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#high heel chelsea boots
bennetic · 2 months
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5 Different Types of Boots for Men to Style Themselves in Coming Festive Season
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Boots are that essential and versatile component of any man's outfit, bringing together style, durability, and comfort. We shall have a comprehensive presentation of five types of men's boots with a special look at the Chelsea boot and Chukka boot. For buying the Best Chelsea Boots for Men, and all the different types of Boots, visit Bennetic.
1. Chelsea Boots:
History and Origin:
The Chelsea boots originated from Victorian times and were invented in the year 1851 by the shoemaker to Queen Victoria, J. Sparkes-Hall. They became quite popular in the 1960s due mainly to the British Band The Beatles who frequently provided these eyepieces.
Design:
Chelsea boots are created up to the ankle, and they have, on the side seam, an elastic insert that creates a sleek look and feel, and allows for an easy slip-in. In most cases, there is a loop or a tab at the back part of the boot intended for the pulling on type. It is typically dome shaped and is often round although it could be pointed or even square toed.
Materials:
High Heel Chelsea Boots Men are made of leather or suede. They can, therefore, be worn in many colors, but black and brown are always the most traditional ones. This is a high-quality version fitted with a leather sole. For more everyday uses, this element may be of rubber.
Tips for Styling:
The Chelsea boot is extremely versatile, so it can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. For smart-casual, black leather Chelsea boots go nice with dark jeans, a blazer, or any other formal outfit. On less dressy occasions, brown suede Chelsea boots will look nice with chinos or slim-fit jeans and a chunky sweater.
Why Choose Chelsea Boots?
Timeless by design, Chelsea boots are easy to wear and have been a sure mainstay in any wardrobe. They lend finesse to almost any outfit while exuding comfort in wear, suitable for the whole day.
2. Desert Boots:
History and Origination: 
Desert boots are a specific style of Chukka boot, personally designed by the Clarks shoe company's Nathan Clark in 1949. He drew inspiration from the boots worn by the troops of Britain during the Western Desert Campaign in World War II. They became very popular within a very short period of time due to reasons pertaining to comfort and style.
Design:
The desert boots are ankle-high with two or three pairs of eyelets for lacing, similar to Chukka boots. Basically, they are recognized because of their crepe rubber soles, which make them very comfortable and provide perfect grip.
Materials:
Desert boots are generally made of suede and hence come in different colors, though the predominant colors are beige and brown. But the distinguishing element is the crepe sole, which makes them quite different from other Chukka boots.
Styling Tips:
Desert boots work well with casual and smart-casual outfits. They go very nicely with jeans, chinos, and casual trousers. The classic wear is to have the desert boots with foldable jeans, a tee-shirt, and a light jacket.
Why Choose Desert Boots:
The style and comfort make desert boots very useful for everyday wear. The fact that they come with a crepe sole further makes them good to be used for long walks or standing around.
3. Chukka Boots:
History and Origin:
Chukka boots were primarily worn by British soldiers in India as polo boots. The term "chukka" is derived from a period of polo, known as a chukker or chukka. The 1940s and 1950s created fame for the same in casual wear.
Design:
Chukka boots are basically ankle-high and have two or three pairs of eyelets for lacing. They are rounded-toed and generally not lined, hence light and easy on the feet. Soles are usually leather or rubber.
Materials:
Chukka boots are generally made of suede or leather. Suede chukkas give off a casual look, while leather chukkas provide a slightly dressy look, even though they are relatively casual against other leather boots.
Styling Tips:
Chukka boots work well for smart-casual and business-casual outfits. Pair them with either chinos or jeans and a button-down shirt for stylish yet relaxed wear. You can also pair suede chukkas with a casual suit as a more modern, relaxed take on formal wear.
Why Choose Chukka Boots:
Chukka boots give comfort and style with an added advantage: versatility. Therefore, simplicity makes them blend well with different attires, making them very practical in anyone's wardrobe. For Chukka or High Heel Chelsea Boots Men, visit Bennetic. 
4. Work Boots:
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History and Origin: 
Work boots have an extremely long history, with the primary working principle over the years having been practicality and durability. First designed to get people through labor-intensive jobs, the ensemble has now become fashionable, combining functionality with style.
Design: 
Work boots are constructed to be strong, usually with a steel or composite toe, thick rubber soles, and high ankle support. Most of them have numerous eyelets to securely fasten the laces and probably more cushioning for comfort.
Materials:
These types of boots are generally made from resistant and hard-wearing leather to handle very hostile conditions. Frequently, there may be waterproofing features and construction for protection and support.
Styling Tips:
Work boots, designed for the working man, became part of casual fashion. Pair them with rough jeans and a flannel shirt to achieve that classic, sturdy, and manly look. For a more modern feel, wear work boots with slim jeans and a bomber jacket.
Why Choose Work Boots:
Work boots are for people looking for strong yet protective footwear. Its ruggedness also adds a touch of strong masculinity to casual clothing.
5. Hiking Boots:
History and Origin: 
Hiking boots have been outdoors for as long as any other outdoor activity. Made to protect and support through demanding landscapes, they have developed into both functional and fashionable footwear.
Design:
Hiking boots are generally high-cut, which raises the level of support around the ankle, while only incorporating a rugged sole for good traction. They can also feature waterproofing, breathable membranes, or cushioned insoles for comfort during a hike.
Materials:
Usual materials are leather, synthetic fabrics, and Gore-Tex for waterproofing. Soles are normally rubber with deep lugs for traction.
Styling Tips:
While essentially functional, modern hiking boots can be fashionable when matched with casual outdoor wear. They go well with cargo pants, outdoor jackets, and even jeans for that rugged, adventurous look.
Why Choose Hiking Boots:
If you like the outdoors, you need hiking boots. They provide support and protection while hiking, yet are versatile enough to be worn casually.
Conclusion
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Different styles of men boots are available on the markets and each style is unique with its own enhancements. High Heel Chelsea Boots Men and Chukka are the names that still ring a bell of versatility and timeless; and thus any man without these two in his wardrobe is a miserable man. To move from the classic toilet of Chelsea boots to the simple comfort of Chukka boots, one can easily see how versatile boots are.
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datshitrandom · 10 months
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Darren Criss performs "Happy Holidays" during the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony | November 30, 2023
Emporio Armani Slim-fit single-breasted velvet jacket Emporio Armani Lambskin nappa leather gloves with baguette detail Giorgio Armani Regular-fit printed silk shirt Giorgio Armani wool-crêpe and velvet trousers
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wqnwoos · 10 months
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my heel broke at 9am today. didn’t get home until 2:30pm
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sthrnboot12 · 2 years
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Boy in red high heel boots
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aaaaatillathenun · 1 year
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Buying new shoes to get me through my money troubles
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luxury-factory · 1 year
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Where can I buy HermesNew Chelsea short boots?
@Hermes Hermes high heeled short boots, with a beautiful shoe shape and the ultimate look, make the upper foot very comfortable and have a strong sense of luxury
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cinnaminsvga · 6 months
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Harana | Jungkook
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harana (n.): the act of wooing someone by serenading them
→ summary:
Unwilling to settle down with you after five years of dating, Jeon Jungkook decides to break up to chase after his dreams. In the aftermath, you leave your hometown, desperate to forget your past and relearn what it means to be on your own. Two years later while on your way to work, you pass by a familiar voice singing songs about a girl he had left behind.
{or alternatively: Jungkook still sings the love songs that he wrote for you. He still means them, too.}
→ genre: busker!au, exes to lovers, angst, humor → warnings: jimin is insane and kinda crude (he has some issues going on), jungkook is a pathetic wet bunny but he's trying his best, oc has So Many Problems, so much arguing and yearning, ambiguous ending??? but my god there is hope!! the humanity of it all!! → words: 16.1K → a/n: HOLY SHIT IM BACK (kinda) and happy new year!! yeah ok its march but im relearning how to form coherent sentences so be patient ;w; this is the first installment of my hfoh series that i teased a LONG time ago... i made it a resolution to complete this series by the end of the year before i kms (Keep Myself Safe) so here's to a brand new year :D (oh god @ universe pls be kind)
part of the “heart full of hugot” series
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Two days before the incident, your shower nozzle decides to explode.
Okay, you have to admit that statement is a little misleading. Shower nozzles, in all its nonsentience, do not randomly decide to explode no matter how much you try to defend yourself to your landlord. Maybe your grip had been a little too harsh that morning, or maybe hanging 5 pounds of hair products on the handle had been a bit too much for the old sport to handle. Or maybe, just maybe, the universe was warning you about the incident.
Whatever it was, it doesn’t erase the fact that your shower would be out of commission for the next week or so (though your landlord seems adamant about prolonging your suffering as long as possible). Until then, you’re going to have to find some other ways to keep the grease and grime from building on you. Heavens know that you already have a thriving ecosystem living in the back of your couch—you don’t need another one growing under your armpits. 
Lucky for you, you have friends. More importantly, you have friends who have showers. There is one problem though—all your friends live on the other side of the country. 
It’s been two years since you moved to the Big City™️, but you have done little to grow your social network. Call it introversion or depression, either way, you have no more contacts on your phone than you did when you left your hometown. Well, except for one person, if you could even consider him one. Frankly, you didn’t have a choice.
“Welcome to my humble abode, stinky,” Jimin greets you as you enter his house. Your nose is instantly assaulted by the smell of Bath & Body Works® Sweet Pea, reminding you once more why you didn’t consider him a friend. 
“Hey,” you reply gruffly, shucking your ratty shoes near his entrance. Your shoes look incredibly out of place amidst the sea of designer Chelsea boots and a singular pair of thigh-high heels. You take a glance at his living room, already feeling worse about yourself tenfold.
You had met Park Jimin by complete accident, much like how his mother probably felt when she first saw him too. You had never known anyone quite as… interesting as him, to put it lightly. 
When you got your job as a hostess for a luxury bar and restaurant, you figured you wouldn’t make many friends with your coworkers. Everyone was so… pretty, but in the shiny, untouchable sort of way. Almost all of the servers were as gorgeous as the models you’d see in magazines. You hadn’t known that the owners only hired a certain “demographic” of people for their restaurant, and you were equal parts flattered and disgusted that you’d somehow made it (though you suppose your bullshitting skills were all to thank). 
Unsurprisingly, even the bartenders were gorgeous, including one Park Jimin. He did have an aura to him that screamed “I’m a cut above the rest and I know it,” but that could just be the gold chains dripping down his neck. You almost mistook him as one of the patrons who mistakenly made his way behind the bar, and knowing the sort of clientele you’ve had to deal with so far, you wouldn’t have been surprised. It took a couple of weeks before you finally found out who he was (and what his fucking problem was).
Jimin was a part-time bartender with a full-time job as a bitch a self-made entrepreneur. Which is to say, he sold… tasteful photos of himself on the internet. You had nothing against his line of work. In fact, you would go far as to say you didn’t give a shit what he did outside of your shared workspace. But if there’s one thing Jimin is, it’s that he hates being ignored. 
So when you were adamant about not oohing and aahing at everything that makes Park Jimin perfect, he made it his self-appointed mission to befriend you. Or at least that’s what he claims, but given how he treats you lesser than the shit that cakes his cheeks, you have a lot of doubts. Perhaps he’s never made an effort to make a friend, hence his inexperience with being a decent human being. Or perhaps he’s just an asshole, but who is to say? The point is: he’s the only person you knew in this godforsaken city who would likely allow you to use his shower without being awkward about it and that’s that. 
The worst part about being an acquaintance with Park Jimin was that he lived in the richest area of Downtown but he wasn’t old money, that’s for sure. His entire essence screamed overconsumption, and his myriad of little trinkets littered across his apartment confirmed your previous assessment. You wouldn’t be surprised if you opened his freezer and found ten types of ice sorted assorted by color and shape like the extra bitch that he was. 
He made his money through sheer force, and it would have impressed you if he wasn’t, you know. Him.
“Bathroom is over there. I placed a towel and other shower amenities that you can borrow,” he says pointing to a door with a large “FART ZONE: ENTER WITH CAUTION” sign taped to it. You don’t ask.
“Thanks,” you say flatly. You wait patiently for his out-of-pocket comment. 
Like clockwork, Jimin smirks. “Sure thing. I gave you the super heavy-duty stuff. Figured you’d burn a hole through my expensive towels with how stinky you are, with your yeasty cu—”
“Aaaand I’ll be done in a few minutes. Thanks again Jimin,” you interrupt, making your way to the bathroom and slamming the door with as much force as you can muster. You hear something fall as the door shuts, and you vaguely hear Jimin mutter something about his “fart zone” signage. 
You begin to prepare your shower routine, humming lowly as you go about your business. You try to ignore the suffocating scent of ten million diffusers entering your nostrils, wondering for the umpteenth time if Jimin is suffering from long-term olfactory dysfunction. 
“Focus, Y/N. The quicker you shower, the quicker you can get the fuck out of here,” you whisper to yourself. However, in your haste, you knock over Jimin’s towel by accident. When the towel falls, a sheet of sandpaper slips out from underneath it, and you stare bemusedly until it finally hits you.
“YOU ARE SUCH A LITTLE BITCH!” 
From behind the door, you can hear Jimin’s infamous cackle. “Did you find the loofah? I got it just for you, darling!” he shouts back through his laughter, and you just grumble back in response. How on earth no one has strangled him to death, you have no idea.
“Whatever. I’m gonna shower now! Go beat off or whatever the fuck you do in your spare time,” you grouse, stripping as quickly as possible.
When the first droplets of water hit your body, you can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. You had both anticipated and dreaded going to Jimin’s house, but you desperately needed the shower. So you go through your routine, trying to find some semblance of relaxation throughout the process. However, it seems that Jimin was yearning for a little bit of attention as he chose to recline on the other side of the door and chat your ear off. Peace was never an option, it seems.
“Hey, Y/N! So why haven’t I seen you at work recently?” Jimin hollers from his living room. Despite the wall separating you, his voice manages to retain its volume.
You squirt a large glob of Jimin’s (expensive) conditioner onto your hands. “What do you mean? I go to work every day. You were the one who hasn’t been clocking in.”
You can hear Jimin scoff. “Um, correction! I went to work last Friday, which so happened to be your day off. If I didn’t know any better, I would have assumed you were avoiding me.”
And right you are, you think. But instead, you say, “Yeah, what a coincidence. I’ll be back to my regular schedule on Monday, though.”
“So that means you didn’t see the Justin Bieber wannabe stationed outside the restaurant then?” Jimin asks, voice miffed. “The guy suddenly sat down by the entrance window and a whole damn crowd started to appear! The absolute nerve of these people—don’t they know Park Jimin was just past the doors?” 
This provokes Jimin to go on his long epic soliloquy, which you’ve learned to drown out over the past two years. He could go on hour-long tirades if he wanted, and any interruption from you would just bounce off his nonfunctioning ears. And so, you allow his voice to fall to the back of your mind, similar to white noise if it wasn’t so grating.
However, this was likely your greatest mistake. If you hadn’t been so exhausted, or if Park Jimin hadn’t been so damn annoying all the time, or if the stars had aligned just right… Maybe you would have been forewarned about the incident. It’s as if the universe was screaming at you to pay attention, but alas… You were standing on the proverbial highway, unbeknownst to the incoming traffic because you had your metaphorical AirPods on.
