Author's note: I will explain my delay at the end of this chapter.
Bliss
Nearly two weeks had passed since Phineas Flynn last stepped foot in Danville High School, though it had seemed like years. It wasn't that he was banned from returning, Phineas simply saw no need to return. He had lived life away from the social web of high school before and found it easy to do so again. While Phineas had began to worry about what others might think of him after the incident, days passed before it slowly dawned on him that their opinions did not matter at all. They were mere high school students. By the end of the first week, he realized that the only judgments that mattered were those of his friends, his family, and that of Isabella.
From the bits of information that he heard from Buford and Django, the incident was still widely mentioned in the daily gossip, the Dean of Students had enforced a penalty for any public displays of affection, and Selena had received a broken nose. An old part of Phineas felt general pity for Selena, even after everything she did, and wished that he could have known about her whereabouts. His tough mentality he had gained on the road, however, instantly tempted him to reject any sort of sympathy for Selena. With Phineas' newfound mindset, he was able to make a compromise of the two.
A newfound mindset.
Only when Phineas stopped to think about it did he realize that his overall mentality had changed since he had returned. Before he had returned to Danville, Phineas remembered how inflamed his brain felt every day and how he could feel his brain muscles churn in efforts to produce and recall information. Now with the suppression of hormones slowly subsiding, Phineas' mind started to clear, albeit very slowly. He could remember the feeling of the clear mind that he had when he was his imaginative younger self; a time when thoughts and ideas were transparent and instant.
The concept of the brain brought up another question: if his brain was merely going through change, did he still have the same creative capabilities he had when he was younger?
"Phin-eeeaaas?" a cute voice drawled out. Phineas blinked before he turned his head to the owner of the voice. Isabella was laying down on the couch he was leaning back on, working on her homework for the last few weeks of high school she had left. Phineas' eyes flashed over to the eraser end of a pencil that was just about to poke his head.
"You kinda zoned out there." Isabella remarked as she pulled her pencil away from Phineas' head.
"Oh…sorry," Phineas apologized as he shook his head, "I was just thinking." Isabella stopped working and casted a glance over at the red-haired boy.
"Thinking about what?" Isabella probed. Phineas felt his mind shift as he sought the words to say.
"About adolescence and how it affects the brain." Phineas replied, leaning his head back and resting it on Isabella's torso. "You remember all those inventions Ferb and I built when we were younger?"
"Of course, how could anyone forget?"
"I was thinking if we were that brilliant when we were young," Phineas explained, casting a glance over at his girlfriend, "do you think we can still imagine and create projects like those again?" Isabella smiled endearingly and ran her fingers through her boyfriend's red hair. Phineas absent mindedly eased his head into her hand. Isabella giggled as she withdrew her hand and returned her attention to her ever apparent homework.
"You," Isabella emphasized as she overlooked her paper, "did all those things, and unless you were replaced by a robot, I'm sure that you're the same brilliant boy I fell in love with."
Before he could be swayed by her sweet words, Phineas ran the sentence through his head again. Smirking, he gave Isabella a knowing look and decided to play around.
"You do know that that's possible, right?" Phineas asked rhetorically. Isabella looked up from her homework and stared at Phineas, her lips forming a flirtous smile.
"Then there's only one way to find out." Isabella commented. Phineas' mind went blank, and Isabella could see it clearly in the way he knitted his eyebrows together. Despite growing up, his own naivety still showed through his confusion. Leaning forward with a smirk, Isabella planted a kiss on the tip of Phineas' nose and pulled back. Phineas' confused expression did not falter in the slightest.
"Yep, you're the real Phineas." Isabella concluded and went back to work. Phineas turned his head forward to think for himself a bit before he finally gave up and shook his head, not seeing Isabella take one last coy gaze at him.
A Friday afternoon later, Phineas found himself sitting in the kitchen sitting at the small dining table. His was fidgeting his fingers as he frustratingly stared at what was in front of him. There on the table was a single blank piece of paper he had found; to the right of it a pencil and protractor. The young red head's mind was shifting and molding with thoughts, albeit slightly aching. Several minutes ago, Phineas had woken up from a nap with a sudden burst of imagination that seemingly came from nowhere. He realized the already fleeting opportunity and immediately rose from the bed in search for paper and a writing utensil. He managed to pull a piece of blank paper from a paper stack, grab a pencil to write with, and even was lucky enough to discover a protractor along the way.
That was 20 minutes ago.
Phineas groaned as he plunked his forehead on the table, sending dull pain into his already aching head. Closing his eyes, he tried again to initiate that source of natural inspiration he had when he was young. Even now as he struggled for innovative motivation, Phineas couldn't help but wonder how he had managed to come up with ideas like that before.
The unexpected ringing of the home phone tore Phineas out of his vain concentration. He forced himself away from the table and walked over to the phone, snatching it in mid-ring.
"Hello?"
"Hey Phineas, it's me." a familiar scratchy voice greeted.
"Me who?" Phineas asked with feign innocence.
"Dinna Bell!"
"I'm kidding Buford," Phineas chuckled, "what's up?"
"Do you think you and Isabella could uh…" Buford spoke, drawing out the last word for a few seconds before lapsing into silence. Phineas pulled the phone away from his ear to check if they were still connected.
