*Chapter 5*
Without words, Ralph and Taffyta marched to the Power Strip station. They got on the train as fast as they could, hoping there would be no delays. Ralph felt bad sitting with Taffyta, he felt as if she was holding a misunderstood grudge on him, and talking to her was hard. She often would ignore some of the questions Ralph had. She'd bark snide remarks at him if he even slightly mentioned the fact that he missed Sugar Rush, and Vanellope. She would scoff and tuck her nearly white hair behind her ears; her lips pursed hard over the lollypop stick hanging out of her mouth. Her piercing blue eyes were like ice. Ralph knew she was protective, but he figured the two girls had grown close over the years. He understood why Taffyta was being so cold, because her friend was hurting, but Ralph knew this all was a misunderstanding. He fidgeted in his seat, eager to finally set things straight with Vanellope.
The two finally made it to End of Line Game Station. The last half of their train ride was spent in nauseating silence. As much as he tried to plead and question why Taffyta was mad at him, she wouldn't answer. She was great at putting up a strong, defensive front. Ralph had to feel grateful, way deep down, for the fact that Vanellope has landed a loyal and trustworthy friend out of Taffyta. Through all the junk the two have been through, he was thrilled to see that she had come around and was sisterly towards Vanellope. In this case, however, it annoyed Ralph to no end.
"Taffyta, is this just a set up?" Ralph suddenly barked as the two entered Sugar Rush's rainbow road entrance. Taffyta shot him a dirty look.
"Do you really think I'd drag you all this way just to torture you, Ralph?" Taffyta snapped, "I want nothing to do with you. The fact that Vanellope practically begged me to come get you should show you at least something about my character, guy."
"Hm," Ralph chuffed, though nodding a little in agreement with Taffyta. The two quickly trekked down the rainbow road and off in the direction of the castle.
"Will I get in trouble for being here?" Ralph questioned as he looked around. There was no one in sight.
"Everyone is likely asleep," Taffyta stated as she straightened out her comfortable, dark pink hoodie short sleeved shirt, "I chose to come get you right before everyone trailed off for a reset so that no one would really see me sneaking you into our game."
"I don't know why I'm being treated like an enemy. That fact that you have to 'sneak' me in is a little insulting considering I used to be here every day," Ralph mumbled. Taffyta whirled around, fury written all over her face.
"Listen here, Wreck-It," she suddenly barked, pointing a firm finger upwards at Ralph, "You WRECKED my sister's heart. You know full well what you did, I don't even know why Vanellope is up for giving you a second chance. The fact that you think you can just ditch your best friend without repercussion, or guilt, makes me wonder if your heart is just a selfish black hole."
"So I overslept!" Ralph hollered as he weaved his way around Taffyta to continue their march up to the castle, "Seriously, is it just me, or did you all become extra sensitive with this sugary update of yours?"
"Maybe you're the one who needs an update," Taffyta snapped; her medium length, low ponytail flicked quickly as she gestured her arms out towards Ralph.
"I'm sure Vanellope isn't that selfish. Surely she will understand," Ralph chuffed, his pace quickening as they slowly approached the large, white castle.
"Yeah, we'll see who has the last laugh, Wreck-It," Taffyta mumbled.
Ralph whirled around and pointed a finger in her face this time. "The name's Ralph, you little twerp," Ralph barked. He turned heel and continued his fast pace. He almost felt bad for being so rude, but he couldn't help but feel he was under attack for wrong reasons. Taffyta just scoffed and followed closely behind him.
"Is Vanellope waiting for me?" Ralph asked after a long few minutes of silence between the two. They both finally approached the castle doors. Taffyta stepped inside, followed closely by Ralph.
"Yes, she's upstairs. Follow me," Taffyta stated blankly.
Ralph stepped inside and let his eyes adjust to the indoors. The castle certainly looked different. With the update, it looked as if Vanellope had gotten rid of the pink color choice of wallpaper and replaced it with modern, pearly white walls with delicate mint green and cream tile. She had done well for herself, for her castle, and for her game. Ralph smiled and looked all around, admiring her work and taste. Taffyta lead Ralph to a small spiral staircase that was slightly hidden away. Taffyta began to climb it; Ralph clumsily followed her in silence. He could slowly begin to feel his heart gather in his throat as the two quickly approached Vanellope's bedroom door. It was a large, round door, just big enough for Ralph. It was a birch door, beautifully laced with a signature Sugar Rush design, swirls and delicate touches of mint greens and teals. Her bedroom was tucked away, high in the castle. A proper perch for a princess.
