Just One Night || Evan Peters AU

charmed

      "So, when you're not busy filming addictive television shows and commercials or adorable interviews with my daughter," your mother placed her hand on yours, but was addressing Evan. "What do you do in your spare time?"

   He tugged the jacket of his suit down a tad and cleared his throat before answering smoothly, "Well I've been playing a lot of piano. I'm trying to learn classical piano, Mozart and Beethoven and stuff." If he wasn't lying, this was news to you. "I took lessons when I was younger and now I sort of sight read the music and play it by ear. It's fun. I practice a couple of hours a day; it takes up a lot of time, but I find it soothing."

   "Interesting," your father chimed in. "That's real good."

You looked at Evan thoughtfully: this new information felt authentic. You thought you even remembered seeing a piano in his spare rooms as you left the morning after your first night together. You thought of him carefully sitting down to a piano, serene in his own little world, his long fingers dancing over the keys playing notes again and again until he got it right. It was probably a beautiful sight. You found yourself smiling at the thought of sitting next to him on the bench, then snapped back to reality.

   "I assume you've at least seen Y/N's paintings," your mother said. "She's quite the artist."

   "I have actually," Evan turned to you, and you remembered the night he stormed into your house unannounced to lecture you about Bumble Jordan. "They're really good. I've told her she could sell them, but..." he trailed off and your mother nodded. He'd never said anything of the sort, but you wondered if he meant it. He had seen them scattered all around your living room.

   "She's just modest like that," your mom said, the two of them talking about you like you weren't even there. "I have a picture of my favorite thing she's ever painted, let me show you."

Your face heated in embarrassment, you felt like she'd pulled out your baby pictures to show your teenage crush. Your head was in your hands in an instant, and Evan briefly but reassuringly rubbed your knee. Your mom turned her phone screen toward him, and you peaked to see the pastel rosy maple moth you'd painted when you were 17. He leaned forward, then looked between you and the painting in what seemed like disbelief.

   "That really is good," he told you and your mother together. "I love it."

A bit later in the night, the two of them were whispering amongst themselves while the waiter talked to you and your father. Then they both pulled out their phones, typed something, he patted her hand, and their phones were gone again, as was your waiter. You wondered what the hell just happened. 

After dinner, everyone having completely loosened up and cracked jokes on one another, you headed out the front door, a chortling crowd of four. Evan paid the bill as promised, and guided you outside with his hand on your bare back.

   "We'll give you kids a second to say your proper goodbyes," your father said, leading your mother to the parking lot. "We'll be in the van when you're ready. Thanks again kid," he turned his attention to your date. "Nice to meet you."

   "You too sir," Evan replied politely. "And you Evelyn." your mom giggled like a school-girl at him and disappeared behind a car with your dad. He turned to you then, beaming, "I think they liked me."

   "Yeah, you really charmed them," you agreed as you kicked a pebble away, a feeling of melancholy washing over you.

   "What's wrong?" he looked at you with genuine concern, taking both your hands in his. You looked at your joined hands and realized no one was around to see it, this was not for show. He noticed you noticing, and cleared his throat before dropping your hands.

   "I don't know, just feels kind of wrong, you know?" you began. "Learning all about each other's lives, getting them to like you, and getting them excited knowing we have to tear it all down in less than 10 days."

He looked contemplative for a moment, like your melancholy feeling passed right on over to him. Neither of you knew what to say, but you didn't have to, because a minute later a voice behind you both said, "Oh my god, it's Evan Peters and his girlfriend!"

He turned and met the woman's eyes for only a second before photos started flashing, and he dove right for your face, kissing the spot just next to your lips and hiding your faces exactly enough to make it look real. You hated that you wished it was.

*****

      The next day, you spent the afternoon guiding your parents around the city to some of the landmarks they'd wanted to see. You took them to the Deli when you knew Kyro was on shift; conservative as they were, he charmed them as well. Your mom required selfies with you and your father in every building you all entered, she was just sentimental like that.

When you guys went home for the night, your mom cooked for all of you, and made a comfort meal from your childhood. After you ate, in the living room of course since you didn't even have a dining room, you took care of the dishes and helped your parents set up their air mattress. You put on an older movie you knew they'd enjoy and began scrolling mindlessly on your phone.

Then, notifications started flooding in: the first said that Evan had mentioned you in his story, the rest were comments and DMs from his fans trying to buy things from you... you clicked the first notification all the way at the bottom, and right on Evan's public story was your pastel rosy maple moth. He added your username and said, "Bet you didn't know how talented my girl is :) Ask her about her art!"

Your heart warmed, and you stared too long at the words 'my girl'.