A laugh was the furthest thing from what Will thought he was going to receive. Hannibal's reactions were always so opposite of everything Will had readied himself for. Hannibal's shoulders moved with the sound, looking so similar to crying that if Will really were deaf he would have been fooled.

"You're sorry?" Hannibal asked, though he didn't look up from where he was still slumped over his desk. "Atsiprašau. Gailisi ko?" (You're sorry. You're sorry for what?)

Will licked his lips and looked around the room as if the translation would be written on one of the walls to help him. He sighed, a hand running through his damp curls. "I don't know what you said."

"I don't believe you."

Will took a step back in confusion. "That I don't know what you-"

"That you're sorry!" Hannibal's voice seemed to echo off the walls around them. He sat up and finally turned to face Will. Pain played in his eyes, dancing like the candle that cast shadows over his face. "You're not sorry, Will. You're ashamed you were found out. This is not the same as you being sorry."

Will opened his mouth, but closed it, words escaping him. Instead he stepped closer to Hannibal's desk, a hand resting against the surface of it. He was stunned as Hannibal's hands took his hips and Hannibal leaned forward, head resting against Will's stomach. Will's hands cautiously brushed over Hannibal's back and embraced Hannibal against him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I put you in this position," Will whispered, fingers playing with Hannibal's hair. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry you have to keep lying for me." Will's hands gently coaxed Hannibal's head up and Will looked deeply into injured maroon. "Thank you for helping me. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for loving me."

Hannibal's eyes closed and he pulled from Will's grip, getting to his feet and stepping away from Will. Will inhaled deeply and chased after the man, snatching Hannibal up around the middle and hiding his face between Hannibal's shoulder blades. Hannibal's body froze mid step and Will could feel the way Hannibal's heart pounded against Will's fingertips as they splayed over the organ.

"Please," Will begged, though he didn't know what he was begging for. Forgiveness? Understanding? Anything. Any sign that they were ok. A bargain, maybe. A deal of Will's truth for acceptance. Will would do it in a moment. He would go straight to the dean of the school, soaking wet from the rain and without shoes and pants, if Hannibal wished for it. If it meant that Hannibal stayed in Will's life. If Hannibal only stayed. "I'm sorry."

He hid his face further against Hannibal as if he could disappear. As if there were a cavern in Hannibal's ribs where he could sit and be safe. Where he was always welcomed. Where he belonged.

One strong hand caressed over Will's and gripped it tightly. Will waited for Hannibal to push him away, waited for Hannibal to maneuver away from Will, but it didn't come. Instead they stood there like that while the rain thudded against the glass of the windows.

"Why did you do it?" Hannibal's voice was barely a whisper, nearly lost among the storm.

"What?" Will asked in surprise. He couldn't recall Beverly having sought out the answer. She had just accepted everything the way it was. He had just assumed Hannibal would do the same.

"All of this? What's the purpose of living like this? Why do you make things so complicated?"

"I..." Will trailed off with a huff, his grip around Hannibal tightening slightly. "I did it so things would be easier."

"Easier for who? I don't understand." The words were bitter, but restrained, as if Hannibal were holding himself back.

"I've never been good at conversing. I don't like to talk to people. I've always had trouble making friends and I just... thought that if I was silent then I didn't have to go through the awkwardness that comes with people."

"You can't avoid people," Hannibal scolded, squeezing Will's hand tightly.

"I was doing just fine!" Will ripped himself away from Hannibal and Hannibal turned, expression confused. "Until-" Will's hand clapped over his mouth and he watched a hurt smile grip Hannibal's lips.

"Say it," Hannibal instructed, hands taking his hips as he nodded. He already knew what Will was going to say, but that didn't seem to stop the want to hear it. "Say it! Until what?"

"Until you!" Will let his hand fall back to his side and he stared at his bare feet on the carpeted flood. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Don't blame this on me." A finger was shoved into Will's chest and he looked up at an exasperated Hannibal. "This is in no way on me."

