Mark is walking across the quad.<\/p>\n
Except that doesn\u2019t make sense, because Mark is also sitting next to Eduardo, here on this park bench. He\u2019s typing away at his laptop, which for the moment is more or less an extension of Mark\u2019s body, because he\u2019s working on a program that apparently doesn\u2019t allow him to blink or take his hands off his keyboard for more than five minutes. Eduardo had told him that he\u2019d been doing nothing but staring at his computer all week and that he should come outside and get some fresh air. So Mark had relented, under the condition that he was allowed to bring his laptop with him.<\/p>\n
Now it feels like not much has changed, but that\u2019s not what Eduardo\u2019s concerned about. Because a Mark doppelganger is walking on the other side of the yard, and Eduardo is staring. He can hear the frantic keyboard typing next to him and glances to make sure that Mark\u2019s still there\u2014and yep, he is. And he looks exactly like his doppelganger. Maybe Mark is a doppelg\u00e4nger of this<\/em>\u00a0guy.<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d Eduardo says, though he knows his effort his futile.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Mark says absently.<\/p>\n \u201cYou gotta see this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d Eduardo says again, but Mark hasn\u2019t removed his gaze, is still staring unblinking at his computer screen. His fingers type and backspace. Eduardo has always had an obsession with Mark\u2019s fingers\u2014since the first time he\u2019d gone back to Mark\u2019s dorm and watched him whip out his laptop and type faster than Eduardo had ever seen, he hadn\u2019t been able to look away.<\/p>\n Mark feels the same way about his laptop screen. \u201cYeah,\u201d he says, again.<\/p>\n \u201cI just said, you gotta see this.\u201d Eduardo prods him for extra effect.<\/p>\n Finally, Mark tears his gaze away. \u201cWhat?\u201d he snaps, annoyed.<\/p>\n Eduardo points. The lookalike is scurrying around groups of students, looking lost and nervous. He\u2019s probably a freshman. Eduardo pities him, but only in a way that he\u2019d been there once, too. The guy\u2019ll probably be fine next semester.<\/p>\n Mark stares at the guy for a minute, then turns back to Eduardo. \u201cSo?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d Eduardo echoes. \u201cDon\u2019t you think he looks like someone?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark blinks at Eduardo. \u201cYeah, sure, okay,\u201d he says. \u201cYou think he looks like me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think<\/em>, just\u2014\u201d Eduardo gestures to him vigilantly again, but quickly draws his hand down in case the guy happens to glance in their direction and see him wave his limbs about. \u201cHe looks exactly like you. Like he could be your twin or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. His eyes flicker to the guy again. \u201cHe looks like a freshman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYounger brother, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy parents already have my sisters, Wardo,\u201d says Mark. He turns back to his laptop.<\/p>\n Eduardo sighs. Just because Mark isn\u2019t intrigued doesn\u2019t mean Eduardo isn\u2019t allowed to be. He stands up, glancing back once to see if Mark has noticed\u2014never mind, he\u2019s lost Mark to code again. He can wire in in half a second. Eduardo can\u2019t help himself from smiling, before turning around and walking over to the doppelg\u00e4nger.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d he says, as he approaches.<\/p>\n The doppelganger spins around, eyes widening when he sees Eduardo. \u201cHey,\u201d he says, nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Eduardo.\u201d Eduardo puts on his biggest and most charming smile, and stretches out his hand. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh.\u201d The guy\u2019s gaze darts around. He\u2019s like a tiny nervous animal. He takes Eduardo\u2019s hand and shakes it, twice and quickly. His fingers are soft and nimble. \u201cEli. Uh, this isn\u2019t a prank or something, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Oh no, don\u2019t worry,\u201d Eduardo says, chuckling a little. \u201cI\u2019m only part of the Harvard Investor\u2019s Club and Alpha Epsilon Pi. They don\u2019t really do that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d says Mark\u2019s-lookalike-Eli. He shifts on his feet. \u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d says Eduardo. He might as well cut to the chase. \u201cI was wondering if you wanted to meet my friend Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Eli glances around again. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine, he\u2019ll be\u2014it\u2019s fine,\u201d Eduardo says quickly. He\u2019s getting endeared by how jumpy this guy is, even though he barely knows him\u2014probably because he looks like Mark, in all honesty. But he\u2019s got a different sort of air about him, more open and vulnerable. Where Mark is stone-faced and harsh and cutting, this guy just seems like he wants to survive college and make some good friends and not get roughed around too much.<\/p>\n Eduardo likes it.<\/p>\n \u201cC\u2019mon, let me introduce you,\u201d Eduardo says with a small jerk of his head.<\/p>\n The clone\u2014Eli, he should start thinking about him as Eli, hesitates for a second, but follows Eduardo. Eduardo leads them to the park bench, where Mark is still typing at his laptop, blind to everything else.<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d says Eduardo. He looks over his shoulder to Eli, but\u2014Eli\u2019s stopped in his tracks, staring at Mark. Eduardo\u2019s lips twitch and he pokes Mark on the arm. \u201cMark,\u201d he says again.<\/p>\n Mark huffs and glares at him. \u201cWhat is it this time, Wardo?\u201d<\/p>\n But then he spots Eli, hovering behind Eduardo.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d says Eli nervously.<\/p>\n Mark stares at him. \u201cHi,\u201d he says back.<\/p>\n He returns to glaring at Eduardo, but Eduardo\u2019s straightening up. \u201cEli, this is Mark,\u201d he says to Eli, tamping down his grin.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Eli says again, moving over so he can face Mark properly. He adjusts his messenger bag over his shoulder. Eduardo actually grins and has to hide it, because Mark has a sort of personal vendetta against messenger bags.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Eli,\u201d Eli says.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard,\u201d says Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou, uh,\u201d says Eli. He glances at Eduardo, but Eduardo just nods to encourage him along. \u201cI kinda\u2014you\u2014we\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe look like each other, I get it,\u201d Mark interrupts. He has his hand on the lid of his laptop and\u2014yes! Eduardo does an internal fist pump when Mark begins to pushes it down.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your last name?\u201d Mark asks.<\/p>\n \u201cBloom,\u201d Eli answers immediately. \u201cUh, but that\u2019s my mom\u2019s last name, \u2018cause my dad was a junkie, and he left when I was like, two\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell we can\u2019t share the same father, mine\u2019s a dentist,\u201d Mark mutters. \u201cHe\u2019d hate weed or coke or whatever it is your dad does.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli shrugs. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2014uh, I don\u2019t know what he does.\u201d He smiles a little. \u201cI mean, both of my parents are\u2014were junkies, so I imagine they\u2019d\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJesus.\u201d Mark snorts. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have had a more fucked up guy to be my doppelganger.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli flinches visibly.<\/p>\n Eduardo narrows his eyes and steps forward. \u201cMark,\u201d he says warningly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, it\u2019s okay,\u201d Eli says hurriedly. \u201cI\u2019m\u2014he\u2019s right, you know, I do have a pretty fucked up family, I mean, I\u2019m<\/em>\u00a0pretty fucked up\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not,\u201d Eduardo says, before turning to Mark again.<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d he says patiently. \u201cBe nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe nice,\u201d Mark scoffs. \u201cWhat do you want me to be nice to him for, Wardo? He looks like me, we\u2019re not related, that\u2019s\u2014\u201d He gestures to Eli, who is obviously fidgeting at them talking about him right in front of him. \u201cWhat did you want me to meet him for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you two might get along.\u201d Eduardo draws back. Mark is squinting at him, trying to figure him out. Despite the situation it makes Eduardo feel proud of himself for making Mark look at him like this\u2014Mark is always fast and smart, so being able to trip him up, to surprise him\u2014it doesn\u2019t happen often, but these are the moments that Eduardo relishes in the most.<\/p>\n Eli takes that moment to say, \u201cWhat is\u2014What\u2019re you working on?\u201d He gestures to Mark\u2019s laptop.<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s gaze shoots to him. \u201cYou program?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I-I,\u201d Eli stutters. \u201cI noticed you were\u2014you were typing really fast, and when he,\u201d he points to Eduardo, and swallows when he sees Mark narrow his eyes, \u201cwhen he was trying to get your attention you seemed really into it like you were busy with something and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n He breaks off, like he thinks Mark is going to bite his head off at any second.<\/p>\n Mark fixes him with a cursory gaze. Then he says, \u201cI was working on a program called CourseMatch. It lets you see your friends\u2019 schedules for the next semester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, that\u2019s,\u201d Eli swallows again. \u201cThat\u2019s cool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a freshman, right?\u201d Eduardo asks, when it seems that Mark has exhausted his questions for Eli for now.<\/p>\n Eli nods. \u201cUm, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat house?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEliot.\u201d Eli gestures somewhere behind them.<\/p>\n Eduardo lights up. \u201cCool, me too,\u201d he says, smiling at him. He tries to make it come off assuring, because Mark has only insulted him once, maybe twice, and honestly as far as introductions this long go, it\u2019s a record.<\/p>\n Eli tries to smile too, but it comes off more like he has a twitching problem with his mouth. \u201cWe could totally, like, study together sometime,\u201d he says, breathily and sarcastically. \u201cLike, even though you\u2019re probably like a senior and all, and we probably don\u2019t have any classes together, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Eduardo says, pushing his smile bigger. \u201cWe could.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli blinks at him for a second. His smile turns real.<\/p>\n \u201cUh,\u201d Mark says, very suddenly. When Eduardo looks at him again, Mark\u2019s focus on Eli has changed\u2014like he\u2019s an enigma, but not because he looks like Mark. \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d he asks Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, back to my dorm,\u201d says Eli, and he begins shuffling away from them. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2014I should probably get going, huh.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark stares at him a little more. Eli twitches, and then he\u2019s walking away, faster than before.<\/p>\n Eduardo watches him go, before turning to Mark. \u201cYou didn\u2019t have to dismiss him like that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. He opens his laptop again. \u201cHe seemed like he was done talking to us,\u201d he says shortly.<\/p>\n Eduardo rolls his eyes and glances over his shoulder. Eli has disappeared, probably into Eliot. Eduardo wonders if he asks around if he could find him.<\/p>\n It takes him a full week, though, to ask around about a twitchy nervous freshman with an impressive jewfro. Not because nobody knows who he is\u2014in fact it seems like everyone in Eliot knows who he is, he apparently crashes a lot of the parties and gets ridiculously drunk and starts singing nonsense\u2014but no one knows where he lives. Eduardo is impressed with the guy\u2019s ability to make a reputation without anyone really knowing his name or his location.<\/p>\n Eventually he locates a handful of freshman who know both his name and his room number, and then Eduardo is traipsing down the stairs to 207. Before he knocks he hears the faint sound of music\u2014classical music, fast and fluid like a professional.<\/p>\n He knocks. The music stops, there\u2019s some stumbling, and a second later the door swings open.<\/p>\n Eli stands there, looking frazzled. His eyes widen when he sees Eduardo.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Eduardo says, smiling. \u201cEli? I\u2014We met the other day, in the quad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Eli says quickly, looking flustered. \u201cAnd you\u2019re Eduardo.