The suite is beginning to smell. Mark can tell, even though if he were sober he would actually be able to smell the stench. Right now, his head is just a fuzz, and his eyes go back and forth between the bowl being passed around, short bursts of Chris and Dustin\u2019s laughter, and Eduardo leaned back in the sofa chair, golden under the yellow light.<\/p>\n
Dustin nudges the bowl into Mark\u2019s hand. \u201cYo,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYo,\u201d Mark says back, automatically. Dustin laughs but Mark ignores him, instead wrapping his lips around the glass end and taking a short hit. He doesn\u2019t have much of a tolerance, so he knows to pace himself.<\/p>\n
Chris doesn\u2019t either, but he comes at Mark when he\u2019s done and says, \u201cGimme,\u201d all bright-eyed and eager. Mark hands him the pipe and Chris cleans the mouthpiece, because Mark is kind of messy and Chris is a neat freak anyway, before sucking in quickly. He goes immediately to blow out the smoke, but ends up failing and kind of coughing anyway.<\/p>\n
Dustin laughs.<\/p>\n
Mark snorts, and Eduardo covers his own smile with his hand. \u201cNice going Chris,\u201d Dustin says.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere,\u201d says Eduardo, and reaches to take the pipe from Chris. Chris goes, \u201cWait, let me try again,\u201d whining sort of, but Eduardo plucks it out of his hands easily.<\/p>\n
He takes his own hit without wiping off what could be Chris\u2019s spittle\u2014and Mark feels a flare of jealousy suddenly, stupid-feeling but intense all the same\u2014bleary-eyed and practiced. Mark remembers how deft Eduardo had been when Dustin had brandished his pot for the first time last semester, catches of anecdotes here and there about Eduardo\u2019s old high school parties. Yet Eduardo is here in the Kirkland suite, hanging out with\u00a0Mark<\/em>\u00a0and the rest of his roommates. Well, Chris and Dustin are Eduardo\u2019s friends, too.<\/p>\n Eduardo sucks in deep, unflinching, then takes his lips off and blows perfect smoke rings out. One at a time, small but thick, fading into the air.<\/p>\n He turns and blows one in Mark\u2019s direction, and it hits Mark right in the face. Mark scrunches his eyes and waves it away as the rest of them laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cFifty points!\u201d Dustin crows, which Mark ignores.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got smoke in my eye,\u201d he complains, though it\u2019s not entirely true. Now he can just smell it, strong in his nostrils. It\u2019s a little better when something in the back of Mark\u2019s head reminds him,\u00a0it\u2019s from Eduardo\u2019s mouth<\/em>, but he ignores that and keeps the petulant frown on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry about that,\u201d Eduardo says, not sounding at all sorry. \u201cWant me to get it out for you?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark says, \u201cUgh, just give me the pipe,\u201d because he doesn\u2019t want Eduardo looking at him too long like this, and also, it\u2019s just had Eduardo\u2019s mouth on it. It\u2019s not like Mark hasn\u2019t done this before, swapping spit over a bong with Eduardo, but it\u2019s Eduardo.<\/p>\n Mark grabs for it the same time Eduardo hands it to him. They barely meet halfway, fingertips brushing, and Mark jolts a little to make sure that his hand is secure on the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cThere,\u201d Eduardo says when Mark draws it back.<\/p>\n \u201cThat could\u2019ve ended badly,\u201d Dustin chuckles.<\/p>\n Mark ignores them all and takes another hit. Maybe it\u2019s too soon, because immediately he gets that out of body experience he only gets when he\u2019s nearing his limit, and he draws back and suppresses a cough. Dustin takes the pipe from him and Eduardo says, \u201cYou okay?\u201d Mark nods and gets up from the couch.<\/p>\n The room swims around him but he pretends like it\u2019s nothing. His laptop is on his desk in his side of the suite, and Mark grabs it before coming back to the common room. Chris is poking Eduardo and saying, \u201cMove, I wanna sit down,\u201d and Eduardo is laughing, \u201cThere\u2019s a whole empty couch over there,\u201d since Dustin is taking a hit and dancing to the radio that he had put on earlier.<\/p>\n Chris whines, \u201cI wanna sit in\u00a0this<\/em>\u00a0chair. It\u2019s my favorite chair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know you had a favorite chair,\u201d Eduardo says, but he moves out of it anyway, going over to the couch. Mark sits next to him and pretends like it\u2019s nothing, propping his feet up on the table. Eduardo nudges his hip with his own. Mark ignores him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should do something\u00a0fun<\/em>,\u201d Dustin says eagerly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are doing something fun,\u201d Mark says without looking up. He opens emacs on his computer; his vision blurs and he scrubs at an eye for a moment.<\/p>\n Eduardo leans over his shoulder. \u201cWhat are you working on?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re on your computer, you nerd,\u201d says Dustin. It doesn\u2019t mean much coming from him considering he just had a calculus midterm and was the only person in his class to have gotten a perfect score on it. \u201cI mean something fun for\u00a0real<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA program for classes,\u201d Mark mutters. He still hasn\u2019t asked Eduardo about his schedule next year yet. \u201cYou can put in your classes and see what your friends are taking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this fake fun then?\u201d Chris inquires.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sounds useful,\u201d Eduardo says, watching Mark\u2019s computer screen. It makes Mark self-conscious, but also he wants Eduardo to see him at work. \u201cIs this the design?