Ren stretched out as much as he could in the front passenger seat of Yashiro's car, trying his best to get comfortable. Even with the seat all the way back, it was still hard for him sometimes because of his height. They were on their way to an early morning commercial shoot. He took a sip of the coffee that his manager had brought for him and shook his head at the bespectacled man.

"I still can't believe you talked me into this," he said.

Yashiro chuckled. "It is an odd shoot, but I thought it would have been a massive missed opportunity if you didn't do it."

Ren hmmed and took another sip of coffee. "You're really sure that a commercial for a drug won't seem tacky for my image?"

Yashiro shook his head. "I'm willing to risk it for this one. This drug is a major breakthrough, Ren. It's going to allow gay couples and trans women to conceive and carry their own offspring. If it were any other thing for diabetes or heart disease, I wouldn't have bothered. But this is big, Ren, and your name should be attached to it."

Ren smiled. If this drug were the real thing, that was fantastic news for the people who could use it. "Just don't ask me to give it a test run, okay?"

Yashiro laughed. "No way in hell do I want to deal with a pregnant you." He continued under his breath, "You're moody enough as-is."

Ren rolled his eyes at his manager and turned to watch the buildings rush past outside. Obviously as a straight male, he had never really entertained the idea of being pregnant; that had been scientifically impossible until now. Whenever he allowed himself small daydreams into what could possibly be his future, he always imagined her, wearing a soft smile, patting a big round belly, or holding a baby that shared her beautiful golden eyes and a suspicious mop of matching golden hair.

Things with Kyoko had been progressing, albeit slowly, since his elevator confession. They had spent more time together, beginning with her surprise visit to teach him how to make eggs benedict. It seemed they were making more excuses to see each other, and he only wished they could do so publicly.

"Ren?" He shook himself out of his own head and saw that they were parked. Yashiro smirked at him and wiggled his eyebrows. He had witnessed the small smile that had formed on his charge's face as he got lost in his thoughts. He knew that smile always meant he was thinking about Kyoko. "What were you thinking about?"

Ren pressed the door lock and popped the door open without reply. Yashiro pouted at him and got out on his side. "Fine, don't tell me. I'm only your closest confidant!"

Ren laughed at the look on his manager's face as he closed his door, and they made their way to the doors of the building. "Even my closest confidant doesn't need to know everything that goes on inside of my head." They went through the revolving door in the front and entered a large, brightly-lit lobby. They crossed the gleaming white tile to check in at the front desk. The receptionist looked up from her computer screen. "Hello! How may I hel–" She saw Ren's face and her voice died in her throat. She blinked at him, and Ren smiled at her.

"Good morning. We're checking in. Ren Tsuruga and Yukihito Yashiro."

Her brain seemed to stutter back to life and her cheeks flamed as she typed their info into her computer. "Ah, of course, Tsuruga-san. Please forgive me. I just…um… big fan." She squeaked out at the end.

Ren chuckled. "Nothing to be forgiven for," he checked the nameplate on the desk. "Yamada-san."

Kasumi Yamada felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest. She collected herself and passed their visitor badges over the counter. She pointed down the hall behind her. "It's straight back there, last door on the left."

Ren and Yashiro bowed to her in thanks and headed for the set. Yashiro giggled to himself.

Ren looked down at him. "What's so funny?"

Yashiro tried to contain himself, but couldn't. "I imagined you with a big belly and swollen ankles. Something tells me Yamada-san would be less excited over you then!"

Ren rolled his eyes as they reached their destination and held the door open for his manager. "Fleas before beauty."

They entered the room to find a simple set with just a table and a chair. There was a green backdrop, likely for a green screen, and lights and chairs set up around it. The director saw them enter and approached Ren with a bow. "Tsuruga-san! Thank you for coming to do our commercial!"

Ren returned his bow. "It's a very interesting premise. I look forward to being the face of something that will help so many people. I do have some questions, however."

The director nodded. "Please, ask me anything."

Ren gave him a sheepish grin. "How… does it work?"

The man pulled a paper from his back pocket. "I was also curious about that, so I asked one of the head scientists that developed the drug." He unfolded the paper and read off of it. "MPREG works by applying the topical solution to the skin. The person upon which it is applied will grow a fully functional uterus, and can then be impregnated through the swapping of DNA."

