Walk Away From The Sun

by TheDoctorsCompanion13

After allowing Frederick to stay in his home rather than be arrested, Frederick notices that Will is oddly secluded and secretive. Frederick isn't entirely sure he wants to know where Will goes each night, but he finds out quite abruptly when Will returns home one night covered in blood. (Vampire AU)

After an arduous and terrifying incident in which Hannibal Lecter attempted to frame him for his own murders, Frederick found himself in the care of one Will Graham. He'd run to him with absolutely nowhere else to go, anticipating it only being a waypoint before he left the country. However, Will insisted that he stay if he wasn't going to turn himself in. The arrangement was intended to be temporary, he was meant to just be a quiet guest in his home until Hannibal was finally caught and his name cleared. The problem was that capturing Hannibal didn't turn out to be a quick and easy process.

He wasn't entirely sure why Will was willing to hide him, but he wasn't about to question it or do anything to turn Will against him. However, just because he was safe for the time being didn't mean living with Will was a pleasant experience, at least not at first. Will appeared to be secretive. He kept to himself and didn't even talk to Frederick unless he absolutely had to. He also had an odd habit of leaving at night and not returning until early morning, though he said he was with Hannibal the one time Frederick asked.

The first bizarre thing he noticed occurred the morning after Will let him stay. He checked the fridge for something to eat for breakfast and found it bare except for some bottles of dark liquid. Will found him about to reach out for one of the bottles and shut the door on him, telling him that he would go out to get food in a few minutes. It startled Frederick, struck him as strange, but he didn't think about it again until a few weeks later.

---

One night when Will was out late with Hannibal, Frederick had unintentionally passed out on Will's bed in the living room. He'd been reading and he found the bed to be more comfortable than the chairs, which eventually proved to be his downfall when he fell asleep. Will returned in the early morning hours before the sun had started to rise, and the sound of him walking through the door startled Frederick awake. He sat up, blinking the blurriness of sleep away, to see Will, frozen just inside the doorway with blood covering the lower half of his face and the front of his shirt.

"Oh my god, Will," Frederick said, shocked out of his drowsy state. "What happened?"

Will looked down at himself and back up at Frederick, seemingly at a loss of words. "Um, nothing, just a nose bleed," he said, covering his face with his hand as he rushed away.

Frederick had seen nose bleeds before and they never left that much blood or covered a person's face like that. Out of curiosity, he followed after him, up the stairs to the bathroom. The door was open just enough that he could peek in and saw Will frantically wiping blood off his face in the reflection of the mirror above the sink. He also saw a pair of sharp, gleaming fangs in his mouth in place of his canines. Frederick gasped without thinking and clapped a hand over his mouth, hoping Will didn't hear him.

But Will turned around, seeing Frederick just outside the door and Frederick backed away, trying to run but he couldn't find his feet. He only managed to scamper a few inches away from the door when Will grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into the bathroom. Frederick whimpered, close to tears, until Will sat him down on the toilet seat.

"Calm down, Frederick, I can explain," he said as he looked directly into Frederick's eyes.

Frederick felt the panic that made his heart race start to fade. He felt completely calm, staring into the beautiful blue of Will's eyes, unable to look away. He didn't want to look away. A serene sense of peace washed over him, like a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Will knelt down in front of him without breaking eye contact.

"Frederick, what do you think you just saw?" Will said in a calm, soothing voice.

"You had fangs," Frederick said, motioning to his own teeth as he found himself very forthcoming with information. He just felt like he could tell Will anything. "Are they real?"

Will sighed and he saw the fangs again before they slowly retracted until they were normal teeth. But this time he wasn't scared, he didn't feel much of anything except rapt attention to Will. Will seemed to be struggling with something, his eyes not completely focused on Frederick which caused a fog in his head to start to lift, at least for a brief moment until Will returned his full attention to Frederick.

"Okay, well, we're going to be living together for a while so there might be more nights like this. Because of that I'm just going to tell you the truth, but you can't freak out. Do you understand?"

Frederick nodded. "I do."

Will broke eye contact, pacing up and down the length of the small bathroom as Frederick's mind cleared up. He felt aware that he'd spoken to Will but he wasn't entirely sure what it was about. He shook his head, trying to think, when he realized Will had finally stopped pacing and was staring at him. Frederick looked up and met his eyes.

"Frederick, I'm a vampire," Will said bluntly, patiently waiting for a reaction after.

Frederick felt his heart start to race but it immediately calmed down. He felt like he should be scared or panicked but he felt fine, just confused. "A vampire?" Frederick said with a slight frown. He'd thought and hoped that possibly the fangs were plastic, but combined with all the blood, it had frightened him. Then he thought about the bottles in the fridge and it clicked together.

"A real life blood-sucking vampire," Will said before baring his teeth and allowing his fangs to slip back out. "Hannibal Lecter is one too, which is why I'm the only person qualified to take him down. I have no interest in hurting you. This blood on my face and shirt isn't mine but the person it's from is alive, I made sure of it."

Frederick nodded as if it were all perfectly reasonable. "Okay. I understand."

"Good. Easy enough," Will said with a nod. "Oh, one last thing. Don't tell anyone please, even after this is all over."

"No one would believe me anyway," Frederick said with a shrug. His brain felt odd, it felt like he should be more concerned but he just couldn't be.

Will nodded. "I'm sorry about having to glamor you, I don't like to use it, but I can't have you panicking. I hope you understand."

"Of course I do, Will," Frederick said, staring up at him. And he did understand, it's just a part of him still had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that vampires were real but he had no way of coping with it other than blind acceptance.

After that incident, their relationship remained mostly the same. They were civil toward one another but Frederick felt a little wary around Will and cringed whenever he saw the blood bottles in the fridge. However, Will seemed a little more open and friendly since his secret was no longer something he needed to hide from his house guest.

More than the knowledge of Will being a vampire, Frederick mainly felt antsy about there being little progress toward Hannibal's arrest or even death. He didn't care which, he just wanted to have some peace of mind again and be out of Will's home. After a few internal pep talks, he resolved to confront Will about it one night a week after finding out about what Will was.

Unfortunately, that same night Will stumbled into the house at one in the morning, looking especially pale and weak. Frederick stood up from a chair in the living room and was about to ask what was wrong when Will collapsed onto the floor. He rushed to Will's side, kneeling next to him. His first instinct was to check his pulse before he realized that wouldn't tell him anything. He started to shake him instead.

"Will? Are you okay? Will, what happened?" he said, feeling a great amount of concern.

Will groaned. "Got in… into a fight. Didn't mean to… Hannibal… he sent him… after me. Oh god," he hissed as he shifted onto his back and Frederick noticed the blood pooling underneath him. "It was a test but I haven't eaten in days. I'm not healing."

"Uh, well, I can get one of the bottles in the fridge," he said, starting to stand.

Will shook his head as he reached out and grabbed Frederick's wrist to stop him. Even in his weakened state, he was still stronger than Frederick could ever hope to be. "It won't be enough. It's too old, I'd need to drink a lot more than what I have for it to do anything."

Frederick bit his lip hard as he looked down at Will. He really didn't want to offer himself up, but he knew Will was the only person who could stop Hannibal. Without him, he'd be doomed, so he really didn't have much of a choice. He kneeled back down next to Will and rolled up a sleeve, hesitantly holding out his wrist for Will to take. Will shook his head and pushed it away.

"No," he said defiantly as the pool of blood underneath him grew larger.

"God damn it, Will, I'm not being selfless here," Frederick said angrily. "If you die, Hannibal is either going to keep me as his patsy or kill me and I would prefer it if neither of those things happened, so you are going to do this."

Will blinked at Frederick as if seeing him for the first time, then he looked at the arm he was still offering. He reached out and held it gently, pulling it closer to his face where his fangs were already extended. Frederick flinched before squeezing his eyes shut and looking away. Even after seeing two mutilated bodies in his kitchen and one in his cellar, he couldn't help but feel a little queasy. A moment later, Will sunk his fangs into the flesh and veins of his wrist. Frederick's muscles tensed as a short, strangled cry left his mouth from the sharp pain.

After a few seconds, he didn't feel the pain anymore, but his heart still beat hard against his ribs. He could feel the blood being pulled from him, could hear Will draining it, and it made him feel nauseated. Despite the feeling, he wrestled with his curiosity to see what was happening, eventually falling prey to it as he slowly opened his eyes.

Will had his eyes closed and his mouth firmly attached to Frederick's wrist. Blood leaked from his lips, running down Frederick's arm and Will's chin. Frederick could feel himself physically pale as he grew faint from both disgust and sudden blood loss. He wasn't sure how long Will was going to go on for or if he could even make himself stop, a thought that made Frederick feel short of breath. The edges of his vision started to darken and he passed out a moment later, wondering if he was going to die.

