Smile.

"Uh uh, no way, Vince."

Vince pushed back his vintage driving goggles and looked E squarely in the eye. "I'm not asking, I'm telling," he informed his manager and best friend. There would be no talking him out of this. "I am going to do my own stunts. The director's got me insured and I've been training for two weeks. You can either stalk off the set like Ari did and refuse to watch or you can suck it up and have my back like always."

Eric squinted at Vince angrily as he balled his fists by his sides. Of course Vince knew that Eric would fold. He always folded when it came to giving Vince what he wanted. "You know there's no way that I am leaving this set," he answered Vince through gritted teeth. If Vince was determined on risking his life, E was going to be here to see every minute of it. He would never forgive himself if something happened and he wasn't here.

A slow smile lights up Vince's face. Eric knows exactly what that Cheshire grin means, the one that tells him that they are both fucked...literally. Nothing gets Vince off more than getting his way with E. Eric is the only one who ever truly stands up to Vince, so it's a small victory every time he gets Eric to do what he wants. "Good, you know that I always do better when I know you're here."

Leaning forward, Eric smooths down Vince's collar and presses his forehead to his. "You better not fuck up out there, you hear me? I am counting on you coming back to me in one piece. We have that trip planned for August, and it's really going to screw it up if I have to visit your ass in the ICU," he told Vince quietly. They were holed up in Vince's trailer, enjoying a few rare private moments alone before Vince went out there and risked his life at 185 miles per hour. "I mean it, you have to be careful. Listen to what they tell you, Vince. This movie is not worth losing you, especially when I just got you."

"You always had me, E," Vince whispered before kissing him softly. "I'm going to be fine, I can do this. Knowing that you believe in me is just exactly what I needed."

An underpaid PA comes to knock on the door and collect Vince for his big scene. With one more kiss from Eric, Vince replaces the driving goggles over his grey eyes and sidles on set with the same cocky confidence that made Hollywood take notice in the first place. Eric watches intently as a stunt coordinator goes over the technicalities of the scene one more time. Vince nods before climbing into his car. Turtle says something and Drama agrees but Eric is too focused to hear either of them.

It's a complicated scene, one that Eric has been over repeatedly with a fine-tooth comb. He had walked through the rehearsal, saw the action plan from the choreographer, watched the stunt double perform it a handful of times and questioned anyone even remotely connected with the scene extensively. He'd watched dozens of complicated stunts be filmed over the course of Vince's career, but this was one of the few that he'd been allowed to perform himself. Other than some wire work in Aquaman, this was really the only time he'd really risked it.

Vince grinned at Eric from behind the steering wheel and flashed him the thumbs up. Eric waved slightly before scratching the back of his neck nervously. That was his tell and the last thing that Vince needed to see but he couldn't help it. The director was screaming at Vince through a megaphone and before Eric knew what was happening, the car was lunging forward and explosions were going off on either side of the track. E wanted to close his eyes but found himself frozen in fear. The revving of the engine burned in his ears as Vince's car approached the ramp and then with one final surge, flew off the paved incline.

"Holy shit!"

Eric ignored Turtle's excited scream as he took off across the set to meet Vince once he climbed from the car. He didn't care that anyone was watching or that the director was screaming at him for messing up the take. This part could be reshot. For now, he just wanted to gather Vince up in his arms and make he vow to never be so reckless again. He managed to make the hug look as friendly as possible despite the fact his heart was racing a million miles a minute.

"Fuck."

Tears wet the corners of Vince's eyes as he hung onto Eric. The courage had only carried him through the act, leaving him petrified in the aftermath. "Tell me about it," Eric murmured as he pulled away. He could gaze at Vince adoringly from behind the safety of his aviators. "You're not doing that again. Ever."

Vince chortled in the back of his throat and nodded eagerly. "You got it."

"Murphy, get off my set before I have security carry you off!" the director screamed from behind the camera.

Eric laughed and shook his head before bumping his first against Vince's. He was almost out of earshot when he heard Vince call his name. Eric turned around and looked back at him. "Did I do good?"

"Amazing, Vin," he answered truthfully. There would be time for that "literally fucked" thing later. For now, the proud smile on his boy's face almost made the risk completely worth it.