"Don't mess this up, Ralph." Taffyta said as she held her hand over Vanellope's bedroom door handle. She slowly opened the door and stepped aside so Ralph could go inside. The heavy door slowly creaked open.
Ralph suddenly felt nervous, almost as if he was about to step into the lioness's den. He very carefully stepped inside; the room was beautiful. Soft, cream curtains and a beautiful white, mint green and teal bed display made the room look gentle and welcoming. Sugar Rush's warm ambience filled her room with a velvety sweet touch.
He felt at ease, as if every worry was suddenly gone. Her room was very large, high ceilings with one single, small chandelier. At the far end of her room were two tall French doors, which were wide open, letting in a gentle draft. The doors led to a small balcony, where Ms. Vanellope resided. She was standing relaxed, gazing over her land. Ralph smiled and took in the sight of her for a second.
Her silky black hair was down, combed through and candy-less, it ran down to the middle of her back. She wore her usual green hoody, but was in a more comfortable pair of pants; she was also shoeless. Ralph silently chuckled and shook his head, figuring she was kicking back after a long day of racing. Ralph slowly stepped closer, hoping not to scare her. He turned to look back at Vanellope's door and noticed that Taffyta was perched outside of the door, obviously planning on eavesdropping. Ralph rolled his eyes and let it happen. He figured he had nothing to hide, everything was about to all come pouring out. Might as well have a witness.
"Vanellope?" Ralph said very gently, feeling his face suddenly get hot. Vanellope whirled around and held eye contact with Ralph for a few seconds before coming back into the room. She had a small smile on her face, as if she couldn't control it.
"Hi, Ralph," Vanellope said softly. She shoved her hands into her front hoody pocket like she always used to.
Ralph couldn't help but just stare into her face. Her voice was still the same, cute and almost obnoxious voice it had always been, but it was a tad deeper, more womanly. Her hazel eyes gleamed with hope. Ralph suddenly began to feel his hands shake. He never thought he'd be so nervous to be in her presence. Was it the fact that he hadn't seen her in ages? What did she think of him? How was this all going to end? He didn't want to lose her, not after all they've been through. Ralph inhaled a shaky breath and rubbed the back of his head.
"I-I, can see your game got an update," Ralph smiled, motioning his hand towards her gently, "You look great, Vanellope," he said sweetly.
"Thank you," Vanellope looked down and smiled, fiddling her fingers together in her pocket. She looked back up at him and looked over his familiar overalls and bare feet, "You haven't changed a single pixel."
"Yeahhh," Ralph sighed and looked around, "I'm not sure whether that's a good or bad thing," he chuckled.
Vanellope's smile slowly faded as she looked down, tilting her head to the side a little. She sighed gently and looked back into Ralph's eyes, her hazel eyes colored her welcoming, but she looked lost. As if her code had been replaced with question marks. Ralph's smile dropped as well; the whole room was silent for a handful of moments. A large, dewy cherry blossom tree outside her balcony could be heard gently rustling in the breeze.
"Ralph, how could you?" Vanellope said, almost in a whisper. Her face was sincere and honest. Pain was written all over. The dull, gentle air in her room remained a comfort. Ralph's expression saddened.
"I could ask you the same thing," Ralph stated softly but boldly. Vanellope immediately furrowed her eyebrows.
"I don't think you have room to feel comfortable in that position, Ralph," Vanellope quietly snapped. Ralph inhaled long and hard, throwing his hands up in the air.
"I feel like I am missing something important to this wild and twisted plot we've found ourselves in" Ralph said in a more confident voice, feeling irritated, though he forced himself to have all the patience in the world for Vanellope.
"You're missing the fact that you're a selfish jerk," Vanellope snapped as she stepped over to her dresser on the wall. She opened the top drawer and began rummaging through it.
"So I overslept! I don't think I deserved the reaction I got out of you, really," Ralph barked, trying to remain calm. Vanellope quickly turned back to him, her hands slammed to the top of the dresser.
