AN: THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED TO EXCLUDE NC 17 CONTENT, VISIT AO3 FOR THE FULL CHAPTER

"My heart is lost; the beasts have eaten it."
― Charles Baudelaire

Saturday – 17 Sep 2022 – 7.58 PM

Hannibal was in their designated room, sitting in the fauteuil couch by the large windows with a glass of wine in one hand and his tablet in the other. He was reading something, judging by the way his eyes moved across the screen and he was still dressed in his clothes from earlier, a teal button down shirt, black chinos and black leather loafers, reclining in the chair with one leg crossed over the other.

He looked up when Will walked into the room and held his gaze for a moment before he returned to his reading.

Will swallowed with a soft click and glanced to the windows briefly.

The tension in the room was tangible even without using his empathy to sense it. Hannibal was not happy.

Turning around, Will locked the bedroom door. He considered turning on the overhead light, but the lamp in the corner gave the room enough light to be comfortable, so he decided against it. He took a breath before he turned around again and walked toward Hannibal, past the bed until he was able to sit on the side of it nearest to where the older man was, more or less across from him.

"Can we talk?" he asked in an uncertain tone, frowning lightly.

Hannibal, as well-mannered as ever, regarded Will with his full attention as he closed the cover of his tablet and placed it long ways in the side of the sofa, prompting Will to go on with a raised eyebrow before he took a sip of his wine.

Will inhaled deeply and then exhaled the same, forcing himself not to fidget because that was something the old Will had used to do. He sat up straighter and placed his hands on the tops of his thighs, looking directly at Hannibal, right in the eye, no avoidance would be acceptable right then,

"I've been feeling…" he spoke evenly and calm, pausing to search his mind for a word that would best describe his recent state of mind, and he took another short breath before he settled on, "…labile."

Hannibal was already mostly in his psychiatrist mien, face unreadable just like it used to be when they'd first been having 'conversations', and so easily, they slipped back into their doctor and patient roles,

"Like the Will Graham of old." Hannibal said, his voice quiet on the name and his tone flat, the words spoken as if it had been so glaringly obvious that Will was regressing, and it probably had been to him if even Isa had been able to see something was wrong.

Despite his best efforts not to, Will's face twitched, his mouth unsettled between a smile and a frown as his stomach knotted up again,

"Exactly, actually." he admitted with risen eyebrows.

Hannibal lowered his gaze to his wine as he took another sip and then he licked his lips and looked at Will again,

"Your behavior this past week, up to and including your social candidness on our sex life and your apparent interest in Adoncia, are indicators of something else that's bothering you." he stated surely.

It was not a question and Will nodded, the was no point in stepping around the issue,

"Yes." he answered plainly, biting lightly at the inside of his lower lip.

Hannibal stared at him,

"And are you ready to tell me what it is, or are we going to continue to have this unpleasant miscommunication?" he enquired, blinking placidly.

Here's where Will had to tell the most truth he could, without mentioning that he'd found the engagement ring.

"It's laughable." Will muttered.

"I'm not laughing." Hannibal said with a façade of calm. He really wasn't even vaguely amused though.

Will thought he knew why,

"I embarrassed you," he acknowledged, "what Eurico said about me looking at his wife-…"

Hannibal cut him off with a curt look and tilt of his head,

"You've mistaken my contempt for uncivilized spectacles of domestic discord, for embarrassment." he said with considerable ennui, the tell of his irritation only visible to Will because he knew every nuance of Hannibal's micro-expressions, "I expect that the only one who will suffer embarrassment come morning, is the young pie-eyed Adoncia." he finished dryly.

Will's twitching mouth settled on a weak smile, because of course Hannibal would despise domestic spats, even when he and Will argued, the man never raised his voice. But it figured, if he had a steady heart rate when removing organs from living, screaming victims, then why would he lose his cool when arguing?

"Well, I apologize all the same." Will said quietly.

Hannibal looked unimpressed,

"There's no need for apologies." he said stiffly, "I would only ask that in future, should you choose to…" he paused and swirled what was left of his wine, "…admire any women, perhaps you might exercise some discretion."

