Chapter Text
Helga looked up from her phone screen where her GPS was showing her route to her current delivery; the fairly large order was precariously balanced on her left hand still in the grease-stained transport bag. There had to be at least 6 or 7 pizzas in total in the order, ranging from a simple pepperoni and cheese, to an abomination with anchovies and chocolate sauce slapped unceremoniously on a loaded supreme.
Helga double checked that she had all the pizzas before knocking her car door closed with her heel and making her way up the stoop of 4040 Vine Street. A plaque off to the side of the front door letting her know she was delivering to the Sunset Arms Boarding house - ‘No Kids, Pets OK’ scrawled under the name. The blonde quirked an eyebrow at the sign and found her lips curving up just slightly at the corners.
Maybe this wouldn’t be such a boring delivery after all.
She knocked sharply on the door twice and waited. It took a moment, but she finally noticed the loud racquet of multiple voices and various noise coming from behind the weathered wooden door. She huffed out an annoyed sigh and began hitting the door again - with what was definitely an unnecessary amount of force. Her arm was getting tired holding up the mass of food and her shirt was starting to stick to her side from all the moisture of the steam. Finally, she saw the front knob begin to jangle before the door swung inwards and a small herd of animals rushed out from the growing gap. Helga barely managed to sidestep and avoid being bowled over by the squat pig that headed the wild group, watching the several dogs, a cat, a snake and a - a butterfly?? She blinked several times, not really believing the sight but chose not to think to hard on it. It was Hillwood after all - she’d seen stranger things.
Silhouetted in the door stood a surprisingly familiar figure she hadn't thought she'd ever see again. Although he was lit up from behind, Helga could still make out his corn coloured hair, warm green eyes that looked sweet enough to eat and his particularly memorably shaped head- all of which was perched on a set of now broad shoulders and a lean body just a tad taller than herself. He was addressing one of the voices over his shoulder before he turned, giving her his full attention. Those green eyes captivated Helga the most - they always had - there was something otherworldly about them that Helga had too shake off so she could focus back on the task at hand.
The Man smiled, spotting the bag filled with pizzas and the logo on the mandatory cap that was part of her dorky uniform.
“Hi - you must be from Antonio’s with our pizza; let me help you with those!”
He reached out to help off load the stack of boxes as Helga pulled them one at a time from the travel bag. With all 7 in his arms, he turned to place the pizza’s on the entry table by the door.
“$45.80 was it?” He asked, already rifling through his wallet to pull out some notes, looking up at her for her response. Just as Helga opened her mouth to reply, the cacophony of noise rose even louder.
“ - NO! I told you, there’s no way that she makes it to the end without -“
“ - its a movie for cripes sake! You don’t have to belie-
“- I told you we should watched the western, cowboys are much cooler than -“
“- hey shove over, you're hogging the whole couch!”
He grimaced, glancing back over his shoulder from where all the voices where coming from.
“Sorry about that, it’s movie night so everyone's a bit riled up.” He smiled apologetically as he gestured towards the front room where the noise was coming from. Helga leaned to look around the blond, spotting several heads over the back of a set of couches, along with an elderly couple tucked under a blanket on a love seat and what appeared to be some pillows and blankets scattered on the floor as if recently vacated. She glanced at the eclectic group of what must’ve been the boarders and an older couple with similar features to the man before her. During her little peak, she made eye contact with the elderly lady of the pair on the love seat whose eyes suddenly gleamed and she raised an arm to wave rather vigorously for a woman her age.
“Why Arnold, you didn’t tell us you were inviting Mrs Roosevelt to join us this evening! Come, come Eleanor, join us!”
The elderly lady patted the arm of the love seat, looking like she would be more than happy to make some extra room if need be. At the sound of the request, the man - Arnold - turned to Helga, opening his mouth with an apologetic look on his face. Helga was speaking before he could get a single syllable out.
"Oh that would be lovely, I so wish to join you but unfortunately I have some very important business at the white house to attend to!" Helga's response was clear and spoken with a lilt expected of someone of such high status and she even made a small curtsey like movement before fixing her eyes back on Arnold.
He was looking back at her with surprise, his mouth slack before it curled into such a warm smile Helga was sure she would melt from the flush she could feel crawling up her neck. He opened his mouth again to speak before the crowd behind them began talking loudly again, this time clearly discussing whether or not the Presidents wife would watch the film currenlty in progress.
He gestured to the stoop and they both moved back out into the cool evening air. Arnold reorganised the money into piles of bills and change before handing both to Helga so she could tuck it safely into the change bag on her hip.
"I'm, uh-" he titled his head in the direction of the house behind him "- sorry about all that."
Helga waved a hand in front her, effectively shooing off the apology- "Oh please, this has been one of the best deliveries I've made yet. Plus, I've gotta say , I don’t think I've ever been mistaken for a dead presidents wife before. Your Grandma has got excellent taste."
Helga looked matter-of-factly back at an amused Arnold as if daring him to say otherwise before picking up the empty warmer box and zipping it closed. As she did so, she remembered the odd pizza that had been part of their order.
One hand still struggling to close the jammed and greasy zip, Helga looked curiously up at the man opposite her.
"Oh yeah, I was wondering-" she pulled hard, finally getting the zip closed- "what was up with the anchovy and chocolate loaded supreme?"
As if imaging the taste of said pizza, Arnold grimaced before he looked back at the house.
"Yeah…that would be my Grandma. She's, well, lets just say her taste in everything is a bit eccentric."
Helga couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped her before she shook her head, smiling and chuckling.
"That’s one way to put it. Well, Arnold, I believe it was-" she mock curtsied again as she said his name- "it's been a pleasure. I look forward to your next order." She turned on her heel, ready to head back to the dingy delivery car before Arnold called out- "wait!" She stopped, looking back over her shoulder. He held out his hand, it looked to be holding another paper note.
Helga turned back around to face the now back lit silhouette of the young man and stepped up the cracked concrete steps till she was back in front of him. He held out the hand containing the note- "For such great delivery service-" Helga reached out to the note when suddenly Arnold pulled it slightly out of reach; Helga huffed out a breath and looked back up- "and your name too?"
It was clearly phrased as a question. He was giving Helga the chance to refuse if she felt so inclined; but his eyes glowed in the dim light the colour of worn brass, warm and familiar. Helga, heart beating faster than it had a second ago, was feeling generous.
"It's Helga-" she held her right hand out towards Arnold who took it with his empty hand- "Helga Pataki."
She thinks it must be the light messing with her eyes when she sees an odd look pass across Arnold's features, but its gone when she blinks and he's back to smiling gently at her.
"Helga." He said it gently, as if testing out how it sounded.
" Well Helga," he hands her the tip and mock bows, looking up from his ridiculous position to address her, "I wish you a good rest of your night."
Helga scoffed, trying not to show too much of the unexpected smile the dorky action brought, before rolling her eyes and turning around, throwing a similar "You too" over her shoulder as she made her way back to the car.
As she made the drive back to Antonio's, Helga couldn't seem to shake that damn smile off no matter how hard she tried.