thank you for waiting so patiently~! :D I know I'm slow updater. Hope it is worth the wait though.

The beta at the door flinched as Hannibal approached, but the alpha ignored him. He had someone more important to see. He began to climb the stairs, but his attention was drawn to the bulletin board. There, sitting all alone, was an orange notice with slightly curled edges. Hannibal approached the board and gently removed the slip. The name and room number were missing. Hannibal brought it to his nose and sniffed. A satisfied smirk pulled at his lips before he put the paper back.

As he continued his ascension to Will's room, he unfurled his pheromones before he made it to Will's floor, and as expected the omega's door was unlocked. He motioned for the other beta to be silent, breathing in and taking note of the situation. Every nook and cranny smelled of his sweet omega, but there wasn't an underlying, heady smell. Not yet. Just smells of sickness and blood. Hannibal wrinkled his nose in disgust as his stomach tightened as concern flooded him.

"Wait down stairs." Hannibal ordered. He waited until he was gone before he locked the door and entered Will's bedroom.

Upon the bed was a pile of blankets with just a mop of curls and bandaged feet sticking out. Hannibal moved over to his poor omega, gently lowering the blankets down and away from his nose and mouth. Will's eyes were screwed shut, his brows furrowed as he made small whimpers in his sleep. His body was shaking, but when Hannibal laid his hand on his forehead it was blazing hot.

Hannibal ran his hands through the curls before taking off his scarf and setting it above Will's head. The alpha hoped the proximity of his scent would calm him. He waited a moment to see if it would work, but Will continued to shiver. He gave the omega one last soothing pet before leaving the room. He pulled out his cellphone and called one of the betas waiting outside.

"Bring me the bag in my office. Mr. Matthews will assist you." He said, glancing over at Will's room. "Then you may leave for the night. I will be staying with Officer Graham."

Arrangements made, Hannibal returned to Will's room and sighed when he saw the omega was still in the same condition. The alpha pulled the desk chair over and sat down. He wanted to reach out and hold the omega's hand, but the fever overtaking the omega's mind would do anything but help.

Hannibal slipped his jacket off and added it to the pile of blankets before leaning back in his chair.

Everything was hot. Will whined as he clawed at his chest and arms, hoping to rid himself of the heavy heat wrapped around him. It was to no effect.

The phantoms laughed at him, mocked his pain and discomfort. He whined again as he thrashed. This time he was able to successfully kick off some of the heat. However, the bare spots were consumed by ice, and Will was stuck in a hell that was both hot and cold. Will yelped and drew his legs up, the main source of his icy torment, but this only severe pain to his feet. The phantoms continued to laugh.

Will whined a third time and cowered under the phantoms' stares and gleeful faces. He squeezed his eyes shut as heat and cold and pain racked his body. One of the phantoms grabbed him, and Will cried out with tears streaming down his face.

The phantom spoke, but Will couldn't understand. He lashed out in vain, but both his limbs were captured. The phantom spoke again, and this time Will caught some of the words.

"...ver, Will. You need to wa... ust a dream, dear Will...wake up."

Will struggled weakly against the phantom who was starting to gain form. Where once were empty eye sockets familiar maroon looked down in concern. Will stopped moving, focused now on the phantom.

The eyes crinkled and a hand with slowly regenerating skin came up to wipe the omega's hair from his forehead.

"That's it, Will." the phantom coaxed. Will watched, transfixed, as the creature transformed before him. The redness of his surroundings blackened and cleared, and Will found himself back in his room, safe and sound. The heavy heat still consumed him, but it was now comforting instead of constricting.

Hannibal leaned down, releasing Will's hands to cup his face.

"It is two in the morning," the alpha began, continuing to run his thumbs over Will's cheeks. "You are in your room, in bed with a fever, and you are awake."

Will blinked up at him before closing his eyes. He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, but his dreams continued to follow him. He clamped his lips shut to prevent any more pathetic sounds from escaping, but a few tears fell from his eyes. He could feel himself falling back into the dark, but he didn't get very far.

