A/N~
Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and all the support! It encourages me so much and I'm very thankful for all of my readers. From now on I'm going to try and update every Monday and Friday, but at least one of those days if not both. This time I've got an extra long chapter prepared for you guys, and I think you'll like it. ;) Enjoy!
Chapter 17
The bright EZ Livin' sun gleamed on their skin and all their surroundings, giving the blue waters of the ocean a glittering cast that dazzled the young brunette racer now staring at them.
She wriggled her toes in the warm, white sands, and let out a sigh of contentment. This is beyond anything I've ever experienced. It's so...peaceful. She closed her
eyes and let the warmth of the sun heat up her skin. She could already feel sweat beading on her forehead and beneath her arms.
Rancis was already taking his shirt off, and Candlehead and Taffyta were also removing their outer sundresses to reveal the bathing suits underneath.
Ralph was lost in though, staring at Vanellope as she simply stood in the sand, facing out towards the water, dark hair swaying in the breeze. He smiled at the sight of her. She looks so peaceful and relaxed. These days it's rare I ever see her like this.
Finally, she turned around to look at him, emerging from her quiet reverie. She gave him a small smile when she noticed him staring at her. Then she turned to her friends as they walked towards the two of them.
Candlehead was wearing a white off-the-shoulder one piece that had a ruffle which flowed down over her chest, and Taffyta was wearing a bright yellow high waisted bikini with small white daisies dotted around the fabric.
"Hey, Vanellope," she said, "Aren't you gonna take off your dress? I thought you said you were ready to go swimming."
Ralph looked away bashfully, scratching the back of his head as color filled his cheeks.
"U-uhm, yeah," she stuttered. "Just a sec." She took in a deep breath, trying to suppress the warmth seeping into her face. I wonder what Ralph is going to think. Dangit Taffyta...my bathing suit is going to be the most revealing one here. She mentally groaned and let out the breath she had been holding. She reached up to the thick straps of her sundress and let them slide down her shoulders.
Ralph found himself peeking up at her through his eyelashes, and felt his heart rate pick up instantly. He watched as she slid the dress down over her figure and kick it off onto the towel. His eyes quickly scanned up and down her body, and he felt his breath catch in his throat.
By User, why does she have to look like that. The bathing suit perfectly showed off her slim yet curvy figure while not revealing too much; it still left some to the imagination, which was unfortunate for Ralph's active one.
She crossed her arms over her chest demurely, before looking up at the others with rosy colored cheeks. "There," she said, looking at Taffyta, "Satisfied?"
The blonde gave her a devious smirk. "More than." Next she turned to Ralph. "Well," she started, "You're next."
He looked up with wide eyes and held up his hands. "I don't think so," he retorted. "I am perfectly content to swim with my shirt on."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, so be it I guess." She began walking ahead of them towards the water. "Let's go!" She called over her shoulder. Immediately the rest of them followed.
Candlehead fell in step with Vanellope while Rancis and Ralph walked awkwardly off to the side. "So," she murmured underneath her breath. "Are you okay? You don't feel too uncomfortable do you?"
Vanellope shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered back. "I do feel a little self-conscious I guess. Though don't say anything to Taffyta about it. I don't think she would understand. Also," she paused and shot Ralph a glance. "I don't know what I'm more scared of - Ralph noticing me more or just...not noticing me at all."
Candlehead's eyes glinted with understanding, and she nudged her friend playfully in the arm. "Well, I know one thing for sure. From the look on his face when you took that dress off, it definitely wasn't the latter."
The brunette's face instantly filled up with heat. "R-really? How did he look at me?"
"Well," she began, "His face immediately turned bright red. And his eyes were definitely wandering quite a bit."
She bit her lip and sheepishly played with a strand of her hair. "I don't even know what's going on between me and him anymore. We kind of had a...moment earlier, before you guys got here."
"Really?" Candlehead asked. They reached the edge of the water where everyone stood and she glanced over at Taffyta, who looked mildly suspicious of their conversation. "You can tell me more later if you want," she eased. Vanellope nodded and looked down at her feet. "Don't worry though," she leaned in close so no one could hear. "I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable when we get out there and start swimming."
"Thanks, Candlehead," she whispered back. "You're easy to talk to." She wasn't sure why, but she had always found the easy-going green-haired racer easier to speak with than her more boisterous blonde friend. Well I guess I do know...Taffyta is just intimidating sometimes.
Vanellope stepped one foot gingerly into the water, shivering as the cool liquid flowed towards her and pooled around both of her feet. After a few moments the tide pulled back into the ocean. She watched, fascinated for a minute or two as it ebbed and flowed back and forth. She finally began to take a few steps further into the water before letting out a squeal as it rushed around her calves.
