(( A long time ago, I had started writing a 2nd chapter of this fic I was proud of titled 'Amends.' And I've found some time and motivation to revisit it and finish it! Hope y'all enjoy!
Tagging some pals @bashfulgnome, @sgtcalhouns, @shitpost-it-tristan
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As he sat, squeezed into the tiny cart, Ralph felt a small hand reach out to pat his arm as he thumbed the shiny, gold medal in his palm.
“It’s going to be alright,” Felix chuckled as he sat backward in the car ahead of the gentle giant. “You’ll see.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” the wrecker grumbled. “Sarge hasn’t smacked you around...”
Ralph brought his hand up to his jaw, remembering that punch that knocked a big fella like him over like it was nothing.
“Oh, she has,” Felix tittered.
“What?” Ralph was dumbstruck.
“Oh, no, no,” Felix caught on to the wrecker’s worried look. “I asked her to.”
“...What?” Now he was completely lost.
“I mean—” the handyman panicked, realizing how odd that sounded. “I-it was a weird situation. We had to get out of the Taffy Swamp, and I assure you it was a…mutually agreed upon…thing.”
His face burning bright, Felix turned away, mortified.
“Okay…” Ralph said with a small puff of air.
“I can explain,” Felix offered timidly.
“Please don’t,” despite the awkwardness, there was a part of Ralph that found all of it amusing. As long as Felix was okay, he didn’t need to know anything else.
When the cart came to a stop, the pair hopped out together. Crossing the threshold leading to Game Central Station, a loud alarm buzzed as a red grid flashed on the outlet portal.
Ralph groaned, and Felix blinked, the Surge Protector manifesting beside them in a flash.
“Step aside, sir, random security check,” the blue man mumbled, eyes glued to his clipboard.
Ralph rolled his eyes and paused mid-stride when Felix moved forward instead. Curious to see how this played out, the wrecker remained still.
“Name?” the Surge Protector asked.
“Fix-It Felix Jr., sir!”
The guard looked up from his document, meeting the handyman’s bright eyes before looking further up towards Ralph.
Surge continued his questioning with a sigh, which the handyman happily obliged.
“Anything to declare?”
“Thank you for keeping us safe!” Felix smiled.
“Mhm,” Surge clicked his pen and glanced at Ralph one last time, giving the wrecker the opportunity for a cheeky wave goodbye. The officer disappeared with a bolt of electricity, and the boys continued on their way, walking side by side towards ‘Hero’s Duty.’
Ralph observed Felix periodically waving to folks he knew. While many still kept a wide berth, most sprites simply stared, eyes shifting from the little handyman to the lumbering giant beside him. His heart sank a little; while things may have improved at home, he was still at odds with the rest of the arcade. It was a relief when they reached their destination, waiting for the train and stepping aside as it docked to let the departing soldiers offload.
“Hey!” One turned around with a smile, and Felix recognized him as Tamora’s right-hand man. “You two are brave, coming back in here.”
“Corporal!” The handyman was delighted to see a familiar face. “We’re just here to return something and apologize to Miss Sergeant Calhoun for the whole Cybug mess.”
“T.J., huh? Apologize…” The marine chuckled, appearing to think something over. “She’s been pretty busy installing more security. I’d better escort you.”
Felix beamed, hopping onto the train behind Kohut and waving at his coworker to come along. Sitting down, Ralph remained quiet as Felix and the Corporal exchanged pleasant conversation.
“Alright, here goes,” Kohut said lightheartedly as the transport came to a stop. Leading the pair into the main lobby of ‘Hero’s Duty,’ he spotted his superior just ahead.
“Sarge! You’ve got visitors,” the corporal called out over the bustle of soldiers moving from point A to point B.
The blonde turned around with a frown, which softened when she realized just who her guests were.
“Hello, ma’am,” Felix’s heart fluttered as she approached, politely removing his cap.
“Fix-It,” she looked down at him with a smile. And Ralph’s heart nearly stopped when her gaze met his, her smile fading as she crossed her arms. “Wreck-It.”
“Hi,” Ralph squeaked, stepping slightly behind Felix.
“State your business,” Tamora commanded, hands moving to her hips. The wrecker froze, jolting back to life when Felix lightly elbowed his side.
“U-uhm—” Ralph stammered, reaching into his overalls’ pocket. “S-sorry it took so long, I had to go looking for it, but…here.”
The wrecker pulled out the ‘Medal of Heroes’ he’d stolen.
“I’m sorry I jumped into your game and royally screwed things up on top of taking this. I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt. So…yeah. I wanted to give it back.”
Ralph placed the medal in the Sergeant's hand, his head hanging low. Tamora took a good, long look at it, as if scrutinizing its surface for any blemishes. Her steely eyes flicked upwards, causing the wrecker to shy away.
“Keep it,” she said after a few more tense moments, placing it back in Ralph’s hands. She smirked at his stunned expression.
“B-but, I can’t…”
“You can.”
“I stole it.”
“You earned it.”
“N-no, I—”
“Keep it or else.”
“...’ Kay,” Ralph mumbled, clutching the medal close to his chest. Redirecting the Sergeant’s attention, he pushed the handyman beside him forward. “Felix has something to ask you.”
The little 8-Bit stumbled, the bill of his cap slipping downwards over his face. Tamora knelt, smiling at the bright red hue on his face when she lifted it.
“Yes, civilian?” She invited him to speak.
“W-well, I—” Felix gulped as the soldiers surrounding them stopped their respective tasks to stare. “Ralph and I are heading to ‘Sugar Rush’ to watch the races. I thought maybe you’d like to join me— u-us?”
After a few nerve-wracking moments, the sergeant took one of the fixer’s hands in hers, standing upright.
“Kohut!” she barked at her second in command. “Tell all these nosey halfwits to get back to business. I’m taking my leave.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Kohut saluted, at least attempting to keep a straight face. “Have a good time, ma’am!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Tamora shook her head. Felix practically floated behind her as the blond brushed past Ralph. “Sorry, Wreck-It, I’m not holding your hand.”
“Fine with me,” the larger man chuckled, stepping onto the train behind the happy couple.
An alarm rang again as the newly formed trio exited ‘Hero’s Duty.’
“Random security check,” the Surge Protector glanced up from his clipboard, doing a double-take.
“Wow, I sure feel popular!” Felix tittered, letting go of Tamora’s hand to step aside. “That’s twice in one night!”
“Yeah,” Ralph snarked. “Kinda makes you think these things might not be so ‘random’ after all…”
Tamora glanced back at the wrecker with a smirk. “You got a reputation for causing mischief, Shortstack?” she quipped.
“M-me? Heavens, no!” Felix blanched, turning to the Surge Protector for affirmation. “Am I doing something wrong?”
“No, Felix,” the man sighed, jotting some notes and clicking his pen. “You’re all good, carry on.”
And as the Surge Protector disappeared once more, the trio proceeded, Felix giving one last curious glance back before brushing it off.
The evening roster race was exciting, but thankfully not quite as eventful as the previous time Felix and Calhoun had visited ‘Sugar Rush.’ Vanellope once again earned herself a spot for the next day's list of racers, and the four of them celebrated together until about halfway through the night. They figured that getting some individual downtime before the next arcade shift would be beneficial.
“Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow…” Vanellope said with drama as she accompanied her guests to the top of the rainbow-candy road at the exit of her game.
“Yeah, yeah,” Ralph chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, kid. Top shelf.”
“Top shelf!” the girl jumped up to pound the wrecker’s fist.
“This was fun,” Tamora smirked, slapping the bill of Felix’s cap as he stood next to her. “You’ll have to bring me here more often, Fix-It.”
“Can do,” he giggled, moving his iconic headwear back into place.
“Bye, Stinkbrain, G’bye Hammer Time, G’bye Sarge!” The racer emphatically waved as her friends made their exit.
And as it came time to drop off Calhoun at ‘Hero’s Duty,’ Ralph made sure to avert his eyes when the tall woman kneeled to kiss her date goodnight. The wrecker couldn’t help but chuckle when his coworker stumbled over to him, positively love-drunk.
At this hour, Grand Central Station was much emptier, which was how Ralph preferred it. He could walk about more freely and almost forget about his status as a pariah…Almost. He and Felix were nearly home when, once again, a red grid flashed across the outlet.
Ralph groaned with a remark of disbelief, standing aside as Surge manifested himself behind them.
“Random security check.”
“Sir, I don’t want to assume,” Felix interjected politely, despite a subtle tone of annoyance. “But now I can’t help but think that I am doing something wrong here—”
“Oh, for Peter’s sake, Felix, not you!” Surge raised his voice, pointing his clipboard at Ralph. “Him.”
The handyman blushed, closing his mouth. The wrecker sighed, finally stepping forward.
“You sure have been all over the place lately,” the Surge Protector remarked as he readied his pen.
“Is that a problem?” Ralph clapped back.
“Well, we’ll just have to see,” the security guard said as he equipped the metal detecting wand from his belt. “Arms and feet apart.”
Felix’s brows furrowed as he watched Surge wave the wand around Ralph’s silhouette, stopping when the device beeped rapidly over the wrecker’s chest pocket.
“Aha…” Surge deadpanned. There, he revealed the ‘Medal of Heroes' and confiscated it. “Stealing…”
“Now hang on just a minute!” Felix stomped forward, surprising the pair. “Ralph earned that medal.”
“Bad guys don’t win medals,” Surge chuckled, jotting a note on his clipboard.
Felix’s eyebrows raised, transported back to the party just before Raph went ‘Turbo’ and the argument the Wrecker and Gene had echoing in his mind. That night, Felix had done nothing to stop the injustice, and he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. His face growing hot, he leaned forward.
“Well, they do now!” Felix snatched the medal and handed it back to Ralph. “Sergeant Calhoun happily awarded him this medal; you can verify with her.”
