The Number of Vices, chapter 10
Jun. 11th, 2021 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiTitle: The Number of Vices
Fandom: The Queen’s Gambit
Rating: Explicit
Chapters: 10/?
Word Count: 1751
Characters: Beth Harmon, Vasily Borgov, Luchenko, Mr. Booth, Mrs. Borgova, Kate Cameron
Pairings Beth Harmon/Vasily Borgov
Warnings: Angst, Rough sex, Uneven power dynamics, M/f, BDSM, Choking, Oral sex, Older man/Younger woman, Delayed orgasm, Spanking, King negotiation, Cold war
Summary: Staying in Moscow after the Invitational, Beth is delighted to find Vasily Borgov is to show her the city. She has plans. So have Borgov.
The fic on AO3
Beth flew back to the USA the next day with Borgov’s pajama jacket in her luggage, and an aching heart. She had hoped to go straight back home to Lexington; she needed to be alone and have the time and space to reflect over everything which had happened since she left for Moscow. But she found that the official explanation for her extended stay was a severe cold, and all the activities planned for her return had simply been postponed. So instead of going home she had to go to Washington to play chess with the President at the White House, and was photographed and interviewed. It was uncomfortable and boring, the journalists far more interested if she had a boyfriend and what pop groups she liked than chess. But with her new awareness of politics, Beth did her best to be polite and smile at the right places, even the questions were invasive and left her exhausted.
There was also the promised talk with Mr. Booth. His pleasure to hear Borgov was willing to defect was quickly tampered by his displeasure that it must include his family. He regaled Beth with a long complaint of how difficult it would be to just get Borgov out, but Beth concluded Mr. Booth was never pleased. She was certain had it just been about Borgov, he would still have found cause to moan about it. Rather to her relief, Mr. Booth quickly faded into the background and disappeared when her information reached his superiors. A Mr. Wright replaced him, who was, if not exactly likeable, a vast improvement. She clearly had been upgraded to a more able agent, and he was impersonal rather than condescending when he talked with her. Mr. Wright also knew how to play chess, so he was fully aware of what a feat Beth had pulled off when she won over Borgov.
And then there was Kate. Beth was told she was going to meet a female agent whose speciality was extracting people. She was not at all what Beth expected. Her idea of a female agent was much like the male ones she had met; a nondescript person of an uncertain age, as if created to blend into the background. But the woman she met in her hotel room in Washington was anything but dull. She was petite, pretty and young; thirty at the very most, elegantly dressed and immaculately made-up. And her perfectly styled hair was in a shade of red, almost as spectacular as Beth’s own. She was also unexpectedly friendly.
“You can call me Kate,” she said, and smiled warmly at Beth’s surprised face. “I know, you were expecting something else.”
“I didn’t know there were agents like you.”
“It wasn’t exactly my first career choice. I used to be an air-hostess. My plan was to see the world and marry a devastatingly handsome captain when I turned thirty-two. But I got recruited for a simple courier job and purely by accident, realized I had a talent for more than that. So here I am.” Kate laughed. “I have seen the world, at least. And now, I need you to tell me everything you know about Vasily Borgov and his family.”
It was easy to talk with Kate, even for Beth, who usually found it difficult to talk with new people. Partly because it soothed some of the ache inside to talk about Borgov as much as she wanted, but also because Kate was a good listener, who knew when to put in a skillful question or two. In the end, Beth got the uncomfortable feeling she had provided more information than she had intended, and Kate’s next question proved she had.
“You care for him a great deal, don’t you? He’s just not a rival.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s to me, but then I have experienced something similar. Don’t worry, I will tell no one.”
Kate hesitated, then she opened her purse and extracted a photo from her wallet and showed it to Beth. It depicted Kate in the arms of a tall, good looking man with dark hair. They were looking at each other, smiling in the happy way people who are heads over heels in love smiled.
“It’s difficult to fall in love with someone from behind the Iron Curtain. It was Yugoslavia, in my case. I can’t promise I can get your Mr. Borgov out for you, but I promise, I will do my best.”
She put away the photo. Beth wondered if Kate’s story had had a happy ending or not, but she didn’t want to pry.
Kate also advised her to not tell anyone about her and Borgov.
