DYLAN O’BRIEN’S POV

The red carpet was a blur of camera flashes, laughter, and voices layered on top of each other like a chaotic symphony. I’d been hopping from one interview to the next, trying not to trip over my own words or the edge of the carpet. Typical premiere energy—overstimulating but kind of electric.

I was mid-sentence in an interview, talking about the stunts in The Maze Runner, hands flying as usual, when something shifted in the atmosphere. Not dramatically—but enough. A ripple of attention. Like a quiet gravity walking in.

My eyes flicked toward the edge of the carpet and… there you were.

Jesus.

You looked absolutely stunning—elegant without trying, like you’d just stepped out of some indie film dream sequence. The kind of beauty that doesn’t just get noticed; it settles into the back of your mind and stays there. Hair catching the light, that soft, familiar smile on your face, the kind that always managed to disarm me. My heart did a thing. A weird, subtle lurch.

You caught my eye and started making your way toward me, and I—yeah, I lost my train of thought. The interviewer said something, and I think I nodded? Or blinked? Either way, I probably looked like a total idiot for a second.

“Excuse me,” you said gently as you stepped between the cameras and crew, your hand resting lightly on my arm. And then you leaned in.

You kissed my cheek, warm and soft, and I felt my chest squeeze. Your perfume hit me a beat later—familiar, something sweet and grounded—and I wrapped an arm around you instinctively, my other hand still awkwardly holding the mic from the interview. We hugged. Not one of those quick, red carpet things, either. A real hug. Your arms wrapped around my middle, mine sliding around your shoulders. I held you close, probably longer than I should’ve, but who was keeping track?

“You look…” I started, glancing down at you. “Wow.”

Smooth. Real poetic, O’Brien.

You smiled up at me, a little shy, and I grinned like an idiot. The interviewer chuckled.

“Looks like someone’s got a good luck charm tonight,” they teased.

I laughed, still not letting go of you completely. “Yeah. I’m not complaining.”

Behind us, the cast was scattering into their own interviews or greeting fans, but right then, everything else sort of blurred. I wasn’t even thinking about the cameras or the noise anymore. Just you, standing there like you belonged next to me all along.