After the end of Copycat, Nino, Adrien, Alya, and Marinette were supposed to go to the movies together. Unfortunately, Adrien wasn't allowed to attend, but the threesome go anyway. New feelings emerge as a result. (Have you ever wondered when Nino's crush on Marinette in Animan began?)
.o.O.o.
Chatter filled the dark theater as the credits started rolling, but no one dared to move from their seat. "Alya, why can't we go yet? I really need to stretch my legs," a pigtailed teen asked her friend to her left.
"Marinette! Everyone knows that there's an additional scene after the credits of every movie in the MCU."
She looked at Alya quizzically, "MCU? What does that mean?"
The red capped male to her right answered, "Majestia Cinematic Universe. I guess the super fans got tired of saying the whole thing while discussing their theories." He gestured air quotes to express his sarcasm. Both he and Marinette started laughing, much to their friend's dismay.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I am a proud comic book nerd. I don't need to theorize when I have the source material!"
"Whatever suits you, dudette," Nino rolled his eyes, inducing more laughter from the girl between them.
"Sorry Alya, but I have to agree with Nino. It's fun to watch the movies, but the devotion of some fans can go a little too far."
Crossing her arms, the dark skinned girl pouted for a moment until the dramatic music came to a close. "Shhh, guys it's starting!" She jumped to the edge of her seat just in time to see the screen transition from black to a scene of the titular hero. After a couple minutes the audience began standing up and filing into the aisles, excited whispers erupting from the crowd. The threesome disposed of their popcorn boxes and empty cups as they made their way to the doors.
"Fresh air at last!" Marinette made a show of stretching her arms above her head once the group made it outside. She yelped when her best friend poked her in the ribs.
"Don't be so dramatic, I know you enjoyed it, even if Adrien didn't come."
Nino adjusted his cap with a frown. "Yeah, it really stinks that his old man wouldn't let him go with us. My man doesn't need extra piano lessons, he needs time to let loose with his friends."
"Be careful, Bubbler," Alya smirked in response, "don't get too worked up over it. Besides, there'll be other movies we can go to together."
"Yeah, you're right," he grumbled, resenting being called by his akumatized name.
Marinette decided to step in before the situation became more tense. "The movie was a good pick, Alya. I especially enjoyed the costume design. I thought their superhero attire was a little flashy, especially compared to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but Camilla's trenchcoat was gorgeous! It looked so simple, but the subtle embroidery and asymmetrical hemline really set it apart."
"They must have modeled it after the coat she wore in issue number 24. I read that the embroidery was actually a nod to her identity as Victory, if you look close enough."
"Nerd," Nino coughed behind the two girls.
"Nino, if I hear one more thing out of you, I'll-"
"Hey, why don't we all head to my house for some croissants and hot chocolate?" Marinette interrupted, hoping that the promise of sweets would diffuse the conflict. Luckily her companions nodded and smiled. Their walk was filled with a seemingly endless commentary from Alya, who had her phone in hand, comparing every analysis of the movie that she could find.
"She really is kind of crazy, isn't she?" Nino said under his breath as Marinette fell into step beside him.
"Yeah, but that's just because she's so passionate," she replied with a smile, gazing on her friend in front of her. "I can't say that I'm as into the MCU, or whatever you call it, as she is, but I still thought it was a pretty good movie. What about you?"
"I thought the soundtrack was pretty wicked. The opening theme was epic, I might try to incorporate it into one of mixes."
"That's a great idea, Nino! It sounds like a challenge. I'm excited to hear it when you're finished. You always do such a great job on your mixtapes!"
He gulped and reached up to fiddle with his hat. "You really think it would be cool?"
"Of course!" Suddenly her smile seemed a little brighter to him, as she turned to face him. How had he been in her class this many years without noticing the constellations of freckles along her nose?
"T-thanks." He stopped and cleared his throat. "You said you liked the costumes. Anything else?"
"Well, I always appreciate the artistry in the camera work. Most people don't pay a lot of attention to it, but something as simple as lighting can really set the mood of a scene. The angles used during the fight scenes added a lot of excitement and made me feel like I was part of the action. Oh, and the view from the Empire State Building... And now I sound like Alya, don't I?"
Nino laughed nervously, not because he couldn't deny her statement, but because to him she didn't sound like Alya at all. With every word she spoke, from valuing her friend and expressing her passions to encouraging him in what he loved, her voice grew more melodic.
"You know, if you're interested in cinematography, there's this cool student film contest coming up in a few weeks. I've actually been practicing filming and thought about entering... Maybe you could be my- I mean, the director? You know, since you seem to really have a vision for that kind of thing."
"I would love to work with you! It will be a lot of fun to enter the contest together. I had no clue you were so interested in film."
Neither did I... Nino thought. He wasn't sure why he wanted to impress Marinette all of the sudden, but he couldn't help the way his stomach fluttered at her response. She'd love to... Work with me? Together? Truth be told, by "practicing filming" he meant he tried recreating a few Vines that Adrien showed him, with little success. But hey, it was still experience, right?
"Hey you two, are you coming?" Alya called from the open door of the patisserie.
"Yeah, just be patient! Come on, Nino, she won't wait long if there's a promise of chocolate!"
Somehow, Nino imagined that the hot chocolate wouldn't warm his heart the way Marinette's smile did. Maybe if the movie goes well, I'll ask Marinette on a date after...
o.O.o.
Next time: Sibling rivalry escalates between the Kubdel's after the end of The Pharaoh. A.K.A. Alix doesn't like to lose even the silliest argument.