When Will Graham arrived at Dr. Lecter's house, he hadn't imagined that he would see Alana in the state she was in. There were so many questions. Who did it? What had happened? What was going on inside the house right that second? He called the paramedics and entered the mansion with his gun in his hands. He approached the kitchen – where he knew Jack was probably with Hannibal, since there wasn't anyone in the dining room.
Will saw blood on the ground and when he turned around, there she was. Abigail. Crying like a scared child. His eyes couldn't believe what he just saw. The person he loved – and mourned – so much. Jack was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Hannibal. He didn't know if he wanted to cry, or scream, or run and hug her so tight like he would never ever leave her again. But the danger was close and he could feel it in his bones. "Where is he?" he asked. She didn't say anything, and she didn't have to. He knew exactly where he was.
"You were supposed to leave", Will said, as if Hannibal had ruined all his plans. He didn't want him to be caught by the FBI, so those were his true intentions. And now the bastard was right there, and there was Abigail, and he didn't know why they had done this to him. They were supposed to be a family, that was what Hannibal had always remarked to him when they were discussing Abigail.
"We couldn't leave without you", Hannibal answered. Will noticed he was taking something out of his pocket. It was a shiny linoleum knife, gripped in his hand, moving closer to Will, as Hannibal placed the other hand on Will's face.
"Hannibal!" Will wailed and hugged the other tightly. He had tears in his eyes and they were ready to fall. "I was afraid you were dead!"
Hannibal stood there, knife in hand, perplexed at the sudden movement. He was so ready to go on with his plan, but that was unexpected. He slowly hugged him back, smelling that cologne that he hated so much, focusing instead on the great smell that Will's hair always had. He loved to smell him when they were close, and now he felt as close as he ever had been.
"I accept your offer. I want us to go… together. The three of us."
With that Will came closer and sealed his lips with Hannibal's, putting his hands on his high cheekbones. Hannibal was still speechless when he let the knife fall onto the floor, and he was actually glad to be in that moment because words were nothing compared to finally having Will touching him like that. He put his hands on his waist and pulled him closer, kissing him back.
"Hm, Hanni- I mean… Dad, don't you think we should leave before the police get here?"
Hannibal smirked into the kiss and Will laughed a bit, neither of them letting the other go. Eyes gazing into the other's.
"In a minute, dear. Daddy has waited a long time for this."
Abigail went into the living room and put her backpack on her shoulders, and then opened the main door to watch the scene outside. She started to cry once again, but when she slowly came closer and noticed Alana was still alive. The police weren't there yet and when she looked back she saw Hannibal and Will – her beloved parents, now together – leaving the house. Hannibal was putting his coat on, and then the three left Alana and Jack for the police to rescue them.
Hannibal wanted to show Florence to Will. It was there where he had become a man and it seemed like the perfect place to be with both Will and Abigail. A good place to start over. They headed to the airport and boarded a non-stop flight to Rome. Abigail had stopped crying at some point and now was fast asleep with her head leaning on the window of the plane. Will and Hannibal rested their heads against their chairs and just stared at each other for hours, holding hands, until they fell asleep. From Rome, they took a train to Florence. On the train they had this chemistry going on between them like they had never felt before. They felt free from all of the stress that had taken over their lives for the last two years, especially Abigail and Will.
Hannibal spoke about the places he wanted to show them, and how much they would love it. Abigail was interested in the Italian ice cream, and Will in the pastries, but Hannibal made sure they didn't forget how carnivorous the Italians also were. When they arrived in the city, Hannibal called a cab to take them to the Hotel Relais Cavalcanti, a luxurious place for family vacations, as he put in a good word for them.
After they checked-in they entered a suite with two rooms and a big living room with a fancy kitchen. Will went to open the curtains and take a look through the large window while Abigail left her backpack on the sofa and joined Will. Hannibal went to the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. He filled three glasses and joined them close to the window.
The night was splendid. The stars weren't obfuscated by the light of the city night and the moon was brighter than a precious stone. He handed them the glasses.
"To our new beginning together", Hannibal lifted his glass and Will and Abigail toasted with him.
"As a family", Abigail smiled before shyly sipping at her drink.
"One happy family", Will added.
Abigail was in the middle of her fathers; Hannibal with his hand around her waist and Will with his hand on her shoulder. They drank quietly, admiring the sky.
They drank almost the whole bottle while chatting and sharing a few laughs. Abigail was restrained from drinking too much after a while, so she kissed them goodnight and left them to be alone. They didn't stay up for too long because they wanted to rest and enjoy the next day in town, so they walked to their room and prepared for bed. It was the first night that they shared a bed together, but after all that wine all they wanted to do was sleep. They cuddled next to each other, arms around one another and, like that, they fell asleep.
Hannibal was the first to wake up in the morning. He looked at Will's back turned toward him, still sleeping in the same bed, and got up to prepare them some breakfast with the items that the kitchen contained for the guests. He was glad it was a morning with clean and bright weather. Perfect for tourism. While he was finishing up, Abigail entered the room and said good morning. Hannibal greated her and served some still-hot food.
"Will's still sleeping?" she asked, biting into her sandwich.
"Yes, we should wake him up soon or we're going to miss the day"
Abigail was a bit quiet that morning. She was the kind of girl who could absorb drastic events and still keep her head together. She knew about her new fathers, but their new explict relationship was a little new to her. She couldn't have felt happier for them though. She had a family again, and she loved the two who had decided to take care of her like a real daughter together. So their being together made total sense to her. Abigail wanted to talk about it, but she guessed it wasn't the time because everything was happening so fast that they might not even know what was happening between them at all. Which made her think about other matters.
"What if… What if they appear here and catch us?", she suddenly asked, still camly eating and speaking in a casual voice.
"We'll take care of everything this week; no one will find us here". Hannibal looked at her with reassuring eyes.
Will appeared in the kitchen with his messy hair and rubbed his eyes, dressed in his usual pajamas – shorty-shorts and a t-shirt.
"Morning", he said with a sleepy voice, "I smell eggs and sausage."
Hannibal stood up and took his plate from the counter and served him close to where he and Abigail were sitting.
"You smelled correcty. So, for today, I was planning for us to pass by Ponte Vecchio, which crosses the river Arno, and visit Il Galeria Degli Uffizi. At night we can rent a car and have dinner at the Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori, in Firenze."
Abigail smiled wide and nodded, making Will smile too.
"It seems like you planned it all very well," Will spoke.
"I planned simply the best for us, Will."
They left the kitchen after finishing their breakfast and changed to leave the hotel with the few clothes they had carried with them before travelling to Italy. They took the subway to get closer to the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge, and the only one left intact, preserved by the orders of Hitler himself. They walked through it slowly, observing the town and the other tourists and Italian citizens that passed by them. The whole town had this magical feel in the air, like they were in a movie.
Abigail walked close to Will, who had his hand tangled with Hannibal's, the whole way. When they finally reached Il Galeria Degli Uffizi, Hannibal basically turned out to be their guide. The amount of precious art in the gallery was astounding. Il Battesimo di Cristo and L'Adorazione dei Magi by Leonardo da Vinci, Madonna di Ognissanti by Giotto, more from Sanzio, Tiziano, Durer, Botticelly and, of course, Tondo Doni by Michelangelo.
Abigail was taking as many pictures as she could and trying to read the descriptions of the art, standing in front of them. Other curious tourists were passing by, all kinds of languages being able to be heard. Hannibal talked about the paintings to Will as they touched each other without even noticing anymore.
