"Mary. Wake up for a moment."
She turned to the soothing timbre, smiling as she focused on his face. "Hmm?"
"You need to eat something."
Mary rubbed her eyes and slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. When had she moved to the living room couch? Warren pushed a pillow behind her back and handed her a bowl of hot soup from a tray on the coffee table. She wrapped her hands around the ceramic, soaking in the heat. Why did her body feel so cold? Maybe the soup would warm her up.
Warren sat down by her feet, digging into his own bowl of soup. Mary watched him for a moment before eating her food. He really shouldn't have skipped school for her. She would have just gone to bed and slept until she felt better. There really wasn't anything he could do about her immune system. But she did appreciate him caring enough to come.
"I let the school know you weren't coming in today because you were sick," Warren said, dunking a piece of bread into his soup. "I also asked Stronghold to grab our assignments so we wouldn't fall behind."
Mary blinked. "You talked to Will?"
Warren shrugged, focusing on his bread. "I would have Layla do it, but she's focused on the student council campaign."
"But you willingly called Will Stronghold up and asked him to get our homework."
The pyro shrugged again. "Eat your soup."
Mary smiled and set her bowl on the coffee table. Warren turned to her as she leaned across the couch, drawing closer to him. "You picked up the phone, dialed his number, and asked him to do something for you of your own free will. I'm guessing you didn't even threaten him, did you?" Warren simply blinked slowly. "You've really changed since we first met."
He raised an eyebrow. "That happens." He gently pushed her back until she was leaning against her pillow. "You should put something in your stomach."
Mary picked up her soup, digging in as her stomach rumbled. It was simple soup from a can, but it still warmed her inside. She traded her bowl for the cup of hot tea, bringing her knees up to her chest. Warren finished his food and stretched his arms above his head. Mary followed the movement, her eyes stopping on the bit of skin exposed on his side. So he was just as tan under his shirt. She slowly took a sip of her tea and instantly choked.
"What kind of tea is this?" she managed through her coughing. She set the cup down before she dumped it down her front.
Warren rubbed her back as she tried to calm down. "It's a family remedy. It helps fight off sickness."
"It's awful."
"Medicine usually is." He picked up the tea and held it in front of her. "You have to finish all of it."
"No way." Mary scrambled away from him, but found the couch's armrest pressed against her back. Warren followed her, pressing the cup against her lips. She pursed them together, turning her head away, but he gripped her chin and turned her head back. Her lips parted enough for him to pour the rest of the tea in, the foul concoction flowing down her throat and settling in her stomach. Once the tea was all gone, he took the cup away.
"Ugh." Mary wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "What the heck, Warren? You can't just force someone to drink something like that."
He set the cup on the coffee table. "You'll thank me when you get better." He turned back to her and rested his hand against her forehead. Mary blushed at having him so close, practically leaning over her, but he simply moved away with a slight shake of his head. "You're still warm," he said as he collected the dishes.
Mary watched him for a moment. He seemed so relaxed and that made her smile. She always wanted people to feel welcomed in her home, but Warren was a special case. She wanted his approval more than the others. It was probably because she liked him beyond friendship. Her cheeks grew warmer and she stood. Warren gave her a questioning look.
"You ok?"
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just a little tired."
"The tea will do that. Just lay down and get some sleep."
Mary stretched out on the couch and fluffed the pillow under her head. She paused when Warren covered her with the blanket. Even though she'd used the excuse of being tired to cover her staring, Mary soon found herself drifting back to sleep.
An unfamiliar voice crept into her dreams. A woman's voice, it seemed. Mary shifted, slowly dragging her eyes open. It took a moment for her to focus, but she found herself staring up at a stranger. The woman was slim, dressed in a set of blue scrubs with red hair pulled into a ponytail away from her cheerful face. She looked familiar somehow.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
Mary rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Tired. A little stiff, but better. Who are you?"
"I'm Zoey Peace; Warren's mom. I just came by to drop off some clothes and thought I'd give you a quick check. Don't worry, dear. I'm a doctor. How long have you been feeling like this?"
"Since yesterday." Mary pushed herself into a sitting position and spotted Warren standing at the foot of the couch. "I'm fine. Really."
"She wasn't feeling well at lunch yesterday. She picked at her food, was unfocused in class, and even dozed off a time or two."
Mrs. Peace turned to her son with a knowing smile. "You noticed all that, did you?" Warren blushed slightly. His mom turned back to Mary. "Open your mouth, please."
Mrs. Peace slipped a thermometer past Mary's lips and checked her pulse. After a few moments, she took the thermometer and studied the numbers. She placed it in a medical bag on the coffee table. "Have you been physically sick?"
