*Chapter 17*

The first few days of the month had passed. Sugar Rush and Fix-It-Felix Jr.'s game characters didn't make themselves present to each other. Ralph was beginning to wonder if what Vanellope had said was all true. They all went back to their normal routines, quarter alerts were abundant and consistent. After a long day of game play, Ralph hung out with Felix and the Nicelanders in the Penthouse. They all mingled and chattered amongst themselves.

"Good game, today, Ralph," Felix chimed with a smile, smaller than usual.

"Thanks," Ralph breathed as he gazed across the bar.

"You, doing okay buddy?" Felix asked gently, Ralph lulled his head a little.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Ralph said through a broken phased smile.

"You should talk to her," Felix said after a few silent moments. Ralph gazed down at him through worried, knowing eyes.

"I don't think that will help," Ralph breathed as he looked away.

"It's up to you," Felix frowned, "If you guys don't settle things once and for all, you're going to let history repeat itself."

"Yeah…" Ralph gazed down at Felix with a knowing expression and nodded in understanding, "I just, don't want to put in the effort to try and make things right, only to find out I'm beating a dead horse."

"Ralph," Felix sighed as he took his hat off and messed with his hair a little, "If you could only see the way Vanellope looks at you. If you guys, DID indeed kiss, I can almost certainly tell you that it meant the world, if not more, to that girl."

"You heard her, Felix," Ralph grumbled.

"Yes, I did," Felix chuckled, "She was spouting hot air purely out of embarrassment, I am certain. It was sort of sprung on her in front of everyone. Though Taffyta shouldn't have blabbed Vanellope's secret, and Calhoun spilled the beans as well, we all know it would've come out of the woodwork sooner or later."

"I just didn't think she'd react that poorly," Ralph breathed, "She acted the complete opposite with just me."

"And that's just it," Felix gestured with his hand, "She felt safe with you, as opposed to her competitors on the race track, and Calhoun and I as your family. All eyes were on her, Ralph."

"I guess that makes sense," Ralph said sadly, "But if she truly didn't mean what she said, why didn't she come back to set things right?"

"Ahem," Vanellope cleared her throat.

Ralph whirled around and caught eyes with none other than

Vanellope. She was wearing her racing gear, which told Ralph that she left her game as soon as the arcade closed. She took her dusty racing goggles off of her forehead and rubbed them on her hoody. She gently motioned her head towards the exit and gave Ralph a small, knowing look. She tried to force a smile, but failed miserably. Without anything said to Felix, Ralph stood and slowly left the penthouse with Vanellope. Felix chuckled and shook his head, playfully tipping his hat to the two as they left.

Ralph and Vanellope left the Niceland building in silence. Vanellope quietly led the way back to Ralph's house, knowing they'd have plenty of needed privacy there. They approached his large front door and slowly moved their way inside. Ralph gently closed the door behind himself. He glanced at Vanellope who slowly moseyed around his living room, looking for a place to sit. She didn't bother take off her racing gear or get too comfortable. Ralph felt a lump gather in his throat. He didn't know whether or not to be mad at her. He stood true to his feelings, knowing that they were valid. He didn't give her the pleasure of joining her in the living room. He stood awkwardly in his living room's entrance.

"Ralph," Vanellope said gently, noticing his awkward distance. She stood to hopefully make things easier, "Please, hear me out."

"I'm a pretty understanding guy, Vanellope," Ralph suddenly said, causing Vanellope to freeze. He stepped closer to her, "but you can't fool me."

"What do you mean?" Vanellope asked as she furrowed her brow.

"You can't seriously sit here and tell me that you thought that kiss was nothing," Ralph said gently, "I saw the look in your eyes, I know your true feelings."

"Ralph, I-I didn't mean what I said," Vanellope frowned as she put her hands out towards him, "I-I just became embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed of me?" Ralph barked, trying to remain calm.

"I'm not embarrassed of you, Ralph!" Vanellope hollered, feeling the need to match Ralph's volume, "This transition is just awkward for me."

"Awkward, for you?" Ralph bellowed, "You've been showered in love your whole life! You even had Rancis, literally dying at your feet. The second someone shows me affection, it's immediately rebuffed with embarrassment and taking back certain events as if it were nothing!"

"I was put on the spot!" Vanellope hollered as she stood her ground, noticing Ralph step closer to her slowly, "I was embarrassed that Taffyta had blabbed it to everyone!"

