GREEN (RL Harry Styles fanfic)

22. Little Red

"So how was your meeting?," I asked as Harry pulled out of my gate at the bottom of the driveway.

"Well let's just say your texts were the highlight," he said as he turned and gave me a wink. "Even if you did have me sweating and almost passing out from loss of blood to my brain."

"Sorry. But not really," I teased. "How'd you manage to play it off?," I genuinely wondered considering he had stepped away to the bathroom for much longer than acceptable, so he could talk me into a writhing fit.

"I told her I ate some bad Thai food," he chuckled. "That seemed to work."

"But the rest of it, not good?" Harry's face tensed and his lips thinned at my question.

"Not really. No." Harry's curt response had me worried. I didn't want to pry, he clearly didn't want to talk about it, but now my overthinking was running wild at possible scenarios. I wondered if the meeting was the cause of his over exerted escape with me in my bedroom earlier.

"Oh." That was all I said. I reached out to hold onto his right hand that had been resting on the gear shift. Our fingers intertwined and I saw the muscles in his jaw soften a bit.

"It doesn't matter babe. PR is just there to advise me, but I don't have to listen to everything they say." Despite his own botheration on the situation he was still trying to calm my fears. I loved that he always put me at ease. He squeezed my hand before returning it to the wheel.

"I know that, but I don't want to cause any trouble Harry. Your career is important."

"And so is my fucking life!," Harry yelled as he smacked the steering wheel with both palms. I jumped at his outburst, never seeing him like this before and not sure how to proceed. "I'm sorry babe. That wasn't directed at you. I'm just frustrated with everyone always telling me what to do and what's best for me." His voice had returned to the familiar tone I had come to know. I wondered for a moment if his commanding nature in the bedroom was due to the constant demands of his work life; if it was his opportunity to take full charge.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you upset Harry," I said, thinking of a way to change the subject.

"Liv. You've done nothing to upset me. In fact you've done quite the opposite," Harry assured me. "You're like a breath of fresh air." I smiled at his honesty. It was usually me spilling my thoughts so freely.

"Thank you, and I feel the same way about you." Harry's hand settled in its resting place on my thigh.

We continued the rest of the drive in silence with our thoughts. The mood was no longer tense or somber, it was almost as if we were lost in the same thought, together. The idea that we were awakening a part of each other's lives that had been dormant for too long.

As we pulled up to the high school where Harry and his band mates were scheduled to meet, I was relieved to see there were no paparazzi. Considering his meeting with Julie this morning, I didn't think a slew of pictures of Harry and I together would be best right now. There was honestly nothing in the parking lot but a few cars and a van I assumed carried the equipment for filming. I imagine that's why filming was so late in the day, so there wouldn't be a mass of high school kids swooning over the band.

"I think you're really going to enjoy this," Harry said as he hopped out from behind the driver's seat.

I exited the car as well and we were ushered by someone in an official polo shirt into a back door of the gymnasium. As soon as Harry and I entered I saw the familiar faces of most of his band mates.

"Heeeeey!," Louis said at his usual volume level.

"Hey Lou," Harry answered back with a wave.