#mountain ranger ari

[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!!

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[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.

Series Taglist:

@patzammit

@hawkeyes-queen

[bigtreefest]

I’m writing angst rn for Bigger Houses and it’s physically hurting me😭😭 do I lean into it so they can fully work it out, or brush it off?

[bigtreefest]

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 >

Series Taglist:

@patzammit

@hawkeyes-queen