“What we want is to make the Soviets think this was nothing more than a fling from your side. So go home, have fun, go on dates. Don’t write to him. If someone approaches you and offers to mediate, tell them you have no interest in ever seeing him again, apart from over a chessboard. Regardless of what happened in Moscow, you want to give the impression it’s over and done as far as you are concerned. And if he is as smart as you say, he’ll be wise to distance himself from you as well.”
It took Beth nearly a week until she was finally back home in Lexington. Barely a month since she left, but it felt like a lifetime. Everything had changed in those short weeks; she had finally won over Borgov, which, if she hadn’t exactly counted on doing, at least had been her goal. And then the entire week of unexpected discoveries.
It was nice to come home, to sleep in her own bed and eat the food she had chosen in her kitchen. And it was nice to see Jolene, and tell her about her trip, even if she couldn’t tell her of what had happened between her and Borgov. It was hard, as Beth longed to tell Jolene all about it, to hear her have opinions, and come with advice. She missed him terribly, and it would have been a relief to discuss her feelings with her best friend.
Instead, Beth made herself push away the memories of her last week in Moscow. In her mind she imagined putting them all in a box marked “Vasily” and firmly put the lid on. She had work to do now, and she couldn’t allow herself to brood over her heartache. She needed to think of Borgov only as a chess player, because even if she had won over him once now, there was still a lot she needed to learn if she was to take the title of World Champion away from him.
So Beth threw herself into her studies and carefully planned tours. She needed the experience and ranking, and she needed the prize-money. Her economy had not fully recovered after buying her house, and even if there was some money left after paying back Jolene, she needed more to feel financially secure again. And she needed to beagle to tour outside the USA too- it was not likely Borgov would ever be allowed to come to her country. For the same reason, she attempted to cultivate sponsors. It was awkward and frustrating until she got the idea to emulate Kate’s effortless charm. It was a surprisingly successful trick, allowing Beth to be pleasant and accessible while she could keep herself safe behind her Kate-mask.
Two months after Moscow, Borgov wrote an article where he analyzed the first and last game he had played with several up-and-coming chess players, pointing out their developments; their weaknesses and strengths. Most of them were Russians, and of everyone mentioned, Beth had only played against Girev. Of all of them she was the only woman, and, of course, the only one who had beaten Borgov. She read the article greedily. It was an interesting article, with a lot of useful information about chess players she was sure she would meet eventually. But it was the part about her she read again and again. It was daunting to realise he had spotted all her maneuvers in their last game; she could not win again if she didn’t up her game considerably, but it was challenging too. The language in the article was dry and analytical, and he gave her no more space than anyone else. But he had been thinking of her when he wrote it, and reading it made her feel close to him. It was so little, barely anything, but she still kept it by her bed, so she could read it before she slept, and often when she woke up as well.
And through it all, she didn’t drink. At times she wanted to so badly she didn’t think she could go on without, but she managed to stop herself. She threw herself into her chess games instead. Jolene could always be counted on to work out a sweat at the gym, leaving Beth exhausted, but still sober. For the whole twelve hours she stopped smoking, before she realised it was either a cigarette or a drink. She didn’t drink. And she went on every tour she could and won them all, and stayed sober.
The hardest part was those nights when Beth couldn’t stop herself from missing Borgov; when the memories from their week welled up unbidden in her mind. In bed she hugged Vasily’s pajama jacket to her chest and told herself she could still feel his scent on the fabric. She wanted him so much with her; she thought she would break into small pieces. And sometimes it was hard not to have doubts and wonder if she had meant as much for him as he did for her. In Beth’s darkest hours she even wondered if he had cared for her at all; that he had only used her infatuation with him to make sure she would do what he wanted. But when she thought of his voice, and how he had touched her, she felt sure it had all been true. It made their separation even harder to bear, but thinking of him also made it easier to remain sober.
Beth went to two tournaments abroad, one in Toronto and one in Copenhagen. She won both, but Borgov didn’t attend either of them, and her victories were mixed with disappointment. Then, nearly seven months after Moscow, there was a tournament in Budapest, and it was announced Borgov was going to attend.
NOTES
Kate Cameron is not a figment of my imagination, but borrowed from the excellent, but sadly short-lived show Pan Am which is set in the early 60s. I just finished a rewatch, and that we never got more of Kate being an adorable badass is a shame. She is an air stewardess who is recruited to the CIA, and she’s such a great character, so I couldn’t resist adding her. (I really recommend the show, but if you watch it, it’s very useful to know it was aired in the wrong order, so to not be confused you need to watch episode 13 after episode 6.)
