The next day, he woke up early, packed up his gear, and left for the lake that resided near his home. He spent all morning and some of the afternoon out on the water, not looking to catch anything necessarily, just to get away for a while. He caught a few small fish and threw them back, determined to relax, hoping that by the time he returned, the only living beings at his home would be the dogs.

Around two, Will packed everything up and drove back home, feeling content and at peace after going all day without feeling Frederick in his head. Unfortunately, that peace didn't last because as he drove up to the driveway, he felt dejected, and then he saw the man paired with the emotion sitting on the steps of his porch. Will watched him perk up a little as he parked.

Frederick appeared mildly disheveled when he stood up, his suit jacket lying on the porch, his shirt wrinkled, tie loosened. His normally shiny black shoes were caked in dirt as if he'd done a lot of walking around the property. Will tried to look for a way to avoid him but there wasn't one as Frederick beelined toward him after he stepped out of the car.

"You are persistent, I'll give you that," Will grumbled as he pulled his fishing rod and tackle box out of the car.

Frederick kept a respectable distance but his expression was a mixture of desperation and determination. "I'm sorry, Will. I know you don't want to see me, but I need to see you."

Will moved around him and carried his gear up the porch to the front door. Frederick chased after him, catching his arm as he bounded up the short set of steps. Will felt all of Frederick's emotions flow into his head from the contact, causing his head to pound. He felt horrible: sad, ashamed, guilty. He stumbled and fell into the door for support, ripping himself from Frederick's grip.

"Stop doing that! Stop trying to make me forgive you like that. It doesn't come that easily, you have to work for it. I know how you feel, Frederick. I know you're sorry," Will snapped as he regained his balance and turned to face him. "It just doesn't matter right now."

Frederick flinched as if Will had physically struck him and he staggered back a step. "I just need to know this is still salvageable. I don't know what I'd do if I completely obliterated the first good thing to happen to me in a long time the same way I do everything else in my life."

The anger Will felt faded away as he saw how pale and sickly Frederick looked. He knew he couldn't entirely forgive him just yet, but he couldn't leave him in his current state. "It's salvageable, Frederick. I just need time and no more lies."

Frederick nodded eagerly. "No more lies."

"Now please go home," Will said softly.

Frederick picked up his jacket from the wooden boards just by the stairs and walked back to his car. He paused at the door, looking up at Will with something that looked a lot like hope before he opened the door and sat down inside. A minute later, he was gone and his emotions were considerably calmer, more focused as opposed to the haywire mess they once were. Will left his gear by the front door and collapsed into an armchair, wondering what an uncomplicated relationship might be like.

He didn't hear from Frederick from the rest of the day, no more calls or loud, intrusive emotions. He could almost feel Frederick withdrawing his feelings from Will as Will tried to distance his mind from them, two people pulling away from each other while holding an elastic band. He spent the time working on his lesson plans for the week, focusing on Monday's in particular, until it was time for him to sleep.


The next day passed uneventfully, like stepping back into an old, overused rhythm. He knew all the steps so well that it felt almost boring to him, though he was fairly certain going into it that boring is what he had craved. His lectures passed by like blurs, ones he barely remembered once they were done. When his work at the Academy ended, he couldn't properly account for all of it, but there was no time to dwell as he'd had an appointment with Hannibal Lecter to make.

He wasn't anticipating the session but he couldn't back out. His therapy with Dr. Lecter was part of his deal in working with the FBI, to keep him grounded. However, Hannibal didn't make him feel grounded. He didn't really know what he made him feel. Broken, possibly. Unstable. A puzzle that needed to be solved, clicked back into place so that it could be used the right way. He knew that Hannibal understood him psychologically and he understood him as an empath, but he didn't understand him as a human being. Still, there was a certain trust starting to build between them.

Hannibal seemed pleased to see him when he opened the door to his office to let him in despite the way they last parted. They both took their respective seats, attitudes civil toward one another, and they sat in silence for a long moment until Hannibal deemed it a proper time to speak.

"How was your weekend?" he said in a light, conversational tone.

Will frowned at him, but chose to answer truthfully. "Eventful, to say the least."

"What transpired, if you don't mind my asking."

"As it turns out, I was right to doubt Frederick as I said I did during our last session. He lied to everyone, to me, about something vital to do with the case…" Will leaned forward and dropped his head, feeling the weight of everything he'd been keeping inside. "We got into an argument. I said I didn't want to see or talk to him again for a while."

