The next couple of days passed as they normally would've, both Frederick and Will with lighter moods than before. Will still kept his mark hidden at all times, but he didn't feel any animosity toward it anymore. It was a part of him and he accepted that. He even found himself stroking it with his thumb absently in times of boredom. Then one afternoon, not long before his second lecture of the day, he received a phone call from Frederick.
"Hello," Will said, oddly pleased to hear from him.
"Are you free for dinner tonight?" he said. He felt both confident and emboldened, Will could tell.
"Where and when?" Will said, checking the time as he walked to the lecture hall.
"It's a surprise. I'll pick you up at eight?"
Will smiled. "All right. Eight works. I'll see you then."
"See you then," Frederick replied, a smile in his tone as well.
Will tucked his phone away and proceeded to give a surprisingly upbeat lecture on profiling psychopathic behavior. He arrived home fairly late that night, bordering on seven, and started to get ready for dinner after letting out and feeding the dogs. He tried and failed to tame his unruly curls before dressing in the nicest pants and shirt he owned, which by the standards of people with a lot of money weren't that nice. He couldn't tell if he was trying too hard or not hard enough.
In the end, he threw on a blazer over his shirt and tried not to get it all too covered in dog fur as he waited for Frederick to arrive. He still didn't know that much about him, but he supposed that was the point of dates. He hadn't been on too many in his lifetime and most of those didn't end especially well. As time edged closer to eight, he started to feel nervous and he couldn't tell who the nerves belonged to.
A few minutes after eight, he was fidgeting with his clothes as he waited in one of his chairs with a book he wasn't actually reading. He started to worry until he felt a prickle in his mind that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. He looked to the door and stood up at the same time as the dogs before walking over to it and opening it. Frederick wasn't even out of the car yet as Will left the house to greet him, shutting and locking the door behind him.
"Frederick," Will said as he crossed his driveway to meet him at the car door. He wore a nice black suit with a red paisley tie. Will felt woefully out of place with him.
"Will," Frederick replied with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I intended to be here a little early but I hit some traffic."
"It's all right," Will said, flashing a brief smile. "So, where are we headed? I hope I'm not underdressed."
Frederick gave him a quick onceover and a flash of something, lust or arousal, heated Will's mind. It required considerable effort on Will's part not to blush. "It's still a surprise and you look great."
"Thanks. Uh, so do you," Will replied, feeling like he was an awkward teenager again.
Will dropped his eye contact, unsure of what to say or do next. He felt tempted to slip his glasses on, which he kept in his jacket pocket in case of emergency, but he didn't. Not yet anyway.
"Why don't we head out?" Frederick said, sensing the unease and trying to subvert it.
Will nodded and smiled, walking around and sliding into the passenger's seat. The seats were a pristine black leather, unmarked or scuffed. The floors were devoid of dirt, at least until Will set his feet down on the black mat, and the dark wooden dashboard looked perfectly polished. If his car looked so neat, Will could hardly imagine what his house looked like. He buckled himself in as Frederick did the same and soon they were on the road, silence hanging over them once again.
"This is a really nice car," Will said off-handedly as he glanced around the perfectly clean interior once more.
Frederick smiled. "She is. You know a lot about cars?"
Will shook his head. "I'm more of a boat person. I know the basics, oil changes and the like, but I'm not sure how I would fare with anything more serious."
"I'm the same way. I know enough to fix the minor problems and luckily I haven't had to take her to a mechanic in a long time," Frederick said, looking quite proud of himself.
Will felt surprised and Frederick could sense it as his expression turned quizzical. "You fix your own car?"
"I do. I would rather do things myself when I can," Frederick said.
Trust issues, Will thought. He knew them well.
"Why is that so surprising?" Frederick wondered, glancing over at Will for a moment.
"You seem like you have the money to be able to hire anyone to do anything for you," Will said bluntly.
Frederick nodded. "That is absolutely true and I used to think that way before I had all the money. It's better to save it when you can. Money, like any resource, can easily run out."
Will stared at him, his curiosity increasing. He could only compare him in his mind to Hannibal, who spent his wealth on extravagancies all the time. He was always buying artwork, expensive and rare foods, which made Will wonder why Frederick was so different. Will flushed and turned to look out of the windshield when he realized Frederick was returning his stare with confused glances.
"That isn't to say I don't spend money on luxuries. I'm self-aware, not stingy," Frederick said with a smirk. "Wait until you see my house."
