The embrace, which began as a refuge against the world's pains, became the center of a silent fire. Isaac's confession about the false accusation of abuse still echoed in the air, but the pain was now transforming into something denser and more urgent.
Isaac did not let her go. On the contrary, he pulled her tighter against him, as if anchoring his own soul to hers. He moved his face back just enough to look at her. His hands, still marked by the tension of the confession, rose slowly to Sasha's face.
— That lie almost erased me, Sasha
— he whispered, his voice husky.
— I proved my innocence in court, but the world never gave me back who I was. I never let anyone get close again... until you.
Sasha felt a shiver run down her spine. Isaac's vulnerability disarmed her. She didn't feel social phobia now; she felt a hunger for proximity that she had never experienced.
Sasha's Initiative
For the first time in her life, Sasha didn't wait. She didn't retreat back into her hood. In an act of courage that defied all her traumas, she slid her hands out of her hoodie sleeves and held Isaac's face. His skin was warm, slightly damp from the rain.
She leaned in, closing the distance. Her lips brushed his, a trembling touch, yet heavy with intent. Isaac shuddered, his eyes closing tightly, as if that contact were simultaneously his salvation and his greatest panic.
— Sasha...
— he murmured against her mouth, his breath heavy and unstable.
— I'm afraid.
Sasha stopped millimeters from his lips, her eyes fixed on his.
— Afraid of what?
— she whispered, feeling his warmth invade her senses.
— Afraid that this is a dream. Afraid that I'll hurt you somehow, even without meaning to...
— Isaac's hands tightened around her waist, possessive and insecure at the same time.
— Afraid that if I surrender, I won't know how to go back to being the guy who smiles behind the counter.
Sasha didn't answer with words. She sealed the distance with a decisive, deep kiss that silenced his doubts. It was she who pulled him closer, she who intensified the contact, seeking his tongue with an urgency that surprised them both.
The Heat of Surrender
The atmosphere heated up instantly. The sound of the rain outside was muffled by the noise of their racing breaths. Isaac let out a low groan, a mixture of relief and desire, and returned the kiss with equal intensity. He led her backward, their steps stumbling in anxiety, until Sasha's legs hit the edge of the sofa.
They fell together, their bodies fitting with a painful perfection. Sasha was on top of him now, her hands lost in Isaac's hair, while he explored the curve of her back beneath the hoodie. Her skin, sensitive to his touch, seemed to burn.
— I don't want you to go back to being that guy, Isaac
— Sasha whispered between kisses that moved down to his neck.
— I want you. Here. Like this.
Isaac arched his body under hers, his hands moving down to Sasha's hips, pulling her so she could feel how much he wanted her. The past, Scott's lies, and the ex-girlfriend now seemed like distant ghosts in the face of the reality of that touch. There, in the shadows of the apartment, they were no longer victims of their stories; they were just two hearts trying, finally, to beat at the same rhythm.
The Night Continues
The sofa seemed too small for the intensity of what was happening. The sound of the rain against the windowpane was now just white noise, muffled by the sound of heavy breathing and the brushing of fabric.
Isaac, his heart still hammering against his ribs, felt every inch of Sasha's body against his own. He looked at her
— her hair messy, her lips reddened from the kiss, and her eyes which, for the first time, were not searching for the floor, but for his.
— The bedroom...
— Sasha whispered, her voice trembling but carrying a determination she never knew she possessed.
Isaac nodded, speechless. He stood up, holding her hand, their fingers tightly interlaced. They walked through the short hallway, where the light was even scarcer, guided only by the soft glow of her music equipment blinking in the dark.
The Sanctuary
As they entered the bedroom, the scent of vanilla and paper grew stronger. Isaac led her to the bed, and the movement was slow, almost ceremonial. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, feeling her lightness and, at the same time, the strength with which she clung to him.
— Sasha
— he murmured, brushing the oversized hoodie off her shoulders, revealing her pale skin under the moonlight filtering through the curtains.
