fic: the years they come and go (but today is here to stay) 4/4
fic: the years they come and go (but today is here to stay) (four/four)
fandom: the social network
pairing: mark/eduardo
notes: from the tsn_kinkmeme AU prompt here about 'summer lovin'', or, basically, eduardo moves to new york for the summer after his senior year of high school to stay with his estranged father and meets mark. sexytimes ensue.
title is from matt and kim's "where you're coming from"
- last bit! it was so much fun writing this. i need to take a serious break from long fics and actually finish my freshman year of college, but it was a lovely prompt.
sorry the formatting's a little weird on this part. LJ, we are enemies sometimes.
Erica and Mark drive Eduardo to the airport to pick up his moms and Christy the next morning.
Ricardo says he has work.
It's been going- better, with him. He has actually tried to start conversations with Eduardo, about college and growing up and he tells long stories about his childhood which are occasionally really boring but Eduardo tries to listen.
They're not best friends by any means. They don't talk about Mark, or Eduardo being gay. They talk around it, but Eduardo still ends up laughing at their conversations sometimes. His father always looks quietly delighted when Eduardo finds something he says funny. He doesn't seem to have much practice with talking about things other than mergers and like, accounting. Or whatever he does.
Anyway, he says, "I'll- I'll try to be home for dinner, alright?" and Eduardo nods and before they go to bed his dad claps him on the back awkwardly, opens his mouth like he's going to say something, and then turns away.
They pull up to the loading area of JFK and Eduardo waits in the back seat, leg jittering with nerves. Erica's humming along to Christy's CD, excited, and Mark has been silent for the past twenty minutes.
"Oh, shit," Eduardo says breathlessly. "There they are."
He hops out of the backseat, a grin spreading over his face, and his moms are coming out of the airport door, wheeling suitcases. Christy's next to them in a hot pink minidress and her huge leather suitcase, and she squeals when she sees Eduardo and runs toward him, letting her suitcase fall on the sidewalk.
"Eduardo!" she cries, and Eduardo picks her up, spins her around. She smells the same, like Juicy perfume.
"I missed you, baby boy," she says into his hair. "Let me see you."
He puts her down, face hurting from grinning so hard, panting, and she says, "Damn, boy," just as his moms come up behind her and wrap Eduardo in a hug.
"Hi," Eduardo says, laughing giddily, and Jane kisses his face all over until he's yanking away. Anne laughs.
"It's so good to see you, honey," she says, voice familiar and warm, and Eduardo might actually combust from happiness. His madre pulls back, hands on his cheeks. He's still smiling.
"You look fantastic, sweetheart," she says, and buries her head in his neck. "I think you got taller."
"I'm so glad you're here," Eduardo says, voice choky, and he nearly sobs because he really, really missed them. Christy is already introducing herself to Erica and Mark, who have tentatively gotten out of the car.
"We're happy to be here, god we missed you, sweetheart," Jane says, and Anne nods, yanking their suitcases upright and patting Eduardo on the shoulder.
"Introduce us to your friends," she says, and Eduardo turns around, chest tight, still laughing breathlessly.
"Such a momma's boy," Christy says as they approach, Jane's arm still wrapped tight around Eduardo's shoulders, and Eduardo rolls his eyes.
"Hey, so, this is Erica, and this is Mark. Guys, Jane-" he motions to her. "And Anne, my parents."
"So nice to meet you!" Erica gushes, and Mark nods, face blank. Eduardo spares a brief moment of worry for Mark's socially awkward self, but he can't bring himself to care too much when he's this happy. Mark will be fine.
"Mark?" Jane asks, and takes Mark's hand. He cracks a smile, nods. Jane is good like that. Eduardo feels a warm little bubble of pride in his chest.
"Good to meet you," he says, and Christy shoots Eduardo a look over Jane's shoulder, winking at him.
"I've heard so much about both of you!" Jane gushes, and they throw the suitcases in the trunk and pile into the backseat. Jane and Anne sit in the middle and Eduardo and Christy in the far back. As soon as they get in Christy cuddles into Eduardo's neck and Eduardo puts an arm around her shoulders, kisses her cheek.
"He's cute," Christy whispers. "For a computer geek."
"Thanks," Eduardo says wryly. "You're too kind."
Christy fixes him with a look. "We are so talking about this later," she says, "I want details."
Erica and Anne are already talking about BU, while Jane makes bubbly comments and fiddles with her Iphone, probably to text all their relatives in Florida that they've landed safely.
"Hey, is- is this my CD?" Christy asks, wrinkling her nose.
Eduardo laughs.
--
Erica and Mark drop them off at Eduardo's house and as his moms and Christy carry stuff inside Eduardo talks to both of them on the other side of Erica's car, puts an arm around Mark's waist and says, "Hey, can we all hang out tomorrow?"
"Sure!" Erica says brightly. "I was not finished with my conversation with Jane. Eduardo, did you know she used to work as an organizer for the NOW when she was a teenager? I mean, that is so cool."
"Yeah," Eduardo says, recalling Jane's rants about the ERA. "Okay, well, great, thank you so much for driving, Erica. Mark- you okay?"
"I'm fine," Mark says, voice inscrutable, and he kisses Eduardo briefly, going up on his toes. "Call tomorrow."
"I will," Eduardo murmurs, close to his face, and Erica says, "Okay, stop making out and let Eduardo have family time."
---
He goes inside and helps set up guest rooms for his moms and Christy and they pull out some Ritz crackers and cheese and wait.
And wait.
And wait, until the car pulls into the driveway. At eight o'clock.
"It's fine, late dinner!" Jane says brightly, pulling out ingredients for spaghetti, opening every cupboard. Anne and Christy are chattering about school next year and when Ricardo walks in they don't notice until he says, "Uh. Hello, everyone."
Eduardo nearly bangs his head on the cupboard door when he straightens abruptly. He winces and Anne rubs it gently.
"Hey, Ricardo, um, this is Anne, and then you know my mom, and then my best friend Christy-" he introduces nervously, and Ricardo shakes their hands formally, face tight.
"We've heard a lot about you," Christy tries, voice faltering.
"Yes, um, I've heard quite a bit about you as well," he responds, fidgeting with his briefcase. Eduardo feels vaguely anxious for him, and protective of his parents and Christy at the same time. It kind of sucks.
"Um, so, madre was making dinner, so- if you want to join us-"
"Yes, of course, I'd love to," Ricardo says stiffly. "I'll just put my things in my office."
