#surprise code

Pairing: Mark/Wardo

Rating: PG-13 

Summary: Pre-Facebook.  Slightly AU.  Eduardo tries his hand at coding, with disastrous consequences

Word Count: 545  (total: 2,779)

part 1   part 2

               There was a new file on his desktop.  WARDO.  He clicked on it, nerves humming.

               A program window popped up, quicker than Eduardo had ever seen.  In fact, his computer seemed to be running twice as fast as usual.  Hmm. 

               It’s a game.  Eduardo clicks on Play.

               The avatar looks like him, from the gelled hair to the full suit.  Mark must have put…so much time into this, he thinks, awed, as he directs his player across the Harvard campus. 

               When he reaches the door to Kirkland, he’s met with a question bubble. 

               What is your name? 

               Eduardo Saverin, he types.  Nothing happens.  He thinks for a moment.

               Wardo. 

               You may proceed.

               His character runs up the stairs and heads down the hall.  Eduardo doesn’t even need to think which way to turn; he’s been here so many times. 

               There’s a question at this door too. 

               Who is your best friend?

               Mark.  It’s automatic, really. 

               Enter.

               The door swings open and he sees another avatar inside, sitting in front of a computer.  He has curly hair and is wearing a hoodie and flip-flops.  Eduardo grins, urging his man forward.

               Avatar- Mark pays no attention to Avatar-Eduardo, which hits a little too close to home, but Eduardo persists.  Mark, he types again.

               Avatar- Mark turns around and stands up, and then to Eduardo’s immense shock, grabs Avatar-Eduardo and kisses him. 

               “Wha—”

               Both avatars smiling, Mark leads Eduardo over to the couch, where they sit down of their own accord.  Then in a voice that is so undeniably Mark’s that Eduardo is actually a little freaked out, Avatar- Mark starts to speak. 

               “Wardo, I know you’re probably in shock right now, but I need to tell you something.  I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole.  I know I haven’t been the best friend, and you deserve better, you deserve more.  I know I act as if I don’t hear you, as if I’m not listening to a word that you say and that I don’t care.  But I do.  I do listen, I do care.  It’s just sometimes I don’t know what to say. 

               Like when I catch you staring at me when you think I’m not paying attention, or when you put your hand on my back when we’re walking—all those times, I notice, and I want to say something, or do something, to let you know “Me too, me too” but I don’t know the right way to do it, and I hate myself for not letting you know, but Wardo—

               Wardo, I love you.”

***

               “And can I just add that you look absolutely ridiculous with that hat.”

               Eduardo spins around, eyes wide and heart pounding. 

               “Mark? But—how did you get in here, how did you know—.”  Oh.  “Dustin and Chris.”

               Mark shrugs.  “I admit, they can be pretty good friends when they want to be.”  He steps closer.  “But Wardo, they’re nothing—nothing, compared to you.”  His voice is strained and clipped.  Eduardo can see the immense effort Mark’s putting in, getting this out.  His heart is threatening to spring out of his chest. 

               “I don’t know what to say,” he says truthfully.  “Mark, I never thought—”

Pairing: Mark/Wardo

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Summary: Pre-Facebook.  Slightly AU.  Eduardo tries his hand at coding, with disastrous consequences

Word Count: 1,125  (total: 2,234)

part 1

   Of course.  Of course Mark would care more about his code than about how guilty and awful and miserable Eduardo was feeling.  Eduardo fumed as he unlocked his door.  He hadn’t felt this angry in a long time, not since last winter when he’d found out that Chris and Dustin had let Mark go a whole week without sleeping, eating, or cleaning properly while Eduardo had been visiting relatives in Brazil. 

               Well Mark would have to learn to look after himself from now on, because he no longer had any friends who would. 

***

               Chris snapped a photo of Dustin before heading to Mark’s room.  Mark didn’t give any sign of noticing his entrance, nor of a fight with Eduardo.  But that was not particularly unusual.  Mark, he thought with a sigh. 

               “Mark, what did you do?”

               No answer.

               “Mark.”

               Chris was getting annoyed.

               “Mark, stop coding for a minute and answer me or I won’t stop Dustin when he tries to sleep in your bed.”

               Mark stiffened and slowly turned to face him.  “What.”

               “Why did Wardo storm out of here less than five minutes ago?”

               “I don’t know.”

               “At least try to sound convincing if you’re going to lie, Mark.”

               “I’m not lying, Mr. Empath.  I didn’t even know that he stormed out.  All I know is that he left.”

               Chris considered this possibility.  Eduardo had always been quite successful at keeping his emotions guarded.  Especially with Mark.  “Okay, well what happened before he left?”

               “I was in Dustin’s room, and when I came back, Wardo was on my laptop and he’d accidentally crashed it.”

               “But…you always save your code.  So I don’t see what the problem is…”

               Chris was shocked to see Mark shift uncomfortably.  Was Mark feeling…guilty? “Mark, what did you do?”

