Alex Volkov stood in the dimly lit kitchen, tension thick in the air like fog on a winter morning. His gaze fixated on the figure across the table, his partner, whose expression mirrored the brewing storm.

"You never listen," Alex began, his voice tight with frustration. "Every time I try to talk to you, it's like you're not even there." The silence that followed echoed louder than any words could. Alex's heart pounded against his chest as he waited for a response that never came.

"I just want to feel like you care," he continued, his voice softer now, laced with a hint of desperation. "Is that too much to ask?" The weight of the silence pressed down on Alex's shoulders, suffocating him with its intensity.