Reviews :

BanannaSammich

: It's all good lol. And yes, Olly is a good papa :)

LyssDoodle : thank you! Yes. Ever expanding! :)

chuckiboo : you're deeeeeefinitely correct there. You'll get a small taste of the drama shortly here, the showdown isn't something that's going to simply be spanned over a few chapters, the story will get heavy, fast. But for now, enjoy the lovely string of these fluffy chapters while y'all can, you guys know how it goes xD


Song Listened To :

Treacherous by Taylor Swift


*Chapter 214*

With trembling hands she did what she could to conceal, Tatum tucked her beautiful, faded pink hair behind her ears, straightened her modest, white button down, shortsleeved shirt for the millionth time and took a gander at the skinny jeans she chose to wear; a small few tears in the knees, Tatum bit her lip and wondered if she should change, though she jolted the second Theo closed their tower's hefty door behind them and they were glossed in a world of morning sunshine. Theo raised his eyebrows in nervous, though excited, collected cuteness and gave Tatum a sweet smile. In the few seconds she had to assess Theo's adorable self, the catch of the sunlight in his vivid, emerald eyes had her heart fluttering. The honesty and humility in his demeanor, the gentle way his much larger hand came about her lower back to politely lead her down the tower's sunny, glossy stoop, and to the powered-down teleportation pad that was about two dozen feet from their door, she leaned into his lead, their bare feet soaked to the warm, sun kissed summer grass.

"Theo, I'm... Really nervous," Tatum finally admitted with a soft tone, she raised her eyebrows in humbled anticipation and looked up into Theo's eyes as they pressed closer to the teleport pad, en-route to making their way to Oliver's and Emery's lovely abode across the palace lot.

"That makes two of us," Theo chuckled, his deep voice lightly trembled, though he inhaled a deep breath and rubbed the back of his head, "My parents are super chill, you have nothing to worry about. I think this... Is just new territory for both of us, but... A-After last night, I'm surprised you're not running for the hills."

"... Wait, why?" Tatum wondered, the breath of her laugh held a push of fleeting confidence that visited only in this brief moment, long enough to sprawl an adorable, cheeky, fang-filled smile across her darker, rosy skin, "Theo, if you don't remember, I was the one, two nights ago, begging for your coding."

"Tatum," Theo huffed a cute, shy laugh, through a wide grin, as he looked off.

"Before Gunner and I even partook in any relations, we made STRICT ground rules that swapping wasn't wanted, or needed," Tatum pressed intelligently, she shook her head and was glad to catch Theo's eyes, once more, as they pressed closer to the teleport pad, "We sank into last night like quicksand, and I didn't hesitate. You really think, after something like that, I'd be running for the hills?"

"... I'm really sorry, I've just never done any of this before, I've never brought a girl home, I've never..." Theo trailed off, heaved a shaky breath and was thrilled the two scuffed to an easy halt right before the teleportation pad.

"We've gone farther in one night than I ever have, with anyone, in my whole life," Tatum eased tenderly, she gripped both of Theo's hands and was so glad to have his full attention, full eye contact, they melted into their sink of typical chemistry and couldn't help but sneak little smiles into each other's eyes, "I was willing to download literally everything you are. It probably would've been a little too quick, and... Although it wasn't something you enjoyed, I'm glad you code blocked. Because now I can go into this little meeting as myself, with my original coding. Your parents can get to know me for me, before, well... Before I download all of their powers, and before you download everything I'm made of."

"I understand," Theo nodded softly, he sagged his shoulders in warm relief and squeezed her hands, his twinkling eyes peered into hers with now boyish curiosity, "I guess it's probably for the better. Had we have code swapped, you would've dove into today with my grandfather's wrecking knowledge coming at you at one hundred miles an hour."

"And your grandmother's glitching lessons," Tatum and Theo fell into conclusory laughter with each other, the squeeze of their hands, they sagged into soft understanding with one another, "The right time will come... I'm really nervous because I've never felt as if I was good enough to bring home, to meet the parents. It's... It's a weird feeling, and I'm having a hard time accepting that I'm worthy of it."

"You are, without a doubt," Theo warmly urged, the sincerity in his tone was enough to taste, Tatum narrowed her eyes in his overflow of sweetness and smiled down to their bare feet.

"Those were my exact thoughts, about you, two nights ago," Tatum sighed with a lovely, relieved smile; she bobbed a nod and smiled into Theo's eyes, "I'm ready. Nervous, but... Ready."

"Me too," Theo agreed in conclusion, and as the two gently stepped on the massive teleport pad outside their tower, his lightly shaking hands cued up the list of places to teleport to, one of which being his parent's abode across the palace lot.

