AN-Will and Hannibal get used to living with one another, and Jack makes an appearance.
Not beta read

About scheduling updates- I don't do that. I never do that. I can't. I could lie to you and tell you that I plan to update every Monday but it's not going to happen. The end result is that you'll just feel disappointing. So let my updates be one of life's little surprises. Hopefully a good one. :)

oOo

Living with Hannibal was easier than Will ever hoped or dared to dream. First and foremost, he found out that the Alpha had a very full social calendar. One that he seemed to have no intention of making Will adhere to, though Hannibal would politely offer Will invitations to places like gala events, performances, and other social functions that sounded like Will would have to wear something restricting and uncomfortable to attend. In return, Will always made it a point to turn him down, first sheerly out of spite and then out of curiosity to see if Hannibal would force him to go. The Alpha never did though, simply asking if Will planned to go back to Wolf Trap or stay in Baltimore during his absence.

All Hannibal ever really asked of Will was to join him for meals when he could and sleep in the same bed if their schedules allowed. Even Will couldn't think of a good excuse not acquiesce. That and Hannibal was an excellent cook. He had never eaten so well on a regular basis before. Sleeping together was not uncomfortable either. Hannibal was a perfect gentleman, keeping to his side of the bed for the most part. Despite his reservations and low expectations, Will was coming to equate Hannibal's scent with comfort and sleep. He was also beginning to notice that his nights alone in Wolf Trap with only his dogs for company were not enough anymore for Will now that he had a glimpse at something better, loathe as he was to admit it. He was getting used to the press of warm flesh against his side, one that wasn't covered in fur or woke him up with a wet nose.

The gifts were another surprise, oddly terrifying and more frequent than Will would have liked, the Omega one who had never received presents out of the blue before if they weren't for his birthday or Christmas. Even those kinds were few and far between, made more so now that all his immediate family was dead and his friends were rare people. The precious few were usually functional or impersonal like new socks or underwear when he was younger, and things like aftershave now that he was an adult, never frivolous.

It was made almost worse that Hannibal was generous, but not ostentatiously so. Will would find new clothing in his size mixed in among his old wardrobe as an option to wear but not a command to. He would have shredded them, but old habits from growing up cold and too poor to buy anything better stayed his hand in the matter. At first, Will just shoved the new outfits to the back of the closet, ie the room ridiculously called a closet. Quiet persistence on Hannibal's part made Will consider them though, his hands starting to linger over the super soft fabrics. Warm silks, woven micro fibers, and fine cotton were chosen to appeal to his nature as an Omega. As much as he didn't want to give into it, Hannibal made the effort to buy such items in Will's personal style and not his own, well made but simple, unadorned in earthen tones and in shades of blues that Will knew would bring out the color of his eyes perfectly. Try as he might to resent the Alpha for it, Hannibal never brought it up, leaving the decision solely to Will. He did notice the way Hannibal's eyes lit up though the first time he wore something he had bought him.

Will's assumption that he would be allowed his old cologne was correct, but the new one that he was provided with was presented in the same manner as the clothing. An expensive looking bottle was placed on his side of the double sinks in the bathroom, his choice to wear it or not with no pressure or opinion from Hannibal. It was sort of maddening in a way, like he was perpetually playing an odd game of cat and mouse with the Alpha.

Even worse, Will found himself returning the gifts, presenting his own version in a fashion. He would bring home fresh fish he didn't mean to catch, or wild berries, mushrooms, and greens from fields around his house he didn't mean to find, and small game of rabbit and peasants he didn't mean to lure and trap. Will was tempted to bring Hannibal squirrel but was a little scared of what he might actually make from small woodland creatures or that he would have a recipe ready for such an event.

Will tried to ignore the warm feeling he got whenever he gave these things to Hannibal, his gifts consumed that evening, Hannibal always adjusting their meal to accommodate. Feeling silly about it, the Omega made it a point to find other things as well. Small curiosities and oddities in nature that Hannibal would keep in a box carved from a single piece of onyx, the container probably worth more than some cars. Little stones with fossils in them, stones with natural holes made in their centers because Will's dad had told him once that such things were lucky, and glittering pieces of quartz found out in the woods around his house. Dead moths, large brilliant things marked with skulls on their backs and paler versions that looks made of moonlight and jade, were added to the growing collections as well, along with small perfect flowers that retained their fragrances even in death.

oOo

Having another person living in his environment, within his domain, was an unusual and unique experience for Hannibal. Will would not have been his ideal first choice for it, but they were both adjusting well while developing a new routine.