"You think I actually WANTED to end a wonderful racing day with the horrible news of my best friend doesn't think we should be around each other anymore?" Vanellope hollered. Ralph flinched, surprised with how mature she had gotten. He couldn't wrap his mind around the idea of her being right at his level. He could no longer use the 'you're a little kid' excuse against her. They were both adults, and Ralph had to very quickly switch gears.
"What are you saying? I wanted nothing but to be with you more! You sure showed your desire to get rid of me, what with that stupid note you left Felix," Ralph snapped. He suddenly remembered the note he had placed in the front pocket of his overalls all those months ago. Ralph's facial expression showed surprise as he looked down at his chest to peak down into his overall pocket. Sure enough, the small, pink note resided there. Ralph slowly pulled it out of his pocket and opened it. The pink, frilly paper was faded and crinkled. It was in his pocket that whole time.
"What note! I wrote no note, Ralph!" Vanellope shouted, her hazel eyes wet with tears.
"Oh yeah?" Ralph barked as he shoved the pink note into Vanellope's little hands. Vanellope's angry facial expression quickly changed to saddened surprise. She delicately opened the note and read it silently to herself.
Ralph rolled his eyes and glared at the piece of paper in her hands for a short second before staring at her face, which was still focused on the note. Ralph immediately untensed and frowned. Vanellope's eyes billowed with big tears, ready to stream her smooth face. Ralph suddenly felt like a monster; Vanellope's shocked facial expression read more emotions than Ralph could count. He hesitantly cleared his throat and slumped his shoulders as he began to look around nervously.
"You uh, did write that, didn't you?" Ralph asked gently, his voice unsteady. Vanellope blinked a few times, sending the billowing tears shooting down her cheeks. She slowly looked up at Ralph through dewy eyes. She looked tremendously hurt. Ralph swallowed hard and gazed earnestly into her eyes as she inhaled a shaky breath and shook her head.
"R-Ralph, I didn't write this," Vanellope uttered, her voice cracking.
Ralph's eyes widened.
"Y-You, what?" Ralph stuttered in disbelief. Vanellope shook her head and threw the note to the ground. She quickly began to rummage through the top drawer of her dresser, her cheeks and eyes wet with tears. She quickly flung out a crinkled piece of white paper and reluctantly handed it to Ralph.
"I'm hopefully assuming you didn't write this note, either?" Vanellope asked, gazing up at him pleadingly. Ralph took the note from her and gently shook his head, gazing at her in disbelief.
"Dear Vanellope,
I'm writing this letter to tell you that I don't think we should be friends anymore. Ever since you became president, it's clear you don't have time for our friendship anymore. I hope you view this separation as something good, instead of something negative. We both need space. I need to focus on my game and making sure we don't get unplugged. A fancy, new game like Sugar Rush doesn't have to worry about such things. Our game is twenty years old, and I'm worried if I let my head get too caught in the cotton candy clouds, we will be out of commission. I hope you can understand.
Love, Ralph"
Ralph scoffed and waved the note to the side, giving Vanellope a surprised face.
"Vanellope, I didn't write this. Did you really think I felt this way?" Ralph laughed, "Whoever wrote this note isn't fully educated on how long my game has been around, either. We've been plugged in for thirty years, not twenty. That should've been your first clue, kid,"
Ralph warily smiled.
"Someone set us up," Vanellope said with a stuffy nose. She gazed down at the ground in disbelief, "I didn't trust my judgement… I thought that you wrote that note. I could've sworn you wanted nothing to do with me. I was almost thrilled when our game got moved, I was happy that you could roam Game Central Station without having to see my game anymore."
"Vanellope, your move killed me. I almost had a game over," Ralph chuckled and looked to the side, "You can ask Felix ALL about it."
"You didn't want me gone?" Vanellope said through a sniffle.
"Of course not," Ralph exclaimed, "You're the first person to show me kindness, and that's something you told me on the very last day we saw each other. There's no way I'm letting someone like that walk out of my life," Ralph said sweetly, but his facial expression saddened as Vanellope hunched over a little and put her face into her hands. She silently cried, her shoulders shook just barely. Ralph heaved a long sigh and immediately stepped forward. He gently placed his large hand onto her shoulder and upper back.
