The Reinvention of Harry Styles

“Daisy, you can’t just say something like that during a live interview,” Jeff said through clenched teeth after the interviewer had left.

“Why? Why should that be a secret?” She asked exasperatedly.

“You don’t need to keep it a secret, just maybe give us a heads up so we can be prepared.” Molly explained. She’d had no idea, and hadn’t even thought to ask Daisy her sexual orientation because that was not really a casual conversation starter. Yet, she was the one who had found Daisy, so she still felt slightly responsible.

“I just wanted to put an end to it before it got out of hand. I want people to like us for our music, not us as people. Like, how the White Stripes pretended to be brother and sister - when they were actually divorced - so people wouldn’t question whether they were dating or not. I’m just so tired of seeing the ‘Haisy’ signs, and hearing about ‘us’ and the graphic fanfiction...I know your girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind,” she said to Harry, “but mine does.”

Harry glanced at Molly and she shrugged. “Sure, it bothers me,” Molly started. “But as a fan, I know where they’re coming from.”

“Well I guess we’re two different types of fans. You seem more interested in the person than the music.” Daisy stormed off, and Jeff ran after her with the PR team, who was busy working their contacts in the media to stop any negative press about this.

Harry and Molly were alone, and stood in silence for a moment, not really sure what to do.

“I mean, yes? You’re my boyfriend, so I am interested in you as a person.” Molly started to laugh. “But yes she has a point.”

“I hope you’d be into my music too.” Harry smirked.

“Should we go home?” Molly asked and ran a hand through her hair, realizing she hadn’t brushed it in their rush to get here this afternoon.

“I guess so.” Harry shrugged, and the two left to get his car.

“Were you about to quote Shakespeare?” Molly asked as they drove home. “You know, in the interview, before Daisy interrupted you.”

“‘What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. Romeo and Juliet.” Harry grinned. “Except I was going to say ‘Daisy’ instead of rose, but apparently that ship has sunk…”

“Indeed it has.” Molly nodded. “Wait, why do you even know that line?”

“Learnt it in school, my mates and I thought it would be a good pick-up line. You know, to get a girl’s name.” Harry smirked.

“Is that a British thing? Using Shakespeare as pick-up lines?” Molly laughed.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, but it worked for me.”

“Oh god, Harry, you really were a fuckboy, weren’t you?” Molly shook her head and smiled.

“Heyyyy.” He glanced at her with a half smile.

“Admit it, Harry, you know I’m right.” Molly teased. “You know what we should do? We should watch ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Or ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’. or ‘She’s the Man’!”

“You really know your Shakespeare modernizations,” he lifted his eyebrow. “But sure, sounds lovely. I know this great sushi place if you want to get-”

“Some yellowfin sushi?” Molly smiled. “I’d love to.”


***

“Okay, I can tell that you’re ignoring my voicemails now, but please just don’t forget about that electric bill.” Daisy paused. If she knew her girlfriend was ignoring her calls, why bother calling? “I’m sorry. It just slipped out. I was mad, and I couldn’t stand being called ‘Haisy’ one more time. I guess your parents know we’re more than just roommates now…”


***


The next morning things had calmed down a bit around Daisy’s announcement, at least within Harry’s team. The media and fans were still reeling from this revelation, but so far no one really knew what to do with this information. It didn’t really change anything, but that didn’t stop people from trying to twist this to fit their interests.

“I can’t believe people are saying I used her to appeal to the LGBT community.” Harry huffed after Molly gave him their usual morning recap.

“Your face was priceless, I’m not sure how anyone could have seen the way your jaw dropped when she said it, and thought you already knew!” Molly laughed. “I can’t believe people are still trying to ship Haisy, even though she said she has a girlfriend.”

“Wait, do you think I should also say I have a girlfriend?” Harry asked cautiously.

“No, no, please no.” Molly held her hands up. “I don’t want to deal with that, and I don’t think the fans could take another shock. You should stick to your ‘neither confirm nor deny’ tactic with that one.”

“Right, you’re just the fake girlfriend.” Harry nodded, then paused. “Though, lately, it feels like you’re less of my fake girlfriend, and more like my-”

“What?” Molly sat up and her eyes popped open. “Your what?”

“I was going to say, my manager.” Harry raised his eyebrow. “Why? What did you think I was going to say?”

“I was worried you were going to call me your mom again,” Molly lied. She was actually thinking of the moment right before she had first introduced Harry to Daisy’s covers of his songs on youtube, when he had said something about the lines between fake and real girlfriend getting blurred.

“I said I was sorry for that!” Harry laughed. “Though really, I’m sure Jeff would hire you.”

“If he did, I wouldn’t have to pretend to be your girlfriend around him.” Molly stated, and Harry looked at her for a moment.

“Right, I have to go get my hair cut, bye!” He jumped up from the table and tried to casually walk out to his car.

“Okay…?” Molly sat at the table and looked after him for a moment before continuing eating her breakfast.

