Boys of Summer

Airport, London, UK
June 26th
7:52 PM
HARRY'S POV

I sighed in the backseat of the car, Tom and Danny chatting nonchalantly in the front seats as Dougie and I let our minds wander in the back. Dougie had taken to staring out the window as soon as Tom had pulled out of the driveway, as he usually did, and I had been staring through the windshield, watching the signs, and waiting for one to tell us how far away the exit was to the airport.

My stomach tightened as Tom pulled into the airport's garage, taking a time-ticket and driving up a few levels. Ever since last night, when Dani called me to confirm when her plane would be coming in, I've been pretty nervous about her coming. What if she didn't like the guys? What if they didn't like her? Why, oh why didn't I have them talk first? Fuck surprising her; I'd give almost anything to know that she'd get on fine in London.

Slowly, I got out of the car, sliding out from behind Tom's seat and trying desperately to NOT seem nervous. There's no reason to be nervous; she'll get on fine, she'll be safe, she'll love it here. Everything is going to be great.

I fell a bit behind the other boys as we made our way through the maze of cars towards the lift. They whispered to each other excitedly, but I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to care what they were talking about. Probably nothing too exciting; if it was cool, they'd be shouting about it.

I followed the boys, biting my lip and going over everything in my head that could go wrong as I looked around the airport. The sun had only just set about half hour ago, making the planes seem red and rosy outside. I remembered briefly the time that Dani couldn't sleep and woke me up at five in the morning to watch the sunrise.

I was so intent on the memory that I almost walked into the boys when they stopped at the screens that the flight-statuses were on. I looked up at them with a mild interest as Tom questioned me, "What flight is she on, then?"

"Uh, Flight 269, arriving in," I searched the screens hopelessly, "Arrived." The boys snickered at my surprise. "Well, then, she should be through the security gates any moment, then." "What does this cousin of yours look like, anyway," Danny questioned, his hands shoved casually into his pockets as he turned towards the security.

"Doesn't matter," I replied firmly, "None of you will be dating her." "Yeah, but I'd like to know when she comes through," Danny defended. "None of you will be dating her; she wouldn't fancy buffoons like you three anyway," I said, ignoring Danny's defense. Currently, all of us were single, and everyone seemed itching to have a girl again.

"I remember you once called her a blonde," Tom commented, "Is it because she's blonde or dumb?" "She isn't dumb, you twit," I snapped, looking at the singer incredulously for a moment before turning towards the security gate.

"So, she's blonde?" "Will you just shut up? You're becoming one really bad shit-stirrer, you know," I said, the contents of my lunch churning around in my stomach and making me irritable.

Nothing had gotten better five minutes later; Dans hadn't come yet. What if she didn't get on the plane? Should I call her to check on her? No, she'd get annoyed that I didn't trust her to get out of the gate alright. I know she can, that's what worries me; why hasn't she yet?

"You sure she was supposed to arrive TODAY? Maybe she got confused with the time change," Tom offered. "It was her flight on the monitor, no?" "Yeah," Danny said, his hands still shoved into his pockets, "But-" "Oh my God, DANNY!" Simultaneously, the three of us turned our heads to see a small group of girls standing in shock, mouths agape.

"Oh," Tom said, his eyes growing wide as he surveyed the group of fans. I saw him tense, though Danny didn't seem perturbed. I was angrier than I normally would be, which would entail any sort of anger, because I was worried that they might make it harder for us to get Dans and go and it might scare her, to see the boys she'll be living with mobbed.

"Uh," Danny said, unsure as always of how to respond to the fans. I know that these are the times he hates being the 'Most Fanciable Male.' Actually, he loves it all of the time, but this is the closest he gets to hating it, I know. I don't think it affected Dougie, ironically.

"Okay," he said with authority, taking charge and noting my displeased look. "If you would all get in a line over there, Tom and I would be happy to sign autographs." Quickly, I side-stepped behind the monitors so that the fans might not see me; a girl did stay behind, looking at the monitors strangely, but she eventually followed her friends. Success.

I stood there for another minute or so, listening as Danny and Tom chatted with the fans, signing whatever there was to sign and keeping the attention shifted away from the monitors. "Where's Harry and Dougie," I heard one particular girl ask, and I felt confused immediately. Why isn't Dougie with them?

