Evan woke to the sound of breathing. Not his but someone else's. Slow. Steady. Close.
For half a second, panic climbed his throat. Then he smelled coffee.
Burnt. Cheap. Familiar.
Police-station coffee.
His eyes opened.
Noah was sitting on the floor beside him, back against the bed, elbows on his knees, head bowed. His hands were clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone white.
He looked like he hadn't moved in years.
Evan swallowed. "You look awful."
Noah's head snapped up.
Relief hit his face so fast it cracked something open in him.
"Mmm Don't," Noah said hoarsely. "Don't ever do that again."
"Collapse dramatically?"
"Disappear."
Evan tried to smile. It came out weak.
Noah stood too quickly and leaned over him, one hand braced beside Evan's shoulder, like he needed something solid to keep himself upright.
"I thought..." He stopped. Swallowed hard. "I thought I'd lost you."
Evan's chest tightened.
"You didn't."
Noah stared at him like he was searching for fractures under his skin. For lies in his bones.
Then, without asking, without permission, he reached out and threaded their fingers together. Firm. Certain. Like a decision.
Evan's breath stuttered. Noah didn't pull away.
"I don't care what you know," Noah said quietly. "Or how you know it. We'll fight about it later. We'll tear each other apart over it if we have to."
His thumb pressed into Evan's palm.
"But you don't get to face this alone anymore."
Something inside Evan folded.
Not fear. Not pain. Relief.
"You were angry at me," Evan whispered.
"I still am."
Noah's mouth twitched—broken, honest. "I'm just more afraid than angry now."
Evan tightened his grip.
"W… why?" he asked.
Noah blinked. "What?"
"Why are you being like this with me?"
"Like what?"
"Like…" Evan hesitated, heart pounding. "Like how people treat someone… special."
The word landed between them. Dangerous. Bright.
Noah inhaled slowly. Then exhaled. "You are !"
No excuses. No conditions. Just truth.
They stared at each other. Something invisible pulled them closer. Neither of them noticed the distance closing. Eyes locked. Breaths tangled. Evan shut his eyes first.
He felt something soft on his lips.
Noah kissed him.
Gentle.
Unsteady.
Real.
Evan kissed him back without thinking. His heart beating at the speed of light.
Their first confession.
Their first truth.
They had no idea when it began.
Only that it had.
A soft sound behind them made them break apart.
Kai stood a few steps away, coffee in his hands.
Frozen.
His smile flickered...just once...too small to notice unless someone was watching carefully.
"Oh," he said lightly.
Noah and Evan sprang apart, awkward and flushed.
"I...I have files," Noah muttered. "To review."
He left too fast.
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Kai walked over and handed Evan the coffee.
"You okay?" he asked gently.
Evan nodded.
Kai smiled. "Noah's a good guy."
"I know."
"I think he really loves you," Kai added softly. "He talks about you a lot. Worries about you."
Evan looked down.
"He always stays with me," he said. "I… I love him too. How could I not?"
Kai's smile didn't move.
"I know."
He hesitated, then added quietly, "You're my friend, Evan. You can tell me anything."
Evan nodded.
Though he didn't notice something he should have had.
That night, Noah walked Evan home.
This time, their hands were openly linked.
This time, neither pretended it was accidental.
At Evan's door, Noah kissed him again.
Not gentle.
Not hesitant.
Human.
Messy with relief.
Evan laughed into it.
Alive.
Wanted.
Chosen.
Across the street, in the shadow of a closed pharmacy, someone watched them.
Still. Smiling. Patient. The safe place. The quiet constant.
The one Evan's mind trusted before it trusted truth.
And for the first time since the murders began, Noah felt it.
Not a thought. Not a theory.
A pressure.
Like standing in a room where the temperature had changed without sound.
He glanced over his shoulder.
The street was empty.
Still.
Normal.
Yet his chest tightened.
Something was wrong.
He just didn't know where to place the fear yet.