Chapter Text
Houtarou has never been a big fan of parties. It would come as no surprise to anyone who knows him. He finds them draining, a huge waste of time and energy. Yet here he is, at a party full of rambunctious 20-something year old college kids, all getting more intoxicated by the minute. He’s only doing this for her sake.
Mayaka demands that Chitanda have a chaperone for anything involving alcohol. The esteemed heiress couldn’t hold her liquor, and she’s always too polite to refuse it when it’s given to her. She doesn’t often attend parties like this, but since it was a required club activity, there was no escaping it. Mayaka or even Satoshi would usually be the ones to take on this task. Unfortunately, Mayaka had a deadline and Satoshi was currently out of town visiting family, so it fell upon Houtarou.
He is staying glued to Chitanda’s side, not only to keep an eye on her, but also because she is the only person he knows here. While she chatters with her friends and meets new acquaintances like the social butterfly she is, Houtarou hovers behind like a shadow. Aside from some strange glances shot his way, no one is paying much mind to him. Which Houtarou prefers. It saves him some energy.
The night is not without its hitches. A couple of men seem to have decided they want to try and flirt with Chitanda. It’s not uncommon or surprising, she is a beautiful young woman after all. They fail to notice her complete disinterest in their advances. Houtarou’s mere presence is enough to discourage most of them, but some are more determined than others. One man in particular seems especially persistent. Houtarou can tell the man has it in his head that he’s going to be taking Chitanda to his place tonight. The thought alone sparks an unusual feeling deep within him. One that has him balling his hands into fists, his insides turning. Houtarou chalks up to protectiveness for his long-time friend. Or sympathy for her obvious discomfort. No other reason.
He’s already had to chase the guy off a few times at this point. He’s even recruited some of his friends as his wingmen. The guy can’t take a hint.
“Chitanda,” he moves closer to the girl and bends down to whisper in her ear, “it’s getting late, we should be leaving soon.”
She looks up at him with a flushed face— not a good sign, did someone give her an extra drink when he wasn’t looking?
“Ah, but I haven’t had the chance to talk with Aoi-chan yet.”
Houtarou vaguely recalls her as one of Chitanda’s friends from another club— the theater club he believes.
“Didn’t you say you’d be seeing her this weekend?”
“Yes, but—“
“Don’t be such a hardass,” a brash voice cuts in, “she’s having a good time, let her stay.”
Chitanda shirks away from the man who’s been pursuing her all night while Houtarou glares daggers at him.
“It’s none of your business.” He snaps.
“Lighten up, creep,” he shoves Houtarou away, offering a bottle to Chitanda. “Here, have some more.”
Houtarou has had enough of this asshole at this point. Before he can press the bottle into Chitanda’s hand, Houtarou snatches it from him.
“You have some nerve to call me a creep.” Houtarou isn’t sure what possesses him. Maybe he’s just trying to get the guy to back off, but he downs the bottle. He drinks it to the last drop before handing it back to the stunned man, ignoring the burn in his throat.
“Let’s go Chitanda,” he grabs her hand and pulls her away before the creep can react.
Chitanda calls out hasty goodbyes to her friends as Houtarou leads her toward the exit.
“You looked very cool just now, Oreki,” Chitanda giggles once they finally make it outside.
“Was I? Right now I feel a little embarrassed.”
“Yes, you saved me from that guy, he was being really persistent.”
“Tell me about it,” Houtarou mutters with a little more malice than he intended. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”
Chitanda lives a few blocks away, but it’s only after a few steps that Houtarou starts to regret his rash actions. He doesn’t have much experience with alcohol himself, but he went and chugged a whole bottle of what he assumes was sake. It’s already starting to take an effect on him as he feels his mind fogging.
Chitanda, tipsy herself at this point, doesn’t seem to notice. She continues to giggle about Houtarou’s “chivalrous” (in her words) rescue.
He protests weakly at first, but by the time they’ve reached Chitanda’s apartment door, he’s giggling right along with her. He’s not even sure why.
“Thank you for coming with me, Houtarou, and for chasing off that guy.”
“It’s nothing,” he shakes his head, feeling bashful all the sudden.
“No, I really appreciate it.” Chitanda takes a step closer to him, which alarms him, but it doesn’t occur to him to take a step back.
“I thought it was very… manly.” Her words slur a bit as she plants her palms on his chest.
