And it's you and me and all other people
Category: Pink Sheep RPG
They were lucky with the weather. The air still carried a hint of warmth as the sun shone across a rare, cloudless sky. Still, as they walked around the formal gardens of Blenheim Palace, Jake couldn’t forget that autumn was just around the corner.
This was he second of Mandy’s birthdays he had celebrated with her. Which left him thoughtful, in the very best way. Jake hand never been anti-long term relationships per sey, but nothing had ever really stuck. There had always been more important factors to considers, namely his family, but his little sister was growing up and didn’t need him anymore. He needed to find his own niche. And that niche included Mandy, apparently.
“You know, you’re bloody hard to shop for,” the man said, without much malice behind the words. “First a book shelf and then a puppy. I’m really not sure how to top myself, I’m so awesome.”
“Modest too,” she chimed in with a smile. “How did I get so lucky?”
“You had a good choice in bathtubs.”
“And the hot blokes that feel them up in markets?” she teased.
“Well, that goes with out saying of course.” Jake slung an arm about Mandy’s shoulders as they wandered down the path through the estate’s extensive gardens.
Mandy’s hand rose to her shoulder, fingers linking with his. “It’s beatuiful here,” she commented, gaze trailing over the lush lawns and abundantly leafy trees.
“It is. Though showing the room where Winston Churchill was born, with as much original furniture as possible was a little creepy.” He’d enjoyed the rest of the house tour, however. “Though I’m sure you loved the library.”
“Ten thousand books? I don’t know how you got me out of there, to be honest.” She was thoroughly impressed that he’d managed such a feat. Mandy wondered if they’d be able to duck in for another lingering look before they left.
“Magic, obviously.” And the promise of good foods to eat.”
“I am easily seduced by the promise of food,” she confessed with a sigh. “You know too many of my weaknesses, Jake Summers.”
Jake smirked. He was quite good on that front. “Still, that doesn’t address my previous issue of you being so bloody hard to shop for.”
She pulled out her best puppy-dog eyes. “I’m very sorry. I promise to try to make it up to you.” She lifted his hand from her shoulder, brushing a soft kiss against his fingertips.
He wiggled his eyebrows. “That sort of behavior’s going to get us thrown out of here, you know.”
Mandy gasped. “The scandal. Should we go and find ourselves a chaperone, do you think?”
“Or we could just sneak off.”
The birthday girl flashed him a smile. “I’m listening.”
“Come on.” Taking Mandy’s hand, Jake tugged her further down the path. Just as they turned the bend, a garden folly came into view. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, coming up to stand at the black gate.
“A temple?” she ventured, taking in the columns and portico. It was an elegant structure, all the more beautiful for being secluded.
“The Temple of Diana,” Jake confirmed. With his wand, he unlocked the gate and stepped through before holding it open for Mandy.
“My sexy rebel,” she commented, following with a grin and feeling a little daring. Growing up, her mother had encouraged many visits to places of historical significance, but the exploring and touching young Mandy had itched to do had not been allowed.
"It was put in by the fifth duke of Marlborough," Jake noted as he took a seat on the small marble bench. His hand brushed against the warm sandstone. So similar to his beloved Bath, but different too. Besides, wood would always be his medium.
She sank down beside him, taking in the delicate portrait on the back wall. “It’s gorgeous,” the brunette said softly. Planes of sunlight flooded in between the columns, lending the stone a warmth that almost seemed to glow. Mandy felt she’d be quite content to sit here with him for hours.
"There's more, too." Jake stretched his legs out in front of him. "To bring up old Winston again, he also proposed to his wife here."
Green eyes swept the sandstone structure once more. “Lucky Mrs. Churchill. Our old friend Winston picked a very romantic spot.”
“Did, didn’t he?” As he shifted in his seat, he allowed the small distraction to hide him palming the box that had been burning a hole in his pocket the whole day. “Not a bad idea, was it?”
