Walter's knee bounced anxiously under the dinner table as he picked at his food. His chest felt so tight that he might as well have been wrapped up like a mummy. He couldn't breathe and his body ached with the want to run, though he stayed exactly in place.
There was an odd congested air around the dining room as if all of the others could feel just how much Walter was struggling with pulling air into his body. Even Applesauce laid in the corner of the room with a gentle continuous whine as if she knew just what was awaiting them.
The feeling of the walls closing in had been a steady stream throughout the week, but now, in the final hours, it was all imposing. A churning in Walter's stomach reminded him of how he had felt while watching A New Hope for the first time. He was trapped in that trash compactor with some weird alien monster trying to eat him while the walls tried to turn him into swiss cheese with all of the shards of discarded metal.
Walter glanced once more at the clock on the wall, though an hour had passed, the minute hand informed him that it had been barely three minutes. With a deep breath, his eyes wandered over Alana and Margot who were eating with hushed whispers, probably discussing what to do tonight. Morgan sat to the side of Walter, happily sucked into one of his many books and munching on some turkey from the dinner. Why they had prepared a full-on Thanksgiving meal, Walter would never understand. Something that heavy sat like a rock in Walter's stomach to the point where he had given up after several bites.
Friday had ticked by like the movement of a tectonic plate. It had come and gone and there was no Will, no Hannibal, no movement from the workers who Walter had overheard and Walter was beginning to wonder if maybe he had imagined the whole thing. Maybe he had made it up. But Morgan had been there too. Morgan had heard the exact same things. Morgan had confirmed as much to Walter on multiple occasions, though he had said he didn't quite understand what the men had been saying.
All Walter knew was that his knuckles were beginning to ache from how hard he was clutching his chair and his jaw was clenched so tightly that his ears were ringing. He should be fine. He was fine. He was overreacting. They just had to finish dinner and then they would be away from this place.
Nothing had happened. Nothing would happen and his dad would come for him. Will would. Will had promised. Will didn't break his promises. Will wouldn't break this promise, even if it had the unfortunate side effect of Hannibal Lecter to come with it.
"Wally, please try to eat," Alana pushed gently, her demeanor having shifted slightly during the last few days to something not quite as overbearing. It had made Walter's skin crawl the first time he had sensed the change, but it didn't bother him as entirely anymore. It had been a nice reprieve from what she had been before. "We have to catch a flight soon. There won't be anything until we reach where we're going."
"Right," Walter muttered, swallowing around a lump in his throat. He reached out for his cup and took a drink of water in place of food, hoping that it wouldn't land like a rock in his stomach.
"Morgan, please put the book down and eat, sweetie," Margot called, getting from her seat beside Alana and stepping around the table. She brushed through Morgan's hair with one hand and the other pulled the book from his hand, laying it on the tabletop. "Come on. We have to leave soon."
"I'm not hungry anymore," Morgan explained, trying to reach for his book once more, but Margot took up his hand. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his hand and Walter had never agreed with Morgan as much as he did right now. Never been so not hungry in his life, which was an odd notion for him. He had always stacked his plate to the point of overflowing because the idea of not having enough food had been drilled into him and was a difficult habit to break. "Can't we just go?" Walter glanced over and saw a frown across Morgan's lips. "I don't feel good."
Alana inhaled deeply with a nod. "That seems to be the general consensus, doesn't it?" Her smile was brightly red but didn't reach her eyes. "Let's grab your things, boys. Come on."
"My dad," Walter muttered, eyes looking from Alana to Margot curiously, brows furrowed.
"We'll find a way to reach out to him," Alana assured. "I promise that once we're safe, we will find a way if that is what you still want, but I want you to know that you are welcome to stay with us, Wally. I would like you to consider the concept of staying with us permanently. Margot and I want you to stay with us permanently if that is something you desire."
"Why would you want that?" Walter asked in shock, eyes blown wide as he looked at each person in the room in turn. Margot had the same monotone smile she always wore and Morgan looked just as stunned, mouth slack and open. Alana, however, smiled kindly.
"We'd like to be considered as family," Margot pressed.
"Margot and I care and want what's best for you," Alana swiftly added. "We would be happy to be there for you in any capacity you might need, Walter," Alana answered sweetly. "If that be staying with us or helping find Will for you, we'll help."
Walter breathed in deeply with a nod. As much as he didn't like being in this big house, as much as he hated how it felt to be crushed at this moment, he was grateful to Alana. For the first time since they had met, he was grateful to have someone as straightforward and upfront about everything as she was. He had resented her for so long for trying to, in his mind, step in place of his mother. Margot had been respectfully distant, but Alana had shoved herself so hard onto him that he had shoved back.
Walter felt a slight smile tug at his lips that was quickly dashed away with a skip of his heart. The dining room door was slammed open with a loud thud, but before Walter had a chance to look toward the sound, the sharp and abrupt crack of a gunshot sent Walter's ears into a ringing mess.
His breath was stolen from his lungs as a wet, hot stickiness splattered over his face and when he was finally able to blink his eyes open again he was met with Alana's body slumped over the back in her dinner chair, unmoving.
The air slammed back into Walter like a dumbbell, his lungs jolting into action painfully. He gasped, body shaking as his mind tried to wrap around what his eyes were seeing.
Not again! his head screamed at him as the collar of his shirt was tugged harshly and his body was pulled from his chair. Please not again! I can't do this again!
"Move," Margot's voice ordered above a dog's snarls and the cries of a man. Walter was shoved towards the door of the dining room, gaze tossed over his shoulder to look back at Applesauce's jaw clamped down on a blonde man's arm who was now in a game of tug of war against Applesauce with his own body parts. "Hurry."
The hallway was dark compared to the dining room and Walter struggled to put it into perspective, but his feet knew where they were going. Towards the study. Towards Margot's personal room that was strictly for work, strictly not to be interred unless they absolutely needed something, like the day when Walter had warned her all of this would happen. Why hadn't they listened? Why hadn't they just listened to him?!
Walter was nearly thrown into the room and stumbled over his own feet, listening to the door being shut and locked. He turned to find Morgan's small frame simply there. There didn't seem to be anything within the body, it was void of all life. His face was as white as a sheet and his eyes were wide, his face covered in blood splatter like Walter's was.
Margot dug through her desk drawers, hands trembling as she pulled a gun from one of them. Walter watched curiously as she tried to load the magazine into it and couldn't with how badly her hands were shaking.
Why do I have to take care of everything? Walter asked himself as he stepped past Morgan and went to Margot. Why do I have to be the calm one? Why do I have to fix everything? It's not fair!
Walter took the gun from her hands and shoved the magazine into place with a click, flicking off the safety and cocking it before passing it back to her. She looked a tad confused and curious as she took the weapon from him, but Walter didn't have the chance to explain that Will had taken him shooting before. He had never been good at it, couldn't hit the right side of a barn because he anticipated the recoil too much, but he knew how to load a gun.
There was a crash against the door and the three of them jumped. Walter's shoulder was snatched up and he was shoved towards the back corner of the room where a liquor cabinet sat, the wood deep and dark. When they reached it, one of the two front doors was pulled open and Walter's knees buckled at the astonishing amount of strength in Margot's push on his shoulder.
"Get in there," she instructed in a hushed voice as another loud sound came from the door that was being rammed into, by what, Walter wasn't sure. He could only imagine a jagged, fractured log from the battle of Helm's Deep being used to break apart the flimsy wooden panel that kept them safe. "Do not come out. Do you understand?"
