Life of 2p! FACE

Day for Oliver

April 23rd... Today is just like any other day. Oliver is off at a meeting, Allen and François are doing practically nothing, and who knows what loner Matt is doing. Allen knows today is important though. He can feel it. But what's so special about today? "Yo, Fran, what is today?"

"Sunday I zhink." François didn't look away from the tv.

"No, I mean, is it some holiday? Were we supposed to be doing something today?"

"Nah." He doesn't even pay attention to Allen's words. Just then, Matt walks into the room.

"Matt!" Allen redirects his confusion to Matt. "Is today something important?" Matt stares at Al, glancing back and forth between the two with a blank stare.

"I should have known you two wouldn't remember." He says with an agitated sigh.

"Remember what?" Allen furrows his eyebrows. Matt doesn't respond. "Mattie! Tell me!" Allen whines loudly, Matt becoming more frustrated by the second. "Remember what!? Matt! Teeeellll meh Mattieeeeee!"

"That today is Oliver's birthday!" Matt finally lets the words boil out of him. "You're living in his house and eating his food, the least you could do is try to remember his birthday!"

François and Allen don't know what to say. "Well shit..." is all François can manage.

"Well shit is right." Matt huffs. "I prepared everything for today because I'm the only one out of the three of us who can function properly. I'm asking you to participate not because I want you to, but because I know Oliver would want you to."

"Yeah, sure man. Day for Oliver it is." Allen agrees in a serious manner. "I did sorta remember, just sayin. Could feel something was up." He adds with a mumble to make himself seem less guilty.

Later that day,  Oliver arrives home from the meeting. He opens the door to meet an empty house. His spirit seems to drop.

"SURPRISE!" Oliver nearly has a heart attack as his family jumps out from behind furniture with a scream. The fright turns to joy in an instant.

"I just knew you'd remember!" Oliver runs forward, scooping all three into a group hug.

"Of course we remembered..." Allen laughs nervously as Matt glares at him and François. Oliver doesn't notice. He's way too happy.

"Is that cake I smell?" Oliver's eyes light up even more.

"Yep." Matt walks to the kitchen. "No peaking." Oliver practically skips to the dining room table with Allen and François following behind. Matt arrives a few minutes later with a cake he clearly struggled to make on his own.

The three sing happy birthday as Oliver looks wondrously at his red, white, and blue cake. "Happy birthday Oliver" is scribbled sloppily in red lettering across the cake.

"Did you all make this?" Oliver asks when they finish singing.

Matt glares at Allen and François, not saying anything. "Yeah, of course we all made it together!" Allen says as if it were a silly question. "It took a while to get these two sticks in the mud to help, but eventually they did." Matt's expression darkens a bit, but he still doesn't protest.

"Lets move on to gifts, shall we?" Matt forces the words out as pleasant as possible. Oliver gives a giddy laugh not noticing Matt's attitude.

"You shouldn't have." Oliver says, obviously extremely eager and not humble at all. They make their way to the living room where three boxes sit. Matt had bought three gifts so each of them could present a gift to Oliver. Matt grabs a box, handing the other two to François and Allen.

"Here Ollie." Matt hands his box over first. Oliver tears into it to reveal... (DRAMATIC DRUMROLL PLZ)... the ultimate cake decorating set that Oliver wanted so much.

Oliver practically screeches when the box is revealed. He goes insane with thanks. Next up is François gift. Oliver opens it to reveal clothing very similar to everything else in his closet, pink and purple attire of the sweater vest sorts. "Thank you François. I can always expect good clothes from you."

"Ah, of course. I always know just what to get." François replies as if he picked out the clothes himself. Matt suppresses more of his boiling rage.

"My turn!" Allen throws the box into Olivers lap. Oliver opens it. Guess what's inside. The same cake decorating set as Matt's gift. "Wha-"

"Whoops. Al and I should have communicated better. That's alright, looks like Allen included the receipt so you can just go and exchange it for something else." Matt had obviously rehearsed what he would say. "It's the thought that counts and all that."

"Matt, I told you I got him this first!" Matt glares at Allen with fire in his eyes. Is he really? "Why did you buy this shit after I told you I did!?" That was the last straw.

"Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME!?" Matt stands from the couch, his words boiling out with rage.

"Language!" Oliver interrupts the heated silence. His face turns softer. "Matt, is there something wrong?"

Matt looks at Oliver's concerned eyes. He glances behind Oliver to see Al and François shaking their heads and silently begging him to stay quiet. If Matt tells Oliver, Oliver will be upset and the other two will be pissed. If Matt stays silent, Oliver can go on with a happy birthday and the other two will be relieved.

Matt made up his mind. "They forgot your birthday." Allen and François freeze as if they can't believe he just ratted them out. Oliver's eyes show confusion.

"What...?"

"They completely forgot. I baked the cake alone and I got all three of these gifts. I didn't really know what else to get, I'm bad enough at picking out one gift, so I got two of the same on purpose."

"But... why did you cover for them?" Oliver inquires.

"I wanted you to have a good birthday, y'know? I didn't want those two idiots to ruin it for you by not remembering." Matt debates whether to continue or not before eventually doing so. "Because even though they forget important stuff like that, I know they still care. I just wanted to make sure you know they still care."

"Of course I know you all care." Oliver smiles sweetly. "You're my family. Of course you all care." Oliver pulls Matt into a bear hug, waving Al and François over as well.

The four of them share a group hug of family caring.

"Thank you for remembering." Oliver whispers to Matt so only he can hear. "This is why you're my favorite."

Happy Saint George's Day for those of you from England! (I'm only a day late)