“Hanazawa Rui…” Tsukushi stared at him in shock, still trying to absorb the words he had spoken to her.

‘Go back to Japan? With him?’

She felt her heart shatter.

‘Doumyouji…I wanted to hear these words from you…not from a past love…Rui…I loved you…but you loved Shizuka…and I was heartbroken. But then Doumyouji suddenly became my knight…

‘And slowly, I stopped loving you. I was won over by Doumyouji’s presence…and by how much I meant to him. Through all of our struggles, you, Hanazawa Rui, have been there for me…

‘But I know that Doumyouji is who I want. It is my turn to follow him to hell and back…and no matter what he said to me that day…’

Her brown eyes filled with determination and she clenched her fist tightly to her chest, staring up at the Statue of Liberty. Somewhere in her hazy mind, she remembered studying about this statue…

‘This statue represents freedom…justice…Standing here before it with Hanazawa Rui is a memory I will never forget…

‘But I want to make memories with Doumyouji even more. Because…he is the one I want.’ Her eyes widened with the sudden realization that her heart already knew. ‘I…I love him.’

She spoke it outloud, not realizing the impact of her words. “I love…I love Doumyouji.”

She heard a small gasp and spun around, meeting the marble-like eyes of Hanazawa Rui. The warm brown eyes that had kept her through most of Eitoku High, when she had felt like the world had turned against her…

The warm brown eyes that had led her to believe so many things…

The warm brown eyes that had misled her…whether or not it was intentional or not.

“Hanazawa Rui…” her voice was carried away with the wind as her hair whipped between them, shading the tears in her eyes.

“You know I have always cared for you.” Her back stiffened with renewed courage, needing to tell him what she was feeling. “At one point it my life…I would have done anything to be with you.”

He continued to regard her with a crippling silence, the air between them heavy…filled with tension that she did not want there.

“I had strong feelings for you…Love, was what I felt for you.” Her face burned at the memory of what had happened at the beach so many many nights ago… “And…you were the world to me. The world.” She met his gaze…

Brown eyes that had endured so much…seen so much…

“But then Doumyouji came along…he had been there from the beginning, but I hadn’t seen it. I had seen him as the cruel one… the one who had caused all my sorrow.”

Her voice broke, and she wrapped her arms around her body, shielding off the wind that was blowing around her…and him.

“But I was wrong, Hanazawa Rui…I was so wrong. He was the one that made me realize my inner power…my ‘weed strength,’” she said, a small smile playing across her lips. “He fought with me to make me understand that…and he loved me…because I was strong enough to understand that.”

Tears began to fill her eyes, but she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

“But…I couldn’t love him back…I couldn’t. It would have been wrong, at the time…because I was still confused with what I felt for you…and what you felt about me…and I didn’t want to make him the fool…”

He finally spoke, his gentle voice suprising her. “But it still happened, didn’t it Makino? When he caught us on the beach…he knew…”

She sank to her knees on the ground, not caring who saw her. She was a broken woman…who was desperately lost without her love.

“He knew…” she whispered, staring at the ground. “He knew…and he let it at that. He wanted me to be happy…so he let me go…”

Her mind replayed the night at the beach…the tender smile filled with longing that he had given to her before he had turned and left.

“And so we went out,” he continued, staring at her small form on the ground. “We went out…and I knew that I felt something for you…but inside me…I kept hoping that Shizuka would come back…” he lowered himself next to her. “And you knew that…”

“But I still wanted to try…I wanted to know if maybe…if maybe I could forget the feelings that Doumyouji had caused me to feel…I was strong…I was too strong.” Makino clutched her trembling hands to her breast. “I was too strong!”

She stopped breathing as Rui gathered her into his arms, his embrace tender…warm.

“Hanazawa Rui…I don’t think we can…” Her protest died as he whispered to her:

“Cry. Cry, Makino Tsukushi…

“I’ve lost…I can accept that…

“But don’t keep any more tears in you…because you are ashamed to weep in front of me…

“I love you…so please, let me comfort you one last time…”

She gazed at his handsome face, but his eyes were focused on some object in the distance.