He walks out of the room and Christy shoots Eduardo a worried look. Eduardo just looks away. His moms are too polite to say anything.
Dinner is- it's awkward for the first half, until they fall into a groove and start talking about college, as always. Jane somehow gets Ricardo to reminisce about his time at Wharton and Eduardo actually laughs more than he has at home in weeks. Christy kicks him under the table and raises her eyebrows encouragingly, and Eduardo nods back.
They finish at 10:30 and Ricardo goes into his office. Eduardo doesn't really mind. He washes up with his parents while Christy unpacks, and his madre says, "That wasn't so bad, was it, hon?"
"No, I- that was good," he says, and Anne steps behind him to wash a plate, kisses his shoulder, ruffles his hair.
"It's gonna be fine," she says in her rough voice, and Eduardo grins tentatively.
--
Later that night he lies with Christy on his bed, Christy picking idly at her fingernails.
"So, Maaark," she says, stretching it out. "I want every detail."
Eduardo laughs, hands on his stomach. "I've given you the details," he says.
"Not everything! He's cute. I deem him fit for your consumption." She pauses, and rolls over and cuddles up to Eduardo's shoulder.
"Is he fit for consumption, Wardo?" she says innocently, batting her eyelashes, and Eduardo rolls his eyes as he gets what she means.
"Hilarious," he says dryly.
"What? We tell each other everything. Tell me tell me tell me."
"Okay, yeah, he's- he's-"
He can't even finish because she squeals with delight. "I knew it, you minx. You didn't - didn't have legit sex with him, did you?"
"No!" Eduardo says. "No. I'm not- he's a virgin, first of all."
Shit, he hadn't meant to say that. The wine they'd had after dinner, sitting around the table and picking at a bag of Milanos, had obviously gone straight to his head.
"Okay," Christy says fairly. "Still, don't you think he'll want to, like before college? "
Eduardo exhales. "Ugh, I don't know, Chris. We haven't talked about it."
"Okay, so, help me out here. Blow jobs-" Eduardo sputters, face going red, even though it's true, they have always given each other the details in the past. Christy knows about every embarrassing or fun or scary thing that's ever happened to Eduardo, and vice versa.
"- but no sex. And that's it-"
"- no," Eduardo says, cheeks heating. "Um. That's not it."
"Well, I'm assuming handjobs, Wardo, that's like baby stuff."
"That's not what I mean," Eduardo says, stomach twisting deliciously, feeling weirdly proud of himself. "I mean. Um. Fingers?"
Christy opens her mouth comically wide and scoots up onto her elbows right next to Eduardo's face.
"Eduardo Saverin," she murmurs. "Tut tut. Who?"
"Oh my God, Chris-"
"This is essential information, Saverin. You think Mark's little friend isn't asking him the exact same questions? Privileges of a hag."
Eduardo knows Erica doesn't ask about this stuff. Mark isn't- they're not like that.
"Fine," he says. "Fine, um. Mine. In him. Oh God, Christy."
Christy rolls onto her back, mouth pursed in consideration. "Okay," she says. "That's not what I expected, but okay."
"How do you even guess- never mind."
"If he wants to lose his virginity before college he should do it with you, though," Christy says thoughtfully. "He shouldn't just lose it to some random dude at Harvard."
"Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of that idea either, Christy," Eduardo mutters.
"Because he should- he should have sex with someone who really likes him and cares about him," Christy says, voice a little solemn. Eduardo twists to look at her. She's looking back at him, eyes knowing.
"Yeah," he says weakly, and then- "I'm gonna go to sleep, Chris."
"Okay," she says, hopping off his bed. "Love you."
"You too," he says, and she flicks the light off on her way out.
---
The next day Eduardo goes shopping with his parents in the city, while Christy lounges around the house.
But at night, Erica texts Eduardo and says - hey dustin's having a party. u should bring christy!! show her how we do it on the east coast!
Eduardo rolls his eyes and texts back.
technically FL is on the east coast. but yeah. are you driving?
Erica says she is, and Eduardo immediately texts Christy. She's excited, which kind of makes Eduardo nervous. He loves Christy like a sister, but she parties hard.
"What should I wear?" she asks, raspy voice as high as Eduardo's ever heard it. "Wardo! Listen to me!"
"Just wear that glittery top thing, the one from Forever," Eduardo says, exhausted from shopping, lying on his back on Christy's bed with his eyes closed.
Christy shimmies out of her sundress and slips into a short skirt. Eduardo looks over at her and says, "And wear that bra, it's cute."
"Eduardo Saverin, are you implying someone will be seeing my undergarments?" Christy says, grinning, and she tightens the straps on her dark pink bra.
"Does Mark have any cute friends?" she asks as she's squeezing into a tube top, breathing hard. Eduardo considers.
"Dustin's kind of cute," he says, tentatively, because despite Erica's vehement protests, he's totally rooting for Dustin on that front.
Christy chews her lip. "Dustin. That's a really weird name."
"He's kind of a weird dude, so it works out," Eduardo says, laughing.
"Babe, what are you going to wear?" Christy says, hands on her hips. Eduardo opens his eyes and stares at her upside down frame.
"I dunno," he groans, limbs slack. "Like, a t-shirt and shorts?"
"You've been scrubbing it up all summer, haven't you," Christy says disapprovingly. "We're going all-out tonight, okay? For me?"
"Fine," Eduardo says, sitting up. His head spins for a second, and he reaches for the glass of water on Christy's bedside table. "What'd you have in mind?"
----
He ends up wearing a tight black tank top and navy swim shorts he hasn't worn since he went surfing in April. Christy looks satisfied when he steps out of the closet for the last time, and says, "Damn, Wardo. Mark's not going to be able to keep his hands off you."
Eduardo rolls his eyes, but- but he does look kind of good. Christy wants to make him wear body glitter like a little gay Ken doll, but he begs off, saying, "Seriously, Chris, we're not going to a club. It's just a house party."
She pouts briefly but acquiesces, and when Erica picks them up after sunset, they both pile into the backseat, Christy clutching a bottle of Smirnoff she snuck in her suitcase.
"Hey!" she says enthusiastically, and Erica says, "Hi! So, Dustin's house is like five minutes, and Mark brought- Mark do you have the Coke?"
"Yeah," he says, and Eduardo shivers when he hears his voice from the dark of the front seat.
