fic: don't love you (but i always will) (Mark/Eduardo, Prompt 67) Part 2 of 2
don't love you (but i always will)
Mark/Eduardo, Prompt 67, for casey_sms
Part One + warnings
part two
Eduardo isn't sure how or why, but his life doesn't become the hell he imagined it would being married to Mark Zuckerberg. Strangely enough, it's not even that different than how it was when they'd been friends, back at Harvard, at the beginning.
Except for how Mark is a lot richer and Eduardo is a lot more cynical.
Otherwise, it's almost the same. Mark codes. Eduardo runs around reorganizing his life and schedule. Facebook gets bigger and bigger. Dustin flails and makes bad jokes. Chris tries not to kill them all.
The first two days are the worst, if mostly for two reasons: the first being Dustin's face when they reveal they'd gotten married and never told him -- more than a little heartbreaking.
"BUT HOW COULD YOU?"
Eduardo has never met anyone else who talks in all caps the way Dustin does. He throws his hands in the air and frowns so hard that Eduardo is afraid he might actually cause serious damage to his face muscles.
"It was-- I don't know, Dustin." He looks at Mark for assistance, only to find him typing away at his laptop.
"They were drunk. Really drunk."
Dustin rolls his eyes and huffs. "That doesn't excuse not telling us, Chris."
"What does it matter, Dustin? It's not like we missed anything. They got married, then it all went to hell, right? They haven't been together for three years. It's probably better we didn't know."
Eduardo is in awe of the ease in which Chris tells everyone the story of Eduardo and Mark's apparent drunken, crazy night of nuptials. He doesn't want to know how or where Chris actually found a wedding chapel (a twenty-four hour wedding chapel) in San Francisco that was willing to falsify dates to make the story legit for when it hit the press. (Eduardo wouldn't be surprised if Chris already has the story ready to be published -- he is a stealthy ninja.)
Dustin turns accusing eyes at Mark, pointing a finger at him. "And you!"
Mark’s plugged in, completely unaware of Dustin's anger.
"Hey, Mark!" Dustin yells, making a face that’s half anger, half pout, and slings an empty water bottle (at least Eduardo hopes it's empty as it flies across the room) at the back of Mark's head.
Turning back to scowl at Dustin, he saves his work without looking at the screen and hisses an angry, "What, Dustin?"
"I thought you were an asshole when you'd kicked your best friend out of our company, but dude. Your husband? What kind of just-- seriously, Mark? Your husband?!"
Chris wipes a hand over his face, and Eduardo realizes he hadn't really anticipated what this fake marriage would do to Mark's already frayed reputation.
Mark looks lost for a moment, staring at Chris, then Eduardo.
Eduardo isn’t able to handle that.
"Dustin, I was the one that closed that account. I forced him into that decision a little. We screwed up. Don't blame Mark."
Dustin turns on him. "And were you dating Christy while you were married?!"
Crap.
"I wasn't-- I broke it off!"
Disgusted with both of them, Dustin leaves the room, pausing to look back as he reaches the door, and saying, "That at least explains all the drama and why you were so angry with each other, though."
Eduardo thinks that was surely the worst part.
But then…
Reason number two: Sean Parker.
"I fucking knew it! Didn't I call them having a thing, Chris? You kept denying and saying it wasn't like that, but I told you."
Mark stares at Chris and Sean. "You talked about my relationship with Eduardo?"
Chris gives him a pointed look.
"Hells yeah! I kept telling Chris that Eduardo’s irrational hatred for me had to stem from something other than, well, me. I mean, I am the shit."
Eduardo rolls his eyes. "You are definitely something having to do with shit, Sean."
Sean waves his hands in Eduardo's direction and grins. "See, he hated me because he thought I was stealing you away. Which, man, had you told me he was your partner, husband, whatever, things would have gone down a totally different way. I am all about true love, yo."
Eduardo is the one to get up and leave at this point.
-- --
Chris manages to get his belongings sent to Mark's-- their house, and Eduardo spends the second day of his marriage unpacking and moving into the guest bedroom.
He's pleased at the house Mark chose to live in. A large three bedroom with a huge backyard equipped with a pool (it seemed that all California houses came standard with those) and a patio for entertaining (which Eduardo was sure Mark was not inclined to do), a kitchen that makes his heart speed up with all the space it has (he loves to cook), and the best entertainment center Eduardo’s seen in a long while.
He likes the house, even if it doesn't seem like anyone actually lives there. The only room besides Mark's bedroom that has any real living in it is the office. It doesn't surprise Eduardo. Mark is a workaholic, always has been, so Eduardo's definitely not shocked.
He doesn't see Mark in the three days between their impromptu ceremony and when he finally makes the call he's actually been looking forward to. He dials the number from the card he'd kept in his wallet and waits for the ringing to stop. The voice on the other line is gruff but polite.
"Hello?"
"Cameron. It's Eduardo. Saverin." Zuckerberg.
"Eduardo. I'm glad to hear from you. My brother and I were just discussing our proposition. Does this call mean you've decided to back the winning team, this time?" Cameron sounds amused and Eduardo makes a face into the phone.
He's definitely picked the winning team.
"If you mean you, then no."
There's a long silence, and he glances at the door as it opens to reveal an exhausted Mark. Eduardo frowns at the sight. Something must have happened during the night.
"I think I heard you wrong, Eduardo."
"No, I'm sure you haven't. I'm not testifying for you, Cameron. I will not be suing Facebook."
"You just made a mistake, Saverin."
Oh, it was Saverin, now. "I'm going to have to disagree. Goodbye, Cameron." He hangs up the call and meets Mark's tired but amused stare. "That was Cameron Winklevoss. I don't think he's happy with me."
Mark almost smiles. "Good."
"Hmm." Eduardo tilts his head to one side. "You look -- and I say this as kindly as I can -- like shit, Mark." He reaches for Mark's laptop case and guides him toward the stairs, shoving him gently. "Get some sleep, Mark."
Mark doesn't argue.
Eduardo knows that means he's practically half-dead from exhaustion. He watches Mark rub at his eyes, stifling a yawn as he heads up, and doesn't find that at all endearing. Especially not Mark's, "Night, Wardo," as he stumbles into his bedroom.
He squashes the thought. It wouldn't do for Eduardo to start thinking of anything Mark does as adorable.
-- --
The suit hits Mark and Facebook two days after Eduardo's quick chat with Cameron Winklevoss.
Mark doesn't come home that night.
The next day, Gretchen calls him from her office in Los Angeles. (He knew he’d been smart to retain her as his attorney.)
"I think we need to have a meeting, Eduardo. I'd like to understand how it is you're being sued over Facebook.”
Eduardo makes an appointment to see her that afternoon.
He calls Mark to let him know.
"They're planning to sue you?"
"We figured they might."
"But you have nothing to do with it." His voice is low, steady, and Eduardo knows that means he is really angry.
"Technically, I do. Don't worry about it, okay?"
Mark is silent and Eduardo can hear the chaos in the background. He doesn't need Mark to worry about him. The focus should be on his own lawsuit.
"Hey. It's all right. You take care of Facebook. I'll be fine."
Mark sighs. "Are you going to be-- will you come over after your appointment?"
Eduardo tries not to smile. "I will."
"Okay."
"Bye."
He hangs up and heads to his bedroom to change.
-- --
Eduardo leaves the preparation for the deposition of his case to Gretchen and tries not to think too hard about it. There's not much the Winklevosses can get from him, but if they want to drag him into proceedings, Eduardo will let them. Mark is barely around for the next few weeks. He comes home at odd hours, looking more and more frazzled, making Eduardo want to -- god help him -- hug him until he stops looking so tense. He doesn't think Mark would appreciate that, though, so he does what he can. He makes sure Magda, Mark's-- their housekeeper, changes Mark's sheets every other day. He cooks hot meals on the days he's sure Mark will come home to sleep and manages to take food to Mark at the office on the days he doesn't.
Sometimes he's there when Mark arrives and lets Mark talk at him until he manages to wind down enough that he lets Eduardo tuck him into bed.
Eduardo finds he likes those times the best.
Their marriage is common knowledge among the staff, so it slips Eduardo's mind that most of the world doesn't know until he wakes up one morning to a phone full of voicemails and texts. He looks at the first one from Chris and tries not to panic.
It's public. Don't leave the house.
He can't imagine that it would be as big a deal as that, but when he pulls back the curtains of the living room windows, he is almost blinded by the flashes of cameras. He backs away, trying to figure out the best option he has to get out of there and into the offices.
His phone beeps a text and he looks down, rolling his eyes.
Sean.
your love is all over the news, wardo. turn on the tv. cnn. msnbc. e!news. shit, boy.
He texts back: Stop watching television and go do your job, Sean.
but you have to watch this. it's fucking glorious, wardo. like they are naming you guys the couple to root for.
Stay out of it, Sean, or I will hurt you. Again.
He does turn the TV on, shaking his head at the ridiculous story they have about him and Mark. There are pictures from when they were at Harvard, a few from their early days in Palo Alto (those are mostly of Mark), and some that seem fairly new, probably taken in the last few weeks by some pap who thought it would be worth something. He must be cleaning up right now. The banner reads, Tragic Love Story? -- with a question mark at the end -- and talks about the reconciliation between the estranged couple.
His phone beeps once more and Eduardo glances down at it, smirking as he reads.
whoa, okay, that was fucking creepy. exactly what your hubby said.
Eduardo turns the television off and decides he needs to find a way to occupy his time.
-- --
The Winklevii's suit against Eduardo falls flat on its face within a month of its filing. They have no actual substance to it, and with Mark backing Eduardo up with whatever he needs, it's clear they won't win on his end. They drop the suit and Eduardo is grateful.
Mostly because now Mark can concentrate on his own and not worry so much.
The shock of their secret marriage wears off after a couple of weeks when some Hollywood starlet is caught with her stepson or something equally insane.
Mark and Eduardo are equally relieved and a little disappointed.
But life goes on.
Eduardo makes sure to be at the offices as often as he can between going to interviews of his own. He wants to start working, misses using his head to find the right investment, the figures coming together and making sense, the rush of knowing he's found what his clients need.
He and Mark barely get a chance to talk, which Eduardo thinks might be for the best. He knows that eventually, when everything else is settled, they'll need to. Not just about the annulment but about everything that happened. About where they stand now. He wants to tell Mark that he didn't mean the things he'd done. Part of him wants Mark to do the same, but he's pretty sure that won't happen.
Right now, he just wants to make sure Mark doesn't collapse from going non-stop trying to keep Facebook moving along and keep the Winklevii at bay.
Mark is sitting at his desk and Eduardo watches as he keeps shifting his shoulders and neck in discomfort. Sighing, he sets aside the offer he'd been looking at, walks to stand behind Mark and places his hands on Mark's shoulders, pressing into the muscle with his thumbs. "Mark, take a break."
