Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

FIFTY

There was an eerie silence in the room after Lydia had spoken. It was so silent in fact, that they could hear Lydia taking a sip from her now cooled tea.

It took Harry a couple of seconds to process what she had said. Girlfriend? What? He almost fell out of his seat, "Excuse me?"

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Oh please, Harry. Don't be so simple. You knew this is what I would have to resort to."

Harry's hand shook, he could feel his face grow flushed, "You swore that Jenner girl would be the last one."

"You also swore you wouldn't do anything to call attention to yourself, didn't you?"

"But why is it so bad that people think me and Reagan are dating!? Why was it so bad people thought Louis and I were dating!? Why are you people so obsessed with my image!?"

Lydia could not roll her eyes any harder, Reagan was sure it was physically impossible, "Look, Harry." Lydia began, "I am a fair woman. I know you lot are only boys, that you've had to grow quicker than should have been expected of you. But you and I both know that your image is the most important thing if you want to have a career."

"Why should it matter who I'm involved with? Whether it's a man or a woman? Why should it matter what they look like, what they do, who they are? Doesn't what I think only matter?"

"Harry, you know that's not how it works. And it isn't just because of the way Reagan looks, it's because of who she is. She is an employee. Practically your employee! How could you date someone you work so closely with? Do you know how bad that looks upon you and this band, this company?"

"So you think just glossing this over with a few pictures of me snogging this girl is going to cover this whole thing up?" He said throwing the picture back onto her desk. His grip had been so tight around it, he had crumpled the picture a bit.

"Harry, you know what this world is like. You know that you have to present yourself a certain way or-"

"I'll ruin the band's image? Decline sales? Ruin this new album?"

"All of the above."

"So what? Am I supposed to just continue pretending I have these "girlfriends" whenever a new scandal arises? Or whenever they need the social boost? Because it's a bloody two way street, isn't it?

"Well of course Hailey would use this to her advantage, Harry. She wants to make it big here, what better way to promote herself than to date a huge pop star?"

"So again with this? How much longer do I have to do this, Lydia?"

"Only a couple of dates, Harry. A little exposure, nothing serious. We're not asking you to marry her."

"Because you probably learned your lesson with Zayn." Harry mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You know that the lot of you are the reason he left, the reason Louis keeps rebelling, the reason Liam's always gone and Niall's always quiet. If you keep treating us all this way, you're not going to have a band to manage."

"Really? We're going to go down that road?"

"Our contract with you is ending soon. We only have to the end of the year. Who's to say we resign with this label?" Harry remarked, laying all his cards on the table. He didn't even turn to look at Reagan. He didn't even realize she was still in the room. It was just him and Lydia, finally having it out.

"Exactly, soon. It's ending soon, not now. Right now, you are completely bound under the terms of your current contract and within that contract it states that I am in charge of all of your images and reputations and that I have to do what I must so that they will not be tarnished. I have chosen the course of action to resolve this problem, and that is final."

"So that's it then, I don't get a say? Once again?"

"Hailey lands tomorrow night. There will be an article released from an unconfirmed anonymous source stating how you two met while you were on tour, and how you've been seeing each other now for four months. We release a couple of pictures in the next few weeks and it's all over. I don't understand why this is such a huge problem, Harold."

"You don't understand why? Really, Lydia?" He shook his head, "What is going to happen when I really do find someone that I want to be with. are you going to have to approve of them as well? What if I am gay, or bi? Or what if the girl I fall in love with is so incredibly different from everyone else I've ever dated? What if she's not a model, or an actress, but extraordinary in her own right? What if he's my band member? What if he's my best friend?"

"Are you telling me you're gay?" Lydia said, clearly not caring to understand what Harry was saying.

"Does it matter what I am? Why does everything have to have a fucking label with you people."

"Language." Lydia warned, "I understand you're frustrated, but as I've already said, you're under contract. I'm sure Reagan agrees with me. She knows that this is what's best."

Harry looked at Reagan now for the first time, she didn't meet his eyes. In fact she didn't look at either of them. She wanted so fucking badly to tell Lydia to stick her plan up her ass and to storm out of there with Harry, but she couldn't. He was still under contract, and she was still an employee. Life just wasn't that easy.

"Yeah." Reagan said, clearing her throat, "It would help distract from this scandal and promote Hailey as an artist here in the US."

"Precisely." Lydia said, obviously relieved that someone appeared to be on her side.

Reagan could feel Harry's piercing stare upon her, she knew he felt betrayed. But what could she have done?

"Are we done here?" Harry finally said in defeat.

"Yes. Boys should be here soon though, we need to talk about your hiatus and new contract."

"Whatever." Harry said, getting out of his seat and heading towards the door. He needed to get out of there.

Reagan went to get up as well knowing there was nothing left for her to say, and mostly because she was worried about Harry. He left before she even got out of her seat though, slamming the door behind him.

Lydia simply said, "Keep an eye on him, don't want him stirring up more trouble." As she opened the door and left the room.

As Reagan walked down the hallway, she was pulled down the same corridor she and Harry had hid in when she had first started working there. She yelped, but he quickly covered her mouth, knowing that if she made one sound security would come out.

"Shhh." He muttered.

"Harry." She said, removing his hand, "Is this really a good idea?"

"Reagan, I can't do this anymore." He said on the verge of tears.

"Harry." She said, slowly placing her hand on his stubbly cheek, "It's only a few months."

"I don't want to anymore, it's always just a couple of days or a few months. Why do I have to keep waiting to live my life?"

"Once you get out of your contract, it'll be done with." She tried.

"Doesn't it even bother you that I have to pretend to date someone else?"

"I-" She removed her hand as she felt his jaw twitch in anger.

"I know you don't want to admit it, but you do love me, don't you? I love you, Rae. I fucking love you. I can't do this, not anymore. I don't want to do this to you."

"Har-"

"No," he said, interrupting her again, "if we stand up to her, she can't just kick me out of the group. There's too much at stake."

Reagan shook her head, "Harry, we can't do this now."

"Do you not love me?"

She didn't answer, and maybe that was enough of a response for him because he just sighed and shook his head before he walked back into the studio without even looking back. Reagan didn't even know what had happened, she just ended up slumping down on the floor, head between her knees, wishing she could tell Harry "I love you too."