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Phineas slipped out the door, a cup held in each hand. The sounds of his own, younger, voice singing Run, Rudolph, Run fading as it closed behind him to a just a background hum. Walking over to Isabella, he offered her one.
"Thanks." She took it. "How's the party?"
That seemed like a strange question. She'd only come out here a minute or two ago. "Uh, fine?"
Raising his cup, he sipped it. And immediately spit it out.
Isabella jumped.
"I think someone spiked the eggnog." He rubbed at his mouth with the back of his hand. The eggnog hadn't even been his idea. But it was festive and stuff, and he'd been outvoted. Which meant someone said they wanted it, and Ferb said it wouldn't hurt to pick up some non-alcoholic brand. Apparently it would. Should he go in and get rid of the rest of it or something?
"Really?" Isabella lifted her plastic cup, sniffing the contents. She winkled her nose. It was kinda cute.
Not that she wasn't normally cute. Scientifically and all.
"Buford?"
He started. "What?"
"You think Buford did it?"
"Nah." The former bully had been trying to turn over a new leaf. Especially after that summer film camp thing last year. He wasn't sure exactly what it had been, since they'd barely managed to get him to admit to going to any camp that wasn't bully related. Spiking anything at an underage party didn't really mesh with that new image. "It coulda been anyone, really." At least half their high school had turned out, and he might've known them all by name and/or face, but he didn't really know all of them.
She was silent.
Phineas hesitated, staring into the liquid slashing around in his cup as he swung it lightly between his fingers. "What's on your mind?"
"Why're you asking?"
"I dunno." Mainly because it wasn't like her to ditch one of their parties. That was the whole reason he'd followed her out. The cup tipped a little too far, a few drops falling to the snow. He absently watched them sink into it, leaving little holes in the thin covering. "It seems like you've got something on your mind, I guess."
Another moment of silence before she spoke, "Yeah, I do. I told myself I was going to do something this year or never do it. The year's almost over."
He frowned. "So what is it? Y'know I'll help you, if you need it." It must've been something difficult. He couldn't see her getting this stuck on something simple.
"It's not that kind of thing." Her hand tightened around the cup she still held, the plastic creaked. "It's... it's just..." She closed her eyes.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me." He moved a step closer. "Even if it's a secret or something. I wouldn't share it."
She shook her head before looking at him. He stared back, hoping to convey how much he cared about her with his expression.
"Oh, screw it." It a quick movement, she tossed back the spiked eggnog and dropped the cup to grab his shoulders. "Phineas Flynn, I love you."
He blinked.
He blinked again.
"That's it?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'?
"I mean," he raised his empty hand to gesture vaguely between them, "I know you love me. I love you too, Isabella."
"You knew?" There was something odd in her tone, almost judging, as she stared him down. But what could she be judging him for?
"Yeah? We're best friends." He thought the whole love part was a given. Well, maybe some best friends didn't love each other? He didn't understand how they couldn't, though.
Her hands fell limply from his shoulders. "Oh, right."
"You didn't--" He stopped himself. There was really only one other way he could take what she said, and she couldn't possibly mean in love. Could she? "Never mind."
"Yeah... I'm going back in." She wasn't looking at him.
"Okay." Watching her walk back towards the door, he frowned. She couldn't have meant that, right? Isabella was amazing and cute and funny and, well, he might not have been romance minded but he wasn't blind. She was going to be gorgeous. Was gorgeous.
In short, she was so far out of his league.
But when had he ever let the impossible stop him before?
"Isabella?"
She stopped. "Yeah?"
"I was wondering... I mean, do you--" Actually, to echo her, screw it. He started to lift the cup to his lips, except, he didn't need to follow her example that closely, did he? Instead, he took a second to set it down. He walked over to her, trying to ignore the way his mouth seemed drier with each step. Maybe he should've drank it. Once he was in front of her, he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Phineas?"
He opened them. She really was beautiful. Bringing up a hand, he cupped her cheek.
Her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"
"This." He kissed her before he could let himself second think it. There was a brief second of hesitation before she started kissing back.
And if it didn't feeling as amazing as he'd imagined first kisses, or any kisses, were supposed to, well, he didn't exactly dislike it either.
And maybe, just maybe, this was him reading it wrong, and she didn't mean she loved him like that, in which case, he wouldn't have to worry about that anyway.
He'd only have to worry about whether or not he'd just ruined everything.