"Oh, shi-", Val cried out as she ended up crashing right into Dani as Sam winced in pain just from the sight of the collision. It was a few moments before both girls were able to get their heads above the water... which just happened to position themselves in the right place that when Dani's head went up, she ended up pressing her lips against Valerie's.
The next thing Dani knew was that the floatie was underneath them in a half fold, and she was kissing Valerie! The other thing she realized was that she was touching Val, like she was touching Dani, in an instinct to save each other from drowning and resurfacing.
She was highly aware of Val's blooming body, and that was when her subconscious crush flared up into her conscious self, a red blush of embarrassment and shock coming through Dani as she saw Valerie's eyes widen in shock in the few seconds, and Dani immediately pulled back, letting go, stammering, "Sorry, sorry! That was an accident!", immediately regretting about not taking the chance to keep holding and touching her as she was already stunned at how soft and smooth Val's skin was between her bikini swimsuit, warm like a sun touched meadow, and so strong and shapely she is, and...she also wanted to kiss again as she had no idea how lush and wonderful it was until her lips touched Val...feeling right for a split moment, not knowing that Val is feeling the same thing about Dani during those few precious moments.
"No, no! That was my fault...", Val was red in the face as Sam was trying hard to keep a smile from breaking on her face.
'Is that just an accident?' Sam was thinking. 'Or are those two like me, but their hearts burn for one another? No, keep it together, Sam, they're your friends, if it is the case, you can't nudge them less you want to risk everything.'
With a small nod to herself, Sam called out, "Oi! Are you two alright?! Do you have a concussion or headache or something?! That was quite a collision!".
Val called back, "Yeah, yeah, we're fine and no, I think we didn't hit each other in the face back there! But I think we better get out and get on with the movie night as the sun's going a bit low already...And we probably need some relaxing, and we will let you know if we're having headaches or something, right, Dani?".
Val herself was mentally going through the last few moments, knowing that she would never forget how Dani felt through that one-piece swimsuit with portions of open skin through the back and belly button, and how right it felt when she felt Dani's warm, soft lips against her lips, wanting to return the kiss badly yet was growing shocked at how much she really liked it.
Val quickly shook her head of those thoughts though, Dani did as well, both of them thinking at that moment that neither of them thought of the other in that way. And both were worried and a bit scared of saying it in the risk of damaging their friendship, or at the least, making things so very awkward from now on.
Dani replied, "Yeah, let's head back inside and get dried off and all for the movie night.", immediately agreeing to the idea of distracting herself, while admitting to herself that she finally knew why she wasn't attracted to boys romantically or anything through she sometimes saw them as cute, but like actor cute or stuff like that, realizing that she would never forget this day, that moment.
Habitually, even without the alarm clock, Dani opened her eyes, waking up, and exhaled as the memories in her dream was as fresh as she dreamed of them, and moved to grab her normal journal, knowing that it was the journal for her high school years, and went back to the start, realizing that she is somehow her alter self as there wasn't really difference in her handwriting, yet still herself as well.
She saw the summer and fall of her freshman year, and sure enough, her memory of that day is clear in writing, perfectly like she had dreamed of, and more memories came back as she blushed, reading moments of where she caught Val in glances, of what Val's doing in those moments, and then her dreams of cuddling and kissing and making out with Val intensified over the next two years into intimate and more intimate dreams as puberty came through, and still is.
Dani took a deep breath as she had to rub her temples. It was now a full week essentially since the wish. A full week since this new life she had found herself in thanks to Desiree. It still all felt so... wrong at points. Like she didn't belong at moment and yet other times, it felt so right and natural.
Was that perhaps guilt? The feeling of not belonging? Or maybe the guilt of having kinda usurped Danny's life. Then again, From the memories and such, it's not like things were really bad for him or others. If anything, the switch helped in a number of places, though she'd need more time to see. Amity was still fine, no one had their lives screwed up or ruined that wasn't outside her control.
"Okay, Dani, just calm down, you're gonna burn out your brain from overthinking all this... go with the flow. And right now, the flow is...", Dani blushed. "Valerie.".
Dani blinked once as she gulped, "Right, what the heck am I going to say about our recent... confessions...?". And suddenly, her brain began to overwork again, thinking if she needed some grand speech to tell her how she feels for her or if something shorter and quicker would work fine.
Dani took a deep breath, "You're being dramatic again, Dani...", before hearing Maddie's voice call out, "Danielle, breakfast!". Dani nodded, "Right, you can tell Val a bit later after breakfast...". She went to change out of her pajamas and got ready, brushing her hair and used the bathroom before heading down the stairs.