‘Dammit Harry, that couldn’t have been more awkward.’ He sighed, and started the car before slowly driving away. His hair appointment wasn’t for an hour, which Molly probably knew - since she knew everything. ‘Damn, she really is my mum’

Harry sighed as he waited at a stop light and rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment as something hit him. ‘But that’s exactly what I need. Not my mum, or a mum, but a mum-type; someone who’ll tell me when I’m wrong, and keep me from getting too full of myself. Someone who actually has my best interest in mind and cares about me, the person, not just ‘Harry Styles of 1D’.... I need…’

Harry jerked his head up when the car behind him honked, informing him the light had changed.

“Molly,” he said to himself out loud and his bright eyes shot open. Harry quickly pulled a u-turn. “I can get my hair cut later.”

On the way home he stopped to get some flowers. ‘Girls like flowers, right?’ He considered getting her daisies but decided maybe Molly wouldn't find it that funny. Then he thought roses, but realized that might be too much, considering he still wasn’t sure what exactly it was he wanted to tell her. He couldn’t remember if Molly had a favorite flower, so he went with whatever the florist suggested.

When he pulled up to the house he noticed it looked empty, with no lights on. ‘That’s odd, maybe she went back to bed’ he thought and opened the front door.

“Molly?” He called, but no answer. He went up to her room, but she wasn’t there either. He gave up looking and called her, setting the flowers aside.

“Hello?” She answered.

“Where are you?” Harry asked, trying to mask the concerned tone in his voice.

“Waiting to talk to Jeff. Aren’t you supposed to be getting your hair cut?” She asked.

“It can wait. I came home early because,” Harry paused and glanced at the flowers. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. “Why are you waiting to talk to Jeff?”

“He’s in a meeting, so I’m waiting with his receptionist,” Molly explained, and moved far enough away that she wouldn’t be overheard.

“But, why do you need to talk to him, in person?” Harry could not think of a moment when Molly had actually wanted to talk to Jeff.

Molly sighed. “Because, you were right.”

“About what?”

“This morning, when you said I was more like your manager than your fake girlfriend.”

“I didn’t mean it like that-”

“And,” Molly continued. “Last week after the show in New York, Jeff offered to be Daisy’s manager, and she’d rather work for me. I think she was joking, and at the time I thought Jeff was joking when he offered me a job.”

“He did what?” Harry felt his throat tighten. This was not going to plan at all.

“It makes sense, though, considering this is what I went to school for, kind of. I think I’ve been doing okay so far with you.” Molly sighed. “I can’t pretend to be your girlfriend forever. For the obvious reason, that you’ll find a real girlfriend, and for the practical reason, that I need an actual job.”

“But, you have a job, right? I thought you were still writing something. And, as for the other thing,” Harry laughed nervously, “That’s not going to happen.”

“Harry, I saw how you were around Daisy...trust me, you’ll find someone pretty easily.” Molly laughed. “And I don’t want to have to be ‘the other girl’ when that happens, it’s not fun.”

Harry sighed; this was all his fault. “Are you breaking up with me?” His heart dropped to his stomach.

Molly laughed quietly. “Considering we’re not actually dating, no. I’m just talking with Jeff to see if that offer was serious and what it would entail. Then, we can talk about ‘us’ and how that would be affected. Maybe managers can’t date their clients, who knows.”

“No, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. She was his manager, and they got married,” Harry rebutted, maybe a bit too quickly.

“Well, it would give us a good excuse to break up,” Molly added.

“Wouldn’t it look like you were just dating me to get that position? Surely it would take years to work up to that level.”

“Dating you would be a lot of work, just to get a job,” Molly teased, but her laughter died down quickly.

“Don’t do it.” Harry said suddenly.

“What?” Molly asked quietly.

“Don’t meet with Jeff.” Harry paused and chose his words carefully before continuing. “You were right, it would be pretty easy for me to find a girl. Easy, in the sense that she’s been right in front of me the whole time, it’s just taken me awhile to realize it. And, you wouldn’t have to be ‘the other girl’, because you would be-”

“Hold on,” Molly cut him off, and in the background he heard Jeff’s voice. It was muffled and distant, but he could make him out clear enough.

“You wanted to meet with me?” He said.

“Actually, can I reschedule? Something’s come up,” Molly answered, and Harry’s heart leapt back up to his throat. Harry couldn’t hear what Jeff said after that because his heart was beating too loudly and his head was spinning. “You still there Harry?”

“Yes, I’m here,” he managed to say, and swallowed hard.

“Can you pick me up? I took an uber here and the driver was hella sketchy.”

“Absolutely, I’ll be right there.” Harry hung up and grabbed his keys again, and rested his hand on the flowers he’d bought for her.

‘Should I bring them with me?’ He paused for half a second before grabbing them, and threw the flowers in the passenger seat. He glanced down at them as he drove to make sure they were okay.

‘I should have gotten daisies. Then, if this doesn't go the way I think it’s going to go, I could just say they were a joke’ He shook his head. ‘Screw it, Harry, this is no time to play it safe.’

Notes

It’s finally happening!!! Or, at least something is happening : )

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