"Where have you been?" Beverly demanded as Will stepped into the apartment. He was seized up into a hug and laughed, knocking over into Hannibal who caught them both. "I have been so worried."
"I'm afraid that was my fault," Hannibal apologized.
"You better have a good explanation," Beverly grumbled, releasing her hold on Will and turning dark eyes to Hannibal.
"We got caught up in the storm," Will cut in, taking Beverly's shoulders and guiding her further into the apartment so that Hannibal could come in out of the rain. "And then the power went out and I didn't have my phone. It was all a mess."
"That doesn't explain why he's here again," Beverly hissed under her breath, though her next words were said purposefully loud enough for Hannibal to hear as he shut the front door. "After I told him he wasn't welcome back."
"We talked things over," Will assured with a smile, hoping Beverly would take the hint without him having to spell it out.
"He better have been good in bed or-oh!" Beverly paused when Will's face burst into a blush and she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. "Good, huh?"
"Was quite lovely, Beverly," Hannibal assured gracefully, which only made Will want to go hide in his room and never return again. Hannibal stepped closer and put his hand up to block his mouth from Will's view but didn't dare lower his voice in the slightest. "And I don't look too bad on my knees either, if you must know."
The smile that broke over Beverly's face helped ease the embarrassment Will was feeling, but not nearly to the point where his face wasn't burning hot. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at the floor.
"That is not what we are here to discuss," Will got out which only led to Beverly's laughter filling the room.
"We will be discussing it later," she warned, a hand taking Will's arm. "What are you here to discuss then if not that?"
Will inhaled deeply. It was a lot to ask of her, but she was the one who would be the best suited for the task. Beverly had always seemed to Will like the FBI, CIA, and NSA all bundled up together with the information she could find out on anyone when asked. It was one of the reasons she wanted to go into a criminology field.
"We need some security moving forward," Hannibal explained, the seriousness of his tone causing the flush to finally subside from Will's face and the smile to drop from Beverly's.
"I'm not sure I quite understand-"
"If Matthew lied to Hannibal about not remembering that I can speak, we need a fall back plan," Will filled in, straightening up a bit more now, finally comfortable with the room. "There were a few options like transferring school, but Hannibal and I don't want to and we're certain that you wouldn't want to either. And I don't want to leave you, so-"
"You need me to find dirt on Matthew." Beverly gave a slow nod. "I can do that. Won't be a problem. He's a shitty enough person as is. Won't be too hard."
"And then we need a neutral space to meet him," Hannibal continued on. "You have a shift tonight at that diner, don't you?"
"Unfortunately yes." Beverly cracked her knuckles and turned away from the two of them. "I will have something before my shift starts," she called as she disappeared down the hall and towards the bedrooms.
"Told you she's the best." Will gave Hannibal a smile and he nodded, reaching out to pull Will to him.
"Yes, you did," he agreed, kissing Will.
Will smiled through the kiss and allowed his hands to travel over Hannibal's chest.
"And this will work." The words were said partly in self assurance but also so the universe would hear and understand that its job was to indeed make sure that their idea worked to its fullest.
"It should." Hannibal brushed a curl back from Will's face. "I'll make sure that he ends up in that restaurant tonight and I'll be there the whole time if things get out of hand." Will received another kiss that was swiftly interrupted by Beverly stalking back into the room with an open laptop in hand and a rather loud:
"No sex in the main part of the house please. I like to stand at the refrigerator at three in the morning and eat shredded cheese straight from the bag and if I know your sad white asses were any present surfaces I won't be able to enjoy my depressive nightly ritual in peace."
"Bev," Will groaned, his forehead falling onto Hannibal's chest. "Do you have to-"
"Yes and yes," she cut in, sitting at the dining room table. "Also I need a strong shot of whatever form of tequila we have in the fridge." Will hid his laugh and shook his head against Hannibal. When there was no movement Will could sense the room shift. "Did I stutter? Weirdo with the accent, tequila. Now."
