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Freddie had outlived her usefulness. Though the FBI found use for her from time to time and Hannibal did enjoy her Ripper articles, her newest line of questioning threatened to interrupt Will’s Becoming. She was sniffing too close to Hannibal and dear Will, like a truffle pig.

After everything she had done to him, Hannibal thought about calling Will. Maybe they could take care of her together. Were they there yet? Hannibal wasn’t sure. After his dinner with Will and Alana, Hannibal’s mind was made up. He would take care of her and then invite Will for dinner.

The next day, Hannibal works his way into Freddie’s extended stay hotel room while she is out for an interview. He did not know who she was meeting with, but no matter. He puts on his plastic suit, gloves, and shoe covers and waits in the chair next to her bed. With his hands clasped together around his crossed legs, he escapes into his memory palace while he waits for Freddie to return.

His relationship with Will has changed so much in the last couple of weeks. Ever since Will pointed his gun to Clark Ingram’s head and pulled the trigger. The chrysalis had finally fallen away and the magnificent creature that emerged took Hannibal’s breath away. When Hannibal watched Clark tear himself out of the horse’s belly, he could barely contain his excitement. He heard Will behind him and moved out of his way, basking in the glorious darkness pouring out of Will. Part of Hannibal regretted stopping the hammer from discharging the bullet. Maybe they could track Clark down later, once Will had time to think about it and want Clark’s end for himself not just for Peter. If he still wanted the man to pay, maybe they could do it together. He had just the recipe they could try.

After a while, Hannibal looks at his watch. Freddie should have returned by now. Hannibal’s phone vibrates and he takes it out of his pocket. It is Jack Crawford. He lets the call go to voicemail, but gets a text alert. I need you in my office please. Followed by another immediately after. Now. Well, he may as well head that way. He could always come to call on Freddie later.

***

Freddie’s screams fill Jack Crawford’s office coming from his cell phone. Hannibal looks around the room. Alana is staring daggers into the back of Will’s head. Will is somewhere else. He is looking at the phone, but Hannibal can tell he is thinking of something else. Reliving some other memory perhaps. Could he have…

The more Jack talks about the circumstances, the more it is obvious to Hannibal that Will killed Freddie. Hannibal fights back a smile at Will’s lies and half truths. “I live in the middle of nowhere, Jack. If someone wanted to take her, it would be a good place to do it.” Indeed, Hannibal thought.

As they walk out of the office Will catches up to Hannibal. “I know I run the risk of coming off as rude by inviting myself, but can I come to your place for dinner tonight? I will bring the ingredients. We can make it together.” Will makes eye contact with Hannibal like he wants to convey something more with his chosen words. Hannibal tilts his head to the side, assessing Will.

“Not rude at all, Will. I have told you before. You are always welcome. Do I need to pick anything up from the market on my way home? What will we be preparing?” Hannibal says, trying to see through Will’s mask.

“No. I will bring everything, and weren’t you the one that told me never to ask. It ruins the surprise.” Will walks past Hannibal, trailing his hand along Hannibal’s arm as he passes.

***

Slim and delicate pig indeed Hannibal thinks as the first bite of meat hits his tongue. He closes his eyes savoring the moment. After some coded back and forth about the origins of the meal, Hannibal knows Will undeniably killed Freddie and brought her meat to Hannibal’s kitchen for them to cook together. Hannibal felt, honored? That wasn’t quite the right word. Touched was closer.

After a few more bites, Will looks troubled and turns to his wine going on about influences, good and evil, and behaviorism. Hannibal hears this for what it is, “I did this for me. Not because of you.” Will’s sense of morality is the last thing standing in the way of his true Becoming. Hannibal isn’t worried if Will thinks he is evil. He knows the truth. There is no good and evil.

***

After dinner, Will helps Hannibal clear the table. Hannibal is filling the sink with water, his back to Will as he says, “At least Freddie had a very good reason for keeping me waiting.” Hannibal hears Will fumble with the cutlery he is gathering.

Will clears his throat trying to cover the sound of the forks falling back to the counter. “Did you have an appointment with her?” Will asks, the muscle in his jaw tightening, not sure if he is still speaking in their code or not. He picks up the cutlery and walks over to the sink to put them in the dishwater Hannibal is preparing.

“Nothing official, of course, but I did break out a special suit for our meeting.” Hannibal looks over at Will who is now at his side, putting dishes into the soapy water. “Didn’t you find it odd I already had a recipe ready to try?” His eyebrow cocks slightly as Will meets his eyes.

“You always have a recipe ready,” Will smirks placing more dishes in the water. Will reaches over to the faucet to turn the water off just as Hannibal does the same, their fingers brushing. Hannibal turns his whole body to face Will now. Waiting to speak until Will meets his penetrating stare.

“You don’t have to hide, Will.”

“I’m not.” Will bristles at Hannibal’s words.

“Yes. You are. Don’t hide behind sarcasm and musings on good and evil. Don’t retreat. Stay here with me.” Hannibal reaches towards Will’s hand on the counter. A smile tugging at his lips when Will doesn’t pull away. Hannibal puts his hand on Will’s and closes his fingers around the man’s hand.

“We have already had this conversation. Where else would I go? You have seen to it that I don’t have other options.” Will drops his eyes to their intertwined hands, fighting the urge to squeeze the other man’s hand. He has so many thoughts and emotions swirling around his head and he was having a hard time identifying which were his and which were from Hannibal. Many were the same.

“You are strong, Will. You decide what influences to follow and what actions you take. I wish you wouldn’t build the walls back up to protect yourself and what you are Becoming from the rest of the world or vice versa, but if you insist on them, I only ask that you allow me entrance.” Hannibal raises his other hand to Will’s face, placing his thumb on his cheek and running it along his cheekbone as his fingers wrap around to feel the softness of his curls. “That is, as long as you want me there.”

Will found himself leaning into the touch and closing his eyes. He didn’t remember the last time he was touched like this. He did not count his kiss with Alana all those months ago. That was more akin to teenagers fumbling at a movie theatre. There was so much harshness in Will’s life from the murder scenes he helped investigate, the never ending nightmares, to the clinical fascination his coworkers looked at him with. Hannibal’s hand was warm. The small movement of his thumb sweeping across his cheekbone felt welcoming.

When Will finally opens his eyes, Hannibal was still looking at him and his face held the same pride and adoration it had when Will pointed his gun at Clark Ingram with the intent on ending his life.

“I will always want you there,” Will says so quietly Hannibal wasn’t sure he heard him right at first. Will squeezes their intertwined hands still on the counter, moving his eyes back down to their hands. It was easier to talk about his feelings when he wasn’t looking at Hannibal. That way he could tell the feelings were his and not what he was seeing mirrored in the man’s eyes. “Even when I thought I hated you. Even when I thought I wanted you dead. I still wanted it to be by my hand. I still wanted you there. And now, when I no longer want you dead, when I feel like I am simultaneously flying apart and falling into place I still want you. Here.” Will disentangles his hand from Hannibal’s only to raise it to the one on his face, stilling Hannibal’s fingers and looking into his eyes. “With me.”

Hannibal tries to control the expression on his face. He tries to stop the grin that threatens to pull at his lips as he hears part of what he has wanted from Will. He warns the other man by locking eyes with him as he moves forward, giving the man time to back away if he does not want this. He hesitates, inches from Will’s mouth. They are sharing a breath now. Will’s eyelids flutter closed as he drops his hand from Hannibal’s hand that is still on his face. Hannibal takes it as permission and pulls him closer and presses his lips to Will’s.

Will sighs into Hannibal as if he had been in pain and that pain had finally ceased. Will’s lips part under Hannibal’s, using his tongue to run across the man’s bottom lip, tasting him. He tastes of ginger, warmth, and raw animalistic power. Hannibal’s breath catches at the feel of Will’s tongue and a growl rumbles in his chest. The sound like an electrical current through Will’s body, reminding him of his own hands. He places them on Hannibal’s lower back, moving upward to feel the muscles of his back and shoulders coil like a tiger’s as Hannibal wraps his arms around Will, pulls him closer, and then picks him up to set him on the counter not breaking their kiss. Will spreads his legs so Hannibal can position himself between them. Hannibal runs a hand through Will’s hair starting at the nape of his neck, lacing his fingers through the curls, and then tugs, forcing Will to look up at the ceiling. He moves his mouth to Will’s throat, running his tongue from the hollow of his throat, over his Adam’s apple, and stopping when he hits the stubble at his jaw. He closes his eyes, savoring the taste and the vibrations he feels from the moans that escape Will’s lips as he inhales the scent at Will’s neck.

Hand still in his hair, Hannibal brings Will’s face back to his crushing their lips together. Will slides his hands down Hannibal’s chest, clawing at the fabric. “I want to see you,” Will manages to say against Hannibal’s lips. His fingers make light work of the button’s on Hannibal’s jacket and waistcoat sliding them from the man’s shoulders. Then he loosens the tie as Hannibal finishes unbuttoning his shirt. They break the kiss just long enough for Will to remove it and toss it to the floor as Hannibal’s lips have moved back down to Will’s neck, sucking on his pulse point hard enough to leave a mark.