"I brought some vodka!" Christy says, hoisting the bottle up.
---
When they're actually in the warm light of Dustin's house, music blasting, Eduardo feels a little bit like an alien.
Everyone's wearing shorts and t-shirts and his chest feels cold. He crosses his arms over his chest, cheeks heating.
"Christy, you overdressed me, you bitch," he mutters, and she kisses his cheek and flounces off to the table.
Mark comes up behind him, and Eduardo turns and Mark is staring at him. Eduardo rolls his eyes.
"Christy dressed me, shut up," he says uncomfortably, and Mark swallows hard. He coughs. Eduardo narrows his eyes.
"You look fine," Mark says hoarsely. "Okay, I mean. Not like, fine fine. But - I mean. You look- you look good."
Eduardo grins reluctantly and uncrosses his arms and Mark's eyes trace Eduardo's pecs. He licks his lips unconsciously.
"Let's get a drink," Eduardo says, and turns around. He can practically feel Mark's eyes tracing his ass, his legs, as he walks away. Maybe Christy is not an idiot.
---
Christy is already tipsy by ten PM, yelling to the music and introducing herself enthusiastically to everyone at the party. Dustin stares slackjawed at her tits for ten straight seconds, and she just laughs.
"Christy Lee," she says, in her warm low voice, and he snaps out of it and shakes her hand dazedly.
"Dustin Moskovitz," he says, and a Lil Wayne song starts blasting and Christy throws her head back and squeals, grabbing Dustin's hand and dragging him to the part of the room where half a dozen other couples are awkwardly grinding.
Eduardo watches this from Dustin's couch, Mark next to him with a drink in one hand and Eduardo's fingers in the other.
"Interesting," Mark comments, and Eduardo feels his stomach sink.
Erica pops up in front of them, eyes stormy. She's not even drunk, because she's driving. She's crossed an arm protectively over her modest tank-top, and Eduardo can tell she's pissed.
"I'm kind of really fucking bored," she snaps, and Mark says irritably, "Chill, Jesus, what's wrong with you?"
"Can you give us a second?" Eduardo says, standing up, and Mark rolls his eyes and walks to the drinks table.
Eduardo pulls Erica into Dustin's room, dark, lit only by the glow of his screensaver, and says, "You should dance with him, if you want to."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Erica says primly.
Eduardo is drunk but that is bullshit. "Babe, he's in love with you," he says. "He always has been."
"Yeah, well, maybe he doesn't need to be anymore," she says harshly. "He has little miss perfect boobs-"
"Hey, that's my best friend," Eduardo says. "Chill. She's just drunk. Dustin actually likes you, like, likes you."
Erica chews her lip, face still set in a grimace, shoulders hunched.
"He's such an idiot," she says. Eduardo puts an arm around her shoulders.
"Like seriously, it goes against all my principles of womanhood to like him," she says, and then blushes. "Not that I do. I don't!"
"Okay," Eduardo says placatingly. "Just- " he doesn't even quite know what he's going to say when Dustin's bedroom door opens and Dustin stumbles inside, thankfully alone.
He blinks at them and says, "Hey, guys, what- what's up? Hey, Erica."
Erica is bright red, and she says, "Where's your little friend?"
"You talking about Christy?" Dustin asks. He doesn't even seem that drunk, more shell-shocked. Christy has that effect on people. "Um, I don't know. Dancing with Cameron, I think. Wardo, I know that's your best friend, but she's really- um, intense."
Eduardo laughs. Erica looks simultaneously furious and pleased.
"So, I'm going to go find Mark," Eduardo says, grinning, and Erica reaches out a futile hand as if to keep him there, then lets it drop. Eduardo slips out of the room, but not before he hears Dustin say, in a tentative voice, "Hey, you okay?"
He shuts the door and Mark catches eyes with him from across the room and Eduardo lets his mouth fall open in a lazy slow grin. Mark swallows, he can see his Adam's apple bob from here.
They slip outside and pile in the grass, Mark's head on his chest. Eduardo breathes deep and closes his eyes, breathes in grass and warm night air and the smell of alcohol and perfume and teenagers.
"Christy's cool," Mark says, and Eduardo buries his face in Mark's curls, kisses his scalp. Mark sighs.
"Yeah," Eduardo says. "She can be kind of intense, but she's- she's been my best friend since I was twelve, so."
"She's like, really, really, hot," Mark says, and laughs. "I thought Dustin was gonna burst a blood vessel."
Eduardo huffs out a laugh, and says, "Should I be jealous?"
Mark pushes himself up so he's above Eduardo's face, breathing on his lips.
"No," he says. "You look really fucking hot tonight." Eduardo can smell the alcohol on his breath, but he's not slurring or anything.
Eduardo smiles and pulls Mark's mouth to his. They make out for a while, Mark eventually rolling on top of him and kissing him hard, running his palms down Eduardo's chest under the thin tank-top.
"You're so hot, I-" Mark breaks off and laughs, quiet and in his throat. "I don't get why you like me."
Eduardo puts a hand steady on the small of Mark's back.
"Don't be dumb," he murmurs. "You're hot, Mark."
Mark snorts skeptically, and Eduardo kisses his lips briefly.
"You are. And you're smart and funny and you're just- nice and cool and, I don't have any more adjectives, but I - I really like you."
He swallows hard because he wants to say it, he really wants to say it.
He doesn't, he just closes his mouth. It is too soon, or too- something.
Mark looks unsure. "I- I like you too," he mutters, and kisses him again.
They don't talk for a while, just kiss lazy and slow until people start spilling out of the house and Mark puts his head up, laughs, in the dark of the grass next to Dustin's front door, and says, "We should- go inside."
Eduardo's mouth hurts and his stomach is warm and content and he has his fingers right above the waistband of Mark's shorts and he doesn't particularly want to move.
But he acquiesces, goes inside to the mostly-empty house and finds Christy making out with a tall blonde dude in the kitchen. She grins over his shoulder at him and winks.
Eduardo winks back and walks to Dustin's room, pushes the door open and-
Erica and Dustin are lying on Dustin's bed with its fucking Star Wars sheets, Erica's head on Dustin's chest.
Eduardo grins and laughs and says, "Shit, sorry-"
Erica glares at him, face red, and says, "Fuck off, Saverin."
"Whenever you two are done, people have mostly left, so," Eduardo says, face still splitting in a grin, and Dustin says, "Okay, man, we'll-"
"We'll be out in a second," Erica snaps over him, and Dustin grins at her adoringly, face utterly blissful.
