"Haaaaaah~! I've always loved walking through the doors of a mall, and feeling that blast of cold air!"

Manny felt the hair on his hands, arms, and neck stand straight up, and immediately shrugged on his fleece-lined parka, "Eh. I'm not much of a fan... I'm extremely sensitive to the cold."

'That's right. I should have known he'd go into sensory overload...'

"I'm sorry, Manny. If you ever start to feel overwhelmed, just give me the word and we'll leave."

"No! I want to spend time with you out of the house, Brent! I insist! I'm not a child, so it's not like I'm going to have a meltdown or anything like that. I... may just look slightly uncomfortable, but I can handle it."

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes..."

"Okay... But, like I said, just let me know if you start to feel overwhelmed so we can go somewhere less stressful."

"... I think that there's an aquarium somewhere in here. That may work as a safe place to recover if I go into sensory overload."

Brent smiled, and nodded, "Noted. So what should we do first?"

"How about a movie? They're showing Pacific Rim."

"I've honestly never taken you to be a monster movie lover."

"It depends on what kind of monster we're talking about. Kaiju are my favorite. Urban legends, mythological creatures, and demons have nothing on them."

"So... Monsters like Godzilla, Rodan, and Ghidorah?"

"Precisely, but the Kaiju in Pacific Rim have categories similar to hurricanes and tornadoes. Actually... they're just like that. With the weakest being Category 1, and the strongest being Category 5."

Brent smirked, "Now I get the real reason you want to see this movie... It reminds you of you and Sam's profession."

Manny made a sheepish noise, and Brent held out his hand as an invitation.

"Shall we?"

"..."

'Just take his hand, dummy! It's not going to hurt you!'

After a moment's hesitation, Manny took it, "Let's shall," and they walked towards the box office.

"Hi! Two adults for the 11:30 showing of Pacific Rim, please!"

"Sounds good! That'll be 27.38, please!"

"Jiminy Christmas...!," Manny hissed while Brent reluctantly slid a 50 bill over to the attendant. "Have the prices of tickets really gone up that much since the last time I went to a movie theater?!"

"Wait till you see the price of snacks and beverages," Brent whispered back before grabbing the tickets, "Thank you. Have a nice day."

"You too! Enjoy the movie!"

"Thanks! You too!"

Manny snickered, and Brent realized what he had done.

smack

"Goddamnit..."

"It's okay, Brent. It happens to the best of us. Kinda like how I sometimes tell waiters and waitresses, "You too!," when they tell me to enjoy my meal."

"Heh... I guess you're right. It's just kinda embarrassing whenever it happens."

"Did she say anything about it, though? No. She didn't. She kept her mouth shut, and only smiled and nodded to you."

"... I mean this as a compliment, but- I feel like you'd make a great psychologist or psychiatrist..."

Manny shrugged, "I know a thing or two 'cause I've seen a thing or two."

"We are farmers!"

"Whaaaa...? OH! Bum ba da bum bum ba dum!"

They both burst into tear jerking laughter- not caring about the people passing by, and staring at them- as they continued to walk into the auditorium.

"Thank you for visiting Swallow Falls Cinema! As a friendly reminder, photography and videography is prohibited. Please turn off your personal electronics and keep them on your person, refrain from speaking during the film or keep your voice to a minimum, and do not disrupt the rest of the audience. If you must take a call, please step out into the hallway and mind others personal spaces. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the film!"

As the previews for upcoming films started to play, Manny casually leaned into Brent. The latter figured it would be best not to comment on this and, instead, stole a handful of popcorn from the bag in his lap.

"Jerk," Manny muttered, though his tone was playful. "You have your own bag."

"Yeeeeeah... But yours tastes better. It's more buttery than mine."

"What'd you get for a drink?"

"... A strawberry flavored Fanta...? Why do you ask?"

"Two can play at that game. Gimme."

"Uuuuuugh... Fine."

"You started it, BFG~"

Brent immediately became flustered, "Oh... Uhm-," and relaxed when Manny chuckled and said, "You know... I've done a bit of thinking since we left the house, and I gotta say that I think I could get used to this. The whole dating thing, I mean."

"Oh! R- really?"

"Of course. I'm genuinely enjoying my time with you, and I don't want it to end. Not after the movie. Not after we shop around. Not after we visit the aquarium. I wouldn't necessarily call you my 'boyfriend' yet, but... you are my romantic interest. If we could spend all day, every day together, I would love it."

"When I was a kid- whenever I'd feel small or lonely- I'd look up at the stars. Wondered if there was life up there. Turns out I was looking in the wrong direction."

"I think... I'm in love with you, Brent."

"Me too. But about you?"

"When alien life entered our world, it was from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. A fissure between two tectonic plates. A portal between dimensions. The Breach... I was fifteen when the first Kaiju made land in San Francisco."

"REEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"