Finn looked across the lake at the crowd of ducks. He looked to his best friend and brother, Jake.
"I-I want to pet one!" he announced, pointing at the water fowl.
"Alright, man." Jake said, walking with Finn to the other side of the water.
They stopped a distance from the flock. Finn shook in his little boots, his puppy friend watching him curiously.
"What's the matter, Finn?" he asked as the little boy grabbed onto him. "Don't you want to pet one?"
"I-I do... But... I'm scared." the human admitted, pressing his soft, chubby cheek into Jake's fur.
Jake swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He wanted to help Finn, but... Well, he was a dog; he liked to chase birds. If he got any closer to the ducks, his instincts would kick in, and he would chase the fowl away.
What should he do?!
Just then, an idea popped into his head.
"You go ahead and pet one of them, okay?" he urged.
Finn looked at him through teary eyes. "B-but... I don't want to go alone!" he cried. The ducks were adorable, but he was scared that they might attack him.
"Don't worry! I'll use my stretchy powers, and if I see one of those ducks doing something I don't like," he held up a fist as he scrunched his face in protective rage, "I'll get over there and punch him in his buns!"
Finn giggled, wiping at the tears that decorated his cheeks.
"Okay!" Finn said, taking Jake's paw in his hand.
Jake let his leg stretch with Finn's receding steps. The boy soon made it to the flock of ducks. The birds just sat there, eating as if oblivious to his approach, or staring at him dumbly.
He reached out to the nearest one and patted it on its head as Jake's arm wrapped around his waist. He giggled, and Jake pulled him back, setting him at his side.
"Did you pet one?" Jake asked the smiling boy.
Finn nodded, giving him a toothy grin that revealed his missing teeth.
"Yeah! It was fun!"
"Alright, man!" Jake exclaimed, doing a fist-bump with Finn.
"You want to see something awesome?" Jake asked.
Finn smiled and nodded eagerly.
Jake ran head-on at the flock, barking and growling. The startled birds took off into the sky, some of them running into trees while others flew into each other.
Jake fell on his butt, laughing, as Finn came up and tackled him, giggling like crazy.
"Thank you, Jake," he whispered, hugging the dog. "You're an awesome brother."
"Heheh, you too, bro."