"You were right," Will spoke, without looking at Hannibal, who turned his head to observe him. "We should have come here sooner." He turned his head to face Hannibal and smiled kindly, locking eyes with the other.
"What matters now, Will, is that we are all together, like we should have been since the beginning of… all of this. I won't let anything happen to this. No matter what it costs." He came a little closer and whispered close to Will's lips, "No matter who I'd have to kill."
Will blinked but didn't say a word. He looked down at Hannibal's lips and closed his eyes as he leaned closer and pressed his lips to his. It lasted just a little while before he broke it and moved just a little farther from Hannibal's face.
"Anything it takes," were his last words before Abigail appeared behind them.
"There's a lady taking pictures of the paintings using another picture of a dog to match the background of the real picture." She giggled a bit, shyly pointing at the woman.
"Abigail, it's not polite to point." Will stated with a little smile on his face, as he observed the woman and wondered what was going on there.
"It's completely normal for tourists to take unusual pictures."
"Which reminds me that we didn't take any." Abigail arched her eyebrows and shook the camera in her hand.
"I don't know… I don't really fancy taking pictures, Abigail..." Will started.
"Oh, come on! Only one! I promise."
"She's right, Will. We need a family picture." Hannibal added.
Will stared at him for a moment. The word "family" had been used with frequency for the last two days, but in no way did he think it sounded like a bad idea. It just sounded right – that was the truth.
He sighed, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes.
"Fine. Only one."
Abigail smiled and got closer to them, settling herself in the middle. They all kinda smiled in their own creepy way. Murder family. One happy family. Of course they were only joking, but it turned out to be a pretty good picture of them.
When sunset was almost starting they left the gallery and headed to Firenze by car. Hannibal was driving, and since he was the driver he was the one to choose the music, which turned out to be Bach, Goldberg variations (Aria). It was a calm, silent little trip. Abigail, sitting in the middle back seat, couldn't take off her smile.
She loved her new family and felt so at peace with them. The worst was over and now they could love each other as if they were blood-related. Will was so caring, so gentle and understanding with her. The one who had taken away a father but given her another one. And Hannibal, who took care of her like a real father should. She couldn't have asked for better ones. Both of them were now her new fathers and this, for her, felt like heaven.
When they arrived at the elegant restaurant, Hannibal parked and they left the car. They ordered a reserved table for three and a wine while they chose their dishes. They ordered Bruschetta for antipasto and Cacciatore as the main dish. It was a pleasant dinner, and during it they started to plan where they were going to live.
"Should we get an appartment or a house?" Abigail asked, bitting into some Bruschetta.
"Definitely a house," Will spoke and the other two both looked at him, waiting for him to finish what he started. He shrugged, eating as well. "We need space for the dogs."
"You'll fill our house with stray dogs, will you?" Hannibal asked, with thin lips.
"Yep. I can't wait to meet some Italian dogs." He joked, as the main dish arrived.
They enjoyed the meal in silence for a while until Hannibal spoke casually – and quietly – to
them.
"This dish refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style"," he gave a pause before contining, "with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell pepers and, sometimes," he raised his wine in one hand, "sometimes wine."
"Hunter-style?" Abigail asked in the same casual tone.
"Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, allan cacciatora refers to a meal prepared hunter-style. The meat is rabbit or, coniglio alla cacciatora. In other words, rabbit-hunter." He smiled at her and winked, before putting the fork between his lips.
Will looked at Abigail and felt what she was thinking. She was thinking about Hannibal's eating habits. When would it start? Who was going to be the first victim? Was she was going to help catch victims for her dad again?
He had already made up his mind, though. He wasn't going to turn his back on his feelings towards Hannibal, and he had forgiven him, and he accepted him for who he was. He had to kill for a living. Just like people did with animals; he did it with people. No big difference if you thought about it. It was murder just the same. At least he wasn't killing just for sport; he was eating them.
The way back seemed longer since they were so tired after the long day and all that food. Hannibal noticed through the rear-view mirror Abigail going through her phone while using headphones. He cleared his throat and spoke quietly into the air of the car, a cold temperature, thanks to the air conditioner.
"I think Abigail is truly happy."
"Isn't she?" Will looked back to watch the girl looking through the window, looking back at Hannibal right after. "I think we're doing well for her."
"What Abigail needs is a clan, a househood," he turned his eyes to Will, "True parents."
"Which we are," Will also seemed truly happy. He rested his hand on Hannibal's thigh and sighed, "There's something between us, anyway..." Will diverted his eyes to the road by his side.
Hannibal took Will's hand and kissed the top of it, holding their hands on his thigh again. "Yes. There's a lot to talk about, Will, and I think we should do it soon. Just you and I," he looked at Will again and held his hand tighter. Will nodded and quickly kissed him on the lips.
With that movement Abigail turned her head to them and blushed a little. She couldn't help but smile, though. They were happy, she was happy. She was dead and they were missing, but not in Florence. In Florence they would make a new life together and everything was going to be fine.
When they arrived at the hotel again it was already three in the morning. Abigail changed into her pajamas and turned the TV in the living room on. She wasn't tired but Hannibal told her not to stay up for too long, and he and Will went to bed as soon as they took individual showers. When Hannibal was back, Will was sitting on the bed with his usual sleeping clothes and glasses on, reading a book.
"How did you enjoy the day, Will?"
He closed the book, carefully putting one finger where he had stopped so he wouldn't miss the right page, and looked up to Hannibal with a smile. "Delightful. Refreshing… Romantic."
Hannibal smirked and joined him in bed, sitting next to him, the only lights coming from both lampshades on the bedside tables.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it so. It was lovely for me, too. But there's still so much else to be done. We need to change our names, passports, social security cards… It would be easier if you and Abigail obtained European citizenships to keep a low profile. We check out tomorrow under my fake name and leave for our other hotel. We can spend the day dealing with that, and at night we can rest in the other hotel, and on the third day we can already start looking for our house."
"You did think it over." Will put the book on the bedside table and lay on the bed, turning to Hannibal. "I suppose you already have contacts to do all the work."
"Of course." Hannibal also lay on the bed, facing Will.
They spent some time only looking at each other. They moved a little closer just to slightly touch each other on the arm and hair.
"Abigail should go to college soon, too." Will suddenly spoke.
"She'll need Italian classes immediately to do so."
"We can keep our jobs under fake names?" Will asked.
"Yes, don't worry about any of that, Will. There are profilers in Florence."
Will sighed.
This life of crime was… different from this other angle. More alluring. Thrilling. This was where he truly belonged. It was Hannibal who had made him see it. Finally see it. Just like Jacob Hobbs had whispered to him before dying by his own bloody hands. Hannibal hugged him and Will settled himself in his arms, closing his eyes.
It was like he didn't trust himself with Hannibal. The feeling was amusing and he loved it in every sense. He hugged him closer by the neck and hid his face in Hannibal's neck. Hannibal also closed his eyes and hugged him tighter, running his fingers across his back, tenderly. The Ripper moved his head down so he could find Will's lips, kissing him softly.
Will's arms wrapped around Hannibal's neck tightly and he pressed his lips more passionately against his. They moved their lips and were touching each other above their clothes. Backs, arms, chests, cheeks, necks. But the skimming fingers were slow. Delicate. Sweet.
