Greetings Dravenites, guess who no must longer isolate…this guy! To celebrate, I give you chapter 7 of Wedding bells.
So this chapter is a filler one. I say that because this chapter doesn't involve wedding planning but is rather just quite fluffy. With all the wedding planning stuff, I felt like giving these two some time to themselves.
Please enjoy!
It was mid-June, with a Florida heatwave starting to take hold, both Austin and Ally felt like their newest task was one the felt like getting over with quickly; house hunting.
For the last few months, the pair had felt slightly suffocated by their apartment. Not that it was small, it really wasn't, but they were getting a bit sick of sharing space with other people, Ally especially. For the last few days, when she was busy writing songs, their neighbor's illegally-kept dog wouldn't stop barking, it had gotten to the point that Ally was tempted to become one with her inner Trish and verbal abuse the dog and its owners.
This was particularly evident right now as Austin and Ally attempted to relax in their bedroom; Ally with a copy of the book Way of Kings and Austin with Team Fortress 2 on his laptop.
'' Gah! Ally!'' Austin said.
'' Yeah?'' Ally answered, getting off of their bed.
'' Those damn kids upstairs! I swear I'm going to do something'' Austin complained.
'' No need, I'm one step ahead of you.''
'' Oh yeah, what'd you do?''
'' Well, I just emailed our building's super, they're breaking the law aren't they?''
'' You're devious, I love it!" Austin grinned.
'' Thanks hubby-to-be. But in all honesty, I have to say I think its time.''
'' For?''
'' Us to move. To a house to be perfectly honest. As much as I love this place, we really should get a bigger place, especially when we have kids.''
'' No, I understand, when do you want to put this place up for sale, also where do you want to look, which real estate agency should we be with and when do we start looking?''
'' In order, I put it on the market four days ago, I want to check out this neighborhood called Wave-view. Its supposed to be this trendy, upmarket place close to Shredder's beach club. I heard of it when I was last with Arman. He says his niece just qualified as a realtor and works for these guys called Blackcoat Real Estate and I want to start looking now.''
'' Wow-wait. How did you put the house up without me knowing? We share bank accounts.''
'' I have my methods'' Ally shrugged. '' Now, Arman gave me his niece's number, I'm texting her right now, and hopefully she can fit us in pretty soon.''
'' Wow, I'm impressed'' Austin said.
'' What? You know I'm organized.''
'' No, at how well you were able to do this without me knowing. Its like being engaged to a ninja.''
'' Thank you? Oh, that's Alita'' Ally remarked, referring to the pair's potential realtor.
'' Well?'' Austin asked, getting up and peaking over Ally's shoulder.
'' She says she'd love to represent us and to be ready by 11AM.''
'' Wow, she's efficient. I can't wait to see what she has lined up for us.''
-x-
Ally pulled into the driveway of the first home Alita planned on showing them.
From an outside perspective, the home seemed modest. A salamander-orange color scheme decorated the exterior's walls. A black gate marked the home's official entrance, the driveway itself being made of brick, and leading to a garage with ample space.
Getting out, both Austin and Ally approached a woman wearing a white dress shirt under a black blazer with an emblem sewn onto the jacket's right breast, pencil skirt, low white socks and black pumps.
Her face was quite beautiful, she had a sun-kissed complexion which was accented by her striking blue eyes. She also wore a tight ponytail with thin-rimmed glasses.
'' Alita, nice to meet you'' Ally greeted the woman.
'' You too Ally. Austin, too cool to say hello?'' Alita smirked.
'' I, uh…''
'' Kidding. One thing you should know about me is that I love to kid around and keep my clients on their toes. So, shall we take a look at this place?''
'' Sure'' Austin said sharply, determined to be a part of the conversation.
Alita led the pair into the front yard, it was on an upward-slope, a medium-sized trampoline and jungle-gym decorated it. Towards its end, were at least five huge trees, creating ample shade. There was also a small veranda area, decorated with a glass table and metallic chairs. Next to the table itself was a gas barbecue as well as an area which appeared to be harboring a miniature tortoise.
'' Well, what do you think of the yard you two?'' Alita asked.
'' I like it, it seems…cute'' Ally said, her lips pursed.
'' Really? because from out here it seems a bit off. I mean, it looks like it may need a bit of work to be perfect, you know?'' Austin refuted.
'' Ah, you're that kind of customer. I see, don't worry, the interior may surprise you'' Alita grinned, leading the pair into a dining room/family room/mudroom area.
