Chapter Text
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For as long as he can remember, Niall's been able to see the Shimmers.
His mum and dad are a deep forest green around the edges, and they're always brighter when they're together. His older brother Greg is a soft brown-gold, like a tiger's eye stone.
One of the neighbor kids is a deep fuschia color-which Niall thinks is a bit funny-and his mother's dulled around the edges, a light purple that faded to gray.
(Many years later, Niall will make the connection between her Shimmer and the deceased status of her husband.)
Up until sometime around the age of nine, Maura and Bobby Horan think the Shimmers are just figments of Niall's imagination. Then one day he off-handedly comments about them being 'brighter around each other', and Maura, looking into her youngest son's eyes, realizes he is telling the truth.
Greg stops teasing him about "being strange" the next day-and starts calling him shortie instead.
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In Niall's junior year of high school, the Horans move to England, and he meets Louis and Zayn.
"Hi!" The older boy proclaims loudly, plopping down across from the bottle blonde at his lonesome lunchroom table. "I'm Louis. You look new. Are you new?"
"Lou, mate, leave him alone," A black-haired male says, sitting down next to Louis. "Sorry bout him. I'm Zayn."
Niall blinks at them slowly, getting used to the glittering colors shading their bodies. Louis is a bright, almost playful orange that makes his eyes tingle. Zayn's a deep royal purple, relaxed and mellow.
Niall would bet anything that they are best friends.
"Niall," He says after a moment's pause. "Yeah, my family just moved here. I'm a junior."
"You're Irish!" Louis says delightedly. "Excellent, excellent. Welcome to hell, Niall. We're now friends."
"I don't think that's how it works," The bottle blonde says confusedly, and Zayn just chuckles, his Shimmer brightening briefly.
"With Louis? Yeah, it does."
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As it turns out, Zayn's right. He, Niall, and Louis all become fast friends.
Louis' older-a senior, while Zayn's a junior like Niall. They are next door neighbors, and have been friends since they were eight, when they discovered a mutual love for Power Rangers.
(Zayn looks embarrassed when Louis tells that story. The junior doesn't even know what the word embarrassed means)
Zayn's an artist, and is part of what he calls the 'cool jazz poppy choir' (their school also has what Louis calls the 'ballet classical bible opera' choir). Lou, on the other hand, seems vaguely popular, which is probably in part due to being one of the stars of the footie team.
Louis, upon learning Niall used to play for his middle school team back in Mullingar, tries to convince the blonde to join the team, but Niall wants to get settled first, so he tells Lou, "maybe next year".
Louis pouts at him, but eventually-three weeks later-excepts his decision.
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Three months into the school year, and Louis develops a crush on Eleanor Calder, a senior in their drama class.
"I'm going to ask her out," He says, mushing his hair into what he probably considers is a cool quiff.
Niall looks at her, confused, and says, "But she isn't orange."
Zayn and Louis stare at him.
"Well, of course she's not orange," Louis says slowly.
"Yeah, but YOU are," Niall says, pointing at him.
"What the hell, mate?" Zayn says.
Niall looks at Eleanor, blinking at the bright aqua lights. "She's blue," He says, frustrated. "Well, it's sort of a teal or aqua, but it's definitely not orange," Niall turns to look at Louis. "And YOU'RE orange. Bright, playful orange."
"Are you high?" Zayn looks amused.
"No," Niall says, running a hand through his hair. "Ugh, just forget it."
"No, c'mon Nialliantor," Lou says. "What are you talking about?"
Niall scrunches his nose up, and says, "My mum calls them soul colors. It's like...I see you glowing, glimmering, a color that represents you and...your soulmate has the same color. But the feel is different."
"What," Zayn says flatly.
"You probably think I'm insane now," Niall says.
Louis looks across the room at Eleanor, down at his hand, then back at Niall. "...what color is Zayn?"
Niall does a double take. "Wait, you believe me?"
"The world is full of strange things," Louis says solemnly.
"Like you," Zayn snorts, but he looks vaguely curious.
"Zayn's royal purple," Niall says slowly. "Relaxed and easy. Mellow."
Louis snickers. "Well, that makes sense."
Zayn shoves him in the shoulder. "Shut up, Orangie."
Niall grins.
"What color are you?" Louis asks when he's done pouting, and Niall holds his hand up to his face, tilting it.
"I don't know. I don't have a Shimmer."
"Huh," Louis says. "So you can't see your own 'soul-color'?"
Niall shrugs.
"So you can look at people and instantly tell who they're meant to be with, but you have to struggle just like the rest of us? That sucks," Zayn says.
"Yeah," Niall says, and that's that.
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Louis takes full advantage, of course.
"What color's she? What about that dude with the snapback? The old grandma? That banging chick in the corner, please tell me she's Louis-orange," He pleads a month after Niall told them about his 'gift'.
"Shut up," Zayn says, and punches him in the shoulder.
Niall shakes his head and says, "No, Lou, you don't match."
"You'd tell me if you found someone Louis-orange, right?" Louis peers at him suspiciously.
"Course, mate," Niall says, shoving chips in his mouth. "'ou 'oo, 'ayn."
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Zayn says, flicking Niall on the nose, and turns to Louis. "Why do you want to know, anyway? You'd still have to wine, dine, and woo them anyways."
"Yeah, but at least I'd be able to focus my attentions on one person, instead of wondering what-if," The senior frowns, casting his eyes across the Food Court of the mall. "You ever think about making a chart, Ni?"
"Tried when I was younger," Niall says after swallowing his food. "You wouldn't believe how many colors..."
"Nialler?" Louis says when Niall doesn't finish, staring straight ahead. The older boy follows his gaze, eyes landing on a pretty bleached-blonde sitting with three other girls. "What color?"
Niall blinks, rubs his eyes, and continues to stare. "Royal purple."
Zayn's head snaps up.
"Wait, seriously?" Louis complains. "You found Zayn's one true love before mine?"
Niall looks at Zayn, then back at the girl. "Apparently."
Zayn fidgets in his chair.
"Z, you should go talk to her," Louis encourages.
"What the hell am I supposed to say to her, Lou? 'Hi, I'm Zayn, and one of my best friends says we have matching soul colors. Wanna go out on a date?'"
"It doesn't hurt to try?" Louis shrugs, and looks over at Niall. "You're the expert here."
Niall can't stop staring. "I've never seen matching soul colors before. I mean, before they were together," He tries to explain.
"Helpful," Zayn says.
Louis looks at Zayn, then at the blonde chick, then back at Zayn.
"What?" The dark haired boy asks, sneaking a glance at the blonde female.
Louis pushes back his chair and starts to walk across the Food Court.
"Louis!" Zayn hisses after him, looking a little panicked, and Niall starts laughing his ass off.
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"Her name is Perrie Edwards," Louis announces when he returns ten minutes later, slapping a piece of paper in Zayn's hands. "And she thinks you're attractive as fuck. She wants you to call her."
Zayn sort of stares at him, then down at the slip of paper in his fingers. "Seriously, Lou?"
"Yep," Louis says. "And now you owe me."
"Well done, Loulou," Niall says, and slaps him a high-five.
Zayn's phone beeps. He stares down at it.
"Oh," Louis says. "I may have also given her your number, as well."
"I can't decide if I love or hate you right now," Zayn says, and flips open his phone to text her back.
Louis smirks, and turns to look at Niall. "You should totally make me your sidekick."
"Nope," Niall says, and gets up to take his garbage to the trash.