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Not exactly the ugly duckling	By : DancingBear Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 5459 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold, nor any of the characters. I do not, and will not make any money from this story. (Original creator: Craig Bartlett)

Chapter List
- 1-Not exactly the ugly duckling
- 2-2
- 3-3
- 4-4
- 5-5
- 6-6
- 7-7
- 8-8
- 9-9
- 10-10
- 11-11
- 12-12
- 13-13
- 14-14
- 15-15
- 16-16
- 17-17
- 18-18
- 19-19
- 20-20
- 21-21
- 22-22
- 23-23
- 24-24
- 25-25
- 26-26
- 27-27
- 28-28
- 29-29
- 30-30
- 31-31
- 32-32
- 33-Epilouge
- 10
- 11
- 12
H- Evening Arnoldo, you still awake? :)

A- Yep, just wrapping up that assignment. You home?

H- Yeah :) Skype?

A- :) yup. Gimme 15?

H- Make it 20, I'll go jump in the shower.

Helga groaned as she slithered off her bed and started to strip off. She wished she was already clean and in bed, it had been a long day. She chucked her clothes in the hamper before she wrapped the big, tatty old winter robe around herself. It was too hot for it, but Nick Vermicelli was still in the apartment, and she would rather be hidden by the thick terry folds of the dressing gown, than the clinging, thin fabric of her silk kimono.

She padded down the hall to the bathroom. She pretty much had exclusive use of it, except when Olga came back to visit. Bob had an ensuite, and there was a separate toilet for guests, so Helga's bathroom was just as she liked it. Clean, with everything she needed at hand, and big, fluffy towels on the heated towel rail.

God she loved that heated rail. After stepping from the shower, that warm towel was lovely. Humming to herself, she roughly dried her hair, wrapped the towel around herself, and stepped out into the hallway, forgetting about Nick until it was too late.

She was almost at her bedroom door when she heard a long, low whistle. She instantly felt her shoulders tense. "Oh fuck off, you creep." She whipped around to glare at Nick, who was leaning against the lounge doorway.

"Aw c'mon Helga." Nick licked his lips, making Helga shudder. He hefted himself off the doorframe, and started towards her, but she scowled, baring her teeth.

"Come anywhere near me, Vermicelli, and I will make you pay." Her voice was low, menacing. She knew that he knew that she could make his life difficult. She watched him hesitate, then stop, unsure. She smiled her shark-like smile and turned back towards her bedroom, acutely conscience of how exposed her legs were. He chuckled as she got to her door and turned the handle.

"One day, little Pataki…" he laughed, before Helga slammed her bedroom door behind her and pushed the lock closed.

Scowling, she quickly combed her hair, tugged on a pair of light cotton PJ's, and climbed into bed. Once she was all set up, curled up on her side with her laptop open on the bed, she opened Skype, took a second to compose herself, then clicked to call Arnold.

In the three seconds it took for him to answer the call, her stomach dropped in that awful, exhilarating way it did every time she contacted him. What if he was just suddenly not interested anymore? What if things turned weird or they got into a fight? What if he figured out that she was just really dull, and too boring to bother with?

Then he was there. His picture went black, stuttered into view, froze, then righted itself. She felt a silly grin spread across her face when she looked at him. He was smiling, his eyes widened slightly, then fell back into their normal, slightly sleepy look. She bit her lip as he pushed his hair back from his face, his eyes flicked up to the camera, then back to the screen.

They just grinned at each other like stupid moony teenagers. After a few moments, Helga finally tore her eyes away from his face, and realized that he was topless. She giggled, then clamped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. Giggling? Seriously?

Still, she couldn't NOT look at him now that she had noticed. His pronounced collarbones led smoothly to the hollow at the base of his throat. His shoulders were square, what she could see of his arms was muscular, but still reminiscent of the skinny twigs he had as a kid. Her gaze skidded to his chest. His skin looked warm and soft, his chest slightly muscled, but again, he was still recognizable as the skinny boy he used to be. She giggled again, more a snicker this time, when she realized that she was perving at the small, dark nipples of Arnold.

"What's so funny?" Arnolds voice was low, amused. Helga just blushed and shook her head, embarrassed. He stared at her for a moment, then took a deep breath, sinking back into his pillows. "Hi." He smiled.

"Hey." She whispered back.

There was a long pause. "I wish I was there." He said finally, softly, as he pushed his hair back out of his face again. He looked nervous. Her heart leaped in her chest, she pushed a fist up into her ribs, fighting the butterflies.

"Me too."

He grinned. "How was your day?"

