Reviews :
faolan1230 : It's coming I promise! This is the chapter you want haha. Thank you so much! And yes, Tessa's like child, I run this show lmao.
Snake557 : hahaha y'okay?
Song Listened To :
Daylight by Foxworth Hall
*Chapter 188*
With a pop of rosey coding, a spark of an explosion, both Turbo and Berri came scuffing to the dark tiles underneath. Although typically used to navigating her own self through electric wires, via her own glitching abilities, Berri felt it odd to loosen up and allow someone else direction in said live-wired nonsense. She heavily panted and very quickly realized that Turbo was carrying her, bridal style, in his strong arms. She raised her eyebrows in poised surprise and peered up to Turbo's glowing eyes, and as their gaze softly met, the only sound present was their gentle panting. In their dim surroundings, Turbo huffed a silent laugh and nervously looked about, and though Berri's eyes were lost on his figure in a whole wistful show of unadulterated, enchanted disbelief that this incredible being was all hers, she flinched in surprise the second Turbo's gentle voice popped her shivering thought bubbles.
"Hopefully there are no cameras or anything here," Turbo whispered, and as he grunted a small noise, bent over and allowed Berri to a stand, on her heels, the two stood to correction as Berri finally looked about.
In the still dimness of Arcadia Station's nighttime drone of gentleness, she quickly noticed that her and Turbo were now inside Midnight Moon Theatre's closed, abandoned, glossy tiled lobby. Just beyond the arches was Arcadia's gorgeous, massive arena and stage, an amphitheater that bevelled into the ground, the stadium was only illuminated by any light the outside world let in, from the glass dome of the station, as well as any twinkling lights the station's nearby outlets emit. A dim, calm, serene presence in a once sunny, lively and loud setting, from previous in the day, both Berri and Turbo so quietly pressed to the final railing leading into the arena. Although there were proper stairways and alley ways that lead down into the vast amount of seating, in the arena, Berri stopped at the railing and gawked at just how small the stage looked, from up here. She finally eased Turbo a cute, snarky smile and shook her head.
"I feel really bad for the people in the cheap seats," Berri mumbled cutely, though just as Turbo scoffed a noise and was due to being quick to reminding Berri that there were massive projector screens for everyone to be able to see the stage properly, he flinched in surprise as she suddenly hoisted herself up onto the railing, cautiously swung her legs over, one by one, and sat down on the railing with her heels hooked to the bars below. Turbo was quick to urgently secure his large hands about her tiny waist and support her down to a sit, though he was sneaky in allowing his eyes to traverse her curvy body with a smug smile. Although he was happy to get a quick, cute eyeful, he immediately regret it due to the peachy glow his eyes now suddenly began to splay. As soon as she got situated, she cocked an eyebrow and shot Turbo a sassy, beaming smile, "You, uh, like what you see?"
"Yes, ma'am," Turbo staggered a bashful laugh as he pressed to the railing and eased into her right side. She breathed a small giggle and swung her arm over the broad of his strong shoulders, and though Turbo planted his right elbow to the railing and snug his cheek and hand into his palm, in a cute show of smiling, disgruntled defeat, he finally shot Berri a knowing side-eye and much enjoyed their close presence, "I keep forgetting my eyes do this stupid... Peachy blushy thing. I can't get away with anything, now."
"It assures me I'm doing something right, at least," Berri eased a cute giggle and shook her head, the two fully caught eyes, Berri was well aware the two were about to explode all over each other, the sheer amount of sexual tension was something so thick, they could easily cut it with a knife.
