I will give you my heart on a string (Narry)

I will give you my heart on a string

highway

When he gets his driving licence, he takes Niall on a long drive. The radio blares loud in the background, but Niall thinks Harry's laugh is louder, reverberating from his strong chest and filling the small car his parents had gotten him for his birthday. Open fields pass them on either side, blue skies clear well up to the horizon. Niall doesn't think he's ever seen his friend this carefree. Still, Harry shouts out a "Sorry!" when a dog runs across the highway just in front of their car. "Classic Styles," he tells the brunette with a snort, receiving a pinch on the bicep in return. They finish their whole stash of junk food and drink sweetened sodas out of cans until they're desperately on the lookout for toilets. Niall thinks it's a good day.

~

playground

He's six when the older boy with a missing front tooth steals his red dinosaur. Hot tears well up in his eyes, face turning redder by the second. Niall's close to throwing a tantrum when the dimpled boy from his class - the one with light brown hair that gradually grows darker and tangled over the years; and Niall's so glad he gets to see him grow - extends a hand to help him up. "We can share mine," he tells Niall once he's on his feet, wiping at the boy's tears with his own muddy fingers. "I'm Harry." And when Harry hands him his own plastic dinosaur, Niall's elated to find out that it's red as well.

~

prom

But Niall's favourite colour is green by the time they're both getting fitted into their suits. His tie is cornflower blue and Harry says it brings out his eyes. Harry, of course, looks dashing in his smartly cut black suit, shirt a crisp white and tie a lighter shade of charcoal. Niall's heart flutters when his best mate grins over at him while their mums take pictures, arms around each other as they stand on the steps leading to Harry's bedroom. The only thing that would make the night perfect would be if they were going to the prom together. As a couple. However, it wasn't so, but the leafy green of Harry's eyes was enough to sustain him for a while.

~

endurance

Harry's sat at the table in the centre of the school cafeteria, twirling Caroline's hair around his finger. She's giggling into his neck, her lips shiny with that flavour of lip gloss that Harry loves. Niall lets the canteen lady serve him excess helpings of the pudding until Louis shoulders him to get a move on, and he steps out of the line instead. The apple's the only thing on his tray that looks remotely appetising, so he bites into it as he sits down across from Liam at the corner table that seems to be pushed more towards the wall than the day before. Harry's just going through a phase, he tells himself. He'll come around and then they could go back to being joint at the hip again. But Harry's always been a sociable person and it's no wonder that he wants to make more friends. New friends. Niall thinks Liam's enough for now. Until Harry comes back.

~

ignorance

It's a week into uni and they're roommates. "She told me that the watchman's well drunk by twelve," Harry grins, sitting on the edge of the single bed and pulling up his boots. His hair is a little tamed now, tucked into a red and blue head rag. There's a light brush of stubble on his chin, and Niall thinks he wants to feel it against his cheek, his tongue. "Be careful," is all he tells Harry, flicking his eyes back to page 31 of his critical appreciation textbook. Harry blows him a kiss before exiting the dorm as he ventures out to sneak into the girls' dormitories. Cara's probably waiting for him.

~

bitter

The thing is, Cara's cool. She's witty and chatty and bubbly and everything Niall knows Harry wants in a partner. She's great to be around, and her body isn't the only thing that draws attention to her. Cara's so sweet to Niall, and he doesn't like it; doesn't like it at all. "I'm surprised he's not with you," she laughs one night when they're partying, nodding her head in Harry's direction. "Yeah," Niall murmurs, watching him flailing his arms in a crazy dance move before he takes Cara by the wrist and pulls her closer. "Yeah, me too."

