Ears.
Eric is seething as he stalks out of yet another meeting with Ari, one that ends with him snapping at Ari for yet another comment about his sexuality and results in Vince sneering at his agent before running after his best friend. The two of them had been playing tug-of-war with Vince for years, but there were some days when E felt like he was never going to win. He knew that Vince would never choose Ari over him, but Eric still hates it when Vince asks him to play nice with Ari. Vince was supposed to be on his side no matter what; that was the promise when they were kids in Queens and had stayed the rule in the years since.
"I love your little elfish ears, E," Vince coos softly in the elevator, "and I don't give a fuck what Ari says."
Eric tries not to notice how Vince stands a little too close and drapes his lanky frame over E's shoulder as if this were an everyday thing. "Yeah, well, it would have been nice if you had said that up there instead of saving that sweet shit for when we were alone," E snaps, and Vince recoils immediately. E brushes off the emptiness that surrounds him now that his friend isn't in his personal space. "Sorry, Vin, he just gets to me. It's how many years later and he's still using the same insults on me? I work with players bigger than him every single day, but when I step into his office some days, I still feel like the pizza boy fresh off the plane from La Guardia."
"I happen to like that guy as much as I like this one," Vince says softly as they step off the elevator and head for the private garage. It takes Vince everything he has not to reach out and grab E's hand. No one knows about them yet, not even Turtle or Drama and especially not Ari. They had talked about telling him soon, but after today's meeting, it was the last thing Eric would want to do. "Listen, why don't we not work for a few days? I hate how stressed he makes you."
"So take my side sometimes."
"I always take your side," Vince replies softly, clearly hurt at Eric's words. "C'mon, E, that's not fair. Just because I don't always stop you two from bickering doesn't mean that I'm not on your side." Eric stops walking and turns to consider this seriously. With a single nod, Eric pats Vince on the shoulder and heads for his car. He can't kiss him in public, not here, but Vince sees it in his eyes. It's an understanding. When they're safely on the freeway, Vin reaches across the console to rest his hand on E's thigh. The muscles tense and relax under his fingertips. "I really don't care what Ari says, E, you know that, right? I don't care what anyone says that's not you. Sometimes I think what you say is even more important than what I say."
Eric smiles at him as he pulls up to a spotlight. "That's called loving someone, Vince," he explains cockily, still surprised that he can talk so openly about something like this with the man sitting next to him. "And I do know that, though it's nice to hear sometimes. I just hate him so much sometimes. I don't know that you get what that's like. I put up with so much shit from him for you, and usually, I'm okay with it. But when he starts talking about you like you're just some project, I hate it."
It's then that Vince sees what has Eric really upset. While the elfish ears thing might have set him off, it's not really why Eric is angry. He's mad because Ari had tried to convince him to go for that sappy sports movie Disney had offered him. It was a bad script with a high paycheck. "Are you trying to protect my virtue, E?"
"More like your career."
"No way," Vince shook his head, "I'm not buying it. I've heard you defend me when it's about the business, but that was definitely more than that. That sounded like you protecting me. That sounded a lot like how you got in tenth grade when Turtle told you that rumor about Carla Harper when you were dating her. That sounded like a boyfriend."
The word was so foreign to him in relation to his best friend. "I'm still your manager, right? I was just doing my job, Vin. That would've been a bad move, and I can't believe Ari is still pushing you to go that route after all this time."
"We said I shouldn't do it, E," Vince reminds him. "I wouldn't have let him talk me into it. You've gotta have a little more faith in me."
"I do, Vince," Eric says before replying, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, E. I get it, we'll figure this out, I promise," Vince reassures him. They're both quiet the rest of the way home, only humming along contently to the songs on the barely audible radio. When they're finally in the driveway and Eric has killed the engine, Vince leans over and kisses Eric soundly. It's nice to be home where he can be with E without the threat of cameras around. "See, we already figured out that part."
"And what about that part?" E asks as he spots Ari gaping at them from the driveway, a pizza from Sbarro in hand.
Vince looks at his agent for a moment before leaning over to kiss E again. "I'm pretty sure that part will take care of itself."
