Chapter 4

"I'm not really dead, am I? My suit is bulletproof but those bullets of his were strong enough to perforate the first layer of it. To hell with this, one of his bullets did hit me. I can feel the steel projectile lodged in my upper left pectoral. Hats off to him for packing such firepower," Dick subconsciously thought as he felt tiny droplets splash against his cheek from above. Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily onto his face as Marinette frantically tried to resuscitate him.

It all came back to him now. The baker's daughter, their first kiss that night, Ladybug's allure and Marinette's breath-taking smile. He couldn't see her but the faint sounds of her yelling echoed throughout his subconscious. He hadn't come to Paris looking for love but she walked straight into his life and turned his whole world upside down like the hurricane that she was. "Really Grayson? You're going to let one measly bullet stop you in your tracks? Bloody hell, you're Nightwing- you've taken far worst beatings than this. This maniac isn't even a supervillain but a psychotic criminal. Grit those teeth and wake the hell up!" he heard a voice call out to him.

Nightwing slowly stirred and winced as he clutched his chest and sat up. It felt like eternity since he passed out but nothing had changed. The people of Paris were fleeing, the police were being overwhelmed by Lunaire's goons, Chat Noir was barely holding his ground against Lunaire and Marinette threw her arms around his neck and breathed a sigh of relief.

" Dick..I mean Nightwing. You're alive. Thank goodness," she whispered and a small smile formed on her tear stained face. Her light blue eyes looked as if an ocean had been encased inside of small glass marbles. " Please don't leave me" they said. Then the smooth spheres appeared to be cracked; the ocean started to leak, little water droplets streamed down Marinette's rosy cheeks. "I have to get you to the hospital- you shouldn't get up," she gripped his shoulder as Nightwing shook his head in amusement and stood up.

"Don't you have a job to do, Ladybug? Chat Noir isn't going to survive much longer against Lunaire. Trust me, I've taken far worse than a few bullets in my life. We're superheroes and we have a job to do." He smiled lightly but was greeted with a stare of disbelief from the raven-haired girl. Her look disbelief melted away into a look of fury as she marched towards him and slapped him across the face.

He rubbed his cheek in surprise as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Forgive me for crying my eyes out for a guy that means so much to me. I don't know which warzone you hail from but in my line of work, villains aren't psychotic murderers so I hope you understand my knee jerk response to your 'death'," she said dryly and dusted her knees.

"I agree that we have a job to do as superheroes but sometimes, we're allowed to express our feelings and indulge our needs. Not everything is about putting them behind bars or saving the lives of the innocent. We have feelings too," she sighed as Nightwing pursed his lips and laughed a little.

"Never knew that you were this feisty. Alright, Marinette, let's continue our conversation after we put this clown behind bars but all in all, thanks for your feelings. It's always nice to have someone who cares for both Nightwing and the man behind the mask. So, you handle the goons while I'll save your lover before he gets pulverised," he drew his escrima sticks and ran towards where Lunaire and Chat Noir were locked in battle.

She turned slightly purple as she transformed into Ladybug and began taking down the henchmen. " My lover? He has some cheek," she grumbled as she sidestepped a stray bunch before connecting on a punch to the thug's face.

" Amateurs! Trash! Je te chie dans le cou ( I shit down your neck)!" Lunaire laughed maniacally and flung Chat Noir against a car. He gasped and slumped against the vehicle. "How can you call yourself a superhero if you can't even master basic combat" he taunted him and held him by the scruff of the neck. "It's a shame that I would have to mess up this pretty face of yours," he pressed the tip of his bowie knife to the pale cheek of the hero.

"Shut up you clown. Ladybug and I will…" He didn't get to finish his sentence as the villain knocked the wind out of him with a punch to the gut.

" The mademoiselle and you will what exactly? Couldn't hear you over the sound of your gagging," he grinned and pressed the cold blade against his throat. Adrien closed his eyes and silently recited a prayer as he had no escape this time. The mime had him on the brink of his demise and he was too weak to fight back. He was bruise and battered and he was sure that he had broken a rib or two during the fight.

"Get your hands off him!" Marinette cried in anger as another thug pinned her to the ground. Lunaire raised the knife above his head in glee and licked his lips before driving it towards the neck of Chat Noir.

"I said stop!" She screamed as the sound of metal clashing filled the air. She rolled the unconscious thug off her and ran towards them. Chat Noir slowly opened his eyes, expecting to be drenched in his own crimson blood but he was unscathed and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Huh?" Lunaire wore a frown on his painted face as the blade of his knife was stopped by a black graphite road. "I'm not having any more blood on my hands just yet," Nightwing narrowed his eyes before striking him across the head with his other escrima stick. Lunaire rolled across the pavement and massaged his jaw as the blood trickling down the side of his face betrayed his calm demeanour.

