Dr. Mordecai Mallard was a silent genius. Mordecai never spoke, only observed. Don't ask what he did; no one was quite certain. Some people in the town suspected some government experiments, while others didn't even know he existed.
"Welcome to my house, Peter. Please feel free to make yourself at home," Mordecai said as he turned the key and opened the door of his house, which creaked a little.
Peter followed him inside. "Wow, your house is huge."
Mordecai laughed, "I guess it is pretty big." Mordecai entered the kitchen and flicked the light on. He opened the fridge and handed Peter a cold drink. "I'm sure you've probably heard countless stories about me."
Peter nodded, taking a sip from the glass as he thought about the many rumors that surrounded Dr. Mallard. "I've heard that you make monsters."
Mordecai laughed, but not of joy; it was somewhat pained. "To many, it would seem that way."
Peter picked up a paper, eyeing it suspiciously. "PROJECT MORTUUS?" He asked quietly as he read the paper's name.
"Oh, that's La-" Mordecai started to say before Peter cut him off.
"Yes, I know it's Latin for dead," Peter said, looking at the paper. Mordecai picked up the rest of the documents and shoved them into a folder.
"I'm sure you've noticed the strange things happening in this town, Peter. This project could be the answer."
"Mordecai, bringing back the dead is not a thing to toy with," Peter said, handing him the paper with "PROJECT MORTUUS" written on the top of it in bold letters.
Mordecai handed him a notebook with a name scribbled on the top: Dr. Alexander Morgan. Peter opened the tattered, leather-bound notebook. Page after page of it was explaining the implications and even successful test subjects of the project, all written by his father. Alexander was Mordecai's partner.
"Your father started this, Peter. I plan on finishing it not for me but for him."
Mordecai said as he packed the paper in a filing cabinet. He'd only revealed part of his reason. Mordecai was secretly obsessed with trying to bring his daughter back. She'd died after coming down with pneumonia.
Peter walked to the couch, where Mordecai had set out a pull-out bed. He lay in the dark, looking up at the ceiling, but he couldn't sleep, not after knowing all of that.
How had he never known this? Had he managed to do it? Every question swirled in his head as he lay in the dark. Peter looked up at the ceiling, "Maybe... Maybe I am one of the experiments?" The thought hit him, but he wasn't sure whether it was possible. He didn't know if that was a possibility.
Peter groaned as the first rays of light poured into the window and hit his face. It was too late to fall asleep now. He groggily went to the kitchen, Mordecai sitting at the table reading a newspaper. "Guess you didn't sleep too well, huh?" Mordecai said, flicking the newspaper as he read.
"No, but I should go," Peter said, getting his shoes on.
"The town is just down the road." Mordecai replied while sipping his coffee, "Oh, and Peter, maybe don't mention PROJECTo MORTUUS."
Peter nodded as he left. He walked his way down the road, and he decided to visit the café. Peter entered the restaurant and immediately felt like something was wrong. Instead of Maria sitting by the front counter waiting for him, she was in the kitchen. Peter ran over to her, leaping over the counter and running back.
"Oh! Peter!" Maria looked up, shocked and blushing a bit. "Are you okay? Maria placed a cup she was washing onto the counter to dry.
"You scared me. I thought you were hurt." Peter said, helping her dry the dishes. Peter was pretty paranoid about how many people he'd lost.
"Nope. Just finishing up, Red." Maria giggled and placed more cups on the counter. Peter dried the dishes, his eyes stuck on her with a goofy grin.
"What?" Maria asked, noticing Peter's gaze.
"Nothing. Just happy to see you." Peter said as he dried another dish and quickly looked back at the dishes. As he dried the last one, Maria removed her café apron. She walked out with Peter, closed the door, and locked up the café. "We can go to my place. My dad isn't home today."
Maria beside Peter. "I'm sorry, by the way. I know how much the things my father said hurt you."
Peter wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "I'm okay. I know it's just because he loves you too."
Maria smiled, "I know, Red."
Peter looked at Maria happily, "So, Vee, I was thinking about wearing my dad's old prom suit to homecoming. What do you think?"
Maria kissed Peter's cheek, "I think you'll look handsome, Red."
"Well, I guess we'll see. Won't we?" Peter said with a sly smile. His ears were still significantly red.
Maria unlocked the door as they got to the house. Peter followed her inside and went to the kitchen to make popcorn. He had been over enough times that it wasn't even a problem.
He stood in the kitchen, watching Maria scroll through her collection of Netflix discs in the living. Peter's smile was soft as he watched her, occasionally checking on the popcorn.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Peter tapped his foot while listening closely to the popping. He looked at the timer on the microwave, seventeen seconds left. Peter hit the button and took the bag out. He tossed the bag, jumping in shock as the pack made another loud pop. "Damn popcorn." He muttered.
"How's the popcorn going, Red?" Maria shouted from the living room, unaware of the chaos in the kitchen. Peter grabbed a bowl and poured the bag into it. "It's going... Great?... Yeah, it's going great."
Peter sprinkled some sea salt into the popcorn and drizzled butter on it before entering the living room, holding the bowl of popcorn. "What are we watching?"
Maria scrolled, checked the discs from Netflix, and finally decided on one. The two of them sat on the couch with popcorn, her arm wrapped around his waist as she watched the movie.
He watched her reactions to the movie, her hands gripping his sides with each jump. She jumped in her seat again, the popcorn flying and covering them both.
"OH MY GOSH!! I'm so sorry!" She blushed and hurried to clean up the popcorn. Peter leaned down, helping, and lifted her chin to look at him.
"It's okay, My Midnight Rose. It's just popcorn." Peter reassured her, her face blushing more from his calming voice. Maria looked into his soft emerald eyes. The way they shimmered in the faint glow of the T.V. made her feel safe, as if nothing in the world could hurt her while in his arms.
She smiled and hugged him, her arms tightly around him. "I never want to leave your arms."
Peter chuckled, still holding her in his arms. "Yeah, but the floor popcorn is gonna get moldy." He joked.
Maria looked at Peter with a jokingly annoyed expression. "Fuck your moldy popcorn."
Peter fell back, jokingly hurt. "My feelings! It's too much!" She lightly kicked him.
"Get up, you little cheese oaf." She said, giggling. Maria wasn't very much taller than Peter but always held it over his head.
"I spilled cheese on my face one time!" Peter said, still cleaning up the popcorn. "When will you forget that?"
Maria looked at Peter, smiling and laughing. "I'll forget when you can be a dom, short stack."
Peter blushed deep red and finished cleaning up the popcorn. "I... Um... O-Okay..." He sat beside her on the couch, his heart beating fast.
"Why so distant?" Maria asked and pulled Peter to her, resting his head on her thighs. "That's better, Red. Wouldn't you agree?"
He blushed deeply, unable to speak. Maria gently stroked his hair as he lay on her lap. The two slowly fell asleep, holding each other. Neither of them had ever felt safer than at that moment.
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