Theo inhaled a readied breath, lovingly gripped Tatum's hand and was floored to be bringing home the woman of his dreams, someone that lived up to expectations and flew right beyond them, and then some. He was well aware she'd be loved by his parents, though still, his stomach clenched with terror the second he sagged his larger finger into their unlocked teleport pad option, and together, him and Tatum were whisked away. Theo un-scrunched his face once their pixels were reorganized to his mother's and father's littler teleport pad. With the strange sensation of the sound change, in their ears, the windswept valley of Sugar Rush's palace lot lulled to the soothing sound of quiet, cute conversing in Theo's parent's kitchen, down the lovely lit front foyer and corridor of their home. The sizzling sound of delicious food on the stove, the smell of irresistible breakfast coat Theo and Tatum like a wall of welcoming goodness, this was something that had their eyebrows raising in childlike delight, their eyes stabbed into each other's with widening smiles.

Theo and Tatum eased silent little chuckles of knowing, dreamy delight as they marinated in Oliver's and Emery's lovely, cozy little foyer. In careful footsteps off of the now dim, smaller teleport pad, their bare feet easily sagged to soft, white, matte tiles. With the whole wall, to their left, entirely glass and showed a boastful view of Ralph's and Vanellope's massive cross-striped tree, the wall to their right was a lovely, darker olive green, neatly splayed with all sorts of cute family photos. Tatum raised her eyebrows in prickled delight and sagged her shoulders as the two took a few steps down the dozen-foot corridor, though their bare feet scuffed to a knowing stop. Theo looked off in bashful nervousness and felt his heart begin to race; the raw fact that Tatum was now getting a huge lesson in looking, a peak into Theo's lovely home life, his wonderful upbringing, the introduction to the two beings that created him, he politely tucked his hands behind his back and was well aware that this was all par for the course. He smiled and patiently awaited the questions Tatum would think up as she fingered her lip and cutely assessed the family photos.

"Theo," Tatum so quietly cooed, and although Oliver and Emery could be heard cutely bickering and laughing amongst themselves, deeper into their lovely home, Tatum scrunched her shoulders and remained almost silent in her words to Theo's still presence next to her, "You were such a cute little kid."

"Ham hands," Theo grumbled, his handsome eyes smiled into hers, he softened and watched her assess the multitudinous family photos on display, ones that had Tatum's cute smile widening ever more.

"Aww, is that Berri and Wren?" Tatum chimed, her voice got only a tiny bit louder and more confident. Theo only had to gloss his eyes to the picture in question, and in seeing the bright colors of his, Berri's and Wren's hair, Theo smiled down to his feet and nodded as Tatum leaned in and further assessed, "These pictures are so great, look how happy you guys are, here. That's Vanellope, right?"

"Yeah, she... She was giving me a glitching lesson, here," Theo huffed a kind chuckle and gestured to a picture of him and Vanellope; she had her majestic, purple coding all cued and ready to go, with little Theo looking on in anticipatory readiness.

"If you come just a liiiittle further, down this way, you'll find Theo's favorite picture ever," Emery's lovely, womanly voice cutely cooed down the corridor; Tatum and Theo perked up in soft, discovered delight, and though Tatum had the knee-jerk reaction to nervously introduce herself, to straighten her shirt and be a good example, there was something about Emery's disposition that radiated whole understanding. She wore a cute, peachy colored cooking apron, was holding a dirty spatula, her incredible, long, emerald green hair was tucked into a messy ponytail. She gave Tatum a kind, welcoming smile before she side-eyed her son and gingerly tapped the backs of her knuckles to the picture in question, to which Theo angrily covered his face and let out an entirely embarrassed groan of mortified distress, "I'd say it'll go down in history. I actually wanted to pull a prank on Theo and have it blown up in the rec-hall, but... Tessa kindly assured me that that'd be child abuse."

"Remind me to thank her, later," Theo grunted, and as the two softly approached the picture Emery was gesturing to, Tatum beamed a wide smile and nervously covered her mouth, due to the reveal of her fangs; nonetheless, she let out an easy laugh and was floored as her and Emery stabbed their curious, anticipatory eyes tight to Theo's.

"Aw, Theo, it's really sweet," Tatum cautiously eased through her giggling, in which she was thrilled his mother joined in on; said picture, in question, was a picture of baby Theo, a clear view of his rear, entirely covered in gooey fudge, especially in his hair.

