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Day 1: Denji I: Kiss

I remember when Himeno kissed me and I thought that it was gonna be something really cool, like how all the shit I had gone through would have been worth it if I could get a good kiss from a really hot lady like her. But then she threw up in my mouth, and I swallowed most of it, and even now I hate thinking about my first kiss because of how shitty it was, and how later she kissed me again and just used it to pour nasty beer down my throat. I wished I got to know Himeno more, be her friend like she said she wanted to be, but that's something I'm gonna be pissed at for a long time I think.

When I first kissed Reze, it started off good, and it was something like out of one of those romance movies what with it being under the fireworks, it was a lot different than Himeno, and it was a lot better until it wasn't. She bit off my tongue, it was painful, and what I thought was turning into one of the best nights of my life suddenly became a nightmare. She kissed me again, but I think she was trying to apologize in her own way.

I still sometimes think about what a kiss from Makima would have been like.

That kiss with Asa was weird, she told me she hated me and didn't want to see me again, and I was confused, I though we were having a good time, but I guess she hated me, so I guess that was it. But then she kissed me anyway, and even though I was too surprised by it to really enjoy it, I still liked it. It was the only kiss that didn't hurt. But then I later found out that wasn't Asa, that was Yoru, and that she was trying to kill me.

I thought that maybe I should try and stop kissing girls, I never had any luck with it, so maybe I should just give up on that?

But then things started looking up with Asa, for real Asa this time, and so I went up and kissed her myself, if girls kept giving me bad kisses then maybe I should at least try once to get a good kiss for myself. She didn't slap me, like I thought she would have, she kind of freaked out and turned all red, but she didn't hate it.

I then got more good kisses from her after that.

When Reze came back, and things smoothed out between us, she kissed me again, but she didn't bite off my tongue this time. She said I deserved at least much from her, and you know what? Despite everything that happened, I really did miss her, and I wonder what things would have been like if we ran off together.

I like kissing Asa, and I like kissing Reze. They like kissing me too, and they also like kissing one another. I also like watching them kiss, and they each like watching me kiss the other.

I'm getting plenty of good kisses these days, and I can't help but think back to how this all happened.

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Day 2: Reze I: Hope

Reze knew that, on paper at least, she wasn't too much of a good person. She was an assassin, a spy, a murderer with an ocean of blood on her, but at the same time she's like that because that was how she was raised, and not doing what she was told would only get her killed. For a long while, it never occurred to her that she could be more than what she was, a soldier, a spy, a weapon or a tool. Thoughts of being a person who was allowed be happy on her own terms was some far off fantasy that she could never have. And she was content to that, she wasn't a good person, so she had to live with that.

Then she met Denji. She was meant to either kidnap him or kill him and take his heart, it was just another assignment, but Denji was different from those awful, middle-aged politicians and leaders she was meant to ensnare. He was kind, and he made her happy. It was such a low standard, but it was true, and she had been sincere in her offer to run away, but when he refused her heart dropped because she knew what she had to do because she had no choice. Later, when she did make her own choice, the universe decided to be cruel and strike her down when he was just out of reach, and into the hands of a red-haired devil.

But she's back, and Denji is here, and he still makes her happy despite her not deserving it. And there's someone else. Her name is Asa, she's a bit weird, standoffish and possessed by a devil, but she makes Denji happy, and they get along with one another rather well. She's happy for him, she really is, after all Denji deserves more than her after everything she did to him, so she was stupid to think he would hold out of her. That doesn't change the fact that it hurts her heart to see them together, and despite all her training to shut off her emotions she can't help but want to cry at times.

That's when an idea comes to her, and it's a dumb idea, it has no chance of working and at best she's throwing away any chance of being their friends out the window. But she's sad, and she's desperate for that familiar warmth in her heart. So she makes a decision, one that she will put everything she is into to make it work if she's given the chance to do so.

And so with a nervous heart, the first time in a long time she had felt nervous and uncertain of herself, Reze made her way to Asa and took a the first step to the life she wanted for herself.

“Asa, can I talk to you for a moment?”

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Day 3: Reze II: Negotiations

Despite the complications behind everything, Reze really did like Asa, because with how stuck-up, serious, judgmental, and high-strung she could be, she was also kind, understanding, sympathetic, and a genuinely good person who wanted to do what she thought was right. Sure, there were times that Asa didn't seem too certain about her, Reze couldn't blame her for that since she assumed most people would be at least a little bit wary around their boyfriend's ex. And considering what Reze is about to propose, she might burn this bridge to the ground, and if she does and Asa never wants to talk to her again, Reze will not only mourn the relationship she had with Denji, but the friendship she had been building with Asa as well.

“Want I want to say is complicated, and messy,” Reze started, because she was having a difficult time trying to figure out how to say this, so she needed to get this rolling. “And I want you to fully hear me out before you say anything, please?”

“Okay...” There was a look of uncertainty on Asa's face, and it didn't fill Reze with confidence.

Reze sighed, and braced herself before speaking. “As you know, Denji and I used to have a thing together, and I did everything wrong by him. I made him think I was something I was not, and I hurt him for it. He was nothing but kind and genuine to me, but I still used him, and even after being a monster to him, he still considers me a friend, I don't deserve that, but at the same time I'm grateful for that much. I regret everything I did, and I want to take it all back, to try and make things right, he deserves that much from me, at the very least. I was happy with him, and I ruined it.”

Asa looked more worry, and Reze knew she had to get to the point.

“I'm selfish, and after thinking about this, me wanting this, and even talking to you about it must make me seem like I'm just desperate and lonely. Denji was the only time in my life where I felt truly happy, and I want that happiness in my life. You make Denji happy, he smiles whenever you're around, and I can't blame him, you're a wonderful person, Asa, and you two deserve to be happy together.” She felt a bit shit for trying to butter Asa up like this, even though Reze is being truthful in her praise, and already she's beaming with pride, because she knows she needs to make it easier. “I want to be happy with Denji too, but I don't want to be the kind of person who ruins other peoples' relationships for my sake, I never want to break up you and Denji, so I have a proposition for you: If you allow me to date Denji, alongside you, then I'll be open to dating you as well. It's like I said, I'm a selfish, desperate and lonely person who wants to be happy, and I think Denji can make me happy, but I'm not so awful to want you to break up for my sake.” Reze stepped forward, and took Asa's hands into her own, who can only stare at her in wide-eyed disbelief “Asa, I know what I'm asking is weird, and so out there that most people wouldn't consider it, and you have no obligation to trust or even believe me, but I swear I would never ask such a thing if I wasn't being honest. You and Denji are happy together, and I want to be part of that happiness too, and I think we could have something wonderful together if you give me the chance. So, will you accept me, Asa?”

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Day 4: Asa I: Misunderstanding

It's hard to believe, but you're happy with your life. Odd, you know, and you expect reality to walk right up to your face and slap that happiness out of your hands and have it shatter on the floor, you're prepared for it, because that is how it always goes. You find something good, something that makes you feel as though your life is worth something, and you don't want that feeling to go away, because when it does you'll find yourself at a place even bleaker than were you started. Denji is good for you, he makes you feel special, and wanted, and you like being around him. Things were rocky at the start, things got real bad with the Church and you regret ever even looking their way, but somehow, against all odds, you found one another despite everything going against you.

When Reze showed up, and you learned about who she was, you were wary of her, because you knew it was going to be her, the thing that would tear away this happiness would be this girl that had dated Denji before you. You were afraid of her, she was sweet and kind and nothing but nice to you, but you could see right through it, why else would she be so nice if not to tear you down? Denji didn't seem to mind her, but you caught how he sometimes looked at her, the look of sadness and regret, one you know you've given off many times. So you stay wary of them.

At no point does Denji ever do anything to make you think he has betrayed you, and Reze never stepped over any kind of boundaries, in fact, she was often more friendly with you than she was to Denji. Sometimes you even hung out together, and you actually enjoy yourself when she's around. She is charming and charismatic, and funny enough to get laughs out of you, and for a moment you forget what it is she's trying to do, to butter you up, to try and destroy you. Anything she does that can be seen as nice and accommodating can only ever be an attack on you waiting to happen.

Then she has her proposal, which catches you off guard. You don't know what to think about it, about her offer, but the looks she gave you during her speech was heartbreaking.

