[SFW, Trans Themes, Fluff]

Life has a funny way of dealing you the cards you need. Rei Murata experienced that first hand, as she grew closer to the boy that she had been friends with since her youngest years. When she still didn’t realize who she was, deep within her heart.

Their friendship was a tight one. He went to her every time he had something neat or cool to share, and she went to him whenever she wanted to play. There were bright smiles all around, no matter the occasion.

Slowly but surely, as they both grew up, things started to change. She took notice of his tendency to wear clothes that were meant for girls, but he insisted that they weren’t, and that they didn’t make him any girlier by wearing them. He thought that they fit him perfectly, and made them his own as a result. And though he always encouraged Rei to try out the different outfits that he got her over the years, she never tried them on for more than a couple of minutes.

Then the bomb dropped. The girl that he loved, another friend of theirs, broke up with him. His heart had shattered into so many tiny pieces, even as he tried to keep that smile on his face. It tore the girl’s heart apart watching him try to keep his chin up when she could see the pain on his face. So she promised, right then and there, to make it up to him. No matter what it took.

On that fateful day, where they were supposed to go on a date to make up for his loss, she dug out one of the dresses that he had given her. It was one that he had gotten his mother to sew for him, so that they’d match. And… She wore it. Not just for a few minutes, but for the entire day, wanting to see him smile. Because he didn’t deserve to be so down.

It wasn’t easy. Even as he kept on encouraging her. Especially not as a couple of mean boys decided to call her names. But he stood up for her, despite the name calling. Because she was his friend, and she had gone through the difficult task of going on a date with him. They couldn’t just make fun of her.

...That was the day that she properly fell in love with him. Rei Murata’s heart ached for the love of the boy she had been together with for years. For the heart of the adorable and eternally kind Albert Grimwald. And the day that she accepted that Rei was more than just a name, but an inseparable part of her, one that she grew more in tune with as the days went by.

And today… She’d reintroduce herself to her father. With the hope in her heart that he’d accept her, just like he always had.

---

“Say, Rei? Why do you only go visit your dad during fall?”

The pink-haired boy himself, Albert Grimwald, asked his cute friend as he looked out the window, seeing the scenery flash by as they sat comfortably inside the high-speed train heading to the rural parts of the community, a place where modern advances hadn’t burrowed their way into the natural beauty of the land…

“He only needs help during the fall. And he knows that I can handle myself, so… I thought it’d be best to head out when our schedules sync up, rather than suddenly show up and throw him off when he’s doing his job.” Rei replied, running a hand through her short brown hair. “Besides, with how am I now, I’m… You know. Better to reveal it when we arrive like we always have, so I…”

Albert blinked a couple of times as he turned to watch his friend’s expression. “So you..?” He tapped the finger against his chin, before giggling a little. “Ah, I get it. You want me there to protect you, don’t you?” The boy wasn’t dumb, that much was clear. He still remembered the day where he helped her come to terms with being the girl that she was at heart, after all.

“Mmhm. Just like you did when Alice helped pick out new clothes for me. I’m still a little surprised you have a sister like that, Albert. The vibes she gave off when we were in that room together were about to choke me out, if she didn’t do it herself.” The brunette nervously chuckled a little. She wasn’t kidding, the look in the boy’s twin sister was… something else. And she knew about her reputation around the school too…

The light-pink-haired boy chuckled back. “She’s the best, honestly. I don’t know what I would do without her. And I don’t think she’d know what she’d do without me either! Remember when she was sick for a long time, and I nursed her all the time at home? I don’t think she ever forgot that, so she looks out for me a lot!” He brushed the thoughts of his dear sister being dangerous aside, not worrying for a moment about what she could’ve done to his friend.

Rei sighed a little, before resting her head on her hands, watching the boy look back out the window as the mood between them quieted down. There was still quite some time before they got to where her dad worked, so she thought it’d be best to just enjoy the moment… And let his cuteness soak in.

She could stare at him for hours… and she did, only stopping as the train came to a stop itself…

---

Despite how long it took to get out to the shrine where her dad worked, she was still nervous as they came up to the bottom of the steps. She could feel her heart sinking, worry filling her. How would he react to her… Would he reject her? He never was the type to just ignore how she lived her life, but at the same time…

“Rei, you’ve been staring at the ground for ten minutes.” Albert spoke up, bringing her out of her vivid imagination. “You okay? Do you need anything? We can go back if you don’t think you can handle i-”

She made him shut up by taking her first step up the stairs. “I’m… I’m okay, Albert.” Rei said, a little smile growing on her face. Just by hearing him voice his concern brought her strength. Yeah. It was him that helped her along, always. And he’d help her if she ever needed it...

