Touched by Love
Summary: [Based on a dream I had—go figure! Haha.] When they were three years old, Helga and Arnold had a chance meeting after she got hurt. Even for all her protests, Arnold couldn't let the little girl go unchecked.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! I also do not own any characters mentioned in this story.
The little blonde girl moved under the awning of the preschool building. As expected, the rain still fell rather harshly, not appearing to stop any time soon. The streets were slick and unforgiving. She knew that well. She looked down at herself, mud-covered, a little scratched up from falling on the concrete earlier, and lunchbox-less.
She turned her attention back to the window behind her. She pressed her tiny hands to the glass and leaned her forehead onto it, sighing almost helplessly as she watched the young boy who'd just helped her.
He couldn't be much older than she was…he may even be younger. She didn't care. He looked a little bit like her: blonde, fair, a little kid… And he was so kind. When was the last time she'd felt that kindness from someone…even someone she knew?
A clap of thunder startled her, and she gasped in fright. She realized it was probably best to get inside before she put herself in further danger. She stepped inside the room, sighing in relief as the warmth hit her and contrasted with the chill the rain had left. She shivered and turned to the side, seeing the short hallway that led to the bathroom the kids had to share.
She noticed no one was in the lavatory, so she walked inside and shut the door behind her. She pulled the stepstool from under the sink and stepped onto it, watching as her face came into the mirror's view. She looked even paler than normal, the cold rain having drained her warmth previously. She wrung out her sopping ponytails and grabbed some paper napkins, cleaning off the mud and drying off her arms and legs.
She winced as she grazed across a cut on her leg and did so again as she realized her fall had scraped her upper collarbone and shoulder a bit. Sure, it wasn't as bad as it could be, but to a three-year-old, it was pretty painful.
She whirled around when she heard a knock on the door. "S-Someone's in here," she said shakily, still a little chilled.
"Oh, okay," she heard a sweet voice say from outside. "I just needed to get some towels. Take your time."
She gasped inwardly. It was him, she realized. Her eyes widened and she screamed as she lost her footing and fell from the stepstool, crashing on the floor. "Ow," she managed, pushing herself up carefully.
There was another knock at the door, followed by an, "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah…" She winced in pain, realizing she didn't sound too convincing.
Apparently the little boy didn't think so either. He opened the door and walked inside, gasping as he saw the girl in a wet, injured, tangled mass on the floor. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling down to her.
"I fell," she answered honestly. She shied away when he reached toward her. She blinked when he grabbed the pink strap of her overalls and pushed it back onto her shoulder. She smiled lightly, though inside she still felt pain because of her scrapes. "Thank you…" She blushed a little bit at the attention suddenly focused on her.
"You're welcome." He smiled. He looked down at her knee. "You have a bobo." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Band-Aid, which had green frogs printed on it. He set the stool upright, climbed up to the sink, pulled down a napkin, wetted it, and then moved back to the girl. He dabbed her knee, feeling a little guilty when she made a noise of pain. He apologized softly before opening the bandage and applying it to her scrape. "There you go." He smiled at her again, trying to make her feel better. "My Grandma always fixes my bobos like this, and I always feel better later." He extended a hand to her again, a little more gently this time. "Can you stand?"
She nodded and stood slowly, grasping the wall for some extra support.
"You're all wet still. Where is your umbrella?"
She shrugged. "My Dad had to use it for work, I guess."
He frowned. "He didn't bring you here? Did you walk here by yourself?"
"Uh-huh… Mommy and Daddy were too busy listening to my sister play the piano to take me."
The boy felt his heart breaking for this girl. She didn't seem to get much kindness, but he had plenty to go around. He did what he did best: he gave her a hug.
The girl stopped breathing for a second before remembering that her brain needed oxygen. Why was he…? She felt herself blushing at the sweetness of the little boy holding on to her. It was such an innocent gesture, but it meant the world to her. She actually felt her arms wanting to move to hug him in return, but she didn't really have much experience with that…so she stayed still.
The boy giggled and stepped back, releasing her with an embarrassed grin. "I'm sorry… I'm a hugger. I like to make people feel better when they're sad. And you seemed sad… I hope you feel better."
She offered him a tiny smile and nodded.
"I'm Arnold, by the way." He held his hand out one last time, as if he wanted to shake hers.
The girl blinked before taking his hand, reveling in the softness and gentleness of it. She willed herself to stay in control of her feelings and managed, "I'm Helga…"
"I like your name," Arnold stated, letting go of her hand a few seconds later. "It's pretty, like your bow." He turned toward the door when he heard someone call his name. "Are you going to be okay?"
Helga nodded, unsure of what to say and feeling like she'd burst from the emotions inside of her. "Y-Yes…Arnold."
Arnold smiled. "Okay, Helga. I will see you later. I hope you feel better." He hugged her one more time before exiting to meet up with the one who called him.
The little blonde girl felt her knees weakening but refused to fall this time. She'd just witnessed the kindest actions in the world, and all from a boy she'd just met. She felt her lips slowly form into a lovesick smile. "Oh, Arnold," she whispered. "Thank you…"
The end :)