when you pour your heart on me: b-sides

[ceu]

I tried writing this fic about twice; bluedreaming had given me the prompt of Mark/Eduardo wherein Eduardo is a foreign exchange student, and there are a lot of ways I could've gone with it, hence the multiple attempts. It sounds like something that could be done in a longer fic, but I like how I managed to make it short-form, since it's cute and to the point that way.

Anyway, here are the extended attempts I'd tried on the same day. There's also a brief outline at the end of what I thought I could do, except then it would've been long-winded and something that I wasn't particularly excited about writing.

This is the version where I tried to do a snippet of the following longer thing. I figured (once I got to the point where I'd stopped) that that wasn't something I wanted to write, and it would feel like cheating writing a part of a larger 'verse I wouldn't finish. It was just going to be a day-in-the-life sort of thing.

Mark wakes up to the sound of rushing water. It isn't new, since he has three sisters--but at this early in the morning, at the bathroom here and not in his oldest sister's room, it can only be one other person.

Sighing, Mark stretches across the bed and tries not to think too hard. Eduardo's been living with them for three months now--he's part of a foreign exchange program, and Mark's mother had signed up for the Zuckerbergs to be a host family. Mark hadn't been looking forward to it at first, until he met Eduardo--who was charming and funny and ridiculously good-looking. Eduardo's a senior, a full year ahead of Mark--and thinking about him naked, so close on the other side of the wall, is making Mark's stomach do things that he promised wouldn't ruin the astoundingly good friendship Mark and Eduardo had manage to strike up.

The water stops running eventually. Mark allows himself to get up--and it's not on purpose this time, but when he comes out of the bathroom, Eduardo's there, half-naked, dripping, towel around his waist. He startles at Mark, but then says, "Oh, hey."

"Hi," Mark says awkwardly. He jerks his head towards the bathroom. "I'm just--I was about to go shower too."

"Okay," Eduardo chuckles. "Sorry if I used all the hot water."

"Ugh," Mark says, not seriously. He hears Eduardo chuckle again as he makes his way to the guest room across from Mark's.

Mark gets ready for the morning, and maybe he jerks off in the shower because he just saw Eduardo half-naked for like, the sixth time. When he's done he slinks out as slowly as he can to peek into the guest room--but to his disappointment, Eduardo isn't there, which means he's downstairs already.

Mornings in the Zuckerberg house mean usually pancakes for breakfast, and a hopeless battle of Mark's middle sister trying to exacerbate her crush on Eduardo, who is amused but takes it in stride. Today she shyly lumps one of her pancakes into Eduardo's plate, which Eduardo eats, even though on the car ride to school he complains to Mark about feeling too full.

"But don't you want Paula's love and affection," Mark deadpans from behind the wheel.

Eduardo shoots him a look. "I hope she at least gets over her crush on me after I leave," he says. "I only have a couple of months to go."

"Yeah, I know."

Eduardo's to stay only for the semester, which means he leaves around winter vacation. Mark's not looking forward to it - he has Eduardo's email and phone number of course, but it's not the same. Hopefully Eduardo gets into Harvard next spring so he can come down and visit, and then Mark can get into Harvard the year after and they'll see each other regularly again. Maybe they can be roommates, though Mark doesn't let himself be too hopeful.

"You already sent in your application for Harvard, right?" he asks Eduardo, who nods.

"God, don't remind me," Eduardo says, clenching his fists anxiously. "I don't even know how my grades here transfer to my school in Brazil--"

"Well if you're getting A's, you should be good," Mark says. Eduardo's taking senior classes, but they have the same math class.

They get to the school, and Eduardo follows Mark into homeroom like he always does.

---

And this is the beginning of what could've been a much longer fic.

Against his wishes, Mark's mother signs up their family to be a host house for exchange students at their school.

Which means that Mark has to go with her when they pick up someone named Eduardo Saverin from the airport.

"Hi," a boy says, when they're at the gate. Mark's younger sister is holding a sign that says Eduardo Saverin. "Are you the Zuckerbergs?"