“Felix, I’m going to need that back,” Surge said with a mix of confusion and sadness etched on his face. “If you don’t comply, I will have no choice but to detain you.”
“On what grounds?”
“Accessory to theft.”
The handyman’s jaw went slack. In all his years, he’s never been written up for anything. “Is my word not good enough?” he asked.
“I’m afraid not,” Surge sighed.
“Felix, it’s alright,” Ralph interjected. “Just let him have it.”
The wrecker was about to surrender the medal when Felix took hold of it again.
“No, it’s not alright,” he stood firm, looking straight into the Surge Protector’s eyes. “This isn’t right. But if you’re so certain, go ahead— lock us up. And when you try to return this ‘stolen item’ to Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun of ‘Hero’s Duty,’ see what happens.”
Ralph was impressed, as it seemed the handyman nearly convinced the security guard to fold. With another long exhale, Surge manifested a small handcuff, clasping it to the hero’s right wrist. “Have it your way,” he mumbled, pressing a button on his wristwatch. The device on Felix’s wrist beeped, and in a flash of blue light, the handyman was gone, the golden metal clanging to the floor.
“Anything cheeky or clever to declare today, Ralph?” Surge proceeded to place a large handcuff around the wrecker's wrist.
“Yeah, I do,” Ralph grumbled. “Do you feel good about yourself?”
His words seemed to strike a nerve, as Surge’s brows furrowed before engaging his wristwatch. As his cuff beeped, the wrecker held his breath, feet set apart. He winced as a bright blue light engulfed him, reopening them to the inside of a detention cell.
He looked around him, his gaze finally landing on the floor, where Felix lay on his back, gloved hand on his chest and breathing heavily.
“Yeah, it can be disorienting— here,” Ralph extended a hand, helping his friend up. Both of them settled down on a nearby bench.
“This…happens to you that often?” The handyman managed between a few breaths.
“Oh, yeah,” Ralph let it roll off his shoulders with a chuckle. “I guess you could say this is my home away from home.”
Felix seemed stunned as he looked up at the wrecker. “I meant the security checks…every time tonight, he was trying to screen you?”
His lips pressed together, Ralph nodded. The handyman felt sick to his stomach, unsure if it was the excess electricity still buzzing through him, or the overwhelming disappointment he bore towards the Surge Protector— towards himself for how naive he’d been. All of those feelings came rushing to the surface, quite literally, as he ran to the toilet in the corner, heaving into the bowl.
“Ay-yai-yai,” Ralph frowned, placing a comforting hand on Felix’s back. “That jump scrambled you real good…I’ve heard it can be rough on smaller sprites.”
Once he was finally relieved, the handyman removed the glove from his left hand and turned on the combination sink, using his bare palm to scoop water into his mouth and rinse. He then wetted his glove and pressed it to the back of his neck. Both he and Ralph returned to the bench, and the wrecker folded his hands as he looked over his friend's pale face.
“I look pretty pathetic, don’t I?” Felix joked, catching his companion’s stare from his periphery. When he peered up, there was not a trace of pity on the wrecker's face. Instead, he smiled with a gentle shake of his head.
“Far from it,” Ralph said sincerely. “I’ve…never had anyone stand up for me like that; it was pretty awesome…Thank you.”
Felix flashed a sheepish grin. “It’s like I said; I don’t want to be who I was on our 30th…And if you thought that was good, just wait until Tamora finds out.”
Ralph let out a booming laugh. “I almost forgot! You think she’s gonna rip him to shreds?”
“Mhm! And I was really nice to try and warn him too.”
“He almost listened,” the wrecker chuckled. “So I guess there’s not much left to do but wait.”
“Shouldn’t be long now,” Felix smirked, leaning back.
And as the handyman surmised, just a few minutes later, the pair heard distant shouting, growing in volume as the door to the detention block opened.
“— This entire arcade would be Cybug fodder if it weren’t for that man! And I don’t care if he started it; he stuck around and risked his life to put an end to it!” Tamora’s voice echoed down the hall as she tailed a frazzled Surge Protector. “Show some respect! And ‘accessory to theft?’ Of all the idiotic, bumbling nonsense...Fix-It Felix wouldn’t take a single penny from a ‘loose change dish’ in case someone needed it more than he did!”
“She’s got you pegged,” Ralph joked with a nudge to the handyman’s side.
“And you,” Felix replied with a soft chuckle. The two of them sat upright when the Surge Protector and Calhoun came into view, the blue guard hastily and clumsily grabbing his keys to unlock the cell.
“Y-you–you two are free to go,” he gulped, shielding himself with the barred door from the piercing glare of the Sergeant beside him. The cuffs around their wrists disappeared, and the pair walked out and into the hallway.
Ralph had a toothy grin from ear to ear, thanking the Sergeant as he walked by. As for Felix, he briefly stopped in front of the Surge Protector with one last thing to declare. “Thank you for keeping us safe,” he said.
The wrecker could hardly contain his mirth as the trio left the Surge Protector’s station, reentering Game Central at the far end where the ground wire and neutral wire split.
“That was amazing,” he grinned, bringing his fingers towards his mouth with an exaggerated kissing motion. “The cherry on top.”
“Seems you’re a bit of a troublemaker, after all, Short-stuff,” Tamora smirked down at her beau before reaching into her inventory to present Ralph with the ‘Medal of Heroes' for a second time. “And you. If anyone else gives you any guff about this, come to me, and I will personally instruct them to stick it where the sun don’t shine.”
Ralph wasn’t sure how to respond, grimacing slightly at the vibrant picture she painted. “Well, I hope for their sakes that it doesn’t come to that…but thank you.”
“You’re an asset to this arcade, Ralph,” the sergeant added, clasping her hand to his shoulder. “They’ll learn to see it in time.”
With a modest smile, the wrecker nodded softly. He appreciated her words, even if he couldn’t believe them quite yet.
“Fix-It. You mentioned root beer floats for our next date, but I’m feeling parched on account of all the yelling. What if we went right now?”
Felix went red in the face. Obviously, he wanted to say yes, but felt torn as he stammered, his eyes bouncing between her and Ralph. Relieving his friend from the awkward moment, the giant held out his palms and stepped back.
“He’s all yours, Sarge,” he chuckled. “You two have fun.”
“You sure you’ll be alright, Ralph?” Felix asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied sincerely. “Thanks again to both of you. I feel lucky knowing you’ve got my back.”
The trio split apart, and Ralph’s chest felt full as he walked back home. Coming up to the outlet of ‘Fix-ItFelix Jr.,’ he paused only briefly before crossing the barrier. There was no alarm, no red blinking lights— just silence.
Relieved, Calhoun’s parting words echoed in his mind as he continued forward. Maybe things could change, even if just one game at a time.
(( A little something I've had sitting completed in my drafts for a while. Sometimes I feel guilty for posting other things instead of the multi-chapter stories I've been struggling to get going again, but it is what it is, and I still want to share regardless. Hope y'all enjoy :)
Tagging some pals: @bashfulgnome,@sgtcalhouns, @shitpost-it-tristan ))
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Polishing off his coffee, Felix rinsed his mug and placed it in the dishwasher. Drying his hands, he stepped towards the door leading out to the garage, taking his belt and hat that hung neatly on the wall.
He nestled the cap atop his head before using both hands to buckle his most trusted tools around his waist.
“Okay…Buttons, belt, boots–” the handyman hummed. As he recited the words, his fingers trailed down the front of his uniform to point at his steel-toed shoes. “Hammer and hat…” his hands rested on both items, and Felix smiled with satisfaction.
Ready for the busy day ahead, there was just one last task left before he could depart.
Stepping lightly, the handyman walked to the bedroom. Opening the door, he crossed the threshold toward the bed where his lady lingered under the covers.
She used to be a light sleeper, getting up whenever he did, no matter how early. But as time rolled by, Tamora slept more soundly and deeply into the mornings. Felix didn’t mind this gradual change; it showed him how comfortable she’d become in the life they shared.
Grinning, he slowly leaned over her, moving the blanket away from her face just enough to kiss her cheek.
Tamora stirred, and the handyman felt her arms drape around his neck.
“I’m headed out, darlin’,” he said softly.
“Mmm...Not yet,” she protested, taking in the smell of his shampoo and aftershave. Bringing a hand to his face, she reeled him in for a proper kiss…then another, and another…
“Honey, I really do have to go,” Felix said apologetically. Oh, why did she decide to be so adorable when he had to get to the city for his first appointment?
“Fine…” Tamora pouted, releasing him. “I’ll be waiting for you right here when you get home.”
“Planning on spending all day in bed?”
“Something like that,” the sergeant smirked. Sometimes it was more fun to string along with his innocence. She wondered when those gears in his head would turn just enough to realize what she really meant.
“Well, don’t forget to make yourself some lunch,” Felix pecked her cheek one last time, turning around as he exited the door. “Love you.”
(( Finally, I have clawed my way out of my block with this fic. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to get this next chapter up. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which should allow other things I've already written to come together! ))
Tagging some pals! @sgtcalhouns, @bashfulgnome, @shitpost-it-tristan
Chapter Master List
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Tamora turned in bed, eyes fluttering open when she felt the empty space on the mattress beside her. With a soft sigh, she sat up, taking in her surroundings while the drowsiness subsided.
The morning sun poured through the windows, creating golden flecks of light as the rays reflected off the dust gently floating about the room.
Around the corner, Tamora heard the soft creak of a chair, and she silently stepped towards it. Peering through the open door, she couldn’t help but smile when she saw her beau fiddling away with whatever had called him to his bench so early.
He always liked to do things with his hands, whittling being one of his favorite pastimes. Wooden figures and toys lined the workshop wall in varying states of completion as he focused on his latest creation.
“Someone new?” the blonde couldn’t help but chuckle at her husband’s sheepish grin.
