i wouldn't love you if you changed part two
Friday afternoon came, and Dustin actually came to the train station with them, and it wasn’t like Eduardo hadn’t spent the whole day bugging Mark - which in turn meant being bugged by Dustin - and Dustin sat in the front seat and chatted up the cab driver while Eduardo shot Mark pointed looks over Christy’s head. Mark, however, was playing an intense round of Pokémon on the Gameboy Color that Dustin had managed to dig up, and had his arm angled around Christy so that she could tell him if the Pokémon was cute enough to catch. Christy’s nails were too long to play herself, or she would have been all over that.
When they got to the train station, Dustin got out and motioned at the cab driver and used his big brown puppy dog eyes to get the cabbie to acquiesce. He then got Mark’s bag out from the back and directed Mark inside to the gate, where he sat Mark down and managed to get his arms around Mark’s back and his head on Mark’s shoulder and giggled into Mark’s shoulder.
Christy laughed and went to Mark’s other side, commented and cheering Mark on as he beat some plant gym trainer. Eduardo was not amused as he sat next to Christy, and as their train pulled in, Mark got pushed up, making all of them get up at the same time. Mark’s finger flicked to save and then turn the Gameboy off, then opened his arms so Dustin could cling to Mark like an idiot and there would be a lot of sloppy kissing sounds, and Dustin looked like a schoolgirl as he pulled away, his lips wet and red. Mark ran a hand through Dustin’s hair, and Eduardo’s stomach twisted as he realized it was like watching a movie - except Mark was the silly hero, and Dustin the brilliant heroine who believed in this hero.
What did that make Eduardo?
---
The train ride down to New York was uneventful, Christy texting Alice on her phone, Mark playing that dumb Gameboy, and Eduardo on the edge as Mark could softly curse out another trainer and Christy would giggle and he would show her, look at this asshole, dude, he just killed me with a Bambi Pokémon and Christy would say, yeah, that’s one weird ass Pokémon.
Eduardo was going to have a long week if the two of them kept acting like those twins off Sister, Sister. He pulled out his phone and texted Lindsay, the girl Dustin had had a crush on earlier in the semester, who had gone out on one date with him before this whole Mark fiasco.
hey dustin’s roomies are gone for the weekend - you should go see if he wants company.
uh isn’t he dating his roommate?
Foiled. Who did he know that was attractive that wouldn’t have a Facebook? It took him a minute before the name rung clear in his head - Antonio. Antonio, his friend who went to Tufts, who hooked him up with alcohol and back in first semester had totally fucked him senseless.
yo, Tony, remember that time I brought you over to hang out with all of those computer kids?
si, amigo. What up?
that redheaded one wanted you to go hang out with him. tonight.
solid. he had nice teeth.
That took care of that, and Eduardo watched Christy play snake on her phone, laughing softly to himself.
--
However, when Antonio from Tufts got to the apartment, Chris was standing watchdog at the door as the Latin guy came to the door.
“I’m looking for - Dustin?”
“Did he call for you?”
“No, Eduardo said he wanted to hang out -“
“On Monday, Monday would be a lot better for Dustin.”
“Okay?” For some reason, Antonio was scared of this skinny blond who seemed to be staring into his soul.
--
does dustin fuck that blond boy because he was very defensive. and he stole my beer. he’s scary.
Eduardo cursed Chris mentally.
---
As soon as they got to New York, Mark packed up his Gameboy and put his game face on, checking his phone and smiling at it. Mark had the rest of the night off to do whatever - Eduardo and Christy had to get ready for a dinner with Christy’s parents and he scrolled through his texts.
“Eduardo, why was some large Latin lover type at my dorm asking for Dustin?”
“You remember Tony?”
Mark paused as he grabbed Christy’s bag from the overhead compartment and handed to it her, then his own, and shrugged. “Big, Latin lover type?”
“Yeah, he goes to Tufts -“
“Oh, yeah. And he wanted to voluntarily hang out with Dustin?” Eduardo shrugged, and Mark rolled his eyes, fingers flying.
----
From: D <3
I. am. So. bored.
From: Mark
why is every other word capitalized? i can tell that you’re bored because every word is spelled correctly?
From: D <3
I felt like it. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
From: Mark
I’m pretty sure you spelled that wrong. Why is your name in my phone only a D with a heart?
From: D<3
you left your phone alone. With me. Oh my God Chris is singing Steppenwolf in the shower.
From: Mark
when is he going out?
From: D<3
in like two hours. Oh my God. He’s going to style his hair and try on his tight, tight, tighter pants.
From: Mark
be at the hotel in ten minutes. I’ll call and we’ll give Chris a run for his money?
From: D<3
HELL YES.
---
Once Mark got up to the room, he kind of streaked towards his room so fast Eduardo thought that Mark flew there and slammed the door shut. Eduardo rolled his eyes as Christy dragged him into their room.
---
Mark hit speed dial two for Dustin as he dropped his pants. He flipped it to speed dial as he then stepped out of his good jeans and shrugged his hoodie off. Dustin picked up on the second ring, and Mark growled at the phone.
