Mattheo Riddle One Shots

Babe?

Summary: you overhear your boyfriend talking while gaming and think he's cheating on you

Warnings: modern au, allusion to cheating, pet names

Words: 1033

You push open the front door quietly, an unexpected rush of relief flooding through you as you step into the cozy warmth of your shared apartment. You hadn't meant to come home this early. Your plans had shifted last minute, and rather than texting Mattheo that you'd be home sooner, you'd wanted to surprise him. It had been a long week, and you were eager to slip into his arms, maybe order some takeout, and just relax together.

As you drop your bag on the floor and toe off your shoes, the familiar clicking sound of his gaming keyboard fills your ears from the next room. You smile to yourself. Mattheo loved gaming as much as you loved teasing him about it, but hearing the low murmur of his voice through the half-open door makes your heart flutter.

You step closer, about to call out to him, when his voice catches your attention.

"C'mon, babe, you know I've got you."

Your heart stops. Babe?

You freeze just outside the doorway, your body going cold. There's a small part of your brain that tells you it could be nothing, but the rational part of you is quickly drowned out by a sinking feeling in your chest.

"No, no, don't worry, honey. I'm covering you," Mattheo's voice drifts out again, sounding casual, intimate even. You can hear the smile in his tone. Honey?

Your stomach twists, anger and confusion battling for dominance in your chest. You lean against the doorframe, taking a deep breath to calm the sudden rush of jealousy that flares inside you. You don't want to jump to conclusions, but the words, the softness in his voice—it all feels too intimate for comfort.

Who the hell is he talking to?

You hear him laugh, a low, rich sound, the one he usually reserves just for you. You bite your lip, your mind spiraling with possibilities. Is he flirting? With someone else? After everything the two of you had been through—your relationship strong, solid, or so you'd thought—the idea of him flirting with another girl feels like a punch to the gut.

You take another breath, trying to steady yourself. You don't want to jump to conclusions, but you also can't ignore what you just heard. Your hands are clenched into fists at your sides, the sudden urge to confront him battling against your desire to keep your cool. Instead, you quietly step into the room, your eyes narrowing at the sight of him, headphones on, his back turned to you as he leans forward over his desk.

"Seriously, babe, you're killing me here," Mattheo chuckles into his mic, shaking his head at the screen. The sound of gunfire and explosions fills the air, and you realize he's in the middle of a game.

"Who are you talking to?" you ask, your voice sharp as you stand behind him, arms crossed.

Mattheo visibly stiffens at the sound of your voice, and you watch as he slowly pulls off his headphones, turning around in his chair to face you. His dark eyes widen in surprise, clearly not expecting you home this early. "Hey, love, you're back early," he says, but his usual charming smile falters when he sees the expression on your face.

"Who are you calling babe?" you ask, your voice low but accusing.

Mattheo blinks, his eyebrows furrowing as confusion crosses his face. "What?"

"I heard you," you snap, feeling your temper flare again. "Calling someone babe and honey. Who are you talking to?"

For a moment, Mattheo just stares at you, clearly trying to process what you're saying. Then, as if a lightbulb goes off in his head, he bursts into laughter, the sound startling you. You narrow your eyes at him, not finding any of this remotely funny.

"Oh my god, you think—" he wheezes, clutching his stomach. "You think I'm flirting with someone?"

You glare at him, your face heating up. "Well, you sure sounded like it," you mutter, crossing your arms tighter.

"Babe," he says, still chuckling, "I'm talking to Theo."

Your brain stutters to a halt. "What?"

"Theo. You know, tall and lanky fella? Always smells like weed and has a pet raccoon?" Mattheo grins, clearly amused by your reaction. "That's just how we talk to each other when we game. We're in the zone."

You blink at him, trying to process the absurdity of the situation. "You...call Theo babe?"

"Yeah," Mattheo says, shrugging casually as if it's the most normal thing in the world. "You have to admit he is a babe."

You groan, your hands covering your face as you try to shake off the embarrassment. "I can't believe I thought—"

"Hey," Mattheo interrupts softly, standing up from his chair and pulling you into his arms. "I'd never do that to you. Ever. You know that, right?"

You nod against his chest, the weight of your earlier fears dissipating as you breathe him in. He presses a soft kiss to the top of your head, his arms tightening around you. "I'm sorry," you mumble, feeling ridiculous now. "I just—hearing you say that, I thought—"

"I know," Mattheo murmurs, tilting your chin up so he can look into your eyes. "But it's just Theo. I promise."

Just as the tension between you begins to fade, a sudden, ear-piercing scream bursts from Mattheo's headset.

"Mattheo, you absolute troll! I swear to Merlin, if you let me die one more time, we are DONE. This relationship is OVER!"

You blink in confusion as the voice—clearly Theo's—continues to rant furiously, the words coming out in a comical mix of frustration and exaggerated hurt. The sound of a final gunshot blares through the speakers before Theo groans loudly. "You're supposed to have my back, poopsie!"

Mattheo can't hold back his laughter as he shakes his head, clearly unfazed by Theo's dramatic outburst. You look at him in disbelief, and he just smirks at you, an eyebrow raised."Told you," he says, still chuckling. "We've got a thing."