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Chapter Text

“This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us.”
“It’s beautiful.”

Will reached out his blood-soaked hand to touch Hannibal’s shoulder. He squeezed a handful of his sweater, watching as the pools of blood covering it glistened black in the moonlight. He released his grip only to pull Hannibal’s shoulder to him instead, resting his forehead in the crevice of his neck. He could smell Hannibal’s sweat, his heat, and for a moment the scar across his abdomen itched as if it were about to be sliced open just the same as the last time he and Hannibal had embraced this way.
For a breath Hannibal leaned away with the weight of him against his chest, but he just as smoothly leaned forward to bow his head against Will’s. They took heavy breaths, bleeding against one another for a blissful moment before Will realized what he needed to do. He gave only a second’s hesitation before he wrapped his arm around Hannibal’s neck to swiftly pull them both over the edge of the cliffside.
He felt Hannibal’s weight give at first, almost willing to go down with Will if that’s what he wanted for them. But the feeling of falling, heavy and weightless, ended abruptly as Hannibal planted his foot beneath a heavy rock, swinging Will back onto his feet opposite him and pulling him into a fierce kiss before Will could blink. Hannibal stumbled slightly, recovering from the brief loss of balance, but Will pulled him closer just as forcefully.
He had never been caught so off guard before, yet never been so willing to embrace it. He had fantasized about kissing Hannibal since the day he met him, and it felt just as natural as he imagined. His eyes closed, Will imagined that they were still falling, all the way down to the water, knowing with each kiss that the last was coming any second. The vision only made Will thirstier for Hannibal’s lips, the taste of blood and hot breath, but Hannibal finally pulled away to hold Will’s face in his hands.
“Come inside with me, Will.”
Will looked up into his eyes wordlessly, lips still parted. He was still in a position to easily throw them both over the cliffside.
“Okay,” he heard himself say, and the two of them staggered towards the house, each with an arm over the other’s shoulder, occasionally leaning on each other for balance.
Will became aware of just how much blood was still flowing steadily from his shoulder and dripping from his mouth. He used his free hand to feel for the stab wound in his neck and winced. He prayed that Hannibal could stitch it up before he bled out. Will couldn’t take the thought of Hannibal making it out of this without him, all because Will had fallen under his spell yet again.
Will’s vision began rapidly turning to blackness, and he felt himself fall as dead weight against Hannibal. He blinked and found himself in Hannibal’s arms, entering through the threshold of the broken window.
“Stay with me, Will.”
Will’s face turned from a wince to a weak smile as he choked out, “Where else would I go?”
Hannibal smiled to himself as he gently set Will onto the nearest chair. “I’ll be right back with my stitching kit. Try to keep some pressure on your neck. Here,” Hannibal said, passing him a hand towel from the kitchen.
Will did as he was told, and when Hannibal returned with his first aid supplies he sat still as the surgeon cleaned his neck wound. Hannibal began to thread his suture needle.
“This will sting, but you must keep sitting still. Do you need to lie down?”
Will laughed weakly. “Stitch me up, Doctor Lecter.”
His breathing immediately slowed as Hannibal began to stitch his skin together. The pain was icy hot, and became agonizing within seconds. Will let out a low groan and slowly let his head fall back against the chair.
When he opened his eyes again his shirt had been cut, and both of his stab wounds were neatly stitched.
“Hello, Will. I’m glad you’re awake. We need to get moving.”
Will sat up in his chair with a considerable amount of effort as Hannibal handed him a glass of water.
“Whiskey,” he grumbled, finishing the water quickly.
Hannibal returned from the liquor cabinet a moment later with an elegant bottle. “The closest I have here is scotch.”
Will held out his glass for Hannibal, who returned it to his hand full of scotch.
“Thank you,” Will muttered as he took a sip. “Where are we going?”
“Where would you like to go?”
Will scoffed and pondered briefly. “Out on the sea, on a fishing boat,” he decided, bittersweet.
“Then that is where we shall go.”
Will looked up at Hannibal, who met his eyes with a matter-of-fact expression. Averting his gaze, Will peeled off his cut open shirt which was still soaked in blood and sweat. He tossed it on the floor beside him and asked, “Where would you like to go, Hannibal?”
“We really must wash up before we leave. You can use the shower first. I will get fresh towels and clothes in order, and I will bandage your stitches when you are finished. Can you stand up on your own?” Hannibal asked.
Will scoffed and rose from the chair, steadily but far from painlessly.

