"Finally! It's all in." Buford sighed as he placed the last of his boyfriend's boxes into his new dorm. It was a nice two bedroom apartment style dorm with a full kitchen and everything. It was spacious and close to campus, and best of all, both Baljeet and Buford knew his new roommate extensively. They were initially surprised to discover that Ferb was moving in too, but they were relieved, as no-one really wanted to have to deal with Baljeet living with someone older and who would possibly cause trouble.
Biffany brought up the last of the kitchen utensils she had bought for Baljeet to use. She had really gone all out in helping with his school supplies and making sure that he was going to be as comfortable as possible in his new environment. She too was pleased when she found out that the quiet, British boy from down the street would be his roommate and not some rowdy fresh from high school kid looking for trouble. "Well boys," she started as she caught her breath for what seemed like her 20th trip up and down the dorm hallway. "Looks like you're all set. Let's head out for one last dinner before we leave you to it, huh?"
"That's a wonderful idea, Biffany," Linda Flynn-Fletcher said as she ruffled her son's green hair. "Let's all go together.' And with that they headed to their cars and made for the nearest restaurant.
As they sat at the table Baljeet noticed someone was missing from the Flynn-Fletcher family. "Ferb, where is Phineas? I am quite surprised not to see him."
There was a beat of silence and his parents instantly shot him a nervous glance, but Ferb just shrugged and coolly said, "He's busy today." Baljeet was smart enough to leave it alone from there. Buford on the other hand...was not.
"Busy? You'd think he'd come see his own brother off to college! Not cool..." he grumbled. He couldn't believe Phineas wasn't there to share in his brother's special day. He supposed being someone's family doesn't make you a great person by default. Baljeet's parents hadn't spoken to him or even attempted to make contact with him since they willfully signed the necessary papers to emancipate him, and even then, those weren't nice words. He'd really expected better from Phineas and was about to make his feelings known until he registered the looks on the faces of everyone in the blended family. He figured something was going on and it probably wasn't any of his business, so he just dropped it.
It wasn't like he didn't have enough on his plate as it was. He'd grown accustomed to Baljeet living with them in the few weeks he was there. They shared a room, some nights even a bed. Baljeet was the first thing he saw in the morning and the last thing he saw at night. Baljeet had even seen him off on his first day as a junior in high school. But after this dinner was over, they'd be separated again. He'd be a whole 10 minutes away by car and wouldn't be as available as he'd been. He was doing his best to stay happy for his nerd, but he was going to miss him.
Baljeet took in his surroundings. He was seated at a table with his boyfriend on one side and one of his best friends on the other. He was struck with a wave of panic. So much had changed so quickly. He'd been thrown out of the only home he'd ever known by the people who he thought loved him. He'd been taken in and sheltered by one of the kindest women on the planet and his best friend had become his partner. Now he was beginning college at 14! A whole new world was about to open up to him and he knew that nothing would ever be the same after this. Would he change? Would he be able to handle it? He looked out at the table once more and regarded the people sitting at it. The panic began to subside when he took into account that everyone at that table, especially his boyfriend and his mother, would be there to back him up. He just hoped that they wouldn't fall through like his family had. He was going to miss Buford and Miss Biffany. He knew they wouldn't be too far away, but it was still going to be an adjustment. Thankfully, he had Ferb right beside him.
Ferb sat and listened to the conversation at the table, not really giving it his full attention. He was thinking about a lot of things at the moment. He wondered if he was ready for this big challenge he's undertaken. He'd accomplished amazing things before but he'd always done it with his stepbrother's collaboration. This would be his defining moment, his first real step into becoming Ferb Fletcher, not Phineas' older brother. He and Phineas still weren't on speaking terms and it was odd for the brothers who at one point had been inseparable. Candace and both sets of his grandparents wished him the best and wanted to be informed about all of his new experiences. None of them were really surprised when Ferb announced that he would be attending college at 16. His intellect wasn't a secret to anyone who knew him well enough, well other than himself.
He thought about his mom, Vivian Yvette Fletcher, and what she would think about all of this. He wondered how she'd feel about everything that had happened and the person that he had become and was becoming. As much as he loved Linda, he missed his mother greatly.
He thought about his father. In the days leading up to him moving in, Lawrence became much more gravitated around his son. Ferb didn't take any offense to it. His only biological son was going off to college and was starting to gain his own independence. Ferb actually thought he was handling everything better than expected, though.
He thought about Baljeet. He'd heard about everything that had happened to the young Indian boy in such a short time and his heart went out to him. Despite how he felt in the past, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to have your entire family turn their back on you. It boggled his mind. So he was gay! So what? Baljeet was brilliant, kind, polite, and obedient. He was very nearly the perfect child from a parental standpoint, but even if that wasn't that case, he was still their child. Their flesh and blood. He was glad that Buford's mom had taken him in and that he and Buford finally got a clue and got together. He'd seen that relationship coming years ago! He knew that he and Baljeet would be relying on each other for a lot in the near future. He was going to try to be there for him as much as he could, and he knew he could count on the same from his friend. Because they had so much in common. They were smart but very troubled boys looking to find their place in the world. They may be starting their journey earlier than most would, but that was all the more reason for them to stick together.