"Buford?"
"Join me and Adyson next Friday…to…see a…movie? At the Googolplex Mall?" Buford's reluctant voice asked.
"I'll have to ask her about it," Phineas replied, completely naïve of Buford's hesitant tone, "but it'll most likely be a yes if Isabella isn't busy."
"Oh…okay," Buford sighed before his attention was directed at somebody else on his end of the call, "Wha...? No! We already asked Dinna Bell!" Phineas immediately winced and drew back the phone as Buford unintentionally shouted into the speaker.
"Grrr, fine I'll ask him! Phineas you still on?"
"Yes," Phineas replied as he brought the phone back to his hear, which was ringing from Buford's shouting, "yes I am."
"Would it be possible for you to invite Ferb?" Buford muttered.
"Sure, I'll let him know as soon as I can." Phineas answered happily.
"Alright then, see ya later," Buford said before adding a few more words at the end, "by the way, this was all Adyson's idea."
Phineas cringed when he heard a loud thwap on the other end of the call, instantly followed by Buford's griping. The call ended shortly after that. Now faced with something to look forward to, Phineas walked off to another part of the house to make a call, his mind already forgetting about the pencil, paper, and protractor on the kitchen table.
AT THE FLYNN-FLETCHER HOUSEHOLD…
Ferb was heading down the all-too familiar stairway of the Flynn-Fletcher household when his cell phone began to ring in his pocket. Upon hearing the ringtone, Ferb smoothly pulled out his cell phone and answered his step-brother's call, cutting off the Gitchie Gitchie Goo ringtone.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ferb, it's me!" Phineas' excited voice answered.
Ferb shifted the cell phone to his other hand as he disembarked from the stairway and went into the kitchen. It was Perry's dinner time.
"Are you busy this Friday?" Phineas asked.
Ferb glanced at the calendar that was dangled on the refrigerator door from a magnet. After confirming today's date, Ferb's eyes snapped over to the upcoming Friday; it was free of any scheduled events.
"That's great!" Phineas exclaimed, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with us at the Googolplex Mall."
Ferb raised an eyebrow as he opened the refrigerator and reached for the canned platypus food. As usual routine, a middle-aged platypus wandered from the living room and plopped himself down right next to his food bowl. Perry's eyes aimlessly stared in opposite directions as he waited for his chow.
"Adyson, Buford, Isabella and I are going." Phineas continued as Ferb was twisting a can-opener. Ferb mentally counted the people attending in his head as he removed the opened top. Perry's growling stomach was barely audible to Ferb's hearing.
"You could bring someone along," Phineas suggested, "that way you don't have to worry about being a fifth wheel."
Ferb nodded his head as he dumped the platypus chow into Perry's food bowl. Perry slowly leaned forward and started to munch down his grub, showing no signs of satisfaction or distaste; just his ordinary, average, unsuspicious look.
"So you do you plan on bringing?" Phineas humorously questioned.
Ferb smiled and rolled his eyes in response, earning a chuckle from his red-headed step-brother.
"Alright, alright," Phineas added with feign defeat, "see you Friday."
Ferb was about to hang up when Phineas' voice caught his attention again.
"Hey Ferb, where's Perry?"
Ferb knelt down next to the munching platypus and held the phone right in front of him. Perry paused from his meal time and gulped down his food.
"Grrgrrgrrrgrr."
"Oh, there you are Perry," Phineas said to his pet platypus. "See ya Friday night, Ferb." Ferb heard the phone call end as he brought himself up and put away his phone.
"Huh…I didn't even have to say anything." Ferb remarked as he went back to his daily life.
THAT FRIDAY NIGHT…
After Isabella said that she was all clear for Friday night, Phineas was eagerly anticipating the upcoming day. His bubbling excitement, however, was contained by his calm demeanor; otherwise, he would be speculating about the date constantly. Instead, Phineas found himself cool about the whole thing and was ready to seize the night.
'I just hope this turns out to be a good night.' Phineas faintly thought as he rode his V-Rod motorcycle through traffic. Isabella was sitting behind him and clamping her arms around his waist to hold on. Unlike Phineas, who was wearing Chopper sunglasses, Isabella wore a motorcycle helmet.
"What movie are we gonna see again?" Isabella asked over the jutting V-Rod engines. The question brought up a revelation to Phineas. How could he have failed to ask?
"I don't know, actually." Phineas answered back as they neared the Googolplex Mall.
Pulling into the massive parking lot, Phineas drove over to the motorcycle parking area and found a spot. Isabella disembarked and removed her helmet as Phineas cut the ignition off and parked his ride. Stepping off his ride, Phineas was greeted with arms outstretched towards him with a helmet.
"Please?" Isabella asked cutely. Phineas rolled his eyes with a smile as he accepted her helmet. The young boy tucked his girlfriend's helmet underneath his arm; having a feeling that somehow it would be a delirious chore to keep track of the object throughout the night. As two then started walking towards the mall's busy entrance bustling with people, Phineas' eye drifted over towards the clear front area of the mall.
Memories surfaced in his head as he remembered the last incident that had occurred several months ago, though it seemed longer than so. The young red-head could still recall the bruise spots he had received and the faint imagery of red droplets of Trent's blood that had been spilt. It felt odd recalling the events now, especially since he and Trent had long made up for what happened.
