Wild (sequel to Deep) - Zarry AU

Wait

Harry thought about it a lot: how to approach RatedRissa and gain her trust. The obsession would take him at all hours: straight back after a shopping trip to Rodeo with his stylist; in traffic on the freeway (one time he even pulled over and started making notes on his phone); waiting for the sound engineer to arrive at the studio (his producer, Mark, would ask him what he was doing and he would rake a hand through his hair and claim he was e-mailing his sister).

Today, having swung his car so fast into the drive he almost hit his front door, he sat frowning on his bed, flowered shirt unbuttoned, boot rucking the Valentino sheets, laptop perched on his knee. His fingers hovered over the keys, then moved gingerly.

Hey love just wanted you to know I LOVE this story SM!!!

Harry coughed, adjusted his hat as if he were at a press conference, then pressed and held the backspace key. Too gushing.

RatedRissa, this story is the dog's bollocks!!

Backspace. Too British.

Can I just say, I LOVE the Direction this is taking!...............

Another cough. Too Louis.

Harry remembered what his acting coach, Ty, had said the last time he'd had a private lesson. Make a backstory for your character. "What do they read, what music do they listen to?"

Harry stared out of the window. Who was Skyla1D, really?

An hour later, Skyla had confessed her passion for Taylor Swift and bonded with RatedRissa over their shared appreciation for Zayn's eyebrows.

To keep things real Harry got Victoria to set up a fake Instagram account to which he linked Skyla's profile. In return for copious signed items of merchandise Victoria had agreed to use old pictures of her cousin, Piper, who had once been a genuine 1D fan - one selfie taken in front of some bedroom posters circa 2014 and one posing by the Grand Canyon in a tour t-shirt.

"Why do I get the feeling that, secretly, you've always wanted to be a blonde sixteen-year-old California babe?" Victoria had said while Harold studied the photos on the laptop from behind her shoulder. He smiled and pointed to the less provocative-looking of the two images.

"I don't know what you mean, Vickeh," he said, as he reached alongside her to tap the keyboard. "Skyla1D is the soul of innocence. No cross-dressing fantasies whatsoever have been involved in her creation!"

He stood up, happy with his handiwork. Victoria turned to look at him.

"The things I do for you, Harry Styles..."