I guess my favorite thing in the world is just...making coming out compilations lmao. This is also me spitting in the face of AYA and refusing to acknowledge it's existence in the universe.

Anyway, I'm gonna go to bed now. Enjoy!

Candace and Ferb

When they were kids, and they'd first started living together, Candace and Ferb had come up with a game that they played whenever they were stuck somewhere waiting (usually for Phineas) to stave off boredom. It was similar to 20 Questions, but they were more like, "Would you rather ride a unicorn or a dinosaur?" or "What's your fourth favorite cheese?" than they were trying to figure out a common theme or item. It was both a way to get to know one another, as new siblings, and also to keep from losing their minds.

As the years went by, they played it less and less, but every now and again one of them would bring the game back up in a moment of pure dullness. Phineas had never really been clued into the extent of the game, though he occasionally partook in the questions for fun.

Today, they were waiting for Phineas and their mom to get out of Phineas' annual doctor's appointment. They'd already finished theirs, and Candace had wrangled the keys from their mother so they wouldn't have to wait in the waiting room any longer.

"Can't believe I'm almost 18 but I still have to see a pediatrician," she scoffed as she drove them through the nearest ice cream shop's drive through, passing Ferb his usual cherry cone – his favorite, she'd learned the first year they played the game. "You'd think I could switch to an adult doctor by now."

Ferb smiled and caught a drip with his tongue. He'd been a little quieter than usual (which was saying something), and she was hoping that whatever the reason why, it wasn't because of her. Candace took a lick of her own ice cream as they drove back to the doctor's parking lot and pulled into a space facing the park on the other side. This was another game they played; they'd sit themselves in front of a large group of people and make up stories about their lives.

"That guy there," Candace said, pointing with her chocolate cone. The man in question was wearing a fedora and a dark trench coat. "He works for a secret agency, but he's rogue. About to sneak off with top secret evil plans to destroy the world."

Ferb rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Not again."

They snorted and took a moment to eat their cones, and then Ferb pointed at a teenager that looked about Candace's age. "She's secretly a princess from another country in hiding from a coup, trying to blend in and look normal."

"What makes you say that?"

"She's wearing a gold necklace. And gold shoes. On playground turf."

"Fair point," Candace said, her eyes focused on the girl. She tilted her head. The shoes were gaudy, yes, and the necklace was certainly eye catching (who wore stuff like that on a playground, seriously?), but she was pretty. Her hair was cut short, the side shaved when she turned to talk to someone behind her, and as Candace tracked the girl's gaze, she saw her smiling brightly at another woman. It was fond, the same way Candace looked at Jeremy and vice versa, and it made her smile.

Ferb cleared his throat when she went too long without continuing the game. Candace jumped a little, noting that her ice cream was dripping down her hand, and shook her head as she caught some of the escaping bites. "Sorry. Um. That kid over there? Definitely an alien in disguise."

The child in question was riding in a spaceship toy, which even she knew was way too easy. Candace usually liked to make her stories more farfetched than that – it made the game more fun. Ferb looked at her and then back out the windshield, licking his ice cream. "What's your favorite color to wear as socks?" he asked without warning.

Candace glanced at him, somewhat confused at the switch in the games, but he stayed stoic, staring at the park. "Pink," Candace said after a moment, like there was any other answer she would give. "You?"

"Purple."

Ferb's gaze strayed out the window, like he was lost. It was an expression Candace didn't see on him very often – he and Phineas were some of the most put together people in the world. If he was feeling as lost as he looked, maybe she could do something about it.

"What's your least favorite thing you and Phineas have built?"

Her voice likely startled him, based on how high he jumped, but Ferb wrinkled his nose and answered immediately. "Molecular separator. Caused a lot of problems."

"Solved a lot too," Candace pointed out. "But fair. Mine is that thing you guys made that turned me into a fly. Ew."

"It wasn't supposed to do that."

"Still counts."

Ferb hummed in acknowledgment and bit down on the edge of his cone, having reached the top of the ice cream. He chewed for a moment, thinking, and his gaze wandered again. His voice was quieter when he asked his next question. "Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, but been nervous to?"

Candace snorted, finishing her cone and tossing the wrapper into the car's trash can. "Have you met me?" she asked, but when she turned her look to Ferb she faltered, taking in his pensive stance. She softened, watching as he finished his own ice cream and then drummed his fingers on the plastic of the open car window. This was his way of telling her he wanted to talk about something, she realized. "Yeah," she said, a little more seriously. "Couple times. First time was Jeremy, obviously."

Ferb's lips twitched in a tiny smile. "Worked out well though."

"It did." Candace shifted, kicking one foot up under her and leaning her knee on the center console, waiting.