Mandy leaned in, brushing her lips against his. “I don’t know that he could have found better,” she agreed, feeling warm and content.
Jake let the silence between the grow, warm and comfortable, as his hand nudged into her lap. He was careful not to attract too much attention until just the right moment. “What do you say we take a page out of their book then?” he asked, hand opening palm up so she could see the small box.
Mandy’s whole body went still as her eyes fell to the little black jewelery box sitting in his hand. Green eyes glanced up to his face, before returning to the box, sitting there, waiting to be opened. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the lid, her breath catching as she beheld an exquisite antique ring. “I...” she began, for once lost for words.
Using his thumb to pluck the ring out of the box, Jake quickly slid it onto her finger, pretty sure he knew what she was going to say once she gained the power of speech back. “Like it?” he asked. “Your mother was not so subtly pushing me towards particular displays at the V&A.”
That comment earned a small smile. “I love it,” she replied, fastidiously ignoring the little tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I love you."
“I’m glad. Because it would be terribly awkward if I had to take the ring back because it didn’t connect with you on some deeper fashion level.”
She poked her tongue out at him, wiping at the tears with her free hand. “You know I can’t actually say yes until you ask.”
“I did,” he protested, but when she gave him a look, he sighed and slid down to his one knee. “What do you say, Amanda Brocklehurst. Fancy becoming a Summers instead?”
The tears started afresh as she nodded. “Yes,” voice tiny and tight with emotion. It was the easiest thing in the world to agree, knowing that Jake, and a life with him, was everything she wanted.
Jake looked up at her, mouth twisted somewhere between smirk and smile. “Amanda Summers. I think I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” She leaned forward, kissing him where he knelt, the sapphire of her ring catching the sunlight as she clutched his shoulder. Her fiance's shoulder. She didn't plan on letting him go in a hurry.
Jake stood, pulling Mandy up with him. “I think this is the start of something wonderful.”
Summary: Jake asks. Mandy agrees. Let there be bliss!
They were lucky with the weather. The air still carried a hint of warmth as the sun shone across a rare, cloudless sky. Still, as they walked around the formal gardens of Blenheim Palace, Jake couldn’t forget that autumn was just around the corner.
This was he second of Mandy’s birthdays he had celebrated with her. Which left him thoughtful, in the very best way. Jake hand never been anti-long term relationships per sey, but nothing had ever really stuck. There had always been more important factors to considers, namely his family, but his little sister was growing up and didn’t need him anymore. He needed to find his own niche. And that niche included Mandy, apparently.
“You know, you’re bloody hard to shop for,” the man said, without much malice behind the words. “First a book shelf and then a puppy. I’m really not sure how to top myself, I’m so awesome.”
“Modest too,” she chimed in with a smile. “How did I get so lucky?”
“You had a good choice in bathtubs.”
“And the hot blokes that feel them up in markets?” she teased.
“Well, that goes with out saying of course.” Jake slung an arm about Mandy’s shoulders as they wandered down the path through the estate’s extensive gardens.
Mandy’s hand rose to her shoulder, fingers linking with his. “It’s beatuiful here,” she commented, gaze trailing over the lush lawns and abundantly leafy trees.
“It is. Though showing the room where Winston Churchill was born, with as much original furniture as possible was a little creepy.” He’d enjoyed the rest of the house tour, however. “Though I’m sure you loved the library.”
“Ten thousand books? I don’t know how you got me out of there, to be honest.” She was thoroughly impressed that he’d managed such a feat. Mandy wondered if they’d be able to duck in for another lingering look before they left.
“Magic, obviously.” And the promise of good foods to eat.”
“I am easily seduced by the promise of food,” she confessed with a sigh. “You know too many of my weaknesses, Jake Summers.”
Jake smirked. He was quite good on that front. “Still, that doesn’t address my previous issue of you being so bloody hard to shop for.”