\u201d He points to the web browser.<\/p>\n \u201cFun is a social construct,\u201d Dustin declares. \u201cHey, we should play truth or dare!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Mark says immediately to Dustin. Then to Eduardo: \u201cMost of it. It\u2019s placeholder.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo draws back and nods. \u201cIt looks really good,\u201d he says. \u201cIs it going to be ready by next semester?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cBy the end of this weekend, I hope,\u201d he says. He\u2019d only just started this week, but he\u2019s been wired in for the most part, anyway. And procrastinating on homework, most of which he doesn\u2019t care about, aside from his OS class, where each assignment takes sixteen hours to do but at least they\u2019re interesting and fun.<\/p>\n Eduardo looks impressed, so Mark considers his mission accomplished. Whatever his mission was.<\/p>\n Dustin clicks his tongue. \u201cWhy are you no fun?\u201d he says to Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m not a social construct,\u201d Mark says immediately.<\/p>\n Beside him, Eduardo actually lets out a snort this time.<\/p>\n Dustin says, \u201cHa-ha, very funny. Truth or dare, Wardo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I said we weren\u2019t playing this game,\u201d Mark says, but Eduardo responds, \u201cDare.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u201d Dustin looks around the room. It\u2019s mostly cluttered, aside from Chris\u2019s area which is near spotless (except for his desk, which is only half-spotless), and where Chris is sitting back on his chair, flipping through the GQ that had been on the table, an old edition with Jude Law on the cover. Mark is pretty sure that Chris is the one who\u2019d put it there in the first place.<\/p>\n \u201cI dare you,\u201d Dustin says, \u201cto take Mark\u2019s laptop and sit on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t sit on it,\u201d Eduardo says. But before Mark knows it, his netbook is being wrenched from his hands, closed, and Eduardo is placing it on the other side of his body.<\/p>\n Mark yelps. \u201cHey!\u201d he says, and tries to reach for it across Eduardo\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n Eduardo pats Mark\u2019s face. It’s odd. He gets his palm up on Mark\u2019s nose and mouth and everything. \u201cYou can have your laptop back later,\u201d he assures.<\/p>\n Mark scowls. Eduardo\u2019s taken his hand back, and Mark kind of wants an excuse to bite it. \u201cI want it back\u00a0now<\/em>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what you get for being a party pooper,\u201d Dustin sing-songs. \u201cChris!\u201d<\/p>\n Chris jerks up from the magazine. \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n Dustin eyes him for a moment. \u201cI commend you on your taste in men,\u201d he says, and finger guns at the magazine.<\/p>\n Pouting, Mark says, \u201cWhy aren\u2019t you making Wardo take Chris\u2019s magazine away?\u201d He\u2019s pretty sure Eduardo is laughing at him. He\u2019s put Mark\u2019s laptop on the floor, on the other side of the couch by the armrest, and Mark\u2019s too lazy to get up and try to get it back. That, and Eduardo would probably just snatch it back before Mark can get it, anyway. Even when high, Eduardo has scarily good reflexes.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause at least Chris is doing something worthwhile with his time, like looking at pretty men,\u201d Dustin says pointedly.<\/p>\n Mark huffs. \u201cJude Law is mediocre.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo snickers. \u201cYou think everyone is mediocre,\u201d he says to Mark.<\/p>\n Mark decidedly does not answer this.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, Wardo!\u201d Dustin enthuses. \u201cYour turn, truth or dare someone!\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo leans back, examining Chris who keeps his nose stuck in the magazine, and Dustin who looks eager for either someone to humiliate themselves or to humiliate himself. Mark avoids Eduardo\u2019s eyes, too: the past few times they played truth or dare (not by Mark\u2019s choice), Eduardo has made Chris take off Mark\u2019s socks with his teeth, Dustin run around in the snow wearing no shoes or socks, and Mark stick his t-shirt under running water for five minutes and wear it for the rest of the night. Mark was cold, wet, and half-wanted to kill his best friend that day.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Eduardo says, and Mark hopes to god that he\u2019ll ask Dustin. \u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n Fuck.<\/p>\n \u201cTruth or dare?\u201d Eduardo asks.<\/p>\n Mark fidgets. \u201cYou should ask Dustin,\u201d he says. \u201cHe\u2019s the one who actually wanted to play in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because we\u2019re high and not\u00a0DOING<\/em>\u00a0anything,\u201d Dustin says, too loudly, while Eduardo nudges him and says, \u201cI\u2019m asking you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUgh.\u201d Mark tries to rationalize it in his brain, even though Dustin is being bouncy and Chris is looking smug. Eduardo watches him, patiently, waiting, looking annoyingly kissable in the lemon light. The radio from Dustin\u2019s boombox is still playing, a rap song that Mark actually likes, and time is not passing the way it does usually. Mark blinks and finds his mouth speaking before he can fully think it over.<\/p>\n \u201cDare,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI dare you,\u201d Eduardo says immediately, \u201cto dance. To this song.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark stares at him.<\/p>\n \u201cSexily,\u201d Eduardo adds.