\u201d<\/p>\n God, his voice even kind of sounds like Mark\u2019s. If Mark actually intoned and was more nervous than biting. It\u2019s weird to hear his full name in Mark\u2019s voice like that, except it\u2019s not Mark\u2019s voice, really, and it sounds just as nice.<\/p>\n \u201cI am.\u201d Eduardo bows his head slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, uh,\u201d says Eli, glancing around the hallway. \u201cIs there any\u2014What can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah,\u201d says Eduardo. He quirks his lips. \u201cI was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli looks surprised. \u201cSure, sure,\u201d he replies, nodding. His hand is still on the doorknob of his door, either like he wants Eduardo to go away as quickly as possible or he\u2019s afraid Eduardo will leave and is preparing himself for it. \u201cUh, like, studying?\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n \u201cEh,\u201d says Eduardo. \u201cMore like a party. In Kirkland?\u201d he adds, because some kids who go to house parties don\u2019t bother putting on shoes when the party\u2019s in their own house. Eduardo had done that once, and then stepped in some puddle on the floor that definitely wasn\u2019t alcohol. He\u2019d never made that mistake again.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Eli nods rapidly. \u201cOkay. Cool. Uh.\u201d He pushes his door open by an inch. \u201cIt\u2019s the afternoon, so like, I guess, if you wanna hang before we go, or pregame or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, it\u2019s fine,\u201d says Eduardo. He walks in graciously, as Eli closes the door and then begins to hurry around his room. It\u2019s mostly clean, save for a couple of empty beer bottles on the shelf and one on the nightstand by his bed. Squeezed between his desk and shelf is an electric keyboard, with a tiny bench in front of it. It already has music on it\u2014when Eduardo leans in, he reads, Child\u2019s Corner by Debussy<\/em>\u00a0on it. The desk has sheet music too, along with standard textbooks and a very old laptop.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you get a single in Eliot as a freshman?\u201d Eduardo asks, glancing around.<\/p>\n Eli gestures to his bed, so Eduardo sits there. \u201cScholarship,\u201d he answers, returning to his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cMusic scholarship?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you guess?\u201d Eli\u2019s tone is dry, but not in the flat way that Mark\u2019s is so often. He\u2019s smiling a little when Eduardo looks at him. Eduardo feels his chest flip.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething about the keyboard,\u201d Eduardo answers, and Eli laughs.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah, it\u2019s pretty\u2014\u201d Eli inhales through his teeth. \u201cIt\u2019s here,\u201d he mutters, flicking his laptop on.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re a music studies major,\u201d Eduardo asks, looking around the room again. \u201cIs that like, all you do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much,\u201d Eli says from his desk.<\/p>\n The keyboard looks kind of dirty and wobbly, like it\u2019s either old or had been bought secondhand. One of its hinges appears to be taped on rather than actually screwed together. Eduardo wonders how long Eli\u2019s had it.<\/p>\n \u201cMind playing something for me?\u201d he asks. When Eli swivels around, he adds hurriedly, \u201cI mean, you don\u2019t have to, but if you\u2019re a performer, and if you wouldn\u2019t mind\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, uh,\u201d Eli almost trips over his feet as he gets up out of his chair. \u201cYeah, sure, I can\u2014the piece I\u2019m working on right now is kinda long, but I can play you a part of it, if you want?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHit me.\u201d Eduardo grins at him.<\/p>\n Eli sits himself down at the bench. He inhales deeply, and Eduardo is scarily reminded of Mark\u2019s intensity before he starts a new project. Eli flicks his keyboard on, and begins to play.<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s listened to a lot of music in his life\u2014his parents had made him listen to Mozart and the like when he was younger, convinced that it would make him a smarter kid. As he grew up he fell to the consumerist nature of pop music, but his parents took him to orchestras sometimes, and he could appreciate good classical music.<\/p>\n Eli plays like he\u2019s in the orchestra: his stature and performance are overwhelmingly confident, and he sways over his keyboard like he\u2019s the only person in the room, but in the way that piano players do when they\u2019re playing in front of tens of thousands of people. And the song he\u2019s actually playing is quick, and flows, liquid and soft and loud and in that way when you realize for the first time that music isn\u2019t just sound<\/em>, it\u2019s art, it\u2019s words and telling a story and painting a picture and a world that colors and letters could never manage to achieve.<\/p>\n When he\u2019s done, Eduardo doesn\u2019t realize it until Eli\u2019s been staring at him for almost a minute, waiting for his response. Eduardo jerks out of his reverie and claps good-naturedly, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was incredible,\u201d he says to Eli honestly.<\/p>\n Eli ducks his head down. \u201cThanks,\u201d he says, smiling shyly. \u201cI, uh. I\u2019ve been practicing it for a few weeks now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like you\u2019ve been practicing it for your whole life<\/em>,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n Eli shrugs. \u201cI,\u201d he says, but doesn\u2019t seem to know what else to say. \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo stares at him with wonder. He can see all the pieces where Eli and Mark join\u2014Mark isn\u2019t twitchy, but he is a perfectionist in a way that could be described almost anything as twitchy, and Eli is the opposite and the same. And this incredible thing with the piano, with the keyboard\u2014Eduardo isn\u2019t really sure he\u2019s actually heard decent piano music, before now.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been playing?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, since I was,\u201d Eli scrunches his nose a bit, \u201cmaybe five? Or four, actually, I can\u2019t remember. Or six. Yeah, because Marty was still living with us then\u2026 He took my keyboard when he left us,\u201d he adds, at Eduardo\u2019s bemused expression. \u201cI had to stay after school and use my middle school\u2019s grand piano.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d says Eduardo, because that\u2019s the only thing he can say about that.<\/p>\n Eli clears his throat. \u201cSo, uh,\u201d he says, looking at Eduardo carefully. \u201cYour friend\u2014Mark. Does he play piano?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no,\u201d says Eduardo. He smirks at the thought. \u201cHe does a lot of things, fencing, coding,\u201d he nods pointedly at Eli, \u201cbut nah, not a musical bone in his body.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d says Eli. \u201cAnd is he always\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn asshole?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli looks surprised but Eduardo grins at him. \u201cHe knows it,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh,\u201d Eli says, again.<\/p>\n And because the topic\u2019s brought up, and because Eli hasn\u2019t said anything like, wow, that Mark, what an asshole, I never want to see him again, Eduardo takes his chance. \u201cThat\u2019s actually where we\u2019re having our party,\u201d he says to Eli. \u201cTonight. Mark lives in Kirkland.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Eli nods carefully. \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n He fidgets on his bench. His face is so open\u2014it\u2019s astounding, when the face looks like Mark\u2019s, and Eduardo can read every emotion. Eli looks like he wants to be a good host and keep Eduardo entertained, but he also looks like he wants to play more (which he\u2019d probably been doing before Eduardo had come in), and he also looks like he wants to go back to his desk, like he should be doing homework even though he\u2019d rather be playing piano.<\/p>\n Eduardo sits back on Eli\u2019s bed and says, \u201cYou can continue playing, if you want. Or do whatever.\u201d He pulls his phone out. \u201cOr I can leave, if you want me to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014no, it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli twitches out of his seat, a full body motion. He\u2019s heading towards his mini fridge, and pulls out a bottle. \u201cWant a beer?\u201d he asks, offering one to Eduardo.<\/p>\n Eduardo shakes his head, still smiling.<\/p>\n He plays Snake on his phone while Eli plays piano for a bit, parts that Eduardo had just heard, new parts that are played deftly and flawlessly as far as Eduardo can tell. Eli plays them more though like he\u2019d made a mistake, but to Eduardo\u2019s untrained ear it sounds the same and not in a repetitive way. He begins to hum along after a while as Eli plays some parts over and over again; at one point he\u2019s still humming when Eli breaks off, and Eduardo looks up to see Eli in the middle of making a mark on his music, but looking at him.<\/p>\n Eli blushes when Eduardo catches his eye. \u201cSorry, if this is boring for you,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, don\u2019t worry,\u201d Eduardo assures. \u201cIt\u2019s not. You sound really good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d Eli smiles, and then goes back to his music.<\/p>\n Outside, the sky gets darker and the sun begins to set. Eventually the time on Eduardo\u2019s phone says that it\u2019s six thirty, and Eli puts his pencil down and says, \u201cIt\u2019s\u2014Should we get dinner?”<\/p>\n Eduardo lifts his head up. Eli backtracks suddenly and says, \u201cI mean, do you want to get dinner? Before the party, I mean. I\u2019m kinda hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Oh man, he\u2019s better than Mark<\/em>, Eduardo thinks, even though that\u2019s not true, because Mark is\u2014well, he\u2019s Mark, he can\u2019t really be paralleled. \u201cI think the guys are ordering pizza,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re paying for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI.\u201d Eli bites his lip. \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, man.\u201d Eduardo slides off Eli\u2019s bed. Before he knows it, his hand is on Eli\u2019s back, between his shoulderblades, like Eduardo often does to Mark. But Eli isn\u2019t flinching away from him. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it,\u201d Eduardo says.<\/p>\n Eli smiles at him. \u201cAlright,\u201d he says, and stands up. \u201cWe can\u2014I\u2019m gonna finish my beer.”<\/p>\n \u201cYou do that,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n When Eli\u2019s done with his beer, Eduardo waits patiently as he pulls his jacket on and then they\u2019re trekking to Kirkland next door. The silences that have fallen between them are also like the ones Eduardo has with Mark. Eduardo isn\u2019t sure if it\u2019s healthy that he compares all these little things Eli does to Mark, but he finds that he doesn\u2019t really prefer one to the other\u2014it\u2019s just that they look so much alike that looking for similarities and differences is almost inevitable.<\/p>\n Eduardo likes the way Eli shoots him a worried look as they enter Kirkland, but it turns into a smile when Eduardo sends one back. He likes the way Eli fumbles with the hems of his jacket sleeves because he hadn\u2019t managed to get them on all the way and the shoulder\u2019s kind of lopsided in the back. He likes the way Eli chews on his lip, because apparently he has much of an oral fixation as Mark does, as they stand in front of Mark\u2019s suite, the whiteboard reading PARTAAAY TONIGHT!!<\/em> in Dustin\u2019s weirdly legible handwriting (it\u2019s big and girly.)<\/p>\n Eduardo asks him, \u201cYou ready?\u201d and Eli kind of shudders but nods and says, \u201cYeah.\u201d Eduardo opens the door.<\/p>\n Mark doesn\u2019t usually like hosting house parties and Eduardo\u2019s managed to drag him to maybe two in the past year that they\u2019ve known each other. But it\u2019s the weekend and only a couple of weeks in and Eduardo had been there when Dustin had said, \u201cIf you wanna meet people, you gotta meet people<\/em>,\u201d and Chris had been all, \u201cWe gotta break in the new suite somehow,\u201d and Mark had sighed and said, \u201cFine, but no one\u2019s allowed near my room.\u201d Eduardo and Dustin and Chris had cheered, and Mark had rolled his eyes and pretended that he wasn\u2019t smiling.<\/p>\n Eduardo spots Mark almost immediately, sitting on the couch in front of the mantelpiece and looking bored as bodies swarm around them. There\u2019s not too many people, though he supposes fitting any more than fifty in a suite would probably be impossible\u2014maybe thirty, tops, but that\u2019s practically everyone in the building.<\/p>\n Eduardo goes over to him. \u201cHey,\u201d he greets.<\/p>\n Mark nods. \u201cHey,\u201d he says, nonchalantly. There\u2019s a beer bottle in his hand but it looks barely drunken out of. \u201cYou\u2019re usually not late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re usually not away from your laptop.\u201d Eduardo\u2019s lips twitch. \u201cHow\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark watches as some girl walks straight at the coffee table and trips right over it. Eduardo quickly moves out of her way so she can pick herself up.