Will's stomach flipped over unpleasantly and he shook his head, his curls shifting across his forehead,

"Hanni-H-hannes," he quickly caught himself, just in case the walls were particularly thin, "I don't…admire women, I haven't in years." he admitted. After Isa had pointed it out to him it felt more weighted, more pertinent in this matter because it was entirely true, "I haven't looked at a woman in a sexual way…" he huffed out some wavy laughter, "…pretty much since Molly." Hannibal looked like he was going to say something but Will spoke first, "And even," he gestured to the door, "her, I, I looked at her, I saw what she had so openly put on display and I acknowledge that I did that, but I didn't admire her, there wasn't and has not been a single sexual thought toward her." he said honestly in a harsh whisper, flexing his fingers as he clasped his hands together.

Hannibal blinked slowly, consistently apathetic,

"Be that as it may, you are still discussing something quite divagated from the point." he said dully.

Will sighed and unclasped his hands, rubbing at his face briefly, searching his mind for ways to explain it,

"Do you…do you remember," stupid question, Hannibal always remembered, "...after Randal, sitting in your dining room…?" Hannibal raised his chin when Will looked at him, and then his lips parted slightly and he raised an eyebrow,

"Yes."

"That." Will breathed, hoping it explained something of what had been going on with him.

There was a beat of silence as Hannibal recalled their conversation from that night and then his tongue slipped out to wet the seam of his lips,

"You went inside?"

Will nodded tensely, because that was a good way to describe how he'd been second guessing himself this past week, going inside his head where he suffered his own judgments. But when Hannibal inhaled long and tight and Will saw the first signs of actual consternation in the older man, he realized he needed to clarify,

"But not about," he wet his lips too, frowning, "not about who I am with you," he treaded carefully, because Hannibal was listening closely and was already getting the wrong idea, "but rather, who I am…to you." he hoped that was clear enough. Because they couldn't go speaking candidly here, or Will would have said, 'I know I'm a killer, I just don't know why I'm a killer worthy of your interests and affection.'

Hannibal did understand what he was trying to say at least, Will saw it in his face, his gaze sharpening slightly with understanding, and after he'd finished what was left of his wine, he uncrossed his long legs and stood up,

"When I asked you before, if you needed me to say it," he paused, looking down at Will, "you said that you didn't." he pointed out and then walked to the TV stand and set the glass down there.

Will turned to watch him, shaking his head,

"And I don't, I'm not…I'm not questioning whether you feel it," Hannibal turned and looked at him again and Will stood up as well, turning to face Hannibal properly, "I'm questioning whether I deserve it." he swallowed lightly.

And in that moment, for a split second, Will saw something in Hannibal that he hadn't seen since they'd been together after killing Dolarhyde…but had perhaps always sensed was there, even just subconsciously.

He saw doubt.

'So he questions himself about me too?' Will realized and while such a revelation should have rattled Will, it did quite the opposite. Because if Hannibal was still holding him to a standard, if there were still trials to be completed, trust to be hard won, then Will knew there would come a day when Hannibal's doubt –and by extension his own –would dissolve to nothing.

Will felt oddly relieved and his mouth worked a few times, breaths slipping out, before he settled on his next words with slightly raised eyebrows,

"I'm going to ask you something." he posed and Hannibal just stared at him, "And I'd like you to be completely honest when you answer." Will took steps toward him and the older man remained quiet until Will was standing just inside his personal space, less than a foot from him.

Hannibal looked over Will's face before meeting his eyes again,

"Certainly." he acquiesced.

Will was also looking over his face, battling against the desire to just kiss Hannibal before he said what needed to be said. But a kiss wouldn't resolve anything, it'd only distract, so Will took a quick breath and steadied his voice as much as possible,

"Would you…" he stopped himself, frowning and shaking his head, "…no, no rather, could you, still kill me?"

Hannibal eyes darkened slightly at the question and Will trusted that he wouldn't try to answer in a way he thought Will wanted him to, no, he wouldn't lie, or even omit, not anymore.

Will was close enough that his whispered words had carried just between them, and Hannibal responded the same way after a thoughtful minute, his face and voice still not giving anything of his thoughts away,

"Yes." he said truthfully.

Again, Will figured he should have felt hurt by that, since he himself didn't think he could kill Hannibal anymore, but instead of hurt, he felt like he'd just received an incentive, been steadied back onto a path he had not yet travelled to its end.

Will nodded once unevenly, thinking that was as good and as clear as it could get between them right then. Hannibal still didn't entirely trust him, so Will was still not completely out of the range of his wrath should Will hurt him again in any way.

He took a breath to say that he understood, but Hannibal interrupted the silence first with a soft sigh as he placed his hand on Will's cheek, his warm palm cradling the line of Will's jaw and tilting Will's head so they were making eye contact again. Hannibal swallowed lightly,

"However, the reasons why I might choose to do so now have much, much higher stakes for me and are far more complicated than they once were." he explained quietly, sincerely.

