Hello everybody, welcome to my first friendshippy fluff that burns my soul for writing it. Identity is coming along slowly but surely, and trust me it will be angsty and coarse and NOT FLUFFY AT ALL. But this? Ah, this is my special gift. After watching the absolutely HAMAZING film Wreck-It Ralph, I had the idea for this little gem- my longest oneshot ever. Thanks once more to Konpeki Rei, my beta reader of excellence. (Also, good new fellow Piridi fans- ALFWP is up and running!) Without further ado, and no legal rights to the characters, I present the new shipping of WIR: Vanilla Pumpkin.

An avatar's code contains details on every aspect of said character's life and back story with one vital omission. Programmers never set down bits and bytes telling the PCs' friendships or love interests. Why bother? they think. They're computer programs. They don't have emotions.

Oh, how wrong they are. Video game characters have just as much personality as the next human being, if not more so. This means that affection of all strengths and types can- and will- flourish. Such is the case for one of the adorably cavity-inducing racers of Sugar Rush, the boy known to most of the real world's gamers as "Pumpkinhead," but in reality was named Gloyd Orangeboar.

. . .

Before the days of King Candy, Gloyd got along well with his fellow speedsters, especially the princess- Vanellope Von Schweetz. Something about the raven-haired monarch made him feel happy, but being designed to look and act as a ten-year-old, he didn't understand why. All he knew for certain was that the little ruler of the Dessert Kingdom enjoyed his pranks, occasionally even helping him pull tricks on Rancis. This wonderful time didn't last, however- merely two weeks after being plugged in, something changed. Gloyd forgot about his fun with Vanellope, now an outcast, now the target of his mischief. Yet each time he picked on the "glitch," he felt a pang of remorse, and he couldn't explain the reasoning behind it.

. . .

It wasn't until that fateful day, when Wreck-It Ralph came and unleashed chaos throughout Sugar Rush, that Gloyd understood the true extent of his feelings. Although shocked like the other drivers at Vanellope's entrance to the Random Roster Race, he also felt a surge of pride when he looked at her "kart." It may not have been high-quality or even motorized, but it was impressive for such a small child to make on her own. But later, when Taffyta decided to destroy her vehicle after the pixelating girl's "friend" destroyed the track, he agreed. How could he say no? It would look suspicious, after all. So he kicked and punched at the tiny pushcart, harder than any of the other bullies, each hit sending a shiver down Gloyd's spine. He just attacked harder. All the while, he kept thinking to himself She's a glitch. Don't feel bad about this. She's ruining your chances of winning. She's a glitch. A glitch. She shouldn't be pitied. His face showed only a mask of determination, up to the point when Ralph scared the kids away. Gloyd drove off, tears in his eyes from sympathy, hatred, and anger.

. . .

What Gloyd didn't know was that on the few days she didn't attempt to hijack the competitions, Vanellope would hide and watch him race, silently cheering him on. Something about the Halloween-themed boy intrigued her. Perhaps it was the fact he was a bit of an outcast, too- rarely picked by players due to his somewhat awkward stats, often excluded from hanging out with the other avatars after his pranks went too far. She also felt as if there was a memory, deep in the back of her code, telling her he was a friend. But that couldn't be. She was a glitch. He was a genuine racer. She had no friends, and never would.

. . .

Gloyd never had a chance to tell Vanellope he liked her new kart. The crazy-messy design was appealing to him for some reason. It suits her, he said to himself. Before he got to share this sentiment, however, the starting horn had blared and the race was on. Despite quickly falling into one of the last spots, he saw Vanellope up in the lead on the Jumbotron, and cheered for her in his mind. At least until the cy-bugs attacked. Then his only rational thought was something among the lines of I'm going to die I've got to get out of here! Ack! Gloyd kept this train of thinking for quite some time, up to the point when he ran out towards Game Central Station and turned around, only to see Vanellope being rejected by an invisible barrier to safety. He began to go back to aid the error in programing, but was swept away in a sea of candied spectators and colorful pre-adolescents.

. . .

Fortunately, the previously villainous Wreck-It Ralph managed to prevent the sugary landscape from total annihilation. After being filled in on the news of King Candy's true identity from Calhoun, he watched with bated breath as Vanellope rolled across the finish line. In a flash, all of Gloyd's memories of teasing Rancis with the sweatshirt-wearing sprite came back. He was savoring these recollections, eyes closed, when he heard the word "...execution." The command dripped from Vanellope's tongue, and he fell to his knees in anguish. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he screamed, alongside the other racers, when he heard an obnoxious laugh come from the newly-re-sanctioned ruler. He pulled his face from his hands and gasped. Being a child, Gloyd didn't have a great understanding of beauty. But Vanellope, decked out in her regal garb, floored him. She was the first thing he ever considered beautiful.