Ren blinked. "Swapping of DNA?"

The director coughed. "Well, you know. Swapping." He gave Ren a pointed look, and the actor had the presence of mind to blush. The man folded the paper back up and put it in his pocket. "The effects of the drug only last a few hours. If there is no conception within that time period, the uterus is reabsorbed by the body."

Ren shook his head in amazement. "That is really impressive. I never thought I'd see something like that in my lifetime."

The director nodded. "And now you get to be a part of history! If you follow me, we'll get you made up."

Thirty minutes later, Ren emerged from a small curtained-off area in the corner dressed in a light pink button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a gray pair of slacks. He sat down at the table on the set and the director brought him the script. Ren looked it over and nodded. "This is simple enough." He handed it back to the director, who raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not need more time with it?"

Ren shook his head with a smile. "No, I think I've got it down."

The director placed a small canister on the table. "This is the product."

Ren picked the canister up. It was a simple white container with a screw-on top. The word MPREG was printed in soft blue cursive with katakana underneath. He knew from his time in the industry that most medical products were switched out with a fake for the commercial. He read the directions on the side of the container, and then nodded at the director. "Shall we begin?"

The director took his seat by the camera and asked for quiet on the set. When he called for action, Ren smiled at the camera.

"Were you assigned male at birth but want to experience the miracle of life? Are you unable to afford a surrogate or IVF? New, from Inconceivable Enterprises, MPREG. MPREG is a miracle drug that allows those assigned male at birth to conceive and carry their own children." Ren unscrewed the top of the canister and stuck his fingers into the greenish cream within. He showed it to the camera. "This topical cream has the ability to make you grow a womb." He rubbed the cream on his forearm. "You apply it to your arm, and within an hour, you will have the ability to carry a pregnancy. After that," he winked at the camera, "You just allow your partner to do the rest." He explained the side effects and asked the audience to ask their doctor if they thought MPREG was right for them. And finally…"

"CUT! Tsuruga-san, that was amazing, but you really shouldn't have put that cream on yourself!"

Ren blinked. "What's wrong with the cream?"

The director blinked back at him. "Well… I mean… did you want to grow a uterus?"

Ren's eyes widened. "It's… not faked?"

The director shook his head, and Yashiro appeared and slammed his briefcase down on the table before opening it. "My client did not agree to using the actual product when we signed paperwork. It is in the contract right here that the drug would be switched out–"

Ren heard Yashiro as though he were in another room. He felt a strange cramping in his abdomen, almost like indigestion but not quite. His anxiety peaked. What if anyone found out about this? Ren Tsuruga grew a uterus? He could already see the resulting popularity polls…

There was a harsher lurch just beneath his belly button, and he doubled over and fell out of the chair. Yashiro dropped the contract and ran to his side.

"Ren! Are you okay!? Say something!"

Ren glared up at his manager through his bangs, a sheen of sweat forming on his brow. He knew from the side effects and directions on the side of the container that the medication was taking effect; he was actually growing a womb. He said something through gritted teeth. Yashiro's eyes widened more if that were possible.

"Say again!? I couldn't hear you."

"I said," Ren gritted through the pain, "Sue that mother fucker, I want to own his bone marrow."

Yashiro left his charge for just a few seconds to gather his briefcase and the contract. He pointed a threatening finger at the director. "You will be hearing from our lawyer." He went back to Ren and helped him to his feet. The director gestured wildly at them.

"You can't leave! We're not finished yet!"

Ren felt like he might vomit, and so Yashiro answered. "You nullified our contract with your fuck-up, and if you or your staff speak a word of this to anyone, Lory Takarada will have you blacklisted from the entire industry. Good day."

Yashiro helped Ren back down the hallway, through the lobby, and out to the car. When he had Ren in the car, he slid into the driver's seat and dropped his keys on the floor of the car in his nervousness. "We have to take you to the hospital, Ren," his voice shook as he fished around for the keys.

"No hospital," Ren croaked, "Just take me home."

Yashiro turned to his charge, his eyes wild. "You just took a drug that they only just proved works in fucking rats, Ren! We don't know what that shit is going to do to you!"