Mark's head leans forward and he sighs deeply. "I have to finish this coding. We're behind with all of it, thanks to all the prepping Sydney has us doing for the depositions." He lets out a satisfied moan when Eduardo massages down his arms.
Eduardo swallows hard at the noise, ignores the heat pooling at the base of his spine. "When was the last time you ate anything? Red Bull does not count."
Mark snorts, opening his eyes as he leans back to look at Eduardo. "Do you mother everyone to death, Wardo? Or am I special?"
He wants to bend down and kiss Mark.
The thought shocks him so utterly that he stops breathing for a few seconds.
"I was kidding, Wardo."
Mark's amused at him and it's so much more than he expected from him. This whole farce is getting to his head.
He's about to respond when Sean walks through the door, stopping when he sees them, before grinning. "I thought the handbook prohibits sexual acts in the workplace."
Eduardo lets go of Mark's shoulders. He will not let Sean bait him. Not that he tries to on purpose anymore. Even Eduardo can admit that much.
"What do you want, Sean?" Mark is somewhere between irritated and amused, which is basically the general reaction one has to Sean.
"I was actually looking for your husband, Mark." Sean leans against the table and points directly at Eduardo. "What is this that I hear of you getting an offer from Goldman Sachs?"
Mark swivels his chair around to look at Eduardo. "What?"
Eduardo suppresses a groan. He'd been waiting for a good time to mention to Mark that he was going back to work. "I haven't agreed to it yet, but they want me to work out of the Frisco offices. Nothing huge but the offer is good."
"Why?"
Mark doesn't seem pleased.
"I need to work, Mark."
"But you-- there's Facebook."
"Which is your company."
Mark scowls. "We're married. It's our company."
Sean is watching carefully from his position in front of Mark's desk, and Eduardo tries to ignore his presence as he says, "Oh, now it's our company."
"Don't start that."
"You kicked me out, Mark!"
"Because you weren't here! You didn't want to be here! I asked you to come."
Eduardo closes his eyes. "No, you demanded I come. That I give up every dream I had for yours."
Mark's mouth turns into a hard, angry line. "I thought it was your-- you said you wanted to do this with me."
The words are said in a quiet, almost sad tone, and all of Eduardo's fight leaks out of him. He takes a step closer to Mark. "I did want to, but-- we didn't see--" He realizes that Sean hasn't left the room and closes his mouth with a snap. It's one thing to let Mark know that he felt partially responsible for what went down between them, but it's another to give that kind of ammo to Sean.
Sean starts laughing and Eduardo is going to put his fist through his mouth this time.
"This is fucking hysterical. You built this entire form of communication and the two of you can't even have one conversation. For reals, I don't know what to do with the two of you."
"You could come back to work at Facebook."
Eduardo’s head whips around to Mark, meeting his eyes, and he gives Mark a small smile. It means a lot that he wants to do that, but…
"Mark. Thank you, but I don't think it would be a good idea."
"Why not?" Mark's tone is as close to petulant as Eduardo thinks Mark would ever allow, and it makes the corner of his mouth turn up.
"Because I don't fit here." It's hard to say the words, surprises Mark and Sean when he does, but Eduardo always strives to be honest. "Your vision for Facebook doesn't include me anymore. I don't think it ever did." He manages to say that last part without choking on it. Sean nods his head and Eduardo rolls his eyes because he doesn't need his help here, thank you.
"That's stupid."
"Mark."
"What, Eduardo? It is stupid. You understand what I want, what Facebook means, so I don't understand why--"
"And exactly what would I be doing here? Sean's job?"
Mark has the decency to look slightly shamefaced at Sean. "It's a big job."
Eduardo feels his eyes go wide as he shakes his head fervently. "No. No way. I am not working with Sean." He looks over to see Sean shrug his shoulders, not offended in the least, and for once Eduardo is glad the guy is like Teflon. "So, I appreciate the offer, your show of faith, and I thank you, but no."
Mark makes a frustrated noise, his brow going all furrowed, and Eduardo ignores the way his fingers ache to smooth it out. It's really sweet of Mark. He feels bad for saying no but he also knows they can't work together. He cringes when he catches the time and remembers neither of them have eaten. Without thinking, just an impulse he doesn't think about, Eduardo steps up to Mark's chair. "Hey." He touches Mark's chin to make him look up, notices the way Mark stops breathing before he meets his eyes. "I'm going to grab you some food, okay? No. Do not argue. You're eating, Mark." He drops a kiss on Mark's forehead, his eyes falling to Mark's mouth before realizing what he's doing.
Eduardo makes an effort not to think about Mark's face or mouth or neck or anything like that.
"I'm going home."
He can feel Sean's smirk as he heads out but doesn't look back.
He can't handle whatever he might see.
-- --
A couple of days later, Chris stops Eduardo and has him sign some papers. "What are these?" he asks as he does, thinking that maybe he should have done that before he put pen to paper. He should know better.
"It's your shares."
Eduardo stops. "My what?"
"Shares. You're married to Mark. You own half the company. He thought you should have the shares. Twenty-five percent."
He shakes his head. "No. That's-- when we get the annulment-- Chris, not that much."
Chris sighs. "I figured you'd say that." He rips the papers in his hand up, pulling out a second set and handing them to Eduardo. "This gives you ten percent."
Eduardo reads it over and nods. "Okay." Signing, he looks up at Chris who is watching him carefully.
"You know your name is on his accounts, too. He-- you deserve to access everything that he has, Wardo. It's yours, too."
Eduardo doesn't say anything.
-- --
Living with Mark isn't what Eduardo expected. A lot about their life together isn't what he expects, to be honest.
Mark works odd hours and isn't home as often as Eduardo. But when he is there Eduardo likes it. Mark had learned how to cook in the intervening years since they'd stopped being friends. The first time Mark actually made Eduardo pasta, he'd almost fallen out of his seat.
It was surprisingly delicious.
They make good use of the patio and backyard, setting up their laptops to work in the evenings. The fresh air helps Eduardo to concentrate, strangely enough. Their routine ends up being outside with a bottle of wine, the soft sounds of music playing from inside (which Eduardo gets to pick out because Mark is almost always plugged in), their legs stretched out on the furniture.
Sometimes Eduardo convinces Mark to watch a movie with him from Mark's huge collection. Not that Mark has seen any. He tells Eduardo that most of them came from Dustin and he just keeps them around for when he visits.
"It keeps him occupied. Dustin bored is hell, Wardo."
They start doing movie nights on Fridays, and while Mark is usually coding, he tries to give the movie a minimal amount of attention, scorning the stupid stories as he shakes his head. Eduardo tunes him out most of the time. Mark always ends up with his feet in Eduardo's lap, head falling to rest on the cushions while he sleepily types away.
Eduardo's heart stutters a strange beat when he looks at Mark's face, lit up by the light of the screen.
Mark talks to Eduardo about the future of Facebook cautiously at first, but when it becomes obvious that it’s okay with him, he goes into the member usage problems, privacy issues, the constant pull of change that keeps him from being satisfied with it.
Eduardo starts to confide in Mark about his dream to work with more start-ups. "I don't know if I can do it, but I want to try."
Mark is quiet for a long time, then says, sullen but honest, "I think that could be good for you."
He hides his smile and turns back to finish watching the movie.
-- --
One day Dustin stops him on his way back from Mark's office and asks, "Have you forgiven him?"
It shocks him to realize that he has. "Yes."
Dustin's smile is blinding and his hug crushes the air out of Eduardo's lungs.
-- --
They get hit with a bug that takes Facebook down and has Mark out of his mind for three days. Eduardo's learned enough in the four months that he's been married to Mark (and that will never not make his stomach flip-flop) to know that nothing, not a damn thing will make Mark leave his office until he's ready.
He eases back on the interviews, meets with Gretchen for lunch to thank her for everything she's done for him (and avoids her bemused smiles when he talks about Mark), and manages to finalize plans to bring the rest of his things from New York. He had sublet his apartment and it's all gathering dust in storage.
He makes sure to bring food for Mark at every mealtime, ignoring the goofy eyes Dustin makes at him every time he sees him.
"You are the best wife in the world, Eduardo." He ruffles his hair as he walks back to his own office and sits for hours on end without moving until they fix the internal error Eduardo knows they found thanks to Chris' email. Dustin makes fun of Mark but he's every bit the workaholic himself.
Eduardo makes a mental note to make sure Dustin's assistant is keeping him fed. He walks through the almost silent floor -- except for the sound of fingers flying across the keyboards -- and right up to Mark's office. His assistant, Sharon, is standing in front of his desk being ignored by Mark. Eduardo smiles as she stands there until Mark actually looks up, and hands him two bottles of water.
Eduardo likes Sharon. She's way too smart to be working as an assistant, but Mark is a challenge, and Eduardo thinks she likes that about her job.
Mark's eyes are clouded over with coding and he swipes the bottles from Sharon's hands, opening one to take a long swallow before capping it and turning back to his computer. Sharon turns to catch Eduardo in the doorway and smiles in relief. "Thank God. He didn't eat the lunch you brought and refuses to stop for any food now. He's in your hands."
Eduardo closes the door behind her, sets the food just near enough that Mark will smell it. It's a test to see how hungry Mark is. If the food actually distracts him then Eduardo will sit on him until he eats every last bite. He takes a seat on the couch Mark has in his office, pulling his phone out to take a look at a few emails he's gotten from some start-ups he's been looking at.
It takes ten minutes for Mark's hands to slow down, and Eduardo sees him glance over at the food. He starts to turn back but Eduardo isn't having any of that. He stands and the movement catches Mark’s attention. His eyes light up when he sees Eduardo and it sends a thrill down his spine. He motions for Mark to take off his headphones, and when he has, he says, "You're eating. Save and let's get to it."
Mark glares at him and starts to argue but Eduardo shakes his head.
"No. Mark, you need to eat. If you keel over from exhaustion and hunger, then where will you guys be? They need you awake and working, right? My compromise for you not coming home for the last two days is this."
"You do realize you sound like--"
"If you say nagging wife, I might break another one of your electronics."
Mark's lips twitch up with amusement and he rolls his eyes, reaching for the plate at his elbow. Eduardo can see the mocking that's going on in Mark's head, but whatever. Mark is eating. That's all that matters.
-- --
Eduardo's leaving Mark's office when Chris stops him halfway down the hall and pulls him into a conference room.
"You need to help keep Sean distracted."
Eduardo blinks. "Excuse me?"
"Look, we're in crisis here with Facebook crashing, trying to fix the bug, not to mention the depositions coming up in a few weeks, and we can't have Sean running around this office distracting the programmers, assistants, Mark. Keep him entertained."
"You want me to-- I hate the guy, Chris."
Chris shrugs. "Yeah, but he likes you."
Eduardo has no idea when or how that happened, but it’s a scary truth he's been dealing with for a couple of months. Sean likes Eduardo in that same I need to teach you the ways of life, grasshopper way he liked Mark. If he’d thought that Sean was annoying before when he'd disliked Eduardo right back, it was nothing compared to being considered his buddy.
