Reality Check
By Yamato Rose

This is a guilty pleasure. I don't usually do fan fiction, but this seemed to pop into my head. In a way, maybe it's what I wished would have happened.

"Well at least you finally came to your senses about the whole wedding thing." Ryoko puffed on her cigarette. "You had me scared there, thinking you were going to marry that clod."

Yuki rolled her eyes and explained for the fifth time. "Kodai is not a clod, Ryoko. He’s just very disciplined."

"You forgot devoid of emotion. I get more warmth from my telebot."

Surprisingly enough, Ryoko was just the right person for Yuki to talk to at that moment. The gangly brunette was cynical, blunt, and completely perceptive. Ryoko had taken one look at Yuki and Kodai upon their return from Iscandar and had known they weren’t a romantic couple for the ages, engaged or not. She never would have taken the kind of treatment Kodai had given from her man, Yuki thought.

"So when’s Captain Cement scheduled to touch down," Ryoko asked.

Holding her cup of tea in her long-fingered hands, Yuki sighed. "In five days, and the wedding is supposed to be three days after that."

"That’s weird timing."

"That’s the only way we could fit it into Kodai’s schedule." Yuki pushed aside the teacup and leaned on the tabletop. "That’s all it is, Kodai this and Kodai that. We don’t get a honeymoon because Kodai is going to Mars. And who knows when he’ll be home after that?"

The cigarette smoldering in her hand, Ryoko nodded. "And then there’s Hiraku."

Hiraku. Just his name made Yuki felt like her heart was as smoldering as Ryoko’s cigarette. They had met at United Earth Headquarters, where she had been working under the Commander. Kodai had been a month into his year-long tour of duty then. The Commander introduced Hiraku as a brilliant engineer and passionate pilot. Yuki’s brown eyes had met Hiraku’s bright blue eyes and a connection was made. He asked her out to lunch that day.

"You’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen anywhere," he’d said to her, his sincerity plain in his face. That was before the first date.

Before the first kiss.

Before the first night Yuki spent in Hiraku’s arms.

Over the months both pursued their careers, which brought them both to Headquarters every day. Yuki felt her heart changing, warming, reaching out to Hiraku. But what of Kodai? True, he’d never said he loved her, and so she had never said she loved him. What was that for a marriage? Now a year had gone by, a year during which Kodai had not bothered to send her any communications from his ship. Maybe at one time she would just have accepted it as being Kodai, but know she was knowing better.

The day Hiraku had christened his new Earth Tiger aerocraft the Yuki Mori she finally told him she loved him. She was most amazed to hear him say he loved her in return. Men never admitted to love, did they? Kodai never had.

"I’m afraid you’ll go back to Kodai, I have to admit." Hiraku held Yuki against his muscular chest. "After all, who the hell am I compared to him?"

Yuki rose on his chest and looked down at him. Tomorrow Kodai would be touching down, and tomorrow Yuki intended to set things straight between them. "Who? Let me think. You redesigned public transportation for Capital City. You’ve made intercontinental flight operational again. You’re my hero, Hiraku."

"I just love you so much, Yuki," Hiraku sighed. "I couldn’t bear losing you."

"I love you twice as much. Don’t worry, my love. I’ve had plenty of time to think and I’ve changed. Kodai impressed the girl I was, but your human touch embraces the woman I am. I choose you today, tomorrow, and for all the tomorrows after that. Trust me?"

"I trust you, Yuki." Hiraku reached back and felt under his pillow. All the same, I want to give you this."

He draped it over Yuki’s hand. It was a gold charm hanging from a red cord. "It’s beautiful," she said. "What is it?"

"A good luck charm."