Dessa's Note: It's finally out! I'm sorry about the delay but I wanted to make this chapter very good because it is an important chapter in many ways. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: applied.

Chapter 4 - Condition

'Spit it out.' Stated Hana, who was no longer patient with her friend's obvious fidgeting, lip biting and diverting eyes.

'There's nothing to spit!' objected Orihime, her face a twist between anxiety and sadness.

'Orihime' sighed Hana with forced calm, 'You haven't touched your cake and your tea has been cold for the past fifteen minutes. Tell me what's bothering you Orihime before I make you pay for the bill.'

Orihime resigned, dropping her head and exhaled her worries to her no nonsense friend, 'Well, I joined Kurosaki-kun in one of his lectures… and there was this girl…'

'Oh boy.' Hana thought she knew where this was going.

'And she wasn't wearing very much... and he... well…'

'He drooled as he ogled her while thinking kinky things isn't it?'

'Hana Chan!' exclaimed Orihime, going red in the face, 'Kurosaki kun wouldn't think like that..'

'Any evidence to the contrary?'

'Well... no…' Orihime mumbled dejectedly, her eyes cast down in abject sorrow. No one could refrain from taking pity, least of all her good friend Hana.

'I'm only pulling your leg, but boys are boys and they will look if the display is out and shining.'

'Do you think he likes her?' asked Orihime in a very small voice.

'Where the hell did you come up with that?'

'Well, when she was talking to him he was very taken by her presence, he looked like his brain stopped…. I kind of wish I had a super power like that.'

'Orihime, let's get a few things straight, first of all it's not a super power, it's sex appeal and every woman has it, they just don't all know how to use it. Second of all your Kurosaki-kun definitely doesn't like this girl. He was probably just over powered by the sudden blast of skin exposure.'

'Still, Kurosaki-kun doesn't pay attention to me like that.'

'That's because, from what I hear, he's noble enough not to give you the wrong kind of attention that demeans you and your personality based relationship. Plus, it's not like you ever dish out the skin.' Orihime just sighed over her cold tea. Hana drew up closer to her by the small cafe table and held her hand over the table, 'Orihime, what you're feeling now is jealousy, it will pass and you will get those silly senses of yours back in no time. In the meantime, have faith in Kurosaki.'

'Why should I? He doesn't like me…'

'Doesn't like you? Are you blind?'

'I wish… that way I wouldn't have seen him stare at that pretty girl… or known how many more pretty girls he studies with'.

Hana chan groaned, 'Woman! The dude had to take up months of courage just to talk to you, he broke someone else's hand for you, he spends every spare minute of his time with you, AND he doesn't stare at you inappropriately so you know he's not getting close to you for sex.'

Orihime blushed, 'Do you have to be so blunt about it? I mean… me and Kurosaki-kun… '

'Yes I do have to be so blunt about it, that's how stupid you can be.'

Far from behaving offended Orihime's slumped head shot up as an idea occurred to her, 'You don't think he likes someone else do you?'

Hana chan's eyes rolled in disdain, 'You really are stupid.'

'No no… what I mean is.. do you think he had already been involved with someone?'

'With a scowling face like his.. probably not, but if a girl's only looking from the neck down.. then damn well yeah.'

Orihime groaned, 'Do you think… you know… he's already… d-done it?'

'Done what?'

'Hana-chan! You know what I mean! Don't make me spell it out.'

'If you can't say the word let alone spell it, then no way will you actually do it.'

Orihime flustered, 'That's not in my plans for the immediate future! Hana-chan stop avoiding my question! Please answer me!'

Hana sighed and looked at her desperate friend for a moment. 'Do you want me to say what you want to hear or do you want the truth?'

'The truth please,' the trepidation in her voice could have plucked the string of a harp.

'The truth is… that I don't know. It is very likely that he met someone at high school, whether he had sex with her is less certain but the chance is still definitely there.' Orihime's head did a sudden heavy drop onto the café's table and Hana swore she saw a crack in the wood appear. 'You're upset that he might have had a sexual partner before, I take it?' Orihime's head attempted to nod but it just made the crack bigger, 'Why should it bother you what he did in the past? You could have easily done the same before you met him and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.'

'Yes, but I didn't and I don't intend to until I find the right one.'

'There is no such thing as "Mr Right" Orihime, there is a Mr Compatible and lots more of the "Mr Wrong" type. There's not much wrong with saving yourself for marriage but if you want a more modern relationship, then sex is part of that equation and you will have to accept that.'

