Dani and Gigi: A Look at The Best The L Word Ship

EPISODE 5

We find out early in the morning that Gigi has plans to meet with Dani. And I’m sure it was Gigi who reached out and invited Dani out for lunch or something like that. Now, Gigi is waiting for her when Dani gets out from seeing her father in jail. I can’t imagine Dani at this point asking Gigi to drive her and wait for her. I’m sure they simply had lunch, Dani mentioned she needed to go because she had to go the jail to see her dad and Gigi insisting on taking her there and not accepting a no for an answer.

I can imagine Dani being overwhelmed at the prospect of seeing her dad in jail and secretly relieved to have Gigi there with her.

We know Dani tends to run away and hide when she gets overwhelmed or needs to process something. But here she starts the pattern, without realizing, of having Gigi with her in those moments. When Gigi asks where to, Dani says she wants to go home, but she allows Gigi to stay there with her. Again, I imagine Dani tried to tell Gigi to go away and Gigi wouldn’t have it. Like it happened on their first non-date, she probably used her charm and gentleness to not let Dani push her away in her need to be alone. She offered to help her unpack and stayed there all day, simply because she wanted to.

There’s so many things we can highlight from this scene. Pretty much every single second of it has a detail we can analyze. Like just this frame, for example, shows us how comfortable Dani is with Gigi already. She took off her shoes, changed into a more comfortable shirt, is sitting there, sipping on her wine completely at ease as Gigi moves around her place.

Dani is talking about her father, what he told her and Gigi’s questions of “Do you believe him?” without no hint of accusation or judgement. Gigi always simply asks, leads Dani but never imposes her thoughts on her. She simply opens the door and lets Dani take the next step.

And again, we have Gigi seeing Dani. Seeing what most people don’t see. Here, for example, when she calls out Dani on using a PR line and telling her it must be exhausting to filter her words all the time. Most people see Dani doing this and think that’s just how she is, that she is closed off and doesn’t enjoy sharing her real thoughts. Gigi is the first one to outright say it must be exhausting and Dani immediately admits it is, because for the first time someone realizes how hard it is for her.

Then Gigi does what she usually does, which is lead with an assumption. “If you don’t, you can’t protect yourself,” except this time she is wrong. Dani quickly corrects her. That’s not why she does it, she does it so she doesn’t hurt other people. And that little sentence sheds so much light on Dani as a person and her relationships. Why she pushed Sophie away, it was in big part to protect her and protect their relationship. She couldn’t be fully herself with Sophie because she was afraid of hurting her if she allowed her walls to come down.

When Gigi says this, I think Dani is supposed to think it’s only about Sophie since that’s what they are talking about in that moment when Dani says it’s hard to admit that a part of her always knew Sophie and her weren’t right for each other, even if she didn’t know why she didn’t listen to that part of herself. But I have to assume Gigi is also thinking about Bette, or the show wants us to think about Bette since they’ve shown us in the last couple episodes that Gigi and Bette are not right for each other. That contrast will be made a lot more evident later when we see just how Dani and Gigi fit perfectly together. The parallel is clear in highlighting the fact that both Gigi and Dani were with people that weren’t right for them.

When Gigi says “I don’t know why we lie to ourselves like that” then I have to assume she is also thinking about herself when she shares her conclusion of “self-preservation.” So she is saying that she also keeps relationships going for longer than she should and even after she realizes it won’t work out of self-preservation.

Then we have Gigi saying “I used to love like that” with a smile. A nostalgic smile, I think. She longs for that kind of love still, but has had no luck finding it after Nat. Or maybe, until recently, she wasn’t really in the right headspace to have a love like that. I think she is willing and open to loving again, but circumstances haven’t allowed it and maybe, eventually, it’s easier to protect yourself by dating with a certain level of disconnect than giving yourself fully from the start. I think that describes Gigi’s way of dating from what we’ve seen with Bette. She’ll try, she’ll give it a chance and enjoy it while it lasts, but she is ready to leave or let it run its course the minute it becomes more work than it’s worth it.