So there you are, completely showered but none the wiser to your impending doom, naively looking to the future with unsuspecting eyes. Even if you had known of what was to come, would avoiding it even be possible? In hindsight, you suppose not, but you still kick yourself for being so blind. If only you’d steeled your heart, then maybe you wouldn’t have felt like vomiting in front of a crowd of innocent bystanders the very next day.
xxx
Monday comes and your shower still isn’t fixed. Jimin makes the benevolent gesture of allowing you to use his shower in the meantime, though you’ll only partake in his offer as minimally as possible. He does mention that he’ll need at least an hour’s notice, warning you about “accidental voyeurism.” You shudder to think of what sort of horror you might find if you did visit him without warning, and you pray for the continued well-being of your retinas.
On your way to work, you’re too busy watching cute videos of animals to notice the unusual flock of people idling close to your workplace. When you get closer, however, the growing commotion is enough to rip your gaze away from your phone, and the sight of the large crowd makes you stop in your tracks. 
It is 4 pm and the usual line of waiting patrons should not start piling up for another three hours, so this confuses you more than anything. You shuffle closer, squinting at the crowd until you notice that they aren’t lined up at all; instead, they have congregated into a large circle, but you are too far to see what they are surrounding. 
An accident? You worry, wondering if something terrible happened. You tiptoe above the heads of people, subtly moving forward to take a better look. Curse you and your curiosity. You take a deep breath, bracing yourself to see something grotesque or astonishing, but instead…
It’s worse.
Inching closer, you can begin to hear a soft thrumming of a guitar and a gentle singing voice that causes alarm bells to ring in your ears. The warm melody digs up old memories of a time long past: of ballads sung outside your childhood bedroom window, of promises whispered under Spiderman sheets, of tender caresses tucking stray hairs behind your ears… They flood your senses, but all you can feel is dread.
It can’t be who you think it is. You accidentally elbow a guy on your way to get closer, unsteadying his grip on his phone. 
“Hey, watch it! I’m filming a totally not-staged TikTok over here!” He yells, but you can hardly pay attention to him when you feel unnaturally drawn to come closer, still. 
You’re nearly at the front, with just a couple of teenagers standing between you and the (not-so) mysterious street performer. But the distance is enough, and your breath catches. You can see him—
Black hair partially hidden under a bucket hat. Boots bigger than Pangaea and a pair of eyes equally as large. Dark ink snaking down his arms, peeking out from under oversized sleeves. Piercings that could rival Park Jimin on a good day. He isn’t facing you, but you can still see his big doe eyes, gentle sloping nose, and pretty lips stretched into a handsome smile.
Your heart is thundering in your chest. This can’t be happening, you panic. After two whole years of rebuilding and reshaping yourself, relearning how to be yourself and not… not just his girlfriend.
Jeon Jungkook stands before you, busking in front of your workplace of all locations. The universe could not have been any crueler to you.
You—you had been known as nothing more than Jeon Jungkook’s high school sweetheart. Buried memories of snide comments from jealous teen girls fill your mind, reminding you of the time when you were coined a simple side piece to the main attraction. Decor, as they would call you. Nothing more than a girl who happened to snag Jungkook before people realized he was going to turn… hot. A hot guy who could sing. An inevitable chic magnet, as they would call him. 
And now, years later after much therapy and soul searching, your worst nightmare is standing in front of you in the flesh. This is what you will eventually dub the incident. 
At that moment, however, there is little to no time to dwell on naming this ongoing core memory. All you can feel is the adrenaline pumping through your veins, as well as the nausea rising up your throat. You stumble backward, blatantly shoving onlookers away as you struggle to find some air to breathe. In hindsight, you probably should have backed away as subtly as possible, but you hope that your dyed hair might be different enough that Jungkook wouldn’t know it was you if he had glanced your way. 
Even when you stagger towards your work establishment, the walls cannot perfectly muffle his soothing singing. You can’t make out the lyrics to his song too well, but his unmistakable voice is hard to ignore. Working as a hostess, your station is also coincidentally as close to the door as possible for maximum torture. 
This can’t get any worse, you think as your mind races with conflicting emotions. You thought you had moved on, thought you were past the pain and the memories, but seeing Jungkook again, unexpectedly, stirs up a storm of feelings you thought were buried deep. Anger, hurt, betrayal—all rush to the surface, threatening to overwhelm you.
But there is no time to unpack all that baggage right now. Time will continue to march on, and your job is still on the line. How can you have the time to have a mental breakdown when you were still living paycheck to paycheck?
But even as you try to push Jungkook out of your mind, his voice echoes in your ears, his image burned into your memory. It's as if the universe is laughing at your misery, reminding you that despite all your supposed growth, you are still just you. 
Painfully and pathetically you.
As you struggle to pull yourself together, a familiarly loud voice rings outside the edge of your consciousness. “Hey, Y/N! Fancy seeing you here…” Jimin greets you, his usual jovial demeanor halting midway when he sees your panicked expression. He clears his throat, perplexed. “Umm… Are you alright there, girl? You’re looking a little pale.”
You do not even have the mental capacity to wonder why Park Jimin was miraculously early to his shift, nor why he seems genuinely worried for you. Rather, all you can do is wave him off and use what little time you have before the restaurant opens to steel yourself for hours of melodious torture. 
“I’m fine, Park. You should get to work,” you grit out, wiping your sweaty palms on your uniform. Normally, Jimin would have teased you about the obvious wrinkles on your skirt. 
“You’re not the boss of me,” Jimin huffs, always the contrarian. He thinks better of it, however, and softens his tone. “Are you feeling sick or something? You look like you just saw a ghost.”
You freeze, perhaps giving yourself away a little. “I’m fine,” you repeat. 
“You know, if you refuse to elaborate, I’m going to have to retract your shower privileges,” Jimin taunts with a smirk. 
You feel a migraine growing by your temple, making you wince. God, why must men be the source of all your problems?
“I’m just… a little annoyed by the busker outside the restaurant,” you eventually admit, trying to be vague. Unfortunately for you, Jimin hates beating around the bush and would never take your crap if he knows something is up.
Unable to withstand the weight of his unimpressed stare, you clarify, “He was someone I used to know, that’s all.” You aren’t going to be any more specific than that, though you imagine Jimin gets the picture. You zip your lips, hoping to whoever is causing you pain that Jimin would somehow let the matter drop and leave you to your misery.
You brace yourself for his onslaught of questioning to come, and… it doesn’t happen. Instead, when you glance at Jimin, he is mysteriously stone faced. You wait for him to speak for what feels like a few minutes, but he doesn’t show any signs of wanting to tease or ridicule you. He simply watches you with a pensive expression. You can barely stop yourself from staring back at him, slack-jawed at his silence. 
Of course, you aren’t just going to question your luck, or what little you have at least. So, you stay silent back and fidget uncomfortably.
Finally, Jimin seems to snap out of his strange reverie. He fixes you with a bizarrely sympathetic grin, patting you affectionately on the back. “I see… Well, if you ever need a drink tonight, head over to the bar for a little sip. I got you covered,” is all he says in response before sashaying away. 
That was so fucking weird. You want to chase after him, perhaps beat the truth out of him. Jimin is nothing but a scheming dick, and you aren’t about to let him roam free with such sensitive information about yourself. Just as you’re about to stomp his ass (perhaps to relieve some of the building tension from your weary soul), your manager pops his head from his office door. 
“Y/N! Make sure you’re logged into the booking system. There’s going to be a party of 20 coming in about an hour,” he reminds you, shooting you an apologetic look. You nod back with a sigh, swiping the booking tablet from the hostess desk and scrolling through the logs. Sure enough, it is going to be a busy night despite being a Monday evening. Perhaps a little busier than usual, in fact.
Whatever. You will use whatever distraction you can get, and perhaps the approaching noise from the restaurant patrons will be enough to drown out the sound of his voice. 
You aren’t religious by any means, but you pray to whatever higher power exists that Jeon Jungkook doesn’t somehow decide to enter the restaurant. Stay outside, you plead. Outside the restaurant and your life, if possible.
Throughout the evening, you do your best to push aside the memories that threaten to resurface. You greet customers with a smile, lead them to their tables, and ensure their dining experience is pleasant despite the anxiety poisoning your insides. It's a routine you've perfected over time, a shield against the chaos of your emotions.
As the night wears on, you can feel Jimin's eyes on you from across the restaurant. You sneak glances back at him, and you blanch at his pitying gaze. If the restaurant had been slightly less crowded, you would have flipped him off. 
He’s probably enjoying my suffering, you think darkly. Unwilling to give him the satisfaction, you straighten up and do your best to appear more unaffected. Just as you do so, you can hear Jungkook perfectly hitting a soulful high note. 
“I’m so sorry for thinking I was strong,” you whisper to the universe. “Forgive me for my insolence.” You clench your fist in anguish, ignoring the confused looks from the customers in front of you. 
By the time your shift comes to a close, you are completely and utterly drained. You feel like a snail that has been continuously salted over the past eight hours, and you cannot help but cheer in relief when the clock finally strikes two in the morning. You have to wait for the last few diners to make their leave, but otherwise you are ready to let your bed swallow you whole. 
You stand by your hostess desk, leaning your head against it with a defeated sigh. Jungkook’s voice had died down only a few minutes ago, and you hope that by this point he has mercifully left the premises. You want to take a peek to make sure, but just as you’re about to make your way to the door, you feel a hand on your shoulder stop you in your tracks.
“‘Sup, bitch.” Jimin still has that weird, pitying gaze pointed at you, though his words don’t match it. “Are you okay to go home alone tonight? I can bring your dumb ass home if you want.”
You shove his hand away, ready to bite his head off when you think better of it. If Jimin drives you home, then that lowers the chances of seeing Jungkook down to pretty much zero. 
“You know what? Thanks,” you grouse. Jimin smiles at you winningly, and the image of it brings a shiver down your spine. You hit him, creeped out. “Hey. Stop that, will you? You’re being really weird?”
Jimin scoffs, crossing his arms. “Me? Weird? At least I don’t look like a damn firework ready to explode just because my cringelord ex-boyfriend is singing sappy love songs outside—”
“Shut the fuck up,” you seethe, stomping on his foot. He yelps in pain and slaps your shoulder in retaliation. 
“Ouch! Watch your ogre feet! My shoes are worth twice your monthly rent I’ll have you know,” he bristles. He breathes deeply, likely finding his inner calm (which you doubt exists). “But because I’m so nice, I’ll ignore your earlier transgression and blame it on your underdeveloped amygdala.”
You don’t know what’s more surprising: the fact that Jimin knew what an amygdala was or that he was forgiving you in the first place. “Whatever. Let’s finish closing up and then head out. I’m exhausted.”
You make quick work of your task and when you’re ready to head out, Jimin is already waiting by the backdoor. He’s twirling his car keys with a finger and gestures for you to follow him. As you make your way to his car in the back parking lot, you catch sight of a lone figure standing next to a beat-up pickup truck. He’s leaning against it, his hands busy tuning a battered guitar.
Your breath hitches, and you immediately feel nauseous. Of course the incident has yet to end. The night is young, after all.
Jimin accidentally slams the backdoor closed, and the noise wrenches Jungkook’s attention away from his ministrations. Immediately, his eyes lock with Jimin before finally turning to you. 
Your heart skips a beat as he gazes at you, your mind racing with a hurricane of emotions. You hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, especially not after the tumultuous encounter earlier in the day. What did you say earlier? That “the chances of seeing Jungkook was down to pretty much zero”? 
The chances of seeing Jungkook is low, but never zero, your mind unhelpfully supplies.
There is a long period of awkward silence. Jungkook has his mouth slightly agape, his hand subconsciously lowering his guitar to rest against his truck. To your left, Jimin’s breathing quickens slightly. You, on the other hand, are trying your best not to projectile vomit in this damned parking lot. 
Jungkook is the one who decides to break the delicate silence. “Is that you…?” he calls out hesitantly. 
Don’t say my name don’t say my name don’t say my name don’t say my name don’t say my—
“Y/N,” Jimin interjects. His gaze is steel cold, uncharacteristic of the carefree boy. He slings an arm around your shoulders, gently nudging you towards his car. With your view still fixed on Jungkook, you miss the way Jimin shoots the other boy with a playful smirk. “C’mon, babe. Let’s go home.”
His words startle both you and Jungkook. “Wha—? Jimin?” you splutter, flushing at his flirtatious undertone. You want to curse him out for his strange behavior, but all the shock has left you mute. 
Jimin all but shoves you into the passenger seat. But just as he’s about to slam the car door, you hear Jungkook call out your name. It’s fleeting and quiet, but you heard him crystal clear.
It breaks your spirit to hear him say your name. For a moment, you feel as though you are floating.
When was the last time he called your name? And so softly, too? If you could replay that moment over and over, would you be able to catch some signs of tenderness in his voice? When you close your eyes later that night, would your dreams show you that he had been gazing at you with yearning? Was any of it true?
As Jimin starts the car and pulls away from the curb, you steal one last glance out the window, only to find Jungkook staring at you with an arm outstretched. You continue to watch him until his figure disappears into the night. 
You are quietly immersed in your own thoughts, the whirlwind of emotions intensifying your persistent migraine. Unaccustomed to silence, Jimin decides to give his unsolicited two cents, as per usual.
“Geez. Didn’t know you were into the whole starving artist type. If I’d known, then maybe I’d stop trying to brag about my fortune to you,” Jimin scoffs. “If loser buskers like him impress you, then maybe I should—”
“Would you shut the fuck up for once in your fucking life!” You explode, whirling to face him with a glare. Jimin has the audacity to flinch, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the road. 
“What the fuck? Why the hell are you mad at me?” 
“What the hell was that back there? ‘C’mon babe.’” You mimic his voice with a sneer. “Why on earth would you do that? Now he thinks that we…”
“Why do you care what he thinks? He’s your ex, remember?” Jimin cuts you off, but you can’t even refute him. He continues, “Figured as much. And judging by how spooked you’ve looked all day, I have to assume that he was an asshole, right? Why else would you accept my offer for a ride home if you really wanted to avoid seeing him?”
You shrink under his accurate assumptions. Damn, were you really that easy to read? “I… I mean, yeah but…” You clear your throat, still feeling wronged by him. “You didn’t have to act like a weird prick in front of him!”
Without warning, the floodgates burst forth. You begin to ramble, the thoughts that have been weighing you down pouring out of you in waves. “Jungkook was my ex, yeah. But he wasn’t an asshole. On the contrary, he was really sweet. The nicest guy in my school, at least. Wouldn’t hurt a fly, that sort of person. I dated him all throughout high school and he was a great partner.”
Jimin hums skeptically. “Then why the messy break-up?”
“It wasn’t messy!” You retort defensively. 
“Could’ve fooled me!” Jimin snorts. “I also frequently act like a trembling kitten when I see my exes,” he says sarcastically. 
You ignore him. “The reason we broke it off was because he wanted to pursue his dreams to become a singer after high school and I wanted to do other things. It was a mutual break-up! Honestly, I’m glad that we did. Too many girls wanted him and all the unwanted attention was getting on my nerves. I was glad to find a reason to end it all,” you explain, hoping you didn’t sound as shaky as you felt. What you said was mostly true, though you left out the important bits to yourself. Mostly to save some of your dignity intact. (Truthfully, you just didn’t want to admit things you weren’t ready to face.)
