[Denji x Reze] COUNTRY MICE | a Chainsaw Man Fanfiction

Chapter Six: Dreams

   The sunset lingered for hours in Reze's impatient mind. She didn't get her hopes up for much, but this was something to get her hopes sky high for. This was her dream. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd dreamt of the opportunity to lead a normal life. That dream she had as a young girl was about to come true, stronger than she'd ever imagined; she'd be accompanied by someone to spend her life with. Denji wasn't perfect; he needed work, but the way Reze saw his flaws made her appreciate him more. It made him human. The girl was so used to being around blank-slate soldiers that meeting someone as erratic as the blonde boy was refreshing. They would now have the freedom to grow together, which excited her. She hoped to be a good influence on Denji. However, she did note they hadn't spoken about "dating" and wondered if Denji would find someone else or leave her once they moved away. Reze pushed the looming anxiety out of her head.

Reze turns her face towards the happy squalling of two children playing together; their mother supervises them with a smile trailing her soft face.

   "Are we ready to go home? To go see Daddy?" The two children eagerly laugh and trot to their mother, taking her hand on either side and walking to the bus. Reze takes note of the bus's number. If a happy family was headed in that direction, that was the way that the pair needed to go, no? She took note of a few families, discarding those who looked too prim and proper for her. She didn't desire that life; she just wanted something simple. Gazing at a map near the bus stop, she saw where they were going—somewhere rural, exactly where she'd like to end up. Reze decided she would go as far in this direction as the bus driver would take the pair.

   As time ticked forward, Denji still wasn't there; nightfall was upon them. The last bus was about to leave. Had Denji flaked on her? Reze's excitement was borderline anxiety until riled foot steps came from behind her. Reze flinches to look behind herself quickly out of instinct, before a huge smile comes over her face.

"Denji!" She warmly greeted the ditzy blonde, who looked disgruntled, to say the least.

"Oh, shit, did I miss the bus?" Denji cried dramatically.

"No," Reze replied to him with a relieved chuckle. Though truth be told, she thought that he was going to All that Denji packed with him was a half-full garbage bag. Reze only brought herself and the clothes on her back. The thought that the two of them together wouldn't fill a suitcase made her thoughts turn depressing, as she realized that they were deprived of more than what came to the surface. "I'm really happy that we're doing this," Reze beams, pushing worry from her brain. "I think this will really change our lives for the better, you know? Less stress." She nods at her own affirmation. "What's the first thing you're going to do? Once we're settled in," she continues, interrupting her question, "I think the first thing I want to do is go get an education. I've always been book smart; I just don't have anything to show it." She tells Denji. Denji is distracted by her radiant smile, which illuminated her cutesy face with pure happiness. From her sparkling emerald eyes to her rosy cheeks, her joy is simply contagious. It's a sight that filled his heart with warmth and brought a smile to his own face, knowing that his presence gave her so much hope. "-maybe even make some of my own friends, girl friends. I've never had a girl friend before." She trails.

   Her mention of making friends made reality dawn on him. For the first time, he was worried. Would Power be as upset as she put on? Would Aki move on and forget about him? Denji made a promise to be Makima's pet, and by breaking that promise, he wondered if Makima would act on her half of the deal by killing him like a devil. For the first time, Denji worried for his safety. For the first time, Denji worried for someone else's safety.

   Reze was still going on about her dreams; he couldn't help but be envious of her growing ambitions and how broad her visions of life were. His life was comparable to that of a dog on a chain. He never traveled as much as Reze. He didn't know what life was like outside of the area he was chained to. Denji was always stuck somewhere. stuck with his father, stuck paying debts, stuck with Makima. He only knew how far his chain would go. Now, he saw Reze as his world. With that, he'd loyally follow her until the ends of the earth. He wondered if she was okay with that. Her independence scared him at times. He never understood how to live life without someone telling him what direction to go; he never understood what it was to be free.