(Untitled)

[teenagerenegade]

Routine is important; Charlie Bartlett's known that since he was just a kid. At home with his Mom, they keep really tightly to a routine because it keeps her calm, keeps her quiet. They understand each other better that way. Organised and neat isn't really Charlie's default setting. It's something he has to work hard on. Being in the Psych

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[not_for_ages]

There is a lot that is very strange about the last few days, but apparently there's always room for a bit more oddness, as Freddie's just walked into the loo to try and adjust his bloody annoying trousers and found Charlie sitting there as if he's expected him. Freddie glances over his shoulder to ensure the greeting hasn't been directed to someone else and then then slowly looks back to the boy perched pluckily in his stall. It's as if he's the world's cheeriest bathroom pervert.

"Hi?" Freddie offers, clearly a bit confused.

[teenagerenegade]

"Oh, hey, Freddie," says Charlie, with a broad grin. He swivels, both boots hitting the floor and pushes up from his perch. "This is...sort of... impromptu office hours? Did it back home and some people find it easier to talk outside the office."

He clears his throat.

"I'm...totally aware how it looks."

[not_for_ages]

"Are you a psychologist?" Freddie asks, and even now just the word is enough to make his stomach lurch a bit to the left. Rationally, he can recognise that it isn't a fair reaction, not when there are presumably loads of mental health professionals in the world who legitimately help people. That Charlie's turned out to be one throws him, though, whether Freddie likes it or not.

[teenagerenegade]

"I wrote my thesis here," says Charlie, shifting his position slightly and tilting his head as he looks up at Freddie. "Mostly, I see kids. I've got a couple of regular patients but I don't do an awful lot." His eyebrows draw together. "Why?"

[not_for_ages]

"I just haven't had the best luck with them," Freddie replies, perhaps the biggest understatement possible. "I've never really gone to one myself, just- It's a bit complicated, actually. Don't you worry about being interrupted in here?"

[teenagerenegade]

"Less than you'd think," says Charlie. He gives a little shrug. "People just...feel more comfortable talking about things in a less official setting. It kind of...started at home and now I just...still do it, I guess? It seems to work."

[not_for_ages]

Freddie nods, glancing around the room. "That makes sense," he allows, and then laughs, looking back to Charlie. "Can't get much less official than the loo."

[teenagerenegade]

Freddie laughs and Charlie laughs too. He shifts his position. He'd feel much more like himself in sneakers.

"Whatever works."

[not_for_ages]

"So people actually just come in here, have a seat on the toilet and tell you about their problems?" Freddie asks, still not quite convinced that his leg isn't being pulled. "I could sit down right there and just start unpacking my baggage."

[teenagerenegade]

"That's generally how it works," says Charlie, leaning his weight across his knees and looking up at Freddie. "Back home, I was kind of dispensing, but here, I just listen. Sometimes, that's all people need."

[not_for_ages]

On the one hand, Freddie isn't sure he's entirely prepared to unpack his baggage. There's quite a lot of it, and parts…well, he isn't certain that someone like Charlie is genuinely prepared to hear the worst of it, regardless of what his qualifications are. On the other hand, if he had to choose someone to unload on, he reckons Charlie would be a good choice.

"D'you ever have sessions outside the loo?"

[teenagerenegade]

"I totally do sessions in the office, too," says Charlie, pushing to his feet. "If that'd make you more comfortable? There's a couch in there and everything."

He studies Freddie for a moment. "It doesn't have to be a big deal, Freddie. Sometimes, people just need to be listened to. And I'm a pretty good listener. I try, anyway."