Eduardo goes back outside, shaking his head, and Mark glances up from where he's picking up red plastic cups.
"What?" he asks bemusedly, and Eduardo shrugs and smiles, says, "Just- nothing."
They set to cleaning up. Christy is nowhere to be found, and Mark says, "She went, uh, outside with Cameron Winklevoss."
"Nice work, Chris," Eduardo says to himself, chest tight with happiness.
Erica and Dustin eventually stumble out of the room, Erica's face pink, but she's clutching Dustin's hand defensively like someone's going to start pointing and laughing.
Which Mark does, actually, and says, "Oh my God, Erica."
"Shut up, Mark," she says. Dustin is smiling helplessly, huge like he just won the lottery.
Eduardo rolls his eyes and kisses Mark to shut him up, and they pile onto Dustin's couch and Dustin puts in a movie.
Erica sits down next to Eduardo and Mark, and after a second, Dustin sits tentatively down next to her.
It takes him ten whole minutes to put an arm around her shoulders, but when he does she huffs out a breath and cuddles quickly into him and Eduardo grins at the movie, kisses Mark's temple.
It occurs to him, to say it then, but something holds him back.
He loves Mark, he knows that now, but on that night with Mark's head nudged under his chin, his hand rubbing idly over Eduardo's thigh, he doesn't need to say it out loud.
His chest burns fiercely and he grins stupidly and Dustin catches eyes with him over Erica's head, bites his lip in a smile.
Eduardo nods at him and Dustin nods back and then they turn back to the movie and it is ridiculous, really, but God he is so happy.
----
The rest of the summer is a blur, from that night. Of family dinners, Anne and his father unexpectedly discussing the stock market and pay inequity and how it's affected female entrance into the workforce. Jane and Christy taking Eduardo and Mark out for dinner in the city and talking about Harvard and the MP3-identification program Mark invented in high school. Erica having long discussions with his mom about feminism.
Of a couple parties, getting a little tipsy and giving Mark head in the backseat of his car, or jerking him off in his basement, or Mark going down on him in Mark's bedroom when his parents are gone.
Erica and Dustin actually get their shit together and then become completely attached by the lips. It'd be sickening if it wasn't so adorable, and if Dustin didn't look so incredibly grateful at all times. He's going to Northeastern so they'll be close and Eduardo is happy, he is so fucking happy for them.
----
In too short of a time it is time for him to go to Harvard.
He's made plans- his moms are renting a car and driving up from Dobbs Ferry, and Erica and Mark are driving together without their parents.
Christy flies home to get ready for honors orientation at UF, and Eduardo kisses both her cheeks and she says, "Call me every single day, swear?"
"I swear," he says, hugging her hard, breathing her in.
His dad hugs him too, before he leaves. He steps back, putting his hands down and coughing, and he says, "I- thank you for coming, Eduardo. You're- you're a good kid."
Eduardo feels like crying and smiling but he doesn't do either, he just nods shakily and says, "Um, thank you for having me. I'm glad we uh-" he pauses, and his father looks away uncomfortably.
"Just, maybe I could come visit on some breaks," he says. "If it's okay with you."
His dad smiles, for a split second.
"That'd be- that would be great," he says. "Please let me know how you're doing at Harvard."
Eduardo nods and on impulse hugs him again, pulls him close. His father stiffens and then relaxes and when he lets go Eduardo nearly does cry. He doesn't though, just swallows and nods again and says, "Okay, uh- it was- thank you. Dad."
His father's face is broken open and warm for a moment.
"Good luck," he says roughly, and steps back into the house, waving at Jane and Anne, standing outside the packed car. They wave back, and Eduardo stares at him for one more second before turning and coming down the walk.
"I love you so much," Anne says, pulling him into a hug in front of the car, and Eduardo grins and buries his face in her shoulder, eyes a little wet.
"Let's do this!" Jane cries, and Eduardo swallows hard, looks back at the house.
"Yeah, let's do this," he murmurs to himself, and gets in the car.
---
And Mark?
They go to Harvard and they're in different dorms but on the second day of orientation Eduardo knocks on Mark's door and says, "Hey, want to get dinner?"
And they do, and then they go to the campus dance, and then lunch the next day, and then- well, they're the same. Together, Eduardo guesses. Not dating, because it's stupid and unnecessary, Eduardo remembers, but just- together.
In the end, they don't have sex, that summer. They come really close, Eduardo with three fingers stretching Mark out on a muggy August day in Mark's bedroom, and Mark says, choking on his breath, voice shaking, "I have- I have condoms. If you- if you want-"
Eduardo looks up, heart thudding, and Mark looks vaguely terrified, but turned on, and stubborn, like, I can do this.
Eduardo does not want Mark to think I can do this he wants Mark to think God I really, really want to do this.
So he kisses the inside of Mark's thigh and says, "I don't think I'm- I don't think I'm ready, is that okay?"
Even with Eduardo's fingers in him, pressing at his prostate, Mark looks relieved.
"Yeah," he says, and Eduardo ducks his head and licks at Mark's cock, nudges his fingers further into him, and Mark says yeah again, heavier, voice cracking. Yeah, Wardo. Yes.
---
The thing is that the summer was not a race, not a deadline. Eduardo is so fucking lucky that way.
Three months into their freshman year Mark loses his virginity, over a long weekend when Eduardo's roommate goes home to Pennsylvania.
And he is ready, and when Eduardo is inside him he is biting his lip and groaning and spread wide open and Eduardo is so in love with him in that moment he nearly sobs.
Instead he puts his forehead to Mark's neck and snaps his hips, and Mark wraps his arms and legs around Eduardo's body and laughs when he comes.
He fucking laughs.
He makes this sound, a whimper, a laugh, a groan all mixed and says chokily, "God, yes, Wardo-"
And after, he grins into Eduardo's chest, hides his face, ears pink, and Eduardo tips his chin up with one hand and says, "Hey, hey, you okay?"
"I'm okay," Mark says, and Eduardo knows he means I am a lot better than okay.
"I'm okay," he repeats, and then, taking a deep breath- "And also I love you."
Eduardo exhales hard, shocked, and says automatically, "I love you too."
"Good," Mark says, smiling even as he tries to tamp it down, dimples flashing helplessly.
"Yeah, good," Eduardo repeats dumbly, and Mark closes his eyes and sighs, satisfied.
