Will woke up on Saturday feeling both excited and oddly nervous. He highly anticipated seeing Frederick's home, seeing how he lived when he wasn't in his office. The nervousness, he wasn't sure why he felt it but it was there. He considered it might've been Frederick, but after reaching out, he could tell that Frederick was surprisingly content. To distract himself from his own emotions, he started the day by putting on pants and going for a walk in the warm sun with his dogs.
Afterwards, he ate, showered, then sat around for a while, trying to distract himself with books and work that he had a hard time focusing on. He felt jittery and impatient, watching the clock on the wall as time passed at a painfully slow pace. Eventually, he started to feel waves of calm in his mind, forcing him to take a deep breath and mellow out.
He decided to spend the last hour before leaving doing some much needed cleaning. He swept the floors, dusted a little, trying to pass the time in a quicker fashion. When the clock turned eleven, Will threw on his jacket and left. He knew exactly where Frederick's house was in relation to the State Hospital, and was able to reach the address in a little over an hour. Will was surprised at the appearance of Frederick's home.
He parked in front of the garage door and stepped out, admiring the building that seemed to be seventy percent windows, allowing bright sunlight to stream in. Will found it strange but he did live in a more secluded area of Baltimore. He also found it endearing. He didn't really expect Frederick to be such a sunny person.
He walked up to the door and was about to ring the doorbell when it opened, Frederick standing in the doorway, dressed more casually than he'd ever seen him. He wore a pair of worn down jeans and an untucked white shirt, not completely buttoned to the top so that Will could see the white shirt underneath as well as some chest hair. He found himself feeling unexpectedly attracted to him, an electric buzz raising bumps on his flesh when he looked at him.
He smiled and stepped aside. "Will, it's wonderful to see you."
"Is this what you usually look like on your days off, because if that's the case, I should be around more often," Will said with a grin as he blatantly looked Frederick over.
Frederick flushed a bright red as he shut the door behind Will. "Uh, well, thank you. I, um, not always. I don't always dress this way. I just, for you. A more comfortable environment," Frederick said, completely flustered.
Will chuckled at his sudden ruffled demeanor. "It looks really good on you. And your home is beautiful," he said as he looked around, noticing how clean and well-kept everything looked. He also noticed that it seemed kind of empty, devoid of warm life. "If not a little sparse."
Frederick walked up and stood at Will's side as they both looked through the open arch out of the foyer. "Yeah, I keep a good amount of my treasured belongings in my office. I spend most of my time there anyway."
"How often are you here?" Will asked out of curiosity.
"On weekdays, I come here to sleep. On weekends, well, sometimes I go into work anyway," Frederick said as he turned to Will with a small sad smile. "I like this place, it's why I bought it, it's just so large for one person. It feels lonely after a while."
Frederick walked into the kitchen area and Will followed, leading him into a large, well-furnished living area. The floors were wood, the walls a light blue, and the couch and chairs were a matching beige set. A large flat screen hung on the far wall in between several bookcases on each side. It felt quaint and homey in its own way, though a cold sterility hung over it like with the rest of the house. The place also smelled as clean as it looked as though a team had just been through with lemon-scented products. Frederick sat down on one end of the couch and Will occupied the other end.
"Never thought about getting a pet?" Will said as he looked around the room.
"I don't have the time to look after one. But, if I did, I've thought about adopting a cat, perhaps," Frederick said, watching Will as Will absorbed his surroundings.
Will turned to Frederick, looking surprised before he smiled. "A cat person, huh?"
"Not that there's anything wrong with dogs, but cats are a little less effort. More independent."
Will nodded, understanding his line of thinking. "So, what's the plan for today, Frederick?"
"Plan? I just thought we'd enjoy each other's company. Maybe get to know each other better," Frederick said, looking at Will as he felt a great deal of affection for him.
"And how do you propose we go about that?" Will asked, unable to keep himself from smiling.
"Well, I'd thought we'd just ask each other questions and if all goes well, there might be a little something planned for the end of the day," Frederick said as he put his feet up on the couch, his legs stopping just short of Will's sitting space.
Will slipped off his shoes and joined him, fitting his legs so that one was between Frederick's and the other on the edge of the couch. "Okay, you've peaked my interest. But you go first."
Frederick grinned. "Okay. What's your favorite color?"
