Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.
They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.
Title: "Leave the lights on"
In the last chapter: After Helga had caved in and agreed to play a love song with Arnold at Miriam and Miles' wedding, time flew by. Soon the wedding was only a day away and Olga had finally decided to join them. She brought her boyfriend whom Helga thought suspicious from the beginning without being able to figure out what exactly was wrong with him. It didn't take him long though before he showed his true colors to Helga and admitted to only be dating Olga because he had heard about Helga and had gotten interested in the young riot girl.
After Helga had told Olga the truth about her boyfriend, Olga threw him out and started crying as per usual. Arnold and Helga took the chance to scurry off and spend some time alone at Sunset Arms before the big wedding the next morning.
Author's 1st note: I can tell you this much; no one guesses which Disney song I had chosen, but that's not a surprise. It's a very underestimated one xD
[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]
Chapter 23: "All-a-freaking twitter"
Helga sighed as she listened to Miriam's nervous babble as they both got dressed. Helga was in the middle of tying the white sash around her waist into a bow a little to the left on her stomach when Miriam asked if she and Arnold were sure they were ready to perform at the reception.
Helga rolled her eyes. "It's going to be fine, Miriam. Even if things don't go 100 % according to plan, you'll still get the most important thing."
"Miles' hand in marriage?"
"Yeah, let's call it that." Helga teased and flipped her hair so the long curls fell gracefully down her shoulders. Her already big hair was decorated with a white hairband with a small pink bow to the right that held the hair up even higher. She wasn't much for such curls usually, but the hairstylist had promised not to make it too girly once she'd realized this whole thing wasn't Helga's scene and the blonde girl thought that she had kept her promise. She almost liked it even.
Miriam sighed. "Oh, you're right. I shouldn't be so nervous. I just can't help it." She said and stepped out from the screen that had separated them in the changing room.
Helga had seen her mom in the wedding dress before, but her eyes still widened a bit in surprise. The dress hugged Miriam's thin body nicely and lace decorated the entire dress around her arms up in a collar and down to the floor. It was a bit old-fashioned, but it suited Miriam more than a modern wedding dress ever would have.
"How do I look?" Miriam asked nervously and twiddled her fingers.
"Beautiful." Helga answered with a genuine smile and looked at herself in the mirror. Her dress was made of pink satin and stopped right above her knees. The tulle underneath her skirt made it wide around her legs and made her look like a powder puff in her own opinion even though Miriam insisted she looked cute and elegant. The torso of the dress was cut in a sweetheart neckline and her make-up, per her own insistence, was gentle and light. Only the people who saw her every day would be able to detect the makeup.
In the other changing room, Arnold and Miles were currently tying their tie and butterfly around their necks. Arnold was wearing his red tie again while Miles was struggling with his black butterfly. "Need some help?"
Miles sighed and let her son tie the butterfly under his chin. "I'm so nervous that my fingers are shaking."
"Are you afraid she's gonna leave you at the altar?"
"That hadn't even crossed my mind, but thank you!"
Arnold chuckled. "That's not gonna happen. You just have wedding jitters." Arnold insisted and turned to look at himself in the mirror once Miles' butterfly was tied nicely. He himself felt somehow nervous and he wasn't sure why. He was pretty sure Miriam wouldn't leave Miles at the altar, so why was her even remotely nervous? Maybe he just didn't want things to go wrong and somehow mess things up.
Olga had already messed up the plans by going home Friday night after she had kicked her ex-fiancé to the curb. When Arnold and Helga had come home from Sunset Arms, Miles and Miriam had told them that Olga had decided to go back to New York, saying she couldn't handle a big wedding after what she had just experienced. Arnold had thought it was understandable while Helga had muttered some profanities under her breath. It wasn't that Helga was disappointed that her big sister wasn't going to be at the wedding after all, quite the contrary, but it pissed her off that Olga was so ego-centered.
"Are you ready?" Arnold asked, but didn't wait for Miles to answer; they had to leave now if they had to follow the schedule. Miles let his son push him out of the room and they walked through what felt like a maze of hallways before they reached the church-like room.
