A/N:
Hiya everyone! :D Lol, okay, yes, I know it's been FOREVER since an update on this fic and I apologize but I was in the middle of school applications, and I study English so everyone wanted a twenty page writing sample and it took forever, etc. etc. Anywho, I'm assuming you all just want to get to reading since it's been quite a few weeks, but I just want to mention a few things in regards to this story first:
1) Okay, in the first courtship chapter I said there would only be 5 of them…but there's actually going to be 6 (as you can see by the chapter title XD). I can't help it—I got four new story ideas, lol!
2) Alright, so, I hate long delays on this fic but that tends to happen because it is EPICALLY long especially if you count TA as part of it so I'm honestly not sure when the next update will be, but I have some time off right now and so I really am going to try and get caught up on some of my other stuff over the next couple of months. And in the meantime this fic might get some more updates on or it might not, but there's going to be about 26 chapters or so in total, just so you have an idea of what's to come ;)
3) Part of the reason this chapter has taken so long is that it's about, oh…75,000 freaking words long because I am insane XD So I'd seriously recommend reading this in shifts so your eyes don't start bleeding or something like mine were getting really close to doing for the past week, lol!
4) I apologies to anyone who has reviewed or sent me a message recently whom I haven't replied too—I've literally been swamped but I'll be completely remedying that situation asap! ^_^ I love and appreciate your communication and feedback guys—always! ;)
5) The courtship chapters, just to clarify, take place over the course of the three weeks between Arnold and Helga's one week anniversary and their one month anniversary. Am I fudging it a little fitting in like 22 mini stories into a time period of 21 days (even though some of them can occur on the same day but with different characters...although then again some of them imply a couple of days passing...)? Yes. My response to that: according to HA! the order of the holidays during the school year is as follows: Christmas, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, April Fools Day. ^_^ If everyone could just kind of go with it, I would very much appreciate it ;)
6) Due to the addition of the extra courtship chapters, some stories got shifted around because the order of them matters to an extent, so here's what we've got for this chapter:
I NEED TO LIE DOWN
NAMING NAMES AND NAMES
BEST FRIENDS
FLASHBACKS AND FANTASIES
(*In regards to Flashbacks and Fantasies, two things: I would STRONGLY, STRONGLY, STRONGLY RECOMMEND rereading the first Epilogue of TA from the part where Helga and Arnold start kissing up until the part where that scene ends as they're watching the movie together. And also…THIS MINI STORY IS DEDICATED TO MY BABY SISTER, SUPRSINGR WHO TOTALLY INSPIRED ME TO GO WITH THIS IDEA ;) )
Alright, let's go!
LEARNING TO BE HELGA
CHAPTER 15:
The Courtship: Part 2/6
I NEED TO LIE DOWN…
"Let's see…it's got to be three syllables long and rhyme with the end of that line up there…Hmm…" Helga G. Pataki brought the end of her trusty purple pen to the edge of her lip and considered the next turn her most recent love poem should take for a few seconds more… However, she only found herself giving a slow blink… She shook her head and tried to focus once more on the half blank pink book page before her…but then suddenly the need came over her to rub her eyes…And then giving in to this action caused her to blink a few times more…Still determined to finish at least the line of her poem that she was seeking an end to though, the young lady in question was about to open her mouth and try out a word or two out loud, hoping to quickly find the necessary and best rhyme just so she could jot it down and be done with it…but her jaw going a little agape only resulted in a deep, uncontrollable yawn escaping her lips instead…
'Okay…' she thought to herself lazily, 'That does it…'
Letting her pink book rest open on its back upon her lap, Helga conceded to a yawn once more…and what that yawn meant, regardless of the fact that she was in mid-'Arnold,-the-cutest,-sweetest,-most-god-like-boy-in-existence-is-in-love-with-me-and-showers-me-with-affection-and-compliments-and-kisses-on-a-regular-basis'-inspired poem in her room on this sunny afternoon. Her smile both voluntarily and involuntarily picked up at the very idea of her current activity…though still the fact that she could already feel another yawn at the back of her throat told her that unless she wanted to fall asleep in mid-word with her book of love poems open and on display for Bob or Miriam to see if they happened to come in to check on her or to let her know dinner was ready or something, she'd better take a cue from the drowsiness she was already feeling and set things in order before succumbing to sleep.
"Well…time to take a five minute break from yet another Arnold writing 'frenzy'…" she finally admitted out loud officially to herself with an amused shake of her head (on a side note, Helga was referring to the fact that Arnold loving her back and some of their experiences together so far had doubled and sometimes even tripled on some days her normal poetic output—and she was loving every minute of it...even though there were days (like today) when between that and the covert dates secret from their classmates and keeping up the act at school and participating in random bonding stuff with Bob and Miriam and just being a fourth grade kid in general, she could get pretty exhausted!) But anyway, though, blinking a few times, Helga now reached forward and picked up her pink book, closing it securely and then slipping it just under the pillow behind her head. Then she likewise grabbed Arnold's plaid shirt (conveniently located right at her side, of course, where she made sure to have it every time she went off into a personal little Arnold love fest…or…got into bed in general, actually…) that she had been playing with and reveling in a little ever since school had let out, and (after hugging it to her body like crazy once more today), she delicately folded it up and went to slip it under her pillow as well, likewise for safe keeping…and of course to keep anyone in her house but herself from knowing about her precious, intimate gift from her beloved.
And yet…
Helga G. Pataki paused in this action for a moment and considered…and then suddenly smiled to herself and shrugged, and then unfolded the shirt and finally wrapped its sleeves in a knot around her shoulders, allowing the rest of the shirt to fall over her back like a blanket of love. "Eh, why not…?" she thought to herself with amusement. "Bob's not going to be home for a little while, Miriam's busy cooking dinner downstairs and I don't think she'd have too much to say if she saw me like this anyway, and it's not like anyone from school's going to be randomly stopping by…And besides…" the young blonde girl curled herself into a ball on her bed, facing away from her door, her head resting against her pink pillow, "…It's…It's just over my shoulders…Not like how it usually is when I…sleep with it at nights…" Helga secretly thrilled inside at that new part of her life…Sleeping at night with Arnold's shirt not just around her shoulders…but rather actually completely being worn upon her body, her arms through the sleeves, the front buttoned up and everything! Oh, using it like that made it felt like Arnold was right there with her every single night! ('Mental note…I've GOT to find Arnold something nice of mine to sleep with or near until he's finally not shy enough to just let me crawl under the covers with him myself…' She blushed like mad at the idea but didn't care, and just smiled all the more.)
Another yawn suddenly found it's way out of Helga's mouth and she came out of her fun little thought a bit, continuing her what she had been saying to herself before about this mid afternoon wearing of her beloved's shirt not being all that incredibly high-risk of a task, all things considered. "Yeah, it's…" she blinked a few more times, feeling all warm both inside and outside, "…It's over my shoulders and it's just going to be for a five minute cat nap…not one of my eight hour epic nightly wearings of the thing…No big risk of…getting caught or anything…" She sleepily chuckled to herself, a half formed idea coming into her drowsy mind about this whole thing reminding her just slightly of pulling one of her old crazy Arnold schemes… "And…" she added to herself in further reassurance, her eyes shutting more and more, "…and his shirt really is just the warmest thing in the world…to sleep in…And it even smells good too…" Angling her head just the tiniest bit, Helga took a deep inhale through her nose of Arnold's collar…and grinned as widely as could be… The scent of Arnold's shampoo still lingered there like crazy! 'Mmm…it's like ocean breeze and almost a kind of spice or something…' She giggled to herself and then yawned once more. "Yup, just five minutes…ten tops…" And with that she snuggled in for her cat nap, taking deep inhales of Arnold's shirt every few seconds until she slipped into slumber…
Helga G. Pataki was, um…a little 'surprised', shall we say, at some point later (and actually she began to indeed realize more and more now as the seconds passed that she must have fallen completely asleep for quite a little while… She felt like she'd been in a deep sleep for a bit more than 'five or ten minutes', anyway…though thankfully afternoon sunlight still poured through her window, hitting her closed eyelids, telling her that it wasn't like she really had passed out for fourteen hours with Arnold's shirt obviously wrapped around her for her parents to see or anything)…But anyway, Helga was surprised at some point after this initial falling asleep to feel…well…to feel the exhale from one of the deep, slumbering inhales of Arnold's shirt collar that she'd just taken in leave her mouth…and…hit her in the… back of the neck…? And feel very real and undreamlike…very real and undreamlike…indeed…
…And then something…some kind of feeling (as her cognition became more aware) told her that…that not only was that strange breath of air coming close on the back of her neck a signal that she wasn't alone…but that also (and she took a deep inhale of the scents around her through her nose to confirm)…Yes, there was suddenly… 'more' of Arnold in this room than just the shirt he'd given her…if that made any sense.
The clincher though was when, now basically fully conscious (though her eyes were still shut), she also became aware of the feeling of a weight right next to her on her bed.
Helga's eyes flew open and she instantly twisted right around on her bed so that she was no longer facing her wall!
…And her eyes fell on the figure of Arnold…laying right next to her on this same bed…a happy…very happy, actually, smile on his face and his eyes closed, almost as in peaceful slumber.
Helga, every thought and feeling and breath locking up within her in an instant, just watched, unblinking and unbreathing (and unbelieving of) the sight before her…even as Arnold opened his green eyes just slightly and blinked a few times, as though coming out of a dream, and then made eye contact with her, still smiling peacefully.
Helga and Arnold remained like that for a second or two more: Helga's eyes completely dilated and not a sound or breath escaping her, and Arnold just looking very content and happy.
Helga was pretty sure her heart had stopped at this point, by the way.
'Okay…this is obviously a dream…' her thoughts barely (BARELY) managed to squeak out to her in her total shock and confusion and complete lack of comprehension of whatever the heck it was she had just woken up to…or just dreamed she'd woken up to, or…or whatever! 'Yes, it's a dream…' she soothed herself once more (still not blinking though), 'And…and I'll know it's a dream because…because next he'll kiss me and tell me the plane's waiting to take us to Paris to kick off our wonderful life traveling around the world together…J-Just like in half my other Arnold dreams…He'll do something completely out of character and nutty that defies the laws of physics and I'll know this isn't real…I-I will…' She gulped.
However…
…Instead of escorting her to the Paris-bound plane she was expecting…the Arnold before Helga on her bed spent approximately another quarter of a second in whatever little daze he had been in, and then instantly flew up with such of yelp of surprise and in such an obvious state of shock and panic and FEAR that he actually fell off of the edge of Helga's bed and to her (luckily carpeted) pink floor with a loud crash!
Helga sat straight up in her bed.
Her jaw dropped. Completely.
She gulped only once more.
'Not a dream…' a sharp intake of breath (finally), 'Oh boy…'
10 minutes earlier…aka roughly twenty minutes after Helga had fallen asleep in her bed…
KNOCK KNO—
Arnold, in mid-knock on the door of the Pataki household, was interrupted by the door in front of him suddenly and unexpectedly opening to reveal Miriam Pataki with her coat on, and purse and keys in hand, looking a little distracted. Her eyes suddenly fell on the short, football headed boy in front of her, though, upon which they quickly lit up and a smile came to her face. "Oh, hello…um, Arnold…" It took Miriam half a second but she was slowly getting better and better with being not just accurate but quick about names thing lately. "How are you, sweetie?" she asked sincerely.
Arnold, polite as always, smiled up at her. "Hi, Mrs. Pataki. I'm okay. How are you?"
Miriam continued to smile warmly down at him, stepping fully out onto the stoop now as she spoke. "I'm fine, Arnold. Thank you for asking." And then she couldn't help but chuckle slightly and of course ask the nice little boy (even though the answer was always the same and also so very obvious every single time), "Are you here to see Helga, Arnold?"
"Uh huh…" The young, smiling blonde boy nodded in response to her question. "I meant to give this back to her after school today so she could copy down some stuff from it for our next English assignment…" he gestured to the small pink book he was currently holding in one of his hands, "…but then we had that surprise after school assembly and then baseball practice and I guess I forgot." All of a sudden, though, Arnold blinked and finally really took in the sight of Miriam's coat and purse again, and recalled how quickly she had popped out of the door. "Should I come back later though? I mean, were you just about to go out?" he asked with his usual politeness and concern.
In response to the cute question, Miriam's smile only grew and she reached behind her and gave the still ajar door a light push further open. "Oh, now don't you worry about that, Arnold," she assured him, "I was just heading out to the store to pick up a few last minute ingredients for dinner later before Bob gets home….Would you like to stay and eat with us again?" she asked kindly. (Though Helga eating at Arnold's house was still a bit more common, Arnold had ended up at the Pataki dinner table once or twice since his first official family dinner with them, and with how much Miriam liked him and how well he was still getting along with Big Bob (and of course with how Helga couldn't stop smiling whenever he was around) the young boy was more than welcome to dine with them as often as he felt liked.)
"Thank you, Mrs. Pataki…" Arnold replied with a sincere smile, "But actually…" he went on with an apologetic look, "I still have a couple of chores to finish up at the Boarding House and also it's my night to help with dinner and the dishes, so I should probably get home soon… But I appreciate the invitation." And of course he really did hate to turn down an evening of sitting next to Helga and holding her hand under the dinner table while he watched her light up like crazy, whether she realized it or not, at eating surrounded by a loving, happy family…and right near a loving and happy boyfriend…. What a nice sight it was for him to see her like that…
Meanwhile, outside of Arnold's slight daydreams and reminisces, Miriam almost had to laugh at how polite and responsible and sweet her daughter's new little 'friend' could be…and at the slightly daydreamy look that had randomly come to his face…though according to her younger daughter, random daydreaming was pretty standard for the young man before her. "Okay, Arnold…" Miriam replied with an understanding smile, "But you're welcome anytime."
Arnold blinked once and then cleared his throat, coming out of his reverie with only a slight blush, thankfully. He looked up at Miriam sheepishly, arms behind his back. "Thanks, Mrs. Pataki."
Miriam then walked past Arnold and down to the sidewalk, leaving the front door of the Pataki household still widely ajar. "Anyway, dear," she went on, turning back to Arnold briefly, "Like I said, I'll be out for a few minutes and Mr. Pataki won't be home until just before dinner, but Helga's been home for a little while and I think she's still upstairs working on some homework in her room." And small gleam came into her eye. "I'm sure she'll be happy to have you stop by up there to see her, Arnold…."
Arnold felt himself blush just a little more and he glanced down shyly and gave a small nod. "Uh, thanks, Mrs. Pataki…" he merely replied again, always unable to help but feel at least a little awkward around his girlfriend's mother ever since that night he'd had to carry a passed out Helga home from their date thanks to one of his 'terrific' kisses to her.
"You're welcome, Arnold," Miriam called back to him as she watched him give her one more smile and then turn and shyly proceed to head the rest of the way up the stoop and to walk inside of the familiar brownstone, gently closing the door behind him.
Now by herself on the sidewalk, the older woman, still looking in the direction of her now closed front door, just smiled to herself for a second and gave a small chuckle. 'They deserve a few minutes alone, anyway, without B constantly walking by the door and popping his head in with those random questions and excuses of his…' She almost laughed to herself at those memories from over the past couple of weeks…Bob just passing by to 'say hello' or 'see if they needed anything' or 'ask how baseball was going'… She could still remember how annoyed it used to get Olga when he did that to her, and it only made her want to laugh more… 'And besides the two of them getting a few minutes of genuine privacy for once, Helga really does seem to like it when Arnold comes over here…' Miriam added to herself knowingly. 'She always seems…happier.' It had taken Helga's mother a second to come across the word…but she smiled even more when she did: it fit perfectly. Arnold made Helga happy. And if all those smiles and blushing from the boy in question were any indication…Helga certainly made Arnold happy too. 'They really are so nice together, aren't they…'
And so with these few thoughts and an amused shake of her head, Miriam headed down the street to pick up the few grocery items she still needed for dinner…and to leave the kids to their privacy.
Back within the Pataki household (more specifically, upstairs and down the hall and just outside the second door on the left in the Pataki household) Arnold, still blushing a tiny bit from his encounter with Miriam, gave a gentle knock against the outside of Helga's half ajar bedroom door (He didn't want to accidentally push it open, of course—last time he'd come up here to find her door like this (way, way back during their one week anniversary), she'd told him he'd have to wait a minute because she was getting dressed for bed, and, well…). Arnold instantly shook his head and did his best to let the fresh flow of warm blood that had come to his features ebb. He cleared his throat and called out nicely from his place in the hall, "Helga? It's me…Can I come in?"
Arnold waited patiently for several seconds for one of her familiar sarcastic responses (probably something along the lines of 'No, I'm actually going to tell you to NOT come into my room for a surprise visit, Football Head—sheesh!' if he knew Helga at all)…but…there was just silence… He took just the tiniest step closer to the door and tried again, giving one more small knock to go along with his address. "Helga…?"
Several more seconds of silence passed though…and then finally Arnold, albeit nervously, (even though Helga had gotten him over his old, for lack of a better term, 'fear' of her room…it still felt like there was something slightly sacred about it sometimes to him, little gentleman that he inherently was…) took a small bit of initiative and gave the door before him a gentle push more open, peering hesitantly around the doorframe. "Helga…?" he asked curiously.
Arnold curious eyes fell upon several things in the quiet room…and then he blinked several times…and a very warm, very amused smile came to his face at the central (and quite frankly adorable) sight before him… and he finally realized why Helga hadn't answered him. It was because at the moment she was curled in a ball on her bed, facing away from him and resting peacefully with her head on her pillow…and (and this was what made Arnold have to try really hard not to chuckle just a bit, since he really didn't want to disturb her) she had his plaid shirt wrapped around her shoulders, covering her body.
Letting out a small sigh, Arnold pushed Helga's door open a bit more and entered the room as quietly as possible, making sure to give it a gentle push most of the way shut behind him so that the sound of Mrs. Pataki returning if she happened to come back or of Mr. Pataki coming in if he happened to get home wouldn't reach up here and disturb Helga's slumber. Arnold then slowly approached her bed, her pink book still in his hand. 'I'll just leave this on the nightstand, and then call her later and explain…' he told himself with a smile.
Finally reaching the edge of the bed (after basically having tiptoed all the way there), Arnold then indeed placed the small, pink volume where he had intended, gently allowing it to rest propped up against the base of Helga's bedside lamp. This little mission complete, our football headed hero was about to turn around and tip toe his way back over to the door, and then head downstairs and back to the boarding house…He really did have to help with dinner tonight.
…And yet…
…In the middle of being about to turn away from her…Arnold couldn't help but feel his eyes drawn to Helga once more, just for one more moment…and to the amusing sight of her sleeping peacefully and smiling and with his shirt so snuggly around her. And then he realized, now that he was really looking, that her familiar purple pen was laying beside her on the covers, and also there was the corner of a pink book sticking out from under her pillow. 'Hmm…she must have been writing and…using the shirt as inspiration…' His grin picked up quite a bit, and as it had occurred to him so many times over the course of the last several weeks of falling more and more in love with Helga, Arnold knew that this realization of her using his clothing like that probably should have struck him as a little strange…and yet…he couldn't help but just think instead that this manifestation of Helga's affections for him was just another one of those things that truly made her Helga…that truly made her special. And besides, 'It's…kind of cute…if you think about it…' For a little piece of a second, the idea occurred to Arnold of what it would be like to see her wearing his shirt entirely, all buttoned up around her…Helga in his plaid shirt, smiling and waving at him…her hair falling over her shoulders like touchable sunshine…
Blushing quickly consumed Arnold's face to such an extent though at this new little daydream that he had to clear his throat and glance toward the end of Helga's bed for a second, before taking a breath and letting out a calming sigh and then managing to bring his eyes back to her sleeping form once more…his thoughts returning to her as she was now and in reality—just draping his shirt over her shoulders for warmth as she slept.
Arnold guessed that his deep sigh out must have been a little louder than he'd intended, because he noticed Helga suddenly shift slightly in her sleep, causing his shirt to fall a bit away from her. And then, one of her upper arms now suddenly exposed, she actually gave a small shiver. Arnold frowned at the sight…especially since she was also lying rather close to the window side of her bed and the window was half open, permitting entrance of the slowly cooling evening air to her lovely pink room. Arnold didn't hesitate and quickly reached down and gently pulled the shirt back around her shoulders and over her arm, and then took a step back again…and had to smile as his small action made Helga smile a bit more in her sleep and then snuggle just a little deeper into the garment in question.
Arnold just sighed (much more lightly this time, of course, so as not to disturb her again) and shook his head in amusement. 'I'm glad she likes the shirt so much…I know she said she's kind of gotten over the need for shrines and stuff but…I figured she probably wouldn't mind having just a little something that reminds her of me for when we're not together… Kind of like how I have some of her pink books to look at when she's busy…And to sleep with at night…' Arnold blushed. He hadn't told Helga about sleeping with her poetry, and he was not planning to divulge that little secret for at least a little while yet.
And for a moment, all this thinking of shrines and poetry and stuff couldn't help but make Arnold reminisce for a few moments about Helga's confession and the first time he'd been introduced (in his total state of utter shock, of course) to the existence of all of these things and more…and how, even though after all the time and events that had passed since then he now understood and accepted completely all of these things and more about Helga, at the time the concept of all of those new parts of her had simply been so much to take in and so jarring that he'd almost passed out right in the middle of saving the neighborhood! Indeed, despite his desire not to wake Helga, Arnold had to fight back a serious laugh at the very memory of having been so nervous and so terrified that his first response to her admission of love had (among other utterings of confusion) been an announcement that despite their deadline for stopping the bulldozers he 'needed to lie down' …only to have her smile and say 'wonderful, I'll go with you'… That memory finally made a small chuckle come from the back of his throat, though he kept it as muffled as possible of course…
And so, with these amusing thoughts to keep him entertained until his telephone call to Helga later to explain the sudden presence of an extra pink book in her room, Arnold probably should have just left and headed back to the Boarding House like he really did have to do…
And yet…
Arnold…felt his eyes continue to linger on the peacefully sleeping and smiling form of Helga…content and cozy, curled up near the far edge of her bed, with his shirt happily wrapped around her… And he also couldn't help but recall that, well…well…okay…Mr. Pataki wouldn't be home for probably another half hour or so if he got home everyday just before dinner, right? And…and Mrs. Pataki would probably be at least a bit longer getting stuff from the grocery store, too…right? And also it wasn't like he hadn't found himself laying on Helga's bed before (though there had never been any…any sleeping involved during those times or real lying down together…but still at least it was some kind of precedent)…And…and then also…well…
…Admittedly, it…it WAS an interesting idea…
…And all of Helga's pep talks during their first anniversary and since then had indeed been making him a lot more comfortable with some of the more 'intimate' aspects of their relationship, especially when they happened in her room as opposed to his…And it wasn't like it wasn't anything she hadn't suggested herself a long time ago or that would really be so very forward since it didn't actually involve any touching…
Arnold felt himself take a (very, very, VERY) small step back toward the bed…
But then of course he stopped dead in his tracks. 'But…' He shook his head—this was…no this was crazy. 'It…it would be a little…I mean, it's just not something I would normally…that it would seem like I would normally do...'
Still…though…still…
(And his weight shifted back in the direction of taking yet another…and possibly slightly less small…step toward the bed again)
…As Helga had been making sure to point out over the last few weeks he did, well…have a sort of a dark side, as she liked to put it…A side of him that liked different things…More…well, less puppy love kind of things… An image of that heated kiss he'd given her during their one-week anniversary right here in this room flashed through Arnold's mind and caused his already quick-beating heart to pound….
So, yes, he did have a darker side to him about all of this romance and love business: he could freely admit that at this point. And then along with all of that, well…honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if what he was considering actually doing right now hadn't been something Helga had attempted and probably succeeded at doing at least once in her life in regards to him….
Arnold swallowed now and glanced to either side nervously (almost guiltily really, but still at the same time with just a touch of a spark of something in his eyes, though he wasn't personally aware of it)…then he took a deep breath and came to a decision…a kind of a… 'dark' decision. 'Well…' he gulped, '…well, maybe just for a second…just to see what it would be like…' He blushed so much and his arms were shyly behind his back, and a little sigh of worry escaped through his nose. 'B-Besides, if I asked her to try something like this in real life she'd…she'd probably just look at me in total shock like that first time I told her I wanted to try kissing again on her couch during our first date, and then laugh about how funny it is that I'm suddenly the one always wanting to get closer to her…' She'd have every right to react in these ways of course, but still…Arnold was still getting used to being the type of person…the type of boy who would find himself tossing a girl onto couches and holding her in his lap and making out in alleys… (his stomach squirmed at all of these intense memories)…and so, with all of this easing into all of this epic change for him, the less embarrassment he could manage to be subjected to while he was going through all of it, the better…
So, all of this moral back and forth and obvious stalling finally over with…a very very shy looking Arnold took one final big step back toward Helga's pretty pink bed…with that large pink sheet and blanket covered area right beside her…ready and waiting and available…inviting, really…
…And then as gently, gently, gently as possible so that his movements wouldn't wake up Helga (and making absolutely certain NOT to let this incredibly INSANE thing he was doing involve ANY touching whatsoever with the sleeping lady to his side)…the young football headed boy climbed onto the bed…turned over on his back…and finally in his life 'laid down' with Helga G. Pataki…
For a few seconds, Arnold was so embarrassed and surprised and utterly guilt-stricken by his actions that he just kept his eyes closed tight and his body as stiff as possible, more than expecting for Helga to suddenly sit up, pop open her eyes in wakefulness, and proceed to either burst into laughter or pass out from surprise or start kissing him in total elation…
However…seconds passed…but the same silence still just continued in the room.
Slowly, Arnold took a deep breath…and then got the courage to open his eyes…and to let them shift towards Helga.
To his (IMMENSE) relief she was still just laying there with her back to him, still slowly breathing as she slept, still wrapped up cozily and just the same in his shirt.
A smile cam to Arnold's face, and he let out a light sigh of relief. 'At least I didn't wake her up…'
And then, reassured of this fact, Arnold finally took a few seconds to really think about the fact that he was currently laying down next to Helga Pataki…just like she'd said they should try that first time she'd ever been completely honest with him in her entire life…and that first time he'd finally realized that the most unexpected (and later, he had come to understand, the most wonderful) person in the world was in love…with him… A-And they were doing this on a bed of all places! On HER bed of all places! Arnold felt himself melt inside as for the first time ever the feeling came over him of really being a part of this pretty room he'd come to love so much as opposed to just a guest in it… Part of it…Part of Helga…Together with Helga…He wondered if she felt the same whenever they managed to make it over to his bed together in his room (though of course they'd never done any laying down or sleeping there…yet…)
So, all of the initial fear and the initial euphoria now dealt with…interestingly enough, now that he was actually doing it and had a moment to really savor it, Arnold could very much understand the appeal of him and Helga 'lying down' with each other…and her desire for it that day back on that rooftop. After all, it was so very nice to just be resting next to each other and close to each other like this…everything quiet and comfortable and peaceful… Not that going to the movies or getting ice cream or eating dinner or listening to music or laughing in one of their rooms together wasn't fun…and not that occasionally holding hands or holding her in a hug or having her suddenly do the same…or all of those sudden expected or unexpected kisses that could progress into full blown makeout sessions pretty quickly if there was nothing to interrupt them weren't fun also but… It really was just nice to be…near Helga, next to her, and to have a chance to really savor that feeling that just her mere presence had started giving him: it was warm and light and happy and calming—like there was a tension of some kind created every time she left him…and it got made better again when she came back. 'We're…a part of each other…' He let that whole concept wash over him again and it felt SO good. He grinned even more in perfect contentment:
And yet, Arnold knew, despite the quite frankly AWESOME time he was having right now, that he should stop before too much time passed and Helga's mom really did come back (she seemed more okay with him and Helga having a more than friends relationship than Mr. Pataki might be, but even still she might not necessarily like the fact that he was suddenly laying down next to her sleeping daughter in her bedroom alone). And Mr. Pataki was of course due home soon too. And yet…Arnold couldn't help but close his eyes and just take a second to inhale deeply and just really savor this most perfect moment…
It was then that the scent of lemons and raspberries came to him, and Arnold's eyes opened in surprise for a second…until he realized, with a smile and just a little blush, that after that little lip gloss taste testing earlier that week, Helga must have started going a little overboard in response to how much he'd liked the flavor they'd settled on, and started using a shampoo or something that was similar.
Arnold closed his eyes again and shifted just a bit closer to her, turning his head right near hers now…and inhaled deeply again…lingering for a moment… 'Helga…' He almost laughed. And part of his mind…the, uh, 'bolder' part…but also the daydreamy part…and the loving part… all of it imagined then what it might be like to reach over and put an arm around Helga just now…holding him and her very close together as they lay down…sleeping like this forever…connected and whole and the same… Of course, he'd already promised himself no touching since she was asleep and this was just supposed to be an innocent little experiment anyway…but he could imagine, couldn't he? Imagine holding them together like that…his blues and greens and her pinks and golds melting warmly into one another… Arnold, at this point putting everything he had into not trembling like a leaf on Helga's bed considering how overwhelming such a perfect image was for him, finally settled on letting out a deep sigh through his nose and just letting his love-touched mind savor the mere idea of holding her like that for now…the full image really being just too great for him to bear so suddenly…and especially when that image as a reality was so very close…
His eyes were closed and he was totally at peace, and nothing could disrupt the love…
A second or two more passed.
And then there was the sound of a shift on the bed.
It took a nearly sleeping/dreaming (at this point) Arnold a moment to process the shifting sensation, and his first response in his daydream/nearly dream state was just to open his eyes part of the way and blink a few times, the content smile still on his face.
A pair of wide and totally shocked blue eyes met his. And another second or so passed.
And then Arnold's eyes flew open wide and he felt the strongest blush imaginable come to his face. "HELGA!" And then he spazzed and fell completely off of her bed!
"Okay, let me see if I have this one straight…" Helga G. Pataki cleared her throat, a very pensive look on her face as she sat on the edge of her bed looking down at a totally mortified Arnold who was still seated upon her carpet, where he had fallen to not too many minutes ago. There was no attitude in her tone—just an expected curiosity and slight confusion as she briefly recounted the facts of the situation at hand… "…You came over to drop off my poetry book…saw I was sleeping…thought I looked cold and went to cover me…started thinking about our relationship and my confession…suddenly remembered that whole 'I need to lie down, wonderful I'll go with you' thing…and then actually laid down next to me on my bed to try it…And I woke up because you were inhaling the scent of my shampoo and then let out a sigh as you nearly started to fall asleep…once again, next to me…in my bed. Is that about the long and short of this, Arnold?" She brought her eyes to his and raised part of her brow, seeking confirmation…Once again, no sarcasm nor anger were present—just a genuine desire to get the facts straight…however very unexpected they were.
Arnold, blushing like mad and looking down in total shame and humiliation quickly nodded his head and pulled his knees even closer into his chest. He'd been in this fetal position, his face looking just morbidly distraught, ever since five minutes ago when Helga had woken up and caught him actually laying down with her in her bed 'just to see what it would be like', upon which he'd fallen off and instantly explained in a high-pitched voice the entire situation leading up to the current moment. And now he was just…awaiting his execution…whatever form Helga would choose to have it take…and fully believing in his guilt-stricken little heart that whatever his punishment would be, it would be well-deserved considering the practically unforgiveable offense which he had just so rudely committed…
Helga, meanwhile, having now officially comprehended everything about what was going on, just took a deep breath in and then let it out slowly. "Okay…" she said once more, and then paused for a few seconds as she really considered this new situation she'd woken up to...that pensive look still upon her face. Finally, she sighed and continued speaking. "Arnold…"
"I know, I know, I know!" the poor little thing suddenly announced from the floor in a very distressed voice, his face buried in his arms which were currently wrapped around his legs. 'Climbing into a girl's bed…CLIMBING INTO A GIRL'S BED! What is WRONG with me?' "It was wrong and it was stupid and it was something I ABSOLUTELY shouldn't have done without your permission and especially when you were asleep, and there's no excuse for it and it was too much and I should just leave after you finish yelling at me or punching me right in the nose or something like you have every right to do! I'm sorry, Helga—I'm really, really, really sorry, and I wasn't thinking at all and I—"
The football headed boy was quite suddenly cut-off just then by the feeling of a warm hand coming to rest upon one of his shoulders. He took in a sharp breath and, nearly in tears from his hysterics at this point, instantly lifted his head up and looked first to Helga's hand indeed lightly upon him and then to Helga herself. She was sitting on the floor in front of him now with a small smile on her face. "Football Head…" she started gently.
He just continued looking at her so unsurely…He was so very vulnerable right now…
And she was aware of it very much… 'Sensitive…He's sensitive…Let him know that you can be sensitive too…'
Helga let out a breath, and continued with comfort in her eyes and tone. "First of all, I need you to calm down…" she spoke calmly and patiently, with a small smile, "Because otherwise, I'm going to have to calm you down, and the only way I know how to do that is by hitting someone. And I don't ever want to actually hit you, Arnold. Ever. Okay?" She chuckled a tiny bit. "Unless, of course, you're gonna be torturing me in one of my dreams again about naming our future kid Summer or something…" She recalled the light sock in the nose he'd claimed to have gotten from her in her sleep for that joke during their first date after their one-week anniversary…and hoped it would lighten the mood.
Though her attempt at levity didn't make Arnold suddenly start laughing or anything, at the very least his frown of self-disappointment became less pronounced. He continued looking at her with his sad eyes for a second longer, and then finally nodded at her request to calm down a little, and took a deep breath in and let it out… He was still blushing horribly though, and all of a sudden he couldn't help dropping his sad eyes from her face a little in shame once again. 'I…I did a really horrible thing to a really nice person…didn't I? And all because of this stupid…stupid dark side thing…' A frustrated sigh escaped him. 'I don't care if that side of me IS a good kisser and DOES know how to make a girl faint and moan, and CAN get giggles and blushes out of the most amazing girl in the world just by saying nice things in a nice voice…If it's so crazy that it makes her never want to be near me again and ME never want to be near me again then what's the point?' The young boy just felt like apologizing like crazy again and throwing himself at Helga's mercy…but, still, she'd told him to calm down and had seemed quite sincere…and so he closed his eyes and took in and let out one more calming breath, and then opened them again and awaited patiently whatever she'd have to say next.
Seeing from the look on his face and from the fact that there were no more hysterics and near-tears pouring out of him that he was taking her advice about calming down to heart, Helga smiled a bit more and removed her hand from his shoulder, letting out a small relieved sigh. "Good…" she merely stated, happy that he was at least willing to listen to her.
Arnold, still a little emotionally unstable at the moment though he was actually feeling somewhat better from five minutes or so ago, just watched as (a smiling?) Helga suddenly shifted herself on her carpet so that she was now seated directly beside him instead of in front of him. He also didn't fail to notice that she was blushing just the tiniest bit…
And he was about to find out why exactly that was.
Because, in point of fact...a small plan for how to help her beloved through his embarrassment had presented itself to Helga G. Pataki while she had been listening to Arnold's explanations and absorbing this whole little shenanigan he'd gotten busted right in the middle of…And she now realized that the only way to help Arnold with his humiliation was to act on this plan…and to share with him an utterly embarrassing incident of her own…to show him that he wasn't alone and that this too would pass. The only problem with this obviously necessary course of action though was that Helga, over the course of the last couple of weeks, had pretty much shared all standard major embarrassing incidents of her unrequited love with Arnold…on top of which, with how upset Arnold obviously was…it was going to take some thing BIG to snap him out of it…
…All of which left Helga with no choice but to share a 'not so standard' embarrassing incident…The worst one she could think of, to be honest… Her first choice, naturally, would have been to share the shrine with him but they had 'been there and done that'… And only one other option was presenting itself to her mind at the moment… She was so afraid that for a second she almost really wasn't sure if she could go through with it… But…but it would help her little beloved. And that was all that mattered. Plus…he loved her…a lot obviously if he was getting this worked up over this whole thing. And he still would love her when this was done. 'Yeah…he'll still love you, Helga old girl…It'll be fine…' She did her best to take comfort in this small mantra.
"Okay…" Helga started once more, clearing her throat, smiling a little more…and blushing a little more…and gulping now, actually…and gripping her fingers and nails into her pink carpet at her sides, but thankfully still managing to maintain… "Arnold…" she went on quietly but firmly, "Do you want to hear a story? I-I mean…" her wide eyes went to his, "A story you've already heard but…the 'whole' story this time…about something I did once…um…before my confession?"
Arnold had to blink at this question and now he actually finally fully turned his head to face her, more than a touch of curiosity in his face… 'What is she talking about?' He literally had no clue.
Helga just sighed and rolled her eyes at his typical, kind of clueless reaction…though she was still nervous as heck inside. "Don't worry…" she assured him with a small grin, "It'll make sense in about two seconds. And I think it might make you feel better about this whole thing…Otherwise, BELIEVE ME," she announced emphatically, still trying to smile and lighten the mood despite her nerves, "I would be saving this one for one day when we're in our thirties and the kids are at school and there are over a dozen wedding anniversaries behind us …"
That married-based remark actually got a small, brief smile out of Arnold, and now at least he seemed willing to sustain eye contact with her…and it made Helga smile and gain confidence all the more. "Ah, and there it is again—that Arnold smile that I so adore…" She giggled as she finished and the familiar sound plus her little compliment about his smile made Arnold actually release one small chuckle as well…and the corners of his mouth linger in their slightly turned up position.
This small shared laugh came and went, and then Helga was (pleasantly) surprised to hear Arnold clear his throat and actually speak again, and this time not in that panicked voice from before. "So…" he started quietly, a small smile still on his face, "You…um…have a story to tell me, you said? A…A whole story?" He was being genuine and sincere in his inquiry, not accusing at all about whatever it was she might have kept from him until now…The most trusting person in the whole world and Helga had always loved him for that.
Helga just swallowed and shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck, clearing her throat. "Uh, yeah…a 'whole' story… And, uh… I…think it'll help bring what just happened into proportion…or at least stop you from being curled in a ball on the floor in convulsions of guilt, Football Head, heh…" She grinned sheepishly at him…but there was touch of fear in her heart.
Still, her joke did manage to get another very tiny chuckle from Arnold, and that helped ease her once again. "Helga…" he said quietly, glancing down with a smile for a moment, "You…you really think you've got a pre-confession story that'll equal what I just did?"
Helga (to Arnold's surprise and interest) let out a very deep sigh before she replied to his question…And then he looked up only to see her glancing down again (though she still smiled…but she was also blushing again too). "It'll top it," she responded simply. "I-I mean…" a small laugh, "This whole 'laying down with me' thing comes pretty close—which is impressive, by the way, Arnold, but…trust me, what I've got to say is better….er, worse…whatever." She shook her head, and gave him a small glance. "Anyway, if anything, when I'm done filling you in, I'll be the one in guilt convulsions on the floor and you'll be the one with the right to yell at me and kick me out—and regardless of the fact that we're in my room!"
Arnold had to laugh just a little more this time, and Helga (the action making her feel a little better) joined him…There was just something about her humor that could always make Arnold smile and feel good, even in his worst times…and he loved that.
The sound of Helga's small bit of laughter ceasing and her taking in a very deep breath met Arnold's ears, and caused him to pause in his slight chuckle-filled musings over her…And then his eyes flew open wide and his attention became completely fixed on Helga at the sight of her suddenly completely laying down on her floor, her arms still locked at her sides…hands still digging into her carpet…
As she spoke, she stared up at the ceiling.
She let out that deep breath she'd taken in. "Okay…so…" she spoke slowly, but steadily, ('This is for Arnold, this is for Arnold, this is for Arnold…and he loves you…') "...You, um…you remember that story I told you about that parrot you found that had memorized one of my poems, and how I had to spend all those days trying to get it back from you before he said the last line?" 'Ugh…I know it's for Arnold and that he loves me but…I cannot believe I am telling him this…' She did her best to stay firm and not to cringe.
Arnold, meanwhile, still sitting and still looking down at her, just gave a small nod at her question... "Mmm hmm…" He still had no idea where she going with this, by the way—the parrot story had, after all, seemed pretty straightforward to him. A little embarrassing but…nothing extreme…not like she seemed to be hinting some new fact about it would be…
Helga let out a breath, and all of his attention went away from his thoughts and right back to her words once more. "Okay, well…" she went on with a swallow, "Y-You remember how your grandparents told you about me breaking through your ceiling that time, and I explained to you that it was because I'd had to spend the night in the boarding house behind your couch and couldn't get out when you left because the remote was too far away…right?" Helga felt like she was shaking inside…What would he do when she said it? Break up with her? Pass out cold and block it all out? Burst into flames because of how much his modesty would reject it all? WHAT?
She glanced over at her beloved just a little only to see a still clueless but nonetheless interested Arnold nod at her once more…and she now really noticed that he was more and more losing the embarrassed, mortified, just-shoot-me-now look as he became more and more intrigued as she went on…and that fact was enough to keep her going.
Helga swallowed again and pulled her eyes back to the ceiling. "Alright…" she let out a deep breath, "Alright…so…I think I might have, uh, conveniently skipped over at least one thing in between when I got to the boarding house that first afternoon and when I left the next morning… You know…" Blushing, so much blushing… "…when I was trapped behind your couch waiting for you to leave so I could get the bird…"
Okay, Arnold had to officially raise an eyebrow, the majority of his humility really being entirely forgotten with his growing concern for Helga and whatever it was she had to say... After all, she was blushing an awful lot at this point, and, after all, he still had NO idea why. 'What could she have done that night that could be worse than any of the stuff we've already gone over…any of the stuff we've been through together…what I did to her just now?'
Helga took another breath and began very intentionally playing with one of her pigtails, Arnold noticed, not looking at him at all. At all. And now she spoke and did not interrupt things anymore with little questions to him or small jokes or breaths. She just laid it all out on the line….come what may. "Okay, so…um…well, like I said, Arnold, I was there all night and ended up going to sleep back there…But, uh, heh, you ended up going to sleep in your room first…while I was watching you and the bird. And part of you going to sleep was, well…you…started getting ready to, um…to change into your, uh…you know…pajamas…Heh, uh, is it hot in here or is it just me? Heh, well, um, and, anyway…well, I told myself not to, you know…l-l-l-look…b-b-but it…it was kind of a once in a lifetime opportunity, and, and, and…I mean…I basically more or less passed out the second you got your shirt off…and…and maybe some other stuff…a lot of other stuff…b-b-but I was still basically…Oh Arnold, I spied on you while you were getting undressed! And that's what's worse than what you just did, Football Head! And I'm sorry—like really really sorry! Because there's a difference between stuff I usually did back then and something like that which I admit totally did cross a line, okay?"
