"Just Two Buddies"

[You better read this story slow to imagine it like real episodes. Otherwise, I'll jump through the screen and yell at you.]

Fred's POV:

"Time to get up, Fred."

Wilma whispers in my ear while tapping on my shoulder

I try and close my eyes for a few more minutes... maybe Wilma will be generous and let me sleep in a little longer.

"Fred."

She says, a little louder this time.

My eyes sting as the light beams in from the bedroom window

"Hmmm...uh..yeah, Wilma?"

"Your breakfast is ready" she tells me

I'll never admit it anywhere, but food excites me more than anything when it comes to motivation

That, and Wilma. Well- when she's not yelling at me to get out of bed, anyways.

"I cooked you up some fried pterodactyl eggs and some pancakes."

"This breakfast is bigger because you know we got in late last night and you didn't have much dinner."

Hearing of the eggs and pancakes makes my stomach growl-

I get up and walk into the kitchen alongside Wilma

Looking at my watch, I realize that I only have ten minutes before I need to be out the door for work

"Did I really take that long to get up this morning.??"

I feel as I need to work on that, at least a little, ha-ha.

I practically inhale my breakfast and dart back into the bedroom for my work clothes.

Today is a particularly cold day... I should probably wear something heavier.

Hmm...

Maybe if I keep staring into the closet, I'll think of something.

No POV:

"A-ha! My leather pants and fur boots- they ought to do."

Fred sits down on the edge of the bed and pulls his pants on, one leg at a time- just like everyone else.

"Heh, these are a little tight."

"Probably 'cause I don't like wearing long pants all that much. Never broke 'em in."

"Now for my boots.." Fred mumbles and reaches for his nice, fur working boots.

He puts them on

"Soft on the feet, ha-ha-ha-ha"

"Fred, don't forget my kiss goodbye this morning! Betty's been saying that Barney is always so much in a rush that he forgets her kiss!"

"Don't you worry, Wilma. I won't be like him and forget!"

"Better not-" she teases in a friendly way

Fred steps out of the bedroom, combs his hair, then walks into the living room where Wilma is.

"Oh! Why, Mr. Flintstone... don't you look mighty handsome today.." She calls out as she playfully clings onto him

"Don't forget your coat, silly..!"

"Oh yeah... that's right. I'm probably gonna need that out there.."

...........

"Aren't you forgetting something???"

"Hmmm, I don't thi-" she gets cut off by Fred's suave move

"Mmwahh" he gives her a friendly kiss on the forehead and reaches for her hands

"Have a good day, okay?" Fred says and smiles as he turns towards the door.

"Don't do anything illegal....uh..without me as your accomplice, Mrs. Flintstone."

"No need to worry, you're the one who makes it fun-" Wilma jokes back

They both chuckle as Fred takes his lunchbox and closes the front door behind him.

..................

"Now to pick up Barney."

Fred backs out of the driveway and starts towards the Rubbles'

"He'd better not take forev-"

Before Fred could finish his sentence, he sees Barney waiting for him by his mailbox.

"Oh hey-ya, Fred."

Barney climbs into the passenger seat

"What's the big idea? You usually take forever to come out... and I have to keep honking and honking-"

"-until I threaten to leave without you.. and THEN you come out."

"Oh-"

"Ah-haha, I got up extra early this morning, Fred."

"I'm sorry to hear that, pal"

Fred jokes, knowing how he himself was able to sleep in a little.

"No no, Fred- that's a good thing!"

"Now explain to me how that is a good thing."

He doubts Barney can think up an answer

"Easy, I got up early to do the laundry, take a shower, and then to make breakfast for Betty."

Barney says with a proud grin

"You should be more like me, Fred"

He chuckles

"Yeah... yeah... whatever-"

The ride is quiet for a few minutes until the silence is broken by Barney yelling

"Hey! Look at that!"

"Wha- wha.... where?"

Fred looks puzzled until he sees Mr. Rockhead carrying a giant trophy down the sidewalk

"Oh boy-" He snarls

"What is WITH that guy... all those trophies- ALL THE TIME!"