<\/p>\n Dustin does something between a catcall and a snort. Chris actually puts his magazine down and, snickering, asks, \u201cYou want Mark to do a\u00a0strip-tease<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo stripping involved,\u201d Eduardo says airily. \u201cJust sexy dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile sitting in Chris\u2019s lap!\u201d Dustin calls.<\/p>\n Mark stares at Dustin, then at Chris, who covers his face. Chris\u2019s cheeks are red, though from the weed more than anything, and he says, \u201cI think Eduardo should be the one for Mark to do a lap dance on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not doing a lap dance,\u201d Mark snaps. \u201cI\u2019m not doing\u00a0any<\/em>\u00a0dance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh come on,\u201d says Dustin. \u201cIt\u2019s just a dance, nothing to worry about! None of us are good dancers when we\u2019re high.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeriously,\u201d Eduardo says, looking at Mark. \u201cAnd I didn\u2019t ask you to do the lap dancing part.\u201d His tone is gentle, and Mark knows that he wouldn\u2019t actually want to humiliate Mark. Just make him do something stupid more than anything, since they\u2019ve all done stupid things while being dared. Like wearing a wet t-shirt. Though Eduardo had just taken Mark\u2019s laptop away, which Mark is pretty sure doesn\u2019t count as stupid.<\/p>\n \u201cI can do the lap dancing part,\u201d Mark says suddenly. \u201cI\u2019m just not sure what qualifies as sexy dancing. Or dancing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good point,\u201d Dustin says seriously. \u201cI have seen your moves at AEPi parties, man. What\u2019s up with that?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark throws a pillow at him.<\/p>\n \u201cJust move your hips or something,\u201d Eduardo encourages, putting a hand on Mark\u2019s back and pushing him up. \u201cC\u2019mon, only thirty seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThirty seconds?\u201d Mark says incredulously. \u201cWhy not ten seconds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not five whole minutes?\u201d Chris says. He\u2019s still laughing into his hand.<\/p>\n Mark reaches down to grab a pillow to throw at him, but Eduardo quickly puts the only other pillow on the couch behind his back and Mark doesn\u2019t want to go through the effort of fighting him for it. \u201cGo on, Mark,\u201d says Eduardo, grinning. \u201cIt\u2019s only thirty seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd lap dancing!\u201d Dustin says, thrusting his hips suggestively.<\/p>\n \u201cAm I lap dancing?\u201d Mark deadpans. \u201cOr are we going to continue discussing the logistics of this until we forget that I have to do this at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can dance on someone\u2019s lap if you want to,\u201d Eduardo says easily.<\/p>\n He looks indifferent, but he dug this damn hole in the first place and Mark has no idea how to dance sexily without it involving someone\u2019s lap or clothes being taken off. And he doesn\u2019t really feel like taking his clothes off, so he just says, \u201cUgh. Someone time this. Dustin, turn up the music.\u201d From behind him, Pharrell and Jay-Z\u2019s\u00a0Frontin\u2019<\/em>\u00a0blasts louder and Mark hopes that these next thirty seconds will be the fastest thirty seconds of his life.<\/p>\n Getting up, he remembers the moves he\u2019s seen girls do on like, movies and stuff. Which really just consists of moving his hips around a lot, and his ass\u2014having been fencing in high school makes him feel slightly confident with his thighs, but not much. \u201cI hate you so much,\u201d he says to Eduardo, doing a weird rolling motion with his hips, as Eduardo covers his laugh with one hand. He\u2019s timing Mark with his watch, while Chris is just grinning and Dustin isn\u2019t even pretending he\u2019s not laughing at Mark anymore.<\/p>\n Only a couple of seconds have passed, and Mark reasons that he\u2019s high so what-the-fuck-ever, so he decides to up the stakes a little and crawl on the table. Dustin\u2019s laughter gets louder and he\u2019s pretty sure Chris wheezes, but Mark doesn\u2019t care; he does that weird predatory crawl thing that he\u2019s seen people do in movies, towards Eduardo, who just raises his eyebrows at Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou asked for this,\u201d Mark reminds him, before getting up off the table and sitting right on Eduardo\u2019s lap. Chris coughs in surprise\u2014but Eduardo really\u00a0did<\/em>\u00a0ask for this. And even though Mark knows that he\u2019s not particularly sexy, the only way he knows to at least look sexy is to be confident and\u00a0try<\/em>. Neither of which Mark will gamble on in himself, but\u2014<\/p>\n But he moves his ass and twists his hips on Eduardo\u2019s thighs, focusing on what he feels could pass as sexy, leaning his back against Eduardo\u2019s chest and grinding himself down on his lap. If he were sober he would\u2019ve noticed Eduardo\u2019s breath hitching, but Mark has never had much confidence\u2014or much of an excuse\u2014to try to seduce someone like Eduardo. Now he\u2019s dancing all up on him, so he\u2019s going to go all out, even if the moment Eduardo says, \u201cTime\u2019s up,\u201d Mark realizes it\u2019s the most embarrassing thing in the world.<\/p>\n He jolts himself off of Eduardo\u2019s lap and shuffles back over to the other side of the couch, plunking himself down.\u00a0Fuck<\/em>, he thinks\u2014what is he doing? Seducing Eduardo? As if Eduardo could be seduced by Mark and his khaki pants and Adidas flip-flops. As if Mark could be seductive.<\/p>\n Mark pointedly does not look at Eduardo, his own face feeling like it\u2019s on fire. Dustin coughs and says, \u201cWell. That was something.\u201d He and Chris have stopped laughing a while ago. Mark doesn\u2019t know when.