Arnold waited patiently in the hallway for Helga to arrive. As the best man and maid of honor they were to walk down the aisle together and he finally realized that was what made him nervous. All things considered it was kinda heart-racing worthy that he was walking down the aisle with the girl he was in love with, even if it was as a best man and maid of honor. He could feel a blush spread on his cheeks before he felt a pair of hands in front of his eyes.
"Peek-a-boo." A familiar female voice said and Arnold smiled.
"Helga, I'm nervous enough as it is." He told her. She giggled and let her hands fall down. He turned to smile at her, but his eyes widened at the sight of her. God, she's beautiful…
"What do you think?" Helga asked and stepped back to gesture to herself. "Should I wear it or powder someone's nose with it?"
Arnold snickered at the image of a small Helga being flushed against someone's face. "You look wonderful, Helga." He insisted.
"Promise?" Helga asked as she looked down at herself in disgust.
"I swear." Arnold said, stepped forward and gave her a very quick kiss on her cheek. "Is Miriam on her way?"
"Yep, I just saw her chatting with my grandpa so they will be walking down the aisle soon. Shall we?" she asked and held her arm out. Arnold linked his arm around hers and they position themselves in the doorframe.
The soft music began and Arnold and Helga walked down the aisle slowly. Once they let go of each other and Arnold had placed himself next to Miles, the music changed. Miriam appeared in the doorframe with her dad next to her who looked ready to pass out from exhaustion. I guess it runs in the family… Arnold thought and looked at his dad who was completely mesmerized by his fiancées beauty. He couldn't help but smile at the scene.
While Arnold was completely taken in by the beauty of the whole situation and from the lovely words the priest was saying during the ceremony, Helga was ready to pass out from boredom. She had counted the pink tulips in her bouquet a million times already and there was still the same amount as there was 20 minutes ago.
Helga remembered how she and Miriam had spent hours in an attempt at finding the perfect flowers for them both. It wasn't just about how they looked, but what they meant. And so, Miriam had decided that Helga should have pink tulips, which apparently meant declaration of love. Seemed fitting somehow and yet not. It wasn't her who was declaring her love for someone after all, but she had accepted it immediately because she just wanted to get out from the flower boutique as soon as possible. She could have sworn that she could still smell all the flowers even days afterwards.
Helga noticed that Arnold was looking at her and she stuck her tongue out at him playfully before looking back at the priest, attempting to actually listen to him now. Arnold on the other hand had stopped listening now. He kept staring at Helga, gazing at her as she was holding those pink tulips in her hands and her blue eyes twinkling as she listened to the priest's words.
This was the moment and Arnold knew that because that bubbly feeling was filling him again. It came from the way he felt when he looked at her, from when she looked at him or even if she wasn't. He knew this was the moment he would burst if those words that were soaring around his heart didn't come out. All he could hear was his own racing heartbeat and himself gulp nervously.
Helga could see something moving in her peripheral vision and she looked at Arnold for a short second. She quickly looked back at the priest, but realized Arnold had been waving secretly at her and she looked back at him. There was something unmistakably urgent in his eyes and she cast a quick look at the guests to confirm that their eyes were glued on the priest and then she looked questioningly back at him.
Arnold could feel himself shaking in a mix of anxiety and anticipation as he mouthed the words to Helga. Her eyes narrowed in confusion and he gulped before he mouthed them again, this time slower. Then her blue eyes widened in understanding and she moved the bouquet up to hide her face. She shut her eyes tight and felt a grin spread on her face along with a rosy shade that melted together with the pink tulips.
Despite the fact that Helga was indeed hiding her face behind the flowers, the smile was too wide to hide from Arnold's eyes and he smiled himself. He looked at the priest, hoping that people would consider his smile so happy because of what he was watching now and not from the smile he had just seen on Helga's face. He held his hands tightly, hoping to contain that happiness that was sparkling inside of him. He almost sighed in relief when Miriam and Miles had said their vows and were now kissing to seal the ceremony because now he could whistle and clap with the others and through that, get some of his excitement out.
