Dallas kicked off his boots and tossed his hat into the kitchen, hoping it didn’t fall into the sink, but he really didn’t care as he launched himself onto his couch. The wood screamed and he tucked a throw pillow under his face. Thor yelped and jumped up on top his master and tucked himself into the gap between the cushions and the flannel shirt tucked around Dallas’ exhausted frame. He rubbed his face on the union jack flag pillow and pouted while he tried to get comfortable. “Thorrr,” Dallas whined. “Grade papers for me”

Thor didn’t respond and buried his muzzle into the cushions. Dal groaned and sat up on the couch, tousling his hair. He got up and tossed a few logs into the fireplace and lit the wood with his wand. He shuffled over to his icebox in his thick wool socks and opened the door. A six pack sat inside, and one had his name on it. He opened the bottle by hitting the cap on the edge of his wooden table and took a swig of the cold one. It wasn’t often that Dallas was in a sour mood, but today he just needed to get away from his students. He might bug Althea later, or visit his parents on Sunday, but for now, he just wanted his warm his feet.

Dallas pulled off his shirt and dug through his closet, looking for the toasty wool sweater his mother had made him a few winters ago before the fishing season really picked up. He strode around in his white T-shirt, hanging the sweater over the fire so the fabric would warm up and he’d be able to nestle in with a good book. He rubbed his arms and closed the windows on the cottage. “It’s damn cold out,” he grunted. Thor wagged his tail from the couch and leapt down, walking around his master’s shins.

Dal gave the canine a small smile and wandered into the kitchen, grabbing a rubber dog toy from the floor. He grabbed the jar of peanut butter from the cabinet and scooped a good amount into the hole in the rubber chew toy. He tossed it to his collie that began to lick and gnaw at the rubber. “Good dog” Dallas said, patting the dog on the head and taking another sip of his beer. He collapsed into his armchair, waiting for his sweater to warm up.

All that he wanted was a little warmth, and to be free from this cursed winter. Was that so much to ask? Truly? He was tired of sweaters, tired of boots, tired of clothes all together, but for the sake of everyone's sanity he kept them on. Tromping through the mud and cold frozen ground on his way to Dallas' hut was always one of his favorite journeys. He loved that damn cowboy, like a brother really, and both he and his girlfriend were some of the few friends he had at the castle. Breaking every rule that he knew how, Gale marched himself right in to the hut, unsure he was even welcome, but pretty sure he didn't care.

"If I have to look at Aileen Reid's horrid scowl one more time today I think that I might have a fit," He said with his hair wild, wet from the damp air, and shaking the mud off of his attire.

"All of them. Every single one of those purebred pompous assholes who think that they can just look down on me because I'm "insane" ' Gale used the marks with his fingers, "Have another thing coming." With a plop and a heavy sigh he just sat right down on the oversized and overstuffed sofa,

"And are the students getting worse? Would you think poorly of me if I shrank them all just to put them in one great big jar and send them down the river?" Now that he wasn't serious about (at least not too much), but he was rather tired.

"Hi." He finally said with a smile, and rubbed Thor behind his ears.