The Heart Exchange (bnha agere)

Chapter 23: Spooky Happenings

Cws: upset little, tiny homophobia reference, involuntary regression
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     Sunday arrives, and with it comes a group outing. Kirishima busts into Katsuki's room at 2:30, and drags them from their desk.
"Kiri, I'm trying to study-"
"You can study later, baby, we're going to do some good old socialising!" Bakugo begrudgingly abandons his desk, puts on a pair of shoes, and a jacket, and allows his boyfriend to lead them downstairs where the others are waiting. Sero is dressed smartly in black jeans, and a band tee, Denki's in a pair of overalls, and Mina has put on her bubblegum pink cardigan with a pair of shorts. Everyone's looking their best, and Bakugo feels mildly underdressed. Even Kirishima is in a blue jeans, tank top fit that Katsuki is highly aware of due to its tightness around the chest and shoulders…
    "What are we doin' then?" Katsuki asks, letting Kirishima swing his hand as the gang head outside.
    "We're getting some ice-cream, and then we're going to catch a film," Mina answers, leading the way next to Sero. "And you all better be grateful, Sero paid for all our tickets." Sero simply scoffs.
    "Don't thank me. I asked Shoto if he had cash I could borrow, and he just whips out all this money. Dunno what I expected from the son of Endeavour, but damn, he's loaded!"

   Katsuki snorts. "For all the trauma dumping he does, think of it as fuckin' reparations." Denki laughs abruptly, and Kirishima tries not to smile.
     "Bakugo, you can't say that!" He reprimands, chuckling. Katsuki gives him a playfully indignant look.
     "Yeah, I can. That's what you like about me isn't it, that I talk my fucking mind?" Eijirou blushes, eyes drifting away.
     "I mean, that and your handsome face." He adds. Kaminari and Ashido go "Ooooo" and giggle, making Bakugo's face turn a little pink.
     "Oh, shut up." They grumble. But Kiri called them handsome. Handsome. The compliment makes his heart happy with gender euphoria. The group migrates to an ice-cream shop. It's small, but pleasantly quiet. They stop at one of the booths, perching on the red, velvety, cushioned seating.

    "Okay, who wants what?" Mina asks, retrieving her green alien purse from her pocket. It has tiny star keyrings hanging from it. Sero opts for simple vanilla, Kaminari wants caramel, Kirishima wants strawberry, and Bakugo chooses the ultimately superior neapolitan. And as Ashido disappears to order, Katsuki realises he's missed this type of fun outing. His last experience with the group had dissolved into Kirishima's babysitting practice; for big Katsuki, the event was cut short.
     After receiving their ice-cream, everyone talks, just like normal, and it feels so… Nice. Hero training, and its existentialism has the tendency to breed pessimism, and an idea that there's no time to just sit and exist. But sitting and talking about silly things that don't matter, is perhaps one of the most important things.
      "What film are we watching?" Kaminari asks, sticking a spoonful of caramel ice-cream in his mouth. Mina sighs.
       "Your memory, Denki… We're watching The Fifth Devil."

    "A horror film? Guys…" Eijirou whines, dropping his spoon, and throwing his head back dramatically. Bakugo smirks, hand creeping across Kirishima's leg under the table.
    "Scaredy cat. I bet it's not even that bad." Katsuki comments. Eijirou's hand meets his, and he rolls his eyes.
    "I'd just prefer something fun. An action would have been better." Mina tuts, nudging Eijirou in the side.
     "It'll be fun. We'll protect you, Kirishima!" She laughs.

   
   After ice-cream, the five arrive at the movie theatre. They're, shockingly, a few minutes early. Sero gets the tickets printed, and Kirishima and Bakugo buy some drinks. With the awareness that Kaminari has a hoard of snacks hidden in his bag, they avoid buying any food. The group file into the correct room, despite Eijirou's reluctant whines, and take their seats. "If you're gonna scream, don't do it in my ear, dumbass." Katsuki teases, resting their head on Kiri's shoulder. Eijirou squeezes their hand, and quickly pecks them on the head.
    "Yeah, okay, okay." He says. "And if I start crying, I'll make sure not to weep all over your shirt." And Katsuki laughs, and he smiles like the sun, because he's so happy - so much happier than he has been lately. Feeling better feels like freedom. But feeling this happy is dangerous. They let themselves live inside Kirishima's eyes. Their boyfriend notices, and smiles back at them. He ruffles their hair, and gives them another quick kiss on the head. Katsuki can't even seem to fear other people's observation - they can't be nervous that some people in the theatre might not like two boys acting this way. Their constant affection for this idiotic, gorgeous boy beside them, is too great.
     "I fuckin' love you." Bakugo whispers it just loud enough for Eijirou to hear. And when he does, he blushes, their legs pressing against each other.
      "I love you too." He whispers back.

