Feelings Revealed

by Dragonsrule18, MissJulyFarraday

Summary:

Turbo and Candice Von Schweetz, Vanellope's mother, have been friends for quite a while, and those feelings have slowly started to develop into more. When an accident on the track puts Turbo in the hospital, it gives Candice the drive she needs to finally tell him how she really feels. AU of my awesome friend J-Farraday's story, A Kingdom Called Sugar Rush.

Notes:

• For MissJulyFarraday.
• Inspired by A kingdom called Sugar Rush by MissJulyFarraday

This is yet another AU one shot of my awesome friend, J-Farraday's amazing fanfic, A Kingdom Called Sugar Rush, and was part of an RP we created together, adapted to a fanfic form.

In A Kingdom Called Sugar Rush, Turbo wasn't a video game character, but a real racer from our world who fell into a portal the kingdom's queen, Vanellope's mother Candice Von Schweetz, was testing. Turbo's car broke the mirror, so he wasn't able to get home, and Candice felt horrible at this and made sure Turbo was comfortable and happy in their world. Turbo quickly adapted, as this was a racing world and racing was his sole passion, and developed a close friendship with the kindhearted queen. His gift with mechanics and helpfulness also lead to him becoming her Royal Advisor.

Sadly in the fic, Candice was deathly ill, and the medicine she was taking was quickly becoming ineffective. She had little time left, and Turbo was filled with a mix of both hopelessness, knowing his friend would die no matter what, and ambition, as she wanted to him to be the acting King after she died until Vanellope was grown.

This mix led him to not help her when she needed him most, and his ambition took him along a dark path, but everything could have changed if Candice had never been ill. July said she could easily see Turbo and Candice falling in love if things had been different, their friendship slowly developing into more.

Chapter 1

Tears filled Candice's eyes as she sat beside Turbo's hospital bed. He lay unconscious, his head bandaged, his arm in a cast, and bruises visible on the skin his racing outfit didn't cover.

It has been a massive accident. A young racer named Butter Toffee had had a tire blow out, causing them to lose control and skid into Turbo's car at top speed, which he had been unable to avoid due to the cars around them. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to think about running into the track with the paramedics, her heart stopping, fearing the worst. His beloved car had been totalled, and as he was pulled from the wreckage, she couldn't stop crying.

Thankfully, while he had suffered a broken arm, a multitude of bruises, and probably a concussion, with healing potions and a lot of care, they said he'd be fine. That he'd wake up soon. But she had to see it for herself.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

She took his hand in her own trembling ones, holding it close. "Please be okay..." she pleaded.

As if he had heard her, he let out a soft groan, and knowing it might embarrass him if he saw her holding his hand, she let it go and stood by his bedside anxiously as he tried to move to sit up before Candice could help him. Immediately he let out a grunt of pain at the action, slowly opening his eyes and lifting his hand to touch his head. A look of confusion came onto his face as he felt the bandage covering it. "What... What happened?" he asked blearily. He looked around the room before his eyes met Candice's red-rimmed ones. "Your... Majesty?"

Hearing his voice, hearing the proof he was all right, if hurt, caused her to let out a sob of relief. "You're awake... I was so worried." she whispered. "Turbo... There was an accident during the race. You've been out for a few hours." She checked him over worriedly. "How do you feel? I know you're probably hurting right now. Maybe I should call the nurse."

"An accident..." Turbo repeated to himself, seeming to not hear her last suggestion. A thoughtful look crossed his face before his eyes widened. For a moment he shuddered before suddenly looking irritated. "Oh great... I lost the race," he huffed in annoyance, not without a small wince of pain.

"Turbo!" Candice scolded, unable to believe that with him literally being in the hospital, losing the race was all he cared about. "Your life is far more important than the race," She couldn't keep the shakiness out of her voice at the thought of what could have happened. "You scared me terribly. I feared I'd lose you..."

Somehow, he looked utterly taken aback by her statement, like he couldn't believe she was actually worried for him. Then he looked down, picking at the sheets. "You'd have found another to be your advisor, Your Majesty." he said softly, his voice sad and resigned, though he tried hard to hide it.

She shook her head violently, unable to believe at first that he couldn't see his worth to her. How could he not know how much he meant to her? She thought of how her life had brightened after he had arrived, pulled in accidentally by her magic mirror. How he was always willing to give her advice on cars, how his sarcastic sense of humor never failed to make her laugh, how, despite always calling her "Your Majesty," he talked to her like a normal person, not just a queen, and she was able to be herself around him in a way she never had with anyone else.

He had found his way into her heart like no other had, and she had to let him know it.