"Someone out there didn't want us to be together," Ralph said deeply as he gazed out Vanellope's large balcony doors, "I have to wonder who that someone is." Ralph pondered. Before he could say more, Vanellope suddenly pushed herself into Ralph's chest and hugged him around his center, her arms still too short to reach completely. Ralph beamed and chuckled silently, holding his arms around her.
"I can't believe we wasted all this time," Vanellope said into Ralph's chest, her voice muffled. "This all could've been put to an end if I just… Followed through, and actually forced myself to enter your game on the day I got your note." Vanellope slowly pulled away and inhaled a refreshing breath. She looked down at Ralph's lower chest and softly tried to wipe the water marks away that she had left from crying. She mumbled a small apology. Ralph gently tilted her chin up with one of his fingers.
"Next time something like this happens, we should just go straight to the source," Ralph gently suggested, "I'm not wasting another two years of my insignificant life wondering why my best friend suddenly doesn't think we should hang out," he chuckled. Vanellope finally let a small smile creep across her face.
"Vanellope, I found those special vanilla drops you've been craving," said Rancis, who had quickly entered Vanellope's room. He immediately stopped dead in his tracks and set down the bag of vanilla drops he had brought. Ralph whirled around in shock, both him and Vanellope froze.
"What are you doing here," Rancis said with hatred as he began to step closer to Ralph, his fists clenched. Ralph furrowed his eyebrows and immediately became enraged at Rancis' provoking hand gestures.
"I'd watch your step, kid," Ralph breathed in a low tone, his blood now boiling. Rancis continued to grow closer, his fists still clenched. Ralph could hardly believe he was being challenged by this guy.
"If you die outside your game, you don't regenerate," Rancis said in a deep, hateful voice with a smirk on his face. Before Ralph could even open his mouth to speak, Rancis drew a long, sharp object that looked to be cut from a candy tree. In one swift move, he swiped the side of Ralph's face with it, sending him crashing to the ground. Vanellope's gorgeous bedroom tile shattered underneath the crash.
"Rancis, stop!" Taffyta screamed as she barged into the room. Rancis whirled around and pointed his sharp sword at Taffyta, causing her to stop dead in her tracks.
"That's the last move you'll ever make," Ralph bellowed as he quickly stood up, fists clenched as tight as they could. Blood dripped down the side of his jaw.
"Guys, don't!" Vanellope hollered as she stepped in between Ralph and Rancis. She firmly put her hands on Ralph's powerful chest which was rising and falling quickly with fury.
"Rancis, he's not guilty, he didn't write the note to Vanellope!" Taffyta quickly begged, as if she couldn't get the words out fast enough. She gave Ralph a concerned, apologetic look.
"You have given this poor girl hell for the past two years, Wreck-It!" Rancis hollered, his sword now pointing up at Ralph's face. Ralph grit his teeth and nearly began to growl.
Ralph furrowed his eyebrows and gave him a look of death, "It's
Ralph, you son of a-"
"Everyone calm down," Vanellope hollered as she turned to Rancis,
"Rancis I should have you suspended from the races, do you have any idea how much hurt you'd put me through if your little stunt accidentally killed Ralph?" Vanellope was livid. She moved Rancis' sword out of Ralph's face and shoved on his chest.
"He practically ruined you!" Rancis defended loudly as he wobbled backwards from Vanellope's force.
"Get lost, Rancis! You're not doing anyone any favors by being jealous and acting violent," Vanellope said as she shoved on his chest again, scooting him closer to the door, "You're not my right hand man, Rancis, and I'm not your girlfriend. If I wanted you as King of Sugar Rush, trust me! I'd tell yah!" Vanellope sneered sarcastically.
Rancis glared at her, blood dripping from his sharp candy sword,
"Vanellope, I-"
"Beat it, Rancis!" Vanellope hollered, giving him one last shove out her door. She slammed her heavy door and locked it behind him, putting both her hands on the door, making sure it stayed shut. The room behind Vanellope was silent, much to her surprise. She slowly peeked back over her shoulder, hesitating at first. Both Taffyta and Ralph stood, staring at her. Taffyta looked horrified, Ralph on the other hand portrayed a dozen different emotions. All of which were negative.
"I'm, so sorry," Taffyta said in shock, those words being the only words she could utter. Vanellope shook her head and quickly made her way to Ralph, who was fuming.