Ren looked at him; his face was pale and his eyes were desperate. Where was this attitude an hour ago when you wanted me to ENDORSE this shit!?, he thought, but did not say. "This can't go public. Take me home, go see Lory, explain. He'll make it go away." He hoped Lory could make it go away. If this were to get out, it would ruin him before he even began.

Yashiro felt sick. "I can't leave you alone at home. You look like hell, Ren."

Ren leaned back in his seat. "Please just take me home. I'll be fine, you heard him. Unless I have sex with some guy in the next few hours, it's just going to go away. I'll be fine. I just want to rest." He closed his eyes; the pain had faded to a dull ache, but it was still unlike anything he had ever experienced.

Yashiro gloved up and pulled out his phone. Ren sighed. "What are you doing?"

Yashiro put the phone to his ear as he pulled out of the space.

"I can't leave you alone."

They pulled into the parking garage of Ren's building 20 minutes later. Kyoko was waiting for them by the elevator, windswept from having ridden her bike all the way there. Ren did his best to make himself as small as possible. Yashiro rolled his eyes. "You heard our whole conversation. I didn't tell her what happened, I just told her you're sick and need help."

Ren looked at him, his expression haunted. "What if she finds out? She'll never think of me the same way again."

Yashiro held his pinky up. "Give me your damned pinky, Ren."

Ren hesitated for a moment, and then wrapped his pinky around Yashiro's. Yashiro looked into his eyes. "I pinky promise that Kyoko is never going to find out about this."

Ren swallowed hard and then nodded. "Okay."

Yashiro got out of the car and helped Ren out. Kyoko hurried over to them. "Tsuruga-san, are you okay!?"

Her brow was furrowed with concern, her cheeks still red from the exertion of her bike ride. His smile for her was, as always, radiant. "I'll be okay, Mogami-san. Just not feeling very well at the moment."

Kyoko took in the sheen of sweat over his forehead and cheeks and his overall pallor and frowned. She held up a bag. "I got supplies to make soup. We'll get you upstairs and into bed and get something warm in you. Did you eat breakfast?" He gave her a sheepish smile and she swatted him. "No wonder you don't feel well! Why do you never eat!?"

Ren let out a small sigh of relief as they made their way to the elevator. If she thinks I'm just sick because I don't eat, then I at least have an excuse to give her. When they got to Ren's apartment, Yashiro helped Ren over to the couch and sat him down. "You're sure you're going to be okay? You don't need to go to the hospital?"

Before he could answer, Kyoko prodded Yashiro toward the door. "He'll be fine. He just didn't eat again, Yashiro-san. This is what he gets." Yashiro cast a worried look over her head at Ren as she pushed him toward the door. Ren gave him an apologetic look back and mouthed I'm okay, go, to him.

Yashiro bowed to Kyoko. "Thank you for taking care of him, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko waved her hand at him. "It's no problem at all, Yashiro-san. Please don't worry."

Yashiro took his leave, and as soon as Kyoko shut the door, she glowered at Ren. "What do you have to say for yourself? You got Yashiro-san worried all because you can't be bothered to eat breakfast!"

He sat up a little straighter. "I'm sorry?" He hoped that would be enough to assuage her annoyance.

She picked up her paper bag of ingredients and headed for the kitchen without another word. He watched her go with a frown. He didn't like when she was angry with him, but he knew that she would eventually simmer down. At least she doesn't know, he thought. He looked down at his abdomen. The pain had faded, but he felt a strange warm sensation inside. He shook his head. If women go through half of what I went through earlier, they all deserve fucking medals. He felt his abdomen. Nothing had outwardly changed, but the knowledge that he now had a piece of female anatomy within his body made him feel strange, alien. Am I… still a guy? He thought. Then he shook his head. Yes, you're a fucking guy, Kuon. Get your shit together. This whole thing is just a bad mistake, and it'll correct itself very soon… But what if it doesn't? You heard Yashiro. They only just stopped testing this shit on rats… He held his head in his hands. I'll get an ultrasound in a few weeks, just to confirm that it's actually fucking gone. It'll all just be a bad dream at that point. He sighed. Besides, the only way this becomes an issue is if I have sex with a guy, and that's not happening. That thought gave him comfort. At least I won't end up pregnant.

