Gwaine watched from Lancelot's window as Leon, Percival, Elyan and Arthur rode away. Merlin walked into the forest to look for herbs for Gaius just after they left. Gwaine sighed and left the window. He looked around the large room. He still hadn't moved anything. No one had. Gwaine was sure he was the only person who had even gone into Lancelot's chambers since...
He walked around the bed, about to leave, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Under the bed, the corner of something black stuck out. Gwaine knelt down and pulled it out. It was a small black book. He recognised it as Lancelot's sketch book. He'd seen him drawing in it a few times. He remembered waking up early after sharing a bed with Lancelot for the night. He'd looked up and seen Lancelot sitting in a chair with the book and a quill, but he'd never actually seen any of the pictures. Whenever he asked, Lancelot would just say, "I'll show you later," which he never did, and kiss him before he could protest.
He leaned against the bed and opened to the first page. It was an unfinished drawing of a woman. There was writing beside it that said, "I miss you mum."
The next drawing was of a man. Next to it were the words, "I always thought you were too strong to ever be hurt. Don't worry, I haven't stopped looking up to you dad."
Next, were two girls, probably ten years old and almost identical. "I wish I could've saved you."
A boy, around sixteen, leaning against a tree. "The irony" was all that was written beside it.
A girl, around the same age as the boy on the last page, stood by a river, her long hair flowing out beside her as the wind blew it. "Best friends forever, right Jaida?"
The next page was a drawing of the castle. There was nothing written on that one.
Then Gwaine saw a familiar face. Dark hair, big ears, a bright smile. Merlin. "Keep proving them wrong."
Arthur was next, wearing a crown and looking proud. "Don't turn out like your father. You're too good for that."
Gwen stood in the streets of the lower town. Faceless people walked by as she looked out of the book, laughing. "Perfect for Arthur. Merlin would love someone else to keep his prattiness under control." Gwaine smiled at the note on that page. The first proper smile he'd had since Lancelot left.
Percival stood beside Elyan and grinned while Elyan glared at him and pouted. "Two of the best men I've ever had the privilege of meeting."
Leon rode Daybreak, a mare that may as well have belonged to him, through the forest. "A noble knight with a noble heart."
Next, Gwaine looked down at a picture of himself. He was grinning and holding up a tankard of mead. "I should probably be annoyed, but I can't stay mad."
The next page had a drawing of Faradei and Trinket in a field. Trinket was grazing while Faradei reared. "Sometimes it seems like they understand."
The rest of the drawings were of Gwaine. This time he was riding Trinket through a shallow stream. "Opposites attract."
Gwaine bowed and held out a flower, grinning. "Who would've thought he could be romantic?"
He was sitting in the windowsill again. "This must be his spot."
A simple drawing of him smiling and waving. "The best view in the castle."
The final drawing before the pages went blank, was once again of Gwaine. He was biting into an apple and looked like he'd been laughing. "He is my world."
Gwaine closed the sketch book and hugged it, wishing he could hold the owner instead, but the book was as close as he could get.
You were my world too.
And then Gwaine knew why he didn't leave Camelot. Why he didn't start travelling again. Why he hadn't been to the tavern or done anything stupid. Lancelot. He was so hopelessly in love that once Lancelot was gone, there didn't seem to be anything left for Gwaine. Instead, he just clung to the hope that one day, somehow, he'd see his knight again. He had to.
