It's not dating if it's just getting to know you, learning to get past the story to see the boy or girl beneath.

It's not dating if it's rivalry, who can kill the most monsters, look how many times I've saved your life now, until she takes out an actual mawmouth right in front of him, and how's he supposed to top that?

For it to be dating, they'd have to have faith in the future, faith that there could even be a future, so whatever it is, it can't be dating.