Will couldn't help smiling, feeling even more relief in hearing those words, translating in his mind as 'it'd be much more difficult for me to kill you now, than it would have been before'.

And that was fine, in fact, it was better because,

"So there are still expectations," he made a soft laughing sound before he whispered, "hoops, Hannibal, you still have hoops that you need me to jump through." and there was no bitterness in his tone as he said it, Hannibal recognized that as he watched Will curiously.

The idea didn't offend Will because it made sense to him. He'd been making every effort to meet Hannibal's expectations after that impromptu suicide dive off the bluff and he'd known all along he had to prove to Hannibal that he wanted to be with him following that incident. So to learn now that there were still obstacles left was reassuring more than anything else, because it meant that the engagement ring he'd found was sort of a check point. By Hannibal purchasing it, it meant Will was one step closer to the end of the game, and when Hannibal did finally propose, Will would have earned that major commitment.

Also, a marriage proposal was a pretty big step, so it likely meant there were only a few things left for Will to do before Hannibal no longer doubted him. Before there were no more concerns of knives held behind one another's backs ready to be stabbed into vulnerable places.

It was a good thing and Will immediately felt his confidence renewed as his real self, his proper, dark, free self, easily eclipsed the Will Graham of old and he grinned sharply. The predator in Hannibal responded, the older man's gaze becoming devilish and warm when he noticed the familiar change in Will, who brought his hands up and slid them over Hannibal's shoulders until his arms were encircling his neck,

"I'll make those jumps, Hannibal." he whispered close, their lips just shy of touching, his tone lightly warning, "And when it's over, when I'm done, the games will end and I'll be expecting vindication as my reward." it was not a question and not a request.

Hannibal smiled slowly, a rare, full grin showing his teeth, and it made him look as gorgeous as it did dangerous,

"I will reward you with far more than just that, every day for the rest of your life, Will…" he whispered back and Will reveled in those words, "…I might even be inclined to liken what awaits you, as being worship." and Will's breath stuck when he heard that.

He kissed Hannibal then, their mouths parting against one another's immediately and for several deep kisses as Will breathed into Hannibal's mouth between kisses, utterances of yes, anything, everything, I'll do it.

As Hannibal's sinewy hands, large and with wide spread fingers, grabbed Will's waist, he lifted Will's weight just about off the ground and pushed him backward so he landed on the bed with a bounce. Will found himself imagining with a grin, as he settled back on his elbows and parted his legs where they hung off the foot of the bed, that when the time came, Hannibal would get down onto one knee to propose to him, because Will would have earned having Hannibal Lecter –Il Mostro, The Chesapeake Ripper, Hannibal the Cannibal- get down onto his knees for him.

Hannibal brought one knee up onto the bed between Will's legs and leaned over him, pushing Will's button-down shirt up and over his head. And while Will was pulling the shirt the rest of the way off his arms, Hannibal began kissing and nipping at the smooth skin of his chest, his hands going to the fastenings of Will's pants and roughly pulling them open. When Hannibal curled his fingers into the waist hem of the pants, he leaned down and bit sorely at the smooth dip of Will's stomach, just below his navel, Will inhaling sharply at the stinging sensation of it as Hannibal started yanking the pants down his legs. Will wasn't unused to being bitten, but it still hurt when it happened.

The second Hannibal had yanked Will's shoes off, he proceeded to remove Will's pants and underwear completely, Will raising his legs to accommodate the action. Hannibal then stood up at the foot of the bed, starting to unbutton his own shirt and Will quickly sat up and started undoing Hannibal's pants.

Once the older man's shirt was off and his pants dropped to his ankles, Will hitched his fingers into the waistband of Hannibal's black briefs...

SCENE REMOVED, PLEASE VISIT AO3 FOR FULL CHAPTER

...Hannibal went on to press kisses to his lips and his jaw and his neck and once Will's breathing regulated and his coherence returned, he became fully aware of how sore he actually was.

He smiled around a grimace and brought his hands up to slide his fingers through Hannibal's smooth hair as the older man lavished the damp column of his neck with attention of kisses and suckles,

"I don't…think we can do this again for a few days…" Will continued to slide his hands absently through Hannibal's hair as the older man sucked a mark into his neck, Hannibal's other hand coming up to join his first in Will's messy hair.