Will tried to imagine it but he kept thinking of different variations on Hannibal's home and he felt sure it wouldn't look quite like that. He glanced over at Frederick again, wondering what other interpretations about him he had gotten wrong. He knew he hadn't gotten everything wrong. He could see that he was a self-serving man but also a lonely one, a fate designed by himself and the way he was raised, Will imagined.
"What is it?" Frederick asked, finally noticing Will surveying him again.
"Just wondering what I don't know about you," Will replied, daring to catch his eye for a second.
"Ah, yes. That thing you do," Frederick said with a smile. "I keep forgetting about that. Well, I imagine you know more about me than I of you in that case"
"That's what I thought too," Will said, turning his attention back to the road.
A few minutes later, Frederick pulled up in front of a fancy-looking restaurant, a place Will would likely drive by and never consider stopping there. He frowned at the polished and glassy building and then at Frederick who was unbuckling his seatbelt. Will followed suit, feeling uncomfortable about it but he didn't want to back out. He slipped out of the expensive car and fixed his blazer as he looked up at the restaurant as if it were a looming, intimidating presence.
"Are you okay?" Frederick asked as he shut his door and walked around to meet him.
"I cannot afford this place," Will managed to say as he gaped at the frosted glass doors.
Frederick grinned as he placed a hand on the small of Will's back. "Then it's a good thing I'm paying."
Frederick dropped his keys off with a young valet out front before they walked in together. Will tried to absorb the details of the wood paneled walls and the plush dark red carpet but it all felt overwhelming. The maître d' checked for their reservation and led them to a table for two by a window. The square wooden table was polished so well that Will could see his reflection and a small, shielded candle burned between them. They were left with menus for both food and wine and Will had no idea what to do with either as he felt so inundated.
He looked around to see women in beautiful dresses and men in their finest suits. Will looked down at his own clothes and felt like a neon sign in the darkness. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his glasses before slipping them on.
"Will," Frederick said, breaking Will out of his own mind. He looked up and met his hazel eyes. "It's okay. You look good. Honestly."
"And I thought I was the one with empathetic powers," Will said with an almost pained smile.
"Unfortunately you have to share now. But I hope you come to not mind sharing it with me," Frederick said, appearing almost vulnerable for half a second.
Will smiled and nodded. "I hope so too."
Frederick dropped his eyes to the menu and Will did the same, looking over the French meal names as though he were in a daze. When it came to food like that, he was used to Hannibal just setting a plate down in front of him. No choice necessary. He looked up to Frederick for help like a man drowning in the ocean. Frederick caught his eye and flashed a reassuring smile just as a bubbly-looking young waitress with dark hair approached their table.
"Are you gentlemen prepared to order?" she asked with a patient smile.
"We'll have the canard à l'orange with a bottle of your finest pinot noir, please," Frederick said politely as he gathered up his and Will's menus to hand her.
She accepted the menus with a slight bow. "Right away."
Will exhaled as soon as she was out of earshot and he realized he'd been holding his breath because of the stress he felt from the situation. He rubbed at his eyes under his glasses before leaning back in his chair. He felt the sympathy and concern that Frederick had for him before he saw it in his eyes.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Frederick said with a slight frown.
"No, I'm fine. It's just… unfamiliar territory," Will said.
"I probably should've worked up to this. I'm sorry, Will."
"Frederick, I swear it's fine. It's a really nice place, I was just momentarily overwhelmed. Maybe next time, though, I'll make something for you," Will said with a smile.
Frederick's eyes and emotions brightened. "There's already a next time?"
"You made a distinct first impression. And it's not because of the extravagant meal, though I'm sure it's delicious."
Frederick flushed a little at that; Will could feel it even though he couldn't really see it. The waitress returned with the bottle of wine, pouring it out into their glasses before leaving the bottle on the table. She disappeared again after to wait on a nearby table as Frederick took a sip of the wine.
"So, tell me about your work. There are so many different facets to it that it's hard to pin you down," Frederick said as he set down the glass.
Will nodded in agreement. "Well, I like to think I'm foremost a teacher but working as a special agent for the FBI has seemed to consume a lot of my time recently. Jack has even taken to interrupting my classes on occasion, which I understand but also find it a little irritating."
"I can see why. You're also a boat mechanic?"
Will laughed a little. "I wouldn't call that a job, more of a hobby. I fix other people's boats for some extra cash occasionally. It all just goes toward the bills or groceries."
"Do you have any free time for yourself with all that you do?" Frederick asked, leaning forward slightly in his chair.