---

When Frederick returned to consciousness, a part of him felt surprised. In the blackness of sleep, he had kept telling himself that he was dead and became so sure of it that to wake up was almost jarring. He opened his eyes to a dark room, the guest room in Will's house, with all of the shades drawn. Once his eyes adjusted, he looked to his right to see Will leaning forward in a wooden chair from the kitchen, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He looked up when he heard Frederick stir, his tense features relaxing into relief.

"Frederick, thank god. I thought you'd be okay but I wasn't sure if I'd gone too far," Will said with an apology in his tone as he reached out and held Frederick's right hand.

Frederick glanced down at their hands, noticing a bandage wrapped around his wrist.

"I, um, can heal that, if you want. I just wanted to wait until I had your permission. It involves you drinking my own blood. Not much," Will said, noticing that Frederick suddenly adopted a sick look about him. Will stood up from the chair, looking like he wasn't sure what to do with himself. "I'm going to get you some food. You should eat."

Frederick sat up in the bed, using the pillows he'd been laying on as a prop behind him. He touched the bandage around his wrist before unraveling it. There wasn't much blood staining the white wound dressing, which made Frederick feel better about it, but the sight of the two punctures made him feel faint again. They looked clean enough but they gave him the chills as he carefully ran a thumb over them.

"You should probably leave that covered for now," Will said, startling Frederick with how quietly he'd entered the room, holding a tray.

"Sorry, I was just… curious," Frederick said as he quickly rewrapped the wounds.

Will walked over, setting the tray down in the end table beside the bed. He sat down in the chair and held out his hand. "I think I can heal you in a more direct way without you having to drink anything."

Frederick hesitated but held out his arm anyway. Will's soft hands removed the bandages and held his arm puncture side up. He brought one of his hands up to his mouth, biting down on the pad of his thumb until dark, almost black blood gushed out. He then started to rub the wounds on Frederick's arm with his bloody thumb and Frederick was surprised when they started to close up until it looked like they'd never been there at all. Frederick looked up at Will, staring at him with a mixture of awe and fear.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"I've never tried that before, so I'm glad it worked. Oh, I brought you breakfast," he said moving to grab the tray, setting it on Frederick's lap.

Frederick held onto the sides of it so that it wouldn't fall off. A plate of scrambled eggs and toast sat there along with a glass of water and what appeared to be a pill bottle. He set the glass on the end table beside him before picking up the bottle. It was small, made of green plastic, and said Iron Supplements on the label. He looked up at Will questioningly.

"I took a little too much blood from you last night so once I dealt with the wounds, I went out and bought those," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, not meeting Frederick's eye.

"That's… oddly considerate," Frederick mumbled.

"Well, you saved my life. It's the least I could do," Will said, rubbing his hands together. "I guess I'll just go."

"Actually, I have some questions, if you don't mind," Frederick said, as Will started to stand.

He dropped back into the chair and looked at Frederick's face. "Okay. Ask away."

"How do you go out in the sunlight?" Frederick said, taking the opportunity to satiate the questions that had been building up for a week. With Will taking care of him so attentively, it made him feel more at ease to ask them.

Will smirked. "The sunlight doesn't kill me, it can just get overly irritating. It's like having a sensitive skin condition," he explained. "I show up in mirrors and pictures. You can't ward me off with garlic or religious symbols."

Frederick nodded. "How long have you been… like this?"

"Not as long as you'd think. I'm not centuries old. I'm not even one century old. I'm actually turning sixty-eight this year," Will said, glancing down at his hands with a faraway look.

"And Hannibal?"

"Considerably older. I don't know his exact age."

"This is all so insane," Frederick said as he rubbed at his eyes.

"It definitely takes more than a few days to adjust to. Now, you really need to eat. And take those pills so you won't succumb to anemia," Will commanded as he stood up.

He made sure Frederick was starting to eat before leaving the room. After hearing the answers to his questions, he wasn't sure if he felt more at ease or on edge, but he did know that having some food in his stomach was making him feel a little better than he did. Once he'd eaten his fill, he took the supplements as instructed before trying to climb out of the bed only to find that sudden movements made his head swim.

He paused briefly until the dizziness dissipated and then tried again, moving at a slower, more deliberate pace. Once he was standing up, he grabbed the plate and glass before walking out to the stairs to take the dishes into the kitchen. He made it down the first few steps well enough, but about halfway down the dizziness hit him again. He tripped, dropping the dishes as he internally braced himself for the impact, but it never came.

It took him a moment to realize that he was being held, one arm around his back, the other under his knees. Frederick blinked until his vision cleared and he could see Will staring at him, eyes wide, brow creased.

"When did you get here?" Frederick said hazily.

"Vampire, remember," Will said with a small smile. "I heard you trip and I can move faster than your human eyes can see."

"I broke your plate and glass, I think," he said as he rested his head on Will's chest. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it doesn't matter. I'm more concerned about you. You shouldn't be out of bed," Will said as he started to carry him down the steps.

"I'm perfectly fine," Frederick said as his head finally started to clear.

"You will be after you rest more," Will said with a sigh as if he were handling a rebellious child.

He set Frederick down on his own bed and Frederick relaxed into the soft covers and mattress as he watched Will grab a dustpan and head back toward the stairs. The sight of an immortal being holding a dustpan seemed incredibly amusing to Frederick but he didn't even have the energy to laugh. He rolled onto his side and fell asleep to the sound of pieces of glass clinking together.

---

"Frederick, wake up," Will's voice said, disturbing the comfortable unconscious state he had attained.

He opened his eyes to see Will's blue ones staring down at him. "What is it?"

"You slept through lunch but I have dinner for you," Will said, moving out of his range of vision.

Frederick sat up, feeling much better than earlier. Will was sitting in one of the living room chairs, typing his shoes before standing up to grab his jacket.

"Where are you going?" he said with a slight frown.

"I need to have a talk with Hannibal about what happened last night," he said irritably as he put his arms through the sleeves. "I left your food in the kitchen. I only just finished cooking it so it's still hot."

"Um, thank you, Will," Frederick said, feeling his cheeks flush a little at the kindness Will had been showing him.

Will smiled and nodded before heading out the door, closing it firmly behind him. Frederick yawned, feeling that his mouth was dry and his limbs were stiff. He stood up and stretched out before walking into the kitchen, following the smell of food. A plate sat on one of the counters, a grilled vegetable stir-fry. It wasn't the sort of meal he was used to, but he had to admit that it smelled delicious.

He grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer and a glass of water before carrying it all into the dining room. The house seemed unsettlingly quiet as he sat and ate, feeling the silence and darkness close in around him. The dogs joined him in the kitchen, probably craving company as well, but for some reason their presence didn't help. Chill bumps rose on his arms as he thought about it so he tried to distract himself by focusing on the food, which worked until it was all gone.

After that, the loneliness took him over again as he set the dirty dishes back on the counter. He let them sit there for a long moment before he picked them up again with the intent to wash them by hand just for something to do. He grabbed some dish soap and a sponge after adding some water to the sink, quickly cleaning the two dishes and setting them in the nearby strainer to dry. He'd never had such a problem before, even preferring to be alone in Will's house, but he just felt entirely on edge that night.

He decided to continue reading a historical fiction book he picked up a few nights ago, curling up in a chair with it. Just after he opened it to the page he left off on, the front door crashed open and Will suddenly stood in front of him. Will had a dark look in his wide eyes along with a spark of fear. He grabbed Frederick by the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"I'm really sorry about this, I'll explain later," he said in a rushed whisper.

He pulled Frederick's collared shirt to the side, sinking his fangs into Frederick's shoulder at the base of his neck. Frederick tensed up, the pain like an electric bolt running through him before it faded. It only lasted a second and Will stepped away from him, leaving two fresh puncture wounds that were leaking blood. Frederick stumbled away from him as Will turned toward the front door, seeming to be waiting for something. He couldn't begin to fathom what it was until Hannibal appeared in in the doorway of Will's home.

Frederick could see the muscles in Will's back tense up, his hands curled into a first, as he growled, low and deep like a wolf with its teeth bared. The sound caused the hairs on Frederick's arms to stand up as he stumbled back a few more steps until the backs of his knees hit Will's bed. Hannibal smirked at Will as if the chilling growl were nothing more than a joke to him, but Will stood his ground. It was only when Hannibal turned his gaze from Will to him that Frederick realized he was the subject of whatever was happening between the two of them.

Hannibal stepped forward into the house, moving directly toward Frederick, but Will moved to intercept him, placing a hand flat against his chest. Hannibal looked down at Will's hand, eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring. He grabbed Will's hand by the wrist and pulled it away with ease, making Frederick feel incredibly nervous. His body started to shake, forcing him to sit down on the bed before he collapsed. Will lashed out, hitting Hannibal in the chest with his elbow, making him stumble back a couple of steps.