Will burst out laughing, holding his stomach as he shook the couch. "You really have the hard hitting questions, huh?"
Frederick couldn't help but laugh along with him. "We'll work up to the big stuff. Besides, I'm curious."
Will had to wait for his laughter to subside before he answered. "Um, it's blue, I think."
"Imagine that, so is mine. Your turn."
Will thought about it, realizing he had no idea what he wanted to know about Frederick. "What… did you want to be when you grew up?"
Frederick laughed a little but the laugh turned into a sigh. "I don't know. A doctor, I think. I always wanted to be a doctor. It started out as wanting to help people until I figured out how much they make, which was an equal motivator," he looked off to the side at the bookcases, a small drop of sadness forming in Frederick's side of the bond before he shrugged it away. "But it didn't pan out, so I became a different kind of doctor."
"Still making quite a bit of money," Will said with a smile.
"Very true. The money was a good consolation. Okay, next question. You used to be a cop, what made you choose that career path?"
"I guess partly the same reason as you, to help people. Definitely wasn't for the money." Will scratched at his head as he thought about it. "I was able to use my thing to help solve cases. But that didn't really last. I enjoy what I do now more, though."
"That's good, it's good to like what you do," Frederick said with a far away glance. "Would you like anything? I haven't offered yet. There's food, I'm sure, and I have a cellar full of wine."
"I'll have some wine," Will said with a smirk. "Seems like we're playing an appropriate game for it even though it's only about one in the afternoon."
"Well, as the saying goes, it's five o'clock somewhere," Frederick said as he stood up from the couch, leaving Will feeling a little colder.
He listened to Frederick's footsteps walk into the kitchen before heading down some steps. He seemed to be gone for a good few minutes before he finally returned from the cellar. Will shut his eyes, listening to the clink of glasses as well as the opening and closing of that large, glass-plated fridge Will had noticed on his way in. He opened his eyes again as Frederick reentered the room holding two wine glasses half-filled with dark red liquid in one hand and a plate of small half sandwiches in the other.
"It's probably best to not drink on an empty stomach," he said as he set the plate down before handing Will his glass.
He took a sip, enjoying the taste but not really able to discern anything special about it. He decided to keep that to himself lest he insult Frederick's choice. "Did you make those?"
Frederick laughed. "No, I, uh, took them from a psychiatric function I attended yesterday. I did it mostly out of spite but I figured it would give me something to eat when I was home."
Frederick moved to reclaim his spot at the other end of the couch but Will held out his hand to Frederick, who stared at it for a moment before grasping it. Will guided him to sit down toward the middle of the couch and then carefully moved him so that he was wedged between Will's legs, his head on Will's chest. Will wrapped an arm around his shoulders before kissing him on top of his head.
"I like this much better," Frederick said in a way that Will could tell he had a grin on his face even if he couldn't see it.
"Yeah, me too."
They nestled together like two halves of a whole, enjoying the warmth for a long moment. "It's your turn, Will," Frederick said after taking a sip of wine.
"No, I asked you about the sandwiches. That was my turn," Will said with a light laugh.
Frederick's laugh mixed with his. "If that's the case, then asking if you wanted anything was mine."
"Nope, doesn't count because it wasn't your turn."
Frederick sighed heavily in mock irritation. "Fine. I do have one question I've been meaning to ask since Thursday."
"What's that?"
"Have you forgiven me completely?"
Will frowned and rested his cheek on top of Frederick's head, his hair soft against his skin. "I don't know. Mostly, I think. It's all in the past and I believe you'll keep your promise. I just… I feel hesitant to entirely forgive you and I can't quite explain it."
Frederick reached up and held the arm Will had around his shoulders with his free hand. "It's okay, I understand. Just curious," he said, sounding perfectly fine, but Will could sense he felt sad and disappointed.
Will tightened his grip around Frederick, holding him closer until he could feel their hearts beat together. They beat perfectly in sync, he noticed, a fact that somehow calmed him. "I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted to hear."
"It's not, but that doesn't mean I understand any less," Frederick said before sipping his wine. "Oh, I have one more question, if you don't mind. You can have two in a row next."
Will kissed Frederick on his left temple. "Go ahead."
"You had a session with Dr. Lecter on Thursday, right? You didn't tell him what I said about him, did you?" Frederick asked, worry creeping into his emotions and tone.
