This Lifetime
I have two photographs that I always keep on me.
The first photo came from a photo-shoot that we had to do for Carly's interview; both me and my wife in our lab coats; I was my usual calm-serious self with my arms folded but the lady with me had her burgundy hair flowing gracefully as she faced the camera displaying her sense of mischief and confidence. We weren't even posing when the shot was taken! We were so nervous because we never did anything like this before (well, there was that one time a very long time ago while we were participating in the World Riding Grand Prix and the twins caught me giving a drink to my then not-wife...), even less so as a couple! Misty had to personally coach us on modelling 101 and even then she eventually settled (More like tricked us) with just throwing us in front of the backdrop until we were ready.
My wife kept asking me whether she looked good for the camera, constantly touching her hair and looking at me for affirmation. I did what any husband would do; I embraced her without thinking, stared at her brown eyes with my own blues, planting my lips onto hers and for that moment only we mattered. Our lips broke contact, but our noses were touching each other; it was one of our memorable stepping stones we had in our relationship when we were past the point of holding hands but not ready for any lip action.
"You look positively radiant." I declared to her as our noses parted. It was the very first thing I told her when we went on our first date (Well technically, our first official date; there were other before such as that ice skating one and etc. but we weren't a couple yet). I lost my wit and just went with whatever came to my mind and out came out this awkward (but still absolutely acceptable) answer. We laughed to our heart's content, just as we did that many dates ago. And with that, Misty beckon for us to face the camera and one shot was all it took.
The second photo was taken after I married my wife; me bridal-carrying the lady that I have longed committed to spend the rest of my life with as she clung to me while we smiled for the camera to capture that moment for eternity.
Just as I asked myself back when the ring slipped onto my finger, I reflect on how all of this may not have come to pass. If our lives were just slightly different, if the Zero Reverse never happened, if she had not joined the Arcadia Movement, if I never faced her in the Fortune Cup, if I had not insistent that she was worth saving, if our feelings were not tested when she left for Germany, will all of this not come to pass?
I am a man of science and logic, so forgive me if things like destiny, fate and horoscopes are not treated with a slight bit of cynicism. Granted my wife is widely known as a psychic but that has since been backed by scientific proof by her research. But, I do believe in parallel universes, alternate timelines and time travel (it did all happen after all).
If the Crimson Dragon did not exist and thus the Signer War did not occur, would I still have been able to meet my wife and or fallen in love with her?
In Z-ONE and Bruno's timeline, what were we like? Did I confess? Did she found someone else? Did we end up together?
If Momentum hadn't be build, If my wife did not had her psychic powers, what kind of life would we have lived with our parents? Would our parents approve of us?
Ultimately, how many timelines or universes did we not end up together?
"Hey, Doctor Fudo. What are you lost in thought about?" That all too familiar loving embrace (as well as the ONLY person I would allow to call me a doctor since I consider myself an engineer; darn you doctorate) engulfed me and put a stop to my out-of-control train of thought.
I was so far flung in thinking of the existential that I momentarily failed to appreciate what was just right in front of me. I gave her tender hands a light squeeze and she snuggled into my back sending butterflies from my stomach to my heart.
"Oh, you know, contemplating the space time continuum and concluding that I love you." I chuckled lightly before turning around to give her a smile, hugging my beloved Aki as we await the arrival of the new year together.
Author's note:
Another year, another chapter in life. Happy New Year to all!
The two photos that I have wrote about does exist:
The Photoshoot picture unfortunately I am unable to find its original source. You can Goggle: "White is the New Black" yusei and aki for that image.
The Marriage picture was done by Bleachnumber1 on DeviantArt. You can Google: "yusei and akiza wedding" for the image.
I don't own 5D's or any of its characters. If you could, please leave a review or favorite the story if you enjoyed it. If you identified a spelling or grammatical error feel free to just point it out.