— Are you sure? I don't want... I never want you to feel pressured.
Sasha placed her hand on his chest, feeling the warmth through his shirt.
— For the first time in my life, Isaac... I feel like I am where I should be. There are no headphones, no avatar, no fear. It's just me. And I want it to be you.
The Surrender
Isaac kissed her again, but this time it was a different kiss
— deeper, slower, as if he were trying to memorize every detail of her. His hands, previously hesitant, now moved with a tender confidence, exploring every curve, every invisible scar that social phobia had left on her.
He removed his shirt, and Sasha allowed her eyes to travel over his body, seeing the man who hid under the hooded coats. He was strong, but there was a vulnerability in his shoulders that made her want to protect him as much as he protected her.
When they lay down, the world outside
— with Scott, the ex-girlfriend's lies, and the internet's court
— ceased to exist. There, between sheets and whispered confessions, Isaac and Sasha found each other in a way that music could never express.
Each of Isaac's touches was an apology for everything she had suffered, and each of Sasha's responses was proof that he was not the monster the world tried to create. The atmosphere, which had been fire and urgency, transformed into a sweet and absolute surrender. They moved together, to the rhythm of a song only they knew, turning pain into something beautiful and shared.
The Silence of the Dawn
Hours later, the rain had stopped. The apartment was plunged into an absolute and peaceful silence. Sasha was lying with her head on Isaac's chest, listening to the now calm rhythm of his heart.
— Isaac?
— she called softly.
— Hi.
— Thank you for not leaving the food at the door and going away.
He smiled in the dark, kissing the top of her head and tightening his embrace, feeling the warmth of her skin against his.
— I think, deep down, I knew that if I left today, I would never be able to forgive myself.
They fell asleep like that, intertwined, unaware that while they lived their moment of peace, the shadows of the past and Scott's ambitions were still moving silently in the darkness of the city.
The Awakening of Reality
Isaac was the first to stir. The weight of responsibility woke him before his alarm could. He watched Sasha for a few minutes; she looked so peaceful, stripped of all the defensive layers she usually wore.
Carefully, he disentangled himself from her embrace, trying not to wake her. He had to rush to the coffee shop. Valentina, the owner of the establishment, was a fair woman but strict about punctuality, and Isaac couldn't afford to lose his job now that he needed to be Sasha's safe harbor.
But as he reached for his shirt on the floor, he heard the sheets rustle.
— Are you leaving already?
— Sasha's voice was raspy, tinged with a sudden pang of anxiety.
— I have to, Sasha
— he whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed and caressing her face.
— Valentina is already opening the shop, and if I'm late one more time, I won't be able to justify it. But I'll be back. I promise.
Sasha sat up, pulling the sheet against her chest. Her shyness, which had been cast aside in the urgency of the previous night, seemed to return with the morning sun.
— Isaac... before you go. There's something I haven't told you. Something I hide from everyone.
The Revelation
Isaac stopped, his shirt still unbuttoned. He felt a tightening in his chest, fearing it might be something that could pull them apart. She pointed toward the computer in the corner of the room, where the LED lights of the peripherals still glowed faintly.
— Do you know... Lani? The V-Tuber?
— Her voice was barely a whisper.
Isaac's heart skipped a beat, but for a different reason.
— If I know her? Sasha, I follow her broadcasts whenever I can. Her voice... her music was what helped me stay sane during my worst days.
Sasha looked away toward the professional microphone, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
— It's me. I am Lani.
The silence that followed was heavy. Isaac looked at the girl in front of him and then at the high-tech equipment. Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place: the familiar voice, the isolation, the way she expressed herself through music.
— I don't believe it...
— Isaac murmured, the realization hitting him. — I was listening to you last night, before I came over. The song you were composing... was it for today's stream?
Sasha nodded, her shoulders hunched.