Will looked up as Hannibal made a surprised noise. His whole expression conveyed subtle surprise but it felt false to Will for some reason. "Do you think you'll ever want to see him again?"

"Well, I'll have to, we are soul mates. We'll never be free of each other. But you're asking if I'll forgive him," he said as he stared at the mark on his hand. "Maybe. A part of me wants to but a larger part is angry and feels betrayed."

"Those feelings are understandable, even the part of you that seeks forgiveness so easily," Hannibal said as he sat back and crossed his legs. "Soul bonds are curious and strong but it's not unheard of for bonded people to not end up together as supposedly fated."

"Frederick doesn't want that."

Hannibal frowned slightly. "What do you want, Will?"

"I don't know," Will said, rubbing his eyes. "What I do know is that I don't want to see him right now. But I also know that I like the way I feel when I'm with him."

Hannibal cocked his head to the side a little. "And how is that?"

Will shrugged. "Like we're the only two people that matter and like all we'd need is each other. When we're near each other and when we touch, it's unlike anything I've ever felt before. I think that's part of what keeps drawing me to him against my better sense."

"Then perhaps time away from him is indeed the best thing for you, for the sake of clarity," Hannibal said with an air of something Will couldn't quite place.

"I hope so, at least," Will said, feeling more uncertain than ever.

They eased back into their old pattern, all discomfort melting away as Hannibal coaxed words and emotions out of him in the way that only he could. They talked with the ease of friends, though Hannibal always maintained professionalism during their sessions. Still, Will felt a warmth from him that he didn't feel him give to most people.

He left the therapy session with a blanket of ease resting on top of his apprehension as if it were trying to hide it or pretend it didn't exist. The false comfort worked its magic as he drove home and prepared dinner, but as he sat down to eat, the blanket had slowly dissolved. He suddenly felt the emptiness of his home, the silence as the dogs were all lying down in the next room, the loneliness as the only person sitting at a small table. It was a new feeling as he'd always been content with his life and he realized that it was because he and Frederick had pulled so far away from each other that he couldn't really feel him in his head anymore.

Will looked down at his dinner, picking at it with his fork as his appetite left him. He sighed and set down his fork, pushing the plate away from him as the sight and smell of it made him nauseated. Although a part of him found the need nearly unbearable, he wanted to reach out through the bond. However, he kept himself from it, though he wasn't sure who it was meant to punish anymore.

After tossing the fork in his sink, he wrapped the plate in tinfoil, not wanting to waste the food, and stored it in the fridge. That night, he fell asleep to the silence and the emptiness caused by not feeling completely whole. He fell into a restless sleep, dreaming in pieces about their last date and the direction it could've gone had Jack not called. The next morning he woke up to loud but brief ringing noise feeling hot and frustrated, angry at Frederick for his actions and at himself for his weaknesses.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his phone from the night stand only to see that he'd received a text. He couldn't quite remember the last time he'd texted anyone and was surprised to discover that the early morning message was from Frederick.

Sorry to disturb you. I have something I thought might be important to discuss. Nothing to do with our relationship. I'm texting first just to make sure that it's okay to call.

Will frowned at the screen and felt inclined to deny him, but his curiosity got the better of him. He texted back simply saying: It's okay to call.

A few minutes later, as Will was dragging himself into the kitchen in order to feed the dogs, his cell phone rang. He answered it swiftly, having brought it along with him just in case.

"What did you want to talk about?" Will said tiredly.

"I attended a dinner at Dr. Lecter's home with Dr. Bloom last night," he began, the tone of his voice sounding just as distant as his emotions.

Will shrugged at no one, unable to keep himself from performing the act despite being alone. "And?"

"He said some curious things to me that I thought you might want to hear, him being your psychiatrist and all," Frederick said as if his own words were like a precious gift.

Will groaned internally as he padded barefoot over to the nearest chair and sat down. "Okay, Frederick. What did he say?"

"He knows what I did, Will. The unethical practices, the psychic driving. He knows and he told me, out of earshot of Dr. Bloom, that he would've done the same thing," Frederick said, his voice sounding more frantic the longer he spoke. "I realize that I did go through with the practice but I know that it's wrong and after the results it yielded, I have no intentions of attempting it again. Under different circumstances, I probably wouldn't have said a word about this, but this is a man who is in charge of your mental health and, as hypocritical as I may sound right now, I don't like it. There's something off about him that chills flesh and raises hairs and I don't like that he is in your head."

