The Lone Wolf

~~FIVE~~

"You like it Flower?"

I turn to him, still surprised.

"Is this really your home?"

He cups my cheek in his hand.

"Our home Fleura, it's our home now."

My heart picks up speed at his words, and I look at the house again in muted excitement.

Our home...I like the sound of that.

We exit the truck after a moment, and Dakota insists on taking my bags even as he flips through his keys. Unlocking the front door, he turns to me with a bit of a sheepish expression on his face.

"It's been a little while since I've lived here...so it might be a bit messy...and dusty..."

I giggle, trying not to imagine how messy it could be as he opens the door.

Looking inside, I'm met with the sight of a very open space, its wine red and golden beige walls giving it a warm and welcoming feeling. The cream colored carpet and dark wood furniture compliments well with the design, and the living room section on my left has a brown leather sofa and a pair of tan love seats sit facing each other of it in front of the fireplace. A crotchet blanket lays over the back of the couch with a couple of beige pillows, and a ceiling fan hangs idly from the ceiling.

To my left is the dining room, with a dark wood table big enough for eight people, with a small crystal chandelier hanging over it. The red table runner sitting in the middle has a bronze deer statue in between a pair of candlesticks, and the table is set with eight place settings.

I have to be honest...it's not quite the 'bachelor pad' I was expecting, and it's not at all messy, there isn't even any dust on the furniture. But I guess I haven't seen the whole house yet, there may be a man cave somewhere in here.

"It's beautiful Dakota..." I say honestly, and he chuckles.

"Thank you, but it's probably my mothers doing. I recall there being some stray clothes on the couch, and a few open books on the table instead of dinnerware when I was here last. She probably came in and cleaned up while I was gone instead of just feeding my pet turtle like I asked."

My ears perk at the word turtle, and I turn to face him excitedly.

"You have a turtle?"

"Yeah, a red eared slider named Shilo. Do you like turtles?"

I nod vigorously, and he grins.

"Then I'll show him to you after we settle in. But first, why don't I show you the rest of the house?"

I follow him around the place curiously, him holding my hand tightly as I explore after putting our things inside the house. The kitchen is sleek and modern, with white marble counter tops, dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. It turns out his mother also had been keeping the food in check and tossing out the old stuff, which Dakota was happy about, saying something about never wanting to think about how rancid year old expired milk would smell.

Upstairs was amazing too, mostly because I never lived in a house that was more than one story before. The wooden stairs lead up to the second floor, which is almost completely the opposite of the theme downstairs.