"What about-"
"Do as I'm telling you!" Margot ordered, voice more convicting.
Walter crawled into the cabinet, doing his best to push aside expensive-looking bottles to make room for his body without making a mess. He curled up the best he could and watched as the space around him went mostly dark as the door was shut. Or was attempted to be shut. It bounced back open enough to allow Walter a sliver of the room to be seen, though he didn't dare reach out and try to close it, too afraid that he would somehow break something if he tried. Shatter a bottle or knock the door off its hinges or whatnot. So he stayed perfectly still, body folded in on itself in a position that would surely start to ache sooner rather than later.
Morgan jumped at a hand on his shoulder, a small squeak leaving his lips as he looked back up at his mother. She guided him with a forceful grip towards the opposite direction that he had seen Walter go, though he hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from the door that had loud voices yelling from behind it.
"I want you to hide in the-" before Margot could finish the door splintered open and she froze.
Morgan stared, body frozen as the giant of a man raised his gun. His body was jerked to the side and he pressed his head into the back of Margot's dress, hands clutching the fabric tight enough to cause his fingers to go white.
Morgan had never understood the concept of slow-motion before. It had been described countless times in the books he had read, but his mind had never been able to grasp the idea until now. The gunshot that came was a dull thud that echoed around and Morgan knew that his mother's body falling could have only taken a matter of seconds, but it was like time had stretched on like pulled taffy.
The fabric of her summer dress was ripped from his fingers and Morgan stepped back to avoid his mother's tumble. She hit the floor, blue eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling. Red poured from her chest like a bubbling geyser and Morgan's knees went weak under him.
He dropped to the floor beside his mother and felt a sob rip through his throat. No words left him, he wasn't even sure if he knew what words were anymore. Wasn't sure if words would ever make sense to him again. First his mom and now his mother.
Is this how Walter had felt? So shattered and broken? Is that what Morgan felt? He didn't know. His thoughts were jumbled, a mess rolling about his head around one single concept. Both of his moms were dead.
A gentle touch caressed his cheek and Morgan did his best to focus his attention enough on what it was. His mother wore a bloody smile, those blue eyes shining as she brushed her thumb over his cheek. She coughed instead of breathed and Morgan's body felt hot all over. Like it wanted to run to the other side of the world, like it wanted to go after the man who had hurt his mother, like it wanted to explode into a million pieces because he wasn't sure he could contain all of the vibrating emotions roaming through him.
The touch left Morgan's cheek as Margot's hand dropped back to her side, her coughing persisting and causing her chest to convulse unnaturally. Morgan's hands shook as he reached out to touch. Maybe to help? He didn't know if he could, but he had to try.
His hands halted at a click and Morgan's eyes pulled from Margot to be met with the barrel of the man's gun close enough to make him go cross-eyed. His lungs kicked into overdrive as if the more oxygen he consumed the better chance at life he had and he stared at the same fate that had taken his mothers aimed at him.
Walter shimmied himself from the liquor cabinet, his knees weak and aching at the angle they had been shoved into. He didn't care how loud he was or what happened. All he knew was that he had to help. He had to save the stupid little boy who was good for nothing because that's what Alana and Margot would have wanted. Because Alana and Margot had done everything for Walter and he had to return the favor. He had to pay them back now before it was too late to do anything for them at all.
Walter tumbled to the ground and scrambled to his feet, running to the nearest bookshelf as his legs shook. He snatched up a bust of someone that he couldn't name and nearly dropped it at how heavy it was. His grip tightened onto the statue and he moved as quickly as he could towards a dark-haired man with his gun pointed directly at Morgan with his finger on the trigger.
There was a twitch in the man's hand and Walter threw the bust as hard as he could in the man's direction. It collided with the man's side, sending him to the ground, and the crack that filled the air collided with the floorboard beside Morgan's leg.
"Fuck," the man hissed as he tried to get back to his feet.
Walter raced past the man, jumping out of the way of snatching fingers. He picked up the gun that was in Margot's hand with an apologetic breath, meeting her dull blue eyes that blinked up at him as she continued to cough, her breath rattling in her chest.
Walter frowned and pulled his gaze from her and to the boy trembling on the floor. He grabbed the collar of Morgan's bloodied dress shirt and tugged him to his feet. "Come on," Walter ordered, hoping to have the same power in his voice that Margot had supplied to her, but he found it lacking. "Morgan, move!"
The boy tripped over his own feet as he staggered after Walter and towards the door of the study. Walter pushed Morgan out of the door and turned back just enough to catch a glimpse of a gun aimed at Margot's unmoving body.
"Go!" Walter ordered, turning his back to the room and shoving Morgan down the hallway. "Towards the front door."
A gunshot sent a chill through Walter, but he ignored the pained sound from Morgan's throat and continued to force the boy's body down the hallway. Walter could see the setting sun pouring through the windows of the front doors and he pressed Morgan forward.
Just get outside and then we can break down, Walter reasoned with himself. Just get outside and then you're safe. It was a lie, but it kept his feet moving. Kept him running. Kept his grip tight on the small boy beside him.
Walter flung the front door open and was about to hit the front steps before the gravel drive when a strong arm wrapped around him and nearly knocked the air from his lungs. Walter's anxiety peaked and he struggled against the grip, trying to aim the gun at whatever decided to cling to him. He had come too far to be taken now. He had tried too hard to be killed now. No stupid farmhand was going to screw anything else up for him.
"Wally," a voice called to him, something he was sure he recognized but was distorted enough that he still persisted to fight. "Wally, stop. Give me the gun."
Walter snapped as the voice finally supplied him with a name. "Dad," he gasped, body going weak against Will. Walter gasped, the breath painful as his eyes prickled with tears.
"Give me the gun," Will instructed once more, voice firm and calm as a warm hand covered Walter's. Walter's grip loosened on the gun and it was pulled from his hand before he was consumed up in a hug. "What's wrong?"
"Alana and Margot," Walter got out as hyperventilation set in. "Both-Both shot- both shot."
Walter was pushed back and worried eyes scanned him. "Calm down, Wally. Come on." A hand brushed his hair from his face. "Deep breath."
"I-I-I can't!" Walter stuttered out, his whole body feeling as if it were going to shake to pieces.
"Will," an accented voice called and Walter couldn't bring himself to feel the annoyance that Hannibal usually brought with him when the man knelt beside Will. "Look over Morgan for me." Will gave a nod and released Walter who was quickly retaken up by Hannibal's hands. Walter met dark maroon eyes that held more emotion in them than what Walter could compute. One of Hannibal's hands pressed itself to Walter's middle, just below his ribs. "Push against my hand with your breathing, Walter. Focus on moving my hand. Deep, slow breaths." Walter shook his head, a sob racking through him. His cheek was taken up by Hannibal's other hand and was caressed gently by Hannibal's thumb. "Come on, Walter. I know you can do it."
Walter inhaled deeply, his breath nearly cut off as it was forced back out against his will. But eventually, he was able to push against Hannibal's hand, with a handful of breaths, his breathing returned to a normal pattern and he pulled from Hannibal's grip.
"Men wanted to steal things from the house," he explained, moving closer to where Will was, holding the pale Morgan in a hug. "Shot Alana and Margot. Still in the house. Don't know what happened to Applesauce."