<\/p>\n \u201cThat certainly was,\u201d says Chris. \u201cSo, uh, Mark? Your turn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dare someone to give me the pipe,\u201d Mark grumbles, crossing his arms. He doesn\u2019t know if Eduardo is laughing at him or regretting making Mark embarrass himself, but Mark doesn\u2019t want to know either way.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re supposed to ask truth or dare,\u201d Dustin says, but hands him the pipe anyway.<\/p>\n Mark takes a quick hit. The chemicals in his brain do what they\u2019re supposed to do, masking his self-consciousness with the apathetic haze, easing the tension in his bones. \u201cChris?\u201d he says, passing the pipe to Eduardo next to him without thinking.<\/p>\n Eduardo takes it from him, and Mark chances a glimpse from the corner of his eye. There\u2019s a faint flush on Eduardo\u2019s face, but it\u2019s probably because his low tolerance is finally hitting him.<\/p>\n \u201cTruth,\u201d says Chris. \u201cI\u2019m not an idiot like the rest of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Mark says. \u201cJude Law or Tyson Beckford?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTyson Beckford, duh,\u201d Chris says without hesitation. \u201cI\u2019m not blind. If anything\u00a0he<\/em>\u00a0should be the one on the cover of this magazine.\u201d He shakes the issue of GQ in his hand.<\/p>\n Eduardo says, \u201cIsn\u2019t that an old issue?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy point still stands,\u201d Chris huffs. \u201cAnyway, truth or dare is boring when Eduardo\u2019s not the one asking the dares.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFalse!\u201d Dustin declares. \u201cI come up with excellent dares! And truth questions!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Mark says. \u201cPreemptively I agree with Chris.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe should play spin the bottle,\u201d Chris suggests.<\/p>\n \u201cI retract my preemptive agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t play spin the bottle,\u201d Eduardo says, \u201cif not all of us are at least semi-comfortable with kissing everyone in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not comfortable with kissing anyone in this room,\u201d Mark says immediately, not looking at Eduardo.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not comfortable with anything,\u201d Dustin says cheerfully. \u201cBut it\u2019s a good idea! I like the idea of bottles.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d says Chris.<\/p>\n Eduardo shrugs. \u201cWe could play seven minutes in heaven instead,\u201d he says. \u201cThen there\u2019s no obligation for the bottle to mean anything. We could use the bathroom.\u201d He gestures to where the bathroom door is open, as it usually is to filter out whatever gross smells are in there. And also because the lighting in there is brighter than the overhand lamp in their common room.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure if that could be considered \u2018heaven\u2019 then,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n Eduardo laughs at this. He\u2019s still holding the pipe and looks more at ease now. Maybe he\u2019s forgotten all about Mark\u2019s humiliating dance thing, Mark thinks hopefully. Eduardo\u2019s eyes are dark and it\u2019s like, distractingly hot, just like everything else about Eduardo. Mark turns away and mentally starts listing things he could talk about if he ends trapped with Eduardo in the next several minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good to me,\u201d says Chris. \u201cDustin, you can go first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy me!\u201d Dustin says.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you would even if I hadn\u2019t told you too,\u201d Chris says, grinning. \u201cAnd also because I\u2019m hungry.\u201d The two have nothing to do with each other but none of them question it anyway.<\/p>\n While Chris goes over to the mini-fridge to grab god knows what, Dustin says, \u201cPoint.\u201d He grabs the empty beer bottle that had been Mark\u2019s a few hours ago from the mantelpiece, and places it on the coffee table. Mark and Eduardo watch with trepidation when he spins it. Chris pops up from the fridge with a loaf of bread and says, \u201cSeriously, Mark,\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0do you eat canned tuna?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s good,\u201d Mark says. Dustin\u2019s bottle is pointing at nothing, so he spins it again.<\/p>\n Chris goes to get peanut butter from his desk, and the bottle this time points closer to the chair that Chris had been sitting on before. Dustin crows, \u201cChris, I got you!\u201d but Chris turns around and says, \u201cNo, you got my chair. Doesn\u2019t count.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUgh,\u201d Dustin says. \u201cEffort<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you going to keep going?\u201d Mark asks. \u201cOr should we just lock you in the bathroom for seven minutes by yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d Eduardo says.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate both of you,\u201d says Dustin, as the bottle slows for a third time. \u201cAha! I got Wardo!\u201d<\/p>\n The bottle is, actually, pointing directly at Eduardo. Heaving himself up, Eduardo says, \u201cYou got me,\u201d though he doesn\u2019t seem too against it, following Dustin who\u2019s hopping to the bathroom like a dog on crack.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t contract a disease,\u201d Mark calls after him.<\/p>\n \u201cI am offended by the implications of your words,\u201d Dustin says without turning around, as Eduardo shoots Mark a grin and says, \u201cI\u2019ll try not to.