Summertime & Butterflies

“Hey, hon?”

“Yeah?” Olivia called back, directing her voice to the upstairs balcony Harry was leaning over. She smirked up at him from her seat on the sofa. “I can almost see up your towel,” she added, attempting – and failing – to utter a whistle.

A freshly showered Harry matched Olivia’s smirk before unwrapping the towel and giving her a quick flash. “Do you want to head out to Malibu? Jeff and Glenne want to grab dinner.”

Olivia scowled. It didn’t take long for Harry to forgive Jeff – a broment on the flight home and all was well between the two – but Olivia already didn’t have the time of day for Jeff, and his selfishness at the premiere only made it worse. The thought of driving all the way out to Malibu just to suffer through a meal with Jeff was nauseating.

Not to mention, after the experience in London, Olivia was feeling apprehensive about being seen in public with Harry. She’d fallen down the Instagram rabbit hole and found the picture the girls had posted of her. The comments were some of the worst things she’d ever read in her life, though she was admittedly surprised at how many positive comments she read. It wasn’t fifty-fifty – not by a long shot – but it wasn’t ninety-ten either. Still, it was devastating, and the last thing she wanted to do was give the One Direction fandom more ammunition to throw at her.

Rather than reiterating her feelings to Harry, Olivia just let out a sigh. “Can’t we just… stay here?”

Harry huffed out a grumbled sigh, “We’ve been staying here. For a whole week,” he pointed out. “I thought you wanted to go out more,” he added, his eye roll apparent even from the second story.

It was funny how the tables had turned, but Harry was right. They’d gone from Olivia desperate to get out of the house to Harry eager to go out on the town. She knew he understood where she was coming from, but she also knew he was frustrated that she was letting the fans command her life.

“Yeah, I did,” Olivia answered evenly. “Until your fans called me fat and ugly all over the internet!”

Harry groaned loudly. He was incredibly supportive of Olivia’s plight, but even Harry had his limits. Judging by his groan, he was reaching his breaking point. “Jesus… Liv, come on…” he complained. “It happened one time… You were worried it would happen at the airport, and it didn’t, right?”

Olivia frowned. He was right, but she didn’t confirm.

Harry leaned further over the railing. “And you thought there’d be assholes at CVS the other day, didn’t you? And was there?”

There hadn’t been. Still, LAX at four in the morning and the CVS next to an old-folks home weren’t a restaurant in Malibu. “I don’t want to,” Olivia repeated. “You can go,” she offered, knowing full well he wouldn’t go without her.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Harry sighed. “Fine, we’ll get take-away… again,” he snapped, turning on his heel and stomping back into the bedroom. “Something new and different for us,” he called sarcastically over his shoulder.

What a baby, Olivia thought to herself, but she chewed her lip thoughtfully as she heard Harry’s stomps above her and wondered if she was being unreasonable. Harry had explained to her that there was always going to be someone with something negative to say, and while it would be hurtful, she had to rise above their comments and let them roll off her back like water on a duck. She always thought it was something she would be capable of, but thrust into the experience, she realised it was harder than she thought it would be.

With a quiet sigh as she thought that she might be the baby, Olivia tossed her phone onto the couch and stood up, making her way up the stairs towards the master bedroom. The door was ajar, but Olivia could hear Harry’s electric razor humming from the bathroom. She crossed the bedroom and leaned against the bathroom door, waiting for Harry to notice her.

He felt her presence almost instantly and met her eyes through the mirror. “What?” he asked gruffly.

Olivia frowned at Harry’s brusque greeting and raised an eyebrow, but didn’t answer him. His face softened and he set down his razor.

“What?” he tried again, his tone softer.

“Do you really want to go to Malibu?” Olivia asked him, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Yeah,” Harry answered, picking up one of Olivia’s hair ties and playfully flicking it towards her.

Olivia picked up the hair tie and flicked it back at Harry. “And you don’t want to just stay here with me, where pants are optional?”

“No,” Harry said cheekily, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile. He shrugged with facetious indifference. “I’ve seen it, baby,” he teased.

