In this chapter:

Rhonda reminds us all why she's the MVP of this story.

Gerald breaks our hearts.

And Helga gets that sweet, sweet dick.

:)

*One Month Later*

Helga was amused by Arnold's newfound obsession with finding ways to touch her in public. There was nothing sexual about it whatsoever, and it almost seemed like Arnold was exploring his blossoming affection for her. It was something foreign to him, after all. Most of his interactions with women in the past involved meaningless carnal relations. While the two did indulge in a few sinful pleasures, there was still a sense of innocence radiating from him. She deduced that he was experiencing something akin to his first real, reciprocated crush at the ripe old age of twenty-one.

Puppy love, if you will.

He invited her to lunch at the café during its peak hours, because it would be busy. Students gathered there in a rush to grab their food and leave, and hardly anyone would pay attention to two people eating sandwiches at the back table. What Helga didn't account for was running into the last person she ever wanted to see again when they got in line to order their food, her ex-boyfriend, Lorenzo. They had dated for nearly two years. He was the only child of a wealthy family whose motto was ' business first'. Normally Helga would find a man like him unbearable, but the two of them hit it off when they met in English class. There was a kinship formed over their equally strange childhoods, though they were vastly different. She made him laugh, and he made her feel important to him. Everything came to a screeching halt when Lorenzo's parents finally met her. ' She comes from trash! Her father is a joke, and her mother is a drunk. You can't possibly be interested in someone like her, Lorenzo! She'll ruin your life!' and being the wimp that he was, he dumped her without a second thought. There was a brief reconciliation a month later, but it ended in a flurry of slaps and cursing when he insisted on her signing a bogus contract to ' amicably part ways' after graduation to avoid conflict with his family.

"Hey, Helga." He awkwardly rubbed his arm, avoiding her gaze at all costs.

" Lorenzo." She clenched teeth, baring them slightly as a threat; I'll rip your fucking head off.

"H-how are you?"

Arnold knew there was something fishy about their interaction, but he didn't immediately jump to 'ex-boyfriend'. Helga was cold and clipped with a lot of people most of the time.

"I'm just peachy. Thanks for taking nearly a year to check in like you give a shit. The line is moving, by the way." She gave him a harsh shove forward.

" Is everything okay?" Arnold whispered.

She had nearly forgotten that she had the perfect ' go fuck yourself' material. Helga immediately grabbed Arnold's hand, lacing their fingers together for Lorenzo to see. "I'm great." She looked up at him from underneath her lashes, giving him the most saccharine sweet smile she could muster. He was slightly disturbed by her personality change but didn't comment on it, figuring she would elaborate the significance of messing with this guy later. Helga gave Lorenzo one final glare; she wasn't concerned about him knowing about Arnold's infamy around campus. He didn't have time for idle gossip, he was too busy being a stick in the mud to keep tabs on a random guy who enjoyed casual sex.

Lorenzo booked it out of the café once he got his food. Arnold finally felt free to ask the obvious question once they were seated at their table; "Who was that dude?"

" That lovely little prick was my ex-boyfriend." She set her hands against the table, taking a deep breath to rid herself of her burning rage. "I fucking hate him." She gave him an obviously forced smile to emphasize her point.

"Oh." His lips quirked to the side. He's dealt with ex-boyfriends before, plenty of them. Usually, they were attempting to clobber him after he'd slept with their former girlfriends. It felt different this time around, seeing Helga's ex. Not a sense of jealousy, but… irritation, perhaps? "You know, I could have put on a better show for him if I had known. I'd gladly let him know that you've moved on." He grabbed one of her hands, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss. Fuck me! He's never done it back before. Oh, Arnold! Helga's first instinct was to moan, but she ended up whimpering instead.

"Huh, so I wasn't seeing things earlier?" Arnold's eyes widened, slowly moving her hand down from his mouth.

His head turned almost mechanically to his left. "Heyyyy… Summer."

Oh SHIT.

"Don't ' hey' me!" Her hands slapped against the table, startling both of them. "I saw you in line a while ago and I thought oh, Arnold's here? It's Wednesday. He'd normally be with One at her place during lunch-"

One, also known as Ruth.