He stayed silent for a long time, and Candace tracked his stare back to the park, though she couldn't tell what specifically he was looking at. When he didn't give his own answer after a few minutes, which was one of their rules – you had to give some kind of answer – she reached her foot out and poked his leg with her shoe. "Hey. You nervous about something?"

"A bit," and the answer was so quick and honest that Candace sat up a little straighter. She watched Ferb's fingers bunch in the fabric of his pants and his nose wrinkle a little. The kid was 14. He shouldn't be nervous, especially not around her. "I don't…I don't believe I'm straight," he whispered after several moments of silence, his voice thick with an emotion that Candace couldn't place.

She eased a little, a light flutter of joy kicking off in her chest. She put her foot down and leaned against the center console on her elbow now, reaching a hand out and rubbing Ferb's back gently. "Hey. Makes two of us."

That certainly got his attention. Ferb whipped around to face her, cheeks flushed and eyes wide, and Candace gave him a soft smile. "Come on, Stacy was way too cute for me to not pay attention to that feeling bubbling up freshman year."

Ferb was just staring at her, the start of a smile on his lips, and Candace glanced back to the playground, knowing now what she was looking for. She zeroed in on a kid playing catch with his little sister, one who was definitely the young teen version of "handsome," and gave a mischievous grin. "Ho ho. I see."

He shoved at her, just a little, but then plunked his temple down on her shoulder in a way that she knew meant, "Thank you." Candace circled her arm around his shoulders without another word, giving his arm a squeeze and watching the clouds race across the sky. "Just guys?" she asked after a moment. "Cause I thought-?"

"Both," Ferb confirmed. "All. I think."

Candace hummed and kissed the top of his head. "Me too."

They fell into a comfortable silence, Candace's thumb slowly tracing circles on Ferb's shoulder. "That guy," she said after several moments of silence, nodding to a pale man who'd just climbed off a bus holding a whole roast chicken. "That guy definitely thinks he can rap."

Ferb burst into giggles, which sent Candace into a laughing fit, which left the two of them cackling against one another in hysterics.

"What happened here?" Linda asked, amusement in her voice as she and Phineas approached the car, Phineas' arm littered with Band-Aids from his yearly shots. "You two sound like you're losing your minds."

Ferb and Candace locked eyes and could only laugh harder.

Phineas

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the science homework for Mr. Robertson's class. If it wasn't for Buford, who had pulled it out the second he sat down for lunch to ask Baljeet a question about it, he would have likely forgotten it until the moment that he was sitting in his assigned seat behind Adyson Sweetwater.

So now here Phineas was, scrambling through the pages of his geology book in an attempt to finish the twenty questions that had been assigned to them.

"Seriously, Dinnerbell, just copy mine," Buford said for the third time.

Phineas scowled down at his hastily scribbled marks. "No way. That ruins my integrity."

"Not to mention half your answers are wrong," Baljeet pointed out, poking at the cafeteria pizza with a frown.

"Well someone won't let me look at his homework so I can't fix them."

As the two bickered, Phineas let a tiny smile flicker across his face. He spared a glance up at his friends, catching Ferb's eye across the table and seeing the same eye-rolling yet fond look in his brother's gaze.

Junior year had brought a lot of changes, and Buford no longer actually bullying Baljeet, stopping for good, was one of the most pleasant ones. They bickered like an old married couple instead, and it felt…normal.

"Phineas forget the homework again?" Adyson laughed from behind him, balancing her lunch tray on her hip and glancing over Phineas' shoulder. "Seriously, this is the fourth time in the last month."

Phineas swatted in her general direction. "Shhh, let me finish! I've got 35 minutes left of the period and 12 questions!"

"You also have a half a tuna sandwich still in one hand," the girl pointed out, before leaving to join the rest of the Fireside Girls at their usual table.

Phineas glanced at his hand, noting that she was correct, and tossed the sandwich back to his tray before returning to his frantic answer scribbling.

"Think she'd say yes if I asked her out?" Phineas vaguely heard Buford say.

"As if," Baljeet scoffed. "She's way out of your league."

There was a suspiciously shove-y sounding noise, but Phineas refused to look up. "Aw, come on. I need a date to Homecoming. Even you got a date."

Baljeet spluttered. "Ginger and I are going as friends."

"Tell that to the flowers she left in your locker," Ferb drawled.

Phineas squinted down at his book. Igneous, metamorphosis – why had they never done some kind of rock excavation in their summer adventures?

"Well…well Ferb doesn't have a date!" Baljeet protested. "Why are we not focusing on that!?"

Ferb chuckled, and Phineas registered the sound of stabbed lettuce. "I've got my eye on someone a bit older."

"Not happening, man," Buford declared. "No way. She's never gonna be interested."

