A cool, misting rain fell, which was not unusual for December in Tokyo. Despite the chilly weather, Myoui Mina was walking. She could have took the cab, but after all day cramping in her apartment, she preferred the open air. Wearing a knitted beanie she made herself few days ago, she passed the café where she had always gone with her loves one. I miss you, she thought.

     She reached her destination ten minutes later and wiped her boots that have trace of snow on it, before parking it near the shoes rack. Couple of untouched shoes were arranged there, but she paid no attention to that and retreated herself on the comfy couch in the living room, switching the heater on. All of sudden the loneliness came surrounding her shivered body.

     For months, she’d felt this feeling. Loneliness. But now she understood. Momo— her sweet, wife Momo—had been called for a reason. She’d been chosen by the work to join the next expedition to the space. Yes, Momo is an astronaut. Mina acknowledged the consequence of marrying an aspiring astronaut but once you fell in love, you never stop falling all over again, even if you can no longer see or touch her.

     Mina smiled. Through the phone she held to her chest, she had rediscovered the wife she could never lose. And she would not be silent about it.

* * *

     Hirai Momo sat by her cabin that she shared with her two other co-workers that served for the same mission. In her hand was a picture of someone she was longing for, and it appeared to her co-workers that she really missed that person. A knock broke Momo’s concentration. She looked through the glass. Yoo Jeongyeon stood there with her overall suits, holding a bag.

     They shared a smile. Jeongyeon entered the cabin and dropped her bag on her seat, noticing the other occupant of the cabin chilling at one corner. “Tzuyu is sleeping?” She asked with a lowered voice.

     “Yeah,” Momo hummed along. “We actually just came back from working out and she asleep as soon as we reached the cabin.” Momo smiled. “She seems tired.”

     Jeongyeon nodded along and slumped on the seat near Momo. “Then, what are you doing? Aren’t you tired too? You sleep quite late yesterday.”

     “Duty called. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t sleep.” She answered with a quite wavering voice. Jeongyeon noticed the piece of paper she recognised as a picture of a woman. She had seen it many times before in Momo’s pocket but never ask for who she is.

     “Your girlfriend?” Jeongyeon broke the silence as she drink the water in the bottle. Momo cracked a small smile, and shook. The short-haired girl frowned. “My wife.” She answered. Jeongyeon was quite shock by Momo’s sudden revealation. She never thought that Momo was married, moreover after spending three months in the space with the Japanese girl.

     “You must be missing her a lot.” Jeongyeon uttered. She too understand the feeling. After all, she got a fiancé left on earth million miles away from her. It’s indeed a love between different universes. After a couple of silence, Momo moved closer to Jeongyeon and showed the picture in her hand.

    “Well, she’s pretty.” Jeongyeon commented. “But I have to admit I love my fiancé more.” She grinned. Momo replied with the same reaction. She nodded then all of sudden her expression became sad again.

    “She’s pregnant of our daughter.” Momo revealed. This was the second time that Jeongyeon gasped in five minutes. Luckily it’s not too loud, or she would wake up the youngest in the space ship from her sleep that they can rarely get. Jeongyeon removed her hand from .

     “It must be difficult for you and her.” She said. “How many months?”

    “Three entering the fourth.” Momo answered. “It was a month old when I was called for this expedition.” Jeongyeon nodded. Her hand was brought to Momo’s back and rubbing small circle. She hoped that this would help to show supports for her dearest co-workers. Though from different countries, they somehow have created a bonding alongside with the other Taiwanese who was still sleeping right now.

     “Call her, Mo. She would be happy by that.”

    “Yeah, you’re right.” Momo said. “I should call her now. I think it’s evening now in Tokyo.” Momo kept the picture in her suits pocket and retrieved of what you called a laptop from her backpack. One thing that you will like being in space was the network connection is good enough to contact with people on earth. You still can access the internet and get through a video call with your loves one, just like what Momo going to do.

    “I want to introduce you to, Mina.” Momo said to Jeongyeon while her fingers busy logging into her Skype account.

    “Mina?”

