A/N- A request from anon on tumblr. Lemon buried within.

Storm clouds hung low over the night time sky. Not a single star was to be seen. Thunder echoed across the town of Hillwood but not a single drop of rain had fallen. Yet.

Helga felt her phone vibrate for the fifth time since the past hour. Without even looking at the screen, she pulled it out of her pocket and swiped "decline". She didn't need a lecture from Phoebe right now. Didn't need her to beg Helga to stay. Didn't need her to tell Helga to try and work things out with her family for just a little while longer. Helga was too far gone for any of that. She was done with everyone and everything. Done with her parents who neglected and mistreated her for so long. Done with her latest relationship failing miserably and having it blamed on her. Done with always dreaming of doing big things and never moving forward to accomplish them. So now here she was, heading towards the bus stop rolling a suitcase behind her filled with her clothes, a box of a few precious belonging, her laptop and chargers, and all the money from her savings account, about a thousand in cash. School was close to ending anyway with finals over and there was no need to participate in a stupid graduation ceremony. Helga was going to get onto a bus and ride until she was well out of Hillwood. It was a romantic ideal, probably with no real merit, but Helga planned to start over in a place where no one knew her. Where she could be whoever wanted to be with no judgements, no heartbreaks.

The cell phone rang once again and Helga finally answered it with a growl of annoyance. "I told you Phoebe, I'll let you know when I get there but I ain't going back to that house!"

"Then don't." A voice that was definitely not Phoebe's answered. "Come back with me instead."

Helga froze and felt the blood drain from her face. Speaking of heartbreak and failed relationships.

"Helga?" Arnold called on the other line. "Helga? Are you still there?"

"Yeah I'm here." Helga licked her dry lips and tried to keep her voice steady. "Look Arnold, this has nothing to do with you-"

"Where are you now?" Arnold interrupted her. "I'm coming to get you."

Thunder rolled overhead and a clap of lightning made Helga jump. She spotted the bus stop at the end of the block and quickened her steps.

"Look Arnold," she said deciding to go the blunt route, "I don't even know why you're calling me. We broke up ages ago. You were done with me and now I'm done with you. Goodbye."

She hung up before he had a chance to answer and that's when the sky opened up. Cool, almost freezing rain poured down from the heavens and drenched her within minutes. Helga swore and broke into a run. It was futile though. She couldn't very well run in between the rain drops and it wasn't like the sole bus sign would provide any shelter.

There was a honk behind her and Helga turned only to be near blinded by the headlights of a car pulling up behind her. Again Helga swore and started to run faster. Just what she needed, some creepy stalker trying to take advantage of some lone girl-

"Helga!" Arnold's voice called out above the rolling thunder and lightning. "Helga stop!"

Helga's heart certainly stopped but she forced herself to keeping running. There was another loud honk and Arnold's ancient Packard pulled up next to her. The window squeaked as he rolled it down.

"Helga, please wait!" He called out desperately. "Get into the car! I'll take you anywhere you want to go!"

"Leave me alone!" Helga tried to make her voice strong but she was starting to shake from the cold rain. "This has nothing to do with you so you can take your altruism and shove it!"

Helga reached the bus stop, but could now only stand there shaking in the still pouring rain. She could have kept running but that would have been pointless. Her bus would be here any minute and then she would be out of everyone's lives for good.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a car door opening and slamming shut and Arnold was standing next to her. He stood standing next to her without an umbrella getting just as soaked as she was.

"What the hell are you doing?" Helga asked staring at him. "You're going to get yourself sick!"

"So will you." Arnold's teeth chattered as he gave her a look of determination. "Come back to the boarding house with me. We have to talk about this."

Helga turned away from him and stared straight ahead. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm not your problem anymore and as soon as my bus comes I won't be anyone's problem."

"Why would you say something like that? You were never my problem."

Helga bit her lip as the sky continued to unleash its fury on them. She couldn't let herself be swayed by the pleading tone in Arnold's voice. She had spent almost eighteen years being the center of his good will and peace to all mankind centered thinking. She refused to mistake it for anything else any longer. Another particularly vicious clap of thunder made Helga flinch and nearly cry out in terror.

"Helga," Arnold grabbed her around the shoulders and turned her to face him. His green eyes looked pleadingly into hers. "Please, don't leave me. I- I need you with me. We could even leave together if you want."