But, more sudden than the feeling of confusion, I felt a sense of relief when I spotted Dans walking out of the gate, dragging her suitcase and her pillow with her. I smiled and waved from behind the monitors, and she waved back.

And then, out of completely nowhere, Dougie appears and grabs Dani, leaving her pillow and suitcase abandoned on the ground in front of other arriving passengers. He laughed maniacally as he skidded to a stop, turning and running the other way with my cousin slung over his shoulder.

"DOUGIE," I screamed, a mix of surprise and anger pulsing through my veins. I took a few steps forward, leaving the safety of my hiding spot before freezing as the scream of fan-girls enveloped me. Oh, this might not end well.

I was torn; I could expose my cousin to some of my more loony fans on her first day in England, though the loony are still lovely, or I could stay, sign autographs, and let Dougie get away. I took another few steps forward, until I was at my cousin's luggage. I grabbed it, smiling as I saw my cousin struggling with Dougie no more than a few paces down the hall, already almost out of his grasp. She'll take care of herself.

I turned, smiling at the twenty-something girls as they rushed me, pushing markers and such at me as they begged to know how I was, what I was doing, and if I'd give them my number. "Form a line, please," I said, smiling weakly as I tried my best to watch Dougie and Dani out of the corner of my eye.

Airport, London, UK
June 26th
8:03 PM
DOUGIE'S POV

I bit my lip as I struggled with the girl on my shoulder, who had taken to fighting me the moment she realized I was not Harry. Searching desperately, I ran face-first against a wall in hopes of keeping her legs still. Gods, if she doesn't relax now, Harry'll be done with the fans and catch us.

I think I heard her growl before she pushed against the wall with her foot, forcing me backwards and stumbling into a large group of people. "Damn it," I cursed as she threw her weight backwards, and then jammed her knee into my nose.

I cried out as I let her go, allowing her to slip down in front of me and knee me again, this time in the stomach. I doubled over, clutching my face and my stomach, "Bloody hell, Dani-" "How the hell do you know my name," she asked, her voice trembling a little.

She was actually scared, I thought sadly as I looked at girl, straightening to observe her. Her blue-gray eyes flashed dangerously on what could be called a pretty face, though it wasn't anything extraordinary. She came up to around my nose, which was a nice switch from having everyone be taller than me, and her blonde, wavy hair just brushed her shoulders under her hat.

"I'm in the band with your cousin," I said, immediately feeling guilty for scaring her so much. Harry mentioned that she's always been jumpy with people touching her, relying more on the 'save me now, use common sense later' theory than on the 'this person won't hurt me' idea.

I stuck my hand out, "I'm Dougie." I hated the way I sounded unreasonably proud of that. I always do when I introduce myself, I feel like. Either much too quiet or much too proud. Introducing myself should be so simple, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. No one ever really wanted to know my name back at school.

Cautiously, Dani stuck her hand out, shaking mine quickly, "I'm Danselle." "Danselle? You mean Danielle?" "No," Dani replied, "I mean Danselle. My mom was really loopy because of the pain-medication and said 'Danselle Lilia' instead of 'Danielle Lily.' She liked Danselle Lilia better, though."

"Oh," I replied, sticking my hand into my back pocket. "Well, I should probably get you to the car, then," I said. I started to walk away from the security gate, hoping to find a way around the fans to get into the parking lot. I don't think Harry would appreciate his cousin being mobbed by fans, or the possibility of rumors that she and I are dating because we're sneaking around together, on her first night over.

I noticed she didn't follow me almost immediately, and I turned back, trying not to be annoyed. Maybe it's an American thing, not to trust your cousin's friends. "Do you have a problem with heading to the car?"

"Where is Harry," she asked, crossing her arms stubbornly. "He's busy; he'll meet us at the car." "I just saw him," Dani protested. "And how do I know who the hell you really are, anyway?" "How do you know I'm not who I say I am," I questioned in return, raising an eyebrow.

"The parking garage is that way, anyway," Dani replied, pointing towards the security gate. "Yes, but there is also a mob that way," I pointed out, "And Harry would kill me if you got caught up in it." Dani rolled her eyes, "Well then we'll just have to walk around it, won't we?"