Will looks down at the exposed skin of Hannibal’s back and shoulders. He runs one hand over the curved muscles covering his shoulders, digging his nails into his back eliciting a moan from the doctor. His other hand is in Hannibal’s hair, holding the man against his neck.

After a moment, Will pulls away slightly to run his hands over Hannibal’s chest. His eyes draw to a particularly large scar and he runs his fingertips delicately over it as if it is a fresh wound instead of a decades old scar. He feels Hannibal’s eyes on him as the man’s breath heaves from his chest, ragged with lust. “Who hurt you, Hannibal?” Will asks as he leans down to plant a soft kiss over the scar. Hannibal closes his eyes and tips his head back at the touch of Will’s lips and the sound of the man finally using his first name instead of his surname or doctor. This gesture feels intimate in its own way. Another part of the walls between them falling away.

“That was long ago and a story for another time. Since then, I have not allowed many to get close enough to hurt me again.” Hannibal places a finger under Will’s chin drawing his eyes back to his. “However, I have made a few exceptions.” Hannibal places a gentle kiss to Will’s lips. Will deepens the kiss and tangles his hands in the other man’s hair, pulling him closer. Will tightens his thighs around Hannibal as he unbuttons Will’s dress shirt, removes it, and pulls the undershirt over his head. Will pulls him closer, moaning at the feel of skin on skin. Hannibal runs a hand over the scars on Will’s right shoulder starting with the stab wound from when he was a homicide detective and then the bullet wound from Uncle Jack. He kisses down Will’s neck and runs his tongue over the scars eliciting another delicious moan from Will.

Hannibal pulls away again, chuckling quietly at the exaggerated groan from Will. “Do you wish to accompany me upstairs, where we can be more comfortable?” Will knows from the look on Hannibal’s face that it is his choice. They could stop now, if he wishes. Hannibal seems to be trying to leave the choice open and without pressure, influence, or manipulation. While he appreciates the offer, there is no way he is leaving now.

“Let’s go,” Will says sliding off the counter. Hannibal has not moved and Will’s quick action leaves him pressed so close to the man he can feel his hardness through his slacks. Will turns towards the stairs to lead the man upstairs, but then realizes that, even though he has been to the doctor’s house many times, he has never been upstairs, let alone the master bedroom. “Lead the way,” Will says grinning up at the other man. Hannibal grabs Will’s hand, places a quick kiss the the back of it, and leads him up the stairs and to the main corridor. He pulls him back in for a kiss as they make their way down the hallway, toeing out of their shoes as they go.

Hannibal reaches behind Will to open the door of his bedroom. There is already a fire roaring in the fireplace and, though the house is in the middle of the city, the sound of the crackling fire makes Will feel more at home. Some of the tension in his shoulders loosens. Now that they are in the room, Will turns them around, tugging at Hannibal’s belt as he continues to walk him towards the bed. Hannibal reaches for Will’s belt as well and by the time Hannibal’s legs have hit the mattress, they are bare. Taking a brief moment for them both to completely remove the rest of their clothing, Hannibal crawls backwards onto the bed pulling Will with him.

They moan into each other’s mouths as Will is brought down flush against Hannibal, their erections grinding against each other. “I need you inside of me. Now,” Will growls against Hannibal’s lips, punctuating the demand by grinding against the man beneath him again.

“Will,” Hannibal says breathlessly. “Without proper preparation, I could hurt you. Are you sure?”

“I want it to hurt.” Will says, voice lower than normal with desire. He leans up to trace the curve of the man’s throat with his tongue and biting the juncture of his shoulder and neck with enough force that he breaks skin. A few trickles of blood drip from the wound and Will laps them up. “Get behind me. I want to feel you everywhere.”

Hannibal shifts enough that he can flip Will onto his stomach. He pushes him down until his body is flat to the bed, pinning him there with most of his weight. He leans down until his chest is flush to Will’s back and his hand tangles in his hair. His lips brush against Will’s ear as he says, “Dear, Will. I daresay you will feel me everywhere for days to come.” He runs his nose down Will’s neck, scenting him and then returning the favor by biting the man in the same spot he’d just been bitten, reveling in the muffled sounds of Will’s moans into the pillow. “What was that?” Hannibal says cheekily as he moves back, placing his knees on either side of Will’s body, pulling Will to all fours by his hair.

“More,” Will turns his heads as best as he can to look Hannibal in the eye. The ocean blue in his eyes all but gone to his lust blown pupils. He is beautiful. Closer to the confident killer he tries to hide than Hannibal has ever seen him before. Hannibal leans over to the bedside table for a small black bottle of lube. He pours some into his hand and strokes himself a few times to make sure he is completely covered in it.

He places the tip of his length at Will’s entrance, sliding the hand from Will’s hair down his back, feeling the shiver of anticipation. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Will all but growls. His body feels like a live wire from all the actions of the night and the dance they have done around each other since the moment Will wouldn’t meet Hannibal’s eyes in Jack’s office.

“Big breath for me, Will.” As Will takes the breath, Hannibal slide his tip past the first bit of resistance, giving the other man a moment before he pushes farther, still trying to take this part slowly.

Will is shaking. Hannibal can feel the small tremors through his body. “More. Please, Hannibal.” He gasps. At the sound of the man’s pleas, Hannibal can no longer resist and, moving his hands to the man’s hips, thrusts the rest of his length into Will until he is fully sheathed letting out a moan of his own at the tight warmth. The throaty moan that escapes Will brings a smile to Hannibal’s lips and he vows to record this moment in his memory palace, in the new wing that seems to be forming that catalogs his time with Will.

Once his full length is inside the other man, Hannibal digs his nails into his hips tight enough it will bruise and starts a hammering rhythm. Will can no longer hold his weight on his hands and knees and has fallen to his elbows, hands twisting in his own hair. Moans and a continuous string of expletives begging Hannibal not to stop tumble from his mouth. Hannibal moves one of his hands to trace gentle patterns on Will’s back before digging his nails into the muscles near his shoulder, enjoying the hiss of pain and pleasure that is his reward. He slows his pace and bends down so his chest is touching Will’s back and places his hand on Will’s throat. He can feel Will’s frantic heartbeat under his touch and growls into his ear. “You are absolutely exquisite. I love seeing you wrapped so tightly around me, barely capable of coherent thought.” He runs his tongue over the shell of Will’s ear before tightening his grip on his throat. He leans back up to his original position, bringing Will’s body flush against his own. He wants to fulfill Will’s wish to feel him everywhere.

Will digs his nails into Hannibal’s thighs and lets out a broken moan as Hannibal squeezes his throat harder for a few moments before slackening his grip, letting the man breathe ragged breaths. “I am so close. Oh my god,” Will says before Hannibal squeezes again and bucks his hips at a slightly different angle. Hannibal takes his free hand and wraps it around Will’s painfully hard erection and starts to stroke him in time to his thrusts. Will reaches up behind him with both his hands and burrows them into Hannibal’s hair and grinds his hips down.

“That’s it. Take what you need.” Hannibal breathes into Will’s ear. At this, Will’s orgasm rips through his body and hot, white liquid spills over Hannibal’s hand. Will’s muscles tighten around Hannibal and he feels himself pulled into his own release, spilling himself into Will with his own moan. He stifles it by biting into Will’s shoulder as he draws out their releases with slow thrusts until neither man can hold their own weight.

After a few moments, they fall over onto the bed, still connected and tangled in each other. With some effort, Hannibal slides out of Will. Both men groan slightly at the feeling of their oversensitive bodies. After Will catches his breath, he starts to feel awkward and unsure. He has never experienced anything like this before. He has never had an encounter where he could be himself and ask, beg, and take what he needed from his partner. He didn’t want this to be a one-time thing, but he also couldn’t work out the logistics of how it can be anything else. Would everything him and Hannibal experienced be so overwhelming and addictive?

“I can hear the cogs and gears in that beautiful mind of yours churning away,” Hannibal says from behind Will as he brushes the man’s curls out of his eyes and places a light kiss to his shoulder. “Would you tell me what has you tensing back up?” Hannibal starts tracing patterns in Will’s back, not pressuring him to turn to face him. He knows it will be easier for Will to answer without Hannibal’s probing gaze.

Will thinks about how to answer and focuses on the other man’s breathing and the feel of his touch to ground himself in the moment. He decides to answer as honestly as he could. “I don’t think I can live without this now.”

Hannibal is glad Will cannot see the grin spreading across his face. He tries to get his emotions back under control before he responds. “Who says you have to?”

Will rolls over to face Hannibal, looking into the man’s maroon eyes with a touch of fear in his own at the answer to his next question. “What do you want, Hannibal?”

“What I have always wanted. For you to be your true self and to reach the full potential of your glorious darkness.” Hannibal says, meeting Will’s eyes.

“Is that all?” Will asks, not sure if he wants the answer.

“Not necessarily. Since we met, I have wanted your companionship, without any barriers between us. We are identically different. You can understand me and I can understand you. That is a rare gift, Will. One I treasure and want to continue.”

Will feels his body relax at these words. “Me too,” he says and then tentatively, reaches up to put his hand on Hannibal’s face and place a gentle kiss on the man’s lips. Hannibal kisses him back, pulling the man in closer.