"Me?" Hannibal asked back with a hint of surprise to his voice, though there was a smile there as well.
"Who else has an accent?" Beverly countered, the sound of her typing filling the space.
"The two of you do."
"Do you want dirt on Matthew? Or should I tell Will about the pictures I have of you in a high school performance of-"
"Yes, yes, alright." Hannibal was swift to push Will aside and head for the kitchen leaving Will in a whirlwind of new information and he rushed after Hannibal. "Single or double."
"High school what?" Will asked.
Hannibal ignored him and opened up the fridge, pulling out a bottle of clear liquid.
"Double," Beverly said smugly. "And never you mind dear darling William Graham. If he steps out of line I will be more than happy to send you the pictures."
"You wouldn't dare," Hannibal hissed, the bottle of tequila clattering as he set it on the counter a bit harsher than what was necessary. "Where are the glasses?"
"Cabinet by the sink," Will replied absently, looking between the two of them. "What are you two on about?"
"You think I didn't do some digging on Mr. Fancy pants here after he asked you out for coffee?" Beverly had stopped typing, her hand outstretched and waiting for the drink that Hannibal was grumpily pouring for her.
"You didn't." Will laughed and moved over to the dining table, taking a seat beside Beverly.
"I wasn't about to let you go out with some cannibalistic psycho serial killer. His aunt is a very lovely woman who was more than happy to divulge all sorts of information. But if he doesn't hurry up I'm gonna mention the tights and-"
"Here." Hannibal forced the cup into her hand and Beverly inspected it closely, giving Will the chance to take in the flustered nature that Hannibal had taken on. It was so unlike him and the cool and collected person Will had come to know. Even the anger from yesterday embodied Hannibal better than the discomposed man before him. "Anything else?"
"Did you give me half the bottle?" Beverly taunted, the corner of her lips ticking up into a smile. "You're never allowed to work behind a bar."
"You didn't have any actual shot glasses and I have not been formally trained." Hannibal huffed and rolled his eyes. "I can possibly mix it with the half drunk coke in the frid..." Hannibal's sentence died and Will bit his tongue as he watched Beverly down the entirety of the glass she had been poured. "What is wrong with you?"
The oddness of the words coming from the mouth of someone like Hannibal made will snort out his laughter, cheeks hurting with how big a smile he was wearing.
"Someone is threatening my friend and I really hate working at that diner." Beverly set the glass aside and went back to typing.
"And how on earth did you get ahold of my aunt?" Hannibal was exasperated and Will nearly wanted to instruct the man to sit down. "She moved back to Japan when I came to the states to go to school. And she only knows Japanese."
"You can speak Japanese?" Will found himself asking, realizing he had never gotten a solid answer to that question the last time Hannibal was there.
Beverly simply shrugged. "He also knows French, Italian and German, she also can sign and Google translate is not that hard to use."
"That's impressive," Will complimented and Hannibal straightened up a bit at the words as if they did something to help boost his ego.
"It's fairly common in other countries to know more than one language, but thank you." He let out a deep and cleansing breath. "What else did my aunt tell you?"
"Nothing too terribly important," Beverly assured, though her voice was anything but encouraging. "But I am not afraid to use what information I have gathered against you."
"I don't know if I like this new side of you very much."
"Hanni, love." Will breathed out a laugh at the tenseness that took over the man's shoulders at the name calling. "You don't want to be on my bad side, but I promise that this side of me is one you will find a way to love when I can tell you everything about a Mr. Matthew Brown. Age twenty-two. Brown hair, brown eyes. Multiple police reports for domestic abuse."
"You're right, Beverly." Hannibal took the back of her chair and leaned over her shoulder, placing a kiss to her cheek. "I could fall madly for you."
"The way you ran out of class yesterday was cute."
Will jumped at the voice by his ear and turned to face the person he least wanted to see on this whole planet. "Matthew," he muttered before he could stop himself. He watched as Matthew rounded the booth and sat opposite Will. He leaned against the table, tapping out a rhythm with his hands as he did so.