Will broke the kiss, slowly, and turned to turn the light of his lampshade off. Hannibal did the same and lay in the same way again. Will grabbed Hannibal's hand and turned back to him, making Hannibal turn into the big spoon. He leaned completely against him and Hannibal rested his cheek on Will's hair.
The next morning, when the three of them were at the table having breakfast, they revised the day's schedule. Hannibal would take care of all of the paperwork as Will and Abigail would look for a tutor to teach them the language of the country, since that was where they had decided to live – at least for now. It was especially important for Abigail, who was told in the morning about their plan of her joining an university.
Hannibal dropped them at the next hotel on their list – staying at the same hotel while there were people searching for you wasn't wise in any way – and went to deal with their affairs. Not only with the illegal paperwork, but also with his own business. He was hungry for a particular taste that had been denied from him for the last several days.
His first thought was if he shouldn't wait until they had their own home and could prepare the carcass with all the proper equipment; but, with the right plan and some useful tools, it wasn't impossible to be done. He needed to find a perfect victim. Preferably a young girl with a natural body and a nice shape to be prepared.
He thought about it all day as he arranged everything the three of them needed to start a new life in Italy. It was getting late, but at night it was easier to catch people. He chose a young girl walking alone in the streets, probably going back home from college, since that was a students' yard. He parked the car and held a small bottle of trichloromethane - a colorless liquid with a spicy sweet, ether smell, that is very volatile and very soluble in water - a powerful anesthetic, and toxic if too much is inhaled.
He followed her to a dark alley and, quick as a cheetah, put the wet tissue over her nose and silenced her with his other hand. He dropped her in the alley and killed her with a hammer to the skull. He went back to his car to take out some utensils and went back to the alley. Using the proper and usual transparent clothes and a flashlight, he started to do his work. Most of the work was easy to do with a few simple tools: sharp, clean, short and long bladed knives, a cleaver or hatchet, and a hacksaw.
He harvested the organs and took the legs with him. The skinning part he would do at the hotel. The cooking should be easy, he had already gone shopping for groceries. He did his work as quickly as he could and left the place in about twenty-five minutes. He packed everything up so he would pass unsuspicious in the hall of the hotel and went upstairs by the elevator.
When he opened the door, Will and Abigail were laughing about something and turned their heads to greet Hannibal, who smiled at them and walked over to leave all the night's work on the counter; leaving ca tomato sauces, beer, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, jalepeno peppers, minced red pepper, paprika and several other ingredients. Also, the human parts.
"We found a professor to teach us," Abigail informed him enthusiastically.
"We had a good time trying to communicate with several agencies," Will added.
"What's gonna be for dinner, Dad?" Abigail asked.
"Good. Tonight we'll be having Bloody Leroy Mix."
Hannibal immediately started to prepare the meal. He stored all of the items that needed to be refrigerated inside of the fridge and began with one leg. He saved the other in the freezer after chopping it to little pieces. He skinned the carcass with a slim, sharpened long knife while some other ingredients started to boil. He occasionally looked at the living room to watch Will and Abigail entertaining themselves with a movie on the television. He was so concentrated he didn't notice when Will approached him from behind and slowly put his arms around his waist, resting his chin on Hannibal's shoulder.
"Do you need any help?"
"I'll just put this in the oven after I season it," Hannibal turned his head to look at Will, "but thank you."
"You're welcome," he whispered before kissing him on the lips and slowly moving away to the fridge, taking out a bottle of wine. "Tomorrow we should start visiting some houses to pick one as soon as possible. Settle in. Do all the moving. Buy all the furnitude." Will sighed with a half full glass in hand, serving Hannibal another one and leaving it close to where he was seasoning the meat.
"It will surely be troublesome but we can make it fun. It's not easy to start over, but don't worry, Will. We'll be completely settled in in a few weeks." He looked up at Will, reassuring.
Will smirked and looked at Abigail on the sofa.
"Abigail suggested that we should take a night off while she explores the nightlife of Florence."
Hannibal looked at her too, then to Will, then to the meat in front of him, not stopping what he was doing. "It could be dangerous. She doesn't know the city, it will be dark..."
"She's nineteen, I'm sure she won't get into any trouble. She could take our car so she won't be walking alone in the middle of the night, and meet the young folks of the city. She needs to make some friends, after all."
Hannibal sighed. Of course he wanted a night out with Will. There was so much to talk about and they hadn't had much time alone since probably their last session in Hannibal's old office. Not to mention the last several nights when they cuddled before sleeping. But he was worried about his daughter, he still saw her as a child. His child. No, his and Will's child.
Will was probably right, though. She needed to interact with other people aside from them and make friends just like any other teenager. There was nothing better than trying to do that by getting to know the new town at night. He was considering it.
"Alright. Tomorrow, after we look through a few houses."
When Hannibal was through, several minutes later, he walked into the living room and sat beside Abigail, who was sitting in the middle of their three-seat sofa. Hannibal put his arm around the couch and Will did the same, both of them tangling their fingers together, simply watching the movie while the food was being cooked.
Abigail cuddled close to Will and was almost drifting off to sleep when the beep from the oven was heard in the kitchen. Hannibal hurried to prepare everything and Abigail and Will went to the counter to help him set the table. Of course the food was delicious and they all enjoyed it, thank you very much. It wasn't like they hadn't tasted something like it before. For Abigail and Will it was just a matter of time before they got used to the idea of eating this kind of meat on a regular basis. They were aware of what they were eating, at last.
They left the empty plates and other things in the sink and went to get ready for bed. There was another big day ahead. The three of them were excited about many things. They shared the same anticipation about finding a nice place to live and, Abigail in particular, for seeing the town at night. Will was anxious about the dinner with Hannibal. It would technically be their first official date.
To Hannibal it was more thrilling because he had this big idea for something to take place during dinner, and now that idea wouldn't leave his head for the rest of the night. He hoped he would have the time tomorrow to arrange everything for the night with Will. Either way, he would find a way to do it. They showered and said goodnight to each other, each one leaving to their respective rooms.
In the morning, the first thing Will noticed when he woke up was the light rain falling from the sky. It was a chilly day, but lovely anyway. Abigail was already in the kitchen drinking some orange juice and he greeted her with a kiss in her hair.
"Excited about the new house?" he asked, serving himself some of the juice as well.
"I was worried about the rain, I hope it won't make things difficult to look for one."
"We've found four different available houses that match our discussed profile. We'll visit two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Let's hope the weather doesn't get too moody."
Hannibal appeared in the kitchen and said good morning to them, kissing both of them, Abigail on the forehead and Will on the lips. He prepared something quick for breakfast and soon they left the hotel one more time, with all of their things packed either in their hands or on their backs.
They spent the whole day visiting and looking through houses in great spots in the city, nearby restaurants and theaters. Hannibal wanted them to have the best he could offer so he was the most picky about the houses they went to. The rain had stopped at some point and the weather was typically cold, making them walk closer to each other.
When they were done with all four of the houses they rented another suite in another hotel and sat there for a while, discussing the houses they had visited that day. Abigail was excited about a house where her room could be in the attic, and that had a great view of the city. Will was interested in the house with a view of a lake, so he could teach Abigail to fish. Hannibal was caught between the two houses, but sided with Will due to that house being the more fancy one, and Abigail could have a real room and not just some teen foolish desire to live in an attic.