And so with these finals lines and a heavy sigh out, Helga finally finished her rant about having one day watched Arnold get undressed! And now she just lay there, her eyes shut tight as could be and cringing like crazy because she couldn't help doing so anymore! Her arms were straight out at her sides and her hands were still clenched into nervous fists, practically digging up her carpet from the floor, as she awaited Arnold's inevitable shocked response to this most embarrassing admission she'd ever voiced EVER! 'Well, there it is…' she gulped, 'And, you know, going over it in my head, I'm pretty sure the time I watched the little shrimp take off his clothes was about the most random, obsessive thing I've ever done to the poor, dense, little Football Head… I just hope it makes him feel better at least, and forget all his stupid guilt about just climbing onto my freaking bed with me… I mean, at least he was being a gentleman and considerate—not touching me or kissing me or anything, just enjoying being near me…I'm the one who acted like a total creep! Watching him take off his… Oh I would completely deserve it if he never wants to see me again! Oh maybe this whole thing was just a mistake! I mean, I wanted to make him feel better and Arnold's pretty understanding if the last few weeks (heck, the last few years) prove anything, but…come on! I tried to abuse my incredible luck at being able to do things behind his back without getting caught to get a secret glimpse of his chest and his arms and his…well… Oh, Crimeny, I don't even know what I was thinking! What kind of an obsessed freak does something like that, anyway? I mean, I know Bliss always says that as long as I'm not hurting anyone, it's okay, but still…at the very least, he's gonna need a break from 'us' for a few days after this one, no question. Oh this whole thing…EVERYTHING…was a mistake! I should have just given him a hug or something to make him feel better about getting caught in my bed, and waited on telling him this stupid story until we really WERE married or somethi—'
It was then that Helga had to end her thoughts abruptly as she suddenly felt a warmth clasped around her constricted left hand. 'Wh-Wh…Huh?'
Her blue eyes popped open wide and her gaze shifted to the side…only to fall upon… Arnold… now laying, likewise on his back, on her carpet right next to her…with his hands down to his sides just like hers were…and specifically his right hand currently atop her left one. Helga's heart pounded in fear and hope. Her eyes shifted specifically to her beloved's face just as he let out a sigh, and she noticed that Arnold's kind of wide eyes were just looking up at her ceiling, probably in thought but also probably from an effort not to look at her (the latter theory was further supported by the fact that Helga could see a distinct blush tingeing his cheeks.)
A couple more seconds passed like this in silence and then finally Arnold…young, sweet, caring, constantly on an emotional roller coaster ever since he'd gotten that bright…brilliant…beautiful idea to save the neighborhood, which had led to him being here right now with the person he was with and hearing what he'd just heard… Yes, young Arnold opened his mouth and spoke in a quiet, pensive, slow voice… "Helga…" he simply began.
Helga swallowed. Hard. "Uh…" she squeaked out, her eyes shifting away to look up casually at the ceiling now as well, though she did her best to glance just slightly at Arnold out of the corner of her eye nonetheless, "Yeah…Arnold..?" came her quiet reply.
He just let out another sigh…and squeezed her hand just a little…and at this point she couldn't tell whether she was shaking or he was shaking or if it was some combination of both of them…all she knew was that tremors were currently passing through their hands. "We're…a little…we're a little…" He was quiet again. He couldn't find what he wanted to say.
Helga took a breath and, trying to lighten the mood as before, swallowed and suggested a few words humorously. "Uh…strange? Unusual? Uncanny? Adorable together? Come on, Arnold, these are the jokes…heh, heh…heh…" she quickly rambled, still focusing very intently on the ceiling. 'Oh boy…I…am SO going to end up single again after this…Crimeny…' She practically wanted to let out an exasperated, defeated, humiliated sigh, roll her eyes and slap a hand to her forehead and then of course BEG Arnold's forgiveness for her crimes but she was still too afraid to make any major movements at the moment.
"We're…a little…" Arnold's voice came to her ears again and she shut up her internal lamentations to listen closely, "We're a little…" his voice cracked, "…crazy sometimes…you and…and me. I mean…" his voice was still so quiet, "…s-sometimes we do kind of 'crazy' things when we're around each other…don't we…?" he finally finished, still just laying next to her, still holding her hand and still just looking up at the ceiling.
Helga swallowed again and felt all of her emotions peak at once…with fear leading the way. 'Crazy', after all, didn't exactly have the best connotation to it.
The sound of Arnold letting out another breath caught Helga's ears and made her eyes shift fully over to him. "Helga?" And then suddenly, to Helga's immense surprise, Arnold's gaze shifted over to her now too…and their eyes instantly met. She saw his eyes almost pull away in a little bit of fear…but then they remained looking into her own and she felt him squeeze her hand just a little harder.
He spoke some more.
"I…" a breath, "I…This, um…might be that, um…that 'other side' of me that we talked about talking a bit…Y-You know, the, um…the 'dark' side…heh…" She watched him try and smile though it quickly faded back to his former blank look. "B-But I…" he went on, obviously thinking very hard about expressing what he had to say as clearly as possible, "But I kind of like that you…you know…that you make me do 'crazy' things sometimes." He glanced down just a little, though she could tell part of his gaze was still on her. "I mean…you make my life interesting, Helga, and…it's kind of…i-interesting to know that I've made yours so different too… And um…" She noticed a small smile come to his face now…and stay… And his blush deepened just a little.
He sat up a bit.
"And well…" there was…actually some conviction in his quiet, small voice now…just a little mind you but it was still there and Helga did not fail to notice it…And it confused the heck out of her trying to figure out whatever the heck Arnold might have had on his wide mind to do next…"And I think," he went on bravely, brave little boy that he was, "I think that on a regular day or with anybody I had a regular relationship with, right now I'd probably just stand and offer them a hand up and say I was sorry again for what I just did and that I forgive them for what they did, and then I'd go home…and probably never be able to look them in the eye again, to be honest…" He swallowed, still blushing…still looking so unsure…but still obviously having something left to say. His eyes traveled up again and now were looking right into hers once more. "But…like I said, you make me feel like doing crazy things sometimes, Helga, so instead of all that…if it's okay with you…I mean, since we both just kind of took some risks with each other…just to show you that nothing's changed, at least, for me…."
Helga propped herself up a bit on her elbows, still looking at him in a bit of surprise and with just a touch of worry…And indeed all of this rambling and talking of craziness and that nervous quality to his voice were all worrying her considerably! 'What is it…WHAT is he going to do? The break up, the blocking it out, the bursting into flames, WHAT?' She just…didn't know!
…Until Arnold moved his right hand off of her left, and placed this now free hand on the carpet on the left side of her body, and then shifted his own body over and placed his other free hand on her carpet on the right side of her body, thus balancing himself over Helga Pataki…And then he leaned over her and gently kissed her upon the mouth…
Helga just blinked several times in total perplexity…TOTAL PERPLEXITY! But then…then she of course quickly lost herself in the kiss…and the perfect feeling of Arnold being so close to her. 'He…he's…' it was like…the warmest wave of relief and love and hope imaginable washed over her just then, 'He's never going to hate me…is he? He'll…He'll never hate me or reject me or want nothing to do with me just because I'm a little different sometimes…He loves me…Arnold loves me…He really actually truly unconditionally loves me, doesn't he?' And then Helga allowed her trembling heart and her trembling lips and her trembling everything to slowly collapse back upon her carpet, bringing her arms around her beloved in an embrace…and as she laid back she felt him slowly collapse on top of her, bringing his own arms behind her head and into her hair as the kiss continued. All in all, it was very similar to that first mutual kiss they had shared on her coffee table all those weeks ago during their first date, but much more tender than passionate this time around…and Helga couldn't help but smile just a bit more at the idea that this time Arnold was the one on top of her. 'He really does love me just like I love him…' Nothing about the thought was a question.
There was a light knock on the door.
It took a second but then Helga and Arnold's eyes fluttered open.
"Helga, sweetie, are you in there? I just wanted to see if Arnold's still here and to ask one more time if he wants to stay for dinner…"
Helga's eyes shot open and she didn't waste any time! First, she instantly flipped herself so that she was atop her beloved for a moment, and then she separated their mouths as quick as could be and scrambled up and ran to the door, just praying that a couple of seconds would be enough time for Arnold to come out of any lovesick daze he might be in and recompose himself. She ran to grad the doorknob, hoping her own blushing wasn't too bad! 'Come on, Helga, focus! Ignore how fast your heart is beating and how warm your body still feels from being against his, and the feeling of his hands in your—' "Miriam!" The ten-year-old blonde pulled the door open wide and did her best to announce her mother's name with a cheery and welcoming smile! 'Yup…just keeping it casual. Maintain.' "Hey! Uh…" Helga glanced behind herself nervously to see Arnold now just sitting up upon her floor with his legs crossed, looking to the side and smiling quite nervously…his blushing (unfortunately) unhideable.
Helga literally almost moaned in exasperation. 'Oh great—I am just going to be dealing with days of good natured ribbing from Miriam about this, aren't I?' She shook her head to clear it and quickly turned back to her mother...who, to Helga's dread, was just looking back and forth from one child to the next and smiling…and obviously trying not to laugh. Helga cleared her throat and firmed up her look a little, doing her best to get this little interruption moving along…now! "Uh, sorry, Miriam, didn't mean to keep you waiting… We were just, uh…" it took her a second, but, "…just working something out for school! Uh, yeah!" Helga tried not to blush too much at the lameness of the excuse and finally just looked Miriam in the eye, getting right to the point with a matter-of-fact tone. "What did you need, again, Mom?"
Miriam, however, (more than aware from how shy Arnold was looking and how nervous her daughter was acting that obviously she'd just interrupted 'something' between them) couldn't help finally chuckling slightly to herself, though she did her best to keep it to a minimum: the kids were probably already embarrassed enough after all. She turned her gaze to Helga. "Oh, sorry, Helga…I just…wanted to make sure about whether or not Arnold can stay for dinner tonight…I know you two like to spend as much time together as possible when you see each other and so I invited him when he came to the door before, and it's getting close to five thirty though so…" Miriam's gaze shifted behind Helga, "How about it, Arnold?" she finished kindly, awaiting a response from the (obviously quite anxious) boy still on the floor.
Arnold blinked and his eyes went wide at being addressed directly like that! He instantly stood up and cleared his throat, still looking down and to the side with a nervous smile on his face, and his arms so very shyly behind his back as he spoke. "Um…thanks, again, Mrs. Pataki, but…" his voice was so high pitched that it obviously sounded like it was BEGGING to crack, and Arnold knew it! He tried to finish up quickly. "But it, um…it really is my turn to do most of the cooking tonight and I don't want to leave my Grandma and Grandpa with everything to take care of on such short notice…" He let out a breath and then took a slow one in, trying to fully calm his still strongly blushing little self.
Miriam just let out a sigh at his response, still smiling. "I understand, Arnold. You really are such a responsible young man…"
And just when he thought he had the redness in his face under control, that compliment about being a 'responsible young man' made Arnold blush even more if that was possible and clear his throat nervously! 'A responsible young man…who almost fell asleep dreaming about holding Helga in my arms and sleeping next to her in her bed…And when Mrs. Pataki trusted me to come up here all alone and just give Helga a book back…Oh boy…' Little pricks of guilt went over him, and he was full scale shy and blushing and nervous all over again this afternoon!
Helga, watching from the sidelines, finally just smacked a hand to her forehead and dragged it down her face, officially giving up entirely on any ability of Arnold's to play it cool. 'I swear, if HE had been the one with the crush I would have had him figured out before snack time that first day of preschool…Crimeny, he cannot lie!'
"Anyway…" Miriam suddenly continued, now having to try and hold back even more laughter at how flustered poor little Arnold seemed at the moment and how obviously embarrassing her daughter was finding it all…Really, though, seeing this, she decided to spare both children and start to wrap things up a bit and to avoid the elephant in the room about whatever Helga and Arnold had been doing before Helga had whipped open her door the rest of the way just now… "Maybe we can have you over tomorrow or sometime this weekend instead…What do you kids say?"
Helga, realizing Arnold was probably in no condition to speak much more considering how much distress he seemed to be in once again, just let out a sigh and then reached over and put her hand on the doorknob, looking Miriam in the eye again. "Okay, Miriam…" she began patiently, her other hand on her hip, just wanting this to be over, "Me and Arnold'll talk it over and maybe we'll eat here on Friday or something instead of at the Boarding House. For now, though, can we, you know… have a few minutes?" At having to ask the question, Helga couldn't help but swallow hard and lose a bit of the firmness of her look…She also broke eye contact with Miriam and glanced down just a little shyly. "We, uh…still have to finish working out that, uh, thing for school…okay?"
To Helga's chagrin but also relief, Miriam just let out a sigh and took a step away from the door back out into the hallway. "Okay, sweetie." She nodded. "You two finish up and dinner should be ready in about half an hour or so. I'll see you downstairs, Helga. And bye, Arnold." And with that and a wave Miriam headed out of her daughter's doorway and down the hall with an all knowing smile on her face while Helga just shut her door once more, and then turned and let herself collapse back against it, letting out a very relieved sigh and wiping her brow.
"Whoo!" Helga Pataki looked straight to Arnold…and she just plain had to observe before anything else was said, "Football Head, you and me have got to go over how to NOT act like a total spazz when you get caught in an awkward situation. I mean, not that it isn't always adorable watching you squirm but…not when it's going to get me teased by my mother for the rest of the week, you know?" Despite the complaint though, Helga was half smiling at Arnold as she spoke. After all, sure it was embarrassing…but there also really was nothing more adorable than her cute little Arnold all shy and red in the face just because of something to do with her. 'It's just freaking precious!' she finally just had to admit to herself with a mental giggle.
Arnold, meanwhile, still standing across the room near Helga's bed, just blinked a couple of times and cleared his throat, and then looked to his girlfriend sincerely, hands still behind his back. "Sorry, Helga…" he began innocently and with just a tinge of that former nervousness in his face and voice, "…I guess I just forgot your mom was coming back, and then…and then…that kiss was kind of…um…" a dreamy smile began to come to his face and his eyes began to get glazed over…and the nervousness left entirely…and his speaking slowed quite a bit…"It was…um…" 'I think it was actually one of the most…' Arnold had to laugh at the first word to come to mind, 'It was…crazy…One of the craziest and most unexpected moments in my life…and one of the greatest…Oh boy, it's always fun when she just throws me some place and starts kissing me or when I just lean in a give her a small one, of course…. But that just now was different… just slowly and gently and quietly and warmly like that with our arms wrapped around each other and our hearts pounding against one another…like we were the only two people in the world… It was really, really…' "It was, um…" he'd kind of started speaking his thoughts aloud without realizing it…his eyes brimming with love, "It was warm…deep…and your heart…against mine…" Arnold was barely even forming words anymore, though they still remained coherent enough to be heard by the only other person in the room "...and…pretty…sweet…lovely…your body…and my body…and…" His lips trembled... "And…and…"
"Uh…Arnold? You who—earth to Football Head? Arnold…Arnold? Hey Arnold!" Arnold was suddenly broken clean from his thoughts and daydreams and fantasies by these words and the sudden sound and motion of someone snapping their fingers right in front of his face.
The football headed boy blinked a few more times and then suddenly his gaze came back into focus right on the face of a very smug looking Helga now standing right in front of him, her arms now crossed over her chest! "OH! Uh…." He felt even more heat flood his face. 'What…? I…I didn't say all of that out loud…!' She looked SO smug…and she was blushing… And now Arnold just sighed and shut his eyes and smacked a hand to his forehead, dragging it down. "I…just said all of that out loud…Didn't I, Helga?" he merely asked in a flat voice.
Helga finally gave in to a few chuckles she'd been holding back. "Uh huh, big time, Arnoldo." Something more like a giggle escaped her next and she smiled a bit more. "And yeah, yeah, we get it, Head Boy—kissing me equals magically amazing and amazingly magical." She just shook her head in amusement…but then added with a much slyer smile, leaning in close… "But, uh…what exactly was all that stuff about hearts against each other and your body and my body again?" She smirked all the more…but was also secretly nervous as could be inside. After all, she'd…she'd NEVER heard Arnold sound so focused on the physical stuff before… He'd been much more willing to participate in stuff like that lately but he certainly never openly talked about it (at least, not yet in their relationship…)! And she knew he liked it of course but…did he really like it…think about it…want it…THAT much?
In response to THAT little playful question from Helga, Arnold just froze and swallowed…and then said whatever the heck he could get to come out of his mouth, he was so flustered at having just told his girlfriend all of those things! He was practically collapsing into a pile of nerves as he spoke. "O-Oh…well…It-it's just that we were against each other and y-you feel n-nice when I'm against you, and then y-your heart beats against mine and it f-feels nice to hold you…touch you…A-And I…l-l-like i-it…like it so much…a-and—"
…But then to Arnold's surprise (and very great relief and even salvation) Helga suddenly reached forward and took one of his hands sweetly in her own. "Oh relax, Arnold…" she soothed with a happy smile, "Don't hurt yourself. Just felt like messing with you a little…" She winked. And not that Helga wouldn't have LOVED to hear the rest of her beloved's little ramblings on this matter but…she didn't want to push him on this…especially considering the amount of emotional trauma he'd already been through on this afternoon (and all to do another good deed in his life and drop off her poetry book)…and also, well…she was still a little surprised with how he was answering her right now…so very focused on the physical, somewhere deep down inside of him. Maybe she'd have them come back to it later…one of these days in the future but not quite yet. But as for here and now, that really was the least she could do—letting him off the hook. Payback for the time he'd done it for her right after her confession, let's say. Having come to this decision, Helga just let out a sigh and squeezed Arnold's hand a bit more. "Now come on, Arnoldo," she went on, "All these surprising moments and revelations have left me in need of a little relaxing time before dinner. And since you can't stick around for the meal and relax me just by being you…why don't we go for a quick walk around the block before you head home, okay, Football Head?"
Arnold, who really had been put through quite a lot today, at first didn't respond in any way to the question or the hand hold…but then he blushed…but then it faded a little…and then he seemed to be thinking…and then his eyes widened and suddenly they were wide again and they instantly focused directly on Helga's hand still clasping his own. "You want to go for a walk with me…together…outside?" was the first thing to pop out of his mouth in his tone of confusion. "Are you sure?" His confused eyes snapped to hers. "I-I mean…aren't you worried that someone might see us?" After all, Arnold…well, even though he didn't like to bring it up because he knew Helga still needed time and he wanted to respect that, one of his personal fantasies was still what it would be like when the day came when he could be with Helga…in public…when everyone would know everything and how nice that would be…And now…here it was? (Well, part of it anyway…) And so very out of the blue! He had half a mind to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't passed out and dreaming from that fall off of Helga's bed before! 'Heh, well, that would certainly explain away that crazy story about her watching me, um…heh…' He…did his best not to focus on that particular subject for now…instead trying to deal with the fact that he knew full well that this was reality…and that Helga's desire to go for a handholding walk with him in public was a real part of it.
And then Helga, to Arnold's further surprise, just shrugged at his shocked disbelief about this whole 'walk in public' business, the smile still on her face…and actually waved him off of all things! "Eh, everyone's probably home eating dinner right now, and it's not like it'd be that long of a walk, and anyway I could always make up an excuse or something for why we're together…Just two enemies who happened to meet up, and you owe me a quarter or something so I've latched onto you and I'm not letting you go until I get it back, maybe…" Arnold was about to smile when he saw Helga's smile become just a bit more mischievous, and that in turn made him pause and gulp, "…Or instead of all that song and dance...I could just pull us into a dim alley for a few minutes while whoever we saw passed by…" She winked and then made sure to add, using a finger of her free hand to give him a light poke on his chest just above his heart. "Maybe you could even explain more to me about this hearts beating against each other thing…Just pounding away, one on top of the other…" She ended in a whisper
Arnold felt himself swallow hard at this suggestion…and of course at that little poke…and then also of course at the thing about 'hearts pounding away one on top of the other'… Always such an accurate poet, his Helga was…and she always found the best way to put things to make Arnold's heart race uncontrollably whenever he read or listened to her stuff, whether he admitted it or not. 'Oh…OH…' he couldn't help but think to himself in nervousness as her little 'Plan B' for seeing someone they knew fully sunk in…complete with pending daydreams just waiting to take over his thoughts at a moment's notice.
Helga, meanwhile, now just gave in to full on girly giggles at Arnold's reaction to her suggestive little suggestion, and then rolled her eyes and suddenly commenced pulling him toward the bedroom door with her so they could start that walk already before it got too late. 'Cute…and FUN.' "Besides," she went on talking, a happy smile on her face, "Honestly, right now, Arnold, spending some time just walking with you is more important to me than someone MAYBE seeing us together and POSSIBLY thinking that we're MAYBE friends or at least that I don't ENTIRELY hate you…" She opened her door, revealing the empty Pataki upstairs hallway, and then looked back to Arnold once more…who was just smiling at what she'd just said, happiness and contentment seeming to overpower all of his former fluster for now. "So…you in or out, Football Head?" she finished finally, putting a hand on her hip and turning fully around to him. She smirked a little. "Come on…be a 'responsible young man' and give your girlfriend just one quick walk around the block…" She winked.
Arnold, elated that this really was happening in real life and also that he could finally do something this afternoon with his girlfriend that was nice and normal and innocent and sane, just let out a happy sigh and gripped Helga's hand a bit more firmly as he stepped out of the open bedroom door. "Of course I'll walk with you, Helga." He nodded with a smile and added playfully, "Where are my manners?" Now in the hall with her, Arnold gestured forward politely with his free arm for her to go first, as he'd done on several occasions during this relationship of theirs.
Helga just rolled her eyes once more at that little bow forward of his that he always loved to pull out. "Beats the heck out of me, Arnoldo," she replied to his rhetorical question about his manners…but then added sweetly, "But thank you for being my escort, Football Head."
She went forward a step or two and Arnold quickly came up beside her, and the two shared a laugh at this little formal exchange of theirs as they proceeded to head down the hallway side by side together.
"But…um…really, Arnold…" Helga suddenly whispered as they headed toward the stairs, catching the now lighthearted-feeling football headed boy by a bit of surprise with the sudden return of seriousness and shyness to her tone, "Thanks…for being okay with…uh, well…you know…" It took Arnold a second, considering the vague wording and his degree of natural denseness…but then it clicked that she was referring to the 'watching you undress' incident from before. He gulped. "And I…I mean," she suddenly started to go on, "I really didn't see much of anything! I promise!" Despite these assuring words though, she was blushing like crazy and trying not to look him in the eye… "And…if it's…if it's any consolation…whatever it was I might have seen…well, you're a handsome guy Arnold so whatever it was I might have seen was…you know…" She seemed practically trembling with nerves, "N…Ni…Nic—"
Okay, that…that was…No, he couldn't take anymore. It was like the other day when she'd nearly gotten at his underwear but a MILLION times worse.
"H-Helga?" Arnold finally brought himself enough out of his shock to squeak out to her, only just barely looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
Her mouth closed and her eyes went wide (they were still locked forward) and he saw her just barely nod in reply.
"Um…" Arnold let out a breath and just said it as best he could, tugging at his collar as they reached the top of the stairs and paused here for a moment together. "I…appreciate that… A-A lot. But…um…I'm going to need a little while before I can, um…talk about…you know…directly. Okay?" Actually, Arnold didn't want to think about having to talk too much about this incident of which he now had awareness EVER…but at the very least, he just didn't have it in him to do it right now. Not after an afternoon like this…All he wanted and what he needed most right now was a nice, simple, straightforward walk…
To his relief and happiness, Arnold saw Helga just nod again in agreement with him. (And she really could more than understand his feelings…and to be honest she was just happy that she was still in a relationship after telling him about the whole thing… Besides, on top of all that, she really hadn't been sure exactly where she'd been going with that whole 'assessment of having seen Arnold undress' thing she'd suddenly started to ramble off into…But wherever it was headed, it was obviously a place of deep, DEEP mortification for the both of them…At least, right here and now. Better to just keep things simple).
Helga, having come to this silent agreement with Arnold about the very awkward topic in question, was about to segue them back into casual conversation again by grinning and suggesting in some weakly sarcastic way (considering how fried she herself felt as well after this afternoon of emotions and embarrassing explanations) that they head down the stairs already before they were taking a pre-breakfast walk instead of a pre-dinner walk, or something to that effect… She instantly paused though, and her eyes went wide and shifted over to her beloved as she suddenly she felt him give her hand a squeeze. The young boy in question then took a small step closer and said quietly to her, "And also, um…thanks to you too, Helga…for not getting angry about the other, um, 'you know'…" For a second, the enormity of her own 'you know' clouded her thinking but then Helga instantly realized he was talking about that whole 'laying down with you' incident. She had been about to give him a quick 'you're welcome' when he suddenly went on past the thank you, much to her surprise "It was, um…It was nice to be near you like that…" Helga's jaw dropped quite completely at this little addition to his words…and then he STILL kept speaking…!
'Just say it, Arnold…Just…let her know while the moment's here and you still have it in you…That's what you did when you confessed to her and it turned out alright…great…amazing…' "I…um…I think it'd be nice if one day we could sleep next to each other like that…" His stomach flipped at the very idea. "I-In the…In the future, of course…heh…" he tacked on sheepishly.
Helga just…gulped…and almost lost any actual participation in their handholding, she was in such a state of just...numbness… And then finally the shocked and wide eyed girl could only manage to say back to him in the lightest voice in the world as what he'd just said as well as snippets of all of the other unusual things that had come out of his mouth this afternoon (combined with memories the quite a few unusual-for-him romantic actions over the last few weeks that Arnold had not only been participating in, but…quite enthusiastically at times) all washed over her, "Y-Yeah…just next to each other…against each other…hearts and…bodies and stuff…."
The two then shared another small, nervous laugh on this day…
Finally, Arnold took a breath in and let it out, and did his best to get them out of the even more awkward hole they were both just digging themselves completely into today now that he had said what he had to say. "Well, anyway…" he went on with a shrug, glancing to the side with a small smile, "Thanks for being okay with that, Helga…" (Once again, Helga was all set to give him a small 'You're welcome, Arnold' to wrap things up…when suddenly he kept talking once more and it made her pause), "And for making my life a little crazy…in a really good way…"
Helga just blinked at Arnold's sudden little addition. And then she felt him about to begin leading them both down the stairs…but before he could do so she suddenly had her arms wrapped around him in a quick, tight hug, a large smile blossoming upon her face. The young girl let out a sigh and just savored the feeling of embracing her beloved for a second …but then she recalled at the back of her mind that her mother was indeed right downstairs and that her father was indeed due home any minute, and so she reluctantly pulled away from Arnold and their small tender moment together (for now)…though not before finishing things by whispering with a giggle into her beloved's lovely ear, "You're welcome, Arnold…"
Meanwhile, upon being released from his girlfriend's hold, a slightly blushing and of course pleasantly surprised Arnold blinked a couple of times with a smile as he processed her hug and whisper and giggle…and then the young blonde boy cleared his throat and glanced down with his arms behind his back, digging a foot into the hall carpet. "Uh…s-sure thing…Helga…" And then he really knew that he should just accept the lightheartedness returning to them once more today…but there really was just one more thing he had to say before that happened. He looked to the girl before him shyly but sincerely. "But um…Helga? Can you…Can you just promise me that you won't try something like spying on me…for that reason…ever again? I just…don't want to feel like I have to run down to the bathroom every time I change clothes or something…" He blushed. Darkly. (But at least he managed to kind of maintain eye contact this time.)
Helga, not having expected this explicit request (but more than understanding it… After all, how would she have liked it if Arnold…Her mind blanched at the very notion and she went back to responding to Arnold's request instantly.) A small, understanding (though still a little shy and flustered too) smile came to her face and she swallowed hard and rubbed one arm with one of her hands as she replied with a nod, "Okay, I promise, Arnold…" She looked right into his eyes…
…But then, if HE was getting a last request about the awkward thing SHE'D done to HIM…didn't SHE maybe deserve one about the awkward thing HE'D done to HER?
Helga thought so.
And so now she slid up quite close to her beloved with a smirk and a gleam in her eye and added in a low voice, almost a whisper, "But…only if you promise to keep trying to sneak in the 'lying down with me' thing…Hey, you never know—now that it wouldn't throw me for a such a loop I might wake up one of those times and surprise you by insisting you stick around for the night or something…"
She giggled and pulled away, immediately commencing heading down the steps…while Arnold still just stood there at the top of the landing…with his eyes now wide at what she'd just said. 'She…Oh…She…heh…' He was nervous as could be once more today and yet…in that instant he had never longed to be alone in a bedroom with Helga more in his entire life! Even though it would make him panic again, and be so very awkward, and none of it would make sense…such a huge part of him wanted to try one more time at least…even though another huge part knew that now was probably a bit too soon, all things considered. The time was just not quite right yet… 'But, um…I-I guess it's nice to know that she won't be opposed to it when the time is right…heh, heh…' He gulped. 'Oh boy…'
Helga, now more than half way down her steps and STILL alone, paused in her journey and finally just sighed and shook her head in amusement, and then turned back to her blushing, unsure, mouth agape beloved once more, a hand on one of her hips, "Oh, and, uh, by the way, I've decided we're racing to the corner outside so get that look of shock off of your face unless you want to lose, paste for brains!" And with that Helga was off like a shot down the rest of the stairs…thrilling inside at having actually said that (very VERY true) thing to him about lying down together…and NOT wanting this little incident to discourage him from trying it again sometime ('Hopefully soon…Ahh!' She gave a girlish internal sigh!)
Back at the top of the stairs, it took Arnold another second and another blink to process Helga's words and challenge, but once he did (and now with all of the awkwardness of the day finally truly feeling like it was behind them with her sudden sarcastic quip) he couldn't help but smile and quickly chase after her. "I'll catch up with you, Helga," he called out happily, "even if I have to sneak through an air vent to do it!"
And indeed Arnold did manage to catch up with her at the door as that comment suddenly left Helga almost collapsed upon the floor in a fit of laughter at the hilarious memory from what felt like an eternity ago!
Laughing a lot himself, Arnold paused in their race and reached down and took Helga's hand, helping her up. "You okay, Helga?" he asked playfully and with an eyebrow raised at how obviously funny she'd found such a simple joke.
Helga chuckled a little more and just let out a sigh. "Eh, it's just that image of you sneaking through the vent…Like you'd transformed into me or something…" A few more chuckles. "Ah, but come on, Arnoldo, enough stalling! We're in mid race if I remember correctly…" a gleam came to her eyes, "And YOU were the one foolish enough to stop when your opponent was down to help her up instead of going for the win…Haven't you ever heard that nice guys always finish last, Football Head?"
"I didn't finish last by getting you in the end, did I?" Arnold absolutely couldn't help himself, a smirk upon his face and a gleam in his eyes as well.
He watched in amusement as the comeback made Helga blink and blush for just a second…but then her own smirk was back and her hand not still clasped in his reached forward and grabbed his collar and yanked him a little closer. "No…I AM the cream of the crop, Football Head…But then…you haven't always been such a 'nice' little guy when it comes to me, have you?"
He blushed so much…but still smiled though… He shrugged. "Couldn't be helped…" He glanced down a little, "After all, SOMEBODY basically held me dangling out of her window until I gave up the perfect gentleman thing…And then also, well…SOMEBODY had to go and turn out to be the only person on the planet who could get 'not so nice' things to come out of m—"
Mr. Pataki came home at that moment, by the way.
Indeed, the knob turned, the door suddenly opened, and Bob was there, and Arnold and Helga froze and their eyes went wide…and they realized that basically they had been in such a high degree of mid-flirting that they were about to have one of their kisses… Yes, indeed, all of the signs were there—witty and suggestive remarks, hand holding, Helga pulling Arnold in close (albeit by his collar, but still that left mere inches between their lips, and THAT was the ultimate goal), coy smiles and half lidded eyes…Heck, Arnold's free arm had even been in the middle of being about to come around Helga's waist to pull her in close too…
"Hey, Miriam, I'm home! Is dinner read—"
The two kids instantly flew away from one another, blushing and clearing their throats…It was pretty obvious, meanwhile, that the sudden halt in Bob's speech was the result of him having stopped at the sight of his daughter and Arnold surprisingly directly in front of him, though the two of them just hoped they'd pulled apart quick enough for him not to have gotten a good view of things…
Helga still felt a little bit of Arnold's charge going through her though and her eyes went even wider and she realized that they were still holding hands! She instantly ripped hers from his, bringing both arms behind her back. "U-Um…" she merely stuttered, looking down and doing her best to scowl, "A-Arnold, um…owes me a quarter…And I was just, um…getting it back…" 'Shoot me…Come on, somebody have mercy, already, and just do it…'
All Arnold did was nod at her little story. "Quarter…yeah…" He took a breath and then managed to raise his eyes and added politely. "Um…hi, Mr. Pataki…How're you?"
Arnold took in that Bob just had a very…very curious look on his face. Helga's eyes barely came up to see it as well and she cringed, awaiting whatever was to co—
"Uh…I'm okay, Arnold…Thanks…Uh, so, you sticking around for dinner tonight?" His voice had been slow at first but now it sounded…almost…happy and normal and casual! Both kids held their breaths—had he really seen so little and was he really that dense? Smiling, the older man cleared his throat and went on. "Feel like you haven't eaten here in a few days…We just keep shipping Helga over there, heh…" He rubbed the back of his neck.
Arnold took a second to absorb the fact that he was NOT going to be killed right now…and then just did his best to smile and say back without too much nervousness, "Uh…thanks, Mr. Pataki but, um…I actually have to get home and help my grandparents with dinner…It's my night tonight…I just had to drop a book off to Helga first, but, um…if it's okay, we thought we'd take a quick walk around the block together before I went home…" He blushed just the tiniest bit but tried his very hardest not to do so… After all, it looked like they might actually be…IN THE CLEAR! And he did NOT want to mess that up!
Bob cleared his throat…and for just a second the smile faltered…but then he sighed and it returned and he shrugged. "Uh, sure…You kids have fun…Just be back by six, Helga, okay? Or, uh, let us know if you decide to have dinner at Arnold's again or whatever…"
Helga, internally thanking her lucky stars, just nodded and spoke quickly and (hopefully) casually. "Okay, got it, Bob. Thanks. Well, Football Head and I'll just head out now. Uh, tell Mom dinner smells great!" And with that and a quick smile and even a little salute, Helga grabbed Arnold's sweater sleeve (no hands again just yet) and yanked him past Bob and out the door, down the stoop and into the street.
Bob just let out a sigh at the sight of them going…but then just shook his head and turned his sights back to the kitchen. "Hey, Miriam, the girl's right—whatever you're making really does smell good!" He smiled…Actually, his wife had seemed a lot happier lately and well...the cooking from it had been pretty phenomenal to say the least.
He heard her chuckle from the kitchen. "Thanks, B…It'll be ready in about twenty minutes…Unless you could come in here and help me with a few things…"
Bob smiled a little more. "Uh, yeah, sure…why not!" He headed right toward the kitchen…
…Though there was…at least one more brief glance back in the direction of the now shut Pataki door before he did so…
"Whoo! Crimeny, that was close!" Helga let out a deep breath, leaning back against a building at the corner she'd just sprinted to with Arnold in tow. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked to her beloved. "Arnold, let's face it—this is one of those days when irony isn't just our best friend…He has moved in, put up his feet and made us his slaves…" She had to at least half smile though, despite all of their misfortune, at how kind of funny it all was when you thought about it.
Arnold chuckled a little and just nodded, likewise with his back against the building. "Agreed, Helga. Completely agreed."
She chuckled a little more, and then, now having caught her breath, stopped leaning and held out a hand to Arnold. "Well, anyway, now that our race is over—and shockingly enough since I was dragging you right along with me when we got to this corner, it was a tie—you wanna just continue our walk nicely and normally and calmly, Football Head?"
Arnold smiled even more and gladly took her hand (secretly thrilling inside about this actually occurring in public, even if it would only be a walk of a few minutes and only around the block and only because it was highly unlikely that anyone they knew would be out of the house so close to dinnertime!) "I…would like that very VERY much, Helga…"
And so, hand in hand, the two of them began walking…and Helga giggled a little. "Yeah, well, with that look in your 'not so nice' little eyes right before we got interrupted, I figured you wouldn't exactly mind a little more touching and being close today, Arnold…"
Arnold just rolled his now half lidded eyes to the side, and squeezed her hand a little. "Hey, you were about to kiss me too…"
"Oh, well, duh!" She chuckled some more and smiled at him. "But still…it's just fun for me to point it out…" She sighed and looked forward, a content smile upon her face now. "But really, no more awkward stuff…Just nice, quiet, sane walking together…I think both of our nerves are pretty much shot for the day anyway…"
Arnold sighed and glanced forward as well with a content smile and nodded. "Yeah…" he blushed the tiniest bit. "But, um…could I ask one more small question, Helga? And if it's too much or something right now, all things considered, then I can always wait and ask it again later, but, um…I'm kind of curious…"
Helga blushed quite a bit…Oh boy the number of random things he could ask after everything they had just been through were ENDLESS and most ended in total humiliation. But still…she shrugged. "What the heck—might as well make this the perfect afternoon of awkwardness. Fire away, my love."
Arnold let out a breath. "How did you find raspberry and lemony shampoo?"
Helga's breathe caught in her throat…and this…this kind of funny sweet smile came to her face…and this cute little blush…She even started swinging their hands just the tiniest bit…But in her defense she couldn't help it. After all…after all these years ARNOLD had finally been the one to sniff HER hair…It was like a fairytale or something! "O-Oh…well, I…you'd actually be surprised at how rare something like that is, Arnold…" She shrugged. (Arnold, meanwhile, was just in full-on lovesick half lidded gaze mode at how cute she was suddenly being by the way. He hung on her every word as she went on). "So, I settled on getting a raspberry shampoo and a lemon conditioner…Makes for the perfect mix and well…you seem to like my hair an awful lot so…this way it's as nice smelling and also as soft and shiny looking as can be for you, you know?" She shrugged a little again… "Oh and, um, by the way…" her heart fluttered, "I've been sniffing your hair ever since I was three and your pillows ever since I was seven…That oceans and spice smelling shampoo you use is very…very nice, Arnold…"
Okay, yeah, that…Arnold, without any hesitation and just looking totally gone instantly bee lined their walk right into an alley, wrapped his arms around Helga and finished that lingering kiss they'd been interrupted from back in her room (and interrupted from finishing back at her front door). And then, having gotten his fill (for now) of clinging against her and kissing her and making sure to feel his fingers pressing against and even pulling through that soft lemony, raspberry, sunshine hair, he pulled back, blushing, and just looked into her dewy blue eyes. "S-Sorry that was so sudden…" he barely got out in a whisper… "It's the…the attraction thing…You looked so cute saying all of that stuff…and then your soft hair…and saying stuff about my hair, and…" He sighed, and finally got more strength back in his voice. "Sorry…but I just…I would have passed out if I hadn't gotten the chance to kiss y—"
He was stopped in mid-sentence by Helga placing a gentle, loving peck right on his forehead, and then leaning over and obviously taking a big inhale through her nose of his hair. It made him shiver, her taking him in like that. She pulled back and he could just make out the smile on her face in the dim light of the alley. "No apologies for kisses, my sea and spicy Arnold." She winked. "B-Besides…I…just love having that effect on you…Making you unable to control yourself…It feels so wonderful…"
He grinned like crazy…then he added, the funny thought suddenly popping into his head in the middle of his semi-dazed state, "You know, it's funny that it turns out you were smelling my hair first, Helga…" He swallowed and then went on with a shy smile, "Actually, that's, um…that's part of why I tried the…you know…the 'laying down with you' thing back at your house. Part of me couldn't help but think that you'd probably managed to do the same with me one of those nights you were in my room…so I guess I figured I'd just try doing it back or something." He shrugged sheepishly
Helga just giggled a little in response to his admission and rolled her eyes. "No, Arnold—never did get the gumption to climb into bed with you…Not a bad plan though, but I guess I was saving that for fifth grade or something…"
He laughed and she laughed and they were just happy together.
Eventually, their mutual laughter faded into just mutual content smiles. Helga then closed her eyes and took a breath in and out, and then opened her eyes once more and managed to speak in a more normal and less dazed tone of voice. "Okay…So…that was incredible…as always, Arnold… And not that I wouldn't love to stay here in the shadows and have some more incredibleness between us, but, um, my parents are expecting us back pretty soon and you grandpa's expecting you back pretty soon, so I guess we need to finish up this walk for now, but…of course we can have more fun like this on another date or something later…We have a whole life of incredibleness to look forward to if we want, you know." She winked.
Arnold nodded, smiling goofily (of course), and then stepped aside…and took Helga's hand in his once more. "Okay…You're right…we should just finish our nice, normal walk for today, Hel—" His gaze had started to come out of daydreams and back into focus on Helga, and as it did he had to pause and blink…but then he just smiled. "Oh, hold on…I messed up your hair a little…" He reached up and ran his free hand over and gently smoothed each of her pigtails, and then he adjusted her bow…and shifted one jumper strap back up into its proper position on her shoulder. He pulled back and admired his handy work. "Good…Beautiful as always."
Helga's heart pounded at him touching her like that to fix her up and then of course at being suddenly called beautiful once more in her life by him…But then, as Arnold was about to finally lead them from the alley, she just smiled and almost chuckled really, and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him for one more moment. "Uh, hold on there, Football Head. I'm not the only one who needs a quick fix..." Arnold just looked at her a little curiously…until she pulled the fingers of her free hand through either side of his cornflower hair, making the tufts look a bit more groomed, and then adjusted his cap how it usually was, and straightened his sweater a little. She pulled back. "There, perfect as always." She winked at him.
Arnold, now having had HER hands all over him fixing himself up, blushed but smiled all the more and let out a sigh. "Thank you, Helga…" He squeezed her hand. "Shall we, then?"
"Of course, Arnold." She smiled and nodded and the two of them finally went back to the street to walk together some more.
"Hey, Helga?" Arnold asked curiously a minute or two later. "Um…just out of curiosity…what kind of shampoo did you use before, you know…the lip gloss and all the raspberry lemonade stuff?"
Helga shrugged. "Oh…I don't know. Some kind of pink flowery stuff…" She smiled a little. "Actually, when I was little, the first thing I went for was some strawberry junk but…" she sighed, looking a little sheepish, "Turns out I'm allergic—to strawberries, I mean… It seems I have a weakness besides you, Arnold…Who knew, right?" She chuckled. "But anyway instead of that it was some pink flowery stuff…" She then raised part of her brow at him and asked in mild curiosity, "Why?"
Arnold blushed a little and shrugged as well…still smiling of course though. "I was just curious…Hmm…pink and flowers…" It reminded him of dreaming about pink flowers in her hair during their wedding…and even about his dream of visiting Arnie's when he'd tried to put a flower in 'Hilda's' hair…and also that time Helga's nanny had made her come to school with flowers in her hair… He blushed a little more at all of these memories.
Helga, meanwhile, just sighed at all of his blushing and the cute little question he'd asked just out of his adorable curiosity. "You are such a goner for me, Arnoldo….I swear it'd be pathetic if it wasn't, well…about me."
