Yes perverts, there is some sexual content in this chapter. Your wait is over. It's at the end. There's your warning.

oOo
Scenting the air as it was disturbed, Hannibal could smell the mixture of musky arousal seeped with the sourer notes of disgust still clinging to the linens as he stripped the bed. He could also pick up the faint smell of dried salvia on his neck. It wasn't hard for him to put two and two together to get a number he wished he had been awake for. Apparently, Will was more impulsive and true to his nature when no one was looking. The Alpha decided not to mention either olfactory observations as he replaced the dark cobalt silk with a jewel toned gold satin, his Omega wincing at the selection.

Hannibal was a man who loved his saturated color. In Will's humble opinion, the sheets were ugly as sin, gaudy even in a lavish way. He had no idea how he was going to not slip out of bed tonight, silk nightwear on satin the hellish slip and slide of materials. His elbows failing to pin down the slick clothe proved this point, Will helping out with the corners without being asked. He kept his judgments to himself, though he discerned from carefully made side glances that the edges of Hannibal's lips were slightly turned up, letting Will know that they weren't unnoticed.

Following closely behind Hannibal as they left the bedroom, Will started to make efforts toward mapping out his surroundings since it looked like he would be living here from now on, strange thought as it might be to him. Will still didn't trust himself being able to find his way back to the bedroom or kitchen yet, so for now Hannibal was his lifeline and guide. This house didn't strike Will as one he wanted to get lost in for long, though he couldn't explain why or give any viable reason for such a feeling. So it was almost surreal being led to what was obviously a laundry room, commonplace in most houses but one of the biggest Will had ever seen. It appeared to be the home version of a professional dry cleaner, Will recognizing only half the cleaning equipment in it. There were at least three washers of varying sizes with matching accompanying dryers, the largest the machines looking big enough to accommodate couch cushions and heavy down comforters. The complex suit press and hanging steam cleaner with array of attachments neatly hanging beside it were what surprised Will the most.

"You do your own laundry." Will said, more statement than question though it still sounded somewhat perplexed.

"I do." Hannibal answered, looking amused as he loaded the smallest washer, going through the usual motions. "Most of it, but not all the time. If my schedule is too hectic, I do seek out the services of a reputable shop just like anyone else. For some reason, I have surprised you. Why?"

"I assumed that you would have a maid." Will shrugged, like it was the most obvious answer. "Or a few. A butler or something…"

"I have a cleaning service that comes by on Mondays and Fridays for the basic upkeep of the house, and a landscaping company contracted for the lawn and garden. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I do not employ a full time staff. That being said, I still do not understand the source of your amusement." Hannibal tilting his head in observation, interested in his Omega's musings. "Do you think all people who have wealth keep others around at their beck and call to never lift a finger for themselves?"

"Clearly my own personal misperceptions." Will mumbled out, avoiding eye contact with Hannibal. They hadn't even been up an hour yet together and he was already making himself look like an ignorant ass, so Will made it a point of looking at the contents of the laundry room instead. How often would someone really need to use an industrial strength steam cleaner? Will's mind turned random thoughts and observations about like he was churning butter made out of figments, having them run into and over one another. The empath thought about of how hospitals used the same equipment to ensure sterility, destroying sickness and other people's tainted DNA from bed linens while at the same time humming song lyrics along with the rhythm of Hannibal's washer. "Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness. And cleanliness is godliness. And God is empty just like me." played in the back of Will's head. "Intoxicated with madness….." Will muttered aloud to himself, wondering about the paths and the white rabbits his imagination followed sometimes.

Hannibal waited for an explanation for the strange segway in conversation, letting it go when it become apparent he was going to get none. "Where did you grow up, Will?" Hannibal asked, not bothering to check if Will followed him or not as he made his way to the kitchen now that one task was done. He bit back a smile, hearing the Omega shuffling closely behind him. Will paused every once in while to take note of something in the rooms they passed through to hurry after him back to his side. It was a gratifying background sound to his own barely there footsteps.