I sighed as the girl walked ahead of me confidently, an air of smugness around her. She and I, I think, will not get on very well. Not if she keeps this up. Groaning, I jogged a few steps ahead of her, taking her hand.

To my surprise, she didn't protest, which allowed me to successfully navigate her around the mob of fan-girls without being seen. I then lead her to Tom's car, taking to sitting on the trunk while she and I waited for the rest of the boys to get done with the fans.

"So, what do you do in the band," Dani asked me feebly, looking around us at the cars parked. A few girls walked out of the lift, gabbing about the autographs they'd just received. I lowered my head, drawing my knees up to my chest to hide my face. When the girls were successfully out of sight, I responded, "Bass."

She nodded, "My friend plays the bass." "Many people do," I responded, looking around for the boys. This conversation is getting very awkward very fast. I heard the lift ding, followed by the excited yell of Tom. I saw him take off around the corner, heading towards Dani at a high speed with his arms wide open.

I jumped off the car, turning to Dani to try and smile politely at her, just so Harry knows that I didn't kill her, when I noticed something on her face. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Where'd you get the black eye from?"

Her eyebrows rose in shock as she found herself at a lose for words. I didn't have any more time to question the injury she had, though, since she was enveloped in Tom's arms. His scream echoed almost painfully, "HARRY'S COUSIN WHOSE NAME I CAN'T RECALL!"

Danny followed soon after, ramming Tom and Dans into the SUV that was parked next to Tom's car as he hugged more Tom than Dani. "DANSELLE!" Well, I guess they got the story of her name on the walk down.

"You all have gone crackers, get off my cousin," Harry shouted, unable to suppress a small smile as he ran passed me. With a quick smack to Danny and a poke in the side to Tom, they let go of his cousin, taking to hugging each other instead. The two of them then proceeded to attempt to pull me into the hug.

While I was dodging I noticed Harry and Dani hugging before she stood on tiptoes to whisper something in his ear. He nodded, letting her go as she hurried towards the lift. "Where's she going," Tom asked, sounding depressed as he gave up trying to get me to hug.

Danny tackled me into the cement floor as Harry responded, slowly walking towards me, "She's going to get her sunglasses, which someone-" Harry gave me a moderately painful kick in the arm, "-knocked off of her when they grabbed her from the security gate. What was that mate?"

Harry leaned down, taking off his aviator glasses to glare at me as Danny spoke from my chest, which he was still hugging, "Sorry, my idea." Harry smacked Danny above the head again before straightening up, "Tom, pop the trunk?"

Danny continued to pin me to the ground as Tom popped the trunk and he and Harry loaded Dani's one bag and pillow into the trunk. "I thought you were only allowed to have one carry-on," Tom commented, obviously confused. "She books the window seat and sits on it so the flight attendants don't see it," Harry explained, "She has since she was five."

I tensed when I saw a car heading around the bend, still pinned by Danny, "Uh, Danny, get up." "No," Danny responded, cuddling into my chest further with his eyes closed, facing away from the car. "Seriously, Danny, get off," I said, starting to panic as the car came closer.

Harry and Tom closed the door to the car, and I wondered if they meant to leave me and Danny out here with this car coming towards us. I heard the lift ding in the distance, but I was more preoccupied with the car that has a driver who I'm sure hasn't seen Danny or I since he's busy looking for a parking spot.

I closed my eyes, my legs flailing in attempt to knock Danny off of me. I gulped as I felt the car's headlights fall on me.

But they were quickly replaced by a shadow. Confused, I opened my eyes to see Dans standing in front of me, hands on her hips as she almost challenged the car. The driver saw her, of course, and stopped short, its brakes squeaking in the most unpleasant way.

Satisfied, she turned back, prying Danny off of me. "'Ay, there's a car there," Danny said, smiling. I rolled my eyes as I stood up, rejecting Dani's outstretched hand. "We going then," Danny questioned as both Dans and I brushed passed him.

Unconcerned, she moved into the back to sit next to Harry, leaving just barely enough room for me. Danny straightened his seat, sliding in and putting on his seatbelt as Tom started to pull out, checking his rearview mirror and waiting until the car that had almost ran Danny and I over passed.

"So," Harry said, giving his cousin another quick hug, "How was the flight, Dani?" "I didn't go on a flight," Danny responded dumbly. Oh, this is going to be funny.