Will was far more careful about his surrounding than Hannibal would have thought. The Omega had the tendency to sit on the edge of furniture like he was half expected Hannibal to tell him to get off. Will also moved through hallways and rooms with his hands held by his sides or behind his back, reminiscent of a small child scolded into the behavior while in a museum. The Omega was obviously not comfortable here, but it was a natural reaction considering the majority of his childhood, if not most of his life up till adulthood, was spent in poverty. He would be more conscious of the wealth around him, respective bordering on fearful because of it. As much as Hannibal enjoyed the proper care and respect given toward his property, he found himself wanting Will to feel comfortable here, in his presence and in his home. He wanted Will to see this house as his home, his real one.

A spare room was cleared without Will's notice. Hannibal was pretty sure that Will still didn't know his way around the house or knew about all the rooms within. He still followed behind Hannibal closely to the kitchen and a sitting room Hannibal preferred to use over others simply because it had a fireplace. It was a small thing to have the walls painted a soft blue color, the hue typically found in sun faded swimming pools. It contrasted lovely with the honey colored floorboards, giving the room as open, airy feel while still sticking to something maritime. One wall of the empty space was filled with a workstation similar to what Will had at his house in Wolf Trap, a heavy desk set up under a large window for its natural light with a vast array of tools and material at Will's disposal. In another corner, Hannibal artfully arranged shelving, its surfaces filled with books that Alpha was sure Will would be interested in based on what he had seen in Wolf Trap. The furniture was older, consisting mostly of overly large chairs covered in buttery soft leather the color of rich fertile earth. The cushions of them were deep enough to capture anyone who sat in them and soft enough to make them stay. They were the ideal furniture for an Omega, who needed to feel on some base level that they were being embraced. It gave them the sense that they were being cared for and protected.

That was important considering Will was very touch shy. Though it went against the nature of his gender, it was natural reaction due his upbringing by a single drunkard for a father, the absence of a mother who had abandoned him at birth, and the knowledge that letting another human being touch him might give away his secret. An Omega's reaction to touch was immediate and obvious, the gender often compared to cats the way they arched into it, and begged for more.

In denial of his own nature, Will used other methods to cope. He slept under too many covers to simulate an embrace, though they made him sweat profusely. His dogs had been the replacement for human contact as well. The Omega would often hug himself, standing way too still with his arms wrapped tightly around his torso, as if he were trying to trick his own mind that he was being held by another.

It was reasonable to assume that Will would have a skin hunger, one that was only being kept in check by his fear. Now that he had been discovered, Hannibal wondered how much longer it would be until that wall broke down, no longer fortified and guarded by the terror of being discovered. Hannibal made it a point to gradually increase the time he spent touching Will, his fingers lingering well past the safer side of casual. Every time Will flinched under his touch or his scent spiked sour with fear, something in Hannibal's gut twisted low and uncomfortable, a feeling he was not well acquainted with at all. He didn't like it.

Some notion that dwelled within Will expecting the Alpha to hurt him. That didn't sit well with Hannibal. It was an intelligent instinct on the Omega's part considering who he truly was, and Hannibal could hardly fault him for it, but it bothered him more than it should of. Hannibal didn't like surprises especially when they involved his own inner workings. 'Know thyself' was much more than just a saying to Hannibal. It was a way of life.

Will would find this place soon enough on his own with some help from Hannibal. When it was discovered, the Omega would be clever enough to know that this space was intended for his use, his natural empathy aiding in this realization. He would also be clever enough to make use of this space, know that he had need of it. Will had his pride, but he was humble enough to accept help when it was offered to him in the right manner. He just wasn't used to other people offering aid, failing to recognize it when it was.

Though Will still didn't wear any of the clothing he bought for him, Hannibal knew that they were not discarded either, but were under consideration. Hannibal knew it would only be a matter of time before Will gave in. All he had to do was be patient. Patience was something Hannibal was very good at.

