I have a little bad news, guys. I can't update next week because I'm falling behind in writing, and I need a week to catch up. I do not have writer's block, in fact, I know exactly what's going to happen :P But I'm running out of time to write. Please be patient until probably the 1st or 2nd of March!
Chapter 9: 'Hanging Out'
After three miserable days enduring almost constant fever, Isabella had finally recovered. The minute she was feeling well enough to stand, she abandoned the TV in order to find something to do not involving a screen. She had gone from texting her friends until their day dates began (okay, that was cheating) to looking through old Fireside girls accomplishments, and was now writing in her journal.
Even though her mom was home, she was doing something in her room as well, leaving Isabella feeling alone and tired. She would have gone to the Christmas Eve dance that would start at any moment, and had even been asked by two more guys, but Isabella didn't feel like going after Phineas accepted Jessica's invitation right in front of her. Besides, she would probably still be contagious.
Isabella looked out her window, and saw Phineas in his bedroom, fully dressed with a tuxedo and bow tie. She sighed, envious that she wasn't the one picking him up, then turned back to scribbling her crazy life down in the little diary. She wrote for a couple more minutes, until she received an unexpected call from her crush!
Isn't he going to the dance right now? she thought confusedly, and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she asked, her voice much stronger than before.
"Hi, Isabella!" came the excited response she had come to love.
"Phineas, aren't you on a date right now?" she almost seethed.
"Nope, my date got sick. I guess I wasn't quite as healthy as I thought," he added sheepishly.
Isabella gasped and looked up to see Phineas waving at her from his window. She dropped her phone in shock, then scrambled to pick it up again.
"A little eager there, Izzy?" he laughed when she finally grabbed it again.
"Shut up," she responded, grinning evilly at him across the street. "So why are you calling? Another check-up?"
"No, I was just curious to see who you were going with to the dance."
"Uh, Phin, can you see what I'm wearing?" She posed for him in her pink pajamas jokingly.
"Maybe with nobody at all, then. So neither of us are going, but we're both better."
"I guess so." Isabella stayed silent for a second as a new idea hit her. If neither one of them had plans for the night, then she could be with him without any homework, people, fevers, or any other distractions! Asking him to the dance on the spot was another idea, but it probably wasn't a very good one if Phineas may have already gotten someone sick.
"Would you like to, um, 'hang out' at my place? Since we can't really get each other sick again?" she asked, crossing her fingers.
"Uh, I would, but I'm not sure, I'm sort of working on something," Phineas responded, sounding reluctant.
"You promised you'd do the next activity with me at school, remember?" Isabella blurted out before clamping her mouth shut. How could I be so selfish?
"Oh, you're right... you know what? That sounds like fun and I can do this later, so see you in ten minutes!"
Isabella squealed mentally; Phineas was coming over to spend the evening with her!
"Great!" she exerted, trying not to sound overly happy. "Oh, and Phin?"
"Yep?" came the reply.
"You might want to change out of that bow tie and suit," she giggled, "Bye!"
Isabella ended the call and watched him close the blinds again to change, and this time, she really did squeal. But then the panic began to settle in. She still needed to clean up the house, shower, and get on some real clothes.
Recalling her insta-date patch from Fireside girls, she flawlessly did a quick clean, showered, and freshened up in just a few minutes, but she couldn't find the t-shirt or jeans she wanted. Isabella hadn't needed to access her wardrobe for a while, as her mom would supply her with fresh pajamas while she was sick. But now that she was better, she noticed that she was missing not one, but two sets of clothing.
Where could they be? she thought as she slipped on a different, but equally cute outfit. This one included long, pink leggings along with a snug purple turtleneck with white and pink striped sleeves.
Shrugging, she went back to fixing her hair again until the doorbell rang. Isabella put on her best smile, then walked down the stairs and to open the front door. She was met with a snowy blast of cold wind, and Phineas holding something a few feet away.
"Hi Phin!" she welcomed, "Come on in, it's freezing out there!" She beckoned with her hand and moved to allow entrance.
"Hey Izzy!" he responded, quickly hustling into the warmth of the house. Only, he came in a little too quickly, and slipped on a nasty patch of ice on the way!
Phineas bowled over, dropping whatever he was holding, and hit the unforgiving wooden floor. Isabella gasped, and leaned down to help him up.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"Ouch - yeah, I'm good." He stood back up and dusted himself off. "That was lucky, I wasn't injured at all."
Isabella spotted the things Phineas had dropped and leaned over to pick them up for him.