Helga neighed nervously as she sat down on the small podium. Arnold sat down next to her and he smiled broadly in an attempt to calm her nerves. She smiled back in appreciation and readjusted her white guitar in her embrace. A person Helga wasn't quite sure who was, put three mics in front of them, one for Arnold's mouth harmonica, one for her guitar and one for her mouth.
Criminy, are they afraid the people in the cheap seats won't hear us? Helga thought, rolled her shoulders and cleared her throat. She wondered if she should say something, but she didn't know what and she looked at Arnold for help.
"Good evening." Arnold said in his mic. "My name is Arnold and this is Helga and we are going to play a song for the happy couple."
Helga rolled her eyes secretively. You sure seem calm. She thought, but it made herself calmer. She waited for him to start playing on the mouth harmonica before she started playing on her guitar. They played for about five seconds before Helga leaned forward and started to sing. "Love… It seems like only yesterday. You were just a child at play. Now you're all grown up inside of me. Oh, how fast those moments flee…"
Helga leaned back and looked at Arnold as he stopped playing the mouth harmonica and took over. "Once we watched a lazy world go by. Now the days seem to fly. Life is brief, but when it's gone… love goes on and on." He sang gently and started humming to the melody.
"Love will live… Love will last… Love goes on and on and on…" Helga sang on her own before Arnold joined her. "Once we watched a lazy world go by. Now the days seem to fly. Life is brief, but when it's gone… love goes on and on…" they finished together and Helga ended the song with a small riff on her guitar.
The blonde teenagers were rewarded with an astounding applause and they chuckled in embarrassment. Helga looked at Arnold and realized how they made have failed in their attempt at finding a song that fit their parents; it seemed to fit themselves more, but no one seemed to notice or care.
Miriam and Miles stood up from their table and Helga their children stand up from the podium. "Thank you so much, darling." Miriam said with a sob in her voice and hugged her daughter. Helga accepted the hug easily and snickered at the sight of Miles struggling not to squeeze the life out of his own child.
Arnold and Helga scurried to the table with Miles and Miriam and started eating. Helga could still feel her heart in her throat and it was hard to swallow, but it glided down easily when she felt Arnold take her hand under the table. She smiled secretly and continued eating as she squeezed his hand.
Arnold could still feel his heart flicker from time to time when he remembered the confession he had given Helga a mere hour ago. She hadn't responded and she didn't have to; the way she had smiled was more than enough and he didn't even feel that he needed an actual answer. It was still so fulfilling to have actually said it, albeit secretly and without any actual sound, but it was like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt light as a feather and he could swear the world around him had turned pink and cloudy.
Once everything was eaten, the party truly started. Miles and Miriam had already had their first dance together as a married couple and the floor was open to anyone else who would like to cut a rug. Arnold and Helga wanted to dance together, but kept that desire to themselves. At least until someone at their table, someone who was in Helga's family, but she wasn't sure who was, decided to interfere.
"You know…" the man said with whisky breath and Arnold had to hold back the urge to cringe. "It's actually a tradition… for the best man and the maid of honor to dance together."
That got both blondes' attention instantly. "Really?" Helga asked curiously. The man nodded and clinked his glass with the person next to him who agreed eagerly. Helga sighed artificially and held her hand out for Arnold to take.
"Hold down the enthusiasm, would you?" Arnold asked sarcastically and took her hand.
"Oh, shut it, Football Head." Helga teased and followed him to the dance floor.
"You're a little too good at doing that fake sigh, you know."
"As long as you know that it's fake." Helga replied and moved until their chests touched. He put his hand on her waist and she put her hand on his shoulder and so, they started swaying slowly through the room. Helga hummed curiously. "Gertie is right. You can dance."
"Are you surprised?"
"Not particularly. I just haven't danced with you like this before."
"Then it's a good thing we are fixing that right now." Arnold said with a smile and twirled her under his arm.