"Well I was embarrassed that you blabbed our secret to Taffyta," Ralph said loudly, "But I would stand by that secret if my life depended on it!"

"Ralph," Vanellope pleaded.

"I would stand by that moment in Vanilla Lake," Ralph bellowed as he got closer, "That was the best moment of my life! I thought you felt the same way! How could you just, take that all away? How could you do that to me?"

"Ralph, I-"

"How could you act as if that wasn't something special?" Ralph barked, "That Lake showed us exactly what our hearts desired, and I know exactly what you wanted. If you can't stand by what we have together, in front of your friends, then how can I trust you?"

"Ralph, of course you can trust me!" Vanellope shouted weakly against Ralph's height and palpable mental strength.

"I'm the last person in this arcade to throw my feelings out on the line for just anybody," Ralph said deeply as he pointed a finger, "I risked my hermit like feelings for YOU only to find it was just a mistake, wasn't it!"

"LOOK," Vanellope hollered as she firmly shoved Ralph's hand and finger away. She pointed a finger up in his face this time, making him flinch, "The only reason I acted as if it wasn't important to me was because I was trying to keep face in front of my peers!"

"So, love makes you look weak?" Ralph barked in return as Vanellope whirled around and threw her hands up in disbelief, "You think you can hold onto love by acting ashamed of it everywhere you go? Those racers genuinely care about you, they genuinely care about US. Did you see the look on Taffyta's face? Felix and Calhoun are constantly pestering me about you and I. If you're so worried about what the people around you think, then maybe you're just not programmed for these kinds of deeper emotions."

"Take that back," Vanellope barked as she whirled around in surprise, her eyes billowing with tears, her facial expression nothing short of hatred.

"No," Ralph barked.

"Take it back!" Vanellope hollered as she firmly shoved on Ralph's lower chest; he swayed only barely.

"Vanellope," Ralph said loudly, but his facial expression softened as Vanellope let more tears roll down her soft face.

"Look, I'm SORRY I said that it meant nothing, I didn't mean that!" Vanellope wailed, her cheeks wet with tears. She turned around and buried her face in her hands, she hiccuped and inhaled a few short breaths, "It was the most magical moment of my whole entire life."

"Why did you have to go so far as to say it didn't mean anything to you?" Ralph asked softly, but in defense.

"I panicked… I just don't want to put strain on our group," Vanellope said sadly, "I don't want our group to fall apart, you know how much these kinds of things affects a group of friends. Especially competitive racers."

"Only if we go about it poorly," Ralph stepped closer to Vanellope who was still faced away from him, "I know those two girls care about you, and I don't even need to tell you how Felix and Calhoun feel."

"I don't even know where exactly we stand, anyways," Vanellope sniffled as she crossed her arms and gazed across Ralph's living room, "I just feel, so lost, so confused. Everything was going great until it was all awkwardly shoved out into the open."

"Can we just, start over?" Ralph suggested in a hurried breath as he gently put a hand on Vanellope's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Vanellope gazed up at him sadly through watery eyes. Ralph smiled a little and shook his head with a small shrug.

"Just, let everything go back to normal. Forget the feud we had in your kitchen the other night," Ralph suggested gently.

"Just pretend that none of this never happened?" Vanellope breathed after a few silent moments.

"Not, exactly," Ralph said, his facial expression slightly shocked, "You took your chances…so, I mean, can't we just remain normal around our friends?"

"I guess that works," Vanellope said, suddenly feeling the air grow thick with tension and awkwardness. She had a million things to say to him, but she couldn't find words.

"Ok," Ralph started, "I-I'm, sorry for yelling at you."

"It's okay, there's no calm and easy way to go about a situation like this," Vanellope said, forcing a smile. She gently wiped her face and slipped past Ralph, "So, I guess I'll see you around then."

"Of course," Ralph said, trying to be hopeful. He gave her a small, confused and longing look.

"Bye, Ralph," Vanellope sighed as she slipped out of his house, shutting the door gently.

Ralph held his breath and gazed at the inside of his front door, the light from outside his house shone in gently. He shook his head, suddenly feeling as if everything had just fallen apart. He wasn't sure if he should go back out and stop Vanellope, sweep her off her feet and keep her for himself, or let her go. He stood frozen in his doorway, somehow praying that she'd come back, knocking on his door, her sweet smile as energetic and lovely as ever. He shut his eyes tight and slowly vanished into his house, hoping these feelings would vanish as well.