deductive attractions

.x.

stage zero-one.

Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the room of the Classics Club, illuminating the presence of the four familiar members. Eru was silently rereading an old Hyouka issue, seemingly enjoying herself as she swung her legs back and forth childishly. Satoshi and Mayaka sat one one side, where they tutored one another with school subjects, and Hotarou sat across from Eru, with an ever-present book in his hands.

Hotarou quite liked it. He mused that it would be nice if all the afternoons at the Classics Club with his friends could be this peaceful, everyone silently working on their own activities. Of course, by everyone, he mainly meant Eru -

"Oreki-saaaan!"

He had thought too soon.

"I'm reading," Houtarou responded, peridot orbs trained carefully on his book.

"But it's important!" Eru insisted from her seat across the table, eyes expectantly glued to him.

"I'm reading."

"I'm curious!"

"I'm reading."

Eru huffed impatiently, arms crossed and lips in a pout. Houtarou would have found it adorable if he had bothered to look, which he purposefully hadn't(for that reason). There was just something about those purple eyes of hers that he just couldn't say no to - at least, that's what he told himself.

Satoshi looked up momentarily at their exchange with an amused grin before Mayaka whacked him on the head and scolded him to focus.

"What are you reading, Oreki-san?" Eru decided on a different approach and got up to stand behind Houtarou, which visibly tensed the boy.

"And Then There Were None. Why?" Houtarou knew why; Eru was obviously trying to get his attention. Nonetheless, the question threw the other girl off(much to his satisfaction). Rarely was Houtarou allowed the upper handle in their relationship.

"Christie, huh? I thought that was more Mayaka-chan's thing," Eru commented, bending in closer beside Hotarou's head.

Satoshi watched out of the corner of his eyes, noting the way Houtarou's face became redder and his movements stiffer. A chuckle was barely suppressed.

"What is it, Chitanda?" Houtarou heaved a sigh of defeat and spun around to face her. He bumped noses with her having not been aware of her proximity, enticing innocent laughter from Eru as she apologized, while Houtarou could only avert his eyes in embarrassment. (Satoshi would have him dead for this.)

Just another day where Houtarou proved to everyone around him that he had absolutely no resolve against Chitanda Eru. Fantastic.

Oh, well. What exactly were they trying to prove by Houtarou's giving in to Eru, anyway? It's not like it meant anything. The girl was just... really persistent.

Yeah.

"I think we'd best discuss it alone," Eru finally said after some careful contemplation.

Houtarou raised an eyebrow but nodded, in return stowing his things away in his backpack in preparation to leave.

"Oi! Heading out, Houtarou?" Satoshi, glad to have an excuse to escape Mayaka's torture, pulled back from the books and grinned at the other boy.

"Yeah... if you don't mind, can you go home with Ibara today?" Houtarou shrugged on the backpack. He hastily added, "Chitanda needs to discuss something privately, is all."

Satoshi grinned again, careful not to let his amusement show. (Houtarou would have him dead.) "I don't mind at all. Shall we, Mayaka?"

"Ugh," Mayaka responded in aggravation, head falling to the table.

That's probably about as close to a 'yes' he would get, thought Satoshi.

Houtarou and Eru bid a hasty farewell before rushing outside into the streets to begin the journey home.

There was a tentative aura radiating from Eru, and Houtarou had a bad feeling about it.

"Anytime you're ready," Houtarou said dryly, breaking the silence. They would have to make it quick since they lived in opposite directions once they got to the intersection. Of course, with Eru, he doubted that it would actually end up happening.

Nothing she was curious about ever ended up Houtarou getting away scott free, anyway. He sighed.

Eru seemed to think about what she was going to say for a while, and a look of confidence settled on her face as she finally seemed to decide on something. "Hm... what do you think of love?"

Houtarou was visibly shaken as he nearly tripped over air on his next step. "Wh...What? Is this what you're so 'curious' about, Chitanda?" Houtarou demanded, a bit annoyed at the topic.

"Well, think of it as a leading question." She smiled innocuously.

Houtarou took a breath and presented a calm facade. "I don't have any thoughts on it in particular."

There.

Eru pressed on, "Do you think it's possible to tell when people love each other?"

Houtarou admittedly was growing uncomfortable, but forced himself to ponder the topic and find a response that would satisfy Eru. "Maybe not love, but attraction, I suppose."

