Pip & Freddy Stories (T.O.T.S.)

Homesick Freddy

Pip was still getting used to his new home, working as a delivery bird at Tiny Ones Transport Service. Thankfully, sharing a room with his dear flamingo friend made it easy to be away from his old home, and have fun at his new one!

Pip opened the door to their bedroom, and noticed that his perky pink flamingo pal was looking sad as he sat on his bed. 

Freddy was always a happy-go-lucky, silly flamingo. It was rare to see him sad. Pip was quite concerned, and walked up to Freddy's tropical-themed bed.

"Hey Fredamingo, everything alright?" Pip squeaked.

The droopy-looking flamingo looked over to Pip with a lot less energy than usual. Something was definitely off.

"Oh, hey Pip..." Freddy was holding onto one of his stuffed animals (or a "Lovey" as everyone there seemed to call them!)

"What's wrong?" Pip placed one of his flippers on Freddy's leg, looking up at the tall bird sitting on his mattress.

Freddy frowned, "I don't know... I like being here at T.O.T.S. but, I feel sort of... sad and sick... like I want to go back home..."

Pip worried, did Freddy want to leave T.O.T.S.? They'd just gotten here! And he was really looking forward to hanging out with him. "Aww, you want to go back home?"

"I don't know..." Freddy sighed, "I guess I'm just not used to being away from my parents and home for so long. Maybe I'm not ready to work and live here yet like you, Pip..."

Pip looked down, "Aww, Freddy... I'd really miss you if you left..." He thought about it, "I think being here with you helps make this place feel like home to me." He looked up at the flamingo with his big blue eyes.

Freddy blushed, "Really Pip? Awww... I love being here with you! And I'd miss you too. I don't really want to leave, I just... wish I didn't miss home so much."

Pip remembered feeling like Freddy did before. He felt a little homesick being away from his family and home in the snow. "That's it!" Pip lit up, "This penguin has a plan~!"

Pip excitedly tried to crawl up on Freddy's bed, his short legs wiggling around behind him as he tried to push himself up! Freddy laughed, and wrapped his wings under Pip's tail to help lift him up!

"W-woah!" Pip blushed at the touch as Freddy hefted him on up beside him on his bed. "Ahem... Freddy..." the penguin sat in close, and put his flipper on Freddy's wing. "I think I know how you feel. Sometimes, I feel that way too."

"You do?" Freddy looked down at his little friend.

"Uh huh. But, whenever I felt sad and thought about home..." Pip pulled out his FlyPad, "I'd just give them a call!"

"You'd call your house? How did it talk?" Freddy giggled.

"Freddy! I called home, and my parents picked up, and talking to them made me feel better. Like they weren't very far away." Pip gently rubbed Freddy's wing. "Have you called your family?"

Freddy shook his head, "Oh! No. I didn't think about that... do you think calling would make me feel better?"

Pip laughed and nodded, "Of course! Why don't we try calling your parents together?"

As Pip poked around on his FlyPad, Freddy scooched in beside Pip on his bed, and wrapped a wing behind him to pull him in close... so that uh, so that they could both look at the FlyPad together! Freddy was so much taller than Pip, he had to lean down close to him often, especially if they were going to watch the same video together.

Beep beep! After a moment, a video call turned on, and Freddy smiled as he and Pip got to see a sunset together on the beach!

"Oh...!" Pip smiled, seeing such a warm, sunny place, and with Freddy's wing hugging him close beside him, hip-to-hip with his favorite bird... it almost felt romantic! Being in a special place, with someone you care about cuddled by your side... Pip slowly looked up at Freddy as he thought about it, and-

"Hello!" An older flamingo's voice spoke up, "Freddy? Is that you?"

"Mom!" The flamingo giggled, seeing his pink flamingo mom pop up on the screen, she was at the beach back at his home!

"Aww, there's my Freddy! I thought you'd forgot to give your mom a call now and then~" she chuckled.

