Lady Noire smirked as she silently jumped through the window, executed a smooth flip and landed on her feet.
The museum was deathly silent, as expected because it was precisely three o'clock in the morning.
Her eyes searched around the exhibit she was in, looking for the lost miraculous.
It was, unfortunately, quite a large one, specifically, a belt. It gave the wearer the ability to, quite literally, become a fish, and Lady Noire wrinkled her nose at the thought of that.
With the help of her night vision, Lady Noire was able to locate the miraculous within seconds.
It was stored in a glass box, right in the corner of the room where no one would notice if it disappeared.
Stealthily striding towards it, Lady Noire nimbly dodged the museum’s security cameras and whispered a soft, “Cataclysm.”
The glass she put her hand on turned to ash immediately and with a small smirk, Lady Noire carefully held the belt.
As she turned to leave, Lady Noire froze, cat ears twitching, hearing the light sound of wind rustling.
Turning around completely, her bright green eyes narrowed as they landed on the vigilante in front of her.
“Nightwing.”
The vigilante gave her what she considered to be a smirk and straightened his back from where he was leaning.
“Noire.”
The first time Lady Noire had met him, she was frozen for a few seconds because she hadn’t expected his voice to be so…attractive.
But she was used to it now.
Kind of.
There were times - like this - where she would go silent in shock. It was rather embarrassing, to be honest.
“What, cat got your tongue?” Nightwing said, and Lady Noire could practically hearhow smug he was.
“Nope.” Lady Noire popped the ‘p’ and gave him a smirk of her own. “Just planning my escape route.”
Twirling her baton, Lady Noire extended it and with a short salute, she was out of the museum in seconds.
As soon as she landed on the roof, Lady Noire began to run, jumping over the gaps between the buildings.
Her cat ears twitching, she was surprised to find no noise whatsoeverbehind her.
Usually, Nightwing was seconds behind her, calling out flirty remarks that occasionallymade her blush.
In her confusion of the lack of noise, Lady Noire didn’t notice the escrima stick flying towards her.
It hit her square in the chest, and she stumbled back with the force of it.
Seconds later, Nightwing was on the roof and Lady Noire was forced to dodge his punches and kicks.
She remembered the first time he fought her, unwilling to harm a woman. Lady Noire left him with a lotof bruises that night.
Not this time, unfortunately.
Nightwing seemed determined to stop her and Lady Noire couldn’t help but give an annoyed grunt because of all the times she had stolen something, he hadto come on the day she was taking what was, technically, rightfully hers.
Lady Noire cursed herself as Nightwing gave her a painfulkick to her ribs.
Wheezing, she asked, “What happened to being the gentleman you claimed you were?”
“I am,” Nightwing said, stillattacking her. “Just not for you.”
“Ah,” Lady Noire gave him a sultry smirk. “So you like it rough?”
Nightwing’s cheeks darkened marginally and Lady Noire gave herself a congratulatory laugh.
It was abruptly cut off when Nightwing kicked her hardon the stomach.
Lady Noire fell back onto the roof with a loud bang, the breath knocked out of her.
She swore loudly, attempting to get up.
It was thwarted a few seconds later when Nightwing, straddled her, fingers gripping her arms tightly.
“The belt, Noire,” he said harshly.
Ignoring the odd stinging in her heart (Nightwing was her enemy, she knew nothingabout him), Lady Noire gave him a pained smirk. “Bold of you to assume I even have it on me.”
Nightwing sputtered, eyes raking up and down her body.
In any other situation, Lady Noire would have been excited, but right now, she was just nervous.
The belt, in actuality, was right on her waist.
Her abilities as the Guardian allowed her to make the miraculous invisible, but only for a short amount of time.
Speaking of time, both Lady Noire and Nightwing jumped as a loud beeping filled the air around them.
“Shit.” Lady Noire swore as she saw her ring.
The cataclysm.
She only had 3 minutes exactlybefore she detransformed in front of Nightwing.
“What the hellis that?” Nightwing stared at her ring. “Don’t tell me you’re going to blow this place up.”
