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Once Beatlemania kicked into high gear, your free time with your partner became incredibly scarce. At times, it felt as though someone were standing over you with a stopwatch, counting down the moments until the next concert, tour, or recording session for the latest album. Sure, having a musician for a partner was great - you met plenty of famous people through him - but… He was also away from home a lot. At first, you saw this as a plus: you had plenty of time to yourself, could go out for coffee with friends, spend days in front of the telly, and head to work without worrying about rushing home to someone waiting for you. Over time, however, it began to feel tedious: constantly going out, idling away the hours, and returning from work to an empty house. Then came the journalists; they gave you no peace, constantly pestering you with questions about your partner. Well, of course. Since Richard was famous, it was only a matter of time before reporters started hounding you without a moment’s respite.
It was one of those days - you’d been left on your own for longer than just a single day. A concert in another city or something similar, followed immediately by recording sessions for a new album. Right. Your partner’s planned absence was supposed to last three days, and this was the second morning you’d woken up alone; he’d left on the first day before you even woken up, and now the second was just beginning. You opened your eyes for a moment, glancing at the empty spot beside you in the bed, and felt a sudden jolt of alarm, only then remembering that Rich was away. You’d almost forgotten.
You rolled over, checking the time as you did; it was incredibly early - just past six. What had woken you up? No one was drilling into the walls, and it was relatively quiet outside... You didn't give it much thought, though, deciding a moment later to close your eyes and go back to sleep.
You woke up an hour later when a loud crash from the kitchen reached your ears. You bolted upright instantly, throwing off the duvet. You were groggy and barely grasped what was happening, but you were certain of one thing: someone was in your house. A burglar or a kidnapper... Oh God. Were you even worth that much? Had you really hidden all your valuables well? They were probably looking for your jewelry or a knife right now!
To be honest, you didn’t even know what to do, how to act, or - most importantly - where to hide. You were snapped out of your trance by a voice coming from the room where you had just heard a loud crash:
“Feckin’ plate…” You narrowed your eyes, as if that might help you figure out who was speaking. You could tell it was a male voice… Was it Richard? It had to be him - after all, you’d just heard him speak! You straightened up, quickly grabbing the duvet you had previously kicked off and pulling it up to your chin. You weren’t ashamed of your body, but… You were wearing his T-shirt. You missed sleeping together so much that you’d resorted to wearing his clothes, even though barely two days had passed. You two were simply inseparable.
“Rich?” You asked once, no answer - silence. “Richard…?” You tried your luck once again, but nobody answered you again, you only heard someone getting closer and closer to the bedroom door. At this point, you started doubting if it really was your partner, because if he was really here, he would answer right away! You clutched the edge of the duvet and waited for someone to walk through the door and reveal their face. Instead, you saw something else in the doorway: a bouquet of beautiful, colorful flowers and the hand holding them. The rings on the fingers confirmed that it was, in fact, your beloved Richard. You let out a breath, unaware until that moment that you had been holding it. You have to admit, you panicked a little - you were already mentally preparing to fight an intruder! You didn't even have a will drawn up - who would have ended up with all your vinyl records and books?! You sincerely hoped they would end up with Richard, because he would take care of them…
“Flower delivery!” Ringo laughed rather shyly, waving flowers for you to focus on them.
“Rich…” You sighed disapprovingly, and he responded only with an embarrassed laugh as he stepped fully into the room and knelt by the bed, placing the flowers on your nightstand (he had his own on the other side of the bed, and neither of you ever interfered with what the other kept on theirs).
In response to you saying his name, the man smiled and leaned in just enough to comfortably tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear and tilted his head slightly to kiss your forehead. You missed him terribly, so much so that for a moment you didn't even consider what he was doing at your house - he was supposed to be away recording a new album with his band, after all. You blinked a few times, a bit sleepy, and rested your head more comfortably on the pillow, looking down at him.
"What are you even doing here? You weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow..." You finally questioned his quick return and frowned. Ringo, in turn, stroked the space between your eyebrows with his thumb - he did this often, claiming that that expression didn't suit you and much preferred it when you smiled.
"Don't you be worrying about it, hun. We just clocked off early, and there was no need to leave you on your own any longer." He assured you, his hand moving from your forehead to your cheek, caressing it tenderly, as if you hadn't seen each other for a month, not just two days. Well, not even two whole days. Never mind the details, it was clear this guy was head over heels for you. You, for one, were no better.
"I've made your breakfast... But I've gone and smashed a plate, like. I'll get ya a whole new set with the money from our concerts, yeah? Sounds okay?" He hummed, giving you another kiss on the forehead.
“Was it my favourite plate…?” You asked, looking up, towards these lovely, blue eyes of your partner.
“No, no… That was the one you weren't arsed about... Now, shush - close yer eyes and 'ave a little nap. I'll go and sort the gaff out and make you a coffee while you're restin'.” He whispered, slowly rising from the floor and taking the bouquet of flowers with him - most likely to find a vase and unwrap them from the paper so you could admire them in all their glory. In any case, you had already noticed that they were your favorite flowers. Of course he remembered - he always remembered details about you (and you about him) and your preferences. Truly, you had never met a man in your life quite like your Rich.
Following Starkey’s suggestion, you closed your eyes for a moment. You didn’t fall asleep - it was more of a brief rest for your eyes and a chance to shake off the grogginess of waking up - but you felt satisfied enough not to complain about a lack of sleep or a short night. Fifteen minutes later, Ringo entered the bedroom, bringing with him the aroma of fresh coffee and an equally fresh breakfast. That made you realize you might have woken up early precisely because Rich was already in the kitchen preparing a meal for you, saving you the trouble of having to figure out what to eat first thing in the morning. Sometimes you wondered if he wasn't actually some sort of angel sent down from heaven.
"Breakfast's ready.” Ringo announced it in a singsong voice and placed the tray of food and coffee in the middle of the bed, right beside you, so you could comfortably sit up and have breakfast there. He sat down next to you, picking up one of the coffee cups and leaning back against the pillows on his side of the bed. Meanwhile, sunlight streamed through the window of your shared bedroom, giving him an almost eternal appearance; in your eyes, he not only acted like an angel but looked like one, too. You couldn't have asked for better - he treated you as if you were the only woman in the world, making your worries fade into the background while showering you with love.
“Will you tell me what interesting things happened while I was here all alone?" You asked, picking up the sandwich Richard had made for you - exactly the kind you liked to have as your first meal of the day, accompanied by hot coffee, also just the way you liked it.
"Why, ‘course - but maybe ya should eat yer breakfast first?" He asked, flashing a warm smile that - even after all the time you’d spent together - still gave you butterflies.
You didn’t need anyone else, just as he didn’t need another woman. You complemented each other so well that you practically saw no world beyond one another - and not in a toxic or anxious way! It was a healthy relationship, simply two people in love. No secrets, no lies. That was exactly what you had been looking for all your life: that peace of mind and the certainty that you wouldn’t be just another woman forced to watch her partner cheat on her with someone else. You were happy that such a fate had befallen you.