"Pun intended," Emery bugged her eyes and bobbed Tatum a nod of affirmation, to which both girls fell into cute laughter with one another; Theo sagged his shoulders and let his aimless gaze peer to the picture in question, though his heart soared over the fact that his mother and Tatum were immediately bonding. Emery swat Theo's arm softly and grinned, a smile that easily had her eyes smiling along with it, something Theo was entirely good at, something he had obtained from Emery's magical aura. Emery continued in a grumbly fashion, "Getting all that chocolate out of your hair was all thanks to the code room. Nothing we did, outside of it, could've saved you."

"It was a fashion statement, should've just let me be," Theo complained with a widening smile, to which Emery rolled her eyes, shook her head and finally hooked her cute, attentive eyes tight to Tatum in motherly delight.

"I'm Emery, Theo's mother," Emery eased with great warmth as she gently put out her hand for a handshake, to which Tatum politely perked up and easily welcomed said soft handshake.

"I'm Tatum," She pressed in smiling reservedness; Theo could tell she was wrought with nervousness, though he felt bravery soak him in this weird instance of introductory titles and namesakes.

"... Theo's girlfriend," Theo finished, he could see Tatum want to put that connection together, for Emery, though was happy to help her with it; Tatum nervously nodded, gave Theo an apologetic smile and finally peered back to Emery with a sweet sense of humbled nervousness.

"Right," Tatum assured with a soft nod, she exhaled a silent, shaky breath and was thrilled when Theo so warmly held his hand behind her back, as if to support her, enough distance between them to be respectful though still enough to make clear that he was here for her.

"It's nice to meet you," Emery eased in soft honesty, though she gave Theo a snarky little smile and jostled the spatula around in a lazy fashion, "We've heard... SO much about you."

"Mom, you already tortured me with the picture, please... Please spare me," Theo begged quietly, to which Tatum grinned behind her hand, once more.

"Alright, alright, I'll spare you," Emery cooed cutely as she began to walk away, though she gestured for the two to follow, "But your father won't."

"What am I not sparing you from?" Oliver's deeper voice urged from across the corridor's eventual span to a smaller foyer and a more open floor plan right into their lovely kitchen; Theo tidied his thick, muted, dark green hair and, upon rounding the corner with his mother and Tatum, he caught eyes with Oliver, across the way, in a pleading fashion. Oliver perked up and caught on to Theo's silent plea and diverted his attention to Theo's brand new lady. Oliver allowed a wide, welcoming smile to cross his face as the group filled their gap, "Embarrassing you in front of your new girlfriend? No, your mother and I have been dreaming of this moment for your entire life. Buckle up, kid."

"Blink twice if you want to leave," Theo muttered down to Tatum, though playfully loud enough for everyone to hear; it was here did Tatum let an unreserved laugh escape her, and though she had the knee-jerk reaction to cover her fangs, she scrunched her shoulder and felt a weird ripple of welcome finally course through her as Oliver finally came into their bubble.

A much larger creature, from Theo, Tatum could easily see just where Theo got his stature and build. Although much taller and bigger, Oliver approached with such care and gave Tatum a loving smile. Hands easily twice as large as Theo's, being Ralph's first son, Oliver did everything he could to come across as tender and gentle, to the much smaller woman, in Theo's care. Although he held his much larger hand out for a handshake, he was thrilled when Tatum cautiously sagged her much littler hand into his.

"It's so nice to meet you," Oliver pressed with a wall of warmth, his honey brown eyes held the same depth and sincerity Theo's held, and although in the proper grip for a handshake, Oliver opted to just barely squeeze Tatum's much smaller hand in a grip of assured welcome, instead of a handshake, "I'm Oliver."

"Prince Oliver," Emery teased in a pompous tone as Oliver and Tatum released hands; Oliver stood up straighter and gave Emery a look of incredulous delight.

"Stop, not here," Oliver guffawed with a wide smile, the typical gap-toothed look Ralph had easily gifted his kin, Emery freely giggled and began to scoot back to the kitchen with the patter of her bare feet, the soft flow of her casual, cream colored summer dress, Oliver innocently watched her leave and finally began to back-step, so to follow Emery back into the kitchen, "C'mon, guys, y'hungry? Got a huge day ahead of us wreckers."

"I-I'll gain an appetite soon, I'm sure," Theo mumbled cutely, he lovingly waited to press on, so to make sure Tatum wasn't the last one out of the foyer.

