Dessa's note: Yay! Fifth Chapter is up! I'm so sorry about the delay, I wanted to finish this chapter by May but couldn't. Don't expect anything soon because I'm going to put my mind into thinking up a fic for the FLOL Tanabata Competition. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Applied.

Chapter 5 - Boundaries

'Intimacies?' repeated Hikaru, Ichigo's vein was about to burst and so were his typing fingers.

'Yes, intimacies.'

'And did you ask her to specify these intimacies?'

'No.'

'And why not?'

'Because she specified them herself.' Specified Ichigo, looking utterly bored and wishing for the thousandth time that he could somehow truncate his friend's ability to speak.

'And what do these specifications entail?'

Ichigo remembered a violently blushing Orihime, acting far braver than his stunned self. 'No sexual activity whatsoever.'

'No sexual activity whatsoever?'

'Precisely.' Ichigo didn't even bother looking at his friend, his essay was due in a few hours and he was late, again.

Hikaru, against all odds, still looked confused as though the idea of abstinence was an alien uncomprehendable concept. 'So just to clarify… you will be doing zilch, and you will be getting nada.'

'Exactly.' Maybe he should go find Orihime, he liked seeing her blush so frequently lately.

'And this doesn't bother you at all?'

Ichigo spared his stupid friend a moment of thought, wondering himself what he thought of the situation. 'I wasn't expecting anything while we were friends, so I don't see why I should be now we're… together. So I guess I'm okay with it.'

'Ichigo… I don't think you really understand this… you will get no sex from her unless you marry her. And that's about as possible as you writing this essay on time.'

His words hurt, but Ichigo refused for the pain to show on his face. 'It's not important.'

'You say that now when you've been romantically involved for one week. Just wait, you'll see.' It didn't help that Hikaru looked smug as hell.

'Whatever, I'm not about to disrespect Orihime by asking her to do something she doesn't want to do.'

'I don't think she doesn't want to.' Murmured Hikaru. Ichigo didn't want to think on that line of thought so he acted like he hadn't heard anything and instead thought of Orihime, because thinking of her was guaranteed to make him happy, and it was rather inevitable lately anyway.

Their first week of 'going out' had been nothing of the sort because both had been busy with deadlines. Occasionally Ichigo had asked her to eat with him at little places he knew around campus, but she had always found a third to join them. The aversion to being entirely alone with him was still prominent in his girlfriend. If that was what you could call her. They behaved almost identically to how they were previously that Ichigo was sometimes confused if there had been any shift in their feelings at all. As time went on the confusion grew, causing slow oppression in his heart that he asked Orihime if she considered him her boyfriend.

She had smiled at him brightly, naked emotion on her face. 'You are more than a boyfriend.'

'Then what am I to you?'

'The man who carries my heart.' Her face at that moment was so endearing Ichigo forgot all his astonishment that she could verbalise such emotion. It made him feel unworthy of her, because he had no knowledge of how close his feelings were to the threshold of love, perhaps he had already crossed it, because his ears, eyes and thoughts were all for Orihime. As the weeks went by Ichigo found that they rarely spoke about their feelings towards each other, but he certainly felt it. It permeated into him and made him feel special and vulnerable at the same time. But essentially they spoke and behaved the same way they always had; as very good friends.

He was in bliss. But his bliss lived for only a month, because the evil streak of a previously unknown kind of jealousy had enveloped him.

'Dude dude!' pestered Hikaru, bursting into Ichigo's room and attempting to distract him from his laptop that was playing Scarface.

Ichigo reluctantly directed his eyes away from Al Pacino 'What now?' Why was he even friends with him again?

'Did you hear?'

'Hear what?'

'About Suzuki!' Hikaru's eyes were alight with gossiping delight.

Ichigo was bored again, 'What about him?'

It couldn't have been delayed a second longer, Hikaru couldn't help himself, 'He got LAID! Laid my friend!'

Ichigo said nothing for a moment while a black slithering feeling started to take hold of him. 'But... he doesn't have a girlfriend.'

'Like that matters!'

