#summerscorner

I believe that it’s something far more than physical attraction. A lot of us think that Lacey and Danny have had feelings for one another for a really long time (you can read my thought about it here if you want to). It’s just that being older has made those feelings all the more obvious. Especially since they were away from each other for so long. Their relationship started off as physical before emotional (which may have been their downfall, but they’re only teenagers) because both of them are super closed off. Danny and Lacey don’t like expressing vulnerability, because they’ve had to be the strong person in multiple situations (Lacey when her parents were separating; Danny when he was sent away and maybe even before that). The thing is, both of them know how to get under the other’s skin. Lacey can read Danny like a book, which is why he was able to be open with her during the cemetery scene. And Danny can read Lacey like a book, which is why she was so uncomfortable everytime they had a one-on-one conversation before they began dating. She would put up a front, and he could see right through it. 

I don’t think either of them realized how much they cared for one another until it was put to the test. In Danny’s case, it was seeing how much shit Lacey caught for being with him (he was willing to take the punches so that Lacey could get her friends back). In Lacey’s case, it was knowing that Danny was taking the fall for something he didn’t do (Lacey gave up her friendship and popularity to clear Danny’s name). Of course it all becomes super clear to the audience when Danny tells Jo that he is willing to risk anything to be with Lacey, and when Lacey makes the decision to contact him (before Phoebe comes in). And based on the spoilers, we see that Lacey is making the effort to reconcile with him.