"It's cold!" She exclaimed, clutching her arms as goosebumps rose up across her skin. Ralph came up next to her, chuckling in amusement.
"Come on," he eased, holding out a hand towards her. "It gets better the longer you've been in." She glanced at his hand and took in a deep breath. "Everyone else is already further ahead." She looked up to see Taffyta, Candlehead, and Ranics all goofing around further in the water, laughing and splashing each other back and forth. They were already submerged up to their shoulders.
"Okay," she muttered, reluctantly accepting his hand by placing her small one inside his palm. Slowly and steadily, they walked together further into the waves. She grimaced as the water rose up with each step to touch more and more of her skin.
"Okay, okay," she exclaimed, stopping when it reached her waist. "This stuff is way too cold. I have to get out."
Her large wrecker let out a laugh. "Okay, I see what needs to be done her." She looked up at him in confusion, and in an instant, he was picking her up again underneath her legs.
"Ahh, Ralph, let me go!" She began beating incessantly on her chest and squealing as he walked further and further into the ocean. "Raaaaaallllppphhh!"
He smirked in amusement as he finally drew near to the other races. The noise caused them to turn their heads and watch the ensuing spectacle. "Alright, Van, here we go," he announced, before bending down and submerging both of them completely in the water.
After a moment they resurfaced, and she was sputtering and laughing. "Ra-alph," she groaned. "You big Stinkbrain!" She gave him one last playful slap before looking up at him with a smirk and joyful glint in her eyes. He smiled back down at her, relishing in the sight of her sleek black hair plastered down to her head and face, messily tangling itself around her shoulders.
"You're welcome, your majesty," he teased back.
After a few seconds, he lowered her down to stand in the water, until she stood with it rising up to her shoulders. Meanwhile, it only came up to the middle of his stomach.
"I keep realizing again and again how short you guys are," he remarked, looking around at all of them. "It's kind of strange."
"It's not that we're short," Taffyta remarked. "It's just that you're freakishly tall."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." He looked down at Vanellope. "What do you think?" He asked, referring to the water.
She looked around either side of her, lifting her arms up out of the cold water and letting it run between her fingers and down her skin. She then experimentally splashed lightly on the surface and looked up at him, grinning. "I love it!" She exclaimed. "It's soooo cool!"
He couldn't contain the wide beam that stretched across his face. He loved these moments of wonder that filled her. It reminded him so much of the Vanellope before the update. She's still the same Vanellope, you doofus. Just...different.
He playfully sent a gentle splash of water her way, and she shielded her face with one arm.
"Hey!" She exclaimed with a giggle, before returning the favor with a splash of her own. The two continued on like this for a few minutes, playfully splashing each other and swimming back and forth in the water. Soon enough, the others joined in their game and they were all sending huge waves of water at each other all around their circle.
Every time Ralph didn't concentrate as much on being gentle, he ended up pushing back all four Sugar Rush racers about a foot with the force of the huge splosh he sent their way. They all coughed and spattered water out of their mouths.
"Hey, you big oaf! Stop being so clumsy!" Vanellope laughed at one point, before kicking her leg high up above the water and letting the force of its impact on the way down spray him with a jet of the cold salty liquid.
After spending about half an hour swimming and playing around in the water, they decided it was about time to get out, so they began slowly trudging through the water and towards their bag left out on the shore. Finally they reached it and began silently drying themselves off with the towels.
"Wow," Ralph said as he held up and examined the towel Taffyta had packed for him. "I really am surprised you managed to find something this big for me in Sugar Rush."
They all let out a laugh at this remark, and Vanellope shook her head with a smile. There's something about my goofy Stinkbrain that just makes me smile all the time.
She wrapped the towel around herself and sat down on the one that was spread down on the sand. "Ah," she breathed. "It feels so nice to be sitting out in the sun after getting out of that ice cold water." She rubbed her arms with her hands. "I'm still a little cold from being in there."
Ralph shrugged and sat next to her, spreading his arms out behind him and leaning on his hands for support. "It really isn't even that bad," he responded. "I don't think the water is really cold. The sun, on the other hand," he tugged at the collar of his damp shirt. "That's what's killing me."
Vanellope curiously reached over and lay her cold hand on his arm. He flinched slightly. "Gosh, Vanellope! Why are you so cold?"
"I don't know!" She yelped. "Why are you so warm?!" He chuckled and laid his rather large hand on top of hers.
"I don't know." He left his hand on hers for a few moments. "I guess I am a lot larger than you. You must just be cold natured for some reason."
The others sat down around them. "I'm pretty cold natured too," Candlehead chimed in. "Which is funny, considering my name is literally something very warm."