He wants to argue, but Chris is under enough stress, and if doing this gives them some room to work then he can do it.
Eduardo grabs Sean by the collar (he finds him flirting aggressively with one of the newer programmers) and stuffs him into his car. They drive to a nearby bar where most of the Facebook employees go after particularly hard days (Eduardo imagines the place is going to be hopping in the next couple of days) and he orders Sean to shut up and sit.
He buys the first round and lets Sean's constant chatter (because he'll sit but Eduardo knows nothing is ever going to get the man to shut the hell up) flow over him. Sean talks about a few of the customers that walk in the door. His knowledge of their lives is a little frightening, but Eduardo knows that Sean has his hands in a lot of different pots. It's why Mark found him invaluable and still does.
They sit there for a couple of hours and Eduardo gets hit on five times. Sean watches him every time he smiles politely and shows them his ring, flattered but taken, thanks. After one particularly insistent girl tries to climb him, he mentions that his husband wouldn't be too happy with him and could she please take her hand off his thigh. Sean hugs him tightly, slurring into Eduardo’s cheek, "Man, you are awesome, Wardo."
Eduardo raises an eyebrow as he turns to give Sean an incredulous look. "Yeah. I think you've had enough." He motions at the bartender for the bill and tries to keep Sean from falling on his ass.
"I didn't know," Sean says mournfully as Eduardo buckles him into his seat. "I wouldn't have encouraged him to do it, Wardo."
Eduardo's hands tighten on the steering wheel. "Sean?"
"Yeah?"
"For once do what I ask and stop talking, okay?"
Sean stares at him and Eduardo can see from the corner of his eye as Sean's mouth drops open. "Oh, dude. You don't know? How do you not know?"
"Sean. Shut. Up."
Sean stares at him, then nods as if he's come to a decision. "Right." Then promptly his head lolls to the side and he passes out before Eduardo can even wonder if he should ask what the hell he'd meant.
-- --
Mark doesn't come home for another thirty hours, but when he staggers in the door at two in the morning, Eduardo is on the couch, reading through a proposal. He hears the key in the lock, and Dustin is holding Mark up as he enters.
Eduardo drops his papers and takes Mark from Dustin, shoving Dustin in the direction of the couch while he climbs the stairs carefully. Mark hides his face in Eduardo's neck, nose rubbing softly at the skin there, and he has to concentrate not to let go of Mark.
"Wardo."
Eduardo swallows hard. "Hmm?"
"You smell nice."
"That's cause you've spent three days in an office with people who haven't bathed in as long.”
Mark hums. "No. You always smell nice.”
He closes his eyes, shoving at Mark's bedroom door with his foot and doing his best to lay Mark down on the bed as gently as possible. Mark is half asleep, so Eduardo indulges and runs his hand through Mark's messy curls. He leans down to speak into Mark's ear. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
Mark makes an assenting sort of noise.
He walks back down and finds Dustin asleep face down on the couch. Chuckling quietly, Eduardo finds an extra blanket and pillow in the linen closet (Magda is a goddess) and tucks Dustin in. He picks up the papers he'd been reading, setting them aside to finish later, and locks the house up, turning lights off as he heads back up the stairs.
Mark is exactly where he left him, and Eduardo takes a minute to take him in, watching the way sleep eases his features, softens them so that he looks more like the boy he met a long time ago. Something sparks sharp in his gut, makes his hands itch with a want he ignores every day.
He wants to touch Mark. All the time.
It's complicated enough already without bringing Eduardo’s stupid, annoying feelings into it.
Shaking it off, Eduardo makes his way to the bed and begins to undress Mark, concentrating on the task and not how it makes his cock half-hard to have Mark warm and sleepy under his fingers. He sets the flip-flops neatly next to the bed, unzips Mark's shorts, pulling them down and off. It's easy with Mark so pliant, and before Eduardo knows it, he has Mark in his boxers.
He hesitates before waking him up but he can't move him on his own. "Mark."
"Hmm."
"I need you to get under the covers."
Mark follows the instructions without complaint. Eduardo pulls away when Mark’s hands reach for his and he sighs quietly. "Come to bed, Wardo."
He remembers those words from before. Sometimes Eduardo would stay with Mark in his bed after a long coding binge because he was too tired to go back to his dorm and Mark wanted him there.
This is completely different.
He touches Mark's cheek. "Not right now. Go to sleep."
Mark snuffles and Eduardo expects him to wake up, but he burrows down further and is out in the next second.
Eduardo drops a kiss on his temple before leaving the room, closing the door and leaning against it.
He wants to stay.
He knows he can't.
-- --
He expects awkwardness in the morning, half afraid Mark will remember that Eduardo said no and won't understand why, but it's actually the complete opposite. Dustin makes pancakes and messes up their kitchen completely. (They are so going to have to give Magda a raise.) Mark laughs more openly than Eduardo has seen him in a long while, and when they lock eyes, he gives him a dimpled smile that sets his heart racing.
Mark wants to be at the office but Eduardo puts his foot down.
"You barely slept eight hours, Mark. You need your rest. One afternoon away won't hurt."
Dustin chews on his breakfast and nods at everything Eduardo says.
Mark studies Eduardo carefully, tilting his head as if he's looking for something. He must find it because he nods once and says, "Okay. I'll work from home."
That isn't exactly what Eduardo said, but he'll take what he can get. He rounds the island in the kitchen, placing his hands on Mark's shoulders to push him towards the stairs, and freezes when Mark's hands cover Eduardo's. He squeezes gently, meeting Eduardo's eyes, and smiles again. Something tugs inside Eduardo's chest and he can't help but lean down, brushing his mouth over Mark's quickly. Mark responds with a quiet sigh and Eduardo pulls away, watches his eyes flutter open.
Mark licks his lips once before heading up the stairs, turning to look at Eduardo and wave at Dustin before he disappears at the top. Eduardo lets out a stuttered breath.
Dustin starts laughing.
Eduardo throws a sponge at him.
-- --
Two days later, it goes to hell.
The depositions are about to start and Mark is once again deep into taking care of not losing Facebook. Eduardo deals with the inheritance that opens up for him in a few months and wants to talk to Mark about it. That makes him pause, but they're going to be married for some time and he should know about Eduardo's plans.
They've been dancing around each other, finding ways to touch, stand closer, and it's driving Eduardo crazy. Mark is holding back and he thinks it's because he doesn't know where Eduardo stands.
Deciding to take him out to lunch, even if Mark puts up a fight, Eduardo enters the Facebook offices and heads for Mark's floor. He knows there's a problem the moment he steps out of the elevator. Everyone is standing around watching Mark have a meltdown in one of the conference rooms. Chris is yelling back, and he doesn't know why he does it but he heads toward them. He knocks before opening the door and steps inside, closing it again with a loud click in the suddenly silent room.
"Guys. Everyone can see you. Maybe you want to take this into a room that has actual walls."
Chris throws his hands up. "Thanks for noting the obvious, Wardo. It's what I've been telling him."
Eduardo looks between Mark and Chris. "What happened?"
"The suit is set for two days from now and the Winklevii have decided to come at Mark harder than we expected. They are pissed about the fact that they can't have you on their side and figure your marriage is bullshit."
Eduardo fists his hands at his side. "What can I do?"
Mark turns on him, teeth clenched. "This is not about you. None of this has anything to do with you."
It's like a punch to his stomach and Eduardo feels the wall he'd been tearing down start rebuilding.
"Right."
He goes to leave but-- no. This isn't going to happen again.
"Like hell it isn't."
"What?"
Mark is staring at him when he calmly turns back, raising his brow. "It is my business. This place is my business. You are my business."
Mark rolls his eyes. "Really? That's news to me."
Eduardo doesn't understand any of this but he knows this Mark. The one that strikes first so he won't get hurt. "Did we get a divorce when I wasn't looking? Are we not married?"
The door opens again and Sean walks in, red in the face. "You all need to chill the fuck out, okay? People out there are freaking out."
Mark isn't paying any attention, glaring only at Eduardo.
He knows this has nothing to do with Facebook. Something else is going on, but they can't afford to have their employees worrying about their executives’ personal lives. "Fine. I'll go home." He points at Mark. "But we're not done."
-- --
He paces from the living room to Mark's office to the kitchen for hours. His anger increases the longer he waits, and by the time Mark does come home, Eduardo is ready to go ten rounds. The one good thing about the whole marriage had been that at least, in this, they were together. They had a common goal. They knew were they stood and what the lines were.
The last few months erased all the lines and Eduardo doesn't want to let Mark go. It's insane. He hadn't even realized it until Mark was yelling at him that he didn't belong. That's bullshit. He belongs here.
The door opens and he turns to give Mark a good dressing down, but the words get stuck in his throat at the look on Mark's face.
"Sean told me about the bar."
Eduardo is thrown by that, thinks back to what Mark is talking about. "That he got stupid drunk and I drove him home? I told you about that weeks ago."
Mark shakes his head. "No. That you had people all over you but you kept turning them down."
What?
"What?"
Mark sets his things down carefully on the hall table, rummaging through his bag and not looking at Eduardo. "You don't have to do that, Wardo. If you need-- as long as you’re discreet, I don't care."
Eduardo sees red. He hasn't wanted to hurt Mark this much since the dilution.
Eduardo knows he's in love with Mark . He doesn't know what to do with that. He isn't the same boy that he kind of loved in college, the best friend who betrayed him, but he's still Mark. Caustic and rude, sometimes, and more selfish than Eduardo can necessarily handle, but he's also smart and treats Eduardo with respect and seems to enjoy his company. Eduardo even thinks that maybe -- maybe he loves him back a little.
"No."
Mark looks over at him.
Eduardo takes a step closer. "I am not cheating on you, so forget whatever you were about to say."
He sees the scowl on Mark's face. "I'm-- I don't want you to give up sex, Wardo."
"Okay, fine. Then do something about it."
Mark's eyes go wide, darken slightly. "What?"
This is ridiculous and they both know it.
"You think I miss sex so much then do something about that." He steps into Mark's space, keeping his hands at his side because this has to be Mark's choice. "Fuck me."
Mark gasps a little and stares up at him. He licks his lips and then speaks quietly. "You want--"
Eduardo doesn't wait for another response, dives into Mark's mouth, gripping the back of his sweatshirt in his hands as he bites, breathing in Mark's moans. They move in a flurry of limbs, tangled together until Eduardo doesn't know where to go. He stumbles up the stairs, never taking his mouth from Mark's, and then he's on his back. Mark climbs on top of him, drags Eduardo up for another hungry, lingering kiss as his hands work on their clothes.
He stops for a second, leaning his head on Eduardo's, breathing harsh and quick. "I didn't think you'd ever forgive me."
Eduardo shakes his head. "Me neither. But it-- I'm not going to lie and say it's okay, but it's better. Every day it gets better. Are you-- I hurt you, too?"
