Fortunately, most of his shame is because of his fear, so it all works out.

"Why do you think I never voted for a horror movie during movie night?" he said, taking Kuroko's hair. "I'm okay with city sounds. It's rural sounds that scare me."

He takes a breath, steeling himself. "Yes, let's go."

He can't help but notice how well Kuroko's hand fits in his. It's warm, a little calloused from basketball.

They walk into the sanctuary. "I wonder who this shrine was for," he wondered, mostly to himself, as he looked for a mask for them to grab. "Ah, there's our masks." They're hannya masks, which while creepy looking, don't creep him out as much as the noh masks Kuroko was talking about. He walks over, still holding the other's hand and grabs on. "These don't scare me," he said. "It's things I can't see that scare me."

He gave Kuroko a wink. "Except you."