Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Where shall we begin?”

Sitting across from Hannibal, Will slowly looked him up and down. 

“Let’s start with the fact that you allowed me to trust you. You encouraged it. You made sure I felt safe in your presence before you ripped the rug out from under me. Tell me, Doctor… Was that for cruelty’s sake, or was that just more practical for you?”

Hannibal appeared displeased.

“You already know the answer to that, Will. It’s common for victims of betrayal to feel that the betrayer's actions were done simply to hurt them, but it’s often much more complex than that.”

Will raised an eyebrow.

“Are you saying I’m a victim of your betrayal?”

“Within your perception of me, yes.”

“Pfft. I trusted you, and you took advantage of that. There’s no other way to frame it.”

To Will’s frustration, Hannibal said nothing. Gritting his teeth, Will continued.

“After Beverly, I was so certain that I would hate you when I saw you again. The Chesapeake Ripper. And there you were, and I hated you. Yet, to my disappointment, the betrayal stung just the same.”

Hannibal looked pensive.

“A commonly held belief is that hate is opposite of love, yet the two frequently coexist. One could argue that the true opposite of hate would be indifference. In hating someone, you care what happens to them.” 

Will nodded.

“If I didn’t care what happened to you, the hurt would be less.”

“Precisely.”

After a pause, Will said, “If you die, I can no longer care what happens to you.”

Hannibal didn’t shift his gaze, still maintaining eye contact with Will. 

“Unless you wish to reverse that decision.”

Will took a deep breath, looking down.

“Y’know, I’m still working on getting my inner voice back. So often I find myself asking what Hannibal Lecter would think about a simple decision I make. Would you feel disappointed, possessive, proud? And then I remember, what does it matter? Hannibal only cares about Hannibal.”

Hannibal narrowed his eyes.

“However twisted you believe my motivations to be, Will, you should know that I care deeply about you.” 

“No, Doctor. You only care what I could provide to you… opportunities for amusement.”

“That’s an odd way of saying that I enjoy your company,” Hannibal replied.

“That’s not all I was saying. You only care about what happens to me when it benefits you. That sounds like indifference if you ask me.”

“Of all the things I feel for you, Will, indifference is not among them.”

Will’s cheeks felt hot. 

“How do you feel about me, then?”

Taking a brief moment of consideration, Hannibal answered, “Captivated.”

Will felt himself blush a deeper red. 

“I, um… find your blatant manipulation to be unsettling.”

Hannibal tilted his head slightly. 

“I was speaking truthfully.”

“I’m not saying you weren’t. I’m saying simple flattery isn’t going to convince me that we’re on the same side.”

“I didn’t intend to flatter you, Will. I was simply answering your question. I find you captivating,” said Hannibal, matter-of-fact.

To Will’s dismay, he felt himself blush yet again. He dug his fingernails into his palms. 

“Tell me, why does that bother you so much?”

Will shifted his gaze to a corner of the room. 

“I don’t wish to be the object of a psychopath’s fascination.”

Hannibal smirked ever-so-slightly.

“Yet here you are, participating in therapy.”

Will scowled. 

“I also tried to kill you a few times.”

“Yes, you did. I’m happy to hear you’re embracing that.” 

“Killing you… would be so much more personal than killing anybody else. I sometimes find myself wondering what that would feel like.”

“A personal kill requires an intimate death. There can be no quick executions, nor hesitations. Last time you tried to kill me with a gun to the head, unsure of your intentions. Impersonal.”

Will shifted his gaze back to Hannibal.

“Yes, I did have a clear end result in mind. That result has evolved. If I ever were to kill you, Doctor, it would most certainly be personal.”

Despite the looming death threat, Hannibal looked smug. His eyes wandered down Will’s body, taking in his whole appearance. Will felt as if he were naked before Hannibal’s gaze. 

“You changed your hair. Is that part of taking your life back?”

Will snickered.

“No, that was part of me needing a haircut.”

“You look nice. Very handsome. Are you going somewhere else after our appointment tonight?”

“Ouch,” Will teased. “Sounds like you’re saying I don’t usually look very handsome.”

“That wasn’t at all my intention. I thought perhaps you had a date after this. You changed your aftershave.”

Will burst with laughter.

“No, no dates for me. Even if I were looking for one, I don’t think the dating pool is generally welcoming to recent asylum patients. I do have a psychiatrist who’s alway complaining about my aftershave, though.”

Hannibal smiled. 

“I would consider it a slight improvement.”

Will avoided his gaze, standing from his chair to stroll around the office. 

“Are you and Alana Bloom still sleeping together?” Will asked. 

Hannibal paused.

“Yes. How did you know?”

Will shrugged. “I guessed. She was particularly concerned for your safety when I was released.”

“How does that make you feel?”

“Repulsed. It’s gross manipulation of an innocent party.”

“If I were the manipulator, what would my intentions be with Alana? Even before we were intimate, she didn’t believe me to be the person you claimed I am.”

“Alana is smart, she’s much harder to manipulate. You’re inclined to use all of the tools at your disposal, disintegrate any doubts she could possibly be harboring. No regard for the consequences your actions will bring to anybody but yourself.”

“You feel protective of Alana.”

“Yes, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Will snapped. “Just like Beverly. The last time I spoke to her, I told her to stay away from you, to tell Jack everything she knew. She didn’t listen, and neither will Alana. Once again, I’m forced to watch from the sidelines while you pick off every person I care about, one by one.”

Will lingered behind Hannibal’s chair, holding back tears. 

“You make me out to be a monster.”

“You are a monster, Hannibal. A wolf in shepherd’s clothing. One of the FBI’s most elusive serial killers, hiding in plain sight and evading capture through artful storytelling. Tied everything together with a neat little bow. If it weren’t so grotesque, I would be inclined to acknowledge the brilliance of your design.”

Will spoke concisely, choosing each word carefully.

“The case of the Chesapeake Ripper has been solved, Will.”

“Yes, it has. But I still know the truth. And so do you.”

Will slowly paced along the wall of Hannibal’s office, brushing his hand against the ladder as he passed it. 

“If I were able to pull off everything that you have accused me of, that would be some design indeed.”

“Yes. You rightfully pride yourself in your cunning ability to play God. It can’t be easy writing your own version of reality into existence as a mere mortal. But I suppose it would be easier if you were having fun while you did it. Ruining people’s lives seems to be your favorite hobby.”

“I assure you, I’m much more inclined towards sketching and cooking,” said Hannibal, his voice tainted with amusement.

Will scoffed. 

“Well, my life must have been special then. Singled out to be shattered into pieces.”

“Your life is still special, Will.”

Will finally met his eyes again, and Hannibal’s expression was hauntingly genuine. Will nodded slowly. 

“Broken lives can still be special. Yours is.”

“My life isn’t broken.”

“I disagree. I think it has been for a long time, maybe even as long as you can remember. You are particularly skilled, though, at rearranging the pieces. It’s sort of beautiful in its own way.”

Will’s gaze lingered, then moved to Hannibal’s lips. They were curved into the slightest smile, somewhere between satisfied and prideful. 

“You sound as though you speak from experience. Perhaps I wasn’t the one who broke your life after all.”

“Perhaps not,” Will replied, sitting back down in the chair across from Hannibal. “I’ll just have to find a new way to rearrange the pieces.”

“That’s exactly what I’m here for, Will. I can help you arrange those pieces into your truest form. To do that, you must look inside yourself. What drives you more than anything else?”

“I’m often ruled by my compulsions.” 

“What lies at the core of your compulsions?”

“Fear and anger,” answered Will.

“Two very dangerous rulers.”

“I don’t consider myself to be dangerous.”

“Then perhaps you’re more in control of your compulsions than you realize. Allow yourself to relish in the control. Use your anger as a weapon and fear as your shield” 

“Fear is a sorry man’s shield. I prefer armor.”

“You are not armoured, Will.”

“The suit is still under construction.”

Hannibal leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands.

“Complete it by taking control of your impulses. Impulses that cannot be acted on must still be expressed in one way or another.” 

“So if my impulse is to kill you, how would I express that?”

“However you see fit.”

“That’s a dangerous statement to make, Doctor.”

“You claim not to be dangerous. How are you managing the impulse now? Constructing fantasies?”

“Mostly in my nightmares.”

“And when you’re awake? Do you take pleasure in the thought?”

Will nodded.

“Yes.”

“I want you to close your eyes, Will. Imagine yourself killing me, exactly as you desire.”

Will obeyed, closing his eyes.

He pictured himself leaping from the chair where he still sat. In his mind’s eye, Will threw himself onto Hannibal’s chair, straddling him and tightening his hands around his neck. Caught by surprise, Hannibal began to choke and gasp for air. Still, with Hannibal’s broader shoulders and stronger arms, he was able to throw Will to the ground, knocking over a side table in the process. Will recovered quickly, pushing Hannibal down onto his back and punching him in the jaw. He was met with Hannibal’s bloody smirk, and he punched him again. No matter how brutal Will’s blows became, Hannibal didn’t struggle. With a sneer, Will drew a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open. Hannibal’s smirk faded, and he scrambled to get away from Will. Will allowed him to wriggle away, following him on foot. He kicked Hannibal in the stomach and knelt down over him. Hannibal tried to wrestle the knife from Will’s hands, but Will grabbed ahold of his throat to keep him in place. Drawing his other arm back, Will thrust the knife through Hannibal’s heart, splattering himself with blood.

Will opened his eyes, a soft breath escaping his lips.

“What did you see?” Hannibal prompted.

Will readjusted his frame of mind to the tidy office where they still sat. 

“It, uh… it was rather elaborate. It ended with me stabbing you in the chest.”

“In the chest? Or through the heart?”

“Through the heart,” admitted Will.

“Is that what you believe I’ve done to you, to earn the same punishment?” Hannibal asked.

“I would more accurately describe what you did to me as betrayal.”

“Betrayal can often feel like a stab to the heart.”

Will was silent. 

“Do you have the knife on you?” Hannibal asked.

“Yes.”

“I’d like you to set it aside. Show me what you want to do to me, without the knife.”

Will raised his eyebrow. 

“What, you want me to attack you in your own office? Isn’t that how Tobias Budge died?”

“Yes. But that isn’t how you will die. At least not tonight.”

Will laughed in disbelief.

“What is this, some kind of therapeutic exercise? You’re less sane than I thought, Doctor Lecter.”

“Humor me. Did you picture it here in the office? What would you do first?”

Hannibal held a mischievous glimmer in his eye. Will took a deep breath. 

“I would attack you in your chair. Use the element of surprise to put you in a chokehold.”

“Whereas here in reality, you don’t carry that same element. So, place your hands around my neck.”

Will’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, but Hannibal appeared to be entirely serious. Standing slowly, Will took a few steps forward and looked down at Hannibal. Hannibal looked right back up into his eyes. Despite the identical setting, it was hard to work up the anger to put Hannibal in a chokehold when he was looking up at Will so innocently. 

“Do you still want to choke me, Will?”

Will didn’t want to choke him anymore, but maybe having a grip on his throat would feel like it did when he held him at gunpoint. He climbed onto Hannibal’s chair, straddling his lap. Gently, Will moved his hands to wrap around Hannibal’s throat. Hannibal still hadn’t broken their eye contact, but Will’s gaze moved down to Hannibal’s lips. The urge to kiss him ran through Will even more powerfully than the last time their lips were this close together. His heart raced, and he squeezed Hannibal’s throat with force. 

To his dismay, the sounds of Hannibal’s struggling breaths were prettier than he could have ever imagined. If only he had been there to watch Hannibal fight against the noose from which Matthew Brown had hung him. Will tightened his grip, intensifying Hannibal’s gasps. Will’s lower lip dropped open slightly as he stared down into Hannibal’s unfaltering eyes. Loosening his grip, Will leaned down and let his lips linger over Hannibal’s as he caught his breath. Hannibal tilted his chin up, somehow bringing their lips even closer without touching. Hannibal’s hot breath made Will salivate, and he realized that both Hannibal and himself had gotten hard. Will gave a shaky gasp and stumbled backwards out of the chair.

“I, um… I have to go,” Will stammered, snatching his coat from the opposite chair and fleeing to the exit.

“Will, I—“

Will shut the door behind him and rushed out of the building, back to his car.

Chapter Text

Hannibal was left dumbstruck when Will slammed the door. Will Graham had nearly just kissed him. He could still feel Will’s hands around his neck, taking control of his breath. Perhaps it was a good thing Will had run out; Hannibal wasn’t sure he would have been able to stop himself from tearing off Will’s clothes if their lips had touched. Hannibal let out a frustrated sigh. He was half-tempted to unzip his pants and take care of it himself, but his phone buzzed on the side table. Could it be Will?

No, it was a text from Abigail.

What’s for dinner?

Hannibal rested his forehead on his hand. Maybe he had been spoiling Abigail too much with his home-cooked meals. He texted back:

Will almost kissed me.

Instantly, Abigail typed back:

OMG!! What happened????

H: He ran out on his appointment. I’ll be home soon.

A: Hurry!! I’m hungry and I want to know everything!!!

Hannibal chuckled to himself and stood from his chair. His thoughts were still full of their near-kiss and the way Will’s warm hands had felt against his skin. Even more exhilarating was the sweet feeling of Will climbing onto his lap, but Hannibal had trouble dwelling on that without falling into another fantasy of them entangled in bed together. It was maddening how badly he wanted Will to give in to the connection they both so clearly felt. Hannibal tidied up his office and turned off the lights before locking up.

When Hannibal entered his kitchen, he found Abigail munching on a piece of plain toast.

“Really, now?” Hannibal asked. “Were you never taught how to fix yourself a sandwich?”

Abigail rolled her eyes. 

“We ran out of cheese. So, what did you mean Will ran out on his appointment? Since when is he back in therapy?”

Hannibal smiled.

“Will came to my office tonight, right at his standing appointment time. He told me he wants to resume therapy.”

Abigail looked skeptical.

“Didn’t he try to kill you, like, yesterday?”

“Yes,” Hannibal agreed. “We have a complicated relationship.”

“Okay, then spill! Who leaned in first? What did Will say?”

Hannibal laughed at her enthusiasm. 

“Nothing much, he just said he had to leave and then dashed out of the office. And technically, Will leaned in first, but I did initiate closeness.”

Abigail giggled.

“Why didn’t you kiss him? I know you have the biggest crush on him. It’s so obvious.”

“Will would see that as a manipulation. It has to be his decision. By the way, Abigail, adult men don’t have crushes. I’m interested in him.”

“Sure, whatever,” Abigail teased. “Have you texted him?”

“Of course not. He will reach out to me when he’s ready.”

Abigail rolled her eyes.

“Lame.”

As the days passed without word from Will, Hannibal began to worry that he had frightened him. Not only that, but Abigail wouldn’t stop pestering him about sending Will a text. More than once, Hannibal started to type out a message to Will only to erase it. One night when he couldn’t sleep, he opened his phone just shy of 1am just to type to Will.

Hello, Will. I wanted to apologize for–

Will, I apologize if I made you feel–

Good evening, Will. I’m sorry if I frightened you. That was not my intention. I hope you are well. I miss you, and I wish that we could–

Just like every other night, Hannibal eventually gave up. He turned his phone off and placed it on his charger. Several minutes passed as he tried to fall asleep, and then his phone buzzed. Hannibal sat up and looked at the screen. It was from Will.

Hi.

Hannibal unlocked his phone to view his incoming texts. Will was typing again.

I saw you typing. What was it you wanted to say?

Hannibal froze. Knowing that his read receipts were on for Will, he avoided tapping the message. What did he truly want to say to Will? Hesitantly, he typed out:

H: I wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to frighten you.

W: I frightened myself. 

H: Are you alright?

After a moment, Will typed back:

I’m not sure.

Hannibal typed out ‘ Come over? ’ only to erase it. After a moment, he replaced it with, ‘Do you want me to come over?’

As soon as he sent it, Hannibal began to wonder what he should have said instead. A moment later, his phone buzzed with Will’s reply: 

I’m already on my way. 

Hannibal smiled at his phone. He stood and pulled on a shirt before changing into a more flattering pair of sweatpants. He checked that Abigail was asleep upstairs, and she was. Quietly, Hannibal went downstairs to the foyer to pace by the front door. Of all the probable reasons Will would be coming over tonight, Hannibal couldn’t quite decide which was the most likely. Will had been frightened by the intimate moment they shared. As badly as he wanted to, Hannibal couldn’t initiate any more intimacy until Will became comfortable. Could that be why Will was coming over so late at night? Perhaps he was finally coming to terms with the deep connection the two of them shared. 

It felt as though hours had passed when Hannibal finally heard a light knock on the door. He answered it to lay his eyes upon Will, who looked disheveled but as handsome as ever. Hannibal smiled at him.

“Hello, Will. Please, come in.”

Chapter Text

As soon as Will reached his car, he jumped into the driver’s seat and locked himself inside. His mind couldn’t have been louder, but the loudest thought of all was: What the fuck was that?!? Each time that Will ran the scenario through his head, it only got less and less justifiable.

Hannibal had made him feel as though there was no option but to accept that Will had feelings for him, but Will simply refused to believe it. Even though he was sitting down now, Will’s breathing didn’t steady itself. For a moment he thought he might have a panic attack. Will squeezed the steering wheel with all his might, forcing his mind to ground itself. His breathing began to even out, and he started the engine. 

He drove the whole hour in complete silence. When he pulled up to his home, he realized he had been disassociating from his actions since the moment he drove away from Hannibal’s office. It seemed as though no time at all had passed, and Will hardly remembered making the turns necessary to get there. 

He greeted his dogs and began to prepare their evening meal. Once they were fed and cared for, Will got himself ready for bed only to lay down and stare at the ceiling. For hours, he laid there, going over the events in his head. He had lost the plot, it seems. Will had gone to Hannibal’s office with the clear intention of manipulating him into some sort of allyship, but certainly not a romantic affair. Still, this could potentially work to his advantage. It would be a lot easier to convince Hannibal they were on the same team if he thought Will had romantic interest. The problem was that Will wasn’t sure whether or not it was true. He had found Hannibal attractive from the day they met, but Will had been certain those feelings would have dissipated now that he knew who Hannibal truly was. 

Oh, God, what would Beverly think of Will now? She had sacrificed her life in an attempt to exonerate him, and here he was considering seducing her killer. Would the ends justify the means if Will managed to apprehend him? No, there had to be another way. He could let Hannibal believe that Will was interested, but there were certain lines he couldn’t cross. Will would have to confront Hannibal and tell him that whatever happened tonight could never happen again. Upon meeting this conclusion, Will was finally able to fall asleep. 

Will checked his phone as soon as he woke up the next morning, but Hannibal hadn’t sent him any messages. Since Will wasn’t planning on reaching out before their next session, this was probably for the best. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if Hannibal was thinking of him. 

As the days went on, Will was haunted by dreams of Hannibal. He woke from some of the nightmares in a cold sweat, whereas others he had trouble classifying as nightmares at all. In one dream, Hannibal had kissed Will that day in the office before he could run away. Will had kissed him back just as passionately before they both tore off their clothes. When he awoke, Will was erect and rowdy as hell. Without admitting to himself that he had woken at all, he imagined himself pushing Hannibal face-first up against the ladder and forcing himself inside him. He was left to wonder how Hannibal’s moans would sound if Will were to bite his neck at that very moment.

Four days after he had almost kissed Hannibal, Will found himself yearning for his attention. Had Hannibal not been thinking about Will at all? Why else wouldn’t he have reached out? Will spent the whole day fighting the urge to text Hannibal. By the day’s end he was successful, but that didn’t make it any easier to sleep. Just after midnight, he opened up his most recent text conversation with Hannibal. They hadn’t texted since before Will had been arrested for Hannibal’s crimes. The last thing he had messaged to Hannibal, months before, was:

Something happened. Please call me back.

Will could still vividly remember getting a call from Hannibal moments later and telling him everything from the lost time to vomiting up Abigail’s ear. It still made Will cringe how blindly trusting he had been of Hannibal in these moments, knowing now how ruthlessly he would take advantage. He started to type a new message:

I’ve been thinking about what happened during our last appointment. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I should have handled the situation better, I just didn’t expect to feel that way about you. I honestly still don’t know what those feelings were. 

Will erased the whole message before letting out an exasperated groan and tossing his phone aside. Winston whined and sniffed Will’s face.

“Winston, off!” Will complained, pushing his front paws off the mattress. “Don’t worry, bud. I’m fine.”

Will smiled as he watched Winston rejoin the rest of the dogs on their scattered beds. He tried again to fall asleep with no success. Everything else he wanted and didn’t want to say to Hannibal kept stirring about in his mind. Will opened his phone again and let his thumb hover over his conversation with Hannibal. Before he could give into the urge to tap on it, a typing bubble appeared beneath Hannibal’s name. Will’s heart skipped a beat. Several minutes passed as Will watched the bubbles disappear only to come right back again and again. Eventually, the bubbles stopped reappearing. Will took a deep breath and typed out:

Hi.

He sent the message before he could change his mind. No going back now.

I saw you typing. What was it you wanted to say?

Hannibal read his messages. Will’s pulse picked up as the text bubble came back. Hannibal’s reply appeared:

I wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to frighten you.

Will smiled at his phone. 

I frightened myself. 

Hannibal’s response was quick.

 Are you alright?

Will scoffed. What kind of stupid question was that? If I am okay, it’s no thanks to you, thought Will. Instead, he replied, 

I’m not sure.

Will sighed yet again and tossed his phone aside. He’d just made his bed; time to lie in it. He opened his dresser drawer and pulled on a clean pair of jeans. His phone buzzed, and Will returned to his bed to view the message:

Do you want me to come over?’

Will blushed, albeit with a laugh. He typed back:

I’m already on my way. 

When Will reached Baltimore, he realized that he was running on autopilot. This was Hannibal Lecter he was dealing with; he needed a plan. His agenda was simple: make Hannibal believe that they were on the same side. It was undeniable that Will had conflicting interests when it came to Hannibal, but Will could use that to his advantage. Any… unseemly feelings he had towards Hannibal could be channeled into stroking his ego and uniting their motives. As long as Hannibal believes in his darkness, Will had a shot at convincing him they could work together. If Hannibal viewed him as a potential partner in crime, it would be almost too easy to catch him in the act and put him away for good. But, if Will’s dreams were any indicator of how this night could go, there was another very important thing for Will to keep in mind: Do not, for any reason, kiss Hannibal Lecter. If you fail, do NOT, under ANY circumstances, sleep with Hannibal Lecter. 

Chapter Text

Will gave Hannibal a nervous smile and walked through the threshold, holding a bottle of whiskey.

“I’d offer you a glass of wine, but it seems you came prepared,” said Hannibal.

Will laughed. 

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Hannibal led him to the kitchen, and Will sat at the counter where he had set out a bottle of wine. Rather than asking for another glass, Will poured his whiskey into the empty wine glass standing next to it. Hannibal visibly cringed, causing Will to laugh out loud. With a smirk, Will brought the glass to his lips and sipped it. 

“So, what were you doing up so late?” Will asked. 

“Thinking about you,” Hannibal admitted. “What about you?”

Will’s smugness faded, and he pursed his lips.

“Thinking about you,” Will admitted in turn. 

Hannibal looked satisfied. 

“Why did you come over?” he asked Will.

“Why did you offer?”

Hannibal shrugged, as if this were casual.

“No sense losing sleep over something we could talk through in person.”

Will nodded.

“Agreed. I wanted to come here and apologize for how I acted. I’m not trying to like, send mixed signals or anything. I’m glad I didn’t… I’m glad nothing happened. I could have handled the situation a lot better, I just… I didn’t expect to feel that way about you.”

Will forced himself to meet Hannibal’s gaze again. His eyes were chillingly solemn. 

“Not that I even know what that way is,” Will laughed nervously. “I, um… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, and, uh, it won’t happen again.”

“Why did you want to kiss me that night, Will?”

Will blushed and looked down. 

“I can’t lie,” he grumbled. “You’ll know.”

“Yes,” Hannibal agreed. 

Will looked at him again. 

“The sounds you made when I was choking you… made me want to… take things further.”

“In your original fantasy, that would have meant stabbing me in the chest. Why did that change?”

Will took a shaky breath that collapsed into a laugh. 

“Your breathing, it turned me on. I didn’t want to kill you, I wanted to conquer you.”

“Tell me, how would you have conquered me?”

Will bit his lip. 

“What was it you said about impulses the other day?”

Hannibal paused to recall.

“Impulses that cannot be acted on must still be expressed in one way or another.”

Will chuckled to himself.

“Guess I should be downloading Grindr then.”

Hannibal seemed utterly stunned by this comment. Will avoided his gaze, pursing his lips. His cheeks felt hot.

“Um, sorry. I should go,” Will said, standing up.

“Will, don’t. What makes this impulse unattainable?”

“Y’know, Hannibal, you ask a lot of questions you already know the answer to. You already know why I can’t sleep with you.”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

“You’re a killer, Hannibal. You killed people I loved. I hate you. None of this is news to you.”

“You could sleep with someone you hated, if you so desired.”

Will huffed.

“Could is not the same as should.”

“No, it’s not.” 

“Which is why I should go.”

“Don’t go, Will.”

Will’s forehead scrunched up, and he tilted his head at Hannibal.

“You thought I came here to kiss you, didn’t you?”

Hannibal looked irritated.

“No, but it did occur to me. You definitely didn’t come here to apologize for sending mixed signals, though. You’re still sending them.”

“Yeah, well, I have conflicting feelings about you. I’m just trying to be honest. And this, this can’t happen.”

“Would you still like to resume your therapy, Will?”

Will took a deep breath. 

“Yes. We have plenty of issues to work through that have nothing to do with… whatever happened at my last appointment.”

“You can say it, Will. You almost kissed me.”

“Yeah, and you almost kissed me back.” 

Hannibal looked away, licking his lips. 

“I didn’t expect to feel that way about you, either. I regretted not kissing you.”

Will felt weak in the knees. He cleared his throat.

“Well, I’m glad we got that all cleared up, then.”

Hannibal nodded.

“Clarity is important. I’ll walk you out.”

Will allowed Hannibal to lead him back to the front door.

“Thank you for indulging me, Doctor.”

“Anytime. And, Will… on the off chance your online dating adventures don’t go as planned, the next time you yearn for me… find a new way to express your impulses. Better yet, conquer them.”

Will paused, his hand on the doorknob. He felt as if he had just watched their conversation happen without taking a single thing from it. How was any of this going to help him sleep tonight? He turned back to face Hannibal. Unmistakably, Hannibal’s gaze moved down to Will’s lips. Will blushed. 

“Stop making me blush,” he muttered. 

Hannibal took a step closer to him.

“I want to kiss you, Will,” he breathed out.

“Don’t,” Will whispered, leaning closer. 

Hannibal reached out to hold his waist, pulling Will towards him so gently. Will placed a hand on Hannibal’s neck and brought their lips together. A sense of euphoria washed over Will as he kissed Hannibal. He pushed his hands underneath Hannibal’s shirt and pulled his hips closer, unable to tear himself away from their kiss. Hannibal pushed a hand into Will’s hair and tugged gently, his movements so sweet and passionate. Will pulled away with a smile.

“Hannibal…”

“It’s late, Will. You should stay the night. I have several spare bedrooms.”

Will looked up at Hannibal, biting his lip. He couldn’t bring himself to say yes or no, so he kissed Hannibal again. Hannibal kissed back even more roughly. Will allowed himself to be pushed up against the front door as they made out. Moving his lips to Hannibal’s neck, Will gave him hickeys and bites between kisses. The moans Hannibal made were even more beautiful than the strangled breaths he had made in his office. He pushed Will’s face away after a particularly harsh bite and tore off Will’s shirt. Hannibal’s touch was so warm and welcome against his bare skin. Will let his head fall back against the door with a grin as Hannibal left scratch marks and hickeys all over his torso. 

“Hannibal…” Will whined. “We should go to bed.”

Hannibal brought his forehead to Will’s, panting slightly. 

“Let’s,” he replied. 

He kissed Will one more time before taking his hand and leading him to his bedroom. Will watched as Hannibal took off his shirt and pulled back the covers on the bed. Hesitantly, Will took off his jeans and climbed into bed beside him. He laid facing Hannibal, their lips inches apart.

“This was a mistake,” Will whispered, looking into Hannibal’s eyes.

“Then why are you still here?” Hannibal asked.

“It’s late,” flirted Will. “I needed a place to stay.”

Hannibal kissed him, and Will pulled him closer. Will ran his hands all over Hannibal’s body, finally exploring him the way he had dreamed of for so long. He felt Hannibal tug at his underwear.

“Hannibal,” Will panted, pulling away. “I’m tired.”

“You don’t look tired,” said Hannibal, kissing him again.

Still kissing him back, Will took Hannibal’s wrists to bring them away from his remaining clothes.

“Turn around,” Will growled. “Don’t you have to see patients tomorrow? It’s almost 4am.”

Hannibal sighed.

“Yes, I do. Goodnight, Will.”

Hannibal stroked Will’s face and gave him one last kiss before turning over to face the wall. Will’s heart was still racing. This certainly hadn’t gone according to plan. He needed to find a way to build Hannibal’s trust without sleeping with him. The best way to relate to a murderer is to be one, but Will couldn’t exactly run around killing people the way Hannibal does. He needed a better plan, and fast. 

But more importantly, why the fuck did that feel so good? Will was still hard just thinking of where that could have gone if he hadn’t stopped it. He hated Hannibal, there was no doubt about that. So how in the hell did he feel this way about him? Maybe he should download Grindr after all. Will hadn’t been properly laid down by a man in years; maybe that was keeping him from thinking clearly about Hannibal. There was no doubt that Hannibal would be able to give him the kind of night he wanted, but so could another guy who hasn’t killed and mutilated people. Damn, Will couldn’t remember the last time one of his main problems was getting a date. His eyes were getting heavy as he stared at Hannibal’s back. With no effort at all, Will drifted into sleep. 

Will awoke to find himself in Hannibal’s arms. His embrace was so comforting that it only took Will a moment to adjust to his unfamiliar environment. He touched Hannibal's left hand, which was wrapped around Will’s waist. Hannibal sat up slightly and kissed Will’s neck.

“Good morning, darling.” 

Will laughed.

“Don’t call me that,” he ordered, turning around to face Hannibal. “What time is it?”

“Nearly 7 o’clock.”

“Shit, when do you have to be at your office?” Will asked.

“Not until nine.”

“I thought you started at eight?”

Hannibal looked away, betraying guilt.

“I’ll tell them something important came up. I still have to make you breakfast, my love.”

Will scoffed.

“I’m sorry, your what ? I preferred ‘darling,’ honestly.”

Hannibal looked smug.

“You slept in my bed. I’ll call you what I want.” 

Will held back the urge to kiss him. Instead, he looked away from Hannibal and sat up. 

“I’m not staying for breakfast. I need to get home and feed my dogs.”

Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will again and pulled him back into a lying position. 

“What are you doing?” Will laughed. “Hannibal, stop.”

“You’re staying for breakfast,” Hannibal stated, kissing the back of Will’s neck. “I’m afraid I insist.”

“You insist, huh?” Will giggled. He couldn’t help but treasure each kiss Hannibal gave him. “What about the patient you’re supposed to see in an hour? What if they insist?”

“That would be too bad for him,” Hannibal mumbled, nudging the side of Will’s face. 

Will turned his head, almost close enough for them to kiss. But last night was a failure; today was different. Will rolled out of bed. 

“Fine, I’m gonna use your shower. If breakfast is ready when I get out, I might consider staying to eat,” Will teased. 

“Now, Will, don’t be a brat.” 

“Or what?” Will asked with a smirk, well aware that Hannibal was glaring without having to turn and look. 

“Would you like to find out?”

Will laughed and shut the door to the master bathroom. He turned on the shower, wishing the smile would fade from his face.

Chapter Text

Hannibal couldn’t believe Will had slept in his bed last night. He wanted nothing more than to follow Will into the bathroom and join him in the shower. It was maddening how close he had gotten to having sex with Will last night. At a certain point he was just taunting Hannibal, kissing him and sleeping next to him in his underwear and making out until Hannibal tried to take them off. Hannibal clenched his fist, unsure what to do with his frustration. His phone buzzed: a response from Abigail.

Wdym Will came over at 2am?? is he still here?

Hannibal opened their conversation and read over the message he had sent her after Will fell asleep last night.

Will is here. When you wake up, don’t come out of your room or make noise.

Hannibal typed out a new message:

Yes, he just got in the shower. I’ll text you when he leaves.

Her response was short:

Ew.

Hannibal chuckled at the implication. It wouldn’t do any good to dwell on what could have happened when he could focus on how wonderful it had been to finally kiss Will. Not only that, but Will made out with him half-naked and then slept in his arms. It was truly beautiful. Unfortunately, having Will all to himself was short-lived. He’d be lucky if Will so much as kissed him on his way out after breakfast. 

He stood from his bed and went to the kitchen. He gathered the ingredients and his finest meat to whip up a protein scramble just like the first meal he had ever shared with Will. By the time Will emerged, freshly showered, the food was nearly done. Hannibal smiled at him.

“Almost ready, darling. Please, sit.”

Will sat down at the counter, looking around as though he had never been in Hannibal’s kitchen before. 

“How did you sleep?” Hannibal asked. 

“Uh, good.”

“You were having nightmares.”

“Yeah, I often do.”

Hannibal was irritated by his evasive answers. 

“Will, why did you come over last night, really?”.

“I couldn’t sleep. I don’t know, I thought talking about it would help.”

“Did it?”

Will shook his head.

“No. Kissing you did. But now it’s ’tomorrow,’ and I have to deal with that. Definitely won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Hannibal smiled to himself.

“I can always drop by to kiss you to sleep.”

Will blushed, glaring slightly. 

“As my psychiatrist, you can see how that would be unethical.”

“Ethics are subjective.”

“Hannibal, this has to stop. I can’t keep acting like you aren’t an actual serial killer. And a cannibal. Oh god, what are you cooking?”

“Protein scramble.”

“Okay, no to protein scramble. The last time you cooked that for me it was made from a woman’s lungs, wasn’t it?”

Hannibal said nothing.

“And what about this time?”

“Pork.”

Will scoffed, but Hannibal served him up a plate all the same. Hannibal watched as Will ate his eggs, avoiding the bits of meat. 

“The pig is already dead. It would be a shame to waste it.”

“No, thanks,” said Will, pushing away his half-eaten plate. “I should go.”

“When you have trouble sleeping tonight, Will, what will you do?” asked Hannibal.

Will huffed in annoyance.

“I don’t know, Hannibal, but I’m definitely not sleeping over here again. I told you, this was a mistake.”

“Yes, and then you made out with me and slept in my bed.”

If Hannibal weren’t so frustrated by Will’s mixed signals, he would have found Will’s blushing endearing. 

“What do you want from me, Hannibal?”

“I’m not asking anything of you, Will. I only want to help you understand what it is that you want.”

“I already know what I want, I just can’t have it.”

Hannibal sighed quietly.

“How’s the view from that moral high ground, Will? Does it help you sleep better at night, knowing that you’re suppressing every little dark urge inside yourself?”

Will’s jaw clenched. 

“I can’t say that it does.”

“So embrace yourself. Conquer your impulses. Let yourself see everything that you have become.”

 “I didn’t want to become this,” Will snapped. “You made me like this.”

“No single person can make you who you are. I was merely an influence.”

“You made a pretty big fucking influence, Hannibal! I lost everything because of you.”

“What if I could give it back?”

“You can’t!” Will yelled. 

Hannibal turned his head and looked down. Will took a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry, Will. I never intended to hurt you.”

“It boggles my goddamn mind that you think that actually matters, that your ‘intentions’ will EVER matter. You manipulated me, you lied to me, you fucking violated my entire life! I’m not supposed to feel this way about you!” 

Hannibal met Will’s eyes again and found that tears were forming in them. The sight pained Hannibal like a stab to the heart. He reached out to touch Will’s hand. 

“It’s alright, Will. I’m here to help you deal with these emotions. Acknowledging your feelings is the first step to overcoming them.”

Will sniffed and wiped away a tear, but he spoke with a steady voice.

“You’re not interested in me overcoming my feelings. You want me to act on them.”

“Overcoming a feeling can mean acting on it, depending on the context. Either way, I’m here for you.”

Will stared at him for a moment. 

“Kiss me.”

Hannibal’s brow furrowed. 

“What?”

“Kiss me,” Will repeated, standing from his chair. 

Hannibal took a step towards Will and swiftly pulled him into a kiss. Will kissed back, enthusiastically passionate with his tongue. Hannibal couldn’t get enough. He lifted Will’s legs and set him on the counter, squeezing his ass. Will allowed Hannibal to take off his shirt and pull him closer. As they made out, Hannibal realized that Will was undoing his belt. He heard Will unzip his pants, and Hannibal pulled away from Will’s lips. 

“Hannibal,” Will breathed out, “Suck my dick.”

Hannibal salivated. He tugged Will’s underwear down and wrapped his mouth around him. As soon as he put his tongue to work, Will was moaning loud and satisfied.

“Hannibal… yes, don’t stop.”

Hannibal looked up at him, relishing in the feeling of Will pulling his hair. Catching him off guard, Will pushed himself down Hannibal’s throat. Hannibal gagged, but he recovered quickly and finished Will off. When Will came in his mouth, Hannibal swallowed it all. He stood up straight and pulled Will off the counter, but Will pulled up his pants and fastened his belt.

“Thank you, Doctor,” said Will. “See you in therapy.”

Hannibal stood there, stunned, as Will walked out of the kitchen. He came to his senses and followed Will to the front door. 

“Will, wait.”

Will glanced over his shoulder. Hannibal pushed him up against the door and kissed his neck.

“Take off your clothes,” he growled in Will’s ear.

Will laughed aloud.

“Or what?”

“Quit being a tease,” Hannibal snapped. 

Will smirked, and Hannibal wanted to slap it off his face.

“It sucks when you want something you can’t have, doesn’t it?”

With that, Will turned the door handle and walked out onto the porch. 

Fucking brat.

Chapter Text

Will was fairly satisfied with himself as he walked down the porch steps. It was gleefully amusing to watch Hannibal squirm. Before he could make it to his car, Alana Bloom’s hybrid pulled into the driveway. Will’s smile faded. She quickly stepped out of her car and turned to him. 

“What are you doing here? Where’s Hannibal?”

“In his kitchen, I assume,” answered Will.

“What are you doing here?” Alana repeated.

“Bonding with my psychiatrist,” Will said decidedly. 

Alana scoffed and shook her head. Will nodded towards Hannibal’s front door.

“Careful in there. I think I left him wanting more.”

“What are you talking about?” she snapped.

“I’m saying he might try to fuck you, Alana. He was pretty rowdy when I left.”

Alana gave Will a look of pure disgust before marching up to Hannibal’s door and knocking. Will scoffed and got into his car. 

During the long drive home, Will eventually had to confront the fact that he wanted more from Hannibal. Even with all of the satisfaction he had gotten from leaving Hannibal hanging, Will couldn’t help but picture what might have happened if he had stuck around. He made it home and fed his dogs, but he was unsure of what to do with the rest of his day. He ultimately decided to go fishing. By the time he returned home, it was nearly six o’clock. After spending the whole day doing his best not to think about Hannibal, he didn’t have the energy to do much except watch TV. Thoughts of Hannibal crept back in, and the television may as well have been muted. He needed a distraction. Will fed his dogs their evening meal early and got himself dressed in a clean outfit. He grabbed his things and bid Winston goodbye, who was sitting by the door staring at him. 

It was a lengthy drive into town, but Will needed a place to drink that wasn’t his armchair. He pulled up to a local bar and ordered himself a whiskey. It was rather busy for a Thursday night, Will thought, before realizing that today was Friday already. He was still working on keeping track of the days ever since his release from the hospital, if not long before that. After a few minutes of drinking alone, a handsome man took the seat beside him. Will looked him up and down, making the man blush. He got the bartender’s attention and ordered himself some gin. Will smiled at him.

“What are you drinking to, tonight?” Will asked.

“Divorce. What about you?” 

Will considered for a moment.

“Untamed impulses.” 

“Yeah? What sort of impulses?” the man asked.

“Ironically enough, toxic temptations. Guess I’m trading them out for whiskey instead. Why are you getting divorced?”

“I told my wife I might be gay,” he admitted.

“Are you?” asked Will.

“Yes.” 

Will chuckled.

“How long, exactly, did that take you to figure out?”

The man laughed.

“Denial is a strong force. I was raised strictly Catholic.”

The bartender returned with the man’s drink. He thanked her and asked,

“Could you get this man a refill on my tab, please? Thank you, ma’am.”

He turned back to Will.

“What’s your name?” he asked. 

“It’s Will,” he answered with a smile. “What about you?”

“Gerald. Pleasure to meet you.”

Will bit his lip. Who doesn’t love a gentleman? 

“You, too. Thank you for the drink,” Will said, accepting it from the bartender. “I didn’t expect to meet someone as lovely as you tonight.”

“I could say the same to you,” said Gerald, blushing slightly. “Beautiful looks like yours are hard to come by. I’m almost jealous.”

Will laughed.

“You’d be a fool to envy me. With your biceps and those pretty brown eyes, there’s not a man you couldn’t get.”

Gerald smiled shyly.

“You flatter me. Still, you can’t be entirely oblivious to how gorgeous you are. The ‘toxic temptations’ you’re running from… You can’t tell me that’s not a man who wants you all to himself.”

Will scoffed in flattered surprise. 

“You’re spot on, Gerald. It’s just so goddamn complicated… I’ve had enough of it.”

“Cut ties. Toxic relationships won’t bring you any good.” 

Will smiled at him, somber.

“Unfortunately, for me, it’s not that simple. Our lives have become entangled.”

“Sounds tricky.”

“Yeah. Hence, the reason I’m here, drinking, instead of relaxing at home.”

“I don’t blame you. We could all use a distraction.”

Will reached out to touch his muscular forearm.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

Gerald blushed and looked down.

“I, um… I wasn’t suggesting that we…”

“I was,” Will whispered with a sly grin. 

“I’m flattered, Will, but I just came here to drink,” Gerald said sheepishly. “How about I take you out to dinner sometime?”

“I like you, Gerald, but I’m not interested in going out to dinner,” Will told him, leaning a bit closer to his ear.

Gerald turned his head to meet Will’s eyes. Will leaned in, and Gerald kissed him. With a satisfied smile, Will moved a hand up his leg as they made out. Gerald began kissing and sucking on his neck, nearly making Will moan. 

“You wanna take my car?” murmured Will. 

Gerald pulled away.

“Let’s take mine,” he muttered back before leading Will out into the parking lot. 

Gerald couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of Will, and Will couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself. They made out against what Will hoped was Gerald’s car for several minutes until he noticed one too many people stare in their direction.

“Gerald,” laughed Will, “Is this your car?”

“Yes,” Gerald panted, amused. “You should get in.”

Will obliged and climbed into the passenger seat. 

“Your place?” asked Gerald, starting the car. 

“Too far away. Yours?”

“My wife and son are there.”

Will sighed. 

“Hotel, then?”

“Hotel it is,” Gerald agreed.

By the time the two of them were finally alone in a hotel room, Will’s patience was wearing thin. He pulled off Gerald’s clothes and pushed him onto the bed. Stripping off his own clothes, Will climbed on top of him and shoved him into the position he desired. Gerald allowed Will to take him over. As soon as Will finished, however, Gerald had his way with him. Even with some biting and hair-pulling, Gerald’s tender demeanor certainly transferred to the bedroom. This was exactly the kind of man Will should want, but every time he closed his eyes he imagined that he was in Hannibal’s embrace instead. Gerald’s pace picked up, making Will moan endlessly. 

“Oh my god, Hannibal, ” Will cried out, panting unevenly as he got fucked. 

Gerald grabbed him by the throat and finished inside him. Will groaned when Gerald pulled out, and he let himself collapse onto the pillows. Gerald lay beside him, panting.

“Wow,” Gerald laughed. “I can’t believe how many years I missed out on being gay.”

Will snorted.

“You’re cute. Welcome to living your truth.”

“One of us has to,” Gerald teased.

Will raised an eyebrow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You know what I mean. Whoever this ‘Hannibal’ guy is, you clearly haven’t moved on from him.”

Will blushed.

“Sorry about that.”

Gerald laughed.

“Look, no offense taken. I’m just glad I’ve never had a love like that. I’ve seen a lot of good friends fall victim to toxic men.”

Will’s eyes blinked open, almost startled.

“I certainly wouldn’t call it love,” Will corrected him.

“Well, whatever it is, your best efforts to not think about him seem to have done the opposite.”

Will took a deep, tired breath.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

He rolled out of bed and pulled on his pants. 

“Sorry, I should get home. I still have to feed my dogs,” Will lied. 

“Sure, I get it. I can’t believe I’m asking this, but… could I get your number?”

Will chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re a good man Gerald, and you should have a good life. I like you too much to involve you in any of my bullshit.”

Gerald smiled at him.

“Fair enough. Thank you, Will. It was nice to meet you.”

Will grabbed his things and slipped into his shoes. He glanced over his shoulder to give Gerald one last look and a smile.

“You too, Gerald. Have a good night.”

Chapter Text

Hardly a minute after Will’s exit, there was a knock on the door. It was unlike Will to return after a mic-drop moment. Hannibal opened the door to find Alana Bloom standing before him, glaring. 

“Alana, what a surprise. Please, come in.”

“Did you sleep with Will Graham?” she demanded, stepping through the door.

Hannibal internally groaned. This morning just wasn’t going his way.

“If you’re asking if he slept here, then yes. I certainly didn’t sleep with him.”

“Well you did something with him! You have hickeys on your neck, and you look like you just rolled out of bed.”

Hannibal looked away, doing his very best to mask his annoyance. 

“Yes, I may have crossed professional boundaries.”

“Professional boundaries?! He was your patient! Who, last I heard of it, wanted you dead.”

“He has since decided to resume his therapy.”

Alana’s jaw dropped.

“He’s still your patient! Hannibal, you could get your license suspended. What the hell were you thinking?”

“It was a moment of weakness. One thing led to another, and I made out with him. I won’t allow it to happen again.”

“ Moment of weakness? Hannibal, what if Will reports this?”

“Will has nothing to gain from reporting me. He has no interest in taking away my license to practice therapy.”

“Will is manipulating you. He still thinks you’re dangerous.”

“Whatever issues Will might have with me, I’m confident I can help him work through them in therapy.” 

“Hannibal, your relationship is too personal. This kind of situation demands a referral!”

“Will isn’t interested in a referral. I’d rather not leave him to his own devices. He’s not your patient, Alana.”

Alana sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. 

“This is blatantly irresponsible. I expected more from you.”

“Will Graham and I are not having an affair. It was hardly more than a kiss, and we’re both fully capable of setting boundaries. I must ask you to trust in my therapy. Nobody can help Will better than I.”

Alana nodded in reluctant agreement.

“Just be careful, Hannibal. He tried to kill you.”

Hannibal reached forward and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, gently stroking her face with his finger.

“Of course. It’s sweet of you to worry, but not at all necessary.” 