"On the road. I followed my father from the boat yards of Greenville to the lake boats of Eerie." Will surprisingly answered. Hannibal reasoned he was still feeling contrite about his earlier assumptions, a behavioral quirk worth noting for later leverage in conversation. "I was never in one place for too long."

"Always the new boy." Hannibal observed, starting the elaborate process of making the perfect cup of coffee. "Always the stranger."

"Always." Will went back to his official unofficial place in the middle of everything, leaning against the counter to watch the Alpha work with a gleaming machine of glass and metal that looked way too complex to deal with first thing in the morning. Will just hoped that it produced some sort of beverage that had caffeine in it. "Is this the part where you ask about my mother?"

"Perhaps." Hannibal mused, turning his full attention back to Will as the coffee brewed.

"That's some lazy psychology, Doctor Lecter. Low hanging fruit." Will grimaced, more at himself than the Alpha. He was the one who brought it up after all. He really was shit at polite conversation, especially first thing in the morning with the scent of coffee starting to permeate the air to torture him. Will hoped there would be some damn coffee soon or at least food to shove in his mouth to keep him from talking.

"I suspect that fruit is very difficult to reach actually." Hannibal mused, getting out cups and plates.

"So is my mother. Never knew her." Will spoke like it was an old hurt, the wound healed over to heavily scar but still there. "Tell me about your mother. Let's start there."

"Both my parents died when I was very young, the proverbial orphan until I was adopted by my uncle Robert when I was sixteen." Hannibal intentionally told Will personal information to watch his reaction with interest behind his mask of neutrality. He was not disappointed, Will's emotions a beautiful thing to witness as they ran across his face unchecked.

"I guess we were both lonely children then." Will offered in way of apology. Hannibal didn't bother to correct him. Now, if ever, was not the time to broach the subject of his beloved Mischa.

"Yes, but I have learned the value of it." Hannibal said instead, pulling out eggs and some wonderful sausage he had recently made from a deserving sounder of pigs from the refrigerator along with onions, green peppers, and cherry tomatoes. After some consideration, he retrieved some cheese as well, Hannibal's intention to create something simple for this meal so that Will could recognize it and fully appreciate the fare made for him. Hannibal looked forward to educating the Omega in haute cuisine and the finer things in life. Feeding his mate also appealed to his more base nature as an Alpha, Hannibal startled at the amount of enjoyment that he got from it. It made him want to experience it more.

"Loneliness?" Will sounded miffed, enough so that it made Hannibal look over at him.

"Solitude. As you have." Hannibal explained, making the Omega snort in bemusement. He sliced up the sausage, putting the shredded meat into a well oiled pan, seasoned with a pat of shallot infused butter.

Will shook his head, running his hands through his already messy bed head. "I fear I land more on the unhappy end of the spectrum. You seem….comfortable with your privacy. Try as I might, I am still vulnerable to some aspects of my biology, my gender, having a need for company even if the concept is foreign to me."

"Is that not what your adopted family is for?" Hannibal mused, pausing to consider the Omega who looked warily back at him.

"My family of strays? The one that I have piecemealed together with animals to replace what I can't have with people? I already know what that says about me." Will huffed. "I'm disappointed. You can do better than that."

"How do you take your coffee, Will?" Hannibal knew Will was being difficult just for the sake of it, so he parried with a question instead as he turned back to the vacuum coffee maker. He was well versed with its process, the Alpha not even needing a timer for it.

