#henlo percvial and gwen being sewing buddies is extremely important to me

[donttouchtheneednoggle]

Cross-stitch and Coming Out

yes i made percival trans as well 😌

”Gwen?”

Gwen was walking past the knights’ corridor with a basket of sheets when she heard her name being called.

She turned to see Percival poking his head out of his room, looking harried. "I'm sorry, do you have a minute?" her brother’s partner asked anxiously.

Gwen smiled and walked back to him. "Of course, what’s up?"

He beckoned her into his room and picked up a square of white fabric, beautifully embroidered with all manner of bugs: butterflies and dragonflies and ladybirds, but also snails and spiders and wasps. "I was hoping Elyan would wear it as a favour in the tournament next week," he said shyly.

Gwen grinned. “The one he’s competing against you in?”

“Mhm,” Percival said happily.

She chuckled. "I'm sure he'd love to." She took it from him, marvelling at the careful stitching. Amazed how someone so big could've made something so delicate. "It's beautiful."

"Am I going to have to start again?" he asked worriedly, pointing to a tangle of thread on a half-finished bee.

"Of course not, I can fix it." She couldn't help grinning as her eyes fell on a particularly leggy spider. "You know most people would find this horrifying right?"

Percival was unabashed.  "Elyan isn’t most people."

Gwen beamed at that. "No he is not." She took a needle and got to work unpicking. "Who taught you how to do this?" she asked, curious.

Percival hunched his shoulders a bit. "My mother," he answered quietly.

"Oh," Gwen said softly. She didn’t know much about Percival’s life before Camelot, but she knew his family were no longer alive. “My mother taught me too," she offered in lieu of something appropriate to say. "She was a wonderful seamstress. I taught Elyan though, til... well, it wasn’t really his thing." She laughed a little.

Percival nodded solemnly. "Me neither. I was like him, see."

"Oh.” Gwen frowned. "But then why…" She wondered why he would go to all this trouble if he didn’t enjoy it.

Percival was looking significantly at her and she felt like she was missing something. "I was- am-  really like Elyan," he said, his voice meaningful.

Then it clicked. "Oh!" she said in realisation. "Right. That’s good." She nodded vigorously.

 "Yeah?" Percival asked hopefully, a cautious smile on his face.

She smiled gently back. "It’s not bad, is it?”

He grinned. "No." His gaze fell on the handkerchief again. "I thought I hated sewing because people saw it as only as a woman’s skill, and- well. But after she died... it was all I had left of her. And... I don't know. I like it."

"Good for you!" Gwen encouraged.

"It's stupid that something so useful has a gender attached to it. I mean you're a blacksmith, aren’t you?"

Gwen chuckled. "When I can find the time, yes."

His eyes widened. "Oh I'm sorry! I’m keeping you!"

"No, you’re not!" She rushed to reassure him. "But..." she scrunched up her face apologetically and handed him the fixed handkerchief.  "I should be getting on. These sheets aren’t going to wash themselves."

He jumped up. “I’ll help you."

She was shocked. "You can't do that! You're a knight, and you’ve got to finish this!"

"You helped me," he returned. "And I've got til next week."

"You're a knight," Gwen repeated stubbornly.

"And I owe you," Percival repeated, folding his arms just as stubbornly.

Gwen sighed. "Fine. Finish the bee, and I'll be in the laundry room.“

Percival beamed at her again, and she couldn’t help but return it. "Ok. Thank you for your help."

He walked with her to the door, but before she left she gave him a quick one armed hug. "You’re good for him you know,” she said. “I worry about him less because I know he’s got you."

"Thank you my lady," Percival mumbled, ducking his head but she could see his smile.

She smiled too. "See you in a bit then."

He beamed at her. “Bye Gwen.”