Touya woke up, finding Meiling's bare form still pressed up against him, his arms still around her. Remembering the events of last night, he frowned, kissing her on the forehead. He got up from the bed, careful not to wake her. He dug around his closet for his robe and went to prepare breakfast. He poured two cups of coffee and went back to his room to call Meiling, only to see her already awake, hugging his shirt to her, eyes closed.

"Can I keep this? So I don't miss you…" she whispered, sensing his presence.

He sighed and sat down beside her and kissed her cheek and hugged her to him.

"Of course, but I have something else planned for you to remember me…" he murmured and stood back up. Extending his arm to the top of his closet, he pulled out a tiny box and pulled something out of it. Making his way back to her, he pulled a small silver chain. "Turn around and close your eyes," he ordered gently. Nodding and confused, she did as she was told.

Soon she felt something cold slip around her neck. She looked down when he was finished, and gasped, finding a gold ring with a ruby surrounded by tiny diamonds resting on a silver chain on her neck.

"I was going to ask you the question soon…but I guess now it's out of the question…but it would go to waste if you didn't have it…so just keep it…" he whispered, breath tickling her ear as tears sprung in her eyes again. She wheeled around and sobbed into his chest. Touya wrapped his arms around her, and willed himself not to cry.

Touya and Meiling entered the café they were in the day before, hand-in-hand. There they found Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, and Eriol. All stood up, expecting to hear the same news they heard yesterday from Sakura and Syaoran. Seeing their grim faces, they sat back down, deciding it was probably best to sit down for what they had to say.

"Meiling?" Syaoran questioned, eyes concerned of the frown on her face.

Tomoyo gasped, causing everyone to give her a strange look.

"Gomen…" she whispered, eyes still on Meiling and Touya, "It's just…MEILING-CHAN'S WEARING THE SAME CLOTHES SHE WORE YESTERDAY!"

Color drained from Meiling and Touya's face, as everyone else gasped, noticing it was true. Meiling blushed.

'Shit…'

Eriol grinned. "So…you two were quite busy last night, ne?" he asked with a wink.

Sakura just screamed. "I WOULD RATHER NOT HEAR ABOUT MY BROTHER'S…ACTIONS OF LAST NIGHT!"

Syaoran settled her down, sweatdrop clear on his face, apologizing to the people who turned to stare at her.

Meiling sighed and looked up at Touya, to find strength. Seeing the pained look in his eyes, her strength depleted a little more, as she frowned deeper. Seeing this, Touya squeezed her hand, trying to give a reassuring look.

"You have to do this…" he whispered, causing everyone to be concerned.

"Meiling-chan?"

"Meiling-chan, Daijobu?"

"Meiling-san?"

"Meiling?"

"Mei…"

Meiling squeezed her eyes shut, tears making their way out, as she buried her head in her lover's chest. Touya took his free arm and pulled her closer.

She breathed in his scent, trying to memorize it, although she still had a week before she had to leave. Mustering every ounce of courage she had, she turned back to the other two happy couples.

'Why can't we be like them…?'

"I'm getting married…to someone else."

Sakura and Tomoyo shot straight up, with "NANDE?" on their lips in a split second. Eriol looked confused, and Syaoran froze, turning to Touya with a demanding look on his face. Touya simply looked back at his future brother-in-law, eyes expressing the pain he was feeling.

Meiling looked down.

"The Elders…they want me to marry someone of magic…I've dishonored the clan by being of non-magic, and I must now redeem myself and follow their orders…"

"Demo, Onii-chan has magic! Tell that to the Elders!"

Meiling shook her head. "He was of magic, but he gave it away, remember?"

Sakura slumped down, remembering and looked at her brother with tear-stained eyes.

Syaoran frowned and slammed his fist on the table. "That's not a reason! I'll talk to the Elders myself! This is an outrage!"

Touya smiled at the young Li, happy he was so concerned and so willing to help him, but shook his head.

"You think your Mother hasn't tried? If they won't even listen to her, the current Leader of the Clan, what makes you think they'll listen to her son?"

Syaoran froze. 'Mother has already tried? That's not good…' "KUSO!" he cursed, sitting back down.

Tomoyo had tears running down her face. "How can they do this to you? Don't they care you won't be happy? Don't they care they're breaking hearts in their meddling? The Clan Elders are monsters!" she cried, launching her arms around Meiling, sobbing onto her shoulder.

The Chinese martial artist cried too, burying her head into Tomoyo's shoulder.

"They really don't care. That's just the way they are…I have no power over them…No one does…"

The end of the week-the night before Meiling leaves

The drive to her apartment was silent, but it wasn't the same silence that comforted Meiling nights before, but it was awkward, and neither of them knew quite the right words to say.

She unlocked the door and let herself and Touya inside, kicking off her high heels and tossing her keys into the bowl beside the door. He simply pulled his sneakers off and quietly followed her in, as they continued in silence.

Soon she was at breaking point.

"TOUYA, PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!" she half screamed, throwing herself into his chest once again, "I hate it when we're this silent, it's just not like us…just…please…say something…"

Touya resisted the urge to cry with her and wrapped his arms around her once again. "What is there to say?

"I don't know, just…something…"

Touya carried her over to her couch and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. In response, she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close to her and just simply holding him. He gently kissed all over her face and neck, whispering little calming phrases into her ears until she cried no more. Sitting once more in comfortable silence, Meiling rethought of her situation, and decided it was time for them to talk.

"Touya…"

He grunted.

"D'you…d'you still love me?"

Touya parted from her for a second and stared into her eyes. "Of course I do, and I will till the day I die…no, I'll love you forever, even beyond the grave..."