"Leave him alone, Hannibal," Will hissed, putting himself between Hannibal and Frederick.

"You lied to me, Will. You kept him from me," Hannibal said softly as if they were merely having a conversation instead of a physical argument.

"He's mine. He belongs to me," Will said, staring him down. "Show him, Frederick."

Frederick panicked, not sure what he meant until he remembered what Will did when he first burst into the house. With a shaky hand, he reached up and exposed his shoulder, baring the bite mark and blood for Hannibal to see. Hannibal looked from the mark to Will with his eyebrows slightly raised.

"You could do better. Think of it as a favor to you," Hannibal said, staring at Frederick with a hungry look in his eyes.

"I won't let you touch him. If you need someone to pin your crimes on, find someone else," Will growled, pushing Hannibal away from him.

Hannibal frowned as he stared at Will for a long moment. "So, you've degraded yourself to a blood whore, Frederick. I'd say this is a new low, but we both know I'd be lying."

Frederick opened his mouth but no sound came out, his voice captured by fear.

"Go home, Hannibal," Will said, stepping forward to block Frederick from his view.

"This discussion is far from over but I'll leave him be for now as a kindness. Don't test my patience again," he said staring hard at Will before turning to leave, taking the time to close the door on his way out.

Will's shoulders and hands relaxed once the door closed. He turned around and sat down on the bed next to Frederick, looking frazzled and stressed. Frederick stared at him, the fear he felt edging away slightly as he tried to find his voice. He glanced down at his hands, internally processing everything that just happened like watching a replay on a screen.

"Did… did he just call me a blood whore?" Frederick said, his brow deeply furrowed.

Will turned to look at him before bursting into laughter. He doubled over holding his stomach as Frederick stared at him, entirely unamused.

"This isn't funny. He just tried to kill me and I would like an explanation," Frederick said with a frown.

"Sorry, sorry," Will said as his laughter died off. "It's just, after all that, and that's the first thing out of your mouth. Um, a blood whore is a human that vampires keep alive and feed off of in exchange for something like sex or protection. It's not a term I like to use."

"Oh god, I'm a blood whore," Frederick said, covering his face with his hands.

"You're not at all. I don't feed from you. Just the one time," Will said, placing a hand on his back for reassurance and comfort.

Frederick looked up at Will and a part of him wondered why not. Why didn't Will feed from him? Why didn't he let him? Something inside of him almost wanted him to, but he didn't voice any of his thoughts. Instead a light flush spread across his cheeks as he turned to look at the floor.

"So explain to me what just happened," he said in order to change the subject.

"Hannibal smelled your blood on me. I'm usually careful about removing your scent before I leave to see him but I was careless tonight. He knew I was keeping you and he was furious. He wanted to kill you, so I rushed to get here first so I could mark you," Will said, pointing to the bite mark on his shoulder. "It, uh, marks you as belonging to me. As a rule, other vampires can't touch you and I was hoping Hannibal would abide by that. Lucky for both of us, he did."

"Yeah, lucky," Frederick said, rubbing his eyes as he felt a stress headache start to form. "Thank you, Will. Honestly, I'd be dead or imprisoned without you."

Will glanced away, looking like he would've blushed if he could. "It's no problem. To be honest, I didn't want to take you in at first but you've proven to be better company than I could have ever predicted."

"At least I'm good for something," Frederick said under his breath.

Will sighed, biting his lip. "You're good for a lot, Frederick. Don't be down on yourself."

Frederick wanted to laugh but he couldn't. He'd failed at nearly everything he'd attempted to do in his life and he'd ended up as a refugee, putting the one person to show him any kindness in danger because of it. He couldn't help but have negative thoughts, especially when he didn't see an end to his house arrest anywhere in the near future.

"Why don't I fix that bite mark for you," Will said, trying to be helpful.

Frederick shook his head. "Leave it. If it protects me from other vampires, I'd rather keep it."

Will seemed surprised at that but respected his wishes. Frederick thought he saw Will's eyes darken a little when he said it, but he assumed he imagined it because they were normal again a moment later. They remained in a companionable silence for the rest of the night until Frederick felt tired enough to go up to bed. Will was still up and about at that time, causing Frederick to wonder if he ever slept. His bed did always seem to be perfectly made, rarely ruffled or touched. He was curious to know what Will did with all of that time, if his suspicions were even correct, but he put it out of his mind for the time being so he could relax and drift off to sleep.

---

A few days later, after Will returned home from a case with the FBI, he looked pale and exhausted. He walked into his home, threw his bag and jacket into an unoccupied chair, before heading to the kitchen. Frederick watched this from an armchair in the living room where he sat with Will's laptop, reading news articles to keep him up-to-date and occupied. He didn't even pay Will much attention until he heard a heavy sigh from the kitchen.

"What is it?" Frederick called, unable to contain his curiosity.

"I'm out of blood. I'm going to have to get more," Will groaned as he walked into the living room.

"From where?" Frederick said, closing the laptop before setting it down on the floor beside him.

"I have a deal with someone at the local blood bank. She's a vampire too, so it works out," he said as he rifled through his bag for his wallet.

Frederick bit his lip, thinking about Will's fangs in his flesh, how it hurt at first before turning into something different. "You don't have to, you know."

Will's brow creased as he looked up at Frederick. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I am here and relatively free," Frederick said, trying to keep the nerves he felt out of his voice.

He saw Will's eyes turn dark. Not in an angry way, not how he looked when he thought of Hannibal, but a different way, like when Frederick had told him he wanted to keep the bite that marked him as Will's. Will licked his lips almost unconsciously.

"I… shouldn't. I can just go out and buy some," Will said, shaking his head as he looked down at the money in his wallet.

"I'm giving you permission, Will," he said, unable to keep a flush from his cheeks. "I trust you."

Will swallowed hard and set down his wallet before walking over to where Frederick sat. Frederick stood up to meet him, his heart pounding and knees feeling weak.

"Are you sure?" Will said, staring him in the eye.

Frederick nodded and a moment later Will had pulled Frederick's shirt away from his neck and sunk his teeth in, making Frederick wince before he relaxed into it. Will cradled the back of Frederick's head with his free hand, brushing his fingertips through his hair in a way that sent chills down his spine. Frederick held on to Will's waist, not knowing what else to do with his hands as he felt Will suck the blood from him.

It wasn't so much that he felt faint or dizzy this time, but it was just enough to give him a rush as he tightened his grip on Will's hipbones. After what seemed like several minutes, but was probably considerably shorter, Will pulled away, blood running down his chin, eyes as dark as empty space. The first time Frederick had seen him that way, he'd felt scared, but he didn't anymore. Will kept his hold on the back of Frederick's neck and used it to pull him in until their lips crashed together.

The dark, bitter blood on Will's lips and tongue transferred to Frederick and he tried not to think about how he was discovering what his own blood tasted like. Instead, he focused on the feel of Will's lips, how soft they were against his own, and how tightly Will held onto him with an arm around his waist as if he didn't want to let go. However, when Will pulled back far enough to see the blood coating Frederick's mouth, his eyes quickly returned to normal.

He let go and stepped away, wiping the blood from his own face as he seemed a little embarrassed. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean—I got carried away."

"It's fine. Don't be," Frederick said breathlessly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Will bit his thumb and closed the wounds as they'd been bleeding somewhat steadily while they kissed. Once they were healed, Will ran his tongue over Frederick's neck, cleaning up the excess blood while keeping Frederick from forming a coherent thought. Frederick held on to the front of Will's shirt, a half-formed moan held back behind his lips. When the blood was gone, Will kissed Frederick's neck softly and stepped away.

"If we're going to continue on with this arrangement, you need to take those iron supplements every day. I'll get some vitamin B12 too, just to be safe," Will said, sounding concerned.

"Will, I'll be fine," Frederick said, though he did feel a little tired.

"You will if you take the pills like I told you," he said sternly.

"Okay, I will," Frederick conceded.

"Thank you. I'm going to go make you something to eat," he said, leaving Frederick to head toward the kitchen.

"You don't have to," Frederick said even though he didn't mind.

Will paused, turning to face him for a moment at the opening to the kitchen. "You basically did the same for me, it's only fair."

Frederick smiled to himself as Will walked into the kitchen. He hadn't felt as happy as he did now in a long time and he never thought Will Graham would be the one to make him feel that way, especially after he found out what he was. His heart fluttered and his stomach twisted and suddenly being confined to Will's house for a while longer didn't seem so terrible. He just wished the looming threat that was Hannibal could be out of the way.