Although, Phineas did wonder what Cullen had said to Trent that night to make him cool down and apologize.
"Buford and Adyson are waiting in the Food Court," Isabella spoke as she checked the text messages on her phone, drawing Phineas out of his reminiscing, "and Ferb is on his way with his date."
"Can you ask them what movie we're seeing?" Phineas requested, tearing his attention away from the former brawl grounds. Phineas watched as Isabella's fingers tap away on her phone's screen as she texted. He wanted to point out that calling would have been much more quicker than texting, but somewhat aware of the social media norm, Phineas thought not to bother with it. Holding the door open for Isabella, the two of them entered the Googolplex Mall and immediately headed off to the Food Court.
AT THE FOOD COURT…
Phineas spotted the bickering couple sitting in one of the table booths as he and Isabella started to walk over. Adyson was busy texting away on her phone while Buford was chomping down on a bag of chips. Though it wasn't an impossible feat, Phineas noted that Buford and Adyson were not arguing at this very moment, which was an uncommon occurrence between the two. Buford spotted the two of them approaching and raised his eyebrows in recognition.
"Hrr! Whrr yu uys bin?" was all that came out of Buford's chip filled mouth. Looking up from her phone, Adyson gave Buford a pointed look before she lashed out her foot underneath the table and kicked Buford's shin. Buford straightened himself up in his seat and glared at his girlfriend.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Adyson snapped firmly before she shifted her attention to Isabella and Phineas. "Hey guys!"
"Hey Adyson!" Isabella greeted Adyson jumped out of her seat and gave her a hug, to which she returned, "What'cha doin?"
Phineas felt his heart flutter when he heard Isabella say her catchphrase.
"Aside from waiting on Ferb? Trying to decide what movie to see," Adyson replied with crossed arms, "because someone forgot the look up the movie times."
"How was I suppose to know I was choosing the movie?" Buford demanded after he finished eating his chips and wiped his lips with his arm. Adyson rolled her eyes and spotted a familiar sight of a green haired boy accompanied by two others. Adyson's widen stare caught the attention of everyone else and they turned to see; their eyes also widened at the sight.
Ferb was dressed as he normally would for a Friday movie night, but that wasn't what caught everyones' gawking attention. Ferb was straightly in between two girls, a blonde and a red head; each of them smiling and hooking their arms with Ferb's, respectively. They were rubbing up and down Ferb's arms, though Ferb seemed to pay no mind to them. Though it came no surprise to Phineas, knowing his step-brother was a ladies' man, he was still stunned that Ferb would actually bring two dates with him.
Ferb offered the gang an apologetic look for being late.
"Oh these must be your friends!" the red haired girl exclaimed and then playfully added, "You girls try not to take our man now hear?" She and the other girl giggled as they snuggled up against Ferb, who merely rolled his eyes with disinterest. Phineas could already tell that all of this affectionate attention Ferb was receiving from both of the girls was only bothersome to his step-brother.
Isabella absent mindedly took a protective step closer to Phineas, who had managed to snap out of his initial stupor.
Buford on the other hand continued to stare until Adyson elbowed him in the ribs.
"So…what movie are we seeing?" the blonde girl asked them. The question was brought back to the group's attention. Adyson and Isabella pondered over the options while the Phineas and Buford thought about it.
Ferb would've also liked to speak his thoughts, but the two girls playing and snuggling against his arms were too distracting for him to focus, and not in a good way. Ferb tightened his lips as he thought that inviting these two girls was a mistake.
"How about Hell Match?" Buford suggested. Everyone, except Ferb's two dates, glanced at Buford, who could care less about everyone's stares.
"A lore movie about a gladiator fighting his way to the top against foes for his freedom?" Adyson elaborated unimpressed.
"Uh, yeah?" Buford replied.
There was a beat of silence.
"Sure."
"Yeah!"
"Fine."
"Hell yeah!"
"..."
"What? I couldn't resist making the pun."
Thwapp!
"Ow!"
LATER IN THE THEATER…
Phineas was quietly watching the movie on the big screen while munching down on his popcorn, savoring the buttery taste of not-too-salty popcorn, and keeping an eye on Isabella's motorcycle helmet next to him. Isabella sat right next to him, their hands intertwined on the armrest.
Buford and Adyson were sitting a few seats down the row, watching the movie and, surprisingly, not arguing. The only incident that had happen within the first 20 minutes of the movie between the belligerent couple was Adyson snatching away Buford's bag of chips because he was eating too loud. Other than that, the two of them were sitting back and enjoying the movie.
Ferb was sitting a few rows behind Phineas and Isabella with his two dates, silently watching the action on screen. His mind was so mesmerized on the movie that he was paying no attention to the girls who had lifted the armrests and were snuggling against Ferb. Ferb paid no mind nor care to them.
Phineas was contently watching the movie when he suddenly noticed Isabella's stir in her seat. She leaned in closer to Phineas, not taking her eyes off the screen.
"Whadya think of the movie?" Isabella asked in a hushed tone.
"I think that the protagonist is going to win." Phineas whispered back, watching at the main character deflected a blow with his shield and countered with a stab.
