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Adrien smiled as he kissed Nino on the lips.
His boyfriend made an mmph sound in protest at being cut off but returned the kiss soon enough.
"Jerk," Nino said once they parted.
"Love you too," Adrien beamed.
Nino stammered something incomprehensible at Adrien's casual use of the L-word. They'd been dating a while but it still caught Nino off guard how open Adrien could be.
Adrien laughed good-naturedly and transformed into Chat Noir before jumping onto the rooftops of Paris.
Nino quickly turned into Carapace and did the same.
Adrien whooped as he leapt tall buildings in a single bound. Nino rolling his eyes affectionately. Grin plastered on his face.
Rena Rouge was leaning against a chimney at the usual spot. She grinned as she saw them approaching. "Hey beautiful!" She greeted and pulled Nino in for a kiss.
Adrien found himself purring at the sight. Tail lashing contentedly. They really were adorable together.
Alya never did anything wrong to him so Adrien didn't mind sharing Nino. It's not her fault her best friend was terrible.
The three heroes of Paris split up in a wide trident formation. Little more than blurs against the setting sun. They'd decided on a compromise between proper patrol routes and actually getting to be teenagers with social lives.
Lights from the Liberty illuminated the darkening sky.
Case in point: the costume party at the Couffaine housebout. Adrien may hate Luka's guts but Juleka was cool. She'd helped Adrien with his eyeliner.
Carapace and Rena Rouge joined Chat Noir in a nearby alley and all three dropped their transformation at once. The combined flash lost among the Liberty's light show. Alya was wearing a hot mummy costume while Nino was dressed as a Ninja Turtle. Specifically Donnie.
Twin black horns curled out of Adrien's golden locks. His eyes a piercing red with slitted pupils. All black suit sucking in the light that touched him. Except for two simple black earrings, glinting in the light.
Adrien and Alya took one of Nino's hands each and hurried to the gangplank.
All their classmates were already there. Werewolf Kim making another bet with Doctor Who Alix. (Whose guts Adrien also hated but he thought never becoming a time traveling superhero was punishment enough... Even if he did sometimes get the urge to punch her in the face) Ivan and Mylene were being horrifyingly cute in public. Appropriate for their Addams Family costumes. Star Trek engineers Max and Markov were talking to Ghost Ondine about percentile increases in swim speed.
Even Zombie Nathaniel was there! Ostensibly to show off his new partner Skeleton Marc, pronouns he/they, to Beast Boy Rose and Raven Juleka. Who complimented his outfit. They smiled shyly and took a half step out from behind Nath.
Alya grinned and pulled Nino and Adrien over to say hello. She kissed both of Marc's cheeks and introduced them. "Hi Marc! Lovely to meet you," here she shot a knowing look at Nathaniel. "This is my boyfriend Nino and Nino's boyfriend Adrien."
Adrien couldn't suppres a snort of laughter at that. And neither could Marc for that matter. "How long have you wanted to say that?" Adrien asked with a grin.
"Since we started dating," Alya admitted without a hint of embarrassment.
"I'm surrounded by nerds," Nino bemoaned.
"Ha! You're one to talk!" Alya smirked.
Nino ignored this with all the dignity a halfway decent Ninja Turtle costume could muster.
The party was the most fun Adrien's had since the change. He could hold Nino in public without worrying about what people would think. Eat as much candy as he wanted. Make silly bets with Kim. Talk about their costumes with Juleka.
Of course her brother had to ruin it.
"Hey, can I talk to you?" Luka asked.
Adrien resisted the urge to tell him to go jump in the Seine and plastered on a smile. "Sure! What's up?
Luka motioned for them to head downstairs so they could have more privacy. Closing the door to keep out most of the noise.
"So, there's no easy way to say this. I know you're Chat Noir... and Red Beetle."
Adrien felt his smile freeze in place. The lights coming from the porthole vanishing as his shadow passed over it. "Come again?"
Luka shifted nervously. "I saw you transform between the two."
The crack under Luka's door darkened as the music from outside faded.
"This was a while ago. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't say anything."
Luka's breathing was the only sound in the room.
"But now Hawkmoth is gone! So it's safe now! ... Is it a bit quiet?" Luka asked as his eyes darted to his locked door. Wait. When had he locked it?
Adrien ran a hand over his face with a groan. "Ughhh, stupid cosmic balance! You'd think rewriting reality would let you fix everything but nooooo!"
Luka took a step back in the cramped room. "Adrien?"
"This is what I get for sharing the Miracle Box. Couldn't be as much of a control freak as Ladybug. No, I had to be 'better'. I had to actually include my partners." Adrien's shadow covered the entire floor.
"Who- Who's Ladybug?" Luka asked as his back hit the bulkhead. His brain latching onto anything Adrien said as a delaying tactic.
"Oh well," Adrien continued with a shrug. His shadow rising like so many arms onto the walls of the room. The horns on his head seemingly longer. Sharper. "That's what my new talents are for. It worked wonders for Felix."
Luka grabbed a mic stand next to his desk and swung it against Adrien in one fluid motion.