“Come and see. I’m just putting on the finishing touches,” Brad hummed as he grabbed a tiny dry brush.
Her curiosity setting in, Tamora approached his table, her jaw going slack as he dappled rosy cheeks on a familiar, boyish face.
“There…I think that’s a pretty good likeness, don’t you?”
Brad held the finished piece outward for her to see properly. It was unmistakable, from the rounded nose to the tiny crow's feet complementing his smile, it was a lovingly whittled figure of Felix. A wave of guilt washed over the blonde as she looked between it and the man beside her. Eventually, she mustered up a simple nod.
Brad smiled, wiping some sawdust from the dried paint.
“I like him. He has a kind face,” he mused.
“He’s a lot like you…” Tamora professed, perching herself on the edge of the workbench. “Maybe a little too much sometimes.”
The man beside her chuckled, and he let a few beats of silence pass between them before replying.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you this happy.”
Tamora’s heart sank at those words, another pang of guilt eating at her insides. Her husband’s smile remained sincere as tears filled her eyes.
“You may not believe you deserve to feel like this, but I do.” Gently, Brad pushed the figurine into her hands. “And so does he…Hold onto him for me.”
Tamora nodded as she grasped the figure tight. A banging on the door sent a chill up her spine, all too familiar with what came next.
“Now, who could that be at this hour?” Brad asked as he stood up from his stool. The sun shining through the windows dimmed into an inky black as he passed through the door from the workshop and toward the front door of their home.
Tamora followed him, reaching out a hand in vain. Her dreams with Brad always ended the same, no matter how hard she tried to stop him, begging him not to answer. She was so tired. Stopping, the blonde brought the figure in her hands to her chest, tears stinging her cheeks as she watched Brad open the door. His silhouette was enveloped in firelight as he crossed the threshold, glowing too bright for the blonde to bear…
With a gasp, Tamora sat up, warm sunlight greeting her for a second time as a door opened to her left. A soft silhouette walked in, her blurry eyes focusing in to realize it was Felix holding a small vase of wildflowers.
“Oh, you’re awake!” he said cheerfully, closing the door. Turning back around, his smile faltered when he spotted tears wetting Tamora’s pale cheeks. Setting down the flowers, he joined her on the mattress, brushing the moisture away with his thumbs as he cupped her face in his hands.
“What’s the matter?” he said sweetly. “Did you have another nightmare?”
Tamora shook her head softly, pulling him into an embrace. “A dream,” she muttered.
“You sure? You’re holding onto me mighty tight, darlin’.”
She smiled, nodding her head into the dip of his shoulder.
Felix was delighted when Tamora voiced interest in his workshop and was more than happy to show the blonde some of his current projects. Some simple furniture in varying states of completion, a variety of wooden and steel wagon parts, hardware, and hand tools. All the practical things that were the bread and butter to a man of his profession.
But what Tamora eventually gravitated towards was a shelf decorated with whittled animals.
“Oh, those,” Felix smiled. “My friend Ralph and his little girl, Vanellope, come to visit every winter when everything slows down. On stormy days, this is what we do to pass the time. That one’s mine from last year, and these are theirs.”
The handyman pointed to a row of bears of different sizes and levels of craftsmanship. He pulled his off the shelf for her to see better, and Tamora held the figure in her hands, admiring it with a soft upturn of the lips.
“My husband would do this kind of thing all the time,” she said. “He made toys; always tinkering on something new.”
She let a few beats of silence pass as the memories flowed.
“He had a workshop much like this; but filled with dollhouses and rocking horses. If things were different… I think the two of you would have been friends,” She looked up at the handyman’s awed expression. “Sorry… is that a strange thing to say?”
“Well I certainly don’t think so,” Felix was quick in his reply. “I believe it’s an honor.”
Tamora wasn’t quite sure why those words made her blush. She laughed off her embarrassment, and Felix joined her, cupping her hands with his.
“Forgive my dumbstruck look,” he grinned. “It’s just that this is the most you’ve spoken of him. I’d love to know more if you’ll allow.”
Tamora nodded slowly. “His name was Brad. Bradley Scott Calhoun.”
“And so that makes you Tamora–”
“Jean,” she helped him along.
“Tamora Jean Calhoun,” Felix finished with a wistful sigh. “Tammy Jean.”
Tamora continued to share whatever came to mind, down to the mundane things that surprised even her with how well she remembered them. And all the while, Felix listened intently, the sincere joy on his face keeping her going.
“What did he look like?” his curiosity overflowed.
“Brown hair, much darker than yours—he was tall, with more angular features. But you have the same eyes…”
Those eyes were a brilliant blue, which overflowed with kindness and affection. Damn them— they never failed to make her cold heart prove that it still had a beat.
A distant knocking startled the pair, followed by a low voice calling the handyman’s name.
Tamora’s hand gripped reflexively onto the stock of her revolver, and Felix laid his hand over it with a shake of his head. He’d been trying some time now to get her to look with her eyes first, not her gun. He peered out the open double doors of his workshop.
“Hi Don!” Felix greeted his visitor, giving his lady a signal that everything was okay before stepping out further. “How can I help you?”
Tamora listened as the two spoke, still preferring not to be seen. She hears some mention about the mayor before Felix returned, stopping short of the threshold when he nearly bumped into her.
“I’ve got to run into town,” he explained, taking hold of her hands. “The mayor’s got some odd and ends that need doing.”
She could tell he felt guilty for having to leave in the middle of such a nice afternoon, but that tended to come with the occupation, and she understood.
“Duty calls,” she affirmed with a soft squeeze.
Felix smiled, pecking her on the cheek. “See you soon, Tammy Jean,” he sighed.
Tamora waited until the two men left before leaving the workshop, heading back to the main house, an hour passing before she heard distant hoofsteps paired with the steady creak of a wagon. Peering out of the front window, she spotted a large man driving a workhorse up the trail leading to the house.
He was a stranger; unlike any of the townspeople the handyman often worked with. His build was intimidating, with thick arms, and shoulders that could carry a railroad tie each. The blonde’s heart raced, grasping her shotgun as the stranger halted his wagon and stepped down from the driver’s box.
She wasted no time in ‘greeting’ the giant, bursting out of the front door with her barrels aimed at his broad chest.
“State your business,” she barked.
The man raised his hands, staring at her with a mix of surprise and confusion. After sizing her up, however, his brows slowly furrowed. “There’s a handyman that lives up here... Where is he?”
The stranger spoke in a tone she didn’t care for, and she pumped her gun.
“You won’t find him here. So I suggest you turn around and—”
Faster than the blink of an eye, the giant grasped the barrel of her weapon and yanked it clean out of her hands. And as she stumbled forward along with it, a large fist picked her up by the front of her shirt.
“No. You’re going to tell me where he is right now,” he growled, ignoring the blows to his chest by Tamora’s legs. “And if I find out you hurt him, I’ll—”
“R-r-ralph?” a small voice interrupted, and a little raven-haired girl yawned as she peeked out from the back of the stranger’s wagon. “What's going on?”
The girl looked to the woman dangling from her guardian's grip with an indignant frown. “Who the h-heck are y-you?”
Tamora’s eyes went wide as she remembered Felix telling her about a friend of his who had a girl with her description. “Shit,” she sighed, embarrassed by her rashness. Peering back down at the man holding her, she ceased her struggle. “Are you…Ralph and Vanellope by chance?”
The giant’s angry expression turned quizzical, and after sharing a glance with the young girl behind him, he slowly set the blonde down.
(( Hey folks! This short fic is loosely based on one of my friends, @shitpost-it-tristan's, recent posts regarding Felix fixing Tamora's shuttle in the movie. I kinda sorta went rogue and changed it to the scene when they were waiting for Ralph to say goodbye to Vanellope, haha! Anyway, I hope you still like it, Tristan!
Tagging some other WiR buddies: @bashfulgnome, @sgtcalhouns ))
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“Fix-It, Wreck-It, the arcade’s about to open. Let’s move ‘em out!” Tamora said with a twirl of her finger as she returned to the shuttle.
Felix was quick to follow, sighing as he hopped through the open hatch behind her. Nestling into the pilot seat, the sergeant peered at him from over her shoulder. The pair exchanged smiles, yet couldn't shake the slight uneasiness between them. Neither party was quite ready to address the tender moment they shared atop the rainbow bridge, which became clearer the longer they stared. With a soft hem, Tamora put an end to the glad eyes first, pressing the ignition to warm up the engine— a PG-rated curse on her lips when the machine failed to thrum to life.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s the starter,” the sergeant huffed, running some diagnostics. “These tin cans are always having problems…possibly a bad wire.”
“Oh, I could take a look,” Felix said with a flourish of his hammer. Tamora opened the panel near the ignition button, a tangled knot of haywires spilling out. “Well, there’s your problem,” he chuckled.
Tool in hand, the handyman scooted forward. Their bodies brushed together, and a part of Tamora thought she should have moved out of her seat to give him room. But it was already too late, and she refused to be the one to make it awkward. Instead, she averted her gaze, hiding the embarrassing hue of her cheeks with her bangs.
With a flick of the wrist, the wires were restored. And closing the panel, Felix withdrew with a satisfied smile. “Try it now,” he said.
Tamora pressed the ignition again, amazed when the engine purred beneath her. She’d seen him repair many things on their mission: the ship now twice, injuries, the finish line— yet she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. After a few more ticks of silence, curiosity got the best of her.
“So, your hammer,” she glanced his way as she flipped some switches on the control panel. Her words trailed off awkwardly, reminding her of just how green she was at small talk. “Is it made up of some sort of reparative alloy or…”
“Oh!” Felix looked from the sergeant back to his tool in hand. He seemed to ponder the question, inspecting its golden surface.
“You know, I’m not sure,” he tittered. “I’ve always understood that it was magic.”
