Gender Clinc Part 2 (Early Access)

Part 2

Lea turns the key, and the engine dies, leaving them in heavy silence. The drive to the clinic has been tense—Fred hasn’t said a single word the entire way. She doesn’t push him. Instead, she sits quietly, knowing just how long he’s been waiting for this day.

“Are they really going to want to be me?” Fred asks with a whisper and a vacant gaze.

“Dude,” Lea says with a bright smile. “Why wouldn’t they want to be you?”

Furrowing his brow, he bites at his bottom lip.

“Fred?” Lea asks, curious as to what he means. “Talk to me. You’ve not said a word since I picked you up.”

“It’s stupid,” Fred explains, letting out a long sigh.

“It’s not stupid if you’re worrying about it.”

Fred throws her a quick glance and shrugs. “I think it might be,” he mutters.

 “Dude, come on.” Lea playfully punches him in the shoulder. “We’re best friends. I promise I won’t think it’s stupid. Tell me what’s on your mind!”

“Ouch,” Fred rubs his arm and glares before he resumes his staring contest with the world outside, “I just wonder if the people I’ve been matched with will want my body….”

Lea rolls her lips in thought. She knows this is a big moment, and cold feet are probably a normal response. “Okay….?”

“Well, look at me!” Fred throws up his hands in frustration. “Well, look at me! I’m not exactly an Adonis, am I?

Lea glances away for a moment before fixing her eyes on his frame. “So, you’re a little skinny. You’ve still got the right things in the right places for a transman to be happy.”

“Urgh,” Fred turns away. “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

“I think you’re worrying over nothing.”

“I’m not,” Fred huffs.

“So are, dude.”

“Stop it, Lea!” Fred groans, folding his arms.

“Tell me why I’m wrong then,” Lea chuckles softly, amused at how bratty he’s being. “

With rosy red cheeks, Fred can only manage a second of eye contact before he timidly looks away.

“Well,” he mumbles under his breath. “I just don’t wanna be disappointed….”

“Disappointed!?” Lea punches him in the arm a second time. “Do you want to join me, womanhood or not, Dude!? Remember, we’ve got plans for your first day as a woman!!”

“I do!” Fred nods vigorously before bashfully looking again for a second time. “It’s just,” he pauses to look at Lea like a naughty child. “I have this idea of what I want to look like as a woman….”

“That’s not a bad thing, Fred,” Lea replies plainly. “You’ll need to find your own clothing style, sure.”

“I don’t mean clothing….”

“Oh….?”

Fred rubs his face before speaking. “What if the girl I’m about to trade lives with is like old or ugly or something!?” Fred becomes quite animated in his seat, surprising Lea. “Or..or…or…what if I really want their body, but they don’t want mine! I’m going to be really disappointed!”

“Oh, I see…,” Lea throws back her head and laughs to herself. “You’re worried you’re going to be the last one picked for the team!”

“Sorta, yeah,” Fred sighs. “

“I understand.”

“Y-you do…!?”

“Yeah,” Lea smiles. “This is an extremely personal process. You’re choosing who you want to become, and it’s the same for the other person. It has to be perfect for both of you.” Lea puts a finger to her chin in thought. “I guess it’s kinda like a mother giving her child away to an adopting family….”

“Y-yeah. I guess.”

Lea slowly pushes open her car door. Halfway out of the car, she looks back over her shoulder and gives him a reassuring smile. “I get that you’re worried, Fred. But if we don’t go into the clinic, you’ll never know what could have been.”

Fred fixates on Lea’s hairline and stares. “Y-yeah…,” he agrees, deep in thought.

“Are you coming?” Lea asks, growing self-conscious under his gaze. She shuts the door with a firm thud and walks ahead, hoping a little tough love is exactly what he needs.

Fred hurries to catch up with Lea, falling into step beside her as they enter the clinic. At the front desk, Elliot, the same receptionist from their first visit, greets them with a warm smile. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lea is offered a coffee and asked to wait in the reception area.

Fred is taken into a small room behind the reception. It’s empty except for some seating and a small round table.

“Now,” Elliot says with a voice as soft as butter. “Oh yes, that’s right,” he looks at his clipboard. “We do need to have a little chat about the matches we’ve found for you before I allow you to meet them.

“Are they here!?” Fred asks, anxiety already creeping into his demeanor.

“Yes,” Elliot says with a gentle smirk. “Kayla and Riley are both waiting patiently to meet you in other rooms in the clinic.”

Fred’s face lights up. “So, so….I could be walking out as one of them by this afternoon!?”

Elliot holds up a hand to calm Fred’s excitement. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, hmm?” Fred then lifts the papers in front of him and examines them for a moment. “So,” he lowers his clipboard to his knees. “Two matches so soon is very good news.”

A sinking feeling brings down Fred’s excitement. “I feel like there’s a but coming…?”

“Indeed,” Fred agrees. “While all metrics on personality and body type have been matched very well, there’s a slight problem with age and a slight problem with life situation.”

Fred thinks for a moment, and the image of a granny flashes into his mind. Would the chance to be a woman be enough of a reason to cut his own life short?

