A/N: Hey,
I know what you might be thinking right now, "Holy CRAP! She just greeted us in a way that's actually NORMAL!", yeah well, get over it. *Blows tuft of hair out of face*
Anyway, music is my freakin' soul, so I thought I'd do another song fic. *Smiles a little*
Ah, a Jesse McCartney song. XD Ya wanna know something funny? I had huge crush on him back when I was about nine or ten that went on for about a year. *Rolls eyes* Funny thing is, now I just kind of see him as another one of those cliche' boyband types. Totally boring, but he has a gorgeous voice, and beautiful lyrics, so I guess that makes up for it. Looking back on my obsession with him, I think I was only in love with his music. It wasn't HIM, it was just his music. Heh...
Anyway, the song is "Right Back in the Water", and it reminded me a lot of... well, Arnold and Helga's rocky relationship. Brings a tear to my eye. *Wipes eyes*
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold! or the song "Right Back in the Water"... a sad turn of events, but then again, when isn't something crappy happening to me? -_- Sorry, bad moods and me don't mix.
Right Back in the Water
Song-Fic
Arnold laid on his bed, staring up at the stars and his arms and legs spread out slightly, as he listened to the soft music drifting to him from his radio.
~I could tell by the look in her eyes, maybe I'm just another one of her lies, 'cause I know we've been through this so many times, still I'm here though I'm burning up inside~
Arnold shut his eyes tight and thought back on one of his many past encounters with...
...Helga.
(Flashback)
"Helga, please, understand why I'm doing this. We... we just... all we ever do is fight." He looked at her desperately, his palms spread out in an attempt to make her see what he saw.
Helga's eyes narrowed even more, and she stood up from his couch and glared down at him. "Arnold, I know we do. But we don't have to..." Her voice cracked, as her eyes became down-cast, and her shoulders slouched.
Arnold stared up at her from his seat on the couch, his hands resting on his knees. "Helga, I know we don't have to... but we always do. I don't think this is working out."
Her eyes snapped back to his in alarm, and she gawked. "We can work this out, Arnold, I know we can. You're always solving problems."
"And that's exactly what I'm trying to do here, Helga. This is a problem, and I'm trying to fix it. Now if you'd just cooperate." He touched her arm gently.
She flinched her arm back from his hand, as if she'd been burned, and began hugging herself desperately. "Arnold, ignoring it and breaking us off wouldn't be fixing anything. All that would mean was heart break... for me." She finished in a whisper, hanging her head low, her pigtails slouching in her misery.
Arnold stood then, and put his arms around her shoulders, then used one hand to tilt her head up by her chin, making her meet his gaze. "Helga, you don't think this would hurt me too? Four years is a long time to be with someone. But our relationship is..." He trailed off, not knowing exactly how to phrase it.
"Dead." She finished for him in a quiet, aching tone. She shut her eyes tight, and forced her chin out of his hand and turned her head away from him.
Arnold brushed one of her pigtails down involuntarily, and hugged her a little closer. "Please, Helga, don't make this so hard for me."
"Why?!" She asked in a choked sob, and looking at him through moist blue eyes. The sight broke his heart. "Why are you doing this? Is it because you don't lo-"
The hand that was brushing through her pigtail instantly snaked around the back of her neck and forced her lips to his. He shut his eyes tight, and allowed the arm that was around her shoulders to travel down a little to the small of her back, bringing her slightly closer.
Her eyes widened at that, and she blinked a few times before she threw her own arms around his neck and leaned on him slightly, her own eyes closing.
After a few moments, he pulled back and frowned at her. "Don't ever say that. You know that I do." He offered her a smile and tilted his head slightly at her, beginning to stoke her pigtail again.
She blinked at him, her eyes still moist. She sniffled a little, and then asked in a soft voice, "Then why are you trying to end us?"
(Flashback)
Arnold listened to the next line, feeling his heart aching.
~And I try to walk away but I keep telling myself, she's the one for me, 'cause her love is so contagious, it keeps pulling me in, we were meant to be, and I can't leave her so~
(Flashback)
Arnold blinked at her, still holding her close. The smell of vanilla wafted up to his nose, and he inhaled, still looking straight into her moist, sparkling blue sapphire eyes, so filled with sorrow and love. He felt himself inwardly melting.
"I... I don't know... maybe I'm just being silly." He let his shoulders slouch a little and his lips to curl in a small smile.
She blinked at him... once, twice, and then she smiled a little, letting out a small sigh of relief. "Don't scare me like that, Arnold. I thought we were actually gonna..." Fresh tears sparkled in her eyes, and Arnold frowned, holding her firmer.
He kissed her cheek tenderly for a moment, and then pulled away, their faces still close. "I'm sorry, Helga. You're right. Running away from the problem won't solve anything... this is just something we'll have to work at." He felt himself smile a little, as he breathed in more of her fresh vanilla scent.
She sighed softly, both out of relief and love sickness. She laid her head on his shoulder then, and he let his head rest at the side of her head, near her soft hair, as he closed his eyes.