"Get to safety and protect Ladybug for me. Lunaire and I have a score to settle so I don't want any interferences. Get to a hospital and get your injuries looked at. You did well today," Nightwing paused and smiled at Chat Noir who looked taken aback.

"Coming from you? That's a huge compliment and I'm just doing my job, dude. Fellow superheroes got each other's backs," he grinned before slowly making his way to the outstretched arms of Ladybug.

Nightwing shot Marinette a small nod before activating the shock feature on his escrima sticks. "You should have stayed in Gotham, Lunaire. I doubt that the French government would be lenient towards a criminal who took the Mayor of Paris hostage. But what pisses me even more is that you nearly killed someone important to me and I won't let that slide easily," he growled and clenched his fists.

Ladybug supported Chat Noir as he limped to the bench. She gently caressed his smudged face and dabbed at his lacerations with her scarf. "Chat Noir, you could have died out there. You didn't have to buy us some time," Ladybug murmured. "I feel so frustrated right now! Ugh! I couldn't do anything to slow him down!" she sighed aloud as the blonde hero ruffled her fair fondly.

"You know that I would do anything for you milady and that includes risking my life to save you. But right now, I am indebted to Nightwing. He saved my life- I could never repay him for that. I just hope that clown doesn't toss him around like a ragdoll too," he glanced in their direction. Lunaire was holding his ground but Nightwing was overpowering him with a variety of combinations and moves from various martial arts. Lunaire swung a punch that landed squarely on the sternum of Nightwing much to the delight of the villain. "Wipe that smug look of your face," Dick grit his teeth and sent him reeling with an uppercut before unloading a series of merciless jabs and crosses on him.

"You're pretty good but you can't beat someone who has mastered almost every type of martial arts known to man," Nightwing dodged a wild punch and sent a shock through his body with his escrima sticks. The villain crumpled onto the pavement and dropped his knife.

Chat Noir whistled in approval as he gave Nightwing a thumb up from the bench. He was left speechless by the display of combat by the masked vigilante. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The gracefulness and ruthlessness blended together like a sweet symphony.

Nightwing handcuffed the unconscious villain and dragged him to the stationed police officers who profusely thanked him in French and locked Lunaire up in the van. He nodded before making his way over to Ladybug who was tending to Chat Noir's wounds.

" You really should call for a medic," he folded his arms and slowly pulled his phone out from his utility belt.

"I can't have them risk knowing the guy behind the feline mask," Chat Noir grinned as Ladybug rolled her eyes and hushed her partner.

"Chat Noir, you have a broken rib and multiple lacerations across your body. As much as I would like you to keep your identity a secret but it's more important that you seek medical attention. Injuries like these won't just disappear into thin air," she lectured him.

Nightwing watched them from the corner of his eye and felt a small smile tug on his lips. Her concern for him was admirable and it was one of her best qualities. She could deny it all that she wanted to but he knew that she had feelings for him and vice versa. These feelings probably existed way before he came into the picture and he wasn't about to be the big bad wolf that blew their house down. As soon as his business trip concluded, he was going back to Bludhaven and he probably wouldn't see her again. That didn't seem like the best outcome for him but it was the reality of it. Her feelings were probably just a result of lust or even puppy love while her feelings for Chat Noir ran deeper. He wasn't bitter or upset, he was happy for her and her happiness was all that mattered to him.

Nightwing slipped his phone back into his pocket before trudging off into an alley. Marinette looked up and was about to call him back but he disappeared into the shadows, leaving the heroine disappointed and frustrated.

"I feel honoured that you care so much about me milady. Maybe you have time during your crime fighting shifts to be my personal nurse too," Chat Noir whistled as that remark earned him a light smack on the head. She shot him a smile but she stole another glance at the spot where Nightwing last stood.

" I guess there really isn't any reason for him to hang around now," she mumbled and helped Chat Noir into the ambulance.

"But that doesn't mean he can just act like a jerk and run off without saying anything to me!" she ranted to Tikki as she slowly made her way across the city skylines in search of the Gotham superhero.

She spotted Nightwing sitting down on the ledge of one of the museums, gazing upon the parapets of stone. She scowled heavily at him from a distance before sneaking up on him behind, only to discover that he had already caught her. His charming grin greeted her flustered grimace as he took a step back and folded his arms.

"For you to follow me all the way here, Ladybug. This must be something important."

