Chapter Text
The door to Ibuprofens room clicked close as Mika walked out. He leaned over to kiss Theo on the cheek but the other had quickly turned his head away.
Mika looked at Theo puzzled before sighing and heading towards his gaming room.
“We need to talk…”
The man abruptly stopped, hand hovering over the doorknob before turning on his heal to look at the other.
Theo looked down at his feet, clearly holding back whatever he wanted to say.
“Baby?” Mika stepped closer. “Is something wrong?”
“I… I think we should try couples counceling.”
“Wha-”
“I already booked us an appointment. A specialist named Nia, I heard she’s really good.”
“What’s this about?!”
“Please.” Theo begged. “Please can’t you just do this for me?”
Mika fell silent, taken aback by this before answering a quiet “okay, for you.” And entering his room, closed the door a little harder than intended.
The following day Mika dropped off Ibuprofen to be babysat by Liva. They agreed to meet at the conceling office when Mika was done with work, and that work day could not drag by any slower.
Mika’s coworker Angel peaked over to his desk, easily noticing his depressed and bleak face.
“Something wrong?” They asked. Mika made a groan in response, rubbing his temples and excusing himself.
The drive was excruciating. He knew Theo was already there from the text he had gotten 2 minutes ago. Mika couldn’t possibly imagine what caused this. No, he simply didn’t want to
Around 6 months ago Mika had been asked to play League of Legends by the couples friend Charlie.
It had been fine at first, in all honesty Mika never seemed that interested in the game, it started off as a bi-weekly thing he would do but… Bi-weekly turned into weekly, weekly into daily and at some point, Theo had been replaced.
He’d been invited to join them, but the game wasn’t for him. He really tried to join in on whatever Mika and Charlie were doing, truly he did but it never seemed to work out.
And on one, fateful cold evening, everything changed for Theo.
He was standing outside Mika’s gaming room, about to come in to nudge his husbands attention away from the game when he overheard the conversation Mika and Charlie were having.
“And so” Charlie said, “We’re going to try this new Korean strat where I take the bounty and you push to root under their tower. I’ll come from jungle to gank them. That should feed me just fine, thanks to your help.”
He could hear Mika’s smile as he replied. “Okay, thanks for teaching me all this, it’s really kind..”
“Of course my kitten.”
“Charlie…” Mika pleaded. “That’s embarrassing, don’t call me that.”
Charlie simply laughed in response.
“But I want you to be my kitten… I’ll be your alpha. This is what duos do.”
Theo swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat, afraid to move in case Mika heard him eavesdrop.
Mika didn’t reply for a few seconds. Theo held his breath feeling tears well up in his eyes.
“Heh, okay then.” Mika whispered so Theo had to strain his ears to hear the rest. “I’ll be your kitten… Charlie.”
And that had been enough for Theo.
A clock ticked in the cold and uninviting waiting room. It had been decorated with small succulents and a colorful rug in an attempt to warm it up, but it still felt cold and empty.
The two sat there, one seat apart.
“Baby can you atleast tell me what this is about-” Mika tried but that instant Nia, the counceler stepped through the doors.
“Hi. Theo and Mika yeah? Come in” she said holding open the door.
Her office sure was more inviting than the waiting room. Small, cozy and neat.
“Please sit down.” She gestured for the couch facing her desk. “Tea? Water?”
Mika didn’t reply as he sat down. Theo shook his head, “no thanks.”
Nia grabbed a notepad from her desk drawer and sat down on her chair.
“Alright, Theo. Can you tell me what brought you to book this appointment?” Nia asked, even though it was clear she already knew why.
Theo bravely turned to face Mika, and sighed. “Mika, I feel like I’ve lost you.”
Mika didn’t reply, he only glanced up at Theo from where he sat.
“For the past four months I’ve felt neglected. You’re always in that gaming room, which is OURS by the way.”
“I just want to enjoy my hobbies after a long day of work.”
“This has taken overhand Mika. Tell me what we do as a married couple outside of sex?”
Mika couldn’t respond to that. He instead looked back down.
“it’s just” Theo said.
Mika’s hands were folded neatly on his lap, not making eye contact.
Nia patiently waited for Theo to continue.
“When we were having sex, and you said you were going to gank me…”
“Gank?” Nia questioned. “What does that mean?”
Theo sighed “It’s like a gaming th-”
“Ganking is a thing you do in league of legends.” Mika cut in. “It’s when the jungler comes into lane and-”
“Can you not do that right now!?” Theo snapped.
Mika looked away embarrassed, muttering a ‘whatever’ under his breath.
Nia sighed and focused her attention on Theo, “so when Mika makes these gaming references in bed, does that make you upset?”
Theo didn’t reply, he was fiddling with his thumbs staring down at his shoes.
Another moment of silence passed before Mika spoke up.
“If this has something to do with Charlie then we’re wasting time here.”
Almost impossibly, Theo sunk deeper into his chair. Whispering too quiet to be heard.
“What was that Theo?” Nia asked.
“Of course it has everything to do with Charlie.”
“And who is Charlie? Is it a friend of yours?” Nia turned her face to look at Mika who looked just about ready to leave.
“Yeah Charlie’s a friend”; he spat. “Just a friend.”
Theo raised his head to face Mika. “They call you kitten!”
Mika groaned in response. "Okay? It’s just in game, you don’t understand because you refuse to play with us but we’re a duo so-”
“WE’RE MARRIED, MIKA!” The sound of Theo’s chair being pushed back screeched through the office. “Why- Why should I care about some stupid duo?! What about me? The person you decided to marry?! What about our child?”
Mika sat stunned, whatever he was feeling wasn’t showing on his face.
Theo gathered his things and walked out of the office.
“Well…” Nia said, just as surprised as Mika. “Why- Why don’t you two try coming back another time?”
Mika stood up as well, not giving Nia even a second glance before briskly walking to catch up with Theo.
The next weeks, no months were painful. Mika really tried everything to make it up to Theo. He made excuses to not play with Charlie and instead tried to be with Theo but the main issue was, Theo was barely home.
He brought this up with Nia as well, but Theo would always make up an excuse saying he needed time alone to think.
The counceling continued weekly, but it didn’t seem to change anything.
Eventually Mika put his foot down, told Theo it wasn’t worth paying for, and that was that.
And then things did change. Theo changed, so did Mika.
The couple slowly grew back to normal, sort of.
Mika didn’t quit League, but he severely cut down on it.
They went on more dates, took Ibuprofen on more family trips. Really, everything seemed well.
But just as the waiting room, the one they had sat in so long ago.
Their house was so very cold. No amount of kisses, holding eachother or pretending could warm up that cold desolate home.
No amount of ‘I love you’s’ uttered, could change the reality of Mika’s continued neglect of their family and…
The way Theo had had an affair with not only Charlie, but Nia as well.
During those days, he had felt lost and alone. He seeked warmth from Charlie, who offered it with open arms as the homewrecker they were.
And Nia, who was a kind friend, but just the bit too friendly.
Both parties, guilt-filled would continue to pretend though, until Theo took the decision that would change everything.