It was dead of night once more. Will woke up in a cold sweat, his breath quickening as his eyes began to adapt to the darkness. He was having nightmares recently, but they were different than other times. They had stopped last year for the whole year. Now, all of a sudden they started up again. Will imagined the cause was because of Abigail's absence, but he texted her almost every night. Besides, Hannibal's company made Abigail's absence go almost unnoticed.

Will got off of his bed, noticing the time being two thirty in the morning. He had woken up at that time before and wouldn't resume sleep because he was not tired. But this was different Will Graham was actually tired, however scared of closing his eyes and reliving the dream. He took out a dry towel and placed it where he was sleeping. He took off his soaked shirt and threw it towards the clothes hamper. Will laid in bed, hoping that the fear would subside.

However, it never did. The feeling at the pit of his stomach made him want to throw up and tear his hair out. Will grabbed his phone from where it was charging and looked through is contacts. He knew it was late and that no one would probably pick up, but he had to call someone. His fingers thought faster than he did and pressed Hannibal's name before he could stop himself. Honestly, he wanted to hear Hannibal's profound voice; it soothed him. Hannibal picked up the phone a bit groggily; Will felt a bit embarrassed for waking him up.

"Will? Are you alright?" Hannibal asked.

"I-I had a nightmare… I just needed someone to talk to…" Will explained. Hannibal placed his head back on his pillow, figuring he probably didn't have to go to Will's house.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Hannibal asked. Will bit his lip, not knowing if he did want to talk about it or he just wanted to hear Hannibal's voice.

"It was…" Will closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as if trying to calm himself, "I was… at the cornfield maze you took me on our first date… and this man was chasing after me… I tried to run, but kept on finding dead ends… when he finally reached me… he pulled my limbs…" The fear Will vividly felt was still there, "I kept on yelling at him, telling him to stop… when he finally tore off the last one…" Will sighed once more, "It was like my body was transported into his and I was tearing off his limbs… and I was enjoying it." Hannibal was not sure how to take the nightmare. Will wanted to work for the FBI and would obviously be exposed to this kind of thing. Most people would shrug off the nightmare and say that it was creepy or weird. But the nightmare for Will was not the actual dream, but of an inevitable ending.

"Will," Hannibal said over the phone, trying to see if he could calm him down, "Are you lying down?"

"Yes."

"Close your eyes and listen to me." Hannibal said. Will took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he closed his eyes slowly; his body relaxing, except for his right hand that was holding his cell phone, "What you dreamt will never happen because I was there with you." Will breathed out, "I won't let it happen to you, Will."

"But… I'm afraid… not of the actual murder, but I was killing someone and I was enjoying it." Will muttered.

"I know." Hannibal said, "I will stop you if you ever did do something like this, but I believe that you would not. Trust me, Will."

Will didn't know how to trust him. Sure, he was his professor for a whole year, but that didn't mean that Hannibal knew Will enough so that the phrase, trust me, to actually mean something. He was sure that Hannibal meant that he would help Will with his problem if it ever got out of hand. Maybe lock him up at a psychiatric ward of some sort. Will would feel a lot more secure in a room locked up than being outside and trying to commit a murder. He was studying on how to stop them, but that was turning into a straight course on how to become one.

"Will, if you were really a threat to anyone then you would not have spoken to me about it." Hannibal mentioned, "I believe that anyone might have the capabilities to kill and you, Will, have the same possibilities as everyone else." That was a lot more reassuring for Will than what Hannibal had said before. Will nodded even though he knew Hannibal could obviously not see his agreement.

"Can I talk to you for a bit more?" Will asked, "Your voice is really soothing."

"Well, I worked as a psychiatrist before assuming the post of teaching." Hannibal stated, "A soothing voice would be part of the job description."

"I'm sorry if I'm dragging you back to a position you did not like before." Will said.

"It's not that I did not enjoy it." Hannibal responded, "I decided to take some time off, after the incident that happened."