\u201d<\/p>\n They close the door behind them. It takes Mark a full second before he\u2019s saying, \u201cWait, we should time them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am,\u201d says Chris, coming back over with his peanut butter sandwich, holding up his watch.<\/p>\n Mark sits back and listens. There\u2019s muffled talking, which is assuring\u2014and it\u2019s not that Mark is particularly afraid that they\u2019re\u00a0doing\u00a0<\/em>something; it\u2019s\u00a0Dustin<\/em>. And\u00a0Eduardo<\/em>. Except Dustin does not exactly have a long range of limits, and Eduardo is up for most things that aren\u2019t completely stupid or inhumane, and they have seven whole minutes. Well, seven minutes is not a lot, but. It\u2019s seven minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d Chris says, munching on his sandwich. \u201cWant to talk about your glaringly obvious crush on Wardo?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s cheeks heat up. \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d he says immediately.<\/p>\n Chris raises his eyebrows. \u201cReally? Because if I wasn\u2019t sure before, that dance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas terrible and humiliating, I know,\u201d Mark says. He should find the bowl again. Or get another beer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really wasn\u2019t that bad,\u201d Chris says. When Mark meets his gaze, he says, \u201cSeriously, Mark. You were like, all up on his crotch. I didn\u2019t even know\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0could do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI fence, you know,\u201d Mark reminds him. \u201cI have decent thighs.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris covers his face with his sandwich. \u201cOkay, you didn\u2019t have to say\u00a0that<\/em>,\u201d he says, though he\u2019s laughing. When Mark gets up, he asks, \u201cAre you getting the munchies too?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSort of,\u201d Mark admits. It\u2019s also been a while since they\u2019ve all eaten dinner, but when Mark\u2019s high he just likes the feeling of extra isolationism while he codes. Which he could do now, since Eduardo\u2019s gone to the bathroom with Dustin so Mark\u2019s laptop is back out in the open. But Mark wants to eat first.<\/p>\n Chris tears his sandwich in half and says, \u201cHere.\u201d He hands the part he hadn\u2019t bitten from to Mark, who takes it gratefully.<\/p>\n As Mark eats, Chris says, \u201cSo. Back to your obvious crush on Eduardo.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no point in hiding it when Chris is gay and honest. Mostly honest. Well, he\u2019s really gay, too. \u201cYeah,\u201d Mark says resolutely.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d hit that,\u201d Chris says.<\/p>\n Gay and honesty, right there.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Dustin?\u201d Mark asks.<\/p>\n Chris thinks for a moment. \u201cWell,\u201d he says, and then squints in thought. \u201cMaybe? He looks like a cuddler, but whether he\u2019s a good one or a bad one will make or break it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo if he\u2019s a good cuddler you definitely would,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n \u201cOr if he\u2019s a bad cuddler with a good sense of humor,\u201d says Chris.<\/p>\n Mark snickers. \u201cI don\u2019t know about the \u2018good sense of humor\u2019 part,\u201d he says. \u201cDustin\u00a0is<\/em>\u00a0really excitable though. That could be a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDepending on the task.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTask,\u201d Mark says, then laughs. \u201cWhat if he\u2019s into weird shit? Like food?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFood is not\u00a0weird<\/em>,\u201d Chris says defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cAre\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0into food?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot like, sprinkling chow mein on my body and asking someone to eat it off me,\u201d Chris says, and Mark nearly chokes on his sandwich. \u201cBut like, you know. Whipped cream. Cherries.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo fruit,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n Chris picks up the pillow Mark had thrown at Dustin earlier and throws it back at him. \u201cShut up,\u201d he says, and Mark laughs into his wrist. \u201cYou can\u2019t qualify weird shit. What if\u00a0Wardo\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0into weird shit?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cDepends on how weird,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are levels. Are\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0into anything weird?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgain, that can\u2019t be qualified, and also, I refuse to answer,\u201d Chris says, and takes a dignified bite of his sandwich. \u201cAnd honestly, I probably wouldn\u2019t sleep with any of you. I mean, I would say so, theoretically, if it never were going to happen. So yes, hypothetically, I would sleep with any of you, because I wouldn\u2019t ever actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Mark says sarcastically.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely Tyson Beckford, though,\u201d says Chris, and turns thoughtful. \u201cOr Jude Law.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark wonders how long Eduardo and Dustin have been alone. Probably long enough, but he doesn\u2019t want to ask to look desperate or suspicious. He says, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t mind sleeping with anyone who wants to sleep with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I hypothetically qualify,\u201d Chris says, amused. \u201cI thought you had higher standards than that.