“You worry too much,” Hannibal says placing a kiss on Will’s forehead before continuing, “As much as I would like to stay right here for the rest of the night, I think a shower would be a wise choice. Would you like to accompany me?”

Will grins. “Of course. Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

The morning after staying at Hannibal’s house, Will is watching him cook breakfast. Hannibal has his robe tied around him to protect him from any cooking related injuries, but Will knows his chest is bare beneath the thin barrier. Will hadn’t bothered to cover himself besides the pajama pants he borrowed from Hannibal.

Once the doctor has all the ingredients in the pie shell, he places it in the oven and turns his attention to the curly haired man clinging to his coffee cup. He looks him over, enjoying all of the purple bruises, red bites, and ruby scratches marking Will’s skin. Hannibal places his hands on Will’s wrists and gently pulls the cup from his face, leaning across the counter to place a quick peck to his lips. “How did you sleep?” he asks cocking his eyebrow at Will.

“Pretty well, but I know you heard me leave. I wasn’t exactly hiding it.” Will sets his coffee down on the counter, walking around it to stand in front of him. He places a tentative hand on the the tie of Hannibal’s robe and looks up at Hannibal, asking. Hannibal’s lips twitch and Will takes it as permission. He unties the robe and slides it off his shoulders. Will wraps his arms around the doctor, placing his head against his chest. Hannibal automatically wraps on arm around Will and places the other in his hair, running his fingers through it. “And I did come back. Are you going to ask me where I went?”

“No.” Hannibal continues his attentions to Will’s hair until the other man pulls away slightly with a questioning look on his face. “I figured, if you wanted me to know, you would tell me. Everything in its own time.”

Will smiles and looks at his watch. “It’s a surprise and it should be found soon.”

Hannibal smiles, kisses Will on the forehead, and busies himself around the kitchen until the timer goes off. As they are eating breakfast, Will’s phone starts buzzing across the countertop. Will smirks and answers the call on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Will?” Jack’s voice thunders through the speaker phone.

“Morning, Jack.”

“We found Freddie Lounds’ body this morning. I need your insight on this one.”

Will struggles to keep the smile out of his voice. “Ok, Jack, just shoot me the address.”

“The body was dumped. She is already at autopsy. The local police didn’t know who or what they had. The body has been badly burned.”

“I’ll head that way now.”

Will is answered by the sound of the call disconnecting. Will picks up his coffee cup and finishes the contents as Hannibal’s phone buzzes. It’s a text from Jack asking if he can meet them at the autopsy. Hannibal agrees and says he is on his way. Jack responds that Will is coming from Wolf Trap and he should let him have a head start.

“Does that mean we have time for another shower?” Will asks putting his dishes in the sink. Hannibal places his dishes in the sink as well and grabs Will’s hand, leading him back towards the stairs.

***

Being in the autopsy room feels surreal. Will cannot keep himself from looking at her charred body on the table. His mind wanders to the feeling of his hand tightening around her throat until her frantic pulse first became weak and then stopped all together.

As a profiler, it was common knowledge that killers often revisit the scene of the crime or the victim to relive the events. He now understands why killers revisit crime scenes. Between being asked to give his insights on the murder he committed and the pride only he could hear in Hannibal’s voice, he feels slightly intoxicated.

As usual, Jack cannot see the bigger puzzle for all the smaller pieces, but Will knows better than to think he was only invited here for his expertise. Jack is also gaging Will’s responses to his questions and surroundings. The team is spit balling ideas as to why Freddie was burnt to a crisp. The intoxicating feeling is slowly giving away to annoyance as he listens to them guess wrongly as to the intentions of her killer. He can’t help himself. He has to interrupt. “Freddie Lounds had to burn. She was fuel. Fire destroys and creates. It is mythical. She will not rise from the ashes but, her killer will.” Will says trying not to look at Hannibal. He knows he will lose control of his expression and he cannot risk that under Jack’s watchful eye.

“He’s the one to be noticed now.” Hannibal cocks an eyebrow working to catch Will’s eye for a moment. He thinks Jack notices, but can’t be bothered to care. Nothing will get in the way of Will’s Becoming.

***

The dogs scratching at the door instead of going into a full barking frenzy alerts Will of two things. One, they have a visitor, and two, their visitor is closer to friend than foe. When he opens the door, he isn’t sure if he agrees with their assessment. “Do we do friendly visits anymore?”

“This isn’t a friendly visit.” Alana looks lost as if she left her house with a different destination, but ended up at Will’s farm.

“Oh. Uh, what kind of visit is it then?”

“I guess I’m trying to convince myself of something.” She has made no move to come closer or invite herself inside.

“You’re worried I killed Freddie Lounds.” It wasn’t a question. Alana was searching for something in his eyes.

“Did you?”

“What do you think?” He asks, tilting his head to the side, keeping his eyes wide to signal interest, even if it may be a mocking interest in this case.

“I think that’s the wrong answer to tell somebody who is already wondering what you’re capable of.” Unshed tears are brimming in the corners of her eyes.

“I told everyone Hannibal was a killer, and no one believed me. Just like no one would believe you if you said I was a killer.” Will looks at Alana with ill disguised contempt. He wasn’t sure of the specific reason anymore. He knew part of it was from feeling abandoned and thought of as crazy when he sounded the alarm about Hannibal in the first place, but he would be lying to himself if he said that was the only reason anger twisted in him like a snake ready to strike.

“I don’t think Hannibal is good for you and I think your relationship is destructive.” Alana says this with tears in her eyes. Grieving over the image she still kept of Will in her head.

“Hannibal is good enough for you,” Will all but spits at her. He hates the thought of Hannibal’s hands on her, his lips. Will shrinks from the pictures in his head. The pain from the thoughts takes his breath away. “You should be afraid.” When the words were out of his mouth, he didn’t know if he meant it as a confirmation of her feelings or a threat.

***

Even after Will’s incarceration, they kept their original 7:30 appointment time. Hannibal greets Will at the entrance to his office as he has done for over a year now. “Will,” Hannibal says with a small smile inviting him inside the office. He tries to catch his arm to hold Will to him for a moment, maybe even kiss him. He isn’t decided yet when he starts the motion, but the stiff coldness in Will’s demeanor has Hannibal dropping his hand before he makes contact.

Will hangs his jacket on the back of his chair and sits down. He had thought about not coming. He knew Hannibal would know something was bothering him, and he would get Will to tell him what it was. Will wasn’t sure he wanted to have the conversation. “Hello, Doctor Lecter.” Hannibal frowns. Will is retreating back to old behaviors and familiar habits.

Hannibal takes his seat opposite of Will and crosses his legs, settling in. “What is weighing so heavily on your mind tonight, Will?”

“Alana Bloom came to see me today.” Will’s face contorts slightly while saying Alana’s name, like it left a bitter after taste in his mouth. He hasn’t looked higher than Hannibal’s chin since he arrived at the office.

“Was there a particular reason for her visit?” Hannibal asks with a politely disinterested tone, but Will can tell he’s covering something. Intense curiosity perhaps, but he knows Hannibal doesn’t want to rush him.

“I think she wanted to look at me away from yours and Jack’s influence. She wanted to try to see if I killed Freddie Lounds. If I was capable of it, and if I was, what did it mean? Who am I? A man she had cared for? A monster not worthy of such emotional currency being spent on?” Will is slightly breathless. Hannibal clears his throat to stop the stream of consciousness flowing from Will so he can catch his breath and try to order his thoughts.

“What did she see?” Hannibal asks to help Will focus.

“Me. But I don’t know what that means anymore.” Will scrubs his hand down his face. “What do you see when you look at me?” He finally meets Hannibal’s eyes, and when he does, he looks as lost as he did the morning he came by Hannibal’s house after being picked up by the Wolf Trap police department for sleep walking in his boxer briefs with Winston trailing behind him. His eyes only stay locked with Hannibal’s for a moment before he gets up from his chair and paces back and forth.

“I see an exquisite combination of empathy and darkness. You are capable of such brutality, truly breathtaking violence, but only to those you feel deserve it. To those you care for, you are as gentle as the breeze off a butterfly’s wing. You burn with a fire so hot that it is capable of both destroying everything in its path and clearing the way for new life. You are as tempestuous as the waters of the sea. Both life giving and life taking.” Will shakes his head slightly at his assessment of him. Hannibal gets up from his seat as well to stand closer to where Will is pacing in front of his desk. “This is not a new revelation, Will. I have always seen you this way. Those who cannot see this are simply not paying attention to the real you and buy into your deceptions, but you cannot fool me, Will.” Hannibal reaches out a hand and stops Will’s pacing with a touch to his wrist, drawing him towards him until Will is standing in front of him, Hannibal’s hand still on him. “What is troubling you?”

Will doesn’t pull away from the touch but he does fight the urge to lean into the doctor. “Alana said that she didn’t think you were good for me. That she thinks our relationship is destructive.”

“It is not important what she thinks about what we are,” Hannibal starts to say, but Will cuts him off.

“I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that I lashed out. It was childish I know, but I said ‘Hannibal is good enough for you.’” Will looks down again. “It reminded me of whatever you two have going on. It made me feel,” he pauses for a moment. “Inadequate.” Will can barely admit the feeling to himself, let alone out loud.