"But then I remembered, you said you were ' taking a break for a while'. And then I see you holding hands with this thing!" She angrily gestured at Helga. "I thought maybe I was losing my mind, because you don't do affection, right? But…" despite being a gorgeous woman, she had a nasty and unforgiving glare. " Kissing on her? SERIOUSLY? What the fuck is your game, Arnold? Is she your new number four? And are the rules changing?"

Arnold was not ready to deal with the wrath of Summer without mental preparation. She was by far the most temperamental of his regular sex partners. "I can explain everything, okay? But can we not do it here?"

"You keep ignoring all my calls, Arnold! One and Three said the same thing. One managed to corner you at Fitzy's Halloween party, but she said you disappeared on her. Just be honest! Are you seriously going to toss us aside for her? We give you what other people can't! You said so yourself."

Helga was using every ounce of self control she possessed to keep her mouth shut. She's a real piece of work, calling me a THING.

"We'll talk later, Summer-"

"NO!"

" Summer." Arnold's expression darkened. "We're not having this conversation here, so stop it."

Summer clearly didn't want to relent but knew better than to push him. "Fine, but this isn't over, Arnold." She raked her fingers through his hair and held on tight, tilting his head back in a show of dominance. " You know you can't control that wayward dick of yours. Don't make a stupid decision over some new pussy." To Arnold's credit, he didn't even flinch. He knew she wasn't trying to kiss him; she was putting on a production for Helga.

The sound of metal hitting the surface of the wooden table got both of their attention. A knife was sticking out of the table, directly between Summer's fingers. Helga's hand still held on tightly to the handle. She gasped in horror, pulling her hand away immediately. "You fucking psychopath!"

"We're trying to eat lunch. Goodbye, Autumn." She mockingly wiggled her fingers at her in a wave.

Her implied violence finally got Summer to back off and leave. Arnold was still eyeing the knife in the table. "I didn't know you'd resort to aggravated assault when provoked." He slid his hand across the table, linking their fingers together once again. "Seeing you get so worked up is kind of a turn on." He dropped his voice to a whisper, " It makes me want to bend you over right here."

She gave his fingers an almost painful squeeze, "You couldn't get that lucky, Arnoldo." she teased.

*Two Days Later*

Today's canoodling had gotten more intense than usual. They were both fully clothed, with Arnold on top of her, nestled comfortably between her legs and purposefully grinding his erection against her core. He'd discovered a particularly sensitive spot on her neck with an exploratory kiss during their experimentation to broaden his limits. Lately, she'd been allowing him to kiss her wherever he wanted, giving him free rein of her entire body. He seemed to get the most worked up when he got closer to her head, indicating to her that he was craving what he feared, but couldn't make himself do it. She wanted to let him make the choice for himself, when he was ready.

" Fuck!" She moaned quietly into his ear when he nipped at the side of her neck, flicking his tongue over it after. God, I want your tongue in my mouth. She could only cling on to him desperately, making encouraging noises, and moving her hips with his. Her breath hitched when his lips brushed against her jaw. She felt his entire body shiver, choosing to move lower down her neck once again. At least he's testing the waters.

After a brief knock on her bedroom door, Rhonda burst into her room, seemingly frantic. She took in the scene before her, realizing her mistake. "Shit! Sorry!" And she exited as fast as she entered.

"Oh, crap." Helga groaned. "That's gonna be one hell of a conversation."

"I didn't even get to make you come." Arnold pretended to pout. "But you should probably talk to her." He placed a languid kiss against her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut, imagining the kiss was on her lips.

"Alright bucko! Quit rubbing your dick on me. I need to go pacify Rhonda before she implodes." Helga wasn't intentionally avoiding talking to Rhonda about her… thing with Arnold. She didn't know what to tell her exactly. They weren't dating, and his birds were still an obstacle they hadn't dealt with. Arnold followed behind her as they went upstairs, excusing himself for a hasty retreat once Rhonda had her eyes on him. She had cocooned herself in a blanket on the couch, with just her face poking out. What in the name of creation?