"Really?" Eru beamed, encouraged by his answer.

So much for Houtarou's answer calming her curiosity.

Dare Houtarou ask it... "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm beginning to think that someone we know is attracted to someone!"

Okay, now this was just getting ridiculously uncomfortable. Houtarou, convinced that the climate had just elevated several degrees begin pulling at his collar. Surely she couldn't be talking about... him?

Because he wasn't attracted to anyone. Nope, not him. Even if he was, it wasn't like Eru could possibly tell. Houtarou wouldn't be so obvious. Would he?

Houtarou tried to keep his mouth shut, but even his own curiousity betrayed him as he blurted out, "Who?"

They reached the intersection.

Whether to be relieved that he was free from Eru's clutches, or disappointed because he wouldn't hear the answer - he didn't know.

"Ne, Oreki-san... would you mind discussing this with me some more at my house?"

There were so many things wrong with that question Houtarou didn't know where to begin. "We have homework, it's a school night, Chitanda..."

"We can do homework together, and I'm sure you could spare an hour. What do you say?"

Bright amethyst eyes and a sunshine grin, two things from the girl that Houtarou could never resist. "Fine..."

Then he added, "But it has to be at my place."

-x-

"Welcome back, Houtarou!" greeted a chipper voice from inside the Oreki household. Tomoe waved from inside the kitchen, pausing when she noticed his company.

"Girlfriend, hmm?" Tomoe questioned curiously as she went to greet Houtarou's special guest.

"We're here to do homework, aneki," Houtarou muttered crossly, ignoring the merry chuckle he received from the older girl in response.

"I hope you don't mind, Oreki-san." Eru bowed respectfully, then adding, "I'm a classmate of Houtarou's, Chitanda Eru."

"Not at all. If you need anything, ask, ne?" Tomoe smiled with a hint of mischief, then stalked off to leave the duo to it.

"Okay, then." Houtarou sat down immediately on the living room couch, already emotionally and physically exhausted. He would've dozed off to sleep right away, if it weren't for ...

"Oreki-san! Don't fall asleep!" Eru shook the boy feverently until he managed to muster a semi-concious state. She smiled. "Good."

After Eru was seated next to him, he pulled out his homework and begin writing. "Chitanda, what's the date?"

"The second."

This silence persisted for a few more moments until Houtarou finally decided to get down to it. "So, about our earlier topic... I'm assuming you were talking about Ibara?"

She gasped in shock and raised a hand to her mouth. "How did you know?"

"Well, it has to be someone we both mutually know if you were going to come to me, and I am already aware of Ibara's affections."

Eru nodded, obviously impressed. "Do you think that her and Fukube-san may like each other?"

"Perhaps," he answered. Houtarou was growing exasperated with the topic for some reason, and tried to round of the conversation topic.

"How do you know?"

"Well, I already know for a fact Mayaka liked him during middle school, so she may still feel the same way. Satoshi, I'm not sure, however... he shows signs of liking her and not liking her."

Eru nodded, hanging on to every word. "Do you think maybe we could... set them up?"

Houtarou sighed again, aggravated. "It's not our business..."

"But they are our friends!" Eru insisted, turning herself towards him.

"Which is exactly why we should not meddle, Chitanda." Houtarou sighed again. Explaining and obscenely simply concept would only ever be a problem for one Chitanda Eru.

"I think we would be helping them..." Eru said hopefully, offering a small smile. Houtarou didn't budge. "Please, Oreki-san?

Houtarou closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed, trying his best to retain his resolve. If anything, he needed it now. He had to prove himself he wouldn't resort to such foolishness just because Chitanda Eru asked him to.

Eru's eyes grew brighter and she wrapped her hands around one of his pleadingly, and he found himself inwardly groaning. Not the hand-holding, anything but that...

Eventually, the embarrassment got to him and he erupted with, "Alright!" Eru released her hold and gave a wide mile of satisfaction, while Houtarou slumped in defeat, yet again.

It wasn't Houtarou's fault he wasn't too prone to proximity or intimacy of any kind, especially with females... ah, the woes of a prepubescent boy.

"So, how do we begin?" Eru asked.

They started by pushing aside their homework and getting out a fresh sheet of paper, titled 'Operation SatoMaya: Stage 1; Pulling them out of denial.'