“Inadequate in what way?” Hannibal asks, a touch of bewilderment coloring his tone.

Will meets Hannibal’s eyes this time and pulls his wrist away, folding his arms across his chest as he walks across the room to sit back in his chair. “All ways.”

Hannibal misses the contact as soon as it is gone, but does not reach for him again. He looks towards Will, trying to keep his expression as blank as possible. Will is building up to something.

“It is a waste for you to feel this way. Alana was and continues to be useful. She is an alibi and trusted voice in Uncle Jack’s ear, whispering that there is no way I could be involved. It’s convenience and manipulation.”

“Most things with you are.” Will meets Hannibal’s eyes again and he is a man on fire. “Is this more of your games? How long until I have run through my usefulness?” Will looks down and clutches at his curls. “There is a plan for everything and I am the last to know. I feel like you are toying with me. Always.” He looks up at Hannibal, meeting his eyes and the emotion Will is feeling has finally takes its true form from jealousy to doubt. He takes a deep breath to try and steady himself. “Every moment of cogent thought around you feels like a victory. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

Hannibal is the one to break the eye contact this time, but not before a stab of pain washes over his face before he can pull his mask back into place, but he says nothing. After a long silence, Will looks at his watch. “Well, that seems to be our hour, doctor.” He doesn’t meet Hannibal’s eyes as he gets up from his chair and slowly walks towards the door. He takes his time, part of him hoping Hannibal says something that will make him stay. It’s in vain. Hannibal says nothing and watches silently as Will reaches the door, turns the knob, and leaves without a backwards glance.

Chapter Text

Will’s phone rings and vibrates across his bedside table, inviting the chorus of barks from his pack at the sudden sound in the still room. Will silences the call and rolls back over. Not ready to get back up yet. The sky is still dark with the lateness of night turning into the early of the morning. Will’s phone buzzes again, this time a text alert. Will groans and looks at the too bright screen. It is Jack and he wants to meet at Freddie’s grave site. Perfect. Exactly what he needs. His anger and insecurity after his spat with Hannibal are still on the surface. He knows it will be difficult to hide. Even harder if Jack invites Hannibal to give his perspective on whatever is happening now. He rolls out of the bed, taking the time to run his fingers through the fur of his dogs as he grabs a change of clothes and heads to the bathroom.

***

He beats Jack and Alana to the scene by a few moments. The display is breathtaking. Freddie’s body has been dug up as well as a few others. Her body has been posed as the mighty goddess Shiva with the help of the limbs from other corpses in the graveyard. Will works to control his expression, but if he were alone, he would run his fingers over the display, check how the other limbs were attached, maybe tweak a few things. Once Alana clears the tape, she is staring daggers at Will and even as she talks to Jack, making the connection between Randall Tier and Freddie Lounds, she does so as she watches Will. Her anger only falters when she realizes that maybe Will didn’t put Freddie on display.

“This psychopath was incubating fantasies about killing and is building himself up. Or someone is building him up.”

“He has a benefactor who admires his destruction?” Will asks Alana, watching the look in her eyes change. “Shiva is both destroyer and benefactor.” Will bites back the who does that sound like begging to escape his lips.

“He’s being guided,” she says still looking in Will’s direction but with unseeing eyes. While it come out almost as a question, realization dawns on her.

“Is this some kind of signpost?” Jack asks to no one in particular.

“Maybe Freddie’s killer didn’t do this. Maybe his benefactor did.” Alana leans forward to Will ask she says this. Looking for him to confirm or deny her suspicions. Will doesn’t say or do anything other than admire Hannibal’s handiwork on the body with a carefully detached expression.

“Why?” Jack asks again struggling to wrap his head around their conversation. He is missing all the subtext Alana and Will are privy to.

Will turns to look at Alana now with a slightly self-satisfied look on his face. Tears build up in Alana’s eyes, but she does not let them spill over as the truth right in front of her finally sets in. “It’s a courtship.” Will meets her eyes for another moment. His lips twitch slightly as he realizes what this means. He turns back to the display before he gives anything away.

***

“Will?” Hannibal’s face betrays his surprise as his greeting comes out like a question. He is dressed in a suit already, his hair carefully styled but still damp from his shower. Will takes a moment to drink the doctor in before walking towards him with purpose and grabbing his face, almost roughly to kiss him on his lips. Hannibal gasps in surprise, but quickly gets a hold of himself. He allows Will to walk him backwards back into the house, lips still locked together. He uses his hand still on the door to close it then pushes Will against it. His hands tangle in the excess fabric of Will’s too big jacket as he pushes the full length of his body into Will’s. Will takes Hannibal’s lower lip into his mouth biting down hard enough a trickle of blood blooms from the cut. Will runs his tongue over the cut, lapping up the drops before Hannibal pulls back to look at Will. He is holding him tight as Will tries to lean in to continue kissing him. “I see you got my gift.”

“Later,” Will says as he grabs Hannibal’s hands and removes them from his body so he can close the space between them. “Let’s do that part later. I want this now.” He starts unbuttoning Hannibal’s suit jacket as he kisses the doctor’s neck.

“I have appointments,” Hannibal says but Will can hear that there is no fight in these words. Hannibal’s hands make no move to stop Will.

“Cancel them,” Will growls into the side of Hannibal’s neck as he grazes his teeth along his skin.

“Give me ten minutes.”

Will bites down, earning a rumble of a growl from Hannibal. “You have five.”

After a few phone calls and endless apologies, Hannibal is free to deal with his family emergency that popped up unexpectedly. Hannibal takes Will’s hand and leads him to the master bedroom. “Now, where were we?” Hannibal asks as he leans down to kiss Will’s eager lips. It’s like Hannibal hit the play button on a movie that had been paused. Will picked up right where he left off. His fingers continue unbuttoning Hannibal’s layers, pulling the jacket and shirt roughly past his shoulders and down his arms.

Hannibal smiles indulgently at Will before reaching for his shirt. He unbuttons each button slowly and with intention. After each button, Hannibal places a kiss on Will’s exposed skin placing kisses down his chest and sinking to his knees to place kisses on Will’s stomach. When his shirt is open and there is no obstruction to the tan, muscled planes of Will’s chest and stomach, Hannibal stands back up and runs a single finger the length of his abdomen, eliciting and shiver from the man. “Bed?” Hannibal asks. Will nods, not trusting his voice, afraid it may crack or break with anticipation, want, and need.

They make their way to Hannibal’s bed and Will starts unbuckling his belt, but Hannibal stops him. “Allow me.” Hannibal kisses Will gently as he slowly unbuckles his belt, unbuttons his jeans, unzips them, and bends down to slide them off. Will feels frozen, wound so tight he feels he may explode. He understands that Hannibal wants to take their time, and he tries his best, undressing Hannibal in the same manner.

When they are both fully undressed, Hannibal nods towards the bed, allowing Will to lay down, settle his head on the pillows, and get comfortable before laying on top of him, covering Will’s body with his own. Will runs his hands down the length of Hannibal’s shoulders and back. Before Hannibal, Will hadn’t thought he was attracted to men, but here he was, marveling over the beauty of the killer in his arms. Hannibal’s body was undoubtedly masculine. Tight bands of muscles wrap around his arms and shoulders and ripple as he leans down to kiss Will. He traces the muscles with his fingertips as they kiss and he thinks this must be what petting a tiger feels like. Will kisses Hannibal’s neck as Hannibal rocks his hips into him.

Hannibal kisses Will and then presses their foreheads against each other. This embrace feels more intimate than anything they have done so far. There is no hiding. They are sharing skin and breath in this moment. “I want you.” Will says, barely more than a breath against Hannibal’s lips.

“And I you.” Hannibal places a kiss to Will’s lips before kissing the hollow at his throat. “All of you.” He kisses Will’s chest, resting his cheek against his heart before continuing down his body. “I want your darkness and your light.” Hannibal runs his tongue over Will’s left nipple. “I want your jealousy and your trust.” Hannibal runs his tongue over his right nipple. “I want your rage and your peace.” Hannibal kisses the dip in Will’s chest. “I want you through your nightmares and your sweet dreams.” He kisses above his belly button. “I want you covered in blood from our kills and covered in sweat from our sex.” He kisses above Will’s pelvic bone. “Have I made myself and my intentions clear?” It is not rhetorical. Hannibal waits for Will to answer. He nods. “I want to hear you say it out loud.” Hannibal says quietly and it sounds like a caress and a scold. “Do you understand the depths of my feelings for you? You are not a distraction to pass the time. There is no usefulness you will one day run out of. I will not tire of or get bored of you.”

“How do you know?” Will can’t help asking.

Hannibal moves back up Will’s body to cup his hand around the man’s cheek. “I have been alone for more years than I care to count. In a room of people all begging for and wanting my attention, I am still alone. No one has been able to understand me or accept me the way you can. To really see me. I know you feel the same. You feel you have to hide because you know if were to truly lay yourself bare, the ones you care for will run. Tell me if I am wrong?” Hannibal waits a moment for Will to answer.

Will closes his eyes and whispers. “You’re not wrong,”

“We understand each other. We are equals now. I need you as much as you need me.” Hannibal leans in to kiss Will but stops before touching his lips with his own. Will opens his eyes to meet Hannibal’s, searching for any sign of a lie. “Do you understand now?”

