Chapter Text
She still couldn’t believe that this was happening to her. Ell was on a date, and her date was holding her hand, and her date looked like she was having a nice time.
Seriously, Ell didn’t think that was possible.
“You know the funny thing? I haven’t been on a ferris wheel in a really long time.”
“How long is a ‘long time?’” Danny asked, stopping at the back of the line, gently rubbing Ell’s hand with her thumb.
“Um,” Ell frowned a little, “actually, I can’t even remember the last time I’ve been on a ferris wheel.”
“Wait, seriously? That’s a classic amusement park ride! I’m really glad you’re coming with me, then.”
Ell smiled. “I’m really glad I’m coming with you, too.”
She took a risk and kissed the back of Danny’s hand; she breathed a sigh of relief when Danny’s cheeks turned pink, obviously pleased at the attention.
“So…” Danny looked forward, “I’m sorry I brought Tucker and Annie with us on a first date.”
“You’re apologizing? Danny, I love them. Don’t say you’re sorry.”
“Still, that’s not exactly romantic, I guess.”
“Caring about your family is very attractive to me,” Ell answered.
Danny looked at Ell and smiled. “It is, huh?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t have one. It’s nice to see someone else that appreciates theirs so much.”
Ell swallowed, looking away from Danny. She felt a gentle squeeze of her hand and looked back.
“Hey,” Danny said gently, “you know you’re a part of our family, right?”
“I’m not like a sister to you, I hope,” Ell joked.
“Oh God no,” Danny said, laughing, “you’re the wife, remember?”
Ell turned beet red. Before she could say anything else, Danny added, “hey, we’re at the front of the line!”
She swept an arm out. “Ladies first, Ells.”
“Uh, Danny, you know you’re a lady.”
“Still.”
Ell rolled her eyes affectionately, stepping inside the ferris wheel car. Danny sat next to her. It was a small gondola, with a plastic bench that circled all the way around the space.
“Alright, we’re going up!”
Ell kept smiling as the car moved.
And then came to a sudden realization.
“Uh, Danny?”
“Yeah?”
“I just remembered why I never went on ferris wheels.”
“Why--oh man Ell are you alright?”
She’d forgotten she was afraid of heights. The subject just hadn’t really come up in years. And whatever vague memories she had of being uncomfortable, she had assumed she’d outgrow them.
Apparently not. Definitely not.
“There are no seatbelts,” Ell said, “we are so freaking far off the ground and there aren’t any safety belts!”
“Ell,” Danny said soothingly, “there is no way we are going to fall out unless you literally throw yourself over the edge. Which you’re obviously not going to do. We’re not even that high yet.”
The car moved again. Ell whimpered.
“I’ve got you.”
Danny put her arm around Ell’s waist, pulling her closer. Ell hid her face in the side of Danny’s neck.
“I’m so sorry, Danny, I feel so stupid,” Ell said, trying to control her breathing.
Having Ell curled up into her side was...actually probably the best possible thing that could have happened to Danny in that moment. She didn’t really mind. She just wished it wasn’t because Ell was having a panic attack.
“Hey, don’t feel stupid. At least your fear of heights is rational. I have some weird phobias.”
“You do?” Ell mumbled, “but you’re not afraid of...well, anything. What can you possibly be afraid of?”
“Okay, don’t tell anyone, but,” Danny shuddered, “clowns.”
“That’s not a weird phobia, that is a phobia even more rational than a fear of heights!” Ell pulled away to look at Danny, then caught a glimpse of how high they were. She hid her face again. Danny rubbed Ell’s back, resting her chin on her head.
“You really thought I wasn’t afraid of anything, huh?”
Ell laughed weakly. “I don’t think you realize how cool I thought you were when we were kids. Do you think it was a coincidence that I came out right after you did?”
“I guess not.”
She ran a hand through Ell’s hair. “I always thought you were, like, the nicest person I knew.”
“Yeah. And you probably also thought I was a pretty cute kid.”
“You were. Remember that one Halloween when you were twelve? Carmilla was sick so I took you trick or treating?”
“I remember. You weren’t planning on trick or treating. You put a scarf on at the last second and pretended you were Ginny Weasely because I was Hermione.”
“You had to be the cutest kid I’d ever seen.”