In the end she agreed with them and decided it was, in fact, a great idea to live closer to the woods and a lake than so close to the city. They needed to keep their privacy. With that being decided, they made up their minds about the big house by the lake. There was plenty of space for Will's stray dogs, and the living room was very cozy with a luxurious fireplace where they could spend time together. It was a secluded place, but not in the middle of nowhere. Hannibal made the purchase by phone and in the next day they would receive the keys to their new home.
Hannibal went out for a couple of hours – suspiciously taking longer than he said he was going to – so he could return the keys to the other houses. When he arrived back at the hotel it was almost dark outside. For now, they could just breathe. Abigail went to get ready for her night out while Will and Hannibal waited a bit longer since their reservation wasn't until nine. Will cuddled close to Hannibal as they watched the TV in the living room and Hannibal hugged Will with one of his arms around him.
When Abigail was ready to leave, all dressed up in an elegant dress, boots, scarf and coat, she walked into the living room to get the keys from her parents.
"Are you carrying all of your new documents?" Will asked, turning his head to her, and she nodded.
"Don't accept drinks of any kind from strangers," Hannibal handed her the keys, looking at her seriously.
"And don't come back too late, we'll be waiting for you to get back." Will added.
"I'll just go out, find a nice pub and have a little fun. I'll be back soon. There's no need to worry," She accepted the keys and put them in her purse.
"Call us if anything happens and keep your phone turned on." Will told her.
"Seriously, Abigail. If either of our names appears on the screen, you answer the call."
"Fine," she rolled her eyes, "can I go now?"
"Have fun, dear." Hannibal kissed her on the cheek.
"You two have fun, too," she waved goodbye with a tender smile on her face, almost giggling about her dads having a night on their own, and left the hotel apartment.
When she left they moved to get dressed for their gaudy dinner. They put on their best suits and didn't take too long to get ready. Hannibal was finishing his hair in the bathroom while Will sipped a glass of wine in the kitchen. When the older appeared Will's pupils dilated at the elegance displayed in front of him. He licked his lips - from the wine, of course.
"You look very handsome tonight," he couldn't help but say.
Hannibal approached him and put his hands around Will's waist.
"Thank you. You look handsome every time I put my eyes on you, but I believe there's no need to say that. I know you know."
Will kissed him briefly but lovingly and put his hands on his chest, tapping two times lightly with his hands, and smiled.
"We should go. I already called the cab."
Il Latini was one of the most expensive and traditional restaurants in Florence. It was classy and perfect for a romantic date. It had several pictures on the walls, all with golden frames;the ceiling was high and white; the chairs and tables were made of very dark wood. They sat close to a window with a view of the streets. There were candles and bread on the table.
After a few minutes discussing the menu, they made their whole order and waited for the wine to come first. The ambience was superb, the conversations around them weren't too loud, and the music was congenial. The wine arrived and, after the waiter left, Hannibal made a toast for their new life as a couple. Will licked his lips and clanked the crystal on Hannibal's.
There was no lie. They were a couple now - maybe they had always been - but now was different. There were aware and understanding of those feelings that had made them be where they were tonight. Those thoughts, though, thought Will, weren't very clear. They had never spoken about it properly. Wasn't it the time already?
"Will, I think we should discuss something tonight," Hannibal started, casually.
"Yes, dear?" Will asked, feeling that something huge was coming. He couldn't help his anxiety when people talked to him like that, but he tried to keep his cool.
Hannibal took a while to talk, swirling, smelling and drinking in this particular order before saying something else. This time he looked right at Will's blue eyes.
"You make me curious, Will. I wish I could read your mind, but I can't. All I could do is speak for myself," he continued. Will sipped his wine without moving his eyes off of Hannibal's maroon ones. "I love you, Will. It's been a long time and I think it took you too long to realize it. Maybe you always knew but didn't want to believe. In either way, you do know now."
Will licked his lips and looked away for an instant before looking back at him, while moving closer to the table between them, so he could speak more clearly and just for Hannibal. Will didn't know what to say in that moment so he crossed his own hands and looked down.
"I love you, too," he whispered to the table. His fingers looked for Hannibal's and he touched his skin lightly, trying to look up at him. "And I think I've never been happier in my life," he finally lifted his head and looked back at Hannibal. The other had shining eyes and a small smile on his face. He took Will's hand in his and caressed the top of it.
"Now that we have started a family and, seeing how serious we both are towards the entire situation, I thought we could… Well, officialize our status."
Will's heart skipped a beat; it was quick, but enough to startle him.
"What do you mean?" he asked, carefully.
In that moment their dish arrived at the table and they were interrupted. Hannibal made a pause on the subject to wait for the waiters to leave and started to eat. It was Will's turn to be curious and he couldn't stop thinking about that answer.
"Hannibal?" he asked.
"What I mean, Will, is..." he stopped eating and drank from his glass before continuing, "I want us to be an item."
"Like… dating?" Will was trying to act cool and enjoy the meal, but it seemed quite impossible to relax. He didn't know why he felt like that - if it was too much because it was with Hannibal, after all, or due to any other reason.
"No. Not dating…"
"What, then?"
Hannibal grabbed his napkin and cleaned his lips before reaching for the crystal and drinking a little. He stared intensely at Will and held his hand again, taking a box from his internal suit pocket. He left the black box in front of Will and opened it. Will arched his eyebrows when he saw the shining engagement ring reflecting the candlelight.
"I think this has been going on forever and I want you to understand my true intentions," he made a pause, watching Will take the ring out of the box and observe it closely. "I want to marry you, Will Graham."
Will didn't reply for a while, just looked at the ring in his hands. He was trying to understand his own emotions now. It was clear that he loved Hannibal, that he was in love, that this new life seemed to be appealing to him.
"Wow, a marriage. I… never thought you would take this so seriously."
"I am, and I do. It's just for you, Will. All for you."
Will looked up at him seriously. He licked his lips and smiled, putting the ring on his left hand. He raised the crystal.
"To our wedding, then."
Hannibal smiled too and made a toast, clanking the glasses.
"Will, I know this might seem abrupt but it's what I've wanted for so long. I'm also glad for Abigail having parents with a stable relationship."
Will nodded, going back to eating. That night he was drinking a little more heavily than usual; Hannibal obviously noticed that the other man was quite nervous, but didn't say a thing and let Will relax in his own way.
"It was not abrupt, it was… unexpected. I thought it would take longer than that, but I'm glad. What I see is that we're going in the right direction. All three of us," Will winked at Hannibal, finishing what he was eating. "This is exactly what I want."
They finished dinner and left the restaurant, deciding to go by feel back to the hotel. Will had one arm crossed around Hannibal's arm and walked really close because of the harsh wind. They were happy together and chatted about the wedding as if it were a joke. Neither of them had really realized how serious it all was.
The apartment was filled with darkness. No sign of Abigail, but Will still went to check as soon as he left his coat close to the door.
"She isn't here," Will came back from the corridor.
They didn't bother turning the lights on, going directly to the bedroom instead, Hannibal with cellphone in hand, dialing Abigail. Will opened the closet while Hannibal spoke to Abigail, who was apparently coming home in an hour. He undid the buttons on the long sleeves and unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, followed by his shoes.
Hannibal left the phone on the bedside table and walked slowly over behind Will. He put his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, he just wanted to get close in this cold night. He wanted intimacy, it was true; it turned out that things were going just fine the way they were.
"I couldn't be happier that you said yes," he whispered, moving his head to drop kisses on Will's shoulder. "For a moment I thought you would say no."