“Don’t be an idiot,Nightwing,” Lady Noire snapped, mind racing. How was she going to get out of this? “I’m not suicidal.”
“Thenwhatis it?”
Nightwing was glaring at her and for the first time, Lady Noire noticed the blue of his eyes.
Usually, in the darkness, she didn’t notice it, but at that moment it struck her quite hard.
Maybe that was what prompted her to do what she did.
Lady Noire wrapped her arms around Nightwing’s neck and pressed her lips on his.
Soft,was the first thing that came to her mind.
Nightwing’s lips were unbearably soft, a pillowy kind of soft. It made kissing him all the more enjoyable.
His hair was alsosoft. Lady Noire tangled her hands in the dark strands and he grunted, relaxing against her.
In a few seconds, they were heatedly kissing, tongues dancing together, hands roaming around each other.
Their moment of heat was rudely interrupted with anotherloud beep from Lady Noire’s ring.
The green light was flashing urgently now, as it disappeared from sight.
The two of them pulled apart, breathing heavily.
Lady Noire was now standing, pushed against a wall at some point. It took her a few seconds to catch her breath.
Once she did so, Nightwing still looked dazed, so she shot him an apologetic smirk. “My apologies, Nightwing. But you can consider it payback for before.”
Shoving him backwards, Lady Noire kicked him on the chest and he went flying.
As she launched herself off the roof, Lady Noire said, “We should do that again sometime! It was fun.”
And she disappeared into the darkness.
The only thing was…she didn’t see the smug smirk on Nightwing’s face as he fingered the belt wrapped around his hand.
He’d played her as much as she had played him, Lady Noire would later realize.
All Marinette wanted was onenight of relaxation. Was that so hard to ask?
Her phone buzzed with a text from Adrien, once againbegging for her forgiveness, apologizing for his actions, promising to make it better.
It was the same story everyday since the day she caught him kissing Lila in Marinette’sapartment.
◇─◇──◇─◇
Marinette hummed along with the song playing in her earbuds, carefully clutching onto her sketchbook so that it didn’t fly away.
She may be older now, but that didn’t mean her clumsiness wasn’t prone to show up now and then.
The song paused when an incoming call from Chloe flashed across her phone, and Marinette picked up immediately.
“Hey, Chlo!” she said, cheerfully. “What’s up?”
“Mari. Mom says you can go to-”
She cut off abruptly and the distinct sound of phone-wrestling was heard.
“Marinette,” Audrey Bourgeois’ cool, confident voice was heard. “You are going to be going to the USA as an ambassador for our partnership with the Waynes. My assistant will forward the details to you.”
The call was cut, leaving Marinette staring at her screen open-mouthed.
The USA? To form a deal with the Waynes?
Marinette phone, for the second time in the last few minutes, flashed with an incoming call from Chloe.
“Sorry about that Mari,” She sounded out of breath as if she had just yelled at someone.
Marinette laughed nervously. “It’s alright. But…what did Audrey mean about a deal with the Waynes?”
A man bumped into her and Marinette stumbled.
“Watch it,” he hissed and Marinette rolled her eyes, nervousness momentarily forgotten.
She started walking towards her apartment in favour of standing in the middle of the street.
As Chloe explained, Marinette fumbled with her keys, opening the door to her apartment.
The scene she saw made her jaw drop and her keys fall.
Adrien and Lila were tangled up together on the couch, vehemently kissing.
They hadn’t even noticed her coming in.
◇─◇──◇─◇
Marinette thanked the flight attendant with a polite smile and pulled her suitcase through the airport.
As she emerged through the sliding doors, Gotham looked every bit of the gloomy and dark place it was described to be.
Rain poured down in torrents, sliding over cars.
Marinette, thankfully, got out of the rain unscathed and as she stepped into the limo that Audrey provided her with, Marinette gaped at the luxuriousness of it.
The female Bourgeois’ fortune never failed to shock her.
“To the hotel, ma'am?” asked the American driver, looking at her through the rear-view mirror.
Marinette cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes.”