He cutely rested his fingertips on her lower back, once more, a silent way of assuring her that he was here for her, adamant about her comfort, here. Tatum gave him a grateful smile and easily soaked into Oliver's and Emery's lovely kitchen, with Theo tight by her side. He quickly pulled out one of the bar stools, at their lovely, white kitchen island, and allowed Tatum to sit first. Although due to sitting sometime shortly, he remained next to Tatum's right side, stood loosely next to her. Certain to make sure she felt a comfortable, easy sense of camaraderie in this vulnerable situation, he was thrilled his parents were being so easy going. Although Theo knew they'd be relaxed and easy to please, he was thrilled it was all coming to fruition in a much easier way.

"Y'better, dude, dad's not gunna let you sit out, y'know," Oliver grumbled as he waggled his much larger finger at Theo, across the kitchen; Emery tended to some sizzling bacon on the stove, a smell that had Theo's eyes fluttering.

"That smells good, mom," Theo assured in a mumble of warmth, to which Emery flashed him a kind smile over her shoulder.

"Thanks, baby, it's almost done," Emery assured in a chirp of cute, motherly delight. She turned her back to the group, and although she continued to tend to what she was doing, and Oliver began to nose through the fridge for condiments, due to the omelets also being made, Emery carried on with their casual conversation, "Y'gunna join us today, Tatum?"

"I am," Tatum chimed in positive, nervous delight. She scrunched her shoulders, glanced up to Theo and bashfully grinned back down to their lovely, glossy white counter's island, "I really have no clue what to expect, but I'm sure it'll be great."

"Oh, it's great, it's not just about destroying stuff," Oliver prod proudly, he finally closed the fridge, after littering the island with a few condiments and pancake toppings, "Mom and dad always makes sure to teach us something valuable about wrecking."

"Ralph and Vanellope," Emery added for Tatum's sake, so she knew just who Oliver was going on about.

"Oh, right," Tatum followed along with a nod.

"I sometimes join, but... I think I'm going to be a spectator, this time around," Emery sighed as she turned back to the stove, though Oliver sagged his shoulders and lofted his pleading, sorrowful gaze to his bride.

"Aw, Ems," Oliver complained, to which Emery pointed the spatula in Oliver's direction, causing him to suddenly flinch.

"No, don't 'aw Ems' me, Olly, you know what happened last time," Emery snapped with a cheeky smile, a smile that had Oliver cracking past his puppy-dog eyes and crumbling into laughter.

"Oh, whatever, you're just upset you lost," Oliver mumbled as he leaned on the island and caught eyes with Theo and Tatum.

"Dad, you're like eighty-two times bigger than mom, of COURSE she lost," Theo blurt with a hearty laugh, to which everyone erupted into solid laughter.

"Me and Tatum will be critiquing on the sidelines," Emery loudly chimed through the tail end of her giggling, she prepared a large plate full of bacon, on the island, and eyed Tatum in sweetness, "Spectating wall flowers. You boys can beat your chest and out-glitch each other and what have you."

"Whatever, it'll still be fun," Oliver mumbled in warm defeat with a nod, though as Emery checked her phone and began to set out more plates, due to Berri and Turbo eventually joining the four, Oliver softened and gave Tatum and Theo a kind splay of warmth, "So, Teddy and Tatum, how did you two meet?"

"... Oh, User, I think... It was the morning we came home from Castle Run," Theo prod softly in curious searching as he looked down to Tatum. She raised her eyebrows in equal amount of searching and cutely peered up into Theo's welcoming eyes, "Berri kind of... Adopted you."

"Yeah, she told me I had a bit of a secret admirer in Theo," Tatum eased sweetly, she gestured to Theo and glanced up into his eyes, "He came back to the tower the next morning, and..."

"He probably didn't say a single word to you strictly for being so star struck, please tell me that's what happened," Oliver begged quietly, to which Tatum covered her mouth and blurt out into hard laughter as Theo grinned, rolled his eyes and looked off.

"OKAY so I had a celebrity crush for a long time, can we, like... Acknowledge that that was a thing once upon a time and is now the real deal?" Theo rushed in urgency, though his grin assured to his parents that he was quite enjoying all of this.

"That's pretty cool, though, Ted, I mean how many people does that happen to?" Emery chimed warmly as she shrugged and looked up from her text conversation with likely Berri.

"Seriously," Oliver agreed, "So, when you say Berri adopted you, what... Exactly does that mean?"

"Oh, well..." Tatum tried not to sag her shoulders, she felt her heart begin to surge with urgency, and though she opened her mouth to bravely begin explaining just why she was homeless, the terrible act of pick-pocketing Berri, she huffed a faltered breath as she could feel Theo's loving hand ease to her upper back in further support.

"You... Don't have to answer that, if you don't want to," Theo assured, to which Oliver raised his eyebrows in sorrowful apology.