Limp lettuce slapped on the table in front of Phineas' book, and he wrinkled his nose, finally looking up at his sibling and friends. Ferb's fork was mid-air, and the teen had a sheepish look on his face. "Apologies," he said quickly. "That was not as good a trajectory as I thought it would be."

Phineas flicked the lettuce back at his brother. "Why are you guys even so stressed about Homecoming? We go every year in a group."

Buford shrugged. "It'd just be nice to have, you know, dates for once."

Phineas frowned, turning his pencil over and erasing a wrong answer. "Why?"

He could practically feel everyone's eyes on him, and he struggled not to look up. Baljeet spoke up. "Well…dating is the statistical norm in high school. Plus, it is fun!"

"Leave it to you to make romance about math somehow," Buford scoffed, shoving Baljeet's shoulder.

Ferb leaned forward on his elbows, lacing his fingers together and hovering them over his mouth. Phineas sometimes hated how piercing his brother's eyes were. "You're not asking anyone?" he asked, something insinuating hovering low in his tone. "And no one's asked you?"

Phineas frowned, twirling his pencil around his fingers quickly. "I mean…Isabella asked. I said yeah, cause we all always go together anyway as friends."

Ferb flinched, and so did Buford and Baljeet. "Did you tell her that?" Buford asked, his voice holding annoyance.

Phineas suddenly felt very hot. "Yes? Was I not supposed to?"

Ferb's eyebrows were furrowed, and that was never a good thing. "She was asking you out."

His pencil tapped harder on the page, and he looked up at the clock on the other side of the cafeteria. He had about 20 minutes before the bell rang to finish, and he suddenly didn't feel like he could breathe. "I-"

"Aw, shit, do you not like her?" Buford asked. "She's gonna be crushed."

"I-I don't-"

His chest felt tight, and his fingers fumbled on the pencil. It rolled into the crease of his book and stayed there. His friend's faces morphed from confused to concerned, and suddenly Phineas felt like if he didn't leave, if he didn't escape, he'd be suffocated. He stood up quickly, slamming his book shut around his pencil and gathering his supplies in his hands as fast as physically possible. "I-I have to go, I need to finish these questions."

He bolted from the table, paying no mind to the sound of the screeching chairs behind him, and sprinted from the cafeteria.

Phineas had never skipped class in his life. Heck, he'd never even missed a single day of school. But there was a first time for everything, and Phineas could feel himself on the verge of a panic attack, so he darted to his locker, shoved everything into his backpack, and ran for the back entrance of the school. There were never teachers guarding that area, and he knew he could slip out easily past all the kids who used the back lot to smoke and play cards.

His bike was around front, but Phineas knew he'd be caught if he went that way, so he settled for slinging his bag over his shoulder and hightailing it away from the school and into the Danville Park, his breathing easing the further away he got.

They'd look for him first at home, so he steered clear of the suburbs, steered clear of his friend's houses, climbed a bus, and twenty minutes later found himself sitting silently in a Slushy Dawg almost five miles outside of town, staring down at his still unfinished homework. There were smudge marks in the center of the book where the pencil lead had been crushed in his frantic movements, and now he was playing with the straw of a milkshake that he'd ordered from the counter upon walking in.

For years, Phineas had listened to his friends talk about their crushes. He understood it, kind of – he understood love, at least, he knew that. He loved Ferb, loved Candace, loved his parents and Perry and his friends. He felt love, felt it all around him, from his mom's hugs to his grandmother's smothering kisses, to the way Ferb handed him a wrench without needing to be asked.

Phineas knew what romantic love was, but…but he didn't. He didn't understand why the heroes in the movies had to kiss when the world needed saving. He didn't get why he couldn't just go with all his friends to a dance instead of just one.

That wasn't to say Phineas didn't believe romance existed; he did. His parents were so clearly in love it ached, and he saw the way his grandparents had danced at their 50th anniversary celebration, and he'd seen the way Candace looked at Jeremy their entire lives. It clearly existed; it was very real.

He just…didn't feel it.

He never had, if he was honest with himself. He thought for a long time that he just hadn't met the right person, or maybe he wasn't looking in the direction of the right gender – but no one made him feel that way. Girls, boys, people who were both and neither.

And it scared him.

It scared him to pieces.

So being interrogated by his friends, being put under that pressure, when he was already so stressed he thought he might burst? Phineas felt like he was about to vibrate out of his body, and not in a fun, adventure-y kind of way.

He'd looked up the word asexual over a year ago, after hearing about it in science class. Of course, in that context, it had been used on animals and plants, but he'd quickly found a whole world of people who knew exactly how he felt. And he'd promptly shut the browser and never opened it again, because if he did, he'd be admitting he was different.