Orihime stayed silent for a few moments, 'I don't agree with you Hana-chan.'

Hana knew how touchy of a subject this was with Orihime, so she did not try to further persuade her friend over to her side of thought. 'If it bugs you so much you can always talk to him about it.'

'Really?' replied Orihime, wide eyed with nervous curiosity.

'Yup yup! The only way to power is through knowledge after all!' Hana chan did not normally tease her friend, but the idea of the two very timid friends talking about an intimate topic brought glee to her, she would just have to devise a way in which to watch this very rare conversation.

The next day during a free morning, Orihime sat nervously at the library shuffling her books, chewing her pen and attempting to at least look like she read them while Ichigo sat next to her; nonchalantly reading Keats. It had been awkward their first few moments of greeting; as it had been the first since the lecture swap three days ago. Ichigo swiftly slipped into sublime normalcy when he discovered Orihime had no intention of talking about the dreadful event. Orihime however, remained uncomfortable as she was torn between her work and the order in which she should mention her troubles to her friend. She wished she were more assertive like Hana Chan.

Ichigo finally realised Orihime's agitation when she bit right through the back of her pen and nearly split her lip with the sharp plastic spilling out of her mouth. Ichigo naturally became alarmed and aided her as best he could. Thankfully she had no cuts but managed to leak black ink onto her bottom lip, which then sleeked down to her chin and dripped off the edge of it onto her lap.

Unfortunately Orihime could taste the artificial liquid and, near tears, ran as fast as a steam train to the ladies' room. Ichigo, being left behind to deal with the mess on the desk, glared at all who dared peer curiously over their shoulder and cleared up the ruins. Orihime returned ten minutes later with ink badly smudged on her lip and chin, probably in her attempt to wash it away. She sat down next to Ichigo heavily, complete with a forlorn face.

'Err…' treaded Ichigo, 'Are you okay?'

It was her unmaking…

'No! I am NOT okay!' Ichigo slowly inched backwards, a little afraid of this unfamiliar side of his friend. 'I have three reports to write by Friday, I've spent so much time studying that I forget to eat, my social life is in ruins, boys don't respect me, I have no super powers, I'm the ugliest, frumpiest most unattractive girl in the whole of Japan and I have ink on my face!' To finalise her explosive rant she took a deep breath, sighed and slumped into her chair. 'But thanks for asking.'

It was easy to say that Ichigo was certainly shocked and so far out of his comfort zone that it was a mere speck on the horizon… and fading fast.

'Errr… Inoue… erm..' Then it hit him what she had actually been talking about. 'What do you mean boys don't respect you? I respect you!'

Orihime peeked up at him from her slumped position, 'Y-you do?'

Ichigo wanted to wave his arms above his head in exasperation, but that would ruin his image, and they were still in the library, so he settled for crossing them across his chest. 'Of course I do! What did you think otherwise?'

Orihime looked sheepish, 'I didn't really mean about you, I meant other people.'

'What other people?'

Orihime sensed danger, 'It doesn't matter.'

'Yes it bloody well does.'

The danger grew, 'I just meant other people who… err.. approach me. '

'Like Suzuki?'

She gasped, 'How did you know?'

'I guessed, and he told me. He's not the type to not respect you. And I've seen how your course mates treat you, it's like you're some sister they have, they definitely don't treat you like that other girl in your course.'

'You mean Yuki-san?'

'Was that her name?'

'She said it to you when you... spoke.'

'Oh.' Ichigo was blushing now, 'I didn't catch it.'

Orihime turned away, gave her rough report copy a cold stare and clammed up, Ichigo had the decency to look embarrassed. Hesitantly Ichigo inched closer to her, 'You know, you're really not ugly.' She looked up from her stony glare and became softened by the gaze he had unconsciously sent her way.

'Really?' God she looked so hopeful.

'I'm as certain as the oceans.' He didn't mean to sound so sappy, it was bloody Keats that was spilling out of his mouth.. next thing you know he'll be calling her a bright star. She smiled sweetly, a genuinely happy expression on her gentle face for the first time in a week, and it was encouraging. 'You're… you're a-actually really.. p-pretty…' He was NOT stuttering, that was a physical impossibility for him. But he was insane, it was too much time in her presence that it made a man go gaga. He dared a look at her face and she was still smiling at him.

'You don't mean that!' she replied, but still smiling, 'I have ink on my chin Kurosaki-kun, it's not very glamorous of me.'