And then after she finished, she broke down crying, and you don't know what to do. You want to say you know she's lying, how could she not, but the nature of her request, and how it involves you catches you off-guard. She told you she wanted to date Denji, you were right about that, but she also wants to date you as well? There's something more to it then that, you know it, it can't be that simple, there's always a catch. You're lucky that one person wants you in their life, so the idea that a second person wants you, or at least wants to want you, is too suspicious. It cannot happen anyway, as sorry as you feel for Reze and want her to find a happiness of her own, because it's not like you like girls like that.

You can't date her though, you're not like that.

Right?

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Day 5: Asa II: Online

You decide not to tell Denji about the conversation with Reze, you want to think about what she said, her offer, and where you stand. It's strange, you think you should be angry, offended and outraged, but you find yourself more... confused then anything else. She told you she wanted to date both of you, and that is what you are uncertain about. So you think about it, what a relationship with Reze would be like, if the two of you were to go out and date, you imagine the things you do with Denji but her in his place, being close, holding hands, laughing together and even kissing, though you are quick to dismiss the thoughts as your face heats up. But no, you don't like her, you-

Yoru yells at you, she's not happy you are doing this again, the same song and dance with Denji where you keep saying things because you don't want to imagine other certain things. You tried to argue with her, but nothing you could come up with could satisfy either of you, so you are left to stew in your thoughts and emotions again. It's troublesome and you don't know what to think.

Despite your misgiving and your unease around Reze, worried for the worst from her, she has been nothing to good to you, enough so that if circumstances had been different you would have considered her a friend. You don't have many of those, despite your desire for them. Maybe you should think of her more like that, and less worried about what harm she could bring you.

You decide to check the internet, because you don't know where else to turn to. You like the internet, it's a marvelous piece of technology where information is provided to such an unthinkable degree, and you hate how people try to ruin it. Upon loading up the search engine, you type in a question.

“How do I know if I like girls?” is your question, and a dizzying amount of information is presented to you, and you don't know where to start, but you decide to dig your heels in and begin. It's an... interesting experience, with a varied number of opinions, and you're quick to root out the ones you don't want to hear, the ones that reek of bigotry and hate, and go for the ones that are more constructive to your needs.

It's not an easy or quick process, you spend nearly a week going through it all, trying to learn more about the subject, and in turn yourself.

You like Reze, and you want to believe her plea was genuine. You know both she and Denji have their regrets, and you want to do something to help them. You each have hard, difficult lives, where your happiness was taken away from you by uncaring fates, and all each of you want is something to keep for yourself.

You decided to be more selfish, so maybe all three of you can be selfish together?

You need to talk to Denji, and depending on how he reacts, to Reze.

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Day 6: Denji II: Gifts

Even after Asa explains everything to me, I'm still reeling from it all. Reze still likes me? And she wants to date me, even though I'm with Asa now, but she's okay with dating Asa herself as well? It's kind of a lot to take in, and I really don't know what to think about it. I mean, I think about Reze a lot, about how things could have been different if we made it to the cafe, but I know it never would have happened like we wanted it to happen, there was just too much stuff in the way. I still feel the way I did back then, that despite everything she did, that turning her in would have made me feel awful. When she came back, I felt a lot of things, and I was kind of confused by them, but what I did know was that I was with Asa, and I was happy, and I didn't want to lose that with her. Whatever I had, could have had with Reze, was done and over with but I was happy to be her friend.

But...

“How do you feel about this?” I asked Asa.

She looked a bit nervous. “I think... that I might be open to it. I've been thinking about it, and I think that... maybe I like girls too? I mean, I like guys too, but I guess I like both? Does that bother you?” she said, looking uncertain, and maybe a bit afraid.

“Nah, it doesn't,” I said, and she looked relieved. “But you'd be opening to dating both of us? And me dating both of you? And her dating both of us?”

“I admit, it might not be easy, I'm me after all, so I can see how a lot of things could go wrong, but Reze really seems to think that being with us might be her best chance at being happy. I don't know if she's right or wrong, but at the very least I'm willing to be open-minded about this. What about you?”

Reze hurt me, but still I want things between us to be better, and I believe her when she said she was sorry about everything that had happened between us, and that she wants to be a better person. I'm happy with my life, and I'm happy with Asa who also seems happy with me. I want Reze to be happy too.

“Yeah, I'm open to this too, I think.” I once said I wanted ten girlfriends, but I think that was maybe a bit much, but two girlfriends is good enough, especially if they get along themselves. I admit, there's a lot about Reze I don't know, she's not really for talking about herself, not that I can blame her, but I could always tells there was just a lot of bad stuff in her life that she had wanted to get away with. I think Asa and me could give her that happiness we she wants.

Now we just gotta talk to her about this.

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Day 7: Denji III: Allies

So we went to Reze, and we talked to her about it, about the three of us getting together, and we talked for a while about it and what it would mean. It kind of wasn't easy, but I wasn't expecting it to be, because even though this was clearly something we all wanted there was still a bunch of stuff we had to work through. Reze feeling like she was stepping on mine and Asa's toes in our relationship and eventually feeling like a third wheel, Asa worried that she might get super jealous of either one of us if she wasn't the center of attention, and me worrying that I would do something that would screw everything up and get them both hurt because I did something stupid and selfish.

We didn't get together right then and there, we kind of had to sort through things first. So the first thing we did was that Asa and Reze went on a date without me, just so they could get to know one another better. I spent the whole time worrying that they would get along so well that they wouldn't bother with me anymore, and seeing how shitty my love life is, I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. When they got back, it looked like they had enjoyed themselves, and Asa said she had a good time with Reze, about how they went to the zoo and she talked about the hippos, and this time there were no devils to get in the way. She then told me she hoped me and Reze's date would be just as good.

And it kind of was, it was a bit weird, just the two of us like this, but we got past that soon enough, we went to the boardwalk. We played games, went on a few rides, and ate pizza, and when it was done Reze said she wanted to kiss me, that she wanted to kiss Asa too, she felt that strongly about it, but she wanted this to be official before she did.

The next date was the three of us, and we went to the movies. We ended up going to a marathon of a bunch of cheap black and white horror movies, and they were more funny than scary, and we talked about them between screenings. We had lots of fun, it was great, and I wanted to do things like this again with them.

“So... what are we now?” Reze asked after the last movie was done, looking between me and Asa.

I looked to Asa, and she gave a smile. “Yeah, I think we can do this, or at the very least try it out.”

It looked like a big weight had been lifted off Reze's shoulders as she sighed, like she was expecting the worst. That's when she walked up to me and kissed me, it was a lot better than last time, and when she pulled away we locked eyes and I forgot how green her eyes were, before she told me that was to make up for the last time we kissed. She then stepped away from me and walked to Asa, and pulled her into a kiss, and it was funny seeing how surprised Asa was by the kiss, but after a moment she got used to it, and she seemed to enjoy. When they pulled apart, Asa was all red-faced, and me and Reze could help but laugh, and if Asa felt bad about that, I think I made up for it by kissing her.

So that's how we got together, and I think we're going to work out from here.

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Day 8: Denji IV: Hurt

The devil I'm fighting swings a claw at me, and even though I raise an arm to block it, it still goes through and my arm rips off, it fucking hurts but I keep going, and because it thinks that I'm going to buckle and collapse from the pain it lets its guard down. It's a sucker, so I swing my other arm and bury the chainsaw blade into his giant paw and skin and blood and bone start to get everywhere, and it screams in pain and draws itself back from me because it hurts too much. It's not like me, if it gets hurt it tries to get away from the thing that had hurt it, but me? Pain means chances, it means opportunity, and if you get hurt in just the right way, it can loop around and start to feel good.

That's how it's always been for me.

When I was a kid, I was always hungry and cold, and I got hurt a lot when I was hunting devils to pay off a debt I didn't owe, and me dying was the most painful thing I ever felt. When I worked with Public Safety I fought devils every day, I died all the time and was ripped apart, crushed, beheaded, stabbed, drowned and spent days fighting a devil that did nothing but rip me apart. No matter what though, I always got back up, I always pulled myself together because what else was I supposed to do? It was only pain, it wasn't anything I hadn't experienced before, so what exactly was the big deal?

Life was just unpleasant, it sometimes sucks and you get hurt, but you got to just roll with it because there's not much you can do about it. My first few kisses all sucked because either someone vomited down my throat or someone bit my tongue off. Even the kiss I thought was good because it didn't hurt only happened because the person who was actually kissing me did it to try and kill me.

Just get used to the pain.