It was a week after this event that our story begins.

. . .

Gloyd and Vanellope didn't instantaneously regain their previous alliance. It's hard to befriend someone who had previously been your adversary for years. However, a week after the Wreck-It Affair, as it came to be known, Gloyd retrieved all of the courage he had and knocked on the door to the princess'- er, President's- castle. As per his duty, Sour Bill answered the summon. "Yes?" he asked in his monotone fashion.

"Er, hi. I'm Gloyd..." began the brunette.

"Yes, I know," Bill sighed in return. "I take it you want to see Miss Von Schweetz?" Gloyd nodded rapidly. "Please wait a moment." The door slammed shut, and after a cry of "VANELLOPE! THIS KID WANTS TO SEE YOU!", it re-opened to reveal the sarcastic leader. "Yeah? Gloyd?" she asked, sucking on the licorice ties to her sweatshirt.

Gloyd, in response, instantly developed a orange blush across his cheeks. "H-Hey, Vanellope," he stuttered, wondering why he was so nervous. "You busy?"

"Nah. Why, have something in mind?"

The boy nodded again, this time a bit more calmly. "Yeah. I was gonna go trick Candlehead into burning her hair. Wanna help?"

Her black ponytail bobbed in approval. "Anytime. Seriously. I'd do anything to get out of this pink nightmare." She paused as Sour Bill yelled back "SALMON!" for the umpteenth time. "C'mon, let's go," she finished, hopping into her kart. Gloyd did the same and together they drove to prank Taffyta's accomplice.

. . .

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Vanellope squealed as the pair zoomed away from a still-smoldering Candlehead. "I haven't pranked anybody in years!"

"Isn't it great?" Gloyd called to her, honking the horn on his candy-corn-kart. "Pranking is the best thing ever!" Vanellope sent a gigantic grin in his direction after his exclamation. Once they had pulled into the driveway of the castle, he lifted his goggles and smiled. "Wanna hang out again tomorrow?"

"Of course!" she answered. "I'll see you as soon as the arcade closes, OK?" The boy nodded and sped away, his lips stretched to their limits. He started to plan the next day's joke- something involving Rancis, a piece of Pocky, and bucket of water.

. . .

It didn't take long for the pair to develop a reputation as some of the most ruthless tricksters this side of a console. No one was spared from their amusements- not the NPCs, not the avatars, not even each other. Vanellope lost count of how many mornings she would wake up to find her kart stuck to the ground with chewed gum. Likewise, Gloyd found himself victim to quite a few depantsings, much to his chagrin. But these pranks never hurt their friendship. In fact, after a mere two months, the pair of racers were nearly inseparable- when Litwak's was closed, at least. It was then that Vanellope gave Gloyd a proposition.

"Wh-what? A trip... outside our game?" he asked with a shiver.

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "What's the big deal? I go all the time."

"Well, yeah, but you have a reason to! You're visiting Ralph! I don't have any need to leave Sugar Rush," he explained hurriedly. Vanellope scoffed and replied with a "ah, c'mon, please?" but Gloyd held firm. "I'm not leaving. You can go, but the last thing I wanna do is see that digital one-man demolition derby again. I'm afraid he'll bash my skull in," he admitted.

Vanellope refused to accept defeat, however. She pulled out her secret weapon- the puppy eyes. In a matter of five seconds, Gloyd had sighed "all right, I'll come, but just this once!" and she had glitched by accident for the first time in weeks. She was so happy, she couldn't prevent from pixelating seven feet to the right. The joy was contagious, and soon the orange jacket-clad boy was beaming as well.

. . .

All things considered, Gloyd and Ralph's formal introduction went fairly well. Yes, Ralph broke the racer's hand when the veteran villain attempted to shake his hand, but Felix lived up to his name and healed it. Gloyd managed to keep any insults he wanted to spew to his thoughts alone- and whispers to Vanellope, who with each would stomp on his foot. Despite the pain in his toes, Gloyd found himself enjoying his time in the retro game, and couldn't help but admire Mary's baking skills. Her cake rivaled that of Sugar Rush, which is no easy feat. He almost found himself upset as dawn came, prompting a return to the speedway for the Random Roster Race before the arcade opened. Still, nothing could prepare him for the feeling of Vanellope dragging him towards Game Central Station and then home. Or maybe just the feeling of her hand in his.