~

innocence

They're nine when Niall comes down with fever. He's a sneezing mess under the covers, forehead so warm, warm, warm. His coughing racks his small frame, but his toothy grin is bright when Harry comes to visit him. "This little devil wanted to bake cookies for you. Did it all by himself," Maura tells her son as she enters the room as well. Niall doesn't say anything when he notices his mum and Harry sharing a secret smile. Later, when they're fourteen, Harry confesses to him that he thought he'd never see his best mate ever again. Niall's temperature gradually decreases as Harry tells him about the huge fish Robin says he caught in his college days. "Don't believe 'im," he whispers to Niall confidentially. When the two boys fall asleep with tangled limbs, no one bats an eyelash. Niall's convinced that the thrumming of Harry's heart against his ear was what drove his headache away.

~

lost

"She said yes," Harry breathes into the phone, and Niall can imagine him with bright eyes and a wide grin, dimples indenting in his smooth cheek. He brings Taylor over later that evening, and she has a beautiful ring on her finger. It's topaz. Harry's always wanted to propose with a topaz ring. "I'd been expecting diamond, but his begging brought me round," she tells Niall, and he's never felt so lost. He agrees to be the best man at their wedding. Harry's brightened eyes are worth it.

~

raw

Harry's sobbing into his chest, clutching the note with white knuckles. "But what if she was the one, Niall?" And he looks so broken, so vulnerable, Niall doesn't know what to say. Harry's bottom lip trembles, his eyes glossy and sharp at the same time - like shards of broken glass. He looks like he's supposed to. Like a man who's been left at the altar. Niall reaches into his collar, pulling out a chain. At the end of it is the crescent moon pendant Harry had given to him on Friendship's Day the year he was dating Caroline. "I'm not ignoring you, Niall. Girls are pretty, and they're soft and... I like them. But you're my one and only. You'll always be," he had told him, cupping his face and gazing at him with earnest eyes. "Remember what you said to me?" he whispers to Harry now. The boy - no, he's a man now - cracks a watery smile and only chuckles when Niall presses a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

~

heal

It's been two years since Taylor left him at the altar, and Harry tells Niall about how he had run into her in the metro on his way to work that morning. Niall stops stirring the curry in the pot, wooden spoon suddenly scalding his palm. "She's happy. She's pregnant, and she's happy." Niall's surprised to find that Harry doesn't sound bitter in the least. He leans back when he feels two strong arms encircling his waist, closing his eyes and resting his head on the hard chest. He feels Harry's warm breath against his ear, the rise and fall of his chest as steady as ever. "And what did you say to her?" he asks. The softest pair of lips press against his neck. "I told her I'm happy too," comes the humming reply.

~

relief

They are walking by the Thames, hand in hand. Niall shivers, and Harry draws him in, kissing the top of his wind ruffled blonde mop. The sky is overcast with dark, low hanging clouds and yeah, it's probably not the best day to be out on a walk. Niall's puzzled when Harry comes to halt, stepping in front of him with a certain anticipative gleam in his eyes. Niall can sense the nervousness, and he reaches up to cup Harry's cheek, studying him with concern etched onto his features. "Harry-" he begins, but the person in question is down on one knee before he can go any further. Niall feels everything at once when Harry draws out the box, opens it and wordlessly produces the ring. The water is lapping against a boat moored to the riverbank, but Niall can feel flames lapping at his heart. White hot and so, so intense. "You know why I always said topaz was the one?" Niall nods frantically. "My eyes," he whispers as soon as the thought registers in his brain. But this ring is topaz and jade, and Niall understands. Because it's not only about him. It's the both of them. "Yeah," Harry smiles as though pleased at his reply. "And you're my one and only, remember?" Cold, icy drops pierce his skin as it begins to rain. The timing might not seem perfect to others, but waves roll tumultuously and the rain soaks them to the bone. They're encompassed and consumed by love and Harry's voice is the only thing keeping him from being washed away. "One and only, he repeats," a relieved, exulted smile tugging on the corner of his lips. And when knees give out, Harry catches him. He tastes like rain and well kept secrets and the cookies that he always bakes with Maura's help. And they all belong to Niall.

~

the end