But then I got to know Asa better, and we kissed for real, because she wanted to kiss me, and it didn't hurt, and she meant it. Then Reze came back, and she didn't want to hurt me, she wanted to make sure I was safe. It was kind of weird to be honest, like I kept expecting something to go wrong with them, for things to turn to crap if I'm not careful, but so far everything is good. They're nice, and warm and safe, they make me feel good without it meaning something bad happening to me. When Asa holds my hand, I like it, it's comforting, when Reze hugs me, it's safe, and I like holding them back because I want them to feel comfortable and safe.

Life is filled with all sorts of things that are out to hurt you for no reason, but sometimes you find something that just doesn't.

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Day 9: Reze III: Acting

When Reze returned to the apartment, she was greeted by the sight of seeing Denji and Asa sitting on the floor in front of the TV, though the movie they were watching was seemingly forgotten about as they were making out. It was soft and sensual, wanting the sensations to last for as long as they could, taking simple comfort in one another's presence, so much that they did not seem to notice her arrival. Reze was tempted to stand back and watch, to see how long it would take them to notice her, and enjoy the sights before her until then, they were both attractive and she liked watching them do attractive things, but she decided against that. Where would the fun in that be?

So Reze made a loud, dramatic gasp, which was enough to get their attention, and placed a hand to her cheek.

“Oh my, oh dear!” she said with a bit of added flair. “How could I walk in on such a sight? With my beloved partner in the arms of another?” It's a game they sometimes play, where she'll sometimes walk in on them like this and play the part of the scorned woman because it's fun to see how they react and where they'll go with it. “Have I not been a faithful and dutiful lover? What could I have done to deserve such treatment?” She had a hard to keeping down her grin.

As usual, Asa was he one who was red-faced at getting “caught”, while Denji could only grin in amusement. “Maybe I like the idea of be able to kiss two girls?” he said, his arms already moving to embrace Asa.

“Such lechery and greed!” Reze walked up to them and knelt down to where they sat. “If you intend to take another woman behind my back, then perhaps I should steal her away from you.” Reze then reached forward and pulled Asa into a kiss, and her embarrassed fluster soon melted away as she kissed back. “Would it fill you with envy if If I were to take her away from you? Would your passions become heated?"

Denji pulled Asa back into his arms and began to kiss her down the neck, to which she softly moaned. “If you want her, then you'll have to take her from me.”

Reze crawled forward until Asa was between the two of them. “Maybe, instead of fighting over her, we both indulge in lechery and greed?” She kissed Asa's cheek.

“I don't think she minds,” Denji said, kissing Asa's other cheek. “Do you mind if we share you instead of fight over you?”

“No I don't,” Asa gasped between them as they moved closer on her until she is sandwiched between their bodies. “Please share me!” She sometimes complained when they ganged up on her like this, saying it wasn't fair, but it never took her too long to fully get into it and she's left at their mercy.

Who were they to refuse Asa's request?

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Day 10: Reze IV: Neighbors

Reze prefers to go to Denji's place, if she had a choice between her's or Asa's, it was fairly nice, and she had been told it was larger than the previous apartment he lived in, nicer too, and it was closer to her own small and dingy apartment than Asa's, who actually lived closer to him than she did, so it wasn't uncommon for all three of them to meet up there for a variety of reasons. Still, whenever she went there she always found herself holding her breath hoping not to run into one of his neighbors.

Today was not her lucky day, as she caught said neighbor, an older woman with a friendly smile, just as she was leaving her own apartment.

“Oh, hello there dear, it's good to see you again,” the woman said as she locked the door behind her. “Off to see Denji?”

Reze gave a polite smile. “Why yes I am, I want to spend the day hanging out with him.”

The woman slightly nodded her head and hummed. “Just so you know, but I think I saw Asa come here earlier, just so you know, though it's none of my but I sometimes can't help but worry about you two.”

Here they go, again. “How so?”

“Well, I just find it strange that a young man like that would hang around two girls like you as much as he does, one might thing he was being inappropriate behind your backs. Denji's a nice boy and all, but he sometimes seems like the kind of boy who might not consider the feelings of others like that.”

Reze didn't even know where to begin with this. “No, I think he knows how things are, and how we all feel, so there's nothing to worry about there. I can promise you, there is nothing going on that I don't know about myself.” She sometimes encouraged it.

“Well, if you're sure.” Another moment passed before she spoke up. “Oh, have you give any thought about my son? I keep telling you he's single, and if you're not dating anyone right now, I think you might make a cute couple.”

“Sorry, but I'm just not interested in looking for any guys right now.” She already found the one she wanted.

The woman gave another hum, this one a bit troubled. “I know it's none of my business,” But that didn't stop her from asking these kinds of things. “But...” She leaned in close to Reze, as if though she was about to tell her some kind of secret. “You're not one of those kinds of girls that only like other girls, right?”

Reze could only laugh. “Sorry, but I'm not a lesbian, if you think that's the problem.” She liked girls just as much as she liked guys. Her boyfriend and girlfriend could both attest to that.

“Oh! I didn't mean it like that!” the woman said as she pulled back. “I mean, even if you were like that, it wouldn't be a problem, just so you know.”

Again, Reze politely smiled. “Of course not, but anyway I have to get going now, Denji and Asa are waiting for me.”

“Well goodbye dear, have a good time.”

She intended to have a very good time.

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Day 11: Asa III: Double

“So, um...” You try to find the words, but you have trouble finding them, though in this case, it's not really much of a problem, you are both aware of that, because she already knows what it is you want to say. That being said, over time you've gained a respect for one another, one that was hard earned, so she will not answer to your thoughts, only to your words and allow you your privacy. “What do you think about... this?”

“This?” Yoru answered back. “And what is “this” and you speak of?”

You take a breath, to try and organize your thoughts. “About Denji and I. Reze and I. All three of us? You've been oddly silent on the whole thing.”

Even after all this time, it's still strange to have Yoru with you, to have a reflection of you beside you, the same but so different. It wasn't just her eyes or the scars on her face, but the way she talks and holds herself with, exuding a confidence that comes so easy to her that you always need to build yourself up towards.

“I don't have any opinions that I didn't have when you started dating Denji, you've just added another person to the mix. I still give your the privacy and respect your need for this relationship to work.” There's a pause, as if she's going over something. “As much as I can.”

Yoru makes things rather complicated, you share a body, a mind, and to a degree thoughts and emotions, you've bled into one another so it's hard to tell at times what is you and what is her. For the most part it works out, but there have been a few times where the lines were blurred, and those were where problems could arise.

“Thank you, Yoru, that means a lot to me. I knows this is my love life, but you're involved in this too, so I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Think nothing of it, your affairs will not have any negative affects on me, I can promise you that, your love life is a harsh battle, one that could contend with any I had fought, and so you should be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and I will not be the one to deny you such winnings.” Though, I will ask that you try and keep your more explicit thoughts to yourself.”

“I'm not thinking anything like that!” It's an obvious lie on your part, but you refuse to give her that win.

The look on her face makes it clear she does not desire to play this game. “When you reach the point where you decide to rut with them like sweaty animals, let me have notice of advance before such a thing, I want to shut myself off from that.”

All you can do is burn in embarrassment as you try and not think about certain things.

“Unless that's a kind of desire you wish to explore and want to swap places.”

“YORU!”

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Day 12: Denji V: Struggling

I sometimes think about Aki and Power. Okay, I think about them all the time when I'm trying to not think about them, and it's hard not too unless it is. I lost Pochita, but he's still with me, I can talk to him whenever I want cause he's right here, all I got to do is pull at my shirt and look down at my chest, but I can't do that with Aki and Power. They're just done. Makima said she gave me a older brother and a younger sister, a family to call my own, just so she could take them away from me and break me down. It almost worked too, I killed Aki, and I killed Power, and I wanted to just give up because I didn't want to live in a life where they were just gone.

Power saved me though, she was there when I needed her the most, and she gave up everything to make sure I had a shot at beating Makima, and it was because of the blood I got from her that I was able to take her down. It was because of Power that I got to meet Nayuta eventually, and there's something about that I like because the two of them ended up being so much alike that I would have wanted them to meet more than anything. Maybe one day, if I can fulfill my end of our contract and find the new Blood Devil, they can meet her, but I don't even know where to start.

I killed Aki though, there's no taking that back, it doesn't matter what me or anyone else says, how you try and think about it or justify it, I killed him. It doesn't matter if he was a fiend, Aki's dead because of me.

Then there was all the stuff with Public Safety, and the Church, and everything bad that happened and what they put me and Nayuta through, how we lost everything we had and how we had so little left and they still wanted to take it. I just wanted for once thing to go right, to not feel as though I had to hold onto to something until my fingers started to bleed.

