A/N:

Kind of late, but I guess it's still the 14th in some places.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is just part one of a two part story, just for the day of love and mushiness. I wasn't initially going to write anything for V-Day, but then the idea popped out of nowhere and here it is. Part two will be finished and posted shortly, unless I fall asleep on my keyboard. Then it would be posted in the morning along with chapter one of Mismatched Connections and chapter eight of Kaleidoscope.

Hope you all enjoy this!

Danny stared at his computer, one hand tapping rhythmically against his desk as the other covered the mouse, slowly scrolling down the page. His deep blue eyes searched images and descriptions plenty, but nothing called out to him. Dozens of thoughts swarmed through his mind, but only one remained dominant as he once again asked himself the same question:

What do you get someone who has everything?

A groan escaped his lips as he started closing out the various tabs. This was getting frustrating. He had searched all of her favorite websites and visited all of her favorite stores, but Danny just couldn't find what he was searching for. He didn't even know what he was searching for, and realizing that only made the 16-year-old that much more annoyed with himself for waiting so long to find Sam a gift.

But he didn't wait so long, and that just made his annoyance grow. He had been searching for the right gift for over a month now, but nothing ever caught his eye. He wanted to find something good – no, something perfect – to let Sam know how he felt. And now Valentine's Day was just one day away.

The two weren't dating, not officially anyway. There was always an attraction, an undeniable chemistry between the teens that everyone seemed to notice. Everyone except each other, though that didn't take too long to wear off.

How could it when so many fake-out-make-outs turned into real make-out sessions long after the need to distract was over with? Or when hanging out alone together started to feel more like actual dates until Tucker eventually showed up? It was worse when the trio would watch movies at Sam's place and the pair would fall asleep on the couch, only to be woken up by either Tucker's strangled laughing or the horrified screeches of Mr. and Mrs. Manson and realizing they were nearly cuddling in their sleep. No matter how much denying and excuses the two raven-haired teens spluttered, the blushes that adorned their faces were a dead giveaway of their feelings, even if neither hadn't always understood them.

It seemed that Sam had realized and accepted her feelings for Danny much earlier than he had, thus earning him the nickname, "Clueless One." It had confused the male at first, but he wasn't an idiot. It hadn't taken much time for the halfa to realize the meaning of his nickname, but he was glad to say that he wasn't so clueless anymore. Even if the only one he could admit this to was himself. For now.

Lately, his feelings for the goth only seemed to grow despite his attempts to bottle them up. He cared about the girl and their friendship meant everything to him, so he didn't want to screw up a friendship of nearly twelve years over some stupid high school crush.

But it wasn't just a crush, and he knew it.

Somehow, his feelings blossomed into something much more, and the male was almost afraid of acknowledging their extent. They haven't even been on an actual date, for Pete's sake, and he was falling in love her. In love with his best friend. In love with Sam. He knew it, and it scared the hell out of him.

But it also felt… Right. Natural. Fear and anxiety aside, knowing that it wasn't just some dumb crush only made his stomach tingle and heart burst with a strange giddiness. It felt good, and he cherished the feeling it gave him when he thought of or saw the purple-eyed girl. It was a nervous feeling, but it was also full of peace and warmth, and he would sometimes jokingly call himself a masochist for delving in such a feeling when it caused him so much worry.

He didn't even know why he was worried, but he read once that it was natural. She is one of his best friends, after all, and he just didn't want to lose her. He didn't want to make things awkward or to think of her possibly rejecting his feelings. He didn't even know if she felt the same way, not entirely. Well, not until recently.

Danny smiled at the memory as leaned back in his chair.

It was New Year's Eve, and the Fenton's were expecting a slew of relatives to show up at any moment for their annual New Year's Eve party. It was one of the few times a year when his parents acted normal, for the most part.

They would all listen to music and eat appetizers while waiting for the clock to strike midnight. His dad and uncles would each brag about their recent ghost hunting expeditions while his mom and aunts would playfully roll their eyes and catch one another up on anything new going on in their lives. The kids and teens would do their own thing, which usually meant hiding out while their parents chattered on.

Danny had just finished getting dressed and was surprised to see most of their guests had already arrived. His mother had ushered him to the kitchen to pull out some of the chilled champagne and non-alcoholic grape cider from the fridge so everyone could enjoy a glass. He was just about to pull out the glasses for the adults and the paper cups for their children when he heard his dad yelling for him.

"Danny-boy! Your little girlfriend is here!"

The halfa muttered something unintelligibly as he eagerly headed towards the living room, fighting the blush that was storming its way to his cheeks as he tried to ignore the snickers and goofy comments his distant relatives would make. He pouted at his dad's amused face, but shook it off when he noticed the hint of pink on Sam's cheeks. Whether it was from the cold outside or his dad's words, Danny had no idea.

"Hey Sam, what are you doing here?" He rubbed the back on his head, wondering what was up. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I thought your parents had plans that you couldn't get out of?"

Her smug grin, he decided, could light up the room far better than any firework.