The beginning of the end to the standoff between them become more and more apparent when Will started to reciprocate the gift giving in his own fashion. Trips to Wolf Trap began to be shorter and less frequent than before, Will bringing back fresh fish with him, delicate wild produce and fungus, and freshly killed small game, the rabbit's and pheasant's neck perfectly broken from the triggered wire when they took the lure. It wasn't Hannibal's preferred version of meat, but the idea of Will killing for him was magnificent, even if it was just animals. The dishes created from these gifts were made with the utmost care.

It was an impressive feat in and of itself. Most Omegas didn't have it in them to harm another living creature, the nurturing part of their personalities too great to accomplish such an act of violence. Hannibal found himself wondering what else he could get Will to kill and what kind of effect it would have on him.

Other items would show up as well on his bedside table or his kitchen counter by his favorite set of knives, left there for him to find. Will would never present these sort of gifts to Hannibal in person, probably too afraid of seeing the Alpha's reaction. The empath was giving unique insight into the entire ritual of gift giving. Disappointment would shine like a beacon to one such as Will, though Hannibal thought delight on his part might be just as wounding, but for different reasons.

So Hannibal made it a point to collect all the oddities Will gave him into an onyx box he purposely kept the lid off of. As respectful as Will was of his property, if Hannibal didn't do so Will would never know, the Omega not one to go poking around in other's people things. He probably thought riffling through a stranger's head was enough of a violation and in light of that, simply felt no need to peek into someone else's bathroom cabinet.

The little things Will gave him were heavily considered by both men. Will to determine value and worth, and Hannibal trying to decide what motivated Will to choose it for him.

They never talked about any of it, but Hannibal found the silence between them beautiful in its own way, like two dancers in the dark moving in tandem with one another.
oOo
Hannibal had no wish for his mate to be clingy, would hardly tolerate such behavior for long extended periods of time outside of the bedroom. Not that they occurred in the bedroom. Will was just as inaccessible there as he was anywhere else. Most of the time, Hannibal could practically feel the Omega waiting for him to fall asleep. Sometimes Will would join him in slumber, sometimes he wouldn't. Will hadn't been lying about his insomnia, the night terrors, or the sleep walking. It was slightly unsettling to sleep beside someone who screamed out in their sleep, and sweated until they drowned the bedding. Will would wake up, mumbling apologies as he stumbled off to the bathroom to towel off. Hannibal came to understand why the dresser had been stocked essentially with only nightwear. Will changed out his clothing frequently on a bad night to keep from becoming sick with chills.

The sleep walking proved to be insightful though, without Will realizing how much he was giving away. Waking brought up the forts, fortified to near impenetrability by a lifetime of hardship and practice. In wandering sleep though, Will's mind was left unguarded and beautifully vulnerable.

The first time it happened, Will didn't get too far, muscle memory still not used to the layout of Hannibal's house. The Omega running into a wall and try to keep going woke Hannibal up well enough to pad over on light feet to Will's side, the Alpha not bothering with the light. He could see well enough in the dark.

"Where are you going?" Hannibal murmured, gently taking Will by his elbow to guide him back to bed. Will offered up little resistance to the suggestion, though his sense of balance was off. Hannibal's other hand went to the small of Will's back to steady him, causing the unexpected to happen. Will leaned into the light touches, turning toward Hannibal to sway there in front of the Alpha with closed eyes and slightly pursed lips like Will was thinking about a kiss before giving up on the idea half way through the action.

When they did open, blue eyes were glassy and unfocused as they stared past Hannibal at something that lay beyond them both in a place only Will could see. "I was following….a stag I think….one with black feathers…." Will muttered out, his words slurred by sleep's weak hands upon him. It made no sense, but Hannibal hadn't expected it to. "I need to….it wants me to….."

"I think you need to get back into bed where it is safe." Hannibal told him, tugging again. Will seemed determined to chase after the beast that traversed through his mind, beckoning him to trail after it.

"I have to go…" Will sighed out, his movements jerky and uncoordinated at he pushed at Hannibal and out of his hold upon him. The combination of the late hour and his mate rejecting his touch yet again made Hannibal's nature flair up unbidden, the power he kept so carefully tucked in seeping out. Will reacted to all that was Alpha like he were struck from behind, his unguarded mind jump starting long ignored instincts as Will hit the floor on hands and knees, pressing himself low to the floor. It was a normal Omega's response in the presence of an angered Alpha. The gender's first instinct was to placate their mate whether they were the cause of the emotion or not.

