yeah it loox nice

although its pure show
What do you mean?
The closeness of HP and Rick is indisputable as they have been good friends for a while, and I'm pretty sure they've come to love Michael too over the years. Although some men are reluctant to get in touch with their feelings around other males, others are more comfortable with expressing themselves that way. As bigswano put it, it is actually somewhat flirtatious. You have to be comfortable with your sexuality to do it.
I think it's rather sweet. I myself feel particularly unsettled when behaving in that fashion toward a man. Don't know why.... Anyway, good for them. And I don't see any reason to assume that their friendships are "just for show", as that's just not true.