<\/p>\n \u201cBoring,\u201d Mark answers.<\/p>\n Eduardo chuckles and reaches for Mark\u2019s bottle. Mark hands it to him, and Eduardo takes a drink.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I brought,\u201d he says, and turns behind him.<\/p>\n But Eli\u2019s gone. He\u2019s not behind Eduardo anymore, and Eduardo panics, because\u2014he\u2019d just brought a freshman into a Kirkland house party, and\u2014god, Eli\u2019s so twitchy, he can\u2019t survive here by himself. Or maybe worse, he left, because he thought the party was lame, or he wanted to ditch Eduardo immediately. Eduardo spins around on the coffee table, trying to peer through the crowd of bodies.<\/p>\n Then Mark says, \u201cMy doppelganger?\u201d and points to where drinks are being handed out, at Dustin\u2019s desk.<\/p>\n Eli is standing there, reaching over everyone and trying to grab for a solo cup. Eduardo stands up immediately, rushing over to him.<\/p>\n Eli manages to get his hands on a drink and downs it, wiping his mouth sloppily. \u201cHey,\u201d Eduardo starts, approaching him.<\/p>\n Dustin appears at his elbow. \u201cWardo!\u201d he says enthusiastically, slapping Eduardo on the back. \u201cYou\u2019re here! And\u2014\u201d He turns to Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cMark? Are you drunk already?\u201d He peers into Eli\u2019s cup and grins. \u201cDude, you finished that whole thing just now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI.\u201d Eli\u2019s smile is stretched wide, probably amused by this whole thing. Honestly, Eduardo is too. \u201cYeah,\u201d Eli says.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at that,\u201d Dustin says, poking Eli\u2019s cheek. \u201cDimples<\/em>. I always knew you had a low tolerance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDustin,\u201d says Eduardo, rolling his eyes and batting Dustin\u2019s hand down. He\u2019s right, though; Eli has dimples like Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look kinda different, though,\u201d says Dustin. He tilts his head to the side and puts his hand to his chin. \u201cDid you get a haircut recently? And I didn\u2019t know you owned shirts like these,\u201d he tugs at the collar of Eli\u2019s button-up, \u201cthat aren\u2019t Wardo\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDustin<\/em>,\u201d says Eduardo. He glances at Eli, but something on Eli\u2019s face seems to fall. He quickly covers it up by reaching over people again and managing to get his hands on another drink.<\/p>\n \u201cDude,\u201d says Dustin, grinning at Eli chugging down another cup. \u201cI like this new Mark. This is gonna be a fun night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not Mark,\u201d Eduardo says quickly, pulling him aside. \u201cHe, I mean, that\u2019s.\u201d He glances to Eli, who\u2019s watching them, shifting from foot to foot. \u201cHelooks<\/em>\u00a0like Mark, but Mark\u2019s actually out in the living room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat.\u201d Dustin\u2019s eyes are big. \u201cNo way. You\u2019re kidding?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo nods to the living room.<\/p>\n Dustin squeezes past a bunch of people to look in. A few seconds later he\u2019s coming back, eyes big as saucers.<\/p>\n Eli goes over to Eduardo. \u201cYou told him?\u201d he asks. He sounds kind of disappointed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s Mark\u2019s roommate,\u201d Eduardo says pointedly. He grins, jabbing Eli\u2019s cheek. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you liked that attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know us performers.\u201d Eli shrugs and chugs down the rest of his drink.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe this,\u201d says Dustin. He puts his hands on Eli\u2019s shoulders and angles him so they\u2019re face to face. He puts his hands on Eli\u2019s cheeks. \u201cYou\u2019re like a Mark 2.0.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy name\u2019s Eli,\u201d says Eli. He finishes his drink.<\/p>\n Dustin perks up. \u201cAnd I\u2019m Dustin! Welcome to l\u2019abode du amor.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Eli furrows his eyebrows. \u201cYou just used the Spanish word for love<\/em>, French grammar, and the word abode<\/em>\u00a0in a single phrase,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019re smarter than Mark.\u201d Dustin grins. \u201cDon\u2019t tell him I said that,\u201d he says to both Eduardo and Eli, before scurrying off, presumably to entertain other guests.<\/p>\n Eduardo watches him fondly as Eli blinks at the spot where Dustin had just been.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s,\u201d Eli says.<\/p>\n Eduardo says, \u201cYeah. He\u2019s Dustin.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli seems to keep wanting to get drinks, which honestly Eduardo is impressed by. Then a game of beer pong starts at the coffee table and Eli rushes over to join them\u2014\u201cI\u2019m so good, man, you gotta see,\u201d he\u2019d said to Eduardo\u2014so Eduardo goes to the side and tries to find Mark again.<\/p>\n He finds Mark this time in his room, after knocking and then calling, \u201cIt\u2019s me,\u201d and not waiting for an answer, because the sitting room and the music is too damn loud. Mark is sitting at his desk, tapping away at his computer.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Mark says without looking up.<\/p>\n Eduardo leans against his desk. \u201cBored already?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cI asked Erica to come over,\u201d he says, after a moment.<\/p>\n Eduardo starts. Mark is weirdly touchy about Erica\u2014Eduardo hasn\u2019t actually met her, though he\u2019s sure that through all of Mark\u2019s complaints about her constantly interrupting him and penchant for foreplay that he still hasn\u2019t had sex with her, she\u2019s a decent girl. Besides, Mark probably interrupts her all the time and honestly Eduardo isn\u2019t particularly complaining that they haven\u2019t slept together yet.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d Eduardo asks. \u201cHow was it?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark sighs and takes his eyes off his computer. \u201cShe was mad,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause I didn\u2019t tell her that I was having a party, and that I hadn\u2019t thought to invite her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d says Eduardo carefully.<\/p>\n Mark types a few more lines. \u201cWe broke up,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Eduardo quickly goes over, puts his hand on Mark\u2019s back. \u201cAre you\u2014Are you okay? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark huffs and spins around in his chair. Eduardo backs up to give him some room.<\/p>\n \u201cShe called me an asshole, because I was working on CourseMatch, and I told her to give me five minutes, and she said that I shouldn\u2019t call her over and then ask her to give me five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe said all that?\u201d Eduardo asks. He wishes he\u2019d noticed sooner. Then he could actually meet her. Though he\u2019s not sure if he would trade that from watching Eli get more giggly and drunk during that time.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cMore or less. Or that I was ignoring her, or something.\u201d He turns back to his computer. \u201cWhatever. I can just get laid tonight or something, it\u2019s not a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou say that like it\u2019s just that easy,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs again. \u201cEasier than dating a B-cup wearing bitch\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d Eduardo says sharply.<\/p>\n Mark goes silent.<\/p>\n Eduardo sighs and sits back on Mark\u2019s bed. He watches Mark type at his computer, and this\u2014it\u2019s so frustrating, sometimes, because he\u2019s Mark<\/em>, but watching him drown himself in code is hypnotizing. It\u2019s not as indulgent for him as it is listening to Eli play music, but Eduardo knows that Mark is creating magic here, right in front of him; he\u2019s changing the world. He\u2019s going to change the world. Eduardo knows it.<\/p>\n Eduardo stands up. He tries to read what\u2019s on Mark\u2019s computer, but code is honestly gibberish to him so he starts toward the door. \u201cI\u2019ll let you know how the party is,\u201d he says, turning the handle.<\/p>\n Mark lets out a noncommittal noise.<\/p>\n Out in the living room, the whole crowd is a riot. Eduardo pushes his way to the front to see Eli, bouncing his ping pong ball eagerly on the table. \u201cWho wants to challenge me next?\u201d he shouts over the din. \u201cAny takers?\u201d<\/p>\n His hand is working faster with the strength of a ridiculously drunk man, so the ball bounces to the ground, rolling to Eduardo\u2019s feet. Eduardo picks it up.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving fun?\u201d he says, feeling his shoulders relax.<\/p>\n Eli beams at him. \u201cYeah!\u201d he says. \u201cMan, oh my god, everyone thinks I\u2019m Mark<\/em>, they keep looking at me bug-eyed, it\u2019s hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is,\u201d Eduardo agrees, because no one around them is looking at them weirdly that they\u2019re talking, like Eli and Eduardo is as natural as Mark and Eduardo.<\/p>\n \u201cI should tell them,\u201d Eli says, going bright-eyed. \u201cOr! I could tell them that I\u2019m an alien and Mark got body snatched. That would be hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, no\u2014no, that\u2019s fine,\u201d says Eduardo, though he\u2019s laughing a little. \u201cHow\u2019s the\u2014You won beer pong?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli nods, grinning bright.<\/p>\n Chris appears suddenly, pushing at Eli\u2019s shoulder and saying, \u201cNo, he didn\u2019t, I don\u2019t know how but Mark\u2019s hand-eye coordination is not<\/em>\u00a0that good, he totally cheated\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Eli is guffawing into his hands. Eduardo snickers as Chris just stares<\/em>, eyes huge.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not Mark,\u201d he says, after a second. \u201cIt\u2019s\u2014Eli, meet Chris, Mark\u2019s other roommate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Eli says brightly. \u201cI\u2019m Eli.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re.\u201d Chris glances at Eduardo, then back at Eli. \u201cThis isn\u2019t a joke, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo shakes his head. \u201cNot a joke,\u201d he says. \u201cMark\u2019s not that good of an actor. And he\u2019s in his room.\u201d He nods to Mark\u2019s closed door, in the far corner of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cThat,\u201d Chris looks at the door, then back at Eli. \u201cThis is weird,\u201d he says, mostly to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re telling me,\u201d says Eli. \u201cHey, you guys got any Smirnoff?\u201d<\/p>\n Chris says, \u201cYeah,\u201d and leads him away, shaking his head. Eli shoots a grin at Eduardo before pushing his way through the crowd to follow him. Eduardo smiles back, following them.<\/p>\n The night devolves into Eduardo getting drunk with everyone else in the room, keeping an eye on Eli who keeps grinning at the strange looks he gets from everyone. Not many people approach him, though, since they think he\u2019s Mark, and Mark is, well. But Dustin and Chris (and Eduardo) seem to have a fun time with him, and at one point Dustin points out the thing about their voices and Chris makes him say things like \u201cI love humans\u201d and \u201ccomputers are terrible\u201d just to hear the words come from a voice that sounds like Mark\u2019s. The lilt is off and not quite the same, but Eduardo doesn\u2019t point that out.<\/p>\n Most people leave eventually, mostly because none of them like waking up to strangers sprawled all over their dorm in the morning, and Chris almost leaves with a guy until he hears that someone had puked on his bed at some point. He\u2019s cursing and drunkenly doing his laundry as Eduardo throws himself on the couch and spreads himself all over it.<\/p>\n Eli is still here, eagle-spread on the floor. Eduardo watches him and chuckles; Eli is staring nonsensically at the ceiling, and has a bottle in his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI should,\u201d he hiccups, \u201cI should go.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo kicks his ankle chidingly. Dustin\u2019s already passed out on his bed, and Chris is in the bathroom, trying to rinse the puke stains out. Mark\u2019s door is still closed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can stay,\u201d he says to Eli. \u201cI\u2019m sure they won\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t mind,\u201d says Chris, passing through. \u201cAnyone who looks like Mark is a friend of ours. Sort of.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli laughs from on the floor. \u201cThat\u2019s funny,\u201d he says. \u201cExcept he\u2019s like, older, and probably smarter.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo snorts. \u201cHe\u2019s smarter than most people,\u201d he says. \u201cDon\u2019t worry too much about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m.\u201d Eli takes a deep breath. \u201cI was just saying.