Vizisco sat near the fire Kou had started, watching as the human’s numbers moved around the pony. Kou was releasing all the bags and baskets, intending to let the animal rest as they “camped”. Kou had explained that like humans, the pony also needed to rest nightly, and Vizsico had simply accepted it. They had already known that some animals were just as fragile as humans, but they didn’t particularly care about the pony’s well-being. 

Since leaving town, Kou seemed to be content to walk in silence, which was new for the demon. When at his home, Kou always seemed eager to fill the silence with talk and questions, and Vizisco wasn’t sure if it was because the human had run out of things to talk about, or if there was something about the walking that made the human stop talking. The few times Kou had talked had been to describe the sights around them, and while interesting, Vizisco was indifferent. 

After all, they were heading in the direction Vizisco had taken to get to Kou’s forest; Vizisco already knew a bit about where they were heading from how they had navigated the distance alone. Based on what they could hear, nothing drastic had changed about the route and the demons glanced up as the numbers finally rose from the ground. 

“Finally,” Kou sighed and Vizisco listened as the human came closer. “Quick question; do you have any issues about me touching your hair?”

“My hair?”

“Yeah. I have never once seen you undo that braid, and it’s pretty dirty,” Kou said, and Vizisco frowned, running their fingers over their hair. They supposed it had been a while since they had redone it; Kou was constantly doing something that required the demon’s attention, and they had neglected their hygiene. “So, I have a brush, and wanted to brush it and redo it for you.”

Vizisco started to object, but caught the word Kou used. Want; Kou’s behavior over the past month already proved arguing would be counter-intuitive when he used that word, even if they didn’t understand it. “You may.”

“Gooood~” the human cooed, and Vizisco listened as Kou sat behind them, slowly pulling the braid over their shoulder. “Damn, never really realized how long it was.”

“Is it too much?”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Kou insisted, and Vizisco remained still as Kou worked his fingers carefully through the end of the braid, teasing it apart with an almost reverent gentleness. The fire crackled softly beside them, throwing a halo of warmth that brushed against their backs. Kou shifted closer, and Vizisco could feel the human’s body heat now too, a steady pressure that grounded them against the encroaching night.

“You’ve got way less breakage than I thought you would, considering how long you leave it,” Kou muttered, almost to himself. Vizisco felt how his fingers moved slowly, tender and deliberate, making sure not to snag on any of the knots. “Must be nice to have such a high Loveliness.”

“Humans care about that?”

“I dunno, we don’t talk about it,” Kou admitted, pausing as he lifted what Vizisco assumed was a “brush”. “But demons supposedly have a max Loveliness stat and I am going to assume that’s why your hair and skin is so perfect.”

“Is it?”

“Damn right it is, It’s why I keep calling you pretty,” Kou scoffed, and Vizisco felt an unfamiliar tingle in their back as Kou’s fingers climbed higher toward their head. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it made the demon want to move and Vizisco struggled to remain still. “Oh, did I pull too hard?”

“No, you are fine,” Vizisco insisted, their confusion growing as Kou finished undoing the braid, now brushing the long stands. The heat of the fire faded from notice as Kou’s fingers combed steadily through Vizisco’s hair, each pull causing that unfamiliar sensation to grow. Vizisco raised their hand to their face, not sure why it was suddenly so hard to remain both still and quiet. Touching their own hair had never caused this reaction. 

“Damn, your hair is really so pretty. I hate that I couldn’t get the color right,” Kou lamented and Vizisco merely nodded, still struggling to understand why their neck felt so warm and why the sensation of Kou’s fingers threading so patiently through their hair made their chest tighten in a way they didn’t recognize. “Do you still want it up high?”

“Yes,” Vizisco managed, finally shivering as they heard Kou stand and walk away, the sensation fading without the touch. Was the human doing something to them? “What are you doing?”