Kyoko returned from the kitchen a short while later with a bowl of vegetable soup and put it in his hands. "Eat. You'll feel better."

Ren spooned the soup into his mouth. Like everything else she had ever made for him, it was delicious. He shut his eyes, savoring the taste. When he opened them, he smiled at her. "This is very good, Mogami-san. Thank you."

She stood up and pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, and his heart sped up at her touch. "No fever. You looked sweaty earlier, so I was worried."

He shook his head. "I think it was just a passing stomach bug," he lied. "I think I'm okay now, though." His eyes met hers. "But… thank you for worrying about me."

She pulled away from him, her cheeks turning pink. "Don't mention it. You should finish eating that and then we'll get you into bed."

He finished the soup quickly and then followed Kyoko to his room. She fetched a t-shirt and sweatpants from his dresser and put them on the bed for him. He began to unbutton his shirt, and Kyoko raced for the door. "I'llbebackafteryoufinish!"

The door slammed shut behind her in her hurry, and Ren looked after her with a grin. She does see me as a man after all. He pulled his shirt off and then bent to pull his pants off and stopped. His abdomen twinged, and a wave of anxiety flowed through him. He had almost forgotten about his unfortunate circumstances until that moment. Kyoko had that effect on him. He took a breath and managed to get his pants off and put the sweats on. After he pulled the t-shirt on over his head, he smiled to himself. "Mogami-san, you can come back in now."

Kyoko peeked around the door, and upon seeing him clothed, exhaled in relief. He got into bed, and she pulled the covers up over him and tucked him in. She got up to leave.

"Wait, Mogami-san!"

Kyoko turned back to him. "Do you need something, Tsuruga-san? I was going to go start on dinner."

He paused. He wasn't sure how to admit to her that he just wanted her to stay with him. "I… could you stay just a little longer?"

Kyoko hesitated for a moment. He's not feeling well. It'll make him happy, she thought. Finally, she sat down on the edge of the bed. He wiggled his arm out from under the covers and offered his hand to her. She swallowed and laid down next to him over the covers and took his hand. "Are you okay, Tsuruga-san?"

He didn't know how to answer that question. This had undoubtedly been one of the most fucked up days of his entire life, barring the date of his best friend's death. The events of this day had made him question a lot about himself, and a lot about his relationship with her. He squeezed her hand. "It's just been… a bad day. Please don't leave me."

Kyoko squeezed his hand back. "I won't."

The stress of the day caught up with Ren and he fell asleep quickly. Kyoko, comforted by the warmth of his hand and his easy breathing soon followed suit. Ren was the first to wake about an hour later. When he did, he found Kyoko cuddled up next to him, their fingers still interlaced, resting her cheek on his chest. He cupped her cheek with his free hand. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked up at him with a sleepy smile.

He took in the warm glow of her cheeks, the soft pink gloss on her lips, and the dreamy look in her eyes and lost himself. He leaned down and kissed her. To his shock, Kyoko kissed him back. It was a soft, slow kiss, their lips only slightly parted. He could taste the vanilla flavor of her lip gloss. As far as first kisses (as far as she knew…) went, it was perfect.

And then Kyoko's eyes shot open, and she pulled away, slapping her hand over her mouth. Ren looked up at her, completely frozen in shock. Unfortunately for him, Kyoko had not been fully awake for their kiss. She had still been half-dreaming when she looked up at him, and when she fully came-to, and realized that she was not dreaming, and was actually kissing him for real, it hit her like a freight train.

"I–I–I need to go!" she sputtered as she hopped off of the bed and ran for the door. Ren disentangled himself from the covers with a quickness.

"Mogami-san, wait! Please, can we just talk about this!? I'm sorry!" His pleas fell on deaf ears. She hadn't even stopped to put her shoes on at the door, she grabbed them and her purse and was gone.

APRIL FOOLS! :D It's not chapter 4 of The Princess Ren! It's an entirely new MPREG fic! Did I get you? Please tell me I got you. x3 Anyway, the title of this work will be changing, and it will update again after The Princess Ren has ended, so in a few weeks. :3 I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you are not too cross with me and my weird ways. XOXO - BO