Phineas and Ferb fanfiction
(this has got to be one of the longest things I've every written)
Pairings: Phineas/Ferb, Candace/Jeremy
Warnings: slash (well, duh, haha)
Hope you enjoy, this took quite a long time...
Oh! And these characters are not mine. Not even Victoria. She belongs to herself.

It was hot. Hot and sunny. Most people would be inside on a summer's day such as this. Luckily for Phineas and Ferb, the large oak in their yard was still doing its job of shielding them from the glaring sun. The now fifteen year old redhead scuffed his sneakers against the grass, face screwed up into a puzzled expression. He was obviously thinking. Suddenly, a smile spread across his freckled face and he turned to his taller half-brother. But before he could speak a word, the Brit interrupted;

"Let me guess, you know what we're going to do today?" Phineas chuckled and elbowed Ferb playfully in the ribs.

"Hey, I know that it's a bit predictable, but you don't have to steal my line." Ferb arches a brow and smirked.

"Well, it has been five years of the same thing now."

"I know, I know. At least -someone's- talkative enough to mix things up now, right?"

"Whatever you say, Phineas." Truth was, Ferb was still a man of few words around other people, but he had opened up to Phineas over the years. They still had the innate connection that made words uneccessary, but since Phineas had once stated that he liked to hear Ferb talk, Ferb talked. Though as soon as other people were added to the mix, he became nearly silent once again.

"So anyway, about what we're going to do."

"Yes?"

"We're going to help Jeremy propose to Candace."

"You're not exactly...skilled at romance, Phineas," Ferb pointed out, immediately thinking to Isabella.

"I'm not that bad...Anyway, that's why I'm putting you in charge."

"I'm honored."

"Hey guys, whatcha doin~?" A cheery voice rang out, making both boys raise their heads to see Isabella standing expectantly at the yard gate.

"We're planning something to help Jeremy propose to Candace. But keep it on the downlow, we have to surprise Candace."

"Oh, okay," She nodded eagerly, adjusting her long black hair over her shoulders.

"Um, where is Candace?"

"She's probably doing something at the University."

"I can't believe she's hanging out at school during the summer!"

"I think she's helping the summer school students. It's only on Wednesdays..."

"Oh, right!" Isabella giggled and smacked herself on the forehead. "Silly me," She said, leaning closer to Phineas. The redhead laughed as well, unconciously leaning away from the girl. Ferb resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So, Phineas, I didn't know you were good at setting up...romantic situations..." Isabella's eyelashes fluttered as her smile became slightly suggestive; sadly, it went completely over Phineas' orange-haired head.

"Oh, I'm really not all that great at it. That's why Ferb's in charge." Isabella deflated a bit.

"Oh. Okay then. Do you need me and the girls for anything?"

"I...I actually don't know yet, we haven't started planning."

"Okay. I'll go get them and bring them back. Hopefully you'll have something by then!"

"Thanks, Isabella!" The girl trotted off, her pink skirt swaying in time with her hips. Ferb resisted the urge to say 'thank God' when she had left.

"So, Ferb? Plans?"

"Well, our restaurants have been a big hit, as well as music..."

"Mm-hm, mm-hm..."

"But with Jeremy and Candace it seems that the smaller details get the bigger results. I say we do something that is simple, yet intricate." Phineas nodded, brow furrowed in concentration. He glanced up at his brother and smiled.

"How'd you get so good at this, Ferb?"

"Well, I am quite the ladies' man," The Brit smirked, wiggling his eyebrows in a silly manner. Phineas laughed and covered his face with his hand.

"Oh please, spare me Ferb, I don't need any more of those stories."

"Oh no, have my attempts at wooing you been failing?"

"If that's you 'wooing' someone, maybe you shouldn't be in charge of romance." Phineas said, looking skeptical. Ferb gasped and grasped his chest as if he'd been hit.

"You wound me, brother!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure...don't get yourself arrested on a charge of overacting..." Phineas scratched his head, mussing his bright hair even more. "Okay, we've gotta focus. Simple but intricate. How are we gonna do that?"

"A restaurant. A Paris-themed one."

"Oh? Where'd you get that from?"

"Their relationship was first 'officially' established in Paris. On the Summer Solstice." Ferb smiled proudly as Phineas stared at him incredulously.

"How do you remember this stuff?"

"I'm the romantic, according to you. It's my job."

"So, a Paris-themed restaurant."