Different wasn't bad. Phineas was okay with different. Different meant unique, and unique things were always cool. But he also didn't want to be different, not in this way. It scared him. It was one thing to be gay; his friends, his family, would be chill with that if that was the case. He would too. Heck, Phineas kind of wished he was gay, if only because that was something he understood.

This was something entirely different. Something people would hate him for even more than him being into guys.

Someone slid into the seat across from him and Phineas shut his eyes, curling his fingers into the tabletop. "Go away, Ferb."

He'd never abandoned Ferb like that.

"Not Ferb."

Phineas blinked his eyes open rapidly, finding, of all people, Jeremy Johnson sitting in front of him, his arms crossed on top of the table and his eyebrows pinched in concern. "Jer-?"

"They were short staffed at this location, and I don't have classes today," Jeremy explained, before Phineas could even ask the question. "I took it for the extra tuition money. Senior year is expensive. Now, wanna tell me why you, Mr. Straight-A Phineas Flynn, are skipping school across town in a Slushy Dawg you don't ever come to?"

"Don't…don't you need to work?" Phineas managed.

Jeremy quirked a brow. "I've got thirty minutes to kill. Traffic was better than I expected. So, if I was Ferb, why do you want me leaving?"

Phineas pulled his hands under the table and started picking at his cuticles, gnawing on his lower lip. "Um."

To his absolute horror, his eyes welled up with tears at the word, and he watched Jeremy's stance instantly soften. Phineas swallowed the lump in his throat and took a shaky breath, swiping furiously at his eyes. "Sorry," he whispered.

"You want me to call Candace?" Jeremy offered, soft, respectful.

Phineas shook his head quickly. Jeremy hummed and reached over, shutting Phineas' science books and sliding them aside, leaving one hand open and inviting on top of the table. "Okay. If you don't want to talk, Phin, we don't have to. But something's clearly upsetting you, and I've never actually heard you push Ferb away, so it's gotta be something serious."

His nail dug a little harder into his cuticle and Phineas ducked his head. "I…"

It was Jeremy. It was Jeremy. His sister's fiancé, someone who'd been there since they were kids, who'd never judged any of them for the weirdest things. He'd done everything with them, was one of the kindest people Phineas had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

And maybe, maybe, some selfish part of Phineas wanted to tell someone who wasn't quite as close to him as his own brother and sister, even if Jeremy had long since been a part of his family. Just to get a gauge on his reaction. He pulled his hands out from under the table and gripped onto the milkshake, pressing his fingers into the cold glass and staring at the melting whipped cream on top. "I don't…like girls," he finally said.

From his peripheral, Phineas could see Jeremy's stance relax. "Okay. That's-"

"I don't like boys either," he said quickly, before he could lose his nerve. His knee started jiggling under the table. "I don't like anyone," he choked out. "A-And I know there's nothing wrong with me, I-I know that that's c-completely normal for some people, b-but I…I don't-I don't want people to think less of me, and I'm s-scared that-"

Jeremy's hand settled on Phineas' arm carefully, his thumb rubbing against his wrist. When Phineas managed to pry his eyes off the shake, he found Jeremy watching him with a gentle smile, his eyes glittering. "Okay."

His throat ached. "Okay?" he whispered.

Jeremy tilted his head at him. "Okay. Ask yourself: if anyone else came and told you this, would you think any less of them? Hate them?"

Phineas' mouth was dry. "No."

"Okay. And neither do I."

He struggled to keep his lip from trembling. "Yeah?"

Jeremy glanced around the restaurant – it was virtually empty, given the time, and he slid out of the booth, moving over to Phineas' side and leaning against the back of the booth, not making a move to sit down. "C'mere, kiddo."

Phineas fought past the urge to tell Jeremy that he was only six years older than him and he shimmied out of the booth, hesitating. Jeremy swung one arm open and tugged Phineas into a tight side hug, resting his chin on top of his head. Phineas shut his eyes and clung to his future brother-in-law for a long moment. "Thanks," he finally choked out, when he could get his words into his mouth.

"I'm gonna call Candace, okay?"

Phineas tensed, and Jeremy pulled back, ruffling his hair gently despite being only a head taller than the teen. "I'm not telling her anything. But I doubt you want me to call your mom and tell her you ditched, and I can't take you home. She doesn't have class this afternoon anyway."

Flinching, Phineas pulled away fully. "I don't-"

"I'll take him home."

Phineas whipped around to find Ferb standing in the doorway to the restaurant, a set of keys dangling from his fingers. Phineas' throat was dry again, and he looked at Jeremy accusingly, who at least had the sense to look sheepish. "Sorry. I texted him the second I saw you, to ask him why you were here. Didn't realize you were avoiding him, or that he'd come get you."

Phineas looked back at his brother, panic rising in his throat. "Did you-?"