He was unsurprised upon entering the bathroom to find that it appeared larger than his living room back in Wolf Trap. The shower covered the majority of the space, with an intricate tile flooring and two luxury shower heads. Will turned on the water and stripped off the rest of his filthy clothes.
The water was warm and inviting once Will got past the sharp stinging in his wounds. He began to wash the blood and grime from his limbs and found it inconvenient that Hannibal had three different fancy soaps instead of men’s 3-in-1. The glass door had only just begun to steam up when Hannibal entered with towels and a clean outfit for him.
Will found himself worried that Hannibal was looking at him. He quickly reminded himself that Hannibal had seen much uglier parts of him than anything on his body, and he faced the hot water as he scrubbed the shampoo from his hair.
“It appears that today will be the day I finally introduce you to a finer aftershave,” Hannibal said, notable amusement in his voice, and Will knew he was smirking.
Will bit the inside of his cheek to avoid smiling and glanced over at Hannibal, who was leaned over the sink shirtless and rinsing blood from his face. He took a moment to appreciate the way the man’s back muscles moved with his arms. Hannibal met his eyes in the foggy mirror as he continued to scrub his face. Will held his gaze.
“That would be a lot faster in here, y’know,” Will said, almost casually.
Hannibal turned off the sink and dried his face. “Are you inviting me into the shower with you, Will?”
Will felt himself blush. “What do you think, Hannibal?”
Hannibal looked Will’s body up and down as he began to take off his pants. Will tore his gaze away from Hannibal’s boner as he felt his heart accelerate. He returned his focus to scrubbing at the last blood stain still remaining on his chest. He heard the shower door slide open behind him as Hannibal stepped inside. Will slowly turned to gaze upon him.
The man so often thought of as a monster certainly had a beast-like quality about him, but as Will’s eyes wandered his body he could only think of him as stunningly beautiful. He stepped forward and placed one hand in Hannibal’s chest hair and the other on his bicep. The hot water from Will’s hands dripped onto his skin and down his body. Will lifted his chin to meet Hannibal’s eyes, breathing against his lips once again. Hannibal’s expression was entirely unreadable, but he stared right back into Will’s eyes. Tilting his head ever so slightly, Will leaned forward and kissed Hannibal softly, not pulling away.
Hannibal’s lips returned his gentleness, but within seconds they were both breathing hard, biting and pulling each other closer, and Will wasn’t sure whether it was he or Hannibal who had initiated the change in pace. Will brought his hand down to Hannibal’s dick, moving back and forth until he heard Hannibal’s moan turn into a whimper. A smug smile broke across Will’s face. He chuckled.
“Not so tough now, are you, Doctor Lecter?”
A low growl formed in Hannibal’s throat. Will saw his eyes flash with hostility, and then all he could see was the tile wall pressed against his face. The tile edges dug deeper and deeper into Will’s skin as Hannibal put him in his place. Will groaned in pain and satisfaction, pushing his hands against the shower wall to relieve the fresh scars on his face. He felt Hannibal’s hand in his hair, and his head was yanked backwards as Hannibal slammed his hips into him.
The wound in Will’s neck felt as though the stitches had been ripped out. He savored the urge to push Hannibal off of him, forcing the pain to stop, and he was both excited and terrified at how Hannibal might react if he acted on it. Hannibal released his grip on Will’s hair and moved his hand down to explore his body as he fucked him. The touch of his hands was so warm and strong it felt instinctively safe, against Will’s better judgment.
Hannibal’s grip on Will’s hip bone tightened as he moaned with pleasure, coming into him. Will was grateful he was still facing the wall, hiding his smile from Hannibal. He knew that the last thing he should be feeling right now was pride, so Will tried not to wonder what the sensation in his chest was after Hannibal used his scar-ridden body to cum.
He allowed Hannibal to push him down by the shoulders into a sitting position on the raised tile platform. Will lifted his head back, exposing his neck to Hannibal in submission. Hannibal wasted no time in wrapping his hands around his neck and squeezing tightly. Will’s vision began to fade to black, but he was inexplicably unafraid that Hannibal might kill him.
When his vision returned, Hannibal’s mouth was wrapped around his dick, and Will was in more pleasure than he had ever felt before. He moaned Hannibal’s name, shamelessly loud, and came into his mouth. Hannibal swallowed, licking his lips as Will tugged on his hair tiredly. He stood, letting Will’s hand slide off his head, and held out a hand to help him up.
“It’s not just my compassion for you that is inconvenient, Will. I need to get cleaned up, and you need to get dressed. Jack Crawford is on our trail.”
Will took his hand to stand up but did not meet his eyes again. “Then hurry up. I’ll be ready in 5,” he said, sliding open the shower door and stepping out.

