P.S.

Later that evening, Olivia found herself tucked to one side of the massive stage, hiding in the shadows as she watched her on-again boyfriend perform to a crowd of over fifty thousand people. He was showboating more than usual, and the few times he caught Olivia’s eye, she could only respond with an eye roll and a shake of her head. Despite her cheeky reply, she was so proud and in awe of Harry. Even though she’d watched every performance video on YouTube, seeing Harry live was surreal.

As the boys descended the stage after the final encore, the screams from the crowd were so deafening, Olivia couldn’t hear Niall’s girlfriend beside her. It wasn’t until the girl nudged her that Olivia acknowledged her.

“This way,” Ashley directed, gesturing towards the back of the stage. Ashley had been on the tour since the start and knew her way around backstage, and how to escape the floor without fans harassing them. Although she and Olivia had only spoken a few words to one another during the duration of the concert, Olivia could tell she was someone she would like.

Olivia followed Ashley through a dark hallway, keeping her eyes on her white-blonde hair as a guide. Even though she’d just seen Harry on stage, her stomach tumbled with excitement of seeing him again. He spent most of the afternoon rehearsing and providing interviews to several radio and media outlets, and Olivia hadn’t been able to spend much more than a few minutes with him. She reminded herself, though, that this would be the norm with Harry. She accepted it, understood it, and most importantly, chose it.

The girls rounded a corner and found themselves backstage. Through the crowded room, Olivia saw only Harry. He beamed at her as he met her eyes and strode across the room to greet her. He was sweaty but Olivia didn’t care, laughing as he lifted her into a hug.

“You’re so gross,” Olivia teased, tugging her fingers through the damp curls against the nape of Harry’s neck.

“You shush,” Harry instructed, rubbing his forehead against her cheek, leaving his sweat behind. He grinned as she laughed louder. He’d almost forgotten how much he adored that sound.

“Oh, you guys…” Niall teased, his voice exaggeratedly sweet. “Aww! Just so precious! Isn’t it?” he wondered, questioning the entire room.

“Hmm…” Gigi Hadid scoffed under her breath. Olivia looked in her direction, but Gigi didn’t meet Olivia’s eyes. She expected it – Gigi was one of Hailey’s closest friends. But Olivia would not bite. Fighting with a twenty-something little girl wouldn’t set her and Harry’s rekindled romance off on the right foot.

“Wonder if Lil’ Jeffy will think the same…” Gigi continued to muse, snickering to herself and raising an eyebrow at Harry.

Zayn groaned. “Do you have to run your mouth about everything?” he sighed. “Just shut up!”

Gigi shrugged. “I’m just saying… Hailey never yanked the shit out of Jeff’s sister’s hair…”

“Four years ago,” Harry piped up. However, it would be a lie if he said he didn’t worry about his manager and best friend’s reaction to Holivia 2.0. Jeff had strong opinions about Olivia and her temper. He advised Harry girls in the industry like Taylor and Hailey were far better choices than a problematic snap-show like Olivia. Jeff would not enjoy hearing about the rekindled romance.

Harry felt Olivia stiffen at Gigi’s comments, and he squeezed her hand, hoping to reassure her. He would remind Olivia later that Gigi’s comments didn’t matter. He couldn’t tell her they weren’t true, because he was almost certain they were, but he hoped he could reassure his girl how little someone like Gigi mattered.

“People don’t forget,” Gigi said, letting out a humourless laugh. “But, I mean… you do you, Harry. Hailey’s been on dates with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes since she dumped you, and my friend Alexis didn’t even want to meet you! Zayn just said she did!”

Ouch, Harry thought, but he kept his mouth shut. He’d witnessed Gigi on one of her rants before, and it was easier to let her go off than to argue with her. Olivia, however, hadn’t received that memo.

“Why do you care then?” Olivia questioned, her tone as snide as Gigi’s had been. “I mean, obviously you and your friends don’t like him at all, so… better me than them, right?” She scowled at Gigi before reminding herself to not fight with the girl.