Will gasped as his face was forced into Hannibal's neck as the alpha pulled him towards him. He moved so he was on top of him, adding his weight and heat to the pile. Will wanted to object because it was uncomfortable, but he soon found himself pinned beneath the alpha.

"Shh, it's okay, Will." Hannibal soothed as he held the omega closer. Will gave a watery gasp, but he didn't struggle out of the alpha's grasp. He took shallow breaths, still focusing on trying not to fall apart. Hannibal nuzzled the side of his face, bringing Will's mind back to the alpha. He was completely on top of him, but Hannibal took care not to crush or bring any further hurt to the man below him.

Forced to remain still, Will slowly started to like the weight above him. It was solid and warm, and Hannibal's fingers carding through his hair and over his face made the skin tingle. Will's eyes closed fully as he allowed himself to be gentled, taking deep breaths of the alpha's scent. Hannibal whispered a word of encouragement, and Will relaxed under his hold.

Hannibal sighed when Will became boneless in his arms. He had left Will alone for a couple of minutes to get his bag and leave orders with the beta. He had just shut the door when he heard the first whimper. Worry had flooded him, a feeling he had not felt in a long time, and now that Will was calm it spilled out and left only relief.

He knew from seeing Will on a daily basis that the omega's sleep had improved. He also knew from watching his appointments with Bedelia that it was due to Hannibal's scent whether Will admitted it or not. It puzzled the alpha since his scent should be all over the omega due to spending so much time together and placing his scent somewhere on Will's person at all times.

Besides ensuring the omega got the sleep he desperately needed, Hannibal also wanted to prove to him that their relationship was the right choice. He wanted Will to feel safe around him, to come to him when he was distressed, to only need him for his troubles.

Tonight was both a setback and a step in the right direction. Hannibal failed to keep his omega safe and allowed him to get hurt. On the other side, it took no time at all to calm Will, the omega's biology craving protection from the compatible alpha. Coupled with Will's upcoming heat, Hannibal knew it was only a matter of time before the omega lowered his barriers and allowed the alpha to crawl inside. He just had to be patient.

Hannibal sat up, and Will's hold tightened.

"I'm not going anywhere." the alpha promised, gently unfurling Will's hands. He positioned them so they were lying sideways with Will facing the wall the Hannibal spooned behind him.

Will froze as the alpha grasped him around the middle and pulled him as close as possible. His logical mind, what little he had at the moment, protested that this was too soon. They hadn't had enough time to begin this step in courting. His body, on the other hand, did not find it scandalous which coaxed the mind into agreeing.

Will's eyes drooped as Hannibal's scent began to consume his senses, feeling the alpha snuggle closer and bury his nose into his neck. Will thoughtlessly shifted so Hannibal could have more access, enjoying the barely there touches. He was rewarded with a soft kiss. It took no time at all for sleep to overcome him, giving him nothing but peaceful sleep.

"I thought I was getting better." Will mumbled. He sat up in bed wrapped in blankets. He still had a fever, but he could think clearly now.

"You were." Hannibal reassured him, setting the tray he had brought in on the nightstand. "You are getting better. Just a minor setback that can be solved."

Will sniffed miserably, but didn't say anything. He wasn't in the mood to try and argue. His head throbbed, his body ached, and his feet stung. He wished he could bring his knees to his chest or at least reposition himself, but any movement caused him pain and a threat to reopen his cuts. They already broke open in his sleep. He didn't want anymore blood on the sheets.

Hannibal adjusted the blankets to allow Will movement of his hands. He entertained the thought of keeping his omega wrapped up and feeding him by hand, but he didn't want to cause Will to withdraw from him. He finished his fussing before setting the tray on the omega's lap.

Will ignored the food, but Hannibal didn't mind. He knew the need to eat would win eventually. He went to the kitchen to grab a few more items, and he smiled when he returned to find Will slowly eating.

