A/N: This is a fill for the Hannibal Kink Meme on dreamwidth. The prompt wasn't exactly kinky (just kissing), but I ended up getting a bit carried away and added heavy petting. Sorry...I tend to do that. lol

"Gratitude"

Abigail Hobbs was haunted. With each passing moment of her restored consciousness, she was bombarded with images, flashes, and ethereal shadows of men and weaponry. At some point – she couldn't recall the exact moment – the memories had begun to take shape.

Amidst all the screaming and bitter fear, there had been a man…a dark-haired savior with unsteady hands and a smoking gun. His glasses had reflected the glint of her father's knife.

As Abigail sat there in her hospital bed, she could still feel the stinging slice across her throat – could still hear the high-pitched, never-ending ringing of her ears after the gunshots. Her father had died before she could ask why he'd betrayed her…before she'd realized she couldn't even speak.

But then that man was grasping at her and pleading, shushing her and putting those unsteady hands on her throat. There had been another man too, but somehow he hadn't seemed as important. She'd only been looking at the gunman – into his wide, frantic blue eyes – and watching herself bleed out in his reflective irises.

A sudden knock at Abigail's door startled her to attention. A man with dark, wavy hair and scruffy cheeks lingered uncertainly, his eyes darting from her own to the floor in repeated succession. Even without all the gore, she knew it was him…she'd dreamed of his face for far too long to not know.

"It's you," she whispered.

Startled, the man blanched with what appeared to be shame, his free hand curling at his side as he hesitantly shut the door.

A moment of awkward silence followed.

"I…wanted to see if you were alright," he finally said. "They told me you woke up this morning."

Abigail sat up more fully now, taking him in with an appreciation that clearly made him uncomfortable. "What's your name?"

The man seemed surprised by the normal question. If anything, it further proved his discomfort with social situations.

His voice was hoarse when he said, "Will Graham."

Will…the name suited him somehow. Even though he was currently shy and awkward, she could sense a tired strength in him that was constantly at work. If she'd known what demons he was battling, she would understand that he'd have to be.

"Can you sit for a while?"

"Sure." Will's tread was slow and hesitant, but he sank onto her bed and turned his body toward her. Abigail liked feeling that he was giving her his undivided attention. Despite having only seen him in her dreams, she'd always given him her full attention, too.

"I'm sorry I never thanked you properly," Abigail apologized. "Will you let me do that for you?"

The man appeared perplexed, his fists tightening in his lap as he shook his head. "You don't need to thank me…I was just doing my civic duty. Anyone else would've done the same."

"No," she argued, "they wouldn't…unlike most people, I could tell you cared. You wouldn't be here right now if you didn't."

"I…" Will faltered, seemingly caught in a corner. It endeared him to her all the more.

"It's alright – I'm glad you're here." She smiled then, her heart pounding as she tried to meet his eyes. Every time he'd catch her gaze he'd look away, seemingly punishing himself for whatever it was he thought he'd done wrong.

Abigail was immovable. "I have something for you…can you close your eyes?"

Even though Will was confused, he couldn't help but smile at the childish request. "How can you have something for me? You just woke up this morning."

"Why are you asking? Don't you like surprises?" Abigail could feel her chances slipping away, and it made her panic. She needed this – she needed to thank him.

Fortunately for her, Will finally caved. "Alright," he agreed, "I'll do it. Just…just don't pull a prank on me, or anything."

"I won't," she promised.

With a wry smile, Will closed his eyes and cleared his throat. It was evident that he felt stupid, judging by the way his body shifted uncomfortably as he waited.

Abigail's breath caught with excitement. She could finally touch him – she could finally taste him – and it took all of her willpower to take things slowly. With her hands sliding up his arms, she felt his muscles tense beneath her palms. It was clear he hadn't expected to be touched.

She leaned forward and drew in toward his face, studying each individual line and contour as she yearned to cup his cheeks. She noticed him twitch when her breath warmed his upper lip.

"Abby…"

His eyes popped open then and he lurched, stunned when he realized Abigail's face was so close to his. "Abby, what are you…?"

But she wouldn't let him finish. Taking him by the shoulders, Abigail closed the distance between them and angled an artless kiss over his mouth. Will's lips parted in shock, his hands fisting her gown as her tongue began to fully explore him. She heard him make a strangled noise.

Emboldened, Abigail slipped into his lap and cupped his cheeks, twisting her face into his and forcing him to kiss her more deeply. She sighed when his tongue slid across her own.

Breaking the kiss with a breathless gasp, Abigail began burning her lips down from his cheek to his neck. She could feel him squirming then, his nails digging into her back as she dragged her crotch across his hardness. The sudden act sent a jolt of pleasure through them both.

Though Will was at least double Abigail's age, she didn't care – she just wanted a connection with someone who understood her…with someone who understood what it was like to be an outcast.

Bringing her lips to his throat, Abigail licked, nipped, and kissed her way back up toward Will's quivering mouth. They locked eyes for a moment – hers bright and his clouded – before she once more joined his lips with hers. The kiss was wanton and frantic, his hands framing her face as she tilted her head back and sucked on his tongue.

When Will finally broke the kiss, they sat there panting and struggling for stability. Abigail was the first to recover.

With a warm smile, she pressed her forehead to his and touched his hand. "Thank you," she whispered.

Will quivered in response, unable to look her in the eye as she cupped his cheek. It was clear that he was ashamed – repulsed, even – though she knew he'd enjoyed himself. The evidence was in the hardness he'd kept grinding against her thigh.

Placing a hand on his knee, Abigail leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "When I leave the hospital, I won't stop you if you want more – I owe you my life, you know. I owe you everything." Taking Will by the wrist, she guided his hand between her thighs and pressed his palm against her moist spot. She heard him suppress a groan.

"Thanks for coming by to see me." Smiling brightly, Abigail watched a bewildered Will Graham rise off the bed on unsteady legs. Seeing him as he was now – ravished and tousled – filled her with such a thrall. To know that she'd been the one to make him blush, and that she'd been the one to arouse him was a remarkable feeling.

He turned away from her then, nearly tripping over a trash can as he rushed toward the door. By the time Will was in the hallway, Abigail had already dipped a hand into her panties to relieve her desires. As she began circling her clit, she sighed and reclined against her pillows. He'd be back – she was certain of it.

A/N: Since I'm busy in real life, I'll only continue this (for one more part) if a decent amount of people would like me to. Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed! :)