"How can you be so sure?" Isabella asked as she watched the main character's opponent grab the sword and toss it away with ease. Phineas waited till he finished munching on the handful of popcorn before he replied back.
"It is a movie after all." Phineas emphasized, watching the protagonist maneuver his shield to block a punch from his opponent.
"That doesn't mean the protagonist can win," Isabella pointed out, "for all we know, the protagonist could lose this battle."
"I don't think the director would purposely kill off the main protagonist," Phineas reasserted, "just because-"
The sound of ripping flesh boomed and a terrorizing cry of pain boomed out of the theater's giant surround sound speakers, accompanied by the roaring cheers of the in-movie crowd. Phineas watched feebly as the opponent drove his spear straight through the protagonist's chest and the seriously bleeding protagonist drop to his knees. With a sinister smile, the opponent gripped the spear and wrenched it out of the protagonist's chest. Phineas sat in his seat dumbfounded while Isabella smirked all knowingly.
"Look at that, I was right." Isabella giggled as Phineas sullenly reflected on fate's irony.
"No way!" Adyson shouted at the top of her voice from her seat. Buford hooted and hollered with victory right next to her. Apparently, Buford and Isabella held the same pool of movie logic when it came to director movie tactics.
Up in his high altitude of seating, Ferb blinked at what had transpired on screen.
"A rather bold direction for a movie." Ferb observed as he continued to watch the movie.
The two girls next to him only snuggled closer to him at the sound of his voice.
LATER…
When the plot-twisting movie finally ended, the gang made their way back to the Food Court to satisfy their stomachs. Isabella, Adyson, and Ferb's two dates found their way to one end of the Food Court, no doubtingly to get away from the boys' earshot for some girl-talk, while the three young men sat at the other end. While the two step-brothers ate civilized as Buford was stuffing his face with his cheeseburger and chomping away.
"Suh gys," Buford began to talk with a mouth full of food, "wu id yu hink uf th ovie?" The two step-brothers stopped eating and shared a glance with each other.
"Uh, come again?" Phineas requested quizzically. Buford rolled his eyes and swallowed the food in his mouth.
"I said…" Buford repeated, "what did you think of the movie?"
"Oh, well I thought that plot twist at the near the end was strange." Phineas answered.
"The first one or the second one?"
"The second one."
Buford took a slurp from his slushie to ponder something.
"If there are an even number of plot twists, does that mean that they cancel each other out?"
"Not necessarily."
Ferb swayed his head side to side and shrugged.
"Yeah, that's a good point Ferb."
Buford glanced over at Ferb peculiarly before turning back to Phineas.
"What did he say?" Buford asked, swearing to himself that Ferb hadn't said anything at all.
"He said that it depends on the overall story and how the movie wants to portray itself as." Phineas repeated. Buford's puzzled expression turned sour within a second.
"Oh, so you can understand silence but you can't understand me with a full mouth?" Buford scoffed before grabbing a handful of fries and stuffing them into his mouth. Phineas sheepishly smiled and shrugged.
"That romantic subplot was a little bit of a waste though." Ferb admitted.
"Oh yeah," Phineas laughed, "that love story was too corny for my liking."
"Ih hink th tory wud-"
"Buford, your food." Phineas interrupted with a flat expression. Buford glared at Phineas as he forced a loud gulp.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Buford continued, "I think they could've done the romance better instead of just sticking it in there." Phineas nodded in agreement before he went back to finishing his hotdog. Say what you wanted about Buford, but he has always had a brain of sophistication beneath his bulk; far beneath his bulk. Idly, Phineas' eyes drifted to the corner of his sight, focusing on the girls chatting on the far side of the Food Court.
"Speaking of romance and sticking it in there, how are you and Isabella doing?" Buford asked nonchalantly.
That whole sentence shattered Phineas' concentration and forced himself to stare at Buford with widen eyes.
"Well…I-I, uh.." Phineas stammered.
Unbeknownst to him, a light red blush was showing on his cheeks. "We're spending a lot of time together…and s-stuff…but we haven't actually…" His sentence drawled out near the end. Phineas felt his feelings swirl from embarrassment bearing down on him. This wasn't a topic that he had never really discussed. Sure he thought about it sometimes, but those were only idle thoughts that he cleared as fast as they came; a task that was becoming more difficult every time.
"Oh, so you guys haven't." Buford finished for him, acting like it was any other normal conversation. The red-headed boy's awkward silence and bashful expression gave Buford all the answers he needed.
Phineas desperately wanted to change the topic to something else to avoid all of the embarrassment of the situation. He gave a pleading look to Ferb to bail him out of the topic, but was dismayed when he saw that Ferb was actually taking an interest in the conversation. Ferb caught Phineas' beseeching glance and gave him a sympathetic nod. Phineas immediately breathed a sigh of relief that he was holding in.
Ferb was right; if they were young adults, they needed to behave like them.
"Have you and Adyson?" Phineas heard his mouth ask, curiosity getting the better of him. Buford's nonchalant expression shifted into a sharp glare at Phineas. Seeing that look made Phineas want to shrink in his seat, wishing he hadn't asked that question. Before he could take it back, Buford lessened his death glare and willingly began to speak.
