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Dependents	By : DancingBear Category: +G through L > Hey, Arnold! Views: 6471 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
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-Dependents
- 2-Lean
- 3-Steep
- 4-Long
- 5-Hold
- 6-Slouch
- 7-Arch
- 8-Turn
- 9-Fall
- 10-Drop
- 11-Gift
- 12-Balk
- 13-Spill
- 14-Pay
- 15-Scrap
- 16-Warm
- 17-Sink
- 18-Stoke
- 11
- 12
- 13
"You two really have to shut up now." Helga's head was in her hands, her face bright red.
"Oh come on now, Helga…" Miriam's voice had never lost that slow drawl. "You used to have such a crush on that boy."
Helga grimaced, this was her worst nightmare. She glanced through the open doorway to where Nina was perched in front of the TV, but her daughter wasn't listening to their conversation… thankfully.
Still… she drained her glass of wine and stood up. "Another drink, anyone?" Woo… standing made her head slosh, she grinned. I'm drunk.
"Just bring over the bottle." Olga giggled. "Stop trying to avoid the question… are you?"
Helga made a high pitched screeching sound through her teeth. "NO! OK?" She slammed the fridge door shut, swearing when it bounced open again. She strode over to the table, slammed the bottle down and her palms down either side of it.
Both Olga and Miriam were struggling to contain their laughter, their faces red... Helga grinned. "I am, however, having carnal relations with an older man."
"Eep!" A giggle escaped Olga's lips. Her eyes were wide. "How old is older?" she gasped.
Helga slid back into her chair, pulled the cork from the bottle, gloried in the glug of the wine as she poured herself another glass. She took a sip. Yeah, I won't be driving home tonight. "Forty seven." Olga eep'd again.
"Helga!" Miriam stared. "That's old enough to be your father!" Helga wasn't fooled, her mother was close to laughter again, her eyes were sparkling.
"Yeah, but he's not my father, is he? He's a rich older guy with a very impressive package."
Helga grinned wider at their reactions. Olga slumped down on the table, her shoulders heaving with laughter, Miriam covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes crinkling up with a little gasped "Oh my!"
"Saved by the bell!" Helga crowed as her phone leaped into life on the table.
ARNOLD SHORTMAN
"Ooooh, look who it is!" Miriam and Olga screeched with laughter as Helga put the phone to her ear.
"That's enough out of you!" Helga barked, laughing all the same.
"What have I done?" Arnold chuckled down the phone.
"You? Nothing… I'm just trying to control my mother and sister… they're worse than Nina, I swear." She glared pointedly at the other two women as she pushed her chair back to stand up. "Hold on, I'll get somewhere quieter."
She threw herself down on Miriam's bed. "So, Shortman, what's the haps?"
He chuckled again. God that sound made her clench. "Haps? Really?" He laughed.
"Yes, Arnold… haps." She sighed dramatically. She put on her best harassed voice. "Can't I have one conversation today without someone poking fun at me?"
"Aw, poor diddums… is Helga being picked on?" His voice was full of laughter.
"Everyone picks on me." She pouted. "Even you won't tell me what's happening tonight." Well… if Nina had taught her anything, it was how to put on a great sulky voice.
Arnold snorted at the other end of the line. "Alright then… uh, we're just leaving Gerald's now… we're picking up Phoebe on the way."
"I, uh, might not be in a state to drive…" Helga admitted. "I've had more than a couple of wines."
He laughed again. "Got a head start, huh? Alright, I'll get Gerald to drop me off there and I'll drive your car home?"
…
"No, I'll pay." Helga commanded, pulling her wallet out of her bag and shoving a crumpled twenty dollar note under the cab driver's nose. "Keep the change."
She stumbled out onto the footpath, tugging her skirt down as she clambered from the car. Arnold was already up the steps, fumbling with his keys in the lock.
"You didn't have to come home with me, you know…" Helga grumbled as she passed him into the hallway, leaning on the wall to pry her shoes off.
Arnold was shrugging out of his coat. "Yeah, you've said… about fifty times…" He hung his jacket up on its hook. "Have you got a secret date or something?" He grinned at her as he bent down to briefly pat Lucy on the head before he unlaced his boots.
She shook her head. "Yeah, totally… you're just a big blonde fly in my sexy ointment." She leaned her head back against the wall. "I just feel bad for making you leave."
"You didn't make me leave. Don't worry about it."
She sighed, reached up to pull her coat off. "That girl you were talking to didn't look too happy…"
That had been the last straw, really. She hadn't enjoyed the night. It had been years since she had been to a real party, and she remembered why she had never really liked them. She had been terrified… and once Arnold had been ensconced on a sofa with a reallygood looking girl, Helga had called it a night. The last way she wanted to see in the New Year was to watch the object of her affections sharing the countdown kiss with someone else.
Yeah… she fully recognised how pathetic she was.
Arnold laughed. "So you're worried you cock-blocked me?" He raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged.
He just laughed again. "Come." He grabbed her hand and tugged her down the hall. "Dance with me."
She couldn't keep her eyes off him as she tripped after him, guiltily watching how his slim-fitting jeans and tailored shirt clung to the flat planes of his skinny body… he looked very, very good when he dressed up.
She allowed herself a moment to swoon. God he was gorgeous.
