Will was stunned. His guard had been down and he hadn't expected something like that at all. The action had been impulsive, but he didn't feel the kiss was aggressive. First he felt tense but such contact was actually kind of relaxing and he didn't want to push him away though he wasn't sure what to do at that point. His head was a mess, he felt almost feverish unsure whether that was happening or not.

When Hannibal realized what he had just done he didn't stop, but he acted more delicately. His arms where wrapped around Will's waist, first tightly but he loosened the hug gently, trying not to act as if he had regretted his sudden action. Just when he felt Will's hands tickling his side returning the hug he decided to slide his own hands up his back.

It was when his tongue grazed Will's lips that he stepped away but his hands were still touching him. Weird sensations swirled about in his stomach, that slight awkwardness brought back memories of his first kiss. He and his childhood sweetheart had been in the same situation after the kiss, neither of them knew what to do after such experience, he had shut down completely and the little girl had ran away with her friends to talk about the affair but now both reactions seemed completely inapropriate for two grown men.

On his part, Hannibal would have preferred to stroke his cheek after breaking the kiss, leaning his forehead against Will's, but that would've been to good to be true.

- "I'm sorry." He said as he freed Will from the hug, trying to cleanse his voice from any emotion. "That was inappropriate."

It wasn't bad. I've had worse. Will was looking at the ground while trying to think of an answer that didn't intensify the heavy aura of the moment.

- "Don't worry. I shouldn't be here to begin with, it's too late."

Hannibal was in front of him, to escape from there he needed him to move aside, but he didn't.

- "Something happened?" Even though he wasn't the most predictable person, he was sure he had an explanation for being on his porch waiting for him.

- "I was around..." That probably was one of the oldest excuses of all time, but it was partially true. "I guess I just wanted to talk to someone."

Hannibal nodded, comprehensive, he leaned over Will to reach the latch.

- "We can talk, but not outside."

It was the first time Will was inside of Hannibal's house. The interior was spacious, every inch of it seemed to be elegantly decorated without being overloaded. Hannibal offered to take his coat and after taking off his own he hung them on a rack to guide him toward a living room, indicating him to take a seat where he felt more comfortable but at that time there was no such place. Acting casually as if never had happened a moment ago he asked if he wanted to drink but Will shook his head.

- "You told me you had plans today." He said as he took a seat in front of Will.

- "Yes, I had... a date."

- "How was it?"

How was it? Will mumbled in his mind. If it had been good I wouldn't be here and you know it. You want me to say it.

- "It wasn't great." His tone was slightly truculent. A part of him felt angry, he couldn't cope with confusion and there were plenty of perplexing events to feel calm. He wasn't precisely mad at Hannibal, but his emotions didn't have any other way out than through his mouth.

- "Want to tell me why?"

- "It... It just didn't feel right. There was nothing to say, there was no conexion." It was completely different from how he felt with him. The feverish feeling came back, his cheeks felt warm and Hannibal noticed.

- "How would you have liked it to be?"

- "Don't treat me like one of your patients. Maybe coming here to talk was a bad idea."

When he stood up, Hannibal talked again.

- "I'm sorry for what I did. I don't regret it, but I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

- "How would you have liked it to be?" He said with a puckish tone, Hannibal smirked.

- "I don't expect you to feel the same way I feel."

- "If I didn't, I wouldn't have let you kiss me." He felt his words were rather cold, the answer was the logical conclusion and since he had never propounded the idea in his head, at the moment he didn't know how else to reply. "I'm sorry." He muttered as he rubbed his face with his hands. "I'm just... surprise?"

Me too. That sort of feeling was entirely new, unknown and therefore dangerous. The physical desire was one thing he could understand, but this was beyond that. When he so Will on the doorstep in that pose that only transmitted dreariness he felt the need to protect him, to get him on his feet and help him regardless what had made him feel sorrow. Some people may assume that due to his profession he would be the kind of person willing to aid the helpless, but he was not. Work was work, there was no pleasure in it and much less personal feelings.

- "I understand."

