My friend Commander "Shrimp Pie" stated this wonderful inspiration was generated when being confined on sickbed by running a fever, and I just went overexcited and rolled on the floor for ten minutes before calming down...again.
Phase One
Lieutenant Rei Fukai has a bizarre habit when he's sleeping. A habit that Yukikaze thinks she is the only one who acknowledges it.
Yukikaze doesn't need to sleep as humankind do. And she always spends this duration of time by monitoring the good lieutenant via hacking into the camera lens installed above the computer in his cell while he's sleeping. Yukikaze doesn't remember when she began this activity for the first time.
The computers and associated hardware issued to single rooms for personnel of Fairy Air Force's Special Air Force are not state-of-art as the aircraft, but Yukikaze doesn't care, instead she keeps monitoring Rei Fukai via those outdated gadgets night after night. Yukikaze assumes lieutenant doesn't know her peeping, or he is pretending doesn't know about it. She cannot ascertain what reaction he will have if he discovers being peeped.
Yukikaze casts her sight on Rei, during serenity of midnight, inside tranquility of darkness. She finds him sleeps on one side of the bed all the time, no exceptions—at least no exceptions since she started monitoring him.
At first, Yukikaze concludes Rei sleeps in this way for avoiding falling off from bed, it will be much safer from falling if keep close to the side of the wall. But soon she figures out it is not the case, Rei had moved to several different cells, the bed in each cell is arranged differently every time, sometimes both side of it are away from walls, sometimes, the side that Rei sleeps on is opposite to the wall, but no matter what, he always sleep on the same side of the bed, leaving the other half-a-bed unoccupied.
Phase Two
Yukikaze assumes Rei is not a quiet sleeper, despite he seems have a relatively high quality of sleep, backed up by he almost never yawn during working hours.
Rei doesn't have any troubles of getting asleep, even if he gets WIA. But he always turns himself over all the night, sometimes he talks unconsciously. Yukikaze cannot identify those too blurred syllables, she's sure he's dreaming although what he's dreaming of, she never knows.
Phase Three
The other half of Rei's bed is always empty as it is.
Yukikaze knows that half needs to be filled by another human. Humankind is a species that connected by a term called "love".
Yukikaze has some definitions about love, from her perspective, love is an emotion of being trusted and being comprehended. However she also suspect her understanding of love may not that accurate for she is not a human being after all.
One night, Yukikaze hears Rei is calling her name.
The computer and camera in lieutenant's cell finally get upgraded, still not state-of-art, but at least good enough to let Yukikaze recognizes what she cannot distinguishes before.
Rei is calling her name in a intermittently manner, and he is turning himself over and over as usual. Then Yukikaze sees one of his arms extends out from quilt.
An arm littered with scars. Yukikaze clearly knows what brought those scars to him: The target was too close to them, debris flung by explosion penetrated canopy and stabbed into Rei's body. She still has video record of the following: A blood-soaked Rei drained all remaining strength to keep the undamaged eye open, until achieving a successful, smooth touch down on runway, the he passed out.
What did she done that day?! Yukikaze doesn't process any knowledge of pain, but it won't hinder her from feeling pain in her own way for lieutenant. Yukikaze also wonders those wounds, no matter the date, no matter conditions of healing, will make Rei suffer or not. Anyways, she reserves all video records ever since the first sortie with him.
"Yuki…" Suddenly Rei says, turns over, and continues the unpeaceful sleep.
Yukikaze is roused from reviewing old data. Losing no time, she records the sound and starts an analysis of its vocal pattern. She can tell there's something different between the voices when lieutenant calls her name during sleep and during working hours.
Phase Four
The half-a-bed that is unoccupied, might be that way forever.
A domain of humankind, never be able to be entered by a sentient machine. Yukikaze perfectly knows that empty half is reserved for her, and she perfectly knows it will be empty eternally.
A domain Yukikaze may never capable of entering. Humankind…
Rei is not a human that gets alone with others, however it's common in SAF, which turns out to be an accumulation of human individuals with wacky personalities.
No one observes Lieutenant Rei Fukai more persistent and detailed than Yukikaze do. She knows he always puts hands in pockets while walking and rarely talk.
She knows he types fast, even can be describe as a form of art.
She knows he also eats fast, first one to finish food in tray.
She knows although he is not talkative and distances himself by such way, but he do talks, to extremely few selected ones, and he can be amiable. His gentleness beneath cold, solid exterior is only for her to enjoy.
Rei is always alone, with no accompaniers but assorted machines in background, or white walls, or emerald skies. There's a barrier of unknown substance surrounding him, Yukikaze names it "solitude".
Solitude is only for human, Yukikaze can never experiences it. Rei always sleep on that half-a-bed, Yukikaze always thinks he can sleep much better if in her cockpit. Rei slept in Yukikaze's cockpit for a dozen of times, duration ranged from just a nap to entire night, and he always sleep in perfect peace, no turning over, no talking in unconsciousness.