Taffyta smirked as she sat down beside her. "There's many things about you that are warm," she noted, "And compliments from me are rare, so don't talk about it again."
They all laughed softly at this, and Rancis shifted uncomfortably beside her.
"I think I'm in the same boat as you and Vanellope." He shivered. "Maybe I should've worn a shirt swimming and Ralph should've gone without."
"I'm definitely not cold natured," Taffyta pondered aloud. "But I'm not particularly warm either." She shrugged. "Guess I'm just average."
Rancis eyed her contemplatively. "You're definitely anything but average."
She felt a faint blush across her cheeks. "What is that supposed to mean?" She barked.
He held up his hands in defense. "It was a compliment!" He assured her. "Well," he smirked, "I suppose it could also mean other things."
"Hey!" She smacked him on the shoulder with small smile. "You're one to talk!"
Vanellope smiled at the antics of her two friends, then leaned over to murmur into Ralph's ear. "Is it just me, or does there seem to be something brewing between those two?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Maybe," he agreed. "I hadn't really thought about it. Then again," he paused and looked away. "They aren't really acting much different from the way me and you do."
She felt her face heat up, and inhaled sharply. "Yeah, well.." she mumbled, trailing off and leaning away again. She wasn't sure what to say in response.
She picked up her lemonade and began sipping slowly. "What time do you think it is?" She asked, looking up at the sky.
Ralph shrugged. "I don't know, probably about one or two?"
"It's almost 2 o'clock," Taffyta announced. "We should go get some lunch!" She exchanged a look with Rancis and Candlehead and gave them a smirk.
A little while later, their crew was walking across the beach, looking out for a place to eat.
Vanellope spotted out a little food stand with their menu placed on the wall beside the counter. "Why don't we go there?" She suggested. Once everyone else was in agreement, they made their way over and studied the sign.
After a few minutes of pondering, they decided to order a couple of pizzas - one for Ralph and another for the other four racers. "We'll go scout out a picnic bench or somewhere to sit," Taffyta announced, pulling both Candlehead and Rancis towards her. "You two can wait for the food!" They quickly scurried off, leaving Vanellope and Ralph alone in front of the food stand.
"So…" Vanellope began. "About what you said earlier…"
Ralph knew full well what she was referring to, but decided to play naive, hoping maybe she would change the subject. "What did I say earlier?" He asked, averting his eyes.
She lightly punched his shoulder. "Come on, Stinkbrain," she said softly, "You know what I'm talking about. I said that thing about Taffyta and Rancis, and then you said-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ralph interrupted her. "I know what I said." He let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "Listen, kid," he said, looking down at his feet. "It was just a joke, okay? Nothing more. Obviously, you know, there's nothing quote on quote 'brewing' over...here…" He trailed off lamely, refusing to meet her eyes.
She felt her face heat up with embarrassment. "Oh." She didn't know what more to say besides that. She laced her fingers behind her back and stared down at the sand. She could feel salty tears beginning to sting the corners of her eyes. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel a tense knot of disappointment tighten in her stomach.
A painfully awkward silence fell over them as they continued to wait for their pizzas. As soon as they were given to them, they walked off to look for the other racers. They quickly spotted them not far off sitting at a table and chatting.
As they approached the table, Ralph kidded, "Something tells me you guys just didn't wanna help carry the pizzas."
Taffyta shrugged with a smirk. "Touche." She quickly noticed the downcast look on Vanellope's face and dropped her smile. She slid around the table to sit beside her best friend as everyone else started digging into the food. "Hey Van," she whispered, "Is something wrong? I figured I should let you and Ralph have some alone time so you could-"
"That's just it," Vanellope snapped, staring down at her hands. "Ralph just told me there's no way that anything could happen between us."
"Oh." Taffyta took in a deep breath and looked up at the others. She reached over to the box of pizza and grabbed a slice, trying to look nonchalant. "I'm sorry, Van. I-I didn't know. I thought for sure-"
"Yeah, well," Vanellope cut her off. "You seem to think a lot of things for sure that don't line up, dontcha?" She too reached for a pizza slice and took a small bite. She could see her blonde friend flinch from the corner of her eyes, and her expression filled with hurt. She felt a tear roll down her cheek.
Taffyta let out a sigh and tried to let the comment roll off of her. I shouldn't let it ruffle my feathers. She's obviously not in a good state right now. "Do you wanna go to the bathroom?" She asked her.
Vanellope sighed and hastily wiped the tear from her face. "Sure," she responded. "Just let me finish this slice."
They both quickly finished up their pizza and stood up to depart. "We're going to the bathroom," Taffyta announced, shooting Candlehead a knowing look.