"In no given moment did I think about saying no. I just didn't know how to say yes," he turned around to face Hannibal, who was still completely dressed up. Will checked him out for the last time that night while he was still in that suit and looked down to unbutton Hannibal's suit buttons, removing the coat and leaving it inside the closet behind him.
"I'm the best of me when I'm with you. The same way you are the true you when you are with me," Hannibal placed one hand on Will's hair and moved his head closer, "Maybe we do deserve each other." He pressed his lips to Will's, who kissed him back. He started to unbutton the buttons of Hannibal's vest, slowly, not even sensually. He wasn't sure why he was doing it anyway, he just wanted to get ready for bed, he thought.
That was something that crossed his mind – and he bet Hannibal's too – sometimes. The intimacy slowly growing between them, and when they actually, well, performed the whole act. He started to think about it as he undid Hannibal's tie, as the kiss turned needier. He removed the vest and the tie, trying to leave them inside the closet, but he didn't even notice when they fell on the floor. Hannibal stepped out of his shoes while Will started to remove his long-sleeved shirt.
He wondered how badly Hannibal wanted that from him, and if they should wait because everything was fine the way it was and Will was enjoying the sort of relationship he was having with Hannibal. Now that he could call it that, at least. They were engaged, which meant they could slowly grow their intimacy together. Like now - it didn't felt like a sensual moment, but it was one of the most sensual moments for each of them. The feeling and the chemistry were intense, making them intoxicated by each other. Maybe they could go a little further that night. To celebrate.
Will moved his kisses to Hannibal's neck, using his tongue to help. He kissed the back of his ear, licked the middle of his neck and bit closer to his shoulder. All while finishing unbuttoning Hannibal's shirt. He took it off, Hannibal helping him with that gesture. He had his hands on Will's hips, his head leaning on Will's as the other kissed his skin in that lovely way. Will's lips moved back to Hannibal's when he started to undo Hannibal's belt and trousers; he considered it to be an invitation for him to do the same.
They let the pieces of clothing fall to the floor as the kiss had heightened and turned intense. They stood out of the discarded clothes and walked slowly and blindly to the bed. They lay on the bed with only their boxers briefs on, never breaking the kiss. Will settled them under the covers, noticing how aroused they were by the size of the briefs, Hannibal easily winning the competition.
"As much as I wanted do it with you tonight, we don't have any… supplies," Will suddenly spoke, breaking the kiss and catching some air.
Hannibal sighed and caressed Will's hair, catching some air as well while looking deeply into his eyes.
"Me too. We'll have plenty of time," he kissed Will's nose and laid his head back on the pillow. His thumb moved to touch Will's bottom lip. He played his thumb there for a while before Will decided to lick the tip of it, kissing it smoothly, "There is something I'd like to try, though."
"Okay." Will whispered, unsure. Hannibal moved on the bed, making Will lie on his back as he leaned against him, almost on top of him. He caressed Will's cheek and kissed his lips, moving his mouth to bite on his ear and whispered:
"I want you to lie down and enjoy it."
Hannibal kissed his lips goodbye for now and moved to kiss his clavicle. His hand slid across Will's torso, caressing his soft skin. He worshipped his body with sweet kisses mixed with hungrier ones, leaving some marks behind. When he was on his hip bone, deliberately kissing his stomach, he slowly moved the briefs down, moving to take them off completely and throwing them on the floor next to the bed. He sighed at the view, Will blushing and exposed to thin air, naked and half-hard.
Will put one arm above his head, trying to get comfortable, but he felt so exposed he couldn't calm down as much as he wished to. He wanted Hannibal to come back and kiss him, so he pulled him closer and kissed him deeply on the mouth. The other kissed him just the same but only for a few minutes; he was starting to salivate for Will's skin.
He moved down again, kissing Will all the way, and stopped on his inner thighs. He grabbed them with nails and all and started to kiss the skin. He wanted to leave a mark on that spot, making Will whine a little when Hannibal used his teeth to leave a purple mark on his left inner thigh. His maroon eyes looked up to meet Will's blue ones before taking him in his hand, starting to pump him slowly.
Hannibal moved his lips closer and licked the head with passion. Will echoed the action with a small sound, but a satisfying one. He closed his eyes and rested his hand on his abdomen; his other hand still rested above his head, on the pillow.
The doctor's administrations were precise, as if he knew exactly what to do. Like he'd been practicing a lot. He still wanted to know all of Will's sweet spots and how to pleasure him in the proper way; individually and exclusively to him. He pressed his lips tight around him, used his tongue with dexterity and let the right rhythm flow.
Will was making sporadic pleasurable sounds and his hand had moved from his stomach to Hannibal's hair, encouraging him to go faster. If this wasn't the most intimate encounter with Hannibal in his life he didn't know what was. Not speaking about the act itself, but the feeling all around the room and themselves was too heavy. A wonderful, heavy vibration between them, like he had never felt before.
It felt different from the other times Will had been receiving head. Maybe because it was happening with his fiance, something he had never had. Hannibal was his most valuable relationship, and now they were going to be much more. Maybe it was because he loved him more than anyone else he ever had in his life. All he could do right now, though, was make sounds as Hannibal went faster and more vigorously on him.
He noticed, when he opened his eyes, that Hannibal had started to touch himself in synchronicity with the movements of his head. He looked curiously at his member and licked his lips, letting out a moan. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the rough movement of Hannibal's lips. He thrusted up and climaxed inside his mouth. Hannibal didn't spit it out; on the contrary, he tasted it all and licked his own lips, not leaving any drop behind.
He continued to touch himself, kneeling on the bed in front of Will, worn out on the bed. Hannibal moved his hand faster with an open mouth, and soon he came on Will's chest. They were both breathing heavily when Hannibal joined Will on the bed. Will cleaned himself with the tip of the sheets and turned to Hannibal, who was already turned to face him.
Will touched Hannibal's face and moved closer to kiss him, closing his eyes. They lay there just touching their foreheads together and trying to gain their composure once again when Hannibal confessed in a whisper:
"I love you, Will. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. There is no pressure about the wedding, I just want a stabilized and serious relationship with you. A stable family for Abigail and us to begin with."
"We will," Will smiled, hugging him closer, "We are the same, you and I. We're gonna live forever. Together." He laid quietly for a moment, looking at Hannibal, when his fingers moved to touch Hannibal's forehead wound, from his fight with Jack in the kitchen. "What if Jack finds us?"
"He's in no condition for coming after us at the moment, you can be sure of that, Will," Hannibal caressed Will's cheek and spoke quietly. "But he will come."
They exchanged looks and Will nodded, turning the lights off and going to sleep for now. Will fell asleep quickly in Hannibal's arms, but Hannibal decided to wait for Abigail. The young girl arrived soon after Will had drifted off to sleep and only then could he rest in peace. One happy family. He couldn't wait to tell her the good news in the morning.
When the morning had come Abigail was already packing while dealing with her headache. She couldn't describe the feeling of moving in to a brand new house with her fathers. To get to know the neighborhood and her new neighbors. Especially to decorate her new room. She had been wishing for her own room – her own bed – for so long and now everything was turning out fine.
Apparently everyone in the apartment woke up really early. They were all nervous about what they were supposed to do that day. Hannibal was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when she left the bedroom with her prepared bag on her shoulder. She dropped the backpack on the couch and moved to the counter in the kitchen.
"How was last night?" Hannibal asked, without turning around to her as he prepared some eggs.
