Achilles Last Stand
Pairing: Eric Murphy/Vince Chase [Entourage]
Date Written: August 5-9, 2008
Eric is standing in the wings of the school theatre, possibly stage left, but he keeps getting it backward, so it could be stage right, and he's staring out at the empty chairs wondering what the fuck he's doing. He doesn't do the acting thing. Vince does the acting thing. In fact, he's out there right now doing the acting thing. Eric is supposed to play sports and prevent Vince from getting beaten up over the acting thing. He does not take the second male lead in a play. Especially not for a play about one guy torturing another and just how did Vince get that one past the drama teacher anyway?
The cue comes and Eric forces himself to stop thinking. He's supposed to be pretending to break into an apartment. So Vince can tie him to a table. So Vince can tie him to a table and torture him and discuss his sexuality. So Vince can tie him to a table and torture him and discuss his sexuality and thus finish his senior project. And Eric's the only one he can trust with this. Even though Eric's a lousy actor and Miguel Diaz from the sophomore class is a hundred times better and was begging to work with Vince. No, Vince insists that Eric is the right choice, the only choice, so Eric, sucker that he is, pretends to climb through a window into a fake kitchen.
They only get through a few lines of the scene they're supposed to be rehearsing. Eric feels utterly ridiculous pretending to be a thief on an empty stage, stealing nothing. How exactly does Vince do this?
"You have to visualize it," Vince says again.
Right, Eric thinks, as if it's really that easy. But he takes a deep breath and tries again. He sifts through fake boxes looking for fake manuscripts while Vince watches him from a desk that's supposed to be a kitchen table and chair. When Vince grabs him, he tries to act surprised even though he isn't. He doesn't really have to fake a wince because Vince manhandles him into the chair a bit harder than Eric thought possible. The imaginary rope Vince mimes putting around him almost makes Eric laugh, but he covers it up with a small grunt and tries to remember that he isn't supposed to move.
Apparently he doesn't try hard enough, because Vince sighs and sits down on the edge of the desk after only two lines exchanged.
"Is this really making you that uncomfortable?"
Vince's hair is hanging in his eyes and Eric wants to reach up and brush it away, but doesn't. Mainly because he's not even sure where that urge came from.
"No, I just…" Eric trails off and shakes his head. "This isn't my thing. It's yours."
"It's ours, E," Vince says softly as he meets Eric's eyes. "I wouldn't be here without you."
Eric laughs. It's a nervous sound because the look in Vince's eyes, the trusting, needy look, does strange things to Eric's stomach. It always has.
"Fuck off with that."
"It's true!"
Vince jumps to his feet and Eric is taken aback by the anger that flashes in those pretty eyes. Not to mention Vince's hands curling into fists.
"Vince--"
"Listen," Vince interrupts. "Do you know why I chose you? You and not Miguel or Claudia, 'cause you know she could easily play a gay man, or that freshman kid with a crush on me?"
Eric swallows down a laugh because Vince is actually, obviously serious. For once. "No, Vince, why?"
One second of hesitation and then Vince is leaning over the desk, leaning into Eric's face until they're sharing the same breath. Eric gasps involuntarily and tries to shrink back, but there's nowhere to go.
"You should know why by now, E," Vince murmurs. "You really should."
"Vince…" Eric trails off because he really doesn't know what to say. Vince is too close and Eric feels trapped in the desk. He wants to escape to the hallway and get some air; to breathe something in besides Vince's aftershave and the hint of cinnamon on his breath.
"I think you just don't want to admit it."
Vince snarls a bit as he says it. For some reason, that makes Eric's heart shoot up into this throat. He tries to swallow it back down, but can't. Sweat is beading on his forehead and he can feel a flush spreading up his neck to his face. The rapidly spreading feeling of embarrassment sparks off his temper and he grinds his teeth together.
"Admit what, Vince?" Long fingers reach out and brush against Eric's neck. He flinches a bit and gets a smirk in return. So he snaps out, "Enough of this bullshit. Either say it or don't."
"You first." Vince shrugs, but doesn't pull back.
"No, no fucking way." Eric shakes his head.
"Say it, E," Vince pleads. He leans in closer and his lips brush against Eric's ear. "Say it for me."
Eric closes his eyes. He can still feel Vince's breath on his neck, hot and heavy. It's doing unsettling things to Eric; things that make him feel completely out of control. So he doesn't think, he just grabs Vince by the back of the neck and pulls him in close for a kiss. It's not much of one because Vince pulls back almost immediately and laughs. It's not a good laugh; it's out of joy, but for the wrong reasons. Vince is laughing at Eric, laughing because he got Eric to do something just by acting.
A slow burn seeps from Eric's heart into his limbs. Everything is a blur and he can't tell if that's because he's so angry or because he's holding back tears of humiliation. He pushes Vince away and gets to his feet. To his surprise, Vince shoves him back down.
"Let me go, motherfucker," Eric spits at him.
"You're tied up, remember?"
Vince has got that innocent little boy look and Eric growls. His fingers wrap around Vince's shirt collar and he hauls him in close enough that he can see Vince's eyes widen in fear.
