Latch (A Harry Styles Fanfiction)

7. Avery Harte

Sunday morning came, I'd only gotten in at around twelve last night but mum was working anyway so it's not like she noticed. I heard the door opening and her keys being thrown on the table. Her feet hit off the stairs with a steady beat.

I was actually up and dressed now, but my eyes were puffy from tears of laughter and sheer sorrow. My room door creaked open and my mother's frail face popped around.

"Hey Liv." She said quietly, sitting on the edge of my bed.

I curled my knees up to my chest and looked out the window at the beating sun.

"I've given it a lot of thought. And, I'm going to let him stay, Dean." She smiled slightly.

I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her tightly "Thank you mum. Oh my god thank you so much!" I laughed.

"I swear Olivia, if I get a bad feeling he's leaving, but I'll give him a chance." She sighed.

I nodded rapidly and she got up and left. That's one less thing to worry about. Just one left. Harry. I didn't want to admit it to myself but, I've been thinking about our kiss a lot. How wrong it was but how natural it seemed to feel.

I picked up the phone and rang Harry's house.

"Hello? Harry is that you?" I asked through the receiver.

"No love, it's Anne. Harry's gone out." Anne chirped in her usual happy voice.

"Oh, where?" I asked the woman I'd grown so close with.

"He didn't say. You know Harry." She laughed.

"Haha, yeah. Well I'll talk to you later Anne!" I chimed and hung up.

I had just begun to write down some lyrics when my phone started ringing. I didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Is this Olivia? It's Avery." He said

"Oh Avery! Hey! Wait, how'd you get my number?" I asked, walking over and back the length of my room.

"I asked Blair to ask Hanna and she gave it to me, I hope that's alright?"

"Oh, no it's fine! So, what's up?"

"Well apart from the sky, nothing much." He joked

"Avery Harte, that joke was a disgrace to humanity." I chuckled.

"You know what else is a disgrace to humanity?" He asked

"Do share." I smiled to myself.

"If you don't accept my invitation to lunch." He said with confidence.

"Very smooth." I laughed "When?"

"In, eh, about fifteen minutes?" I could practically see the smile on his face.

"Fine. Wait, do you know where I live?" I asked

"You live up by Styles, yeah?" He asked

"Yeah, I'll see you in ten minutes then."

"I said fifteen?"

"Yeah, five minutes ago, keep up Harte." I said cheekily.

He laughed before I ended the call and rummaged through my wardrobe for suitable attire. I'm going on a date with Avery Harte. I'm going on a date with Avery Harte. I pulled out a strappy navy dress that hunhg nicely on my figure and teamed it with simple white toms.

It was really sunny out so I put on a pair of slightly oversized sunglasses. My hair was okay, my puffy eyes were not. I piled on the concealer until my bags were almost invisible. Ready.

Exactly on time, the doorbell rang and I quickly scribbled down a note for my sleeping mother and ran to the door. There he stood, in all his beautiful tanned glory.

"Hello Olivia." He smiled with his perfect teeth showing.

"Good afternoon Avery." I smiled, quite taken aback when he hugged me.

I saw he had a car with him, he explained it was his dads. We drove for a while until we came to a small Italian restaurant called Giovanni's. He held my hand while we walked in and I didn't even want to protest. Avery pulled my chair out for me and gave me a heart melting wink while doing so.

The waiter came down quickly, took our matching orders of ravioli and left again.

"I didn't tell you how beautiful you look did I?" He asked, tilting his head and smiling.

"You don't need to." I blushed.

"Someone as breathtaking as you should be told it." He moved closer to me over the table.

"Eh hmm" the waiter cleared his throat. "Your ravioli pretty lady." The Italian man with broken English laid the plate down in front of me.

"God, you weren't joking when you said speedy service were you." Avery groaned and I kicked him under the table.

Avery's food came next and he tucked into it, as did I. I'd completely forgotten about the whole 'eat like a lady' concept when it comes to first dates but, oh well he doesn't seem to mind.

"That was lovely, thank you." I praised the waiter and he smiled widely.

"To have beauty and kindness is a great blessing. Don't let her go without fight." He spoke in a very italianized accent

"I'm not planning to." Avery smiled at me and I felt the blush rise in my cheeks.

"Oh my goodness if I blush any more I'll be redder than the sauce." I chuckled.

"I think you're adorable." Avery ran his thumb under my cheekbone and I bit my lip. "I've had a crush on you since we were 12, you know that right?" Avery smiled, his eyes scanning my face.

"I didn't know that at all." I said quietly.

"And I know we've only been really talking for a week but..."

He leaned in again, this time nothing interrupted him kissing me. Automatically, my mind made comparisons with Harry and I when we kissed.

This was... nice. Harry's was... mesmerizing, passionate, ugh. I'll put it down to the fact that Harry's kissed every girl in Holmes Chapel, and now me included, at least 5 times each and has experience. Avery's rep isn't so.. playerish.

"Olivia, I've waited to ask you this for four years. Will you be my girlfriend?" He took my hand and his eyes were begging

"I-"

"And I know this is sudden."

"I-"

"And I know it's only our first date but-"

"Avery! I'd love to you idiot!"

Uh oh spidoodios. Avery you are one smooth mofo. So, ship names loool 'Holivia' sounds like a stripper so I think we can tick that off the list. I'm quite sure 'Larry' is taken... And 'Hiv' I'm not gonna even go there...
Heulp. But 'Lavery' is cool. Dammit, oh well, comment and vote please! Thanks bbes, love you all, stay strong and beautiful.
-C.X