Alana scoffed.

“I’m just glad to hear you aren’t doubling up on affairs. Anyway, I only came to bring you a coffee. You can imagine my surprise when I saw Will coming from your house. I didn’t even think to bring your coffee in.”

“If you have time to stay, I would be happy to entertain. My first appointment this morning was cancelled.”

“No, I should get to work. Are you free tonight? I can come by.” 

Hannibal smiled down at her.

“I look forward to it.”

She smiled back and tilted her chin up to kiss him. Hannibal nearly kissed her by reflex, but he redirected himself to kiss her on the cheek. Alana’s brow furrowed. Hannibal tried to bring her attention to the front door by reaching for the handle, but it was too late.

“What was that?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

“Morning breath,” Hannibal laughed breezily. “I could do with that coffee. Let me walk you out.”

He escorted Alana to her car and bid her goodbye. Once he closed his front door, he allowed his expression to reflect the bitter resentment that Will had left him with. He rushed to his phone in the kitchen to come up with an excuse to cancel the appointment he was supposed to be at in twenty minutes. Will had played him for a fool, but he wouldn’t get away with it. For now, Hannibal was forced to get ready for work.

The day dragged on and on. Almost none of his patients had anything interesting to say, and Hannibal couldn’t seem to get his mind off of Will. More than once, it occurred to him that Will could be out looking for another man to fuck while he was stuck here, in his office, listening to grown men cry over their trivial problems. Between appointments, he was lost in fantasies of taking Will’s body over by force. Will really had some nerve leaving Hannibal like this, pining and brimming with sexual frustration. There would be consequences. 

Shortly after he arrived home, Hannibal texted Abigail:

Come to the kitchen please.

Moments later, Abigail emerged from the staircase.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

“We need to move you back to the cabin tomorrow. There’s been far too much traffic here lately, and Alana is coming over again tonight.”

Abigail groaned.

“Why? It’s so boring there! Can’t you just keep it in your pants?”

“Abigail,” scolded Hannibal. 

“What? I could hear you and Will this morning all the way from my bedroom, and now your lady friend is coming over?”

Hannibal glared.

“Not that my sex life is any of your business, but what you heard was only Will.”

“Again, EW! Why can’t you just go over to Alana’s then?”

“Abigail, I didn’t call you down here to argue with you. I’m taking you back tomorrow, end of discussion.”

Abigail rolled her eyes and took a seat at the counter. 

“What’s for dinner?” she asked, monotone.

“Lasagna. I’ll get started on it in a moment.”

Abigail smiled slightly, and Hannibal couldn’t help but return it. She sighed.

“I love your lasagna, but now you’re just reminding me of all the cooking I won’t get once you ship me away again.”

“You won’t be there forever, Abigail. This is only for your safety.”

“Yeah, I know. So, how did it go with Will?”

Hannibal took a deep breath.

“Less than ideal. He’s playing games with me.”

Abigail raised an eyebrow.

“Seems only fair. You did frame him for murder.”

Hannibal ignored her. 

“We’ll resolve it at his next appointment. Now, help me gather the ingredients for dinner, please.” 

Before Alana arrived for dinner, Hannibal sent Abigail upstairs with her portion. Both he and Alana avoided the topic of Will as they ate. She didn’t stay long after they had sex, claiming she had to work early. Hannibal preferred it this way; he sometimes found her company to be quite dull. Still, it was a relief to release some of the urges Will had been building and forcing him to keep pent up. Hannibal thought about texting him a few times, but if he really was off looking for a date then it wouldn’t do any good. His thoughts of Will lingered as nightfall came and went. Eleven o’clock passed, and he still couldn’t sleep. Hannibal stood from his bed, got himself dressed, and drove down to Wolf Trap. By the time he arrived at Will’s house, it was after midnight, but Will’s car was nowhere to be seen. Hannibal let himself in; despite Will’s extensive time working in criminology, he never did lock his doors. 

He paused in the doorway to allow the dogs to sniff him. Once they recognized his smell, he passed through the hallway and looked around. There was no sign of Will, just a half-empty glass of whiskey next to the couch. Where could he be at this time of night, especially after drinking? He paced around Will’s home, unsure of what he was looking for. Several of the dogs followed him curiously. He settled on Will’s stiff little bed. The entire room smelled of Will, but Hannibal laid his head on Will’s pillows to breathe in his scent. He must have started to drift off to sleep because it felt like only moments later that the dogs started barking at the front door. Hannibal sat up with a start and went to the porch. As soon as the door opened, the dogs flooded out to greet Will, who squinted up at him.

“Hannibal? What the hell are you doing here? It’s nearly two in the morning.”

“I came to see you. You weren’t here.”

“So you stayed here and waited for me like some kind of stalker?”

Hannibal maintained an indifferent front.

“Where did you go so late at night?”

Will brushed past him to walk into his house.

“Since when do we keep track of each other’s whereabouts?”

Hannibal followed him inside. He could smell whiskey on Will’s breath.

“You’ve been drinking. You shouldn’t be driving in the dark. There are deer all around here.”

Will’s laughter was filled with sarcasm. 

“Since when are you playing the worried boyfriend? Why are you even in my house, Hannibal?”

Hannibal narrowed his eyes at Will’s hostility.

“I was thinking of you. I came by and looked around to check if you were home. I must have fallen asleep after I sat on your bed,” he admitted.

Will studied Hannibal’s face.

“Why were you in my bed?”

“Why were you out at one in the morning?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“I went to the bar. I needed a distraction.”

Hannibal stepped closer to Will, who was leaning over to pet his dogs. 

“Seems we were both too consumed by thoughts of the other to get much rest,” said Hannibal.

Will scoffed and stood up straight as Hannibal inhaled his scent. 

“Actually, I went out around eight. Took a bit of a drive,” Will said.

Hannibal wrinkled his nose. 

“Would you stop smelling me?” snapped Will. “I’m trying to talk to you.”

“Did you find the distraction you were looking for?” Hannibal asked, fearing he already knew the answer. 

Will lifted his chin defiantly.

“Yeah, I did. I just hooked up with some guy I met at the bar.”

It took all of Hannibal’s might not to throw Will up against the wall. He bit his tongue until he tasted blood. 

“What’s his name? I’ll kill him,” Hannibal growled. 

Will laughed, seemingly in genuine amusement. 

“I’m not telling you his name, Hannibal.”

Hannibal shoved him against the wall of the hallway. Will let out a surprised gasp. Hannibal hissed into his ear,

“Will, if you see that man again, you will come home to his entrails splayed across your carpet.”

To Hannibal’s dismay, Will laughed yet again.

“There he is, the Chesapeake Ripper. The real Hannibal Lecter. How does it feel to admit that you’re a fucking killer?”

Hannibal glared down at him furiously.

“When you were lending your body to this stranger, did you picture yourself with me?”

This comment wiped the smug look off of Will’s face. His jaw clenched, and he glared back at Hannibal.

“You could have had the real thing,” Hannibal continued, “but you would rather treat your body like a bachelor’s rental than grant it to someone who’s actually worthy of it.”

“Oh, my god,” Will groaned. “You are such a goddamn narcissistic. I don’t know how the hell I didn’t see it sooner.” 

“Will, you want me so bad you’re acting like a fool. Pull yourself together.” 

“Shut up , Hannibal! I didn’t ask for your fucking opinion. I can sleep with or not sleep with whoever the hell I want.”

“Then stop taunting me!” Hannibal snarled.

Will raised his eyebrows.

“Right, yeah. Because it’s always what you want, when you want it.”

“You’re dangling yourself in front of me like a piece of meat. You don’t want me to reach my breaking point.”

Will snickered. 

“Or what, you’ll eat me?”

Hannibal stared back at him silently. Yes. 

Will tore off his own belt, followed by his shirt. 

“Eat me, then.”

Hannibal salivated at the mere sight of his naked torso. He pressed Will’s back to the wall and kissed along his collarbone, leaving behind hickeys. Will hummed with pleasure as Hannibal ran his hands all over him, then down the back of his pants. Will nudged his jawline and gave him a sweet kiss. Hannibal tried to unzip Will’s pants, but his hand was swatted away. He grit his teeth.

“Will,” he grumbled. “Quit playing games.”

“Yeah? Don't threaten me, then. I know when you’re bluffing.” 

Hannibal huffed quietly. 

“You know you want me, Will. Take off your pants.” 

Will shrugged. 

“Can’t, I’m still sore from two hours ago. His dick was probably bigger than yours, any—“

Hannibal cut him off with a hard punch to the jaw. Will’s head fell back against the wall with a thud. Groaning slightly, Will wiped the blood from his bruised lip, a bitter sneer growing on his face. 

“Nice punch, Doctor. Now I really want to sleep with you.” 

“You need to learn when to shut your mouth, Will.”

“No, you need to learn that I’m gonna say whatever the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want,” Will snapped.

“Then expect to be punished accordingly,” growled Hannibal.

In response, Will spat blood in Hannibal’s face. Hannibal grabbed hold of Will’s throat with both hands and squeezed tightly. Will gasped for air but did nothing to stop him. Will's eyes fluttered, and he slid down against the wall, collapsing on the floor. He coughed and sputtered until he could sit up again. Hannibal glared down at him. 

“Would you like to try that again, Will?” 

One of Will’s dogs growled behind Hannibal, but he ignored it. Will met his eyes.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” he panted. “What will Alana Bloom think?”

“Don’t tell me you’re still trying to turn the narrative against me.”

“I’m not turning anything, Hannibal, and this isn’t a narrative. This is real life, where actions have consequences. You act like this and then wonder why I don’t want to sleep with you.”

“Don’t be coy, Will. You’re purposefully provoking me because you do want to sleep with me. Are you just trying to prove to yourself that I’m not the man you desire?”

Will gave a weak laugh as he stood up. 

“You’re the psychiatrist. You tell me.”

“You want my professional opinion? This is reckless masochism. You want me to torture you to give yourself a break from torturing yourself. Your nightmares, your self-isolation, it all derives from your desperate need to feel like a good person by denying your true nature.”

He had certainly touched a nerve or two; Will’s indignant expression changed to pure anger. 

“You pompous, destructive, pathetic little bitch,” Will sneered. “Your so-called nature inspires nothing but disgust and pain. You’re so desperate to feel important that you don’t care who gets hurt in the process.”

“Watch your mouth, Will,” Hannibal warned. “You’ve thrown more than enough low blows tonight.” 

“I hate you,” Will laughed bitterly, and tears welled in his eyes. “I fucking hate you so much.” 

Hannibal sighed. I love you.

“I care about you, Will. I don’t like seeing you like this.”

“You did this to me,” said Will, his voice strained and shaky. “You don’t care about me.”

Hannibal reached out to cradle Will’s face, wiping away a tear with his thumb. 

“I know you’re overwhelmed, darling. Everything is going to be alright.”

Will let out a sob and fell into Hannibal’s chest. Hannibal held him close, stroking his hair. 

“I’m sorry, Will. I never meant to make you feel helpless. I want to help you take your power back.” 

Will groaned and pulled away from him. 

“Hannibal, please, stop being sweet,” he begged, his cheeks wet with tears. “You should go.” 

Instead, Hannibal leaned forward and kissed his lips. Will kissed him back just as gently, and Hannibal felt Will’s fingers caress the back of his neck. Reaching for Will’s hips, Hannibal tugged him closer. Will separated their lips and met Hannibal’s eyes.

“Let me stay,” whispered Hannibal. “I’ll make sure you can fall asleep.”

“Fine,” grumbled Will, but Hannibal saw him smile.

Hannibal took off his shoes and followed Will to his bed. He watched as Will put on a white t-shirt and stripped off his jeans. Will caught him looking and smiled.

“Don’t be a perv,” he teased.

Hannibal gave him a flirtatious look and laid down near the edge of the bed. When Will joined him, he climbed under the sheets and cuddled up to Hannibal’s chest without a word. Hannibal smiled to himself, and he felt Will’s hand slip under his shirt. 

“Goodnight, Will,” he whispered, stroking his hair.

Within minutes, Will had drifted off to sleep. The bed was impossibly small and stiff, so Hannibal laid awake for hours until the sun began to rise. He didn’t mind at all; the feeling of Will laying pressed up against him brought more peace to his mind than sleep ever could. Still, this was getting exhausting. He had always loved Will’s unpredictability, but lately he was all over the place. Hannibal was left to hope they could work through some of Will’s issues during his upcoming session.

Chapter Text

Will woke up in Hannibal’s arms for the second morning in a row. At least he was in his own bed this time. He sat up to find that Hannibal’s eyes were already open.

“Morning,” Will grumbled with a yawn. “How long have you been awake?”

Hannibal kissed his forehead, making Will blush.

“Since yesterday. Your bed isn’t particularly comfortable.”

Will laughed. His throat was still sore from being choked last night.

“So you’ve just been watching me sleep all night? Weirdo.” 

Hannibal smiled at him.

“How are you feeling, Will?” 

“I’m fine. You should get home and get some rest.” 

Hannibal kissed his neck and gave him a soft nudge before climbing out of bed. 

“See you for therapy tomorrow?” he asked.

Will nodded. 

“Yeah, I’ll walk you out.”

He rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants. Hannibal shamelessly watched him dress, which Will did his best to ignore. He walked Hannibal out onto the porch and paused at the steps.

“Hannibal… Thank you for staying with me last night. Even though I hate it when you’re sweet, it was… sweet.” 

Hannibal cradled Will’s neck in his hand. His warm touch in contrast to the crisp morning air gave Will sweet chills.

“Anytime, my love. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Will closed his eyes and let his forehead lean against Hannibal’s. He kissed Hannibal’s soft lips, gently pulling him closer. His eyes stayed closed even after their lips separated. 

“Goodbye, Will,” Hannibal whispered. 

Will opened his eyes and was met with pure adoration in Hannibal’s gaze. His chest felt as though it might burst.

“Drive safe,” Will breathed out before rushing back inside. 

He shut the door behind himself and let his head fall into his hands. What is happening to me? It felt as though Hannibal were calculating Will’s every move, compelling him to fall deeper and deeper into this obsession he had developed. What the hell was that look on his face? Hannibal Lecter didn’t make heart eyes. Will was being played for a fool yet again. But why? What the hell did Hannibal want from him this time? 

Will had clearly been wrong to tell Chilton that Hannibal wanted to be his friend. He recalled what the man at the bar said about Hannibal wanting Will all to himself. It finally dawned on him; Hannibal wanted to own Will, body and soul. His every thought, feeling, and action, Hannibal wanted to control. But if these were the cards he held, Will had to convince Hannibal that what he wanted was somehow attainable. He already felt as if he were losing himself in Hannibal. Who would Will become by the time he effectively gained Hannibal’s trust?

He let out a frustrated yell and kicked the kitchen counter. Winston whined from his dog bed on the floor. Will took a deep breath.

“Sorry, Winston,” he mumbled. 

Will fixed himself and the dogs some breakfast before getting in the shower. He spent quite some time letting the hot water wash over him. For a brief moment, he was able to push Hannibal out of his mind. When he was clean and dressed, he went out to his sitting room and pet his dogs in his armchair. The quiet brought him a small bit of peace. Soon, Buster started to bark. Will went to the window and saw Alana’s car driving up. What the hell was this about? 

He put on his shoes and met her out on the porch.

“Hi, Will,” she said flatly.

“Alana. Can I help you with something?”

She sighed. 

“It’s cold. Do you have coffee?”

Will gave a slight nod and let her inside. She hung up her coat and took a seat. 

“I wanted to ask you what’s going on between you and Hannibal.”

Will raised his eyebrows as he started a pot of coffee.

“Why, you don’t trust your boyfriend to tell you the whole truth?” he mocked.

Alana’s posture stiffened. 

“He’s not my boyfriend. I’m concerned, as his colleague, about his relationship with you as his patient.”

Will sat down across from her. 

“We’ve never had a conventional patient-psychiatrist relationship. We’re well past professional boundaries. What exactly is your concern?”

“Among other things, I’m concerned about what your motivations are,” she pressed.

“If I were you, I would be a lot more concerned with Hannibal’s motivations.”

“So you do still think he’s dangerous.”

“I know he’s dangerous.”

“Then why were you staying over at his house? What is your game, Will?” she demanded.

Will took a deep breath, shaking his head.

“I’m not going to kill Hannibal, or I would have done so by now. As far as I’m concerned, my relationship with Hannibal is none of your business. And, by the way… If you feel like Hannibal is lying to you, it’s because he is.”

“He already told me you two made out.”

Will scoffed.

“Did he tell you what happened after that?”

Alana raised her eyebrow at him.

“I didn’t think so. Tell me… after he made his excuses and apologies and whatnot, did you two kiss and make up?”

Will noticed a flash of doubt in her eyes. Bullseye. 

“What are you asking, Will?”

“Do you know why he didn’t kiss you goodbye, Alana?”

“No. Why?” she asked firmly.

Will couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

“He still had my cum on his breath.” 

Alana’s face went deadly pale, and then her cheeks filled with red hot anger. She stood up, snatched her coat off the hook, and left without another word. 

Will felt a twinge of guilt before reminding himself of how she treated him, how she looked at him after he was arrested. If nothing else, she deserved to see Hannibal for what he really was: a dishonest, violent manipulator. 

*   *   *

Will spent most of the next day contemplating how his therapy session with Hannibal would go that evening. Around five o’clock, there was a knock on the door. Will turned down his music and answered it. 

“Hey, Jack. Come on in.” 

Jack walked inside and turned back to Will.

“Doctor Chilton isn’t the Chesapeake Ripper.”

“No, he isn’t,” Will agreed.

“Alana Bloom tells me you’ve resumed therapy with Hannibal Lecter.”

Will nodded.

“Yes.”

“Are you trying to catch him?”

“Yes.” 

Jack sighed.

“What can I do to help?” he asked. 

“You’ve done enough, Jack. For now, you can just stay out of the way.” 

“What’s your plan, Will?”

“I’m building trust. He wants to be close to me. I’ll give him what he wants.” 

“I have to open an official investigation. It will all be strictly confidential, but I’m gonna need you to work with me here.”

“Jack, I cannot stress enough how essential it is that Hannibal Lecter does not know he’s being investigated.” 

“I understand that, and because of that I’ll have to be mostly hands-off. I’m putting a lot of trust in you, Will.”

“All due respect, Jack, I don’t need your help to catch him. If you have your own plan, I’m all ears.” 

Jack raised his eyebrows.

“That wasn’t all due respect, Will.”

Will bit his tongue. 

“Sorry. I’ll keep you updated and let you know if I get close.”

“Good. Now, even if you do gain his trust, he’s not going to admit to anything, and he probably won’t kill again for some time. How are we going to catch him?”

“That remains to be seen, it’s still early. But if he believes that I’m capable of the kind of violence that he is, he may want to kill together. I have an appointment with him in a couple hours.”

“What does he want, Will?”

Will sighed.

“He wants to be understood, seen, without relinquishing any control whatsoever. I can make him think he can control me. He already knows I understand him.”

Jack nodded.

“Don’t worry, Jack,” Will continued. “I’ve got it covered.”

“Okay. We’ll talk tomorrow. Just be careful.”

“I know. Have a good night, Jack.” 

Will showed him out and went back to his bedroom to get ready for therapy. He dressed in a tight pair of slacks and a plaid button-down. After spending an unreasonable amount of time fixing his hair, Will couldn’t tell if he was nervous or excited to see Hannibal. He bid his dogs goodbye and headed to Baltimore. 

When he arrived at Hannibal’s office, Will paced around the waiting room. Hannibal opened the door at exactly 7:30pm. 

“Hello, Will. Please, come in.”

Will strode into the office. 

“What’s on your mind today?” Hannibal asked.

Will smiled and looked at the floor.

“You, mostly. I keep finding myself trying to explain why I can’t seem to stop kissing you.” 

Hannibal appeared pleased. 

“And have you come to any conclusions?”

“Only that I really like kissing you.” 

Hannibal looked Will up and down.

“So, have you come to taunt me some more?”

Will shook his head. 

“No, Doctor. I’m embracing my true nature. Isn’t that what therapy is all about?”

He met Hannibal’s gaze with a slight smirk. Hannibal tilted his head.

“How will you be embracing your nature tonight?”

Will stepped closer to him and wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck. Hannibal’s expression shifted from perplexed to delighted. 

“I’m not falling for that again, Will,” he teased.

Will grinned and pushed Hannibal’s suit jacket off his shoulders. Leaning forward, he kissed Hannibal with a lustful passion. He struggled to undo Hannibal’s tie as Hannibal tossed his suit jacket aside and buttoned down Will’s shirt. Will shoved Hannibal up against his ladder, grumbling complaints about Hannibal’s complex garments while ripping them off. Hannibal kissed and bit along his neck, and Will moaned with pleasure. He tore off his own pants and flipped Hannibal around to face the ladder. 

Hannibal groaned in pain as Will bit down on his shoulder and shoved himself inside him. At last, it was no longer a fantasy or a dream. He moved one hand to Hannibal’s throat and the other to his hip, thrusting into him. So, this is what it felt like to conquer Hannibal Lecter. Except, Hannibal wasn’t supposed to want it so badly. Will had managed to overtake him with hardly any force at all, and Hannibal’s pained grunts were drowned out by pretty moans. Will fucked him harder, leaving bloody scratch marks down his sides and back. Even so, Hannibal came before him, panting and gasping in his pain and pleasure. His beautiful sounds made Will finish right after. He pulled out and caught his breath against the back of Hannibal’s neck. 

Will hadn’t expected Hannibal to take so much pleasure in getting fucked. It certainly contradicted his air of dominance. Hannibal turned around and pulled Will into a kiss. Will laughed, pleased yet baffled by their ever-changing dynamic. He let his forehead rest against Hannibal’s.

“Well, that covers most of what’s been on my mind lately,” Will muttered with a smile.

“Mine, too,” Hannibal agreed.

“You like getting fucked?” Will teased.

“I like getting fucked by you,” Hannibal corrected him. “Although I’d love to fuck you myself.”

Will grinned.

“We’ll see,” he giggled and kissed Hannibal again. “Put on some clothes, Hannibal. This is a place of business.”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at Will, who gave him a playful smirk and turned around to pick up his clothes. He felt Hannibal slap his ass, and Will scoffed in offended amusement. 

“Have you already given up on the gentleman act?” Will flirted, pulling on his pants.

“It’s difficult to maintain manners around a man with such blatant disregard for them,” teased Hannibal. 

Will smiled at Hannibal and tossed him his shirt. Still buttoning up his own, he sat down in his chair across from Hannibal’s for therapy.

Chapter Text

Hannibal couldn’t keep his eyes off of Will for the rest of their appointment. Will had left several buttons on his shirt undone when he redressed, and the view Hannibal had of his chest made him want to put his hands all over him again. His body was so incredibly beautiful. 

“Hannibal? Are you even listening to me?”

Hannibal looked up and met his gaze.

“I apologize, Will. My mind was elsewhere. You were telling me of a nightmare you had?”

Will scoffed.

“Am I keeping you from something, Doctor?”

“Of course not. You have my full attention, perhaps too much so. You look positively stunning.”

Will blushed. 

“Quit trying to flatter me. If you’re not giving me psychiatric care, you basically become a glorified prostitute.” 

Hannibal’s jaw dropped open. He did not just say that to me.  

“Will Graham, you will not speak to me that way.”

Will snorted with laughter.

“Or what?” he giggled.

“Or I’d have half a mind to give you another busted lip.”

Will smiled, running his tongue over his teeth. 

“Try me, Doctor Lecter.”

Hannibal turned his head, clenching his jaw. 

“Tell me again about this nightmare.”

Will pursed his lips, seemingly biting back his smile. 

“It was less about the nightmare and more about the fact that I rarely fantasize about killing you anymore. Any violent thoughts I have about you are impermanent in nature. If I were to kill you, there would be no fantasies left to enact.” 

“It sounds as if you’re welcoming these violent thoughts.”

“Not welcoming, no. I’m accepting them to avoid repression.”

“If your goal is to avoid repression, why not just kill me? Would that not end the fantasies altogether?” Hannibal asked.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Will divulged with a sigh. “I would just want to do it again the next day.”

“You fear you would develop a taste for killing?”

Will shook his head.

“No. I would want to kill you again the next day. That’s why I don’t want to kill you anymore. I’ve been… getting off, thinking about hurting you. If you die, I can’t hurt you anymore.” 

Hannibal’s mouth watered.

“Tell me, Will… How do you fantasize about hurting me?” 

Will chuckled and bit his lip.

“I’m not going to answer that. It can get a little bit too creative.”

“Creativity is good. Exercises the brain.”

“My brain is tired. I feel obsessive. I can’t quiet my thoughts.”

“It seems you acted on some of them tonight. Have your thoughts quieted at all?”

Will nodded slowly.

“Yes. But as soon as I get home I’ll be kicking myself. I can’t forgive you for what you did to Abigail or to Beverly, so I could never forgive myself for having an affair with you.”

“So, how will you quiet these obsessive thoughts you’ve developed?” 

“I was hoping you would have an answer to that,” Will admitted. “One that doesn’t involve fucking you.” 

Hannibal felt himself blush. After a pause, he asked,

“Have you considered sudoku? Or, perhaps a book club?”

Will burst out laughing, and Hannibal returned his good-natured grin. 

“In all seriousness,” Hannibal continued, “There’s no answer I could provide that you haven’t thought of already. That being said, hobbies have consistently proven to help distract from obsessions and addictions. For you, I assume that would involve something outdoors.”

“Are you actually suggesting that I channel my desire to murder you into, what, hiking? Rock climbing?”

“You didn’t seem to like my first suggestion. Besides, I find my own hobbies to be very fulfilling. Take cooking for example.”

“You eat people.”

“Haven’t you?”

Will scoffed. 

“Only the ones you served to me without my knowledge. Besides, what do you ever need to distract yourself from? You pretty much do whatever you want.”

“Not everything,” Hannibal corrected, looking down suggestively. “Besides, even us monsters have our sorrows.” 

Will took a deep breath and stood to pace around the office. As if he hadn’t teased Hannibal enough, the slacks Will was wearing hugged tight around his ass and thighs. Hannibal was quite positive he had never seen a man so beautiful before, and now Will was dressing like it to make matters worse. 

“Maybe I should start working at a boatyard. It would at least give me something to do.”

“Is that what you want to do?”

Will sighed. 

“I’m not sure.” 

He wandered over to Hannibal’s sketching desk and moved aside some papers. Will’s eyebrows raised. 

“Is this supposed to be me?”

Hannibal immediately recalled leaving a nude sketch of Will under the papers on his desk. 

“Yes,” Hannibal replied simply.

Will laughed nervously, his cheeks blushing red. 

“That’s a really impressive level of detail. Although, I’m not sure my back muscles are so defined.”

“If you posed for me, I could create a more accurate depiction,” Hannibal flirted. 

Will bit his lip, still smiling sheepishly.

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen. So, is this what you do when you can’t stop thinking about me ?”

“Sometimes,” Hannibal admitted. 

“Well, that definitely doesn’t solve my problem. I can’t draw for shit. Maybe I could take up boxing. It’d be nice to beat the shit out of some random assholes.”

Hannibal shook his head in disbelief. 

“Whatever you think is best, Will. Now, it seems we’re out of time. Will I see you next week?” 

“What, you’re kicking me out?” Will laughed. “You never stop my appointments on time.”

Hannibal held back a smile. 

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately. It’s best that I get home on time.”

“Hm. Okay, fine. I guess I’ll see you next week, then.”

Hannibal stood up and walked him to the exit. As he suspected, Will turned around to face him when they reached the door.

“Hey… Are you doing anything after this?”

“Why do you ask?” prompted Hannibal.

“It’s, uh… it’s late. I haven’t been sleeping all that well, either. It’s a long drive ahead of me, so… maybe I could stay at your place?” Will asked, looking up at Hannibal with his adorable little puppy eyes. 

Hannibal smiled.

“How could I refuse?”

Hannibal could feel Will’s gaze on him the whole way to his house. Normally he would have no issue with this, but he needed to send a text to Abigail. Despite Hannibal’s persistent objections, she had managed to convince him to let her stay one additional night before taking her to the cabin. Now that Will was coming home with him, she had managed to con him into keeping her home for two extra days. How humbling it was to be manipulated by a teenage girl. He managed to sneak a warning text to Abigail while Will was distracted by his own phone:

Will is coming home with me. Stay in your room.

Predictably, she replied:

Ew.

They arrived at Hannibal’s home, and he led Will up the porch steps. As soon as Hannibal shut the front door, Will turned to him and pulled him into a kiss. Hannibal couldn’t help but grin as he kissed back. Will smiled at him when they pulled apart.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Hannibal offered.

“Sure.” 

Hannibal went to the kitchen and poured them each a glass of wine. Will accepted the glass from him and sipped it. Taking Will’s free hand, Hannibal led him to the bedroom. Will sat down on the bed, and Hannibal began to undress. He stripped down to his underwear and slipped under the sheets, sipping on his wine. The scratch marks on his back stung as they rubbed against his pillowcase. When Hannibal looked at Will, he saw that his gaze still hadn’t shifted from Hannibal’s body. Will blushed at being caught.

“Those scratches look good on you,” he murmured.

Hannibal felt a quiet sense of pride and smiled. 

“I’ll think of you every time they sting, even after you leave in the morning.”

Will grinned, still blushing as he climbed onto Hannibal’s lap. Hannibal squeezed Will’s ass with one hand and pulled him into a kiss with the other. Between the sweet smile Will couldn’t seem to keep off his face and the gentle way he kept a hand on the back of Hannibal's neck to pull him close, Will’s kiss felt so incredibly loving. 

“Why are you still wearing pants, darling?” Hannibal mumbled against his lips.

Will giggled and unbuttoned his slacks. Hannibal unzipped them and helped Will pull them down over his ass. Wrapping his arms around Will, Hannibal tossed him onto his back against the bed. Will bit his lip, smiling up at him as Hannibal pulled his pants off. Hannibal started to kiss between his thighs, and Will let out a soft moan. When Hannibal looked up, Will was unbuttoning his shirt. Still sucking on Will’s thigh, Hannibal drooled slightly. Holy shit, he looks damn hot. Will smirked. 

“You look pretty down there,” Will whispered.

Hannibal moved up the bed to place his hands on Will’s chest.

“My love, you look absolutely gorgeous.” 

Will rolled his eyes.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Hannibal did as he was told, and Will rewarded him with more sweet kisses. He left hickeys all over Will’s neck, marking him as his own. Just being skin to skin with Will was driving Hannibal mad. Hannibal desperately wanted to tear off Will’s underwear, but he knew Will would stop him. When he tried anyway, he was proven correct. Will grabbed his wrists and pulled them to his chest.

“Will…” Hannibal whined, shocking himself with his own undisguised yearning.

Will snickered.

“I’m sorry, is one orgasm not enough for you tonight?” he teased. 

Hannibal’s jaw clenched.

“You look damn hot, and you’re half naked in my bed. Let me fuck you,” Hannibal growled. 

“No,” Will laughed. “I thought you were tired.”

Hannibal couldn’t stand looking at Will’s smug expression, so he ran his hands all over Will’s body as he admired it. 

“It’s hard to sleep when I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Well, I’m actually tired. You should get some sleep, Hannibal.”

Hannibal scowled at Will before rolling onto his own side of the bed. He pulled Will closer by the hips, pressing his boner against Will’s ass. Instead of resisting, Will pushed into him, grinding on him for a fraction of a second. Hannibal wanted to sink his teeth into the crook of Will’s neck. The fucking audacity of this man to turn him down like he doesn’t want to get fucked when Hannibal could even smell how bad he wants it. He wanted to tell Will he was acting like a damn slut, but that certainly wouldn’t get him anywhere. 

Hannibal laid awake, fantasizing about what he could do to Will’s body. Eventually, Will began to snore softly, fast asleep. Hannibal slowly tugged Will’s boxers off and pulled back the sheets just to admire Will’s ass. Ugh, he was just so damn fuckable. How could he resist? Hannibal fought the urge to slap his ass and squeezed it instead. He longed to hear Will moan his name. Reaching over the side of the bed, Hannibal opened his nightstand drawer and retrieved some lube. He warmed it up in his hands before sliding his fingertips around Will’s asshole. Will smiled against his pillow, his eyes still closed as he let out a tiny little moan. Hannibal melted. After gently turning Will onto his back, Hannibal added plenty more lube and lifted Will’s leg over his shoulder. Will stirred slightly, and Hannibal finally thrust himself inside him. Will’s brow furrowed as Hannibal fucked him. His eyes fluttered open and widened.

“Hanni– oh, god, ” he moaned. “Hannibal.”

Hannibal wasn’t proud of how fast he came, but at least he could convince Will it went on for longer than it did. 

“Oh my god, Will,” Hannibal whined as he pulled out. “Your body…”
Will groaned.

“Fuck you, Hannibal. You can’t just fuck me while I’m unconscious, especially if you’re gonna stop right when… fuck. Ugh, let me sleep you asshole.”

Hannibal chuckled to himself and laid back down beside Will. 

“Goodnight, my beloved.”

Will gave an angry grunt and turned onto his side. Hannibal wrapped his arms around him again and kissed the back of Will’s head. He drifted off to sleep in no time at all.

Chapter Text

Hannibal was still asleep beside him when Will woke up. The sun was peeking through the curtains, and the sound of Hannibal’s soft breathing was rather peaceful. Then Will recalled Hannibal taking advantage of him last night. For a moment he couldn’t decipher whether or not it had been a dream, but the answer became clear when he realized he wasn’t wearing his boxers.

That fucking prick. Where does he find the audacity? Yes, Will had admittedly been taunting him for a full week now, but that was no excuse. Hannibal didn’t just get to decide when to take what he wanted. It certainly took any romance out of it. Why would that matter, though? He wanted to punch Hannibal in his stupid face for what he did. That being said, he could still remember opening his eyes to Hannibal inside him. The intensity in his eyes, the grip he had on Will’s hips… it was damn hot. Fuck, I’m down bad. 

Hannibal began to stir. Will waited for his eyes to open before slapping him across the face. Hannibal yelled in surprise.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Will snapped.

Hannibal groaned. 

“Good lord, Will. You couldn’t wait for me to sit up first?”

“No, I definitely couldn’t, because you couldn’t wait for me to fucking consent before you shoved your dick inside me. Where are my boxers?” 

“Under the sheets,” muttered Hannibal. 

Will huffed in frustration. 

“I suppose now you can add rape to the list of felonies you practice.”

Hannibal scoffed.

“I’m most certainly not a practicing rapist. You seemed to enjoy yourself quite a bit. In fact, you were pretty pissed off that I stopped.” 

“Don’t make me slap you again, Hannibal. I’d advise against making shitty excuses for what you did.” 

“Will, please. You have the most beautiful body in existence, and you’ve made a habit of sleeping next to me in your underwear. You can only taunt me for so long.” 

“No, I can taunt you for as long as I want because it’s my body. How would you feel if I took– y’know what, don’t answer that. I should go.” 

Will peeled back the sheets to find his underwear.

“Will,” Hannibal pleaded. “Don’t go. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t know the meaning of that word, Hannibal. I’m clearly not as safe sleeping here as I thought,” Will grumbled, standing from the bed to get dressed.

“I would never hurt you, Will. I love you. Please, just sit back down.” 

Will’s eyes widened. 

“You– Y’know what, I’m just gonna pretend I didn’t hear that. I don’t have the energy for any more of your melodrama right now,” Will decided, heading for the bedroom door.

“Oh, please. That’s hardly news to you.”

Hannibal pulled on his pants and followed Will.

“Hannibal, just stop. I’ve let this go way too far. I need space. We both do.”

“We don’t need shit,” Hannibal growled. “You can’t keep pretending your feelings for me are just sexual. You know better.”

“Don’t tell me what I feel.”

“Okay, then you tell me what you feel.”

Will stiffened as Hannibal reached out to touch his arm. 

“I have too many feelings about you to make sense of any of them.” 

“Quit playing dumb with yourself. How do you feel about me, Will?”

“I don’t know,” Will huffed. “I’m still undecided on that.”

“We don’t choose our feelings. I didn’t decide to fall in love with you.” 

“Ugh, give me a break. You’re not in love with me. You just want to control me.”

“You don’t even know how you feel, and now you’re the one telling me what I feel?”

“Well you piss me off! It would be a lot easier to come to terms with how I feel about you if you would stop–”

There was a heavy thud from upstairs. Will jumped in alarm.

“What the hell was that?”

Hannibal stared back at him blankly. 

“What are you talking about?”

Will scoffed in disbelief. 

“Don’t you dare gaslight me, Doctor. We’re well past that.”

Will left the bedroom and headed for the stairs. Hannibal followed close behind him without a word. They made it to the second floor, and Will paused to listen. After several seconds, there was a faint creak from somewhere above their heads. Will advanced the next flight of stairs and drew a switchblade from his pocket. Again, Hannibal followed behind him.

“Hannibal,” Will mumbled, “What am I about to find?”

Hannibal said nothing. Will crept down the hallway, opening each door as he went. The third door led to a bedroom. The covers on the bed were unmade. Will looked at Hannibal, but he still gave away nothing. Holding his knife at the ready, Will walked into the room and approached the closet door. He yanked it open, and his knife dropped to the floor.

“Abigail,” he gasped. 

She threw her arms around him. Will hugged her just as tightly. 

“Holy shit. You’re alive,” Will laughed, unwrapping his arms to look at her.

Abigail laughed gleefully. 

“Hannibal’s been protecting me. He helped me fake my death so the police wouldn’t come after me. You’re not gonna tell anybody, are you?”

Will turned to look at Hannibal. 

“Of course not, Abigail. Let me just talk to Hannibal for a minute.”

Will gestured to the hallway, and Hannibal followed Will out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Will hissed. “Do you have any idea what I went through thinking she was dead? How could you keep this from me?”

“Will, relax.” 

“No! No, you don’t get to tell me to relax. Just tell me why. When were you even going to tell me? Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Yes. I was going to tell you when I was confident you would run away with us.”

Will was rendered speechless. He stared at Hannibal, his mouth agape.

“No. No! You can’t ask that of me.”

“I didn’t. Abigail was meant to stay hidden. She clearly had other plans.”

“So you’re just gonna keep her holed up in your creepy mansion for the rest of her life?”

“What do you suggest?”

“I– I don’t know. Maybe she should leave the country.”

“Just send her out on her own? How would she survive?”

“I never said ‘alone’. You could go with her.”

“I’m not leaving you, Will. Come with us.”

Will groaned.

“There it is. Have you ever thought about how much you ask of me?”

Abigail opened the bedroom door.

“Hey, so, I just thought you guys should know I can hear everything you’re saying.”

Hannibal glared at her.

“Not now, Abigail. You’ve done enough.”

She rolled her eyes.

“If you think I planned this, you should be thanking me. You were bound to screw it up with Will at some point if he never found out about me.” 

Will snorted in amusement, which he quickly turned into a cough when Hannibal turned his glare onto him. 

“Something funny, Will?”

“What?” laughed Will. “Considering what you did last night, I’d say she has a point.”

Abigail smirked, giving Hannibal a clear I-told-you-so look.

“Enough,” Hannibal declared. “Now, I have a remote cabin where Abigail has been staying for periods of time so she can walk outside freely. I was going to take her two days ago, but she refused.” 

“Because it’s boring! There’s not even internet there.”

“Abigail, go back into your room and shut the door right now,” Hannibal ordered. 

Abigail groaned and slammed the door behind her. Will fought back a smile. 

“Will, I meant what I said. We’re not going anywhere without you. I don’t see another option than to let her live here for now.”

“This is insane, Hannibal. She’s a young woman, she can’t spend the rest of her life locked up here beauty-and-the-beast style.”

“She doesn’t have to.”

“Hannibal, stop! I’m not gonna fucking elope with you. You just broke my trust for the millionth time less than eight hours ago.”

“I’m not asking you to marry me, Will. Abigail’s life will be better with you in it.”

“Stop. Stop, just stop. You can’t baby-trap me with the teenager that we orphaned!”

“There is no trap. I made a place for Abigail in your world. Why can’t you appreciate that?”

Will took a deep, heavy breath and tugged at his hair in frustration.

“I have to go. I have to think. I have to go.”

“Will, please, calm down.”

“I’ll call you tonight. Just, do NOT let anything happen to her. If you do, I will never forgive you.”

“She’s going to be fine, and so will you.”

Will sighed.

“I’ll see you later, Hannibal.”

Will’s drive home felt longer than normal. He couldn’t stop thinking about what to do about Abigail. His phone began to ring and interrupted his thoughts. He checked the caller: Jack Crawford. Fuck. Will answered the call anyway.

“Hello?”

“Will, how did it go with Lecter?”

“Um, good. Yeah, he already seems pretty convinced we want the same thing.”

“Yeah? And what would that be?”

“The, uh… the free expression of impulses, I suppose.” 

“Are you okay? You sound a little off.”

“Yeah, I’m good, just driving. I, uh… needed milk. Anyway, Hannibal has been very receptive. I just need to keep building trust for now.”

“Okay, keep me updated. I don’t want him getting too deep into your head.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t,” Will lied. “I’ll keep you updated. Talk to you later.”

He hung up quickly and tossed his phone into the passenger seat. Ugh. He wished Jack had never shown up at his house. After everything that’s happened, Jack was still depending on Will to catch the Chesapeake Ripper. It just wasn’t fair. Now that he knew Abigail was alive, everything had changed. He didn’t even want to catch Hannibal anymore. But what was the alternative? Maybe he should cut his losses, take Abigail away from Hannibal and never look back. Let Jack Crawford figure it out on his own. But would Abigail want to come with him? Would Hannibal forgive him for leaving with her? Would Hannibal follow them? Would they even survive?

Will punched the steering wheel and screamed out in frustration. 

“Fuck!” he yelled, punching himself in the forehead. “Fuck this shit!”

For a second, Will considered driving his car off of the overpass. It seemed preferable to coming to terms with any of this. He slammed on his brakes and pulled over onto the shoulder. The cars behind him honked and slammed on their brakes in turn, but Will couldn’t bring himself to care. Will didn’t want to die, but he certainly didn’t want to deal with this clusterfuck. In a moment of impulse, Will was compelled to open his contacts. Who does one call in a situation like this? He tapped on the emergency contacts tab. Beverly’s name was still in there, and so was Hannibal’s. The only other name was Jack, and Will definitely couldn’t talk to him right now. Before he could change his mind, Will dialed his father’s phone. It rang several times, and Will’s thumb hovered over the red button to end the call. 

“Hello?”

Will froze. His father spoke again.

“Will? Are you there?”

Will cleared his throat. 

“Yeah. Hi, Dad.”

“What’s wrong, son?”

“Nothing. Nothing, I just, uh, realized I hadn’t called in a while.”

“Are you driving?”

“Um… no. Well, I’m pulled over. Anyway, how have you been?”

“I’m good. Retirement is serving me well. How are you doing?”

“I’m good,” Will lied. “Well, actually… there’s been a lot going on with me lately, if I’m being honest. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it, but I’ve been doing some detective work for the FBI recently. Well, I was. Sort of as an unofficial special agent.”

“That’s fantastic.”

Will laughed, bittersweet. 

“Yeah, uh… one of the killers I was investigating, the Chesapeake Ripper, he planted enough evidence to create reasonable doubt about me. Effectively framing me for murder.”

“Woah. I guess I spoke too soon.”

“Anyway, I was locked up for a little while, but then more evidence came out, so I’m free now. And then one of the other victims shot the suspect point blank, so… case closed.”

There was a pause.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Will. I just didn’t realize I should be keeping up with national news if I want to know what’s going on with you.”

“Come on, Dad. Don’t be like that.”

“It’s alright, Will. Is all of that the reason you called?”

“Well, no. I’ve been dealing with a lot in the aftermath of it all. The Ripper, he killed a close friend of mine, and, well… I’m not really sure where to start. There’s this guy I met while I’ve been working with the FBI, and… I’m sorry, can I just explain this in metaphors?”

“Do what you gotta do.”

“Okay, then I met this woman when I started working for the FBI, and I really liked her a lot. We became close friends, but before I was arrested, I found out she wasn’t who I thought she was. She had been lying and manipulating me. Except when I got out of jail, we started… well, fuck euphemisms. We started sleeping together. I knew it couldn’t go anywhere because of what I knew about her as a person, but then… Fast forward to this morning, if we follow through with the metaphor, I found out she’s pregnant.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Dad, it’s a metaphor. There’s no baby.”

“This is a really strange metaphor, but fine. Go on.”

“Anyway, I know that if I cut ties with… the mother, then I’ll never get to have a relationship with our daughter. But today, she asked me to move in with them, so to speak.”

“What did you say?” 

“I said no. But I don’t know if I meant it. I can’t let go of either of them, let alone both.”

“Isn’t this something you can both handle the adult way? Split custody, whatever that would mean here?”

“Unfortunately, the vindictive nature of her personality doesn’t allow for that. The only way to spend time with my daughter would be to spend time with him. Er, her mother. Either that or take custody of her myself.”

“Like a legal battle?”

“Not necessarily. I’m confident I can get full custody if I put my mind to it. I would just have to sort of… blackmail him.”

“Okay, who are we talking about here? This metaphor is getting ridiculous, Will.”

“Fine,” Will sighed. “The ‘mother’ is actually a man I’ve been seeing. We share a paternal relationship with a young woman who was recently orphaned. I thought she was dead before today because he led me to believe that. I can’t lose her again, but I can’t lose him either because… I think I love him.”

“Son, it sounds like you’re in way over your head. Have you considered going back to therapy?”

Will laughed bitterly.

“Yeah, I tried that. It hasn’t really been working out in my favor. I’ve told you before, therapy doesn’t work on me.”

“You said ‘hasn’t.’ Are you still going?”

“Yes.”

“Why, if it’s not helping?”

Will bit his tongue and took a deep breath.

“Because I’m sleeping with him and he wants to raise a daughter with me.”

As he feared, his dad was silent on the other line. Will waited for him to speak.

“What’s gotten into you, Will? You’ve become reckless. I didn’t raise you to be this way.”

“Dad, judgement is the last thing I need right now. Please.”

“This man sounds like bad news with every red flag in the book. Get custody of that girl and get out of there. Do you understand?”

Will nodded, and tears began forming in his eyes.

“Yes,” he replied.

“Good. You’re a smart man, Will, but you’ve always had the tendency to think with your heart. This doesn’t seem like a situation where you can afford to do that. Okay?”

“Yeah, I got it. Thanks, Dad.”

“Any time. I love you, Will.”

“I love you, too. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, son. Good luck.”

Will smiled and hung up, wiping away a tear. He took another, deep, shaky breath, and flicked on his left blinker to re-enter traffic.

Chapter Text

As soon as Will headed down the stairs, Hannibal turned to glare at Abigail.

“Are you satisfied?” he sneered. “Will may never leave with us now. Do you realize what you’ve done?”

“He’ll be back, chill out. He wants to protect me, and he’s clearly smitten with you even if you’re the one he wants to protect me from. Besides, I could hear him yelling at you from all the way up here. He’s nowhere near forgiving you.” 