"I know!" Will threw out desperately. "I know it's not. It's my fault. All of it is." He wanted to run, race from the room, but he wasn't sure how far he'd make it before getting lost in the maze of suits. So he stayed put. Right there under Hannibal's cold gaze. It went against everything that made Will Will, but he supposed it was about time that he faced himself. Faced the walls he had built to keep everyone and everything out save for the select few who had somehow managed to scale the walls and make it to the otherside.

"This isn't sustainable, Will." Will inhaled deeply, but couldn't find it in himself to answer Hannibal. "It's only a matter of time before something like this happens again."

"I've kept this secret for years. Only you and Beverly know." Why was he still holding on to this? It wasn't fair to anyone. This wasn't facing the walls. This was turning away, building them higher. "Matthew doesn't remember. We-"

"What about other Matthews?" Hannibal moved in closer, hand reaching up. Will's curls were brushed from his face and a kiss was pressed to his head. "Someone else will figure it out. We can't keep this up."

"Then we don't. I'll tell everyone. I'll go to the head office and-"

"Don't be ridiculous," Hannibal scolded lightly, thumb caressing Will's cheek. Will tipped his head to the side in question. "You'd end your education if you go to the dean. I'm not going to let you do that."

"Then what do we do?"

Hannibal shrugged and licked his lips, eyes flickering around the dark room. "We finish the semester and change schools. Maybe somewhere out of state. Somewhere no one knows you."

"What?" Will stepped back, out of Hannibal's grip. "What are you talking about, Hannibal?"

"Beverly can come too. If she got accepted here, I'm certain she will be accepted anywhere else she applies to. I'll handle the money part of everything."

Will shook his head. "No."

"I'm not going to sit here while someone dangerous like that man can be anywhere near you!" Hannibal groaned and began pacing the room. "I wasn't there to protect you and look what he did to you! What else can he do to you, Will? And if he does remember, if he was lying to me, god forbid! He can tear you apart and I can't do anything to protect you!"

Will's eyes grew wide and he felt like the air was punched from his lungs. "You're scared," he breathed, causing Hannibal to stop pacing.

"I am terrified," Hannibal agreed, finally facing Will. "I am terrified about what this is going to do to you if it gets out. Your whole future would be in shambles and it would be all because this monster of a man doesn't like you."

"Hannibal." Will stepped closer, taking Hannibal's arms in his hands. "I'm ok, remember? I'm alright. It was just a concussion."

"This time. What about next time?" Hannibal shook his head. "Someone like Matthew doesn't just stop, Will. What if he splits your head open next time? What if you have to be taken to the ER? What if he hurts you so badly that you really can't hear or speak? What if-"

"But he didn't," Will tried to assure.

"But he could!" Hannibal let out a strained laugh. "Did he hurt you so badly that this isn't sinking into your head? Am I not making myself clear? I know English isn't my first language, but-"

"What are you talking about?"

"I love you, Will. I love you more than anything in my life and he is not going to do anything to hurt you ever again."

Will gave Hannibal a soft smile, hands taking his face. "He won't," Will assured softly. They could worry about all of the details later. That was so far away. That was after this storm. After the power came back on. After they left this room. "I'm alright, Hannibal. I'm safe. I'm right here, with you." He pushed in closer until their bodies were flush and Hannibal's hands rested naturally on Will's waist.

He rose onto his toes, kissing Hannibal gently, unsure of how far he could push. Hannibal's grip tightened on Will and Will was guided across the room until the back of his knees hit the edge of Hannibal's bed and they tumbled into it.

Will inhaled sharply at the pain in the back of his head, but it was swallowed up in another kiss. Fingers that were like individual flames licked at the skin of his stomach, pushing the fabric of Hannibal's too big shirt up his body. Will sat up enough for the shirt to be pulled free and tossed to the floor, forgotten.

"Aš tavęs noriu," Hannibal whispered, kissing down Will's neck. Will's fingers tangled into the ashen locks of Hannibal's hair. Pain blossomed as his neck was bit. His collar was graced with the same violence. The teeth weren't gentle, they were sharp as they tore at him. "Tu esi mano. Tik mano."