The weak metal bent around Adrien's head.
"Is that the best you can do?" Adrien smirked.
A dozen hands of shadow sprung out from behind Luka and pinned him to the wall. He tried to cry out but one of the shadows covered his mouth, muffling his voice. He struggled against the shadows holding his arms and legs but it was no use.
The shadow holding his right arm squeezed and Luka let go of the bent mic stand. It disappeared without a sound into the shadows. They weren't in Luka's room anymore. They were in a void of darkness. Only Luka and whatever was wearing Adrien's face.
"Well that's a bit rude," Adrien replied. Smirk morphing into a predatory grin, revealing razor sharp canines. "I'm still Adrien. New and improved."
"There's no secrets from me in here, Luka," Adrien said as Luka's eyes widened. "It helps with the feeding. Don't want to accidentally eat your ability to speak. Though Marinette might like that actually."
Luka tried to say something past his gag.
"Oh, where are my manners!" Adrien sat on nothing, crossing his legs quite comfortably. "You want to know what the hell is going on."
Luka whimpered.
"Well, you see, it all started when a naive little boy found out his soulmate was a Lying Liar who Lies!" Adrien's already unsettling grin took on another edge which made Luka press himself deeper into the invisible wall behind him. Whisps of shadow rising off Adrien's form. "So he decided to remake the world in his own image! It's the least the world owed him really."
"And it's not like Marinette was actually happy in that old world. Seriously, she gets the second most powerful mystic artifact in the world, inducted into an ancient order of superhero mentors and what does she do? Whine, whine, whine! Of course I'm going to take the Ladybug Miraculous if she hates it so much! That's also the least she owes me."
Adrien didn't know Luka's eyes could get any bigger but they did their damnedest as the color drained from Luka's face.
"Oh, don't give me that look! Marinette's much happier now that I've convinced Chloe she doesn't need her mother's approval... and to get therapy. You're welcome. Plus, Marinette has you doesn't she? Better you than me. Though, just between us, you're better off single."
Adrien stood and let out a luxurious stretch. Rising head and shoulders above Luka. "That's enough playing with my food, I think." His forked tongue licked his grinning lips.
Luka renewed his struggling but as Adrien was talking his shadows had covered every inch of Luka's body except his eyes. He couldn't move an inch. Even his jaw was shut right. Only a low, building scream escaped his lips. Luka was a fly in a web and it was dinner time.
"Don't worry," Adrien's form was nothing but sharp darkness and red eyes as he reached out for Luka. "You won't remember a thing."
.
.
.
Adrien sucked on all of the fingers on his right hand. Letting them go with a pop. Reveling in how much Gabriel would hate Adrien licking his fingers in public.
Nino rolled his eyes good naturedly as his boyfriend got two more pizza slices.
"So what did Luka want to talk about?" Alya asked.
"Mhm?" Adrien swalled a mouthful of pepperoni. "Oh, y'know, just guy stuff."
Alya raised an eyebrow and now Nino was looking at him curiously too.
Adrien laughed, "Okay, okay! He wanted advice about Marinette."
Alya blinked.
"And he went to you for that?" Nino asked, incredulously.
"I got you, didn't I?" Adrien retorted with a hand against Nino's cheek. His skin heating up under Adrien's touch.
"He's got us there," Alya grinned.
Adrien smiled warmly as his best friends bantered. One day soon he'd tell them that one of their trio wasn't exactly human. Hmm, once they stopped jumping at Chat Noir's green eyes shining from the shadows should do it.
From the corner of his eye he saw Marinette finally arriving. Late as usual. Her boyfriend greeted her with a hug. There was a slightly vacant expression in his eyes. Like someone had scooped out and swallowed a part of his mind. Adrien licked his lips at how delicious Luka's memories were. Nice and chewy.
When Adrien wished for his freedom Gimmi had exacted a price of "equal" value. Adrien's humanity for free will? Sounded like a bargain to him. What did pretending to be human get him anyway besides being lied to?
He supposed having to eat, say, Felix's memories of Adrien not being human, in order to keep his freedom was a part of the price. But honestly devouring every last weakness Felix could exploit in Adrien was fun. Not to mention tasty.
Can't exactly cause problems for everyone in Paris when you're recovering from rapid onset amnesia, now can you? Adrien thought with a smirk.
Adrien was mentally pulled out of his thoughts by Nino physically pulling him out of his chair. Dragging him and Alya to the dancefloor with an easy grin. Which they returned.
Letting himself lose his train of thought and just flowing with the music. The movement grounding his body in the moment. Adrien caught Nino's eye and his grin widened like a little kid in a toy store... Adrien made a mental note to visit toy stores later.
The music changed to a slow song and Adrien pretended to catch his breath so Alya and Nino could have the first dance.
He smiled fondly at them as the lights of the Liberty reflected off the water. He was sure the universe would find a replacement supervillain now that the Butterfly and Peacock were safely destroyed. But not tonight.
Tomorrow the hero trio of Paris would be there to fight for their home. He grinned, the tips of his canines gleaming. Red eyes glowing.
And Adrien would be there to devour any loose ends.