Hannibal nodded and rose from his knees, back to his feet. Walter watched as the man, composed completely in his suit, pulled his suit coat from his body, tossing it to the porch steps. His vest and tie followed, left on the ground to be forgotten.
"Will," Hannibal said in an instructional tone and Walter looked towards Will who wore a knowing look that Walter wished he didn't understand. "We need to check on Margot and Alana." Hannibal rolled up his sleeves to reveal his forearms and without another word, he stepped through the doors that Walter had forced Morgan out of.
Walter turned back to Will at movement and watched as, with Morgan still in his arms, Will stepped back into the house as well. Panic shot through Walter, starting his heart back up at an alarming speed. He raced after his dad and immediately clutched on Will's arm, nearly causing the man to drop Morgan.
Will straightened himself up without a scolding towards Walter and Walter soon found himself stopped in front of a closet door. He glanced around and found the space void of Hannibal and wondered where the man had disappeared to, but the closet door opening pulled Walter's attention back to Will.
"In here," Will instructed, setting Morgan back down on his feet. "Go all the way to the back, behind the coats. Make sure the shoes are in front of your legs."
"Dad," Walter whimpered, though he wasn't exactly sure what he meant by the word.
Will's expression was soft and sad as the man knelt to Walter's height. "We're going to take care of things here and then we will leave just like I promised," Will explained in a whisper. "You've been so good for me, Wally. Just be strong but a bit longer. Do not leave this closet until I come and get you. Do not make noise. Do you understand?"
"But Dad, I-"
"Shh," Will instructed with a sorrowful smile. "Morgan needs you, alright? Be good. Come on."
A loud crash caused Walter's heart and body to jump and gave Will enough of a chance to shove both Morgan and Walter into the closet, shutting the door. Walter blinked through the sudden darkness and it took a moment for the words to finally sink in. He reached out blindly until he found a shivering form and pushed Morgan further into the closet. He pushed through winter coats and blazers, jackets and sweaters, tripping over boots and whatever else was in the space. It went on for what felt like hours without a back and Walter if he weren't so tongue-tied from the situation, might have made a joke about finding Narnia.
"Wally?" Morgan's voice muttered when they finally hit the back of the closet.
"Shh," Walter ordered, turning around to make sure they were fully covered just as Will had instructed.
"Wally."
"Shut up."
"Wally."
"I said shut up!" Walter hissed through his teeth, once more blinking through the darkness in some hope that he would be able to see, but coming up completely empty. There was muted thudding and Morgan let out a sob. Walter reached out, clamping a hand down over Morgan's mouth. "I fucking mean it. Shut up."
Morgan's breath was wet and hot against Walter's hand as tears began to cover his fingers. Walter closed his eyes and licked at his lips as several more thuds from somewhere else in the house. And then it fell silent. Completely still.
Walter's eyes shut tightly and he was certain that his grip on Morgan was borderline painful, but he couldn't loosen his grip. Morgan had to be quiet. Walter would keep Morgan quiet if it were the very last thing he ever did.
The footsteps were so loud they might as well have been in the closet with them. They were so distant, but each one matched with the tick of Walter's heart, and Walter did his best to steady his breathing so he didn't throw up. His mouth was filling with saliva and the backs of his jaw were beginning to tingle as if he had just eaten something sour.
And then they did get closer. Right outside the door. Back and forth. A single pair. Back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Were they pacing? No. The footsteps would disappear back into the house and then outside before returning. What were they doing? What did they want?
Morgan was a trembling wreck, barely on his feet. Walter held the boy upright, his own knees ready to give out under him and his breathing halted when the feet did too. Right outside of the closet.
The sound of the door handle turning caused Walter to push Morgan further into the closet, up against the back wall until Walter's body covered Morgan's completely. He was going to be sick. If the person left, Walter was going to throw up.
Is this what it felt like to be in a school shooting? Walter had been on lockdowns before, but for things like a cougar walking around town or a teenager jumping a fence and trespassing, but even then he had never felt a real sense of danger.
Was this what it felt like to wait to be killed? Even with Jordan and Casey, Walter had never felt a real form of jeopardy. Casey had promised that he wouldn't be hurt. Promised that he could play with Danny when everything was over and Walter had believed... Willingly believed. He had just believed because it was easier than facing the truth, but now he couldn't hide. Now he couldn't escape behind comforting words.
Now all there was, was the clicking of the door handle and then the door being pulled open. Walter's heart stopped as did his breathing as he waited for his two options to play out. What had God decided to bless him with? What had fate chosen for him? Had she cut his life string or had the scissors broken?
"Wally, Morgan. Come on," came a gentle voice. "It's time to go."
"Dad," Walter gasped, locked in position as the jackets were pushed out of the way. Large, warm hands took his shoulders and soothed them out, the tension released enough to make Walter want to collapse. He was pulled away from Morgan and into Will's body. "I don't want to see anymore. Please," Walter begged into Will's chest.
"You were so brave, Wally," Will quieted, petting the boy's hair. "I'm proud of you. I need you to be strong just a little longer."
"I'm tired."
"I know," Will assured with a nod. "I know." Will pushed Walter back to look over the boy's blood speckled face. Those once golden eyes were a dark pool of molasses and Will frowned. "You don't have to see anymore. Hannibal is going to help you out of the car. I'm going to get Morgan. Alright?"
Will manipulated Walter's body over to Hannibal who stood beside him and Hannibal didn't hesitate to scoop up the boy who immediately clung to Hannibal with his arms and legs around the man's middle. Hannibal turned for the door and Will watched him leave before he turned to Morgan who was shaking like a leaf.
"Morgan," Will called, a hand outstretched to the boy. "Come here. It's time to go."
"Where?" Morgan choked out, the tears still streaming down his face, making a path through all of the blood on his cheeks. Before Will could answer, Morgan pushed on, his wide blue eyes darting around behind Will. "My moms, are they...? Where are they, Will?"
Will's heart shattered into a thousand pieces and he licked his lips as he tried to come up with an answer. "Morgan, Hannibal and I are going to take care of you now, alright? We're going to take you somewhere safe where no one will hurt you again."
"I want my moms."
Will shushed the sob as he stepped forward and snatched the boy from the closet and into his arms. He held Morgan's face against his shoulder as the boy screamed. His breath dampened Will's shirt with wet heat.
Will stepped outside, leaving the house behind him, not bothering to close the door. There wasn't a reason to. Not when the only living things were leaving. Hannibal closed the back car door and turned around, rubbing at one of his split knuckles with a deep breath. He caught Will's gaze and gave a silent nod.
Will climbed into the car, Morgan still held tightly in his lap. The boy continued to cry loudly, voice muffled against Will's body. Will played with the boy's hair in an attempt to comfort him, while he pulled down the visor and aimed the mirror towards the back seat so he could keep an eye on Walter who was staring blankly out of the window, his head against the glass.
The driver's side door opened and closed and Hannibal started the car up before pulling away, the car tires crunching up the gravel drive. Will gave a pained smile as he watched Hannibal adjust his rearview mirror to an angle to better see Walter as well.
"We stop long enough to get cleaned up and then we're going to the airport. Chiyoh will be waiting there for us with a private plane," Hannibal explained in a soft tone that was barely loud enough to be heard over Morgan. "We shouldn't be disturbed."