Turbo bashfully sagged his eyes to Berri's beautiful body and relished in her closeness, and though the two had the entirety of their glorious, destined stage and amphitheater all to themselves, Turbo began to feel his world bevel in on him, the dreaded elephant in the room, he inhaled a shaky breath and lulled his eyes closed in impending seriousness. He was very well aware the two left off on a very shaky note, and though he swiftly made up for it, by leaving the game, he was well aware the two still had more to discuss, a very sensitive topic now bubbling over, he was entirely thrilled they were all alone. He could feel Berri's soft eyes on him, her now gentle, still disposition silently understood the switch in gears, the tenderness in Turbo's slower body language, the long-blink of the peachy glow that began to dull to a muted, greying yellow. Berri inhaled a shaky breath and lovingly began to stroke the back of Turbo's head, she felt the softness of his dusty grey hair and relished in their quiet closeness, the adorable, faint, dark grey freckles underneath Turbo's eyes, she tenderly continued to pet the back of Turbo's head in a silent show of compassionate understanding.
"It's time," Berri quietly pressed, above a whisper, to which Turbo raised his eyebrows in exhausted nervousness and slowly stood up a bit straighter.
"Yep," Turbo silently chirped, he bobbed a nod and finally gave Berri his softened, golden eye contact, a melt of seriousness they now eased into, the finalization and maze-like treading through their very first big conflict, Turbo felt his heart thud with apprehension, though he knew they'd make it out the other end unscathed, this time, "Let's get to the root of this issue. Outside of... You wanting me to desperately leave Sugar Rush."
"That's already accomplished," Berri sighed wistfully, she twiddled the hair on the back of his head, "Something I... Am eternally grateful for."
"You're worth it, Bear," Turbo assured gently, "I'm... I'm so sorry I didn't really convey that sooner. You were waiting, so diligently."
Berri remained still and allowed Turbo to tenderly carry on, his eyes scanned their glorious stadium, high up in their perch, she sweetly smiled and relaxed in his loving grip about her lower back.
"This... Went a bit deeper than just having the courage to leave the game, and... I need you to know just... How badly you hurt me, by leaving," Turbo pressed as cautiously as he could, he nervously peered into Berri's eyes and sagged, "Bear, I... I need you to understand that I felt similar grief when Libby vanished on me, but... When you left..."
Berri frowned and knew the guilt, that she had been stuffing, was now due to overflowing, here. She exhaled a shaky breath and allowed Turbo to carry on, to speak his truth, and to get everything off of his chest.
"I... Have never felt such despair in my entire life," Turbo mumbled, though Berri largely frowned the second Turbo's eyes began to gently sag to that dreaded blue she didn't ever want to witness, ever again, "I... Reacted in such a way that pushed you away, that one morning you woke up in my bed, and if I could go back and react differently, I for sure would. I pushed you away, and... You had every right to up and run, like you did. I understand the sacrifices you've made for me."
"Please don't cry, you're going to make me cry," Berri staggered as both of their eyes largely welled with tears. They both scoffed shaky laughs at each other's expenses and tenderly wiped their eyes, and though Turbo's eyes dipped to a gentle blue, it was a fainter, foggier blue, not nearly as dark or aggressive as what Berri previous saw, all those weeks ago, "I... I wasn't sensitive to you, at all. I'm sure waking up to that sight, and everything the previous night entailed, I'm sure you were overwhelmed. I would've given you everything of mine, no matter what state of mind I was in. I was really hurt that you didn't seem to feel the same, but... The more I thought about it, the more I understood that it wasn't about you NOT wanting to swap codes with me."
Turbo lulled his eyes closed, eased a shaky breath through his nose and wiped the last of his tears from his cheeks. His eyes remained a frosty blue of a hopeful return of gold, though he peered his curious, bashful eyes tight to Berri's as she shakily pressed on, the look of utter sincerity in her gaze was enough to taste.
"You've been through so much, you swapped codes with someone and then was trapped with it for almost thirty years... You're scared to give up your coding, and..." Berri trailed off, shook her head and remained soft in their serious bubble of love, "I mean, the raw fact that I've come this far into our relationship, into our intimacy, is extremely telling. You trusted me, you hoped I'd be patient with you for a lifetime, and... I failed you."