      And it's almost too much. No, it is. It's too much, and Katsuki doesn't realise it immediately, but the giddiness turns his brain backwards. They swing their legs, and giggle, letting Kiri play with their hair. The chatter lowers, and vanishes as the lights dim, and the advertisements and trailers begin playing on the big screen. Kirishima takes a sip from his drink, and Bakugo looks around. He hasn't been to a cinema in years, but he went a lot as a kid. The film begins. It starts with some teenagers performing a ritual - it's rather ominous, and when this intro is closed, setting the scene for the rest of the film, Bakugo is feeling less than confident. This isn't a happy, or cute, or funny film. Bakugo gulps. His stomach is twisting up, and it only worsens every time something spooky, or suspicious occurs. If only they had Sparky, or Captain, or their blanket…

     They shut their eyes. No, no, no, that's not what he should be thinking about. Why is he regressing? This wasn't supposed to happen at all! It was supposed to be a normal outing with friends, absolutely no kids allowed! They take a deep breath, and try to ground themselves. Because they can't possibly regress here. Yet, the film only helps to frighten them further into littlespace, as they don't have the big Katsuki brain to handle and therefore disregard all of the scares. And when the first real death is presented, an uncomfortable, knife-throwing fiasco of a scene, Katsuki covers his eyes, and tries his best not to cry. They can sense Kirishima seizing up at the scariest parts, but at least he's not seeing this from a child's perspective. Katsuki's hands get shaky, and wet, and they keep their eyes bolted shut. Everytime he tries to calm down, to pull himself out of littlespace, he seems to fall further in, thanks to the fear. The last thing he wants is to be three right now, but he can't process what's happening.

     "I'll be back." Bakugo cracks open his eyes to find Kirishima shuffling past him. Kirishima's going to the toilet? He's leaving? Katsuki grabs onto his wrist, and wriggles onto his feet, trailing his boyfriend down the rows, and towards the entrance. "You're coming too?" Kiri whispers, the pair walking down the little hall to the doors. When Eijirou opens them, and Katsuki follows outside, the light reveals to Kirishima the exact state of his boyfriend.
      "Hey, what? Baby, why are you so pale? Are you alright?" He asks, the two pausing outside of the theatre room doors. Katsuki's grip on Eijirou's wrist tightens, and they shake their head aggressively.
      "Ah, I wanna go home!" Bakugo's voice breaks, and he attaches himself to Kirishima. It takes but a matter of seconds for Kiri to experience the necessary revelation.
      "Oh, why… Why'd you regress, baby? What… I…" He sighs, frowning. "I thought you were happy. If I knew… Why didn't you tell me? I would have made an excuse for us to leave." He tells them, holding them tight as they calm themselves down. Bakugo settles in Kirishima's comforting smell. He thought he could fix it. And he didn't want to ruin another social event with the group. Everything was going so well until it wasn't. Eijirou didn't need a child to be dealing with, and that's why.

     "Didn' wanna ruin it." Katsuki answers, face still against Kiri's shoulder. There's still fifty minutes of film left to endure. Eijirou sighs again as the little tears himself away.
     "You were trying to be brave?" Eijirou asks. Katsuki nods, and puts his thumb in his mouth. "Alright. I have to use the toilet, baby, come with me." Kiri says, motioning for Bakugo to take his hand.
     The pair hang around in the bathroom for around ten minutes - most of that time spent with Kirishima attempting to figure a plan out. He hadn't been enjoying the film much himself; he doesn't particularly like horror, especially when it comes to slasher junk. Yet, does he really want to stand around in this public bathroom for the next fourty minutes, trying to entertain this frankly uneasy little boy? He checked the cinema's website on his phone, and found there was a showing of a children's film.
     Now, Eijirou is a man of legality. He doesn't want to break the rules. However, there is a time and place. And this may be one of those times. So, linking hands with Katsuki, Kirishima cautiously leads the two of them through the doors of a different room. Sure, they may have zero idea of the plot, or current scene, but that is irrelevant.

     The pair sit down at the front, and Eijirou makes sure to keep holding Bakugo's hand to remind them he's still there. The film is about a rabbit girl trying to find her rabbit brother, and it's about as exciting as Eijirou needs it to be for his little one to comprehend, and that is barely exciting. Still, better than the horror film. The others are going to think the two of them fell into the toilet or something…
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A/N: sometimes you gotta break the rules for your baby. And no, the fifth devil is not a real film.