He picked up the laptop he'd set down earlier beside the armchair and opened it to the article he left off from. He curled up and started to read until Will had finished with his dinner. Then he sat down to eat, a surprisingly delicious salad, as Will rushed around, getting ready to leave somewhere.

"Where are you headed?" Frederick said as he watched him walk back and forth around the house.

"I have a few minor errands to run, including stopping by the grocery store for a few things," Will said as he grabbed his keys and pulled on his jacket. He paused in the dining room where Frederick was sitting. "Make sure the door is locked when I leave. Don't let anyone in. If anything strange happens, call me."

"Do you think something will happen?" Frederick said as his heart started to beat a little faster.

"Not that I'm aware of, but it's better to be safe," Will said, hesitating for a moment as he stood beside Frederick.

He appeared to be internally debating something before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Frederick's forehead before turning to leave. He was already out the door before Frederick could even react. He felt his face grow warm as he thought about it, all feelings of hunger gone. He set the plate aside, cleaning up after himself, before double checking that the front and back doors were locked.

After that, he wasn't sure what to do, finding himself alone in the house. He grabbed Will's laptop and moved to his bed, logging into his Netflix account to find something to watch. A few minutes later the dogs started to join him. He wasn't particularly thrilled by the drooling and shedding that came with them, but he was grateful for some sort of company. He switched between watching different shows and documentaries for a few hours until he fell asleep with a video still going, surrounded by a few of the dogs.

When he woke up, the sunrise was streaming into the room and he felt surprised to find himself in Will's bed rather than his own. The covers had been pulled over him when he was sure he'd fallen asleep on top of them. He rubbed his eyes and sat up looking around to see a couple of the dogs still sleeping on the bed with him and Will, sitting in a nearby chair with his legs draped over the arm and his laptop in his lap.

"Good morning, Frederick," Will said without looking up.

"Morning," he said with a thick, groggy voice. "Do you ever sleep?"

Will looked up at Frederick, studying him for a moment. "Not really. I don't need to, but I suppose I could."

"Don't you get bored with all of that time?" Frederick said, wondering what he would do if he didn't have to sleep. It just seemed awful given his current situation.

"I do my normal human business during the day and everything else at night," Will said, turning back to his laptop.

"Vampire business, you mean? What sort of business does a vampire do?" Frederick said, wondering aloud.

"We have our own society and rules. It's not the most well organized thing, but it exists," Will explained as he typed away.

"Fascinating," Frederick said genuinely. "You wouldn't be able to teach me about it, would you?"

Will frowned, closing his laptop and righting himself in the chair. "Not unless you were to become one of us."

Frederick raised his eyebrows at that. He hadn't even considered the possibly of becoming a vampire, but the idea of it suddenly seemed so appealing. He'd be immortal, no more aging, he'd have abnormal strength and speed without a lot of the downsides that myths spoke about. However, Will appeared less than thrilled with the idea as his frown deepened.

"Frederick, no. I'm not turning you, no one is," Will said sternly.

"Why not?" Frederick said as he pulled the covers off of him and stood up. "You wouldn't have to expend so much energy protecting me."

"I'd still have to protect you. I'd be your sire. I'd be in charge of teaching you everything and making sure you don't expose us," Will said, standing up as well, setting the laptop down where he was sitting.

"Who is your sire then?" Frederick said, following Will as he tried to walk away from the conversation into the kitchen.

"I don't know," Will said a little irritably as he turned around suddenly, causing Frederick to walk directly into him.

Will didn't budge an inch from the impact as Frederick stumbled back a few steps. He looked up at Will's face, seeing the stress there in his pursed lips and his hands curled into fists. "I apologize. I didn't mean to pry," Frederick said, glancing down at his feet.

"You did," Will chastised, but his expression softened a moment later. "Sorry, it's just a sore subject. I don't think whoever sired me meant to turn me but it happened. I didn't know what was happening but the local community found me and took me in."

Frederick could tell that he wasn't offering the whole story, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to pull it out of him, so he kept his mouth shut.

"I just—I've been a vampire for thirty-three years now and it's not as great as it seems," Will said with a sigh as he rubbed his forehead. "I won't turn you, Frederick. Enjoy your humanity."

Frederick frowned as Will walked away. He didn't really see what there was to enjoy. He liked his work, sure, but his work was all he had, and as long as he was being framed for murder, he didn't even have that. He had no family, his parents long since gone, and didn't really have any friends. In fact, the only person he really cared about even an ounce was a vampire, so becoming one seemed pretty ideal, but he could tell Will wouldn't budge.

He abandoned his pursuit and walked up the stairs to shower and dress. He'd only brought two sets of clothes with him when he planned to run away, so Will had been letting Frederick borrow some of his since then. He found himself needing to wash his own clothes once again, so he dressed in a black t-shirt and the cleanest pair of Will's jeans that he could find. As he walked down the steps, he heard Will call out to him.

"Did you take those pills yet?" he said and Frederick rolled his eyes.

"Will, I feel perfectly fine," he replied as he walked into the living room.

"You do now, but you won't if…" Will drifted off once he caught sight of Frederick.

Frederick froze, confused about the way Will was looking at him. "If what?"

"Um, nothing," Will said, looking away. He scratched at the back of his neck as he glanced toward the kitchen.

"Will?" Frederick said, putting a hand on his arm.

Will grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away, wrapping the fingers of his other hand around Frederick's throat. Frederick felt his fear spike until he looked into Will's eyes. Will wasn't holding his throat in a tight grip, not enough to cut off his air, just enough so that he had control over him. He pulled Frederick closer to him, letting go of his wrist to wrap an arm around his waist. Frederick nearly had forgotten to breathe as he watched Will's eyes and lips.

After what felt like a long, torturous moment, Will leaned down and kissed him, softly at first, as if he were holding back. He handled Frederick delicately, not holding him or kissing him too hard, but Frederick couldn't bear it. He grabbed the back of Will's neck, deepening the kiss and accidentally nicking his bottom lip on one of Will's fangs in the process.

Will's eyes darkened at the taste, sucking the blood that dripped from his lip before letting it go. He released Frederick, circling him until he stood behind him. He slid his arms around Frederick's waist, slipping one hand under his shirt, stroking the scar on his abdomen. Frederick leaned back into him, his back pressing up against Will's chest as Will started to kiss the spot at the base of his neck.

He realized it was the mark, which had been showing due to the wide neck of the t-shirt. The mark had healed some since it had been made, scabbing over, knitting back together, and it was clear that it would leave a prominent scar. Will kissed up his neck, letting the ends of his fangs drag carefully over the flesh, just enough to make Frederick shiver.

"Do it," Frederick said, his tone pleading.

"Do what?" Will whispered teasingly into his neck.

"Bite me," he said, knowing he sounded ridiculous and desperate but he didn't much care in that moment.

Will bit down and Frederick gasped, pain giving way to a rush of pleasure as he reached back and grabbed a fistful of Will's hair. He could feel blood running down his neck to his chest just as he could feel Will's lips and his teeth and his hand still on his stomach, every sensation amplified and nearly overwhelming. He felt light-headed and high, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. When Will pulled his fangs out, Frederick nearly whimpered from the loss as his head already started to clear.

"Sorry," Will said as he closed up the bite. "If I'd taken any more you would've passed out."

Will kissed the spot he just healed as Frederick sighed, leaning heavily into Will's body. He picked Frederick up and laid him out on his bed before disappearing for a minute. He returned with two bottles and a glass of water and Frederick laughed.

"Okay, you win. I probably do need those now," Frederick said as he forced himself to sit up.

Frederick swallowed the vitamins and supplements as Will laid down on the bed beside him. Once Frederick relaxed back down, his head on the pillows, Will turned on his side and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him up against him with ease. Will continued to kiss Frederick's neck as fatigue settled over Frederick. He grabbed Will's hand that rested on his chest, placing his hand on top of his, slipping his fingers in the spaces between Will's.

"You are delicious," Will said at Frederick's ear, causing chills to raise bumps on his flesh. "You should know that."

"So why haven't you taken blood from me before now then," Frederick said as he closed his eyes. Will's body didn't radiate heat like a normal person's, but he still felt warm.

"I've wanted to, believe me," Will said, kissing the mark on his shoulder. "I've wanted to since the moment I let you in my home. I can hear the blood rushing through your veins constantly. But as tempting as you've been, I don't take from anyone. I either live off of what people have already given up or I need permission."

"A vampire with morals," Frederick said tiredly.

"Most of us have morals, Frederick," Will said. "But some of us, like Hannibal, live by their own rules and they threaten the rest of us. I'm not just working for the FBI to catch him, I'm working for the vampires too."

"I believe you'll catch him," Frederick said, feeling his consciousness start to slip away.