"Me too!" The green haired girl exclaimed, standing up as well and hurrying off with the other two.
Once they left Ralph gave Rancis a questioning look, and he simply shrugged. "Girls, right?" He joked. "If one goes, they all go."
Meanwhile, all three girls were filing into the public bathroom.
"What's going on?" Candlehead queried, and Vanellope shook her head in response.
"When you guys left," she responded, "I asked Ralph about something he had said earlier which basically hinted that there was something brewing between us. And, he told me it was just a joke and that there's 'obviously nothing quote on quote 'brewing' over here.'" She folded her arms over her chest and sighed before giving herself a heavy face palm.
She groaned loudly into her hand. "Why in the world did I ever think that maybe he...he liked me?"
"Because," Taffyta responded instantly, "He sure as heck acts like it all the time!" She grabbed Vanellope's arms and pulled them down away from her. "Look at me, Van," she barked.
With a sigh, the brunette lifted her eyes to meet Taffyta's blue ones. "What?" She moaned.
"Listen," she began. "No matter how many times he may try to deny it, there is absolutely no way that dorky wrecker doesn't have feelings for you. Every time you enter the room I see him light up. When you took off your sundress earlier it looked like he turned into a tomato. All day it's been the five of us hanging out, yet who has he constantly kept his eyes glued to? You. Come on, Van, it's so obvious."
"Then why would he say that?" She snapped. "Besides," she shrugged away from Taffyta's grip. "It's not like it really matters. He still sees me as a little kid." She sighed deeply. "And there's nothing I can do about it."
Taffyta crosses her arms and shook her head.
"Taffyta is right," Candlehead eased. "The way Ralph looks at you...I've never seen anyone look at somebody else like that."
Vanellope sighed. "Like I said, it doesn't matter. Let's just go back outside, okay?" She looked up at Taffyta guiltily. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Taff."
Taffyta shrugged. "It's all good. Come on, let's go back outside." The three of them wandered back out of the bathroom and headed towards the boys.
Once they all finished lunch, it was already almost three o'clock. They tidied up their area and threw away the boxes, before gathering together again to decide where to go.
"Ooh, ooh, I have an idea!" Taffyta exclaimed excitedly. "I say we go and explore the jungle some! Me and Rancis looked around some last time, but there's still much more we wanna see. They have some trails throughout, but we found this really nice spot just a little bit away from the trail."
She turned to Rancis and Candlehead. "You two go and look for a place to get some waters, and I'll lead them to the trails since I know where we're going." She gave the two of them a small wink before turning around and leading Vanellope and Ralph off in the opposite direction.
"So, I take it we're heading towards...that?" Vanellope pointed ahead of them to what looked like the most dense area of trees and plants she had ever seen in her life. The vibrant, lush vegetation of the jungle seemed to stretch on for miles and miles.
"You've got that right!" Taffyta exclaimed. "There's the start of a trail not too far from here. Come on!" She bolted off in a run, and unenthusiastically Ralph and Vanellope followed not too far behind.
Within a minute or two, they came up upon the edge of the jungle, all three of them panting and out of breath. "Here it is," Taffyta announced with a grin. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Vanellope stepped forward to peer into the opening and look through the trees. "Wow," she breathed. "It looks crazy in there! So much...green!"
Both Ralph and Taffyta laughed at this remark, exchanging glances.
"Okay, so," Taffyta began, walking ahead of them and heading down the trail. "There's a spot a little ways down that would be the perfect place to start out. Just follow me."
The three of them continued walking down the mulch covered trail, snaking through the jungle in a confusing pattern of movements.
Vanellope looked around her, wide eyed, as she surveyed her surroundings. She could hear birds chirping away and making all kinds of different noises, as well as frogs and other wildlife singing their cacophony of interesting sounds.
The trees and plants were all vibrant and colorful, painting the environment around them in a beautiful rainbow and colors and textures.
After a few minutes, Taffyta veered off of the path and waited for them to catch up to her. "Straight ahead that way," she said, pointing off into the distance with her finger. "Keep walking until you reach the small clearing with nothing but small purple flowers. Once you get there, turn right and look for a pond with flowers all around the edge. There's no mistaking it. You guys find it and wait there, I'm gonna go look for Rancis and Candlehead and make sure they find their way alright."
Vanellope opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get out a word, Taffyta was sprinting back down the path, blonde locks swinging behind her.
She groaned inwardly and crossed her arms with a sigh. She held out her white sundress, which had been folded over her arm, and slipped it back on over her body. She pulled it up and slid the straps up her arms.
"I don't know why we couldn't have just waited for them to get water and all gone together," Ralph grumbled, tapping his foot in agitation.
