Estélla finally let out the breath she'd been holding in when the last model walked out onto the runway, leaving her stood backstage with a collapsed group of stylists and makeup artists that were finally able to rest, too.
She had been in Paris for four days preparing for the show and had been awake on that particular day since three o'clock in the morning. The cocktail of adrenaline, stress and excitement, however, had been enough to carry her through an incredibly long day, not even a hint of tiredness creeping into her bright eyes once backstage fell quiet.
The show she'd spent months working on with Saint Laurent's Creative Direction, Anthony Vaccarello, had been a firework of a success. Everything ran smoothly thanks to meticulous planning and preparation, help from an army of a team that worked tirelessly to dress models and of course, the models who walked just as flawlessly as they always did.
It was sunset by that time and the catwalk beneath the Eiffel Tower was adorned with every model that had walked the show, applauded by rows of spectators that had risen to their feet to share their appreciation and love for what they'd just seen.
Estélla hadn't been on the runway since earlier that morning when she'd had a stroll down before the sun had risen. Staff were setting up chairs for guests and hanging name tags over the front of them, her stomach turning when she saw the names of her parents on the front row, knowing that those seats would be filled by strangers once she informed them that her parents were in fact not attending the show.
It had bothered her for a while but Esté was forced to get over the fact she wouldn't be sharing the moment with the most important people in her life. It hadn't been a new occurrence though, since the times that Giovanni had actually attended her shows while they were together had been thinly few and far between.
It felt strange not walking a show herself since it was practically second nature to her at that point, but she'd enjoyed the challenge that directing a show had presented her and, like everything in life, she conquered it, and then some.
"Ready?" Anthony held out his arm to Estélla, both of them stood in the wings of the catwalk.
Inhaling sharply, Estélla's smile spread across her face and into a sparkle through her blue eyes, nodding as she linked her arm through his. She was sporting a stunning Saint Laurent slip dress in the darkest shade of of iridescent black with a pair of stunning Opyum heeled sandals, Anthony in a suit crafted from the same fabric as her dress and a sharp white shirt with a pair of shoes that shone almost as bright as both of their smiles did.
"Ready," she said.
They walked arm in arm down the middle of the runway, models creating a pathway for them on either side as the crowd increased their applause and cheers for the masterminds behind the show.
Estélla desperately wanted to appear humble and keep her cool, though the giddiness had consumed her and her excitement couldn't be hidden from the appearance her bright red cheeks and the gloss of tears over her eyes.
Not wanting to ruin her makeup that had somehow lasted since five-thirty that morning, Estélla swallowed the lump in her throat and dabbed gently at the corners of her eyes with a gentle laugh, trying to keep her skin free of any tears despite feeling overwhelmed with immense pride in herself.
Unable to resist the urge, Estélla pulled her eyes over to the two chairs that had been reserved for her parents, curiosity getting the better of her when she wondered who had filled them.
She'd expected to see a familiar face occupying the spare seats since it was usually a rotation of the same celebrities and fashion giants that attended the shows, though what Estélla hadn't expected, was to see her best friend.
Tony's heart was in his mouth when he looked up and saw Estélla shining on the runway beneath the Eiffel Tower, an honest welling of pride in her eyes as she took in the applause that she undoubtedly deserved.
When she looked at him, however, Tony felt his smile grow infinitely, and he watched her's do the same. He witnessed the shock register on her face and the overjoy light up her cheeks and her eyes, his heart beating faster when he noticed her bottom lip begin to tremble and her smile turn into an unstable frown.
Reaching beneath his seat, Tony took his chance to take a couple of quick steps forward and hand his best friend a huge bouquet of Juliet roses before sprinting back to his place, dashing out of the flash of the cameras that snapped at the interaction like it was gold dust.
Estélla had been conscious about the reputation of her friend since they first crossed paths again before Christmas, and a lot of the hesitancy she had towards being publicly tied to him still stood. She felt guilty about it since she knew how good of a person Tony was, but her industry had encouraged her to think selfishly about some things to protect her own reputation, forcing her to find a balance between fame and friendship.