Helga felt her throat swell up and hot tears welled in her eyes. It wasn't fair. She was over him; she was over everyone. Why did the mere words from his mouth make her want to stay?

"Why?" Helga cried out. "Why would you say that!? We ended years ago! We moved on from each other! Why do you still act like you care?"

"Because I still love you!" Arnold yelled.

A clap of lightning illuminated the sky and Helga could read the clear if yet desperate sincerity in his emerald green eyes.

Helga shook her head. Her hair felt like it was weighing her down, her heart even more so.

"I don't believe you." She said brokenly.

"Get in the car." Arnold repeated desperately. "Let's go back to the boarding house. Tomorrow, I'll take you wherever you want to go. I'll even buy you a plane ticket and drive you to the airport if you want."

Again Helga but her lip. The street was practically deserted with no sign of the bus anytime soon. And there was no telling when the storm will let up if it ever did.

"Just for the night." Helga decided, her shoulders slumping in defeat. She knew she was just making things harder for herself come tomorrow. But the thought of being dry was too tempting to ignore.

So she allowed Arnold to take her bag and stow it in the trunk while she slid into the passenger seat. Now that she was out of the rain, her hearing seemed to return to normal. But when Arnold got behind the wheel and started driving, they didn't share a single word between them. Emotion rolled off of Arnold in waves but for once Helga was too tired to try and analyze them.

They pulled up to the boarding house and still in silence, went up the stairs to Arnold's room. Helga gratefully accepted a towel from him and draped it around her shaking shoulders. Arnold watched her as she tried to dry herself off. She shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze. They stood in the middle of his room, neither of them made a move to turn on any lights. Helga could barely see him except for his eyes which seemed to glow and the occasional flashes of lightning.

"I'm not being altruistic, Helga." Arnold finally spoke. "It's pure and utter selfishness. I know you could probably have an amazing life outside of this town. You can do anything. I just don't want you to do it without me."

"That is selfish." Helga muttered and pulled her hair out of its now tangled ponytail.

"I know." Arnold whispered.

Silence stretched between them again. Helga closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Anything to keep her heart from pounding or the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach.

"Helga," Arnold's voice was a soft whisper, "look at me. Please."

Helga's lips trembled and a lump rose in her throat. "I can't."

"Why?" Arnold stepped closer.

"Because." Helga clutched the towel closer as she started shaking from something other than the cold. "Because I- I don't want to fall back in love with you again."

"Why?" Arnold repeated, taking another step closer.

"Because I don't think I ever stopped loving you."

Arnold's hands came to rest on Helga's cheeks and he lifted her face towards his. Helga kept her eyes closed though, stubborn until the end. She knew if she opened them and looked into his eyes, she would lose. Lose to him in his efforts to make her stay and lose her heart to him all over again. But then his lips were suddenly pressing against hers causing her eyes to shoot open. Arnold's lips moved against hers urgently, desperately. His tongue swept across her bottom lip, begging for entrance.

Helga was frozen though, while waves of heat rolled throughout her body. Arnold lips finally abandoned hers and traced down her jaw and to her neck. Arnold's arms held her tighter to his still damp clothes but she barely noticed. His lips massaged the soft flesh there and her head rolled back with a small moan.

"What are you doing?" Helga finally asked. She felt almost detached from her body, except for the pleasurable sensations going through her.

"Convincing you to stay." Arnold whispered, "Or convincing you to take me with you. Whichever works. The point being is that I love you and want to be with you."

"And this is how you do it?" Helga wanted to come off blasé but the moan in the back of her throat betrayed her.

Arnold pulled back to look at her through half lidded eyes. "Trying to reconnect with you these past few years didn't work. Telling you I love you didn't work. This is my last resort. Did you want me to stop?"

Helga wanted to say yes and push him away. Scream and yell at him to leave her alone, that she never wanted to see him again. That her heart was closed to him or anyone else forever.

"No." She whispered instead and kissed him.

Arnold responded with a surprised moan and their kiss ignited something deeper within them. The towel dropped from Helga's shoulders as she wrapped her arms around Arnold's neck. His hands slid up her still soaking wet top to caress her sides. His touch raised goosebumps on her skin. A fire began to burn in the pit of her belly. Arnold continued to raise his hands, raising her top with them until he separated from her briefly to pull it off. His hands struggled with her bra and with a scowl of impatience Helga ripped it off herself. Arnold seemed to assess her impatience and urgency and tore off his own shirt.

