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Pim quietly sat at the break room. Observing Charlie who was leaning back in his chair. One leg was lifted, the foot of his shoe pressing against the table's edge. With this kind of position it caused his hoodie to hike up, revealing his belly and happy trail. Normally a welcome sight, but it drew Pim’s attention to just how frayed that hoodie looked.
He’d seen Charlie wear it everyday for years. He didn’t even change things up when it got cold. And he always complained in summer cuz of how hot it was. After seven years of friendship, Pim knew better than to advise him to put on just a t-shirt. They’d had that ‘lovely’ discussion so often in the past.
“…hey Charlie?” Pim broke the silence.
“Yeah?” Charlie asked, not looking at Pim but kept his gaze on his phone which he held high above his head.
“What do you say to, ohh I don’t know. Going clothes shopping after work today?” Pim asked, coyly, dancing around the fact the whole point would be to get Charlie a spare, new hoodie.
A tactical genius. That’s him.
The question had Charlie straighten his posture in the chair, lower his leg, to look to Pim. He watched Pim for a moment's consideration. Summer was round the corner. Clearly Pim needed his muscles to carry his shopping for him. He couldn’t blame him, he went to the gym for a reason after all. He smirked. “Yeah sure.”
Plan set in motion.
And so the weekend rolled around, and Pim picked Charlie up from his apartment and drove them both to the local mall. Finding a park was easy, keeping Charlie engaged was harder.
He wasn’t exactly the fastest walker. And Pim had to lure him into a sense of false security by going around looking for things for himself, first. Some new socks, belt, pants, all assorted things a critter needed.
Pim had paused for a moment glancing over some skirts, but thought better of it. Not with Charlie here.
“Ooh Charlie look!”
A storefront with upcoming winter clothing stood out like a sore thumb. Pim went to the racks filled with hoodies and pulled a red one off of the rack, clearly too big for him. But a perfect size for Charlie. “What do you think?”
Charlie looked at him, his arms momentarily full of bags that had Pim’s new clothing in. He raised an eyebrow. “Uh.”
Pim moved up to him and held the hoodie up as high as he could in front of Charlie. “Eh?” he asked.
“Pim. What’re..” Charlie started.
“Oh and this one!!” Pim grabbed another hoodie. This one was bright pink with ‘I am Kenough’ on the front in a blue heart. Again, held up in front of him.
“Pim I’m not wearing that. I couldn’t even stay awake through that stupid movie.”
“Well I thought it was the peak of feminism brought to film.” Pim replied with his eyes shut, adding a curt nod.
Charlie groaned. It had been a movie date night and even with Margo Robbie and Ryan Renolds up on the screen, his bi-sexual ass could NOT stay awake.
He did remember waking up to Pim bawling at the end of the film though. They had to sit through the entire sappy credits for Pim to gather himself and calm down.
“Y’know what?” Charlie grabbed the Kenough hoodie. “Fine. I’ll play your little fantasy for you dude. I’ll put it on.”
Pim bounced on his feet, but stumbled back as Charlie unloaded the bags into his arms.
And proceeded to peel his hoodie off right there in the middle of the store. Pim stepped back a bit, face flushing bright red. “Charlie! Right out here??”
“Yeah man what?” Charlie asked, revealing his thin (once) white shirt that normally lay dormant and hidden beneath the hoodie. “I’m not getting naked, calm down.”
Pim glanced around at the surrounding shoppers who were, indeed, staring at the critter who’d just thrown a very worn looking hoodie to the ground in the middle of the mall. He grunted and heaved, pulling the pretty in pink hoodie on.
He would deny that it felt, and fit, pretty well.
Charlie walked into the store to stare at himself in the reflection. Pink was NOT his colour. He could see Pim following in the reflection, noticing how he’d picked up his hoodie from where he’d dropped it.
“Oh sir that looks so good on you!” the sales clerk lied brilliantly through her thick mascara and lush red lips.
He stared at her blankly.
“I agree!” Pim piped up, helpful as ever.
“Pim no.” Charlie said, turning to look at him. “I ain’t wearin’ this.”
“I think it suits you, AND it would help bring smiles to people more!”
“What, by laughing at me?”
“No Charlie, nobody is laughing at you.” Pim reassured him softly. “I’m not.”
“Yeah no shit I can see you’re not.”
“Sir please watch your language there are children here.” the sales clerk warned.
“Look lady, all these kids are probably ipad babies who’ve watched more porn by the age of six than I have in my entire life. Swearing is nothing.”
She didn’t like that, but she moved away, giving Charlie his space.
“Charlie you didn’t have to be so crass.” Pim mumbled.
He didn’t apologise, but he did glare at the ground. He sighed before beginning to lift the hoodie off and stopped momentarily, staring at himself. The hoodie hadn’t hiked up over his belly with almost every motion and movement of his body. It wasn’t so tight it was like a second skin.
It didn’t reek of weed, late night dinners, and sleep.
But he was not wearing pink.
So, surprisingly, with little to no real resistance, Charlie walked out of the store wearing a new hoodie.
It was the exact same colour as his last one. As he walked, he tied the old hoodie into a knot and slam dunked it into a bin. He kept walking, pulling his phone back out and looked through it as he held his hand out in order to take the bags back from Pim.
He got his arms filled again, and was joined by Pim who walked alongside him humming happily to himself.
Mission successful.
Even if nothing had really changed.
Honestly, Pim took whatever win he could take in this world.