"You're hurt?" Hannibal asked on a quiet exhale, his breath ghosting over the mark he'd made and catching on the cooling sweat on Will's neck. Will swallowed lightly, wet his dry, red lips, and he slid his thighs against the sides of Hannibal's waist as he answered back in a hushed, mumbled tone,

"No, m'sore though…probably gonna' hurt to go to the bathroom for a day or two." he admitted with an idle sniff and another grimace, feeling how gradually the soreness and ache were getting worse. He wasn't complaining though, just letting Hannibal know his ass was off limits for a while.

A courtesy, really.

Hannibal was smiling softly,

"I'll fetch you ibuprofen and some water," he went on quietly, kissing Will once softly and then moving away to get off the bed, "take a warm shower in the meantime and I'll change the sheets for us." he instructed as he stood up at the foot of the bed and retrieved his underwear from the floor.

Will wasn't comfortable per say, because he was so sore, but just lying there after thoroughly satisfying sex was still a great feeling. And Hannibal doting on him was always a pleasant experience. Still, Will nodded his assent, watching as Hannibal redressed –even though he was probably loathe to- pulling his pants and shirt over his less than clean and sweat sticky skin.

"Thank you…" Will said quietly, smiling at Hannibal sincerely and immediately, the barely visible crease of tension between the older man's eyebrows smoothed out. He touched Will's socked ankle lightly with his fingers, holding them there for a moment, an intimate touch all on its own, before he slid his hand away over Will's foot in a soft caress and then walked around the bed toward the door, unlocking it and leaving the room.

Will let his eyes fall closed then as his smile stretched across his face, emotions rising rapidly from his chest to his throat and forming a lump there. They were all good emotions, the sort that came from being really happy.

And even after so long of being happy, it still surprised Will when something happened to remind him that he was no longer a lonely, unstable, miserable fuck.

He would like to have laid there in the significant afterglow for much longer, but the doctor had given him an order, so Will pushed himself up to sit slowly –grimacing and wincing- and slid off the bed carefully before he went to take a shower.

Sunday – 18 Sep 2022 – 11.21 AM

The following morning, after waking up to breakfast in bed and more than one good morning kiss, Will cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes and made his way downstairs. Isa was sitting in the lounge area, drinking a long island iced tea and listening to a Spanish music cd and she smiled broadly when she saw him.

Will smiled at her and then glanced around, seeing Hannibal, Juan, Adoncia and Eurico all sitting outside on the patio and talking. He frowned as he approached Isa,

"Business?" he enquired as he sat down next to her, making sure he did so gingerly but not obviously, and he managed to keep the wince of pain off his face once he was seated, thanking the sofa gods that the couches in the villa were plush and soft.

She half rolled her eyes as she glanced at the patio and then waved her hand lightly as if to swat away a fly,

"After the apologies, I think so." she answered in a half whisper, bringing her one leg up onto the couch and turning more to face Will, "Adoncia and Eurico both apologized to Hannes first thing this morning," she brought the straw of her drink to her lips but didn't sip, "she seemed more sincere than her husband did, but they were both feeling muy avergonzado." she sounded amused.

Will raised his eyebrows and rubbed a hand over his beard, which needed a trim, and then down to the side of his neck as he shook his head and huffed out a laugh,

"Such a stupid thing, and yet I feel partly responsible." he mumbled.

Isa clucked her tongue and sipped her iced tea and after a beat of silence, Will glanced at her to find she was grinning around her straw, looking at him.

"What?" he frowned.

"You and Hannes obviously made up." she decided smugly.

Will felt his ears get a little warm and he placed his hands on the tops of his thighs as he looked at her,

"Yes, we did…thank you again for last night," because she'd helped, "but why are you smiling like that?" he started to feel self-conscious. Hannibal had assured him before sleeping the night before that no one had heard them, apparently they'd managed to be sufficiently quiet. They hadn't had to but it suited their own needs for privacy and discretion to have been.

She brought her hand up and poked the side of his neck with her finger, her long nail pressing lightly into his skin,

"Mordisco amoroso." she pointed out and then touched another spot lower down on his neck, "And another one."

Will remembered then, the three love bites on his neck and he lightly pushed her hand away, face officially turning red as he huffed awkwardly,

"Alright, yes, I…we did…" his mouth betrayed his frown though, twitching at the corners and curving into a smile, "…we're good, we're…better than good. This entire misunderstanding was just that, a misunderstanding." he sighed, glancing outside again and then looking at Isa as he pushed himself to stand up, "Did Juan tell you if Hannes has decided to do business with them?" he asked as he walked over to the bar, "I forgot to ask him." he admitted as he crouched down –ouch- and took a bottle of water out of the small bar fridge.

