Of Knights and Men - Jack Whitehall x Y/N fanfic.

19

Aunt Mary walks around the house, "You're house is dusty."

"I'm aware," I answer pouring more tea into my cup.

She brushes the furniture as best she can, gripping her small handbag, "You would think that you would take better care of the house. God rest your mother's soul, both of your parents really-"

"I'm sorry I haven't lived up to your expectations."

"No, no. Just your mother always had such faith in you. You need to learn how to care for yourself."

"Well it's a good thing I have you then."

"If you don't kill me..." She adds under her breath.

I loudly put the kettle back on the stove, "I'm sorry, what did you just say."

"I said what we've all been thinking," She sharply answers. Her wool coat is frizzed in the heat of the house, since I've always been one to be cold. "Your mother-"

"I did not kill my family."

"How would you know?"

"Because I didn't! I-I was in England-"

"Your parents never wanted to send you off to a different country, a different land."

"England is hardly a different land."

"You should've married that boy and you know it. You could have stayed, and gone to school in Galway. If you had stayed, your brother wouldn't of moved to New Zealand, and the other wouldn't have died-"

"He had cancer!" I yell, sick of her judgements. "You don't think I did everything in my power to keep him alive? And how many bloody times do I have to talk to you about Jim?"

"Enough until you see sense," She takes her hand from a shelf, and squeezes her bag. "And don't shout. It'll give you wrinkles."

"You're the only one who cares about how I look!" I throw my hands up.

"What about that boy you brought back here, the english one. He cared what you looked like."

I scoff, "I had to leave to help my dying brother, remember that?"

"Exactly, you weren't there for him to look at, you were no use to him. He was a television actor, he could have anyone he wanted in his bed, but you. And he took advantage of that."

"You have no idea what you're talking about-"

"Why didn't he visit then? Hmm?"

"He has a job-"

"Why didn't you visit him?"

"I had to take care of my brother!"

"Right. The one who died in the end."

"Are you done?" I rub my forehead.

She walks closer to me, "And now that you're completely alone in the world he wants you back. He welcoming you back to London with open arms, and you're falling into them. I would've thought your father taught you better than to get a free pass from a privileged english boy."

"And I would've thought your sister taught you better than to antagonize her daughter." My words make her stutter a step back, "Just because you couldn't be a mother, and I don't have one means you get to become mine."

"I am not doing this because I yearn to be a mother, I'm doing this because you clearly need one."

I let my face go stone, analyzing the pieces that look like my mother, and the others I despise. "Go to hell Mary, and leave my house."

•••

I look out on the river. The same one I had been so rapt with the first night in London. "Right. What else is happening today?" I delicately set the wine glass down.

"As soon as the check comes back, we are going to get a taxi."

"And go where?" I scrunch my shoulders.

Jack smiles accepting the check. "Who's to say."

"Who's to say? You're to say that's who!"

Jack laughs, "It's a surprise!"

After he signs the check, he quickly pushes me to a taxi, talking to the driver before letting me in, to keep the surprise. The whole ride I look around to try to get a sense of where he might be taking me.

The man stops in the middle of the roundabout in front of Buckingham Palace. I hesitantly get out of the car. "You brought me to the palace?"

Jack turns me by my shoulders, "No...We came for that." He points to the gold statue, with a fountain in the middle.

"I've been here before, Molly brought me-"

"Did you know Victoria constantly tried to help Ireland during the famine."

"Yes, I'm aware. She was the only ruler we only moderately hated." Jack laughs as he wraps his arms around my shoulders.

"Maybe, this can be your happiness reminder."

"What the fuck is that?" I laugh, grabbing his wrists.

"Something that makes you happy! It's a reminder of Ireland, and maybe me." He let's go of me.

"You're very humble did you know that? And why would I want my reminder of home be the person who failed to help it...Jack?" I turn around to look at him. When I do his eyes become earnest.

He grabs my hands, "Darling, from the moment I watched you teach an American how to pour a pint of Guinness," he laughs at the memory, "I knew you were a keeper. Of course it didn't take me long after to realize you were perfect. You are perfect because of your snoring, how your eyes scrunch when you smile, the way you hair falls just right when you effortlessly try. But I fell in love with the girl who hates coffee, and favorite candy is Peach Rings, but only the off brand kind," He mocks me, but I'm to shocked to respond. "I fell in love with the girl who makes my shirt wet by morning from her drooling. And I fell in love with the girl who's lost everything, and still asks me how I'm doing. I fell in love with the girl who I want to give everything to." That's when he goes on one knee, letting go of my hands.

He takes a breath in, "Will you-" He remembers the box, making me laugh. He quickly searches his pockets, and pulls it out. He presents the ring, simple band with a giant diamond on the front. It glistens even in the cloud day. "Will you marry me?" My nodding gives me whiplash, but I continue to smile widely.

I hold my hand out, trying not to cry. "Isle," He laughs, "Wrong hand."  I look down and laugh even more, quickly switching hands. Once it's on the right finger he stands and kisses me. "Please don't leave me for another dieing family member."

I laugh, "Now you can't get rid of me, this ring isn't going to come off."

He wraps his hands around my hips, "Good."