"Here are your things … wait, these are mine!" she said, inspecting the clothing and toiletries. "You found my missing clothes, thanks! I must have forgotten them when I was..." She trailed off as the mistake dawned on her. Oh no...
"I would have folded them, but, um..." he trailed off, looking embarrassed as she almost frantically looked through the ruffled pile. Then she came to the middle, and her shoulders slumped as her fear was confirmed.
Isabella was mortified. Because her sickness, she had forgotten to bring home ALL of her extra clothing, and it was Phineas, of all people, that had to see her-
She inched her head up to look at him with a completely red face, and was met with an equally embarrassed Phineas. Neither of them could think of anything to say, so they could only stare at each other. The situation couldn't much more awkward, so she darted upstairs to put her things away as an escape. Then she unwillingly went back downstairs to face him again.
"Sorry, Phin," she said, "You shouldn't have had to see those."
"N-no biggie," he responded, "Everything worked out." The two stood there for a few seconds, looking everywhere but at each other.
"So what should we do?" he asked to break the silence.
"Um, how about we … watch a movie?" she offered questionably. Phineas stared at her incredulously for a moment, but then he started to smile. Then, both of them burst out laughing. They had expressed several times over the phone that they were completely sick of movies or anything to do with the TV after hours of it being on. The joke also helped to relieve some of the awkwardness.
"Have you eaten dinner yet?" she asked. After all, it was dark, but wasn't that late, and Isabella didn't want to starve him.
Phineas almost gagged for a second, but then nodded his head.
"Yeah, I did on my date before. I'm kind of thirsty, though."
"Maybe … maybe we can make hot chocolate!" Isabella exclaimed. She had already begun fantasizing about how they could be cuddling together, sipping hot chocolate in front of a warm fire. Of course it probably wouldn't happen, but after the last week, she was more hopeful than usual.
"Okay, homemade hot chocolate will be amazing!" he replied, and the two headed for the kitchen to get to work.
"So how did your date go?" Isabella asked as she got out a big pot. Please make it a bad date, she pleaded mentally, and a little selfishly.
"It was … interesting," he responded, grabbing the all the necessary ingredients for the drink. Phineas had been in Isabella's house so many times, that he knew exactly where everything was.
"How so?"
"Not quite what I expected. We had dinner and watched a movie, but - she's just not really my type," He seemed reluctant to talk about it, so Isabella didn't press, even though she wanted to know why Jessica wasn't his type, or what his 'type' really was.
After a half an hour of comparing Christmas movies and cooking, the hot chocolate was almost ready; now they just had to heat it up. Isabella put a lid on the pot and turned up the stove, then they went into the living room and sat on the couch to wait. (A/N: They're being bad, don't leave your stove unattended!)
"It's kind of cold in here, don't you think?" she asked after a natural gap in the conversation.
"Just a little," Phineas replied, "but that's why we're making hot chocolate!" He glanced at her unimpressed face, not sure what he had done wrong. "Or... we could start a fire, too," he offered, gesturing towards the gas brick fireplace in front of them. Isabella's look did not change.
"It's broken," she sighed, giving up on the hint yet again. That one would probably never work at this rate.
"Broken?" he repeated, looking intrigued, "Why didn't you tell me before?" She shrugged.
"We think there's a problem with the gas tube," she added for clarification.
"Well, I know what else we're gonna do tonight, then!" he replied excitedly, jumping to his feet and examining the fireplace. Isabella smiled and got up to kneel next to Phineas; she could never stay down for long with him.
"Okay, I have to go in there to look more closely," he said, already removing the glass barrier. He stuck his head into the fireplace and moved around, looking for the problem.
"Hmm... Do you guys have any peanut butter, and some duct tape?" he asked, his voice muffled.
"Yeah..." she responded, raising an eyebrow.
"I just need a little, and yes, it sounds strange, but they will work!"
Isabella retrieved the peanut butter and duct tape and brought them to him, still confused.
"Mhm … yes, and … there!" Phineas finished, pulling his head and shoulders out of the fireplace with the remaining peanut butter and duct tape. Isabella was a little skeptical, as the peanut butter could easily melt, but since when had he ever been wrong?
After he repositioned the glass barrier in front and gave her the okay, Isabella used the remote to turn on the gas fire. It did nothing - then slowly flickered on, and finally built up into a smoldering inferno. It even crackled and popped as if it were a real wood fire.
"Awesome, that hasn't worked for more than a year, thank you Phin!" Isabella exclaimed, giving him a hug, which he returned.