After years of knowing her, Houtarou has gotten used to Chitanda’s proximity and her tendency to ignore personal space. However, right now he feels like his high school self, where even having her an inch too close would send him reeling. His heart is beating fast, his face— which is already flushed from the alcohol— somehow gets warmer. There’s a twinge in his stomach as her eyes bore into his.
For the second time that night he finds himself doing something not even he expected. He closes the distance between them and kisses Chitanda.
He pulls away fast, “sorry, that was—“
Before he can finish his sentence Chitanda’s hands fist into his shirt and she pulls his mouth back to her, kissing him back.
He doesn’t question her actions, instead his hand cups the back of her head, moving his lips against her own. The kiss becomes intense in an instant as he realizes he’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. Chitanda makes a whimpering sound, staggering backwards till her back hits the door. Houtarou pins her there, spurred on by her sounds. His lips move from her mouth, to her jaw, down her neck, leaving heated kisses in his wake.
Chitanda’s arms are now wrapped around his waist, her hands roaming along his back and he feels a growing stiffness in his pants.
“H-Houtarou,” the sound of his first name makes him stop, and he lifts his head to meet Chitanda’s half-lidded eyes.
Houtarou has always had a hard time refusing Chitanda once he met those luminous eyes. Right now, with the look on her face, she could ask him anything and he’d do it without a moment's hesitation.
She asks him, “would you like to come inside?”
Through the fog of his drunken mind, he knows he really shouldn’t be doing this. That his actions could potentially damage their friendship. He can just barely hear the reasonable part of his brain telling him should refuse her. Bid her goodnight and go home. He’s past the point of listening. Not when he’s sitting in Chitanda’s bed with her tongue in his mouth.
His hands are roaming all over her body, focusing on the spots that make her moan. Her breasts in particular seem to be a sensitive spot. He squeezes them and in response she takes off her shirt. He’s struck— not for the first time— by how beautiful she is. He tells her as much, muttering the words into her neck between kisses.
He sucks on her pulse point, making her gasp in a most delightful way. Houtarou had never done anything like this before, his body acting on pure instinct and the noises Chitanda was making. She’s driving him crazy in every way possible. When she pulls off her bra, whatever small shred of reasonable thought he had left is gone.
He pins her to the bed, kissing her along her collarbone. She guides his head down to her chest. He takes it as an invitation to capture one of her breasts in his mouth. She whines as he teases her nipple with his tongue, using his finger to play with the other, then switching between the two to give them equal attention.
He travels further down her body, leaving a trail of kisses. He hooks his fingers in her skirt once he reaches it and pulls it down and off her legs. She must be eager herself because while he throws the article of clothing off to the side, she’s already sliding off her panties.
She’s naked before him now, and as he takes in the sight he realizes he is still very much dressed.
Houtarou takes off his watch first, placing it on her nightstand, then pulls off his shirt. Chitanda aids him in removing his pants, his underwear going along with it. The instant they're gone she wraps a hand around his hardness and he curses. Then her hand starts moving and he groans.
Her small hands feel so much different from his own, so much better. If she goes on much longer, the whole affair will end much sooner than he’s sure either of them want. So he pulls her hand away, distracting her before she can protest by putting his hand between her legs. She’s already so wet and so warm. When he drags a finger along her, she lets out a pretty moan.
“Does that feel good?” He asks as he continues to play with her.
She gives him a frantic nod, bucking against his hand.
“More.” She pleads and he slips a finger inside.
Pumping his finger in and out of her, he leans down to kiss her. He’s moaning right along with her, and her hands come up to cup his head. Her fingers card through his hair, the sensation making him twitch. He adds a second finger.
“Houtarou, please,” she pleads.
“Please what?” He has a good idea of what she wants, but he wants to hear her say it for herself.
“Please, I want you. I want you inside.”
He curses again, the effect she’s having on him is unfair. He removes his fingers from her and wraps them around himself, giving a few strokes before descending upon her. She aids him as he guides himself to her entrance, and after a bit of fumbling, he finally starts to slip inside.
Nothing could’ve prepared him for the feeling of Chitanda’s warmth wrapped around him. It feels like absolute heaven. It’s electrifying, it takes all of his energy to not release then and there.
“You feel so good,” his voice came out so strained. It’s more than a little embarrassing.
Chitanda doesn’t seem to care, “so do you.”