Gigi took a moment to reply, a few incredulous scoffs the only sound she made. It was clear she couldn’t come up with a comeback which pleased Olivia. She hadn’t even hit that hard, and the little girl still had a difficult time rebutting. Finally, Gigi rolled her eyes. “Whatever… Yoko…” she snapped, her raised eyebrow stating she believed she’d come up with a great comeback.

Olivia laughed. Somehow, she was getting to Gigi. “Okay,” she answered, shrugging. Olivia had been in enough bickering arguments to know it was infuriating when the other person wouldn’t fight back. As much as she would love to give Gigi a proverbial tongue lashing, she remembered there was an empty hotel room with her gorgeous boyfriend’s name on it. Before Gigi uttered another scoff, Olivia turned to Harry. “Can we go?”

Harry grinned, relieved Olivia wasn’t about to go toe-to-toe with Gigi. “Absolutely,” he agreed, nodding as he took Olivia’s hand. “Goodbye, goodbye, bye, bye, bye, bye,” Harry sang to his band mates, impressing himself with his quick wit with the Beatles lyrics. He beamed at Olivia, wondering if she picked up on his joke. He would explain it later.

With the sound of teasing whistles and catcalls echoing behind them, Harry led Olivia from the green room though more hallway mazes. “Sorry about Gigi…” he told Olivia, squeezing her hand. “The other girls are all right, just Gigi is… well… she’s a real bitch…”

“I know,” Olivia replied. She stopped, tugging Harry to face her. “Look, I don’t care what she says. I know I ran my mouth a bit, but I will not let a little girl like her, or anyone else, get in between us. Not this time. So you don’t have to apologise for her because she doesn’t matter.”

Harry smiled. “You wouldn’t be my girl if you didn’t run your mouth a bit,” he teased her, nuzzling a kiss against her cheek. “But you’re right. She doesn’t matter. You matter…” he told her, giving Olivia a bashful smile.

Though his words were cheesy, Olivia smiled at his words. “You matter, too…” she echoed.
The two of them found themselves in a basement parking garage and Harry led Olivia to a waiting SUV. His security guard was already waiting in the car. The tint darkened the windows, ensuring privacy as they rode through the streets of Vancouver to the hotel. Olivia expected to see hordes of One Direction fans waiting outside the parking garage, but the rainy Vancouver weather kept many of them at bay. Shrieks and cheers still greeted them as the car vacated the garage, but not as many as there would have been if the weather had been cooperating. Still, Olivia couldn’t help but keep her head down as the flashes from the cameras penetrated the tinted windows.


“Don’t worry, it’s just for a minute,” Harry murmured, reaching across the seat and taking Olivia’s hand. He hoped the few fans yelling at them wouldn’t cause Olivia to second guess rekindling their relationship. He wanted to tell her it wasn’t as bad as she was thinking, that once the tour was over, they could have a somewhat normal life and the paparazzi didn’t bother him as much as they had before, but decided he would simply squeeze her hand for now.

After a short trip from the stadium, the car pulled into another parking garage. Harry helped Olivia from the vehicle and thanked the driver before following the security guard to the elevator.
Olivia was horrified. Was the security guard going to stay with them? The procedures and protocol of a concert tour were still new to her. Thankfully, after he quickly checked the room, the security guard said goodnight to Harry and Olivia and ducked into his own room across the hall.

As Harry closed the door behind them, Olivia realised she was alone with him for the first time since their kiss in the stairwell in New York. It surprised her to realise she was nervous. Despite she and Harry’s history, Olivia felt as though she was about to lose her virginity again.

Her stomach tumbled as Harry looked at her, offering Olivia a smile that showed he was as shy as she felt. “Hi…” he whispered, taking a closer step and wrapping his arms around her waist. Harry ducked his head and rested his chin against her shoulder, feeling the strong urge to be as close to Olivia as possible. He couldn’t believe he was finally alone with her after so many years of missing her and never getting even close to getting over her. He didn’t want to rush anything, but he also couldn’t wait to get her further into the hotel room.