"Dark as night and sweet as sin." Will's accent was a little bit more noticeable, the Southern twang of it seasoning his words as he leaned in to watch Hannibal add just the right amount of sugar without being told to coffee that was darkly clear. Will hummed in approval, accepting his cup with eager open palms, and not caring if he burned the roof of his mouth. Hannibal's version of coffee was unlike anything Will normally resulted in drinking, the steaming cup unusually light in texture but robust in flavor, and sweet enough to make Will sigh in contentment. He didn't even care that he was being watched, Hannibal's amusement letting itself be apparent for once. Will ignored the Alpha, savoring his drink while he clung to the cup and counter like they were his rock and mooring. Even having slept for once, Will wasn't much of a morning person or more accurately, a person of waking. When one had constant insomnia, timing of day was meaningless.

Hannibal busied himself with completing their breakfast, shredding sharp Vermont cheddar cheese to whisk it into farm fresh eggs, adding diced onion and green peppers to it at the last minute as to not overpower the mixture. The egg mixture was folded into the hot pan full of slivered bits of cooked sausage that popped and sang at contact. The tomatoes were added last when the scramble was almost done to keep their contents intact and sharp, the burst of the cherry tomatoes in the mouth meant to cleanse the palette between bites. Hannibal prepared another cup of coffee for Will before presenting him with his plate. He was pleased to see the Omega begin to eat with no hesitation this time on his part, consuming the protein scramble with clear intent and desire in between gulps of coffee. Will's manners would have to be addressed at some point, but his enthusiasm was intoxicating.

"This sausage is very good." Will hummed delight into his mouthful, deliciousness making sweet happy love to his taste buds. The eggs were the perfect amount of fluffy and cheesy with just the right earthen kick from the vegetables to balance the saltiness and spice of the sausage. The hint of shallots made the dish just savory enough without having to add anything else to enhance the dish. Will even found himself liking the tomatoes, though he had never particularly cared for them.

"Thank you. I made the sausage myself." Hannibal said, not bothering to hide how pleased he felt. He wasn't above preening for his mate.

"Pork?" Will wagered a guess. It was very good but something was off about the meat, a spice or flavor there that he just couldn't seem to place.

Hannibal smiled. "Pork. Made from pigs, of course."
oOo
"I'll find you something to wear." sounded more damning than it really should have.

They were back in Hannibal's bedroom with Will sitting on the edge of the bed, trying not to ruin the sleeve of his borrowed nightwear by wringing the sleeve's fabric. Hannibal was somewhere in the deep depths of his walk-in closet that was more like another room than a regularly sized space for hanging clothes. Will had glanced in after the Alpha before retreating back to the safety of the bed. It had been wall to wall plaid in there, in shades and patterns Will had never even conceived before for a suit. Set up like a professional artist's studio, it was a complex organized space whose medium was cotton, leather, tweed, silk, and so much more, all the pieces coordinating with each other on some level Will didn't even want to think about. Will hoped Hannibal could navigate his way back out or refrained from breaking a leg while in there because he sure as hell wasn't going back in.

Hannibal emerged soon enough unsurprisingly with a suit in hand though shockingly not in plaid, and a pair of leather shoes that looked so Italian they might as well be paddling a gondola. The deep blue outfit paired with a white Oxford shirt appeared to be missing its tie, and Will just knew there was a tie, if not several, that would coordinate perfectly with it. Will wondered if he ever wore anything simple, like jeans. He doubted it. Hannibal probably considered them vulgar. "Do you own anything casual?" Will asked, despite his early promises to self about being good.

"Of course." Hannibal gave Will a strange look, his own 'casual' outfit dark pressed slacks, a maroon pullover that matched the Alpha's eyes, white dress shirt, and patterned tie, the Alpha disappearing into the bathroom to change. Running water and the clicking of metal being set down on stone told Will that Hannibal was going to be a while, shaving and doing whatever else he did first thing in the morning.

"I think your definition of casual and my definition of casual are vastly different things." Will muttered, studying the suit given to him that was probably worth more than his entire wardrobe at home and putting it on while he had the privacy to do so. To his chagrin, the borrowed outfit fit better than most of what he normally wore. The Alpha and Omega were basically the same height and size, the main difference in Hannibal's broader shoulders and longer limbs. The suit even brought out the blue of his eyes, making them seem brighter. Either that or it was all the sleep he had gotten. Will found he really didn't want to think about it. More than likely, he wouldn't like the answers he came up with.

