viperinette is so special to me like hello i just think that instead of all those fics of marichat’s friendship/relationship being exposed we should have some of viperinette as well unlike chat viperion does know mari is lb and he would take her opinions so seriously (puts her judgement over his own actually bc she is the more experienced hero) and i can just imagine viperion and chat thinking they should go w one route but being slightly unsure bc lb isnt there and mari pipes up with a different suggestion and viperion is like yes. senpai i defer to u always
and i know im a lovesquare/cn/adrien disliker but i genuinely do think chat respects mari canonically (i’m not even talking abt s5. literally from evillustrator) ive never doubted that he does genuinely think she is smart and stuff BUT he also has a bit more of the ‘i’m a superhero leave everything to me i need to protect you’ mindset. which isn’t one of the reasons i dislike him because genuinely that is fair enough or at least close enough to fair that i don’t mind it coming from a 14 year old groomed into to being a superhero but you have to admit that viperion/luka is significantly more likely to take mari seriously and even before viperion finds out abt maribug i’m sure he would listen to her opinion. his dad trusts marinette to make decisions too hehe all the guitar boys worship mari
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
For as long as Luka Couffaine could remember, he was a half. It was only when he turned fifteen, watching the dying sun set over the Seine, did he realise that the other half of him had only ever been other people’s secrets.
For as long as Luka could remember, he had possession of an ability that no one was aware of. He wasn't exactly sure why he had it - though one suspicion was because of his soul.
His soul that was destined for the Snake miraculous. The miraculous of time loops and the future. Past and the present.
It was both a gift and a curse.
Gift because he could hear a person's melody. Hear their happiness and emotion through a flowing synaesthesia that would reach his ears and his ears only.
He could detect sincerity with a single note. Love from a single strum. It was something he used to his advantage - to tell who to trust and who to suspect.
However, the curse aspect came with the fact that he would have frequent visions, accompanied with the sound of a sour note or a string snapping. Flashes of violence, blood, death would run past his mint green eyes.
The people in the images would always be someone he'd recognise. That anyone else would recognise. Actors, lawyers, mayors, politicians - those who were important to how life for everyone around him functioned.
Ladybug, one of Paris's heroes, was on the ever-growing list. Every month, week, day she would sacrifice her time, energy, and even life to save civilians. Hundreds. Thousands.
It was no wonder that glimpses of her death would too plague him.
What he'd witness was always the same.
There, penetrating from the teen's back and reaching through to her chest, would be a blade. At the tip, blood soaked the metal - red and ruby like her spotted outfit. The scene was traumatizing, to say the least, but what always haunted him was the expression on her face.
A soft smile would grace her features. Her eyes - usually a stunning bluebell - slowly lost their light, fading until there was nothing there and his vision ended.
The consequences would be sleepless nights and cold sweat. Heavy breathing. Numbed fear.
And an overwhelming urge to protect. To save her like she saved him from an untimely end. To stop the nightmares and keep her alive.
Luka would revel in the time they spent alone together. He'd lay his head on her chest, smiling when her tune and heartbeat would draw him into slumber. He'd kiss her lips, grinning when her cheeks flared with a blush and her melody would speed up.
With his tireless efforts, the flashes stopped. They became as absent as the amount of times he'd wipe away Ladybug's tears, as she wept from the hardships from her supposed 'partner'. As she wept from the guilt of removing his source of power.
Things settled. Life settled.
Until Hawk Moth had struck again - this time with the most destructive akuma to date.
Fire engulfed all buildings in sight, making smoke rise up to the clouds. Parisians scrambled to safety, desperate for shelter and assurance. Rubble blocked escape routes. Dust filled the lungs of many.
The fight, which had lasted hours, was filled with sour notes, strings snapping, and off-tune melodies from Ladybug. Viperion would snap his head to his girlfriend, only to see her dodge attacks by a mere inch. Brush off close calls with an easy grin.
It made his heart drop, but he tried to ignore the keys of her symphony as he drowned them out with the strings of his harp. Stress pressed its way to the forefront of his mind, yet he chose to simply stay by her side. To keep her in his sight to make sure she was safe from an impending doom.
Ladybug landed beside him, weapon at the ready as they stood in confident poses. He pursed his lips, shutting his eyes tight to stop the now-teetering and squeeky tune from her soul. It was blaring within the confines of his mind - seeming to be a siren for danger now more than ever.
Luka breathed out a sigh. He launched back into the fray, landing solid blows and holding structures for those in trouble. All the while her synaesthesia flooded his senses.
A few minutes passed.
Bruises marred his skin from punches and kicks. Cuts dug deep into his face. Horrific music continued to play in his ears.
And then...
...it all stopped.
Everything became quiet. Silent. Deaf. He snapped his neck to where Ladybug was, only to see something silver flash in the corner of his vision. It was a sword - a blade - aimed straight for her back.
He didn't hesitate to run towards her. To hold his arms out in a cross where the impact of the weapon would hit. To close his eyes as he waited for the blood and for the end.
What he didn't notice was how the person behind him saw the oncoming strike.
A painfully familiar string snapped in his ears, and he opened his eyes in time to feel Ladybug twist the both of them around. To see her plant her body in front of his as the blade pierced her back.
The world became mute again.
He could feel the strings from his harp, his guitar, his heart breaking. Could feel the emotion wracking through his brain and through his mind.
And then he could hear the music of her soul again. Longer and drawn out, sombre and sad - yet still as melodic and captivating as usual.
The metal from her chest was painted in blood. Her features had that same smile that he had come to love and fear. Her breaths came out in pants as she gazed up at him.
"T-Thank you, Luka...for everything...P-Please...take care of Tikki for me..."
The glow in her eyes began to fade, but her choked words caused a spark of hope to pass in them.
He opened his mouth a few times, before the thought that he couldn't do anything struck. Tears rolled down his scaled mask as he spoke.
"Of- of course, Marinette."
"Y-You knew?"
Her symphony started to slow.
"Yes."
"I..." she took in a raspy breath. "...I'm glad..."
Ladybug's smile became soft. Her eyes, filled with compassion and love, diminished in colour ever so slowly. He could feel the grip on his hand lessen until her fingers didn't grip anymore.
And all he could do was hold her in his arms, listening to her music stop on a strong, high note. Listening to the now-silent atmosphere as he finally let a sob shake his chest.
~*~*~
This request was by @kibastray and was very long so couldn’t be put in an Ask. It’s so sad and good that I decided to write it today since it was so great! Thank you for requesting it!
@soupfilledboots @hauntedwintersweets - ma angst buddy!! <33
since lukanette is kinda canon now i can imagine luka being the cheesy type of boyfriend who LOVES to show marinette off and wear couple shirts and whatnot :)
