Chapter Text
"Ferb?"
Ferb and Phineas are reclining across the couch, an empty plate of nachos on the coffee table and a lemon scented candle on the windowsill. Perry is at their feet, snoozing on a soft blue blanket as the television plays nature documentaries. Ferb's gaze turns to faer sibling, curled up on the couch, a mug of hot chocolate grasped in fauns hands. Fauns head is down, staring blankly at Perry, who's rolled onto his side and is now twitching in his sleep.
"What is it, Phineas?"
Phineas sighs, collapsing back into the couch and taking a sip from fauns hot chocolate. Faun breathes deeply, eyes closed as faun smells the sweet citrus scent of the lemon candle. Then, opening fauns eyes, faun looks at Ferb.
"Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong body?"
Ferb chuckles. "Of course, Phineas. You don't need to be ashamed of that."
"No, I don't mean in a gender way, I mean like..."
Ferb tilts faer head.
"Like in a species way."
Oh.
Ferb pauses, contemplating Phineas' words, before shrugging. "Not sure, really."
Phineas sighs, looking down at the ground before turning fauns attention back to fauns sibling. "Ferb? Can I rest my head on your lap?"
Ferb smiles, moving slightly so Phineas can comfortably lay down. Phineas hesitates for a moment, before shuffling forward and laying fauns head against Ferb's lap. Immediately Ferb's hand is gently ruffling fauns hair, and Phineas smiles, closing fauns eyes and allowing faunself to drift.
"Phineas?"
Phineas blinks faunself back into full awareness, looking up at Ferb.
"Huh?"
"Did you just chatter? You know, like Perry?"
Phineas' face goes red in record time, and faun whimpers as faun covers faunself with fauns hands.
"Phineas? You don't need to be ashamed. I'm not judging you."
Phineas is silent for a moment.
"Promise you don't judge me?"
"Yes."
"Even if I tell you something weird?"
Ferb laughs. "Phineas, weird is basically our middle names."
Phineas laughs a little, before sighing and closing fauns eyes.
"I don't feel human, Ferb. I feel like I was meant to be a different species..."
Phineas hesitates, and Ferb nudges faun gently to encourage faun to continue. Taking a deep breath, Phineas speaks.
"I feel like I was meant to be a platypus."
There's silence for a moment, and Phineas briefly considers if faun's made a mistake, before Ferb speaks.
"Would you rather I call you a platypus?"
"What?"
Phineas sits up, looking at Ferb. Faers face doesn't look like faer's joking.
"Phineas, would you rather I call you a platypus instead of a human?"
Phineas is silent again. Then, smiling, faun nods.
"That would be awesome, Ferb. Really awesome."
Ferb grins, pulling Phineas into a hug.
Opening one eye, Perry smiles up at his family, before closing his eye and going back to sleep.