"Why?" Vanellope snapped, her cheeks flushing. "Is it too awkward being here with just me?"
Ralph flinched at her words and watched as she stormed out in front of him in the direction Taffyta had pointed.
"Vanellope, wait!" He called out, hurrying to catch up to her. "Of course not! We've been hanging out by ourselves for ages now! Why would it be awkward?"
"You said it yourself," she huffed, refusing to look at him. "Things are different now."
"They don't have to be different," he retorted. "Come on, Vanellope. I don't know why you're so upset right now, but I'm sorry. We're best friends, remember? Can we just go back to the way things were before? I just wanna be here and have fun with you."
She let out a sigh and crossed her arms self consciously. "I guess," she murmured, still looking away.
For a few minutes they walked on in silence before he asked her, "What is it we're supposed to be looking for?"
"Purple flowers?" She questioned aloud, looking around as they continued walking. "I think those are it." She pointed to a small cluster of blue-ish purple flowers. They approached the plant and she tilted her head while staring at them. "Those look purple to you, right?"
"I mean, they look kinda blue, but I'm sure it's fine." He looked off to the right, scrunching his brow. "I sure hope we don't get lost in here."
Vanellope shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be okay. Even if we do, we can't be that far off from where they wanted us to be. I'm sure they'll come rescue us."
Meanwhile, back in Sugar Rush, a certain green-haired racer was walking down the hallway of the castle. Still clad in her comfy clothes, Azalea Von Schweetz waltzed down the hall of the east wing, where her and Vanellope resided.
This part of the castle was also home to the game's code room.
Her low ponytail flicked behind her with every step, and she clutched the massive Sugar Rush code book in her right arm as she walked. Each step resounded through the empty hallway.
Thank User everybody is out of the castle today. Who knew I would have an opportunity like this come up so soon?
She continued her walk down the long corridor, finally ending up at the large, pearly white doors of the code room. She held up the code book in front of her, opening up its pages to where her fingers held her spot.
Now, instead of the traditional controller-styled entrance mechanism, the doors were controlled with a simple computer monitor needing a six-digit passkey. Within the code book was said code.
She hurriedly typed in the six numbers and watched as the huge doors opened up slowly.
From where she stood, she could see the reflection of tiny blue, glittering boxes bouncing around the walls of the small tunnel leading into the main area. She walked forward and picked up the belt meant to strap around her waist, and slipped it over her legs, tightening it on once she did.
She continued walking the short distance through the tunnel and came out into a massive room filled with thousands of small blue and purple boxes of code. She smirked, still clutching the code book in her hands, and gazed around.
She took a step off the landing and floated upwards through the massive space, gazing around her as many shades of blue sparkled in her vision.
She swam her way through the space, searching through the countless boxes until she finally got to the center of the room.
There, at the center, was the code box of Queen Vanellope herself. She smiled, her fingers twitching with longing to just reach forward and yank the code box out of its position.
I must control myself, she thought, I'm just here to memorize the layout and take a look at what I'm dealing with. I still have to figure out what I actually want to do to mess with her.
She tapped her chin in contemplation. I could just steal her throne and become the Queen myself, but that would be no fun. Besides, she let out a sigh. I know if I do that, I won't necessarily be her rival anymore...and it could cause more trouble for me than what it's worth.
Her last thoughts were then spoken out loud.
"For now, I wait and see."
Half an hour later, Ralph and Vanellope were now wandering aimlessly around the confusing EZ Livin' jungles.
"Ughhh, I can't take this any longer," Vanellope groaned, plopping herself down onto a large rock. "I can't believe we've gotten ourselves lost in here. Taffyta's directions were pretty clear, right? We must both be major Stinkbrains."
Ralph eyed her in amusement and let out a long sigh. "I'm with you there." He sat down on the ground beside her and shook his head. "Unless...you don't think this was all a ploy, do you?"
"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.
"Well," he said, scratching the back of his head and sheepishly looking down. "I just mean, like, you know, a ploy to get us alone."
She stared off into the distance and shook her head. "You're probably right, honestly," she agreed, putting her face into her hands as she felt warmth spread into her cheeks. "I swear, when we get back, those three are gonna get a real earful."
"What are you gonna do, ground them?" Ralph teased, playfully nudging her with his arm. "Besides," he said softly, "It isn't too bad out here."
She looked up at him and met his eyes. The tension grew thick in the atmosphere as they both finally felt their barriers melting and their gazes met in a tender, longing lock.
"I guess there's worse people I could be stuck here with," she said with a grin, "Even though you are a big Stinkbrain."
He let out a boisterous laugh. "Yeah, but I know you love me."