“Yeah, maybe for the last time,” Olivia countered hotly, though she knew there was no power behind her words.

Harry laughed loudly at her threat. “Oh, please,” he chuckled. “You can’t get enough of this!” he told her, shaking his shoulders at her in an attempt to be seductive.

Olivia rolled her eyes but snickered at his shimmy. “You’re right,” she commented flatly. “Do that again. Oh baby. Oh baby.”

Harry raised his eyebrow at Olivia before bounding towards her and enveloping his arms around her. He wrapped one leg around her body and pretended to dry-hump her. “Oh baby!” he hooted loudly, thrusting his hips against Olivia’s waist. “Do me just like that, ow!”

Olivia giggled, struggling to push Harry’s taller frame off of her. “Get off!” she laughed, attempting to duck under Harry’s arm.

“I’m trying!” he exclaimed, yelping as Olivia pinched his bare stomach. He grabbed her smaller hands in his and wrapped his arms around Olivia, guiding her hands behind her back. “Come on a date with me,” he murmured into her hair, a slight whine in his tone. “I’m going to feel rejected if you don’t. This can scar me for life, you know…”

Olivia snickered, tilting her head back and looking into Harry’s eyes. A nervous knot was beginning to form in the pit of her stomach at the thought of exposing herself to Harry’s fans, but she also knew she couldn’t let them and their comments win. She let out a dramatic sigh, blowing her breath into Harry’s face.

“You better protect me,” she told him with a scowl, though knowing that Harry always would.

He grinned at her agreement before dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “You know I will,” Harry answered, tightening his arms around Olivia. “Always.”

~*~*~*~

“This isn’t so bad, is it?”

Olivia turned to Harry, good-naturedly rolling her eyes. “It’s okay,” she replied teasingly. “The view could be better,” she added with a snicker, gesturing with facetious disgust towards the beautiful ocean view. Seated on the patio, the dinner music was the sound of waves lightly crashing against the rocky beach below them. The salty sea air wafted across the deck and the evening sky looked like a watercolour painting, with vibrant pinks and oranges stretching as far as the eye could see. It was perfectly gorgeous.

“My view is perfect,” Harry cooed, squeezing Olivia’s knee under the table as he pressed a light kiss against her cheek. The two of them were refraining from their usual mutual affection while in the public restaurant, but keeping their hands to themselves proved difficult.

“Aren’t you charming,” Olivia teased back, resting her hand against Harry’s and squeezing gently. She took a sip of her wine before taking a furtive glance around the patio. The prices and remoteness of Malibu seemed to keep the millennials at bay – the customers dining at the restaurant appeared to mostly be well into their fifties – but Olivia was still slightly on edge.

Harry, sensing Olivia’s worry, poked her playfully. “Keep drinking,” he urged. “Relax, love.”

“Nobody’s here,” added Glenne, waving her hand dismissively. “Plus, if some little girls show up, Jeff will make them leave! Right, honey? Jeff?” Glenne tried again, gently elbowing her boyfriend’s arm.

Jeff shrugged his shoulder, nudging Glenne away as though she was an annoying insect, as he kept his eyes focused on his phone. His fingers flew across the screen, ignoring everyone else at the table as he tended to something that – in his mind – was likely far more important than a dinner out with friends. Considering the dinner was his idea, his actions were more than annoying.

“What?” he asked after a moment, tearing his eyes from his phone and glancing at Glenne.

“I said, if anyone tries to bother Harry or Olivia, you’ll make them leave,” Glenne repeated, smiling supportively at Olivia.

Jeff shrugged indifferently. “I mean, I’ll try, but… it’s going to happen all the time. Olivia needs to learn how to deal with it,” he added pointedly, meeting Olivia’s eyes.

“Come on, Jeff…” Harry countered, sounding annoyed as Olivia furrowed her brow at Jeff. She knew she had to try and learn how to ignore the comments of overzealous, disrespectful fans, but having a modicum of support and understanding from Jeff would have been nice. Of course, this was Jeff.