Will had almost forgotten about the self defense act that Hannibal had done. He had gone to prison for it. Will recalled what he had said earlier that anyone is capable of killing. Self defense is a big reason on why someone would kill, but Will was afraid that if he started like that he wouldn't stop. They decided to change the topic and Hannibal spoke to Will about his studies in France; sure that, he said every word with the accent that Will liked so much. After about an hour of talking, Will began to feel a bit drowsy.

"I think I should go to bed now…" Will mumbled.

"Good night, Will." Hannibal scoffed; he could clearly hear Will's drowsiness. He was relieved that Will was able to resume sleeping, even if it cost some of his own time.

"Good night, Hannibal…" Will whispered, "Thank you for everything."

They both hung up the phone. Will settled back into bed and fell asleep, thinking about going out with Hannibal to Paris. He hoped he would dream something similar to that. Just to make the nightmares stop. Hannibal laid in bed for a minute, starring up at the ceiling. His phone gripped in his hand, he thought about what to do with Will. He was proving to be much more than just an interest now.

Will sauntered inside of the grocery store looking for things to make for the recipe he had found. He told Hannibal that this time; he would be making the dinner. Hannibal thought it was a joke at first, but when he heard the determination in Will's voice he knew he wasn't joking. Will was not the best cook, but when it came to anything that was seafood, he knew how to do. He was raised in a lake town and his father was a fishing fanatic. At least once a month his father would whip up a good fish based plate; Will's favorite day of the month.

Will had the fish, but he needed a few other things to complete the dish. He touched the peaches on the fruit stands to check if they weren't too soft. He was careful about picking the best ingredients he could find. Hannibal always made sure his ingredients were the best. Will wanted to return the favor

"Will?" Will turned to see a curly haired redhead. She was in his psychology class; however he wasn't sure of her name. He did know that she was the second highest grade in the class, "Will Graham? Hi, I'm Freddie Lounds! I'm in your psychology class."

"Oh…" Will did not want to socialize with this classmate, Freddie Lounds, he knew that was the name of a very famous blogger at school. She wrote blogs about the students or scandals in the university. Will looked away and continued on picking the peaches, "I can't talk a lot. I'm in a hurry."

"Oh, I won't take too much of your time." Freddie stopped Will. She wanted him to make eye contact, "I was just wondering how you did on the research paper that Dr. Lecter assigned?"

"I did decent." Will responded. Freddie quirked a curious eyebrow.

"Really?" Will had begun walking, but Freddie stopped him with a firm hand on him, "Well, since you're doing a lot better than I am in the class, why don't you help me study?" Will felt disgusted with her tactics; he knew that with her looks she must have used the same tactic with a lot of other students, maybe even teachers.

"I don't do studying with other people." Will responded, trying to make himself look busy.

"Well, if you change your mind." She wrote on his hand, "Give me a call."

She winked and scurried off. Will almost cursed at her, but withheld. He realized he had wasted some time and as quickly as he could and picked the rest of the vegetables. When he paid for them, he noticed Freddie getting in the same line as him. Fortunately, she was three people behind him and Will was already paying. Luck was on his side, since the bus had just pulled into the stop. He was getting his car soon, so he would no longer need the bus. When he arrived home, he was relieved that he was just in time to prepare the food.

Once he was in the house and had fed his dogs, he took out the halibut and prepared it. He was sure to add his favorite flavor to the fish. When the fish was done he took his dogs back outside as usual. His pets had grown accustom to being moved outside; they knew Hannibal was visiting. The only one who did not understand was Winston, but not because the dog was slow. He wanted to stay by Will's side a little longer. Will took them outside and gave Winston a treat for staying outside.

When the sauce was done, he went to his room to change into better attire. He remembered that he should go shopping for a better looking wardrobe. He wore a dark green shirt that had buttons on the neck area and some jeans. He went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He brushed his hair, but this time pushed his bangs back a little. Will wanted to look better than normal. It was a dinner he was hosting after all. He heard a knock on the door and felt his heart jump. Hannibal had arrived.