Chapter Text

Will was relieved for once that Hannibal had obnoxiously luxurious tastes because the towel he had set out for Will was soft against his still burning wounds, and it dried him off quickly. He began to dress himself in the outfit that Hannibal had chosen for him, giving into the temptation to turn his gaze to the shower. The glass door was too foggy now to make out Hannibal’s figure, but he still liked to watch the silhouette of him run his hands through his hair. His gunshot wound seemed to still be bleeding, and Will realized he had taken out the bullet on his own, using only surgical tape to stitch it up while Will was passed out from the blood loss and pain.
Will buttoned up his pants and began to gently dab at his own last few bleeding wounds with a tissue. He could still leave, now, while Hannibal was still distracted. Just take the car, call Jack, and pretend nothing happened after they killed Dolarhyde besides first aid. He walked into the master bedroom and sat on the bed. Where would he even go? Back to his family? His stepson already hated him, and Molly would never be the same because of him. He missed his dogs, their dogs, but he knew Molly and Walter would take good care of them.
Out at sea on a fishing boat did sound nice, but who other than Hannibal could get him a decent boat and enough supplies to last him with less than a day’s notice? He heard the shower turn off. He had hesitated too long. Wherever he was going, he was going with Hannibal. Will watched from the bed as Hannibal stepped onto the rug and began to dry himself off. Hannibal’s eyes met Will’s, and Will wondered if he had been checking to make sure he was still there. I need more scotch, Will thought, and made his way to the kitchen.
He sat at the counter, sipping on a glass of ridiculously fancy scotch until Hannibal returned, clothed in a new sweater. He picked up his gauze and bandages and approached Will, who was still shirtless. Will allowed him to dress his wounds, looking down to avoid eye contact.
“Good as new,” Hannibal said with a satisfied smile when he was done.
Will looked up at him to raise a disbelieving eyebrow, which Hannibal ignored.
“Scotch is not going to help your body regenerate your lost blood. Drink some water and put on your shirt. We need to leave soon.”
Will rolled his eyes, annoyed at how bossy he sounded, as if Will would do anything Hannibal asked of him. He picked up his glass and swallowed the rest of his liquor in two large gulps, setting it down with a light slam. He shot Hannibal a defiant look before walking back to the bedroom and putting on his shirt. Hannibal followed to enter the bathroom and returned smelling of rosewood and lemon, still rubbing cologne into his neck. The smell was too sweet for Will, causing him to wrinkle his nose, and Hannibal looked at him with such adoration and amusement that Will wanted to puke. Sometimes he thought perhaps Hannibal found it alluring that he was a man of lesser tastes. Will didn’t know exactly what it was about himself that so drew Hannibal’s interest, but if he did he would remove it like a tumor.
Hannibal touched a hand to Will’s face, tracing the scars left by the shower wall with his thumb. Will winced when the traces of cologne left on his finger made the cuts sting, but he closed his eyes and leaned into Hannibal’s touch. Maybe the scent wasn’t so bad after all.
“Ready?” Hannibal asked, his voice soft.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Will breathed, taking Hannibal’s wrist to move his hand away from his face. His touch reminded Will how he was first hooked by Hannibal’s charm so many years ago, but their relationship was well past charming now.
Hannibal picked up a duffel bag that he must have packed while Will was in the kitchen, and they walked out to the stolen police car together. It was pitch black outside other than the moonlight, so it was easy to see the flashing red and blue lights way off in the distance. Hannibal got in the driver’s seat, and Will followed into the passenger’s, taking one last whiff of the ocean.
They drove silently and at a steady pace for what seemed like about an hour. Will checked his watch: 3:47am. He began to search through the radio stations, and it wasn’t long before they heard a female radio host discussing the shocking news of Hannibal Lecter’s escape.