" Bye." He whispered one last time before shutting the front door behind himself.

"Look, princess-"

" It's true, isn't it?" She lowered the blanket from her head. "The rumor… you're number Four?"

"Wait, what?" Helga rounded the couch, plopping down next to her. "What rumor are you talking about?"

"I left campus early just so I could tell you about it as soon as I caught wind of it. I assumed there was no way you would ever agree to be one of his birds, and I wanted to know where someone would get an idea like that! Oh god!" She took Helga's hand in hers. "I know I make jokes about sex all the time, and I admit that I was way too fascinated by Arnold and his birds at first… but this is dangerous, Helga! Getting yourself tangled up in his lifestyle is no joke. The identity of his birds is typically a secret. But now the school has a name and face! This is bad-"

"I'm not one of his birds, Rhonda." She took a shaky breath. "It's nothing like that. I-… We-… like each other. It's complicated." Her brow furrowed, " What the fuck?" There was only one explanation for the rumor: Summer. She was on a warpath, and she was the only one who could sprinkle around false information about her without raising suspicion. After all, the other birds hadn't met Helga. "His number Two. She did this. We had a sort of… altercation the other day."

"I'll fucking kill her." Rhonda removed the blanket entirely, angrily throwing it across the room and standing up. "Name. NOW."

"Whoa tiger! Murder isn't on the table right now, as tempting as that sounds." She tugged her back down to the couch. "I chose to get involved with Arnold, knowing the risks. I've even told him I didn't care what others thought of me. If I go out there and make a big production over this, it's only going to make the rumors seem that much more credible."

" Helga." She threw herself against her, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug. "You don't have to deal with this by yourself. But… I'll go with whatever you want to do." She leaned out, "I'll still destroy that bitch. Just say the word." The doorbell cut through the sound of their laughter. "I'll get it." Rhonda went to answer the door, and Helga got her phone out to text Arnold and warn him about the incoming shitstorm.

" MOVE!" Lorenzo came stomping into the house, his face was a shade of dark red. "Have you lost your fucking mind, Helga!?"

"Get the hell out of here!" Rhonda bellowed.

He ignored her entirely, focusing solely on his ex. "You go parading around with the school slut like it's some kind of badge of honor!? My reputation is ruined! Now I'm the guy who dated a fucking prostitute-"

Rhonda's fist swiftly collided with his face, knocking him down flat. She defensively held both fists up, daring him to open his mouth again. "Daddy was right." She panted, tossing her long raven hair over her shoulder. "Taking self-defense classes before starting college was totally worth it."

"Holy fuck." A fourth person had joined them at some point during the scuffle.

Gerald.

"Don't make me clock you too, Johanssen. I won't hesitate!"

"Calm down! Holy shit. I'm not looking for a fight." He made eye contact with Helga, who was still standing there in shock. "Can I talk to you?" He eyed Rhonda, who was currently snarling at him. " Alone?"

Lorenzo groaned from the floor, and Rhonda promptly kicked him in the shin, making him yelp.

"Sure." She motioned for him to follow her downstairs. "Don't kill my ex while I'm gone, princess. You'd look terrible in an orange jumpsuit. Let the moron leave."

"If you insist." She gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

"So, I'm guessing you've heard the rumors?" Gerald leaned against her bedroom wall. "It's spreading like wildfire around campus. ' Helga Pataki is Arnold's newest bird'. What horse shit." He scoffed. "I'm not an idiot. I know you two have something going on, given the third degree I've been receiving from Arnold ever since he figured out we had sex. He's very concerned I've 'fallen' for you and refuse to admit it." He laughed, shaking his head. "I fell for you a long time ago, Pataki. Way before we ever had sex."

Her eyes widened in horror. " What?" Their interactions were typically tolerable at best. When had he fallen in love with her?

"There's no doubt that you piss me off something fierce. You're such a smartass. But… you're also funny, beautiful, and one of the few people willing to challenge me without hesitation. I wanted to ask you out the entire semester we were lab partners, but I didn't know how you would react, given our… arguing. You seemed disgusted by me most of the time."

