"I'm facing a dilemma." Helga groaned, thanking no one in particular that she had worn the silk top. It felt amazing against her skin as Matt's hands roved over her body. His chest pressed her up against the wall, just outside the door to her dorm.

"Don't know whether to ask me up or not?"

"No idea." She admitted, feeling the muscles of his stomach through his T shirt.

"It's totally up to you." He grinned. Had she ever met a guy that smiled this much? "If you're not sure if you wanna… uh… go further, with me… then don't ask. If you're scared that I'll think you're a slut or something… I'm really not that kind of person." He leaned forward, kissed her again. "I'm not expecting sex, by the way… you can just ask me up for chaste kisses and a cuddle."

She laughed. "I only have a single bed."

"We should have gone to mine." His grin let her know that he was joking, but it was a good suggestion.

"So why didn't we?" She pressed her hips forward, grinning with satisfaction when his hands clenched at her back.

"Seemed pretty suspect… a guy you hardly know leading you back to his place in the middle of the night." His hands slid across the silk, down her hips… he leaned forward to kiss her again. "Besides…" he breathed against her skin as he pressed his forehead to hers "… this way you get to decide. You aren't left stranded in the middle of the night." He bent further down, kissed her neck.

"Come up." Helga groaned, before she even realised what she wanted.

"You sure about that?" His lips mumbled down the outside of her ear. Jesus fucking CHRIST.

"Yes."

His hands stayed on her as she swiped into the building, he kissed her in the elevator, held her hand as they walked down the corridor to her suite. His fingers slipped under her waistband as she unlocked her door. He closed the door with his foot and circled her waist with her arms as they stumbled into the room.

She turned to him, gasping as he lifted her off her feet. He held her to him, kissed her. The silk of her top slid up, his fingers tugged up her jacket, found skin. "Fuck I want you." He groaned.

Her feet dangling, she wriggled her hips against him. She went through a mental checklist. Legs and armpits shaved, pretty undies on, bed sheets changed recently, room not too messy. Yup, she could do this.

"Have me."

…

Arnold - If ANYTHING goes wrong, text me and I'll come get you, ok? Text me when you get home, too. I'm all worried for your safekeeping. Nite Pataki.

Again, she had forgotten about Arnold.

Helga - Safe n sound, Shortman. Only just got your text. Hope this doesn't wake you :) x

She dropped her phone onto the dresser and leaned back into her pillows. Hot, she kicked the sheets away. Her skin was burning up, her heart still thumping. She felt flushed, heavy, satiated. She heard Matt's footsteps, opened her eyes to see him in the doorway, smiling.

His eyes wandered down her body, lingering at her chest, her waist, the apex of her thighs.

"You are a seriously beautiful woman." He crossed the small room in two strides, stood above her, naked, broad-shouldered, olive skinned, with dark tattoos down his arms.

She reached up and touched her fingertips to the muscle at his hip. "And you're a beautiful man." She smiled, stretched, yawned.

"Should I go?" He asked, looking suddenly awkward.

She shook her head. "Only if you want to." She shuffled over, rolled onto her side. "I don't want you to, though."

His arms were warm and heavy, his fingers combed through her hair and brushed her skin. She lay on him, her head on his chest, her thigh over his legs, the sheets tangled at their feet.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, running a fingertip down her neck, making her shiver.

She hummed sleepily. "I'm perfect…" she smiled "… if a little sore."

He sighed. "Sorry… I tried to be gentle."

She couldn't help but laugh. "You have nothing to apologise for." she swallowed. "It's just been a while, that's all, and you're rather… endowed."

He sighed again, pressed a kiss to her hair. He groaned, a long, wanting kind of sound. "I didn't break you?"

She smiled, sleepy. "No… but you can try again in the morning if you like." She yawned.

…

His arm lay heavy on her when she woke up, his thighs tucked up behind hers, his face buried in her hair. Her head lay on his arm.

It felt so good to wake up with a body pressed against her. It had been months since she had last lain with someone… and that particular interlude had been less than satisfactory. Matt, on the other hand, was amazing.

She rolled over, struggling to shift under his arm. Oh god… he was beautiful. He had dark lashes, dark stubble, thick eyebrows. She pressed her body hard up against him, her lips against his.

"mmmmmmmmm" he mumbled, his arms tightened around her. "Morning." His voice hummed against her lips. His hands slid down to grasp her ass, pulling her hard against his…

…

…She sat up, lobbed the condom into her wastepaper basket and collapsed again, wriggling against him. "I could so go back to sleep."

He ran the flat of his palms up her thighs. "What are you doing today?"

She hummed, sleepy. "I was going to study till Arnold finishes work."

His fingers skimmed gently, up and down her spine. "How about I take you to breakfast, before you start on the books?"

"How about you join me in the shower, before you take me to breakfast?"

A shower, breakfast, a long handsy goodbye and an afternoon of studying punctuated by sweet and suggestive texts preceded a walk to Arnold's work, a ten minute wait, and a come on from a guy in his forties.

"See ya Mike!" Arnold and Helga waved to the manager as he locked up the music store where Arnold worked.

'I need a coffee." Arnold yawned as he tugged on his jacket. "It's been a long day."

"Aw… you getting old, Shortman?" Helga grinned. "Can't handle college life?"

He glowered. "Actually, I spent half the night awake, worrying that a friend of mine had been left to die in a gutter or something."

Whoa… heavy… Helga baulked. "Seriously? You got the serial killer vibe off Matt?"

He shrugged, sighed. "I don't know… no, I suppose not…" His eyes were on the ground, following his own feet as they trudged down the street.

"Ah for fucks sake. It's nice of you to worry about me Arnold, but I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She put an arm around his shoulder, squeezed him briefly.

Arnold grunted, shrugged. He needs to eat or something, grumpy bastard.