She took both his hands in hers. "Don't say that, Turbo," she pleaded with tears in her eyes. "I wouldn't have, because there's no one like you. You're not just my advisor; you mean everything to me. Besides Vanellope, you're the most important person in my life...and I...I can't lose you." Unable to help it, she let out another sob.

She felt his hand squeeze hers and opened her eyes to see him looking at her with an awe and tenderness she had never seen from anyone. Her heart fluttered.

"Please tell me... Why am I this important to you?" he asked, his lisp ever so slightly showing through, as it always did when he was feeling something especially strong. She loved it when it came out, loved seeing him that open.

And she knew she had to be that open too, to let him know exactly how she felt about him.

"Because... you're amazing, Turbo." she told him earnestly. "You're a wonderful and honest person, you're determined, you're funny, you're sweet, and I can't see my life without you. So don't think I could ever replace you, Turbo. No one ever could. Because...I..." And then it came out, like the dam instead her she had kept strong for so long had been broken. "I love you, Turbo!" she blurted out. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had said and her cheeks turned bright red as his did the same. He looked at her in shock for a second, and she wanted to back away, to hide. What if she had ruined everything?! What if he only saw her as a friend and she had pushed this on him?

What if he felt he had to say yes because she was the queen, much like she had to do the same during her arranged marriage with Vanellope's father?

Before she could fall apart, a gentle hand cupped her cheek, causing her to look back up at him. "Candice..." he softly said, speaking her name for the first time, and her breath caught at this, at the smile on his face and the tenderness in his eyes as he told her, "...I love you too."

"You...You do?" she asked softly, cupping his cheek as well.

He closed his eyes as he leaned into the touch, moving his hand to gently press over hers. "I do," he told her. He looked at her with so much love. "Because you're the most wonderful person I've ever known."

"And you're the most wonderful person I'VE ever known. I don't want you to ever forget that." Candice told him lovingly. Impulsively, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Once again he blushed deeply, a slightly goofy grin on his face that made Candice smile too. And then he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. They were soft and warm, sparks filling her and setting her soul alight, warmth filling her whole body as she returned the kiss. She never had felt anything like this before.

Was this what it was truly like, kissing someone you love?

He started to move to deepen the kiss, only to let out a hiss of pain, and Candice was snapped back to reality as he broke the kiss. She worriedly helped him sit back as he winced.

"Where's it hurt? Should I run and get the nurse?" she asked worriedly, cursing herself for nearly forgetting how hurt he was.

"My head and arm, and... it'd probably be a good idea." he admitted.

Candice quickly did just that, soon returning with the nurse, who checked Turbo over and administered healing and pain-relieving potions. Turbo soon seemed to be feeling a lot better, and was much relieved that the break in his arm was simple and he'd be fully healed and ready to go back to the track within a few weeks.

"At least I'll be able to race soon," Turbo said as the nurse left. "Should I even ask what happened on the track?"

"One of the younger racers had a tire blow out and they skidded out of control and into your car," Candice told him.

"Just great," Turbo groaned with a frown. "I was sent off track by a newbie." Before Candice could even reply, his expression changed from annoyance to guilt. "Sorry, I know they didn't mean it."

Candice put an arm around him. "I know you're frustrated about what happened and that's understandable," she told him, kissing his cheek. "It's true it was very much an accident and the child feels terrible about what happened, so thank you for understanding. I'm so proud of how far you've come." And it was true. He had matured much over his time in Sugar Rush from being somewhat overconfident and arrogant about races to, after she had gently spoken to him about hurting the second place finisher's feelings after a race, coming to be more understanding. While he still often had an overconfident front, it was playful now, and he made sure not to hurt the feelings of others. And seeing him do this even now in the hospital warmed her heart and she couldn't help but kiss his cheek again.

He blushed. "I'm trying... For you." he told her, smiling.

She returned the smile. "And you're doing wonderfully. I love you so much, Turbo."

He took her hand in his good one, looking the happiest she had ever seen him. "I love you too, Candice."

Chapter 2

Chapter by Dragonsrule18

A few days later, Turbo sat somewhat impatiently in his hospital bed, eager to go home. Candice was at the castle, checking on Vanellope and grabbing him a change of clothing, and would soon return.

There was a soft knock at the door and he grinned, thinking Candice had arrived back even sooner than he thought. "Come on in!"

But it wasn't Candice who entered the room, but a brown skinned kid who looked to be around thirteen with dark brown hair that fell down to their shoulders. They wore a brown and gold top that shimmered and crinkled slightly with brown pants and there was a crinkly gold and brown wrapper bow in their hair. Turbo recognized them as Butter Toffee, the newest racer to join the Sugar Rush Grand Prix.