A frown spread across Will's face as Frederick spoke, the plausibility of his words sounding less than credible, but he couldn't sense a lie. Then again, he wasn't able to sense much from him with how much they'd drawn away from each other. "I just can't believe Dr. Lecter would say that," Will said, trying to wrap his head around it.

Will reached out through their bond and he felt Frederick reach back, displaying how he felt for Will to see. "I am being honest, Will. I promised and it is one promise I plan to keep."

He felt Frederick's steady heart and his determination to be believed. "Okay, well, even if he did say it, there must be a good reason. I mean, you used it, maybe it's okay to use in some situations."

"It's considered unethical for a reason, Gideon is a prime example as to why. I have certainly learned my lesson and if Hannibal knows the circumstances surrounding my usage, one would think he'd learn it too," Frederick said as his frustration flared up.

"How do you know that he knows all the circumstances? Maybe he was just trying to be reassuring about your mistake."

"The thought had crossed my mind, but he didn't say it in a reassuring way. It was more of an 'I know what you did but I won't say anything for now' kind of way," Frederick said, his voice raising.

"I understand that this is all the truth to you," Will said carefully, "but I just can't imagine Hannibal that way."

Frederick's frustration grew even larger before shrinking down to mild irritation. "You trust him, I get that. Just… take my words under consideration. Please."

"Okay, I will," Will said as he scratched at the back of his neck. "Thank you for being honest, Frederick."

"You're welcome. I guess I'll be going now. Have a good day," Frederick said, a feeling of sadness spreading through him.

"You too, Frederick."

He hung up the phone, unsure of what to think and feel. He knew Frederick called with the best of intentions, but Will felt like he was just misreading what Hannibal had said. Despite that, it felt good to have Frederick back in his head and in his good graces. He set the phone down and picked up where he left off in his morning routine by feeding the dogs before feeding himself. He showered, dressed, and then headed out for another day at work.


The day passed by him without an issue any larger than a paper mix-up. The day after, however, they discovered the severed arm of Miriam Lass, left by the Chesapeake Ripper. Will felt like it was more excitement than he wanted in one day, but he was grateful that it at least furthered the case. It confirmed Gideon was not the Ripper, though he did feel guilty that it would turn more heat on Frederick for initially making the claim. He tried to call him that afternoon, feeling that he was anxious to the point that it was affecting his own emotions, but he didn't pick up or return the call.

Will felt worried about the odd behavior, but figured he'd call back when he was feeling up to it. He called again the next morning, again hearing nothing, and considered dropping by the Baltimore State Hospital after his final lecture until Frederick showed up outside of his office around noon, holding a brown paper bag with grease stains on it. Will jumped to his feet and let him in, both surprised and pleased to see him.

"Frederick, where have you been?" Will said as Frederick walked by him into the office. The large paper bag smelled distinctly of Chinese food.

"I've been busy trying to cover my own ass," Frederick said, stress radiating off of him, though it eased as he looked up at Will after setting the bag down in an empty spot on Will's desk. "I appreciate that you've been calling, though."

"So you just show up unannounced after being silent for almost twenty-four hours?" Will said as he shut his office door and crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, I should've called. To be honest, I didn't even plan on coming down until the moment I left my office for lunch. I just needed to get out," he said, his voice cracking a little toward the end. He pulled a chair up toward Will's desk and collapsed into it. Will noticed the odd paleness of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes. "My phone has been ringing off the hook, reporters wanting to talk with me about the case. I don't want to go back there, Will."

Will scratched at his brow, feeling immense sympathy for Frederick even if he had made the bed he was lying in. "It's all right, Frederick. I appreciate the company and the lunch. You can stay as long as you like."

"Thank you," Frederick said genuinely as he looked up into Will's eyes. "Um, have what you'd like from the bag. I wasn't sure of your preferences so I ordered most of what was on the menu."

"You're not going to have anything?" Will said as he stepped forward and ripped opened the top of the stapled bag. The scent grew nearly overwhelming, but it made his stomach rumble.

"Perhaps later," Frederick said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm not especially hungry right now."