“Feisty kitty.” Dustin purred back, and he could hear Dustin push back from his - Mark’s, he hoped - desk. “How was the train ride?”
“I’m already at the Masters’ Gym.”
“What a badass.” Dustin purred again, and Mark sighed, flopping on the bed next to the phone.
“Mark?”
“I don’t want to be here.” Mark groaned out, and Dustin sighed softly.
“Do you miss me?” Mark sniffled at the phone, and Dustin laughed. “I miss you too, Mark. You know that you have to be there as the CEO. Do you want to sing me a Britney Spears song?”
“No, I want to make you come, then I want you to sing me a Britney Spears song.”
---
When Eduardo and Christy were leaving, there were groans from Mark’s room, “Mark?” Eduardo called, and Christy giggled.
“They’re in their honeymoon period still, Eduardo, give them time.”
“Christy!”
“What, Eduardo? I’m just being honest.” Mark moaned louder and it was like a keening sound, and Christy ushered him out of the suite. “Eduardo, seriously, you need to let him have his fun.”
---
When they got back from the dinner, a bad rendition of Soda Pop was floating through the suite and Christy, who had just graced her way through the dinner while Eduardo pulled his hair out in tufts because Mr. Lee just stared at him, and Christy giggled. “Eduardo, you need to loosen up.” She began to strip down, dancing to Dustin’s off tune song, and Eduardo rolled his eyes as he followed her into the bedroom. Maybe if Christy did that thing with her tongue he would be able to block out the serenading from down the hall.
---
Saturday and Sunday went by ridiculously fast, because there were dinners and Christy took Mark out to shop and gossip, Eduardo supposed, while Eduardo freaked out over some of the Econ homework he’d been putting off, and the Shakespeare class his father had insisted was a brilliant class because Shakespeare was a brilliant playwright.
Then, whenever Mark was in the suite, the phone was on and Dustin’s giggling or shouts or once his snores had echoed down the hall. On Monday, they have six meetings - four in the same building - and Mark gives blank stares to every single person they meet when Eduardo tries to engage him, his mind back at Harvard with Billy running his website, and Dustin asleep somewhere, and Eduardo wished Mark would be in the moment now. With him. Not back at Harvard.
First semester hadn’t been like this.
When Christy left that night, Mark moved out into the living room area, and his phone was off. Eduardo was surprised, but pleased as he claimed the spot next to Mark, clicking through channels mindlessly until he landed on a movie that with a redhead and Mark said, “Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop flipping channels, I like this movie. It’s only in the first ten minutes, you haven’t missed much.”
So Eduardo settled in next to Mark, a hand casually thrown across the back of the couch, as he watched the scene unfold. His father didn’t let him watch silly films - the only thing his father considered both educational and child appropriate were animated films, because in his opinion, animated films were the future.
So, when the six kid’s stories unraveled, he turned to watch Mark, and Mark mouthed the words, “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are better at hiding it, that’s all.” and Eduardo’s heart melted.
“Mark?”
“Hmm?”
“Mark, I love you.”
Mark turned, and smiled, and it was all out, dimples and blinding white and it felt so good to Eduardo to see all of that again - it had been too long. Eduardo inched forward and Mark replied, “Me too, man. You’re my best friend.”
“Not Dustin?”
“No, we’re not one of those couples. You and me, we’re the best friends, but he and I, we’re…”
“You’re what?”
“You’re my Duckie - he’s my Blane.”
“What?”
“Pretty In Pink’s on next - we should watch it. You’ll get it after that.”
So Eduardo ordered some pizza, and after it came and Eduardo was so engrossed with Andrew McCarthy - how could someone with such an imperfect smile be so gorgeous - that Mark got up and paid for it and even set his laptop to the side. Eduardo’s eyes watered up as Blane walked out, and in his head he was screaming in his head, Go after him, idiot! and squealed when she did it, she ran out after him and he leaned over to punch Mark, but Mark was asleep on the side out of the couch, his hands wrapped around his phone, a smile on his face.
Eduardo didn’t want to be his Duckie, but at this point, Mark was right. He was a Duckie - chasing after someone who was enamored with someone else. But he could always be wrong.
Eduardo stayed up the rest of the night watching Sixteen Candles and Mannequin, and fell asleep during St. Elmo’s Fire, his head on Mark’s knees.
---
Dustin, however, had to deal with Antonio from Tufts, who, once he found out Dustin was dating someone, was a bit dejected but cool otherwise, taking Dustin to smoke in all of the cool places in Boston that Dustin had never even seen before.
When Dustin got in at four the next morning, he only had one missed text from someone.
From: Mark <3333
I believe in us.
Dustin passed out, gleeful.
----
Tuesday itself was quite boring - their only meeting was at three, and it was honestly only Eduardo’s meeting, so he pulled himself off of the couch at eleven, while Mark whimpered in his sleep and rolled over, his legs immediately taking up where Eduardo’s body had been, his phone falling on the floor as he tried to fall back asleep.