Will shrugged. "I would just rather keep busy. What about you? Being the head of a hospital for the criminally insane must be time consuming."
"It has its drawbacks, the hours being one of them, but I find it to be an intellectually stimulating environment." He shrugged and broke out in a grin. "The pay's not half bad either."
Will felt tempted to ask about Abel Gideon and his murder of one of the hospital's nurses but he held his tongue. He knew it wasn't the time or the place even if it was his job to find out. Instead, they chatted on a little more about their work until the food arrived, which both looked and tasted delicious. He started to relax and enjoy himself and the wine was certainly a part of that. He felt a light buzz in his brain from the alcohol that he knew Frederick could feel too.
Not long after they finished eating, the check arrived. Frederick immediately snatched it up and Will felt curious about the price, though he was also sure it would make him feel ill. Frederick paid for the meal with a card but he left a fifty dollar tip on the table. Even though his senses were dulled, Will could still feel that Frederick felt a little nervous as they stood up to leave.
"You okay?" Will asked, trying to be reassuring as they exited the restaurant.
Frederick smiled and nodded. "I'm good. Did you have a good time?"
Frederick's anxiety spiked and Will understood. He was still worried about the impression he was making, worried that Will would reject him again, like all the others. "I had a great time," he said as genuinely as possible.
He felt Frederick relax a little and smiled. They walked back to the valet, who quickly retrieved Frederick's car, and buckled themselves in before Frederick set out on the road once more. A more companionable silence filled the car on their way back, a comfortable one, allowing either to speak when they thought of something to say.
"I hope this isn't a touchy subject but why so many dogs?" Frederick said, glancing over at him.
Will laughed, a warm sound that filled the space and caused Frederick to smile. "I just have a habit of collecting strays, I guess. I take home dogs I see abandoned on the roads."
"That's kind of… endearing," Frederick replied. "I never had a pet before."
"I had one dog as a child. I just find them easier to be around than people. They're simpler," Will said, looking out of the passenger's side window. "But if you're interested in a part-time pet, my dogs seem to have taken a shine to you."
"I don't know if I can cope with all of the dog hair but I'll keep it in mind," Frederick said with a smile.
When they reached Will's home, Frederick parked the car and stepped out to walk Will to his door. He hesitated on the porch as Will unlocked his front door and let the dogs outside. They swarmed around Frederick again and he reached down and pet one with the demeanor of a man trying to pet a poisonous snake. Will hid his smile behind a hand as Frederick went around petting each one in turn as if the offering might appease them. Will shooed them off after a minute, leaving the two of them on their own.
"I had a good time, Frederick. Better than I thought I would," Will said.
"I did too. Hopefully we can do this again sometime soon," Frederick replied, his nerves rising again.
Will could feel a heat flaring in his brain, a feeling of desire and hesitance radiating from Frederick. He noticed Frederick's hands fidgeting with his jacket. "Yes, definitely soon. I'll call you."
"Great," Frederick said, looking from Will to his car, unsure of what to do.
Will couldn't help but want to put him out of his awkward misery as he stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on the side of Frederick's face and pulling him into a short, soft kiss. The contact caused his head to swim, a rush of both of their emotions, their minds, blending together. Frederick didn't have time to figure out what to do with his hands before Will pulled away, leaving him surprised and breathless.
"I'll talk to you soon, Frederick," Will said with a smile as he stepped inside his house.
"Yeah, soon," Frederick whispered back, standing on the porch as though stupefied for a long moment before he turned and left.
Will watched him leave from the window and settled down in a chair after he was gone. A fast flutter settled in his chest that belonged to Frederick, a dazed infatuation. He thought about how much he didn't know about him, how much he wanted to know, how much he was afraid to know. Frederick Chilton had some hand in the Abel Gideon case and he knew it wasn't pleasant, yet he couldn't stop himself from liking him at least a little. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, deciding he would deal with that issue when it arose.
Frederick thought about their kiss a lot over the next couple of days and Will knew full well each time as he was overwhelmed with a heat that consumed his body. It was what he imagined a hot flash might be like except there was some enjoyment along with his own personal discomfort. He was blessed with good luck on the timing as well as he hadn't yet been interrupted during any of his lectures or his conversations with colleagues.
He felt flattered by it but also a little guilty as he didn't quite feel the same yet. He found that developing sexual attraction required time with him. Time and trust. However, Will did feel eager to go on a second date. He planned to call him that weekend and set up a dinner date at his home and he even had a recipe he found on the internet picked out for fresh salmon. The thought of their future date is what was on his mind as he walked through the halls of the FBI Academy to reach his office when his phone rang.