"No, no, you... Didn't," Turbo scoffed, though his heart thud in grief as she gently tucked the back of her free hand to her mouth and grimaced a small cry into the sleeve of Turbo's red hoodie. Turbo shook his head and desperately tried to hold back tears as Berri's sweet little voice pressed a small whimper, tears spilled down her rosey cheeks, he narrowed his tender gaze and squeezed her a little close. He finally scoffed a nasally, annoyed laugh and jostled her in cute fervor, "We sort of failed each other, Bear, I think... That's probably not the last time it'll happen. We're gunna make mistakes."
"I just... Left you," Berri grimaced a harder cry and now covered her face, to which Turbo shook his head a little harder and largely tilted his head to gain her full eye contact, once and for all.
"Bear, the difference is that we've learned, we're here with each other, love, c'mon," Turbo cooed softly as he so tenderly removed her hand from her face, he was quick to tuck her beautiful blue hair behind her ear and gain glassy eye contact with her. He gripped her free hand jostled it for emphasis and whispered his fervent conclusion, "Here and now."
"Please give me another chance," Berri pressed through a tender hiccup, she bashfully glanced to Turbo's plump lips and exhaled a trembling breath through her wet mouth, she shook her head and lulled her eyes closed in soft defeat, "I'd love to redo what we had, I want another shot at your love. I want to earn that. I want to prove to you that I can bend to your needs, as you so diligently bent to mine."
"You've... Done a great deal for me, Berri, those needs of mine were selfish and shroud in fear," Turbo pressed warmly, he was quick to catch her tears at her jaw before they speckled to the tops of her bare breasts below. He eased a snarky smile and shook his head, "I was stubborn and selfish. I stepped out into Game Central Station and got weird looks and nothing more. You guys were right, all along, and... I'm so sorry it took me this long to believe you."
"Am I allowed to say that I told you so?" Berri wondered under her breath as she gave Turbo a gentle curl of a teasing smile, he rolled his eyes, grinned and looked off.
"Yes, you can," Turbo mumbled, though he raised his eyebrows in surprise as Berri warmly cupped her hand about Turbo's jaw and smushed her face into the side of his face. With a firm, loving few smooches into the broad of his cheek, she finally wrapped her arms about his neck and scooped him into as much of a hug as her sitting figure could afford. Turbo huffed a small chuckle of understanding and easily scooped Berri's upper body into his, he lulled his eyes closed and relished in the feeling of her face tucked into his neck, "That's yours to claim, I won't blame you. I know I can be frustratingly stubborn..."
"I'm not going to," Berri sighed in conclusion, with eyes shut, she sagged into Turbo's caring embrace and relished every second of it, "You've been through and done enough. I'm just... So grateful you're here, with me. There's no better way I could've seen this day going. It was a whole dream come true."
"... It was pretty fucking awesome," Turbo whispered in a hiss of entire, quiet disbelief, the two finally erupted into knowing laughter as the two pulled apart in softness, though he gave her a genuine, warm smile and shook his head, "You're worth every second of it."
"... I love you," Berri assured in teary warmth, she bobbed him a further nod of assurance and desperately tried to collect herself; Turbo beamed a wide smile, the peak of his canines, he aimlessly peered down to their twiddling fingers, in Berri's lap, as he inhaled a deep, confident breath through the expansion of his powerful chest.
"Ohh, I love you, too," Turbo stated through a wistful, heavy, completed sigh of full relief. He eased her a knowing, twinkling smile and was thrilled to see the cute curl of her lips, once more, "Let's... Make each other a promise, okay?"
"Okay," Berri hurried to confirm with a small nod, Turbo pat her hand warmly and looked down to the stadium's glorious, frozen stage.
"Let's promise... No matter what happens, no matter what stage of our relationship, no matter what bumps in the road we come to," Turbo gently carried, he peered into Berri's eyes with soft caution, "We stick together, no matter what. No more running off, no more ultimatums, no more hurt feelings. We just... Need to be open and honest."