Helga sighed a little. This had been happening a bit over the past few days. Things would turn heavy for a second, but then he would change the subject, switching to light-hearted in a the blink of an eye…

"Pretty shit. I ended up seeing Rhonda at lunch though, which surprisingly was better than expected." Rhonda had been bugging her to catch up since the party. She had stopped being so bitchy over the past few years, but she was still a totally nosey gossip.

Arnold frowned. "Are you OK? Why shit?" Helga could have swooned.

"Yeah, yeah, totally. Fridays just tend to be crap at work, and if Bob comes here instead of going to the pub, Nick normally comes with him." She growled a little. God she hated that man.

"Nick?"

"Yeah… you must remember him. Greasy, gold medallion, pig nose. Nick Vermicelli. Bob's business partner."

"Oh yup. Wannabe Italian gangster with the ponytail?"

Helga snorted "Yeah, that one. He's a creepy prick and I hate him. Bob won't hear a bad word against him though, of course." She scowled.

"Why? I mean… what's he done?" Arnold's brow was creased with concern, he had sat up a little and was staring at her face.

"He's just a creep. Been badgering me since I was about… I dunno, he probably started when I was 16?" She shrugged, her damp hair falling in front of her face. She tucked it behind her ear and smiled ruefully.

"Started… what?" Arnold's face was stricken, his eyes wide.

Helga shifted, uncomfortable now. "Just being a creep. Getting too close, cornering me, being all sleazy like." She shrugged again, not looking at him anymore. She could feel her face burning.

"What the fuck?" Arnold's voice was tight. "Does your Dad know?"

"Yeah, of course. He was there when I smacked Nick in the face." She smirked, then her face fell. "Bob doesn't care. He thinks Nick's mad, but he doesn't give a shit that I'm uncomfortable." She shifted again. Torn between a sudden desire to blubber on about all the awful stuff Bob had subjected her to over the years, and the desire to change the subject to something less personal.

"Helga…" Arnold's voice was a raspy groan. She expected him to look sad, but when she looked up, his face was furious. "Fuck… FUCK! He hasn't put his hands on you, has he?"

She shrugged again. "Um, like… he's patted my ass and tried to… uh… press up, against me… and..." she trailed off. Jesus, she had never told anyone this before, trying to form the words made her realize how screwed up it was.

"Fuck! Helga! Why didn't you tell me?" Helga winced and tucked her chin down when Arnold barked. "Shit, I'm sorry. Helga… I'm sorry. I just wish I was there! I could help." He sighed.

They sat in silence for a long minute, Helga chewing at her bottom lip, damning herself for telling him. Arnold staring into space...

"Hey!" He chirped suddenly, his voice bright. "You could stay at the boarding house!"

Helga Baulked. "What?" what did he mean? Stay at the boarding house? His house? When?

Arnold smiled. "If you wanted to stay in my room… I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa wouldn't mind… I mean… I could talk to them, and get you a key. They like you, and… they know I like you…"

Helga stared, tried to swallow. She didn't want his family knowing how messed up her life was! She tried to laugh, but her throat was dry. "It's not that bad, Arnold… I just lock myself in my room, which I do most nights anyway."

"Can I send you a key, just in case? I don't have to tell my Grandparents anything… I can make something up or something. Just so that you have a place to stay if anything happens." Helga shook her head, but Arnold persisted "Please? I need to know that you have somewhere to go. You can just go up to my room and… well… be safe."

"Argh, drop it!" Helga set her teeth. "I've survived six years of this crap with Nick before now!" Helga felt bad as soon as Arnold's face fell, his eyes pleading. "I know you're just trying to help… but I can ruin Nick if he goes too far. He's sent me more than one disturbing email over the years. I'll be fine."

Arnold nodded tersely. "OK. Sorry. I didn't mean to… " he paused, his shoulders slumped, "fuck Helga… I really wish I had been there for you six years ago. I hate that you have put up with this shit for so long."

Helga smiled "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Arnold grinned sheepishly back at her. "You don't think?" He laughed when Helga shook her head "Maybe not… is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all." Helga smiled, the butterflies re-grouping in her chest, bumping erratically into her heart.

"No? You didn't seem to like me back in the day…" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Oh shit, tactical mistake… uh, think fast, Pataki. "Uh… yeah, well, um…" fuck fuck fuck "I've changed though, haven't I?"

For just a second, the look on Arnold's face was pure lust. "Ohhhhh yes. You have." His voice dripped suggestion, and for a moment, Helga was floored. Her entire being wanted her to throw her clothes on, jump in a taxi, and take the first plane to his place. She swallowed.

"So, maybe the new me likes the old you."

He laughed "Just maybe?" his voice was low again, his eyes heavy lidded.

Instead of answering, she just groaned. She twisted her face into her pillow and swore, loudly. She fought back the part of her that was reverting back to childhood, the part that wanted to snarl insults at him. She was ashamed that cowardly part of her still existed.