“You have no right to meddle in my relationship with Will. I know that he hasn’t forgiven me, but if he were ‘smitten’ with me, he wouldn’t have left. He’s going to try to take you from me.”

“I’m not gonna go anywhere with him.”

“Then he’ll have me arrested. He won’t stop until he’s convinced that you’re safe from me. You should have trusted me, Abigail. This was so foolish.”

Abigail rolled her eyes.

“He’s obsessed with me, but he’s obsessed with you too. And not just because he hates you, I’m serious. It’s obvious he loves you. Don’t you see how he looks at you?”

“I’ve seen him look at me like I’m a monster. You’re naive to think he would love me, especially enough to run away with the two of us. He’s going to get his reckoning after all, all because you thought you knew Will better than I do.”

Abigail sighed as if he didn’t know what he was saying.

“Even after everything you’ve done to him, he asked you today, ‘how could you.’ He doesn’t think you’re a monster. I think you need to trust me. Just win him back.”

“‘Win’ him? What are you talking about?”

“Show him that we could be a family.”

“I tried telling him I loved him, and he said we needed space. How exactly am I supposed to give Will a family if he doesn’t want it?” Hannibal asked through clenched teeth. 

“Just do something sweet! It’s not that hard. Bring him flowers. Take him out to dinner. Buy him a fancy watch. Write him a love letter. I mean, come on. What did you even do last night that pissed him off so much? You’re so bad at this.”

“Watch your mouth. My relationship with Will is none of your business.”

“You make it my business when you yell at each other and have loud sex downstairs! Oh, and when you made him SWALLOW MY EAR.” 

“I was protecting you, Abigail. You would be in prison if either you or I were ever apprehended.”
“Will isn’t gonna let me go to prison. He wants to, like, be my dad.”

“Now that he knows you’re alive, Will is going to want me out of the picture. This is not going to end well.”

“It will if you just let it! Just remind him why he loves you. Make him forgive you, and stop doing whatever you’re doing that’s pissing him off so much.”

“You don’t understand. He doesn’t love me.”

Abigail sighed again.

“Yes, he does. Trust me. Just apologize to him. Seriously, it’s not that hard.”

Hannibal glared at her. He turned away and walked down the stairs. Apologize? Will would certainly just spit in his face. Flowers and love letters wouldn’t get him much further, either. Will was too complicated. Still, it was better than doing nothing. He went to his writing desk and pulled out some parchment and a calligraphy pen. Hannibal began to write to Will:

Dear Will,

I am sorry for what my lie about Abigail put you through. I know how deeply you care for her, and I was afraid you would take her from me if you discovered the truth. I would never hurt Abigail. I want both of us to be in her life. She needs support and guidance, and only the two of us can provide that to her right now. When I look at you, Will, I see family. I want to show you the kind of family we could be. One that loves deeply, and one that can be loyal to one another. I want to trust you, and I want to show you that you can trust me. I sincerely apologize for the way I violated your trust last night. Even though I couldn’t get you out of my head, it was myself I was thinking of. I love you, Will. Please allow me to make up for my mistakes. I couldn’t bear to lose you.

When he finished the letter, Hannibal couldn’t bring himself to sign it. Giving this to Will couldn’t possibly lead to forgiveness, but it would certainly show Will how much power he held over Hannibal. Rather than signing his letter, he brought it to the kitchen and struck a match over the sink. He touched the flame to the bottom right corner of his letter and dropped it in the sink, watching it burn. Relief washed over him as the last sentence disappeared, then followed regret. If he didn’t tell Will how he felt, he would always assume the worst. He snatched the burning paper by the top and ran the flames under the faucet. With a sigh, Hannibal set the letter on a hand towel and started to make himself breakfast. 

Once he had eaten and showered, Hannibal set out to buy some flowers. He returned home with several hundred dollars worth of blooms and spent hours arranging them into a bouquet. Each white rose needed to have the right amount of yellows and pinks around it to ensure they didn’t wash out the little white lilies. When it was complete, he tightened the twine around the stems and covered it with a light blue ribbon. Hannibal then retrieved his letter from the kitchen. The water had smudged some of the ink around the burnt edge, but the majority of his message was still legible. He got to work sealing it in an envelope with an elegant wax seal. He allowed the wax to dry before he turned it over and wrote Will’s name in neat calligraphy on the front. With a heavy sigh, he stood and went upstairs to Abigail’s room. Hannibal knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in,” she welcomed. 

Hannibal entered. Abigail was lying on her bed, reading something on her laptop.

“What’s up?” she asked. “Are you still trying to make me go to the cabin?”

Hannibal chuckled.

“No, you managed to weasel your way out of that quite skillfully. No point hiding you from Will anymore, and Alana hasn’t reached out since the day she caught me with Will. I just wanted to check on you.”

Abigail shrugged.

“I’m fine. Did you apologize to Will?”

“I’m driving down there tonight. I still have to make dinner. Would you like to assist?”

“Sure,” she agreed with a smile, shutting her laptop.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Abigail froze.

“Hold that thought. Don’t make a sound. I’ll see who that is,” Hannibal assured her.

He went downstairs and answered the door. Alana stood before him once again.

“Alana, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Hannibal asked, welcoming her inside with a gesture. 

She strode in and turned back to him.

“I’m just gonna say it, I drove past your house late last night, and I saw Will’s car.”

Hannibal blinked.

“Was that a question?”

“Yes,” she said curtly, unfaltering. “Are you having an affair with him or not?”

“Yes, I am,” Hannibal admitted.

“Why? He hates you.”

“I can’t speak to Will’s motivations.”

“You’re his psychiatrist! You can’t seriously be standing behind confidentiality when you’ve already broken rule number one.”

“I can’t speak to his motivations because he hasn’t been entirely forthcoming. Will himself doesn’t seem to fully understand how he feels about me.”

“Then why are you having an affair with him? What if he tries to kill you again?” she demanded, her voice increasingly shrill.

“I care for Will. He’s a very handsome man. Our relationship has never been conventional, but I don’t believe that he still wants to kill me.”

Alana sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Y’know, Hannibal, I always took you for a gentleman. This is not that. Maybe you and Will deserve each other. Good day.”

With that, Alana opened his front door and left. Hannibal couldn’t help but feel relieved. Her endless questions and complaints had been getting on his nerves for some time now. He locked the door and met Abigail back upstairs.

“It was just Alana,” he explained. “She’s gone now. Let’s go make dinner.”

“What did she want?”

“She found out that Will and I were having an affair. I expect she won’t be looking to hear from me again, at least not for some time.”

Abigail snorted.

“I’m not surprised. Not very classy of you to be seeing them both at once.”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Are you coming to the kitchen or not?”

“Fine,” she laughed before following him downstairs.

*     *     *

The sun had nearly set by the time Hannibal arrived at Will’s house. He parked up the way so as to not alert his dogs. Opening the door to his backseat, Hannibal removed the bouquet, Will’s letter, and a glass container of his home-cooked meal. The hike down Will’s driveway felt longer than expected. As quietly as he could, he walked up the porch steps and set down his gifts to Will. Thankfully, he could hear Will playing music inside, and the dogs were quiet. 

Hannibal returned to his car and drove away. After a couple miles, he pulled over on the side of a country road to light a cigarette. He stepped out of the car to feel the breeze as he smoked. There was still a faint orange glow of the sunset over the landscape. He wished Will were here to watch it with him, but the cigarette was his only company until his phone rang. Hannibal smiled when he looked at the screen and saw Will’s name. He answered the call.

“Good evening, Will.”

Chapter Text

Will spent most of his day listening to music with his dogs, thinking over everything in Hannibal and Abigail’s wake. Around 5pm, there was a knock on the door. He certainly hadn’t expected company. He answered the door to find Jack Crawford standing on his porch once again. For some reason, he looked angry.

“Jack? What’s wrong?”

“I just had an interesting conversation with Alana Bloom. She tells me, with full confidence I might add, that you and Hannibal Lecter are having an affair.”

Will scoffed.

“So, they finally broke up then?”

The outrage on Jack’s face intensified. 

“You didn’t deny it.”

“Why would I? As usual, I’m the only one actually getting my hands dirty to catch this man. I’m not going to apologize for not having the luxury to watch this from the sidelines. I told you what he wants, and this is the most efficient way to give it to him.”

“When you said he wanted to be close to you, this is not what I had in mind,” Jack argued. “I am sticking my neck out here! The FBI is watching this investigation, and I’ve already orchestrated Chilton’s death to be publicly faked. Not only that, but Miriam can’t be properly tried for shooting him until the Chesapeake Ripper has actually been caught. Now, I am betting this entire investigation on you. I need you to keep your head on straight.”

“You can’t gamble without bargaining chips, Jack! You know that better than anyone, seeing how you were so eager to offer me up until you realized what that actually meant. If you want me to gain Hannibal’s trust, this is how I have to do it.”

“By sleeping with him? Why?” Jack interrogated.

“Do you really want to know?” Will laughed.

“Yes, I do.”

“Because he desperately wants to sleep with me! His affection for me has already thrown him more than any curveball we ever hit him with. The easiest way for me to blindside him is seduction.”

“You told me you wouldn’t let him too deep into your head, and right before that you told me you were going out for milk. Now, was that two lies, or just the one?”

Will fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Just the one. Yes, I was driving back from Lecter’s place, but I know where my head is at. I’m going to catch him. I just have to wrap him around my finger first.”

Jack stared back at him with a clenched jaw. 

“Don’t lie to me again, Will. And keep me updated on any new developments, not just what you think I need to know.”

Will snorted. 

“For your sake, I’ll be leaving out plenty of gruesome details. I’ll let you know how our next session goes.”

“If you see him before then, I need to know. Got it?”

“Okay. I got it, Jack.” 

With a curt nod, Jack turned and left. Will watched the door shut and let out a sigh. Before he had spoken to his father and to Jack, he hadn’t fully realized how undecided he was on how to deal with Hannibal. It seemed now that the decision had been made for him. For what felt like hours, Will pondered what he would say to Hannibal on the phone tonight. The idea of seducing him was easy enough, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what could go wrong. If the FBI got too close, he would lose both Hannibal and Abigail in a mere blink, and he would lose even more than that if Hannibal called him on his bluff.

He eventually noticed Buster sniffing under the front door in a determined state. Will’s brow furrowed, and he stood to open the door. On his porch sat a massive bouquet of flowers along with an envelope and what looked to be a freshly cooked meal. Will scoffed in disbelief. It was so like Hannibal to attempt some kind of fancy apology. He picked up the envelope and ushered Buster back inside, leaving the flowers and meal on the porch. Will’s first name was written in elegant calligraphy on the front. Once he opened the letter, his gaze moved to the bottom of the page. The bottom right corner was burnt off, leaving charred edges and smudged ink around where the flames had been put out. Still, he could make out most of the writing:

Dear Will,

I am sorry for what my lie about Abigail put you through. I know how deeply

you care for her, and I was afraid you would take her from me if you discovered the

truth. I would never hurt Abigail. I want both of us to be in her life. She needs support

and guidance, and only the two of us can provide that to her right now. When I look at

you, Will, I see family. I want to show you the kind of family we could be. One that loves 

deeply, and one that can be loyal to one another. I want to trust you, and I want to

show you that you can trust me. I sincerely apologize for the way I violated your tr…

last night. Even though I couldn’t get you out of my head, it was myself I was…

of. I love you, Will. Please allow me to make up for my mistakes. I couldn’t…

you.

Will wanted to rip the letter in half. Instead, he crumpled it up and threw it across the room. As usual, Hannibal knew exactly which of his buttons to press. The worst part of the letter was that Will knew that Hannibal had meant every word. He wouldn’t have tried to burn it otherwise, not even as a manipulation. Will paced around, his heart racing as he tugged at his hair in frustration. With an angry yell, Will slammed his fist down on the counter. Winston whined. Will sighed and snatched up the empty envelope from the floor, ripping it into at least a dozen pieces. This only made him want to break shit around his house, so he collapsed into his armchair and sobbed. 

It was all so goddamn unfair. He just wanted to scream. Even if Hannibal truly believed he loved Will, Hannibal didn’t know what love is. But if he wanted to pretend, then two could play at that game. After all, Will had to get closer to Hannibal than ever if he was going to put him away for good. It was the only way to keep Abigail safe, not to mention Hannibal’s future victims. Still, even though it was rather fitting that Will’s reckoning would include a betrayal of the highest degree, nothing felt right about it. What was he supposed to say to Hannibal? How could he act grateful for this ‘apology’ when he felt like it was tearing him apart?

Will went to a drawer in his kitchen and pulled out a cigarette lighter. He needed to stop thinking, even if it was only for a few seconds. Sparking the lighter on, Will brought the flame to his forearm and closed his eyes. What had Hannibal written in that last sentence? What is it he couldn’t do to me? Or couldn’t do without me? Will let the flame disappear and pressed the hot metal against his skin. For the brief second that the burn seared his skin, Will’s mind quieted. Whiskey would have to take care of the rest. 

Will went to his cabinet and poured himself a glass. He finished it in no time at all and returned to his porch to bring in Hannibal’s other gifts. The bouquet was somehow even heavier than it looked. Buster wouldn’t stop following him around, so he opened the food container and looked inside. Hannibal had used white meat, no doubt to ease Will’s worries. He set the glass bowl on the floor for the dogs to eat. Will wanted to throw away the flowers or burn them, but he had appearances to maintain. He poured another glass of whiskey and called Hannibal. The phone rang once, then twice, and Hannibal’s voice answered. 

“Good evening, Will.”

“Hey, what am I supposed to do with all these flowers?” Will teased. “I mean, they barely fit in my house.”

“I’ll get you a vase,” answered Hannibal, and Will smiled at his European pronunciation. 

“Don’t bother. My dogs will just break it. I’m putting them in a Home Depot bucket now. Only thing big enough.”

Will could hear Hannibal chuckling on the other line. He smiled.

“I got your letter. It was sort of sweet,” Will continued.

“How are you doing, my love?”

“I’m fine. How’s Abigail?”

“She’s good. Well, I’m not home right now, but she was good when I left.”

“Where are you?”

“Just a few miles up the road from you.”

“Why don’t you come back? You know you want to.”

“I didn’t know if I would be welcome.”

Will’s hand clenched into a fist.

“Come back. I miss you.”

There was a pause.

“Are you sure?”

Will squeezed his eyes shut.

“Of course. Just get over here.”

He cringed again as he said it. 

“Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Good,” Will said before hanging up the call. 

His finger tapped the screen so hard that the tip of his thumb ached. Perhaps he should just kill Hannibal as soon as he arrived. Stop while you’re ahead, as they say. Except Will would always be a step behind Hannibal. Mutual destruction might be the only way. He wanted to throw his phone across the room. Instead, he set it down and sank to the floor, hoping he would find his composure when Hannibal arrived. He turned up his music and waited.

Soon enough, the doorbell rang. Will forced himself to his feet and opened the door. Hannibal looked upon him with such affection that Will instantly wanted to punch him in the face. Despite this urge, he opened the door wider to let Hannibal in.

“I’m still pissed at you, by the way,” Will muttered.

Hannibal took his hand as Will shut the door.

“I know, darling. Let me take you home. We can be a family for the night.”

Will felt his eyes tear up. 

“No. I can’t pretend. I’m not her dad, and neither are you. She is a vulnerable young woman, an orphan, and she deserves better.”

“Who else will look out for her but the two of us?”

Will grit his teeth.

“Nobody,” he answered, in spite of himself. 

“So come home.”

“No. That’s not my home, Hannibal. This is my home.”

“Abigail isn’t here.”

“You shouldn’t be here, either.”

“You invited me, Will.”

“I know.”

Will placed one hand on Hannibal’s waist and the other on the back of his neck, pulling him into a kiss. Hannibal kissed back with unmistakable sweetness. As lovely as the kiss felt, Will still wanted to shove him to the floor. Instead, he pulled off Hannibal’s shirt and let Hannibal do the same to him. Still making out, the two of them stumbled to Will’s bedroom. Hannibal pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him, running his hands all over Will’s body. Will couldn’t help but moan when Hannibal slipped his hands into his jeans. 

“Baby…” he whined. “Please…”

“What do you need, love?” murmured Hannibal.

Will only whimpered in response, kissing him yet again. 

“I need you,” he finally whispered. 

Hannibal tore off Will’s pants along with any remaining clothing on his body. Will gasped in happy anticipation and allowed Hannibal to flip him over on his stomach.

“Tell me what you want, beloved.”

“You know what I want,” Will growled.

“Say it.”

“I want you inside me.”

Almost as soon as he spoke it aloud, Hannibal made it come true. Will was so vocally expressive that he didn’t recognize his own sounds. Hannibal seemed to get off on it tenfold, fucking him harder with every moan Will gave. His hand wrapped tighter around Will’s throat, and Will just fucking relished it , panting and moaning Hannibal’s name over and over again. Hannibal’s pretty breaths sounded just as satisfied, and Will cherished the heat against his ear. He choked and gasped for air, but Hannibal just shoved his fingers down Will’s throat. It took just one more thrust to make Will come. He let Hannibal keep using his body anyway, and Hannibal’s grunts turned to growls. He left deep scratch marks down Will’s chest, making him writhe and cry out in pain. Hannibal gave a tense, wavering breath and shoved himself in deeper. Will moaned with pleasure as Hannibal came inside him. Hannibal laid down and forcefully tugged Will to his chest. 

“My love, my sweet darling… I love you. I love you so, so dearly.”

Will bit his lip so hard that he tasted blood. 

“Shut up,” he mumbled. “Stop saying that, please.”

“I won’t. I love you, Will. I know you love me, too, but I don’t expect you to say it back. I’ve hurt you too deeply.” 

“I don’t love you,” Will whispered. “I don’t.”

Hannibal kissed his hair just the same. 

“I love you,” he repeated again. “Let me love you. Come home with me.”

Will squeezed his eyes shut.

“No. If you don’t want to sleep here, you’ll have to go home by yourself.”

Hannibal nudged him and brushed the hair off of Will’s forehead. 

“Then I’ll stay,” Hannibal whispered, only squeezing him tighter.

Will took a deep breath and nestled even closer against him.

“Good,” Will mumbled.

Chapter Text

 Although Will’s bed was small and stiff, Hannibal managed to fall asleep holding his love in his arms. It was still dark outside when he woke. Will was writhing in his sleep and breathing heavily. Hannibal sat up and brushed a sweaty lock of hair away from Will’s forehead.

“Will,” he whispered. “It’s alright, beloved. You’re just having a nightmare.” 

He kissed along Will’s temple, gently caressing his face. Will’s eyes opened.

“Hannibal?” he asked, groggy and confused. 

“Yes, my love. You were having a nightmare.”

“Oh,” Will grumbled. “Ugh, sorry, I’m covered in sweat.”

Hannibal placed a hand on Will’s chest as he tried to stand up.

“Don’t worry, let me get you a towel.”

Will’s brow furrowed as Hannibal stood and went to the bathroom cabinet. He returned with a bath towel and wrapped it around Will’s shoulders. 

“Thanks,” muttered Will, drying himself off. 

Hannibal stared down at him with devoted affection. Will seemed uncomfortable under his gaze, so he went to the kitchen and filled a glass of water for him. He placed the full glass on Will’s nightstand and laid back down beside him. Hannibal watched as Will’s gaze moved from the glass of water and back to Hannibal. 

“Is something wrong?” Hannibal asked. 

“No,” Will brushed off, taking the water and chugging nearly all of it. As he set the glass down, he added, “You know we’re not… I mean, just because we’ve been sleeping together doesn’t mean we’re… together. You know that, right?”

“Yes, I know,” Hannibal replied blankly. “I just figured you were thirsty.”

Will blushed.

“Yeah. Good. Listen, uh, don’t stay on my account. I’m sure your bed would be a lot more comfortable and much less… damp.”

Hannibal smiled and pulled him closer. 

“I’m good here,” he whispered in Will’s ear, leaving a soft kiss on his temple.

Will slowly turned his head to meet Hannibal’s gaze. His pretty eyes were as captivating as ever, but Hannibal couldn’t help but look at his lips. He was unaware which of them had leaned in, but their lips became so close that they brushed slightly. Hannibal was barely breathing. So badly he wanted to pull Will into a kiss, but he was too curious to see whether Will would kiss him first. To his frustration, Will only continued to linger over him. 

“It’s a good thing we aren’t together,” Hannibal mumbled. “Each kiss we share is simply part of a devious affair.”

Will’s lips curved into a smile before sealing their kiss. The fluttering sensation in Hannibal’s chest was unmatched. He knew he would revisit this moment in his mind time and time again, wishing that he could always be holding Will in his arms, kissing him, making him smile. Hannibal pulled away and saw his own lovesickness reflected back at him in Will’s eyes. 

“Get rest,” Hannibal whispered. “No more nightmares.”

Will pursed his lips and nodded.

“See you in the morning.”

Hannibal wasn’t able to fall asleep again, so he held onto Will until the sun came up. When it did, he quietly climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen. Will had hardly anything in his fridge to cook breakfast with, but he did somehow find a waffle maker and some waffle mix in the cabinets. He got to work cooking the least impressive breakfast he had made to date. 

As Hannibal was cleaning up the dishes, Will stumbled into the kitchen wearing his boxer shorts and a white t-shirt. 

“You made waffles?” Will asked, seemingly baffled.

“Well, I was going to make omelets, but you didn’t have eggs, cheese, or seasoning,” Hannibal explained with not a small amount of disapproval.

Will bit his lip and wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s waist.

“Thank you. Now quit it with the sweet gestures, okay?”

Hannibal hovered over Will’s lips, fighting the urge to kiss him. 

“Eat your breakfast,” he purred and kissed Will’s forehead. 

Will avoided his gaze as he served himself some waffles, but he was grinning clear as day. Hannibal wrinkled his nose as he watched Will smear nearly half a jar of crunchy peanut butter on his waffles. In spite of his own outrage, he was rendered speechless. Will caught a glimpse of his expression and burst out laughing. Hannibal raised his eyebrows, but he couldn’t help but return Will’s smile. 

“It’s good, I promise,” Will chuckled, fetching some maple syrup from a cabinet. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

“Well, I’m certainly not trying that, so I suppose I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Will smiled and poured syrup over the layer of peanut butter on his waffles. Hannibal’s gaze moved to Will’s legs as he jumped up to sit on the counter. Even as Will ate his revolting breakfast, it was difficult not to admire him. Hannibal wondered if Will had any idea how beautiful he looked. He wanted to tell him, but it seemed he was barred from perceived ‘sweet gestures’ for the time being. Will picked up another bite with his fork and held it out to Hannibal.

“Try it,” he said with a smirk.

“No,” Hannibal laughed decidedly. “That’s revolting.”

“No, it’s not!” Will laughed. “I promise it tastes good. Try it.”

With notable hesitation, Hannibal leaned forward and ate the piece of waffle off of Will’s fork. It tasted nothing like a waffle was supposed to, and rather like a cheap grocery store cake that was unexpectedly sweet.

“It’s not quite as horrifying as I imagined,” he admitted, “but I’m afraid it’s all yours to finish.”

Will grinned. 

“Okay, I’ll take it.”

To Hannibal’s surprise, Will pulled him close by the front of his shirt and kissed him. Hannibal leaned in closer, kissing him back and touching Will’s bare legs. Just when he thought this morning couldn’t get any sweeter, Will wrapped those gorgeous legs around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal let out a quiet moan and started leaving hickeys all over Will’s neck. Will was vocally pleased, but he eventually pushed Hannibal’s mouth away with a laugh.

“That’s enough marks, baby.” 

Hannibal tilted his head. 

“Baby? But I can’t call you ‘love’?” 

“Because I’m not your love,” Will laughed.

“And I’m not your baby.”

“Then quit leaving marks on my neck.”

Hannibal defiantly leaned into the other side of Will’s neck and left behind another hickey. Will hummed with pleasure, making no move to stop him. It couldn’t possibly be this easy. This time yesterday Will had been furious with him, and one apology later they were making out in his kitchen and trying on new pet names. Will was complicated. He would either revert to a state of shame and self-sabotage, or he already had an ulterior motive. With how sweet each of Will’s kisses felt, Hannibal was inclined to believe the former. Will left his own marks all over Hannibal’s neck as they made out. He might have to invest in some concealer for work, but Hannibal didn’t mind. All he wanted was for both of them to be marked as the other’s. 

There was an irritating, high-pitched noise from the entryway, and soon the rest of Will’s dogs joined in the clamour. Will slipped his hands under Hannibal’s shirt and gently pushed his hips away. 

“I have to feed my dogs,” he muttered with a smile. “And then I have to get in the shower. Do you have plans today?”

Hannibal watched longingly as Will hopped off the kitchen counter.

“I always have time for you, darling.”

Will rolled his eyes, still smiling. 

“I’ll drop by in a couple hours, then? I want to see Abigail.”

“We’ll be looking forward to it. I’ll see myself out.”

Will gave him another kiss, and Hannibal melted.

“Drive safe. I hear there’s lots of deer ‘round these parts,” Will teased.

“Very funny, Will, but I’m not drunk driving in the middle of the night.”

Will snickered.

“Well, deer are much more active this time of morning. But I suppose it would be pretty ironic if the Chesapeake Ripper was vanquished by a deer to the windshield.” 

Will didn’t flinch or overanalyze as he said it; he knew exactly who Hannibal was. Hannibal felt a glow of pride at Will referring to him this way, not as an insult but as a fact. Hannibal took Will’s hand and kissed it.

“I’ll see you in a few hours, love.” 

As Hannibal lowered his hand, he noticed a burn scar on Will’s arm. His brow furrowed.

“What happened to your arm?” Hannibal asked, gesturing to his burn.

“Oh, that? I just fumbled a pot while I was cooking.”

“No, that’s from a cigarette lighter.” 

“Says who?”

“Anyone with functioning eyesight. Why are you lying to me, Will? Did you burn yourself on purpose?” Hannibal demanded.

Will took a deep breath. 

“Are you asking as my psychiatrist, friend, or enemy-with-benefits?”

“I’m asking as someone who loves you.”

Will’s jaw clenched, but he placed his hands on Hannibal’s waist. 

“Then, yes, I burned myself. It’s not a big deal. We can discuss it at my next appointment if you insist.”

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed.

“Will, don’t do that again. Your skin is precious.”

Will scoffed derisively.

“Precious? I still have bloody scratch marks on my chest from last night.”

“Exactly. Your body is mine to scar.”

Will looked down, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.

“We’re not having this conversation right now. Goodbye, Hannibal.”

Hannibal sighed in frustration.

“Fine. I’ll see you at home.”

He nudged Will apologetically and kissed his forehead. 

“Okay,” Will mumbled. “Be safe. See you soon.”

Abigail was sitting in the kitchen when Hannibal arrived home. 

“There you are. You could have texted,” she complained.

“You knew where I’d be,” replied Hannibal. “I did as you asked.”

“You apologized? How did Will take it?”

“Well, I didn’t sleep over there for convenience.”

Abigail wrinkled her nose.

“I think you need to borrow one of my scarves. That’s way grosser than the scar I have on my neck.”

Hannibal chuckled. 

“I hope you have two to spare, then. Will is coming over in an hour or two. He wants to see you.”

Abigail looked thoughtful.

“Huh. It’ll be weird to actually talk to someone who isn’t you. It feels like it’s been forever since we faked my death.”

“I think you two will get along quite well. You have more in common than you think.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“You’ll have to decide that for yourself. Just know that you can trust him.”

Abigail nodded slowly.

“I thought you said he was going to try to take me away from you.”

“That remains to be seen, but if that were the case he would be doing what he believes is best for you. He only wants to keep you out of danger,” Hannibal assured her.

“But I’m not in danger.”

“So show him that when he comes over. Ease his worries. He must understand that we could be a family together.”

“So, you guys would be like my dads?”

“I suppose you could say that. We’ll certainly be your guardians, should Will choose that fate for us. We could all leave the country together. You could go back to school.”

“Where would we go?”

“We would all decide together. I was thinking of Italy.”

Abigail smiled.

“Italy sounds nice.”

Hannibal smiled back at her.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Have you eaten yet? I’m starving.”

Chapter Text

Will took a deep, heavy breath as he listened to the sound of Hannibal’s car driving away. It felt strange to be officially sleeping with the devil. Over the last five nights, he had only spent one apart from Hannibal. Making out and cuddling had been bad enough, but now their relationship was overwhelmingly sexual. Even Alana Bloom and Jack Crawford knew it. Hell, even Abigail Hobbs somehow knew that. Will knew it was all part of gaining Hannibal’s trust, but it was never meant to feel so good. Still, if that’s what made all of this tolerable, he could allow some of his darker urges to take over for the time being. The important thing was that he was thinking with his head, not his heart. 

The events of last night played back in his head as he got ready for the day. His thoughts were filled with Hannibal even as he fed his dogs, from the apology letter to the way his hand had felt on Will’s throat as he fucked him. The scratch marks on his chest stung so badly in the shower that it was difficult to clean himself, but Will treasured them nonetheless. He liked the way they looked against his skin, and the stinging from the soap was like Hannibal scratching him up all over again. On his drive to Hannibal’s place, he began to worry whether Abigail would be happy to see him. Before yesterday, he hadn’t seen her since his episode at the Hobbs cabin when his encephalitis was still raging. That was so long ago. There was no telling how far Hannibal had gotten into her head. 

Hannibal answered Will’s knock with an enthusiastic smile and welcomed him inside. 

“How are you, Will?”

“I’m still not entirely sure on that topic,” Will answered, avoiding eye contact. “Where’s Abigail?”

“In the kitchen.”

Will hesitated.

“Did she let me find her on purpose, yesterday?” he asked.

“Yes,” Hannibal replied simply.

“Why?”

“She didn’t want to be alone.”

Will sighed, still looking away from Hannibal.

“You mean she didn’t want to go back to your ‘cabin’, or whatever?”

“In part, yes. Perhaps she’s also tiring of my company,” Hannibal added with a gentle smile.

“Well, I doubt mine will be much better,” Will chuckled.

Without another word, Hannibal took Will’s hand and led him to the kitchen. Abigail was sitting at the counter, scrolling on her phone. She looked up as they walked in and set her phone aside. Will smiled at her.

“Hi, Abigail.”

She smiled back.

“Hey. It’s good to see you,” she replied.

Will laughed and stepped closer to the counter.

“You’re telling me. I thought you were dead.”

“That was the idea,” she said, looking down at her hands. “Hannibal said it was the only way.”

Will bit his lip and sighed. 

“Hannibal was wrong about that. But what’s done is done. There’s no going back now.”

She met his gaze again.

“Thank you. For not telling anyone about me.”

Will’s brow furrowed.

“Why would I do that? I just want you to be safe. I’m not going to let you go to prison, not even one where the wardens are psychiatric professionals. But you don’t belong locked up here, either.”

“Are we really going to leave the country?” she asked him.

Will looked at Hannibal, raising an eyebrow. Hannibal remained unfazed.

“I don’t know yet,” Will told her. “I’m still figuring that out.”

“Are you and Hannibal together now?”

Will snorted with laughter.

“No, we’re not together. That’s sort of why I’m still figuring stuff out. I can’t leave with you guys, but Hannibal doesn’t want to leave without me.”

“Why can’t you leave with us?”

“Well, I have a life here,” Will explained. “I have a house, I have dogs, even some family. If I get away from all that, all I would have is you and Hannibal. That’s exactly what he wants. He thrives on control.”

Hannibal cleared his throat.

“Will,” he warned. “Are you already trying to turn her against me?”

Will rolled his eyes. 

“No, just stating the obvious.”

Abigail giggled at Hannibal’s indignant expression. Rather than protesting Will’s impoliteness, Hannibal approached the kitchen counter to wrap his arm around Will’s waist. Will stiffened as Hannibal nudged his neck.

“Stop,” he muttered.

“Relax, Will. Trust me, she’s well aware we’ve been closer than this.”

Will’s face felt hot. 

“Hannibal,” he scolded. “Shush.”

“He’s not wrong,” Abigail laughed. “Even if you guys were quiet, you’re both covered in hickeys. You look like a couple of high schoolers trying to piss off their parents.”

Will blushed even more and glared at Hannibal, who looked amused. 

“Be that as it may,” Will said through clenched teeth, “I don’t need Hannibal giving you the impression that we’re together. Needless to say, I would have done plenty more to avoid that impression had I known you’ve been upstairs this whole time.” 

Abigail laughed nervously.

“Don’t sweat it.” 

Will forcibly removed Hannibal’s hand from his waist, placing it back at his side.

“Anyway, you and Hannibal will ultimately have to leave together. I can’t come with you. It’ll just take some time for Hannibal to accept that.”

“Will, there’s no point in confusing her,” Hannibal interjected. “We’re not leaving without you.” 

“She can’t stay here forever, Hannibal. I mean, come on.” 

“So then we’ll take your dogs with us, too. I’ll buy you a new house wherever we go. What else would even be left for you here once we leave?”

Will glared at him.

“It doesn’t matter, Hannibal. I can’t trust you, period. End of story.”

Hannibal avoided Will’s gaze. Abigail raised her eyebrow at him.

“What?” Hannibal asked her defensively. “I told you this would happen.” 

“Don’t act like this is my fault. I’m not the one who broke his trust. Now just imagine where you’d be if you didn’t apologize.”

Will scoffed.

“Wait. Did you tell Hannibal to apologize to me?” he asked Abigail.

“Uh, yeah. He threw a fit after you left, saying how you’ll never forgive him and I ruined his life or some other dramatic garbage. How long do you think I can put up with that?”

Will snickered, shaking his head in disbelief. 

“Wow, Hannibal. Even the teenage girl is sick of hearing about your crush.”

Abigail burst out laughing, but Hannibal was unamused.

“Alright, enough. Abigail, go to your room.”

“You can’t just send me to my room whenever I say something you don’t like,” she argued.

Will smiled at her and took Hannibal’s arm.

“Don’t worry, I’ll deal with him,” he assured her, leading Hannibal out of the kitchen.

Hannibal scoffed in offense, but he followed Will out of the kitchen anyway. They went to Hannibal’s bedroom, and Will shut the door behind them. Will squealed in surprise as Hannibal pulled him into a kiss. He wanted to protest Hannibal’s entitlement, but he realized he had made it more than clear that he was okay with Hannibal kissing him. Will smiled back at Hannibal when he pulled away.

“I think that went well,” Hannibal murmured.

“I think so too,” Will muttered back. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

Hannibal paused.

“You want to leave with us, don’t you?” he asked knowingly.

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Will snapped. “I told you, I can’t trust you. Never again.”

“Perhaps you could. Maybe that scares you.” 

Will sighed and let his forehead rest against Hannibal’s.

“Bertrayal isn’t something you can just take back, Hannibal. And neither is murder. I can’t leave with you, not after everything you’ve done.”

Hannibal narrowed his eyes.

“So you trust me to take Abigail to another country and care for her, but you don’t trust me enough to have a relationship with me?”

Will’s fist clenched.

“Abigail has no choice but to keep you in her life. I still have a chance, and I’m taking it.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” Hannibal asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. 

Will blushed as Hannibal leaned in to kiss him again. Despite himself, he kissed Hannibal back. It was too sweet a feeling to refuse. 

“Hannibal, you’re not taking me seriously,” Will persisted.

“You’re right, I’m not. There’s no way you care more about your little house here than me and Abigail put together.”

“It’s not like that,” Will argued. “I just need to move on. So do you.”

“Will,” Hannibal scolded, raising his voice slightly. “How many times do I have to tell you? We’re not leaving without you. You’re family. You can’t stand there and pretend you never want to see us again.”

“You’re not good for me, Hannibal. You’re a traitor and a killer, whether I like it or not. I already tried telling the FBI what you are once. I did my due diligence. Just go and find someplace where you and Abigail could be happy.”

Hannibal’s expression shifted from frustrated to sorrowful.

“You are that place, Will. Please, don’t give up on us.”

Hannibal always knew how to hit him where it hurts. Tears threatened to spill from Will’s eyes, and he shook his head in protest.

“No. I can’t be.”

“But you are. I love you, Will. You and Abigail are my home.” 

“Why?” Will demanded, doing his best to keep his voice steady. “Why do you love me, Hannibal?”

“What kind of question is that? There’s beauty in every little thing about you, Will. Not only are you the only person who understands me, but you fascinate and tempt me every day. I need you in my life. Not an hour goes by in which I don’t think of you.” 

“Hannibal…”

“I’m not trying to pressure you, Will. I just want you to know how I feel.”

“How do I know that’s how you really feel? How do I know you’re not manipulating me?”

“I would never hurt you, Will. I won’t lie to you again. Not now that I know all that I have to lose.”

Will scoffed in disbelief.

“I don’t believe you. You’ll just keep pushing my boundaries. For some reason, you think I won’t leave. But I will. I’ve put up with enough of your shit.”

“Then leave, Will. Leave right now.”

Will scowled. 

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? If you want to leave, then leave.”

“Shut up,” Will grumbled. “I don’t want to leave. I want you to leave, and I want you to understand why I can’t come with you.”

Hannibal scowled. 

“How can I understand that, Will, when you keep running back to me? How can I come to terms with how you feel about me if you can’t even be honest with yourself?”

“I am being honest with myself. I know that my feelings about you are complicated. Please, just don’t make this any more complicated than it already is.”

“Then just tell me how you feel about me.”

Will grit his teeth.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Hannibal, please, stop…”

“Stop? I’m not doing anything. I’m asking you a simple question.”

“I don’t want to talk about how you make me feel.”

Hannibal stepped closer to him and pulled Will’s hips against his own.

“Then show me.”

Will’s mouth watered, and he pulled Hannibal into a kiss without hesitation. Hannibal lifted Will up by his thighs and tossed him onto the bed. Will bit back a smile as Hannibal climbed on top of him. Here we go again.

Chapter Text

Will’s advances were as passionate as they were aggressive, and his lust only intensified once he had stripped Hannibal naked. It felt like such a privilege to be pressed against Will’s bare chest once again. Hannibal tried to pin Will down to rip off his pants, but Will pushed him onto his back and forced him into a chokehold. Hannibal licked his lips, savoring the exhilarated look in Will’s eyes as Hannibal’s breathing began to struggle. Will choked him until his vision faded to black. When Hannibal opened his eyes, Will had a switchblade in his hands. Hannibal’s heart skipped a beat as Will flicked it open and pressed the edge of the blade to Hannibal’s throat. Will smirked down at him.

“Was that fear, Doctor?” he taunted. 

Hannibal lifted his chin, brazenly exposing his neck to the knife. He felt a flicker of pride at bringing out this side of Will. 

“Surprise, actually. I didn’t realize you still had such hostility towards me.”

Will snickered and leaned in closer to his face.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

He moved the tip of the knife to Hannibal’s chest and dragged it downward, leaving behind a long, thin cut. Hannibal gasped at the initial prick, and Will placed his hand over Hannibal’s mouth as he moaned in pain. Once Will’s hand moved away, Hannibal was immediately met with an eager kiss. He tangled his fingers in Will’s hair, pulling him closer. With his other hand, Hannibal tugged at Will’s belt buckle. Will shoved him back down against the pillows and removed the belt himself. Instead of tossing it aside, he wrapped the loop around Hannibal’s neck and pulled it tight. Hannibal paid little attention, still tugging at Will’s jeans. Finally, Will rolled away to take off his pants. As soon as Will was naked, Hannibal jumped at the chance to shove him on his back. 

Will was not pleased when Hannibal tried climbing on top of him. He bit into the arm that was holding him down and yanked at the belt around Hannibal’s neck. Hannibal groaned in pain and drew his arm back, giving Will the opportunity to pin him down again. Without missing a beat, Will pulled him closer by the hips and lifted Hannibal’s leg over his shoulder. Hannibal grunted in protest and struggled to move away from him, but Will just pulled the belt even tighter around his neck and tried to push himself inside Hannibal. He continued to struggle, finally managing to writhe out of Will’s grasp. Will snatched up his knife in fury. With a quick movement of Will’s arm, he slashed Hannibal’s chest. Hannibal fell back in surprise and gasped as blood started to gush from the wound. 

“Shit,” Will breathed. “Hannibal. Fuck, I didn’t mean to–”

Hannibal shushed him gently and took Will’s hand.

“Relax, love. It’s just a cut. Now, get your hands wet.”

He pulled Will’s palm to his chest and let go. Will’s brow furrowed in adorable confusion, but his hand gravitated to the wound all the same. Hannibal stiffened and groaned softly as Will’s fingers slid over the cut. Will gave an excited little gasp, and he smeared his other hand in the blood as well. Even as he grit his teeth in pain, Hannibal smiled. He watched with delight as Will lowered his lips to Hannibal’s chest. Will’s tongue felt like sandpaper against the bloody edges of his skin, but something about it was so intensely satisfying. As if to reward him, Will’s mouth moved down further. His bloody lips lingered over Hannibal’s dick, making him whine with anticipation. Will had a look of smug triumph before taking Hannibal into his mouth and throat. Hannibal couldn’t help but moan with pleasure as Will sucked him off, but Will’s tongue teased him endlessly every time he neared climax. 

“Will…” he begged. “Please…”

Rather than giving him what he wanted, Will drew back and sat up, lifting Hannibal’s leg over his shoulder once again. Will tightened the belt still wrapped around Hannibal’s throat to silence him as he pushed his dick inside him. Hannibal could only let out strained gasps and weak groans as Will fucked into him harder and harder. He couldn’t tell which of them came first, but together they caused quite the ruckus. Will soon collapsed beside him on the pillows, panting heavily. Hannibal grinned, his tongue between his teeth.

“Good lord, Will… you are absolutely incredible.”

Will giggled and nestled closer to Hannibal.

“That was pretty fun. You should really clean that cut, though.”

“Along with my bedsheets and my lover,” Hannibal purred, kissing Will’s lips. “You’re all covered in blood.”

Will kissed him back with such sweetness, it was hard to believe he had been choking Hannibal and smearing his blood only moments before. Their foreheads pressed together, and Will nudged him affectionately.

“I think your cut might need to take priority, babe.”

Hannibal smiled, kissing Will once more before climbing out of bed. He went to the master bathroom to clean his wound. The cut was slightly deeper than he’d realized and still bleeding steadily. Hannibal would normally consider using stitches or staples for a cut of this magnitude, but he didn’t want to alarm Will. Once it was sufficiently clean, he used medical tape to pull the skin together beneath some bandages. He returned to Will and climbed back into bed with him. 

“How bad is it?” mumbled Will. “I’m sorry I cut you so bad.”

With a grin, Hannibal kissed Will’s hair. 

“Don’t worry, darling. I’ll be just fine.” 

Will hummed happily and cuddled up to him. 

“I gotta get in the shower. Do you wanna watch a movie or something when I’m done?”

“A movie?” Hannibal asked blankly.

“Yeah, a movie,” Will chuckled. “What do you normally do on your days off?”

Hannibal shrugged.

“I was going to attend the opera this evening.”

Will scoffed.

“Are you kidding?”

“How is that a joke?” Hannibal asked.

“No, I just meant that of all the… never mind. Okay, let’s do both. Movie, then lunch, then the opera, I guess.”

“You want to attend the opera with me?” Hannibal asked in amused disbelief. 

“Not really,” laughed Will. “I just thought we could spend the day together. I don’t want to thwart your fancy-boy plans.”

Hannibal’s heart somersaulted in his ribcage. I just thought we could spend the day together. Will’s words were so simple, yet they rendered him speechless. Of all the ways he could have predicted Will would react to this new affair of theirs, Hannibal never would have imagined this. 

“Is that a no?” Will asked, jolting Hannibal back to the present. 

“I’d love for you to join me, Will,” he replied coolly. “Do you have something to wear?”

Will laughed.

“You know I don’t, unless you’re counting the suit I wore in court.”

Hannibal chuckled, stroking Will’s face in adoration of his laughter.

“I definitely don’t count that atrocity. I’m sure I can find something of mine that fits you.”

“I doubt that,” Will muttered, running his fingers along Hannibal’s bicep. “You’re built like a goddamn tank. Ugh, how are you even real?”

Hannibal laughed. 

“That’s how I feel every time I look at your body, Will.”

“Then you’re blind,” Will teased, kissing his hand.

His gaze moved to the vertical scar on Hannibal’s wrist. Will gently traced his finger along it.

“Do they still hurt?” he asked in a low voice.

“Sometimes,” Hannibal replied simply. 

Will brought Hannibal’s wrist to his lips and softly kissed the scar. Hannibal felt a sweet fluttering in his chest. Will laid his head against it, just beside the bandages of his fresh scar. A bizarre suspicion occurred to him that Will could sense the warm, tingling sensation through his skin. 

“Hannibal?” he murmured.

“Yes, dear?”

“I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Hannibal’s stomach twisted, and chills ran through his limbs. He blushed, and his hands started to sweat. What on Earth was this feeling?

“Likewise,” he whispered.

Will sat up slightly and kissed Hannibal’s lips. 

“I’m gonna get in the shower.”

Hannibal stole one more kiss. 

“Enjoy your shower, my love.”

His eyes followed Will as he stood from the bed and walked to the bathroom. Once he closed the door, Hannibal stripped the bloody sheets from his bed and pushed them into the hamper. By the time he could finish making the bed with a spare set of sheets, Will was already done with his shower. He came out in a towel to gather up his clothes, which Hannibal had already folded and set aside for him. Will raised an eyebrow and gave him a side glance, as if folding Will’s clothes for him could have some kind of deeper meaning. Hannibal came up behind Will and placed his hands on his waist as Will pulled on his jeans. 

“You look absolutely beautiful, Will.”

Will chuckled.

“Is this what they call ‘princess treatment’?” he teased.

“Nonsense,” Hannibal assured him. “I’m the spoiled one. I get to look at you all day today.”

Will blushed and rewarded his adoring remarks with a kiss. Hannibal wanted to lift him onto the bed all over again. 

“So, are you one of those rich people with a home theatre?” Will asked with a smirk.

“I am not, unfortunately, but I do have a very large television in the sitting room upstairs.”

“Close enough,” Will giggled, kissing him again. 

Hannibal led him out of the bedroom and up the stairs. When they entered the sitting room, Abigail was laying on a beanbag chair playing a video game. 

“Abigail, why did you move your gaming console out here?” Hannibal scolded. “Was the massive flatscreen in your bedroom not nice enough?”

“No, ‘cause this one is better,” she replied, indifferent to his displeasure. “Why? Did you need the TV?”

Will smiled at her, no doubt amused by her attitude towards Hannibal.

“We were going to watch a movie,” Will told her, taking a seat on the couch.

“Nice, what are we watching?” Abigail asked, sitting up and turning off her console.

Will looked to Hannibal, who shrugged.

“You’re the one who wanted to watch a movie.”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t know what you like to watch.”

“A fair variety,” answered Hannibal. “The classics, some documentaries, historical dramas. What do you watch?” 

“I don’t know. I prefer TV shows, to be honest.”

“Hannibal, have you seen Mean Girls?” Abigail interjected.

“I can’t say that I have.” 

She scoffed.

“Wow, I thought you liked the classics.”