"No."
"She's kept everything down," Warren added.
"What did you have today?"
Mary leaned back against the pillows. "Orange juice and oatmeal my siblings left me this morning and the soup and tea Warren made me for lunch. The rest of the time, I've been sleeping."
Mrs. Peace nodded, deep in thought. "Well, it seems you don't have a cold."
"I don't?"
"No. Although it always shows as if it's a cold or the flu, the fact of the matter is your powers are developing."
"What? My powers?" Was this because she had been hit with the Pacifier?
Mrs. Peace smiled as she closed her medical bag. "Don't worry about it, dear. It happens to a lot of Supers. When their powers develop or they get new ones, their bodies have to adapt to the change. It's not harmful but can be very inconvenient. You'll be right as rain in a day or two."
Mary slowly nodded. Warren moved, catching her attention. His fingers were curling into the back of the couch as he kept his focus on his mother. Was he concerned for her? It was odd to be worried about like this. She blinked when she realized Mrs. Peace had addressed her.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
The woman chuckled. "No problem, dear. I'm just telling you that you should come over with the twins for dinner some night. Warren's told me so much about you and I'd love to have you over."
"Warren…talks about me?" She looked up at him.
Warren blushed slightly, frowning at the woman. "Mom. You can go, now."
The woman grinned at her son. "I just want to get to know your friend, dear."
"Don't you have to get to work?"
Mary piped up. "Are you a nurse?"
"Night shift at Maxville General. You know, you are just so cute. Warren's descriptions don't do you justice."
"Mom!"
Mary smiled slightly. She hadn't seen Warren this flustered before. It was kind of cute. "I didn't know he talked about me so much."
"Oh, he does. I feel like I've known you and the twins forever." Mrs. Peace's smile softened. "I remember your mother, too. She was a really wonderful woman. Barron tells me you visit all the time. Will you tell her I say hello next time you see her?"
Mary nodded.
"All right. I'll just let you two go. You don't mind Warren staying the night, do you?" Mary shook her head. "Good. He'll keep an eye on you, if you don't mind. Well, I'll let you two go, then. Have fun. Don't do anything too scandalous." Mrs. Peace kissed Warren's forehead and left with her bag and purse, closing the door behind her.
Warren shook his head. "I am so sorry about her."
Mary turned to him with grin. "I think she's nice." She pulled her feet up to make room on the couch for him. "You had planned on staying the night?"
He blushed a little more as he sat in the empty spot. "Well, I thought you might still need some looking after, so I asked my mom to bring some clothes over. She just added the check up." He hesitated in looking at her. "Do you mind?"
She shook her head. "Not at all. The twins will love having you here, too." She looked at the TV and tossed Warren the remote. "Might as well put something on. You choose."
They ended up watching a movie marathon that was on one of the channels. A few were old black and white films. Warren eventually made some popcorn and brought over some soda. They were just finishing Casablanca when the door opened and the twins ran in, followed by the gang.
"Mary!" Randy climbed up next to her. "You ok?"
She smiled, ruffling his hair. "Much better."
"Did you like the food we left you?"
Mary nodded. "It was very good. Thank you." There was no way she was telling him it had left a strange aftertaste that only Warren's tea could wash away. She looked up and saw Suzy climbing into Warren's lap, grabbing some popcorn. Will and the gang took their seats on the floor with amused smirks. Some of them were smart enough to hide them but Warren still glared at them.
"Hey, girl," Zach said. He dropped down next to the coffee table and opened his backpack. "I brought you some junk food to ease the pain."
Mary grinned, grabbing a bag of chips he'd dumped on the table. She popped a few into her mouth and leaned against the couch cushions. "What did I miss?"
Zach laughed. "Girl, Layla's been all over the school getting votes for the student council slot. I didn't think she was every going to stop."
"I have to act fast," Layla said, chewing on a corn chip. "It's sort of an emergency election so everything's been moved up. Elections are in two days."
"What is Layla doing?" Randy asked, taking a chip from Mary's bag as he climbed into her lap.
The girl turned her smile to him. "Since Gwen is in prison, the next person in line has to step up. That means, with the way the council is at the moment, everyone moves up a slot. The freshman representative position is open. I'm running for student council."
Randy finished his chip. "Oh." He reached into the bag again.
Will set a pile of books and papers on the coffee table. "This is all of the assignments for today and tomorrow."
Mary frowned at the pile. She knew she had to stay on top of her assignments, but she just couldn't find the energy to tackle the pile. Good thing her friends were here. She'd just use them as an excuse to put homework off.