\u201d<\/p>\n The floor is probably dirty; it looks doubtlessly sticky, beer stains and other stains all over the place. Eli has a shoe missing and Eduardo wonders if he\u2019s noticed; he kind of doubts it. Eduardo takes a sip of his water and shifts a little more into the corner of the couch.<\/p>\n \u201cCome up here,\u201d he says, patting the cushion next to him.<\/p>\n Eli glances at him. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSit here,\u201d says Eduardo, and gestures to the floor. \u201cI doubt that\u2019s very clean, you\u2019re not gonna want to spend the night down there.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli stares at him, but then he stands up. Almost too fast, because he wobbles on his feet and nearly falls forward when he\u2019s upright.<\/p>\n \u201cCareful.\u201d Eduardo chuckles and grips his wrist. Eli\u2019s skin is warm and he holds onto Eduardo too, steadying himself. \u201cDon\u2019t rush yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, um.\u201d Eli meets his eyes. Even though he\u2019s more expressive than Mark, his expression is hard to read. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n He sits next to Eduardo, knees knocking into his. \u201cI feel like playing,\u201d he says. \u201cDo you guys have a keyboard around here?\u201d<\/p>\n Chris says, from his room\u2019s entryway, \u201cIf it\u2019s not attached to a computer in some way, we don\u2019t. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli lifts a hand. \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d he mutters. He stares at the drink in his hand.<\/p>\n Eduardo nudges his knee again, this time on purpose. \u201cHey,\u201d he says. \u201cTell me about your keyboard. When\u2019d you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli chuckles. He rolls his bottle back and forth. \u201cBefore college,\u201d he replies, playing with his drink. \u201cI had some money saved up from work\u2014don\u2019t stock in retail, it\u2019s boring as shit,\u201d he adds pointedly to Eduardo, \u201c\u2014and I figured, I needed some way to practice, I passed my audition, might as well treat myself, right? So.\u201d He grins. \u201cI got her. She sucks, but she\u2019s better than nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter than nothing,\u201d Eduardo agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd like, I named her Chloe, after my girlfriend, right?\u201d Eli says thoughtfully. \u201cWell, my ex-girlfriend, because she dumped me, like, right before I came here. She said that she didn\u2019t think long distance relationships would work out.\u201d He rolls his eyes. \u201cBut yeah, now I\u2019m trying to think of a better name for her. Or him. It could be a him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark doesn\u2019t name his computers,\u201d Eduardo says.<\/p>\n He immediately curses himself, because why would Eli care? Eli isn\u2019t Mark; Eli doesn\u2019t have the same fixation on Mark that Eduardo does; it won\u2019t matter to Eli that Mark doesn\u2019t fall into the same mold that he does.<\/p>\n But Eli looks at Eduardo curiously. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n Eduardo shrugs. \u201cYeah, he says\u2014he thinks that it\u2019s stupid, because technology isn\u2019t sentient, and whatever happens to it his under his control, he can make it and fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n His cheeks feel warm. Mark\u2019s voice is as loud in his head as it had been when he\u2019d told Eduardo that.<\/p>\n Eli says, \u201cHuh,\u201d and sits for a thoughtful moment. Then, \u201cHow long have you known Mark? Are you guys like,\u201d he swallows, \u201cchildhood friends, or something?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo laughs. \u201cNah, that would be.\u201d He snickers again at the thought. \u201cNo, we met at an AEPi party last year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAE\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlpha Epsilon\u2014the Jewish fraternity,\u201d Eduardo clarifies, when Eli continues to look befuddled.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d says Eli. He nods. \u201cI\u2019m Jewish too.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo tips his cup toward him. \u201cCheers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n They fade in and out of senseless conversations, and eventually Eduardo persuades Eli to put his drink down and consume nothing but water for ten minutes straight until Eli complains that he thinks he\u2019s about to puke. Eduardo tells him that at least he won\u2019t tomorrow, and they collapse on the couch again and fall asleep sometime between conversations.<\/p>\n When Eduardo wakes up, sunlight is streaming bright through a window, right in his face. A faint headache starts between his eyes, and he rubs at them.<\/p>\n Mark is bustling in the kitchenette, with a bowl of presumably cereal. He\u2019s in his pajamas. Eduardo glances next to him, where Eli is sleeping like the dead. Eduardo feels himself smile.<\/p>\n Mark passes them, but notices that Eduardo\u2019s awake. \u201cWardo,\u201d he says shortly.<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d says Eduardo. \u201cDo you have any food?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark pauses and stares at him long-sufferingly. After a brief moment, he walks over\u2014he\u2019s wearing his flip-flops so no one\u2019s cleaned the floor yet\u2014and hands Eduardo his bowl.<\/p>\n Eduardo blinks and takes it. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean like this,\u201d he says. The smell of cereal is tempting him.<\/p>\n Mark rolls his eyes. \u201cTake it, I can get another,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n And then, to his surprise, he nods towards Eli. \u201cYou think he\u2019ll want one?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cI.\u201d Eduardo is speechless.<\/p>\n Mark says, \u201cWardo,\u201d again.<\/p>\n \u201cI, yeah, sure,\u201d says Eduardo.<\/p>\n He watches as Mark goes to the kitchenette again, grabbing a bowl and the cereal on the counter. Eduardo eats from his bowl slowly, feeling the headache eventually fade away, though he kind of wants coffee. They don\u2019t have a coffeemaker though and Mark has a vendetta against, along with messenger bags, coffee, so Eduardo doubts that he would run out and get some for Eduardo.<\/p>\n Eli is still slumped on the other side of the couch. Mark will be huffy if he made another bowl of cereal for no reason, so Eduardo jostles him a little, on the elbow.<\/p>\n \u201cEli,\u201d he says gently. \u201cWake up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHunh,\u201d Eli says against the armrest.<\/p>\n \u201cEli,\u201d Eduardo says again.<\/p>\n Mark returns, two bowls in his hands. He stares as Eduardo slowly shakes Eli awake, and Eli begins to stir, rubbing at his eyes and blinking.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere am I,\u201d he says sleepily, and kind of adorably, too. Both Eduardo and Mark are staring at him. Eli picks himself up, and then a little quicker when he sees that Mark is standing in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d he says, when Mark pushes a bowl toward him.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a good dream?\u201d Eduardo asks, feeling the corner of his lips tug as Eli seems to adjust back into consciousness, settling the bowl on his lap and wriggling his fingers, cracking them into sober functionality again.<\/p>\n Eli shrugs and peers down at his cereal. \u201cIf you call having flashbacks to oxy a good dream,\u201d he says vaguely. \u201cAre these Cocoa Puffs?\u201d He looks at Mark.<\/p>\n Mark is still staring.<\/p>\n Eli stares back, and then clears his throat. \u201cUh, not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that,\u201d he says. \u201cI love Cocoa Puffs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo does Dustin,\u201d Mark says flatly.<\/p>\n Eli laughs, weakly. His cheeks are flushed, either from sleep or alcohol, and he starts on his breakfast.<\/p>\n Eduardo expects Mark to leave, but instead Mark is just\u2014standing there, on the other side of the coffee table.<\/p>\n So Eduardo asks, \u201cDid you sleep last night?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s gaze jerks to him. \u201cA few hours,\u201d he says. \u201cWoke up around seven. It\u2019s eleven now,\u201d he says, when Eduardo opens his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you live like that?\u201d says Eli from his cereal.<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s gaze snaps to him again. \u201cSurvival of the fittest,\u201d he answers.<\/p>\n Eduardo scoffs, setting his bowl down in his lap. \u201cYeah, remember that time when you passed out for twenty-four hours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwenty-four hours<\/em>?\u201d says Eli incredulously.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d says Mark. \u201cThat was\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo ignores him. \u201cYeah, and it was in the CS lab, too,\u201d he says to Eli. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t find him and almost called the police. Luckily his mom told us that if all else fails, just look for computers. You\u2019ll find Mark there, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark glares. Eli giggles, but seems to be trying to hide it by ducking his head down and slurping up his cereal. Eduardo winks at Mark, who says, \u201cDon\u2019t do that to me, Wardo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, okay,\u201d Eduardo says. \u201cHave you apologized to Erica, by the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApologize?\u201d Mark snorts. \u201cWhat do I need to apologize to her for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Erica?\u201d asks Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cMark\u2019s girlfriend,\u201d says Eduardo before he can think his words through.<\/p>\n Eli\u2019s eyes are wide. \u201cYou have a girlfriend?\u201d he asks Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cEx-girlfriend,\u201d Mark corrects. \u201cAnd yes, I did, at one point. Girls don\u2019t hate me that<\/em>\u00a0much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey do,\u201d Eduardo chuckles into his cereal. Mark glares at him again.<\/p>\n But Eli is backtracking and clattering his bowl with his spoon. \u201cI-I didn\u2019t mean,\u201d he stammers, looking between Mark and Eduardo. \u201cI\u2019m, I\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to imply\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Mark sighs. \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d he says to Eli.<\/p>\n Eli worries his bottom lip.<\/p>\n \u201cReally,\u201d Mark assures him, firmly.<\/p>\n Eduardo looks between them, mystified. After a second Eli relaxes and nods and says, \u201cOkay.\u201d He returns to his cereal, chewing contentedly. His left hand rests on his thigh, partly to help steady his bowl, but mostly tapping erratically, in a rhythm. Eduardo is reminded of Eli playing piano before also Mark\u2019s long knobby fingers typing.<\/p>\n He glances to Mark again, only to see that Mark is already watching him. Eduardo mouths, \u201cWhat?\u201d but Mark continues staring, so intense and piercing that Eduardo feels like he\u2019s standing under an x-ray.<\/p>\n When Eli finishes his cereal in the weird tense silence, he sets his bowl on the table. \u201cThanks,\u201d he says to Mark.<\/p>\n Mark says sharply, \u201cCome with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli does a doubletake. He looks at Eduardo nervously, but Eduardo shrugs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Eli says.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me,\u201d Mark repeats, turning on his heel and heading to his bedroom. \u201cYou too, Wardo,\u201d he adds over his shoulder.<\/p>\n Eli glances at Eduardo again. Eduardo has no idea what\u2019s going on. He\u2019d finished his own breakfast long ago\u2014he\u2019d actually been wondering if he could borrow some mouthwash or something\u2014but Mark has already opened the door to his bedroom and seated himself at his desk with no intention to come back out. Eduardo just says, \u201cAfter you,\u201d and follows Eli into Mark\u2019s room.<\/p>\n Mark stands up as soon as they\u2019re in and closes the door. Eduardo takes his usual seat at Mark\u2019s bed, but Eli stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, glancing between the two of them and the door.<\/p>\n \u201cSit,\u201d Mark instructs, so Eduardo shifts over a little and Eli sits down, even though the bed is hardly small enough for the extra space to be necessary.<\/p>\n Mark crosses his arms over his chest and stares between the two of them.<\/p>\n Then he says, \u201cWardo, stand up.\u201d<\/p>\n Bemused, Eduardo does as he\u2019s told. He watches as Mark walks over and sits where Eduardo had just been. It\u2019s so weird to see him right next to Eli, who looks even more confused and uncomfortable probably because Mark is Mark, and Eduardo is\u2014well, it\u2019s more fact than flattery that Eduardo knows between himself and Mark, he\u2019s the easier one to be around.<\/p>\n \u201cEli,\u201d Mark says, looking him straight in the eye. Eli looks terrified<\/em>. \u201cYou\u2019re attracted to Wardo, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli stammers, glances at Eduardo who\u2019s sitting himself in Mark\u2019s desk chair, then back at Mark. \u201cI, I,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2014I\u2019m not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay, he\u2019s an attractive guy,\u201d says Mark, which are really not<\/em>\u00a0words Eduardo ever thought he\u2019d ever hear Mark say.