What do you think you're doing? You fool...

Almost a week had passed trying to convince himself that he'd never see the professor again and against his better judgment he had decided that he wanted to talk to him one more time. He didn't knew why, he still felt as confused as the night he had met. What reason did he have to want to see him once again? Will wasn't the first person to visit him in his dreams that way and he probably wouldn't be the last. The idea of stalking those people had never crossed his mind, dreams are dreams. So, why was he there? Waiting outside his workplace, having no idea of how to proceed if he actually met Will there. Such a juvenile idea and a complete waste of time.

He didn't have anything else to do that afternoon, but any other thing would be more fructiferous than mimicing the behavior of a young infatuated girl.

- "Doctor Lecter?" The dulcet tone of the professor's voice froze the older man for a second. Trying not to look eager, Hannibal simply glanced at him over his shoulder.

- "Will? What a surprise to see you." Acting. Said an ironic voice in his head.

- "Here is where I work."

- "Hm." Pursing his lips he pretended to look around the place. "Right, I remember you mentioned it... I just decided to take a walk." Perfect. Giving explanations that no one asked for was a clear indication of the truth. With his understanding of human nature he could've done a lot better, but it was crystal clear that this day he wasn't himself.

By the look Will gave him he was sure that he was about to say a complimentary sentence such as 'Enjoy your walk' or 'Have a nice day' and go away, but he didn't.

- "I have some free time until my next class begins and it's lunchtime... We could get something to eat and chat if you have nothing else to do." He suggested with a swift shrug. Just a casual prompt that took Hannibal aback though he did not intend to reject such offer.

- "Sounds good."

It was the professor who chose the place, a rather dingy family restaurant in Hannibal's opinion. By the way the waitress greeted Will it seemed that he went there quite often, after all it was close to the campus.

Will asked for a simply meal, nothing too special that required waiting for it until it was done. On the other hand, Hannibal ordered just a coffee, not because he wasn't hungry but he didn't like the appearence of that place. He'd have definitely chosen a finer restaurant.

The same way it did the night they met, the conversation was pleasant and smooth, both appeared to be comfortable with each other's presence and that was all Hannibal could've asked for. His aimless crossing of the day had been successful in the other, the only thing that upset him a little bit was the feeling that Will was being restrained with him and unknowingly he wanted Will to be as open and affable as he felt with him.

- "Hannibal." He blurted out in the middle of the conversation when Will when referred to him as Doctor Lecter for the tenth time. It wasn't something that annoyed him, on the contrary, he was more comfortable when people addressed him that way but with this man everything seemed to be different, unfortunately. "No need for formalities."

- "Alright." Will replied with a hint of a smile on his face. "People with doctorates often seem to enjoy reminding people about their academic degree."

- "I'm not like that."

- "I'm glad, Hannibal." Maybe it was silly and sappy, perhaps it didn't have any importance, but hearing Will saying his name had made him happy.

There was a pause, Will took another bite of his lunch and Hannibal's coffee remained untouched. His mouth opened without previous thinking.

- "So... Do you live alone?"

- "Pardon?"

It wasn't the kind of question you ask in such circumstances, but his curiosity about the personal life of the professor had won against his most sensible side.

- "Never mind, I didn't mean to be prying. I'm sorry."

- "Well... I live with my dogs. Seven dogs."

- "Seven dogs? I can't even see myself with one pet." - "You never had any pets?" The alluled shook his head slowy. "Don't you like animals?"

- "Yes, I like them. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to take on the responsibility of caring for the life of another being." He replied in a semi-jokingly tone, though his next words were sincere. "Unlike you, I'm pretty sure you are very good at it."

- "I try... But sometimes I feel I'm better at taking care of them than taking care of myself."

- "And why is that?"

For a second he considered replying to his question, but when he noticed that Hannibal was looking at him directly at his eyes, Will had to avert his gaze.

- "I'm sorry, I have to go now." He said, almost stumbling on words as he pulled his wallet to pay for his coffee. "My class will start in a couple of minutes."