Even though he knew Beverly had sat him in her section and was watching him and that Hannibal was waiting in the back for anything to go down, an uneasiness filled Will's chest. He was safely in public, but Matthew had proven himself more than capable of managing himself while drunk and Will wasn't too horribly curious what the man could do while sober.
The air cleared long enough for Will to catch his breath as Beverly came to stand beside the table. She looked bored as she placed the menus before them. She eyed Matthew for a moment and Matthew returned the unfriendly glare. "What can I get you to drink tonight?"
"Waters will do just fine," Matthew answered for them as if they were really together. As if this weren't a set up. As if Beverly didn't know who he was. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"Don't call me that," she instructed, plastering a smile to her mouth that betrayed her tone of voice. "Be right back." She left the table and Will fought the urge to grab onto her apron and ask her to stay.
He was safe, perfectly safe. He just had to remember that he was. Everything was going smoothly and just as they had planned. Matthew had taken Hannibal's bait of telling Jimmy and Brian about his date after his last class and that last class was still going. It was set up beautifully, yet Will's hand still reached out for the file of information that they had printed out. He pulled it closer to his person across the booth seat.
Matthew inhaled sharply through his teeth with a smirk on his lips. "See, I knew it." The words were lazy as they directed themselves towards Will. His hands kept tapping the table, only adding to Will's heart from racing. "And here you were thinking I wouldn't remember."
"You remember," Will stated, trying to ground himself a bit more into the space and dispel the want to dissolve through the back of the booth and into nothingness. He met those dangerous brown eyes that held a frozen rage in them.
"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Matthew demanded, hands becoming tight fists in a motion that shook the table between them, causing the salt shaker to fall over. Will didn't speak, simply kept his gaze locked with Matthew's. "I don't think I need to go repeating myself when you can hear just fine and have been able to this whole time."
"Why did you lie to Hannibal?"
"And have your little fuck boy come after me?" Matthew scoffed with a roll of his eyes. His demeanor changed in a moment as a glass of water was set in front of him and he smiled charmingly up at Beverly.. "Thank you sweetheart." Will shuddered at how sickly sweet the words were, dripping with honey. "I think we'll both need a bit more time deciding on what we'd like."
Beverly sucked on her teeth, unimpressed and nodded. "Sure," she agreed with a strong annoyance in her voice. There was a delicate balance she had to play between being the eyes and ears for Hannibal and actually doing her job without alerting any of her coworkers or the other patrons what was happening and Will could see how hard she was restraining herself, her hate being something she didn't keep quiet. Reluctantly she left once more and Matthew took a deep drink of his water.
"I'm not stupid," he continued on in a low voice, the sugar stripped from it. "I know what battles to pick and which ones to pass by."
"He's on his way here," Wll warned, stealing a look to the outside world that was pitch black and nearly impossible to see with the reflections of the lights inside of the restaurant. "And he is not going to let-"
"Going to let me do what?" Matthew taunted. "He won't be here for a while."
Will's brows furrowed and he leaned back in the booth. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I took care of it."
Will fought the curiosity of looking back to find where Beverly was just to get a confirmation of the truth. Hannibal was here. Will knew he was. They had had to work hard to hide him somewhere Beverly's employers wouldn't accidentally find him.
Instead of movement, Will turned his curiosity towards Matthew. "What did you do?"
"I didn't hurt him if that's what you're afraid of." Matthew rested his chin in one of his hands as if he had suddenly grown bored with the conversation. "I just put a few obstacles in his path to distract him. But seeing how that perked you up, maybe I should have."
Will didn't have to deal with this. He could end this now. He had all the needed evidence right there beside him. He just had to put it on the table and he wasn't sure why he didn't, why he kept speaking.
"What do you want, Matthew?"
Matthew let out a bored sigh. "Don't go all compliant on me," he instructed. "There's no fun when you don't fight."
"I don't want to fight you Matthew," Will tried to assure.