"With a performance by Jeremy."

"We should get someone to pick up Candace from the University and drive her here...maybe Isabella...So, you've got blueprints waiting in the wings, right?"

"Of course." Ferb smiled, got up, and disappeared into the garage.

"Um. I'll, uh, go get the girls then!"

"You called?" Isabella asked coyly, making Phineas nearly jump out of his skin. He spun around quickly, smiling when he saw his friend and her troupe of girls.

"Oh, good! We're doing a restaurant again…a Paris-themed one. Isabella, we're gonna need you to go pick up Candace…but before that can you hang out with her for a while? Make sure she doesn't get suspicious."

"Can do, Phineas! What do you want the fireside girls to do?"

"I'm gonna need their help building the restaurant…Ferb should be back with the blueprints in no ti—" A small cough interrupted Phineas, and the rolled-up blueprints were handed to him silently. "Oh. Thanks Ferb." The green-haired boy nodded. "What are you going to be doing?" Ferb leant over to whisper into Phineas' ear, making the redhead perk up. "Oh, oh of course! Okay, you should hurry up and get to Jeremy's then." Ferb nodded and disappeared quickly.

"Wait, what is he going to do?" Gretchen piped up as Phineas handed out blueprints.

"Oh, he's gonna give Jeremy some dance lessons and help him with song choices."

"Ohhhh," The girls all nodded and glanced at each other, agreeing silently. They then set to examining the blueprints, getting their tools organized and chatting amongst themselves. Phineas quickly ordered all the materials they needed: tables, chairs, plaster, metal beams, industrial stoves and refrigerators…and much more, but it isn't necessary to get down to the nuts and bolts; especially since the whole thing was finished in maybe twenty minutes.

"Wow, this looks really nice," Phineas said appreciatively, knocking his hand against the miniature Eiffel Tower that composed the entrance to the building.

"We'll get our badges from Isabella later I guess…" Gretchen said, looking around. "So is there a restaurant standard uniform or do we just wear our fireside girl uniforms?" Phineas looked puzzled for a moment, and then shrugged.

"Do you guys want to wear fancy waitress uniforms?" The girls paused and thought for a minute, before they all answered at once,

"We get to design them."

"Okay…I guess I'll set up the menu!" Phineas wandered inside to sit at one of the tables and contemplate the serving possibilities. He had a menu in nearly minutes. He sighed and rested his head in his hands. "I wonder what Ferb's doing?"

"No, put your hands on my hips." The boy rebuked, repositioning Jeremy's hands for the umpteenth time.

"I…I know, it's just…"

"Yes…?" Ferb's eyebrow arched skyward, questioning the blonde man's awkwardness.

"Well, you're a guy, first off…"

"You're learning to dance for Candace."

"I know, I know…And, well, there's also the fact that you're…what, fifteen?"

"Seventeen, thank you. None of that matters anyhow, unless you're thinking of acting on some unmentionable urges?" The blonde's face turned bright pink.

"O-oh, no, no way, sorry. It's just…" Ferb smirked.

"I'm just teasing you Jeremy, its fine. But you do need to learn these dances."

"I know. Thanks for teaching me; I know it's a bit troublesome." Ferb shook his head, his smile looking a bit sad.

"No, I needed to get away for a bit anyhow."

"Huh? What's up?"

"Nothing. I see your footwork has improved a bit…fast learner."

"Oh no. You're not changing the subject like that. Here, we're taking a break." Jeremy took his hands from their hesitant positions on Ferb's slim (almost feminine, really) hips, and went to sit on the couch. They had moved the coffee table and the TV to the side to make a makeshift dance floor…but the couch had stayed. It was simply ridiculously heavy, and wasn't really in the way in the first place. "So. What's wrong?" Jeremy patted the empty cushion next to him, motioning for Ferb to sit. The British boy complied and flopped onto the couch, sighing heavily.

"It's Phineas."

"What about him?" Ferb was silent for a long while, staring at his dress shoes like they were the most fascinating blueprints he had seen in his whole life. Jeremy got slightly worried after a long few minutes of silence. "Uh…Ferb?"

"Jeremy. I hope you know that I trust you very much to be able to tell you this."

"Yeah? I know you trust me, I mean, you hardly talk to anyone other than me and Phineas…oh, and Candace."

"Right. So I can trust you not to judge me for this, correct?"

"Of course…so can you please tell me what this is about?"