“Sweetheart, classic means something else when you get to be my age,” Hannibal joked. 

Abigail rolled her eyes playfully.

“Will, what about you?” she asked, grabbing the TV remote. 

Will smiled. 

“I saw it when it came out, so just a few hundred years ago.”

Abigail laughed, and Hannibal had never seen Will look so happy. Hannibal sat down on the couch between the two of them as Abigail switched the TV over to Mean Girls. He wrapped his arm around Will, and to his surprise, Will scooted in closer and rested his head on Hannibal’s shoulder. Abigail gave him a sly side glance as if to congratulate him. Hannibal beamed and turned his attention to the movie.

Chapter Text

There was no use in denying it; spending time with Hannibal and Abigail felt amazing. The two of them seemed to share a sense of humor while watching the movie, and Will found their laughter incredibly contagious. He would never admit it to Hannibal, but this was exactly how he imagined it would feel to have a family. After the movie, Hannibal enlisted both Will and Abigail in helping him prepare lunch. At Abigail’s request, they were making Hannibal’s signature BLTs, which was a phrase Will never thought he’d hear.

“Hannibal has a signature way to make a sandwich?” Will laughed. 

“You don’t get it,” Abigail explained. “It’s not just a sandwich, it’s a masterpiece.”

Hannibal smiled as he tied on his apron. 

“I don’t know if I would go that far.”

Will snickered.

“I’m sorry, you need an apron to make a sandwich?” 

His eyes lingered on Hannibal’s legs. Somehow, the apron made his ass look even hotter. 

“This is why I need to cover up, Will. You’re always checking me out,” Hannibal teased. 

Will blushed and pursed his lips.

“Am not.”

Hannibal slapped his ass as he passed by, and Will scoffed in offense.

“The hell was that for?”

Hannibal chuckled to himself and kissed Will on the cheek.

“For lying.”

Will glanced over at Abigail, embarrassed, and she was biting back an amused smile. 

“Alright, what’s my role in cooking this?” he grumbled.

“You’ll be smashing the avocados,” Hannibal answered, handing him the supplies. 

Will took them and sat at the counter. Hannibal tasked Abigail with cooking the bacon and began to gather the other ingredients. As Will prepped the avocados, he watched Abigail cringe at the slimy texture of the raw bacon while placing it on the skillet. Will stood and offered her the avocados in a bowl.

“Trade?”

She smiled at him and took it.

“Thanks. You read my mind.”

Will returned her smile and switched to preparing the bacon.

“Abigail, wash your hands if you’re going to be touching that,” Hannibal scolded. “You were just handling raw meat.”

Abigail rolled her eyes behind his back as she stood to wash her hands. Will bit his tongue to keep from snickering. 

When the end result was complete, Will was pleasantly surprised; it truly was a masterpiece of a sandwich. He came to realize that both Hannibal and Abigail were waiting for his reaction, and he covered his mouth to keep from laughing as he chewed. 

“Okay, you guys were right,” Will admitted after he swallowed. “It’s a damn good sandwich.”

“I told you,” Abigail teased. “Hannibal, can we play a board game while we eat?”

Will smiled at Hannibal smiling at Abigail.

“Alright, fine. Go grab the one you want.” 

“Last chance to pick,” she warned, heading for the stairs. 

“Scrabble,” said Hannibal.

“Ew, no,” she called over her shoulder and went upstairs.

Will looked down to avoid grinning at Hannibal, but he felt Hannibal’s hand on his anyway.

“You look awfully happy, Will.”

“Don’t start,” Will cautioned, biting back a smile. “I’m still not running away with you.”

“Do you still want us to leave without you?”

Will said nothing and continued avoiding his eyes. Hannibal kissed his hand and left him to consider his answer. It wasn’t fair. Both options were terrible. He reminded himself of the third option, his ongoing plan to put Hannibal behind bars and protect Abigail by whatever means necessary. The plan somehow seemed so futile now. Hannibal hadn’t left any evidence behind of the previous murders, and there was no indication that he would kill again any time soon. He and Jack could try to entice him to kill, but that would be not only dangerous but entirely unethical. There was still the idea to try to convince Hannibal that the two of them could kill together. However, there was nobody that Hannibal would believe Will genuinely wanted to kill, except perhaps Hannibal himself. 

Abigail came down the stairs holding Monopoly, interrupting his thoughts. 

“How is that better than Scrabble?” Hannibal complained.

“Because Will is here, and Monopoly is way more fun with more people. Get on board or you get to be the shoe,” Abigail threatened. 

Will snorted.

“No, I’ll be the top hat,” Hannibal replied matter-of-factly as he began to help her set up the board. 

“So, is this what you guys do?” Will asked with a smile. “You just hang out, make sandwiches and play board games together?"

“Sometimes,” Abigail laughed. “Hannibal works a lot, and he kept me at his cabin for a while. But it’s a lot more fun with you here, anyway.”

Will bit his tongue in an effort to hold back tears. He couldn’t tell if they were born from happiness or sadness. This ridiculously unconventional family Hannibal had given him was all he’d ever wanted. It wasn't fair that he would have to give it up. Perhaps he wanted to run away with them after all. But it was all an illusion; it could never last. Hannibal was too destructive. 

“Will, do you want the ship or the Scottish terrier?” asked Hannibal. 

Will couldn’t help but smile.

“Scottish terrier. They’re so goofy-looking and sophisticated. So, where is this secret cabin, anyway?”

Abigail shrugged and looked at Hannibal.

“We could take you there,” he answered. “If you want to spend a weekend up there with us.”

Will looked down.

“That sounds nice,” he mumbled. 

Hannibal and Abigail were already bickering about the game before they had even started.

“Why do you always pick the thimble?” Hannibal prompted her. “You know that’s not the reason you beat me last time.”

“Well, I’ve never lost to you when I pick the thimble, so I like my chances,” Abigail retorted.

Whether or not it was because of the thimble, Abigail came in first place. Hannibal was a strong contender, leaving Will to finish dead last. He didn’t mind at all; he hadn’t spent much time playing board games growing up, and it was delightful just to be included in their fun. Once they had cleaned up the game, Hannibal brought Will back to his bedroom to get him ready for the opera. He took Will into a vast walk-in closet and sifted through the racks. 

“This suit jacket should fit you, but we’ll need to stop by your place for slacks. Mine will all be too long for you.”

Will accepted the hanger from him and laid the jacket on Hannibal’s bed. 

“That’ll be a bit of a drive. What time is the opera?” 

“It starts at six o’clock. We’ll have enough time,” Hannibal assured him, emerging from the closet holding a white button-down.

Will allowed Hannibal to pull him into a kiss. He was still getting used to these blatant displays of affection, but being pressed against Hannibal’s chest made it easier to clear his mind. 

“Try this on,” Hannibal murmured, offering him the shirt. 

Will took it and did as he was told. It was just a touch oversized, but it would definitely do the trick. He pretended not to notice Hannibal checking him out while he changed. Hannibal granted him the same courtesy when he began to undress. 

“You were right,” Will admitted. “I had a really good time hanging out with you and Abigail today. I don’t want you to leave anymore.”

Hannibal smiled at him, buttoning up his shirt. 

“I know.” 

“But I can’t run away with you, either. We have to think about what’s best for Abigail.” 

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Hannibal answered.

“Then you know you’ll eventually have to leave without me,” argued Will.

“Not if you truly have Abigail’s best interest in mind. You coming with us would be best for her.” 

“Best for her, or best for you?”

“Best for all of us. You don’t have to make a decision yet, Will. I understand that you’ll need time.” 

“I’m not changing my mind, Hannibal.”

“There’s no need for us to dwell on that now. You should tidy your hair. There’s plenty of product in the master bathroom.”

Will rolled his eyes but went to the mirror anyway. Hannibal soon joined him, wearing a dapper and well-tailored suit. Will smiled, looking him up and down.

“Damn, Doctor Lecter. You look handsome as hell.”

Hannibal chuckled.

“And you’ll look breathtaking as soon as you’re all dressed up. You still need to pick a bowtie before we leave.”

Will laughed out loud.

“I’m not wearing a bowtie.”

“We’re going to the opera, Will. You have to look the part.” 

“Are you wearing a bowtie?” 

Hannibal smirked.

“I wouldn’t want our suits to clash. You would look much more handsome with a bowtie.”

Will blushed and kissed Hannibal’s cheek. 

“Fine, try one on me. We’ll see how goofy I look.”

Hannibal triumphantly returned with a bowtie, which he tied around Will’s collar. Will let his eyes droop shut so he could cherish the feeling of Hannibal’s fingers brushing his neck. When he opened them, Hannibal was straightening Will’s collar from behind. Will felt Hannibal press himself up closer against Will’s backside. Instantly, Will was craving more. He tilted his head to the side, inviting Hannibal to kiss his neck. Hannibal’s lips and teeth always felt so welcome against it. Will turned around to face Hannibal, who lifted Will’s ass onto the counter before pulling him into a kiss. Will kissed him back and pulled apart with a smile.

“You’re gonna mess up my hair,” Will flirted. “I just got it looking decent.”

“You look beautiful, Will. You just need to lose those jeans.”

“Agreed,” murmured Will, kissing Hannibal’s neck. “You look damn hot. You should lose your pants, too.”

Hannibal laughed.

“You know that’s not what I meant, darling.”

“Do it anyway,” Will giggled, hopping off the counter. 

Hannibal followed him to the bed, and Will pushed him into a sitting position on the edge. He dropped to his knees on the floor and unbuttoned Hannibal’s pants. Will looked up to meet his eager gaze. 

“You’re just going to tease me again, aren’t you?” Hannibal growled. 

Will smirked.

“I guess you’ll find out,” he taunted, tugging Hannibal’s pants off and spreading his legs. 

Will had him moaning in seconds, and any effort he had expended on his hair went down the drain. Hannibal’s hand felt so nice against his scalp that he didn’t care. Will had never liked to have his hair pulled before, but he wanted Hannibal to feel like he had all the control right now. After all, he did; Will let Hannibal hold his head just how he wanted so he could force himself deep into his throat. Will gagged and struggled to breathe, which he admittedly enjoyed at first. As Hannibal thrust again, Will’s mind was yanked back to the memory he recovered in prison. He could feel the tubing being shoved deeper and deeper in his throat, the touch of Hannibal’s latex-encased hands stroking his face as Will gagged and choked. He saw Hannibal’s eyes looking down on him as he held Abigail’s ear above the tube, and in a flash Will saw the ear in his sink with the aspirin he had vomited up.
Will forced himself from Hannibal’s grasp and crawled backwards to get away from him. Hannibal groaned, displeased.

“Will, get back over– Will? What’s wrong?”

Will tried to catch his breath, but his heart only started to beat faster. Hannibal stood up to kneel down beside him.

“Will, are you alright?”

“Don’t touch me,” Will gasped, swatting his hand away in terrified ferocity. 

“Please, darling, breathe. It’s alright.”

“No,” he muttered, repeating it over and over under his breath and refusing to look at Hannibal. 

Hannibal reached out to touch his shoulder, his expression full of concern and confusion.

“Just get away from me!” Will snapped, and Hannibal backed up in shock. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, Will.”

Will shook his head and tugged at his own hair. 

“Shut up. Just shut up.”

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Hannibal cleared his throat. 

“Just a moment,” he called over.

Will scrambled to his feet and shut himself in the master bathroom. He slid down against the door, his heart still racing. He heard Hannibal answer Abigail’s knock, but he couldn’t make out anything they were saying. Forcing himself to his feet, Will went to the sink to wash his hands and face. He stared at himself in the mirror and evened out his breathing. He ripped off the bowtie and threw it on the ground. Even without it, Will could hardly recognize himself. He had promised a reckoning to both himself and to Hannibal. Why in the fuck was he doing any of this? How was getting Hannibal off and stroking his ego going to actually put him behind bars? Will desperately wanted to run away, but the only way out was through Hannibal. There was a gentle knock at the door. 

Will answered it, avoiding Hannibal’s eyes. 

“Hey. What did Abigail want?”

“Just a phone charger.”

“Are you really gonna lie to me right now?” Will asked bitterly.

“It doesn’t matter. What happened, Will? What’s going on with you?”

Will gave a heavy sigh. 

“I’m sorry, I just freaked out. You bring up a lot of bad memories.”

“What are you talking about?”

Will scoffed.

“Gee, Hannibal, I don’t know. When was the last time you shoved something that far down my throat?”

Hannibal’s face went pale. 

“Will…”

“Don’t. We both know what happened. I wish I could say this was my first time remembering, but it’s not. So, what in the fuck am I doing here? Why do I let you anywhere near me?”

Hannibal said nothing. Will shook his head, holding back tears.

“Look, maybe I should go.”

“Will, please. I’m sorry. A lot has changed since then. I love you, I just want–”

“I don’t care what you want,” Will interrupted. “That was only a few months ago. If that’s how quickly you can change how you feel about me, I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“I still loved you back then. I just didn’t think you would have me.”

“Good, because I won’t. Move out of the way.”

“What the hell, Will? You said yourself this isn’t your first time remembering what I did to you. Why are you suddenly so angry with me?”

“Suddenly? I never stopped being angry with you. I just let myself get wrapped up in all of this.”

“Why do you keep pushing me away if you’re just going to come right back?” Hannibal demanded.

Will was at a loss for words. He eventually scoffed, admitting defeat. 

“I don’t know.”

Hannibal stepped closer and brushed the hair from Will’s forehead. Will sighed, looking away.

“Do you still want to go to the opera?” Will grumbled.

Hannibal gently caressed his face. 

“Only if you’d still like to join me.”

Hesitantly, Will leaned forward and kissed Hannibal. He smiled slightly.

“Then we’d better get going.”

Chapter Text

As Will expected, the opera was not at all interesting to him, aside from the enjoyment he got from Hannibal’s hand resting on his upper thigh throughout the show. It turned out to be much more of a social event than he realized after the performance was over, with Hannibal walking around and greeting everyone like he was some kind of celebrity. At least there were free refreshments. Will took Hannibal’s arm to avoid losing him in the crowd until he realized that despite introducing Will as a friend, Hannibal was parading him around like a trophy. While they were sipping champagne together, they were approached by a tall but scrawny man. The stranger greeted Hannibal enthusiastically.

“Doctor Lecter, what a surprise! How are you this evening?”

“Ryan, how lovely to see you,” Hannibal replied with a polite smile. “I’m doing quite well. This is my friend, Will.” 

Ryan whistled.

“Damn, is your friend single?” 

Will wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“I’m afraid not,” Hannibal answered firmly on Will’s behalf. “A shame not to ask him yourself. He has quite a beautiful voice as well, had you cared to hear it.”

Will blushed, altogether confused on what was unfolding in front of him. The stranger, Ryan, laughed carelessly. 

“You’re always keeping me in line, Doctor. That’s what I love about you. Fond of this one, are you? How cute. It appears he’s fond of you, too. You must be very close friends.” 

Will wanted to punch this man in his pompous little face. Did it ever stop talking?

“Did you come alone?” Hannibal asked, changing the subject.

“Nah, my date is around here somewhere. I should probably go find him. Anyway, nice seeing you.” 

As soon as the man turned his back, Will threw his middle finger up. 

“Will,” Hannibal hissed, pushing his hand down. “Have some decency.” 

“He sure as fuck didn’t. That guy is insufferable. You have to deal with him every week?”

“Yes, he is my patient. He’s also a malevolent narcissist with obsessive and violent tendencies, so let’s not poke the bear.” 

Will scoffed.

“It takes one to know one, I guess.”

Hannibal raised his eyebrow but otherwise ignored Will’s comment. 

“I apologize for his rudeness. I can assure most of this crowd is rather polite.”

Will didn’t care if they were all the nicest people he could ever meet; he had no interest in socializing with anyone else tonight. However, he was the one who had invited himself to tag along with Hannibal, so he would have to endure a bit longer. 

“I thought you were supposed to eat the rude, not give them psychotherapy,” Will argued.

“The rude are everywhere, Will. There’s only one of me. You’re welcome to lend a hand with that one.”

Will laughed and grabbed a new glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He followed Hannibal over to a small group of snooty professors. Hannibal seemed to be particularly popular with women over the age of sixty, but they were eventually joined by a slightly younger woman who was practically throwing herself at him. 

“Your last dinner party was just exquisite. I’ve been dying to try more of your food, Hannibal,” she drawled. 

“I can’t be spoiling you all too much, dear,” Hannibal flirted. “Some of you might start to take advantage of my hospitality.” 

Will felt his upper lip twitch in contempt. 

“You know I wouldn’t, of course,” she went on. “It could be a private dinner, just for the two of us. I still don’t see a ring on that finger.”

“Actually, he’s taken,” Will interrupted, latching himself on Hannibal’s arm.

Hannibal blinked in surprise, looking down at him.

“I am?” he asked blankly.

“Yes,” Will purred, lifting his chin for a kiss. 

Hannibal couldn’t seem to resist his lips, and Will kissed him for as long as he would allow. When Hannibal pulled away, the woman had disappeared. 

“That was rude, Will,” Hannibal grumbled, blushing slightly. 

“I guess you’ll have to eat us both, then,” Will whispered in his ear. 

Hannibal licked his lips, seemingly biting back a smile. Will checked him out suggestively. 

“Don’t they have a storage closet or something around here? I just wanna pull that suit off of you.”

Hannibal blushed for real this time. 

“Hush, Will. We’re in public.”

“I know, why is it so crowded in here? We should head out.”

“Will…”

Will had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. So many opportunities to make Hannibal uncomfortable in public had passed him by. It was a delightful discovery. 

“Sorry, baby,” Will chuckled. “This thing is so boring. I’m just trying to make my own fun.”

“Well, knock it off,” Hannibal grumbled. “We’ll head out soon enough.”

Will smirked and looked around. His gaze rested on a vaguely familiar face, and the man turned to look at him. Will froze. It was the stranger from the bar last week, Gerald. He greeted Will with a friendly wave as he approached them. 

“Will, hey! I didn’t expect to see you at something like this.” 

Will laughed nervously. 

“Yeah, it’s not really my scene. I’m just here with, uh…”

“Oh, is this him?” Gerald asked, looking at Hannibal. 

“Er, this is my friend, Hannibal. Hannibal, this is Gerald, my… friend from college.”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. 

“Nice to meet you, Gerald.” 

Gerald nodded awkwardly.

“You too. Well, I should–”

“Gerald, how do you know Doctor Lecter?” 

Hannibal’s patient, Ryan, interrupted them and joined Gerald’s side. Will’s eyes widened.

“You two are here together?” Will asked.

“Yes, how do you two know each other?” Gerald prompted, his brow furrowing.

Hannibal looked somewhat amused at Will’s impending panic. 

“I don’t know Ryan. He knows Hannibal,” Will replied curtly.

“He’s my psychiatrist,” Ryan explained to Gerald. “How do you know this gentleman?”

Gerald shared an awkward glance with Will.

“We’re friends from college,” replied Gerald.

Will bit his tongue and took a slow, deep breath. 

“Are you alright, Will?” Gerald asked.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I just need some air,” Will asserted and excused himself to the nearest exit. 

Hannibal followed close behind him, and they stepped out onto a terrace together. Will took another deep breath and turned back to face him.

“Do you want to tell me who that man was?” Hannibal inquired, feigning nonchalance. “Because he certainly wasn’t your friend from college.”

Will huffed.

“It doesn’t matter. I hardly know the guy.”

“So, he was the man you hooked up with at the bar.”

“Yes, fine,” Will snapped. “I don’t even know how he remembered my name. I didn’t even give him my number.”

“You remembered his name.” 

“Well, yeah, Gerald is a weird name! My name is boring. Whatever, that’s not my point. My point is that I haven’t thought about, spoken to, or seen that man since that night because I have zero interest in him.”

“Then why are you so agitated right now?” Hannibal persisted.

“Because you told me you would kill him if you found out who he was! I don’t want you to kill anyone, especially not some random innocent.”

“Why sleep with him, then?”

“Because I wanted to get laid, and you were pissing me off!”

Hannibal wasn’t even looking at him; his eyes were searching the room through the window. His gaze seemed to rest on Gerald as he milled about the crowd with Ryan. Will watched with unease as Hannibal’s eyes narrowed, and he knew the very moment that Hannibal decided to kill him. 

“Hannibal, I swear to God,” Will warned through clenched teeth. “If that man turns up dead, you will never see me again.”

Hannibal turned back to him with a furious glare, but the cold look had faded from his eyes. 

“Fine. I won’t touch your little sex toy, so long as he stays away from you.”

Will sighed in a mixture of frustration and relief.

“Can we leave now? I want to go home.”

Hannibal nodded stiffly and pulled open the door, following Will back inside. As they neared the main exit, they were ambushed by yet another colleague of Hannibal’s. 

“Oh my, Doctor Lecter! How many years has it been?”

Will grit his teeth. This definitely wouldn’t be a short conversation, so Will slipped away to get himself another drink. There didn’t seem to be any more free champagne going around, but he managed to find an unattended cooler full of craft beer. He sat next to it and cracked one open. To his dismay, he looked up to see that Gerald was approaching him once again. 

“You shouldn’t be here, Gerald,” Will told him before he could speak.

“What are you talking about?” Gerald asked, bewildered. “I just came over to check on you. You seemed really freaked out earlier.”

Will sighed. 

“I’m fine. Hannibal can just be really possessive, and he knows we slept together. He shouldn’t see you talking to me.” 

“Yeah, I’m not scared of that guy. Why are you?”

“I’m not,” Will snapped. “I’m only scared on your behalf. If he sees you as a threat, he will fucking kill you. So please, leave.” 

Gerald looked affronted. 

“Look, I get it, but if this man is seriously as dangerous as you seem to think he is, you’re not safe.”

Will stood up, clenching his jaw.

“I know what I’m doing. You’re the one who needs to be careful. That guy, Ryan, is bad news. Even Hannibal said he was a narcissist, and trust me, that’s saying something coming from him.”

Gerald scoffed.

“Wow, that’s rich. I was just trying to help you.”

“I don’t need your help, and it wasn’t really your place to begin with,” Will grumbled. “Sorry, but I’m not looking for a saviour. Just stay away from Ryan, stay away from Hannibal, and definitely stay away from me.”

Will looked up and noticed Ryan watching them from across the room. Gerald was still staring at Will, seemingly baffled.

“I gotta go,” Will muttered. “Look after yourself.”

He turned and made his way through the crowd back to the parking lot. He couldn’t recall where Hannibal had parked, so he paced the rows of cars until he saw Hannibal walking towards him with the keys.

“There you are,” Will grumbled. 

Hannibal took Will’s hand once he caught up to him. 

“I’m sorry I took so long. That man is the chattiest doctor I’ve ever met. Are you alright?”

Hannibal sounded annoyingly sincere, both in his apology and his concern for Will’s general well-being.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just want to go home.”

“Your home or mine?” Hannibal asked, opening the car door for Will.

Will climbed into the passenger seat.

“Yours first. My car is still over there. I’ll drive it back down to my place.”

Hannibal got into the driver’s seat and shut the door. After turning the keys, he paused.

“Have I done something to offend you?” he asked.

Will scoffed.

“Only every time I see you. But no, we’re fine. I just want to sleep in my own bed tonight. I miss my dogs.”

Hannibal nodded.

“It was sweet of you to accompany me tonight,” he told Will with a gentle smile. “If it’s any consolation, I know better now than to take you out in public.”

Will pursed his lips, trying to hold back his grin.

“Good. I’m not a big fan of social events.”

Hannibal took Will’s hand and kissed it. Steering with his left, he drove them back towards his house.

Chapter Text

Hannibal was reluctant to say goodbye to Will when they returned home. He walked Will to his car and kissed his forehead. 

“Drive carefully, my love.”

Will’s cheeks were pink from the cold, and his lips were slightly parted as he gazed up at Hannibal. The street lights gave a warm glow to his pretty blue eyes. Hannibal just wanted to ask him to stay the night. 

“Goodnight, Hannibal. Tell Abigail I said so, too.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to tell her yourself?”

Will smiled shyly and shook his head.

“No, it’s late. My dogs are gonna be hungry. I’ll see you both soon enough.”

“Don’t make me wait too long,” Hannibal flirted, kissing him goodbye. 

Will kissed him back, smiling wider. 

“I won’t,” he promised before getting into his car. 

Hannibal went up his porch steps and watched Will drive away. Once he unlocked the door and stepped inside, he went upstairs to see Abigail. She was eager to hear how their date had gone. 

“I suppose it went better than it could have, considering we ran into some wench he hooked up with at a bar last week.”

Abigail snorted with laughter.

“Wait, really? What was her name?”

“His name is Gerald,” Hannibal answered with an air of disdain.

“Gerald the wench?” she mocked.

“Yes. What other kind of person sleeps with someone they just met?”

“Will, I guess.” 

Hannibal scowled.

“Watch your mouth. When you insult Will, you insult me.”

“Technically, you’re the one who insulted him.”

“Abigail,” he scolded.

“Okay, jeez. So what happened?”

Hannibal’s jaw clenched.

“Well, I may have threatened to kill Gerald when Will first told me they slept together, so he was making a fuss. Apparently that’s off the table.”

“Um… okay? Sorry you can’t kill people, I guess.” 

“There is good news, though,” he went on. “Will kissed me in public. He told a flirtatious woman that I was taken.”

Abigail raised her eyebrows but smiled, seemingly happy for him. 

“Damn, that was fast. Does that mean you guys are together?”

“Quit asking that,” Hannibal insisted. “Will is complicated. When he does consider us a couple, you won’t have to ask. He’ll be dedicated to us completely.”

“How do you know that’s even what he wants?” Abigail questioned.

“Trust me, dear. Will and I understand each other thoroughly. Once he comes to terms with himself, he’ll take care of you, and I will take care of all of us.” 

She nodded, somewhat satisfied with his assurances. 

“Get some rest, sweetheart,” Hannibal told her, kissing the top of her head. “It’s getting late. I love you.”

Abigail smiled up at him. 

“Goodnight, Hannibal. I love you, too.”

Hannibal smiled back at her, shutting the bedroom door behind him. 

He didn’t hear from Will at all the following day, and Hannibal began to worry that Will was still upset with him for how he reacted at the opera. It took a considerable amount of discipline not to text him, call him, or drive down to Wolf Trap. It was nothing like anything Hannibal had felt towards anybody before, but he was used to Will surprising him. 

That afternoon, Hannibal had an appointment with Ryan, the patient that he and Will had run into at the opera. To Hannibal’s distaste, he was largely preoccupied with the wench.

“Gerald and I have been getting along well. I seem to appeal to him somehow. He’s an uncommonly kind man. To be honest, I didn’t expect him to be interested in me. I made a point not to get my hopes up about him, especially since he’s so handsome. I’m starting to grow quite an affinity for him.”

“That’s a good thing, yes?” Hannibal asked.

“It is, except I’m already worried about losing him. I don’t know how I became so attached, especially considering he has a son. I’m not prepared to help raise a child of any age. He knows that, so why is he leading me on so much?” Ryan complained.

“Why do you feel that he’s leading you on?”

“Well, we’ve had sex multiple times. We’ve gone on dates. He calls me ‘baby.’ I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“When these thoughts overwhelm your mind, what is it that you imagine?”

“I imagine a future together, but it’s slippery,” answered Ryan. “I want to consume him in some way. I feel he might otherwise escape me.”

Hannibal paused.

“When you think of consuming Gerald, do you think of his body or his soul?”

“Both, I guess.”

For someone who thought so highly of his own intelligence, Ryan’s answers certainly lacked depth. 

“To consume somebody could be interpreted as having a variety of meanings, from marriage to eating one’s flesh.” 

Ryan’s brow furrowed. 

“I don’t want to eat Gerald. Well, maybe I do. I dream about sucking his blood. But I want to make him mine. I want to brand him in some way.”

“Do you think Gerald would want to be branded by you?” Hannibal asked curiously.

As he expected, Ryan was reluctant to say no.

“I think it would scare him. I might do it anyway. Otherwise, he could get away. My fantasies about him just keep getting more elaborate. I don’t want to harm him, but I want to keep him. If he tried to get away, I might physically restrain him. His body is like a Greek sculpture. Now that I’ve seen it, it’s impossible not to admire, even worship. He’s just a beautiful specimen. I think I do want to eat him, but he’s too precious.”

Hannibal had never heard someone speak the unique dilemma he faced with Will Graham out loud. It was strangely relatable. Unfortunately, Ryan seemed to read his mind.

“Do you feel that way about yours? The pretty boy from the opera?”

Hannibal paused to consider his answer.

“Like Gerald, Will doesn’t want to be branded. After we stepped outside, he revealed to me that he and Gerald slept together last week.”

“What?” Ryan snapped. “We were already dating at that point!”

“As were Will and I. He was purposefully defying my interests, although I doubt that was the case with Gerald.” 

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. 

“I saw the two of them arguing later that night. Will was angry about something, and Gerald didn’t seem happy with how he was being spoken to. It only lasted a minute or so. What could they have been talking about?” 

 Hannibal’s brow furrowed. 

“I was under the impression they had only met once, at a bar before they slept together. I imagine that wouldn’t leave them with much to talk about.”

Ryan became increasingly frustrated.

“What do you mean? Gerald said they met in college.”

“He was only following the lie Will told when he first introduced me. Did you happen to see which one of them approached the other?” Hannibal pressed, but Ryan shook his head.

“No, but Gerald had expressed concern earlier about Will’s behavior. I assume he approached Will to check on him.”

“Hm. I had warned Will to stay away from him. He might have been dismissive of Gerald.”

“So why would Gerald linger if they don’t even know each other?” Ryan demanded.

Hannibal considered this. There were several possible explanations, but the most likely was that Will had offended him in an effort to avoid him.

“Perhaps their connection goes deeper than either of us realized.”

He knew this to be false, but Hannibal was curious to see his reaction. Ryan just scoffed. 

“I wouldn’t blame either of them for going back for seconds. I’d love to see those two go at it. Gerald isn’t the most experienced with men, admittedly. Maybe Will and I could teach him a thing or two.”

Hannibal was overcome with disgust. It took all of his might just to keep a straight face and continue their conversation. 

“I’m not inclined to share, and neither is Will. If he and Gerald really do have a connection, Will would keep that for himself.”

Ryan scowled. 

“Not if I have anything to do with it. Gerald and I have a real connection. If Will gets in the way of that, I won’t stand for it.”

“I encourage you not to. Will has already lied to me once about this man, and I don’t intend to stand for it either.”

Ryan looked pensive. 

“Sounds like we have a deal, then. You keep yours away from mine, and I’ll do the same.”

“It would be impractical not to work towards our mutual benefit,” Hannibal agreed. 

The next day, Hannibal didn’t hear from Will until the afternoon. He spent most of the morning with Abigail, who was badgering him incessantly about adopting a cat. She gave up around his eleventh refusal, so long as he agreed to watch a corny television show with her. Between the script and the less-than-impressive acting, Hannibal found it difficult to focus. He still hadn’t gotten any messages from Will, and he was considering reaching out to him. Will’s next session wasn’t for another three days, and Hannibal didn’t want to wait that long to find out where they stood. On the other hand, maybe Will just wanted a little bit of space.

“Why do you keep checking your phone? You’re not even paying attention,” Abigail complained. 

“I am paying attention,” Hannibal insisted, setting his phone aside.

She had him endure another episode and a half before they went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. While they were eating, there was a knock at the front door. Hannibal stood eagerly to answer it, and he heard Abigail snicker behind him. 

“If that’s not Will, this is just embarrassing,” she joked. 

“I’m not in the mood, Abigail,” Hannibal grumbled as he went to the door.

To his delight, Will was standing on the porch. Hannibal smiled and welcomed him inside. 

“How are you doing today, Will?”

“Fine,” he grunted. “I didn’t sleep very well. What about you?”

“I can’t complain. Abigail and I were just having lunch. You should have told me you were coming, I would have prepared you something.”

“It’s fine, I’m not hungry.”

Hannibal frowned. 

“You seem glum. Is something wrong?”

Will huffed. 

“Jack is trying to get me back in the field.”

Hannibal wasn’t altogether surprised to hear this, but he hadn’t expected Jack to rush him back so soon after the asylum. 

“Already? What did you tell him?”

“I told him no, but you know how he is,” grumbled Will.

“Why don’t you want to go back to the field?” Hannibal inquired.

“Jack acts like it’s my responsibility, and it isn’t,” Will asserted. “I just want to have a normal life again.”

Hannibal smirked slightly and wrapped his arms around Will’s waist.

“Then what are you doing here?”

Will smiled and bit his lip.

“I missed you,” he admitted.

Hannibal kissed him, and it felt as though he had gone weeks without touching Will. The feeling of Will’s lips against his was surely heaven-sent.

“I missed you, too,” Hannibal whispered. 

Will pulled away from his embrace to enter the kitchen. Abigail smiled at Will and greeted him. 

“How are you doing, Abigail?” Will asked.

“I’m good, except Hannibal won’t let me get a cat.”

Will laughed. 

“Hannibal, what’s up with that? Get that girl a cat.” 

Hannibal smiled, shaking his head.

“Your dogs would just chase it.”

“We don’t live together,” Will flirted. 

“But we will, my love.”

Will rolled his eyes playfully. 

“Maybe in your dreams.”

Hannibal scoffed. 

“Please, like I would dream of living with all those dogs.” 

“You should bring your dogs over!” Abigail exclaimed to Will. “I haven't seen a dog in so long.”

Will chuckled. 

“It’s a bit of a drive. I suppose I could bring one or two of them up next time.” 

Hannibal huffed with displeasure.

“If you bring animals to my house, they can stay in the garage,” he declared. 

Will raised his eyebrows.

“Wow, you do realize that living with me would mean living with my dogs, right?”

“Yes, when we leave the country, not in this house,” Hannibal argued. “I’d like to keep it clean while I still live here.” 

Abigail rolled her eyes.

“It’s not like you’re gonna be putting it up for sale before we leave. Just let the dogs hang out for like an hour.”

With both Will and Abigail staring at him pleadingly, Hannibal didn’t stand a chance. 

“Alright, fine. We’ll see how it goes.”

Will smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Hannibal felt himself blush slightly as Will’s hand lingered on his bicep. Will stared into his eyes, and Hannibal stared back. He reached out to touch Will’s face, smoothing his thumb over his stubble. Will blushed and licked his lips.

“Okay, ew. Get a room, I’m trying to eat,” Abigail complained. 

Will bowed his head in embarrassment, but Hannibal was amused.

“Our deepest apologies, Abigail,” he teased, taking Will’s hand to lead him to the bedroom.

Will followed him and squeezed his hand tighter. Who knew love could be this sweet?

Chapter Text

Will’s sleep the night of the opera was disturbed periodically by nightmares with various levels of horror. Still, it was a relief to spend time with his dogs and enjoy some much-needed space from Hannibal. He spent much of the morning walking around his property with his dogs, enjoying the ice cold air. When he returned to his house, he hung his snowy jacket on the porch and kicked off his shoes. Will had finally come to terms with the fact that he would have to call Jack, so he made himself a coffee and got comfortable in his armchair by the fire. He dialed Jack’s cell phone.

“Will?” he answered.

“Jack, hey. I had a little bit of an update, is now a good time?”

“You saw Lecter again?”

“Yes. We had a sort of… date, yesterday. It was mildly eventful.”

“Tell me what happened.”

“Well, he took me to the opera, and we ran into his patient. The guy was a total asshole, and as soon as he walked away Hannibal told me he’s an obsessive narcissist with violent tendencies. The patient, his name is Ryan, I guess. Anyway, we bumped into this other guy later on who I’d had… previous relations with, and it turns out he was there on a date with Ryan. Hannibal got really possessive about it. He sort of confronted me about hooking up with this guy, and it was heavily implied that he was considering killing this man.”

“Hold on, you call this ‘mildly eventful?’ Maybe we should talk about this in my office.”

“Relax. I talked him out of it, and we both went home. Nothing else happened, and Hannibal isn’t going to kill that guy. Trust me.”

“Will, this is the first I’ve heard of the Ripper having an incentive to kill again since he framed Doctor Chilton. It would be careless not to take advantage of this.”

Will scoffed, bewildered.

“Excuse me? Are you saying I should have just let him kill that guy?” 

“Of course not, but we have to catch him somehow. We can’t prove he’s a killer without proving he’s capable of violence. If Hannibal did try to kill this person or someone else, we could catch him in the act.”

“Are you crazy? This man has a son. We’re not using him as bait,” Will asserted.

“Okay, so we use someone else. What about this Ryan guy? You said he’s Hannibal’s patient?”

“Why would Hannibal want to kill his own patient?”

“Why would he want to kill a random man he met at the opera?” suggested Jack.

A fiery anger brewed in Will’s chest.

“Are you trying to pimp me out, Jack Crawford?”

“No, of course not,” Jack insisted. “I’m just saying we use whatever we have to in order to catch him. You clearly have the power to change his mind on certain things, so we use that to our advantage however you see fit.”

“You want me to convince Hannibal to kill somebody?” Will asked blankly.

“What do you suggest, Will? Wasn’t your original plan to convince him you would kill someone together?”

“That’s different,” Will grumbled. “At least I wouldn’t just be sending Hannibal after someone like a damn hit man, I would be there to stop it.”

“The FBI and SWAT will be there to stop it if we go about this the right way. Now, has Hannibal shown any indication of wanting to kill anybody else?”

Will shook his head in disbelief.

“Look, I gotta go.”

“Will–”

He hung up on Jack and tossed his phone aside. Will was certain he hadn’t heard the last of this idea. It was so bizarrely unfair that he could hardly wrap his mind around it. The only kind of person who deserved to be on Hannibal’s hit list was another killer, and Will was not about to fuck around with a second murderer in a vein attempt to catch Hannibal. Still, if someone like Ryan were to be used as bait, they would have it coming. But whether or not Jack wanted to say it out loud, the only way Hannibal would genuinely want to kill his patient is if Will slept with him, and Will wouldn’t touch that man with a ten foot pole. There was nothing to consider; it was a terrible idea down to its core. So what did that even leave them with? Maybe running away with Hannibal wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Jack was going to get someone killed in his reckless pursuit of the Chesapeake Ripper. 

Will was forced to spend much of his afternoon that day granting an interview to Freddie Lounds. It was rather irritating knowing that everything he said was being recorded, especially when her probing questions lacked basic respect or class. At least she was smart enough not to fall for the Chilton frame job, although it was fairly obvious that the Chesapeake Ripper wouldn’t be a witless vegan. She pushed him to reveal if he still harbored doubts about Hannibal’s identity, but Will wouldn’t budge. Instead, he defended the bizarre concept that he was wrong about Hannibal, and is now on the road to recovery thanks to his generous therapy. 

“You profiled the Chesapeake Ripper to be a meticulous, intelligent psychopath who cannibalized his victims. Doctor Chilton was a vegan who begged for mercy when he couldn’t outrun Jack Crawford.”

Will sighed and met her gaze.

“My story with the Chesapeake Ripper already has an ending, Freddie.”

She leaned forward, clasping her hands together.

“Mine doesn’t. Do you really think Doctor Chilton killed Abigail Hobbs? I don’t.”

“No, I don’t,” Will admitted. “But Hannibal Lecter didn’t kill her either.”

Freddie narrowed her eyes.

“Who do you think killed her?”

“I don’t know.”

“If Chilton were the Chesapeake Ripper, why would he leave Abigail’s DNA in a fishing lure at one of his crime scenes?” Freddie pressed.

“I don’t know.”

“You must have some idea.”

Will huffed. 

“Whoever cut off Abigail’s ear used it to frame me. The DNA in that lure came from her ear, but that doesn’t mean she died when it was removed. Based on forensics, she presumably died from her throat being cut in that kitchen again.”

“And you don’t have any idea who might have cut her throat?”

“It’s anyone’s guess,” Will answered with a shrug. “Maybe it was a relative of one of her father’s victims. Maybe it was another serial killer. I’m not here to talk about Abigail, anyway.”

“Fair enough. What made you so sure Hannibal Lecter was the Chesapeake Ripper that you tried to kill him?”

Will clenched his jaw. 

“You neglected to say 'allegedly.'"

“No, I didn’t.”

He rolled his eyes.

“His background fit the profile. I was spiraling from being accused of crimes I didn’t commit. I felt betrayed, so I pointed the blame at someone I trusted.”

“Hm.”

Will was well aware that Freddie wasn’t buying it, but she was forced to move on. As soon as the agreed duration of time had passed, Will left begrudgingly. He wanted to stop by Hannibal’s place since he was so close to Baltimore, but he couldn’t seem to justify it to himself. 

It was another poor night of sleep for Will. He spent most of it tossing and turning in between nightmares. Jack had called him several times throughout the day, but Will had ignored them all. If he didn’t call Jack back or go visit his office in the morning, he would surely just show up at Will’s house unannounced. 

Will was in and out of sleep until 7am when he rolled out of bed and got himself ready for the day. He headed to Quantico first thing and went to Jack’s office. As soon as Jack saw him through the glass, he dismissed whoever he was speaking to. Will walked through the door as it was closing.

“Morning, Jack.”

“You’ve been ignoring my calls.”

“I just needed some space to think,” Will muttered.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Does that mean you’re finally ready to play ball?”

“What, you already have new bait picked out?” Will asked with a hint of derision.

“Don’t disrespect me, Will. We need to come up with an actual strategy.”

“I know that. But I don’t know of anyone else Hannibal wants to kill, and I’m not willing to put that stranger’s life at risk.”

“And what about this patient of Lecter’s? Could Hannibal be enticed to kill him?”

“How do you suggest we go about that?” 

“I was hoping you would have some insight,” Jack admitted.

“Well, I don’t,” Will said flatly.

“You said the patient has violent tendencies. What if you were to provoke him, frame him as a threat to you? Would Hannibal be inclined to go after him to protect you?”

Will shook his head.

“No. Hannibal would want me to kill him myself.”

Jack sighed with heavy frustration.

“Give me something, Will.”

“I’m sorry, Jack. I don’t have anything,” Will replied stubbornly.

He knew exactly what Jack was asking of him. Will silently dared him to say it out loud. 

“You know Lecter better than anyone else. What could drive him to kill?”

Will shrugged.

“He killed the judge to give me a mistrial. He killed Beverly because she found out who he was. Other than that, he tends to only kill when he feels like it, or when he’s framing someone.”

“You said he wanted to kill that man at the opera.”

“Yes. It was almost like jealousy, but more possessive.”

“How can we bring out Lecter’s possessiveness more violently?” Jack pushed.

Will grit his teeth. 

“If he thought I was interested in someone else, he might resort to violence.”

“So, how do we convince him you’re interested in someone else?”

“Who are we talking about here?” grumbled Will.

“The patient, Ryan, for example.”

“Hannibal would never believe I’m interested in that guy,” Will snickered. “He’s revolting.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. 

“He’s gay, and he’s dating a man that you hooked up with. What gives?”

Will scoffed in offense.

“Um, he’s a pompous narcissist who treats other men like sex objects.”

“You’re having an affair with Hannibal Lecter! You can pretend to want a relationship with him, but not some arrogant opera-goer?” Jack demanded.

Will’s fist and jaw both clenched. 

“Hannibal is well aware I would never date this man. Our interactions were less than friendly.”

“You wouldn’t necessarily have to develop a romantic relationship with him to frame him as a threat to Hannibal.”

“What other kind of relationship would threaten him?” Will snapped. “I told you, if Ryan tries to hurt me, Hannibal will make sure I kill him myself.”

Jack was clearly just as furious as Will was that neither of them were saying it out loud. 

“He was threatened by your relationship with a stranger you hooked up with,” Jack said stiffly.

“So what?” Will snarled.

“So convince him you want to hook up with Ryan!”

“What, I just walk into my next session with Hannibal and start rambling about wanting to hook up with some asshole I met at the opera? Be realistic.”

“Why don’t you just hook up with him, then?” Jack shouted.

Will laughed incredulously, raising his eyebrows.

“Go to hell, Jack.”

He turned and headed for the exit.

“Will, how are you going to catch him?” Jack challenged. 

“Not by using my penis as a death sentence,” Will declared aggressively as he left the office.

The drive to Hannibal’s house from Quantico gave Will plenty of time to calm his anger. Jack couldn’t make him sleep with anybody, so until they came up with a better plan he just needed to keep building trust. Fortunately, this would mean spending more time with Hannibal and Abigail. 

As he neared Baltimore, he received a call from Jack. Reluctantly, he picked up.

“What is it, Jack?”

“Look, I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have insinuated that. We’ll find another way to catch him, I just need you to work with me.”

“Insinuated?” Will scoffed. “You straight-up told me to hook up with Hannibal’s patient.”

Jack brushed past Will’s comment. 

“We’re still going to need someone for Hannibal to go after, unless you can get him to confess somehow. Can you think of any way to provoke him? Is there any way he would consider going after me?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“Hannibal just framed someone else for all of his crimes. He has no interest in going after law enforcement.” 

“What if we provoke him? Let him know I suspect him?” Jack inquired.

“What, and prove you right to the rest of the FBI? He’s not stupid.”

“You could present it as inside information. Something I entrusted only you with.”

“The only way you would still genuinely suspect Hannibal is if I agreed with you,” argued Will. “He wouldn’t trust me anymore, and that defeats the purpose of giving him so-called inside information.”

“I’m hearing a lot of pushback from you and not a lot of ideas,” Jack complained.

“There’s no easy answer, Jack. I’m doing everything I can.”

“Sure, but you seem distracted. Is Hannibal distracting you, Will?”

“No, I’m focused,” Will snapped. “You’ll just have to lend me some patience.”

“My patience has worn thin. This man is a monster, and he’s walked free for far too long. We need an idea, and we need it yesterday. Maybe it’s time for you to come back to the field, get back in that headspace.”

Will’s jaw clenched. 

“I just got out of the asylum a few weeks ago, and I’ve got my hands full catching the Ripper.”

“You’re unemployed, and until we come up with a plan your only duties are entertaining Hannibal and gaining his trust. Bodies are still dropping out there, Will. I could use your help.”

Jack’s entitlement made him furious. How could he go from a half-assed apology to demanding even more from Will?

“I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I’m interested in going back to the field, but I’m not. As soon as the Ripper is caught, I just want to have a normal life.”

“Well in the meantime, if I can’t bring justice to Lecter, I have killers to catch. There are people that can still be saved,” Jack urged.

“Then I suggest you get on that,” Will grumbled. “I’ll double down on figuring out Hannibal’s weaknesses and how to take advantage of them. We’ll catch him in due course.”

Jack was clearly less than satisfied with this answer, but he relented anyway.

“Good. Keep me updated.”

The call hung up, setting Will’s teeth on edge. So much for a long drive to calm him down. He pulled up to Hannibal’s house with all his usual grudges and an even heavier weight on his shoulders.

Chapter Text

Hannibal was all over Will as soon as the bedroom door shut. Will giggled and kissed him back, resisting the urge to wrap his legs around Hannibal’s body and climb that man like a tree. 

“I don’t think this is what Abigail actually meant when she told us to get a room,” Will teased. 

“We could be doing anything in here,” Hannibal flirted back between kisses.