It's still like that, but it feel like I have a better grip on things with Asa and Reze. Reze caused all sorts of problems when we first met, and there was all kind of stuff in the way when it came to Asa, and as much as I would have wanted things to work out between us, I just kind of had to accept that it wasn't going to happen. I just had to roll with the punches because it was hard just keeping my grip on the things I did have, because I knew it was easy to just lose those kinds of things. But I wasn't good at it, and I still lost.

But maybe someone decided to take pity on me, and I got some things back, and I got second chances with them, I got to keep being Nayuta's family, and when Asa and Reze came back into the picture, we somehow made things work.

Life just keeps finding ways to try and screw me over, but I gotta keep this up because I know it won't let up, but I think it's worth it.

I really wish my old family got to meet my new one.

Chapter Text

Day 13: Asa IV: Fantasy

You often think about your mother, it's hard not to think about her. You think about her every day if you can help it, because if you don't take the time to remember everything about her, you're afraid that one day you'll forget some small detail and you'll never notice its absence. It's the best thing you can do for her, and one day you'll hope you can accept the truth that you did not kill her, but that's maybe a long ways off. She was loving and kind with you, endlessly patient in a way that no one else was, and no matter how hard your day was she would be there to hold you in her arms and the worries and fears you have would melt away.

You often wonder what her reactions to Denji and Asa would be like, because while Denji can be rough around the edges she has this charm once you get to know him, and Reze is charismatic enough to get along with anyone the first chance they meet. They're important to you, so you hope that your mother would have accepted them for who they were to you. There's this small part of you that worries you, however, of what might have happened if she not only learned that you were in a relationship with multiple people, but that one of them was a woman, the thought that she would have shunned you makes you sick to your stomach. You never heard her express any kind of opinions on such things, one way or another, so you'll never know.

But this woman had died for you, she valued your life over her own. Despite whatever guilt you have that eats at you from the inside, you cannot dishonor her memory by thinking anything less of the unconditional love she showed you. No, you were wrong, she would have loved Denji and Reze, she might have been concerned or even confused at your choice of partners at first, but you could see her coming to love them in the way she loved you, and they would have loved her as well.

Sometimes you dream about what that kind of meeting would be like, how you would invite them over and tell her about them, how you would help her around the house and make sure everything was perfect for them. She would tease you in the way she did that made you feel embarrassed, something you craved now, and when they got here they would talk, she would ask them question, and they would all get along. You would eat a dinner that you helped prepared, and she would tell them that she was so happy that her daughter found someone to love her in the way she deserved to be loved.

You like those dreams, you wish you could have them more.

Your mother was a special woman, and the world became a darker place when she died, and it is nothing short of a tragedy that Denji or Reze never got to meet her.

Chapter Text

Day 14: Denji VI: Mentor

I don't know Quanxi all that much, she tried to kill me a few times, but it was balanced out by the few times she helped me, or at least I think that's it, I can't be sure. But at least she's someone who who didn't seem like she hated me, and the few times we got together for whatever reason, when she wasn't trying to kill me, weren't so bad. She said it was never personal, the times she tried to kill me, but I guess that makes things okay?

Anyway, one day she called me out to have lunch, and she made it a point that it was at really nice cafe, and at first I turned her down because I still wasn't sure where we stood but then she offered to pay for everything, so the next thing I know I'm sitting across from her at the booth we were at and I got the most expensive stuff on the menu.

“So, I heard you have two girlfriends now,” she asked, after having taken a sip of her coffee. I don't care what anyone said, coffee was still gross.

I swallowed my bite of burger. “Yeah, so what about it?”

“I used to have multiple girlfriends as well, it's a practice that I admire for and I was curious to see what the deal with you three was.”

“And?”

“I'm not impressed.”

“Seriously?” Did she really have me call me out her just to make fun of me? Whatever, I got a free meal out of it, and I'm going to use it. “You said you were paying for everything, so just a head's up I'm going to order extra deserts for the girls.”

She was kind of giving me this blank look, and I didn't know what she was thinking about, but unless she wanted me to know I wasn't going to put the effort in to care about it. “Is that so?”

“Yeah.” I heard the cake here was good, so I'm sure they'd love it too. “So get ready to pay big.”

Don't know why, but that got a laugh out of her. “Congratulations, you're now someone that has gotten on the very short list of people that I have some level of interest in.”

“Huh? Okay. And?”

“What it means, is that I may have an interest in seeing this little relationship of yours succeed, in part because I don't care much for conventional dating traditions and I want to see such subversions, but also because also because I have my own experience with such things.”

“So... that means you can give advice?”

“That's true.”

I thought back to some of the stuff that happened between the three of us, and even though we're all together now, there are still some times something feels off, like I could be doing something different to make things better for them. I didn't want either of them to think I was a shitty boyfriend that would treat them badly.

“Okay, I got a few questions.”

Chapter Text

Day 15: Asa V: Caring

You remember the first time you met Reze, back at the containment facility on your mission to rescue Chainsaw Man. Your already shaky alliance with Fami had broken down, and you had been doing everything to shut out Yoru's outrage as you decided to go against what they wanted, but you were left alone in hostile territory during a devil outbreak with no idea what to do, or how to even proceed. Everything had gone wrong, and you were afraid and frustrated.

“I just want to save Chainsaw Man!” you had cried in desperate despair.

“Did you say Chainsaw Man?” said a voice, and suddenly you're facing a girl, dressed in a prisoner's uniform with a heavy metal collar around her neck. “Wait, is Denji here?”

You quickly learned that she was one of the devils who had decided to make a break for it during the chaos you created, but when you yelled about Chainsaw Man, and she said it was “Denji”, it opened things up for you. There was no time to get into length about how as she had described the boy who had stood you up how you realized so much of what you thought you knew was wrong, and that terrible guilt coiled in your gut like a viper ready to strike. Once you were both on the same page about Denji being Chainsaw Man, she said she wanted to help you find him, and you didn't know what to do about that. There was so much going on, but you lacked anyone to back you up, so despite your worries and fears you let her join you.

With a little bit of self-convincing, you made her collar into a new weapon, freeing her own, devastating powers.

Together you were able to find Denji, or rather what had been done to him.

They had cut him to pieces, with his body parts sealed in airtight plastic bags and stuffed into a cooler they kept in a freezer, and the sight of his severed head staring back at you nearly made you throw up. Grief nearly overtook you as you were overcome with the sense of failure once again.

Reze, as she introduced herself, told you this was alright, that if they gave him blood, he would be well, but despite her assurance she still seemed upset by what had happened. Together you ripped open the bags and assembled his body into the correct order, like some macabre jigsaw puzzle, and you tried to ignore the fact he was naked.

When he was fully assembled, you used a hastily created weapon and asked Reze to cut deep into you palm, not at all thinking how should she could have used that knife to betray you, and you let your blood flow down the open hole on top of his shoulders. Reze added her own blood to the mix, and together some color began to return to the frozen torso, because with the state he was in he would need as much blood as you could spare.

Reze held the torso down while you pulled the ripcord, and after a few false starts, the pathetic puttering threatening to destroy your heart, did it come to life and bladed chains grew from his wounds to pull him back back together.

You swore to yourself you would take care of Denji from then on, and it would seem that Reze made a similar promise too.

Chapter Text

Day 16: Asa VI: Fiction

When you were younger you had an active imagination, ideas would come to your head and you never knew what to do with them, so you wrote down stories and drew pictures in your journals, and you hummed the songs that you made up. You mother liked this about you, and encouraged you to explore this part of yourself, and you did, it was a fun thing to do, and it always made you feel good about yourself to have an outlet to express yourself.

When she died, you decided to put away such childish notions.

When Denji, and later Reze came into your life, you found yourself falling back into old habits. On the spot you wrote songs about them, you found yourself drawing them in your notebooks when your attention was half-elsewhere, and even though there's this need to get ideas onto the paper you can never resist it. It's an old, classic kind of story, but you've always been a fan of those.

Once upon a time there was a princess. She was fair and kind, and most of all beautiful, and she lived in a tower, locked away because she the keeper of a monstrous bird demon-

“Watch it.”

...Dragon. The princess was powerful, of course, but she could not both defeat the dragon and keep it weak enough to to seal away, and so she waited and sent out a message, that whoever came to her tower and slayed the dragon would win her heart. Many came, drawn in by the princess' beauty and intelligence, but they all failed and ran, unable to match the dragon even in its weakened state.