Intrigued, Hannibal let more of his self flow out, Will pressing himself lower into the floorboards until his belly hit polished walnut. When he found he couldn't go any further, Will started to whimper, the noises almost too soft to be heard.

Almost but not enough, the cries like gongs going off in Hannibal's head. He didn't like it, the sound of it, the sour scent of fear that was ruining Will's sweeter odors, or the sight of his mate pressing himself to the floor like a frightened animal. This positions was meant for lesser beings, for prey, not his mate.

If Will were awake and in control of himself, he would be fierce, on guard, and snarling. As much as he wanted Will to submit to him, there was no honor, no point in this. Taking anything from Will now would be evil, the true kind of evil that Hannibal found appalling. He tortured, he maimed, he fed upon his victims, made them less than human, but for all his sins of which there were so many like raindrops in the ocean, he did have a moral code, though many would be hard pressed to recognize it for what it was. What he was doing now was in direct violation of it, Hannibal pulling back in his power so quickly it made his head go light for a moment.

Crouching down beside Will who still kept his positioning on the floor abate now curled up on his side in fetal position trembling, Hannibal began to lightly run his hand up and down Will's shaking form. "Shhh. It is alright, Will. I am not angry with you. I apologize for my actions. They were made in haste." Hannibal whispered, using gentle hands to unfurl Will to check on his status. He was met with glassy unfocused eyes, the Omega still in a state of sleep. Odds were in Hannibal's favor that Will would have no idea of what had occurred in the morning.

A nose pressed hesitantly to Hannibal's neck broke him out of his thinking to find Will leaning up in his arms, the Omega actively scenting his throat. A clumsy tongue met the skin of it, Will licking at the source of the scent that drove him forward. Inept hand made awkward by sleep tried to find purchase on his night clothing, Will following the line of Hannibal's jugular and then his jaw line upward with his tongue and lips. The Omega was reacting to his scent and the lingering instinct to please him to ensure self preservation.

Large hands found the sides of Will's face to cup them gently, pulling the Omega off. Instead of wasting time by arguing with someone incapable of understanding reason or logic, Hannibal scooped Will off of the floor with a practice gesture of one used to dealing with dead weight and human sized burdens. Plopping Will into bed, Hannibal went along with the movement so that he end up on top of the Omega, with one arm trapped between the mattress and Will's back.

Will's breath shuddered but not out of fear, his scent giving it all away. With his close proximity and so much of Hannibal laid out over him, it was only natural the Omega's poor body was reacting to all the stimulation, starved to the point of desperate need. Anticipation stealing his air, Will breathed out heavily through his mouth as his skin grew hot and the smell of star jasmine wafted up to make Hannibal's nose tingle. He already knew how sweet the Omega's slick would taste. Before Will could work himself into a fervor, Hannibal made the decision for them both.

"Go back to sleep, Will." Hannibal intoned, his power seeping in enough to make Will take notice and freeze beneath him. "Sleep, beloved." Hannibal found himself saying, the endearment coming naturally to him from out of nowhere. It was frightening in a way, leaving Hannibal confused as he took his own advice, following Will into slumber soon enough.

oOo
Their dynamics always seemed to be shifting and changing, not falling into extremes like Will would have thought. This was a balancing act between them, Hannibal countering and changing to accommodate Will, and Will doing the same to match Hannibal.

The Omega didn't realize to what extent until he came home to find Hannibal already there, but surprisingly the good doctor was not in his kitchen, the room looking very empty without him in it. Instead, he sat beside the fireplace in the study, a tumbler of cut crystal holding two fingers of fine single malt scotch in it. A decanter of scotch sat nearby on a small table. Sweeping his eyes over Hannibal, Will could ascertain that something wasn't quite right with him. If anything he seemed disheartened, at least for Hannibal. Anyone else would have thought he was merely having a moment of deep thought.

"What's wrong with you?" Will asked, not one to beat around the bush.

"I am having difficulties with a patient. I am seriously considering giving him a referral." Hannibal sighed, studying his scotch instead of looking over at Will.

