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1.
Merlin was the only person in Kingsman who would praise Lancelot for his accosting skill. All the others treated Lancelot’s sweet words as one of the weapons for his task, so no one took those words seriously.
However, Percival had to feel pity for his colleagues. After all, they never had a chance to read Lancelot’s love letter which should be called “a real tragedy”.
Once in a Kingsman meeting, Lancelot who sat next to Percival slipped a pink note into the space between Percival’s hands and the desk when Arthur was asking Merlin something about the task-God knows what the fellow is thinking about!
After a 0.1 second hesitation, Percival decided to pretend that he didn’t notice the childish behavior. After all, they are having meeting instead of singing in the kindergarten-it would be another annoying story for how our noble Percival knew the singing part in ordinary kindergarten.
Percival graciously opened that pink note with cold composure until everyone left the conference room. When he saw the words on the note, he was stunned as the tongue was gotten by a cat. For a while, Percival cannot find any appropriate words to describe his current feelings.
『I am just love you so much that I am shy of saying so, Dear Perci.♥ 』
For the god’s sake, how good on earth is his accosting skill?
With a sigh Percival stood up. When he was leaving the chair, he caught the eyes of Lancelot who was leaning on the door and haven’t gone yet. The later proudly stirred up a smile. Before Percival completely understood, Lancelot jumped out of his sight happily.
2.
「Dear Perci, I noticed that you opened the last letter with a little frown. I thought maybe you don’t like the smell of flowers, so this time I used another paper. It smells like orange:P」
When Percival got the small letter paper in his new weapons, he lifted his eyebrows to Merlin with a rare graceless look which seems like asking for an explanation. To pretend he was innocent, the wizard of Kingsman shrugged to show that he had no idea why the letter appeared here either.
When Percival took his stuff and was ready to leave, he remembered something and turned back to Merlin. The scrupulous wordless knight asked the wizard about the weird mathematical question-Lancelot.
「Lancelot is an observant knight, right?」 Frowning.
「According to his performance on the interview and my monitoring these days, I believe he does have a good ability of outsight and analysis」 Merlin knocked his glasses with certain degree of confidence.
「But a good ability of outsight doesn't mean understanding how to maintain a relationship.」 Percival sighed.
「He has confessed his love?」 The wizard's expression changed more dramatic than a faceless man's face. He can’t help coming forward and staring at the pink orange letter in Percival’s hand.
「If you may call it so.」 Percival put the letter into his suit pocket.
It didn’t mean Percival was mean that he didn’t show Merlin the childish words. It was mainly because of the respect for Lancelot-if it was a real confession of love from Lancelot, a gentlemen should not reveal other’s affection to the public.
In addition, Percival didn’t believe Lancelot can write anything like a sincere confession of love at all. In fact, Percival tend to believe Lancelot was teasing him. Anyway, who would send pink note to confess his love? And then wrote a fruity letter to replenish his confession? And it was put in his new weapons.
Lancelot’s thinking pattern is totally different from the other knight’s and Percival himself. Percival couldn’t help thinking back to his previous relationships, but he cannot remember he had ever written any love letter as brazen, naive, or frivolous as this one.
Sure enough, Lancelot was teasing me. Percival smelled slightly and left the wizard’s anxious sight behind.
3.
"Percival, still wearing his robe, walked to the living room and picked up a counter-surveillance device to scan various corners of his home. In his memory, although Merlin used to sew GPS devices into the suits of the knights, Percival was always very disciplined and a model knight who regularly reported mission statuses. This made Merlin, who was always concerned about the safety of the knights, feel at ease.
So, theoretically, there shouldn't be anything invading Percival's privacy at home or on his person. He remembered that only the maverick Lancelot from the Kingsman knights would have GPS devices sewn into his suit by Merlin. The last time it was sewn into the lining of the suit, and the time before that, it was sewn into the fold of the collar.
In any case, Percival did not think that Merlin had installed any spying devices on him, but isn’t there a saying like this?
Never say never.
『Dear Perci, I noticed that you really like to eat baked potatoes. Would you like to taste my cooking next time? Also, I would like to receive a letter from Perci. PS. I like purple stationery. 』
Percival glanced at the light blue envelope and paper on the table. He couldn't figure out how Lancelot found out that he liked eating baked potatoes. Moreover, he didn't recall having a meal with Lancelot, let alone mentioning anything personal. Percival was not unwilling to share his preferences; Lancelot simply never asked.
Besides the possibility of being monitored, how else could Lancelot know about his preferences? Percival took off his glasses, wiped them, and seriously contemplated whether to apply for a transfer to Arthur, citing reasons such as being betrayed and harassed by colleagues."
