Hey Arnold | Arnold/Helga | Next Time
Fandom: Hey Arnold
Title: Next Time
Characters: Arnold, Helga, mentions of Phoebe, and a tiny bit of Gerald
Pairings: Arnold/Helga
Rating: PG
Word Count: 863
Summary: "Maybe next time, it will finally end the way it should."
Notes/Warnings: This is for m0ny, as part of a Christmas exchange over at hey_arnold. I hope you like it! I'm not entirely sure about Helga in this one. Her reactions make perfect sense to me, but I'm afraid that she might come off as...un-Helga. Or something. (It was so weird for me to use the word "compliantly" in reference to an action of Helga's.) But I'm justifying it by saying that Helga always acts differently around Arnold. It makes me feel better, anyway. Oh, and this takes place during The Jungle Movie. I'm not exactly sure how old they're supposed to be in it, so I was thinking about 12ish? But the Hey Arnold characters have always seemed so much more grown-up than their actual ages, anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.
There was something on Arnold's mind.
There were his parents, obviously, but there was something else, and it distracted him a good deal more than he was willing to admit.
Helga had not been acting like herself.
He attributed it to the change of surroundings, at first. Who wouldn't be a bit thrown off in the thick of the jungle? They may have grown up in a metaphorical jungle, but it was nothing like the real thing.
After they had settled into their new environment (as much as could be expected, anyway), and her behavior still hadn't improved, he asked Phoebe about it. She seemed reluctant to tell him anything, as though doing so would be betraying her best friend. After a bit of wheedling, Arnold discovered that Helga had only been acting differently around him, and only him.
They'd recently taken new steps in their relationship, and therefore his first instinct was to attribute her behavior to this new development. But then Phoebe mentioned "regrets," and while she was as vague as she could possibly be on the subject, Arnold knew instantly what the cause of Helga's distress was.
~
He cornered Helga soon after his conversation with Phoebe, when he thought they were least likely to be overheard. He had so much to say (to apologize for), but he wasn't quite sure where to begin.
"I've been stupid," was the first thing that came to mind. Helga looked at him curiously, but did not interrupt. "For the longest time, I thought I could pretend that nothing had changed between us."
Realizing what he was referring to, she looked away, cheeks reddening. He pursed his lips in displeasure at her reaction, and continued.
"Whether I wanted it to or not, whether I was ready for it or not, our relationship took on a new direction that day."
Helga knew that there was an unspoken agreement between them not to talk about her confession, and the...event that followed. She panicked slightly, wondering why he was bringing it up now, when things seemed to be going so well between them. She opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn't sure what; an apology, perhaps - anything to settle her mind a little. Seeing her intention, Arnold frowned. "Please, don't say anything just yet," he urged. She closed her mouth compliantly.
"I know we decided to start from the beginning, but I think that was a mistake."
Helga suddenly found it very hard to breathe. She remained still and did her best to show as little emotion as possible, determined to let him finish before reacting.
"It's not fair. What happened that day, it was a turning point for us. I don't want to forget that. And I don't want to forget what we were before, either."
"By ignoring it, I've only made the situation worse." He paused, shoulders slumping in guilt. "For you, especially."
"What do you mean?" she rasped, voice sounding foreign, even to her own ears.
"I don't want you to ever not be yourself, Helga," he responded, looking at her earnestly. "And I guess I should have done this a lot sooner."
He tilted his head up to look at her properly as he stepped closer. Helga found herself unexpectedly lost in green, desperately trying to slow her racing heartbeat before she passed out. She struggled to focus on what he was saying, rather than his close proximity, but that plan was shattered when he placed his palm on her upper arm, wrapping his fingers gently around its circumference. Her breath hitched.
"Better late than never, right?"
Helga barely had time to react before his lips were on hers. All of a sudden, she was experiencing the strangest sensation of her breath being stolen away, but at the same time felt as if she might burst. She wanted to cry from the wonder of it. It was so different, so much better than the first time they'd kissed. No less passionate on her part, but there was something so fulfilling about being on the receiving end this time, about knowing that this was what they both wanted, and not a one-sided show of affection.
"Whoa," came a gravelly, all-too-familiar voice, and Helga nearly cried out in despair as Arnold pulled away abruptly. Forgetting to be embarrassed, she spun towards Gerald, who seemed at a loss for words (for once), placing her clenched fists on her hips and glaring at him menacingly.
"Is there something you need?" she asked, stretching out the last word, giving Gerald the impression of an angry lion with its teeth bared.
"Uh," he stuttered, looking to Arnold for assistance. But the boy in question was currently staring at his feet, clearly just as mortified as he was. "It can wait," he said finally. "Catch you later, man." Arnold gave a small nod in response as Gerald practically sprinted away from the small clearing.
Helga turned back to Arnold, who was still staring at the ground and kicking the dirt sheepishly, though he was wearing a small smile.