Slowly picking it up, Eduardo stowed it in the pocket of his pants before heading into his room, his mind slowly formulating a plot.
But first he needed a shower - a happy ‘80’s tune from last night was his choice of bad showering singing material - before he cleaned up for his interview with Lehman Brothers.
Then he plopped down to mess with Mark’s phone. He wasn’t surprised that Mark had a passcode on it - Mark had locks on almost everything, it was so people couldn’t really get to know the real him, so the public Mark and the private Mark could be distinguished. Mark’s phone password always had been - and always would be - his mom’s birthday, so Eduardo bypassed that with ease, and then he stopped.
Because Mark’s phone background - which had always been a picture of Leonard Nimoy Mark had taken from his trip to Canada two years ago - had been changed to a picture of Dustin, smiling, on Mark’s bed.
Eduardo stopped. He couldn’t break up two people that were obviously happy together - and it’s not like he wasn’t happy with Christy. He did like her, even though she was scary, and it was nice to have someone pay so much attention to him when he had more than enough on his plate. So instead of sending a break-up text to Dustin or figuring out what he wanted to do with Mark’s phone, he went back into the common room and put the phone where it had been and snapped at Mark until he woke up. “What, Wardo?”
Wardo’s heart dropped a little bit as he heard Mark say his name for the first and last time sleepily, knowing unless Dustin did something really stupid, he and Mark would be together for a long time - longer than Wardo knew that he would wait.
Not could. Would.
“Mark, you need to get up, I don’t know how to check the traffic or whatever but Dustin hasn’t called and so I guess the person watching it is -"
“Billy.” Mark groaned, and rolled over off of the couch to scrabble for his phone. “Wardo, can you -"
“Already calling for room service.”
“Thanks.” The phone was already flipped open, the laptop booting up as Mark rubbed sleep out of his eyes. “How’s Christy?”
Eduardo pulled out his phone to see no new texts. “Asleep.”
Mark chuckled as Dustin picked up the phone. “Love of my life?”
“Is Billy still awake?”
“I don’t know. Shit, what time is it?”
Eduardo went back into his room as they conversed. He knew where he wasn’t wanted.
---
Then the meeting with Sean Parker happened, and Eduardo thought he would punch someone in the face.
Firstly, he wanted to punch Christy for talking him into this - he had done his research, Parker was only an early employee - and Parker was so charming, so slick, and ugh.
Secondly, he wanted to punch Sean. He knew Mark’s type, he knew Mark’s strengths and the ego boost Mark would get from someone who had been there, someone who had done what Mark wanted to do, and done it relatively well.
Thirdly, he wanted to punch Mark. Because Mark called Dustin, but Dustin didn’t pick up, and Mark pouted out of the window until they got back to the hotel, where Mark logged onto Facebook and completely ignored attempts at communication from both of them until the phone buzzed, and Mark took the phone and the laptop back to his room, a soft smile on his face.
---
It was all a blur after that. Getting the internship and Lehman Brothers, getting into the Phoenix and Christy, Christy, Christy, every day. He had hints of Mark - vague emails and funny three AM texts about Dustin, which made Eduardo’s chest contract.
Then the school year was over, and Dustin, Chris, and Mark were all flying out to California, and Christy went with Eduardo to the airport to wave them off, Dustin and Mark giggling to Chris about some boy who had toured Harvard and lived in California and you should see him, Chris, both of their eyes shining in the midmorning light.
Eduardo didn’t know that it was already over, but as Mark turned to wave at him from over Dustin’s shoulder, and Christy grabbed at his hand, squeezed it.
---
Chris called him from somewhere quiet about a week in, telling him how he should be out there with them, Christy was great for getting Mark on the right track but Chris was the third wheel and awkwardly cute underage teen boy was stalking him, and he missed Eduardo, who had always been the equality with all of them.
Chris even admits he kind of wished it was Eduardo at Mark’s side, and Eduardo’s heart hurts a bit, because he does, too.
---
Then he comes out to Palo Alto to find Sean fucking Parker on his couch, Mark with a hickey carved into his cheek and a lopsided grin on his face, and though he looks tired, Eduardo lets the exhaustion mix with pain and frustration, and after a heated conversation with Mark, Dustin in the other room, he goes back to New York.
----
Then the shit hits the fan, and suddenly the frustration and pain turn into anger, anger which doesn’t get better when Facebook improves and suddenly he still doesn’t know how to change his relationship status while pictures of Dustin and Mark pop up every so often, taken by interns on their shitty camera phones or high quality ones taken by Chris when he goes back to visit. He finds time to be friends with Eduardo, but he picks neither side, and he’s still co-head of PR for Facebook, so sometimes Eduardo doesn’t see him for weeks, and their professors understand - Chris wants an education while he’s successful - and Eduardo’s gut screams right up until the depositions.