"If you weren't my friend, I'd tell you to piss off," Buford stated in all seriousness, "but because I've known you for this long Dinna Bell, I'll tell you…and if I hear you spreading this around, I'll punch in that head of yours."
Phineas felt his anger spike but reminded himself of the reason behind Buford's threat.
"Fair enough."
"Alright," Buford exhaled, "to answer your question: yes we had sex before; but that doesn't mean I am encouraging between you and Isabella."
"Thanks?" Phineas replied.
"It's gotta come naturally between you two, not forced upon you because of bullshit social trend," Buford continued, waving his slushie in the air for emphasis, "otherwise it just ain't right."
"So how do you know when it is right?" Phineas asked. His curiosity had fully replaced his timidity as he intriguingly listened to what Buford had to say.
Yet there was a small dawning upon Phineas: he was listening to Buford on advice about sex. Of all of the things to listen for advice on, it had to be about procreation.
"That, my friend, I cannot answer." Buford finished. Phineas' curiosity had taken complete control to the point that he still wanted to ask questions. Not about the details of what he and Adyson did, but rather the details of the act itself. How did it feel? Was there any advice that he could give him? How long did it last? How should he handle himself when the time came? But Phineas could tell that this topic of the conversation was over, judging how Buford went back to chowing down and Ferb finished off the rest of his food.
"Says the bully who's giving out advice." Ferb added with a faint smile. Phineas snickered at the irony while Buford once again glared at the green-haired male.
"Shut it, Ferb." Buford warned, never taking his eyes off of him.
Ferb merely rolled his eyes and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Before the gender-based conversation could go on, the three guys heard shrieks coming from the other side of the Food Court. Their heads whipped around to the source and saw Ferb's two dates soaked and covered in ice. Isabella had gotten up and was storming away from the table while Adyson was getting out of her seat to follow suit. Phineas' glance was shifting back and forth between Isabella's rage-filled eyes and the two girls behind her who were desperately trying to dry off their phones with napkins, looking as if they were at the brink of losing it. When Ferb's two dates started cursing and calling out profanity at Isabella, Phineas' attention reverted to Isabella and Adyson who had made their way to their table.
"Ferb, I need to have a talk with you about your choice of 'dates'." Isabella scowled loud enough for the whole table to hear, not even looking at them as she walked over to Ferb. Ferb stuck his index finger in the air and opened his mouth to say something, but Isabella grabbed his raised hand and pulled him out of his seat, dragging him towards the Mall's exit. Confused, Phineas and Buford got up from their seats to follow while Adyson folded her arms and watched Isabella go. Nearly forgetting, Phineas quickly picked up Isabella's helmet before joining them.
"What was that all about?" Phineas wondered, looking to Adyson for some answers. Adyson forced out an exhale and rolled her eyes. Phineas felt the all-too familiar sense of stifling confusion and ignorance loom over him; something he was working hard to wean himself off of.
"Isabella can explain it better than I can." Adyson huffed and went after Isabella currently giving Ferb an earful as she dragged him out. For some reason Phineas doubted that, but seeing the way his girlfriend was getting after Ferb, he could only guess how Adyson was feeling. Phineas exchanged a look with Buford, who merely shrugged to express his utter bewilderment. Without a word, the two followed Adyson, leaving behind the Food Court and the two soaked girls breaking into hysteria over their ruined outfits, makeup, and cell phones.
LATER THAT NIGHT…
The ride home was tense to say the least. The gang had hastily said their goodbyes and left the Googolplex Mall. Phineas rode off on his motorcycle with Isabella gripping his waist behind him, Buford and Adyson left in Buford's truck, and Ferb drove home and left his two dates behind.
It was unusually uncharacteristic of his step-brother, but Phineas had a hunch that he had his reasons, especially after the rant that Isabella gave him in private. Speaking of which, he noted that Isabella hadn't said a word since they left the parking lot.
"Mind telling me what happened back there?" Phineas asked loud enough to hear as he kept his eyes on the road and ears open. He listened carefully over the loud engine of his motorcycle for Isabella's answer, but she only gripped tighter around Phineas' waist. Phineas pressed his lips together as he waited for her answer.
"I'll tell you when we get home." he heard Isabella's voice finally say. Instincts told him to not let up and persist on persuading her to tell him now, but Phineas felt his mind and a part of his heart telling him to be patient and wait till they returned home. Judging on how Isabella sunk back into silence after her words, Phineas decisively chose the latter.
The rest of the ride home was irritably quiet. Phineas couldn't help but grit his teeth in anticipation as he unlocked the door and both of them entered. The troubled look on Isabella's face and lack of words only edged Phineas on to find out what was up. When the two of them were settled down, Phineas found himself sitting in the living room at one end of the couch while Isabella sat on the other. Finally having enough of the thick silence around them, Phineas decided to start them off.
"So…" Phineas lamely broke the silence. Isabella sighed and leaned on the couch's armrest.
"Promise to be honest with me?" Isabella finally spoke since they left the mall. Her words made it feel as if someone swapped a weight on his shoulders with another weight.
"Of course."
"Do you like my body?" Isabella asked, intentionally. Phineas shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to answer her question without letting his eyes wander over the topic in discussion.
