Percival strode down the street, a picnic basket hanging off one arm and Gwaine hanging off the other.
It was days like this that made Percival wonder at his own luck. After all, he wasn't the only one who'd had his eye on Gwaine over the years. The other knight had had his fair share of lovers. Confident, graceful, witty, with a talent for making others feel at ease… Gwaine was almost too perfect, Percival thought, sneaking a look at his partner as they passed out of Camelot's outer wall and into the meadow beyond.
In contrast, Percival had always been shy and awkward. It made him uncomfortable when girls in the tavern fawned over his thick biceps, and attempts at flirtation always left him feeling dull and clumsy. He was a soldier, not a lover, and he'd certainly never considered himself much of a prize.
Not until Gwaine came along anyway. The fact that Gwaine would choose him, over all his other prospects, seemed to Percival so incredible he was afraid to even try to understand it.
Gwaine was looking at him now. Those dark, laughter-filled eyes had a funny way of making him forget to breathe. "Alright there, Percival?" he asked, giving him a light nudge in the ribs.
Percival nodded, flushing. "Just… glad you're with me."
Gwaine grinned. Wrapping one arm around Percival's neck he pulled him close, whispering teasingly in his ear. "Where else would I be?"
Percival bit his lip. He didn't expect Gwaine to understand any of it. He didn't know how to tell him that he was afraid he would leave him— afraid that he would find someone better, more interesting, more charming— or worst of all, that someday, somehow Gwaine would be gone forever, lost on a mission or killed by some foreign knight. For better or worse, he needed Gwaine now, and the fear of losing him ate at him every day, worse than anything he'd ever felt, on or off the battlefield.
Percival turned, mouth open, ready to confess all his thoughts, but Gwaine's mouth stopped his in a soft, tender kiss that sent a shiver of pleasure straight through him.
"Let's just enjoy the picnic, alright?" Gwaine winked, and Percival's heart squeezed painfully. At least for now, Gwaine was his, and he would enjoy every minute…