The late morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Fentonworks, casting soft beams across the organized chaos of the lab. Danny and Avi sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the counter, comfortable silence hanging between them like the calm before a storm.
And then Avi tilted her head, giving him that playful, mischievous grin he was starting to recognize all too well.
"So... How do you feel about giving me your number?" she asked, casually twisting one of her bracelets around her wrist.
Danny blinked, caught off guard. "My... number?"
Avi leaned in slightly, her bright green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Yeah, you know—so we can text. That's what normal people do when they want to stay in touch."
Danny hesitated, old instincts screaming at him to keep his distance. But Avi wasn't the type to back off, and the way she looked at him—with that playful, confident glint—made it hard to say no.
"Uh... sure," he muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
Avi grinned triumphantly and grabbed her phone from her camera bag. She scooted a little closer—close enough for Danny to catch a hint of her perfume, something sweet and warm—and held her phone out toward him. "Here. Put it in."
Danny tapped awkwardly at her screen, trying not to think too hard about how nice it felt to sit this close to someone again.
"There," he said, handing the phone back to her. "Happy?"
Avi glanced at the screen and smirked. "Danny Fenton, huh? No cute emoji next to your name?"
Danny rolled his eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You'll survive without one."
"Oh, we'll see about that." Avi tapped away on her phone for a second before shooting him a quick text. "There. Now you've got mine too."
Danny's phone buzzed in his hand, and he glanced down to see her name—Avi Tesla ️—pop up on the screen, accompanied by a little lightning bolt emoji. He shook his head with a soft chuckle. "You don't waste any time, do you?"
"Not when it comes to things that matter," Avi replied, giving him a look that made his chest tighten.
Before Danny could respond, she crossed her arms and leaned back slightly, her tone shifting to something a bit more serious—though the playfulness in her eyes never fully disappeared.
"Speaking of things that matter," she said, "I've been thinking... You need to help me with my ghost-hunting series."
Danny blinked again, as if he hadn't heard her right. "What?"
"You heard me." Avi grinned, clearly enjoying the way he tensed up. "Come on, Fenton. You've got all this tech, all this knowledge—and you live in the most haunted town in the country. How can you not want to be part of something this cool?"
Danny leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't think it's a good idea."
Avi's grin widened, sensing the challenge. "Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous," Danny said, his voice steady but laced with something heavier. "And I don't want you getting hurt."
Avi's expression softened, but only for a moment. "Look, I appreciate the concern. But I'm not exactly a damsel in distress, Fenton. I know what I'm doing."
Danny shook his head. "You don't know what you're getting into."
"Then teach me," Avi countered, scooting closer again. "You think I'm just going to quit? You should know that I don't give up easily."
Danny exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "You're stubborn."
"Yep." Avi grinned. "And you like that about me."
Danny tried—really tried—not to smile. But it was impossible. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Not a chance."
They sat there for a moment, the playful tension thick between them. Danny knew he should say no. He should walk away from this whole thing and keep her as far from ghosts as possible.
But there was something about Avi—something magnetic, something that made him want to say yes even when he knew better.
With a resigned sigh, Danny finally gave in. "Fine. But only because I know you're going to do it with or without me."
Avi's grin lit up the room, and Danny couldn't help but feel like he'd just made a deal with a very determined devil.
"Yes!" she said, pumping her fist in the air. "You won't regret this, Fenton. We're going to make the coolest ghost-hunting series ever."
Danny rolled his eyes, but there was no hiding the small smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah. Just... promise me you'll at least be careful."
"I'll be as careful as I need to be," Avi said with a wink. "But where's the fun in being too careful?"
Danny groaned, already wondering what he'd just gotten himself into. But as Avi stood and slung her camera bag over her shoulder, he couldn't shake the feeling that maybe—just maybe—this wasn't such a bad idea after all.
They walked to the door together, and just before Avi stepped outside, she turned back to him with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"By the way," she said, "you are going to be on camera, you know."
Danny raised an eyebrow. "I thought I was just helping from behind the scenes."
Avi shook her head, her pink hair catching the sunlight. "Nope. You're officially my co-host now, Fenton. Better get used to it."
Danny groaned, but there was no hiding the spark of amusement in his eyes. "You're impossible."
"And you love it," Avi shot back with a grin.
Danny watched her walk down the steps, his heart racing in a way that had nothing to do with ghosts. For the first time in a long time, he felt... something. Something real.
And he wasn't quite sure what to do about it.
As Avi disappeared down the street, Danny glanced at his phone, her name and lightning bolt emoji staring back at him.
He shook his head with a soft laugh.
This was going to be interesting.