Chapter Text
When the Bluff Erodes
Chapter 1
Will finishes buttoning his new plaid shirt, running his hands down the soft fabric to adjust the fit of the sleeves. He takes a step back to look himself over in the streaky mirror. His hair is a bit more manageable today than usual which may be a good omen. And he can’t smell the sparingly applied aftershave, the same one that Hannibal found to be so offensive. But when you grow up poor you don’t just throw things away, especially when they’re a gift, you use them up until nothing is left. So that’s what Will does with the aftershave his father sends him each and every Christmas; probably thinking that the ship on the bottle elicits fond memories from his childhood. It doesn’t. The only thing the aftershave elicits is a musky cedar whenever Will sweats, which depending on the day can be quite often.
He takes off his glasses to tuck them into the front pocket of his shirt, feeling comfortable with himself this morning. This tealish blue, Hannibal would probably know the exact color name, and grey color combination really does compliment his eyes. The woman at the register wasn’t just being polite or trying to make conversation.
Will rolls his shoulders and adjusts his neck before turning away from the mirror. He needs to attend to the pack before he leaves for Quantico. They already had their long walk/play time and breakfast. Now he just needs to check the various water bowls for refilling, let them out for another bathroom break and then it’s treats all around, which should hold them over for the few hours he’ll be away. Even though it may piss Jack off if Will leaves in the middle of a consultant again for three hours or so. But this is the routine that his strays have gotten used to when he was teaching, Jack be damned.
Once Will settles in the car he's at a loss, never quite knowing what to do with himself on the longish drive to the lab. Music seems inappropriate but letting his thoughts wander into the dark forest of his imagination is best saved for when he's safely at home in bed alone. Instead, he maps out the various directions Hannibal will lead him during their therapy session tonight and how to artfully evade the more personal questions. He gets to scenario eight when he parks in a visitor's spot.
He checks in at the security desk and attaches the visitor's badge to his shirt, feeling the guard's eyes linger longer than usual over his chest. Will dismisses this attention and heads straight to the examination room for the prelim conference about a body that was found in a daisy meadow. He opens the door to see that Zeller is the only one waiting. Will feels the apprehension coil in his chest. He takes a long inhale to uncurl the tension. Zeller looks up from the case file with the briefest flash of disappointment and disdain in his eyes as he registers Will’s arrival. To his credit, he recovers quickly with a bright smile. Fake. But big enough to fool anyone else besides Will.
“Hey man. Looks like you beat the crowd. Nice shirt.” He moves closer to Will to inspect the flannel shirt.
Bev and Price are bickering about something as they enter the room, so Zeller gets louder.
“I had one exactly like it, but it had a little bleach stain right,” Zeller points to Will’s right side, near where his elbow is resting, “there.” He finishes, locating a blot of white on Will’s shirt.
“The body has a bleach stain?” Bev asks while walking over to Will, abandoning her conversation with Price, her eyes bright with interest.
Will glares at Zeller for a moment before looking past him to the exit where Hannibal is now standing. Will’s nostrils flare in anger.
Price picks up a case file from the pile that was meant to be passed out once everyone arrived and pages through it. “I don’t see anything about bleach. Just pollen.” He looks to Zeller with his brow furrowed.
Zeller grins. “Not on that body. On Will’s shirt.”