“Alright,” Kou stood back, looking at the glass sheets he had made over the past few weeks. They gleamed faintly in the morning light, the colors dancing as he grinned. The sheets had come out perfect as usual, and Kou’s gaze lingered on the red. He hadn’t quite captured that perfect shade of Vi’s hair, but it still had come out a striking blood-red color, and he knew it would trade highly. He was tempted to cut it into fours, in order to save it for emergency trades, but the idea of breaking up the perfect glass was also too much. 

Sighing, Kou glanced over to where Vi sat, listening and silent as always. Not much had changed since Vi’s first day; the demon would go with Kou if he went to gather wood or went to town, although the demon would always wait with Nrome to avoid agitating the townspeople. But Vi seemed… content to just ensure Kou’s safety and from what Kou could tell, had very limited understanding of humans in general. Which, he knew, made sense; after all demons didn’t usually spend time around humans and therefore would not really understand them.

It did make it easier for Kou in some ways, ways Kou was extremely grateful for. Vi didn’t question how Kou laced their hands together when they walked around, nor did they ever pull away when Kou got close or leaned on them. He did notice that the demon flinched when touched unexpectedly, but Kou quickly connected that with Vi being surprised more than anything. After all, they couldn’t see, so each touch must have felt like lightning in the dark.

“Well, I think that’s it,” Kou spoke again, walking back toward the annealing furnace as he dug through the bags heaped on the ground next to it. “Time to trade this crap.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean no more long days and nights of making glass. It’s time to get ready to leave,” Kou finally found a bag with no holes, considering he would have to spend some time fixing the damaged ones. Maybe keeping leather bags outside where bugs and rats could chew at them was a bad idea. “So, it’s time to trade most of it for essentials and then cut down some for small trading. I won’t be able to make more glass until… we come back, so I need to get almost everything I need now.”

“I see,” Vi agreed and Kou looked up as the demon stood, moving over to the workbench. Vi nearly moved around the small space as well as Kou did, and Kou felt a bit of pride at how well he had taught Vi his space. “Humans have many needs.”

“We suuuure do,” Kou agreed, chuckling low in his throat as he stood next to the demon, carefully selecting the sheets to put in the bag. “But first, we’ll be going further into the forest.”

“The forest?”

“Yeah, about three days from here is a couple who lives in the forest too, Fyre and Adele. I don’t know how she does it, but Adele makes a cloth that doesn’t irritate my scar,” Kou explained, his fingers brushing lightly over the fabric of his worn shirt. “She likes to use the glass in their windows, and Fyre will sometimes trade me their extra food so they can trade the glass in their closest city. They can grow food way better than me.”

Kou sighed heavily, glancing over his mostly dead garden. Even the once promising potatoes had gotten sickly, their leaves curling despite all of Kou’s efforts. He shook his head and focused back on the glass sheets, carefully easing them into the cloth-lined bag.

“So they also reject other humans.”

“Oh no, they aren’t like me. Fyre is a farmer, their family has always lived on that land. Growing a lot of food requires a lot of space,” Kou explained, selecting the vivid blue he had made just for Adele. “They constantly go into their city and hang around other people. They provide most of the food for my town too. I just prefer to trade directly with them if I can.”

Vi hummed, a sound Kou was starting to understand meant the demon was processing something new. Vi also seemed interested in learning new things, and Kou was happy they would be leaving soon. He had been struggling to keep from moving too fast with the demon, but once they left, once it was just them every day… well, Kou couldn’t wait to stop holding back.

“Alright, I got the sheets I think Adele will like, just give me a second to move the rest back inside,” Kou carefully picked up the remaining sheets, walking right through his ruined attempt at gardening as he ducked back inside. His home was filled with piles of glass sheets and Kou carefully restacked the ones in his hand, separating each pane with a scrap of cloth. The ones in the pack clinked gently and Kou grinned as he stepped outside to see Vi waiting for him. 

“Are you ready?”

“I am,” Kou agreed, rocking on his feet as he waited for Vi to raise their hand. As soon as they did, Kou laced their fingers together, unable to help his grin. He would never get tired of this, even if the demon still only saw him as a guide. Just getting to feel the shape of Vi’s fingers, the roughness in their hands, the thought of those hands stroking, touching, reaching…

“Which way are we heading?” Vi’s voice interrupted the man’s fantasy and Kou shook his head, starting off deeper into the woods. 