Defensively, Will reasoned he would still rather dress for comfort than fashion. He told himself that he shouldn't have been the least surprised that the socks and shoes matched as well, though Will had to double up on the socks to keep the shoes on. He hoped Hannibal didn't expect him to shave. Without his short beard, Will thought he tended to look babyish and a little too androgynous for his liking, a telltale feature of his gender he preferred to avoid. There was another aspect of being an Omega he would have to consider now, one that he couldn't put off any longer if he wanted to be able to walk out the front door.

Which is why Hannibal found Will tucked into the far corner of the room, the Omega almost kneeling while contemplating his hands and looking like he was trying not to hyperventilate. "Will?" Hannibal started toward him, acting concerned to be waved off. Will wanted some distance from him with his back protected. It peeked Hannibal's interest to what subject matter was about to be broached.

"What about…." Will managed out that much before trailing off, swallowing back the rest of his words hard as he made himself take deep breaths.

"Yes, Will?" Hannibal said more as a prompt than an actual question. It still earned him an icy blue glare, one that quickly slid away and down to his throat giving it all away.

"The collar." Will finally spat out after a couple of false starts. "Are you going to make me wear it?"

"You have options." Hannibal very carefully refrained from telling Will 'yes' or 'no'. The Omega would have to make up his own decision in the matter and adhere to it. His answer was surprising enough to make Will regard him again though with something other than contempt and distrust.

"Such as?" Will asked, suspicion colored by curiosity evident in his tone.

"I could bite you." Hannibal offered, something stirring deep within him at the very thought of Will acquiescing to this. He just might like that a little too much and it was still far too early to be introducing Will to certain truths about himself. "It is a bit of a throwback…"

"Anything else?" Will snapped, bringing up his shoulders as he hunched down as if to protect his neck. Biting was a socially acceptable way of an Alpha claiming an Omega, an extremely intimate way of going about it. It seemed almost feral to Will, the act of it, of teeth parting flesh to ruin and render smooth surfaces. Bruises like temporary jewels of onyx, topaz, and sapphire around wicked torn curves of parted skin, fading out to leave behind a filigree of coarse scarring in their wake. It sent a shiver down Will's spine, though not from disgust he discovered. More like self loathing, Will unwilling to admit certain things about himself to himself even in his own head.

"Some chose tattooing." It was not as appealing as biting, but Hannibal was willing to work with it if Will was. He was more than capable of designing something beautiful to place upon his Omega's flesh.

"Pass. I've seen too many corpses with them." Will stated solemnly, who knew all the statistics. A high percentage of Omegas killed by their Alphas often had their claiming marks inking into their skin. Will didn't want to die looking like that, carrying those kind of scars that anyone could see.

"Then you will have to make peace with the last of your options." Hannibal sighed, making the noise sound morose like his hands were tied and being forced all at once. "You can take the collar off in private, in the confines of our homes, and in my presence. That is the best I can offer you. I may not hold with the norms of society but I do try to abide by them. I also believe that collars serve a purpose in keeping Omegas safe from unwanted attention."

"As long as everyone plays by the rules." Will fumed. He had too often seen the aftermath of such rule breaking. It was usually wet and red around ragged still edges. He watched as Hannibal retrieved the collar, his collar, from where it was still sitting in its little lacquered box. The tooled leather practically gleamed against the velvet it was snugly nestled in, braided black like a wound against soft crimson. The ornate steel lock to it glinted almost evilly in the light.

The box with its contents were simply held out to Will, Hannibal making no other move, making it obvious to whose turn it was next. Will let out an unsteady breath, making himself nod. He jumped despite himself when Hannibal unlocked the clasp, taking the collar out to hand it to the Omega.

