In the Shed | By : Dawn_223 Category: +G to L > Hy?ka > Hy?ka Views: 3428 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Hyouka, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
It had been too long, maybe even hours. Even worse, perhaps no time had passed at all and it just felt longer than it actually was.
Kill me.
Chitanda and I had been shivering on the floor for a good while now. We had our arms wrapped around our knees, shivering, praying that someone would find us in this musty shed. It smelt like an old barn and rust, not the nicest of things to endure on New Years Eve. Maybe I could stick Satoshi in here if he found us. I have to admit revenge is sometimes sweet.
My teeth chatters with my breath thick and foggy as it reaches the open air. I strain my ears to hear nearby voices, but there were none. It was easy to be melodramatic and assume we would rot here.
"Chitanda," I said, "Do you think the saying that 'What you do on new year's, you repeat all year' is true?"
"No." Chitanda sounds almost sad I mentioned it, "By that logic you would be doing nothing for the rest of the year. Maybe it's because you got that bad fortune."
I sighed. This could have been a pleasant evening. We wouldn't have to be here in the cold, anyway. It was, as strange as it is for me to think, somewhat disappointing.
"I don't know what to do now." I mumbled.
The brilliant, talented Oreki Hontarou was admitting defeat. Pitiful, isn't it?
Chitanda let out a half gasp. I looked around at her, and was awestruck by her eyes. She looked closer to a lost puppy than a human, her eyes watering, eyelids tilted and lip was curved in the most delicate fashion. I held her gaze for a shuddering moment.
"You can't say that, Oreki." she said, half desperate, half downtrodden. Her voice cracked. Was she about to cry? If she was, she gulped it away. "There has to be a solution. It is so curious that you've given up. No, you can't do that yet! I won't let you!"
Chitanda stood up, overtaken by a newly found resolve. The skin around my lips felt tight. Satoshi is right. I must be getting wrinkles from chronic frowning.
"What do you suggest, then?" I asked, ashamedly very curious as to her plan. She had a mysterious twinkle in her eye that was hard not to stare at. Then she froze and gulped.
"Oreki san," she began, shoulders shaking, "I think this is our last chance."
Her smooth, slender fingers slowly poise around the inward curve of her belly. I raise my head, intrigued.
"What?"
Chitanda's cheeks grow hot, her fingers performing a nervous dance. Her voice was trembling when she spoke.
"Would you be offended, Oreki-san… if I dropped my obi string outside the shed?" she demanded. At an incredible speed the redness in her cheeks spread to her temples and forehead. You could have mistaken her for a tomato. Well, a vegetable with purple eyes to be exact.
The girl shut her eyes out of embarrassment.
Yep, definitely a tomato...
"What?" I repeated, in the same deadbeat tone. Surely Chitanda was not bringing this up again? No. I was hallucinating, too caught up in my head.
"Would you be offended, Oreki-san…." Chitanda repeated, "If I…"
"I heard you, alright?!" I snapped.
Chitanda's eyes widened.
The silence was boding. I prayed that someone would hear me and find us. There was nothing. It was getting at that point of the night where people dispersed from the outside world. I didn’t mean to yell, but I had to stop myself from fainting like at the hot spring. Thinking of Chitanda’s body underneath her kimono was selfish and perverse of me, and yet my mind kept wandering back to it like a beat up vending machine.
I knew she was beautiful, I had seen her before, but I couldn’t think of that. There was no point admiring her tiny frame if we were going to die.
Soon, no one would be able to find us. I rubbed my eyes and tried to wake up. I wasn't dreaming, but the beauty was walking toward me.
"I wonder why you have not answered the question, Oreki-san." Chitanda said slowly. She got down on her knees and leant towards my face. "It's curious."
I tried to melt into the shed wall, but I couldn't. Walls tend to stop you from doing that. I felt my face grow hot. "I, uh…"
She had a point. It was curious. Why didn't I want her to remove her obi string? It would probably get us out of here. It was too important of an item to lose, perhaps even more than ones wallet. The whole area would come flocking. It was guaranteed escape.
What would happen to your kimono if you removed your obi string?
The obi would come off.
The hot string memory had a habit of returning at the worse times. This could win the record for the most inconvenient. Heat came over me like a fever. Maybe Chitanda was right and I was just sick.
I still don't understand my reaction from back then. It is true she is a very attractive girl, an idiot would be able to notice as much, but that just made it worse. I almost wanted to protect her. Stop onlookers. Stop people like Satoshi or stupid girls from making fun of her.
Why did I feel so awkward thinking about this? Of course, a person undressing is not something you see every day. It would be awfully strange to have Chitanda undress in front of me, but it wasn’t like she was doing it to delight my selfish needs. Or was she?
Maybe there was a way to find out.
Indeed.
The real question was why Chitanda didn't care that her obi would fall off.
"I am just…" I began, ashamed that I was going to use Chitanda's favourite word, "Curious."