. . .

The next night, Friday, Vanellope offered to take Gloyd out again. Out of their game, of course. They weren't... It was ludicrous to suggest... "What the heck, man?" Gloyd asked with a furious orange blush. "It's not a date! Ju-just shut up!"

Swizzle Malarky just laughed harder. "Oh man, you should see your face! It's priceless!" Rancis, on the other hand, replied with the classic playground chant of "Vanellope and Gloyd, sitting in a tree, K- I- S- S- I-" before the pumpkin-wearing child smacked them both upside the head. The two mocking boys left, still guffawing at Gloyd's mutterings of not having a crush on Vanellope.

Because Gloyd was ashamed. Was it really that obvious? Was it really clear to Rancis and Swizz that the brunette kinda liked Vanellope? Not that he would want to kiss her, ew, no way. Girls have cooties, remember? Except Vanellope, Gloyd thought, she's too awesome to have cooties. Still, kiss her? No way. Never in a million years. She would kill him if he dared to try.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the castle on the other side of the tracks, Vanellope was pacing before her kart. What was she thinking? Taking Gloyd to Tapper's? Ralph would kill them! And who knows how Gloyd would react to seeing Zangeif for the first time? Yet she was still overly excited for the date- no, not a date, it's not a date, that's stupid. It's just two friends hanging out. Yeah. Friends. Friends... Vanellope thought.

Friends. That's what we are. Just friends. And that's good, right? But then... then why does that make me angry?

. . .

The pair walked towards the train leading to the premier watering hole of PCs everywhere- Tapper's, the world's best bartending quarter-muncher. Granted, it was a limited market, but it's still an accomplishment. Gloyd and Vanellope took their seats on the railcar, neither looking at each other, both fidgeting with their clothes. Finally arriving at the bar after the agonisingly long and silent ride didn't help much either. The joint was nearly empty, a rare occasion. Usually half of the characters in the arcade were here. And on a Friday no less? Truly bizarre. The only other people in the room save for the racers and Tapper himself were Pac-Man in the corner demolishing peanut after peanut and Chun-Li, who was looking at a very nearly passed-out Ryu coyly, her legs stretched to showcase her infamous thighs. Tapper looked up from the glass he was polishing and waved. "Vanellope, sweetie! Where's Ralph? And who's your friend there?"

The black-haired girl made her way to the counter. "Yo, Tapps. This here's Gloyd, one of my citizens. I think Ralph's at a Bad Anon meeting." Tapper nodded and peered at Gloyd, who then

felt suddenly quite out of place. He climbed up on the bar stool and a brown beverage with a creamy white foam on top appeared before him.

Tapper winked and said, "Try it, boy. It's Vanellope's favorite. Think you might like it, too." The boy took a tentative sip then began to slurp down the goodness that was known to the real world as a root beer float. Vanellope sighed at the taste.

"Dang, that's good vanilla," she declared.

"Best vanilla in the world!" Gloyd agreed, then laughed at the ice cream mustache on Vanellope's upper lip. She licked it off, and laughed too.

. . .

Hours passed, and Gloyd feared the worse. Vanellope hadn't stopped after two floats like himself- no, she kept on going, currently working on her fifth. The soft drink must have been affecting her code, as she was glitching all across the bar, dancing on top of the tables, and poking an unconscious Ryu with a straw. Gloyd glanced at the clock- it was nearly six in the morning, and the arcade opened at nine am! They had to get back to Sugar Rush for the Random Roster Race! Not that Gloyd had to, he hadn't won yesterday as a playable character, but Vanellope had. She was top pick for first place again. But in her condition... in her condition, she would probably end up destroying the entire game. Finally, Gloyd had enough. He grabbed Vanellope's wrist and spun her around to face him. "That's it, Vanel." Vanel- that was his nickname for her. He hadn't used it since King Candy took over. "We're going home, and I'm racing in your place at the triple R," he demanded.

Vanellope's eyes rolled out of focus, her smile drooped. "Oh, lighten up Orangeboar, it's fiiiineeee!" she squealed.

He shook his head and began to tug her elbow. "No. We're going back to Sugar Rush. Come on."

"But why can't I race?" she moaned, head lolling onto his shoulder as they climbed into the traincar.

