“Ah, again with this!”

Rick sighed and rolled his eyes, nervously putting his hands on his hips. His tongue licked the inside of his cheek, as he tried not to get angry. Right in front of him, Rika had her arms crossed against her chest, while throwing him a death glare, her grey eyes sparkling with rage. She was tapping her feet, waiting for his reaction.

Rick and Rika had been dating for almost six years, and usually everything was getting well between them two. It was quite unusual for them to argue. Actually, when they were together, they were the most peaceful and joyful couple you could ever see; there was such an harmony between them that it was hard not to feel moved by the looks they would share. When they were together at home, they usually would listen to some records while cooking their favourite things together, telling some jokes and listening to each other's anecdotes about something that happened to them. Then, they would simply eat the food facing each other, smiling and disturbing the silence from time to time to compliment the other; what always fascinated them was the fact that the silences they shared never were awkward or embarrassing. In the morning, they would wake up snuggled against the other's warm skin, and would tenderly kiss: then, they would just stay in bed for a few hours, singing, laughing, playing with each other's hair or hands, or simply making sweet, sweet love.

However, this day was not one of those peaceful days they were used to share. Rika was mad at Rick, for she felt like he was putting her aside. Let's not forget that Rick was one of the talented members of the worldwide famous band Pink Floyd. It had been one week since he came back from a tour, and though Rika understood that he needed to rest, she felt like he was not taking care of her. He decided to sleep in a spare room and to eat in the kitchen. No more records playing in the living room, no more little jokes that would cause them fits of laughter, no more tender moments in bed in the morning.

Rika sighed loudly and pointed at Rick, frowning.

“You don't care about me anymore! We've been dating for six years, Richard! I can understand that after this long, you might get tired of some things, but in that case, why don't you just tell me? Since you came back, we haven't shared the same bed, not even once. We don't stay in bed late because of our small talks. HA! Mentioning talks: we barely talk to each other. It's even a miracle that you actually are standing before me to talk!”

“This tour has been exhausting, Rika! Can't you get it? I need rest! I need quiet moments, because it has been really moving! I've been physically and mentally tired all this time, and now, if I can't even have some time for me, well, what am I supposed to do?!”

“Why don't you just tell me when you want me to leave you alone?” she insisted, quite aggressively. “I'm not a fucking monster! Don't say that I wasn't nice to you when you came back, because I let you sleep all day without bothering you, I only brought you breakfast in bed or lunch or dinner when you were awake!”

“You're right on that point. But you're expecting too much from me, that's what I think!”

“What I expect from you is just a tiny bit of consideration. You haven't even told me about the tour! You haven't asked what I did during your absence, how I felt, if nice things happened while you were gone... Nothing! You don't even try to care!”

“Rika, you know I care!” he said, raising his voice a little, since she did not seem to listen to what he wanted to say. “It's just that I need some time to recover from all that!”

“Do you know what hurts the most about all that?”

“What? What? What?!”

Rika stepped back, as he started to get quite angry. She frowned and looked down, crossing her arms as if she was hugging herself. She did not like it when Rick raised his voice. She was used to his kind and gentle voice, to the one that reassured her if she had a nightmare in the middle of the night, the one that would sing to her if she had troubles falling asleep, the one that would escape from his smiling lips to tell her she was beautiful. But now, it was just scary.

“It's been a while since you last told me you loved me” she susurrated. “And it... It made me wonder if you still do.”

“But Erika” he started to roar, using her full name, “I'm not a fucking machine! I'm not going to tell you I love you every two seconds, am I?? I'll tell you that when I feel like doing so, and when I'm in the mood to say it! I don't like repeating the same things over and over, particularly that. I don't want it to become a common thing between us two, I want to keep it magical!”

“But do you still love me?”

“Rika, that's not the point.”

“So what is that fucking point?!” she unwillingly shouted. “You don't care anymore, and you don't have the balls to say it!”

“Oh yeah? So you really think I don't care? Then why do I bring you a souvenir from each city I visit? Why do I buy you the records you long to own? Why do I take you to the launch parties organised for the band? Why do I take you to your favourite concerts? Why do I stay in this goddamn house? Oh, right, I DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU!”

“This doesn't count! I mean things in the everyday life! Simple manners!”

“Isn't all that part of our everyday life, Rika? I'm a fucking member of Pink Floyd, you can't expect me to be the very nice husband who goes to his office everyday to tear his hair out about crappy situations there, and who comes home with a bunch of flowers before watching TV with you and ask you how your day has been with the kids!”

“Rick, this definitely isn't a good example.”

“Why?”

“Because we're not married and we don't have any kids. Or perhaps you're married to another woman?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? This was an example among a million! Of course I'm not married to another woman, because I LOVE YOU, Rika! Are you happy, now? I LOVE YOU!”

