Chapter Text
Since he was a baby he’s been seeing the red strings. On everybody’s fingers, his own. His mother said he used to reach out at nothing, twisting his fingers in the air. She hadn’t realized until he was five when with wide eyes he asked, “Mummy what are the red strings?” She had explained carefully that everybody had a string that was attached to the person they were destined to be with. She had also promised that when he turned fifteen she would tell him more but for now Niall was not to touch any red strings and not to mention that he saw them.
Of course, everybody would talk about their parents telling them about fated red strings and those special individuals who could see them. No one knew much about it all though at that time. It was all rumours of things they’d heard while eavesdropping on their parents. On Niall’s fifteenth birthday his mother sat him down and explained that he could more than just see the strings, he could change them. Cut them, tie loose ends to each other. He had the power to change fate. Niall took that responsibility very seriously. He marvelled at the red strings that stretched out of Niall’s sight and he saw others that were right next to each other. He never touched them though, he never interfered either.
When Zayn and Louis found out in tenth grade they began bombarding Niall with questions. Did he know who his red string led to? Zayn’s? Louis’? After they had quieted Harry whispered carefully that he could see them as well. Niall was shocked because he had been looking for years at the string on Harry’s left hand, tied tightly around his pinky, leading directly to the one on Louis’ right. From then on the two had a stronger friendship with each other than with the other boys. They understood what it was like to able to see all these people, some of them holding hands as their string got tangled by the proximity. Other’s kissing someone when their strings led far away, sometimes their strings only led a couple seats over, that was infinitely more heartbreaking. Harry told him about the time when he had accidentally cut someone’s string. He was six or seven, unlike Niall’s mother Harry’s had not told him that he shouldn’t touch the strings. She explained, from the moment Harry told her, what they were and what he could do with them, to them. One day in first grade Johnny Rosen had pushed him down on the playground and kicked dirt in his face. Being a child, in his anger he’d ripped the fragile string. Johnny clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground in pain. Harry immediately regretted what he’d done but it was too late to go back. He always kept a watchful eye on Johnny, even now. Looked guiltily at the short string dangling from his finger, the end dragging next to him wherever he went.
By the time they had all graduated Louis had bugged Harry so much one night about who his string was attached to, the curly haired lad blurted out, “It’s attached to me you idiot!” And as they say, the rest was history. The other end of Zayn and Niall’s strings had yet to appear. They all went to Uni and studied a lot but they maintained meeting at a coffee shop every friday afternoon to talk. Zayn began dating some guy that he was ecstatic about. After four weeks of hearing about how perfect this so called Liam was Zayn finally said he was gonna bring him the next friday. He’d pulled Niall aside and asked him if when he met Liam he would tell Zayn if their strings were attached. He claimed Harry was too full of the fate is fate bullshit and Zayn wanted to know if this guy was who he was destined to be with. Niall agreed but god, he wished he hadn’t.
When the friday rolled around the three of them waited impatiently for Zayn and his boyfriend. Niall had been typing something on his phone and didn't realize they had arrived until a voice from above him spoke.
“Hi, m’Liam.” Niall looked at the man in front of him, his eyes going down to Liam’s pinky finger where a red string was tied, he realized all too soon that Liam’s red string did not in fact lead to Zayn’s hand, it led to Niall’s. The blonde looked up at Liam again, blue eyes wide in panic before he looked to Harry who was staring back. They knew, they could see what no one else could, and they couldn’t tell anyone. Zayn really liked this guy, It wouldn’t be fair to tell him that their strings were not tied and he had actually just introduced Niall to what was suppose to be the love of his life.
When everyone was leaving Zayn bumped into Niall as they all walked back to the university's dorms together.
“So?” Zayn looked expectantly, waiting for Niall to tell him if Liam was who he was destined to be with.
“Zayn…” He looked at his friend and for a moment, he wanted to lie. Tell him that them being together was all part of the universe's plan, but he couldn’t. It was cruel because he knew that fate would intervene eventually and put them with who they were really meant for. “They don’t lead to each other.” He watched his friend’s face fall, disappointment and sadness clear as day.
“Oh. That’s- I guess that’s fine. Can you… Can you see who his leads to?” That was the big question wasn’t it. Did Niall say that him and Liam were connected? He didn’t in the end. Told Zayn he had no idea. He expected Zayn to end it, tell Liam that they could never work in the end. He didn’t though either in the end. Now, a few years after Uni. Niall was Liam’s best man at his and Zayn’s wedding. It was a cruel horrible trick the universe was playing on him right now. Harry encouraged him to tell Liam and Zayn but Niall couldn’t do it and Harry stayed quiet.
An hour before the wedding Louis popped his head into Liam’s room and told the blonde that the other groom needed to see him immediately. Niall walked in and Zayn was on him in a second.
