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“Adrien, we need to talk.”
Luka’s words rang in Adrien’s head the whole way to The Liberty.
“What’s this about?” Adrien had asked.
“It needs to be in person,” Luka had insisted.
“I can’t exactly get out the house.”
“You find a way when it really matters. And tonight, it really matters.”
Adrien sighed, vaulting between rooftops, wondering what Luka wanted to talk about.
Paris was beautiful at night, and Adrien usually loved admiring the view on his runs, but tonight his gut was tied in knots.
Whatever this was, it was making Adrien feel anxious nearly to the point of nausea.
Finally, he got where he was going. He set down in an alley not far from The Liberty, and took a few breaths.
Looking around for the coast to be clear, Adrien let out a sigh of “Claws in.”
“What do you think this is about?” Plagg asked, floating into Adrien’s pocket as they left the alley.
“No clue,” Adrien whispered back. “No clue.”
Luka sat on the deck of The Liberty, wondering how much longer it would be before Adrien arrived.
It wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to, but it was one that would need to happen.
“Hey,” a voice called from behind him.
Luka hadn’t been watching the gangplank, instead looking out across the Seine in the direction of the Eiffel. He turned to face the voice.
“Hi, Adrien,” he smiled. “Thanks for coming.”
He walked across the deck to hug Adrien in greeting. “Should we go for a walk?”
Adrien shrugged. “Works for me.”
Luka led the way back down the gangplank, fighting the butterflies in his stomach. This conversation was important.
“Adrien, I need to tell you something,” Luka started to say, once they were a ways from The Liberty. “Something I suspect you already know, actually.”
“Oh?” was all Adrien offered in reply.
Luka stopped walking, turning to face Adrien. “I’m Viperion,” he said solemnly.
Adrien blinked, not saying anything.
The moment hung in the air.
“I know,” Adrien said finally. “Why are you telling me?”
Luka didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he kept walking down the Seine, gesturing for Adrien to join him.
“Last time Ladybug called on me,” Luka said eventually, “was Wishmaker.”
“I still don’t know what would’ve happened if Wishmaker hit me,” Adrien joked. “I have the memory of a goldfish, apparently.”
Luka wasn’t laughing. He looked Adrien in the eyes. “When you were little, what you wanted more than anything, was to be whatever your parents wanted you to be.”
Adrien stopped dead in his tracks, and Luka stopped with him.
“You saw,” Adrien breathed. “You know.”
Luka frowned, turning away to look across the Seine so he could avoid eye contact. “I lied to Ladybug. Told her I hadn’t seen either of your identities,” he explained. “The truth would’ve just stressed her out.”
Silence hung briefly.
“Do you know who she is?” Adrien asked.
Luka chose not to answer.
“Now what?” Adrien prompted.
“I don’t know,” Luka admitted. “I just- I wanted to be honest with you about it.”
“I don’t like keeping things from you,” Luka added.
Adrien grabbed Luka’s hand.
Luka turned to look at him. Adrien was smiling contentedly.
“Thanks for telling me,” Adrien said sincerely, pulling Luka into a hug.
“There’s something else,” Luka breathed.
Adrien didn’t say anything, instead pulling away from the hug just enough to look Luka in the eyes.
Luka bit his lip, debating if he should keep it to himself.
Did Adrien want to hear this?
Did Luka want to tell him?
He glanced at Adrien’s lips.
Adrien turned an adorable shade of red.
“Can I?” Luka whispered.
Adrien just nodded.
Luka pressed his lips against Adrien’s.
Adrien kissed him right back.