A/N: Was listening to girly romance music to make this sound sweet and junk. Then the Mortal Kombat movie theme came on. TEST YOUR MIGHT! MORTAL KOMBAT!

Anyway! This started as a prompt for Kale Bishop, but it sort of morphed into its own little story, and I like it enough to upload. So the next chapter will be a kind of missing scene from this one (with the actual prompt given, sorry!) and then the next two will also be prompts. Woo!

Words: 1576

Age: 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas and Ferb. No matter how many people I blackmail.

Inevitable

Isabella woke up bright and early that day. Her hair wasn't the biggest mess to mankind and Pinky had somehow already walked himself. Isabella was having a good day and it was only nine in the morning.

She was just finished her breakfast that her mum had insisted on making her (another plus this morning) when she heard the familiar sound of construction work. Isabella smiled and wondered how the surrounding neighbours had never complained about the near constant noise.

She washed her plate, kissed her mum on the cheek and then headed out the door to see what physics defying, mind bending, reality altering machine they were building today. She reached the gate and pushed it open.

"Hey Phineas, watcha doing?" She asked him sweetly, her catchphrase to this day had not grown old.

"Hey Isabella! You're up early! We're making portable heaters!" Phineas responded brightly and Ferb nodded.

"Um...not to rain on your parade...but can't you just...buy them?" Isabella asked him quietly as she reached them.

"Not like this!" Phineas grinned. "Hit it, Ferb!"

Ferb pulled a remote control out his back pocket and pressed the big red button in the middle. Phineas grabbed Isabella's hand and pulled her back with him and Ferb. Isabella stared at the giant contraption that was now standing we she had been mere moments ago.

"What are you heating? The Earth?!"

Ferb chuckled and pressed the button again and they all watched as it collapsed on itself until it was pocket sized. Ferb picked it up and inspected it before slipping it into his pocket.

"Let's hope I don't hit that button by accident." Ferb said, his eyes slipping down to where Phineas was still holding Isabella's hand. It was possible, he thought, that neither of them have noticed they're still holding hands. Ferb smiled at the probability, that is, zero. Phineas seemed to have a new hyper focus on Isabella whenever she was around, almost as noticeable as Isabella's focus on him.

They're both pretending they've forgotten about it.

Ferb shook his head and smiled. Wanting and at the same time, not wanting to witness their awkward conversation when they finally 'realised'.

"What's the big heater for, anyway?" Isabella finally asked.

"Oh! We're going camping! And-"

"Where? The moon?"

"-and...and you're quick with the sarcasm today, Isabella." Phineas told her.

Isabella smiled and shrugged. "I feel the situation needs it." She said, referring to the empty space where the giant heater had previously stood with her free hand.

"Hey kids! I'm off shopping, do you want anything bringing back?"

Phineas, Ferb and Isabella turned their heads to see Mrs Flynn Fletcher stood rummaging for her car keys in her handbag.

"No thanks!" Phineas called to her.

Mrs Flynn Fletcher found her keys and pulled them out of the depths of her handbag with a victorious air about her, and her grin seemed to land directly on the still interlocked hands.

"Oh! You finally did it!" She gushed at them, not seeing Ferb frantically shaking his head. "I'm so pleased for you two!"

"What do you mean?" Phineas and Isabella asked her simultaneously.

"What do I mean? I mean you two, of course! When were you going to tell me, Phineas?" She beamed and pointed directly to their hands.

The two teens followed her pointed finger and immediately their hands snapped away from each other. A twin blush was rising in both of them.

"We're not- no mum-nothing-jeez just go to the shop mum!" Phineas stuttered out and everyone stared at him.

"Alright then..." She eventually said, regarding him carefully. She then looked to Ferb who smiled softly. "Do you have everything for your camping trip?" She asked.

Phineas nodded weakly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. They three of them watched Mrs Flynn Fletcher get in her car and drive away.

Before Isabella could explode from embarrassment, Ferb had turned towards her.

"I believe Phineas was trying to invite you to go camping with us. I've already messaged the rest of the gang."

"Oh...Um, sure! Is that what the heater was for, then?"

"Yeah!" Phineas said, snapping out of his embarrassment. "We've got a pretty big tent planned."

"And let me guess, actual beds, and a fireplace and running water too?"