“Magic, huh…” the blonde scoffed.
“You don’t believe in magic?”
“I come from a world of cynicism and science, take a wild guess.”
“Then how would you explain that kiss?” Felix shot back so smoothly that it nearly knocked her for a loop. Turns out he wasn’t being coy, but simply waiting for the right moment to address the proverbial ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ in the room. She should have known; he hadn’t been shy about making his feelings clear from the moment they laid eyes on each other. Despite herself, she let out a chuckle, doubly amused by the way the handyman leaned on the windowsill as he eagerly awaited her answer. She shook her head, hardly believing that she was entertaining this foolishness.
“A rush of adrenaline which lead to the stimulation of nerve endings, quickly followed by the release of dopamine, oxytocin, and other hormones that contribute to feelings of pleasure and attachment. That’s all.”
By the look on his red face, Tamora could tell he didn’t understand half of those words, but awe superseded confusion as he laughed. “Sounds like magic to me,” he said fondly.
Tamora rolled her eyes, unable to wipe the smile off her face until an alarm sounded on her gauntlet.
“T-minus five minutes,” she sighed. “Is ol’ ham-hands coming or not?”
“Ralph, you coming, brother?” Felix called out towards the track, turning back to the sergeant, he let out a nervous chuckle. “They’re still saying their goodbyes.”
“Tell you what, Fix-It—” Tamora smiled as she revved up the engine. “If you make that big lug 'magically' appear in the back of this shuttle within the next five seconds, I’ll consider that root beer float with two straws you proposed earlier.”
The sergeant enjoyed watching the elation on his face turn into pure determination. Locking in, Felix turned back to peer out the window.
Lost in 'WIP' - Wreck-It Ralph x The Long Dark Crossover
(( Hello everyone! A bit of an explanation here. As the title suggests, this is a fic I started a long time ago, wrote some segmented parts when the inspiration struck, and it has since been sitting in my WIP folder.
I have no reason to believe I'll ever actually finish it, but I'm still proud of what I managed to write, so I figured I'd upload it as is for my pals to enjoy!
'The Long Dark' is a hardcore winter survival game that sunk it's teeth into me very similarly to how 'Minecraft' did. And this fic was my way of putting my fave characters in those harsh sandbox survival moments I experienced in-game. Be forewarned, it is not kind, haha!
Tagging some folks! @shitpost-it-tristan, @bashfulgnome, @sgtcalhouns ))
---
“Wait there,” Tamora said as she set the shivering girl down on the porch and cautiously approached the camp office door.
What a hell of a day this turned out to be.
One moment, the four of them were in Spamley’s shady little office, and the next, they were dropped into the harsh winterscape of some game they’d barely even heard of.
Any confidence Tamora had that they could handle this mission was knocked down a peg the second she and Vanellope spawned in without any sign of the boys. Her mind wandered to Felix, imagining him cold and drifting somewhere in the woods. This game would eat him alive… but if he was as lucky as his Mod-given name implied, he could be in this seemingly abandoned building before her, cuddling up beside a fire with Ralph.
Her hand trembling, Tamora tried the door handle, surprised at the lack of resistance. Silently, she peeked in, scanning the room. Finding it void of any signs of life, she pushed the door wider, noting the stairs to her left.
“Hello?” she called out, answered by an eerie silence.
The sergeant motioned for the girl to follow her inside, and the two of them were relieved to be sheltered from the biting wind.
“Stay here,” Tamora ordered quietly. Vanellope did as she was told, standing still as the sergeant crept upstairs.
Stepping onto the landing, she found a loft with two bunk beds, a desk adorned with some supplies, and a pot-belly stove to match the one she’d spotted downstairs. Her face alighted with curiosity as she approached, stopping short when she saw the embers of a recent fire glowing within.
“Shit–” Tamora pivoted on her heels just as muffled footsteps danced across the porch outside.
“Sarge!” Vanellope whispered, ducking, and pointing at a large silhouette that darkened the window.
“Hide!” Tamora whispered back, gliding down the flight of stairs and smoothing her back against the wall beside the entrance. She spotted a loose piece of lumber on the floor and quickly swiped it before their “visitor” entered the room.
With a shout, the sergeant struck the imposing figure in the back, the piece of wood splintering in half on contact.
“OW!” a booming, familiar voice echoed through the space as he dropped the twigs and branches he’d been carrying. “What the hell!?”
“Wreck-It?” Tamora gasped. He turned around, and the two of them stared at each other for a moment. She’d hardly recognized him, given the more realistic proportions the game had appointed him, just as it had for her and Vanellope.
“Ralph!” Vanellope sprang from behind the nearby counter and sprinted into the man’s arms.
“Kid!” he called back, holding her tight as he kneeled. “Thank goodness you’re ok…Look at you, you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you!” Ralph joked, ruffling the top of the racer’s head.
He stood up, groaning as he rubbed his shoulder and stretched his neck.
“Oof, you got me pretty good,” he said to the sergeant with a crooked smile.
“Sorry,” Tamora winced. Even though he wasn’t as bulky, it seemed he was still fairly durable. She wondered what Felix would look like…
Wait a minute–
“Where’s Felix?” she asked, hoping that at any second, the handyman would waltz into the now open door of the camp office.
Ralph’s face paled. “I was hoping–” he gulped. “I was really hoping that he was with you…”
————————————
“Where did you start, Wreck-it?” Tamora asked, the two of them poring over a map of the region they found; the stove was their only source of light.
“Literally right inside this office,” he replied. “You?”
“Knee deep in snow up north, just outside of this dam,” Tamora pointed out her and Vanellope’s route along the train tracks that ran through the middle of the mapped region. “There wasn’t much of note between there and here.”
“I checked out this clearing here, this tunnel, and there was this cave or something just back behind here,” Ralph tapped each location with his thick index finger. “But there’s a bunch of lodges just across the lake I haven't gotten to yet.”
“There’s still a lot of ground to cover…” Tamora sighed.
“Do you think he’s ok?” Ralph and Tamora looked up towards the top bunk of the bed beside them. Over the railing peered Vanellope, who they’d thought had fallen asleep some time ago. The dim firelight danced in the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Oh, kid…” Ralph stood up so that he was eye level with the girl. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s smart, and he’s crafty. He’s probably built himself a ski lodge by now.”
Ralph gave the girl a playful nudge, and she smiled.
“By this time tomorrow, the four of us will be together, hashing out our plan to find what we need to save your game.”
Wanting to believe all of it for herself, Tamora nodded with a smile.
“Thanks, guys,” Vanellope wiped her face and yawned as Ralph tucked her back in.
“Night, kid,” Ralph patted her tiny head. Turning back toTamora and the map, he rubbed his neck. “We should probably get to bed too, huh?” he questioned.
“Go on ahead, Wreck-It. I’ll be right behind,” she said absently.
“Yeah,” Ralph sighed, lying down on the bunk below Vanellope. He knew her better. “Just…don’t stay up too late.”
“Mhm,” Tamora hummed in reply.
————————————
The next morning, the trio split up to maximize their search. Tamora headed northwest, while Ralph and Vanellope headed south to the deadfall area near where the train tracks tunneled into the mountains.
Navigating their way through the felled trees and brush, they came upon a broken-down building that looked like it’d been torn in half somehow. Peering inside, they found a wood stove still intact in the corner, but not much else by way of supplies.
“Wait a minute…” Vanellope’s brows furrowed as she approached the cast-iron appliance, lightly touching it. “Ralph, it’s warm!”
The wrecker was intrigued, tapping the cooktop; she was right.
“Good catch, kid,” he said, scrutinizing the rest of the ruined building for any other sign of life. In the corner near the stove were slight indentations in the snow that suggested someone had been lying there recently.
“I think Felix was here!” the girl said excitedly.
“Yeah…” Ralph agreed, unable to shake the image of the handyman shivering through the night in this drafty place. So much for spawning into a mansion…
A distant, high-pitched howl cut through the air, causing the pair to freeze.
“W-what was that?” Vanellope gulped.
“Uh, I think— I think that was a wolf,” Ralph was about to suggest they leave when they heard a scream.
“That was Felix!” Vanellope gasped. Ralph was immediately on the charge, and she did her best to keep up with his long strides as they ran towards where the sounds came from.
“Felix!” the large man shouted between breaths. “Can you hear me? Felix!”
Another shout echoed through the woods, much closer this time. Following it, Ralph and Vanellope broke into a clearing, freezing at the scene unfolding before them.
A wolf snarled ferociously, pinning Felix down as he writhed on the ground. Its massive jaws ripped into the handyman’s right shoulder, blood drenching its face. The handyman let out panicked cries, unable to do anything to deter the beast as its teeth came terrifyingly close to his neck.
Ralph looked down at a hatchet dropped in the snow. With a growl, he grabbed the tool, running forward with it tight in both hands. Sweeping in a low arch, Ralph knocked the wolf up and off his friend in one swift motion.
With a yelp, the animal landed with a thud some feet away. The wrecker huffed, approaching its motionless form, making sure it wouldn't get back up.
“F-Felix?” Vanellope said from behind. Turning, Ralph saw the girl shaking, leaning over the handyman as he lay in the snow, staining it red.
“H-hey, bud,” Ralph ran over and knelt to touch the handyman’s face; he was as cold as ice. “The kid and I are gonna get you fixed up, ok?”
The wrecker gently moved Felix to reach for the tool on his belt. Holding it up, the wrecker paled. It was a hammer, but it wasn’t Felix’s. This one was dense and made of steel; it appeared when the handyman was changed, so was his trusted tool.
“What the—” Ralph caught himself before he would swear.
“That’s what I said,'' the handyman joked despite the pain. A tear crossed his cheek as he forced a smile. “...won’t work, I’m afraid.”
“You’re going to be okay, Felix,” Ralph urged. Hammer be damned.
