Work Text:
Nightwing stifled a yawn as he spotted his apartment building a block over, quickly grappling over and landing on the fire escape, quickly sliding the window open and swinging in, closing it behind him.
He didn't bother to change, simply peeled off his mask and the top of his suit before collapsing into bed, too tired to pull the sheets up in the summer heat. Grateful to let sleep claim him.
–
Marinette yawned, shaking her head slightly as she turned her sewing machine off. It was her first night that week not going out as Lady Noire and she’d found herself swamped with commissions, too many to get through in a night not that she let that stop her.
She quickly slipped out of her clothes into the large sleep shirt she had hung on the doorknob, not bothering to turn on the lights before crawling into bed. Grateful to let sleep claim her.
–
Marinette blinked the sleep from her eyes slowly. Content. She squinted against the sun before closing her eyes once more, snuggling into the warmth, one arm falling over her side, holding her close. She let out a small hum before freezing. She tensed as she inched slowly out from the arm, replacing herself with a pillow before hastily retreating.
She scrambled back, taking a minute to collect herself before truly focusing on the unknown guest in her bed. The black and blue shirt crumpled on the ground- what fabric is that? Too thick and structured yet clearly flexible. Marinette shook her head, turning her gaze once more to the man, feeling the blush in her cheeks as she looked at him. Dark hair, handsome, strong, clearly athletic. His pants seemingly matched the shirt and boots next to the bed and the mask on the nightstand. Wait- mask?!
Marinette bit back a laugh as she added it all together. Nightwing, for who else would willingly walk around black and blue like a bruise, was asleep in her bed. She was choosing to ignore what that meant for her identity at the moment. She hadn’t gone out last night so he couldn’t have followed her back, unless he followed her back at some point in the past. But then why had he fallen asleep in her bed? Why had he taken his mask off?
The small noise and movement drew Marinette from her thoughts as she turned to look over at Nightwing.
“Good morning,” she forced out, heart racing as she realized he was awake. Her voice seemed to spur him on as he quickly rolled out of the bed into a guarded position, quickly taking in the room. “Did you sleep well?” she asked, a small bite in her question. Shut up, Marinette.
“Where am I?”
“My apartment.”
“Your- apartment. I am so sorry. I thought- nevermind.”
“Maybe next time you shouldn’t swing sleep deprived. Doesn’t tend to end well,” she said, looking away, ignoring the blush forming as he pulled the top of his suit on, and sticking the mask back on with a laugh.
“I’ll work on it. I have a big favor to ask-”
“Forget this ever happened and pretend I never saw your face. Consider it done,” she replied, fingers crossed as she gave a soft smile. “Get home safe, Nightwing.”
“Thank you-”
“Marinette.”
“Thankyou for understanding, Marinette,” he said with a smile before pulling himself out of the window. She shut and latched it behind him, watching him grapple away, and pulling the curtains as she watched him wait for a few minutes before grappling right back, the soft landing of him on the fire escape one floor up hit her ears as she grinned.
“Hello neighbor.”
—------------------------------------
Dick stared at black rose that had been tied to his fire escape railing with a neon green ribbon, a small note attached. He glanced around for any sight of one of his brothers, for who else knew where he lived and would leave that outside his window.
He quickly untied the flower and note, bringing them inside and closing the window, locking it shut behind him.
Get some rest, Birdy. You’ve seemed extra tired lately.
The delicate script seemed to taunt him as he read it. So not his brothers.
He looked at the rose, twirling it idly in his hands as he stared at it. He shook his head, grabbing a tall glass and filling it with water, clipping the bottom off and placing it in the makeshift vase.
—------------------------------------
He froze watching as Lady Noire swung herself out of Marinette’s window, landing deftly on the railing, the window falling shut hard behind her. The ears on top of her head twitched before she used her baton to push her to the rooftop adjacent to where he sat.
He grappeled over to her, swinging into her, sending the two of them rolling, her startled squeak as they came to a stop, Nightwing on top as he pinned her down, holding her wrists over her head.
She looked up at him, quickly looking away as her cheeks flushed. A strange departure from her usual smirk and quick, sharp remarks.
“Did you lose your sharp tongue, Kitty?”
“You wish.”
“You know, my first thought was that you had stolen from that apartment. A bit smaller than your usual capers, but you never know. But you live there don’t you, Marinette ?”
“Look at you so clever, Dick .”
“How’d you figure it out?”
“You think it’s that hard to figure out the name of my upstairs neighbor? Especially the one Mrs. Mitchells has been telling me I’d be perfect for since I’ve moved in.”
He let out a breath at the name of their landlord. Of course.
“She actually tried to convince me to ask you out, taking my asking as a sign,” she continued, still refusing to look at him.
“You know I think I prefer looking at your pretty eyes when we have our rooftop conversations.”
She let out a sharp laugh as she finally looked at him with her Cheshire grin. “It’s hard to look at you without thinking about you shirtless in my bed.”
It was his turn to blush, Noir taking the small distraction to flip their positions, so she was pinning him down, her braid falling next to his face, tickling his ear slightly.
“I do have to admit you are very handsome,” she said softly. “But unfortunately I don’t see you leaping to go for a thief, romantically that is,” she finished in a whisper before pushing off of him. “I’ll see you later. Neighbor.”
—------------------------------------
Dick didn’t see her for a couple of weeks after that night, though every so often he’d find a black rose tied with a bright green ribbon tied to his fire escape, usually with a note, teasing and taunting.
He was just putting the most recent one in the growing collection, surprised at the lack of note when there was a knock at his door. He dropped the ribbon on the table to see who was there.
“Marinette?”
“Dick?”
“Marinette.”
“Dick. May I come in?”
He shook his head, stepping away from the door frame and opening the door wider. “Of course.”
She gave a small smile, coming in and looking around, eyes stopping on the ever growing black bouquet.
“Birdy have a crush?” she asked, grinning as she looked at the growing bouquet of black roses in his kitchen. The water glass now had one of the green ribbons wrapped around its mouth, the other ribbons laying scattered around the glass.
He raised an eyebrow at her question. “I assumed these were from you. Since the rest of the Bats aren’t doing this. And this certainly isn’t their handwriting,” he said, picking up the growing pile of notes. She snatched them out of his hands, letting out an annoyed huff as she shuffled through them before letting out a laugh.
“These weren’t my doing, but they came from my apartment, from someone else who likes to meddle in business that doesn’t concern them . I do have to admit the forgery is good. The black rose is a bit too obvious for my taste however. I’m going to assume you had no clue I was going to be here?”
“Yep. Does Mrs. Mitchells?”
“No. No they do not. This is the work of a pesky concept.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Don’t pry, Birdy. You won’t get any answers. Just know I know who’s doing this and will get them to stop. I’m sorry for coming by unwanted. And for the flowers. I don’t even know where he got the- Nope nevermind I do know. They’ll all be getting a talking to. I’m sorry about this. I’ll get them to stop,” she said before heading towards the door.
“I’m sorry to hear the flowers aren’t from you.”
She paused, glancing back at him. “What?”
“I enjoyed getting the flowers from you.”
“I thought-”
“That a vigilante and criminal was taboo? Batman and Catwoman are an item. I’ll get mocked for this forever but I certainly wouldn’t be the first.”
She stared at him for a minute, before
“Well then. I’m free tonight at seven. Dinner at my place?”
“That sounds amazing.”
She plucked one of the green ribbons off of the table as she came closer to him, looping it around his wrist and tying it.
“So you don’t forget,” she whispered before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and sweeping out of the door.