"Does it bother you that you couldn't fix him." Will let his words get away from him and immediately regretted it as he watched Hannibal tighten his mask more firmly in places.

"No, it bothers me that I failed him." Hannibal sighed, suddenly looking tired and very much done as he rose from his seat, taking the decanter of scotch with him to put away.

"You don't seem the type to easily admit defeat." Will observed. He felt like he was picking on Hannibal. Usually there was a back and forth between them but not tonight. Hannibal looked drained, leeched gray around the edges.

"If you'll excuse me, I found that I am exceptionally tired. I believe that I will retire early this evening." Hannibal politely excused himself. The matter of Franklin irked him, but not deeply. Some creatures simply couldn't be saved or worthwhile enough to make the effort. One simply had to face facts and move on instead of wasting more time and energy. The universe and human stupidity were infinite things after all.

"I'm sorry it's not going well with your patient." Will tried to make some sort of amends. He wasn't good at comforting others. It was not part of his skill set. Recreate a brutal murder action for action, word for word? No problem. Give someone a shoulder to cry on or offer up some words of encouragement? Nope. He had all the sensitivity of a potato.

Scrubbing his hands over his face to make his scruff rasp, Will sighed into his palms, wondering about what he should do. He had no idea how to comfort a normal person, much less someone like Hannibal. While Will made forts, Hannibal raised walls, great lofty constructions no sane person would dare attempt to scale. Will reasoned it was a good thing that he had embraced insanity, or at least his version of it, a long time ago.

"It is none of your concern. Please don't worry yourself with my problems." Hannibal said softly as he retreated from the room with the empty glass in hand, leaving Will to mull over the exchange. Will watched him go, deciding where he could find the mental rope within himself that was long enough to scale such lofty heights.

Resolutions were made as Will found himself making his way to Hannibal's bedroom. No, Will mentally corrected himself, their bedroom. He was going to have to accept that fact at some point. As often as he slept in Wolf Trap, he spent the majority of his nights here. If he wasn't, Will wished he were, his lonely bed in the corner losing its appeal. Somewhere along the line, his beloved little house had somehow become a prison to him instead of a place of tranquility and escape. If it weren't for his dogs, he might consider never returning to it.

Showering off in one of the many other bathrooms because he wanted to give Hannibal some space and not because he was a coward, Will slipped into the bedroom. Clean and dressed for bed, he found Hannibal already in it, curled up on his side. He appeared to be asleep at first, but Will knew the difference. Hannibal was good at pretending but Will was equally as good at noticing minute details. Taking a deep breath, Will slipped in between the sheets, moving across the mattress until he was at Hannibal's back. He hesitated for a moment, before settling himself against the broad planes of its surface that were tapered long and more muscular than his suits let on. Hannibal tensed, signaling what Will already knew. That he was awake and waiting to see what Will was planning to do now that he had made the first move after the game had been called over and done for the day.

Wondering if touching was allowed in this kind of situation, Will reasoned that he was about to find out. His hands glided over heavy silk night clothing, dyed that ridiculous shade of maroon that only Hannibal seemed able to pull off, to finally settle on the curvature of hipbones and the dip between swells of flesh found there.

It seemed the safest spot for his hands to rest. Anymore over and his hands would be on Hannibal's belly which was sensitive zone. Most Alphas couldn't stand to have their stomachs touched, the soft vulnerable place guarded more out of embedded instinct than logic. If his hands strayed downward, that would create a whole different set of problems. Will didn't think he was ready to grope at Hannibal's penis or how either of them would react to that sort of mishandling.

When Hannibal didn't react, Will took that as a good sign or at least one to keep going. Cautiously, he sidled up against Hannibal, pressing himself to the warmth of the Alpha's skin as he held Hannibal tentatively with light hands and a quick heartbeat.

"As pleasant as this is, I don't need to be comforted. I am simply tired, not bothered by a heavy conscious." Hannibal broke the stifling silence between them first.

"So go to sleep." Will said, sounding more rough than he intended to as he stayed where he was, though he wanted to crawl out of his skin. Will knew if Hannibal didn't want him there, he would know it, but the Alpha was relaxing under his touch, his breathing evening out.

It shouldn't have felt as good as it did.

oOo

"Hello Will."