---
With all edited versions of stories, there are things cut out. There are the weeks Eduardo stayed away because of Phoenix stuff, the time he and Chris had hooked up his junior year, their first kiss, the fact that Mark had slept with Tyler Winklevoss, but nothing hurt as much as Dustin hanging in the end of hallways where depositions were taking place, hearing Mark and Dustin argue through closed doors during lunch and regular old personal breaks, seeing deep circles under Mark’s eyes, and at one point they break up on Facebook, Dustin changing his profile picture to a picture of their dog, which had probably taken up residence with Dustin.
The next day Mark looks like the living dead, walking in with what must have been a shirt of Dustin’s on and a hoodie slung over it, and Eduardo just wanted to end it and hug Mark and tell him that it was going to be fine, come out to New York, he’d be fine.
---
He spots them making out outside of the law offices two days later.
---
After he settles, they officially get back together, goofy pictures of the two of them strung all over his newsfeed again, and Eduardo has his assistant change his Facebook password and he moved on with his life.
--
Three years later, a piece of mail changes everything.
At first Eduardo’s assistant handed it to him nonchalantly, like it was a shareholder’s packet or a business invitation.
He hadn’t even bothered to read the front, the return address Mark and Dustin’s home one instead of Facebook. Once Chris had gotten a package Dustin had mailed him a plate of homemade brownies with Mark had labeled as “actually edible for once”. He didn’t know why specifically he was getting a homemade package of brownies, but he was kind of hungry.
Then it was like a punch to the gut, a wake up call because done tastefully in some sort of Tiffany blue - not Mark’s preferred blue, but whatever, it was a nice color - was a wedding invitation
Dearest friends and family,
You are cordially invited by both the Moscovitz and Zuckerberg families to the wedding of
Dustin Adam Moskovitz
and
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
On October 18, 2010.
Please RSVP by August 1
---
Eduardo had to lie down for a moment, then asked his assistant for his Facebook password
---
If anything, it had become worse than three years ago. They were still ‘in a relationship’, but it was obvious that the both of them had gotten a lot more smug in the past few months, the pictures from the shareholders meetings showing off a slimmer, more fit and better rested Dustin and a less skeleton Mark, who seemed almost shy.
---
He RSVP’d yes.
---
Dustin stood in front of the mirror of the Bridal Suite - it was bigger and he wanted to lay out everything before putting it on, no matter the chiding from Mark about him being a complete and utter girl - and breathed in heavily.
Luckily nothing major had gotten out in the press, just rumblings of Mark and Dustin doing something big, but the PR department had been so mum even their closest friends had kept their mouths closed.
Even Chris. Chris, who had preened around like a princess when they had gone tux shopping for Dustin, causing cooing before Chris quickly dispelled the rumors and guiled some champagne out of the nice lady that worked at the tux shop.
Dustin had barely eaten this morning - by his standards anyway, a bowl of Pops and half a bagel with cream cheese and some OJ wasn’t anything - and he’d been chugging water all day. For October it was a little cold in Massachusetts, but they had to be somewhere, and it was where they had met, and it made Dustin smile at the memory of Mark insisting they got married there, because California had given them the place to be together, but Massachusetts had given them each other.
So when his signaling knock came at the door - he was determined to be alone for as long as possible - he shouted out a “alright” and the photographer came in, getting ready to record possibly the second best day of Dustin’s life.
Nothing would top the day Mark made him spaghetti and sang him the song from Lady and the Tramp when their dog ran away. Not even their wedding day. Mark had worn little dog ears and had taken him to Build A Bear, then made him play COD while he made him dinner.
Then he’d asked Dustin to marry him, and Dustin had cried.
---
They found the dog the next week - he had escaped into their neighbor’s yard, who never lived in the house they owned, which explained why they hadn’t found Tigger until a week later
---
Things rarely shocked Mark anymore. After almost five years with Dustin, things weren’t so black and white anymore. People either got him or talked to Dustin about it, so he was able to open up to Dustin.
Dustin, who had bought them the Ultimate Disney Collection.
Dustin, who had forced Mark to take a week off of work to go to Euro Disney for their third anniversary.
Dustin, who Mark had never had any doubt about.
But now Eduardo was coming to their wedding, and Mark was just so confused. Eduardo, the last time Mark had seen him, hadn’t even looked him in the eye. He had watched Mark and Dustin make out, then when they had broken apart, pretended like he was waiting for his car, which had been ten feet away from him.
Both of them had agreed to invite Eduardo as a courtesy, but neither of them had actually expected him to RSVP yes.
Mark had eaten breakfast, he was so nervous. He had an orange and had ruined the skin by tearing it off in short little strips and covered a table with it.
He knew that his therapist would say that it was a passive aggressive move, but he didn’t care - he just hoped Eduardo didn’t fuck up Dustin’s perfect day, which would make it a perfect day for Mark as well.
Mark only got so few perfect days.
---
Dustin did cry when he saw Eduardo beaming up at him in the audience, a giant smile almost cutting his face in half.
Mark finally didn’t look like he was sinking into his suit, a man finally, a man who had tears in his eyes as Dustin tried to make sure his pronunciation was on and that he didn’t visibly tremble in front of everyone.
Mark let Dustin break the glass.