The mudroom was quite small, consisting of just a couch and a bookcase. The dining room, which involved someone stepping up to gain access to it, was far bigger, consisting of open cupboards, mounted onto the walls, a bookcase, containing various materials pertaining to religion. In front of the case was a oak dining room table. To the right of the room was the family room, consisting of three huge couches, a huge entertainment center with a big tv. Two windows were positioned parallel to the entertainment center, and one window was right behind one of the couches.
'' I should mention that this is fully furnished'' Alita pointed out.
'' Ok. Well, I'm not crazy on the mudroom, it seems a bit too small for my liking, the dining room is nice, but it might require some more renovating to be up to standard, Although I must say, the family room seems quite nice. I like where the windows are, its really fun and different'' Ally answered.
'' While the mudroom, isn't that big of an issue for me, the dining room doesn't seem to get great light, which'll suck going forward, also, Alz, look'' Austin put his hand on Ally's shoulder and pointed her in the direction of one of the windows.
'' Wow, the people across the street can see into our home, I'm not crazy about that'' Ally answered.
'' Most people aren't. There's a reason people are having trouble selling this place. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of the area'' Alita smiled, leading the pair through a door into a narrow hall, which extended to the left, presumably to two different bedrooms, where the trio were currently standing, there was the master bedroom at the end of the hall, a smaller bedroom in front of them, and a large kitchen to their right.
As the trio entered the kitchen, Austin was automatically impressed by what the saw. There was a large breakfast nook extending from one of the walls, granite countertops, surrounded almost the entire perimeter, a large oven with a stove closer to the middle left of the room. A smaller TV was next to the trio where the door was. To their right, were more countertops, along with a two-door fridge with a freezer underneath, there was also a large pantry in the corner too.
'' This kitchen is awesome. I totally dig it. A two-door fridge? Austin and I can each have our own'' Ally gushed.
'' Also I'm digging these countertops, also this white-tile floor'' Austin commented.
'' Glad you like it. Now, follow me out to a less…interesting area'' Alita admitted, both Austin and Ally following the realtor out of the back kitchen door and down some concrete stairs into a sort of courtyard. The area was mostly plain, save for two adjacent salamander-orange storage rooms, a drain and a metallic black gate.
'' This really doesn't mean much to anyone. It just exists'' Alita shrugged. '' But you will definitely like this'' the young woman led the pair through the aforementioned gate, and into a large spacious garden. The area was surrounded by fading light green grass, a covered pool motor which was under a small tree, that covered a window that showed a peak into the interior of the kitchen. Another window was present, offering a view of the interior of a bedroom. Toward the end of the area, was the end of the actual house, it had two small but wide stairs which led into the master bedroom. Toward the center of the garden was a large pool which was in front of a small curving brick wall. Behind the wall were more trees, giving some covering away from the neighbors.
'' Would you look at this place? The pool is gorgeous, I can so see me and Dez doing trick-flips into it'' Austin marveled.
'' Be careful, that gap between the wall and pool looks like it could cause some pretty bad injuries'' Ally warned.
'' The pool is a huge draw in for some people, but I rather prefer the home's interior, shall I show you the bedrooms now?'' Alita admitted.
'' Please'' Austin and Ally said in unison.
Entering via the steps, the pair saw a large desk that engulfed most of the adjoining area. Atop it was a large desktop. Adjacent to the area was a large bedroom. A walk in closet was to the right of the actual main bed.
'' Wow, this closet is huge, I don't even think I have enough clothes to fill it'' Austin marveled.
'' Then I guess we'll have to go shopping'' Ally smiled.
'' Noo'' Austin sharply replied.
The actual bed itself had two large nightstands on either side of it. Immediately in front of the bed was a small couch, large TV and above it, a selection of old DVDs. To the left of the bed was an en-suite bathroom complete with large shower and bathtub.
'' This seems pretty nice'' ally said, taking in the sights. '' Less work needs to be done on it.''
'' It's a big draw for people, next to the pool that is. Follow me'' Alita then instructed the pair to go into two separate bedrooms. The one Ally entered having a large closet, double bed with a large sideboard filled with random things. In front of the bed, a smaller TV.
The bedroom Austin had been sent to was slightly bigger than the one Ally was in, however it was less furnished. It consisted of a framed football shirt, a large closet surrounding a small TV and a small table with incense on it.