"Is this yours or mine?" Will gestured to the tray as he popped a grape in his mouth. "Because I don't remember owning one."

"It is mine. I thought it would come in handy." Hannibal replied. Will made a "that's what I thought" sound before picking up the fork and spearing a piece of sausage. Unnoticed, Hannibal watched on attentively.

It always brought the alpha pleasure to imagine Will eating his meals, the omega oblivious to what he was consuming. Hannibal nearly purred when a small fleeting smile crossed Will's features as he bit into the former cyclist. It made him want to pull the omega close.

See? Hannibal's more bestial side whispered. The one that didn't want to wait and wanted to consume and hold his Will. His omega. I can provide for you. I can protect you. You'll never need to worry about anything again. I'm a hunter. I'm the best hunter.

Hannibal pushed his less than proper side to the back of his mind and focused on the issue that brought him to Will's need.

"When did the nightmares return?"

The fork faltered in Will's hand. He looked at Hannibal, though he avoided his gaze, and he looked down at his plate. He lowered the fork.

"I don't want to talk about it." Will mumbled.

Hannibal sighed and readied himself for an argument. "Will, we need to find the solution to this. Your health is improving and you are getting better, but something set you back. If you know or remember when the nightmares returned then we can put a stop to them all the faster."

Will clenched his jaw and pushed the food around on his plate, but he did not eat. Hannibal pursed his lips.

"William—"

"I'm done eating." Will picked the tray up and held it out to Hannibal. He still did not look at him. It was starting to infuriate the alpha, but he decided to let this slight pass. Will was not himself. He had to tread carefully.

"Very well." Hannibal took the offered tray and stood. "I'll put the rest in the fridge for later. Do you need anything else?"

Will shook his head and scooted so he was lying down once more, taking care not bump his feet. He was still bundled up, his head now wrapped in the blankets making him effectively cocooned. The sight was almost too precious to the alpha as he watched Will get comfortable.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," Hannibal said, reminding the omega of his presence. "Please consider what I said, William. Your health is important to me."

Will didn't answer, but Hannibal wasn't expecting one. He took one last look at the bundled omega before slipping out of the room.

"You shouldn't be on your feet, Will." Hannibal scolded as the stubborn omega emerged from his room. It had been several hours since the alpha left the omega to get his rest. He had checked on him periodically, each time seeing Will sound asleep "Don't they hurt?"

Will shook his head, but the grimace told another story as he took another step into the living room. Hannibal ignored Will as he tried to wave him off and picked him up and deposited him on the couch. It was so swift Will didn't have enough time to make any objections, objections Hannibal could clearly see he wanted to make.

Instead, Will scowled and looked away with a small "thanks".

"It is no trouble I assure you." Hannibal said. He knelt down, capturing the fleeing limbs as Will tried to draw them away. He pulled off the bandages and inspected the scabbed soles, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw none of them had broken open. He put ointment on them and bandaged them while glancing up at Will to make sure nothing was amiss.

The omega had his ever present scowl on his face and made little attempts at pulling out of the alpha's hold. Hannibal smiled at the cute display, gave the arch of his foot a small pat, and allowed Will to finally pull his feet up onto the couch.

"Will I live?" Will snarked.

"Doubtful with that attitude." Hannibal responded and sent Will's scowl away with a blossoming smile. Oh how the alpha loved his smile. "Would you like anything to eat? You've slept most of the day away."

Will agreed and Hannibal whipped up something fast. He didn't heat up Will's uneaten breakfast, thinking he would prefer to eat something fresh. He returned with some sandwiches and put them on the coffee table. He went to find the tv tray he had spotted behind the couch, but the omega simply grabbed a plate and rested it on his curled lap. Will saw him frown and smiled.

"What's wrong? Never eaten off your lap before?"

"Not when there is a perfectly good table in the room." Hannibal retorted, bringing another smirk to the other man's face.

