Chapter Text
Will grumbled when he saw the vacant building. He had been prepared to enter his favorite café with baristas who knew his order by memory but unfortunately, it was permanently closed. He pulled out his phone and typed in coffee places near me.
Several ones popped up. He scrolled quickly, trying to find a place with decent reviews. Secretly, he was mourning the fact that his daily routine was screwed up and he probably wasn’t going to have coffee as well made as his former spot. His thumb hovered over one named Savoureux. Will furrowed his eyebrows. What kind of name was that? But, that wasn’t what stuck out to him like a sore thumb. It was the distance.
0.5 miles from the FBI building.
Will walked back towards his car and unlocked it with the click of a key. He got into the driver’s seat and closed the door. He swiftly put his seatbelt on and clicked Directions on his phone screen. He turned his head as he reversed out of the parking spot and now, he was on his way to uncharted territory within the heart of Washington D.C.
Will stepped out of the car. He double clicked the key to ensure that it was actually locked. There had been several robbery incidents in the city lately and Will didn’t want to become their next victim. He glanced up at the blue sign, which read the name of the café. One of the first things that Will noticed upon arrival was the Now Hiring sign that was plastered onto the window. Big, red letters surely would get someone’s attention.
There were a few tables outside decorated with succulents since there was hardly any room for real plants. Everything was color coordinated from the umbrella to the jars. Whoever decorated the exterior of the café deserved some credit because it was done beautifully.
Will took one final breath then stepped forward. He opened the door and a bell jingled in his left ear. He had assumed that the place was newly opened based on a lack of ratings or reviews. He was praying to whatever God was out there that his coffee would be decently made and if not… he would just find another place tomorrow.
However, there was some hope based on the amount of people. The café was packed with customers. Some were sitting at round tables with a device of some kind while others were grabbing their drink in a rush. Will was most likely going to be the second option, he only had 30 minutes before his first lecture of the day started.
As Will waited in line, he observed the scenery. Decorations were pretty similar to the ones outside but he noted the paintings that hung around the room. Most of them appeared to be ones that were drawn hundreds of years ago. Ah, so the owner had an eye for creativity.
There were various options for sitting, including a blue couch with a few occupants. There was also a chalkboard sign that read Welcome! Make yourself at home :) above the counter. The line inched closer and Will inhaled a scent of freshly brewed coffee.
Maybe this place wouldn’t be half bad.
Will was finally next in line. He tapped his foot against the floor impatiently, checking his watch. If he was late for his own class, it would look bad.
The person in front of him took her sweet time and he groaned internally. He shot her an annoyed look from behind then glanced up at the menu. There were so many types of coffee Will could hardly keep track. His eye caught one that seemed strong with a hint of sweetness. He looked back down then at the glass containers that contained different types of pastries. Homemade cookies, scones, croissants, muffins… if Will wasn’t in such a rush, he would have a field day.
Will must’ve zoned out temporarily because he heard someone say “Next customer, please.” He walked forward and met eyes with an impressionable older man standing behind the counter. Will could sense from his energy alone that he wasn’t the average barista at this place. He must have a higher position.
“Sir?”
Will shook his train of thought away and cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. I’ll get a…” he stepped back to examine the menu for a second, “cappuccino.”
The unknown man tapped the screen and said in a thick accent Will didn’t recognize, “Is whole milk okay or would you like an alternative?”
“Whole milk is fine.”
“Anything else?”
“Nope, that’s it.”
“Name?”
“Will.”
“Your total is 5.90. Cash or card?”
Will fumbled as he pulled out his debit card. The other man peered curiously, waiting for a reply. “Card,” Will said. He inserted it into the machine and quickly input his PIN number when prompted. The little screen said Approved with a checkmark and Will redirected his attention. A receipt printed out on the other side of the counter. The unknown man ripped the receipt and handed it to Will, who took it.
“Your order will be ready shortly.”
Will nodded. He tried reading the nametag on his shirt but he was unable to see it clearly from this distance. Not wanting to hold up the line, he moved to the other side of the café and waited for his order.
It seemed like there were two other people ahead of him. He checked his watch. 15 minutes remaining until his first class started. He rubbed his eyes and when he opened them, he noticed that one person had already picked up their drink.
A few minutes passed and his name was called out. The same man from earlier began to walk away, preparing the next order. For some reason, Will was very determined to know the blonde-haired man’s name. He rarely took interest in people, including those he had known for a long time.
To bait him, Will said, “Excuse me?” within hearing distance.
The older man walked back to the counter and replied, “Yes?”
“Could I have a straw?” Quickly, he studied the nametag. It read Hannibal.
What an odd name. He must be European or something… definitely was not from the U.S.
“Certainly.” Hannibal bent down partially to search for one. Moments later, he popped back up and handed Will the plastic object. Hannibal glanced at the name written on the cup in Will’s hand and added, “Lovely name, by the way. I hope you have a wonderful day.” He gave Will a small smile and winked.
Will blushed slightly and replied, “Thanks, you too.”