“Hanazawa Rui…”

He didn’t answer her, but pressed her face to his chest…

‘Warm body…warm hands on my back…’

The tears began to spill, unwanted and unhurried.

‘Doumyouji…’ she clutched Rui’s shirt. ‘Doumyouji…how could you have said those things to me? Were you thinking clearly? Did you know…

‘Did you know that it was me?’

She continued to sob into Rui hard chest…unaware of the pain that was lingering in his eyes.

‘Makino…’ he thought sadly, defeated. ‘You won’t be returning with me after all…’

They stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity…

She cried until she had no more strength to cry. She cried until all her tears were gone…

And then she fell asleep in his arms.

He looked down at the sleeping woman in his arms and brushed the hair out of her face. Slowly, he stood up, still carrying her.

Without a thought, he bent down to kiss her…just one last time…

“Rui.”

His head shot up, and he was looking into cold brown eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

His eyes widened and his face paled…as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Tsukasa?”

Doumyouji Tsukasa held out his arms. “I want to hold her.”

Rui’s eyebrows shot up. “She…but she…”

“Rui.”

The firm tone of voice made Rui jolt…and gently transfer Makino to Doumyouji’s arms. Rui saw the gaze that Doumyouji had placed on her face…the softening of his hard features…

He could see the love shining brightly in Doumyouji’s eyes…

“Tsukasa…hold on…”

Doumyouji slightly lifted his head up.

“How did you…” he found it nearly impossible to finish his question. “How did you get here?”

Doumyouji’s shoulders seemed to tense. “I…I snuck away from the bitch. She’s at a corporate meeting…I told her I didn’t feel well…

“I was drugged by her the day Makino came to see me…I barely recall anything…but Makino’s tears streaming down her face is the only thing I could see…

“So I used people to come and find you two…I asked people if they had seen anyone that looked like you…and just when I had thought it was hopeless, an elderly man, a boat captain, I suppose, told me he had driven people who resembled my description.” Doumyouji gave a careless smile and shrugged as gently as he could, still holding Makino. “But what kills me, Rui, is that I don’t have much time with her. I have to get back to the house as soon as possible…because if the old bitch finds out…” Rui watched as Tsukasa, the man who he had never seen cry in all their years together, took a deep shuddering breath…

To stop the tears.

So he turned and walked a few steps away…’Let them have a few moments together,’ he told himself. ‘Tsukasa…he probably won’t be able to have much time with her…And if it makes Makino happy…’ Sighing, he walked to the edge of the island and placed his hands on the guardrail. ‘Anything to make her smile…’

Doumyouji pushed away the tears and smiled like a little boy at the person in his arms…’She is so light,’ his conscious told him. ‘Too thin,’ he thought, frowning, noticing how prominent her cheekbones were now. He pushed his guilty thoughts aside.

“Makino…” he whispered. When she didn’t respond, he rolled his eyes.

‘Might as well…’

And slowly, he bent his head down, kissing her once on the lips…

And nearly dropped her when her eyes sprung open, hands flailing everywhere.

“Rui!” Makino shouted, horrified. “Rui, after that last kiss, I would have thought…”

Her voice trailed off…

“Impossible,” she breathed, shock traveling up and down her spine. “You…”

Doumyouji ignored the look of misbelief on her face and focused on the rapidly boiling anger that was spreading throughout his body. “Rui kissed you?! He actually kissed you?” He lowered Makino to the ground, ignoring her protests for him to listen. “I can’t believe that he…”

His voice became a blur to her as she focused on him. ‘Doumyouji…you came for me…’ She felt her pulse race. ‘You…You’re here…And I…I have to tell you…I have to make everything up to you…’

And without warning, she pressed herself against his body, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all the passion and longing and frustration in her body.