The boy beside her just sighed and smiled all the more at her observation. "I know. I'm a goner…" And then in a bold move he leaned over and took a deep inhale right near her hairline at the side of her neck. He released the breath in a shuddery sigh. "And I'm…really, really happy you got me this way, Helga G. Pataki…" He then placed she softest, quickest kiss imaginable right there near her neck, and then pulled back with a smile. "Now, come on…I have to finish escorting you home and then head back to my house…Do you want to come over tomorrow, though? Do our homework and stuff, Helga?"
'"Uh, s-s-s-s-…" 'He just…smelled my…oh…'
Arnold let out a sigh and squeezed her hand. "Helga…focus…It's okay…"
"S-Sure…Arnold…" she finally got out with a little squeak of a giggle. "I, uh, guess I could fit that in to my busy schedule."
Arnold just smiled. "Great…I need some help with our poetry assignment anyway, to be honest… I mean, we might have to stay up there working together for…hours…"
She giggled tons. "Whatever you say, Arnold, whatever you say…"
The two continued their walk back to Helga's house…with Helga (of course) sneaking in occasional little sniffs of Arnold's hair, as she'd done throughout her entire life, though finally know with his full knowledge and approval, and to her delight she even noticed him shyly leaning up to inhale the scent of her own hair just a little more at least once or twice… 'I DEFINITELY made the right choice upping the presence of raspberries and lemons in our romantic life…DEFINITELY…'
"Oh, and, I'm happy to see you've been making good use of my shirt, Helga."
Helga's entire face flushed a bright pink. "Oh, uh…" she could hear her beloved trying not to chuckle…and finally just rolled her eyes and smirked, "Hey, I was just cold and too lazy to go get a real blanket—don't start thinking I had it wrapped around me because, I don't know, I find the thing highly poetically inspirational since it drips of your essence or anything!" She gave him a wink.
A small laugh or two escaped the contently smiling boy beside her. "Whatever you say, Helga."
Helga's stoop was coming in sight again, and the two proceeded to (slowly, of course) head in that direction.
(And, meanwhile, Arnold made sure to keep his love for the idea of Helga with flowers in her hair tucked safely and happily away at the back of his mind…just thankful that now he was finally fully aware of its presence within himself.)
NAMING NAMES AND NAMES…
"Hey, Helga?"
Helga G. Pataki let out a good-natured sigh from across the blue and green hued room, and smirked a little in her beloved's direction. "Arnold, I have told you time and time again, my self-conscious little poet—I can't 'tell you' how to write your poem for Simmons. Just do your best to write it and when it's done, if you're really REALLY worried about it, I'll read it over and we can talk about it together, okay? But first you write!"
Arnold had to chuckle quite a bit at the response (and smile just a little sheepishly since, well, kind of 'desperately' going to Helga during these poetry assignments wasn't something entirely unheard of from him ever since the tutoring fiasco and the start of their courtship). Still, that wasn't what he had in mind at the moment… "No, no…" The young football headed boy let out a breath and put down the notebook in which he had been writing on the end table next to his couch, and then looked over at Helga once more. She was still just casually reclining on her back on his bed which she had been doing for the last half hour since they'd started studying together up here, occasionally writing in a notebook or jotting something down in a spare pink book (and every once in a while, Arnold couldn't help but notice with a blush, closing her eyes for a second and inhaling near his pillow…now doing it freely and openly considering yesterday's revelations between the two of them about shampoo-smelling). "I just wanted to ask you a question, Helga…" Arnold went on, "If you'd be willing to take a break from homework for a minute, of course…"
He watched as Helga placed her own notebook down upon his bed, and then just rubbed one side of her head with the bottom of her palm and closed her eyes, smirking even more thanks to a small sense of déjà vous she was suddenly getting at this situation and his request… "Oh brother—if you're trying out lip glosses on me, Arnold, I swear I—"
"Ha-ha, very funny Helga…" Arnold cut her off with this slightly sarcastic reply and an eye roll, and watched in continued amusement as she just laughed a little bit to herself and then sat up completely now on his bed, swinging her legs over the side of it.
"Hey, can't blame a girl for checking…" She shrugged and then let out a sigh and smiled at him again, crossing her arms over her chest. "But seriously…Sure, Arnoldo—I think I can take a small break from the wonderful world of homework…What's on that wide mind of yours, my beloved…besides me, of course?"
Smiling just a little bit more, Arnold glanced to the side and couldn't help but rub the back of his neck a little nervously about how Helga might respond to the topic he wanted to bring up, all things considered. 'Still…now's as good a time as any, I guess…And after her being willing to hold my hand and walk with me in public the other day, even if it was only for a few minutes, I think it's something it'd be good for me to know…' And so the ten-year-old boy took a breath, looked to her, and finally simply (well, with only a moderate degree of beating around the bush, at least) asked, "Well…actually it is about you, Helga…I…well, I was just thinking lately and I was wondering…Well...I mean, you mentioned, that time I found out that Lila knew how you felt, that the only reason you told her was to get the part of Juliet in the school play so that you could kiss me…"
"Yeah…" Helga interrupted, part of her brow raised in curiosity as she really wasn't sure where he was going with this, "That would be correct, Football Head…told your ex-girlfriend I was over the moon for you for the chance to lock lips…" She couldn't help but smirk just a little again…Of all the times she'd ever spilled the beans, that time had BY FAR been the most worth it (except of course for spilling to Arnold…but that naturally went without saying).
Arnold, meanwhile, just nodded and did his best not to laugh too much at Helga's clever rephrasing of the incident. He went on…still having his question to ask, after all. "Well, anyway…that time, when I thought for a second that you'd told the other girls the same thing to get them to give up the role, you mentioned something about how you only told Lila…but that there were other people who had found out that didn't have anything to do with the school play…" He gave her a hesitant glance. 'I know it seems silly but I'm just…curious I guess…' He opened his mouth, about to ask the question…
When Helga, who had been looking at him in even more puzzlement for a moment, suddenly knowingly smiled and then asked the question for him, "And…you want to know what exactly I meant by that…Who else knows, I mean… Am I in the ballpark, Football Head?""
Arnold just smiled. 'Of course…She's probably the most clever person on the whole planet…Of course she already knows what I wanted to ask…' "Is it really always THAT obvious what I'm thinking, Helga?" he asked her in amusement.
Helga just chuckled at his question, and leaned back on her hands a little, still sitting upon the edge of his bed. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, you keep doing the same thing to me…Always knowing when something's bothering me or when I want to kiss you or when I'm really happy about something…" She shook her head in amusement and happiness…her lovely Arnold already knowing her so well…and him being happy that she knew him so well too…Sometimes how well they matched made her just want to squeal inside, though she had been getting better and better about going all ga-ga on him lately. "But anyway," she went on, returning to the matter at hand, "Back to your question, Arnoldo…" And then the young girl sighed and looked up in pensive thought for a moment. "Let's see…who else knows…? Hmm…uh, this one might take me a minute actually…which is a little frightening if you think about it, Football Head…"
She had to chuckle to herself at the thought, which might have seemed strange but honestly now that Arnold knew and was more than okay with her love, her knowledge that there were others aware of her feelings wasn't as… 'fearful' to her. After all, the two big fears about her secret getting out had always been Arnold finding out and then herself getting teased. Well, Arnold already more than knew about her love and things were better than ever, and as for being teased…Had Helga mentioned yet that Arnold already knew about her love and things had been better than ever? Granted, there was still a bit of worry inside of her at the idea of being mercilessly tortured for the rest of her life by her peers, but with the option of running to Arnold's warm and waiting arms at the end of every single brutal day in school now available to her…the possibility of all of that mocking and berating and her reputation being torn to shred didn't seem 'unbearable' at least… Still, there was the problem to be worked out of how to handle things if Arnold got teased as well (which frightened Helga A LOT more than any abuse that could potentially come her own way…) But then suddenly, Helga shook her head, coming back to reality. 'Eh, this is all stuff that I can try and work out more later like usual…Right now we're here, we're happy, we're on a date and Arnold's got a question…and a good one at that.'
"But anyway…" she suddenly spoke up again, and then sighed and laid back completely on the bed, looking up at the blue, cloud dotted sky above her through Arnold's ceiling. "Let me see…who else knows…? Hmm..."
Arnold, meanwhile, had gone quite wide eyed at the announcement that she would actually have to think about it for a minute to come up with EVERYONE who knew she had feelings for him! Indeed, he couldn't help but lean a bit forward off the edge of his couch, feeling a great deal of anticipation about how she would continue. 'That many people know…? But how…I didn't even…' he gave a mental sigh, 'Okay, I know I'M not the best person to go by in terms of how obvious Helga's secret was, but still…THAT many people!' It kind of fascinated him to say the least. 'Maybe…' he almost couldn't help but wonder, 'Maybe Helga's closer than she thinks to being able to tell everyone abou—'
His thoughts were cut off at the sound of Helga suddenly speaking once more, obviously done with her mental inventory. "Well…" she started, casually enough, "You already know about Lila and Gerald and Brainy and Phoebe…my sister knows and my Mom, of course…Let's see, your entire family…Crimeny, I've been bad at secret-keeping over the last few weeks…" She chuckled at those memories, still lying on her back. "Um …Simmons because of all my poetry…Hmm…" She let out a sigh. "And now for names you don't know I guess…" She swallowed. "Well, I'm pretty sure Big Patty knows…"
"Really?" Arnold couldn't help but suddenly blurt out in surprise.
Helga sighed once more and then sat up upon his bed again and nodded with a sheepish grin. "Mmm hmm…" She shrugged, stretching up a bit. "I mean, I never explicitly told her, but… You remember that time she was going to beat me up for kind of mouthing off about her and you kind of talked to her and saved me? Thanks, by the way…" She placed her arms behind herself and smiled appreciatively at him. He had really saved her…A LOT that day.
Arnold just smiled warmly back to her. "You're welcome, Helga. And yes…I remember the fight…and keeping you safe…" He blushed even more.
Helga just chuckled a little more and blushed a tiny bit herself. "Well, um…well, anyway…when she pulled me into the gym to 'fake beat me up' and then told me what you said to her, she asked me if we had some kind of 'thing' for each other…and, I mean, of course I denied it like crazy but she smiled at me and I kind of smiled back so I don't think she bought it…But she didn't push things so that was pretty cool of her, you know?" She crossed her legs and looked to Arnold. "So, yeah…she knows."
Arnold nodded. "Okay…" He let the information process. Patty… Well, she was nice. And she obviously wasn't about to tell anyone or anything. But he liked just being aware that she knew nonetheless. "Anyone else?" he then asked Helga with continued curiosity…after all, that list in her head really had taken her a minute or two.
"Hmm…" Helga considered, glancing down…There was one name that kept coming to mind of course but…well, let's just say Arnold wasn't quite aware yet of why Helga tended to… 'avoid' dates on Tuesdays and Thursdays right after school…and she hadn't found the right time to mention it just yet. Suddenly though, upon glancing down Helga's eyes caught the glint of her locket chain reaching down into her shirt. She blinked and smiled. "Oh, yeah!" She looked back up at her beloved. "Well, I'm assuming the jeweler I had engrave my locket knows."
Another little laugh escaped Arnold, and he leaned back against his couch a little and responded with a smile, "Yeah…I'd assume that the person who carved 'Arnold my soul, You are always in my heart, Love Helga G. Pataki' might have an idea that you care about me, Helga…"
Helga instantly raised part of her brow, giving Arnold an impressed smile. "You memorized the inscription in my locket?" she observed in surprise.
She watched (and tried not to giggle) as Arnold instantly blushed at the observation and his voice squeaked a little as he explained. "Oh…well…um, I…" he swallowed and shrugged, "I-I mean…it's not like it's very long and, um, well…it's special to you and, I've seen it a few times so…you know…"
'Oh he is just too cute sometimes…' Helga finally just had to shake her head and chuckle "Yeah, yeah, Romeo…" she cut him off, rolling her eyes from across the room, "A very likely story…And I'm sure the fact that it's all about my love for you and flatters you by hanging right over my heart every day and night has nothing to do with it…" She smirked as he just blushed a little more and shrugged…but smiled, letting her know that she had him pegged. "Anyway…" she went on, actually kind of enjoying this random little conversation they were suddenly off into, "Getting back to who else knows my most intimate guarded secret…Or my most intimate 'not so very well guarded anymore' secret… Let's see…" Helga took a moment to consider again with a smile…and then suddenly a slight blush came to her face and she instantly put a hand to her temple and smiled even more at certain memories. "Oh for Pete's sake, there's my old dentist!"
Arnold, his blushing ebbing, had to blink and raise an eyebrow at that one. "Your old dentist?"
Helga nodded. "Yup…Football Head…" And then she gave him a bit of a look. "I feel like you should have asked me about this before…" She scoffed. "Actually, I feel like you should have asked me about this the second it happened considering the fact that it's the one and only time besides FTi that you actually caught me…you know, in mid-scheme…" She cleared her throat and tired not to blush too much as she began. "So, do you, uh…remember that day a couple months ago when you were having some random meeting of every guy in our class up here and I…might have rolled out into the middle of the floor from behind your couch dressed in a Campfire Lass sash and covered in dust…with something in my mouth?"
Helga glanced over to Arnold sheepishly…who seemed to be smiling strangely for a moment…But then it became apparent that he was trying to politely hold back laughter until she was done and that only made heat burn even more in her cheeks. "Oh, um…yeah, Helga…I remember…" he merely said, obviously having to try his hardest to maintain right now.
'Oh whatever—it's understandable…and at least he's being nice and trying to fight it, right?' Helga rolled her eyes at him and tried to go on casually, though a bit of her sheepish grin (and self-conscious feeling) still remained. "Meanwhile, sheesh, why didn't you say anything that day, Football Head? Crimeny, if you'd rolled out into the middle of my floor I would have put you through the Spanish inquisition!"
Arnold was still grinning and trying to keep it at just that (after all, it probably had been a pretty traumatic experience for Helga and he didn't want her to feel teased about it or anything…getting caught like that for once). In response to her question he just glanced to the side and shrugged. "I don't know, Helga…I guess I figured that if I said anything you'd… pound me or something." He looked back up at her…
Their eyes met for a moment.
And then finally the two of them just instantly burst into laughter together!
A few seconds passed and then the two kids managed to get themselves under control… It was just—the very idea! Helga actually pounding Arnold! It was something that would be a fail-proof source of a joke for them for their entire lives and they both knew it. All those threats only culminating after seven years in a countless number of kisses!
Eventually, Helga managed to sit up again on Arnold's bed, on which she had been rolling around as she'd let herself be consumed by chuckles. "Okay, okay…" she let out a breath, finally able to speak again, and looked to Arnold who had collapsed completely onto his side on his couch while laughing and who was now just barely managing to sit up again as well, just smiling like crazy, "I needed a good laugh like that, but getting back to the story, though, Football Head, and how my dentist fits into all of this…" She took in one more calming breath and then went on. "So, anyway, I ended up rolling out into the middle of your floor like that because earlier that day my dentist had given me laughing gas for a cavity and I guess I started spilling my guts about you in the middle of the office without thinking…" She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes… "And then, you know me, Football Head, I got all carried away and suddenly grabbed the phone in the reception room and called here and left a message where I confessed everything I could think of to confess at the moment…I mean, the FTi confession was a bit more thorough in my opinion but still the one I left on your answering machine would have done the trick, let me tell you…"
Suddenly, Helga let out a dramatic sigh and collapsed backward upon Arnold's bed. "But then, once the stupid gas wore off and I realized the incredibly stupid thing I'd done, I bolted out of there and I had to spend the whole day sneaking around here trying to get the darn answering machine tape back until I finally got a hold of the thing (and it was NOT easy Arnold) and ended up in the vents (I know, I know…surprise, surprise)… But then JUST when I thought I was home free, I accidentally swung forward on a rope and banged right smack into the back of your couch with just the right amount of force, I guess, because suddenly the thing flipped me right in here! Ugh, most stressful moment of my life!" she finished, letting out a deep breath and throwing her hands up in the air, still on her back! Still though, she was smiling despite the slightly embarrassing incident…She really did love just getting to reminisce about the past like this with Arnold, share a few little laughs about things that had one time had seemed so stressful. It was…therapeutic. Helga smiled at the idea.
The sound of Arnold suddenly letting out a small, obviously controlled sigh from across the room met her ears. "And, um…why were you in a Campfire Lass's sash again, Helga?" he merely asked in a quiet, level voice.
Helga had to chuckle just a bit herself as she admitted with a shrug, still gazing up at the sky overhead, "Jumped one for her outfit so I could knock on your door and fake selling chocolate turtles so that I could get inside...And if you're worried about the moral consequences of that, don't be—I got what was coming to me. The second I got out of here she and a couple of other Campfire lasses caught me and chased me down the street to get the outfit back. Hmph…stupid Campfire lasses…"
A very small chuckle from Arnold met her ears… (which was to be expected…Like she'd more than admitted, it was a funny memory albeit a little embarrassing...)
And then suddenly, some low, steady laughter from Arnold met her ears… (which was… understandable (if just the teeniest bit annoying to Helga…but she was willing to let it slide of course since it was coming from the love of her life)).
And then suddenly a bout of uncontrollable, full on, raucous, loud-as-could-be laughter from the ten-year-old boy in question hit Helga's ear, and she instantly sat up a little to see him rolling on his couch, holding his sides, his eyes shut tight in hilarity and obviously barely able to speak or even breathe at the moment! Helga instantly sat up fully and blinked in surprise—she'd never seen Arnold laugh this much in her entire life! She glanced to the side and couldn't help blushing in just a little bit of humiliation. "Oh…come on, Arnoldo, the whole thing wasn't that ridiculous of me…" She crossed her arms shyly over her chest.
"I-I'm sorry Helga…" he only barely managed to get out, just barely opening his eyes to look at her, "But…but…"And then suddenly he was instantly consumed completely in laughter again, his eyes closing tight once more as he continued to hold his sides.
Okay, now Helga let out a slightly more impatient sigh and was actually starting to scowl just a bit. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, really, Arnold. I get it—another mildly amusing Helga G. Pataki anecdote, but that's enough now….We've all had a good laugh and now it's time to move on…." After all, if this had been anyone else laughing at her, Helga would have punched their lights out long ago.
"I-I— " Still, though, Arnold remained in his giggle fit, just laying on his back on the couch, still holding his sides with his eyes shut tight. "And then you—" He was obviously still stuck on the details of her story. "And then…" The laughter consumed him once more. Oh, it had been so hard holding it all in to be polite as she had recounted the wacky adventure, but that last stuff about getting chased down the street by Campfire lasses had just made it all come tumbling out of him! And it felt so good!
"Arnold, you're starting to tick me off now…" Helga announced firmly at this point. She crossed her arms more tightly over her chest and began to tap one of her feet on the floor, a dark scowl slowly fully cementing itself upon her brow as she became less and less amused.
Arnold just continued laughing though: laughing and laughing and laughing to his heart's content. 'I…I want to stop but…' The image of her rolling out into the middle of the floor…followed by him imagining her getting chased down the street…And then the idea of her jumping a Campfire Lass in the first place…And who even did stuff like that anyway? Oh it was too much…ENTIRELY too much! And the whole thing about her dentist and the air vents on top of it just made it worse! He just had to laugh! It was the most brilliant thing he'd ever heard in his entire life!
"You're just having a regular old good time, aren't you, Arnold?" he heard her say from across his room, sounding quite obviously just plain annoyed at this point.
Arnold needed a few more seconds just to get the last of the laughs out of his system, but he really did have every intention of doing his best to sit up after that and take a few breaths, and then apologize to and talk to Helga about all of this…Maybe continue their conversation about who else knew her secret…
"Well," he then heard her say smugly all of a sudden, "Why don't you try having a good time in one of my favorite old places to sit and think about our relationship…?"
And then in an instant, before he even really had time to process this comment from her, Arnold was prevented from the apology he had been intending to give…eventually (and was forced to cease all laughter entirely, actually) by the sudden feeling of flying backwards and then slamming into some place that was hard and cold and dark and dusty…?
Arnold blinked several times, both at the strange feeling of suddenly being shoved (or rather 'flung' was probably a better word) new environment and at the sound of Helga's laughter now filling his ears…though strangely the sound seemed muffled as though it was…coming from behind a barrier or something…
…And then it hit him. And Arnold realized that Helga G. Pataki had just used his remote (which had been resting on his bed, it seemed) to flip him back behind his will upon his couch!
The shocked boy was instantly on his knees and he crawled toward the horizontal sliver of light that was the crack in the wall just above where the top of his couch would normally go, and his wide eyes instantly fell upon the sight of Helga rolling around on his bed in her own uncontrollable fit of laughter. "Helga!" he practically squeaked, he was so at a loss for what to do!
She just kept laughing though…laughing and laughing and letting a minute or two pass as she enjoyed herself…and he knew with a distressed gulp that she was doing that and ignoring him on purpose just to get even. Eventually though, she did sit up and glanced quite smugly in the direction of his couch. "Oh man, I have always wanted to do that!" She laughed more, actually wiping a tear from her eye. "Of course," she added, glancing up innocently, "I always imagined doing it with both of us on the couch just in case we ever really wanted some serious private time, but, uh, I've gotta say…this is far more entertaining, Football Head!"
"Okay, Helga…" Arnold started, taking a deep breath and speaking very sincerely, his face practically pressed against the small crack of space leading back into his room, "I admit it—I was laughing a little too much and I'm sorry. But come on—it's dusty back here! And dark and freezing and…who knows what's back here? Please let me out! Please!" he pleaded.
She just chuckled a little more to herself though and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, and I wouldn't know how dusty it is back there! Hmm…Maybe I'll let you spend a few hours or a night behind there just so you know what it's like! Might teach you a lesson about making fun of people who end up trapped back there against their own free will…"
Arnold rolled his eyes. "Helga…"
"Aw…" she feigned a pitying look, "What? Is Arnold getting a little miffed at being the butt of the joke?" She gave him a smug pout. 'Oh I do so love torturing my little love god…' She chuckled to herself some more in amusement.
Before Arnold could reply to this new little sarcastic quip of hers though, suddenly there was a knock on the bedroom door, and it opened, revealing a familiar face. "Hey, Short Man, just wanted to see if you and Helga wanted some cookies or something…" Phil announced as he stepped into the room with a smile. The old man had to stop and blink though as he realized his grandson was strangely nowhere in sight. His perplexed gaze turned to Helga. "Helga, where'd Short Man go?"
Helga just chuckled and looked up innocently, putting her arms behind her back. "Oh, he's around…"
"Grandpa!" Arnold instantly called from behind the wall!
Phil instantly looked around with wide eyes trying to find the source of his seemingly missing grandson's voice…until Arnold began to knock against the back of his wall, and then Phil's gaze popped over to the area where Arnold's couch usually was...and realization washed over him as Arnold spoke once again from his current location. "Grandpa, she trapped me back here! Can you please tell her to let me out?" The young boy sighed in both frustration and desperation.
A SEVERLY smiling Phil's sights now turned to Helga, and he raised an eyebrow and asked, just doing his best not to laugh. "Helga, is this true?"
Helga just shrugged, casually playing with the remote in one of her hands as she continued to sit all comfy and cozy on Arnold's bed. "Eh, we're learning a lesson about laughing at your girlfriend's expense. Don't worry…" she winked at the old man, "I'll let him out…eventually…OR give him a schematic of the ventilation system so that he can find his own way out…Whichever strikes my fancy…"
"Helga!" Arnold called in a dry/serious voice from behind the couch.
Phil absorbed the situation that he had just walked in on for a split-second longer…and then just burst into laughter...complete and utter laughter! "Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! Boy, she's sure got you over a barrel, Short Man! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" He glanced in the direction of where his grandson was trapped and then looked back to Helga once more. "Well, I'll just leave you two kids to finish up your little argument, then…" And with that he turned back in the direction of Arnold's door.
"Grandpa!" Behind the wall, Arnold's jaw dropped! "Come on! You…You aren't seriously going to just let her leave me like this?" the poor, trapped boy called out in disbelief.
Phil just turned his head as he reached his grandson's bedroom door, and smiled in the direction of where the wall couch would usually be once more. "Oh, you'll be fine, Short Man. Like she said, she'll let you out…eventually…. Heh, besides, you're getting off easy—your Grandma used to get back at me for things by locking me in empty rooms in this place or the basement. At least you're still technically in your own room! Heh, heh, heh…!" He glanced to Helga again. "Take good care of him, Helga." He winked.
Helga winked back. "Just like I always have, Phil!"
"Atta girl…Have fun, you two!" And with that and a wave he opened the door, stepped out, and left the kids to their devices, closing the entrance to Arnold's room behind him.
Arnold, still in his small, dark prison, just let out an annoyed sigh. 'Great…'
Helga meanwhile had to burst into laughter once more this afternoon at the exchange that had just happened! 'Abandoned to the mercy of his girlfriend by his own grandpa…Nice… This afternoon just keeps getting better and better! Ah, I love revenge!'
Meanwhile, sighing once more and resigning himself to the fact that his grandfather just found this whole thing Arnold turned his attentions back to addressing and pleading with Helga again. "Helga, please let me out…" he started sincerely, "We still have homework to do and it's starting to kind of creep me out being back here and…Come on…I'll…" he gulped, "I-I'll…do anything you want!" 'I'm going to regret this, aren't I? But still...she's got the only remote and I…' He glanced over his shoulder at the darkness behind him. 'I couldn't even imagine figuring out a way out of here using the vents…and who knows what might be back there…' He recalled those rats from the school ventilation system and gulped, turning back in the direction of the light (he didn't have Helga's same fear of those things but still…rats…He cringed a little at the idea).
Luckily though, this sudden new offer from him…finally got Helga's attention. "Anything?" he heard come from her in an intrigued voice from across his room. "Really…Arnold?"
Arnold considered for a second…deeply considered…but then finally just let out a sigh, his head hanging a little low. "…Yes, Helga…" he replied… And then his head lifted up again and that pleading tone from before came back to his voice. "And like I said it's really cold back here so…can you just please let it be quick…whatever it is you want…?" 'And please don't let it be anything too humiliating…or too, um… 'romantic' …' he added silently to himself.
"Hmm…" looking out via his thin line of sight into his room, Arnold watched Helga Pataki consider his words some more, rubbing her chin…and with a very mischievous smile on her face…
….And then her eyes lit up. "Okay Arnold…" she said slyly from the edge of his bed, looking right at the space in the wall, her legs crossed. "I'll let you out, my love…But first…" her smile grew and Arnold gulped and waited for the bomb to drop… "First…you have to tell me what you'd have someone carve in YOUR locket if you had one… you know, about ME!"
Arnold blinked…and then felt a very warm blush creep up into his face in the darkness. "Helga!" Yeah, she was going for a romantic request…of course…Even though, honestly it wasn't the worst thing she could have come up with and he knew it…At least this only involved words and not a lot of awkward things with lips or something like that.
Helga just sighed and rolled her eyes at his little exclamation. "Nope! I think it would have to be a bit more elaborate than just my name, Football Head." She laughed and grinned al the more mischievously towards the wall behind which the couch and her beloved remained. "So spill!" she went on eagerly. "In one to two sentences or less, what would you, Arnold, write down about me, Helga G. Pataki, to always keep hanging right near your warm little beating heart?"
A moment of silence passed.
"You're actually not going to let me out of here until I tell you, are you, Helga?" came Arnold's patient if not slightly peeved voice from behind the wall at being had so very much over a barrel by her.
"You got it, head boy!" Helga winked from his bed, and then finally stood up and approached the wall, tossing the remote up and down in her hand teasingly. "Now, come on—have a mushy, sentimental moment and tell me what you'd have someone engrave. I think this could be interesting, anyway…" She disappeared from sight and Arnold assumed from how close the sound of her then sighing in satisfaction seemed that she was seated upon his carpet just below eye level of the crack in the wall.
Arnold just sighed to himself (though his was in defeat) and then finally just sat down upon the upper part of his couch cushion which was currently below him with his back against the lower part of its cushions which were usually used for sitting…and he considered.
Then the young boy took a deep breath in and spoke.
"I guess…" he started quietly and shyly, "I guess I would have someone write…if I had a locket like yours…" he let out a breath, still thinking, " 'Helga….' Um…it would say… 'Helga…'"
"Arnold…" Helga interrupted, in a still slightly amused voice, "We already went over the fact that there's a length requirement for this that goes beyond just my name."
"I know, I know!" Arnold replied, rolling his eyes and blushing a little more in the darkness. "But I'm not as good at poetic stuff as you are and it just…takes me a while, okay? You know that…." he finished with a touch of annoyance.
Helga, meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, just sighed in a touch of understanding, and then laid down fully and turned on her stomach on Arnold's carpet. "Okay, okay, sorry…I forgot about you and your 'deficiencies', my love…" She chuckled to herself, but only a little, and then glanced up at the crack. "But come on, Football Head…" she went on much more sincerely now, "It doesn't have to be some epic ode or anything—just say what you feel…you know?" And in truth…this whole thing right now really wasn't just to tease and torture Arnold (though that was certainly a perk, of course)…She…really did want to know…what he would have engraved about her. After all, he got volumes and volumes of poetry from her, but…Helga only had that one from him. One of her most prized possessions… But still, her heart craved more of his sweet, composed words of affection for her…
Helga heard Arnold sigh once more from behind the wall…though this time it sounded much less annoyed and much more like it was just the result of him genuinely trying to think about how to answer her request. She waited patiently, looking with hope to the crack in the wall. "Okay…" several seconds more of silence passed… " 'Helga…my…'" she heard in start… " 'Helga, my…' um…"
"Um…Arnold? Not to interrupt again, but if…if I might make some suggestions based upon my own personal fantasies over the last seven years…" She spoke sincerely as she genuinely did want to help him along if she could…though of course there was a touch of proud sass with her delivery as she announced after clearing her throat, "'Helga, my sweet', 'Helga, my darling,' 'Helga, my dearest', 'Helga, my life', 'Helga, my one and only…'"
"How about 'Helga, my personal tormentor'?" her beloved's voice suddenly suggested from behind the wall with an obvious amount of sarcasm and laughter underlying it.
Helga sighed and rolled her eyes, moving to sit up fully again, her back against Arnold's wall once more. "Oh ha ha, very hilarious, Football Head!" She crossed her arms over her chest and looked up to the crack in the wall again. "Now come on—seriously, I—"
"No, no…" she suddenly heard Arnold begin with a bit more confidence in his voice, cutting her off…"You're right, Helga…This really could be fun… if we're basing it on the last seven years and not just the last few weeks... Let's see…" Helga raised part of her brow, especially at that smug little tone underlying his voice now… " 'Helga, my personal tormentor, You are always mocking the shape of my head even though you secretly think it's adorable. Love, Arnold.' Is that good, Helga?"
Helga gave an exasperated sigh. "You know," she started in a flat voice, "The one thing that stinks about this whole 'us in love' thing is that you have gotten WAY too comfortable with pushing my buttons, Football Head…" She quirked her mouth to the side and glanced at the wall crack in annoyance and a little frustration. 'Sue me! I want my inscription and I am not going down without a fight even if he's gotta set up a base camp back there and start counting off the days in tally marks on the back of the wall!' "But seriously now—"
Arnold chuckled, cutting her off again. "No, no—I have a few more!" He cleared his throat. "Let's see, 'Helga, my bully, You fill my life with an unexpected mixture of kisses and insults…the kisses being a lot more unexpected than the insults...and a lot more fun! Love, Football Head.'"
"You are aware of the fact that I still control whether or not you ever see the light of day again, right, Football Head? I mean, I could just toss your remote in your wastebasket and leave by the fire escape and you'd be stuck back there until who knows when…" Helga announced with a scowl, looking forward, slumping in annoyance.
She just heard Arnold laugh to himself a little more. "Oh wait, I've got another one! Okay, okay… 'Helga, my not so secret admirer, Who knew that for all these years you wanted to give me poems instead of punches? Love, your Arnold.' "
"And now I go and get a soda and give you a few minutes to cool down…" And instantly and with her smug smile having returned, Helga was standing and walking proudly across Arnold's room to his door!
"Helga!" Arnold suddenly called out, all humor leaving and all desperation returning to his voice.
"No, no, no…" she shook her head, grinning back in his direction as she put her hand on the doorknob, "I'm still the one in control of this situation, geekbait, so you can just wait and think about what you've do—"
"Actually…" Arnold's voice suddenly interrupted her once more…and some of the playfulness and smugness was back…and it made her a little wary…though what he had to sound smug or playful about right now she couldn't figure out for the life of her. He was still trapped behind the couch and she had the only remote in her hand (she took it and tossed it over to his bed for good measure). And then, to confuse her even more, her beloved suddenly continued on quite brightly, "I was…just going to ask you to try and remember to bring me back a soda too…" He let out a sigh that sounded almost…happy? "You know, it took a little while to get used to, but it's actually kind of nice back here. Quiet, cool, dark…I think I could do this all day, if you're up for it…" He chuckled.
Helga just looked at the wall in utter perplexity for a second but then let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, and turned back around to the door. "Boys!" she called out in annoyance as she began to head down the steps to the hallway and to close the door behind her.
The word caused Arnold to burst into laughter from within his wall. "I'll see you and raise that with 'girls!', Helga!" managed to meet her ears before the door closed with a light slam.
Helga just let out another sigh, shaking her head, and headed down the rest of Arnold's attic stairs with a "Hmph!" 'Most confusing individual on the planet…And he thinks I'm overcomplicated sometimes…' Oh well…She decided to get that soda and to take her sweet time while doing it…That would be sure to remind him who was boss! Some of the smug little smile returned to her face.
"Okay, Football Head…I'm back!" Helga Pataki announced, using her hip to push open the door to her beloved's room as her hands were each occupied with holding one of two bottles of cold Yahoo soda (hey, she wasn't heartless—Arnold at least deserved a drink for what she was putting him through). "…I took ten or fifteen minutes downstairs to leisurely drink one of these on my own first, of course…Just wanted to make sure you had ample time to think about your new funny man routine and all the wonderful things about me for your locket inscript—" She turned finally in the direction of Arnold's wall couch…and froze instantly.
"Hey, Helga! Thanks for remembering to bring me back a soda!" A smiling Arnold winked at her.
Helga's jaw dropped and the two glass bottles in her hands actually fell to Arnold's carpet with a soft plops. She blinked several times. "F-F-Football Head…?" Confusion…so much confusion.
And indeed, Helga's shock right now was well deserved…because Arnold was now sitting peacefully upon his currently flipped out couch…a few smudges of grease on his face and hands but otherwise looking perfectly content. He glanced to his left and then to his right at Helga's exclamation and continued look of utter bewilderment, as though trying to figure out what was surprising her so much. "Something wrong, Helga?" he then asked with just a touch of smugness, turning his eyes back to her once more.
"But—how—when did—wha—" Helga blinked several more times, glancing from her beloved on the couch to his room remote still on his bed, and then shook her head to clear it. Suddenly she crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him seriously. "Arnold, you are going to tell how you did that right now!"
'Uh oh…' Arnold almost blinked at the touch of anger that seemed to be in her voice for a second…
…Until she finished, an impressed smile coming to her face, "…Because if I knew how to do that…it would have made a few things over the last few years MUCH MUCH easier!"
Arnold's smile returned as her words absorbed, and he was about start explaining as Helga then picked up the soda bottles from the floor and seemed about to walk over to him…until she suddenly made a beeline for his bed…and his remote! "Or you could just SHOW me!" she suddenly announced and then with these words she dove onto his bed, grabbed the remote in question and pressed the button to flip the couch back into the wall. "HA!"
A triumphant smile remained upon Helga's face for a single second…
Until it instantly fell at the sight of Arnold just continuing to sit there on his flipped-out red couch in perfect contentment…now chuckling slightly at her actions. "Oh no, no, no, Helga…" he even shook his head, really savoring that look of confusion and defeat upon her face…because really it was so rare that he ever pulled off anything in his life that could get that look from her. "You'll just have to settle for me telling you…" And then he suddenly picked up a small wire or two that Helga hadn't noticed lying next to him on the couch. "At least until I re-hook up the couch's wiring…"
Silence.
"You…" Helga's jaw dropped and she looked at him in even more shock, if that was possible…speaking in utter perplexity. "You…hotwired…your couch…?"
Arnold just laughed a little more, and glanced down with a proud grin upon his face, "Well…I'm the one who wired it to the remote in the first place last year, so…it wasn't that hard to figure out how to do it from back there…" His eyes met hers again. "Actually, that's kind of why I wasn't too upset about you leaving for a little while to get us some drinks…Gave me just enough time to get everything done!" He smiled at her.
Helga blinked several times as she absorbed all of this information…and then that impressed smile from before returned to her face, and she stood up from Arnold's bed and walked over to him, leaving the sodas behind for the moment in her sudden intrigue. "You're the one who wired the couch in the first place? Where the heck did you learn how to do something like that, Football Head?" She sat down next to him with part of her brow raised, genuinely. "I mean, I wouldn't even know how the heck to do something like that…"
Arnold chuckled at the comment. "Really, Helga? You can weld shrines but you can't do wiring?"
She rolled her eyes, her grin growing. "Oh well, you'll have to excuse me—I hadn't gotten around to making a shrine that required a combustion engine or moving parts, Football Face." She crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back.
Arnold laughed some more and moved a little closer to her on the couch. "Well, when you do make a shrine like that one of these days, and if you're really interested…I can show you some time. It's just something that always interested me…" he glanced up and around for a second, "I mean, I also set up the lights in here and the whole sound system too…"
Helga gave something between a chuckle and a giggle, and scooched just a bit closer to him herself. "Well, well, well…" she reached up and wiped off the most noticeable little smudge of grease from his cheek with her thumb, "…you're just a regular little handyman, aren't you, Arnoldo…"
Arnold blushed a bit and turned his gaze forward...smiling a little proudly once more. "Oh…thanks, Helga…"
She chuckled/giggled again…and moved 'quite a bit' closer to him this time…and she had also just touched his face…and after being in the chilly recess behind the couch for so many minutes Arnold almost felt a shiver pass through him at suddenly being able to feel so strongly the warmth coming off of her body…the little place on his cheek that she had touched burning most of all.
"And hey…" he heard her go on, and coming a little out of certain thoughts Arnold glanced at Helga out of the corner of his eye to see her shrug and glance down a bit sheepishly, "I'm sorry I locked you behind the couch like that, Arnold…And you know I wouldn't ever have really left you like that, right?" Her eyes came up to meet his, brimming with sincerity.
He smiled a little more…and then reached over and placed a hand atop one of Helga's. "I know, Helga…" he assured her. "And actually it was kind of fun…and, you know, being back there…really did give me some time to think…especially about that inscription thing…and, well…" He glanced to the side and swallowed.
"Aw, hey," she instantly began, looking away a little and waving him off with her free hand, "Don't worry about it, Football Head… It was kind of a silly thing for me to ask, anyway…and I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that…" She leaned back a bit on the couch, letting out a sigh and just looking up at the sky overhead through his ceiling, slowly shifting from blue to the yellows and pinks and oranges of evening…just kind of enjoying the feeling of her heart beating a little more quickly than usual thanks to her beloved's touch and proximity.
"No, it…it wasn't." These words from her beloved caused Helga to blink and curiosity to instantly outweigh any romantic thoughts. And then her eyes snapped to Arnold's at the feeling of him suddenly giving her hand a light, unexpected little squeeze. She just watched him with part of her brow raised as he went on quietly, looking down and forward a little. "It was actually kind of an interesting thing to bring up…And… well…" he turned his head and gave her a bit of a mischievous look…yes there was definitely a glimmer of something in his perfect, green eyes, she couldn't help but notice, "…Since it really took me so little time to sneak out of there…" (Arnold couldn't help rubbing in his miraculous escape just a little bit), "…and since you really did take so much time getting us drinks…" but then he finished…sincerely, "I actually had time to come up with one more…inscription, I mean, Helga…"
Helga felt her breath catch in her throat at all of this. 'He…didn't…really…' He was smiling a little and Helga took in this fact… And then, blushing because she couldn't help it, she just let out a sigh and said back to her beloved with a half smile, "Arnold…instead of more jokes and gag engravings…can't we just cut out the middle man and kiss already?"
Now it was Arnold's turn to blink and feel his breath catch for a second…but then he just smiled too and laughed warmly, looking into her eyes and giving her hand another gentle squeeze. "That's kind of becoming a standard thing with us, isn't it, Helga…?"
Another laugh escaped her. "Are you complaining?" She raised part of her brow suggestively.
Arnold's eyes went a little wide again for a second and then he shook his head emphatically. "Huh uh…" No. Kissing Helga…was definitely not something in his life that he had ANY kind of complaint about.
That response got a giggle out of her already coyly smirking lips…set just under her lightly blushing cheeks… Arnold felt his heart pound…( 'It figures she picks one of the times I really do need to talk to her to get like this…') "Okay…" Helga's voice cooed, and she scooched just a little bit closer so that now their hips were almost touching, "So…then…" She closed her eyes and began to lean closer…
…And felt her lips press against…the back of Arnold's hand. Helga pulled back and opened her eyes, and blinked in surprise, unsure of what to make of this. Ever since their one-week anniversary when she'd gotten him over his fear of kissing, he'd never turned down one from her ever.
She watched as Arnold, blushing quite a bit and still smiling, let out a sigh and looked into her eyes. "Helga…" he began, "I'm sorry, but…I really do have one more inscription I want to share with you…okay?" He looked to her hopefully.
For a second Helga couldn't help the touch of hurt inside of her at being rejected, no matter what the reason…But then she just sighed and leaned back against the couch again and at least managed a small smile. 'He's just getting me back for trapping him in the wall…No big deal...' "Oh fine…" she began in amused defeat, "Share your joke, Football Head. I guess you deserve to since I locked you in a wall for almost half an hour…"
"Okay…" Arnold replied happily…and then he swallowed and glanced forward and down very shyly, and released her hand, bringing both of his own onto his lap to play with his fingers a bit distractedly…. "Okay…" he said one more time, a touch of nervousness apparent in his voice…and this fact and all the other stuff certainly wasn't lost on Helga. Arnold took a deep breath… "And, you know...this one might not be a joke…" He paused…and then… " 'Dear my Helga, I'm happy you decided to let me into your heart…and that I finally realized I want you in mine too. Love, Arnold P. Shortman."
Helga's jaw dropped. Her eyes went wide. A few squeaks came out of her mouth. Actually to be blunt she was pretty certain her entire nervous system had just shut down and that the very fabric of her reality had been blown wide apart. You get the picture—she was, uh…quite surprised, to say the least…and about MULTIPLE things…
And taking in this sudden condition she appeared to be in was both amusing…and also slightly worrying to…Arnold. "Helga?" he ventured. "Oh come on it wasn't that bad—"
"Your…your last name is…Shortman?"