As the pair exited the bedrooms, Alita led them into the final bedroom, the narrowest in the house. It consisted of a chair with a soccer mascot on it, a double bed with a small nightstand. To the bed's right, was a desktop with a small tv above it facing the diagonal left. The room also had a closet, however much smaller than the others.
'' Well, you two what do you think?'' Alita asked, as the trio had exited the house.
'' We'll need to think about it'' Austin answered, before the trio left in their separate vehicles.
-x-
A week had passed since Austin and Ally had been to see one of the houses that Alita had found for them, and they were currently on the way to see the two others that she had in store.
'' So, what do you think she has in store?'' Austin asked, as he drove slowly towards their destination.
'' No clue, but I'd really love a two-story house. Also if there's a big yard that'd be awesome.''
'' You really put thought into this didn't you?'' Austin asked.
'' Of course I did. I've been dreaming of this since we were 15.''
'' You liked me even way back then?''
'' Of course, I did. I showed you where Pickles used to live, I don't just do that with everyone I know.''
'' Well, I also liked you way back then. To be honest, the only reason I even entered Sonic Boom in the first place was to get a better look at you.''
Soon the pair pulled into to a large gated community, immediately impressed with the size and openness of the area, the were even more impressed by the size of the house they were going to be taking a look at.
'' Its huge'' Ally gasped.
'' It doesn't deceive'' came a familiar voice.
'' Alita, hi'' Austin said, shaking the woman's hand.
'' Hi, so, welcome to house number 2'' Alita smiled, as her clients exited the vehicle.
The house the pair were now seeing was bit bigger than the last one they had seen, one thing that immediately caught Ally's eye was the fact that it was two stories. The house was an eggshell white, with an attached two-port garage with a gunmetal-grey gate.
The actual house itself had a rather narrow opening, however it also had a gated fence for easier access, so there was that too. On the bottom level, the pair could immediately see a fair-sized yard with a pool, above ground trampoline and an upward slope leading to the back wall.
'' Yeah, the yard isn't as big as the last house but I assure, you , the interior is amazing.''
'' ok, we trust you'' Ally shrugged as the trio entered the house.
'' Wow'' Austin gasped, as he saw the site in front of him.
The bottom floor had a light laminate wood floor which continued into the actual kitchen itself. To the right of the main area were two large brown couches, one facing a TV with an entertainment center below it, the other facing a pair of windows, decorated with classic American shutters.
The bottom left of the area contained a large guest bedroom complete with a double bed, nightstands and two long and narrow closets.
The dining area, was slightly smaller than the previous house the pair had seen, although it offered much more light. It consisted of a simple, large ebony wood table and lighter-colored chairs. Behind it was a series of wall-mounted cupboards with various nick-nacks inside of them. To the left of the dining room was a small kitchen, it had a darker marble countertop, fridge, adjacent freezer, oven, butler's pantry and a door that led outside.
'' It's a lot smaller than the last house we visited'' Austin pointed out.
'' Yeah, the smaller kitchen is a bit of a drawback for most people. However, on the phone, neither of you mentioned needing much kitchen space, so I'm not sure if this is a dealbreaker or not'' Alita commented blankly.
'' Its not not a dealbreaker, if that makes sense'' Ally pointed out.
'' It does, when you're in my business, you learn to understand the different ways in which people phrase things. Now, before we head upstairs, shall we check out the yard?'' Alita cocked her head and led the pair outside. Even though Austin and Ally had already seen it, they felt they should see it again anyway. As the trio stepped outside, the noticed they were on a small porch-like area complete with standard wicker furniture, the odd scattered pool toy as well as a built-in barbecue.
The yard, although smaller than the previous house's, was a bit more impressive. The flower beds were well kept, the lawns, a classic forest green in color. The pool, was a bit narrower than the previous house's but it was still fair sized.
'' Well?'' Alita asked.
'' I think the view from out of the house was enough for me thanks'' Ally shrugged.
'' Yeah, to be honest, the yard is nice and all, but we want kids and it doesn't seem big enough.''
'' ah, I see. Come on, let me show you the upstairs area'' Alita led the pair back inside and up a flight of wide stairs, which had an adjacent large window which overlooked the property wall.
The upper area was interesting, a large bathroom was in the bottom right corner, complete with modern sink and countertops, a large shower and bathtub and modern yet low-to-the-ground toilet.
Out of the bathroom was a large area with a large window which overlooked the estate they were on.