“Then if you’re so glad, why do you look like you wanted to shit yourself? It ain’t adding up,” Jimin fires back.
“It’s just—” you stammer, trying to find a reason why you were so bent out of shape after seeing him. “I-I was caught off guard, I guess. I knew he was pursuing his dreams to sing and all, so I expected him to leave the country. I wasn’t expecting to see him outside where I work, of all places,” you mutter lamely. You have your head bowed, biting your lips from the nerves. Again, you weren’t totally lying. 
Jimin is silent for a moment, contemplating your admission. When he looks so calm like this, it’s hard to get a read on what he’s thinking. As Jimin speeds down the highway, the street lights illuminate his face in a strange way, and for once, he looks like a stranger. His steely expression makes you nervous, for some reason. 
Eventually, he asks you a question you would never have expected. “And he just let you go?”
You pause. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” Jimin huffs, irritated. “He just up and left without a fight? If I were him, I would have…” he trails off, his jaw clenching. 
You don’t know where this Jimin came from. Under the moonlight, Jimin looks livid, but that can’t be right. Jimin, mad for you? Sure, you’ve seen his anger directed towards you, but this? Everything’s gotten so complicated, and you are just about ready to succumb to sleep and hope to wake from this nightmare.
The rest of the drive to your house is silent, save for the sounds coming from passing cars. Jimin pulls up to your apartment complex, his mysterious anger finally subsiding. 
Just as you’re about to reach for the car door handle, Jimin places a hand on your shoulder. “Listen, Y/N. I’ll talk to management tomorrow morning. I know the manager well enough that I can probably convince him to do something about that ex of yours. He’s busking on private property, so it should be easy to get rid of him,” Jimin says, tone serious. He swallows, and for a moment you think he looks a little nervous. “If that’s what you want, I guess.”
His kindness scares you. You want to tease him, ask him where Mr. Bitchy and his $2000 Chelsea boots had gone. Anything to make this air of severe sincerity to abate. This new Jimin feels suffocating. But instead, you nod your head stiffly. 
Jimin makes a pained expression for a moment, but it’s quickly replaced by his usual playful smirk. He slaps you upside the head, laughing heartily at your stunned face. 
“Get some rest, babe. I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” he chuckles, reaching over to open the door for you. You scramble out into the cold city air, taking one last look back at him through his window.
He rolls it down, leaning forward to flash a toothy grin at you. “Hey, stop with all the angst, pookie. Wouldn’t want my favorite toy to get sick from overthinking. Who else would I bother at work if not you?”
You snort, both endeared and irritated in equal measure. He’s right. Everything was going back to normal tomorrow, you’re sure of it. You flip him off with a cheeky grin before making your way to your apartment.
Everything is going to be okay. Jimin says he’ll do something about it, and for whatever reason, you feel like you can trust him on this. Surely good fortune was soon to be upon you. 
xxx
Jimin had texted you while you were still sleeping:
Spoke to Manager Jeong about your little problem. He said he’ll deal with him.
You breathe a sigh of relief, your body feeling significantly lighter. Your sleep last night had been tumultuous and restless. You feel more tired than you did when you went to bed, but all your weariness fades once you read Jimin’s text. 
Once you make it to work, you find that management has gotten rid of Jungkook somehow. Added with the fact that your landlord has promised to look into repairing your shower (no guarantees, but you want to stay optimistic), today has been significantly better compared to yesterday. You even catch yourself humming as you set up your workstation, a small smile gracing your lips.
Jimin has a later shift this evening, and you find that you are somewhat disappointed for once. Your overwhelming gratitude is surely the only reason, otherwise you would never admit to wanting to see him at any given time. 
You are in the midst of texting Jimin about all the good news when your manager passes by your desk. You are quick to pocket your phone away from his prying eyes, ready to defend that you aren’t slacking off… but his demeanor does not reveal any ire. In fact, he looks rather pleased for once.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Jeong. What’s up?” you ask, suspicious. You instinctively fold your hands behind your back; it is a subconscious effort on your part to keep your distance from him. Something about your manager always gives you a bad feeling when he looks a little too happy. 
He grins widely. “Everything is going splendidly, Ms. Y/N. In fact, I think today might just be our lucky day!”
Never during your time working here has his and your luck ever coincided. “Our lucky day?” you echo.
“Why, yes! I spoke with your lovely friend and coworker Jimin this morning,” he starts, and immediately your alarm bells ring. You don’t even bother correcting him about the ‘friend’ part like you normally would. He continues, “He gave me a brilliant idea about the busker who had been performing in front of the restaurant the past two days.”
You nod slowly, not quite understanding. “Yes… The busker has been quite… the spectacle,” you say carefully. Somehow, you know calling Jungkook a ‘nuisance’ would have been the wrong choice in this instance.
Manager Jeong beams. “Exactly! You must have noticed the amount of people we served yesterday despite being a Monday. Additionally, almost all of those new customers requested outdoor seating no less!”
You feel the world tilt on its axis. What is he on abou—?
“What are you talking about?” you exhale.
“Don’t you think it would be even better for business if we got that busker to perform inside the restaurant? Why, it’s a brilliant idea and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it first! Our live band has always been missing something special, and perhaps a vocal accompaniment is the exact answer to our problem! Think about it, the atmosphere would be…”
Manager Jeong continues to prattle animatedly about his plans to your unhearing ears. There must be static or cotton plugging your head because you cannot possibly understand anything he is saying. Jungkook? Inside? Performing at your restaurant? But Jimin said he had spoken to the manager about getting Jungkook away from you! None of this makes sense. 
“That makes no sense,” you verbalize, unknowingly cutting Manager Jeong from his monologue. He halts in surprise, as if now just realizing you were standing there (much less capable of interrupting or disagreeing with him). When he snaps out of it, you sense that familiarly sinister aura emerging from him in waves. You belatedly realize he must have mistaken your outburst as antagonistic.
“Well, Ms. Y/N. Whether it makes sense or not, we have hired Mr. Jeon to perform live at the bar stage for the next four weeknights. If, for some unknowable reason, I am incorrect,” he pauses to emphasize his words, “then his services will be promptly terminated. However, judging by his popularity from simply standing out in the cold and singing silly love songs, I am sure that worry is unwarranted.”
Behind you, the telltale sound of the main door swinging open catches you even more off guard. You do not even have the chance to turn to face the newcomer, only managing to register the gust of cold wind that accompanies their entry.
And so, you hear him before you see him. 
“Hello?” Jeon Jungkook greets quietly.
Even without turning, you can imagine how he looks, how he stands, how he feels, how he tastes—
Manager Jeong claps his hands gleefully. “Splendid timing! Speak of the devil…” The older man nearly skips towards Jungkook like a youthful school girl, accompanied by his uncharacteristic squeals of excitement. 
You can feel his gaze on you, almost tangibly. With nothing but your shreds of dignity left intact, you force yourself to face him. 
He’s still so tall, is all your mind can helpfully supply as you stand feet away from your high school sweetheart for the first time in two years. He’s still wearing the same bucket hat from the night before, semi-shielding him from view. Despite that, you catch a small flash of white graze his bottom lip as he chews the soft flesh nervously.
“Hi, Y/N.” He addresses you directly, completely overlooking your manager without a single glance. Despite his hat, he still has his eyes lasered on you, as if not quite believing you were there. You hate how his attention makes you shiver all the same. 
Even though he ignored your manager (which would have been a major dispute had you done the same), Jungkook still receives a friendly handshake in return. “Mr. Jeon! I’m surprised you know Ms. Y/N, though I’m sure you must have spoken with her when she was escorting guests to the outdoor seating the other day.”
You had actually gotten your co-hostess to seat all the outdoor seatings yesterday, but you weren’t going to mention that.
Manager Jeong claps him on the back, inadvertently causing Jungkook to stumble forward closer to you. He looks up at you then, eyes bugging out of their sockets like a rabbit caught in a bear trap. You stagger backwards in turn, barely concealing the anxiety on your face. Oh fucking hell.
Your manager is none the wiser, of course. “Well, this makes my job much easier! Since you’re both acquainted, I’ll let Y/N show you the ropes. The band doesn’t start their set until later in the evening, but you’re free to take a look at the stage and other parts of our facility in the meantime,” he says, chuffed. Meanwhile, Jungkook looks like he’s been shot by a freeze ray. 
Then, your manager points a sharper gaze at you. “Ms. Y/N, treat our super star well. I know you won’t disappoint me.”
Fucking superstar… You can only nod in defeat. “Y-Yes, sir…” you whisper, clenching your uniform with your fists. It is the only way to keep them from shaking like a leaf. You watch as his figure disappears behind his office door, leaving you to fend for yourself. Powerless, you train your gaze to the floor, unwilling to meet Jungkook’s eyes. 
But the nerves are taking control of your body, screaming at you to eject, eject, eject!
“Sorry, I have to go to the toilet,” you splutter quickly, almost tripping over yourself on the way to the restroom. You dimly wonder if Jungkook is going to think you’re leaving to throw up, but you can’t find any self-respect left to care. All you need is air and space to breathe—preferably away from him. 
You slam open the stall, hardly checking to see if anyone else is around before locking the door shut. You sit on the toilet, plant your face between your knees, and scream. 
Should you go home and use sickness as an excuse? But even if you did, you still had shifts every weeknight. You would have to see him eventually. You can pray all you want that Jungkook will be fired by the end of the week, but even your delusional mind can never fathom the idea that anyone would willingly want to send Jeon Jungkook away. Plus, you remember that the regular band that plays at the restaurant has been wanting to get a singer to accompany them for ages, and you know just how damn affable he can be. They are going to love him, and you hate him for that.
It is clear to you that there is no other option:
You pull out your phone to quickly open up Indeed on your browser, frantically hunting for any openings that might fit your measly qualifications. However, you have to pause in your search to deliberate. Wouldn’t it be better to move out of the country? You had been so naive to think that moving cities was enough distance between you and Jungkook—going across the ocean is the obvious answer. Should you start up your Duolingo lessons again and hope that you can somehow survive in a different continent with only a few dollars to your name? 
You shut your phone in despair. Whether or not your plans of escape are feasible or not, in the short term, you are stuck with having to suck it up and just learn to ignore your ex-boyfriend’s presence. Surely you can force out a fake smile or two, especially with how much practice you’ve gotten after working with unbearably entitled customers. 
Taking a step outside of the restroom stall, you head to the sink to splash some cold on your face. You stare at the mirror, confronted by a girl who looks two seconds away from having a Netflix Original-esque meltdown. You rake your fingers through your hair, doing your best to look like you aren’t about to rush into incoming traffic. To no one's surprise, it doesn't work.
“Okay, I got this. Just pretend like he’s just some guy, because at the end of the day, he is just some guy,” you mutter to your reflection. She looks back at you unconvinced. “He may have broken my heart into little bite size pieces, but who cares! HE’S JUST A GUY!” You repeat the phrase over and over again like a lunatic, in a desperate attempt to cognitively alter your brain chemistry.
At that moment, one of the other stalls in the restroom creaks open, and a girl you recognize who works as one of the dishwashers walks out. You both have a silent eye conversation as she quietly studies your crazed expression and crumpled work uniform. 
Eventually, she awkwardly clears her throat, pointing to the only sink in the restroom. “Uh, sorry to hear about your, uh, guy problem. Could I use the sink please?” 
You hastily back away, allowing her to take your spot. You don’t even have the energy to apologize for your spectacle, just bowing sheepishly to her before making your way back to the main hall. If she rats you out to the rest of your coworkers, then that gives you another reason to move out of the country. Maybe you should consider a name change while you’re at it.
When you exit the restroom, you half expect Jungkook to be waiting for you by the door, but find that he isn’t anywhere nearby. He isn’t by your hostess station either, and you thank your lucky stars for once. Even if your manager had asked you to show him around, you’re sure that Jungkook can find his way around just fine. Plus, the stage is at the corner of the restaurant and is sufficiently far enough that you wouldn’t have to make eye contact with him if you were careful. 
You don’t know which greater entity has been messing with your sanity these past few days, but you hope that they can show you mercy just once—a brief reprieve, if anything. 
You clasp your hands in prayer. I’ll eat more vegetables, I’ll remember to floss, I’ll call my parents from time to time… Just please let me survive tonight. 
“Remember, Y/N… He’s just some guy,” you reiterate through gritted teeth. If a passing coworker happens to overhear your demented chanting, then you pay them no mind.
You walk towards the entrance, flipping the sign to open. You feel like a video game character when you glance at the clock, which signals the start of your shift. You can imagine the red bold text hovering above your head: 8 more hours until freedom. 
This is just like playing Five Nights at Freddy’s, except you’ve only watched the movie and you suspect your life is probably worse than whatever Josh Hutcherson had to survive through. 
You take a couple heaving breaths to brace yourself for what will be the longest eight hours of your life. You’ll show Jungkook just how well-adjusted and mature you’ve become. You are a professional, and not even a boy with angelic vocals will make you crumble. After all, what’s the worst he can do? 
xxx
He could, in fact, do a lot worse than you thought. 
“I have many regrets being born at all,” you mutter bleakly, three hours into your shift. 
Jungkook had started singing only an hour ago, so you had been filled with false confidence at first when the restaurant was filled with nothing but ambient chatter and soothing jazz music. You felt more and more confident as the minutes ticked by and your anxiety slowly melted away. You even forgot that he was somewhere in the back, likely warming up or whatever it is that singers did before a performance. 
However, your brief moment of courage shatters almost immediately when Jungkook finally takes the stage. 
At first, you did your best to tune out his voice, but it’s especially hard when whoever was in charge of the sound system decided to crank his volume to an excruciating level. You wanted desperately to grab some napkins and shove them in your ears, but you suspected that your customers (and manager) would be unappreciative of that gesture. And so there you lay, forced to wallow in Jungkook’s melodious singing like a criminal strapped to an electric chair.
But how much more pleasant an electric chair would be! Why on earth was Jungkook so adamant to sing sad love songs the entire time? Why couldn’t he be like his other singing contemporaries, who loved to write songs about getting bitches and making money? At the very least, even if he wasn’t quite a platinum selling artist just yet, surely he was constantly sharing beds with anyone he pleases? Couldn’t he sing about that?!
(In the back of your mind, you wonder if it would be less painful to learn that Jungkook has slept with multiple people… Because then, it would mean that he had moved on while you stood alone on your island, stranded and yearning.)
You didn’t want to think too deeply about his lyrics. However, you're only human. So when your mind barrier failed and you caught snippets of his singing, you noticed a pattern. There was always a girl in his songs. She was omnipresent, and Jungkook was always pleading for her. Begging and aching and wanting. But most all… he was always repenting. In every song, he always whispered a pious apology. 
You feared what would happen if you turned around in those moments of weakness. You were terrified of admitting something, of letting words spill that had been trapped in your throat for the better part of two years. 
Lucky for you, salvation comes in the form of one Park Jimin. Though, can you even count him as your savior when he had also inadvertently caused your demise?
Jimin doesn’t even have a shift today, so you’re more than surprised when his bright blonde head stumbles through the restaurant doors. His expensive coat is askew and his signature designer shades are nowhere to be found. He is panic incarnate—an expression you have never seen on his face before.