Her gaze softened and she shook her head. "Of course I love you, Ralph."
They turned away from each other, both blushing, and stared around at the beautiful scenery surrounding them. They sat still and listened to the cheerful melody of jungle life as it sounded off to the beat of its own messy orchestra.
"You know," Ralph began, breaking the silence. "Ever since you came glitching into my life, Vanellope, nothing's ever been the same...My whole system, my whole way of being. You glitched it all up." He looked at her with a smile. "You were the first person to ever accept me...to be my friend. I value that friendship more than anything else in this entire arcade."
She grinned back at him as her eyes gleamed lovingly. She could feel them begin to sting with the threat of oncoming tears, though this time was much different from her suppressed crying a few hours before.
"Ralph," she croaked out. "I feel exactly the same. I am so, so glad you came tumbling into Sugar Rush that day. You...you saved me. Without you I would still be living in Diet Cola mountain..I would be friendless, and alone, unable to ever leave my game. I wouldn't have become a racer, and I certainly wouldn't have become Queen or President. You're the first person who's ever shown me kindness. I am so, so thankful for you, Ralph."
The two edged closer together, and she pressed her cheek gently on top of his shoulder. They sat for a few minutes in companionable silence.
"Do you wanna move on or stay here?" He asked her.
"Let's stay here," she answered. "I'm tired and besides, if they do eventually come looking for us, it'll be easier for them to find us this way."
Meanwhile, on another part of the island, Rancis, Taffyta, and Candlehead were all lined up together at a tropical themed bar, clinking their glasses of mixed drinks together triumphantly.
"Woohoo!" Taffyta exclaimed, taking a sip of her margarita. "We've finally gotten those two lovebirds alone and lost together. And judging by the looks those two have been giving each other all day, those confessions are bound to spill in no time."
"And it's almost four," Rancis announced, grinning broadly as he looked up at the sky. "Let's give them 'til sunset before we go looking for 'll give them plenty of time."
"Ah," Taffyta breathed. "Isn't that so romantic? Sitting alone together watching the sunset…" She trailed off, staring dreamily into the distance.
Candlehead and Rancis exchanged a look. "Since when are you interested in romance?" The green haired girl teased, giggling softly.
Taffyta's cheeks heated up immediately. She couldn't help throwing a look quickly over at Rancis and turning back to her drink. "N-never!" She hastily replied. "I just-I mean-y-you know, for- for them of course! Not, haha...not me!"
Candlehead rolled her eyes and looked over at Rancis to see his reaction. However, he was staring at Taffyta wistfully, a small smile on his face. "Is that so?" He prodded.
"O-of course!" She defended, looking back up at him. They locked eyes for a few moments before they both turned away, cheeks pink.
Candlehead laughed quietly and shook her head. She looked at the drink placed in front of her that Taffyta had urged her to try. "Are you sure that this...mimosa...is any good?" She asked, sniffing it skeptically.
"Of course I'm sure!" Taffyta replied. "Go ahead and try it!"
Candlehead slowly sipped from the orange liquid. "Hmm," she murmured, "This is unlike anything I've ever had before, but...it's good!"
"Haha, told you so!" Taffyta laughed, smiling at her and trying to forget the momentary attention that had been placed on her feelings towards 'romance.' "I propose a toast," she stated, lifting her glass up above the counter. "To Ralph and Vanellope!"
Candlehead smiled, lifting her glass up as well. "To Ralph and Vanellope."
Rancis nodded in agreement and joined in. "To Ralph and Vanellope."
The three racers clinked their glass together and laughed cheerfully, sharing in joint excitement this moment of anticipation.
It was about five o'clock now, and Vanellope and Ralph sat in the same spot as earlier. Now, she was comfortable nestled into his chest, quietly dozing as he wrapped an arm around her to keep her up.
He himself hadn't been able to fall asleep. His heart thrummed loudly and consistently in his chest as he felt Vanellope's body heat seep into his own and he watched the slight rise and fall of her breathing.
He let out a deep sigh. I'm getting a little tired of sitting around here, but...I don't really wanna disturb her.
She began to stir in her sleep, slowly coming back into consciousness, and he let out a breath of relief.
"R-Ralph?" She asked uncertainly, blinking her eyes open and looking at him in confusion. "How long have I been asleep?"
He shrugged. "Probably around an hour," he conceded. Her brown eyes immediately grew wide.
"You let me sleep for that long?! And the others still haven't come to find us?!"
He chuckled softly as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Without thinking he kept his arm looped around her waist, keeping her pulled in close to him.
"Do you wanna go for a walk?" He asked her. "Something tells me they're not coming to find us anytime soon."
