Hello fanfiction world. This is my second Hey Arnold story. It is of course an ArnoldxHelga story because I love this couple. The fic will be written in themes with two chapters for each theme. The themes represent a particular aspect of their relationship that (IMO) connects them together, hence the title of the fic. One chapter will from Helga's POV and the other will be from Arnold's POV. The name of the particular theme being addressed will be in bold at the beginning of each chapter. I hope you enjoy the story.

1.) Kindred Spirits

Arnold was, to those who knew him, goodness personified. He was an idealist to the point of almost willful ignorance; Arnold believed not only that humanity as a whole was basically good, but that nearly every human being had some good in them, no matter how small the amount. He was The Nice Guy, always willing to help a person in need, even if that person was the most unlovable wretch on the face of the earth. It also didn't matter what the cost to him was; Arnold would help someone even if he suffered doing so, whether physically or mentally. He tried to do the right thing at all times and encouraged others to do the same. He was nice to everyone, as much as was possible. He was also the eternal optimist. Arnold always saw the good instead of the bad, no matter the situation.

Arnold of course, was also human and as such, as patient and kind as he tried to be, even he had a breaking point and he would lash out in frustration if someone or something got on his very last nerve. However, these incidents were incredibly rare and even when Arnold snapped, he never acted cruelly toward anyone. Arnold was never malicious and if he did offend or hurt someone, he would apologize and do whatever it took to make amends (no matter how difficult or humiliating).

Arnold's nature seemed to be devoid of any evil, any malice whatsoever. He was incapable of being deliberately mean and even the people who knew him best marveled at the purity of his character, wondering how such purity was possible. Ironically, the person who was most aware and the most appreciative of Arnold's nature did her best to make his life miserable.

Helga Pataki often declared her hatred for the boy in public, but her true feelings for him were a carefully guarded secret. She loved him, deeply and obsessively, and had ever since she first met him at three years old. One of the consequences of her obsession with him was that she stalked him constantly. Helga had watched and studied Arnold for years and as a result, knew things about him that only his closest friend and his grandparents knew.

She had developed a theory about Arnold that, to her at least, explained his incredible virtuousness. Helga believed that it was impossible for any human to be wholly good, just as Arnold believed that it was impossible for any human to be wholly evil. Arnold's belief had gone unchallenged so far, but her belief was challenged daily by Arnold's very existence. The boy truly could do no wrong. Everything he did and said had a pure motive behind it. The one time in his life that Arnold acted out in anger was in retaliation to her cruelty and he still apologized, so that didn't count in Helga's mind.

Arnold's goodness truly defied human nature and so Helga concluded that Arnold himself transcended human nature. He obviously wasn't a god or any other divine being, but she did think he must have been gifted with some form of divine goodness or purity. That's not to say that she believed that Arnold was perfect and was incapable of doing anything bad under any circumstances. Helga thought that Arnold had a heart that was wholly good, without a trace of wickedness. Nothing else could account for his perpetual kindness and amazing capacity to forgive.

He may have inadvertently done some bad things or unknowingly said things that hurt others, but he always corrected his mistakes. Helga believed that Arnold was blessed with a nature that made it impossible for him to act with malice, to purposely do wrong. It was that pure nature that she fell in love with on the day she met him. It was that same nature that, at least in part, made her believe that she could never be with him. She was unworthy of someone so selfless and caring.

What Helga didn't know was that her theory may not have been too far off. Arnold's birth was in fact, miraculous. He was born in San Lorenzo surrounded by vegetation, fauna, and an active, erupting volcano. At the moment of his nativity, all nature was silenced. The volcano suddenly became dormant again, the ground stopped shaking, and the lava stopped flowing. Soon after, various animals came around to see the newborn baby. Arnold was a miracle baby and the native people of San Lorenzo truly believed that he was divine, a messiah come to save them from some great tribulation.

Helga had no knowledge of any of this, but if she did, she might have been inclined to agree with the people of San Lorenzo. Arnold may not have been divine himself, but he was certainly divinely gifted. In Helga's opinion, that gift was a divine heart; a heart that was completely good. She loved that heart and she had given her own heart to Arnold as a result. But there was something else about Arnold that Helga didn't know. He had given her his heart too.