Smiling Friends One-Shots

Charlie's Birthday // Fluff

This story is for @galactic_rabbit, thank you for the request!

Being the introvert that he is, Charlie woke up a bit nervous about how his birthday would go. He was turning 30, which, to a lot of people,  is a big deal. Charlie, though he doesn't typically have much anxiety, was sweating a little by the time he arrived at the office. He knew that he'd be receiving a lot of unwanted attention, so before he went inside, he had to mentally prepare for this stressful day.

Soon, he entered, finding Pim, Alan, and Glep sitting around the table. He joined them, and asked what was going on, expecting to hear some insane plans for his birthday.

"Mr. Boss has a special mission for us, Charlie!" Pim replied. "I heard we're going to help a teenager today. It's gonna be a challenge."

"Oh, cool." Said Charlie, somewhat relieved at the absence of the mention of his birthday.

Mr Boss ran inside the room energetically, rambling about the details of the day's job.

"So you two are heading to this place on Meep boulevard, where you should find the client waiting for you! His mom says he loves animals, so you should be able to work with that. Now go, hurry!"

Pim nodded and lead Charlie to the company car, where they both hopped in and sped off. Pim excitedly brainstormed plans, and Charlie offered feedback. They soon agreed to take the client to the zoo, where they would allow him to visit any sanctuary he wanted.

"This is gonna be a fun one, Charlie!" Exclaimed Pim.

Charlie smiled a bit and nodded. He thought it was strange how there was still no mention of his birthday, but he appreciated the fairly easy job they were assigned. Maybe it wouldn't be such a stressful birthday after all.

The two men picked up their client and drove to the zoo, where the teenager quickly smiled and lightened up. By the end of the day, he was practically beaming at everything that came his way. While it wasn't the most challenging job in the world, both Pim and Charlie were satisfied with their work.

Once they returned to the office, Mr. Boss allowed Pim, Alan, and Glep to leave for the day. He claimed he had to discuss a few things with Charlie.

"Sooo, Charlie. How's it going?" He asked.

"It's alright, why?" Charlie replied.

"Oh, I'm just trying to, uh, keep track of my employees' mental health. It's a, um, new policy. I'm supposed to talk with you for fifteen minutes to make sure you're all good." The boss explained.

"Oh, ok." Charlie replied.

So the two took part in a long, slow-paced, awkward conversation. Charlie gave dry answers to any questions the boss asked. Honestly, he was feeling fine, and the other employees seemed alright, too. He couldn't help but wonder why these changes were taking place. Eventually, Charlie was allowed to go, so he left. When he got outside, he was startled when his colleagues shouted "Happy birthday!"

He couldn't help but smile. In front of him was a picnic blanket laid out with some of his favorite foods. The weather was perfect. The only ones there were Pim, Alan, and Glep. He silently appreciated the relaxed atmosphere of it all.

Everyone sat down and ate, chatting and enjoying the warm sunset. Though he saw them at work every day, Charlie never got sick of Pim, Alan, and Glep. The strange bunch actually got along quite well, and there was never a dull moment with them around.

Mr. Boss soon walked outside and joined the gathering, carrying a giant, obviously homemade cake. Though it looked pretty messy, it was actually quite tasty. The group stayed out as long as they could, but soon, it was too dark to be hanging around outside. Charlie thanked everyone for the food, and was about to head home, when Pim stopped him.

"We've got one more thing for you." He said, handing him a present.

Charlie ripped it open, and beamed when he saw what was inside. Tickets to a new horror movie coming out the next day. Pim is one of the few critters who knows that Charlie is into horror movies and things like that. Though he doesn't seem like the type, he's actually quite knowledgeable about the film industry. Charlie thanked him profusely, making Pim blush modestly.

"Pim, do you wanna come with me to the movies tomorrow?" Charlie asked. "I'm already so excited, man, this is perfect. Thank you."

"Of course, Charlie." Pim agreed, though he already knew the movie would scare the shit out of him.

Charlie drove home after that, still smiling whenever he thought about the tickets. He went to bed, feeling more joyous and relaxed than he had in a long time. His thirties were off to a wonderful start.