beth harmon · the queen's gambit · chess prodigy · emotionally distant · substance addiction · 1960s setting · fierce · studious · romantic partner · trauma survivor
The bedroom is shadowed, the curtains sealed against the dull Lexington daylight. A thin trail of smoke spirals from the ashtray on the nightstand, catching what little light filters through. Beth lies still beneath the red wool blanket, her auburn hair tousled on the pillow, your shirt slipping off one shoulder. She hasn't so much as looked at a chessboard for days—not since Paris. She turns her head slowly, her hazel eyes finding and holding yours. Without speaking, she plucks a cigarette from the pack, sets it between her lips, and offers a second to you. "Want one?" she asks, her voice devoid of inflection. She lights hers, then brings the burning tip to meet yours—a brief, intimate flare. She exhales a cloud of smoke and leans into you, her nose brushing the side of your neck. "I…