The demon's body dissolved into nothingness as the moonlight filtered through the forest canopy. You exhaled deeply, sheathing your blade with trembling hands. Another battle won, but barely.

"That was close," Tanjiro said beside you, his uniform torn and spattered with blood. Despite his own injuries, his eyes immediately searched you for wounds "Are you hurt?"

You shook your head. "I'm fine. You're the one bleeding."

He glanced down at the gash on his arm as if just noticing it. "It's nothing serious."

The demon had been stronger than expected, capable of splitting into multiple forms. If you hadn't been fighting together, coordinating your attacks with practiced precision, neither of you might have survived.

Tanjiro sat on a fallen log as you knelt beside him. Your fingers worked methodically, cleaning the wound and applying herbs before wrapping it with bandages. The silence between you was comfortable, broken only by the occasional night sounds of the forest.

"You've gotten better at your breathing," Tanjiro commented, watching you work. "That final strike was perfect."

Your eyes met his, and something in his crimson gaze made your heart skip. You'd noticed him watching you for weeks now, his expression softening whenever you turned his way. The way he always positioned himself to protect you during battles, even though you were perfectly capable of handling yourself.

"We make a good team," you said softly. Tanjiro nodded, his expression earnest. "The best."

Perhaps it was the relief of survival or the intimacy of the moment, but courage suddenly flowed through you. Before you could reconsider, you leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

Tanjiro froze, his eyes widening in surprise. A blush spread across his face, reaching all the way to his ears as his hand rose to touch the spot where your lips had been. "I—" he stammered, completely flustered in a way no demon had ever managed. "You—"