Layla put a different pile on next to the first. "This is Warren's." It was just as big as hers. Warren frowned at it, probably weighting the pros and cons of setting it on fire.
"Don't worry," Ethan said, pulling things out of his book bag. "We'll study with you. It helps pass the time."
Suzy and Randy opened their bags and pulled out their own homework. Theirs was significantly simpler than the teenagers, but no one pointed that out.
"I'll get us something to drink, then," Layla said, standing up and leaving. Mary hoped there were enough drinks for everyone in the fridge. She needed to get to the store soon. A quick glance at the clock on the TV said it would soon be time to start dinner. She couldn't very well cook anything for everyone with the small amount of things in her fridge, even if she wasn't sick.
"Dude, let's order pizza and have a study party," Zack said.
"We'd hardly get any studying done if it's a party," Magenta pointed out.
"Pizza!" Suzy and Randy said at the same time.
Zack grinned. "The Mini Lambs are on my side. Pizza it is."
Suzy climbed down from Warren's lap and hurried to a writing desk in the corner. "Dad leaves us some extra money for take out."
Randy smiled. "We should have enough for a few pizzas." He looked up at Mary. "Right?"
She smiled back and smoothed his hair down. "Sure. Whatever everyone wants."
"Sweet." Zack picked up the phone and started to dial.
"Extra cheese," Ethan said.
"Meat lovers," Will chimed up. "Got to have meat lovers"
"No way. Make it a supreme. That's got everything," Magenta said.
"We don't need everything," Ethan said.
"Cheese is on every pizza. It's literally a base on the entire thing."
"We can ask for extra cheese, but we need something else on it." Will turned to Warren and Mary. "Back me up, guys."
Warren was stunned for a moment but managed an answer. "Meat lovers."
"That's my vote, too," Mary said.
Layla returned with soda and reminded him to get one with veggies.
"Ok, how about this," Zack said. "We get large pizzas; one meat lovers, one extra cheese and one that's half supreme/half veggies." Everyone nodded at that.
"Yuck." Randy made a face as Zack started ordering to the person on the other end. "Veggies on pizza."
"Veggies are good for you," Layla said.
"They're yucky."
"You like it when Mary makes you veggies."
"But that's because she puts cheese and other good things on it."
"Well, there will be cheese on a veggie pizza."
"Veggies do not belong on pizzas."
Mary chuckled. "Why don't you try a bite when it comes and see if you still don't like it. If you don't, I'll eat it." Randy thought about that for a moment and nodded as if he'd made the decision himself.
"Dudes," Zack said as he hung up the phone. "Food should be here in half an hour. How about a movie in the meantime?"
"Aren't we supposed to be studying?" Will asked in amusement.
Mary laughed. "It's funny you think that's what would happen tonight."
"Hey, it's studying if it's a superhero movie, right?" Zack grinned at his clever idea and started flipping through the channels.
Conversations started up with the others. Mary glanced at Warren and noticed that he was a mix between tense and relaxed; as if he didn't know which one he should be. Randy slipped out of her lap and leaned over Ethan's shoulder to look at something in a book. Mary scooted closer to Warren and lowered her voice as she switched to French. "You doing all right?"
He nodded. "Just getting used to others around."
"They're harmless." She looked over their group and watched for a moment as Will and Zack lightly grappled over the last bag of Doritos. "Well, mostly."
Warren's lips twitched for a moment. "This…is new for me. Having…friends."
"How does it feel?"
He turned his head so he was looking directly at her. His lips turned up into that dazzling smile that never failed to make her heart beat louder and faster. "Pretty good." Mary couldn't help but grin back.
"Oh, sweet!" Zack said, breaking into their shared moment. They turned to the TV. "There's an 'Adventures of Tiger Man' marathon."
"I love him," Suzy and Randy said, finding new seats beside Ethan.
Mary leaned back in the couch, her shoulder resting against Warren's, and joined the others as they watched the screen. Warren was right; it was good to have friends. Having them here made her feel ten times better and the place less empty. But it was kind of funny. When it had just been her and Warren, she hadn't felt lonely at all. He seemed to fit in here better than she thought.
The pizza arrived, the twins brought down pillows and blankets, and a few pillow forts were instantly created. It went without saying that their study party never actually opened their books or glanced at an assignment. They watched the marathon until the early hours of the morning and, because they'd all called their parents to let them know what they were doing, they fell asleep where they were. If Mary ended up using Warren as a pillow, his arms holding her in place against his chest, no one pointed it out.