During season 5, so they are friendly but still very cute.

Chat Noir confesses that he was Cat Walker.

Ladynoir July 2023

Day #28: You Still Have Me

The end of another busy day for Paris's super heroes. An akuma with multiple miraculous powers had kept them on their toes all day.

Instead of going home, the two decided to sit on top of Montparnasse Tower and hang out for a little while. The sun was on its slow decent to the horizon so they were just enjoying the view, the peace, and each other's company.

"Well that was exhausting," Ladybug sighed, glad for the time to relax.

"Yeah. That akuma had like three miraculous powers. How has Monarch been loaning his akumas those powers without actually giving them the miraculouses?" Chat asked, sitting to her left with their legs dragging off the side of the building.

"I don't know. Just that I liked it way better when we had the other powers of the other miraculouses fighting on our side," Ladybug asked. She still couldn't figure out how he was doing it and it was driving her nuts.

"Me too. But hey, even with the other powers of the miraculous at his disposal, Monarch hasn't been able to defeat us yet," Chat reminded her. Even the optimist.

"True," Ladybug had to admit. At least they had that going for them. Which, hopefully continued. "Still, I miss having the extra help sometimes," she added. Extra powers, extra hands, extra eyes. Safety in numbers and all that.

"Well, you know I'm always here to pick up the slack, milady," Chat cheerfully reassured her.

Ladybug smiled at her eager kitty. Always happy to help. "I know," she said. But then her face became stern, but in a teasing way. "So you better never quit on me again," she teased, pointing a finger at him.

Chat chuckled. "Never again. No matter what," he promised, in on the joke but he still meant it. Although, the center of their private joke did remind him of something he'd meant to confess to her. He'd been thinking it over and hadn't seen the harm it telling her. She might be a little mad but not enough to hate him or even renounce him. They had talked about it a bit just after the Kuro Neko incident, but it might be more beneficial to their relationship—as a whole—if he told her the truth and they talked about it more. "Um, speaking of that…" he started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "There's…something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What is it, kitty?" Ladybug asked, looking at him curiously. His tone sounded serious, which wasn't often. All the more reason to listen good.

Chat glanced away. "Well…it's about Cat Walker."

Hearing him mention that name surprised her. "What about him? I already told you that no one could even replace you," she reassured him again.

"I know," Chat said. "And, technically…no one did," he admitted slowly.

Ladybug was confused. "Excuse me?"

Chat swallowed his nerves and faced her again but kept his eyes down. "Ladybug…Cat Walker wasn't another holder that Master Fu almost picked instead of me," he said but paused again. "Cat Walker…was me."

There. He said it.

When he finally raised his eyes again, all he saw was his lady's big bluebell eyes just staring at him like she had seen a ghost.

"WHAT?!" she yelled after a good couple of seconds. Then she turned her head forward, facing the view. "You…and him-" she stuttered, moving her arms around like they were made of rubber. "That was you the whole time!" she yelled again, gesturing big with both her hands. Chat bashfully nodded. "I can't believe this. Or maybe I can," she chuckled dryly, still a little freaked. Ladybug took a minute to calm down, process the information, and collect her thoughts. "So…Plagg lied to me, so he could bring the black cat miraculous back to you," she stated.

"Yes," Chat replied to confirm. Now he could tell her the rest. "He told me that I could reinvent my superhero persona; my costume, my personality, my mannerisms. All altered to be your perfect, tailor-made cat partner." He had changed his appearance and name so she wouldn't recognize him as she old, goofy partner. And the different personality also helped so she wouldn't know it was really him, even with the different look. "I thought it was what you wanted. A serious partner. No jokes, no puns, no flirting," he said, a bit ashamed. "I thought that if I was the perfect Chat Noir…you'd never leave me behind for missions again."