"Oh... I, I kinda did..." Freddy rubbed behind his head. "I was feeling really homesick and sad, because I missed you! But my friend Pip said I should give you a call and... I already feel a lot better."

"D'awwww..." his mom cooed, "Of course, sweetie! You can call us any time you feel lonely. We love hearing from you too! You'll always be our little bird~"

Pip couldn't help but laugh a little. "Hehe..."

Freddy and his mom both looked at Pip.

"Oh! Sorry!" Pip gasped, "I wasn't laughing, or well, it was just... Freddy's so big and tall! It was funny to hear someone thinks of him as her little bird." The penguin smiled up at Freddy and rubbed his shoulder, "But we'll always be kinda little to our parents. And they care about you just like I do, Fredamingo!"

Freddy felt so loved and cared for! He couldn't hug his mom, but he could hug Pip! He pulled the penguin nice and close, cuddling chest-to-chest on his tropical bed, feeling a lot less sad and lonely now!

Pip wrapped his arms around Freddy and hugged him close too. But he made sure not to overdo it! They were in front of his mom after all.

"Hug him extra for me!" Freddy's mom laughed, and the two nodded. They had her permission! So they hugged and squeezed each other extra close and affectionate.

Freddy looked over to the FlyPad, "Thanks again mom, I think I'm all better now! I'm gonna stay at T.O.T.S. with Pip. And I'll give you a call whenever I feel homesick, okay?"

Freddy's mom smiled and waved from the beach, "Any time! We're always here for you. Oh, and by the way... Pip?"

The penguin looked to Freddy's mom through the FlyPad, "Yes ma'am?"

The flamingo female wondered, "Do you know any penguins at T.O.T.S.? Freddy was telling me there was one there that he thought was pretty cute...!"

"Mom!!" Freddy gasped, grabbing the FlyPad.

Pip's eyes went wide, "Uh, I think I'm the only penguin here at T.O.T.S., ma'am..."

Pip couldn't help but wonder... did Freddy think another penguin was cute? Or... or was he talking about Pip?

The flamingo mama smirked as she tried not to giggle too much, "I seeeeeee... heh heh! Well Freddy, you have a pretty cute friend there!"

Freddy's cheeks couldn't get any pinker. Neither could Pip's! Both boys blushed as the call with Freddy's mom got a little awkward. "Okay okay! We're gonna go now! Thanks mom, talk to you later, bye bye!"

"Aren't you going to say I love you~?" Freddy's mom asked before he tried hanging up the phone. Freddy and Pip looked at each other. Then they felt all shy and looked away... until they realized, oops! She was talking about Freddy saying it to his mom. Not to, uh... 

"Mom! Iloveyouokay? Byyyye!" Freddy quickly poked the FlyPad to end the call. "That was embarrassing..."

Pip chuckled, still feeling all red and blushy... "Heh, parents can be like that...!"

Freddy looked away from Pip, nodding. "Yeah, I guess so... but hey! Thanks for calling her with me. You always have the best ideas. I feel so much better now!"

"Of course, Freddy! Heh heh. Sometimes when we're lonely it helps to talk to family, or a friend! You can always talk to your cute penguin pal when you need to..." Pip held his flippers over his belly, looking up at Freddy with a blush.

"Pip! Not you too!"

The penguin gave an adorable smile, giggling with his flippers now moving up to cover his blushing cheeks. "So... who's' that cute penguin you kept telling your mom about~?"

Freddy was so embarrassed... but he calmed down, and wrapped his wings around Pip's hips. The penguin blushed and stopped! Freddy leaned in face-to-face with him. "Maybe I'll tell you... when we call YOUR parents together! Haha!"

Pip squeaked and blushed! Would he really?? He hoped it wouldn't be as embarrassing as that last call was!

As the two laughed about it together, the little penguin decided he would do his best to help make this new place feel more like home. But he couldn't help but wonder. Was Freddy serious? Maybe Pip would have to call their parents together sometime just to find out...