The Guy Upstairs

Chapter- 6 Sleepless Nights

As days went by, each morning became my wait for the moon to rise and my chance to meet Sullivan and lose myself in his stories. Each evening would start with a light-hearted conversation, and each morning would break with us reviling our darkest secrets and pouring our hearts out. I soon found myself drowning in his eyes and thinking to myself, how, do his eyes still shimmer with so much trauma and so many scars hidden behind them? I always found myself wanting to soak up more and learn more as he kept opening the depts of his heart to me. With each passing day, I felt my walls lower and my mind took flight with each of his write-ups. In the journey, I somehow found the writer inside me reignited again. For almost a year, I had stopped writing. Honestly, there was no reason in particular; I just stopped. Seeing him be himself and hearing what his brain cooked, made me want to pick up my pen again. It was like a bird in me was born, seeing the one in him chirp each day. I started seeing the child in him and, for some reason, noticed how he waddled when he walked. After that, what was to follow were our cute little nicknames for each other. It was so random when I became his butterfly from Athena and he became my little birdie from Sullivan.

"Hey, I want to read something for you," I said one night.

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" he asked.

"I wrote something, and it's for you. Just be a little gentle. I have written something after a long time," I confessed.

"It's okay, just go for it," he smiled.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath.

"It's called The Little Birdie, it's dedicated to you." I took a deep breath.

"On a cold, quiet night, I met you at the place most unexpected. The jolly guy with a smiling face and eyes so bright that even your thick glasses could not hide the stories they held. We talked and talked, and that was the day I knew what an instant connection truly means.
On a random night, my BoJack found his Diane. The night when the daring butterfly met the little bird. A bird so knowledgeable yet so lost. A bird so happy yet so dark. I saw the child who was buried behind the walls.

Walls so high that no one could climb, let alone penetrate. But for some reason, I saw that kid run wild. The happy kid who would waddle around with his cute anime bag searching for nothing more but to be heard, understood, and loved.

The day I saw that kid, I was sure all his eyes had seen was happiness, and all his mind knew was love. But, oh, so wrong I was. I missed the tears he cried and the sleepless nights he had spent. I looked past the hardship that smile has seen alone—the smile that stood the test of time without wearing or fading.

I got so lost in the intelligence of that little bird that I forgot to ask why he no longer spread his wings and flies. I never asked why he, the one who always dreamt of ruling the skies, was now walking so closely on the ground.
I guess I got so lost in your deep conversations that it never hit me how his eyes became the ones that were so admin for seeing each night this universe has to bestow.

I'm very sorry, my little birdie. I never asked you how much this world has put your little heart through. And I'm also sorry, my little birdie. I didn't catch you sooner so you wouldn't have fallen from your beautiful little nest. But now I promise I'm here for you, battling my loss, Diane. I won't ask if I'm a good person or not, or if I will be enough for you. All I can tell you is that it gets easier, and don't worry, we'll do it every day."

I looked up from my screen; my nervous eyes met his shimmering, gleaming one, and I could see a huge smile spread across his lips. At that moment, I knew he had accepted me as his BoJack as much as I had accepted him as my Diane.

"Do you like it?" I mumbled.

"I love it! It's amazing." He smiled. As the night swelled our giggles and laughter grew. I could feel his eyes stuck on me, admiring every hair flip and eye shift, felt as if I was suddenly the most important thing to him in this whole wide world. Soon the sunshine pierced through my room, and we unknowingly again lost ourselves in each other without realizing where we were heading.

"Hey! Sun is up let's go to the terrace" Sullivan exclaimed.

"No! It's so warm and cosy here" I cried, hugging my blanket.

"Come on it'll be really pretty" he fought.

"I know but I'm lazy," I said as I covered my face.

"Lazy horise" he commented and I smiled. As we continued chatting none of us cared that we had a life outside each other or even outside the small bubble that was created with all our conversations. Soon my eyes met my phone's screen and I was struck hard by realisation.

"Fuck! It's already eight" I said.

"Damn we have been talking for twelve hours" he smiled.

"I didn't realize that. Did you?" I asked, he shook his head no.

"I need to go wake Arthur up, then need to get ready for office and leave" he replied.

"I am so sorry for keeping you up all night. I mean I can sleep I have an off but you need to go to work" I said.

"Nah it's okay I will go to the office and sleep. This was great" he said and I couldn't stop myself from blushing.

"I will see you tonight?" he asked, getting off from the bed.

"Yeah!" I exclaimed. He gently wrapped me in a hug before saying his final goodbyes. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I slid into my bed.

Diane (8:15 am)- It was an amazing night thank you for listening to all my stories 😊
My phone buzzed.

Athena Butterfly Horsie (8:15 am): Yeah, it was I have honestly not spent an entire night talking to someone

I replied.

Diane (8:16 am)- Now go sleep you lazy horsie I will see you soon.

I couldn't wait for nightfall; my heart was already high and my brain was too focused on imaging his face and his expressions. How his eyes glimmered when he read his poetry, how his cheeks turned red when I complimented him, or just the simple fact of how small and cute his nose was. As my brain was lost in Sullivan's thoughts my eyes drifted to sleep.
A loud noise woke me up. I grabbed my phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I said as I rubbed my eyes.

"Oh my god you lazy brutie when are you planning to wake up?" the voice asked.

"Mom I get one day in the week to sleep!" I complained as I rolled over.

"It's two pm Athena get up!" Mom snarled.

"Okay okay I am up," I said.

"What are you planning for lunch?" she asked.

"Let me see I'll order something" I replied.

"At least when it's your off, that day cook something," she said.

"Mom don't start" I hissed.

"Yeah, I know you'll not listen to me anyway," she said.

"Mom please" I covered my face.

"Yeah yeah now go wake up" she replied.

"Okay, Mom call me once you reach home. Bye!" I said.

"Bye!" she hung up. Calls with my mother were a very strange mixture of wholesome and bitchy. She would always find something to complain about or some aspect which according to her was going haywire in my life. And yes, these daily conversations frustrated me, I understood that she felt lonely most of the days and needed something and someone to talk. I started scrolling through Instagram as I took a big stretch.

Diane (02:02 pm): Oh my god horsie! Are you planning to wake up or not?!

It was a message from Sullivan.

Athena Butterfly Horsie (02:02 pm)- Yeah, I am up. Did you have lunch?"

I asked.

Diane (02:03 pm)- Yep, we get it here at our office
He replied.

Athena Butterfly Horsie (02:03 pm)- Oh nice what did you have?

Diane (02:03 pm)- I had rice, chicken curry, salad, and some sweets. What are your plans for lunch?

Athena Butterfly Horsie (02:03 pm)- Let me see I'll order something.

Diane (02:04 pm)- Yes do that it's already late. And do you have any plans for the day or are you just gonna sleep the rest of the day?

Athena Butterfly Horsie (02:04 pm)- No I'll shower and was planning to watch The Fault In Our Starts.

Diane (02:04 pm)- Wtf man! I love that movie! It always makes me cry.

Athena Butterfly Horsie (02:04 pm)- It is an amazing movie indeed. Anyway, I'm gonna go shower. Catch you later?

Diane (02:05 pm)- Yeah! I'll see you in the evening.

I jumped out of bed, quickly cleaned up, and wrapped myself back in like a burrito as I quickly ordered something to eat. As my food arrived I turned on the movie. I always loved being alone by myself on my offs. It gave me some time to myself and more than that, it gave me time to think and reflect on what was going on in my life. I would usually spend offs lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling talking to myself, reading or just lazing around and getting my much-deserved rest.