"Deal," Berri assured, the two cutely shook hands on it, though Berri sneakily side-eyed Turbo and eased a toothy, cheeky smile, "ON that, then, I have a question I want seriously answered."
"Anything," Turbo agreed in confirmed warmth, though as Berri's face turned red, Turbo swallowed hard and knew just where this was going.
"How come you reacted the way you did upon seeing me in your bed, naked?" Berri daintily wondered, "Surely you've seen a naked woman before, did... You just not want to have had done or seen anything in such a way that didn't conform to your own timing?"
"Yeah, I... Had it in my mind that if and when we were to do ANYTHING like that, it wouldn't have been such a jarring surprise," Turbo mumbled cutely, he eyed Berri and softened, "Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled as hell, I just... Was upset because I did everything I could to be a gentleman, to tuck you into bed with warm clothes on, and then... To just wake up and see you in such a state in which I didn't leave you in previously, it just confused the pants off of me. Literally."
"I understand, I... Wait, y-you were... Naked WITH me?" Berri staggered in hot surprise, her faced turned beet red, to which Turbo choked a small laugh and looked off in whole embarrassment.
"Hoo yeah, full on," Turbo muttered, he grinned as Berri threw her head back and loudly laughed in whole surprise, Turbo choked a chuckle and shook his head, "I don't think I ever put on underwear so quick, I was so freaked out."
"I understand," Berri repeated through her wheezing laughter, she finally settled and beamed the widest smile through a sigh of collectedness, "I guess I should've been a ton more compassionate, towards you. I don't know what I was expecting... Maybe a bit more warmth, but, I could've easily supplied that as well."
"It's water under the bridge, now," Turbo stated through a chuckle, he shook his head and lulled his peachy-glowing eyes closed with cute delight, "We have a chance to start over, now... Th-that is... If you'll, well... Have me."
Berri smiled and gave Turbo a shimmering grin of tender understanding. She long-blinked a soft bob of a nod and assured him, in tenderness, that she was entirely lined up with his notions.
"I'd be honored," Berri whispered cutely, to which Turbo eased her a wide, closed-mouth smile and shook his head, as if to silently guffaw at her insanely sweet notions.
"The pleasure would be all mine," Turbo huffed silently, he looked down to the sprawl of dark, empty seats about them and inhaled a refreshed breath, "I think... There's probably something I'd want to accomplish before that, though."
"What's that?" Berri wondered, though Turbo shrugged and peered to her in cuteness.
"How about we footrace to the stage and I'll tell yah," Turbo stated in pure nonchalance, and though Berri opened her mouth to confusedly reply to him, she jolted in entire surprise the second Turbo suddenly peeled from her, though he made sure she didn't fall in the process.
"HEY!" Berri shrieked in giggling irritation as she began to climb down from the railing; Turbo's cute, masculine laughter could be heard trailing away and down the alley ways of main access to stadium seating, "That's not fair! You had a HEAD START!"
"You can complain or catch up, doll, choice is yours!" Turbo called after her, though Berri grit her teeth in entire irritation and finally began to peel after him; such speed gained was shocking due to the fact that she was wearing heels.
"If I break my ankle I'm blaming you!" Berri shouted after him as the two ran down the huge splay of seats, the stage was still far off, though they sprinted with whole delight as the sound of rushing wind whipped past their ears. Berri pumped her arms and was surprised to have caught up with Turbo, though she quickly peeled in a different direction from him once they came to a fork in the road. Knowing, full well, her path was closer to the stretch and splay of much narrower downstage, she wondered if this shortcut would be brought to her advantage. Like she suspected, she immediately scrambled up to the stage, with a choke of effort, clumsily got to her feet and raised her arms high,
"THE WINNER!"
"User dammit," Turbo huffed as the two loudly panted, Turbo finally found a side way up the stage and was easily beat, though he halted in the dead center of the stage and put his hands on his knees. He hunched over and heavily panted, "Holy shit, I'm never doing that ever again."