    “That’s her name.”

    “Oh.”

     Successfully logging in, Momo quickly made a request to connection and immediately contacting Mina who’s far away down on earth. All the time Momo was feeling giddy and nervous since it had been weeks since she last sees the latter’s face. A few minutes later, she received a signal that implying that the connection had successfully been made. A smile was made to her face.

     Instantly, a face appeared on the screen of her laptop. The face of her favourite person. Her wife.

     “Hi,”

     Momo’s smiled cannot be any wider than this. Jeongyeon noticed how different Momo’s expression before and after the called had been made.

     “How are you?” Momo asked as her eyes fixed on the smiley face Mina gave. Mina hummed in response, replying to Momo.

     “I’m fine. What about you? Have you eaten?” Though Mina tried her best not to sound so worried, she couldn’t help it. Momo knew every part of her like it was the simplest thing to do. It was silence. Momo noticed how Mina’s eyes turned glassy and reflecting the phone she had been holding on.

     “Don’t cry. Please.” Momo said in the softest voice ever. Seeing this, Jeongyeon couldn’t help but tearing up a bit. But she’s a cool person. She quickly blink her eyes and pretended that she wasn’t crying for Momo sweet moment with her wife.

     Mina shook her head and smiled. Her thumb was brought to her teary eyes and wiped the corner of it. Momo saw it. But she played it well. “I’m fine. I ate and just finished working out with my colleague. She’s sleeping right now.”

     Mina giggled a bit. “It must be tiring.” Momo swear that Mina’s giggles was the happiest thing ever she could ever heard. She nodded in respond. Later, she remembered to introduce Jeongyeon who had been watching for a little while.

     “Honey, I want to introduce you my new friend.” Momo said and gesturing Jeongyeon to come in the frame. “This is Jeongyeon. She’s from Korea.”

     “Nice to meet you, Mina.” Jeongyeon greeted with a smile. Mina replied with the same pose and cheered up. “Nice to meet you too, Jeongyeon.”

    “We shared the same cabin and we’re also in the same team.” Momo explained. Then, she lifted her laptop and showed the camera onto one corner, where a figure was sleeping. “And that’s Tzuyu. The youngest on this space ship. She’s from Taiwan.”

     “Oh. Say hi to her later.” Mina replied. Jeongyeon patted Momo’s shoulder, signalling to her that she will be walking outside.

     “I need to go. See you in twenty minutes.” Jeongyeon bid both Momo and Mina and left the cabin with her bag. And now it’s just Momo and Mina (though Tzuyu was there but she’s sleeping so that’s fine). Momo stared at Mina’s flawless skin and noticed that it had been a little paler than the last she saw.

     “Have you been eating well? You look pale.” Momo asked in worried. Mina nodded.

     “I ate, but not that much. I don’t have any appetite.” She pouted. Momo shook her head and frowned afterwards.

    “You can’t say it like that. I don’t want you to be sick. Much to my worry, you’re pregnant now.” Momo adviced. “How’s little Mimo in there? Have she been a good girl?” Momo was referring to Mina’s slightly big stomach. “I see it have become a little big than last time.”

     Mina nodded. “She’s doing well. Actually, I just came back from the appointment with doctor. You wanna see her picture?”

     “There’s a picture?!” Momo asked rather excitedly. “I want to see! I want to see!”

    Mina chuckled seeing her wife childish act and got up to take a small piece of paper which happened to be the scanned picture of her baby. “Here.”

    Momo hadn’t been in tears for months, but seeing the picture of a small creature inside Mina’s tummy, made her tearing up. Momo’s gripped on her laptop became tighter. Mina saw how Momo’s smile getting wider but her eyes looked glassy.

    “Is that our daughter?” Momo asked in a choked voice. Mina couldn’t help but feeling the same as Momo. She nodded slowly but still smiling. “It’s ours.”

     Momo diverted her eyes back to Mina. “I love you so much, Mina. Thank you for willing to carry my baby.”

     Mina nodded. felt hot and stuffy but she didn’t want to burst into tears in front of Momo. “I was more than happy that I was given the chance to be your baby’s mother.”