"That's not how this works." Will flinched at the harshness. "You don't get to make the rules here. I do."
Will nearly laughed aloud, the file beginning to singe his fingers as he caressed it. He leaned over the table, a smile playing at his lips and Will couldn't deny he loved the way it darkened Matthew's glare.
"Then what do you want?" Will challenged, his eyes daring Matthew to admit that he was angry that Will was no longer scared. If he was going to face Matthew, he was going to do it head on. No one else was here to take care of it for him. He had gotten himself into this mess and he was going to get himself out one way or another. "If they're interesting enough, I'll play. What are the rules?"
Matthew clicked his tongue and Will kept his eye on him, carefully taking in every small movement he made. Matthew wasn't sure anymore, but Will knew he wouldn't back down. Matthew would hold onto his bluff until he ran out of poker chips to bet. But Will wasn't going to play victim anymore. He wasn't going to be the prey.
"I want everyone to know," Matthew stated.
Will nodded. "Naturally."
"I want you to go to the school board and tell them that you've been lying from the moment you sent in your application."
"Of course."
The vein in Matthew's temple twitched at that and his hands formed into fists once more. Will just had to keep this up. The more he could shove Matthew off balance the better his threats would stick. He needed the upper hand in this and he was going to get it.
"And then I want you to leave. Out of this school. Out of this city."
"I'm sure that won't be a problem if I tell the school board everything," Will agreed with a nod.
Had he really made Matthew look like such a fool? Had he somehow hurt Matthew so deeply that the man couldn't let this go? There had to be something else there. Something more than just this anger. Unless it really were that simple. Had Matthew just let the emotions boil until they spilled over and now Will was faced with this? How many people had Matthew tried to convince that Will could speak and he had been told he was lying or crazy? Obviously enough.
"No." Matthew shook his head, jaw clenched to the point where Will thought Matthew's teeth would crack. "You don't get off this easily."
Will let out a chuckle and waited for the snap. When it didn't come, he pushed again. "I sure hope not. But you've already left your marks on me for everyone to see." Will reached up and ran a finger over the bruising across his left cheek. Loops, arches and whorls embedded in his skin.
"I will admit that was satisfying." Matthew's smile was twisted as it took over his face. "The way you broke down in tears was even more so. I want to see them again." Will's head tipped to the side and he tried to turn his face to one of contemplation. "Cry for me, Graham."
The words left Will before he could think about what they were, what they meant, what they held. And the way they lit up Matthew's eyes. The way they turned the rage to something of deep rooted pleasure was unnerving.
"Make me."
"You're dead Graham."
Will barely registered the words before he was being grabbed. His head was shoved into the tabletop and he gasped as the icy water spilled and covered him. The breath was hot as it caressed his ear, the contrast sharp. "I'm going to make you cry, Graham." Matthew laughed, the sound jolting. Will's eyes squeezed shut tightly. "And I am going to enjoy every second of it."
The entirety of the restaurant fell silent, the light chatter that had been there dead now. Will could feel all of the restaurant staring at them as he struggled against the powerful hold that he refused to be victim to ever again.
He was released and Will sat up to watch as Hannibal struggled to restrain Matthew. Beverly was swiftly at Will's side, using the cloth napkin from the silverware to pat dry his face.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
"Fine," Will assured, more preoccupied with the way Hannibal had twisted one of Matthew's arms behind his back.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" a booming voice demanded, a larger black gentleman coming from the kitchen. Will knew him as Jack, but only from Beverly. He had never met the man in person, but his reputation proceeded him. "Hurting a customer in my restaurant? Are you out of your goddamn mind?"
"I was-"
"I don't care what you was," Jack mocked. "Get the fuck out of my restaurant. And if I find you anywhere near this place again, I'll call the cops."
"I'll take him out," Hannibal assured, dragging the struggling Matthew with him.
Will glanced over to Jack when Jack turned to him, but he didn't much care what the man was going to say. Instead he gathered up the paperwork and got to his feet.