"You don't want to do the honor?" Will tried to joke but it fell flat, sounding more disheartened than jovial.

"You are more than capable. I'll give you one of the keys when you are done. Make sure not to lose it." Hannibal said, wanting to feel the coolness of the leather against Will's too warm skin. He was well schooled in patience, among other things. There would come a time when Will would beg him for the collar, for the Alpha to place its length around his neck. For now, Hannibal could afford to be generous, and all while he enjoyed the show of Will breaking himself down bit by bit.

Nodding once again though this time more for himself, Will placed the soft leather to his neck with shaking hands, clicking the catch in place. The steel ends locked together instantly making Will swallow on reflex. The leather moved with his throat mimicking its surface, like the braided strip was a second skin to him already. It felt better than it should, the Omega losing himself in the constricting sensation as he moved his neck experimentally from side to side to help accommodate the new accessory. Will nearly jumped out of his original skin, feeling fingers upon him.

"Calm yourself, Will. I'm just adjusting the fit is all. It is too tight and I don't want you to choke." Hannibal soothed, making his fingers far clumsier than they actually were so that he could linger as he refitted the length. Trembling, Will still bared his teeth at him, his blue eyes wild around the edges and sharp with glare.

"A little warning next time." Will grumbled when he found that Hannibal wasn't being rough about it, his touch light along Will's skin, making it grow too warm beneath it. Telling himself to get over it and to get this over with, Will arched his neck back to give Hannibal better access. Only after performing the action did Will realize he had just bared his throat, his collared throat to an Alpha, his Alpha. It was one of the most intimate and damning acts of submission an Omega could offer up to an Alpha, on par with stripping down and spreading himself open to presented himself on hands and knees.

To his credit, Hannibal only froze momentarily, his eyes widening marginally at the sight. Not knowing how to get himself out of this with any sort of grace or with any dignity left intact, Will remained as he was. He was resistant, not an idiot.

"Best not to bite the hand that feeds you or can free you." Will thought ruefully, reminding himself that he still didn't have the key to his own lock. He also thought Hannibal was taking his sweet ass time about it as the Alpha fussed over the collar's placement. Even when he was done and the collar sat right on Will's neck, Hannibal's touch stayed where it was. One hand drifted downward to caress collarbones while the other moved upward to follow the curvature of Will's jaw, feeling the satin of chocolate curls at the hairline and the warmth collecting at the Omega's nape.

"W-what are you doing?" Will asked stammering, feeling like an idiot as he felt Hannibal lean in to press his nose to the back of his ear, hearing the Alpha inhale deeply. "Did you just smell me?"

"Difficult not to." was rumbled low to the shell of his ear, the Omega feeling the silken flesh of lips moving upon the sensitive skin there. This close, Hannibal's voice was thick with something beyond his own accent, darker things moving through his rough voice. Will could keep his body still, had the fortitude for it, but he couldn't stop his rest of him from reacting in other ways.

It was like resisting food. One may not eat by choice and force of will, but the body still starved, still ached for sustenance and reacted to food's presence with watering mouth and tight stomach. Will knew if he could smell his own slick, then Hannibal sure as hell could. The wetness gathering at his base was just further proof that any trace of the heat suppressants was out of his system.

"May I kiss you?" woke Will out of his growingly dazed observations. Will didn't know if he should be impressed by Hannibal's control or worried about his obsessive grip on courtesy.

"Why?" Will asked, at a loss. He really had no idea what to do so he kept his eyes shut. It should have helped him focus, but only ended up bringing everything else into stark clarity, at least in the fact he needed. His body was a mess of signals, confusion running neck and neck with a force that was turning his insides into something too warm and undefined for Will to understand at the moment. The scents of vanilla soaked cinnamon and nutmeg hung heavily around him, a sharp musk underneath all that spice, like a knife in silk casing. It was making it hard for Will to breathe, to rationally think, especially when his body was growing too heavy for him to handle, and his legs and arms were feeling too thick and disjointed for him to maneuver.