Smitten, Hannibal glanced at his wristwatch. Perhaps this time he had pushed too hard.

For the rest of the workday he felt uncomfortable without being able to signalize the reason. During class he stumbled with words and he felt more uneasy than usual with those eyes that were fixed on him.

It was just a simple question, he said to himself, an innocent question and I ran away from it like an idiot. Leaving that corrosive feeling of stupidity aside, he also felt guilty for such action, walking out on Hannibal like that had been offhand since he hadn't meant any harm to him in their talk.

When the class was over and the room was empty, Will lingered there for a couple of minutes to think in the serenity of solitude. Should he apologize? Perhaps the other man hadn't even noticed that he left to avoid responding, maybe he had believed his excuse and saying sorry would be in vain not to mention detrimental.

I'm overthinking. And why should I care? We barely know each other. And yet, deep inside he had the feeling that this man knew him better than others, in these two encounters they had had, he spoke about himself more than with other people. Truth be told, he had talked more than with others in general since he wasn't I used to hold nor interested in having long conversations.

Will enjoyed Hannibal's company and he couldn't deny it but it wasn't something he would say outloud.

He was surprised when the class ended, he felt that the whole time he had been absent and wondered if his students had noticed his languishment. Perhaps it wasn't actually something new.

Nothing would be better than carrying on like any other day, why should it be any different? He would continue with his routinary life. Go home, relax, read a little, spend time with the dogs, have a nice drink, nothing special nothing peculiar.

But when he left, his plans suddenly changed.

- "Taking another walk?" Will said facetiously to the man that was waiting for him outside the building.

Lunch with Hannibal became a habit, a surprisingly pleasurable one. He could say goodbye to those lonely breaks at the restaurant he always visited with a smile on his face. As much as he enjoyed solitude from time to time, having found someone congenial was new and pleasing to him. Yet, it still felt strange to him, changes were never easy to assimilate in his case.

At first it was just an hour a day, the psychiatrist would show up at the exact time Will left the campus to eat and they would go together, but as time went by confidence grew between them as much as the time they spent together increased. Like the first time they shared lunch Hannibal was waiting for him to finish his class so they could hang out a little more.

The few times Hannibal was a little late in the afternoon Will felt disquiet. He knew he would come, otherwise he would have given him a call to let him know that he didn't have to wait. Not showing up without previous notification would be rude. Although they had never agreed to such thing out loud, it'd become a silent pact between them.

- "I probably look like a dog." He said to no one as he waited one more time.

This sort of friendship was new to him. Any little thing that could, somehow, be related to Hannibal brought the thought of him swiftly to Will's mind. Of course there were things that remind him of his other friends, but if didn't felt the same.

- "Or maybe I'm a fox." What was that thing the fox said to The Little Prince when they met? If you want a friend, tame me...

- "I'm sorry I'm late." That voice put Will's thoughts aside, perhaps for the best.

- "Don't worry." It wasn't as if he had been waiting for years, it probably had been less than half an hour.

- "I passed in front of the theater and saw that they will perform The Duchess of Malfi this Saturday night, I thought you might be interested so I bought tickets for us."

- "Saturday? I'm really sorry, I'm busy that day. But let me pay you for the ticket."

- "No need." He said as he lowered his head slightly. "It's alright. I should have asked before if you had a prior commitment."

- "I'm sure you have another person to go to the theater anyway... But," Will shrugged "to make up for it, we can go to my house today, have a drink."

- "A drink sounds much better, actually."

Will's house appeared to be far away from everything. Appropriate for his reclusive personality. Some could think it was rare to be that elusive, but if he didn't bothered to show an ordinary facade he wouldn't mind to live in such place. Maybe somewhere a little more daintly than the farmlands. It seemed peaceful but who knew, after some time he could get bored of that.

A little house in the middle of nowhere. Hannibal thought that the view of Will's farmhouse resembled a painting.

- "Time to meet the family." Will announced jestingly as he opened the door.

