Pre-series
The little box felt heavy in her hands.
What if he didn't like it? What if he thought it was dumb? Or too girly?
Isabella had been nervous ever since Mama suggested she get Phineas something for Christmas. How could she get something for the boy who could build anything? Make anything?
But Mama had walked with her across the street, and she couldn't back out now.
She steeled herself. She might've not been in the Fireside Girls long but her time that there had taught her not to chicken out.
For most things.
Phineas and Ferb were playing with their presents in the living room.
"Isabella!" A grin formed on Phineas' face as he jumped to his feet. He rushed her with a hug, forcing her to move quickly to keep the box from getting crushed between them before melting into his arms. His hugs always gave her a warm feeling that she couldn't name. "I didn't know you were comin' over today."
"Hey, Phineas." When he let go, she added, "Hi, Ferb."
Ferb just gave a lazy wave with his screwdriver before continuing to dismantle their new remote control race car. Perry was curled in his lap, and he raised his head briefly, one eye pointed vaguely in her direction.
"I wanted to surprise you." She avoided his eyes, looking at the blue box instead. "I, um, I got you something."
"You did?" He sounded genuinely puzzled. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"I know. But I wanted to." Risking a glance up, she was met with a mix of confusion and interest twisting his face and shining in his eyes. "It's not... it's not much or anything. It's, uh." Blushing, she jerked the top off the box before she could second guess it.
Phineas titled his head, frowning. "Bracelets?"
Oh no, he hated them.
"They're pretty."
...Or not.
"They're friendship bracelets." If it came out a little too fast he didn't seem to notice.
His expression cleared, eyes brightening. "Which one's mine?"
She pulled his out. "This one."
Instead of taking it, he picked up the other one. He ran his fingers along the braided pattern, freezing on the glass letter beads weaved it. "You made 'em?"
"Yes." It hadn't taken her that long to. The most time consuming parts were picking the designs and the materials and deciding what to spell on them.
"Give me your hand."
She did so without thinking.
Gently, he looped the bracelet around her wrist. His tongue peeking out the side of his mouth as he tied it. He stared at it a second, actually turning her arm to inspect it, before nodding and holding out his hand. "Okay, now do me."
Isabella just blinked at him. It wasn't like she didn't know him. She should've know he'd make it special somehow. But his idea of placing them on each other felt a little more intimate than she'd expected.
"Oh right." He tugged the empty box from her grip. "You can't tie it one handed, huh?" He gave an embarrassed laugh like he was the one being awkward.
It got her moving though, tying the bracelet around his offered wrist with as much care as he'd used. "You really like them?"
"Yeah!" Now that they both had them on, he was beaming at her. "They're psychical representations of how we'll be best friends forever, how could I not love them?"
She clamped her mouth shut on the excited squeal that was threatening to come out. He loved them! Not liked them, loved them!
Phineas ran a finger between it and his wrist, before testing the strength of the material. A frown was eating away at his smile again. "I can't wear it."
"What?"
"It's--I love it. I really, really do!" His eyes were wide as he stared at her. "But what if I'm wearing it and it gets caught on something and breaks? Or it gets caught in machinery and I can't get my arm out? Or what if I time travel and dinosaur eats it?"
"Oh..." She hadn't even considered that when she made them. Though the last one... sounded a little out there, even for him. What was the chance of them ever inventing or coming across real time travel? But these were still things she should've thought of. The first time Phineas had asked her to join them, he run her through all their safety protocols and all the standard safety protocols. They'd never even got around to actually building anything that day because it had taken so long.
"Hey, it's okay." He was in her personal space again, she didn't mind. For a second, she thought she was going to get another hug, but he didn't touch her. "I'll just wear it on days I'm not inventing."
"When are you not inventing?"
Phineas opened his mouth. Stopped. Closed it. Blinked. "Huh, you know, I really don't know. Umm, maybe I can wear it to school on days when it's raining?" He frowned in thought. "When I'm sleeping?" He shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll figure it out."