"Just got here," Ferb said, his eyes glinting with a little bit of hurt. A faint smile pulled at his lips despite it. "Told the nurse I wasn't feeling well. Buford loaned me his truck."

"Hey." Phineas turned back to Jeremy, who reached out and squeezed his shoulder. His voice lowered so that just the two of them could hear. "Love you, kiddo. No matter what. So will he. So will all of them. You've got support. And we do not think less of you," he practically hissed.

Phineas let out a shaky breath and nodded. He turned to grab his work and bag, taking his time packing it up and slinging it over his shoulder. Jeremy was gone when he turned, likely clocking in to work in the back, and Ferb was standing there silently, reading something on his phone and twirling Buford's keys absentmindedly around his finger. "Ready?"

Ferb glanced up and put his phone in his pocket, tilting his head to the door. Phineas stepped ahead of him, shooting one last glance back and giving Jeremy a tiny wave. Jeremy gave him a grin and a wave, and then the door swung shut behind them and they were walking to Buford's truck.

"I'm sorry," Phineas whispered. "For bolting on you. A-And for scaring you. And for avoiding you, I'm sorry, I-"

Ferb turned so quickly that Phineas smacked into his chest, back pedaling a little bit to regain his footing. He'd never found it fair that Ferb had ended up almost six inches taller than him, forcing him to peek up at his brother. But Ferb's face was gentle, not mad, and he just studied Phineas for a moment. "Please stop apologizing. You're beginning to sound like one of those shows Candace and Stacy mock."

Phineas let out a rather wet snort. "Right. Sor-" He clamped his mouth shut at Ferb's glare.

"Whatever…" Ferb paused, shifting on his feet, and Phineas knew he was gearing up for a longer spiel than usual. Despite doing it more than he did when they were kids, Ferb still wasn't much of a talker if he could help it. Which meant he'd likely been practicing this particular monologue the whole way over.

"Whatever you need to say, whatever you want to say, stays with me. And Jeremy, apparently. And I will not, and never would, judge you for anything you want to tell me. For anything, Phineas," Ferb said, leveling his brother with a stare. The use of his name made Phineas swallow. Ferb's voice softened just a little, sounding almost childlike. "I'm your brother. I love you, okay?"

The way he talked, the words he was saying, Phineas had a feeling that Ferb already at least partially knew. It wouldn't shock him in the slightest; Ferb had always been the best in their group at reading people. "I want you to tell me," Phineas said slowly. "What you think I need to say."

Ferb's gaze was piercing again. They'd been standing in front of Buford's truck for almost two full minutes now, but neither of them made a move to get in. "Phineas. That's yours to tell me."

Phineas swallowed the arid taste in his throat. "Okay. Okay so you're not totally clueless," he laughed, covering his mouth with both hands and taking a breath. "Except whatever you're thinking, you're definitely wrong. I'm not gay."

Ferb tilted his head, but his face betrayed nothing. Just patience. Phineas hated how neutral he could be sometimes. "And I'm not…I'm not trans, I'm a dude still. Always have been." Still no reaction. "I don't…like anyone."

There was no surprise in Ferb's gaze, only silent relief and satisfaction, and the tiniest of smiles played on his mouth. Phineas' heart was practically in his throat. "Ferb, this is like the one time I need you to react with words, please," he whispered, his voice cracking embarrassingly.

That sentence, of all things, was what broke the neutrality, surprise washing over Ferb's features. A soft curse spilled from his brother's lips, and he stepped forward, wrapping Phineas in a tight hug and cupping the back of his neck. Buford's keys were cold against his skin, but Phineas couldn't have cared less. He clung to his brother, leaning his temple against Ferb's neck. "Sorry," Ferb murmured. "Obviously my prior statement stands."

Phineas gripped a little tighter, his cheeks suddenly wet with new, relieved tears. "You don't seem surprised," he noted.

"Hmm, I'm not," Ferb said. "But it was yours to tell me. And I was never certain, if you were just hiding feelings really well or not. And I still don't…ace? Or aro?"

Phineas wrinkled his nose. "Both? Maybe? I don't know for sure. Definitely aro."

Ferb nodded, his chin jostling Phineas' ear. "All right. Don't have to know. That's okay."

He pulled back, gripping his brother's shoulders, keys still digging into his skin. "All of our friends would be supportive. You know that."

Phineas winced, swiping at his skin to rid it of the tears. "Even Is?"

He hadn't known. He genuinely hadn't known, not until the guys had pieced it together for him that afternoon. He felt awful. He wondered how many times he'd unintentionally hurt her with his ignorance.

Ferb's lips twisted in a wry, if not sad, smile. "She'll be hurt," he admitted, making Phineas' stomach twist uncomfortably. "But she will support you. Promise."