"No problem, Izzy," he replied, pulling back after a moment. The two sat back down on the couch to watch the flames dance around in the fireplace. At first, they tried to keep up a conversation, but the watching the flickering light slowly hypnotized them into silence. It wasn't an awkward silence; rather, they were just enjoying each other's company.
After one or two minutes, Isabella decided that she was going to try her 'cold' scheme one last time. She moved closer to Phineas, then feigned shivering.
"It's better, but I'm still cold," she said a little above a whisper, "I wish there was something … or someone that could keep me warm." She turned towards Phineas and gave him innocent puppy dog eyes, praying that he might finally get it.
Phineas didn't understand girls. They kept telling him they were cold all the time; what was he supposed to do? But as he thought more, it became obvious what Isabella wanted.
"Oh man, we forgot about the hot chocolate!" he said, springing up away from her. She sighed and got up as well, but stopped him before he could speed into the kitchen.
"Wait! I'll get the hot chocolate. You're the guest, so you can stay here."
Phineas raised an eyebrow but sat back down, and she strode in front of him to get some hot chocolate.
Isabella was dying to share a mug of hot cocoa with Phineas, so she was delighted to find that there was only one clean one in the cupboard. Now she didn't have to make up an excuse. She checked the pot and found it at just the right temperature, then used a ladle to scoop some of the delicious heaven into the big mug. She even added a few marshmallows and some whipped cream, then slowly walked back to Phineas.
When she got back, Isabella turned out the lights so that only the fireplace lit up the room. When she got to the couch, however, she was surprised to see that Phineas had prepared a big quilt to go over them!
Isabella beamed at him as she sat down and made herself comfortable next to him. He grinned back, and graciously tucked the big blanket around her, and then him. Even though Phineas had misunderstood her original hint, she was still taken aback by how thoughtful he could be for her.
Isabella had been planning on making sure Phineas was okay with sharing one mug, but it just felt better not to break the silence. So instead, she just offered the hot chocolate to him, and he gladly took a swig, earning a whipped cream mustache in the process. Isabella giggled and took a drink as well; now they were matching.
The two took turns sipping from the steaming mug, mostly staring into the fire, although occasionally glancing at each other. They didn't talk at all, but Isabella was loving every second of it. Every now and then, she would innocently scoot another inch towards her crush, and pretty soon, their shoulders were nearly touching. They sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company and the realistic crackle of the fire.
After a few minutes, the pair finished off the hot cocoa, and Isabella leaned over to put the empty mug on the ground. As she did, though, her foot accidentally brushed against Phineas's from under the covers, making him perk up. She blushed and pulled it away, not wanting to push him too much yet.
Wow, her toes are cold, Phineas thought to himself, She should be wearing socks! But I guess I'm not either, maybe that's why she's been so … cold... His thoughts trailed off as he finally understood what being 'cold' actually meant. His eyes widened a little as he realized just how oblivious he had been, even after knowing of Isabella's huge crush on him.
Well, I guess it isn't too late yet, he thought optimistically. Committing to his plan, Phineas searched under the covers with his foot until he came in contact with Isabella's. She majorly blushed and turned to hide her face, and he could even feel her heartbeat speed up through the couch. He smiled and kept his foot on hers, experimentally rubbing his toes over hers.
After a few seconds of this, Isabella turned back with a radiant smile on her face, and finally scooted closer once more to close that painful distance between them completely. After convincing herself that this was indeed real, she returned the favor by moving her other foot over to massage his. In a moment, they had a variation of 'Footsie' going on under the covers, neither of them speaking, just physically flirting and smiling.
Noticing her constant blush, Phineas decided to mess with Isabella by feigning his previously unknown obliviousness. After mustering up some courage, he leaned closer to her and gingerly cupped her face in his hands, rubbing little circles on her cheeks with his thumbs.
"Your face is sooooo red," he whispered mock-worriedly, "Are you getting sick again, Izzy?"
The combination of his feet, hands, and the embarrassing question was just too much for Isabella, and her face flushed one of the darkest shades of red it had ever gone. She couldn't turn away because he was holding her head, and wasn't thinking straight enough to give a reponse, so she just leaned into his touch. She could barely register her hands moving to rest on his leg under the covers, or her head slowly leaning towards him.
Phineas hadn't planned anything else, so after admiring her for a few seconds, he removed his hands and recovered them with the blanket. He then took one of her hands in his, and wrapped an arm around her.