One day two champions arrived, a knight and a sorceress. The knight was brave and attacked with endless courage, while the sorceress wielded powerful explosive magics, and together they challenged the dragon. It was a difficult battle, they fought with everything they had, but no matter what the dragon did they always managed to stand up and continue the fight. The knight cut open the steel-hard scales of the dragon's hide, severing its limbs and ripping its wings, while the sorceresses' magic burned and destroyed these exposed weaknesses, and together the felled the terrible beat.

But who would the princess gift her heart too? Certainly she couldn't give choose one or the other? They had both fought valiantly, so it would not be right to deny either one of them their just reward when they had both done put the work into it, so you decided that you would give your heart to both of them for their efforts of freeing you from your duties. You were, after all, as kind as you were beautiful and intelligent, and if you wished to take on two lovers, who was there to tell you couldn't?

And so the you, the knight and the sorceress rode into the sunset, and you lived happily ever aft-

“You started going from the third to the first person towards the ending there.” Yoru said, giving unhelpful advice as she looked over your shoulder.

“It's a rough draft!” you yell, slamming the notebook shut.

Chapter Text

Day 17: Asa VII: Comet

A comet is an icy, small solar system body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or coma surrounding the nucleus, and sometimes a tail of gas and dust gas blown out from the coma. These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the outstreaming solar wind plasma acting upon the nucleus of the comet. Comet nuclei range from a few hundred meters to tens of kilometers across and are composed of loose collections of ice, dust, and small rocky particles. The coma may be up to 15 times Earth's diameter, while the tail may stretch beyond one astronomical unit. If sufficiently close and bright, a comet may be seen from Earth without the aid of a telescope and can subtend an arc of up to 30° (60 Moons) across the sky. Comets have been observed and recorded since ancient times by many cultures and religions.

You may have done a bit of research on comet for a homework assignment when you were younger when they were teaching astrology in science class, and despite not touching the subject in years the information still stuck in your mind. All they are is rocks, ice and dust, screaming through space, and while they are a wonder of nature in their own right, the magical properties that people attach to them are nonsense, the whole concept of making a wish on them as they appear in the night sky has always seemed nonsensical to you. Wishes don't come true like that, at least they don't for free, you are always required to give something up to make such fanciful desires happen.

But...

The three of you were out late, a late night run to the store for milk that somehow saw all three of you go. It was only for a brief moment, but you saw the streak of light cross the night sky, far above the light pollution, and you remember that old superstition.

What kind of thing would you wish for? It would have to be reasonable, something doable for you, but what? For a moment you began to worry and wondered if there was a time limit on when you could make a wish after seeing the star. Would the validity of the wish still count if Yoru overheard you? Were demonic possessions taken into account with these sorts of things?

Denji and Reze's conversation catches your attention, and you look back to them, smiling and laughing, and it makes your heart flutter in your chest. You ended up buying a few more thing than milk.

Ah, yes, that is what you wish for. And so you close your eyes, pray you don't trip as you walk, and send a signal to Yoru to ignore your thoughts for the next thirty seconds and you can feel her presence shift in your mind, and you make your wish.

What did you wish for? Well, that's something for only you to know.

Chapter Text

Day 18: Reze V: Team-Up

Fighting devils is something that came naturally to Denji, he pulled the cord and went to town slicing them up, it was something he enjoyed and had fun with, and Asa killed devils because she felt it was the right to thing to do, to kill the devils that meant no harm would come to people who couldn't defend themselves. They were both good at it, and in their own ways they enjoyed their work. Reze was also good at killing devils, people too, and she was violent and deadly about it. Unlike them however, she didn't enjoy it.

It took her a while to figure it out, but once she had been let off the many leashes that had strangled her though her life, Reze came to the realization that she didn't like being who she was. She didn't like being a spy, an assassin, or a monster, and if she truly had a choice, she would gladly live the quiet life of the country mouse and let the pin on her neck be nothing more than an odd piece of decorative jewelry. If she had a choice, she would rather never transform again.

A lot of people are dead because of her, and Reze is struggling to figure out if she feels guilt over those corpses she's walked over. Thinking about potential guilt is is just as good as feeling actual guilt, so that means she can become a good person?

Right?

She just wanted a normal life, and Denji and Asa understood that, and she was endlessly thankful that they did, more so than even she had originally imagined.

The current devil they were fighting was powerful, and even though Denji and Asa are strong enough on their own, enough to overtake anything they face, it's still proving to be a challenge, and all Reze can do is just not get in the way. Well, it's not all Reze can do, and even now, seeing them struggle like this, she finds herself tempted to pull the pin. Before, every time she had pulled that pin it had always served the purpose of fulfilling some mission or goal she had been giving by someone else, and every single time she had done so resulted in people dying. She shouldn't have cared, happy to let that past die down, but she's surprised to find out that she did.

For the first time ever, Reze pulled her pin because she wanted to, and with fiery explosion behind her she launched at the devil attacking her partners, catching it off guard and knocking it away just as it was about to bite down on the two of them.

When Denji and Asa saw her, they were of course concerned, they knew well about her aversion to this form, and her desire to not be in it, but she had told them that this was okay. She saw that they needed help, and she wouldn't feel right about letting them do this by themselves, so she chose to be here with them Also, if they wanted to make it up to her later, they could treat her to something nice, a joke that seemed to get a nice chuckle from the two of them, and Reze wondered if maybe she's half-joking on this.

It wasn't often they all fought together like this, but for the moment Reze enjoyed this form.

Chapter Text

Day 19: Reze VI: Break

According to the weather report, it was going to be a hot weekend, one of the hottest Japan had seen in a decade, and already Reze knew what would be a good remedy for the situation. At first her initial idea idea had to be to remove her head and put it into the refrigerator where it would be kept cool, but she was quick to strike down that idea in favor of another one.

It took little convincing on her part to get Denji and Asa to follow her suggestion for a late night trip, leaving them wondering what she had planned for the evening, but once they got to the school she saw the recognition on Denji's face while Asa was still trying to piece it together. Asa had protested when it came to breaking into the school, but Denji was quick to further encourage her, though Reze told them this wasn't going to be exactly like last time.

Last time she had come here had been with the intention of manipulation and seduction, she killed a man and gained an ally in a devil, but one little comment from Denji seeded doubt in her. As much as Denji treasured that time they had, she wanted it to be much more genuine on her end as well, so she wanted to not only recreate the pool date, but share it with Asa as well.

To Denji's disappointment, and to a degree her own, Reze brought swimsuits for the three of them, plus towels for them, and while it took a bit of nudging Asa in the end, she jumped into the pool along with them. Against the hot and muggy air, the water was cool and refreshing, and she was happy that Denji had remembered how to swim, and pleased that Asa knew as well, even though by her own admittance she couldn't recall the last time she was in a pool. They splashed, they jumped off the edge and dived to the bottom of the pool, they had impromptu races from one side to the other.

There was no rain to get in the way this time around.

For more than an hour, they enjoyed the water and the solitude that contained only them, even when things had calmed down and they mere hung in the shallows or floated about. At some point there was bumping, and skin against skin, and some actions were taken by them. Kisses were exchanged, hands were allowed to slide down arms and chests, and there was a certain level of hunger shared between them that would go unsatisfied by the time they decided to pack up and leave for the night. After they had dried off and slipped their clothes back on, they were quick to leave the school, and were pleasantly surprised by a nice breeze swept through the city, giving them a nice chill in the otherwise hot night.

Maybe one day they should get a pool of their own, or at least some kind of small, inflatable for their own personal use for nights like these.

Chapter Text

Day 20: Denji VII: Journey

When it was just me and Pochita, one of the things I wanted in my life was a girlfriend and I wanted to do stuff like kiss and play video games in my room, it was a pretty easy thing to imagine, but I hadn't actually gotten anywhere with that kind of stuff. How could I when every yen I made went to the yakuza and I lived in a shack? It was just a nice fantasy to keep me going.

When I did actually start getting into having a love life, it got messy.

There was Power, I guess she counted because I got to touch her tits, but that hadn't actually done anything for me. I thought it would be the best thing ever but it just... wasn't. Things had a chance to get further, but it never felt right to take it that way with how thing had been between us, I didn't want to take advantage of her like that.

There was that chance I had to have sex with Himeno, I could have done the biggest thing on my list right then and there, but it just didn't seem like I should have because there was something I wanted from that kind of thing that I don't think she could have given it to me.

