PROJECT MORTUUS : Love's End

Chapter 16: Practice Safe

"You were great, Red." Maria smiled, "You sure know how to use those hands."

Peter handed her the controller. "It's not that hard. It's just Super Mario."

Maria chuckled, "Maybe not for a nerd like you, but I struggled with that level for a while."

All but some thought Peter was a nerd because he was obsessed with video games and his leading in the local chess club, so he never was very popular. In fact, quite a few people only knew him because he was dating Maria. Maria, on the other hand, was pretty popular.

Most people would be upset by this, but not Peter. He loved that people weren't focused on him, and he could blend in a lot easier.

Maria looked at the clock on her bedside table. It read 9:30 PM, and that meant her dad would be home soon.

Maria opened up a drawer on her desk and picked something up. She handed it to Peter. "Let me guess, your dad got these condoms for us?" Peter asked with an amused grin.

Maria nodded, "I don't think he knows you despise sex." They both laughed. Neither of them actually liked sex. However, Peter was the only one of the two who wasn't a virgin. Maria was probably the only one who knew that he had been assaulted as a young boy.

Most people assumed he was a player by his looks, but Peter was, in fact, part of the ace community, and the sexual assault he received as a kid was probably a heavy influence on that. No one actually knew what happened, and so most just assumed the rest.

Peter put the condoms back in the drawer, laughing again. "Sex is really gross. The most contact we have is cuddling."

Her father may have finally accepted Peter, but he hadn't gotten the time to know him. And with how he was acting, that would probably never happen. Peter noticed the clock. It was now 10:09 PM, and no word from Maria's father. Peter checked his phone to see a missed call from Mordecai.

"Uh... I need to take this call... I'll be in the hall." Peter said as he lifted his phone to his ear. Maria nodded and returned to her game. Mordecai's number continued flashing on Peter's phone for a minute before he answered.

"Peter, listen to me closely..." Mordecai said through Peter's phone, sounding a little panicked. "Michael isn't himself, but I can't explain it any further because I don't even know."

Peter paced in the hallway as he spoke into the phone. "Is Maria in any danger?"

Peter listened for a response while Mordecai pondered the question, his hesitation was definitely not helping to calm Peter down. "No," he finally said. Mordecai fell silent on the other end; he wanted to tell Peter the important thing about his last subject, the one before Michael, but he couldn't manage to. After all these years, could he really tell him?

Peter hung up, unaware of the thoughts running through Mordecai's tormented conscience. He knew he had to stay the night just to make sure she was indeed safe, which he wasn't against. He loved Maria, after all so getting to spend extra time with her was pretty great.

Peter opened up the door of Maria's room. She was lying on her bed, aggressively mashing buttons on the controller. In her mouth, she was sucking on a lollipop which she often did.

"Everything okay, Sweetie?" Maria asked, pausing the game and taking the lollipop out of her mouth. Maria loved to suck on lollipops while gaming or studying; it helped her concentrate.

"Mhm... Uh, Darrel just called in sick." Peter didn't like lying to Maria, but anything was better than her being in danger. What would it cost her if she knew the truth? He didn't know, and he didn't want to know.

She smiled warmly at him, completely unaware that he was lying. "That's a shame. Darrel's a really good worker." Peter nodded and sat on the bed with Maria. All of the lying was really beginning to get to him.

He smiled as he watched Maria play Super Mario World. She was so invested in it, and that was kind of cute to him. Peter picked up a stuffed animal on the bed and hugged it while watching her. It was a small blue bear with soft button eyes and a blue ribbon around its stub of a neck.

"I see you still have Mr. Blue," Peter said to her, hugging the blue bear. "I remember when we were six, and I gave him to you."

Maria paused the game again and smiled at him, "Of course. I love Mr. Blue." She sat up and hugged Peter.

"How come Mr. Blue gets all your hugs, Red?" She joked with a giggle. "I thought I was your cuddle bear."

Peter set the bear on her pillow and hugged Maria. "You are, though." He smiled and laughed softly.

Maria turned the game off and hugged Peter, wanting to stay in his arms. They lay in bed, embracing each other warmly. Peter gently twirled Maria's hair, playing with it as they lay. It was something that Maria loved. As he did so, Maria started getting sleepy.

She often fell asleep when someone hugged her, but add in playing with her hair, and she would be out in minutes. It was just another one of many things about her on a very long list of things that he adored.

As he played with her hair, Maria slowly fell asleep. Peter smiled and gently moved Maria off him. He stood up and turned the light off before getting back in bed with her.

He lay there in the dark with Maria, sleeping peacefully beside him. How could he possibly keep everyone around him safe, especially when he didn't even know what threat he was protecting against?

Somehow, as Peter slowly drifted to sleep, he knew something was off.