She pulled out her best puppy-dog eyes. “I’m very sorry. I promise to try to make it up to you.” She lifted his hand from her shoulder, brushing a soft kiss against his fingertips.
He wiggled his eyebrows. “That sort of behavior’s going to get us thrown out of here, you know.”
Mandy gasped. “The scandal. Should we go and find ourselves a chaperone, do you think?”
“Or we could just sneak off.”
The birthday girl flashed him a smile. “I’m listening.”
“Come on.” Taking Mandy’s hand, Jake tugged her further down the path. Just as they turned the bend, a garden folly came into view. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, coming up to stand at the black gate.
“A temple?” she ventured, taking in the columns and portico. It was an elegant structure, all the more beautiful for being secluded.
“The Temple of Diana,” Jake confirmed. With his wand, he unlocked the gate and stepped through before holding it open for Mandy.
“My sexy rebel,” she commented, following with a grin and feeling a little daring. Growing up, her mother had encouraged many visits to places of historical significance, but the exploring and touching young Mandy had itched to do had not been allowed.
"It was put in by the fifth duke of Marlborough," Jake noted as he took a seat on the small marble bench. His hand brushed against the warm sandstone. So similar to his beloved Bath, but different too. Besides, wood would always be his medium.
She sank down beside him, taking in the delicate portrait on the back wall. “It’s gorgeous,” the brunette said softly. Planes of sunlight flooded in between the columns, lending the stone a warmth that almost seemed to glow. Mandy felt she’d be quite content to sit here with him for hours.
"There's more, too." Jake stretched his legs out in front of him. "To bring up old Winston again, he also proposed to his wife here."
Green eyes swept the sandstone structure once more. “Lucky Mrs. Churchill. Our old friend Winston picked a very romantic spot.”
“Did, didn’t he?” As he shifted in his seat, he allowed the small distraction to hide him palming the box that had been burning a hole in his pocket the whole day. “Not a bad idea, was it?”
Mandy leaned in, brushing her lips against his. “I don’t know that he could have found better,” she agreed, feeling warm and content.
Jake let the silence between the grow, warm and comfortable, as his hand nudged into her lap. He was careful not to attract too much attention until just the right moment. “What do you say we take a page out of their book then?” he asked, hand opening palm up so she could see the small box.
Mandy’s whole body went still as her eyes fell to the little black jewelery box sitting in his hand. Green eyes glanced up to his face, before returning to the box, sitting there, waiting to be opened. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the lid, her breath catching as she beheld an exquisite antique ring. “I...” she began, for once lost for words.
Using his thumb to pluck the ring out of the box, Jake quickly slid it onto her finger, pretty sure he knew what she was going to say once she gained the power of speech back. “Like it?” he asked. “Your mother was not so subtly pushing me towards particular displays at the V&A.”
That comment earned a small smile. “I love it,” she replied, fastidiously ignoring the little tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I love you."
“I’m glad. Because it would be terribly awkward if I had to take the ring back because it didn’t connect with you on some deeper fashion level.”
She poked her tongue out at him, wiping at the tears with her free hand. “You know I can’t actually say yes until you ask.”
“I did,” he protested, but when she gave him a look, he sighed and slid down to his one knee. “What do you say, Amanda Brocklehurst. Fancy becoming a Summers instead?”
The tears started afresh as she nodded. “Yes,” voice tiny and tight with emotion. It was the easiest thing in the world to agree, knowing that Jake, and a life with him, was everything she wanted.
Jake looked up at her, mouth twisted somewhere between smirk and smile. “Amanda Summers. I think I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” She leaned forward, kissing him where he knelt, the sapphire of her ring catching the sunlight as she clutched his shoulder. Her fiance's shoulder. She didn't plan on letting him go in a hurry.
Jake stood, pulling Mandy up with him. “I think this is the start of something wonderful.”
Summary: Jake asks. Mandy agrees. Let there be bliss!