"I thought you hated me. I had no idea." She suddenly felt like an absolute asshole for propositioning him at Fitzy's. "For the record… uh, I-" a dark blush crept up her cheeks. "I probably would have said yes… if you had asked me out. I would have mocked you relentlessly at first, of course, but… I would have given you a chance. Bickering is kind of my kink." She chuckled at the absurdity of it.

"Life is weird, isn't it? Cruel as well." He ruefully sighed. "I never imagined you would cross paths with Arnold, let alone fall for someone as complicated as him. My guy has a lot of baggage! You're a bold woman."

"Gerald-"

"I came here to give you his address." He held out a slip of paper. "If he lets you inside, you'll have your answer… if he loves you, too. His home is his fortress… his safety. I'm the only other person who's stepped foot in there." He didn't say it, but she knew he was implying Arnold's birds were not welcome there.

"Thank you, Gerald."

"No, thank you… For making him smile for the first time in a long time. You have no idea what it means to me." He placed a kiss on her cheek, " Good luck, Pataki."

Arnold lived only five blocks from her place. It didn't leave her with much time to think about what she was going to say once she was face to face with him again. A lot happened in the last two hours. Adrenaline was still coursing through her veins, and her mind was racing. She ultimately wanted him to take her in his arms and make her forget that this entire fiasco ever happened, even if it was only a moment. That was, if he would even let her inside. His apartment was located on the third floor. There was nothing flashy about the building, but apparently Arnold felt safe here. Please let me in, football head… I need you. She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell to apartment 320. After a few moments, a series of locks being undone could be heard. She counted at least four. Arnold, my poor, tortured darling.

He opened the door halfway, poking his head out. "Helga? What… How?"

" Gerald." Her voice came out strained. She was trying to keep her tears at bay. "We're in a big fucking mess, Arnoldo."

He knew from the tone of her voice that something was very wrong. The door swung open, and he offered her his hand. "Come inside. Tell me what's going on." She choked back a sob, hurling herself into his arms. " It's okay." He soothed, maneuvering the two inside his apartment and away from prying eyes.

"Summer told the entire school I'm your new bird!" he tensed at that. "Lorenzo called me a prostitute. How fucking stupid is he?" tears continued to fall while she ranted. "Why does the entire goddamn world have to have input on who we do or don't fuck!?" He held her face in his hands, finally quieting her down so he could speak.

" It's over, Helga." He whispered. " All three of them… I broke it off yesterday, officially."

"WHAT?" she would have fallen over if Arnold hadn't grabbed her by the waist when she wobbled backward.

"I was going to tell you earlier, but we were sort of interrupted." He chewed on his bottom lip, frowning. "I can't believe Summer would stoop that low. I'm so sorry, Helga."

She set her hand on his shoulder, "Can I touch your face?" After a second of hesitation, he nodded. Her right hand slowly moved across his collarbone and up his neck, allowing him to anticipate her touch. She cupped his cheek in her hand, "I chose you, Arnold. Even after I found out exactly who you were, and the reputation that came along with it. You don't need to apologize to me."

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes. "My unorthodox choices have consequences, they always have… I didn't care what happened to me. I've never had to worry about how my life choices would affect anyone else before." He opened his eyes once again. " Until you." The intensity of his gaze made her knees feel weak. "You've accepted every part of me without question, even the ugly, tarnished ones."

"There's nothing ugly inside of you, Arnold." Her fingers idly traced along the contour of his jaw, lost in her own dreamy thoughts. It finally hit her that Arnold let her inside his home. She was too hysterical before to realize the significance.

'you'll have your answer… if he loves you, too'

Arnold 'broke up' with his birds for her, and he welcomed her into a place he considered sacred. He was even letting her touch his face.

" Fuck me." She whispered.

He blinked a few times, processing her words. "No." It was Helga's turn to look dumbfounded. He's been hounding her for months about getting into her panties, and now he decides to take the moral high ground? "Don't look so upset." He removed her hand from his face, giving it a kiss. "Believe me, I'm dying to pound your brains out. It's all I've been able to think about since you first started stalking me."