He swiveled around and bumped into the person behind him, nearly spilling the drink. Will muttered, “Oops, sorry” and strode much quicker than his usual pace.
When Will got back into the car, he let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding this whole time. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the seat. He took a moment to compose himself then once it passed, he put the key in the ignition and drove to work.
Even though it had been hours since Will went to the new coffee shop, he couldn't help but sneak a glance at the empty cup sitting on the desk whenever he had an opportunity to do so.
There was no reason to keep it. After all, today was not his last time going to that café. The coffee was… magnificent. Will usually didn’t care much about specifics when it came to coffee. He just needed something that was strong enough to keep him awake and motivated throughout the day. However, the way this coffee was made felt like it was just for him in a sense. Will knew that sounded stupid yet the flavors were exactly to his taste.
The opening of a door snapped Will out of his thoughts. Beverly walked in and hovered over Will’s desk, observing him. Will blinked nervously. He hated being psychoanalyzed and currently, he was not in the mood to have her read his thoughts.
“Hi, Will.”
“Hey, Beverly. Is something up? You usually don’t come in here unless Jack drags you along with Alana and some of the others.”
“Actually, yes. I have a new case. Would you mind taking a look?” She placed a file on Will’s desk, accidentally knocking over the cup. Will propped it back up on the smooth surface and Beverly raised a brow but didn’t say anything. “This one is harder to crack, the perpetrator isn’t giving us much. Everyone on the team agreed that we should get a second opinion on this.”
Will glanced at the file then looked back up. He read in between the lines of Beverly’s words. “Bev, you know I don’t do field work anymore. Remember why I went back to teaching?”
“Yes, I’m well aware. I’m not asking you to empathize with the killer. Just… see if anything sticks out to you about this case. Alright?”
“Yeah, sure,” Will replied in a slightly exasperated manner. He gave her a tiny smile, one that would be satisfying to the average person. She gave a thumbs up then pushed herself off the desk and left the room.
Will’s smile dropped and his shoulders slackened. He contemplated stuffing the file into a drawer. But, he decided against that. It wouldn’t hurt to look at the case file, right?
He grabbed the file and opened it. Crime scene investigation photos were the first thing he saw. He picked up one of the photos and studied it.
Now, Will understood why Beverly asked for his advice. This was truly unlike anything he had seen before. The victim’s body was so mutilated to the point that he was unable to recognize it. The other photo was evidence left at the crime scene. But, there was something odd… almost as if the weapon was purposely planted. Was this done to throw off investigators?
He read the report from other agents and those who were at the crime scene. Will couldn’t tell exactly what it was about this case but this didn’t seem like any ordinary killer. This was a calculated person. Someone who fits into society. An organized killer, perhaps?
Will checked his watch and shit, he lost track of time. If he didn’t leave soon, he would be stuck in a bunch of traffic within the city. He collected the documents and placed them back in the file. He stood up and grabbed his bag, putting the file in there. Once again, his eyes landed on the empty cup. He bit his lip momentarily and deliberated whether he should just throw the damn thing away or not. He might as well as take it, no point in losing his mind over such an idiotic thing.
He grabbed the cup and his thumb grazed over his name written in Hannibal’s handwriting. It was pretty decent. The loops in cursive were meticulously done and it almost seemed like Hannibal was going to put a heart at the end of Will’s name but decided against it.
Will cleaned off the coffee stain from the lid and placed it carefully inside his bag, ensuring it wouldn’t get crushed by his computer or students’ tests that he needed to grade. He slung the bag over his shoulder and left the classroom, locking the door behind him.
After over an hour and a half of sitting in traffic, Will was finally home. He grabbed his bag from the passenger’s seat and got out of the car, closing the door. When he walked in, he was greeted by his dogs. He bent down to scratch at Winston’s head.
“Hey there, buddy,” he said with a smile. He petted some of the other dogs briefly then brushed himself off and put his bag down on the couch. He pulled out his phone and saw a text message from Jack in the notification center.
Did you have a chance to look at the file yet? No pressure.
Will scoffed. Of course. He had a feeling that wasn’t fully Beverly’s idea. He ignored it and shut off the screen. He put his bag down on the nearest couch then stretched and rolled his wrists, releasing the tension that had been there for the majority of the day.
He glanced at his kitchen, wondering what he was going to cook tonight. It would probably be a simpler meal since he was in desperate need of a grocery trip.
A sharp bark cut off Will’s lingering thoughts. He stared curiously at one of the dogs, who was watching the door with a guarded expression. Was there an intruder?
Will crept towards the front door, his eyes darted to the gun that he kept behind his bookshelf. With a turn of the doorknob, Will opened it and poked his head out. He searched for a sign of an intruder but didn’t see anything. He closed the door and gave the dogs an amused chuckle. Some of the dogs stared at him with a tilt of their heads. The one that had barked remained frozen for a moment or two then gave up and trotted back towards a dog bed.
Will walked back towards the kitchen area and grabbed a box of pasta along with an alfredo pesto sauce in the fridge. He was starkly reminded of his college days where he survived purely on microwaved meals, pasta, and ramen.