— Lani is everything I can't be. She's confident, she sings for thousands of people. But here... without the avatar, I'm just me. I was afraid you'd be disappointed to see who is behind the screen.
The Contrast
Isaac finished buttoning his shirt, stood up, and walked over to her. He took her hands in his.
— I've always admired Lani, but I fell in love with Sasha. The V-Tuber is amazing, but she's only a part of you. Now everything makes sense... why you hide yourself so much.
Sasha felt an immense wave of relief, but worry quickly returned.
— Scott... he's starting to get suspicious. He wants to reveal my identity to gain views. If the world finds out who I am, I don't know if I can handle the pressure.
Isaac sealed her forehead with a long kiss.
— He's not getting anywhere near you. Now I know exactly what we are protecting.
He grabbed his jacket, casting one last look at her before leaving. As he hurried toward Valentina's coffee shop, Isaac's mind raced. He was a fan of Lani, but he was the protector of Sasha. And now, he would do anything to ensure Scott didn't destroy the world she had built.
Caught Red-Handed
Isaac finished adjusting his jacket, casting one last knowing look at Sasha. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss
—a natural gesture for two people who no longer needed barriers. He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to face his shift with Valentina, and hurried to open the apartment door.
The problem was that someone was on the other side, just about to pound on the wood.
— WHAT IN THE...?!
— Stella's shout echoed through the empty hallway, making Isaac take an instinctive step back.
Stella stood there, a bag of bread in one hand and her other hand balled into a fist in mid-air. She looked at Isaac
—his hair visibly messy, his shirt slightly wrinkled, and wearing that aura of someone who hadn't slept much but was very happy. Then, she peered over his shoulder and saw Sasha, still sitting on the bed wrapped in a sheet, with a spark in her eyes that Stella had never seen before.
The silence lasted exactly three seconds, but it felt like an eternity.
— Isaac?
— Stella asked, her eyebrows arching so high they nearly disappeared into her bangs.
— Weren't you supposed to just be delivering food to her last night? Did the delivery take twelve hours, or did you become the main course of the breakfast menu now?
The Chaos Set In
Isaac felt his neck heat up, but he couldn't help a nervous smile. He tried to formulate a coherent sentence, but Stella's vibrant presence always left him a bit flustered.
— Stella! I... I was just leaving. The rain was heavy last night, and the conversation just kept going... and...
— He gestured vaguely toward the bedroom.
In the background, Sasha hid half of her face behind the sheet, but her eyes were smiling. The comfort she felt with Isaac was so great now that, despite the embarrassment, she didn't feel the urge to run away.
Stella blew into the apartment like a hurricane, ignoring Isaac's excuses. She thudded the bag of bread onto the table and crossed her arms, looking from Isaac to Sasha with a mischievous grin.
— So the "Hero Delivery Boy" finally got promoted to "Special Resident"?
— Stella teased, giving Sasha a wink.
— and here I was, worried if my best friend had eaten dinner, while she was busy... feasting on love.
— Stella!
— Sasha exclaimed, laughing softly, her voice muffled by the fabric.
The Escape (or attempt at it)
Isaac looked at his watch and panicked.
— I swear we'll explain everything later! If I don't get to Valentina's in ten minutes, she's going to grind me up along with the coffee beans!
As he tried to brush past Stella to leave, he got tangled in his own coat and bumped into the doorframe.
— Easy there, tiger!
— Stella laughed, patting him on the shoulder. — Go save your job. I'll take care of Sasha. But you owe me a full report and a top-tier latte with Valentina's seal of approval!
Isaac didn't even have time to process the joke. He just shot one last look full of affection toward Sasha, received a shy little wave back, and bolted down the stairs. As he ran, he could still hear Stella's boisterous laughter echoing through the building.
The night had been profound and revealing, but the morning was starting with the dose of reality and humor that only Stella could provide. Now, the challenge was to survive Valentina's sharp gaze at the coffee shop.