"I'm in love with him." It was silent. Ferb sighed again, covering his face with his hands and leaning back into the couch as if it could swallow him up and make him disappear. "You're free to kick me out of your house as you wish."

"Wha—No, no! No, it's…just…wow, that's really deep, Ferb."

"I'm aware."

"Have you told him?"

"No." This wasn't good…shorter sentences—Ferb was closing himself off again.

"I-I get it, it's hard, and, it must be harder for you, Phineas isn't exactly…well, he's kinda oblivious, huh?" Ferb nodded, rolling his eyes. "But, um, you should tell him!"

"I'm going to."

"Huh?"

"Tonight, I'm going to tell him." Ferb glanced away, his cheeks turning light pink.

"Oh. Well, I'm not really…I'm kinda outta my depth in this area, Ferb, but…Good luck."

"Thank you, Jeremy. Back to dancing?"

"Actually, how about we work on that song line-up? I'll get my guitar."

"Good idea," Ferb agreed, smiling. Jeremy nodded, getting up and starting to head to his room. "Oh, and Jeremy?"

"Yes?" The blonde stopped and turned to look at his green-haired friend, curious as to why he'd been called.

"Thank you. Really."

"No problem."

When Isabella arrived at the University, Candace was walking out of the library.

"Candace! Hey!" The redheaded woman perked up at the call, smiling happily.

"Oh, Hi Isabella!" She trotted down the library steps, stopping in front of the younger girl. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing important, I just remembered that you work here on Wednesdays and thought I'd stop by!" The black-haired girl giggled happily and smiled warmly.

"Oh, that's nice of you. I was just about to walk home..."

"Well, wanna hang out for a while first?" Candace glanced down the road that lead home, looking kind of anxious.

"Well, I don't know, I wanted to check on Phineas and Ferb..."

"Oh, they're fine. I was with them just a bit ago! They're not really doing anything important, so maybe we can go clothes shopping or something?"

"Well, I guess so...isn't there a new store open nearby?"

"Yeah, it's called the Spring Boutique! Want to go check it out?" Candace looked hesitant at first, but then smiled.

"Sure, sounds fun. Maybe we'll run into Stacy too, she works at a really cool frozen yogurt stand."

"Oh cool...Let's go!" They climbed into Isabella's pink mini-cooper, giggling and talking as they drove into the city. Isabella turned on the radio, singing along with the music, Candace joining in as well. Isabella ended up having to take an alternate route due to traffic, but neither girl seemed to mind.

"So, Isabella, what's been up with you?"

"Oh...nothing much." The girl sighed and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel.

"...Phineas is still clueless, then." Candace affirmed, shaking her head sadly.

"Yeah! I don't know what's up with him!"

"Sorry, I don't really get it either, I guess he's always preoccupied with other things." Isabella sighed again.

"I might as well give up, huh?"

"Well, maybe on the romance...at least you're friends with him, right?"

"I guess..." The teen said sadly. "Oh! Here we are...The Spring Boutique!" Isabella parallel parked near the store, already chattering about the clothes displayed in the windows. Her and Candace quickly decided that they loved the styles, walking into the store chatting happily.

"Hello! Welcome to the Spring Boutique! I'm Victoria, if you have any questions," The bubbly store clerk smiled at them from the register, bouncing happily. Her short, burgundy hair bounced along with her.

"Hey, thank you," Candace said, looking around at the clothes selection. Isabella was examining some of the jewelry. Really, she was wondering if a sparkly necklace or new earrings would catch Phineas' eyes...She couldn't help it; it was hard to take your mind off of a boy who you'd liked for five years. Of course, she'd dated other guys-cute guys, really-but she refused to give up hope on Phineas. Every now and then, her friends would bug her about her long-running crush, but she brushed it off most times. But after all these years, her patience was starting to run thin a bit; she honestly couldn't wait forever, and she knew that...She sighed as she looked at a butterfly necklace. Well, it might not get Phineas to love her (really, nothing might.), but it might make her feel better. It had been a while since she treated herself to something.

"Victoria?" The girl at the register perked up, smiling. Isabella noticed that the girl had been playing her Nintendo DS.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"How much does this necklace cost?"

"Umm...oh, it's 19.99!"

"Can you hold it for me? I want to buy it, but first I want to help my friend find a dress."

"Oh, sure thing!" She said, taking the necklace and putting it beneath the counter.

"So, what are you playing?"

"This really cool game called Pheonix Wright!"