4.
「How was Lancelot's childhood? 」
Merlin turned around. It’s rarely to see Percival, the calm and highly skilled colleague, inquire about others’ personal affairs. The knight who, once a mission was received, would immediately depart for preparations, was now staying at headquarters a surprising thirty-six hours before the mission. It seemed certain that there was some serious situation forcing him to delay.
Moreover, Merlin noticed that Percival, rarely seen with anything other than the lightweight and easily portable pen and lighter as assassination accessories, had taken an umbrella typically chosen by Galahad. According to Percival's usual preferences, he favored the compact pen and lighter for such tasks. It indicated that Percival might be facing some troublesome situation causing a slight deviation in his judgment – it must be a significant issue for Percival.
From Percival's question, Merlin obtained the answer.
Yes, for someone like Percival, who wouldn't bat an eyelash even if the sky fell, there must be a force at least on the level of a nuclear bomb to give him a slight shock and make him turn his eyes to see who the troublemaker was.
「Lancelot grew up in a happy and harmonious family – quite literally," Merlin paused, "If you want to know about his school life, I can tell you. Lancelot was basically a heartthrob, highly skilled in socializing. He was also an honors student, the captain of the rugby team, and the president of the science research club. He excelled in every aspect... 」
「Lancelot grew up in a happy and harmonious family – quite literally," Merlin paused, "If you want to know about his school life, I can tell you. Lancelot was basically a heartthrob, highly skilled in socializing. He was also an honors student, the captain of the rugby team, and the president of the science research club. He excelled in every aspect... 」
「Sorry? 」 Merlin looked at the departing colleague's back and couldn't help but ask in return. He didn't get an answer.
※※※
Percival boarded the high-speed train, waiting for the journey to his private plane. He reached up to massage his temples, feeling that his words just now might have been a bit too much. However, he couldn't entirely blame himself.
Sighing, Percival took out the latest "love letter" he had received earlier in the morning from the inner pocket of his suit – if it could still be considered a love letter.
『Dear Perci, write back to me, won't you? ♥ PS. I've prepared purple stationery for you. 』
Percival glanced at the lavender-colored paper attached to the reply, sighing once again.
5.
『Dear Perci, without mercy, our master Merlin sent me on a mission to British Columbia. Although the time difference isn't a barrier between us, your absence still makes me feel a bit lonely. I miss the days when I used to sit on your left!
Today, I arrived at the famous Robson Mountain. The morning sunlight reflects on the lake below. Its beautiful colors resemble the hues of your eyes. However, the morning lake water feels extremely cold, unlike the warmth of your gaze, dear Perci. How I wish you were by my side right now, admiring the magnificent beauty that the Creator has bestowed upon humanity.
Love, Lance』
Speaking of which, Percival couldn't quite understand why Merlin often complained and even slightly angrily expressed frustration at not being able to find Lancelot's whereabouts. Percival had lost count of how many times he received postcards from Lancelot in his private mailbox, and the messages tended to be overly artistic, unfortunately lacking in vocabulary and grammar.
Percival had seriously considered whether he should lend Lancelot the complete works of Shakespeare or a collection of works by English poets. However, he also pondered the dilemma of receiving sonnets from around the world in return.
Additionally, Percival was thinking that although he never cared much about any holidays, the holiday party animal Lancelot had been reminding him frequently for the past six months to attend the Christmas party at Lancelot's house. What surprised Percival was that the other knights had also received invitations and agreed to attend.
So, he couldn't refuse this time and had to think about what gift to bring. Percival considered that a world map or a globe might be a good option. After all, Lancelot's knowledge of geography seemed to be stuck in high school. Percival flipped the postcard over to look at the picture of the scenic landscape, featuring the beautiful Great Blue Hole of Belize.
Where on earth is Lancelot on his mission? This is truly one of the seven wonders of Kingsman.
+1
They were surrounded.
Even under immense pressure, Percival calmly calculated the slim chances of their survival and escape from this situation – the numbers were pitifully low. Percival couldn't help but muster a self-deprecating smile. He still had two boxes of magazines, and he was unsure of how many weapons his colleague had. Regardless, the combined firepower of the two of them would hardly be enough to get them out of this abandoned factory unscathed.
As for how they ended up in such a dire situation, Percival didn't want to dwell on it. The signal for support had been sent at least half an hour ago, but the reinforcements were yet to arrive. They had to prepare for the worst.
As the thoughts crossed his mind, the colleague crouched beside Percival, hidden under cover, turned towards him with a grin. Normally, when this guy showed emotions that were overly bright and enthusiastic, Percival found it strange and inexplicable, but now there was an inexplicable sense of reassurance.