"Oh Will…." and that was like a hymn being sung just for him in his ear by an angel or the Devil himself. Hannibal's voice was low and melodic, sounding like sin and everything Will never let himself dream about. "…you ridiculous man. If you were anyone else…." Hannibal sighed out words that Will was having trouble following, and even that was wonderful. Hannibal's hands were still upon him, fingers curling tightly into his hair at the back of his head to hold Will in place as he started to sway and that was fantastic. Will followed though the motion, arching his neck back further in a long clean line. He should have felt exposed and vulnerable, but all he could do to keep control was not let himself moan out loud. Will felt need like never before. Will needed so much, but had no idea how to ask or even if he could ask, if it was allowed. He hoped Hannibal had some idea because he was lost in his own body, drowning in the sensations and chemicals that were flooding his brain and numbing his body.

"Open your eyes, Will." was said and how could Will not obey such a simple request, the Omega's eyes snapping open to be pinned by eyes so red they were practically scarlet. He was going to say something, some cutting remark or insult to make Hannibal back off and give him some space to clear his head.

Or beg. Will wasn't too sure at this point really but he never got the chance to figure it out, all words silenced in the presence of lips meeting one another.

Trying to remember the last time he had been kissed and failing to, Will likened this touch of flesh to being consumed, or at least that was what it felt like it to him. His lips were being bitten, his tongue gripped between teeth that were almost too sharp, and the skin around his mouth reddened by roving lips that wanted to bring his flesh in for further tasting. It was the kind of kiss he expected from an Alpha, and yet it was still all Hannibal. He was being owned, made to submit, but with a touch of blood and pain. Both of which Will not only welcomed but returned as he bit back, catching Hannibal's lips with his teeth in answer, tasting the Alpha as he was tasted. After all, turnabout was fair play, some part of Will realizing he was holding onto Hannibal with hands hard enough to bruise. He was marking Hannibal with his own set of wounds as he was being claimed.

It felt almost like betrayal when Hannibal pulled back, looking as used as Will felt with bloody kiss swollen lips and wide, almost feral eyes. It made Will wonder how he appeared in return, probably more so.

"We have to stop." Hannibal breathed heavily out, his eyes like cut rubies in his head. Will stared back at him in disbelief, the Alpha having the applaud to look apologetic. "I have already called Alana to meet us in Wolf Trap. It would be rude to keep her waiting, especially after taking in all your dogs."

Shaking his head, Will felt too hot, too swollen, too on edge to come up with an answer that made sense. "This was a mistake." he ended up slurring, drunk off of his own body and coming down too fast from a dizzying high. He found that disappointment was as vivid a sensation as relief was. He didn't know if he was speaking for himself or Hannibal, his words sounding ugly and wrong even to him. Before he could retreat, Will found was caught once again, Hannibal cupping his face with his strong hands. The Omega was made to look into maroon eyes too bloody in nature to be real.

"Not a mistake. Never that. Merely mistimed on both our parts." Hannibal stated, his tone firm. Something about denial made Will, even for good rational reasons, made Will go a little crazy, or so he told himself as the Omega moved to press himself against the Alpha's body, Will groaning low as his erection made contact with Hannibal's own. The noise broke something in the Alpha because the next thing Will knew Hannibal was his knees, Will's pants were down around his ankles along with his underwear, and he was bracing himself in a hurry against the corner's walls as he was lifted up by his ass. Will hooked his legs over Hannibal's shoulders as he was swallowed down to the root in one smooth motion, Hannibal's nose pressed into soft tight curls.