Will snickered and sat down on the edge of bed.

“As if we’re ever that quiet, Hannibal.”

He leaned into Hannibal’s touch as he brushed the hair from Will’s forehead. Against his better judgement, Will’s hands reached forward and pulled Hannibal closer by the hips. Hannibal climbed onto his lap, straddling him, and Will instantly felt himself get hard. Hannibal’s lips felt so sweet that part of him just wanted to cuddle and make out, but a mere day and a half away from Hannibal had clearly left him yearning for more. Jack’s words rang in his head like nails on a chalkboard: You’re having an affair with Hannibal Lecter! You can pretend to want a relationship with him, but not some arrogant opera-goer?  

It was plain to see that Will wasn’t pretending to want this. He was dying to tear off Hannibal’s clothes, even if it was only to forget about everything Hannibal had put him through for a few damn minutes. 

This man is a monster, and he’s walked free for far too long. 

Is Hannibal distracting you, Will?

“Shut up,” Will grumbled against Hannibal’s lips.

“What?” prompted Hannibal, pulling away with a puzzled look.

“Nothing,” Will breathed.

He tugged Hannibal back into a fierce kiss, and Hannibal began to slowly unbutton Will’s shirt. Will tangled his fingers in Hannibal’s hair and sucked on his neck, relentlessly biting and scratching at every opportunity. He tugged at Hannibal’s clothes and whined for Hannibal to go faster. Hannibal’s chest kept heaving slightly with amused little chortles. Smug Hannibal was never a good sign. Will pulled his shirt off and laid back against the bed, still embracing Hannibal. He tilted his head back to let Hannibal kiss his neck. 

“Hannibal,” he moaned softly. “Take off your clothes.”

Hannibal smirked and rolled off of him.

“Calm yourself, Will. Sit up.”

Will brow furrowed, and he sat up begrudgingly. Hannibal moved behind Will and kissed along his shoulders and the back of his neck. His fingers started to find the knots in Will’s shoulders, massaging gently.

“Hannibal,” Will grumbled, “Enough foreplay. I want you. Take off your clothes.”

Hannibal ignored him and continued rubbing along his spine. 

“You feel tight,” he whispered in Will’s ear. 

Will blushed, and pleasant chills ran through his body. 

“You feel fucking good,” Will growled. 

His shoulders really did feel stiff, and it was no surprise Hannibal had a way with his hands. Will stifled several moans. Hannibal kept nudging and kissing the back of his head, and it gave Will butterflies every time. Finally, Hannibal unclasped Will’s jeans and pulled them off. He started to rub Will’s thighs, but Will just wanted to wrap them around Hannibal’s neck. 

“Hannibal,” he moaned again. “Please.”

Hannibal looked smug again.

“Yes, my love?”

“Take off your clothes. I want you to ride me.”

Just like that, Hannibal stripped naked and climbed onto Will’s lap. Will was overcome with anticipation, unable to tear his gaze away from his lover. As soon as Will shoved himself inside Hannibal, neither of them could keep quiet. Their movements slammed the headboard against the wall with every thrust, and they both moaned and gasped with pleasure. Hannibal repeated Will’s name over and over again, desperate for more until he finished all over Will’s front. Will bent him over and kept going anyway, only becoming more aggressive. He didn’t stop until they were both shaking and covered in sweat, gasping for air. Will collapsed beside him with a gleefully shaky laugh. 

“My god, Hannibal… That was so fucking good. You’re fucking amazing,” he panted. “I think I forgot how much I hate you for a minute there.”

“You certainly seem to have forgotten. You’re grinning like a fool,” Hannibal teased.

“I feel like a fool,” Will laughed, looking over at him. “Why do you still have those bandages on your chest? Did I really cut you that bad?”

“Yes,” Hannibal answered with an amused scoff. “It’s been a pain to keep clean, but it’s healing up decently.”

“Wait, seriously? Let me see.”

Hannibal obediently peeled off the bandages, revealing the long knife wound across his chest. Medical staples held together the wider portion of the cut. Will gasped.

“Oh my god, you have staples in your chest?! I was just tossing you around like a ragdoll! Why didn’t you say something?”

Hannibal laughed. 

“That’s just to minimize the scarring. It doesn’t hurt too much, and it’s healing fine.”

“Holy shit, Hannibal. I– I fucked you up,” Will stammered, doing his best to suppress the mild panic fluttering in his chest.

“It wasn’t long ago that the sutures were removed from my wrists,” Hannibal reminded him.

“That’s different,” Will huffed. “I was trying to kill you back then. This time I just wanted to shove my dick inside you.” 

“And so you did. I found the experience altogether delightful, so I don’t have any regrets. Neither should you.”

Will bit back a smile. 

“If it weren’t for those staples, that scar would look pretty sexy on you,” he admitted.

Hannibal smiled and pulled him into a kiss. 

“They’ll be out soon enough. You can freely admire your handiwork then.”

Will snickered before having an uncomfortable realization.

“Ugh, poor Abigail. We were so damn loud.” 

Hannibal looked amused. 

“She lives on the third floor of my house rent-free, with ready access to noise-cancelling headphones. I think she’ll live.”

“That is not an excuse!” Will laughed out. “If we’re gonna be that loud, we should be doing it at my place.”

“On your little cot? I think we’re good here.”

“You’re such an asshole,” Will grumbled affectionately, rolling his eyes. 

It felt strange to say as a joke, knowing he was so much worse than that in reality. People like Hannibal didn’t deserve to be appreciated in the way Will cared for him, even if it was by someone equally undeserving. Hannibal certainly didn’t deserve Abigail’s affection either, considering he could be capable of betraying her as cruelly as he had ruined Will. 

“What’s on your mind, darling?”

Will hesitated to answer him. 

“You said you loved me even before you betrayed me. I wonder what else you’re capable of doing to the people you love.”

Hannibal paused.

“It’s difficult to imagine another sequence of events that would have led us to where we are now.”

Will physically cringed. His words felt like a slap in the face. 

“You say that like this was our mutual end goal,” Will replied, fixing his gaze on the ceiling fan as he struggled to keep his tone even.

“The thought of losing you was unbearable, Will. If you weren’t imprisoned, you would have ensured that I took your place. Now we’re here together. I’ll admit that was indeed my end goal.”

Will scowled at the ceiling.

“What you did isn’t forgivable, Hannibal. Do you not get that? You broke my heart.”

Hannibal was silent. Will sighed heavily. 

“This hurts. Maybe I should be dedicating my time to investigating murders, instead,” he muttered. 

“This conversation with Jack is still bothering you?”

“Among other things, yes. I’ve been carrying guilt about my relationship with you, whatever that might be. Now I feel guilty about these murders I’m not solving on top of that.”

It was more of a fib than a lie, Will decided, since solving a murder investigation really was what had him so preoccupied. Jack would just keep losing patience, and Will still had no idea how he was going to get Hannibal arrested. 

“Is there a new killer evading Jack?”

“I guess so. I didn’t ask for details, but he seems convinced I’m needed.”

“Maybe I could offer my services to Jack,” Hannibal offered. “I consulted on several cases for him while you were institutionalized.”

Will raised an eyebrow. 

“Maybe you could. I’m sure he would appreciate the help. What do you get out of it?” 

“A chance to shift the weight off your shoulders,” Hannibal purred, nudging Will’s neck. 

Will closed his eyes and smiled. 

“You have the prettiest lies. No wonder Alana fell for it. How’s she doing, anyway?”

Hannibal shrugged. 

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her since she found out you and I were having an affair, and that wasn’t a friendly conversation.”

Will snorted with laughter.

“I would have liked to see that. I mean, you guys have known each other since Johns Hopkins. A whole relationship down the drain because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”

Hannibal appeared unamused. 

“I would consider it a bit more nuanced than that.”

“I’m sure you would,” Will teased, kissing his lips. “It’s probably for the best, anyway. Better for her to hate you for being a manwhore than for being the Chesapeake Ripper.”

Hannibal smirked slightly, and Will detected a trace of satisfaction. He tilted his head.

“Do you like it when I call you that?” Will asked with an air of accusation.

Hannibal was unabashed in his admission:

“It’s always refreshing to be recognized for one’s achievements.”

Will snickered.

“Fucking psycho,” he mumbled, pulling Hannibal into another kiss.

Hannibal smiled against his lips. Will slipped him his tongue, and Hannibal pulled him closer as they made out. He positioned Will’s naked body between his knees and started to massage his shoulders. 

“Are you hungry, now that I’ve cheered you up a bit?” Hannibal murmured. 

“Yes, actually,” Will chuckled, “But that feels really good. Can you rub lower on my back?”

Hannibal did as he wished, and Will’s stiff muscles welcomed his touch. He hummed with satisfaction, running his hands along Hannibal’s legs.

“Do you still want to head up to your cabin together for a vacation?” Will wondered aloud.

“I would love to,” Hannibal purred in his ear. “We could go this weekend.”

Will looked up at Hannibal with a smile. 

“Let’s go today. We can ask Abigail if she wants to come.”

Hannibal kissed him once again. 

“Let’s,” he agreed.

Will grinned.

“If we stay the night, I’ll have to bring my dogs or drive back to feed them.”

Hannibal nudged him affectionately. 

“Bring your dogs. I want to keep you as long as I can.”

Will felt butterflies in his chest yet again. The idea that Hannibal would rather cover his secret cabin in dog hair and drool than have to say goodbye to Will sooner made his heart glow. Suddenly, he felt dreaded words on the tip of his tongue:

I love you.

No. No no no no no. Even if it were true, Hannibal could never know the extent of the emotional power he seemed to hold over Will. 

“Okay,” Will gushed. “Let’s get something to eat and see if Abigail is joining us.”

Hannibal retrieved Will’s clothes for him and led him to the kitchen once they were both dressed. Thanks to Hannibal’s reliable hospitality, Will soon had a delicious meal to eat and a glass of expensive wine. Hannibal eventually went upstairs to fetch Abigail, who returned eager to travel to the cabin with them.

“How did you get Hannibal to let you bring the dogs?” she asked excitedly as soon as she saw Will. 

“I don’t know,” Will laughed. “I’ll work on getting you a cat next. Hannibal occasionally bends to my whims.”

“Occasionally?” Hannibal scoffed, tugging Will closer by his belt loop. “It seems to me I’ve given you nearly everything you’ve asked for.”

Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck and kissed him. 

“If that’s the case, I really want a cat,” Will taunted. 

Hannibal bit his lip, seemingly deciding between punishing or rewarding Will’s behavior. 

“No, you don’t, and neither do your dogs. Nice try.”

Will blushed slightly.

“Do you really still think we’re all going to live together?”

“Of course I do,” Hannibal answered with an affectionate nudge. “We’re family. All that’s left is for you to choose us.”

Out of the blue, Will felt he might start crying. How could he not choose them? With his dogs included, Hannibal and Abigail really did make up his family. It couldn’t be right to leave them behind or send them away. It almost felt as though he belonged with them. 

I love you, Will thought again, staring into Hannibal’s eyes. 

“What is it, Will?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled. “You and Abigail should pack. We still have to drive down to Wolf Trap before we go.”

Hannibal looked concerned, but he didn’t press Will on the matter. He sent Abigail back upstairs to pack, and Will helped him gather supplies for their short stay. In about an hour, they had loaded all of their luggage into Hannibal’s car. Abigail strode into the garage wearing a black wig and heavy gothic makeup. Will did a double take. Hannibal handed her a baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses, and Will laughed aloud.

“I’m sorry, this is your clever disguise to transport a missing child?” Will asked derisively.

Abigail scoffed in mock offense. 

“Acutally, I’m eighteen now, and I’ve been presumed dead. Get it right.”

Will rolled his eyes with a smile. 

“Hannibal, is this your clever disguise to transport a young woman who’s recently been presumed dead?”

“I’m afraid so,” Hannibal chortled. 

“He has me hide under a blanket on the floor of the backseat until we get out of Baltimore,” Abigail chimed in. “He says after that we’re just two unsuspecting weirdos abiding by the law.”

“Sounds risky to me,” Will grumbled.

“Relax, love,” Hannibal assured him. “I’ve gotten away with much worse.”

Will scoffed in a mixture of shock and amusement.

“That’s not funny, Hannibal. You don’t get to make jokes about being the Chesapeake Ripper.”

Well aware that Will had somehow found his joke amusing, Hannibal doubled down.

“I’m not sure who that is, but he sounds handsome.”

Abigail snorted and accused him of making a ‘dad joke,’ but Will wasn’t ready to let him win.

“Yeah, Frederick Chilton, who knew? It’s a shame Miriam had to aim for the face. He was such a handsome fella. The asylum wasn’t all bad, if you get my meaning.” 

Hannibal’s expression quickly shifted from triumph to cold fury. 

“Liar,” he growled. “You hated Chilton.”

“I hate you, too, but we still get down and dirty.” 

Hannibal fist clenched, and Will burst out laughing. 

“Did you sleep with that maggot?” Hannibal snarled.

“No!” Will cackled. “Damn, you’re gullible. Get in the car, Ripper. We have places to be.” 

Still scowling, Hannibal climbed into the driver’s seat. Abigail suppressed laughter and got in behind him. It didn’t take much more than a kiss on the cheek to get Hannibal smiling again as the three of them set out for Wolf Trap.

Chapter Text

Hannibal allowed Abigail to play her choice of music for much of the drive, and Will admitted he was pleasantly surprised to discover that they had multiple favorite artists in common. She and Will discussed their preferred albums and songs while teasing Hannibal for his fixation with chamber music. Perhaps predictably, their main method of bonding so far seemed to be making fun of Hannibal together, but he rarely minded; it was heartening just to see them getting along so well.

Once they made it to his home in Wolf Trap, Will let his dogs loose to meet Abigail. Hannibal stood beside him on the porch, watching her enthusiastically greet each dog while Will told her their names. When Will turned to meet his gaze, he was smiling even more widely than Hannibal himself. Will looked down and pursed his lips, leaning his weight against Hannibal.

“I’ll need you to back your car up to my little trailer over there so I can hitch it up. The dogs usually do pretty well in there, but I should stay in the back with them just in case. Actually, it might be better for Abigail to sit back there. It’s more hidden, and I’m sure she weighs quite a bit less than I do.”

Hannibal chuckled to himself. 

“You shouldn’t have so many dogs that you need a trailer to transport them,” he teased. 

Will rolled his eyes but laughed.

“Well, I was gonna get a big SUV instead, but it’s a tough economy. Come on.” 

Will led him to his shed, and they returned to Hannibal’s car with various tools and a spare hitch. Hannibal stood by and watched as Will messed around underneath his car. It wasn’t long before he was cussing and throwing out complaints, as if it were the fault of Hannibal’s car that it wasn’t accustomed to towing a trailer full of dogs. Once he snappishly asked Hannibal to help him hold the hitch in place, Will made quick work installing it and attaching the trailer behind his car. 

Hannibal called Abigail back over, and Will’s dogs followed around her. Together, the three of them loaded up the dogs and their supplies into the back. Will laid down blankets and dog beds on the carpeted floor of the trailer to ensure their comfort. Abigail was happy to sit in the back with the dogs, leaving Hannibal and Will alone for the roughly two-hour drive. Unfortunately, Will didn’t seem to be in a talking mood. Hannibal couldn’t understand why, seeing as this little vacation had been his idea. He made another attempt at conversation.

“Abigail seemed delighted to meet your dogs. I’m glad you suggested we take this trip today.”

Will grunted in presumable agreement.

“I’d be excited to meet some dogs, too, if you were the only company I’d been allowed for months.”

Hannibal stiffened.

“You say that like I’ve been keeping her prisoner.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Will grumbled. “I’m just worried for her. She’s already been isolated enough even before you faked her death. I just wish we could give her a normal life.”

Hannibal glanced over at Will. His expression seemed to emanate grief rather than concern. 

“Abigail could have a normal life,” Hannibal reminded him. “We could give that to her together, in another country. This trip will provide a brief glimpse of what our life will look like if you choose to run away with us.”

Will scoffed. 

“As much as I’d like to believe that, Hannibal, this is just a vacation. Running off to another country won’t be anything like that.” 

Hannibal pondered this with a frown.

“What makes you say that?”

“Pfft. Are you kidding? We’ll be too worried about maintaining fake identities and hiding Abigail from the authorities to relax all that often.”

“I beg to differ. We’ll be too far from your past regrets and the FBI to worry about much. You could spend your days fixing boat motors or fishing on the docks with Abigail. That’s if you want to work at all. I have more than enough money and skills to provide for the three of us.” 

Will laughed derisively.

“So you just want me as your trophy wife?”

“I want to take care of you, Will. I want to give you whatever it is you desire,” he asserted.

Will scoffed again.

“Last time I entrusted you to take care of me, you gave me encephalitis and got me thrown in jail. No thanks.”

Hannibal’s jaw clenched. 

“With everything else going on, I had to prioritize other motives. Still, I was devoted to you. Now that everything is out in the open, we’ve only become closer. All I want is for us to be together.”

Will rolled his eyes.

“You’re obsessive. What you’re describing sounds an awful lot like marriage, and you don’t strike me as the marrying type. Maybe you don’t really know what it is you want.”

“I daresay I would know better than you,” declared Hannibal. “You’re correct in assuming I never considered that I might meet someone I would want to spend the rest of my life with, but that was before I met you.” 

Will raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Have you ever even been in a relationship that wasn’t entirely built on lies? People like you aren’t built for happily ever after. Neither am I. I didn’t come all the way out here with you just to feed into your delusion.”

Hannibal glared at the road ahead.

“If you think our family is a delusion, then why did you come all the way out here with us?”

Will groaned at the question, as if it were too much to ask that he have an answer. 

“I just wanted to spend some time with you guys, go on a little vacation. Get my mind off other shit,” Will grumbled. “But you have a way of creating problems for me in the long-term.”

“I’m not looking to create problems for you, Will. I want to take us somewhere we could be happy. All of us.”

Will laughed humorlessly. 

“I hate to break it to you, Hannibal, but that place doesn’t exist. You’re incredibly destructive, Abigail is a fugitive, and I’m a self-sabotaging dipshit. We’re doomed no matter where we go.”

Hannibal paused.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t?”

“No,” corrected Will. “I know I’m doomed if I go with you guys. I might have half a chance at a normal life if I don’t.”

“I didn’t realize you were all about playing it safe,” Hannibal taunted.

“Shut up, Hannibal,” Will snapped. “Running away with you goes beyond high-risk. You would be effectively making yourself the center of my universe, isolating me even further from any semblance of friends or family. When things eventually go to shit between us, I would have nowhere to go and nobody to trust. But that’s exactly how you want me. The more I feed your obsession, the more pieces of myself I’m leaving behind, the harder it becomes for me to leave. You desperately need me to need you, so you’re fostering codependency.”

Hannibal’s lip twitched upward with disdain.

“Is that what I’m doing?” 

Will’s phone began to ring, and Hannibal glanced over as Will pulled it from his pocket. The incoming call came from a contact labeled simply as ‘Dad.’ Hannibal wasn’t sure who he had expected to be calling, but it certainly hadn’t been Will’s father. Will declined the call.

“Who was that?” Hannibal prompted.

“Just my dad,” Will grumbled.

“I thought you hadn’t spoken to him in years.”

“I hadn’t.”

“Don’t you think it could be important, then?”

“I doubt it. I spoke to him last week.”

Hannibal’s brow furrowed.

“What about?”

“See, this is what I mean,” Will scoffed. “You’re so possessive and scared to lose me that you need to be in control of everything going on in my life.”

“I asked you a simple question, Will. It’s abnormal for you to reach out to your family. I thought perhaps something was wrong.”

“Everything’s fine,” Will replied curtly. 

“So that phone call with your father doesn’t have anything to do with your mood lately?” he challenged.

“Fuck off, Hannibal. You’re not my psychiatrist right now.”

“I’m not psychoanalyzing you, Will. I was expressing reasonable concern.”

“Well, I don’t want your concern,” Will snarled, his voice rising slightly. “Worry about someone else.”

“I love you, Will. You’re the only one I worry about.”

Will rolled his eyes yet again.

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up,” he mumbled.

Hannibal shot a furious glare at Will. 

“Watch yourself. I may have to deal with Abigail talking to me like that, but I won’t take it from you. Now, I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve for you. The least you can do is hear me out or politely ask that I move onto another subject.”

Will huffed in frustration. He reached over to Hannibal’s chair to unclasp his seatbelt before moving on to his zipper. Hannibal was altogether baffled.

“Will, what on Earth are you doing?” he demanded, struggling to focus on the road. 

“Asking nicely,” Will muttered, and he leaned over Hannibal’s lap to tug his underwear down.

Will’s rosy pink lips parted as he took Hannibal into his mouth. Hannibal let out a soft moan and jerked his gaze back to the road. He let off the gas pedal and tangled his fingers in Will’s curly hair. 

“Good boy,” Hannibal murmured.

His words seemed to flip a switch in Will; his tongue swiftly changed from slow and begrudging to rapid and eager. He wanted Hannibal so goddamn bad that he’d rather suck him off than keep arguing about their future.

“Will…” he whined. “Please, I have to… driving…”

It was hard not to watch Will’s head bobbing up and down as he sucked Hannibal’s dick, but there was no shoulder on the road even if he had wanted to pull off. Hannibal felt Will slide his hand between his thighs and squeeze. Just the other day, Will had recoiled at the sensation of choking on Hannibal, but now he was already taking him even deeper into his throat than before.

“Oh, my god… Will!”

It was a miracle they didn’t swerve off the road when Hannibal came, but Will somehow managed to straighten them out once he sat up and grabbed the wheel. Hannibal laughed in delight to find that they were back in their lane safely.

“Will, that was incredibly reckless,” he scolded, still grinning.

“Are you complaining?” Will teased, buttoning up Hannibal’s pants.

Hannibal snickered.

“Abigail and the dogs are in a trailer without seatbelts. I’ll bet they’re complaining.”

Will blushed.

“Oops. I guess I overestimated your ability to keep your composure.” 

Rather than putting his seatbelt back on, Will laid sideways in his chair to rest his head in Hannibal’s lap. Hannibal smiled and stroked his hair in silence. Will certainly had a way of getting what he wanted. He affectionately ran his thumb over Will’s stubble, brushing over his bottom lip. To his delight, Will kissed the tip of his finger. He lifted his head up and brought his tongue to it, pulling Hannibal’s thumb into his mouth. Hannibal exhaled with satisfaction, but it quickly turned to a pained gasp as Will pinched his fingertip between his teeth. A spike of adrenaline pumped through Hannibal’s blood as Will licked it from his thumb. Hannibal smeared his bloody fingertip over Will’s lips and face, marking him. Will’s lips continued to gravitate towards Hannibal’s hand, so he pushed two fingers into Will’s mouth. Will hummed with pleasure, his lips immediately closing around them. Hannibal moaned softly as Will licked and sucked on his fingers, practically begging Hannibal to gag him. When he did, Will recovered quickly and just kept sucking. 

“Oh, Will…” Hannibal murmured. “I want you on my lap. I need your tongue against mine.”

Will giggled, and Hannibal pulled his fingers from his mouth to caress Will’s exposed throat.

“Calm yourself, Doctor. I’ve already fucked you once and sucked you off today, and it’s not even five o’ clock.” 

  Hannibal smirked.

“I’m the luckiest bastard alive,” he gushed, looking down at Will’s pretty eyes. “You look gorgeous with my blood on your face.”

Will snickered and sat up to wipe it off. Moments later, they were heading up the driveway to Hannibal’s cabin. Abigail was less than pleased with her passenger experience, and she faulted Hannibal’s driving as soon as they let her and the dogs out of the trailer. 

“I could have gotten a concussion,” she complained. “Did we swerve off the road at one point? Buster fell on Winston’s face.” 

“It wasn’t my fault,” Hannibal argued. 

“How was it not your fault? You were the one driving.”

“Yes, but there were other factors at play.”

Will chuckled.

“Yeah, some asshat wasn’t paying attention to the road. Nearly got us all killed,” he told Abigail, glancing over at Hannibal with a smirk. 

Hannibal bit his tongue, and the three of them began to unload the vehicle. He got started on making dinner as soon as they had brought the luggage inside.

Chapter Text

In many ways, the evening he got to spend with Hannibal and Abigail was more fulfilling than Will ever could have prepared himself for. It was freezing cold outside, but Abigail was delighted to be in the snow after being kept indoors for so long. She and Will played with the dogs while Hannibal was inside cooking dinner. Abigail and Buster took an immediate liking to each other, and she rightly praised his tenacity at tug-of-war despite his small stature. All of the dogs loved her, really. She didn’t seem to mind when they knocked her down in the snow or when they covered her face in slobber. Will hadn’t heard so much laughter in months, even just from himself. 

It was quite a chore to dry off all the dogs before going inside to eat, but Abigail was kind enough to help him. As usual, Hannibal’s courses were beautifully crafted and smelled delicious. When Will tried to sit at the table, however, Hannibal insisted that he and Abigail change into clean clothes.

“You both smell like wet dogs. It’s bad enough with seven actual wet dogs running around my kitchen.” 

Will laughed and kissed him on the cheek. 

“All I can smell is your food. It looks delicious.”

Hannibal smirked slightly, looking Will up and down.

“All I can smell is your soggy clothes. Go change.”

Will bit back a smile and obeyed. After he and Abigail freshened up, the three of them sat at the dining table to enjoy their meal. Will had hardly eaten all day, but Hannibal’s cooking was well worth the wait. Hannibal couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of Will as they dined, even when they all became engrossed in conversation. Will started to worry it might make Abigail uncomfortable, and he blushed under Hannibal’s attentive gaze. Eventually, Abigail huffed and stopped midsentence to berate Hannibal. 

“Dude, stop being weird. I’m trying to talk to both of you.” 

Hannibal turned his gaze from Will to look at her.

“How was I being weird?”

“You won’t stop staring at Will. You’re making everyone uncomfortable.”

Will snorted with laughter, and Hannibal looked affronted. 

“What? I was just looking at him. He’s a very handsome man.”

“Ugh, just stop being so gay for five seconds,” Abigail quipped.

“Sitting across from Will? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t ask you to act straight around Kristen Stewart.”

Will's face felt hot, but Abigail laughed aloud. He hid his flustered expression behind the palm of his hand.

“Hannibal, shush! I told you that in confidence,” she joked.

“Who is Will going to tell?” Hannibal teased. 

“Lord knows I’m sworn to secrecy,” muttered Will, uncovering his brow to take another bite of food. 

Somehow, this comment seemed to bring Abigail more discomfort than any of Hannibal’s weirdness. Hannibal broke the silence. 

“I hope you haven’t tired of keeping our secrets already, Will. I’ve been looking forward to sharing more with you.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

Hannibal appeared miffed at Will’s hollow tone. 

“The location of our future home, for one. Our true identities in whichever country we choose to move to. My past. Our future.”

Will said nothing. What was there to say? He couldn’t tell Hannibal this future would never happen, and he couldn’t pretend that it would. Abigail chimed in.

“Hannibal, can we make a campfire? I want to roast marshmallows for s’mores.”

Hannibal smiled at her with a pure and kind sentiment. 

“Of course. Rinse your plate and we’ll fetch the firewood. I think Will just needs a minute with something stronger than wine.”

Will stiffened and glared at him. He wanted to snap at Hannibal for patronizing him, but he would only be playing into the moody alcoholic insult he had thrown out. Nevertheless, Will went straight to Hannibal’s liquor cabinet as soon as Hannibal and Abigail went to set up the firewood outside. After chugging a glass of scotch without any consideration for the expensive label on the bottle, Will unlocked his phone to read what his father had texted him after his call was declined.

Hey, just wanted to call and check on how things were going with you. Call me back when you get the chance.

Will squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. That wouldn’t be a fun conversation. Between Jack pushing him to find evidence and now his dad undoubtedly pushing him to break up with Hannibal, Will felt as though he were backed into a corner. He texted back.

Can’t talk, on an overnight vacation with my psycho boyfriend and our surrogate daughter :[

Will snickered to himself as he sent it, well aware that his father wouldn’t find it amusing. Maybe the whiskey was already hitting. Before he could turn his phone to ‘do not disturb,’ his dad texted back:

Not funny, Will. Call me when you can.

Will shut his phone down altogether and went outside to help Abigail and Hannibal with the fire. Once they had a blazing heat source, sitting outside together was rather peaceful. The tail end of the sunset was breathtaking, and Abigail kept making Hannibal laugh while they roasted marshmallows. Will caught himself staring at Hannibal more than a few times, although he was certain Hannibal had only pretended not to notice. He tuned back into their conversation when Abigail offered him one of her s’mores. Will smiled and thanked her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten a s’more, but it was much more delicious than he expected. Hannibal was still chortling about something, and Abigail had excitedly turned back to him.

“Okay, I got one. Ready? Fuck, marry, kill: Edward Cullen, Carlisle Cullen, and Charlie Swan.”

Hannibal laughed.

“Which one is Carlisle again?”

Will raised an eyebrow. Seriously? Hannibal was actually going along with this?

“The vampire dad, the blonde doctor guy.”

“Okay. Hm. Kill Edward, marry Charlie, fuck Carlisle.”

“Wait, seriously?” she snickered. “I do not get the hype for Carlisle. He has, like, a rat face. Charlie is the only remotely attractive dude in the whole series.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” replied Hannibal. “Charlie is just the only one I’d be able to stand long enough to not get stuck marrying Edward.” 

Abigail snorted.

“Stop making jokes about killing people. You’re gonna piss off Will again.”

“You’re the one who wanted to play a game with ‘kill’ in the title,” Hannibal argued playfully. 

She rolled her eyes and went on.

“I’d still fuck Charlie instead. They’re both nice enough people to deal with on a daily basis, but Carlisle is kinda gross and I think Charlie got divorced for a reason.”

Hannibal chuckled.

“Well, Charlie is definitely in the closet. Carlisle would know what he was doing. I feel like Charlie would just make a fuss about having to be on the bottom.”

Abigail cackled, but Will was unamused. 

“Hannibal!” he hissed. “She’s a teenager. Don’t say things like that.”

“Oh, please. This one curses like a sailor when you’re not around. Besides, some of the TV shows she watches in my living room are downright pornographic.”

“Not even true! That was literally one time,” she laughed. “Okay, Will, your turn. You can come up with one for Hannibal if you’re gonna be all prudish about it.” 

Will rolled his eyes at Hannibal’s smirk. What a ridiculous game. Still, it was lovely to see Abigail smiling and laughing. 

“Fine. Hannibal, you get… Jack, Jack’s wife, and Freddie Lounds.”

Abigail snorted in amusement, awaiting Hannibal’s response. Hannibal pondered for a brief moment. 

“Marry Freddie, kill Jack, then fuck his wife.” 

Will couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Marry Freddie? No way.”

“I stand by it. What would your choice be?” Hannibal taunted. 

“No cheating. Don’t you have to ask me your own, now?”

Abigail laughed.

“Someone’s played this before,” she teased.

“Have not,” Will lied, glancing at Hannibal. 

“Alright, Will,” he began. “Gerald, Ryan, and myself. Make your choice.”

Will bit his lip. Of course Hannibal would pull something like this.

“Okay. Fuck Gerald, marry you, and kill Ryan.”

Unmistakably, Hannibal looked down and blushed. Abigail giggled.

“Hannibal, I think your crush likes you back.” 

Will snickered.

“I would have killed him, but then I’d be stuck touching Ryan, and I don’t even wanna do that with a ten-foot pole.”

“Yeah, right,” Abigail sneered. “Why didn’t you marry Gerald and fuck Hannibal, then? Is Gerald somehow worse?”

Will chuckled with discomfort.

“Better the devil you know. Besides, Gerald’s already married.”

Abigail gasped.

“What? You had sex with a married guy?”

Will jerked his gaze to Hannibal with a scowl.

“Hannibal, how does she know who Gerald is?”

Hannibal shrugged innocently. 

“She likes to gossip, and I needed someone to vent to about your sleeping around. I didn’t know he was married.” 

“Sleeping around?! That’s what you told her?!” Will snapped. “I hooked up with him once because you were pissing me off. You shouldn’t be talking to Abigail about my sex life regardless!”

Hannibal somehow found the audacity to roll his eyes and look to Abigail.

“Thanks for that. See what I have to put up with?” 

“Sorry!” she laughed. “I didn’t know it was classified info.” 

Will’s jaw clenched. 

“For the record, I don’t sleep with people’s partners. Gerald is getting a divorce, and I assume he and his wife have been separated ever since he came out as gay. Jeez, now I need a drink,” he growled, standing from his chair. 

“Will, come on,” Hannibal called after him. “I’m sorry, we were just messing around.” 

Will rolled his eyes and went back inside without looking over his shoulder. He ignored the obvious giggling from Abigail and Hannibal outside as he poured himself another glass of scotch. In a few gulps he finished it and went to find his luggage. Will dug through his duffel bag until he found the couple of marijuana joints he had brought along with him. He hadn’t actually planned on smoking them, but he should have known Hannibal would drive him to his wits end so quickly. In a way, Hannibal had been half-right to claim that this trip would give Will a glimpse of how a future with him would look: isolated, staged, and completely lacking in boundaries.

After stashing the weed in the pocket of his jeans, Will rejoined Hannibal and Abigail by the fire with an additional glass of scotch. Thankfully, they had moved onto discussing Abigail’s future career. However, Hannibal had quite blatantly moved Will’s chair to stand right beside his own. Will sat in it anyway with an air of indifference. Hannibal paid him no mind and continued his conversation with Abigail.

“Are you no longer interested in behavioral science? Last we spoke of this, you seemed to be deciding between psychology and criminology.”

Abigail shook her head. 

“It’s not that I’ve lost interest, I just think I could apply a different perspective. I’ve thought about it, and I don’t really want to be a detective or a psychiatrist. I want to be a lawyer.” 

“A lawyer?” Hannibal asked in apparent surprise. “Of what sort?”

“A prosecutor, I guess. I don’t know what they call them in Italy.”

Will raised an eyebrow.

“Italy?”

Hannibal nodded and smiled gently at Will. 

“We’ve discussed it. Nothing’s been set in stone,” he told him, turning back to Abigail.

“The Italian court system works a bit differently, as you’d expect, but I think you would excel in that role. I can teach you more about it later.”

Abigail smiled. 

“Okay, cool. I’m gonna go get ready for bed. The cold is making me sleepy.”

She stood up and wrapped her blanket tightly around herself. Several of Will’s dogs followed her back inside, and Hannibal sternly reminded her to keep them off the furniture. Will met his solemn eyes as Hannibal wrapped an arm around him.

“How are you feeling, Will?” he prompted in a low voice. 

“Tipsy,” Will admitted. “I stole your scotch.”

Hannibal nudged him affectionately.

“I can forgive that. Are you still upset with me?”

“I’m always upset with you,” Will muttered, only half joking. 

“What do you think of Italy?” Hannibal asked, kissing Will’s temple.

Will paused.

“I think you and Abigail would do well there.”

“Not yourself?”

“It doesn’t matter. I told you, I’m not coming.”

Hannibal sighed. Will leaned his head on Hannibal’s shoulder.

“The stars look beautiful tonight, don’t they?” Hannibal murmured.

Will looked up and smiled.

“Yeah, they really do.”

Hannibal took a deep breath in.

“Do you have marijuana in your pocket?” he asked bluntly.

Will scoffed in amusement.

“Yeah, I do. What are you, a bloodhound?”

Hannibal smiled and kissed Will’s head.

“Don’t let me stop you from smoking it.” 

Will hummed with pleasure at his affectionate touch and pulled him into a kiss. Hannibal slid his hand between Will’s thighs, and Will felt his own legs spread inadvertently. Fuck . Quickly recovering from his lustful lapse of judgement, he brought his thighs back together and pulled the joints from his pocket. 

“You ready to get high?” Will teased. 

“No, thank you,” Hannibal chortled. “I don’t get high.”

“Never? Why not?” Will asked as he lit a joint. 

“I never felt compelled to try marijuana. It smells foul, for one thing.”

Will laughed, causing him to cough a bit as he exhaled smoke.

“You should have said that before you told me I could light up.”

Hannibal grinned.

“I already put up with your aftershave and your wet dogs. This is nothing.”

Will turned away in a vain attempt at hiding his own smile. Hannibal squeezed his upper thigh, and Will took another puff before offering him the joint with a smirk.

“Try it.”

Hannibal scoffed. 

“I respectfully decline, once again.”

“Oh, come on. I’ve tried cannibalism for you. I think you can try cannabis.”

Hannibal returned Will’s smile and took the joint between his fingers. He took two drags before handing it back to Will. They both stared at the stars in silence and passed the joint back and forth. Abigail rejoined them outside a few minutes later in her pajamas.

“Are you kidding me? You guys suddenly get fun as soon as I leave?” she joked. 

She reached out her hand to Hannibal, who offered her the joint without a moment’s hesitation. Will scoffed in disbelief and sat up.

“Hannibal! She’s eighteen, give me my fucking weed back.”

Abigail raised her eyebrows and laughed. 

“Relax. You think I haven’t smoked weed before?”

Will huffed. 

“Doesn’t matter, I’m not your dealer. Hannibal better not be either.”

She took another puff before handing the joint back to Will.

“I don’t have a dealer. I didn’t even think Hannibal smoked weed.”

“I don’t,” Hannibal chuckled. “You know Will has a way of wearing me down. Are you off to bed?”

“Yeah, I just came to say goodnight and steal a puff.”

Hannibal stood up to give Abigail a hug and kiss her head.

“Goodnight, sweetheart. Sleep well.”

She smiled and embraced him tightly. 

“Goodnight! See you guys in the morning.”

She gave Will an awkward wave before heading back inside, which Will returned with a smile.

“Goodnight, Abigail.”

Will laid his head back to rest on Hannibal’s shoulder. The crashing sound of the ocean waves against the bluff amidst the crackling of the fire was sweeter than music. Once the joint had burned out, Will climbed into Hannibal’s lap and brought their lips together. He lost track of time as they made out, and they somehow ended up tangled in each other against the snow. It was a relief there were no words exchanged between them, because Will only had three on his mind:

I love you.

Chapter Text

Time was running out. Will could hear a clock ticking somewhere off in the distance. The sound was so clear it must have been massive. It was dark outside, and rain was pouring down. Will stumbled out of a cab and up to Hannibal’s porch. Alana laid motionless on her back, surrounded by shattered glass. Will’s heart raced as he knelt beside her. She was conscious, but barely. Jack is inside. Go. He laid his jacket over her and hurried inside, his gun at the ready. A massive pool of blood was flooding out from inside the pantry. Abigail stood in the kitchen, crying. Will lowered his gun.

“Abigail? Where is he?” 

Her eyes darted over Will’s shoulder. He slowly turned around to face Hannibal. It physically pained him to do so. This was all Will’s fault. He couldn’t bear the look on Hannibal’s face, so full of sorrow and despair. He was covered in blood.

“Y-You were supposed… to leave…” Will stammered, holding back tears. 

“We couldn’t leave without you.”

Hannibal reached out to touch Will’s face. Will gazed upon him helplessly, awaiting his fate. Could they still run away together? Would Hannibal forgive his betrayal, knowing Will had warned him in the end? No. The knife cut deep into his gut, slicing him open. He gasped in agony and fell into Hannibal, who embraced him so tightly, stroking his hair. Hannibal had made a place for all of them, together, and he would force Will to watch as he ripped it away. Abigail’s blood was already spilling from Will’s gut, unceremoniously splattering onto the kitchen floor. Hannibal was staring into Will’s eyes now, holding him in place. His words were muffled, but Will could tell from Hannibal’s voice alone that he was hurting as badly as Will was. In a blink, Will was lying collapsed on the kitchen floor, staring up at Hannibal. 

“I let you know me. See me. I gave you a rare gift. But you didn’t want it.”

Hannibal was blinded by pain and fury. He had to know how badly Will wanted everything that was falling apart around them.

“Didn’t I?”

“You would deny me my life.” 

“N-No, no,” Will sputtered. “Not your life, no.”

“My freedom then, you would take that from me. Confine me to a prison cell.”

It was getting harder to keep his head up. Will’s vision threatened to fade to black, but he wouldn’t let it. He kept his gaze fixed on Hannibal, who glared down at him.

“Do you believe you could change me, the way I’ve changed you?” 

Will grimaced, barely able to speak.

“I already did.” 

Hannibal couldn’t deny it, but he plainly resented that Will was right.

“Fate and circumstance have returned us to this moment… when the teacup shatters.”

Will knew there was more pain to come, but he desperately willed it not to be true.

“I forgive you, Will. Will you forgive me?”

“Oh, don– d-don’t… No. No.”

Hannibal extended his arm to Abigail. 

“Abigail, come to me.”

No. NO! Will wanted to scream at her to run away, but he couldn’t. She went right to Hannibal. All Will could do was sob in agony as he watched Hannibal slice her throat open. Her blood splattered on Will’s face before she collapsed beside him on the floor. The hand Will placed on Abigail’s throat wouldn’t keep her alive any more than his arm was keeping the blood from spilling out of his abdomen. Hannibal had left them to die. All that was left was a few more strangled breaths. Abigail was gone. Will felt as though he were completely engulfed, drowning in all the blood. He heard a screaming in the distance.

“Will! Will, listen to me. You’re having a nightmare.”

Will jolted up in bed, and the screams echoed on the walls. He was back at the cliff house, in bed with Hannibal. Hannibal caressed his face, pleading for him to calm down, and Will realized the screams had been his own. He gasped for air and choked on his own saliva. 

“Don’t touch me,” he spat, slapping Hannibal’s hand away from his face. 

“Will, it was just a dream. You’re safe. We’re all safe.”

“No! No no no no no. You killed her. You killed her. Where is Abigail? Fuck, you killed them all. You gutted me, you…” 

Will’s words collapsed into sobs.

“Please, Will, breathe. It was just a dream.”

There was an urgent knock on the door, and Abigail opened it.

“What the fuck?! Are you guys good?!” she demanded.

“Yes,” Hannibal replied calmly as Will tried to even out his breathing. “He’s had a night terror of some kind. You can go back to bed.”

“Jesus Christ,” she muttered, looking down at Will with wide eyes. 

Will didn’t care how pathetic and disgusting he must look; he was so relieved to see her alive.

“You’re alive,” he whispered, just to reaffirm it to himself.

“Yeah… I’m alive,” she replied blankly. “Are you okay?”

Will pursed his lips and nodded.

“Yes. I’m sorry I woke you. I was, uh… It was just a really bad dream.”

She nodded solemnly. 

“I get it. I have dreams like that, too. Anyway, I hope they get better. Goodnight.”

Will took a deep, heavy breath. 

“Thanks, Abigail. Goodnight.”

The door shut behind her as she disappeared down the hall. Will faced Hannibal.

“Can I touch you, now?” Hannibal asked, a hint of bitterness behind his concerned tone.

Will bit his tongue and placed a hand on Hannibal’s knee. 

“Yes. It just felt so real. Like it happened, like I was there, and…”

“What happened?”

“The FBI was coming for us,” Will muttered. “Alana and Jack got there first. You killed them. Then you gutted me, and then you made me watch you kill Abigail. You slit her throat, just like Garrett Jacob Hobbs.” 

Hannibal listened attentively, gently rubbing Will’s palm with his thumb.

“Why would I ever do that?” he prompted.

Will’s jaw clenched. 

“I don’t know. I guess you thought I had sold you out to the FBI.”

“Had you?”

Will swallowed.

“Yes. You took Abigail away to punish me. You left us to die.”

Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will and pulled him closer. 

“I know you wouldn’t betray me like that, and you know I would never hurt you without reason. You can relax, my darling. We’re safe. I love you.”

Will buried his face in Hannibal’s chest and breathed in his scent. He was right. They were all safe. He desperately wanted to tell Hannibal he loved him back. It was all so fragile. What if Will never got the chance to tell him? Maybe it was for the best. Hannibal didn’t deserve to know how Will felt about him. There was a reason the dream had felt so real; Hannibal’s wrath if Will truly betrayed him would go beyond measure. Of course, that wouldn’t matter if he was in prison, where he belongs. As he laid in the comforting embrace of Hannibal’s arms, Will brainstormed ways to expedite his arrest. Involving Abigail wasn’t an option. Perhaps if Will could pit Alana and Hannibal against each other, he could frame her as a mutual target of theirs. Will sure as hell resented her enough to do a little bit of acting, and Hannibal might jump at the chance to kill together. But first, he would need to convince Hannibal that he was capable of the same kind of violence.

“Are you alright, my love?” Hannibal asked gently as he stroked Will’s hair.

“Yes,” Will mumbled. “I don’t think I’ll be able to fall back asleep, though.”

“Do you want me to rub your shoulders?” he offered. 

Will smiled to himself. 

“I’m okay. Get some rest, I’ll be fine just laying here with you. Sorry for the drama.”

Will sat up to kiss him, and Hannibal smiled against his lips. He let Hannibal tug him into a more comfortable laying position as they shared sweet kisses. Will pulled away with a grin.

“Ugh, I wish we could just stay here forever. No nightmares, no bloodshed, no lies… Just this.”

Hannibal smiled back at him, caressing his face.

“I love you, too, Will.”

Will blushed.

“That’s not what I said. This isn’t the reality of you. It’s a beautiful lie.”

“Where’s the lie? You just want the good without the bad. Love takes courage. You have to fight for it.” 

Will scoffed.

“I don’t need a psychopath lecturing me on love. I know I can’t have the good without the bad, but you’re not as accommodating as you pretend to be. Relationships take compromise, and narcissists like you don’t handle that very well.”

“What haven’t I been willing to compromise for you?” Hannibal challenged. 

Will sighed and closed his eyes. 

“There’s no point in arguing about this.”

“Arguing about what? You haven’t said anything.”

“You’re controlling and manipulative,” Will huffed. “I can’t ask you to compromise on that because that's who you’ll always be.” 

Will felt Hannibal’s muscles stiffen.

“This isn’t about compromise, Will, or my personality. This is about forgiveness.”

“So what?” Will grumbled. “I have a thousand reasons not to forgive you. Take your pick.”

Hannibal sighed. He kissed Will’s forehead and wrapped his arms more tightly around him.

“I know. I’ve been dedicated to earning your forgiveness for some time now. Goodnight, my love.”

Asshole. Hannibal may as well be taunting him, but his assumption was wrong; Will would never forgive him. Who knew love could bring out such naive optimism in someone as monstrous as Hannibal? That aside, Will clearly wasn’t holding back as much as he thought. Hannibal already knew Will was in love with him. It didn’t matter if he refused to say it out loud or not. If Hannibal was right about that, could he be right about forgiveness? 

No. Not even Will was foolish enough to forgive a man like Hannibal, no matter how long he let this affair go on. In the morning, they would drive back down to Wolf Trap, and Will would kiss Hannibal goodbye as if he weren’t plotting the very betrayal that could turn his nightmare into a reality. The window to take Hannibal’s offer and run away with him was closing. He might call it his last chance if there were any way of taking it. It didn’t matter what Will wanted; he couldn’t afford to think with his heart. Will eventually allowed himself to drift off to sleep with the vague hope of not being further tormented by his dreams.