"Morning, Danielle! Hungry for some breakfast casserole?", Maddie asked warmly, and Dani smiled, "Sounds good!". She tuckered in, enjoying her breakfast.
In the middle of breakfast, Danny came down, "Morning, Mom! Morning, Dad! Morning, Dani!", and Dani nodded as she sipped her glass, and Maddie set down Danny's plate, "Good timing, Dan-Dan, was starting to wonder if you slept in.".
Danny smiled, "Sorry, Mom. I was having a really nice dream where I was in outer space, flying in the space station!", before starting to scoop up a piece of his breakfast, and finished eating before glancing at Dani, "Are you really going to ask Val to be your girlfriend?".
Dani choked on her milk, and began to cough, and Jack asked softly, "Are you alright, Ellie-girl?", as Dani went to calm down from her coughing.
"Sorry... uh, wrong pipe...", Dani quickly tried to regain her composure as she glanced at Danny, who had a look on his face like he didn't know what was wrong with his question. All she did was glare at him.
Maddie asked softly, "I thought Val and Sam are your girlfriends, as in best friends...What does Dan-Dan mean by that?", and Dani looked at Maddie and Jack nervously, realizing that they weren't deaf to Danny's question.
Dani rubbed her head, mentally running her escape plan in her mind if her mom and dad rejected her for being lesbian, and spoke softly yet clearly, "I...I like girls...as in attraction and I...I kinda am interested in Val...In other words, I...I'm lesbian, Mom and Dad...", ready and tense to leave, run up the stairs, grab her secret journals and her takeaway duffle bag, and climb out into the fire escape stairs, and head to Val's place.
There was a silence for a few moments before Jack smiled, "That's wonderful!". Jack's overeagerness like he normally would be when talking about ghost stuff was coming through.
"My little girl, finding love, almost brings a tear to my eye!", Jack smiled widely with a sniffle as he went to wipe his eye of a tear. Dani blinked for a few moments, "You two aren't...?"
"Dani, you should know with all the stuff we do, involving the supernatural and all... our minds aren't close-minded, based on religious pressure and dogma.", Maddie explained.
Dani exhaled a deep breath of relief she didn't realize she was holding with relieved, happy tears in her eyes, "Thank you...", and Maddie came around to hug her, and not even a moment later, Jack's big arms came around the girls of his family, hugging.
Maddie kissed Dani's forehead, "Oh, Dani, sweetheart, like your father said, it's wonderful...we love you for who you are, and being lesbian, we couldn't care less as long as you're happy with Valerie, and we never had a problem with her as you know that she was here as long as we remember since you were so little, being African-American she is, and Valerie is an amazing, good-hearted young woman. Right, Jack, my love?", with a supportive, warm smile.
"Of course.", Jack smiled. Dani was almost a bit worried that he was about to say something along the lines of 'as long as she isn't a ghost' or something as that felt on point for him and a fear that she and Danny, both versions of him, would have to worry about.
Danny grinned, "Hey, don't forget me either!", letting his sister have the moment for a while there before popping into the hug, smiling, and glanced at Dani, "I told you so! Mom and Dad loves us anyway!", and Dani smiled warmly, "I know, you were right about this one...", telling him to stay quiet and shut up about their other secret.
Maddie chuckled, "Let me guess, Danny, Jazz, and Sam was in your corner?", and Dani recalled a memory of Jazz telling her that she loves her little sister after catching her staring at Val like a mooning person, having gotten the hints fast.
Dani recalled the memory of Sam having another worrying rant about her parents finding out of her orientation when she mentioned that Dani's parents gotta be easier to tell on Dani's sake and confessed to her that Sam wasn't clueless as she was observant to see the glances between Dani and Val when they thought each other wasn't looking at either one of them at times during classes or any other place.
And Danny, Dani recalled a memory where her little brother had found Dani's normal journal, and even if he hadn't understood all the words, he understood enough that Dani really likes Val, wanting to date her in a journal confession, and he teased Dani here and there, yet promised not to tell their folks until she's ready, even if he is bewildered at times why she didn't at certain times like Christmas last year or something.
Dani blushed, "Y-Yeah, more or less of pretty much...", and Maddie smiled warmly, "If I know you well, you are overthinking too much of how you'd talk with her...".