"Ralph," Vanellope said in a high, concerned voice, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Ralph breathed as he tried his best to relax. He reached up to touch his cheek and winced before looking down at the ground beneath him. His heart wrenched at the sight. He quickly shot Vanellope an apologetic look.
"Vanellope, I-I'm so sorry," Ralph said gently as he gazed down at Vanellope's shattered tile. Vanellope sighed and smiled a little.
"Well I guess this means Fix-It will just need to pay us a visit, sometime, as well," Vanellope smiled up at Ralph, her face sincere yet full of concern.
"He really got you good," Taffyta said gently as she stood next to Vanellope to examine the gash on Ralph's jaw. It wasn't too severe, but blood trickled down to his neck.
"We should get you cleaned up," Vanellope suggested. The three quickly made their way to Vanellope's bathroom. Ralph awkwardly hunched into the bathroom, following close behind Vanellope and
Taffyta.
"Sit here, Ralph," Vanellope said sweetly, making room for him on the bathroom floor. Her bathroom was an even more glamorous pearly white than the rest of the castle. It was flawless, as if touching a single square inch of the place would taint it. Ralph was careful not to break or touch a single thing.
Vanellope quickly wet a cloth in the sink as Taffyta casually sat on Vanellope's vanity bench. Ralph sat helpless on the floor and heaved a long sigh. His large arms and hands awkwardly in his lap. He gazed at the pearly white tile beneath him, his heart still racing.
"I can't believe Rancis," Taffyta stated softly as she got comfortable,
"I can understand his frustration, but to flat out attack Ralph with his sword like that?"
"I'm about to banish that guy, Taffyta," Vanellope said sharply, as if she had said this to Taffyta before, "I don't care if he has nowhere to go, he's not allowed to be violent towards my friends. Even if he
DOES think they've wronged me."
"He didn't know," Ralph stated calmly, "No one really had time to explain to him what was happening."
"Not to mention the way he caught you two," Taffyta muttered with a smug smile. Ralph looked at her in a confused manner.
"Wait, what?" Ralph questioned as he could feel his face get hot.
"Don't even get me started," Vanellope scowled as she rung the wet cloth out and made her way over to Ralph.
"Ralph, I'm really sorry for treating you so poorly," Taffyta said quickly, as if it was too much for her mouth to process, "I-I… I just was doing what any protective friend would've done, surely you understand, don't you?"
"It's okay," Ralph said, wanting to be annoyed, "I figured there was a big misunderstanding hidden beneath all of this."
"I still want to know who wrote those notes," Vanellope said deeply as she sat on the edge of the bathtub right next to Ralph. She scoot closer to him with the wet cloth, prepared to clean up his wound.
"Do you think it may have been someone from Sugar Rush?" Taffyta suggested as she crossed her arms.
"I doubt it," Vanellope frowned as she gently began to clean the dried blood off of Ralph's neck, she put her free hand on the center of his strong chest to steady herself, "Everyone here knew and loved Ralph, why would someone here do that?"
"Maybe it was one of your friends, Ralph?" Taffyta suggested as she shifted on the bench she was on. She hugged her knees to her chest and gazed at Ralph earnestly for the first time all day.
"I don't believe so," Ralph breathed, "Calhoun and Felix both love Vanellope. The Nicelanders aren't smart enough to pull something like this."
"Maybe it was Turbo," Vanellope chuckled in a way that made Ralph's heart swell with remembrance. Ralph glanced at her with a smile and chuckled along with her.
"Turbo," Taffyta chuffed with a sarcastic laugh as she rolled her eyes.
"You never know," Vanellope said playfully. She gently began to prod at Ralph's gash with the wet cloth. Ralph winced and slightly ducked his head away from her. She gently continued to try to clean it, but Ralph kept evading her. Vanellope laughed and gently grabbed Ralph's shirt.
"Ralph!" Vanellope laughed as she wobbled, causing a wide grin to appear across his face.
"It hurts," Ralph said seriously but smiled in Taffyta's direction, hoping to avoid Vanellope's cold, wet cloth. Taffyta wrinkled her nose and laughed at Ralph's measly attempts to avoid her sister.
Vanellope gently put her hand on Ralph's other cheek and made him face her.
