In Five Years

Chapter 8

Shayne is close enough to the front of the theatre that he isn't allowed to move from his seat to join Courtney backstage until the next break. The next break is, thankfully, only a couple of minutes later after Best Actor is presented – which they don't win, but the actor nominated from their movie hadn't even been able to attend, so he had already figured that would be the case – and a venue staff member quickly appears at his side and directs him to follow her weaving across the front of the stage and into a backstage access door, then through cold concrete hallways into a press room where Courtney is posing against a backdrop holding her award.

Lisa is standing just off to the side of the photographers, and Shayne hesitates, going to pause beside her until she tilts her head to direct him over to Courtney.

He doesn't make it more than half a step further before Courtney's eyes move over to him, her smile immediately brightening into an ecstatic grin as she gestures him over and he walks to join her in front of the backdrop, arm immediately wrapping around her shoulders as he instinctively leans in and presses a kiss against her lips that she returns with some vigour.

"I'm so proud of you," he tells her, softly, letting his eyes stay on her for a moment even as the cameras opposite them click away.

"I'm so glad you were here for this. I think I almost blacked out while they were reading out the nominees until you squeezed my hand," she tells him, knowing her voice is low enough that only he will pick it up. He shakes his head fondly, gently squeezing her shoulder with his hand.

"I'm glad I'm here too."

They finally turn their attention to the cameras, then, posing as they are requested to for another minute or so until they've apparently got enough photos and let them step aside. They make it back out into the theatre just in time to see them lose Best Picture to the same fantasy epic that had won Best Score, but Courtney lets that one slide, still riding the high of her own win as the night draws to a close.

Lisa appears again from somewhere further back in the theatre, after the show finishes, wrapping Courtney into a (second) hug to congratulate her before she leads them back out to their limo to whisk them off to the afterparties – Vanity Fair, of course – while she goes home at a reasonable time.

They'd offered, backstage, to give Courtney a faux-trophy – the real trophies get taken back immediately after they're presented for engraving, couriered to their recipients a few weeks later – that she could carry around with her for the night, but she declines, instead lacing her hand almost permanently in Shayne's as she holds her clutch in the other and they move through the rest of the night. The Vanity Fair party has its own red carpet that they move through as quickly as possible to enter the party-proper, intending to immediately head for the champagne (Courtney, originally, had planned for a sober night, but as Shayne had reminded her in the car over – she did just win a fucking OSCAR, and it's not like they were going to be home at a reasonable time either way).

Instead, not ten seconds after they step into the party they hear a high-pitched squeal, turning in surprise to see one Olivia Sui running at them despite her very tall heels.

"Courtneyyyyy you did it!" she exclaims, loudly, arms wrapping around her and pulling her into a tight hug, "one of my best friends won a fucking OSCAR!"

"Hey, Liv," Courtney replies, laughing, as she carefully places her hands on Olivia's shoulders just above the off-the-shoulder sleeves of her own dress, just as she relents from the bone-crushing hug and steps away a little, "I didn't know you'd be here?"

"We got the afterparty invite randomly even though we weren't at the actual ceremony, decided last minute we'd actually come because a bunch of people we know are here and also, you were nominated," she points out, grinning, "we were watching it in the car here, Sam and I both screamed when they said your name- and also, the cute stuff was nice too, but you gazing up at her like that is going to be everywhere tomorrow, Shayne."