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bigtreefest · 6 hours ago

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Haha it was such a fun moment for him and his pasty butt!😂🤭

And yep! It was super important that this visit went well for him but I don’t think he’s got anything to worry about at all!!🥰

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

#thank you for reading #ari levinson x reader #mountain ranger!ari x reader #ari levinson #ari levinson fanfiction

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bigtreefest · 22 hours ago

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That’s such a wonderful way to put it!🥺 and it’s sooo true. It hits hard and I’m so happy they feel it for each other.

Ari’s got a surprising amount of grace for his size!! Definitely loves using it to be sneaky🥰😏

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.

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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:

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#thank you for reading #ari levinson x reader #mountain ranger ari #ari levinson

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