Arnold blinked at the question…a very random question to be asked in the middle of all of this. "Uh…yeah…of course…" he replied, not really sure what else to say. "Uh…you know…my Grandpa always calls me 'Short Man' as kind of a joke about it…" He shrugged. "Anyway, you signed your inscription with your full name so…I just thought I should do the same th—"
"YOU HAVE A LAST NAME?" Her voice was so high pitched and her sudden exclamation was said with such volume that Arnold HAD to put his hands over his ears! It was like the sound was reverberating through him right to the core or something!
"Um…Helga…" he managed after a couple of seconds, shaking his head to clear it and blinking a few times as his ears finally ceased ringing, "Everyone has a last name…" And now, his ears a lot better, he had to half smile at her… She was surprised he had a last name? Yes, certainly Helga had astounded him with quite a few things she could come up with, but…seriously? She was SURPRISED that he had a LAST NAME?
"Yeah…but…" Helga's voice broke him from his amusing thoughts, and he watched as she blinked a few times…and then suddenly grabbed him by the collar, looking right into his eyes! "I've been trying to figure out your last name for SEVEN years! Seven years! It's been like one of my ultimate goals in life along with kissing you and getting you to hold my hand and to date me for the rest of your childhoods and then to marry me as soon as possible!" She was even breathing heavily now! ('Arnold…has a…and it's…W-Whoa…Heh…And now I know how he felt on the roof of the FTi building when I confessed, because if there is ONE thing I certainly wouldn't mind right now, it would be a chance to lie down and just absorb this!')
Arnold's eyes went wide for a second at this sudden exclamation. "Okay, okay, wait a minute…" he held his hands up in a 'slow down, please' motion, "You've been in love with me since we were three years old…and you didn't know my last name?"
"NO!" Helga suddenly released Arnold's collar (while Arnold cringed once more at such a loud word being said by her) and threw her hands up in the air, her eyes still wide! And then she instantly put a hand to her head and proceeded to think out loud. "Okay, wow, there is so much work to do…I've got to add an S to all those hearts with our initials in them that I'm always writing in notebooks, I've got to decide whether putting Helga G. Pataki or Arnold Shortman first on any potential weeding invitations would look better... Oh and I've got to try out your last name out loud with my first name in a bunch of different ways to see what I want to be called for the rest of my life… Helga Shortman; Mrs. Arnold Shortman; Helga G. Shortman…" Suddenly she looked over to (a by this point very blushing but also very amused) Arnold and half smiled. "You know, I've gotta tell you, I'm still a bit more partial to what I was using as a placeholder before finding out this new information…"
Arnold raised an eyebrow. "Which was what, exactly?"
She just shrugged and then put her hands behind her head, reclining back on the couch. "Arnold Pataki."
Arnold just looked at her for a second longer…and then burst into warm chuckles.
"Hey, it could happen!" she announced proudly! "Who says I have to be the one to change my name, anyway?" Helga asked, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him a smirk.
"S-sorry, Helga…" The poor boy managed to get his laughter under control, "It's just…I don't know, something about the name Arnold Pataki…" Some of the warm, good-natured chuckles resumed.
Helga rolled her eyes, but still kept smiling, and announced with conviction, "Yeah, well, get used to it, Football Head, because if you stick with me there's every chance in the world that name'll end up being yours one day!"
Arnold's laughter faded into a smile, and he couldn't help scooching just a little closer to her again (they were now almost shoulder to shoulder) and saying with a light blush, just barely looking at her, his eyes half lidded, "Aw but…I think Helga Shortman sounds kind of cute, Helga…" He watched her blush and swallow…and he liked watching her do that, of course. "Helga G. Shortman…" he said again slowly…the thought never having occurred to him until now. The deepening blush in her cheeks confirmed for him that she liked the sound of it…and, well…the fluttering of his heart and the warm, bubbling, almost effervescing feeling going through his chest told him that he was kind of partial to it himself. And then Arnold blinked, a thought occurring to him. He looked at Helga with innocent interest. "Hey, what does the G stand for anyway, Helga?"
Helga's blushing face blinked and scoffed. "E-Excuse me?"
"The G….Your middle name…" he went on in explanation, "What is it?" He raised an eyebrow, now quite curious actually. Come to think of it—he didn't know his own girlfriend's middle name! And as long as she was finding out his last one today…what better time than now for him to learn her middle one!
"Uh…." Helga instantly blushed a bright scarlet and glanced away from him a little shyly, much to Arnold's surprise. "Uh…" she started again, and then feigned a smile and shrugged, looking at his eyes again. "Hey so…" she began cheerily, putting her arms behind her back, "You came up with an inscription for me—a real one! Good job Football Head—it was really sweet! Heh, heh…"
Arnold gave her a bit of a look, his smile growing a LOT more intrigued... "Helga…" he leaned in a bit closer to her, "What's your middle name…?"
She rolled her eyes and scoffed again, still feigning a smile. "Oh, come on—who cares about that! I mean, you know my last one and I know your last one now, and besides I…I don't even think I can remember what it is anymore myself! Heh, heh…" She ended with a nervous laugh again, and it wasn't lost on Arnold. Her eyes then lit up like she had an idea. "Hey, how about that electric wiring lesson now as long as we have some time?" she suddenly asked eagerly.
Arnold just smiled a bit more, looking even more interested if that was possible, and ignored the excuse of a request entirely. "It's something really good, isn't it, Helga…?" he asked playfully.
"Heh, heh, Arnold," she waved him off, and then brought a hand up to rub the back of her neck, "I really don't know what you're talking about…Uh…" her eyes shifted around as she obviously tried to think of another change of topic, and then she turned to him with a desperate smile again. "Uh, hey, how about we kiss or something? You always like that, don't you, Arnold?"
He almost laughed. "Nice try Helga…" he shook his head, "You're not getting out of this that easily…"
"G-Get out of this?" she asked the question in 'total shock.' "Arnold, I am totally shocked! WHY would I want to get out of…um…" She let out a breath and tugged at her collar, then blinked and gave him a forced grin once again. "Hey, speaking of, um…whatever…how's about a few more zany stories from the past then? Uh, let's see…oh, I've got a GREAT one I could tell you about you, me, and a couple of cheese festivals! What do you say?" She smiled cheerily.
Arnold pulled back and glanced down, smiling to himself and putting a hand to his chin. "Hmm…well that is a tempting offer, Helga…" his eyes went up to meet hers again, "But…I'm more curious about this right now…" 'Hmm…I bet it's something really cute…really nice…' He almost had to shake his head. 'And here she is, being all shy about it…' The whole thing really almost made him want to take her up on that kissing offer she'd given before…though he held back for now. He noticed Helga was just sitting there now at his announcement of not biting at her 'crazy schemes from the past' distraction, and so he just let out a sigh…and then his eyes narrowed playfully as all of a sudden as an interesting idea for how to move things along in regards to this topic came to him. "You know…" he began slowly, looking right into her eyes, "If you're not going to tell me what it is…then I'm just going to have to guess, Helga…" His grin picked up a little on one side. "And since you've gotten so horrible at lying to me…all I have to do is get it right and I'll know!" he ended brightly.
A touch of fear instantly came into Helga's eyes. "Arnold," she started firmly, "I'm serious…let it go! It's a stupid middle name anyway…Just let it go…" She blushed a little bit and did her best to scowl at him. 'Oh brother, I knew this was going to come up sooner or later…Why couldn't I have gotten a COOL middle name! One that strikes fear into the hearts of everyone who hears it! But, NO, I get stuck with a lemon that sounds like it's from the twenties or something…And then even though he means well he's going to laugh about it just like he laughed about the Campfire Lass thing and all that other stuff…And then once that's all over he's going to insist on calling me it (because I KNOW him), pretty soon it'll get around to Gerald,' she shuddered, 'and then eventually one of them'll slip in public with calling me it, and then bing bang boom, it'll be all over school where EVERYBODY can laugh at Helga's geeky middle name…' Yes, Helga knew it all probably seemed silly and superficial and that it really wasn't a SUPER big deal when you got right down to it (she'd prefer people knew about her middle name over something like her love for Arnold ANYDAY) but…darn it, she did not like her middle name and she did not want it to suddenly become a part of her life! It was just that simple: the G could stay…but not what it stood for! Her 'Pataki pride' had spoken!
"Let's see…" the football headed boy began, ignoring Helga's pleas entirely of course, "G…G…" He chuckled to himself. "Gertie?" he suddenly had to ask, an eyebrow raised, and trying not to marvel at the very idea.
Helga rolled her eyes DRAMATICALLY at that guess. "No, of course not! Come on, Arnold!" She held her arms out straight before her, palms out. "Things between us can't be THAT ironic!"
Arnold laughed. "Okay, uh…Gretchen?" he said, moving right along into the next guess.
Helga scoffed at that (and Arnold loved how she couldn't help reacting to his guesses at least in some way… 'I'll figure it out…And I love that she loves me so much that she keeps letting her conscience give her away every time she tries to avoid telling me the truth…') "Arnold, just let this go…" her plea broke through his thoughts, "It's not important!" But then she gave him a look and couldn't help (as expected) giving him an answer about his guess. "And no it's not 'Gretchen'…Please!" She rolled her eyes once more.
"Not Gretchen, huh? Let's see…" He put a hand to his chin. "Helga G. Pataki…Helga 'blank' Pataki… Gabriella?"
"Arnold, this is ridiculous!" Helga crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to scowl even more…though really it was like he was teasing her a little…which was just a hop, skip and a jump away from flirting…which usually led to kisses, and she liked kisses quite a bit…So maybe Helga wasn't ENTIRELY opposed to this line of 'guessing' from Arnold at the moment…
"Georgette?"
"No…"
"Gilda?"
"Arnold…"
"Gorgeous…?"
"Stop flirting, Arnold…It won't soften me up."
"Gail!"
"You know, I COULD put you back behind the couch MANUALLY…"
"Gena?"
"This will never end, will it?"
"Uh…Gloria?"
To Arnold's surprise, Helga responded to this particular name by blinking and then giving him a deathly glare. "No," she stated firmly.
Arnold blinked and then raised an eyebrow at this interesting reaction. "Uh…I'll take your word for it, Helga…" he replied in a normal voice, "But…is there something about that name I should know? Because…" he couldn't help but smile as he finished, "Your eyes only look that angry when you're jealous, and…I don't remember having a crush on anyone named Gloria…" He chuckled and went on with interest, "Unless you knew someone named Gloria who had a crush on me…"
Helga just let out a sigh, waving him off and shaking her head…though she was actually kind of smiling a little to herself at the same time. "Oh, don't worry about it, Football Head… Just a stupid dream I had once…" A chuckle actually escaped her. "And, you know, randomly enough there's actually a stupid girl from P.S. 119 who's really named…" She closed her eyes and shook her head—this was all getting very random and off topic. "Anyway…" she looked at him again, a bit of the anger gone from her glare now whether he realized it or not, "No, it's not Gloria, Arnold…and I really wish you'd quit trying to guess, Football Head." Still, there wasn't a whole lot of conviction in her tone… And deep down she couldn't deny that she was enjoying this game a little…And also, besides—like Arnold was actually going to guess the right 'G' name in a million years!
"Helga, come on…" Arnold smiled sincerely at her, "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad! Besides…" he gave her a bit of a look, "You're set on spending your whole life with me…but you won't even let me know your middle name?"
"You've got it, Football Head!" Helga instantly replied without missing beat, arms crossed over her chest defiantly. "I'll take it with me to the grave!" She winked.
Arnold let out a sigh…and then just shrugged and scooched just a little bit away from her. "Okay…" The young boy saw a bit of relief come to Helga's face…though it was quickly dashed as he added carefully… "Guess I'll just…have to ask your mom or Olga then…" Arnold almost couldn't stop himself from laughing at the sight of the blush instantly returning to Helga's face at this announcement.
"Arnold!" She looked at him with wide eyes, her jaw dropping. "You…you wouldn't…"
Arnold just sighed and crossed his own arms over his own chest, and spoke with conviction as well. "I don't know, Helga…Usually I wouldn't go over your head like that but I really am curious at this point, so…" he looked her right in the eyes, "Yes. I would, Helga."
Helga G. Pataki just continued to stare at her beloved in shock…wide eyed and blushing for a second or two more…
…But then she closed her eyes and let out a sigh, and dragged a hand down her face…and collapsed back against his couch…in defeat. "Oh for the love of…" she let out another sigh and rolled her eyes. "Okay, look…" her gaze went back over to him, "I'll tell you, alright, Football Head? But you have to PROMISE me that you will not tell anyone else ever! And just this once that includes your best friend! In fact, ESPECIALLY don't tell your best friend! Got it?" She looked at him very seriously. 'Last thing I need is to go and give Geraldo any more ammo against me…Our 'friendship's' catty enough as it is…and he already knows about the freaking shrine…He'll eat me alive if he finds out about this too!'
Arnold, meanwhile, had to blink a couple of times at her serious tone…but then he just smiled again and replied calmly and sincerely, "Okay, Helga, if it means that much to you I'll never tell anyone else ever…even Gerald." He leaned in a bit closer and his eyes narrowed a little, and finally he had to ask in a low, eager voice, "So…what is it?"
Helga let out a sigh and closed her eyes… 'Stubborn little thing…I swear sometimes if he wasn't so gorgeous and so great…' Still, she almost smiled…it really was kind of cute that he cared so much even though she personally couldn't stand her middle name. "It's…G…r…ne."
"Huh?" Arnold had to exclaim in response to this strange mumble. "I'm sorry, Helga…" he replied sincerely, "I couldn't hear you. Could you say it again?"
Helga sighed with a bit more impatience this time and shifted uncomfortably on the couch, opening her eyes and NOT looking at him. "It's Ger…ld..ne…"
"I'm sorry, Helga…" Arnold raised an eyebrow. "You're still mumbli—"
"IT IS GERALDINE! OKAY? HELGA GERALDINE PATAKI!" Helga GERALDINE Pataki suddenly announced very loudly, now fully looking to Arnold and with quite a bit of a desperate scowl! "And if you ever tell anyone, ESPECIALLY Gerald, I will personally fill him in on every morbidly awkward detail about that whole 'I need to lie down' fiasco from yesterday, got it?" She was right in his face, breathing heavily.
Arnold just blinked a few times at her intense reaction…but then her words slowly started to sink in…and then a small smile came to Arnold Shortman's face. "So…" he began slowly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes…. "Helga…Geraldine…Pataki… Geraldine, huh?" He looked back up into her eyes. "I…I like it, Helga… It's nice."
He had his mouth open to speak again but Helga instantly cut him off, not liking the smile on his face at all…. "And also, Arnoldo, if you ever call me that 'completely non-intimidating, totally out of character for me, can't believe it's the female form of your geeky best friend's name, there are probably a billion G names in the world and my parents pick THAT one of all things' name—under ANY circumstances—you'll be having make out sessions with just YOURSELF from now until summer break, got it? I do NOT want the use of it to become some regular part of my life now or something…" She was right in his face again. "And as for the kissing, don't think I'm bluffing, Arnold! I've had seven years of practice resisting kissing you, but you seem to need it at least once every time we're together. Capiche, Football Head?" She looked at him with deep determination set in her reputation-concerned face.
And yet…Arnold just had to chuckle at this threat…and the fact that she would even now lose her temper with him sometimes when she wanted her way…when really all she ever had to do was smile and ask and he'd do just about anything for her… "Okay, okay…" he merely replied, taking one of her hands in both of his and looking at her sincerely. "I'll never call you 'Geraldine' under any circumstances…I promise." He couldn't help but laugh a little though and add sweetly and sincerely, "Even if it is a…really pretty middle name…"
Helga felt a touch of a blush come to her face at the compliment, and all defensiveness and anger instantly slipped away. "Really? It…It is?" she merely asked quietly and unsurely. He…He really wasn't going to laugh at her about it like with some of the other stuff today?
"Really, Helga…It is." Arnold picked up her hand and gave it a gentle, lingering kiss…Her soft, pretty, Geraldine hand… his still engaged lips almost smiled at the idea.
Arnold pulled his lips away from Helga's hand (eventually) only to see her now sitting before him with a very dreamy smile on her face…and then she even let out a giggle, and that made him smile all the more. "Oh, uh…well, thanks, Arnold…" she replied sweetly to his compliment, and then swooned a little… And then after a second or two Helga shook her head to clear it and looked to her beloved with a smile. "Oh and, hey, um…listen…about the whole last names thing from before…"
"Yes?" he asked, gazing into her eyes…still holding her hand…His lovely Helga Geraldine.
"Well…" she went on, still with that small smile, "Since you're being such a sport about my middle name and DIDN'T burst into laughter about it, and really did promise not to let it get around, and also, well…went and said it was pretty…I'll make you a deal, Arnold…" She leaned in a bit closer to him… "You keep Arnold Pataki in mind and I'll keep Helga Shortman in mind…and we'll just see where it goes from there, okay?" She winked.
Arnold basically melted inside. "Okay, Helga…" he managed to reply, adding a small nod…and trying not to chuckle about how the name 'Helga Shortman' kept making him feel all…tickled inside…especially when she said it…
"Good!" Helga's eyes brightened and then she leaned back a little from him again once more, though she still held his hand, of course. "Now, since we've both learned a few 'great, personal truths' about each other, and since I don't know about you but doing that always leaves me in need of some relaxation time, why don't we head to the arcade or something and then just finish up our homework later, okay?" She saw that 'but…aren't you worried about being seen together look' come into Arnold's eyes just like it had done yesterday, but instantly nipped the concern in the bud before he could voice it. "We can just, I don't know, play on different machines that are right next to each other and shoot each other little smiles between levels, or something… Sound good?" She finished with a grin.
Arnold's smile instantly brightened and he nodded happily. "Okay! Fire escape or front door, Helga?" He smirked just a little.
"Hmm…" She put a hand to her chin, still smiling, and then let out a sigh. "Ah, let's be conventional for once and take the front door. Besides I love running into your extended family and getting some gentle natured ribbing, you know?"
Arnold laughed, and stood, pulling her up with him and gesturing for her to walk forward. "Okay…Gerald—"
"Arnold!" Helga instantly froze and glared at him.
Arnold just looked away innocently. "I was just going to say that Gerald and Phoebe told me the Crazy Bus 2 game just got put in there, so maybe could check it out…"
Helga sighed in a bit of exasperation and rolled her eyes, heading over toward his door and speaking under her breath (though she was still smiling of course…and still holding his hand). "Why do I get the feeling that you starting to talk about me and then faking at the last second that you're talking about something with Gerald is going to be a running gag with you?"
He just laughed and let himself get pulled along. "I don't know…Gerald—"
"ARNOLD!" She whipped around to him quickly as they reached the door, trying to scowl…and at the same time trying very very hard not to smile (after all, what he was doing was kind of funny…just a little…when you thought about it…) 'Last thing he needs is encouragement though…'
"—says," Arnold went on, "…that I can get a bit carried away with things when I'm around you so…maybe!" He winked, giving her his half lidded gaze to soften the joke so she wouldn't get too annoyed with him.
Helga just rolled her eyes...but finally broke into a small smile at this point, despite the words that came out of her mouth. "I knew this was going to be a mistake…"
"Not a mistake, Helga…" he assured her, squeezing her hand a little and raising a playful eyebrow, "Kind of fun, actually…" He smiled to himself more, "Ger—"
"Football Head," she gave him such a look, though her smile remained, "I swear, I—"
"—ald Field," he merely went on with a shrug, cutting her off, "…isn't even as much fun as knowing this about you now…"
She popped her free hand onto her hip and just plain smirked, giving up any scowl at this point. "Okay, now you're just making stuff up, Arnold."
"Hmm…" Arnold glanced away from her and went to open his door, a fun thought or two occurring to him now considering all this talk of names… "You know…between Geraldine and Deep Voice and even Cecile I could probably bug you a lot, couldn't I, Helga?" He turned to her, his door open now… "…Maybe I could even get a little revenge for all those years of 'geek' and 'shrimp' and 'paste for brains' and 'Football Head' and 'Head Boy' and—"
Helga didn't miss a beat, stepping so that she was right in front of him, a playful smirk upon her face and cutting him off with a touch of one of her fingers to his lips. "Hey, didn't I say something about you having to practice kissing with yourself for the next several weeks if you actually went through with calling me Geraldine…or Deep Voice for that matter?" She scowled at him just a little…but that instantly faded and only her smirk remained as she added, "Cecile's not quite as bad though—I'd still prefer Helga but, well…that alter ego of mine was kind of a bombshell…" She chuckled to herself (especially at the little blush the term 'bombshell' brought to Arnold's cheeks, though he was obviously trying to ignore it), and then she just sighed and gave Arnold a smile again, removing her finger from his lips and using it to give him a playful little poke in the shoulder. "But seriously, Arnold—you call me either Helga or, in about twenty years, Madame President, Mayor Helga and/or something along the lines of 'My charming, lovely, dazzling, intelligent, brilliant, breath taking wife' or no more kisses for the most kissable boy on the planet."
'The most kissable boy on the planet' chuckled shyly a little in the middle of his blushing at being called that by Helga, and then he just shrugged and found it in him to reply, rolling his eyes up a little with a small smirk of his own, "Oh, I…think you like kissing me too much to actually go through with that, Helga…. And besides…you're saying you'd resist right now, but…" He moved just a bit closer, lowering his voice a little… "…I think you'd say something different when I held you in my arms and looked into your eyes and told you I love you…" His smile grew a bit more. "Either way though…speaking as someone who was tortured by the girl he loves for seven years before she'd let him figure out that he loved her…I think this might be too tempting for me to pass up…"
Helga blushed quite a bit…but still at least managed to roll her eyes and reply back (also in a low voice…and still impressively managing to maintain just a touch of the sarcasm despite her and her beloved's proximity)…"Oh brother…this could be a long afternoon…couldn't it, Arnold?"
He laughed a little…so did she.
"But, um, Arnold…"
"Yes Helga?"
Helga smiled a little more...and blushed a little more… "All joking aside…Your inscription that you came up with about me was wonderful. And I…I'm happy I let you into my heart—for real, I mean—too…"
"Oh…" Arnold too smiled and blushed more. "Thanks Helga…Geraldine Shortman…" he added the last two words with a chuckle.
"No problem, Arnold…Uh…Arnold…" She glanced at him, part of her brow raised in amusement. "What's the middle name?"
Arnold smiled. "Phillip. Like my Grandpa. And just so you know, you can call me that as much as you want, Helga." He winked.
She smiled back and rolled her eyes a little. "Ha-ha, very funny, Arnold…Anyway, in that case, you're welcome, Arnold Phillip Pataki…" She giggled.
"Hey Helga?"
"Yes, Arnold?"
He reached up and brushed aside a wisp of hair that had been hanging near one of her eyes…just so he could look into both of them more clearly…His lovely 'Helga Geraldine…Shortman…' Oh he was having a LOT of fun with that name…. "On the way to the arcade…" he said quietly, "…As long as we have a little time…Would you be willing to tell me those cheese festival stories you mentioned before?"
Feeling a little pleasant tremor go through her at him so unexpectedly adjusting her hair like that…(and he was so close…and he hadn't run off in fear at the name 'Arnold Philip Pataki' like she'd always been certain he would do ever since they were little…), Helga just smiled and put her free hand on his shoulder. "Sure…about time you found out why you've had such 'bad luck' on your last two of those, anyway…and why you're bound to have better luck on your third one," she finished with a wink.
He laughed in return….and sighed…liking her hand on his shoulder. "So…I guess we should…go…huh?" He was still just smiling…his eyes half lidded…There wasn't a whole lot of conviction in his voice.
Helga was just smiling and had her eyes half lidded too. "Mmm hmm…That would seem to be the next logical course of action, paste for brains…" No conviction there either.
"Helga?" "Arnold?"
They laughed, having said each other's names at the same time.
And they both knew what they were thinking…
"Football Head…are you thinking…"
"…What I'm thinking, Helga…?" He blushed a little. "I mean…since it's already almost happened a couple of times this afternoon…we, um…"
She placed a finger over his lips once more, finishing for him… "…We…might as well just… give in and do it at least once today…while we're still alone together…"
She removed her finger, putting her hand back on his shoulder…and he just gave a small nod... "Okay…" And then he slowly let his free arm come around Helga…and let his hand rest lightly against the center of her back… "At least one…" he kind of whispered to her, "It…feels like it wouldn't be one of our dates without at least…one…And also…I…" He stopped talking for a moment and just swallowed…feeling rather tongue tied…After all, their kisses were usually a bit more spontaneous than this...and the build up was a little much for him even though he was dealing with it… And…well… 'She's so pretty…right before I kiss her…"
"Yes, Arnold…?" He watched her lips move and heard her prompt him in a delicate whisper to finish his sentence…
"I like kissing…And I like kissing you, Helga…" he admitted with a very shy blush, not used to just saying it like that, and unable to help feeling a little ungentlemanly while doing it…even though it was the truth.
Helga gave a small giggle… "And I like kissing you, Arnold…" 'So shy…my little love-overwhelmed future husband…', "And…so…speaking of kissing…" She separated their hands from holding and brought her now free one up to rest on his other shoulder… "Wanna?" She gave the tiniest smirk.
An intrigued look came to Arnold's face as an amusing thought popped into his head at that question. "I don't think I ever really didn't want to in my entire life, Helga…" He swallowed and then brought up his now free arm around her back as well…And now she was holding him and he was hugging her close.
They just looked in each other's eyes…and they didn't need to say anything else.
Their eyes shut and their heads tilted and they came together. Little lips meeting and responding to one another. Holding each other together.
(And Arnold tried not to let Helga notice (and Helga tried not to let Arnold realize that she noticed) that he was trying something new with pressing up on his toes whenever he and Helga kissed standing up…Kind of a small, little, self-conscious effort to match her height… He really couldn't help it: something about Helga having to lean down and pull him up when they kissed like this just…made him feel a little funny sometimes…Besides, if he pressed up like his, with his arms around her, he could even kind of lean her back a little as he kissed her…and he liked doing that…a lot…and he knew she liked it too… Sort of a win-win situation…)
"Whoa-ho-ho! Hey, Huynh, Kokoschka, get out here—Arnold and Helga action going on in the halls!"
"Arnold/Helga action! Yes!"
"Heh, heh, alright—this afternoon was getting kind of boring anyway!"
The interruption processed and Arnold and Helga's eyes instantly popped open and then shifted down to the hall below to see Mr. Potts, Mr. Huynh, and Mr. Kokoschka now standing right at the bottom of Arnold's attic steps, grinning up at the two kids embracing!
Arnold felt Helga instantly pull her lips from his and turned his eyes back to her to see her now blushing very much and glancing down…though rather than separating herself from him entirely she actually seemed to be clinging to his shoulders even more, almost in surprise and fear. Arnold understood though… He knew that even thought Helga was getting better about owning up to her feelings around people who already knew they were together, public displays of intimacy were another thing entirely… Heck, it had been a fight just to finally get the private displays of intimacy from her until his confession had finally taken care of all of that.
And so Arnold just hugged a nervous Helga a little closer as well in reciprocation, leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, and then whispered into her ear, "It's okay…I promise. You'll be fine." She didn't say anything back…but she did squeeze his shoulders a little more and give a very small nod. And then he slowly removed his arms from around her and eased her into removing her hands from his shoulder… He knew of course though that she needed at least some contact to feel secure and so he took her hand in his once more…and then finally led her down the steps and into the hall.
Arnold tried to just keep a casual smile on his face as he came more in sight of his extended family, his still obviously flustered girlfriend in tow. "Very funny, everyone…" he merely said with a shrug as he and Helga stepped onto the hallway carpet. "You caught us…We were, um, kissing…We were on a date and we were kissing. No big deal—right, Helga?" He glanced at her over his shoulder, squeezing her hand supportively.
Helga swallowed and he watched her give a little nod and shrug. "Uh, y-yeah, uh…no big…deal…" And then he watched her wait for whatever the reaction would be. Yeah, sure, Helga didn't mind good-natured ribbing about their relationship from his family but…she had also never had the topic of it be the fact that she'd just gotten caught clinging against Arnold for a slow, deep, lingering kiss upon his ten-year-old little lips…so she was a little worried right now, to say the least.
The three boarders remained smirking at the kids…and Arnold (feeling a little worried himself and knowing that it really was important for this to okay for Helga's sake) was getting ready to gently but firmly remind his three extended family members of their promise not to make any 'bets' or really bad jokes around Helga…
But then Mr. Potts just waved the kids off with a smile. "Ah, we know, we know….Sorry, Helga…and you too, Arnold." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Didn't mean to make you guys feel uncomfortable, it's just that…well, Helga, over the years we've all just kind of gotten used to Arnold being kind of a...well, a quiet kid…"
"A goodie two shoes!" chimed in Oskar.
"A wet blanket!" added Mr. Huynh enthusiastically with a smile.
(A smiling Arnold just rolled his eyes.)
"Yeah, exactly!" Mr. Potts smiled at them and then turned back to the kids. "And well we just never took him for the ladies man type…And then stuff around here can get pretty boring so…we see a shot to tease him a little about this whole 'terrific kisser of a boyfriend' thing, and we just…well, we wouldn't be family if we didn't give him at least a little bit of a hard time, you know?" He shrugged with a sheepish smile.
Arnold smiled quite a bit at this kind (and admittedly kind of funny) little explanation and looked to Helga once again…and to his happiness she was smiling now too, all fear gone from her face. And then she actually chuckled! "Eh, don't worry about it, Mr. Potts…" she waved him off with her free hand, "Believe me, if there's one thing I can understand…" she let out a sigh and gave Arnold a glance, "It's how strong the temptation can be to give old Football Head here a hard time when the opportunity presents itself…" And then she smirked a bit and turned to Arnold fully now, part of her brow raised… "And meanwhile…you didn't tell me you filled them in on the fact that you give terrific little kisses, my terrific little Football Head…Bragging with the boys, huh?"
Arnold blushed quite a bit and glanced away at this sudden observation, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "Oh, um…well, it was just…Th-They were betting around our anniversary that I, um…had never actually kissed you before, and I just…well…"
"Actually, though, fellas, I have to confess…" Helga suddenly cut off her stuttering beloved (and she was smirking like crazy)...She turned her attentions back to the boarders, "Strictly speaking, I can't say that all of Arnold's kisses have been terrific…"
Arnold blushed even more and his eyes went wide and he looked to her! (And tried not to scowl—what did she mean 'not all of his kisses had been terrific'?)
The three older men instantly started smirking and trying to suppress chuckles, and Arnold knew he was in for it…
…Until Helga giggled and then cleared her throat and finished quite simply, "You see, every once in a while I get one from him that's so utterly mind-blowing that I pass out in the middle of it, so 'technically' it wouldn't be fair of me to say that those kisses are terrific too since I'm only conscious for about half of them." She turned right to her beloved. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it, Arnold?" And then (blushing like crazy but still smiling nonetheless) she leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth, and then pulled back coyly. "But really, Arnold, we should head out if we want to have any time at the arcade before dinner…Let's go, my love."
The boarders couldn't help but finally break into laughter at this entire little speech from the sassy ten-year-old girl before them (and at the fact that it had finished with 'my love' of all things!) But as for Arnold, as he had just gotten a tiny kiss from Helga and a 'my love' from Helga and one of those coy giggles and smiles from Helga, he himself…wasn't caring all that much about getting laughed at a little (plus the fact that Helga had just informed the three older men that he apparently could give kisses that made girls pass out was helping to keep him more than content with this entire situation!) "Uh…sure thing…my Helga…" he merely replied with a chuckle as she pulled him along. He turned back to the boarders with a happy (and proud) smile and gave them a small wave. "Uh…bye guys! See you later! Still, uh…still on a date here, heh…" He shrugged sheepishly as Helga got them to the stairs and began to lead him down them, giggling all the more to herself at his daze!
"Hey, just try not to make the girl pass out during your goodnight kiss, okay, Arnold?" Mr. Potts shouted to them, and instantly he and the other two men burst into more laughter.
Half way down the stairs Arnold just rolled his eyes and looked to his smirking girlfriend, finally having it in him to form coherent words and observations again. "You know that I'm going to have to take the fire escape up to my own room now for the next week just to avoid them and their teasing, right Helga?" he asked just a little sarcastically.
Helga just shrugged. "Oh, you know you're not all that upset about me telling them about how much of a kissing god you are…Besides, I felt that little bit of tension that went through you when you thought for a second that I was going to say that some of your kisses were less than terrific…Don't deny it—you like being a good kisser, Arnold."
Arnold rolled his eyes to the side innocently. "Maybe…just a little…maybe…" He let out a happy sigh and looked to her as they made it to the first floor and paused for a moment. "Oh and…you did good, you know, Helga…See—somebody saw us kissing, they laughed a little…and you did great with it. Brilliant, really." He leaned up and gave a shy kiss to the corner of her mouth. "I told you you'd be okay…" He looked at her with so much pride and love…
Helga G. Pataki just smiled like crazy and blushed quite a bit too, glancing to the side a little coyly. "Thanks, Arnold…and sorry I spazzed a little at first and broke our kiss, but…thanks…" She shrugged and gave a chuckle. "I try…"
They shared a happy smile.
And then Helga just let out a sigh and shook her head. "Alright, alright, enough mush, let's get out of here and get to the arcade already, bucko! There's an air hockey table with our names on it!" She winked. "I think we could safely play a rousing game of that together without making anyone suspicious as long as I threw in a bunch of insults and scowled a lot—what do you say?"
Arnold gave her a challenging smile. "You're on, Helga!" He proceeded to lead her down the foyer to the front door, still looking at her as they walked. "But first I'd really like to hear those cheese festival stories on the way there…You know, come to think of it, I DID have an AWFUL LOT of 'bad luck' trying to get close to Ruth and Lila during the last two of those…" His grin grew. "I wonder why that was…? Any ideas, Helga?" he asked feigning uncertainty.
She just chuckled and brought her free hand to her forehead dramatically. "Okay, okay, you've 'got me', Football Head…I'll spill both stories about how I used my cunning and wits to cleverly keep you out of the clutches of other women…but only if YOU then tell me in detail how you plan to make our date together at the next one of those a very special night!" She winked. "And I expect to hear the term 'Tunnel of Love' sprinkled A LOT throughout whatever it is you might think up, got it, paste for brains?"
Arnold blushed a little but nodded just the same. "Of course….Tunnel of Love…many times…you and me on a boat alone together in the dark surrounded by romantic images and music…Looking forward to it, Helga…." He smiled and winked. "But first, your two stories…" he blinked as though remembering something, "Oh, and, if there's anyone else who knows that you love me, I'd still be interested in hearing about that too, of course, Helga…" he added, recalling their initial topic of conversation from before.
'Dr. Bliss…' "Um…no one who we know that knows is coming to mind at the moment, Football Head…" She felt a lurch go through her at the 'technically not a lie', but did her best to smile just the same. "But, uh, you've got it about getting my two zany stories, Arnoldo." She winked and tried to put her qualms behind her for now…Besides, Dr. Bliss was a topic for another day.
Her beloved just smiled at her happily and nodded. "Sounds good, Helga…" And then he turned and opened the front door that they had just reached…
…And Helga felt another little lurch go through her at what she'd have to do now…But…she just couldn't take the risk…
"Uh…Arnold?"
Arnold had begun to pull Helga out to his stoop, but was stopped by these words and the feeling of her not budging behind him. He looked back at her in confusion to see her with part of her brow raised and looking at him and then at her hand that he was holding. "Uh…it's late afternoon…and there's a lot of blocks to the arcade…and it's a place where all of our friends are…"
Arnold just continued to look at her…still not understanding…
"Our, um…our hands…" Helga finally explicitly explained…still feeling horrible about this inside, "…we can't hold them out here, Arnold. Remember? I-I mean it was one thing for the block around my house yesterday right at dinner time but…this is different…okay, Arnold?" she finished carefully and quietly…and then removed her hand from his.
For a moment the perplexed look on Arnold's face remained…but then he sighed and smiled up at her (or tried to, at least). "You're right, Helga…Sorry…I just, um…forgot, I guess…" He let out a breath…and then was quiet for a moment…and then looked at her with that smile again. "Um…let's go!" He did his best to sound enthusiastic…but in truth…he was a little sad. He'd never push her but….he really did, deep down, want to just…be able to hold his girlfriend's hand in public…or at least to try.
Helga more than noticed the tiny bit of a frown in her beloved's eyes though…and she knew exactly why it was there and what he was thinking about…After all, it had come to him the second she'd told them they couldn't hold hands! And yesterday he'd been so obviously happy when she'd said they could!
Helga considered for a second and then smiled…and hoped what she would say next would at least be a small consolation to him. "Hey, Arnold?"
Arnold nodded at her, still only barely smiling "Yes, Helga?"
She let out a sigh…then shrugged and glanced down with a shy smile. "Um…well…I was thinking, and I think that…as long as you really do think it's pretty…you can toss in calling me Geraldine sometimes…but only when we're alone, okay, Football Head?" She smirked at him a little.
That offer made a genuine and even amused smile come to her love's face. "Really, Hel—um…Geraldine?" he asked happily. "You mean I really don't have to resist adding in that pretty name sometimes when I'm talking to you?"
She nodded, happy her distraction had not only worked but had made her beloved a little happy too. "You've got it, Phillip Jr. Now let's get going…And, hey, to start, I'll race you to the corner, Football Head!" She winked. "It'll make up for that race of ours that got interrupted at my house the other day." She laughed a little, stepping out onto the stoop and pulling him along by his sleeve out there with her so that now they were side by side.
Arnold's grin grew and he nodded, all traces of sadness now gone from his face. He closed the door behind them, never taking his eyes off of the girl at his side. "Whatever you say, Helga. Racing, then cheese festivals, then the arcade and then maybe dinner…" He gave kind of a dreamy sigh. "Remind me again why I was so afraid to date you? I've never had as much fun in my entire life as I have every day with you, Helga Geraldine." He winked at her…and it was all so very true!
Helga giggled just a little at his cute question. "Beats the heck out of me, you dense little shrimp! Now let's go!"
She was suddenly off like a shot with Arnold chasing after her, just at her heels…and for now the happiness and fun and love of the rest of this afternoon with Helga was enough to distract him once again from that…that quite unhappy feeling that always shot through him whenever they had to hide everything they had together every time they came out of their rooms and out of their houses and into the world. (On top of which the phrase 'Multiple rides on the Tunnel of Love with Helga at the next Cheese Festival' was currently flashing through his head over and over and over again, and the daydreams he could already feel forming about that memory that would be made next year plus anticipation for the arcade plus waiting to hear her stories about the last two festivals, plus this race that she was giving him in public, plus her admitting that he gave 'mind-blowing kisses' every now and then…all of these things were just doing wonders for keeping any degree of sadness or disappointment from entering the fourth grade boy's mind or heart at the moment.)
BEST FRIENDS
"Hmm… Wrestling: like."
"Dislike. I'm more of a boxing man, myself…"
A scoff. "Oh please! All those quick little controlled movements—don't you ever get sick of it and just want to see somebody piledrive somebody else into the ground?"
Half a laugh. "Hey, any sport where people have to wear colorful costumes, and make up crazy personas just isn't really a sport in my opinion."
An exasperated sigh. "Oh whatever. Okay let's not get hung up on this like with the last three or four things…Hmm…um, okay…" A chuckle. "I know this isn't helping but…Purdy Boy Books: total dislike."
"That's pretty obviously a like for me AND Arnold, Helga—otherwise his bookshelf wouldn't be filled with the things!" came the slightly annoyed sounding reply.
A few laughs. "Okay, Okay, sorry, Geraldo…"
"Hey, you called up Phoebe and told her to just meet you here instead of at your house, right?" came the sudden inquiry.
"Yeah…" came the confused reply. "Why?"
"Good…she's smart. She could probably come up with something…" It sounded like there was definitely a smile underlying this reply. "Anyway, while we're waiting, let me try another one…Um…Pop Daddy: like."
"Ugh, you mean that lame-o cheesy Saturday morning cartoon? Once again, total dislike."
A laugh. "You know, 'once again', Helga…Arnold likes it…"
A scoff again. "Oh nice try but just because Arnold likes something doesn't mean I automatically have to like it. I love him—doesn't mean I love his taste all the tim—"
The sound of a door (specifically a bedroom door…specifically a certain football headed young man's bedroom door) opening interrupted this rather random and unexpected exchange. "Uh…Gerald? Helga?" came Arnold's confused-sounding response to this conversation he'd been catching bits and pieces of as he climbed the steps to his room (and maybe as he'd listened at the door for a few seconds to confirm that he was indeed hearing right and that the two people he thought were actually having a one-on-one conversation up there were indeed having a one-on-one conversation).
And indeed, having now opened his door, Arnold's eyes fell on none other than Helga and Gerald, sitting on opposite sides of his bed…and now looking to him in surprise at his sudden entrance.
Helga blinked at first at suddenly seeing her beloved in his doorway, but then her eyes lit up (as they'd been getting in the habit of doing every time he entered a room lately, Arnold hadn't been able to help but happily notice) and she stood and walked across the room, and caught him in a quick hug! (The most intimate thing she'd ever voluntarily done with him in front of another person, though he guessed that after that little encounter in the halls with the boarders the other day, she was feeling a bit more confident about showing him affection in front of people who already knew about their courtship.) "Hey, Football Head!" she announced brightly! "Sheesh, it took you long enough to get here!" She separated from him now, still smiling and looking happily into his eyes though of course.
"Hey man!" Gerald called from across the room, smiling and waving. "What's up?"
"Uh…" A rather amused Arnold just had to take a step or two back to fully absorb this situation just a little bit more before finally responding, still in a bit of confusion… "Nothing much…" His eyes went to Helga. "Helga I'm really happy to see you, of course…" A half smile broke through his surprised visage… "But I thought our date was tomorrow afternoon after your doctor's appointment…today is Wednesday, right?"
Helga flinched just a tiny bit at his reminder of that vague 'doctor's appointment' excuse she'd given him, but managed to put all of that aside for now and just smile at her beloved, her hands on her hips. "Yeah, don't worry Football Head, you didn't mix up the dates. I know you've got Dino Land plans with Geraldo later—and Phoebe and I are actually supposed to be heading down to the docs to skip rocks off the pier ourselves. But…" she then fished into her jumper pocket and pulled out a small, familiar pink item, smiling just a little more at her beloved, "I was just in the neighborhood and I wanted to do a quick pink book swap with you if you had a minute… There's a poem in one of the ones you've got at the moment that I wanted to copy down for another one of Simmons' assignments, and then I just finished filling up this one the other day after our date…and I thought you might, you know…like to have a fresh batch of poems to look at…" She blushed a little at having to bring up her Arnold poetry with Gerald in the room, but otherwise just shrugged with a sheepish smile and offered the book to Arnold.
Arnold couldn't help the grin (or the half lidded gaze) that came to his face at this explanation… "Oh…well, um…thanks, Helga…" He reached forward and gently took the precious book from the girl before him. "That was really nice of you…"
She just giggled a little and glanced down. "No problem, Arnold…Anything for you…" She looked up and winked at him.