"What's wrong, old man, couldn't keep up? Maybe YOU'RE the one complaining?" Berri cutely stabbed with a shrug, though she breathed a sharp giggle the second Turbo's glowing glower of a gaze glossed the gorgeous stage and stabbed into her eyes in whole, playful annoyance. Berri twirled once, opened her arms wide and peered out to her empty stadium, the vast sprawl of empty seats, the gentle, dim glow of the station all about them, she inhaled a deep breath and relished in this feeling, "I can't believe this stage holds the most important moment of my life."
"What important moment?" Turbo wondered as he panted through his mouth, though as he moseyed down the near fifty-foot stretch of stage, to reach Berri, her blue hair glistened underneath the station's dimly twinkling area lights. He lulled his eyes closed as he desperately caught his breath, his heart raced for more than one reason.
"The moment you joined me on stage, and stayed," Berri's warm voice eased as she eventually caught her breath, as well. She lulled her eyes closed, head tilted up and out to the empty arena, her hands opened at her sides, she shook her head as she kindly continued, "I don't think I could've asked for a more memorable night."
"You CAN ask for that, y'know," Turbo mumbled sweetly, he was entirely thrilled her back was to him, she stood in solidarity in the narrow of downstage's strip of their glorious, temporary home. He felt his heart begin to flutter in apprehension, his trembling hand finally reached into his pocket, once and for all, and as he shakily grappled the little grey box in his possession, his golden eyes peered down to it in warm gratitude. He desperately tried to hide the tremble in his voice, he pressed on with such certainty, "Just... Say the word."
"I have all I need, Bo," Berri sighed wistfully as she shook her head, "All I need is you. What more is there to ask?"
"I think... Probably just one other thing," Turbo mumbled in shaky, silent, smiling delight as he so bravely got down on one knee, behind Berri, though with the gentle fall of his voice that Berri noticed, she opened her eyes in soft confusion and slowly turned around. With the sheer sight in front of her, the peer of Turbo's golden eyes up to hers as he diligently took a bended knee before her and sat readied with a grey little box in his hand, Berri raised her eyebrows in now world-shaking surprise, she covered her mouth amidst a silent gape of now trembling, unadulterated shock, she froze and peered hard into Turbo's eyes, and before she could utter him a shaky question of just what was happening, his shivering aura cutely ushered her a notion of love, "Berri, I need to ask you a question... And it's important, so... Please answer carefully."
"Oh my god," Berri huffed in shaky, teary delight as she furrowed her eyebrows and stood frozen in trembling surprise. She choked a silent, trembling giggle and shook her head as tears began to spill her cheeks, she repeated her silent notion as Turbo remained hovered right before her, though he cautiously reserved the little closed box in his possession.
"Berri, I didn't ever get a chance to do this last time, it was all too fast and too untimed that... I don't think I would've been in the right mindset. This previous isolation has given me time to think about what I really want," Turbo's deep voice staggered in whole, adorable terror, tears welled in his glorious, golden eyes, he hooked his sincerest gaze tight to Berri's and narrowed his eyes in warm plea, "... And, what I really want is you. Is us..."
Berri whimpered Turbo's name and crumpled into a few huffs of a silent cry into her hand. She shut her eyes tight as more tears spilled her cheeks, sat underneath the frozen, warm glow of Arcadia's lovely, dim light, the two shared their stage in loving solitude, a bubble of a moment they were now due to never forgetting. Berri reopened her eyes in unadulterated shock as Turbo finally opened the grey box and revealed to her the gorgeous, swirling blues, greys and golds of Ralph's and Vanellope's infamous cross-striped ring, a shred of confirmation assuring to her that this was the real deal, a massive honor to have such a rare material for a ring, she felt herself crumple even more as Turbo's shaky, teary, fervent voice pressed on in tender confidence.
"Will you marry me?" Turbo questioned in a lilt of sweetness, gentle certainty of her answer, he huffed a shaky, teary chuckle as Berri firmly nodded.