"Yeah, thanks to some drunkard…" Helga said sarcastically and the smile faded from her face.
"What's wrong?" Arnold asked worriedly.
Helga sighed. "I guess I just… I mean… I would love it if… Can I admit something?"
"Of course…" Arnold insisted, but a feeling of anxiety rushed through him at the severity on Helga's face.
"I just… There's a part of me that had hoped this whole day would have… not happened, you know?" Helga said, but the boy in front of her frowned in confusion. "It's officially now, Arnold… We're stepsiblings."
"Oh…" Arnold said when he realized what Helga was getting at. He sighed. "Yeah, but… it's not like a lot has changed, right? We're still the same people living in the same house, right?"
The corner of Helga's mouth lifted. "That's true… I'd just wish… you and I had met before they did… but that's also a lie actually because we probably wouldn't be here if they hadn't met and gotten engaged so… oh, God. I don't know what I mean."
"I think I do… You'd just wish we didn't have to hide." Arnold said which Helga nodded at. He sighed as he pulled her closer. "It's going to be ok, I'm sure. Right now though all we have to do is enjoy each other's company. No one can stop us from doing that."
"Mr. Brightside." Helga teased with a loving smile on her face and she couldn't help but remove a lock of his hair from his face.
Once the evening was slowly heading towards the end, the guests were moving out on the streets to watch Miriam and Miles drive away in the limousine that would take them to the airport and to their honeymoon. They were currently saying goodbye to people and Miriam was once again asking Helga if she was sure she and Arnold could handle the house for such a long time.
Helga rolled her eyes. "We've already checked all the alarms seven times, Miriam. We are as secure as we'll get. Go! Enjoy your honeymoon." She insisted and hugged her mom goodbye.
"Call me if there is anything at all, ok?" Miles asked his son as he patted his shoulder.
"I promise." Arnold answered and waved as Miles and Miriam were sent off with waves, applause and whistles.
"Wait…" Helga whispered to Arnold. "This means that we have the house completely to ourselves, doesn't it?"
The corner of Arnold's mouth lifted. "I guess so."
"You guess so?" Helga questioned sarcastically.
"Well, yeah… I mean, it may have crossed my mind. Just for, you know, a moment. I - - Yeah, I've been thinking of nothing else lately."
Helga laughed at Arnold's sudden honesty and bumped her elbow against his arm. Their laughter was interrupted by the photographer, who had been walking in the shadows like a good photographer did, approaching the guests and asking them if they wanted copies of the pictures she had taken of them in particular.
Helga looked at Arnold nervously. "Uh… do you think that photographer has snapped any bad pictures of us?" she whispered. Arnold shrugged in uncertainty and followed her to the photographer.
"Oh, there you two are. You're the last people I need to talk to. Would you like to get copies of the pictures I have taken of you? Mr. and Mrs. Shortman will receive all the pictures in a photo album, but I'm currently offering people's own pictures as well." The photographer said with a wide smile.
"Uh, mind if we see them?" Helga asked and pushed at the photographer gently until they were further away from the herd of people who were starting to walk back inside to get their coats and such.
"Of course." She answered and pushed a few buttons on the high-tech camera and then started showing the blondes picture after picture of them playing together, dancing, chatting and even a small kiss they had done in secret in a corner of the hall when they thought they were out of sight. "You two are quite the adorable couple."
Oh, fuck! She doesn't even realize she has caught the groom and bride's children in the act! "So, um, you-you're gonna give all the pictures to Mr. and Mrs. Shortman, right?" Helga asked nervously.
"Why, of course. Now, would you two like copies of your own pictures?" the photographer asked once more.
"N-No, thank you." Arnold replied nervously.
The photographer shrugged and started to walk away. "Again though, you are such a cute couple!"
"Cute couple?" Helga repeated in disbelief.
"Stupid couple." Arnold corrected.
"Stupid is right; why didn't you think about the photographer?!"
"Me?! Why didn't you?"
"Never mind; blaming each other isn't going to help."