Mark gives his standard shrug and Eduardo can't handle the bloom of warmth that rises in his chest. He loves the stubborn idiot. They can talk about it later. He pushes up to press his mouth on Mark's neck, revels in the vibrations of the groan that escapes Mark's mouth.
The clothes come off quickly and he’s naked under Mark, taking in the smooth skin rubbing against his own, the way Mark's shoulders slope down gracefully in a way you'd never expect, the shape of Mark's cheekbones, the dimples that you don't know are there, and he kisses each of them as Mark laughs haltedly.
Their hands fumble with skin, on hips and legs and arms, but it's so much better than anything he's ever done before. Mark pushes him onto his back, licks his way down Eduardo, stopping to pay ardent attention to Eduardo's chest, taking one nipple then the other, sucking and biting until Eduardo is writhing under his mouth. Mark trails one hand down and curls it around Eduardo’s length, stroking slowly at first and Eduardo bucks up into it, clenching at the sheets, and makes a whining noise at the back of his throat that makes Mark groan in return.
He picks up speed, twisting his hand on the upsweep and Eduardo feels it all the way down his spine to his toes. Mark is watching his face and all that attention aimed at him makes the heat in his stomach turn to a boil. He grabs Mark's curls in one hand, tugs and grins at the gasp that Mark lets out, the way his eyes seem to darken, mouth falling open. Eduardo needs Mark inside him.
He nips at Mark's chin, growls into his skin. "Fuck me, Mark."
Mark jerks in response, eyes closing, and he nods quickly. He gives Eduardo one last stroke then scrambles for his bedside table. Eduardo grins a little when he throws the lube over his shoulder at him, but then Mark is kneeling over him, fingers wet, and he pushes one inside Eduardo, making him lose all the air from his lungs. He breathes through the breach and relaxes when Mark adds another finger. Mark scissors his fingers, stretching Eduardo until he can take another. Eduardo can't stop the way he says Mark's name, begs for him to be inside.
It's almost unbearable when Mark removes his fingers but there's burning stretch as the head of Mark's cock breaches Eduardo and he opens his legs, lets Mark in all the way. Eduardo's breath gets caught in his throat as Mark pulls out, then back in, pace slow at first and then picking up. He wraps his legs around Mark, shifts and it's like a burst of pleasure everywhere. His skin against Mark's, their bodies twined together. He reaches out to take one of Mark's hands and laces their fingers together.
Mark keeps mumbling something under his breath, against his skin as he kisses whatever of Eduardo he can reach. Eduardo thinks he knows what Mark's lips are shaping but it can't -- he can't be sure.
It's all too much and not enough and Eduardo comes with Mark's name on his lips.
-- --
They lie together on Mark's bed, their hearts beating in rhythm, come cooling on the sheets and their skin. Mark's head under Eduardo's chin, hands holding on to Eduardo tightly.
"So." Mark pauses and then continues. "I guess I did something about it.”
Eduardo cracks a smile and then starts giggling.
Mark raises his head and gives him a look.
Eduardo pushes the unruly hair away from Mark's face and grins down at him.
"I guess you did."
-- --
The deposition starts with way more mainstream media coverage than it merits. It's not like someone was murdered or they are celebrities that are being sued. Mark owns a website -- a great website, the best in the world -- but it shouldn't be as much trouble as it ends up being.
Mark is tetchy for days and Eduardo doesn't take it personally. He understands what Mark is going through. At night he works hard to make Mark forget the hell he's going through during the day.
Eduardo moves into Mark's bedroom because he likes to wake up to Mark pressed against his back or his side. He doesn't think about the fact that they still haven't talked about what they're going to do once the depositions are over. The pending annulment -- well, Eduardo supposes, divorce now -- is a shadow over their time together.
Maybe Mark doesn't want him the same way. Maybe this is just his way of passing the time he has to tolerate Eduardo in his life.
He knows he should ask but it's not something he really wants to know. The answer, if it's the one Eduardo imagines it might be, will break him.
Their nights are filled with heat and want and need. And love, Eduardo thinks.
Their days with lawyers and stress and paparazzi.
It's for those last reasons that Chris and the legal team call for a late night strategy meeting. They seem to be getting closer to a resolution and decide to go over all their options. Mark calls Eduardo to apologize -- Eduardo is pretty shocked and pleased about that -- and cancel their dinner plans.
"I'm sorry, Wardo."
"It's okay. I understand."
Sean is a ball of annoying nerves and Eduardo knows he's driving Dustin and the rest of the staff crazy with his conspiracy theories of what the lawsuit is really after. A couple of hours of that is enough to make anyone want to strangle him, so Eduardo imagines a couple of weeks has most of the employees (READ: Chris) planning Sean's untimely death.
Eduardo still hates Sean but he doesn't want Mark going through a lengthy murder investigation with his company being the prime suspect, so he calls Sean up and tells him to meet him at the same bar from their last adventure. The place is packed with people on a Friday night, and Eduardo doesn't realize until it's too late that most of them are paps hanging around in order to get some good fodder for their stupid blogs, magazines, whatever the case may be.
He sips his drink and keeps his back to them the entire time that Sean tries to regroup and figure out a way out of there without being noticed.
Being Sean Parker, that's really not an option.
He hears the commotion as one photog and then another and then another realizes who Sean is. Eduardo closes his eyes, throws enough money, he hopes, onto the bar, and grabs Sean's arm, pulling him out to the street. They'd parked themselves -- thank god -- half a block down, and Eduardo drags Sean toward his car. He hears the shouting and running getting closer. Sean looks back, a little panicked, and Eduardo grabs Sean's keys, gets him into the passenger side and runs for the driver’s seat. He makes it just as one of the paps starts taking pictures, the flashes blinding Eduardo as he shifts the car and tries to weave into traffic.
They follow him in their vans, the bright light of their cameras and flashbulbs going off around them until Eduardo realizes that he can't tell what's in front of him, and that's when he jolts to the side, the sound of the car hitting them loud in his ears. The impact of the airbag hits him in the chest and he says Mark’s name before blacking out.
-- --
He comes to fairly quickly and there's already an ambulance, police, and a large crowd gathered around the car.
Sean.
He breathes a little easier to see that Sean has already gotten out of the car and is frantically pointing at Eduardo and behind them.
The police insist that he needs to go to the hospital to get checked out. Eduardo argues, but as Sean seems to think he's about to fall dead in the middle of the street, he doesn't have anyone to back him. The ambulance ride takes ten minutes, which he spends reassuring Sean that he isn't going to die and Mark wouldn't be killing him.
"Sean, calm down. For once, it's not your fault, okay?"
Sean's eyes are huge and Eduardo thinks he might be going into shock. He throws off the blanket they'd wrapped him up in and hands it to Sean, tells him to use it.
The process to be admitted to the ER is pretty fast. (It pays to be married to Mark.) They bandage up a small cut on his head. The doctor who examines him tells Eduardo that he is fine, if a little bruised. He tries not to get exasperated because he could have told him that. It's procedure in this case, apparently, so he bites his tongue and waits for the all-clear.
He pats his coat for his phone. Calling Mark is probably a good idea. His screen is cracked and he can't get a signal. Great.
"Did you check on-- Sean?"
"Your friend?"
Eduardo makes a face but nods.
"He is a little in shock, but that's expected." He eyes Eduardo suspiciously.
Eduardo gives him a reassuring smile. "I've been in higher stress situations."
The doctor shakes his head and leaves to get Eduardo signed out.
Sean walks into his curtained off area and stands there with this ridiculous lost look, and Eduardo motions to him. He pats awkwardly at Sean's shoulder when he hugs him, but thankfully that's done fast when the doctor walks back in with his release papers.
All in all, it took only an hour.
They start down the hallway and Eduardo turns to ask Sean if he'd called anyone when they hear the commotion from the lobby. Someone is ripping the admissions nurse to pieces and Eduardo's eyes grow big when he recognizes the voice. He jogs ahead, ignoring the look Sean gives him as he takes off.
"Sir, I cannot give you--"
"I will say this one more time… He is my husband. You need to tell me--"
"I need proof of that, sir."
Mark lets out a frustrated growl. "I don't carry my fucking marriage certificate with me." He points at his ring. "This not good enough?"
Eduardo stops a few feet behind Mark.
"Mark."
At the sound of Eduardo's voice, Mark turns around and his anger ebbs away, relief slackening his face, his eyes flicking over Eduardo’s face, pausing on the bandage, then following the line of Eduardo's chest, torso, hands until Mark's satisfied that he's in one piece. "Wardo."
It's the tremble in Mark's usually steady voice that makes Eduardo take those last few steps and pull Mark into a hug. "I'm okay." He clings to Mark, rubbing a hand over his back, and repeats it again. "I'm okay."
Mark pulls back, grazing his fingers over the bandage, and Eduardo smiles softly.
"Just a little cut. Nothing to--"
Mark's mouth closes over his, manic and rushed. Eduardo holds on as Mark kisses him hard, tries to calm the fear he can taste and lets his heart hope, open, and believe.
-- --
Mark is silent all the way home but there's a thrumming of anger under the surface. Eduardo asks if he needs to go back to the office and receives a curt shake of Mark's head. They walk in the door quietly and Mark disappears into his office, shutting the door behind him. Eduardo gives him space, removing his jacket and shoes by the door.
He sits on the couch, lying his head back against the cushion and closing his eyes.
Mark needs to know.
The door to the office opens and he rolls his head to watch Mark step into the room. He's pretty sure he looks like an idiot right now. He can feel the smile on his face and he can't imagine that Mark can't see it all in his eyes.
He waits as Mark stops at the edge of the couch, eyes looking straight ahead. When he opens his mouth, Eduardo's heart skips a beat at the words.
"You can't ever leave."
He starts to get up but Mark shakes his head.
"I know this was supposed to be about what I owed you, about what I took and the money-- but I can't not have you here." Words don't come easily to Mark, Eduardo knows that better than anyone, and he knows what it means that he…
"Mark."
"No, Eduardo. I can't--"
"Mark." Eduardo stands in Mark's space, makes him look up and reaches a hand out, thumbing up the line of Mark's jaw. "I love you."
He almost laughs at the comical way Mark's eyes go wide.
"You-- but I--"
Eduardo rolls his eyes, grabs for Mark to pull him flush against Eduardo's body. "It was never about the money. Ever. I would have helped you no matter what because you're Mark. I don't want to leave. I don't to end our marriage. I want to see where we can go. I want you, Mark."
Mark pauses, then snorts loudly. "That was so corny, Wardo."
Eduardo nods, grinning. "I know. You're married to corny, though, so you'll have to deal."
He kisses the smile from Mark's lips, swallows his muttered, "I think I can." Mark stops and pulls back, meets Eduardo’s curious gaze. "I -- me, too." And then his mouth presses on Eduardo's, lingering and sweet.
I don't have a choice but I still choose you.
I don't love but I always will.