Will felt his entire body numb, his head was pounded and again he felt hopeless. Running away like he did at the restaurant wasn't an option, that wasn't what he wanted but he had no idea of how to cope with the situation, with what he felt. If he left at that moment it would mean not seeing Hannibal ever again. He wouldn't appear waiting for him at lunch time, who would do something like that after being thrown off like that? If his words had been a confession he should be the one in a vulnerable position and yet, Will felt like the martyr.

The silence was getting too long.

Hannibal broke the silence before Will could open his mouth.

- "People end up boring me quite quickly, Will." He started to said, his fingers fiddling on the armchair. There was no reason to sugarcoat his words. If he didn't know exactly what he felt he could only describe what he understood. "You don't. It's fair to say that you are the most attractive person I've ever met."

There it was then, the confession, expressed in the only way he could imagine Hannibal saying something like that. Somehow, those words relaxed him and he exhaled in relief before smiling softly.

- "I find you interesting as well."

A slight smile peep out on Hannibal's face. - "It's too late, maybe you should go to your house... Unless you're too tired to drive all the way home." He wouldn't suggest what Will did when he stayed at his house, not under those circumstances. "The guest room is available."

The offer was accepted.

At first glance the guest room seemed to be larger than his entire home. It had the same poise the rest of the house had. The bed was comfortable, lying on that mattress was like being on a cloud, floating in the emptiness of the immense room. Sleep did not come easy.

During the few moments he got to close his eyes, deranged dreams attacked his mind and he woke up again gasping, feeling flustered. The thought of needing to see Hannibal after waking crossed his mind a couple of times, until that night his presence reassured him, talking with him eased him after a stressful day at work. Now he wasn't sure if being by his side would be helpful or the opposite.

Sitting and talking didn't feel like a solution to him, the mere idea made his heart beat nervously. Even if Hannibal said that nothing had to change between them that sounded impossible. He didn't want to stop seeing him.

What was what he wanted?

He enjoyed his company, admired his intellect and wisdom, connecting with him to him was simple and pleasant but he wasn't a recess from his humdrum life. Will cared about him, he wanted to know more about him and he was happy when Hannibal seemed to open up to him, he made him feel safe to do the same for him and let him see the man behind the curtain.

Hannibal was unique, captivating and intoxicating, he was bold without being reckless, he was soothing and scathing at the same time. Hannibal was fire and ice, a bundle of contradictions and Will was entangled in it by choice.

Romantic love, platonic love, liquid love, connection in place of affection? What kind of relationship linked them together? How did he wanted their relationship to be?

Just as he opened the bedroom door he saw Hannibal in the hallway still in his nightclothes.

- "Good morning." He greeted him in his particular accent with a smile on his face.

His blue eyes glanced at Hannibal's lips. He wanted to returned the greeting but his words stuck on his throat.

- "Is everything okay?" Hannibal asked as he approached him, mild concern was showing up on his mien.

- "Hannibal..." He took his hand and pulled him towards him, closing his eyes as he approached his lips to start kissing him. He opened his mouth slowly, feeling clumsy at first, affected by the strange sensation in his stomach. He looked for his lips and toyed with them with his tongue, it only took a second for Hannibal to respond in the same way. His hands released his to grab him by his clothing, hugging him and drawing him even closer to his body.

Hannibal didn't expect Will to take control so quickly and pull him forward, he didn't fight it and tongue met tongue as he melted against Will's body and relaxed against his touch. Such contact had never felt so good; pressing their tongues together within the confines of their kiss. It was a sensation he couldn't describe. He inhaled deeply and sharply through his nose, trying not to separated his lips from Will's if possible, not even to breath. A pleasant heat began to invade their bodies with every movement of their tongues.

The sensations were overwhelming to Will, who had to pull away a little as he let out a slight gasp. His arms were still on Hannibal and he felt his hand caressing his brown hair, he thought he was going to press his lips against his again. Instead, he felt the warmth of his thin lips brushing his forehead, going down to his flushed cheek and the corner of his mouth to plant a soft his on his jawline.

- "You don't have work today, do you?"