"Okay, 'Hurl-Alert', 'Severe Hurl-Alert'!" And with this announcement Arnold and Helga turned their gazes in the direction of the head of Arnold's bed to see Gerald now standing up and faking a gagging action.
Helga just rolled her eyes and turned to him fully, arms crossed over her chest and smirking. "Okay, so I guess me and Football Head acting all lovey-dovey with each other goes on your 'dislike' list…And in response to that, it is obviously on my 'like' list so there's another dud for us, tall hair boy!"
Gerald just rolled his eyes and laughed to himself, sitting back down on the edge of Arnold's bed. "Well, maybe while we're waiting for Phoebe, Arnold can come up with something…"
It was then that Arnold blinked, coming out of the small lovesick state Helga had started to send him off into…and recalled the heretofore unprecedented conversation that he had just heard part of and the heretofore unprecedented sight he had just walked in on: Gerald and Helga…talking…together…and not sarcastically trying to out-insult each other for once!
"Um…guys…" Arnold had to raise a concerned eyebrow at the both of them now as he recalled all of these things, "Are you two…" he glanced back and forth from one to the other and then said the only word that came to mind, "…okay?"
Helga and Gerald blinked at this question and at the strange look on Arnold's face, and then looked to each other in confusion and then back to Arnold.
"Football Head, what are you talking about? We were just talking in your room…" Helga jerked her thumb back in Gerald's general direction. "I came in through the skylight to drop off the book, Geraldo was already here waiting for you and said Phil said you'd be back in a few minutes from running to the store for your Grandma, and I decided to wait and see you before I left…so…we talked…like two normal human beings would…" She looked at Arnold with a touch of concern at the obviously great deal of disbelief on his face.
"Yeah, man," Gerald nodded and stood up again, an eyebrow raised, "We were just hanging around waiting for you…We weren't gonna sit in neutral corners and not say a word to each other or something…" He smiled a little. "Oh and Helga called Phoebe and told her to meet her here now so she'll be coming by soon too…" But then he hesitated and raised an eyebrow once more. "Seriously, though, you look a little pale, man—you need to lie down or something?"
Arnold blinked several more times, and then closed his eyes and put a hand to his head, letting out a breath. "Uh…no, no, it's just…" He half smiled and glanced back at them again. "You two sounded like you were actually…getting along a little…a lot…And all on your own…No Phoebe and me to keep you from trying to verbally kill each other I mean…" he added for clarification, almost chuckling. "You sounded like…friends!"
Helga and Gerald just looked to each other with wide eyes again, and then turned their gazes back to Arnold once more.
Helga rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, sheesh, Arnoldo, we do have the capacity to be civil to one another and to genuinely get along, you know? I mean, it's not like we HATE each other or anything… At least, not anymore…" She gave Arnold a half smile. "We're just…" she sighed and shrugged, "Well, you and Phoebe get along alright because you're both nice and just a little shy and pretty smart and have always had a decent friendship…but me and Geraldo here are just kind of different from each other…like…like…cats and dogs, north and south…uh…" She searched for another comparison.
"A unicorn and Wolfgang…" Gerald chimed in with a smirk from Arnold's bed.
Helga actually laughed a little and rolled her eyes at the comment. "Yes, thank you, Johanssen. Point is, we don't mix." She smiled at Arnold again. "And well...actually, since Phoebe couldn't get here right away and we weren't sure when you'd be back, we kind of got to talking and we figured…I mean for YOUR sakes and not because I actually want anything to do with tall hair boy…" she added with a smirk, glancing over her shoulder.
"Oh yeah…" Gerald shot back with a smile and a rolls of his eyes, "And like I'm just itching or something to be your new best friend…" He scoffed and added playfully, "Honestly, my goal is just to get off of the top of your list of people to torment mercilessly… Last person I knew who held that spot was Arnold," he jerked his thumb in his best friend's direction, "…and he ended up finding out that you practically want to undress him whenever you get within eyesight of each other!" He finished with a fit of chuckles, the idea of 'Arnold and Helga' and this whole 'love' thing in general still having the capacity to amuse him even after all these weeks.
Meanwhile, across the room, Helga instantly turned a bright scarlet and her eyes went wide…the idea of Arnold undressing awakening a very specific memory. She looked right at her beloved! "Arnold, you did NOT tell him about the time I was stuck here and I—"
Arnold's eyes instantly went wide as well as her words struck him, and he more than understood what was being referred to! "NO!" He blushed severely, cutting her off before she could say more! "I…" he cleared his throat and glanced away nervously, "I think he's just talking about that time…you know, in that alley by the school when him and Phoebe found us and you had my sweater all pulled up…" He gulped. (Arnold had decided, by the way, that the more intimate details of the parrot crazy scheme could, uh…just stay between himself and Helga.)
Meanwhile, the reality of the situation processed upon which Helga took several breaths and then finally spoke in at least a passably calm voice once more. "Oh…okay…uh, right…" She closed her eyes and cleared her throat and then turned back to Gerald. "In that case….Hey, I…I…I do NOT want to u-undress Arnold! He…. It's just sometimes we're together and it seems like he must be a little warm so I gently suggest he take off his sweater by…starting the process…" She put her arms behind her back and glanced away VERY nervously and VERY shyly. 'Oh boy, THAT was a close one…Smooth, Helga, really smooth…'
At all of this fluster and random reactions, Gerald just glanced back and forth from a very embarrassed looking Helga to a very VERY embarrassed looking Arnold several times with a confused look and a half smile on his face. "Right…" he finally said, and just shook his head in amusement. 'I'm pretty sure I don't even want to know…' "Anyway…" he went on slowly, "… I'll just stick with holding Phoebe's hand and having her laugh at my jokes, myself, and leave whatever the heck embarrassing incident I obviously just reminded you two of to the two of you and your 'we're ten-years-old and in love' thing, if that's okay with everyone…" He laughed a little himself.
"I agree—that sounds like a more than acceptable situation for us to continue pursuing, Gerald…" Phoebe Heyerdahl added as she suddenly finished her climb up to Arnold's room (the door of which was still ajar, allowing the entire conversation going on to reach her as she had been making her way up the steps). She laughed to herself a little as she finished this response and then closed Arnold's door behind her.
"Phoebe!" Instantly, Gerald's eyes went wide and he almost jumped off of the bed, he was so surprised at her sudden entrance! "I mean, uh…" he smiled nervously at her and managed to reseat himself, and then did his best to add 'smoothly', "Uh…hey, babe! What's up?" The slight crack to his voice and the fact that he nearly half fell off of Arnold's bed once again before he managed to get himself completely comfortably sitting once more didn't help matters much.
Still the middle of Arnold's room, Helga all but burst into laughter at this whole little exchange! "Oh man!" She looked to her beloved's best friend. "Smooth, Gerald. Really smooth." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Sheesh you two finally admitted you 'like like' each other HOW long ago, and you're still turning into a total spazz every time she suddenly shows up somewhere? Please! Me and Football Head got over little stuff like that a long time ago, right, Arnold?" She smiled awaiting Arnold's agreement with her from behind.
"Yeah…" she heard him sigh in reply…and she heard him shift closer to her…And then suddenly Helga's eyes went quite wide and she all but shivered at the feeling of one of his fingertips suddenly tracing up from the base of her spine to top of her neck, and ending by moving off to one side and playing with a piece of the hair at the end of one of her pigtails before leaving her entirely. Arnold chuckled and she felt him step closer to her. "I keep having to find new…more interesting things to do to make Helga turn into a 'total spazz'. It hasn't been easy…but it's been fun…" He chuckled once more…now right near her ear. "Hasn't it, Helga?"
Helga felt her cheeks turn bright scarlet and her heart tremble. "Uh…I… uh…" 'So…So daring…Oh Arnold, if we were alone right now, I'd—'
"Okay, 'HURL ALERT' again, you guys!"
This announcement from across the room snapped Helga out of her near internal monologue. She blinked a few times and then her eyes came back into focus enough to fall upon the form of Gerald faking another gagging motion and then laughing to himself…joined by some good-natured chuckles from Arnold and Phoebe.
Helga shook her head to clear it and then did her best to scowl (though, unfortunately, she couldn't control her continued blushing). 'Oh brother…In my defense though…Arnold's finger…gently up the curve of my back…playing with my hair…Forget dying, I could just fly to the moon!' Still, now was not the time to get lost in internal girly gushing and Helga knew it, so along with her half scowl she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced away stubbornly, deciding to move things in the room along. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…very funny you guys!" She rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, I'm in love with Arnold and it makes tough-as-nails Helga G. Pataki get all mushy sometimes—you know, it's been a few weeks…you'd think you three would have gotten over the humor in that irony or something!" She gave an exasperated sigh (though she couldn't help smiling a little at this point herself), and then walked across Arnold's room to seat herself comfortably on the end of his bed, as she had been before her beloved had entered.
"Spoiled sport…" Gerald muttered under his breath with his own eye roll. "You always could dish it out but never take it, Pataki…"
Helga instantly scoffed, crossing her legs and turning her eyes to him. "Oh yeah, this from the guy who's more than willing to go into a giggle fit about the fact that Arnold can turn me into a puddle if he tries hard enough, but who can't even see his girlfriend enter a room without practically throwing himself off of a bed…" She laughed to herself and then, seeing that Gerald already had his mouth open and a slight scowl on his face for a comeback, cut him off. "Okay, okay, truce though, Geraldo, seriously…our whole conversation before Arnoldo and Pheebs got here was about trying to be better friends and NOT just get into catty exchanges with each other…Remember?"
Arnold and Phoebe then watched with interest as Gerald indeed put away whatever sarcastic comeback he'd been about to deliver, and instead just sighed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I remember, Pataki…And now that they're here we should probably get back to it…After all, if there are two people in the world who can solve any seemingly unsolvable problem, it's Arnold and Phoebe…"
Helga gave him an approving nod. "Exactly!" And then she turned to addressing the other two kids in the room…who were rather intrigued at this point. "Anyway, like I was saying to Arnold before you got here and this little laugh fest started, Pheebs, tall hair boy and I just found ourselves here alone for a little while waiting for you guys to show up, and well…" she smiled a little sheepishly and shrugged, "We figured that, you know…since you two have been getting along together so well and even trying to get us to do group stuff together and the idea of double dates has even been getting tossed around a little…and since Geraldo and I have basically just spent the last few weeks kind of going back and forth between exchanging good-natured barbs and just barely tolerating one another, maybe the two of us could try seeing if, you know…we had anything in common…to kind of build a stronger friendship on…right, tall hair boy?" She glanced over her shoulder at Gerald with a smile.
"Mmm hmm…" Gerald nodded, smiling back, and then looked to Arnold and Phoebe and elaborated a little further, "Yeah, so, we talked about all that stuff for a little bit and then for the past twenty minutes or so, I guess, me and Helga just kind of settled on taking turns picking a random topic and saying whether we liked it or disliked it, and then seeing if the other person felt the same way." He smiled.
"Yeah, exactly, but…" Helga chimed in and had to scoff again, crossing her arms over her chest, "It hasn't exactly been…working out very well, if you know what I mean…"
"Total failure," Gerald supplied dryly.
"What he said," Helga added in confirmation.
From across the room, Phoebe raised an eyebrow in concern upon absorbing all of this information. "You mean…" She glanced from her best friend to her (she was still having a little trouble with the word boyfriend…It just seemed so big and official! So…) boy she 'like-liked', and then questioned in disbelief, "Neither of you has found a common interest yet?"
Both Helga and Gerald closed their eyes and shook their heads at the same time.
Not a second later though, Helga's eyes opened wide and she quickly qualified, "Oh well, except for you and Arnold, of course but…with how things have been going between me and tall hair boy over the last few weeks I think it's pretty obvious that that's not enough for us to really build a friendship on, you know?"
Gerald just let out a sigh and nodded, throwing himself back on Arnold's bed to lie down and look up at the ceiling. "Tell me about it…" he had to chuckle a little, "Although I HAVE gotten to get in a few good jokes now that I know for sure Helga's not going to sock me one…"
Helga let out a slightly exasperated sigh and was obviously about to make a comment of some sort to Gerald (it really just had to be a reflex at this point in her life), though luckily Arnold noticed and so he quickly stepped forward and spoke up now too. "Oh come on guys…" he took a few more steps closer to his bed, looking back and forth from best friend to girlfriend, a bit of a disbelieving look on his face just as it was on Phoebe's. "You're both the same age in the same class with the same group of friends and you haven't been able to find any genuine interest you have in common? Not one?"
Helga just had to shrug at her beloved's very good question and then proceeded to lie back on his bed as well. "I know, I know, it doesn't make sense but it's true…I don't know, maybe we're being too specific with what we've been coming up with but we really wanted to find at least one random thing that actually interests both of us—you know something besides generic stuff like baseball or ice cream that every kid's interested in." She smiled and sat up a bit. "Actually…" she looked from her boyfriend to her best friend and then back again, "Geraldo and I were kind of hoping that when the two of you got here, you could come up with something we could try…" She smiled a bit more. "I mean, you two are some of the smartest people we know, and you know us better than anyone, so…"
"Yeah," Gerald agreed, sitting up little himself, "I mean, if we can't ever come up with anything it's not a huge deal—we'll just continue to exchange catty but well intentioned insults with each other for the rest of our lives. But still, I feel like there's got to be SOMETHING!" He chuckled a little, glancing at all three other individuals in the room. "I mean, there's no way two people could be THAT opposite from each other, right?"
"Hmph," Helga instantly scoffed with a smile, sitting up all the way and stretching a bit, "Obviously you're not taking into account the fact that I still exist in the same universe as Lila and Olga…"
"Oh!" Phoebe suddenly exclaimed brightly, causing all heads to turn to her. Finding herself the center of attention so suddenly though, the shy young girl quickly cleared her throat and glanced down modestly, and then continued in a quiet voice. "Well, that's one thing you two have in common…"
Gerald sat up all the way now, and he and Helga just looked at Phoebe in confusion.
"You both have older siblings you don't always get along with," Phoebe clarified with a smile.
Arnold's eyes suddenly lit up as well at this explanation. "Yeah!" He turned to Gerald and Helga. "Jamieo loves you, Gerald, but he drives you nuts, and Helga, Olga loves you but she always makes your life a little crazy when she's around." His smile grew. 'Perfect! At least that's something…'
Helga and Gerald continued stare at their best friends/significant others for another second or two as this suggestion processed with them, and then slowly they turned to look at each other once more…
Helga cleared her throat. "Okay so…obnoxious older siblings: dislike?"
Gerald nodded. "Dislike."
Another second of silence passed…and then Helga smiled and turned to Arnold and Phoebe. "Hey, not bad! Okay, keep it up guys!" she announced eagerly. "I sense a roll, here!"
"Yeah," Gerald suddenly added with a smile, turning to them as well. "Arnold, you come up with one now!"
Arnold blinked at the sudden request…and then a distinct blush crept up into his cheeks and a distinct smile came to his face. "Actually…" he began glancing down and putting his arms behind his back, "I do have one that I keep thinking of, but…someone asked me not to bring it up…" He glanced up…and in his girlfriend's direction, "Right…Helga G. Pataki?" It took all he had not to burst into laughter.
"Huh?" Gerald just raised an eyebrow at this cryptic answer and then turned to Helga. "Helga, what's he talking about? And why did he just call you by your full na—"
He stopped and had to blink as his eyes met the sight of Helga suddenly looking quite a bit pale, and with her eyes quite a bit wide… And then suddenly she scowled and instantly replied to Arnold in a very unhappy tone, "Arnold, no."
Arnold just chuckled to himself a little and let out a sigh… "Okay, sorry, Helga. I'll try and think of something else."
Phoebe, meanwhile, had been glancing back and forth from Helga to Arnold in a bit of confusion herself… This small exchange over now, though, she settled on questioning her best friend about what it meant. "Helga, if it's alright for me to ask, what is Arnold referring to exactly?"
The sound of Phoebe's voice asking this question made Arnold suddenly blink, an interesting thought occurring to him. He addressed Helga as well. "Hey, does Phoebe know about…you know…" he almost lost it as he added with emphasis and a slightly smug smile, "Helga G. Pataki?"
"Uh, hey, guys? Seriously, what's up?" Gerald interjected again from the head of Arnold's bed.
Helga growled a bit at her beloved, but then glanced down in frustration and finally replied in a tense voice. "Yes, Phoebe knows…" She glared at him. "So Phoebe knows and you know…why don't we leave it at that, hmm?"
Phoebe just blinked and looked to Arnold. "Arnold, I'm not sure wha—"
Arnold quickly took the few steps over to the young Asian-American girl and leaned over and whispered something into her ear…and it didn't take a second of processing what he had been referring to with his little suggestive comments for Phoebe to almost burst into chuckles herself as he pulled away and returned his still-smiling sights back to Helga.
"Oh, Helga…" Phoebe looked to her best friend again, trying not to laugh TOO much since Helga was obviously a little sensitive about all of this, "I really don't see what the big deal is…I mean…" She couldn't help it—she giggled again.
"Hello—guys?" Gerald once more, and now waving his hands to get attention…and getting a very strong sense of déjà vous at this point (being in a room of people, Arnold and Helga included, and being ignored…)
"Well, you know, it might be something me and Geraldo have in common but it would just be a dislike from me and a LOVE from him, so can we end it now, you two?" Helga looked at Phoebe and Arnold firmly (of course, not even processing Gerald at the moment, she was so intent on making sure that the two people in front of her kept their lips buttoned!)
"You know, I am getting a very BIG of déjà vous here from that time you guys were all talking about Helga's secret and leaving me out of it! I mean, seriously, where's Lila to throw in her fair share of confusing statements that I'm not going to get filled in on unless I accidentally walk into another kitchen to hear one of you telling the truth?" the tall haired boy grumbled in annoyance, crossing his arms over his chest and really starting to get a little miffed.
"Aw, but see Helga—Phoebe doesn't think it's so bad! And I'm sure no one else would either…" Arnold smiled charmingly over at Helga's still scowling face. "Just…at least think about it, okay?"
Gerald rolled his eyes dramatically. "You guys are just plain not listening to me right now, are you?"
"Oh yeah!" Helga scoffed. "Then why did she practically go off into a giggle fit the second you told her?" She gestured with one of her arms to her still smiling and obviously trying not to chuckle best friend.
Gerald, meanwhile, just crossed his arms over his chest and let out a dramatic sigh, continuing with his valid (if still ignored) complaints. "I mean, really, I could just say anything right now and no one would call me on it, would they?" he said to no one in particular.
"I-I'm sorry, Helga…" Phoebe meanwhile replied from across the room, doing her best to get her wide smile and any amount of potential laughter under control, "I just never thought about the irony before, but it is pretty interesting when you think about it…But not a bad thing certainly."
"You know…" Gerald announced with a smirk, leaning back on his hands a little and taking some advantage of his newfound 'invisibility' to have some fun, "When Helga being terrified of the class finding out she's got the hots for Arnold blows over, I was planning to turn this whole thing into a brand new urban legend. I'm still working on the title but something along the lines of "The Legend of the Nine-Year-Olds who Made Out" comes to mind… What do you guys think?" he asked the room with a smile, knowing full well no one would even bat an eye. 'It's almost worse than that first time they did this to me! I swear, Arnold and Helga are like the Bermuda Triangle or something—once you get sucked in, you're in…and there's no way back to reality.'
Helga, meanwhile, of course didn't even process Gerald's jest she was so caught up in all this middle name stuff, and now just rolled her eyes, still looking to Phoebe and Arnold. "Okay, look, it's nice that you two think it's sweet and charming, but I don't so can we just skip on down to OTHER THINGS Gerald and I might have in common? Please?"
"See I knew it—nothing." Gerald yawned and shrugged. "I could pass out from a heart attack right now and you all wouldn't even notice." He sighed and waited… 'Nope. Nothing again. Knew it.'
"Okay, Helga…" Arnold finally agreed to her demand with a sigh and an understanding smile…and then got a pensive look again. "Hmm…let's see—other stuff you and Gerald might have in common…" he began sincerely.
"Okay, well, I'm going… See you, guys!" And suddenly Gerald stood up and with a wave stomped right through the triangle of his friends/girlfr—uh, girl he 'like liked', and right over to Arnold's bedroom door to seriously take his leave, because this whole little 'leave Gerald out of the loop game' was amusing…but only to a point…and that point for him had been reached.
"Huh? Gerald!" Phoebe suddenly piped up at his movement past them, her eyes going wide as she instantly turned away from Helga and turned right to him with concern coming to her features and tone. "Where are you going?" Indeed, Phoebe (like Arnold and Helga) really hadn't been meaning to ignore Gerald…they'd just been a little wrapped up in their conversation (Helga trying to keep Gerald from getting a nice one up on her, Arnold finding Helga's little fear about other people knowing her middle name incredibly amusing…and charming…and did he mention that she could look so cute when she got all worked-up and angry?, and Phoebe just trying to gently ease her usually defensive friend into being a little more open about things (which was a job that was much more difficult than it looked at times) and also secretly finding it so nice watching Helga and Arnold having a little pleasant back and forth between each other. She really was so very happy that her best friend had found happiness, and that Arnold was obviously so very happy with the situation as well.)
"Leaving…" Gerald replied simply to Phoebe's inquiry, putting his hand on the door handle, a blank look on his face. He turned his head to glance back to the three other kids with a slightly miffed look…He wasn't angry, really, he was just…kind of bored at this point. "Look guys, we're obviously not going to get anywhere else with this since no one's even paying attention to me anymore, and from the bits and pieces of your conversation I was picking up, I think it's pretty clear that Helga obviously still doesn't entirely trust me so…maybe we just shouldn't bother with trying to figure out anymore stuff we might have in common until we've had a few more weeks or months to ease into this friendship thing…" He shrugged and turned fully back around for a moment and added quite seriously, "Or maybe we should just go back to the catty insults permanently and not try anything at all…" He sighed, giving all three of them a bit of a look. "Either way, I just don't really feel like sitting around while you three talk about something I don't know anything about…AGAIN…" He glanced back at his best friend. "Arnold, I'll be downstairs waiting for you three to finish up so that we can go to Dino Land…" And with this speech and final announcement he turned back around and opened the door.
"Gerald, wait—don't be mad…" Arnold instantly began very apologetically, reaching out a hand in his direction. "We're sorry…We were just getting carried away…Really!"
"Yes, Gerald!" Phoebe piped up apologetically as well, now getting really upset since it seemed Gerald was so very upset, and because of something she had been a part of on top of it all! "We were just having a little fun with Helga…We didn't mean to upset or ignore you! Please stay!"
"Oh just let him have his little fit and go!" Helga just announced with an exasperated sigh from Arnold's bed, crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk and looking toward the young African-American boy. "Honestly, Geraldo, if you can't take a little—"
"Helga!" She was cut off by the sound of both Arnold and Phoebe loudly and firmly stating her name…And then they both suddenly turned to her with…with scowls of all things!
The young blonde girl blinked at this sight and all sarcasm and smirking instantly drained from her face as she was …very very UNUSED to seeing even slightly angry faces from either one of the two people before her…but definitely not (she kind of gulped) kind of…angry faces from them. 'Yikes, and I thought I could be intimidating…Sheesh! Remind me never to cross either of these two!'
"Helga…" Arnold approached her, looking at her very seriously, "Come on, he's…he's leaving! What happened to wanting to try and be better friends…for me and Phoebe's sakes like the…like the good person I know you are…?" A touch of desperation and almost disappointment came to his eyes.
"Yes, Helga!" Phoebe instantly ran over to her as well, looking at her quite desperately and pleadingly too. "Please! No more sarcasm…Just…Just try…"
Helga, her eyes wide, looked back and forth from Arnold to Phoebe…and couldn't help but feel her heartstrings pulled. "Oh…I…I…" And then finally she let out a sigh and closed her eyes and half smiled to herself. "For Pete's sake…you know, it's not exactly fair when you two double team me…You're like my two biggest soft spots ever…" And really there was nothing in the world more endearing than the looks Phoebe and Arnold could get when their normally bright, sunny, optimistic faces were sad.
Helga just smiled a bit more and shook her head in amusement at the sights of them like that and how it could instantly melt it heart…. and then suddenly she got up, and walked past a now surprised looking Arnold and Phoebe and over to Gerald, who was still standing by the ajar door, just watching this whole scene with interest. Then she stopped before him, took a deep breath, looked him in the eye and spoke. "Geraldo—uh, Gerald…" she corrected herself, and then continued on quite sincerely, "Look, I'm sorry we kind of kept you out of the loop again there for a few minutes…" She cleared her throat and glanced down a little, a slight blush coming to her face. "And, you know…I…I do, um…you know, trust you and everything, Gerald. I mean…" she raised her eyes to meet his again, "You've been really cool about keeping my secret and even not giving me that hard of a time about it in private, so...of course, I trust you." She even smiled a little at this point… 'After all, he's…kind of given me hope, in a way, if you really think about it…I-I mean, if HE can find out and not make my life a torturous mess…maybe one day other people can know, and it…really won't be so bad…'
Helga's speech over, she looked to the tall-haired boy as she awaited his reaction…and after a second, she was met with a very happy smile from him. "Really?" he replied brightly, removing his hand from the door handle and crossing his arms over his chest in satisfaction. "Well, thanks, Helga…And…you can, you know. Trust me, I mean." He spoke sincerely. "I mean, you've made my best friend really happy and I'd never want to do anything to upset that or you…" He gave her a bit of a good-natured smirk, "Even though you did torture us since pre-k…"
Helga rolled her eyes, now smirking a little as well…and also feeling immense relief inside of herself that Geraldo seemed to have forgiven her and the rest of them. "Yes, yes, I know, Gerald, and I've apologized for that about a million times so far so you can quit clinging to it anytime!" she finished with a lighthearted chuckle…but then cleared her throat nervously (much to Gerald's interest….He raised an eyebrow) "And, um…" Helga suddenly went on with a small shrug, "…Um, as for what Pheebs and Football Head and I were just talking about before…the, uh, other thing besides obnoxious siblings that we might have in common…it's not that I thought you'd parade what it is around town or anything, but it's just…something that I find a little embarrassing, but…" She finally just let out one more sigh and looked at him with a smile. "Might as well face the music, right? You found out about my love for Arnold, my poetry, my shrine…you were bound to find out about this eventually too, I guess…"
Okay, now Gerald was officially hooked, by the way… 'What the heck is she talking ab—' He paused and his eyes went even wider as Helga then reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Gerald Johanssen…There is one small thing we kind of automatically have in common…though I think you'll be a bigger fan of it than I am…" She let out a breath (still feeling the need to be a little unnecessarily dramatic about this whole thing, but then again, this WAS Helga we were talking about), and then finally just said it. "You know the G in Helga G. Pataki…? It, uh…it might stand for, uh…G…r…ne…"
"Helga…" came Arnold's gently coaxing voice from behind her, familiar with her mumbling tactic about this whole thing.
"It's GERALDINE, okay? GERALDINE, and that does NOT leave this room and that IN NO WAY becomes my new nickname or anything or I really WILL sock you right in the nose, hair boy!" she finished firmly, and then removed her hand from Gerald's shoulder and turned back to her beloved with a touch of a scowl (though of course a smile obviously pulled at the corner of her mouth). "Thanks for the prompt, darling!" she commented with more than a touch of sarcasm.
Arnold just chuckled and blushed a tiny bit. "You're welcome, my love!" he replied back playfully.
"Okay two things—First, 'Hurl Alert' is at maximum!" Gerald suddenly commented from behind them. "And second…" he snorted, "A-And second…" And then he instantly fell to the floor in laughter. "Oh—oh man…ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Helga just let out a good-natured sigh and turned back in his direction. "Oh brother, I knew it…"
"Ha, ha, ha—Oh man…" he went on, still in convulsions, "You always hated me and your middle name was practically my first name! Oh that's a nice touch of irony! Very well done! Score another one for the bullied!"
Helga rolled her eyes, turning back to Arnold and Phoebe once more. "Okay, okay, NOW can we get back to finding something Gerald and I have in common and actually both like besides 'the annoying brother and sister' topic that Phoebe came up with eons ago? Besides, see Geraldo loves my middle name and I can barely stand it…" She smiled at her beloved. "I mean, really, the only reason I'm not saying I hate it outright is because you like it, Arnold."
"Ha, ha, oh hey and see I was right!" Gerald suddenly chimed in, getting some of his laughter under control and managing to sit up a little on the floor. "Arnold liking something CAN influence your opinion!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Helga waved him off playfully over her shoulder, still smiling to herself. "Old Football Head can sway me a little…" her fiery eyes met Arnold's across the room, "…but I'M still the one calling the shots for me, of course!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Helga…" her beloved assured with a smile and a nod. "After all… 'just because you love me doesn't mean you love my taste all the time'…" He did his best not to laugh, unable to help quoting that snippet of conversation he'd walked in in the middle of.
He watched Helga blink and blush a little…but then just smile and let out a sigh. "Oh, Arnold…you and that eavesdropping habit…First at Slausen's the day you realized you were falling for me and now this…I blame myself…I've made the life of someone with almost no moral conscience look FAR too appealing…I really am a bad influence on you, Arnold." She winked and then watched Arnold chuckle and then she joined him.
Still, though, Helga knew that right now needed to be about Gerald and her working things out, and not about Arnold and her flirting like they were prone to do when talking together, and so she let out a sigh and looked to everyone in the room once more. "But anyway, everyone, seriously…like I said, back to our epic search for things in common between Helga and the guy with the three foot head of hair…" She smirked a little and turned her sights specifically to Gerald once more, "So, provided you're still definitely willing to stick around, Johanssen, I'd recommend getting away from the door and getting back to sitting on Arnold's bed please so we can finish this thing up before our best friends get the wrong idea and go and pull the desperate wide-eyed pleading stare thing on YOU too!" She then walked over and sat herself in her former position on the end of Arnold's bed, and waved Gerald over, gesturing with a jerk of her thumb to the head of her beloved's place of sleep where he had been sitting before.
Gerald, now finally standing and now finally in control of his laughter, just let out a final good-natured chuckle or two more and nodded. "Yeah, okay…and of course I'm staying, guys… And thanks, Pataki—uh, Helga…And don't worry, I'll keep the 'Geraldine' stuff to a minimum…mostly…" Gerald watched Helga sigh and roll her eyes away from him at that little promise of a small tease or two to come about this whole thing (though he could tell from the look on her face that she wasn't genuinely upset enough to actually hit him for just one or two little side comments…though he knew better than to make them public, of course). Smiling to himself a little at the sight, he then walked back over to the bed and indeed sat at its head once more. He turned to Arnold and Phoebe with a smile. "And, uh, sorry for getting a little dramatic there, guys…just felt like I needed to do something to get you to notice me…And I knew that you two…uh, that all three of you," he gave Helga a small smile, "wouldn't really not care enough to let me leave like that…" He let out a breath and turned his sights back to Arnold and Phoebe. "So, anyway…back to finding stuff me and Helga have in common and feel the same way about…Phoebe got one with the brothers and sisters, Arnold you got one 'kind of' with our names…especially since Helga kind of did admit that she likes her middle name a little since you like it…" Phoebe and Arnold were amused to see Gerald smirk a tiny bit at this comment and Helga roll her eyes with a smile…but no one went for the start of another catty insult fight...which actually gave Gerald the chance to continue on with a smile, looking to his 'girl he like liked'. "Looks like it's Phoebe's turn again…" He shot her an encouraging grin. "Come on, babe—I know you've got a good one saved up..." He winked.
Phoebe instantly giggled and blushed slightly at his address (she loved being called 'babe' by him…especially lately). "Well…actually…" she began shyly with a smile, "I do have another one…But…" She looked to Gerald just a little hesitantly, "You might not necessarily like me mentioning it in front of Helga, Gerald…"
Gerald just looked back at her with an eyebrow raised as though unsure of what she meant…though at the same time he was blushing slightly as he was more than aware that even though he couldn't think of one specific big one off the top of his head, there were indeed several things he might have mentioned to Phoebe over the course of the last few weeks that…might be a little embarrassing…and that Helga could potentially lord over him for the rest of their lives. "Um…" he started hesitantly.
"Hey, no fair!" Helga suddenly called out. "I just had to spill that me and tall hair boy basically share a name! He does NOT get to hold out on me now! And besides it can't be that bad, and anyway…" she glanced back at Gerald, raising part of her brow, "You know, if I trust you…and with knowing that I'm in love with your best friend of all things (a fact that could destroy the tough as nails, take no prisoners reputation I've worked two thirds of my life to build) then I don't think it'd KILL you to trust me with whatever Phoebe's talking about, Gerald…Seriously…" And unarguably, it was a more than valid point.
Her argument caused Gerald to glance from her to Phoebe to the floor a little uneasily… "Well…" he started slowly…
"Gerald, she does have a point…" Arnold, always the unbiased arbitrator couldn't help but add with a small grin…
And so, with it being three against one, Gerald finally just sighed and admitted defeat. "Okay, okay, you three, I fold! Phoebe," he looked to her with an accepting smile, "Whatever it is…" he shrugged, "…give it a shot, please."
Phoebe smiled and nodded. "Okay…" She cleared her throat, and then looked from Gerald to Helga, and finally said, "Alright…for something you both like…Poetry."
Helga blinked…and Gerald blushed a bit. "Uh…" Helga began from her end of Arnold's bed, "I think all those pink books on Arnold's desk," (on a side note, though Arnold did indeed sleep with Helga's pink books right at eye level near his pillow each night…and right within easy reach so that he could grab one to cuddle with as he slept…he was just…still a little shy about letting Helga realize this fact…and so, usually, during the day, he kept the stack somewhere else in his room…always moving it back to its proper place at night of course though so that the last thing he could see upon closing his eyes would be Helga's perfect shade of pink…But anyway, back to what Helga was saying), "…and not to mention that whole tutoring fiasco kind of prove that I like poetry…or at least, writing it…" And then the blonde, ten-year-old girl blinked and turned to Gerald, part of her brow raised…and a half smile on her face. "Geraldo? You a bit of a closet poet too?" She did her best not to laugh at the very idea of suave, smooth, macho, Mr. Cool Geraldo filling up a bunch of pink books with love poems in his spare time.
Gerald just sighed and rolled his eyes and responded dryly, "No Helga, I'm not secretly composing odes of books about Arnold in my spare time…'Fraid that's only you!" He gave a small chuckle (as did Arnold and Phoebe, unable to help themselves), but then he swallowed and finally admitted a little sheepishly, "But Phoebe's right…I do kind of like poetry. But you know, more listening to it…like spoken word stuff…Me and Phoebe have gone to a couple of things at some clubs around here together actually…and every once in a while someone decent shows up at the Cocoa Hut too…" He half grinned. "Guess it kinda of speaks to the 'Keeper of the Tales' in me, you know?"
"Huh…really?" Helga leaned back a bit, crossing one leg over the other and giving him a surprised and intrigued smile. "Well…wonders never cease, do they? " She chuckled to herself. "I mean, I've never really listened to or read much spoken word stuff but who knows? Maybe I should try mixing it up a bit? Check out some of those clubs you mentioned…"
Gerald, smiling just a bit more, had to give her a bit of a look as he replied (unable to help himself), "And, what—in exchange you'll start sharing some of your Arnold poems with me?"
"Uh…as I'd rather gouge out my own eyes with the sharp end of my heart shaped Arnold locket—that would be a no!" Helga replied with a cheesy grin (on a side note, after finding out basically everything about Helga's love for Arnold, including her shrine, it had taken Gerald literally two seconds to realize who that heart-shaped Arnold locket that Arnold had mentioned had shown up in the boarding house one day weeks go belonged to...much to the amusement of a sheepish Arnold, who of course had needed Helga to tell him outright that it was hers during their second date even AFTER he'd already figured out his feelings for her… But once again back to our story). "But…" Helga went on with a shrug and a sincere smile, "maybe I could share some of the poetry books by authors I like with you…"
"Hmm…okay…" Gerald replied, an intrigued look on his face coupled with a sincere smile. "So what are you into? I mean, what styles, time periods, genres, that sort of thing?"
Helga shrugged and leaned back a little on Arnold's bed again, trying not to let a slight blush get the better of her. "What else…the Romantics?" She had to chuckle at the irony. "I mean, some modern and post modern stuff too, but…I guess all that mushy 'life is beautiful', 'oh my dearest you are a perfection', 'there is still hope in the world' stuff kind of appeals to the in love part of me, you know?"
Gerald chuckled a little too…but not harshly or anything, of course. "I could see that…" He smiled a little more. "Actually, it could be kind of cool to check out some of that older stuff—maybe incorporate it into some new stuff I might come up with for my performances…" he finished, quite absentmindedly.
"Wait!" Helga's eyes suddenly lit up and she instantly sat up completely once more, her jaw practically on the floor in a wide smile. "You perform sometimes!"
Gerald's cheeks instantly became tinged with red and his eyes flew open wide as could be! "OH, well…uh…s-sometimes…" And then he whipped his head around and glared at her a little. "But not when you're there! I know you, Helga GERALDINE Pataki…obnoxious jeering is your specialty!" He sighed and shook his head, bringing a hand to one of his temples and collapsing back on Arnold's bed. "Man, it took me two weeks to have the courage to officially do it in front of Phoebe…And I've never even brought Arnold to one where I've performed!"
"Yeah, I was just going to say…" Arnold suddenly chimed in with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at his best friend with interest. "I've listened to a couple of your poems but I've never actually seen you perform, Gerald…"
Gerald just rolled his eyes and sat up again, giving his friend a bit of a look. "Well, come on, Arnold, it's not exactly the most macho thing, and I do have this certain image of coolness to maintain to you and the other guys, you know…"
Arnold couldn't help it—he just rolled his eyes and had to reply dryly, "Mmm hmm…Yes, we all just look to you as a model of coolness, Gerald. Hands down…" Helga snickered at the comment…much to Arnold's delight and pride.
Gerald just gave him a bit of an annoyed look, though at the same time it was obvious he was trying not to smile. "Arnold you have been getting entirely too randomly sarcastic lately from hanging out with Helga, you know that?"
Arnold just chuckled a little and shrugged. "I can't help it. How she talks kind of grows on you a little..."
Gerald deeply sighed and rolled his eyes once more. "Man, I'm starting to miss when you were all quiet and polite and Mr. Straight Talk all the time, you know?"
'Yeah…' Helga chuckled to herself a little more at the comment, 'Mr. Straight Talk all the ti—' Helga's eyes lit up and then suddenly, to everyone's surprise, she stood up from the bed and announced to the room, "Hey, guys, I think I've actually got one!"
"Helga…" Gerald narrowed his eyes a little and looked at her very closely, "Just so I know in advance—is this related to you making a joke about my poetry readings and/or is it going to annoy me in any way?"
"Nah…" Helga waved him off with a grin.
But then…
"It'll annoy old Football Head a little though…" she went on, her smirk only growing.
Arnold blinked from the middle of his room. "Huh? But what did I—" he instantly started!
"Oh, you didn't DO anything, Arnoldo…" She cut him off, rolling her eyes with a smile. "We've been over this before: for better or worse I just like pushing your buttons. And also I really do think I've got one… Actually I'm surprised I didn't come up with it sooner." She sighed and smiled to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess it's just that sometimes I forget with all the dating we've all been doing lately that you and Geraldo really have spent a lot of time together over your lives…" She cleared her throat and turned back to Gerald…who looked rather intrigued once again at this point. "Okay…for a mutual dislike: when you're doing something super fun (but maybe just a little sneaky and underhanded) with Arnold…and it's obvious that he's going to go through with doing it with you and that he does want to do it…but he stops you at one of the most crucial and time sensitive moments to give some kind of little disclaimer speech about how it's 'maybe not the right thing to be doing' just to make himself feel better…"
"…Yeah, and then you have to just kind of roll your eyes and pull him along and do your best to make up for the lost time…!" Gerald suddenly finished with a huge smile, totally getting where she was coming from. "Meanwhile, he's complaining, but he's already helped you with about a million 'less than right' things already at that point!"
"Yes!" Helga suddenly announced, sitting down on the bed again with a full smile. "Total dislike, right!"
"Yes, total dislike!" Gerald agreed and instantly both kids burst into laughter, holding their side. Phoebe even had to giggle as well.
Eventually Gerald wiped a tear from his eye, now finally managing to get some of his laughs under control (yet again) this afternoon, and turned to his (blinking and blushing) best friend. "Oh man, Arnold—I still remember you doing that like three or four times that time we played hooky!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…WHOA!" Helga instantly sat up straight, all laughing gone, and turned directly to Arnold, her jaw dropped in a surprised smile. "You…" her eyes then went to Gerald, "Gerald, you got Football Head to SKIP SCHOOL? Mr. Morals…Mr. Do the Right Thing… Mr. Wet Blanket…"
Arnold just let out a small sigh, though he couldn't help smiling a little. "Gerald…" he said under his breath. 'Here we go…'
"Oh yeah!" Gerald replied to Helga, not paying any attention to Arnold. "It wasn't easy though, believe me!" He chuckled to himself some more. "Meanwhile, though, did you know Arnold can do this dead-on impression of Phil—that's how he pulled it off. Called up Wartz—something about 'young Arnold having a touch of malaria' or something…"
Helga just looked at him with that jaw dropped smile of hers for a second more…and then broke and utterly burst out laughing again. "Oh…Oh for the love of…." She continued, holding her sides and laughing warmly, actually rolling around on Arnold's bed at this point again today. "Malaria!" Her laughing continued and Gerald had joined in now once again this afternoon as well.
Arnold, meanwhile, still left awkwardly standing in the middle of his room watching this whole sight at his expense, just sighed once more and rolled his eyes. "Gerald…" he began, "You know, there's a reason I hadn't mentioned that story to her yet…" He rubbed his eyes. "This is why…"
Helga managed to get some of her chuckles under control at this little announcement from her beloved, and sat up again, looking to him with a smile. "Oh Arnold…" she just shook her head at him at little, "Malaria? REALLY?" She sighed. "We have to have a seriously long talk about you not even trying to lie anymore before you hurt yourself or something…" She raised part of her brow…seeming rather intrigued all of a sudden. "And also…we should probably talk about this little deviant streak you've got…Who knew you were a delinquent, Football Head…and long before I came along, apparently…?"
Arnold swallowed and blushed a little more, crossing his arms over his chest (though his small smile still remained, telling Helga that he was finding all of this just as funny as she was, despite his shyness about it). "Are you done yet, Helga?" he merely asked.
Helga's reply was preceded by a distinct giggle as well as her glancing down just a little shyly. "No, no…we'll definitely talk about this more later…" she began in a rather nice sounding voice (which distinctly caught Arnold's attention), "Besides…it may be really funny…but it's also…really cute…Arnold." She blushed a little more and looked up at him...adding in a slightly lowered voice and giving him a half lidded look, "You know I like that secret side of you, Arnold…The side that says to heck with the rules every once in while…all to do something a little 'daring…'" She even winked. 'Just getting you back, Arnold…Just getting you back…' She recalled that little touch up her spine before with the sole purpose of publically sending her into cardiac arrest.