She nodded bashfully, beginning to realize the proximity between them. She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed, and bit her lip before looking quickly away.
"Are you okay?" He gently prodded. "Is there something on your mind?"
"N-no. I'm alright," she answered quickly. "A walk sounds great."
They both stood up somewhat reluctantly, and stretched out their tired limbs. "Ahh," Ralph let out a long sigh, reaching both arms out in front of him. "That feels much better."
"Where do you wanna walk to?" She asked him, trying to tear her eyes away from the sight of his toned muscles as he stretched them past her.
"I'll let you decide," he responded, redirecting the decision back to her.
She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "Alright you indecisive lug, let's go." She began walking off through what looked like a semi-clear path underneath an overhanging canopy of trees.
He followed closely behind, and they walked through the clear, nature-made path silently, enjoying each other's presence and the sounds and sights of nature around them.
At some point, Ralph spotted a particularly pretty bright red flower, poking out from among the leaves and branches. Without her noticing, he carefully picked it from its bush, and came up behind her.
"Vanellope," he called softly. She turned around to face him and smiled when she noticed the flower resting inside his cupped hands. "Come here."
As gently as he possibly could, he picked up the flower and tucked it tenderly behind one of her ears. He leaned forward in concentration, his face hovering just above hers as he secured the flower the best he could.
"There." He dropped his hands away from her face and looked down into her eyes. "You look beautiful, Vanny," he breathed lovingly.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she gave him a cheesy grin. "Thanks, Ralph."
For a moment they remained still, eyes locked, before pulling away and resuming their walk.
For about an hour they walked aimlessly, easily chatting and laughing as they relished in each other's company, teasing and kidding with each other lightly.
Finally, they came upon a small clearing, that took Vanellope's breath away as soon as she saw it.
In the very center, there was a small pond, surrounded by bundles and bundles of beautiful tropical flowers of all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Several small butterflies flew around, alighting on the flowers for a few seconds before flitting off to find a new one.
"Wow," Ralph breathed, looking around in astonishment. "This is...gorgeous."
Vanellope began to walk forward, inhaling the sweet fragrant air as she approached the lively little pond. The ground was blanketed in soft grass and even more flowers. She watched her step carefully, afraid to step on and crush the pretty blossoms.
"Let's sit here awhile," she suggested, settling herself gently onto a patch of grass surrounded by blue and purple blooms. She stared out at the water, stretching her legs out in front of her. With her knees bent upwards, her toes just reached the edge of the pool of water. "Come sit with me," she said with a smile, patting the clear space next to her.
Ralph stood uncertainly at the edge of the clearing. "I don't know," he worried slowly, "Everything here looks so delicate. I'm afraid I might wreck it all."
Vanellope laughed softly. "Aw, come on, Ralph, it's okay. Even if you do smush a little flower or two, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure even I crushed a couple of them. That's the beauty of it all though." She looked around wistfully. "No matter how many of these flowers you step on, they'll just grow back."
He gave her his famous gap-toothed smile and shook his head. "Okay, okay, I'm coming."
He very carefully made his way across the clearing towards her, trying his best to avoid as many of the flowers as he could. He finally found himself settling down beside her, sitting as close as he possibly could to keep from harming the blossoms around him.
She eyed him warmly, giving him a teasing smirk. "For being such a big oaf, you're more gentle than most people I know."
He felt his cheeks flushed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, you must not know many people," he countered playfully.
She giggled in response, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.
They sat together in perfectly harmonious silence, gazing at the beauty of the jungle around them. The flowers and water seemed to glow whimsically in the rays of setting sunlight which caught them in its rays.
"Hey, Ralph," Vanellope murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Were you really joking earlier, when you said that-"
"No, no," he cut her off hastily. "I'm sorry Vanellope...I wasn't joking, though. I was just scared when you asked me about it. I didn't know what to say. The truth is," he turned and faced her, meeting her eyes with surprising confidence. She felt almost dazed at the nearness of his face to hers, and her cheeks flushed red. "The truth is, ever since this update...my feelings about you have changed a lot. I've always known I love you like a friend. I care very deeply about you and you're my dearest friend. But after you changed...well, it was impossible not to notice so many other things about you. You're incredibly beautiful, you make me laugh, you're intelligent and fiery, yet also sweet and sincere. There's something about you that makes me feel comfortable and nervous at the same time, and somehow...I love it."
She took in a deep breath as he furrowed his brow and kept his piercing eyes locked on hers. "Vanellope Von Schweetz," the world seemed to stop before his next words came out. "There's no denying I'm in love with you."
"R-Ralph," she felt herself begin to tremble as she slowly became lost in his fierce stare. He inched closer to her slowly and brought a large hand up to ever-so-tenderly cup it around her chin.
