Vogue | Tony Stark

FORTY ONE - RAIN IN AUGUST

By the time Esté's birthday rolled around, she had shared the news of her relationship with those closest to her. She had expected some backlash from her friends about her decision, but Katy and Alicia had been nothing but supportive of her once she gushed to them about just how happy she was to have figured things out with Christian.

The guest list for her charity dinner had tightened that year, meaning only those she considered real friends rather than just acquaintances had been invited. The event was being held in a restaurant in the Financial District inside a heritage building that was once a bank, sporting stunningly high ceilings and beautiful marble floors.

With a black tie dress code like always, Estélla arrived on Christian's arm in a floor length black gown; a backless number with a high neckline and five-inch heels that turned heads from every corner of the room. She looked classically beautiful with dark-lined eyes and a red lip, perfectly blown out hair and a vintage Chanel clutch bag in her hand.

It was raining that particular day and the air was humid as the city drowned in dark clouds, but that didn't stop Esté from splashing a smile onto her face to greet her guests that made the mad dash from their cabs up the steps of the restaurant.

She was embraced simultaneously by Katy and Alicia, sighing with happiness at them all being together again. Life had pulled all three of them in different directions over the past handful of weeks and FaceTime calls weren't cutting it for the best friends anymore, but the absence made the reunion so much sweeter.

Steve and Bucky were quick to wish Estélla a happy birthday on their arrival before she encouraged all of her friends to help themselves to drinks, saying a quick hello to Rhodey who rolled in a couple of minutes later, Tony a few paces behind him.

He stopped when he reached the top of the staircase, rain dampening his hair that he didn't bother to shake away when he locked eyes on Estélla. She looked breathtaking, and in that moment, Tony truly felt the breath disappear from his lungs and leave him clinging onto life by the supply of her and her alone.

It wasn't until she looked at him that he was able to move again, frozen in time as he admired her without her even realising it, though he wasted no time in walking straight over to the beautiful girl as soon as she smiled in his direction.

"You're here," she said softly, arms around his neck as he touched her waist, hugging her warmly with a gentle kiss pressed against her blushed cheek.

"Of course I'm here," he chuckled, "You look beautiful, Esté. Happy birthday."

She turned a pale shade of red at his compliment, shrugging as she looked down at herself with a shy smile, "Thank you. You also look pretty good, makes a change from those oil-stained sweats I've seen you in for the past month."

Esté had almost forgotten how good Tony cleaned up after getting used to seeing him lounging around the Tower with their friends in gym clothes or sweatpants and messy hair. His Saint Laurent suit was perfectly tailored, a shade of deep navy that pulled through in the colour of his skinny silk tie and the stone inside the ring on his little finger. A white shirt made his skin shine and his eyes glisten, hair slicked back and aftershave the same spiced musky scent that she'd always remembered him wearing.

Things had been hard for Tony since stumbling across the secret of her rekindled relationship and for the first few days afterward, he could barely string a single comprehensible thought together.

The truth had paralysed him and Tony had found accepting it incredibly painful, holding a bitter hostility and resentment towards the situation that burned his throat whenever he tried to speak.