So Proud of You 💞🔥 Curtis is proud of you for getting that job

Drip…and Lick 💞❤️‍🔥Curtis treats you to a truck bed date…and forgets to cut the watermelon

Pour Clueless Babes 💞❄️❤️‍🔥 (SB 2024) you and the broody bartender can’t help your want to be around each other

Why Not Both? 💞🔥 Curtis wants to treat you in your special day

A Well-deserved Treat 🔥 After a long day, you know exactly what Curtis needs

Comfort Cuddles in Bed💞

Ransom Drysdale

Meet the Parents 💞❤️‍🔥 You prep Ransom to meet your family

A What in Church? 💞🔥 (CT 2024) (can be read as a continuation of Meet the Parents or stand-alone) Ransom agrees to come to church with you and your family

Details 💞❤️‍🔥Ransom can’t help the way he pays such close attention to every detail regarding you

Rainy days and cozy sweaters 💞

Lloyd Hansen

Saint or Sinner? 🔥♟️ Lloyd wants to know how much it takes for a Saint to break

Ari Levinson

Whatever You Need 💞❄️ You want nothing more than couch cuddles with Ari after a long day

Sweet Coworker Ari and the car troubles

Bartender!Ari Thots

Andy Barber

Feral-ish Homecoming💞🔥

Paul Diskant

Moving Drabble ❄️💞Paul’s job stresses you out. Late nights and LA danger are too much

Random and Extras

Summer Lovin’ 300 Follower Celebration

The Great British Baking Show With the Babes

Movie Reviews

Sebastian Stan

Chris Evans

Fic Rec Masterlist 2

[bigtreefest]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

Was tagged for this by the talented @buckets-and-trees thank you so much!!

1. The Rainmaker (Mob! Steve Rogers x Forensic Scientist Reader) I just absolutely love Decks. She is so tough on everyone’s favorite golden boy and so lawful and I really enjoy writing her reluctant journey with Steve. Especially since she’s got a huge heart under that tough shell. All the feelings and actions are so nuanced that there’s always something new to catch in their interactions

2. You Catch More Bees With Honey (Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader) This series is one after my own heart. The first I wrote and published. There are so many hilarious moments. Dare I say it’s almost like idiots in love? The drama of that and everything else is fun. Plus who wouldn’t love Bucky in a cowboy hat?

3. Bigger Houses (Mountain Ranger! Ari Levinson x Reader) This fic was so healing for me to write. It single-handedly helped me push past some long-standing emotions, bc it’s two babes leaving terrible break-ups to find true love and partnership. There’s no settling, just fulfillment and happiness, which they both deserve. And plus, based off one of my favorite albums.

4. I’m So, So Proud of You (Curtis Everett x reader) I’m obsessed with this one because I love a soft and reverent Curtis who isn’t afraid to show it. He’s so playful here, too, and it’s great to have someone acknowledge, share in, and celebrate your successes.

5. A What In Church? (Ransom Drysdale x reader) hehehe this was such a fun one. In general, I love this Soft!Ran. He’s just the sweetest thing. And he’s sly and conniving while still letting in the one he loves so they can scheme together. He’s so horny for her too all the time and I love a guy who gets turned on, but is also so conscious about the things you tell him are important, like the appearance of your relationship to family. He’s a smitten boy

NPT: @krirebr @ronearoundblindly @thezombieprostitute @buckymorelikefuckme @stargazingfangirl18