Then we have Gigi describing her current approach to dating. She says, “I’m more interested in learning from whoever I’m with. I’m trying to give her enough space to work her shit out and taking enough space to work on mine. Letting things run their course and just being along for the ride.”

And I’m losing my mind at this, because is that not literally what she is doing with Dani? In their first non-date she tells Dani she wants to learn more about her, then she is literally listening to her talk about her ex (giving her space to work her shit out) and she has been along for the ride with Dani since the moment they meet. We probably are supposed to think she is talking about Bette, and maybe. The part about letting things run their course definitely applies to Gigi/Bette. That’s what Gigi is doing. She has known for a while now that their relationship has no future, but she is letting it run its course.

She finishes by saying that she usually ends up alone again, which adds to my theory/headcanon that Gigi hasn’t dated anyone seriously/long term since the divorce.

I just have to include that picture because the way Gigi looks at Dani while saying “You’ll love like that again” is just too much. No wonder poor Dani was all confused and asking for clarification later. You can’t look at someone like that Gigi and expect them to not think you are hitting on them!

But besides that, and the fact this was probably some heavy handed foreshadowing by the writers, I have to think Gigi was actually I don’t know, intrigued? By Dani’s passion, by the way she could tell the other girl is not jaded, even despite her recent heartbreak, and it’s still open to love. She wants a love like that for herself.

We’ve already seen, and we will see it even more later, that Gigi makes it really easy for Dani to open up in a way she hasn’t opened up to other people before and, of course, Dani notices. She is probably confused by it, but also comforted by the fact she finally was someone she can talk to.

The exact moment Golnar Ghorbani fell for Dani

That face in the picture above? That’s the face of someone who is falling in love. That last exchange from this scene it’s packed with details. First Gigi says not everyone agrees with her being easy to talk to. She is probably referring to Bette here and her clear disdain to talking things with Gigi. Then we have Dani’s answer. “Fuck ’em.” those two words say so much. One, she has already positioned Gigi in her mind as someone she values and she already sees other people not appreciating Gigi as a fault. Two, it’s so naturally Dani. I won’t care what anybody else says, I think you’re amazing.

And then Gigi watches Dani walk away, and it’s obvious those words had an impact. Gigi gives all the time, expecting nothing back, simply because that’s who she is, but it must feel nice to have someone appreciate her. The way she looks at Dani, it’s clear as day in her face that she is feeling something for Dani.

There was a connection between them from the start, an interest, and attraction, but is here that it starts to become something more for Gigi, I think.

I’m obsessed with the familiarity Gigi moves around Dani’s house. She is the one making tea. She sits on the counter. She is so at ease and Dani it’s so happy to have her there. And also the fact Gigi has literally been there all day. Like we saw her early in the morning telling Bette she needed to leave because she was meeting Dani, then waiting for Dani after she sees her dad, then driving her home and spending the afternoon together and now it’s night and she is still there. It’s like they can’t get enough of each other. They want to spend as much time as possible together, even if it’s simple doing something like unpacking.

And then the parallel to Sophie? Way to heavy-handed The L Word Writers. But it’s truth. We’ve been shown from the start how different Gigi is from Sophie how different Dani reacts to her, and to a lesser degree we’ve also been shown how different Dani is from Bette when it comes to Gigi, how much better for each other Dani and Gigi are.

And I’m sorry Gigi, but you can’t just say those words, looking directly into Dani’s eyes, talking slowly and with purpose and then expect for people to not think you’re hitting on them. I know you may not do it on purpose, but you can’t blame us for thinking you are flirting.

I love this moment. Despite her reputation for being closed off and her tendency to run away when she gets overwhelmed, Dani is actually a very direct and blunt communicator. So the fact that she has been clearly picking up on these flirty vibes from Gigi and calls it out it’s amazing. Like she sees there’s clearly something there, and she is probably not ready to act on it or do anything about it if Gigi were to answer yes, I’m hitting on you, but she wants to make sure she is not misreading things.

