GOTTA BE YOU

Summary: Bambi Aerith was an upcoming fashion model and actress working really hard to find her place in the industry. This is until she was advised to meet and befriend the One Direction boys and fell hopeless in love with Harry Styles, the boy who was able to take off her carefully applied mask.

CHAPTER FOUR

She awoke that morning to the ridiculous, but consistent, vibrating of her phone on her bedside table. Her hair in her face and her eyes barely focused, she reached for it and saw twenty missed called and eight text messages from Angela. She rubbed her eyes and squinted as she tried to make out the words.

Bambi you're on the cover of Star Weekly

Freaking Perez Hilton is blogging about you and Harry

It's all over Superscape and THG as well!

Are you even awake? Reply right now, the phones are off the hook.

People think it's a bit fast, so what did you wanna tell them?

Bambi did you stay the night at Harry's? This isn't for real, right?

Where are you?

WAKE UP!

She called Angela immediately, "Hey Ange, I just woke up. What happened?"

"There's a photo of you and Harry," she replied, half excited and half exhausted from the busy morning, "Kissing on his front porch too! And you're wearing his sweater and holding last night's shoes in your hand."

"Fuck," she swore, even though she really didn't do it much anymore because it made her feel less than classy, "They got that on camera?"

"Oh yes they did! And as juicy as it is, Bambi, it's a really strong kick in the face. They saw you guys for the first time on the red carpet one night and then this the morning after?" there was a slight pause, "All publicity is good publicity, but this time I'm not so sure."

"Look, it's fine. Like you said, the boys are hot property right now and they're fresh, so at least I got in at the peak of their fame right?" she felt odd talking about them, especially Harry, like they were a product instead of human beings but it was just the way she communicated with her manager, "I'm going over to theirs again today so we'll work out some kind of damage control or something funny to fix it up a bit."

"Okay, I'm trusting you on this one, Bambi," she was about to hung up when she added, "Oh yes, your aunt in Australia has been calling the office non stop. Doesn't seem like she has your new number. I told her you'll be in touch."

"Thanks Angela."

Four pillows flew at his face at the same time, waking him instantly, "Freaking! What was that for guys?" Harry tried to lie back down, "I'm trying to sleep…"

"Wake up, you lazy ass," said Louis, shoving his Macbook in front of his face, "You and Bambi are freaking everywhere."

He opened his eyes slowly to process the images before him:

HARRY'S OFF LIMITS, GIRLS!

BAMBI'S GOT A NEW MAN

FORGET THE JONAS BROTHERS, BAMBI WANTS SOME HARRY STYLES

And there were images of him and Bambi at the after party from multiple angles but the most important photo was the same throughout, them kissing on the front porch yesterday morning.

"You know, you and her make a really nice couple," said Niall, smiling and giving Harry a hug, "I think everybody else thinks so too."

"We're meant to be filming a video diary today too," added Liam, "Reckon Simon would want us to bring this up or not?"

Louis cracked up, "You know we're gonna do it anyway. Our little Harry is all grown up," he said in a baby voice, ruffling his hair, "Has his own media circus and everything now."

"Oh shut up Lou," Harry said, standing up and heading for the bathroom, "I need a shower…"

"I'm coming tooooo~!" squealed Louis as he chased after him.

Bambi stood outside their door, wondering whether she should have called before coming or if they didn't want to see her at all after what had happened. The truth is that her relationships had never become public outside of her control and definitely not so early, not before it was properly established. If anything, every thought that she had before about there being something real in their relationship was completely eradicated now that the media were in control of everything.

She fixed her attire, a loose pink shirt over a fitted black dress, paired with casual military boots and a silver chain, and took a breath before ringing the bell.

Zayn answered the door with a smile and a "Vas Happenin!" ushering her into the house quickly, before more cameras caught her. "Harry, Bambi's here!" he called into the back room.

Suddenly, a very loud and happy voice screamed out her name, and a person ran blindly down the corridor, almost completely mummified with masking tape. He had running towards her before he slipped, crashing down on the wooden floor boards with a moan.

"What's going on here?" she asked, wide eyed, "and who is this?" she helped the mummy man up to his feet before she recognized the small features that weren't hidden.

"It's me, Bambs!" smiled Louis through the throbbing pain that must've been present in his head, "We're shooting a video diary in the backroom. Wanna join in?"

She was surprised, "Join in? I really don't think that's a good-"

"Hey Bambs," Harry said, standing at the end of the corridor with his dimpled smile.