'I think you're glamorous.'

'I was about to believe you in the beginning, but now you're talking with aliens in your head and fish swimming in your eyes.'

Well he was definitely mad for her. 'No I meant it, I think… I think you're b-beautiful.' Why wasn't there was an app to stop stutters? Despite his oh so smooth wooing it arrested her. She turned wide eyed at him and slowly, but surely, she smiled at him. A different smile from her sweet one or her laughing one, this one he'd never seen before. Surely it was encouragement? She hadn't done or said anything to gesture displeasure so perhaps there was a chance? He inched closer a little more and suddenly panicked over what to do with his hands, he settled at laying them dead on his lap… but quickly brought them back up to run through his hair, 'Look, Inoue.. did you ever think about… erm.. well.. about..'

'Yes?'

'About errr… uh…'

'About what?'

'About maybe… about… about us?'

'About us?' Orihime looked extremely puzzled, 'Sorry Kurosaki-kun, I don't follow.'

Ichigo took a deep sigh and inhaled as much courage as possible at the same time, 'About us… as an item… a couple... thing…' Oh how words could hang.

Orihime's eyes widened then defaulted to her forgotten work. 'Oh… that "us"…' she replied slowly.

'Yeah..' He should have kept his stupid idiotic mouth shut.

'Well… it... it erm... it had crossed my mind… once.' Orihime felt a guilty blush staining her face, she knew that was a lie but she couldn't very well tell him she had thought about it very often.

'And?' Orihime's blush deepened at the raw hope splashed on his normally reserved face, and something about that hope frightened her.

'Let me think about it.' She felt like a shameless sinner making him look so sad. 'I just need time, I don't want to make the wrong decision and end up hurting both of us. Please understand Kurosaki-kun, please.'

Ichigo sighed again, trying to shake out the sadness 'Don't worry about it, take as much time as you need. I don't know what I was expecting anyway.'

'Thank you Kurosaki-kun.' She packed up her things and stood up to leave, Ichigo still staring despondently at his closed book of Keats' poetry. Before she walked away she laid her hand gently on top of his for precisely two seconds as a parting farewell, the next millisecond after she had lifted her hand to go, Ichigo couldn't help himself and grabbed onto her hand with the one she had just left.

'We're still friends right?'

She smiled, 'Always.'

It was that last departing smile of hers that had gotten Ichigo through the next three days. He had seen her a few times at the library but did not want to invade into her space lest she think he were pressurising her. The first day she looked dead on her feet as though she had not slept a wink, her eyes were bloodshot, her bun of hair was scraggy and her skin was sallow. But she seemed to have recovered the next few days because on the fourth she had finally approached him.

When Suzuki had gotten annoyed of his perpetually anxious face he made Ichigo spit out the cause.

'Alright! I was stupid enough to ask Inoue out.' Ichigo literally spat out.

'And?' egged on Suzuki, pushing his little seed of jealousy down.

'She said she'd think about it.' He stroked his hand through his hair and huffed.

'So?' was the helpful reply.

'What do you mean "so"?'

'Did you think she would say yes and throw herself into your arms immediately while cheesy music played in the background?' Ichigo having no answer settled for glaring. Suzuki, once again took pity. 'At least she's thinking about it, that's more than she's done for anyone else whose approached her.'

If Suzuki didn't have the capacity to be in close proximity to Inoue, Ichigo might have felt sad for him.

Back in the library Ichigo was ploughing through a Thomas Hardy novel, feeling just as miserable as the book when suddenly a gracious voice addressed him.

'Is this seat taken?'

He made a small smile when he noticed Orihime, standing in front of his table. He nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. Orihime gave him a bright smile in greeting and plopped down next to him. He hoped the smile was a good omen.

'I err… I'd like to talk.' She began, Ichigo gestured for her to do so. 'Well, it took me a long time and I thought for so long that my brain frizzled! I actually heard it shrinking inside my own head! So to make it easier I made a list!'

'What?' this was definitely not the answer he expected... or even wanted, none the less he was intrigued in a way only Orihime could make him. This intrigue turned to apprehension as she proceeded to take out the list from her bag. 'Inoue… what kind of list is this?'

'It's Orihime's and Kurosaki-kun's relationship pros and cons list!' She spoke so proudly.