"N-yes, yes I do," Phineas corrected himself before he denied what his subtle thoughts and behavior reflected in recent times, "Why do you ask?" He had a hunch to where this conversation was leading. Isabella gave a faint smile before she turned her head and stared grimly in front of her, lost in thought.
"Back at the Food Court, after we had finished our food," Isabella began, "Adyson and I were talking about the movie while Ferb's dates were talking about gossip and busy on their phones. Which then eventually led to them asking us questions about the little incident with Selena."
Phineas mentally winced at the last name in the sentence and what memories of her came with it. A faint smile crossed Isabella's face as she angled her head towards Phineas.
"First they congratulated me on teaching Selena a lesson to not mess with 'my man', but then they asked why was I still with you after what had happened. I told them the truth, but they barely believed it. They're still under the impression that you're a 'bad-boy heartbreaker' and said that you probably kissed Selena because you're a guy with desires; but I know you better than that." Isabella paused to give an understanding smile towards Phineas, which brightened his mood after hearing what people still thought of him.
"But they insisted that they knew your type and warned me about how you would end up cheating on me again and how I should find a better boyfriend. I told them that they didn't know you for who you really are, but they argued against every point I made. I said you were smart, they said you were deceptive; I pointed out that you were kind and considerate, they summarized that you were putting on a front; I told them that you were mature for your age, but they said that you were just like any other typical young 18 year-old adult who is only focused on having fun."
"You think I'm mature?" Phineas interrupted, taken aback from her statement. Isabella gave Phineas a firm look before she backed her statement.
"Phineas, you and Ferb are the most mature guys I know. Even though we both know you weren't a year ago, you certainly are now." Isabella explained, "It's like you left Danville as a teenaged delinquent and returned a year later as a paragon in progress. Whatever Cullen had in mind for you must've worked."
Phineas' mind started to reel back to all the events that had transpired up to this point, but Isabella's voice cut him off.
"By then I was furious. It's one thing to talk trash about me, but it's crossing the line when somebody bad-mouths my friend, nevertheless my boyfriend for that matter. I honestly wanted to walk over to them and give them a piece of my mind. Adyson tried to intervene and make them stop, but those girls only started to criticize Adyson's choice of Buford. Then they started bragging about how Ferb was a real man and how he would treat them right. If by a real man they meant that he could satisfy their needs whenever they needed it, then sure, Ferb is a real man. They gave no considerate thought to who Ferb really was, and he would never do the sorta things they wanted him to do. That was when I snapped. I took the lid off my cup and soaked them in ice." Isabella concluded with a sigh.
Phineas let the information sink in, deciding how he should word his opinion properly.
"I know I overreacted," Isabella admitted, strain apparent in her voice, "but I'm sick and tired of everyone saying things about you and me." She propped her head on her hand and raked her hair with her fingers as she thought to herself. Phineas could see in her eyes that she was struggling internally and scooted over to her side to comfort her. Isabella automatically shifted her seating and laid into Phineas' body as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She let out a sigh of exhaustion while Phineas gently tightened their embrace. Her aroma was intoxicating to Phineas, not that he minded.
"What's done is done," Phineas affirmed, referring to Isabella's overreaction, "and we can only move forward." There was a spur of seriousness in his chest to which he felt as if whatever words he could say next would be words of wisdom.
"Besides," he comforted, "who cares about what they say? We both know the truth." Isabella's tired expression vanished as she reached up and squeezed Phineas' hand on her shoulder. Her eyes slowly locked with his and a cute smile formed on her lips. The look on her face made Phineas felt like his heart skipped a beat.
"I know," Isabella said, nuzzling her head under his, "I'm just getting it out of my head." Phineas wanted to melt, but something about being the guy in their relationship held him back from embracing the feelings. His trail of thought was lost when Isabella planted a kiss on his neck.
"Umm, Isabella?"
Isabella stopped kissing Phineas right before she landed one on his lips.
"Yes?"
"What's brought that about?" referring to the kiss she just gave him.
"Do I need a reason to kiss my boyfriend?"
Phineas actually took a moment to think.
"Uhh…no, no you don't."
And with that, Isabella locked her lips with Phineas'. Unlike many other kisses before that they have shared, this one held passionate desire as Isabella's mouth roamed over Phineas'. Isabella's hand reached up and dug her nails into the fabric of his shirt, grabbing a hold of his chest. The young red-headed adult was completely unaware of these apparent details, seeing that he was losing himself in this newfound experience of desire. This desirable feeling felt natural and had was prodding his body to do something he was unsure of. Before any of this could overcome him, his lack of air held the main priority, forcing him to reluctantly break away from the kiss. Through his shallow gasps for air, Phineas leaned his forward onto Isabella's, who faced the similar need to breath as well.
"I love you Isabella." Phineas found himself confessing. His mind was in no shape for any coherent thoughts after what had happen. Isabella giggled and pecked his nose with a small kiss.
"You, too, Phineas." Isabella breathed, cuddling closer in Phineas' embrace.
These little romantic moments between the two continued on after that night, each more intense after another. Kissers were held longer, gazes began to linger, and every little caress and grasp that Phineas and Isabella shared felt more enticing with every squeeze. Slowly and surely, Phineas could feel himself being overcome with love and found it increasingly difficult to dismiss his desires every time. Something inside Phineas told him to simply enjoy all of this attention, to which he was, but also something was warning him to not lose control over himself. Otherwise…
Phineas' head swirled around to the sound of the front door unlocking. Even though he knew who it was, he wanted to keep himself ready for in the case he didn't know. Thankfully he knew the person entering into his household.