Will also realized then that he still hadn't gotten his answer from Hannibal about Bedelia's body.

Isa shrugged facially as she fiddled with her straw,

"Juan told me that Hannes hasn't decided yet." and then she waved her hand lightly, "But that is not our concern, Ethan, it's so boring to talk about work, work, work."

Will chose to stand behind the bar instead of sitting again as he opened the water and took a sip,
"What should we talk about then?" and he was sorry he asked before he'd even finished his sentence.

Isa glanced outside and then stood up, coming over to stand across from him,

"Tell me what the ring looked like." she whispered, smiling with pursed lips.

Will gave her an uncertain smile, not sure he should be talking about it anymore than he already had. But after a brief deliberation, he lowered his voice as well and glanced at the patio to make sure Hannibal was still out of ear shot,

"I feel like I shouldn't talk about it, I'm not even supposed to know about it, remember?"

Isa sighed but surprisingly relented, mostly anyway,

"Okay, okay, but was it at least a nice ring, tasteful?" she raised an eyebrow and sipped her drink.

Will remembered it clearly, expensive and stylish but also simple. Tasteful was an understatement.

"Yes, it was…very nice…platinum, sophisticated, brilliant cut diamonds…" he chewed the inside of his lip as Isa fought to contain a swoon, and then he guiltily mumbled, "…I tried it on."

Isa looked shocked and scolding and then intrigued and excited,

"Ethan, how could you?" she whispered, but then she leaned closer, "Did it fit?"

Will leaned his hip against the bar and raised his eyebrows, speaking against the mouth of the water bottle,

"Perfectly." he said with a smirk.

She looked like she wanted to woot, but she mastered it and instead just beamed at Will,
"I am so happy for you, Ethan." she said sincerely and he smiled at her, excited himself.

In many ways it was surreal just how badly he wanted to be married to Hannibal, and Will was in no way blind to how it reflected on him as the 'Will Graham of old'. The heterosexual introvert who had wanted to sleep with Alana Bloom quite desperately at one point, and had been unknowingly used by Margot Verger as a sperm donor just because he'd so badly wanted to get laid. Also, he'd been pushed off a moving train because he'd been stupid enough to let Chiyoh kiss him. And then there'd been Molly, who'd been nothing like the dark, serious, intellectual and complicated women he'd always usually been attracted to and he'd attempted to live a simple, mundane life and raise a child with her. What a joke…

Will's life had been fucked up all along, his relationships had never been healthy either, never in all his life.

And yet there he was presently, in what could easily be classified as one of the most fucked up relationships in the history of the world…and he was doing great. He was happy and healthy and he felt sane, despite the whole thing of being a cannibalistic killer and being in love with a cannibalistic serial killer, Will was balanced and sure of himself. He was living well, treated well, would be engaged soon, he had friends who didn't look at him like some kind of freak –even if only because they were clueless of his nature- but still, he was in a better place in his life than he'd ever been.

The people who'd tried to control him, exploit him, use him, whose opinions and ideas of reality and right and wrong had all contradicted what they'd wanted from him, they were all behind him.

And even Will's own former ideas of what sex was and should be like and with whom he should be having it had evolved drastically. His sex life with Hannibal was amazing, once he'd gotten past the first unsettling notions, implications and confrontations of giving to and taking pleasure from another man's dick, he'd been all engines go.

And Hannibal…Hannibal was something else…and then some.

For all of the evil that he was, there was a man beneath the person suit, a man who was actually Hannibal Lecter. Still a killer and still a cannibal, but he was more than that too, substantial and real and…honestly infatuating, worth loving, worth needing, worth respecting. So he ate and killed people here and there, turned a few new psychopaths out on the world every once in a while…so what? It kept things interesting.

And true, Will felt closer to him because of his own homicidal proclivities, because no one had ever really been able to love Will, no one had ever really seen him and if they had, they would never have accepted him for what he was, as Hannibal did. But that was part of what love was about in Will's eyes, unconditional acceptance. His former relationships had been just as shrouded in lies and facades as Hannibal's had, even if they weren't pre-meditated and overly deliberate lies based on a predilection and penchant for murder as Hannibal's had been.

But yes, he accepted the worst in Hannibal because they were just alike in the end.

Isa was talking about some new restaurant she wanted to go to back in Alicante and Will was listening even though his thoughts were far away, but their conversation was interrupted when a cell phone started ringing.

