kitty knew feelings were complicated, she had always felt that way, but letting them out helped, at least sullivan was a good listener even if there wasnât much he could do. she was still in love with bodhi, no matter that they had broken up. it was hard, she missed him, she missed who she was when she was around him. "it is complicated," she nodded, "when weâre alone, somehow it feels like we never broke up, but then reality comes in between," she sighed. she walked around the office after she had jumped on his desk and he made her get off it. "yeah, organization, but what about my dramatic self?" she chuckled, sticking her tongue out playfully at her brother. she loved her relationship with sully, he was sweet and they were practically opposites. "movies donât have to be deep," she pointed out, "if i want something deep⌠i donât know any deep titles, i like my romcoms," she shrugged. kitty nodded at his words, a smile on her lips. "iâm glad youâre doing fine and your weeks are planned and perfect," she added, knowing how much sully loved that kind of thing. as her brother told her about the cute customer, kitty smiled. "oh really?" she tried not to scream. "i love how detail-oriented you are," she added before continuing, "she was cute, the opposite of your ex⌠why didnât you ask her for her number?" she asked, "wait, did you give her your number?" she pressed again.
Sully listened quietly, like he always did, his posture slightly stiff but attentive, his hands folded together as if that helped him organise not just himself but the conversation too. He didnât interrupt Kitty, he rarely did. Instead, he let Kitty speak, nodding at the right moments, processing everything a bit slower but very carefully. He understood what she meant, even if he didnât fully know how to fix it. Feelings were complicated sometimes. Messy. Not structured. That alone made them difficult for him to navigate. âIt sounds confusing,â he said gently, his voice soft and a little hesitant. âAlmost like your brain and your feelings arenât following the same rules.â He paused, choosing his words with precision. âBut I think it makes sense that it still feels the same when youâre alone. Patterns donât just stop existing because something officially ended.â He glanced at her briefly before looking back down, a small, awkward shrug following. âYouâre allowed to miss him. And who you were with him. That doesnât mean youâre doing anything wrong.â His tone wasnât overly emotional, but there was a quiet sincerity there, his way of caring. When she joked about being dramatic, Sully gave a faint smile, just barely there. âI accounted for that,â he replied, a hint of dry humor slipping through. âItâs just not in the main system.â At the topic shift, he adjusted slightly, clearly more comfortable with something concrete like movies. âRomcoms are fine,â he said. âThey follow a structure. Beginning, misunderstanding, resolution. Thatâs reassuring.â He nodded once, as if confirming his own logic. But when she brought up the girl, the customer, he stiffened a little more noticeably. âOh.â He blinked, caught off guard by her enthusiasm. His fingers tapped lightly against each other, a small, repetitive motion. âShe was nice. And different, yes.â He hesitated, clearly replaying the interaction in his head. âI didnât ask for her number,â he admitted after a moment, his voice quieter now. âI wasnât sure if that would be appropriate in that context.â Another pause. âAnd I didnât give her mine either. There wasnât a clear transition point in the conversation where that would logically fit. She took my business card and we're going to work out a time when I can tie the tree she brought on top of her car." He exhaled softly, then added, more thoughtfully, âThere wasnât anything wrong with my ex, per say. He was good. Sweet. Consistent.â He nodded once, as if affirming that truth. âBu, this girl was different. And I think it might be nice to try something new. I just donât know how to initiate conversation with someone like that in a normal context." Then, after a small exhale, he finally said it, awkward, blunt, and completely sincere. âHow do I talk to a hot girl?â He winced faintly right after, like even saying it felt incorrect. âI mean, appropriately,â he added quickly, trying to fix it. âIn a way that is socially acceptable. And not, y'know, strange.â