“Holy fuck,” he greets, his chest heaving as he struggles to catch his breath. His profanity startles the elderly couple waiting to be seated, their glares menacingly sharp. To his credit, Jimin doesn’t even seem phased.
In lieu of an answer, you gesture vaguely behind you. You can imagine how dejected you must look. “Holy fuck indeed,” you sigh.
It takes a moment for Jimin to regain his bearings. He straightens up and pats down his coat, but his hair is still tousled by the wind. If not for the fact that he has a car, you might have thought he had run all the way here. 
“I am so sorry. I didn’t know this was going to happen,” he starts, genuinely remorseful. “I texted Manager Jeong this morning and he said he’d get your ex to leave, but I didn’t think he’d offer the damn bastard a job!”
“Mind your language, Park. I’m still at work,” you scold. You try your best to ignore the scrutinizing gaze of the elderly couple. You lower your voice. “And don’t apologize. I know you’re an asshole, but I doubt you’d actually prey on my downfall like this. I know you’re not into public humiliation.”
Jimin brightens slightly at your joke, but he still looks like a guilty puppy who'd been caught shitting on the carpet. “Yeah, well. I happen to enjoy tormenting you and I won’t let some upstart Charlie Puth wannabe ruin your life. That’s my job.”
You smile wryly at him. “Well, that’s too bad. Jungkook’s been singing for a few hours now and I’m pretty sure Manager Jeong is going to keep him long-term. He might have broken my heart, but damn does he have vocals. I'm sure you'll have plenty competition when it comes to 'who can make Y/N's life feel like hell.'”
Jimin doesn't smile back, but instead studies your face for a moment. Then:
“Do you think if I offer to suck Manager Jeong off, he’ll fire him?”
“What the fuck?” You nearly yell out in surprise, your jaw dropping to the floor. Judging by his serious scowl, you know he's actually considering it. By now, the elderly couple waiting to be seated have left the premises.
Jimin continues, unperturbed. “I know he secretly wants me, based on how his wife seems to have a personal vendetta against me. He definitely wants a taste of my bus—.”
“Stop, I get it!” You wave your hands to make him shut up, heat rising up your cheeks. “Never say that string of words to me ever again. You have just inflicted ten years of suffering onto my poor brain.”
“Hey, I’m just offering solutions here!” Jimin pouts. 
You stare at him, unimpressed. “Save it. You tried solving my problems already, so let’s just accept the fact that there’s nothing else for me to do but to suck it up. It’s time for me to put on my big girl pants for a change.”
“I mean, I could do all the sucking instead, but you’re being a little bitch about it,” Jimin mumbles. He’s lucky you didn’t hear him this time, lest you give him something to really whine about.
“Anyway, I guess this is my life now. Nothing to do except hope that he never tries to interact with me or I can find another job,” you shrug. 
Over your shoulder, Jimin fixes Jungkook with an icy glare that is cold enough to give you the shivers. For the first time that entire night, you hazard a glance back at the stage, finding that Jungkook is already looking back at you.
You whip your head back forward, perspiration forming down your back. For fuck’s sake, this guy.
“Well, let me know if he tries anything. I’ll beat that little freak into the floor if he tries so much as breathing the same air as you.” Jimin huffs, puffing up his chest with false bravado. You can’t help but laugh at his empty threat, knowing that Jungkook could probably bench press Jimin without breaking a sweat. Jimin's muscles are only for aesthetics, after all.
“Don’t worry, he hasn’t actually spoken to me actually. He can keep singing his sad little love songs, I really don’t mind,” you say, like a liar. Jimin snorts, wholly unconvinced.
“Well, if you need me, I’m heading to the bar to grab a drink so I can stare at your ex uncomfortably until he leaves. See you!” Jimin bids you farewell with a cheery grin as he skips a little too happily inside the restaurant.
Why'd you have to befriend the largest lunatic in the city? You massage your forehead with a groan, willing away your growing headache. 
The rest of the night trickles away like molasses. Jungkook continues to sing his heart out, save for an hour intermission where he presumably takes a short break. In his absence, you hear Jimin guffaw loudly, his laughter too sharp to be considered happy. You faintly hear Jungkook shy stutters in response, and you momentarily consider running in to interrupt.
Why? Did you want to save Jungkook from Jimin’s unnecessary harassment? It’s not like Jimin is doing it out nowhere, he was just trying to be… a good friend?
You pause to ponder. As much as you hate to admit it, you know why you want to help Jungkook. But Jimin on the other hand? Why did he want to help you? Questions begin flowing through your head like a whirlwind, and your nausea increases. God, when was your next therapy appointment again?
You save those questions for another day. As you look at your watch, there are only thirty minutes left until two in the morning. You tap your foot impatiently, smiling curtly at departing customers as the restaurant slowly emptied. As they left, you overhear some of your regulars giggling amongst themselves, whispering about the cute new singer and his charming demeanor. 
The last nail on your coffin has been hammered. Yeah, Jungkook isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 
With the restaurant closing soon, it sounds like Jungkook is ready to end his set as well. 
Throughout the night, Jungkook rarely made a point to speak. The only time he didn’t sing was when he quietly introduced the title of his next song and the band swiftly began the first opening notes. For his last song, however, Jungkook decided to give a little more backstory for his final song. 
“Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for listening to me for the night,” Jungkook says with a soft voice, his tone awfully shy despite his powerful belting throughout the evening. The few customers left give him a warm round of applause, and you hear the familiar sound of his timid giggles spill from the restaurant speakers. 
“This will be my final song for the night. Most of the songs I sang today were covers, but this one is an original. I…” He hesitates for a moment, and something pulls you to turn despite the alarm bells ringing in your ears. You face him, and just like earlier in the evening, he is already looking back at you.
This time, you don’t look away; he does. His eyes flit to the ceiling, and he licks his lips from nerves. “I… I wrote this song a long while ago. I’ve never sang it in public before and I never thought it would ever see the light of day. Until, well…”
He stops again. This time, he gestures to the guitarist in the band, silently asking to borrow it. With a guitar in hand, he smiles a little more confidently at the small crowd of people. He begins strumming the first few notes, and your heart stops. “I hope everyone had a pleasant evening. Get home safe and have a great rest of your week. My name is Jungkook, and this last song is called…”
Before he can sing the first line of his song, you make a break for it.
You slam the restaurant doors open, and the stinging cold air immediately pierces their fangs into your skin. Your coat is still inside, but you can’t bring yourself to reenter. You take a long breath, the chill barely registering in your mind with how loudly your heart is pounding in your ears.
Hearing the opening to that song was enough to bring you back in time, three years ago:
You are in his childhood bedroom, his walls littered with concert posters and his floor a mess with unfolded laundry and guitar picks. The afternoon sun is streaming through his windows, bathing him in gold. You have an exam the next day and he has cram school to go to, but you’ve both chucked your books somewhere on his desk, left forgotten. 
He has his eyes closed, concentrated. You’re both on his small twin bed, squished together side by side and thighs touching. You have your head on his shoulder and he has his hands on his guitar. He strums a few chords experimentally and sings a melody that only the two of you know.
(Not anymore.)
“Are you writing a new song?” you ask, voice a little scratchy. Neither of you had spoken for the past few hours, just basking in the setting sun and Jungkook’s indistinct strumming. But now, his chords sound more sure, more certain of something.
“Yeah, I just thought of it,” he hums. He opens his eyes a smidge, a smitten smile on his lips. You mirror him. 
“What’s it about this time?”
His brows furrow. “I’ve been trying to write about other stuff, you know? Namjoon-hyung tells me it’s important that songs have meaning and impact.” He pauses in his strumming, looking a little conflicted. “And I get what he means. Art is all about saying something, but… I can’t help that there’s only one thing I ever want to talk about. Is that so wrong?”
You chuckle, understanding what he means. You nudge your head against his cheek, grinning from ear to ear. The fluttering in your chest has become routine to you at this point, but he somehow always knows how to increase it tenfold. “God, you’re such a sweet talker. Really, Koo. There’s no need to serenade with love songs—I’m already yours.”
He looks back at you, brimming with tender affection. “I know,” he responds. Then, he takes a pen from his bedside table, and begins writing.
During those years of dating him, you always thought that If he was a waterfall, then you were a teaspoon. You desperately tried to be enough for him, but you’re barely able to fathom the depth of his devotion. Everything about him was excessive, and you could seldom understand how he managed to contain himself. He was born to share himself, to tear bits of his soul so that the world may understand him, love him. His songs were a testament that he was trying to do that, and you always felt so lucky to be able to receive him, wholly and fully.
How cruel was it that Jungkook uses that same song to rip open the barely healed scab on your heart, leaving you bare and stinging and raw all over again.
You have no idea how long you've stood there in the cold. It must have been barely a few minutes when Jimin finds his way to you. He wordlessly shrugs his coat off and places it on your shoulders, but you make no move to acknowledge him. 
You hope your silence is enough for Jimin to infer that you are not in a conversational mood, but he’s nothing if not impatient. He forcibly pulls you to face him, his hands warm even through your clothing.
“Hey, you good? Did something happen?” He asks with barely concealed irritation, but it’s not directed at you. Still, you flinch at his scathing tone, shrinking in on yourself. In your daze, you vaguely notice his resemblance to an angry baby chick. 
“It’s nothing. Go back inside, I’ll be right there,” you mumble lamely, weakly pushing him back towards the restaurant. Jimin does not budge, instead leveling you with a hard stare. This time, you’re sure his irritation is for you.
“You idiot, you literally ran out like someone was out to get you. Of course it’s not nothing,” he grouses. 
You sigh tiredly, shaking your head at him. “We can talk later. It’s almost closing time and I just want to go home and sleep.”
Before Jimin can argue further, the door to the restaurant opens once more, but it isn’t a leaving customer. 
“What the fuck? What are you doing out here?” Jimin all but shouts at Jungkook. He holds up an accusatory finger at him and uses his other hand to nudge you behind him as if to shield you. 
Jungkook winces, instinctively stepping back. Despite being a few inches taller than Jimin, Jungkook’s timidness makes him look smaller. “I… I was just worried about her—”
“Don’t you have a song to finish in there? Talk about professional,” Jimin spits out. Jimin maneuvers you so that Jungkook can’t see you, but you manage to catch sight of how his gaze follows you unfailingly.
“I finished up my set. It’s closing time.” Jungkook responds coolly. He’s still a little quiet, but you can sense some of his natural composure rising to the surface. When he needs to be, Jungkook has been known to stand his ground—usually when it comes to matters involving you.
At this time of the night and after hours of mental torture, the last thing you need is to watch your two worst nightmares duke it out in front of your work establishment. You are beyond exhausted, and you hardly have the fortitude to withstand another minute of their voices ringing in your ears. 
Your eyes well up with tears of frustration, causing the two boys to freeze up in panic. You don’t give them the chance to fuss over you; instead, you haphazardly wipe your cheeks before roughly pushing them back towards the restaurant. 
“Get back to work, you idiots.” Your voice sounds warbled even to your own ears, but you push past your overwhelming emotions in favor of getting back inside to close up. Hell, you might even call in sick tomorrow, just so you can cry pathetically into your bowl of cereal in solitude.
“I’m not even on the clock today!” Jimin complains faintly, but you only push him harder. 
When you all reenter, you walk back to your desk and pointedly ignore the two of them until they awkwardly float away from your orbit. Despite the distance they give you, their gazes are still fixed plainly on you and they feel like knives digging into your back. 
Eventually, all the final customers of the day take their leave, and your remaining coworkers start dimming the lights and bidding their goodbyes. From the corner of your eye, you see Jungkook bowing respectfully to the band, who were giving him friendly pats on the back for a job well done. Jimin walks toward you, his car keys dangling from his left pinky. 
“No thanks. I’ll take the bus home today,” you declare before he can offer a ride. Jimin opens his mouth like a goldfish, flapping his lips dumbly as he stares at you in shock. You have no idea why he’s so surprised, given how you’ve been making it obvious that you need some space.
He looks like he wants to argue again, but thinks better of it. A singular moment of restraint from Park Jimin, which is an act you once thought impossible. Maybe he does care about you more than you thought. 
He stiffly nods at you, shoving his hands and keys into his pockets. He still has a frown on his face when he tells you to text him when you get home. You flip him off with a shaky smirk in response, a feeble attempt to bring some levity back to your now tense relationship. It works a little, and Jimin brightens up significantly. How simple-minded of him.
With a flippant wave, you leave work and head towards your bus stop. At this hour of the night, the streets are mostly dim, save for some street lamps and bars that stay open longer than your restaurant. There are always some people milling about, enough that you never feel too on edge about how late it is. Still, your bus stop is often empty, leaving you to mull over your thoughts in peace.
You are in the midst of jamming your earbuds into your ear when a presence makes itself known beside you.
Is it possible to go through the five stages of grief in under a second? You suppose not, but it’s hard to tell what sort of emotions swim through you when you come face to face with Jeon Jungkook again.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” you mutter under your breath. You pause the song playing on your phone to glare at him with as much venom as you can muster. 
Jungkook holds up his hands in surrender, doe eyes wide like prey. “I-I’m heading home too! I’m not following you, I swear!”
You groan internally. Figures that you and Jungkook take the same bus home. But hold on— “Don’t you have a car? I remember you were parked near the restaurant the other night,” you note, squinting at him.
Jungkook looks sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck. “Oh, yeah. That car was my hyung’s. He lets me borrow it sometimes, but he needed it tonight.”
“Sure…” You level him with a skeptical frown. You remember his hyung, but don’t recall him ever owning a car. You aren’t even sure that his Namjoon-hyung is allowed by the country to drive a car, much less own one. 
He could be lying, but you don’t want to give him an excuse to continue any conversation. So, you busy yourself with your phone and keep your head bowed away from him.
When the bus arrives, Jungkook makes it a point to sit a few rows behind you. Thankfully, he has a better understanding of social cues than a certain Park that you know. He leaves you alone, but your entire body still feels like a rope pulled taut. You have to convince yourself not to look behind you, your morbid curiosity scratching your insides raw.
You are in the home stretch now, and it’ll only be a few more minutes before you get to your stop and make your way to your safe haven. Hell resumes the next day and the next, but at the very least you’ll have your home to yourself. No one could take that away from you.
Again, this is where you learn that tempting fate is never a good idea.
When you exit the bus at your stop, you can hear his footsteps following you. It’s hard not to notice, especially when his large and distracting boots make such a distinct racket that makes him so Jungkook. 
You hasten your pace towards your apartment complex, your shoulders hunched and hands shoved into your coat pockets in an attempt to hinder the bile rising from your stomach. He had promised that he wasn’t following you, but that proclamation seems to be standing on feeble legs with how long he’s been on your tail now.
Your street is filled with rows of low-rise apartment buildings, so you hope that if anything happens, you can yell as loud as you can and alert some compassionate neighbor to come to your aid. (Not that you think he would ever physically harm you, but… You can’t say the same about your mental state.)
Your home is just two buildings away from where you are, but Jungkook still seems determined to follow you to the end. You all but skip the remaining feet to your apartment entrance, your breath coming out in puffs as you finally muster up the courage to face your supposed stalker and give him a piece of your mind. 