"You have more faith in me than I do," Will said softly, the last words Frederick heard before he fell asleep.

---

A week passed and their relationship developed like how a tree trunk can be shaped with controlled growth. Will cared for Frederick, protective and attentive about everything, always making sure his red blood cell count was high enough. No one had ever cared about him like that before, which was a treat in itself, but the times when Will bit him, when he just couldn't hold himself back from it, those were the times he lived for.

He felt connected to Will in those moments as a piece of him transferred to Will each time. It was better than sex, in his opinion, better than anything he could've imagined, and the way Will just held him after, he thought he might have started to fall in love. He couldn't quite tell how Will felt, but the last few nights, he chose to spend a large chunk of them curled up with Frederick in his bed, and that made him think that maybe he felt the same.

One morning, before Will had to be at work, they spent their time in bed together, kissing, unable to pull themselves away. Will lay flat on his back with one hand on Frederick's hip and the other resting on the side of his face. He held him and kissed him gently, as if he were made of porcelain, which Frederick found both endearing and frustrating.

Frederick wanted to say something about it, but every time he looked Will in the eye, he couldn't bring himself too. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen someone look at him with such affection in their eyes the way Will did. He was putty in his hands, anything Will wanted, he would do, and he didn't even think Will realized that.

"I should get ready for work," Will said, punctuating the sentence with a soft moan as Frederick kissed his neck. He bit down once out of curiosity, just to try it, and Will gasped, tightening his grip on Frederick's waist. "Frederick, that's not fair. I can't call in sick today."

"Tell that to the person who started the morning by waking the other person up with a surprise hickey. Oh, right, that was you," Frederick said, kissing just behind Will's ear.

"Well, that was your own fault. Laying there with your shoulder all exposed like some wanton mistress of the night," Will said with a laugh.

Frederick laughed with him, leaving a soft kiss on Will's lips before climbing off of him. "Fine, I'll let you go, but we're continuing this when you get home."

"Count on it," Will said, kissing Frederick's cheek before rolling out of bed.

He laid in bed for a few more minutes as Will left to shower and dress, thinking how much better his life had become in just the past month alone. He almost wanted to thank Hannibal for how he pushed Will and him together, but he was certain Hannibal would kill him if he was ever close enough to have the chance. He shivered at the thought. In reality, he'd be happy if he never saw Hannibal again.

With a yawn, he crawled out of bed, letting his bare feet hit the cold, wooden floor. Once he adjusted to being upright, he walked into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He was just pouring himself a cup when Will walked back downstairs, grabbing his bag, keys, and jacket before stopping by the kitchen. Frederick set down the mug and pot, greeting Will with a smile as Will pulled him in for a kiss.

"Have a good day, stay safe," Will said.

"You too," Frederick said, kissing him one more time before he turned and left.

Frederick made sure both doors were locked before returning to his coffee. He stood around the kitchen, sipping it, looking for something to eat. He didn't really feel hungry but Will enforced the three meals a day rule for his own well-being, so he toasted a bagel and spread peanut butter on it. He ate it slowly, hoping he'd feel somewhat hungry for it during the eating process, but he didn't. Once he'd eaten it all, he fed the dogs and decided to do some cleaning around the house.

He swept the floors of dog hair and dirt, dusted the first floor, and cleaned the counter tops. By the time he felt tired enough to stop, it was a little after one. He started putting the supplies away, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, when a crash startled him. He glanced through the kitchen opening, his heart pounding, and he saw the front door thrown open, one of the hinges broken causing it to dangle.

The muscles in his body tensed, his feet frozen in place as his instincts screamed at him to run. Finally he turned, running toward the door in the kitchen, fumbling to unlock it before he threw it open. He barely made it a few steps outside before something caught him by his shirt collar and yanked him back off his feet.

"It's good to see you again, Frederick," Hannibal said with a smile as he turned Frederick to face him.

Frederick's heart beat even harder, making his chest hurt, as he looked in Hannibal's eyes. "Oh god, I can't really say the same."

Hannibal's smile grew a little wider. "You've become a nuisance, Frederick."

"I haven't even done anything," Frederick whimpered as Hannibal closed a hand around Frederick's neck.

"He smells like you now," Hannibal growled, his smile disappearing. "Every night I'm with him, your scent overpowers everything. You might as well be in the room with us. It needs to end."

"I'm sorry," Frederick said, his voice barely above a whisper as Hannibal's hold on his throat grew tighter.

His vision dimmed as he gasped for air, not getting any. He reached up, clawing at Hannibal's fingers but they might as well have been made of granite. He could feel himself slipping under, his terror mounting at what Hannibal had planned for him, until his sight grew completely black and his conscious mind was gone.

---

The first thing Frederick felt as he woke up was his throat burning. He tried to swallow even though his mouth felt dry, and the action set his esophagus on fire. He opened his eyes next, taking in the sight of a dark, concrete room. It looked like a butcher shop in a child's nightmare with chains hanging from the ceiling and mysterious dark stains on the floor.

He shifted a little, feeling an ache in his arms as he found himself tied to what looked to be a hand-carved wooden chair. His arms were behind him, wrists tied tightly to slots in the back of the chair, and his ankles were tied to the chair's legs. He didn't struggle. He was smart enough to know that he wouldn't be able to escape from the rope so he wasn't about to tire himself out by trying. Instead, he tried to look around more in an attempt to place where he was, but he just had no idea.

He felt terrified as he sat and waited, not knowing what his fate would be, but he also felt a little bored with nothing to do but sit there. He couldn't tell how much time passed, being unable to see a clock or even any sunlight, but the longer he waited, the less scared he felt. His whole body started to ache from sitting for so long until he heard a door creak open and saw light stream in from around a corner to his left.

Instinctively, he sat up straighter, his muscles tensing as a nauseous feeling erupted from his gut. He tried to make his outer appearance seem less afraid than how he felt, but as soon as Hannibal Lecter stepped around the corner and into his field of vision, all of that crumbled. He could feel his pulse hammering in his throat and he had to work hard to keep from throwing up.

"Frederick, you're awake," Hannibal said, sounding surprised. "I assumed you'd start screaming once you'd regained consciousness."

"You assumed wrong," Frederick said, his voice coming out as a shaky croak.

"I've been debating what to do with you since I brought you here. I thought I could just kill you, possibly snap your neck or even draw it out so I could gain some semblance of enjoyment after all I've had to put up with in regards to you," Hannibal said as he ambled towards Frederick, his hands in his pockets. "But then I had an idea. So, I called Will. He should be here any moment."

Frederick felt a small spark of relief, knowing that Will would save him. But Hannibal just smiled, chilling Frederick.

"When he does arrive, I will have him kill you," he said, stopping directly in front of Frederick. "And if he doesn't, I'll kill you myself and leave him for dead."

His heart really started to ache, his stomach tied itself in knots, and he was certain it showed on his face because of how amused Hannibal appeared as he looked down on him. He didn't think Will would kill him, at least he hoped, but he didn't want Will to die either. He was almost considering self-sacrifice as a viable option, which caused him to surprise himself. He looked up at Hannibal as anger and sadness filled his veins and all Hannibal did was smile.

Frederick fought against his restraints, his teeth bared, trying to do something, anything, but he knew it was hopeless. His shoulders slumped and he hung his head, trying to think but his head was filled with the static of panic. He closed his eyes and pretended he was elsewhere, wishing more than pretending, imagining himself back in Will's home as if he could transport himself there. Then he heard a faint voice that brought him crashing back to reality.

"Hannibal?" Will called. "I had to cancel a lecture for this. What do you want?"

"Down in the basement," Hannibal called.

"WILL, NO! Leave, go back to work," Frederick screamed, his voice cracking.

"Frederick?" Will said, sounding confused.

Frederick heard Will's footsteps walking down the stairs to the basement. He wanted to scream and fight and do something, but he was nothing more than a weak human. Because of that, he was forced to sit there and listen as Will walked in and rounded the corner, forced to watch as his expression turned to one of confusion then rage.

"You should've left," Frederick said quietly as Will approached Hannibal.

"Hannibal, what the fuck is this?" Will growled, grabbing him by the front of his suit jacket.

Hannibal reached out and held the side of Will's face, looking at him affectionately. It made Frederick feel furious.

"I think perhaps it's time to retire your plaything for a new one," Hannibal said, stroking the side of Will's face with his thumb.

Will glanced over at Frederick, his jaw muscles working as he clenched his teeth. "I don't want a new one, Hannibal. He's mine."

"You can have anyone you want, just not him," Hannibal said, looking at Frederick disdainfully. "I'm tired of him."

Will let go of Hannibal's jacket and gently held the sides of Hannibal's face. He pressed their foreheads together as Frederick watched with a growing feeling of horror.

