Work Text:
As a child, James found the concept of the red string of fate ridiculous. Invisible strings connecting people who were meant to meet, possibly meant to be more. What was the point if it was invisible? What did it matter?
As he grew up, his opinion changed. He asked his mother about it once and she told him after meeting his father, about the way the string between them reacted. She told the story with such love and fondness that James had no choice but to think his previous assessment had been wrong. Then he lost his parents and he didn’t want to think about the strings for a while.
At Fettes, he witnessed an incident where two boys met and the strings on their fingers glowed bright for several heartbeats before fading to a dim red glow. The boys were inseparable after that, even once the string faded back to it’s usual invisible state. Over time, he witnessed other meetings, and read about even more.
It wasn’t until the moment he met Alec Trevelyan that James realized he’d never actually paused to think about meeting the person at the other end of his red string. He’d always viewed the strings as a concept. An idea. Never something that was going to be a practical part of his own life.
“Well, I certainly didn’t expect that,” Trevelyan murmured as the string glowed bright red between them. “Bond, was it?”
James cleared his throat. “Yes. Bond. James Bond.”
Trevelyan smirked at him. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, James.”
Desire flared hot and bright in James’ chest.
“Likewise, Alec,” James replied with a smile.
It wasn’t long before James wondered how he’d ever lived without Alec in his life. But he didn’t think he’d have needed the string to feel that way.