Good.
FIN
fandom: the social network
pairing: mark/eduardo
notes: from the tsn_kinkmeme AU prompt here about 'summer lovin'', or, basically, eduardo moves to new york for the summer after his senior year of high school to stay with his estranged father and meets mark. sexytimes ensue.
title is from matt and kim's "where you're coming from"
- last bit! it was so much fun writing this. i need to take a serious break from long fics and actually finish my freshman year of college, but it was a lovely prompt.
sorry the formatting's a little weird on this part. LJ, we are enemies sometimes.
Erica and Mark drive Eduardo to the airport to pick up his moms and Christy the next morning.
Ricardo says he has work.
It's been going- better, with him. He has actually tried to start conversations with Eduardo, about college and growing up and he tells long stories about his childhood which are occasionally really boring but Eduardo tries to listen.
They're not best friends by any means. They don't talk about Mark, or Eduardo being gay. They talk around it, but Eduardo still ends up laughing at their conversations sometimes. His father always looks quietly delighted when Eduardo finds something he says funny. He doesn't seem to have much practice with talking about things other than mergers and like, accounting. Or whatever he does.
Anyway, he says, "I'll- I'll try to be home for dinner, alright?" and Eduardo nods and before they go to bed his dad claps him on the back awkwardly, opens his mouth like he's going to say something, and then turns away.
They pull up to the loading area of JFK and Eduardo waits in the back seat, leg jittering with nerves. Erica's humming along to Christy's CD, excited, and Mark has been silent for the past twenty minutes.
"Oh, shit," Eduardo says breathlessly. "There they are."
He hops out of the backseat, a grin spreading over his face, and his moms are coming out of the airport door, wheeling suitcases. Christy's next to them in a hot pink minidress and her huge leather suitcase, and she squeals when she sees Eduardo and runs toward him, letting her suitcase fall on the sidewalk.
"Eduardo!" she cries, and Eduardo picks her up, spins her around. She smells the same, like Juicy perfume.
"I missed you, baby boy," she says into his hair. "Let me see you."
He puts her down, face hurting from grinning so hard, panting, and she says, "Damn, boy," just as his moms come up behind her and wrap Eduardo in a hug.
"Hi," Eduardo says, laughing giddily, and Jane kisses his face all over until he's yanking away. Anne laughs.
"It's so good to see you, honey," she says, voice familiar and warm, and Eduardo might actually combust from happiness. His madre pulls back, hands on his cheeks. He's still smiling.
"You look fantastic, sweetheart," she says, and buries her head in his neck. "I think you got taller."
"I'm so glad you're here," Eduardo says, voice choky, and he nearly sobs because he really, really missed them. Christy is already introducing herself to Erica and Mark, who have tentatively gotten out of the car.
"We're happy to be here, god we missed you, sweetheart," Jane says, and Anne nods, yanking their suitcases upright and patting Eduardo on the shoulder.
"Introduce us to your friends," she says, and Eduardo turns around, chest tight, still laughing breathlessly.
"Such a momma's boy," Christy says as they approach, Jane's arm still wrapped tight around Eduardo's shoulders, and Eduardo rolls his eyes.
"Hey, so, this is Erica, and this is Mark. Guys, Jane-" he motions to her. "And Anne, my parents."
"So nice to meet you!" Erica gushes, and Mark nods, face blank. Eduardo spares a brief moment of worry for Mark's socially awkward self, but he can't bring himself to care too much when he's this happy. Mark will be fine.
"Mark?" Jane asks, and takes Mark's hand. He cracks a smile, nods. Jane is good like that. Eduardo feels a warm little bubble of pride in his chest.
"Good to meet you," he says, and Christy shoots Eduardo a look over Jane's shoulder, winking at him.
"I've heard so much about both of you!" Jane gushes, and they throw the suitcases in the trunk and pile into the backseat. Jane and Anne sit in the middle and Eduardo and Christy in the far back. As soon as they get in Christy cuddles into Eduardo's neck and Eduardo puts an arm around her shoulders, kisses her cheek.
"He's cute," Christy whispers. "For a computer geek."
"Thanks," Eduardo says wryly. "You're too kind."
Christy fixes him with a look. "We are so talking about this later," she says, "I want details."
Erica and Anne are already talking about BU, while Jane makes bubbly comments and fiddles with her Iphone, probably to text all their relatives in Florida that they've landed safely.
"Hey, is- is this my CD?" Christy asks, wrinkling her nose.
Eduardo laughs.
--
Erica and Mark drop them off at Eduardo's house and as his moms and Christy carry stuff inside Eduardo talks to both of them on the other side of Erica's car, puts an arm around Mark's waist and says, "Hey, can we all hang out tomorrow?"
"Sure!" Erica says brightly. "I was not finished with my conversation with Jane. Eduardo, did you know she used to work as an organizer for the NOW when she was a teenager? I mean, that is so cool."
"Yeah," Eduardo says, recalling Jane's rants about the ERA. "Okay, well, great, thank you so much for driving, Erica. Mark- you okay?"
"I'm fine," Mark says, voice inscrutable, and he kisses Eduardo briefly, going up on his toes. "Call tomorrow."
"I will," Eduardo murmurs, close to his face, and Erica says, "Okay, stop making out and let Eduardo have family time."
---
He goes inside and helps set up guest rooms for his moms and Christy and they pull out some Ritz crackers and cheese and wait.
And wait.
And wait, until the car pulls into the driveway. At eight o'clock.
"It's fine, late dinner!" Jane says brightly, pulling out ingredients for spaghetti, opening every cupboard. Anne and Christy are chattering about school next year and when Ricardo walks in they don't notice until he says, "Uh. Hello, everyone."
Eduardo nearly bangs his head on the cupboard door when he straightens abruptly. He winces and Anne rubs it gently.
"Hey, Ricardo, um, this is Anne, and then you know my mom, and then my best friend Christy-" he introduces nervously, and Ricardo shakes their hands formally, face tight.
"We've heard a lot about you," Christy tries, voice faltering.
"Yes, um, I've heard quite a bit about you as well," he responds, fidgeting with his briefcase. Eduardo feels vaguely anxious for him, and protective of his parents and Christy at the same time. It kind of sucks.
"Um, so, madre was making dinner, so- if you want to join us-"
"Yes, of course, I'd love to," Ricardo says stiffly. "I'll just put my things in my office."