"Oh, Hannibal," Will said softly. "He's so much more than a plaything to me."

He grabbed Hannibal and lifted him up, throwing him across the room. Hannibal landed easily on his feet, looking slightly ruffled and extremely angry. With frightening speed and grace, Hannibal charged at Will before lifting him up and slamming him to the concrete floor. Hannibal pinned him down, a knee on his gut and an arm at his throat.

"Don't do this, Will. You just have to kill him and all is forgiven," Hannibal said.

"Never," Will hissed, punching Hannibal in the face before throwing him off.

Will rushed toward Frederick, moving behind him. He started to pull at the back of the chair until Frederick heard and felt something snap.

"Will, what the hell are you doing?" Frederick hissed.

"Getting a weapon," he said, kissing the back of his head as Hannibal stood up, baring his fangs.

Will launched himself at Hannibal, grabbing hold of his torso as he tackled him to the ground. He grabbed Hannibal's throat tightly with one hand, holding up a broken piece of wood with the other. Hannibal reached up, gripping Will's forearm to keep the makeshift stake away from him.

"You plan to kill me now? After everything? Frederick is nothing compared to what we are," Hannibal said as Will struggled against Hannibal's strength.

"Frederick isn't the best humanity has to offer, but he's far better than you," Will said, using all of his strength to force the stake down, but Hannibal shifted to the side and tossed Will off of him like a rag doll.

Will hit a concrete wall hard, causing cracks to form. Before he had the chance to recover, Hannibal picked up the broken hunk of wood and knelt down in front of him. Frederick pulled hard on his restraints, as hard as he possibly could, until he heard the wood start to splinter. Hannibal glanced up, a smile on his face. Frederick screamed, pulling even harder, making his muscles and joints cry out in pain.

"NO! HANNIBAL, LEAVE HIM ALONE," Frederick cried, feeling pressure start to build up and burn behind his eyes.

Hannibal adopted a sneer, looking Frederick directly in the eyes as he placed the wood over Will's chest and pushed it through. Will and Frederick screamed at the same time, a broken sound of agony. Frederick thrashed against the rope and the wood splintered further until he felt his arms move freely. The wooden slats were still attached to his arms, but he ignored that as he reached down to untie his legs.

He nearly had one free when he felt a hand close around his neck, lifting him and the chair off the ground. He struggled for air as Hannibal put his foot on the chair and kicked down, breaking it away from Frederick's legs. As if Frederick weighed nothing, Hannibal carried Frederick over to stand in front of Will as Frederick gasped and gurgled helplessly. Hannibal set Frederick back down on his feet, grabbing hold of his shirt instead. They both looked down at Will who was slumped forward, blood pouring down his chest, and Frederick started to cry.

It wasn't silent or pretty as the tears he'd been holding back streamed freely down his cheeks. Hannibal smiled at the display which reignited the rage in Frederick's heart. He lashed out, intending to strike Hannibal, but Hannibal grabbed his fist and easily crushed the bones with a loud crunch. The pain hit Frederick like a brick wall. He couldn't even scream or breathe as Hannibal let him fall to his knees.

Hannibal kicked Will's foot and Will stirred, surprising Frederick. The pain he felt was left forgotten as Will lifted his head with what looked to be considerable effort.

"Will," Frederick said so softly he wasn't even sure he'd produced a sound.

He reached out to him with his good hand but just before he could touch him, Hannibal dragged him away. Hannibal knelt down behind Frederick, his attention clearly on Will.

"I wanted you to be awake for this," Hannibal said just before sinking his fangs into Frederick's neck.

It felt nothing like when Will did it. It wasn't gentle or enjoyable. It felt like one of the most painful experiences of his life as Hannibal's fangs tore through his flesh and his veins. He could only manage a few strangled noises before he could feel his energy start to fade. He stopped fighting as blood gushed down his neck, soaking his shirt. He looked at Will, wanting him to be the last thing he saw, and Will struggled against the piece of wood pinning him to the wall.

Will reached up and grabbed it, pulling it back through his chest, clenching his teeth through the pain. When he pulled it all the way out he struggled to his feet, his face contorted in anger as Frederick felt Hannibal remove his fangs from his neck before dropping him on the floor. There was a blur of motion as Frederick's sight started to fail him, a muffled shout reaching his ears. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, how much blood he'd lost, when Will reappeared in his vision.

"Frederick, thank god, you're still alive," Will said weakly, dropping to his knees beside him. "Stay with me."

Frederick opened his mouth to speak, to say he didn't think he'd be staying for much longer, but it didn't work. He just felt tired. He closed his eyes for a moment, but a sharp pain to the side of his face made him open them again.

"You've lost too much blood. Shit. Okay, Frederick, you have to drink this," Will said as he brought his own wrist up to his mouth and bit down hard.

After a moment, he felt something drip into his mouth, something warm with a bitter, metallic taste. Frederick tried to swallow, but it was difficult. His vision darkened further until he couldn't see Will anymore, so he just closed his eyes and rested, waiting to die. A few seconds later, without entirely realizing it, he did.

---

When he opened his eyes, Frederick felt sure he was dead. He could tell he was back in Will's house, lying on his bed, based on the strong, overwhelming scent of dog alone. He groaned as he tried to sit up, taking a deep breath that made his chest ache. He placed a hand over his chest as he breathed in and out a few times before he realized that he didn't need to. It didn't stop him from doing so reflexively, but he just simply stopped a few times and never felt a burn in his lungs for air.

One feeling that strongly resonated with him was hunger. He felt it like a hand twisting his guts, but he tried to ignore it. He glanced around the room and noticed that the room seemed empty, but he could hear the snoring and panting of some of the dogs as if they were nearby. He looked up to the door as he heard loud footsteps moving toward it until the front door opened and Will stepped inside. He didn't notice Frederick at first but Frederick noticed how sick and pale he looked. However, his expression brightened when he glanced up to see Frederick sitting up in his bed.

Will dropped the box in his hands on a nearby chair before walking over to Frederick, his pace picking up slightly until he was close enough to pull Frederick into a tight hug. Momentarily stunned, it took Frederick a few moments before he hugged back.

"You're okay," Will said, his voice muffled since he had his face buried in Frederick's neck, but still quite loud to Frederick's ears. "I wasn't sure if the blood had taken."

Frederick flinched. "Could you talk a little quieter?"

"Oh, sorry," Will said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "I forgot that happens. You'll get used to it pretty quickly."

"So, I'm alive then," Frederick said, looking Will in the eye as Will pulled away slightly.

"In a sense," Will said with a grin that made Frederick smile.

Frederick reached out and held Will's face, feeling the softness off his skin and the coarseness of his stubble as if they were entirely new experiences. Then he pulled Will's face down toward him, pressing their lips together, kissing him hard, but Will kissed him back harder. He wrapped an arm around Frederick's back and used his other hand to grab Frederick's hair, tugging on it as Frederick gripped the back of Will's shirt.

"I don't have to be quite so gentle anymore," Will said as he pressed his forehead to Frederick's.

"Thank god for that," Frederick said, looking from Will's eyes to his lips before kissing him again.

His stomach wrenched from the hunger he felt, causing him to flinch in pain. Will pulled back, staring at him with concern in his eyes.

"You're hungry, of course. That's why I was just out, actually," Will said, standing up from the bed to grab the box he'd set down earlier. "I bought more than usual because new vampires eat a lot more."

He carried the box over and Frederick heard the clink of glass as Will jostled it and set it down on the bed. He opened up the top and pulled out a bottle filled with dark red liquid. With a careful hand, he removed the cork in the top and handed it to Frederick who grabbed it from him hesitantly. He grimaced as he looked at it before he smelled it. The scent of the blood caused his hunger to intensify and he felt a sharp pain in his gums for a brief moment. He checked his teeth with his tongue, feeling a pair of fangs in place of his canines.

"That will definitely take some getting used to," Frederick said.

He put the mouth of the bottle to his lips as Will watched him, tipping it back a little just to try a taste even though the thought of it made him feel ill. However, his opinion changed as soon as the blood touched his tongue. It was one of the best things he'd ever tasted, which repulsed him somewhat, but he couldn't stop drinking until the bottle was empty. He handed the empty bottle back to Will before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"How do you feel?" Will said as he put the bottle back in the box with the others.

"Better, I think," Frederick said, noticing that the hunger he felt had become more bearable.

"Good because there's something happening tonight and I want you to be there," Will said as he carried the box toward the kitchen.

Frederick stood up, looking down at his clothes, realizing they were the ones he died in when he saw the massive blood stains. He tried not to think about it as he walked after Will, standing in the doorway of the kitchen as he started packing the fridge.