Will almost skipped to the door to open it. When he did, he found a clad Hannibal. He wore a v-neck sweater, exposing his neck which Will noted, and some slacks. This time his bangs were on his face a bit. Not that Will took too much note of it. He liked that look too. Hannibal smirked and took a step inside of the house. Will shut the door and when he turned Hannibal kissed his awaiting lips. They pulled away and both smiled at each other.

"I'm excited to taste the dish you have prepared for me, Will." Hannibal said.

"I'm excited for you to taste it." Will lead Hannibal into the kitchen where the fish was still hot and the sauce freshly made. Hannibal could smell all the distinctive flavors the dish would have. The aroma reminded him of a lake house, a kind of sea and earthy smell to it.

"It's my turn to serve you." Will said.

"Yes, it is." Hannibal took his regular seat at his dining room table. Will began to serve the fish along with the little salad he prepared the night before. He placed the peach sauce on the two plates and made his way to the table. Before he could sit down he took out two wine cups and the wine bottle.

"I'm no expert in wine, so I hope this fits the dish we're eating." Will shrugged taking his seat.

"Don't worry, Will. It's a rarity to have extended knowledge about wine tasting in these parts." Hannibal said.

Hannibal poured the wine in both of their cups. Will thanked him and waited excited to hear Hannibal's criticism. Hannibal cut off a piece of the halibut and dipped it in the sauce. He could taste the saltiness of the fish and the sweetness of the peach sauce equal itself out. It was a mediocre dish that Hannibal could have made it a thousand times better, but for his Will; it was an amazing dish.

"It's delicious." Hannibal said. Will felt a weight lift off of his chest and he smiled.

"I'm glad." Will said, "I had a hard time picking the dish, but I thought that it would be appropriate since peaches are in season."

"And of course, you're a fishing enthusiast, you must enjoy seafood a lot." Hannibal added. Will nodded eating a bit of the fish he had prepared.

"I ran into Freddie Lounds in the grocery store." Will said, "She's in your psychology class with me."

"Ah yes, Miss Lounds is your competitor." Hannibal smirked, "Trying to beat you in the class."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"Countless times." Hannibal sighed, "Often to discuss her grade in the class and how my grading system is tyrannical."

"Well, she's not wrong." Will mumbled, "You and Crawford have the strictest grading system." Hannibal chuckled and leaned towards Will a bit.

"It's not strict if you don't over think things. You learned that recently, didn't you?" Hannibal smirked. Will rolled his eyes, knowing that that was the trick about his class. The devil is in the details.

"Well, she came and asked me to help her study." Will stated. Hannibal chuckled and took another bite out of his dish.

"She came to my office once and asked for me to help her, as he professor I had to and when I was helping her she asked me out on a date. Obviously, I declined because I knew she wanted to get some kind of scandal on her explained. Will felt a bit of anger bubbling inside of him, when he heard that Freddie Lounds made a move on Hannibal; not that he could have stopped it, but the anger was still there, "She even planted a couple of recorders in my office. She was trying to get some sort of gossip about me entering relationship with students. Did you say no?"

"Of course I said no!" Will responded, "Besides, she's not completely off about the relationship part." Hannibal gave him a playful glare with the comment. He took another bite from the fish.

"She's the only one that's a worthy competitor to you, academically speaking." Hannibal said.

"Better tutor me a lot more, Dr. Lecter." Will scoffed. Hannibal smirked and they ate in silence for a while. Will got up from the table to take his medication quickly. His embarrassment of it still vivid.

"You don't have to hide to do that Will." Hannibal said. Will came back done with what he had to do, "I don't find it strange."

"I know… it's just…" Will scoffed, "My own nerves."

"Well, you can settle them." Hannibal said, "I don't mind at all."

Will smiled tenderly as he finished his dish. He was pretty lucky for Hannibal to return the feelings he expressed. Hannibal was lucky to have Will care for him as well. They finish dinner and Hannibal helps Will clean up. Will felt a bit embarrassed, however Hannibal insisted; the two still were a bit awkward over each other. Hannibal left Will's home promptly after cleaning. Will kissed him goodbye, hoping to see him soon.