To the left of where the stairs ended, there were three bedrooms, two on the right and one at the end. The first one was extremely big, a large twin bed in the top left corner, facing the door, next to it was a large empty area, presumably for playing on, there was also a large wall-length closet.
The second bedroom was smaller yet still fair sized. It consisted of a double bed, narrow closet as well as a desk underneath a mirror.
The final bedroom was also quite large, it too consisted of a wall length ebony-colored closet as well as an en-suite bathroom. The bed itself was rather large, almost touching the wall it faced, it front of it was a TV. TO the bed's right was a balcony, overlooking the area.
'' Well, you two? What do you think of house number 2?'' Alita asked.
'' I like it, sure the yard and kitchen are a bit small, but we can do some home improvements on it and it'll be fine. The yard itself is a little small too, but since the house is on an estate our kids can always play in the street with a low risk of ending up as roadkill.''
'' Ally!'' Austin gasped.
'' What? I can be dark'' the brunette shrugged.
'' Well Austin, your thoughts?'' Alita asked.
'' I'm also a big fan of it, I like how big the rooms are, how every appliance is modern and the back porch is super cool.''
'' Excellent, well, before you make any decisions yet, I need to show you one last house, please meet me at this address, in two hours'' Alita typed on her phone, sending a forwarded address to her two clients.
-x-
'' Not bad'' Austin marveled, as he and Ally approached the final house.
'' Yeah, but the walls are a little high don't you think?'' Ally responded.
'' True, but they're not prison-height.''
'' That's true. Hey, there's Alita'' Ally waved to the woman as the pair pulled into the gravel-road driveway.
'' There they are, what's it been, like 2 hours since I last saw you?'' Alita smirked.
'' Yep, I have to say, I'm already digging this place'' Ally marveled. From the outside, the house was already massive. Adjacent to the house was a three port garage complete with another gunmetal-grey door.
'' So I'm going to do something a little different here. We're going from the outside in, follow me'' Alita motioned for the pair to follow her into the actual yard. As the pair walked, they saw a long veranda-like area to their left, which was in front of what they assumed was a dining room area.
'' Ho-ly fuck'' Austin gasped. The yard was absolutely massive. Lush green lawns were everywhere, decorating the property wall was a well kept flower bed. A wooden jungle gym was close to the middle. But what really caught the pair's attention was the pool. It was easily the same size as the first house's pool, yet it had a glass fence with metal framing, presumably as a safety precaution.
'' Like that? Check out the veranda'' Alita pointed them to a huge veranda, under the cover of the house's main roof. On it was a large, light-brown table. To the table's right was a built-in barbecue. To the barbecue's left was a small brick-built structure, most likely to be used to rest random things on it.
'' Wow, this is seriously cool'' Austin nodded.
'' Then you'll love the inside'' Alita motioned for them to follow her.
Following Alita inside, the pair immediately felt some warmth beneath their feet; the floors were heated, not an amazing thing in a Florida heatwave. In the area, there was a fireplace, a stoner pattern decorating its frame. There was also a long couch, almost encompassing the entire room. In the far left, there was a TV on a bracket, extending outwards. But what seriously caught he pair's eyes was the fact that behind the couch was a large wood-framed window, allowing for light to enter the room really easily, however, large trees in the backyard, allowed for shielding so the light wasn't too unbearable.
'' The den is a big draw in. Most people prefer it because of its seclusion from the rest of the house. However, I don't really see its appeal'' Alita shrugged, taking the pair out of the den and into the dining room. A small sideboard decorated the right wall of the room. A bay window was nestled behind a long table. Exiting the dining room, the pair were greeted a rather plain looking area, the only thing setting it apart being the light it got from the cubic window in the corner. There was. however, a chest of drawers in the bottom right corner and a downstairs bathroom. In the top left of the area, there was a staircase leading up to the second level, however it parted and went in two different directions.
'' Before I show the upstairs area to you, I think this might draw you in'' Alita winked, leading the pair through a door and into a spacious kitchen-living room area. There were granite countertops right in front of the pair's eyes, as well as a pair of windows with classic American shutters. There was also an eating bench, to and ambience. Walking forward, the pair noticed two long open cupboards decorating two areas of the living room, they too were filled with random nick-nacks.
The entertainment center for the TV was a big old, as was the TV inside of it, but that really didn't matter. The main couch itself was a bright shade of red, the two armchairs on either side of it however, were more traditional beige colors.