"Oh cool! But...I have to go help my friend, okay?"

"No problem! Have fun!" Isabella nodded and trotted off to find where Candace had gone. The redhead turned out to be looking through the dresses curiously.

"Hey, let me help you pick one of those out!"

"Hmmm, mmm, dododo…" Jeremy sang distractedly as he strummed his guitar. Ferb was sitting on the couch, only half-listening to the blonde man's singing, planning out musical selections for the afternoon.

"What's one of Candace's favorite bands, Jeremy?"

"Well, it sounds corny, but she actually really likes the Beatles."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she started listening to them our first year of college, and I guess she kinda fell in love with their music." Ferb nodded and stroked his chin, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"Pefect, then. I think that a slower version of I Want To Hold Your Hand would be perfect."

"Yeah! Great idea, Ferb..." The British boy nodded in response to the compliment.

"May I use your guitar for a bit?"

"Sure thing," Jeremy handed the acoustic to his friend, sitting and watching as his friend practiced a few chords. "Are you planning on singing a number?" The green-haired boy laughed and shook his head no.
"I have to stop Phineas from dying out on the dance floor…and that's a full-time job." The blonde chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"I understand. Hey, want to get the living room back in order and head back to your house?"

"What about your dancing?"
"Oh, well, I think I'm pretty set…I'm confident enough in my waltzing, and I don't really think I'll need any fox trot skills…" Jeremy chuckled a bit, "Thanks though."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. Let's get the TV and table back to their proper places." Ferb set Jeremy's guitar in its case, moving it to rest on the couch while he got up and picked up the coffee table, with Jeremy's help. Next they moved the TV back to its rightful place, grinning proudly when the living room was back in proper order. "To your car?" Jeremy nodded, fishing in his pockets, before he pulled out his keys and jingling them. The two walked out to the garage, Ferb climbing into the passenger seat of Jeremy's blue Camry LE. "You know, if you ever want me to work on this for you…"
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't need rocket propulsion for my car," The blonde chuckled as he stuck the key into the ignition, starting the car. The trip was short, and they were there in no time. Ferb climbed from the car first, hurrying to the back yard. The restaurant was, of course, already built and seemed to have attracted several patrons already.

"Ferb!" The Brit turned around immediately at the sound of his step-brother's voice, smiling at the redhead.

"Hello Phineas. I have Jeremy with me...well, not with me, he's in the driveway I suppose."
"Oh, good. You chose out the song and everything?"
"Of course."

"Okay, good, I'll go find Jeremy and tell him about how we're doing the set-up and everything." Phineas trotted off happily, leaving Ferb to appreciate how cute the redhead looked in a maître-de outfit. The British boy frowned suddenly. He didn't want Phineas working—he wanted Phineas to spend time to dine and dance with him.

"Wait, Phineas!" He easily caught up with the shorter boy, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What is it Ferb?"
"You're part of the wait staff, Phineas?"
"Uh…yeah. And I was hoping you'd be the chef." Ferb sighed.

"No, no…Phineas, you work yourself too hard. How about, for once, you relax? We can have dinner together."
"B-b-but, don't you have to cook…and I have to…"
"Oh hush. You're relaxing and having dinner. Go change into your normal clothes, I'll take care of the other things."
"Oh, okay."

"You girls all look fantastic," Ferb said, appraising the girls' waitress uniforms. They were subtly frilly, black and white, in a design somewhat similar to a French maid costume, but less skimpy…and more practical for moving about. Most of the girls blushed and giggled at the boy's compliment, making Ferb need to smother a rather smug smirk. "Now, I have a favor I need to ask you all. Can you vote for a chef and maitre-de amongst yourselves?" The girls all muttered, looking skeptical. Gretchen stepped forward, hands on her hips.

"What do we get in return? And why aren't you and Phineas working your usual stations?" Ferb leant over and whispered into the bespectacled girl's ear, making her eyes widen. A wide smile spread across her face and she nodded. "Okay. Girls, let's get to work!" She turned around and clapped, making all the girls nod and jump into action. She turned around and nodded warmly to Ferb before walking off and barking more orders. Ferb nodded back and smiled. He had faith in the girls; he knew they would handle their responsibilities and do well. He wandered into the house, walking upstairs to find his step-brother.
"Phineas?" He opened the door to their shared bedroom to find the redhead only half-dressed.