“Let’s go say hi to Dad.”

They both went up the steps, the girl holding onto the boy’s hand, her grip growing tighter as they got ever closer to the top. And he’d return the favor, keeping his grip just as tight to make sure she knew he had her back. Like he always did.

She could hear the wind blow past them as she made the final step, climbing up to the top of the stairs as she looked straight ahead at the well-maintained shrine, the same that she saw every year at around this time of year. It looked just as beautiful as it did when she saw it as a child, and…

“Ara, you’re here early.” There he was. Dressed in the traditional garb of a shrine tender, her father. Norio Murata. An elderly man that had seen better days, especially since he clung to the traditional ways instead of integrating into modern life.

Rei froze a little as she saw her father approach. She wanted to hide away behind her hands, maybe even behind her friend. But instead, his warm gaze kept her from moving a single step. His warm, yet questioning and examining gaze. Her worries were building up once more, her heart pounding against her chest…

“Hatsuhiko, you look…” His father paused. Before smiling like he always did. “Like you should.” He finished, not needing much more than a few looks at her to understand the situation.

Albert stepped in between them, clearing his throat. “Rei, Mr. Murata. Her name’s Rei.” He explained, smiling himself. “She picked it herself. I think it’s a really nice name. What do you think?” He continued, putting his hands behind his back as his smile widened into a bright and supportive grin.

“Nice might be an understatement, young man.” Norio laughed a little, resting his head on the back of his hands while resting them atop of his broom. “If it’s what she’s picked, then it’s a name that she cherishes. That’s what matters.” He continued, looking towards his dearest daughter. “Welcome home, Rei.”

To say that his support made her feel so much better was an understatement. It made her feel relief beyond belief. She almost felt her legs give out from the joy bouncing around inside her heart, prompting her to almost dive forward and give her father the tightest hug she had ever given him.

“Easy now, Rei, easy now.” Her father laughed as she poured her affection into him, his hand slowly running through her hair. “That’s more like you, that boundless energy you’ve always had. You were worried I wouldn’t accept you, weren’t you?”

He saw right through her, and Rei nodded. “I worried for nothing, Dad.” She said, looking up at him with a smile of her own. “You’re the best. Thank you. Thank you so much.” She… couldn’t honestly express her gratitude enough. It was one thing to be accepted by the one you loved, another to be accepted by the last living relative you had.

“I’m only doing what a Father should, Rei.” Norio reassured her, before pausing for a brief moment. “Actually, can you two youngsters stay here for just a second? I know you’re probably raring to help me out like last year, but there’s just a little something I need to try out.”

Both Albert and Rei nodded as the shrine tender was let go from the latter’s arms, letting him quickly scurry his way into the shrine. By the time he returned, he brought two outfits with him, one looking ever slightly different from the other. Unlike every other year, where he had brought identical uniforms for the both of them. “Rei, try the top one on for me?”

She hesitated a little, wondering what her old man might be planning. As soon as she folded the outfit out, she realized exactly what the plan was, and thus began to blush. It didn’t stop her from putting it on either, after excusing herself into the nearby shed.

When she came out, the brunette was dressed in a very worn looking uniform. One that had seen about a decade’s worth of use, and yet it still looked as comfortable and as welcoming as ever. “H-How do I look?” She asked, the blush still plastered on her cheeks.

“You look great!” Albert quickly chimed, and Norio nodded in turn. “But, uhhhh… Why’re you blushing? I thought you had gotten used to wearing those kinds of clothes.” The boy’s honesty shined through, as he looked between both father and daughter for a second to try and figure it all out.

Rei took a deep breath as she twirled around, enjoying the sensation of wind rushing in through the overly large sleeves. “It’s… It’s Mom’s old uniform, Albert. I never thought I could fit in it, never bothered trying, and…”

“And you look just like her, Rei. Right down to the same kind of innocent charm she always had when she was still with us.” Her father added, smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you, Rei. You’ve made your Father very happy.” He continued, a little tear running down his elderly cheek. It was just like old times, when she was still by their side…

Laughter rang out amongst the three of them, as the elderly tender retreated towards the shrine itself. For now, he had to let the youngsters take care of things. By the time they were done, there was still plenty of time left in the day to admire the young girl’s resemblance to her late mother…

With her fear lifted from her heart, Rei went straight to work. Ready to take on the world…

---

“Haaah… I can’t keep up with her when she gets like this!”