"Hey Phineas," Isabella greeted as she locked the door behind her, "whatcha dooin'?"
"Working on something." Phineas replied, looking down at the little sketches that he had doodled throughout the day. He was getting somewhere with his pencil and protractor on the paper, but he still had no idea what he was exactly drawing. At the moment, he was merely trying to fire off his neurons to jumpstart his brain and hopefully his imagination.
Phineas paused for a moment.
'Where did that come from?' he marveled to himself. His thoughts were lost when Isabella walked over to him and draped her arm around him. Tenderly, she kissed his temple and stared at down the paper.
"Whatcha drawing?"
"Oh…just projects." Phineas managed to say after he recovered his attentiveness. Isabella raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips together.
"They don't look like projects, no offense." Isabella noted, leaning her head on Phineas.
"Yeah, I'm still working on it." Phineas admitted, to which Isabella gave him an assuring rub.
"You'll come up with an idea that will work soon," Isabella guaranteed and slowly slipped away, "speaking of work, I have a lot of homework I need to get working on."
"Can I help?" Phineas asked, tracking Isabella's movements with her eyes.
"Not this time, I gotta do this work myself," Isabella replied calmly, "but you can join me later."
It was something in her tone that Phineas couldn't quite pin that made him wonder what she was up to. Usually, she would welcome his help with homework, especially since the end of her school year was rapidly approaching with every passing day. The sudden change of habit made him suspicious, but Phineas casually dismissed it as his mind being paranoid and went back to his makeshift blueprints.
Picking up the pencil, Phineas resumed his sketching, pouring out whatever bit of imagination he could onto the paper. After a few minutes of aimless drawing, his eyes scanned each doodle; none of these drawings could form a plausible project, or at least a project of such magnitude that Phineas knew he had the potential for. The red-head groaned, threw himself forward, and landed his head in his folded out forearms, not once letting go of the pencil. There was a long exasperated sigh that followed shortly.
"Maybe I should give up." Phineas muttered under his breath. He momentarily released the mental reigns on his brain and allowed his mind to flow translucently. Meanwhile, his eyes slowly darted around the room, emptily examining every shape and figure. Phineas yawned as he let his mind rest and give into its laziness. For a second, Phineas remembered how his thoughts had become sluggish because of inactivity. Just as soon as his mind experienced a slothful sensation, it was gone; replaced by a subtle drive to complete this blueprint. Phineas took a deep breath and picked his head up. Feeling mentally refreshed to some degree, Phineas glanced at his little doodles.
"Wait a second..." Phineas stated to no one in particular. Attention snapped into his eyes as they studied each and every little detail of his doodles. Gripping his pencil, he began drawing, his eyes flying back and forth between his previous sketches and this new one. His mind rapidly dissected each little detail of the scattered drawings, trimming away the excessive doodles and obtaining the main points he needed. Graphite loudly scraped against paper, translating Phineas' thoughts into visuals he so desired. Soon enough, Phineas faintly realized that he was actually forming a blueprint, his first one in too many years. Realization of this alone gave him more energy to keep at it. His thoughts streamed through his brain as he added and erased lines until his newly made drawing began to take form of an actual project blueprint. Phineas felt like he was going mad with intelligence.
"Hey Phineas?!" Isabella's voice from somewhere interrupted his progress. His concentration was shattered and inspiration quickly deteriorating against his wishes.
"Yes?!" Phineas called back.
"Can you come help me with something?"
He was torn between getting up and running to her assistance and staying put in his seat to regain his momentum for planning. Glancing at his actual blueprint and back towards Isabella's direction, Phineas felt his mind struggle to decide. He could either remain here and work on his project or go and help Isabella with whatever she needed. It was a choice of doing what he wanted versus doing something he didn't hold as much priority that moment. Out of nowhere, his conscience recalled that relationships are filled with compromises.
"I'm on the way!" Phineas called back as he set his pencil down on the paper and got out of his seat. As he made his way through the house, he could feel the last of the inspiration slip away. He was relieved, however, that he had somehow managed to ignite the spark of creativity he had once again. Now knowing that he could, Phineas was confident that he could reignite it once again in the future. Approaching the door, Phineas wondered what Isabella needed his help for, recalling that she didn't want to be disturbed earlier. Grabbing the doorknob, Phineas twisted the door open and stepped into the lighted room.
"Whatcha need help with Is…sa..b…" Phineas trailed off abruptly, his eyes widening at what he saw.
Isabella was lying down sidewise across the bed in nothing but a pink bikini bottom piece. Every other part of her body was unclothed and bare for him to see. Phineas' eyes uncontrollably gazed upon Isabella's seemingly perfect breasts, her shape and form being warmly seared into his memory. Her belly was toned and her legs were long and slender. His gaze slowly traced over every curve along her hips, legs, and shoulders, his face turning read as his eyes somehow always made their way back to his girlfriend's breasts, especially her perking nipples. Her skin and hair looked ever-so erotic from the glow of the light emanating from above. Heat had flushed into his cheeks and his heart swell with yearning and anxiousness. The look on his face was all that Isabella needed to know that she had his full attention.