“Yes.” Will closes is eyes as Hannibal closes the space between them to kiss him gently at first and then with more heat. Will braces his hands on Hannibal’s hips and makes a move to flip them over.

“Not so fast. I am not done with you yet.” Hannibal reaches over to the bedside table and grabs a bottle of lube. He feels Will tense up a bit at the sight. “Relax for me, beautiful boy. This will be much easier this time.” Hannibal wets his finger with the slick liquid. He leans down to capture Will’s lips again as he runs a single finger over his entrance. A smile tugs at his lips at the gasp that escapes Will’s lips as he pushes through the ring of muscles and continues pushing until first one knuckle and then the other disappears inside him. Will’s eyes roll back a little as Hannibal starts moving the single finger. Hannibal doesn’t want to stifle the moans and gasps coming from Will so he buries his face in his neck and kisses and sucks on the skin over his pulse point.

After a few moments, he adds a second finger, scissoring them inside Will to stretch and prepare him. One of Will’s hands twist in the silk sheets of Hannibal’s bed, the other is tangled in his hair keeping Hannibal’s mouth at his throat. His lips twitch slightly and Will can feel the slight movement. “You like keeping me here, don’t you?” Hannibal asks, licking down the side of Will’s throat.

“Yes,” He says breathlessly.

“Why is that?” Hannibal asks before blowing cool air over the wet trail his tongue left.

Will shivers. “Feels like you could end me at any moment.” Will gasps between moans from Hannibal’s twisting fingers inside him.

Hannibal adds a third finger and brings his other hand up to Will’s throat. He doesn’t apply any pressure, just places it on his throat. “How about this?”

“Yes.” Will says, voice breaking. “More. Please, Hannibal.”

Hannibal removes his fingers from Will and places his tip at Will’s entrance. “Are you ready?” Will nods, tearing at the sheets. His own cock is leaking precum and is so hard it looks painful. “Take a big breath for me.” Will does and Hannibal pushes himself inside Will until he is fully seated. He pauses a moment to give Will time to adjust. When Will nods at him he starts a steady rhythm. He speeds up once the tightness around Will’s eyes at the initial ache from the stretch is gone. His hand is still on Will’s throat, not applying any pressure yet, just as a threat.

Will reaches out to Hannibal, pulling him down so their chests are touching. They kiss and Hannibal picks up the pace of his thrusts until Will’s kisses turn to pants. Will’s eyes flutter closed. “I’m curious,” Hannibal says against Will’s lips as he squeezes the hand on Will’s throat slightly. Will can still breathe without difficulty and he lets out a moan. “And what about this?” Hannibal whispers into Will’s ear, pulling back slightly to look at Will’s face as he squeezes harder. This time, Will’s moan comes out deeper and strangled. He can still breathe, but only shallow gasps. “Do you like this?” Hannibal says squeezing his hand again for a moment to add emphasis to his question but eases back off to allow Will to breathe in gasps again.

“Yes. Yes I do. Please, Hannibal.” Will’s pleas are gasoline to Hannibal’s fire. Hannibal keeps up the pace with his hips allowing Will to meet him thrust for thrust. Hannibal removes his hand from Will’s throat only to bring his mouth back to his neck. He runs the tip of his tongue down the length of Will’s throat tasting his sweat and arousal. A growl rumbles in his chest as Will digs his nails into Hannibal’s back. “Please, Hannibal. I am so close. Please.” Hannibal reaches down between them to stroke Will’s length. He leans back down to Will’s neck, the warmth from his breath causing Will to shiver again.

During a particularly hard thrust Hannibal bites down at the spot where Will’s neck and shoulder meet. Will’s breath hitches and Hannibal bites harder, the coppery taste of blood trickles into his mouth and he feels Will’s orgasm both in the tightening of his muscles and the white ropes of his release hitting Hannibal’s stomach. Hannibal runs his tongue over the bite he has left in Will’s neck and come with a moan. He thrusts through their orgasms before pulling out of Will as gently as he can. He settles on the bed, laying on his back and pulls Will to his chest.

Hannibal strokes Will’s bare back savoring the sensation of the man’s head on his chest. He takes a deep breath, letting the scent of Will’s hair fill his senses. Will places his hand over Hannibal’s chest, feeling his heartbeat.

“I do believe it is later.” Hannibal says, his voice still rough from earlier.

Will sits up a little, kissing the spot his head had been resting on. He looks up at Hannibal, meeting his eyes. “I got your gift. It was beautiful. It,” Will struggles for words for a moment, teeth worrying his bottom lip before continuing, “moved me.” Hannibal reaches up to cup Will’s cheek before bringing him close enough to brush their lips together. “However, your alibi is getting smarter. She made the connection.”

Hannibal nods. “Alana is a very skilled profiler in her own right. It was a matter of time before she saw the signs, I just helped her along.”

“Jack did call the display a signpost.” Will chuckles then looks at Hannibal with a serious expression, probing him for the answer. “Why? Why did you do it?”

“You needed certain reassurances. You needed to know I was in this as much as you are. Like I said, I am here, right here with you, as long as you will have me. Before you left my office, I almost called out to you, but I could not think of what to say to make you understand. I thought it better to show you.” Hannibal places a single finger under Will’s chin to bring him closer, kissing him gently, as if he was made of the most delicate glass. Despite the gentleness, the sensation on Will’s lips lingers even after their lips part, like Will had been burned.

“I heard you loud and clear.” Will dips his head down so their foreheads are touching again. “However, I don’t know how sustainable here is right now. The snare around our necks is getting tighter.” Will places a kiss on Hannibal’s forehead before snuggling back into Hannibal’s side and laying his head back down on his chest.

“Yes. Jack spoke with me about the possibility of you being Freddie Lounds’ killer,” Hannibal said off hand.

“If he told you that, he suspects you.”

“I know.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“Simple. We leave,” Hannibal says calmly.

Will lifts his head again, eyes wide. “How would that work? What would I do with my dogs? Would we leave together?”

Hannibal ignores all the other questions to answer the last one. “Of course we would leave together. There are many places we can go. I would love to show you Florence.” Hannibal eyes have glassed over slightly and Will knows this look well, he is in his mind palace. He comes back to himself after a moment. “Do you want to be involved in the planning? I distinctively remember you being put out that I do not incorporate you in my planning.” Hannibal’s eyes meet Will’s but the expression in them is playful.

“I am sorry about my,” Will clears his throat, “tantrum in your office. It was uncalled for.”

“Do not apologize. I thought I had made my intentions clear, but I was mistaken. If you felt doubt, even if I thought I had been clear, then I feel it my responsibility to dispel that doubt.”

“And you did. With your flare for the dramatic.” Will says with a chuckle.

“Would you have me any other way?” Hannibal asks a touch of teasing in his tone, but Will knows it is not rhetorical. Hannibal wants to hear the answer. Can Will handle Hannibal in his extremes the way Hannibal has accepted Will with all of his?

“I want you just as you are. Just like this,” Will says, kissing Hannibal again.

Hannibal smiles. “Thank you,” he says falling silent for a moment, simply looking into Will’s eyes. After a few moments he clears his throat. “But you didn’t answer me. Do you want to be involved in the planning?”

“I am comfortable with knowing the broad strokes. I can leave the details to you.”

Hannibal pauses for a moment before saying, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we cannot take five dogs on a plane with us without drawing all kinds of unwanted attention,” Hannibal says running his fingers through Will’s curls.

Will is quiet for a long moment. When he speaks again, his voice breaks. “Can I at least bring Winston?”

Hannibal holds him a little tighter for a moment. He knows this will be the hardest part for Will. Hannibal places his fingertips under Will’s chin so he can meet his wet eyes. “How can I deny you a piece of yourself?” Will leans up to kiss him then settles back down.

“What are we going to do about Uncle Jack?”

Hannibal takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Will’s curls. “I think it’s time I invited Jack back to my table for dinner. Would you join me there, when the time comes?”

Will raises himself up and rolls over so he is straddling Hannibal. He leans down to bring himself face to face with the doctor before saying, “Oh yes.” He cups Hannibal’s face and kisses him with enough heat, Hannibal rolls them back over.

Chapter Text

Finding homes for all of his dogs was nerve wracking to say the least. Will found himself wishing he could call Alana and ask her to keep them. They knew and loved her. It would ease the transition for them, but he couldn’t do that. No one could know they were leaving until the were already gone. After a few days of trying to find homes for each of his pups on his own, he decided to reach out to some people he knew with the local shelter. Within the week, everyone in his pack had a forever home that Will felt comfortable with. Many of them had small children that they could play with and protect.

Buster was the last in the pack to find his new family. A tan Toyota Camry makes its way down Will’s gravel driveway. Buster stands next to Will on the porch, his body tense and protective. After her mother helps her out of the car, a little girl, no older than six runs over to where Will stands with Buster, curly pigtails bouncing the whole way, and throws her arms around him. Will is a little nervous about Buster’s reaction, but breaths a sigh of relief when Buster licks Sally’s cheek and lets her pull him close.