Makima was, well, she was everything I could have wanted in the perfect girl, but in the end, she was still Makima and she hated crappy movies so I had to kill her. She did a lot of bad things to me, but I think I took away some valuable lessons from the things we did together.

Reze was great, despite everything that happened, but we just met at the wrong time.

Same with Asa.

Fumiko seemed like she would have checked off a lot of boxes, but she really sucked.

So my love life was pretty shitty up until then, and I thought that maybe I should just give up. Maybe it was just never meant to be and that maybe some of those things I dreamed up should just stay dreams and that I should focus on other dreams that seemed more easy to get going. My plate was pretty full at the time, so love would have just needed to wait, or something. If it ever came at all.

But then I met with Asa again, and Reze too, and things just kind of worked out, I guess. There was still some ugly stuff to get through, like real ugly stuff and it kind of felt like starting over again with what I knew about them. I liked both of them, but even though Reze kind of back-offed and let Asa and me go further then we did before, I couldn't help but think about her, but then Reze suggested we all date.

It was real weird, but then I thought about everything that had happened and knew that none of the stuff I had done was normal, so why should who and how I date be like that? If we were all cool with dating one another, then why shouldn't we all date one another?

Love is a journey, or something like that. At least that's something I heard once or twice, but it kind of stuck with me, and you know what? For better or worst, I think I did well in the end.

Chapter Text

Day 21: Reze VII: Wonder

For a long time, one of Reze's biggest dreams, the one she kept to herself, was to go to school, because school to her meant a kind of freedom she never had, the ability to choose the kind of future she wanted to have for herself. It was something that she had on her mind from time to time, but after meeting Denji it was a near constant thought in her head. Basic education should be a right to everyone, but not everyone is nearly as lucky, and she had hoped that one day she could attend high school, or maybe one day even college.

One day she asked Denji and Asa about their school lives.

She was proud that Denji was able to get to school, and from what he had told her her had put genuine hard work into it, but it didn't seem his grades were the best, and she had to dissuade him from thinking he was stupid and that he was only merely uneducated. Despite his own troubles he had always been encouraging towards Nayuta when it came to her schoolwork, and he had done everything he could to save up for her college fund.

Asa on the other hand took her studying very seriously, she always studied and strove for good grades, but her social life was non-existent, she had no friends, she didn't join clubs, nor did she partake in any extracurricular activities.

Between Denji's grades and Asa's social life, it wasn't exactly the image she had conjured in her head, but then again she didn't expect her idealized fantasy to be real like that. Despite that however, she still liked to think about what it might have been like in a better world where the three of them got to go to school together.

They would go to classes together, and eat lunch on the roof, after school they would make plans for karaoke or the movies or something get together in study groups. Other students would talk about if Denji was dating either her or Asa, and Reze would just giggle at their confusion. They cold join clubs, take part in school events, and makes those later years in their teenage lives something to remember for the rest of their lives.

It's something she would wonder about from time to time, and maybe she would tell them about it sometime, to see if they wouldn't want to have fun talking about the big What Ifs they missed together.

Chapter Text

Day 22: Reze VIII: Pirate

Movies were something the three of them did often, be it go out to see them, or rent one from the local video stories, but they had wanted to try and get at least one movie in a week. It was Denji's suggestion, and from what she could gather the source of that desire wasn't exactly the best place, but his sentiment for this bonding activity was genuine, and that is what Reze appreciated about it. The movies were mostly random and spanned varying genres, action, horror, romance, ect, though they all had their own preferences, such as Asa not wanting to admit that she liked sappy love stories, or who Denji tended to get drawn into movies that were very character-focused. Reze herself liked actions films, she was a sucker for a good explosion and she didn't know if that was obvious or ironic.

Today's movie had been a pirate movie from the late 60's, with sailing, swashbuckling and treasure hunting, a classic kind of adventure story that had an impressive final fight between the two pirate captains, and in the end the good pirate got away with the treasure and the governor's daughter.

“Pirates were never that heroic,” Asa said from her spot leaning against Denji's shoulder, she'd not been too impressed with the movie. “They were criminals and did all sorts of horrible thing.”

“Come on, you were rooting when he swung at the rope with the lady so they could sail away together,” Denji said with a teasing grin, poking her in the shoulder.

“I did not,” Asa said, turning away from him and knocking his hand away, with a light red flush on her face.

“Maybe they weren't all that good,” Reze said, stretching after having spent most of the move with her head resting on Denji's lap. “But it was a fun kind of fantasy.” She couldn't help but giggle. “Makes me want to start my own pirate crew so I can sail and explore the open seas.”

“Before I made my contract with Pochita I had a missing eye, so I had a eye patch.”

“You can be my first mate.”

“Sweet.”

“What about me?” Asa complained.

“You can be vice-captain.”

“Those two are more or less the same thing!”

“Well, I intend to have a very large pirate crew, so I will need two trusted pirates at my sides to keep them in line, they are an unruly bunch after all.”

“Can I get a big hat?” Denji asked.

“You can, just not as big as mine.”

“Fair enough.”

“Asa, ask Yoru if she wants to leave your body for a bit so she can sit on your shoulder like a parrot.”

“She really doesn't like that suggestion, but Yoru looks like a potoo, not a parrot.”

“Then you can be the first pirate with a potoo instead of a parrot.”

The three of them continued on with this conversation, talking in hypotheticals about their pirate crew and all the adventures they would have had sailing the seven seas.

Chapter Text

Day 23: Denji VIII: Begging

I looked at the package Reze was holding, and I couldn't help but laugh at what she had.

“Where did you even get this thing?” I asked, looking around making making sure Asa wasn't around.

Reze had the widest smile I had ever seen. “I just saw it in a shop, and I was suddenly struck with the idea of buying it.”

How could I not be curious? “So... are you going to...?”

“Not me,” she said. “I want to see if we get get Asa to try this.”

Another laugh from me. “She'll never go for it.”

“Maybe. Or maybe not. Who knows, but it'll be fun to see, won't it.”

She had me there, though I wasn't going to put up much of a fight.

So we brought it up to Asa.

“Absolutely not! What would even possess you two to think I would ever even try something like this?”

She didn't seem to happy, but we expected that was going to happen.

“Please Asa,” Reze pleaded with both hands clasped in front of her. “Just try it on one time, and we'll never ask you for anything else again.”

“We'll owe you super big for this, I promise,” I said because I really wanted to see this and I was willing to do anything she asked in return.

“No!” Asa shot back and stuffed the thing back into the paper bag. “Just-just no! Why would anyone but degenerates like this sort of this? I will not, under any circumstances put this thing on. In fact, I'm going to burn this thing and we'll never talk about it again!”

“But you'll look super cute in it!” Reze said.

That seemed to catch Asa off guard. “Huh?”

Reze looked back to me and gave me a little wink, and I got what she was going for.

Asa was great, but she could be a little bit vain at times.

“Yeah, it'll look real good on you,” I said.

“Uh...um...”

“Also, you'll look sexy too~” Reze added with a purr.

“S-Sexy?” She looked down into the bag. “This?”

“C'mon Asa, we wouldn't be begging like this if we didn't think it would look great on you.” I said. “We both know you'll be super hot in it.”

She was really getting red.

“Maybe I can try it on. But only for a minutes! And it's only because you two are such perverse degenerates and it's the only way to put this behind us.”

When Asa retreated to the bathroom, Reze and I high-fived.

She was in there for a while, we kind of had to coax her a bit ore before she finally came out, but when she did it was worth the wait.

“So... how does this look?” she asked, super nervous, and we both knew what to do about that.

“Cute and sexy,” Reze said.

“No one pulls it off better than you,” I added.

Asa looked down at what she was wearing, before she started to beam with confidence. “Yeah, I am pulling this off, aren't I? Yeah! No one is more cute and sexy than I am in this moment!”

It didn't take long before Reze and me were all over her.

How could you blame us for not holding back? She did look amazing in that bunny suit.

Chapter Text

Day 24: Denji IX: Night

The new apartment is nice, it's a bit larger than the last one we had, and it even had two bedrooms, though for a while Nayuta didn't sleep in hers, she slept with me most of the time like she usually did. At least for a while.

“Maybe I should start sleeping in my own room more often,” she said one night as we prepared for bed, having washed up and brushed our teeth. I wanted to argue, that maybe she didn't need to do that, but I didn't want to sound weird and pushy, and for the first time that night she slept in her own room. She took all the dogs with her, but she left me with Meowy for the night, and I began to notice how lonely it was there by myself.

