Rule number one of being a graffiti artist: don't snitch.

If you see another artist in the act, don't rat them out. By all means talk to them, exchange tips and ideas, but don't turn them in.

Rule two, don't use your real name in your tag. Obviously. Using your real name will get you tracked down by the cops.

For Adrien graffiti was a way of rebelling against his dad and the bullshit of being a picture perfect person in the spotlight. He'd wait until dark, cover his face and go out with a bag full of paint markers and spray cans. Find somewhere just far away enough it wouldn't be obvious what town he's from, and start tagging. It was a thrill, an outlet and therapeutic for him.

A few weeks ago, he'd gone into the next town to tag some walls and such and found one that had been collecting peoples tags. Deciding to add his own, he'd taken the green paint and scrawled his tag 'Cat Noir' across the free space. Although by accident, he'd slightly covered a part of someone else's tag.

BIG no no, covering other peoples tags. Unless you were ASKING for beef, you don't cover peoples tags. In a panic he took out a paint marker and added a note.

'This was an accident, I'm so sorry! No beef?'

And he just hoped that artist, going by the tag 'Viperion' would understand. A little while later  he passed by that same spot, and found a reply to his note.

'It's chill, just an accident. Nice tag btw'

Thank gods, he'd avoided a tag war. And since that small interaction he'd begun to notice Viperion's tag a lot more. Either he was just more preceptive to it now he'd seen the name, or the artist was more active in the areas Adrien had been going to recently.

It all came to a head when after a rough fight with his dad, wanting to clear his head he snuck out with his gear and decided to go further down to the beachside areas just outside of the city. Adrien had a routine, he'd go out in normal clothes, and keep his gear hidden in his bag underneath the lining of it. Then as he got closer to the area he was looking to tag, he'd carefully scope around for how many people and security cameras were in the area. If there weren't that many he'd not have to be as careful with where he tagged. If there were lots, he'd stick to more hidden places. Then he'd pull his hood and face mask up and slap on some gloves and get to work.

He hit a few smaller spots, slapped some stickers on poles and meter boxes along the way before he came to the road along the canals. It was dark, quiet, barely anyone out and about on a weeknight in the cold weather. He was about to start looking for some public walls or benches when in the quiet of the night, he heard something unmistakable to him. A spray can. He looked around, trying to figure out where this other tagger was, and couldn't see anything. Until he looked up.

Climbed up on a billboard, was another tagger. Halfway through a rather big piece it seemed. Using mainly blues and teals, he read the outline of the word that hadn't yet been filled in.

Viperion... wait, Viperion!

Seeing the chance to quash any potential tension from the other day, he climbed up the rickety old ladder and onto the workers platform.

"Don't panic I'm not a cop" Adrien began.

The boy jumped, turning to face the person now beside him. Immediately he recognised the mask and paint stained gloves of a fellow tagger.

"Oh thank fuck-" he sighed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare. I just wanted to talk to you. You're Viperion?" Adrien asked.

Viperion was also hooded up with a mask over his face, his hoodie being Jagged Stone merchandise. From what Adrien could see, it looked like this boy has dyed hair. Blue... maybe teal? And he has some viable piercings, other than that it was hard to make much out.

"Yeah, that's me" he replied, gesturing to his work in progress tag.

"I'm Cat Noir, the one that accidentally covered some of your tag the other week. Just wanted to say it was an accident, I don't want beef" Adrien replied.

"Oh dude it's fine, I've done that a few times too. It was just the corner anyway"

Relived, Adrien was glad he double checked. He'd hate to be minding his business tagging one night and get jumped by an angry rival tagger.

"I won't snitch if you won't snitch?" Viperion said.

"Deal, I won't take over your space this time" Adrien chuckled.

Allowing him to take the other half of the billboard, Viperion turned back to his piece to keep going and get it done before anyone happened to walk by and catch them. Adrien figured he'd just do a simple throw up to save on time, sticking to his green and black pallet.

"You come here often?" Viperion asked.

"Not all the way out here no, I'm more inner city. Figured I'd hit somewhere I haven't been yet" Adrien replied.

"I'm the opposite, this are close to my stomping grounds. I was up your way for the same reason, hit somewhere new"

"You're good, you have good can control"

"Thanks, I like your colour pallets"

If they lived basically parallel to each other and their areas overlapped a little, they'd probably run into each other every now and then. If they saw each others tags out and about, they could add theirs next to it as a sign of companionship, a 'I won't tell if you don't'.

"Where'd Cat Noir come from?" Viperion asked.

"I was wearing a black hoodie with cat ears the day I started tagging. Your name?" Adrien replied.

"I just like snakes really"

"Fair enough"

Wrapping up their tags and stepping back to admire, they were happy with their tags and knew they had to bounce quick or they'd risk getting caught.

"Looks good, nice job" Adrien complimented.

"Thanks. For a quick throw up yours is pretty clean" Viperion replied.

"Thanks. Gotta be quick in this game"

They climbed down from the billboard, ready to skedaddle asap so no one could connect them to the tags.

"See you around?" Viperion asked.

"Yeah see you around. If I see your tags I'll say hi" Adrien replied.

"Yeah me too, don't get caught!"

"I won't, good luck!"

And with that, they separated and headed off in their chosen directions to hit a few more places before calling it a night. Adrien was glad there was no beef, that the mysterious snake tagger understood the mistake and was nice about it. He actually really liked Viperions art, and his voice was... really nice. Those piercings too, Adrien wondered if there were more under his mask...

"Jesus Christ Adrien, you barely know the man and you're being thirsty from him..." Adrien muttered to himself.

But hey... running from the cops, making out hidden away under the stars, tagging a joint tag all over the city? That would make a real fun relationship. What would their joint tag be... Catperion? No wait, ViperNoir. Yeah, ViperNoir sounded cooler.