The wrecker peeled off his outer jacket and tossed it over his friend, wrapping the handyman snugly. His hand grazed Felix’s shoulder as he moved to pick him up, causing the smaller man to gasp.
“S-sorry, sorry…” Ralph winced. “I’m going to pick you up now, ok? One…two…three!”
Felix groaned, his face growing more pallid.
“C’mon, kid,” Ralph glanced backward as he carried their fallen friend. She followed him closely, worry etched on her face.
“Ralph,” Felix felt himself fading, and fast. There was just one thing he had to know. “Tammy—Is Tammy with you?”
“Yeah, bud, we’re taking you to her right now,” Ralph said breathlessly, adjusting his grip on the handyman. He was still fairly light, but harder to carry than before. “Just stay awake until then.”
“I’ll try,” the handyman smiled, his eyelids heavy. His family was safe and together, that’s all he needed.
Ralph felt the body in his arms going slack. “Hey, what did I just say?” he scolded, administering a rousing shake. “Felix!”
Vanellope looked up. Past the fog of her breath, she saw Tamora in the distance as they approached the safe house.
“SARGE!” she yelled as loud as she could. She and Ralph scrambled those last few yards to the office porch, catching their breath as the sergeant ran to their sides.
Tamora saw Felix dangling from the wrecker’s arms, and her military instincts kicked in. Shoving the front door open, she ushered the pair inside.
“Put him on the floor,” she ordered, pointing at the rug in the entry. “Show me.”
Ralph followed, placing the handyman on the rug and removing the jacket draped around his torso, revealing the bloody mess beneath.
Tamora paused only for a moment. Looking at Felix’s toolbelt told her all she needed to know.
“Jacket,” she said, reaching out to grab it as Ralph handed it to her. She folded it up and placed it on top of Felix’s shoulder. “Place your hands directly over this cloth and press down as hard as you can,” she instructed. Ralph did so reluctantly.
“Vanellope—” Tamora turned her attention to the wide-eyed girl beside her. Placing a calming hand on her shoulder, the sergeant requested her assistance. “I need you to grab that pot on the stove and pour some of our clean water into it.”
The girl nodded, determination replacing the fear.
“Harder, Wreck-It. I promise you he doesn’t feel it,” Tamora sighed as Ralph adjusted his technique. The larger man was starting to look a little pale himself.
“S-sorry,” he gulped. “I— I don’t do well with blood, and I’ve never…ever seen that much of it.”
Tamora considered his struggle and nodded.
“What did this?” she asked, tapping the wrecker's arms so she could take over.
“A wolf,” Ralph sighed, looking away.
“You kill it?”
“...Yeah.”
“Good.”
“Didn’t feel very good,” Ralph tried to wipe the image of the dead animal from his mind.
“You did what you had to,” Tamora reassured. The next few minutes were quiet as she maintained the pressure on Felix’s wound, her arms growing tired. “Think you can take over?”
Ralph turned with a nod, placing his hands over the cloth as the sergeant tagged out.
She gently touched the handyman's frigid face. Tamora placed two fingers on his neck, his pulse a steady rhythm. It seemed he’d been out in the elements for some time before he was found.
“H-here, Sarge,” Vanellope dragged over the heavy cast-iron pot she had filled with water with some clean rags.
“Thank you,” Tamora smiled. “Think you can start a fire upstairs?”
“Yeah!” the girl said confidently, taking her leave.
“I can handle things from here if you want to join her,” Tamora turned to Ralph. “It’s…not going to be pretty.” He considered the offer but shook his head.
“I’ll stay.”
Cutting the handyman free from his mangled clothes, they worked diligently to clean his wounds with water, and then with what little antiseptic they had scavenged. Tamora thanked the mods for finding plenty of bandages as she wrapped Felix up, and Ralph carried him upstairs.
Vanellope was there, working hard to build up the fire in the stove, just like she’d been taught the night before. The loft was nice and cozy as they carefully placed the handyman in the bed closest to the hearth.
Finally able to relax, Ralph sighed, leaning on the nearby dresser.
“Hey,” Tamora touched the wrecker’s shoulder, and he stood back upright, looking at her.
Before he knew it, the sergeant’s arms were wrapping around him.
He and Vanellope were stunned; Sarge was hugging him— A full-on, real deal, two-armed hug.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she held onto him, her iron walls crumbling. “Thank you for bringing him back to me.”
Ralph stood still for a few more moments, trying to process what was happening. Slowly, he draped one arm around her, followed by the other when she didn’t let go.
“No problem,” he said.
—————————————
“No,” Felix shook his head, stepping backward. “I don’t like this; we should go around.”
“Why?” Tamora asked, obviously annoyed. Regardless, she would hear her husband out.
“Well, it’s not blue like the lake back by the camp office,” he explained, gesturing to the frozen marsh before them. “And it's spotted by small masses of land, so it’s uneven at best—”
“Fancy yourself an ice expert?”
“E-excuse me?” Felix blinked, taken aback by her blatant dismissal.
“I think I know a little more about hardcore survival than you, Fix-It. The night is nearly upon us, and we need shelter. We don’t have the time to go around,” she said, preparing to step out onto the ice.
Felix grasped her elbow. “And maybe I know a little more about structural integrity than you,” he shot back. “Why can’t we use that empty train car we passed a few minutes ago?”
“Is that what you call structural integrity?”
“It’s a whole lot better than drowning in ice water if you ask me.”
Tamora’s eyes were like daggers as she stared the handyman down. Her stern gaze was enough to make the toughest of men shrink, but Felix stood firm.
“Are you questioning my authority?” she growled.
“What authority?”
Ralph and Vanellope glanced at each other, biting their tongues. Things were about to get far more unpleasant, and they sure weren’t looking to get caught in the middle.
Tamora raised her eyebrows, her expression saying what she couldn’t quite vocalize.
“Tammy, please listen to me,” Felix insisted. “You are not in ‘Hero’s Duty,’ and we are not your soldiers. We are your family, we all have a say…and I am begging you to stop and think about what you are asking us to do.”
“Alright,” the sergeant clicked her tongue. “If we all have a say, let's put it to a vote. All in favor of quickly getting out of this cold and into a nice warm farmhouse across the marsh?”
Tamora raised her hand, and Ralph and Vanellope quickly followed suit.
“And all in favor of wasting time and sleeping in a drafty train car?” While Felix didn’t appreciate how she put it, he still raised his hand. As he’d feared, he was completely alone in his concern.
“Then it’s settled,” Tamora adjusted her backpack and turned to face the expanse of ice.
“Sorry, bud…” Ralph whispered as he walked past the dejected handyman. “We walked on the ice back at the lake all the time. It’ll be fine.”
The wrecker waited for a response and shrugged when none came.
Felix took a deep breath and unconsciously held it as his wife took her first steps onto the frozen marsh. Things were going smoothly until halfway through her journey, when a cracking sound made her pause. She could almost feel her husband panicking behind her on the shore.
Tamora carefully stepped a few feet to the left, marching onward and crossing the last few yards without further complications. She waved, and her three compatriots let out a sigh of relief.
“See? It’s safe,” Ralph reassured his friend. He moved to hold Vanellope’s hand before Felix stopped him.
“If we’re doing this…she crosses with me,” the handyman said, holding the girl’s shoulder as he pulled her close.
Ralph rolled his eyes with a small grunt.
“Is that ok with you, kid?”
Vanellope nodded, willing to oblige Felix’s request to help move things forward.
“Okay,” Ralph sighed, turning to face Tamora across the marsh.
“Try to follow her path exactly, Ralph,” Felix suggested. “Keep to the left in the middle there.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Ralph waved as he placed his foot on the ice, then the other.
Vanellope looked up at Felix as the larger man slowly made his way across. His grip on her shoulder was tight, and his face was etched with worry. She was about to reassure him when another crack of the ice brought her attention back to Ralph.
The wrecker stumbled a little as a piece of ice broke loose under the weight of his foot. Regaining his balance and inching away from the small hole, he glanced at Tamora, who stood frozen.
Looking down, more cracks started to form underneath him.
“Uh…Guys— what do I do?” he asked frantically, backing up some more.
On shore, Felix removed his backpack, untethering the mountaineering rope from it. “Distribute your weight, Ralph!” he shouted.
“What?” the wrecker called back.
“Get down low, you need to crawl—” Before the handyman could finish his instructions, Ralph disappeared within the blink of an eye.
“Ralph!” Vanellope shouted, running forward. Before she could leave the shore, Felix grabbed her and pulled her back.
“Stay put!” he commanded as she fell into a sitting position in the snow, the harsh tone of his voice glued her to the spot.
Turning to the ice, he raised a hand to signal Tamora as she also tried making her way to the middle of the marsh.
“Tammy, stop!” he barked, effectively making the sergeant freeze in her tracks. By this time, Ralph resurfaced, coughing and gasping for air. The wrecker clawed at the chunks of ice to pull himself out.
“Arms out!” Felix instructed, unfurling his rope and tying a loop at the end.
Ralph followed, spreading his trembling arms outward.
Fastening one end of the rope to a nearby tree, Felix tossed the looped end to his friend in the water. The wrecker grabbed it but struggled to keep his grip as he tried to pull himself out.
“Stay calm, Ralph,” Felix said clearly. “Loop it under your arms.”
Ralph slowly did as he was told, looping the rope under his left arm, then his right.
“Now swim! Kick your legs!” Felix pulled as hard as he could as Ralph propelled himself up and out of the hole. Once away from where he’d fallen, the handyman instructed Ralph to crawl.
“Keep it up, brother! You’ve got it!” Felix encouraged, continuing to pull on the rope.
Ralph finally reached the shore, and the handyman helped him to his feet. He gasped and shivered in the cold air as he leaned on Felix for support.
“You go on, we’re going back to the train car!” Felix called to his wife across the marsh.