Will recognized the standard Xperia phone tune as being Hannibal's and he looked to the patio, watching as Hannibal excused himself from the conversation at the table and then stood up and walked across the balcony, answering his phone just as he went out of Will's range of sight.

Will had to wonder who it was, but he'd just wait until he had a chance to ask.

"…maybe next week," Isa finished and looked at him again from where she'd also glanced to the patio, "and you should come too, Ethan."

Will was pretty much able to surmise that she'd invited him to go with her to the restaurant and he nodded,

"Yeah, I, uh, that should be fine," he glanced back to the patio when he saw Hannibal walk back to the table, and Will noticed he looked concerned, openly, which meant he wasacting, "uh…" Will frowned then and Isa followed his gaze back to Hannibal, who was saying something to Juan, Adoncia and Eurico.

Will stood up straight and placed the water bottle on the bar top when Hannibal made his way inside the villa and the other three all got up from their seats and followed. Isa stood up straight too, frowning as well because Hannibal looked worried as he came inside, looking as though he was going to head straight to the stairs before he spotted Will and slowed his walking, coming to a stop.

His concerned expression was hammed up, Will watched him swallow tensely and clutch his phone tightly in his hand, feigning distress like a pro,

"I was coming to talk to you."

And of course Will played right along,

"What's wrong?" he made sure to sound appropriately worried as everyone came to stand in the lounge area.

Hannibal glanced at everyone and then settled his eyes on Will again,

"I've just received news that my sister, Heleen, has been in a car accident." he said somberly.

And when Will's eyes widened it wasn't faked, because Heleen was the name they'd agreed on to refer to Chiyoh as and Chiyoh was only ever in contact with Hannibal when something serious came up.

Will played into it convincingly,

"Christ, Hannes, is she okay?" it was the standard thing to ask, even if the question meant nothing between them besides being a suitable act of worry. Will approached Hannibal and reached out to him, holding his upper arms as Hannibal masterfully managed a sheen of wetness in his eyes,

"She's critical," he took a breath, reaching his hand out to touch Will's side lightly, "we need to leave immediately." he added and Will nodded, because if they had to go they had to go.

"I'll book us on the next flight to Estonia." Will offered, because everyone thought that that was where Hannes was from and so it made sense to pretend his sister was from there. But Hannibal shook his head,

"No, home first, we may be in Estonia for a while, we need to pack and see to the dogs." his eyes locked with Will's, who felt his stomach bottom out and he swallowed queasily, sensing that whatever was wrong was serious.

He nodded again, a little paler in complexion as he quickly walked away, he heard Hannibal apologize to everyone who gave their sympathies and well wishes for 'Heleen' to recover, but he didn't look back as he left for the bedroom to pack.

Will was worried now, because he could only think of one thing that could be so wrong it would require them to see to the dogs and pack for a long away trip…and that was if they'd been made somehow. Chiyoh, wherever the hell she was and however the hell she did what she did and knew what she knew, had long ago told Hannibal that she would let him know if she found out that the FBI or any other police force were on to them, it was part of what she did, always looking out for Hannibal.

Will hadn't even seen her since they all parted ways years ago, a few weeks after she'd been there to help them pick up the pieces of the mess Will had made by throwing himself and Hannibal off a cliff. He swore he could still feel the steel barrel of the gun she'd put between his teeth when he'd still been bleeding out of his face and shoulder. Hannibal had been all cleaned up, stitched together and asleep in some other room of Chiyoh's safe house, and she'd threatened Will with complete sincerity, that if he made an attempt on Hannibal's life ever again, she'd give him a smile of her own…and he wouldn't survive it.

And coming from the woman who'd pushed him off a moving train and then shot him with an honest to god sniper rifle not very long after that, from a roof top and everything, Will took her very seriously. And if she was calling and Hannibal was in a hurry, something was urgent.

Will didn't ask Hannibal anything about it when he came into the room to help pack their things a few minutes later, and he wouldn't, not on the drive to the airport, not on the plane, not anywhere before they'd set foot in their house.

Sunday – 18 Sep 2022 – 12.57 PM

They pulled into the garage of their home about an hour after noon that same day, Hannibal parking his Bentley off in his usual side of the double garage, to the side of which was Will's car, parked as it had been when he'd last left it there Thursday afternoon.