<\/p>\n Mark looks to him for help, though, so Eduardo puts in, \u201cYeah, don\u2019t you think I\u2019m attractive, Eli?\u201d He feels less guilty about it by the way Eli stutters some more, less like he\u2019s being bullied and more like he doesn\u2019t want to admit something he clearly thinks.<\/p>\n Mark puts a hand on Eli\u2019s shoulder. That stuns Eduardo, too, because Mark never<\/em>\u00a0initiates physical contact. \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Mark says assuringly. \u201cHe\u2019s pretty into us, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d Eduardo tries to cut in.<\/p>\n Mark ignores him. \u201cEli,\u201d he says, and actually puts his hand on Eli\u2019s chin<\/em>. Eduardo is too stunned to speak. \u201cHey,\u201d Mark says. \u201cWhat about me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cW-What?\u201d Eli barely manages to choke out.<\/p>\n But Mark doesn\u2019t respond, because Mark closes the gap between them, and holy hell he\u2019s kissing Eli and what? What?<\/em>\u00a0What is even happening right now, with Mark\u2019s mouth on Eli\u2019s and Eduardo has only seen Mark, like, get kisses from his mother on the forehead and never seen him kiss Erica and now Mark\u2019s face is tilted and his hand is running down Eli\u2019s cheek soothingly and Eduardo should really, look away, or something, but he can\u2019t, because his stomach is so hot and the sight is magnetic, the way Eli\u2019s eyes are open and huge and his face is frozen in shock.<\/p>\n But then Mark runs his thumbnail down Eli\u2019s ear and apparently that gets Eli to cave in because he closes his eyes and he\u2019s kissing back and moving his lips and Eduardo is just sitting there and staring and heat is roiling in his belly and there is a hint of tongue somewhere and then Eli is opening his mouth and gasping as Mark places his hand on the side of Eli\u2019s neck, kissing more, deeper. Where did Mark even learn how to kiss, but more importantly, how is this happening in front of Eduardo, why is this happening, it\u2019s definitely the hottest thing Eduardo\u2019s ever seen and it\u2019s impossible, really, he must be dreaming\u2014<\/p>\n Mark breaks apart, a little breathless. Eli\u2019s cheeks are flushed and his eyes are darker than before. Mark looks similar, though with more composure, because Eli is leaned back on his elbows and licking his lips like he can\u2019t believe that just happened. Eduardo can\u2019t, either.<\/p>\n Mark turns to Eduardo. Eduardo shifts guiltily under his gaze. And also because his pants feel a little tight.<\/p>\n \u201cWardo,\u201d Mark says. \u201cDo you want us to keep going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep\u2014\u201d Eduardo\u2019s mouth is dry. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Eli asks, too. He tries to sit up, but Mark pushes him down lightly onto his bed.<\/p>\n Eduardo watches the interaction, big hot swoops in his stomach that he doesn\u2019t know what to do with. \u201cIf Eli wants to,\u201d he answers, and his voice sounds so far away because seeing Mark and Eli like\u2014like this<\/em>, god, Eduardo would have needed a better imagination if someone had asked him earlier what his dream situation would be like.<\/p>\n Mark turns to Eli then. \u201cHow about it?\u201d he asks, as direct as ever. Eli wavers under his gaze, but Mark notices. \u201cFor Wardo, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor\u2014\u201d Eli glances at Eduardo. Eduardo should teach him how not to be scared of Mark.<\/p>\n Then Eli says, \u201cJust for him?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s breath catches.<\/p>\n Mark narrows his eyes, studying Eli carefully. \u201cOr maybe not,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n His fingers trail down the front of Eli\u2019s button-up, inching down the side. Eli swallows. Mark’s hand experimentally finds Eli\u2019s, threads his fingers between his. Eli responds, and unconsciously lifts himself up a little, as Mark bends his head down.<\/p>\n They kiss and Eduardo can\u2019t stop staring and feels like he should\u2014he has no idea, but this kiss looks more urgent, Mark pressing Eli down onto his bed and Eli grasping at Mark\u2019s hair, raking through wondrously like Eduardo had always dreamt of doing, except these are Eli\u2019s fingers and even better when Mark moves his head down and kisses somewhere at the other side of Eli\u2019s neck. Eli shudders and moans and Eduardo can see his knuckles pale and tighten.<\/p>\n Mark mumbles something that Eduardo can\u2019t make out, but then Eli is meeting Eduardo\u2019s eyes and breathing out, \u201cYeah, he is.\u201d Mark makes another noise and then he is sucking, filthy, at Eli\u2019s pale jaw. Eli gasps and bucks his hips up and Eduardo is painfully hard in his pants and can\u2019t remember the last time he blinked.<\/p>\n Mark\u2019s hands are between their torsos, deftly unbuttoning Eli\u2019s shirt, kissing a trail down his chest as Eli whines and whimpers. Mark makes his way down Eli\u2019s body with vindication, controlled as he gets Eli\u2019s fly open, tugs his jeans down his knees. Eli had shaken his one shoe off at some point because it lies alone at the side of the bed on the floor, and Mark is mouthing at the cotton of Eli\u2019s boxers and holy hell Eduardo has not seen anything hotter.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my god,\u201d he says, shaken.<\/p>\n Mark glances at him. His mouth is drawn into a smirk and he presses his lips harder at Eli\u2019s boxers again, and Eli moans. Eduardo can honestly feel his own dick pulsing under his trousers, and his head is so light because all the blood in his body is literally only in one place right now, he can\u2019t imagine how\u2014<\/p>\n And then Mark is slipping Eli\u2019s boxers down, exposing Eli\u2019s dark pink dick. Eli gasps and shoves his wrist against his mouth and he says, sounding positively wrecked, \u201cShit<\/em>.\u201d Mark grins down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell if we\u2019re the same size,\u201d he says, conversationally, looking around at Eli\u2019s dick. He takes it in his hand and Eli thrusts up into the air, trying into Mark\u2019s hand. Mark doesn\u2019t falter. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2014\u201d Eli can only communicate through chokes. \u201cYeah, right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could measure,\u201d says Mark. He runs his thumb over the cockhead and Eli whimpers. Eduardo can see him biting into his own skin.<\/p>\n Mark looks at him again, where Eli\u2019s head lies at the foot of the bed. \u201cHave you even had a handjob before?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n Eli tries to glare even though his cheeks are bright red and his neck and the top half of his chest are flushed. \u201cWhy?\u201d he says, guarded.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cNo reason,\u201d he says. His hand slips down and he cups gently at Eli\u2019s balls, running them in his palm. Eli is panting and whining and being so loud<\/em>\u00a0and everything else that isn\u2019t him or Mark is white noise in Eduardo\u2019s ears and his head is so fuzzy, he really should be worried if he\u2019s going to pass out from the lack of blood in his head.<\/p>\n \u201cBlowjob?\u201d Mark asks, because of course he\u2019s the only fucker in this room who can still talk and think clearly.<\/p>\n This time Eli whimpers, and Mark runs his fingers all the way down the length to the tip again, smearing the precome from the slit all over and down.<\/p>\n \u201cO-Once,\u201d Eli gets out.<\/p>\n Eduardo doesn\u2019t know why he\u2019s holding himself back. Mark hadn\u2019t said he couldn\u2019t come, but Mark continues torturing him and stroking up and down Eli\u2019s cock. He asks, \u201cHow was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was, it was okay,\u201d says Eli, and shudders when Mark presses his finger against the slit, adding more pressure. \u201cNot as, um\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Mark bends down and grins up at him, mouth so close to Eli\u2019s dick. \u201cI know,\u201d he says, before wrapping his lips around it.<\/p>\n Eduardo is trembling in his chair and he\u2019s glad he\u2019s sitting because honestly, his thighs are numb and he really can\u2019t feel anything except for the burning streaks of pleasure throbbing in his body like hot spots, deep below his waist and crying and trying to tear out. Mark\u2019s mouth is so red and he pulls back after the first suck, licks his lips, leans down again and works his mouth around Eli\u2019s cock, taking him at a steady pace and holding him by the base and working with the rhythm of Eli\u2019s hips, unbidden and frantic and bucking into Mark\u2019s mouth. Mark, apparently, can deep throat like a champ because Eduardo definitely sees Eli\u2019s cock disappear entirely into his mouth for a moment and holy jesus christ Eduardo is about to come in his pants without even touching himself, without, without, anything.<\/p>\n He expects Mark to maybe look at him once or twice, but Mark focuses on Eli, running his hands down his cock at the same time he sucks him off. Eli is whining and twisting on Mark\u2019s bed, but he meets his eyes once\u2014his pupils are huge with a ring of blue around them that Eduardo can barely see, and he almost definitely mouths, Please<\/em>, lips as bright and shiny as Mark\u2019s.<\/p>\n And so Eduardo barely presses the heel of his hand against his dick and he comes, ridiculously in Mark\u2019s chair, awful and straining against the fabric of his trousers, white hot and burning down his left thigh and knee. He gasps, but lifts his head up just in time to see Eli finally shout out and Mark barely pulls back, so some of Eli\u2019s spunk gets on his lips but he opens his mouth and leans down again, gulping him up.<\/p>\n Eli pants on the bed, breath heaving. Eduardo watches as Mark pulls back, looking satisfied with himself\u2014there is a visible bulge in his trousers, but Mark just gets up and walks over to Eduardo.<\/p>\n Eduardo says, \u201cWhat was that all about,\u201d except his voice is croaky and cracks on every syllable. Mark shrugs and leans down, one hand on the armrest of the chair.<\/p>\n He kisses Eduardo and, yeah, Mark tastes like jizz, and also has quite a bit still in his mouth, and Eduardo can\u2019t help himself from moaning at the taste of Eli. Mark pries Eduardo\u2019s mouth open with his own and then Eduardo can taste more, and this is all weirdly hot, and Mark\u2019s tongue is slippery and thick and he pushes Eli\u2019s semen into Eduardo\u2019s mouth. Eduardo groans and bites Mark\u2019s bottom lip, swirling the come and saliva between them. Mark\u2019s face is so hot and there\u2019s still some jizz at the corner of his mouth, too. Eduardo licks that up and licks it all together and he and Mark trade Eli\u2019s jizz back and forth between their mouths, before Mark pulls away and Eduardo has the bravado to swallow it.<\/p>\n A long line of spit draws between their lips. Mark breaks it and turns to Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cHow was that?\u201d he asks. Eduardo is glad to hear that Mark\u2019s voice is a little shaky, too.<\/p>\n Eli blinks hazily. \u201cHow was what?\u201d he asks. \u201cYou guys kissing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, the.\u201d Mark gestures down, to where Eli\u2019s dick is still out.<\/p>\n Eli blushes almost immediately. \u201cOh,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was, that was.\u201d He clears his throat. \u201cThat was good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter than the other blowjob you\u2019ve had?\u201d Mark asks.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah,\u201d Eli says emphatically.<\/p>\n Mark nods. Eduardo resists the urge to roll his eyes, because of course Mark has to be the best at everything, even when it\u2019s giving head to his doppelganger. \u201cCool,\u201d he says to Eli. \u201cSo what do you want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do I want to\u2014\u201d Eli glances at Eduardo, but Eduardo stays quiet\u2014he\u2019s really not going to complain if Eli has other ideas for them, too. \u201cWhat do I want to do?\u201d Eli asks.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Mark says, his patience being tested.<\/p>\n Eli chews on his bottom lip, gaze fixed at nothing thoughtfully. \u201cCan I, um,\u201d he says, and looks at Eduardo. Eduardo is surprised. \u201cCan I suck you off?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n It should be too soon, but Eduardo can feel the heat that has just begun to spread back through his veins being called to his dick again. \u201cYeah,\u201d he says, absently at first. And then, \u201cYeah, sure,\u201d and quickly stands up, because he doubts Eli is going to want to lean over the chair to do that.<\/p>\n Eli smiles at him, and with his hair tousled and color high up on his cheeks like that, it\u2019s better than the ones he\u2019s given Eduardo before. Eduardo bites his lip and grins back, and begins taking off his belt, his cock itching to spring free.<\/p>\n Mark looks a little lost on the bed as Eli gets up, but Eli turns back around to him and says, \u201cYou can, um. You can fuck me if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI.\u201d Mark is stunned in a new way now.<\/p>\n Eduardo pauses, too. Eli says, \u201cIf you want, I mean, I don\u2019t even know if you have condoms around here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I do,\u201d Mark says hurriedly, all of a sudden. He coughs a little. \u201cWant to, I mean. And have condoms.