"This is all about the play?" Eric asks quietly, trying to control himself.
"Well, you weren't really getting into character, so I thought this would help," Vince answers with a shrug.
"Fuck you."
He stands and shoves Vince hard enough to send him sprawling back onto his ass. The desk gets the same treatment in the opposite direction. By that time, Vince is crab-walking backwards, trying to get away from Eric.
"E, c'mon. I thought you knew it was all just an act," Vince pleads.
Eric ignores the plea and just keeps on stalking forward. "It wasn't to me."
Vince leans up on his elbows and raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
The anger is ebbing, but the humiliation is still there. Eric's not sure he can hold back the flood of emotion threatening to overwhelm him any longer. His hands curl into fists and he takes a deep breath.
"Just fucking forget it, okay? Just forget it," Eric manages to bite out before turning on his heel and stalking out into the hallway.
He doesn't talk to Vince for awhile after that. There are finals to prepare for and state championships to be won and Eric forces himself to get wrapped up these big events so he won't have to think about anything. Before he knows it, it's graduation and then Vince is packing up to head for Hollywood. Eric really doesn't want to, but he goes with Turtle anyway to say goodbye.
It's awkward standing there trying to look like everything is normal between him and Vince when it's not. He watches Vince hug siblings and his mom and pretty much everyone in the neighborhood, it seems. Part of him is hoping Vince won't hug him, will just wave and be done with it, but then Vince is stepping over to him and Eric feels this swell of something in his heart.
"E…" Vince trails off and awkwardly shuffles his feet.
"Yeah," Eric does an awkward shuffle of his own. "Good luck out there."
"You're supposed to say break a leg."
Eric starts to tell Vince off, but then Vince is hugging him tight enough to knock his breath away.
"Come with me to LA, E," Vince murmurs against Eric's neck.
Really, it's as good of an apology as Eric's ever going to get, but he can't accept it. Not now, when everything is still so raw.
"I can't," Eric says quietly.
Vince pulls back and looks him in the eye. "I wish…" He trails off and shakes his head. "If it was going to be a guy, it would be you, you know that, right?"
"Yeah," Eric replies. Because he knows Vince is being honest, and he has to accept that, even if it's tearing him apart to be alone with this feeling. Without Vince for the first time since he was six.
"If you ever change your mind…"
Before Eric can answer, Vince is slipping off into a crowd of relatives and friends, all clamoring for attention. Eric watches him for a moment and then walks away. He doesn't look back because if he does, he knows he'll give in. Forsake his feelings for Vince's, just like always.
Date Written: August 5-9, 2008
Eric is standing in the wings of the school theatre, possibly stage left, but he keeps getting it backward, so it could be stage right, and he's staring out at the empty chairs wondering what the fuck he's doing. He doesn't do the acting thing. Vince does the acting thing. In fact, he's out there right now doing the acting thing. Eric is supposed to play sports and prevent Vince from getting beaten up over the acting thing. He does not take the second male lead in a play. Especially not for a play about one guy torturing another and just how did Vince get that one past the drama teacher anyway?
The cue comes and Eric forces himself to stop thinking. He's supposed to be pretending to break into an apartment. So Vince can tie him to a table. So Vince can tie him to a table and torture him and discuss his sexuality. So Vince can tie him to a table and torture him and discuss his sexuality and thus finish his senior project. And Eric's the only one he can trust with this. Even though Eric's a lousy actor and Miguel Diaz from the sophomore class is a hundred times better and was begging to work with Vince. No, Vince insists that Eric is the right choice, the only choice, so Eric, sucker that he is, pretends to climb through a window into a fake kitchen.
They only get through a few lines of the scene they're supposed to be rehearsing. Eric feels utterly ridiculous pretending to be a thief on an empty stage, stealing nothing. How exactly does Vince do this?
"You have to visualize it," Vince says again.
Right, Eric thinks, as if it's really that easy. But he takes a deep breath and tries again. He sifts through fake boxes looking for fake manuscripts while Vince watches him from a desk that's supposed to be a kitchen table and chair. When Vince grabs him, he tries to act surprised even though he isn't. He doesn't really have to fake a wince because Vince manhandles him into the chair a bit harder than Eric thought possible. The imaginary rope Vince mimes putting around him almost makes Eric laugh, but he covers it up with a small grunt and tries to remember that he isn't supposed to move.
Apparently he doesn't try hard enough, because Vince sighs and sits down on the edge of the desk after only two lines exchanged.
"Is this really making you that uncomfortable?"
Vince's hair is hanging in his eyes and Eric wants to reach up and brush it away, but doesn't. Mainly because he's not even sure where that urge came from.
"No, I just…" Eric trails off and shakes his head. "This isn't my thing. It's yours."
"It's ours, E," Vince says softly as he meets Eric's eyes. "I wouldn't be here without you."
Eric laughs. It's a nervous sound because the look in Vince's eyes, the trusting, needy look, does strange things to Eric's stomach. It always has.
"Fuck off with that."
"It's true!"