Ichigo refrained from face palming. Instead he sighed, 'Okay…'

She smiled and began happily 'So, the pros! Number 1! We have compatible personalities and are not afraid to inform each other of faults, allowing for improvement. Number 2. You're competitiveness gives you a high chance for success in your future chosen career. I am a girl in engineering, so with hard work I have good chances of success too! Number 3! We balance our time with other friends well so we wouldn't neglect them or ourselves. Now, the cons…' Ichigo swallowed. 'Number 1. Time management, we may not be able collaborate smoothly, you always finish your essays at the last minute-'

'I do not!' stated Ichigo, thoroughly offended for some reason.

'Yes you do! I've seen you submit every one of your essays online three minutes before the deadline!'

That was a truth Ichigo couldn't really deny, so he grumbled. 'Fine, I'll deal with it. What's next?'

'Number 2. Assertiveness is not something I have a lot of, so there is a chance that decisions will fall into your hands a lot and that might unbalance the relationship.'

'It won't happen.'

'What makes you say that?'

'Because you already have ways of getting what you want without even knowing it.'

Orihime was sceptical, 'Such as?'

'Like when you asked me for more time, all you had to do was say please and it was done.'

'Really?' Orihime looked fascinated, 'Maybe I do have super powers after all.'

Ichigo smiled slightly, happy that she was happy, or that he could make her so, even though he knew he would regret telling her the key to his own destruction.

'So what's next on the list?'

'Oh! Yes, the list. Erm… Number 2, your level of responsibility is uncertain..'

'What?'

'Well, please don't be upset Kurosaki-kun but I'm worried if we face problems and we won't be able to handle it.'

'We can handle it!'

'Kurosaki-kun… you spent a third of your maintenance loan on new headphones… That's not the best example of responsibility, you even went hungry for a while!'

'Proves I'm man enough to deal with it.' Despite his blasé reply Orihime smiled a little, a memory coming to mind of a younger Ichigo saying similar manly things.

'It's still something that I'm worried about.'

'Okay fine, I'll be more responsible. I'll do budgeting, savings account and the rest of the shenanigans.'

Orihime smiled, 'Thank you Kurosaki-kun' That smile of hers made him promise to really become responsible. 'And the final point on the list is Number 3. Ability to commit.'

'What do you mean ability to commit? I can commit! I'm not like Hikaru!'

'I know Kurosaki kun, but we separated once before, and we lost touch…'

She touched a very sensitive nerve. 'Don't bring that up with me Inoue! I sent seven letters to your last one and never got a reply! If you want to doubt commitment, then doubt yourself. I'm not going anywhere!' He crossed his arms for added affect.

'You sent seven letters?' Orihime's voice had suddenly becoming very quiet and very soft.

'Y-yeah' Ichigo's tone had calmed down but still maintained the rough edge of bitter disappointment. 'Why didn't you ever write back?'

'I never got any of your last letters…'

'Eh?'

'I never received any of those last seven letters.' Orihime confirmed, her voice now betraying her misery at the lost opportunities.

'Why?'

Orihime pondered and considered, 'Maybe it was when I moved house… I must have forgotten to give you my new address! I'm so sorry Kurosaki kun!' She was avidly distressed, tears had begun to brim at her eyes and her cheeks were pale from disappointment. 'Perhaps things could have been different between us if it wasn't for my mistake!'

'Inoue, it's fine. Things were just meant to happen this way. So don't beat yourself up about it, and with your hard head that's probably unlikely anyway.' She giggled a little through her sniffles. 'So' Ichigo inched forward and held her hand with one of his, tentatively holding it, though knowing the bones were as strong as her head, 'Does this mean I've passed?'

'Well technically yes.'

'Technically yes?'

'I have just one condition, and if you accept then that means I've passed too.'

'You passed from the first time you said "hi" to me. What's the condition anyway?'

She removed her hand from his and faced him seriously, 'Well, it's a little embarrassing, and please try to remember that it's because of the way I was brought up. My brother passed very special and important values to me that I cannot sacrifice.'

Ichigo nodded his head sternly, giving her his full attention.

'I-I… err… I do not want to erm.. e-engage in any err… i-intimacies before m-marriage.'

Dessa's Note: I could have stopped this at a much worse cliff hanger so don't be mean to me! I would like to thank all who reviewed me, you guys are amazing and my true supports! Thank you to Alice Hattercandy, xobunniehopox, Child of the Ashes, Ranipaki, AbaraiArekushisu, Sunflowerspot, nypsy, Jaque Weasley and Foxfang! Let me know what you think! I tried not to make it too mushy cus I just don't like that but it's so difficult to keep them in character!