He collects his wits for a moment before allowing himself to move. He goes slow at first, for both their sakes, taking the time for both of them to adjust to this new feeling. Then Chitanda moans out his name in such a way that has him picking up the pace.
He’s thrusting inside of her now with a quick yet steady rhythm, muttering nonsense words as he loses himself in the feeling of her. Her arms and legs wrap around him and she raises her head to catch his lips, swallowing his words.
He feels her body start to stiffen beneath him, and she clenches around him in such a way that makes him cry out. She’s calling out his name and squeezing around. He knows he’s a goner. He comes with her name on his lips.
As soon as Houtarou opens his eyes he is met with an uncomfortable headache. He groans, rubbing his temples. It must’ve been the bottle of sake he’s downed, this is why he never drinks.
As his eyes adjust to the morning light, he realizes the room he’s in is not his own. He bolts up, alarmed, eyes darting around and landing on the figure next to him. A smooth expanse of skin and a mess of black hair, he freezes. Chitanda is lying completely naked beside him. He then realizes he is naked, too.
He doesn’t even have time to freak out on his own before Chitanda starts to stir. Her eyes open and they meet his. There’s a pause.
“Oreki, what are you doing here?” She props herself up and then her eyes widen when she takes in his bare state. “W-why are you—“
Her words are cut off when she looks down at herself and squeaks. She scrambles to cover her chest.
Houtarou leaps out of the bed, blindly grabbing for his clothes. Chitanda pipes up again as he’s dressing himself.
“Oreki, d-did we…?”
She doesn’t need to finish her question to know what she’s insinuating. An image of Chitanda sprawled out naked underneath him flashes in his mind. He can’t find it in him to look back at her.
“It… it seems we did.”
Silence again.
He breaks it. “I should go.”
He doesn’t give her time to respond before he rushes out the door. His mind is racing. How could he have let this happen? How could he take advantage of her like this? What is this gonna mean for their relationship now?
He looks down at his wrist to check the time, but it’s bare. He looks back at Chitanda’s apartment building, he’s already walked a considerable distance and there’s no way he can go back to face her. Not now.
He’ll have to get it back from her another time.
Getting his watch back was easier said than done. Weeks go by and they rarely speak to each other. Any conversation Houtarou has with Chitanda is short and filled with an awkward air. Anytime he steals a glance at her, his mind is filled with memories of that night and he has to look away.
He avoids her whenever possible, which turns out to not be hard because Chitanda has made herself scarce. The weeks continue to pass and he maybe sees her in passing. He’s messed up everything and he knows it. He wishes he can go back to before all this happened, go back to how things were before. He misses her.
It isn’t long before their friends take notice of their strange behavior.
“Did you do something to Chi-chan?” Mayaka asks him one day in an accusatory tone.
He’s not sure how to respond. The best he can do is mutter something about how it isn’t her business. When she continues to press, he tells her to go ask Chitanda.
“You think I haven’t, you dummy? She won’t tell me anything either!”
She leaves him with a huff when he refuses to budge. A few days later, Satoshi approaches him.
“What’s up with you and Chitanda?” He’s much less aggressive in his questioning. His tone is casual, but Houtarou has known him long enough to tell that he’s concerned.
“It’s nothing.” Is all he says. He goes to look at his watch to find an excuse to get out of the conversation, forgetting that it’s not there.
The ever observant Satoshi is quick to notice. “What happened to your watch? You usually wear it all the time, but I haven’t seen you wear it in awhile.”
“It broke,” he lies, “I sent it to get fixed.”
Satoshi hums, sounding unconvinced, but unlike Mayaka, he doesn’t press further.
A whole two months pass since that fateful night. He’s sitting in the library, studying for an exam when a familiar voice calls his name. His heart nearly stops when he sees Chitanda standing in front of him.
“Oreki, it’s been awhile.” Her voice is shaky and she’s gripping her purse strap for dear life.
“Y-yeah, it has.” His voice comes out shaky, too. He’s close to tearing the pages of the book he’s holding with how tight his own grip gets.
“I have something to return to you and… I think we should talk.”
He nods, “yes, we should, you’re right.”
“Do you mind if I come to your apartment later? After your last class? It still ends at three, right?”
“Yes, yes it does. You can come over.”
“Great. Okay. I’ll… I’ll see you later then.”
