Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Maneater •|| WINTUMN ||•

[A/N: Being in a cast really gives you time to write. :)]

Prompt: Autumn catches Winter listening to a certain song.

The rhythmic beat of Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" pulsed through the house as Autumn descended the stairs, the scent of whatever Winter was cooking drifting into her nose. She paused for a moment at the bottom, listening to the unmistakable, sultry chorus filtering through the kitchen.

"Maneater, make you work hard, make you spend hard, make you want all of her love…"

Autumn grinned. Winter, listening to this? She crept quietly toward the kitchen, her bare feet muffling her footsteps. Peeking around the corner, she saw him at the stove, hips subtly moving to the beat as he stirred a pot with one hand and held his phone in the other.

Winter was so absorbed in the music—and, evidently, his private jam session—that he didn’t even notice her standing there. Autumn crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway, thoroughly amused.

When the chorus hit again, Winter half-muttered the lyrics under his breath, his voice low and surprisingly in tune.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or record you,” Autumn quipped, her voice cutting through the music.

Winter startled, nearly dropping the wooden spoon. He spun around, wide-eyed, and immediately lunged for his phone, fumbling to pause the song. The kitchen fell into an awkward silence, save for the faint simmering of whatever was on the stove.

“You heard that?” he asked, his cheeks flushing.

Autumn smirked, taking a step closer. “Oh, I heard it,” she teased. “What I don’t understand is why you turned it off.”

“I just… I didn’t think you’d… you know… get it.” Winter rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze darting anywhere but her face. “I mean, it’s kind of random. And maybe a little weird for me to listen to.”

Autumn burst into laughter, grabbing his phone from the counter. “Weird? Winter, it’s Maneater. This is a classic.”

“You’re messing with me,” he said, narrowing his eyes.

“Not at all.” Autumn grinned and restarted the song. As the intro played, she casually leaned against the counter and started singing along, her voice smooth and confident.

"Everybody look at me, me
I walk in the door, you start screaming
Come on, everybody, what you here for?
Move your body around like a nympho"

Winter’s jaw dropped. He stared at her like she’d just revealed she had a second life as a pop star.

“You know this?” he asked incredulously.

Autumn rolled her eyes. “Of course, I do. You thought I was all Engelbert Humperdinck and Patti Page?” She stepped closer, pointing the wooden spoon at him like a mic. “Hate to break it to you, my sweet, but I’m full of surprises.”

The grin tugging at Winter’s lips widened as she hit every lyric flawlessly, her energy infectious. “This is not what I expected today,” he admitted, chuckling as she twirled dramatically.

“Life with me is always unexpected,” she quipped, snapping her fingers to the beat. “Now, come on. Are you just gonna stand there, or are we dancing?”

Winter hesitated for only a second before letting out a laugh and joining her. Together, they swayed and sang along, their laughter mingling with the music.

By the end of the song, they were both breathless, leaning against each other with grins on their faces.

“You’re incredible, you know that?” Winter said, still chuckling.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Autumn teased, giving him a playful nudge.

Winter shook his head, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You keep surprising me every day, Fortune-Knight.”

“And you love it,” she replied smugly, leaning up to kiss him on the lips.

“You’re not wrong,” he said, turning back to the stove. “Now, let’s hope dinner tastes as good as my wife singing Maneater sounds.”

Autumn laughed, grabbing plates. “Better hope it does, or I’ll have to serenade you all over again.”

Winter grinned. “Deal.”