"Helga." Arnold gasped out as he pulled her into his arms again.

She moaned as he felt his bare chest pushing against her own. His tongue languidly explored her mouth as his hands explored her body and they backed towards the bed. Helga never felt such an intense heat before. Her back arched in pleasure as his lips danced down her neck and across her chest.

"Arnold." Helga whimpered as his warm lips closed around her nipple.

He flicked his tongue against the stiff, pink peak while his hand massaged her other breast. Her breasts were pliable under his rough palms making Helga writhe on his bed.

"T-take this pants off." Helga panted. "Now."

Arnold's head came up and he smirked at her, his eyes glinting almost dangerously. "Whatever you say Helga."

Arnold obeyed her request but took his time doing it. His slowly kissed down, between the valley of her breasts, licking and nipping along the way. Helga lifted her hips impatiently, urging him to hurry. He finally reached the button of her jeans and unfastened them. Sliding them down her thighs was a much harder task considering the wet denim was clinging to her like a second skin. But once they were off Arnold wasted no time in throwing them off the bed and began to work on his own jeans.

Helga laid back on the bed and watched him eagerly. She had sex once before with a pushy quarter back but if felt nothing like this. Her very skin felt like it was on fire and she couldn't tell if her panties were soaked from the rain or from watching Arnold slowly pull down his boxers releasing his hard, throbbing member. Helga was suddenly grateful for allowing Olga to talk her into getting birth control.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Arnold whispered, crawling over her.

But Helga had no time for games. She lifted her head to press her lips against his and spread her legs. Arnold settled his body on top of hers enveloping her in his warmth. Their hands resumed exploring each other's bodies while they kissed, stoking the flames of their desire. One of Arnold's hands moved in between them and into her panties. Helga moaned as his fingers stroked the delicate folds of her womanhood, before slipping a finger inside.

"Arnold, please," Helga begged as he slipped a second finger in, "I need you now."

With a small laugh Arnold sat up to finally pull her panties off and took his dick in his hand. He pressed the already dripping head against her damp pussy and began stroking it up and down without actually going inside her. An embarrassing whimper escaped from Helga's throat as her hips bucked trying to pull him inside.

"You're so wet, Helga." Arnold but his lip and began circling her clit with the head of dick. "So incredibly wet."

Helga gave a strangled gasp and clutched at the bed spread beneath her. She threw him a heated glare belied by her moaning and bucking hips. Arnold gave her another teasing smile before aligning himself properly at her entrance and giving a solid trust inside her. They both moaned loudly as her inner walls constricted around his cock.

"Helga," Arnold shuddered and began to thrust his hips in and out of her, "H-Helga, I love you so much."

"Mmn, I- I love- you t-too." Helga panted.

Her hips bucked upwards to meet his every powerful thrusts of his hips. The only sound to be heard were their breathy moans and the pattering of the rain overhead. Helga's moans began to increase in volume and pitch as she neared her climax. Arnold struggled to keep himself in control as he increased his thrusts until he was practically pounding into her soft flesh. Desperate for release, Helga grabbed his hips and urged him to go deeper, faster.

"Please tell me you're close," Arnold begged.

"Y-yes!" Helga panted breathlessly. "Yes, yes, yes! Aaahhh!"

The tension in her lower half finally broke as everything went white. Her body tensed and shuddered as her orgasm tore through her. Her inner walls clamped hard around Arnold's dick and he too tensed with a loud groan, spilling his hot seed inside of her. He collapsed against her breathlessly and lay still for a moment before finally rolling off her. Helga sighed in contentment and curled into his side as his arm wrapped around her. For the first time in a long time she fell into a deep sleep feeling safe and happy.

Three days later they stood side by side at the airport terminal. This time though, they both had luggage in their hands and one way tickets in their back pockets. Helga's heart was pounding, but out of excitement instead of fear. Arnold looked plenty nervous for the both of them though, his first time leaving home on his own. Helga squeezed his hand as if to lend him her strength. Arnold caught her eyes and returned her smile, the nervous look in his eyes lifting a little. Helga looked into the eyes of her true love and now she felt ready to take the next step in her life. They both were.