When I brought it up the next morning, if she slept alright and if she felt weird about us not being in the same bed, she kind of looked off for a moment. “I miss it, yeah,” she said. “But I don't want to be too selfish, so I want to give you space to do your own thing.” She then waved a hand at him, like she was trying to shoo me away. “If you're so lonely it's not like you don't have options to take.”

I was kind of confused what she meant by that, but the next time both Asa and Reze were around, I think I was kind of getting it. Even at the best of times, Nayuta was kind of cold or dismissive towards them, like she was only tolerating them for my sake, but one day she was kind of acting... nice around them? Or at least trying to act as nice as she could, but she was trying harder than before to actually get along with them, like I think she maybe have actually wanted them to get along with them.

One night we overdid a movie marathon, and by the time it had finished up, it was real late, I didn't want them to go out that late alone, but they insisted and-

“Stop complaining and stay the night,” Nayuta groaned out. “It's too late to argue, so shut up and good night!” She then went to her room and slammed the door shut.

She was kind of right, it was late, and we were all tied, so I offered they could have my bed while I got the couch and-

They ended up being very insistent on me not going to the couch.

That was the first night we slept all together in the same bed, and it kind of took a while to figure out how we wanted to sleep before Asa took the place between Reze and me. It wasn't the first time I'd slept in the same bed with two other people, but this was different then Aki and Power. Nothing ended up happening between us, even though I kept thinking about it, and I think they were thinking about it too.

Either way, the three of us sleeping together in the same bed that night, it was one of the best nights of sleep I ever had.

Chapter Text

Day 25: Reze IX: Commitment

The relationship that Reze and Asa had with Nayuta was a tense one to say the least. She tolerated them, for Denji's sake, but in matters that did not involved him it was clear there was a level of disdain for them, though she had been making efforts to make them feel more accommodated towards. For that, Reze was genuinely appreciative for the efforts Nayuta had been going through, though that did not change the fact that there was a certain level of friction between them.

It was better for Asa, to a certain extent, though Reze suspected it had more to do with Yoru's presence inside Asa than Asa herself, because she was half-certain that Nayuta thought Asa was a bit pathetic and so gave her a degree of pity. She would never tell Asa that though, since she had been trying to work on making things better and that news might set them back a bit.

Nayuta didn't like Reze though, because unlike Asa, who had been misguided in certain acts against Denji, and Yoru, who had become tempered and influenced by Asa's emotions and thoughts, Reze had actually carried out deadly violence against Denji, which not only killed him but also was the first time he had his heart broken. To say the least, Nayuta had little trust in Reze.

Reze wanted that trust, so she decided to do something very stupid.

“I'll make a contract with you,” she said. “If I ever hurt Denji, then you can decide what my punishment will be.”

Nayuta raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. Contracts were no joke, and Reze letting Nayuta decide the terms was not something most sane people would not do, but she wanted to show that she was serious about Denji, that despite the things that had happened, what she had done to him, that she was truly committed to making him happy.

“Anything?”

“Yes. Anything.”

Nayuta was different then Makima, despite both being the Control Devil, because unlike Makima, Nayuta was sincere in how she left about Denji. That didn't stop Reze from having a chill up her spin at the thought of being under her control again.

So Nayuta thought it over, clearly drawing it out to inflict some kind of torture on Reze as she wanted for her judgment to be.

“I'll pass,” she said at last.

“Huh?” Reze was caught off guard with that. “I thought you'd love a contract like that.”

“I mean, I'm tempted, don't get me wrong,” Nayuta said with a roll of her eyes. “But if Denji finds out we have a contract where you have to be nice to him, I think I'll get in trouble for it, but if you'll willing to put up with a potentially nasty contract like that, then I suppose I can give you some credit.”

Reze sighed in relief. “Um, thank you? That means a lot coming from you.”

“Well it should, Denji values my opinion, and I you're as into him as you claim that should mean something to you.”

Reze could only chuckle. “I'll keep that in mind.” Despite her previous worries, she smiled.

Chapter Text

Day 26: Asa VIII: Matchmaker

You have always wanted things to go a certain way, an order to how they go that makes sense to you, because when things are neatly arranged it gives you a feeling of peace. Some may call you obsessive compulsive, or at worst a control freak, but when order is established lives are able to neatly flow without much trouble. Though, considering the life you lead, both by circumstances outside your control, either by random universal chaos or the machinations of others, and by the choices of your own making, it will not be perfect order all the time. You sometimes need to be flexible and role with the punches.

Still, in the aspects of your life you can control, you try and instill order, to adhere to routine and schedule as much as you can.

Your love life is one of those things you try and arrange nice and neat. You are in a relationship with two other people, and a part of the challenge there is trying to properly balance out how things work out between the three of you because you don't want one of you to feel felt out, while at the same time you want to respect boundaries and not make it feel as though all three of you must be joined at the hips at all times. The relationship you have with Denji is different than the one you have with Reze, as the one the have with one another is different than what they have with you. There's nothing wrong with that, it just is.

You made a schedule to optimize this, setting aside days of the week dedicated to certain pairings, you and Denji, you and Reze, Denji and Reze, before one other day at the end of the week is for all of you at once. This way everyone can spend time with one another on equal terms, and you know it works, you enjoy them time you spend with them separately, and even more so together, and you know this works because that initial ugly growth of jealousy that stuck in your chest at the start slowly died off as you went on. You don't think about wanting to intrude of Denji and Reze's time together so much anymore because you know their own relationship is healthy to have, and this is turn has only made things better for the three of you at large.

That is to say that it was not rigid and without compromise, there were plenty of activities for the three of you to do between these set aside dates, for them to pair off or something get all together. Spontaneity was the spice of life, as some would say, and you would admit it had its place. But you still felt better with a fit schedule. Four nights a week, three for each dedicated pairing, and one for the three of them. That was how it worked.

“Are you going to apply this same mindset when you three start having sex?”

You chose to ignore Yoru for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

Day 27: Asa IX Steal

You want to place the blame on Denji and Reze's shoulders for this, that you were dragged into this against your will, that you had strongly refused to take part in this until they strong-armed you into it. However you know that in the end your arguments were weak at best, because you wanted this as well, because no matter how upstanding and moral you try to be, there is a small part of you that craves to let loose. You mostly blame Denji, and to a lesser extent Reze for this.

It started when the three of you went to see a movie, and it was a movie the three of you enjoyed very much, but as the three of you left the theater that was showing it your eyes were drawn towards a poster showing another movie you had wanted to see for some time, but between money and scheduling there was just wasn't an opportunity. You had actually wanted to see this movie today but you lost a two-to-one vote.

“We can still see that one,” Denji said. “We'll just hide in the bathrooms until it starts playing.”

You instantly smacked him on the arm. “We can't do that! We don't have money for tickets!”

“I killed a devil in front of this place last week, I think they owe us a free movie.”

“Reze, talk some sense into him!”

“I mean...” Reze didn't exactly endorse Denji's idea, but she wasn't shutting him down either.

They're both awful.

They're a bad influence on you.

That is how you spend fifteen minutes in the ladies' room, sitting in a stall, tapping your feet on the floor, all while Reze sits in the stall next to yours, humming away without a care in the world.

When you emerge from the bathroom, you catch Denji as he leaves the men's room, and you quickly slink off to the next movie, hoping and praying you don't get caught. You wish they treated this as serious as you did. It takes nearly a half hour into the movie before you can bring yourself to stop looking over your shoulders for someone to catch you and throw you out, and even when you begin to relax, that fear still nudges you. It's almost enough to ruin your enjoyment of the film.

Almost.

When it was over you were the first to leave, rushing out and avoiding eye contact with everyone on your way out to the brisk air outside. When Denji and Reze catch up to you, you couldn't help but grin at your escape. You just saw a movie without paying for it, that's not a good thing to do, but even you realize that your stance on that isn't much compared to the things you've done wrong before in trying to do good. Why get so worked up over a single movie when you've almost gotten them killed trying to do what you thought was right at the time?

So you laugh, you laugh because it's funny, and soon enough Denji and Reze are joining you as well.

Chapter Text

Day 28: Reze X: Swap

They've come into a sort of general agreement with how the three of them sleep together. At this point she and Asa are spending more time at Denji's place then their own, and this often results in one or both of them staying the night, and trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements between the three of them. Sleeping together in the same bed was something that had to be figured out, such as who went on what side, discussing needing larger blankets so there was enough for everyone, and figuring out how the person in the middle would try and get out of bed in the middle of the night without waking up either partner. There's a lot to figure out.