“If this is some convoluted way for you to find out where I live, then you aren’t being very subtle about it,” you say, your chin held up high despite the growing urge to vomit pathetically in front of your ex-boyfriend. You have your hand rested on the doorknob, just a moment’s notice away from bolting into your house if the need for a quick getaway arises.
To your surprise, Jungkook wasn’t following you as closely as you expected. He had stopped trailing you about two buildings down, his own hand poised on the door with a look of genuine shock.
You both stand there, staring at each other as mutual understanding dawns on the two of you. 
Everyday, the universe learns of more creative ways to be cruel.
“Oh…” Jungkook’s voice falters. He looks simultaneously frightened and amazed, as if he too finds this entire situation unbelievably harsh. He swallows thickly, looking at you and back to his door in quick succession. “Well… This is a strange coincidence,” he murmurs. 
You want to believe that this was his entire fault, that Jungkook had somehow managed to track you down to haunt you for the rest of your days. You want to believe that he’s a crazed stalker who is willing to find where you work and live so that every hour of your wretched life is filled with nothing but reminders of what-could-have-beens. You just want someone to blame instead of just the cosmos—you want someone tangible to hate so that your suffering can be given some sort of identity. You want to give your mourning and hurt a name so that you can learn how to heal.
You want to believe all of that, but it’s hard to do so when Jungkook looks so incredibly uncomfortable, as if he’d rather melt into the shadows and never be seen again. 
In all your memories, you have never seen Jungkook look so small.
You heave a big sigh, your fingers grasping the door knob so tightly that you half-expect it to be dented from the force. You linger for a moment, your mouth opening but nothing spills out. 
What is there to say? What do you say to an ex-boyfriend that you haven’t seen in two years, who is suddenly so deeply entwined in your life once more? Do you tell him goodnight? Tell him to stay away? Tell him to come home with you?
Jungkook looks equally as conflicted. His lips are pursed tight with words left unsaid. You aren’t sure whether you want to punch the confession out of his mouth or seal them up forever. It feels like eons before he finally breaks the silence with a mirthless laugh.
“I… I just wanted to say—back at the restaurant. When I sang that last song,” Jungkook begins, and his voice feels loud because of how empty the streets are. For a moment, you are reminded of a cathedral you once visited during a vacation, how sacred silence can be. The world holds its breath, waiting for him to speak.
“I meant it all. Every word. Every lyric. I never stopped…”
He trails off, shrugging his shoulders. He stares at you helplessly, but you don’t know what to say. You don’t want to listen any more, but your feet are planted to the ground. You’re frozen like a deer in headlights, forced to brace against him as he crashes into you. 
He continues, “And when we broke up back then… I never wanted that to happen. You broke it off before we could even try something—and I hated how I didn’t fight for you harder. I let you misunderstand me because I was afraid you wouldn’t want to stick around if I didn’t succeed. I convinced myself that I was holding you down, but I never gave you—us—a chance. I never stopped regretting it since.”
“Me? Break up with you?” You echo incredulously. That statement is enough to break you from your trance, the telltale signs of indignation rising up your chest. “How dare you suggest—Me? You were the one who broke up with me, asshole! You were the one who broke my heart and decided to up and leave to god knows where! Only to miraculously respawn right next to me, groveling at my feet with sad love songs as if that’s enough for me to forgive and forget? Fucking entitled bastard,” you seethe.
Somehow, Jungkook manages to shrink more, like a bunny with his tail tucked between his legs. “Yes, you’re right that I broke your heart but… When I told you I was moving away to try and become a singer, it was always with the intention of staying together. I know it would have been difficult, but I wanted you to be with me through thick and thin. But when you misunderstood and took it as a break up, I let you go because, well… I was scared that it would happen eventually. Who wants to date a broke busking fool anyway?”
He laughs, but it sounds watery. He sniffles, and you hope it's only because of the cold. “I tried looking for you, but you blocked me everywhere and no one from back home seemed to know where you went. So I just accepted that we’d never see each other again… Until a few days ago, that is.”
A misunderstanding? Is that what everything boils down to? Years of trying to build yourself back up again, relearning what it means to be happy—all the fallen domino pieces in your life trailing back to a single moment in time? All because Jungkook was scared that you didn't love him enough?
You’ve never felt angrier in your life. You fear what you might say if you continue to stand outside there, face to face with the singular person strong enough to whittle you down to the bone. Jeon Jungkook is all soft smiles and sweet songs, but how come he’s always able to knock you off your axis? Few people on this earth can stitch you up and break you down in equal measure, but somehow, Jungkook manages to do all that and more.
Then, comes the guilt. Had it been all your fault? That you hadn't returned his love in equal measure? Had you secretly given up on the hope of being on his level? Always looking down on yourself: unable to move past your insecurities. Were you terrified of being his side piece, his girlfriend, forever?
Who are you, even? And where do you stand?
(Beside him, is what you want to answer. You don't know if that's the right choice.)
You can’t bear to look at him, least of all answer him. Without another word, you shove your house key into the door before slamming it shut despite the late hour. If you awaken any neighbors, you’ll apologize later. For now, all you require is sleep and hope that this has been all a terrible nightmare.
xxx
Reality is a bitter pill to swallow.
Jeon Jungkook continues to sing at the restaurant, and after only two days of repeat stellar performances, your manager decides to promote him as the official vocalist for the band. It hurts to admit that you're not the least bit surprised; you might have a hard time looking at him, but you can never deny his talent. 
His song list has added a larger variety of genres ever since his first performance. That is to say, he isn’t always singing about lost loves and tragic couples every night. Perhaps it is due to some requests from customers or his other bandmates, but it doesn’t stop him from sprinkling one or two love songs into the mix. 
He doesn’t sing any original songs ever again. That, at least, is a small mercy. He doesn’t make any moves to speak with you either, despite the daily awkward trips back home after the end of your shifts. Whether that’s because he’s given up on you (again), or he’s waiting for you to make the first move, you don’t know. Frankly, you don’t think you have the energy (nor courage) to do anything about it.
It’s a few weeks after Jungkook’s first performance at the restaurant, and closing time is approaching. You appreciate Friday nights the most because it means you’ll have two consecutive days to relax and avoid your problems. It’s also the busiest night of the week, when white-collar workers decide to drink and eat for as long as the night allows them. Busier nights mean more distractions, and you’re willing to deal with twenty Karens over one Jungkook.
During nights like these, your manager occasionally asks you to fulfill some waitress duties when there aren’t enough hands on deck. Normally you’d hate it, but earning the extra tips is enough to keep your grumbling to a minimum To this day, your landlord has yet to do anything about your broken shower, and you’ve finally conceded to the fact that you’ll have to be the one to do something about it. 
As you inform the customers in your area that the last call for orders is approaching, you sneak a glance at the bar to see Jimin dutifully performing his job. That is to say, he’s flirting up a storm, getting women and men alike to blush from head to toe as he serves their drinks with a salacious smirk.
What a swindler, you think to yourself, snorting when he makes eye contact with you. He gives you a cheeky salute, mouthing something as he gestures to the back door.
Despite the semi-fight the two of you had all those weeks ago, Jimin was never one to argue about the same topic two days in a row. When you saw him the next day after your confrontation with Jungkook, Jimin was back to all smiles. You still catch him sending death glares towards Jungkook on most nights, but he doesn’t bring up the matter with you anymore. For that reason, you’ve gratefully settled back into your weird, banterful friendship with him. Even if there’s still a lingering tension between the two of you that you refuse to acknowledge.
You nod thankfully back at him, excited to go to his house and take a much needed shower. At this point, going to his house has become second nature to you, and it gives you an excuse to not see Jungkook at your regular bus stop every day. You have half a mind to never fix your shower for that reason, but of course there is still the problem of having to deal with Jimin every time you need to bathe. You hardly consider yourself an impatient person, but Jimin likes to toe the line far more often than necessary.
You’re down to your last two tables before you can close up shop when your manager suddenly barrels right into your path. You nearly drop your tray of dirty dishes to the floor, holding in a loud yelp as your suspiciously stern-faced manager halts you in place.
“Ms. Y/N, may I have a word with you for a moment? It’s regarding your paycheck for the month,” he barks, lips downturned. He appears disgruntled about something, and it sends a worried shiver down your spine. And here you thought Fridays are meant to be fun. He doesn’t wait for you to reply before he stalks back to his office, an unspoken command for you to follow. 
You unload your dishes in the kitchen before making your way to his office. The small, dark room is cramped with overflowing file folders and coupons from multiple take-out places. You accidentally step on a stack of papers, and upon further inspection, seem to be a pile of applications for new hires. You distinctly remember complaining to him months prior about being understaffed and him replying that no inquiries were coming in.
As you approach, your manager shuffles through your coworkers pay stubs, and you notice yours and Jungkook’s on top of the piles. 
Manager Jeong clears his throat. “Well, Y/N. It seems to be your lucky day. As you know, we split the tips based on your hours and what sort of duties you fulfill. With the new hire we have as our in-house singer, we’ve had to split it one way more to accommodate his arrival. However, he has recently requested to me that his portion be reallocated… to you, Ms. Y/N.”
Your jaw drops immediately. “I-I don’t understand, Manager Jeong,” you sputter. 
Manager Jeong snorts, bemused by your reaction. “Don’t understand? Well, I suppose you’ll have to ask Mr. Jeon if you want his reasoning. Regardless, since we normally deposit your salary straight to your bank account, would it be alright if I hand you his tips in cash for now? He only informed me about his request an hour ago, and the accountant has already clocked out for the week.”
All you can do is nod dumbly back at him. With a huff, your manager presses a white envelope into your hands before promptly ushering you out of his office. “Well, that's settled. Out you go! Have a good weekend, Ms. Y/N. Don’t forget to lock the register before you leave!” He calls out before slamming his door in your face.
It takes you a moment to reanimate back to life. You stare at the white envelope for a long while, unable to fathom the scribbled out name of Jeon Jungkook replaced with your own name. Then, you crumple it into your fist before stomping over to where Jungkook and the rest of the band are in the middle of packing it up for the night.
Jungkook looks up from his guitar case when he senses you fast approaching. For a fleeting second, a smile graces his handsome face before it’s smacked away by your crumpled envelope. 
“Keep your fucking cash, Jungkook. What the hell is your problem?” You fume, cheeks heating from agitation. Jungkook splutters for a moment, prying the envelope away from his face and looking at it in bewilderment. When he sees it clearly, recognition dawns on his face, followed by guilt.
“It’s just… my way of saying sorry, I guess.” He answers you meekly, neck flushing red in embarrassment. Behind him, the rest of the band grow silent at the scene before them, and you debate on telling them to mind their own business when they quicken their pace to leave.
“Well, keep your apology to yourself. There’s nothing to apologize for,” you correct him with a frown. To offer an apology is to offer accountability. You aren’t sure if you’re ready to hear him say that. 
“No, it’s a sorry for… using you, I suppose.”
“Using me?” You repeat, dumbfounded. “For what?”
Jungkook smiles wryly back at you. “For inspiration?” he clarifies. For being the reason I can sing? He leaves that part unsaid, but you can almost imagine him saying it. 
You feel heat rising to your cheeks again, but this time you aren’t quite sure if it’s from embarrassment, anger… or something else.
Unable to conjure up a response to his simple confession, you stomp away from him with a pounding heart and shaking hands. You continue the rest of your closing shift routine instinctually, your body moving on autopilot as Jungkook’s words continue to ring inside your head. When all is said and done, Jimin makes his way to your station with a questioning stare, but you wave him off in favor of stomping ahead of him to the parking lot.
In his car, Jimin rattles off about his latest exploits and purchases, his grating voice a comfort for once. You hum noncommittally during his stories when appropriate, but you suppose your usual indifference feels different, even to Jimin's untrained ears. 
At his house, you drift to his bathroom immediately. You already have a shirt button undone by the time you get a handle on the door when Jimin’s hand stops you in place. You can feel his warmth emanating against your back as he slowly pulls the bathroom door close. With a tired sigh, you reluctantly turn to face him and find him standing closer than you expected.
He has an arm resting above your head, effectively caging you. You feel your shoulders sag. Damn, here comes another confrontation. Why can’t everyone just leave you alone?!
“Talk to me,” he says. No, he demands.
You push him away weakly, but he hardly budges. “Nothing to talk about,” you lie. Had you no filter, you’d be word vomiting all over the place ages ago.
Jimin groans, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “Enough with the emotional constipation. I’m here to listen, alright? No teasing or anything, I’m all ears and maybe a shoulder to cry on. Just don’t stain my Chanel top too bad,” he jokes.
You puff out a short breath—a sorry excuse for a laugh. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to talk about it, and that’s that.”
“It’ll make you feel a lot better, though,” he offers.
You scoff. “What makes you think that? What if I just want to ignore all my problems forever and never grow from it? Is that so bad?”
Jimin pushes himself away from you, raising his hands in mock defeat. “You’re so fucking annoying. Can you stop running away from your problems and talk to me? Hell, talk to Jungkook for all I care! Just stop being a doormat and speak your mind for once in your damn life!”
“What are you, my therapist?” You brush past him, shower all but forgotten. You begin toeing your shoes back on, ready to head home tired and smelly. At the very least, you won’t have to deal with this stupid annoying asshole any longer. 
Jimin strides back towards you, but for once he doesn’t do anything to forcibly stop you. Jimin has always been gruff with you, not afraid to push and pull you in any which direction. It’s part of the reason why you can’t take him seriously, even though you’ve recently realized why he was always being such a prick towards you—
“Yeah, I’m not your therapist. But for better or for worse, I’m your friend and I—I fucking care about you, alright? And it sucks seeing that good-for-nothing stick his nose in your business and act like he can do anything without any repercussions.”
Is Jimin being for real right now? “With how often you look at yourself in the mirror, you’d think you’d be better at introspection,” is all you say to that. You shove your feet into your shoes, not caring that you’ve probably put them on wrong. Maybe it’s because it’s Friday and the fatigue from the week has finally settled deep in your bones, but you can’t help but leave one last scathing remark to drive the final nail in the coffin.
“You know, if you were a little nicer to me, maybe I would talk to you. Hell, maybe I’d like you back. But no, just keep being your domineering, asshole self and I’ll keep being the same fucking doormat bitch you know and love,” you spit, turning towards the door and away from his face. You’re not even curious to see how he reacts. “I don’t need protection, alright? When I tell you to stay out of my business, you stay out of it. So don’t try and pretend to be my knight in shining armor.”
There’s an ocean of silence, enough to hear a pin drop. The urge to apologize surges to the surface, but you stamp it down. He’s petty all the time, so now it’s your turn.
Okay, maybe that’s a little too mean on your part, but you’re exhausted. Perhaps it is true when they say you should never act on your anger when it’s past midnight. But can anyone blame you? You’re only a girl, and girls need to snap too. 
When he responds, his voice sounds weak. Park Jimin, weak? It's almost unthinkable. "Why don't you trust me?"
Isn't it obvious? you want to say. But some mercy remains within you. You'll pick up the pieces another time. Instead, you rasp out, “Good night, Park. I’ll see you on Monday.”
The walk of shame back to your house is long and arduous. Your phone dings thrice, likely signaling texts from Jimin, but you turn it off without checking for sure. For once, the weight on your shoulders is slightly lighter. You huff out a dry laugh, realizing belatedly that maybe Jimin is right—maybe speaking your mind has its benefits.
