He could feel it coming. His body was numb and eyes were heavy and despite everything he was ever told, it was not terrifying. He welcomed it. He had lived a long, full life, with no regrets. He had done everything he had ever dreamed of and more. So much more. He had been in love, flown through the stars, traveled back in time, and saved the world and Federation countless times. But, most importantly, he had been in love. He had loved and lost.

Hikaru Sulu had only ever been in love once, with Pavel Chekov, and Chekov returned the love tenfold. Even in the years in which Chekov was on the Reliant and a million light years away, there was love. Messages and rendezvous and the simplest of communication; there was love. No one in the universe could doubt that. And when they they served together again it seemed that the passion for each other had grown. Retirement simply meant they could spend more time together.

When Chekov became ill, the friends who had become closer than family could see that Sulu was dying as well. It was on his deathbed that the Russian whispered some thing into Sulu's ear and Sulu just smiled. Smiled and watched the life flicker from his lover's eyes.

Sulu spent the next fifteen years smiling, laughing, and enjoying his life. But never loving again. His family thought he had went mad at the loss, but the old pilot would shake his head and laugh.

Hikaru Sulu died in his bed with a smile on his face.

And awoke to blinding whiteness.

Pavel stood, dressed in the sleeping gown and slacks he had been wearing when he passed, both hands on his hips, trying not to smile. He motioned his head towards a tall golden gate that Sulu had not noticed before and nodded. They took the other's hand and walked through.

Sulu opened his mouth with nothing to say and turned to look at his lover.

But now twenty-three year old Pavel, dressed in the gold Ensign's uniform, stood grinning back at his as they stood in the middle of the U.S.S Enterprise's bridge.

Hikaru Sulu finally allowed the tears he had been holding back to fall, still smiling.