"We should let them-"
"Will, we can't buy any more time. We need to leave now before it's too late for us to."
Will fell silent, leaning back in his seat with a nod. He knew Hannibal was right, but that didn't change the fact that the boys needed the time. Needed the space to process. If anyone understood that, it would be Hannibal.
Will carried the sleeping Morgan into the motel room and rested the boy on one of the two beds. When Morgan was settled and still fast asleep, Will turned back to Walter who had wandered numbly into the room, guided by Hannibal's hand.
"Wally, listen to me." Will moved over and took Walter's chin to pull the boy's face up to make eye contact. "Hannibal and I are going to run to the store to get some food and some supplies for you to get cleaned up. I need you to stay here and be with Morgan. Do not open this door for anyone. Do not leave this room. Do not let Morgan out of your sight. Lock the door when we leave. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Walter whispered.
"Try to get some rest." Will leaned over and pressed a kiss to Walter's head before heading to the door. "We should only be there for a few minutes."
"Kay."
Will frowned and closed his eyes with a deep breath. A hand took his shoulder with a squeeze and Will let himself be led from the room that was locked behind them just as instructed. Guilt flowed through him on a never-ending cycle as he climbed back into the car.
"Should one of us-"
"You know your son better than me, Will. I have no idea what would help comfort him at the moment. He wouldn't want me to stay with him," Hannibal reminded kindly as he started the car. "You can stay if you would like to."
Will stared at the motel door for a moment in silence before he shook his head. "No. Let's go."
The trip was silent. They worked their way through the nearest gas station, grabbing medical supplies in case one of the boys had been hurt and they hadn't been able to tell, and then some food and water.
They were heading to the checkout when Will's gaze caught some stupidly overpriced display. His head tipped to the side curiously as he stepped closer to it. He could feel Hannibal's eyes digging into his back to tell him that they needed to hurry, but he ignored it. Will snatched up a Rubik's cube. Something to help distract Walter. Walter enjoyed puzzles and Will knew that thinking about colored boxes would help more than thinking about what had happened.
Will's hand reached out once more, but he stopped, biting his bottom lip, truly unsure what Morgan would like. But he picked up a tan bunny with long, floppy ears, hoping it would help. It wouldn't solve anything, Will doubted it would do anything at all, but at least the thought was there, he supposed.
When they arrived back at the motel room, the door clicked as it was unlocked and a tired-looking Walter answered the door, rubbing one of his eyes with a yawn. He stepped out of the way and Will glanced around the room. Morgan was still fast asleep in the bed, which was for the best. The rest of the room looked untouched, save for the chair at the table turned towards the door that Walter must have been sitting in, waiting for them to return.
"Wally, go shower please," Will instructed as he passed a bag of hygiene products to Walter. "I'll have something for you to eat when you get out."
"I'll grab some clothes from the car for you," Hannibal added from behind Will. Will could see the flicker of Walter's eyes to Hannibal for no more than a minute, but the dislike was clear in them, though no words came from the boy. He simply nodded and went to the bathroom with the bag. "I'll be right back," Hannibal whispered, pressing a kiss to Will's head before leaving the room.
Will sighed and set the shopping down on the table, sitting in the chair that Walter had abandoned. He dug through the bag and pulled out the several cup-of-noodles that they had gotten to eat and opened one up to get it in the microwave for Walter. Once that was going, Will returned to the bag, pulling out the toys he had gotten for the kids, opening the packaging of Walter's Rubik's cube, and setting it out on the table for Walter when he was done with his shower, which was now finally running.
The rabbit was set beside the Rubik's cube and Will sighed, rubbing at the stumble across his chin. The door opened and Will sat up a bit straighter in his chair as Hannibal reentered the room with Morgan and Walter's bags in tow.
They were set aside and then a hand caressed over Will's shoulder, massaging into it. A kiss was pressed to his temple and Will closed his eyes, a hand taking Hannibal's at his shoulder.
"Stop thinking so hard," Hannibal instructed in a whisper. "We're doing the right thing. He couldn't be left alone."
"He has to have other family members, right?" Will asked, sighing and tipping his head back as more light kisses were pressed over his cheek. "Maybe we should-"
"This is what Alana wanted, Will. You were there."
"She couldn't speak. What if she-what it-"
"Will," Hannibal pressed, nuzzling his nose against Will's. "Your mind no longer needs to fight against you. Everything is going to be ok. We're going to take care of them. Both boys, just as if they were our own."
Will pressed forward and received a kiss on his lips. "They won't stop hunting us. Even if the plan that Jack set in place actually could have worked, they won't use it now. We'll never be able to stop. We'll never-"
"They'll understand." Hannibal pulled away and straightened up, though his hand stayed on Will's shoulder, still rubbing into it soothingly. Will's grip tightened on Hannibal's hand.
"And when they catch up with us, because they will, what about the boys? What happens to them?" Will glanced over to Morgan who was still asleep in the bed, blood-covered with a deep and unsettled crease in his brow.
"We'll guide them." Will's eyes met Hannibal's in confusion, his chest tightening at the idea that Hannibal was putting forth. "Teach them how to protect themselves."
Will shook his head and licked his lips, pushing Hannibal's hand away as he rose from his chair, arms folded over his chest. "No," he fought sternly with a shake of his head. "Absolutely not. I am not turning these boys into-"
"Into what Will?" Hannibal questioned, the hint of amusement in his tone enough to cause Will to grit his teeth. "I don't intend to make them killers. You would think that lowly of me?"
"You did that to Abigail." The accusation from his own lips turned Will sober and he quickly turned to face Hannibal who simply had his hands in his dress pants pockets with a patiently waiting and curiously listening lift to his brows. "I-I didn't..." Will exhaled sharply through his nose and his eyes dropped to the flow furiously. "I don't want another Abigail, Hannibal."
"They will not be another Abigail, nor will they be killers, Will," Hannibal assured kindly as he stepped closer to Will. When his shoes came into view, Will finally looked up. "We will provide them with the tools to protect themselves, nothing more. What they decide to do with said tools is their prerogative."
"You promise me, Hannibal," Will begged, though his voice stayed strong. One of his index fingers pressed into Hannibal's chest as he spoke. "You promise me right now that these children will not become like us. You promise me that your hobbies and proclivities will not be done anywhere near them. I don't care if you want to kill, I don't care if you still want to cook after a kill, I don't care if you want me to join you, but I do care about what they know. Promise me right now, Hannibal."
"I promise, dear Will." Hannibal's hands reached up and slowly encircled Will's hand, pulling it to his mouth to kiss. "Our personal activities will be kept away from the children and what we provide for them will not transform them into the monsters we are."
Will opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of the bathroom door opening cut him off. Walter stepped out, hair dripping, with a towel around his waist. Hannibal moved back to the bags and picked up Walter's lonely backpack, holding it out to the boy. Walter said nothing, simply took the pack and set it on the bed to dig through it.
"Once Morgan's clean and they've both eaten, we need to leave," Hannibal informed Will as he went over to the bed Morgan was in. "They can sleep on the plane."
"Plane?" Walter finally spoke up, his hands stopped and his eyes met Hannibal straight on. "Where are we going?"
"Amsterdam first," Hannibal supplied simply as he shook Morgan awake. "Then to Germany after we've rested and have the necessary paperwork for the two of you."
"Germany?" Walter inhaled deeply and gave an accepting nod. "Right." He finished digging out his clothes and set them aside. "What's for dinner?"