He shrugged again. “Well, sorry, but it’s true,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “I’m not always going to be around to tell some irritating little brats to be nice to you. Plus, you knew this would happen,” he added, picking up his phone again as the text message notification sounded.

Olivia pursed her lips, forcing herself to keep the words she wanted to say to herself. Instead, she picked up her wine glass and finished the white blend in one gulp. She set the glass down with a bit more force than she intended, making her annoyance towards Jeff crystal clear.

Harry reached around Olivia, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry for him, hon,” Harry murmured, tracing random shapes against Olivia’s bare skin. “I can beat him up for you, if you want,” he joked.

Olivia rested her head against Harry’s shoulder, not caring about her attempt to keep the PDA at bay. “No… you couldn’t,” she told him with a quiet laugh. “But I love that you’re willing to try.”

Harry chuckled, his lips finding Olivia’s forehead. “Oh, anything for you, my darling,” he teased, signalling the waitress. “Now, let’s get you another drink.”

~*~*~*~

Once the sun had set and the temperature dropped, Jeff decided it would be a good idea to vacate the upscale beach restaurant for a trendy brewpub just across the highway. Olivia had wanted to go home, but Harry also wanted to see the pub, and could be very convincing when he wanted to be. So, instead of being curled up in bed, watching the usual lineup of late night talk shows, Olivia was drunk.

She hadn’t intended on letting herself get blitzed, but her irritation towards Jeff coupled with Harry’s attentiveness in making sure Olivia constantly had a drink in her hand left her feeling fuzzy, giggly and flirty. She was still attempting to keep a low profile – the crowd in the pub was vastly younger than the diners at the restaurant – but the few flights she and Harry had shared was aiding in lowering her inhibitions.

“Oh, hello,” Harry laughed as Olivia emerged from the ladies room and rejoined Harry, greeting him with a surprise bum grab. He handed Olivia her drink before leaning in for a covert kiss. “You’re yummy,” he murmured against her lips, stealing a second kiss.

“You’re sexy,” Olivia countered, her free hand tickling against Harry’s stomach. She let out a desirous sigh and pulled herself away from Harry. “Behave yourself,” she warned him, though unable to stop herself from gently tugging on his belt.

Harry laughed loudly. “Me?!” he exclaimed. “Who’s the one who just grabbed my ass, hmm?”

Olivia shrugged innocently. “Well, I like your bum,” she answered sweetly.

Harry stepped closer to Olivia. “Well, I like yours,” he answered, snaking his arm around Olivia’s waist and grasping her bottom. With his hand still firmly resting against Olivia’s bum, Harry fluttered his lips against Olivia’s collarbone.

“So… is this how you two plan on staying under the radar?” Jeff asked, the irritation thick in his voice as he joined Harry and Olivia, Glenne following behind him.

Harry chuckled dryly. “Shut up,” he instructed his friend. “No one’s even looking at us.”

Jeff shrugged. “Don’t come crying to me when she’s all pissed off about Instagram,” he replied shortly, shaking his head at Harry before turning on his heel and returning to the group’s table.

“Why is he such a dick?” Olivia spat out, glaring at the back of Jeff’s head. “Why do you even like him?” she asked, not directing her question at anyone in particular, but also directing it at both Harry and Glenne.

Harry let out a quiet sigh. “I’ll see if I can get him to stop being an asshole,” he said, squeezing Olivia’s hand.

“Do you have a magic wand?” Olivia scoffed. She didn’t think anyone would be able to convince Jeff that he was being inappropriate and should change his behaviour.

Harry smirked, leaning close to Olivia. “If you’re good, I’ll show you my magic wand,” he whispered, letting his hand lightly graze Olivia’s breast before leaving the girls and joining Jeff.

Glenne smiled apologetically at Olivia. “I’m sorry,” she told her. “He’s just… he’s been really stressed out lately. Harry’s career, and the tour and… There’s a lot of pressure on Jeff, and he’s… yeah, just so stressed out.”

“I don’t care,” Olivia said flatly. “Pretty sure there’s a fuck ton more pressure on Harry than on Jeff. It’s not an excuse for him to be an asshole.”