"Great. I think I've made a new friend. Her name is Chiara."
"Good. You should be making friends of your age, it will be good for you. It's been a while since you haven't been connected only with adults, don't you think?"
"I'm not complaining; all the people I've met since my father's death were great company to me. Especially you and Will," Hannibal served her some eggs and sausage on a plate and looked back at her, "But you're right, I should be making new friends. She goes to the University of Florence."
"You've been thinking about college, then?" he asked, a little proud of her since he didn't have to broach the subject again.
"I am."
"Is that the college you have chosen?" he asked, joining her at the table.
"Yes. I've heard it's the best in Florence."
"And it is. Università degli Studi di Firenze. It's located on the Piazza di San Marco, close to our new home."
Hannibal stopped for a moment when Will appeared at the door in his pajamas, going straight to the Italian coffee machine to get some coffee.
"Did you hear that, our daughter has decided which university to attend."
Will turned around to face them, leaning on the sink behind him.
"I bet she'll be accepted. Do you know what you want to study?" Will asked, joining them at the table with a mug in his hands.
Abigail then noticed the ring on Will's finger. Her blue eyes wided a little before she turned her gaze to Will.
"Faculty of Law. I think it suits my knack for manipulation and reading habits," she stopped for a moment, looking back at the shining ring, then up to Hannibal this time. "I'm a survivor. I think the life of crime suits me well."
They sat in silence for a little while, absorbing her words. They didn't feel like saying anything to contest her words because they were true. In a beautiful sense of every word. And they all accepted each other for what they were.
"You'll have a brilliant future, dear."
Abigail smiled at Hannibal then looked at Will.
"Speaking about brilliant, what a piece of art you now own, Dad. Were you going to tell me about it, or should I wait for the right time?" she joked about it, curious about what they were going to say about it. She pratically already knew but she wanted to hear it from their mouths.
They smiled and looked at each other. Will lifted his mug to his lips and Hannibal decided to speak for them. "Last night I asked Will to marry me. He said yes."
Abigail's eyes shined for a moment and she smiled too, a bright smile. She was incredibly happy about her dads getting married - it seemed like a dream come true. Married parents, a new house just for the three of them, starting university. It didn't feel real at all. She wanted someone to pinch her so that she knew she wasn't dreaming that she could finally understand what direction her life was taking.
She wasn't just happy for herself, she was happy for them. They were different towards her - Hannibal more like a strict father, and Will a little more liberal than him - but the way she felt towards them was the same. Her old life, old parents, were all dead and buried in the past. There was only her neck scar to help her remember them. Everything was different now and her foster fathers were perfect and in synchronicity with her, in a way she had never felt with her real father.
"So when is the wedding?" she asked with a silly smile on her face. She hadn't noticed, but she was blushing.
"We don't know yet. There is too much to be done before it happens." Hannibal spoke, biting his toast.
"I say just let it happen, in time." Will winked at Abigail, who smiled shyly. "Let's settle in first, apply to the university… which reminds me, I should pack my things in the bathroom." He stood up, finished his coffee in one sip, and left the mug on the table.
"Are you ready?" Hannibal asked, standing also, but to put all the dirty dishes in the sink.
"Yeah, I just really need new clothes. I've been wearing the same pair of pants for days."
"We'll make a shopping trip on the weekend; we all need new clothes. Let's worry about the furniture for the house first."
Hannibal was also ready to leave at that point. They waited for Will in the living room, while chatting about this new friend of Abigail's, Chiara. She was the daughter of diplomats so it was easy for them to communicate. When Abigail mentioned her address Hannibal added that it was in a neighbourhood near them. Will appeared in the living room carrying his bag and they all left in the rental car for the new house.
With a quiet lane, cypress trees, and a creamy-coloured facade, the house had a Renaissance architecture. It seemed luxurious, but in a more modest way. The house was enormous, with two floors and several columns supporting a balcony that was going to become Abigail's large balcony. There were another two columns in front of the front door, supporting Will and Hannibal's smaller balcony.
The house had a pastel salmon tone and the columns were cream-coloured. There was a pool to the left side of the front door, which you could see through the large windows in the dining and living rooms. What made the house even more appealing was the column of green leaves covering part of the house. It seemed like the perfect house for them.
They entered the house and left their bags next to the entrance. The dark wooden floor didn't make any noise as they walked through the house, designing their own perspectives of the furniture to be in the house. They had only ordered their mattress, piled in the living room, so far. After moving them to the upper floor along with the bags they decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood.
There were people walking with their dogs and children playing outside. The rain had stopped for today and the sun was clear in the sky, which made Abigail suggest that they go to get some ice cream. Hannibal recomended they should walk, since everything was really close to their home. They had lunch and ice cream and walked to an antique dealer to buy some of their furniture; mostly all of it actually, including pieces for bedrooms and the living room, deciding on all of their choices together. Then they went to a fancy store to buy the kitchen items. Both of these stops were Hannibal's conditions for the organization of the house. The rest was up for Will and Abigail to decide.
At the end of the day they had everything ordered to arrive at their home on the following day. It had been a long and tiresome day, but to be completely honest - which any of the last few days were - it didn't really matter because the feeling of harmony about filling their house with happiness and objects symbolizing the connection between them was amazing.
They ordered pizza for the night and ate dinner around a towel, on the floor. Will and Abigail were filled with pure joy, but Hannibal didn't like idea of eating on the floor, not for a split-second, which led him to use a disgusted face throughout all of dinner. It had been another great day and everything seemed fine, but how long could things be so perfect like that?
Will kept this question in mind for the rest of the night, even when he was cuddling with Hannibal on a mattress on the floor. It would take time to get to them, but he knew Jack; he would find them and catch them. Even with them living with completely different names and bank accounts, and everything else needed to made things really difficult for the FBI. And when Jack finally had his hands on them, then what - would they kill him too? He wasn't sure if he was ready to commit such an act against Jack. For now, he could only try to stay assured that they were safe there and everything was fine.
The next morning Hannibal woke up to the sound of the front doorbell. He got dressed really quickly, wondering why they were there so early, and went to answer the door. The new furniture was ready to be put in place really early that morning; when Will got up, there was movement all around the house. There were several people that annoyed the hell out of him, just for being there.
As he went downstairs he found Abigail leading two men carrying pieces of what looked to be her bed. They greeted him and he kept walking downstairs. There, he found Hannibal in the kitchen, which was already half-done. There were boxes on the counter and he was putting the plates and crystal glasses in order, inside the kitchen cabinets.
"We were just waiting for you to wake up for them to start on our room."
"You could have woken me up earlier. Do we have any coffee?"
Hannibal looked back at him and moved closer to the sink where an Italian coffee machine was still warm, containing some fresh coffee. Hannibal took one mug from inside one of the boxes and served Will, putting the mug in front of him.
"Thank you," he stopped for a moment to listen to all the sounds going on in the house then continued, "it seems like a murder scene, somehow."
Hannibal took his own mug and drank a little. "Do you miss it?" he asked.
Will nodded slowly, wandering off inside his mind. "I do, but it's different now. I was aware it was killing me inside, and only further potentialized the symptoms of… whatever I have. Now I feel better. But what if feeling better only makes me worse?"
Hannibal came closer, leaning on the counter, and looked closely at Will. "You still have your nightmares and hallucinations, isn't that right?"
Will just looked back at him for several seconds before replying. "Yeah, but..."