---
Mark didn’t really care either way - he had Dustin in his bed every night, even when they fought, he had a great life and business partner, and the fact that Eduardo had sponsored them a chicken farm in upstate New York for their wedding present didn’t cause pain but actual physical laughter from him when he read the card, Dustin’s hand carding through his hair, his nose right behind Mark’s ear.
When they got to the train station, Dustin got out and motioned at the cab driver and used his big brown puppy dog eyes to get the cabbie to acquiesce. He then got Mark’s bag out from the back and directed Mark inside to the gate, where he sat Mark down and managed to get his arms around Mark’s back and his head on Mark’s shoulder and giggled into Mark’s shoulder.
Christy laughed and went to Mark’s other side, commented and cheering Mark on as he beat some plant gym trainer. Eduardo was not amused as he sat next to Christy, and as their train pulled in, Mark got pushed up, making all of them get up at the same time. Mark’s finger flicked to save and then turn the Gameboy off, then opened his arms so Dustin could cling to Mark like an idiot and there would be a lot of sloppy kissing sounds, and Dustin looked like a schoolgirl as he pulled away, his lips wet and red. Mark ran a hand through Dustin’s hair, and Eduardo’s stomach twisted as he realized it was like watching a movie - except Mark was the silly hero, and Dustin the brilliant heroine who believed in this hero.
What did that make Eduardo?
---
The train ride down to New York was uneventful, Christy texting Alice on her phone, Mark playing that dumb Gameboy, and Eduardo on the edge as Mark could softly curse out another trainer and Christy would giggle and he would show her, look at this asshole, dude, he just killed me with a Bambi Pokémon and Christy would say, yeah, that’s one weird ass Pokémon.
Eduardo was going to have a long week if the two of them kept acting like those twins off Sister, Sister. He pulled out his phone and texted Lindsay, the girl Dustin had had a crush on earlier in the semester, who had gone out on one date with him before this whole Mark fiasco.
hey dustin’s roomies are gone for the weekend - you should go see if he wants company.
uh isn’t he dating his roommate?
Foiled. Who did he know that was attractive that wouldn’t have a Facebook? It took him a minute before the name rung clear in his head - Antonio. Antonio, his friend who went to Tufts, who hooked him up with alcohol and back in first semester had totally fucked him senseless.
yo, Tony, remember that time I brought you over to hang out with all of those computer kids?
si, amigo. What up?
that redheaded one wanted you to go hang out with him. tonight.
solid. he had nice teeth.
That took care of that, and Eduardo watched Christy play snake on her phone, laughing softly to himself.
--
However, when Antonio from Tufts got to the apartment, Chris was standing watchdog at the door as the Latin guy came to the door.
“I’m looking for - Dustin?”
“Did he call for you?”
“No, Eduardo said he wanted to hang out -“
“On Monday, Monday would be a lot better for Dustin.”
“Okay?” For some reason, Antonio was scared of this skinny blond who seemed to be staring into his soul.
--
does dustin fuck that blond boy because he was very defensive. and he stole my beer. he’s scary.
Eduardo cursed Chris mentally.
---
As soon as they got to New York, Mark packed up his Gameboy and put his game face on, checking his phone and smiling at it. Mark had the rest of the night off to do whatever - Eduardo and Christy had to get ready for a dinner with Christy’s parents and he scrolled through his texts.
“Eduardo, why was some large Latin lover type at my dorm asking for Dustin?”
“You remember Tony?”
Mark paused as he grabbed Christy’s bag from the overhead compartment and handed to it her, then his own, and shrugged. “Big, Latin lover type?”
“Yeah, he goes to Tufts -“
“Oh, yeah. And he wanted to voluntarily hang out with Dustin?” Eduardo shrugged, and Mark rolled his eyes, fingers flying.
----
From: D <3
I. am. So. bored.
From: Mark
why is every other word capitalized? i can tell that you’re bored because every word is spelled correctly?
From: D <3
I felt like it. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
From: Mark
I’m pretty sure you spelled that wrong. Why is your name in my phone only a D with a heart?
From: D<3
you left your phone alone. With me. Oh my God Chris is singing Steppenwolf in the shower.
From: Mark
when is he going out?
From: D<3
in like two hours. Oh my God. He’s going to style his hair and try on his tight, tight, tighter pants.
From: Mark
be at the hotel in ten minutes. I’ll call and we’ll give Chris a run for his money?
From: D<3
HELL YES.
---
Once Mark got up to the room, he kind of streaked towards his room so fast Eduardo thought that Mark flew there and slammed the door shut. Eduardo rolled his eyes as Christy dragged him into their room.
---
Mark hit speed dial two for Dustin as he dropped his pants. He flipped it to speed dial as he then stepped out of his good jeans and shrugged his hoodie off. Dustin picked up on the second ring, and Mark growled at the phone.
“Feisty kitty.” Dustin purred back, and he could hear Dustin push back from his - Mark’s, he hoped - desk. “How was the train ride?”
“I’m already at the Masters’ Gym.”
“What a badass.” Dustin purred again, and Mark sighed, flopping on the bed next to the phone.