Will took that as a cue to snap out of his worried haze and to get to work as an adult. He made his way to the microwave and opened it, pulling the cup of noodle from it, setting the steaming styrofoam on the table.
Morgan groaned and whimpered as Hannibal pulled him from the bed. "We need to clean you up," Hannibal explained at the small child's protests. "Then you can eat."
"No water," Morgan whined, hiding his face in Hannibal's shoulder when Hannibal scooped him up. "Please."
"You need to shower, Morgan," Hannibal pressed and Will bit his lip, staying silent, unsure of how exactly to help. How long would Morgan stay afraid of water? Would bathing always be an issue? Would the boy finally snap out of it one day? Just one challenge to add to the list of them to solve. "I'll be there. Nothing is going to hurt you," Hannibal assured, as he grabbed Morgan's bag with his free hand and retreated into the bathroom, closing the door behind them.
Will didn't dare speak as Walter got dressed, but he did take a seat at the table when Walter sat to begin eating with a sad plastic fork that Will provided him. "Here," Will muttered, pushing the Rubik's cube over to Walter. Walter's eyes lit up slightly and he quickly shoved a mouthful of dripping noodles into his mouth before snatching up the game and messing with it. "I thought it would help."
"Thanks," Walter said through his mouthful. He swallowed and blindly reached for another bite before his attention landed on the other item on the table. "What's that?" Walter reached out and snatched up the bunny and Will inhaled deeply with a small shake of his head.
"It was for Morgan,' was Will's answer.
"Was?"
"Wasn't thinking straight. Thinking better of it now." Will reached out to try to take the rabbit from Walter's hand, but Walter moved it from Will's reach. "Wally, give it back. I was upset when I bought it. Maybe still am."
"Stop thinking better of it. Give it to Morgan." Walter turned the rabbit this way and that, the ears flopping every which way. "He'll need something to hold onto and I don't want it to be me." The bunny was placed back on the table and Walter returned to his food, slurping it up loudly. There was sobbing from the bathroom that pulled their attention for a moment, Walter was swifter to turn away than Will. "Morgan's scared of the water. He cried every time Margot or Alana made him bathe."
Will exhaled deeply with a nod, settling back in his chair, rubbing at his tired eyes. "How are you doing, Wally? Are you alright?"
"Alright?" Walter snorted around another mouthful.
"Bad choice of words."
"You think?" Will was surprised to find a teasing smile over Walter's face, the oddness of Walter's calmness not missed. Walter was always so calm. After everything, how did he stay put together? How did he stay strong? Will knew there were dark things in Walter's past. He had felt them from time to time, picked them out in the way that Walter sometimes acted or didn't act, but the way this child stood against the claws of death as they continued to snatch at him... unnerved Will. "I'm not alright. Doubt I'll ever be alright again," Walter pressed on, picking up the cup to finish off the broth at the bottom of it. "But I'm still alive, so I need to act like it, don't I?"
Will watched the boy finish off the barely passable soup before Wally picked up the cube and began to mess with it again, both ignoring another cry from the bathroom. The room fell into silence as Will watched Walter solve the cube only to pass it to Will, who would mess it up for Walter to solve once more.
The shower turned off and Will got to his feet to make Morgan a cup-of-noodles as well.
The last time that Will had seen Chiyo, she had shoved him from the back of a train. That night had not gone the way he had hoped it would have. Where he had wanted it to go, he hadn't been exactly sure, but with his face battered and bruised and a limp in his step was not it.
She had been present in his life after that point. He had a decent-sized scar on his shoulder from one of her bullets. And he could recall a good portion of Muskrat Farm. There had been gunshots on a cold snowy night and then a car that was not driven by Hannibal. His hair had been played within the back of the car until sleep had finally come for Will. Both of those incidents belonged to Chiyoh, though he had no specific evidence to point towards it.
Now she stood on the apron, looking a little more or less annoyed. Still as beautiful and perfect as that night they had kissed. Still as strong and loyal as she had been since Mischa had died. Still cold and soft-toned, but not soft-spoken.
"Who is that, Dad?" Walter asked from Will's side as they walked up to the woman.
"An old friend," Will answered back softly, ruffling Walter's hair. Ahead of them, Hannibal strode, Morgan held tightly in his arms, the boy having yet to stop crying since he had been woken in the motel room. "She'll help get us to Amsterdam safely."
"You trust her?"
Will glanced down at his son who was staring up at him, curiously and Will frowned with a shake of his head, the truth leaving him before he could pull it back. "Not in the slightest."
"But Hannibal does," Walter decided firmly. "Why don't you?"
"I'll explain when you're older."
Walter rolled his eyes at the answer but didn't say a word more. The four of them came to stop in front of the woman. Chiyoh looked over them for a moment, head tipping to the side in interest, eyes lingering on the children a little longer than what was probably necessary.
"This way," was all she said, turning on her heel and leading the way through the apron, her boots clicking against the concrete. The four followed after her, Will hanging back just slightly, truly unsure of where they stood, but Walter didn't seem at all bothered by her. He raced up beside her and she gleaned down at him when he came into view.
"You're really pretty," Walter said sweetly.
"Thank you," she replied in her soft tone that reminded Walter a bit of the way Margot spoke.
"Are you coming with us?"
"I'm flying the plane."
"Can I watch?"
"Walter," Will hissed, jogging up to snatch up the boy's shoulder. "Stop." Will nearly froze when he was met with those same dark eyes that he distrusted wholeheartedly now. "Leave her alone."
"He's welcome to be curious, Will," Chiyoh stated simply before continuing on her way without another word.
"Relax," Hannibal instructed from beside Will. "I trust her with my life. We'll be perfectly safe."
"Right," Will grumbled, guiding Walter to follow after the woman.
The plane was bigger than Will thought it would be, but they all fit pleasantly within it. Walter made himself at home, spread fully across the couch with the Rubik's cube in his hand. Will found himself at the bar, pouring himself a whiskey and when he turned back around, Hannibal was in a chair with Morgan on his lap, whispering to the boy in a language that Will couldn't understand.
Will took a deep swallow of his whiskey and watched as two men loaded their luggage in what Will assumed was a back bedroom of some sort, though Will stopped one of them to take his backpack. He set it on another chair and opened it, pulling the stuffed animal from it with a nervous hand.
He walked over to where Hannibal was sitting and knelt beside the chair. "Morgan," he said softly, calling bloodshot and puffy eyes to his face. "I got this for you." Will held out the rabbit and Morgan's crying stilled for a breath or two before his small hand reached out and snatched it up. He clutched it to his chest, his tears starting once more as he hid back against Hannibal.
"Thank you," came out in a muffled tone.
"You're welcome," Will replied before getting to his feet to take his seat.
"Baby," Walter grumbled with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't cry."
"Kiekvienas žmogus skirtingai reaguoja į skausmą. Būtų gerai, kad tu tylėtum," Hannibal said to Walter before Will could scold him and Walter's eyes were wide.
"Yes, sir," he muttered, settling back into the couch with a pout, playing with his toy again.
Will gave Hannibal a confused look and Hannibal simply shook his head in answer, before turning his attention back to Morgan to continue in whatever he had been saying in what Will guessed was German.