“I need you to do something for me.” He nodded his head cautiously. “I need you to break fate. I know you said you never wanted to but there’s no way Harry would be okay with this and I just love Liam so much. I can’t stand the thought of fate fucking that up some day. It’s like I’m just waiting for the day when the person he’s really suppose to be with comes strolling in.” Niall wished he could point out the irony here.
“Does Liam know you wanna do this?” the blonde questioned.
“Sort of, I can’t technically see him because Harry is standing guard ya know the whole grooms can’t see each other thing but, can you talk to him about while I figure out a way over there? Please Niall I just,” He gripped his hair and a tear rolled down his cheek, “I need to know that nothing’s gonna pull us apart.” Niall said he would talk to Liam but he was making no promises as of right now.
When he got back to the other man of the day it was in the middle of a tie related freak-out, (“Niall listen this tie is all wrong I picked the wrong tie I need a new one right now.”). Niall sat him down and explained what Zayn wanted to do. Liam knew about Niall’s ability and about his and Zayn’s strings.
“Wow. Uh, ripping the strings? And tying them together? You can do that?”
“Theoretically, yeah.” Niall knew he could, he’d heard about it, seen strings out in the world that had obviously been changed from who they originally were going to.
“I just, I don’t know if I can do that. What about the person my string is attached to?”
“They’ll feel a little bit of pain but, they can still find someone out there who’s right for them.”
“But, we’re meant for eachother, fate has a plan and now Zayn just wants to screw it all up. How many people would that end up affecting? I just don’t know.” Liam rubbed his forehead. “What would you do Nialler? Would you cut your string to be with someone who you wanna spend the rest of your life with when you don’t even know if you’ve met the person you are destined to be with.” Niall took a deep breath. He could have a lot of influence right now, could tell Liam that he shouldn’t do it, hell Niall could refuse to do it all. But if Liam was on board one look with his puppy eyes and Niall would do anything. So here he was, at a crossroad. Does he put his best friends happiness before his own? Or does he tell Liam to wait for destiny, so he could eventually be with his true love.
“Do it Liam, you two love each other so much and, there’s always hope Liam, always.” Niall nodded his head firmly as Liam’s eyes began to fill with tears.
“But what about Zayn’s string? What about that person? He’s destined for someone else I don’t want to take him from them.” Niall sighed heavily. Unfortunately, he had a very simple solution for this one.
“You can’t tell him we told you, he didn’t want you to know but, he called me and Harry about two years ago and said he felt this horrible pain. We rushed over and,” Niall paused, the memory was an awful moment for them all. “His string had been cut. The other person or someone else had cut their string. Destiny has already been ruined for Zayn.” Niall saw it in the brown eyes he’d grown to love over the years, Liam had made a choice,
When he had the groom's gathered he explained to Liam that this would hurt, a lot. as he twisted the red string connecting himself and the brunette he almost didn’t do it. Twirling his whole destiny between his fingers and he didn’t know if he could bring himself to ruin that tie. He grabbed the string with both ends, ready to pull it apart when he felt a warm pair hands on his own. He looked into chocolate eyes and nearly sobbed.
“Do you- do you know who it’s tied to? The other end?”Liam whispered, so quietly he was sure he didn’t want Zayn to hear this. In all their years of friendship, Liam had never once asked. Niall had been thankful that he’d never had to lie to Liam about this one thing.
“Yeah, I do.” Niall replied solemnly.
“Are they nice? Do you think I could fall in love with them?” Liam sniffed and as did Niall.
“Ya know Li, I think you could. But I don’t think either of you could get past the guilt of hurting Zayn like you’re thinking about doing.” tears fell from the boy’s eyes.
“It’s you, isn’t it? You’re who I’m really meant to be with.” Niall let his tears fall. splashing onto the ground. He pulled on the string and felt a pain so deep in his chest he thought for a second there was no way he would survive this. Until he did. He pulled himself up and looked into the horror on Liam’s face, the utter pain. He took the two ends of Zayn and Liam’s strings and knotted them together. He tied until he was sure it couldn’t be undone and then he left the two to themselves.
At the wedding Harry looked at Niall and the two grooms curiously and the blonde knew he had seen the tied strings and Niall’s own dangling one. When he got a chance he pulled Niall aside.
“Why did you do that? Why didn’t you just let things happen how they were suppose to? Why- why would you hurt yourself like this?” Harry questioned he looked like he felt sorry for Niall.
“He would have always worried about Zayn. Would have felt guilty. He’ll be happy with him Harry, they both will. Yeah I love Liam. And that’s just it, I love him enough to let him go so he can be much happier. Even if it is at the risk of my own. He’s happy Harry, he’s with who he’s destined to be with now.”
“Yeah but he used to be destined for you.” Niall didn’t reply. He waved with everyone else as the newlyweds stepped into the limo that would take them to the airport. Liam and Niall’s eyes met and it was like Liam was begging the blonde to take it back. It was too late though. Niall had changed fate, there was no undoing that.