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“No, no, no, you can’t - don’t—” Genya fumbled as he tried to put pressure on the ever-expanding red stain on Tanjiro’s side, but it was plain to see it wasn’t doing any good. Still, he had to try, he had to, because—
“Did…we get it?” Tanjiro rasped. “The demon?”
“Yeah,” Genya told him, his voice breaking as he fought back tears, “you - you got it. Threw yourself in front of me to do it like a goddamn idiot —!”
“Hey,” Tanjiro said softly, reaching up to touch Genya’s cheek with a bloodstained hand. “‘S all right. You’ll…be all right.”
Cradling the smaller man in his arms, Genya hugged him closer, leaning their foreheads together. “I won’t. You know that.”
Tanjiro opened his mouth, about to speak, when harsh, wet coughs cut him off. His body shook with the force of it as he struggled for air. When he finally caught his breath, he started to say something again, but Genya pressed a gentle finger to his lips.
“Shh,” he said. “Save your strength. I’ll get you to Kocho - she can help you.” He shifted, starting to rise and pull Tanjiro fully into his arms, when a feeble tug on his sleeve stopped him.
Tanjiro smiled weakly up at him, tears welling in his eyes. “You’d never make it,” he wheezed. “‘Sides, I…don’t think there’s much… anyone can do now.”
“No, no, there has to be something; I can’t just—”
“‘S okay,” he insisted, eyelids drooping lower and lower.
“No,” Genya gasped, “hang on, stay with me…!”
“I love you,” Tanjiro whispered, and then his eyes fell closed.
Genya hunched over him, a sob wrenching itself out of his chest like the world was ending around him - and it was, wasn’t it?
The battlefield around them was nearly silent - no longer did it echo with Tanjiro’s ragged breaths or Genya’s desperate pleas. There was only the sound of Genya’s shaky breaths, barely-contained sobs, as he buried his face in the spot where Tanjiro’s neck met his shoulder.
“And…cut!” Director Ubuyashiki’s voice rang out over the set, calling an end to the scene. “Nice work, both of you.”
“Yeah, nice work,” Genya muttered, pulling back enough to glance down at Tanjiro. “You got that gross fake blood all over my face.”
“I thought it was a nice touch,” Kanroji piped up from the sidelines, where she’d been watching the scene play out. “Besides, it’s washable. Not the end of the world.”
“Thank you,” Tanjiro smiled in her direction, then stuck his tongue out at Genya.
Genya blew him a raspberry right back. “Not to mention your elbow was digging into me the entire time. Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face when you have bone digging into your stomach?”
“Aw, you know you love me anyway,” Tanjiro grinned, but he still started to push himself into a sitting position.
“Yeah,” Genya admitted, shifting to allow Tanjiro’s movement even as he continued to hold him close. “I do.”
“Ugh, get a room already, lovebirds!” Uzui complained as he adjusted a bit of the setting. “Some of us don’t need to witness your public displays of affection!”
“Oh, what’s the harm?” Kanroji countered. “I think it’s sweet that they’re in love in the show and in real life.”
“My first day on set you insisted on showing me pictures of all your wives!” Shinazugawa added from Director Ubuyashiki’s side. “You’re not one to talk.”
“Yeah,” Uzui said, “but you don’t see me—”
“All right, everyone,” Director Ubuyashiki cut him off, not unkindly. “That was the last scene for today. Get yourselves cleaned up and enjoy your night - we’ll be back here bright and early tomorrow morning for the next shooting.”
“Yes, sir!” everyone chorused. The set crew, affectionately nicknamed the Kakushi, began piling onto the set to start cleaning things up. Genya released Tanjiro, allowing them both to get up, and they made their way over to their fellow actors.
“That blood on the face really was a nice touch,” Uzui conceded as he considered the two of them.
“Don’t encourage him,” Shinazugawa groaned. “He’ll be coming to me for help when the stain doesn’t come off.”
“Nah,” Genya shook his head, “I’d go to the one responsible for it. But why do that when I can do better?” Throwing an arm around Tanjiro’s shoulders, he nuzzled his stained cheek against the side of Tanjiro’s head, taking a little too much pleasure in how the red smeared across Tanjiro’s forehead and got into his hair.
“Wh - hey, quit it!” Tanjiro squirmed, trying to escape, but he held firm.
“You brought this on yourself!” he smirked. “It’s washable, remember? Not the end of the world.”
Tanjiro responded to this with an elbow to his side; it distracted Genya just long enough to allow him to slip away. “Okay, then you just signed up to help me get it out of my hair.”
What Tanjiro failed to consider was that even with the new distance he’d put between them, Genya’s longer arms could easily bridge that gap. And Genya did so gleefully, ruffling Tanjiro’s hair and, probably, working the fake blood into the strands even more.
“ Get a room ,” Uzui repeated, rolling his eyes.
“For once I agree with him,” Shinazugawa sighed. “You’re supposed to be my little brother, aren’t you?”
“Only when the cameras are on,” Genya shrugged. “After that, you’re, I don’t know, the more experienced actor who sometimes gives me advice and sometimes messes with me.”
“So…he's basically still your older brother,” Tanjiro pointed out, making Kanroji giggle.
“Yes,” Genya conceded with a dramatic - and, hey, he was an actor, after all - sigh, “fine, whatever.”
“I don’t understand how the tabloids think you and Tsuyuri are dating,” Uzui muttered, nodding to Tanjiro. “You were costars for, what, half a season?”
“The tabloids like to pretend they know more than they actually do,” Shinazugawa pointed out.
“Well, they were right about me and Obanai,” Kanroji observed. “So they know what they’re talking about sometimes , I guess.”
“Besides, I don’t really feel like I need to have my personal life out there for all the world to see,” Tanjiro shrugged.
“Funny,” Uzui snorted, “considering you’re perfectly happy putting it on display for all of us to see!”
Tanjiro deliberately made direct eye contact with the taller man, then reached up to tug Genya’s head down low enough that he could rise on his tiptoes and press a kiss to Genya’s cheek.
…Oh ! Genya never could get used to that; no matter how many times Tanjiro did it, whether they had an audience or not, his cheeks always burned like they were on fire and he froze up completely. He couldn’t even find the words to join the banter as Uzui teased Tanjiro and Kanroji defended them, while Shinazugawa scoffed at them all.
Still…as Tanjiro smiled up at him, ruby-red contacts not impeding the affection in his eyes in the slightest, he decided that maybe it was okay that he couldn’t think of a response. He was - they were - happy enough already, no matter if they came out on top of this round of teasing or not.