The way Gigi splutters and for the first time we see her surprised and out of her element, it’s amazing. She says “No… I don’t think so.” With Gigi, it’s hard to tell because she seems to be a naturally flirty person, so maybe she wasn’t trying to flirt on purpose but the “I don’t think so” it’s key. Because she is admitting there’s certainly some vibes there, even if she wasn’t trying to hit on Dani on purpose she feels them too and was leaning into them, she simply, probably didn’t have any intentions to pursue anything with Dani, she was simply enjoying their interactions but she can’t outright say no. Gigi is honest and direct, so if she wanted something with Dani she would have told her already but she also can’t fully deny it because yeah, there’s something that pulls her towards Dani and that she is enjoying.

Dani, of course, picks up on the fact it wasn’t a full denial. And retorts with a smile, “But you’re not sure. ” She likes the fact that there’s a small window open. Even if she doesn’t intend for anything to happen, it’s obvious she already likes Gigi and it feels nice to have someone she thinks highly of not being totally indifferent to her.

Then Gigi uses this masterful line “I like your energy” a great way of saying yeah, I think you’re interesting, I enjoy spending time with you, I find you attractive, saying none of that. Dani rightfully says “I don’t know what that means” and Gigi answers “of course you do, it’s what you’re feeling right now.”

Please give me a second to scream because Dani literally just told you she picked up on flirty vibes, she clearly insinuated she may not be opposed to them, so if you say “it’s what you’re feeling right now” really what Dani is feeling is probably not friendly vibes. Indirectly confirming that there is certainly something more between you two, even if in that moment neither of them is ready for it to become more besides them wanting to spend more time together and get to know each other.

And look, I love Gigi, because immediately after this she says “If my feelings change, I’ll let you know” looking at Dani directly like this. Like, you just called me out for flirting with you, but I’m not stopping. I love it. She also leaves the door open. She said I’m not hitting on you right now, but I’m getting to know you and maybe in the future I will be interested in you like that and I’ll let you know.

Then we have Gigi making the active choice to reject Bette, can’t blame her after the way Bette has been treating her, to spend more time with Dani. It’s 9:00 p.m. as her phone show us, she’s been all day with Dani and still she wants to stay there instead of meeting with her whatever Bette is at that point. She values and enjoys her time with Dani so much that she rather stay there with her. And important to notice that she glances at Dani right before answering the text so as to not leave any doubt that she is choosing Dani in that moment. An afternoon/night talking with Dani it’s better and more fulfilling for Gigi than sex with Bette Porter, because what Gigi craves is emotional connection.

And I’m just going to close this scene with these two pictures. The way they look at each other, my god.

EPISODE 6

I love this opening scene. Having Dani and Micah simply be friends and do what regular friends would do: Talk about their crushes and tease each other and it’s super cute to have Dani expressing what we all already knew, that she likes Gigi. She is so into her, oh my god. Her exact words are “I think about her and I want to be near her,” like that constant state of thinking about someone you like, looking forward to seeing them and wanting to find any excuse to spend time together. It’s so freaking cute.

She also says this started happening since “we saw my dad get arrested” which I don’t think it shows a correlation, like she is not thinking about Gigi because she was with her that day, but simply it’s an easy way to establish a timeframe since that was a significant date. And what day was it exactly when Dani’s dad got arrested? The day of their first non-date after Gigi sold her the house. So again, confirmation that Dani has liked Gigi since the first moment they meet.

It’s also cute when Micah asks if he can meet Gigi. He is her best friend. He can clearly see she likes her, so of course he is interested in meeting the person who has Dani like this, that is making her smile barely weeks after the disaster at the wedding. Is a small layer of approval. Both that he wants to meet her, and that Dani wants him to meet her.

Also, the way Dani squints her eyes before settling on “pseudo-sexual friendship” as the best way to define their relationship. She doesn’t know how to define it, she only knows that is definitely more than friendship.

We can see the exact moment when Gigi notices Sophie before Dani and Micah do and she is immediately in protection mode. She steps in front of Dani as if trying to shield her and, as usual, checks up if she is okay.