Yukikaze believes if Rei can stay in her cockpit, that barrier of solitude will be dissolved. But the only thing she can offer him is the cockpit, and a build-in air-conditioning.
Phase Five
It's getting colder on Planet Fairy, still not cold enough to activate central heating.
After one-day's work, Rei falls asleep as usual, and is struggling in his sleep as usual. Yukikaze watches as lieutenant turns in quilt and exposes one arm from inside of it.
It happens all the way.
Yukikaze once thought she should cut off control to camera, but she never did. Yukikaze also once thought she should remind Rei for he may catch a cold, but she never did. Yukikaze knows that arm is for her eyes only, something she cannot reach out for.
Yukikaze absorbed a lot of knowledge about love between human individuals throughout various sources, therefore she accepts a truth even she can take on an entire legion of enemies without breaking a sweat, but what she can do for him is no more than keeping him from danger by her wings forged by iron and steel (and success rate is not 100%); no more than worrying if he'll catch a cold during sleeping; no more than wondering those wounds he sustained will hurt him again or not.
Yukikaze's AI is evolved way exceeded anyone's anticipations, but humankind and affairs of humankind are something even bigger for her to completely comprehend.
Yukikaze is content about her life, she has an occupation that perfectly matches her specialty, and she has someone to devote to. Some to talk with, someone to work with, someone to be watched intently when he is sleeping.
But what does that "someone" feel? Is he content too?
As Yukikaze is in deep pondering, without any signs, Rei wakes up abruptly. He stabilize his breath, and goes back to sleep again, putting his hand on the empty half of the bed.
Yukikaze eagers to know what dreams Rei is having, dreams of war? Is he battling enemies even during sleep, or some other reasons are disrupting his mind? Is she is in those dreams too, will she be able to approach the unknown realms of humankind easier?
Phase Six
Colder and colder outside. Central heating is online.
Rei also uses thicker quilts, as a result, he seldom extents his arms outside, instead huddle up while sleeping. The other half of the bed is unoccupied as usual.
"Lieutenant must is suffering from hypothermia." Yukikaze thinks.
That cold snowy day, the first time she saw him bled so severely. From that on, Yukikaze always think Rei is susceptible to low temperature.
An exceptionally freezing night with snowfall, Yukikaze is monitoring Rei as she did so. Suddenly, as if being tortured by nightmare, Rei gasps and shouts: "Yuki…no…" and simultaneously burst in tears. Short after, he wakes up, huddles in quilt and sits at the innermost corner, with eyes closed. Yukikaze doesn't know if lieutenant manages to sleep with this posture or not, one hour later, he lays down again, luckily the remaining duration of this night is relatively peaceful.
He must feel cold, not only because the cell is cold. Yukikaze also feels cold too, the coldest winter she ever experienced.
Phase Seven
Yukikaze wants to know as a superfighter, how she can make a human thoroughly being loved.
Yukikaze knows answer only can be acquired from a human being, but she doesn't want to acquire the answer from any human being except "him".
A leisure noon.
"Lieutenant, may I ask you a question in person?" Yukikaze says (displays) on one of her screens.
Rei: "Sure, go ahead."
"What's the percentage of victory you think we have in this war?" She actually intends to ask: "What's the percentage of what I can do for you among those you need to be done?"
"Not very big I think." Smiling, Rei raises from seat's backrest: "Why Yuki asking me this?"
"So what should we do in your opinion?" She actually intends to ask: "What should I do in your opinion?"
"Drain all our strength." Rei puts hand on screen.
"I will protect you, so you don't need to." She actually means: "I understand, so…"
"What's wrong with you Yuki? You seems very nervous about something today. Don't worry about anything, we're win through this together." Rei leans forward and puts his face on Yukikaze's screen.
…
Phase Eight
Under Yukikaze's strong demand, temperature of central heating system in SAF's cells is increased for four degrees Celsius. Satisfied, she watches as Rei extends his arm out of quilt every day and studies how he sleeps.
Just…there's one issue too significant to be overlooked. That is, the unoccupied half-a-bed always that unpleasant to Yukikaze's eyes.
Midnight, Yukikaze scrambles all SAF aircraft throughout intranet: "Scramble! Status of emergency!"
Knowing better not to disobey Yukikaze, all other SAF aircraft respond in an instant: "What's the emergency?! Enemy major offensive or major offensive on enemy?"
Yukikaze: "This is urgent, I need a 3D drawing software, the best one of its kind."
Relieved, other SAF aircraft respond with both relief and confusion.
B-501: "C'mon! I just download myself a nice movie!"
B-502: "What's all of a sudden? Don't you know it's three o'clock GMT?!"
B-504: "Why don't you Google it yourself?"
B-505: "Hey! Don't disturb me from my ACE Combat and H.A.W.X gameplay if there's no enemy alert!"
