In the Museum where Manon is akumatized into Puppeteer, Viperion pretends to be a statue to know Adrien's true feelings.
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"I've got to transform.." Adrien said worryingly to himself as he looked for a place to hide. But then he saw Viperion standing over the center of the museum, making him shriek.
"V-Viperion!" He screeched, but the man didn't move. Adrien creased his eyebrows in confusion. "Why isn't he.." He draws himself closer to the snake, eyes squinting in the process. Then his head clicks at realization. "Oh, he's just a statue."
Adrien gulped. He looks around anxiously if there's someone watching him. After figuring out there's no one, he went to the snake's back and gently caresses it with his hand.
"The suit felt so real.." Adrien mumbled to himself, amazed. Whoever made the suit must be a great designer.
Luka, on the other hand, shivered at the younger boy's touch.
"Don't move..don't move.." He chanted inside his mind.
Adrien moves his face close to his neck, and gently smells him, his nose scrunching.
Luka almost let out a squeak, which he managed to keep down his throat.
"Wow, he doesn't even smell like a statue..I can't barely smell the wax." Adrien breathed out. He touches the tips of Luka's hair.
"Even his hair too.." He mumbled, almost pulling a strand out, but he's not doing that. He's not a creep.
He now moves to the front of the older boy. And gently cups Luka's face.
"His skin is so warm.." Adrien bit his lip, looking down. Before looking up again, his shimmering green eyes making the snake boy tempted to steal a glance on him.
"Don't look at him! Don't look at him!" Luka said in his mind, internally panicking of what will the boy do to him.
He's not gonna kiss him or something, right?
Adrien suddenly spoke, which brought him back to reality.
"Luka..you actually look really good in this suit.." He said, his voice merely a whisper.
Luka's right eye twitched.
He knew?
How come..he figured out his identity?
"Unlike mine.." Adrien continued, this time his voice cracked.
"I look like an idiot in that costume, you know..and I'm a freaking model for Hawkmoth's sake. Even that I don't actually see myself wearing it..I know it doesn't suit me.." The blonde moved his hands to the older male's chest, and gently placed his face on it.
Luka's face starts to turn red.
"You know.." Adrien gasped for air, his chest tightening with tears imploring to spill from his eyes, but he's not doing it.
He doesn't want to cry.
Superheroes don't cry.
"I used..the miraculous. Yes, your..miraculous. I used it, and failed. I failed Ladybug." His chest shook as he laughs, but a broken laugh. "I tried to save her from Desperada..for months. 25,913 times, that's how many times I tried to save her. Pathetic, right? But I failed. I failed every single time."
Luka widened his eyes, his composure almost breaking.
He did..what?
How is that..even possible?
"I overworked your kwami. If only you've seen him..he looked so tired, almost like dying when I finally gave up. I bet he's happy because I didn't become his owner."
"I'm not perfect..far from it." Adrien gasped again, preventing himself to cry. "If you only knew, I don't know why Ladybug would actually think I'm capable of using a miraculous like you..She even said that I'm the perfect guy for the mission..but it's not, really."
"You know Luka, I'm actually.." Adrien held tighter on the suit, and Luka almost squirmed.
"I'm..I'm..Ch..Chat.." Adrien stopped, as he held his breath.
Luka closed his mouth shut, his nerves frenzy in anticipation.
"Sorry..I can't tell that." He sighed, as he finally moves away from the flustered snake boy. The boy's cheeks are all red because of all the physical contacts Adrien gave to him, but the mask is enough to cover it all.
He gently places his hand on Luka's cheek. "It felt so good to finally tell my feelings..even if it just to a statue. If only your real..then it would be much better." He smiled, and this time, it's really genuine. A real smile from Adrien himself, not that fake model smile he always showed to everyone.
And Luka loved that.
"I've got to go..I hope to see you again, Mr. Statue." With one last smile, he runs away to a hall, and he never came back.
Luka, or Viperion finally loosens himself, his breathing finally back to normal, but his heartbeat is on a different level. It keeps on beating faster and faster at the moment that it's driving him insane.
Adrien..Adrien used his miraculous too..
He didn't..know about that.
Adrien must be devastated.
"I've got to check on him." He said, then comes running to the hall where Adrien ran off to.
But he's not there.