"You started it."
"Arnold!" Helga yelled. "In case you haven't realized then there's a person walking around right now with pictures of us dancing, kissing and whatever she may have caught us doing!"
"Helga, relax!"
"How can I relax?! By all means, tell me something that will make me relax!"
"The photographer will send the wedding album to our house while Miles and Miriam are gone – we can just grab the pictures of us before anyone ever sees them."
Helga made sounds that indicated beginnings of words, but then went quiet. "That does make me relax…" she admitted and felt Arnold put his arm over her shoulder.
"No worries, Helga."
"That's your life motto, isn't it? Hakuna fucking Matata…" Helga muttered in jealousy, but then smiled. "Seriously though, we need to be more careful."
"Not yet." Arnold insisted. "We have several weeks to look forward to without parental observation."
"Hmm, true." Helga said and bumped her shoulder playfully against his. "I guess we can look on the bright side just this once then."
Arnold and Helga sighed in harmony as they cradled each other in their arms and basked in the blissful afterglow. Arnold could feel Helga's peaceful breath against his neck and it made his own heart slow down to a steady pace. He nuzzled his nose in her hair and he could hear her giggle at what he assumed was him tickling her.
"Hey, I just thought of something…" Helga whispered. "It's been forever since we were able to wake up next to each other."
"How about this morning at Sunset Arms?"
"True… it's not like this is our own bed either." Helga corrected in a snarky tone, but her happy mood was more than detectable. They had barely observed the hotel room they had ordered for the night in Los Angeles, but now they were gazing vaguely at it without truly looking at it. Arnold started chuckling when he felt her fingers start to play absentmindedly on his chest. She was making lazy shapeless patterns, but he could feel that she was thinking about something. Before he got a chance to ask, she spoke herself. "Um… Arnold?"
"Yeah?"
"That thing you, uh… Back at the wedding, you…"
Oh, so that's what she was thinking about. "I know what you're referring to, Helga." Arnold said gently.
"Right… Um…" Helga coughed awkwardly. "I was wondering if… if you were just caught up in the moment…? No, wait. That's not what I was wondering, I'm just stalling…" she admitted. "I'm just… confused, I think…"
"Helga, I'm not expecting an answer or something - - "
"I-I know, but there was something else I've actually been wondering for a while… Can I ask you something that's probably really annoying, girly and… weird?"
Arnold readjusted himself so he could look at Helga even though she was trying to bow her head so he couldn't see her. "Sure?" he answered in confusion.
"Um… What is it that you…" she started and then groaned in irritation. "What is it you love - - like about me?" she quickly corrected.
"Huh?" Arnold asked in disbelief and had to hold down a chuckle. Helga had been right; that was not a question he had ever expected from her.
"Never mind." The blonde girl insisted and moved the duvet over her entire body to hide herself from him. The shame didn't disappear though. "I was just thinking what you could possibly like so much about me that you'd end up… saying something like that."
Arnold smiled adoringly at her, even though they couldn't see each other, and moved his arm over the duvet, knowing it would land over her shoulders. "You sure you don't want my answer?" he asked sweetly. When she didn't reply, he figured that was his green light. "Let's see… I love that you never let anyone walk on you… I love that you have a sensitive and sweet side even though you don't show it that often… which actually leads me to the next thing; I love that you are slowly letting me get to know a part of you no one else does. I love that you're independent, but still asks me for help even with small things. I love how you can make me forget my worries and yet make sure I don't forget the important things. I love - - "
Arnold's monologue was interrupted when he felt a pair of hands from under the duvet move up to his mouth. Helga held her hands there as her reddened face reappeared from the duvet. "Criminy… I didn't expect a freaking love confession…" she muttered shyly.
Arnold smiled behind her hands. "Too much?" he asked in a muffled voice. Helga smiled embarrassedly and let her hands follow his throat and down to his chest before she moved to hug him. "Remember; you asked."
"Oh, shut it, Football Head."