Will had finished his drink and retrieved another by the time the plane finally took off. The only sound above the engines was Morgan who continued to cry and who could blame the boy? How could anyone be upset with a child who had just had his entire world ripped from him? Will just prayed that what they were doing was the right thing, that they weren't permanently damaging Morgan.
"Morgan," Walter finally said in exasperation, his temper having always been a bit short.
"Walter," Will warned, but Walter ignored him.
"Morgan, come here."
Morgan stiffened momentarily before obeying the older boy's order. He slumped from Hannibal's lap and made his way over to the couch where Walter had made enough room for Morgan to sit.
Morgan sniffled, bunny trapped to his chest with one arm, the other rubbing at his running nose.
Walter held out the solved Rubik's cube and Morgan took it with a confused expression.
"Fuck it up," Walter instructed, noticing the way that his dad smiled and the way that Hannibal cleared his throat in disapproval.
Morgan turned the cube around in his hand, looking over it for a good long minute before he seemed to grasp how the device worked. He twisted and turned it, the clicking creating a gentle atmosphere around them.
Morgan, once satisfied, passed it back to Walter who set to work solving the mess the kid had created. Morgan watched as he continued to sniffle and wipe at his nose and eyes while Walter solved the cube before passing it back to Morgan again.
Morgan moved a bit closer to Walter now and Walter did his best to ignore the way the kid leaned up against him, almost using Walter as a pillow. "Do you remember what you told me when I lost my mom?" Walter asked in a whisper, looking up to both of the men on the plane to find Hannibal staring out of a window, hand rubbing at his chin and Will busy getting another drink from the bar.
"No," Morgan answered in a thick, barely audible voice, eyes on the cube as he turned it this way and that in an attempt to thwart Walter's puzzle-solving capabilities.
"You told me that I could stay with you and that you wouldn't give up on me." Morgan's eyes flashed as he met Walter's. "My Dad and Hannibal will never be your moms, but they will be good to us." Walter wasn't sure if it was a lie, but anything to keep the boy from crying again. He also wasn't sure what made him say his next words, but there was truth in them. "And I'll be with you."
"Is Hannibal your Father?"
"No," Walter answered in a bitter whisper. "If you knew..." Walter trailed off, eyes once more dancing between the two men and though when he found eyes on him, he wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, just knew that maybe while in an enclosed space that he shouldn't speak badly about Hannibal in front of the man himself.
"Knew what?" Morgan asked curiously, happily taking back the once more solved cube.
"Nothing kid." Walter ruffled Morgan's hair. "We'll be alright."
"I miss them, Wally." There was another cry and the Rubik's cube fell from Morgan's hand before Morgan collapsed and his head landed in Walter's lap. Walter didn't miss the way that both men straightened up, as if ready to come help if called to it. Morgan hugged the bunny closer to his chest and Walter hesitated, unsure of what exactly to do until he remembered seeing Margot doing something for Morgan. "I want them back!"
Walter rolled his eyes and pulled at one of Morgan's shoulders until the boy was turned into a position that allowed Water to run his finger up and down the bridge of Morgan's nose. The boy's crying stuttered and faltered and eventually puttered out, Morgan having finally fallen back to sleep across Walter's lap.
"What?" Walter shot at Hannibal when the burn of the man's dark eyes became too much. He met Hannibal's gaze head-on and Hannibal simply shook his head.
"You're very kind, Walter."
"It's Wally," the boy grumbled, turning to look over at Will who had his head tiredly supported on the palm of his hand. "Dad, please tell Hannibal-" Walter broke off at a deep sigh from Will and Will rose to his feet, stepping into the space between his son and husband.
"Let's get this out now, alright?" Will asked, feeling a bit more steady addressing this than he thought he would be. "You two don't like each other and that's fine. You don't have to. I don't expect you to, but we're a family now and I expect you to both treat each other with respect at the very least." He looked from his pouting son to a much more composed Hannibal.
"Will is exactly right, Walter," Hannibal said in agreement, leaning forward in his chair to catch the attention of the boy. "I like you very much, I just do not approve of the ways in which you choose to express yourself." Walter's nose scrunched up in dislike and Will didn't miss the micro smile on Hannibal's lips. "Walter, you should feel my respect and I assure you, young man, you have it."
"Really?" Walter asked in disbelief, his face relaxing into something a bit more shocked. "Bullshit."
"I hope that in due time you will not doubt me." Hannibal got to his feet and stepped closer to Will, an arm wrapping around Will's waist to pull Will closer. He pressed a kiss to the empath's head and Will did his best not to squirm away from the public display of affection that he was certain Walter wouldn't appreciate. "But as your dad said, now we are a family, and our dynamic needs to be as such in public. How we conduct ourselves behind closed doors is another matter entirely, but for the safety of all of us, you and Morgan included, please refer to us as your parents."
"It has to be real." Walter looked down at the floor of the plane and gave a reluctant nod in understanding. "I would prefer sir if you don't mind. You're not my father."
"That is perfectly fine." Hannibal nodded. Walter frowned as another kiss was given to Will's head. "Ketinu užsitarnauti teisę būti tavo tėvu."
"Fat chance."
"Wally, please," Will begged, turning to his son and lowering himself to his knees. He reached out and took Walter's cheek in his hand. "Please. I know we can make this work. I know it's going to be hard and there are going to be challenges, but please try. For me?"
Walter frowned and his nose scrunched up in dislike. "Fine," he grumbled. "But if it doesn't work, you have to promise me that something will change."
Will nodded in answer, thumb brushing over his son's cheek. "Of course. We'll discuss it. You're always welcome to come to me with anything, Wally. That will never change. Nothing between the two of us has to change. Do you understand?"
"Yes. But he has to pull his weight too."
"I will, Walter," Hannibal assured. "This won't be a one-way effort on your part."
"Promise," Walter instructed, eyes tight on Hannibal over Will's shoulder. "You care too much to break a promise."
"I promise," was answered after a breath of amusement in the air.
Will pressed a kiss to Walter's head. "Try to get some rest. We have quite a few more hours before we land." Will leaned in closer so he could whisper in Walter's ear. "Thank you. I know I'm being selfish and asking a lot. Nothing will come between us, though. And please tell me if he ever says or does anything to you that is inappropriate or hurtful. Always be honest with me about everything, ok?" Will pulled back to find Walter's golden eyes wide. Walter's nod was almost nonexistent, but still there. Will smiled at Walter before pushing himself from his knees. "Are we in agreement?"
"Yes," Walter whispered.
"Yes." Hannibal inhaled deeply with a nod.
The hours ticked by in absolute silence, Will finishing off a few more drinks so his system was a bit more relaxed as visions of Alana and Margot flashed across his mind's eye, curious about how much the boys had actually seen and what they hadn't.
"You look troubled, dear boy."
Will jumped at the voice and inhaled deeply from his dissociation, straightening himself up in his chair that had made his body incredibly stiff. Hannibal was standing in front of him with a concerned tilt to his lips.
Will rubbed at his eyes that were dry and hot from having not been blinking and when he opened them again, he looked over at the two boys who were asleep on the couch, Morgan still in Walter's lap, clutching the bunny and Walter with his head tossed back against the couch.
"Just trying to put all of our ducks in a row, I suppose," Will muttered, placing a smile over his lips to meet Hannibal's gaze again. "What are we doing Hannibal? This is the most ridiculous idea the two of us have ever had. How do we-"
"One day at a time, Will." Hannibal lowered himself beside Will's chair and took Will's hand with a gentle squeeze. "We take it one day at a time and learn how to live with each other."