He checked the screen to see Jack's number before accepting the call. "Hello?"
"I'd like you and Dr. Bloom to stop by the Baltimore hospital and interview Abel Gideon to see if either of you can examine the plausibility of Dr. Chilton's claim," he said, getting right to the point as usual.
"Um, sure. When?"
"Today if you have the time."
Will checked his watch, seeing that he had his final lecture in less than two hours. "I don't know. I might be able to work it in. I'll call Alana and figure out a time."
"Let me know what you find out," Jack said before hanging up the phone.
Will sighed and kept the phone in his hand until he was in his office with the door closed. As soon as he sat down at his desk, he dialed Alana's number and waited for her to pick up.
"Hello," she said with a smile in her tone. "Calling about Jack's task for us?"
"I am indeed. Are you free at all today or tomorrow?" Will replied, messing with a pen on his desk with his free hand.
"I'm free now if you are."
Will wanted to sigh but he kept it in. He was always compromising his own hours for the sake of these cases but at least he was saving lives. "I'm free. I'll leave in a minute and meet you there?"
"Sounds good to me. See you then," she said cheerily.
"See you."
He hung up his phone and sent out an email to his students saying that their class would be cancelled. Then he left, locking his office and walking out to his vehicle. Once he was in the driver's seat with the engine running, he called Frederick in order to warn him about the impending visit.
"Will?" Frederick said as he answered his phone.
"Dr. Bloom and I are coming up in order to interview Gideon," Will said as he pulled out of his parking spot, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear.
"Yes, Jack Crawford called me about that earlier," he said, not sounding or feeling entirely pleased about it.
"I'm sorry but you know we have to investigate this," Will replied. "I don't particularly enjoy it myself."
"I know, I understand," Frederick said with a sigh.
"But I'm calling about our… relationship. Alana doesn't know and I'd prefer it if it stayed that way for now."
Will flinched as he felt Frederick was a little hurt by the comment. "Yes, okay. I can do that. See you when you get here."
Frederick hung up and Will let the phone drop into his lap. Frustration and guilt flared up and quickly died down. He couldn't deal with that as he was driving or when he was with Alana so he stored it away for another time. He focused on the road in front of him and didn't think about anything other than that until he met up with Alana at the hospital.
She was waiting for him at the steps and she smiled when he stepped out to meet her. At the last minute, he remembered to keep the palm of his right hand out of sight and kept his fingers curled and his hand close to his thigh.
"It's good to see you," Alana said as they walked up the stairs and entered the building.
"You too. It would be better under happier circumstances but I'll take what I can get," Will said with a smile.
Will pulled his glasses from his pocket as they climbed the stairs and slipped them on more out of pretense than need. It would seem odd to Alana if he weren't wearing them in front of Frederick. He tried to get himself to relax as Alana spoke with Frederick's secretary, a young man with short blonde hair and a slightly shabby brown suit. He checked in with Frederick before letting them into his office.
"Dr. Bloom, Mr. Graham. Welcome. Please, have a seat," Frederick said, putting on a bright smile as he motioned toward the two chairs in front of his desk, though he kept the palm of his right hand out of sight. Alana complied but Will chose to keep his distance.
"Thank you, Dr. Chilton," Alana said as she sat down. All Will offered was a solemn nod.
Will felt a brief sting of hurt again, though it was quickly extinguished. He wanted to apologize more than anything but he couldn't with Alana there. Instead, he hovered by the window as she did most of the talking.
"So, you wish to speak with Dr. Gideon. Will you be conducting a joint interview?" Frederick asked as he sat down at his desk.
"Separate. I'll compare and contrast," Alana said, glancing up at Will.
"Dr. Bloom, you've had dealings with Gideon in the past. He's had a lot to say about the time he spent with you," Frederick said, keeping his expression pleasant while sounding decidedly less so.
Will shot Frederick a warning look over Alana's shoulder but he pretended to not see it.
"I spoke with him twice, but I mostly saw him in court. I wrote an article about him in the Journal of Criminal Psychology," Alana replied politely.
Frederick smiled wider and stood up from his chair, walking over to the shelves behind his desk. "Yes, I have your notes on him," he said as he plucked a file from the shelves and returned to his chair. He glanced through the file as he spoke. "They've been more or less helpful as I conducted my own interviews with Dr. Gideon over the years."
Alana smiled. "Well, I'm glad I was helpful."