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cI do, but I lack the experience to make that judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d Chris says, understanding immediately. \u201cWell, if it\u2019s any consolation, I don\u2019t think you\u2019re alone in that regard. Not with me, I mean. But probably Dustin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably Dustin,\u201d Mark agrees, grinning slightly. And it doesn\u2019t bother him a whole lot\u2014he\u2019s only eighteen\u2014but there are things, like making websites and programs because you\u2019re good at it and you can, and other things, like wanting to have sex with your best friend. Though the sex part is not the end goal. Just preferential.<\/p>\n Dustin and Eduardo come out from the bathroom then, and Dustin says, \u201cProbably me what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we were in a zombie apocalypse and who would get turned into a zombie first,\u201d Mark says immediately.<\/p>\n Dustin fist pumps. \u201cHell\u00a0yeah<\/em>\u00a0I\u2019d turn into a zombie first! Then I\u2019d eat the rest of your brains. Except maybe Wardo\u2019s, who I\u2019d turn into a zombie with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI take it you guys had a good time alone then,\u201d Chris says dryly.<\/p>\n \u201cWe took a bath together and everything,\u201d Eduardo says. \u201cAn excellent waste of seven minutes of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was not a waste!\u201d Dustin says, though he doesn\u2019t look to be too bothered. \u201cWe had a deep conversation about what animal we\u2019d like to be in our next life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d says Mark. At least neither Eduardo nor Dustin look disheveled or have any visible bruises on their mouth or neck or something. Mark would probably nail his hands to his computer if they did. Or never speak to either of them again. Both sound melodramatic and not very appealing. \u201cWho\u2019s going next?\u201d he asks, because his thoughts are going all over the place.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that Chris\u2019s sandwich?\u201d Eduardo asks him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s my half of Chris\u2019s sandwich,\u201d says Mark. He thinks over his words. \u201cWhich technically just makes it my sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m too high for this for sandwich talk,\u201d Dustin says. \u201cSpeaking of which, now\u00a0I<\/em>\u00a0want a sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad,\u201d says Chris, shoving the rest of his sandwich into his mouth. \u201cI\u2019m done.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark hands Dustin what\u2019s left of his own, which is only just about a square inch. \u201cHere,\u201d he says to Dustin, who eats it straight from his hand.<\/p>\n Mark makes a noise of disgust. \u201cEw, Dustin, what was that for?\u201d he asks, wiping his hand on his shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be a dog in my next life,\u201d Dustin says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does that have to do with anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t, I just wanted to let you know.\u201d Dustin licks his fingers, even though he hadn\u2019t used his hands to disgustingly eat out of Mark\u2019s hands at all. \u201cWardo wants to be a bird. Or a fish, he can\u2019t pick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSince I\u2019m already a land animal in this life,\u201d Eduardo says pragmatically.<\/p>\n Mark rolls his eyes. \u201cI\u2019m going to spin the bottle so we can end this conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019d be a cat,\u201d Dustin says to Mark, watching him contemplatively as Mark reaches up to spin the empty beer bottle. \u201cThough you\u2019re kind of like a cat now, so never mind. Ooh, I know! Maybe a barnacle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre barnacles even animals?\u201d Chris asks.<\/p>\n Mark ignores them both. The bottle\u2019s spinning pretty hard, but he just leans back and waits for it to stop.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so? Or they\u2019re plants.\u201d Dustin puts a hand to his chin. \u201cMaybe we\u2019re all plants.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not plants,\u201d says Eduardo, as the bottle slows to a stop.<\/p>\n On him. Again.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d says Eduardo when he notices. \u201cThe bottle must really like me today.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re such a popular guy, Wardo,\u201d Dustin says, slapping him on the shoulder. \u201cUp you go! You too, Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s heart is thumping rapidly, but even though he doesn\u2019t exactly\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0want to, it\u2019s kind of\u2014terrifying. His mind tries to go through the list of the things he\u2019d thought up before in case this happened, but he suddenly can\u2019t remember any of it. And Chris is smirking at him and Mark doesn\u2019t want to make himself look too obvious, so he says, \u201cWhy am I going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause,\u201d Dustin says, tugging Mark by the hood. \u201cYou spun the bottle!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did it so we would move on, not for\u00a0me<\/em>.\u201d Mark lets Dustin drag him up anyway, though he twists out of his grip when Dustin begins to push him.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, now I say that you spun it for yourself,\u201d Dustin cackles. He gets Mark into the bathroom and shuts off the light. \u201cHave fun! Take your time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s seven minutes!\u201d Mark says, but Dustin just closes the door in his face.