Tamora stood stunned for a few moments longer, then nodded.
The handyman turned around, keeping Ralph steady as they retraced their steps to the broken-down locomotive. Vanellope dusted herself off and followed suit.
“C’mon, Ralph,” Felix pleaded as the larger man stumbled. “I need you to keep walking. We’re nearly there.”
After what seemed like an eternity to the wrecker, the group finally came upon the car. Felix opened the door and helped Ralph inside.
“Vannie, can you look around here and gather wood for a fire?” Felix asked.
“Ok,” the girl nodded, watching as Felix closed the car door, leaving it open just a crack.
Inside, Ralph trembled uncontrollably, curling into himself for any warmth he could muster. Felix turned to him, eyes full of concern. Carefully, the handyman reached for Ralph’s drenched jacket as he peeled it off.
“We’ve got to get you out of these wet clothes,” he said.
Ralph attempted to unbutton his flannel shirt, but his fingers ached too much. Felix brushed his large hands out of the way. It wasn’t until the handyman undid the last button of his shirt that the wrecker realized what all that implied.
“A-all of ‘em?” Ralph’s eyes flickered downward briefly. Felix sighed, acknowledging the awkwardness of the situation.
“Yes, Ralph.”
“...Okay,” the larger man conceded. “Just–just undo the button, I got the rest.”
Felix made quick work of it, turning around when he was done to give his friend some privacy. While Ralph wrestled with the remainder of his wet clothes, Felix set down his pack and unhooked his bedroll.
“Wrap yourself up in this and lie down,” he said, tossing the blanket behind him.
After a few more moments of struggling, Ralph finally settled. Felix turned and frowned at the sorry sight of his friend trembling on the floor. This wasn’t the ideal place for someone with a real threat of hypothermia to be, but they would have to make the best of it.
“Vannie,” Felix opened the car door, beckoning the girl inside. Before crawling into the train, she placed the driest bits of wood and twigs she’d found on the steel floor. Once inside, she looked at Ralph as he shivered inside his sleeping bag.
“Here, Ralph,” she said sweetly, removing her bedroll from her pack and laying it over him.
“T-thanks, kid…” he managed a smile.
Felix paused to enjoy the tender moment, then returned to the task at hand, stuffing the bits of kindling Vanellope had scavenged inside the metal barrel in the corner of the train car and dragging it into the middle. It took a few matches, but before long, a small fire took bloom.
“I’m going to open the hatch up top. I’ll be right back,” the handyman said as he exited the car. As Vanellope tended to the flames and kept an eye on Ralph, she heard footsteps above her.
Eventually, the metal door above the homemade fire pit was opened, allowing the smoke from the growing fire to drift up and out.
Back inside, Felix placed a piece of grated scrap metal he’d found over the fire barrel and a clean tin can he filled with water on top. Bringing the water to a boil, he removed the tin with a cloth and tossed in a bag of herbal tea he kept in his pack.
“Let this steep for a few and give it to Ralph. It’s hot, so only touch it with a rag,” he explained to Vanellope, who had watched him intently the whole time. The girl nodded, and Felix zipped up his backpack and slung it over his back.
“Where are you going?” she asked. It had already gotten dark, and she was worried about what might happen if the fixer strayed too far.
He knelt in front of her and smiled. “I’m just going out to get some more firewood. I won’t go far,” he said. Vanellope nodded, and Felix slipped out into the night.
With a sigh, she toyed with the string attached to the teabag, moving it around in the water as Ralph slept. After a little while, she scooped up the can of tea with a rag and shimmied over to the wrecker, who still shivered slightly beneath the layers of blankets covering his body.
“Hey, Stinkbrain,” the girl poked his face, rousing him awake.
“Hey,” he answered.
“Made you some tea. Felix says you have to drink all of it, so bottoms up!”
“Thanks,” Ralph propped himself on his elbow, gingerly taking the cup. Through the protective cloth, he savored the warmth it provided his fingers. Taking a sip, his face soured at its bitter taste.
“Eugh,” he stuck out his tongue, making the girl laugh. “Where is Felix, anyway?”
“He went out to get more firewood and stuff,” Vanellope knotted her fingers together and bit her lip.
“What's wrong?” Ralph noticed that she seemed upset.
“I’ve…never seen Felix and Sarge fight like that before,” she mumbled.
“Yeah…” Ralph nodded, taking another sip of his tea. “Can’t say I have either. But they’ll work it out; I wouldn't worry too much about it.”
Vanellope nodded, sure that he was right. Still, she couldn’t help but feel that all of this was her fault. Unsure of how to tell the wrecker this, she opened her mouth just as the train car door slid open. Placing his oil lantern inside, Felix greeted the pair as he heaved himself up, closing the door quickly behind him.
“Sorry about the draft,” he said, dusting some snow off his clothes. “Enjoying your tea?”
“Mmm,” Ralph made another face with his second sip. “Delicious.”
Felix chuckled, removing his backpack.
“Well, at least some color is coming back to your face,” the handyman said softly, pulling a can of baked beans he’d saved in his pack along with a can opener. “Princess, could you get this warmed up while I work on some things?”
Vanellope agreed, and the two of them set to their tasks. Using the built-in lashing rings on the length of the train car, Felix secured his climbing rope as a makeshift clothesline to let Ralph’s soaked clothes and belongings dry. Afterwards, he climbed back up to the car roof to lay some pine needle branches over the open hatch to guard them from potential snow, while still allowing smoke to filter outward.
Vanellope heard the handyman walking around for a while and got worried when they’d stopped, and Felix hadn’t come back inside. Glancing at Ralph’s sleeping form, she slipped through the cargo door and climbed the ladder to the roof.
Felix sat facing away from her, holding a lit flashlight in one hand and a small book in the other. As the girl observed, he would cover the beam of light in what seemed like repeated patterns.
“What are you doing?” Vanellope asked softly, trying not to spook the handyman. He glanced over and gestured for her to sit next to him. When she did, he pointed at a soft, orange glow in the distance, across the frozen marsh.
“That’s Tamora,” he said simply. “She signaled to me, and I was replying… Turns out she’s in just as good of shape as we are. That house we saw is only partially intact.”
“Oh…” Vanellope looked to her feet. “Is she going to be ok?”
“She’s got a furnace and lots of coal to keep her warm. That's what she’s using to communicate.”
“Can you tell her I said hi?” Vanellope said bashfully, and Felix chuckled, using the book and torch to send her message. The small orange light blinked in response.
“She says ‘hi’ back,” the handyman translated with a soft smile. Another string of blinking made the handyman tense up, and with a more serious look on his face, he quickly made a reply and shut off the flashlight.
Vanellope did a double-take as he got up to leave. “W-wait, what did she say?”
“She uhm…she said she was sorry,” Felix frowned, his eyes cast downward.
“And what did you say?”
“I told her good night,” the handyman sighed as he climbed down the ladder. “C’mon…let's eat some supper.”
Her heart sinking, Vanellope looked to the light across the marsh. With a moment alone, she blinked away small beads of tears.
“I’m sorry too,” she sniffed.
——————————————
As the group walked, a piercing howl cut through them, and Felix felt as though it had struck his heart as it began to pump rapidly.
“A-ah!” the handyman faltered, hunching down as an overwhelming wave of fear crashed over him. “N-no, no…please no.”
“Felix,” Tamora held his shoulder as she spoke. “We have to stay calm and keep moving—”
She paused as not just one, but a pack of wolves emerged from the treeline.
“Damnit…” Tamora muttered under her breath as she turned around, readying her rifle. “Everyone move back!”
Ralph and Vanellope stayed behind the sergeant, slowly stepping backward along the abandoned highway.
“Uh, Sarge?” Vanellope pointed forward, the group realizing that Felix had remained crouched, frozen on the spot where they were. Hands at either side of his face, he trembled.
“Fix-It!” Tamora called out as a wolf stepped close. Firing her rifle, she deterred the canine. “Move!”
She marched forward quickly, rousing the rest of the pack. The one that had previously gone for Felix had circled back, now running in her direction.
She fired again, missing as the wolf leaped on top of her. The rifle was knocked from her hands, and Tamora pressed her arm into the beast's maw, her thick coat just barely protecting her from its teeth. Ralph ran to her aid, being stopped in his tracks by another wolf, and just like that, the group was separated, falling right into the pack’s jaws.
A scream pierced the air. One so shrill and desperate that it broke through to Felix. With a gasp, his eyes shot upwards to the source. Vanellope screamed again, clawing at the snow beneath her as a wolf dragged her by the ankle.
Seeing that, a switch flipped, and standing upright, Felix looked at the rifle that had landed at his feet.
Tamora reached for the gun as she wrestled with the timberwolf above her. Her fingers grazed the stock before a pair of hands scooped the weapon out of the snow, followed by a deafening bang.
Ears ringing, Tamora pushed the wolf’s limp body off of her, looking up at her husband with shock.
He held the gun tightly as he roughly engaged the bolt, giving Tamora just enough time to cover her ears as he fired a second shot. His pupils like pinpoints, Felix fired again, beginning to dispatch the timber wolves surrounding them one by one.
Tamora knew that steely look. She’d seen it many times; lived it. The handyman had completely checked out.
Ralph fell backward as the wolf nipping at him burst with a cloud of red, and his head immediately turned to Vanellope lying in the snow.
“Kid!” he shouted, moving onto his feet to run to her aid. Before he could fully stand, Tamora pushed him back to the ground.
“Stay down!” she commanded, her voice low. The pair ducked their heads as a bullet whistled above them. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”
Felix put down a wolf bounding towards him, his cold, blue eyes shooting upwards towards another running back to the tree line. Shouting angrily as he initially missed, he threw the bolt again, this time hitting the mark. His aim darted around the clearing, and his erratic breath started to calm until a wailing cry caught his attention.