Fandom: The Queen’s Gambit
Rating: Explicit
Chapters: 10/?
Word Count: 1751
Characters: Beth Harmon, Vasily Borgov, Luchenko, Mr. Booth, Mrs. Borgova, Kate Cameron
Pairings Beth Harmon/Vasily Borgov
Warnings: Angst, Rough sex, Uneven power dynamics, M/f, BDSM, Choking, Oral sex, Older man/Younger woman, Delayed orgasm, Spanking, King negotiation, Cold war
Summary: Staying in Moscow after the Invitational, Beth is delighted to find Vasily Borgov is to show her the city. She has plans. So have Borgov.
The fic on AO3
Beth flew back to the USA the next day with Borgov’s pajama jacket in her luggage, and an aching heart. She had hoped to go straight back home to Lexington; she needed to be alone and have the time and space to reflect over everything which had happened since she left for Moscow. But she found that the official explanation for her extended stay was a severe cold, and all the activities planned for her return had simply been postponed. So instead of going home she had to go to Washington to play chess with the President at the White House, and was photographed and interviewed. It was uncomfortable and boring, the journalists far more interested if she had a boyfriend and what pop groups she liked than chess. But with her new awareness of politics, Beth did her best to be polite and smile at the right places, even the questions were invasive and left her exhausted.
There was also the promised talk with Mr. Booth. His pleasure to hear Borgov was willing to defect was quickly tampered by his displeasure that it must include his family. He regaled Beth with a long complaint of how difficult it would be to just get Borgov out, but Beth concluded Mr. Booth was never pleased. She was certain had it just been about Borgov, he would still have found cause to moan about it. Rather to her relief, Mr. Booth quickly faded into the background and disappeared when her information reached his superiors. A Mr. Wright replaced him, who was, if not exactly likeable, a vast improvement. She clearly had been upgraded to a more able agent, and he was impersonal rather than condescending when he talked with her. Mr. Wright also knew how to play chess, so he was fully aware of what a feat Beth had pulled off when she won over Borgov.
And then there was Kate. Beth was told she was going to meet a female agent whose speciality was extracting people. She was not at all what Beth expected. Her idea of a female agent was much like the male ones she had met; a nondescript person of an uncertain age, as if created to blend into the background. But the woman she met in her hotel room in Washington was anything but dull. She was petite, pretty and young; thirty at the very most, elegantly dressed and immaculately made-up. And her perfectly styled hair was in a shade of red, almost as spectacular as Beth’s own. She was also unexpectedly friendly.
“You can call me Kate,” she said, and smiled warmly at Beth’s surprised face. “I know, you were expecting something else.”
“I didn’t know there were agents like you.”
“It wasn’t exactly my first career choice. I used to be an air-hostess. My plan was to see the world and marry a devastatingly handsome captain when I turned thirty-two. But I got recruited for a simple courier job and purely by accident, realized I had a talent for more than that. So here I am.” Kate laughed. “I have seen the world, at least. And now, I need you to tell me everything you know about Vasily Borgov and his family.”
It was easy to talk with Kate, even for Beth, who usually found it difficult to talk with new people. Partly because it soothed some of the ache inside to talk about Borgov as much as she wanted, but also because Kate was a good listener, who knew when to put in a skillful question or two. In the end, Beth got the uncomfortable feeling she had provided more information than she had intended, and Kate’s next question proved she had.
“You care for him a great deal, don’t you? He’s just not a rival.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“It’s to me, but then I have experienced something similar. Don’t worry, I will tell no one.”
Kate hesitated, then she opened her purse and extracted a photo from her wallet and showed it to Beth. It depicted Kate in the arms of a tall, good looking man with dark hair. They were looking at each other, smiling in the happy way people who are heads over heels in love smiled.
“It’s difficult to fall in love with someone from behind the Iron Curtain. It was Yugoslavia, in my case. I can’t promise I can get your Mr. Borgov out for you, but I promise, I will do my best.”
She put away the photo. Beth wondered if Kate’s story had had a happy ending or not, but she didn’t want to pry.
Kate also advised her to not tell anyone about her and Borgov.
“What we want is to make the Soviets think this was nothing more than a fling from your side. So go home, have fun, go on dates. Don’t write to him. If someone approaches you and offers to mediate, tell them you have no interest in ever seeing him again, apart from over a chessboard. Regardless of what happened in Moscow, you want to give the impression it’s over and done as far as you are concerned. And if he is as smart as you say, he’ll be wise to distance himself from you as well.”