"More or less," Will said, staring icily at Frederick as he moved to stand beside her.
Alana shot him a brief look as Frederick set the open file down on the desk with his right hand. Frederick realized his mistake a little too late, curling his hand into a fist as Alana's eyes widened slightly.
"What's that?" she said, pointing at his hand.
Will could feel Frederick's panic as he floundered for words. "Uh, it's just… ink. On my hand. Fountain pen must've leaked, I'll clean that up in a minute," he said as he looked down at his hand, shielding the mark from Alana's view.
Alana narrowed her eyes at him but let the matter slide. "I guess I'll go first," she said as she gathered up her things and left the room.
Once she was well away from Frederick's office, they both relaxed, at least for a moment. When they looked at each other a frigid silence settled around them.
"What was that all about?" Will chastised.
Frederick shrugged as he flipped his file on Gideon closed. "What was what?"
"Being such an ass to Alana. What did she do to you?" Will didn't pause to allow him to answer the question. "I know you have self-esteem issues but that is no excuse to take it out on someone else."
Frederick's mouth turned into a hard, thin line as Will felt his anger and embarrassment. He knew then that he'd touched a raw nerve and felt instantly sorry. Will opened his mouth to apologize but Frederick held up a hand to stop him.
"I don't need to hear it," Frederick said tiredly. "I know."
Will collapsed in a chair, removed his glasses, and set them down on the desk before rubbing his eyes. "It was wrong of me to bring that up when it wasn't something you ever openly told me but the point still stands."
Frederick scowled and sat back in his chair. "It's just how I am. I was telling the truth. Her notes did more or less help."
Will shook his head. "You have no filter or self-restraint, do you? Even if that's true, you don't say it. It's insulting, demeaning, and rude and I won't put up with you if that's how you're just going to be," Will snapped.
Frederick flinched at his words, feeling ashamed, and looked down at the palm of his hand as he absently stroked the mark with his thumb. "I'm sorry, Will."
Will reached out to him through their bond and could feel that his words were genuine. Satisfied, Will sat back in his chair and relaxed a little. "I'm sorry too, for hurting you when I said I wanted to keep our relationship secret. I'm just not prepared for anyone to know yet."
"I understand. I won't tell a soul until you want me to," Frederick said as he laid out his left hand on his desk, palm up.
Will stared at it for a long moment before laying his marked hand over it. The position of their clasped hands was awkward but still comforting.
"You're right about my self-esteem," Frederick said, his voice barely more than a whisper as he traced the lines of Will's palm with his index finger.
"I'm sorry. Sometimes I see things I'm not looking for and I can't turn it off around people. The best I can do is avoid eye contact as much as possible," Will said softly.
"You have an extraordinary mind, Mr. Graham, as intrusive as it may be," Frederick said with a small smile.
"There are times where I wish I didn't," Will said with a sigh.
"But then we never would have met," Frederick teased.
Will laughed. "I guess that's true, but you never know."
They enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer until Alana returned and they pulled their hands apart. Will grabbed his glasses and pushed them back on, leaving the top rim in front of his eyes to make it look like he was trying not to see Frederick. Alana glanced between the two of them with an odd expression before tapping Will on the shoulder. He stood up to meet her and they moved a little away from Frederick's desk.
"Hopefully things weren't too hostile while I was gone," she said in his ear.
"Could've been worse. At least he didn't ask to study me again," Will said, sounding exasperated.
Alana looked horrified and surprised. "He did that?"
"Why do you think I was asking about him?" Will said, giving her a look that said he'd be happy if he never saw him again.
Alana turned and shot Frederick a judging look before she returned to Will. "Well, it's your turn anyway and we can get out of here."
Will nodded. "See you soon."
He moved around her and left the room without another look at either of them. He tried to put all of it out of his mind as he walked down into the holding area and approached Abel Gideon's cell. He didn't go into the interview expecting much and walked away from it with the knowledge that Gideon wasn't the Chesapeake Ripper but that he completely believed he was. The development certainly complicated things because it would be hard to prove his innocence of those crimes when he was so firm in his belief he did them. Unless, he thought, the actual Ripper would feel insulted having his artistry pinned to another murderer. If that were the case, there would be another murder soon and because of that, he hoped he was wrong.
He left with Alana once he was finished without having the opportunity to say anything more to Frederick. They compared a few notes on the way back to their cars and discovered that they'd come to the same conclusion. They said their goodbyes at the end of the front steps and headed home. All Will could think about during the long drive is how much he didn't anticipate telling Jack the news.