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d says Eduardo\u2019s voice. Mark doesn\u2019t know why Dustin shut off the light even though either one of them could turn it back on, but at least this way Eduardo can\u2019t see the blush creeping up Mark\u2019s face. \u201cI can set my watch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn the dark?\u201d Mark says sarcastically.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a shuffle of cloth that sounds like Eduardo shrugging. \u201cIt was set before,\u201d he says, and then a faint clicking sound comes from his direction. \u201cSo what do you want to talk about? Do you know what animal you want to be in your next life?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe you and Dustin talked about that,\u201d Mark says. \u201cYou\u2019d actually want to be a fish or a bird?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d says Eduardo, but he\u2019s laughing. \u201cI didn\u2019t know at first and obviously I thought it was weird, since it was Dustin. But he made me talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor seven minutes,\u201d says Mark. He wishes he knew precisely where Eduardo\u2019s standing, though they\u2019d have to be pretty far apart; Mark\u2019s closer to the door and can see the light shining through the crack underneath.<\/p>\n Eduardo chuckles. \u201cFor seven minutes,\u201d he echoes.<\/p>\n \u201cChris told me that he would hypothetically sleep with all of us,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n Eduardo lets out a laugh, stifling it with his hand. \u201cReally? All of us, as in an orgy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh god, no,\u201d says Mark. \u201cNow my mind\u2019s thinking about it, thanks. No, he meant like, hypothetically. But not actually. He said that he wouldn\u2019t actually sleep with any of us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have no idea what that\u2019s supposed to mean,\u201d Eduardo says, sounding amused.<\/p>\n They stand there like that in the dark\u2014the bathroom is kind of cramped, but apparently Eduardo doesn\u2019t want to stand too close, or more likely remembers how much space there is for him to be standing far away enough so it\u2019s not weird. A part of Mark\u00a0wants<\/em>\u00a0it to be weird, but he won\u2019t say that. Because it won\u2019t go that way. Eduardo is experienced, and charismatic, and has standards. And Mark is\u2026 Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a better dancer than I thought you would be,\u201d Eduardo says, after a moment.<\/p>\n Mark scoffs. \u201cI\u2019m assuming that\u2019s a compliment,\u201d he says, and ignores the flush rising to his cheeks. \u201cLet\u2019s just forget that ever happened in the history of our lives, ever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt really wasn\u2019t that bad,\u201d says Eduardo, and when Mark raises his eyes to look at him (or at least, try to, in the dark), he says, \u201cReally. I\u2019ve seen worse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally,\u201d Mark says wryly.<\/p>\n \u201cReally,\u201d Eduardo repeats, and steps closer. This time Mark can see a better outline of his figure, a distinct shadow, curve of a smile on his face like he\u2019s trying to make Mark feel better, not mock him. Mark is used to this, Eduardo\u2019s kindness, a genuine interest in people that Mark wished that he himself could express better.<\/p>\n He says, instead, \u201cYou\u2019re standing really close to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot\u00a0that<\/em>\u00a0close,\u201d Eduardo says. \u201cI could be closer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could be closer,\u201d Mark agrees. Then: \u201cI don\u2019t know why we\u2019re playing seven minutes in heaven, anyway, if none of us are kissing each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause spin the bottle would\u2019ve had more requirements,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n A strange burst of confidence surges through Mark\u2019s veins. Maybe it\u2019s the adrenaline, maybe it\u2019s the weed\u2014okay, it\u2019s\u00a0definitely<\/em>\u00a0the weed\u2014but he steps closer into Eduardo\u2019s space and asks, \u201cHow against those requirements are you?\u201d Eduardo\u2019s pot-smelling breath is lingering around his nose, though then Eduardo inhales quickly and all Mark can smell is the faint cologne still clinging to his suit and collar.<\/p>\n \u201cDepends,\u201d Eduardo breathes against him.<\/p>\n Mark peers up to meet his eyes in the dark. \u201cDepends on what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had to kiss you,\u201d Eduardo says quietly.<\/p>\n And Mark has had his fair share of kisses in his eighteen-year old life\u2014though a fair share is not much, relatively speaking\u2014but he knows to stand a little on his tiptoes when someone is taller, to open his mouth in the slight, to aim low enough to capture the other\u2019s bottom lips between his own. It\u2019s just a slight puff of breath between their open mouths, his and Eduardo\u2019s, and Eduardo murmurs absently between his lips, \u201cYou taste like peanut butter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Mark says back, mouth moving against his. His fingers are tingling and everything feels very still, and he\u2019s in the bathroom of his dorm and kissing Eduardo, whose hand is reaching up to cup Mark\u2019s face, but only in the slight. Eduardo is more movement than kissing, stroking at Mark\u2019s cheek with his thumb, leaning back that Mark has to push himself forward to reach for more. Mark says, \u201cFuck you,\u201d because Eduardo keeps teasing back, and Eduardo hums.<\/p>\n \u201cC\u2019mon,\u201d Mark says urgently, and he kind of accidentally grinds himself against Eduardo but that does it. Eduardo groans into his mouth and pushes him forward, sliding his tongue hotly into Mark\u2019s mouth that sends shivers down Mark\u2019s spine, all the way down to his toes. Eduardo\u2019s hands slip down to his ass, squeezing lightly, and licking into Mark, his teeth and the smoke and everything. Mark\u2019s own fingers slide up Eduardo\u2019s ridiculous neck, to his hair, tugging at it.