She shifted her arms around him a little, and he felt her sigh again, then whisper softly, "I love you."
He buried his head into her pigtail, and breathed in her vanilla scent once again, which secretly intoxicated him to no end. "I love you too."
(Flashback)
~We're right back in the water~
He let out a shaky breath, and placed his hands over his heart, staring up at the night's half moon through half-lidded eyes... half... much like his heart. He blinked.
~We're right back in the water~
He closed his eyes, taking in a breath as he thought back, the next line of the song playing softly in the back of his head...
~I could tell by the look in her eyes, all my friends keep telling me, now's the time, but I know just the notion of saying goodbye, it breaks my heart, it tears me up inside~
(Flashback)
"Arnold, when are you going to break it off already? You've done nothing but fight since... geez, how long has it been now?" Gerald asked, raising an eyebrow and the backs of his hands resting on his hips.
Arnold shut his locker, and looked over at Gerald, sighing. "Almost five years... our, anniversary is just in a few months actually." He smiled a little, but it quickly faded realizing that in a years time they'd done almost nothing but fight. He shifted his eyes to the ground.
Gerald frowned, and scrunched his eyebrows down. "Man, you keep saying that you're gonna do it... but you never do. You just chicken out every time." He slammed his locker shut to help emphasize his point.
Arnold kept his gaze on the ground, and then finally met Gerald's eyes again, holding his book close for comfort. "She's... I..." He sighed, and shook his head, beginning to walk off to class, as Gerald fell into step at his side, still looking towards him scoldingly and also waiting for an answer. Arnold released a breath, his gaze still on the ground. "I just... I can't..." He looked up, catching Helga's eyes across the hall. She adjusted her blue baseball cap, and looked back over at him with a loving smile. He smiled back, but then felt Gerald's eyes on him. He ripped his eyes away from Helga's and looked over at Gerald's scolding look. Arnold simply blinked slowly at him, and then looked back over at Helga as he spoke, "I don't know... every time I try... she just looks at me with those eyes of hers..." He smiled a little, a soft look coming to his eyes. "and I can't do it."
Gerald dropped his scolding look, and simply sighed. "I feel for you, buddy. Good luck." He patted him on the back, before turning around to head to his next class.
Arnold watched him go for a second, before shifting his eyes back over in the direction of Helga, suddenly to find her wide, sparkling blue eyes to be much closer. She smiled at him, and kissed him on the lips lightly. "Hey, darling." She smiled a little brighter, and the twinkle in her eyes seemed to intensify.
Arnold felt himself inwardly melting, just as all the other times, while on the outside he simply smiled. "Hey, Helga."
She smirked, turning her blue cap around backwards, and then put an arm around his shoulders. "Our anniversary's comin' up soon." She grinned. "Five years..." She whistled lowly, and Arnold smiled at her. "Yeah, it's a pretty long time." He commented lightly.
She nodded, and they heard the bell ring suddenly. She frowned a little, but then resumed her previous smile as she looked over at him. "Well, it's been a real slice, Football Head." She gave him a big, wet smack on the cheek with her lips, and then dashed down the hall at top speed, her pigtails swishing against her back as she went. "See ya!" She yelled to him as she rounded the corner.
Arnold touched the cheek she'd kissed lightly with his fingertips, the spot pounding, and for once, he allowed himself to outwardly melt a little, before sighing lightly, and turning around to walk to his own class.
(Flashback)
Arnold opened his eyes then, gazing up at the stars, watching intently as they twinkled at him, which made a small smile to come to his lips. But it soon faded, as he realized that the twinkle reminded him of the one that was so often in Helga's eyes... only less beautiful...
He sighed, and turned over on his side, staring at his radio now, as if he could actually see the soft music drifting out from it.
~And I try to walk away but I keep telling myself, she's the one for me, 'cause her love is so contagious, it keeps pulling me in, we were meant to be, and I can't leave her so~
Arnold stared at the stereo forlornly, and then shifted his eyes over slightly to see a picture of himself and... Helga... perched up proudly on his shelf. He stared at it, as Helga's eyes were sparkling radiantly, and his arm was around her tightly... possessively, even, though at the time he'd never have admit to that.
He took a breath, listening to the music continue to flow from his radio.
~So we're right back singing, ooh, c'mon, ooh, c'mon~
He exhaled through his mouth, and turned his head to cram it into his pillow.
~I wanna walk by but there's something that won't let me, singing, ooh, c'mon, ooh, c'mon, she's the one that's always there~
He sighed into his pillow, as yet another image of the past came to his mind...
(Flashback)
Arnold felt fresh tears begin to burst in his eyes, and he choked slightly, burying his face in his arms as he sat there.
The air was freezing. He didn't care. The rain was trickling down on him. He didn't care. The crisp autumn leaves were blowing around in the breeze. He didn't care.
He heard some steps coming towards him softly, and then someone sitting next to him on the bench. A hand suddenly gently touched his arm, and he lifted his head out of his arms to look over at Helga. He blinked at her, then attempting to wipe away his tears quickly with his sleeve. "I..." He choked out, feeling more tears begrudgingly come back into his gaze and fog over his view of her concerned face. He shut his eyes tight, tears trickling down his cheeks.