Will wore his Sunday best. Well, it wasn't necessarily Sunday best, but at least he wasn't wearing any plaid. He wore a white collared shirt which, he wore only on special occasions, with a black blazer over it. He was wearing jeans that hugged his arse and legs kindly. This time he brushed his hair back, so that he was exposing most of his face. He did not shave because he did not want to appear younger than what he was. Hannibal had commented on it before and it did not leave Will's mind.

He took his glasses and placed them on his face. Now all he had to do was to wait for Hannibal to pick him up. He had his car in the driveway, however Hannibal insisted on taking him to his home. Will's phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly took it out, hoping it wasn't Hannibal cancelling the whole thing. It was his sponsor, Alana.

"Hello Will." She greeted.

"Hi Alana." Will said, "Oh, Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Will." Alana smiled, "Are you going to the diner?"

"Uh… no… I got an invitation to have dinner with someone this year." Will scoffed.

"What…?" Alana stood silent for a second, "Tha-that's great, Will! I'm glad! Who invited you?"

"Um…" There was a knock at the door, "I'll tell you some other time, I have to go."

"Oh, yeah! Happy Thanksgiving, have a nice time tonight, Will!" Alana hung up the phone.

Will took a deep breath and straightened his blazer. Hannibal stood there he wore a coat, which hid most of his outfit, however Will could see the black from his collared shirt as well as his pants. Hannibal smiled and kissed Will's cheek.

"You look lovely." Hannibal whispered, before moving his kiss to Will's lips. Will blushed and kissed Hannibal back.

"You too." He tried.

Hannibal scoffed and took Will's hand. They both walked to Hannibal's car. Will no longer afraid of getting any dog hair or dirt on his Bentley sat very confident of himself. In his mind he didn't look quiet as extravagant as Hannibal, but he knew that he looked better than usual. Hannibal stepped into his seat; he brushed his fingers through his hair. Will never noticed that it was a bit messy and wet. Had he just gotten out of the shower?

Will was amazed over Hannibal's home. It was huge. A lot bigger than Will's home and a lot more well-kept. It was a large white-painted house, with a long driveway that had plants alongside. If the outside was so grand, Will could hardly imagine the inside. Hannibal parked the car and admired Will's expression. Will turned to Hannibal with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Sh-should I-?" Hannibal kissed Will, stopping him completely from talking. Hannibal managed to place a hand in the back of Will's neck and pull him into a deeper kiss. Will pulled away, "Wh-what was that for…?"

"Nothing." Hannibal smiled, "Glad to have you over for dinner, is all."

Will blushed and watched Hannibal get out of the car. Will unbuckled his seatbelt and when he turned, Hannibal had his door opened like every other time. Will scoffed and got out of the car with a little grin on his face.

"I'm perfectly capable to open the door for myself." Will smiled, locking arms with Hannibal.

"I never said you weren't." Hannibal said, "Opening the door is a habit of mine."

Hannibal opened the door to his home. Will could feel the warmth from inside the house hit him. Hannibal took off his coat and Will noticed how underdressed Hannibal was. He only wore black slacks and a black collared shirt. Will felt he might have overdressed. However, his mind slowly began to focus on how Hannibal's arms were a lot more firm looking in just a collared shirt and not hidden away in a blazer.

"This way Will." Hannibal pulled Will to the dining room.

Hannibal's home was more than impressive than Will's dinky house. He had everything so well kept and tidy. Will wondered how Hannibal went about cleaning, but he was sure that he had someone come do it for him. Someone with such a grand house and luxuries like Hannibal did not need to clean anything. However, Hannibal hated having people come to his home and stay without his presence. It was an invasion of privacy to have someone snooping around. Hannibal knew they might find something, that they did not want to find.

"Wow…" There was a bit more food than usual, but Will could tell that Hannibal presented this with extra care, "This looks amazing, Hannibal."

"That's just the sight of it." Hannibal pulled a chair out for Will, "I didn't want to make too much. I hate it when food goes to waste."

"Right." Will nodded, "It smells delicious."