"C'mon man! I thought you'd be happy for me!" She grinned, tried to joke with him, bumping his hip with hers. "I mean… I'd be shouting you a drink if you'd gotten laid!"

He glanced at her, frowning. "You slept with him?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah… of course I did! Didn't you see him?"

"Weren't you drunk?" His face looked shocked, but also annoyed. She felt herself bristle. What the fuck was his problem?

"Uh, yeah, a little… but so was he. It's not like he pressured me or anything. I wanted to bed him."

He was gaping at her. "I really didn't think you were like that."

You're stepping into dangerous territory, Football Head. Helga forced herself to act calm. "Like what, exactly?"

At least he had the decency to look a little flustered. "Like… the kind of girl who just goes home with a guy she doesn't even know."

She swallowed, took a deep breath. "Have you never slept with a girl you only just met?"

Arnold opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He glanced away, looked back, returned his gaze to his shoes. "I have… I suppose… but they were… uh… I mean…"

"You mean that you were the one getting laid, so you didn't care." He tried to protest, but she cut him off. "Look, Arnold. I'm not your girlfriend, so you really don't have a right to make me feel guilty about sleeping with someone. Matt and I are both single, we're adults, and we like each other. It really is that simple. I am sorry for ditching you at the party, that was pretty shitty of me… but I'm not sorry for screwing someone I chose to screw. I don't regret it, in fact, it was fucking awesome, and I plan on doing it again."

Silence.

They walked on, plodding towards campus. "I'll just get a coffee…" Arnold mumbled. Helga followed him into a little café, lounging at a table while Arnold waited for a takeaway flat white.

They stepped back out onto the pavement together, still quiet. Helga felt bad. She didn't mean to snarl at him, but she hated that 'good girl' bullshit. She hated it even more when it came from him. She figured he was just tired, grumpy and a little hurt that she had bailed on him… but she wasn't going to be made to feel bad for enjoying herself.

"I'm sorry." Arnold sighed. "You're right. I know you did nothing wrong. I'm just in a bad mood and nothing is coming out right." He sighed again, not looking at her. "We haven't been friends for very long. Good friends, I mean… I have no idea what your… uh… sexual philosophy is? I mean… when it comes to that stuff, you're still nine… in my head, I mean."

Helga laughed. "My sexual philosophy? That's awesome." He glanced at her, she caught his eye and smiled. "Honestly… I am all about people doing whatever the hell they want, as long as you're not hurting anyone."

Arnold nodded. Ah geeze, he has that reflective expression on.

"I suppose I'm kinda jealous?" He admitted.

Helga spluttered. What the fuck? "What? Why?" whoops, that came out way too dramatic.

He blushed, rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I dunno. I mean… shit this is going to sound stupid." He sighed. "I haven't had sex in ages. It's not like I haven't tried or anything…" He smiled weakly. "….and, I mean, you're my friend, the person I thought I'd be going home with at the end of the night… not like that!" He gasped, turning his eyes on her, terrified looking, but smiled when she just laughed. "God, seriously, nothing is coming out right tonight… I mean, I thought we were kinda together in our loner-ness… and then this huge older guy who looks like he just stepped out of a Levi's commercial takes you home straight away? Just kinda made me wonder what I'm doing wrong… I got defensive I suppose, stupidly… I'm sorry."

Helga shook her head. "Honestly Arnold, I marvel at your ability to read your own emotions like that." She stepped closer, put her arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're forgiven."

He slung his arm over her shoulder. "So… you're going to keep seeing him?

She grinned despite herself. "Yeah. I think so. He's pretty amazing." She squeezed him again, suddenly realising she was being a bit of a callous cow. "You're amazing too, Shortman. Honestly." He snorted, but she pinched him, making him jump. "You are! Hells… you're pretty much perfect."

He grumbled, obviously pleased, but being obstinate. "Sure… that's why I have that really awesome girlfriend."

She shuddered theatrically. "Don't be that guy. There is nothing quite as unattractive as a person who wants a partner purely for the sake of having a partner. You should want a girlfriend because you met someone awesome and want to be with them."

Jesus Christ… I am so glad I don't have to look into his eyes while I say this crap. Despite herself, she felt like slapping him sometimes. She had been right there for years… the girl who would have done anything for him. She knew now that it would never happen, and she was OK with that. But it still didn't stop her from wondering why he was such a fucking moron sometimes.

"You sound like Doctor Phil or some shit."

"Nah… I just put less stock into relationships than most people our age."

"Why is that?"

She smiled. "Now who sounds like Doctor Phil?"

"Me. Honestly Helga, why are you so… blasé about love and stuff?"

She laughed. "Really? Isn't it obvious? My family suuuucks. Bob and Miriam loathe each other, for good reason, Olga gets sucked in continually by losers who just use her, and I, despite being an exemplary student and generally perfect person…" she grinned "… have always been treated like I'm a leper. Most people suck. I have no great desire to tie myself to someone who isn't extraordinary."

He was quiet for a while, digesting what she had told him. "So… you've never liked anyone? Like… really liked anyone?"

"I dunno Arnold… I've liked people enough to sleep with them for an extended period of time, but no one I've ever really liked has liked me back. Not like that."

"So you just resign yourself to shagging guys you have no invested interest in?"

She sighed, annoyed. He wasn't trying to sound like a prick, he was just curious… but she couldn't help but get defensive. "I like sex. Why should I deny myself something I enjoy, just because the guy I might want a relationship with doesn't want me? I'm honest with the guys I hook up with, I don't lead them on or anything." She shrugged, thankful at least that they were walking, not sitting in some room staring at each other.

He just nodded. "Sure… I get that. It's just not something I've heard girls say before."

"You need to talk to more girls, then."

He laughed. "That's for sure."