"C'mon, just a little more," Vanellope said quietly with a small smile.
Without thought, she kept her free hand on Ralph's cheek and stared intently at the gash on his jaw. Ralph gazed up at her through soft eyes, letting his smile drop to a look of calm adoration. Vanellope gently continued to clean the wound. Ralph winced and shut his eyes a little. As much as he wanted to duck away, he felt as if Vanellope's gentle hand was keeping him still no matter what.
"One of the biggest, meanest bad guys in the whole arcade and he's wincing like a child at a small, itty bitty cut," Vanellope and Taffyta began to laugh. Ralph sighed aloud and rolled his eyes.
"It's not itty bitty," Ralph exclaimed with a pathetic look, "That kid really nailed me."
"I'm this close to suspending him," Vanellope said as she shook her head in disbelief, "He has a good arm with that sword."
"I think we should take it away from him," Taffyta suggested firmly with a nod.
Vanellope kept her gentle hand on Ralph's cheek, keeping him still, as she finished up cleaning his wound. Taffyta smiled a pondering smile and gazed at the two at the other end of the bathroom. She rolled her eyes playfully as she shook her head just barely. Ralph and Vanellope began to chat to themselves calmly, as if they hadn't missed a single day amongst their friendship. It was as if lifetimes had flown by, but the two had such a harmony about themselves. She moved, he moved; they didn't miss a single beat.
Subconsciously, their eyes caught each other's in fluid strings of sweet longing every few seconds. It was like watching a flower in bloom.
"You haven't changed a single bit," Vanellope laughed quietly as she gave Ralph's wound one last dab. She smiled into his eyes and shrugged slightly.
"I don't think an upgrade for my game even exists," Ralph chuckled nervously, "And if it did, I'm sure they'd make me uglier than I already am.
Both friends bursted out in quiet laughter. Taffyta smiled a knowing smile and very quietly excused herself, realizing this was the first time they had ever been able to be with each other in years. She quietly slipped out of the bathroom without being seen. She gently cracked the bathroom door behind her and made her way to Vanellope's balcony.
"I hope the arcade doesn't open soon," Ralph sighed as Vanellope folded the rag and set it on the tub next to her.
"I think we have an hour or so left," Vanellope said, smiling into his warm eyes, "Though I'm sure the train ride here wasn't too quick, huh."
"A little under a half an hour," Ralph said gently.
"That's not that bad," Vanellope said with a small shrug. She glanced at Ralph's wound, seeing that it was starting to bleed again. She quickly grabbed the rag and leaned back into Ralph, rag at the ready. Ralph's eyes widened as he gave her a quick, pleading look. He gently ducked away.
"Ralph, it's beginning to bleed again," Vanellope exclaimed with a small, apologetic smile. Ralph sighed and slumped his shoulders. He sat still and let Vanellope tend to his wound. Deep inside, he was actually enjoying the attention. He chuffed gently, pretending to be annoyed.
"There, that should hold," Vanellope sighed, she gently put the cloth beside her again and slumped her shoulders. She averted her attention back to Ralph.
Both of them were silent, though it was welcomed. The air was coated with comfort; there was nowhere the two would rather be but just in each other's presence. Vanellope gently began to pet Ralph's shoulder as she heaved a long sigh. She gazed down at his shoulder and continued to smooth down the cloth of his orange, plaid shirt.
"What's on your mind?" Ralph said in a hushed voice. He gave her an earnest look. Vanellope kept her gaze glued to his shirt as she continued to pet him.
"I missed you so much, Ralph," Vanellope said, almost in a shy whisper, "I can't believe I let so much time escape us." She frowned a wide, longing frown as her eyes turned glassy again. Ralph chuffed a small laugh and beamed.
"I missed you too, kid," He said confidently, "I never thought I'd feel so deeply for a friend. I felt like I had lost a piece of myself," Ralph admitted. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling vulnerable, as if gravity wasn't what was holding him to the arcade.
"I'm sure your game mates didn't appreciate that, huh," Vanellope giggled slightly as she eagerly stole a glance at Ralph's warm eyes.
"Not totally," Ralph sighed as he gazed up at the ceiling, thinking of
Felix, "I think they were just about to have an intervention on me."