Phineas let out a shaky breath and nodded. They'd get to it when they got to it. "We're not going back to school, right?"

Ferb snorted and rolled his eyes, twirling the keys once around his finger and heading for the driver's side. "Absolutely not. Might as well enjoy a free afternoon before Mum and Dad wring our necks for skipping."

"You know, somehow that completely slipped my mind."

The Trio

"I swear to god," Buford growled as he held back a tree branch for Isabella, "if we don't find him, I'm kicking your butt."

Isabella scoffed, ducking under the branch and then skipping over a fallen tree. "It's not my fault!"

The sound that came out of Buford's mouth was incredulous, and the flashlight beam bobbed as he swung his arms. "Right. Sure. You're the one who climbed out of your tent at midnight when you were supposed to be sleeping."

"And you two were the ones making out," Isabella hissed back.

Buford fell silent, and Isabella stopped moving, glancing behind her and swinging her own flashlight to rest the beam around his torso, so that it wasn't blinding but she could still see his expression. She winced at the look on his face and stepped back, trying not to trip on the uneven ground. "Hey," she said, soft. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder, waiting until he looked up at her, his eyes glassy. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I shouldn't…I'm sorry I caught you, and that I freaked you out."

His swallow was audible. "I'm not," he finally admitted with a shrug. "Been kind of tired of hiding from you guys."

Isabella tilted her head, giving him a gentle smile. "You never had to, you know."

Buford squirmed. "Baljeet's…nervous. You know that. I didn't-"

"Want to make him uncomfortable, I know," Isabella reassured him. She glanced back over her shoulder, her brows furrowing. "I didn't expect him to run from me, though. Sure we shouldn't go wake Phineas and Ferb up?"

Buford shook his head. "And make him more anxious? Nah. Just us."

They continued in silence, holding back branches and bushes for one another when necessary. Every now and then, Buford would pull his phone from his pocket and check on Baljeet's location (from a "find my friend" app, he'd assured Isabella, not a tracking device), changing their direction.

After a few minutes had passed, Isabella glanced sideways at Buford again. "So how did you guys-?"

Buford gave her a dismissive shrug. "He and Ginger didn't really hit it off the way they thought they would. Mutual thing. He was upset, I took him for ice cream, it just…kinda happened. You know?"

Isabella glanced down at the forest floor, pressing her lips together. "Yeah. I-"

"'Jeet!"

Buford darted past her, startling both Isabella and Baljeet, who had somehow managed to find a picnic area and was sitting on top of a table, his chin in his hands and his jacket wrapped tightly around himself against the chill of the evening air. Isabella crept from the brush a little more quietly than Buford had, hanging back while she watched him dart up to Baljeet, his hands hovering carefully over his shoulders.

It both shocked her and didn't; she'd known since they were all kids that Buford and Baljeet had a relationship that wasn't like anything the rest of them had. They spent all their time together, even outside of their friend group, and they'd long since stopped being "frenemies." Baljeet being gay wasn't much of a surprise to her; Buford, on the other hand…

She blinked rapidly as Buford waved her over and tightened her own jacket, keeping her flashlight pointed low as she stepped up to the table. "Hi," she said softly, giving Baljeet a wave.

Baljeet gave her a weak smile. "Hi. I am…I am sorry for running off. You scared me."

"What, am I that scary?" she teased. Seeing the look on his face, she eased back, offering a more serious look. "Seriously, guys, it's chill. I get it."

Baljeet's nose wrinkled and he looked down. "We should have told all of you. Especially after Phineas came out after the dance. But we…I was not ready."

Buford took his hand carefully and Isabella bit back her smile at the tenderness. "It's okay. Really. Besides, I…I mean, I wasn't ready either, you know?"

They both looked at her, now, and she shifted under their gaze. Buford's brows furrowed in confusion, his eyes searching her face. "Ready for…this?" he asked slowly, gesturing between him and Baljeet.

Isabella threw her hands up. "No, no," she said quickly. "In retrospect, you guys dating was kind of obvious. Um…I meant like…I wasn't ready then, either. To come out."

The staring lasted just a little longer, and then Baljeet let out a startled laugh, before promptly clapping a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, sorry, that was rude," he apologized.

Buford's eyes glittered as he looked her over. "What, Dinnerbell got you that over boys?" he chuckled.

Isabella shoved him, a smile playing on her lips and relief easing through her chest. "No, you jerk. I'm pan. Figured it out over the summer, but I didn't really know how to tell anyone."

"Well I mean, if everyone else is coming out tonight," a soft British voice said from behind them, making the trio jump, "then I'm bisexual."