“I can see I’m worrying you,” Elliot chuckles to himself as he stands. “Maybe instead of talking about it, you should meet them.”

Trying to shake the image of Granny from his mind, Fred looks up. “M-Meet them?”

“Yes.” Elliot nods. “If you’re going to trade with either Kayla or Riley, you’re going to have to meet them first. It’s company policy.”

“N-no…” Fred grows bright red. “I-It’s not that I don’t want to meet them. I…I-I’m just incredibly nervous they aren’t going to like what I’m offering.”

Stopping just shy of opening the door, Elliot looks around with a knowing smile. “Ah, yes. That’s very normal.” Elliot opens the door and stands aside to let Fred walk past. “I’d wager that both Riley and Kayla are just as nervous. So, try not to worry about it.”

Fred leaves the room and stands patiently as Elliot closes the door behind them.

“All three of you are desperate for a body that matches how you feel on the inside, correct?” Elliot asks as he guides Fred further into the building

Fred nods.

“So, it’s only natural to be nervous. If you match today with either of them, it’s going to be life-changing, do you agree?”

Fred nods again.

“Well, then,” Elliot says, stopping at the door just meters from the room they came from. “Let’s take it one step at a time.”

Elliot pushes open the door to a nearly empty room, much like the last—just a small seating area inside. As it swings open, a red-haired twenty-something woman glances up, looking nervous as she forces a smile.

“Kayla,” Elliot steps into the middle of the room as the woman stands. “I’d really like for you to meet Fred.”

An awkward handshake later, both Fred and Kayla are asked to sit. Elliot sits with them around a small table. Awkward glances between them follow as Elliot shuffles paperwork around and gets himself comfortable.

“So,” Elliot smiles, gathering the attention of both Fred and Kayla. “Who wants to start us off by telling a little bit about themselves?”

Kayla bites her bottom lip and puts up her hand. “I-I can start.” She gives Fred eye contact, but it’s forced and a little robotic. Almost like she’s forcing herself to make eye contact.

“I-I’m Kayla.” She explains, fumbling with a pen in her hand. “I’ve known that I’m a man in a woman’s body since I was very young.” She stops and quickly looks away. “I-It’s very nice to meet you, Fred. I-I hope you like what you see…..”

Fred stares at the woman opposite him. Not to be rude, but he’s extremely intrigued. Her red hair is bright and glossy. Her face is slim, and her skin looks soft. He’s quick to notice that she’s fairly tall for a woman. Standing a similar height to Elliot. Her clothing is understated, but he can see her figure clearly in her tight-fitting jeans, cami top, and jacket.

It’s obvious she looks after herself and maybe even bodybuilds. She has the sort of figure Fred would kill for. His mind wanders as he imagines getting dressed as her for the first time.

“It’s n-nice to meet you too,” Fred replies, getting another nervous glance from the woman sitting opposite him. “I’m Fred. I’ve also known my gender doesn’t match my appearance since I was young.”

“Good,” Elliot scribbles some notes before using his pen to point to Fred. “Why don’t you tell Kayla a little about the life she’d be inheriting.”

“S-Sure.” Fred scratches his face. “I’m twenty-one years old.” He keeps talking about himself, but it’s clear Kayla already has a problem. The moment he says his age, she looks visibly agitated—but he goes on anyway.

His voice trails off before Elliot takes over. “Thank you, Fred.” Elliot then gestures at Kayla to do the same.

“I’m twenty-nine,” Kayla says bluntly. “So this is likely a complete waste of time.” Kayla throws Elliot a glare. “Fred isn’t going to want to swap into the body of a nearly thirty-year-old. They’ll miss out on their entire twenties. I thought you said we were a match!”

Elliot nervously coughs. “Y-You’re both within the same age bracket.”

Kayla shakes her head and rubs her eyes. “Sorry, Fred,” she speaks through her fingers. “I can’t steal ten years of your life. As much as I’d happily take your body, that doesn’t sit well with me.”

Heat rises under Fred’s collar. “I…I-I wouldn’t mind,” he speaks up.

“Fred, are you sure?” Kayla looks him deep in his eyes. “My body clock is running low. I’m starting to get crow's feet, and I’m working a menial job that’s just enough to keep me and my cats housed.”

A moment passes as they both look into each other's eyes.

“Do you really want that pressure,” Kayla continues. “Especially when you’re giving me the chance to relive my twenties as you!?”

“You have cats?” Fred asks with a soft smile. “What are their names?”

Surprised, Kayla blinks several times before smiling. “Erm…Cuscus, Meowmeow and Whiskers.”

“Oh, cute!” Fred beams a smile. “I’d like you to come and visit them if we did exchange lives.”

Kayla throws Elliot a confused look before smiling wide at Fred. “S-Seriously?”

“Yes.”

Taken aback, Kayla doesn’t know where to look. “S-Seriously? I—I’d really like that.” She glances down at her hands, fidgeting nervously. “I wonder if they’d still recognize me when I’m finally a man…”

Fred smiles gently. “Only one way to find out.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Elliot stops the pair mid-conversation. “Let’s slow things down here. Fred still has another Match to meet before we decide on anything.”