"That's exactly how Taffyta and Candlehead were for me," Vanellope said quietly with a nostalgic smile, "I always had to put on a show when it came to racing, but as soon as game day was over, I didn't want to be with anyone but you… With Felix and Calhoun of course."
Ralph smiled at Vanellope before gently taking her small hand in his large one. He leaned down and placed a small, gentlemanly kiss atop her hand before gazing up into her surprised, hazel eyes; he smiled nervously.
"I think after all that has happened, it's safe to say that I will always return," Ralph said gently, "I promise."
Vanellope smiled a wide, loving smile. She felt her cheeks turn red before turning her face away just barely in embarrassment, beaming like the sun. Ralph chuckled and pat the top of her hand his free hand. She turned back to him and chuckled, gazing into his eyes. She gently placed her free hand atop his, making a sandwich out of their hands.
"Stinkbrain," Vanellope playfully and quietly sneered, just like before.
The two locked eyes. Ralph suddenly swallowed hard. Ralph couldn't pin point the weird feeling in his gut. This was the same little runt he had come to know and love, but before him was an older more mature version of said runt; her graceful charm was irresistible. She was sweet and sour, mature yet playful. His mind couldn't fully wrap around everything that had changed. It was as if everything and nothing changed all at once. Her personality was still equally her, but her soul seemed to just be glowing. She was radiant, confident, and loving. Ralph couldn't understand why his throat seemed to close every time she caught eyes with him. The room grew thick with sweet, super glue honey as the two remained lost in a gentle, unmatched staring contest. Suddenly, there was a tap on the door.
"Vanellope, I think the arcade is going to be opening soon," Taffyta said softly into the bathroom.
"O-oh!" Vanellope jolted and quickly stood up; her electric blue code wigged out a little. She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked around nervously, "I-I uh… ok coming!"
Ralph blinked and shook his head a few times, as if to shake something off. He gently stood up and suddenly towered a good two or three feet over Vanellope. She smiled nervously and avoided eye contact before she quickly took the wet rag to the sink to rinse it out.
"Thank you for, y'know, helping me," Ralph said gently as he gestured his hand towards her, his voice unsure.
"You're welcome, Ralph," Vanellope said with a small smile. Her long black hair gently fell over her shoulder.
"I should probably, head back to Game Central Station," Ralph said with a nervous chuckle as he made his way towards the door,
"Maybe you could come visit us tomorrow? I know Felix and Calhoun would love to see you."
"Consider it done," Vanellope smiled as she continued to clean the cloth in the sink.
"See you then," Ralph smiled. Both gamers waved hesitantly to each other, not truly wanting their time together to be up.
"The arcade will open in one hour." Came a loud voice over the game's system. Ralph quickly slipped out of sight. Vanellope let her shoulders slump as she turned the water off. She silently gestured her hands and arms in a small, chaotic way and began to curse herself in the mirror, her cheeks on fire. She dried the cloth and hung it to dry before turning to leave.
"Sooo what was all that about?" Taffyta suddenly barked teasingly; she strolled into the bathroom with her hands behind her back, as if she were up to something. Vanellope's face burned as she glitched in shock, her code showing a blushed red in the blue glitch lines.
"What do you mean," Vanellope said deeply as she began to idly tidy her already spotless bathroom. Taffyta laughed.
"What do you MEAN 'what do I mean.' You know full well what I mean… 'I missed you so much', 'I will always come back', 'I didn't want to be with anyone but you!'" Taffyta beamed in her general direction as she used her fingers for air quotes and bat her eyelashes in a girly, mocking way, "You love him," She stated softly, still beaming.
"What? Yeah he's my best friend, Taffyta, will you lay off, you eavesdropping smartie. Love him, that's absurd." Vanellope snapped as she nervously tucked her black hair behind her ears; she hid a small smile.
"I haven't seen you this giddy, ever. You also don't glitch like that unless you're embarrassed or something," Taffyta said with a chuckle before placing her hands on her hips in a 'matter of fact' way, "Should I prepare the wedding arrangements?" She called as she left Vanellope's bedroom.
"Taffyta, knock it off! It's not like that," Vanellope pleaded.
"I am so sure," Taffyta beamed as she left Vanellope's room. Vanellope groaned aloud and sat down at her vanity. She slumped her face into her hands.