Pausing in the act of gathering his papers together, Will took in a deep breath before looking up at the FBI agent who darkened his classroom door like some ill spirit from his past. "Jack." Will nodded a greeting, putting on his glasses. A useless accessory for improving his eyesight considering that Will's vision was 20/20, but much needed by him to talk at his classroom. It was a flimsy barrier between reality and other people's secrets but a useful one. "Dare I ask what brings you all the way down here."

"I see your horse is hitched to a teaching post again." Jack said instead of explaining as he stalked slowly into the classroom. It was unsettling, Will watching the Alpha with a wary eye. He was being treated like prey. No, not prey, just a creature that was weaker or less, but not for mating. Jack definitely wanted something from him though, and knowing Jack as well as he did, Will knew Jack would move other people's Heavens and Hells to get it.

"My horse is more hobbled than hitched." Will said brusquely, shoving his papers into his bag, neatness be damned. He had to get out of here before one of them did something stupid, like Jack make some unreasonable demand upon him or even worse, Will accepting it like he always did because he was a sucker for emotional blackmail. "What do you want, Jack?" he sighed, more at himself than the Alpha. He was already making bad decisions. Will already knew what Jack wanted from him. He followed the news.

"I have eight dead girls. Eight girls from eight different Minnesota campuses abducted in the last eight months." and there it was. Jack never came to him empty handed as he slapped down a thick folder on top of Will's bag.

"I thought there were seven." Will heard himself say instead of grabbing his things and going home, the Omega staring down at the folder like it were going to attack him. It would in a way, the marks it felt behind unseen by the naked eye.

"There were." Jack, damn him, looked too pleased with himself for Will's own good. He knew that Will would be following the cases he would have been placed on.

"When did you tag the eighth?" Will asked, wishing he could sound less interesting, having the aloofness in his speech that Hannibal seemed to achieve effortlessly.

"About three minutes before I walked into your lecture hall." Jack said, standing too close to Will while still keeping the desk between them. It was a good tactic Will realized. Close enough to be physically imposing yet without making any physical contact as to not alert Hannibal to their meeting later on. It might have worked if Jack knew of Hannibal's abilities as well as Will did. It wouldn't surprise Will at all when he went home tonight if Hannibal asked him how Jack was doing.

Then Jack had to go and say something really stupid. "I need your help. I'd like you to get closer to this."

"You have Heimlich at Harvard and Bloom at Georgetown for that. They do the same thing I do." Will sighed, placing the folder aside so that he could grab his bag and make a run for it. This conversation needed to come to an end.

"But that's not really true, is it? You have a specific way of thinking that make you the best and that's what I need for this case." Jack growled, edging over to block Will as he tried to leave. He shoved the file into the Omega's bag like he was trying to brand some part of him

"Then I'm not the one who you should be talking to." Will snapped, flicking fingers at his collar. It was enough to make Jack pause and more than enough time for Will to escape, his bag feeling too heavy with the case file still in it.

oOo

"Doctor Lecter." was said like shots fired. Hannibal was unsurprised to see Jack Crawford, looking ready to go to war with tense shoulders and a set face. Franklin gaped that the FBI agent like a gutted fish, caught in the crossfire of the two Alphas. Betas were usually indifferent to the affects of Alphas and Omegas, but caught in-between two Alphas trying to dominate such a small space was having an effect.

"I hate to be discourteous, but this is a private exit for my patients." Hannibal stated, setting down the rules to the game between them by starting with boundaries.

"May I come in?" Jack's courtesy was on the edge of his teeth as he made his own move, the Alpha trying not to give into the anger building up in the back of his throat.

"You may wait in the waiting room." Hannibal offered though his stony tone of voice stating it was Jack only option. He added insult to injury by turning his attention back to Franklin, the slight being that he didn't consider the other Alpha worth his time.

"I'll see you next week, Franklyn." he dismissed the still stunned Beta before pausing in the doorframe to address Jack once again. "Unless of course this is about him." Hannibal taunted. They both knew it wasn't.

"Oh no. This is all about you." Jack's eyes narrowed as he tried to keep his words civil as he reminded himself that he was here to ask for a favor, not demand it. Jack realized that he must have failed because he was let for a long period of time in the waiting room, the space elegant and calming and in direct conflict to what he was feeling. Jack was tempted to ruin it but from what Alana had told him, Hannibal lived for courtesy and responded best to polite mannerisms. Jack had a bad feeling that the amount of 'pleases' he would have to say to get Will back would more equate to begging.