The pattern they've mostly settled into is Asa in the center with Denji spooning her from behind, while Reze sleeps facing her from the other side. Asa had been very insistent on this, she liked things a certain way and a part of her always liked being the center of attention in the relationship, though Reze and Denji didn't hold that against her, and she just preferred to have them on both sides of her.

Still, Reze didn't think they should stay with one sleeping arrangement, and she managed to convince Asa to not adhere so strongly to the Asa Sandwich, a term she didn't approve of at all. The obvious first step was for Asa to simply turn over so Reze could spoon her, and Reze decided how much she liked being a big spoon.

They tried experimenting with a number of different positions and combinations, such as Reze herself in the middle, and Reze discovered she also liked being a little spoon to Denji as well, and when in this position Asa subconsciously got close to Reze moved close enough to Reze in the hopes of being held in her sleep. It was something she found amusing, and was more than happy to oblige. When Denji was situated into the center, he was too tall for proper little spooning, and so she and Asa both felt comfortable just nuzzling up to his chest. Reze liked this position because she liked to listen to Denji's heartbeat while he slept, and if she listened closely enough she could swear she heard a soft rumbling inside his chest, almost like a purring, a muffled chainsaw if you will.

Pochita must have liked that sleeping position as well.

They mostly stuck with the classic Asa Sandwich, but it wasn't uncommon to swap positions every now and again, when they wanted different things, if they wanted to hold or be held. There have even been a few times when one of them went to the couch for the sake of having space. So obviously there was more to figure out, but Reze felt like they were getting there and figuring things out. Mostly though they were all in the same bed, swapping places and finding what worked out for them.

Of course, certain sleeping arrangements were more preferable after other kinds of bedroom activities.

Chapter Text

Day 29: Asa X: Blade

The power of the War Devil allows you to turn things that you perceive as belonging to you into weapons, and this power is fueled by guilt, meaning the worst you feel about turning something into a weapons, the more powerful that weapon can become. A sword made from a school uniform your mother paid for, a spear made from an entire aquarium and all the animals that would be killed in the process, turrets purchased with your carefully saved college funds, that sort of thing. In the past you once turned Denji's severed head into a chainsaw sword, and even though you knew that he could regrow his head back it didn't ease the guilt you had for doing such a thing, and the weapon was all the more powerful for it.

These days when on the job and hunting devils, you mostly keep a bag of varying supplies on you, mostly things like pencils, erasers and other such things, mostly saving them for smaller devils that would be killed easier, and in the case of stronger devils you have several pens that cost you 15,000 yen each. You hated wasting money, so having to use those writing instruments is never easy for her, but the job always gets done. Because of this, it's always in the back of your mind how strong anything your own could be turned into a weapon, any considering how good you were at rationalizing things,

Yoru tried to turn Denji into a weapon, but it failed, and she failed to understand why, and both of you were not able to do such a thing, with you thinking he was lying about liking you. Later you turned a piece of his body into a weapon, but not him into on, and the same applied to Reze.

It was Yoru who figured it out with a dawning realization that wore her down.

“They can't belong to you because you already gave yourself to them,” she had said, and you could feel her resolve melt away with every sentence. You had unknowingly ruined her plans without either of you know it.

Ah, so that was it. Despite how guarded you could be, it was easy to give your heart to others, to devote yourself to them, and despite how many times you had argued with yourself to the contrary there was something in you that others would accept and love. It was that very same love that let your freely and fully trust yourself to them, meaning that they, as you saw it, owned you, and they could not be turned into weapons. They were free of that aspect of your power, and you were grateful for that.

You loved them, Denji and Reze both, and the idea of weaponinzing their love made a part of you sick to your stomach, and for whatever reason that all you had to do was will it and they would die. You're thankful that is not the reality to it, and for that you are more than happy to be theirs.

Chapter Text

Day 30: Denji X: Touch

Every time I looked down at my chest I wish I could hold Pochita once more. Power had no sense of personal space so she was always hanging off me, and I miss that. I wish I hugged Aki, at least once. When Makima hugged me when we met, it was the first time I could remember actually someone hold me like that, and even though it wasn't me was wanted to hold, it still meant something special and important. With Nayuta, I make sure to give her lots of hugs because that's the kind of thing I wanted when I was a kid.

But there were also kinds of touching I didn't like, like the kiss with Himeno where she threw up down my throat, of the first kiss with Reze were she bit my tongue off (she makes up for it with the the good kinds of tongue kisses now), or the way that Fumiko just grabbed me and I freaked out. Those weren't so good.

When I hug either Asa or Reze, it's kind of different from the others, like there's a different kind of vibe we're all expecting from one another. Reze is easier to get into a hug, but Asa hugs harder when she manages to work up the nerve to do so, but it's still nice to hold them and be held by them, 'cause I like the way they touch me, and I like touching them back, and feeling their soft and warm bodies against mine.

One night when the three of us were trying to sleep in bed, Asa had her face buried in my neck, and I thought she was having trouble getting to sleep, but she moved her hands down my chest and arms, and I liked that so I wanted to make her feel good too. I touched her shoulders and back, and then we started to kiss and she moaned into my mouth. Then Reze moved up behind Asa and started to kiss her shoulder and pushed her into me, and her hand went from Asa's hip to mine and she pulled us together. Asa then turned around and kissed Reze before Reze switched over to me, and I could feel Asa's hands sliding under my shirt and over her stomach before Reze took one of my hands and puts it on Asa's breast.

I always made sure to tell them they had nice boobs.

It didn't take long before clothes started to get taken off, socks and shirts were the first to go, before pants and underwear followed, and then a few more bits later and the only thing covering us were the blankets. There was more touching, a lot more touching, and soon it felt better than anything I had ever felt before, same with them.

There were times I had been touched and I hated it, but there were also times I had been touched and I wanted more, and this was a different kind of touching that I was happy to explore more of.

Chapter Text

Day 31: AsaDenReze: Co-Living

As they eventually started to sleep over more, it was Reze who had suggested that she and Asa might as well move in with him and Nayuta, even though it would be a be a bit cramped with them and the animals. Upon seeing some apprehension on Asa's part, Reze was quick to assure her that they were spending most nights him already, so what would the harm be in making it official? It took a bit of work, as well as time, more so since no one had a car or money for a truck, but they eventually moved over the belongings they wanted to keep from their respective apartments over, Reze had volunteered hers to be worked on first, with everyone pitching in to move out the things she wanted, though there wasn't much there she really cared much about, she never really had much to begin with and up until this point she had trouble figuring out what kind of things she would want, before they went to work with Asa's place. Likewise, Asa didn't have much of value here beyond a collection of books and a few potted plants, after the Apartment 606 Sword it was hard to really get attached to this new apartment. It's odd, to have stuff like this, a place to go to where people are happy to see her, Reze thought to herself.

It was strange to think about, you and them all living under one roof like this, and a part of you cannot help but be terrified at it and that fear does not really hit you until you have placed the last of your boxes into Denji's apartment. Denji and Reze had been so eager for this, meanwhile you can't help but feel a sense of unease about this, even though you know you want this, but there is this worry that something will happen, something awful and this new life that makes you happy will take it all away from you. Yoru begins to worry about you, and you let her sample the things you feel since you can't find the words, and the first thing she brings up is your mother. It always comes back to her, doesn't it? The last real home you had, and how you lost it all within minutes, how the house you've known since before you could remember was ripped to shreds and the woman who loved you more than anything was just gone. You lost so much, but now it seems like you have a chance for something new, and despite that fear and apprehension, you will embrace this new life.

First I had the shack I had with Pochita, it was drafty and leaked in the rain, but it was home, it was all we had, and I wonder if it's still standing there. Then there was Aki's apartment, where I lived with him and Power, it was good to have a bed and it made me start to realize how much I was happy with not even the bare minimum, and I was happy there. When that place was gone, and Aki with it, I got a new place with Power, but she was gone too and it was just me. Then Nayuta came along, and it was us and the pets, and as time went on, I felt happy there with her and the pets, and even though things were tough, we made it our own. It then burned down, and I almost lost everything. I always wanted a family, but I kept losing it, so maybe I wasn't meant to have one? Stuff got bad, real bad, but then they got better. I got a new home, and Nayuta and the pets are still here, somehow, and Asa and Reze are with me too, Yoru too. I wish Aki and Power could be here, I'd want my new and old family together, but it is what it is. Still, somehow I'm happy with where I am.