Will winced at another serrated nip. "English, Hannibal. Please."

"Mine," he answered, voice low. Will couldn't help but shiver at the possessiveness in the word. Hannibal sat up, dark eyes following the line of Will's body. Will's hands traced over Hannibal's chest and down until they rested on Hannibal's thighs that were on either side of his torso. He felt so small under Hannibal, but so comfortable at the same time.

Will licked his lips, waiting. For what, he wasn't entirely sure. They were knee deep in this without a plan, but Will didn't care. His hands stroked up and down Hannibal's powerful thighs and his attention was caught up as Hannibal pulled the fabric of his own shirt from his body, throwing it to join Will's.

Will's eyes took in the strength before him. No wonder he had been thrown around like he weighed nothing. The muscle in Hannibal's arms was defined beautifully and Will sat up so he could run his fingers over it. He wanted to memorize each and every piece of Hannibal.

The same power continued into Hannibal's chest that was dusted with hair and Will didn't hesitate to explore there as well. There weren't any marked out muscles in Hannibal's stomach, but the same strength was still there. A strength that didn't need to be laid out in a set grid but would destroy Will all the same.

His fingertips found Hannibal's v-line before they were snatched up in Hannibal's hands. They were brought to Hannibal's mouth and kissed softly. Will let out a breath. He didn't want to be gentle, he didn't want to be nice. He wanted the anger that he knew still sat just beneath the surface of Hannibal's skin. He wanted to feel off of the built up rage and anxiety. All of the fear. Everything, all together in this one moment.

He pushed at Hannibal until the man fell off balance and he straddled Hannibal's hips as Hannibal's back met the mattress. He pinned Hannibal's arms to either side of the man's head, but knew that he didn't have a chance fighting Hannibal if Hannibal decided that wasn't where he wanted to stay.

He kissed Hannibal hungrily, hoping that he was putting that emotion into the touch. That his need was understood. That Hannibal could express anything he needed to in whatever way he saw fit. Signing, biting, kissing, yelling. It was all alright.

The message was plainly understood. Hannibal's hands pulled free and were in Will's hair, pulling at it. Teeth were at his lip and Will gasped as the skin was broken with the harshness of the bite.

"Hannibal."

"Užsičiaupk."

Will didn't need to know the word to understand the meaning behind it. He fell silent, letting Hannibal explore him now. One hand stayed tangled deep in his curls, making sure Will's lips weren't out of reach and the other was tracing the length of Will's spine. Lower and lower until fingers slipped under the waistband of the unfitting boxers still on Will's person.

Hips rolled against Will and he whimpered against Hannibal's mouth at the contact, feeling Hannibal hard beneath him. His hair was tugged and Will was forced up, hands taking Hannibal's chest for balance as they both sat up.

Will was pushed back onto the bed, head hanging off the edge, the world a blur of upside downness. The remaining fabric was guided down his legs, burning fingers training down his thighs. He wouldn't be surprised if he looked down to find scorch marks trailing his skin. One from each of Hannibal's fingers. He nearly wished there were to make up for the bruising on his face from fingers that weren't Hannibal's.

And then that mouth, the mouth that only deserved to smile and laugh, the mouth that had been frowning far too much lately, was on him. It smothered him. He could barely breathe. His hips bucked and his hands found Hannibal's hair again.

"Han-"

The name died as nails dug into the skin of Will's thighs, warning him to stay silent. But that tongue. He truly believed that this is what Hannibal had meant when he had said he wanted to eat Will. He was being devoured.

His chest clenched as his mind went blank. Everything was gone, the nothingness being simply laced with Hannibal. His breath was caught somewhere in his throat. Unable to escape.

A sharp twinge of pleasant pain was drawn down his legs followed by something wet, but Will couldn't place it. He was wound up too tightly, trapped beneath Hannibal.

Hannibal's hot tongue followed the length of him before being replaced by an expert hand that stroked Will. Hannibal's free hand wrapped around his neck, grounding him in place and Will's eyes flickered open to find Hannibal's gaze trained tightly on him. His lips were slick and pink and Will was kissed viciously. That tongue pushed into his mouth and all he could taste was himself on it.