Marinette looked at him straight into his domino mask and sighed aloud. " Dick, why are you acting so strangely? We just defeated a murderous supervillain. This calls for a celebration and not one of your brooding episodes."

"You talk as if you know me well, Marinette. I can assure you that you don't and probably never will although circumstances aren't in our favour," he said casually as she flared up. She hardly lost her temper but Marinette felt pissed right now. This guy- she had opened her heart to him and now he's just going to leave a path of destruction in its wake without a shred of remorse. Unacceptable!

"Dick Grayson, don't I mean something to you?" Marinette de-morphed sadly. "That evening, when you walked into the patisserie, not only did you walk into my parent's bakery but you walked right into my life too so I deserve an explanation. I just want to know what's going on with you," she turned away as Nightwing closed the distance between them. "Don't tempt me, Marinette. I know that your heart belongs to another guy and his name isn't Dick Grayson.

The rose tint forming on her cheeks vindicated Dick as he went back to admiring the city of Paris from his vantage point. She curled her fists and raised her voice. "Fine, you're right about that. My heart belongs to Adrien but I…"

"Great and the truth comes out. It's not that I hadn't known before, I was hoping that you would at least give me a fair chance. Maybe I was an idiot for thinking that we could establish some sort of relationship. I'm probably too boring and serious for your liking. I can be fun when I want too though so you're missing out," he tutted and turned to leave until Marinette caught his hand and stood in front of him.

"Marinette, I'm not mad at you, I'm just disappointed that my story doesn't end with the hero getting the girl although I'm just glad that the both of you and citizens of Paris are safe. Lunair was a psychopathic killer who had to be stopped so that's a huge win in my books," he smiled but she wasn't letting him go.

She raised an eyebrow and relaxed her grip on his gloved hand. "That sounds more like the Dick I'm used to and I'm sorry that we never got a chance to date. Everything happened so fast and I guess that I've liked Adrien for as long as I can remember. But a strong and handsome guy like you could easily find a beautiful girl to date. I'm just plain and shy Marinette," she laughed awkwardly.

Nightwing gave a small groan and surprised her with a chaste kiss on the lips. Marinette gave a small yelp of surprise before relaxing into his arms. She curled her arms around his neck and let his tongue explore the cavern of her mouth. He released her lips with an audible pop as Marinette stared breathlessly at the masked superhero who was looking as smug as the cat that got the cream.

"You're probably wondering who the better kisser is: Nightwing or Dick Grayson. Now that you've kissed both, I guess you can finally draw that comparison," he grinned before disappearing into the shadows.

Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's bag and slowly prodded her cheek to jolt her from her reverie.

"Marinette! Are you okay?" Tikki squeaked.

Marinette slapped herself and quickly stood up. "I'm fine and Nightwing is such a smug little pretty boy! Let's go and pay Adrien a visit at the hospital!" she blustered and quickly took the next bus to the general hospital in the city. She gingerly placed a finger on her lips as she recalled the taste of his lips- cherry with a hint of chocolate. He probably stuffed his face with an éclair before kissing her so she was lucky that it wasn't something unpleasant.

"Marinette! I heard about Adrien's admittance to the hospital. Is everything alright?" Dick feigned a look of concern and pushed open the doors of the hospital as she stepped out of the bus. She looked indignantly at the cheeky man and chose to ignore his blatant attempt of gloating over that kiss. "I'm here because I'm concerned about your boyfriend," he assured her as the raven-haired girl rolled her eyes and pinched him lightly.

"Cool it Grayson or I'm going to have to punish you," she replied smartly much to the amusement of her companion. "Punish me, you say? That doesn't seem too bad at all," he smirked as she placed a finger on his lips and knocked on Adrien's door. "By refusing to sell you your favourite Clafoutis because my dad makes the best one in Paris," she snorted and ran to greet Adrien with a warm hug.

Adrien waved at Dick before giving her a peck on the cheek much to her delight. Dick walked over to the bandaged boy and clapped him on the shoulder. "Glad to see that you're doing better, Adrien. Marinette was so worried about you that she was on the verge of tears. You're lucky to have a girlfriend like her," he smiled as Marinette's jaw dropped in shock as Dick tried to contain his mirth.

Adrien's face turned bright red as he tried to cover his burning cheeks with his blanket. "She's not my.."

"Uh… he's not my…"

"Girlfriend."

"Boyfriend."

"I guess I was mistaken then. Whoops," Dick gave a small shrug and glanced at the two of them, neither of whom wanted to make eye contact with each other.

"Marinette, I have something to tell you and I don't want you thinking that it's because I'm jealous or anything," Adrien clutched her hands as Marinette started hyperventilating internally.