Olivia matched Harry’s low chuckle. “Hi,” she echoed, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She heard Harry let out an exhale as he wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders, holding her against his chest.

Harry lifted his head. “Fuck, I can’t believe you’re actually here…” he confessed, pressing a kiss against her forehead. A slight twinge in his stomach nagged at him, and he knew he had to find out how she’d gone from being an engaged woman to being in his arms again. He hoped she’d been the one to call off the wedding, but considering how stubborn she’d been in New York, Harry couldn’t see that happening. He realised he was not sure how he felt about that.

“Not going to lie, I was hoping you’d find your way here… Never expected you actually would though,” he admitted to Olivia. He hadn’t let himself think he would see her in Vancouver.

“I never thought I would…” Olivia admitted. She met Harry’s eyes, cupping his face between her hands and watching his pupils dart back and forth. “Not because I didn’t want to, but…” She dropped her gaze for a moment before lifting her head again. “I never let myself look you up or find out where you were. I couldn’t. It just would have made everything even harder. But if I did… I’d have been in the city before you,” she told him with a quiet laugh.

Harry chuckled. “Well… it doesn’t have to be hard anymore…” he said, raising an eyebrow as he let the innuendo hang in the air. He laughed louder as Olivia rolled her eyes at him. “Come on, honey… come inside…”

He pushed the thought of Olivia’s past relationship out of his mind and instead tickled another kiss against her cheek before taking her hand and leading Olivia further into the suite.

The hotel room contained two rooms – the living area and the bedroom area. He and Olivia would end up on the other side of the French doors soon enough, but for now, he settled onto the couch, tugging Olivia down to join him.

“Mmm… that’s better…” Harry murmured, pulling Olivia’s legs over his lap and wrapping an arm around her waist. He nuzzled his face against her chest. “I forgot how lovely your pillows are,” he teased.

Olivia let out a dramatic gasp. “You forgot?” she exclaimed. “How could you forget about these?” she asked, shimmying her shoulders and causing her breasts to sway against Harry.

Harry snickered, letting his hands wander across Olivia’s thighs but avoiding her chest. He wasn’t sure if they were there yet even though he already nestled against her breasts. “No… I didn’t. You know that,” he added, laughing again as he lifted his head and met her eyes. “But you just like to hear me say it, don’t you?” he asked, remembering Olivia saying the same thing when they first became them, so long ago.

Olivia rolled her eyes, flicking Harry’s shoulder. “You’re an idiot,” she reminded him, her kiss on top of his head telling him she was teasing.

“A greasy one too, yeah?” asked Harry, running his hand through his hair she’d just kissed. He needed to have a shower, but he didn’t want to pull himself away from his girl. It would be different if she were joining him, but he suspected it was too early to suggest a shared shower.

Olivia shrugged. “Well…” she began with a giggle. “Should I be nice or honest?” Harry was greasy and sweaty, but Olivia didn’t care. To her, he was perfect.

Harry scowled, pretending to be angry as he tickled the back of Olivia’s knee. “Awfully cheeky…” he mused. “What if I just… pinned you down?” he wondered, pushing Olivia onto her back as he spoke. “… and made you suffer the stench of my sweat? Hmm?” he wondered, pinning her arms above her head and angling his armpit towards her face.

“Oh, my God, Harry!” Olivia yelped, laughing as she struggled under his grasp. “You’re disgusting!” She wiggled her legs under him, positioning her knee against his manhood. “Now what?” she wondered innocently, her knee remaining firm against him. “One sudden movement and…” She nudged her knee against him, in a show of what she could do.

“Ooh… I see what you’re doing…” Harry teased, squeezing Olivia’s wrists. “It’s cute how you think you have the upper hand, but you know we’d both be suffering if you did what you think you’re going to do…” He smirked at Olivia before dropping a kiss on her forehead.

