Vogue | Tony Stark

FORTY - BACK TO NORMAL

"You don't feel like playing soccer with Tony, hm?"

Leonie had been keeping an eye on her nine year old daughter all afternoon. She'd been quieter than usual that day, choosing to sit by herself by the pool while Tony played soccer on the lawn, kicking ball after ball into the back of the huge net George had put together that morning.

Esté shook her head, pulling her knees up to her chest as she squinted, one hand over her eyes, "I like to watch."

Leonie frowned as she sat down beside her daughter, "But you don't like soccer, sweetie. Is something wrong?"

"No," Esté said, laying down on her front on the sun lounger and resting her face in her hands, "I mean I like to watch Tony."

"Oh," Leonie said with a smirk, "I see."

She stayed quiet for a minute and watched Esté watch the boy. He was counting under his breath how many times he could kick the ball up with both feet without it hitting the ground, eventually growing mad every time he missed and smashing the ball into the net before starting over again.

His dark hair was short and messy from the heat of the sun and sweat made his skin shine, a line from the sleeves of his t-shirt showed two tones to his skin that had tanned all summer long and freckles across his face made his dark eyes glow like honey.

"I think I love him, Mommy."

"Is that so?" Leonie said, smiling to herself as she brushed Esté's hair from her face and tied it up in a scrunchie, "And have you told him?"

Esté gasped and leapt up, spinning around with wide eyes revealed when she pulled off her sunglasses.

"No!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, "I can't, it'll scare him away. I'd rather him be my friend forever than do that."

Leonie took Esté's face into her hands and kissed the tip of her nose, "Love isn't anything to be afraid of, darling. I don't think anything you do or say could ever make Tony run away from you."

"Really?" The girl said, turning to look over her shoulder at Tony who kicked the ball high in the sky and caught it perfectly balanced on the edge of his soccer boot.

"Really," Leonie said, whispering close to her ear, "And I think, my beautiful Estélla, that he probably loves you too."

Tony strolled through the West Village with a smile on his face that Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining and people were enjoying apéritifs on tables on the sidewalk beneath the clear blue sky.

One month had passed since the Fourth of July party and true to their words, Esté and Tony had slowly started to rekindle their friendship. It wasn't exactly back to how it once had been and neither of them were convinced it ever would be again, but nevertheless, anything felt better than the hostility that held them apart before.

The civility made room for easy planning of events and parties, no mutual friends worrying about whether they should invite one, both, or neither of them. Katy and Alicia felt like they could breathe again knowing that their relationships weren't driving an uncomfortable wedge between their friendship with Esté too, and although that had never been the case at all, seeing Estélla and Tony laugh together like nothing had ever happened made everyone feel better.

The group had movie nights at the Stark Tower and attended parties and dinners, Tony wasn't afraid to call round if he was passing by Esté's home by chance and she wasn't afraid to ask him for advice on her contracts and job offers.

Although Tony often found himself staring at her lips for a little too long or hanging on the end of every word she said, he forced himself to suppress those feelings for the sake of their friendship, desperate to keep hold of what they had and never let it go again, even if he couldn't have her the way he so deeply desired.