“Mark?”
“I don’t want to be here.” Mark groaned out, and Dustin sighed softly.
“Do you miss me?” Mark sniffled at the phone, and Dustin laughed. “I miss you too, Mark. You know that you have to be there as the CEO. Do you want to sing me a Britney Spears song?”
“No, I want to make you come, then I want you to sing me a Britney Spears song.”
---
When Eduardo and Christy were leaving, there were groans from Mark’s room, “Mark?” Eduardo called, and Christy giggled.
“They’re in their honeymoon period still, Eduardo, give them time.”
“Christy!”
“What, Eduardo? I’m just being honest.” Mark moaned louder and it was like a keening sound, and Christy ushered him out of the suite. “Eduardo, seriously, you need to let him have his fun.”
---
When they got back from the dinner, a bad rendition of Soda Pop was floating through the suite and Christy, who had just graced her way through the dinner while Eduardo pulled his hair out in tufts because Mr. Lee just stared at him, and Christy giggled. “Eduardo, you need to loosen up.” She began to strip down, dancing to Dustin’s off tune song, and Eduardo rolled his eyes as he followed her into the bedroom. Maybe if Christy did that thing with her tongue he would be able to block out the serenading from down the hall.
---
Saturday and Sunday went by ridiculously fast, because there were dinners and Christy took Mark out to shop and gossip, Eduardo supposed, while Eduardo freaked out over some of the Econ homework he’d been putting off, and the Shakespeare class his father had insisted was a brilliant class because Shakespeare was a brilliant playwright.
Then, whenever Mark was in the suite, the phone was on and Dustin’s giggling or shouts or once his snores had echoed down the hall. On Monday, they have six meetings - four in the same building - and Mark gives blank stares to every single person they meet when Eduardo tries to engage him, his mind back at Harvard with Billy running his website, and Dustin asleep somewhere, and Eduardo wished Mark would be in the moment now. With him. Not back at Harvard.
First semester hadn’t been like this.
When Christy left that night, Mark moved out into the living room area, and his phone was off. Eduardo was surprised, but pleased as he claimed the spot next to Mark, clicking through channels mindlessly until he landed on a movie that with a redhead and Mark said, “Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop flipping channels, I like this movie. It’s only in the first ten minutes, you haven’t missed much.”
So Eduardo settled in next to Mark, a hand casually thrown across the back of the couch, as he watched the scene unfold. His father didn’t let him watch silly films - the only thing his father considered both educational and child appropriate were animated films, because in his opinion, animated films were the future.
So, when the six kid’s stories unraveled, he turned to watch Mark, and Mark mouthed the words, “We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are better at hiding it, that’s all.” and Eduardo’s heart melted.
“Mark?”
“Hmm?”
“Mark, I love you.”
Mark turned, and smiled, and it was all out, dimples and blinding white and it felt so good to Eduardo to see all of that again - it had been too long. Eduardo inched forward and Mark replied, “Me too, man. You’re my best friend.”
“Not Dustin?”
“No, we’re not one of those couples. You and me, we’re the best friends, but he and I, we’re…”
“You’re what?”
“You’re my Duckie - he’s my Blane.”
“What?”
“Pretty In Pink’s on next - we should watch it. You’ll get it after that.”
So Eduardo ordered some pizza, and after it came and Eduardo was so engrossed with Andrew McCarthy - how could someone with such an imperfect smile be so gorgeous - that Mark got up and paid for it and even set his laptop to the side. Eduardo’s eyes watered up as Blane walked out, and in his head he was screaming in his head, Go after him, idiot! and squealed when she did it, she ran out after him and he leaned over to punch Mark, but Mark was asleep on the side out of the couch, his hands wrapped around his phone, a smile on his face.
Eduardo didn’t want to be his Duckie, but at this point, Mark was right. He was a Duckie - chasing after someone who was enamored with someone else. But he could always be wrong.
Eduardo stayed up the rest of the night watching Sixteen Candles and Mannequin, and fell asleep during St. Elmo’s Fire, his head on Mark’s knees.
---
Dustin, however, had to deal with Antonio from Tufts, who, once he found out Dustin was dating someone, was a bit dejected but cool otherwise, taking Dustin to smoke in all of the cool places in Boston that Dustin had never even seen before.
When Dustin got in at four the next morning, he only had one missed text from someone.
From: Mark <3333
I believe in us.
Dustin passed out, gleeful.
----
Tuesday itself was quite boring - their only meeting was at three, and it was honestly only Eduardo’s meeting, so he pulled himself off of the couch at eleven, while Mark whimpered in his sleep and rolled over, his legs immediately taking up where Eduardo’s body had been, his phone falling on the floor as he tried to fall back asleep.
Slowly picking it up, Eduardo stowed it in the pocket of his pants before heading into his room, his mind slowly formulating a plot.
But first he needed a shower - a happy ‘80’s tune from last night was his choice of bad showering singing material - before he cleaned up for his interview with Lehman Brothers.
