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A warm breeze drifts through Niall’s open window, carrying with it a soft violin melody from the backyard. There’s chatter and laughter from all the loved ones gathered there, all dressed in suits and ties and pastel dresses that match the hundreds of flowers adorning the altar where, in less than an hour’s time, he’ll pledge his undying love to the man of his dreams.
Niall thinks he’s going to vomit.
“Sweetheart, you’re pale as a ghost,” Lou laughs, though there’s a hint of worry in her voice as she puts the finishing spritz on his immaculately styled hair. “You still with me?”
“Huh? Oh!” Niall has been staring blankly into the mirror, replaying the same scene over and over again in his mind. The scene of the impending ceremony, and all the things that could possibly go wrong. “Yeah, I’m…” he shakes it off, and attempts a smile. “I’m good.”
“Hey,” she says, giving his shoulders an affectionate squeeze and meeting his eyes in the mirror, “this is going to be one of the most beautiful days of your lives, darling. I’ve never seen two people more in love. Smile.”
Niall laughs, embarrassed, and smiles back her. His stomach is still churning and his heart is still fluttering like mad beneath his perfectly pressed white shirt, but he’s grateful for the reassurance.
He thanks her for everything, and she kisses him on the cheek before leaving the bedroom to get to her seat, closing the door with a click behind her.
Hair done. Shoes tied. Shirt tucked, bowtie in place, jacket buttoned. “Ready,” Niall says, looking himself over in the mirror. He glances at his watch.
“Fucking hell…”
With twenty minutes still to go Niall begins pacing his bedroom again, combing his hands over his face and willing himself to calm the hell down or you’ll sweat right through your tux and THEN imagine how stupid you’ll look…
He goes to the window and opens it a bit wider, inviting more fresh air, more music, more sunlight to wash over him and soothe his racing heart, when he hears the bedroom door open behind him.
Niall can't suppress a nervous smile as he says, “I’m all right, Lou, promise, just needed a bit of air…”
“Close, but not quite.”
There’s no mistaking Harry’s deep, warm rasp, and sure enough he’s standing right there in the bedroom when Niall turns around, looking more handsome than Niall could have ever possibly imagined.
“Harry, what in the world are you doing up here?!”
Harry grins, dimples and the crinkles around his green eyes nearly making Niall swoon. He closes the space between them, shushing Niall kindly and cupping his jaw in his hands.
“You didn’t think I was going to let all those people down there see you before I got to, did you?” he laughs, leaning down to kiss Niall just on the corner of the mouth. Bad luck be damned, Niall blushes under the tender touch of Harry’s lips and reaches up to clasp his arms around Harry’s neck, kissing him right back.
When they finally break apart, Harry’s still smiling but there’s a hint of worry in his eyes as he runs his hands over Niall’s shoulders, over his arms, asking, “You’re shaking a bit, Ni… everything all right?”
“Yeah,” Niall exhales with such force, he’s sure Harry doesn’t believe it for a second. “I’m good, yeah. I’m just… God, I’m so nervous…”
Harry takes his hands, smoothes his thumbs across his skin, coos, “Why’re you nervous, babe?”
“Just…” Niall’s not exactly sure why, is the thing. He wants this more than anything in the world. Wants Harry, every bit of him, all his perfection, all his imperfection, for the rest of his life, and no one else. But he only gets one wedding. And he wants it to be perfect. “Bit o’ stage fright, I s’pose? Having to go out there in front of everyone we know…”
“Says the guy who literally plays to crowds of 20,000 people,” Harry smirks, and Niall busts out laughing. His racing heart is finally beginning to slow. This, he thinks, is exactly why he’s chosen Harry.
“Hey,” Harry says, still grasping Niall’s hands in his own, “I’ve got something I think might help. Close your eyes, yeah?”
Niall quirks an eyebrow, wondering what Harry could possibly try to pull this close to their walk down the aisle. But Harry gives him a stern look, and a joking, “I’ll still be here when you open them, promise,” so Niall obliges, and lets his eyes fall shut.
Blind, he hears a rustling, like Harry is pulling something from his jacket pocket.
“Niall, I know we’re about to go out there and take vows, like you said, in front of God and everyone we know, but… but I want to be sure before we do that. I want to vow to you here… here and now… when it’s just the two of us.”
Niall starts a little when Harry retakes his hand, and opens his fingers, palm-up.
“Oh… Okay,” Niall responds, with a nod of the head.
“Everyone keeps saying this is going to be the best day of our lives, but… but I think the best day of mine was the day you said yes,” Harry continues, and Niall’s lips begin to curve into a smile at his gentle words. “Niall, I could not be more humbled that a man as incredible as you has chosen to settle down with little ole me,” he chuckles, and Niall feels something cool, like a piece of metal, being set in the palm of his hand.
“And I vow to you right now, I will love you, always and forever, through sickness, and health, and through—”
“Harry,” Niall suddenly laughs, a combination of nerves and elation and pure, unadulterated love bubbling up inside him, “this is all very beautiful, and I vow the very same, but you know we didn’t hire this priest so you could do his job for him.”
There’s a sweet, embarrassed huff from Harry and Niall knows he’s biting his bottom lip and blushing, and when they’re both a giggling mess, he stammers, “Anyway, can I open my eyes yet or what?”
“Oh! Oh, geez, yes, go ahead… open.”
Niall does, and he looks down into the palm of his hand to see a ring. Not the golden bands that he and Harry had picked out together, but a silver band with signs of wear, threaded onto a pliable black string.
“My mum gave this to my stepdad, when they got married,” he says, quieter now.
Niall brings the ring closer to his eyes, taking in every detail as Harry speaks.
“The engravings go all the way around,” he says, and Niall turns the band to see a continuous looping design carved right into the silver, “to signify infinity.”
Niall’s breath catches in his throat, and he’s nearly too overwhelmed to speak. “Harry—”
“It’s too big for you,” Harry interjects, placing a hand on Niall’s upper arm, “but my mum had it strung, and she wants us to have it. Wants you to have it. Because that’s what he would’ve wanted, she says.”
He reaches for Niall’s bowtie and pulls it loose, and undoes the first few buttons of his shirt, then gently takes the ring from Niall’s hands.
“If you’ll wear this today,” he says, placing the loop around Niall’s neck, “then you’ll feel it here, against your heart,” he smoothes his fingers across Niall’s chest, where the ring falls to rest, “and you won’t need to be nervous. Because you’ll know I already said yes. And so did you. And all that love our parents gave us… we get to give to each other now. And then, to our children, and… yeah,” he breathes.
Niall touches his fingers to the silver band once again, and when he can’t come up with the words to tell Harry just how much this means to him, he’s throwing his arms around Harry’s neck once again and kissing him, hoping that Harry feels every bit of gratitude and adoration and love that Niall has for him, and will have for him. Today is only the beginning.
They pull apart, and when the violins below begin a new melody, Niall knows they only have minutes, now. They fumble with Niall’s buttons and bowtie, laughing like teenagers as they hurry to tidy themselves back up, wipe away a few stray tears, and prepare for day one of the rest of their lives.
When everything is set, Harry gives Niall’s hands a final squeeze before backing slowly out of the bedroom.
“I’ll see you,” he whispers, with a dimpled smile and a glimmer in his eye.