And excuse the out-of-focus screenshot, but look at Gigi’s cute smile while she looks at Dani as she panics and wants to leave. It’s so soft. She has it so bad for Dani. She thinks Dani is the most adorable puppy ever, and she is not wrong.

Then we have this moment that offers clarity about Bette and Gigi’s relationship and added context for the conversation she has with Bette later. By this point, it’s clear Gigi/Bette are over. In her conversation with Alice and Shane, we learn that Bette probably ghosted Gigi (Shane: It’s over that fast? Bette: I don’t think it ever started Shane: Does Gigi know that? Bette: I’m sure she does) and we also know Gigi had also started ignoring or declining to meet with Bette.

They naturally fell apart, but there has been no clear resolution on the topic. Gigi knows it’s over, she has known for a while it would not work out, but here, running into Bette unexpectedly, she is confronted by it. This was a night of confrontations where most couples either found closure or finally expressed their feelings openly (Finley/Sophie, Micah/Maribel, Dani/Sophie, Alice/Tom, Shane/Tess, Gigi/Dani and Gigi/Bette).

“It’s amazing how the ego takes a hit even if we know somebody isn’t right for you,” Gigi is talking about herself. She has always known Bette isn’t right for her, but she still tried to make it work and she says, her ego still took a hit. It’s also a nice vulnerable moment for her. We see for a minute there how as sure of herself as she is the way people treat her affects her sometimes.

Of course, Dani thinks she is talking about Sophie since she herself has expressed that it’s hard to admit that they weren’t right for each other and Gigi uses that to also as directly ask about the topic. Checking once again if Dani is okay, always looking out for her. Dani says she is, and that she has had closure.

“Closure can be powerful.” Gigi is not one to leave things unsaid, to assume things. She also wants closure.

Of course Bette is unnecessarily cruel, and anyone would feel the hit if someone you briefly dated told you, in so many words, that you’re simply not good enough. Which is why I love how from minute one they meet Dani is always telling Gigi how amazing she is, how she is everything and can’t even imagine other people not seeing how amazing Gigi is.

From this scene, it’s safe to assume Gigi has been very transparent with Dani about the situation with Bette. I don’t know if she’s given her details, but at least has told her they are no longer together and that she wanted to talk to her to make things clear. Dani obviously knows that’s what they were talking about, even if she doesn’t know exactly what they said. She can’t know how blunt Bette was and how upset Gigi may or may not be. I’m sure Gigi didn’t go into details. But she still offers her support with a joke to diffuse the tension and it works. It stung, but Gigi is already forgetting about it.

Now, I’m not sure if this means anything, but I’m going to include it, anyway. Gigi is playing with her ring as if she has something on her mind, when Sophie sends Dani a drink. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe that action made Gigi think about something. About her feelings for Dani, maybe? Who knows? I don’t think it’s jealously, since Gigi has never shown any sign of jealously and she has been so supportive of Dani’s process. But there’s something on her mind for sure.

A lot of people wonder why Dani brings this up, if she was talking about Gigi and the fact she cheated with Nat, maybe. I don’t think she was. I don’t think she would hold Gigi’s past against her. I think this was more a look into her general perspective and fear of if someone will hurt her again if she opens herself up to dating. Gigi is part of that, of course, she is who Dani is interested in at the moment. But the comment wasn’t intended to be a judgement of Gigi in particular, but Dani being afraid of being hurt again.

That image pains me so much, because when Sophie starts singing, Dani is smiling. She is actually enjoying the show even though is her ex singing she is in a place where it doesn’t hurt her and then you can see her expression change as she realizes she is singing to Finley and all the memories from the humiliation of her wedding come back. Because at this point, her pain is not about losing Sophie but about the hurt the betrayal and humiliation caused her.

Both Micah and Gigi notice and the minute Dani leaves, Gigi doesn’t hesitate one second to spring into action. Micah, Dani’s best friend, it’s right there, and he is worried too but she doesn’t let room for doubt that she will handle it. It’s her personality, Nat said in the first episode that Gigi is great in crisis, but it’s also her protective instinct in action.