Then he plopped down to mess with Mark’s phone. He wasn’t surprised that Mark had a passcode on it - Mark had locks on almost everything, it was so people couldn’t really get to know the real him, so the public Mark and the private Mark could be distinguished. Mark’s phone password always had been - and always would be - his mom’s birthday, so Eduardo bypassed that with ease, and then he stopped.
Because Mark’s phone background - which had always been a picture of Leonard Nimoy Mark had taken from his trip to Canada two years ago - had been changed to a picture of Dustin, smiling, on Mark’s bed.
Eduardo stopped. He couldn’t break up two people that were obviously happy together - and it’s not like he wasn’t happy with Christy. He did like her, even though she was scary, and it was nice to have someone pay so much attention to him when he had more than enough on his plate. So instead of sending a break-up text to Dustin or figuring out what he wanted to do with Mark’s phone, he went back into the common room and put the phone where it had been and snapped at Mark until he woke up. “What, Wardo?”
Wardo’s heart dropped a little bit as he heard Mark say his name for the first and last time sleepily, knowing unless Dustin did something really stupid, he and Mark would be together for a long time - longer than Wardo knew that he would wait.
Not could. Would.
“Mark, you need to get up, I don’t know how to check the traffic or whatever but Dustin hasn’t called and so I guess the person watching it is -"
“Billy.” Mark groaned, and rolled over off of the couch to scrabble for his phone. “Wardo, can you -"
“Already calling for room service.”
“Thanks.” The phone was already flipped open, the laptop booting up as Mark rubbed sleep out of his eyes. “How’s Christy?”
Eduardo pulled out his phone to see no new texts. “Asleep.”
Mark chuckled as Dustin picked up the phone. “Love of my life?”
“Is Billy still awake?”
“I don’t know. Shit, what time is it?”
Eduardo went back into his room as they conversed. He knew where he wasn’t wanted.
---
Then the meeting with Sean Parker happened, and Eduardo thought he would punch someone in the face.
Firstly, he wanted to punch Christy for talking him into this - he had done his research, Parker was only an early employee - and Parker was so charming, so slick, and ugh.
Secondly, he wanted to punch Sean. He knew Mark’s type, he knew Mark’s strengths and the ego boost Mark would get from someone who had been there, someone who had done what Mark wanted to do, and done it relatively well.
Thirdly, he wanted to punch Mark. Because Mark called Dustin, but Dustin didn’t pick up, and Mark pouted out of the window until they got back to the hotel, where Mark logged onto Facebook and completely ignored attempts at communication from both of them until the phone buzzed, and Mark took the phone and the laptop back to his room, a soft smile on his face.
---
It was all a blur after that. Getting the internship and Lehman Brothers, getting into the Phoenix and Christy, Christy, Christy, every day. He had hints of Mark - vague emails and funny three AM texts about Dustin, which made Eduardo’s chest contract.
Then the school year was over, and Dustin, Chris, and Mark were all flying out to California, and Christy went with Eduardo to the airport to wave them off, Dustin and Mark giggling to Chris about some boy who had toured Harvard and lived in California and you should see him, Chris, both of their eyes shining in the midmorning light.
Eduardo didn’t know that it was already over, but as Mark turned to wave at him from over Dustin’s shoulder, and Christy grabbed at his hand, squeezed it.
---
Chris called him from somewhere quiet about a week in, telling him how he should be out there with them, Christy was great for getting Mark on the right track but Chris was the third wheel and awkwardly cute underage teen boy was stalking him, and he missed Eduardo, who had always been the equality with all of them.
Chris even admits he kind of wished it was Eduardo at Mark’s side, and Eduardo’s heart hurts a bit, because he does, too.
---
Then he comes out to Palo Alto to find Sean fucking Parker on his couch, Mark with a hickey carved into his cheek and a lopsided grin on his face, and though he looks tired, Eduardo lets the exhaustion mix with pain and frustration, and after a heated conversation with Mark, Dustin in the other room, he goes back to New York.
----
Then the shit hits the fan, and suddenly the frustration and pain turn into anger, anger which doesn’t get better when Facebook improves and suddenly he still doesn’t know how to change his relationship status while pictures of Dustin and Mark pop up every so often, taken by interns on their shitty camera phones or high quality ones taken by Chris when he goes back to visit. He finds time to be friends with Eduardo, but he picks neither side, and he’s still co-head of PR for Facebook, so sometimes Eduardo doesn’t see him for weeks, and their professors understand - Chris wants an education while he’s successful - and Eduardo’s gut screams right up until the depositions.
---
With all edited versions of stories, there are things cut out. There are the weeks Eduardo stayed away because of Phoenix stuff, the time he and Chris had hooked up his junior year, their first kiss, the fact that Mark had slept with Tyler Winklevoss, but nothing hurt as much as Dustin hanging in the end of hallways where depositions were taking place, hearing Mark and Dustin argue through closed doors during lunch and regular old personal breaks, seeing deep circles under Mark’s eyes, and at one point they break up on Facebook, Dustin changing his profile picture to a picture of their dog, which had probably taken up residence with Dustin.
