They've built a home out of copper and glass at the outskirts of the city – somehow, they've pummelled it into shape with their dreams. It's small, diminutive – a creaky clanging thing that butchers the horizon. They'll be asked to move soon enough, probably. He's spotted the dirty glances most of the neighbours send their way when Reze's not busy endearing herself to them. But it's alright for now.
Denji sits on his bed, the house rickety and sighing around him, thumbing a book.
Reze's busying herself at the counter – the clank of pots and pans and her jarring out of tune humming do nothing to help his concentration. The oil lamp flickers. He squints and the letters blur together on the page in front of him.
There's an obstinate set to his jaw as his fingers trace the next word. A-D-D . "Add.... add the pow- Power ? No, that'd be weird."
The humming stops, he feels Reze's breath on his neck. He goes still, his nose wrinkles at the scent of oil – inseparable to her ever since she began doing some odd jobs as a mechanic for a bit of cash. Or something like that, since that's what she tells him. He doesn't think he'll ever trust her, but she's OK with that.
Reze's OK with a lot of things is what she tells him. Except for kissing him. She won't do that.
"What're you reading?" Reze asks now and then snatches the book out of his hands.
"Hey! Give that back!" Denji yells, reaching for the book which she holds above his reach. Her green eyes scan the cover.
"Let's see, the Perfect Cup of Coffee?" She laughs. "You were reading this?"
Denji grumbles. "Trying to, at least."
Reze laughs again – it's an unpleasant sound. "Why?"
He mumbles something.
"Didn't hear you."
"I said I wanted to do my bit, right?" he says angrily. "They're hiring a bar- barrey's – you know."
"Cocoa's hiring a barrista? Huh... so you wanted to apply. That's sweet of you."
Denji goes red and then lunges for the book again. She dances out of the way, giggling. "A book can't teach you about coffee, you know, Denji. You gotta make it! Make it again and again and again until you get it right."
Denji pouts. "I don't wanna drink so much coffee, though. It's gross."
"Hmm – you know, okay, that's a bad idea. You'll get, like, high on sugar and that would suck." Reze grins. "I'll taste test, alright? You can make me all the coffee I need. I'll buy some barf bags for it just in case."
"We kinda need money, don't we?" It's not a question. Denji takes the book back from her.
"Ugh, you're like so financially conscious . Stealing's always an option," Reze says, collapsing onto the bed.
"Then we'll be on the run. Again." The last word is pointed.
"I can blow up anyone who comes after us, you know. Cinders keep their mouths shut," Reze retorts.
Denji thinks for a second then shrugs. "Whatever, sure. Works, I guess." He lies back onto the bed.
Through a gap in the corrugated steel, he can see the stars. For a few minutes, he's perfectly content – lying next to his not-really-crush-maybe-friend, completely free. He grunts, turns on his side.
"Ew," Reze says and then sticks out her tongue at him which immediately brings up a whole set of memories that completely ruin the moment.
He opens his mouth to protest. There's a knock on the door and Reze jumps.
"Shit," she hisses under her breath. In seconds her bony fingers are on him and she's dragging him off the bed.
"What're you doing?" he asks groggily.
"Shh, I'm hiding you."
Denji hums. "Oh, OK. Alright."
She pushes him under the bed but it's too small a space – his shoulder juts outward and she elbows him, hard.
"Ow," he says. "Quit it."
"Shut up!" she says, even louder.
He keeps quiet – she'll owe him another favour.
He sits in the darkness under that musty pressing smell of unwashed blankets. His nose tickles, he wants to sneeze.
He focuses on Reze's footsteps instead as she pads over to the door.
"Yes?" her voice says clearly.
She's probably smiling real nice, or something at whatever grumpy neighbour it is this time. She can act. Denji flicks his fingers experimentally as an unfamiliar male voice filters through the room.
"I'm sorry, I don't really know who you are?" says Reze.
He raps his knuckles against the underside of the bed – it makes a hollow sound.
"Oh," says Reze's voice.
There's a laugh. The door creaks open further. Soft footsteps walk over to the bed. Are those sneakers?
The covers are flipped up – for a moment Denji can only blink stupidly at the sudden brightness. Then a face comes into view – a smiling one with an insane amount of piercings on his ear. Like what Aki would have gotten himself, if he had stopped being edgy and dumb as shit for once. He wonders why the face won't stop smiling, why it's looking at him like he's on a plate. Kinda like Makima, but not nearly as hot because it's a guy. He wonders where Reze is.
"Hello there," says the black-haired boy. "You must be Denji.'
a/n
odnt i dont even LiKE coffee???
i finished (?wtf) a long fic for the first time (AOs dont know how i warmup for coll essays). the chapter lengths r rlly not consistent bcos i am Bad at outlining.
fun fact this fics tentative title was 'reze stage three'. i need a diagnosis she resides in my brain 24/7. i have played back her voice in the anime abt a hundred times now i'm okay. i
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the same old fears | denreze
Fanfiction"won't you run away with me?" They've built a home out of copper and glass at the outskirts of the city. Somehow, they've pummelled it into shape with their dreams. - The one where they run far, far away. ---------- about: denji and reze run away t...