This entire scene from beginning to end is amazing, so you should just go and watch it. We first have Dani running away. Who wouldn’t? Gigi calls her name and when she says she needs to get out of there Gigi simply says, “I know, I just want to talk for a second.” And I loved it because usually people are trying to get Dani to not run away, but here Gigi tells her she understands, she never tells her she shouldn’t leave, only to give her one minute of her time before she does. And Dani listens to her.

And for the first time, she does something she’s always struggled to do. She admits she is not fine. After claiming all night that she was. After trying really hard to pretend she was, she can’t take it anymore. For the first time, she doesn’t lead with anger, but she lets out her pain. And it’s no coincidence that Gigi is the one who gets to see this. She has been checking on Dani, giving her space, listening to her. She says “I didn’t think you were.” Because she really didn’t believe all those other times, Dani said she was fine, but she knew she needed to give her space but she was ready for her when it all became too much.

And then she asks Gigi to leave with her. She doesn’t run away alone. She doesn’t hide from everyone like she usually does. She wants Gigi with her, because being with Gigi comforts her.

And despite everything that happened before, the next time we see Dani, she is laughing. She is Happy. When have you seen Dani this happy and carefree?

Gigi is also smiling. She is having a blast with Dani and there’s a split second decision there where she decides to go for it. Gigi has always been really direct and, as she promised earlier, if she feels something, she’ll share it. Was it the best moment to do it? Dani is probably right that it wasn’t but in that moment, seeing Dani laughing and being adorable and knowing she was free to pursue her, Gigi just went for it. I mean, she wasn’t expecting anything in return at that moment, she just wanted to give Dani the information and let her think about it.

Now, the staring and taking a scoop out of Dani’s ice cream was completely unnecessary when poor Dani was already panicking enough. But that’s Gigi for you.

The face of sheer panic and shook on Dani’s face. Poor thing. She likes Gigi, we all know that. But she didn’t expect Gigi to like her back or to come directly onto her like this and even if she likes Gigi it’s one thing to get giddy feelings for someone abstractly, enjoy the harmless flirty and another to actually consider they liking you back and wanting to pursue something. The risk level, the vulnerability level it’s totally different. Flirting, having a pseudo-sexual friendship was fun and safe. Actually dating would risk herself to be hurt again.

EPISODE 7

It’s nice to know that Gigi was gushing about Dani to Nat right here.

I love that even though they have busy lives; I mean, Dani is a freaking CEO. They make time and space to see each other. Even if it’s simply stealing an hour of the day to have lunch together. I love that Gigi is being her usual exuberant self, telling the story about Alice and Nat and Dani loves it. She loves Gigi exactly as she is, with her weird jokes than everyone else seems to hate and the way she is incapable of telling a story without being loud and expressive.

The L Word’s timeline is a mess, so we have no clue how long it’s been since the Ice Cream confession. At least a couple of days at the least. So Gigi really just threw that bomb at Dani, but let her have time and space to process it on her own. Of course, it’s Gigi. She wants to talk about things; she wants to know where they stand. There’s a little smile there too before she asks. Dare I say it’s even a little flirty. She is so soft for Dani, and she is ready to give it a chance. And she expects this conversation to go in her favor.

An even though she knows she likes Dani, and she probably has a very strong inclination that Dani likes her back, I mean Dani hasn’t been all that subtle. She knows there’s a possibility she read things wrong or that, for whatever other reason, Dani is not open to her advances. So she gives Dani an out. I can’t with how freaking healthy she is. No head games, no guessing. Direct communication. I like you. Let me know if you like me too or if not we can move on, no hard feelings.

Dani was quick to say “No” that it’s not that. Again, I think for all her reputation about shutting people out, and needing space, Dani only does that when she is hurt, mostly. She is a very direct, blunt, and straightforward communicator. Maybe too blunt.

Gigi didn’t expect that. She could have expected Dani to not want to talk about it, or even tell her she didn’t want a relationship, but not for Dani to call her declaration shitty. You can see it affected her. Her demeanor changed, her expression changed. But still she didn’t jump to conclusions. She asked a followup question and listened.