"Then what the fuck?" she pulled her hand away, pouting. "You dick!"

"I need to do this right, Helga." His expression turned serious. "I've never ' made love' before, okay? Before we go to pound town, I'd like to at least try and be a gentleman for our first time." He groaned into his palms in frustration. "We both know that there's something I need to do first, and it's going to be horrifically awkward, and probably terrible."

"I don't know shit, apparently." She stared at him expectantly.

"I can't make love to a woman I've never kissed, right?" He was furiously blushing, looking anywhere but at her. "I don't know how to kiss. It's fucking humiliating! Ugh, just come with me!" He took her by the hand, leading her to what she presumed to be his bedroom. As they entered the room, she noticed four more locks were installed on that doorway as well. Each one was a constant reminder of his fear.

"Arnold-"

"Let's sit on the bed. I don't think I can concentrate if I'm standing-"

"ARNOLD!" she harshly grabbed him by the shoulders, breaking him out of whatever frantic downward spiral he was in. "I don't expect you to kiss me yet. I've already told you before; I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do."

"I know that. You've been nothing but respectful of my boundaries." He sighed. "I need to kiss you. No, I want to. Not because you're forcing me or making me feel guilty. You're the only person I've ever considered doing it with. I'm a twenty-one-year-old guy who's never had traditional sex, and I've never kissed anyone before. What a combo, huh? Makes for a great first impression in the bedroom."

"Alright, football head. I'll bite." She sat on the edge of the bed. "If kissing me is what you truly want to do, then I'm fine with trying it. I'll go with the flow." On the outside, she was playing it cool, but the prospect of finally kissing him made her soaking wet. She thought he'd rip her clothes off and go to town at her first invitation. It melted her heart to know he wanted more than that. He wanted to try the real thing first.

He sat sideways on the bed, facing her. She mimicked his position so that she was also facing him. This was his thing, and he had to take the lead. "Porn stars make this look way easier than it is, ya know."

"If you waste your first kiss by trying to kiss me like we're in a cheap porno, I'm gonna be pissed, Arnoldo. Just do whatever feels natural to you. It's not rocket science. Take it slow, get comfortable."

"Alright! Geez." He planted both hands on the bed, leaning forward. "No crawling on top of me or anything while we do this, okay?" She nodded, unintentionally brushing their noses together. His mouth was only centimeters away from hers. The anticipation was making her quiver. She closed her eyes, waiting patiently. There was a featherlight pressure against her lips that disappeared instantly. It returned seconds later, a little firmer this time, but still gentle. The process repeated a few times before he pressed his lips a little longer, tilting his head further to the side. He's experimenting. Oh, Arnold! She'd long since forgotten what it was like to experience this. It was quite endearing to be his first for something. She tilted her head to the opposite side, returning his kiss for the first time instead of being his test dummy. He pulled back almost immediately, so she opened her eyes to check on him. Did I scare him?

Helga wasn't expecting to still be nose to nose with him, nor did she expect to find him staring so intensely at her. " Arnold? Are you-" he cut her off with another kiss, cupping her face with his hand and holding her in place. His lips moved against hers, finally finding some semblance of synergy between them. A breathy gasp slipped from her lips, and it only seemed to encourage him to proceed. He gently pressed against her shoulders, prompting her to lie down, with him following her shortly after. His lips found hers again before she could attempt to remove his shirt. " Clothes." She giggled between kisses. " Off." That was all he needed to hear to start stripping them both of their clothing with more speed and dexterity than Usain Bolt on an Olympic track field. He finally took a moment to pause once they were both naked and pressed against each other. Kissing had clouded his mind; they were supposed to be making love. Helga hadn't seemed bothered by his eagerness, at the very least.

The sun was setting outside, and there was an orange hue bathing the room as the last rays of the autumn sun disappeared behind the city skyline. The sight of her lying on his bed nearly took his breath away. She was flushed with arousal, watching him with the same lustful gaze he was sure he was giving her as well. Her blonde hair was splayed against his mattress, almost like a halo atop her head. It was ethereal.