“I know that, but he –“

Olivia held up her hand, silencing Glenne. “I don’t fucking care,” she repeated. Glenne’s face fell at Olivia’s brusque comment, causing Olivia to feel a pang of guilt. Glenne was too sweet, too kind. It wasn’t her fault Jeff was a raging asshole.

“Come on,” she said with a sigh. “Let’s go play a game of pool.”

The game of pool almost instantly relaxed the two girls and before long, they were sharing laughs and snickering at their lame attempts at trick shots. Olivia, as usual, had to bite her tongue from asking Glenne why she was still with Jeff. Glenne was so much fun and so sweet. Jeff didn’t deserve someone like her.

“Good job,” Olivia praised as Glenne won the game. She hung her stick up before turning to Glenne. “Think my boyfriend got your boyfriend to quit being an asshole?” she asked, snickering in an attempt to soften the blow of her words, but still meaning them in their entirety.

Glenne shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “I hope so,” she confessed. “I miss us being our fun, fabulous foursome! The tension’s not fun.”

Olivia refrained from telling Glenne she didn’t think they were ever the fun, fabulous foursome she spoke of, nodding in phony agreement instead. “Let’s go see,” she said, leading Glenne from the pool table.

As they moved towards the table, Olivia suddenly stopped short. Jeff and Harry were both standing beside their table, laughing as they conversed with an unfamiliar woman. Olivia watched as the woman playfully nudged Harry before enveloping him into a tight hug. As the stranger hugged her boyfriend, Olivia could think of nothing else but getting the bitch off of her man.

She strode across the bar, seeing red as she approached the table. Without saying a word, she grabbed the girl by her long, blonde hair and yanked her away from Harry.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Olivia demanded, ignoring the incredulous protests coming from the girl.

“Liv, stop it!” Harry hissed through clenched teeth, reaching for her arm. Olivia ignored him, flicking his hand away from her. She knew making a scene was the last thing she should be doing, but she was infuriated and found she had no control over her actions.

“No, this is fucking bullshit!” Olivia yelled. “I know you fucking stupid fans think you have some sort of claim over Harry, but he’s my boyfriend! Mine! You have no fucking right to touch him, to hug him, to fucking get yourself off thinking about him! Get a fucking life, you pathetic, gross little troll! He’s not yours, and he’s never going to fucking be yours!” She punctuated her final words with a shove against the girl’s shoulder, her fists clenched.

“Olivia!” Harry exclaimed, finally grabbing onto one of Olivia’s fists and jerking her away from the girl. “Fuck, shut up! This is Jeff’s sister! Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Olivia stopped, Harry’s words taking a moment to register with her. “His sister?” she finally repeated, her blood slowly cooling and causing her to realise the error of her ways. She glanced back and forth between Harry and Jeff’s sister, feeling her stomach sink.

“Yeah,” Harry snapped. “What the fuck us wrong with you?” he asked again.

“I didn’t know!” Olivia shot back, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger bubbling inside of her. “I saw a strange girl hugging you, and I…” She trailed off, refraining from telling Harry she was jealous. Based on her reaction, her emotions were not a secret.

“And you fucking overreacted like a sodden lunatic,” Harry finished, shaking his head disgustedly. “God… this is so fucking ridiculous, Liv. All because of what some idiots said in a loo in London.”

Olivia crossed her arms across her chest in a huff. Being reprimanded by her boyfriend wasn’t helping in dissipating her humiliation. “Yeah, well, those fucking idiots hurt my feelings, and you know that!” she told him, her alcohol induced emotions causing her voice to crack. She scowled at herself, refusing to cry in a bar, where people were videotaping her.

Wait. Videotaping?!

It was at that moment that Olivia realised a small group of girls at the bar had turned in their stools, facing Harry and Olivia, iPhones conspicuously in front of their faces. Olivia wasn’t stupid; they weren’t taking selfies. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. Social media seemed impossible to escape. She loved Harry, but how could they ever live a normal life together?

Notes