In that moment, however, Estélla didn't care. Her heart too had risen into her throat as soon as her eyes landed on Tony in the audience. His face felt like home as they looked at one another and the tears that fell were unstoppable, an overwhelming tug on her heartstrings at the realisation that someone had been there to support her.
And as she bent down and accepted her lifelong favourite roses from him, Esté realised that the only person she'd wanted there after all had been there.
She tossed her judgement to the side for the moment for the sake of her heart and her happiness, kissing her fingertips and blowing it in Tony's direction. He grinned from ear to ear and grabbed the kiss in his palm, pressing it against his chest before giving her a reassuring nod as he sat back down.
He hadn't seen Esté since their second rather awkward encounter last week at her home, though the tension had only lasted for a few long minutes while Esté made the second cups of coffee, their dynamic instantly switching back to normal while they carried on laughing about old memories while they flicked through photo albums.
He had undoubtedly been consumed by the weight of his feelings and Tony had spent hours trying to decipher them while he had some time away from his friend, though the thing he couldn't shake the most was how disappointed she'd looked when she'd first answered the door that day.
And so, there was really no hesitation from Tony when the idea to fly to Paris for her Saint Laurent show entered his head, booking the flight and hotel within minutes. He'd kept the trip a surprise for her and although it had been eating him alive not being able to tell her, knowing it would make her feel better to have someone she knew there to support her, he knew that the look on her face when she found out for herself would be worth it.
Any by God, the way Tony's world slowed down and darkened around him to make his eyes see only her when she looked at him with the most heavenly smile, had surely been worth every second.
"Oh my gosh, that was amazing! I'm so proud of you, Esté."
Alicia and Katy had been walking the show that day which had acted as a small comfort to Estélla to know she had some familiar faces around her, even if she hadn't had much chance to talk to them at all that day.
The girls reunited backstage once the show was closed, three of them embracing tightly with a bubble of happiness and excitement wrapping around them.
"It was fantastic, and you look fantastic, too. You owned that runway with Anthony more than any of us did the whole day." Alicia nodded, squeezing Este's hands with a wide grin.
Estélla just blushed, rolling her eyes, "I couldn't have done any of this on my own, but thank you."
"And I can't believe Tony showed up too! Did you know?" Katy asked.
Shaking her head, Esté bit down on her bottom lip to suppress her smile, though her eyes gave all of her emotions away easily.
"Nope," she said with raised shoulders, picking up the bunch of flowers again and inhaling their scent with her eyes closed, "Total surprise. I'd never have expected him to do this for me."
Katy just scoffed, "Probably because he's-"
"Miss Goldwyn! I have a visitor for you."
The girls turned their attention to a runner who had interrupted them, looking past him and his clipboard to see Tony strolling through the door with his hands in his pockets, a pair of red sunglasses across his eyes and a pocket square tucked into his blazer that matched the shade perfectly.
Katy and Alicia excused themselves with quiet giggled and nervous smiles, walking away hand in hand while Esté stayed alone with her roses.
As Tony sauntered over to her once the runner had left too, Estélla realised for the first time just how cool he was. Sure, the whole world knew just how slick and charming Tony Stark was, but Estélla had never seen him that way, not until then, anyway.
He looked handsome with his hair styled into messy place and trimmed stubble, a smirk tugging on his lips. He was in all black bedsides the pops of red, a Saint Laurent blazer fitting him like a glove and a casual t-shirt beneath the luxury, a hint of his silver Tag Heuer peeking out from beneath his sleeve.
"You didn't have to come, you know."
It was the first moment all day that Esté had felt peaceful. The excitement hadn't diminished whatsoever but the adrenaline had worn off a little and the quietness of backstage now most of the team had packed up and left the site made it easier for her to think clearly, to think at all.
"I know," Tony said, "But come on, you really think I'd let my friend live one of the most important days of her life without being there? Granted I did have to turn down a whole host of other engagements for you so I hope you're grateful. I could've had dinner with Rihanna, spent the weekend in the Bahamas with-"
He was silenced by Estélla throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him with such force that took his words and his breath away. He just laughed at the shock before embracing her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered, "It means the world that you're here, honestly."