The trio whipped around to find Phineas and Ferb clambering out from the bushes, their own flashlights in hand and Perry trailing them at their feet. Phineas gestured back to the path. "I woke up and you guys were all gone. We wanted to make sure you were okay. Ferb has the "Find My Friends" app, but then we saw that there was already a path." He paused, a wry smile growing on his face as he looked between his brother and his friends. "Seriously?"

Isabella glanced back to Buford and Baljeet, who were still very openly holding hands, and she turned to the brothers again, spreading her hands out in front of her. "Apparently gay people travel in packs."

She looked to Ferb, who had picked Perry up and was watching them all with a shockingly fond smile. His words suddenly sunk in, and she pointed at him accusingly. "You! You didn't tell us either?"

Ferb gave her a look that she couldn't quite place. "To be fair, I didn't even tell Phineas until just now. Only Candace knew; told her a couple years ago."

"Wait, hold on," Phineas said, slapping Ferb in the chest. "What? You let me have my whole little freak out about being ace even though you already knew you were bi?"

"That was not the right moment to tell you, and you know it."

Isabella let her smile grow and she gestured to the picnic table, then the stars surrounding them. "Well as long as we're all awake and sharing, anyone up for a late-night picnic?"

Baljeet gave her a grin, leaning his head on Buford's shoulder. "I think that would be lovely."

Heinz

At some point in his life, Heinz Doofenshmirtz had gotten used to various holes being blown in his building. It was costly, and DEFINITELY raised a lot of eyebrows from the people in the lower levels, but it was the norm for him after a while. There were always scrap boards and nails lying around somewhere (and he'd stepped on said nails more times than he'd care to admit over the years).

Never before had Perry the Platypus busted into his bathroom wall, though. He was usually much more respectful than that. He must have miscalculated the location, because he looked just as startled as Heinz felt when he tumbled over the bathtub and landed face first on the tiled floor.

Heinz absolutely refused to admit the decibel at which he shrieked.

Luckily (for both of them), he wasn't doing anything too private. He was in a robe, yes, and he'd just finished his shower, but he was decent at the very least, and for that he was grateful. "Perry the Platypus, next time recalibrate your landing just a little, yeesh," the evil scientist gasped, leaning back against the counter of the sink.

Perry picked himself up off the floor, halfway through an apologetic chatter, when the sound died out abruptly. Heinz looked down at the monotreme, confused, and followed Perry's gaze down to his left hand, where-

"Oh, yeah," Heinz said, holding up the syringe. "Sorry, caught me in the middle of the morning routine. I'll be done in a second, then we can go to our usual shenanigans. I'm uh…running a little late this morning, give me a minute."

He uncapped the syringe and grabbed for the alcohol wipe on the counter, plunking his foot up on the closed toilet to reveal his thigh. He swabbed at the skin there and moved to settle the needle into position, and then a hand was clamping over his wrist and yanking his fingers back.

Heinz scoffed. "Perry the Platypus, now I have to redo the cleaning process. Can you go wait in the-?"

Perry's chatter this time was not apologetic; rather, it was urgent, anxious, and made Doofenshmirtz look at him in surprise. The platypus' eyes were full of concern, and Heinz looked slowly between the syringe and Perry, understanding swirling through his head. "Oh. Oh. You don't…well. This is awkward. Um."

He reached behind him on the counter, fumbling with the syringe box, and passed it off to his nemesis, watching as he took the box and studied the words on the outside. Heinz had never really figured out how much English Perry the Platypus could read, so he chewed on his lip and then said, "It's uh…it's testosterone. Injections. Not…not anything else you might be thinking."

Perry's eyes shut tight and he let out a soft sigh that rumbled into a half-chatter Heinz had never heard before. He pressed the box back into Heinz's hand and then looked up, giving him the most sheepish smile he could probably muster. He jutted a thumb over his shoulder towards the living room, making a very awkward retreat and shutting the door behind him.

Heinz let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and turned back around, clinging to the sink and running a hand over his eyes. As he went through the motions of cleaning the needles and his thigh again, his thoughts raced.

He thought…well, he thought Perry had known. He thought he'd mentioned it, thought he'd brought it up during some scheme or another. Hell, he'd thought maybe Major Monobrow somehow knew and had told him. Perry the Platypus had never looked surprised at some of the more damning stories Heinz had told about his childhood, so he'd just…assumed.

Heinz supposed he knew what they said about assuming.

He finished up quickly and tightened his robe around him, shutting off the bathroom light and peeking into his lab. Perry the Platypus was pacing the room (right in front of his trap, the little asshole), his hands tight behind his back and his brow furrowed. Heinz twisted his lips and stepped into the room. Maybe he should have changed into his lab coat and like, actual pants first, but he was a little more concerned about the potential future of their scientist-nemesis relationship.