Will felt an odd itch in his brain as he tried to remember, but he couldn't figure out what he was talking about. "I don't recall you saying anything about him. To be honest, I don't remember much about that session." Will frowned, feeling frustrated as he tried to remember but was met with nothing but darkness.
"You know, from dinner on Monday. The psychic driving?" Frederick said as if he thought Will might be joking with him.
"You had dinner with him?" Will said incredulously.
"Will, I texted you to ask if I could call," Frederick said with a nervous laugh. "Are you sure you're okay? Perhaps you're under too much stress."
Rather than respond, Will shifted a little so he could reach into his pocket and grab his phone. He checked his correspondence with Frederick and found the text in question. "I really don't remember this. Maybe I am stressed. I'm sorry, Frederick."
"It's okay. It's not important. I was probably just reading too much into things," Frederick said in an odd tone. Will could feel that he was concerned and curious but he quickly filed those two emotions away before Will could figure out why. "Anyway, it's your turn."
They talked through three more hours and four more glasses of wine each, learning as much as they wanted about each other. Will learned that Frederick's home life and childhood were less than pleasant. He'd been born into money but other than the food he ate and the clothes on his back, he never got to see any of it. He had a nanny who was more of a mother than the woman who gave birth to him and after she left, he was eager to be away from his family and on his own. Frederick didn't want to talk about his past more than that so Will offered up stories about his own childhood, how he and his father always moved from place to place until they eventually settled in Louisiana when he was fifteen.
Puzzle pieces of Frederick's character clicked together in his mind and he was sure that the same was happening for Frederick about him. He could easily see why he turned out like he did, so self-serving, eager for positive recognition, loving and hating himself in equal parts. He held Frederick tight when he spoke about topics that were difficult, that brought down storm clouds in his emotions, just to let him know that he was there and he cared. He kissed him when he needed it and sat in silence when he needed that too. By the end of it, when they stood from the couch and set down their empty wine glasses, Will knew that he loved Frederick, but he wasn't about to tell him. He wasn't ready for that.
"I think the afternoon has gone pretty well. What's the something you may have planned?" Will said with a smile as he grabbed Frederick by the waist.
"Patience, Mr. Graham," Frederick said with a scolding expression before he leaned in and kissed him.
Will felt his head swim, his thoughts grow muddled, and when Frederick pulled away, he left him wanting more. Frederick held Will's hand, intertwining their fingers before leading him out of the living room. Will let himself be led out into the kitchen, down a hall, and into a large room with a queen-sized, soft-looking bed with a dark blue comforter and a wooden bed frame. His heart sped up at the sight of it, wondering about Frederick's intentions, but he was led past it to a closet door on the other side of the room.
"Wait here," Frederick said, turning to him before slipping into the walk-in closet. Will's curiosity spiked as Frederick disappeared for a minute and when he returned, he only stuck his head out to speak to him. "Now, before I show it to you, I know nothing about any of this, but I was told this was a very good model. I didn't want anything overly fancy, I get the feeling you wouldn't like that, but if you don't like what I got I can always return it."
Will stared at him strangely until he walked all the way out of a closet with a fishing rod in hand, a sleek, black one with a light-colored, strong wooden handle. He gaped at it, words lost from him as he reached out to hold it. Frederick eagerly relinquished it, watching his expression the whole time. Will's emotions were mixed: awed, grateful, guilty because he could never afford anything extravagant in return.
"Thank you," he finally managed to say.
"So, it's good then?" Frederick said hesitantly.
Will carefully set it aside, leaning it against a dark wooden bookcase, before he pulled Frederick into a kiss, using his lips and tongue to show his gratitude. He shoved him into the closet door, pushing it closed, wrapping one arm around Frederick's waist and resting the other hand on his cheek.
"Very good… apparently," Frederick said breathlessly between kisses.
"It's perfect," Will said, slowing down the kisses until he broke away from him. "You didn't have to."
Frederick held Will's face when Will dropped his hand to rest with the other at Frederick's waist, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs. "I know I didn't, but I wanted to. After I saw yours when I drove up unannounced, I thought it would be a good gift. Yours looked a little worn and you don't seem like the type to buy things for yourself. Initially, it was an apology gift, but there wasn't a good time to give it when I bought it so I've been holding onto it…"
"I can't repay you," Will said a little bitterly, looking down toward his feet, but Frederick forced him to look into his eyes.