"You didn't even let me finish - - "
"Enough!" Helga insisted laughingly and moved playfully to straddle him. The two blonde teenagers chuckled as they started nibbling on the other's skin. It was a rare treat to be able to take their time and just enjoy each other's company so Arnold wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her so she couldn't get away, even if she wanted to. She relaxed in his embrace, but continued to idly shower him in kisses.
Arnold loved the feeling of Helga's weight on him; it gave him an odd sort of comfort. His hand started caressing her lower back and he could feel her hum in pleasure. "You like that?" he asked when she put her cheek on his chest. She hummed in response and he put her other hand on her back as well. He made gentle motions up and down her back. The thin duvet followed his movements and that annoyed her until she kicked the duvet down with her feet so their torsos were uncovered.
Arnold started adding pressure on Helga's muscles and was practically massaging her back at this point. "Never thought you'd have a soft spot for something like this."
"Me neither…" Helga purred and the sound vibrated against his chest. His toes curled at the feeling, but he ignored it; he wanted to experiment a little more with this new discovery. He tapped his fingers against her skin and led them to her hips and pulled slightly on the plump skin there. She moaned before she lifted her hands up to his upper arms and squeezed them back. "Uh, Arnold?"
"Y-Yeah?" Arnold stuttered, his voice giving away the fact that he had been starting to feel the effect of Helga's skin against his.
"I may have a soft spot for this, but, uh, I'd say you have a hard spot for this."
Arnold groaned in embarrassment and watched Helga as she pulled her knees up and straddled him so she could look at him. "I'm sorry…"
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I honestly just wanted to cuddle for a bit, but my body has other ideas."
Helga cooed sympathetically. "But you can still massage me…" she said seductively and leaned down to kiss him. "Just from the inside."
Arnold moaned at the images her words were providing for his brain and he wasn't planning to push him away; on the contrary, he pulled her closer to him by putting his hands under her thighs and helping her move on top of him. She started nibbling on his earlobe and he buried his hands in her long blonde hair that he realized he had forgotten to add to the list of things that he adored about her.
Helga let her tongue taste Arnold's upper lip and her teeth pulled on the lower one. She loved being led by his hands, especially because he was so desperate and yet gentle when he did it. He was obviously desperate for her touch, her kiss and everything else about her, but he was also treasuring her and treating her with care. He really did love her, she realized.
Helga's eyes widened and she pulled back to stare at the boy underneath her. He let his hands fall on top of hers and looked at her in worry. "What's wrong?"
The blue eyes seemed to study every detail on his face for a long time before the lips underneath them curled into a smile. "I love you." She said somberly with a content look on her face. Arnold's eyes widened and he stared at her for a moment before he grabbed a pillow and put it against his face. Helga blinked. "What's with the blushing virgin reaction?"
Arnold hesitated. "I now understand why you were hiding your face when I told you that…"
Helga blinked again, but then smiled in understanding. "Embarrassing, huh?" she teased. Arnold nodded behind the pillow. "I bet your heart is all-a-freaking twitter."
"You're not exactly helping."
"Did you really think I would?"
Arnold chuckled nervously and Helga huffed. She leaned down and slithered her hand under the pillow and he flinched when he felt her hand on his heart. She smirked. "It really is pounding." She stated and heard him huff, but he didn't move the pillow. "I'm referring to my own too."
Helga took Arnold's hand and let it to her beating heart. He could feel the curve of her breast on his fingers, but the pounding he felt against his palm was what had his attention. He had never felt it beat like that before and he had lost count of how many times he'd had her chest pressed against his own, clothed or naked. And there was an arrogant part of him that knew that it was beating for him. Someone else's heart was beating like this because of him and that, he realized, was true happiness. To have someone declare their love to someone.
Author's 2nd note: Man, the last scene was killing me! I had such a writer's block when I reached this part for whatever reason and it took me three days to even get it done and it's not even great or anything O.o I don't know what happened to me xD On a side note: how many of you recognized the song Arnold and Helga were singing? It's "Love" by Nancy Addams from the "Robin Hood" movie.