Best For Last || Evan Peters AU

womanizer

      You arrived to the second of the three homes you'd ever lived in-- Drew's grand town house she and her long-time boyfriend, Ben, shared. You walked the concrete path lined with purple and white pansies to her front door, and before you even had the chance to knock, her Ring doorbell must've alerted her, and she was swinging open the door to greet me.

   "Eek! You're here!" She squealed, snatching you up in a hug.

   She smelled like a subtle mix of pistachio and salted caramel. Her long, shiny hair no longer had those chunky highlights, but was instead her natural color of deep brown so dark it looked black. Though it was only May and not officially summer yet, the freckles scattered over her cheeks and shoulders were darker now than any other time of year. She held you out at arms length to get a good look at you. 

   A few minutes of excited greetings later, she showed you to your old room where you could put your bags. The room looked nothing like how you'd left it-- yet another reminder of how much things had changed in the last seven years. But this specifically you were glad looked different; the time period you'd spent in this room was not a pleasant one to look back on. Or rather, the reason you were there in the first place wasn't.

   The entire room was neutral tones now, with linoleum floors instead of the thick carpet and black-and-white everything you remembered. A few of Ben's certificates and sports awards decorated the walls, and the tiny table next to the bed had a picture of their blue-nosed pit in a silver frame. You set your bags down, and followed close behind Drew back down the still-carpeted stairs to the kitchen.

   "Want some tea?" she offered.

   "Eh, I'm still a little hot from outside," you said kicking off your shoes finally. "I'll pass."

   "I mean I'm trying to talk shit."

   "Oh," you laughed. "Well always yes to that."

   She sat at one of her four kitchen chairs and gestured for you to do that same. Once you were sat, she said, "So I know Dante was like the only link between you guys but I don't know if he'd bring it up, so, did you hear anything about Brooks?"

   You shook your head, and wanted to physically cringe at the name. Talk of Dante and Brooks together was dangerously close to talk of Evan.

   "Well, this girl he was letting stay with him accused him of... assaulting her."

   "What?" your mouth hung open. "Like... hitting her?"

   She pressed her lips into a line, "Nope."

   "Ugh," you scoffed. "I believe her, he's disgusting and always been like that towards women."

11 years ago
   After three dates with Evan and his parents, they told him as soon as he got his license you two could start going out alone. This was huge, and he got started on his 60 driving hours right away. It was June now, and with only 15 hours left to get in, he'd have it done before we knew it with all the free time school letting out would grant him. For now, his older sister Michelle was driving you to Hershey Park along with his two closest friends, Dante and Brooks.

   "I'm dying to see you in that bathing suit," Evan whispered to you while everyone else was talking loud and distracted.

   Your face heated immediately, and you looked over at his adorably mischievous smile and mirrored it. "Quit it," you whispered back shyly. "It's just a one piece."

   "Doesn't matter," he pressed his leg a little harder against yours. "I'm still gonna--"

   "No dude she was a psycho," Brooks' crude language grabbed your attention back to the group conversation. "She got upset every time I liked another girl's selfie. Like bitch grow up."

   "I mean... I think that's valid bro," Dante commented. "That shit kinda disrespectful."

   "Who?" your nosiness overpowered your introversion.

   "My stupid ass ex, Cora," Brooks replied. Evan rolled his eyes next to you, and shook his head as if to say 'don't mind him.'

   He kept going on about how insane she was, all while describing completely understandable boundaries she'd set. Everyone was relieved by the time we arrived at the park, and Michelle was happy to have you all out of her car. It was a horrendously hot day, so the four of you quickly agreed to head straight for the water park. You guys separated at your respective bathrooms to change into your swimsuits, and by the time you worked up the nerve to come back out, the three guys were already done and waiting for you.

   Evan's brows shot up and he didn't even try to hide it as he fully checked you out, head to toe. You bit the inside of your cheek self-consciously, but he was over to you in an instant, his hands on either side of your waist. The sight of him shirtless, and being so close and touching you had your stomach flip flopping.

   "Like I said," he shook his head fondly. "You look damn good."

   You shyly smirked, "You do too."

   Brooks voice called out from a few yards away, "Yeah yeah we all look great, can we get on rides now?"

   "We should do sunscreen though," you suggested.

   "I got some," Dante let his maroon backpack fall from his shoulders and dug around until he found the tube.

   "I didn't know black people even needed sunscreen," Brooks dared to joke.

   Dante shot him a look that had you and Evan immediately laughing, "Bro wait 'til I drown you in the wave pool."

   "Gimme that," Evan walked over to get the sunscreen as Brooks and Dante playfully bickered, then returned to you with a small white pile poured into his palm. "Can I cover you first?"

   "You wish," you teased. "I already have some on, I did it while I was naked in there."

   His eyes widened at the mere mention of the word naked, and he tried to discreetly cover the front of his swim trunks as he turned around. You giggled and took the sunscreen from him to start rubbing over his warm shoulders. Once everyone was covered, you all mostly went your separate ways, besides you and Evan of course. He refused to even let you help him carry the giant tubes up the numerous flights of stairs to the tops of all the water rides you two got on. Every time you got on a huge slide together, the lifeguard would tell you to keep hold of the handles on the tubes, and every time you were out of sight your hands found his. After about an hour and a half, you headed over to meet the other two in the group at the little hut that sold overpriced pizza and chicken tenders. You two approached the line, and much to the dismay of those standing behind Dante and Brooks, hopped in next to them.

   "Oh hey," Brooks shortly acknowledged us then nudged Dante. "Dude there's some fine bitches here, you seeing 'em?"

   Dante replied quietly and uneasily that he had, but it was clear he didn't agree with how the other boy spoke about women. Brooks continued to be a nuisance, and lucky for you, Dante was dealing with most of it. You two talked here and there, as you were the two closest to Evan, but you wished Brooks would find another friend group soon. You made the mistake of looking around, and was suddenly all too aware of all the beautiful, petite girls that surrounded you guys in tiny bikinis. You'd never have the confidence to wear that. Their hair was longer, they were more confident, their boobs were bigger, they--

   Evan took your hand and brought it up to kiss your knuckles. You looked to him in grateful adoration; in that moment you might as well have been the only girl in the entire park. Not once before or after that moment did you catch his eyes straying from you. He insisted on paying for your food, and reapplied sunscreen on your back without your even having to ask. 

   This was how you knew he loved you, even if he refused to directly say it. You tried not to let it upset you often, but you hoped to hear it one day soon.