There’s a small park in your neighborhood that you always pass by. You don’t remember the last time you spared it a second glance, but this time you notice a lone figure swinging back and forth, arching dangerously higher than what you would consider safe. From a distance, all you can make out are the person’s comically bright boots, and you have a sinking suspicion you know who it is without seeing their face.
Cosmos, or whoever it is that controls my life, why must you braid our strings of fate so tightly? You ask, but as always, it refuses to reply.
Against your better judgment, your feet bring you closer towards him. He has his back towards you, his feet pumping him higher and higher and you half expect him to swing in a perfect arc like a gymnast on parallel bars. You have to keep your distance a bit, lest you get the wind knocked out of you by his signature stompers. 
You clear your throat, and the boy stops mid-swing and nearly catapults himself into the spongey, playground floor. Hunched over and wheezing, Jungkook directs his shocked eyes at you with a comical stare. 
You raise a hand in greeting. A peace offering, maybe. “Hello—”
“I swear I’m not stalking you!” Jungkook interrupts as he scrambles to his feet. He bows deeply in remorse, the action so endearingly him. “S-sorry, I’ll make my way home now…”
“I don’t own the park, Jungkook. I was just saying hello…” You snort, wringing your hands uncomfortably. You grind your shoes into the ground, the sound of crunching leaves breaking the still air. “A-and… to say sorry, for earlier.”
“Sorry?” Jungkook repeats, confused. When he realizes what you mean, he waves his hands frantically. “No, no! Don’t be sorry! It was my fault for being so inconsiderate. I understand how you might misconstrue my actions, and I made things more awkward. I’ll consider your feelings more in the future…”
In the future… You cough, unwilling to meet his bright and honest gaze. If you stare too long, you fear you might go blind. 
“I come here to the park often, when I feel too cramped inside my apartment,” Jungkook explains, frantic energy radiating off him in waves. He’s gesticulating too much, a clear sign that he’s trying to hide his nerves. You remember how he would do the same thing in high school, whenever he had to present his projects in front of the class. 
You hold a hand up, a weak attempt to get him to calm down. “I’m not here to interrogate you. I just wanted to…” What is it that you wanted to do?
The two of you just stand awkwardly like that, similar to a few weeks ago when you discovered you were neighbors. You’re grasping at straws in your head, both conflicted for wanting to tell him something and running away. Even if you were to talk to him, what would you say? There’s a reason you told Jimin you didn’t want to talk—frankly, it’s mostly because you have no idea what to say or feel. 
But you do know, the universe responds. 
I ask you questions all the time, and this is how you respond? 
Either that, or you’re going insane, the universe remarks.
Jungkook pulls out his phone, his fingers fumbling as he unlocks it. He takes a furtive step towards you, but thinks better of it. There’s a few feet of distance between you, but it feels like worlds apart. Close and yet so far. You recall how you’d easily pull him towards you in the past, how being together felt as natural as breathing. 
“I know you absolutely hated it the last time I played my original song at the restaurant, so I refrained from performing any ever since that night. But that didn’t stop me from writing them. I was fine with keeping them locked in a vault forever, but…” He hesitates, searching you for any signs of discomfort. When he sees the carefully blank look on your face, he continues with trepidation. 
“Can I try a song for you? You don’t have to say yes, and you’re free to tell me to fuck off and I’ll never even look at you ever again. Just…” He flails one last time, a choked sob making its escape from his throat. 
Are you hopeless for wanting to say yes? Or were you reverting back to your old self who relied on him and believed in him so heavily? If you wanted him out of your life for good, you would have quit your job at the first sight of him. Maybe you were masochistic. Or maybe were you hopeful for a new start, a chance to rekindle a relationship that you’ve secretly always wanted to repair.
You have so much life ahead of you. Many more mistakes will be made and maybe they’ll haunt you when you’re older. But would it really be such a terrible gamble to take one more chance? 
You nod, and seal your fate.
He presses play, and the soft strumming of a guitar fills the empty playground air. 
Not for the first time, you wonder how it can be so easy for Jungkook to be so… honest. He spills his heart in every song that he writes, and you know he’s never been a great liar. He can’t help it, being genuine is in his DNA. This crashing waterfall, this boy with overflowing emotions—he sings what he thinks but feels terrified because of it. You might not understand his honesty, but you know that fear. You know it all too well.
He beholds himself to you—raw and unfiltered. A little battered and bruised, but still Jungkook. Behind everything, still the boy you’ve been yearning for.
Maybe this song is what will give you enough confidence to admit everything to him, too. As you stand there, listening to his mellow voice sing confessions to no one but you and the stars, you think you grow a little more courageous that day.
Maybe you won’t be able to tell him tonight. Maybe not tomorrow, nor next week either. But as you gaze back at his hopeful eyes, you know deep in your heart that you’ll find the words you’ve been looking for.
“I’ll keep waiting for you, if you let me.” Jungkook’s voice floats gently to you, and settles in your open palms. This time, you don’t let go
xxx
Months later, Jungkook stops working at the restaurant when an offer from a major record company arrives in his mail. Apparently, a big shot from the local radio station had pitched him to an employee at that company and they were all pleasantly surprised to find a hidden gem at a random bar and restaurant.  
In your apartment, you stare outside your window and to where his home is—well, where it was. You wonder if he finished packing his things, ready to make the big move tomorrow. You stand up with a stretch, sparing a glance at your still broken shower. It would be nice to have one more shower at his place… And after that? Maybe you should start looking for a nicer apartment; somewhere far away might be nice.
Your phone rings, and you see his contact photo light up your screen. With a smile, you answer.
“Come over, if you want. I won’t make you,” Jungkook assures you. 
You laugh lightly, already halfway out the door. 
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woso-dreamzzz · 8 months
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Training
Hardersson x Child!Reader
Zećira Mušović x Hardersson!Reader
Part of The Big Adventures Universe
Summary: You train with Zećira 
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You put your foot up on Momma's knee so she can lace up your new boots. You're very excited and can't stop wiggling around. You've already got your gloves on. You've been wearing them since you got up this morning and snuck into the Big Bed to worm your way between Momma and Morsa.
Morsa's pacing in front of you, muttering under her breath and waving her hands around. Every time she calms down, she looks at you and it all starts up again.
"Momma," You say," Why is Morsa being weird?"
Momma laughs as she taps your leg to get you to drop it. "Morsa's just a bit jealous," She says.
"But why?"
"Because your wearing Zećira's Chelsea shirt."
You look down and tug at the hem. It's true. You are wearing Zećira's black Not-Wolfsburg shirt but you've paired it with your Wolfsburg green shorts so it balances out. "I don't have Zećira's Rosengård shirt."
Momma laughs again as Morsa moves to open the door. She helps you stand up and puts your training backpack on your back.
"Looking good, y/n," Zećira says, hand out for a high five as you run to greet her.
You spin on your heel. "It's your shirt!"
"I can see that! Are you ready to go and do some training today?"
You nod quickly, head bobbing up and down before you reach to take her hand.
Morsa clears her throat. "What's going on? You wear Zećira's shirt and suddenly you're too cool to say goodbye to us?"
You drop Zećira's hand to hug Morsa and then Momma. It's barely a hug though. It's more of a quick squeeze before you're running to hold Zećira's hand again.
"I want her back in a few hours," Morsa says in her captain voice which means Zećira has to listen or else. She tried to use that voice on you once but you just giggled and gave her a little kiss.
"Yes, captain," Zećira laughs before taking your hand more firmly and leading you out the door.
Her car is parked out the front of the house but you don't get in. Instead, you cross the street and walk down it to get to the park.
There aren't many people out because it's a Wednesday and normal people are at work so it's just you and Zećira at the goalposts and a few people walking their dogs.
"Okay." Zećira dumps hers and your bags by one of the posts. "Do you remember what the most important thing to do is before we train?"
"Warm up!"
"That's right. So, we're going to jog from this goal to the ones over there. Ready?"
"Ready!"
Zećira runs with you. It's a lot easier for her because she's got longer legs but you make sure to keep up even though you have to take more strides than her.
She makes you do it twice - there and back before showing you how to stretch properly and then how tight to do up your gloves. By the end of it, your face is all sweaty and your flyaways stick to your forehead as you pant.
Zećira lets you take a water break so you guzzle down enough water to feel full before arriving at her side again.
She sits in front of you, legs spread with a ball between them. "Okay, so today, we're going to go very slow. One step at a time."
"Okay!" You sit in front of her, legs spread like hers.
"So, I want you to stand in goal and then I'm either going to roll or throw the ball at you. I want you to get it in your hands and lay down on top of it, okay?"
"Okay!"
You hurry to go stand in goal, bouncing on your feet because Zećira once told you at Not-Wolfsburg training that keepers need to be light on their feet.
She rolls the ball to you. It's kind of slow but you grab it in your hands before tucking it into your chest and moving to lay down on the ground.
"Very good!" Zećira praises," Now we're going to try a high one."
She throws it underarm at you and you reach out to grab it before lying on your stomach again.
"Well done! Do you know why we do it like this?"
You shake your head as you kick the ball back to her and she repeats the exercise.
"Well, if we just catch the ball, there's always a chance that we drop it so if we cover it with our whole body then the other team can't kick it in while we're distracted. It's a surefire way to keep the ball while you recover a bit. Sometimes if you catch a shot then it can wind you and you need a little moment to breathe properly again."
You nod along as you make another little save.
As time goes on, Zećira stops rolling the ball and starts kicking at you. They're not her proper goalkicks that she does at matches but they're still kicks and a few of them catch you off guard.
Your face falls as it happens again and Zećira pats you softly on the shoulder as she collects the ball.
"It doesn't matter if you miss a few," She says to you softly, brushing some hair out of your face," All that matters is if you try, okay? Always try your very best. It doesn't matter if it goes in, just as long as you try.
You nod.
"Ready to go again?"
"Ready!"
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vryfmi · 1 year
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book!l&co character lineup
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finally finished extended version of my L&Co designs, based on their book descriptions! it took months, but im happy with the results
ID of designs + thumbnail-sketch under the cut
[image ID: two digital drawings of characters from Lockwood and Co books, done in semi-realistic style, black lineart and plain colour against grey background.
image 1: from left to right there are full body drawings of George Cubbins, Anthony Lockwood and Lucy Carlyle. George is standing facing left, slouching, he's looking at the viewer with indifferent expression. he's fat, light-skinned and has medium length fair hair. George's wearing round glasses, red t-shirt, baggy jeans, unzipped grey hoodie and sneakers. he has a grey sport bag in right hand and a black messenger bag across left shoulder. next to him there's Lockwood, he's standing half turned to right, he's facing the viewer with a gentle smile. Lockwood is paler than George, almost a head taller and slim with short, slightly wavy, black hair. he's wearing a grey three piece suit with white shirt underneath, as well as smart black shoes and a purple tie. on top of it is a black greatcoat. Lockwood stands with one hand in pocket and another resting on rapier's grip. the sword is in its scabbard attached to Lockwood's belt. furthest on the right is Lucy, she's standing half turned to right, head facing left with a curious look directed at the viewer. her skin is light and her hair is warm brown, slightly uneven and spiky with middle parting. she has a wide frame and is the same height as George. Lucy's wearing a baggy orange sweater, plaid grey skirt, black leggings and tall dark-brown work boots with iron patches. she's holding onto a strap of her rucksack that is on her right shoulder. there's also a belt on top of the sweater which holds her rapier.
image 2: from left to right there are full body drawings of Flo Bones, human version of the skull, Quill Kipps and Holly Munro. Flo is standing half turned to left, facing towards the viewer with a smirk. she's light-skinned with long dirty-blonde hair, and her face has smudges of mud all over. compared to previous pictures, she's almost as tall as Lockwood, but not quite. Flo is wearing long blue puffer jacket on top of her darker clothes that resemble one of fisherman's with mudded thigh-high rainboots. she stands with one hand in jacket pocket, one raising a brim of straw hat with a knife. said hat has a fishing hook stuck on its brim and two lavender stems attached to hat band. next to her is the skull in his human form. he stands half turned to right, slouching, hands in pockets, with head thrown back with a wide smirk across his face. skull is very thin and not really tall, he is tanned and freckled with spiky dark hair. skull is wearing ill-fitting clothes: a white old-timey shirt that is slightly too big and grey trousers that are too small and short. he stands barefoot. third from the left is Quill Kipps, he stand half turned to right, crossing his arms, head facing left with a look of annoyance. Kipps is short and slim, he has ruddy and freckled skin and short ginger hair. Kipps is wearing a grey leather jacket with Fittes logo on it as well as two medals, tight black jeans and chelsea boots. his rapier scabbard has a baldric type of belt. rapier itself has green gems on a hilt. finally, there's Holly Munro, she's standing half turned to left, head facing right with a gentle smile. she's pretty tall and slim with deep rich black skin tone and black shoulder length curls. Holly's wearing a white short lantern sleeve shirt with a blue dress with a cloth belt wrapped around and tied into a bow at the back, as well as low heel shoes. she has a light-blue scarf wrapped around her head. Holly also has white small earrings and beige nail paint. all of the characters have artist’s watermark at the lower right side of them./end ID]
bonus sketch
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Text
Head Over Heels in the Moment
I'm Bright Baby Blue, Falling Into You
How Chelsea!Roy met his coach's daughter for the first time.
Roy Kent x Coach's Daughter!Reader 0.7k words Warnings: Language, Chelsea!Roy, Roy already being a fool for the reader
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Roy Kent wasn’t nervous about going to Chelsea. No way in hell. It was just Chelsea. Legendary Chelsea, with its history of greatness and high expectations for him.
Alright, fine, he was a smidge nervous.
But the moment he laced up his boots and stepped on the pitch, his nerves dissipated. Because no matter where he stood and no matter what kit he wore, it was still football. And Roy Kent loved football.
Just as he was starting to feel comfortable, a flash of pink caught his eye. He glanced away from the drill he was meant to be doing to take in the sight of a bright summer dress and a beaming smile. Fucking hell. If he thought his heart pounded when he ran around on the pitch, it was nothing compared to now. He tried to remember the last time his palms were this sweaty or his mouth this dry; he was failing to think of any instance.
He tapped the shoulder of the fella next to him. “Who’s that?” he asked, nodding towards the vision in pink on the sideline who had yet to even glance his way, instead cheering the names of other players. Players he suddenly wished he was.
His new teammate chuckled knowingly. “Ah. That’s Coach’s daughter. She’s always hanging around. Visits from uni whenever she can.” He clapped Roy on the shoulder sympathetically. “Stay away, though,” he said in a warning voice. “She’s completely off-limits.”
Roy rolled his eyes. “Not like I’m gonna do something,” he grumbled. “Just curious.”
Another knowing chuckle rumbled in his teammate’s chest as they resumed their drill. “Sure, Kent.”
Roy remained curious for the rest of training. He kept glancing over, trying to catch her eye. But she never looked his way. She stayed by her father’s side, watching training with a small smile on her lips. Players who came her way were greeted with waves and high-fives, as though they were old friends. He caught the way some of them looked at her; he wondered if he had the same stupid, dreamy expression on his own face. Probably did, he thought. Probably looked like a fucking wanker.
