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“C’mon, man, you’ve gotta help me out,” Gwaine’s voice pleads across the phone. “Elena’s birthday is in three days and I have zero ideas. You know what you get when you divide three by zero? A fucking error, that’s what.”
Percival sighs. “Did you try asking her what she wants?”
Gwaine’s laugh is not the pleasant, light-hearted sound that has been known to make Percival’s heart jump in his chest, but the bitter laugh that Percival tends to hear far too often lately. “First she said she didn’t need anything, and then when I pressed her, she just sighed and said ‘surprise me.’ If I knew how to do that, I wouldn’t have asked!”
“You could surprise her by making a big deal about getting a gift and then showing up with nothing,” Percival suggests, not hiding his annoyance very well. Normally he wouldn’t mind a day out with Gwaine, in fact it would be something he’d look forward to. But a day focused on Gwaine and his girlfriend doesn’t appeal to him nearly as much.
He quite likes Elena, really. He can see why Gwaine likes her. She’s as carefree and irreverent as Gwaine, and unlike Gwaine, she knows when to turn it off. If Percival had any interest in ladies, Gwaine would probably have competition.
As it is, his interest lies only with men, and currently, one man in particular. Which is exactly why he wants out of this day of birthday present shopping. He can handle spending time with Gwaine and Elena together, because Elena is quite lovely, and for whatever reason they aren’t obnoxious with public displays of affection. Percival wonders at that, because Gwaine is always demonstrative about everything he does, but perhaps it’s Elena’s preference.
It’s the idea of seeing Gwaine all day but being constantly reminded that they can’t be together that he just can’t get past. He knows it’s jealousy, and that he should be better than that, which is the main reason he finally caves and agrees to go shopping with Gwaine.
***
They meet up in the park, which seems an odd choice for shopping, but Percival doesn’t argue.
“I rented us some bikes,” Gwaine says as Percival approaches, answering the question he hasn’t yet had a chance to ask. “I thought a bit of riding might help clear my mind for some good birthday ideas.”
“I think your mind is already as clear as it gets,” Percival shoots back, but a bike ride sounds like fun, so he turns away from Gwaine’s answering punch to his shoulder and takes the second bike.
They find the most challenging trail in the park and immediately begin racing each other. Every time Gwaine pulls even with Percival, he does something ridiculous to make Percival laugh and distract him for a moment or two. Percival doesn’t mind, really, because he knows he has plenty of time to catch up.
Sure enough, Gwaine wears himself out before the end, slowing to a lazy pace as Percival breezes by to the bike trail’s exit.
“The finishing line… was back there,” Gwaine argues, panting and exaggerating his need for water as he unscrews the bottle. “Didn’t I say? That’s definitely… the only reason… I let you pull ahead.”
“Drink your water,” Percival says, cuffing him on the back of the head before reaching for his own bottle of water.
As they move to return their bikes, Percival takes a deep breath and says, “So, probably to the shops now, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Gwaine says distractedly, checking his phone. His face lights up after a moment and he says, “Oh my god, the new Captain America movie is already out. We have to go see it.”
Percival can feel his heart racing. He loves going to the movies with Gwaine, especially for something he really wants to see. Gwaine has a way of picking out all sorts of amazing details from the background and recounting them after the movie. But as much as he wants to say yes, he knows Gwaine is just procrastinating. “Yeah, maybe. After you find Elena’s birthday present.”
“Right,” Gwaine says, deflating. He stays fairly quiet as they start walking in the direction of the shops, until they approach a food cart.
“Oh man, I am starving. C’mon, let’s see what they’ve got.”
Percival sighs and orders a hot dog. He is admittedly pretty hungry, but he would’ve felt better if they’d made it to the shops before getting food.
They spend the rest of the walk debating over the quality of food from carts. Percival doesn’t mind it, but he prefers food from a restaurant if given the choice. Gwaine, however, is convinced that food just tastes better if you get it from a cart.
“Still, there’s some kind of special flavor or something that seems to enhance the food when you get it on the go.”
“Yeah, it’s called e coli,” Percival responds, laughing at the face Gwaine makes at him. He keeps the argument going more from a desire to keep Gwaine’s good mood up than any strong feeling about the food.
When they finally make it to the shops, Percival starts by suggesting the jewelry store.
Gwaine pulls a face. “Nah, man, she’s not really a fan of anything flashy.”
“So don’t get something flashy.” Percival wraps a hand around Gwaine’s arm and urges him toward the store. He’s by no means an expert on girls, but from what he’s heard, girlfriends tend to appreciate the effort when their boyfriends get them jewelry.
He points out a few things inside, when Gwaine looks completely lost. He thinks about Elena and the couple of accessories he’s seen her wear, then looks for something similar that she might be willing to wear every day.
“I really don’t think this is the place,” Gwaine insists after a few minutes. “I only let you manhandle me in here because it was fun for me.”
Percival carefully looks away from Gwaine’s leer, wishing not for the first time that Gwaine didn’t have to flirt with everything that moves. “Fine,” he says, a bit harshly. “You’re the one that said you had zero ideas. I’m just trying to help.”
“I know, Perce. I appreciate it,” Gwaine says softly, laying his hand on Percival’s arm. This casual gesture makes Percival feel even worse, because this time it isn’t even intentional. “Let’s just try somewhere else, yeah?”
Percival nods and stalks out of the shop, putting some distance between himself and Gwaine.
Next they walk through a bookshop, a record store, and a store with way too many scented things. Percival has to leave the last store because it gives him a headache. Gwaine stays inside for a couple of minutes, and Percival hopes despite himself that he’s finally making a purchase. Gwaine comes out soon, though, pocketing his phone but otherwise empty handed.