"What is it?" Frederick said, feeling curious.

"Vampire business," Will said, glancing back to him with a smile. "You'll see."

---

Frederick spent the rest of the day trying to get Will to tell him what was happening, but he refused to give in which frustrated him. He resigned himself to waiting, which seemed like a painful punishment until Will finished his chores around the house and had last several hours of daylight to pay close, detailed attention to him. When the sun started to set, Will told him it was time to get ready to leave, so Frederick walked up to the second floor to shower, washing away the blood still on his skin.

His broken hand had clearly healed as well as the torn wound Hannibal opened in his neck, but the scar on his abdomen and the mark Will had made on his shoulder were still there. He didn't really mind about the latter, liked the look of it even, but a part of him wished the straight, pink line had disappeared. Still, he couldn't complain. He was alive, he was immortal, and he felt like he had something to really live for.

As he looked through Will's clothes and his own, he realized he didn't know what the proper attire for "vampire business" was, so he just pulled on a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt, hoping that was good enough. He never saw Will leave the house wearing anything nicer than that, so he assumed it was okay.

He met Will downstairs and Will handed him a pair of sunglasses. "You're going to need those for a few weeks," Will said.

"But it's sunset," Frederick said, feeling confused as he looked them over.

"You're going to be pretty sensitive to any light for a little while. Just trust me."

Frederick sighed and slipped them on as they walked out of the house. He glanced up toward the setting sun and everything seemed normal. He pulled up the sunglasses just to check and was momentarily blinded by the brightness, letting the sunglasses drop back onto his nose.

"You were right and I was wrong," Frederick said as he rubbed his eyes, feeling around Will's car until he reached the passenger's side.

Will laughed as they both climbed into the car and buckled up. They drove for a while, heading into Baltimore, as Frederick asked every few minutes or so where they were headed. After the first half hour of dodging his question, Will just decided to turn on the radio and drown him out. Frederick took to crossing his arms and staring grumpily out the window, trying to determine where they were headed by scenery alone.

After a nearly two hour drive, Frederick felt lost in his own city as well as extremely hungry. He couldn't tell where Will was taking him, but it was apparent that Will wasn't lost. He sighed and turned down the radio, turning toward him with a question on his lips, but Will cut him off.

"Frederick, we're almost there," Will said with a smirk.

"Do you have to drive this long every time?" Frederick said, staring out of the window again.

"Not every time. We're going somewhere special. Newly turned vampires rarely go here because they're believed to be too unstable to help make an important decision like the one about to be made. But I know you have a level enough head to weigh in on this," Will said, his expression turning serious as he stared out of the windshield.

Frederick started to feel nervous about the significance of the situation. He didn't know what he was getting himself into, but Will clearly wanted him there, so he'd go through with it. He tried to ignore the twisting pain in his stomach as best as he could. A few minutes later, Will pulled up to what looked to be a rundown hotel. It was probably a nice place in its prime, but it seemed abandoned and uncared for. The only thing that told Frederick otherwise was the large parking lot near full of cars.

He shakily stepped out of the car, waiting at the back of it for Will to lead him. Will grabbed Frederick's hand and they walked around the building to the front glass doors. The bottom panel of the right door was shattered, but that didn't seem to concern Will as he opened the door and dragged Frederick through. They walked into a dark, dusty hotel foyer that was empty with the exception of a young man in a tank top jersey and sagging shorts. He seemed bored as he stood outside a pair of wooden doors, but his expression turned to one of interest as he spotted the two of them walking in.

"Will, I think you're the last one to arrive," the young man said as he leaned against the aging white paint on the wall beside the doors.

"Well, it's a long way from Wolf Trap," Will said, letting go of Frederick's hand before sticking his hands in his pockets. "How's the council?"

"I think the council is good, but the crowd's a bit antsy. Who's this?" he said, pointing at Frederick.

"Fledgling. He's mine," Will said, glancing at Frederick.

"Didn't know you were interested in making more of us."

"It was more incidental than intentional, but I think he'll be a solid addition," Will said.

The young man nodded, appearing indifferent. "So what's he doing here? Does the council know?"

"I'm going to speak with them, but he has every right to be here in this particular case," Will defended.

"A'ight, I trust your judgment. Go on in," he said, opening the door for the two of them.

Frederick wasn't entirely sure what just happened, but the fact that Will had to talk to some council about him didn't set him at ease. He felt nervous and hungry as they stepped inside what appeared to be a conference room with an empty stage at the front. They entered behind the crowd, all standing in the massive room. Frederick couldn't even begin to guess how many vampires were there, but, with just a quick glance, he would've put it at a few hundred.

There were people there of all ages and races and genders, though he didn't see anyone younger than about twenty or older than sixty, so he assumed there were rules set in place for that. Will brought them to stand at the very back wall before turning to Frederick and pulling the sunglasses off of his face. Frederick blinked and looked around, noticing that there weren't any lights on, but he could see perfectly.

"They make you stand out," he said as he put them in his jacket pocket. "Stay right here, I'll be right back."

Will turned to leave but Frederick grabbed his arm. "Wait, where are you going?" he said, sounding panicked.

Will held Frederick's hands tightly. "I need to talk to the council about your presence here. I know they won't mind, but they need to know."

"What is the council?"

"They're like our leaders. There are councils in each state. The heads of the state council's make up regional councils. I'll explain later," he said kissing Frederick on the cheek before heading up the stage and disappearing behind the faded, moth-eaten red curtain.

Frederick pressed his back against the back wall, hoping he wouldn't be noticed by anyone. Lucky for him, everyone was entirely focused on the stage. His hunger kept getting worse as time passed, making him wish he'd brought a bottle with him because he didn't know if he could handle the ride home. He stood there nervously for several minutes, feeling out of place and keeping his head down, until he noticed Will reemerge from behind the stage. A few eyes followed him as he walked to the back of the room and stood beside Frederick and those few eyes started staring at him with curiosity.

"How did it go," Frederick said, focusing on Will's eyes so he could ignore everyone else's.

"It went well, like I said. The trial is about to start," Will said, looking toward the stage.

Frederick followed his eyes, watching as the curtain started to move. "Trial?"

The curtain pulled all the way back and four people stepped forward. On the far left was an older man, looking to be in his early fifties, wearing a business suit. Next to him was a woman with olive skin about his age, possibly a little younger, in a vintage floral print dress. Then there was a young, dark-skinned woman, no older than twenty-five, dressed in ripped jeans and a t-shirt. The last one was a woman of about thirty wearing a navy blue pants suit. It was the strangest assortment of people Frederick had ever seen, but they commanded everyone's attention and respect.

The youngest of the group stepped forward to speak. "Thanks once again to the aid of our own Will Graham, we are gathered here to sentence one of our own that has gone astray," she said, sounding older and wiser than she appeared to be.

At the mention of Will's name, a good chunk of the crowd turned to see him, a few even applauded, but Will ignored all of it, keeping his eyes trained on the woman. Frederick tried to do the same, but he found it difficult.

"We as the council value the opinion of the whole, so we are here to take a vote on the fate of one of our oldest, Hannibal Lecter," she continued, regaining the group's attention.

At the mention of his name, a man and a woman starting climbing the side steps up to the stage, each one with a hand on the man they were pushing in front of them. Hannibal. Frederick's body tensed up, his hands curling into fists. Just the sight of him caused him to feel those fangs tearing through his neck. He reached up to touch the spot where he'd been wounded but Will grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together.

Hannibal was forced onto the stage, though it was clear he didn't want to be there, and his hands were chained behind his back with what looked like silver cuffs. He didn't look angry, in fact, he was the picture of poise and cooperation, but he just seemed the radiate the emotions he didn't physically express. Frederick could feel the hatred he felt toward those condemning him. He was still wearing the same clothes as the day he took Frederick, but the suit was stained in blood and there was a hole through to his chest, presumably where the stake had gone through.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Frederick said, squeezing Will's hand.

"If I could take him alive, I was going to. He deserved the public humiliation of trial. In a human court, he would've had a field day. Not here. There's no press here," Will said, unable to take his eyes off of Hannibal.

Hannibal's eyes searched the crowd until he spotted Will. Their gazes locked and Hannibal smiled warmly, as if he'd already forgiven Will. Frederick frowned, squeezing Will's hand even harder, trying to will Hannibal to look away, but he wouldn't.

"Hannibal," the young woman said, causing Hannibal to look over at her.

"Yes, Anora?" he said, giving her his full attention.

"You will now be read your list of charges," Anora said, stepping back as the woman in the floral dress stepped up and unfolded a piece of paper.

"Hannibal Lecter, you are charged by the vampire council of the state of Maryland with thirty-three known counts of murder and twenty-seven counts of endangerment to vampire-kind by threat of exposure," she said before stepping back into place.