Even though Hannibal already new about his pack, he took a step back in surprise when he saw all those dogs inside the house jumping around them, thrilled to see their master and fascinated with the new visitor.

Once the boys calmed down a little, Will introduced them to Hannibal. Each dog happily waved their tale when they heard his owner calling his name, a chirpy cozy picture. Animals were a great company and even though he chose not to have any pet at home Hannibal liked them and he was glad to have the opportunity to pet those dogs. For some reason cuddling fluffy animals was soothing, not even him was able to deny such thing.

When Will banished to get the drinks Hannibal took the chance to inspect the house. It was the exact opposite to his own home. There was something about that place, leaving its ostensible messiness, that could make anyone feel welcome.

A drink soon became more than one and the talk lost the seriousness and intellectuality they use to have in previous meetings. However, both enjoyed it anyway. They had shared laughs before, but not like that. Drunk or not it was a sincere divertissement. The loss of inhibitions made space for the honesty that had been previously protected.

The dogs were lying around both men, looking at them curiously and tilting his head from time to time since they were intrigued by their owner's behaviour, it wasn't something they were used to see.

- "I feel your family is judging us, Will." Said Hannibal jokingly as he patted the closest dog softly.

- "Perhaps." He chuckled. "But we aren't doing anything bad, are we?"

People often say that time passes faster when you're having fun, that speed hikes up much more when you drink like both of them did.

- "And there's one of them is obsessed with Michael Jackson... and with me."

- "I thought you weren't supposed to talk about patients."

- "True, but there are loopholes. You don't know who I'm talking about, it's just a person, an unnamed person, an unknown identity."

Letting out another laugh, Will glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and surprised, he rubbed tha back of his head in an apologetic way.

- "Woah, I'm so sorry I withheld you this long, it's really late." He announced as he clumsily stood up to put the alcohol and the glasses away.

- "No one is going to plead that I'm a missing person until twenty-four hours pass." And only his patients would noticed, most likely.

- "It's been a lot anyway."

- "In that case... I guess I should go home."

- "I'm not sure if you should."

- "Why?" He asked as he tilted his head curiously like the dogs did. "I don't think I'm that drunk." Will laughed one more time, but he insisted that he should stay with him. "Are you worried about me?"

- "Well... yeah."

At that Hannibal couldn't help but to smile. Blame the alcohol if someone asked him the reason behind his bliss.

- "But may have noticed that I don't have a Guest room."

- "I have to share your dogs' bed then?"

- "Don't be absurd."

- "Yours?"

- "Unless you feel more comfortable sleeping on the floor."

For a moment Hannibal thought that Will was just messing with him, but by the sincere look of his face he knew that he had no problem with that. Sometime could be an enigma but in moments like this Will's mind was simple and straightforward, of course he wouldn't see anything weird about it, there shouldn't be.

- "Is that wise?" Hannibal joked.

- "Don't laugh," He said that though he was also giggling. "we're two grown men, not a couple of awkward teenagers."

- "You are right about that, I stopped being a teenager a long time ago."

Hannibal teased Will asking if it would be appropiate for him to take his shirt off, but Will try not to disregard that comment.

- "Go ahead. Get comfortable." Was it weird? Should he feel awkward about spending the night with a friend in the same bed? After all it was just that, he didn't have any other intention and he didn't believe Hannibal would have any either.

- "I didn't imagine you would be so bold. Nice surprise."

This time the professor didn't reply, he just tuck himself into bed.

- "Good morning, Hannibal." He realized that the other man trying not to laugh and at first he could not see the reason, but then he noticed his little misconception. "Why are you laughing now? ...Did I say 'morning'?"

- "Yes, but it's not only that..."

- "What?"

- "You're adorable, did you know that?"

- "Fuck off..." Will said and hit Hannibal with his elbow in puckish a way. He already felt his face flushed thanks to the alcohol, but if that hadn't been enough he was sure that thanks to those words his cheeks lit up with a light pink tint.

- "Good night to you too, Will." The other replied as he closed his eyes and nuzzled his pillow lazily.