"It means you're not well enough. You still need treatment, Will, and a supervisor. But you could still go back to your old profession, you could even be a teacher, if that's what you want."
"Yeah..." Will was lost in thought, "I think it will… be better. At least for now," his gaze finally found Hannibal's and he smiled just a little, "You're right. Dealing with books is better than dealing with people, cases, and… well, death will still be the major topic of my classes. What we need to do is find jobs for us, preferably this week."
"I'll be using the office for my appointments; I too want to start working as soon as possible and, speaking of which, I would like you to help me with the books in there," he finished his drink and put the mug in the sink, "Now."
Will arched his eyebrows at the order but left his mug where it was and followed him into the office next to the living room. Every room in the house was enormous, but this one was a little more spacious than the others. It had two floors and reminded him a lot of Hannibal's previous office. Maybe it was that big because it was also a library; there were men over to the side putting everything in place, including boxes and boxes of books.
They paused for lunch, but soon were all back to helping each other put everything in order. At the end of the day every piece of furniture was in place, but there was still one box or another around the house, especially inside their bedrooms. It seemed like everything was almost done, but they weren't even close. Will changed into his blue short-shorts and white t-shirt and threw himself on the bed after a hot shower.
"I feel like sleeping for days, Hannibal," he searched for the other with his eyes, finding the other leaving the bathroom of the suite. He was walking slowly closer to him while drying his hair with a towel; another was hung around his hips. Will had to control himself and keep from licking his lips, and speak like none of those naughty thoughts had crossed his mind.
"We can't just yet. There are still things to do around here tomorrow, and I believe we will be done with them only by nightfall; there are so many service-providers to call and things to be installed. Since it will be Saturday after that I thought we could go to the mall and do some shopping. All of us need it, hastily."
"Can't we just go another time?" Will asked, putting his arm on his face and hiding his eyes, "I hate going shopping."
Hannibal sighed and moved to the closet to change. "Only if you wanted me to chose for you."
Will moved his arm to rest on his forehead and looked at Hannibal, who had his back to him. "You're not gonna dress me in the finest Italian suits and bow ties, are you?"
Hannibal chuckled at that image and turned back to him, almost finished dressing. "Of course not. But, honestly, you would look ravishing in Italian silk."
"Please, don't" Will smiled and got under the blankets. The new bed was fantastic and the silky sheets felt amazing in contact with his skin. Suddenly, when Hannibal was already positioned on the other side of the bed, Will's features turned quite sad.
"What if… I mean…when they find us, what are we gonna do?" he asked, a bit concerned. "Jack's probably going to be leaving the hospital soon, if he hasn't already, and if the FBI doesn't find us, he will."
"If they find us. They can't find us here, Will, and if they do, we'll flee. We'll kill them all, if we have to." He pulled Will closer and hugged him, smelling his scent of rose soap and mint conditioner. "Don't worry about it. We travelled and are living under different names; they don't have the slightest idea of where we are," he turned Will's head by his chin so he could look at him and spoke very close to his lips, "They don't have the best working for them anymore."
The next morning, Hannibal noticed Abigail was already up and turning her room into a real bedroom. He asked what she wanted for breakfast and then went downstairs. Will woke up to the smell of eggs and coffee and took a cold shower. He wanted to go ahead and put all the stuff inside the boxes away in the right places, but he decided to join them in the kitchen.
It was the first meal in their brand new house, the talking being fun and pleasant. They discussed that Abigail should write her letters to the universities and send them that same day, while Will was going to interview at the Florence Polizia Dipartimento. All of them, except for Will himself, were sure he would get the job as a Criminal Investigation teacher. Hannibal was planning on going after patients in hospitals that needed a psychiatrist. Then, he would move his appointments into the house. He would be carefully choosing every patient, to be more precise.
Once they had left, Abigail was left alone. Her first thought was to finish her bedroom and then she could start with the letters. She started out well, but almost at the end of it she got tired and sighed heavily. It wasn't easy to write such letters and pick out universities that she didn't even know about. There was too much to research; and that's when she decided to pick up her phone. Chiara's number appeared on the screen and she pushed the button to call her.
In less than an hour, Chiara honked at Abigail's gates. From the dining room she opened them with the electric control. The room had big windows going from the ceiling almost to the ground, and the gate could easily be seen. Abigail was anxious about bringing a friend into the house and was happy because the other girl seemed so nice the other night. She opened the front door and smiled at the other girl walking towards the entrance.
It was obvious that Chiara wore the best designer clothes in Italy – maybe even in other countries, too. She had high-heeled boots and wore a scarf just like Abigail, but in a different way. She had a brown hat and pants with a nice top. Her hair was long, straight, and brown with some little hightlights. Abigail thought she looked just like a supermodel, although she was too short to be one.
"Hey, welcome," Abigail opened her arms to show the place, looked up to the balcony, and back to the girl now in front of her.
The other hugged her and smiled, "Grazie. You have a lovely home here," she spoke with a thick accent.
"Come on in," Abigail closed the door behind them and led the other girl to her room. She sat on the bed with violet sheets and smiled at Chiara.
"So what do you wanna do?"
When Chiara's car left the grounds the sunset was vivid in the sky. Abigail walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out some orange juice. That's when she heard the front door opening and closing. Will appeared in the kitchen with a brown bag in one hand and a black briefcase in the other.
"Hi, did you get groceries?" she asked, trying to sound interested.
"I thought we could surprise your dad and make dinner ourselves. He'll be out for a little longer."
Abigail genuinely smiled.
"Sounds like a great idea, but wouldn't he be mad to come home and not have anything to cook?"
"We can figure that out later, but for now come over here and start cutting these cavolos. Wash them first."
What Abigail had remarked was important. Will knew, though, that Hannibal wouldn't be mad. He probably would be confused, even amused. But not mad. In fact, he thought it was going to be pretty funny to see his face when they were done with dinner. Besides, having these little times with Abigail, and only Abigail, were moments he would like to save forever in his mind.
In less than an hour the kitchen looked like a tornado had passed through it. There were chopped, colorful things all over the counter as they prepared the entree and the main dish; they were dirty with flour and vegetable oil. It wasn't anything as fancy as something Hannibal would make, but they tried their best. The meat was inside the oven and was already smelling good. Abigail had gone to take a shower and change for dinner when Hannibal entered the house.
He had the same bag that he always carried after a murder, probably containing some organs. He left the bag on top of the counter and looked around, not saying anything, smelling each piece of food that had been prepared over the last hour. Only after that did he put his eyes on Will, still all dirty from all the mess. He had a mischevious smile on his lips.
"Does it smell good enough for you?" Will asked, hesitantly.
"Did you make this mess by yourself?"
"Abigail helped me. She's upstairs taking a shower because she looked like I do," he looked down at himself then back to Hannibal.
"You look ready to be put in the oven," Hannibal said quietly, approaching the other with careful footsteps.
Will gulped. He lifted his hand to put on Hanniba'ls shoulder but the doctor grabbed his wrist. "You can only touch me after you clean yourself up from all this flour, otherwise you will ruin my suit," he let go of his wrist and leaned closer to kiss Will's lips, breaking it after a little while to speak close to them still, "You taste like flour, too." He tsked.
He turned to open his bag and prepare the meat to go in the fridge. Will said nothing about it, only observing while he dealt with the capsicums. Hannibal asked about the job interview and Will simply shrugged and said that the job was his now. The other smirked, "Of course it is."