"I picked the best ingredients for this dinner and prepared it with extra care." Hannibal explained, helping Will serve himself; although Will wasn't doing much to serve. He loved watching his professor cook and prepare plates.

As they ate, Will asked about his home. Hannibal loved to see Will doing better in engaging in conversation. He was obviously a lot more comfortable with the idea of them being together. Will laughed and chuckled at the things Hannibal said. Hannibal laughed with him; the joy that was on Will's face was indescribable.

Will was just happy that things were lifting for him. After about a year of being alone, he finally found someone he was comfortable with. Will didn't know when he became that comfortable with his professor or how such an awkward first date shaped to become a Thanksgiving dinner. Besides, Will was alone for many Thanksgivings or he had a TV dinner he forgot what it was like to have a dinner like the one Hannibal prepared.

The two cleaned the table. Hannibal protested against it, but Will said that it was the least he could do after the dinner that he prepared. Hannibal washed the dishes as Will dried them. Will talked about his high school years with Hannibal. A very sensitive topic in Will's mind; the countless times he was teased, the episode he had once, and the video on YouTube. After they finished, Hannibal embraced Will. The two kissed like they did once on the couch.

Hannibal pushed Will against the counter of the kitchen. Will ran his hands through Hannibal's hair as Hannibal had his hands placed carefully on Will's hips. The two resisted the urge to grind against each other and tried so very hard not to pop a boner. Will fought against Hannibal's dominant tongue, the two fighting for a place. Will sucked on Hannibal's upper lip, giving a bit of a playful bite. Hannibal noted that Will seemed a little more confident with kissing. He hoped it wasn't the wine. Hannibal pulled away; not wanting to dishevel Will's perfectly kept hair, so he placed his hand on Will's cheek.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise outside. Will recognized it to be a thunder bolt. Hannibal could see the panic in Will's eyes and wondered if he was afraid of thunder. Will resumed his vision on Hannibal. He pecked at his lips quickly.

"I have to go back home." Will said.

"Why don't you stay? I have a guest room empty. You can go back home tomorrow morning." Hannibal didn't think about what he was saying. It just slipped out of his mouth. He was lost in Will's beautiful eyes to notice the mistake he committed.

"No… W-Winston is afraid of thunder…" Will explained, although, deep down he did want to stay with Hannibal.

"I'm sorry, I should-!"

"No it's fine. Can you take me home?" Will asked, kissing at Hannibal's lips once more.

Hannibal nodded and kissed Will's hand. Hannibal prepared some food for Will to take back home as Will got his coat. When they went outside there was heavy rain, however Hannibal did not let any drop of water get on his precious Will. They rode back in silence. Hannibal began to beat himself up for the mistake he committed. He scared off Will.

"Thank you for everything Hannibal." Will kissed Hannibal's lips, "It was amazing."

"You're welcome." Hannibal said, "I'll walk you to the porch." Will accepted it, not wanting to leave Hannibal's side. He was growing attached to the man, but it was nice to have that dependency on another person. Will embraced Hannibal and clashed his lips on his professor's. They pulled away, leaving reassurance with each other. Hannibal had not screwed up. Will was genuinely worried about his dogs.

"I'll call you tomorrow?" Will asked it as a question just to not seem too dependent on Hannibal.

"I'm going into town tomorrow; I'm going to go pick some things up…" Hannibal had his fingers wrapped around Will's fingers, "Would you like to accompany me?" Will smiled and nodded.

"If it's not too much trouble." Will whispered. Hannibal smirked and kissed Will's lips for the last time of the night.

Will stood in the aisle of the bookstore looking through the titles. Hannibal was up on a ladder trying to find a book for himself. The drive wasn't long as Will had expected but it must have been because he had fallen asleep in Hannibal's car. The car along the pavement was so smooth that it lulled him to sleep. Hannibal did not mind it. Will slept late because of the thunder thrashing all night and Winston thrashing everywhere.

"I'm going to the next shelf." Hannibal whispered into Will's ear making him jump a little. Will nodded.

"I'll be waiting here."