"Ah! Ferb! Does the concept of knocking no longer exist?" The boy's eyes were wide with shock and he grabbed his shirt to hold in front of his chest—as if Ferb hadn't seen it all before anyway.

"I didn't think I needed to. We used to bathe together, after all…and there's nothing you have that I don't." The British boy chuckled before adding, "Though maybe not in the same proportions."
"You're ridiculous." Phineas said, throwing a stray shirt at the green-haired boy. "But you're right I guess…it's still a bit weird to have someone burst in while you're changing, though." Ferb conceded with a nod, but was still smirking slightly. Phineas rolled his eyes and tugged his tee-shirt on. Ferb noticed, and resisted sighing in disappointment; he had been hoping for a more formal occasion, though he supposed he had given no hint to that and couldn't really blame Phineas for not catching on to the fact that this was a 'date'. Still, the redhead looked cute in faded blue jeans and a yellow tee-shirt with an orange collar and orange-striped sleeves. Ferb himself was almost always in semi-formal attire, so he was set for a special occasion at all times. Presently, he was wearing his blue and green striped tie, suspenders, white dress shirt, and dark blue slacks; perfect dress for a nice dinner...a shame that his 'date' didn't match in formality…but Ferb didn't care too much; he liked Phineas as he was.

"Ready for our date, Phin?"

"Yeah…Hopefully Candace will be there by the time we are." The boy smiled brightly and brushed past Ferb to head downstairs. Ferb followed, celebrating a bit on the inside that Phineas hadn't argued him calling it a date. There was hope for him yet, the Brit thought happily as he headed downstairs. When they stepped out to the backyard, Ferb was surprised to see that there was quite a line leading to their restaurant. They were wandering to the front to look for Isabella and Candace when they were stopped.
"Phineas, Ferb, it's good to see you." They both looked to see Danny, standing with Bobbi and Sherman from Love Handle.

"Guys, I didn't know you were in town!" Phineas smiled happily and hugged Danny, making the brunette almost fall over in surprise.
"Nice to see you too, little man. And Ferb, still the strong silent type?"
"Well actually—"

"Hey, do you guys have good desert at this place?" Sherman interrupted, rubbing his somewhat pudgy stomach. Before either Phineas and Ferb could answer, Bobbi did.
"It doesn't matter, because you're supposed to be on a diet." The white-haired man placed a delicately manicured hand on the librarian/drummer's shoulder.

"That wasn't my decision…and I don't even need a diet!"
"Oh?" Bobbi smirked and patted the man's stomach, which jiggled slightly.
"Well, uh, it's good to see you guys…" Phineas said, chuckling a bit awkwardly.
"It was nice to see you too, Phineas. Sorry that these guys are always bickering like a married couple." Danny motioned to the other two who were, indeed, bickering. Phineas nodded.
"Yeah…I wish we could talk more, but Ferb and I have to find someone."
"I get it. Bye, little man." Danny ruffled Phineas' hair once more before letting the two walk off.
"Well, that was a nice chance meeting," Ferb said, smiling. It was a fantastic evening so far (and it had hardly even begun, he thought), and he was nearly bursting with happiness. This emotion was encouraged by the fact that Phineas was already enjoying himself as well; it was like the boy was glowing, and Ferb was happy to bask in it.

"Yeah, it was nice. I'm having fun…but you know, we should get to finding Candace."

"Phineas! There you are!" Isabella waved the two boys over, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet. Candace was standing next to her, in a fancy new dress. It went almost to her knees, and the skirt had a pleat down one side, while the top was decorated with sequins and had no straps.
"Hey Isabella…Hey Candace, you look nice." Phineas complimented. Candace smiled and nodded in thanks.
"Do you know where Jeremy is?" The older girl asked distractedly, looking around, searching the line that stretched from the entrance of the restaurant for her boyfriend. Phineas glance at Isabella, giving her cue with a raise of his eyebrows. She nodded and grabbed Candace's arm.
"Come on, Candace, let me show you to your table. Don't worry about Jeremy, he'll be here."
"Oh…I guess," Candace said, following the black haired girl. Phineas and Ferb sighed in relief once the two were gone, shooting each other meaningful glances.

"Thank God that we have Isabella as a friend, right?" Phineas said, chuckling? Ferb nodded, but his smile was a tad bit forced (not that Phineas caught on to that). "Huh, I wonder who's keeping up security at the door?" The redhead thought aloud, glancing at the line.
"I'll let you hazard a guess," Ferb said teasingly as they neared the door. A very familiar voice reached their ears, becoming clearer the closer they got.