'' Look behind you'' Alita winked, showing the rest of the kitchen. The area was quite long, leading into a separate area with a walk-in pantry as well as a door that led to courtyard area.
The granite countertop theme continued throughout the kitchen area. There were also more wall-mounted cupboards as well as a fridge and adjacent freezer.
'' This is epic, I'm really digging this house's vibe'' Austin nodded.
'' Same here. If the upstairs area is just as cool, we may have to put an offer in'' Ally added.
'' Aren't you two the perfect flatterers, follow me'' Alita led the pair through the doorway up the stairs and to the right where a basic bathroom to their right was. It wasn't too fancy, it was just a toilet and a sink. Next to it was a large bedroom, natural light coming through from a high and wide window. It had a white nightstand next to it, as well as a wall length closet, divided into sections. Next to the bedroom was a more spacious bathroom, however, it purely consisted of a bathtub and sink.
Directly across from the bedroom was a much large one. It had two single beds, on either side, one with a nightstand next to it, the other having various action figures on the windowsill, it was below. There was a vacant, snake tank in front of one of the beds, this caused Ally to shudder slightly. In front of the bed in the top left, closest to the door, there was a huge bookshelf, encompassing a large portion of the room's total area. The space behind the shelf housed a large trestle table with a TV on it. There was also a mattress atop what looked like a bathtub.
'' Nice huh?'' Alita smirked.
'' Yeah, hey, what's that?'' Austin asked, as he walked towards the end of the room and looked out of its window.
'' That's a nearby bay. One perk of this place, you're never too far from the beach.''
'' Ok'' Austin shrugged. '' Ally doesn't really like the beach so I'm not sure that much to her.''
''It doesn't, but what's at the end of the hall?'' Ally asked, the trio exiting the area, and going to a door at the hall's end.
'' That, is the guest room, something I really like about this place'' Alita answered. Letting the pair in, they were greeted by a nearby cupboard. The main room itself consisted of two windows on either side, a TV atop a white table, a large bed with two nightstands on either side of it, as well as a divided closet on the left-side.
'' This is a really nice room. I really like the seclusion of it. Kind of like a secret area to just go when you need a break from people, you know?'' Ally commented.
'' I agree. I could totally see this being our practice room'' Austin said, holding Ally's hand.
'' Aww, you two are so sweet, I wish my boyfriend was as attentive'' Alita rolled her eyes playfully.
'' Sorry, I just can't keep be away from Ally for too long or I get separation anxiety'' Austin said sheepishly.
'' I completely understand, follow me'' Alita nodded, leading the pair to the other side of the upstairs are and into a spacious master bedroom. A large desk was in the top left corner of the room. A large bed with two mahogany nightstands was right in front of the pair, resting against a wall that didn't encompass a large area, just enough to cover back area of the bed, and go up towards the ceiling. Behind the wall, were wall-length closets, all dark wood with silver-metal handles.
'' Well you guys, what are you thinking?'' Alita asked later, once the pair had exited the actual house itself.
'' I think we're putting in an offer'' Austin smiled, after sharing a knowing glance with Ally.
'' Ooh, I like what I hear, Ally, how about you, what do you think?'' Alita asked.
'' I think that if my fiancé doesn't put in an offer soon then I'm leaving him'' Ally teased.
'' Well in that case, Alita what's the asking price?''
'' 630000'' Alita answered. ''For a Wave-view property that's actually a steal. I showed a house in the area to another client a few days ago, they paid 2 million.''
'' Well then, you've got yourself a deal'' Austin smiled, shaking the woman's hand.
-x-
'' Ally! Ally!'' Austin shouted, two weeks later.
'' Austin! Austin!'' Ally replied from their living room.
'' Guess what?!'' Austin yelled.
'' You're going to calm down?'' Ally laughed.
'' Close, I just got off the phone with Alita. Our offer was accepted!''
'' That's amazing! Its not fully furnished right?'' Ally squealed, grabbing Austin's hands.
'' Nope, not at all, we get to take all of our own furniture, its all ours baby'' Austin said, embracing Ally in a huge hug.
Wow, who knew I actually paid attention when HGTV was playing in the background in my home? Anyway thanks for reading everyone, this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written, at 4674 words long! Also, all the described houses are ones I've actually been to, just thought I'd throw that in as a fun fact.
Other than that, please stay safe, and stay awesome!