Hannibal kissed Will's temple and left to the shelf. Will sat on the floor, the book in his hand unmoved.

"I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. My closest is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them."

Will sighed reading the passage. He knew that feeling of wanting to leave a place. The endless bullying he went through in high school and the isolation he put himself after high school and in college. Abigail helped him a lot with whole social outcast thing. Bright, involved in everything, Abigail; it was nice having a friend that was involved in everything in school.

"I make it through the first two weeks of school without a nuclear meltdown."

Will was enjoying the book. He connected a lot with it. The phrases, the way the girl was speaking. Obviously, it wasn't under the same circumstances, but there were so many emotions being shared between Will and the narrator. Will knew the feeling of coming home with the relief of not having an episode that day, but always with the fear of having one on another day.

"Shut your trap, button your lip, can it. All that crap you hear on TV about communication and expressing feelings is a lie."

It almost made Will shiver; the similarity between the text on the actual voice of his father in his head. Will forgot how many times his father did not care much for Will. When Will cried or when he was going through the bullying in school, this was the answer. "Man up." Thankfully he didn't have daddy issues. Will didn't hate his father; he was grateful that his father did not kick him out or try to stop him when he was going into college. He put food on the table (it wasn't good food, but it was food). He picked Will up from the library when the weather was tough. He occasionally congratulated Will on his progress in school. But that was it. No love, no warmth.

Hannibal found Will sitting in the same place. He smiled when he noticed how far along in the book he was. Hannibal had read it before. A very good story, not one he'd recommend, but it was good. He stepped over to Will, who was startled again. Hannibal chuckled and petted Will's head. Will glanced at the clock, he had spent about an hour on the floor.

"Have we been in here that long?" Will asked.

"About an hour and a half, I took care of all of my errands." Hannibal said, "Did you find this book interesting?"

"Y-yes, but I have others I have to read for class." Will put the book back, as Hannibal helped him off of the floor, "Where did you go?"

"I went to take care of some issues about my meat deliveries." Hannibal smiled. Will nodded then quirked an eyebrow.

"So, this is your secret you come into the city for the fresh meat?" Will chuckled.

"Only when I make dinner for you." Hannibal teased, which made Will blush slightly.

Will walked towards the porch of his house with Hannibal. His dogs rushed towards the door to greet Will. He turned back to Hannibal his back at the door. Hannibal took a couple of steps forwards a bit closer to Will, but not close enough to freak him out. Will smiled and kissed Hannibal's lips quickly. It was a shy kiss, a quick shy peck on the lips. Hannibal smirked and kissed Will's forehead.

"I'll see you in class Mr. Graham." Hannibal said as he began to walk towards his car. A shiver went down Will's spine as he heard Hannibal's voice ring through his ears.

"Goodbye, Hannibal." Will responded.

Will entered his house with a sigh. His dogs jumping up and down for attention; Will noticed the empty food bowls and water bowls so he took them outside so they can play. Will went back into the house and turned on the television. Just so he could hear the news. He walked into his kitchen and began to think about what to prepare for dinner. He heard the television reporter talk about how the US economy was doing and how this 90 year old woman was running marathons or something of the sort.

Will hummed when he thought of the day. His heart still wouldn't settle from the kiss he shared with Hannibal. Things were finally going his way. It was about time. Hannibal lifted a lot of pressure off of Will. Will checked the time and realized he missed the time for his medicine. He bolted to his room for the medicine and took it quick. It was the first time that ever happened, not even when he was with Abigail or studying did he forget to take his medicine. Will thought if it was because of Hannibal, but went back to cooking thinking of why he had forgotten.

"A man in his late thirties was reported missing today…" Will turned his attention to the television. The man who was abducted was recent, in the same city Hannibal and he were in. He didn't notice the man there, but it was close to where the bookstore was. Will shrugged, realizing that the police made a big leap by reporting him missing, since it had taken place on the same day. Will thought to himself, 24 hours and he's dead.

Sorry for the delay and the really long chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! I will hopefully post the new chapter soon! Thanks for reading!