"H-Hi." they said softly as they made their way shyly to Turbo's bedside, clutching a card in their hands.

"Hello," Turbo replied, a bit confused as to why they were here. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I-I just wanted to see if you were okay, and say sorry," Butter Toffee whispered, looking down at their shoes. "It-It's my fault you're in the hospital. I'm really sorry you got hurt."

"Oh. You're the newbie whose tire blew out," Turbo commented.

The kid nodded guiltily. "I'm really sorry... I just went into a spin and couldn't get out of it before I hit you. I-I hope your arm's going to be okay and you feel better soon." Their voice got a bit stronger as they continued. "I'll do whatever you need me to do to help! And I'll fix your car, or you can have mine! I'll do anything I can to make this right and help you feel better."

Turbo might have been annoyed a few days ago, but looking at Butter Toffee's earnest face, at their desire to make the accident up to him, he just couldn't be mad anymore. Especially since, while they looked nothing like him physically, in their eyes he could see the shy young child he used to be, desperate to please.

"It's okay, kid. I'm too turbotastic to taken down by a little accident!" he said with a smile, putting an overdramatic tone in his voice to make Butter Toffee laugh, which they did. "And I'm not mad. A tire blowout can happen to anyone, even me. Don't tell that to anyone though," he added with a conspiratorial whisper. They giggled and nodded. "And... I guess I can take you up on helping me fix my car when I get better, but I'm definitely not going to take yours. I can't race and win against you if you're car-less."

This again got a smile from the kid, and Turbo was glad to see them relax. "And tell you what, once my car's fixed, I'll take you to the race track and show you what you can do if something like a tire blowout ever happens again."

"Really?" they asked excitedly.

"Really," he promised with a smile.

They grinned from ear to ear and gave him a hug, which surprised him, but he awkwardly hugged them back.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot! I made this for you!" Butter Toffee said happily, holding up the card. Turbo thanked them and took it. It said "Get Well Soon," on the front and inside was a little drawing of Turbo, standing next to his car and showing his famous victory pose.

Turbo couldn't help but smile as he saw it. "Well, kid, if your racing skills are as turbotastic as your drawing skills, you're going to be quite the competition on the track." The kid's eyes lit up and Turbo smiled once again, feeling light inside.

...

And he felt even better a little while later, when Candice returned, shortly after Butter Toffee left, and he finally got the all-clear to go home.

"Ready to go? I figured that since the hospital isn't too far from the castle, we could have a walk home," Candice said with a smile. "It should do you good. But if you get tired afterwards, I'll give you the needed time to rest."

"That sounds good. Though with a physique like mine, I'll have no need of rest." Turbo bragged as he hopped out of bed, playfully flexing his good arm to try to make Candice laugh.

Candice giggled a little bit. "I should have known," she said with a smile, but he noticed something seemed a bit off. While she was hiding it, he could definitely tell she was worried about something by her slight fidgeting and how she couldn't quite meet his eyes.

"Are you all right, Candice?" he asked gently.

"Well... yes and no. I... I'd rather talk about it more privately. Not here." she said quietly.

He was even more worried but nodded. After Candice thanked and said goodbye to the medical staff, she and Turbo headed outside. Like almost always, the day was sunny and clear, the smell of sugar filling the air, but Turbo's concern made it feel much gloomier.

The couple slowly walked in the direction of the castle, and when Candice was sure they were far away from anyone to hear their conversation, she let out a sigh, as though dealing with her nerves.

"You... didn't tell anyone at the hospital about our kiss or anything about... us, did you?" she suddenly asked.

Turbo blinked and shook his head. "No, I didn't." he replied, a little confused. "I know you're private about those types of things."

She smiled just a little bit, looking touched, then looked concerned again. "I've been thinking about us, about what we are now. I'm happy we both feel the same for each other." Candice went on softly. Her face then became nervous. "Turbo, would you be mad if I... requested you to keep our relationship... secret? For some time?"

After finally voicing her request, she looked at him with vulnerability, and his heart ached. He didn't understand why she wanted it kept secret but knew whatever the reason, her fear was genuine. He took her hand. "I'm not mad at you, Candice. But...is there a specific reason?" he asked softly. "Are you concerned about people spreading rumors or did you just want to wait until we've been together longer?" A tiny critical voice in his head, one that sounded suspiciously like his parents, whispered that it might be because she was ashamed of liking him, but he pushed it away. He loved and trusted Candice and knew she'd never be ashamed of him, but still his insecurity sometimes reared its ugly head.

