Labels || H.S. [#Wattys2020]

SIXTY-ONE

Harry reluctantly opened the door to the studio and allowed Hailey to step out before him. She excitedly bounced out, obviously pleased that it would be Harry who would be giving her the full tour. Harry found it a tad endearing, the same way he felt when he first met Kennedy, actually.

"So, is this your first time in the states?"

Hailey shook her head, "I was in New York once. But I'm not much one for travel."

Harry nodded, his hands in his pant pockets, "I wasn't either."

"Oh, but you got used to it now, I imagine."

"No. Not really. Spend most of my time here in LA."

She nodded, "Cool."

Hailey was obviously nervous, Harry noted, as she bit her bottom lip. He didn't know what to make of this girl. She couldn't be older than Kennedy, couldn't have been out of her own country more than a few times. She was so much like him when he was sixteen. At least, she looked the part. All wonder and mystery and an air of trouble.

"So," Harry said, pointing down the hallway, "This is it."

"What, this is the tour?"

"There isn't much to see, really." He said, bashfully scratching the back of his head.

"Really? Lydia made it seem as if there was."

"Well, all that's on this floor is a studio and-"

"You mean another one?"

"Yeah, well, that's where I go when I want to be alone and write."

She nodded, a smile playing upon her lips, "Just like me."

"What's that?"

"You're just like me. I tend to want to close myself off from the world when I write."

Harry smiled, "The other lads make fun of me for it, but I'm glad someone gets it."

She looked away shyly, her hazel eyes twinkling. Harry looked at her then, really studied her. She was beautiful, without a doubt. All of the girls that were his "girlfriends" always were models after all. But there was just something about Hailey that he just couldn't put his finger on.

Harry cleared his throat, "Anyway." He said, walking down the hallway, "Here is the break room that no one but Lydia and Paul use." He pointed to the room, and continued walking with Hailey two steps behind him.

"Where's the ladies' room?"

Harry smiled to himself, remembering the day he met Reagan, "Well, on this floor it's actually at the end of the hall."

"Ah, okay."

"I don't think you'll be spending much time here anyway, will you?"

Hailey's face changed slightly, her hazel eyes grew darker if only for a second, as she remembered what Reagan had said about her only being brought in to be Harry's PR "Have any of your other "girlfriends" been with you at the studio?"

He shook his head, "No."

"Well if you don't want me here..."

"Oh, that's not what I'm saying." Harry said, immediately feeling guilty, "It's just that it's not that fun around here."

"You do realize I'm a musician, right?" She smiled.

"Point taken." He turned back towards the studio, "We should go back."

"Already?"

He shrugged, "We have work to do, Reagan will be pretty steamed if we don't get on with it."

She grimaced at the mention of Reagan, but quickly recovered "Well, I just...I thought maybe...we could?"

"Hang out?"

"Yeah."

He chuckled, "There'll be time for that, don't worry."

She nodded, "Good. I'm glad."

But before he could turn back and open the door, Hailey touched his shoulder, "I um..."

He turned back to look at her. She stepped one step back and blushed.

"Harry, I just. I don't want this to be weird, you know? I know that you've been through this already and that, well, it didn't quite work out in your favor. But I just wanted you to know it's not going to be that way with me."

"Oh?"

"We should be friends. I mean, after all if we have to go through this, why not do it on good terms."

He wanted to believe her, he really did. After all, how could he not give her the benefit of the doubt? Not everyone was out to get him. Not every girl was in love with him. Maybe Hailey would be different. Maybe she was in this situation just like he was. Because she had to be.

Harry nodded, "Are you telling me things aren't going to get messy? Feelings just tend to get hurt in these types of situations."

Hailey extended her hand, "Just friends."

Harry took her hand in his, her soft touch upon his palm as he shook, "Friends it is."

—✴—

They walked back into the studio with large smiles plastered upon their faces, it made Reagan feel nauseous. Harry walked straight to the other side of the room though, leaving Hailey to awkwardly stand by the door. Reagan looked at her from the corner of her eye, making sure the girl didn't disrupt the peaceful flow the boys had been having.

The boys had been relatively quiet, all sitting together on a couch, thinking about possible titles for the album, or working on another song. Whichever it was, the important thing was that they were actually working. That is until Hailey walked back into the room and distracted Niall.

Lydia had called for Harry the moment she heard the door close, no doubt she was giving him the run down of how his and Hailey's relationship would look like for the next few weeks.

With Harry preoccupied then, Niall found himself throwing his pad of paper and pen aside and smoothing back his hair before he got up from his spot in between Liam and Louis. He strutted over to the almost too-beautiful girl. Liam shook his head and Louis just braced himself, knowing that Niall was about to have a go at Hailey.

Niall, ever the self-proclaimed ladies man, found himself feeling for Hailey what she felt for Harry. The only exception was that Hailey was tactful, she knew how to entrap her pray. Niall on the other hand...

"So, Hailey?" Niall said, approaching her.

"Yes?"

"You're from Australia?"

She nodded.

"How is it down under?" He said, "I heard all the fittest girls are from Australia. The lot of you are Victoria Secret models, aren't you? I mean you totally could be too, you're just-" He made a blowing up motion with his hands, as if indicating she was in fact mind blowing.

Liam smirked, "Smooth."

Niall turned to look sharply at him while Hailey discretely rolled her eyes. It was a gesture that of course only Reagan and Louis had seen. Louis in fact didn't like it one bit.

"No, I don't model." Hailey said, her voice sounding almost bored.

"Oh." Niall said, his face red all of a sudden, "You're just, you know, gorgeous-I just-"

"God this is painful to watch." Louis muttered.

Harry, finally coming out of Lydia's office, knew just by the sight of Niall that he was bothering Hailey, "Oh come on, Niall."

Niall looked up and crossed his arms, "What I'm not allowed to talk to her?"

Harry shook his head, "We all know you weren't just talking to her."

"So? What now you get her and Reagan?"

Hailey turned to look at Harry sharply, in complete and utter disbelief, "Wait, you're really dating her?"