“Away from town. I guess, into the wind today? Like I said, it's   a few days away, but I know the way well. I’ve marked it on the trees.” The breeze stirred the trees overhead, scattering dappled shadows across the worn path Kou had made over years of stubborn walking. Every so often, Kou would catch himself sneaking glances up at the demon's face, watching how Vi tilted their head slightly at each new sound — a bird calling, a branch cracking, the distant creak of swaying trunks. Kou smiled to himself, squeezing Vi’s hand lightly.

“Have I told you how pretty you are?”

“You have, constantly.”

“Hmm, well you are very pretty.”

“If you say so.” Vi answered simply, and Kou paused as they reached a tree root. “Is something the matter?”

“There’s a root here, so we need to step over it. I–” Kou was surprised when they felt Vi release his hand, but before he could say anything, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Vi’s neck, awed and shocked as Vi stepped over the root effortlessly. “Wait, h-how did you–”

“You had started dragging your feet a couple steps back, which means the root must require you to climb over. That meant we were likely right next to it and I simply guessed the height.” Vi explained, carefully placing Kou back on the ground as if he was made of glass. “Me carrying you over it reduces the risk of you hurting yourself.”

“Also saves me worrying about the glass breaking,” Kou added, hoping his voice betrayed just how much he would have been happy to let Vi carry him all the time. “So yeah, thanks.”

“You are welcome,” Vi calmly held out their hand again and Kou eagerly retook it, his heart still pounding in his chest. Vi’s arms were just as strong and solid as he imagined and the sheer ease at which the demon had lifted him, as if he weighed nothing at all. Of course Vi was used to fighting monsters that would devour Kou in an instant, but to feel that strength hold him, carry him, glide with him…

“Itris, help me.” Kou muttered under his breath, a feverish thrill skating under his skin as he squeezed Vi’s hand a little tighter. The demon didn’t react, merely continuing forward with their steady, patient steps, but Kou could barely focus on walking now. He tilted his head back, breathing in the scent of moss and earth, trying to cool the wild spinning in his chest.

The hours slipped by in a warm haze, with Kou pausing to let Vi feel the marks he had carved into the trees at the demon’s request. They seemed to be memorizing each groove and notch with careful fingers, tracing them in a way that made Kou's throat tighten. Vi didn’t rush, didn’t seem frustrated that they couldn’t see, just methodically learned the forest by touch and sound, building the world around them in a way Kou found achingly mesmerizing.

As they stopped at another marked tree, Kou leaned against the trunk, watching Vi’s hand move with that same delicate precision. He knew he should focus on their journey, considering they had a long walk ahead, and sleeping outside was never exactly fun, but he couldn’t tear his attention away from the way Vi’s brows furrowed in concentration.

“You’re really good at that,” Kou murmured, tilting his head, enjoying the sparse afternoon sunlight as it filtered through the trees.

Vi paused, fingertips still pressed to the bark. “It is easier when your marks are so consistent.”

“I guess I’ve had a lot of practice.” Kou barked a soft laugh, pushing off the tree with a stretch. “There is a stream coming up that we have to cross. I also have a small camp near it.”

“Camp?”

“Yeah, it's like, a temporary shelter to be safe.” Kou frowned, his hand finding Vi’s again as they continued walking. “How do you not know what a camp is? Don’t demons travel all the time?”

“We do not require sleep very often, and merely sleep when shelter is provided.” Vi explained, and Kou nodded slowly, trying to imagine what it must be like to travel without needing to rest every night. Vi’s world sounded lonelier than he first realized. “Humans seemed to need sleep more often.”

“Well, yeah, a healthy sane person sleeps every night.”

“Are you not those things?”

“You have been around me for almost a month. Do I seem healthy or sane?” Kou scoffed, half expecting the demon to release his hand. However, all Vi did was continue to walk next to him, and glancing up at their face, he could tell that Vi was considering the question seriously. “Hey, I didn’t mean–”

“You do not seem sick to me, and as far as ‘sane’, I am not sure what state that word implies. You are unlike any human I have met before, but humans are varied,” Vi finally answered, and Kou felt his heart start to pound again. “You are strange, and too ignorant of your own needs and safety, but otherwise, human.”

“Yeah. Thanks, I guess,” Kou frowned, but he couldn’t help the small, breathless laugh that escaped him. Itt wasn’t exactly a comforting answer, but it was an honest one. He squeezed Vi’s hand again, feeling the familiar warmth of their skin. 

It would do for now.