“It’s cute how you think we’re going to do what I think you think we’re going to do while you smell like an old gym sock,” Olivia teased.

Harry’s jaw dropped, pretending her words hurt him. “Jeez… you’re so vicious!” he complained. He straightened up, pulling Olivia into a seating position. He tickled a light kiss against her lips. “Fine… I guess if it’ll make you happy… I’ll abandon you to go wash the damn gym sock smell off me…” He let the words hang for a moment, wondering if he ought to extend the invite to Olivia. There wasn’t anything he wanted more, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. And he didn’t want her to reject him if he did ask and she said no.

“Okay…” Olivia agreed, wishing she was joining Harry in the shower. Her body tingled as she recalled the countless showers they’d shared. But Harry would have asked her if he wanted her to join him. She needed to remind herself again that, despite their love for one another, they were technically a new relationship and things like sharing erotic showers would take more than a few hours.

Harry stood up, bracing his hands on Olivia’s shoulders as she bet down to kiss her again. “I won’t be long,” he promised. “And there’re some snacks over at the mini bar, or you can ring for room service. Whatever you want, love,” he told her. “And I’ll be back in just a few, smelling like roses.”

Olivia snickered. “We’ll see about that,” she teased as Harry smirked at her and disappeared into the washroom. She sighed. It’s not a rejection, she reminded herself. It’s new. Still, as she heard the water start, it took everything she had to not burst through the door and join Harry.

Instead, she stood up and wandered to the mini bar to see what sort of snacks the hotel offered. There was the usual chips and chocolate, but when Olivia spotted a Cup’o’Soup tucked into the basket, her stomach growled with approval. The room service would have been delicious, but the comforting soup was perfect for a night in with Harry.

Olivia puttered around the mini bar, preparing a cup for each of them before carrying the soup into the bedroom. Noodle soup in bed might not have been the best idea, but the bed would be comfier than the sofa and she couldn’t wait to get cosy with her boy.

Harry showered as quick as possible, hating leaving Olivia alone in the hotel room. He hoped she didn’t feel abandoned by him. He wanted to make sure they got off on the right foot with their new-old relationship, and her feelings of neglect or abandonment had been an issue in their past.

It’s just a five-minute shower, he told himself as he stepped out of the tub, quickly drying before donning one of the soft hotel robes. After a second thought, he grabbed a fresh pair of boxers from the suitcase under the vanity and pulled them on. He didn’t need to be flapping in the breeze if Olivia still had on her jeans.

But she didn’t. As Harry stepped into the bedroom, he laughed as he spotted Olivia lounging on the bed in a robe matching Harry’s. “Fuck, you’re cute…” he commented as he chuckled, crawling across the bed to greet her. “And you made supper too, eh?” he teased, commenting on the cup of soup in her hand. He pressed a kiss against her lips, tasting the salty flavour of the noodles.

It was one of the many things he loved about Olivia. She could have ordered room service at one of the fanciest hotels in Vancouver, and instead, she opted for dollar store soup. She wasn’t about anything but him, and he adored that.

“I slaved for you,” Olivia told Harry with a giggle. “You sure look handsome,” she added. “Is this like one of those ‘Who Wore It Best?’ things in the tabloids?” she wondered, taking another bite of noodles as Harry settled against the pillows beside her, picking up his own cup.

“Always you, sweetheart,” Harry told her sincerely.

Olivia smiled, setting her empty cup on the nightstand before tucking herself against Harry. He lifted his arm to accommodate her and as she settled under his arm, they both let out contented sighs.

“Stop copying me,” Harry teased, realising their positioning made eating his soup difficult. He decided Olivia was more important than the soup and set his cup down before wrapping his arms around her. The two laid against each other in silence, their minds racing with questions about their past and their future. Finally, Olivia spoke up.

