Eternity's Dime

Chapter Three: Too Fast

Still holding Phineas' hand, Ferbs frowned the tiniest frown Phineas had ever seen. Did it even count as a frown if the lips only turned down slightly at the corners?

Ferbs gently turned Phineas' arm over. Light scratches covered the underside of his arm.

"I'm sorry," he said, letting go of Phineas' arm.

As soon as Ferbs did, Phineas drew his arm to his chest, pulling the sleeve down that had been pushed up, before repeating the action with his other arm. "It's fine. Doesn't hurt, really." He had kind of forgotten that he'd scratched them up when he'd hit the roof.

The frown didn't go away. "This isn't how I imagined us meeting," Ferbs said, voice showing the first hint of emotion Phineas had heard from him. "Hurting my soulmate within the first seconds... Not the best way to begin a relationship, is it?"

"No. I guess not." Phineas dropped his head, staring at his hands as he clasped them together. The words 'soulmate' and 'relationship' running through his head. Were they already in a relationship only minutes after meeting? Is that how this worked? How quickly did these things progress?

He racked his brain for the information he'd read over the years. Soulmates normally courted for a while before mar-before taking the next step, but when the courting began, he couldn't recall reading anything on.

Isabella. He needed to call Isabella.

"I need to make a phone call, " Phineas blurted out then he flinched. Was that rude? Should he have waited for... something? Was there something that was supposed to happen?

"Don't let me stop you."

Phineas glanced back up just in time to see Ferbs pull what looked like a card from his jean's pocket.

Holding it out, he continued, "My card. Call me when you're ready." Once Phineas took the card, Ferbs began backing up towards the edge of the roof. "I should finish testing these wings." He smiled before raising a hand and blowing Phineas a kiss. "I'll see you soon."

Could he not do that? Phineas managed a strangled, 'Yeah.' 

Ferbs turned on his heel. His wings stretched out as he ran the last few feet and leaped off the roof. And promptly fell out of sight.

Phineas' eyes shot wide, and he darted towards the edge. Not wanting to get too close, he stopped about a foot away and looked around.

A glint of white drew his eyes, and Phineas let out a breath of relief. In action, the wings appeared to glide on the wind currents. From above, the sunlight reflected off of them, giving them a glowing appearance. From the ground, he was sure to look like some weird, giant bird. If they lived anywhere but Danville, people would probably freak out seeing it.

Assured his soulmate hadn't just jumped to his death, Phineas started towards the roof entrance. Without looking at it, he shoved the card into the pocket of his cargo shorts before pulling out his iPhone. Opening the door, he scrolled through his short list of contacts.

He paused at the top of the stairs, finger hitting call, then continued on as he brought it to his ear. Should he take the elevator or see how many of the forty-eight flights he could walk down without passing out? He'd taken the elevator up because he'd been in a hurry.

The ringing stopped. "Hello?"

"Isabella!" He jumped over a step, tennis shoes banging against the cement when he landed. "I just met my soulmate."

"Oh my gosh! You did? What's her name? What's she like? Is she pretty? How'd'cha meet?"

She. Of course, Isabella had to say 'she.' Phineas rubbed his free hand on his shirt. Why were his hands sweaty? "Actually, my uh my soulmate is a he."

Silence filled the line leaving the stairwell quiet except for the faint thuds of his shoes.

"Isabella?" Did she drop the phone? No, he would have heard it. Probably.

"You're gay?" She almost screamed it over the line, causing Phineas to flinch.

"No! I mean, yes? I mean, I don't-" Groaning, he clenched his jaw so tight it hurt. What was he? "I guess I am?"

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

The words 'I didn't know' were on the tip of his tongue, but he held them back. If he said that, he'd just sound like an idiot. People were supposed to know that kind of stuff before meeting their soulmate, right? "I don't know."

"So... what's his name?"

"Ferb-s," Phineas said, the name came out stiff. The 'Ferb' part slipped from his lips easily enough, but the 's' seemed to get stuck in his throat.

"'Ferbs.' Weird name. He cute?"

"I guess." He wouldn't call the guy ugly, but what counted as cute? Well, he knew Isabella was cute, but that was a scientific fact based on her symmetrical facial features.

The number on the wall said he had reached level forty-three. Phineas kept walking.

"You guess? This is your soulmate, you have to give me more than that."

"Isa, I didn't call to talk about what my-about what he looks like." Maybe he was wrong about her being able to help him with this.

"Right. Do you have a date set up yet? Ooh! Are you still going to ask Candace to plan your wedding?"

Phineas actually stumbled at that, forcing him to grab onto the railing to keep from falling down the stairs. "You actually remember that?"

Back when his Aunt Tiana and Uncle Bob had gotten married, Candace had planned the wedding for them, and he'd made some off-hand comment about her planning his wedding one day. He hadn't thought about that since he'd said it. When he was like nine.

"I wrote it down."

"Why would-" Phineas stopped himself as he worked to get his feet back under him. "Don't you think it's a little early to be discussing marriage?" It had been less then half an hour since he'd met the guy. Did girls always move this fast?

"With him? Yes, yes it is. But between us, not at all."

Needing a subject switch, Phineas said, "He's an inventor."

"Like you?" She sounded excited.

"No, not like me. His inventions actually work." Looking at the door near him, Phineas wondered again if he should just take the elevator. But walked past it. He could stand walking a few more floors.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." A sigh drifted over the line. "Several of your inventions worked."

They didn't for long. He could come up with ideas, draw the blueprints, and use the tools, but Phineas lacked the touch that could bring his ideas to life. Either they didn't work at all or broke soon after completion.

"I need to go, Isabella."

"No, you don't."

A wry smile curved Phineas' lips. She knew him too well in some aspects. "Bye."

"Bye, Phineas. I love you."

He tried to repeat those three words back to her, but they wouldn't come.