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The snow left a thin, white layer on everything surrounding it. Trees, benches, bikes, all coated in a frosty cover that could only mean one thing: winter had arrived. The cold wind blew outside, but thankfully Charlie didn’t feel any of it, due to being inside in his warm home. He drank hot cocoa as he watched a Hallmark movie— with Snoopy, his dog, because he had no friends— while wrapped around comfortably in soft blankets. As the main lead and the love interest kissed under the mistletoe at the end, he looked away from the movie to open a text he’d just gotten. The blond was confused: who even texted him, anyway?
But then he saw it was a message for his group chat, sent by Linus. Ah, Linus. Charlie saw he’d invited everyone to go outside to go ice skating at the rink. When Franklin asked when, Linus replied: ‘right now? :)’. Charlie’s eye twitched slightly. Why, on his staying-in day, does Linus come up with these plans? But no matter how much he sunk into the blankets, he knew he couldn’t say no to him. Maybe that’s why he muttered to himself “I’m not going” over and over again as he turned off the TV, got up from the couch and looked for a sweater to wear, because Linus somehow always managed to make him do stupid things, like going outside in -6°C.
As he looked through his winter clothes, he came to a halt. Charlie had forgotten that sweater was in there, it had been so long since he’d gotten it. He ran his fingertips along the soft polyester fabric, picking up on a familiar scent of coffee and musk that was someone else’s. He recalled that day, feeling his heart fluttering as he did.
Last year’s December 3rd.
Charlie and Linus sat together on a bench, drinking coffee and talking. That’s always what they did best: sharing deep, bittersweet conversations, their little ‘heart-to-heart’s. As Linus spoke about a new book he’d been reading, Charlie found himself unable to focus on his words at all. The reason? Well, he was just really fucking cold. The chilly breeze made the hairs of his arms stand up, that’s on him for wearing a t-shirt in winter. Fortunately, the black-haired boy noticed, because of course he did. He was always caring, observant. Kind.
Linus huffed, and cold mist curled up in the air as he spoke. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, and decided to rub Charlie’s shoulders to bring him a little heat. Heat it brought, but especially to Charlie’s burning red cheeks. “Uh– a little, not really much…?” he replied, trying to ignore how his voice trembled as he spoke. There was silence for a few seconds as he looked into his coffee cup like it had something to tell him, but then he heard shifting of fabric next to him, and he looked up.
Linus was gazing back at him with those sweet gorgeous eyes of his— objectively, of course— with his curly black hair made a mess and a little grin as he held out his striped sweater. “Linus, I–” “Before you say anything, I’m not taking no for an answer,” he interrupted, tossing the item of clothing at him. Even just by holding it, Charlie felt warmer. He looked at Linus, a sheepish grin tugging at the ends of his mouth. “Alright,” he replied, slipping it in. He melted into the softness of the fabric, and mouthed a small ‘thank you’ to Linus. Though, he felt his cheeks heat up slightly when he noticed the way Linus was looking at him, a deep gaze in his brown eyes, and he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was it that he was thinking as he stared. But whatever it was, it made him kind of nervous.
Then Linus put his arm around him. Leaned in. Too close, Charlie felt his warm breath on his skin as he spoke. “Hey, you should keep it. It looks really good on you.”
His heart did a backflip.
Charlie’s face was as red as a cherry, his mannerisms suddenly becoming awkward and stiff. “Uh– wow… that’s– haha, you… t-think so?” he stammered, not being able to look Linus in the eyes. Linus gave him a smile and nodded, still looking at him with those eyes that made him weak. “Hmmm… yeah, definitely.”
This year’s December 3rd.
As Charlie arrived at the ice skating rink, with thick gloves and a scarf to make sure he didn’t get hypothermia or something, he waved at the others who were already there. Lucy, Franklin, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie arrived a few minutes after him. As he got closer, he was about to ask where Linus was to say hi to him, when he suddenly noticed a head of black hair sitting on a bench, next to a head of long blond hair. The rest formed a small circle, talking and chatting, but Charlie’s gaze for some reason stayed glued to those other two. If he focused enough, he thought he might’ve heard snippets of their conversation. “Oh, Linus, I’m so cold…” she sighed, hugging herself for warmth to prove her point. Linus snickered, and with what happened next, Charlie got deja vu. The black-haired boy slipped off his sweater to hand it to Sally, and it felt just like he was watching himself a year ago, when he did the same. Before Charlie could smile to himself and think about how kind Linus was that he always helped his friends in friendly acts, he felt his heart drop.
Sally slipped his sweater on, and said thank you before pulling him into a kiss.
And Charlie felt like he might die.
He could only watch as they giggled onto each other’s lips, observing how Linus closed his eyes and hummed softly in that low voice of his. Their kiss wasn’t very long, but enough so that the others noticed, and told them to ‘quit being lovebirds and come here to skate!’. Which was strange because Linus always joked about them acting like lovebirds. Charlie’s mind was a blur as they walked inside the ice rink, while everyone else laughed, he could just remember how he used to hold on to Linus’s hand for dear life to not fall, just like how Sally was doing right now. And as he saw them more and more, Charlie noticed that the friendly things he used to do with Linus looked awfully romantic now that it was a girl he did them with.
Sally told Linus she’d go skate with Eudora, so the black-haired boy approached the blond, making him flinch as he spoke. “Hey, Charlie Brown,” Linus greeted him, a smile on his face as he did. Charlie didn’t know what to do at that moment, with currently having an existential crisis on what he actually meant and didn’t mean to his best friend and all. Fortunately, he didn’t have to, because Linus saw him losing his balance and took his hand firmly, but gently, making him feel that sweet stability like always. However, Linus’s smile faltered when he noticed what Charlie was wearing. “Hm. Nice sweater,” he replied, a little half-heartedly. The blond wasn’t sure why Linus had reacted that way, but decided to ignore the seeming hurt laced in his words. “Thanks,” he said, laughing a little. It made the cold mist curl upwards into the air.
Sally came back, gracefully skating as she took hold of Linus’s shoulders and kissed him. Charlie stood awkwardly, having no choice really but to watch them until they were done. Good grief, was it awkward. But it made him think: were those things we did together… really romantic?
Holding hands, laughing together, sharing music and falling asleep on the other’s shoulder, hugs that last a little longer than needed, late night calls, practicing kissing with each other. Was that romantic? Charlie’s head became dizzy as realizations started to pour in, the one hurting the most for last. He chose my sister. Charlie glanced at them, now at the other corner of the rink, laughing. Hm.
Sally looks too much like me.