"Do you think Morgan understands?" Will frowned and tried to rub it away with his free hand. "I just want them to both be happy. Both have as normal of a life as we can give them. They deserve a future that's safe, Hannibal."
"And we will give it to them." Hannibal's tone was firm, though it didn't move Will into a zone of comfort and Will was curious if he would ever feel comfortable again. If he would ever be at ease. "I think we should keep them close to us for the first little while."
"How do you mean?"
"We should homeschool them while we learn how to manage each other. They need to be settled a bit more before we shove them out into the world."
Will gave a nervous laugh and shook his head. "You want us to teach them? Hannibal, have you taken a good look at us lately? I might have been a teacher, but that doesn't mean that I-"
"I can teach them," Hannibal offered innocently and Will gave another burst of laughter until he realized the seriousness in Hannibal's brow.
"You're going to teach them? You're going to teach them English and history and math and science and whatever the hell else they will need to learn?"
Hannibal's head tipped to the side in mock curiosity. "Between the two of us, I am more than positive that we could manage. Will, you seem to forget that you were at the top of your classes all through school as was I. Different classes and majors, but we can navigate the waters just fine. And it won't be forever. If they would prefer to go to school, I do not mind letting them attend a private school."
"I'm still shocked at how serious you are about all of this," Will said in exasperation, shaking his head. "You mean it?"
"Absolutely. Why wouldn't I?"
"I..." Will sighed. "I don't mean to keep bringing it up, but I don't-"
"This will not be another Abigail, Will. I promise you."
The plane landed and Will found himself in a sweet little cottage on the edge of town, Chiyoh leaving them with hushed whispers to Hannibal and a nod to Will who promptly returned it as the woman left the house, both children waving goodbye to her.
"She has a little boy now named Mikhail," Hannibal explained softly as he went about the small house to check it over through the late afternoon sun. "I'm going to turn on the breakers and get the water going if you want to let the boys settle in."
"Alright," Will agreed, catching Hannibal's hand as the killer passed him. Hannibal paused and looked back at Will, kissing Will's cheek before stepping out of the house to take care of whatever he was going to take care of. "Alright, boys. How about we explore. Find a room for the two of you. We'll probably be here for a week or two."
Both boys who looked jet-lagged with messy hair nodded and they wandered their way through the house until both had their bedrooms picked out and Will went about pulling off the protective cloth from the furniture. By the time the living room and dining room were more or less put together, Hannibal had wandered back into the house.
"Everything should be working. It might take some time for the water heater to heat up though," he explained with a small smile. "I'm going to run into town and get some groceries. I'll only be half an hour."
"Alright," Will said with a nod, glancing around at the decent-sized cottage that felt a bit colder than he wanted it to. He inhaled deeply and folded his arms over his chest, curious if he would have felt the same feeling of being eaten up inside if they had run away with Abigail when they had the chance so long ago. "I love you."
"I love you too." Will jumped as a pair of hands took his hips from behind and a nose nuzzled against his neck. "It's ok Will. We're safe here. You believe me, don't you?"
"Yes. Of course." Will shivered as a kiss was placed on his pulse. "I'm sorry. This is exactly what we had planned the whole time. I just need to..." Will shrugged and Hannibal sighed, breath warm against Will's neck.
"I understand, Will. It's a big step, but isn't this what we've always wanted? Since the beginning haven't we wanted a family together somewhere where we could be ourselves?"
Will's tongue felt tied with the answer. Yes. Since the absolute beginning that had been their goal, unspoken, but clear as day. Even before Will admitted he felt anything for the therapist, they were trying to create their own broken little family. So why did it feel so off now that they had it?
"Hannibal, I just..." Will stepped out of Hannibal's grasp and turned to face the man who was patiently waiting for the rest of Will's sentence. "I feel like the world's ended right in front of me." Hannibal's brows rose as he listened. "It fell apart and shook beneath our feet. Buildings disintegrated, crumbled, and took people close to us with them. And I feel like it's my fault, like I started the end."
"Will," Hannibal scolded in a gentle tone, reaching out to brush his fingers through Will's curls. Will inhaled deeply and leaned into the touch with eyes flickering closed. "You do not have to play savior or destructor. We did what we could. There was nothing we could have done."
"If we didn't keep coming to them then-"
"Then nothing. Those men were their employees. Us being there saved those two boys, Will," Hannibal reasoned in a kind voice. "As strong, brave, and smart as Walter is, and he is, those two boys wouldn't have made it out of there alive without us."
"But if we came earlier or if we-"
"Will." Hannibal pulled Will closer, resting his forehead to the empath's. "What if's are not going to change what happened. There is no use having anxiety over the past. We need to focus on the future, alright?" Will licked his lips with a small nod. "We have to focus on giving those two boys all of the support they need to survive in this life. That is what is important at this moment in time."
"Right." Will sighed. "You're right."
"I'll be back in half an hour." Will pushed up on his toes and kissed Hannibal, causing the cannibal to give a smile when Will pulled away. "We'll figure this out." Hannibal stepped away from Will and went for the front door.
Will closed his eyes tightly with a steadying inhale and turned back to the kitchen, glancing around at the spacious room. His eyes landed on the stairs where both of the boys were standing and watching him, Walter looking a little annoyed and Morgan still clutching the bunny to his chest with one arm, the other hand firmly clutched to Walter's.
"Let's see," Will said as he stepped around the table and came to the stairs. "What can we do to have a bit of fun?"
"I don't feel like having fun," Morgan muttered, hiding his face in the bunny.
Will forced a smile to his lips despite the way he felt like he was failing the child. He knelt to Morgan's height and looked over the small boy. "What would you like to do?"
Morgan was silent as he glanced around the room and gave a shrug. "Go outside?"
"Ok. Let's go outside." Will got back to his feet and held out his hand that Morgan slowly took, releasing Walter, much to Walter's relief. "You too, Wally. We've been cooped up long enough."
The three wandered out into the mild sunshine and Will finally took a good long look at the cottage. It didn't strike Will as very Hannibal. He hadn't thought that Hannibal would have ripped a home right from a fairytale book, but that's what it was like. Old stones and large windows with giant wood panels. The front flower beds were starting to sprout what he guessed were tulips and he found himself eagerly awaiting what color they would be. Ivy was climbing up one side of the house and he wasn't sure how he missed the light sound of running water.
The boys had gravitated to the sound and Will followed after them, looking over a small stream that was crystal clear and tumbling over rocks. Morgan had taken a step back and behind Walter who had easily lowered himself to the side of the creek to stick his fingers in it, only to pull them out quickly.
"Cold," he laughed, the smile across his lips real, much to Will's surprise. "Do you think it gets bigger somewhere and we can go fishing?" Those golden eyes danced as they met Will.
"Pick a direction and let's find out," Will offered with a shrug, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.
"That way!" Morgan said, pointing up and behind the house towards where a wall of trees waited for them. Both boys raced off up the creekside and through grass that was soon going to be much taller than them. Will chased after them at a light jog as they ran.
Will wasn't sure if it was a good enough distraction, but it seemed to be working. At least they weren't silent and moody and moping about. They had grins on their face as they explored their new surroundings and the guilt that had clung to Will's ribs with a barbed grip was finally starting to dissipate.