\u201d He bustles around a little.<\/p>\n Eduardo snickers. \u201cHopeful?\u201d he asks, as Mark goes to his desk drawer and pulls a wrapper out.<\/p>\n Mark flicks him on the nose with it. \u201cI told you I was ready if Erica ever wanted to have sex with me,\u201d he says. But he notices Eli tense the same time Eduardo does, because he adds, \u201cThis is better.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli relaxes and Eduardo shucks down his pants, underwear going down with it. He\u2019s already half-hard again, and Eli eyes his cock, before looking at Eduardo apologetically.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never done this before,\u201d he confesses.<\/p>\n Behind them, Mark snorts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Eduardo assures him. He stuffs his fingers into Eli\u2019s hair, and Eli leans into the touch. Eduardo is smitten. \u201cThere\u2019s a first time for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, especially when it comes to giving a blowjob and<\/em>\u00a0getting one,\u201d says Mark, rolling his eyes. \u201cGet on the bed, Wardo, it\u2019s not like we\u2019re gonna hold him in midair with our dicks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could,\u201d Eduardo says. Mark rolls his eyes again as Eduardo goes to the head of the bed, settles his knees down. Eli gets off the bed and goes around Mark, who shifts back to the end. Eli sits in the middle and gets on his hands and knees. Eduardo can see easily that Eli is shaking a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cRelax,\u201d he soothes, returning his hand into Eli\u2019s hair. Eli does, closing his eyes against Eduardo\u2019s palm. Eduardo runs his hand over his cheek, tucks around the top of Eli\u2019s ear. Eli makes a small noise of approval.<\/p>\n \u201cI really like your hands,\u201d Eduardo tells him. \u201cMark\u2019s, too. You guys have similar fingers.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark scoffs from where he\u2019s slicking his hands up with lube, which he must\u2019ve gotten from his chest of drawers behind him. \u201cNo we don\u2019t,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re both talented with them,\u201d Eli points out. Eduardo can see him flexing his fingers against the bedspread. Eduardo reaches for his left hand and twines his fingers with Eli\u2019s.<\/p>\n Mark closes the lid of the bottle. \u201cI\u2019ll give you that,\u201d he says. \u201cSpread your legs a little, or this is going to hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli obeys. Eduardo watches as Mark touches Eli\u2019s ass with a cold wet finger, and Eli shivers, bucking forward toward Eduardo. Eduardo says, \u201cHey,\u201d and smiles at him. Eli smiles back and Eduardo rubs his cheekbone with his thumb, as Mark, with full concentration, begins to open Eli up.<\/p>\n Eli is all gasps and heady breaths, groaning and thrusting against Mark\u2019s finger, or fingers, Eduardo can\u2019t really tell from here. He says, \u201cYou okay?\u201d and steadies him, runs his thumb over Eli\u2019s lips. Eli takes his thumb in his mouth and runs it between his teeth, sucking and losing focus every once in a while as Mark fucks into him. Eduardo watches as Eli\u2019s gaze gets hot and dark again and he meets Eduardo\u2019s eyes as he sucks on Eduardo\u2019s fingers and honestly, christ, Eduardo hates him and Mark and their finger fixation and oral fixation, both of which they share and torment him terribly.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you ready?\u201d Mark asks. Eduardo jerks his head up to see that Mark is watching them, but more hypnotized than anything.<\/p>\n And Eli blabbers out, \u201cPlease, please,\u201d against Eduardo\u2019s fingers.<\/p>\n Mark rolls his eyes and says, \u201cThat\u2019s a yes.\u201d He strips the condom open.<\/p>\n Eduardo can practically see it even though the angle is bad, the way Mark fucks into Eli slowly, dick disappearing into Eli\u2019s ass. Eli moans and says, \u201cShit,\u201d and both Mark and Eduardo ask at the same time, \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo glances up to catch Mark\u2019s eye, amused; but Mark looks worried about Eli. \u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Eli gets out, and Eduardo massages at the side of Eli\u2019s neck. He rolls Eli\u2019s ear between his fingers and Eli moans\u2014ah, there. \u201cI\u2019m, it burns a little, but it\u2019s fine,\u201d Eli says.<\/p>\n \u201cFind his prostate,\u201d Eduardo advises Mark.<\/p>\n Mark glares. \u201cI know,\u201d he says snappily, as he grabs onto Eli\u2019s hips.<\/p>\n Eli makes small noises as Mark begins to move into him, thrusting into him in increments and angling his hips sloppily. Eduardo rolls his eyes as he watches, but Eli stops him when he says to Eduardo, \u201cCan I, um, can I blow you now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2014yeah,\u201d Eduardo says. He\u2019d nearly forgotten, even though his boner is practically in Eli\u2019s face as Eli rocks arrhythmically on the bed.<\/p>\n Eli cranes his neck down as Eduardo inches more toward him, and then his dick is in Eli\u2019s mouth, around the vibrations of the moans that Eli is making in his throat. Eduardo groans and shoves his hand into Eli\u2019s hair again, tugging a little as Eli adjusts his lips to the shape of Eduardo\u2019s dick. His teeth scrape against him briefly and Eduardo hisses, and Eli mumbles out, \u201cSorry,\u201d mouth still full.<\/p>\n And Eduardo can feel that<\/em>, too, so he says, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it,\u201d as Eli adjusts his lips, flattening them onto Eduardo.<\/p>\n Mark has his eyes closed and one hand on the small of Eli\u2019s back, the other gripping the side of his hip. Eduardo can see the way he\u2019s fucking him, trying to get Eli to enjoy it, to find the\u2014<\/p>\n Eli whimpers around Eduardo\u2019s dick and Eduardo groans and Eli says, \u201cShit, fuck, holy,\u201d as he barely slips his mouth off of Eduardo, bending forward on his elbows. Eduardo lifts his chin up as Mark stills behind them, peering over at Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cDid that feel good?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes, god,\u201d Eli mumbles, and his eyes are shining and his eyes are even darker than before. Eduardo watches as Mark adjusts his hips before pushing into Eli again. Eli\u2019s mouth falls open to an O shape and his eyelids get heavy and Eduardo can\u2019t think of anything other than kissing him.<\/p>\n Eli tastes like Eduardo\u2019s precome and sleep and maybe Cocoa Puffs and milk, from breakfast. He kisses back eagerly, and Eduardo can feel every moment Mark pushes into him, which somehow makes this whole thing hotter. Eli rocks against his hand still holding his chin, his mouth unsteady that Eduardo has to move his own face back and forth, to keep their lips together.<\/p>\n Mark says, too close and too far away, \u201cWardo, stop it. He wanted to suck you off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah,\u201d Eduardo says absentmindedly, tearing his lips away. Eli doesn\u2019t seem to mind, grunting as Mark fucks him and claws at the bedsheets.<\/p>\n Heat is twisting in Eduardo\u2019s gut, but more than that is the way he wants to smile when Mark rolls his eyes and gestures down to Eli. \u201cGet to it then,\u201d he says, looking pointedly at Eduardo\u2019s dick.<\/p>\n Eduardo snickers. \u201cWho made you in charge?\u201d he says, but takes his dick, lifting Eli\u2019s head up with his other hand again. He asks, \u201cThis okay?\u201d and Eli nods, so Eduardo slips his dick between Eli\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n Eli moans and sucks with unbalanced pressure, so Eduardo combs his fingers to the back of Eli\u2019s head and pushes off and on, back and forth. Eli is so hot and wet and Eduardo can watch this forever\u2014Eli\u2019s cheeks hollow out and Eduardo shoves him in deeper, though not too much because he doubts that if this is Eli\u2019s first time then he probably can\u2019t deepthroat like Mark. (Though Eduardo will have to ask Mark when he learned how to do that.) Eli gives himself away entirely and Eduardo fucks his face, watching the helpless and red way Eli writhes and leans into him.<\/p>\n And Eduardo can see Mark, too, in full focus mode, like he\u2019s coding except not really because his hips snap faster and faster as the sound of skin slapping against skin echoes around the room. It\u2019s so hot, the way his face is bright and his jaw is clenched and determination is written all over his face.<\/p>\n He lifts his gaze up to meet Eduardo\u2019s the same time Eli chokes out around Eduardo\u2019s cock and comes. That kind of\u2014well Eduardo comes not long afterward, hard down Eli\u2019s throat, tightening his grip and keeping Eli\u2019s head steady as he swallows him down. And then it doesn\u2019t take long until Mark lets out a breathy shudder, too, and Eli is moaning again, as Mark is still inside him and hovering, trembling all over him.<\/p>\n Eduardo tucks his dick out from Eli\u2019s mouth and slips off the bed, though his briefs are stained from before. He groans and glances over to Mark, who has pulled out and is now tying the condom up. He\u2019s having some issues.<\/p>\n Eduardo asks, \u201cHey Mark, can I borrow a pair of underwear?\u201d already shuffling to the chest of drawers.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, whatever,\u201d says Mark. His tongue sticks out as he twists the end of the condom together.<\/p>\n Eduardo rolls his eyes and grabs for it without asking. \u201cThis would be embarrassing if this was with Erica,\u201d he says, tying it easily and tossing it into the trashcan.<\/p>\n Mark huffs. \u201cShut up,\u201d he says. \u201cTop drawer, on the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d Eduardo opens Mark\u2019s underwear drawer. He pulls a pair out and slides it on.<\/p>\n Eli has collapsed on Mark\u2019s bed, face down into his pillow. As Eduardo comes around, he can see that Eli\u2019s thighs are trembling a bit.<\/p>\n Eduardo glances at Mark, but Mark is watching Eli too, unsure. Eduardo pokes him and mouths, Do something<\/em>. Mark shrugs helplessly.<\/p>\n Eduardo bats the side of his head before going to the other end of the bed. \u201cHey Eli,\u201d he says softly. \u201cHow are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli laughs weakly, lifting his head up. \u201cDo you guys usually fuck people who look like you?\u201d he asks, though he sounds sarcastic.<\/p>\n Mark rolls his eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re the only one who\u2019s this unfortunate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo look like you, or to get fucked by us?\u201d Eduardo asks.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs.<\/p>\n Eli laughs again. He rolls onto his back, brushing up against the wall. \u201cI\u2019m okay,\u201d he says, staring at the slant of the ceiling. \u201cMostly naked.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s eyes flicker down his body. \u201cTrue,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd for the record,\u201d says Mark, \u201cWardo and I have never had sex before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI gathered.\u201d Eli sits up and rubs at his eyes. He presses his thighs together, even though the room is still burning and reeking of sex. \u201cThis was weird. I don\u2019t, um.\u201d He blinks at nothing. \u201cI didn\u2019t think I would end up here after yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI figured Wardo was into me,\u201d Mark says suddenly.<\/p>\n Eduardo shoots a glare at him. \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so I figured,\u201d Mark continues, as if Eduardo hadn\u2019t spoken, \u201cafter I saw him talk to you, that he was into you.\u201d He shrugs. \u201cIt was natural.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNatural.\u201d Eli snorts.<\/p>\n \u201cMark would call a spontaneous threesome natural,\u201d Eduardo agrees.<\/p>\n This time it\u2019s Mark\u2019s turn to say, \u201cHey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the weirdest day ever,\u201d says Eli. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve had weird days before. And\u2014what time is it?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark checks his computer\u2019s clock. \u201cA little after noon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the day\u2019s only half over.\u201d Eli sighs and flops on his back on his bed. \u201cWhat the fuck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to get something to eat,\u201d says Eduardo. He probably should be having more of a crisis about having just had sex with his best friend and his best friend\u2019s look alike, but there\u2019d been some credence to Mark\u2019s words\u2014having had this whole thing with him and Eli is lethargic, easy and lazy, like a fantasy he hasn\u2019t fully imagined yet. He goes to his pants, before realizing that those are dirty, too. He shuffles over to Mark\u2019s closet without asking.<\/p>\n Mark says thoughtfully, \u201cI wonder if Dustin and Chris are still in.\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shows up at the Caribbean Night in nothing that looks like passable Caribbean Night attire. He tugs Eduardo outside, and leaves when Eduardo has to go back inside.<\/p>\n Eli is talking to some girl in the corner. Eduardo realizes only when he gets closer that he\u2019s speaking in Spanish. Eli spots him and smiles at the girl as Eduardo approaches.