I don't love but I always will.
I don't love but I always will. -- Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars
Mark/Eduardo, Prompt 67, for casey_sms
Part One + warnings
part two
Eduardo isn't sure how or why, but his life doesn't become the hell he imagined it would being married to Mark Zuckerberg. Strangely enough, it's not even that different than how it was when they'd been friends, back at Harvard, at the beginning.
Except for how Mark is a lot richer and Eduardo is a lot more cynical.
Otherwise, it's almost the same. Mark codes. Eduardo runs around reorganizing his life and schedule. Facebook gets bigger and bigger. Dustin flails and makes bad jokes. Chris tries not to kill them all.
The first two days are the worst, if mostly for two reasons: the first being Dustin's face when they reveal they'd gotten married and never told him -- more than a little heartbreaking.
"BUT HOW COULD YOU?"
Eduardo has never met anyone else who talks in all caps the way Dustin does. He throws his hands in the air and frowns so hard that Eduardo is afraid he might actually cause serious damage to his face muscles.
"It was-- I don't know, Dustin." He looks at Mark for assistance, only to find him typing away at his laptop.
"They were drunk. Really drunk."
Dustin rolls his eyes and huffs. "That doesn't excuse not telling us, Chris."
"What does it matter, Dustin? It's not like we missed anything. They got married, then it all went to hell, right? They haven't been together for three years. It's probably better we didn't know."
Eduardo is in awe of the ease in which Chris tells everyone the story of Eduardo and Mark's apparent drunken, crazy night of nuptials. He doesn't want to know how or where Chris actually found a wedding chapel (a twenty-four hour wedding chapel) in San Francisco that was willing to falsify dates to make the story legit for when it hit the press. (Eduardo wouldn't be surprised if Chris already has the story ready to be published -- he is a stealthy ninja.)
Dustin turns accusing eyes at Mark, pointing a finger at him. "And you!"
Mark’s plugged in, completely unaware of Dustin's anger.
"Hey, Mark!" Dustin yells, making a face that’s half anger, half pout, and slings an empty water bottle (at least Eduardo hopes it's empty as it flies across the room) at the back of Mark's head.
Turning back to scowl at Dustin, he saves his work without looking at the screen and hisses an angry, "What, Dustin?"
"I thought you were an asshole when you'd kicked your best friend out of our company, but dude. Your husband? What kind of just-- seriously, Mark? Your husband?!"
Chris wipes a hand over his face, and Eduardo realizes he hadn't really anticipated what this fake marriage would do to Mark's already frayed reputation.
Mark looks lost for a moment, staring at Chris, then Eduardo.
Eduardo isn’t able to handle that.
"Dustin, I was the one that closed that account. I forced him into that decision a little. We screwed up. Don't blame Mark."
Dustin turns on him. "And were you dating Christy while you were married?!"
Crap.
"I wasn't-- I broke it off!"
Disgusted with both of them, Dustin leaves the room, pausing to look back as he reaches the door, and saying, "That at least explains all the drama and why you were so angry with each other, though."
Eduardo thinks that was surely the worst part.
But then…
Reason number two: Sean Parker.
"I fucking knew it! Didn't I call them having a thing, Chris? You kept denying and saying it wasn't like that, but I told you."
Mark stares at Chris and Sean. "You talked about my relationship with Eduardo?"
Chris gives him a pointed look.
"Hells yeah! I kept telling Chris that Eduardo’s irrational hatred for me had to stem from something other than, well, me. I mean, I am the shit."
Eduardo rolls his eyes. "You are definitely something having to do with shit, Sean."
Sean waves his hands in Eduardo's direction and grins. "See, he hated me because he thought I was stealing you away. Which, man, had you told me he was your partner, husband, whatever, things would have gone down a totally different way. I am all about true love, yo."
Eduardo is the one to get up and leave at this point.
-- --
Chris manages to get his belongings sent to Mark's-- their house, and Eduardo spends the second day of his marriage unpacking and moving into the guest bedroom.
He's pleased at the house Mark chose to live in. A large three bedroom with a huge backyard equipped with a pool (it seemed that all California houses came standard with those) and a patio for entertaining (which Eduardo was sure Mark was not inclined to do), a kitchen that makes his heart speed up with all the space it has (he loves to cook), and the best entertainment center Eduardo’s seen in a long while.
He likes the house, even if it doesn't seem like anyone actually lives there. The only room besides Mark's bedroom that has any real living in it is the office. It doesn't surprise Eduardo. Mark is a workaholic, always has been, so Eduardo's definitely not shocked.
He doesn't see Mark in the three days between their impromptu ceremony and when he finally makes the call he's actually been looking forward to. He dials the number from the card he'd kept in his wallet and waits for the ringing to stop. The voice on the other line is gruff but polite.
"Hello?"
"Cameron. It's Eduardo. Saverin." Zuckerberg.
"Eduardo. I'm glad to hear from you. My brother and I were just discussing our proposition. Does this call mean you've decided to back the winning team, this time?" Cameron sounds amused and Eduardo makes a face into the phone.
He's definitely picked the winning team.
"If you mean you, then no."
There's a long silence, and he glances at the door as it opens to reveal an exhausted Mark. Eduardo frowns at the sight. Something must have happened during the night.
"I think I heard you wrong, Eduardo."
"No, I'm sure you haven't. I'm not testifying for you, Cameron. I will not be suing Facebook."
"You just made a mistake, Saverin."
Oh, it was Saverin, now. "I'm going to have to disagree. Goodbye, Cameron." He hangs up the call and meets Mark's tired but amused stare. "That was Cameron Winklevoss. I don't think he's happy with me."
Mark almost smiles. "Good."
"Hmm." Eduardo tilts his head to one side. "You look -- and I say this as kindly as I can -- like shit, Mark." He reaches for Mark's laptop case and guides him toward the stairs, shoving him gently. "Get some sleep, Mark."
Mark doesn't argue.
Eduardo knows that means he's practically half-dead from exhaustion. He watches Mark rub at his eyes, stifling a yawn as he heads up, and doesn't find that at all endearing. Especially not Mark's, "Night, Wardo," as he stumbles into his bedroom.
He squashes the thought. It wouldn't do for Eduardo to start thinking of anything Mark does as adorable.
-- --
The suit hits Mark and Facebook two days after Eduardo's quick chat with Cameron Winklevoss.
Mark doesn't come home that night.
The next day, Gretchen calls him from her office in Los Angeles. (He knew he’d been smart to retain her as his attorney.)
"I think we need to have a meeting, Eduardo. I'd like to understand how it is you're being sued over Facebook.”
Eduardo makes an appointment to see her that afternoon.
He calls Mark to let him know.
"They're planning to sue you?"
"We figured they might."
"But you have nothing to do with it." His voice is low, steady, and Eduardo knows that means he is really angry.
"Technically, I do. Don't worry about it, okay?"
Mark is silent and Eduardo can hear the chaos in the background. He doesn't need Mark to worry about him. The focus should be on his own lawsuit.
"Hey. It's all right. You take care of Facebook. I'll be fine."
Mark sighs. "Are you going to be-- will you come over after your appointment?"
Eduardo tries not to smile. "I will."
"Okay."
"Bye."
He hangs up and heads to his bedroom to change.
-- --
Eduardo leaves the preparation for the deposition of his case to Gretchen and tries not to think too hard about it. There's not much the Winklevosses can get from him, but if they want to drag him into proceedings, Eduardo will let them. Mark is barely around for the next few weeks. He comes home at odd hours, looking more and more frazzled, making Eduardo want to -- god help him -- hug him until he stops looking so tense. He doesn't think Mark would appreciate that, though, so he does what he can. He makes sure Magda, Mark's-- their housekeeper, changes Mark's sheets every other day. He cooks hot meals on the days he's sure Mark will come home to sleep and manages to take food to Mark at the office on the days he doesn't.
Sometimes he's there when Mark arrives and lets Mark talk at him until he manages to wind down enough that he lets Eduardo tuck him into bed.
Eduardo finds he likes those times the best.
Their marriage is common knowledge among the staff, so it slips Eduardo's mind that most of the world doesn't know until he wakes up one morning to a phone full of voicemails and texts. He looks at the first one from Chris and tries not to panic.
It's public. Don't leave the house.
He can't imagine that it would be as big a deal as that, but when he pulls back the curtains of the living room windows, he is almost blinded by the flashes of cameras. He backs away, trying to figure out the best option he has to get out of there and into the offices.
His phone beeps a text and he looks down, rolling his eyes.
Sean.
your love is all over the news, wardo. turn on the tv. cnn. msnbc. e!news. shit, boy.
He texts back: Stop watching television and go do your job, Sean.
but you have to watch this. it's fucking glorious, wardo. like they are naming you guys the couple to root for.
Stay out of it, Sean, or I will hurt you. Again.
He does turn the TV on, shaking his head at the ridiculous story they have about him and Mark. There are pictures from when they were at Harvard, a few from their early days in Palo Alto (those are mostly of Mark), and some that seem fairly new, probably taken in the last few weeks by some pap who thought it would be worth something. He must be cleaning up right now. The banner reads, Tragic Love Story? -- with a question mark at the end -- and talks about the reconciliation between the estranged couple.
His phone beeps once more and Eduardo glances down at it, smirking as he reads.
whoa, okay, that was fucking creepy. exactly what your hubby said.
Eduardo turns the television off and decides he needs to find a way to occupy his time.
-- --
The Winklevii's suit against Eduardo falls flat on its face within a month of its filing. They have no actual substance to it, and with Mark backing Eduardo up with whatever he needs, it's clear they won't win on his end. They drop the suit and Eduardo is grateful.
Mostly because now Mark can concentrate on his own and not worry so much.
The shock of their secret marriage wears off after a couple of weeks when some Hollywood starlet is caught with her stepson or something equally insane.
Mark and Eduardo are equally relieved and a little disappointed.
But life goes on.
Eduardo makes sure to be at the offices as often as he can between going to interviews of his own. He wants to start working, misses using his head to find the right investment, the figures coming together and making sense, the rush of knowing he's found what his clients need.
He and Mark barely get a chance to talk, which Eduardo thinks might be for the best. He knows that eventually, when everything else is settled, they'll need to. Not just about the annulment but about everything that happened. About where they stand now. He wants to tell Mark that he didn't mean the things he'd done. Part of him wants Mark to do the same, but he's pretty sure that won't happen.
Right now, he just wants to make sure Mark doesn't collapse from going non-stop trying to keep Facebook moving along and keep the Winklevii at bay.
Mark is sitting at his desk and Eduardo watches as he keeps shifting his shoulders and neck in discomfort. Sighing, he sets aside the offer he'd been looking at, walks to stand behind Mark and places his hands on Mark's shoulders, pressing into the muscle with his thumbs. "Mark, take a break."
Mark's head leans forward and he sighs deeply. "I have to finish this coding. We're behind with all of it, thanks to all the prepping Sydney has us doing for the depositions." He lets out a satisfied moan when Eduardo massages down his arms.