He slumps over once she’s gone, feeling like all the energy has been seeped out of him. As much as he dreads the coming conversation, he knows it has to happen. He knows they have to talk. He just doesn’t know what to expect from it.
It’s 3:15 when he gets back from class. Chitanda isn’t there yet, and he’s left to pace around his apartment until he finally hears a knock at the door.
Chitanda greets him with a small gift bag in hand. She presents it to him without making eye contact, her bangs covering her eyes.
“Your watch.”
He takes the bag from her, “thank you.”
Her hands drop and she shifts her feet. “May I come inside.”
“Ah, yes, of course.” He moves aside to allow her in.
When she passes by to enter his apartment, he notices that she seems a bit unstable on her feet. Wobbling a bit, he fears she might fall over, and he rushes behind with a hand hovering over her back.
“Are you okay, Chitanda? You look sick.” The closer he examines her the more he notices. She’s pale, her hair is messier than usual, and she overall appears exhausted.
“I haven’t been feeling well lately,” she admits as she sits down.
He places the bag down on his coffee table and goes to his kitchen to fetch her a glass of water. She thanks him as he sits beside her.
“Have you seen a doctor?”
“Not yet. I… I wanted to talk to you first.”
“Surely that can wait, you don’t look so good.” He raises his hand to press it to her forehead, but flinches when she turns to look at him.
“I’ll be fine, it’s just… it’s only temporary.”
“Well I’d sure hope so, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see a doctor and go get some rest. It could get worse if you—“
She cuts him off by placing a hand on his arm, “let me explain to you what’s happening first.”
He nods, confused, but he waits to hear her explanation.
Chitanda bites her lip, worrying it between her teeth, like she’s working up the courage to say something. After a prolonged silence, she makes eye contact with him, a familiar determined glint in her eyes.
“Oreki, I’m pregnant.”
He blinks. At first he thinks he must have misheard her, but her serious expression says otherwise.
“P-pregnant?” Is all he can manage to sputter out. “You… are you sure?”
“I’m pretty sure, yes. I’ve missed my last two periods, I’ve had all the symptoms. I… I took a test… several tests, actually. They all came back positive.”
Houtarou curses under his breath, running his fingers through his hair. Pregnant. Chitanda’s pregnant. With his baby.
“God, Chitanda, I’m so sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for?”
“Because I did this to you! I couldn’t keep it in my pants.”
“It’s not just your fault. We both did this. I was a willing participant.”
“You were drunk.”
“You were too, if anything I was the one—“
“No! No, you didn’t do anything wrong, Chitanda. I was the one being stupid. I should’ve—“
“Neither of us were thinking clearly. We were both drunk and we didn’t use protection.”
“Still, I—“
“Houtarou, please.” She takes his hands in hers. He’s silenced by her use of his first name. “Don’t try to make yourself out to be the bad guy. I know you would never do something like that to me. To anyone.”
He sighs, nodding in reluctant agreement. It’s true, they were both drunk. He knows this, but he can’t help feeling guilty.
“What are you gonna do? W-with the baby, I mean.” The word ‘baby’ sounds foreign coming out of his mouth, especially since the ‘baby’ in question is his own.
“That’s why I came to talk to you. I wanted to ask you what you think.”
“Well, it’s not really my decision to make, is it? It’s your body, after all, it’s your life.”
“I know, I just… I wanted to hear your thoughts.”
He considers her words, tugging at his bangs as he searches for the best way to express his own feelings on the situation.
“I think… Whatever you decide, I'll support you. I’ll be there for you, to help.”
He pauses, thinking further before continuing. “If you decide you don’t want the baby, then I’ll stand by your choice. I’ll be there for whatever emotional support you need.”
“If you decide to keep the baby, I’ll stand by that choice, too. I’ll help you in every way possible. I’ll be there for you, and for the baby. We’ll raise it together. We’ll figure out some way to make things work. Together.”
When he looks back at her, she’s crying. He’s surprised, not knowing what to do at first. He settles on wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. She hugs him back.
“Thank you, Oreki.” She says between whimpering sobs. “What you said… it’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders.”
He nods, rubbing her back to sooth her. Her tears subside after a few moments and she pulls away to speak again.
“I’m… I’m gonna need some time to think it over.”
“Of course.”
“When I do, I’ll let you know. I’ll try my best to come to a quick decision.”
“Don’t rush yourself, take all the time you need.”
She nods and he pulls her into another hug, sensing she needs it.