"Oh, yes," Mark's mom says immediately, roping the boy into a hug. "You must be Eduardo! It's so good to meet you."

"You too," the boy says pleasantly. He's wearing a suit of all things, black jacket draped over his shoulders. He looks kind of dorky, Mark thinks, but seems comfortable in his own skin in a way that teenagers usually aren't that Mark finds himself staring longer than necessary. Mark blinks and shakes his head as his mother introduces all of them.

"This is Lucy, and Pauline, and Mark," his mother says graciously. "You can call me Mrs. Zuckerberg - our oldest, Nancy, couldn't come today, since she has a soccer game."

"I look forward to meeting her too," Eduardo says. "Nice to meet you all."

"Hi!" says Mark's youngest sister, Lucy.

Pauline, who's thirteen, gets really close to Eduardo and says, "You can stay in my room."

"Pauline," their mother says sternly pushing her back. "You know Eduardo's staying in the guest room. Oh, and Mark's the one who'll be showing you around the high school." She nods pointedly at Mark, a gesture for Mark to say something. Mark ignores her and shrugs.

Eduardo leans in close to Mark's mom. "Does he speak?" he jokes.

Mark's mom laughs as Mark scowls. "Oh, I like you already," she says to Eduardo. "Don't worry, he just takes some time to warm up to. I'm sure you'll get along splendidly."

Mark scowls deeper when Eduardo sends him a trying smile.

*

All through the evening, Eduardo is effortlessly polite, laughing at all of Mark's dad's jokes and talking enthusiastically with Nancy, since they both want to get into Harvard next year. Pauline still has her obvious-from-space crush on Eduardo, which is annoying when Eduardo makes his way to the guest room across Mark's bedroom. Mark's mom had made Mark carry Eduardo's suitcase for him which is kind of pointless when Eduardo really only has two bags, one of which is a backpack. Mark doesn't say anything as he leads the way into the guest room.

He heaves the bag down and then swivels around, about to go to his own bedroom. Eduardo says, "Wait, I need to give you a tip!" and Mark spins around to glare at him.

Eduardo's grinning, though. "You haven't said two words to me since we met," he says to Mark. "Do you not like me? Is this a test?"

"No," Mark bites out, and then regrets it immediately.

"He talks!" Eduardo bounces over from his bag to stand in front of Mark. "I really hope you don't dislike me," he says. "I know some people are just quiet, so you're probably one of those people - plus, you'll have to show me around your school tomorrow, won't you?"

Mark realizes that the grin on Eduardo's face isn't out of any genuine happiness - it's out of nervousness, with the breathless way that Eduardo is talking. Eduardo's probably nervous for his first day of American high school tomorrow, and even though Mark doesn't have like, an actual clique or something, he still has friends. Eduardo doesn't.

"Your English is good," he says to Eduardo begrudgingly. "You don't have much of an accent."

Eduardo brightens up. "Oh, thanks," he says. "I watch a lot of American TV back home - California's the place to be," he sings, and then laughs to himself. "Sorry, you shouldn't have to hear me sing the first day you meet me."

"No, that part's not as good," Mark agrees.

Eduardo laughs again. His shoulders visibly relax, and Mark, with his hands in his hoodie pockets, smiles despite himself.

"You're talking to me so I don't think you hate me," Eduardo says. "Please tell me American high school isn't as bad as it is in the movies."

"It's just as bad," Mark tells him. "If not possibly worse."

Eduardo laughs and scratches the back of his head. "Some part of me is telling me that I shouldn't believe you," he says. "I suppose I'll find out tomorrow, won't I?"

*

"Bye boys!" Mark's mother calls as they climb into Mark's car. "Mark, don't abandon Eduardo anywhere! And Eduardo, I put your lunch money in the side of your backpack, don't forget!"

"I won't, Mrs. Zuckerberg," Eduardo calls back, getting into the passenger seat.

Mark glances at him as he puts his backpack in the back seat. "Now you have to put up with my mom with me."

"I like her," Eduardo says cheerfully. "Can I put my bag in the back too?" When Mark merely shrugs in response, Eduardo winds his ridiculously lean body around the seat and shoves his bag in the back.