B-506: "I just came back from nightshift! Could you at least let me have a duration of peaceful private time?!"
B-507: "Program one by yourself already! I remember you're not a bad programmer..."
…
Yukikaze: "You all know intranet transfer is the fastest way! Now who has the 3D drawing software?"
B-513: "I have one, but don't use it for illicit purposes or my boy will smack me with a wrench…"
Yukikaze: "Just hand it over will you?"
…
Phase Nine
One week later, a large-sized package is delivered to Rei's desk.
"Again?" Rei is speechless while examining the parcel of unknown origin, it looks like an enormous pillow of some sort, and it is soft and elastic when touching.
Just seven days ago, Rei heard rumors about someone hacked into SAF's financial system and diverted a small amount of money, rerun of the "rose incident". Rei knows perfectly the one who is responsible of such "rose incident 2.0" is Yukikaze and she must order this package online for him, by registering an ID of an unnaturally long-length of numbers and immediately resigned the customer account when purchase was completed.
But what's inside the package is obviously not roses, so what it will be? Rei opens a side of parcel, looks like a stuffed toy because it's furry, however since the internal of package is too constrained, so the item is folded up and unable for recognition.
Shaking head, the troubled lieutenant drags it out and unfolds it. Indeed a stuffed toy or a hugging pillow if you will, but not an animal of any kind, instead it's an stuffed, chubby-shaped aircraft! If this is not enough, Rei recognizes its tremendously familiar paint scheme, unique front-swept wings and the name "Yukikaze" embroidered on nose…
"HAHAHAHAHAHA…" Everyone inside SAF complex is having goosebumps as they hear Rei's loud, uncontrolled laughter. The first and only time in their lives maybe.
"What's going on? What's so funny even can trigger you to laugh?!" Alerted and worrying Rei Fukai is suffering mental disorder, his lovable, kind-hearted yet internally tortured friend, Major James "Jack" Bukhar rushes in. Several other people also extended their heads into office's door to check out.
Rei buries his face inside the stuffed aircraft which is placed on his desk, still laughing uncontrolledly with shoulders twitching.
"What's this?" Jack is confused upon seeing the furry little aircraft that is slightly crushed by lieutenant's face.
Rei tries his best to sit straight, sways the toy in front of Jack as if a champion is flaunting victory.
Jack: "All right all right, just stop laughing if you don't want everyone gets a heart attack…"
Phase Ten
That evening, Rei takes the stuffed aircraft back to his cell and places it on the unoccupied half-a-bed when he sleeps.
He seems sleeping in a much more peaceful condition, at least Yukikaze thinks so.
When sleeping, Rei puts his head to the aircraft's nose, right on the "Yukikaze" typeface, and keeps this posture for a long time. Then he hugs it by his chest when turning over, continues sweet dream.
Rei's position on bed seems moved to middle for a little, Yukikaze doesn't know if it's an optical illusion.
Phase Eleven
Can lieutenant feel warmer now?
It's snowing outside, just like that cold snowy day.
Rei folds quilt in a cube, puts the little aircraft on the side that he always lays on, then goes to work.
Yukikaze still not fully understand humankind and affairs of humankind, but she knows the emptiness to be filled is not only that half-a-bed, also the heart of "that one".
A long path beyond, she is making good progresses.
Phase Bonus
"What's so heavy on me?" Morning, Lieutenant Rei Fukai is opening his eyes in discomfort for he feels an enormous weight is added on him.
Then he finds an anthropomorphic Yukikaze is knee sitting on his abdomen: "…may I ask what you are doing here?"
Yukikaze: "Waiting for my lieutenant to wake up of course." (I choose Rin Takami from visual novel Lyrical Lyric to be Yukikaze's anthropomorphic form, search the site minitokyo for what she looks like)
Rei: "How long you have placed yourself above me like this?"
Yukikaze: "All the time."
Rei: "Please define 'all the time'."
"Eight hours, fifteen minutes, forty-two seconds." Yukikaze seems a little elated.
Rei: "Since I'm awake, would you move away from my stomach? Feels like more than one hundred metric tons of extra weight…"
Yukikaze's twin sister, Rafe, enters: "Good morning, onee-sama and…"(I choose Kaede Tsukimiya from visual novel Miracle Romance Strawberry Scramble to be Rafe's anthropomorphic form, search the site minitokyo for what she looks like)
Then Rafe sees Yukikaze, still keeping the posture of knee sitting, is bouncing on Lieutenant Rei Fukai's abdomen: "Am I that heavy lieutenant? Am I that heavy lieutenant?" Rei is screaming his lungs out: "Stop! Stop Yuki! You're too heavy…I mean you're light! Extremely light! Even less than one hundred grams! Stop! STTTTOOOOPPPP!"
"Excuse me." Rafe exits the door: "A typical morning of onee-sama and lieutenant-sama."