And indeed Helga could observe that her plan was more than working as Arnold's breath visibly caught in his throat and blushes fully bloomed in both of his cheeks and he even gulped and blinked a few times. "O-Oh…" he then replied shakily…and then (to Helga's further amusement) a strange smile came to his face…and he put his hands behind his back and glanced down a little. "Well, then…you know, once I had to steal back my grandpa's watch from this guy in the sewer who found it…and then you remember when I crashed Rhonda's slumber party with all the other guys…oh and this other time I—"
"Okay, Arnold, wow—" Gerald instantly cut him off, giving him a completely disbelieving look, "Really, man, can you save trying to impress your girlfriend with your 'feats of daring' for sometime when I'm NOT within earshot? I mean, does the 'hurl alert' mean NOTHING to you?" He looked over to Helga, cringing. "And HELGA, I will take you to one of my readings, heck I will do ANYTHING you ask, but I just plain would rather NOT have exposure to excessive amounts of your 'flirtatious' side, at least without fair warning, okay?"
Helga just chuckled, losing the coy look. "Eh, I was just trying to get back at Arnold for giving me that surprise little touch before to make me spazz." She glanced at her boyfriend. "Speaking of which, how're you doing over there, champ of the 'bad boys'? Feel the blushing, Arnold…FEEL the blushing! And remember that Helga Geraldine Pataki NEVER gets got without getting you back!" She winked.
Arnold, meanwhile, had just been wide eyed and frozen ever since Gerald's interruption of his listing of his 'feats of daring'… Now at Helga's sudden address though, he instantly blinked, fully realized the semi daze he had just gone into all about trying to impress her, and suddenly blushed darkly and took a step back away from the bed, looking down sheepishly. The sight only made Helga unable to help giggling once again, though Arnold did his best to ignore the lovely sound as he cleared his throat and sheepishly began, "Oh uh…s-so…" he vaguely recalled their initial topic of conversation through the haze of his embarrassment, "So you both find it annoying sometimes that I try to always do the right thing…even though I don't always necessarily do the right thing…Um…good! Something else you have in common, heh, heh…!" 'I…Heh…b-bad boy…me…? Heh…' He let out a sigh and just tried to put aside the whole thing for now.
Gerald just shook his head in amusement at Arnold's desperate attempt at a segway and Helga just giggled/chuckled again…though they both seemed willing to cut him a bit of a break for now…
…Especially since, all of a sudden, Gerald's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers, turning to Helga. "Oh hey, wait, I've got a 'mutual like' one about Phoebe!"
Helga's eyes flew open in pleasant surprise and flew right to Gerald. "Really? Oh, spill, Geraldo!"
"Really? A like one…about me?" Phoebe suddenly asked timidly with a smile on her face from the middle of the room.
"Okay, now…wait a minute…" Arnold couldn't help but interject, "How come Phoebe gets a like one from Gerald but I get a dislike one from you, Helga?" He looked to her with an eyebrow raised and a half smile on his face, his blushing slowly leaving
Helga just shrugged at him and smirked. "Because I believe in tough love, Football Head…"
He rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, tell me about it…" Arnold looked to Gerald. "Did I tell you how she locked me behind my couch the other day just because I laughed at her about something?"
"Oh get over it Arnold!" Helga instantly interjected, waving him off with a full on grin. "It was twenty minutes at most and you ended up more than safe and sound before we left for the arcade…especially right at the end there just before we left your room…" She gave another small chuckle/giggle… "And as for other reasons why you got a dislike…" And then she leaned over and lowered her voice just a little again… "Well…the things I like best about you, I don't think you'd like me discussing with your best friend, Arnold…" She winked at him.
Arnold instantly blushed brightly and practically almost tripped over his own feet! His eyes went wide again! "I…Uh…I…"
"Guys…HURL ALERT!" Gerald (of course).
Helga laughed a bunch more at this announcement and rolled her eyes. "And now we are not only even for what you did to me at the door before, Football Head, but I have one up on you! Ah, my work here is done…"
Arnold, meanwhile, just let out a deep sigh at this explanation and did his best to come out of the heart-pounding, palms sweating, remembering-in-an-instant-all-of-the-little-intimate-things-he-and-Helga-had-done-together state she'd just sent him into. 'Wow, she's good…' he had to admit to himself. And then he just smiled a little, still blushing, and shrugged in her direction. "Very funny, Helga…"
"Aren't they always? Glad to see you're out of 'romantic fantasy land' though…and glad to know, once again in our lives, that it's so easy to send you off into it in the first place." 'Simple as flipping a switch, I swear…' She winked and chuckled a little, and then crossed her legs and turned her attentions away from a blushing Arnold and back to a (once again) amused-looking Gerald. "Anyway, while Arnold's still getting his well-deserved blushing under control, spill, Geraldo! What's your mutual like about Phoebe?"
"Okay, okay…" Gerald chuckled once more about the whole Arnold thing…but then turned his sights away from Helga and smiled just a little dreamily at Phoebe. "For a mutual like…How every once in a while, even though she's normally really shy and quiet and sweet…which I…like about her…a lot…" he blushed a little but went on just the same, "…Well, anyway, how, even though she's all those things, if someone does something to really bug her or anyone she cares about she'll all of a sudden just take complete charge of the situation, bring out some of that ninjitsu or whatever, or maybe even yell at them…and sometimes in Japanese! There's just…something about it… It's always really unexpected and really…awesome!" he finally finished with a totally amazed grin!
Helga chuckled from her end of the bed and had to nod in agreement. "Yes, Phoebe's assertive side is a definite mutual like!"
And now everyone in the room was smiling and maybe laughing a little and just genuinely having a good time with this whole 'building Helga and Gerald a friendship' thing…
KNOCK KNOCK
"Hey, kids!" Phil suddenly entered the room of happy fourth graders with a smile on his face and holding a plate of something high up in one hand. "Oh hey and what do you know—looks like you and Helga DO do other things up here besides smooch all day, Short Man, heh, heh, heh!" the old man couldn't resist adding, wiping a tear from his eye with his free hand. "Sorry, Arnold, I couldn't resist."
Phoebe giggled a little and Gerald snorted once or twice through his nose…And Arnold and Helga just both instantly blushed darkly and glanced down sheepishly, clearing their throats a little…but also slightly glancing to each other out of the corner of their eyes with very small, mutual smiles.
"Heh, heh…" Phil finished his chuckles and then looked around at the four ten-year-olds before him. "Anyway, Short Man, from the hall it sounded like you were starting to get a little group up here and I just wanted to bring you kids a snack!"
"Uh…Grandpa?" Arnold began hesitantly. "Hasn't Grandma only been pickling raspberries for the past two days…?"
The other three children exchanged uneasy looks.
Phil sighed. "Well, you're right about that, Arnold… Crazy old bird—can't get her to stop…Something about having them through summer…" He shook his head (though it was obviously in amusement, of course), but then smiled once more at the kids. "Oh, but, not to worry though—I did manage to scrounge up a few left over boxes of chocolate turtles from that Campfire Lass that came by last month…" He suddenly lowered the platter, showing the kids the chocolates. "Even managed to get keep them away from that bum Kokoschka all this time, heh heh!"
"Thanks, Grandpa!" Arnold smiled up at the old man at the sight of the treats on the plate.
"Yes, thank you very much!" Phoebe chimed in as well, eagerly stepping forward to partake.
"Yeah, uh…thanks…" Helga (not…exactly enthusiastically…)
"Uh, yeah…thanks, Phil…" Gerald (ditto.)
Phil handed the plate off to Arnold to share with his friends and then turned back in the direction of the bedroom door. "Well, I'll leave you kids alone then! Let me know if you need sodas or anything else like that!" And with that and a smile he departed down the attic steps once more.
"Ugh—chocolate turtles!"
The second he left it was out of their mouths…Helga's and Gerald's mouths to be precise…at the same time, this fact made them both blink and look to each other with wide eyes.
Several seconds of silence passed.
"Tell me we just found another dislike…" Helga suddenly began incredulously.
"I…think we might have…" Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Huh…random…"
"I'll say…" Helga agreed, and leaned back on the bed a little. "So, what's your beef with chocolate turtles, Gerald?"
Gerald shrugged, a half smile on his face. "Me and Arnold tried selling them once…Situation turned kind of chaotic…Ended up with a bunch of angry Campfire lasses taking all of our money." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Your beef with them, Helga?"
Helga shrugged, a full grin on her face. She let out a sigh. "Well, I told Arnold the full version this yesterday…that's actually why I had to lock him behind the couch because he laughed at me, but…I had to steal a Campfire Lass's sash once as part of keeping my 'big secret.'" She made air quotes. "They found me later when I was heading home and chased me down the street. Believe me, after getting pelted with a few chocolate turtles you'll get sick of them pretty quickly."
The two of them just looked at each other with smiles for another second…and then burst into mutual laughter at their ordeals…which both really were quite amusing, when you thought about them.
Arnold and Phoebe, meanwhile, just continued watching their friends with smiles and munching on chocolate turtles in the middle of Arnold's room, as they had been ever since their respective friends/significant others had started their explanations about their own personal pet peeves with the food in question.
Arnold swallowed a bite and then turned to Gerald with a smile. "Gerald, I can't believe all that stuff bothers you so much that you still won't eat them…"
"Yes, I have to agree with Arnold," Phoebe added, looking to the occupants of Arnold's bed and swallowing now as well. "They're still quite an excellent candy despite what happened to you, too, Helga."
Gerald just rolled his eyes. "Man, I just never want to see, hear, smell, touch or taste anything having to do with Campfire lasses again, okay?"
Helga smirked. "Yeah, ditto!"
The two of them turned to one another, and smiled and chuckled a little.
Arnold and Phoebe just sighed to one another, and smiled at the sight of their friends…finally actually, genuinely sincerely getting along…
And then a little something occurred to Arnold, and he swallowed the bite of chocolate turtle in his mouth and turned to Phoebe, speaking to her in a low voice so that only the two of them would hear while Helga and Gerald continued to just find humor in their shared random mutual food preference. "Hey, Phoebe…as long as they're getting along so well together…do you think that maybe…" he leaned in close and whispered something in her ear.
Phoebe's eyes instantly lit up and she looked to him and nodded. "I concur, Arnold! That sounds like a wonderful idea!"
Arnold nodded as well and then suddenly took a step forward and cleared his throat, getting Helga and Gerald's attentions. "Hey, um, guys…? As long as you two are getting along so well now and we're all having a good time together…well, Phoebe and I were talking and we were just wondering…do you guys maybe want to do something all together today…? You know, like that one of those…double dates, like Helga mentioned before."
Helga and Gerald had looked from each other to Arnold as he had spoken, and now they considered for a second…and then just looked back to each other again with smiles. Helga shrugged. "Hey, I'm game! Who knows, maybe a little more time together would even give us a chance to find a few more reasons why we shouldn't hate each other. What do you say, hair boy?"
Gerald shrugged as well. "Works for me, Geraldine!" He broke into some suppressed chuckles and Arnold and even Phoebe couldn't help but let out a laugh as well.
Helga gave a stiff sigh, but her half smile was undeniable. "Ha-ha, glad you got that out of your system, Geraldo." She gave him a smirk. "Now before you start reciting an epic spoken poem about it, 'Oh Keeper of the Tales', why don't we take this group date downstairs, order a pizza and just all spend some time together getting to know each other a little better as friends? And we can even continue the bonding process on the way to an afternoon of Dino Land as a foursome, and then an evening of skipping rocks off the pier. It'll be great—we can complain about Campfire Lasses, talk a little poetry, and heck maybe even swap some older sibling horror stories or something because, hey, at least your brother never got the bright idea to be our class's student teacher!"
Gerald couldn't help smiling as well. "Fair enough, Pataki…I could go for some pizza, and this is pretty fun…And, hey, at least your sister's gone and out of the house! Do you know what it's like waking up every morning wondering what's going to be on your face THIS time? Not pretty, Helga, not pretty…"
Helga stood up and so did he. She began to head to Arnold's door, still looking to Gerald as she passed by Arnold and Phoebe. "Touché, tall hair boy. And hey as long as we're swapping stories about siblings, wanna gossip more about Arnold and then praise Phoebe more so that Arnold's embarrassment is as intense as possible?"
Gerald smirked and raised an eyebrow, standing up and heading across the room, likewise right past Arnold and Phoebe. "You know, Helga…I think I like that attitude of yours a lot better when it's directed at torturing someone besides me…Oh but, hey, as long as we're on the subject of you and Arnold…this might sound a little weird but…can I ask you a question?" He was standing right by the half open door right along with her now.
Helga paused and looked at him curiously for a second, but then shrugged. "Hey, as long as it's not too embarrassing, shoot!"
Gerald reached for the door handle, opening the exit from Arnold's room fully, and descended the first couple of steps down to the hallway below, looking over his shoulder at Helga with a curious half smile. "If you're in love with him and everything…why do you still call him Football Head? I mean, not that I want ANY details, but I'm assuming that this whole 'in love' thing implies that you kind of, uh…" he rolled his eyes off to the side awkwardly, "…you know, dig how my man looks a little… I mean, strictly speaking, from the earful of stuff I CONTINUE to hear from Arnold about you…" Gerald made a motion of cleaning out his ears, as he had once so long ago in this room near this door, "…apparently you're some kind of 'vision of loveliness he never fully realized until now', etcetera, etcetera…" He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh (while across the room Arnold just blushed a lot but…obviously didn't correct his best friend). "So, uh…" Gerald cleared his throat, trying to move things along, "What's with keeping up the 'Football Head' even when we're all in private? Or any of the insults for that matter?" He paused on the steps and looked at her with genuine curiosity once more.
Helga just blinked at first at the unexpected question from the boy before her…but then she instantly started laughing to herself and shaking her head as she began to follow after him down the stairs. "Oh, Gerald, Gerald, Gerald…still so very blind about the romantic subtleties of our class, I see…" She let out a sigh. "I still call Arnold 'Football Head' because I never meant it as an insult in the first place… I don't think the shape of his head is weird…I, uh…well…like you said, kind of 'dig it' actually…. So it's always been more of a pet name for him than anything…that's what all of the 'insults' have been over the years, actually…and now Arnold knows it." Then something between a chuckle and a giggle then escaped her. "Oh and I appreciate that tip off about the old Football Head—I didn't realize he had taken to gushing to anyone who would listen about his little preoccupation with me as pretty…I'll have to bring that up with him later along with his whole delinquent thing…Thanks, Gerald."
A chuckle as their voices began to disappear into the hallway. "Sure thing, Helga. Oh and okay, I get why the 'insults' have been sticking around…" Another chuckle. "Hey, so when you call me 'tall hair boy' ," the sentence smugly began, "You actually think that my incredible do is—"
"Weird as can be," came the dry reply, "Sorry, the opposites thing only applies to Arnold…although…okay, fine, I admit…the hair IS a little cool, okay, Geraldo?"
Some laughter. "KNEW IT! Score another one for the bullied!"
"…And from what she's told me over the years and especially recently, Phoebe's very into it too…"
"O-Oh…uh…cool! Heh…"
"Hey, just repaying you for that little tidbit about Arnold going off on a regular basis about how he's attracted to me." Some laughter. "Now come on—on our way downstairs to order the pizza, I want to hear more about Arnold and this whole 'hooky' business…"
"You've got it, Pataki. Okay, so, like I said Arnold used his Phil impression to dupe Wartz, and then we…" These were the last words to make it clearly up into the room to be heard as the speaker and his companion obviously had made it to the far end of the hallway.
Back in Arnold's room, Arnold and Phoebe had just been watching Gerald and Helga go with mutual slight blushes (at this point) but also smiles on their faces.
"Well…" Arnold began with a shrug, now that the conversation of their friends was too far away to really hear, "At least they're happier together…" He glanced to the girl at his side. "We have weird friends slash people we're dating, don't we, Phoebe?"
Phoebe gave a small chuckle and glanced to the boy at her side. "Indeed, Arnold, indeed…" She glanced in the direction of his doorway again. "Perhaps before too many more fun pieces of information about us get shared between them, we should head downstairs and distract them from their newfound pastime."
Arnold smiled a little more. "Yeah, we probably should…" He blushed just a little more. "You sit close to Gerald to distract him and I'll sit close to Helga?"
Phoebe nodded (and blushed a little more as well). "Precisely."
The two headed toward Arnold's still open bedroom door.
"Just so you know, Phoebe…" Arnold suddenly began with a smile, "I mean, as long as Helga and Gerald are sharing some things…" He turned, to her. "Gerald really really…really likes you." He chuckled a little and began to head down some of his steps.
Phoebe likewise smiled chuckled a little, commencing her descent as well. "Th-Thanks, Arnold…I know… And, um…brace yourself…" she gave him a bit of a look, still smiling, "Helga's in love with you."
Arnold burst into laughter for a moment. "No, really?" He raised an eyebrow at her as they made it down the rest of the stairs together. "No…it can't be! I'm sure I would have figured it out by now if she did…"
The two kids shared another small laugh together…but then as they finally reached the hallway below, Phoebe paused for just a moment (causing Arnold to do the same), and she looked to the football headed boy and…couldn't help saying very sincerely, "But…but really, Arnold…No matter how casual she'll ever try and be about it…Helga gave her heart to you a long time ago…and now it's like you're her heart for her…and she'll love you forever, Arnold."
Arnold blushed quite a bit as he stood in the hall with Phoebe like this and this particular phrasing of Helga having feelings for him washed over him. 'I'm her…her heart… And she's…' "I know, Phoebe…Thanks…" Arnold replied with a breath, choosing to tuck the thought away for now…such a beautiful, thought really…And he knew how…very true it was.
"Oh, and, um…she secretly thinks all the 'gentleman' type things you try and do for her are very cute, despite the fact that she doesn't want to be treated too differently for being a girl." Phoebe winked at him, having made this humorous little gossipy addition to her words, and then, with a shrug, commenced her walk up the hall.
The amusing little revelation actually did make Arnold laugh and feel a bit more lighthearted once again, and he quickly began to follow alongside her. "Thanks, Phoebe. Oh, and…" he let out a sigh, "As long as everyone's sharing about everyone else today, before I forget, Gerald says his heart skips a beat every time you answer a question right in class." He winked back at the girl beside him.
Phoebe gave one of her light little happy laughs at this amusing piece of information, and nodded at Arnold. "Thank you, Arnold…Let's save anything else though for when we're downstairs right in front of them, okay? Just to keep the embarrassment…balanced." They had reached the top of the stairs.
Arnold nodded, his smile picking up quite a bit. "I couldn't agree more, Phoebe."
Set on this course of action, the two kids began their descent to the first floor landing…just smiling and talking and preparing to join their best friends for a fun, double date of an afternoon.
FLASHBACKS AND FANTASIES
(A/N: Once again, this is for SUPRSINGR and once again PULLING UP AND REREADING THE FIRST EPILOGUE OF TA FROM THE POINT WHERE HELGA SLIPS INTO ARNOLD'S ARMS AND HE KISSES HER TO THE END OF THAT WHOLE SCENE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED BEFORE STARTING THIS STORY ;) )
~*Flashback*~
…Arnold only had about half a second to wonder at Helga's response before she suddenly pushed up from the floor using her heels and pressed her own lips against his as hard as she could. She wrapped her arms around his head and neck, righting herself completely!
Needless to say this degree of… 'reciprocation'…was VERY unexpected by Arnold.
And then to make matters even more 'unexpected' the sudden shift of Helga's weight as well as the force of her kiss…as well as the fact something inside of him, though he didn't have time at the moment to really process what exactly it was, basically EXPLODED…caught Arnold off guard, and he swayed for a second before falling completely back onto the coffee table with Helga on top of him! (Once again, a very…um… 'unexpected' turn of events for our 'very new to this whole being in love thing' football headed little hero).
Arnold's back slammed hard against the table and he could just make out the feeling of objects moving away and falling at his sudden impact against the hard, elevated surface, but his focus right now was mostly on the fact that the person he'd only realized about a week ago that he was starting to fall in love with was on TOP of him! Completely burying and burning him into the table underneath! Just like on that building when she'd confessed…but oh so much more insane! Unexpected…all so unexpected… He…okay, yes, he'd…thought about the memory of that FTi kiss sometimes…but certainly, he'd figured, though the confession itself had been genuine the passion of that kiss must have been in the heat of the moment…Just part of Helga finally letting her feelings out…right? After all, THAT…that was practically how GROWN-UPS kissed! And the same could almost be said for when she'd kissed him in the closet last Monday for his pep talk to her about finding a way to escape from the other kids…Of course, she had gotten a little carried again that kiss as well—after all, she'd been seriously suppressing her feelings for him for a few days only to suddenly let them come flooding back, and then also she'd just been happy that he'd helped her and also scared with everyone pounding on the door… Yes, all 'heat of the moment' incidents easily explained by, well…being in the 'heat of the moment.'
But certainly Helga really kissing him in a controlled setting…in a situation such as this one where they were alone and could think about it and where everything was out on the table already (he tried not to cringe at the unintentional pun) would be…loving, tender, maybe a little intense considering how passionate a person she was by nature, but still tame and childlike. But this was…this…for heaven's sake, her arms were cradling his head and she was almost twisting herself against him and she was MOANING like crazy and her lips were just…nothing had ever felt so…Could there be anything that soft yet that powerful in the entire world? Really?
And then the whole EXPLOSION INSIDE OF HIM thing finally hit Arnold's conscious mind…
And suddenly he realized something very… strange…but also…good…perfect actually.
You see, throughout Arnold's life, his relationship with Helga G. Pataki had always felt…somehow… 'imbalanced' if that made any sense. Like, how they were together—the insults but then the surprise good times but then the fights but then the random bonding—it felt like it was… a 'good' thing to do but…there was a tension there… Like somehow it was all forced, just barely being held together by both of their efforts. In short, it didn't really feel right. Arnold usually hadn't paid too much attention to it though—as long as he could be there to help one of his friends and as long as she really did let that nice side of her come out now and again, it seemed like it was working okay enough. And besides, he'd never been able to come up with any other manner of relationship that they could be in together to try out. …But still, so very often it had nagged at Arnold and confused him a little. Why had what they'd had together all those years feel…kind of good but in the wrong way…? Why had he always liked her even though it seemed like he shouldn't…? And why did he still care so much, even after all of these years, about figuring out an answer to these questions and more? Where was the imbalance…?
But now…right now…with her like this…
The imbalance wasn't just clear and wasn't just righted…it was like it had never even existed in the first place. It was like…what they had been before was a shadow of what this was. This…fit. It was like finally releasing a breath after having held it in for a really long time. A REALLY long time. This FIT. And…And…And…
…To have to go back to how it had been before…the funny tension…the funny imbalance…trying to keep two people together in a way that kept undoing itself because who they were made it just plain wrong for them to be together like that…it seemed really almost quite unbearable…almost painful… Not in the face of all of this lovely perfection!
Nearest Arnold could figure, the fear and disbelief that had coursed through him during every kiss before this one had been what had kept him from realizing it all… But he wasn't scared of her anymore….or of her feelings…or of his feelings…or of the truth… He was kissing her back and he loved kissing her…he loved spending time with her…the idea of her loving anyone else ever (Brainy, for example) made this hot jealousy course through him that he'd never felt EVER before…and he even loved that she had just tossed him onto a table to just…just…
She wasn't just burning him into the table, was she? She was burning HERSELF into HIM too!
And maybe he…maybe he…wanted that. Maybe HE wanted to burn into HER right back…COULD he?
What a…a fascinating idea…
And suddenly before he could let himself stop himself, Arnold's usually modest and before quite paralyzed arms were around Helga's back, pulling her in close and tight, holding savoring…EVERYTHING! If she ended this and tried to fake like it was all in the heat of the moment…it would have been UNBEARABLE! No—no more going backwards! He held her, pressed his hands into her back to assure himself that she was real…because she belonged right here with him like this! This was the way they were supposed to…they way they needed to…the way they WANTED to be! The way HE wanted to be! And the way she just melted even more into him, kissed him even more crazily and hungrily, cradled his head even more lovingly at his actions only confirmed it more! She knew it too! She'd known it first! And how had he gotten through the last seven years not just screaming that he…that he loved her too…that his heart burned for hers too, that his lips longed to touch hers too, that his arms needed to embrace her body just as much as hers needed to embrace his…? Who could be that blind, stupid, dense?
And now, finally accepting that simple fact…the fact that he had found the right relationship with Helga G. Pataki…the power of coherent thought finally returned to Arnold.
'Kiss me! Please keep kissing me! Please don't take it away again! Please! Don't run away again or pretend it didn't happen or have this all be another dream or something again!' (Er…on a side note, Arnold HAD occasionally dreamt about that FTi kiss along with just thinking about it… After all it had been rather passionate…and his first real one…and well…he'd never done anything even close to something like that with a girl before! But anyway back to our story…) 'I…' She was moaning and breathing heavily through her nose and pulling her fingers through his hair and pushing them back more and more on the table to support them… It all interrupted Arnold's thoughts to say the least…and then made him hold tighter around her waist and back…this beautiful creature who loved him so…. 'I…need us like this…' he finally got out to himself… 'The tension…it doesn't just make it go away…When we do it together it makes it…it makes it like it was never there! Changes it into…' It was like she was pulling his kiss from his lips by the roots or something and he just did his best to do it back to her though he had NO clue if he was doing it right…though hopefully the fact that she was still going with things so very enthusiastically was a good sign… 'It changes it into…' the word he'd used before with her stuck in his head again, '…passion…So much passion…' Arnold let out such a deep sigh through his nose. 'I…I know I'm still kind of falling and not really in love yet…I know I need a little more time for it to sink in, but…until it does…and until I finally have it in me to tell her…which hopefully will be tonight if this ever stops…' He knew, of course, that all of this kissing would have to stop eventually… (though Arnold was hesitant to admit it to himself…After all, he'd never felt such intensity in his entire life—who could blame him for secretly never wanting it to end?) 'I just hope more than anything that she knows from all of this that I…I…' Helga moaned very deeply this time and it made Arnold shake as he finally freely and fully admitted to himself, 'I want YOU, Helga G. Pataki!' The thought consumed him! 'I want you more than anybody in the whole world…Please don't ever stop kissing m—'
"OW!"
"OW!"
Oh…oh boy…
'We just…' the wind was knocked out of him a little as he lay there on his back on Helga's living room carpet, so it took Arnold a second but…opening his eyes a little and looking up at Helga's ceiling he suddenly fully realized what had just happened to shift his entire reality once again in his life and to make him slip back into his normal, sane, very impassionate self for the moment at hand. 'We just…fell off the table…Kissing so much we fell off the…and we were ON the table in the first place!' He blushed so hotly! Thinking about what he'd just done with her! About how he must have looked…Her curving herself against him like that and him pulling her in for more and more and…
"Okay, hold on…"
Arnold heard an angel's voice say these words…His angel…His person he was supposed to be with…And then his head switched gears again: Her mouth was speaking…which meant it wasn't kissing. Why wasn't she kissing him anymore? That's how they belonged, right? He could already feel it…the imbalance whispering its return…the threat that it would just get pretended again that nothing had happened between th—
She was on top of him again.
Arnold's heart pounded and every instinct inside of him screamed at him not to let her get out of this! To pull her back in for—
It was all happening so fast! Suddenly, her weight was off of him and he was being yanked through the air and back to his feet. Meanwhile, though, his head still raced with ideas and concepts and all sorts of lovely things… Had it always been like this? Always been this simple? Just kiss Helga and let her kiss you—and the world would never be more perfect than it was in that instant. Her warmth, her love, her sweetness, her brilliance…her fire…everything about her that he'd only glimpsed on FTi and had been trying to get to come out again with this whole tutoring thing, everything that he'd ever wanted and never even known he wanted in a girl…
'A girl…'
And suddenly Arnold felt that big explosion that had happened before in him just moments ago when she'd kissed him—that sudden flood of realization and feeling and truth and rightness—come over him once more. It wasn't as overwhelming to his system this time around, of course, since he'd been thinking and realizing and becoming familiar with so many things in regards to it over the few minutes since the initial one… but still it exploded somewhere between his stomach and his heart like electric butterflies and all but made him quake inside. And then Arnold glanced down a little and realized with a growing smile that the source of the power for this sudden grand cloud of delight appearing inside of him once again this evening was Helga's lovely hand still holding his own…that hand he'd kissed last Monday after school…Only now he genuinely couldn't understand how, after doing that to her that day, he'd resisted what would have obviously been the natural course of action of continuing with his kisses along the back of that gentle hand and up Helga's lovely, smooth arm, bringing an arm of his own around her waist in the process…and then when his lips had reached her firm, warm shoulder he would have looked into her unsure eyes and made the unsureness go far, far away by bringing their lips together again…and not in some fearful little peck like he'd given her before in front of the TV…but in the kind of kiss she deserved! One that would melt HER and burn HER and make it so that she could never ever forget or deny or hide the fact that she was a girl, his girl, and she loved him. Yes…it was so simple… Arnold felt the butterflies dance…
Yes! That was it! He would kiss her until she just couldn't help but say it over and over again forever and ever: 'I love you Arnold…I've always loved you…' The most wonderful thing he'd ever heard her say to him in his entire life! And he would give her such a perfect kiss—just like hers to him always were and especially like hers to him on the FTi building had been—so that no matter how much fear might overtake him this time when it was over, there would be NO question in Helga's mind that it had been a genuine and sincere action on his part, and he wouldn't be able to take it back himself when all was said and done either no matter how nervous he was about all of this! The idea only made Arnold's smile grow just the tiniest bit more and his heart pump even faster! It would be crazy and insane and something so very against anything he would have ever done with anybody else ever! And then Arnold genuinely realized for the first time that this concept was something not entirely unfamiliar: that feeling of having Helga before him and doing something crazy and passionate with her… The April Fools dance… A night he'd spent walking a fine line between how he felt about her right now and how he'd thought he'd felt about her before her confession. Oh, and now he could have kicked himself for not going with his instincts that night and placing a gentle, small kiss upon Helga's 'blind' lips as he'd dipped her back on the dance floor (he'd chalked the sudden thought up at the time to just…the heat of the moment with getting back at her for her prank….Yeah, that had been it.) …But perhaps doing that actually would have been even MORE regretful… Only having teased himself with what he really must have wanted deep down… 'And she's so…wantable…'
Arnold's ears suddenly practically perked up as his bright angel began to speak again! And she looked confused and a little worried and just a little flustered—so adorable! Flustered made sense…in love as she was with him…but why should she be confused and worried? There was no need for that anymore. Oh but it was just because he hadn't acted yet to show her…of course. Silly perfect woman that she was… "Why are you looking at me like that, Football He—MMM!"
It had been almost unbearable watching those lips of hers move even THAT much before he pulled her in to bring her mouth back to that state of perfect, blissful harmony together with his own! 'Shh…It's okay now, Helga…We're together again….in love….' He almost ('almost' being the key word) wished his mouth was free so that he could soothe the girl in his arms with something besides his thoughts. She felt so shocked and stiff and—
There was a sudden shift in his balance and equilibrium (and a slight draft on his head, though Arnold wasn't paying too much attention to it at the moment), and Arnold almost panicked for just a moment…but then he had to just smile as he quickly realized that he'd mistakenly thought for just a second that it was that old imbalance coming back between them despite his kiss to her…but then of course he'd understood as he'd felt Helga come to rest upon something and as he'd come to rest mostly upon, well, HER, that he'd simply just made her collapse backward (onto the couch probably, though who could think about where the heck they were at a time like this?) But actually, maybe this was a bit more comfortable and also not standing meant they wouldn't get tired as easily so he could just keep kissing her, and also, well…her body felt so perfect under his. He wondered if his own had felt so perfect to her under hers?
Arnold let out a sigh for his nose. No time for all of these happy, lovesick, pretty thoughts just now… He had a job to do! She had half ripped them from the wrong way of being together to the right way of being together with that confession of hers, and now he was going to rip them the other half of the way completely into it! And also, well…
'Kissing…' Coherent thoughts managed to bubble up once more through the ocean of love suddenly within Arnold, 'We're kissing…I love kissing…and she loves kissing…and now we can love it TOGETHER! This is IT! This is why I could never understand her before…I had to do THIS to understand.' Helga shuddered underneath him and on instinct Arnold pressed into her, practically shaking himself! 'O-Oh…she must be…this must all be so new to her…just like it was to me…' He brought his hands up to hold her shoulders more firmly, gently pressing into and stroking them a little, trying his best to calm her still shocked-feeling body. He let one hand travel up, moving along her neck (touching her skin made goosebumps appear all over him) and then moving into her hair, stroking through the length of one of her pigtails. Who had given her this hair? It was like silk! And then he heard and felt her moan at his action, and everything inside of him turned to jelly…
…And then suddenly Arnold felt one of Helga's hands…and then the other…come around him, holding him in place upon her…and they began moving up his back…but…closer to his skin than they should have been! It struck him full force all of a sudden: she was pulling up his sweater a little the higher she moved, leaving now only the thin material of his plaid shirt between them... Arnold blushed hotly at the notion…but at the same time his heart pounded faster and faster in delight! On top of which, 'Soft…warm…curved…loving…lovely… Hiding it away…but wanting to show it all to me… Didn't she…how could she think I wouldn't…that I'd be able to say no to…that she wasn't…' He collapsed completely against her at that point with the final full force of his passion, moving his arms down and around her tightly, and trying to focus on the task at hand before this beautiful moment had to end, because he HAD to make sure it stuck! That he recognized her romantically…that she wasn't just some friend he liked getting attention from, but a girl he had every intention of wooing and courting and loving. Oh HOW did his arms fit so snugly around her waist and back? It was almost cruel, really! Perfect and yet cruel! They must have always fit perfectly like that around her but life had never fully presented him with a full awareness of it! And speaking of things that fit perfectly, their lips were still in the process of locking and in a way Arnold had never even imagined it would feel when he finally kissed a girl in his life! Mouths didn't get made in pairs like that, destined to be together! And on top of everything else how the HECK was it that her fingers pressing against his back seemed the perfect size for each one of them to be pressing pleasurably into individual grooves in his spine, one after the other! It almost hurt, it felt so wonderful! No, that didn't happen in real life! None of it did! But here it was! They MATCHED!
And finally Arnold just screamed it to himself! 'How could she ever need ME to be the one to show her that she's lovable? And how could ever think I wouldn't fall for her in a heartbeat…after everything that's happened…Helga…Helga…Helga…' The name, the word was so lovely he had to think it over and over again, feeling his heart skip with each thought of it. The soft sigh of air at the H and how the E vowel afterwards extended it…the way the tongue gently curved to the teeth and lips at the L…the way the G lightly clicked at the back of the throat…and that final A that let the air escape in a sigh again…Helga…So beautiful…
And then there was just quiet as the two of them seemed to let out a breath through their noses as one.
Quiet in the room as their loves came together.
…Except for these pesky 'footstep' sounds coming from somewhere nearby that suddenly seemed to suggest to Arnold that someone else in the world existed besides Helga G. Pataki.
'Uh oh…' Other people in the world DID exist didn't they? 'We're in her house….' Arnold's eyes suddenly flew open and met with Helga's wide blue ones right in front of his own…
Panic set in for a number of reasons as their lips remained snugly pressed together.
Let's see…Arnold was about to get caught kissing his…well, his girlfriend (the word really hadn't occurred to him until now and made him blush a little), he was about to get caught doing it to her alone in her house, he was about to get caught almost completely on top of her with the two of them more intimately wrapped around each other than, even in his most wild boyhood imaginings, he had EVER thought it possible to be with a girl, oh and also it wasn't helping that he was suddenly snapping back to his normal sane self once again, and the realization of what he'd just done to/with Helga with this kiss made the embarrassment practically SEAR through his body. 'Oh no, oh no, okay, okay….I—' Suddenly the situation was taken care of for him though as he felt himself quickly pushed off of Helga, flung into sitting on the couch beside her.
"Quick, just…act natural!" he suddenly heard her whisper… Arnold just tried not to blush, meanwhile, as the 'act natural' advice only put an image in his head of him suddenly turning back toward her and collapsing upon her and once more giving her lips the kisses they'd longed for all of these years…and the kisses he'd apparently been dying to give to her even though he hadn't realized it until now.
Arnold instantly shut his eyes and shook his head furiously to rid it of these thoughts for the moment as the footsteps were getting closer! His eyes then popped open once again though and he glanced around several times, trying to figure out in his state of near panic if there was anything else he could do to help out Helga's whole 'act natural' plan and thus possibly save them from TOTAL humiliation! Well, they were awkwardly close to each other…that was maybe something to fix for whoever was about to come along.
Arnold stood then and instantly grabbed Helga's shoulders and pulled her a little to the side on the couch. "Here, sit at this end!"
"Football head what are you—"
"Um…It'll look more natural!" 'And also it'll be a lot harder for me to lose my mind again! Not that losing it was bad or anything, I mean, but…This isn't funny! I couldn't control myself! I didn't even know I had a part of myself that needed controlling! I…I need to think this through later…really REALLY need to think this through later!'
He saw Helga blink a few times but then she seemed to agree with him because she instantly moved fully to her end of the couch of her own accord, and Arnold quickly turned and sat himself at his own end of the couch as well!
He was all but shaking as the footsteps reached the first floor and finally entered the living room.
"Helga…" Arnold heard Phoebe Heyerdahl's voice begin…
Arnold just swallowed and didn't look to Helga…and tried to keep at bay all of these new thoughts and images and ideas that were suddenly nonstop flooding his head of himself and Helga together: her snuggling against him with a smile as they walked down the street, her catching him in a warm hug from behind to surprise him in the halls on the way to class, her giving him little kisses all over his face and shyly upon his lips in his room one of these days…or passionately releasing everything from her mouth to his mouth instead if she preferred (that could happen wherever and whenever she pleased, to be honest, as far as Arnold was concerned, so long as it did indeed happen again…over and over and over again…)… or him even turning to Helga right her right here and now the second Phoebe left them alone again to maybe see her laying against the arm of the couch with her legs pulled close to her body and a coy smile on her face …just waiting for him to do with her all of those things she had to now know he wanted to do with her…
It was MADDENING! Was this what she had been going through for SEVEN YEARS! All of these thoughts and feelings and images bombarding her, but about HIM! No wonder she needed the stalking and the poetry and the shrines (whatever that part of her confession had meant) to deal with it all! His heart was practically ready to burst just from seven SECONDS of it all!
"I was talking to Olga and Lila…" Phoebe's voice suddenly went on, breaking into his thoughts a little, "…And we're sorry about the trick with the movie. We've all agreed it might have been a bit much…I'd be happy to fix it for you if you're still unable to watch…"
Phoebe was in the room now and had stepped around the couch…and had actually paused in the middle of speaking as her eyes fell upon then…and Arnold, out of the corner of his eye, could just see her jaw drop a little. Probably NOT a good sign for it not being incredibly obvious what might have been happening in here just seconds ago.
"…what you'd like…" the young girl's meek voice finished her sentence…And she sounded pretty in awe to say the least.
Arnold could not even describe the massive amount of guilt coursing through him at the moment, not only at getting caught like this but at putting Helga through this humiliating situation too.
"Arnold…what happened to your hat?"
'OH…' Arnold's eyes went very very VERY wide, and he suddenly recalled that draft upon his head from before…and that was still there, come to think about it.
Arnold couldn't help it—his first instinct was to barely glance at Helga out of the corner of his eye (she didn't move to look at him though, of course…), and then recall that he'd definitely had his hat when they'd been on the table together ('Oh my…we were ON THE TABLE TOGETHER!' He took a breath. 'Okay, okay, don't think about it now…Now's not the time…'), and he had definitely felt the draft sometime when they had been kissing on the couch… ('We were on the…I was ON TOP OF HER KISSING HER ON THE…Okay, just calm down…We'll work it out later…') so that meant that the item in question was probably on the floor from when, in the throes of their passion upon the coffee table, he and Helga fallen off together onto the carpet below… The carpet from which Helga had then helped him up only to have him practically just…What had that BEEN anyway, what he'd done to her with that second kiss of his tonight? 'No…no TIME for that now!' Arnold yelled at his mind once more for twisting every event he'd just recounted to himself to such romantic views…even though it really all had undeniably been one big passionate romantic mess.
Arnold blinked once or twice and now focused entirely on Phoebe's 'Where's your hat' observation once more to distract himself from things, and then his eyes fell to the floor only to see his familiar blue (slightly dented from the fall) cap lying right where he'd thought it would be. As dignified as he could, he then leaned over, picked up the item, popped a dent out of it, and placed it on his head. The poor boy finished by swallowing hard and glancing away, blushing furiously…unable to bring himself to actually say anything to go along with this action in response to Phoebe's very good question.
Silence continued.
Arnold heard Phoebe move a little, something with the TV was happening, (honestly though, the blood was pounding so hard in his ears that a lot of things were a bit of a sonic blur) and then she stepped closer again and he just made out the sound of her speaking once again. "I'm going to return to Olga's room now…Don't worry, I'll make certain that there are no more interruptions…Please enjoy the movie." And with that she quickly popped out of the room and returned upstairs.
Arnold and Helga just sat there in silence for a few moments, not moving or looking at one another (and Arnold both dreading and…being intrigued by…the idea that he might fully turn to Helga and actually see her looking like that fantasy/daydream image in his head from before…All warm and romantic and ready and waiting for whatever he'd like to do next…And oh…all the things that were presenting themselves to his mind to try out should he find her like that!) 'NO! No, no, no, no, no, snap out of it, Arnold!' Arnold could have just died! He felt so guilty and yet so good at the same time! This was definitely something that would have to be worked out later before their SECOND date. ('I did all of this stuff with her and it was only our FIRST date…Great—more things to be guilty about…')
And then suddenly the shaky voice of his date to his left spoke. "Arnold…what…what WAS all of that, exactly?"
'Good question…' he couldn't help but think…still not entirely certain of the details himself. Words came and he just let them out, unable to process anything but saying the truth at the moment. "Well…we fell off the table and I don't think I was done yet. So….I just…thought we should finish, I guess."
She was silent for a moment. "A-Actually…" came her voice again, sounding even shakier!, "I meant what was that whole 'talking about kissing me and then actually doing it' thing, in general, but…good to know. Why you kissed me back after I kissed you was probably going to be my second question, anyway."
"Oh…" Arnold blinked, realizing his mistake. And he could have kicked himself first of all for putting his answer to the question he'd thought she'd asked in such a stupid sounding way, and second of all for directly bringing up his sudden snap! 'This is going to be…a very embarrassing conversation, isn't it?' Absolutely worse than that whole post-confession conversation after Sheck had been taken away….There was no question in his mind about that. But with a clearing of his throat, the football headed little boy did his best to go on and explain things in as simple and innocent terms as he could for now…until he could sort things out better later…Then he would tell her more. But for now he figured it was just better to keep it simple and to speak from the heart.