“Are you nervous?”

Harry cocked his head, peering down at Olivia. “How do you mean?” he wondered. Her question had a multitude of meanings – though he suspected it had more to do with their relationship than something like singing or acting.

Olivia toyed with the robe belt. “Like… nervous about this. About us,” she tried to explain. “Like do you think we will get to where we were before?”

Harry pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I mean… we almost are…” he hoped to reassure Olivia. “Obviously it’ll take more than a few hours to be how we were before, and I’m nervous about… you know, but that’s only because I’m excited and it’s been such a long time. But… I mean, as far as feelings and everything goes… I’m already there.”

Olivia met Harry’s eyes, taking in his words as she chewed on her lower lip. “This will sound super dumb…” she began, blowing out a sigh. Talking about feelings were far from one of Olivia’s favourite things, but she and Harry’s relationship – and Harry himself – deserved her best effort, so even if it pained her, she would have to bring up anything that bothered her. “But I… I sort of wish you would have asked me to join you… in the shower. I mean, I get it!” she quickly added. “It’s fine, and it’s totally okay but I mean… you didn’t ask, so… are you really already there?”

Harry let out a loud guffaw. “Are you joking?” he wondered. When Olivia didn’t answer, he laughed again. “Hon… of course I wanted you in there with me! Jeez… we’ve had some good times in showers… and bathtubs… and hot tubs…” He trailed off, his imagination taking over. “But… I wasn’t sure if you wanted to, so I didn’t bring it up. We can go jump right back in there if it gets you to stop chewing on your lips and thinking I don’t want to see your fine ass all wet and naked… Jeez,” he added, shaking his head. “You‘re a fucking little horn dog, aren’t you, love?”

Olivia covered her face with her hands. “Don’t make fun of me,” she moaned, causing Harry to laugh louder. “It’s not just that! I just want us to be us again.”

“We are!” Harry stressed, pulling Olivia’s hands from her face. “Stop doing this! Stop fucking doubting shit before we’ve even been back together a day. You did that before,” he reminded her gently. “You doubted a ton of shit and it sucked. I’m fucking in love with you even if I didn’t ask you to shower with me! Don’t be a dumbass…” he added with a teasing laugh.

Olivia huffed out a sigh. He was right – she had plenty of doubts when she was with Harry before and it hurt their relationship. She tried to talk the confident talk but found it difficult to always walk the same walk. “I know…” she admitted. “You’re right. I just don’t want to fuck up like I did before…”

Harry slid down on his pillow, pulling Olivia to his chest. “You aren’t going to. We aren’t going to,” he corrected, knowing he caused the end of their relationship just as much – if not more – as Olivia did. “We both have things we have to work on. Like you have to stop being a dumbass,” he teased. “And I… well, I guess I have to stop being a dumbass also,” he pondered with a smirk. He traced patterns across Olivia’s arm as he let out a sigh. “I’m still sorry for everything from before, honey.” He wanted to tell her what he was most sorry about, but as far as he knew, Stephanie hadn’t told Olivia Harry’s secret. If she had, Harry could almost guarantee Olivia wouldn’t want a thing to do with him. He knew he had to be honest with her, but he couldn’t handle being honest with her about that.

“Me too,” Olivia whispered. She reached out and took Harry’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. “But… I think our first step is just… not forgetting about our past, but just… accepting it and learning and moving forward…” She looked up at Harry, a hopeful look on her face. “Right?”

Harry nodded, squeezing Olivia’s hand. “Right,” he affirmed, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. His stomach twisted into a small knot. There was so much more they needed to discuss, and most of it were things Harry didn’t want to discuss or know the answer to, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. So, for now, he kept those words to himself, though knowing the longer he waited, the worse it would be.

Notes

I didn't die, guys! Just sort of lost my mojo for a bit but now, I've got a bunch of ideas for Holivia so I'm hoping I can put pen to paper and continue to share their story with you guys! Hope you enjoy!