Dishes.
his-waxen-wings:
Lyserg grew dejected at the doctor’s words, his face clouding over with something akin to remorse. The source wasn’t perfectly clear at first, but as the boy started to explain himself, Faust understood right away. He leaned against the counter a little, frowning as Lyserg dropped his eyes to the floor.
Yes, I know what it’s like to cling to habit…
He shook his head slowly & cleared his throat, pushing his voice to regain some of its firmness. It had fallen so far, gotten so soft… He needed it stronger or Lyserg wouldn’t hear, let alone listen.
It’s what we turn to when we seek comfort. It’s only natural.
Faust tried to flash the boy a reassuring smile, nodding at him a little.
Just be more careful next time.
His voice fell again, gently this time as he sank back into his own thoughts.
Alcohol… solves nothing.
He sighed shortly & turned back to the sink, starting in again on the dishes. He needed to occupy his fingers, distract his head. He knew that drinking had never helped him. It only amplified his sadness, forced him to stare it in the face & feel it hopelessly, helplessly as he drifted both away from & closer to himself at once. It simply wasn’t the right path, & it looked as though Lyserg had stumbled down that same unpleasant road. Faust took a breath & tilted his head to look at the boy, breaking the silence that had edged between them.
Lyserg… I know it’s not really my place, but if you want to talk it out with me, you can. I’ll listen & we can try to put your mind at ease…
Lyserg gripped the plate tightly in his hands. He felt absolutely awful about what he had done, and he held back a sob.
“I…I know it doesn’t solve anything,” he said quietly. “I…I won’t do it again, ever.”
He stayed quiet for a moment longer before he began to wash the dishes once more. But when Faust spoke to him again, Lyserg looked sharply up at the doctor; such an action made him dizzy, and he blinked to try to somehow make himself feel more stable.
“Well….there’s Hao being Hao, and…” He looked away and realized that there wasn’t anything to lose in telling Faust about his girl troubles.
“I…um, confessed my feelings to someone, and…” He shuffled uncertainly. “She returned my feelings, but…I don’t really know…what to do. I mean, I want to protect her and keep her safe, and I’ll do that, but…I’ve never had a relationship before…. I don’t know how to handle this,” he admitted.