Chapter Text
It was the last pack meet up of the summer. The last meeting while the weather was blistering and the sun shining down like it had a personal vendetta against Glenwood or at least that’s what it felt like. Especially with getting things ready outside in the backyard of the Den.
Claire felt the sun beaming down her, it’s rays hot and bright. She felt sweat dotting her forehead and the back of her neck. She sighed as she sat the last big bucket of water down. It wasn’t that it was heavy or hard work, especially not for her just the heat made horrible conditions to work in.
Claire heard a similar sigh across the yard as ranger sat down a bucket of water on that side of the yard. She took a moment to appreciate her love. Her eyes looking over toned legs visible in those ever present khaki shorts. She never knew someone could look so good in khakis until she met her favorite pain in the ass.
Ranger wiped the water that spilt on their hands onto their khakis and turned around. They caught Claire’s eyes, a smirk playing on their lips.
“Well I’ll be.” They gasped dramatically in an exaggerated southern accent
“Claire Greene, are you checking me out?” They stood with their hands on their hips, the playful smirk matching the gleam in their eyes.
“And maybe I was. What’s the big bad park ranger gonna do about it?” Claire asked with a playful defiance, her playful smirk matching the one of her love’s.
Ranger pretended to think for a moment.
“Hmm, I suppose I can’t say anything.” Ranger began to walk across the back yard, Claire matching their steps. “Been doing the same all day.”
Ranger didn’t bother to hide the way their eyes looked over Claire. Taking in the toned body that they witnessed first hand was capable of love as much as it was power.
They met in the middle of the yard. Smirks becoming soft smiles and playfulness becoming a gentle giddiness. This, what they had blossoming between them was so new but it felt so right. It didn’t feel much different than their friendship in way; just it was more charged, more open, more relaxed. They still teased each, they still had moments where they would push each other’s buttons, but now neither was worried about saying the wrong thing to ruin something so sacred. It felt so known yet so new at the same time. So many new experiences to be had, new things to learn about each other. It’s been only a week but Claire already held ranger’s heart whether she knew it or not. Ranger’s felt like she’s held it even before this, only this time they weren’t afraid of her breaking it.
This whole week has been so freeing for the both of them. Neither of them had the almost confession from years ago weighing on their mind. Ranger didn’t have to fight to urge to kiss Claire anymore, Claire didn’t have to be worried if she was staring for too long. This week had been something only either of them have ever dreamed of and now it was real. What they had between them was real. Not that anyone knew yet, the plan was to tell the pack tonight once everyone was at the den. It wasn’t like Claire didn’t want them to know, that’s her family of course she wanted them to know. But at the same time that’s her family, she knows exactly how they are. She wanted at least a few days of peace to enjoy this with Ranger before she told them.
Ranger’s hands went to Claire’s hips as the pulled her in, the space between them almost non existent.
“Hi.” Ranger’s voice soft and their eyes softer.
“Hi” Claire’s voice soft with a deep chuckle. The warmth of Ranger’s hands seeping in through the fabric of her shirt and shorts. Their warmth was so much different than the one of the sun’s. Claire didn’t mind their warmth, she craved it.
“I’m kind of disappointed you didn’t spill any water on your shirt.” Ranger broke the small silence of the moment only to receive a smack on the shoulder along with a shocked laugh.
“You perv” Claire guffawed, her laughter shaking her shoulders in the white T-shirt she is now realizing she probably shouldn’t have worn, she made a mental note to change before the water gun war started.
“Yeah, but only for you.” Ranger’s shoulders shook with their own laugh as the small distance between them and Claire closed with a kiss.
Their lips pressed together in a slow kiss that was almost lazy. There was no rush, no need for anything more. There was no attempt to escalate things because the both of them learned quickly that if they started neither of them could stop. Claire hated to admit it but she sometimes felt like they were just as bad as knight and Evie. The thought made Claire chuckle.
Claire’s hands glided up Ranger’s arms and over their shoulders, ranger in turn tightened the hold their hands had on Claire’s waist.
The kiss slowly became more when Ranger nipped at Claire’s bottom lip, which made the alpha groan. The sound a deep rumble in her chest.
Before Claire had the opportunity to either stop this before it started or tell ranger they had five minutes they better be quick there was a louder pop followed by a fizzing sound.
“What the fuck?!” Beth’s voice boomed throughout out the whole backyard from where she stood in the doorway of the sliding glass door. Beth stood slack jawed and eyes wide, a can of beer dropped and broke open on the concrete floor of the patio.
“You…you…” Beth looked between Claire and Ranger with an expression that was mixed between accusatory and a shit eating grin. At the interruption the couple had jumped apart.
“You sly fucking dogs” Beth’s grin was as teasing as her words.
“How long?” Beth was almost hurt that her best friend didn’t tell her that she had finally womaned up and stopped beating around the bush with Ranger. She was definitely going to have to hound Claire for answers later but right now she had better things to do, like teasing the couple.
“A week.” The couple speaks up at the same time which made Claire catch Ranger’s eyes with a small smile accompanied by a chuckle.
“Oh for Christ sake, if I thought your goo goo eyes before were bad.” The beta joked with a roll of her own eyes
“I don’t have goo goo eyes.” The alpha defended herself.
“Bullshit you’re almost as bad as knight and Genevieve”
“Oh, and what about you and seer?”
“I never said I didn’t. Have you seen my mate? Fuck yeah I’m looking at them 24/7- hold on a fucking minute. This is why that little shit was giddy and telling me to have fun. That fucker knew.” Beth came to the realization that her mate knew about Claire and ranger, knew full well that Beth would find out this way. Beth shook her head with a grin on her lip, her mate was in for it now.
“Well I came here early to help with set up. You two working on that or too busy playing tonsil tennis?”