'Then how did he do it?'

'Wow you really are the definition of virgin.' Ichigo threw a book at him, a heavy one, a hardback. But the idiot dogged it. Fate then chose that moment for Suzuki's entrance who raised alarmed eyebrows at the sight of a second hardback book in Ichigo's upraised arm, ready to strike a cowering Hikaru.

'What's going on here?' asked Suzuki in mild trepidation.

'Just spreading your good news! Congratulations on finally becoming a man. This boy here was just expressing his jealousy.' The second book hit its aim.

Suzuki looked down at the pained Hikaru with pity but a light blush on his cheeks. 'I told you not to say anything.'

'Bah, I don't care anymore, I have a lovely lady awaiting me.' And as swiftly as he entered, he exited. Leaving the two others alone.

'Hey.' Said Ichigo, unwilling to say anything else, his ego wouldn't allow him to perceive Suzuki as 'the man' as Hikaru joyfully jumped into. But he was curious as to how it happened. Ichigo didn't want to seem mean, but he was definitely taller, more handsome and better built than Suzuki. So how could he have possibly beaten him?

'Hey.' Suzuki's back was towards him.

'So who is she?'

'A student here, studies art.'

'Is she hot?' He was sure Orihime would be prettier.

'To me she is.' Suzuki's face was still a mystery as he was faced determinedly away from Ichigo, packing up some things on his bed.

'How come I haven't heard of her before?'

'Well... we umm..' Suzuki stuttering? This was certainly a new development and Ichigo paid close attention. 'We met yesterday.'

'Yesterday?' Ichigo's disbelief was evident in his voice , 'Seriously?'

'Yeah, actually I'm going to her place now, just thought to pass by here to take some stuff with me.'

Ichigo replied with nothing, feeling like he should be justifiably seething over something when knowing he hadn't anything concrete to be brooding over at all.

'Well, bye.'

As the sound of the door's soft shut met Ichigo's ears he thought over the differences between he and his friends. Hikaru was a known flirt, he had a cheeky charm about him that caused women indecipherably to fall for him. Hikaru's sexual activity didn't really bother Ichigo because he had never respected that type of relationship, but Suzuki was a different matter... they had been friends a long time and competitor at every stage of life. The idea of any women so taken with Suzuki that they would throw themselves at him within one day was too salty for Ichigo to digest. He reminded himself that he had what no other had; Orihime. Orihime was enough. He knew he should be satisfied, but he wasn't, he too wanted the knowledge of unknown pleasures. He wanted Orihime and he wanted her to want him too.

He had slept badly that night, plagued by inner voices taunting his ego. The resulting irritable mood was very noticeable, and practically highlighting to Orihime. She would gently ask him if he were alright; he would simply shrug his shoulders and give a mighty neanderthal-like grunt. Orihime had attempted to uplift his mood by making him a lunch the next day, but she could not understand how badly it had backfired until he grunted again of how he didn't really favour pickles and chocolate sandwiches. He didn't speak to her for the rest of the day, but that could have been related to his stomach ailment.

The day after, a Wednesday, was a very surprising day, as Ichigo had specifically asked to spend time with Orihime that was not locked in the library.

'But it's Wednesday Kurosaki-kun.'

'So? I'm fed up of the library, couldn't we spend time somewhere else?'

'Yes, but are you sure?'

'Yeah, why wouldn't I? I asked you remember?'

'But… Kurosaki-kun, you don't normally ask to spend time outside of University.'

'Well I am now.'

'Are you sure you're alright?'

Ichigo huffed, 'I'm fine Inoue!' he took a deep breath, upset that he had caused alarm in Orihime. 'I just want to spend some time with my girlfriend.'

She paused for thought, taking in his tense countenance, 'I'm worried Kurosaki-kun, you've been different lately.'

Ichigo decided a little of the truth couldn't harm him, 'It's just guy stuff, so don't worry about me, I'm working on it.' Orihime still looked worried, Ichigo took a few steps closer to her, close enough that she could smell his warmth, 'Come out with me today?' How could she reuse such a face?

'Okay. Where did you have in mind?'

'I dunno, where do you wanna go?'

'Well…'

Next time he wasn't going to let her choose the place. Not even he could have predicted that Orihime would have liked to spend a late afternoon at a pathology museum. Parts of it he found interesting, like the brain cancer specimens, they were simple enough, they looked more like sliced cheese than anything else. Other specimens were not so easy to tolerate.

'Is that really a foot?'

'Yup!' squealed Orihime delighted at all the learning opportunity.

'But it's black! And withered!'

'Well it is dead.'

'What does the catalogue say it is?' Ichigo found it strange how objects of disgust could still hold his interest.

Orihime flicked through a massive leather bound book, 'It says it's a foot infected by gangrene. So it had to be amputated.' Thank goodness there were no amputated eyes behind the glass cabinets… swimming in preservatives…

'Weird.' Said Ichigo, contemplating the foot.

'Yeah… imagine life without your foot!'

'It wouldn't be so bad.'

'I'd look horrible with only one foot.'

Ichigo smiled slightly and turned to look her way, 'No, you'd still be beautiful.' She blushed, maybe wooing wasn't so hard after all.

Orihime turned to hide her red face, 'I'd be hideous, and limp like an evil witch. That might be fun actually!' and she smiled innocently, looked up at the ceiling while pondering, all her embarrassment forgotten. He'd have to learn how to maintain her attention somehow…

'I don't think you'd be able to walk without one of your feet Inoue.'

'Oh... you're right. How would I get around?'

'I would carry you of course.' Stated Ichigo, and he was surprised to see the deepest blush reach her face, a blush to end all blushes. Maybe this was the way to maintain her attention.

'I'm very heavy, my weight would snap your knees.' Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. Ichigo wanted to reply back on how carrying her weight would be more of a pleasure, but he didn't know if that would be crossing a boundary. Despite his earlier apprehensions, he had a very enjoyable time with Orihime. At one point he had drawn enough courage to try holding her hand, but she drew away, smiled widely and thanked him for agreeing to the pathology museum, Ichigo suspected she did not want to make him feel rejected, though he certainly felt that way.

They were now out of the museum, walking down the street on their way home, the February wind biting into their skins through their scarves.

'Why are you afraid to touch me?' Ichigo wished he could have blown the words back into his mouth as soon as they were out.

'I-I'm n-not.'

Ichigo was quiet for a while, both had stopped walking, neither moved. 'You are.' It didn't matter that they were in the middle of a street, cars rushing past them on the road and people walking around them, all seemed deadly silent to Ichigo and Orihime.

'K-Kurosaki-kun, that's not t-true.'

He took a step closer, 'Then why can't I even hold your hand?'

'Th-there are r-reasons… Let's go somewhere else and discuss this Kurosaki-kun.'

'I just want…' He had taken another step forward.

Orihime took a step back unconsciously, but her brows contracted very faintly. 'Want what?'

Before she knew it, she was in his arms, pulled tight into his chest and too shocked to note the volcanic heat of his body. 'Why won't you let me show you what you mean to me?' Orihime did the unwise move of looking up at him, his eyes were staring deeply at her, hiding something within their depths, but trying to tell her something at the same time. They were not free those eyes. A moment had passed and she realised his eyes appeared bigger and that was because his face was inching forward, toward hers, getting closer. And it hit her what he wanted.

With more force than she knew she had, Orihime pushed at his chest, hard. There was half a moment where both stared at one another, Ichigo in shock and confusion, Orihime in shock and betrayal. Ichigo had become so numbed by the confusion that he had no grasp on what was happening until Orihime was twenty feet away from him. He had chased after her, trying to follow the trail of her bright hair, but she had run fast and was out of his sight before he could put two words together.

After half an hour of running, Ichigo decided to stop running on instinct and use his wrecked brain. The result was that he took out his phone and rang Orihime. He did this six times, as he could not reach a signal. He was about to give up on technology and stomp at her apartment door, but reluctantly conceded that she probably wouldn't want to see him at the moment… or ever again.

Despair made him trust technology one more time, but he got nothing. Then the heavens smiled down and granted him a text.

'Im at home. Plz dn't come over now.'

He sighed audibly but it felt like his lungs were disintegrating, 'I understand, just wantd 2 say sorry and kno where u were.' There came no reply, 'R u angry at me?'

'No, just confusd'

'Im so srry.'

A few minutes later his phone message tone rang, 'We'll talk tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow?'

The reply was almost immediate. Astonishingly, Orihime inserted a laughing face 'Lol, of course! No point avoiding u, u carry my heart remember!'

'Inoue.. you….' Despite his English literature lectures, he could find no words to describe how wonderful she was. He erased his former draft and simply texted 'Thank you.'

There was a pause, he wished he knew what she was thinking, and then the message tone came again but he managed to open the text before the tone finished 'Good nite Kurosaki-kun! Sleep well.'

But he did not sleep, at all. Her words, though heartfelt, did little to ease his guilt. But he was mostly haunted by what he had done and dreaded answering Orihime's inevitable questions, he wasn't so sure himself what he had expected when he leant in towards her…

The next morning Ichigo's heart cracked with every beat it took and every step he made closer towards his now uncertain girlfriend. But he was nowhere as nervous as Orihime, for she knew that the next conversation would be very difficult to get through.

'G-good morning Kurosaki-kun' she tried to smile when she greeted him, but her face fell at the look of indefinite fatigue splashed all over his face. 'Oh Kurosaki-kun! You look so tired!' It pained her how much she wanted to touch him, just to comfort him as best she could.

'It's no less than what I deserve.' His eyes said it all, bloodshot, heavy and yellow.

Orihime gulped as they both sat down on the student common room sofas. 'What has happened Kurosaki kun? You've been so different lately.'

He supposed he had no choice, 'I… was jealous.'

'From me?' innocent eyes widened.

'Course not. It was from a friend, if that's what you could call him. He's… recently gotten a girlfriend.'

'Are you talking about Suzuki-kun?'

'How did you know?'

'He brought his girlfriend with him to lectures on Tuesday, she seems nice.' But there was a hint of uncertainty in her tone.

'Yeah… Suzuki's hardly been at our room, it looks like he and his girlfriend are really… close.'

Silence.

'I wanted that closeness with you.' Whispered Ichigo.

A moment of comprehension.

'Kurosaki-kun, I already said before, I can't be close with you like that yet.'

'I know.' There was an edge of irritation in his reply.

'Then… why?'

More silence.

'Why Kurosaki-kun?' she tried to connect their gazes but he was looking resolutely down at his coffee, it made her remember that he hates coffee.

'Why not just a little? I feel… a lot for you Inoue, I want to know what it feels like to express it to you.'

Her heart jolted, she sat back in her seat, hanging her head to stare at her fiddling fingers, 'One thing will lead to another Kurosaki-kun, it's best if we wait. It's best if we don't make life harder for ourselves.' She looked up and saw such a look of poorly masked insecurity on Ichigo's face. She took a deep breath, 'Kurosaki-kun.' He looked up to her through heavy eye lids and a tense scowl. 'A relationship that starts off physically doesn't have time to thoroughly nourish or grow, and it will inevitably end because there was no basis before it. After the passion has finished burning there would be nothing left. I want us to have ashes, ashes sturdy enough to be the foundation of something that will stay with me, with us, for the rest of our lives.' Something flicked passed his face, she could not identify it, its overall impression scared her a little, it looked a little like doubt, but it was quickly replaced by a visage of seriousness and eyes of nothing but affection.

'The rest of our lives? You really consider me that important to you?'

'Of course Kurosaki-kun, I wouldn't have chosen you otherwise.' Her words were like cupid's arrows. He made to hold her hand, needing to communicate something to her. But she pulled away reluctantly, he looked up to her eyes, looking quizzical and hurt. 'The r-reason why I d-don't let us have much c-closeness is because… I don't want to tempt myself…'

'What?' The astonishment was real, alive, and moving inside his brain. But despite the shock, his ego was climbing again.