So he tried…
Still, that logic didn't help Arnold from then making that 'just wanted YOU I mean just wanted TO' slip which basically just left him sitting there torn between wanting to crawl into a hole and never be seen by decent people again, especially someone as lovely as Helga…and wanting to shift over on the couch and gently rest an arm behind her waist and place one hand behind her head and hair, and to assure her with a smile that if it hadn't stuck the first time…he was more than willing to show her once again what he meant by wanting her…and only her…forever.
Arnold's face burned with heat and he tried to think of ANYTHING else but that second option!
"Oh…" he merely heard Helga reply in response to his answer (though why she wasn't furious and angry and disappointed with him for being so carried away and so very ungentlemanly was beyond him). "Okay." There was a second of silence. "So…uh…what did you 'figure out' exactly?"
Oh yeah…he'd just mentioned he'd figured something out, hadn't he? (The verbal slip had been more prominent on his mind, of course.)
Arnold considered, and then took a breath and did his best to go on with explaining himself innocently and simply…still so very unsure about so many of these new things now inside of himself…but more than willing to take the time to explain at least what they seemed like to him so far…and to work on figuring them out with Helga later…even if it all really was so intense and embarrassing…awkward…crazy…
But still, maybe it wasn't…SO bad…now that he had a second to catch his breath from it all and really kind of let it all absorb. And Helga was seeming very understanding about the whole thing…and nothing was really collapsing around him or anything like that. 'Yeah…we'll…just take it slow…and it'll be fine.' He then smiled a little inside... 'Besides…if I have to go through this love thing with anyone….I'm happy it's her. Someone I care about and like and want to be with…' He blushed just the tiniest bit…. '…and…the girl who taught me how to get and give and share kisses….' He felt a small, happy tremble go through him…and the sensation wasn't nearly as scary to him as it had been before.
So, overall, Arnold came to the conclusion that he would have to keep some of his newer instincts in check…but at least now he was finally dealing with them. And things were finally going to be right with himself and Helga. He almost couldn't wait to see her face when the word would officially come out of his mouth later… 'Love…' Maybe…Maybe after he said it she really would let him try kissing her again…. (because if there was one thing Arnold couldn't deny even despite all of his embarrassment, it was that he indeed wanted to kiss Helga again…and again and again…no question.) 'But…' he suddenly reminded himself firmly, recalling the fair amount of guilt that had bombarded him tonight along with all of the feelings of passion and romance and happiness, 'I have to be a gentleman…she deserves that…So…So…maybe no more kissing from me until I'm sure I've got myself under control…' The thought made a very unexpected small tightening happen in his chest. 'Okay, okay, um…just…just try as hard as you can to do no more kissing until you've had time to make SURE you're under control…' Of course that didn't mean he couldn't think about doing it a little…go back to that nice image and idea in his head of Helga laying there with a welcoming smile and him getting to be a little bold with her once more… Arnold felt a blush mounting in his cheeks and quickly cleared his throat. After all, he still had the real Helga right here and there was still a lot to talk about and they were still on their…first date (another little tremble when through him)…So maybe it would be better to save all those happy fantasies about her for later… Yes, talking and finishing up his first date as a young man first…daydreaming about the girl he liked more than any other girl he'd ever met later… Okay, that was the plan.
And so, having come to these few decisions and realizations, Arnold took a breath and decided to just do his best to go on with his explanations and to see where things went from there with this date tonight. What had he 'figured out'? "…That you were right about it being good for relieving tension…" he went on in regards to the kissing…and then he also admitted how much he'd liked the whole thing… Even though the second it had popped out he'd instantly closed his mouth and hoped he hadn't offended her or anything…being that forward and all about liking doing something like that with her.
"Oh…uh…great…" was all he heard Helga respond with though…so he figured he was still okay with her…And he just hoped that however awkward the rest of this conversation between them went on to be, the end of the night would be good and perfect, just like the start of it had been…and that they would have another date to look forward to very soon.
"Uh, Football Head, your sweater's a little…"
Arnold blinked at the announcement from Helga and looked down at himself… Upon which he blushed at the sight of the state he was in (and the memory of how he'd gotten that way), and then straightened things a little and finally fully looked to her and…couldn't help making a similar comment… "And, um…Helga…your hair's a little…and the strap of your…" He sighed as she finished fixing herself up...and tried not to think too much about how Helga had gotten in the state she was in in the first place either. 'Well, wh-whatever it is that happened to me here…tonight…with her…' Arnold recalled that explosion inside of him from earlier… 'I'm going to need to find someone who really knows what they're doing with all of this love stuff to help sort it out…'
The sound of a few theatrical monster movie screams suddenly filling the room had the effect of temporarily distracting Arnold (as well as Helga) from this awkward 'clothes' moment and redirecting their attentions back to the TV screen…giving them at least a small break from this very big and important and hard talk together.
Indeed, Arnold had never been more thankful for an Evil Twin movie playing in his entire life. He knew more talking was to come of course…it HAD to come in order for them to finish sorting stuff out, but…this small distraction in the room could help ease it all a little at least. And the young man also couldn't help but think that, despite the fact that her romantic dream of him loving her back was in the process of coming true and that she probably had a decent enough idea of that fact considering how he had been acting tonight, Helga was maybe pretty thankful for having the movie to soften some of the tension too.
'Love…is complicated…' Arnold thought to himself with a sigh…and then he smiled. 'Well…she's complicated…so I guess it all works out then, doesn't it?' His heart warmed at the idea and he almost laughed. 'Well, at least I'll never be bored with her…And I'll just have to do my best to never let her get bored with me.' For a second Arnold let the smallest sliver of that daydream of 'proving' to Helga once more how he felt enter his mind…and he felt himself shudder and melt inside…
Arnold continued to give himself this small indulgence as he awaited whatever Helga would like to ask him or talk about next.
And he already knew he would be going for a goodnight kiss…one small real indulgence on this magical night. His first real goodnight kiss with a girl on a date… 'Wow…' And suddenly, for the first and only time ever since Helga's confession, Arnold was actually thankful for the dense and kind of clueless part of himself that he had…The part that had fallen for that paper thin excuse tonight about Lila needing a book from him but conveniently needing him to 'swing by' Helga's house to drop it off…
"So…yeah…that's pretty much what was going through my head that night, Helga…Oh, can you pass me that other bag of birdseed?" Arnold stepped out of the small pigeon coop on his roof and brushed his hands together to clean them off a little before turning to his girlfriend with one of his usual smiles.
Upon now finishing his response to Helga's question (which had come up in the first place as a result of the two of them talking up here while helping take care of a few chores, eventually lighting upon the subject of their first date, and Helga, just a little curious, asking Arnold about what that night had been like for him), Arnold had been expecting to receive that last bag of birdseed from her to put away now that they were done cleaning out the coop…But… "Um, Helga?" Arnold was rather surprised instead to see Helga just standing there with her eyes wide and her jaw completely dropped and her head kind of cocked to one side.
He walked toward her, smiling a little more, and waved a hand in front of her face. "Um…Helga? You-who? Love? Are…you okay?"
He snapped his fingers once or twice in front of her eyes, and then she blinked and then blushed like crazy and swallowed hard. "Uh…" she found her voice again, "…y-yeah, I'm fine, I just…" She took a step back and brought her hand to her forehead. "Crimeny, Football Head, you didn't tell me I put you through a full-on freaking psychological meltdown with all of this confessing stuff!" She stepped to the side and then turned around, now leaning her back against the coop for support almost as though it really was overwhelming her that her beloved had been put through so much internal chaos and all because of her! "Sheesh, and I thought I was the only one of us who was a basketcase!"
Arnold chuckled at the comment and then just stepped around the coop as well now and leaned on his back right next to her against its outer wall. "Well…you were a lot for me to take in, Helga…I mean, no matter what I was thinking at the time, I loved every minute of it but…" he shrugged, "I guess you just…had an effect on me…"
Helga glanced at him. "Yeah no freaking kidding!" She raised part of her brow, like she was still trying to process it all. "So you…basically decided that you were just going to kiss me into believing you really wanted me and loved me back…and also to remind me of…what again, Football Head? Being a girl?" She half smiled, half just kept looking at him in perplexity, not really sure what to make of that part of his thought process.
Arnold actually blushed a little bit at her unexpected question. "Oh! Well, I…" he glanced down a little shyly, "I just meant that…like…you know…You kept acting like no guy could ever want you or something and I guess I just wanted to make sure you realized that you're…" he paused but then just sighed and smiled more and let it out, glancing up to her again, "…You're the…the coolest girl ever…and you've got such a wonderful heart. And any guy would be…the luckiest guy in the world to have you…and you're very wantable…from a guy's perspective." He tugged at his collar a little and blushed just a little more.
Helga was blushing quite a bit herself now and looking at him in a bit of surprise. "O-Oh…okay…" she noticeably gulped and kind of squeaked out. "J-Just…curious…" She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing away now herself. "Um, th-thanks…" She smiled a little and managed to tack on sheepishly. "And, um…like I've been saying all along—as a boy…from a girl's perspective…you're very, very, um…wantable too, Arnold." Her blue eyes just managed to look shyly into his green ones now.
Arnold felt his heart flutter a little and smiled all the more. "Thanks, Helga…And, yeah, I know…" he sighed and crossed his own arms over his own chest and went on with a sigh, "I'm just your adorable, gorgeous, cute, handsome little Football Head…Did I get that all right my pretty, beautiful, lovely, feminine Helga G. Pataki?"
Helga blushed even more but rather then turning shyly away again she just sighed gave a small giggle and a nod. "Yeah, I think that about covers it, Arnold."
Arnold felt his smile go a little goofier at that cute giggle. She could melt his heart with just about everything she did…but especially that. "Yeah…" he just gazed at her lovingly for a moment… 'Best night of my life…' He sighed, and then blinked a few times and recalled where they were and that they had just been finishing up something. "Oh, um, thanks for helping me with the coop, Helga. I appreciate it."
Her smile picked up on one side. "No problem, my love. I like helping you and spending time with you." She dug one of her feet shyly into the rooftop. "And of course, I just love hearing all about how you've basically come to worship me as some kind of little love 'goddess'…" She winked at him. "Unable to bear your life without my kisses…? Fascinated by the idea of 'burning into me', was it? All of the tension changing into raw passion now that you've balanced us…?" She was SO obviously enjoying this. 'Eat your heart out, Ruth and Summer and Lila…Arnold's hooked on little old Helga G. Pataki and there's no going back for him!' she thought to herself in total and perfect elation and satisfaction.
Arnold (now blushing quite a bit), instead of letting himself get consumed in embarrassment, just rolled his eyes and did his best not to laugh, and added to her assessment of the situation, "Yes, and every piece of our bodies fit together like they were made for each other…Just like I said, Helga." He winked at her. "Thanks for reminding me, my bright angel…"
Her smile got dreamy at him playing along with her…and also at that cute little term of endearment for her…and she giggled again. "What's with the 'bright' before the 'angel', my perfectly matched Arnold?" she had to ask.
Arnold smiled just a little more, realizing what she meant. He shrugged. "I don't know… When I was Romeo and you were Juliet I called you that once…and now I call you my angel sometimes… And even when I don't call you it you're always kind of an angel to me, Helga…the way you came in and changed my life and how you're always trying to help me and keep me safe and happy…and loved…" He smiled a bit more. "So, anyway…I guess I just wanted to add the bright." He shifted just a little bit closer to her. "Besides, calling you 'bright' works in two ways if you think about it." He reached up and brushed a small wisp of hair back behind one of her ears as she just watched him curiously. "You're smart…like the smartest most creative person I know…so you're bright like that. And then also…" he moved his face a little closer to hers…wow her eyes were pretty…especially in just the right light…and with it being nearly sunset and all on his rooftop… "A-And also…" Arnold managed to continue, just barely resisting getting lost in those wide, curious, warm blue orbs of love, "You kind of…glow. At least, to me, Helga G. Pataki. You glow when you smile and when you laugh and when you write and when you love…You glow. So you're bright like that too…my bright angel." He finished by lifting up one of her hands and giving a gentle kiss to the back of it, never removing his eyes from her own.
Helga just blinked a couple of times and then this little shudder passed through her and she gave a little, uncontrollable swoon. "Mmm…" she finally cooed out when she found her voice again, "A-Arnold you've really gotta start giving me fair warnings before you pour on the charm like that…Something inside of me might just…. 'explode'…" Her eyelids fluttered a little and she gave a small giggle at her joke.
Not heeding her words at all, of course, Arnold placed one or two more kisses upon the back of her hand as he spoke. "Hmm…Hey, don't knock it 'til you've tried it, Helga…You'll go through a psychological meltdown but once someone knocks you out of it with a good firm talking to on an anniversary..." He lowered her hand a little and placed his other hand on top of it, cradling it in both of his, "…Well, then it's…not SO bad…" He rolled his eyes and winked at her.
Helga snickered just a little at that daydreamy look still in her eyes and couldn't help but reply playfully, "Yeah, ouch, you have to deal with having a girlfriend who makes you experience uncontrollable romantic feelings of love and desire…How will you ever cope?"
Arnold gently released Helga's hand and then just shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking back at her a little. "Mostly I do it by not being afraid to kiss you anymore. Really helps relieve some of the tens—uh, passion." He leaned forward and winked once more.
Helga just giggled again, blushing all the more and loving, loving, loving when he flirted with her.
"Now…" Arnold then went on once her giggles had calmed a little, leaning back just a bit from her to give her a little space now that he had successfully gotten all the cute laughs and blushes and smiles out of her that he'd been going for with all of that, "I don't know about you, Helga, but I'm kind of hungry from all of this cleaning and organizing. How about we head down the street to the pizza parlour and split a pie…half black olives and jalapeños for you…" he smiled a little more… "Even though I still don't understand why you think that tastes good…" He had to chuckle a tiny bit.
"Hey it's a Pataki thing!" a now much more in control of her lovesickness Helga replied with a smirk. "One of the few things me and Big Bob have in common actually." She put her arms over her chest, knowing this game, and added, "And yeah, yeah, half olives and jalapeños for me and half pineapple for you…because all SANE people put FRUIT on PIZZA!" She scoffed and chuckled as well.
Arnold just let out a sigh. "Hey, it's not like I'm putting strawberries on it or anything…Then I'd have to live without your kisses until I brushed my teeth about a million times to make sure you'd be okay."
Helga instantly waved him off. "Oh please! Like an allergic reaction would keep me from kissing you, paste for brains! You'd be prying me off of you with a crowbar!"
Arnold instantly went very red, though he managed to still keep smiling and also to not have to run and hide from how flustered he felt inside all of a sudden…the idea of her being so wrapped around him in desire for a kiss that he'd actually have to pry her off with something… He let out a small laugh, managing to keep his daydreams and sudden instincts in check (thankfully)… "Yeah…crowbar…Good one, Helga…" he swallowed rather hard as he replied. "A-Anyway, um…so, you up for that pizza?" he managed to ask casually. And then a thought occurred to him and he added, "Oh and…if anyone sees us I think we should stick with that one story you came up with about me losing a bet to you and having to buy you a pie, and you just wanting me to stick around to watch you eat the 'fruits of your victory'…but then sharing a little with me because you 'took pity' on me as the loser… You know, like we used at Slausen's the other day after dinner when we ran into Sid and Park."
Helga seemed to be thinking about something though as he had been talking, and as a result she didn't respond at first…but then she blinked. "Huh? Oh, uh…" Arnold's suggestion processed and then she smiled in satisfaction. "Yeah, we'll stick with that one. And not a bad excuse if I do say so myself…" She cleared her throat…and put her arms behind her back and looked to the side a little shyly. "Um…and…even though it's risky…while we're there…and, I mean, we can hide it if anyone comes along but…could we get one big soda and drink it with two straws…just like we do when we're alone here sometimes?" Her wide eyes looked hopefully into his. "Please, my Romeo of Romance…" She pouted just slightly.
Arnold just blinked at her request…and then his face instantly lit up in happiness! After all, he loved any chance she'd give him to do stuff in public…but she'd never agreed to something this big before…and had CERTAINLY never suggested something this big on her own before! "Really?" he replied brightly. "You want to! I-I mean, you're not afraid of us getting caught?"
Helga, arms still behind her back, just smiled coyly and shook her head. "No…well…a little…maybe...But I really want to share a soda with you like that, so…" she shrugged, "…If you're game then I'm game, Football Head." In truth, Helga really had no idea what had prompted her to asking to do something so risky… It was just that suddenly the compulsion to be sitting in a pizza parlour splitting not just a pie but a soda with her beloved had come over her, and, well…after seven years of suppressing things she'd be darned if she was going to suppress this!
Arnold was very happy. Very happy. He nodded enthusiastically. "Okay. We'll share one. Two straws…Yahoo soda with a cherry twist?" he asked with a smile, knowing full well what the answer would be.
"At least we can agree on that," Helga replied with a chuckle and a nod in return.
"Okay…" Arnold picked up the last bag of birdseed and headed around to the door of the coop to toss it inside. Doing so, he then shut the door and stepped back around to Helga. "Let's go, Helg…Helga? Didn't you say you wanted to go?"
Arnold took a step forward, looking in his girlfriend's direction curiously…because rather than preparing to head down his fire escape on the other side of his roof to the street, the girl in question was…now sitting on the edge of one of the lounge chairs in the center of his roof not too many feet away…and she seemed in pleasant thought once more.
Her smile picked up a little on one side at the sound of Arnold addressing her, and then she turned her kind of half lidded eyes to him and let out a sigh. "You know…" she began in an average tone (which was ALWAYS suspicious for Helga G. Pataki…and Arnold was more than aware of this fact) "I must say, Arnold…" she went on, "…for the one of use who's ultimately supposed to be the more modest…that first time image in your head you had of me that night of our first date…curled up on the couch, knees pulled in, smiling and waiting for you to 'do with me all of those things I now knew you wanted to do with me'…'" Her eyes met his and she let out a small laugh. "Crimeny, Arnold, I've dreamt about you at night on a regular basis and daydreamed about you here and there for the last seven years and even I'VE never come up with something sounding that…potentially intimate…" She swallowed. "I mean, okay, I've had you confessing your undying love to me and giving me little kisses and telling me I'm perfect and that you can't live without me, of course…But you…" she blushed a little, "You know, I'm…uh…" her smile grew, "…From a few things that have happened lately, Football Head, and from that little tidbit of your fantasy life you just shared…I'm starting to think that you don't just have a darker side Arnold…I think that darker side has a… natural talent at being darker..."
And then she stood up…and undid her ribbon and pulled her fingers through her hair a bunch of times until it hung lightly and lovely down around her shoulders…and then she tied her ribbon back in and sat back down on the lounge chair…and then actually laid herself on her side on it, pulling her knees coyly to her body…and finally finished by bringing up one of her arms and resting it underneath her head, and letting her other arm rest lazily along her side, following in the slight curve of her body. "Was it kind of like this, Arnold?" she asked with a half smile, sounding light and casual. "I mean, I added the hair being down since you didn't realize how much you really like that as part of our kissing until after our first date, but…overall…did that small fantasy you had that night…look something like this?" Her grin picked up on one side.
Oh…oh boy…
Arnold swallowed very very hard. It was…perfect. Exactly like that image in his head had been that night… She was right here and right now…making a fantasy of his…that he'd never really expected anything to come of, of course…a reality.
Arnold instantly decided to just play it cool, like it wasn't bugging him. He had been getting better at that over the weeks and besides he knew he would be at her mercy if he let her get to him like she had at that bedroom window of hers during that one week anniversary…positioning herself and letting her hair down and making him…how to put it… '…b-basically…hers…' Completely, utterly, uncontrollably, undeniably hers, actually… But he wouldn't let that happen this time…probably. 'I…I can control myself…I'm…I'm a lot better at that than I was during that first date and our one week anniversary.'
"Arnold…I'm waiting… Am I your fantasy or not, Football Head?" A light giggle.
Having finished assuring himself of his ability to keep focused (and at the sound of this little prompt from Helga), Arnold just…nodded a little at her question and did his best to make eye contact (because no eye contact was the first sign of no ability for self control). "Uh…yeah, that was about it…Helga…Heh…" He managed a half grin. "Pretty silly, huh…? Imagining…things like…you know…" He cleared his throat and did his best to seem casual. "Anyway, um…we're still getting pizza, right, Helga?" 'Just keep us on task, just keep us on task…'
Helga just smiled a little more…still trying to seem casual obviously…which was another bad sign…like she was circling and waiting to strike. It made Arnold gulp. "Oh come on, Arnold…." she joked pleasantly, "…That's all you've got to say to me when I'm actually in real life laying here 'just waiting for you to do with me all those things I now know you want to do with me…' ?" She batted her eyelashes a bunch of times and then chuckled, rolling her eyes at that little image and phrasing his cute, in-love mind had come up with that night. "Oh yes Arnold, I'm just a buffet of love waiting for you to have your fill of me. Dig right in." She chuckled happily.
Darn it… Arnold felt himself blushing brightly. And he knew she'd see it and would now really know that she was really getting to him. 'It's okay, Arnold…Just…take a breath…' "Very funny, Helga…" he managed to reply with a sigh…and then mumbled to himself under his breath, "Love buffet…dig in…" He really REALLY tried to keep his head from forming any images.
"Aw, but seriously though, Arnold…" her voice lowered just a little, almost like a coo really…and its playful quality remained, "You don't even wanna 'gently rest an arm behind my waist and place one hand behind my head and hair to assure me with a smile that if it didn't stick the first time…you're MORE THAN WILLING to show me once again what you mean by wanting me…and only me…forever' ?" She pouted a little as she finished. 'Going down like a lead balloon…Who knew I was such a catch?' Her grin picked up…and she waited for her beloved's inevitable break!
To her surprise, though, instead of her beloved either jumping at her to smother her with kisses or passing out cold from all of this romance and flirting, Helga was instantly met with her boyfriend closing his eyes and shaking his head and almost smiling to himself despite the fact that it was obvious he was trying to suppress it a little. "No…no, no, no…I know this game, Helga." He turned away from her and was now heading past her toward the skylight. "Remember?" He spoke over his shoulder. "The window? Your room? Come and get it, THE ROPE I MEAN, Arnold…?" Now at his roof ledge near the fire escape he turned back around and looked at her fully, feeling just a little more in control of the situation especially since he had put a small bit more distance between them. "Love buffet…" he finally just had to say. "Now, really, Helga…why are you doing this to me? And…why would you go and put that…image into my head?" He looked at her with a curious smile, trying not to blush TOO much.
Arnold was met with the sight of Helga having turned her body in the direction he had gone, and she was now sitting up a little looking at him with some surprise. She was silent for another moment or two…but then finally spoke. She started off with a giggle that she couldn't help escaping herself. "Off the seducing record, Arnold?" she asked in amusement.
He let out a breath and nodded. "It'd be nice, Helga…"
She smiled at him all the more and then just shrugged and replied, flipping a piece of her hair back over one of her ears. "I'm just curious to see if you want me or pizza more…Being a boy versus being a boyfriend—you remember, Arnold…" She winked. "And also, once again, doing stuff like this to you is hysterical every single time. " Then she laid on her side once more on the lounge chair, and positioned her arms as they had been before. "Come on, Football Head…can't I at least get a little peck on the cheek from you for this or something? Don't make me feel like I'm losing my touch, my little god of love…" Her eyes went half lidded and she even fluttered them a little… "Unless, of course, you really couldn't resist doing a whole lot more to me if you came over here, Arnold…"
The young boy across the roof from her swallowed, still smiling a little… "Don't…don't tempt me, Helga…" he managed to breath out, still managing to keep in control.
"I think it's too late for that, Arnold…" the girl across from him merely replied without missing a beat. "Come on… I mean, you indulge my fantasies all the time just by loving me and giving me kisses and going on dates with me, Arnold…So let me…indulge one of yours….With all that stuff I apparently put you through with realizing your feelings I think you've earned it." She winked…her eyes still half lidded, her hair still falling over her shoulders and around her head, her body still resting so lazily and cozily on that lounge chair…
Arnold tried to still appear fine and in control…but took a small step or two back toward Helga nonetheless. "I'm…not sure I understand exactly, Helga…" was all he could say for now, a little unsurely. His heart was pounding and he just…wanted a bit more clarity about what was going on here right now…before he went and made any decisions…gave in to anything…
Helga let out a breath, still looking as lovely as ever. "Well…" she said, as casually as could be, "…I already look like the Helga in your fantasy so…just do with me whatever you wanted to do with that Helga in your fantasy…"
Arnold was pretty sure his heart had just stopped.
He broke all outward appearance of casualness, and his eyes went wide and he just looked at her. He opened his mouth, paused…swallowed and then spoke. "We…We should just go get pizza, Helga…like normal kids…Come on…d-don't you remember…taking breaks from the kissing…how that's, um…good for our relationship…a-and…w-weren't you hungry or something…?" He was proud of himself for even beginning to come up with a plausible sounding excuse considering how he was feeling inside at the moment.
Helga considered tossing out a 'hungry…for you!' line but she didn't want to burst the poor boy's throbbing little heart…She just wanted some cuddles and kisses on his roof before dinner. So instead… "Five minutes…"
At this response Arnold just cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Huh?"
"Five minutes of getting your fill at the love buffet…" Helga explained with an eager smile, "…and then we'll go get pizza like normal kids. But for right now I'm curious…I want to see what you'll do with me like this, my dark little Arnold…Yes, you and that naturally talented little dark side of yours…" She smirked in anticipation.
Five minutes…of fantasy?
Arnold was…kind of going into meltdown at this point. He only barely managed to pull the tiniest bit back toward the roof ledge…He glanced away in worry. "Helga, I…I really don't think…"
"Come on Arnold…you're always up for an adventure…And what kind of adventurer would you be if you passed this by…" she coaxed…
Arnold blushed furiously. An adventure? A fantasy? Five minutes…Five minutes to…well…pull his fingers softly through her hair, lay against her and feel them fit in that way like on the couch again, kiss her softly, quietly, deeply and feel himself explode in goosebumps. They hadn't really done anything that intense or extreme since all the stuff over the course of that weekend and Monday morning after their one-week anniversary, come to think of it… Certainly between then and now there had been kissing…making out…but not exactly in that passionate and crazed, giving-into-all-desires way like that weekend or on the FTi building… And that's…basically what she was offering to let him have right now: something intense and on top of it all however he wanted it to be…with whatever details he wanted to throw in that he might have been keeping to his usually shy little self…whatever that other side of him wanted to do with the pretty, perfect girl before him. And who knew what could happen during or even after this whole 'five minutes' thing…Maybe she'd moan…swoon…or even write a poem when it was all over, she'd like it so much! He smiled, almost laughed then as another thought occurred to him and made him feel even more bubbly inside…Because along with indulging that little image in his head, maybe he could even take the opportunity to…indulge some of the other fantasies he'd had since then about being with her… So many other wonderful things that had occurred to him over the course of their courtship so far to do with Helga G. Pataki… Lovely things to make her smile and blush and giggle and feel happy…Things like—
"Arnold—you who? Hey if you're just going to fantasize in your head instead of doing something in real life there's not much point to the whole 'you have me here and now' thing, is there, Football Head?"
This call from Helga caused Arnold to blink and pop out of his thoughts, and then he let his eyes fall upon her again.
The football headed young man considered for another moment.
"Anything…I want to do, Helga…?" he finally slowly asked. "Anything…?" He made sure to state the word firmly, just to clarify…and to make it clear to her that he really might be coming at her with stuff completely out of left field.
The heavenly vision over on his lounge chair just grinned a bit more at his question. "Mmm hmm…I'm all yours…" She winked one of those pretty blue eyes.
Then Arnold glanced from side to side on his roof, almost like…he was trying to make sure they were indeed alone and no one was watching (which might have seemed silly considering that they were on a roof, but still he was understandably a tad bit nervous about this whole thing.)
…And then he turned his head back in her direction…and gave a shy nod before slowly coming forward.
Helga instantly beamed and her heart raced…He…had just said YES! She gave an internal swoon in anticipation of his kisses….
Meanwhile, soon enough Arnold had finally managed to shyly shuffle over to the edge of the lounge chair.
With a small swallow he sat down near the end.
Helga gave a small giggle and pulled her knees in a little more to give him some extra room (and because he apparently thought she looked a little cute like that—all cozy and curled up….). She turned on her back just a little to get a better look at him. "Well…buffet's open, Arnold…" She couldn't resist. "Here I am waiting for you to do whatever you want…Let's see what you come up with…"
Arnold blushed a little more and appeared to take a deep breath…But then his gaze traveled over to meet Helga's with a small smile…and his eyes narrowed just a bit…because, to be quite frank, if he was 'going down' in terms of this whole 'completely becoming hers, losing all free will thing' then he was going to do everything in his power to take her with him…! "Don't worry, my talented blue eyed love…" The words flowed from his mouth in a low voice (he'd noticed she always seemed to respond most strongly when he lowered his voice a little to say nice things to her)... He then reached forward and suddenly brought a hand to each of Helga's shoulders, causing the girl now in his arms to stiffen in surprise just a little, and to let her arms slip limply to her sides… "You're in good hands, remember?" His heart beat wildly and that lovely explosion feeling was going on inside of him again, as it did every time he was close to Helga ever since that first date…
"Y-Yes…I…I remember…" he heard Helga whisper out as casually as possible, though obviously he had caught her quite a bit off guard, to say the least. "You've…got some good…talented hands there, A-Arnold…" the flustered girl couldn't help but add in her nervousness.
Arnold just did his best not to chuckle at how worked up she seemed…or at the cute little compliment. "Thank you, Helga…" he merely replied…and then leaned just a bit closer to her…his voice still low of course. "Now, can you do me one small favor…this is my fantasy after all…?" he asked kindly.
He watched Helga blush hotly at that reminder of his fantasy to come, and then she nodded. "Uh…o-okay…" she squeaked out, awaiting instructions.
Arnold just smiled even more and leaned even closer, and then brought his voice to just above a whisper. "Okay then…well…even though I love hearing everything you have to say, Helga…" he began sincerely, "…can you close your mouth for just long enough for me to kiss it, my bright angel? That's always the trick with you, you know—finding a quiet moment to continue making up for seven years worth of missed kisses."
Helga's mouth instantly popped tight closed…her wide blue eyes looking anxiously into his.
Arnold released a sigh. "Perfect… Oh but…one more thing? I almost forgot. I guess I spoke too soon with the 'quiet' thing…" He chuckled to himself and then went on, his eyes so very half lidded. "Can you tell me that you think my stupid football head that you insulted ever since the day you met me is actually cute and attractive to you? Sorry, I guess that seems a little weird, Helga, but…I just love the idea of you secretly liking it ten times as much as you pretended to hate it."
Her mouth was open again in an instant, she was so incredibly overwhelmed by him at this point! "It makes you look like a god….It's my favorite shape in the whole world…All I want to do half the time is just trace all along it with kisses…I hope beyond anything that one of our children has it because it's just that beautiful… Half the reason I ever learned how to play football was because the ball's freaking shaped like your gorgeous head…Sometimes I just cradle it when we kiss because it's just so…it makes everything inside of me twist and warm up and it makes me want to girlishly swoon! I—"
Arnold sighed, blushing like crazy by this point, and placed a single finger gently over her lips, silencing her immediately once again. "Okay, okay…" he chuckled a little, still using that low, near-whisper voice, "That's good, Helga. Thank you." He removed his finger and went back to having one of his hands gently holding each of her shoulders. "Now…close your eyes…and pucker your lips, please…More fantasy…" He smiled a little more again.
Helga nodded and did as he asked.
"Well…" Arnold let out a happy sigh, just looking down at her and taking in everything that was waiting for him, "I guess now it's time for me to show you again that I want you and only you forever and ever, Helga G. Pataki…Just…let me do everything though, okay, Helga? My fantasy…Remember?" He felt her shiver in his arms but then she managed one more nod.
Arnold took a breath…
And then he closed his eyes and leaned in and placed a slow gentle kiss upon her lips…
He decided to give himself whatever felt like a single minute…that was all he wanted for this part of his fantasy… He had something else in mind for the other four minutes of his time with her like this.
Meanwhile, Arnold could feel that Helga was completely limp right now, obviously going along with that 'let me do all the work' request he'd had…(which really was an idea Arnold had thought about at least a few times in between dates: what it would be like to just take over and be completely in control of the kiss for once, like she had been on the roof of the FTi building…And now he had the chance and he was NOT going to pass it up!) Continuing to press his lips deeply into Helga's, Arnold let out a sigh through his nose and then held Helga's shoulders a bit more firmly for a moment before gently allowing his hands to slide a little down to reach the skin of her arms….and then, well…before he had just been leaning over her…but now he slowly came more and more forward, letting himself rest almost completely on top of her.
Kissing passionately and crazily and just a little insanely was of course fun, but there really was just something so very wonderful about kissing slowly and deeply and tenderly like this too…just like in her room the other week after that 'lying down with her' thing…on her floor…against her like he was now, and getting once more in his life to feel how perfect her body felt underneath his…
Moving things along a little, Arnold then brought up one of his hands to pull through Helga's loose, soft hair a little and then ended by resting it under her head, cradling it. She was so lovely to touch. Arnold felt Helga suddenly shift just a little underneath him in an obviously pleased response to his action…and he used the opportunity to bring his other arm under the now increased arch of her back so that he could hold her around the waist as well. At this move, her back instantly arched even more underneath him and she moaned deeply…though she somehow still managed to let him continue doing all of the work, Arnold noticed with pleased interest (her hands remained at her sides and she still felt limp). As her moan completed, Arnold absorbed the perfect sound of Helga's happiness entering his mouth, and felt that small compulsion once again in his life to have his mouth free for even just a moment so that he could soothe her through the more intense feelings going through her right now…
Of course, though, that wasn't an option considering that he wanted this kiss thing to keep going for at least approximately a full minute (just enough time to make this a very VERY good kiss but not so much time that he wouldn't have the chance to fulfill the next 'fantasy' thing he had in mind)…and also he was enjoying himself a LOT right now with his mouth ceaselessly pressed to hers… So instead of soothing her with any words…Arnold 'settled' for soothing Helga by not holding back anymore and finally just gently allowing their bodies to press and fit together completely, his full weight resting upon her, just like that day in her room… 'I love you…Helga Geraldine Pataki…Shortman…'
The seconds continued to pass…
…And roughly sixty seconds in total later Arnold gently shifted his lips from Helga's, and shifted himself up off of her just a little.
He took a shaky breath in and then let it out…and then just looked down at her flushed face, eyes still closed, lips all rosy and trembling…just admiring for a moment… And he decided then that it was a tie—there was just no way to tell whether she looked more beautiful just before or just after kisses between them.
A few seconds passed and she was still just lying there like that, only taking shallow breaths in and out… Finally, Arnold spoke to her in a whisper. "Helga…my love? Are you okay?" He tried not to chuckle at much he'd obviously affected her.
He watched as Helga took another breath in and then let it out. Then she nodded a little. "Y-Yeah…" she whispered, "I just…It was a little hard to keep from doing anything back to you at first, but then when I got used to it, it was just…" Her eyes fluttered open… "I mean…" she was still whispering, still so very obviously overwhelmed by it all, "I always just figured the best way to enjoy myself when we kissed was to just get as much of my fill of you as you'd let me, but…just laying back every once in a while and letting you have your fill of me…entirely…" She gave a small swoon and looked deeply into his eyes, smiling in so much happiness and pleasure. "Arnold…you can have fantasy time any time, let's put it that way…"
Arnold smiled and blushed at her adorable explanations… "Thanks, Helga…but I think this should really just be very special occasion thing…" he whispered back. "Otherwise it's not a fantasy anymore, is it?" And then with a breath Arnold closed his eyes and turned his head a little to the side, and allowed it to rest on the top of Helga's chest for a moment while he regained himself a little (and also, he…he'd always dreamed of getting to be so close to Helga's heart that he could actually not just feel but hear it beating…and right now he could…What a lovely suggestion this whole thing had been…). Arnold let out a breath, staying cozily where he was for right now…and continued talking to her… "Well…anyway, Helga…I figured that whole thing, however wonderful it was, only took about a minute, so…I've still got four minutes of fantasy time left, if I did the math right….You ready for what's next Helga?" He let his arm hold her even more snugly around her back and waist…. "…Because…that kiss did fulfill a lot of things I've thought about, but…I have other fantasies about you too, you know…"
He felt her heart pound insanely right under his ear! "Other f-fantas—Uh…okay…" she whispered in a shaky, almost squeaking voice. "Like I said, wh-whatever f-floats your boat…It's your five minutes, Football Head." (On a side note, inside of herself Helga was…almost numb with pleasure at this point…Kisses, laying on top of her, arms around her, snuggling against her…And all only one minute into this whole thing! 'Oh…my…')
At her reply, Arnold smiled and opened his eyes, and now finally lifted his head up in order to look into her eyes again (and also to give Helga a break from what it must have been like for her to have his head cuddling against her like that… After all, if she'd been the one doing that to him…A shiver passed through Arnold and he couldn't even think about it…He decided to just move things along for now…save that fantasy for another day). "Okay, then…whatever you say, Helga." Now he sat up completely, and moved himself back down the chair so that he was sitting on the end of it once again. "I need you to sit up for this one…." He went on with a smile. "Oh and turn around please..." he added…and then smirked a little and couldn't help tacking on, "And if you want to throw in one more compliment about my head, I wouldn't complain, Helga."
Helga blinked a few times, processing his request, and then curiously sat up and with a gulp turned around on the lounge chair. "Um…" she cleared her throat to respond to his request for another head compliment, now facing completely away from her beloved, "…this might sound stupid but…sometimes, especially toward the end there when I was getting a little desperate, I'd buy lemons just to look at them… I mean, they're like little versions of your head and the same color as your hair…" A small chuckle escaped her. "Once I bumped into a fruit stand of them and imagined them all turning to me and saying in your voice, 'Hey Helga, how're you doing? Looking good!' Hmm…" a little sigh, "…maybe that's why I like the lemon part of our lips gloss so much…I even used to practice kissing on lemons sometimes, you know…" She finished with one more small laugh to herself at the memories, still facing away from him.
"Lucky lemons…" Helga straightened and blushed and came instantly out of her reminisces, not just at the comment but at the fact that it had been said surprisingly right by her ear as well as at the fact that Arnold's arms were suddenly around her waist suddenly hugging her close from behind. "And you know…" he beloved went on in a whisper from behind her, "I think I like the raspberry part because…well, don't tell my Grandpa, but I secretly really like raspberries as a fruit in general…Tart but also sweet…like somebody I know…Very delicious, really…" He knew he was really pouring on the charm at this point but…he figured as long as he was getting some fantasy time, Helga should get a little bit of fantasy stuff too…And from how she'd responded to certain things over the weeks he pretty much knew that getting talked to like this by him was high on her list of desirable dreams and daydreams… A low chuckle escaped him as he felt her stiffen all the more at this last comment from him…But he quickly recalled that all of this was currently eating into his last four minutes of fantasy time, and so he moved on for now. "But anyway…I guess we should get back to the fantasy, huh?" He let out a breath right near Helga's ear… his face half pressed into her lemony/raspberry hair… "...Now, Helga, just please sit here and let me do all the work again…oh and if anything hurts please just let me know, okay?"
He could practically feel the heat coming off of her face from behind. She nodded vigorously and gulped.
Arnold smiled a bit more. "Good…" he whispered…and then he shifted away a little…and brought his arms from around her…
…And a second later (a still utterly…utterly Arnold's, at this point) Helga felt her hair ribbon undoing and Arnold's hands brushing aside her hair, letting air hit the back of her neck for a moment. "Don't worry…I know what I'm doing…" she merely heard him reassure her from behind…and Helga just did her best not to pass out and fall back against him, she felt so very in-over-her-head with all of this fantasy stuff all of a sudden… Sometimes her little beloved really was so very modest on a regular basis that she really could just forget what his 'not so modest' side could put her through until it was too late…
"And hey as long as I'm doing this…" Arnold, from behind her (of course), "…Why don't you tell me a little about yourself, Helga…?"
Helga had to raise part of her brow at the strange question…
…Until her beloved leaned over and explained his meaning into her ear in a few whispers…and meanwhile the movements of his hands quickly showed her just what he had in mind for the next four minutes.
"I can't believe you're doing this."
"Oh come Helga…I thought it was fun…And hey, I haven't got much fantasy time left…Come on, say some more of them…"
Helga just sighed. "Okay, I…I'm pretty good at writing and I'm…cute, I guess…." she forced out a little, though she was obviously trying not to giggle just a little bit about the whole thing as she did so.
"You guess?" Arnold laughed a little. "Come on, now that we're done getting you to compliment my head, you're supposed to be complimenting yourself. Finish on a high note, please, my bright angel."
"Fine, I'm the greatest young poet who ever lived and a gorgeous beautiful girl, okay? AND I am an amazing, magical, exceptionally talented kisser!" She finally gave in to giggling a little.
"MUCH better." Arnold replied in satisfaction. "And all so very true…" he added in an amused whisper. "I love hearing you admit how wonderful you are, Helga…"
Helga just sighed again and rolled her eyes (blushing quite a bit though, of course). "Arnold, seriously though…" she went on, almost amazed really, "…Four minutes of fantasy girlfriend time left and you decide to…" she shook her head the tiniest bit (well, as best as she could all things considered…), "You are SO weird sometimes, Arnold—you know that?"
"This from the person who practices kissing lemons…" he quipped back without missing a beat.
"Hey!" Helga exclaimed with a chuckle (still in the position of facing away from her beloved…once again, all things considered), "I had to start somewhere while you were off in the land of the dense! Doi!" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smirked. "Besides, I didn't hear too many complaints on the roof of the FTi building…" She heard Arnold swallow shyly…and of course not correct her… With a small laugh she then also added, rolling her gaze forward again, "And anyway at least it's better than practicing kissing using 'Lila'!"
Arnold's hands instantly froze in their actions, and he closed his eyes and shook his head and began to respond quite seriously, "Helga, I never kissed Lila! You know that…I—"
She chuckled, cutting him off. "Just checking, my hairstylist little love…No you practiced all of your kissing on…Ruth was it? Or Summer?" Her smirk picked back up.
Arnold just rolled his eyes and twisted a couple more pieces of Helga's hair and ribbon together. "Well…" he let out a breath, "…since Ruth was too busy talking about her hair clips to be quiet enough for me to try during the only date we had, and since you sabotaged every chance I had with Summer, I'll have to say no, Helga…You were my first…and only. And thanks for that, by the way…" he finished sincerely. "But keep facing forward please…" he then added with a smile, "I'm almost done back here but it won't be straight if your head's turned."
Helga just gave a small giggle and moved her eyes and head perfectly forward again. "Whatever you say, Arnold…Whatever you say…" she replied in perfect copy of his usual response…which (of course) got a small laugh out of the boy behind her.
