When Alikhan heard that his best friend had broken up with his boyfriend, he didn't think much of it at first. It seemed inevitable, almost a relief, considering their history of fights and fragile reconciliations. Maybe a breakup would be a victory in a way.

But the sense of calm didn't last.

The first day passed in complete silence. No texts, no calls—nothing. Alikhan assumed his friend was taking some time for himself, which was perfectly understandable. He didn't want to put pressure on him.

But then four days passed. His friend didn't show up at work or at school. No mutual friends had heard from him, and the lack of responses began to weigh on him.

Alikhan tried to rationalize his worry, but it was too late: the uneasiness was etched deep in his stomach, and the silence only increased his panic. Finally, he decided to go to his friend's apartment, determined to check on him.

He knocked repeatedly. Once. Twice. Three times.

Nothing.

The silence on the other side was thick, almost palpable, and Alikhan's heart began to pound in his chest. Glancing around the hallway to make sure no one was watching him, he decided to use the fire escape. His friend always left the window open—a habit that had never made sense to Alikhan until that moment.

Hurrying up, he pushed the window open and stepped into the dark apartment. The place was eerily still.

He called out, his voice echoing in the empty room.

Nothing.

Alikhan moved forward into the small space, his eyes scanning every corner. He almost believed his friend wasn't there, until he noticed something: a subtle movement on the couch. The slow rise and fall of a blanket.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly approached.

"For God's sake, man—" Alikhan muttered, still trying to ease his tension. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

But his friend didn't respond. He remained silent, his face partially hidden by the folds of the blanket. The silence made Alikhan hesitate, and his relaxed expression gave way to a deeper concern.

He called again, this time more softly.

Kneeling beside the couch, Alikhan carefully pulled the blanket back, revealing his friend's face. His eyes were half-closed, the dark circles under them contrasting sharply with his skin. It was clear that he was not well.

"Hey... what's wrong?" he asked, his voice now low and hesitant.

He waited for an answer, but all he received was the heavy silence that seemed to have become familiar.

Alikhan felt his heart tighten in his chest, a mix of sadness and suppressed anger. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that someone who gave so much of himself to keep things going should end up like this.

For a moment, Alikhan allowed a forbidden thought to cross his mind: if it were him in his ex's place, he would never leave his friend like this. He would never make him feel so defeated.

Shaking those thoughts away, he took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. If his friend wasn't ready to talk, he wouldn't force him.

"I'll make you some coffee, okay?" he said gently, standing up and giving his friend one last look before heading to the kitchen.

He needed him. And Alikhan would stay here, even if all he could do was make a cup of coffee and wait.