27.THE SILENT TREATMENT

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riley:  "babe, i'm home!" you called through the house, slipping off your shoes by the door.  work had been rough; sometimes you hated your job.  having worked your way through high school and college as a lifeguard, you had been offered a management position upon graduation.  you'd never been a fan of lifeguarding, but the offer was the best at the time, at least, until you could find something  else.  "riley?" you called again, since he didn't answer you the first time.  walking through the house, you found him sitting on the couch with his laptop, probably working on something for the band.  "there you are," you said, sitting down next to him.  "what do you want to do for dinner?"  he didn't look up from his laptop, typing away at the keys and you checked to see if his headphones were in.  nope.  "riley?  hello, anyone in there?"  you waved a hand in front of his face, but he did nothing.  "hey, dinner?  what do you want?"  he continued to say nothing, but got up off the couch and went to the kitchen, busying himself in the fridge.  confused, you got up and followed him.  "did i do something?"  his back still to you, he didn't answer.  "riley!"  finally, still silent, he pulled a nearly empty milk jug out.  you sighed.  "we've talked about this.  i don't understand what you want unless you use your words."  he huffed unceremoniously.

"your cat drank all the milk!" he snapped.  "i went to get some for my coffee this morning, and it was gone."

"it's not gone!" you snapped back.

"well, there's not enough to use, that's for sure!" he replied sharply.  by now you were fuming.

"you're really giving me the silent treatment over milk?" you asked incredulously.  "really, riley?  milk?"  your eyes welled up with tears.  "i had an awful day at work, you know i hate my job, and i come home to you upset about milk."  the tears had spilled over onto your cheeks now. 

"yeah, well you weren't the only one with the bad day, (y/n)!" riley hollered back.  "first, i woke up and you were already gone, and i was late for an interview, which connor gave me grief for, and then we were recording and i couldn't get the stupid notes right, which i got ragged on morefor..."

"wait, what?" you asked, having calmed down a bit.  "what did you say first?"

"you're not the only one that had a bad day?"

"no, after that."

"oh, you were gone," riley replied, his face softening.  "i woke up and you had left for work already."

"why would that add to your bad day?" you asked.

"my days are always better when i wake up next to you," riley replied.  despite the tears on your cheeks, you smiled.  "i'm sorry, (y/n).  i think i was just looking for someone to be mad at."  he wiped a tear from your cheek. 

you smiled.  "all is forgiven.  come on, we'll order out and you can tell me all about your awful day."

"only if you tell me about yours first."

toby:  "that's totally not fair! "

"it so is!"

"you just learned how to play this like two seconds ago!"

"quick learner, i suppose," you shrugged, suppressing a giggle at toby's dumbstruck face.  today was finally the day you had convinced him to teach you how to play halo.  unbeknownst to him, however, you asked your older cousin to teach you beforehand, and had already beaten him four times.  the first two were "beginner's luck," according to him, and the third was "one good shot."  now, he was just confused. 

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