Don't Own Oregairu

Chapter 48: Difficult choice

Haruno needed a fresh perspective. As always she decided upon a nice warm bubble bath to soothe her nerves. She didn't mind the fact that she was hosting a guest. The door to her bathroom would be open. He could join her if he wanted but she already knew he wouldn't be bold enough to take such a risqué chance. Still, a girl could hope. The open door was an invitation.

However, Haruno detested half measures when it came to taking care of herself. She needed a calm and soothing environment to clear her mind from the awful fog of indecisions. She took a few scented candles out from a small cabinet and lit them. Then she poured a generous amount of some special oil and added a mixture of rejuvenating salts into the bath water and gave it a few good swirls with her hand. The water was just in the right temperature. Finally, she tore open a small packet and added a solution which was guaranteed to produce copious amounts of bubbles for her bath. Everything was coming along perfectly. The dimmed lights added to the atmosphere. After the preparations were taken care of, there was only one thing left to do. She slipped out of her sweatshirt and gently lowered herself into the warm water of her bathtub.

A grateful sigh left her lips, "Waah" She was certain he heard her. Her voice echoed slightly from the walls of her bathroom. It must have carried through to him. It wasn't done on purpose but she waited patiently for a response from his nonetheless. Unfortunately she heard none. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't disappointed. Still, she was planning on taking a long bath. They had time to get used to the idea. Meanwhile, she could drown her discomforts in these soothing waters; she could hide her anxieties below this thin sheet of colourful bubbles and finally rest safely, knowing the steam would keep her warm and rise above the troubles, plaguing her aching heart and tingling skin. The warm water splayed across her naked skin, the heat was felt deep inside her bones and her hair was slowly getting soaked. She had half a mind to splash the water around like a kid, but thought otherwise. Instead she tilted her head back and adjusted herself comfortably inside the bathtub. The water rose and then settled. She relaxed and closed her eyes.

Thinking about the kiss brought a small tint of pink on her cheeks. It was short and sweet and should have meant something. She was still a girl at heart. Every kiss held a meaning to her. The one she shared with Hikigaya Hachiman left many things in the open air. The meeting of eyes, the awkward pause, the troublesome wait of not knowing what to expect next and then the initiation, the arousal and the sweet release of pleasure; everything happened between mingled breaths and borrowed seconds. It left her wanting more and him offering more than he was allowed. She decided to take the weight of his chest. Leaving was the hard part. Him not stopping her was just painful. It would have only taken a small whisper of his voice, a negligible touch of his fingers, to make her waver. But he didn't. Hachiman liked to play the waiting game, but she had waited enough.

"I'm going to prepare a bath" Haruno had offered, "You are welcome to join me"

"…" Hachiman had nodded his head wordlessly. His eyes were glossed and foggy, the workings of his intricate brain warning him of the risks and dangers of allowing this small indulgence of the flesh. In the end his brain won over, "Okay then" He had removed his hands from her waist. "I won't keep you waiting" The loss of contact made her strengthen her resolve. She didn't need him. She liked to bathe alone. It was a luxury that she was offering him which he had thanklessly declined. It was his loss and she would make him pay for it later.

Unbeknownst to Haruno, Hachiman was already paying dearly for his mistake. He had made so many, he had lost count but refusing her kind offer to enjoy a bubble bath together would surely cost him.

For his part, he didn't understand the appeal of a bubble bath. Not saying, that he couldn't admire her naked form, lounging beneath bubbly water and hidden behind soap suds, but still, the idea lost its appeal when he added himself to the mix. He could watch her taking a bath but he couldn't join her and sadly enough, there was no way he could say this without infuriating her. He managed that just fine.

But that wasn't the least of his troubles, "I would give you the courtesy of keeping the door unlocked" Haruno had said lightly after drawing her sharp breath and withdrawing herself from him.

She had ended the kiss abruptly and he had taken his hands off her swiftly, lest he offended her in some other way.

He had already offended her by refusing to join her in the bathtub. The look of annoyance was short lived on her features and his mind was befuddled enough to not make too much sense of it. He watched her getting up from his lap and then walking leisurely to the main door. She took out the key and unlocked the door. "There" she said with a note of finality, "You are welcome to leave". He was quick to respond, "Are you asking me to leave?" he had asked. The small amount of hurt in his voice was easily ignored. He wondered if this was the result of their kiss. She kissed him; she didn't like the kiss, so now she wanted him to leave.

However, she laid his worries to rest, "I'm not saying anything" She picked up the key and curled her fists around it, "All I am saying is, I will not be forcing my company on you any longer" She made her way to the bathroom, "You are free to do whatever you want" The door opened with a soft click, "I intend to have a bath and I will have one" Much to his chagrin, she left the bathroom door completely ajar.

He could see her moving about inside, opening and closing cabinets and taking out several things that seemed necessary for her proposed bubble bath. There was a small pause in her movements. She turned around and glance at him. Her expression was completely open. She did not plead. She ordered. "Don't waste my time, Hachiman"

Her words rebuked no argument. He averted his eyes from her direction. She was done with him. He had finally made her lose her patience with him. He should have been happy.

This was the plan; make her so angry with him that she will throw him out of the apartment.

It worked. The door to his freedom was unlocked. He could walk away from her. Yet, they had kissed and her taste lingered in his mouth. She had him hot and bothered and slightly aroused. It was an odd feeling. He couldn't, but he really should.

Hachiman stood up.

He looked at the direction of the bathroom. The door was open. There was a swift fluid movement. He quickly averted his eyes. Haruno wasn't fooling around. She didn't care anymore. All sense of shyness had evaporated. He just watched her take off her sweatshirt in full display. She had been gloriously naked for a couple of moment before his very own eyes. Reflexively, he averted his gaze from her. He could pretend he saw nothing. Her nakedness was an illusion.

"Waah" She did not moan. He misheard. He was running out of excuses. He was standing in the middle of the living room like an idiot. Haruno was toying with him again. She was lounging in a sea of bubbles and making him pace over a floor of needles. It was completely unfair.

To his right, was the way out; he could leave forever and he was very certain she wouldn't be following him anytime soon. But to his left, was his way to her. He could make amends. He could watch her bathe in a wonderful display of openness and nakedness that he had never seen before. It was a true battle of the brain and the heart.

Hachiman was faced with a difficult choice.

/

A/N: Okay, so I initially planned this chapter to be the big finale to the 'Haruno arc' but then I decided to shorten it because I didn't get any votes on the two choices in the polls. There wasn't a single vote! So I decided to try the old approach. I will give the choices in the end of each chapter again. So, without further ado:

Here are the options for the next chapter:

Option one: Hikigaya leaves Haruno.

Option two: Hikigaya joins Haruno in the bathroom

Please, pick one

Hope everyone liked this chapter

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