"Buford!" Phineas cried happily, waving at the gruff-looking teenager. The husky boy smiled and waved, before turning to a couple and asking about reservations. "Buford, they don't need reservations," Phineas scolded.
"I know, I just like messin' with people," The ex-bully said jokingly, smirking before letting the couple past the velvet rope. "By the way, you guys seen Baljeet? The little nerd wormed his way out of working with me, and I have no clue where he went."
"Uh…no clue, sorry," Phineas evaded quickly, "Can you let Ferb and I in please?"

"Oh, of course guys." He unclipped the velvet rope again, ushering the two in. Ferb's eyebrows almost shot into his hairline when they walked in. The interior was decorated in silver and gold, the set up charming and extravagant while not being overwhelming. There were birch branches and charming little silver birds situated tastefully around the room, going with the theme of the restaurant, which had been named Le Nid d'Oiseau, which meant 'The Bird's Nest'. Ferb had to admit, he was impressed…He hadn't expected Phineas to have such a grasp on interior design.

"Our table," Ferb said, pointing to one of the tables closest to the stage and the dance floor. Phineas smiled and nodded, grabbing Ferb's hand and almost running to the table. Ferb's face was flushed when they reached the table. He pulled his hand away from Phineas', freeing himself up to pull the chair out for Phineas to sit in.

"You know, you don't have to treat me like a girl, Ferb," The redhead joked, scooting his chair in on his own.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be a gentleman," The older boy responded, sitting in his own seat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, feel free to be gentlemanly…I didn't mean to insult your honor or anything." He chuckled a bit, before grabbing a menu and opening it. "Well, this is the menu I wrote, so I'll let you make the selection, Ferb."
"Hmm…I suppose I'll be a bit bland and go with escargots and frog legs."
"That's not bland. I heard frog legs are good. And I've never had them before," Phineas said happily, blue eyes glinting with excitement. "It'll be a bit of an adventure, right?" Ferb chuckled and nodded.

"You always seem able to turn even normal things into something fantastic, Phineas."

"You make me sound like some amazing person, Ferb. I can't be that great." A blush found its way onto Phineas' cheeks and Ferb had do quash a rather devious smirk that threatened to spread across his face.

"Well, I think you're amazing. And you should listen to me, I'm older than you."
"That's ridiculous." Phineas said, but he was obviously happy about the compliment. Ferb was about to say something else as well, but their waitress had arrived.

"Hi Phineas, Hi Ferb!" Gretchen greeted happily. "Taking a day off?"
"In a way, yeah. It was Ferb's idea."
"Oh, was it?" She glanced knowingly at Ferb, who gave her a quick nod of acknowledgement. "Well, sounds nice. What are you guys going to order?"
"Escargots and frog legs, please."
"And to drink?"
"Hmm. I don't know…What goes well with our order?"
"Milk is good with frog legs." She suggested, adjusting her glasses.
"I'll have that. Ferb?"
"Tea, please." He took Phineas' menu, placed it atop his own, and handed them to Gretchen with a smile. She nodded happily.

"Thank you, I'll go get your orders ready. Have a nice night." She trotted off happily, humming a bit.
"Well, she seems really cheerful for some reason."
"Maybe she's enjoying her job."
"Yeah, I guess you're—Oh, hey! Candace is nearby," Phineas pointed out, standing up suddenly. He waved excitedly, calling her. "Candace! We're nearby, isn't that neat?" The redheaded woman glanced up from fiddling with her silverware, noticing Phineas and smiling. She nodded in acknowledgement of their proximity, but then went back to trying to balance her spoon on the stand she had created with her knife and fork. "Oh, well, I guess she's kinda distracted or something. Still, it's pretty cool we ended up so close. We get front-row seats to the romance, in a way."
"Yes, it is very interesting." Ferb agreed, nodding. He wasn't going to let Phineas know that he had purposely set it up this way, in hopes that the romance between Jeremy and Candace would not only give him courage, but inspire Phineas a bit as well.
"You know, this is gonna sound silly, but I'm having lots of fun." Ferb blinked at his brother a few times, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. The afternoon so far was actually going so well that it was almost dreamlike, but Ferb knew he should control himself; he didn't want to make himself look ridiculous, and judging by how he felt inside at the moment, if he let it out he would definitely make himself look like a fool—Quite a love-struck fool, at that. The obvious decision was to just act normal…well, okay, maybe he was mixing a bit of coyness in, but what was the crime in that?
"Why is that silly?"
"Oh, well, I don't know, it's just dinner…Nothing exciting, but it's…nice." Ferb smiled and nodded, slightly amazed at how oblivious Phineas was; it might have been just his love-addled brain, but it was starting to seem to Ferb that his step-brother might even be oblivious to his own feelings.