"Ralph," she began, a little more firm, "I'm...I'm in love with you too...By User, I think I've had a crush on you since before the update. You make me feel safe and special and worthy in so many ways and more than anyone else I've ever known. And I love being there for you and helping you when you feel down or alone. I just want...I want to be there for you and be your best friend forever. I feel like I can trust you, like I can lean on you and rely on you, more than anyone else."
"And I wanna be your best friend forever," he confirmed. "And I want to make you feel safe and protect you forever."
By this time her heart was pounding louder and louder with each passing second. She leaned towards him, and he carefully brushed his fingers over her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled sweetly, taking in a shaky breath.
"Vanellope," he murmured, closing his eyes and drawing close.
Their lips met delicately in a tender embrace, and he felt sparks of electricity shoot through his code. For an instant, she glitched out accidentally, feeling her code flutter in a confusing flurry of intensity and emotion.
He pulled back in concern, his face darkening rapidly. "A-are you okay?"
"Yeah," she assured bashfully, looking up through her lashes. "Sorry, I don't know what happened. My code just sort of-"
He cut her off with his lips pressed once more against hers, shushing her in the sweetest way he possibly could.
She felt herself melt into the kiss, scooching her body closer to his and resting her chest against his. He brought one arm up to place on her waist and kept the other one trained on her cheek.
His blood boiled and burned in the most pleasant way as he moved his lips slowly in time with hers. He could feel his code whir and jolt in excitement, coursing through his body in ways he never felt before.
Her dark hair fell out from behind her ear, and he brushed it back lovingly, pressing himself more and more into the kiss.
Finally, they separated for air, their breathing heavy and eyelids loosely shut. She could feel her very core shaking, and she looked up to meet his gaze. He smiled bashfully and she returned a grin of her own.
"Why does it feel like I've been waiting for this for so long?" He asked her, causing her cheeks to flush even darker.
"Probably because we both were," she teasingly replied, biting her lip in anticipation of his response.
Instead of saying anything back, he gently pressed forward into her, laying her down beneath him into a bed of flowers. She inhaled sharply at his actions, staring up at him with wide brown eyes.
"Have I told you you look beautiful?" He asked, staring hungrily into her face.
She gave him a nervous smile. "Yeah."
He supported himself with his arms on either side of her and dove in to meet her lips for another kiss.
She pressed into him just as eagerly, and their mouths slowly and searchingly moved against each other in a daze-worthy dance.
She could feel his breathing grow more labored as he leaned over her, and she could feel new warmth seeping throughout her entire body.
The butterflies danced around them in the air, and once in a while one would stop to perch upon Ralph's shoulder for a few seconds before floating away.
The passion in their kiss deepened, and every so often they would break apart to gasp for air, as if they were diving under the water and pulling up over the surface for a few seconds. With each passing minute, they found themselves getting more and more carried away by the intensity of each other's touch.
She tightened her grip on his shoulders, curling her toes in her shoes as he gently bit down on her lower lip, lightly scraping it across his teeth with just enough force to send hot tingles down her spine.
Ralph pulled himself away, only to plant small, soft kisses along her jawline. Unwittingly, she let out a small noise of pleasure, and he felt something twist deep down in his gut. He moved down to her neck, only hearing the pounding of his heart in his head and the soft moans he was eliciting from her mouth.
"Ralph... " She quietly called out his name, and he brushed the top of his nose back up the smooth white skin of her neck as he came back up to the surface.
She opened her eyes to stare into his, still panting and feeling as if her chest was going to explode.
He smiled bashfully as he tenderly wiped a few strands of black hair clinging to her forehead.
"Was that your first kiss?" He asked curiously. When she nodded slowly, he added, "I hope that I lived upto your expectations."
She felt a faint blush cover her cheeks. "Well, I never really had any expectations…" She murmured. "But I'd say you have nothing to worry about...was it your first?"
He nodded back at her. "I'm glad I could share it with you." He gently ran her fingers across her cheek, and she smiled as she leaned her face into his touch.
"Me too." She whispered.
In the distance, they could hear the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs, and Vanellope thought she saw the flash of a headlight break through the trees. "Looks like the party's over," she muttered sheepishly.
Ralph rolled his eyes. "Looks like a certain group of racers decided to finally come save us."
Vanellope giggled. "I'm not sure saving is quite the right word."
He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, and reached down a hand to help her do the same. They both rose to their feet and dusted any bits of grass they could find off of their clothing.
He stared at her wistfully as she fussed over her white sundress. "I love you, Vanellope."
She looked up at him in surprise and gave him her biggest grin. "I love you too, Stinkbrain."