When Hannibal was done with the organs and Will done with the capsicums, Hannibal sat on a chair close to the counter and observed Will finishing the salad. He was glad that they had made… whatever was cooking at the moment; even if it turned out bad, it would be a good memory because he felt loved like he never had before. But he was, and he knew that now.
"It still needs 15 minutes before it's ready. I've put the timer on; would you please take it out while I take a shower?"
Will interrupted his thoughts. He nodded and went to sit in the living room, deciding to play the piano while he waited for his family to get ready for dinner. Of course he had had bloody hands, but he was always careful to be clean afterwards. Abigail soon came downstairs, her hair wet and combed, and let her neck breathe without anything covering it. She joined Hannibal at the piano and listened for a while.
"A friend of mine came over earlier, before I finished the letters."
"The one you mentioned the other day?"
"Yes," she made a pause, enough to catch Hannibal's attention, but he didn't stop playing, "I like her a lot, I already see her as my best friend here," she laughed a bit nervously. Suddenly she stopped talking, just listening to her thoughts and the music that hadn't stopped playing, "We have a lot in common, her parents are diplomats, and she has travelled to many places, but she's Italian. She can speak many languages, just like you."
Hannibal listened to it all very carefully and suddenly he stopped playing. He turned to Abigail to have a better look at her features. "It's good to make new friendships, Abigail. Just be careful… sometimes people are not what they appear to be. My advice is for you to go slow and acclimate your new friendship. Do not put your happiness into the hands of someone you just met."
"You mean this friendship could go very, very wrong?"
"That's right."
"Yours with Dad turned out very, very well."
"Is that the way you feel towards..."
"Chiara. And no. She's really just a friend."
That's when they heard the beeping coming from kitchen and Hannibal hurried to take the meal out of the oven, putting some oven mitts on before doing it. Abigail followed him and had an expectant look on her face.
"Ah. Chargrilled Pork Chop with Peppers," he looked back at Abigail, "Interesting option."
"I'll set the table!" she exclaimed, getting some napkins, plates, forks and knives. She walked to the dining room and started to position the utensils.
One minute later Will came down the stairs to meet his lover alone in the kitchen. He had noticed on his way to the kitchen that Abigail was in the dining room, and that almost all of the food that had been on the counter in the kitchen was now in the dining room as well. Hannibal was about to carry the main dish when the other approached quickly.
"Don't you worry, it's mine and Abigail's responsibility, you only have to sit and enjoy it," he said, putting his hand on Hannibal's arm. He approched him, and touched his lips to Hannibal's ear. "I'm all cleaned up, can I touch you now?" he asked in a seductive voice, moving one hand to touch Hannibal's belt.
Hannibal didn't expect that, but he loved every second of it. His hand moved to Will's waist and brought him close to whisper in his face. "Not now, maybe later, but you'll make me think about it throughout the entire dinner," he kissed him intensely for a moment before letting the other go, "But now we have a dinner with our daughter."
Will smirked and carried the dish into the dining room, where Abigail was already seated, drinking a glass of cold sparkling water. Will left the dish in the middle of the table and sat beside Hannibal, in front of Abigail, with Hannibal in the middle; at the highest position on the table. Hannibal took his first bite with Will and Abigail's eyes full of expectation. He tasted the food slowly and after that he winked at both of them, individually.
"For two people who don't cook too often I would say it tastes... satisfactory."
The dinner was surprisingly delicious. Some of the tastes to Hannibal seem inaccurate, but he appreciated what they had done. He spent the entire dinner, while still participating in the conversation, thinking about what Will said earlier in the kitchen. Will wanted to touch him and he seemed kind of hungry for it, or maybe he was just hungry for the food. But there was something different in his eyes that night. They hadn't been doing anything else other than what had happened on the night that Hannibal had proposed. They hadn't had the time to buy any supplies, so sticking with the foreplay seemed good enough for now; but it was Hannibal that was the one who always went down on Will. It seemed like Will was willing the be the one going down tonight. At least, that's where Hannibal's thoughts stopped by the time dinner was over.
Will and Abigail left everything in the sink, trying to clean the kitchen up a little before going to bed. Will hugged her in the middle of the stairs, while they walked up, and kissed her cheek.
"It was fun," he said, when they were upstairs.
She smiled.
"It really was. Thanks for doing that with me, it..." she stopped to find the right words. "meant a lot, Dad."
Will felt something different attack him from the heart and started to warm all up inside. Is that what they called true parental love? He entered his bedroom thinking about it and at first didn't notice Hannibal on the other side of the room, changing into his night clothes.
"Abigail is getting really attached to us," he announced, finally looking at Hannibal, who had just dressed into his long-sleeved night shirt. "Especially to you."
"Now, you're not jealous, are you, Will?" Hannibal asked, getting into bed.
Will shook his head, "No, I think it's great that we all are getting along so well," he put his knee on the bed and crawled closer to Hannibal, leaning on his forearms with his stomach pressed against the mattress, "What I meant is that she acts like we are her true fathers."
Hannibal turned to him, putting one elbow on the pillow and resting his head on his hand. "But aren't we?" he asked, sliding one finger down the middle of Will's back, starting close to his neck and stopping on his hips, resting his hand there. "Being a foster father doesn't make you any less of a father than what Jacob Hobbs was for Abigail."
Will gazed at Hannibal for a while to absorb the words and then nodded, coming closer for a kiss. Hannibal slid his hand that was already on Will's hips to his waist, pulling him closer. He lay his head on the pillow, bringing Will to lie on top of him. They kept the kiss slow and calm, but Will had other intentions that, he wouldn't lie, made his heart jump a little faster.
"You were pretty aware of my intentions tonight, weren't you?" he whispered in his ear, licking it with the tip of his tongue, and then scraped Hannibal's neck with his teeth, carefully, as his hand danced closer to the waistband of Hannibal's pajamas pants, "I bet you thought about it through the entire dinner."
Once again, Hannibal was a little surprised. There was no denying that he loved this side of Will that he had never met before – but, well, they had never been lovers before either. All he could say about it was that he fancied it very much. And since Will was ready to do something different from what they had been doing it was a good sign. It was basically Will saying that he trusted Hannibal enough to do that and, of course, that he was willing to do it; and with him, which was the most important part about it all.
"I did," he confessed, both hands flying to Will's shirt, skimming his fingers on his skin, "The thoughts I had could easily make you blush, do you want to hear them?"
As Will slowly moved down, pushing Hannibal's shirt up and kissing all the way down, he heard Hannibal's naughty thoughts about him, what he wanted him to do, how he would teach him all the different ways, how he was sure that his mouth was going to taste delicious around him. That turned Will on drastically and soon he was pulling Hannibal's sweatpants down and initiating something that he didn't know he would like so much. Hannibal did as he said he would, leading Will, but still letting him do his own thing. Luckily for Hannibal, but not really surprisingly, Will was brilliant at it. He could just lie there for hours and have only this the entire time without any problem.
Hannibal made some noises and Will did as well, trying not to out of embarrassment. He slowly started to enjoy it and got more into it, to Hannibal's pleasure. He warned Will when he was about to finish and he moved away, using just his hand to finish him. When Hannibal was done, Will with the tip of his finger touched the substance to taste it. At that moment, he looked up to Hannibal and proved it by putting his finger inside his mouth then spreading it along his bottom lip.
"You're being so indecent right now that I if I didn't know any better, I would never take you as a first timer."