Albert moaned as he stumbled his way towards the shrine porch, sweating all over in his own uniform. Sure, he was happy to see Rei super happy, but… That came at the cost of her putting in a lot of the energy she usually kept locked up, which meant that she completely outpaced him. Whether it was by brushing leaves into a massive pile faster than he could blink, or dusting away all the grime that had built up on the steps, or fixing the offerings to the various gods the shrine served, it was way too much for him.

“She’s always done that, hasn’t she? Left you winded whenever you went out and played in the forest behind the shrine. Teasing you by acting as one of the gods, only to come hiding behind her Mother when she got found out and you thought she could actually grant wishes.” Norio chimed as he came out from inside the shrine, carrying a tray with a set of three cups, warm green tea steaming away within. “Even to this day, she’s still the same happy thing she’s been all those years back…”

The light-pink-haired boy nodded as he carefully plucked the cup off the tray, sipping and blowing on the liquid within. “Mmhm. But she’s got her softer side too! She was really worried that you wouldn’t accept her, Mr. Murata. You should’ve seen her on the train, she was silent for so long. I bet she worried herself half to death, staring away the entire trip.” He chuckled a bit, only to shiver all over as the warm tea did what it could to heat him up despite the cold weather around them…

“Staring away for that long, you say?” The older man mused as he sipped from his tea just the same, looking out across the shrine grounds as he kept a close eye on his daughter. “...Have you ever considered that there might be a different reason why she spaced out, Albert?” He asked very pointedly.

Albert kicked his legs back and forth off the boards of the shrine’s porch, humming and hawwing… “Sheeee… Was daydreaming about somebody cute that she had her eyes for?” He said, getting dangerously close to what the real answer was. Because as smart as he was, as much as he knew his dearest friend, he was still pitifully unaware of how much she really loved him.

“That’s one way to put it, yes. But who was she staring at?” Norio asked once more, carefully putting his tea back down on the tray as he got up from his seat on the porch…

It took another minute or so for the boy to come up with another answer. “Me? You don’t think she was daydreaming about me, do you?” The light-pink-haired boy asked aloud, finishing his tea as he put down his cup as well, looking up at the older man.

He just smiled back at the boy. “Who else would take up so much of her time? You’ve always been together since you were kids, why should that change after all that’s happened while you were away?” He explained, before clearing his throat a little. “...Take good care of her for me, alright, Albert? I trust you.”

“You’ve got it, Mr. Murata.” Albert quickly shot back, grinning from ear to ear. Even if he didn’t completely understand the ramifications of what he was talking about, he understood the emotions behind his plea. “I’ll make sure she never gets hurt. Ever. Ever-ever!” He laughed a little, putting his hands behind his head.

The older man joined him in his merriment, happy to have left his daughter’s fate in the hands of a boy that cared so much…

---

On the way home, both of the youths found themselves in similar positions as when they were heading out. Albert looking out the window, and Rei looking at him with a slightly worried expression. Something was on her mind again…

“You’re staring, Rei.” The boy chimed as he turned to look at his dear friend. “You know you can tell me. What’s up?” He asked again, crossing his legs with a smile.

The girl took a deep breath as she looked straight at him. “I… I want to be Rei. Forever. Not just some of the time. All the time.” She explained, her hands balling up as she squeezed into her skirt.

“But you’ve always been Rei, Rei. That’s who you are, after all.” Albert replied with his smile widening, prompting the girl to pout at him a bit. “Whaaaat? It’s true, you’ve been yourself this entire time. Just keep being you, and that problem’ll go away super easily!” He chimed, teasing her ever slightly.

Rei bit her lower lip a bit. He wasn’t wrong, but that wasn’t the point. She… She had go for it. “Albert, I… That’s not the only thing. I also…” She paused, her mind running wild, not knowing what to expect… Before she shook her head. She knew he’d take the news well.

“I love you. I love you a lot.”

Albert was quick to blush as her feelings were laid bare, and the words didn’t want to go gently out of his throat. He knew that she was serious, and that this was what her Father had tried to imply. So what other course did he have when faced with something as pure as this kind of love?

“I love you too, Rei.” He admitted, his blushing expression clashing slightly with the smile on his face. But both emotions were as honest as ever.

The two leaned in close, locking lips and sealing the deal. Gone was their friendship… And their relationship blossomed in turn.