"Just two buddies"

"Pssst... Fred!"
"Wake up- wake up!"

Fred groans and rolls over on the seat he's sleeping on

"I...uh... brought you breakfast"
Barney tells him, knowing it'll get Fred's attention

Fred sits up faster than Barney could even blink
"You mean that you got up early, .....crept down the street to a restaurant- just to get food... for me?"

"Yes, Fred."
"A brontosaurus burger with the seasoning you like most. I even got you some fried potato skins and dipping sauce."
He says, handing forward a brown paper bag

"Oh- Barney! I-I don't deserve this!"

"Don't you try that "I don't deserve this." business with me, Fred."
"I think you do, so I did it."
Barney puts his hands on his hips like a diva

"Thank's Barney."
"You didn't get anything for yourself??"
"I'll get you someth-"

"I ate mine on the way back.. don't you worry, ah-haha."
He assures Fred while he sits down next to him
"You..uhh..remember what I said last night??"

"Remember what?"
"We went- ...were here drinkin',  right?"
"Outta explain why we're parked here and why I slept in the car.."

Barney's face loses all of its color, leaving him looking white as a ghost
He says nothing but stares ahead, blankly.

"Oh, Barney- you know I'm jokin', don't ya?"
Fred rubs his buddy's back

"Y-you almost had me fooled there."
His color comes back
"So... you wanna go... er.. hang out again  sometime?" He asks, blushing with his bangs down over his eyes

"Sure thing, Barn."
"Say- I forgot to tell you something last night.."

"What's that, Fred?"

"Oh, you'll love this."
"Mr. Slate is gone for this whole week... the dinosaurs practically have their brains programmed to do their jobs without human guidance... so... since you don't work until the late shift- I have pretty much all week with ya."
Fred says, nudging Barney with his elbow
"I'll just need to fix my punches before Mr. Slate gets back."

The idea still makes Barney unsure- even though Fred is a really good liar and it's worked for him before.

He just doesn't want Fred to lose his job.

"Alrighty, Fred. Just don't say I didn't warn ya... if you get fired that is.."
He nudges Fred in return

Fred finishes up his food and takes the empty bag to a nearby garbage can
"Let's get going, so the girls don't keep worrying about us."

"Good thinkin'." Barney nods along

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

Fred and Barney pull up in front of the Rubbles' residence

Barney looks to the left, then to the right  before leaning over to kiss Fred on the cheek.
"See ya later, Fred."

"See-ya. You coming over to our house later??"

"We'll see how mad Betty is.. he-he."
Barney waves and walks into his house.

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

Fred parks the car and takes a deep breath before going in the front door.

Wilma is standing there with a confused look
"Why didn't you come home last night?
"You'd better start explaining!"
She says, concerned about Fred and what he was doing.

"Barney and I went to get food and then went bowling."
"We weren't paying any attention to the time until he pointed out that it was midnight."
"- knowing you'd already be in bed, and how I can't be quiet... we opted to sleep in the car and come home in the morning."
Fred explains, holding a straight face.

It was technically true- but instead of bowling, they went drinking. Couldn't come home drunk, and slept in the car.

Fred knows it's bad to fib to his wife- but he can't exactly say, openly, that he and Barney kissed in the car as they sat in a bar parking lot.

His lie was the safest alternative.

The phone rings in the next room
"I-I'll get it!" Fred calls out

He picks up the phone and hears Betty on the other end.

"Barney's such a sweetheart, Wilma."
"He chose to sleep in the car, just so he didn't wake me in the middle of the night."

"Hmmm... yeah, Barney is a sweetheart." Fred musters up his best Wilma impression- quietly, so he doesn't get caught
"I just wish Fred was too.."
He adds

"Aww, Wilma.. Fred is too."
"Barney's always telling me how he does nice things for him and takes him places. He says he's never had a friend as good as Fred."

"O-oh yeah? That's nice, but I've got to be going now, Dino wants his breakfast.."

He hangs the phone up quickly, as his face feels hot

"Even behind my back, Barney's nice to me." He whispers to himself and then thinks
"I wish he was here for me to hold onto him.. I already miss him."

"It's such a shame I can't be open with Wilma. She's the love expert."