"That's too bad."

Hannibal chuckled as the omega chomped into his food, taking in his appearance. The dark circles under his eyes had nearly disappeared and the color had returned to his face. Plus, Will's attitude had returned replacing the sullen one from earlier, a sight Hannibal didn't want to see return to the omega's personality for a long time.

They sat in a peaceful silence, the hum of the heater droning on in the background covering up the occasional whistle of wind. They both knew the topic of last night had to be addressed, but for now Hannibal allowed the silence to take over. He didn't eat any of the sandwiches, pushing the extra plate closer to Will, who took another without further prompting.

"Wednesday night." Will broke the silence. He was staring down at his plate, which had half a sandwich left.

"Pardon?"

"The nightmares started again on Wednesday night." Will replied, turning his focus to the window. The snow was beginning to fall harder, the flakes glittering in the sparse sunlight.

Hannibal paused and his mind connected which day Will was referring.

"Did anything happen after you came home that night?"

Will shook his head. "Nope. The dreams just… came again."

"And what about now? How did you sleep?"

Hannibal already knew the answer. He would have heard any signs of distress, any changes in the sweet scent. Will confirmed this with a small noise.

"I didn't sleep poorly." He admitted. "I didn't expect to sleep as long as I did."

"You needed the rest." Hannibal assured him. Will made a face, but didn't say anything to object.

"It was also," Will began with hesitancy. "When I noticed your scent disappeared from my apartment."

It all clicked into place and the revelation took all of Hannibal's willpower not to reach out and pull the omega closer. He couldn't, however, stop the smile that tugged at his lips. Will saw it and his face began to flush and transformed into his trademark scowl.

"You know what this means, Will."

"No." Will snapped, and Hannibal couldn't help but shake his head at his insistence against the obvious.

"It means I am correct—"

"No, you're not."

"We are compatible, William. You might still be in denial, but your body tells a different story." Hannibal stood from his spot and gathered the plates. "Tell me, William, what do you know about compatible couples?"

"Nothing." Will lied.

"Now, William," Hannibal chided. "We both know that's not true."

"…"

Hannibal waited, knowing it wouldn't take long before the omega caved.

"… Compatibility doesn't mean bondmates, which don't exist." Will quickly added. "It just means I'm… comfortable with someone."

"Tell me, William, do you sleep better when you are at Officer Katz's house?"

The answer came immediately. "Yes."

The alpha gave him a look, and Will forced himself not to duck his head.

"I have trouble believing that." Hannibal replied. "While it is true you are a perfect match with the beta your biology knows she isn't what you need."

"And you are what I need?"

"To put it frankly: yes." Hannibal flashed him a smile and went to put the dishes in the sink. As he ran the water he made sure to unmask his scent, letting his musk consume the small room and overpower Will's. He knew the omega wouldn't like it. He knew it would only make him more skittish now that there would be little of his scent in his own home. But Hannibal would make it up to him once Will was his. He promised.

Hannibal came back to find Will gazing out the window. The nights came faster as winter grew closer, and the streetlights were already flickering on the street below. The snow was falling harder.

"You should go home." Will muttered. "The weather is only going to get worse."

"I believe, with your permission, I will stay here for a little longer." Hannibal said softly, watching as Will's eyes began to droop once again. With a belly full and warm room filled with a safe scent, Will's still recuperating body was ready for bed once more. Hannibal couldn't help but smile. "You'll need someone to look after you while your feet heal."

Will blinked at him, his eyes closing longer than necessary. Hannibal gave a gentle push of pheromones, silently giving him the command to accept his help. It didn't take long.

"Fine, but you should leave tomorrow. I heard the storm is only going to get worse."

"Of course, dear Will," Hannibal agreed, his mind already working on the next step to his plan. "We shall see what tomorrow brings."

The snow continued to fall.

Oh Will. You poor thing. You have no idea what's going on in that scary mafia boss's mind, do you.

But you will~