Work Text:
Charlie Brown checked his watch as he stood at the wall. Linus was running late to their meet-up.
"Half an hour after school" he muttered to himself, "It's not hard to remember".
His desperation was because he needed help fixing a problem. Early that morning, Woodstock's most recent house had been found destroyed, courtesy of last night's storm.
The bird had flown to his household for sanctuary, and seeing his predicament, he had been persuaded into helping the now homeless animal, currently perched near him.
Charlie Brown didn't have much association with Woodstock(his own dog was the more social of the two), and therefore he was waiting to talk to Linus about the dilemma. He hoped that he'd have some suggestions for this problem.
Or at least that together, they'd ponder a possible solution.
Linus sat beneath a tree as he patted a trio of birds, perched in front of him, on the head.
He liked the comforting, natural feeling that the action gave him, especially the happiness after a long academic test following lunch.
It was a habit he had kept for up to a few months now, though it hadn't gone unnoticed that he had often been the only one who committed to it.
A fake cough was heard, and Linus looked up to see two rough looking boys watching from the nearby pavement.
"Hello" Linus greeted, and stood up.
The boys just continued staring.
"So, what do you think you're doing?" one of them asked.
"Well" Linus explained awkwardly, "whenever I want to unwind, I'll come by to…stroke the birds that land here"
The other boy raised an eyebrow.
"Stroke?, you're telling me you just pat any random bird you see here".
"Yeah" Linus repeated, feeling a bit uneasy , "Do you want to try?"
The boy shook their heads, and Linus noticed a sour look on both their faces. The attitude made him hope to end the conversation as soon as possible.
"Could you maybe give me the time" he asked quickly, and one of the boys did some calculating.
"Look kid, so school ended 35 minutes ago…."
"Oh No" Linus realised, "I'm late…was meant to meet Charlie Brown", he moved onto the pathway "I got to go…Bye".
Linus quickly ran off, secretly glad he could get out of there.
Except, he started to slow down, as he heard the boys talking between themselves behind him.
"That kid huh" one of the boys laughed.
"What an absolute weirdo" the other responded.
"Hey", the first boy sneered again, "One dollar says he'll try to pet a snake next"
Hearing these comments, Linus's face fell, and his previous happiness was replaced by hurt and anger.
He quickly began walking faster.
"There you are" Charlie Brown exclaimed as Linus arrived next to him, "I was getting worried you weren't coming".
Looking apologetic for a moment, Linus only folded his arms over the wall, and exhaled.
"There's nothing wrong with it, is there?"
Charlie Brown now looked confused, "Nothing wrong with what?".
Linus was absent-mindedly moving his fingers.
"…about me and petting birds Charlie Brown".
He looked to his best friend. Charlie Brown was aware of many of the uncommon habits that Linus was accustomed to doing. So he proceeded to tell him about the two boys who had just belittled him moments before.
"What's wrong with it" Linus asked. He didn't see any problem with his habit.
Charlie Brown sighed, putting his hands onto the wall.
"Well…..No one else does it", he mused.
In response, Linus lifted one of his arms from the wall and turned to Charlie Brown.
"So it…you're saying it's wrong" Linus frowned, "I know it's uncommon, but…"
Charlie Brown slowly pushed himself from the wall, and turned to lean on it.
"Look, from one blockhead to another…"
"Ouch" Linus put a hand on his chest in mock hurt. His best friend didn't acknowledge it, and continued.
"…patting birds…it isn't the safest thing for your reputation. You'll find there's not a big difference between uncommon and unpopular Linus".
He bit his tongue, "…and I think that your…weird habit…it could be a bad reflection on us both".
Linus slowly moved his other arm from the wall, not looking at him. His frown became a saddened look of resignation.
"I think that's a fair point, Charlie Brown…" he lowered his head, "I'll…I'll cut it out".
His best friend leant off the wall, as he turned away, "Linus, there could…".
"It's okay" Linus explained, "I've got to go now regardless…see you later".
And he left for his home, as the other boy watched him go. From behind him, Woodstock flew onto the latter's shoulder and stared.
"I know how it sounded" Charlie Brown explained, "but, you need to give a bit of tough love sometimes".
However, he was now wincing slightly.
"…but…yeah" he sighed, "okay, that wasn't one of those times".
That night, Linus was laying in bed, half asleep, when he felt his shoulder being nudged, and then shook gently.
"Rerun…that you…what is it"
"Linus, it's me"
His eyes went open as he saw Charlie Brown standing next to his bed, Woodstock now on his shoulder. He sat up.
"Charlie Brown. I went to bed an hour ago" he explained, "is this urgent?".
His best friend nodded.
"Look, what I said earlier, it wasn't…"
"That's why you're here" Linus sighed, and moved till he was facing him, then sighed.
"I get it, you know. You don't want me to reflect badly on us. I don't want to add to your problems".
The other boy shook his head in response, "It's not too worrying. It's your habit remember, not mine".
Linus nodded, knowing his habits were his choice. "And I don't think it's a bad thing" he explained, "but…I care what other people think of me"
"If they think it's a bad thing?"
"That's right"
"Look…it's not hurting anyone, is it".
Linus shook his head. His best friend then reached a hand to his shoulder, and Woodstock walked onto it.
"Thanks" Linus accepted the bird from him, and began to pet it. "It…it is comforting…".
He supposed, like Charlie Brown, he was more or less an animal person. "And it's their problem, if those boys don't like it".
Charlie Brown sat on a chair, as Linus grinned, "besides, Woodstock just lost his last house in the storm so…"
"HE…he lost his home" Linus stopped petting the bird, "then he needs somewhere to stay"
"I'm temporarily keeping him at my house" his best friend responded, "but…my current pet is enough of a chore".
Linus nodded in agreement, "I'd recommend a place. It's…"
Pausing mid sentence, he thought for a moment, as he looked at the concerned Woodstock.
"actually, I…"
And then an idea hit him. He'd done stuff with the bird in the past. His habit's might be uncommon, but…
"Charlie Brown" Linus asked, "could I maybe…could I adopt him as a pet".
At this out of the blue proposal, both boys went quiet. But a moment later, Charlie Brown got up from the chair in response, looking interested.
"Well…I don't know if it's up to me"
Understanding him, Linus looked to the bird, to see him smiling at him. Woodstock quickly chirped and flew up till standing on his head.
It was clear to the younger boy that he had his chance.
"Looks like he's sold" Charlie Brown noted, and Linus chuckled.
"Remember" he continued explaining, "it is a big responsibility. You see what I have to do"
"Yes Dad" Linus joked.
But he showed that he was listening, as he was told the type of commitment's and activities he was going to need.
After that, his best friend moved to head back home, but Linus quickly wrapped an arm round him.
"And…thanks Charlie" he smiled, "…for all the support"
Woodstock had went to sleep on a cushion next to him, and Linus laid back as his best friend smiled, walking out of the room.