     “Let me see your tummy.” Mina retreated the phone lower so the camera would face both her and her baby bump. Momo getting teary again.

     “Hey, baby. This is your ‘daddy’ living in the universe.” Mina chuckled at the joke Momo cracked. “I hope you are growing healthy in there, and don’t hurt Mommy. I wasn’t there with you to teach you lesson. And also baby, please ask Mommy to eat.” Momo said. She thought of conversing with her baby like this.

    “I love you, baby. And I hope, that I could be there when you’re born into this world. No, I will make sure to accompany Mommy when you’re going to come out. I’m willing to jump out of this ship to meet you and Mommy.” Mina laughed again.

     “Don’t do that, Momo. You will die before you can even meet us.” She said, still laughing over Momo’s silliness.

     “I know, honey. I love you too much that I wouldn’t die before I meet you again.”

     “Aww, look, baby. Your Daddy is being cheesy again although she is in space right now. Ouch!—“

     Momo frowned in worry. “W-What happened? Mina?”

     Mina’s widened eyes diverted on her tummy and back to Momo. “I-I feel like she’s moving… or kicking. Oh! Momo, the baby’s kicking again!”

     “What?” Momo felt her heart flutters seeing the scene behind the camera. She hoped she was there to experience it with Mina. Her lips curved into a smile.

     “She’s kicking again! Momo, I think she’s actually responding to you!” Mina said excitedly.

     Momo smiled at that. “Really? Let me talk to her again.” Mina brought her phone near her tummy.

     “Hey baby, don’t kick too hard.” A kick. “You love me?” Another kick.

     “She’s kicking at your every sentences.” Mina said while holding the spot where she felt the kicking took place. “Talk to her again.”

     “I see how much you love me. I love you too, baby. And your Mommy too.” Momo grinned. Mina felt the kick again and smiled. “She loves you, babe.”

     “I think so too.” Momo said and glanced at the watch. “Hey, honey. I think we should stop talking here. I have duty in five minutes.”

     Mina pouted cutely. “Already? But I still missing you…”

     “I miss you too, Mina. But the job had to be done.” Momo smiled sadly. “How about… I call you again when I’m free?”

     Mina nodded. “Okay. Please be safe. We love you.”

     “Hmm. I love you and our little Mimo too. When I’m back, let’s think of a proper name for her.”

     “Sure, Momoring. See you later.”

     Momo disconnected the call and closed her laptop. She was sad a while ago but after calling her wife, she suddenly felt happy to start working again. Especially after the ‘conversation’ with her baby. Momo placed her laptop securely in her backpack and wore her suits properly. She glanced at the sleeping Tzuyu at the corner and shook her head. “So much of being the youngest.” She giggled.

     She wiped the smile of her face and greeted Jeongyeon outside at the control room. Jeongyeon also noticed the difference in Momo.

     “You look happy.” She commented. Momo nodded. “Of course. I felt good after talking to my wife and my baby. She knew how to kick now, Jeongyeon!”

     “Your baby?” Momo nodded eagerly. “Well, nice for you. I think I need to call my fiancé too after dinner.”

     “You should but now let’s get back to work, shall we?” Momo grinned.

     “Whatever you said.”

* * *

     Mina held the phone close to her chest. Her loneliness now had dispersed into the thin air alongside with the new feelings coming to take the palce in her heart, happiness. Mina doesn't need to be lonely. She never was. She forgot that the small creature in her tummy is now resembling Momo's place. She caressed her tummy lovingly and smiled.

    There were many things that Mina was uncertain about. However, there was one certain thing that she was sure—that Momo will eventually coming back and completing their small family.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

This story was actually inspired by a video on youtube by blackdust channel, which was about a Mimo astronaut au. I want to thank the channel's owner for making that video and inspired me to write about this rare au you can get in a Mimo fanfic.

P/s: I have low knowledge of astronaut and aerospace, so I was searching the detail on google. However, I'm sorry if there were mistake above, whether grammatically or the facts.