“This just sounds fake when you say it that way!”

Rick heaved a long annoyed sigh, closing his eyelids. He tapped his finger on his hips, trying to calm himself a little, since he felt like he was going to explode.

“When I'm on tour” he started without opening his eyes “it's obvious that I can't take care of you. But I always manage to call to hear from you. No matter where I am, in what place, in what state, I always call you. I tell you that I miss you, I listen to you when you're crying because something is wrong, or simply because you miss me too. I laugh with you when you do. And you still find the way to tell me that I don't care. I don't understand you. Do you even bother trying to realise what I do for you? Whenever you're sick, I go to the chemist's to get your pills and, I cook all your favourite meals, careful not to cook the ingredients that might make you feel even more sick. Whenever you're down, I cheer you up, I try to bring you somewhere, and I cook for you again.”

“You usually do, it's true, but those times, I feel like all that has faded away, for no apparent reason. Unless you have one?”

“Did you even listen to me when I told you I am exhausted and that I NEED to recover from the last tour? Damn, is that this hard to understand?”

“You're leaving me aside! Not even one tender thing happened since you came back, and I'm not talking about sex, because this can wait in such a situation. No, I'm talking about holding hands, strokes on the cheeks, or even sweet eye-contact! You don't talk, you don't look at me anymore, have I done anything wrong? Because if I have, I'd like you to let me know, I'm not a fucking medium!”

“It's just that I'm extremely tired those times, okay? I need to relax, but if you're always behind my back, don't be surprised if I take some distances!”

“Always behind your back? I hope you're kidding me! I left you alone for this whole week, because I knew you had to rest! I only came to you to ask if you needed anything, and I only insisted when I got worried because you didn't eat or drink much! But yes, after all, I'm only a fucking pain in the arse, aren't I? Aren't I, Rick?!”

“FUCKING CALM YOURSELF, RIKA!” he roared, though he knew the way he had just said to her was quite paradoxical. He was getting tired of this pointless and empty argument, that sounded like a need to have some distraction. The house had been quite quiet for the last days, and he noticed that Rika wanted something to happen to them both. Perhaps she came up with blaming him for all that just to shake him a little, or she did that only to blame him. The first option sounded quite true.

Rick desperately wanted this scene to end. If what she wanted was him saying that he loved her, endless hugs and tender things, then he would do all that.

Rika's face had turned a bright shade of pink, as she felt rage taking hold of her stomach. She clenched her fists and threw him a death glare.

“OH, BECAUSE YOU ACTUALLY THINK I'M GOING TO CALM MYSELF? YOU CAN GO FUCK YOURSELF RICHARD, BECAUSE YOU'RE FUCKING WRONG!”

“AFTER SIX YEARS OF DATING, YOU STILL HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD THAT I AM WRIGHT?!”

Rika's eyes slightly widened at what he said. She blinked a little, quite taken aback by the pun he had just made. In normal times, she would have cursed and kept yelling, claiming that she was not in the mood for puns; seeing the cheeky grin on her boyfriend face immediately swept her anger away. She allowed herself to smile shyly, before cackling and covering her mouth with her hand. Rick's smile grew wider on his face, and he stepped forward, gently wrapping his arms around her thin body. He brushed her hair out her face, planting soft and sweet kissed on her forehead and cheekbones. When she removed the hand covering her lips, he gave them a tender kiss, putting his hands on each side of her face, his eyelids closed.

“Okay, I haven't been very nice for the last few days” he mouthed. “But I promise I'm going to fix all that and show you that I actually care, okay?”

“Okay. I'm sorry I got mad at you, I could just have told you how I felt without yelling at you, I'm deeply sorry.”

“I needed to be shouted at. Otherwise I could've kept going that way.”

“I see. Nice to hear that it's all going to get better.”

“I promise” he whispered, kissing her forehead and lightly squeezing her against his chest. “I'll come back to the room tonight, and we're going to have sweet dreams together.”

“Yay!”

They both chuckled, and made out for a few minutes, finally relieved that their argument was over. Hell, they hated that.

Rick pulled away lightly and smiled at her.

“How about you stay on the couch while I cook pancakes with melted chocolate on top?”

“You'd do that?” she answered, her jaw dropping a bit.

“I'd totally do that. You've been working a lot at home and I didn't help. I guess I must do something to thank you for all that.”

“Okay.”

“Go to the couch, I'll be Wright back” he winked.

She laughed and poked the tip of his nose, before he smiled lopsidedly. Gosh, she could not resist when he did that. She blushed lightly, and Rick kissed her hand.

“I love you, Rika.”

“I love you, Rick.”