They broke their embrace but Tony held her waist, his eyes seemingly searching her face for something as he looked at her, though nothing in their atmosphere changed in that moment besides their smiles.
"I'll always be there for you, sweetheart. Got to make up for these lost fifteen years somehow, right?" he said with a smile, "Now where do you want to go to celebrate, hm? Fancy grabbing some drinks?"
Her expression fell at his suggestion and he let go of her waist, tilting his head in confusion before she spoke up again.
"I can't. I have a dinner with Anna and Anthony, a couple of other people, too," she fell silent for a moment and perched on a directors chair, chewing on her lip in though before her eyes lit up and smile returned, "Why don't you come? I'm sure they won't mind. Might not be as exciting as dinner with Rihanna, though."
Tony laughed with a stutter, unease clear at her idea as he slowly shook his head, "Sounds like an invitation only kind of thing, Stella. I'm not sure they'd want a superhero at their table."
"Well I do. Besides, you saved Anna's apartment, remember? I'm firmly in her good books right now too so there's no way she'd say no."
Two hours later and Tony found himself sat at a rather intimate dinner in The Ritz hotel. There were only seven other guests seated at the table but by that time, several glasses of champagne had been consumed and Tony's composed ego had taken over, a jet stream of confidence spilling easily from his lips as he charmed Anna Wintour and talked suits with Anthony Vaccarello who sat to his left.
Esté was on his right and her happiness hadn't dwindled for a single moment the entire night. Tony could only recall her being this happy one other time in their lives, an equally proud moment for himself when he watched her come first in a gymnastics competition when they were twelve. He remembered how nervous she'd been and in turn, just how overjoyed she'd been after having the gold medal placed around her neck.
Her smile was reminiscent of that memory that night and her energy was too. Estélla wasn't normally the most talkative person in a room but at that dinner table, she talked and talked like she'd never run out of words to say. She was happy, and Tony knew that as truly as he knew the sun was hot.
"I'd just like to say a few words, if I may?" Anthony cleared his throat and rose to his feet, pausing the other conversations at the table with his presence, "If I say so myself, today was beyond a success. It was perhaps the best show we've ever done and all the blood, sweat and tears were worth it so much that I would gladly to it all over again tomorrow. That being said, I wouldn't have been able to pull any of this off if it wasn't for Estélla."
Esté looked up at Anthony with red cheeks and wide eyes, a sad smile on her face as she tried to push back any humble tears, overwhelmed once again at how highly people thought of her, still not being used to accepting love and adoration.
"So I'd like to propose a toast," Anthony continued, raising his champagne flute in the air, to which everyone else followed suit, "To the beauty and brains, the intelligence and genius that is the goddess, Estélla Goldwyn."
Tony wasted no time in standing up himself, looking down to his right with his champagne flute raised and cocking a brow, his smile playful as he gazed down at a red-faced Esté.
"To Estélla," Tony said, glancing down at his hand when he felt Estélla grab it beneath the table, out of sight of everybody else.
"To Estélla." The rest of the table echoed.
They raised their glances in unison before all taking a sip and sitting back down, though Tony didn't feel his hand become cold. He let her stay clinging to him for a few moments and conversation resumed, hyper aware of the warmth of her fingers curled around his palm as Esté conversed with Anna across the table.
The pressure on his hand was light but the weight it flooded to his brain wasn't, a million bolts of lighting heading straight for his heart that tried to beat fast enough to keep up with itself.
Instead of fighting with himself on what to do, Tony drew in a deep breath and slipped his hand onto her thigh beneath the table when Anthony began to talk to him again. Neither he or Esté looked at one another and for a moment the absence of her fingers on his skin was cutting him deep enough to think he'd made a mistake. A few seconds later, however, a smile grew on his face while he talked with Anthony, a gentle tickling of her touch on the back of his palm beneath the table, out of sight from the rest of the world.
an;;
he showed up for her im sobbing!!! sorry if this has been a lil boring so far, I hope you're enjoying still, I promise things will get a bit more interesting soon!!! <3