Chapter Text

Will tried to act unbothered the next morning, but it was obvious the nightmare was still haunting him. He was broody and quiet all through breakfast. Although Hannibal did his best to lighten the mood for Abigail, she seemed just as uncomfortable as Will did. Will dismissed himself to go take a shower after just a few minutes, leaving plenty behind on his plate. 

“What’s his deal?” Abigail asked while they finished up their breakfast. “I mean, I get that nightmares suck, but he seems so pissed off. He was fine yesterday.”

Hannibal sighed. It would be difficult to avoid an argument with Will on the drive home, and he wasn’t willing to let their fleeting vacation end on a sour note. 

“He’s just dealing with some conflicting emotions. Why don’t you take the dogs outside for a bit?” 

Abigail’s brow furrowed.

“Why?”

“I just need a little bit of time alone with Will.”

Hannibal tried to pass it off casually, but Abigail still wrinkled her nose.

“Ew, you’re just gonna fuck the grumpiness out of him? I thought you said he was complicated.”

“He’s still a man,” laughed Hannibal. “Just give me fifteen minutes or so, maybe twenty to be safe.” 

“Ugh, you’re gross. You’re gonna need to find another way to make him happy, ‘cause he doesn’t seem sold on this whole fake family thing.”

Hannibal frowned.

“Fake? Do you not consider me family?”

Abigail rolled her eyes. 

“I do, but you’re not my dad. And Will definitely isn’t my dad.”

“Will loves you, Abigail. The only reason that dream upset him so much is that you died. Well, apparently, I murdered you.” 

“Damn,” she muttered. “Sounds like two reasons to me.”

Hannibal sighed and stood from the table, gathering up their dirty dishes.

“Well, my role in his dream is certainly why he’s pissed off. Now I just need to remedy that here in the real world.”

“Ugh. Just pack up the car when you’re done. I’m not coming back in until I see you guys outside.”

Hannibal nodded in agreement and thanked her for taking the dogs with her. Once she had shut the door behind them, he went down the hallway and let himself into the bathroom. Will was still under the running water in the shower. Hannibal observed his silhouette through the foggy glass door as he undressed himself.

“Do you mind if I join you?” Hannibal prompted.

“Yes, actually,” grumbled Will. “I’m not really in the mood.”

Hannibal stripped naked anyway. 

“Let me change your mind. You’ll thank yourself later.”

Will said nothing as Hannibal slid the shower door open and stepped inside. In fact, he  continued washing his hair and seemed to ignore Hannibal altogether. Hannibal stepped behind him and slid his hands onto Will’s hips, kissing the back of his neck. His fingertips gently massaged as they moved further down Will’s pelvis. Hannibal felt Will’s pulse pick up, and he leaned into Hannibal ever-so-slightly. 

“Isn’t Abigail in the other room?” he grumbled. 

“We’re alone. She and the dogs went out for a walk,” Hannibal murmured back.

Will turned his head and softly kissed Hannibal under the hot water. He didn’t linger when he pulled away.

“No offense, but I don’t feel like being around you right now.”

Hannibal pressed himself closer against Will’s backside. Will breathed out a low whine.

“We don’t have to talk,” Hannibal whispered.

Will tilted his head back, exposing his neck to Hannibal. With his hand on Will’s throat, Hannibal gently kissed along the side of his neck. He gave Will a love bite before kneeling in front of him. His hands and lips moved along Will’s inner thigh, accompanied by teeth and tongue. Will rewarded him with pretty little moans as Hannibal rose further up his leg. He was slow and gentle when he took Will’s dick into his mouth. Will tangled his fingers in Hannibal’s hair and tugged, but Hannibal didn’t pick up the pace until Will moaned his name. Before Will could come close to climaxing, Hannibal flipped him around and pushed him up against the tiled wall of the shower. Will gasped in surprise and pressed his hands to the tile to hold himself upright. 

“Hannibal,” he groaned. 

Still on his knees, Hannibal slapped Will’s ass hard and pressed his face to it. Will’s shocked laugh turned into a moan as Hannibal’s tongue moved along his asshole. His moaning grew louder with Hannibal’s eagerness, and Will whined his name in desperate pleasure. Hannibal smirked and got to his feet. He pushed himself inside Will, keeping a hand tight on Will’s throat and another pulling his hips closer. Hannibal started off fucking him slow and intensified rapidly. Each time he could feel Will reaching orgasm, Hannibal pulled back and eased his pace. It wasn’t long before Will was begging Hannibal to let him come. As Hannibal felt himself get closer, he stopped holding back altogether and gave Will exactly what he wanted. His grip squeezed tighter around Will’s neck, and Hannibal kept his eyes closed to savor his strangled gasps. He couldn’t have timed it more perfectly; Will and himself came simultaneously, each as vocal as the other. 

Will turned his back to the wall and shut off the faucet, still panting heavily. He stared up at Hannibal in a loving sort of trance. 

“Fuck, Hannibal,” he mumbled. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Do what?” Hannibal teased.

“Drive me crazy,” Will laughed, running a hand through his hair.

“I just know what you need, darling.”

Hannibal opened the shower door for him, and they both stepped out to dry off. It was difficult not to admire Will’s body as he got dressed. Will didn’t seem to mind either time he caught Hannibal looking. Jeans had never looked so good on a man, or anybody for that matter. Hannibal squeezed Will’s ass and kissed along his bare shoulders.

“You look so beautiful, my darling,” he murmured.

Will snickered.

“Knock it off. Finish getting dressed so we can pack up our stuff.” 

Albeit reluctantly, Hannibal did as he was told. Once they were done packing, the two of them went outside to load up the car. Abigail and the dogs joined them a few minutes later. Will smiled at her and thanked her for taking the dogs out. She nodded awkwardly.

“Yeah, no problem. They pretty much just ran all over the place anyway.” 

Will laughed and knelt down to pet Winston.

“Yeah, they do that. Buster’s the one you have to keep an eye on, he’s a rascal.”

Abigail turned to Hannibal with a raised eyebrow. Hannibal chuckled quietly to himself and led her back inside to retrieve more luggage. She turned to him curiously as the front door shut behind them.

“Dude, did you drug him or something? He went from emo boy to happy camper real fucking fast.” 

“I didn’t drug him,” Hannibal assured her with a laugh. “Aside from that, I’d rather not elaborate on the subject.” 

Abigail scoffed.

“I’m not trying to kill your buzz, but I don’t think he wants to come to Italy with us. If he did, you wouldn’t have to rely on sexual manipulation and picturesque vacations to keep him around. Or maybe you’re just going about this wrong.”

Hannibal scowled. 

“You’re the one who told me to apologize to him. I’m just giving him what he wants.”

“Ew.”

“Abigail, you know that’s not what I meant,” Hannibal complained. 

“Isn’t it, though? You just throw sex and money or violence at all of your problems with him.”

“I realize you’re new to being an adult, but sex and money are two very appealing things.”

Abigail scoffed. 

“You don’t have to get all snarky about it. I’m just trying to say you should focus on treating him right.” 

Hannibal’s jaw clenched.

“While I appreciate your unsolicited advice, there’s still plenty of bags to bring to the car. I’ll see you outside.”

She rolled her eyes as Hannibal turned away to carry out a load of luggage. How audacious of her to suggest she knew more about treating Will right than he did. Will loved him, and Hannibal knew exactly what he needed. 

When he reached the trailer, Will was sitting inside with his dogs. 

“Are you alright, my love?” Hannibal asked. 

Will nodded.

“Yeah, I’m good. You almost ready to go?”

“Yes,” answered Hannibal. “Just a few more bags. You can lock up the dogs if you’d like to get in the car.” 

Will stood and hopped down from the trailer. He wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck, and Hannibal stared into his eyes. 

“Thank you for taking us out here,” Will murmured. “It was nice while it lasted.”

Hannibal leaned in to kiss him, pulling him closer by the waist. Will kissed back sweetly.

“Any time,” Hannibal whispered once their lips parted.

They could hear Abigail approaching, and Will stepped away from Hannibal. He went off to round up his dogs while Hannibal gathered the last of their luggage. They were all back on the road in a matter of minutes. 

Will wasn’t particularly talkative on the drive back to Wolf Trap, but his spirits seemed to remain lifted. Hannibal was dreading their goodbye as he stood watching Will remove the trailer hitch from his car. Abigail bid farewell to each of the dogs before approaching Hannibal with Buster in her arms.

“Do you think Will would notice if I stole him?” she joked. 

“I certainly would,” Hannibal chortled. 

Abigail paused for a moment, stroking Buster.

“So, why aren’t you helping him?” she asked.

Hannibal’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean? He seems to have it under control.” 

“So what? I thought you wanted to be husband material.” 

Hannibal glared at her. 

“In case I didn’t make it clear, I’m not looking for relationship advice from you.”

“Oh, come on. Just suck it up and go over there.” 

Hannibal huffed in frustration at her attitude, but she had a point. He made his way over to Will and bent a knee in the snow where he laid beneath the car.

“Need a hand?”

Will’s ringtone went off, and he groaned.

“Yeah, can you see who the fuck that is? My phone is in my back pocket, and I’m trying to unscrew this.”

Hannibal reached into Will’s pocket and checked his phone. 

“It’s Jack.”

“Ugh, just decline it. That motherfucker doesn’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer.” 

Hannibal hung up Jack’s call as he was told.

“Would you like me to offer my services to him?” he asked.

“Don’t bother,” Will grumbled. “I’ll just tell him you offered when he calls me again. See if that gets him off my ass for a day or two.”

Hannibal nodded, still looking down at Will’s phone. 

“I’ll be awaiting his call, then.”

He felt compelled to check Will’s texts with his father. His thumb quickly typed in Will’s passcode, and it lingered over the messaging app. Hannibal glanced back down at Will and forced himself to turn the screen off. Will dropped the hitch and stood up to accept his phone back. 

“Thanks, Hannibal. It was good to see you. Both of you.” 

Will’s hands slipped onto Hannibal’s waist as he pulled him into a kiss. Hannibal smiled and pressed his forehead to Will’s once they pulled apart. 

“Careful,” Hannibal teased. “Abigail might think we’re together.” 

Will kissed him again anyway. 

“She knows better,” he flirted back, looking over at Abigail with a grin. “Make sure she doesn’t steal my dog when you guys drive off.”

Hannibal chuckled.

“I fear you might have to pry him from her arms. I’m fairly certain she’s already plotting a heist.” 

Will laughed and stepped away from Hannibal’s embrace. He walked over to where Abigail was still holding Buster, and Hannibal followed him. 

“Alright, jig’s up,” Will told her playfully. “Hand him over.” 

“It’s not fair,” she protested. “You get to hang out with him all the time. Why can’t I cuddle him for one night?”

Will tilted his head with a gentle smile. 

“I’m almost positive that’s exactly what you did last night in Hannibal’s guest bed. Come on, Abigail.”

He gestured for her to hand the dog over, and she reluctantly obliged. 

“Bye, lil B,” she cooed. “Sorry your dad is so lame.” 

“Hey, it’s more Hannibal’s rule than mine,” Will argued.

Hannibal scoffed.

Thanks for that, Will.”

Will bit his lip and grinned. 

“I’ll miss you guys. Drive safe, okay?”

He gifted Hannibal one more sweet kiss. Hannibal bade him goodbye, blushing slightly. Abigail hugged Buster goodbye in Will’s arms, and he smiled fondly down at her. She and Hannibal got back into his car, and Will headed into his house. 

“I stand corrected,” Abigail told him as she put on her seatbelt. “You must be doing something right.”

Hannibal laughed to himself as he drove up Will’s driveway.

“I told you, I know what I’m doing.” 

She shook her head. 

“I’m still not buying it. Dick can’t possibly make anyone that happy.” 

To refrain from rolling his own eyes, Hannibal pictured Will’s in his mind. 

“You can’t act like our entire relationship is based on sex. We have a very close bond.”

“Yeah, well, from what I can see, your connection has more to do with hatred than trust.” 

Hannibal scowled. 

“Weren’t you the one saying he loved me?”

“Yes, and I stand by that,” Abigail huffed. “But if he doesn’t trust you, he’s not gonna run away with us.”

“I know that,” Hannibal affirmed. “It’s not easy winning his trust back. It might take a while.”

“I know it’s not easy, but it wouldn’t take so long if you were better at it.”

Hannibal felt his temper rising. He steered his way back onto the main road with a sharp turn. 

“What do you want from me, Abigail? I don’t have a love potion. I know you want to go to Italy, but it’s not that simple.”

Abigail was quiet for a moment.

“This isn’t even about that. I can just see how happy he makes you, and I don’t want you to fuck it up.” 

Hannibal’s expression softened as he gazed at the road ahead. 

“I appreciate your concern, Abigail. I do. But I have this under control. Do you trust me?”

She nodded.

“Yes.” 

With a heavy breath, Hannibal smiled at her.

“Good. We’ll be off to Europe before you know it, dear.”

Chapter Text

Will let out an exaggerated sigh as soon as he shut the front door. It was a relief to have some space from Hannibal after spending nearly an entire day by his side. Still, he had to return his dad’s call before he could get too comfortable. Will allowed himself to unpack and settle into an armchair before tapping on his text conversation with his father. He felt like an idiot for the reckless half-drunk text he sent from the cabin. His father already knew far too much. It was time to put an end to his worries. His father picked up the call almost instantly.

“Will?”

“Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”

His dad gave a tired, humorless laugh.

“To be honest, I’ve been concerned about you. I take it from your little joke text that you’re still seeing that man you told me about. You’re not still considering moving in with him, are you?”

Will’s jaw clenched.

“No, I’m not gonna move in with him. I am still seeing him because it’s a complicated situation, but I’ve got it under control. I just have to think about the well-being of everyone involved.”

“What about your own well-being?”

Will laughed dismissively. 

“You don’t need to be worrying about me. It was just a little vacation. We’re not even in a relationship.”

“Are you sure about that?” Will’s father challenged. “You joked about him being your boyfriend, you’ve talked about raising a daughter with him, and now you’re taking vacations together.”

Will fought the urge to snap at him to back off.

“It’s not like that. I can’t just take the girl and run, Dad. I have to do this right.”

“What is this all about, Will? Are you in danger?”

Will sighed.

“No, I’m not in danger. I just have to be careful.”

“You told me last week that this guy is your therapist, and that he lied about that girl being dead. Is that true?”

Will huffed in frustration. Why did I tell him that?

“What does it matter?”

“Look, Will. I’ve been reading some of the information online about your trial and the cases around it.”

Will’s fingers curled into a tight fist as his father went on.

“I read that one of the Ripper victims was presumed dead. A young woman named Abigail Hobbs. She’s alive, isn’t she?”

Will froze. He desperately wished he could just hang up the call and never speak of this again.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Will growled. “Quit snooping around in my life. I never should have called you that day.” 

“Will, please. Listen to me. You have to report this. Who is this man you’re seeing? Did he fake her death? And what does he have to do with the Chesapeake Ripper?”

“Abigail Hobbs is dead, and so is the Chesapeake Ripper. Quit reading tabloids and stay out of my business. I can handle my own problems.”

“Will–”

Will hung up the phone and threw it at a dog bed across the room. He stood up and paced, his dogs milling about anxiously at his feet. He wanted to be angry with his father, but he was far too angry with himself for mentioning any of this to him in the first place. 

There was no solution to any of this without evidence to convict Hannibal, and that seemed further and further out of reach. Hannibal had no reason to kill right now. There was no way for Jack or Will to set up a perfect victim to bait him with. Any plan Will had tried to come up with was like grasping at straws. He hated to even consider it, but maybe Jack was right. That day at the opera, Will had to force the target off of Gerald’s back. Still, it didn’t matter. Gerald wasn’t a part of this, and Will refused to drag him into it. Jack’s angle wouldn’t work either; Will would never sleep with someone just to put them in a serial killer’s path. This whole situation was fucking impossible. 

Will’s phone rang. He leaned down to pick it up and took a heavy breath. Incoming call from Jack Crawford. Will reluctantly answered it. 

“What’s up, Jack?” 

“Morning, Will. Any news with Lecter?”

“No, not yet,” Will grumbled. “Our next session is in a couple days.”

“Alright, I’ve got a crime scene I need you to check out. Our only lead from forensics was a dead end, and we really need to pin down the motive on this one.”

Will rolled his eyes. 

“Jack, I already told you. I’m not coming back to the field. Ask Hannibal.”

“Hannibal?” he replied blankly.

“Yes. He consulted while I was in the asylum, didn’t he?”

Jack hesitated.

“He did, but asking him again could make him think I’m still suspicious of him.”

“Actually, it won’t,” Will told him. “He’s already offered to consult on my behalf.”

“What? When was this?”

“Yesterday. I mentioned to him that you were trying to get me back in the field. He offered to be your consultant instead.”

“How did that come up?” Jack pressed. 

“What does it matter?” Will argued, his irritation growing.

“I’m just wondering why Lecter was so quick to offer his services.”

Will threw his hand up in frustration as he struggled to not snap at Jack.

“I don’t know, I was just complaining. He said he wanted to shift the weight off my shoulders, but God only knows what he actually wants.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll give Lecter a call. Did you talk about anything else with him?”

“No, nothing relevant,” Will asserted through clenched teeth. 

“Okay, just keep me updated. We’ll talk later.”

Jack hung up the call, and Will sighed yet again. What a fucking morning. He decided to spend the rest of the day fishing to clear his head. 

His trip to the stream was peaceful enough to keep his mind off of things for a while. Thankfully, he didn’t hear from anybody else until late that night. Will had spent most of his evening reading and sipping whiskey, but he still felt restless when he laid down to sleep. After tossing and turning for nearly an hour, Will heard his phone buzz. He checked the screen and read a new text from Hannibal:

Goodnight, my love

Will blushed and immediately turned his phone back over, but he couldn’t wipe the grin off of his face. The pleasant feeling in his chest made him furious. Hannibal had no business making Will’s thoughts race with a simple message. How many nights in a row had they both fallen asleep thinking about each other? Was it really ‘love’ if it came from Hannibal Lecter? Where did this end?

Will groaned out loud to himself. Snap out of it. Give him what he wants. Reel him in. He picked up his phone again to text back:

Goodnight, Hannibal. Missing your sexy ass

It wasn’t technically a lie. Even though Will was relieved to be back in his own bed, alone, he still knew from recent experience how much easier it was to fall asleep lying naked beside Hannibal. Hannibal’s response was quick.

Tell me about it. I can’t stop thinking about you.

Will smiled and bit his lip. A bitter voice in the back of his head wondered if Alana ever received the same messages. Bitterness escalated to paranoia in a heartbeat, and Will struggled to form mental barriers. He questioned whether Hannibal even truly cared about him. After all, this could just be one big manipulation for Hannibal to cover his own ass and get laid in the process. Hannibal’s self-appointed role as the pining boyfriend was hardly believable as is. 

Will grit his teeth and rubbed his eyes harshly, forcing himself to stay grounded. Hannibal’s true feelings didn’t actually matter. Their relationship was already built on lies, and it defied any traditional labels. Even so, it was satisfying to think of Hannibal lying awake in bed, unable to sleep due to all-consuming thoughts of Will. He smirked as he typed out a reply to Hannibal.

Bet your dick is hard.

Will set his phone aside and laid his head back down on his pillow. When his phone didn’t buzz again, he closed his eyes and wished for sleep. No more than a minute or two later, Hannibal’s response came through:

Not anymore.

Will scoffed in amusement. He was worrying about all the wrong things; Hannibal was obsessed with him. If Jack would just get off his back for a damn minute, he could see that a little bit of patience goes a long way with Hannibal. Their affair had spanned less than two weeks yet, and Hannibal opened up more each day that Will kept Abigail’s secret. After all, if it weren’t for the sake of Abigail’s future, Will easily had the means to convict Hannibal. He knew that Hannibal and Abigail had buried Nicholas Boyle’s body together. He knew Hannibal faked Abigail’s death and housed her ever since. Now, Will even knew the location of Hannibal’s secret cabin, and which country they were planning to run off to if things went haywire. Better keep threading the needle. He sent Hannibal a new text:

Pervert. Call me next time so I can hear you moan pretty for me

Hannibal pulled back in his reply:

Goodnight, Will.

Will snickered. Too forward for Mister Sophisticated, apparently. He followed up just the same.

Ouch. That’s no way to treat the guy you just jerked off to.

Hannibal was quick to put Will back in his place:

I’ll be the judge of that. Suck me off again and then we’ll talk.

Will giggled and bit the tip of his tongue. Ugh. Soon enough he’d be kicking his feet like a schoolgirl. For now, he’d let Hannibal feed on that control. Will sent a reply.

Greedy little skank. Don’t threaten me with a good time. 

To Will’s dismay, Hannibal’s next message made him smile even wider. 

Can’t ever get enough of you, darling. Rest well. I love you.

Will blushed as he realized he wanted to say it back. How was anybody meant to love someone they could never forgive? He sent a final text before he could say anything stupid.

Goodnight. See you in therapy

Will set his phone back down on the nightstand and turned away. He recalled their time at the cabin yesterday, from roasting marshmallows to making out buzzed in the snow by the fire. His bond with Hannibal would keep growing closer, but it wasn’t built to last. Eventually, Will would find a way for Jack to arrest Hannibal. Abigail would probably resent Will, but at least she would be safe. Will would make sure of it. It was only a matter of time. Will may as well try to enjoy the time he had left with Hannibal while he still could. 

As soon as Will woke the next morning, he was reminded of how he left things with his father the day before. Around 7am, he got the following text message from his dad:

Call me when you’re ready to discuss this situation like adults. I need to make sure that you’re alright. 

Will physically cringed and laid his head back down on the pillow. He willed himself to fall back asleep, but it was no use. Will had to figure out how to clean up this new mess he made. But what the hell was he supposed to say, having already said so much more than he could take back? His father knew Abigail was alive because Will had been reckless and emotional. Nobody else could know. He had to rectify the situation fast, but he couldn’t call his dad without a plan. 

No matter what Will did, all day long, he couldn’t think up what to tell his father. Even when he tried distracting himself, his mind continued to torment him with the urgency of everything. He ultimately decided to get in his car and go for a drive. His music blared for hours until Will found himself parked at the cemetery where Beverly had been buried. 

Will picked up the bouquet of flowers he had stopped for and stepped out of the car. After making his way to her grave, Will carefully set the flowers down. He stared down at her name and lifespan on the headstone with a heavy sigh.

“I’m so sorry, Beverly.” 

Even though he knew she wasn’t actually there, Will felt the need to excuse himself to her.

“I’m trying to catch him. I’ve had to go about it in a pretty fucked up way, but I’m trying.”

Will took a deep breath. He looked around to make sure the cemetery was still empty.

“Abigail is alive,” he went on in a low voice. “I have to protect her. But I fucked up. I couldn’t handle it, and I opened my mouth. I don’t know what to do. Jack is on my ass, and now my dad is crazy worried. Why did I call him? Ugh, I wish you were here.” 

Tears welled in his eyes. 

“What do I do? I can’t just take it back. He knows.”

Will sighed again and wiped a tear from his cheek.

“You deserved so much better, Beverly. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop what happened to you. I’m not going to let that happen to Abigail, I won’t. I promise.”

Will stifled a sob and covered his mouth. He wiped away his tears and evened out his breathing.

“Rest,” he whispered to Beverly’s gravestone. 

He turned away and walked back to his car, but the tears didn’t stop streaming down his face. Once he got back into the driver’s seat, Will broke down and sobbed. He was too exhausted to even lift a hand, no matter how angry he was. He wanted to punch the steering wheel and scream, but he couldn’t. Will must have sat there for the better part of an hour until he had no more tears left to cry. 

He returned home just before seven o’clock. Will poured himself some whiskey and prepared to call his dad. The numbness within him overpowered any nerves or anguish. His father answered the call.

“Hi, Will.”

“Hey,” Will replied stiffly. “I’m sorry I flipped out on you yesterday.”

“Don’t worry about it. Are you doing alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. “I’ve just been handling a lot.”

“I can see that. Do you wanna tell me what’s been going on?”

Will sighed. 

“It really is complicated. But you’re right. Abigail is alive. My psychiatrist helped her fake her death and then lied to me about it.”

His father kept his voice steady even though Will could tell he was alarmed. 

“Why did she fake her death? And why haven’t you reported it?” 

“The FBI was going to arrest her. She was the lead suspect in a murder. I didn’t report it because she doesn’t deserve to spend the rest of her life in jail.”

“Is she guilty?”

Will grit his teeth.

“There’s no way to know for sure. It wouldn’t matter to the court. They would hang her for her father’s crimes. She’s been through enough.”

“Will, you know better than I do how many felonies you’ve been an accessory to by hiding this,” his dad urged. 

“Yes, I do, and it’s worth it,” Will asserted. “You have to trust me. I’m going to find a way to protect her, and then I’ll break things off with my psychiatrist. End of story.” 

“Will, are you in danger?”

“No, of course not. I can handle it. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Will’s dad kept pushing anyway.

“What does your psychiatrist have to do with the Chesapeake Ripper?”

“What are you talking about?” Will snapped. “The Chesapeake Ripper is dead.”

“Well, I read that Abigail Hobbs’ remains were found at one of his murders.”

Will squeezed his eyes shut.

“Yeah. The Chesapeake Ripper used the remains of all of my alleged victims to take credit for the murders I was accused of. He killed the others, but he got Abigail’s DNA when he cut off her ear. That was before my psychiatrist faked her death.” 

“Wait, he cut off her ear?”

Will huffed in frustration.

“Yes, the Chesapeake Ripper cut off her ear and used it to frame me for murder.”

“Why didn’t he kill her?”

“I don’t know, Dad. He’s dead. We didn’t get a chance to chat.”

“Have you asked Abigail?”

“What? No. I told you, she’s been through enough. It’s a complicated situation, but you don’t need to worry about it.” 

“I just want to make sure that this man you're dating wasn’t connected to a serial killer. You told me he lied and manipulated you, that he wasn’t the person you thought he was. Don’t you think it’s strange that the Chesapeake Ripper let her go just to have your psychiatrist fake her death?”

“No, I don’t,” Will growled. “The Ripper kept Miriam Lass alive, captive and brainwashed. The FBI found her two years later with her arm amputated. Besides, he didn’t let Abigail go. My psychiatrist managed to save her, and I won’t let her second chance go to waste.”

“How exactly did he save her?” his dad persisted.

“I know those details, but you don’t need to. It’s my business. The point is that I have it under control, so you don’t need to worry about it.” 

Will could hear his father sigh on the other line. 

“Fine. Just be careful, Will. And what is this guy’s name, in case you disappear and I have to call the cops?”

Will rolled his eyes. 

“That’s not going to happen. Besides, the FBI is well aware who my psychiatrist is. Let it go, Dad.”

“If it’s not going to happen, why can’t I know his name?”

Will sighed and clenched his jaw.

“Fine. His name is Hannibal. Hannibal Lecter.”

“Hannibal Lecter?” 

“Yes,” Will replied stiffly. “He’s European.”

“Hm. Okay. Just let me know if anything crazy happens, alright?”

“Yes, of course. Don’t worry, Dad. I’m gonna figure this out.”

“I hope so. I love you, Will. Have a good night.”

“Love you, too. Goodnight.”

Will hung up the call and breathed a sigh of relief. He’d managed to live and fight another day. Still, it was another rough night of sleep. He laid awake much of the night, desperately trying to come up with some way to catch Hannibal. Fortunately, he was comforted by intermittent dreams of Abigail, Hannibal, and himself spending time together in the countryside. Even though it wasn’t real, the idea of fishing in the stream with Abigail felt like a tiny glimmer of hope.

Chapter Text

Shortly after he and Abigail returned home, Hannibal received a call from Jack Crawford. Their conversation was brief; Jack politely requested Hannibal’s help building a psychological profile of a killer, and Hannibal graciously accepted. They agreed to meet at the crime scene later that afternoon. The address was only half an hour away from home, so Hannibal had plenty of time to unpack and freshen up.

Once Hannibal arrived at the scene, Jack welcomed him into a quaint little cottage. He handed Hannibal a file with a stack of crime scene photos and began to rattle off details.

“The victim is sixty-eight year old Henry Jackson. He was injected with a paralytic that sent him into cardiac arrest. The entry wound shows evidence of a struggle, but the scene was relatively undisturbed. The killer may have picked up any fallen objects, seeing as he tucked the victim back into bed so neatly. No forced entry, but the back door may have been unlocked.”

Hannibal nodded along as he sifted through the file. The entry wound of the needle was near a vein in the man’s neck and had significant bruising around it. Hannibal wondered if the killer had failed to sneak up on him.

“What do we know about his family, or other close relationships?”

“Neighbors said Henry was a devout Catholic who was widely adored by the congregation. His wife passed away two years ago from breast cancer, and they had one son together named Gerald Jackson. He’s a forty-one year old painter who lives less than an hour away. He’s married to a professor named Emily Jackson, and they have a teenage son named Trevor. Now, Gerald had a good relationship with his father and a solid alibi, but they did recently have a disagreement regarding Gerald’s marriage.”

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed as Jack continued. 

“Apparently, he and his wife are getting a divorce. His father had religious concerns and encouraged him to change his mind. They were having dinner here together, and Gerald left the house angry. He claims they reconciled the very next day, and they attended mass together on Sunday with the victim’s grandson.”

“How old is the grandson?”

“Sixteen. He was in class at high school during the time of the murder. He seems to have had a good relationship with the victim as well.”

Hannibal closed the file he was holding and looked at Jack.

“Do you have a file on the victim’s son?”

Jack replied by handing him a slim file labeled ‘Gerald Jackson’. Hannibal sorted through the papers until he came across his DMV photograph. He could hardly believe it, but this was the very same Gerald that he and Will had run into at the opera. Mystery solved; Ryan had done this. 

“Have you interviewed his wife?” Hannibal asked casually. 

“We interviewed everybody,” answered Jack. “There’s no traceable motive, but here’s where it gets interesting. The victim pulled out a few of his attacker’s hairs, and we collected some DNA. It matched up with a sample from a seemingly random murder that happened over four years ago about twenty-five miles away. That murder was deemed a mugging gone wrong. The victim was stabbed in the chest twice and robbed of his valuables. No connection to Henry Jackson or his family.” 

Hannibal raised an eyebrow as he began to flip through a file on the previous murder. The modus operandi was just as sloppy. Ryan had clearly learned nothing from his past kill. If anything, he was regressing. The posing of Henry Jackson’s corpse showed clear signs of remorse, whereas the previous victim was left bloodied in the street. 

“This killer is not organized,” Hannibal began. “He kills out of a perceived need, but not a physical or emotional one. He feels as if it’s his duty to rid the world of them. Just compare the two victims. There were no signs of remorse with the first victim, but it was clearly an ambush. Both murders were premeditated. He doesn’t need to be recognized for his kills. In fact, he relies on blending in.”

Jack appeared perplexed.

“Are you saying we’re looking for a vigilante? Henry Jackson had no criminal record and no known enemies.” 

“Perhaps not, but the killer may still view this as an act of justice,” Hannibal speculated. “Did the previous victim have a criminal record?”

“He did, but only petty charges. Public intoxication and disorderly conduct.”

Hannibal nodded, deep in thought.

“Sounds like he may have made some enemies. That explains the lack of remorse, but this murder wasn’t angry. The killer felt it was necessary. You mentioned that Henry Jackson’s son was getting a divorce. What was his relationship with his daughter-in-law like?”

“They weren’t close, but they seemed to get along well,” Jack told him. “They exchanged friendly texts regarding the divorce after he and Gerald reconciled.”

“Did the messages indicate what led to the divorce?” Hannibal asked.

“Only that it was mutual. It seems Gerald and Emily both decided they would be happier moving on. She thanked Henry for respecting their wishes to separate despite his religious beliefs.”

Hannibal’s brow furrowed. 

“Hm. Whether he meant to or not, I believe Henry Jackson offended someone so deeply that he became a threat in this killer’s mind. How does the grandson feel about the divorce?”

“He’s supportive. The whole ordeal has been very amicable aside from the argument between Henry and Gerald,” Jack explained. “If the argument was the motive, we should be looking at people close to Gerald. I may need to interview him again. But if the killer did this as an act of justice, why the remorse?”

“Justice can be a broad term,” answered Hannibal. “There’s a distinct line between justice that is perceived as necessary and punishment itself. This wasn’t punishment. It was a circumstantial penalty.” 

Jack raised his eyebrows.

“You sound an awful lot like Will Graham. It’s almost as if he didn’t refuse my request to consult in the first place.”

Hannibal smiled to himself. 

“Yes, well, we have been spending more time together.”

“I was quite surprised to hear that he was continuing therapy, considering everything that happened,” Jack admitted.

Hannibal was unabashed.

“Will Graham may be my patient now, but he remains a dear friend of mine. He knows that I can help him work through the trauma that the Chesapeake Ripper caused. I don’t blame Will for what he did. I’m just happy to see him recovering so well.” 

Jack nodded.

“I’m glad to hear that. He seems pretty resistant to the idea of coming back to the field. Do you think he might change his mind later on?”

Hannibal chuckled. 

“If you have to ask yourself whether Will is going to change his mind on something, the answer is often ‘no.’ He’s a very stubborn man. That being said, I can no longer discuss Will’s state of mind with you, as his psychiatrist. Will is no longer associated with the FBI.”

“Understood,” Jack assented with a stiff nod. “I’m going to set up another interview with the victim’s son. I'll reach out to you with the details. I just ask that you let me know if you’ll be able to attend.” 

“Of course,” Hannibal cordially agreed. 

Hannibal had more work appointments throughout the day, and he eventually came home to Abigail that evening. Their trip to the cabin seemed to have left her in good spirits. They had a lovely dinner together, but it wasn’t the same without Will. As soon as Hannibal laid down to sleep, he craved the sweet feeling of Will in his arms. He picked up his phone to send Will a text:

Goodnight, my love

Hannibal smiled to himself as he recalled that morning in the shower. He could still hear Will moaning his name, still picture Will looking down at him and pulling on his hair. He salivated at the thought and swallowed, wishing it was Will’s cum. His phone buzzed with Will’s reply:

Goodnight, Hannibal. Missing your sexy ass

Hannibal slipped one hand beneath his underwear and typed with the other. 

Tell me about it. I can’t stop thinking about you.

He quickly navigated to his camera roll and pulled up a picture he had taken of Will. He had snuck the shot the other day when Will was getting dressed after sex. Staring at Will’s body, Hannibal moved his hand back and forth on his dick. A new text from Will appeared at the top of the screen:

Bet your dick is hard.

Hannibal grinned and imagined Will laying in bed, doing the same for him. Although their affair had only just begun, Hannibal had already memorized every inch of Will’s body. He closed his eyes and pictured it. It wasn’t long before he’d managed to satisfy himself. Hannibal sent a new message to Will, smirking slightly.

Not anymore.

He waited impatiently for Will’s next message. At last, he was rewarded.

Pervert. Call me next time so I can hear you moan pretty for me

Hannibal snickered at Will’s reply and dismissed him.

Goodnight, Will.

Will was quick to respond. 

Ouch. That’s no way to treat the guy you just jerked off to.

Hannibal let his head lean back against the headboard, and he smiled at the ceiling like a fool. Butterflies fluttered in his chest as he texted back. 

I’ll be the judge of that. Suck me off again and then we’ll talk.

Will doubled down:

Greedy little skank. Don’t threaten me with a good time. 

Hannibal felt himself blush slightly. Will sure knew how to be a flirty little brat when he could get away with it. Hannibal sent him one last text. 

Can’t ever get enough of you, darling. Rest well. I love you.

Will’s reply was brief. 

Goodnight. See you in therapy

Hannibal sighed. He knew Will loved him, too. How hard could it be just to say it back? 

The very next day, Hannibal received a text from Jack letting him know what time he would be interviewing Gerald. Hannibal debated showing up. It would be at the local precinct of the area, so he might be able to hide behind one-way glass. Still, he couldn’t predict what Gerald might say if he recognized him from the opera. Hannibal could pretend to have not recognized him from his DMV photo, but Jack might not buy that depending on the context. In the end, he decided it would be worth the risk. He had patient appointments all morning, but he made time in the afternoon to drop by the precinct shortly before the interview. Jack thanked him diligently for stopping by. He asked that Hannibal observe from behind the glass so as to not intimidate Gerald during the interview, and Hannibal was happy to oblige.

He stood in the dark, watching comfortably through the glass as Jack and Gerald entered the interviewing room. Jack earnestly established his gratitude for Gerald’s time amid the grief of losing his father. 

“We’re still trying to figure out who could have done this to him. As you know, your father was very well-loved, so I just had a few more questions for you that might help us pin down a possible motive.”

Gerald nodded gravely.

“Of course. Anything to get to the bottom of this.”

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed. He’s forty-one? He easily looked to be past Hannibal’s own age. Sure, he had some muscle and a decent enough face, but Will had to know he could do better than a painter. 

“So, first off, has there been anyone new in your life in the time before your father’s death? A new friend, coworker, or maybe someone you dated, however briefly, since you and your wife have separated?”

Gerald seemed to stiffen slightly. 

“I’ve gone on several dates since my wife and I decided to separate. Nothing that’s led to anything serious. Other than that, there hasn’t really been anyone new in my life.”

Hannibal scoffed quietly. Liar. 

Jack nodded.

“Okay, and was there anyone you spoke to about the argument you had with your father other than your son and his mother?” 

Gerald’s brow furrowed. 

“Wait, what does that argument have to do with anything? We made up the day after. My dad was killed just this week.”

“I understand that, we’re only being thorough,” Jack assured him. “We suspect that whoever killed your father might have viewed the murder as a reaction to a perceived threat, or possibly even as an act of justice. Given that your father was so agreeable, we’re just looking for anyone who may have been upset by something he said or did.” 

Gerald nodded stiffly.

“Um, no, I don’t think I brought it up to anyone else.”

Pfft. This guy is a terrible liar.

“Are you sure? Nobody is in trouble, we aren’t gonna arrest your barber if you were to mention something offhand to him.”

Jack’s poorly framed joke didn’t seem to ease the tension at all, even if Gerald did give a half-hearted laugh. 

“Well, I did mention it to a bartender on the night of the argument. I’m not sure what her name was, but that’s it besides Trevor and Emily.”

Jack nodded along. He went on to ask several more questions, but it was impossible to find any fruitful information if Gerald wouldn’t even admit to having a relationship with Ryan at all. His next therapy session should be interesting. Jack eventually dismissed Gerald and joined Hannibal. 

“That was strange,” said Jack.

“I agree. I got the sense he was holding something back,” Hannibal replied.

“Me too. I didn’t get that sense about him before. It was almost like he had some kind of realization.”

Hannibal nodded. 

“Do you think he could have realized who the killer is?”

Jack shook his head. 

“He might have made a connection, but I don’t think so. He’s been more dedicated to finding his father’s killer than anyone. If the connection he made does point him to the killer, it might not end well for Gerald. I’ll see if I can have an officer tail him. Thank you for stopping by, Doctor.”

Jack patted Hannibal on the shoulder and left the room. Hannibal followed and turned to leave the precinct. Gerald was standing next to the main entrance in conversation with a friendly stranger. Hannibal stared at him and continued walking closer. When Gerald looked up and met Hannibal’s eyes, his face went pale. He quickly excused himself from the conversation and left the precinct before Hannibal could even reach the door. Hannibal tilted his head and smirked in amusement. Now Gerald was connecting the dots. Idiot. Hannibal followed from a distance at a slow walk, still watching Gerald rush to his car. As soon as he shut the driver’s door, Gerald’s head fell into his hands. He broke down sobbing. 

Hannibal looked away and got into his own car. He wondered if Gerald felt similarly to Will back when he realized he had trusted a killer. Will still carried some of that disgust with him even now. He’d reminded Hannibal of that when Will rejected his touch just after waking from that nightmare. Gerald’s case was entirely different, though. He was just the victim of a killer. Will was a killer. Hannibal brought that out in him. Perhaps Will just needed to be reminded of that.

Chapter Text

The afternoon before Will’s therapy session with Hannibal seemed to drag on and on. Will did his best to keep himself busy, but he remained consumed by thoughts of strategies to manipulate Hannibal. The cliffside vacation had framed their dynamic as oddly domestic; Will could use that to take their relationship to the next level. So far, Hannibal seemed deceived into believing that Will would eventually pursue a committed relationship with him. That might be precisely what Will needed to do.

The drive to Baltimore that evening felt long, and Will caught himself speeding several times. Aside from the stars, the sky was pitch black by the time he arrived at Hannibal’s office. Will pulled on his winter coat and stepped out of the car. As he approached the entrance, he noticed a man’s silhouette smoking a cigarette at the bottom of the steps. Will squinted ahead curiously. He had never seen anyone standing outside Hannibal’s office before. When he got closer, Will realized that the strange man was none other than Hannibal’s patient from the opera, Ryan. Will’s hand formed a hidden fist in his jacket pocket. Ryan acted surprised to see him and greeted Will politely. 

“Hey, it’s Will, right?”

“Yes,” Will replied stiffly, avoiding eye contact.

“Oh, have you spoken to Gerald yet?” Ryan asked him.

“What are you talking about?” he grumbled.

“His father just passed away,” explained Ryan with an air of false concern. “It might be nice for him to hear from an old friend.”

Will frowned.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that, but I barely know the guy. I don’t even have his number.”

“I thought you said you were friends from college?”

Will’s jaw clenched. Who the fuck cares?

“Sure, but we were never that close.”

“Hm, weird,” Ryan muttered and furrowed his brow. “I thought you guys shared a dorm.” 

Will fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Yeah, well, we grew apart.” 

Ryan’s gaze narrowed as he dropped his cigarette butt on the steps.

“I thought you said you were never close.” 

Will huffed in annoyance. 

“Excuse me, I’m late for an appointment.”

He tried to walk past Ryan, but he stepped into Will’s path.

“You’re a patient of Doctor Lecter’s as well? How strange. He’s never invited me to the opera.”

Will clenched a fist at his side. The last of his patience had worn thin.

“What do you want, asshat?” he snapped. 

Ryan threw his hands up in mock surrender and laughed.

“Nothing. Nothing, I was just curious how you knew Gerald if you weren’t roommates in college.”

Will rolled his eyes.

“You clearly already know. I assume Hannibal told you?”

Ryan scoffed.

“You mean Doctor Lecter? He is your psychiatrist, right?”

“None of your business. Fuck off,” Will snarled. 

“Why did you lie about hooking up with Gerald?” Ryan demanded.

Will laughed derisively. 

“What’s it to you? You were hitting on me just a few days ago.”

“Gerald and I are in a relationship now,” Ryan declared, as if this mattered to Will whatsoever. “We had already started dating when you two hooked up. Why were you two arguing at the opera?”

Will shook his head in disbelief.

“I cannot stress to you how much I don’t give a shit. Gerald was a one-night stand. If he’s stupid enough to want to sleep with you, he’s all yours. Now get out of my way, or I’ll move you myself.”

Ryan sneered, but his eyes were dead and void of emotion. He bitterly stepped aside.

“Good luck in therapy, Will.”

Will ignored him and went up the steps. 

The private entrance to Hannibal’s office was already open, waiting for him.

"You're late,” Hannibal declared calmly, setting aside his sketching supplies. 

“Yeah, well, you can blame yourself for that one,” Will growled.

He took off his coat and tossed it on the sofa before turning to glare at Hannibal.

“Why the hell did you tell that creep from the opera that I hooked up with his date?”

Hannibal shrugged, his expression careless.

“He was curious how well you two knew each other.”

Will scoffed bitterly. 

“And you led with the fact that I hooked up with him?”

“What else is there to tell?” 

Will huffed in frustration as began pacing the office.

“How exactly did you decide that would be useful to his therapy?”

“I didn’t. I thought of it as an extra measure to keep you away from that painter.”

“Painter? What are you talking about?” Will demanded irritably.

Hannibal chuckled to mock him.

“You didn’t get to know Gerald well enough to find out specifics, such as what he does for a living?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“No, I didn’t. I was pretty much just focused on getting in his pants. Why do you know that he’s a painter?”

Hannibal looked irritated. 

“Ryan is rather infatuated with him.”

Will shook his head in disbelief.

“Great, so now some psychotic creep thinks I want his boyfriend? Why do you both think I desperately want to fuck him again? Been there, done that.”

“You told me you slept with him last time because you were angry with me,” Hannibal explained defensively. “You get angry with me often.”

“‘Last time’? It was the only fucking time! Have you ever thought about just not making me angry in the first place?”

“Emotions can be unpredictable. I’d rather not leave your options open.”

“Use your brain, Hannibal,” Will snapped. “If I slept with a stranger every time I was mad at you, I would have virtually every STD in the book. The reason I hooked up with him is obvious. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I didn’t want to give in. Sex with Gerald would be insanely underwhelming now that I know what it’s actually like to be with you.” 

Will wanted to slap the smug look off of Hannibal’s face. 

“That wasn’t a compliment,” he added with a glare.

“It sounded like one,” Hannibal taunted.

“Probably because you’re a narcissist,” Will retorted. 

Hannibal sighed wearily.

“How are you doing, Will?”

Will glared.

“You mean before or after I got ambushed by your creepy patient?”

“Let’s say before.”

Will scoffed and rolled his eyes again.

“I’ve been fine. Did Jack call you?”

“Yes. I consulted on the case for him yesterday.”

Will grunted in acknowledgment.

“Did you build a profile for him?” 

“Yes,” Hannibal replied simply.

“How did that go? Did you deliver it truthfully?” Will asked.

“I did. There was a witness who wasn’t entirely forthcoming, though. Last I heard, Jack was trying to get an officer to tail him. Either way, Jack seems confident that we’ll get more information from him.”

Will nodded stiffly. 

“Good. That’s one less thing for me to worry about, I guess.”

“What else has been worrying you lately?” Hannibal prompted.

“Oh, I’ve had plenty to worry about,” Will grumbled. “I worry about Abigail, for one. She can’t have a proper life or any real growth until she’s out in the world again. Then there’s the fact that you still think I’m gonna change my mind about running away with you, so you won’t make any actual plans to take her somewhere safe.”

He sighed and sat down across from Hannibal, who was listening attentively.

“On top of that,” Will went on, “I have to cope with the fact that I do want to run away with you, knowing that I never can. I worry about what Beverly would think of me now if you hadn’t killed her. I worry about who I am.”

Hannibal averted his gaze when Will mentioned Beverly’s name. Will didn’t give him that luxury. 

“Who do you want to be?” Hannibal asked, meeting his eyes again.

Will took a deep breath. 

“I want to be a good man. I want to help victims like Abigail and put away perpetrators like you. Instead, I find myself blowing off Jack Crawford to spend my time at your place.”

“How does that make you feel?”

Will cringed at the question.

“Guilty,” he admitted in a low voice.

“The FBI can function without you, Will, no matter what Jack Crawford would have you believe. Why do you carry so much guilt with you? Do you blame yourself for Beverly’s death?”

Will’s gaze narrowed into a sharp glare, and he shook his head.