His curiosity finally got the best of him when he caught sight of her alone in the hallway after practice had ended. Telling himself he was just getting comfortable in his new home and trying to get to know people (what a fucking lie), he approached her with a half-wave.
“Oi,” he greeted as she stopped to look at him, eyebrows raised expectantly. “’m Roy.”
She nodded firmly. “I know.”
Roy tried to think of the last time a woman spoke to him so plainly. Some part of him kind of liked it. “You’ve heard of me then?” He dared to lean a smidge closer. “You a fan?”
Her eyeroll somehow managed to be charming. “I’ve been running your paperwork to HR all week,” she scoffed. Despite her aloofness, he could see the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. With another cool nod, she turned on her heel to walk away.
“Wait.” She glanced over her shoulder at him, curiosity finally coloring her face. “You going to tell me your name or what?” He cocked his head at her. “The guys just called you ‘princess’.”
Her eyes sparkled at what he guessed was a familiar nickname. “Guess you better get used to calling me ‘your royal highness’ then,” she mused.
Fuck. She was kind of funny, he realized; Roy tried not to find her so fucking attractive, he really did, but it was impossible. So impossible that he couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his face as he shook his head gently at her. “Alright, next time I’ll be sure to mind my manners and curtsy pretty for you.”
That did it. She smiled at him, a real smile that filled her pretty face and made his heart stop in his chest. “Looking forward to it,” she hummed. With a wave over her shoulder, she resumed walking away, this time with a bit more of a spring to her step. “Welcome to Chelsea, Roy Kent.”
Roy unabashedly watched her walk away, his jaw slacking slightly. Off-limits, he reminded himself. Absolutely off-limits. But then she turned a corner, glancing back at him with that smile still on her face.
Fuck it, he thought. Maybe she’d be worth getting in a little bit of trouble for.
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psychics4unet · 23 days
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What Your Shoes Say About Your Psychic Energy?
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Ever wondered what your favorite shoes reveal about your spiritual vibe? 👠✨ Turns out, the type of shoes you wear can say a lot about your psychic energy and even your future! Heels? You’re channeling some serious boss energy, ready to take on the world. Flats? You’re all about staying grounded and keeping it real. Sneakers? You’re adaptable, always ready for life’s next adventure. Boots? You’ve got a strong, protective energy, ready to face any challenge.
Got questions or need some insight into your life? I'm here to help with personal psychic readings! For just $7, you can get answers to up to 7 questions! More info at:
Here’s a detailed look at what different types of women’s shoes might reveal about your psychic and spiritual energy:
Stilettos – 👠 Stilettos often reflect a strong ambition and drive for success. They suggest that you’re ready to face challenges head-on and climb the ladder of success with confidence and poise. 🌟
Ballet Flats – 👡 Ballet flats indicate grace, balance, and a down-to-earth nature. They symbolize a grounded and serene personality, someone who finds comfort in simplicity and elegance. 🌸
Ankle Boots – 👢 Ankle boots show a blend of practicality and fierceness. They often signify that you are both practical in your approach and ready to face challenges with a bold attitude. 🔥
Sneakers – 👟 Sneakers suggest versatility and adaptability. They indicate that you are always ready for new adventures and are adaptable to various situations, showing a dynamic and energetic personality. ⚡
Wedges – 👠 Wedges symbolize a steady ascent toward your goals. They reflect confidence and a strong belief in your abilities, helping you maintain balance while pursuing your dreams. 🏆
Kitten Heels – 👠 Kitten heels are associated with subtlety and elegance. They reveal a gentle and sophisticated approach to life, embracing beauty and grace without overwhelming others. 💫
Gladiator Sandals – 🩴 Gladiator sandals represent a warrior spirit. They indicate that you are prepared to fight for what you believe in and have a strong, determined character. 🏹
Loafers – 👞 Loafers reflect comfort in tradition and staying true to your roots. They signify a reliable and grounded individual who values stability and practicality. 🛤️
Thigh-High Boots – 👢 Thigh-high boots convey empowerment and a daring attitude. They show that you have a bold, confident personality and are not afraid to make a statement. 💪
Moccasins – 🥿 Moccasins suggest a deep connection to nature and inner peace. They reflect a person who values comfort and harmony and is grounded in their spiritual beliefs. 🌿
Platform Shoes – 👠 Platform shoes indicate boldness and confidence. They show that you stand tall in your beliefs and are not afraid to showcase your unique personality. 🌈
Mary Janes – 👠 Mary Janes are associated with nostalgia and simplicity. They reveal a love for classic style and a playful, yet straightforward, approach to life. 🌻
Espadrilles – 🩴 Espadrilles represent an easygoing and carefree attitude. They suggest that you embrace life’s pleasures and are in tune with the joy of living. 🌞
Mules – 👠 Mules signify open-mindedness and a willingness to explore new experiences. They reflect a person who is ready to take on new adventures with a positive outlook. 🌟
Chelsea Boots – 👢 Chelsea boots are linked to reliability and readiness. They show that you are dependable and prepared for any situation that comes your way. 🚀
Flip-Flops – 🩴 Flip-flops symbolize a relaxed and easygoing nature. They indicate that you go with the flow and are content with the simple pleasures in life. 🌊
Cowboy Boots – 👢 Cowboy boots represent independence and a love for adventure. They show that you have a strong, free-spirited personality with a taste for exploration. 🌵
Pumps – 👠 Pumps are associated with confidence and power. They signify that you are ready to take charge and assert your presence in both personal and professional settings. 🚀
Peep-Toe Heels – 👠 Peep-toe heels reflect curiosity and openness. They show that you are open to new experiences and have a playful, yet sophisticated, side. 🎉
Slides – 🩴 Slides suggest a laid-back and content approach to life. They indicate that you find joy in the simple things and have a relaxed attitude toward challenges. 🍃
Combat Boots – 👢 Combat boots symbolize resilience and strength. They reflect a person who is prepared to face any battle and stands firm in their beliefs. 💥
Oxford Shoes – 👞 Oxford shoes represent intellectuality and attention to detail. They indicate that you have a love for learning and are meticulous in your approach to life. 📚
T-Strap Heels – 👠 T-strap heels blend tradition with modernity. They show that you appreciate classic styles while also incorporating contemporary elements into your life. 🌟
Clogs – 🥿 Clogs reflect practicality and comfort. They suggest that you value a grounded, straightforward approach to life and find joy in simplicity. 🛋️
Sock Boots – 👢 Sock boots indicate a trendsetter with a unique style. They show that you are confident in your individuality and willing to stand out from the crowd. 💃
Slingbacks – 👠 Slingbacks signify precision and elegance. They reflect a person who pays attention to details and carries themselves with grace and sophistication. 💫
Rain Boots – 🩴 Rain boots represent preparedness and adaptability. They show that you are ready for any situation and handle life’s unpredictable moments with ease. ☔
Jellies – 🩴 Jellies suggest playfulness and nostalgia. They indicate a fun-loving spirit who enjoys the whimsical and carefree aspects of life. 🧩
Kitten Slingbacks – 👠 Kitten slingbacks combine sophistication with a practical approach. They show that you balance elegance with comfort and practicality. 🌹
Pointed-Toe Flats – 👡 Pointed-toe flats represent precision and directness. They indicate a sharp mind and a straightforward approach to life. 🗝️
Velvet Heels – 👠 Velvet heels symbolize luxury and sensuality. They show that you appreciate the finer things in life and have a refined, elegant nature. ✨
Boat Shoes – 👞 Boat shoes reflect practicality and a love for adventure. They suggest that you enjoy exploring and have a grounded, yet adventurous spirit. 🚤
Monk Strap Shoes – 👞 Monk strap shoes signify discipline and tradition. They show that you value structure and have a strong moral compass. ⚖️
Quilted Boots – 👢 Quilted boots represent comfort and security. They indicate a protective nature and a love for warmth and coziness. 🔥
Corset Heels – 👠 Corset heels combine strength with femininity. They reflect a focus on detail and a balance of power and grace. 💪
Espadrille Flats – 🩴 Espadrille flats suggest a laid-back vibe with a connection to nature. They indicate a love for simplicity and natural beauty. 🌻
Teddy Boots – 👢 Teddy boots symbolize warmth and comfort. They reflect a nurturing personality that values coziness and security. 🧸
Loafers with Tassels – 👞 Loafers with tassels indicate a playful yet sophisticated nature. They suggest a balance between fun and tradition. 🎩
Platform Sandals – 🩴 Platform sandals show confidence and a love for making a statement. They indicate a person who stands tall in their beliefs and style. 🌟
Over-the-Knee Boots – 👢 Over-the-knee boots represent boldness and a daring spirit. They show that you are unafraid to push boundaries and stand out. 🚀
Slip-On Sneakers – 👟 Slip-on sneakers reflect ease and comfort. They suggest a relaxed and casual approach to life, valuing convenience and simplicity. ☀️
High-Top Sneakers – 👟 High-top sneakers indicate a dynamic and energetic personality. They suggest that you are always on the go and ready for new challenges. ⚡
Espadrille Wedges – 🩴 Espadrille wedges combine comfort with a touch of elegance. They reflect a love for relaxed, yet stylish, living. 🌿
Brocade Flats – 👡 Brocade flats symbolize a taste for luxury and tradition. They suggest an appreciation for classic styles with a sophisticated twist. 💎
Lace-Up Sandals – 🩴 Lace-up sandals represent a free-spirited nature. They indicate a love for exploration and a connection to personal freedom. 🌈
Moccasin Slippers – 🥿 Moccasin slippers reflect a cozy, homey personality. They suggest a preference for comfort and a nurturing, relaxed environment. 🛋️
Pumps with Ankle Strap – 👠 Pumps with ankle straps show confidence with an attention to detail. They indicate a refined, yet bold approach to style. 💫
Glitter Boots – 👢 Glitter boots represent a love for glamour and sparkle. They show that you have a fun, outgoing personality with a flair for drama. ✨
Chelsea Ankle Boots – 👢 Chelsea ankle boots symbolize versatility and style. They suggest a person who is fashionable yet practical in their approach. 🌟
Platform Sneakers – 👟 Platform sneakers indicate a modern and trendsetting personality. They suggest that you are confident in your unique style and always ready to make a statement. 🚀
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writinground2 · 1 year
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Not a Threat - Jessie Fleming
Based off this request - Jessie gets tackled badly leaving her unconscious and reader is really angry and protective.
“Not worth the card Y/N,” Jessie pushed both hands into Y/N’s chest, pushing her away from the ref. 
“There needs to be a fucking card, and he knows it!” Y/N let herself be pushed away, but still motioned to the ref over Jesse’s shoulder to the ref. 
The game was only twenty minutes in, but there were several hard tackles directed at the Chelsea offence. The ref had only given the Arsenal players warnings, being far more generous than he should be. 
“The cards will come, just play your game,” Jessie pushed Y/N back into position. 
Y/N huffed but gave a stiff nod and made her way to line up for the free kick. 
The rest of the half continued the same fashion. Chelsea players spending more and more time on the ground, some slower to get up. Jessie having taken the brunt of the Arsenal defence. They tried sending Fleming on quick runs in, hoping keeping her in motion would prevent the defence from sticking to her. After a few full speed tackles, sending her skidding across the pitch, they dropped her to midfield. Midfield wasn’t any better, if gave Arsenal a chance to mark her tighter, bodying her around. 
As the players made their way back out of the tunnel to start the second half, Y/N stepped into McCabes space, stopping her just out of the sight of the field. 
“You even think of touching Fleming again, I will put you down like a fucking dog, you hear me?”
McCabe didn’t say anything, just tilted her head up, working to keep her glare in place. Y/N stepped closer, chests touching and forcing McCabe to step back to avoid her toes being stepped on. 
“I said, do you hear me?”
“Don’t threaten my players,” Leah came around the corner, McCabes glare slipping the longer Y/N towered over her. 
“I’m not threatening anyone,” she kept her eyes firmly on Katie’s, “just telling your girl here what will happen if she doesn’t clean it up.” 
Y/N gave her a smirk when she saw the crack in McCabes tough exterior, turning and running to join her team on the field without another word.
It seemed Y/N’s words had their desired effect, McCabe actively avoiding Fleming, giving her more chances to run into the box. Quickly putting Chelsea ahead. 
Y/N could see the frustration mounting on the Irish player. She could see that Katie wanted to run and mark Jessie quicker, but there was a hesitation before taking off to cover her. 
Chelsea uses this to their advantage, pushing their line high, forcing Arsenal on their heels and to drop their line back. Jessie was able to slip in behind their line as Y/N chipped the ball over the defenders. 
Jessie can tap it forward enough with her chest before side stepping the keeper, pulling her out of position, she’s able to casually strike the ball. Just as the ball leaves her boot, studs connect harshly with her planted leg, sending her tumbling forward. Her momentum sends her into the keeper her had been rushing to get back into position, sending both tumbling in a pile. 
Celebration for the goal abruptly ends when Fleming doesn’t get up when the keeper gingerly climbs off her. Y/N immediately at her side, helping her roll over.
The medics are already running onto the field as Jessie is looking around bleary. Y/N explained that she had been unconscious for a second before coming to again. The medics motioned her out of the way to fully assess the midfielder.
Y/N immediately turns and sets her sights on the Irish woman that’s arguing with the ref. She can see Arsenal players pulling her away, trying to direct her to leave the field. Y/N ignores it all and narrows her eyes. 
A strong arm curls around her waist, lifting her off her feet and pulling her away before she can move towards the group. She tries to fight the grip unsuccessfully, thrashing wildly.
“She’s already got the red, don’t do anything stupid,” Millie shouts at her, struggling to keep her in place. 
“Fuck that!” Y/N doubles her effort as Katie makes her way past to leave the field, “I told you what would happen McCabe!” 
Sam appeared in her face, helping Millie contain Y/N, “Jess is up, go check on her.”
That deflated Y/N’s anger instantly, she stopped resisting both players and turned back to see Jessie getting to her feet. Wobbling in place for a second while both medics kept her balanced. Y/N walked backwards with them, eyes scanning up and down Jessies body, looking for injuries. 
“I’m alright,” Jessie whispers, she keeps her eyes down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. 
Y/N just looked to one of the medics for a better answer about what was wrong. 
“Probably concussion, we’ll do a full check in the back.”
Y/N nodded, she paused at the sideline, watching helplessly as Jessie slowly continued down the tunnel. 
With only minutes left in the game and Arsenal down a player and a few goals, the reds dropped to focus on defence, wanting the game to end without any more goals. 
Y/N takes off down the tunnel as soon as the whistle is blown, ignoring the calls of fans or other players, only focusing on finding her girlfriend. 
The lights are off when she gets to the medical room. She softly closes the door behind her, toeing her cleats off, wanting to avoid any additional sound she possibly can. Jessie is still fully in her kit, arm thrown over her face. 
“I’m alright,” Jessie mumbles, pulling her arm, looking over to Y/N. 
“Liar,” Y/N grins at her, “how’s the noggin?” she places a gentle kiss to her forehead. 
“Muffled,” Jesse shuffles to the edge of the bed to press her forehead into Y/N’s stomach, “little headache, but the ringing is really bad, stuffs really bright and loud.” 
Y/N nodded, gentling massaging the back of Jessie’s neck. They stood wrapped in each other for a moment, “let’s get you changed and ready to go before anyone else gets in.” 