"Yes, because I'm just older, wiser, cooler and more good looking," Dick whistled.

"Not helping, Dick," Adrien hissed at him in annoyance.

"Please go out with me! I think you're amazing and I've liked you for ages," she blurted out as Dick shed an imaginary tear and proceeded to watch with baited breath.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Marinette. I guess blondes really do have more fun huh?" Adrien grinned back at Dick who raised an eyebrow and had the honour of watching the two lovebirds share their first kiss in a hospital ward. Frankly, he didn't know the reason he was scrunching his nose- the pungent antiseptic smell that emanated from the walls or their woeful attempt at pashing. He convinced himself that it was the former.

"I guess we're officially dating then and don't worry, my father has a soft spot for you," Adrien joked as Marinette shuddered slightly at the thought of Adrien's dad grilling her during a family dinner.

"Really? I thought it was more of a bald spot. By bald, I mean losing his hair due to constant frustration whenever he finds me not adhering to his strict wishes," she said lamely as Adrien burst into peals of laughter.

"You guys can thank me later. I must go now but I'll see you guys soon. Wishing you a speedy recovery and a happy relationship," Dick laughed merrily and winked at the embarrassed girl before leaving the ward, the air of tension thickening with each passing minute. He was disappointed that he didn't win but that didn't stop him from having a little fun at their expense. Sometimes, he was a better wingman than most people gave him credit for. Adrien was a genuine guy so he didn't mind if Marinette was under his watchful eye. He slipped on his helmet and started the engine to his motorcycle as he could hear merry laughter from Adrien's room. That meeting in the patisserie changed his life and he would never forget Marinette but he had to admit that Adrien and her made a cute couple, on and of the battlefield.

"Till we meet again, Ladybug," he cracked a smile and sped off into the city where he was due to catch his night flight back to America. As the city came out of the evening hues, he crossed the Seine in silence. Without the traffic, he sped right down the centre of the street and not far away lay the Eiffel Tower, like a skeleton of metal projecting up into a sky that was rapidly becoming dark. His trip to Paris was going to go down as one of his favourites and the girl called Marinette was going to be the one that got away.

Three years later in New York City….

Marinette flashed a warm smile at the hordes of photographers who were vying to get the best shot of one of the most famous up and coming fashion designers in the industry. She had grown out her shoulder length hair to a length that just fell below her shoulders and she sported a burgundy dress that complimented her svelte figure and azure eyes. She recently moved to New York City after becoming a household name in Paris and catching the attention of renowned celebrities.

Her days of Ladybug were long behind her and she was enjoying life as a successful fashion designer. She was about to attend the New York Spring Fashion Show as some of her designs would be on display. An excited smile was plastered on her face as she took her seat in the front row of the catwalk and sipped her glass of champagne. Her relationship with Adrien hit a brick wall as his busy schedule as a model did not permit him to visit her as often as he would have liked. They decided that a break was necessary until each of them could sort their respective schedules and commit to the relationship wholly.

"I can't believe that they are wearing my creations! Oh, my goodness, it looks even better on a runway," she squealed in happiness and began filling her phone with pictures of the models wearing her dresses. This was a dream come true for her and she was relishing every second of it.

"Do you have anything for men? I can model for you if you give me the green light," a voice piped up from behind as Marinette looked surprised and spun around. She was greeted by a familiar face as his turquoise orbs and dazzling smile made her heart skip a familiar beat.

"Since I caught your attention, would you mind giving me an autograph, Ms Dupain-Cheng? I'm such a massive fan of your work," the young man handed her his notebook as the she took it in amusement and scrawled her signature on one of the pages.

"Who should I address this to?" she murmured softly as he leaned forward until his lips were barely centimetres away from her left ear. His warm breath tickled the shell of her ear while his expensive cologne kicked her senses into overdrive.

"An old friend," he murmured back and grazed the shell of her ear with his lower lip, causing the fashion designer to shiver.

"I have heaps of old friends so better make yourself clear before I write you off as a delusional fan," she grinned playfully as the young man mirrored her grin with one of his own and leaned forward once more until his cheek brushed against the corner of her lips.

"Address it to Dick Grayson please. He's pleased to make your acquaintance," he chuckled as Marinette couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face and tossed the notebook back to him.

A/N That finally concludes the story. Sorry for the late update as I have been busy with life over the past two years but I finally found the time to write up the last chapter. This has been one of my favourite stories to write and your support means a lot to me. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. If you would like an epilogue or a sequel, let me know and maybe, I'll even ask you guys to send me ideas for it. Until then, have a great day!