Engaging the bolt and aiming, Felix peered down the sights at Vanellope. Blinking and holding his breath, his finger slowly moved away from the trigger, realization dawning as he lowered the rifle.
“Felix,” he flinched at the voice of his wife beside him, her hand gently pushing the gun’s barrel further downward. “It’s alright. They’re gone.”
With some light pulling, the handyman relinquished the rifle to Tamora, feeling sick when she flushed the chamber and pocketed a single remaining cartridge.
Felix stood still as his lady went to aid Ralph with Vanellope, who sobbed as blood seeped down her leg. As the two of them roughly bandaged her up, the handyman surveyed the scene. Nearly half a dozen dead wolves dotted the snow, and it frightened him that he did not remember exactly how they came to be there.
And Vanellope, Mods, he’d nearly…
“Felix,” Tamora’s gentle call rattled him once more. She took his hand, leading him down the road as Ralph carried Vanellope. The group was quiet as they continued along the highway until they found a small neighborhood of lakeside homes surrounding a Quonset garage.
Entering the closest house, Felix tasked himself to light the fireplace, starting some water to warm up once a steady flame was growing.
Tamora searched the bathroom, grabbing any medical supplies, while Ralph set Vanellope on the living room couch.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
“No!” Vanellope answered, wiping away tears. “Cut it out, Ralph! You freaking out is freaking me out!”
“Alright,” Tamora’s authoritative tone cut through the living room. “Everybody just needs to take a deep breath.” After a moment of silence, she continued.
“Wreck-It, your blubbering is not helping. Why don’t you and Fix-It search the other houses and gather supplies? I’ll stay here and clean her up.”
“No,” Vanellope interjected. “I want Felix to stay…You guys go.”
The three adults exchanged glances, eventually nodding in silent agreement.
“Okay,” the sergeant conceded. “C’mon, Wreck-It, it’s you and me.”
Shortly after the pair left, Felix carried Vanellope into the bathroom, setting her on the far edge of the tub so that she faced him. Propping her foot up on the opposite edge, he slowly removed the bandages Tamora had crudely wrapped her with in the heat of the moment, pausing every so often when the girl flinched.
Guilt lodged in the handyman’s throat as he surveyed her injuries. Puncture wounds and small tears peppered her limb, just above and around her ankle. If he hadn’t frozen, things could have turned out differently.
“This might sting a little,” he said, wetting a rag in the pot of warm water beside him. He squeezed the rag slowly, letting the water gently fall on her leg to wash away the remaining blood. And as he repeated the motions, a question nagged at the back of his mind.
“Why did you want me to stay?” he asked.
“Because you’ve been bitten before,” the girl replied, her eyes growing wet. “Am…am I going to get sick like you did?”
“Oh, honey,” Felix gently wipes the tears away. “No. You’re not going to get sick.”
“H-how do you know that?”
“Because your wounds are much smaller and easier to clean, and we have more supplies to help stave off infections than when I was bitten. When y’all finally found any antibiotics, my infection had gotten bad enough where something stronger was needed.”
The girl looked down, considering his words.
“And speaking of,” Felix sighed, reaching for the bottle of antiseptic Tamora had left on the counter. “This will sting.”
Vanellope was frightened, but appreciated the handyman’s honesty. He kept his touch gentle and tried to be quick. Before long, the girl’s leg was clean, dry, and neatly wrapped in a new bandage.
“That’s my girl,” Felix said, brushing her chin with a smile. “Tough as nails. You’ll heal up in no time.”
——————————————
Ralph opened the inner door, immediately freezing when he spotted Felix’s silhouette in the entryway, distress pistol in one hand, and flare shell in the other. The two stood, staring at each other intensely through the darkness before the handyman bolted outside.
“No!” Ralph pursued, shoving himself through the door and tackling Felix to the ground before he could fire the gun into the air.
“Why?” Ralph saw red as he shouted. “Why would you do that when we’re this close!?”
“Ralph! Stop!” He heard Vanellope come rushing up from behind him, the girl latching onto his arm. “Ralph, stop it!”
The wrecker froze as he looked back at her, illuminated by the bonfire. His knuckles glinted in the warm light, speckled with crimson. Looking down, he peered into the wide eyes of Felix, nose battered and face half covered in blood.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” the handyman repeated softly, his lips quivering.
Oh, Mods.
“Felix,” Ralph gasped, moving off of him. “No, I–I didn’t mean…” Ralph raised a trembling hand to his face, mortified by what he’d just done.
A grave silence passed between the two as Felix backed away, sitting on his knees and staring at the blood on his fingers when he touched his face.
“Least I know I’m not the only one who's coming unglued,” an eerie smile revealed blood-soaked teeth. The sight sent a chill down Ralph’s spine.
“Felix…” he lamented. “Everything is going to be okay–”
“My wife is dying!” the smaller man wailed. “That isn’t okay– nothing about this game has ever been okay!”
Ralph felt Vanellope’s small arms tighten around him as their friend unraveled before them.
“I’ve nearly been ripped apart, you almost drowned in ice water, Vanellope got dragged off by wolves––” Felix’s breath grew labored as he went on. “And now my wife is dying, and the people I thought I could depend on don’t seem to care!”
“That’s not fair,” Ralph shook his head. Of course, he cared. “This is much more complicated than that. What about ‘Sugar Rush’? All those characters, Vanellope…If we fire that gun here and now, we’ll lose the only chance to save their game.”
“At least they’d still have their lives,” the handyman spoke vacantly. “Devs know we’ve been barely hanging onto ours here.”
Felix’s eyes wandered back to the loaded distress pistol lying between them. Ralph cautiously leaned forward to grab it and, in an unexpected turn, handed it to the girl beside him.
“It’s your game, kid,” he spoke solemnly. “It should be your decision.”
Vanellope was dumbstruck, her heart pounding as she stared at the bright orange pistol in her hands.
“Vannie,” she turned to Felix, tears lacing her eyes. “Vannie, please…” he pleaded.
She wavered for a moment, then opened the pistol to remove the shell.
“I-I’m sorry,” she quivered, stuffing the flare in her pocket and handing Ralph the gun. “We’ll find something to help Sarge. We can’t give up; not when we’re this close.”
She sounded just like Ralph.
With a shocked expression, the handyman dissolved into derisive laughter, his hands clawing at the sides of his face.
“Felix…” Ralph stood in front of Vanellope. “We can talk this out… Let’s go inside, get you cleaned up–”
“Don’t!” Felix barked, stumbling to his feet while swatting Ralph’s hand away. Taking a step back, he pointed a trembling finger at the girl clinging to the larger man’s side.
“What if it was her?” he questioned. “What if it was her lying in there, all pale and weak? You’d be singing a very different tune, wouldn’t you?”
Ralph looked down, his brows knit together.
Felix nodded his head. That’s exactly what he thought.
“And I would have had your back, brother,” he wanted that last word to sting as he turned to leave.
Vanellope’s breath hitched as she looked up at Ralph, who continued to look down solemnly. Felix was walking away, and he was just letting him.
“Wait!” She called out. The handyman faltered for only a moment, continuing through the light falling of snow. “Felix, where are you going? Ralph! Stop him!”
“C’mon, kid,” he picked Vanellope up and turned to go back inside the Community Center. “He’ll be back.”
——————————————
Ralph stepped into the cold night, walking past the bonfire out front. Scanning his surroundings, he caught a glint of light within the broken-down store across the street. A sigh of relief escaped him, glad that even in his anger, Felix had the sense not to stray far.
Approaching the building, the sound of glass shattering inside made the wrecker pause. With a better understanding of his friend’s state, he steeled himself, entering just as another glass door was broken near the back of the shop.
Seeing Ralph's silhouette cross the wall in front of him, Felix tossed down the pry bar, visibly upset that he’d been caught acting out in this way. The larger man scanned the room, a lump in his throat forming as he took in the destruction, then his friend.
Dried blood covered Felix’s face, splaying out from his crooked nose, and his hair and clothes were disheveled as he took shaky, panicked breaths. He was a completely different man from the one who once happily agreed to join Ralph and Vanellope on their quest.
The guilt was almost too much for the wrecker to bear.
“What?” Felix spat, growing impatient in his friend’s silence. “What more could you possibly want from me, Ralph?”
The larger man remained still.
“I’ve been bloodied, bruised…berated and belittled. I have given so much…I have…nothing left,” the handyman croaked.
“I–” Ralph swallowed. “I wanted to make sure you were ok…”
Felix snorted. The man who broke his nose was asking if he was okay. The utter ridiculousness of it all; he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Ralph nodded solemnly, choosing his next words carefully.
“And, well–– she’s asleep now… but Sarge woke up,” Ralph paused when Felix’s head snapped in his direction.
After the shock wore off, the handyman’s lips curled up into a sad smile. “Well, that just figures, doesn’t it?” he mumbled. Tamora had woken up for the first time in days, and he’d missed her. “Did–did she say anything?”
“I told her that we thought she was dead, and she said…” Ralph chuckled as he recalled her words exactly. “She said: ‘Not on my watch.’”
That phrasing, succinct and dry, and so undeniably Tamora. Felix uttered a single laugh as tears filled his eyes.
Unsure whether this information helped or hurt his friend further, Ralph approached with open arms.
“Don’t—” Felix turned away, trembling, ripping the wrecker’s heart in two.
(( Wrote this little 'meet-cute' ficlet over the weekend to help me get back into the groove of writing! Please enjoy!
Tagging some pals: @bashfulgnome, @shitpost-it-tristan, @sgtcalhouns ))
For the past couple of weeks since she’d moved into her new apartment, Tamora had been surviving on microwaved foods and takeout. Today, however, she felt more put together than she had in some time. And with a spring in her step, she took a trip to the local grocery store and cooked a proper meal.
Maybe Kohut had been right; that all she needed was a change of scenery. Someplace quaint and quiet to help ease her troubled mind.
