Heart Still Intact

1. Narcissus

The beams of sunlight invaded the house as soft pants echoed through the otherwise desolate household. Wrangled in sheets and drenched in sweat, the man twisted and turned in discomfort before he felt a cold yet wet feeling on his nose. Snapping his eyes open, Will's vision was immediately barraged by brown and black fur.

It took the man a few moments to bring himself back to his senses. Once he realised what had happened, Will gave out a shaky exhale. It was the usual nightmares that lingered for hours after opening his eyes. Deciding that staying in bed for a few more minutes didn't seem like a bad idea, Will simply lay in bed as Winston, his lovable dog, lay his head on his owner's chest.

The other dogs that lounged on their dog beds lunged toward Will after noticing the attention that Winston seemed to be receiving. Usually, Will had a strict no-bed policy for the dogs but seeing how the sheets needed a wash, Will pardoned their action as he simply let the dogs lay on his body. They gave the man the necessary grounding to keep him in the real world rather than let his mind drift off.

Eyes drifting to the alarm clock on his nightstand, he had never really used the alarm seeing as he always woke up before the time he set, Will let out a soft sigh before he ushered his dogs off the bed.  Hannibal had tried to prescribe some sleeping pills but Will didn’t hesitate to voice out his reluctance. Sleeping pills made him groggy and numb. Wading through the bodies of fluff and excitement, Will reached for the multitude of locks on his main door as his hands moved with muscle memory.

Within a few seconds, he had unlocked everything and let his dogs out, giving them the exercise he so desperately needed. Drowsy because of the lack of proper sleep, Will forced his body to move as he pulled the sheets off his bed before tossing them into the laundry room. A chore for later.

Hands dropping from his face, Will stripped off the shirt that stuck to his body before he walked into his bathroom, in dire need of a cold shower.  The cold water dragged the exhaustion off his body along with the sweat that enveloped him.

Carrying on with his usual routine, Will called all his dogs back with a sharp whistle and wiped their muddy paws on the rag near his door. Juggling the myriad of dog bowls, Will watched in amusement as the dogs sat next to each other, patiently waiting for him to feed them. Once he was done with his fluffy companions, Will couldn't bother with breakfast and merely opted for some coffee along with some aspirin.

Chugging the rest of his coffee, Will quickly hugged and kissed his army of dogs goodbye as he walked out of the house. The ride to Quantico was uneventful as always. It was before the morning rush and Will had no need to rush his journey. By usual standards, everything was going well.

***

Ignoring the migraine that seemed to be making its way, Will motioned the class to quiet down. When the chatters came to a stop, Will welcomed everyone back to class after the break. "Let's begin the semester with the blood spatter analysis." His voice echoed through the classroom.

Turning around to grab the clicker, Will flinched at the sound of the door being pushed open with unnecessary force. The loud banged echoed through the otherwise quiet classroom. Heads turned to the source of the sound. There, standing with an authority-screaming aura was Jack Crawford.

"Class dismissed," Jack spoke, his voice booming. There was a clear contrast between the professor's voice and the head of the BSU. Noticing that none of the students had moved, Jack began clapping his hands. "Well? Scram. Your lesson will be conducted on another day."

Will grimaced as the students scurried out one by one. He had almost forgotten that Jack had the tendency to interrupt his classes. "I was in the middle of teaching, Jack. I remember talking about how much I despise you barging in like that." Will began, irritation lacing his words.