Welcome To The Media (Dylmas AU)

26. I Dare You...

A/N
The beginning of this chapter is so so so bad I'm sorry but hopefully you'll like the ending okay Im sorry again cool nice thanks

also this is dedicated to LavenderSangster because it was her bday yesterday!!

Thomas's pov

35 days remaining

The heat of the lights illuminating our faces made me squirm uncomfortably, though that was nothing compared to the intensity of the gazes looking up at us. Dozens of people stretched out in front of me, all with eager faces and excited smiles stretching across their lips. I sat with my legs crossed behind a large white table, a microphone in front of me, trying my best not to zone out as the interviewer asked us the same repetitive questions we had been hearing all day.

I never particularly enjoyed interviews, which meant Comic-Con was nothing short of a nightmare for me. Stretching out on both sides of me sat Kaya, Will, Dylan, Wes, and Wyck Marty, each plastering on their fake smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes. It was all for show; just for the cameras. These events only seemed to remind me of the fact that I was a goldfish for the public to gape at, their noses pressed up to the tank to watch my every move. With all the lights shining down on us right now, it was hard to miss any of my movements anyway.

Even Dylan seemed to be tiring out; at first, he had been the driving force behind every interview, the guy you could depend on to crack a joke at the most inopportune moments. But that was yesterday; after we landed in California, we had been swept immediately to Comic-Con. Yesterday we all had more pep--today? not so much. This was our sixth interview of the day, and it wasn't even two p.m. yet.

The interviewer asked another question, his voice slightly distorted in the sound system. My eyes only flicked up to watch as Dylan leaned forward to speak. I wasn't really listening, but that didn't matter much. A small grin played coyly on my lips as he said something that made the crowd laugh--it was remarkable how far he had come since his last interview. He quite resembled a distorted bud of a flower; at first, it seems like the bud might not make it in the environment, but once it blooms, it flourishes into the most rich, radiant flower in the garden. I looked down to hide my smile in my lap.

Forty-five minutes later and we were finally finished--which thankfully meant we had nearly an hour and a half break until our next promotion.

"I'm starving," groaned Dylan as we made our way off stage.

"Hi starving, I'm Will," Will perked up behind us. I laughed when Dylan hissed in dismay.

"Now is not the time for dad jokes," Dyl said, "I'm too hungry for that shit."

I couldn't help but agree. We made our way to one of the four back rooms designated for meals, situated in the far corner of the building where we couldn't be disturbed. I knew the cast was making conversation, but the only thought running around my head was, "FOOD FOOD FOOD."

I'm not even sorry.

Entering the room felt like walking into heaven. The smells of burgers and pizza and salad wafted through my nose, temptation at its finest. I pushed through a crowd of people standing by the doorway, my mouth already beginning to water with the delectable smells that made me want to just pass out in joy. Would fainting for food be sad? I think it would be even more depressing to pass out before I even got to try any of it.

(A/N if you can't tell, I'm hungry lmao)

Dylan and Kaya followed me immediately to the line cultivating be the food tables. When I glanced at them, they too seemed lost in a food trance, dazed by the overwhelming sensations lighting fires under our noses.