"My grandma talked them into letting me out of the house. I didn't even ask her to, she just kind of surprised me with it so I thought I'd come here and see you."

Danny knew that Sam could have easily went to see Tucker or even the big goth party that was taking place downtown, so knowing that she chose to spend the start of the new year with him made his heart swell. She really was something special.

"Awesome, go grandma!" He chuckled and helped her out of her coat. "Why didn't you go to that goth thing you were talking about?"

"What, without my two best friends? I don't think so. Besides, I like hanging out here. I adore your family."

"Meh, they're okay," he joked as she swatted him mockingly. "You want to help me with the drinks?"

"Sure."

The pair spent the evening drinking cider and reminiscing about their year. It had been hectic, what with all the ghost fights and personal happenings. They, along with Tucker and the Fenton parents, helped Jazz with her move to college. It had been bittersweet, though Danny had taken it the hardest. While he appreciated and cared about Tucker and Sam, Jazz had been Danny's rock at home. She always made sure the food wasn't about to attack anyone, and she always covered for him whenever he needed to get away from home – or more specifically, whatever new invention his parents were working on. He was just lucky that he still had his two best friends to talk to and help.

It wasn't long until the new year was just about to kick off, and everyone gathered around the large television to watch the ball drop. Danny was just about to see if Sam wanted to snag a spot on the couch when he felt her tugging on his arm and saw that she was motioning for him to follow her.

The teens had made their way to the ops center, arms linked and Sam leading the way. Danny was about to turn on the lights, but was confused when Sam asked him to keep them off. They finally stopped at the large, thick glass windows and the goth finally pulled away.

"What are we doing here?" he questioned, not that he really minded.

"I just thought it'd be more fun to watch the fireworks from here than just some silly ball dropping on the TV. And there were way too many people for comfort."

Danny chuckled at the girl, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Are you excited for the new year?"

"What, for everything to be the same and everyone to make and break promises of a fresh start even though time is just a manmade concept and social construct in which if they actually wanted to do something about these goals they wouldn't wait a whole year to start? Sure."

"Aw, come on, Sam. I know you really enjoy the holidays." He stepped closer to the girl, laying his arm around her shoulders in a half-hug.

"Yeah, I guess I do." He watched as she pursed her lips in thought, and instantly wanted nothing more than to kiss the girl beside him. "So, what's your resolution?"

Her words snapped the much taller male out of his trance, and a sly grin made its way to his face. "That's a secret."

"What? Why?"

"Because I heard that if you tell everyone your resolutions, you're less likely to fulfill them."

"But… I want to know," she pouted slightly and turned to look at her friend.

"And I really, really want to go through with this goal. But I'll make you a deal."

"A deal? As in?"

"When I'm done with my resolution, I'll tell you what it is."

"Ugh, fine. But it better be good, considering you never keep secrets." She thought for a second before adding, "From me, anyways. What about Tucker?"

"He'll find out later, after you do. I want you to be with me when I do it anyways. Promise?"

It took a lot of willpower to not break down laughing, but Danny soldiered through it. There was absolutely no way he could complete his resolution without Sam's presence. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Promise," she agreed and moved closer, leaning her head against his arm. There was a peaceful silence as the two stood in deep thought, watching as a light dusting of snow fell from the sky. The quiet was short-lived when they heard Jack's booming voice announcing that it was almost midnight, quickly followed by a countdown.

10

Danny looked from the window to Sam, elated to see the girl staring back at him with an all-too-familiar expression.

9

The two shifted slightly, moving until they were face-to-face.

8

Danny's arm fell from Sam's shoulder as he tentatively wrapped both arms around Sam's waist.

7

He shivered slightly as Sam stood up on her tippy toes, wrapping her own arms around his neck.

6

The halfa leaned forward until their foreheads touched, something they always seemed to do in such tender moments.

5

Both teens moved closer, lightly gripping their hold on one another as if they'd both disappear. Danny was suddenly grateful that he no longer went intangible when embarrassed.

4

Blue eyes stared into purple, a mutual understanding as to what was about to happen while the cheers downstairs grew louder.

3

Danny could feel Sam's hands playing around his hair and inwardly swore that it was just as nice as when she'd idly run her hands through it whenever he'd lay his head on her lap during movie night.

2

Smiled formed on each of their faces as they simultaneously closed their eyes and etched closer.

1

A kiss, simple and passionate, and definitely not a fake-out-make-out. It could rival the timid one they shared just a week prior, under the mistletoe. Danny was sure that even without the loud booms and the array of lights in the sky shining through the large windows, there'd still be fireworks. There always was.

Danny grinned stupidly as he thought about that night. He had been disappointed when Sam said she couldn't make it to the party, but seeing her show up unexpected and wrapped up in her oversized black coat had made his whole night. It was both the perfect end to the year, and a perfect beginning.

Suddenly, an idea made its way to his thoughts and the halfa's eyes grew wide with excitement as he sat up in the chair.

"I've got it!"