"It is nice. I'm glad I could convince you to… 'take time off', so to speak. I really—"
"Your food, sirs," Gretchen said, placing plates down onto the table. She looked to both of the boys, noticing Ferb's expression; he looked frustrated, but was obviously trying to mask it. Phineas, on the other hand, looked perfectly happy about the food's arrival. "I'm sorry, have I interrupted something?" She asked, somewhat unhappy that she had.

"Oh, no, it's nothing. Thank you, this looks delicious." Phineas nodded and took his milk and sipped it happily. Gretchen nodded back and walked off, wondering what, exactly, she had interrupted.
"So, are we going to 'adventure' and try the frog legs, Phineas?" Ferb asked, picking up the plate and holding it towards the boy.
"Oh! Yeah, totally." Phineas grabbed one of the small, breaded morsels and took a nibble. He paused and thought a bit, a goofy, good-natured smile breaking out on his face. "It doesn't really taste like chicken…But it's good, it's definitely good."
"Well, that's…good." Ferb agreed, chuckling as he picked up one for himself and partook in the exotic food as well.
"Oh, Ferb, do you know when Jeremy is going to perform?" Phineas said, hit with the thought suddenly. He glanced at Candace sitting alone at her table, starting to look frustrated.
"Hmmm, Candace is looking ready to start throwing a fit, so I'd say soon."
"If you say so. You seem to know these things."

"Hello everybody," Isabella greeted after emerging on stage. Ferb couldn't remember assigning her the duty of announcer…It must have been Gretchen who had decided that. He had to admit, the troupe leader had a talent for public speaking, and she did look quite striking in her slinky black dress (also arranged by Gretchen, no doubt). He noticed she was wearing a new necklace…probably for Phineas, who most likely didn't notice in the slightest. Ferb sighed and watched Isabella, half-interested in the announcement he already knew was coming. "We have a special treat for you tonight. Jeremy Johnson will be performing for us," She said, smiling. People sitting at the tables clapped cheerfully as Isabella stepped aside, gesturing with her arms as the curtains opened. Ferb chuckled when he noticed that Candace nearly dropped the spoon she was fiddling with. Jeremy smiled as he walked on stage, carrying a stool and his guitar slung over his shoulder. He sat down and pulled out the acoustic, (a Lyon, Ferb observed, a nice, but understated brand) looking straight at Candace as he began to sing. The song was spot-on, his voice smooth as honey.

"Oh yeah, I'll tell you something

I think you'll understand

When I say that something

I wanna hold your hand
I wanna hold your hand

I wanna hold your hand," His smile became a bit mischeivous as he stood, walking down off the stage and to Candace's table, halting his guitar playing to get down on one knee and present a small velvet box that could only hold one thing. Candace gasped and covered her hands with her mouth, smiling broadly.
"Oh please, say to me
You'll let me be your man
And please say to me
You'll let me hold you hand," He continued singing, smiling somewhat goofily. Candace stood up, pulling him off his knee as well, before crying,

"Yes!" And letting him slip the ring onto her finger. Everyone in the restaurant applauded. It was almost like a movie. Ferb turned to make a comment to Phineas when he noticed the redhead was getting misty-eyed.

"It's not very manly to cry, Phineas," Ferb pointed out jokingly. Phineas waved his hands at the boy vaguely and laughed.
"Oh be quiet Ferb, this is emotional okay?" He protested, wiping at his eyes with the backs of his hands.
"Oh yes, I know, you just can't handle the romance can you?" Ferb smirked as Phineas' cheeks grew red. When the boy blushed, it brought out his freckles, which Ferb found to be quite adorable. "Here, why don't we go dance? That way you can lie about that blush of yours being from exhaustion." Ferb grabbed Phineas' hand, standing and leading him from the table. After Jeremy had finished his song, a band had come out to play, and Jeremy and Candace were dancing, along with a few other couples who had joined in.
"I'm not blushing!" Phineas protested, but allowed himself to be pulled onto the floor anyway. Once they were out there, though, it was discovered that Phineas couldn't actually dance worth a damn. Sure, he could move his arms and legs, in something that counted as dancing to pop music, but the music the band was playing was for slow dance, and Phineas honestly knew nothing about waltzing or anything. Ferb quickly noticed his step-brother's distress and smiled kindly.