He blushed at how close she was, but he didn't have time to dwell on that. "You're too out of it. Let's... let's just go, OK?"

Vanellope nodded wearily and began to snore. Gloyd sighed and inhaled. He caught a whiff of the scent of vanilla. It seemed to be radiating from Vanellope's whole body. The smell rivaled that of the vanilla of Tapper's root beer floats.

. . .

"It's... unprecedented, but I'll allow it," Sour Bill said after a lengthy pause. "Go get into position. I'll see if I can't get her up." Gloyd thanked the butler and rushed to the starting line, hopping into his candy corn kart with pleasure. Sour Bill had allowed him to race in Vanellope's place today. If he won, Vanellope would be a playable character. If not, they both got the day off. Not a fair deal, it may seem, but the thing is Gloyd was never exactly... popular. Despite having some serious speed (it was rivaled only by Minty's), his steering was greatly sacrificed in return. Not to mention his high sweetness level made him a frequent target for Sweet Seekers. It took a skilled driver to control him- and most gamers weren't all that skilled. The chance to even race just a little was a big deal for him. He pulled down his visor and revved his engine.

This was going to be good.

. . .

"And Orangeboar takes the lead from Taffyta! They're headed for the final stretch- just past Diet Cola Mountain!" the Gobstopper commentator screamed into his microphone, jolting awake a still slightly glitchy Vanellope.

"Gloyd?" she slurred, looking up at Sour Bill's frown.

"Oh good, you're alive. Yes, Orangeboar took your place in the race. You were out cold, President. How are you feeling?" he asked with little emotion.

Vanellope shook her head, clearing the cobwebs, struggling to recall the previous night. "Fine. A little dizzy, I guess. But... Gloyd's in the lead?" She jumped up, looking out at the Jumbotron. "Oh my gosh, he is! Go Gloyd! You can do it!"

But it seemed that he may not do it after all. Taffyta's not going down without a fight. Cherry Bombs, Sweet Seekers, the whole shebang- attack after attack struck Gloyd's kart. He was a mere mile from the finish line when Taffyta pulled ahead, laughing with victory.

That's when Gloyd remembered his secret weapon. Trick or Treat. He pressed the button on his dashboard. Suddenly a power up box appeared in front of the pink racer, who proceeded to head towards it with glee. Just as the nose of her kart bumped it, however, it exploded. A Trick- a Cherry Bomb- disguised as a Treat- a power up box. Gloyd knew what was happening yet he still couldn't fully comprehend the words he was hearing.

"And it's Gloyd Orangeboar by a nose! What a show, folks!"

First place. First place! This was huge! Not only would Vanellope be able to race, but the first place winner's pre-saved demo data would be featured on the console! Gloyd smiled and waved at the crowd, hardly believing the cheers of his name. A force slammed into his back and he let out an "oof."

"Congratulations Gloyd!" cried the attacker- Vanellope. Gloyd wiggled himself around so he was facing the tiny president. "You won!"

"We won," he corrected, wrapping his arms around her in turn. "You get to race today."

She looked up at him with a frown. "No I don't. I didn't race. This was your victory, Gloyd. You're the featured racer, not me."

Gloyd stammered for a bit. This was... Gloyd had never been the featured racer before. Did Vanellope even fully understand what she had just done? This could be the opportunity he had been waiting for since being plugged in. The opportunity to be a popular racer. He couldn't think of words to fully address his emotions, so he did the next best thing.

He kissed her.

Not on the mouth, of course. That would have been absolutely disgusting to young Gloyd. Mouths, after all, are the origin of cooties. But rather a little peck on the cheek, which drew wolf whistles from the crowd and a shocked gasp from Vanellope. Gloyd blushed a fiery orange, watching as she babbled just as he did a moment ago before grinning brightly and hugging him tighter. There were no need for any conversation. It was just two friends sharing a happy moment together. Two best friends, the pumpkinheaded freak and the previously hated glitch. And maybe, just maybe, there was something deeper in the little, chaste kiss. Of course, neither Gloyd nor Vanellope were thinking about that. They didn't think about what might be and what might happen. They only thought about how great vanilla and pumpkin went together as a team.

The End

Aww, yet eww. So much fluff. It bleeds!

Finally, before I bid you adieu: why is the most popular shipping for Gloyd with Rancis? I mean, RANCIS of all people? I ask you. What kind of world do we live in if one of the most popular shippings for a children's movie is a yaoi pairing of two ten year olds?

It kinda makes you think.