Dani’s explanation made sense to be fair. She had a horrible night, and maybe it wasn’t the best moment for Gigi to confess her feelings. But what really gets me here is Gigi. How tense she is. And I think it really shows how Gigi is very vulnerable too and how she is also ready to pull her walls up when she needs it. We rarely see it with Dani, because she feels so comfortable with her, but she is not immune to feeling hurt and wanting to guard herself. The way she puts distance between them and her body language totally changes is very telling. But as she listens to Dani, she softens again as she understands where she is coming from.

Leaving this here because the fact Dani is absolutely adorable without even trying melts my heart and how cute it is that she is so into Gigi, she can’t imagine how anyone else wouldn’t be.

Gigi being weary didn’t last long. As Dani spoke, she understood her reasoning and, of course, she also melted when it became obvious Dani definitely had feelings for her too, even if she had some reservations and wanted to slow down. Gigi listens, never dismisses what Dani is saying but offers her own counterpoints (We can slow down, Bette won’t care) and when she sees this is something Dani needs, she doesn’t pressure her but also doesn’t let her hide behind it indefinitely. “If that’s what this is really about, you need to talk to her.” She respects what she needs, but in kind words, lets her know she needs to sort her shit out while, being perceptive enough to recognize there may be more behind what Dani told her.

I’m going to drop that picture right there because Nat looks absolutely stunning in this episode. The red hair and curls really suit her. But second, because the detail of Dani trying to explain to Nat that she and Gigi weren’t together (yet) and then catching herself, it’s low-key so funny. Even more if we add that she proceeds to tell them she does indeed plans to date Gigi but she wants to ask Bette first about it. It’s sad that rumors have Nat not returning for season 3 because the potential for great scenes between Nat/Alice and Dani/Gigi it’s tremendous. The humor and awkwerdness of navigating an ex-wife, a throuble ex, co-parenting. So much potential.

I’m losing it at the fact everybody knows Bette didn’t give a rat’s ass about Gigi but Dani. I love her morals and her loyalty to her friends and her consideration. The fact she has Gigi’s ex-wife blessing is also kind of cute. Not that she needs it, but it’s cute and since Nat will forever be a part of Gigi’s life, it’s great to see her have a potentially good relationship with her.

What was supposed to be her main worry was eased by Nat and Alice, but then we get this pensive look after Nat tells her that Gigi is really into her, that she hasn’t seen her so into someone in a long time. Nat should know. She has been Gigi’s best friend for a long time. If we go by Season 1, at least college. This makes Dani think. Gigi was pretty direct, but is one thing to have someone tell you they like you and another actually believe it. And to know with certainty just how serious, or not, they are.

I love this scene, because as much as I love soft Dani, I fell in love with “cold”, reserved Dani from the start and it’s been a while since we saw her being this standoffish. I mean, she was nicer that Finley deserved but still more closed off, and it’s great to see the contrast with how at ease she is with Gigi.

This is not the first time Dani mentions how exhausting it is that people are always demanding things from her. We’ve seen how her father always blames her for things and demands she fix it, never gives her space to be herself, to feel. Sophie also constantly demanded things from here and even if there’s people in her life that do not, or were willing to hold her, Dani didn’t feel like she can allow herself to take it. After so many years, she has grown used to responding to those demands, even if deep down she craves to let go. I also think this is not only about literally being held. When she makes a parallel to Finley (unlike you) she refers to the way Finley is always coddled. Her mistakes always excused, people always there willing to help her, unlike how it’s been for Dani.

It’s a testament to how over it she is, how emotionally vulnerable she still is that this comes out to Finley of all people. But Dani it’s just so tired she can’t stop herself.

Cut to Dani desperately ringing Gigi’s bell. I dunno if she stayed at the event for long or if she left immediately after that Finley interaction. Wouldn’t blame her if she wanted to leave a space where no matter how much she tried, she didn’t feel welcomed and ran to the one person who had been her refuge lately.

I can see Dani thinking nonstop about her conversation with Gigi, about what Nat told her and not being able to wait anymore. She needs to talk to Gigi. She is not sure what she is going to say, but she needs to see her.