Will shrugged and picked through the cartons in the bag until he found a pair of chopsticks and vegetable lo mein. He plopped down into his desk chair and dug into the food, happy to have a lunch as he'd forgotten to bring one for the second day in a row. As he ate, he kept a careful eye on Frederick who had grown quiet and contemplative. He tried to feel out his emotions but he couldn't get past the wall of stress he was encased in.

He set down that food carton before hooking his foot around one of the legs of Frederick's chair. With some effort, he was able to turn Frederick around to face him, much to Frederick's surprise as it pulled him from his thoughts. Frederick stared at him with a soft curiosity as Will rolled closer to him in his chair. Will reached out and grabbed Frederick's hands, holding them gently, lacing their fingers together.

"What are you thinking about?" Will asked as he felt the electricity their direct contact caused.

Frederick's hold on Will's hands tightened as his stoic resolve crumbled a little. "About how the hell I'm going to make it through this. Either I make it out unscathed, by some miracle, or my career is over."

Will gave him a sad smile. "You'll make it though, Frederick. You're cunning and resourceful. As long as it never happens again."

"Never again," Frederick said. With his left hand, he grabbed Will's right one, holding it palm up before he brought it up to his lips, softly kissing the black mark at the center. "I've never been a particularly religious man, but you are a blessing if I've ever known one, Will Graham."

"Well, I don't like to brag," Will said with a smirk, but on the inside his whole body was vibrating with hot chills from the kiss. He could still feel Frederick's lips on his flesh even after he set their hands back down.

Frederick laughed, light and happy, and Will joined him. "In all seriousness, I would be a wreck without you. I'm glad I chose to drive here. You've reminded me that even if I do lose my job there's still something to live for."

"Frederick, there's always something to live for," Will said, squeezing Frederick's hands tightly.

Frederick looked at Will sadly, staring at him like he was either some kind of naïve optimist or a thing to be treasured. "Until you, my career was all I had and I buried myself in it, working hard only to be disrespected and laughed at. I may not be on Hannibal Lecter's level but I try, even if I do cut the occasional corner."

Will looked back at him, deep into his eyes, and he could feel the depression and self-loathing buried under a pile of uninhibited ambition. As he experienced Frederick's point of view, Frederick let go of Will's hands, reaching up and holding Will's face before pulling him into a kiss. It was soft and brief, not quite chaste but clearly testing the waters. He pulled back to gauge Will's reaction but Will didn't let him leave, grabbing the lapels of his suit to bring him in closer.

Frederick was pulled forward and transferred his weight from one chair to the other until he was sitting in Will's lap, his knees hugging Will's hips. They kissed again, deeper and hotter until Will could feel Frederick's lust buzzing and burning in his head. He wrapped his arms around Frederick's waist and ground his hips up, eliciting a gasp from Frederick. Will was lost in the moment until he felt the hardness through Frederick's trousers, reminding him of where he was and what he was doing.

He pulled away putting a few inches of distance between them before softly kissed Frederick's cheek. "Sorry about that, but it's probably a bad idea to do this here. Or at all for now," Will said sadly, holding the side of Frederick's face so that the tips of his fingers stroked through the hair at the nape of his neck.

Frederick smiled and nodded before climbing off his lap and returning to his own seat. "I understand."

Will grabbed Frederick's right hand and returned the gesture he'd bestowed upon him earlier by kissing the mark on his palm. "It's got nothing to do with you. It just feels like the emotions that run between us when we touch make me do things I wouldn't of my own volition."

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here," Frederick said with a reassuring smile. "Whether it's ten minutes from now or not at all. I'm with you."

Will sensed the sincerity in his words and felt overwhelmed with a strong emotion. Affection or adoration, or possibly love. He wasn't sure. "I hate that you make me like you when I'm supposed to be mad."

"Well, you can't stay mad forever. I would hope," Frederick said as he stroked his thumb along the veins on the back of Will's hand.

"I suppose you're right," Will replied before he checked the time using an expensive watch on Frederick's wrist. "I should be going. I've got another lecture soon."

He stood up and returned the chair to its position behind his desk before he stooped down to press a kiss to Frederick's forehead. "You don't mind if I stay here?" Frederick said as Will picked up his bag he kept his notes and papers in.

"Not at all. You shouldn't be bothered by any students or other faculty but if someone does stop by, just tell them I'll be back soon."