Why was he so nostalgic tonight? It was unlike him to be this way. He boiled water in a pot then walked back to where he had placed his bag and shuffled through it, discarding pieces of trash or papers that had been stuffed in there.
When he took out a stack of papers for grading, the cup from earlier that day tumbled out. Despite holding multiple objects at once, Will was somehow able to catch it. He made his way towards the kitchen and opened the trash can to throw away stuff he didn’t need. His hand hovered to throw away the coffee cup from the café but then pulled away from the trash can. He walked to the other side and opened a kitchen cabinet. He put it behind the glass cups.
What the hell was he doing, seriously? There was nothing significant about this cup. It’s not like there was a lipstick stain on the lid or anything of the sort. Will could admit that the man who had made his coffee was quite attractive but he was well aware that he wasn’t the only one who would make Will’s coffee when he went back there. There were tons of other employees for Christ’s sake!
To distract himself from thinking about Hannibal any longer, he checked on the water. Now, it was boiling so Will added the pasta and set a timer on his phone. In the meantime, he cleaned up the small mess that he had left this morning. Usually, Will was pretty consistent when it came to keeping his house tidy.
His thoughts wandered to the case he read about earlier. Could this be the Chesapeake Ripper? Perhaps. But, he didn’t mutilate the bodies in that way. It may be a new copycat killer, someone who was inspired by the Chesapeake Ripper’s work.
News reporters annoyed him greatly because whenever they heard a tiny word about a case, it was suddenly the biggest headliner for the week. The media never let him do his work in peace whenever he was on the field before, especially Freddie Lounds.
If Freddie knew about this recent case, she would have a field day. Will was reminded of the fact that he was cooking pasta when he heard an annoyingly loud ringer going off by the stove. He walked back over and checked the pasta. It was thoroughly cooked. He opened another cabinet near his head and blindly searched for the drainer. When he made sure the other dishes wouldn’t fall out, he carefully pulled it out of the second shelf and used it to drain the water from the pasta. He placed the pasta back in the pot and added the sauce along with some seasoning.
He sat down at the dining table and ate his food. The only sounds that could be heard were paws pattering against the floor and the hum of the air conditioning. He dreaded having to grade so many papers but that’s what he got for procrastinating on them so long. He understood all too well the feeling of doing a test and not getting results back for weeks on end. He didn’t want his students to wait any longer so he told himself earlier in the day that he would do it tonight.
After dinner, Will handwashed his dishes then placed them on a mat to dry. In the meantime, he was going to actually get some work done.
Will walked over and grabbed the stack of papers and his computer, which was sitting on the couch. He went into his office room and placed both items on the table. He grabbed a red pen and began grading tests.
As the clock ticked by, Will found it harder and harder to focus on his task. He managed to get a handful of papers graded but every once in a while, his mind would drift to Hannibal. He couldn’t get the man out of his head, literally.
He groaned in frustration and pushed the papers back. At this rate, he wasn’t going to get any more work done for the night.
Fuck it. He usually wouldn’t do this, especially not for someone he just met, but… he needed to find Hannibal on social media in some way.
Will reached for his computer and logged in. His tabs from the previous night opened and he was hit with a beam of blue light. His eyes squinted and he lowered the dimness to a comfortable level.
He added a new tab and logged into his Instagram account. He switched to his burner account that he used to search up people from his college days or those he didn’t want to interact with on his regular account. It was something like user7362930, he didn’t care about the burner account enough to come up with a creative username.
Will searched up the name Hannibal and… no results. Will furrowed his eyebrows, trying to think of any possibilities. He tried combinations that included periods and underscores but still nothing.
He glanced at the clock in the bottom right corner of his screen, which read 9:48 pm.
It was best to stop for the night and just try interacting with Hannibal tomorrow morning instead. However, he was insistent on finding some speck of a social media presence.
Another thought crossed Will’s mind. It was very possible that Hannibal didn’t have any form of social media. He knew tons of people who didn’t (most notably Jack, who barely knew how to use his phone half of the time).
If that was true, Will would be partially screwed. How the hell was he supposed to know what this man was like if he can’t even find him on social media?
Maybe Facebook would give him some answers.
Will logged into his regular Facebook account (he was too lazy to create a burner account for this social media platform) and searched up Hannibal once again. This time, it seemed as though he would have some luck.
He clicked on the first profile and the message The link you have clicked on is broken or private popped up. Will breathed out through his nose harshly.
Tonight, he would have to put it to rest. However, that didn’t mean that this would be the end of it. He would do whatever he could if it meant finding even a smidge of Hannibal’s social media.
He closed the computer and went back into the living room. His dogs sat in their respective beds. Some were asleep and others were perked up, watching their owner.
Will approached them and rubbed their heads lovingly. He gave them a small, genuine smile then got ready for bed.
As he grabbed a blanket, he thought about Hannibal. He wondered what the man was like outside of the café. He closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep. After about 20 minutes, he finally was able to.