By the way, speaking of all this 'facing forward' and 'hair' and 'hands' and 'ribbon stuff'…did we mention that Arnold had taken his last four minutes of girlfriend fantasy time to…well…well, to be blunt, to carefully braid Helga's hair…weaving her ribbon into the braiding as he went along…gently securing the blonde strands all together behind her head in one perfect rope of pink and gold.
In response to Helga's humorous and ironic reply Arnold just sighed and smiled a bit more to himself again. "Yes…all of my practicing got done on only you, Helga G. Pataki…A-And, um, you know…" Arnold's voice faltered a little and his tone got a little sheepish, to say the least, "…maybe on a pillow or two in the middle of all of this…" He cleared his throat, blushing hotly though he was still smiling nonetheless. "I-I mean…you've got quite a natural talent at kissing, Helga…It's taken me a lot of work to be able to match it."
She was silent for a moment…but then a snicker or two escaped her and then suddenly she was chuckling and giggling like crazy!
Arnold just sighed and smiled, letting her get it out of her system.
"F-F-Football Head!" she laughed out as Arnold continued to finish up with her hair. "YOU! Sitting up in your room and practicing kissing a pillow! All to get ready for me! You—Mr. Innocent, Mr. Wet Blanket, Mr. Goody Two Shoes…who's supposed to spend his free time cleaning his room and catching up on homework and running maintenance on all those gadgets of yours and doing the work of the righteous—going up there, locking the door, wrapping your arms around a pillow, and locking your lips against it to pretend its me for a little while!" She chuckled some more, feeling herself warm up completely with laughter. "I'm sorry but that whole image is just adorable, Arnold!" she finally had to just exclaim! Then she took a breath, and got herself under control for a minute…until of course a new thought on this matter popped into her head! "Ooo, Arnold!" she began brightly and with interest, "Do you just kiss it or do you practice really holding it in different ways and gently stroking its 'shoulders' and 'hair', and do you sigh and imagine it moaning and lay down with it and—"
"Helga…" Arnold started firmly though warmly, slowly coming to the end of her braid, "I'm sure whatever you do when you practice like with the lemons is similar to whatever I do when I practice…So there's no need for me to go into too many details…"
"No, Arnold," Helga instantly replied back with confidence. "I'm pretty sure you don't kiss the head of a shrine, dance with it around your room, collapse with it onto your bed and then snuggle and swoon with it on a regular basis…and repeat the process with a lemon or two when you can…" she quipped back.
"Well…" Arnold replied, doing his best now to get the bottom strands of the braid as snug as possible so that he could tie them off with the little tail of Helga's ribbon sticking out among them, "I'm pretty sure YOU don't cradle a pillow in your arms like it's the most precious thing in the world and—"
"You…think I'm...precious?"
Arnold blinked at the small happy question that suddenly popped out of the girl before him, interrupting his playful reply… Then he smiled more and leaned close to her ear once again that afternoon and whispered warmly into it with a nod, "Mmm hmm…The most precious thing in the whole world…just like I said… Soft and pretty and pink…I know you can take care of yourself of course, Helga, but…I like the idea of taking care of you too, you know…and making sure that you feel and know that you're safe when you're in my arms…"
Arnold's own heart was just pounding away at this point and he couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for Helga, and so he pulled back and went on with the braid, giving her a minute to absorb and work through all of that, and awaiting any reply she might give.
Helga just seemed to tense up for a moment or two as she sat in front of him…and then a girlish swoon escaped her and all the tension seemed to suddenly leave her in a little tremble. "Oh…Arnold…" she sighed and then giggled, "Um…soft, pretty, pink me will always feel safest in your arms…okay?" she let him know coyly.
A small goofy chuckle escaped Arnold at how cute she was being…So very cute. "I'm glad, Helga…That's part of what the pillow's been for anyway…" he went on to admit, his blushing growing a little, "…practicing holding something as soft as you securely but also gently…"
Arnold paused for just a moment in his work as he heard Helga swoon again…and then he went on…kind of dreamily…kind of shyly…but loving so very much the effect he was having on her right now that he just didn't care to help himself, "A-And then I could also use the pillow for…um, practicing different kinds of kisses where I'd sit with it or stand with it or maybe, um…lay down with it…and m-maybe also, um…every once in a while…as long as I'm already pretending to kiss you, I …" he knew it was silly but, "I…pull up my own sweater just a little to imagine…how it feels…you know, when you do that to me…like those few times…" He was all done with the braid and now, having just knotted the end of it with the end of Helga's ribbon, and now the lovesick boy just let his hands drop to his lap and felt himself blush hotly and his smile go all goofy, and he finally just let it all happily consume himself. He really did love the feeling of her doing that though…slowly inching up his sweater…to hold him as close as could be. He let out another perfectly content sigh.
Arnold's hands were now out of her hair and so Helga, free to use her neck once more, instantly angled her head around to look at him, her jaw dropped. "You…" she blushed and blinked a couple of times…and then smirked though something shy still remained in her features, "You like…when precious old me…goes up under your sweater, huh?" 'He…He DOES like the physical stuff just as much as I do! Oh, Arnold…You really are perfect—The best of all that's tender and the best of all that's passionate…" She gave an internal girlish sigh.
In response to her exclamation, Arnold just gave a small nod or two…looking down for the moment "Uh…yeah. Definitely yes." His goofy smile remained. "I…I would have asked you to do it as part of that fantasy kiss but I really did want to try us together with me doing all of the work just once…And besides it…it's nicer when you just suddenly decide to do it all on your own without any warning…. When it just comes…naturally…" He let out a sigh…and then blinked like something had just occurred to him and asked, smiling all the more... "You practice kissing on the shrine too Helga? Not just the lemons?"
Helga just had to give in to a giggle fit at the fact that it had taken this long for that revelation from her to process ('Still the same old dense Arnold somewhere deep, deep down…'). Getting her laughter under control after a few seconds, she just simply shrugged and gave her beloved a small nod over her shoulder. "Of course, Football Head. Part of the beauty of having a life-size one…I could just go in my closet and wrap myself around it to imagine one day actually getting to lock lips with the real you…or just take the head down and have fun with it all over my room…Whatever floated my boat…" She chuckled a little.
"Lucky shrine…" Arnold merely replied shyly, only barely glancing up at her to meet her eyes.
Helga blushed a little more. "It's okay, Arnold…" she assured him with a smile, "It's all just preparation for everything I'll end up doing with you..." She winked at him, now turning herself around on the lounge chair fully to face him, the end of the perfect braid hanging over one of her shoulders.
Arnold just swallowed and trembled a little and nodded. "Y-yeah, same here…" And then, noticing the motion of her turning around fully, he brought his eyes up to meet hers…and his instantly lit up like fireworks!
Helga looked at him with a curious smile. "Something you wanna share, my beloved?" she finally asked, a little unsure of what exactly he was suddenly so 'gone' about in regards to her this time.
"Helga…you look…" he began quietly…because he was…just amazed! She looked…well, he decided he had DEFINIETLY chosen the right and best thing to do with his last four fantasy minutes. "You look…so beautiful like that…" he finally finished so very lovingly.
Arnold watched as Helga blinked and instantly blushed furiously. "O-Oh! It…it came out that good, Arnold?" she asked with a little smile.
Arnold just blinked a lot of times… How could she even ask that? She looked…It… And yet… He sighed and considered…deeply considered. 'What else is there supposed to be? What else could make Helga's hair even more perfe—' A light bulb went off, practically exploding inside of his head! "Wait…" he told her with a happy smile, and then he got up and suddenly raced over to one of the corners of the roof and rummaged through some stuff near the gardening supplies (while up here, before straightening up the pigeon coop, Arnold and Helga had also been preparing some flower window boxes for the summer months and helping get some seeds ready for Gertie's little vegetable and fruit garden…All those raspberries had to come from somewhere after all).
Meanwhile, a rather perplexed Helga just glanced over her shoulder curiously in the direction Arnold gone, waiting for him to finish whatever little task he'd suddenly gotten it in his wide head to do…
Her beloved returned a moment late, a little smudge of soil on one of his cheeks and…a daisy in one of his hands… He quickly approached a still confused Helga, then knelt on the lounge chair before her again, leaned over, and then, to her total surprise, slipped the stem of the flower into the braiding, right over one of her ears. And then, still with a beaming smile, her love removed himself from the lounge chair and back stepped to the roof ledge right in front of it, seemed to position himself (even used his hands to judge the perspective) and then sat down…and just gazed at her. "Now…it's perfect…" His smile went instantly goofy and he just sighed…And she'd never seen his green eyes look warmer in her entire life.
For a moment there was just content silence as Arnold gave new meaning to the concept of 'worshipping Helga from afar'…and Helga continued to process the fact, in her continued surprise, that she was actually being…basically worshipped.
Finally though, the blonde young lady in question, still blushing, smiled a little more and gazed right back at Arnold a little bit too, letting her eyes go half lidded as his were. "Hey Arnold…Take picture, it'll last longer."
"Believe me, if we had that camera here, I would…" he just sighed out in a daze.
Helga blushed darkly but still just smiled at him with her half lidded gaze. "Arnold, Arnold, Arnold...what are you trying to do here, my fantasizing little love—make me look like some kind of girly girl or something between the braid and then the flower?" she asked playfully.
Arnold's smile just went even goofier if that was possible. "You…you look like a…not even an angel, Helga…Like a goddess, like you said before, or…or a princess or something." 'I…I don't even think I imagined her looking prettier than this at our wedding in my dream…' He sighed.
Helga almost burst into another giggle fit at that adorable little reply. "A princess? Me?" She fluttered her eyelashes a little. "Arnold, this is Helga G. Pataki you're talking about, remember? Star catcher of Gerald field, not invited to Rhonda's last all girl slumber party because she wasn't considered girly enough, hater of all things mushy and sappy and romantic…well, all things that don't have to do with you, that is…scowling all the time, spitting in the river, playing in the mud…On top of precious, you think I look like a princess, Arnold?"
Arnold nodded a lot! "Oh yeah…" his smile grew, "…a princess…a precious princess…" And then all of a sudden he stood up and walked over to her, and enthusiastically grabbed one of her wrists and quickly pulled her up and over to the skylight section of the roof. Then the young boy knelt over a panel and rubbed at it with his sweater sleeve to make any reflection it might give as clear as possible. "See, look!" he announced, and then stepped back and pointed to her image in the glass.
Helga blinked…and really couldn't move for a few seconds at the sight that met her eyes.
He had done a…a really good…really genuinely almost princess-like job on her! The hair was woven right from the top, the ribbon running throughout the braid, and it hung over one of her shoulders, a perfect twist of blonde and pink…And then the little flower there over her ear was actually…it really was kind of beautiful. The whole thing was just… She'd…except for that night of their anniversary at her window when Arnold had not only told her she was pretty but had specifically confirmed that he considered her prettier than any other girl he'd ever had any kind of feelings for, Helga G. Pataki had never felt more beautiful in her entire life. "A-Arnold…" she whispered in such awe… She blinked and then turned to him… "It…you're…" And suddenly her arms were around him in a tight and happy hug!
She pulled back after a few seconds and then just smiled into Arnold's face, and, giggling, could only think to say, "Well, I…I guess I really am your precious princess then, my knight in shining armor Arnold…" She gave him a small punch in the shoulder—because she just wouldn't have been Helga G. Pataki if she hadn't sprinkled her affection with a little bit of 'abuse'. "But, hey," she went on, smiling like crazy, "…don't think I'm gonna be waiting around some palace for you to save me or anything, bucko. I'll be your princess but I can take care of myself!" She winked at him with a smirk and crossed her arms over her chest. "Might even end up being the one saving YOUR scrawny butt from an evil dragon or two if I feel like it, Arnoldo."
Arnold, who had felt a sensation of euphoria the likes of which he'd never felt before at her sudden strong hug, just smiled so very brightly at the precious girl before him and nodded. "Whatever you say, Helga…" And then he added, stepping close to her and looking into her eyes, his arms shyly behind his back… "Though I can't think of a single dragon who'd ever want to try and harm such a pretty princess…or who would risk certain doom by going up against you, Helga G. Pataki…especially with me fighting to protect you too…" He reached forward and lifted up one of her hands and gave it a gentle kiss.
A low chuckle escaped Helga... Always and forever, no matter how much making out they did, there would always be such a special place in her heart for Arnold just kissing her hand…It was the first contact she'd ever had with his lips…all those months ago back during Valentine's day at Chez Paris…and it was also the first contact with his lips that she'd gotten that Monday afternoon after the fiasco with his poem for her at school…when he'd finally started realizing for the first time that he was falling in love with her… "Okay, okay, Arnold…" she finally had to say though…because to be honest she wasn't sure how much more romance she could take from him on this already quite romantic afternoon without passing out or something, "This has all been heavenly but enough flirting for now… I don't know about you but that pizza we were talking about before sounds pretty good right about now…and I really am starving…especially after that kiss you put me through, my little love god…"
A still smiling Arnold blushed a little more at her reminder of that 'darker' part of his fantasy time, but then he just nodded at her words and released her hand. "I'd like some pizza too…" His grin picked up a little proudly on one side. "And see, I knew all the practicing with the pillow would pay off, Helga…." He winked.
Helga just rolled her eyes. "Lucky pillow…" she quipped. "Now come on, paste for brains, lets—" Helga began, walking past him to reach the fire escape… when suddenly she caught sight of her reflection once more in the skylight and her eyes went wide and she froze on the spot. "Oh, I…Arnold I…" She turned to him, noticing the confused expression on his face at her actions. "Arnold, I can't go out looking like this!" she elaborated. "I mean, if people see us eating pizza together that's one thing—it can get explained! But if they see me looking like…I mean…"
And then Helga just really couldn't say another word…because really the most painful sight in the world for Helga G. Pataki to endure was her normally bright and sunny and optimistic and happy Arnold looking at all disappointed or sad…and his eyes were just shot through with those emotions all of a sudden whether he knew it or not…It was like what had come over him the other day when they'd been about to walk to the arcade and she'd asked him to let go of her hand so that no one would see them…but about a thousand times worse.
"O-Oh…right…" Helga heard Arnold manage to say, obviously trying to sound like all of this didn't bother him that much… And in truth, Arnold had promised himself over and over not to push Helga into doing anything she didn't want to or wasn't ready to do yet in terms of expressing their love in front of others…and for better or worse he would be sticking to that plan…even if he felt…very… It was hard to describe the emotion but it hurt quite a lot…though he really was trying as hard as he could not to show it.
'Oh, I…I made him…sad…' Meanwhile, Helga felt like her heart was breaking…but no, that word wasn't quite… '…disappointed.' She had made him…disappointed. 'Oh no…no, no, no, no, no…' "Arnold…" she walked toward him, looking at him very sincerely, "I…I don't mean that I don't love it. I mean…" she smiled so very happily, "You took four minutes of time you could have used to get anything out of me and used it to fulfill a fantasy of yours of…braiding my hair…Do you have any idea how unimaginably sweet that is?" She placed a hand upon his shoulder. "It's just…if someone…I mean…" She glanced to the side.
Arnold blinked, realizing how bad he was making her feel even though he hadn't meant to! "No…I…I'm sorry, I…understand, Helga!" he quickly assured her. "It would be a lot harder to explain you looking so different than just us eating pizza together…" He did his best to smile. "Come on, um…I'll help you take it out and put the pigtails back and then we can go, okay?"
And then it was Arnold's turn to feel very hurt inside as his normally smiling and sweet and sassy Helga G. Pataki suddenly seemed almost pierced through with…practically with fear! "NO!" Her eyes went wide and she practically jerked back from him, her hand instantly leaving his shoulder and flying to cover her braid! "I don't want to take it out EVER if I can avoid it! Your loving hands wove my hair and ribbon into a beautiful braid! Every time I feel it pull a certain way or feel the braid come over my shoulder or anything like that all I can think of is you now! It's…It's heaven, Arnold! Don't undo it! Please!"
Arnold just blinked several times at her exclamation…and then felt such a warmth come over him that he had to just go forward and catch her in a quick hug and kiss!
"MMM!" Helga merely exclaimed for the few seconds that her mouth was engaged! And then she felt Arnold pull back and her surprised eyes fell upon him just smiling and blushing and looking so very happy once again!
He just kept looking at her like this and holding her close, taking a few breaths, and then he finally spoke. "S-Sorry, Helga, I just…love you and…I'm happy you love your hair like that so much…" He let out another breath and then finally released her, putting his arms behind his back and blushing with a smile. "Anyway…come on…" He took her hand and prepared to pull her off to his skylight room entrance instead of off to his fire escape, "We'll just get the pizza delivered and eat it in my room, okay? ...And then I'll even…get to have my precious princess locked up with me for a little while longer today…" he managed to find the courage in himself to tack on…with a small wink.
Arnold, of course, expected another little round of blushing and giggles from Helga at his flirtatious comment and then maybe a happy nod from her, upon which they would descend into his room, he'd order the pizza…and then maybe he'd spend the time until it got there telling her more about how pretty she looked to see just how many more blushes and giggles and little swoons and sighs he could get out of his lovely Helga Geraldine on this afternoon…Maybe she'd even be willing to compose a poem or something if the mood struck her.
However, much to Arnold's surprise, none of these things happened. At all.
In fact, Helga didn't budge an inch when he pulled her forward…forcing him to turn around and look to her very curiously.
Helga was just looking at him with her head cocked to the side kind of funny…and then she shook her head. "Arnold…" she started slowly and seriously, "…I love…everything about you, but…sometimes you really are too much of a pushover, Football Head! I mean…" she was scowling a little now, "…you put up with this secrecy thing and don't complain about it at all! You know, it's okay if you disagree with me about it… If you want to make an argument for why I'm being kind of a baby and why I should just freaking walk up the street with my hair in a braid next to you and inform anyone who might see us sharing a pizza that NO ONE 'lost a bet' and that 'we're just a happy couple on a date—SUE US!'…then do it! PLEASE! Besides, I KNOW it's been bugging you lately…" Her eyes welled with sincerity. "I don't want you hiding how you really feel about any of this just to please me… Okay, Arnold?"
Arnold…having really not expected this speech at all…just gave his girlfriend a blank look for several seconds… And then our football headed hero moved away from his fire escape and back right in front of her, still holding her hand. He glanced down in thought for a little bit…and then he turned his eyes back to her and spoke. "Helga…I…don't like keeping us a secret," he said simply…He didn't want to hurt her feelings but he was NOT going to directly lie to her. Ever. "I admit that…" he went on very quietly and sincerely… "Actually…to tell the truth…speaking of 'fantasies' and stuff…the majority of mine about you actually involve you and me together in, well…public: hugs and poetry and love notes to go along with the spitballs in school…getting to hold your hand when we're walking down the street with our friends…kisses in movie theatres where we don't have to be on the lookout to make sure no one we know's watching us… But…" he smiled a little bit more to himself and at her, "I like seeing you happy more than I like the idea of any of those things…and if…keeping us a secret…is what you need right now to be happy, then I understand that…Really…" he assured. "And…also, well…I know you Helga…" He looked right into her eyes, still smiling, and squeezed her hand. "And…I can just feel it, I guess…You're going to tell everyone eventually, maybe even sooner than you think. You're just…something inside of you's just waiting for the right time…but it'll come, Helga, and I can be patient for that."
A second of quiet passed …and then Arnold was surprised (and also quite…pleased) to feel one of Helga's hands come up to brush through his hair and gently cup his head. "I…" she smiled and spoke quietly, "I knew there was a reason I loved that football head of yours besides the fact that it's gorgeous…it's got a pretty clever brain inside of it too…Thanks, Arnold …" And then Helga leaned down and basically almost made Arnold collapse in love by suddenly tracing over the outline of his football head with quick, tender little kisses…all around from the base of his chin, up to one ear, over his forehead, down to his other ear, and then back around the curve of his other cheek and down to the chin again. When she was done she pulled back with a giggle. "And also I guess I still like it because of how much it just begs to be kissed…isn't that right, Arnold's head?"
Arnold was just…his smile and his eyes and… 'Oh…wow…' "Yeah…" he barely breathed out, his knees actually buckling underneath him for a second or two there… "M-Maybe it's not so bad having such a wide head…I mean, there's more places for you to give it kisses, right?" He spoke so airily.
Helga just chuckled at his cute little lovesick state, and then winked. "That's the spirit, Football head!" And then, feeling just about as happy as could be inside, Helga gave him a quick nudge before heading past him and starting to climb onto and descend his fire escape to the street below. "Now come on, Arnold, you can save passing out for later… For now though let's just go get this pizza before I wither way or something…" She chuckled to herself.
"Y-Yeah, let's…" Arnold started, still so very lost in the tingles going all around his head in every little spot she'd placed her pretty lips…but then suddenly what she had just said truly processed with him and Arnold instantly turned in her direction with wide eyes and came fully back to reality! "But Helga! I…I thought you wanted to order in!"
Helga, now standing upon the landing to Arnold's fire escape with her head just barely looking over the ledge of the roof up at Arnold, just rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Eh, we'll just go out and get some…." She waved him off casually with a smile. "I'm sure it'll be fine, even with the braid, and if anyone sees us I'll just…make up something on the spot… Besides I could use a little makeshift 'crazy scheme/keeping up the ruse of our 'mortal enemy-ship' ' practice." She winked. "Now let's get going before my daisy wilts, Football Head! And don't argue with me on this or get all wishy-washy or think I'm doing something that I don't want to do, okay? I am Helga Geraldine Pataki-soon-to-be-Shortman and I have spoken!" she finally announced and then shifted aside on the fire escape landing to give her beloved room to join her upon it!
Arnold's eyes instantly lit up and then without any hesitation he nodded happily and then descended to the landing to stand beside her. Now together again he smiled very sincerely (so very happy that she was really going to let them go out together like this), and just gestured forward with his arm to the ladder leading down to the street. "After you…my brave princess Helga…" he offered lovingly… 'The bravest person I know…' He recalled his words to her that one time…in an air vent at the school…and smiled at how he knew they would always be true.
Helga giggled happily and proceeded to head over to and climb down a few rungs of the ladder…but then a curious look came to her face once more today and she couldn't help but look up at her beloved before he started his own descent and ask in slight puzzlement, "Hey Arnold?"
"Mmm hmm…?" he merely replied with a smile, looking down at her.
"Just out of curiosity…" she finished climbing down the last few rungs and shot him an amused smirk as she did so, "How in the heck did you learn how to braid hair, Arnoldo? I mean…no offense but…most guys can't do hair to save their lives!" She made it to the next landing and stepped aside, waiting for him.
"Well…" Arnold began with a smile, completing his own climb down and then quickly dropping down to stand beside her once more… "Actually, I think it was Lila…She used to let me braid that pretty red hair of hers all the time and I—Helga, calm down, I'm kidding." Arnold did his best not to burst into laughter at the look of total shock and dark scowl that had instantly come to his beloved's face at his words. He let out a sigh and told her the real reason for his skill. "Actually, when me and Gerald used to play with his sister Timberly when she was really little one of her favorite games was fairy princess, and she always wanted her hair braided but Gerald always said no, but…I didn't want her to feel bad so I always ended up doing it and I guess I just picked up on it after a while…I'm glad I started with that Lila story though…" his smile got a lot smugger, "You're cute when you're jealous, Helga…Really cute…Did you know that?"
Helga just blinked a few times, and then blushed furiously and cleared her throat and glanced away. "Oh uh, right, right…Heh…" She waved him off, looking rather sheepish to say the least… "Like I bought your Lila story for a second, Arnoldo!" She turned her eyes back to him to be met with her beloved just giving her a smile and the teeniest bit of a look…and finally she couldn't help smiling genuinely as well and just giving a shrug. "Oh alright, fine, Football Head…you got me. Good one!" She gave him a little shoulder punch, and then let out a sigh and asked, still curious about at least one more thing, "Gerald's sister make you put flowers in her hair too or was that just a stroke of genius on your part, my love?"
At that question Arnold couldn't help but blush just the tiniest bit. He shrugged. "Well, actually…that came from, um… Well, I…kind of really like the idea of flowers in your hair, Helga…I-I mean…I remember really liking it that time your Nanny made you show up in school looking like that…and then when I dreamed about me and 'Hilda' and visiting Arnie, one of the things I thought up was putting a flower in her—uh, your hair…and then of course…in that dream I had about our wedding, I…imagined you with pink flowers in your hair…" He glanced up at her and just let out a sigh. "Personally, I've decided I blame the fact that before the raspberries and lemons you used to use whatever pink, flowery shampoo that was that you mentioned to me last week at your house…I guess over the years it just…must have worked its way into my subconscious…" He chuckled a little. "So…that was, um…part of it…And…And then also, well…" his small smile grew…as did his blush… "Sometimes I kind of arrange flowers in my spare time…See, Gerald and I helped out Mrs. Vitelllo at the flower store for a couple of weeks once, and making the arrangements was my job and I…just find it kind of relaxing, I guess…." He swallowed and glanced away sheepishly, rubbing one of his arms with his hand. "Um, Helga? About the flower arranging though…would you mind not bringing that up to anyone else outside of Phoebe and Gerald? It's just, um…" he blushed a little more, "I know I don't usually care about things like this, but, um…I think the other guys would actually eat me alive if they ever found out, okay?"
Arnold looked back up at Helga, his arms now shyly behind him, only to see her smiling dreamily…and then she giggled. "Oh Arnold…" she cooed, suddenly taking one of his hands in both of her own and lifting it up to hold it near her heart. "You are just so adorable… The only guy in the whole world probably who can do his girlfriend's hair and then treat her like she's part of some lovely, princess-like bouquet…And then you get all flustered about being afraid that the other boys'll make fun of you for being your naturally sweet and sensitive self…" She giggled again. "Don't worry Arnold, I promise your flower arranging will just stay between you and me, okay?" She just shook her head at his charming little self and his charming little 'secret' and his charming little shyness, and then gently released his hand and walked past him on the landing, and proceeded to descend the rungs of the second ladder to drop to the street. "Honestly, Arnold," she just had to comment as she finished the last leg of her journey from his rooftop, "You are completely at your cutest when you're torn between the whole boy/boyfriend thing…Not to mention…" she dropped to the street below finally and looked up to see him now halfway down the last ladder himself, "I mean, you're always going on about how creative I am, Football Head, but you're really creative too, you know…The room gadgets and the pigeon coop and now the flower arranging and the hairstyling…" She smiled more and more to herself as she went on.
Arnold dropped to the street and turned to her, smiling and blushing. "Really, Helga?" he asked shyly. "You…think I'm creative too?"
"Yup…" she winked. "No question about it in the whole wide world, my love…" she giggled, "Or rather, my prince... Hmm, don't feel like I've thrown that little name out for you often enough, but as long as I'm your princess…might as well start letting you know more often that you're my prince, Arnold, right?" And then she took a very coy step over to him and continued in a low voice, arms behind her back, "My sweet prince…my knight in shining armor…my own first and only sharer of kisses…Oh Arnold, I still remember you being so very jealous when you thought so many weeks ago that I had given Brainy one of my kisses but…you must know always and forever that my lips will only truly long to yours, Arnold…Yes, all of me will only ever truly long for all of you, my fantasy-driven little Football Head…"
"Oh Helga, I—I…I…mean…" Arnold, who had…quite suddenly started speaking this first part of his sentence and with quite a… 'dramatic' tone in his voice and a notably adoring smile on his face, suddenly stopped and blinked a few times…and then blushed and his eyes came a little back into focus. "I-I mean…" he cleared his throat and shook his head a little bit to clear it, and now spoke in a normal tone once again, "That's…wonderful to know…my Helga… A-All of it…" He was still blushing like mad at her little monologue for him. "I-I'm happy I got to be your first kiss, too…"
Helga just chuckled a little (noticing his fluster and blushing right now far more than that little quick change in his manner of speaking from the first part of his reply) and took a step back from him with a small smirk. "Yeah, I've been getting that vibe lately considering all the kissing, Arnold…" She crossed her arms over her chest and for a moment just admired her handiwork. 'Arnold's not the only one in this relationship who can sweet talk someone into a little blushing frenzy…Knew letting myself go off into a bit of a monologue would do the trick—he's a sucker for those…' She let out a happy sigh.
"Oh and, um…" Helga's prince suddenly went on with a smile, "Thanks again for…well, saying I'm creative too, Helga… I guess I just get so distracted by how brilliant you are that I never really thought about it that way, or that all the stuff I do might be kind of special…That was sweet of you…like always."
Helga just smiled and put her arms behind her back again, glancing to the side. "You're welcome, Arnold…"
Letting out a happy sigh through his nose, Arnold then gestured forward (because he felt, always and forever, that it was just plain the right thing to do with a girl on a date…and also because he recalled Phoebe's words about Helga really liking the gentleman thing more than she let on) and bowed just a little low. "Shall we then, my Helga?"
Helga just chuckled to herself a little at him like that…Not that she was giving in to the whole 'I'm the girl—he's my slave' thing, but…there really was something to be said for Arnold's little gentlemanly gestures like these and how adorably they fit his personality…and how they really could make her feel just a little special inside. "Of course, my love…" she replied. She took a step forward but then, just as she was about to exit the alley into the public eye, she recalled one more little question she had for her beloved while they could still talk freely without fear of being overheard by somebody. "Oh, but, Arnold, before we go, can I ask you one more question?" She did her best not to smirk too much…but really she was seriously curious.
Arnold just straightened up a bit, still smiling, and gave her an affirmative nod. "Of course, Helga…Anything in the whole world…" he replied, still feeling a little lovesick, all things considered.
Helga did her best not to roll her eyes at his little dramatics, and then crossed her arms over her chest and finally asked, "The 'styling my hair' fantasy…Arnold…where in the world did that come from, and…how in the heck was the desire for it strong enough that it popped into your head to use most of your fantasy time just now to do it?"
Helga watched her beloved predictably go a little wide eyed and blush a bit…but then his little smile returned, and he just swallowed, put his hands behind his back…seemed to consider for a moment…and then looked to her and shrugged. "I…I'm not exactly sure, actually. I think it was from a few things, to be honest…" His smile grew a little more. "I mean, first I…I just love touching your hair, Helga…you know, like when we kiss sometimes and it's down around your shoulder or I start to, um…pull it down a little…." He swallowed a little bashfully, but went on. "There's just…something about pulling my fingers through it… It feels like I can't get enough of it sometimes, really…" A funny thought occurred to him. "Actually, I think the best way to put it would be that…however much you really like the shape of my head…is how much I really like your hair…"
Arnold blushed a bit more…but was obviously getting a little lost in the subject at hand and so did not cease his musings. "And then of course there's how pretty it smells, Helga…and how soft it is too…And also how it's just one of your most attractive qualities in general…" His eyes went more half lidded. "So then all of that together…couldn't help but make me think sometimes about how nice it would be to just sit down near you for a few minutes and just…do whatever I wanted with it, and especially all for it's own sake instead of as only a part of a kiss…Moving and shifting and arranging all of the pieces and strands of it with my hands…" He let out a little sigh. "A-And then the braid in general I guess came from how we were talking about Shakespeare and the school play, my bright angel, and how you had it in kind of a braid when you were playing Juliet…my Juliet…" His smile went its absolute goofiest for a moment—he was obviously now stuck on the love of his life actually playing the love of his life in one of the greatest love stories ever told, like some kind of cosmic sign that they were truly meant to be with each other…
"But, um…" Arnold managed to barely say a few seconds later, and then he blinked once or twice and managed to fully snap out of his daydreams to wrap things up, "Oh but, um…anyway…so that's…all of that's where the hair styling fantasy came from…and…to be honest…" He took a step toward Helga, "Now that I got the chance to do it, and play with and touch your perfect hair like that, I feel like I've got this…intimate relationship with it or something." His smile picked up just a little on one side.
Helga had been absorbing his little explanation with a lot of blushing and a lot of pride, the whole time just basking in the lovely feel of Arnold's braid upon her shoulder. As he finished with this little comment though, she couldn't help but look into his half lidded eyes with her own half lidded eyes and reply with a grin, "Hmm…an intimate relationship, huh?…I like the sound of that, Arnold…" She brushed her fingers over her ear, touching the hair he loved so much, "Well, I'll…have to keep your deep love for my hair in mind when we're together from now on, Arnold…" She gave him a wink.
"Thanks, Helga…" Arnold's grin picked up as well, and then he couldn't help but add, gazing from her eyes to her braid once more. "Plus…on top of all that stuff I mentioned, I think I'm starting to get a thing for blondes…" He reached up a little boldly and brushed over her ear with his own hand now as well. "…Well, one blonde, at least… Just another fun new level of the whole being incredibly attracted to you thing, I guess, huh, Helga?"
At his sudden little touch Helga swallowed hard of course but then just rolled her eyes to the side with a smirk again today and gave a little shrug. "Hey, at least your thing you're attracted to is pretty standard…You should have tried walking through a door one morning when you were three and realizing you had a serious hang up on football shaped heads!"
Arnold had to break into some serious chuckles at that little comment, and as the only thing that came close for Helga G. Pataki to how good it felt to make Arnold blush or smile was (as it had always been) how good it felt to actually make Arnold laugh, Helga chuckled quite a little herself. And then she added, taking that step past her beloved and glancing at him over her shoulder, "Oh and that flaxen hair of yours didn't help either, of course… I'm guilty of the blondes thing too, Arnold… And of course, just as you love to touch my hair, I love to run my fingers through those gorgeous tufts of hair of yours now that I finally can in my life…And it feels so good, Arnold…" She shot him a blushing wink. "Now for crying out loud let's at least start on this walk to get our pizza, Football Head! Crimeny, I can practically feel my stomach growling!" Having made this announcement, she then turned back around and finally stepped out onto the sidewalk and around the corner of the building, waiting for her beloved to join
Arnold (first reaching up, in his state of intense blushing, and just touching the ends of one of those tufts of hair she'd mentioned loving to run her fingers through…and feeling all goofy inside that she really liked his hair too all that much), recalled their early dinner date right now at Helga's words and quickly came out of the alley as well to join up with her and begin their walk together.
Together now and heading up the street (after one of Helga's usual standard glances around to check to see if anyone they knew was nearby…She really couldn't help it—it was just habit), the two just walked in happy silence, smiling to themselves and just feeling…very at peace…as they always did around one another.
As they turned the corner to leave Vine Street though, Arnold couldn't help but glance to Helga and say in a quiet voice since they were indeed passing by a person or two (though no one from school or anything at the moment), "Oh, um…Helga…before I forget…About that whole thing that you like about whenever I get torn between…I guess, 'being a boy and being a boyfriend' is how you usually put it…" He smiled at the idea.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Helga glance at him with a smile. "Yes, Arnold? About that little dilemma I love to create for you sometimes for my amusement? And about how cute it is watching you squirm as you try figure your way out of it?"
Arnold just rolled his amused eyes to the side a little. "Yeah, that. Well…um…going along with that…and along with the whole 'keeping us a secret' thing…" he noticed the smile on her face falter a little, but kept his up… It wasn't anything bad, what he had to say…It might actually make her feel a little better…and also remind her that she wasn't entirely alone with maybe liking some of the 'deception'… "You know, um…" he decided to try his best to reign in the charm as he spoke since they were out on the street…though he still had to at least say what he had to say while the thought was fresh in his mind, "You know, you're cute too…but when you're kind of torn between being 'Helga G. Pataki, the iron-fisted ruler of the fourth grade' and being 'Helga Geraldine Pataki…the beautiful poet who's in love with me'… Especially when we're in school…" He turned his head to look at her a little more. "I told you once before, Helga…" he spoke sincerely, recalling that final conversation of their first date before he'd left her on her stoop, "Even though I don't like keeping us a secret very much…the sneaking around has kind of been growing on me…and there's something to be said for having your brilliance all to myself for just a little while…"
Arnold watched as Helga's smile widened, and she looked just about as happy as could be. "Thanks, Arnold…" she said in a quiet voice back to him…and then glanced forward happily, and just had to add to get under his skin a little. "And well, well, well…looks like I really was right not only about that little dark side of yours, but about the fact that it's got a natural aptitude at being dark…" Arnold blinked (and blushed) in a little bit of confusion at first until she further clarified (and then his blushing only got deeper, of course), "What I'm saying is…it looks like someone has kind of a thing for this secret little romance of ours…Doing something a little sneaky, a little bold, a little risky…Something that the world says is wrong…but that just feels so right… You like having a girl you can pull off into the shadows to satisfy all of your deepest daydreams and fantasies—admit it, Arnold…You like having your own little private love buffet…"
With little drama or arrest (but yet, of course, no warning) this little speech from Helga lead her to being lead calmly but firmly right into the next alley by a smiling Arnold who really just couldn't take it anymore. He then proceeded to turn to her, gently place either of his hands on either one of her shoulders, and press their foreheads together, just looking into her eyes… His arms then instantly traveled down to wrap warmly around Helga's back so that he could hold hug her to himself. He just needed to hold her and touch her and be as near her as possible just for a moment…her words and so many new daydream and fantasy images suddenly dancing so very overwhelmingly in his head.
He just savored her warmth in his arms for several seconds…
And then eventually Arnold replied to Helga's accusation that there was a part of him that sincerely and deeply loved how romantic all the secrecy could be… He looked at her dazed face in the shadows and spoke in a whisper, "Yeah…I do, Helga… I…do love my own private little love buffet…" He rested his forehead against hers all the more… "But…" he went on, looking right into her eyes, "…It'll be even better one day when I can pull you out of the shadows and into anywhere and in front of anyone and use a kiss for the first time to let THEM know instead of just YOU that I want you and only you forever…my princess Helga Geraldine…"
It didn't take Helga more than ten or fifteen…okay it actually took her a good twenty or thirty seconds to stop being numb with pleasure enough to respond. She brought her arms up and very deliberately ran the fingers of one of her hands through Arnold's hair, and felt him straighten up and saw him smile more as he did so…It also probably made him grin just a bit that she used her other hand to creep up just the tiniest bit under his sweater, resting her palm against the plaid shirt over his back. She smiled more and whispered back to him. "I…I know it'll be even better too, Arnold…And I promise you…one day…I will tell everybody…I will tell everybody that I love Arnold…Arnold Shortman." She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips…pulling back slowly…eventually… And then she looked deeply into his eyes once more… "You have my word."
"I never ever doubted you would, Helga…" came Arnold's whispered reply from his freshly kissed…and slightly trembling…lips… Then he shut his eyes and squeezed Helga to him tightly for one final happy hug (savoring once again in his life how PERFECTLY she fit in his arms) before finally releasing his lovely girlfriend once more this day and then eventually (as soon as both of their blushings subsided a little) pulling her back out to the street to continue their walk.
"…Besides…when the wedding invitations go out one day I feel like everyone might get a clue that there's something going on between us." Arnold couldn't help adding the small joke with a smirk to Helga out of the corner of his eye as they departed from the alley. He knew he should have saved it until later because they were walking out on the open street once again and him ever being willing to bring up the marriage/wedding/ 'Helga Shortman' thing always made her blush without question…but it had just popped out before he could stop himself. He just waited now, hoping Helga wouldn't be too upset with him for putting her through this comment and a possible public blush when she was already taking such a risk by just being out here walking down the street with him, beautiful braid in her hair, on her way to go have dinner together with him…
"Oh shut up, you big jerk of a lug…." Instead of an upset remark though, this comment (playfully said) met Arnold's ears and his eyes now turned to Helga fully. She was just smirking as she walked along...and also (unfortunately) blushing like crazy out here in broad daylight.
Still, though, rather than panicking and ducking into the nearest alley until the rosy hue drained from her cheeks once more…a still smirking Helga just sighed to herself and merely commented, almost shaking her head in amusement at how unbelievably hopeless her current position was if they actually did turn a corner and bump into Harold Berman or Rhonda Wellington-Lloyd or any number of people, "And now, Arnold, I am officially walking down the street in public, talking to you, smiling like crazy (heck I can even feel a giggle dying to come out of me at the next cute thing you'll say), with my hair in a braid and a flower over my ear…and now blushing on top of everything else." She glanced at Arnold fully and just shrugged. "Well, what the heck—if we're going to risk getting busted might as well go all the way, right?" And she actually even tossed in a public wink on top of it all! (Though, she did do one of her little glances around first—It was just…too engrained for her NOT to do one (for now…) ).
Arnold smiled and even laughed a little at Helga's assessment of things, happy that she was happy and okay with all of this…with spending this small piece of time being so much of her true self in public. It was like a little bonus piece of fantasy time for him… "Yeah, all we'd need is to be holding hands or something…" Arnold meant it as a joke entirely. It would have literally been another fantasy come true of course, but with everything he was getting right now and with how it had only been just a few days ago that she'd specifically point blank said that something like that was too much.
"Oh…why the heck not?"
Arnold's jaw actually fell as he processed the reply and then the fact that Helga—took his hand!
He heard a little giggle come from her beside him as she then went on in a half playful, half sarcastic voice, obviously still grinning, "But we're running up the street to get to the freaking pizza parlour, and if anyone asks you beaned me with a baseball again and I've gone all temporarily loopy once more, got it?"
Arnold just looked to her with wide eyes…and then down at her hand holding his…and then back up into her smiling blue eyes…And then he smiled wide and nodded enthusiastically. "Whatever you say, Helga!"
She just rolled her eyes at his cute little enthusiasm and then the two of them started to race up the street together!
As they rounded another corner (together for once instead of separately and slamming into one another), a grinning, blushing Arnold managed to add to Helga, in his state of total elation at his good fortune with her today, "Hey, maybe I should even say that this time around you think I'm your boyfriend or something…That would explain sharing the soda together in case anyone caught us…"
Helga, still looking forward as she ran on, visibly swallowed and blushed a bit more. "U-Um…one step at a time, Arnold..." she couldn't help but reply…because, even though it was probably a little joke, she...just in case the opportunity presented itself, she just needed to make it clear that she wasn't quite ready to hide that 'in plain sight' just yet… Still though, it was a cute thing to say, and so, as the pizza parlour came in sight, Helga did squeeze her sweet prince's hand a little and glance over her shoulder at him with a smirk and add, "But I do like the way that football headed brain of yours thinks, Arnoldo…I do like the way it thinks…"
She felt a still smiling Arnold squeeze her hand back…and she felt a lot better.
And then the two kids faced forward again and focused their attentions once more on their quest this afternoon for a half jalapeños and olives, half pineapple pizza, and a large Yahoo soda with a cherry twist…and two straws, of course!
A/N:
I hope you guys liked this! Like, I've been working on it like crazy so I really, really hope it came out alright and everything, lol! Anyway as always, your lovely reviews are appreciated and like I said I'll try and start doing updates on my other stuff and of course answering all of the messages and reviews that I'm behind on asap! ^_^
Here's the line-up for the next courtship chapter:
DOUBLE STANDARD
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AFTER SCHOOL
ANOTHER TOUCHING MOTHER/DAUGHTER MOMENT
GERALD X PHOEBE
Happy Reading!
AXH FOREVER! ^_^
~Azure129 aka Jenna ;)