Vince jumps to his feet and Eric is taken aback by the anger that flashes in those pretty eyes. Not to mention Vince's hands curling into fists.
"Vince--"
"Listen," Vince interrupts. "Do you know why I chose you? You and not Miguel or Claudia, 'cause you know she could easily play a gay man, or that freshman kid with a crush on me?"
Eric swallows down a laugh because Vince is actually, obviously serious. For once. "No, Vince, why?"
One second of hesitation and then Vince is leaning over the desk, leaning into Eric's face until they're sharing the same breath. Eric gasps involuntarily and tries to shrink back, but there's nowhere to go.
"You should know why by now, E," Vince murmurs. "You really should."
"Vince…" Eric trails off because he really doesn't know what to say. Vince is too close and Eric feels trapped in the desk. He wants to escape to the hallway and get some air; to breathe something in besides Vince's aftershave and the hint of cinnamon on his breath.
"I think you just don't want to admit it."
Vince snarls a bit as he says it. For some reason, that makes Eric's heart shoot up into this throat. He tries to swallow it back down, but can't. Sweat is beading on his forehead and he can feel a flush spreading up his neck to his face. The rapidly spreading feeling of embarrassment sparks off his temper and he grinds his teeth together.
"Admit what, Vince?" Long fingers reach out and brush against Eric's neck. He flinches a bit and gets a smirk in return. So he snaps out, "Enough of this bullshit. Either say it or don't."
"You first." Vince shrugs, but doesn't pull back.
"No, no fucking way." Eric shakes his head.
"Say it, E," Vince pleads. He leans in closer and his lips brush against Eric's ear. "Say it for me."
Eric closes his eyes. He can still feel Vince's breath on his neck, hot and heavy. It's doing unsettling things to Eric; things that make him feel completely out of control. So he doesn't think, he just grabs Vince by the back of the neck and pulls him in close for a kiss. It's not much of one because Vince pulls back almost immediately and laughs. It's not a good laugh; it's out of joy, but for the wrong reasons. Vince is laughing at Eric, laughing because he got Eric to do something just by acting.
A slow burn seeps from Eric's heart into his limbs. Everything is a blur and he can't tell if that's because he's so angry or because he's holding back tears of humiliation. He pushes Vince away and gets to his feet. To his surprise, Vince shoves him back down.
"Let me go, motherfucker," Eric spits at him.
"You're tied up, remember?"
Vince has got that innocent little boy look and Eric growls. His fingers wrap around Vince's shirt collar and he hauls him in close enough that he can see Vince's eyes widen in fear.
"This is all about the play?" Eric asks quietly, trying to control himself.
"Well, you weren't really getting into character, so I thought this would help," Vince answers with a shrug.
"Fuck you."
He stands and shoves Vince hard enough to send him sprawling back onto his ass. The desk gets the same treatment in the opposite direction. By that time, Vince is crab-walking backwards, trying to get away from Eric.
"E, c'mon. I thought you knew it was all just an act," Vince pleads.
Eric ignores the plea and just keeps on stalking forward. "It wasn't to me."
Vince leans up on his elbows and raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
The anger is ebbing, but the humiliation is still there. Eric's not sure he can hold back the flood of emotion threatening to overwhelm him any longer. His hands curl into fists and he takes a deep breath.
"Just fucking forget it, okay? Just forget it," Eric manages to bite out before turning on his heel and stalking out into the hallway.
He doesn't talk to Vince for awhile after that. There are finals to prepare for and state championships to be won and Eric forces himself to get wrapped up these big events so he won't have to think about anything. Before he knows it, it's graduation and then Vince is packing up to head for Hollywood. Eric really doesn't want to, but he goes with Turtle anyway to say goodbye.
It's awkward standing there trying to look like everything is normal between him and Vince when it's not. He watches Vince hug siblings and his mom and pretty much everyone in the neighborhood, it seems. Part of him is hoping Vince won't hug him, will just wave and be done with it, but then Vince is stepping over to him and Eric feels this swell of something in his heart.
"E…" Vince trails off and awkwardly shuffles his feet.
"Yeah," Eric does an awkward shuffle of his own. "Good luck out there."
"You're supposed to say break a leg."
Eric starts to tell Vince off, but then Vince is hugging him tight enough to knock his breath away.
"Come with me to LA, E," Vince murmurs against Eric's neck.
Really, it's as good of an apology as Eric's ever going to get, but he can't accept it. Not now, when everything is still so raw.
"I can't," Eric says quietly.
Vince pulls back and looks him in the eye. "I wish…" He trails off and shakes his head. "If it was going to be a guy, it would be you, you know that, right?"
"Yeah," Eric replies. Because he knows Vince is being honest, and he has to accept that, even if it's tearing him apart to be alone with this feeling. Without Vince for the first time since he was six.
"If you ever change your mind…"
Before Eric can answer, Vince is slipping off into a crowd of relatives and friends, all clamoring for attention. Eric watches him for a moment and then walks away. He doesn't look back because if he does, he knows he'll give in. Forsake his feelings for Vince's, just like always.