Frederick nodded and Will left the office, heading down to his next class. He hardly paid attention as he taught, words spilling out of his mouth as if he were merely playing a recording of himself. His thoughts were still in his office with Frederick, still kissing him and holding his hands. He hoped Frederick would still be there when he returned, but as he made his way back to his office after class ended, he found the lights off and the room empty.

He tried to smother his disappointment as he walked in and closed the door behind him. The chair Frederick had sat in had been put back where he'd taken it from, the upholstery still smelled strongly of his cologne, which made Will smile. As he sat down at his desk, he found a note next to the bag of Chinese food written in flowery, yet barely legible script.

Sorry I had to run. I received a call from the hospital with an urgent matter I had to attend to. Thank you for allowing me your office as a refuge and hopefully we'll see each other again soon. –Frederick. P.S. – You should keep that food in your office mini fridge in case you forget to bring lunch again.

"Mini fridge? I don't—" he looked around his office and saw a small, wood finished fridge tucked into a corner of the room. "I was gone barely more than an hour."

Will shook his head but smiled before he stood up and packed as much of the Chinese food he could into the fridge and threw the rest away. He then sat back down to grade papers, enjoying the scents that permeated the room, reminding him of Frederick. Toward the end of the day, as he was preparing to leave, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He checked it to find a text from Frederick.

I've realized that I have been to your home a total of four times and you've yet to see mine. If you'd like, perhaps you could come up to visit this Saturday?

Will considered the offer and decided he was curious enough to accept. I would like that. What time?

Any time after noon. Frederick responded quickly, leaving his address at the end of the text.

Will started wondering once more what his house might look like, but didn't spend too much time imagining. He packed up what he needed to bring home and left the Academy to make his second appointment with Hannibal for that week.


"Will, how have you been?" Hannibal said with a small smile as he opened his office door and let Will inside.

"I've been good," Will replied as he walked in and sat down, still riding a sort of high from his earlier time spent with Frederick. "And yourself? I heard from Frederick you invited him and Alana to dinner Monday night."

Hannibal froze for a moment after shutting the door to his office. He stared oddly at Will, a cold glint in his eye, before he unfroze and cleared his throat. "I didn't realize you and Frederick were speaking again, so soon after your argument," he said as he sat down in the opposite chair.

Will shrugged. "I haven't forgiven him exactly, not completely, but he certainly makes it hard for me to stay mad."

"A side effect of your soul bond, perhaps?" Hannibal suggested as he crossed his legs and clasped his hands together.

"Maybe? But I hope not. I'd like to think it's just how he is that makes me like him so much rather than some connection forced upon us."

"I think you should be open to the idea that it's just wishful thinking, that the bond might bring the two of you together against your will," Hannibal said, trying to sound casual, but Will could tell something about him seemed tense.

"Why do you think that?"

"To keep you from getting your hopes up about the sort of man Frederick is," Hannibal said plainly.

Will frowned, feeling his irritation rising at Hannibal's words. He crossed his legs and tightly gripped the arms of the chair. "I'll take your advice into consideration."

Hannibal's eyes looked from Will's face to his hands. "I apologize, Will. This is clearly a very personal matter you don't wish to discuss. I heard that the Abel Gideon case has been wrapped up. Surely, that is a relief?"

Will tried to make himself relax a little. "It is, but there's always another case around the corner."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't celebrate the victories. Life is always a sequence of connected events, some good, others bad, but we don't ignore the good just because we know there is likely something bad upon the horizon," Hannibal said, his voice soft and reassuring.

"I suppose that's true," Will said coldly.

"I'd like to make a formal request for you to join me for dinner this weekend. Saturday, perhaps?" Hannibal said.

Will raised an eyebrow at him. "I have plans."

"Sunday, then."

"Okay, sure," Will said, his brow furrowing slightly.

"The meal should be ready by eight, but feel free to arrive early," Hannibal said pleasantly, a smile on his face.

Will returned the smile out of politeness. "Can't wait."

It felt like a relief when he left Hannibal's office to go home. Throughout the session, it seemed like Hannibal was smothering him, dropping his opinions on him like a cascade of water. He started to feel like he didn't particularly care what Hannibal thought, especially when it came to his relationship with Frederick. He decided then that he would stop discussing the subject with him because he clearly needed to separate those parts of his life.