The car started to move and curiously, Marinette looked outside the window, watching as the buildings flew by.
One, in particular, stood out, looking particularly grand and elegant compared to the other flashy buildings next to it.
On the building, a big ‘W’ was stamped upon it, and Marinette assumed it was the esteemed headquarters of Wayne Enterprises.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when the car came to a standstill, in front of a grand building, adorned with bright lights giving it a certain flair.
Marinette stepped out of the limousine already seeing some very harried-looking people hurrying to her.
“Welcome,welcome, Madame Dupain-Cheng,” A moustached man said exuberantly with a prominent french accent.
Marinette assumed he was french so she smiled at him politely and said, “Bonjour, Monsieur.”
Quickly, he took her single bag and directed her to her room, and Marinette had to say Audrey Bourgeois went all out on this one.
The room was luxuriously decorated with chandeliers and sparkling bottles of champagne in ice.
“Please do call if you need anything.”
Marinette nodded, still in shock as she shut the door behind him.
As soon as she did, her phone began to ring and Chloe’s name flashed across the screen.
Marinette sighed as she picked up. “Do you have some superpower?”
“I know I’m special Mari, you don’t need to remind me.” Marinette could practically hear the smugness in her voice.
“Sure, Chloe,” she drawled, walking into her room. “So, what’s up?”
“Two things,” Chloe said, suddenly business-like. “First, Adrien is taken care of. He doesn’t know you’ve gotten a new phone number, so he can’t call you anymore.”
Marinette felt some of the tension in her shoulders flow out of her. “Thanks, Chlo. What would I do without you?”
“Probably shrivel up and die.” Chloe sniffed haughtily but Marinette knew she was touched. “But anyway, two, I’ll be coming to Gotham the day after tomorrow, but you have a meeting with the Waynes tomorrow itself, so you’ll have to meet them on your own.”
Marinette groaned. “Seriously? Can’t you come tomorrow?”
She could hear the smirk in her best friend’s voice as she said, “Nope. You know I can’t. I still have to deal with the fall of the Gabriel Empire. Mom says there’s a lot to be taken care of and I can’t leave before that.”
Only sighing in response, Marinette flopped onto her bed. “I take back what I said before.”
Chloe cackled and Marinette was struck with a sense of dread. This wasn’t going to end well.
“You, Mari,” she said, “Are going to hate me even more after this.”
“Chloe-” Marinette started but said girl interrupted her before she could say anything.
“You,” Chloe paused dramatically. “Are going to be going on a night out. To themost famous club in Gotham.”
Marinette groaned. “Chloe, no.”
“Chloe, yes.” The girl cackled again. “I told you, you were going to hate me after this.”
Marinette sighed, this was a conversation they had somany times before.
It was always the same thing; Chloe thought Marinette should go and find more fish in the sea (especially after Adrien) and Marinette didn’t agree.
She was perfectly fine on her own.
“Marinette,” Chloe said, and this time, said girl knew she meant business. “It’s been agessince you’ve had some fun, especially with the work Mom’s putting you under. Now, you’re not even dating Adrien, so you can hook up with people. C'mon Mari, you’re in your twenties, live a little.”
Marinette sighed, already resigned.
“You’re lucky I brought some dresses with me.”
Marinette was already regretting her decision to listen to Chloe.
The club was loud, ridiculously loud and Marinette was already starting to get a headache from the volume.
She needed a drink.
It was most definitely a bad decision, but Chloe said to let go, and that was exactlywhat Marinette was doing.
Striding to the bartender confidently, Marinette asked for the strongest drink they have.
She settled herself on a barstool, sipping her drink, content with watching the writhing masses of the people.
“What’s a pretty lady like yourself doing alone?” A sleazy voice crooned.
Marinette cringed.
She turned around, only to see a mucholder man, smirking at her, clearly leering at her body.
“None of your business,” Marinette said shortly and turned her back to him.
“Aw, don’t be like that, love.”
Shuddering in disgust as she felt his hand on her arm, Marinette stood up.
And promptly stumbled over her feet.
So maybe she had had too much to drink.