Jessie nods but makes not move to pull away. Y/N chuckles, nudging her away slightly, “I’ll be right back,” she drops a quick kiss to her forehead before rushing out of the room. 
She pushed through the doors leading to the change room, ripping her jersey off as she walked. Throwing her dirty kit into the laundry, she pulled on her own clothes, shoving her everything in her bag before grabbing all Jessies clothing too. She forced herself to slow down and not slam the door open on her return to the medical room. 
Jessie is sitting up when she comes back in, elbows resting on her knees. Y/N gently drops the bags to the floor next to the bed. 
“Ready?” Y/N tugs the bottom of Jessies jersey, signalling she’ll start there to change her. 
Jessie straightens up a bit, helping pull her jersey and then undershirt off while Y/N pulls out a clean shirt and hoodie. 
Y/N pulls the wheelie stool over and grabs Jessies booted feet to rest in her lap to unlace both before gently pulling them and her socks off. Jessie hisses as the sock coms past the bruise from McCabes studs. Y/N muttered an apology, dropping a delicate kiss to the centre of the bruise. 
“I’m going to kill her.”
“You’re much too picky an eater for jail,” Jessie teases. 
Y/N pushes the stool out of the way as she stands, guiding Jessies hands to her shoulder to help balance her while she stands. Keeping her in place, she pushes her shorts past her hips to pool on the floor. Jessie sits back down while Y/N bunches her pants around her ankles, so they just need to pull them up when she stands up. 
Sitting back down, Jessie watches Y/N rummage around her bag, pulling out a pair of sunglasses for the walk to the bus. 
Millie is quick to take both their bags from Y/N as they walk through the change room, telling her to focus on getting the midfielder to the bus. Both offer a thanks and make slow work of the walk to the bus. 
They both ignore their names being called in the hallway and outside. Some fans quickly quiet down seeing the discomfort Fleming is clearly in, some shouting louder their displeasure of being ignored. 
Fleming lets out a sigh of relief as soon as she settled into her seat. She struggles to keep the sunglasses in place while settling on her side with her head in Y/N’s lap, but eventually finds a place. 
Everyone is quiet as they make their way on the bus, gently patting Jessie’s shoulder as they walk past. Y/N works her fingers into Jesses neck and shoulders, her other hand rubbing up and down her side.   
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seoul-bros · 3 months
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Muse Serenade - La Verità
Come hither look ✔️sexy wet hair style ✔️high heeled Chelsea boots✔️low cut tee-shirt accentuating his beautiful lines under his shiny blue and gold marching band uniform✔️
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Weverse
Post Date: 07/07/2024
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callmemaeverick · 1 year
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Trouble at the Smithsonian - The Spy Next Door Part III
AN: Sorry for the late upload, you guys. The story was already written, but I’m just struggling with the chapter titles, lol. Im still not feeling the title as much. Also, so hard to find a suitable GIF to accompany these fics. 
Ps: this was inspired by that episode on Modern Family
WC: 1.2 k (sorry, I went overboard)
Part I  Part II
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“You can’t be serious.”
You looked up at Peter’s face, surprised at the incredulity in his voice. “What?”
“You’re gonna wear that?”
The that he was referring to were your boots. Your high heeled suede Chelsea boots, to be exact. You had bought them almost a year and a half ago but you hadn’t really had the chance to properly wear them.
“What’s wrong with my boots?”
Peter looked at you like you’d grown a second head. He scanned you down and huffed out a disbelieving laugh. “You- you do know we will be doing a lot of walking right? The Smithsonian is like 20 museums.”
“Oh come on, it's not like we're gonna see all of them. 3 at most.” You assured him as you locked your door. “Besides, I’ll be fine! I’ve been looking forward to this since I was a girl and I wanna look my best when I visit places they filmed those movies.” 
You knew it was highly unlikely that the Captain America exhibit was actually filmed in the Smithsonian or if they even have the Blackbird that was actually a Decepticon in disguise in the Air and Space Museum. But even the thought of standing close to your favorite movies sent a thrill through you. 
“So you’re dragging me out to this place, on our off day, because you wanna check out the places where they film your favorite movies,” The look on his face had not changed. “Not for the museums themselves?”
“Well, no! Of course not! I am going for the museums… but I can’t help the geek in me from being also excited about the movies. I mean, c’mon. Transformers!”
Peter watched you do a little hop of excitement and shook his head. “Well, don’t come to me when your feet start to hurt.”
This time, it was you who scoffed at him. “In your dreams, Sutherland.”
~ One of the best things about going to a local attraction, or anywhere, really, on a weekday was that the place would still have people, but not so many that you get overwhelmed too quickly. It was one of the reasons why you applied for a special leave on a Wednesday to go to the museum.
In fact, it was actually Peter’s idea.
And just as you planned, finding a parking near the entrance was a cake walk. The both of you started with the Museum of Natural History because it was the one that contained your interests the most.
The moment you entered, it was like you were absorbed into another dimension. Your eyes went wide at the marvels before you and your heart thumped in your chest in excitement. Turning to Peter, you grinned wide before you grabbed his hand and ran into the first hall.
It was your first museum that day and you were already so happy. There were many exhibits on display. There was a hall full of fossils of ancient dinosaurs, huge and intimidating and you couldn’t help but feel like Ellie Sattler as you named them one by one. Then, more excitingly, you got to live out your Evie O'Connell fantasies when you climbed up to the second floor to the Ancient Egypt exhibit.
And Peter. Peter indulged you with a small smile on his face. Not once did he make fun of your abundant movie references and not once did he look at you funny. He followed you from exhibit to exhibit, listening attentively to every anecdote you made. He even pitched in some of his own memories when he could.
Before you knew it, the both of you had managed to clear 2 museums. And by lunch, your feet had started to hurt.
The Smithsonian was better than you thought it would be. And it was also bigger than you thought it would be. But being the stubborn creature that you are, you kept quiet. You had known it would happen eventually, but you had wanted to look your best more than you cared about the pain. The boots, while not that high-heeled, was not your normal attire. However, wearing them made you feel good and confident. It gave you a boost in height and a sexy walk.
Besides, you didn't have to look up so high to talk to Peter with them on. And you could better see the smattering of freckles on his face. That alone was totally worth the blisters.
~
The call of your name snapped you out of your thoughts and you blushed as Peter took his seat beside you and handed you a hotdog.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking where to go next."
"How's your feet?"
A muscle in your jaw ticked and your smile was tight. You bit into your lunch. "They're fine."
Peter eyed you like he knew you were lying, but let it go.
After lunch, the two of you made your way to the Air and Space Museum. But as you went through the exhibits, you began to lag behind as the pain in your feet slowly got worse.
By the third time Peter noticed you were not beside him, he has had enough.
"That's it. Come on,"
All of a sudden, there was a hand at the small of your back pushing you gently towards a bench.
"Hey, what?! Careful!" You exclaimed as you stumbled along, hissing when you stepped wrongly and aggravated your ankles.
"Sit.” Peter’s voice brooked no argument and reluctantly, you did as he asked. 
"What's this about, Peter?"
"You're hurting." He nodded to your feet.
You opened your mouth to rebuke him, but he levelled you with a look that shut you up. There was no use in hiding it. He was right.
"Stay here." He sighed and disappeared somewhere in the crowd.
Disappointment churned in your stomach. You were pissed at yourself for being so stubborn, for ruining the whole day. Now both of you were upset and it was all your fault. You heaved a long sigh and reached down to massage your ankles.
The crinkling of a plastic bag made you look up and you watched as Peter approached you with a pair of flip flops he bought from, by the picture of the rocket on it, the museum gift shop.
"Put this on."
You looked at him incredulously as he knelt to place the footwear by your feet. "Did you just-"
"It's either this or you're walking barefoot. And I'm not about to let you do that. So, come on."
Something in you reacted oddly at the action, spreading warmth across your chest. You stared at Peter for a few beats as your thoughts ran rampant. But then you blinked them away, too shocked to examine them and turned your attention to the flip flops.
"But it's so ugly though," You complained, but toed off your boots nonetheless.
"Too bad. It's the only design they had." Peter took your boots and put them into the plastic bag as you grumbled, standing and taking a few steps.
"How is it?"
It was perfect. The cool air against your abused and pinched skin felt like a balm and the ability to wiggle your toes made a small smile creep onto your face. Before turning back though, you schooled your features to indifference. "It'll do."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Yeah. You're welcome. Now, come on," He passed you, the plastic bag dangling from his fingers.  "Jetstar is waiting for you."
"Jetfire!"
TBC
Tagging: @strnqer @thefictionalgemini​ @bcon24​ @medievalfangirl​ @coldheartedmar​ @iamzuul​ 
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burntcarpet · 5 months
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RO descriptions
Christopher Armando (he/him)
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Age: same as MC
Possible relationships: childhood friend, longtime crush
Hair: dark brown wavy hair, shoulder-length, usually tied into half-bun/ponytail
Eyes: blueish grey
Skin: warm brown skin, shaves often but his hair grows fast and he always ends up having a goatee
Body: Muscular, 6’2
Special: has a full back and chest tattoo, has stud diamond earrings, used to have nostril piercing.
Job: Personal Trainer
Strength: Strong, good reflexes, optimistic
Weakness: Panic easily, impulsive, clumsy, has allergies.
Preferred clothing: Any dark-colored jacket over a tight-fitting T-shirt, baggy pants, and sneakers. Likes detailed rings, expensive watches, and thin chained necklaces, sometimes wears beanies or baseball caps.
Chelsea Nabi Yoon (she/they)
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Age: 2 years older than MC
Possible relationships: best friend, ex-girlfriend.
Hair: straight dyed blonde hair, chest-length, usually loose or in a messy bun
Eyes: dark brown, wears glasses
Skin: porcelain skin
Body: chubby, 5’4
Special: have some small color tattoos, several ear and septum piercings
Job: Medical resident
Strength: book smart, good under pressure, good communication skills
Weakness: low stamina, soft-hearted, stubborn, vegan
Preferred clothing: Often wears light-colored flowy dresses that would enhance her curvy figure with high heels. Likes crystal rings, jade bracelets, and layered gold and silver necklaces, sometimes wears anklets.
Jeremy/Jessica Forrest (he/him) (she/her)
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Age: [REDACTED]
Possible relationships: [REDACTED], [REDACTED]
Hair: auburn straight hair, short/shoulder length, messy and unstyled
Eyes: hazel green, short-sighted but no glasses/contacts
Skin: pale skin, has freckles, clean shaved, [REDACTED]
Body: lean, some muscle, 5’11/5’7
Special: [REDACTED]
Job: Intern at MC’s company
Strength: always calm, street smart, stealthy, agile
Weakness: bad at communication, antisocial, [REDACTED], [REDACTED]
Preferred clothing: Anything comfortable and slightly baggy that's a muted color, only have one pair of black combat boots that they wear everywhere. Doesn't like jewelry and sometimes wear baseball caps or any hats that would hide their face.
???
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Age: ???
Possible relationships: ???
Hair: ???
Eyes: ???
Skin: ???
Body: ???
Special: ???
Job: ???
Strength: ???
Weakness: ???
Preferred clothing: ???
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esimsterlookbook · 2 days
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Natalia Sims 4 CC Lookbook
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Meet Natalia! I'll be using her for a sims 4 storyline I'm creating.
Base Sim Info:
Skin: Ddarkstonee Skin N28 Overlay / Lamatisse Olympia Skin / Nesurii Little details / Ok ruee misc face details / Praline Sims Eyebags 21 Zombie / Sammi_xox Nose and Lip Masks / Sims3melancholic Belly mask / Sims3Melancholic Body Highlight 01
Eyebrows/Eyes/Lashes/Teeth: Carol 91 Priscilla Eyebrows /
Twisted Cat Lashes N03 / Praline Sims Heaven Eyes N177 / Yoonie Sims Imperfection Teeth Set
Tattoos: Thatsims4hore Ares Tattoo Set
Makeup: Angissi Lipstick A183 / Veve Bisou Highlighter / Praline Sims Ghost tattoo N15 (sparkly eyes) / Northern Siberia Winds Blush 8 Cheek
Piercings: Aretha Bee Luv Septum / Giulietta Sims Diamond Butterfly Belly Piercing
Everyday:
Hair: Simsenshi Opal Hair + Bows
Outfit: NewEn092 Lace Camisole Top / Belaloallure Madina cargo pants / Darte 77 Vans Old Skool
Accessories/Nails: Babyetears Y2K Star belt / Darte_77 03 Bracelet / Sugar Owl Janice Rings / Oydis Nuit Jewelry Set / Maxi Moons Haylee Nails
Formal:
Hair: Jino Hair N10 Lovelle
Outfit: BEO jumpsuit Rita / Shoestopia Breanna High Heels
Accessories/Nails: Oydis Astrea Jewelry / Christopher067 Elio Necklace / Simpliciaty Elise Rings / Giulietta Sims Long Almond Thin French Tips Nails
Athletic:
Hair: Jino Hair N9 Cherry
Outfit: Off-Line Alo Bralette / Rimings High-Waisted Leggings / Joliebean Charged Shoes
Accessories/Nails: Joliebean Jolie Watch / Jolliebean Peak Performance Basic Socks / GiuliettaSims Multiple Little Hoop Earrings / Aretha Bee Chipped Nails
Sleep:
Hair: Wing Sims ES 0830 Double Straight Hair
Outfit: LazyEyelids jersey sleepwear set
Accessories/Nails: Jius Knitted Socks 10 / Rimings Bow Shape Earring
Party:
Hair: Simpliciaty Karla Hair
Outfit: Belaloallure Fabienne laced top / Belaloallure Shanna Mini chain leather skirt / Shoestopia bapho boots
Accessories/Nails:
Giulietta Sims Mutliple Bangles / Simpliciaty Aubrey rings / S-Club TS4 Bracelet 202013 / Gorilla x3 Heart Charm Necklace / Giulietta Sims Long Edge Gothic Nails
Swim:
Hair: Simpliciaty Abby Hair
Outfit: Trillyke Eternal Sunshine Bikini Top + Bottom
Accessories/Nails: Aretha Bee Jayleen Sunglasses / Murphy x Bradford T True Bracelet / Bobur Bracelet 05 R / Simpliciaty Scarlet Rings / Sugar Owl Perla Rings
Hot Weather:
Hair: Simpliciaty Becca Hair
Outfit: busra-tr Leather Set Top P143 / sc 162 Kelly Short (Pay wall) / Shoestopia Jessica High Heels
Accessories/Nails: Angel Everyday Collection Square Sunglasses / AxA Necklace V1 / Simpliciaty Ziva Rings / S-Club LL ts4 bracelet 202102 / S-Club WM ts4 bracelet 202006 / GiuliettaSims Long Stiletto French Tips Ombre Nails
Cold Weather:
Hair: Simpliciaty Estella V1 Hair
Outfit: LazyEyelids sweater with shirt / Gorilla x3 Minimalist Slacks / BED and Musae Sungsudong Chelsea Boots
Accessories/Nails: Praline Sims Thunder V6 Earrings / Christopher 067 Mahlia Rings / Giulietta Sims Rounded Square Medium Glossy Nails
Thank you so much to CC creators for their wonderful work!
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