"Hey…" she greeted, losing her will another time as she looked at him, not exactly dashingly handsome but so boyishly adorable that she wanted to just run into his arms, bury her head into his shirt and just cry about how she really didn't have any control over the current situation and, no matter what she told Angela, she had no idea in hell what to do.

However she didn't like to lose her cool like that in front of anybody, so she smiled, "Hey Harry. Where's your costume?" she looked at Louis in his ridiculous get up.

"Louis is just being an idiot, it's his little in joke of these things," Harry took hold of her hand, "But he's right, you should join us for this video."

"Is it because Simon wants it?"

A short silence fell over the room whilst they listened Louis and Niall laughing in the back room, "Well, yeah…" Zayn trailed off as Harry continued what he wanted to say.

"Simon says that, at the very least, we owe it to our fans to give them some kind of explanation over what happened and this seems to be the most positive way we can do it."

"I understand, but I really don't know how to conduct myself in one of these."

"It's okay!" said Louis with more enthusiasm than was really necessary, "Just do whatever you want and have fun, make them laugh. I woke up this morning wanting to tape myself, so I did. See?"

Harry laughed, "I think she saw Lou. And he's right," he said to Bambi, "Just come in and pretend it's just us. It'll be fun."

Bambi sat behind their red couch, completely unaware of how she had ended up here, waiting for the boys to creep behind and, probably, do something hilarious but painful to poor Louis who really didn't have any vision at all.

"…and we want to thank everybody who has supported us on this tour," said Louis, "because we had so much fun performing and meeting everybody…"

The boys quietly snuck behind the couch and pulled Bambi to stand, silently signaling for her to join them all on one side while Louis sat blindly in the middle on the seat. She didn't know what they had planned until Harry gave her a knowing look – they were going to surprise him.

"…and we love our fan so much!"

On his last word, all four boys and Bambi leapt onto Louis and the entire couch toppled with their combined weight, to a combination of raucous laughter and Louis' squeal. They cut the video as they laughed over the joke and repositioned themselves onto the couch, seating Bambi in the center with Harry's arm around her – red faced and happy from the unexpected stunt they had just pulled. Definitely the most innovation introduction she had yet.

Liam spoke as Louis untapped the rest of his body, "As this silly doofus was saying, we love our fans so much, which is why we want to introduce a friend of ours to you. This is Bambi."

"Harry's new girlfriend!" cried Niall lamely.

Harry whispered, "I think they know…"

Laughing with the ridiculousness of the video, Bambi spoke and tried to make sure she was likeable, "I'm so sorry you guys had to find out about me and Harry like this, but we're all good friends and things have been moving so quickly, I don't think we were prepared for this at all."

"I could be worse," Harry smiled cheekily, "I could've been naked."

Bambi widened her eyes jokingly at the implication, "I have never seen him naked, guys. Honest, honest. If I ever get a photo though, I promise I will share it with all of the cool Directioners," she winked at the camera, "Just between you and me."

The video continued and Bambi felt it becoming more natural as she decided that she could really get used to being with the boys, they were fun and they made me laugh and do stupid things that she had refrained from doing. Although she had spent her entire life trying to be perfect, it was as though the hour or so she spend laughing, filming and cutting the video was the most free she had felt since she was a kid.

That night, after they finished the movie, Harry and Bambi sat in the lounge room in each other's arms, comfortable and smiling.

"So Bambi, I never asked you properly."

"Asked me what?" her perfect eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she had only let them do tonight as she looked up at his perfect face.

"Well, things just happened and it feels like we jumped a step. I wanted to tell you, before all this idiocy happened, that I really like you. I like you so much and I can't think of anything except for you and I really wanted to ask if you wanted to go out with me, just me, as my girlfriend?"

Bambi smiled, snuggling into his chest, "Do I really have a choice anymore?"

"I just want to know whether you would still be my girlfriend if it weren't for everything that happened today," he didn't meet her eyes, as though afraid she would reject him.

She considered it, trying to forget about Angela and the magazines and everything she had been taught the let few years, thinking about whether she really liked him – maybe was in love with him. It scared her, actually having feelings for someone. She knew that if she had ever let anybody open her heart it would mean leaving herself completely vulnerable, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew that she could trust him.

Maybe just this once, she would.

Bambi kissed him, only pulling away to whisper, "I would. I really like you too Harry."