He walks out of the room and Christy shoots Eduardo a worried look. Eduardo just looks away. His moms are too polite to say anything.
Dinner is- it's awkward for the first half, until they fall into a groove and start talking about college, as always. Jane somehow gets Ricardo to reminisce about his time at Wharton and Eduardo actually laughs more than he has at home in weeks. Christy kicks him under the table and raises her eyebrows encouragingly, and Eduardo nods back.
They finish at 10:30 and Ricardo goes into his office. Eduardo doesn't really mind. He washes up with his parents while Christy unpacks, and his madre says, "That wasn't so bad, was it, hon?"
"No, I- that was good," he says, and Anne steps behind him to wash a plate, kisses his shoulder, ruffles his hair.
"It's gonna be fine," she says in her rough voice, and Eduardo grins tentatively.
--
Later that night he lies with Christy on his bed, Christy picking idly at her fingernails.
"So, Maaark," she says, stretching it out. "I want every detail."
Eduardo laughs, hands on his stomach. "I've given you the details," he says.
"Not everything! He's cute. I deem him fit for your consumption." She pauses, and rolls over and cuddles up to Eduardo's shoulder.
"Is he fit for consumption, Wardo?" she says innocently, batting her eyelashes, and Eduardo rolls his eyes as he gets what she means.
"Hilarious," he says dryly.
"What? We tell each other everything. Tell me tell me tell me."
"Okay, yeah, he's- he's-"
He can't even finish because she squeals with delight. "I knew it, you minx. You didn't - didn't have legit sex with him, did you?"
"No!" Eduardo says. "No. I'm not- he's a virgin, first of all."
Shit, he hadn't meant to say that. The wine they'd had after dinner, sitting around the table and picking at a bag of Milanos, had obviously gone straight to his head.
"Okay," Christy says fairly. "Still, don't you think he'll want to, like before college? "
Eduardo exhales. "Ugh, I don't know, Chris. We haven't talked about it."
"Okay, so, help me out here. Blow jobs-" Eduardo sputters, face going red, even though it's true, they have always given each other the details in the past. Christy knows about every embarrassing or fun or scary thing that's ever happened to Eduardo, and vice versa.
"- but no sex. And that's it-"
"- no," Eduardo says, cheeks heating. "Um. That's not it."
"Well, I'm assuming handjobs, Wardo, that's like baby stuff."
"That's not what I mean," Eduardo says, stomach twisting deliciously, feeling weirdly proud of himself. "I mean. Um. Fingers?"
Christy opens her mouth comically wide and scoots up onto her elbows right next to Eduardo's face.
"Eduardo Saverin," she murmurs. "Tut tut. Who?"
"Oh my God, Chris-"
"This is essential information, Saverin. You think Mark's little friend isn't asking him the exact same questions? Privileges of a hag."
Eduardo knows Erica doesn't ask about this stuff. Mark isn't- they're not like that.
"Fine," he says. "Fine, um. Mine. In him. Oh God, Christy."
Christy rolls onto her back, mouth pursed in consideration. "Okay," she says. "That's not what I expected, but okay."
"How do you even guess- never mind."
"If he wants to lose his virginity before college he should do it with you, though," Christy says thoughtfully. "He shouldn't just lose it to some random dude at Harvard."
"Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of that idea either, Christy," Eduardo mutters.
"Because he should- he should have sex with someone who really likes him and cares about him," Christy says, voice a little solemn. Eduardo twists to look at her. She's looking back at him, eyes knowing.
"Yeah," he says weakly, and then- "I'm gonna go to sleep, Chris."
"Okay," she says, hopping off his bed. "Love you."
"You too," he says, and she flicks the light off on her way out.
---
The next day Eduardo goes shopping with his parents in the city, while Christy lounges around the house.
But at night, Erica texts Eduardo and says - hey dustin's having a party. u should bring christy!! show her how we do it on the east coast!
Eduardo rolls his eyes and texts back.
technically FL is on the east coast. but yeah. are you driving?
Erica says she is, and Eduardo immediately texts Christy. She's excited, which kind of makes Eduardo nervous. He loves Christy like a sister, but she parties hard.
"What should I wear?" she asks, raspy voice as high as Eduardo's ever heard it. "Wardo! Listen to me!"
"Just wear that glittery top thing, the one from Forever," Eduardo says, exhausted from shopping, lying on his back on Christy's bed with his eyes closed.
Christy shimmies out of her sundress and slips into a short skirt. Eduardo looks over at her and says, "And wear that bra, it's cute."
"Eduardo Saverin, are you implying someone will be seeing my undergarments?" Christy says, grinning, and she tightens the straps on her dark pink bra.
"Does Mark have any cute friends?" she asks as she's squeezing into a tube top, breathing hard. Eduardo considers.
"Dustin's kind of cute," he says, tentatively, because despite Erica's vehement protests, he's totally rooting for Dustin on that front.
Christy chews her lip. "Dustin. That's a really weird name."
"He's kind of a weird dude, so it works out," Eduardo says, laughing.
"Babe, what are you going to wear?" Christy says, hands on her hips. Eduardo opens his eyes and stares at her upside down frame.
"I dunno," he groans, limbs slack. "Like, a t-shirt and shorts?"
"You've been scrubbing it up all summer, haven't you," Christy says disapprovingly. "We're going all-out tonight, okay? For me?"
"Fine," Eduardo says, sitting up. His head spins for a second, and he reaches for the glass of water on Christy's bedside table. "What'd you have in mind?"
----
He ends up wearing a tight black tank top and navy swim shorts he hasn't worn since he went surfing in April. Christy looks satisfied when he steps out of the closet for the last time, and says, "Damn, Wardo. Mark's not going to be able to keep his hands off you."
Eduardo rolls his eyes, but- but he does look kind of good. Christy wants to make him wear body glitter like a little gay Ken doll, but he begs off, saying, "Seriously, Chris, we're not going to a club. It's just a house party."
She pouts briefly but acquiesces, and when Erica picks them up after sunset, they both pile into the backseat, Christy clutching a bottle of Smirnoff she snuck in her suitcase.
"Hey!" she says enthusiastically, and Erica says, "Hi! So, Dustin's house is like five minutes, and Mark brought- Mark do you have the Coke?"
"Yeah," he says, and Eduardo shivers when he hears his voice from the dark of the front seat.
"I brought some vodka!" Christy says, hoisting the bottle up.