“Can’t you just pick something?” Percival finally asks, unable to hide his annoyance any longer. He’s suggested so many things, working hard to think of Elena’s interests even though Gwaine should really know her better, and Gwaine has shot down every one of them.
“I want it to be just right,” Gwaine insists. “Let’s try the next store, I’ve got a good feeling about it.”
Percival shakes his head. “You had a good feeling about the past three stores too. Whatever perfect thing you’re looking for, it’s pretty obvious that I’m not any help in finding it.”
He’s already taken a couple of steps back when Gwaine says, “No, Perce, c’mon. I need you here. Moral support, y’know?”
Percival rolls his eyes, frustrating boiling over. “I think we both know you don’t need me. Just think about what your girlfriend likes and fucking choose something. She’s not going to hold it against you if you just think about her in the choosing.”
“Oh my god, Elena was right,” Gwaine says, his eyes wide. He takes a couple of steps toward Percival before delivering the blow, “You’re jealous.”
Percival feels his chest tighten, and he feels himself denying it before he can even think. All this trouble he’s gone to to keep up the facade, so he won’t ruin his and Gwaine’s friendship, and still they end up here. Gwaine has a strange grin on his face, though, which tells Percival he’s more amused than angry, so he can probably talk his way out of this. “Look, I’m not trying to get in the way of anything. I’m just saying, I’m not gonna be any help in getting Elena a gift, because she’s your girlfriend. You know her a lot better than I do.”
Gwaine’s grin just gets wider, and he keeps moving further into Percival’s space. “There’s nothing to get in the way of,” Gwaine finally says, reaching out to pull at Percival’s sleeve.
“What?” Percival asks, his mind clouded by Gwaine standing so close with such an intent look on his face.
“Is this why you keep turning me down every time I ask you out?”
The question makes absolutely no sense to Percival. “What?”
“Elena and I are not romantically involved. At all. Not even a little bit.”
“You… but… you guys go out all the time!”
“Yeah, as friends. Usually I ask her after you say no because I don’t fancy going out by myself, but that doesn’t make her my girlfriend.”
“I always thought I would be the third wheel if I said yes,” Percival says, a bit dumbfounded by this revelation. He’s putting together the pieces in his mind, and he keeps coming back to Gwaine’s hand warm against his arm.
Gwaine heaves a put-upon sigh. “I can’t believe I’ve been trying so hard for so long and all this time—”
Percival doesn’t let him finish that thought, because he’s finally finished processing this and figured out that Gwaine actually likes him. It hasn’t just been mindless flirting. So he finally stops wasting time on thinking and kisses the rest of Gwaine’s sentence away.
Gwaine responds in earnest, apparently not caring that they’re in public as he bites at Percival’s lower lip and his hands move over Percival’s body.
Percival can’t quite find the willpower to stop him, at least not until they’re interrupted by a loud throat clearing as a group of people walk by.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. How’s it going?” Gwaine says, grinning widely in answer to a woman’s glare. His right hand is still completely underneath Percival’s shirt.
“Maybe we can get back to this later,” Percival suggests when the group has moved on. Gwaine moves in to kiss him one more time, the action full of promise, but he doesn’t linger.
“Okay, later,” he agrees. “Can we go see Captain America now?”
Percival nods dumbly, not trusting his voice at the moment. Gwaine grabs his hand and leads the way, the two of them grinning like idiots.
“Wait, what about Elena’s birthday gift?” he remembers to ask just before they get to the queue at the ticket window.
“Oh, I’m just getting her the Hamilton soundtrack,” Gwaine says.
“American politics?”
Gwaine raises his eyebrows. “You haven’t heard it, have you?”
“Broadway shows aren’t really my thing,” he says skeptically.
“Well I know what we’re doing tonight,” Gwaine says.
“Do you?” Percival asks, pulling Gwaine in for another kiss, shifting a bit so he can grope at Gwaine’s ass for a moment before moving away.
Gwaine clears his throat. “I mean, I can be flexible,” he says with a cheeky raise of his eyebrows.
They reach the front of the line then, and Percival steps back to let Gwaine get the tickets.
On their way into the theater, it suddenly hits Percival. “Hang on, have you known what you were getting her this whole time?”
Gwaine grins sheepishly, and Percival shoves him. “Hey, I couldn’t ever convince you to come out with me anymore!” Gwaine explains. “I thought I had to have an excuse. I didn’t know it was just because of an imaginary girlfriend.”
“She’s not imaginary! You have to admit, the way you talk with her sounds like flirting.”
Gwaine looks at him in disbelief. “Anything you might call ‘flirting’ with Elena pales in comparison to how I talk to you! I’ve been pulling out all the stops for months, and you’ve never caught on.”
Percival can feel his face heating, and he’s grateful for the darkness of the theater. “I thought it was all in my head,” he admits, then pretends to scan for a good seat.
Gwaine decides for them and goes for some available seats in the middle of a row near the back. He waits until they’re seated to say, “I’m just going to say this once, and then we can stop talking about feelings and focus on hot men in spandex. I’ve been crazy about you for ages, and if I’d had any idea that I had a chance, I would’ve said so much sooner.”
“I wish you had,” Percival says, but he smiles as he takes Gwaine’s hand. Almost as if they’d planned it, the lights then begin to dim to start the movie. Percival moves in for one more kiss before the previews start, whispering, “But I’m glad we’re here now.”
They miss a couple of previews, but Percival hardly minds.
THE END