He pulled Hannibal closer, body tensed and tight. He wanted to warn Hannibal, tell the man to wait, to slow down, but he couldn't even breathe. Hannibal broke the kiss, hand still working Will.

Will inhaled deeply, trying to sign something between them. He couldn't speak, but he could talk. The hand around his neck was swift to snatch up his hands before he was drowned in another kiss.

"Shut up and cum," Hannibal ordered against his mouth. Will's body obeyed without his say so, the heat in Will's gut finally burning him whole. "Good boy," Hannibal praised softly, hand still working Will through his climax while his vision blurred.

Kisses were pressed down his chest and he whimpered as a tongue cleaned at the mess across his stomach. Each pass of Hannibal's tongue left Will cold and shivering. He blinked up at the odd angle of the ceiling, his heart sprinting in his chest. His breathing was audible, each exhale a small gasp.

"I didn't mean to scratch you like that," Hannibal's voice called somewhere off in the foggy distance. "I'm sorry." Will forced himself to his elbows, his body heavier than he remembered it ever being. He looked down his body to find nail marks from his chest, over his stomach and then down his thighs. The indents in his legs were worse, some having welled up with blood.

"It's fine," Will assured, voice ragged. He cleaned his throat, a hand going to feel where Hannibal's touch was still present, though Hannibal was sitting on the edge of the bed, checking the damage littered across Will's body. Will gave Hannibal a slight smile and shifted onto his knees so he could reach out and take Hannibal's face in his hands. "I love you," he whispered, kissing Hannibal softly. The taste of them lingered across Hannibal's lips.

"I love you too," Hannibal answered back. Wil let his body be guided once more down onto the mattress, this time Hannibal beside him. Hannibal pulled him close and Will listened to the thunder outside and the rhythm of Hannibal's heartbeat as his curls were played with.


Will hadn't realized he had dozed off until he was being gently shaken awake. He blinked into the dim room that was still being lit by a single candle. He made out the outline of Hannibal standing from the bed.

"Dinner's ready," he explained. "Or you can keep sleeping if you'd like. I can borrow Price's car and drive you home whenever you're ready to go back."

Will rubbed at his eyes, trying to bring all of his surroundings into clearer focus. Rain was still raging outside and Will assumed the power was still out since none of the lights were on, not even the glow of any under the closed bedroom door. His body felt chilled and he placed that he was still naked, laying atop Hannibal's bed, colder now that Hannibal wasn't keeping him warm.

"Dinner sounds nice," Will said, sitting up.

"Get dressed." The instructions were light. Fingers tipped Will's chin up and he was kissed soundly. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Alright," Will agreed dizzily.

Hannibal smirked and left the room, pulling his shirt over his head as he went.

Will inhaled deeply, stretching before getting to his feet. He searched for a bit to find the borrowed shirt and pants. Hannibal's shirt still hung off of him, far too big, but Jimmy's pants fit him much better. He wandered to the door and stepped blindly out into the kitchen that was glittering with a rather impressive array of candles.

On the table was a steam pot and the three roommates sat around the table, talking and laughing. They were obviously teasing Hannibal about something because he was muttering under his breath in his mother tongue bitterly, which only seemed to cause the two other men to laugh harder.

"There you are!" Jimmy exclaimed when he finally spotted Will lurking at the edge of the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" Will glanced over to Hannibal who was signing what was being said to him, though there was no animosity in the motions this time. Will nodded in answer and took the only empty seat that was across from Hannibal so he could watch Hannibal sign. "How much would you like?"

I'm not picky.

Will stared at the size of the portion that was served to him. The pasta curled around itself, but looked wonderful and he dug in.

"Will, Hannibal said you wanted to be a teacher," Brian said, the conversation easy. The exact type of conversations that Will had spent his whole life trying to avoid. Why had he?

I'm thinking about it, he replied after having set his fork down. He chewed slowly on his mouthful while Hannibal relayed the message. Having a translator had never bothered him before, but now he saw the annoyance that could be gained from it. The thought about the position he had placed Beverly in and now Hannibal had never crossed his mind. It wasn't fair.