"Oh, no, don't mind my questions, if it's personal, you don't have to tell me," Oliver rushed to assure, in which Theo gave him an apologetic smile.

"It's just a lot, I-I don't mind telling," Tatum eased honestly, she finally peered to Theo and gave him a sweet nod of assurance, as if to silently thank him for being so protective and attentive, "I mean, the short of it is, I was homeless in EZ Living and Berri took me in."

"Homeless," Emery stated with a hard frown as she locked her phone and sagged it to the kitchen island, "Gosh, I'm sorry..."

"Well, you're here now," Oliver chirped in delight as he gestured his larger hands outwards, "You're in good hands, here. That's all that matters."

"Agreed," Tatum sighed with a smile of relief, she was eternally grateful Theo continued to keep his stance to her right, a loving show of supportive camaraderie.

"Hellooo," came the loving, gentle trail of Berri's voice from across Oliver's and Emery's sunny home; Theo perked up with raised eyebrows and tossed his eyes across the kitchen and foyer, the sight of Berri and Turbo very slowly and cutely welcoming themselves into the home Theo grew up in had Theo nearly beaming from ear to ear.

"Hey, c'mon in guys," Oliver stated happily as he stood, and as Berri and Turbo made their way in, barefoot and ready for the day ahead, murmurs of gentle, separate conversation began to fill the air as Berri and Emery began to chit-chat, while Oliver and Turbo firmly shook hands and partook in rather boyish banter. In the settle, Berri finally plopped down next to Tatum whilst Turbo dutifully sagged to the island's counter adjacent from where Theo was standing. Oliver stood across from them in poised cuteness, he inhaled a deep breath and eyed Turbo in cute understanding, "Alright, my guy, you have a HUGE day ahead of you, think you can handle it?"

"I'm genuinely pretty nervous, I'm not gunna lie," Turbo mumbled as he rubbed his hands together and softly glanced to Berri and Tatum's adoring, sweet, twinkling eyes.

"You'll be fine," Theo assured as he pat the middle of Turbo's broad back.

"You're in very good company," Emery sweetly assured as she bobbed a nod and glanced to Turbo over her shoulder.

"What're you nervous about?" Oliver questioned in softness as he crossed his much bigger arms and allowed his welcoming air to seep to a palpable degree of warmth.

"Well, I guess... It's sort of been easy for me to control and hide emotion, I've come THIS far, into my life, doing everything I can to stifle everything," Turbo's deep, patient voice explained, the tender gesture of his masculine hands, everyone inside Oliver's home honed to the cautious words coming from Turbo's still figure, "I know with... Wrecking, it can be, well..."

"Explosive," Theo warned with a soft nod, he eyed his father as if to assure that he was most certainly being serious.

"I mean, I've only once witness Berri wreck out of pure anger, and..." Turbo tightened his lips into a grimace, tendelry gestured to his own broad chest and let his golden eyes gloss the island's counter before him.

"Y'got a lot inside that chest, of yours," Oliver huffed quietly with a gentle nod of understanding as Turbo exhaled a shaky breath and looked off in full, almost sheepish humility. Oliver's much bigger body huffed a chuckle of understanding as the group softened for Turbo's very real worries, "Not only are you in good company, you have the best teacher in this whole entire Arcade."

"Ralph's gunna make sure you walk away from today feeling confident in your new abilities," Emery warmly assured, she gently rested her hand to Turbo's upper arm in a show of camaraderie, "As a fellow gamer who gained wrecking powers through a code swap, Ralph made sure I had wrecking down in such a way that didn't utilize stuffed anger."

"Think of it like a therapy session for your coding," Berri chimed gently with a nod, "Grandpa does his best to make sure he digs out whatever could potentially make you angry, whatever could make you fuel wrecking with hate or vengeance."

"It's a slippery slope, wrecking is destructive, as is anger and blind rage," Oliver shrugged, he looked down his large hands and softened with a moment of tender silence. He furrowed his eyebrows and gently peered about the group, "The man started a trend, he helped create this now massive group of eclectic gamers with the one thing that has seen all of us through, the one thing that we've witness stamp out anger and hatred."

"... Love," Berri cutely lilted with a shrug of her shoulders, something that finally had everyone showing their teeth in smiling understanding; Turbo softened and peered his nervous eyes tight to Oliver's in needy affirmation.

"You're gunna get a whole show of it, my guy," Oliver assured as the whole group mumbled cute notions alongside little chuckles of agreeing, "Your coding is going to feel as though you just ran ten marathons, but he'll pull you through the other end of it a changed man, I can promise you that."