She scooted a little closer to him, and put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Shh, Arnold... what happened?" She asked quietly in a voice laced with concern and worry... and love.
He sniffled, and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. He sat his head on her shoulder as he continued to cry. "You... y-you'll just think I'm... st-stupid." He choked out, and letting out a few small quiet sobs.
Helga frowned, and patted his back a little. "I've never thought you were stupid, Arnold. Not once in my life. I don't know why I'd start now." She smiled a little, rubbing his back up and down with her arm.
He sighed, and swallowed hard, holding her a little tighter. "Abner... he's... he..." He sobbed, burying his face in her shoulder.
Worry and pain was clearly etched across her face as she embraced him, feeling the warm, wet tears soaking her shirt. "What happened to Abner?"
He sniffled. "He... he's gone..." He managed softly, sobbing into her shoulder.
Sorrow began to creep it's way across her face, and she held him tighter. "Oh, Arnold... I know how much you loved him..." She couldn't help but feel a bit of personal mourning for the pig herself, as she had come to really like him too. A small tear slid down her cheek and splashed against his dark blue jacket. She closed her eyes. "He's in a better place, Arnold... it's okay... he's in piggy heaven." She smiled a little to herself at that, her eyes still closed.
Despite himself, Arnold couldn't help a snort of laughter escaping him, and he pulled away slightly to smile smally at her. "Piggy heaven?"
She smiled back, feeling glad that he was at least smiling now despite the tears still in his eyes. "Yeah, he was a good pig. I think he qualifies to get sent to piggy heaven. Don't you?"
Arnold's gaze shifted up, and he felt the small smile tug at his lips a bit harder. "Yeah... yeah, he does." He looked back down to Helga, and she smiled at him. "I love you." She whispered lovingly, her eyes twinkling.
He felt one last tear fall down his cheek, before he replied with a slight amount of joy and thankfulness, "I love you too."
He crashed his lips to hers.
(Flashback)
Arnold felt a tear trickle down his cheek as he stared back up at the picture on his shelf, the lyrics to the song continuing softly, and drifting around the room and his head.
~I could tell by the look in her eyes, maybe I'm just another one of her lies, and I try to walk away, but I keep telling myself, she's the one for me, 'cause her love is so contagious, it keeps pulling me in, we were meant to be and I can't leave her~
Arnold shut his eyes tight, thinking back to his last encounter with Helga...
(Flashback)
Arnold walked up the steps of her stoop, not bothering to count the steps today, as he already knew exactly how many there were. He knocked on the door boldly as soon as he reached the top.
It opened after a few moments of waiting, revealing Helga in her usual wear. A pink shirt with a red stripe running though it, a white t-shirt underneath, jeans, and her usual blue baseball cap, though only he knew what was hidden underneath...
He smiled politely. "Hey, Helga."
She stood there in the doorway, looking a bit shocked. He hadn't blatantly shown up at her house since... She shook her head, and gave him a nonchalant look, not much caring that he could see right through it, and leaned against the door frame. "Oh, hey Football Head. What brings you down to my side of this rat hole we all live in?" She gave him an indifferent look, her arms crossed over her chest.
He smiled at her, his hands behind his back. "Well..." He frowned, remembering his reason for being there. "I-I... can I come in?" He asked, holding out his palm.
She blinked at him, and then looked down at his extended palm. She shrugged, and took his hand, leading him inside, and shutting the door with her foot.
She turned to him, and noticed a strange happy note in his eyes, despite the slight frown on his face, and she realized that she hadn't let go of his hand. She coughed, and let go of it then, smiling at him somewhat nervously. "So what do I owe the displeasure?"
He frowned a bit more, looking around nervously. "I, well... something has come up."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
He met her eyes then, and sighed, taking her hand and guiding her to sit next to him on the staircase. She did so, and then looked over at him curiously.
A distressed look came to his face then, and he bit his lip briefly before looking back at Helga, still holding her hand. "Helga... my parents are kind of... adventurers at heart you know?"
She tilted her head to him, and nodded a little.
He sighed and looked away from her then. "Well, I don't think they really got it all out of their systems back in San Lorenzo."
"Cut the crap, Arnold. What are you saying?"
Arnold looked at Helga, a sorrowful note in his soft green eyes.
"I'm moving."
(Flashback)
Arnold looked around in his dark hut, the stars twinkling above from the few leaves from the roof being pushed aside and the music coming from his small, crank radio.
He sighed one last time, before sitting up and grabbing his notebook and a pen from his nightstand. He flipped through the notebook until he found a blank page, and then set it down in his lap, beginning to write.
Dear Helga,
I'm finally coming home in another month, and I feel that I've made a horrible mistake...
He looked up from his notebook, and glanced at the picture of them together up on his bamboo shelf, and then looked back down at the notebook with determination, writing out the next line.
I want you back...
~So we're right back in the water, we're right back in the water, yeah~