“Get away from me,” she yelled over the loud music.
The man ignored her protest as he tightened his grip on her arm.
Marinette was getting ready to kick him right where it hurt when the man’s hand was ripped off her.
“I think,” a voice said casually, “She said to get away from her. I suggest you do that before things get messy.”
Marinette turned around to see a veryhandsome dark-haired man defending her honour.
She would be lying if she didn’t say she wasn’t attracted to him.
She was snapped out of her thoughts when her assailant stepped forward and tilted his head in a way Marinette assumed he thought was intimidating.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t in the slightest.
Her 'knight in shining armour’ smirked. “Are we seriously going to do this?”
Marinette snorted. “Clearly.”
Shooting her a look that screamed danger, Marinette’s assailant stepped forward with his fist cocked.
Any bystander would have assumed that it was for the man standing next to Marinette.
Instead, his fist came flying to her and Marinette’s Ladybug instincts kicked in.
She ducked and shoved him back as hard as she could.
Marinette may or may not have underestimated how much strength she had.
He went flying and slammed into one of the chairs behind him.
“Oh my god,” the man whose name she stilldidn’t know, gaped.
Marinette stifled her laugh as all the people near them turned and gaped at him, assuming it was himwho caused the commotion.
“What the hell is going on here?’ A burly bouncer stood in front of them, arms crossed.
Marinette blinked her eyes open slowly as they adjusted to the light.
Where was she?
Light was streaming through the large windows of whatever room she was in and the sheets under her were as soft as silk.
Marinette tried to remember how exactly she ended up here.
◇─◇──◇─◇
As Marinette’s assailant was being kicked out of the club, her knight turned to her.
"So,” he said charmingly and Marinette cursed herself as her heartbeat sped up. “I wasn’t expecting that, but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. Maybe it’ll teach him something about consent.”
Marinette shrugged lightly. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“It was one,” he responded humorously.
Marinette decided it was time she got his name.
“So,” she started casually. “Who ismy knight in shining armour? I think I deserve to know.”
He bowed. “Dick.”
Marinette reared back. “What?Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“No, no, no,” he said frantically. “My actual name is Richard, but you can callme Dick.”
“Oh.” Marinette felt her cheeks warming up but hopefully, Dick wouldn’t notice. “Well, my name is Marinette.”
◇─◇──◇─◇
After that, things got fuzzy and Marinette vaguely remembered dancing with him.
And then kissing him.
And then coming home with him.
Marinette sat up suddenly, muttering, “This was a terrible decision, I should never have done this, I’m such an idiot-”
She fell silent as the sheets rustled beside her.
Turning around, she saw the man of the night himself stretched out all over the bed, smirking at her. “I didn’t think I was thatbad.”
Marinette rolled her eyes at him. “Cocky much?”
“Well,” he leaned forward, and Marinette willed herself to not look down. “I dohave some good comments and, if I do say so myself-”
He was cut off abruptly with Marinette throwing a pillow at him. “Ever heard of too much information?”
Dick held up his hands in apology. “But seriously, was it good?”
Marinette’s cheeks stained a light pink as she muttered, “Yes.”
He smirked.
“But,” Marinette said, to stop his ego from inflating. “Don’t let it get to your head.”
Obviously, her statement didn’t do anything.
Marinette stood up, picking up her clothes. “Is there anywhere I can change?”
“Already leaving?” Dick pouted and it was adorable.
Marinette had to fight the urge to not melt then and there. “Well, I do have places to be and things to do. So, yes.”
His face fell exaggeratedly and Marinette almostfelt bad.
Almost.
While he was getting out of bed, she fought to keep her gaze on his face only.
It took her a few seconds to realize he was pointing at something.
Feeling her cheeks turn scarlet, Marinette said, “Thanks!” and raced off to the safety of the bathroom.
Dick was left behind, and Marinette could practically hearhis smirk.
◇─◇──◇─◇
“Youwhat?” Chloe screeched. “Oh my god Mari, I’m so proudof you!”
Marinette paused. “That was not the answer I was expecting.”
