Act 2, scene 5: Cups of gold.

Author's note: What's this? An update?

Xxxxxxxxxx
And if the Babe be born a Boy
He's given to a Woman Old,
Who nails him down upon a rock,
Catches his shrieks in cups of gold.
-William Blake

Xxxxxxxxxx

Will looks down past the stars to a terrifying darkness. It's impossible. "Accident," He whispers. He will fall. Will seems to desire the fall, and though he fights it with all his might he knows in advance that he can't possibly win. Standing baffled, quaking with fear, three feet from the edge of a nightmare cliff, he finds himself, incredibly, moving towards it. He looks down, down, into bottomless blackness, feeling the dark power moving in his gut like an ocean current, some monster inside him, deep black wonder, dread night monarch astir in his cave, moving Will slowly to his voluntary tumble into death.

One more step and he'll be-

"Will?"

Xxxxxxxxxx

Hannibal is looking at him expectantly from his perch on Will's classroom desk, and he knows he should answer, but right now all he can do is focus on the incessant burning in his head and the warm blackness that was torn from him so suddenly he's scared to admit that he misses it.

Bring it back

"Will." Hannibal's voice has lost the questioning tone as it instead pokes gently at him, testing barriers. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I just got distracted." It's a white lie, unrelenting and certainly clear as water to Hannibal. However the psychiatrist does not comment on it as he instead leans across the mahogany toward the other man.

"Distracted from me?" It's posed innocently as his thin fingers move to Will's chin, before gripping nicely. "I never...come here." With ease Will obeys, pushing his chair forward as he straightens his back so that Hannibal can look at him fully.

Eye contact is okay if it's Hannibal. Only him though.

Hannibal smiles in a fond sort of way that makes Will's heart burn. Hannibal's thumb pushes over Will's lips and Will trembles slightly, not out of arousal, but loneliness.

"What were you distracted by?" Hannibal questions. Will hesitates.

"Just a daydream."

Hannibal hums as a sign for him to continue. His thumb continues moving along Will's cheek.

"I was...surrounded by an ache. The best way to relieve myself of the ache seemed to be to embrace it." Will said quietly. He could already guess at the implications at such a fantasy. However, Hannibal beat him to it.

"Do you believe it is your minds way of telling you that perhaps you enjoyed killing Hobbs, are perhaps proud of Abigail, maybe even...starting to enjoy your work?"

Will pulls out of Hannibal's grip and closes his eyes.

"What are you playing at?" He asks, slightly angry at Hannibal. Who responds with a question of his own.

"Are you making, or destroying, Will? Tell me, how have you been sleeping?"

"I've been sleeping fine." He's becoming clipped, withdrawn.

"So not at all then."

"It's hardly your concern." Now Hannibal just can't have this attitude.

A hand reaches forward and grabs the collar of Will's button down plaid shirt tightly. Will's eyes wide in barely contained terror as his glasses teeter off of the bridge of his nose. Hannibal's maroon eyes twinkle slightly.

"It is every bit my concern my dear Will." His hold seems to become tighter as he leans in closer. "I've grown quite fond of you not only as a colleague but as perhaps a significant other. I can hardly have a significant other who's lost in his own exhausted thoughts."

He pushes forward and their noses bump together slightly as he sucks Will in, all attention demanded, all attention gained as Hannibal's empty hand slithers to the back of Will's neck, where spine meets skull. Like a predator he grips this area vice like as he holds Will in a locked position. He considers applying further pressure and decides against it.

He pulls back from a bewildered, and pouty William.

"It's just tedious."

Removing his body completely from the desk and thus Will, he straightens his collar, smiles slightly and glances back.

"I believe tonight I shall inquire upon your hospitality. I'd like to ensure that you sleep soundly, and if my presence is required then so be it."

Will splutters, stands, splutters further, trips forward for his glasses and points.

"You bastard!"

"Hmmm?"

"You did that on purpose!"

"Of course, every action of mine is predetermined Will, I thought you would've figured this out by now. Tsk. And as your soon-to-be-lover it is my right to purposefully ensure my claim, through physical affection."

He gives Will a moment to take in the statement as he glances at his watch.

"It's a quarter until ten, I suggest we make towards your house."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Will's house is slightly cleaner than it usually is. Whether it is Hannibal's influence or the simple fact Will had been fed up with the over excessive clutter, is beyond the hypothesizes that Hannibal is considering currently.

"You don't have to act any differently because I am here. Please, continue on as if I weren't here."

Of course that doesn't work, because Will is always so acutely aware. Always. And Hannibal is a blaring blip on Will's radar that he doesn't want to lose track of.

He changes in the bathroom.

When he goes to his bed, he sees that Hannibal has brought one of the kitchen chairs to the edge, placed a pillow on it and made himself comfortable.

Will swallows as he notices Hannibal's lack of suit jacket, tie, suit vest and shoes.

Under the white undershirt is a light pink tint and Will wishes there was pink to his skin, but no, it's all pale unattractive cell, tight across a too thin body.

He suddenly wishes he were under the covers, hidden, he suddenly wishes Hannibal would leave, that Winston would come, that he could just go to sleep, but instead he stands, as if waiting for Hannibal's permission to fall asleep in his own home.

Hannibal looks up at him with the patience of a parent and smiles.

"Nothing to be afraid of Will." His accent pulls the 'W' slightly and Will wishes he could feel Hannibal's voice, if he could he knows it would feel like feathers. Bristle when rough, yet soft enough to sleep on.

Will holds onto this image as he pulls himself into the bed, and hopes that he doesn't keep Hannibal up.

Xxxxxxxxxx

He has a throne.

He made it himself.

The hands and feet and the base raise him up, show him their respect. The legs that make up the base hold his weight, carry him forward. The arms shower around him like a peacock feather display and he swears that the chair shivers. The heads are resting places for which to lay his hands.

Will is so proud of his throne, bodies and all.

He looks up, and there he is. Will smiles, genuinely and everything fits together so nicely he swears it's a child's puzzle.

Hannibal's throne is made of antlers.

Will stands, and walks forward, reaching toward Hannibal. Unlike a mirage, Hannibal only comes closer into view and when Will grabs for the clothing of the psychiatrist he feels polyester. His knees feel weak as he forces himself to look into Hannibal's eyes.

"I see you." He whispers, playfully. He goes to his knees so he has better access to Hannibal's wrists. He pushes his lips to the blues veins and gasps at the cool skin.

"Of course you do Will. I've never hidden. All you had to do was blink, and things became clear."

"And how clear it is."

Hannibal pulls Will from his wrists and grips his hands tightly.

"Dance with me."

Xxxxxxxxxx

When Will starts to clench the bed sheets, slight sweat on his brow, Hannibal watches carefully. Will's hands move to his wrists as he starts scratching.

In an instant Hannibal has a hold on Will's wrists as he pins them to the bed, eyes scanning Will's face.

Will blinks blearily for a few moments, and upon seeing Hannibal, smiles sleepily.

"I see you." He whispers as he twists out of the psychiatrists grasp and instead grabs the other man's shirt front as he begins toying with the buttons.

Hannibal watches, allowing Will to pull the buttons from their carefully placed order, they make a light popping sound.

"What are you doing Will?" Hannibal asks quietly after a moment.

"We're going to dance."

Author's note: HAHAHAHAH

I don't know what I'm doing. Oh but hey, rating will go up next chapter, so...yeah.