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The door to Gaius’ chambers was pushed open harder than usual. Merlin looked up and saw Percival push through the door. He perched himself on the bench next to where Merlin was reading and huffed out a disgruntled sigh.
“He’s really starting to piss me off now,” Percival groused, leaning forwards and resting his head in his hands. “I can’t be having another round of training with his stupid grin and his stupid twirling and his stupid hair.
Merlin closed his book and paid proper attention to Percival, turning towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Gwaine again?”
“How could you guess?” Percival’s response came as a groan. “I know you’re his mate, but sometimes he really is-”
“Insufferable? Irritating? Downright infuriating? Yes he’s my friend, and yours too, but friends can still be these things. Gwaine definitely can, he pushes his luck.”
“I wish it was just one occasion, I swear he’s getting more and more over the top every day.” Percival huffed again and Merlin rubbed his shoulder gently.
“Have you put him on his arse?” Merlin smiled cheekily, but Percival just rolled his eyes in response.
“A handful of times, but he keeps gloating that he let me do it ‘just to be nice’, and swishes his hair. I honestly wish it would all fall out one day, just so he could stop doing that.”
“And neither Leon nor Lancelot do anything about it? They can easily rival him.”
“No, they just roll their eyes and look at each other, saying something I wish I could read. Ugh, he’s just, he’s so…”
“Fucking annoying?”
“Fucking annoying!” Percival half-smiled and he pushed the words through his lips. He looked up at Merlin. “Sorry, I know you’re reading.”
Merlin scoffed. “There’s only so much I can read up on mugwort. Anyway, it’s a nice surprise to see you.” Merlin pressed a soft kiss to Percival’s temple. “I miss you when you’re training and I can’t be there because Gaius wants me to do something for the sake of doing it. I miss you being all muscly and strong, when you throw them all out with your power moves, it’s very special.” Merlin grinned and Percival returned it. “You clearly need to throw Gwaine off.”
Percival covered Merlin’s hand with his own and caressed his knuckles. He hummed thoughtfully, before raising an eyebrow and looking at Merlin.
“I have an idea.” Percival said and dropped his hand as Merlin turned towards him fully, and straddled the bench before him. “To throw him off in a different way. But it might require your talent, Merlin.”
Merlin smiled, all bashful and his ears went red. Percival loved making that happen.
“What can I do for you?”
**
As Percival walked down the corridor, the stares and titters from passing maids and servants were more than expected. Even if he did expect a lot.
The walk out to the training ground had other knights staring at him. Soldiers, even the guards couldn’t help but follow him with a piercing gaze as he walked outside onto the sun-soaked field, showing off the brand spanking new, bright blonde shoulder-length locks that now sprouted from his crown.
Percival looked over to where his friends were and spotted Leon and Elyan resting against a log, facing away from him, chatting amongst themselves and watching Arthur and Gwaine argue, again. That was a regular occurrence, and the rest of the knights had learned to not take it seriously, almost ignore it. Gwaine was shaking his head in such a way to make his dark, tousled hair fall on his shoulders, and he placed a hand on Arthur’s shoulder which the prince shrugged off. Not a good sign, then, and Gwaine decided to lift his sword and pull his signature move, twisting and flicking his wrist in such a way to make the sword spin effortlessly in his grip.
Gwaine had his back to Percival. Now was Percival’s chance. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Merlin had followed him onto the field, and he winked at Percival, already anticipating this to be an event he couldn’t miss.
He strode past his friends, who went silent as Percival did so, picked a sword from the bench and headed towards Arthur and Gwaine. The prince clocked Percival over Gwaine’s shoulder, and frowned, his whole expression one of confusion, and loudly exclaimed, “What?”
Before he could continue, Percival prodded the blade into Gwaine’s back. “How about you and me, little man?”
“Ha! Percival, I’ve put you on your arse already today, do you want to have it handed to you agai-”
As Gwaine turned, his voice seemed to stop working. Percival watched Gwaine’s eyes comb over his face and look to the soft blonde waves tumbling from Percival’s crown. He fought against all his might to change his stance, to blow the hair out of his face. Instead, Percival plastered a grin onto his expression, knowing he’d achieved in his task of throwing Gwaine off kilter.
“So, let’s have it!” Percival noticed the other knights had joined them, so he withdrew slightly from Gwaine, prompting the others to move back, before he pointed his sword at Gwaine again. “How about it?” For extra flair, Percival finally drew attention to his new mane and swished his new locks, imitating Gwaine, and Gwaine’s eyes narrowed.
“You think this is funny?” Gwaine pulled his sword from the scabbard on his belt.
“I don’t know what you mean!” Percival swiped Gwaine’s sword away and flicked his tresses in such a way all the knights around them laughed under their breath.