Throughout the entire dinner, Lawrence stared at his son as if he was trying to engrave the image of him in his mind forever. His little boy was growing up so quickly. After his first wife died, Ferb became his only reason to live. He loved him with everything that he had. He thought back to all the mistakes he may have made while raising him. He thought about all that he and Ferb went through after Vivian died and how once he'd met Linda, or as she was known then, Lindana, he'd become a little less than attentive to what was going on with his son. It was understandable, he had a new wife and new kids and a new life in a new country. He just hoped that Ferb forgave him for whatever transgressions, because he really loved his green haired little boy with all of his heart.
Despite everyone's wishes dinner that night came to an end and the boys were taken back to their dorm. They made their way inside and suddenly someone began sobbing. Ferb turned around just fast enough to register his father lunging at him and wrapping him in his tightest bear hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much, son," he choked out into his son's shoulder. "I remember holding you as a newborn baby and dreading this day immediately. I thought I had two more years to prepare, but you were never one to take the normal route," he joked and tried to laugh despite the tears rolling down his face. "You're getting older now, and you may not need me as much as you used to, but just know that I'll always be there, ok? Always. I love you. Your mother would be so proud."
Linda came over and joined the scene unfolding before everyone's eyes. "Ferb, you may not be my biological son, but that has never stopped me from loving you just like you were. I'll always be there for you, too! You've got your grandparents, Candace, all of your friends, and even though you two are fighting right now, you have Phineas too. You just have to talk to us, ok? That's all." she said adding herself to the hug.
Ferb listened to his parents' speeches and began to tear up as well. Despite everything he'd been through, he loved his family very dearly and was going to miss them just as much as he was to be missed. His eyes wandered over to Baljeet and his heart sank a bit. He was about to start to feel bad for the boy until...
Buford walked over to his nerd, raised his head with his hands and kissed him deeply on the mouth. When they separated, he gruffly began his own speech.
"It's not fair y'know? So much just isn't fair. It's not fair that your family are a bunch of douchebags, it's not fair that they'd give up someone like you so easily. It's not fair that after all of these years of us behaving like a married couple, we finally get together and you have to go away to college. I used to see us walking down the halls of the school together in my mind. I'm...I'm gonna miss ya, 'Jeet."
"Buford, you and your mother have done so much for me. You've accepted me for who I am without question. You scold me when I make a mistake and you make me feel good when I do something right. You were there for me not only during the worst time of my life, but you helped make some of the best times while were younger. I cannot begin to thank you enough. This is not goodbye, by any means. We will see each other on weekends and holidays and we can get to each other but the city bus if we want. My original plan for coming here was to please my parents, then it became a way to be who I really am without them knowing, but now...I think I have found the best reason of all to be here now. I can complete my education and I can get a very well-paying job and be able to afford for us to be together. For it is not my future any more, it is ours."
Buford roughly rubbed his eyes. "Stupid nerd, you're 14. Stop trying to think like you're 40!" he said, but he was completely joking trying to add some levity to the situation.
"Baljeet, you have a very bright future ahead of you. Continue to learn from your hardships and your failures. You are very young but you're pretty wise beyond your years. Don't let your relatives get you down, they don't know what they threw away. You have a family, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to it," Biffany said taking the slender young man into her thick muscular arms.
"Yo, Fletcher!" Buford called over to the boy breaking free from his parents' embrace. "You better take good care of him while I'm not around. Ya got me?" he warned.
Ferb gave a watery smile and a thumbs up. "You've got it, Buford."
"Baljeet, can we ask you to look out for Ferb as well?" Lawrence asked extending a hand to this son's roommate.
"Of course, sir!"
"Good man," he said then he got down on one knee to get to his eye level. "I'm very sorry about your parents, lad, but you seems to have found a great new family to be there for you."
"Yes, sir" Baljeet proudly beamed.
"You have us as well. You've been one of our son's best friends for a long time and we've grown pretty fond of you as well. Had we heard what happened and the Van Stomms not been there, you'd most certainly have been with us. So your family just keeps getting bigger and bigger, eh?"
"Yes, sir," Baljeet shakily said and readjusted his bifocals. He was overcome with gratitude and love for all of the people in the room.
"Well, we should probably get out of you guys' hair and let you get settled. Call us if you need anything!" Linda said, kissing both boys on the forehead and giving them each one last hug. Lawrence did the same, and then Biffany. Buford gave Baljeet one last kiss and fist bumped Ferb and they all waved goodbye, some more tearily than others, and just like that the two boys were on their own.
They stood in the living room for a while letting all of the emotions they were feeling try to settle. They slowly headed for their rooms and were about to head inside when Ferb called out, "That's quite some family we have, huh?"
Baljeet took in the meaning of the boy's words before a grin spread across his face. "Yes, they are the best."