Now Ladybug was the one who felt ashamed. She remembered how upset he'd been about not being called on for akumas but she hadn't understood why. "Plagg told me that you felt really left out. I thought you'd like having the break from fighting, but-"

"I always want to help," Chat interrupted her. He could see why she would think that but that's not how he operates. "I love being Chat Noir and fighting along side you. And, no offence to our old allies but, if anything had happened to you and I wasn't there to help, I'd never forgive myself," he told her as they faced each other again.

Ladybug nodded. She understood that now. Before she'd even started bringing in temporary holders, it had just been the two of them. They were the original team. She even remembered him asking her if she was intending to replace him with Carapace when she'd first brought him in, which she of course denied without hesitation. It was no wonder he'd felt neglected if she called on the new heroes but not him too.

Then she remembered a similar incident from way back before that.

"Chat, remember back in New York?" she said, making Chat's head snapped up in recognition. "When you left behind your miraculous and left…I felt the same way…both times," she said sadly, remembering seeing his ring just left there for her to find. "I thought that I had driven you away when I scolded you for coming to New York when you knew I was leaving Paris for a while. And then I did it again when you were just trying to help after not getting to fight with me and the other temporary holders," she told him. Chat may have been the one to quit those two times, but she blamed herself for pushing him to it. "I'm sorry for making you think that I didn't need you. Or that I wanted you to quit, or change who you are."

Chat offered her a reassuring smile. "I know you are. And I'm sorry for tricking you. And for trying to quit in the first place." He still felt some guilt for leaving her hanging. She hadn't deserved that.

No matter who's fault it was, if they felt guilt, it never hurt to still apologize.

Ladybug looked away again. "I did think that it would be better if I had a different partner. Someone, not in love with me. But I couldn't do that without knowing their identity. Master Fu chose you. You're the only holder I don't know the identity of. And now that he's gone, I'm the guardian now. But I couldn't just choose a new Chat Noir. Not just because it would mean that I'd know their identity…but, I didn't think I'd find anyone who could possibly be a better Chat Noir than you," she said, turning her head back at him, grinning.

Chat grinned back. "So, you'd take this me over Cat Walker any day?" he asked, gesturing to himself.

"Of course. If you love fighting along side me so much, it must mean that you love being Chat Noir. The Chat Noir you are right now, without having to change anything about yourself," she said. "This is the real you, kitty. I want nothing less from my partner."

"Purrfect just the way I am?" he joked.

Ladybug playfully rolled her eyes. "See? That's my kitty," she said happily.

"Well, you still have me, milady. The real me."

Ladybug nodded. "And now that Monarch has all the other miraculouses, I never need you more than I do right now," she said, mostly serious again.

"Like I said, milady. Never again," he replied, just as serious.

Ladybug smiled and leaned in to hug him. He hugged her back, glad that they'd settled all that.

When their hug was over, Ladybug allowed Chat to rest his head in her lap as they continued to watch the sunset over the city.

"Beautiful," Ladybug hummed as her hand brushed through Chat's wild blonde hair and scratched his scalp.

Chat hummed back; agreeing with her and from the ministrations. "Yeah. Might be a quiet night."

"Shush! Don't jinx it! Or we'll be up half the night with an akuma," she lightly scolded him. The day had already been exhausting. She intended to actually get some much deserved sleep that night.

"I'm a black cat. I'm already a jinx. I counteract it," he muttered, not at all worried. "And if not, you're a ladybug. You're all the good luck we need."

Despite herself, Ladybug smiled, looking down at his head. "Silly kitty," she tutted. "You're my silly kitty."

"And I always will be," he hummed, still enjoying her head scratches and sweet words.

That was one of the things he still loved about Ladybug. He never had to change for her or be anything less than himself. Maybe it was a good thing he'd become Cat Walker, just so he could learn that lesson. Now he never had to change himself again.

The movie just came out on Netflix today! I haven't watched it yet but I plan to later tonight. Can't wait!

Next post will be the 31st, and it will be my last here. See u all then ;D