Hannibal switched the ignition off as the garage door closed behind them and he unclipped his seatbelt. Every action he made was calm, the opening of his door and how he got out of the car at his leisure, graceful and without urgency. Will frowned, but did the same, removing his seatbelt calmly before getting out, proceeding to help Hannibal with their luggage and to remove anything else that needed to come out of the car.

They exited through the side door of the garage, which led them up the side stairs of the yard to where the kitchen sliding doors were. And after unlocking them and deactivating the alarm, they walked inside the house and Will followed Hannibal's lead, setting their bags down on the kitchen floor.

Hannibal walked around the kitchen island counter and set his car keys and sunglasses down on the counter top before he stopped at a cupboard and took out two wine glasses. Will frowned as he watched, stepping forward until he was around the island as well and he set his sunglasses down next to Hannibal's as the older man set the wine glasses down and then walked to the fridge.

The humming of the appliance filled the silence as Hannibal opened one side of the two doors and while Will was itching to ask what was going on, he chose to wait, going over the various scenarios in his head of what the call could have been about, of why Hannibal seemed to have no urgency anymore about whatever Chiyoh had told him.

He briefly entertained the idea that Hannibal had lied purely so they could leave the retreat sooner, but something about that idea didn't fit the situation either. So Will waited as Hannibal uncorked the bottle and then poured the chilled wine, being generous about it and filling the glasses almost halfway before he set the bottle aside and lifted the glasses.

Will accepted the glass Hannibal handed him and sipped from it, just as Hannibal did. He didn't seem to be in a very good mood from what Will could gauge, he actually seemed quite tense. Hannibal took another sip of his wine and slowly licked his lips and Will just watched him thoughtfully, trying to figure out what the fuck was happening.

When Hannibal set his wine glass down, Will was going to do the same, but he was distracted from it by Hannibal stepping closer, taking Will's face in his hands and kissing him. Will inhaled through his nose and moaned softly into Hannibal's mouth when it opened against his own and the older man kissed him deeply.

And Will kissed back, always, he'd always kiss back.

It was less than a minute of Hannibal tonguing deep into Will's pliant mouth but by the time Hannibal drew back Will's lips were sufficiently reddened and damp with their shared saliva, his breathing was just slightly escalated and he couldn't keep his concern quiet anymore,

"What's going on, Hannibal?" he felt trepidation rising in his chest and he didn't want to feel that.

Hannibal looked over his face as he held it in his warm hands and without answering, he kissed Will again, except that time it was with soft catches of his lips against Wills, light traces of his tongue, slow exhales of his breath and careful presses of their mouths at the end of each tender contact.

Will felt twice as shaken when Hannibal drew back from those sweet kisses, and then he felt ten times more anxious when Hannibal stepped back and picked up his wine again, taking a hefty drink from it and then parting his lips and exhaling.

He looked Will in the eyes abruptly then, unblinking for a few seconds before he said evenly,

"Chiyoh has found Alana."

Will blinked…and then blinked again a few times as that information sunk in.

Alana Verger…Margot Verger, Morgan Verger.

All people living on borrowed time with the promise of Hannibal's wrath, was he to ever find them.

And so he had now, via his proxy, via his chosen mongoose that hid under the house for when the snakes slithered by. Chiyoh had been searching for three years…and now…

Will exhaled slowly, feeling a knot of tension wind itself up in his stomach and he was about to drain the wine from his glass…when he noticed that Hannibal had already finished his and was pouring more for himself.

That gave Will pause.

And as he watched Hannibal bring the refilled glass to his lips without glancing at Will, taking another mouthful of the rich wine, it occurred to the younger man then…that Hannibal was genuinely worried about something.

Will didn't understand what, not immediately, he knew that Hannibal never had second thoughts about promises and he knew that Hannibal didn't get nervous about future kills, and of course, he knew Hannibal had been looking forward to killing Alana since before he'd been in the BSHCI. So Will had to break it down in his head, thoroughly pick it apart and consider what could possibly set Hannibal on edge…

…and after a minute of silent thought, only one thing came to mind.

Will took in a shaky breath when he realized that Hannibal was worried…because of him.

Although whether it was because he was worried that Alana was a deal breaker for Will –since they had never discussed Will's feelings of her preordained and fated murder- or because he wasn't sure he could choose to let her live if that's what Will wanted, he had no idea.

What was clear though, was that Hannibal was giving off the vibe that he saw whatever outcome as not ending well. Maybe he thought Will would leave him if he killed Alana? That Will would try to warn Alana somehow, or turn on him in the moment? Or maybe that Will would let it happen and then resent him afterward? Whatever it was, Hannibal looked agitated about it.

