Red String of Fate - Thiam

Chapter 33 - Souls intertwined

December 23rd - Thursday

Theo P.O.V.

Liam's hand is intertwined with mine as we walk through the streets of Rome. I still can't believe it. I still feel his lips touching mine and I don't think I'll ever forget what it was like to kiss him for the first time. As if all the dead parts of me came back to life.

We went out to buy Christmas gifts. Harper, Mason and Corey confirmed that they would be joining us tomorrow and Liam is super excited to see them and buy their Christmas gifts. We enter the first shopping center we find and Liam immediately starts looking around the place.

"There's a bookstore there. I have to buy Harper a book."

While Liam searches for the perfect book for Harper I wonder what I should buy for each of them. I'm especially worried about what to get Liam, I want it to be something special, something he'll love.

When we leave the bookstore Liam carries not one, but two books, claiming that Harper would read them both in less than a week.

"What's on your mind?" Liam asks when he sees my lost look.

"I have no idea what to get Corey and Mason."

"I'm sure you'll find something, they'll like anything you give them. Mason would even be happy if you gave him a pair of socks."

"What are you going to give them?"

"I think I'm going to give Mason a video game and I'm going to give Corey a coat. He's always stealing Mason's because he doesn't have any he likes."

So we buy the video game and the coat and I buy Mason some fuzzy Chewbacca socks.

"He will love them. And if he doesn't love it, I'll use them to strangle him." I say putting them in the bag.

"He'll love it, Mason loves Chewbacca. You should get some matching ones for Corey."

"These Han Solo ones?" I pick up the socks, analyzing them.

"Yes, they are perfect."

Liam kisses me on the cheek and I feel myself blush. We left the store with another bag in hand.

"I can't believe I just bought two pairs of Star Wars socks."

"Yes, who are you and what did you do with Theo Raeken?" Liam laughs and I punch him in the arm.

Now all I need is a gift to Liam and Harper.

"Now we will have to separate." Liam lets go of my hand.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to buy your gift and you can't see it, we'll meet at the entrance in twenty minutes."

"You don't have to buy me anything."

"Of course I do, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't buy you a Christmas gift?"

My jaw drops and Liam walks away leaving me speechless.

Boyfriend?

Is that what we are? Boyfriends?

I follow his back with my eyes and I know he has that mischievous smile on his face.

I look around, alone in the sea of ​​people who are also buying Christmas gifts. I walk around for about five minutes aimlessly, not knowing what to buy until I come across a handmade jewelry store. I go in and look at each piece carefully. My eyes fall on a pair of bracelets. One of them with small blue crystals and the other with green crystals. The blue is so bright it reminds me of Liam's eyes. If we are boyfriends then I must buy something to symbolize it, it may not be rings, but it is equally special.

"I want these two bracelets, please." I say to the lady behind the counter.

"Of course, anything else?"

I take another look around the store and come across the perfect gift for Harper.

"Yes, that whale shark necklace."

When I leave the store I look for Liam's scent. Despite being in a place full of people, his smell remains unmistakable. I head to the entrance where he is already waiting for me and welcomes me with a peck on the lips. If this is how my life is going to be from now on then I will be the happiest person in the world.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Let's go home then."

I take the bags out of Liam's hand so I can grab it and we make our way home.

When we get there Liam sits down by the Christmas tree to wrap the gifts he bought and the socks for Mason and Corey. I tried, but wrapping socks is a more difficult task than it seems. So I sit next to him simply watching him. When he's done, Liam takes my hand and ties a red string around my little finger.

"What are you doing?"

"There's a Chinese proverb that says that two people destined to meet at some point in their lives are connected by a red thread. It is called the red string of fate.This magical string may stretch and tangle but never break. These two people are destined lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. You're my Red String of Fate."

My heart warms hearing his words. I don't know what I did to deserve Liam. I take another piece of thread and tie it around his little finger.

I love you. I want to say. I love you so much it hurts.

I lift his hand to my lips and kiss his knuckles. The knuckles that have already bled so much. I kiss the palm of his hand and then his lips.

"Li, I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't shown up. I started to love my life when you became a part of it. You saved me. You saved me from the darkness. And I know how much our thread has stretched and tangled, but now that you're with me I won't let you go. You're too intertwined in my soul."