"Maybe next time," he said, looking up at her at last, "it will finally end the way it should."
Title: Next Time
Characters: Arnold, Helga, mentions of Phoebe, and a tiny bit of Gerald
Pairings: Arnold/Helga
Rating: PG
Word Count: 863
Summary: "Maybe next time, it will finally end the way it should."
Notes/Warnings: This is for m0ny, as part of a Christmas exchange over at hey_arnold. I hope you like it! I'm not entirely sure about Helga in this one. Her reactions make perfect sense to me, but I'm afraid that she might come off as...un-Helga. Or something. (It was so weird for me to use the word "compliantly" in reference to an action of Helga's.) But I'm justifying it by saying that Helga always acts differently around Arnold. It makes me feel better, anyway. Oh, and this takes place during The Jungle Movie. I'm not exactly sure how old they're supposed to be in it, so I was thinking about 12ish? But the Hey Arnold characters have always seemed so much more grown-up than their actual ages, anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter.
There was something on Arnold's mind.
There were his parents, obviously, but there was something else, and it distracted him a good deal more than he was willing to admit.
Helga had not been acting like herself.
He attributed it to the change of surroundings, at first. Who wouldn't be a bit thrown off in the thick of the jungle? They may have grown up in a metaphorical jungle, but it was nothing like the real thing.
After they had settled into their new environment (as much as could be expected, anyway), and her behavior still hadn't improved, he asked Phoebe about it. She seemed reluctant to tell him anything, as though doing so would be betraying her best friend. After a bit of wheedling, Arnold discovered that Helga had only been acting differently around him, and only him.
They'd recently taken new steps in their relationship, and therefore his first instinct was to attribute her behavior to this new development. But then Phoebe mentioned "regrets," and while she was as vague as she could possibly be on the subject, Arnold knew instantly what the cause of Helga's distress was.
~
He cornered Helga soon after his conversation with Phoebe, when he thought they were least likely to be overheard. He had so much to say (to apologize for), but he wasn't quite sure where to begin.
"I've been stupid," was the first thing that came to mind. Helga looked at him curiously, but did not interrupt. "For the longest time, I thought I could pretend that nothing had changed between us."
Realizing what he was referring to, she looked away, cheeks reddening. He pursed his lips in displeasure at her reaction, and continued.
"Whether I wanted it to or not, whether I was ready for it or not, our relationship took on a new direction that day."
Helga knew that there was an unspoken agreement between them not to talk about her confession, and the...event that followed. She panicked slightly, wondering why he was bringing it up now, when things seemed to be going so well between them. She opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn't sure what; an apology, perhaps - anything to settle her mind a little. Seeing her intention, Arnold frowned. "Please, don't say anything just yet," he urged. She closed her mouth compliantly.
"I know we decided to start from the beginning, but I think that was a mistake."
Helga suddenly found it very hard to breathe. She remained still and did her best to show as little emotion as possible, determined to let him finish before reacting.
"It's not fair. What happened that day, it was a turning point for us. I don't want to forget that. And I don't want to forget what we were before, either."
"By ignoring it, I've only made the situation worse." He paused, shoulders slumping in guilt. "For you, especially."
"What do you mean?" she rasped, voice sounding foreign, even to her own ears.
"I don't want you to ever not be yourself, Helga," he responded, looking at her earnestly. "And I guess I should have done this a lot sooner."
He tilted his head up to look at her properly as he stepped closer. Helga found herself unexpectedly lost in green, desperately trying to slow her racing heartbeat before she passed out. She struggled to focus on what he was saying, rather than his close proximity, but that plan was shattered when he placed his palm on her upper arm, wrapping his fingers gently around its circumference. Her breath hitched.
"Better late than never, right?"
Helga barely had time to react before his lips were on hers. All of a sudden, she was experiencing the strangest sensation of her breath being stolen away, but at the same time felt as if she might burst. She wanted to cry from the wonder of it. It was so different, so much better than the first time they'd kissed. No less passionate on her part, but there was something so fulfilling about being on the receiving end this time, about knowing that this was what they both wanted, and not a one-sided show of affection.
"Whoa," came a gravelly, all-too-familiar voice, and Helga nearly cried out in despair as Arnold pulled away abruptly. Forgetting to be embarrassed, she spun towards Gerald, who seemed at a loss for words (for once), placing her clenched fists on her hips and glaring at him menacingly.
"Is there something you need?" she asked, stretching out the last word, giving Gerald the impression of an angry lion with its teeth bared.
"Uh," he stuttered, looking to Arnold for assistance. But the boy in question was currently staring at his feet, clearly just as mortified as he was. "It can wait," he said finally. "Catch you later, man." Arnold gave a small nod in response as Gerald practically sprinted away from the small clearing.
Helga turned back to Arnold, who was still staring at the ground and kicking the dirt sheepishly, though he was wearing a small smile.
"Maybe next time," he said, looking up at her at last, "it will finally end the way it should."