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did Mark want?\u201d he asks, with interest.<\/p>\n Eduardo\u2019s mind is still reeling, partially from the cold and alcohol, partially from the quickness of it all\u2014it\u2019ll be like a final club, except we\u2019re the president.<\/em>\u00a0\u201cHe had an idea for a program,\u201d Eduardo says.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, cool,\u201d says Eli. The girl next to him looks like she\u2019s trying to care, but Eli is much too focused on Eduardo for either of them to care. \u201cA program for what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLike a social media thing, or something.\u201d Eduardo meets Eli\u2019s eyes and finds that he\u2019s kind of excited about this too. \u201cLike a final club.”<\/p>\n Eli snickers. \u201cMaybe he\u2019s jealous of the Phoenix for stealing you away.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Eli snags an audition for a concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in February, Mark works on thefacebook, and Eduardo makes the Phoenix\u2019s second cut. He comes over to the Kirkland dorm to tell them, because he\u2019d knocked on Eli\u2019s door and Eli hadn\u2019t answered so Eduardo assumed that he\u2019d be over at Mark\u2019s.<\/p>\n Eli doesn\u2019t frequently lug his keyboard across the quad to Kirkland, though it had been a surprise to everyone when Mark admitted to liking to coding while Eli played, so every once in a while Eli would go through the effort to carry it back and forth. Dustin and Chris had made Mark agree to another pact in their Roommate Rules (copyrighted by Dustin, tacked to their bulletin board) that any situation involving Eduardo and Mark and Eli would be soundless, including but not limited to sex and Eli playing the keyboard. They hadn\u2019t responded well after the first time they were involved in less than soundless activities, though Mark was the only one of the three\u2014well five, technically\u2014of them who wasn\u2019t<\/em> embarrassed by it all.<\/p>\n So Eli is indeed in Mark\u2019s living room, clacking happily at his keyboard while Mark codes. Eduardo pops in and both of them lift their heads up and stop.<\/p>\n Mark speaks before Eduardo can get a word in. \u201cI need a dedicated Linux box running Apache with a MySQL backend, it\u2019s gonna cost a little more money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe already did it,\u201d Eli puts in, going back to tapping at his keyboard.<\/p>\n Eduardo glances at Mark, but Mark merely shrugs before going back to his computer.<\/p>\n Eduardo leans over Eli, watching him scribble notes onto his music. \u201cHow\u2019s practice going?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d says Eli, slotting the back end of his pen between his teeth. \u201cI keep stumbling over a part, but Mark won\u2019t let me play with a metronome in here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s annoying,\u201d says Mark without looking up. \u201cYou sound good already.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo and Eli exchange a look, and Eduardo grins. \u201cHey, guess what?\u201d he says, and lifts his head up to Mark, too. \u201cI made the second cut.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor the Phoenix?\u201d Eli asks, eyes wide. Eduardo nods.<\/p>\n Mark looks over to him. \u201cThat\u2019s good,. You should be proud of that right there,\u201d he says Eduardo. \u201cDon\u2019t worry if you don\u2019t make it any further.\u201d<\/p>\n He goes back to whatever he\u2019s working on. Eli sighs, but Eduardo feels a smile tugging at his own lips anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t listen to him,\u201d says Eli, smiling assuredly at him. \u201cThat\u2019s really good, your father\u2019s gonna be proud.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind them, Mark snorts.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it,\u201d Eduardo says easily. Eli frowns, but Eduardo leans down to kiss him, melting it away. \u201cYou guys being proud is good, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark\u2019s not proud,\u201d Eli murmurs against his lips.<\/p>\n Eduardo rolls his eyes. \u201cYeah, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Winter break Eduardo heads back to Miami, while Eli and Mark go to New York, with promises between the two of them to try to meet up over the few weeks. Eduardo can\u2019t help himself from feeling a little jealous, wishing he could stay in Boston; but it\u2019s convenient for them so he can\u2019t blame them, and one night he gets a call from Mark\u2019s number and can hear the fuzzy sound of their blended voices and moans.<\/p>\n Thefacebook goes live a week before Eli\u2019s concerto, and even though he\u2019s technically not part of the company, he rims Mark before making out with him while Eduardo fucks Mark from behind during that night\u2019s celebratory sex. The convenient thing about both Eli and Eduardo having singles is that when they want to fuck, and Dustin and Chris are in, and Mark wants to bring his laptop with him too, he doesn\u2019t have to complain about the shitty wifi from Eduardo\u2019s dorm anymore because it\u2019s perfectly fine in Eli\u2019s.<\/p>\n Eduardo doesn\u2019t make Mark go to Eli\u2019s concerto, but the weekend before, Mark surprises him by asking over breakfast (Dustin is trying to persuade Eli to try weird bagels in the cafeteria line) if Eduardo has a ride to it.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going to take the bus, actually,\u201d says Eduardo, peppering his eggs.<\/p>\n Mark nods. \u201cThat\u2019s a good idea,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2014why, are you going too?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark gives him a look, which Eduardo honestly doesn\u2019t get, because Mark only goes to events that interest him, and Eduardo knows for a fact that Mark can barely carry a tune.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been doing too many interviews for the Crimson,\u201d says Mark, and stabs into his fruit salad. \u201cI need to get off campus.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo that\u2019s why you\u2019re going to Eli\u2019s concert,\u201d Eduardo says dryly.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. He picks up a pineapple and stuffs it into his mouth. \u201cNot really,\u201d he answers.<\/p>\n Eduardo narrows his eyes. But he says, \u201cYeah, okay.\u201d<\/p>\n So the next week they go to Eli\u2019s concerto together and sit next to each other and watch as he and the other players perform. Eduardo expects Mark to doze off or play on his phone or something, but Mark sits perfectly still with his chin tipped out like he does when he\u2019s really into something, blocking the rest of the world out and going into tunnel vision. Even when Eli\u2019s not performing he pays attention, and Eduardo is honestly baffled at this reaction.<\/p>\n Afterward, they meet with Eli backstage, who nearly shits his pants when he sees them. \u201cYou guys are here!\u201d he says, as if Eduardo hadn\u2019t been saying for weeks how eager he was to hear him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are,\u201d says Mark.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were incredible,\u201d says Eduardo. He beams, warm pride in his chest.<\/p>\n Eli shuffles on his feet, but then says, \u201cYeah, I was, wasn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGet famous,\u201d Mark tells him. \u201cYou can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli ducks his head down, blushing and scratching his head. \u201cSays the one who made a website that got a thousand members in a week,\u201d he says bashfully.<\/p>\n Mark rolls his eyes and punches Eli\u2019s shoulder. \u201cAnd who just played for a thousand member audience?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d says Eli, and nods. Mark looks satisfied. \u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop rubbing off on him, Mark,\u201d Eduardo complains.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n They all attend a Bill Gates lecture the week after that, and a few girls in the row behind them ask if Eli is Mark, and Eduardo says no, and the girl looks confused but talks to him about thefacebook and Eduardo agrees it\u2019s awesome. Afterward he tells Mark and Eli about the girl who asked him to facebook her<\/em>\u00a0and even Mark is grinning while Eli jumps up and down in the bristling cold and says that Mark is bigger on campus than Natalie Portman.<\/p>\n Over spring break Eli has a gig booked to play as a guest pianist with the Philharmonic<\/em> in New York City. Incidentally Eduardo manages to find some venture capitalists for thefacebook there and sets up meetings over spring break, so the three of them travel together, for Eli\u2019s concert and for advertisements for thefacebook.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, Wardo, we don\u2019t need them,\u201d Mark gripes on the cab ride to a meeting. Eli is asleep in the hotel still; he always goes out like a light and wakes up last in the mornings.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make money off the thing, right?\u201d says Eduardo wearily.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but that\u2019s not the point<\/em>. It\u2019ll crash and burn now, we have to wait for the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo sighs. He and Mark try not to argue too much about thefacebook around Eli, because Eli\u2019s not a part of it and more than once it ended with him shouting at the both of them to shut up and leaving whatever room they were in. Both Eduardo and Mark like it less when Eli leaves because he\u2019s angry at them.<\/p>\n With Mark alone Eduardo says, \u201cIf you don\u2019t remember, my whole position in the company is to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Wardo, but it\u2019s not the right time<\/em>,\u201d Mark says emphatically. \u201cSeriously, we\u2019re wasting our time right now.\u201d<\/p>\n None of their meetings in New York go well, but Eduardo keeps it to himself because Eli is happy to see them when they get back, and Mark tells him that the meetings went fine, so Eduardo just goes with it. They go to Eli\u2019s concert in Central Park and sit next to each other again and listen and watch as Eli plays with the orchestra.<\/p>\n Eduardo really likes being with Eli and Mark, even though it\u2019s definitely the most unconventional relationship he\u2019s ever had. There\u2019s also the fact that they look like each other, though at this point Eduardo can spot the differences more obviously that sometimes he forgets. Mark is meticulous about his hair and it almost always looks the same that Eduardo suspects he gets it cut when it\u2019s a millimeter too long for him. Meanwhile Eduardo has watched Eli grow his hair out until he was dangling above his eyes and Eduardo had pointed it out and Eli went, \u201cHuh. Maybe I should get my hair cut.\u201d<\/p>\n There are more things, too, like Eli\u2019s ease and asking Eduardo for help with his Calculus homework, while Mark sits at his desk and stares at his computer screen for so long that Eduardo has gone a day in Mark\u2019s room not speaking to him at all and doing his own thing. Eli plays piano, then and now, in the park, and it makes the air between Eduardo and Mark feel smoother. Eduardo glances at Mark once and Mark glances back and it sort of says, can you believe we\u2019re lucky with this guy?<\/em>\u00a0and yeah, we are<\/em>.<\/p>\n The sex, obviously, is phenomenal\u2014and the thing with having both Eli and Mark is that they can try so many different things and in different combinations. They are all happy and sated before their meeting with Sean Parker a few evenings later, Eli riding on the high of the success of his concerto, and Eduardo and Mark working through thefacebook but not impervious to Eli\u2019s good mood.<\/p>\n Eli accompanies them, because, \u201cHoly shit, Sean Parker<\/em>?\u201d Mark had nodded with equal enthusiasm, but Eduardo had said, \u201cHe\u2019s not that great, really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWardo is a killjoy,\u201d Mark says to Eli practically.<\/p>\n Eli snickers. Eduardo says, \u201cI am not. If you did your research, you would see what a,\u201d he looks for the right word.<\/p>\n \u201cDid he murder someone?\u201d Eli asks.<\/p>\n \u201cHe murdered his own career,\u201d says Eduardo. \u201cHe crashed out of two companies in spectacular fashion, he\u2019s had a reputation with drugs\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrugs are<\/em>\u00a0bad,\u201d Eli agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cHe also founded the companies,\u201d Mark says pointedly.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d says Eduardo. \u201cWhat does he have to offer?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cExperience?”<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t need him<\/em>,\u201d Eduardo insists.<\/p>\n But they go to the meeting anyway, because Mark had set it up and Eli is still excited and Eduardo doesn\u2019t want to be rude. Sean Parker is nearly thirty minutes late that even Eli is complaining, but Mark tells them to shut up as soon as he comes.<\/p>\n Eduardo stands up when Sean Parker shakes his hand, says, \u201cHow do you do,\u201d as Eli and Mark stand up, too. Eli seems eager to meet him, but his face falls a little when Sean says, \u201cYou must be Eli,\u201d to him, and identifies Mark correctly.