After an indeterminate amount of time, long enough to annoy but short enough to still be considered reasonable, the doorway opened, Hannibal filling the frame. "Please. Come in." was said politely, but with some ice encasing the words. Jack put on his professional smile in place though it felt flat to him.

Walking into Hannibal's office for the first time was an experience, Jack momentarily distracted by it. It look like something out of another era, exotic yet modern, graceful and delicate in detail while still retaining a very Alpha like quality about it. Despite himself, Jack was impressed, the Alpha looking around with interest.

"May I ask how this is all about me?" redirected Jack's attention back to the source, and yet possibly the solution, to all of his current problems.

"I think we both already know the answer to that." Jack sighed, wishing he was here under better circumstances, ones that were to his advantage. He could do with some much needed leverage right about now. "Alana Bloom speaks very highly of you. I believe you mentored her during her residency at John Hopkins?" He hoped the mention of a mutual acquaintance would relax the doctor and make him more approachable.

Hannibal let Jack believe that such a poor ploy to appeal to the better nature he didn't have was working. "I learned as much from her as she learned from me." he said with an easing tone, as if the mere mention of the lovely Beta was lightening his mood.

"She showed me your paper in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. It was called the Evolutionary Origin of Social Exclusion, I believe?" Jack was pandering, knew he was, but it was for a good cause.

"And?" Hannibal prompted. He wanted to see Jack beg, wanted to bring the other man low just because he could. It was a fitting punishment for anyone with designs on his Omega. Will was his, mind, body and soul, and Jack was going to learn that even if Hannibal had to carve it into other people's cold flesh to get the point across.

"Very interesting, even to a layman." Jack said, dipping his head toward Hannibal. It was an act of deference from the old days, the kind one Alpha gave to another while in their territory.

"A layman? So many learned fellows going about in the halls of Behavioral Science and you consider yourself a layman?" Hannibal arched a brow at the other man. Jack was laying it on thick.

"I do when I'm in your presence." Jack conceded, working up to his request. "I need your help. I think we both know why I am here."

"You have come about Will." Hannibal allowed the move to be made.

"Yes. I need him." Jack had the gall to say.

"How unfortunate. So do I." Hannibal said coolly, his fingers adjusting the pencil on his desk but lingered over the scalpel.

"Let me clarify. The FBI needs his services." Jack licked his lips, the flesh there feeling suddenly too dry. He had made a misstep and now Hannibal was back on the offensive or so he thought.

"And they have it. I have been more than generous by allowing Will to return to his teaching position there, educating next generation of agents." Hannibal pointed out. Jack's request went far beyond just socially unacceptable. His rare gender aside, Will was valuable enough on his own merits. If Hannibal wanted to, he could keep the Omega locked up in his house and chained to his bed, and no one could say a damn thing about it. Letting Will return to work in a classroom full of mostly Alphas went far above and beyond most thresholds and standards of generosity.

"I realize that, but I need Will out in the field." Jack explained as he raised his hands in mock surrender, attempting to placate even while he continued to press the issue.

"It has been brought to my attention by Alana that this is unhealthy for Will and I find myself agreeing with her assessment. With his gifts, Will is too vulnerable to the evil he sees there. He carries it with him for far longer than he should. The ghosts in his head outlast the corpses their killers leave behind." Hannibal mused, toying with the scalpel before leaving it in its proper place.

"What he does, the way he thinks….I need him to look. Unfortunately, Will does it better broken than anyone else I know unbroken." Jack admitted, even though he knew he wasn't helping his case. All he could do was try to appeal to the Alpha's humanity.

"Will is fragile, made brittle as a teacup from witnessing so much horror." Hannibal said, putting on his concerned yet thoughtful face, like he was considering the information and willing to be swayed by the right information. "I will not have him ruined by you or anyone else."

"People are dying…." Jack started to say much to Hannibal's disappointment. How utterly boring. Jack was going for the moral high ground, hoping that Hannibal would follow him up there.

"I understand your predicament." and didn't that make Hannibal almost smile. He knew the predicament at its most intimate base levels. "I might be willing to allow Will to return to this kind of work but he must do so while under my watchful eye."