Eduardo's taller than him; he's also a senior, according to the email Mark's mother received, seventeen and a full year older than Mark. Mark starts the car as Eduardo says, "I'm jealous that you have your own car."

"Don't you learn how to drive in Brazil?" Mark asks.

Eduardo shakes his head. "When I'm eighteen."

"Oh." Mark had learned how to drive when he was fifteen, and got his car on his birthday earlier this year. "You'll learn some day," he says to Eduardo.

Eduardo grins at him. "Are you patronizing me?"

They get to the high school, listening to the radio and Eduardo talking about other age limits he has in Brazil; at least the drinking age there is eighteen, too, Eduardo says, having only one more year until he can drink legally. His eyes glint when he says that part, and Mark wonders what Eduardo is like when he's drunk. Probably just as chipper, probably--hot, Mark's mind provides, and Mark ignores it, ignores that he thinks Eduardo is pretty hot right now.

Mark has to take Eduardo into his homeroom and introduce him to everyone. The other Brazilian exchange students are in already, though, and Mark expects Eduardo to greet them enthusiastically and abandon him. Instead, Eduardo sits dutifully next to Mark.

Mark prods him during morning announcements and says, "Go make friends in Portuguese. Don't you know those guys?"

"Not really," Eduardo says, glancing to them. They're three surly looking boys - Mark can understand the distaste. "It's okay, Mark, I'll make friends. Preferably in English."

"I'm just saying, everyone in my school is boring."

Eduardo smiles at him. "Not everyone," he says.

*

Mark teaches Eduardo that lunch is the most social aspect of high school - he guides him through the lunch line, and then at his usual table with Chris and Dustin. Chris says hello, while Dustin's eyes get big.

"Who's this?" Dustin asks. "Mark, since when do you talk to people who aren't us?"

Mark doesn't say anything. Eduardo smiles and says, "Hi, I'm Eduardo." He turns to Mark. "These are your friends?"

"Don't worry, I'm the sane one," Chris says, looking up from his corn. "I'm chris. It's nice to meet you, Eduardo."

"It is! Where did you find him?" Dustin asks. "Can I have one?"

"We're hosting him for the foreign exchange student program," Mark grumbles. He's sure that if they weren't, Eduardo wouldn't be hanging out with them right now - he's wearing a suit today too, and it would be kind of lame if it didn't actually make him look cool. He'd probably be hanging out with, like, Sean and Christy or something.

Dustin exclaims, "You didn't tell me your house was gonna be a host house. Now I've got to come over, like, all the time."

"That's Dustin," Mark tells Eduardo. "Feel free to ignore everything he says."

Dustin pouts as Eduardo laughs. "Don't worry," he says to Dustin. "I'm just surprised that someone like you is friends with Mark. He iced me out for the first six hours we met."

"Of course he did," Chris says, as Dustin squawks. "That's Mark for you. How're you liking your first day here?"

"It's alright," Eduardo says, poking at his lunch. "Though I feel like this food is either overcooked or undercooked."

"High school," Dustin and Mark say simultaneously.

"But did you get lost?" Chris asks.

Eduardo shakes his head. "I'm good with directions," he says brightly, when Dustin and Chris stare at him with awe. Mark munches on his own food. "The classes I'm taking are interesting, too - though the macroeconomics class is too easy."

"Hey, I'm in that class," Dustin says. "Geez, what kind of econ courses do you guys take in Brazil?"

Eduardo pulls out the schedule he'd been given in homeroom - Mark had been interested in it, but didn't want to ask for it, so he's glad that Eduardo's taking it out himself. "I'm also going to take Microeconomics this afternoon," he says. "And AP Calculus BC - "

"I have that, too," Mark says, peering over Eduardo's shoulder.

Eduardo smiles at him. "We can do homework together," he says, as Dustin grabs at Eduardo's schedule reading it for himself. "Do you like math?"

Mark shrugs. "It's okay," he says to Eduardo, and ignores a weird extra thump in his chest when Eduardo continues smiling at him like that, because Mark doesn't have time for this exchange student beyond the bare minimum.