“No. I blame myself for not avenging it.”

Hannibal had the audacity to appear taken aback.

“Do you still fantasize about killing me?” he asked.

Will paused to consider his answer.

“No. At least not recently. I know I should still want you dead, but I just don’t anymore. I resent myself for loving you.”

Hannibal appeared to be rendered speechless, his mouth slightly agape. Will looked away before continuing. 

“To be honest, I’m angry with you for pulling me into your delusion. Ever since I found out you were hiding Abigail, you’ve worked so diligently to make it all seem believable. You’re really good at it, actually.”

Hannibal’s head tilted to the side. 

“Were you not the one to suggest our overnight trip with Abigail?”

“I was, but you gave me the idea,” Will reminded him. “You know exactly how to manipulate me, and I hate myself for falling for it.”

“Will…” Hannibal began with a sigh. “You choose to come over and spend time with us. You’ve even admitted to yourself now that you love me back. I didn’t feed you the idea that we could be a family together. Love does that on its own. The only thing standing in the way of our life together is you.”

Will scoffed. If only that were true. 

“There’s a lot more to it than that, Hannibal. You killed my only friends or turned them against me. You lied to me and betrayed me over and over again. That’s your fault. You did that. I’m not obligated to forgive or forget, and I won't. So, please, just take Abigail and leave the country. It’s the only way.”

Even as the words came out of his mouth, Will knew he was counting on Hannibal to disagree. He wondered if he still would have suggested it otherwise.

“Why don’t you want to kill me anymore, Will?” 

“You know why,” Will growled. 

“Tell me anyway.” 

Will huffed in annoyance.

“Because I love you,” he answered. 

Hannibal’s eyes smiled without his lips curving at all. 

“If you love me, perhaps it’s early to give up on forgiveness. We could have a life together, Will. I want that for us.”

Hannibal leaned forward in his chair, staring earnestly into Will’s eyes. 

“Let me show you how wonderful life could be. Come to Italy with us. I’ll keep you and Abigail safe and comfortable until the day I die.”

Will dug his fingernails into his palm. 

“I told you, no. My loving you doesn’t mean that I would follow you anywhere.” 

“Not necessarily, no. But it could.” 

“Well, it doesn’t,” Will growled. “Not in your case, either. You play by your own rules.” 

“If that were true, then you have a habit of re-writing them for me.”

Will bit back a petty insult. 

“Nope, that’s just called having boundaries. It’s sort of a concept that I’m entitled to as a human being. It’s not like that keeps you from crossing them whenever you feel like it, though.” 

Hannibal sighed and looked down.

“I’m sorry for taking advantage of you last week. I didn’t have the right to–” 

“This isn’t even about that, Hannibal, although that’s a great example. You push my boundaries every time I see you. You keep telling me we’re going to live together and trying to convince me to run away with you no matter how many times I tell you ‘no.’ You can’t take ‘no’ for an answer to save your life. It’s like you view it as some kind of challenge. If that’s the case, you’re not going to win this one.”

“I don’t view our love as a competition, Will. I’m simply unwilling to let you throw it away.” 

“Well, that’s not your decision.” 

“No, it’s yours. What decision will you make?”

Will’s jaw clenched. 

“You haven’t given me many options.”

“You have every option. But if your goal is to convince me to leave without you, then you’re doing a rather poor job of it.”

Will scoffed in disbelief.

“So if I stop giving you blowjobs, that’s when you’ll consider leaving?”

“I suppose that’s one crude way of putting it. I only meant that each day we spend together would be a sacrifice I’m unwilling to make. That sacrifice could only ever be your choice.”

“So you’re just handing me a reason to break things off with you? What happens if I do?”

“Then Abigail and I will fly off to Europe, and you’ll never see us again.”

“Would you kill me?” Will asked.

“No. Not unless you were to come after us. Your decision to leave would be permanent.”

Will sighed.

“You know I can’t, or you wouldn’t offer.”

“Why can’t you?”

“You would start killing again. You might even try to groom Abigail to kill, too. She deserves better. Besides, it wouldn’t be right for me to make you a whole country’s problem when you could just stay mine.”

Hannibal smirked slightly. 

“So, you don’t want to leave with us, you don’t want us to leave without you, and you don’t want Abigail to stay locked up in my home. What do you want, Will?”

Will took a deep, frustrated breath.

“I want you to leave with Abigail without killing people. Is that so much to ask?”

“You can ask. I’ll tell you what you want to hear.”

Will wanted to jump into Hannibal’s chair and punch him in the face. 

“Hannibal… What am I supposed to do?” he begged through clenched teeth.

“Come with us.”

“I can’t. It would be reckless.”

“Then Abigail and I will be waiting for you to make up your mind.” 

Will scowled.

“Poor girl. She’s even more trapped than I am.” 

“She wouldn’t be, if she were in Italy with the two of us.” 

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Will growled.

“Fair enough. Shall we discuss the burn you gave yourself last week?”

Will scoffed.

“Who cares? It’s practically healed by now.” 

“Why did you do it?”

“My mind was racing. I was desperate to quiet my thoughts.”

“Was your attempt successful?”

“For a fraction of a second, yes.”

“What were these thoughts you were avoiding?”

“It was… overwhelming when I found out about Abigail. I was already well aware there would be no easy solution. I was spiraling trying to figure out what to do.”

“You still haven’t decided. How have you been managing these thoughts in the meantime?”

“Pfft. Whiskey and dick, mostly.”

“And how long are these coping mechanisms meant to last before you finally come to a decision?” 

Will shrugged.

“However long it takes. We’ve only been messing around for a week or two. I say we make it official. Knowing you, it shouldn’t take long for you to piss me off enough to break up with you. On the off chance you manage to convince me that we could work out, I’ll come with you guys to Italy.”

“What more do you want from me, Will?” Hannibal asked with a frustrated sigh. “I would offer to beg on my knees, but I’ve practically already done that.”

Will snickered.

“You do look pretty on your knees. But no. You’ve already done the hard part, Hannibal. You made me fall in love with you. Now you just have to make it stick. Show me that the best of you is good enough for me to ignore the bad.”

Hannibal’s jaw clenched.

“That’s supposed to be the easy part?”

“Yes. Are you not up for the challenge?”

“Of course I am,” Hannibal snapped. “I would do anything for you, Will.” 

“I don’t believe you. I’ll give you the chance to prove it, though.”

“And so I shall,” Hannibal declared. 

Will smiled at him.

“So, what do you say? Wanna give this a real shot?”

Hannibal returned his smile.

“How could I refuse?”

Chapter Text

“I suppose that would make this our last session,” Will continued. “Next week you can take me out to dinner instead.” 

Hannibal’s smile curled into a smirk. 

“I look forward to it. How would you like to use our remaining time tonight?” he asked coolly, even though the excited fire in his chest was still burning bright.

“Well, considering I’m ending our patient-psychiatrist relationship, why don’t you tell me how you’ve been doing lately?”

Hannibal was almost taken aback by the question. 

“I’ve been well. My mood has been elevated ever since you invited me over that fateful night. Abigail’s as well.” 

Will smiled. 

“Mine too, I’ll admit. Being with you feels so freeing, yet I miss you when you’re gone. It’s not something I’ve been used to for a very long time.” 

Hannibal melted. He always knew his feelings for Will were more reciprocated than he ever let show, but it was delightful to hear coming from his mouth.

“You’re welcome to spend as much time at my home as you’d like. I also find myself missing you often, and I’m sure Abigail would appreciate the company.”

Will looked sheepish. Hannibal so desperately wanted to climb into his lap and pull him into a kiss.

“I wouldn’t want to be a bother,” dismissed Will. “Besides, I like spending time with my dogs alone. I could come see you guys tomorrow, though. Whatever time works for you.”

“I would love that,” Hannibal purred. “Although I’d prefer to take you home tonight.”

Will laughed and blushed. Hannibal returned his carefree smile. 

“Tempting offer, considering how smoking hot you look in that suit. But no, I still have to feed my dogs tonight.” 

“What a shame,” Hannibal murmured with a flirtatious smile. “I’d hate to think of them going hungry until you get home tonight. Maybe you should head out early, considering I’m no longer providing you psychiatric care.” 

Will snickered and looked Hannibal up and down, simmering in the tension between them. 

“Yeah, isn’t there some discharge paperwork I have to sign or something?” he joked.

Hannibal shook his head in playful disbelief. 

“You never filled out your intake paperwork. I don’t even have a way of billing you for your appointments.”

Will chuckled and licked his lips. 

“I guess I was wrong to call you a prostitute last week, then.”

“That was clear regardless, Will,” Hannibal drawled, salivating as his eyes rested on the tight pants that clung to Will’s thighs. 

Will ignored both his comment and his hungry gaze.

“That also means you never broke any rules on paper by sleeping with me. Very clever, Doctor.”

“Correct,” Hannibal agreed. “On paper, it would be perfectly fine for me to tear off your clothes and take you in this very office.”

Will’s lips pursed. His eyes didn’t stray from Hannibal’s face.

“Mhm. You could even bend me over that desk there. Tie me up with your belt, spank me with it, up to you. Hypothetically, of course.” 

A growl rose in Hannibal’s throat. He stood swiftly from his chair and closed the gap between them to straddle Will in his chair. Will’s lips were eager and waiting, and they each tore off the other’s clothes as they made out. As soon as Will was naked, Hannibal dropped to his knees to suck his dick. Will smirked down at him and teased,

“So desperate for it, aren’t you, Doctor?”

Hannibal couldn’t even deny it; Will had already thrust deep into his throat. It made him gag, but he relished in Will’s satisfied moans. Hannibal licked and sucked obedientally, resisting the urge to pull Will out of his chair and bend him over the desk. His job was to please Will tonight. Besides, he hadn’t gotten to taste Will’s cum since the morning after their first kiss, and that felt like centuries ago. Hannibal pulled away from Will anyhow just to tease him. Will whimpered as Hannibal wrapped his jaws around the flesh of Will’s inner thigh and sucked on it just before biting down. The thrilled, pained groans that Will emitted were tucked neatly into Hannibal’s memory palace as soon as they came to be, along with the feeling of Will’s hand tugging his hair. 

“Hannibal,” Will moaned breathlessly. “I want you inside me.” 

Both men were on their feet in seconds, and Hannibal tore off his own underwear. He snatched up his belt from the floor and folded it loosely in half. Will whined with anticipation and hopped backward to sit on Hannibal’s desk. 

“Stand up,” Hannibal growled as he rapidly approached. 

Will obeyed immediately, and Hannibal spun him around. Will placed his hands on the desk in submission, allowing Hannibal to slap the belt across his bare ass as hard as he could muster. Will cried out in pain, but Hannibal only repeated the lashing. The sound Will made was too magnificent not to hear again. 

“Hannibal,” Will gasped out in agony. “Please.”

Hannibal gripped Will’s hips firmly and forced himself inside him. Somehow, the moan he evoked was an even sweeter sound. 

“Please,” Will whined. “Harder. Oh my god, Hannibal, please. Fuck me harder.”

Moving one hand to Will’s hair, Hannibal yanked his head back and pressed his teeth to his neck. He bit down harder as he thrust himself into Will again and again. Feeling the vibrations of Will’s noises against his teeth was even more satisfying. It clearly wasn’t enough for Will, considering he was still begging for more. Hannibal pulled even tighter on Will’s hair, and Will loved it. Will loved him. Hannibal wanted it to go on forever, but both of them came rather quickly. 

Will laughed to himself and turned around to face Hannibal. 

“Ugh, that was so good. You’re making me wanna come home with you.”

Hannibal smiled as Will pulled him into a kiss.

“I could drive you home and stay at your place,” Hannibal offered.

Will laughed again. Hannibal’s smile widened.

“No, you gave me what I wanted. You’re always complaining about my bed, anyway.”

“I could buy you a new one,” Hannibal suggested as he began to re-dress.

Will snickered and retrieved his own underwear. 

“I can afford my own furniture, thanks. I like my bed just the way it is.”

“I can’t imagine why. It’s a good thing you’ll be living with me soon enough. Our future mattress will do wonders for your back.”

Will blushed ever-so slightly. 

“Well, I don’t have a lot of back pain to begin with. I’m not that old yet.” 

Hannibal scoffed in mock offense. 

“I’m still in my forties. That’s not old.” 

“How old are you again? Forty-seven, right?”

“Yes. Forty-eight in a week or so.”

“Forty-eight??” Will scoffed in surprise. “That’s like, fifty! Jeez, I’m not even forty yet. You were probably graduating med school when I was graduating high school.” 

Hannibal chuckled. 

“Perhaps. It’s a good thing we met later in life.”

Will snorted in amusement.

“True, but I do wish it hadn’t taken two decades of manhood to find out how fucking amazing sex can actually be.” 

Hannibal smirked. 

“I’m grateful to be the one to show you.” 

Will bit back a grin. 

“You and me both.”

As Hannibal began to button up his shirt, Will placed a hand on his to stop him.

“Leave it unbuttoned. That scar on your chest looks hot as fuck.” 

Hannibal grinned and pulled Will into a kiss. Will placed his hands on Hannibal’s chest and ran his fingertips over the healing knife wound. It stung a bit, and Will tugged on his chest hair to make matters worse. Hannibal let out a tiny gasp of pain. Will snickered and slipped his tongue into Hannibal’s mouth before jumping up to wrap his legs around Hannibal’s waist. Hannibal moaned softly and held him up with ease, squeezing Will’s ass. Will pulled away and gazed into Hannibal’s eyes with his legs still hugging his waist. He cradled Hannibal’s face in his hands. 

“I love you,” Will whispered, making himself blush as he said it. 

Hannibal’s chest glowed. 

“I love you too, Will,” he murmured back. 

Will kissed him once more before unwrapping his legs. 

“I should go,” he muttered. 

“I will miss you,” Hannibal admitted. 

Will smiled and took a step back. 

“I’ll miss you, too,” Will replied. “Give Abigail my best.” 

“Of course,” Hannibal replied, checking out his lover one last time as Will put on his coat. “When will you be over tomorrow?” 

“What time do you get home from work?”

“Five o’clock,” Hannibal lied. 

His last patient of the day would have to accept his cancellation; Hannibal didn’t want to wait any longer than necessary to see his man again. 

“Okay. I’ll come over a little after five then,” Will told him. 

Hannibal so badly wanted to ask Will to stay over. 

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” he replied instead.

Will kissed him goodbye. What more could he want?

“See you then. Have a good night, Hannibal.”

“You as well,” murmured Hannibal. “I love you.” 

Will blushed.

“I love you, too.” 

Hannibal’s smile didn’t fade until several minutes after Will left his office. He felt like the luckiest man in the universe. Will Graham was his. He belonged to Hannibal, ‘officially.’

His smile returned as he entered his home with the realization that he could now break the good news to Abigail. He made his way to the sitting room where he could hear the television, humming a tune to himself as he went. Abigail rolled her eyes as soon as she saw him.

“We get it, you got laid.”

Hannibal’s grin widened.

“Not just that. Will Graham has officialized our relationship. We’re ‘together’ now.”

Abigail’s jaw dropped.

“No way,” she gasped, grinning ear to ear. “You’re kidding!”

Hannibal laughed gleefully. 

“Most certainly not. I’m no longer his therapist. I’m taking him out to dinner next week, and he’s coming over tomorrow.”

Abigail hid her excited smile behind her palm.

“Oh my gosh. I’m so happy for you!”

“There’s more,” Hannibal added.

“Tell me,” she demanded eagerly.

“He told me he loves me,” he revealed with an irrepressible smile.

Abigail’s squeal was so high-pitched that Hannibal was surprised he could hear it at all.

“Holy shit, Hannibal! Did you guys talk about Italy?”

“Yes. I called him on his bluff about wanting us to leave without him. That’s when he suggested we make it ‘official.’ He gave me an ultimatum: convince him we could work as a couple, or give him a reason to break up with me. He says he’ll run away with us if I succeed.” 

“Dude, if you fuck this up, I swear to God…”

“I won’t. Will Graham is everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m not about to let him slip through my fingers.”

Abigail seemed to remain skeptical, but her accusing eyes softened back to a warm smile. 

“That’s weirdly romantic. What time is he coming over tomorrow?” 

“Just as soon as I get home from work," he told her. "And no, he’s not bringing Buster.”

Abigail huffed.

“Please?” she begged. “I’ll do the dishes tonight! And this weekend. I’ll even clean my room.”

Hannibal sighed wearily. 

“I’ll consider talking to Will about it.”

Unfortunately, Abigail already knew Hannibal well enough to know she had broken his last line of defense. There was no room in his darkened heart to disappoint her; she grinned knowingly and gave him a hug. Hannibal led her to the kitchen to help him get dinner started. Once they finished eating, Hannibal went to his room to get ready for bed. However, he couldn’t even brush his teeth without wondering what Will was doing at that very moment. He pulled out his phone and sent a text:

Abigail has been begging me to ask you to bring Buster over tomorrow. I humbly beg of you to say ‘no.’

Hannibal set his phone down with a deep sigh. He recalled Will’s words to him during their session that evening: Show me that the best of you is good enough for me to ignore the bad. In the moment Will said that to him, Hannibal had accidentally revealed how impossible it felt. The disdain Will had for Hannibal’s dark side was almost overwhelming. Nonetheless, Will’s response seemed friendly:

Haha I’ve told enough lies on your behalf. Buster and I will see you both tomorrow night. I suggest you invest in several lint rollers.

Hannibal smiled to himself and sent Will a new message.

I bought a pack of them from Costco after our very first session together. Something tells me I’ll be running out by the end of this week.

As usual, Will’s text back was both sassy and sweet:

You’ll get over it. Tell Abigail I said goodnight. I love you both

Hannibal once again found himself grinning at his ceiling fan. All he wanted was to give Will everything he deserved. He typed his reply accordingly:

Consider it done. We love you, too. Sleep well my darling. 

Will didn’t respond, so Hannibal could only hope that he had taken his love for what it was. When he laid his head down to sleep, it was full of memories and fantasies involving Will, the love of his life. No matter what stood in the way of their life together, Hannibal was hellbent on overcoming it.

Chapter Text

Will’s drive home sent his head spinning. As much as he knew his relationship with Hannibal was based on a ploy, it felt so real now. Will had been planning to tell Hannibal he loved him that night, but certainly not like that. Wrapped around Hannibal, staring into his eyes, Will had meant it with every fiber of his being. Their dynamic had already changed up so severely, and they had only been ‘together’ for an hour or so. Will had laid just about everything out on the table, most notably his love. He knew that Hannibal had viewed them as a pairing in his own way for some time now, but it had all finally clicked into place. They really were a couple now. 

The proposal that Will had given Hannibal, however, was only a Trojan horse. He was well aware that Hannibal couldn’t possibly ever convince him that they could have a real future together. The concept on its own was a fallacy. But more importantly, their bond was sealed now; Hannibal was convinced at last that they wanted the same thing. Will decided he would break this news to Jack in person to observe the look on his face. Regrettably, that begged the question of how Jack would try to use this to their advantage. Will’s new partnership with Hannibal opened the door for them to hypothetically kill together, but there would be no easy way to orchestrate a plan like that. Most certainly not without a hypothetical victim, at least. Will wouldn’t bother telling Jack about his interaction with Ryan, considering how that turned out last time. Yes, they needed to create a mutual enemy in Hannibal’s eyes, but Will had already established to Jack several of the reasons why Ryan would be a poor choice. But who did that leave? Alana, maybe? 

Will’s head felt heavy by the time he finally drove up to his home. His dogs excitedly jumped all over him once he walked in, and he began preparing their evening meal. Once they were fed, Will got in the shower and started to get ready for bed. When he emerged from the bathroom, Winston was lying on the rug by the front door. He didn’t turn his head as Will approached; his gaze remained transfixed on the door. Will glanced out the window, but there was nothing out there. 

“What’s wrong, bud?” 

Winston continued to stare ahead. Will’s brow furrowed, and he walked closer to the window. Even when he scanned the landscape intently, there was no sign of any disturbance. Will opened the door, and his dogs flooded out onto the porch. Winston led the way, scouting the area with his ears perked. Will slipped on his shoes and followed down the steps. He watched as his dogs milled about to do their business. Winston had taken post facing the forest, still apparently certain that there was a threat in their midst. He growled into the darkness several times. 

Will’s attention was diverted to Buster, who appeared to be having digestive issues. When Buster scampered away, Will squatted down to examine his stool and was immediately alarmed. The last time any of his dogs had such an upset stomach was years ago when he found out that Buster had food-related allergies. Ever since that trip to the vet, Will had made sure that none of his dogs ever had access to soy, gluten or corn, just to be safe. He had always prepared his dogs’ meals at home, but even when he bought treats elsewhere, Will always made sure to screen the ingredients. What could Buster possibly have gotten into? Could he have caught some kind of parasite or virus? 

This mystery left Will with the unfortunate chore of checking the yard for other signs of digestive upset that could have gone unnoticed. Thankfully, this appeared to be a one-off. Will brought his dogs inside and knelt down to check on Buster. He appeared somewhat bloated, but otherwise he seemed perfectly healthy. Before Will could even stand up, Winston was back to staring at the door and growling. Will sighed deeply and made his way to the bathroom. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about already, his dogs were certainly making things harder. Will needed some rest. He collected his dirty laundry from the bathroom floor and brought it to the basket in his bedroom. Just before he tossed it in, Will noticed something missing. His brow furrowed, and he set the clothes he was holding on the ground. He knelt down to double check, but there were only three items in the basket: a white t-shirt and two socks. 

Will found himself perplexed. He had done laundry the very night before, so the contents would have made perfect sense if his underwear had been included. He checked the bathroom once again and even looked through the clothes he had already picked up, but last night’s underwear had simply disappeared. Will sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his closet. Desperately, he wanted to let it go, completely forget about it, and go to sleep. But Winston was still growling and occasionally whining at the front door, and some tiny voice in the back of Will’s head wouldn’t shut up. 

He must have spent over half an hour checking under every piece of furniture in his home, including the dog beds, just to make sure one of them hadn’t taken his underwear out of the basket and dragged it somewhere else. When his efforts were unsuccessful, Will was eventually forced to let it go. The unanswered question buzzed around in his head for what felt like hours as he laid in bed, but Will was weary enough to fall asleep soon enough. 

When he woke in the morning, Will immediately knew something was wrong. He wasn’t sure exactly what, so he went to his bedroom window and opened the curtains. Nothing outside except the start of a beautiful sunrise. As soon as Will entered the hallway, however, the stench hit him like a train. He followed a trail of diarrhea to the corner of the living room, where Buster sat cowering. Will groaned and rubbed his eyes before kneeling down to check on him. Once Buster realized he wasn’t in trouble, he was wagging his tail and jumping at Will’s ankles like nothing had happened.

Will cleaned up the mess right away and got dressed as soon as he was done. Without a second thought, he picked up Buster in his arms to take him to the vet. When they arrived, Will authorized any test they saw fit to find out what was wrong with Buster. After several hours of waiting and talking to different techs, the veterinarian entered with her conclusion. 

“By all accounts, Buster has had an allergic reaction to something new in his diet.”

Will shook his head in disbelief. He was endlessly frustrated and trying hard not to let it affect his tone.

“He’s been on the same home-cooked diet for years. Ever since I found out he had food-related allergies, years ago, I’ve kept him far away from soy, corn, and gluten. Same goes for my other dogs, just in case. How is this possible? I haven’t given him any processed treats or anything like that. You don’t just find this sh– this kind of food in the snow, and he’s never had any adverse reactions to any type of meat.” 

Will bit his tongue when he realized he had been making this argument in his head for the past two hours. The veterinarian nodded to convey her understanding. 

“I can see how frustrating this would be. Have you had any guests over lately that might not be aware of his allergies?”

Will quickly wracked his brain, but Hannibal and Abigail were the only people who had been alone with his dogs in the past several weeks. He took a deep breath. 

“Only one, but he never feeds my dogs. I’ll double check with him. Thank you.”

Will collected the invoice from her and went up front to pay. By the time he got back in his car, it was nearly ten o’clock in the morning. Hannibal was most likely with a patient. Will tried calling him anyway, but there was no answer. He huffed and sent Hannibal a quick text. 

Call me back as soon as you can, please.

He set his phone aside and gave Buster a kiss on the nose before hitting the road. At 9:59am, Will’s phone rang with a call from Hannibal. He accepted it right away.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Will. Is something wrong?”

“Not really, I just have an important question. Have you fed anything to any of my dogs in the last few days?”

“Fed them? No, of course not.”

“Can I talk to Abigail?” 

“I’m at work, Will. My next patient is presumably waiting outside.”

“She has a phone, doesn’t she? Text me her number,” Will demanded.

“What is this about, Will?” 

“Please, just text me her number. I’ll tell you about it tonight,” grumbled Will.

“Fine, I will send it over now,” Hannibal replied stiffly. “I’ll see you after I get home from work.” 

“Thank you, Hannibal.”

“Of course, my love.”

Will bade him goodbye and hung up. As soon as Hannibal’s text came in, Will dialed Abigail’s number. She didn’t answer, of course, so Will left a voicemail. 

“Hi Abigail, it’s Will. Hannibal sent me your number because I just got out of the vet’s office with Buster, and I need to talk to you. Call me back, please.”

He felt bad for making the situation sound so dire, but the gnawing he felt in his stomach was much worse. Even if Abigail had fed Buster some kind of gluten-loaded dog treats, that would have been at least two days ago. Was it even possible for Buster to have such a delayed reaction? If it hadn’t been for that stupid pair of underwear going missing, Will might not have thought much of it, but the creeping suspicion that somebody had been in his house had become overwhelming. To his relief, Abigail called back almost right away. 

“Abigail?”

“Will? What’s going on? Is Buster okay?”

“Yes, he’s fine,” Will told her. “I’m taking him home right now. He had an allergic reaction to something he ate. I wanted to ask you if you gave him any treats while we were all at the cabin.”

“What kind of allergic reaction?” she pressed.

“He’s fine, Abigail. I just need to know if you gave him anything.”

She sighed on the other line.

“All I gave him was a little piece of jerky. I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Jerky?” Will asked curiously. “What kind of jerky?”

“I don’t know, just normal beef jerky. It was some kind of organic brand that Hannibal buys for me. Is Buster still coming over tonight?”

Will smiled to himself. He had almost forgotten about his messages with Hannibal the night before.

“Yes, unless Hannibal finds out Buster had diarrhea in my house and flips out.”

Abigail laughed.

“Aww, poor guy. Hannibal doesn’t have to know, though.”

Will chuckled in agreement.

“I’ll do my best to avoid the subject. But anyway, don’t feel bad about feeding Buster. He loves beef jerky. I bet he was going nuts for it, and that couldn’t have caused this either way. Are you sure that’s the only thing you fed him?”

“Yeah. Well, it was two pieces of jerky, but I didn’t give him anything else.”

Will grinned. 

“No wonder he loves you so much. Anyway, I’ll see you tonight. Sorry to bother you.”

“Don’t be sorry, I’m just glad Buster is okay. I can’t wait to see you guys later.”

“Uh-huh,” Will joked, “Buster can’t wait to see you either, I’m sure.”

Abigail laughed again.

“See you soon, Will. Love you.”

Will momentarily forgot how to speak, and she hung up before he could collect himself. He drove on in silence for the rest of the way home, unable to wrap his head around the idea of Abigail even caring about him. He had never wanted to call Hannibal so badly, but Will had already been irritably reminded that he was ‘at work.’ His racing thoughts would have to remain untamed until that evening. Above all of them hung the absurd question: Who the fuck was in my house?

Chapter Text

When Hannibal got home from work, Abigail was waiting for him in the kitchen. He greeted her with a cheerful smile.

“Abigail, how are you?” 

“I’m good. Have you talked to Will?” she asked.

“Not since I gave him your number this morning,” Hannibal told her. “What did he need?”

“He wanted to know if I fed Buster anything. Apparently he had some kind of allergic reaction,” she explained. 

“Did he seem worried?” 

Abigail shrugged.

“No, not really. He said he’s still bringing Buster over tonight. Why?”

“He just sounded a bit stressed when he called me. Anyway, he should be here soon. We’d better get started on dinner.”

Will knocked on the door a few minutes later, and Hannibal was overcome with relief. Something about Will’s tone of voice on the call had been worrying him all day long. He welcomed Will inside and tried not to cringe when he set his terrier down on Hannibal’s clean, polished floors. Will looked tired, but his smile was genuine as he returned Hannibal’s warm greeting. 

“How was your day?” Will purred as he leaned in to kiss Hannibal on the cheek.

Hannibal felt butterflies in his chest and blushed slightly. 

“Uneventful, for the most part. How are you doing? Abigail told me you had to take that one to the vet.” 

Will nodded and took off his coat with a sigh.

“Yeah. Apparently, Buster ate something he’s allergic to.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Hannibal replied with a frown. “Did you figure out what it was?”

“No, actually,” Will grumbled. “I did, however, confirm that I haven’t given him any new foods, and Abigail hasn’t either.”

He sounded more angry about this than perplexed. Hannibal’s eyes narrowed. 

“This seems to thoroughly distress you.”

Will’s jaw clenched, and he lowered his voice.

“I think someone broke into my house last night.”

Hannibal raised his eyebrows.

“That seems like an extreme conclusion. What else did you notice?”

Will glanced towards the kitchen, presumably making sure Abigail wasn’t within hearing range. He stepped closer to Hannibal.

“Maybe I’m crazy, but when I got home last night, there was a piece of laundry missing from my basket. I didn’t notice until I was getting ready for bed. I looked everywhere for it, and you know my house is small. It was just gone.”

“What was unique about this item of clothing?” Hannibal asked curiously.

“Nothing, but the only other dirty clothes I had in there were my t-shirt and socks from last night. I’m positive I tossed my boxers in there, too, but they just… disappeared.”

Hannibal’s curiosity instantly morphed into red-hot anger. 

“Your boxers?” he repeated to Will with a restrained tenseness.

“Yeah. Winston was acting weird, too, and something feels seriously off.”

“Who would want to break into your house?” Hannibal urged, doing his very best to suppress the rage in his body.

“I don’t know. Did you tell Ryan what time my last appointment would be?”

Will’s tone was agitated, almost accusatory. Hannibal glared at him.

“Of course not. Why on Earth would I do that?”

“Well, he clearly found out somehow. Do you have any record of my home address in your office?” 

Hannibal’s brow furrowed. 

“Why would Ryan sneak into my office just to make some elaborate plan to steal your underwear?” he growled.

“I don’t know, Hannibal! You’re his psychiatrist, I was hoping you could tell me,” Will snapped. 

Abigail strolled into the room with Buster at her heels.

“What’s going on?” she asked them.

Hannibal sighed. 

“Will is under the impression that one of my patients is stalking him.”

Abigail looked at Will with a confused expression. 

“Which patient?”

“Ryan,” Will grumbled in response and turned back to him. “He broke into my house, Hannibal. There’s no other explanation.” 

“There are plenty of other explanations, Will. That being said, the circumstances are a bit suspicious. Last night when you encountered him, did he threaten you in any way?” 

“No. If anything, I threatened him. I told him he’d better get out of my way or I’d move him myself.”

“I doubt he liked that very much. What did he do?”

“Nothing. He just stepped out of the way and said ‘good luck in therapy.’”

Hannibal took a deep breath to slow his heart rate. Every instinct in his body told him to go straight to Ryan’s home and slaughter him. 

“I’m confused,” Abigail interjected. “How do you know he broke into your house?”

Will sighed.

“Some of my things were missing, and there’s nobody else who could have fed Buster an allergen.” 

Will was right; there was no other explanation. Hannibal’s blood boiled. 

“I’ll kill him,” he growled under his breath. “He shouldn’t be anywhere near you.” 

Will looked alarmed.

“Hannibal! What is wrong with you?” he hissed.

“Nah, I’ll help,” Abigail chimed in. “He got my dog sick.”

Will stifled a laugh. 

“I’m sorry, your dog?” 

She smirked playfully. 

“Yeah, my dog.” 

“Huh, that’s news to me,” Will remarked sarcastically. “I guess I’ll forward you the vet bill from this morning, then.” 

“Fine,” she joked. “I’ll just have Hannibal pay it.”

Will bit his lip, as if to refrain from rewarding her attitude with more laughter. He addressed Hannibal instead.

“Hannibal, you’re a serial killer. When you say you’re going to kill someone, I don’t have a way of knowing whether you mean it literally.”

Hannibal huffed irritably.

“I’m not going to kill him, but I certainly wouldn’t pass up the opportunity if it were to present itself.” 

“Opportunity?” Will scoffed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “When is your next appointment with him?”

“It’s in two days, but that’s hardly an opportunity, Will. I’ve already killed one patient in that office.” 

Will’s jaw dropped, and Hannibal instantly realized this was the first time he had outright confessed to murder in front of Will.

“You killed Franklyn Froideveau?” he muttered in disbelief.

Hannibal stiffened and found himself taking a defensive stance. 

“Tobias Budge was about to kill him anyway. I assure you, he died quite painlessly.”

Will appeared dumbfounded. 

“Who else have you killed that I don’t know about?”

“I had a life before I met you, Will.”

“I meant since you met me,” Will snarled. “Did you kill Doctor Du Maurier?”

“No.” 

“Then where did she go?” he demanded. 

“I don’t know,” Hannibal answered truthfully. 

Will scoffed in disdain and shook his head. 

“Y’know, she came to visit me at the asylum. She told me she believed me. She knew you were going to kill her. She must’ve fled the country just to save her own life.”

Hannibal blinked.

“Yes,” he replied flatly.

He knew that Will was struggling to stomach the concept. Hannibal recalled his near-impossible task: to show Will the best of him in all its entirety, and to overshadow the worst. Off to a bad start, it seemed.

“Whatever,” Will mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. “If you’re not gonna kill Ryan, what are you going to do about him?”

“I’ll have plenty to discuss with him in therapy. Depending on what he has to say, I’ll address the situation however I see fit,” Hannibal told him. 

Will grunted in resentful acknowledgment. Abigail was still standing awkwardly beside them. 

“Why is he stalking you?” she asked Will, whose muscles stiffened.

“Because he’s a disgusting pervert, and he thinks I want to fuck his boyfriend for some reason.”

Abigail’s brow furrowed.

“Wait, is his boyfriend Gerald?”

“How did you know that?” Hannibal demanded. 

“Um, it wasn’t that hard to infer.”

Will cleared his throat.

“Hannibal thought it would be a good idea to tell his patient that I hooked up with Gerald before they got together. Now I have to put up with Ryan harassing me, breaking into my house, and sending my dog to the vet,” he sneered before turning back to Hannibal. “Do you ever think about the consequences of your actions before you perform them?” 

Hannibal held back a snide comment. 

“I was just trying to keep you away from that painter. He seemed awfully interested in you at the opera. Did you consider the consequences of your actions before you slept with him?”

Will clenched a fist and took a step closer to Hannibal. 

“You and I weren’t together. I didn’t do anything wrong. The only consequences that came from this derived from your own petty insecurities.” 

“Is that so?” Hannibal taunted. “Are we not including your vindictive decision to sleep with a stranger just to make me angry?”

He instantly regretted saying this, and Will groaned in exasperation.

“Oh my god, Hannibal. How many times do we have to go over this? I told you, I just needed a distraction. Not everything is about you.” 

Hannibal bit down on his tongue, hard. He could feel Abigail glaring at him. 

“I’m sorry, Will. I didn’t think Ryan would react in such an extreme way.” 

Will’s fist uncurled, and he looked almost perplexed by the apology. After studying Hannibal’s face for a moment, Will grumbled,

“Good. You should be.” 

He turned away and walked into the kitchen without another word. Hannibal looked at Abigail, who was raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Keep practicing, bitch boy,” she muttered coldly before following Will.

“Abigail!” Hannibal scolded after her, appalled. “You will not speak to me that way.” 

Will’s voice could be heard from the kitchen:

“Whatever she just said, I concur.” 

Hannibal growled under his breath and followed Abigail, who audibly snickered. Will asked her how she was doing, and she enthusiastically launched into a long ramble about a new book she was reading. He seemed to find the story quite compelling and promised to catch up to the page she was on. Soon enough, Hannibal started to feel like a third wheel, or perhaps their personal chef. 

Once he served dinner, they were finally considerate enough to include him in their conversation. The argument seemed to be forgiven, and Hannibal caught Will gazing fondly at him more than once. After they finished eating, Abigail headed upstairs to her room. Will met Hannibal’s eyes as soon as she turned the corner, and Hannibal leaned closer to him knowingly. Will brought their lips together with a gentle hand on the back of Hannibal’s neck. His other hand wandered as they kissed sweetly. Hannibal felt it travelling up his thigh and sensed himself getting aroused, but he wasn’t sure if Will wanted this to lead to sex. He pulled away from their soft kiss and stared into Will’s eyes, full of love. 

“How was your day, my beloved?” Hannibal murmured. 

Will smiled and looked down with color in his cheeks. 

“Pretty hectic, considering I woke up to my sick dog. The vet visit took forever. I didn’t get home until almost noon. Since then, it hasn’t been so bad. How are you doing?” 

To Hannibal, the question felt like a sweet gesture in itself. Reciprocation is important, and Will was better at it than he seemed aware of. 

“I’m doing well. My day was underwhelming until you came to my door. Abigail was quick to come to your defense earlier.”

Will tried to hide his shining smile. 

“Yeah?” he chortled. “What did she say?”

Hannibal sighed.

“I’d rather not repeat it.” 

“Oh, come on. It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“I disagree. She called me ‘bitch boy.’”

Will roared with laughter, causing Hannibal to sigh again.

“Alright. Let it out, why don’t you.” 

“Oh, I wish I could have seen the look on your face. She’s a good kid.” 

“I agree, although this is hardly the best example.” 

Will’s amused smile faded, and he seemed to become lost in his thoughts. Hannibal waited patiently before prompting him.

“What’s on your mind, dear?”

Will paused, deciding his answer.

“Abigail, she… she told me she loves me.” 

Hannibal was taken aback.

“She did? When?” 

“When I called her this morning, as we were saying goodbye,” Will explained.

Hannibal nodded as he processed the information.

“Did you return the sentiment?”

Will scoffed and shook his head.

“Honestly, I was too stunned to speak. She hung up before I could say anything. At first, I thought she just misspoke, but she didn’t correct herself. Do you think she meant it?”

“Of course,” affirmed Hannibal. “She’s always your biggest advocate when you’re not around. I was convinced she just needed more reasons to disagree with me, but what makes you think she didn’t mean it?”

Will took a deep breath, rubbing his eyes. 

“I just can’t wrap my head around her caring about me in the first place. She’s always seemed uncomfortable around me. I mean, I killed her dad right in front of her.”

“You saved her life, Will. Abigail knows as well as I do that you belong in our family. She’s always telling me not to screw things up with you.” 

Will bit his lip, and his eyes clouded with tears. Hannibal pretended not to notice when he wiped them away with a bitter laugh.

“You’d better not screw it up, then,” he murmured. 

Hannibal offered him a gentle smile and caressed Will’s face. 

“You can count on me, my love.”

Will kissed him, and Hannibal could taste the salt of his tears. He wrapped his arms around Will and tugged him gently into his lap. It only took one soft moan from Will to get Hannibal excited. Will must have felt his erection, considering he moved his lips to Hannibal’s neck and started to grind on him. Hannibal whined quietly and pressed Will down against him with a firm hand on his shoulder. He thrust upward and bit Will’s neck, making him moan. Will leaned close to Hannibal’s ear and whispered,

“Do you wanna…”

“Yes,” Hannibal growled and pulled Will to his feet. 

Will giggled and followed him to the bedroom eagerly. Aside from some light choking and hair-pulling, their sex was gentle and sweet. Hannibal would never admit it to Will, especially since they had been so tame and romantic, but it was easily the best sex he had experienced in his entire life.

Chapter Text

Will was positively delighted to be laying in Hannibal’s warm embrace once again. Hannibal’s kisses were so inviting, and he had allowed Will to push him around in bed however he desired. Even so, Hannibal’s touch was so full of love that Will had felt no trace of his usual desire to beat and choke him. Time spent with Hannibal had never felt so romantic, especially now that they were cuddling with Will’s head lying on his broad chest. 

With considerable discomfort, Will recalled his conversation with Jack that afternoon. Jack had called him while he was busy at the vet’s office, so Will returned the call after he got home. He was too exhausted to drive down to Quantico. Jack had picked up with a sense of urgency. 

“Will, hey. Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I just had a busy morning. What’s up?”

“How did your session with Lecter go last night? I’ve been waiting for your report.”

Will rolled his eyes.

“I realize that. One of my dogs had an emergency, so I was at the vet all morning. The session with Lecter went well. We actually officialized our relationship.” 

“Officialized? In what way?” 

Jack’s tone was brusque, and Will had to bite his tongue. ‘In what way’ do you think, dumbass?

“As in official romantic partners. I’m no longer his patient. Next week we’ll be going out to dinner instead of therapy.” 

“So you two are dating now?”

“Yeah. I’ve been… playing hard to get, so to speak. I presented the relationship as a chance for him to prove to me that the two of us could work out. Like, as a couple. He seems more or less determined.”

Jack was silent for a moment. Finally, he cleared his throat. 

“I’m confused. You told me he was sexually motivated, that you needed to seduce him to blindside him.”

Will scoffed.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

“How is this seducing him? You’re just giving him what he wants.”

“No shit,” Will snapped. “Isn’t that the whole point? In Hannibal’s eyes, he and I are partners now. He trusts me. I told you, he wants to be close to me. Not only that, he wants me to be completely devoted to him. That’s all he wants, actually. We have to use that against him.”

“How?” Jack challenged. 

“Hannibal knows that I understand him,” Will continued. “He thinks that I accept him, even if I haven’t forgiven him. He’s been fairly transparent with me. It’s only a matter of time before he’s willing to tell me anything. The only problem with that is, I can’t exactly wear a wire around him. We still have to find a way to catch him in the act.” 

Jack’s irritated sigh could be heard on the other line.

“Is there anybody that Hannibal has shown resentment or disdain for? Anything that could drive him to kill?”

“No, not yet. There could be more opportunities to bring out that side of him the more we engage in public activities together.”

Jack was quiet again. 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” he finally declared.

Will scoffed in annoyance. 

“Join the club. Do you have a better idea?”

“Not exactly,” Jack grumbled. “I’ve been looking into a lead on the location of Lecter’s previous psychiatrist, Bedelia Du Maurier. She’s proving difficult to find, but I may have picked up her trail. Were there any other new developments at the session?” 

Will shrugged.

“Not really. He told me that I was never his patient on paper, so he’s clean on that front. I also verbally reciprocated his love.” 

“Verbally reciprocated? What are you talking about?” 

Jack sounded genuinely alarmed. Will’s jaw clenched, and he regretted not driving down to Quantico to have this conversation. It was worse having to imagine Jack’s face.

“I told him that I love him,” Will admitted.

Jack’s reply was once again delayed. Will could see his disgusted, perplexed expression in his  mind’s eye. Jack finally broke his silence. 

“What did he say?”

Will’s brow furrowed. The question had caught him off guard.

“What do you mean?”

“Did Hannibal say it back?” Jack clarified.

Will’s mouth fell agape. How could Jack be so clueless?

“Jack, he’s been telling me that for a week at this point. He told me he was in love with me the morning after last week’s session. Why did you think he was so obsessed with me?”

“You said he wanted to control you,” Jack argued. “I just didn’t realize he had romantic feelings.”

Will was both exasperated and furious at Jack’s ignorance.

“Gay men are no different,” he snapped. “If you’re obsessed with someone you have a sexual relationship with, there’s a good chance romance is involved.”

“He’s a psychopath, Will. This isn’t about sexuality.” 

For whatever reason, this made Will feel even more defensive. He grit his teeth through it.

“Oh. Well, psychopathy aside, he certainly acts like his feelings are romantic.”

“Could you give me an example of that?” Jack prompted.

Will’s face felt hot. 

“Um, I guess so. He talks about having a future together. Y’know, buying some land, moving in together with my dogs. Stuff like that. Why?”

“I’m just trying to get a better sense of your relationship. Clearly, I was misinterpreting it for a while. Do you have romantic feelings for him?”

Jack had tried to frame the question casually, but Will wasn’t fucking stupid. 

“Of course not,” he snarled. “Why would you ask me that?” 

“I’m not accusing you of anything, Will. It’s just that you mentioned obsession and sex, and, well… romance.” 

“That’s obviously not what I meant,” Will growled. “Hannibal is a monster. He’s obsessed with me, but I’m just doing what I have to do to catch him.” 

“Alright, Will, I apologize. I didn’t mean to offend you. Was there anything else you discussed with Hannibal?”

Will quietly took a deep breath.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so. How did your consultation with him go?”

“Well, he built us a solid profile, but we’re no closer to finding the killer without any new evidence,” Jack explained. “The victim’s son seemed to be hiding something during our last interview. I thought he would lead us straight to it, but my officer somehow lost track of the guy’s car the only time he’s left his house in the past two days. It seems like another dead end, but we’re definitely missing something.”

Will knew he had to tread carefully; he was already dangerously close to another one of Jack’s pleas for him to return to the field.

“Out of curiosity, what was Hannibal’s profile of the killer?”

“It was along the lines of a righteous vigilante who kills out of a perceived need,” answered Jack. “Premeditated, yet disorganized. Aside from that profile, we still haven’t been able to pin down a motive.”

“Hm. How many victims?”

“Two. Drastically different age groups and social status.”

Will’s brow furrowed.

“Strange. Hannibal didn’t say much about it. I’ll let you know if he does.”

“When will you be seeing him again?”

Will bit his lip nervously.

“Tonight. We’re having dinner at his place.”

“Okay,” Jack acknowledged stiffly. “Let me know how it goes, please. Call me tomorrow or stop by my office.”

Will’s muscles tensed. 

“Sure. Yeah. I’ll talk to you later, then. Bye, Jack.” 

Will had hung up the phone and tossed it aside with a groan. Now that he was back in Hannibal’s bed, it was impossible not to acknowledge the depth of the double life he’d been leading. ‘Romantic feelings’ was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to his intimate relationship with Hannibal. Still, it was none of Jack’s business how Will felt about the person they were both working to apprehend. Will was dedicated to putting him behind bars regardless of his feelings. Right?

As Hannibal’s fingers lightly massaged Will’s scalp, he wasn’t so sure. With his head against Hannibal’s chest, Will kissed his bare skin and nuzzled his collarbone. A glowing warmth filled his own chest as if on command. At that moment, wrapped in his arms, Will couldn’t imagine a life without Hannibal. The only person Will could ever picture giving this up for was Abigail. But would she really be better off without Hannibal? She was in danger as long as she was under his care, but who else would take care of her? What if she resented Will so much for putting Hannibal away that she would simply disappear? What would happen to her? What would happen to Will? 

The pit in his stomach continued to widen. Even the kisses Hannibal was leaving on his temple weren’t enough to keep his worries at bay. Will placed his hands on Hannibal’s chest and leaned forward to kiss him. Hannibal somehow pulled him even closer, and Will basked in his love. Since he couldn’t bring himself to pull away, they kissed and tugged at each other’s hair until Hannibal had to catch his breath. Will smiled at him bashfully. 