---
When they're actually in the warm light of Dustin's house, music blasting, Eduardo feels a little bit like an alien.
Everyone's wearing shorts and t-shirts and his chest feels cold. He crosses his arms over his chest, cheeks heating.
"Christy, you overdressed me, you bitch," he mutters, and she kisses his cheek and flounces off to the table.
Mark comes up behind him, and Eduardo turns and Mark is staring at him. Eduardo rolls his eyes.
"Christy dressed me, shut up," he says uncomfortably, and Mark swallows hard. He coughs. Eduardo narrows his eyes.
"You look fine," Mark says hoarsely. "Okay, I mean. Not like, fine fine. But - I mean. You look- you look good."
Eduardo grins reluctantly and uncrosses his arms and Mark's eyes trace Eduardo's pecs. He licks his lips unconsciously.
"Let's get a drink," Eduardo says, and turns around. He can practically feel Mark's eyes tracing his ass, his legs, as he walks away. Maybe Christy is not an idiot.
---
Christy is already tipsy by ten PM, yelling to the music and introducing herself enthusiastically to everyone at the party. Dustin stares slackjawed at her tits for ten straight seconds, and she just laughs.
"Christy Lee," she says, in her warm low voice, and he snaps out of it and shakes her hand dazedly.
"Dustin Moskovitz," he says, and a Lil Wayne song starts blasting and Christy throws her head back and squeals, grabbing Dustin's hand and dragging him to the part of the room where half a dozen other couples are awkwardly grinding.
Eduardo watches this from Dustin's couch, Mark next to him with a drink in one hand and Eduardo's fingers in the other.
"Interesting," Mark comments, and Eduardo feels his stomach sink.
Erica pops up in front of them, eyes stormy. She's not even drunk, because she's driving. She's crossed an arm protectively over her modest tank-top, and Eduardo can tell she's pissed.
"I'm kind of really fucking bored," she snaps, and Mark says irritably, "Chill, Jesus, what's wrong with you?"
"Can you give us a second?" Eduardo says, standing up, and Mark rolls his eyes and walks to the drinks table.
Eduardo pulls Erica into Dustin's room, dark, lit only by the glow of his screensaver, and says, "You should dance with him, if you want to."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Erica says primly.
Eduardo is drunk but that is bullshit. "Babe, he's in love with you," he says. "He always has been."
"Yeah, well, maybe he doesn't need to be anymore," she says harshly. "He has little miss perfect boobs-"
"Hey, that's my best friend," Eduardo says. "Chill. She's just drunk. Dustin actually likes you, like, likes you."
Erica chews her lip, face still set in a grimace, shoulders hunched.
"He's such an idiot," she says. Eduardo puts an arm around her shoulders.
"Like seriously, it goes against all my principles of womanhood to like him," she says, and then blushes. "Not that I do. I don't!"
"Okay," Eduardo says placatingly. "Just- " he doesn't even quite know what he's going to say when Dustin's bedroom door opens and Dustin stumbles inside, thankfully alone.
He blinks at them and says, "Hey, guys, what- what's up? Hey, Erica."
Erica is bright red, and she says, "Where's your little friend?"
"You talking about Christy?" Dustin asks. He doesn't even seem that drunk, more shell-shocked. Christy has that effect on people. "Um, I don't know. Dancing with Cameron, I think. Wardo, I know that's your best friend, but she's really- um, intense."
Eduardo laughs. Erica looks simultaneously furious and pleased.
"So, I'm going to go find Mark," Eduardo says, grinning, and Erica reaches out a futile hand as if to keep him there, then lets it drop. Eduardo slips out of the room, but not before he hears Dustin say, in a tentative voice, "Hey, you okay?"
He shuts the door and Mark catches eyes with him from across the room and Eduardo lets his mouth fall open in a lazy slow grin. Mark swallows, he can see his Adam's apple bob from here.
They slip outside and pile in the grass, Mark's head on his chest. Eduardo breathes deep and closes his eyes, breathes in grass and warm night air and the smell of alcohol and perfume and teenagers.
"Christy's cool," Mark says, and Eduardo buries his face in Mark's curls, kisses his scalp. Mark sighs.
"Yeah," Eduardo says. "She can be kind of intense, but she's- she's been my best friend since I was twelve, so."
"She's like, really, really, hot," Mark says, and laughs. "I thought Dustin was gonna burst a blood vessel."
Eduardo huffs out a laugh, and says, "Should I be jealous?"
Mark pushes himself up so he's above Eduardo's face, breathing on his lips.
"No," he says. "You look really fucking hot tonight." Eduardo can smell the alcohol on his breath, but he's not slurring or anything.
Eduardo smiles and pulls Mark's mouth to his. They make out for a while, Mark eventually rolling on top of him and kissing him hard, running his palms down Eduardo's chest under the thin tank-top.
"You're so hot, I-" Mark breaks off and laughs, quiet and in his throat. "I don't get why you like me."
Eduardo puts a hand steady on the small of Mark's back.
"Don't be dumb," he murmurs. "You're hot, Mark."
Mark snorts skeptically, and Eduardo kisses his lips briefly.
"You are. And you're smart and funny and you're just- nice and cool and, I don't have any more adjectives, but I - I really like you."
He swallows hard because he wants to say it, he really wants to say it.
He doesn't, he just closes his mouth. It is too soon, or too- something.
Mark looks unsure. "I- I like you too," he mutters, and kisses him again.
They don't talk for a while, just kiss lazy and slow until people start spilling out of the house and Mark puts his head up, laughs, in the dark of the grass next to Dustin's front door, and says, "We should- go inside."
Eduardo's mouth hurts and his stomach is warm and content and he has his fingers right above the waistband of Mark's shorts and he doesn't particularly want to move.
But he acquiesces, goes inside to the mostly-empty house and finds Christy making out with a tall blonde dude in the kitchen. She grins over his shoulder at him and winks.
Eduardo winks back and walks to Dustin's room, pushes the door open and-
Erica and Dustin are lying on Dustin's bed with its fucking Star Wars sheets, Erica's head on Dustin's chest.
Eduardo grins and laughs and says, "Shit, sorry-"
Erica glares at him, face red, and says, "Fuck off, Saverin."
"Whenever you two are done, people have mostly left, so," Eduardo says, face still splitting in a grin, and Dustin says, "Okay, man, we'll-"
"We'll be out in a second," Erica snaps over him, and Dustin grins at her adoringly, face utterly blissful.