Will took a moment then, to seriously turn his observances inward, he took a moment to consider the thought of Hannibal killing Alana and her wife and son. He let it settle in his brain, in the dark expanse and the few places where the light still touched in his mind and he rolled his tongue in his mouth, thought of what their organs, their limbs, might taste like when prepared in Hannibal's kitchen and with his expertise.

And then Will slowly closed his eyes and tried to picture how Hannibal would kill them…

He knew Hannibal would make Alana suffer, there'd be pain and humiliation and anguish and lots of blood. Margot would likely not suffer as much, if at all. Will wasn't even sure whether or not Hannibal would eat her, would even cut into her or just end her life quickly, because Hannibal had almost seemed vaguely fond of Margot at one point and she hadn't ever explicitly wronged him. Then there was Morgan Verger, the little boy…

…and that's where Will came up short of the thrill and the anticipation, just that one thing.

Will opened his eyes and glanced at his wine glass before he set it on the counter, the soft tink of the glass against marble bringing Hannibal's attention to it,

"Hannibal," Will said, to make the man look at him instead and when he did, when they were making earnest eye contact and Hannibal would hear and see him, only then did Will say, "not the Verger boy." in a tone that was very honest of his feelings, asking as well as telling.

The pupils of Hannibal's eyes, which had been constricted with the brightness of the sunlit kitchen, blew out to almost completely black at Will's words, but not in disappointment or anger or resentment…no, it was a predatory reaction, because he was pleased, he was thrilled, he was hungry.

Hannibal's tension eased and his mouth curved into a dangerous and satisfied smile,

"Not the Verger boy, then." he easily agreed, simple as that.

And Will felt relieved, because it was the only thing about the idea that had unsettled him.

Will would not be able to accept killing the child, but Alana…Alana had long ago put the first nails in hers and Margot's coffins, they'd had it coming all this time, not unlike Bedelia and Freddy.

You play, you pay. And they had both played.

They had always been on the menu.

Will smirked at Hannibal, who looked truly pleased, and he wet his lips and tasted wine in the mixture of their saliva clinging there. He stepped forward then and placed his hands on Hannibal's stomach, pushing and turning the older man so that his lower back was pressed against the high counter before Will leaned against him, the lengths of their bodies flush, and kissed him.

They spent a good long while like that, making out in the kitchen, no one to interrupt or interfere as they lavished one another's mouths with attention, their hands occasionally moving over one another's clothes in easy, pleasant exploration, not working up to anything and rather just enjoying the taste and feel of one another.

The kiss ended with a mutual parting slide of their mouths, Hannibal's lips to Will's jaw and then his neck and Will's lips stretching into a grin as he tilted his head to bare his throat to the older man's kisses.

Will couldn't help feeling good about this particular hoop he'd just jumped through.

Once Alana and Margot were dead and served for dinner, Will guessed he'd probably have completed several tests laid out for him by Hannibal through the procession. And he wanted his vindication, his reward and more importantly he wanted his engagement and his marriage and his worship.

He wanted Hannibal's explicit trust for always.

When Hannibal's mouth returned to his they were both smiling and Will parted his lips for Hannibal's next few licking kisses, speaking in between the joining of their mouths,

"So…where…are they?"

After another languid, wide kiss to Will's mouth, Hannibal drew back with a soft smacking sound and he chuckled darkly. Looking into Will's half-lidded blue-green eyes, his voice was a deep rumble when he responded,

"Florence."

Will actually laughed at that, the high pitched wheezing sound coming on almost involuntarily as he pressed his forehead to Hannibal's shoulder. The sheer simplicity of it was highly amusing.

Of course she'd hide in Florence, after everything, Hannibal wouldn't be able to set foot in Italy, but Florence especially, without someone recognizing him.

Hannibal was grinning, equally amused, when Will managed to rein in his laughter and they looked at one another again, faces inches apart, breaths mingling and their smiles settling with their lips nearly touching.

And despite the situation, despite the danger of Alana being in Florence where Hannibal should not risk going, Will was not worried, not even in the least.

He only had one question left to ask,

"When do we leave?"

And that concludes the end of the first part.
Baudelaire in Braille: Drawn & Quartered, will be darker (I couldn't help myself, fluff is not my favored genre).
It will have murder, sex, mind games, cruelty, a macabre engagement, a lot more kissing and a few surprises for Will, because Hannibal loves him and has a unique way of showing it...