“Thank you for dinner, by the way.” 

Hannibal grinned. 

“Of course, my love. Any time.” 

He kissed Will once more and sat up in bed. 

“I need to take a shower. You’re welcome to join, if you’d like.”

Will smirked as he watched Hannibal stand from the bed, completely naked and looking nothing short of delicious.

“Tempting, but I showered just before I came over. I think I’ll go try to find myself a drink in the kitchen.” 

Hannibal leaned down to kiss Will’s forehead.

“Make yourself at home, mon chéri. I love you.”

Will couldn’t help but swoon. 

“I love you too, Hannibal. Enjoy your shower.” 

Hannibal disappeared into the bathroom, and Will climbed out of bed to get dressed. He ran a comb through his hair and went out to the kitchen for a drink. After invading Hannibal’s liquor cabinet, he sat down with a glass of scotch. A few minutes later, he heard Abigail’s footsteps coming down the stairs. Will smiled at her when she entered the room.

“Hey, Will,” she greeted cheerfully. “Where’s Hannibal?”

“He’s in the shower. How are you and Buster doing up there?” 

His dog was following closely at her heels as she opened the freezer to grab some ice cream.

“Oh, we’re having the best time. He’s the sweetest little guy in the world.”

Her love for Buster made Will smile.

“Is Hannibal out of the doghouse yet?” she teased.

Will snickered.

“Yeah, I’d say so. He’s actually not that bad at apologizing when he puts in the effort.”

“Pfft. I wouldn’t know. I don’t think that man has ever apologized to me, not for a damn thing.”

Will frowned.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize for him,” Abigail laughed. “It’s no big deal, anyway. That’s just how he is. You have leverage, though. If he doesn’t apologize to you, he’s fucked. He knows I’m stuck with him either way.” 

“You’re not stuck, Abigail,” Will assured her. “You’ll have your own life when you make it to Europe. If you can’t rely on Hannibal, you can always rely on me.”

Abigail scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, right. You won’t even come with us.”

Will took a deep breath and another sip of whiskey. 

“It’s complicated. It’s up to Hannibal whether or not I come with you guys. If he screws things up and you two run away, I just want you to know I’m still in your corner. If you ever need an out, I’ll help you find one. I would just be a phone call away.”

She sighed and continued serving herself ice cream into a porcelain bowl. 

“I don’t need to be saved from Hannibal. Besides, this was never up to him. The choice has always been yours. You already know who Hannibal is, Will. You just have to make up your mind. Figure out what you want, please. That’s all I’m relying on you for.” 

She pulled open the freezer and placed the tub of ice cream back inside. Will glared at the wall. 

“I do want to come with you guys,” he murmured. “I hope you know that. I just can’t trust him. You don’t understand what he put me through.”

Abigail tried to meet his eyes, but Will looked away. She took a deep breath.

“Well, he isn’t going to change any more than he already has. He’s been head over heels for you from day one, and he would go to such lengths to keep you close that it’s frankly dangerous. But he loves you, and he wants us to have a future. If that’s not what you’re looking for, you may as well stop leading him on now.” 

Will rubbed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. 

“It’s not that simple, Abigail. I just need you to be a little more patient with me.”

Abigail shrugged and ate another spoonful of ice cream.

“Fine. So, what are you getting Hannibal for his birthday?”

Will scoffed in amusement.

“Am I supposed to get him something? What could he possibly want?” 

“I dunno. You know him better than I do.”

Will smiled to himself.

“Okay, I guess I’ll think about it.”

She gave him a cheerful grin. 

“Good. I gotta go finish my movie. See you in the morning?”

She picked up her bowl and headed for the stairs. Buster followed close behind. 

“Sure thing,” Will agreed. “Goodnight, Abigail. I love you.”

“Love you, too!” she called over her shoulder as she began to ascend the steps. 

Will was quietly reduced to a puddle of tears. He wasn’t ready to believe it, but Abigail and Hannibal felt like the family he had always wanted. Above all, he just wanted to protect them.

Chapter Text

When Hannibal emerged from the bathroom, Will was waiting half-naked in his bed. He smirked at Hannibal and looked him up and down.

“I should have known you would be the type to take super long showers,” he teased. “I’m not complaining, though. You look hot as hell.”

Hannibal grinned and climbed into bed beside him wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. He could smell whiskey on Will’s breath when he leaned in for a kiss. 

“How are you doing, my love?” Hannibal murmured, nuzzling Will and pulling him closer.

“I’m good. Excited to find out how much better I’ll sleep on your luxurious mattress when I’m not worried about you touching me without my consent. God, I can’t believe that was barely a week ago.” 

Hannibal’s jaw clenched. He could tell from Will’s voice that he was intoxicated, so Hannibal tried not to take his comment to heart.

“Will… I never meant to harm you.”

Will snickered.

“Yeah, whatever. It’s in the past. I won’t lie, this mattress is really fucking comfortable. If my sleep tonight is half as good as those commercials act like, I might just have to upgrade my ‘cot’ after all.”

Hannibal smiled to himself. He buried his face in Will’s curly hair and kissed his head. 

“Why start on home improvements when we could be leaving so soon?”

Will looked up at him with a gentle smile.

“Who says the new bed would be for my home in Wolf Trap?” he murmured.

A warm, tingling feeling ran through Hannibal’s body, and his stomach somersaulted. The warmth lingered in his cheeks. His love and longing for a life with Will couldn’t be expressed in words, but he needed Will to know.

“Nothing would make me happier than taking you mattress-shopping in Italy.”

Will grinned and kissed him with a thirst that had nothing to do with sexual desire. The scent of Will’s cheap aftershave provoked a striking awareness of how truly blessed Hannibal was to have him in his arms. He couldn’t seem to pull Will close enough, and they made out until both of them became drowsy. 

When he woke in the morning, Will was still fast asleep. A promising sign for a new mattress, Hannibal thought. He climbed out of bed, careful not to disturb his lover, and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. By the time Will emerged from the bedroom, Hannibal’s cooking was already cooling off on the stove. Hannibal looked up from the newspaper he had been skimming.

“Good morning, my darling,” he purred, taking in Will’s disheveled appearance. “You look breath-taking.”

Will laughed as if Hannibal had told a joke. 

“What’s for breakfast? Smells delicious.” 

“Caprese frittata and sfogliatella,” Hannibal told Will with a kiss on the cheek.

Will gazed over the stove and grinned.

“I’m actually salivating right now. You amaze me, Hannibal Lecter.”

Hannibal melted as Will wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into a kiss. 

“Anything for you, caro marito,” Hannibal murmured lovingly. “Take a seat in the dining room. I’ll serve you a plate.”

“Yes, sir,” Will drawled and gave Hannibal’s ass a slap that turned into a squeeze. 

Hannibal let out a surprised laugh and felt Will nip his ear from behind. 

“Mm, darling…” he gushed. 

Abigail’s disgusted groan alerted them to her presence as she entered the kitchen.

“EW! You guys are so fucking nasty. Get a room.” 

Will turned bright red, but Hannibal chuckled carelessly. 

“You’ll understand when you fall in love,” he teased.

Abigail rolled her eyes at him.

“I don’t care. That doesn’t mean I want to see it in my kitchen,” she complained.

“I’m sorry, Abigail,” Will interrupted, still flushed. “I didn’t hear you come down the stairs.” 

“It’s fine, Hannibal’s the one being a bitch.”

“Yeah? Keep complaining and you can make your own breakfast,” Hannibal retorted. 

“Bet,” she snickered. “Your ear is bleeding, by the way, so you might wanna clean that up and put on a shirt.” 

Hannibal touched a finger to the tip of his ear. Sure enough, it was stained scarlet with blood.

“My bad,” Will murmured sheepishly. 

Hannibal smirked and excused himself to clean his wound and cover up. 

When he returned, the three of them shared a delightful breakfast together. Both Will and Abigail kept raving about the quality of his cooking, and Hannibal cherished the glow of pride it gave him. Abigail even joked that Will should come over more often so that Hannibal keeps bringing out ‘the good stuff.’

The last thing Hannibal wanted to do was say goodbye to Will. But nevertheless, like every other morning, Will had to feed his dogs. Hannibal watched Will collect Buster from Abigail and prepare to leave. As Will pulled on his coat, Hannibal removed his parting gift from a drawer near the entryway. Will looked up at him.

“What’s that?”

Hannibal offered it to him in a tiny box tied with a neat ribbon.

“I wanted you to have this. Open it.”

Will took it from him curiously and untied the bow. When he opened the lid, he revealed a silver house key with the letters WG engraven in it. A joyous smile broke across his pretty face. 

“What is this?” he asked, although Hannibal was sure he already knew. 

“A spare house key, so that you’re free to come and go as you please. What’s mine is now yours.” 

Will blushed as he stared down at the engraving.

“This is so sweet, Hannibal. I don’t even know what to say.” 

Hannibal smiled and tilted Will’s chin up.

“Then say ‘thank you,’” he teased, leaning in for a kiss. 

Will kissed back sweetly and brought their foreheads together with pure love in his eyes. 

“Thank you, Hannibal. I love you so much.”

Hannibal felt himself blush.

“I love you too, Will. Drive safe.” 

Will gave him one more kiss before slipping the gift into his jacket pocket. 

“See you later, Doctor Lecter,” he flirted and pulled the front door open. 

Hannibal couldn’t help but grin. 

“Goodbye, my love.”

He watched Will descend the steps, slowly pushing the door shut behind him. When Hannibal turned around, he found Abigail observing him from across the room.

“Okay, fine. You guys are sort of cute,” she admitted with a smile.

It was impossible for Hannibal to fully mask his joy. 

“Things are going very well, I must say. Italy might be closer than we think.”

“He does seem happy. So do you,” she added.

Hannibal nodded in agreement, pausing to contemplate. 

“Are you?” he asked. “Happy, I mean? Will mentioned that you told him you love him yesterday. Was that genuine, or have you simply become impatient for our getaway?”

Abigail scoffed.

“Why not both? Yeah, I want us to leave, but I do love Will. It sort of feels like he’s part of our family now. I love him for how happy he makes you. Plus, it’s kinda nice to have some company that isn’t you. No offense.” 

“None taken,” Hannibal chortled. “Thank you for telling him. I’m sure he’ll be delighted when he manages to wrap his mind around it.”

Abigail’s brow furrowed. 

“So he didn’t believe me?” she asked.

“It’s not that,” Hannibal assured her. “I think he had already come to terms with the idea that you wouldn’t ever reciprocate his love for you. It can take time to break down walls.”

She shrugged.

“I guess so. Man, they say women are the emotional ones.”

Hannibal laughed, causing her to smile.

“Emotions don’t discriminate. Will is a complicated man.”

“Yeah, yeah. Everything is always ‘complicated’ with you two.”

Hannibal ignored her comment.

“Why don’t you help me clean up the dishes?”

He pretended not to notice Abigail roll her eyes as he turned to lead her back to the kitchen. 

Hannibal didn’t hear from Will until the following morning. He bashfully checked his phone more than a few times before he fell asleep, but no ‘goodnight’ text appeared. Although it felt undignified, Hannibal sent his own text to ease his sleeplessness:

Goodnight, my darling. I love you.

To his disappointment, Hannibal was forced to fall asleep without a reply. When he woke, he was graciously rewarded with a picture of a beautiful lakeside sunrise featuring several of Will’s dogs. The message below read: 

Good morning, love. Fell asleep reading in my armchair last night. Woke up with a neck cramp and the urge to go fishing.

Once again, Hannibal found himself grinning at his phone screen like an idiot. He rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes and typed a response. 

It’s freezing outside, Will. That’s not what doctors mean when they say to ‘ice’ a cramp.

Will read the message right away and sent back:

Always works for me

And, a moment later:

Good luck at work. Let me know how the session with Ryan goes

Hannibal sighed, lovesick and listless. Somehow, he would’ve rather joined Will by the icy lake than start getting ready for work. He sent Will another text as he climbed out of bed.

Thank you, darling. Stay warm. 

As he expected, Hannibal’s work day was dull until Ryan’s appointment came along that afternoon. When he opened the door to let his patient in, Hannibal spared him the usual polite smile.

“Hello, Ryan. Come in.” 

Ryan entered wordlessly and sat down with a bitter frown across his face.

“How are you feeling this week?” Hannibal asked, sitting down across from him. 

“Not good,” Ryan grumbled. “Gerald’s been avoiding me for days.”

Hannibal feigned ignorance. 

“Is that so? Why do you think that might be?” 

“I think Will spoke to him,” Ryan answered. “It can’t be a coincidence that Gerald blew me off the day after my confrontation with him. I assume Will mentioned that to you on the night of his so-called appointment.” 

“Indeed, he did,” Hannibal confirmed. “However, he made no mention of reconnecting with Gerald. What reason would he have to do that?”

Ryan scowled and gave a frustrated sigh.

“I can’t quite figure that out,” he admitted. “But I got under his skin, and he got under mine. From the very moment I met him, Will has been so confident that he’s somehow better than me. Maybe he wants to prove that now by taking Gerald back.” 

This idea was so deluded that Hannibal found it difficult to hide his amusement. 

“Will and I have gotten to know each other very well. I find it highly unlikely that he would pursue a relationship with Gerald.” 

“What makes you say that?” Ryan challenged.

“For one thing, Will and I are already in a committed relationship. He’s well aware of what the consequences could be if he were to jeopardize that. Besides that, Will hasn’t expressed any interest in seeing Gerald again.”

“Maybe not to you. Trust me, nobody would be disinterested in seeing Gerald again. He’s absolutely stunning.” 

Hannibal fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

“You don’t think there could be another explanation for Gerald’s evasiveness?”

Ryan’s brow furrowed.

“No, not that I can think of. He’s always been so open and forthcoming.”

Hannibal sighed, barely hiding his irritation.

“Perhaps he’s come to suspect that you murdered his father.”

Ryan’s head jerked up to glare at Hannibal with wide eyes.

“How do you know about that?” he demanded.

Hannibal smirked slightly.

“A friend of mine in the FBI asked for my professional consultation in a murder investigation. I recognized the victim’s son straightaway and made some inferences.” 

“What did you tell the agent?” Ryan snapped. 

Hannibal shrugged carelessly.

“I gave him the generic psychological profile of a self-righteous killer who feels compelled to eliminate perceived threats in a violent manner.” 

Ryan raised an eyebrow, still glaring. 

“Don’t pretend to understand me. You don’t.” 

“Hm. If that’s the case, perhaps you could help me understand what you were doing at Will Graham’s house the other night.” 

Ryan’s fists clenched, and he stood from his chair.

“Have you been following me?” he snarled.

“Of course not,” Hannibal snickered. “You were sloppy. You got one of his dogs sick, and Will noticed the missing underwear you stole. I suggest you give that back.” 

Ryan sneered in contempt.

“Will is an arrogant brat. He needs to be put in his place. I went to his house because I wanted to do just that.”

Hannibal didn’t react. Ryan had a habit of telling on himself; it was best to let him keep talking. Ryan paced the office as he continued. 

“It was easy to get the layout while he was in Baltimore with you, considering he leaves his doors unlocked. I went there again just the other night. I was going to show him he was wrong about me. I would have caught him by surprise, tied him up, dominated him. He had it coming from the moment he turned his nose up at me after the opera show. But he wasn’t there. I assume he was staying at your place.” 

Hannibal’s blood boiled at the thought of Ryan getting anywhere near his beautiful boy. Stealing Will’s boxers was bad enough, but Ryan had somehow found the audacity to believe he was worthy of Will’s touch. Ryan had to die, plain and simple. Ideally, it would be very soon, and very painful.

“You assume correctly,” Hannibal replied, still focused on remaining seated as opposed to lunging at Ryan to remove his tongue. 

Ryan turned to him with a sudden urgency.

“Did you tell Will about Gerald’s dad?” he demanded. 

“No. As far as I’m aware, Will has no idea what you’re capable of,” Hannibal told him.

“Good,” Ryan muttered.

Hannibal paused to consider his next words.

“I can’t control your actions outside of this office, Ryan, but I feel compelled to warn you. I have a deep understanding of Will’s psyche and of his physical capabilities. If you try to rape him, he will kill you. At the very least, he would die trying. You would be better off killing him first.”

Ryan’s lip curled into a sneer.

“So be it.”

Chapter Text

After leaving Hannibal’s home that morning, Will drove straight to Jack’s office. He made sure Buster was comfortable in his car before heading inside to update Jack with the new information Hannibal had given him, specifically regarding Franklyn’s murder and the disappearance of Bedelia Du Maurier. As usual, Jack was less than satisfied with the information Will had uncovered. 

“There’s got to be some way for you to record these conversations,” he complained.

“You know that’s unrealistic, Jack. The likelihood of him realizing we’re conducting surveillance far outweighs the chance of him flat out admitting to murder at the right place and time,” Will argued.

“I know that,” Jack grumbled. “What else did he tell you?”

Will shrugged.

“That was it.”

“Any new developments in your relationship?” 

Will momentarily recalled Hannibal giving him a house key just a few hours prior.

“No, not yet.”

“How did you get him to admit to murdering his patient in the first place?” Jack persisted.

Will hesitated.

“I didn’t prompt him in any way. He was expressing contempt for one of his patients. Hannibal made an offhand comment that he couldn’t get away with killing him, considering he’d already killed a patient in his office before. When I asked him about it, he just said Tobias Budge was about to kill Franklyn anyway.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed.

“Which patient was he frustrated with?”

Will felt his shoulders tighten.

“Ryan. That dipshit from the opera.”

“Did he say why?”

Will couldn’t imagine even beginning to explain the whole situation with Ryan. Between his obsession with Gerald and Buster getting sick, let alone Will’s missing underwear, it simply wasn’t worth delving into. He answered Jack’s question without missing a beat. 

“He didn’t have to. That guy is insufferable. If I had to spend an hour alone with him every week, I’d blow my brains out.” 

Jack grunted in acknowledgement. As usual, he urged Will to keep him updated on any further developments before dismissing him. Will was just relieved to make it out of there without another lecture on letting Hannibal ‘distract’ him. 

After he and Buster finally made it home, Will spent much of his day reading the book that Abigail had recommended to him. The story was as intriguing as he expected, but his determination to catch up to the page she had left off on eventually led to him dozing off in his armchair around nine o’clock. Throughout the night, Will’s dreams were filled with Hannibal and himself tangled up in all sorts of positions. One dream was so vivid and euphoric that Will couldn’t have shaken the feeling when he woke up even if he had wanted to. 

When his eyes opened around four in the morning, all Will envisioned was the pinkish glow on the clouds that had been surrounding him and Hannibal as they fell through the cool vapor. He hadn’t been scared in the dream, as if he knew they would land in a soft pit of white sand without even separating their lips. They sunk into the sand through an invisible threshold to finally rest on a plush blanket of snow. When Will pulled back from Hannibal’s loving embrace and gazed into his eyes, they were back at the cliffside cabin. Hannibal started to whisper in Will’s ear about love and marriage, and running off to Italy together…

Will opened his eyes once again and whined in disappointment at the change of scenery. He whispered Hannibal’s name just to feel it on his lips, and Will couldn’t help but think how lovely it would have been to wake up beside him. If he had, Will would already be naked and riding Hannibal’s cock right now. He swooned and melted at the thought. Before he knew it, Will had a hand in his pants while he savoured the last few images of Hannibal on top of him in the clouds. Once he’d satisfied himself, Will checked his phone and found Hannibal’s sweet ‘goodnight’ text. He grinned at the screen and stood up to stretch. 

Despite a stiff neck cramp, Will’s morning was rather peaceful and relaxing. He took a few of his dogs out fishing at the crack of dawn and ended up spending most of the day on the lake. When he returned home, Will enjoyed a simple dinner in uneventful silence. Afterwards, he sat down in the living room with a glass of whiskey. He checked his phone and found that Hannibal had sent him an update on the Ryan situation:

The session with Ryan was interesting. He admitted to the break-in and somehow came up with a way to blame you for Gerald avoiding him recently. 

Will snickered upon reading the message and called Hannibal’s number. He answered on the first ring.

“Good evening, Will.”

Will smiled at the sound of his voice.

“Hey. So, how the heck did he manage to reach that conclusion?” 

Hannibal laughed.

“Creatively, I suppose. He told me Gerald blew him off the day after your so-called ‘confrontation.’ Apparently, he’s been avoiding Ryan ever since. He’s convinced that the two of you spoke.” 

Will scoffed in disbelief.

“What an idiot. Although, you would think Gerald would have realized how insufferable he is a lot sooner. I wonder what changed his mind.”

When Hannibal made no comment, Will paused to consider.

“Hold on, Ryan said that Gerald’s dad just died. He’s probably just trying to grieve, and Ryan had to find some way to make it about him.” 

“Perhaps,” Hannibal dismissed. “Anyway, it was impossible to convince Ryan that not everybody is desperate to steal his boyfriend, but I made sure it was clear that you aren’t somebody to be messed with.” 

Will nodded, satisfied with his assurances. 

“Good. I just hope he got the message. How was your day otherwise? I’ve missed you.”

It still felt strange to admit so casually, as if they were a regular couple. He could hear Hannibal’s smile in his reply.

“I’ve missed you too, Will. My day at work was rather dull before that. I found myself distracted by thoughts of you more than once.

Will bit back a smirk. 

“Me too. I dreamt about you last night. It was nice.”

He felt himself blush and was grateful that Hannibal couldn’t see his face. 

“It sort of got me thinking about Italy. I’d really like to go with you. These last few days have been some of the best of my life. I’ve never felt this way before about anybody, and I know I can’t let you go.”

The words just kept spilling out of Will’s mouth, as if of their own volition.

“You’re too special to me, Hannibal. So is Abigail. I don’t know what I’m waiting for. I guess I’m just scared that you’ll let me down again.”

Hannibal sighed quietly on the other line.

“I love you, Will, in a way that I’ve never loved anyone. Each day since our first kiss has felt like a beautiful dream. I wouldn’t give that up for the world.” 

Will’s smile returned. 

“Maybe I could come over again tomorrow. You have the day off, don’t you?”

“Of course. I would love to spend the day with you tomorrow.”

Will pursed his lips, still blushing. 

“It’s a date, then. Well, I’d better start getting ready for bed so I have some time to read. I still have a couple more chapters to get through if I’m gonna catch up to Abigail.”

“Enjoy your book, Will. I love you,” Hannibal murmured. “Take care of yourself.” 

“I love you, too. Goodnight, Hannibal.”

“Goodnight, my love.”

It was nearly midnight by the time Will finished his reading and climbed into bed. Just as he nestled into his pillow and closed his eyes, there was a loud clang from outside. Will sat up in bed, and his dogs began to growl and bark. He groaned and turned his lamp back on before making his way down the hall. When he reached the front window and peered out, one of the barn doors was ajar. 

“Unbelievable,” Will muttered to himself. 

If some junkie was going to try to loot his barn, the least they could do is make sure Will wasn’t home to have to worry about it. He quickly pulled on some clothes, grabbed his handgun, and stepped out onto the porch. As he neared the barn with his gun at the ready, Will noticed a glint in the snow from his broken padlock. It had a clean break that must have been inflicted by sturdy bolt cutters. What the hell would a random junkie be doing out here in the middle of the night with a pair of bolt cutters? 

Will pulled the barn door wide open, aiming his gun. There was nobody in sight.

“Come out with your hands up and I won’t shoot,” Will bellowed.

No answer. Will pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and flicked it on. He stepped inside the barn, pulling the door shut behind him. There was faint shuffling coming from the shadows. Will advanced towards the sound briskly, his finger on the trigger. 

“Step out and show me your hands!” he shouted. 

There was movement at Will’s feet, and he pivoted to shine his flashlight on it. A rat ran out from under a tarp and disappeared into the dark. Will’s heart raced. He spun around in a circle, shining his light around for any sign of life. A sudden impulse to cover his back ran through Will. He stumbled backward to press himself against a beam, but he was too late. The force of a man tackling him was thrust onto his shoulders, and Will was knocked to the ground with a scream. Using the full strength of his adrenaline-laced muscles, Will rolled over and managed to throw the weight off. Before he could crawl towards his flashlight or locate his gun, he was grabbed by the hair and yanked backwards. Will cried out in pain and struggled fiercely as another hand tightened around his throat. He managed to land a punch on what he assumed was the man’s nose and broke free.

Will dove for his flashlight. The man lunged after him. Grasping the lights handle, Will twisted around to bash him in the face. The flashlight’s base whacked his skull with a resounding thunk. That’s when Will recognized him. 

“Ryan,” he spat. 

In a split second, Will had filled to the brim with rage. Hannibal had done this to him. He must have sent Ryan. This was no longer about survival. Will lunged at him and pinned Ryan to the ground, punching his pathetic face over and over again. Ryan’s free arm reached down to his pockets and pulled out a knife. Will tried to snatch it from him right away, but Ryan sliced open the skin of Will’s arm. He let out a yelp and fell backwards. Fury pumped through Will’s blood, and he saw red.

The next thing he knew, Will was on top of Ryan again with the knife in his hand. Without any hesitation, Will thrust the blade into Ryan’s chest. The rage in his body transformed into a strange new ecstasy that lingered in his limbs. Will pulled out the knife and pressed it to Ryan’s throat.

“Why did you come here?!” he roared. 

Ryan coughed and choked on his own blood, but he still found a way to screw up his face into that pompous sneer.

“Why?!” Will shouted again, pressing the blade down harder. 

“Lecter said…” he choked out, “it… it would be easier… than raping you.”

Will was overcome with disgust and anger.

“He said that?” Will snarled in disbelief. 

Ryan let out a weak, broken laugh. 

“You should have gotten what you deserved,” he spat. 

Will tightened his fist around the knife and drew it back. He stabbed Ryan in the chest again, then twice more in the stomach. The gargling sounds coming from Ryan’s throat began to irritate him, so Will slashed it open. He dropped the knife and stared down at his blood-soaked hands. They were shaking, but not from fear. 

Will stood up and dragged Ryan’s body by the ankles over to a wooden table towards the center of the barn. He stepped on top of it and began tugging at the chains hanging from the ceiling until he was able to grasp a large crane hook with a sharp, pointed end. He pulled it down and tightened the connecting chains before hopping down to lift Ryan’s body onto the table. With considerate effort, Will managed to mount Ryan’s jaw onto the hook, leaving him to dangle from the ceiling by his open mouth. Will stepped back to admire his design. A satisfied smirk made its way across Will’s face. He leaned back against a beam and slid down to the floor, riddled with exhaustion. Will watched the blood drain from Ryan’s swaying corpse and splatter on the ground at his feet. As Will’s eyes began to droop, the corpse’s silhouette looked more and more like Hannibal’s.

Chapter Text

After his conversation with Ryan, Hannibal was uncertain how to go about giving Will the update he requested. He considered this dilemma in his office that evening and ended up drafting the following message:

The session with Ryan was interesting. He admitted to the break-in and somehow came up with a way to blame you for Gerald avoiding him recently. 

Altogether truthful, aside from the evasive nature of the text. He sent it to Will and headed home to Abigail. While they prepared dinner together, Hannibal couldn’t help but worry if his plan would backfire. He was confident that Will could overpower Ryan physically, but perhaps not if he was ambushed with the right weapon. Even assuming Will did come out unscathed, there’s no telling how angry he would be that Hannibal had allowed the attack in the first place. 

As Abigail placed their dinner in the hot oven, Hannibal’s phone began to ring. He excused himself from the kitchen and answered the call right away. 

“Good evening, Will.”

To Hannibal’s relief, Will’s responding tone was relaxed, even somewhat amused.

“Hey. So, how the heck did he manage to reach that conclusion?” 

Hannibal laughed, hoping his worries wouldn’t show through. 

“Creatively, I suppose. He told me Gerald blew him off the day after your so-called ‘confrontation.’ Apparently, he’s been avoiding Ryan ever since. He’s convinced that the two of you spoke.” 

“What an idiot,” Will scoffed. “Although, you would think Gerald would have realized how insufferable he is a lot sooner. I wonder what changed his mind.”

Hannibal said nothing. Fortunately, Will broke the silence. 

“Hold on, Ryan said that Gerald’s dad just died. He’s probably just trying to grieve, and Ryan had to find some way to make it about him.” 

“Perhaps,” Hannibal dismissed. “Anyway, it was impossible to convince Ryan that not everybody is desperate to steal his boyfriend, but I made sure it was clear that you aren’t somebody to be messed with.” 

“Good. I just hope he got the message. How was your day otherwise? I’ve missed you.”

Hannibal blushed. Will clearly had no trouble believing that Hannibal would keep him safe. Not only that, but his words were downright sweet. 

“I’ve missed you too, Will,” he admitted with a bashful smile. “My day at work was rather dull before that. I found myself distracted by thoughts of you more than once.”

“Me too,” Will murmured back. “I dreamt about you last night. It was nice.”

Hannibal held his breath. What could this mean? Will’s dreams were rarely pleasant.

“It sort of got me thinking about Italy,” Will went on, and Hannibal’s heart skipped a beat. “I’d really like to go with you. These last few days have been some of the best of my life. I’ve never felt this way before about anybody, and I know I can’t let you go. You’re too special to me, Hannibal. So is Abigail. I don’t know what I’m waiting for. I guess I’m just scared that you’ll let me down again.”

It felt as though fate was laughing in Hannibal’s face. He desperately wanted to promise Will that he would never let him down again. Was it too late to warn Will about Ryan? Hannibal sighed deeply. 

 “I love you, Will, in a way that I’ve never loved anyone. Each day since our first kiss has felt like a beautiful dream. I wouldn’t give that up for the world.” 

He seemed to have said the right thing, for now. Will’s response was cheerful.

“Maybe I could come over again tomorrow. You have the day off, don’t you?”

“Of course. I would love to spend the day with you tomorrow.”

Hannibal could only hope that their plans would hold true the next day. After all, Ryan may not even strike tonight. Sure, he’d seemed rather eager, but he might have taken some time to prepare. Hannibal refocused his attention onto Will, who was preparing to say goodnight. It was rather sweet of him to make time to read Abigail’s book recommendation before bed, Hannibal thought.

“Enjoy your book, Will. I love you,” he murmured. “Take care of yourself.” 

“I love you, too. Goodnight, Hannibal.”

Hannibal squeezed his eyes shut. A horrible fear struck him that this could be his last time hearing Will’s voice. 

“Goodnight, my love.”

Hannibal hung up before he could say anything he might regret. He mentally listed his reasons for provoking Ryan; Will would understand them in time. Besides, any fears he was harboring of Ryan successfully killing Will simply weren’t based in reality. No doubt about it, Ryan was already a dead man walking. 

Nevertheless, Hannibal laid awake tossing and turning for hours after heading to bed. Around two in the morning, he gave up on his worries ever subsiding. He checked his phone once more for any notifications from Will. Nothing. Before he could stop himself, Hannibal called Will’s phone. It rang and rang, but there was no answer. He quickly followed up with a text message:

Are you awake? Call me when you can, please.

He laid his head back down and set his phone aside. If anything, Hannibal’s worries had just intensified. It was only a matter of time before he gave into the urge to call Will again. As the phone rang, he climbed out of bed and started to get dressed. The call went to voicemail, and again the time after that. Hannibal ran a comb through his hair, grabbed his keys, and made his way out the front door. 

Despite speeding for nearly the entire way, the drive to Will’s house felt longer than ever. The second Hannibal arrived and parked his car, he dashed up to the porch. Footprints in the snow led down the steps and towards the barn. Hannibal followed them at a brisk walk. The barn door was slightly ajar, and he shuddered to think of what he most dreaded finding behind it. When he pushed the door open, Hannibal’s eyes darted from the hanging corpse to Will’s motionless body on the ground. He was propped up against a wooden beam, but was he breathing?

Yes. A tidal wave of relief washed over Hannibal. He took Will’s pulse just to be sure. It was rather slow, and his skin was freezing cold. Hannibal stripped off his winter coat and laid it over Will’s body. There was an open knife wound on his left bicep, but the bleeding seemed to have subsided. Holding Will’s bloodied hands to warm them, Hannibal turned to gaze upon Ryan’s mutilated corpse. It hung from the ceiling of the barn, swaying slightly in the wind. He picked up Will’s flashlight and aimed it at the body. The pointed end of a blood-soaked crane hook stuck out of Ryan’s open jaw. Four total stab wounds, not counting the slashed throat. A smile tugged at Hannibal’s lips. 

It was magnificent. Stunningly beautiful. Hannibal had been worried for no reason at all; Will did exactly as he was meant to. He wanted to further examine Will’s work but was unwilling to disturb it. Setting the flashlight back down, Hannibal left a gentle kiss on Will’s forehead. It was best if he was gone when Will woke up. Hannibal made his way to the exit and shut the doors behind him. 

When Hannibal returned home, he was finally able to rest without being plagued by worry. He slept in even later than he normally would on a day off, but Will still hadn’t contacted him by the time he woke. Just a few minutes later, Hannibal’s phone rang. He took a deep breath to ease his nerves before answering Will’s call.

“Good morning, Will,” he greeted cheerfully.

“Fuck off,” Will snapped. “What the hell did you do?” 

“What’s the matter, dear? Did you get a bit carried away last night?” Hannibal taunted. 

“Shut the fuck up, Hannibal. You forced my hand.”

Will’s voice was ferocious, but not cold. Hannibal doubled down.

“I didn’t force you to enjoy it.” 

“Where the hell are you?” Will demanded.

“I’m at home. In bed.”

“Get your ass back over here right now.”

Hannibal scoffed.

“For what purpose?”

“To hide the fucking body, dumbass. It’s the least you could do after sending him to kill me.”

“I don’t hide bodies, Will.”

“You’re a fucking serial killer! I think you can figure something out,” Will shouted.

“Certainly,” Hannibal agreed. “Do you mind if I take that crane hook with me? I think Gerald should discover Ryan’s body exactly as intended, don’t you?”

Will’s voice dropped to a furious growl.

“Get over here right now. I’m not fucking asking.”

Will ended the call, and Hannibal sighed. He climbed out of bed and got ready to leave for Will’s house, again. This time around, however, required the supplies to hide a dead body. Before heading out, Hannibal went to the kitchen to check on Abigail. She looked up at him with a puzzled expression as he entered.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“To Will’s place. I should be back by the afternoon. Sorry, you’ll have to throw something together for breakfast.”

“Hold on, is that not where you went at two in the morning last night?”

“It is,” Hannibal admitted stiffly.

“So, why are you going back? Why didn’t you just stay over?” Abigail pressed.

Hannibal huffed quietly. 

“We’ve had a disagreement. I’m going over there to resolve it.” 

“What did you do?” Abigail demanded with accusing eyes.

“Nothing. I have to go, alright?”

Abigail rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t believe you, but whatever. Bye.”

Hannibal sighed.

“I’ll see you soon, Abigail.”

Hannibal couldn’t help but feel nervous as he walked up Will’s porch. There was no telling the extent of Will’s wrath until it had been unleashed. Hesitantly, Hannibal knocked on the door. As soon as it opened, Will Graham slapped him across the face. That’s when the shouting began. 

“You pathetic, lying, self-important ASSHOLE! You ruined everything! I cannot BELIEVE I actually started to trust you again. That’s my own goddamn fault. But you. I loved you, Hannibal, and you threw it away. I let you betray me again!”

Tears streamed down Will’s face, and Hannibal could hardly bear to watch. 

“Will, I–”

“Shut the fuck up when I’m talking to you,” Will snapped. “You’re dead to me. You told me you dealt with Ryan, that you made sure he knew not to mess with me. Tell me, Hannibal, what did you mean by that?”

Hannibal hesitated to make sure Will wasn’t about to start yelling again. 

“You don’t understand the things he was saying about you, Will. He–”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what he was saying about me! The guy was a fucking maniac!”

Hannibal took a deep breath.

“He told me that he went to your house again that night you stayed at my place. He was going to violate you, but you weren’t there. He had to die. I thought it best that you were the one to do it. I had no idea how right I would be. You’ve impressed me, Will.” 

Will’s lip curled in apparent disgust. 

“Ryan’s body is still in the barn. Get it into your trunk, I don’t care how. The code to the lock is 2742. We’ll dump the body together.”

With that, Will slammed the door in his face. Hannibal begrudgingly went back to his car to park it in front of the barn. Will’s words stung, and Hannibal knew he had meant them all except four: You’re dead to me. Somehow, those words still cut the deepest. Hannibal was disgusted with himself for jeopardizing his relationship with Will. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing him. In a way, he was relieved that Will had been so angry. Better hatred than indifference.

When he got the barn doors open, Ryan’s body was dangling just as he first discovered it. Hannibal carried his supplies inside and shut the doors behind him. He zipped his plastic suit over his clothes and got to work. Once he’d managed to lay the body on the ground, Hannibal knelt down to examine it. He ran a finger over each knife wound and lingered on the throat. This was Ryan’s fatal wound. Will had been ruthless. The vision of Will slashing Ryan’s throat excited Hannibal, but he had to focus. He took out his scalpel, opened a handheld cooler, and lifted Ryan’s shirt. Hannibal made a precise incision to open his abdomen. Just as he began removing a portion of the small intestine, the barn door creaked open behind him. Ice ran through Hannibal’s veins as he turned to look at Will, still hunched over the corpse.

“Did you need something?” he asked coolly.

Will’s facial expression was so full of disgust that Hannibal felt snakes writhing in his belly. 

“No. I didn’t,” Will muttered resentfully, and he stepped back out of the barn. 

Hannibal sighed and grit his teeth. He turned back to the dead body with tears forming in his eyes. Surely, it couldn’t hurt to take the heart, too.

Chapter Text

It was freezing cold when Will woke up in the barn. He looked down at the coat that was draped over his body and immediately recognized it as Hannibal’s. Teeth chattering, Will slowly got to his feet and looked around. 

“Hannibal?” he called out hoarsely. 

There was no answer. Will pulled on Hannibal’s jacket over his own, too cold to focus on how it had gotten there. He stumbled over to Ryan’s body and stared up at it. Hannibal had been here. He’d seen this. Will couldn’t help wondering if Hannibal had felt a sense of pride, perhaps similar to the one he himself had experienced before passing out in exhaustion. He recalled Hannibal’s role in the attack, and a pit opened up in his stomach. Hannibal was given an ultimatum, and he threw everything away. 

Will felt himself getting choked up at the idea of breaking up with Hannibal. He clenched a fist and winced at the resulting pain in his arm where Ryan had cut him. Gritting his teeth, Will stumbled to the doors. The broken padlock was still lying in the snow just outside. He yanked the door shut again; Ryan’s body couldn’t just stay out here unsecured. As Will dug around the barn for a replacement lock, the reality of the situation began to set in. He narrowed his options down to three: hide the body, make Hannibal deal with it, or call Jack Crawford. Looking back at the hooked jaw of the hanging corpse, maybe just two options. 

Once he found another padlock, Will secured the doors and hurried towards his porch. The sun had only just begun to rise, but there was no time to waste shuffling through the snow covered head to toe in blood. He shut himself inside and locked the door behind him. Several of his dogs ran up to sniff him, and Will shouted at them to get back. He stripped off his clothes down to his underwear and threw them in the fireplace. Once he got the flames going, Will went straight to the shower. He didn’t realize he’d still been shaking from the cold until he stepped under the warm water.

Accompanied by burning pain in his arm and head, Will scrubbed the blood from his hair and skin for what felt like hours. After the last of it disappeared from the beds of his fingernails, he dried himself off and got dressed. His head was throbbing with pain now, so Will went to the kitchen and chugged two glasses of water. As he sat down with a third, his own words to Hannibal rang in his head: Show me that the best of you is good enough for me to ignore the bad.

Hannibal wasn’t trying to hide his darkness at all. Instead, he was shoving it down Will’s throat. Their phone call last night had given Hannibal every opportunity to take back his betrayal, but he chose not to. Hannibal’s priorities were obvious. Even so, Will had missed every sign that something was up with him when they last spoke. Will certainly wasn’t blameless. How could he have trusted Hannibal so blindly, after everything? What the hell had he really expected to happen?

He heard footsteps coming up the porch, and the dogs all started barking at once. Will jumped to his feet, his heart pounding. Was it Hannibal? No, it couldn’t be. The knock on the door was soft and hesitant. Will took a deep, shaky breath and opened the door. The presence of the man on his porch left Will with far more questions than answers. 

“...Gerald? What are you doing here?”

Will’s eyes darted to the barn and back to the man standing before him. Somehow, Gerald looked equally surprised to see Will. 

“I, uh…  Sorry, I know this must seem strange. I’m just looking for Ryan.”

Will opened the screen door to get a better look at him. 

“And you thought he would be here?” Will asked with increasing suspicion. “How do you even know where I live?”

“I didn’t. I just… I followed him here one night, and then, just now, I found his car… um, a mile or so up the way.”

Will’s muscles tensed. 

“Hm. Maybe you should come inside.”

Gerald appeared skeptical as Will pulled the door wide to let him in. After a moment’s hesitation, he gave a wary nod and stepped through the threshold. Will closed the door. 

“Why were you following Ryan that night?” he asked, gesturing to an open chair.

Gerald sat down nervously. 

“I had become suspicious of him, I suppose.”

Will sat down across from him.

“How so?”

“I, uh… I guess I started to think he wasn’t the man I thought he was. It seemed like he might be lying to me.”

Will raised an eyebrow. 

“What do you mean? Lying about what?”

Gerald seemed reluctant to elaborate, but he carefully chose his words. 

“It’s hard to explain,” he muttered. “My father died recently. The police say he was murdered, so I’ve naturally been feeling a tad paranoid. I had started to suspect that Ryan might know something about my father’s death.” 

Will’s brow furrowed.

“How did your father die?” 

Gerald looked away with a heavy sigh. 

“He was injected with a paralytic in his home," he recited.

Will nodded gravely as his stomach twisted into a knot. He wondered how many people Ryan had killed in his lifetime. 

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I don’t need your condolences,” Gerald mumbled. “I just need to know what happened to him.”

Will took a deep breath.

“I don’t know what happened to your father. But if you think Ryan killed him, you should trust your gut.”

“Do you know where Ryan is?” urged Gerald.

Will stiffened. 

“Why are you looking for him? Go straight to the police. If he killed your father, that’s not something you can just confront him about.”

Gerald huffed impatiently. 

“I know. I’ll go to the police. I just want to know where he is. It’s not like him to ignore my calls. He was here, wasn’t he?”

Will clenched his jaw and looked at the floor.

“He was.”

Gerald seemed to grow more frustrated when Will didn’t elaborate.

“So then where is he now?” he persisted.

Will dug his fingernails into his palm.

“Ryan attacked me last night. He tried to take my life.” 

Gerald gasped.

“What? Why?” 

Reluctantly, Will met Gerald’s eyes.

“Because Hannibal suggested it.”

“His psychiatrist? What are you talking about?” 

Gerald was becoming increasingly agitated, and panic was rising in his voice.

“Yes, his psychiatrist,” Will explained calmly. “Hannibal told Ryan that you and I hooked up. Ryan confronted me about it, of course, so I told him to fuck off. He didn’t like that, and I suppose Hannibal decided to take advantage.” 

Gerald looked downright horrified. 

“So, he sent Ryan to kill you? Why?”

“It’s… complicated.”

“It’s complicated? Will, where is Ryan?” Gerald demanded.

“He’s dead.”

Gerald let out a shaky breath. 

“You killed him?” he gasped. 

“Yes. I had to. He was trying to kill me,” Will told him firmly. 

He lifted his left shirt sleeve to reveal a layer of bloody gauze.

“He knocked me to the ground and cut me with a knife. He was a psychopath, Gerald. He died because Hannibal wanted me to kill him. He forced my hand, and so did Ryan.”

Gerald gaped at him in horror. 

“Listen to me,” Will continued. “I’m a former FBI agent, and I’ve been working with the head of the Behavioral Science Unit to apprehend Hannibal Lecter. He’s a high-profile serial killer who has been evading the FBI for years. I’ve been undercover on this for weeks, but we haven’t found the evidence we need yet. I need you to stay away from this, okay?” 

Gerald nodded slowly, his eyes wide.

“Okay, fine. I just want to tell the FBI what I know about Ryan.”

Gerald’s eyes shifted, waiting for a reaction. Will relaxed his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.

“Whoever the head detective on your dad’s case is, that’s who you’ll want to talk to. Just, please, do not mention anything about Hannibal Lecter. If he even begins to suspect that he’s being investigated, a lot of people could die. For that reason, this case is extremely confidential. Keep anything I just told you out of your statement. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I do,” Gerald agreed, still pale with shock. “You’re going to catch him, right? You and the FBI?”

Will nodded and forced an encouraging smile.

“Yes. I’ve been working with the Behavioral Science Unit on this case for months. It wasn’t long before I realized it was Lecter we were after, but he is extremely good at covering his tracks. I promise you, Gerald, this investigation could not be in better hands.”

Gerald took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes.

“Thank you for telling me, Will. I… I should have listened to you at the opera that night. Maybe he… I don’t know. Maybe my father would still be alive.”

Will’s eyebrows scrunched up into a frown.

“Gerald, there was nothing you could have done. I’m sorry for what happened to your father, but it wasn’t your fault. Ryan was a monster. Hannibal is, too. I didn’t see it at first, either. Not until it was much too late. I’m still trying to pick up all the pieces.”

Gerald sniffled and wiped away a tear. 

“Thank you, Will,” he murmured. “That’s very kind. God bless you.”

He gave Will a weak smile and stood up, wringing his hands. Will followed him to the door and showed him out. 

“Look after yourself,” he told Gerald in a low voice. “I’m so sorry that you got pulled into all of this.”

“You as well. Good luck catching your monster, Will. I’ll pray for you.” 

Will nodded stiffly. 

“Thank you. Drive safe.” 

It wasn’t until Gerald reached his car at the top of the hill that Will allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. There was no time to dwell on the unfortunate fact that not twelve hours had passed since Ryan’s death, and Will was already relying on the word of a stranger to keep it under wraps. First, he had to dispose of the body before anyone else came near the barn. Will rushed to his bedroom to retrieve his cell phone. The screen revealed three missed calls and a text from Hannibal, sent at 2:14am:

Are you awake? Call me when you can, please.

Will scoffed in disbelief. Too little, too late. He dialed Hannibal’s phone anyway. His greeting to Will was excruciatingly cheerful.

“Good morning, Will.”

“Fuck off,” Will snapped. “What the hell did you do?” 

“What’s the matter, dear?” Hannibal taunted. “Did you get a bit carried away last night?”

Will’s chest filled with red-hot anger. He grit his teeth.

“Shut the fuck up, Hannibal. You forced my hand.”

“I didn’t force you to enjoy it.” 

Will clenched a fist, trying desperately not to let Hannibal under his skin.

“Where the hell are you?” he demanded.

“I’m at home. In bed,” answered Hannibal.

“Get your ass back over here right now.” 

Hannibal scoffed.

“For what purpose?”

“To hide the fucking body, dumbass,” Will snarled. “It’s the least you could do after sending him to kill me.”