"Don't you care how I plead?" Hannibal said, his eyebrows raised.

"Not particularly, Dr. Lecter," Anora said as she stepped forward again. "Now is when we vote for the appropriate punishment for his crimes. Imprisonment or death."

The crowd started to cheer, startling Frederick as he looked around at the gathered vampires. The energy of the room was far from solemn, like a regular court room, it was full of tension and excitement. He noticed that Will didn't join in with them, nor did the council. They all remained stoic with their eyes on Hannibal. Once the cheering died down, Anora started to speak again.

"Who among you votes for eternal imprisonment?" she said as she and the council scanned the crowd while those voting raised their hands, shouting as they did so.

"Who votes for death?" she said, doing the same as before, taking a mental tally of the hands raised. Frederick raised his hand, but he noticed Will didn't give his input either way.

The council members joined together at the center of the stage, talking quietly amongst themselves before they dispersed once again. Anora looked directly at Will as she took center stage once again.

"The vote is closely tied, so we will give the breaking vote to Will Graham, the man who apprehended the criminal being sentenced today. Your vote carries great weight, Mr. Graham. Choose well," she said, stepping back into line with the rest of the council.

The crowd erupted in cheers again as Will glanced at Frederick before walking forward on his own, climbing the stairs to the stage. He and Hannibal caught each other's eye as they stood at opposite ends of the small stage, but Will quickly broke the contact, turning toward the crowd. He looked at Frederick and smiled, causing Frederick to smile back.

"My vote," Will started, his voice silencing the crowd almost immediately, "is something I thought about the whole way here. I know that imprisonment sounds like a good idea to many of you, but we all know Hannibal is older than many of us. He's stronger and he's extremely intelligent. As satisfying as keeping him alive in confinement for all time sounds, there will always be the threat that he'll be free again. So, for the safety of humans and vampires alike, I vote death."

Will glanced over, meeting Hannibal's eye once again. He didn't smile or gloat about his victory over Hannibal, but Hannibal was still smiling at him. It unnerved Frederick, even if it didn't bother Will. Frederick held his stomach as he leaned against the wall, just hoping it would all be over soon. Anora stepped forward, putting a hand on Will's right shoulder before turning to shake his hand.

"Very well, Will. Death it is. Would you like to do the honors?" she said.

Will shook his head. "I'm done with Hannibal Lecter."

He walked off the stage and back toward Frederick, grabbing his hand again before leading him out of the room.

"You don't want to stay and watch?" Frederick said as the door closed behind them.

"You do?" Will said, looking up at him in surprise.

Frederick felt a sharp pain in his stomach. "I guess not. Maybe for my peace of mind, but I'm starving."

"They'll carry out the sentence, I have no doubt. I just don't have a taste for public execution. It's a little barbaric," Will said, a look of disgust on his face. His expression softened when he completely registered what Frederick had said, appearing more concerned. "I'm sorry, I should've noticed sooner. There's a bottle in the car."

"Thank god, I didn't know if I would make it," Frederick said, feeling relieved.

Will smiled at Frederick, letting go of Frederick's hand to wrap an arm around his waist. When they reached the car, Will grabbed the bottle of blood from underneath his seat, handing it to Frederick. Frederick turned the bottle over in his hands, feeling the hunger in his gut tear at him.

"Thank you for bringing me," Frederick said, staring at the bottle rather than at Will. "That was absolutely something I needed to see."

"We both needed it," Will said, holding Frederick's face. He kissed his forehead softly. "Now get in the car and eat."

Frederick shook his head and smiled as he walked around to the passenger's seat. He satiated his hunger as Will started the engine and started them on the long drive home.

---

"Hm, no. Nope. You're not doing it right," Will said as he sat in a chair across from Frederick in his living room.

They were staring each other in the eye, Frederick with a lot more concentration than Will. Frederick was also growing increasingly frustrated. Will had been trying for weeks to teach him how to be a vampire, but he was far from a natural at it. Will tried his best to be patient and supportive, which Frederick appreciated, but he knew that he was a frustrating student to work with.

"What do you mean I'm not doing it right? I'm doing exactly what you said!" Frederick said, rubbing his eyes.

"Frederick, calm down," Will said, holding Frederick's shoulders.

Frederick instantly felt calm, but it only lasted a few seconds once he realized what happened. "I wish you would stop doing that. I'm not some out of control child."

"I'm sorry, it's something I'm getting used to as well," Will said, holding up his hands. "I've never sired anyone before."

"Fine. Explain it again, then," Frederick grumbled.

"Okay, to glamor someone, you need to project your will onto them. It's like being persuasive but using your mind in combination with your words. You need to have a strong will. You can do it. Try and make me do or feel something," Will said, explaining it once again.

"But you said it doesn't work on other vampires," Frederick said.

"It doesn't, but I can still feel your force of will. Like this," Will said as he brought Frederick's face up so that they were looking each other in the eye again. "Frederick, hand me that pen over there."

Frederick felt something pushing at his mind, but it couldn't get all the way through.

"Did you feel that?" Will said.

"I did," Frederick nodded.

"Good, now try again. Really focus," Will said as he smiled at him encouragingly.

Frederick rubbed his eyes before staring hard into Will's, trying to gather up his force of will. "Go get me a bottle from the fridge," he said in a calm, soothing tone, trying hard to will him into action.

Will shook his head. "Nothing."

"Damn it!" Frederick said, dropping his head in his hands.

"Let's try a different tactic. Did you really want me to do that? Are you hungry?" Will said.

Frederick shook his head. "I ate just before we started this."

"Okay, try to make me do something you actually want."

If Frederick could've blushed, he definitely would've as he stared into Will's eyes again. "Will, I want you to kiss me," he said, not concentrating as hard as before, but the will was definitely there.

Will smiled and nodded. "I felt that."

Frederick collapsed back in the chair with a short laugh of triumph, feeling the mental exhaustion that all the training had caused. It was the first thing he'd done successfully, but as Will kept telling him, he had an eternity to learn. Will grabbed his hand and pulled Frederick into his lap, wrapping one arm around his waist while he held Frederick's face with his other hand. Frederick straddled his hips as he looked down into Will's eyes before Will pulled him down into a kiss.

"Word of warning," Will began, breaking the kiss for a moment.

Frederick rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, no using it unethically, blah, blah. Now isn't the time for talk," he said, leaning down to kiss him again.

Will picked Frederick up and moved in one swift motion so that they had swapped positions. He kissed him hard as he entangled a hand in Frederick's hair, yanking on it, pulling his head to the side so he could lean down and kiss the mark at the base of his neck.

"You're mine, Frederick," he said, a statement that they both knew was true.

"I am," Frederick agreed as he held onto Will's hips.

Will dragged his fangs over Frederick's neck, leaving light scratches that healed almost instantly. "But I'm also a little bit yours," Will said with a smirk as he pulled his shirt away from his neck, baring it.

Frederick frowned, having never actually bitten anyone yet, but he felt curious, extremely curious, as his fangs extended. He kissed Will's neck softly, tasting the flesh, until he built up the courage to finally sink his teeth in. Will gasped, leaning down over Frederick, one hand in his hair as the other clutched at the front of his shirt. The taste of Will's blood was unlike anything Frederick had tasted so far. It was warm and rich and went straight to his head like a drug. Nothing like human blood.

After a few mouthfuls, he pulled away, the wounds on Will's neck healing quickly. Will kissed him roughly, pulling his hair again which drew a moan out of him.

"I didn't realize vampires bit each other like that," Frederick said as Will kissed his neck.

Will pulled away, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, it's not a usual thing. It's reserved for, um, mates? Couples."

"Oh," Frederick said, surprised. They hadn't spoken about what exactly they were, just that they were something, and they enjoyed being it. "Okay."

"I mean, we don't have to—" Will said, glancing away.

"No, Will. It's okay," Frederick said, cradling the side of Will's face with his hand before pulling him down into a kiss. "It's really okay."

Will stared at him for a moment before smiling briefly. "Good. I think the sun's gone down. Are you ready to try flitting?"

Frederick frowned, holding tightly onto Will's hips. "Already? What happened to eternity?"

Will kissed him as he grabbed Frederick's hands and continued to kiss him as he climbed off his lap and pulled him onto his feet. "You'll like this one once you get the hang of it."

"If I get the hang of it, you mean," Frederick said, grumbling somewhat as Will dragged him to the door.

But despite the grouchiness he exuded, he smiled, seeing a real future when he looked at Will. Before, he had the money and a great job, but he wasn't happy. Of all the people in the world, he never expected Will Graham to be the one to give him that, but he wasn't complaining. Far from it. He was happy to give up parts of his old life and his humanity just for him.