I DO NOT OWN SCANDAL :)

She had decided to leave for college early. He told her that he was leaving for the summer, she couldn't ask him to stay but she didn't want him to leave and he left anyway. She hadn't been expecting the news when he told her and it led to her wanting to pull away from him but she was being selfish it wasn't just about her.

Even though it was difficult she was still there with him until the day he left. Her mother called in a favor and worked it to where she could take courses during the summer at Harvard; anything that kept her mind off of him. She and Fitz talked daily but it was never enough and after month two the conversations got shorter and shorter. She didn't know when it happened but things changed between them. Neither of them mentioned it, instead they chose to hold onto what they had.

She planned to join the debate team in the fall and lucky for her the returning Captain was also on campus for the summer. She couldn't remember how they had started talking but Ashley intrigued her. They clicked instantly. They had an intense friendship from the beginning, she wondered if it was the age difference that drew her in. She learned the ins and outs of Harvard that summer. They were inseparable all summer and she wondered how Abby would feel of her new found friendship. Ashley could and would debate about anything. They debated daily for hours on hours and it only ended when one of them would have to leave but neither would accept defeat. In the beginning Olivia's argument's were shaky, she was unsure but Ashley helped build her confidence, now she commanded her presence and voice be taken seriously.

There was a break between summer and fall courses and Ashley left to visit home just as the fall class began to move-in. Olivia would be lying if she said that she wasn't a little sad at the fact that her summer friend was leaving. She should've been happy because that meant Abby was on her way and Fitz, her Fitz, was on his way back to the states. She shook away the feeling of sadness and forced herself to get happy and it worked until she saw him.

What should've been a happy reunion was foreign, different - awkward even. Was it him or was it me? She wondered during their time together. They spent their first day together in silence majority of the time. She smiled a small smile then after a awkward kiss on the cheek she left and drove back to Harvard. The second time she drove to his apartment wasn't any better, it might have actually been worse. He never stopped moving. He cooked and cooked. She wasn't sure if they were expecting other people but she was too afraid to ask. After literally hours of sitting on the couch alone while he cooked what seemed like everything in his apartment she walked into the kitchen and just stared at him. He looked up, their eyes locked and his eyes weren't the warm blue ones that she was so accustomed to looking into. They were cold, accusatory even, like he had something he wanted to ask but the words never left his mouth. She turned away first, looking around his place for her things and leaving quickly.

It had been three days since he stopped answering her calls and texts. She hadn't slept peacefully in three days. She wondered if this was it, would this be how the love of her life, the best love that she had ever known would end? She picked up her phone and dialed his number again this time throwing her phone against the wall when he didn't answer. What was his problem? She had waited for him like he asked, as if it were even a question, now he just threw her away?

She twirled the ring he had given her for her birthday, almost nine months ago, on her index finger and instead of calming her like it usually did it pissed her off even more. As soon as she was used to her anger at him it switched to sadness and she was on the verge of tears. Her heart was heavy and she was overwhelmed. What if he found someone new, surely he had to have girls all over him on campus. Now she was back to anger, who did he think he was that he could just throw her away? She pushed up off of the floor grabbed her phone and headed towards his apartment determined to get a good night's sleep that night.

Fitz had always planned to play overseas before college. He didn't think it would that big of a deal to Olivia but he was unpleasantly surprised by how hard she took the news. Although she would never admit it she was devastated and he hated that. He told her that it would go by quickly and he would be back before she knew it. He could see it in her eyes that she didn't believe him. She tried to withdraw from him more and more as school came closer to ending but he wouldn't let her.

He made sure they spent every available moment together. He made sure she felt his love all around her. In his mind, if he was going to be without her for three months her needed all of her he could possibly get. Seeing how broken she looked when he finally had to leave made him regret that decision. Maybe he should have let her distance herself if that would have made the transition easier. He felt selfish.

During the first month of his time overseas he could see the light in her eyes every time they Skyped but after the second month that light seemed dimmer and she seemed different. She never had time to talk and she often ignored his Skype requests. He wondered what had changed and if things would be different after he returned. He didn't like the answer, or lack thereof, that he got when he returned a month later.

He had been back in the U.S for two days before she drove to see him. He was so happy to hear she was on her way until he saw her. She was still as beautiful as ever, her long hair was in curls as it had been all summer when they Skyped. He figured it was her way of being her own woman now that she was no longer under her mother's thumb. The look in her eyes scared him, she was distant, uncommitted. She wasn't the talkative full of life Livvie that she had been when he last saw her. She barely spoke or made any eye contact with him and he took it very personal. He made up an excuse about being tired and showed her out. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and she looked up in confusion and he waited for her to say something, anything but she just whispered Goodnight and left. She text him when she made it back safe and tried to engage in a text conversation but he couldn't do it.

A few days later she asked if she could come by and of course he said yes, why wouldn't he? This time would be better he thought but when she arrived a little bit later things were anything but better. He couldn't take sitting in silence with her anymore so he went to his kitchen and started to cook. It didn't matter what he cooked he just needed to clear his mind, to not think about what was wrong with her. He hadn't checked on her in hours. He heard her footsteps and he knew she was standing at the edge of the kitchen but she never said a word. He looked up at her wanting to yell and ask her when she had found someone else. Demand to know why she hadn't waited for him but the words wouldn't come out. He saw her looking for her stuff then heading towards the door. He wanted to stop her and make her stay but he let her go.

It had been three days since he stopped engaging in her ridiculous texting antics as if everything was perfect; he was no longer willing to pretend. She called at the same time every night and he knew she had as much trouble sleeping as he did but he couldn't pretend anymore. He hated giving her the cold shoulder and he knew it was probably killing her as well. After 45 minutes he could no longer play the cold hearted asshole who didn't care, not with her. He had to go to her, to show her how much he needed her still no matter what happened over the summer - he was still hers. He threw on his sweats and rushed to the door. He pulled it open and was met with his favorite brown eyes. So much pain in those eyes and it hurt him to think he was the one that caused that.

Without thinking he said the first thing that came to mind, "Hi." She smiled and he felt his knees go weak.

"Hi."

AN: So I couldn't wait to get this started. What do you guys think about our Olitz as they start college? What challenges do you think they have ahead in this new chapter of their life? This is a sequel too so if you haven't read Unexpected Circumstances (Not finished) please do :) As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you thought!