"Just follow my lead. It's simple." He placed a hand on Phineas' hip, and the other on his shoulder, and motioned for him to do the same. "Now, it's very simple, just watch my feet." It seemed like a well laid plan, but after a few minutes of Phineas bumbling about and stepping on Ferb's toes repeatedly, the redhead was ready to give up.
"I'm really never going to be good at this Ferb, even with your help…"
"Yes, I do suppose you're right," Ferb sighed, but he was smiling nonetheless.

"Sorry that I'm unteachable."
"It's fine, Phineas. You can't be perfect at everything…just nearly everything." Ferb's smile grew as he looked into Phineas' vibrant blue eyes. In his humble opinion, Phineas already was perfect. Who cared for fancy footwork when the mind was full of ideas and adventures greater and more imaginative than any waltz? Dance moves could be taught; the wonders inside of Phineas' minds could not be. Neither boy realized that they had stopped dead in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other like fools for quite a few long seconds, until they were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Well don't just stand there, kiss him!" Ferb turned his head to see Jeremy smiling at him expectantly, Candace nearly copying her fiance's expression to a tee. He looked back at Phineas to see that, to his surprise, the redhead looked curiously expectant too. So he took Jeremy's advice. His surprise was more than tripled when Phineas hesitantly responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms around Ferb's tall form in a almost rib-breaking hug. Ferb pulled away smiling, holding Phineas' cheek in one hand.

"Honestly, Phineas, I couldn't care less about your dancing skills." Phineas laughed, pressing his forehead against Ferb's shoulder. Ferb smiled and wrapped his arms around Phineas and they swayed to the music.

"Oh. Well, that explains a lot," Isabella said, standing next to Gretchen off to the side of the dance floor.

"What?"
"It makes sense. I guess Phineas was in love with Ferb, but knowing him, he didn't even notice."

"Oh," Gretchen said, nodding as she observed the two boys hugging each other happily. "So I guess you've got to give up on him, huh?" Isabella sighed, but she was smiling as well.

"I guess so. I mean, there's got to be other smart, creative, cute guys out there."
"Maybe you should go to Europe." Gretchen said. Isabella laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, maybe. But I have to stay here a while, to make sure those two don't do anything stupid. Especially Phineas. He's so romantically inadequate he didn't notice a crush that lasted five years!"
"Past tense?"
"Huh?"
"You said 'lasted'…past tense."
"Oh. Yeah, I suppose I've given up permanently. I probably gave up a while ago, but was just continuing it for its own sake. If that makes any sense."
"It does."
"Thanks. Want to go greet the new couple?"
"No, I'll let you handle that one." Gretchen stood back and observed with a smile as Isabella trotted up to the two boys, tapping Ferb on the shoulder to get their attention.
"Yes, Isabella?"
"Congragulations Ferb, you finally got something to go through Phineas' thick skull!" She said, giggling happily. Ferb chuckled.

"Hey!" Phineas yelled, but in truth was unoffended.
"Oh, and congrats Phineas, I think you found someone who understands you perfectly." Phineas' face colored red as he nodded and mumbled out thanks. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to give some congragulations to the newly-engaged couple as well!" She walked off happily, her feet moving in a sort of dancing walk along with the music.
"So she isn't mad," Ferb said, sounding relieved.
"Huh?"
"Phineas, she's had a crush on you for years. I thought she would tear my head off when I tried to romance you."

"That sounds…pretty scary."
"Exactly. But I should've known better—Isabella is our friend after all. Though now she's probably appointed herself the job of murdering me if I ever hurt your feelings."
"But you wouldn't do that. Um, shouldn't we go talk to Candace and Jeremy though?"
"Phineas, I'm sure Candace knows that we put this together."
"Heh, oh yeah…Um. Another thing though…are we dating now or something?" The redhead inquired, looking somewhat nervous.
"Yes. And I know what we're going to do tomorrow."
"Really? What?"
"I'm going to take you on the best date you've ever been on."
"Uh…It'll be the only date I've ever been on."
"Of course. It'll be an adventure."