It took Beth nearly a week until she was finally back home in Lexington. Barely a month since she left, but it felt like a lifetime. Everything had changed in those short weeks; she had finally won over Borgov, which, if she hadn’t exactly counted on doing, at least had been her goal. And then the entire week of unexpected discoveries.
It was nice to come home, to sleep in her own bed and eat the food she had chosen in her kitchen. And it was nice to see Jolene, and tell her about her trip, even if she couldn’t tell her of what had happened between her and Borgov. It was hard, as Beth longed to tell Jolene all about it, to hear her have opinions, and come with advice. She missed him terribly, and it would have been a relief to discuss her feelings with her best friend.
Instead, Beth made herself push away the memories of her last week in Moscow. In her mind she imagined putting them all in a box marked “Vasily” and firmly put the lid on. She had work to do now, and she couldn’t allow herself to brood over her heartache. She needed to think of Borgov only as a chess player, because even if she had won over him once now, there was still a lot she needed to learn if she was to take the title of World Champion away from him.
So Beth threw herself into her studies and carefully planned tours. She needed the experience and ranking, and she needed the prize-money. Her economy had not fully recovered after buying her house, and even if there was some money left after paying back Jolene, she needed more to feel financially secure again. And she needed to beagle to tour outside the USA too- it was not likely Borgov would ever be allowed to come to her country. For the same reason, she attempted to cultivate sponsors. It was awkward and frustrating until she got the idea to emulate Kate’s effortless charm. It was a surprisingly successful trick, allowing Beth to be pleasant and accessible while she could keep herself safe behind her Kate-mask.
Two months after Moscow, Borgov wrote an article where he analyzed the first and last game he had played with several up-and-coming chess players, pointing out their developments; their weaknesses and strengths. Most of them were Russians, and of everyone mentioned, Beth had only played against Girev. Of all of them she was the only woman, and, of course, the only one who had beaten Borgov. She read the article greedily. It was an interesting article, with a lot of useful information about chess players she was sure she would meet eventually. But it was the part about her she read again and again. It was daunting to realise he had spotted all her maneuvers in their last game; she could not win again if she didn’t up her game considerably, but it was challenging too. The language in the article was dry and analytical, and he gave her no more space than anyone else. But he had been thinking of her when he wrote it, and reading it made her feel close to him. It was so little, barely anything, but she still kept it by her bed, so she could read it before she slept, and often when she woke up as well.
And through it all, she didn’t drink. At times she wanted to so badly she didn’t think she could go on without, but she managed to stop herself. She threw herself into her chess games instead. Jolene could always be counted on to work out a sweat at the gym, leaving Beth exhausted, but still sober. For the whole twelve hours she stopped smoking, before she realised it was either a cigarette or a drink. She didn’t drink. And she went on every tour she could and won them all, and stayed sober.
The hardest part was those nights when Beth couldn’t stop herself from missing Borgov; when the memories from their week welled up unbidden in her mind. In bed she hugged Vasily’s pajama jacket to her chest and told herself she could still feel his scent on the fabric. She wanted him so much with her; she thought she would break into small pieces. And sometimes it was hard not to have doubts and wonder if she had meant as much for him as he did for her. In Beth’s darkest hours she even wondered if he had cared for her at all; that he had only used her infatuation with him to make sure she would do what he wanted. But when she thought of his voice, and how he had touched her, she felt sure it had all been true. It made their separation even harder to bear, but thinking of him also made it easier to remain sober.
Beth went to two tournaments abroad, one in Toronto and one in Copenhagen. She won both, but Borgov didn’t attend either of them, and her victories were mixed with disappointment. Then, nearly seven months after Moscow, there was a tournament in Budapest, and it was announced Borgov was going to attend.
NOTES
Kate Cameron is not a figment of my imagination, but borrowed from the excellent, but sadly short-lived show Pan Am which is set in the early 60s. I just finished a rewatch, and that we never got more of Kate being an adorable badass is a shame. She is an air stewardess who is recruited to the CIA, and she’s such a great character, so I couldn’t resist adding her. (I really recommend the show, but if you watch it, it’s very useful to know it was aired in the wrong order, so to not be confused you need to watch episode 13 after episode 6.)