" I love you." He whispered, surprising even himself. He hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. She pulled him closer to capture his lips once again. The feeling of her tongue touching his nearly made him come on the spot, which would have been both embarrassing and disappointing. He wanted to savor this.

She had to turn her head away from him, crying out when his fingers sunk into her. " Arnold!" she gasped, clawing at his back. "I love you. Holy shit, I fucking love you!" Part of him knew that the ecstasy of getting finger banged contributed to the passion in that statement, but the words still held their meaning. The lines of lovemaking and fucking were hardly clear to him. She seemed to be enjoying what he was doing, and that was good enough for him. " Blowjob?" she asked, lulling her head to the side, eyeing his prominent erection against her inner thigh.

" Next time." He continued thrusting his fingers with one hand and digging for a condom in his bedside drawer with the other. He'd dreamt of her lips wrapped around his dick for a long time, and this was his golden opportunity, but he also knew he'd blow his load way too quickly just from the imagery alone. "Ah-ha!" he pulled a silver foil packet from the drawer, holding up victoriously.

"Hurry it up, football head!" she impatiently bucked her hips against his fingers, seeking friction.

"Whatever you say, Helga." He ripped the packet open with his teeth, rolling the condom over himself. "Are you still good?" He checked for confirmation.

"Yes. Better than good." She whined when he removed his fingers. Her eyes widened when she felt what was replacing his digits pressing against her entrance. "Slowly, please!" It had been a few months since she slept with Gerald, and she didn't particularly feel like ripping her crotch in half because Arnold was overzealous and shoved Thor's hammer inside of her. Thankfully, he was a good listener. He entered her slowly, allowing her body to adjust to the new intrusion. " Fuck." She sucked in a deep breath, holding it until he bottomed out inside of her. " Holy shit."

"Are you okay?" He held himself up on his elbows by the side of her head, curiously looking down at her. She finally let out the breath she had been holding and nodded. Her hips moved experimentally beneath him, sending a jolt of pleasure through his lower half. " Mmm! You're so tight. Holy hell." He murmured. It took an unbelievable amount of self-control to resist thrusting into her with wild abandon, and her rolling her hips the entire time wasn't helping his temptation.

It took one word: " Move."

His first thrust had her seeing stars. " If you squeeze me any tighter it's gonna fall off." He chuckled, which turned into a moan when she thrust her hips harshly against his. " Feisty as ever." They maintained eye contact as he continued moving inside her. Arnold admittedly had sex more than the average person, dozens, if not hundreds of times over the years. But… he'd never looked into his partners eyes until now. There was something erotic, yet intimate about it. She looked at him with adoration, and love. It's a sensation he was still trying to fully understand, but somehow, he knew what love was when he looked into her eyes.

" Arnold." Her fingers combed through his golden locks, pulling his mouth down to meet hers. The action was mainly to make him stop staring into her fucking soul. Despite being completely naked, having him look into her eyes so intently made her feel more exposed than ever. She was embarrassed by her own overwhelming feelings. This moment needed to be good for him, it's all she could think about. Did he know how much she truly loved him? " Oh!" his thrusts began intensifying, and his hand snaked between them, finding that spot. He must be close. It didn't take much to push Helga over the edge after that. It was intense, but oh so satisfying to see Arnold come undone as well. He kissed her over and over, as if he wasn't allowed to do it again after this. "You learn fast, don't you?" she hummed against his lips, amused by his unwavering stream of affection. "I like your enthusiasm."

"I like you." He moved his kisses to her neck.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is leading to an unhinged fuck fest for round two?"

"Hmm… Because it is?" he grinned.

Arnold had never slept more soundly than he did last night. It was a night full of firsts for him, including the first time he'd ever slept with a woman by his side… and the first time in nearly a decade that he didn't lock every door in the house before falling asleep. He felt oddly comforted feeling Helga's body heat mixing with his own beneath his sheets. Her skin was so soft, reminding him of velvet. He discovered that she tended to gravitate towards him in her sleep, no matter where he was on the bed. She wanted to feel him close by.