"You are?!" the girl exclaimed, either excited or merely intrigued. It was hard to tell. She pushed her nose even closer to my face, if that was possible "Why, Oreki-san? You must tell me!"
"Hmm…" I tried to think of a way to phrase my thoughts without coming across as rude, "I have to wonder why you don't care that your kimono will fall off, given how cold it is, and how you are uncertain of how I would react."
"You're right." Chitanda said. Her eyes resumed to normal size and she sat down in front of me, a good distance apart. She looked like she was remembering something painful and unpleasant by how her eyes glazed over.
Perhaps we were both ill.
Finally her eyes met mine. It was earnest, endearing and most of all, painful.
"You're the closest friend I have."
I became acutely aware of my heart beating heavily in my ears, my breath exhaling and inhaling at a constant rate. There it was again. That feeling I couldn’t describe. I did see Chitanda as my friend, but the word didn’t seem complete enough.
"The longer this takes the colder we're going to get." I said, matter of factly.
Without explicitly making the truth known, we had both agreed to the next step.
Chitanda stood up. "Yes, of course!" she gulped and turned around, "Look away. I'll be careful."
When logic tells you to look away, your very instincts will usually scream the opposite. If you have a strong sense of logic and willpower you are able to turn your head. If your emotions overpower this reasonable side, you are left with a major inner conflict. This was how it was between me and Miss Eru Chitanda. She defied logic and reason. My brain did not exist with her. My heart stopped so she couldn't hear it, but I could feel.
I watched with unshakable guilt as Chitanda looked down, and, one arm crossed tightly around her midriff, slowly pulled the obi string out with the other hand.
"Are you looking?" she asked.
"No." I looked away for a few moments, but the reality was I was trying to cover up a lie. I really wanted to look at her.
"Good." she said.
In the end, it was probably a good thing I had watched. Just as she pulled the last of the obi string free she sneezed.
"Excuse me." she said, but in the moment her hand flew to her nose, the one wrapping her kimono in place had grown loose. The fabric unravelled just enough that her shoulders were exposed.
"Oh no." Chitanda said, and she tried to readjust it with one hand, "Oreki-san, can you help me?"
Little did she know I had already unzipped my jacket and was taking if off. I feigned innocence.
"Oh no, Chitanda-san. What's wrong?"
Chitanda sniffed. "I, uh…" Her nose sounded blocked. "I need a tissue"
"Give me a moment." I said.
The purple-eyed girl gasped. "Oreki-san…" she breathed, very heavily. I had placed my jacket around her shoulders. I chuckled, and didn't move from where I stood. I took one hand free and removed a tissue from my pants pocket. Slowly, I tried to maneuverer the tissue to under Chitanda's nose, without seeing where I was going. She seemed to get the message.
"Oh, thank you!" she said happily, taking it with the hand that was under her nose and pressing it.
I blushed. "Sorry, it is already partly used."
"That's ok." Chitanda said, her voice clearing, "That is what happens when I throw my purse and handkerchief outside."
There was a soft plonk as the used tissue fell onto the snowy ground. Chitanda took a deep breath and her hands reached the top of my jacket where mine were. Her next breath shuddered. I'm not sure what had happened to mine. Suffocating myself by accident wouldn’t exactly be a new experience. Her hands were freezing cold, but soft and comforting at the same time.
"I don't know why, Oreki-san," Chitanda began, "But all of a sudden I am afraid of my kimono coming off. I-I I don't know how to move."
Was she shivering from fear now? I pondered carefully on how to respond.
"Sometimes if I get scared I find just being with someone helps." I suggested, blankly. The girl seemed to understand.
"Yes! Like a child in a rainstorm."
"Exactly."
There was a pause.
"Does that bother you, Oreki-san?" Chitanda asked, "I don't want to be a burden on you. We should really get out of here."
"There's no point making this experience traumatic," I said, "I don't mind standing here like this for a little while. It is not like it would be especially difficult to throw out your obi string."
Chitanda's breathing was calmer now. "Yes, you're right – but we mustn’t wait too long."
Slowly, our heartbeats returned to a normal pace. I didn't feel like I was being suffocated by guilt or some other emotion. There was a peacefulness about standing here. It was rather strange how much I liked it.
I thought about how sad it would be for Chitanda to get cold. She would cry, no doubt. I had to stop that from happening. I slowly wrapped my arms around her and zipped up my jacket. She followed and we quickly resumed our positions of my hands on her shoulders, her hands on my hands. I rest my chin on her shoulder and mouthed in her ear.
"Now you don't have to worry about your kimono falling off."
"Thank you." Chitanda let out a sigh of relief, and she smiled.
For once our height differences came to use. I was so much taller than her that my jacket covered the entire length of her torso. Even if her garments abandoned her, my jacket wouldn't. Her body would be safe from potential ridicule because of me.