The next day Mark looks like the living dead, walking in with what must have been a shirt of Dustin’s on and a hoodie slung over it, and Eduardo just wanted to end it and hug Mark and tell him that it was going to be fine, come out to New York, he’d be fine.
---
He spots them making out outside of the law offices two days later.
---
After he settles, they officially get back together, goofy pictures of the two of them strung all over his newsfeed again, and Eduardo has his assistant change his Facebook password and he moved on with his life.
--
Three years later, a piece of mail changes everything.
At first Eduardo’s assistant handed it to him nonchalantly, like it was a shareholder’s packet or a business invitation.
He hadn’t even bothered to read the front, the return address Mark and Dustin’s home one instead of Facebook. Once Chris had gotten a package Dustin had mailed him a plate of homemade brownies with Mark had labeled as “actually edible for once”. He didn’t know why specifically he was getting a homemade package of brownies, but he was kind of hungry.
Then it was like a punch to the gut, a wake up call because done tastefully in some sort of Tiffany blue - not Mark’s preferred blue, but whatever, it was a nice color - was a wedding invitation
Dearest friends and family,
You are cordially invited by both the Moscovitz and Zuckerberg families to the wedding of
Dustin Adam Moskovitz
and
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg
On October 18, 2010.
Please RSVP by August 1
---
Eduardo had to lie down for a moment, then asked his assistant for his Facebook password
---
If anything, it had become worse than three years ago. They were still ‘in a relationship’, but it was obvious that the both of them had gotten a lot more smug in the past few months, the pictures from the shareholders meetings showing off a slimmer, more fit and better rested Dustin and a less skeleton Mark, who seemed almost shy.
---
He RSVP’d yes.
---
Dustin stood in front of the mirror of the Bridal Suite - it was bigger and he wanted to lay out everything before putting it on, no matter the chiding from Mark about him being a complete and utter girl - and breathed in heavily.
Luckily nothing major had gotten out in the press, just rumblings of Mark and Dustin doing something big, but the PR department had been so mum even their closest friends had kept their mouths closed.
Even Chris. Chris, who had preened around like a princess when they had gone tux shopping for Dustin, causing cooing before Chris quickly dispelled the rumors and guiled some champagne out of the nice lady that worked at the tux shop.
Dustin had barely eaten this morning - by his standards anyway, a bowl of Pops and half a bagel with cream cheese and some OJ wasn’t anything - and he’d been chugging water all day. For October it was a little cold in Massachusetts, but they had to be somewhere, and it was where they had met, and it made Dustin smile at the memory of Mark insisting they got married there, because California had given them the place to be together, but Massachusetts had given them each other.
So when his signaling knock came at the door - he was determined to be alone for as long as possible - he shouted out a “alright” and the photographer came in, getting ready to record possibly the second best day of Dustin’s life.
Nothing would top the day Mark made him spaghetti and sang him the song from Lady and the Tramp when their dog ran away. Not even their wedding day. Mark had worn little dog ears and had taken him to Build A Bear, then made him play COD while he made him dinner.
Then he’d asked Dustin to marry him, and Dustin had cried.
---
They found the dog the next week - he had escaped into their neighbor’s yard, who never lived in the house they owned, which explained why they hadn’t found Tigger until a week later
---
Things rarely shocked Mark anymore. After almost five years with Dustin, things weren’t so black and white anymore. People either got him or talked to Dustin about it, so he was able to open up to Dustin.
Dustin, who had bought them the Ultimate Disney Collection.
Dustin, who had forced Mark to take a week off of work to go to Euro Disney for their third anniversary.
Dustin, who Mark had never had any doubt about.
But now Eduardo was coming to their wedding, and Mark was just so confused. Eduardo, the last time Mark had seen him, hadn’t even looked him in the eye. He had watched Mark and Dustin make out, then when they had broken apart, pretended like he was waiting for his car, which had been ten feet away from him.
Both of them had agreed to invite Eduardo as a courtesy, but neither of them had actually expected him to RSVP yes.
Mark had eaten breakfast, he was so nervous. He had an orange and had ruined the skin by tearing it off in short little strips and covered a table with it.
He knew that his therapist would say that it was a passive aggressive move, but he didn’t care - he just hoped Eduardo didn’t fuck up Dustin’s perfect day, which would make it a perfect day for Mark as well.
Mark only got so few perfect days.
---
Dustin did cry when he saw Eduardo beaming up at him in the audience, a giant smile almost cutting his face in half.
Mark finally didn’t look like he was sinking into his suit, a man finally, a man who had tears in his eyes as Dustin tried to make sure his pronunciation was on and that he didn’t visibly tremble in front of everyone.
Mark let Dustin break the glass.
---
Mark didn’t really care either way - he had Dustin in his bed every night, even when they fought, he had a great life and business partner, and the fact that Eduardo had sponsored them a chicken farm in upstate New York for their wedding present didn’t cause pain but actual physical laughter from him when he read the card, Dustin’s hand carding through his hair, his nose right behind Mark’s ear.