Finn is a girl now. An official and honest-to-goodness girl.

She has the passport stuff done and everything, Finn even ran around showing it to complete strangers at first and Ryuu had to step in to prevent someone trying to steal it ("It's not a library card Finn.")

It's been almost a year since Finn's official gender change and more and more citizens from her country are Letting comfortable with the fact that their beloved prince became a beloved princess ("She acted more like a monkey sometimes anyway"). It was even easier in Japan where there seems to be several fan clubs for this sort of thing (Finn knew the Japanese were very interesting indeed).

In fact it's fair to say that Finn's life is pretty perfect now. Her grades allow her to stay comfortably in class B, her dad is much less of a nag with the new baby and she has made lots of friends in her class without the presence of the obligatory bodyguards. Things are even going swimmingly with Ryuu now with the whole pesky I-had-to-stay-single-to-rule-over-the-country thing out of the way; they are both pretty straightforward and honest people in the first place, so there really is nothing to stop them dating.

Yes…things are pretty perfect.

Except…..

Finn is having a little problem at the moment. Several little problems.

For example on wearing skirts and dresses.

Oh they are loads of fun and Finn has a whale of a time dressing up in whatever tickles her fancy, she even almost got the hang of sitting down appropriately 24/7 (poor, poor Ryuu has to protect her modesty a few times though). But there's the problem right there…it still feels like dressing up in a way.

Then there's the issue with controlling her little habits of walking into the guys toilets (she usually goes into the cubicles), talking like a guy and signing documents incorrectly…

Let's just say that living as a man for all of your life kind of leaves an impact that's hard to erase.

It is very funny in a way of course. A boy is actually a girl! Oh what laughs and hijinks! Finn often laughs about this with friends when some of her old habits pop out again. She's a cheerful girl after all, this mixed with the devil may care attitude of a princely upbringing means that very little can stop her laughing.

Finn isn't laughing right now.

She isn't really a thinker (more of an emoter really), but every now and then…she's not quite happy. These pangs of ill feeling usually come during a date with Ryuu.

Dates with Ryuu are a lot of fun generally (most of them being spent at a zoo) and they have plenty to talk about. Except…Finn really doesn't feel like a girl sometimes.

Especially during moments when she realizes she's putting on a suit before a date. ("Stop showing me up Finn")

…Or when she offers a rose during the start of every date ("Stop taking over my job Finn")

…Or when she almost flashes the waiter ("Finn! Skirt! Skirt!")

…Or when she finds herself walking with Ryuu into the mens' toilets ("Wrong one again Finn")

…Or when she reacts to anyone complimenting him ("Finn…I'm not sure about you being stronger than me…but do we need to arm wrestle now?")

Finn sometimes wonders if Ryuu would prefer a girl with fewer identity issues, a girl who is inevitably a girl. Perhaps one who doesn't whip out her passport excitedly when someone asks jokingly if she's really a boy.

That's why she's currently staring at her mobile phone screen and wondering for once in her life if she made the right decision.

"Let's take a break for a while! XD I'm going on a long trip with Tadashi to 'find' myself and am going to come back a better woman for you! XXXXXXXXXXXXXX Bring you gifts!"

Finn makes a move towards her luggage.

Well….better start moving then, she thought, when she hears a loud crash. It's the sound of her door falling apart as an uncharacteristically angry Ryuu storms in.

"FINN COUPE SHUZETTE, DON'T YOU DARE JUMP OUT OF THE WINDOW."

Drat. Finn pouts a little as she hangs in her jumping position in mid-air, Ryuu keeping her in mid-air with his hand firmly on her rather oversized back pack. emHe never agrees with my ideas! I should have told him afterwards.

"What is the meaning of this?" the tall boy asks in a frighteningly quiet voice, indicating his mobile (Ryuu was never very good at staying loud…in a way this is worse).

"I'm going to be a real girl!"

"You are not a puppet, look in a mirror."

"When we first got to know each other, you used to agree with everything I did!"She points out.

"When we first got to know each other, you were blackmailing me." Ryuu retorts and carefully bundles Finn into a ball before carrying her through the window, back inside.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy yourself…" mutters Finn as she begrudgingly takes off her rucksack, meanwhile Ryuu punches in a number on his mobile and waits for the receiver to pick up.

"Heeeey Ryuuuu-"

"If you take my girlfriend out of this country, I will tell Akira your every movement. You won't last a single day."

"Haha, I never see you as a joke-"

"I'm not. One word: Yahiro."

"What's it to do with him? It's just a little trip t-"

"Second word: Megumi"

"…"

"…."

"…..."

Tadashi isn't an idiot. He can tell how it would go.

Yahiro knows everything about Akira, ergo he knows everything about Akira's boyfriend.

In addition Megumi has a strange way of getting Yahiro to do what she wants.

And Megumi listens to Ryuu.

There is an audible sound of Tadashi weighing up the pros and cons.

"Well maybe next time then! It's too bad, we were going to see the mythical flower monkeys together as wel-"

Ryuu hangs up and grabs a chair.

"Well that's that. Now….tell me what's going on." In a way this is typical of Ryuu, hard to anger, quick to calm (except he really never gets angry).

Finn relaxes a bit and lets go of the breath she that she was holding. She didn't realize it but she isn't quite sure how to interact with a pissed off Ryuu.

"I'm just…trying to be a better girlfriend for you Ryuu."

"What brought this on?"

"You know how I can't act like a girl?"

"You ARE a girl." Ryuu stares at her, confusion on his face. "You have XX chromosomes, you are a girl."

"You know what I mean!" Finn waves her arms around vaguely, "Girly….not flashing people…."

"And you thought going along with Tadashi on one of his adventures would help because…?"

"Change of scenery maybe? He's the wildest person I know that I kind of feel much girlier…in comparison…? I don't know, I'm just restless!"

Ryuu sighs and holds Finn's hands in his own. Finn smiles, she always felt it very natural to touch Ryuu, it feels…comfortable.

"Finn…I've told you this before…to me you are always a girl." Ryuu smiles and kisses her forehead, "A unique and excitable girl who knows just what to do to cheer me up." He moves down to her cheeks, "Who reminds me how to be a man when I need to be…whatever that means." Finally Ryuu gives a little peck on Finn's lips, "I don't want to date anyone who just happens to be girly, I want to be with Finn." Finn willingly sinks into Ryuu's embrace.

"So don't go jumping on random trips with another guy. Please. For my sanity."

Finn snuggles closer to Ryuu. "Old habits die hard…"

I always feel better when we are touching like this…

For a while they held this position, perfectly content.

"By the way… Ryuu?" Finn glances up at him with a frown and Ryuu smiles at her, "Mhmm?"

"That was a pathetic kiss."

Ryuu gives a small laugh, "Oh?"

"A man should give a real kiss. Here, let me show you."

There were sighs, there were whispers and Finn really did show him.

Several times.