Even that morning, she was compelled to dig out her old engagement ring from its box and place it on her finger without too much tearful sentimentality. What was usually a painful reminder strangely brought her comfort, so she wore it all day while running errands and doing chores.
She’d even kept it on as she scrubbed the dishes and cookware, only to find it missing after letting the soapy water drain from the basin and drying her hands.
Fuck.
Having been a sergeant in the military, Tamora could string together expletives in an impressive fashion. She yelled them out as she paced the kitchen floor, heart beating rapidly, and face turning red as she reprimanded herself.
After the anger subsided, panic settled into the pit of her stomach. And in her desperation for a solution, she turned to the fridge.
On the side panel, a magnet listed numbers to call within the apartment building, including that of the superintendent, whom she had embarrassed herself in front of weeks ago when she first moved in.
The blonde grimaced as she recalled the moment the bottom of one of her boxes gave out, dumping everything to the floor at the very moment the handyman was walking by. And the way she had snatched the formal portrait of Brad from his hands as he attempted to help her…
Her pride be damned; if there was any way to get the ring back, she had to try. Dialing the number on her phone, she silently pleaded as it rang.
“This is ‘Fix-It’ Felix, how can I help you?” A cheery voice answered.
“Hi,” Tamora breathed, trying to mask the shaking in her voice. “Uhm— this is Tamora in 1102 and I dropped my ring down the sink. Am I fucked?”
Oh God, why did she say it like that?
“You are certainly not,” The gentleman reassured after a brief pause. “It happens all the time and it's likely stuck in the trap.”
“Okay…” Tamora said after letting out the breath she’d been holding.
“I’m wrapping up a job downstairs. Leave the sink as it is, and I’ll be up in about fifteen to retrieve it for you, is that alright?”
“Y-yes,” she nodded. “Thank you.”
As soon as she heard knocking, Tamora answered. Felix stood on the other side, blinking, knuckles still raised as the door swung open before him.
“Hello,” he tipped his hat with a lopsided grin. He read some scribblings off a crumpled sticky note “Miss…Tamora Calhoun, correct?”
“Yes,” she replied, hoping that meant he’d forgotten all about their awkward introduction. Stepping aside, she allowed him entry into her apartment. “It's in the kitchen.”
“Alrighty, let's see here…” Felix placed the bucket he brought on the floor and pulled a flashlight from his tool belt. Shining the beam down the disposal drain, he inspected it before opening the under-sink cabinet.
Tamora looked on nervously as he nestled himself down into the small space, setting the bucket underneath the piping as he removed the J-bend. And within a matter of moments, her ring was retrieved. Felix held onto it gently as he quickly replaced the pipe piece, and while he ducked out of the cabinet, he wiped it clean with a small cloth.
“Here you are!” The handyman held it up to her as he knelt. Seeing her awkward smile and hesitation, he realized his error and sprung up to his feet.
“Oh, excuse me, I—” he stammered, trying again. “Here.”
“God, thank you…” Tamora couldn’t help the swell of emotion as she took the jewelry back, clutching it tightly. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Felix looked at her, his face etched with sympathy as the blonde wiped away her tears.
“Sorry,” she continued, pulling herself together. “I’m not usually this openly pathetic.”
“It’s as I said on the phone, these things happen all the time,” the gentleman replied, closing the cabinet doors. “You aren’t the first or last person to call a handyman in a crisis. There’s no need to apologize.”
Tamora nodded, choosing to believe he wasn’t just saying that to make her feel better.
“Do you need anything else?” She shook her head no. “Alright.”
Felix picked up his bucket, starting to see himself out.
“Miss Calhoun, I hope you have a wonderful evening—” He smiled, opening the entry door and stepping into the hallway. “And I’m glad I could help you today.”
With the way he said it, Tamora got the indication that the handyman did remember the last time they met.
“Yeah…” the blonde bowed her head with a sheepish grin. “Listen, about two weeks ago— that wasn’t one of my best days. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.”
“It’s quite alright, I just hope your picture was okay.”
“Oh, yeah, it was fine,” Tamora replied, an image of the portrait's cracked frame nestled in the closet flashing in her mind.
“Good,” Felix smiled. “And if there is ever anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”
“I was certain you were going to tell me to ‘give you a ring,’” The blonde smirked.
The handyman made a face somewhere between surprise and delight, and the two of them laughed.
“It had crossed my mind, but—” Felix cut himself off with another chuckle. “Well, now I know you can appreciate a corny joke or two.”
Tamora’s smile lingered, and she glanced down at the silver ring at her fingertips.
“Well, thank you again for this,” she said.
“Of course,” Felix tipped his hat once more. “Have a good night.”
“Goodnight,” Tamora closed the door softly.
Give you a ring? The blonde hid her face in her hands. So stupid. At least it seemed the handyman had genuinely enjoyed her little quip.
Looking down at her ring, she let out a sigh. “You were always better at making jokes.”
Walking into the bedroom, Tamora placed the ring back safely in its box, opting to leave it open as it sat by her bedside.
(( A little late, but here's a little fic to wrap up spooky season! Tamora catches Felix by surprise after the annual Halloween party. NSFW.
Tagging some pals! @bashfulgnome, @sadboytristan, @sgtcalhouns))
Felix chuckled as he walked by the various fake cobwebs and felt spiders in the hedge maze the Nicelanders had put together, giving it one last lookover to ensure everyone had made it out and gone home.
“Hello—” a deep, sultry voice just about made the handyman jump out of his pixels as he rounded a corner. Before him was a tall figure shadowed by the leafy walls, with two icy blue eyes that appeared to glow as they stared downward. “A little morsel has walked into my trap.”
“Tam–aah!” Felix didn’t have time to recover from his scare as he was engulfed in a red and black cloak. And when Tamora freed him, he found himself sitting atop a bale of hay with her dark silhouette looming over him.
She leaned forward, the moonlight illuminating her pale skin and shimmering in her golden hair. Her red lips curled into a devilish smile that revealed her thirsty fangs. And as she inched closer to her prey, she paused when something prodded her chest.
Felix adjusted his grip on the wooden stake he held between them with a smile of his own.
“A bit dangerous to choose a vampire hunter as your mark,” he said smugly, adorably thinking he had the upper hand.
Tamora let out a chuckle that sent a shiver up his spine and wrapped her red-tipped fingers around his.
“Dangerous for who?”
He put up a decent struggle but was no match for her strength as she pinned his wrists against the hay bale. She dipped her head low, grinning at how his lips gravitated toward hers, even as she pulled away.
“I know you hunt for pleasure, not glory…but I can give you both.” Tamora muttered, eliciting a red hue across the handyman’s cheeks. His grip on the wooden stake loosened, letting it slip away from his fingers.
She had him pegged; this was absolutely happening. Felix only hoped no poor sprite would come looking for them as they played this out.
The blonde brought his wrist to her mouth, kissing it tenderly before very lightly introducing one of her fangs. She could feel the handyman’s pulse grow faster beneath her lips and reveled in the desperate look on his face. Leaning forward, she indulged him with a proper kiss.
Butterflies erupted in his chest, and he held her cheek to keep her there for more. Tamora smiled, ending things off with a little nip. Felix gulped as his lady focused elsewhere, trailing her teeth from his ear, past his jaw, and down the soft column of his neck.
“I wonder how you taste…” she uttered against his skin, making the 8-bit tremble.
He shed his faux leather coat and untied the top of his white ruffled shirt. He then pulled the loose collar to one side, baring his shoulder.
Tamora scouted the exposed area with her thumb. “Here?” she confirmed.
“Yes,” Felix’s voice shook with excitement, his body sensitive to every little touch as he anticipated her next move.
Kissing the agreed spot, Tamora held his right hand, intertwining their fingers. Her breath against his skin gave the handyman goosebumps, and he gasped as he felt her teeth slowly sink in.
“Oh, wow…” Those two words and the starry-eyed way Felix would say them never ceased to amuse the sergeant. Almost like he was drunk off the high the sensation gave him.
She increased the pressure, eliciting soft whimpers and bated breaths. The gloved fingers laced with hers tightened, and she held, releasing when the handyman quickly loosened his grip.
Felix let out the breath he’d been holding with a moan, his pleasure only growing as Tamora doted on that same spot after. When he came down from his bliss, Felix lay limp against the hay, as though his lady really had feasted on his blood.
“That good, huh?” Tamora smirked.
“Goodness, yes,” Felix tittered, followed by another bubbling of soft laughter.
“What?”
“We always get up to the strangest, most wonderful things,” he explained, feeling the indents along the meat of his shoulder. “I wouldn’t have it any other way…Thank you for being that person with me.”
“Oh, so it was that good,” Despite her joking tone, the blonde’s eyes sparkled. “Seems you’d like to stab me with something other than a stake.”
“Tammy!” Felix laughed through the shock, his face a cherry red. “Oh, Mods…”
“Let’s see what you’ve got, vampire hunter,” Tamora attempted to pull at his belt with her teeth, but her veneers slipped away from the leather, falling out of her mouth as her head jerked back.
“Fuck,” she mumbled, failing to catch the false fangs before they bounced off the handyman’s lap and onto the lawn below. “Damn it.”
Felix erupted in another fit of laughter. “I love you,” he expressed once he caught his breath.
“Love you too, Fix-It,” Tamora sighed as she came back up after grabbing her fangs off the ground. “I guess that concludes our fun in the maze?”
“Yeah…I’m startin’ to realize we could still be seen by most of the upper floors.” Felix sat up, fixing his shirt. He noticed her soft pout and lifted her chin with his hand.
“Oh, Tammy, you’re still my vampire queen,” he affirmed. And while it was nearly impossible for him to be vulgar, he tried his best. “Let's go home, and I’ll…show you my ‘hunting kit.”’
