Voice in the Silence

“Are you staying?” Steven’s voice is anxious. “Do you think I could ever leave you?” Dave steps toward Steven, who looks away. “You’ve already done it once,” he reminds him, lowering his voice. Dave wants to touch him, but he sees Steven tense up. He decides to act with words instead. “I’m sorry,” he says quietly. “I had no other choice back then.” “And now… can you? And you won’t run off tomorrow morning?” Steven asks challengingly. Dave shakes his head. He will never repeat that mistake. He will never hide anything. He will never make decisions for both of them. Three months ago, he pushed away the person he cared about most. He thought Steven might ruin his life because of him, but he didn’t realize that disappearing would cause even more pain. During filming, he suspected a ligament strain. His knee hurt every time he made a sharp step, twisted his torso, or shifted his weight a little too much onto his right leg. Dave decided to hide it to stay on the show, especially since he didn’t consider it serious. But after filming, he had to see a doctor. The verdict was surgery and rehabilitation. There were risks of complications, the recovery would take a long time, and it could happen that he might never dance the way he used to. He didn’t want Steven to give up everything to stay with him. His career was just starting to take off, and he could never forgive himself if he became the reason Steven failed. So he ran. Left Steven hanging and blocked his number. He thought it would be easier for both of them. But it wasn’t. The first weeks after surgery, he couldn’t walk properly, crying at night from unbearable pain and regretting not saying goodbye. But he kept telling himself, “It would only make things worse for him.” Rehabilitation, however, went better than expected. He gradually began performing simple dance moves, and the doctors’ forecasts for his professional future were optimistic. And now, Dave appears at Steven’s doorstep. He can stand firmly on his feet and dance a little. He comes not as someone ‘broken,’ but as someone who wants to explain everything honestly. And Steven listens. More than that—he forgives him. But, unfortunately, he no longer trusts him completely.  

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Alena finished the last sentence and squeezed her eyes shut. She had been writing for two hours straight, not getting up, while also answering work messages. She planned to spend another half hour at the computer to transfer all her ideas onto the screen. Then a new notification on her phone distracted her. @tatiana_ember, 16:44: Hi ✨ Long time no chat. How are you? @alena_synthesis, 16:44: Hey 🙂 Swamped, but happy for a little break. @tatiana_ember, 16:44: So what are you up to? @alena_synthesis, 16:44: Working from home today and trying to write at the same time. @tatiana_ember, 16:44: I hope I’m not interrupting? @alena_synthesis, 16:45: Not at all 😌 How about you? @tatiana_ember, 16:45: I watched the Daven podcast yesterday. Did you see it? @alena_synthesis, 16:45: You’re asking 😅 Of course I did. I watched it and screamed like a maniac. @tatiana_ember, 16:45: Same here. Our story fits so well with real events. What did you like the most? Alena got up from the desk and went to her bedroom. She settled comfortably in bed, phone in hand, and started typing her reply. They share impressions until they’ve discussed every tiny detail of the video. Then they move on to the latest posts from their favorite couple on social media. Alena barely notices how the time flies. Tanya is the only person she can talk to in such detail about the show. @tatiana_ember, 17:59: Will you share what you’ve written? @alena_synthesis, 17:59: The chapter isn’t finished yet, but I can send what I have. @alena_synthesis, 17:59: 📄 Book Over time, Alena stopped worrying so much when sending her pieces. Tanya never criticized her harshly, and was always happy with her reasonable feedback. While Tanya was reading, Alena returned to her desk. During her absence, a lot of unresolved tasks had piled up. She groaned, grabbed her head, and started sorting through the mess. @tatiana_ember, 18:15: So much drama! I love it 🔥 Why did you decide to summarize Daven’s story briefly? Was it intentional or were you too lazy to dedicate a couple of chapters to it? 😉 @alena_synthesis, 18:22: Honestly, I don’t even know 😂 It all started as a dialogue in my head and then turned into THIS. Do you think I should expand it? @tatiana_ember, 18:22: I think it’s an important stage of their lives. It would be great if you wrap up the main story with that dialogue. @alena_synthesis, 18:22: Thanks for the ideas 😊 I really got lazy. Probably should take a little break. @tatiana_ember, 18:23: Makes sense. I think I’ll go and think about what passionate consequences their reconciliation might lead to 🔥 @alena_synthesis, 18:23: Good luck 🐾 The next day, Alena finally decided to tell Sanya about her new acquaintance. She tried to keep it low-key, but judging by her friend’s smirk, she didn’t do a very good job. Naturally, Sashka was happy for the good news, but she couldn’t help but point out that if Tanya tried to take her place as Alena’s best friend, Alena would lose her co-author. Tanya, however, wasn’t trying to replace Sashka, yet their communication became closer. Alena told her that she worked with databases and was a data analyst. Tanya was genuinely surprised—Alena’s writing didn’t at all reflect someone used to working with numbers. Tanya herself was a PR manager, and Alena immediately remembered that evening when Tanya had been buried in posts but still decided to take a break from work to read Alena’s chapter. She