I felt very proud of myself realizing this. I didn't even understand why. It is not like I'm saving her from impending doom. I was the pervert thinking about what she looked like underneath it.
"I have another problem, Oreki-san." Chitanda realized.
"What's that?" I asked.
Chitanda giggled, "You're now so warm I don't want to get rid of my obi string."
"You planned this, didn't you?" I joked, unable to smile.
Chitanda shook her head furiously. "I swear I didn't, Oreki-san. No way would I ever want such things!"
I must admit I was at a loss as well. On one hand, I wanted to get inside where it was actually warm. On the other, it was a rare moment of privacy here with Chitanda. I enjoyed the peaceful solitude of being with her. I almost wanted to endorse her request.
"I must say I wouldn't know what to do if I was in that situation either." I admitted. Without meaning to, I leant closer to her and rest my forehead on her shoulder. Chitanda jumped. I realized a little too late that my hormones seemed to enjoy solitude as well. My hips pressed against her, a little too close to hide my enjoyment. It was too late. I couldn't undo my mistake.
Shit, I thought, mind starting to race. Besides Chitanda's jump, she hadn't moved. Her breathing became shallow again. I could feel her pulse against the side of my face, sprinting a marathon.
I wanted to say sorry, but I couldn't. If I said something it would acknowledge it was there, and then I would have to explain.
What is Chitanda thinking? It better not be that she is curious. Would that be such a bad thing? Damn it, stop thinking!
"Are you ok, Chitanda-san?" I whispered. That was an innocent enough question.
Chitanda simply nodded. "Yes." she said curtly, "and you?"
"I am well." I had to force the words out. "Uh, if you don’t mind me saying so… I think you would be very comfortable to hold close."
Silence again. Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!
"Only if you call me Chi-chan," she murmured. Heat rose to my face, and pink had reappeared in hers. She refused to look at me.
"Sure, Chi-chan." I said, feeling a strange thrill as I said it. Cautiously, I slid my hands out from under Chidanda's and wrapped them around her waist, below her midriff. I was hesitant to fully express how closely I wanted to hug her, but Chitanda placed her hands on my arms again. She pushed, as though encouraging me. I didn't hold back. I let my arms press into her small figure and savored her warmth. She was …
"I've always wanted to hug you, Oreki-san" Chitanda said, under her breath. I gasped. The way I reacted it was as though she had asked to take my virginity away. I nodded.
"Thank you very much." I hesitated. "Was that what happened that time we went to the public library? Do you remember?"
"Yes, I do." Chitanda said. "That's exactly right."
"Good."
Unable to control my urges, I pressed my hips further against Chitanda's backside. She squeezed my arms, as though trying to control herself too. I started to shake out of nerves. If I was sitting this is when my leg would start trembling.
"What happens when we get out?" I wondered.
The girl shook her head. "I don't know."
"I… I don't want to think about it. I just thought I should say something."
"I don't mind." Chitanda said, "I am curious, though…"
"Yes?"
For once I dearly wanted to know why.
"If Satoshi asked you to kiss me for a dare, would you do it?"
What?! Where is this going?
"I-I'm not sure." I gulped. "I don't really understand how I feel about you."
"Curious." Chitanda reaffirmed, "I don't know how I feel either."
We’re not talking about school work, why is she so calm?
Chitanda looked up and brushed my cheek with her nose.
"Er, what if Mayaka asked you the same?" I said cautiously.
Chitanda giggled, "It depends what the reward was."
That was an odd proposal. What sort of things did the young beauty see as an incentive?
"What if it was to go to the hot springs again?"
Finally we met eyes, our noses almost touching, and at such an uncomfortable angle as well! Her purple eyes peered down.
"Can I try?"
Damn. Was I dreaming? Since when was she so cute?
"If you don't mind disappointment, yes." I said grudgingly.
I closed my eyes and braced myself for the inevitable awkwardness. Chitanda gave me a soft peck on the mouth. It wasn’t scary at all.
"How was that?" she asked.
"Admirable." I smiled.
Chitanda's face broke into a grin."Oreki-san, you are so handsome when you smile!"
Just like that, the thin line vanished out of embarrassment.
I cleared my throat."Chi-chan…" I began, "Can we dispose of your obi string? If you're allowed to we get out, I would be honored to have you around at my house tonight."
"How exciting! Like a sleep over?" Chitanda queried.
I grinned shrewdly. "It can be whatever you want."
"Goody!"
Insanely quickly, Chitanda broke free of our lock, and her teeth chattered furiously as she picked the obi string out of the muddy ground and poked it through the hole to the outside world. She returned almost as fast and wrapped her arms around me.
"Thank you for the offer, Oreki-san. I would love to stay over."
Such politeness… I thought, and I placed a hand awkwardly down her back. I would be interested to see what would happen when she did. More than that, I wanted to figure out the mystery of my feelings for Miss Eru Chitanda.
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