notes: this was originally going to be more 'romance-y,' but ended up like this. which doesn't really qualify as romance in my book, but you're free to think so! i do ship houtarou/eru so i'll most likely end up writing for them again, and perhaps actually write something 'romance-y.'

Fate seems to hold some unforgotten grudge against him. That's the only excuse he can find as he stares, mouth forming a flat line, at the bundle of cloth lying innocently on the table – forgotten in Chitanda's haste to get home in time to get ready for a visit from some of her parents' associates.

Satoshi's grin is nothing but mischievous. "Oh, that's Chitanda-san's, isn't it? I guess she forgot it here."

"Satoshi."

The other boy lifts his hands in surrender. "I know. It's nothing to worry over." He glances at the window, seeing the gray sky hanging heavily over the town. "After all, it's not too cold."

As he speaks, a harsh wind blows up, rattling the windows and sending loose leaves flying in a swirl of brown and orange outside.

"And she doesn't have that far to go."

Houtarou sighs, already feeling his energy depleting, bit by bit. "I'll do it," he concedes, curling a hand into the scarf. "But only because she left five minutes ago and shouldn't be that far ahead."

"You're a good man, Houtarou," Satoshi claps him on the back, smiling at the downtrodden expression on his friend's face. "Chitanda-san will be really grateful."

Houtarou shoots him a look: "what's that supposed to mean?" before walking out, not bothering with goodbyes. He buttons up his coat as he walks, letting his gaze linger on the windows before sighing.

A nap was in order after dealing with this.

―――

It turns out that Chitanda did, in fact, get far and Houtarou didn't catch her until the outskirts of town, just before the rice paddies. (He almost ran, too, but stopped himself just in time – he wasn't sure what had overcome him but he was relieved he had decided to walk for the rest of the way).

"Oreki-san!" she exclaims, putting down the kickstand on her bike and rushing towards him, eyes already holding a thousand questions he doesn't (quite) want to answer. "What are you—?"

"Here." He holds it out, the accursed thing. His cheeks sting from the cold and he's sure his nose is red.

She stares at it for a moment before peering at him. "My scarf… I had a feeling I'd forgotten something." She takes it; he can feel the warmth from her fingers for a second before it's gone and she's pulling away. As she winds it around her neck, she says, "Don't tell me you came all the way from the school in order to give it to me."

He hesitates. "…I did."

She bites down on her lower lip; his eyes unknowingly follow the movement. "You didn't have to… I feel bad, having you come all the way out here—"

"No use worrying yourself over it now. I gave it to you and now we can go our separate ways." Please leave it at that, he pleads in silence.

"Ah, but—"

He withholds the urge to groan.

"At the very least, I could offer you to come to my home. You could have tea and I could give you a ride home; it only feels right, what with you coming out so far to give me this – well, I mean, that is if you want to… oh dear." She's fidgeting, unsure. "I'm sorry if I'm making this harder on you, Oreki-san. It only felt right to offer…"

He blinks, opens his mouth – closes it. His mind draws a blank. Finally, after he's sure he's looked like an idiot for long enough, he says: "Sure."

"Ah!" Chitanda claps her hands together, a delighted smile curving her lips. "I'm relieved. I hate to think of you walking out in the cold for much longer."

"….Huh," is the only response he can muster.

"Shall we go, then?" She's already back to her bike; instead of riding it, however, she chooses to walk alongside it. Her eyes are expectant, waiting, as she looks back at him.

He nods, burrowing his head further down into his scarf. The tips of his ears are red; he doesn't need to see them to know it. Satoshi would be teasing him incessantly if he were here. (Luckily he isn't, but somehow he has the sense Satoshi will be able to tell what transpired just by looking at him tomorrow).

"Oreki-san?"

"Coming."

Well, Houtarou muses as he listens to Chitanda humming under her breath and the already familiar squeak of her bike's tires, Satoshi's teasing isn't going to herald the end of the world. (Although Ibara would disagree, he thinks).