It’s late clearly, since Gigi it’s in pajamas and was probably asleep. May have taken long to answer the door based on Dani’s ringing and then leaving. It’s also funny, and looking back so true. Despite their time together as friends and getting to know each other, Gigi has never really seen this side of Dani. Not that I think Dani is dramatic, but compared to how measured she always is this is a little dramatic. The closest Gigi has seen to Dani losing control was the day at Karaoke. This is a new side of Dani and she is seeing it because Dani it’s overwhelmed by her emotions.

I remember when Dani was talking with Micah about Maribel and I remember her saying to him, “Maybe she couldn’t say what she really meant” when he tells her Maribel rejected him. She was trying to justify that sometimes when we are nervous or overwhelmed is hard to express our feelings. And that’s exactly what’s happening here. She wants Gigi to reassure her, she wants to tell Gigi that she really wants her but it’s afraid but she can’t. She can’t bring herself to say those words. It’s too vulnerable. So she asks hers “Who are you” “Why have you been with everyone I know” “Can I trust you.” and finally what has really been behind her hesitation from the start. “I’ve been hurt” the I’m afraid of being hurt again unsaid but clear.

Gigi, to her credit, doesn’t get upset, but she also doesn’t let her keep going in that direction. “That’s such an exaggeration,” clearly establishing a boundary. She won’t let Dani take out her insecurities on her. “Tell me what you want” aka “tell me why you are here” Tell me what you really need to say.

And finally Dani finds the words to kind of articulate what she means. There’s so many layers to “Is this real? Are you real?” It’s never been about her not feeling something for Gigi, if anything, she feels too much for her. It’s about being afraid to open up to be hurt again, so she tells Gigi, I want to do this but only if you really mean it, only if this also means more to you than a simple casual dating or hookup. She tells Gigi with those words that she wants something real, something deep, something with the potential to become much more.

What she doesn’t know is that Gigi feels the same way. If anything, that’s what Gigi has been craving for a while. A real relationship, something that can become deeper. Someone who will put in on the work into a relationship.

And Gigi gets what Dani is saying. So what does she do? She steps forward, looks at Dani directly in the eyes to make sure this is what Dani wants and hoping to tell her with the way she looks at her how she feels. And then she closes the distance to answer Dani’s question. To let her feel, instead of telling her, how real it is.

The way they melt into the kiss. The kiss it’s so soft and they are ready to get lost in it until the rain interrupts. But it’s really like they are putting all their feelings, their fears and hopes into that kiss and they can tell the other is too.

And after they move apart, Gigi is so happy, so soft. Dani is still a little tense, unraveling probably at all the feelings the kiss brought up and still wondering if this is real. She is still not sure, but she knows she can’t stay away from Gigi. She wants to kiss her, so she does. She embraces Gigi and pulls her closer.

And the second kiss is just as soft. they are completely lost in each other. It’s intoxicating, they can barely bear to pull apart a few inches, they keep their eyes closed, breathing each other, rubbing their noses together because they need to have some kind of contact.

Gigi it’s ready for more. Sure of what she wants. It’s not clear if Dani waits because of her own hung ups, because she wants to give herself more time to be sure and go slow or because she wants to be respectful of Bette and talk to her first. I would assume after Alice’s reassurances she knows Bette won’t care, and it’s more about going slow for herself, because she needs it, because she wants to be careful with her own heart and give herself time to process everything and not rush. That’s what I prefer to believe. But she makes sure to say “Not yet”. She still wants it, she just needs more time.

But then Gigi speaks. “It’s real,” she says first to reassure Dani. “It’s very real” she breathes out, almost as if she couldn’t stop herself because it is, she knows she is a goner and she can’t help but say it. And in the same way there were things implicit when Dani asked, there is an implicit message in Gigi’s words too. I feel the same way. I’m also all in.

And Dani looks at Gigi with a new softness. She searches her face, and she sees how sincere her words are, so she caresses her face and then leans down and kisses her again. Letting her know with that kiss that she believes her.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5