Eduardo swallows hard at the noise, ignores the heat pooling at the base of his spine. "When was the last time you ate anything? Red Bull does not count."
Mark snorts, opening his eyes as he leans back to look at Eduardo. "Do you mother everyone to death, Wardo? Or am I special?"
He wants to bend down and kiss Mark.
The thought shocks him so utterly that he stops breathing for a few seconds.
"I was kidding, Wardo."
Mark's amused at him and it's so much more than he expected from him. This whole farce is getting to his head.
He's about to respond when Sean walks through the door, stopping when he sees them, before grinning. "I thought the handbook prohibits sexual acts in the workplace."
Eduardo lets go of Mark's shoulders. He will not let Sean bait him. Not that he tries to on purpose anymore. Even Eduardo can admit that much.
"What do you want, Sean?" Mark is somewhere between irritated and amused, which is basically the general reaction one has to Sean.
"I was actually looking for your husband, Mark." Sean leans against the table and points directly at Eduardo. "What is this that I hear of you getting an offer from Goldman Sachs?"
Mark swivels his chair around to look at Eduardo. "What?"
Eduardo suppresses a groan. He'd been waiting for a good time to mention to Mark that he was going back to work. "I haven't agreed to it yet, but they want me to work out of the Frisco offices. Nothing huge but the offer is good."
"Why?"
Mark doesn't seem pleased.
"I need to work, Mark."
"But you-- there's Facebook."
"Which is your company."
Mark scowls. "We're married. It's our company."
Sean is watching carefully from his position in front of Mark's desk, and Eduardo tries to ignore his presence as he says, "Oh, now it's our company."
"Don't start that."
"You kicked me out, Mark!"
"Because you weren't here! You didn't want to be here! I asked you to come."
Eduardo closes his eyes. "No, you demanded I come. That I give up every dream I had for yours."
Mark's mouth turns into a hard, angry line. "I thought it was your-- you said you wanted to do this with me."
The words are said in a quiet, almost sad tone, and all of Eduardo's fight leaks out of him. He takes a step closer to Mark. "I did want to, but-- we didn't see--" He realizes that Sean hasn't left the room and closes his mouth with a snap. It's one thing to let Mark know that he felt partially responsible for what went down between them, but it's another to give that kind of ammo to Sean.
Sean starts laughing and Eduardo is going to put his fist through his mouth this time.
"This is fucking hysterical. You built this entire form of communication and the two of you can't even have one conversation. For reals, I don't know what to do with the two of you."
"You could come back to work at Facebook."
Eduardo’s head whips around to Mark, meeting his eyes, and he gives Mark a small smile. It means a lot that he wants to do that, but…
"Mark. Thank you, but I don't think it would be a good idea."
"Why not?" Mark's tone is as close to petulant as Eduardo thinks Mark would ever allow, and it makes the corner of his mouth turn up.
"Because I don't fit here." It's hard to say the words, surprises Mark and Sean when he does, but Eduardo always strives to be honest. "Your vision for Facebook doesn't include me anymore. I don't think it ever did." He manages to say that last part without choking on it. Sean nods his head and Eduardo rolls his eyes because he doesn't need his help here, thank you.
"That's stupid."
"Mark."
"What, Eduardo? It is stupid. You understand what I want, what Facebook means, so I don't understand why--"
"And exactly what would I be doing here? Sean's job?"
Mark has the decency to look slightly shamefaced at Sean. "It's a big job."
Eduardo feels his eyes go wide as he shakes his head fervently. "No. No way. I am not working with Sean." He looks over to see Sean shrug his shoulders, not offended in the least, and for once Eduardo is glad the guy is like Teflon. "So, I appreciate the offer, your show of faith, and I thank you, but no."
Mark makes a frustrated noise, his brow going all furrowed, and Eduardo ignores the way his fingers ache to smooth it out. It's really sweet of Mark. He feels bad for saying no but he also knows they can't work together. He cringes when he catches the time and remembers neither of them have eaten. Without thinking, just an impulse he doesn't think about, Eduardo steps up to Mark's chair. "Hey." He touches Mark's chin to make him look up, notices the way Mark stops breathing before he meets his eyes. "I'm going to grab you some food, okay? No. Do not argue. You're eating, Mark." He drops a kiss on Mark's forehead, his eyes falling to Mark's mouth before realizing what he's doing.
Eduardo makes an effort not to think about Mark's face or mouth or neck or anything like that.
"I'm going home."
He can feel Sean's smirk as he heads out but doesn't look back.
He can't handle whatever he might see.
-- --
A couple of days later, Chris stops Eduardo and has him sign some papers. "What are these?" he asks as he does, thinking that maybe he should have done that before he put pen to paper. He should know better.
"It's your shares."
Eduardo stops. "My what?"
"Shares. You're married to Mark. You own half the company. He thought you should have the shares. Twenty-five percent."
He shakes his head. "No. That's-- when we get the annulment-- Chris, not that much."
Chris sighs. "I figured you'd say that." He rips the papers in his hand up, pulling out a second set and handing them to Eduardo. "This gives you ten percent."
Eduardo reads it over and nods. "Okay." Signing, he looks up at Chris who is watching him carefully.
"You know your name is on his accounts, too. He-- you deserve to access everything that he has, Wardo. It's yours, too."
Eduardo doesn't say anything.
-- --
Living with Mark isn't what Eduardo expected. A lot about their life together isn't what he expects, to be honest.
Mark works odd hours and isn't home as often as Eduardo. But when he is there Eduardo likes it. Mark had learned how to cook in the intervening years since they'd stopped being friends. The first time Mark actually made Eduardo pasta, he'd almost fallen out of his seat.
It was surprisingly delicious.
They make good use of the patio and backyard, setting up their laptops to work in the evenings. The fresh air helps Eduardo to concentrate, strangely enough. Their routine ends up being outside with a bottle of wine, the soft sounds of music playing from inside (which Eduardo gets to pick out because Mark is almost always plugged in), their legs stretched out on the furniture.
Sometimes Eduardo convinces Mark to watch a movie with him from Mark's huge collection. Not that Mark has seen any. He tells Eduardo that most of them came from Dustin and he just keeps them around for when he visits.
"It keeps him occupied. Dustin bored is hell, Wardo."
They start doing movie nights on Fridays, and while Mark is usually coding, he tries to give the movie a minimal amount of attention, scorning the stupid stories as he shakes his head. Eduardo tunes him out most of the time. Mark always ends up with his feet in Eduardo's lap, head falling to rest on the cushions while he sleepily types away.
Eduardo's heart stutters a strange beat when he looks at Mark's face, lit up by the light of the screen.
Mark talks to Eduardo about the future of Facebook cautiously at first, but when it becomes obvious that it’s okay with him, he goes into the member usage problems, privacy issues, the constant pull of change that keeps him from being satisfied with it.
Eduardo starts to confide in Mark about his dream to work with more start-ups. "I don't know if I can do it, but I want to try."
Mark is quiet for a long time, then says, sullen but honest, "I think that could be good for you."
He hides his smile and turns back to finish watching the movie.
-- --
One day Dustin stops him on his way back from Mark's office and asks, "Have you forgiven him?"
It shocks him to realize that he has. "Yes."
Dustin's smile is blinding and his hug crushes the air out of Eduardo's lungs.
-- --
They get hit with a bug that takes Facebook down and has Mark out of his mind for three days. Eduardo's learned enough in the four months that he's been married to Mark (and that will never not make his stomach flip-flop) to know that nothing, not a damn thing will make Mark leave his office until he's ready.
He eases back on the interviews, meets with Gretchen for lunch to thank her for everything she's done for him (and avoids her bemused smiles when he talks about Mark), and manages to finalize plans to bring the rest of his things from New York. He had sublet his apartment and it's all gathering dust in storage.
He makes sure to bring food for Mark at every mealtime, ignoring the goofy eyes Dustin makes at him every time he sees him.
"You are the best wife in the world, Eduardo." He ruffles his hair as he walks back to his own office and sits for hours on end without moving until they fix the internal error Eduardo knows they found thanks to Chris' email. Dustin makes fun of Mark but he's every bit the workaholic himself.
Eduardo makes a mental note to make sure Dustin's assistant is keeping him fed. He walks through the almost silent floor -- except for the sound of fingers flying across the keyboards -- and right up to Mark's office. His assistant, Sharon, is standing in front of his desk being ignored by Mark. Eduardo smiles as she stands there until Mark actually looks up, and hands him two bottles of water.
Eduardo likes Sharon. She's way too smart to be working as an assistant, but Mark is a challenge, and Eduardo thinks she likes that about her job.
Mark's eyes are clouded over with coding and he swipes the bottles from Sharon's hands, opening one to take a long swallow before capping it and turning back to his computer. Sharon turns to catch Eduardo in the doorway and smiles in relief. "Thank God. He didn't eat the lunch you brought and refuses to stop for any food now. He's in your hands."
Eduardo closes the door behind her, sets the food just near enough that Mark will smell it. It's a test to see how hungry Mark is. If the food actually distracts him then Eduardo will sit on him until he eats every last bite. He takes a seat on the couch Mark has in his office, pulling his phone out to take a look at a few emails he's gotten from some start-ups he's been looking at.
It takes ten minutes for Mark's hands to slow down, and Eduardo sees him glance over at the food. He starts to turn back but Eduardo isn't having any of that. He stands and the movement catches Mark’s attention. His eyes light up when he sees Eduardo and it sends a thrill down his spine. He motions for Mark to take off his headphones, and when he has, he says, "You're eating. Save and let's get to it."
Mark glares at him and starts to argue but Eduardo shakes his head.
"No. Mark, you need to eat. If you keel over from exhaustion and hunger, then where will you guys be? They need you awake and working, right? My compromise for you not coming home for the last two days is this."
"You do realize you sound like--"
"If you say nagging wife, I might break another one of your electronics."
Mark's lips twitch up with amusement and he rolls his eyes, reaching for the plate at his elbow. Eduardo can see the mocking that's going on in Mark's head, but whatever. Mark is eating. That's all that matters.
-- --
Eduardo's leaving Mark's office when Chris stops him halfway down the hall and pulls him into a conference room.
"You need to help keep Sean distracted."
Eduardo blinks. "Excuse me?"
"Look, we're in crisis here with Facebook crashing, trying to fix the bug, not to mention the depositions coming up in a few weeks, and we can't have Sean running around this office distracting the programmers, assistants, Mark. Keep him entertained."
"You want me to-- I hate the guy, Chris."
Chris shrugs. "Yeah, but he likes you."
Eduardo has no idea when or how that happened, but it’s a scary truth he's been dealing with for a couple of months. Sean likes Eduardo in that same I need to teach you the ways of life, grasshopper way he liked Mark. If he’d thought that Sean was annoying before when he'd disliked Eduardo right back, it was nothing compared to being considered his buddy.