"For one, I don't want you to. I bought it as a gift and I don't need anything in return," Frederick said with a smile. "But, if you insist, I did purchase one for myself and am looking for an instructor. Preferably an attractive one with dark, curly hair and is tied to me through an unexpected soul bond for all time. If you happen to know anyone like that."
Will grinned and kissed him deeply enough to steal the words from his mouth. "I'll be on the lookout."
Will unbuttoned Frederick's white shirt with surprising ease and pulled it free of him, leaving it on the floor. He did the same with his own, plaid shirt, all the while kissing Frederick as if he couldn't stop touching him in some way even for a brief moment. When that lay on the floor in a heap, he grabbed Frederick's arms and led him to the side of the bed before pushing him down onto it. He knew following through with such actions was probably a bad idea, but he couldn't help himself. The electricity and heat between them was palpable and he knew that it was his choice and not the influence of some bond.
Frederick pushed himself further back on the bed so that his whole body was on it and he propped himself up on his elbows, staring hungrily at Will who still stood at the end of the bed. Will stared back with the same intensity, feeling Frederick's lust and giving off his own. He tore the under shirt from his body and tossed it over his shoulder before he climbed onto the bed and on top of Frederick.
He straddled Frederick's hips with his thighs before he grabbed the hem of the white cotton fabric still covering Frederick's torso and pulled it off. Will could feel Frederick's hard cock underneath of him and he grinded down onto it, eliciting a moan from Frederick that sent chills through his whole body. Frederick grabbed onto Will's arms for some kind of support and Will pulled them from his grip before pinning Frederick's arms to the bed.
Will couldn't even properly think as he undid Frederick's jeans and pulled them and his boxers down his legs. He couldn't form complete, coherent sentences, couldn't conceptualize ideas, he only felt the extreme heat and the dull buzz that they created together. He felt the kisses Frederick placed along Will's stomach as if his lips were touching raw nerves, stealing his breath away.
Once clothing was no longer an issue between them, the world became a blur and only the two of them existed. They moved together nearly as one, their minds even feeling as though they were fused together at points, each experiencing what the other felt along with their own sensations to the point where it was nearly overpowering. There was the sweat on their skin, the warm, gasping breaths, all culminating to a peak of white hot pleasure that erased every thought Will ever had or would have for the near future. They laid together in Frederick's bed, Frederick wrapped in Will's arms with his head on his chest, both rising and falling as Will tried to return to a normal breathing pattern.
"That was… intense," Frederick said, taking a pause as he tried to find the right word for it.
Will trailed his fingertips along the arm Frederick had slung over his chest from shoulder to elbow. "Feels like an understatement," he said softly into Frederick's hair.
Frederick laughed. "Yeah, perhaps a bit. I should get up and start dinner before I fall asleep here."
"Do you mind if I use your shower?" Will said as Frederick detached himself and climbed out of bed, pulling on his underwear and jeans.
"Not at all. It's just through that door," Frederick said, pointing to a door on the wall adjacent from the bed. "There are clean towels in the bathroom closet."
Will moved across the bed and pulled Frederick into a departing kiss. "Thank you."
"Thank you," Frederick said with a grin.
He radiated happiness, relaxation, and contentment. Once he left the room, Will stepped out from under the covers and crossed the floor to the bathroom. The room was much larger than he expected, cold white tiles under his feet, a glass encased shower in one corner, a large Jacuzzi tub in the other. He glanced around, finding the closet door to the right of the white, porcelain sink inlaid into a white painted counter. He opened the door to find that even the towels were all white, making the room seem even more blindingly bright than it had before.
Will grabbed one and set it on the counter before he stepped into the shower and turned on the water to his liking. He stood under the nearly scalding water and felt a sense of relief and reprieve, able to form complete thoughts again since he put some distance between himself and Frederick. A small, fearful part of him thought he might feel regret once his wits returned but he didn't which was the best feeling he could've taken away from that.
Once he finished showering and dressed, he walked out into the kitchen to find Frederick making an elaborate breakfast for dinner. He walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, softly kissing Frederick's neck as he juggled cooking fried eggs, bacon, and seasoned potatoes on the stove.