"You know us well." Phineas chuckled. "So, you up for it?"

"Um. Nah." She said and Ferb's jaw hit the floor. "It's not really camping, is it? It's more living. Just in a different place."

"It's more like camping with style." Phineas enthused with a dramatic flair.

"But mostly just like living in a house. Real camping is under a sheet with only a sleeping bag. Comfortable camping is in a tent on an air bed. Living in a house is what you guys are doing." Isabella laughed.

The two brothers shared a silent conversation.

"Alright, we're convinced. We'll pack all this up for another day and see if we can find our old sleeping bags."

...

Ferb had to hand it to Isabella, this certainly seemed more fun that just flicking a switch and have everything done for you. The journey is half the fun, he supposed. So another fraction must be the setting up. He smiled at Baljeet who had just tied one corner of the tent to it's frame while he worked the other. They both watched with knowing smiles as Buford (who was not nearly as tall as Ferb and Baljeet) lifted Milly easily in the air so she could tie his corner secure through giggles. He pretended to drop her, and anyone could have seen his eyes light up as she shrieked with laughter and relief as he caught her at the last minute.

Ferb had wondered how long it would take for the group to break off in pairs. It had inevitably started with Phineas and Isabella, both stood outside the tent trying to blow all the air mattresses up.

"This would have been a lot easier if you'd let us cheat a little." Phineas grimaced through his growing leg pain.

Isabella just laughed at him and continued stepping on both foot pumps in front of her with ease.

"Phineas, you're supposed to alternate legs."

"You're not!" He defended.

"I'm using both to pump two beds. You're just on the one."

"No one likes a show off." He grinned at her, switching his leg.

"That must be why you're so popular, then." She smirked back at him. He held eye contact and they stared at each other. Phineas felt his concentration failing and noticed only the briefest of reliefs from no longer stomping on foot pump anymore. She was still going. She was still smiling and still staring.

The spell broke when she forgot her rhythm and double stepped her left foot. She felt herself falling before she realised what was happening and braced herself for impact.

When it didn't come she looked up to see Phineas stood above her, his arms holding her just inches off the floor. He leaned over her, blocking out the low sun and smiled.

"Not the most graceful thing I've ever seen, but you get a solid '8' for that."

Isabella rolled her eyes, and noticed for the first time that while he was holding her, her hands were firmly holding onto his arms. His...more muscular arms than she remembered. Isabella blushed and let go of his arms (sadly) and placed them on the floor so she could fall the last inch into a sitting position.

He straightened up and extended his hand to her. She grabbed up and let him help her up.

"Phineas." Isabella said very sternly as soon as she was upright.

"Yes?" He said, his voice wavering at the seriousness of her voice.

"That was at least a '9'." She said and poked him in the chest with her free hand.

...

They must think I'm asleep, Ferb thought, as did his best to ignore the two teenager's whispering to each other in the dark.

He could hear exactly what they were talking about, and it took him by surprise that it was their childhood that filled the conversation. Ferb would have eavesdropped if he'd needed to, he had after all, been there during their childhood. He'd know all the stories first hand anyway.

He instead thought of them holding hands. He'd seen them doing it twice now. Once this morning, and then again outside the tent this afternoon when he'd popped out to get the cooler. He'd wanted to congratulate Phineas on his smooth catch earlier, but hadn't the heart to tell him their moment hadn't really been just theirs.

Their hands still plagued him though. They couldn't be secretly dating. There'd be no way either of them could hide that well enough. And they definitely wouldn't feel that comfortable holding hands with each other. It would feel right, certainly, but so right Ferb feared that if he shouted to the two of them right now about the feelings he knew they both had for one and other, they'd burst from joy, ecstasy and embarrassment all at once.

He eventually came to the conclusion that this was the natural progression of their relationship. They'd left 'friendship' a while ago, and everyone could see it hurtling towards them at the speed of light. Or, rather the speed of a few years, and holding hands, regardless of whether they actually were aware of it or not, was just another step.

Oh man now Shamen King! SO MANY THINGS I NEVER COULD SEE, SO MANY CHOICES FALLING ON ME, COULD IT BE MY DESTINY TO BE SHAMEN KING?!

Will hopefully be uploading again over the weekend. I really intend to try harder this time.