“Yeah. Kid. You baby sitted me and now we’re on a date,” Ell frowned a little, “is that weird?”
“I mean, we’re both in our twenties now. Three years isn’t that bad at our age.”
“Still.”
“I mean, sure, you were cute when you were twelve. But then I went away to college and when I came back to visit home, I mean--” Danny smiled sheepishly.
“Are you saying I got...hot?”
“You got, like, really hot.”
“I did not. I am not.” The car moved again. Ell tightened her grip on Danny.
“Ell, that is such a lie. You made me feel guilty because I was like ‘whoa, she’s sixteen, I shouldn’t think she’s hot.’ But you kind of were.”
Ell didn’t say anything.
“Ell? You okay?”
“...I’m just thinking. You know,” she sighed, “about what might have happened if I hadn’t been an idiot and stopped talking to you.”
“Hey. That isn’t important. I told you already, I forgive you--”
“I know you do. But it just makes me mad, that I spent so long holding out for C--someone, someone else,” Danny knew about Ell and Carmilla, she’d told her, but that didn’t mean Danny wanted to bring her up now of all times, “when you’ve been here this whole time.”
“Honestly?” Danny shrugged. “Age wise we’re right around a good time to be dating each other. You’re right--if we had done it earlier, it would have just felt weird.”
“I guess.”
“In fact, if you think about it, maybe that was fate making sure this happened at the right time.”
“That’s--that’s a really good way to look at it--” The car moved again, then stopped, and Ell looked up for a moment, eyes widening. “And oh my God we’re going to die.”
They were finally at the top of the ferris wheel. Danny looked out, enjoying the view--though she would have enjoyed it more if Ell wasn’t so terrified. Her breathing had become shaky again.
“Ell, it’s okay. Come here.” She pulled her closer, “it’s a nice view, see?”
“I--I guess so.”
“Look at me if you want.”
Ell did. She looked at Danny. “This is a better view,” she said.
“Well shucks, thanks,” Danny said, laughing, “I could say the same about you. Now, come on. Just focus on talking to me.”
Ell bit her lip. “Um, Danny?”
“Yes?”
Ell grabbed Danny’s hand, looking down at it, shutting her eyes tight. “I--I don’t like change,” she said, “you know that. When my parents died everything changed so suddenly, and so much. It was scary. Kind of turned me off the whole idea.”
“I understand,” Danny said softly.
“You do. Which is part of the reason why you’re so wonderful. For me. And in general. But also for me. But to be honest...I wanted to prepare this whole speech for you, but then I realized two things. One, being obsessed over saying the right thing is why I never told Carmilla until it was too late.”
Danny nodded. “And…?”
“I tried to write something, then ran out of notebook paper and realized that I'm never gonna be happy with what I say.”
Danny held in a laugh.
“My point,” Ell continued, staring into Danny's eyes--probably more to avoid seeing how high they were than to be romantic, but Danny didn't care, “is that this summer I learned that some things have to change. I just need to decide to make it good change. And it would be naive of me to think that now I'm never going to be sad again--I mean, love isn't a magical cure for depression and anxiety or anything--but for the first time in years, I think I could be happy with good change. Like you. You are good change.”
Ell blinked. “...And in case that was really confusing, I'm asking you to be my girlfriend?”
Danny didn't know what to say.
So she didn't say anything.
Danny cupped Ell's cheek, before pulling her in and kissing her. Ell's eyes opened a little wider with shock, before sighing into it. Danny pulled away.
“...Is that a yes?” Ell asked breathlessly.
“A resounding yes. You are the best girlfriend I could ever ask for.”
Ell was beaming now, and Danny couldn't help but kiss her again.
“You know, if you're still afraid of heights--”
“Making out with you is a great way to distract me until we get off?”
Danny blinked.
“...I'm sorry, too over eager, wasn't I--”
“God, you are the best.”
Danny grabbed her and kissed her again. Ell responded enthusiastically, which made for about the best several minutes of Danny's life--until they were interrupted by a sharp whistle.
Great. Carmilla interrupted them.
Danny let go. She joked with Carmilla and Laura a little, broke the news to her very excited siblings, and grabbed Ell's hand to keep walking.
“Sorry I embarrassed you,” Danny whispered.
“Honestly?” Ell leaned in and kissed her, “I'm way too happy to care.”