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do that,\u201d Eduardo says, somehow still talking when their lips are joined so Mark can feel the vibrations of his words against every inch of his skin, \u201cthey\u2019re going to know what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s kind of the point,\u201d Mark says, scraping his fingers gently against his scalp.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck,\u201d Eduardo whispers, and brackets Mark\u2019s hips between his palms. He\u2019s not that much bigger than Mark, but it makes Mark feel delightfully smaller than him anyway, especially with the hard metal of Eduardo\u2019s belt pressed against the front of his shorts. Mark wonders how much they can get away with in seven minutes, if seven minutes have passed already, but then he\u2019s dragging his tongue against Eduardo\u2019s teeth, and Eduardo sucks down\u00a0hard<\/em>, and Mark loses that train of thought entirely.<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s mouth is moving to Mark\u2019s jaw, kissing and biting, when the alarm on Eduardo\u2019s watch goes off. Eduardo swears and jumps back, trying to find the switch in the dark. Mark\u2019s head feels like it\u2019s in an even heavier daze, now, lips tingling and bruised, dick patiently but still very half-hard between his legs.<\/p>\n He blinks when the door suddenly opens, switch turning on the blooming lights, and Eduardo still swearing and trying to turn off his alarm.<\/p>\n \u201cChris says that the time\u2019s\u2014oh, what do we have\u00a0here<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHi Dustin,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n Dustin grins at him. \u201cSome<\/em>one looks happy,\u201d he says, then glances at Eduardo, whose cheeks are red and hair blatantly disheveled; but, with his watch alarm now off, Eduardo\u2019s gaze is fixed more on Mark than anything else. \u201cTwo someones. Did the inevitable finally happen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n He kind of ruins the point when he suddenly grabs for Mark\u2019s hand, though.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should get out of here,\u201d he says to Mark. Mark realizes that his mouth hurts, because he\u2019s smiling so hard. He doesn\u2019t really mind.<\/p>\n \u201cGet out of here?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cTo my dorm,\u201d Eduardo says.<\/p>\n Dustin squawks as Eduardo leads them out to the common room, where Chris looks all too satisfied in his chair. Mark doesn\u2019t care. Eduardo wants them to go to his dorm.<\/p>\n \u201cAre more inevitable things about to happen?\u201d Dustin asks excitedly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou disturb me,\u201d Mark says to him, though not convincingly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u00a0two,\u201d Chris says, \u201cdisturb us, with how long that took. At least have fun and use protection.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys can make out while we\u2019re gone,\u201d Eduardo says without looking back.<\/p>\n \u201cNot gonna happen,\u201d says Chris. And as Mark trails after Eduardo out of the suite, he hears Chris say to Dustin, \u201cPut Metal Gear Solid on,\u201d and Dustin exclaim, \u201cYes<\/em>, time to dank Solid Snake!\u201d<\/p>\n Mark closes the door behind them. They\u2019re alone in the hallway; Mark hadn\u2019t even thought to bring his laptop. Not that that\u2019s more important than Eduardo pausing to look at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t really have to do anything,\u201d he says. \u201cIn my dorm. If you want. We can just make out and talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr make out,\u201d Mark says.<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s face brightens. \u201cSure, we don\u2019t have to talk, either,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n He\u2019s still holding onto Mark\u2019s hand, and even though it\u2019s kind of weird, Mark doesn\u2019t really mind. \u201cWe can talk, too, I guess,\u201d he says, rolling his eyes in a way that makes Eduardo laugh. \u201cAnd do other stuff,\u201d he adds. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t mind. At all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to do other stuff,\u201d Mark says. \u201cToo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Eduardo says again.<\/p>\n Mark doesn\u2019t know how long they stand there smiling at each other\u2014certainly too long, though no one comes by. So not very long at all, even though it feels like everything, with Eduardo\u2019s hand clutched in his.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should get going,\u201d Eduardo says, after.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d says Mark, and they do\u2014hazily, and hurriedly, and happily.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chris says, \u201cSo. Back to your obvious crush on Eduardo.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no point in hiding it when Chris is gay and honest. Mostly honest. Well, he\u2019s really gay, too. \u201cYeah,\u201d Mark says resolutely.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d hit that,\u201d Chris says.<\/p>\n Gay and honesty, right there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[227,236,235,98,104],"fandom":[511],"rating":[675],"ship":[594],"relationship":[606],"minorfandomships":[],"class_list":["post-266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-harvard-era","tag-kissing","tag-seven-minutes-in-heaven","tag-smoking","tag-weed","fandom-tsn","rating-teen","ship-em","relationship-slash"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=266"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}