Adrien had gotten to the point in his graffiti game that he was getting well known around the scene. Not as Adrien of course, by his tag Cat Noir. He had a very particular style, so his tags stood out. Black, neon green, wild style and cyber elements with obviously, cat imagery.

Although being 'known' in the graffiti scene still had an air of anonymity. Thanks to the no snitching rule, and tagger a usually covering their faces to not get caught by cameras or cops. You knew each other by your tags, and voice. Rarely would two taggers know each others real name and face, unless they knew each other before they started tagging. If you have a fellow tagger your actual identity, it was a big sign of trust. It'd usually happen after a long history of running into each other while out and about, chatting, exchanging supplies and tips.

So the scene was starting to figure out that Cat Noir and Viperion must know each other very well by now. Because their tags had started popping up together, next to each other or on top of each other. Viperion had a distinct style too, more of an old school, music based approach in blues, teals and blacks. Snake imagery, rock and roll imagery too. The colours both tagger a used and their unique but fitting styles made their tags fit well together. So eventually they'd started combining their tags into a shared one. ViperNoir they called it, blending elements of their styles together and creating some real good works.

The graffiti scene could tell that whoever these two were, they'd met through tagging, gained each others trust and now they must know each other's real identities. It was a rare thing in the scene, so they became kind of a local legend.

They'd known each other about 6 months before they revealed their identities and exchanged phone numbers, having run into each other while out and about several times a month leading up to it. That first night they came face to face, tagging the back of the billboard, was unknowingly to them at the time, the start of a unique bond that both of them came to really treasure.

You gotta trust someone really well, to let them in on your illegal habits. Sure, graffiti wasn't a bad thing like robbing a bank was. But unfortunately it was considered vandalism, which was a crime. Even though the rules of the graffiti scene state no tagging private property, no offensive or bigoted tags and be respectful, apparently governments think adding some art to boring public walls is a punishable offence. So yeah, you gotta have some real trust to tell someone your real identity in the scene. Last thing you want was to get ratted out.

Adrien finally had someone he could be totally himself with, someone he could deeply trust, someone he could go to at any hour of the day or night. And Luka finally had well... a friend. He was a bit of a loner, having really just his sister and band mates. So a relationship like the one he had with Adrien was special to him. It was built from day one on trust, teamwork and understanding.

Which is why right now, as they found themselves running from the cops, they were confident they'd get away.

They'd been out late, a few towns over, working on a joint piece on the side of a freight train that wasn't currently in use. But a railway patrol guard had spotted them and gotten the cops on them. Luckily they were smart enough to cover their faces with masks, have their hoods up to hide their hair and wore gloves. So they were able to simply drop the cans they were holding and book it with no worries of leaving evidence that's lead back to them.

"I know a spot! Follow me!" Luka puffed, grabbing Adrien by the arm as they ran out the broken gates to of the train yard into the streets.

"I fucking hope you know where we're going!" Adrien replied.

"Trust me!"

Trust him? Yeah, Adrien trusted him.

The two officers pursuing them were on foot, knowing that while a car would be faster, they couldn't drive a car down back alleys.

"STOP RIGHT THERE AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" The voice of the officer who'd spotted them called out.

No way, if Adrien got caught his dad would literally kill him. Luka pulled him into an alley between two closed shops, which then turned a corner to another street.

"There's a fence up here, get ready to climb!" Luka warned.

Luckily, Adrien was a climbing expert from all the sneaking out he did. So when they wove into another alley and hit the fence, he was up and over in seconds. They both landed with a thud and kept running, hearing the wire of the fence clanging as the officers went to climb it too.

"Can they give up already?!" Adrien complained.

"They won't until we loose them, I've run from them before" Luka replied.

Adrien could buy that, Luka had been tagging longer than he had. Hence all the skill and knowledge of the areas he had. Luka's grip on Adrien's arm had switched to his hand after they'd jumped the fence. Fingers laced tightly together and not letting go even if their lives depended on it. Luka pulled Adrien across the quiet road full of shops closed for the night, and at the corner turned right, the end of the street had a railway crossing. Timing was on their side, as no trains were around and the boom gates were open. Booking it across, they could still hear the police behind them but the sound was more distant.

"Almost, hold on!" Luka assured, hearing Adrien's tired breaths behind him.

Despite all the sport his dad made him do, Adrien wasn't used to running long distances. He was more of a fast, short distances guy, so he was getting a bit puffed.

As soon as Luka pulled him around the corner of the next street over, Adrien knew what the destination was. There was an apartment complex with a fire escape staircase up the side. If they could get up there before the police were around the corner to see them climbing the stairs, they'd be able to hide ABOVE them as they ran past thinking they went through the alley.

He'd never climbed stairs so fast, rushing up using the railing to pull himself up each flight. When they reached the top, Luka grabbed his shoulders and pushed him down to his knees where they ducked behind the walls of the rooftop and listened, steadying their ragged breathing as quiet as possible. They heard the cops footsteps and yelling, closer... closer...

And pass by.

The plan worked, they'd not even thought to look up, they just went straight through the alley.

"Holy shit- ok one last run-" Luka puffed.

"In case they come back?" Adrien asked.

"Exactly, we gotta get out if this town. We can take the train there's one in a few minutes"

Quickly they got back up, scrambling down the stairs and back toward the railways. This time, to the actual train station where they got on the first train outta there, able to finally catch their breath and take the masks and hoods off to look less suspicious. They got off back in Luka's end of town, and after that adrenaline rush, needed to sit by the conscience store with some cold drinks for a moment.

"Holy shit man-" Adrien said, the cold water bottle had never felt so good on this throat.

"I know, it's a rush" Luka replied.

"First time I've ever gotten caught"

"Spotted, you got spotted. We didn't get caught, we won't"

If Luka could get him away from the cops safely and pay for his drink, Adrien knew he could trust the boy with his life.

"Thank you so much, my dad would actually kill me if I got my ass arrested" Adrien said.

"We're in this together, you don't snitch and neither will I" Luka replied.

His heart has been racing from all the running before, now it was because he'd just spent a good 30 minutes holding this hot guys hand while he guided him out of danger. Luka had quite literally saved Adrien's ass. And if he wasn't already crushing on the boy, he was head over heels now.

"I owe you my life" Adrien chuckled.

"Don't even worry about it man, you're the only one who knows I tag. I'd die if I lost you to the cops" Luka replied.

"At least let me like... give you a fresh pack of paint pens or something?" Adrien insisted.

"Adrien, it's fine"

Maybe it was the still wearing off adrenaline, or maybe it was the fact he was still kind of brain mush from how worn out he now was, but something came over Adrien in that moment that despite making him hardcore blush the moment the words left his mouth, ended up being exactly what the two needed.

"What about a thank you kiss?" Adrien said.

Luka was silent a moment, not expecting that but certainly not complaining. Watching Adrien realise what he'd just said and blush over it was cute as fuck too.

"I'll take that offer, gladly" Luka replied.

Before he could react, Adrien had been pulled in by the front of his hoodie and had his lips pressed against his fellow taggers. The snake bite piercings Luka had, pressed against Adrien's lips. Slightly cold from the metal attracting the cold night air, but quickly warming up between their lips.

Maybe it was the thrill of the whole situation they'd just experienced, but that kiss felt like fire. A spark turning to a bonfire having gasoline poured over it.

Looks like ViperNoir was more than just a joint tag now, but a ship name for the two local legend taggers around Paris.