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“Isabella?”
“Mm?”
“Have you ever noticed that your hands are really soft?”
Isabella turned to Phineas in surprise. Only then did she realize that he was holding her hand, casually squeezing her palm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Do you really think so?” Isabella blushed involuntarily as she watched her friend curiously examine her fingers and gently press her hand.
“Mhm.” He nodded. “My hands are always dry and rough,” he went on. “I have no idea how to get rid of it.”
Phineas lifted his free hand to show her. His palm was covered in calluses, and one of his fingers was wrapped in a turquoise bandage with a tiny spot of blood on it.
“Well, you’re constantly inventing something and working with metal. Of course your hands are going to look like that,” Isa pointed out, trying not to pay too much attention to the fact that he had just laced their fingers together.
“That’s the thing - you do the exact same stuff,” Phineas replied, reminding her that she handled a large portion of their projects as well. “But your hands are still so… gentle. I don’t know.”
He spoke thoughtfully, absentmindedly stroking her hand.
Isabella had no idea how to react to such a sudden stream of compliments from the boy she was in love with especially since he was usually quite oblivious about things like that. On the other hand, she understood that he wasn’t saying it to flatter her. To him, he was simply stating facts.(for him, of course)
“Have you ever tried using creams?” she asked. “You know… for your hands.”
Phineas thought about it while continuing to use Isabella’s hand like a stress toy.
“Well, Ferb gave me some degreasing cream a couple of times for motor oil and gasoline,” he said. “But it didn’t smell like berries the way your hands do. And it didn’t really help much.”
Phin lifted Isabella’s hand to his face and pressed her palm against his cheek.
“Gosh, your hands are so-o-o soft. This is amazing“
He leaned into her touch, completely ignoring Isabella’s tiny squeak and the way her ears flushed red.
“I can’t even tell how soft they are just by touching them with my hands,” he murmured. “Tell me are you a witch?” Flynn asked with a crooked smile.
“N-no, haha.” Isabella laughed nervously, wide-eyed as she watched the boy of her dreams press against her hand and grin like an idiot. “Do you want me to give you my hand cream?”
“Will it help?” Without moving her hand away from his face, he glanced up at her from under his brows.
“I think… yes, I think it will,” Bella nodded faintly, trying to ignore the frantic pounding in her chest.
“Wonderful.” Phineas closed his eyes and let out a relaxed sigh.