“I can’t believe yougot laid, that’s amazing-” Chloe sounded like she was about to ramble on and on, so Marinette cut her off.
“I know, and you can rant about it later, but right now, I need your help in getting ready for the Wayne meeting.”
Chloe grumbled but she complied anyway.
◇─◇──◇─◇
Marinette straightened her back as the receptionist let her into the meeting room.
As she entered, Marinette subtly gaped at the luxuriousness of the room. It was beautiful but there were some improvements required.
Her internal rambling was cut off with a veryfamiliar laugh; one she had heard multiple times in the last night.
Marinette stuck her tongue out as she opened the bottle of bright, brightgold glitter.
The bottle was humongous, with a largeamount of glitter filling it up to the tip.
With her experience as a designer (and Manon’s demands), Marinette knew justhow explosive and stickyglitter was.
As a teenager, when Marinette was still what she considered was a rookie designer, her clumsiness often resulted in glitter coating her room.
It was absolutely painfulto try and get it out once it was stuck.
To be honest, Marinette thought that they should put a hazard sign on glitter because it was just thatpainful.
Hence her caution now.
Making sure the bottle was absolutelystraight, Marinette twisted the bottle cap slowly with a towel around her hand, so the cap wouldn’t slip through her hands.
Although her clumsiness had receded in her recent years as the Ladybird of Gotham, it was still prone to come out at the most inopportunetimes and with a material like glitter, Marinette wasn’t risking it.
“You know,” A voice said from right behind her. “You don’t haveto open the bottle so slowly. It’s not going to explode, Mari.”
Marinette shrieked, the bottle tipping slightly.
A single flake of glitter fluttered down to the floor before Marinette managed to straighten the bottle again.
“Oh my gods, Dick!” She breathed, turning around and facing the grinning man in front of her. “Neverdo that again; especially not when I have glitter in my hands.”
Her boyfriend shot her that cheeky grin she loved and held his arms out for a hug.
Marinettecarefullyset the bottle on her desk and wrapped her arms around Dick, drowning in his scent.
Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, Dick asked her, “So which of your clients demanded glitter on their clothes?”
“Audrey Bourgeois.” Marinette mumbled against his chest. “Something about a new fashion line?”
Dick snorted. “I don’t think she understands how chaoticit’s going to end up.”
“Oh, Mr Grayson,” said a sharp voice from the doorway. “I know exactlyhow chaotic it willbe.”
Audrey Bourgeois strode into the spacious office as if she owned it. “Now, Marinette, would you like to show me what you have made up till now?”
It was an order phrased like a question.
Marinette reluctantly untangled herself from Dick and pulled out the dress she had made.
She was very proud of it, having spent hoursworking on her latest creation. The only thing left was the glitter - something she had put off until the end, just in case things got out of control.
Audrey scrutinised the dress with pursed lips as Marinette eyed the glitter bottle on her desk with something close to hostility.
The gold glitter sparkled from the light in the studio, creating a blinding ball of light on her desk.
“Stare any harder, Mari,” Dick mumbled from next to her, “And it’s going to burn.”
“Maybe it should,” she muttered back, still glaring fiercely at it. “I hateglitter.”
“Well,” Audrey interrupted their conversation. “The dress is acceptable, Marinette. Where do you plan on adding the glitter?”
As she gestured to the places where she was going to add the glitter, Marinette internally rolled her eyes at Audrey’s inability to dish out a properly framed, genuinecompliment.
After she was done explaining, Marinette stood by Dick who, thank the gods, was still there.
Probably because he knew how much Marinette disliked glitter and that paired with her rarely-found explosive temper was notgoing to end well.
Audrey hummed. “It isan adequate idea.”
She looked at Marinette and pointed at the dreadedglitter bottle. “Add the glitter and send me the dress. Then we can talk about payment.”
Marinette nodded politely and Audrey pulled out her phone, already yelling at her chauffeur.
Onceshestalked out, Marinette let out an exaggerated sigh. “At least she liked it.”
Dick shot her an amused smirk. “You thought she wasn’t going to?”
