Luka spun around when his window opened suddenly and a beaten and bloodied Ladybug tumbled in, wincing and whimpering slightly as she thudded to the ground.

"Don't let them know I'm here," she hissed as Juleka called out to him, asking what that sound was.

"Uh, nothing, I tripped," he called back, kneeling at Ladybug's side and helping her to her feet.

"Sorry, I don't want to ask you to lie to your family, but I need your help."

"My help? You need a hospital!"

"The magical ladybugs will heal me when this is all over, but until then I need to be able to fight. Are there bandages and painkillers on this boat?" Luka nodded.

"I'll go get them. Here, sit on my bed, I'll be right back." He hurried out of the room, casting her a worried look over his shoulder as she collapsed against his pillows.

This room smelled like him, especially the pillows. Ladybug inhaled deeply before she realized what she was doing and blushed heavily, realizing where she was. She was in Luka's room. On his bed. She and Luka hadn't had time to talk alone since his love confession after being akumatized, and truth be told she hadn't also hadn't had time to sort out her complicated feelings about Luka and the other boy she loved. Being here in Luka's room, though, with his personality and interests tacked all over the walls it was hard not to imagine herself in this room as Marinette, spending time alone with Luka. She could see herself being happy with him. She couldn't think about that now, though. Luka didn't - and couldn't - know who Ladybug was. Not to mention the others were taking care of things for her while she went for more help.

Still, there was no one she trusted more to help her in this situation.

Luka returned to find Ladybug gazing around his room from her place on the bed, a small smile stretching her cut lip when her eyes landed on his Jagged Stone poster.

"He dedicated a concert to me once, you know," she said. He glanced at the poster.

"I remember. It was after he was akumatized."

"I got to ride on a dragon, and my favorite artist dedicated a concert to me, so I had a much better day than I'm having right now." She huffed a quiet laugh. "Thanks for helping me."

"Of course, Ladybug, you've saved me too."

She smiled when he handed her the pain medicine and a glass of water to down it with. She took them gratefully and handed the glass back, sitting up and opening the bandages he'd set next to her.

"Why did you come here? A hospital could have patched you up much better than me," Luka asked, leaning forward and taking the bandages.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but his arms circled around her to pass the bandages behind her back and she forgot what she was saying. He was so close his hair was brushing her cheeks and she could smell his shampoo. Her heart started beating faster and color rose to her cheeks. Ladybug found herself suddenly grateful that half of her face was black and blue so that Luka couldn't see her blushing.

"Ladybug?" He asked. She realized he as looking at expectantly. He had asked her a question, what was it? Oh, right, why she was here and not at a hospital.

Why was that again?

"Oh, here, I um, came here to give you something!" She floundered.

"Give me something?" He repeated, confused.

Come on, Ladybug, now you've got to give him something or he'll think you're crazy! What could she give him? The only thing she had with her was…

Oh, right. She really had come to give him something.

She reached into her yo-yo and produced a small hexagonal box and held it out to him, wincing as her injured shoulder protested.

"Luka Coffaine, I present to you the Miraculous of the Viper, you will use it for the greater good." He gaped at her as she set the box in his hand. Luka opened the box like he didn't believe that this was really happening.

A kwami appeared in a ball of light, as they always did, and took the form of a little viper.

"Hello, Master, my name is Sass and I'm you're kwami!"

"Kwami?"

"I'm what give Miraculous holders superpowers!"

"You will return your Miraculous after the task is done. Will you help me?" Her voice was strained with pain and she was still half laying back on his pillows, bleeding all over his sheets. It wasn't her most dignified presentation, but she had to work with what she had at the moment, and what she had at the moment was a lot of injuries.

"Of course!"

"Great! but, can I ask you to finish bandaging me up first? If your mom or sister walk in on two superheroes in your room we'll have a lot of explaining to do."

"Oh, right. Good thinking."

"What happened to you? Where's your partner?" Sass asked, observing her battered state. "Not much can get through the magic garments of a miraculous holder."

"It's a long story, Sass," Ladybug said, holding her breath when Luka came close to pass the bandages behind her back, trying not to catch a whiff of his shampoo again. He smelled really good. Sass watched her reaction curiously and she gave him a look that said be quiet. He smirked knowingly. Ladybug frowned. Were all kwami so perceptive or was she just transparent?

Unfortunately, once he moved on from tending to her stomach he began wrapping her upper arm, which kept him just as close but gave her a perfect view his face while he tended to her hurts. He was cute,and it was distracting. At least he seemed oblivious to her gaze and the way she was struggling not to let her eyes fall to his lips. Sass, however, was not. At least he wasn't saying anything.

Luka tied off the bandages on her arms just a little too tight and she winced.

"Sorry!"

"Don't worry, it's fine, it feels better already!" She said hurriedly. He smiled softly and her heart skipped a beat. There was a long moment where they watched each other, and she felt like his gaze was penetrating down to her soul. She felt suddenly terrfied that he was going to figure it out, that he was going to see her for who she was by recognizing the lines of her soul.

"So are we gonna save Paris or what?" Sass interrupted, seeming eager to get to work for the first time in who knows how long. Luka looked up at him and Ladybug breathed a sigh of releif.

"Right!" Ladybug said a little too loudly, vaulting to her feet a little too fast. She winced again as the movement jarred her wounds and Luka rose to her side, placing one hand on her uninjured shoulder and the other on her wrist.

"Are you sure you're alright to keep going?"

She smiled at him and righted herself, putting her determined face back on.

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Sass is right, Rena and Carapace are waiting for us, they're holding off the Akuma while I get you. We've been too long already."

"In that case, Luka, say 'Sass, Fangs Out!'"

"Sass, fangs out!"