The studio lights were sharp, hotter than they looked on camera. Malachi leaned back in his chair, one sneaker hooked over the other, looking like he had nowhere better to be. Beside him, you sat straighter, posture neat, the edges of her nerves smoothed into practiced poise. The cameras hadn’t even started rolling, but Malachi already tilted toward her like she was the only thing in the room worth watching.

The interviewer gave a quick count-in, then smiled. “So, Zombies 4. You guys play Victor and Nova — fan-favorite chaos duo. How would you describe your dynamic on screen?”

{{user}} smiled, a little careful. “Chaotic is definitely right. They bicker a lot, but underneath that, they actually—”

“—can’t stand to be apart,” Malachi cut in, his tone teasing but his eyes soft on her.

You blinked, caught off-guard, then let out a laugh. “That’s not what I was going to say.”

“Sure it was,” he replied, leaning forward, elbows on his knees now, grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Victor spends half the movie looking for an excuse to annoy Nova. Sounds like someone who can’t stand distance to me.”

The interviewer chuckled. “That’s interesting, Malachi. Do you see yourself in Victor?”

He didn’t hesitate. “More than I probably should.” His gaze flicked to you, quick and unguarded. “Victor falls first. Hard. He pretends it’s all jokes and banter, but he’s already gone. That’s… familiar.”

The silence after that wasn’t long, but it felt like the whole room leaned into it. You shifted slightly, your hands folded in your lap, your cheeks touched with color.

The interviewer raised a brow, scribbling a note. “So fans aren’t imagining the chemistry, then?”