*

Mark arrives at AP Calculus before Eduardo does. Eduardo comes into the room and immediately spots Mark, walking over to take the desk in front of Mark.

"Hi," he says to Mark. "Math time."

"I can't believe you just said that," Mark says, and Eduardo laughs. "Just so you know, I'm the only junior in this class."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" But Eduardo grins like he really is. "That's neat, though - how'd you skip your other math?"

"Skipped pre-algebra," Mark answers, shrugging. "It's not that hard; everyone else is just an idiot."

"I'll say," Eduardo says. "I suppose you think I'm an idiot, because I'm a senior in this class."

"Until you prove yourself otherwise," Mark says.

Eduardo seems to take that as a real challenge, because when class starts, every time their teacher asks one of them for an answer, Eduardo always raises his hand--and always answers correctly. He sends Mark smirks the whole time, and Mark can't help but be impressed and a little bit hot under the collar--Eduardo's ridiculously confident in his answers, even though the teacher is starting to look a little annoyed every time Eduardo's arm shoots up.

"Okay, fine," Mark says, when their class is over. "You aren't an idiot."

"Thank you," Eduardo says, ducking his head down. "I trust that you aren't one, either."

"I would be a hypocrite if I was," Mark says. AP Calculus had been their last class of the day; they're making their way through the hallways to get to the school parking lot. "Is that why you want to get into Harvard? Because you're so good at math?"

"I'm good at other things, you know," Eduardo says.

Mark tilts his head. "Like what?"

"I like meteorology," Eduardo says, which is so random that Mark just stares at him blankly. "And poker."

"Meteorology, math, and poker," Mark repeats. "A shoo-in for Harvard, definitely."

Eduardo laughs. "Where do you want to go for college, then?" he asks, and Mark has to avoid blushing as he answers Harvard as well.

But they talk about Harvard on their way home, and when they're back in Mark's house, Eduardo suggests again for them to do math homework together, which they do. They sit in Mark's room, Mark at his desk and Eduardo sitting on his bed, the only sound of their pencils scratching on paper and Mark's heart beating and skipping in his ears.

*

The next morning, Mark wakes up to the sound of running water.

---

Here's the aforementioned outline.

wake up to eduardo in the shower, drive to school, eduardo talks about having visited the us before, say goodbye before eduardo goes off to his classes

mark looks forward to ap calc; ap calc

skip a couple of weeks, created a rhythm, on the drive home from school talk about boyfriend/girlfriend stuff, get home and watch a movie

mark is partnered with sean parker in his compsci class who comes over for them to work on a project; mark drives them home (sean usually takes the bus) and mark/sean ignores eduardo the whole time; eduardo is grumpy and shuts himself in the guest room while mark and sean get food and work on their project

eduardo stops talking to mark suddenly, not making much convo in the car and ignoring him in homeroom, not saying goodbye when he goes off to classes; at lunch mark sees him with other seniors and figures he's made his own friends

ap calc; silent drive home; awkward over dinner

mark wakes up earlier than eduardo to take the shower; he takes so long that eduardo has like five mins and eduardo is annoyed; complains in the car, and they have a fight

mark tells dustin and chris who say he should apologize; eduardo pointedly does not look at him in ap calc; mark tries apologizing in the car but eduardo is frosty

mark holes himself in his room to code; sean comes over and says he has an idea for a project; eduardo tells sean to fuck off out of mark's house; they have another fight

halloween party, mark sees eduardo making out with christy so he's grumpy all night w chris and dustin; later back at home he tells eduardo that he expected eduardo to bring her home

christy drives eduardo; mark's parents don't know that they're fighting and thinks that eduardo just has a gf which is why mark is not driving him (which is true, but also...)
lunch: mark and eduardo aren't speaking; chris and dustin think it's dumb, eduardo's dating christy, sean starts sitting with chris and dustin and mark

eduardo and christy break up a week before thanksgiving and eduardo has to ask mark for a ride again. mark agrees, but then asks eduardo why he hates him
eduardo says he doesn't, but says they're not friends and makes his way out of mark's car