After Buster is snuggling on Sally’s lap and all the goodbyes have been said and last pets and kisses given, Will looks at his watch through slightly blurry eyes. He has enough time to head to Baltimore for his appointment with Hannibal at 7:30pm. He rubs his eyes with the back of his hand and isn’t really surprised to find tears when he pulls it away. He walks into the house, which looks strange, not empty per se, but there are gaps missing. All the dog beds and dishes are gone. Chunks of books are gone from his bookshelves. The boat motor he had been working on in the living room is back in the garage. His tackle box and fly tying station no longer haunts the corner of the room. The only items left in the house are ones that could belong to anyone. Will is shocked when he realizes that it no longer feels like home in the little farmhouse.

***

When he enters Hannibal’s office, the atmosphere is different. He does not sit in the chair opposite of Hannibal, instead, he catches the many black, hard back journals Hannibal tosses from the second story balcony. As he catches them, he stacks them on the desk near the fireplace. When he sees one with his name written on the spine, he can’t help himself.

“These are your notes about me.” Will doesn’t ask. He has cracked open the book and is skimming through the pages filled with Hannibal’s elegant notes.

“That is what they are,” Hannibal says, gathering more books from the shelves to bring the remainder of the journals down the ladder to stand at Will’s side.

Part of him wants to read the notes Hannibal wrote in the early days of their relationship, when he was Will’s paddle in the wake of Jack’s never ending storm of requests to look at the scenes and pictures that would haunt his dreams. The other part felt it was too private. These notes were for Hannibal’s eyes only. He stops on a page with a paperclip in the corner. It is the first lopsided clock he drew. “It is 7:45pm. I am in Baltimore, Maryland. My name is Will Graham and I am alive.” He tosses the entire book into the fire, watching the clock melt and turn to ash.

Will misses the twitch of Hannibal’s lips as he tears pages from the books of others before throwing them in the fire as well.

“Won’t your patients need these when you’re gone?” Will asks, realizing Hannibal is not just destroying his records, but all of his clients’ notes.

“The FBI will pore over my notes if I left them intact. I will spare my patients the scrutiny. I am dismantling who I was and building it brick by brick.” Once he is done with the papers in his hand, Hannibal turns to look at his office. “When we have gone from this life, Jack Crawford and the FBI behind us, I will always have this place.”

“In your memory palace?” Will asks, looking over at Hannibal with a slightly amused look on his face.

“My palace is vast, even by medieval standards. The foyer is the Norman chapel in Palermo. Severe and beautiful and timeless. With a single reminder of mortality. A skull, graven in the floor.”

“All I need is a stream.”

“In those moments where you can’t overcome your surroundings, you can make it all go away,” Hannibal says as he continues to toss papers into the fire.

“Put my head back, close my eyes, wade into the quiet of the stream.”

Once they have finished with the patient records, they move on to boxing up a few items Hannibal wants to take with him. Will makes sure the stag statue finds its way into the keep box. When they have finished, fire out and boxes loaded into the Bentley. Hannibal turns to Will. “Would you like some company tonight?” He knows it is the first night without his pack.

“No. That’s not necessary. I have a few things to finish packing up and I won’t be much company. Plus, the house is still a bit of a mess. The dogs may not be there, but bits of them are still hanging around.” Will tries to make a joke, but the lighthearted attitude he is trying to convey does not touch his eyes.

A smile tugs at Hannibal’s lips as he reaches out to cup Will’s face, tilting his head up so he can look into his eyes. “Dear Will, with everything we have been through, you think I would run from a bit of dog hair?”

Will’s sad eyes lighten by a fraction. “It’s a bit more than a bit.”

Hannibal pulls Will in to brush their lips together, then walks towards the driver’s side door. “I will follow you there.”

Will can’t help but smile as he pulls his keys out of his pocket and walks to his car.

***

Later that week, Hannibal pulls a roast from the oven and takes it to the counter. Will is standing by the island in the center of the kitchen, nursing a glass of wine Hannibal poured for him shortly after he arrived. “What kind of roast are we having?” Will asks, knowing he would not get a truthful answer, only more code. He can tell Hannibal is completely in his person suit.

“Lamb,” Hannibal says as he brushes a glaze on the meat. His face is set in the familiar lines of detachment.

“Sacrificial?”

Hannibal looks up at Will, and Will can see the slightest bit of regret. “I do not require a sacrifice.”

“Neither do I.” Will says, slightly defensive. At this, Hannibal looks back at the roast he is working on.

“Jack will never stop looking for the Chesapeake Ripper, and us leaving is an admission of sorts. It will not take him long to draw his own conclusions without us here to sway him differently.” Hannibal finishes with the glaze and places a cover on the platter the meat sits on for it to rest on the counter. His eyes are far away.

“Alana is also there to confirm any suspicions he may have. That being said, I don’t want you to be upset. Is there another way?” Will asks.

Hannibal looks up from the covered roast and takes a deep breath. “Though Jack has become a friend, I must admit,” Hannibal walks over to the island in the center of the kitchen to stand next to Will as he finishes chopping vegetables. “I have not forgiven him being rather cavalier when it came to your stability and general wellbeing.”

Will stifles a chuckle. This coming from the man that put an ear down his throat and framed him for multiple murders. He doesn’t bring this up however, they both know what they have done to each other. It does not do well to hash it all back out again when they agree they are happy with where it lead them. Will places the wine glass on the island and warns Hannibal with his eyes before he walks around to stand behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. He feels Hannibal relax a little before putting the knife down and turning around in his arms.

Hannibal places a soft kiss on Will’s forehead before asking, “How do you feel about all of this? I know it cannot be easy on you. There have been a lot of changes.” He is speaking almost exclusively about Will’s dog, all at new homes, except Winston, who is on an airplane as they speak.

“I am focusing on this moment and when it is over, I will focus on the next moment.” Will lays his head on Hannibal’s shoulder, letting the scent at his neck soothe him.

“That’s all you can do, but it is not too late, Will. You do not have to be here for this. There does not need to be a this, if you,” Will cuts him off.

Will kisses Hannibal’s neck. “I have made my decision. We have spoken about it, at length, and I am comfortable with my choices. They are mine and mine alone. I want to be here. I want us to do this together, on the other side of the veil.”

“Very well. Hannibal steps away from Will, person suit back in place. “Will you sous chef?” he asks turning the butcher block full of stainless steel knives towards Will.

“Of course.”

***
“Hi, Jack,” Will says as he opens the door, showing the man inside. “Hannibal is putting the finishing touches on dinner. Can I get you a drink while we wait?”

“Did he tell you what he will be serving?” Jack takes off his coat and hangs it in the closet by the door before following Will to the dining room.

“I’m sure he did, but I can’t pronounce it. I think it is roasted lamb.” Will pours them both glasses of the wine Hannibal had set out for dinner. He feels Jack’s eyes rake over him from his tousled hair, glasses, and his sock clad feet. Will sees the slightly skeptical look on Jack’s face and realizes too late that he has shown too much familiarity and comfort at Hannibal’s place in front of Jack. Of course, Jack doesn’t know that Will has spent most of the nights since Freddie was killed tangled in Hannibal’s sheets. While Hannibal was not his psychiatrist before, technically, he is now. As far as Jack is concerned, their relationship is professional, borderline adversarial. Will has, after all very recently, accused Hannibal of a laundry list of murders.

Will mentally runs through options on how he can subtly backtrack, but Jack has made the connection and he feels the shift in Jack’s emotions rolling off of him in waves. Destroyer and benefactor. They were looking for a benefactor who admires destruction and a person who wants to please as much as commit the acts themselves. Why wasn’t Hannibal available to come to the grave site? Randall Tier was his patient and he started killing people dressed as a mythical animal after his therapy.

As Will hands him the glass, he sees Jack’s eyes slide past him and to the doorway leading to the kitchen, the place they can both hear Hannibal slicing the roast and putting finishing touches on their plates. Jack’s free hand reaches towards his belt in a move he clearly means to be natural.

Will wishes they had discussed some sort of code or sign he could give Hannibal if things were to take an ominous turn before dinner was served. Jack’s phone buzzes and it gives Will the distraction he needs to drop the wine bottle to the floor with enough force for it to shatter. In the moment after the bottle hits the floor and the pieces are still skittering across the hardwood, Hannibal is at the doorway, carving knife in hand, and Jack’s gun is drawn and aimed at Will. “What are you doing, Jack?” Will asks with his hands raised to show he is unarmed. He tries to infuse fear and a dash of hurt in his tone.

“I let doubt cloud my mind before. I thought I had broken you. I didn’t want to see it this time. I thought she was wrong.” Jack’s hand does not shake. His actions are steady, but his eyes still seem unsure. “There was so much evidence before. So much, Will, but I wanted to be sure this time.” He sounds like a father confronting his son for sneaking out. He has always infantilized Will in this way. Underestimated him. Hannibal’s hand twitches, but Will shakes his head a fraction.

“Are you sure, Jack? Are you this sure?” Will keeps his hands up and takes small steps towards Jack. “Do you really want to shoot me, Jack?”

“I have done it before.” Jack says sharply, but his actions still do not match his tone. While he has not lowered his gun, he is not reacting to Will slowly moving closer.