He wants to argue, but Chris is under enough stress, and if doing this gives them some room to work then he can do it.
Eduardo grabs Sean by the collar (he finds him flirting aggressively with one of the newer programmers) and stuffs him into his car. They drive to a nearby bar where most of the Facebook employees go after particularly hard days (Eduardo imagines the place is going to be hopping in the next couple of days) and he orders Sean to shut up and sit.
He buys the first round and lets Sean's constant chatter (because he'll sit but Eduardo knows nothing is ever going to get the man to shut the hell up) flow over him. Sean talks about a few of the customers that walk in the door. His knowledge of their lives is a little frightening, but Eduardo knows that Sean has his hands in a lot of different pots. It's why Mark found him invaluable and still does.
They sit there for a couple of hours and Eduardo gets hit on five times. Sean watches him every time he smiles politely and shows them his ring, flattered but taken, thanks. After one particularly insistent girl tries to climb him, he mentions that his husband wouldn't be too happy with him and could she please take her hand off his thigh. Sean hugs him tightly, slurring into Eduardo’s cheek, "Man, you are awesome, Wardo."
Eduardo raises an eyebrow as he turns to give Sean an incredulous look. "Yeah. I think you've had enough." He motions at the bartender for the bill and tries to keep Sean from falling on his ass.
"I didn't know," Sean says mournfully as Eduardo buckles him into his seat. "I wouldn't have encouraged him to do it, Wardo."
Eduardo's hands tighten on the steering wheel. "Sean?"
"Yeah?"
"For once do what I ask and stop talking, okay?"
Sean stares at him and Eduardo can see from the corner of his eye as Sean's mouth drops open. "Oh, dude. You don't know? How do you not know?"
"Sean. Shut. Up."
Sean stares at him, then nods as if he's come to a decision. "Right." Then promptly his head lolls to the side and he passes out before Eduardo can even wonder if he should ask what the hell he'd meant.
-- --
Mark doesn't come home for another thirty hours, but when he staggers in the door at two in the morning, Eduardo is on the couch, reading through a proposal. He hears the key in the lock, and Dustin is holding Mark up as he enters.
Eduardo drops his papers and takes Mark from Dustin, shoving Dustin in the direction of the couch while he climbs the stairs carefully. Mark hides his face in Eduardo's neck, nose rubbing softly at the skin there, and he has to concentrate not to let go of Mark.
"Wardo."
Eduardo swallows hard. "Hmm?"
"You smell nice."
"That's cause you've spent three days in an office with people who haven't bathed in as long.”
Mark hums. "No. You always smell nice.”
He closes his eyes, shoving at Mark's bedroom door with his foot and doing his best to lay Mark down on the bed as gently as possible. Mark is half asleep, so Eduardo indulges and runs his hand through Mark's messy curls. He leans down to speak into Mark's ear. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
Mark makes an assenting sort of noise.
He walks back down and finds Dustin asleep face down on the couch. Chuckling quietly, Eduardo finds an extra blanket and pillow in the linen closet (Magda is a goddess) and tucks Dustin in. He picks up the papers he'd been reading, setting them aside to finish later, and locks the house up, turning lights off as he heads back up the stairs.
Mark is exactly where he left him, and Eduardo takes a minute to take him in, watching the way sleep eases his features, softens them so that he looks more like the boy he met a long time ago. Something sparks sharp in his gut, makes his hands itch with a want he ignores every day.
He wants to touch Mark. All the time.
It's complicated enough already without bringing Eduardo’s stupid, annoying feelings into it.
Shaking it off, Eduardo makes his way to the bed and begins to undress Mark, concentrating on the task and not how it makes his cock half-hard to have Mark warm and sleepy under his fingers. He sets the flip-flops neatly next to the bed, unzips Mark's shorts, pulling them down and off. It's easy with Mark so pliant, and before Eduardo knows it, he has Mark in his boxers.
He hesitates before waking him up but he can't move him on his own. "Mark."
"Hmm."
"I need you to get under the covers."
Mark follows the instructions without complaint. Eduardo pulls away when Mark’s hands reach for his and he sighs quietly. "Come to bed, Wardo."
He remembers those words from before. Sometimes Eduardo would stay with Mark in his bed after a long coding binge because he was too tired to go back to his dorm and Mark wanted him there.
This is completely different.
He touches Mark's cheek. "Not right now. Go to sleep."
Mark snuffles and Eduardo expects him to wake up, but he burrows down further and is out in the next second.
Eduardo drops a kiss on his temple before leaving the room, closing the door and leaning against it.
He wants to stay.
He knows he can't.
-- --
He expects awkwardness in the morning, half afraid Mark will remember that Eduardo said no and won't understand why, but it's actually the complete opposite. Dustin makes pancakes and messes up their kitchen completely. (They are so going to have to give Magda a raise.) Mark laughs more openly than Eduardo has seen him in a long while, and when they lock eyes, he gives him a dimpled smile that sets his heart racing.
Mark wants to be at the office but Eduardo puts his foot down.
"You barely slept eight hours, Mark. You need your rest. One afternoon away won't hurt."
Dustin chews on his breakfast and nods at everything Eduardo says.
Mark studies Eduardo carefully, tilting his head as if he's looking for something. He must find it because he nods once and says, "Okay. I'll work from home."
That isn't exactly what Eduardo said, but he'll take what he can get. He rounds the island in the kitchen, placing his hands on Mark's shoulders to push him towards the stairs, and freezes when Mark's hands cover Eduardo's. He squeezes gently, meeting Eduardo's eyes, and smiles again. Something tugs inside Eduardo's chest and he can't help but lean down, brushing his mouth over Mark's quickly. Mark responds with a quiet sigh and Eduardo pulls away, watches his eyes flutter open.
Mark licks his lips once before heading up the stairs, turning to look at Eduardo and wave at Dustin before he disappears at the top. Eduardo lets out a stuttered breath.
Dustin starts laughing.
Eduardo throws a sponge at him.
-- --
Two days later, it goes to hell.
The depositions are about to start and Mark is once again deep into taking care of not losing Facebook. Eduardo deals with the inheritance that opens up for him in a few months and wants to talk to Mark about it. That makes him pause, but they're going to be married for some time and he should know about Eduardo's plans.
They've been dancing around each other, finding ways to touch, stand closer, and it's driving Eduardo crazy. Mark is holding back and he thinks it's because he doesn't know where Eduardo stands.
Deciding to take him out to lunch, even if Mark puts up a fight, Eduardo enters the Facebook offices and heads for Mark's floor. He knows there's a problem the moment he steps out of the elevator. Everyone is standing around watching Mark have a meltdown in one of the conference rooms. Chris is yelling back, and he doesn't know why he does it but he heads toward them. He knocks before opening the door and steps inside, closing it again with a loud click in the suddenly silent room.
"Guys. Everyone can see you. Maybe you want to take this into a room that has actual walls."
Chris throws his hands up. "Thanks for noting the obvious, Wardo. It's what I've been telling him."
Eduardo looks between Mark and Chris. "What happened?"
"The suit is set for two days from now and the Winklevii have decided to come at Mark harder than we expected. They are pissed about the fact that they can't have you on their side and figure your marriage is bullshit."
Eduardo fists his hands at his side. "What can I do?"
Mark turns on him, teeth clenched. "This is not about you. None of this has anything to do with you."
It's like a punch to his stomach and Eduardo feels the wall he'd been tearing down start rebuilding.
"Right."
He goes to leave but-- no. This isn't going to happen again.
"Like hell it isn't."
"What?"
Mark is staring at him when he calmly turns back, raising his brow. "It is my business. This place is my business. You are my business."
Mark rolls his eyes. "Really? That's news to me."
Eduardo doesn't understand any of this but he knows this Mark. The one that strikes first so he won't get hurt. "Did we get a divorce when I wasn't looking? Are we not married?"
The door opens again and Sean walks in, red in the face. "You all need to chill the fuck out, okay? People out there are freaking out."
Mark isn't paying any attention, glaring only at Eduardo.
He knows this has nothing to do with Facebook. Something else is going on, but they can't afford to have their employees worrying about their executives’ personal lives. "Fine. I'll go home." He points at Mark. "But we're not done."
-- --
He paces from the living room to Mark's office to the kitchen for hours. His anger increases the longer he waits, and by the time Mark does come home, Eduardo is ready to go ten rounds. The one good thing about the whole marriage had been that at least, in this, they were together. They had a common goal. They knew were they stood and what the lines were.
The last few months erased all the lines and Eduardo doesn't want to let Mark go. It's insane. He hadn't even realized it until Mark was yelling at him that he didn't belong. That's bullshit. He belongs here.
The door opens and he turns to give Mark a good dressing down, but the words get stuck in his throat at the look on Mark's face.
"Sean told me about the bar."
Eduardo is thrown by that, thinks back to what Mark is talking about. "That he got stupid drunk and I drove him home? I told you about that weeks ago."
Mark shakes his head. "No. That you had people all over you but you kept turning them down."
What?
"What?"
Mark sets his things down carefully on the hall table, rummaging through his bag and not looking at Eduardo. "You don't have to do that, Wardo. If you need-- as long as you’re discreet, I don't care."
Eduardo sees red. He hasn't wanted to hurt Mark this much since the dilution.
Eduardo knows he's in love with Mark . He doesn't know what to do with that. He isn't the same boy that he kind of loved in college, the best friend who betrayed him, but he's still Mark. Caustic and rude, sometimes, and more selfish than Eduardo can necessarily handle, but he's also smart and treats Eduardo with respect and seems to enjoy his company. Eduardo even thinks that maybe -- maybe he loves him back a little.
"No."
Mark looks over at him.
Eduardo takes a step closer. "I am not cheating on you, so forget whatever you were about to say."
He sees the scowl on Mark's face. "I'm-- I don't want you to give up sex, Wardo."
"Okay, fine. Then do something about it."
Mark's eyes go wide, darken slightly. "What?"
This is ridiculous and they both know it.
"You think I miss sex so much then do something about that." He steps into Mark's space, keeping his hands at his side because this has to be Mark's choice. "Fuck me."
Mark gasps a little and stares up at him. He licks his lips and then speaks quietly. "You want--"
Eduardo doesn't wait for another response, dives into Mark's mouth, gripping the back of his sweatshirt in his hands as he bites, breathing in Mark's moans. They move in a flurry of limbs, tangled together until Eduardo doesn't know where to go. He stumbles up the stairs, never taking his mouth from Mark's, and then he's on his back. Mark climbs on top of him, drags Eduardo up for another hungry, lingering kiss as his hands work on their clothes.
He stops for a second, leaning his head on Eduardo's, breathing harsh and quick. "I didn't think you'd ever forgive me."
Eduardo shakes his head. "Me neither. But it-- I'm not going to lie and say it's okay, but it's better. Every day it gets better. Are you-- I hurt you, too?"