His hand still gripping hers, he dragged her into the lounge, turned the radio up and pulled her into him.
Her heart nearly exploded in her chest.
His free hand came around and pushed flat against the small of her back, pressing them together. She gripped at his arm, trying desperately not to do anything stupid.
He chuckled as he moved her back and forth across the carpet. The room was dim, just a lamp had been left on for the dog. The house was dark, still, warm. The music they were dancing to was slow, low, minor, sexy…
Jesus.
Their hips moved together… kinda. "I haven't danced in years." Helga breathed, surprised she could talk at all, surprised she had air in her lungs.
He just chuckled again, pulled her a little tighter to him. She was conscious of everything… of how his hand slipped across her back through the fabric of her dress; of how his hips swayed against hers; of how he smelled of cotton and beer and skin; of the tense muscle of his arm through his shirt; of how warm he was.
"You were always such a good dancer." Helga murmured, trying to distract herself from how good it felt to be held so hard against him.
"Grandma insisted… she loved dancing." He let out a laughing huff of breath. "Grandpa said that dancing was a sure-fire way to win a woman's heart."
Helga glanced up at him, he had a smile on his lips, his eyes were soft, far away, as he recalled old memories. His fingers tightened gently, squeezing her fingers, her ribs. "You heard from Olga?" He asked gently, his eyes focussing again.
Helga nodded. "Yeah, Nina fell asleep an hour or so ago… she'll be so gutted she missed the countdown."
As if on cue, the music faded out, and the deep, sultry voice of the radio DJ murmured: "The last song for the year, Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra playing the Blue Serge."
Arnold grinned, his hand slid a little further around her, pulling her even closer. He smiled into her eyes. "Ten…" he whispered along with the DJ. "Nine – Eight – Seven – Six – Five - Four…"
He leaned in a little, his eyes heavy-lidded.
"Three…"
The room was quiet… all she could hear was the rush of her own heartbeat and the soft chuckle of Arnold's voice. She swallowed.
"Two…"
Her heart fluttered, making her feel suddenly weak… almost dizzy.
"One…"
Was she counting down too? She couldn't tell…
"Happy New Year!" Arnold crowed, he let go of her hand, bent slightly to wrap his arm around her waist and lift her off the floor.
"H-Happy New Year!" She gasped, her hands gripping his shoulders as he hefted her up. He was grinning.
Shit. She barely had time to think before he kissed her.
Shit.
She didn't have time to react, she just… let it happen. His lips were softer than she had imagined, pressing against hers in the briefest of touches. Her stomach lurched, her breath hitched, her heart set off… she couldn't feel her toes.
And then he pulled away. He let out a little huff of breath as he lowered her back to the floor. Her hands were still on his shoulders, her breath ragged. She wanted to swoon against him, to push her face against his chest and breath him in. She wanted to push her hands up his ribs, to feel the texture of his skin beneath her palms.
Blood had flooded her skin, making her blush, making her want. She wouldn't have denied him anything in that moment.
But he just smiled at her. He took hold of her hand again and moved to keep dancing.
Her heart sank… shit. It wasn't going to happen again. It was just a New Years kiss… probably the exact same kiss he would have given whatever woman happened to be closest to him if he had stayed at the party.
As fast as the heady thrill of his kiss had elated her… the crush of her disappointment brought her down faster.
"Can you not do that?" She snapped. She registered instantly that she sounded angry, but she just didn't care. She was mortified.
"Huh?" Arnold blinked.
She sighed pointedly. "The touchy-feely shit…" she pulled back a little, looking up to meet his gaze square-on.
He stared at her, his eyes wide. "I… uh… I didn't…"
"I mean… we aren't dating or anything, right?" She raised an eyebrow at him, demanding an answer. He shook his head. "So don't treat me like I'm your surrogate girlfriend or something." She sucked in her breath, tears pricked at her eyes but she refused to let that show.
"I'm… I'm sorry Helga… I didn't…" Arnold just stammered. Her heart ached, he looked so baffled… but she just couldn't seem to stop. The frustration, the confusion she had suffered under for the past few months just bubbled over. If he wasn't interested in her, she just needed him to stop acting like he was.
She waved a hand. "Just back off, OK?"
He let go of her. "OK…" He just kinda stood there, looking distraught. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, uh, crowd you or anything. I didn't know you felt like that. I won't… I'll leave you alone." He stepped back.
Oh… Helga had obviously gone too far. Arnold looked like he wanted to crawl under the floorboards. She had humiliated him. She instantly felt terrible. He was always willing to listen to her… why hadn't she just talked to him, instead of attacking him?
She stepped forward. "I'm sorry for biting your head off…"
He shrugged. "It's OK… sorry for, uh… kissing you?" He was looking anywhere but at her. He took a breath. "I might head up to bed… nite."
Helga stared. She felt awful. "Nite, Arnold… I'm sorry for yelling…" Tell him the truth… she snarked inside her own head. Tell him you can't have him touch you like that, can't let him kiss you, because it makes it too hard to not have him touch and kiss you the rest of the time… tell him!
But of course she stayed silent.
"Yeah…" He breath huffed out in a derisive sigh. "Happy New Years." His parting shot before he left the room.
Happy New Years indeed.
I always ruin everything.
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Dependents