“This is different. You were protecting Hannibal last time.” Will pauses letting the memory take Jack for a moment. Will drops his hands all fear both real and put on now gone from his tone. “You thought you were protecting me from myself. This isn’t that, Jack.”

“Isn’t it?” Jack’s voice rings through the dining room, defiant.

“Who do you think you are protecting?” Will continues to move closer, taking off his glasses and setting them on the table. He is close enough to take the gun from Jack if he was fast enough.

Jack hesitates before answering and Will closes the distance between them ducking to the side and moving to knock the gun out of Jack’s hand. Jack maintains his grip and he shoots, but misses. Will grabs a wine glass from the table and breaks it. He holds it like a blade and slashes at Jack. He catches the man’s arm and then lunges, knocking Jack to the floor while he is distracted. This time, he manages to get the gun away from him and tosses it across the room. He doesn’t want to do this with a gun. He wants the fight. He wants to feel each blow with his hands. Feel the adrenaline sing in his veins. He stabs the broken wine glass through the palm of Jack’s hand before he is shoved off of the larger man. Will scrambles to his feet and is aware that Hannibal is still in the doorway, watching. His eyes are almost completely black and his knuckles are white from gripping the knife so tightly.

Will knows he is no match for Jack’s brute strength. He stays low and dodges a haymaker thrown his way only to catch a kick to the stomach. Will is doubled over next to the dining table and he pretends to fall into it, grabbing a butter knife from the place setting. Jack aims another punch at him and Will slips to the floor, stabbing the knife through Jack’s thigh. Jack falls to his knees, but is still fighting. He grabs at Will as the smaller man tries to stand up, but can feel the broken ribs from Jack’s kick. Jack hits him in the same place again, this time with his fists. The air in his lungs leaves him all at once and he tries to crawl away on his hands and knees to get to something he can use to help him get back to his feet, but Jack lunges at him from behind and has his arms around his neck in a chokehold. Will fights the urge to flail. He knows he isn’t in real danger. Hannibal will stop this before it gets too bad. Will instead bends towards the pressure until he can reach the floor and the shards from the wine bottle. He grabs one, and using all of his strength, stabs it into Jack, not even sure where he makes contact, but it is painful enough Jack releases him. Will spins around and sees blood streaming from the wound where his shoulder and neck meet. Jack’s hands are at the wound as well, flapping wildly at the glass shard as if he wants to pull it out.

“I would not recommend that, Jack.” Hannibal has stepped into the dining room and walks around to face Jack, knife still in his hand. Jack is gasping. Will moves around him so that he has an arm restraining him, leaving him open for Hannibal. “If it is any consolation, you were right.” Hannibal moves to kneel down eye level with Jack. “I am the Chesapeake Ripper. I am also the Copycat Killer, though I never liked that name.” Jack struggles forward, but Will holds him tight and pushes the glass shard in a little further. “Randall Tier and Freddie Lounds, however, I cannot take credit for. I merely offered guidance and opportunity. I can only feed the caterpillar.” Hannibal smiles over Jack’s shoulder to Will. Jack is still struggling, but he has lost so much blood he is weak.

“You have become my friend, Jack. Know I did not want to do this, but I knew you would never stop hunting us, would you?” Hannibal asks tilting his head.

“N-Never.” Jack says between gasps.

“Goodbye, Jack,” Hannibal says as he runs the blade across the side of Jack’s throat that does not have the glass shard in it. As he does this, Will removes the glass and blood pours out of Jack and onto Will’s hands before pooling on the floor. Jacks eyes widen slightly before all life behind them leaves and his body slackens against Will’s tight hold. Will holds him in place for a few moments before he notices that Jack is no longer there. He brings him to the ground gently and looks down at his hands. They are covered in blood as are his clothes and probably his face. He had not meant to make such a mess.

Will struggles to get to his feet, sore from his bruised and possibly broken ribs. “I was too comfortable here. He noticed and it gave him the opening to figure it out. I was careless.” Will speaks in barely more than a whisper, still looking at his hands. After a moment, he looks up at Hannibal and the air in his lungs rushes from him in a whoosh. Hannibal’s fire filled eyes are locked on Will. His bottom lip between his teeth. Will has never seen him like this before. His person suit is gone. He is a predator. Will wonders for a moment how many people still living have seen Hannibal like this.

Hannibal reaches out to place his hand on Will’s neck, pressing slightly on his pulse point. “Steady,” he says with a hint of surprise. “A low heart rate is a true indicator of one’s capacity for violence.”

Will reaches out with bloody hands and unbuttons enough buttons on Hannibal’s shirt so he put his hand on Hannibal’s bare chest over his heart. “Steady,” Will repeats.

Hannibal’s face softens at the touch. “This is all I’ve ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us.”

Will closes the distance between them so he is standing right in front of Hannibal. He removes his hand and lays his head against Hannibal’s chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart, taking in the scent of Hannibal mixed with the rapidly cooling blood pooling around them. “It’s beautiful.”

Hannibal lets out a sigh and closes his eyes. He tips his head back and wraps his arms around Will. Will closes his eyes and leans into him. They stay like that for a while, drowning in the moment.

Chapter Text

Jack’s body was found lying upside down on Hannibal’s dining table. His heart had been removed and was wrapped in a cloth that was tied to a stick behind his back. His shoes and socks had been removed and there were rips and tears in his clothes. The usual team had been called in, but Jimmy Price could not bring himself to enter the house. Alana and Brian Zeller were the only people from Jack’s team to make it over the threshold.

“The Fool,” Alana says when she can clear the lump in her throat.

“What did you just say?” Brian Zeller asks her, all anger and emotion.

“In Tarot, The Fool is depicted as a beggar or a vagabond. His clothing is always in rough shape.” She motions to the rips in Jack’s clothing with a shaking hand. “The Fool also carries his belongings in a bindle.” Upon seeing Brian’s questioning look she rephrases. “The stick with the cloth pouch tied to it.” Brian nods, but cannot bring himself to look at the body. Not the body he tells himself, Jack. “When The Fool is upright he represents new beginnings, and having faith in the future.” She wipes the tear that had escaped down her cheek.

“What about upside down?” Brian asks.

“Chaos. Poor judgement.” She looks Brian directly in the eye, “Stupidity.”

***

Will enters the apartment to the sound of claws on hardwood. Winston’s wet nose greets Will as he makes sure to remove his shoes and set his toolbox on the shelf by the door. Will scratches behind Winston’s ears and promises him a walk soon as he pads barefoot through the hall to the bedroom and into the bathroom, eyeing the large, metal soaker tub in the middle of the room. He sets the taps, removes his clothes, and eases himself into the hot water.

Will enjoys working with his hands. The fresh air and exercise he gets from working on the boats in the local marinas keeps his mind clear and the slight ache in his muscles from a hard day’s work is easily remedied with a long soak.

He starts to doze off, letting the warm water relax his tight muscles. He doesn’t hear the bathroom door open or the tall man enter the room, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves. It isn’t until he catches a whiff of the man’s cologne as he gets closer that he realizes he is no longer alone. A grin curls his lips and he slides down further into the water.

“Hello, Hannibal,” Will says, not opening his eyes. He hears Hannibal place a wooden stool by the tub to sit on.

“May I?” Hannibal asks as he holds a small metal pitcher in his hand.

Will peers up at him from beneath his lashes, the grin turning into one with teeth. “Of course.”

Hannibal places one hand on Will’s chest as he dips the pitcher into the water with the other. He tilts Will up slightly so he can pour the water from the pitcher over his hair taking care not to get it into his eyes. Once his hair is wet, Hannibal lathers shampoo into his curls, digging his fingers into his scalp eliciting a few quiet moans from Will. Hannibal repeats the process with the pitcher until the streams of water from Will’s hair no longer contain soap or bubbles. Hannibal leans him back against the tub as Will opens his eyes.

He looks up at Hannibal who is looking back at him with warmth and adoration in his bloodstained eyes. Hannibal takes the same care with Will’s body, soaping up his hands and cleaning the man’s chest and back. As he rinses him off, he uses his strong, slightly calloused hands to work any knots or tightness he finds in his back and shoulders. Once Will is clean and relaxed, Hannibal kisses him on the forehead and walks back to the bedroom to give the other man privacy as he finishes his bath.

Will wraps a towel around his waist as he enters the bedroom. He had intended to make his way to the closet, but Hannibal is standing by the foot of their bed unbuttoning his shirt that, despite his carefulness, is slightly damp. Will walks over to Hannibal and reaches up to gently pull his hands away from his shirt. Will replaces them with his own and finishes unbuttoning then removes the offending material. He meets Hannibal’s eyes as he runs his fingers under the hem of his undershirt, cocking an eyebrow in question. Hannibal smiles down at him and Will pulls the shirt over his head leaning in so their bare chests are touching.

Hannibal tilts Will’s head up with his fingertips under his chin then presses their lips together. Will’s tongue runs along Hannibal’s bottom lip asking for entrance, which Hannibal quickly grants. Will’s hands run down Hannibal’s chest and stomach, resting on the buckle of his belt. He unclasps his belt and starts unbuttoning his slacks when Hannibal gives his towel a quick tug before tossing it to the floor. Will shakes his head, lips twitching. “Not fair. You wear so many layers. It’s like unwrapping a Christmas gift from a person who loves tape.”