"Yes," Berri urged, she held her hands to the sides of her head, as if unsure what to even do with herself. Through her tears, she grinned wider than anything she ever had before, she peered into Turbo's eyes and conveyed further elated surprise as she rushed to confirm her answer, over and over, "Yes, YES!"
Turbo bit his bottom lip through a wide smile and, with a great amount of ease, he plucked the ring from its box, carefully slid it snug onto Berri's left ring finger and began to climb to a stand, upon slipping the now empty box back into his pocket. With every single last pixel of passion the warmth of Arcade had to offer, Turbo was quick to scoop his arms about Berri's middle and back, and as she did everything to grip her arms about his strong neck, the two lovingly collided into a passionate kiss, whisked away with their never-ending love, the tilt of their heads and the deep inhales through their noses, they eagerly sagged into each other, once and for all. Turbo could feel her smile against his, the tears on their cheeks mixed and melted to their jaws, the hot gape and press of their fervor began to mellow to a soft stir of warm, long smooches of their sticky lips. The two cutely began to laugh in the firm, loving presses of each other's lips, the flutter of their wet eye lashes, the two finally grinned toothy smiles of floored delight hovered tight in the gentle squish of their noses pressed together.
"Y-You're gunna be my husband," Berri whimpered in dainty, shocked delight as a few tears continued to roll down her cheeks, Turbo huffed a shaky, surprised laugh on her wet lips and kept his strong arms tight about her little waist.
"I'm not letting you get away, ever again," Turbo sneakily whispered on her lips, he tucked in for a few more kisses, kisses he absolutely couldn't resist, he smiled amidst their still gentle, unexpected smooches, "Mrs. Berri Black."
"Holy User," Berri wheezed a giggle and gripped her arms tighter about Turbo's neck, "I can't believe this..."
"I promise to be the best husband ever," Turbo mumbled cutely, to which Berri lulled her eyes closed in relief and sagged her shoulders.
"I don't doubt you for a second," Berri wistfully sighed, the two pressed their foreheads together as they remained close in their secret bubble of love, "I didn't think I could love you more than I already do..."
"Well, hold on to yourself, cause a code swap is going to knock you off your feet, then," Turbo muttered softly, Berri eased a wide, shy grin and was glad the two fell into adorable laughter together.
"I can't wait," Berri whispered, though she raised her eyebrows in cute, shy surprise and finally peered down to her gorgeous ring. She shook her head in warm surprise and relished in every single little thing this beautiful ring represented, "Babe, you... You ACTUALLY did it, you actually got the cross-striped bark?"
"Ho yeah, it wasn't easy," Turbo mumbled cutely, the two peered to her beautiful ring as she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I've never seen such colors on that tree," Berri prod curiously, her innocent eyes peered up into Turbo's as he inhaled a shaky breath and pressed on.
"This ring is from the tree's roots," Turbo cutely concluded, to which Berri's face sloped to further, bittersweet shock and delight. She rested her hand to her chest and ogled her ring with more fervor, "I felt... It's something that spoke over us, in more ways than one. It's..."
"So meaningful," Berri pressed, she took a firm step forward and gripped her arms about Turbo's middle with a squeeze, he easily gripped his arms about her shoulders and buried his face into the side of her head, "I love you, Bo... This is... MORE than anything I could've dreamed. I don't want this to ever end."
"It doesn't have to," Turbo whispered in dark, sultry delight, he lovingly tucked her beautiful hair behind her ear and gave her a sweet, conclusory notion, "This night is still young."
A/N : Y'all, Turbo's and Berri's code swap scene is 14K words long. And it's coming up, Chapter 191. And I LITERALLY cannot wait. It's been written for like a month now and I'm about to pull my hair out waiting for you guys to read it.
I also drew fanart for this chapter, the scene where Berri is sitting on the railings - it's on my IG username Vyntastic! :)