Eduardo goes back outside, shaking his head, and Mark glances up from where he's picking up red plastic cups.
"What?" he asks bemusedly, and Eduardo shrugs and smiles, says, "Just- nothing."
They set to cleaning up. Christy is nowhere to be found, and Mark says, "She went, uh, outside with Cameron Winklevoss."
"Nice work, Chris," Eduardo says to himself, chest tight with happiness.
Erica and Dustin eventually stumble out of the room, Erica's face pink, but she's clutching Dustin's hand defensively like someone's going to start pointing and laughing.
Which Mark does, actually, and says, "Oh my God, Erica."
"Shut up, Mark," she says. Dustin is smiling helplessly, huge like he just won the lottery.
Eduardo rolls his eyes and kisses Mark to shut him up, and they pile onto Dustin's couch and Dustin puts in a movie.
Erica sits down next to Eduardo and Mark, and after a second, Dustin sits tentatively down next to her.
It takes him ten whole minutes to put an arm around her shoulders, but when he does she huffs out a breath and cuddles quickly into him and Eduardo grins at the movie, kisses Mark's temple.
It occurs to him, to say it then, but something holds him back.
He loves Mark, he knows that now, but on that night with Mark's head nudged under his chin, his hand rubbing idly over Eduardo's thigh, he doesn't need to say it out loud.
His chest burns fiercely and he grins stupidly and Dustin catches eyes with him over Erica's head, bites his lip in a smile.
Eduardo nods at him and Dustin nods back and then they turn back to the movie and it is ridiculous, really, but God he is so happy.
----
The rest of the summer is a blur, from that night. Of family dinners, Anne and his father unexpectedly discussing the stock market and pay inequity and how it's affected female entrance into the workforce. Jane and Christy taking Eduardo and Mark out for dinner in the city and talking about Harvard and the MP3-identification program Mark invented in high school. Erica having long discussions with his mom about feminism.
Of a couple parties, getting a little tipsy and giving Mark head in the backseat of his car, or jerking him off in his basement, or Mark going down on him in Mark's bedroom when his parents are gone.
Erica and Dustin actually get their shit together and then become completely attached by the lips. It'd be sickening if it wasn't so adorable, and if Dustin didn't look so incredibly grateful at all times. He's going to Northeastern so they'll be close and Eduardo is happy, he is so fucking happy for them.
----
In too short of a time it is time for him to go to Harvard.
He's made plans- his moms are renting a car and driving up from Dobbs Ferry, and Erica and Mark are driving together without their parents.
Christy flies home to get ready for honors orientation at UF, and Eduardo kisses both her cheeks and she says, "Call me every single day, swear?"
"I swear," he says, hugging her hard, breathing her in.
His dad hugs him too, before he leaves. He steps back, putting his hands down and coughing, and he says, "I- thank you for coming, Eduardo. You're- you're a good kid."
Eduardo feels like crying and smiling but he doesn't do either, he just nods shakily and says, "Um, thank you for having me. I'm glad we uh-" he pauses, and his father looks away uncomfortably.
"Just, maybe I could come visit on some breaks," he says. "If it's okay with you."
His dad smiles, for a split second.
"That'd be- that would be great," he says. "Please let me know how you're doing at Harvard."
Eduardo nods and on impulse hugs him again, pulls him close. His father stiffens and then relaxes and when he lets go Eduardo nearly does cry. He doesn't though, just swallows and nods again and says, "Okay, uh- it was- thank you. Dad."
His father's face is broken open and warm for a moment.
"Good luck," he says roughly, and steps back into the house, waving at Jane and Anne, standing outside the packed car. They wave back, and Eduardo stares at him for one more second before turning and coming down the walk.
"I love you so much," Anne says, pulling him into a hug in front of the car, and Eduardo grins and buries his face in her shoulder, eyes a little wet.
"Let's do this!" Jane cries, and Eduardo swallows hard, looks back at the house.
"Yeah, let's do this," he murmurs to himself, and gets in the car.
---
And Mark?
They go to Harvard and they're in different dorms but on the second day of orientation Eduardo knocks on Mark's door and says, "Hey, want to get dinner?"
And they do, and then they go to the campus dance, and then lunch the next day, and then- well, they're the same. Together, Eduardo guesses. Not dating, because it's stupid and unnecessary, Eduardo remembers, but just- together.
In the end, they don't have sex, that summer. They come really close, Eduardo with three fingers stretching Mark out on a muggy August day in Mark's bedroom, and Mark says, choking on his breath, voice shaking, "I have- I have condoms. If you- if you want-"
Eduardo looks up, heart thudding, and Mark looks vaguely terrified, but turned on, and stubborn, like, I can do this.
Eduardo does not want Mark to think I can do this he wants Mark to think God I really, really want to do this.
So he kisses the inside of Mark's thigh and says, "I don't think I'm- I don't think I'm ready, is that okay?"
Even with Eduardo's fingers in him, pressing at his prostate, Mark looks relieved.
"Yeah," he says, and Eduardo ducks his head and licks at Mark's cock, nudges his fingers further into him, and Mark says yeah again, heavier, voice cracking. Yeah, Wardo. Yes.
---
The thing is that the summer was not a race, not a deadline. Eduardo is so fucking lucky that way.
Three months into their freshman year Mark loses his virginity, over a long weekend when Eduardo's roommate goes home to Pennsylvania.
And he is ready, and when Eduardo is inside him he is biting his lip and groaning and spread wide open and Eduardo is so in love with him in that moment he nearly sobs.
Instead he puts his forehead to Mark's neck and snaps his hips, and Mark wraps his arms and legs around Eduardo's body and laughs when he comes.
He fucking laughs.
He makes this sound, a whimper, a laugh, a groan all mixed and says chokily, "God, yes, Wardo-"
And after, he grins into Eduardo's chest, hides his face, ears pink, and Eduardo tips his chin up with one hand and says, "Hey, hey, you okay?"
"I'm okay," Mark says, and Eduardo knows he means I am a lot better than okay.
"I'm okay," he repeats, and then, taking a deep breath- "And also I love you."
Eduardo exhales hard, shocked, and says automatically, "I love you too."
"Good," Mark says, smiling even as he tries to tamp it down, dimples flashing helplessly.
"Yeah, good," Eduardo repeats dumbly, and Mark closes his eyes and sighs, satisfied.
Good.
FIN