Mark gives his standard shrug and Eduardo can't handle the bloom of warmth that rises in his chest. He loves the stubborn idiot. They can talk about it later. He pushes up to press his mouth on Mark's neck, revels in the vibrations of the groan that escapes Mark's mouth.
The clothes come off quickly and he’s naked under Mark, taking in the smooth skin rubbing against his own, the way Mark's shoulders slope down gracefully in a way you'd never expect, the shape of Mark's cheekbones, the dimples that you don't know are there, and he kisses each of them as Mark laughs haltedly.
Their hands fumble with skin, on hips and legs and arms, but it's so much better than anything he's ever done before. Mark pushes him onto his back, licks his way down Eduardo, stopping to pay ardent attention to Eduardo's chest, taking one nipple then the other, sucking and biting until Eduardo is writhing under his mouth. Mark trails one hand down and curls it around Eduardo’s length, stroking slowly at first and Eduardo bucks up into it, clenching at the sheets, and makes a whining noise at the back of his throat that makes Mark groan in return.
He picks up speed, twisting his hand on the upsweep and Eduardo feels it all the way down his spine to his toes. Mark is watching his face and all that attention aimed at him makes the heat in his stomach turn to a boil. He grabs Mark's curls in one hand, tugs and grins at the gasp that Mark lets out, the way his eyes seem to darken, mouth falling open. Eduardo needs Mark inside him.
He nips at Mark's chin, growls into his skin. "Fuck me, Mark."
Mark jerks in response, eyes closing, and he nods quickly. He gives Eduardo one last stroke then scrambles for his bedside table. Eduardo grins a little when he throws the lube over his shoulder at him, but then Mark is kneeling over him, fingers wet, and he pushes one inside Eduardo, making him lose all the air from his lungs. He breathes through the breach and relaxes when Mark adds another finger. Mark scissors his fingers, stretching Eduardo until he can take another. Eduardo can't stop the way he says Mark's name, begs for him to be inside.
It's almost unbearable when Mark removes his fingers but there's burning stretch as the head of Mark's cock breaches Eduardo and he opens his legs, lets Mark in all the way. Eduardo's breath gets caught in his throat as Mark pulls out, then back in, pace slow at first and then picking up. He wraps his legs around Mark, shifts and it's like a burst of pleasure everywhere. His skin against Mark's, their bodies twined together. He reaches out to take one of Mark's hands and laces their fingers together.
Mark keeps mumbling something under his breath, against his skin as he kisses whatever of Eduardo he can reach. Eduardo thinks he knows what Mark's lips are shaping but it can't -- he can't be sure.
It's all too much and not enough and Eduardo comes with Mark's name on his lips.
-- --
They lie together on Mark's bed, their hearts beating in rhythm, come cooling on the sheets and their skin. Mark's head under Eduardo's chin, hands holding on to Eduardo tightly.
"So." Mark pauses and then continues. "I guess I did something about it.”
Eduardo cracks a smile and then starts giggling.
Mark raises his head and gives him a look.
Eduardo pushes the unruly hair away from Mark's face and grins down at him.
"I guess you did."
-- --
The deposition starts with way more mainstream media coverage than it merits. It's not like someone was murdered or they are celebrities that are being sued. Mark owns a website -- a great website, the best in the world -- but it shouldn't be as much trouble as it ends up being.
Mark is tetchy for days and Eduardo doesn't take it personally. He understands what Mark is going through. At night he works hard to make Mark forget the hell he's going through during the day.
Eduardo moves into Mark's bedroom because he likes to wake up to Mark pressed against his back or his side. He doesn't think about the fact that they still haven't talked about what they're going to do once the depositions are over. The pending annulment -- well, Eduardo supposes, divorce now -- is a shadow over their time together.
Maybe Mark doesn't want him the same way. Maybe this is just his way of passing the time he has to tolerate Eduardo in his life.
He knows he should ask but it's not something he really wants to know. The answer, if it's the one Eduardo imagines it might be, will break him.
Their nights are filled with heat and want and need. And love, Eduardo thinks.
Their days with lawyers and stress and paparazzi.
It's for those last reasons that Chris and the legal team call for a late night strategy meeting. They seem to be getting closer to a resolution and decide to go over all their options. Mark calls Eduardo to apologize -- Eduardo is pretty shocked and pleased about that -- and cancel their dinner plans.
"I'm sorry, Wardo."
"It's okay. I understand."
Sean is a ball of annoying nerves and Eduardo knows he's driving Dustin and the rest of the staff crazy with his conspiracy theories of what the lawsuit is really after. A couple of hours of that is enough to make anyone want to strangle him, so Eduardo imagines a couple of weeks has most of the employees (READ: Chris) planning Sean's untimely death.
Eduardo still hates Sean but he doesn't want Mark going through a lengthy murder investigation with his company being the prime suspect, so he calls Sean up and tells him to meet him at the same bar from their last adventure. The place is packed with people on a Friday night, and Eduardo doesn't realize until it's too late that most of them are paps hanging around in order to get some good fodder for their stupid blogs, magazines, whatever the case may be.
He sips his drink and keeps his back to them the entire time that Sean tries to regroup and figure out a way out of there without being noticed.
Being Sean Parker, that's really not an option.
He hears the commotion as one photog and then another and then another realizes who Sean is. Eduardo closes his eyes, throws enough money, he hopes, onto the bar, and grabs Sean's arm, pulling him out to the street. They'd parked themselves -- thank god -- half a block down, and Eduardo drags Sean toward his car. He hears the shouting and running getting closer. Sean looks back, a little panicked, and Eduardo grabs Sean's keys, gets him into the passenger side and runs for the driver’s seat. He makes it just as one of the paps starts taking pictures, the flashes blinding Eduardo as he shifts the car and tries to weave into traffic.
They follow him in their vans, the bright light of their cameras and flashbulbs going off around them until Eduardo realizes that he can't tell what's in front of him, and that's when he jolts to the side, the sound of the car hitting them loud in his ears. The impact of the airbag hits him in the chest and he says Mark’s name before blacking out.
-- --
He comes to fairly quickly and there's already an ambulance, police, and a large crowd gathered around the car.
Sean.
He breathes a little easier to see that Sean has already gotten out of the car and is frantically pointing at Eduardo and behind them.
The police insist that he needs to go to the hospital to get checked out. Eduardo argues, but as Sean seems to think he's about to fall dead in the middle of the street, he doesn't have anyone to back him. The ambulance ride takes ten minutes, which he spends reassuring Sean that he isn't going to die and Mark wouldn't be killing him.
"Sean, calm down. For once, it's not your fault, okay?"
Sean's eyes are huge and Eduardo thinks he might be going into shock. He throws off the blanket they'd wrapped him up in and hands it to Sean, tells him to use it.
The process to be admitted to the ER is pretty fast. (It pays to be married to Mark.) They bandage up a small cut on his head. The doctor who examines him tells Eduardo that he is fine, if a little bruised. He tries not to get exasperated because he could have told him that. It's procedure in this case, apparently, so he bites his tongue and waits for the all-clear.
He pats his coat for his phone. Calling Mark is probably a good idea. His screen is cracked and he can't get a signal. Great.
"Did you check on-- Sean?"
"Your friend?"
Eduardo makes a face but nods.
"He is a little in shock, but that's expected." He eyes Eduardo suspiciously.
Eduardo gives him a reassuring smile. "I've been in higher stress situations."
The doctor shakes his head and leaves to get Eduardo signed out.
Sean walks into his curtained off area and stands there with this ridiculous lost look, and Eduardo motions to him. He pats awkwardly at Sean's shoulder when he hugs him, but thankfully that's done fast when the doctor walks back in with his release papers.
All in all, it took only an hour.
They start down the hallway and Eduardo turns to ask Sean if he'd called anyone when they hear the commotion from the lobby. Someone is ripping the admissions nurse to pieces and Eduardo's eyes grow big when he recognizes the voice. He jogs ahead, ignoring the look Sean gives him as he takes off.
"Sir, I cannot give you--"
"I will say this one more time… He is my husband. You need to tell me--"
"I need proof of that, sir."
Mark lets out a frustrated growl. "I don't carry my fucking marriage certificate with me." He points at his ring. "This not good enough?"
Eduardo stops a few feet behind Mark.
"Mark."
At the sound of Eduardo's voice, Mark turns around and his anger ebbs away, relief slackening his face, his eyes flicking over Eduardo’s face, pausing on the bandage, then following the line of Eduardo's chest, torso, hands until Mark's satisfied that he's in one piece. "Wardo."
It's the tremble in Mark's usually steady voice that makes Eduardo take those last few steps and pull Mark into a hug. "I'm okay." He clings to Mark, rubbing a hand over his back, and repeats it again. "I'm okay."
Mark pulls back, grazing his fingers over the bandage, and Eduardo smiles softly.
"Just a little cut. Nothing to--"
Mark's mouth closes over his, manic and rushed. Eduardo holds on as Mark kisses him hard, tries to calm the fear he can taste and lets his heart hope, open, and believe.
-- --
Mark is silent all the way home but there's a thrumming of anger under the surface. Eduardo asks if he needs to go back to the office and receives a curt shake of Mark's head. They walk in the door quietly and Mark disappears into his office, shutting the door behind him. Eduardo gives him space, removing his jacket and shoes by the door.
He sits on the couch, lying his head back against the cushion and closing his eyes.
Mark needs to know.
The door to the office opens and he rolls his head to watch Mark step into the room. He's pretty sure he looks like an idiot right now. He can feel the smile on his face and he can't imagine that Mark can't see it all in his eyes.
He waits as Mark stops at the edge of the couch, eyes looking straight ahead. When he opens his mouth, Eduardo's heart skips a beat at the words.
"You can't ever leave."
He starts to get up but Mark shakes his head.
"I know this was supposed to be about what I owed you, about what I took and the money-- but I can't not have you here." Words don't come easily to Mark, Eduardo knows that better than anyone, and he knows what it means that he…
"Mark."
"No, Eduardo. I can't--"
"Mark." Eduardo stands in Mark's space, makes him look up and reaches a hand out, thumbing up the line of Mark's jaw. "I love you."
He almost laughs at the comical way Mark's eyes go wide.
"You-- but I--"
Eduardo rolls his eyes, grabs for Mark to pull him flush against Eduardo's body. "It was never about the money. Ever. I would have helped you no matter what because you're Mark. I don't want to leave. I don't to end our marriage. I want to see where we can go. I want you, Mark."
Mark pauses, then snorts loudly. "That was so corny, Wardo."
Eduardo nods, grinning. "I know. You're married to corny, though, so you'll have to deal."
He kisses the smile from Mark's lips, swallows his muttered, "I think I can." Mark stops and pulls back, meets Eduardo’s curious gaze. "I -- me, too." And then his mouth presses on Eduardo's, lingering and sweet.
I don't have a choice but I still choose you.
I don't love but I always will.
I don't love but I always will.
I don't love but I always will. -- Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars