Dessa's Note: OMG what is this? An update within a month? I know… the world is turning upside down. But that was proven ages ago when America went to war with Iraq and no one knew the madness of Muammar Ghaddafi. Oh well. Get used to it.

Dedication: For Nypsy, because she's always got reviews that make me want to burst out my plans for this fic.

Chapter 7

Orihime was floating on a cloud of elation; Ichigo's sudden proposal had taken her completely by surprise and had knocked out all her senses. The only expression she wore was a goofy smile on her face. She had reluctantly said goodbye to him just an hour ago as she really needed to knuckle down on her revision despite exams being two months away, she now realised how pointless that was because she couldn't bring herself to focus on studying. Hence her surprise was expected when a vicious knocking sounded on her door.

Frowning slightly she put her hair up into a bun and placed the chopsticks into the volume of hair just before looking into the peep hole. Orihime's eyes widened when she saw the dark hair and dark eyes of her course mate Yuki. Confused and curious she tentatively opened the door. What she saw astounded her, Yuki's hair was messy and uncombed, her face was blotched and red from a deep history of recent tearfulness, the skin under her nose was red as if she had a cold and her clothes were dishevelled.

Before Orihime had a chance to utter a word Yuki had stepped across the threshold uninvited and forceful.

'You!' She pointed a finger with a painted nail directly at Orihime as she continued to walk into the narrow entrance hall.

'Me?' responded Orihime in puzzlement.

Yuki's face contorted further into bitter envy. 'Yeah you! Little Miss Prude. What kind of spell do you have on everyone?!'

Orihime had developed a slight frown, 'I beg your pardon?'

'Don't play innocent with me! You're a malicious little bitch aren't you!' Orihime looked more stunned than affronted, Yuki didn't wait for an answer to her rhetorical question. 'You've got every man tailing after you, saying how sweet and pure you are, everyone can't help but to absolutely adore the great Orihime Inoue! Ichigo is twisted around your little finger, and you don't even give him sex! But I know better! You're just as twisted as the rest of us.'

Orihime's astonishment quickly recovered but instead of anger her mind was clear for appropriate thought and action.

'You're upset, why don't you take a seat Yuki san and I'll make you a cup of tea.' Instead of pacifying her, this seemed to have infuriated Yuki further.

'You're as nice as everyone says! It's all fake! You're a fraud! You're a manipulative fraud!' Orihime took a ginger step back in her own entrance hall from the intensity in Yuki's voice and the angry fire in her gaze. But Orihime's fear heightened when Yuki's lips formed a derisive smile, 'Tell me, would you be so kind and sweet if I told you I just seduced your dear boyfriend?'

Orihime halted, her eyes widened in silent shock and hurt.

'That's right.' Continued Yuki pleased at her enemy's reaction, her hands on her hips proudly, 'Looks like all that starvation you made him go through worked in my favour.'

'He wouldn't.' said Orihime firmly, so firmly that Yuki lost some of her confidence.

'Yes he would, and he did.' She brought her hands up to her neck and tilted her head back 'I can still feel his hands on me.' And she closed her eyes in teasing reminiscence.

'I don't believe you.' Yuki's eyes snapped open in anger.

'What?!'

'Kurosaki-kun would not have been able to ask me to marry him if he had had sex with you.'

The muscles in Yuki's face lost it tension and changed their expression drastically from angry jealousy to mortified shock. 'He proposed?' said she very softly, her tone unreadable almost impassive.

'Yes, just a few hours ago.' Replied Orihime hesitantly, even sympathetically though she didn't know why she was. Yuki had started tearing up, her furious attempts at preventing her chin from trembling failed and soon she cried freely, her hand in her hair, she turned her back to a confused Orihime and began pacing like a lost soul. Suddenly she stopped and turned to face Orihime again, eyes red and face a mess of confusion, distress and hurt.

'Why? It's not fair! Why should you get the loyal boyfriend? Why should it be you? Why not me? What do you have that I don't? I deserve a good man too! It's not fair!' Her voice cracked at the end, her legs wobbled. Orihime ran to her aid and caught her just before she fell, she then guided Yuki's slight weakened frame to her couch.

'I think you need that cup of tea now.'

An hour later after some strong hot tea they both sat crossed legged on the floor, the couch decoration cushions surrounding them, massive tubs of ice cream stood proud and gluttonous in front of them while random plastic bottles of different flavoured syrups peppered the floor. Yuki had poured her heart out to Orihime's patiently listening ears. She had explained the hurt of seeing her boyfriend cheat on her, again, after she had been foolish enough to accept his implorations from his first infidelity. Yuki then described her frustrations over her long history of bad experiences with men. She then made a guilty confession.

'I lied earlier.' Mumbled Yuki, her mouth full of melting ice cream.

'About what?'

'About Ichigo. I didn't seduce him, well… I tried, but it didn't work. He rejected me.'

Orihime looked relieved, proud and sympathetic simultaneously. 'I'm sorry he rejected you.'

'What?! Are you crazy? He's your boyfriend!'

'Yes, but its never nice for a girl to be turned down by a guy.'

Yuki allowed doubt to seep into her shock, 'You're not human are you?'

Orihime giggled 'Nope! I'm a space pirate! Or I would like to be one.'

Yuki shook her head, 'Nutter.'

Orihime smiled sheepishly, 'But I am relieved, I was a little worried about it.'

'But you said you didn't believe me.' Stated Yuki in confusion.

'Yes, but all the same… You're a very pretty lady Yuki-san and Kurosaki-kun is a man after all.'

'Then why don't you have sex with him? Don't you want to?'

Orihime sighed and rested her chin on her cushion pillow. A faint blush of pink on her cheeks. How could she explain herself? Her guilt when she pulled away from Ichigo, her desire to be desired, her wish show Ichigo how much she cared for him and her curiosity for what seemed to her an entire world not yet explored.

'Yes… very much, but it's a long story.'

'We have time.'

Orihime sighed again, 'My earliest memory was my mother telling me not to trust a man until I have his ring on my finger. My brother taught me the same thing, he said that there are many bad men in the world, that you need a really hard test to separate the good ones from the bad.'

'You're brother is a wise man.'

Orihime smiled wistfully, and then her eyes cast down in sadness 'My father wasn't.'

'Why? I would have thought he was super strict with you.'

'Well I guess I can't say he was bad, I didn't know him after all.'

'Did he pass away?' asked Yuki sensitively.

'No, he lives…' Orihime was silent for a moment, her face dazed in contemplation, 'He promised my mother he would marry her,'

'He couldn't have been so bad then.'

Orihime smiled wistfully again 'He seduced her and left her pregnant with me to marry another woman from a wealthy family.'

'Eh? Didn't he help your mum at least?'

'They lived two streets away from us, and he did nothing for my mother, or me.'

'Oh.' Yuki became suddenly tense, her perception of Orihime had taken a drastic tumble, her jealousy had been thrown out of her and her empathy was ignited. But still, she did not know how to react. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be, it's not your fault. Besides…' she leaned back against the sofa 'I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my father's and my mother's mistake. But sometimes, I wish I wasn't a mistake…'

Yuki looked uncomfortable; it was evident she did not know how to handle such a situation. 'It's just one those things Orihime.'

'I know…'

They sat in silence for a few moments before a thought struck Yuki, 'If you're brother is older than you, then who was his father?'

'My Onii chan's father did the same thing to my mother. He left her pregnant too.'

'So she raised two children by herself?' Orihime nodded 'She must have been a strong woman.' Said Yuki consolingly.

'Yes. Yes she was. But still, she was too trusting.' Orihime then shook her head vividly, attempting to shake off her sadness, 'So that is why I won't have sex before marriage.'

'So you won't land pregnant?'

'No! I can't wait to have children!' Orihime's face glowed and her eyes glazed, a signpost of an oncoming daydream, then she shook her head again. 'But not before I am in a stable environment.'

'Stable environment?'

'Marriage. A loving relationship. A planned deliberate absolutely on purpose child.'

'Have you never heard of a condom darling?

Orihime blushed slightly. 'Contraceptives are not always effective, and they also rely on the integrity of the couple to prioritise or even remember to use them. Which is a little difficult to do in the… heat of the moment.' Yuki had to agree to that, she remembered a few guilty times she hadn't pressed her partner to wear a condom, and she couldn't always remember to take her pills. She was no stranger to pregnancy scares; her heart would race for days when her period was late.

'So what you're saying is that you're not taking the risk of getting pregnant at all?' Orihime nodded her pretty head. 'You're way too uptight about this.' said Yuki bluntly, her spoon digging into the tub of ice cream.

'Perhaps I am. But I am determined not to make my mother's mistakes.'

'You're mum made no mistake! It was that evil man's fault for seducing her.'

Orihime shook her head. 'No, it was my mother's mistake and my father's sin. She should have been wiser.' She sighed and watched her ice cream melt slowly. 'Especially the second time.'

'Even so, you should know Ichigo wouldn't do that to you. He's a good guy, if he can resist my seductions then he really is a strong man.' Yuki smiled, 'He has my seal of approval.'

Orihime smiled back 'I know he is. But my brother would want to see him finish the test.'

Yuki sidled a little closer to Orihime, 'Don't you… you know… want to give it to him? All girls want it too you know.'

Orihime blushed exponentially, and after some stuttering she managed to speak, 'Yes… of course I do. My trust in Ichigo is so strong that sometimes I want to throw the rules out the window when I see him frustrated at me. But then… what kind of person would I be to disregard my own values?'

Yuki shook her head, taking another spoonful of ice cream. 'Screw the rules, if you know he's the one for you then give it to him. He'll stick to you if you have to separate then.' Orihime smiled slightly and politely disagreed.

'Maybe he would stick to me, maybe he won't. I know he's a good guy but no one knows the future. He might have to take a job abroad after University, and maybe he would meet someone there.' Orihime's voice cracked a little, the very idea frightened her.

'Stop getting scared, it's only hypothetical.' Orihime nodded her head obediently but she had to bring her sleeves to her eyes. Yuki shook her head again, generously lapping strawberry syrup to her ice cream. 'You have no idea what you're missing my friend.'

Orihime giggled, 'Yup! But that is what makes it easier to resist.' Yuki's eyes widened, that one line had made her rethink her entire life since she was fifteen; decisions made by impulses, long drawn out heart ache, cumulative problems, vulnerability and disease.

'You okay Yuki-san?'

Yuki came out of her reverie, and looked up into concerned grey eyes. 'Yeah, just rethinking my life.' Orihime prodded gently until Yuki relented reluctantly and murmured, 'I just wish I had thought differently, or been taught differently. My parents were married, I had the right example, but they didn't teach me how to act. So I learnt how to get the attention from guys, when all I wanted was attention from my parents.' Orihime gazed at her sympathetically, not saying anything, allowing Yuki to speak all she wanted. Yuki sighed, 'Why are we still talking about this? You're going to be married soon and all this resisting won't be needed.'

Orihime smiled her widest ever 'I know!' Orihime hugged her cushion to her chest in excitement; her eyes stared unfocused at nothing in particular. 'I'm really excited.'

'For the sex?' teased Yuki, giggling when she saw Orihime's face blush to beetroot red.

'Yuki-san!'

They continued talking throughout the evening about a wide variety of subjects, some girly and some not so girly. The talked of shampoo, chocolate, countries, their old schools, lost friends, Yuki's many heart aches, Orihime's insecurities, Germaine Greer, Temple Grandin and Jane Austen. When it got Late Yuki made to leave but Orihime refused it and insisted she stay at her flat, not feeling happy about Yuki leaving when she was still hurting. In return Yuki pleaded Orihime to allow her to style her hair for a bit, she had explained that it had been a long time since she had hung around girlfriends.

'You have such pretty hair Orihime.' Commented Yuki, without envy.

'Thank you.'

'Why do you always wear it in a bun? You could do so many things with it? I never knew it was so long.' And Yuki brought a few strands up to her eyes to further inspect the different colours of the hair that made up the bright auburn.

'I had a bad experience as a child because of it. So I prefer not to bring attention to it.' Replied Orihime, her voice very small. But her voice grew strength again. 'Plus it annoys me when it gets into my face.'

'What experience was that?' asked Yuki in confusion, not being able to formulate a suggestible incident that could have incited worry in Orihime, over her hair of all things!

And Orihime started her story over the boys that had cut it. She still remembered their sallow faces and evil grins, she remembered the pain of the cuts on her scalp and the bruising of her head. Yuki listened in shock, anger and patience. She made no reply but let her silence reflect her compassion towards the gentle girl.

Silence flowed, in which Yuki continued to braid Orihime's hair in a complex style. Later as the two girls lay down on their own futons Yuki's soft voice floated out.

'I wonder if there is an Ichigo out there for me.' Sighed Yuki, melancholy taking over her again.

'Of course there is Yuki-san! There's one for everyone.'

'Then why have I only been with nutcases and idiots?' the edge of anger was back in Yuki's voice.

Orihime gulped, pondering on how best to formulate her answer. 'Please don't take this the wrong way Yuki-san, I'm sure you're a wonderful person. But when boys look at you they won't think of you're personality first.'

Yuki's dark mystical eyes narrowed suspiciously 'What are you trying to say?'

'We-well you do show a lot of skin Yuki-san. A-And that will be all a guy will think about when he sees you. It's very easy to attract the wrong sort of man that way.'

'So basically I should dress like you? Like a nun?'

'That's not what I'm saying… We are different, that much is obvious, and that's okay. I just think that if you cover up a bit more, then guys won't get the wrong idea about you.'

'And what if that is exactly what I want? Hmm? What if what I want is actually a one night stand?'

Orihime back peddled, 'I'm not trying to tell you what to do Yuki-san. If you want a no strings attached fling then go for it. But if that was what you really want then you wouldn't have cried earlier.'

Yuki tried to cling onto her anger a little longer but realised its futility. 'I guess you have a point.' conceded Yuki.

'Just think about it.'

'No point, its pretty obvious changes have to be made if I want a different love life.'

'Then maybe we could go shopping together? I know! I can ask Hana chan to come too! It will be super fun!'

'First sleep overs, now shopping, next thing you know we'll be sharing a joint.'

Orihime stuttered slightly before replying, 'I think we'll stick to shopping before that. I'm not that keen on getting into drugs.'

'Why not? It makes your worries disappear like blowing out a candle.'

'It doesn't solve anything in the end.'

Yuki huffed a breath, 'I've had too much serious talk to day. I need sleep.' She rolled over in her futon to face the wall. 'Good night.'

'Good night Yuki san!'

Only the sound of breathing was heard for a short duration.

'Orihime?'

'Yes Yuki san?'

'Sorry I called you a malicious bitch.'

Orihime smiled to herself. 'It's okay.'

Dessa's Note: Thank you to all who read and reviewed me for Chapter 6! Thank you Foxfang27, Xtremefairy, Alice hattercandy, Melnel sweet-penelope, Frezia, Bullet2tm, xlilslayerx, dantheman23, OrihimeKurosakiInoue, nypsy and anonymous person.

To answer Ms. Hattercandy's question: I wanted to post it here rather than a PM so if others got confused they can read this too. Ichigo's mind was still wired because of Yuki, he wants to think of Orihime respectfully but can't help himself. That was what I had intended to com across. So to summarise, Ichigo's head is stuffed with the stimulation from Yuki and his imagination is putting Orihime into the picture.

To answer Frezia: Get an account so I can answer you properly! I am of the opinion that temptation can creep from the most innocent of situations. I hope in this chapter you might be able to understand some of Orihime's reasoning for her fears. I understand very much that it may seem too much for Orihime not to allow hand holding, but at the end of the day… it's just a hand, and I think Ichigo would have more of an issue with peer pressure and being 19 and a virgin in a society where that is deemed unacceptable. But thank you for voicing your opinions, that is my ambition for this fic :D thank you for reviewing.