Knowing that Perry the Platypus hadn't known all these years made Doofenshmirtz a little wary. Could animals even be transphobic? Was that a thing?

"Ah, Perry the Platypus," he declared, walking into the lab and twisting his hands together. "Right. Um. I suppose I should apologize for not telling you, but in my defense, I figured I had told you enough about my childhood that you had figured it out."

Perry blinked at him in surprise, and Heinz could tell he was probably running through some of his more…humiliating backstories. He swallowed the wince and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, if this is going to be a problem-"

The chatter that erupted from Perry was indignant, and he pulled his hat off momentarily. Heinz fought off the sudden feeling of "Where's Perry the Platypus?" and watched as the agent tugged out his wallet before returning his hat to his head (thank god, because it was weird seeing him without it).

The look he gave Heinz as he opened it was deadly, threatening, and Heinz took that to mean that whatever he was about to see, he should forget. The wallet flipped over, revealing a slot for a photo – the fact that they still made those made Heinz weirdly pleased – and Heinz took the wallet from Perry tentatively, bringing it closer to his face. He wished he'd at least put his contacts in that morning.

The photo was of two boys Heinz vaguely recognized; he must have seen them around town, or maybe they knew Vanessa somehow. Maybe "boys" was the wrong word – they looked like they were in their teens, at least – but Heinz figured that everyone younger than 25 was essentially a child to him at this point. A platypus (Perry, his unhelpful brain supplied) was perched on top of the red headed boy's face, which was somehow a full-on triangle. The boy next to him had vibrant green hair, and both were grinning, but that wasn't what caught Heinz's attention.

The background was clearly the Danville Pride Parade, if the colorful floats were anything to go by. The triangular boy had the ace flag painted on his cheeks and glitter dusting his whole body, and the green haired one was wearing a bisexual flag around his neck like a cape. Up in the corner of the picture, Heinz could see a hand shaped into a peace symbol, likely the taker of the photo, bi colors painted on their nails. He stared for a long moment, jumping a little when Perry the Platypus chattered again. "Sorry," he managed, handing the wallet back.

Perry put away the wallet carefully, his eyes wary. Heinz didn't know who those kids were, but if they were in his wallet, Perry the Platypus clearly cared about them very much. And if that was the picture of them in his wallet…

"I shouldn't be surprised you're an ally, I suppose. Do-gooders kind of HAVE to be."

The grin on Perry's beak was sly, the glittering of his eyes mischievous, and he tilted his head at Doofenshmirtz, lifting one eyebrow. Heinz stared at him for a long moment, and Perry rolled his eyes, rotating his hand at the wrist like he was telling him to hurry up. It clicked after a moment, what he was implying, and based on Perry's grin, he knew Heinz had figured it out.

"Well in that case," Heinz said, coughing into his fist to hide his smile, "let me put some pants on and we can get back to it, mm?"

Perry titled his hat, gaze soft and proud, and Heinz bolted towards his room. "And if you could get in your trap for me, that'd be GREAT!"

The scoff was loud enough to hear even as he shut his bedroom door.

Bonus: Perry

"Phineas, this seems stupid," Candace said, crossing her arms as she watched Phineas meticulously lay out various pride flags across her floor. "He's a platypus."

Phineas frowned, rearranging the trans flag. "Well yeah, but he still deserves to choose. What if he's actually a girl! Or what if he wants to date a guy platypus?"

Candace looked at Ferb with a befuddled expression, but her brother just chuckled. Perry was sitting in his lap, purring as Ferb pet his back. "Hey, weirder things have happened than our platypus maybe being gay," he pointed out.

Candace turned her gaze back to Phineas. "You saw this on the internet, didn't you?"

"Absolutely," Phineas confirmed, standing and backing away from the non-binary flag he'd just laid down. "But I still think it's a fun idea."

"He's probably just gonna lay in Ferb's lap," Candace muttered, but she couldn't help but smile fondly at the effort her brothers were putting into the whole thing.

"Okay, Perry," Phineas said, bending over and putting his hands on his knees. "If you wanna let us know how you identify, go for-"

Perry bolted so fast that Ferb jumped, making a beeline for the ace flag and scooping it up in his bill. He turned and sat down on his haunches, eyes glinting and a slightly muffled chatter emitting around the flag's handle.

They all froze, staring at him, and slowly Phineas grinned, looking beyondpleased. "Okay, come on Candace, that was way too deliberate to be random, and you know it."

"How would he even know what the flags mean?"

"Ferb and I gave him a crash course last night."

"Of course you did," but she was smiling still, and then Phineas was scooping Perry up and smushing him in a hug, the ace flag still dangling from the platypus' bill. "Okay, fine, I'll allow it."

Ferb pushed to his feet and scratched Perry's head fondly, and Candace swore for a second she saw Perry grin.