"I can't allow a civilian at a crime scene, especially one this high profile." Jack argued feebly. He didn't mind Will being on a leash, but he wanted to be the one holding the end of it.

"A civilian no, but you could allow a consultant. I have more than enough credentials that would prove beneficial to your investigations." Hannibal countered.

"I have eight dead girls…" Jack tried to say but was cut short.

"And you will have many more the longer you consider my offer, which is perfectly reasonable." Hannibal said, his tone hinting that this conversation was coming to an end whether Jack wanted it to or not. "I could take the offer off the table entirely and contact your superiors instead. Complain to them about your inappropriate interest in my Omega."

Jack stiffened with rage, managing to breathing it out slowly through his nostrils. It reminded Hannibal of a bull getting ready to take the plunge toward the matador. "Then let me extend an invitation…"

oOo
Sleep was lovely. Will could definitely get used to more of it in his life. It seemed actually possible with Hannibal in the equation and in his bed, the Alpha's presence alone easing Will's night terrors and putting an end to his sleep walking.

Light barely made it though the heavy curtains, a few stray shafts stealing in like ill talented thieves who brought in richness of light instead of stealing from the room.

Blinking himself somewhat awake, Will's consciousness hung hazily between fogs that crept through his mind. Currently, he was the perfect sort of warm that was just that side of being too hot but still relaxing, spread out on his stomach with his face buried underneath a pillow. It was made all the better by his coverings, Hannibal layered in among the sheets on top of Will. The Alpha covered him bodily and Will couldn't bring himself to care, he was so comfortable. He knew it biological appealed to him on so many different levels.

Deep down, an Omega wanted to feel safe and guarded, especially in sleep when one was most vulnerable. A deep sense of calm could be achieved by an Omega when an Alpha laid out on top of them. As uncomfortable as it might make a Beta or as intolerable as an Alpha would find it, the weight bearing down on the Omega was appealing to the gender instead of stifling. Hannibal's head was on top of the pillow Will was under, with his arms curled around it like it were the Omega he kept scenting in his sleep.

The thought of getting up and moving was too much to take in at the moment so Will drifted in and out of sleep, letting himself enjoy the sensation of being surrounded by Hannibal. The Alpha didn't seem like he was going anyway fast either. Hannibal was under deep, completely all dead weight and relaxed muscle.

A cold nose snuffling at his neck awoke Will almost fully into consciousness, the Omega hazily taking a moment to realize it was not one of his dogs, the exploring tip too smooth and dry. He found in his moments of inattention that Hannibal had joined him under the pillow, finally finding the source of the odor he had been tracking in his dreams. From the feel of it, the Alpha was still asleep, his exploration meeting its end by burrowing his face into Will's neck so that his hot even breaths tickled the skin there.

Will wiggled a bit to adjust, successful in only waking Hannibal up. He knew the Alpha was conscious, Hannibal not experiencing the in-between period of awake and asleep like most other normal human beings. The Alpha was fully aware, up and running the second he opened his eyes like someone had flipped his 'on' switch. Will had found it disconcerting at first. Now he just thought it was annoying, the Omega feeling a touch jealous when he fumbled his way through mornings, not even really cognizant until he had his first cup of coffee. It didn't help matters to find Hannibal showered, shaved, fully dressed in a suit, and putting the finishing touches on a breakfast found exclusively in most five star restaurants when in the same amount of time, Will had just barely managed to take a piss and pull on some clean pants.

Will huffed out air at the thought, the action making Hannibal begin to move off of him, misunderstanding the noise for discomfiture. The panic that filled Will had a prickly feeling to it, one that made his skin itch and turn cold. He found he didn't want their morning to start out like this, confused and difficult. There would be time for that later, if at all. Right now, all Will wanted was to feel warm and safe and not think about anything more beyond that. He reached over his shoulder, his fingers brushing against Hannibal's shoulder.

"Stay?" Will murmured. He couldn't make Hannibal if he didn't want to. Hannibal sighed in answer, but Will realized it must have been from surprise or relief because Hannibal was back in place, formally taunt muscles melting against Will's body, encompassing him once again in body heat and heady scent.

It felt more than merely good. It felt right.
oOo

TBC