“Well, I have no clue how you managed to do a perfect braid without one, but I’m getting a hair band,” Kou said, and Vizisco listened as Kou dug around in the bags. “It’ll make it easier to pull all that hair up and braid it.”

“Alright,” Vizisco agreed, moving their hand from their face as they heard Kou returning and sitting behind them again. As soon as the human began to run his fingers through their hair again, the sensation returned, and Vizisco continued to struggle against the strange, twitching urge to lean back into Kou’s hands. They forced themselves to remain perfectly upright, though every gentle tug through their hair made it harder to think clearly.

“There we go,” Kou hummed under his breath, gathering Vizisco’s thick strands into a high tail. His fingers brushed along the demon’s scalp, and Vizisco bit the inside of their cheek when their skin shivered beneath the attention. “You’re way too pretty, Vi. I don’t think it’s fair.”

“So you constantly say,” Vizisco answered stiffly, their voice quieter than intended. They could hear Kou’s low chuckle, the vibrations curling in the air between them.

“And I will continue to say it, so get used to it.” Kou’s hands worked quickly, but never rushed, weaving the hair into a neat, tight braid, just as Vizisco preferred. His touch lingered a second longer than necessary as he tied it off, and Vizisco fought the tremor that tried to run down their spine. “There, much better.”

“Thank–” But the demon’s words were cut off as Kou’s arms wrapped around their chest, and Vizisco froze. This was the most the human had ever touched them, and they didn’t know what to do with the sudden contact. Kou’s face pressed into their back, sighing quietly and the demon remained perfectly still, straining to understand the meaning behind it. The warmth of Kou’s breath seeped through the thin fabric of their shirt, spreading over their skin like a small breeze.

“I never thank you for saving me. Either time,” Kou muttered and Vizisco relaxed slightly. This… was gratitude. “So… thanks.”

“I do not require it, I–”

“I know, my safety is the most important thing and the only reason you put up with me. Because you have to make sure I don’t die,” Kou interrupted and Vizisco heard the hint of sadness. Had they done something wrong? “But it means something to me, because I can touch you like this.”

Vizisco remained silent, not sure what to do with either the contact and Kou’s gratitude. It wasn’t that the concept was new; several humans had expressed gratitude when a monster was killed, when Vizisco arrived just in time to save their lives. But they had never heard a human be sad when grateful or insist on touching them like this.

“You… are welcome.” Vizisco said slowly, choosing each word with care and for the first time, felt strange as they said them. They felt the human’s body relax against them, a slow, easy exhale that ghosted over Vizisco’s spine. Kou seemed in no hurry to let go, and Vizisco didn’t move, only listening as the human’s breath slowed. Eventually, they heard and felt the familiar rhythm that indicated the human was asleep. 

Carefully, Vizisco shifted, unwrapping Kou’s arms as they lifted him and carefully shifted around the dying fire. It only took a few steps for their boots to encounter the bedroll, and they carefully lowered the human onto it, pulling the spare blanket over his sleeping form. Kou murmured something unintelligible but didn’t wake, curling instinctively into the warmth of the fabric. Vizisco remained crouched beside him for a moment longer, ensuring Kou’s breathing didn’t change before moving back to their seat.

Once seated, Vizisco pulled the braid over their shoulder, touching and examining the new twists with their fingers. It was… different than before. Firmer, tighter, but somehow still soft, as if Kou had woven something more than just hair into the braid itself. Vizisco tilted their head slightly, fingertips tracing the braid’s curves with a care they rarely afforded anything not necessary for Kou or their survival. 

Reaching the end of the braid, Vizisco released it, glancing over at the numbers that indicated where they had laid the human down. For the first time, the demon found themselves curious about what the human looked like, what they looked like, and why Kou constantly called them “pretty” but not himself. Vizisco wanted to know what “pretty” looked like and why it applied to them.

Their fingers drifted absently back to the braid, brushing over the woven strands again, filled with a new curiosity.