<\/p>\n Sean chuckles at the expression on Eli\u2019s face. \u201cDon\u2019t worry kid, I can tell a computer nerd from a regular nerd right away,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not a regular nerd,\u201d says Mark. \u201cHe\u2019s a music nerd.\u201d<\/p>\n Sean smiles toothily. \u201cMy mistake,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Their dinner meeting is\u2026 annoying, to put it lightly. Sean regales them with bullshit stories about Palo Alto and Stanford and whatever, and Mark seems enraptured as Eli pitches in every once in a while with senseless questions. Eduardo can tell that Sean wants to talk uninterrupted as his expression gets snappier and snappier whenever Eli talks, but Eli seems to detect that, too, because after one particular story about Silicon Valley where Sean says, no, Stanford isn\u2019t all underage girls because it\u2019s a graduate school too, Eli settles next to Eduardo and shuts up.<\/p>\n Sean doesn\u2019t offer anything helpful except for at the end when he says that facebook<\/em>\u00a0is cleaner than thefacebook. On the cab ride home, Mark asks, \u201cSo what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli is sitting between them. Eduardo can feel the nervous jitters of his leg, and rests his hand on Eli\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure,\u201d he says, blankly. \u201cLet\u2019s drop the \u2018the.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Mark huffs. \u201cI meant to catching the marlin instead of the fourteen trout. Doesn\u2019t that sound good?\u201d<\/p>\n Eli speaks before Eduardo has to. \u201cIf you\u2019re a trout,\u201d he says, to Mark. \u201cAnd, I don\u2019t know. He\u2019s kind of, um. Over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is,\u201d Eduardo agrees, staring out the window.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has experience<\/em>,\u201d says Mark. \u201cHe lives in\u00a0Palo Alto<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli asks, nervously, \u201cAre you thinking about moving out there, too?\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo turns from the window this time. Under the dim yellow lighting he sees Mark studying Eli, silently.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Mark asks.<\/p>\n Eli shrugs. \u201cI don\u2019t know, just. If you and Eduardo leave.\u201d He glances at Eduardo nervously. \u201cI mean, I can\u2019t go, obviously, I have to stay here for my scholarship and all, and I\u2019m not even part of thefacebook.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFacebook,\u201d Mark corrects.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever.\u201d Eli shrugs again.<\/p>\n Mark meets Eduardo\u2019s eyes. Eduardo can tell what he\u2019s thinking\u2014he\u2019s having an internal debate, picking between Eli and facebook. Eduardo knows that Mark is really attached to facebook\u2014more than any other project he\u2019s had before, because this one has promise\u2014but Eli is. Well, Eli is important to the both of them.<\/p>\n Eduardo says, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Eli, I\u2019m not really planning on moving to Palo Alto.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli smiles over at him.<\/p>\n Mark stares at the two of them. \u201cI\u2019ll think about it,\u201d he mutters.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Eduardo gets into the Phoenix, though Eli is bent double over with laughter and Mark presses snickers into his palm every once in a while when he brings the chicken cage over to Kirkland.<\/p>\n \u201cStop laughing,\u201d Eduardo says, pouting.<\/p>\n Mark doesn\u2019t listen to him. Eli attempts to, but he says, \u201cIt\u2019s, it\u2019s kind of funny,\u201d through his badly disguised giggles.<\/p>\n Eduardo rolls his eyes. \u201cYeah, okay, it is,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Eli laughs even harder when the story about Eduardo performing forced cannibalism on the chicken makes it into the Crimson, bent over his keyboard as Mark reads from his desk. \u201cThis is scathing,\u201d says Mark, shaking his head.<\/p>\n \u201cOh god,\u201d Eli wheezes out. \u201cIf Facebook gets taken down for being associated with forced cannibalism\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone from the Porc or the Fly must\u2019ve reported it,\u201d Eduardo says helplessly. \u201cFor all I know, it was the Winklevosses!\u201d The Winklevoss twins had been sending Mark cease and desist letters since February, but Mark had gone to student legal and Eli was surprisingly lawfully eloquent and pointed out that Mark had talked about creating a centralized face book before the Winklevoss twins even brought up their dating site or whatever. It\u2019s mostly a non-issue, though the Winklevosses had once chased Eli around the quad, thinking that he was Mark. Eli had come in breathless and panicky, and Mark hacked the Porc\u2019s website and changed everyone\u2019s profile picture to a farm animal.<\/p>\n Eli says, \u201cI really hope it\u2019s the Winklevosses. At least one of their pictures is still a chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe probably doesn\u2019t know how to change it,\u201d Mark snickers.<\/p>\n Eduardo says, \u201cYou guys are useless,\u201d and flops on his back on Mark\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n As he stares at the ceiling, he hears Mark snap his fingers and say, \u201cOh yeah, I\u2019m going to need a little bit more money.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo sits up, nodding. \u201cI agree. More servers, more help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna rent out a space somewhere in the city for the summer,\u201d says Mark. \u201cI already found a building, it\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo blinks. \u201cBuilding for what?\u201d He can tell that Eli has tuned out of their conversation, tapping on his keyboard, the volume turned down low.<\/p>\n \u201cFacebook,\u201d says Mark. \u201cAnd I\u2019m interviewing interns tomorrow, we gotta pay them with something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re staying here for the summer?\u201d Eduardo repeats.<\/p>\n Mark shrugs. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to, too,\u201d he says. \u201cI already invited Eli, but he said he has to go home and spend time with his family.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo glances at Eli, who lifts his head up, wearing a crooked smile. \u201cMom\u2019s getting out of rehab,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Eduardo blinks, then claps Eli on the back. \u201cCongratulations, man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations,\u201d Mark says, too. \u201cSo are you coming, Wardo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI,\u201d says Eduardo. He thinks it over. \u201cThe facebook offices. Here. In Boston?\u201d<\/p>\n Mark nods.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Eduardo says. He feels his face stretching into a smile. \u201cI\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Eli visits in the middle of July, driving up his mom and sister too. He introduces Eduardo and Mark to them, and Eli\u2019s mom is really a character, pinching Eduardo\u2019s cheek and looking at Mark from all angles (and even lifting up his shirt!), awed at his similarities to Eli.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure he\u2019s not a kid I popped out and forgot about?\u201d she asks Eli.<\/p>\n Eli sighs, \u201cNo, Mom,\u201d and Mark says, \u201cMa\u2019am, I have very vivid childhood memories. I can promise you I\u2019m not your long-lost son.\u201d<\/p>\n Eli\u2019s mom sighs. \u201cIt\u2019d be nice to have a billionaire for a son,\u201d she says. But she hugs Eli anyway and Eli smiles, so it\u2019s obvious she\u2019s teasing.<\/p>\n They go out for lunch and it\u2019s appropriately awkward, though at least Eli\u2019s little sister, Nicole, dispels most of it by coloring on the placemat and demanding for their opinions and help with the crossword. Afterward, Eli\u2019s mother and Nicole go back to the hotel, and Eli looks like he\u2019s about to join them when Mark says, \u201cCome check out our place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMark,\u201d says Eduardo, embarrassed.<\/p>\n Eli\u2019s mom cackles and points between all of them. \u201cYou guys gonna have welcome back sex?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cMom<\/em>, oh my god.\u201d Eli shoves his hands over his sister\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n Mark stares at Eli\u2019s mom. \u201cYeah, probably,\u201d he says shrugging.<\/p>\n Mortified, Eduardo buries his face in his hands.<\/p>\n (But the welcome back sex is great, mostly because a queen sized bed makes it easier for threesomes than tiny twin ones in the Harvard dorms.)<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Facebook steadily crawls over the world and climbs to a million members, shortly before the one year anniversary. Mark had finally relented into advertisements and Eduardo managed to get VCs in New York and some even in Palo Alto, through his father\u2019s connections and setting up meetings. They get angel investment of half a million dollars when Eduardo and Mark fly out to meet with Peter Thiel.<\/p>\n Eli and Eduardo stay in Harvard, and Eli moves into Mark and Eduardo\u2019s summer apartment, which soon became full-time. Eduardo is thinking of getting a slightly bigger place for the three of them.<\/p>\n The millionth member party takes place in the facebook offices, and Eduardo is drunk on champagne and happy, standing between Mark (who is arguing with an intern about Python or whatever) and Eli (who is actually not standing, but playing at the grand piano Mark had invested in, claiming it was for decoration and both Eduardo and Eli knowing it was for Eli.) Eduardo beams and claps when Eli is done with his song. Eli is probably drunker than him, and grinning even bigger.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should pay you,\u201d Mark says suddenly, breaking off his argument and turning to Eli.<\/p>\n Eli turns pink. \u201cYou really don\u2019t have to,\u201d he says. He\u2019s visited the facebook offices enough that people have started calling him Mark 2.0, to Dustin\u2019s glee. They\u2019ve begun to tell them apart, though.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could give him half your shares,\u201d Eduardo teases.<\/p>\n \u201cGod,\u201d Eli says desperately. \u201cPlease, don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd another piano,\u201d Mark decides. \u201cFor our apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo gestures with his champagne flute. \u201cAnd put him on the masthead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd put him on the masthead, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop it,\u201d says Eli, standing up. \u201cI\u2019m getting another drink. I can\u2019t handle either of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t Handel<\/em>!\u201d calls by a passing Dustin.<\/p>\n Mark throws his mini sandwich at Dustin\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \u201cOh come on,\u201d says Eduardo, grabbing Eli by his waist and tugging him close. Mark doesn\u2019t complain, though Eduardo can tell he\u2019s watching them from the corner of his eye. \u201cDoes that mean we shouldn\u2019t come to your recital tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what this party is really for, anyway,\u201d Mark says by their side.<\/p>\n Eli glances between them, Mark nibbling away at another mini sandwich and Eduardo\u2019s hand warm on his hip.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, okay,\u201d Eli says, smiling. \u201cI guess I wouldn\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n Eduardo chuckles and brushes the hair from the front of Eli’s face. Mark is snickering and watching them; he and Eli are so goddamn different<\/em>. Eduardo can’t help smiling to himself.<\/p>\n None of them could be luckier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Eduardo isn\u2019t sure if it\u2019s healthy that he compares all these little things Eli does to Mark, but he finds that he doesn\u2019t really prefer one to the other\u2014it\u2019s just that they look so much alike that looking for similarities and differences is almost inevitable.<\/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":[318,209,227,317],"fandom":[511],"rating":[677],"ship":[595],"relationship":[611],"minorfandomships":[],"class_list":["post-322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-default","tag-crossover","tag-fix-it-fic","tag-harvard-era","tag-same-actor-crossover","fandom-tsn","rating-explicit","ship-em-eli","relationship-poly"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322","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=322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/322\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"fandom","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fandom?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"ship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ship?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"relationship","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/relationship?post=322"},{"taxonomy":"minorfandomships","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aroceu.com\/fic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/minorfandomships?post=322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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