The sex had been mind-blowing. He didn't doubt that she would be amazing in bed, but she blew his expectations out of the water. All the sexual tension and simmering passion between them the last few months erupted. They went four rounds, which paled in comparison to his teenage masturbation shenanigans, but he was tired by the time they'd finished. The satiation that followed was better than any drug.

Helga was starting to wake up, groaning and grumbling about feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. " Arnold?" Her head lifted from the pillow, evaluating their current positions in bed. She also noticed that his bedroom door was wide open. "Did you sleep?" she asked with a hint of concern, knowing how he felt about locks and security.

He hummed his confirmation, "Like a baby."

"I'm glad." She turned on her side to face him. "Um…" her cheeks were dusted with a blush. "Am I still allowed to kiss you? Or is it a sex exclusive thing?"

"You're allowed to kiss me, Helga. Whenever you want to." He emphasized his point with a lingering kiss, sighing in contentment. "As long as there's no pinning me down or anything. I'm just not ready to try that yet."

"Understood." She nodded, placing her hand against his bare chest, squeezing the muscles beneath. "You have no idea how much last night meant to me. Not just the sex, but the fact that you trusted me within the sanctity of your home, and-" her hand moved to his face, brushing her thumb over his lips, " with your heart."

He kissed her hand, nuzzling it against his cheek. "Would it be impudent of me to ask you to be my girlfriend? Is it weird? My last girlfriend was five years ago. It was hardly a relationship, given I refused to let her touch me-"

Her heart was hammering against her ribs as he continued to chatter on like a nervous kid. How was a man with so much experience also so innocent? "I'd love to be your girlfriend, Arnold." She put the poor boy out of his misery. He tended to babble when he was nervous. "Now, be a good little football head and let me suck your cock. You didn't let me last night, and I feel deprived."

" Shit." He exhaled sharply. "Yes ma'am."

It was well after lunch when Helga finally came to again. Arnold was asleep, blissfully smiling to himself. He's too beautiful. She was tempted to wake him up with a kiss but got distracted by the sound of her phone vibrating on the floor. There were seventeen missed calls from Rhonda, and thirty texts. " Jesus Christ, princess." She whispered to herself. To be fair, Helga disappeared out of nowhere during a high stress moment, and never came back last night. " Hmm…" an idea struck her. She slipped Arnold's discarded shirt from last night over her head, which barely covered her behind, and carefully crawled over towards Arnold on the bed, hoping to leave him undisturbed. She held up her phone and flashed a peace sign, snapping a photo with Arnold sleeping in the background. " Aaaand, send." Beneath the photo, she included a text message; ' the flock is no more. I won.'

Her response came moments later.

' AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! But also, GET IT!'

Rhonda Lloyd supremacy, am I right!?

I'm relieved that I managed to finish the story the way I intended to. When I was first cooking up the idea for this, I knew I wanted Arnold to have some sort of hang up about relationships that triggered his unique lifestyle. I brainstormed a ridiculous number of ideas before settling on a more serious topic like sexual assault/rape. I've read dozens of stories revolving around Helga experiencing or dealing with assault, but what if it happened to Arnold?

It made me ponder the question; what would Arnold be like if his trust in others was horrifically broken? (Taking the alternate universe into account as well). And this story was born.

The Gerald and Helga stuff was purely to fulfill my own fantasies. LOL! A full-blown Gerald x Helga one shot WILL happen, y'all. No sad ending, no baiting. I want those two to fall in love, dammit!

I've written Rhonda as a catty villain in the past, and I was tired of that trope. She has the potential to be a nice, caring person, yet still be herself! Which is why I chose to characterize her as the fun, sassy roommate who loves gossip. She's a girl's girl, and I regret absolutely nothing!

Regarding any potential Jungle Movie canon fics from me one day: I have ideas, a vague outline, and a few thousand words written. I'm STRUGGLING, though. I have so many opinions and feelings about the movie (people may not agree with me!) and putting my spin on the new canon universe might not be what people expect from me.

To put it simply: I'm most comfortable writing about the non-canon stuff at this point.