Percival and Gwaine circled each other, and Percival acting cocky, imitating Gwaine as well as he could. He noticed Merlin sat, pretending to clean the shields on the side whilst watching, and Percival saw his moment.
“Hey Merlin! Look at me!” Percival flicked his hair towards Merlin. “Look at me in a duel!” He parried a lunge from Gwaine and could see that he’d hit a nerve.
From behind him, Percival heard the other knights laughing, at him or with him, he wasn’t sure, but he could see Gwaine’s confusion morph into frustration. Clearly, he had clocked onto what Percival was doing.
“This has Merlin’s name all over it,” Percival heard Elyan mention from behind him.
They duelled for a while, slashing, dodging and stabbing, no malice from either man, Gwaine not winning favour with anyone whilst Percival’s hair was drawing all the attention. The knights gathered, including Arthur, as did squires, stable hands, maids and servants. They all wanted to see, and fathom, what was happening before them.
Gwaine thrust again and Percival swiped it away, choosing this time to showcase what he’d practiced.
Percival perfectly mimicked Gwaine’s spin of his wrist as the sword spun in his grip.
Gwaine stopped abruptly. Percival heard cheers and laughter from behind him.
“Bloody hell!”
“Kept that up your sleeve, Perce!”
“You better watch out now, Gwaine!”
Percival began to showboat, arms out, wide grin plastered on his face. “Where’s the princess to see me now?” He turned his back to Gwaine, which turned out to be a slight error of judgement, as he felt a shoulder barge into his back. A quick look over his shoulder revealed Gwaine, swordless preparing another blunt-force-trauma attack.
“Percival! You stole my moves!”
Another barge, but this time Percival was ready and he stood still, taking the full hit as Gwaine was catapulted backwards.
“As you can see, little man,” Percival punctuated with another swish of his blonde curls, “that isn’t all I’ve copied.”
They grappled hand to hand for a moment, until Percival saw Gwaine’s expression change from frustration into downright anger, and he held the smaller knight at arm’s length with both hands on his shoulders.
“Now, you see, Gwaine,” Percival said as Elyan pushed Gwaine away from Percival, trying to calm him down, “you can grandstand for so long, but if someone, or something, catches you off your guard, who knows what will happen.”
Gwaine tried to push past Elyan, but the knight pushed back and shook his head. “You need to cool off, Gwaine, it was a neat joke from Percival, but that’s all.”
Gwaine snorted and brushed Elyan’s hands off him. He exhaled loudly, breathing out the pent up anger coursing through his frame, and looked at Percival for a moment. Elyan was ready to step in, and Percival saw Merlin approach, also on call to help if Gwaine blew up, but instead, he simply puffed out his cheeks and shook his head. Gwaine held his hand out with a small smirk on his face.
“This is a neat trick, to be fair,” Gwaine chuckled, “There aren’t many who can catch me out like you did.”
Percival clasped his forearm with a soft and grateful smile on his lips, the gesture a truce.
“But good grief, cut that off you look ridiculous.”
The taller knight barked a laugh. They let go of each other. The crowd around them dispersed as they sensed the antics were over.
“Please, Gwaine, all I ask is for you to stop showing off so much. You never know who might get the better of you.”
“But my hair is still-”
“Attached to your head, for the time being,” Merlin put in, appearing beside Percival. “Keep acting like an arse and you might find it lying on the pillow beside you one morning.”
Gwaine let out a small squeak; clearly the mere concept of hair-loss was enough to frighten him into submission.
“Duly noted.” Gwaine looked at Percival. “Sorry for being a tosser.”
Percival shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t be. It lead to this, and I haven’t had this much fun in ages!” He looked to the side and winked at Merlin. “But it would make training a lot easier and more fun without your showing off.”
“Well, you see, that’s just a part of my charm, I’m afraid. I don’t think that’s stopping any time soon.”
A loud groan erupted from Percival before he could stop it, and Merlin elbowed him in the ribs. “At least tone it down a little, yeah? Just…” Percival didn’t know how to word it eloquently, so he didn’t. “Just don’t be a dick.” He was happy for a truce, but something still needed to change.
“All right,” Gwaine acquiesced, “but I’ll still wind up the princess something chronic, or do I need your permission for that?” This time, Gwaine winked at Percival, and he could tell they were on good terms.
“Be our guest, Gwaine,” Merlin smiled and hooked an arm around Percival’s waist smoothly as Gwaine walked away.
“I think that worked,” he added.
“Well, we can only wait and see,” Percival returned his lover’s smirk and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Now, please, can we get rid of this?” Percival shook his head to move the hair out of his eyes. “It gets everywhere! I don’t know how Gwaine copes…”