Time ticked by far too quickly and soon Will was calling the boys back and towards the house, no larger body of water having been found as of yet, but the following days held promise. The sun was starting to set, dusting the sky in a deep rich blue and fire-like oranges.
The lights in the cottage were on and smoke was dancing lazily from the chimney, only casting a much more fairytale-esque picture over the whole scene. In one of the large open windows, Will could see Hannibal messing about the kitchen and his soul seemed to melt at the idea of this becoming their new normal. Bringing the boys home from playing to dinner made by a man he loved more deeply than he had ever thought possible to love another human being.
Will held the front door open and the boys stepped inside, tracking in dirt from their shoes, but Will didn't say anything. The floors could get dirty so long as the boys didn't stop smiling. Dirty floors weren't that big of an issue. There was bound to be a broom and dustpan somewhere.
"Go wash up you two," Will instructed and Morgan and Walter raced off for the stairs, their footsteps thudding loudly up them. Will smiled lightly and stepped into the kitchen, being greeted with a glass of wine held out to him. He took it and gave a long inhale before lightly sipping on the contents of the glass. "Hello."
"They seem to be in a better mood," Hannibal commented, returning to the dish he was preparing.
"Yeah." Will set the glass of wine aside on the counter and stepped closer to Hannibal. "I think spending some time outside helped." Will's eyes wandered over the ingredients and he frowned as what he found there put itself together into a meal. "Hannibal," he scolded, calling maroon eyes to his face. "You fucking joking right?"
"It has a reason. I promise," Hannibal explained as he continued to peel the potatoes.
"You're not going to make those kids eat this, are you?" Will's guilt snapped back almost immediately and he ran a hand over his face. "Hannibal, you-"
Thudding on the stairs cut Will off and both boys came into the kitchen, looking curiously over the scene.
"Boys, would you like to help?" Hannibal asked innocently and Will bit his tongue, arms folded over his chest.
"Yes!" Morgan swiftly piped up, skipping over to where Hannibal was working. "What can I do?"
"There's some bread over there and a bowl. Can you rip the bread up into pieces and put it in the bowl?"
Morgan looked a little confused at first, but nodded, going to grab a chair from the dining table. He pushed it across the floor until there was a loud squeak and Walter rolled his eyes, stepping over and picking the chair up from the floor at Hannibal's shoulders tensing.
"I can do it!" Morgan protested with a huff.
"You're going to damage the floors," Walter explained. "Just let me get it to the counter for you." Walter struggled a bit with how heavy the chair was, made of solid wood, but once it was in place, Morgan hopped up on it and went to work. "And for me?"
"For you?" Hannibal questioned, rinsing the potato off in the sink and placing it aside on a cutting board before turning his full attention to Walter. "Do you want to help?"
"Do I have a choice?" Walter asked back.
"There's always a choice," Hannibal assured.
Will reached out and gave Walter's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, hoping that the boy knew that he didn't have to do anything that Hannibal asked him. That there was a choice. That Walter was welcome to say no. Walter was always welcomed to say no.
Walter shook his head with a roll of his eyes and a shrug. "How can I help?"
"The potatoes need to be cut up and put in that pot if you want to help with that," Hannibal offered with a small smile, pulling a knife from the knife block and holding the handle out towards Walter. Walter looked over it for a moment, not in hesitancy, but in thought, before he finally reached out and took it, doing as he was asked. "Mylimasis, would you like to set the table?"
Will nodded dryly and took his wine once more, doing his best to settle down over what Hannibal had picked for dinner. It was just food. Will wasn't certain why he was so worked up over it, but if the boys weren't bothered, then he just had to let it go. After a deep drink, Will went to work as instructed, digging through cupboards until he found what he needed.
"It's important to know when it's time to turn the page," Hannibal said into the kitchen, causing Will to pause, but the thunking of a knife on a cutting board and the light ripping of bread continuing pushed Will forward. "I would like you boys to start thinking about subjects you would like to learn. Anything at all. Until we are settled, I will be teaching you and I think it only fair that you get to pick some of the subjects you would enjoy partaking in."
Walter snorted. "You're going to teach us?"
"Hanni, can you teach me the piano?" Morgan asked without missing a beat, ignoring Walter's comment.
"Of course I can," Hannibal assured.
Walter shook his head. "I don't want to learn anything."
"There must be something," Will pushed as he reentered the workspace to grab the next items to set the table with. "Anything in the world."
"I want to learn to control my fear."
The room fell still for a moment before Hannibal nodded. "I'm sure I can teach you that as well." That seemed to be enough to put the kitchen back in motion. Walter went back to chopping and Morgan to ripping, Will back to setting the table, and Hannibal peeling potatoes.
"Hanni, you're making turkey for dinner," Morgan muttered, not in question, just in a hollow statement. Will stepped away from the now set table and moved over to Morgan, waiting for the tears to start again, ready to help. How he wasn't sure, but he would be there. Morgan tore up the last bit of bread into the bowl and looked up with a deep breath, eyes wet, but not crying. "Why?"
"Taste is not only biochemical. It's also psychological," Hannibal explained, and Will turned his attention to his husband.
"This was the last meal I was having with my parents," Morgan announced, voice stronger than Will thought it would be. The words caused Walter to stop his work, now finally understanding what was happening, finally putting the pieces together. Will could see the gears turning in his young mind.
"I know." Hannibal went for the trash bin and began scooping the potato peels from the sink and into the bin. "It's also the first meal that we'll have as a family."
"You're trying to remove the trauma with positivity," Walter murmured, setting the knife aside now that he had finished his work.
"No more bad," Hannibal agreed. "Only good going forward."
Walter shook his head. "I don't think that's possible."
"We'll figure it out," Will assured, once more taking Walter's shoulder in a firm grip. "It might take time, but we will figure this out."
"Walter, can you fill the pot with water and get it on the stove?"
"Sure," Walter answered, obeying Hannibal's light suggestion.
"Morgan, I have some herbs in the cabinet. Can you find me some thyme and rosemary?"
"I don't like rosemary." Morgan hopped from the chair and pulled it in the direction of the cabinet that Hannibal had pointed to.
"Just the thyme then. And Will?" Hannibal wiped his hands off on the towel over his shoulder and allowed Walter the space to get to the sink. Will let Walter's shoulder go and met those merlot eyes. A hand took his cheek and a kiss graced his lips. "We'll make this work together. Through the blood and the sugar."
Kiekvienas žmogus skirtingai reaguoja į skausmą. Būtų gerai, kad tu tylėtum: Everyone responds differently to pain. It would be good for you to be silent.
Ketinu užsitarnauti teisę būti tavo tėvu: I intend to earn the right to be your father
A/N: Hello everyone. This has been quite an adventure, hasn't it? This is the last official chapter. There will be two more chapters updated after this, but we have reached the end of Losing You Terrifies Me. Thank you all so much for all of your comments and kind words. Thank you so much for all of the support through all of these months and the last year that I have been working on this. It's legit been exactly a year since I started working on this story. Pretty insane.
Also a huge thank you to Child_of_Lilith. They were sweet enough to make a spotify playlist of the songs from this story and then I went in an added a massive amount of the music that I use to write all of these chapters and a bunch of the sequel.
Link to playlist: playlist/65khRpKmjgRytQWwoG4hqo
Thank you all again and I hope you enjoy the last chapter. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and as always all my love from my beta and me!