               “I may have pretended that I hadn’t saved my code.  And ignored him.”

               “Mark!”

               “What? Look, Chris, I have an excellent explanation.”

               Chris crossed his arms.  “Okay, lay it on me.”

               “You have to promise to not tell anyone.  Not Wardo.  Not Dustin.”  Mark sounded so serious; Chris was getting even more worried. 

               “I promise.”

***

A few days later…

               There was a knock on Eduardo’s door.  “Hey, Chris.”

               “Hey man, happy birthday.” Chris handed him an oddly-shaped package wrapped haphazardly in neon paper.  There were at least ten bows plastered to it.  “Dustin,” Chris shrugged in explanation at Eduardo’s cocked eyebrow.  “That piece sticking out is supposed to be a card, I think.”

               Eduardo pulled the card out gingerly.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARDOOOOOOOO was scrawled across the top, and a stick figure of him wearing a hat—or was that his hair?—graced the centre.  At the bottom were two signatures—if one could call DUS-TIN TIN, THE ADVENTURER, a signature. 

               Eduardo bit his lip.  Nothing from Mark.  He noticed Chris watching him, appraising, and tried to snap out of his sulk.  “Thanks Chris.  And thank Dustin for me too…where is he, by the way?”

               Chris rolled his eyes.  “He’s at the coffee shop, making last minute preparations.”  He frowned slightly.  “But I wasn’t supposed to tell you that, so just pretend to be surprised.”  He chuckled.  “I’m sure you’ll still be, anyway.  Come on.  You can open the gift when you get back.” 

               “What have you guys planned?” Eduardo asked suspiciously, grabbing his jacket off of a chair.  “I hope it’s nothing over-the-top.” 

               Chris closed the door behind them.  “Wardo, this is Dustin we’re talking about.”

               Eduardo groaned.

***

               “SURPRISE!!!!!!!” Eduardo had his face bombarded with confetti as Dustin crashed into him and Chris.  “HAPPY BIRTHDAY WARDO, YOU OLD FART!”

               Chris scowled, brushing the bits of paper off of himself.  “Dustin, you’re going to make the coffee shop people regret giving you permission for a hostile takeover.”

               Dustin shook his head emphatically.  “They LOVE me.  And I know you do too Chris, so don’t bother acting all aloof.”  Before Chris could argue, Dustin turned back to Eduardo, who was frozen, trying to take in all the streamers and balloons that hung around a corner table.  “Well, what do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?”

               “Uh, yeah, Dustin, it really is,” Eduardo stammered out.  “But um, don’t you think it’s a bit much?”

               “Nothing is too much for our Wardo!” Dustin beamed.  “Come on, sit down, we are gonna CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES—” Chris glared “—come on!”

***

               It wasn’t until after Dustin had belted out ‘Happy Birthday’, hitting every key imaginable, and they’d eaten half the cake (or rather, Eduardo and Chris had each had a moderate slice; Dustin had shoveled down two large, crumbly heaps) that Eduardo finally dared to voice what his brain had been stuck on this whole time.

               “Um, so uh, where’s Mark…?” He didn’t miss the quick look that went between the two.

               “Wardo…” Chris began, looking pained.  “Mark’s, um, well he’s been working on a really important project, and he had to finish it by today, so—”

               “I get it.”  Eduardo had heard enough.  There was an awkward silence around the table, broken by Dustin blowing half-heartedly on a noisemaker. 

               “Well, thanks guys, I—I really appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to,” he shrugged on his jacket, “Really, you have no idea how much this means to me, but I—I’m no fun right now.”  He looked at their troubled faces.  “I’m sorry.  I should go.  See you later.  Thanks again.”

               “Wardo, wait—”

               “But Wardo, there’s still cake left—”

               “You guys have it.  And—,” he hesitated, “Give some to Mark, even.  Make sure he eats.  You know how he can get when—.”  He swallowed and closed his eyes.  “I gotta go.  Sorry.”  He left quickly, not wanting to see the pity in their eyes. 

***

               Pathetic, Eduardo, you are pathetic, he said sternly to himself as he walked back to his dorm,  Still thinking about Mark even after he’s made it quite clear that he doesn’t give a shit about you. 

               The door was unlocked.  Shit, Chris.  He turned the knob with trepidation. 

               But everything was fine.  His computer, his furniture, even the present from Chris and Dustin was still sitting where he’d left it, perched precariously on a cushion.  His curiosity getting the better of him, he started to unwrap it. 

               It was the most hilarious hat Eduardo had ever seen.  It was woven entirely out of some kind of grass, and the tips stuck out at the top, creating a pineapple effect.  He jammed it onto his head and headed to the mirror.  He didn’t get a chance to look at himself though, because there was a Post-It stuck to the glass.

               You look ridiculous.  Go turn on your computer.