"Hmm... I dunno, Fred."

"Maybe he's just lucky."

"Lucky?"

"If luck came around so often, I'd have trophies just like him."

"Instead, I have nothing to show my value, or my skill."

Fred opens up, slightly breaking out of his tough shell for a minute.

Barney scratches his chin and thinks hard about how he's going to respond

"Well, gee... let me think here, Fred."

Fred looks over at Barney attentively but says nothing

"...you, uh, have skill in dressing nice.."

He pauses

"That outfit looks really good... on you."

"You really think so, Barn??" Fred asks, in a tone, not mean, nor mocking... but, friendly.

"Of course, Fred, you should wear that more often... you look great."

Barney turns red but Fred doesn't notice as he's looking at the road.

He's never looked at Fred's physicality in an admiring way before. Not that he had any negative feelings about it. Only he'd never given it any real thought- prior to now, of course."

"Thanks, Barney."

"That cheers me up a little"

Fred feels warmth in his heart, knowing that his best friend thinks of him positively.

Some of his self-consciousness backs away.

"I'm glad, Fred. I'd hate to see you so down on yourself." Barney pats him on the shoulder before getting out of the car for work.

"See ya after work" Fred calls and waves to Barney

"You wanna go get some grub, later?"

"Sure thing, Fred.. goodbye now" he says, turning towards the main building and walking in.

"Good...bye..., pal."

He speeds off to the quarry with happy thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fred's POV:

I park the car in the employee parking lot and hop out.

Another day in the Salt mines.

Wait- no, that doesn't work here since it's a quarry.

Oh- I got a better one!

Hmmm..

The....uh... rock and gravel.... mines.

There we go.

All fixed.

A thought comes back to me,

Why does Barney say anything nice about me- especially after all the times I've crushed his confidence and messed with his head a little too much.

I can't lie, I always thought it was funny how gullible he was.

All those practical jokes I played on him... but we both learned our lesson there.

He still insists on playing gin rummy with me every evening after work- he comes bowling with me almost every time I want to- and he never forgets my birthday... even when I forget my own

AND his.

I've been such a horrible friend

I audibly sigh.

"You should go apologize to him."

One side of my conscience says

"Like that will do you any good- you're just a big fat bully."

Says the other

Why do decisions have to be so difficult.?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh well... I'll worry about this later.

No POV:

Fred walks into the main building and sees a coworker, whom he never understood, standing by the water cooler.

He hangs his head low and tries to avoid eye contact

"Awww.. Freddie- are you sad?"

He teases Fred, making him look up

"No." He keeps walking

"But it looks like you're gonna cry..."

Turning red in the face out of annoyance, he starts walking faster towards his locker

"The big baby boy need his binkie?"

The worker keeps talking

Out of impulse, Fred grabs him by the collar and screams in his face to silence him

"Shut up. Shut up. Shut your mindless yapper before it's wired shut, you numbskull!"

The guy pulls away and holds his hands in front of his face

"Please, Fred- I was only kidding!"

"It was- it was- it was only a joke, yeah, just a big joke, see? I'm even laughing"

Fred exhales and tries to calm down.

"Just get out of here before I'm the one laughin'..

..at you."

The coworker runs into a supply closet and locks the door, fearing that Fred will come chasing after him.

"Hopefully he doesn't report me to Mr. Slate.." Fred thinks to himself as he opens his locker and puts his cap on his head.

~later~

Fred stops by Mr. Slate's office to report a leaky faucet in the restroom- thinking it might get him closer to his boss's good side.

About to walk in, Fred is halted by a locked door and a note

The note reads:

On vacation- please direct all questions, requests, and/or reports to the on duty foreman or overseer.

See you next week. Signed, Mr. Slate.

"Vacation, eh? Wait'll I tell Barney."

Now quitting time, Fred punches out of his shift and returns to his car.

"Maybe this week won't be so bad after all-"