Percival knew that Gwaine was close to the edge. He knew how much hope the man had been holding for the possibility of finding Merlin safe and unscathed, and he knew how much his heart had been crushed at the state of Merlin's mind.
Which is why it wasn't a surprise to him when Gwaine stormed into the forest at their break for lunch.
Merlin's silence had been deafening on the ride.
Elyan was getting food ready, Leon and Lancelot were watering the horses and Arthur was coaxing Merlin to walk around and stretch.
Percival swept his gaze around the clearing for any obvious threat, before stepping into the trees to follow Gwaine.
"I'm fine, Perce," Gwaine said when Percival got within a few feet of where he was leaning against a tree.
"How'd you know it was me?" Percival joked lightly.
"I know you, you big oaf," Gwaine responded tiredly.
"Just like I know you're lying about being fine."
Gwaine sighed heavily, his shoulders heaving slightly before he turned to face Percival. "Yeah," he murmured.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the sounds of nature embracing their presence. Percival let it be, knowing that when Gwaine was ready he would speak.
"I can't stand seeing him like this," Gwaine finally said, his mixed with both anger and sorrow.
"I know," Percival said.
Gwaine shook his head and turned away angrily. "He doesn't deserve to be like this."
"I know."
"He is too good. Too kind. Too..."
Percival took a small step forward and brushed his hand against Gwaine's. "Too pure."
"Yes." Gwaine closed his fingers around Percival. "He was the first man to treat me like more than just a drunk." He turned to look at Percival, the anger abated slightly and was replaced with deep sorrow. "He was my first friend in Camelot."
Percival squeezed his hand gently, offering as much comfort and solace as he could. "I know."
Merlin had been the first friend to many of the knights of the round table.
His quiet strength and friendship was probably what held the entirety of Camelot together.
"I need him back, Perce."
"I know."
"Is that all you're going to say?"
"Yes," Percival replied simply.
Gwaine shook his head, but Percival caught the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You're impossible, you know that?"
Percival shrugged easily. "You tell me often enough." He reached out for Gwaine's other hand. "Don't give up on Merlin. He's still in there. Buried, yes, beneath months of pain and anguish, but he's there. If he's resilient enough to practice magic in the very place that it is banned, then he's resilient enough to recover from this."
Gwaine nodded and looked down at their hands. "I could have used you last night," he murmured.
"Leon handled it, did he not?"
"He did. But I would have much rather you." He looked up and met Percival's gaze. "I wouldn't have survived any of this without you," he said softly.
Percival smirked gently. "I know."
Gwaine scoffed and shook his head. "Oaf," he muttered under his breath.
"You got me through it as well," Percival said seriously. "You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Percival stepped closer to Gwaine and bent down to press their foreheads together. "Every beat," he murmured.
"Belongs to you," Gwaine finished in the same murmur.
They remained in the quiet moment of reprieve for a moment, before Percival pulled away.
"You're hungry," he said softly. "Come eat."
"You go ahead, I'll be along."
Percival nodded and forced himself to release Gwaine's hands, before walking back along the path to the camp.
The horses were watered and fed, which meant that Leon and Lancelot had joined Lancelot on the log across from where Arthur was sitting with Merlin.
Merlin was sitting tensely, with his shoulders hunched and head bowed.
A thought suddenly occurred to Percival, making him slightly queasy. "He hasn't relieved himself yet, has he?"
Everyone's head popped up.
"No," Arthur said slowly.
"The collar probably won't allow him without your permission," Leon said.
"Damn." Arthur turned quickly to face Merlin, causing him to flinch slightly. "You have permission to go into the trees to relieve yourself."
Merlin glanced up nervously and stared at Arthur with wide eyes.
"Go, if you need to."
Merlin shot to his feet and disappeared into the trees.
"Good call, Percival," Arthur said. "I didn't even think..." He shook rested his elbows against his knees and gripped his hair. "This is a nightmare. I can't even fathom all the things that the collar refuses to let him do without permission."
No one said anything.
Percival lowered himself next to Leon, just as Gwaine emerged from the trees.
"Where's Merlin?" Gwaine demanded.
"A few steps in the trees," Lancelot said. "Relieving himself."
"Oh." He sat next to Percival, their shoulders pressed against each other.
While their relationship was by no means a secret to the other knights, it also wasn't something that was outright talked about.
Elyan passed around the bowl of dried meat and fruit he had prepared, clearing hoping to act as normal as possible for when Merlin returned.
They ate in silence.
Something that had become more frequent ever since Merlin was taken.
Percival had come to loathe it.
Several minutes passed before Merlin returned and sat down on the log again.
"Here you go. I made you a plate." Arthur held the plate of meat and fruit out, close enough for Merlin to grab, but far enough that he would have to reach for it.
Merlin frowned at it, before hesitantly reaching out and taking it.
"You can eat," Arthur said. "And talk, if you want to. And if you need to relieve yourself later, you can do that as well."
Merlin shrunk into himself, clearly overwhelmed.
It was clear as day that he was beyond confused with how he was being treated. He seemed to be waiting for everyone to snap and begin to treat him in the same manner that the slavers had treated him.
It was up to them to patiently prove to him that that wasn't going to be the case.
.
.
.
A bit of comfort sprinkled in. Hopefully, I'm not the only one who ships Percival and Gwaine. Anway, thank you for reading! :) ️