Suspended between the flat of the wall and Hannibal's hold on him, Will could only shout and pant as his erection was swallowed around and sucked upon with unrelenting force and a wicked intent. For a connoisseur, Hannibal was being very greedy, brutally bringing Will to climax to let the salty bitterness linger over his tongue, swallowing it before moving downward. The Omega's slick was sampled as well, Hannibal cleaning all the gleaming wetness off of too sensitive skin as Will cried out above him, begging nonsensically for him to stop or keep going. The Omega kept changing his mind on the matter, overwhelmed and made loopy from such an abrupt climax. His sodden hole being rimmed by a clever tongue wasn't making cognitive thought any easier either.

Every omega's slick was signature to them, unique due to biology and breeding. Hannibal found Will's flavor to be unnaturally sweet and floral, almost like flower candy made of white blossoms, violets, and the nectar of elderberries. Giving into small needs before they became bigger ones, Hannibal finished up cleaning Will of any trace of it, leaving behind only saliva to dry tight and brittle on his skin.

Turning his head, Hannibal kissed the inside of Will's inner thigh before clamping down upon it with his teeth. He kept Will in place easily, the Omega's too busy bracing himself up against the wall to stop him though he yelled out in pain overhead. The blood welling up in Hannibal's mouth was almost bitter compared to the slick that still coated his tongue, an interesting contrast. A mate was not food though, at least not that sort of meal.

Finding his control again, Hannibal exerted it enough to release Will without biting down further, the resulting bite mark more bruised than bleeding. The blood was wiped away with the tip of his tongue while Will continued to moan soft sounds, shivering at the play between pain and pleasure. The Omega was still limp limbed by the time he was let down and set back on his feet, Hannibal efficiently redressing him. The wound on Will's inner thigh would be fine, the hormones in his salvia congealing the blood. Biting was a throw back to ancient times but it held a notable reason for existing. Alphas were meant to mark their mates in this manner.

"You bastard." Will panted, his head still in a whirlwind of what had just happened. "That was more than a kiss."

Hannibal's response was to kiss him again, his own diverse flavoring carried in on Alpha's tongue, the sweetness of slick and the salt of semen with a metallic edge that could only be from blood. This close he could feel Hannibal hard and heavy pressed up against him, though the Alpha sought no relief for it. The kiss ended slow, Hannibal licking at Will's lips as if chasing after the taste he left there.

"Is this real?" Will whispered, keeping their lips together to ask for things directly from Hannibal's mouth. "What is happening to me? What is going to happen to me? Please don't lie to me."

"You will be what you have always been. Unique but you will not be alone anymore." Hannibal promised, saying terrible truths in return. "It is a terrible thing to have your identity taken from you. I have no intention of doing that to you, but I can make you better. If you let me, you will become more."

"So much more." he murmured, running his fingers along Will's collar, the Omega sighing in return.

"Do you want me to return the favor?" Will asked hesitantly, nodding down to the prominent disruption in the cut of cloth. Not the most romantic gesture by far, the Omega wincing at his own offer, at how flat it sounded. It seemed only right that he offered, even if he had no clue how to reciprocate anything well in a relationship.

"No." Hannibal shook his head much to Will surprise, drawing away to make Will glare at the space between them now. "I was being sincere when said I do not wish to keep Alana waiting. It would be impolite, especially after she has been so accommodating and helpful."

There must have been something cynical yet wounded in Will's look, because Hannibal reached over to bridge the gap between them, all while keeping Will at arm's length. His long fingers stroked at Will's collar, following the patterns on the braided leather. Will let him but refrained from baring his throat again. "That and I want your passion, your zeal. I have no interest in you pleasuring me out of some sense of obligation or responsibility. I want you to need me like one needs air or water to live. To have you savor all that I can offer and linger over all that I am. To always want more."

"I can't promise you any of that." Will told him in that blunt manner of his, making Hannibal smile a little. Touching moment or not, he could count on Will's brutally honest nature. It was almost refreshing to experience, considering the mist of lies he moved through and lived in. "I don't know how to be that kind of crazy for another person."

"You will."

oOo

TBC