The enemies had not found their hiding place yet, but in a few minutes, they would be forced into a gunfight.
A calm before the storm of life and death. Percival couldn't help but think so.
「It looks like our chances of getting out alive aren't very high, Perci. 」
The bespectacled man did not reply. He just silently glanced at his colleague.
「But at least, if we make it out alive, I'll be satisfied to spend my last moments with you. 」
Pause. He spoke without much kindness, 「What time is it, Lancelot? Save your energy instead of teasing me. 」 Rather than wasting words on sweet talk, they should focus on how to cause maximum damage or at least struggle for a few more minutes, waiting for rescue.
「I've never teased you, Perci. 」 Lancelot frowned.
「Lancelot, don't fool around. 」 Percival ejected the depleted magazine and loaded a new one – the last lifeline.
「I've always been serious, 」 like a child murmuring after being scolded, Lancelot voice carried a hint of grievance.
Percival turned to refute the statement of "always being serious" and compared it to the confounding and laughter-inducing "love letters," postcards, emails, and cards he had received over the past few months. Where could these two be equated?
But when Percival turned to meet Lancelot's gaze, he genuinely couldn't discern any trace of playfulness in his colleague's eyes.
So, could it be... it's all true?
Percival instantly experienced a psychologically inexplicable dizziness that even a doctor couldn't explain. As composed as Percival was, he immediately turned his head, retrieving his focus on defeating the enemies, but those confusing and laughter-inducing "love letters" played in his mind like a carousel.
Lancelot was the most ridiculous, patient, and persistent pursuer Percival had encountered in his life. Percival couldn't help but burst into laughter, feeling a sudden sense of clarity.
「Perci, if we make it out alive... 」
「Hmm? 」
「Would you date me? 」
Percival remembered that in wars, many wounded soldiers, on the brink of death, would confess to the nurses who were saving them, telling them they loved them or asking them to accept their dying proposals. It used to seem unimaginable, but now, at the border of death himself, Percival seemed to understand the vulnerability and helplessness of those soldiers' emotions.
However, if there was hope for survival, if there was a hope to endure until a miracle happened, then perhaps people could muster unimaginable strength.
「Perci? 」
「Sure. 」
Percival turned to glance at his colleague – at the same time, he heard the urgent footsteps of the enemies. They were about to be discovered. Lancelot also looked at him, an unusual expression of surprise appearing on Lancelot's face.
「I said, sure,」 the bespectacled man said softly, 「if we both make it out alive. 」 He smiled.
As long as there is hope, people will generate strength beyond their imagination, striving towards a faint hope.
Percival saw Lancelot confidently smile and, before Percival could react, Lancelot pulled him in the opposite direction. They moved shoulder to shoulder, back to back, generously using all the bullets they had to overcome any obstacles blocking their escape from the abandoned factory.
One of Percival's handguns had run out of bullets entirely; he discarded it. The other gun had less than seven bullets left.
Well, at least when they died, they would die together. Although it wasn't Percival's preferred way to die, there wasn't much to complain about.
In the blink of an eye, only four bullets remained in his hands. Unexpectedly, he found his gun pointed at an enemy, not having pulled the trigger yet, but the enemy's head exploded, and the enemy fell to the ground. Percival's gaze shifted from the fallen person to the broken glass window outside, and a curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
※※※
「So, you two are dating now? 」 The tone of the Kingsman magician carried a hint of incredulity.
「There doesn't seem to be any reason to refuse. 」 Shrugging, the composed knight was digesting the information of the new mission.
「Well... it's a good thing, I suppose. 」
Merlin thought for a moment. Kingsman didn't have any rules against office romance, so even if Arthur was dying to prevent Percival, whom he favored, from doing something foolish, it seemed to be too late.
「How many 'love letters' did Lancelot write to you? 」 The magician took a sip of hot tea, quite curious about it.
「Maybe a box? 」 The knight tilted his head in thought.
「A box of letters? 」 Well, that wasn't too extravagant.
「A 28-inch suitcase. 」 He shrugged.
Percival gracefully avoided the hot tea sprayed by the magician and briefly explained the status of the last mission report. Then he turned to leave Merlin's personal space, heading towards the high-speed train to leave.
During Christmas, when Lancelot joyfully unwrapped the gift and found a complete works of Shakespeare plus an antique and noble globe, he was genuinely a bit disappointed. But as long as the gift was a thoughtful gesture from Percival, he would accept it happily and worship it every day.
On the other hand, Percival was a bit troubled. As for this Christmas gift – a life-size Lancelot doll – where to place it in his home had become a new bothersome problem.