Marinette shrugged. “You never know with Audrey Bourgeois.”
She walked towards the glitter bottle and screwed it shut tightly. “There. Now the bottle isn’t going to just randomly explode.”
“You worry too much.” Dick said, holding her hand and pulling her to the door. “Let’s go out for lunch, yeah?”
Marinette shot him a dazzling grin. “Just give me a minute to cover the dress.”
◇─◇──◇─◇
Downstairs, Tim shrieked as he ran from Jason, jumping over the railing.
He had just accidentallydropped some coffee on Jason’s favourite fluffy slippers and now said man was chasing him through the house.
“Timmy!” Jason was yelling. “I swear to godyou better come back here right now.”
Obviously, he wasn’t going to, but Tim applauded Jason’s futile efforts to coerce him into coming back.
Tim ran up the stairs, two at a time, and carefully set his coffee cup on the side table.
It wouldn’t do for it to break.
Once he did that, he took off, faster, now that he didn’t have his coffee cup in hand.
The familiar open doors of Marinette’s studio welcomed him and an idea began to bloom in Tim’s head.
Marinette said she was getting glitter today…
◇─◇──◇─◇
Jason narrowed his eyes at the double doors of Marinette’s studio.
He was well-aware that Tim was inside and it was becauseTim was inside, that Jason walked in warily, eyes and ears alert.
That was until a flurry of glitter fell straight on his head.
Golden glitter coated Jason from head to toe and without even thinking about it, Jason sprinted out of the room like his life depended on it.
He knew justhow much Marinette hated glitter and finding out it was all over her studio?
Well that wasn’t going to end well.
◇─◇──◇─◇
“Istilldon’t understand how you take your coffee with so much sugar and not get high,” Dick said, walking with Marinette on the streets of Gotham. “But maybe it’s because you like your coffee as dark and bitter as your soul.”
Marinette shoved him lightly. “Shut up, you dork.”
Dick shot her a cheesy grin. “But I’m yourdork, aren’t I?”
“Sometimes,” Marinette took a welcomed sip of her coffee, “I wonder why I love you.”
“It’s because of my dashing looks, love.” Dick said, donning a British accent.
Marinette laughed as he ran over to the door and held it open for her. “Ladies first.”
Blowing him a kiss, she walked in and Dick quickly followed, offering his arm to her.
They kept up the act for a few seconds before they broke down into fits of giggles.
Still laughing as they entered Marinette’s studio, they didn’t notice the glitter-covered surfaces until a bag of the cursed substance fell on them.
Gasping, the Marinette sputtered as her vision was covered with an influx of gold. “What the hell?”
Dick was stumbling around like a headless chicken, his hands waving around. “What’s happening? Has someone broken in?”
As funny as that was, Marinette decided to calm him down. “Nothing’s happened…except for someone dropping the glitter on us.”
Her gaze went to the bottle she had left on the table, and sure enough, it was empty.
“If you wish to know who was responsible for this,” Damian stood, leaning against the doorway with a smirk. “I can tell you…for a price.”
Marinette whirled around. “Absolutely. What’s the price?”
“Your next cookie batch.”
Dick gasped theatrically in the background. “No.”
Whirling to him now, Marinette glared at him. “No? The perpetrators need to be punished, Dick. I am the queen of all pranks and I will remainthe queen of pranks.”
Said man turned to Damian. “Ask for something else, Damian.”
“I shall not.” was the prompt answer. “I want the cookies and the cookies only.”
Marinette, whose back was to Damian, shot Dick a wink. “Alright, I agree to your terms. I will give you the next batch I make. Who did this?”
Damian shot her a narrow-eyed look but still answered. “Drake and Todd.”
“Done. The cookies will be for you.” Marinette gave him a smirk and turned to Dick. “Come on Grayson, let’s get revenge and then I’ll bake two batches; one for you and one for Damian.”
Dick grinned as he pressed his lips to his girlfriend’s. “Let’s.”
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Only one entry will be permitted per person.
Only your first entry will count.
Nominations can be found here to view them in advance!
