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Ferb never minded being known as Phineas’s brother. Phineas was clearly better than him. Better ideas, more talkative.
Ferb wanted to talk more, but he wasn’t sure if anyone wanted to listen to what he had to say.
Everyone knew him as Phineas’s brother. Whenever people referred to them, Phineas was always first. Phineas was always the one who got credit, and Ferb was just an afterthought. A small addition barely even worth mentioning. Why would they mention Ferb? There was nothing significant about him. Phineas came up with ideas and schematics, and Ferb just helped build them - it didn’t really take a genius to look at blueprints.
Ferb could list off all of the exciting things that had happened for his older sister’s birthday. At his mother’s birthday, she was written a song, and Ferb was the one who had specially organized Phineas’s birthday with everything Phineas could have ever wanted.
Fern’s birthday was never even mentioned.
Why would it have been?
Ferb really loved his brother, and it was clear to him that Phineas wanted him to be with him in the spotlight, but sometimes it wasn’t like that.
Like when they had discovered a secret lair in their backyard? Phineas hadn’t let Ferb get a single full sentence in, and Ferb had been trying his hardest! It was the most he had talked in months! Clearly though, it was a wasted effort. Ferb had tried not to talk as much after that.
Phineas and Ferb were well known, but it wasn’t like anyone would notice him if he went outside. This was perfectly fine with Ferb, but Phineas was just always more well known.
All of this was fine with Ferb. Being not as smart or amazing as Phineas was. That was just the way things were.