Chat Noir X Reader: The Muse

Chapter 24: Winter Sun (Part 2)

The clock on the wall ticked as the seconds passed. It was the only sound that cut through the heavy silence of the room. Chat was sitting on an armchair across from you, fiddling with his ring, his face unreadable. You, on the side, couldn't stay still on the sofa, tapping your feet. You knew you wouldn't be able to relax until he was gone. Which, if taking into account his words at the interview, wouldn't take long.

"I guess I should start." Chat cleared his throat and glanced at you, his gaze strong and unwavering.

Your fingers gripped the edge of the sofa as you waited for his dismissal. The sooner he told you it was over, the better. If he could just be quick with it–

"First of all, I'm sorry, chérie. I'm sorry for everything I caused you." His gaze softened, and all that determination seemed to give place to one emotion: guilt.

A slight frown creased your forehead. An apology straight out of the blue wasn't what you were expecting. At all.

Chat started to count on his fingers. "The kidnapping, the reporters, your old flat. It was all my fault."

"It's fine now," you said, crossing your arms and trying to keep a level face despite your inner turmoil. You had to show him you were fine, but why, you didn't even know yourself.

"No, it isn't. I can see in your face that it isn't," he said and you looked away, biting your lip and cursing your facial expression under your breath for giving you away so quickly.

"Look, princess," the blonde let out a short breath. "I'm sorry for leaving you at a time like that. I know you thought I was avoiding you, but I wasn't."

"What was it then?" You felt a spark of anger within yourself, fueled by memories of the days after the New Year, and glared at him. "Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you leave a simple message?"

It was Chat's turn to look away, a pained expression on his face. "What Marinette told you was the truth. I couldn't transform."

You gave him a skeptical look, shuffling on the sofa. "Yeah, right."

Maybe you didn't understand a lot about his magic hero powers, but this really sounded like an excuse. Saying it was easy, and it also didn't explain your other questions.

"You don't believe me, do you?" The blonde said with a humorless chuckle. "Great," he muttered and passed a hand over his face, sighing.

You watched as he became restless, like he was fighting against himself. Even his tail was moving from one side to the other. What was he thinking about?

He let out a breath and sat upright on the armchair. "Alright, fuck it."

You waited for Chat's next words. The sound of the insistent clock was forgotten as your heartbeat pounded in your ears.

He took a deep breath. "I'm not the only Chat Noir that existed." He stopped for a brief moment, gauging your reaction. "There have been many before me, and thanks to my... powers, I'm connected to them."

Where this was headed? And what did it have to do with this conversation? Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but you remained silent. It was the first time Chat talked about his powers in this manner, so you waited before asking any questions.

Chat continued to analyze your expression. "I'm not making this up. Later you can decide if you believe me or not, but for now just... hear me out,chérie."

He gave you a pleading look and you gave a small nod in return. "I'm listening."

He began to fiddle with his ring again. "Sometimes, the connection gets stronger. That's what happened inside that nightmare bubble. What you saw was a mix of my thoughts along with memories of another Chat Noir, from the past." Chat kept twirling the accessory, his mind far away, lost in another time. "His life was a hard one, with too much death and pain for one to bear."