So, mostly because I really wanted to write the final scene about the two of them in therapy being asked 'the sex question' again (what no, I haven't already written it, I don't know what you're talking about…) I am going to go with this whole thing.
It's happening fast, mostly because I am avoiding revising for some super important exams, and also because as season 5 approaches, I find myself descending into deeper and deeper denial.
Note: They are angstily, horribly not all over each other at the start, don't worry, things will get better and snarkier. Also note that this is an AU where there's no stigma attached to being gay, gay marriage, gay anything and literally everything is peachy in terms of equality, etc. It's a world that I hope we get to one day. Enough of my emotional bull, here's the official chapter 1.
The therapist's room was dimly lit. Dimly lit and uncomfortably furnished. Myka thought, as she shifted her position in the arm chair, crossing and uncrossing her long legs. Beside her sat Helena. Her wife had a detached expression on her face. The kind of expression that suggested the wearer was diverting far less than half her brain power to the task at hand. Myka momentarily wondered what Helena was actually concentrating on, before dismissing the thought. Does it matter?
The therapist rattled on, welcoming them, introducing himself, explaining the format. Myka herself was only half listening. In her head she was mapping out her next operation. Dates, times, targets. She had a list running in her mind, an endless list of things to get done, both in her professional life, and her personal life. The latter of which is apparently suffering.
She tuned back in on the session when Helena's voice cut through her stream of thoughts.
"I'll start," Helena had said.
Despite her indifference towards the whole situation, Helena still spoke with a sense of polite concern. Above all Myka noted, in that short opening phrase, her voice managed to convey her own unwavering self-confidence. Something that, when they had first met, Myka had found annoying but also undeniably charming. She still did, she realised.
"Let me say, we don't really need to be here." Helena continued. "See, we've been married 5 years."
"6," Myka corrected, feeling it more appropriate to stretch her fingers in response, instead of rolling her eyes.
"5 or 6 years," Helena carried on, unfazed. "And this is just like a routine check-up for us. A chance to poke around the engine, maybe change the oil, replace a seal or two."
This time Myka did roll her eyes. Always with the mechanical references.
"Very well," the therapist said. "Let's pop the hood." He turned the page of his notebook. "We'll start simple. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, how happy are you as a couple?"
"8," Myka replied quickly.
"With 10 being unequivocally happy, and 1 being downright miserable?" Helena asked, feigning interest again.
"Just respond instinctively," said the therapist.
"Alright," Helena turned to Myka for the first time in the session. "Ready?"
"Ready," Myka replied, not looking back at her wife.
"8," They said simultaneously.
The therapist nodded at them. Myka began to wonder how long they would be there.
"How often do you have sex?"
There was a pause, as the two of them considered the question. Helena opened her mouth to respond, but then thought twice. Her usual quick snarky remark would probably not suffice.
"I don't understand the question," Myka said.
"Likewise," Helena found it easier to agree. "Is this to be measured from 1 to 10 again?"
"Is 1 very little, or is 1 nothing, because you know, technically speaking, 0 would be nothing," Myka found hands moving to emphasise her point.
"That's right," Helena agreed. "And if we don't know what 1 is, how can we gauge what is 10?" She chuckled.
"Because, 10 would be," Myka paused, unsure of where she was going with this. "Well, you know, constant…"
"Unrelenting," Helena smiled, her mind wandering slightly.
"Not stopping for…" Myka looked over at her wife. A flashback to the first few months they were together crossed her mind.
"Any food, or anything for that matter," Helena finished her sentence, holding her wife's gaze momentarily.
Myka quickly turned her head back, not wanting her face to give away the memory that was playing out. It was too late though, Helena had seen her wife's fleeting expression, and she too found herself remembering the rather intense encounters the two of them had enjoyed at the start of their affair. Helena couldn't help but broaden her smile at the thought. Myka saw what her wife was doing out of the corner of her eye, and tried desperately to ignore her.
"It's not a 1 to 10 scenario," the therapist said and Myka was grateful for the interjection. "It's a basic question, how often do you have sex?"
Silence.
"How about this week?"
Pause.
"Including the weekend?" Helena asked.
"Sure."
More silence.
Eventually, it was the therapist who nodded. "Okay, well, that speaks for itself."
Myka shifted uncomfortably, Helena only ran one hand through her hair before settling again.
"Why don't you describe how you first met?"
"It was in Colombia," Myka relaxed.
"Bogotá," Helena added. "5 years ago."
Myka breathed out in mild annoyance. "6." She corrected.
"Right," Helena nodded, the corners of her mouth twitching. "5 or 6 years ago."