[ He barely recoils, but Denji still feels the slightest strain away at his fingertips, that alone cause enough to swiftly frighten the vice from his grip. It's a little ridiculous — there's a swollen imprint of his teeth scabbing over on Aki's thigh. Now, he's being careful?

Denji doesn't understand it himself, brushing softly at the spot he'd pulled too hard against Aki's scalp.

But during sex, it's different. The pleasure balances the pain, something sweet to chase away the bitterness their bodies soak up on a daily basis, like a used rag. It goes down good, better than how it feels to go about his day when all he has to worry about is getting school on time. When there are no corpses piling up, no sirens to herald his arrival, no one saying the magic words — Save me, Chainsaw Man — that's what doesn't feel normal. That's what feels strange to him. Off-putting. Like coming home to an open door when you're pretty sure you locked it when you left; what monsters hide inside a normal life? He's not sure he's ready to find out. Not without… ]

In a normal life, you aren't here anymore. You woulda stayed dead when 'Denji' killed you. But… because of 'Chainsaw Man,' I get to see you again.

[ And because of Chainsaw Man, he can save Aki someday. ]