"I'm so sorry about that," Jack said.
"It's fine."
"Will," Beverly muttered, taking his hand to stop him. "Maybe let Hannibal deal with this?"
Will shook his head. "This is my mess. I'm going to finish this." Will turned his attention to Jack with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about the mess."
"It's not a-"
But Will didn't hear the rest. He rushed from the booth and to the door that Hannibal had already exited out of. He shoved through the door and out into the night. The single light in the front of the restaurant caught the leftover dampness from the rainstorm and glittered across the black top and loose gravel of a badly managed parking lot, making it look like it would swallow you whole if you stepped into the wrong puddle.
"If you lay another hand on him, I will end you," Hannibal's voice threatened and Will headed towards the edge of the parking lot where they were standing. Hannibal shoved Matthew and Will raced forward when Matthew turned around, blood in his eyes. "Will," Hannibal warned when he stepped between the two of them.
He faced Matthew head on, holding out the file. "These are my rules, Matthew. We'll be playing my game. Not yours."
"The fuck you on about?" Matthew snatched up the file and opened it up, looking over the paperwork. Hannibal was swift to try to shift Will behind him, but Will stopped Hannibal with a single hand to Hannibal's arm. Hannibal nodded, breathing hard, waiting, ready for whatever unhinged thing Matthew was bound to do next. It took a few moments longer before the color drained from Matthew's face and he looked up from whatever he had been reading. "What is all this?"
"I think it's very clear what it is," Hannibal nearly spat.
"If you let slip the fact that I can actually speak to anyone, especially the head of the school, I will give them this," Will threatened. "I will show them how you hacked into the system and changed your background check. I will show them the police reports of you beating your disabled mother, the police reports of you trespassing and breaking into homes and businesses and I sure as fuck will be more than happy to show them the current warrant that's out for your arrest because you skipped a mandated court appearance and skipped town."
Matthew was utterly silent, the file in his hands trembling slightly, though the rest of him stood strong.
"We'll keep this quiet if you stay quiet about Will and never speak to him again," Hannibal said. "But so help me god, if you even look in his direction or if anything happens to Will's education because you told, you will be going down in the same hellfire as him. Is this a hill you're willing to die on?"
The file was shut and Will could hear the material bend as Matthew's fist closed around it. The bitter fury was held back in a cold stare and Wil swore time had stopped around them as they stood by patiently for anything to happen.
Not a single word was spoken. Matthew simply turned away and started through the parking lot. It wasn't until his person had faded into the night that either of them dared to move or speak.
Hannibal was the first, turning to face Will and taking his face in warm hands. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine," Will assured with a small smile.
"Never again." The promise was sealed with a kiss and Will leaned into it.
He was free. This was all over. He could stay here, keep going to school. He could tell who he wanted to tell and maybe someday his secret would get out, but it would be by his terms and not by Matthew's.
"Dinner?" Will asked when the kiss was broken.
Hannibal laughed and shook his head. "You're impossible."
"I'm hungry," a different voice called behind them. "And I think I want to forgo the processed cheese tonight if you both don't mind." Will turned to see Beverly standing near the diner's door, arms folded over her chest. "I know the chef. He'll give us extra potatoes on the special if I ask nicely."
"How could we possibly say no to extra potatoes?" Hannibal questioned.
Will's hand slid into Hannibal's and he gave a small pull. "We can go home and celebrate after dinner."
"We'll grab more alcohol on the way home," Beverly agreed. "I finished off the tequila."
"Where do you put it?" Will called, dragging Hannibal along with him.
Beverly shrugged, disappearing through the door. Before Will could follow Hannibal pulled him back and kissed him once more.
"Is this what our life will always be like?" he asked softly. "One big mess?"
"Do you want it any other way?" Will challenged.
"As long as I'm beside you, I can't think of any better way to spend the time."
Will smiled and stepped back, hands quickly signing.
I love you.
Hannibal sighed with his own grin, hands signing right back.
"I love you, too."