He was stopped, mid-tirade, by a pair of warm lips covering his. Eyes still open, he dragged his eyes down to see the image of Makino…kissing him. Slowly, his eyes slid shut…and he focused on only one thing:

The feelings of love that were racing through him.

And as she pulled back, his grasp around her waist tightened.

“Don’t leave me,” he pleaded, eyes full of worry. "Please don’t…don’t ever leave me…”

“Hey,” she joked weakly, the effects of the kiss still running through her, “shouldn’t that be my line?” When confusion was apparent on his face, she continued, “You were the one who left me…you left me along in Japan…and came here to New York…without…” she looked over his shoulder and into the distance as she felt her heart stop. “…without even telling me that you knew it was going to happen…”

“I’m sorry.” The words were short and simple…but she knew he couldn’t say anything more than that…nothing more would have mattered.

She should have fought a little more- should have made him apologize more. But…

“Makino…I love you.”

…but when he whispered those words to her, she couldn’t. Because she knew she had to tell him something…she knew that he was waiting to hear the words come from her mouth…and she wouldn’t fight her feelings anymore. She wouldn’t…because…

“I love you, Doumyouji Tsukasa…I love you…

“I’m so sorry that I never told you before you left me…I’m so sorry that I didn’t give you the one simple thing you requested before you left…but…” determination filled her and made her strong. “But I’ll make everything up to you…”

He smiled at her- the smile that she loved so much. “Just being here with you…right now…in this place…” his head lowered to hers, and she knew what was going to happen. “…it makes up for everything.”

“Wait…Doumyouji…” shyly, she pressed her finger to his lips to stop his advancing kiss. “I want to know…” She pressed her face into his chest, hot tears rolling down her face again. “How much time do we have left together?” she cried desperately. “How much time…before you have to go again?

“I want to believe that everything is so perfect…that we are just regular people…in a regular life…

“But with a mother like yours…nothing will ever be regular, will it?”

Doumyouji stared in shock. “Makino…” his voice ached with the hurt he knew he was somehow causing. “I have to be honest with you, don’t I?” One of his hands moved down to grasp hers and he intertwined their fingers. “I can’t stay here long…maybe 20 minutes at the most…but any amount of time, except forever, seems too short when I want to be with you…”

He stared into her eyes meaningfully.

“Will you wait for me, Makino? I don’t know how long this charade between my mother and myself must last…But I promise you…” the hand gripped around hers tightened. “I promise that I will return to you.”

She spoke from her heart, the barriers that had once guarded her mind, pushed aside. “If you promise you’ll return to me…I’ll wait forever.” She smiled through the tears. “I’ve been crying so much, Doumyouji…I’m surprised that you still want me…

“I’m not as strong as you think.”

The admission touched him, struck something in his heart.

“You are as strong as you need to be…and I couldn’t ask you for anymore than what you’ve given to me…”

Her bottom lip quivered.

“But…Did Rui kiss you?!”

Her jaw dropped. “Umm…I don’t think this would be the best time to discuss this…” she looked up to see the flames in his eyes and the murderous look on his face. “I’m almost positive that this isn’t the best time to discuss this!”

“Makino.”

She sighed in defeat…something she never would have done a month ago. “Yes…but it didn’t mean anything, Doumyouji! Wait!” She pulled him back to her. “It didn’t mean anything, let him go…he was confused, Doumyouji…and so was I…” She noticed the hurt in his eyes. “But I wasn’t confused enough to know that I still loved you…that I still wanted you. Somewhere, in my heart, I knew you would find me…” She saw the anger die in his eyes…and fade away to love. “I wouldn’t ever let you go, Doumyouji…So please…leave him alone? I’ll wait for you…”

He smiled at her and held her again. “I hope I won’t make you wait too long.”

She laughed and tugged on his hair. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The laughter faded away as he leaned closer to her…

And as his lips touched hers…she was lost.

The questions in her mind flew away.

All she wanted was what he did:

To be with each other…only if it was a fleeting moment in their history…

If that was all they could have…

She would take it without hesitation.