Dani blushed even redder with a nod, and Maddie glanced at her boys, and Jack and Danny let go from the hug, resuming their spots around the table, and Maddie replied, "My advice, Danielle, is this...Trust your heart, not your mind...Love comes from the heart, and if you listen to your heart, you can do it...I know it's scary, but she would know that you were there for her through everything those years back then, like with Bethany, Valere's mom, God bless her soul, and striving to be a strong woman through adversity and all. She will listen to you, Danielle, and I don't know what will happen, but you aren't alone. You got your family to help you heal in case she isn't lesbian or support you in case you want advice on important things like dates and working out reasons behind fights you might have in the future. Either way, you're Danielle Fenton, and you are always our daughter no matter what, okay?".
"Okay...", Dani started to tear up. The moment almost felt like a perfect time to perhaps also come clean about the ghost powers; but no, unless the cat was truly out of the bag, they would keep it a secret as long as they could; at least until maybe hopefully, Dani could gauge their feelings about how they'd treat a half ghost that might be close to them.
It was honestly amazing there was little memories from both her and Danny's original ones of how little they mentioned the infamous 'Danny Phantom' or 'Dani' in this case.
Maddie wiped her tears, "Hey, easy. It's a happy day. Come on, let's finish breakfast, and then you go see Valerie, alright?", and Dani nodded with a small smile.
Maddie kissed her daughter's forehead again, and let go of her, resuming her place around the table, and Dani went back to her breakfast, and so, a conversation about plans and nonsense began, with chuckles and gestures, and such.
After breakfast, Dani grabbed her phone, her helmet, and her scooter, about to head out when Jack replied, "Your mom's right. Listen to your heart, my little girl...through I guess you're growing up so fast...", with a sniffling sob.
Dani hugged her dad, "Aw, Dad, I promise I will...And hey, I'll always be your little girl as I love you, Dad...I found love, after all...I hope...", and Jack smiled, "I love you, Ellie-girl, and hey, you're awesome as much as me, there's no way that Valerie wouldn't see that when she had been around you for ages...She deserves your love as much as you deserve her love.", suddenly being a bit serious yet still overjoyed.
"Thanks, Daddy...", Dani smiled, "Now I better get on going.", and Jack waved, "Bye, kiddo!". Dani then left, rolling on her scooter, so relieved that her parents completely accepted her orientation, and the fact that she's got feelings for Val, and now she is going to face Valerie...
Several minutes later, Dani made it to Val's place, looking up at Val's window, and took a deep breath, talking to herself, "You got this, Dani...Just be myself...Listen to my heart. Ignore mostly of my head. Don't overthink about this...Okay, okay, no more waiting...", before getting off her scooter, taking her first steps forward to see Val, and rang the doorbell, while taking off her helmet, straightening her hair up, dusting off her clothes.
Part of her wondered if she should've talked to Sam first, feel like someone she knew she could truly talk to about before eventually speaking with Valerie. She quickly shook her head. She was overthinking it again. The door then opened up to reveal Val who had a small smirk on her face.
"Morning.", Val said as Dani blushed. "So... guessing you wanted to talk first chance we got...", with a warm nod. "May I come in?", Dani asked as Valerie nudged her head, indicating for Dani to 'come on in'.
Dani walked in, with Val closing the door, replying, "Dad got a shift at work, probably finishing up around 3 or 4 this afternoon. So, no worrying about my dad eavesdropping.".
"That's good...Um, did you tell him yet?", Dani asked, and Val hummed, "I'd figured I'll tell him when he's off tomorrow with no homework from his job to bother him, so he can think and wrap his mind about it as I couldn't think of him struggling at work if I told him this morning or last night, getting a bad demerit at work as I don't want him to get fired if he messes up in the R&D department.", as they made it to the living room.
Dani nodded, "That's fair...Danny revealed it first even before I could get my nerves up this morning...I nearly wanted to strangle him for that...So, now Mom and Dad know that I'm lesbian, and...attracted to you, having feelings and all...", sitting down on the couch, looking at Val nervously.
"They didn't freak out or anything?", Val asked gently as she sat down, not too close, but not too far from Dani, showing that she's listening seriously.
Dani shook her head, "No...They love me still...I still can't believe it...It was more like they were ecstatic...well, it was Dad more in the ecstatic department while Mom explained that with believing in the supernatural and all, they aren't close-minded to anything of the stigma of lesbians or religion...which is fair, really, as we don't really go to church anyway, though I don't know if they did when they were our age and all, but still...they just were so happy for me that I found another part of myself, and they aren't upset either about you as they practically knew you since we were little, and not caring about the interracial aspect either as you are an amazing young woman to them in their perspective.".
"If we're talking about church, after all the ghost stuff, I find it hard for folks who have as much experience as us to keep up faith, per se. I've never put much thought into that these past few years. All I know is ghosts exist, and you are literally half of one and you fight them.", Valerie first said.