Evan couldn’t sleep.

Which was funny, because you could. You slept like the world wasn’t loud, like cameras didn’t sit outside the street sometimes, like his phone didn’t buzz every few minutes with notifications he didn’t want to read.

You slept like none of that existed.

Meanwhile Evan had been staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours.

Now he sat in the living room with the lights low, hoodie pulled over his head, scrolling through his phone with the brightness turned way down. His leg bounced lightly against the couch while he read another article he definitely shouldn’t have opened.

Evan Peters spotted leaving mystery woman’s house again.

He scoffed under his breath and locked the phone.

“Yeah,” he muttered quietly. “Mystery woman.”

Like you were some stranger.

Like you weren’t the person sleeping ten feet down the hallway. Like you weren’t the person he married three years ago.

He rubbed his face with both hands and leaned back into the couch.

Sleep clearly wasn’t happening tonight.

So he sat there in the quiet, listening to the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of cars passing outside. His fingers tapped idly against his knee while his thoughts kept running in circles.

Then he heard the soft creak of the hallway floor.

Evan didn’t even have to look to know it was you.

He glanced over anyway, eyes softening the second he saw your sleepy figure standing there.

“Hey,” he said quietly, voice rough from barely speaking for hours.

You looked half asleep, rubbing one eye as you leaned against the doorway.

“Why are you awake?” you murmured.

He shrugged a shoulder. “Couldn’t sleep.”

You frowned slightly, padding a few steps into the room. “You’ve been out here long?”

“Eh.” He tipped his head back against the couch. “A while.”

You studied him for a second, clearly noticing the tension in his shoulders, the tired look in his eyes.

“…Were you reading stuff again?”

He huffed a small laugh. “Maybe.”

You sighed softly.

Evan finally looked at you properly then, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite everything.

“C’mere,” he murmured, patting the couch beside him.

You shuffled over without arguing, dropping down next to him and immediately leaning into his side.

He wrapped an arm around you automatically, pulling you closer like it was second nature.

For a minute neither of you said anything.

Just quiet.

Your head rested against his chest, and he absentmindedly ran his fingers through your hair while staring at nothing in particular.

“…They’re still out there?” you asked sleepily.

“Yeah.”

You groaned softly into his hoodie.

“People are weird.”

That made him chuckle quietly.

“Yeah,” Evan said. “That’s one word for it.”

You shifted slightly, curling closer to him.

“Come back to bed,” you mumbled.

He hesitated.

You noticed immediately.

Your head lifted just enough to look up at him. “…What?”

He shook his head lightly. “Nothing.”

You squinted at him.

“Evan.”

He sighed.

“Just… dumb internet stuff,” he admitted. “People guessing who I’m seeing.”

You blinked at him slowly.

“…You are seeing someone.”

He looked down at you with a crooked smile.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I am.”

You poked his chest.

“Idiot.”

He laughed under his breath and pulled you closer again.

“C’mon,” you murmured, already half asleep again. “Stop doom-scrolling and come to bed.”

Evan looked down at you, the tension slowly leaving his shoulders as he held you.

For a second he just stayed there, listening to your breathing slow again.

Then he kissed the top of your head.

“…Yeah,” he whispered. “Okay.”