Almost as though reading his mind, Candice softly squeezed his hand and spoke up softly.

"It's not because I'm ashamed of loving you or of our relationship. Because I'm not." she clarified. "I'm more concerned of how my people will take the news. I know my subjects are mostly wonderful people and shouldn't judge, but I'm afraid that some of them might get wrong ideas and spread lies about us."

She sighed softly, looking down. "Since my youngest age, I've been told what a queen does or doesn't do... They told me how to look like, how to talk,... who to marry..."

There was an old pain in her eyes, one Turbo knew all too well from the days he had lived with his parents and had tried to do everything they wanted to make them proud when he never could. It hurt to know Candice had gone through the same thing.

"I've been raised to be a future queen, I've been a public figure for as long as I remember. Privacy's always been more of a luxury than a right for me," Candice confessed. "And... few are the things, if any, that I could live like a normal person. I only wish, at least for a time, to live our love normally, without any public pressure to ruin the experience."

And that too he got. Sometimes fame was a double-edged sword, and he hated that it had dug into Candice too. He squeezed her hand again. "I understand. Being a well-known racer in my world, I've had to deal with people like that too who would try to dig into people's lives and spread and exaggerate personal information. I guess our worlds aren't that much different in that. I'm sorry you never got the peace you deserved and that they put you under so much pressure. You deserve far better than that."

Tears filled Candice's eyes and she blinked them away. He pulled her into a loving hug, trying to comfort her. She stiffened for a second, but before he could apologize and pull away, she melted into him, hugging him back. He felt her cling to his clothes and a slight dampness on his shirt. "Thank you, Turbo," she whispered.

He held her close, stroking her hair softly. "I'm here for you, Candice."

She smiled through her tears and pulled back just a bit, kissing him on the lips. He happily kissed back, his soul soaring.

He suddenly understood why Ted and Nate, his two best friends, had wanted this so much for him.

"I love you," Candice said softly, the words warming him from the inside. "And I promise that someday, we'll let the people know."

He was pretty sure he had the biggest, stupidest grin on his face. "I love you too, Candace. And I don't mind waiting. I'd like us to live our love normally too. We can wait to tell others until you're ready."

"Thank you for understanding," she told him, looking like a weight had been lifted off her as she snuggled into his arms. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Candice suggested they go back to the castle, needing to check on Vanellope and make sure Sour Bill didn't have any emergencies to report.

"You know, while you were at the hospital, Vanellope's been saying your name a lot. I think she was trying to ask me where you were." - Candice said with an endeared smile.

Turbo brightened. "She has?"

Candice nodded. "She likes you a lot, Turbo. Naturally, she wondered where you were."

"Well, who wouldn't like me?" Turbo asked with a wink, though there was no hiding how pleased he was. He couldn't help but love that kid, and it warmed him to his core that baby Vanellope loved him too.

"Well, she and I certainly do," Candice said, failing to suppress a giggle.

Turbo sighed dramatically with a huge grin on his face. "I guess I'm just irresistible."

"You sure are," Candice replied with a smile and blush, then sighed a little, fidgeting her fingers. "Sometimes, I envy your self-confidence."

This stopped Turbo short, and he fidgeted a bit too. "If it helps, to me, you're the strongest person I've ever met." He took her hands in his, taking a deep breath as he admitted how he really felt, just like she had. "You have the strength of character I wish I had," he said softly. "You're kind to everyone, you're a fantastic ruler, and you've raised an amazing child. You have more right to boast than I do, yet you're always so modest."

She blushed again, looking a bit shy. ""Aw, Turbo..." - she was at first slightly at loss if words - "I... I appreciate your kind words." Despite her nervousness, she was smiling.

Turbo smiled widely at seeing her smile. "You really are a wonderful person. I mean that."

"You are a... turbotastic person yourself." - Candice said, her face reddening a little more as she used his catchphrase, and to him it felt much, much better hearing it from her mouth than his own.

"Thanks, Candice," he told her with a smile, earning yet another of her beautiful smiles in return, each one even more of a treasure than a first place trophy.

When they arrived at the castle, both felt disappointed for once that they had gotten home so soon. Because once they were in Sour Bill's or anyone's sight, they'd have to act as though there was nothing more between them than friendship. They'd miss the talks, the hugs and kisses, but they reminded themselves that they'd find moments in private they could show their love, and in time, when it was right, they'd reveal it to everyone.

Together, they could make it through anything.

Notes:

Please comment and let us know what you think!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of A Kingdom Called Sugar Rush Candice Lives AU