A/N: Nothin' to say, nothin' to say.

Chapter 18: Speculation

Vanellope was trying to very casually catch a glimpse of her backside in one of the reflective surfaces on the candy stands. It was nearly time for the arcade to open, so she didn't have time to go up to the castle and find a discreet mirror. She jumped and tried to look normal when Taffyta came up.

"Soo..." Taffyta said with a grin.

"Sooooo, what?" Vanellope said in reply. Taffyta looked at her like she was impossible.

"Candlehead heard Snowanna talking to someone else about how she'd heard that you and Ralph were dancing at Tapper's. They said that you two were getting really... worked up. Soo... dish." Taffyta explained.

"...Oh." Vanellope replied.

This seemed like a really weird request. She seemed to know the basics of what had happened, what else did she want to know? Taffyta, seeing that Vanellope was confused, went on. Hoping to spur Vanellope into conversation.

"They said that it kinda looked like Ralph got all... excited." Taffyta said with a sly smile. "Did anything happen?"

Vanellope thought about what had happened a few hours ago when she and Ralph had been dancing. She couldn't think of anything particularly interesting that had happened in that time frame. Nothing really interesting had happened until after she'd gotten him home.

"C'mon sweetie. It's called 'kiss and tell'. Are you gonna or not?" Taffyta asked in exasperation.

"Oh!" Vanellope finally understood. "Yeah, sure, kissing. There was some of that." Vanellope answered.

"Great! Tell me all about it." Taffyta demanded, happy for having progressed the conversation.

"Umm... well..." Vanellope hesitated.

"Have you hit another snag?" Taffyta asked. "No wait, I know. It was really bad. I've noticed his breath, I bet that's a real turn off." Taffyta guessed.

"What? No!" Vanellope insisted. "His breath is fine! Err... well, you get used to it. It wasn't that, the kiss itself was fine." Vanellope rambled.

"So, what's with the face?" Taffyta asked.

"It's just... while he was kissing me. He, umm... squeezed." Vanellope said.

Taffyta looked at her, confused, for a moment. That really could've meant anything. But then Vanellope gestured a little and she got it.

"You mean your butt?" Taffyta asked, an eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Yeah. Is that weird?" Vanellope asked quickly. It'd really bugged her at the time, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Of course not. That's practically just an automatic reaction. Especially if you guys were getting kinda heavy." Taffyta dismissed.

"Oh..." Vanellope deflated. Had she screwed up? "Why do guys do that anyway?"

Taffyta shrugged automatically, then answered.

"I dunno. I guess it's because it's soft, and having a handle on it means they can push your hips closer."

"Hips?" Vanellope questioned. Suddenly the anatomy portion of the plugs and the sockets came back to her. She blushed completely red.

"Musta been a really good kiss, huh?" Taffyta smirked.

Before Vanellope could say much in reply a quarter alert sounded from the bullhorn.

+++[Fix-It Felix Jr.]+++

Ralph had to admit it, he was distracted.

His mind was mostly on Vanellope, and ways to dissuade her from her current course of action. Of course, as per usual, the part of his mind that wasn't occupied with that was thinking about their last kiss and when they might repeat it. He was always so conflicted.

Getting back on his immediate train of thought, he pondered the situation at hand in order to sway his own thinking in one way or the other. He'd kissed Vanellope. Not exactly intentionally at first, but also not reluctantly after it had happened.

Very not reluctantly. The very opposite of reluctant. He'd been totally into it.

"Clearly over that bit were I thought this was all weird..." Ralph thought in annoyance.

But when things had gone just a little past a quick kiss Vanellope had panicked. This reaction sort of undercut what Ralph had been thinking this whole time. Vanellope was still really young, and just a little naive, even despite her talk with Calhoun. The one Ralph refused to think about.

Ralph was coming to a simple conclusion, but he didn't really like it. Vanellope was just using this as another way to tease him. Not to be intentionally malicious or anything, she was just like that in general. If she found something that bugged him she would quite often exploit it. He evidenced this with the idea that her actions spoke volumes. She seemed to very much like kissing him and climbing all over him, but at his first sign of actual interest she'd jumped back.

Theoretically, the easiest thing to do about this, would be to draw a line somewhere. Anywhere. Specifically one where he wouldn't get unwillingly molested. But he was, of course, talking about Vanellope. She made setting any type of rule impossible.

So what he'd probably end up doing, unfortunately, is just putting up with it. Like he did with everything else Vanellope did. But this came with the caveat that he could never retaliate. Which sounded, to his brain, like cruel and unusual punishment. He was pretty sure he'd like this scenario to end up in any other way than that.

He was stumped. There honestly didn't seem to be any clear solution. Apart from, maybe, avoiding her like the plague. But that hadn't really worked before, so he didn't think it would work this time either.

He suddenly thought of another daunting prospect. He might actually have to talk to Vanellope about all this. About her actions and how they were effecting him.

"Oh god..." Ralph thought.

A quarter alert sounded and Ralph hurried into position.

"I'm gonna wreck it!" Ralph exclaimed as his line came up. Although the game clearly meant the building... Ralph was wondering if he didn't really mean something else entirely.

A/N: Oh no~! Ralph! Say it isn't so! You actually have to TALK to her?! OMGOMGOMG! ... And I'm freaking out just as much because I've got to write it. Stupid talking scenes, with characters who are all socially awkward.

Anyway, I got the impression that everyone was thinking that Vanellope was all... temptress-y because of some of the reviews I got, along the lines of "Oh Vanellope, she's so tricksy! She's gonna make Ralph kiss her! hee hee hee!" So yeah... my mistake I guess.

Umm... I guess that's the only review response I've got. You were all quite adamant about how I was wrong about you all thinking like that. Oh wait, I take it back.

jeh-nee - No! Ralph is way too straight laced and boring to be kinky!... yet. He just squeezed her butt. Which is, in my experience, just the reaction guys have to kissing. I've yet to meet a guy who wouldn't in that situation. Even if they deny it in comments.

Madame Octopi - I have incited the feels? Really? That's such a compliment. xD I'm glad you like the story so much.