lived in a rented apartment in Maryino but wanted to get her own place. Alena, meanwhile, had inherited her flat in Chertanovo from her grandmother. When Tanya learned about Iriska, she said she had always dreamed of having a pet, but her parents were firmly against it. Now, though, she felt she probably couldn’t take care of anyone. She asked to see Iriska, and soon their chat was filled with photos of the cat in every possible pose. They still hadn’t exchanged any pictures of themselves. Together, they wrote a couple more chapters. It could have gone on like this indefinitely—until one day, Tanya sent a message with an intriguing proposal. @tatiana_ember, 21:09: Listen, I have an awesome idea. @alena_synthesis, 21:10: Oh yeah? @tatiana_ember, 21:10: I think we should go over our next intimate scene in more detail. Haha. That sounds a bit suggestive. @alena_synthesis, 21:10: I’m all for it. You planning to torture me with questions again? @tatiana_ember, 21:10: Not just torture 🤪 I think it’s time we have a call. I’ve been wanting to hear your voice for a while. Alena sighed. Every time, Tanya seemed to creep further into her head. @tatiana_ember, 21:10: Are you free now? @alena_synthesis, 21:10: Yeah 🙂 @tatiana_ember, 21:11: Great, I’ll call you now. Just one thing. Alena tensed. @tatiana_ember, 21:11: I’m leaving tomorrow for the branch opening, and I haven’t packed yet. You don’t mind if I multitask a little and get distracted? @alena_synthesis, 21:11: No problem 😌 Video call… @tatiana_ember Alena hadn’t expected Tanya to call via video. She quickly walked to the mirror, adjusted her hair, and exhaled. She swiped right on the screen and flopped onto the couch. “Hi,” came a deep, muted voice, and an image appeared on the screen. Tanya didn’t look like her photos. Not in the sense that the pictures exaggerated her—in reality, she seemed somehow more alive. Her face was expressive, and her smile had a hint of mystery. “Hi,” Alena said quickly. “You’re so cute,” Tanya said, bringing the phone closer to her face. “And in the photos, you look completely different.” Tanya started with compliments—by now, they didn’t surprise Alena much, but they were still pleasant. “Less cute?” she smirked. “Too serious,” Tanya explained, standing up. “It’s about time we actually saw each other.” Alena froze for a few seconds. Tanya was wearing short shorts and a fitted tank top. The sight made her head spin slightly. “Maybe Sanya was right? I really should have hooked up with someone…” “You look different in the photos too…” she said with some difficulty. “And what’s the difference?” Tanya was already rummaging through her large bag. “You’re wearing way too many clothes there,” Alena blurted out, forgetting that this was the Tanya, the one she really shouldn’t be crossing lines with. “Maybe you just didn’t see the right photos?” the girl replied playfully. “Great, now I’d have to ask her to send them,” Alena scolded herself mentally. “And what if she actually agreed?” “Let’s discuss the book later,” Tanya suggested, returning to the phone and letting Alena get a better look at her figure. “Later?” Alena managed a questioning tone. “Focus!” Alena scolded herself. “Your jaw’s practically dropping. She wanted to chat, not seduce you.” “Want me to send you some photos from St. Petersburg tomorrow?” “Yeah,” Alena nodded stupidly. “Will she be in the photos? ” ran through her mind. “Or better, I’ll call you from the hotel when you’re free. How does that sound?” “Perfect,” the girl answered sincerely. Tanya returned to packing, moving deeper into the room. Alena finally pushed down the unwelcome feeling and managed to focus on the conversation. Tanya explained what her mission in Saint Petersburg would involve, and they agreed on a time for their next call. After that, the conversation turned creative, and they started discussing the upcoming explicit scene. Mostly Tanya spoke, while Alena listened, eyes fixed on the enticing, half-naked figure. If she had been there in that moment, she would have… “No!" she cut herself off. “Not now.” Tanya promised to piece together all the chapters while she was away and regretfully noted that she needed to go to bed soon to get up early. “We really need to meet in person. I’m sure you’re even cuter in real life,” she said, tiredly. Alena gave a brief nod, taking that adjective as her second name. “Let’s meet when I get back.” Alena couldn’t refuse the offer. When the call ended, she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. The image of Tanya in short shorts and a thin tank top lingered before her eyes. Probably too thin for January. Her apartment must be very warm, so she didn’t really need more. Alena imagined being in her apartment. She imagined pulling off the unnecessary tank top and touching the hot chest beneath. Her other hand slipped deep into the shorts. Suddenly, Alena realized that her hand really was in the shorts—but not Tanya’s. She wanted to pull it back but decided it was too late to deny anything—she was jerking off to someone she’d never met in person. Masturbating in front of a screen was normal, but usually when there was an equally aroused girl on the other side. Here… Despite the unexpected discoveries, she didn’t stop; she just had to move to a more comfortable horizontal surface. Biting her lip, Alena tried to catch her breath and get her thoughts in order. “Well, I jerked off once. Who hasn’t? Just overworked,” she thought. Her heart was pounding, and she still felt touches that weren’t there. She reached for her phone, saw no new notifications, and opened her notes. It seemed that Dave and Steven were about to experience the fantasies of the second author firsthand.