"Hey, Helga" his voice was so soft she barely caught it. She pulled her face up from the pillow and curled back into a ball. "I'm sorry. I…" he took a deep breath "I really like you… as you know… and I don't mean to pressure you. I just… uh… I dunno… I suppose I just want to make sure that you haven't stopped liking me. But if I'm pissing you off, I'll stop…"

Helga gawped. How was he so good at this? Just saying what he felt? She couldn't tell one emotion from the other, let alone her motivation for feeling the way she did. "No… you're not… what? Pissing me off? You mean that?" she gestured towards the pillow. When he nodded, she smiled "Dude… that's… like, that was GOOD swearing. Kinda. I mean…" she gasped, unsure of what to say "I like this, you... I just don't know what I'm doing, or what I am supposed to say, or anything." She finished lamely, feeling instantly stupid and wishing the bed would swallow her up.

"Yeah?" he looked uncomfortable "Cos, sometimes… uh… I kinda get scared that someone else will come steal you out from under my nose…"

Despite trying not to, Helga scoffed. "Uh huh… like who!" She could hear the derisive tone in her voice, and she mentally kicked herself for it.

"Stinky." He blurted out, his cheeks reddening.

"Stinky?" Helga shook herself. "That boy, wiped a BOOGER on me once. He's… Stinky!"

Arnold's little smile was shy, embarrassed. "But you're going for a drink with him tomorrow night, and…" he took a deep breath "and I heard how he was talking about you at the party, not that I disagree with what he was saying, but he's interested…." He paused, but Helga said nothing, so he kept on. "and, well, he's like, you know, all rich and handsome and shit now, and I'm still just… me…"

"But I like you!" Helga cried, her eyes wide.

Arnold shrugged "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, or guilt trip you or anything. If you decide you do like someone else, I won't hold it against you… I just wish I was there…" He sighed.

Helga sighed right back. The conversation wasn't going as sweetly as she had imagined it might. "I've never had a proper boyfriend." She stated softly. Arnold went to say something, but she kept talking "I'm not going to start dating other people, I'm not interested in anyone else… I'm just not like that. If I didn't REALLY like you, I wouldn't have spent so much time with you, I definitely wouldn't have gone to your place to watch movies and stuff…" She faltered, not knowing how to say what she meant.

"I don't just like you because you've paid attention to me. I would still find you attractive if you weren't interested in me…" She was almost whispering by the end, desperately hoping that she wasn't saying too much.

Arnold relaxed again. "OK…" a smile suddenly lit up his face. She melted a little, glad he was happy. "I like that." His smile changed slightly, turning cheeky. "You find me attractive?"

Helga rolled her eyes… "Well, duh… I mean… you know… isn't it obvious?" She kept her tone light, but her heart thumped… she hated being put on the spot like this.

"Hold on." The picture changed as Arnold moved his laptop. There was a flurry of movement, then a few moments of skin, chest and arms and ribs… the long plane of his stomach, dark hair trailing down from his navel to the band of his boxers… Helga's mouth went dry… she tucked herself deeper under the covers and watched as Arnold's face came back into view. He stretched out on his side, his head propped up on his hand.

"So…" Arnold looked shy again, but happy, "does that mean that… you don't just like me for my personality?"

He laughed when Helga shook her head and hid her face behind her hands, mortified. "Tell me to shut up if I'm making you uncomfortable…" his voice was low, suggestive, Helga's pulse was hitching, "but you are the sexiest thing I have ever seen. You drive me fucking crazy."

Helga peeked out from between her fingers, she spoke loud enough for the mic to pick up her voice, but it was muffled behind her hands. "I don't know what to do with myself." She admitted "I've never… like… I haven't…" she groaned and closed her eyes again. This would be so much easier if he was here… she could just show him… the thought tugged at her, making her press her knees together, bite her lip, squeeze her eyes shut…

"This sucks, huh?"

"Uh-huh" Helga nodded.

"Wanna talk about something else?" Helga nodded again. He sighed softly "Did you sort out that stock take thing you were telling me about?""

Helga giggled, god he was sweet. She emerged from behind her hands, and smiled "Nah, enough about my shit day… how are YOU?"…

…

Hours later, after they had said their reluctant goodbyes, and Helga was staring at the ceiling, her mind buzzing, her phone went off. She patted around the blankets until she found it, and flipped it open.

A- This. Sucks.

H- Yes :(

A- I miss you. Sweet dreams, Beautiful.

H- Goodnight Mr. Shortman :)

She threw her phone back onto the bed, groaned, turned on her bedside lamp, and grabbed her Kindle. No point in trying to sleep tonight…
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Not exactly the ugly duckling