The heavy fog clung to the ground as you and Yuji stepped into the haunted house, the flickering neon sign overhead barely illuminating the cracked, wooden doorway. You clung to his arm, your fingers gripping his sleeve with a little too much force.

“You know it’s all fake, right?” Yuji teased, but his hand found yours anyway, lacing your fingers together with a reassuring squeeze.

The first room was dimly lit, tattered curtains swaying from some hidden fan. A costumed actor dressed as a ghost lunged from the corner, letting out a guttural scream. You yelped and buried your face into Yuji’s shoulder.

“Oh, come on,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around you protectively. “That was so obvious.”

But when a bloodied corpse suddenly slithered out from beneath the floorboards, Yuji flinched. You glanced up, eyes wide with surprise.

“You jumped!” you accused, a mischievous grin tugging at your lips.

“No, I didn’t,” he scoffed, trying (and failing) to look unshaken.

You smirked. "Totally did.”

You ventured deeper into the maze of flickering lights and chilling sound effects. At one point, a masked actor stumbled out of the shadows, screaming right in your face. You clung to Yuji with a startled gasp, your fingers twisting into the fabric of his hoodie.

Without thinking, Yuji pulled you flush against him, one hand pressed firmly against the small of your back. His breath was warm against your ear.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured, the softness in his voice cutting through the manufactured fear.

You glanced up, meeting his gaze—too close, too warm. His eyes dropped slightly to your lips, and for a moment, the haunted house was the last thing on your mind.

“You’re not scared, right?” you teased breathlessly.

Yuji smiled faintly, his hand still holding yours. “Not when you’re with me.”