"That will be nice," Jimmy filled in, laughing a bit as he watched Hannibal sign. "Maybe you can teach me some of that. Would be kinda cool to talk without having to say a word."

Isn't that just texting? Will questioned, receiving laughs when Hannibal repeated the inquiry. What are both of you studying? Why wasn't he using his voice? It was easier.

"What are you studying?" Hannibal asked, taking a bite of his own dinner. Why had it taken Will so long to realize how his secret put those around him out. Hannibal couldn't simply eat dinner without having to stop every few seconds to repeat everything. Things that didn't need to be repeated. Things that he could fucking say!

"We're both wanting to go into some sort of biology area," Jimmy explained, something hesitant in his tone.

"We want to work with dead bodies," Brian said outright and Hannibal smiled lightly.

Hannibal's hands rose to relay the message but Will shook his head with a deep breath. "I can't do this," he said, causing the kitchen to fall silent. Hannibal stared at him, but that smile turned warm as he ate more of his dinner. Jimmy's mouth had fallen open and Brian had frozen with a forkful of spaghetti halfway from his plate. "Thank you for dinner, Jimmy. It's quite good. And what exactly do you want to do with the dead bodies, Brian? I hope it's not what I'm thinking."

The fork was dropped with a clatter onto Brian's plate and in the candle light Will could see a furious flush fill the man's cheeks. "Absolutely not," he hissed out defensively. "We want to perform autopsies. What the fuck?"

"You could hear us the whole time," Jimmy said, shock in his voice.

"Yes," Will agreed. "I'm sorry. I don't like talking much. It's easier to be quiet sometimes."

"Then that means I don't need Hannibal to teach me sign language. You can do it," Jimmy continued on, not seeming at all perturbed by the information. "Han isn't the best teacher."

"Hey, I-"

"Han?" Will interrupted the man with a taunt, turning his attention to Hannibal. "I thought I had misheard them earlier. They really do call you Han."

"It's Hannibal to you," Hannibal instructed, pointing to Will with his fork before we sent it spinning in the pasta for another bite.

"Not even Hanni?"

The flash of warning in Hannibal's eyes was harsh, but his words were playful. "Don't even think about it, troublesome boy."

"Hold on a minute!" Brian ordered. "You knew this whole time?"

Hannibal shrugged. "Just this weekend." He shot Will a grin. "I think he's learned his lesson about lying though."

"You can still teach me though, can't you?" Jimmy pressed, receiving an exasperated name calling from the other two in the room.

"I'd be happy to," Will assured.


"You didn't have to do that, you know," Hannibal said when they entered his room after having helped clean up from dinner. The door was shut and Will jumped with a laugh as he was snatched up from behind, a kiss being nuzzled into his neck.

"I know," Will answered, arms draping over Hannibal's. "But you're right."

"About?" There was a nip at Will's shoulder and Will tried to pull from Hannibal's grip, but he was kept in place.

"This isn't sustainable." Will let a hand wander up Hannibal's arm until it found the back of Hannibal's head and he turned his face to kiss Hannibal. "Nor is it fair to you. I don't want to keep inconveniencing others when there isn't a need to."

"It's alright if you have times you need to be quiet," Hannibal assured. "If you're having problems and it's easier for you to sign, I will be more than happy to help you with that. This isn't the end all, be all."

"So I can sign our wedding vows to you?" Will was kissed deeply at that and he smiled into it.

"I'll have to think about it," Hannibal teased. Will nodded in understanding and turned to face Hannibal, kissing the man once more. "I love you."

"I love you too," Will breathed, moving his lips to Hannibal's jaw to kiss along it. The grip on his hips was immediate and Will held back his grin at the reaction. "You ok?" he mocked, kissing the back of Hannibal's jaw before nipping at his ear.

"Stop that," Hannibal instructed breathlessly.

"No." Will licked up Hannibal's pulse point and Hannibal's fingers dug into his sides painfully. "You had your fun earlier. It's my turn."