Isabella sighed audibly and made her head comfortable on his shoulder, her cheek slightly touching his. This was just like that day when they did the Astronomy project, only it felt a million times better.
As they continued to watch the fire in more-than-comfortable silence, Isabella somehow maneuvered onto Phineas's lap, and he responded by wrapping his arms around her torso and holding her, both under the blanket all the while. She curled up against him and nuzzled her head into his neck, nearly exploding with happiness. This was so much better than what she had imagined in her wild hot chocolate fantasy, so much better than a silly old dance. Even her wild heart rate had slowed to a steady rhythm with his.
The couple romantically snuggled under the huge quilt for the better part of an hour, listening to the ambient fire noise and the sound of each other's breathing. Isabella was so far beyond any Phineas-Land she had ever created, that her mind had completely eliminated all thoughts except of Phineas. She no longer cared about how she looked, school worries, or anything else; now she just wanted to be closer to his warm body. If there was a seventh heaven, then Isabella was on the eighth, as nothing could best this.
Well, almost nothing. She peered up at him to see him warmly smiling back at her. As Isabella admired how the flickering light accentuated his handsome features, her heart began to pound again, and she unconsciously started licking her lips. She fought against the feeling for a while, but the mood of the room was just too powerful to contain it.
Taking a deep breath, Isabella temporarily broke away from Phineas and turned around so that she was kneeling on him, and she gently pressed her hands to his chest. Confused, but delighted, he stared at her wonderingly.
This has to be more than the friend zone, it just has to be, she desperately reassured herself, trying to build up courage. Her breathing quickened as she realized how perfect the timing was, how much she needed to tell him right now.
Saying one last silent prayer, Isabella slowly let her eyelids shut, and she slid her hands up to his shoulders. She puckered up her lips, and had just started leaning towards him, when-
"Isa! It's midnight now, Phineas needs to go home. Santa will be here soon!" Vivian called from upstairs at precisely the wrong moment. Isabella ignored the voice, and kept leaning towards him, but suddenly, she felt herself being … pushed … away?
Isabella felt the blanket drop from around them, and then Phineas literally picking her up and setting her on her feet. She opened her eyes, beyond terrified that he had rejected her.
"I guess I have to go," he told her, smiling endearingly at her. He couldn't have known what she was planning, or he wouldn't have looked so happy and unaffected.
But I came so close to kissing him, why can't it ever work out? But it's the perfect night to tell him! But, but, but..."
"But," she whispered repeatedly in a stupor as he led her back to the front door. "But..."
"That really was the best night ever. Thanks for inviting me Izzy. Goodnight!" he whispered, giving her a small hug, then parting.
"But..." she whispered one last time as he closed the door behind him. Isabella stared down at her feet in complete confusion. What if he did know, and he was just being nice about it?
Isabella slid down onto the stairs and hugged her knees, beginning to panic. He probably hates me, she thought overdramatically, quickly believing that Phineas had left to get away from her. She started rocking back and forth in worry, that is, until she heard front door open again.
Surprised, Isabella looked up to see Phineas at the doorway. She was going to ask what he was doing, but stopped when he quickly approached her and sat down next to her.
Then, without warning, Phineas cupped her head in his hands, and planted a soft kiss on her cheek! Isabella's brain stopped, and she could only stare at him, her mouth wide open.
"Leaving you like that is just too mean of me," he breathed, "Only one more night, Izzy." And with that, he was gone again, leaving Isabella in total shock. What was he talking about? Why did he come back to kiss her? What was going on?
All the confusion and shock was too much for Isabella. Her mind, trying to process everything that had just happened, and tired from the long day, finally shut down, and Isabella leaned over and fell asleep on the stairs.
Yeah... I think this story is wayyyyy too happy and fluffy. But that was the point, I guess. Lots of you guys wanted a good dance, was that a good enough substitute for it?
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Guest/Disabled PM Review Responses:
2/10/13 Guest 1: They're your highlight? Awesome!
woodland5: There are... But I don't care :P Thanks!
2/10/13 Guest 2: You're welcome!
total drama rocks: That is plausible, but luckily, the author conveniently skipped that possibility!
Le Guest 3: Thanks, but Ferb doesn't quite hate Phineas in this story. I bet you could write something about that, though!
PerpetualSpeech: I tried... It's impossible.
toooldforthis: You're never too old for this fluffiness, thanks for reading!
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Again, please allow two weeks until the next chapter is published. If you enjoyed it, or have any constructive criticism to give me, please review and tell me!