Meiling gave a small smile. He always knew the right words to say. "Good, and I want you to know that even though I'm marrying that…other guy, I still love you and I always will…you're the only one for me, Kinomoto Touya…" she pulled him into a deep kiss, pouring in all the love she felt for him into that one, passionate kiss. She didn't need to say anything, Touya understood, and responded with all his love for her.

Meiling suddenly broke the kiss and jumped over to her stereo system and pushed a couple buttons.

Come a Little Closer- Brandy

I know that it's late,

And maybe and I shouldn't be so into you.
It's just that tonight,

I am so taken, I'm fallen for you
When I look in your eyes I can see,

A million possibilities
And I know you'll be leaving me soon,

But tonight -

Touya grinned. This was their song. The song that played when they first danced together at a small gathering of friends. The song that played when he realized he loved her.

Come a little bit closer,

Let me hold you baby,

I will be good to you,

And we can try,

To forget tomorrow,

Make it last forever tonight.

Softly swaying to the music, the couple danced together, Touya carefully leading with grace and skill unexpected and surprising to everyone but Meiling herself. Only she ever danced with him, and only she will ever.


So if you must go,

Know that I'll be missing you wishing you closer,

So let's make the most of these moments together We'll never forget

And it's breaking my heart cause I know,

That tomorrow you'll be miles away

And I catch myself wanting so much more,

Tonight - come closer

Touya pulled her closer to him, memorizing her every curve. Memorizing her smell. Everything he could before she left.


Come a little bit closer,

Let me hold you baby,

I will be good to you,

And we can try,

To forget tomorrow,

Make it last forever tonight.

"I love you…" he murmured into her hair.


So if you're leaving me now,

Baby I don't know how,

I will never get over you,

Because you opened my eyes,

To this love that's inside, oh baby, baby,

Don't ever leave me

Meiling hugged him tighter. "I love you too…" she whispered into his chest, almost inaudible. However, Touya heard. He always did.

Come a little bit closer,

Let me hold you baby,

I will be good to you,

And we can try,

To forget tomorrow,

Make it last forever tonight.

Meiling didn't want anyone to see her off at the airport. She knew she wouldn't be able to take it. She had left Touya's house at the crack of dawn, scribbling him a long letter, reminding him of her love for him and how it would never change. She SMSed everyone, explaining she loved them but didn't want to trouble them, and left, not telling anyone of her departure or of her flight. Boarding the Li private jet to Hong Kong, she told the pilot to just leave. As the Japanese archipelago faded and grew smaller, a tiny tear made its way out of her ruby red eyes.

Hours later, Meiling got off the plane and made her way to the limo, ignoring the camera flashes around her, reporters and their questions, and shut the door. Wei drove off towards the Li Manor, leaving Meiling blasting Linkin Park on her Discman, until he pulled to a stop, got off, ran around the limo, and opened her door. Meiling eyed the manor with no expression.

"Tadaima…no. Wo hui lai le…"

Yelan walked out of the door, a small smile gracing her face as she caught sight of her niece. She made her way down the marble steps to greet her, but Meiling shook her head no need. She made her way up the stairs and met her halfway, hugging her favorite Aunt.

"I'm sorry, Meiling…"

"It's not your fault I dishonored the clan…"

"But it wasn't your fault either," Yelan told her firmly as she broke away, "it's all fate's fault…"

Meiling grinned. "Thank you, Auntie…"

Touya woke up with the biggest grin on his face, memories of last night fresh on his mind. He then remembered Meiling was leaving today, and turned around to get dressed, before something finally clicked.

'Where's Mei?'

In a panic, Touya got dressed at lightning speed and ran downstairs, before he realized it was 11:30 in the morning…her flight was at 9. He swore and punched the wall, wincing of the crack he heard from his hand, and examined it quickly. He didn't feel any pain; he was too numb to realize anything. He glanced up at the cement wall and swore again at the hole.

"…This…is gonna hurt later…" he mumbled, dragging himself back up the stairs, back into his room.

He threw himself on the bed and heard the crinkling of paper.

Jumping up, he noticed he had crushed a folded piece of paper, with Meiling's untidy scrawl on it. Touya struggled to unfold it with his one good hand; although he couldn't feel the pain in his right hand…he couldn't feel his right hand.

"Damn…need to go see doc later…" mumbled Touya.

"'Ya-kun" it read,

You lazy ass…it's probably noon-ish by the time you get this, being the sleepy pig you are…but you know I love you anyway. Before you get mad (which you probably already did, I'll inform the landlady I'll pay for the hole in the stairway wall.) "Damn she's good…" Touya grumbled, I just didn't wanna deal with…you know, saying goodbye all over again. My heart's breaking over and over again just writing this letter, but it'd be worse if I said this in person. I love you Kinomoto Touya, you know it. I love you. I love you. Even those three simple words can't fully describe how I feel for you. That simple 4-lettered word LOVE doesn't even begin how much I feel for you. I love you as much as Yukito-kun loves food. I love you as much as Tomoyo-chan loves the word 'Kawaii'. I love you as much as a nerd loves his computer. I love you as much as a fat kid loves cake ;). I love you, Touya, always have, and I always will.

LOVE,
Li Meiling

Her writing was smudged from her tears. Touya added more of his own, before folding the letter carefully and putting it carefully in his drawer of "memories". In it there were things that used to belong to his mother, to Kaho, to Yuki, to Sakura, and plenty of pictures of Meiling. He pushed the drawer shut, kissed his fingers and touched the drawer.

"…Sayonara…"

TBC