"Need any help?" Will said.
"You could grab a couple of plates from the cupboards if you want," Frederick said with a smile, pausing to point out which one.
Will felt reluctant to let go, but he did, grabbing the plates and taking them into the connecting dining room. He set the plates down at two seats and returned to grab the silverware as Frederick finished cooking. They sat and ate and talked about nothing important, just enjoying the others company. Will chose to spend the night, deciding of his own free will, and they spent it sleeping, huddled close to each other as if separation would mean death.
They whiled away the next morning in relaxation, lying in bed together. Frederick sat on his laptop, doing some paperwork and sending out important emails as Will rested next to him, watching the screen without really paying attention. He was more interested in Frederick's heartbeat, in the feeling that flowed through him that told Will he'd never been happier to be at home.
While he hoped to spend most of the day there with Frederick, Will inevitably received a phone call from Jack calling him away to a crime scene at a Baltimore theater. He had to force himself out of bed so he could dress and get ready to leave.
"Believe me, I'd have stayed longer if I could've," Will said a little sadly as he pulled his jeans on.
"I guess I can forgive you this once," Frederick said in mock exasperation as he gathered up his own clothes. Will reached down to pick up his plaid shirt, but Frederick got to it first and slipped it on over his white undershirt. Will raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. "Think of it as penance for leaving early."
Will laughed, grabbing Frederick's white shirt and pulling it on, his scent infused in the fibers to make Will feel like he wasn't too far away. They said their goodbyes at the door, stopping for a few goodbye kisses, and then he left for the crime scene.
Will left the theater late in the day feeling uncomfortable and unsettled. The scent clinging to Frederick's shirt was like an anchor, a way to ground him, but as he attempted to empathize with the crime scene, it didn't help much. He was still seeing Garrett Jacob Hobbs. The man was haunting him worse than any normal trauma reasonably would. It was moments like that which reminded him he wasn't as mentally stable as he tried to be.
Because of that, he was happy to be free of the theater, the body left of display, and Garrett, though driving right to the home of Hannibal Lecter wasn't exactly his idea of relaxation. He briefly considered driving back to Frederick's, but he felt some of the guilt that just blowing Hannibal off would make him feel, so he put that idea out of his mind and drove up to the large, expensive home that Hannibal resided in.
Hannibal met him at the door as he approached. Either he had great hearing or he'd been waiting for him. Will preferred to believe the former because the latter set him on edge. Still, he put on a smile as a part of him desperately hoped he wouldn't be there for very long.
"It's good to see you, Will," Hannibal said pleasantly, holding the front door open for him. "Please, come in."
"It's good to see you too," Will said, moving past him into the well-kept and decorated home.
"You have excellent timing, dinner is just about done if you wouldn't mind helping me by setting the table," Hannibal said, shutting the door behind him before moving around Will to return to the kitchen. He paused briefly at Will's side and Will could've sworn Hannibal had stopped to smell him.
"Of course. That's no problem," Will said, trying to ignore the strange action.
"I appreciate it," Hannibal said, flashing a brief smile.
Will was happy to keep his mind occupied as he carried plates and silverware into the dining room and set everything up just as Hannibal instructed. Afterward, he sat down in one of the seats and waited until Hannibal entered the room, balancing plates and bowls that he set out on the table between the two of them.
"A South Indian curry made from sheep, of course, in a coconut-coriander- chili sauce." Hannibal said.
"Looks delicious," Will said as he looked it over while Hannibal set a nearly full bowl down in front of him.
"I can only hope it tastes as good as it looks," he said with obvious false modesty.
Will smiled, biting his tongue to keep himself from making a remark.
"So, I heard about the murder at the theater, a man made into a musical instrument," Hannibal said as he finally sat down to eat.
"Yes, it was… horrifying to say the least. I feel like it got to me a little more than I wanted it to," Will admitted, though he wasn't sure why.
"What makes you feel that way?" Hannibal said, never turning off his psychiatry, even for dinner.
Will sighed. "I saw Garrett Jacob Hobbs again."
Hannibal frowned slightly, the perfect picture of concern. "And what was he doing when you saw him?"
"Sitting in the front row of the theater, watching my performance," Will said bitterly. He shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing. Just residual trauma."
Hannibal didn't look so sure but didn't say anything to the contrary. "Just inform me if you happen to see him again."