"Hey Phineas." Isabella flirtously welcomed. She gracefully drew up her left leg to show off more of her leg, resulting in Phineas' breath being taken away once again. After what felt like an eternity, Phineas' mind snapped out of its stupor and put together a response.
"H-hey, Isabella," Phineas sputtered out, his nerves racking together to give him some self confidence in his voice, "d-did I come at a…wrong…time?"
Said confidence was dwindling as fast as it came with Isabella posing almost entirely naked in front of him.
Isabella giggled as she slowly pushed herself up off the bed and stood up. Phineas was mesmerized at the way her breasts bounced faintly as she stood up. With a smile, she strutted over to him, intentionally putting more sway into her hips. He was aware that the fabric of his pants was tightening as a bulge became apparent in his front, but Phineas was too flustered to even care. All he could do was gaze upon the love of his life as she approached with just about everything exposed to him and only him.
"Well? Whatd'ya think?" Isabella asked innocently as she twirled around, bringing into view her bare back and rear into view. Phineas' eyes traced her shoulders, down her back, and over her rear. He could've sworn his bulge gotten bigger and his hips jerked a little as he gawked at the pink bikini bottom covering up her bubbly and firm looking bottom. Isabella reached up behind her and swished her hair out, striking a pose with her hips jutting out to her side. With that movement, Phineas could feel something deep inside him crave to reach out with his hands and grasp his girlfriend's butt. Her sexy…beautiful…gorgeous…fine as fu-
"Phineas?" Isabella asked, turning around to face him, shifting his passion to touch from her rear to her chest. Realizing his silence, he stomached his urges and spoke.
"No words can describe you right now." Phineas replied softly. Looking up at Isabella's eyes, he was met with a slightly confused look from her.
Thinking back on what he said, he smiled.
"I meant that in a good way." Phineas corrected. Isabella's look melted into a smile as she reached out and took his hands and put them on her hips. Phineas felt her soft and warm skin touch his fingers, which responded by digging in carefully but very affirming. There was a tiny awareness that his fingers had snuck their way into the sides of the bikini bottom; a simply tug would've brought down the swimsuit piece, and Phineas knew it all too well. Isabella smiled as she weaved her hands around Phineas' side. Not even looking at her body, Phineas' eyes locked with Isabella's, never once batting an eyelash. Phineas almost forgot about her body and felt the need to kiss her beautiful and perfect face.
"Phineas," Isabella spoke, her voice sounding like an angel's to Phineas' ears, washing away all of his nervousness, "we've been through a lot, both of us. I wanted to thank you for everything that you've done for me."
"You didn't have to get naked for me to say thank you." Phineas joked with a smile. Isabella smiled as she leaned up and kissed his chin.
"I'm doing this because I love you, Phineas Flynn." she declared calmly, now lathering him in passionate kisses and speaking in between each one, "I love you…I want you…I need you…"
Hesitantly, Phineas started to kiss back as each kiss brought about a whole new sensation for him. His mind immediately warned him where this was going, and instructed that he should…
A kiss.
He was losing his thoughts with every kiss that Isabella gave him. He had to have enough concentration in order to stop…
Another kiss.
"Isabella…" Phineas moaned quietly as she planted an endearing kiss on his neck. Faintly, he could feel her hands unbuckling his belt and her fingers reaching into his pants, tugging down the fabric. Unlike the incident at the club, Phineas' body welcomed the touch in his pants.
"Please…" Phineas breathed, but his voice was silenced by Isabella's lips. His hands started to tug down at the only piece of clothing left on Isabella.
But they were both…
A more passionate kiss; fingers rubbed against skin and clothing became loose.
If they were going to do this they needed…
Isabella's warm body pressed against his, her soft breasts and hard nipples rubbing against his chest, which somehow had lost its shirt amidst the passion.
'…what did Buford say about sex coming naturally?'
Isabella kissed him once more, and Phineas lost control to a tidal wave of bliss.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Author's note: Sigh…this chapter was long overdue. I'm not even sure if any readers from before are still here…
I would like to apologize for the several year delay for updating. Some of the circumstances included, but not limited to: sleep deprived for 3 months, death of my beloved dog, maintaining my grades, procrastination, work, college applications (and not getting into my dream college), school projects piling up, heart-rendering heartbreak from being blindsided, addiction (to a computer game…don't do drugs people), being a victim of vandalization robbery (someone broke into my truck and stole my backpack with my completed Finals review), dealing with medical forms while I'm out of country (lots of phone calls and emails…), a painful week-long camp, more heartbreak…death of a family member in Ireland…disappointment…
*cough*
Yall get the point, shit went down. Taking a look back at then and now, I can easily say that all of this stress has put a year of aging on my face. But it is life, and we all gotta push through someway or another.
I would also like to apologize for making this particular chapter so long…there was no other way. Was it good? Was it bad? Feedback is encouraged and welcomed.
Again, I thank all of you for taking the time to read this story and leaving reviews. It is always beneficial to me to read your comments and your opinions so I can improve as an author (my grammar and sentence structure needs work, I know).
Happy New Year to all, and may 2015 bring us better times.