Hannibal chuckles and waits until Will finishes unbuttoning and unzipping his slacks before he pulls them and his underwear down his strong legs. “Better?” Hannibal asks. Will’s eyes run the length of Hannibal’s body from his strong, broad shoulders, slightly soft stomach, and muscle wrapped thighs.

“Nearly,” he says as he kisses the doctor before pushing him down onto the bed. Will climbs on top of Hannibal, slotting their bodies together so they are flush against each other, every part touching from lips to toes. Will bucks his hips into Hannibal’s grinding their erections together as he kisses the doctor with more heat. This kiss is more teeth and tongue than the ones before it. Hannibal senses Will’s urgency and follows his pace. He runs his hands down Will’s back and grabs his hips with bruising fingers, pulling him closer. Will moans and Hannibal buries his face in Will’s neck. He runs his nose down the slope where his neck meets his shoulder. Hannibal thrusts his hips up into Will’s and he feels his cock twitch between them.

“Please, Hannibal.” Will pants.

“Please what, beautiful boy?” Hannibal whispers against his ear before running his tongue over the shell of it.

“Please. I want you.”

Hannibal runs his hand up from Will’s back and through his curls before pulling his head so he his eye to eye with Hannibal. Will’s eyes fly open at the sudden movement and they are lust blown. “Where do you want me, my dear, dear Will?”

“Everywhere,” he says in a gasp as Hannibal kisses his pulse point before nipping it gently.

“Gladly,” Hannibal all but growls. In one swift motion he flips them so he is on top of Will, strategically adjusting his weight so Will is pinned in place, but not uncomfortably so. He reaches over to the bedside table and grabs the bottle of lube and sets it on the bed next to them. He kisses down Will’s throat and nips at his collarbone as the smaller man writhes beneath him.

“Please,” Will says again trying to reach between them to touch his leaking member, but Hannibal bats his hand away.

“Not just yet. I do love it when you beg.” Hannibal uses one hand to pin Will’s hips to the bed so he cannot buck into him while running his other up his neck and gliding his fingers over Will’s kiss swollen lips. He traces his lips with the tip of his index finger before sliding it into Will’s mouth. Will takes it eagerly. “I love it when you are so,” Hannibal leans down so the next words are growled into his ear, “hungry.” He puts another finger into Will’s mouth making sure they are wet before he takes them out and pulls away slightly so he can rub his spit soaked fingers over Will’s tight entrance.

Will’s eyes roll back in his head from the sensation. Hannibal takes his index finger and pushes it through the tight ring of muscles until his entire finger disappears. He begins stretching Will until he can work a second and then a third finger inside. When Hannibal gets the third finger fully inside him, Will throws his head back and pulls Hannibal by his hair, crushing their lips together. Hannibal tweaks his position slightly and begins thrusting his fingers into Will grazing his prostate. Will’s kisses turn into pants against his lips and he smiles at him taking in how utterly debauched Will looks.

He removes his fingers and Will opens his eyes as he uncaps the bottle of lube and slicks himself with it before placing the head of his cock at Will’s entrance. Will reaches out to Hannibal, digging his fingers into his hips and pulling him forward as he wraps his legs around him pulling Hannibal inside him in one smooth motion. “Yes.” Will gasps.

Hannibal slides almost all the way out of Will before thrusting back in roughly, causing Will to be pushed up the bed. Hannibal grabs his shoulder, pushing him down as he thrusts forward.

“I want to ride you,” Will says. No hint of nervousness. Instead his voice comes out husky and full of need. Hannibal smiles and allows Will to flip them.

Will slides down until Hannibal’s cock is all the way inside him. He sighs and begins rolling his hips experimentally looking at Hannibal for his reaction. Hannibal sucks in a breath through his teeth so Will does it again, harder this time, running his hands along all the roiling muscles of Hannibal’s chest. Hannibal pulls them up the bed so he is in a seated position for more leverage and he puts his hands on Will’s hips as the man on top of him starts moving up and down on his cock. Will digs his fingertips into Hannibal’s back and shoulders as he speeds up. When he slams Hannibal back inside him, Hannibal redirects his hips so he makes contact with Will prostate again. After a few minutes, Will starts to lose his rhythm and his breaths speed up until he is gasping. Hannibal tightens his grip on Will’s hips and starts thrusting up into him. Will’s cock bobs between them, leaking precum onto Hannibal’s stomach.

“So close,” Will says as he struggles to keep up his frenzied pace. “More. Please, Hannibal.”

Hannibal slides a hand from Will’s hip up the tensed muscles of his stomach, over his chest, and around his neck. With Will’s next roll of his hips, Hannibal thrusts up while tightening his grip on Will’s throat. Will’s breaths are coming out as pants in the warm space between them. Hannibal repeats the motion of his hips and tightens his grip again until a strangled moan tumbles from Will’s kiss swollen lips. “Look at me.” Will’s eyes fly open at the command and his gaze locks with Hannibal’s. “I want to see you. Just like this.” Hannibal thrusts his hips up to meet Will’s again ensuring he hits the man’s prostate as he meets Will thrust for thrust. Will’s body is trembling. He is wound so tight from the pleasure, it is very nearly pain.

“I’m going to. Oh god. Hannibal,” Will cries out, eyes still locked on Hannibal’s.

“Come for me, Will. Show me how beautifully you fall apart.” With Hannibal’s words Will comes in ropes of hot semen against Hannibal’s stomach and chest. His muscles clench up and his nails break skin on Hannibal’s shoulders as Hannibal feels his orgasm being pulled out of him by the fluttering muscles of Will around him.

“Will,” Hannibal breathes the man’s name and it is the only warning he can give him as he pulls Will down on top of him as he empties himself deep inside of him. Hannibal leans forward so their foreheads touch and they stay like that until they can catch their breath.

Hannibal reaches up to brush the curls stuck to Will’s face back in place. He kisses his forehead and pulls away slightly to look at him. He’s beautiful like this. His skin is flushed, lips are swollen, and the muscles of his chest are glistening with a thin layer of sweat. He doesn’t think he will ever get tired of seeing him this way. Hannibal leans in to run his tongue over one of Will’s nipples and the man twitches and he feels the muscles still surrounding his cock twitch as well.

“I don’t know how you do this to me,” Will says as he slides off of Hannibal who lays down on the bed pulling Will into his side. Will puts his head on Hannibal’s chest letting the steady beating of his heart bring him back to the present. “It’s never been like this for me before.”

Hannibal runs his fingers through Will’s curls. “I have a theory about that.”

Will scoffs. “Of course you do,” he says with a little laugh. “By all means, doctor, proceed.”

Hannibal can almost hear Will’s eyes roll. “I think it is because you pick up on my emotions as well as your own when we are intimate. You can feel what I feel for you and it makes it that much more intense.”

Will thinks that over and after a minute begrudgingly agrees with him. “That does make sense. I know something is going on because I came without even a single stroke of my,” he looks down suggestively, waving a hand down his body.

Hannibal chuckles. “That is not unheard of, but I do enjoy seeing you fall apart with want. I enjoy it very much.”

Will hums quietly in agreement before sitting up and getting up from the bed. “I’m going to jump in the shower to clean up before taking Winston on a walk. Care to join?” Will holds out a hand towards Hannibal to help him off the bed.

“Of course. We could grab dinner while we are out. There’s a restaurant a few blocks away that allows dogs in their outdoor dining area,” Hannibal says as he grabs Will’s outstretched hand Their matching rings flash in the light.

Will smiles the boyish smile reserved only for dog related topics. “Hannibal Lecter, active dog owner. I never thought I’d see the day. Even after all this time. You take me by surprise.

Hannibal chuckles as he walks hand in hand with Will to the shower. “I’ve been meaning to discuss this with you.” Hannibal looks over at Will with a solemn expression on his face. “I think Winston may like me better."

Will shakes his head. “If he does, it is only because you feed him your special homemade sausages.” Will quirks a brow at him.

“I may have broadened his palate, just as I have broadened yours.” Hannibal leans over and places a gentle kiss on Will’s lips before lightly biting his bottom lip and pulling it slightly as he pulls away to adjust the water of their shower and stepping inside.

Will takes a deep breath to ground himself, a small grin on his lips. “If you keep that up, we won’t make it to dinner. We’ll have to skip straight to dessert.” Will follows him inside the shower as they quickly clean up.

“I didn’t know Florence was so dog friendly before we got here, did you?” Will asks.

“Of course. It was one of the reasons I picked it. I want you to be able to enjoy and partake in all parts of the things you love. Dog hair and motor oil included,” Hannibal says with a smirk looking pointedly at the state of Will’s fingernails.

Will closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Hannibal’s neck. “You spoil me,” he says before pulling Hannibal in for a kiss.

Hannibal pulls away enough to respond back, “Ah, dear Will. I must disagree. You have given me everything I could have ever wanted and some things I didn’t even think to ask for. I have an embarrassment of riches.” Once they are both clean, he reaches behind Will to turn the water off. He steps out of the shower and hands Will his towel before grabbing his own. “Now let’s get dressed. Winston has been quite patient I do not know how much longer that will be the case.”

Will chuckles and nods in agreement. “Fair enough. Lead the way.”