Disclaimer: I do not own Hey! Arnold.
This is the second time tonight that Helga and Arnold have been face to face with each other, alone. This is also the second time Helga has the urge to just shake whatever he's thinking out of him. There are too many pauses, too many words left unspoken. Why doesn't he just spit it out? Why drag out moments like this until he might just lose his train of thought? Why not just be honest with me? Helga finally breaks the silence first. "You know, every time you say you want to talk to me, you don't actually get a point across," she says and shrugs. "It's always just pointless chat."
"I realize that," Arnold says and nods his head solemnly. He's getting just as frustrated as Helga for not saying what he really wants to say. Helga needs to know what's on his mind, and he's determined to let her know right now. He just doesn't know how to put it into a proper sentence. "It's not like me to be so inarticulate," he mutters to himself, but the quiet of the night allowed Helga to hear it. She tilts her head sideways, looking at him with a puzzled expression. She waits patiently for him to continue, understanding that he needs time to sort out his thoughts.
After a while though, her patience is running thin. "I'm not getting any younger here, Arnold," she says softly, startling him from his thoughts.
"Oh, right. Sorry about that." He runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath. "Right, okay. Uh…" he trails off, losing the words he already had formed in his head. He shakes his head vigorously, then tries again. "So, um, you know how you mentioned earlier about uh…"
"About?" Helga prompts, slightly amused at how nervous Arnold is acting.
"About how Alex is just a f-friend to you?" He looks at her squarely in the eye. "That is how you see him, right? Just as a friend?" The hope in his voice is unmistakable, and he regrets not trying to cover it up more. Helga notices this and the amused expression on her face changes to one of confusion.
"Arnold, I thought we've been through this," she says slowly, as if explaining something to a five-year-old. "I told you, Alex and I are just friends. That's it. Nothing more."
"Right, right," Arnold nods his head and gathers his thoughts again. Yet another silence ensues, and it's driving Helga crazy.
"Arnold, just get to the point."
He looks at her with a resolution in his eyes. "Fine."
Helga blinked for just a second, but in the next moment she sees that Arnold has taken a step closer to her; too close, in fact. What is he doing? Panic rises in her eyes, and for a split second Arnold almost backs away. But he doesn't and just continues to inch closer and closer, searching for a look in Helga's eyes that's telling him to stop and move away. Realizing what he's about to do, Helga stays completely still and watches him lean in. Their lips are just centimeters away when Arnold pauses and has a questioning look in his eyes, as if asking for permission. When she doesn't do or say anything, he finally closes the gap between them, eyes slowly closing and kisses her ever so softly on the lips.
At first Helga doesn't respond and Arnold instantly feels a rising panic in his stomach. But soon that panic dissipates and is replaced with a truckload of butterflies; she starts kissing back. His lips part slightly in a smile and he puts his arms around her waist. A giggle escapes Helga's mouth and before they know it they've stopped kissing and just contented themselves by holding each other close with their foreheads glued together.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he whispers and smiles contentedly.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for it to happen," she whispers back and both of them laugh, realizing that this could've happened sooner. If only one of us had the guts to just say it out loud. Though she never wants this moment to pass, she knows she can't make it stay this way forever. If only. "It's getting late," she says with disappointment in her voice.
Arnold's arms wrap tighter around Helga's waist. "I wish I didn't have to go," he says and sighs. "But I guess I have no choice, do I?" When Helga shakes her head slowly he gives her once more peck on the lips, just to keep himself happy for the night. He reluctantly lets go and takes a step back to look at her. She has a sad smile on her face, but the look in her eyes makes him start. She's looking at him in a way he's never seen before; it's as if she's not holding anything back.
In a way that is true; Helga doesn't feel like she needs to measure herself around Arnold anymore, not after what just happened. So she doesn't control the loving stare she's giving to Arnold. It's about time he finally sees the way I've been looking at him for the past decade or so.
"Goodnight," he says and smiles, slowly retreating step by step.
"G'night Arnold," Helga replies with a timid smile, watching him with sad eyes as he gets farther and farther away from him. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Definitely. First thing."
His answer makes the butterflies in Helga's stomach flutter even more, if that's even possible. "C-cool," she stutters out lamely and turns the knob on her door. Only Helga could make such a perfect moment turn for the worst by leaning against the door while she tries to open it and stumbles back clumsily when it swings open. "Smooth moves, Helga," she mutters to herself angrily and closes the door, careful not to slam it and disturb anyone in the house. She skips up the staircase and into her room in glee, so happy that she almost knocks over Sally in the process. "Whoops, sorry Sal," she says and flops onto her bed, forgetting to close her bedroom door.
"Are you okay?" Sally asks uncertainly, unsure of why Helga is so strangely happy and gets up from the mattress on the floor (since she has to stay in Helga's room for the night) to close the door.
"I'm good, very good. Love is a wonderful thing, isn't it?" Helga says as Sally closes the door with a soft click. Neither of the two girls noticed Alex standing outside, having just come out of the bathroom.
Love is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Those words would ring endlessly in Alex's head that night as he tries to sleep.
Okay, so I know this is suuuper short, but I just had to get this out of the way and continue on with the next day (or something like that). Either way, I couldn't think of a way to make this chapter longer, plus I didn't want to drag out the night longer that it already has been anyway. So, hope this chapter wasn't that much of a bummer. At least one good thing came out of it, right? ;) Unless you're rooting for Alex, in which case the worst thing has happened.
P.S. Sorry I haven't been updating as often as used to (at one point I actually updated everyday) but school has started for a while now for me and right now I'm actually in the middle of my trial exams which are very, very important, mind you. But that's no excuse (since I'm here now anyway, shouldn't I be studying? Pfft, screw it) so I am terribly sorry.
Also, thank you for reviewing and favouriting and all that jazz. Thank you also to whoever has been reading this and still is. You guys are so beyond awesome. :)