A/N: Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Unfortunately, due to some of the comments I got back, I now feel that my story isn't as good as it could be and might leave some of you disappointed, so even though I intended this story to be done in advance (because I'm really bad at finishing/updating chapter stories), I've decided to change it up, just a bit.
Anywho, I only fixed this chapter up slightly to work alongside my improved story plot, so if it seems a little messy, that's why. Also, this is my first time writing Vanellope, but certainly not my last! She's definitely going to be the comic relief to this story. Her and Ralph both; they're just so fun together. :3
Ralph frantically walked through Game Central Station, both heading for, and trying to avoid his game. The arcade would be opening soon, so he didn't really have a choice, but he still couldn't help considering playing hooky from work today.
No. She said no! How could she say no? Ralph considered heading to Hero's Duty just to make sure he had heard her correctly. She ought to have sobered up by now. Or at least, he'd hope so, seeing how she had to be up and ready to start destroying cy-bugs any minute now.
When he was halfway to the game's entrance, however, he stalled. No. There was a reason why Calhoun was at Tapper's last night. There was a reason she had gotten herself so drunk she could barely stand upright. She had planned on seeing Felix and giving him the news. That's why she was so eager to catch Ralph before he could leave. Of course it would be easier to tell him rather than Felix.
But why? Ralph wondered, returning back to his game. As far as he could tell, Calhoun and Felix were perfect for each other. So perfect to a point where you could only stand being with them for so long before you got sick over all the cuteness.
She obviously didn't like the idea of saying no. That's why she had been drunk. Because saying no to Felix is an almost impossible task, especially sober. So, she didn't want to say no. But she still said no. And he still had to tell Felix she said no.
By now Ralph was back in Fix-it Felix Jr. He lifted the ring to his eye, glaring at the shining gold, tiny diamonds specked around the edges. Then he noticed it. An engraving written on the inside edge. Really, Felix? He groaned, squinting his eyes to make out the tiny words.
"To my...dynamite gal," He read aloud.
"Who's that?" A voice snorted.
Ralph looked down, relief washing his features. "Vanellope, thank Nintendo!"
"Where've you been?" She insisted, climbing on his shoulders. "I waited all night for you!"
"I got a little dis..." Ralph stopped short. "Wait, what? No, no. I waited all night for you!"
"Yeah, right! I waited by my game for two whole hours," She held up two fingers in his face to emphasize the time.
He pushed them away. "That's because we were supposed to meet at Tapper's."
"Nuh uh!"
"Yes huh!"
"NUH UH!"
"YES HUH!"
Vanellope sighed, clearly exasperated, then spotted the ring in Ralph's hand. "What's that?"
"What?" He quickly hid it. "Nothing."
She smirked and glitched herself behind his back and then appeared back in front of him, ring in hand. She studied it. "A ring?"
"An engagement ring," Ralph corrected, mentally slapping himself when Vanellope's eyes widened.
"Ralph, you sly dog!" She cackled. "Who's the unlucky girl?"
"It's not mine," Ralph said, attempting to nab the ring back. But every move he made, Vanellope just quickly glitched in the other direction.
"Oh yeah?" She edged, waggling the ring in front of him. "Who's is it then?"
"It's Calhoun's," Ralph growled, plopping onto the dirt in another failed attempt to capture the ring.
Vanellope's jaw dropped. "Calhoun?"
The wrecker's eyes went wide, realizing how that came out. "No, no, no!" He waved his hands crazily. "The ring is Felix's. For Calhoun."
"Ohhh," Vanellope said, looking down at the ring. Then her head shot up, a grin on her face. She glitched uncontrollably from excitement. "So they're getting married? When's the wedding? Am I gonna have to be a flower girl?"
"There's not gonna be a wedding!" Ralph exclaimed a little too loudly.
Vanellope's hyper-active glitching stopped, giving Ralph a chance to take the ring back. "What do you mean?"
"Calhoun said no."
The little girl considered this. She looked up, confusion clouding her features. "But why?"
"I don't know that yet," He said.
"Yet?"
"I plan out finding out later today."
"Does Felix know?" Vanellope whispered behind her hand.
"No," Ralph shook his head. "That's why you're going to have to take this." He placed the ring in her small palm and closed her fingers around it.
She opened her hand for a moment to look down at the ring, then shot up at the sound of bouncing. They both looked up at Felix who was strolling towards them.
She closed her hand again, then turned to whisper to her friend. "Are you going to tell him?"
Ralph considered this. Tell Felix bad news? He wasn't even sure how to go about that. "Hopefully I won't need to," He replied quietly. "I'll visit Hero's Duty later today and get this all straightened out without telling him a word."
"You mean we'll visit Hero's Duty," She countered. "I'm not holding onto this ring for nothing!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," He muttered, pushing Vanellope towards the exit. Felix was getting way too close and started to notice their obvious whisperings. "See you tonight, President Sugarbreath!"
"Adios, Stinkbrain!" She saluted.
"Hey, Ralph!" Felix waved when he finally caught up the the wrecker. "Bye, Vanellope!"
She waved over her back, still skipping away.
"Everything alright there, brother?"
Ralph peeled his eyes away from the exit, unaware that he'd been staring Vanellope – and more importantly, the ring – down like a hawk. He chuckled uncomfortably. "Who, me? Yeah, I-I'm fine." He coughed into his hand.
Felix raised an eyebrow, but Ralph spoke up again, before giving the handyman a chance to ask what was going on. "What about you, Felix? How are you doing?" He slapped his back lightly as he could.
"Oh, I'm just dandy," He attempted to smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Is something...wrong?"
"It's nothing," He admitted. "I was just supposed to meet Tamora at Tapper's last night, but she never showed up."
Ralph blinked. "Uhh..."
"I mean, to be fair, I was a little late," He continued, fiddling with his gloves. "But we've both had our share of missing dates due to our busy game schedule, and she did say it was important, so I figured it'd be okay, you know?"
The wrecker paused, then shot up. "Did you hear that?"
"W-what?"
"It sounded like a quarter alert!" He lied, pushing Felix towards the right side of the game. "Better get ready!"
"But I didn't hear any-"
"We'll talk later!" Ralph called from his side of the game. Thankfully, before Felix could question his strange behavior, Mr. Litwak opened the arcade and a group of three little boys headed over to play their game.
When the real quarter alert activated, he looked over at Felix and gave him a thumbs up, a routine the two had started after the whole Sugar Rush cy-bug incident. Felix tipped his hat in return, as usual, though his face was still colored in confusion.
Ralph walked forward getting into position. He closed his eyes and breathed out, before his title catchphrase popped above his head. It was gonna be a long day.