Will nodded as he looked down at his bowl and ate a spoonful. They sat and ate in silence for a few minutes until Hannibal broke it again.
"How did your plans yesterday go?"
Will frowned, forgetting that he told Hannibal he had plans. "Um, they went well."
"What did you do?" he said, prying further.
Will could feel him blatantly trying to find answers and he found himself willing to give them. "I was at Frederick's all day. And night."
Hannibal's chewing slowed down until he swallowed what he was eating, eyeing Will curiously. "And you said that went well?"
Will nodded. "It did. We mostly talked, we had dinner, and I decided to spend the night since already had plans in Baltimore the next day."
"And nothing else culminated between the two of you?" Hannibal asked, trying to sound harmlessly curious.
Will genuinely didn't want to discuss it but found himself unable to lie so he simply remained quiet, taking a large bite of food so he didn't have to talk.
"I apologize, that was prying a bit too far."
"Yes, it was," Will said softly, incapable of looking him in the eye.
They carried on with their dinner, the atmosphere a littler colder than it had been originally. They spoke here and there more about what was going on in Hannibal's life, projects he was working on, a journal article he was considering writing about some facet of some patient. Will was hardly listening. He helped to clean up after because it was polite and after what seemed like an hour of time, he was ready to leave. Yet, as he checked a wall clock on the way out, he discovered two hours had passed, leaving him feeling deeply surprised.
"I could've sworn it hadn't been two hours," Will said to himself, though Hannibal was right beside him as he led him to the door.
"How time flies," Hannibal said airily as if it were perfectly harmless.
Will wanted to say more about it, but he kept it down. He probably just misjudged the time and it wasn't as if an hour was a huge loss. They said goodbye and Will felt relief as soon as Hannibal shut his door behind him. It was a different feeling than when he was away from Frederick after being with him for a while. In that case, the relief was a calm clarity after a usually pleasant windstorm of emotion. With Hannibal, it was like finally being free of a cage clamped around his head.
He rushed to his car and took off, heading out on the route home while thinking about how nice it would be to just go back to Frederick's home instead. However, he knew Frederick had work and he had classes that he hadn't yet prepared for much. Still, hearing he voice after his experience with Hannibal sounded comforting so he grabbed his cell phone and dialed.
"Hello, Will. It's been ages since I've seen you," Frederick said upon answering.
Will smiled, his mood instantly brightened. "Months, possibly. Even years. How are you?"
"I'm all right," he said and Will could feel his stress as he said it. "A lot of work. A lot of problems. I think Dr. Gideon is planning to sue. And I seem to have misplaced my access badge which is just the icing on the proverbial cake."
"Oh, that's…" Will wanted to say awful, and it was, but Frederick did bring it upon himself. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Will. I understand how you feel about it and I know I kind of had it coming. I would just very much like to keep my job and my credentials. And my freedom. I don't know if it'll go that far, but I quite enjoy not being in prison."
"Most people do. But you have the money for a good lawyer. I'm sure it'll all blow over soon," Will said, trying to sound supportive.
"Thanks. How about you? How have you been? Doing a lot of daydreaming from what I sensed," Frederick said, eager for a subject change.
That struck Will as odd but unsurprising given how much time he couldn't account for. "I must've. I was at dinner with Hannibal after the crime scene. I can't say it was particularly enjoyable."
Frederick laughed. "Yes, he makes a wonderful meal but is less than wonderful company."
"At least someone agrees. Despite how often they clash on professional opinions, I'd never get a bad word about him out of Alana," Will said. "I wish I could see you."
"And I you," Frederick said with a sigh. "Next weekend? A fourth date."
"Absolutely. I believe it's my turn to plan something."
"I look forward to it then."
"So do I. But I should go, I'm actually in the middle of driving."
"Shame on you, Mr. Graham. You know better," Frederick said in a chastising tone.
"I do, but I wanted to hear your voice."
"I'm flattered. I needed to hear yours too after the day I've had. But I'll let you go. Talk to you soon."
They each said their goodbyes and Will hung up. Their conversation, even as short as it was, felt like exactly what he needed. He felt contented for the rest of his drive and felt relief upon reaching his home where he could finally relax. He let out and fed his dogs and worked on his lesson plan into the early morning hours before he finally crawled into bed.