She smiled slightly, the first this morning and it almost distracted him from her next words, 'I don't want to tempt myself Kurosaki-kun, nor do I want to tempt you into doing something against my principles, gomen ne Kurosaki-kun, this must be hard for you and I'm sorry for putting you into this, but these are my principles, I cannot let them go.'

There was silence for a little while.

'Will you tell me why you have these principles?'

She sighed, 'It's a long story Kurosaki-kun, but the main reason is because of my brother.' She smiled happily while looking at the edge of the coffee table separating them. 'He was very important to me.' Ichigo wondered why she spoke of him in the past tense, 'and he taught me this way to protect me. I didn't understand why when I was in high school, but I did later on. They are very important to me.' She suddenly looked up to him. 'If you… If you d-don't think you can… comply with my values, You can… d-date someone else, I won't hold it against you.'

'I don't want that Inoue!' A few heads flicked to his loud voice.

She smiled, 'That's good then.'

He hung his head, 'I'm so sorry Inoue.'

She gave a sad smile, 'I'm sorry too, for running away from you. I must have upset you very much.'

'You couldn't even if you tried.' They smiled faintly at each other, 'Let me do something to make it up to you.'

She seemed surprised, 'That's not really necessary Kurosaki-kun.'

'Please, let me do something. I'd do anything! Just name it.'

'I-I don't know Kurosaki-kun.' She was both startled and flattered by his intensity, she could definitely get used to this side of him.

'I'd run ten flights of stairs. Or get you Jim Parson's autograph! I'd even bleed for you!'

That caught her imagination, 'Bleed? For me?' the look of interest was starting to make Ichigo uneasy, but he had to stick to his guns now that his mouth had flown off the handle.

'Yeah…'

'Inoue… I don't think this is a good idea.' Orihime had decided to accompany Ichigo to the local blood donating centre, where he wasn't even attempting to be macho about it all. Only one thought could run through his mind: a medical vampire was going to stick a needle into him! A big one!

'It'll be nothing Kurosaki-kun! You'll just feel a scratch!' She seemed more and more delighted the closer they reached the centre. Ichigo could feel sweat dripping down the side of his face.

When the automatic glass doors opened Ichigo made a desperate attempt to turn back, which Orihime swiftly avoided and managed to keep him walking forward without him even knowing how. Somehow they managed to reach reception and was given a list of forms for him to fill in. The couple went through the questions and both ascertained that Ichigo had not complied in any sort of sexual activity whether that be oral, anal or… the traditional kind. He was also clear of potential SDTs or blood borne viruses. Orihime had taken it all so professionally, while contrary to popular belief Ichigo had blushed like a burning radish.

'It'll be fine Kurosaki-kun, you're a brave man! You can face a thousand needles!'

'Urgh…' Ichigo's head was down, clasped inside his palms, elbows resting on his knees. Looking like a manon death row.

Her face fell slightly, 'You know Kurosaki-kun, I- I really like brave men…' Okay so she was being kind of manipulative, but she thought that if it was for a good cause then there couldn't be much harm in it.

'You do?' It worked rather well.

'Uh huh.' She nodded her head slowly, his eyes followed the motion. 'Really brave men, men who want to help the sick.'

'Really?'

'Uh huh.'

'I like to help the sick.'

'I know you do Kurosaki-kun.'

The nurse called his name, Orihime offered to come with him to the bedding areas. But Ichigo kindly said no, wanting to make up for his poor show of manliness earlier. Then he saw the needle… a long, long metal needle. The sharp tip practically laughing at him. He looked back at his girlfriend, who waved at him by the doors. He looked forward at the needle, and back again at his girlfriend… and proceeded to lay on the bed, holding his arm out for sacrifice.

Dessa's Note: Thank you to all who reviewed me for Chapter 4, including Alice Hattercandy, Nypsy, Ermilius, xlilslayerx, Jaque Weasley, Foxfan27, AbaraiArekushisu, Himelove22 and Daniel.