“…Law enforcement would like everyone in or near the Baltimore area to be on high alert, and to know that Lecter is highly dangerous and should not be approached. He is a six foot white male with gray-blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen in a white hospital jumpsuit with the man known as Will Graham, who is a five foot ten white male with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Last seen in a navy blue jacket and jeans, however, it’s unclear whether mister Graham is a threat as well, or simply a hostage of Lecter’s. Authorities advise that you stay as far away from both individuals as possible. If you see either of these men, please call the emergency hotline at one-eight—“

Will turned the radio off altogether and sat back in his seat. He wasn’t quite sure himself whether he was a threat or a hostage, or perhaps something else. Will looked out the window and saw that they were entering a small, dinky-looking town. After a minute or two, Hannibal pulled into the parking lot of a small church and stopped beside an isolated black sedan. They both looked around, Hannibal to make sure nobody was nearby and Will to try to figure out where the hell they were.
“You’ll need to step out of the car and keep watch while I pick the lock,” Hannibal stated, opening the glovebox at Will’s knees to look through it.
Will scoffed quietly. “You mean while you steal another car?”
Hannibal stared at him blankly. “Yes.”
Will sighed and stepped out of the police car to lean against it, looking around for any sign of potential witnesses. Gazing into their new ride, Will quickly realized that all the doors were already unlocked.
“What are you doing, Hannibal?” he asked, leaning his head back into the car.
Hannibal looked irritated. “Looking for something long enough to bust the lock with. Here.”
Will smiled to himself and cracked open the sedan’s driver side door. Hannibal looked up at him, thoroughly irritated now. Will couldn’t help but laugh at the sour expression on his face, and he walked over to the passenger’s side as Hannibal stood from the police car.
Will watched, smirking, as Hannibal struggled to hotwire the engine for nearly two minutes. However thoroughly amusing it was to see Hannibal unskilled at something, it was becoming tedious.
“Move. Switch seats with me,” Will demanded, opening his door.
“I nearly have it,” Hannibal dismissed, but Will stood and walked to the driver’s side anyway.
Hannibal reluctantly switched seats with Will, who had the car running almost as fast as he sat down. They pulled out of the parking lot slowly, towards the interstate.
“Head south,” Hannibal muttered, and Will nodded.

He continued to drive southbound until the gas tank ran low, and then took the next exit when he realized the sun was beginning to rise. Leaving Hannibal in the car at the gas pump, he went into the convenience store to take a piss and buy a bottle of whiskey. He returned wearing a new, cheap baseball cap and carrying a paper bag to find Hannibal sitting in the driver’s seat. Relieved that he didn’t have to ask him to drive, Will sat down and cracked open his bottle. He threw back as much as he could swallow before putting it away at his feet. Hannibal drove them straight back to the interstate.
“What’s the plan, Hannibal? Where are we going?” Will asked, exhausted.
Hannibal looked over at Will, analyzing him for a second. “We can buy a boat in Georgia. When we reach Mexico, we spend a short while there. From there I thought we could find a place, perhaps in British Columbia.”
Will shook his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Find a place? You’re on the FBI’s most wanted list. And we— Well, frankly, I don’t want to ‘find a place’ with you,” Will snapped.
Hannibal was silent for a moment. “Where will you go?”
Will laughed bitterly at the irony of it all. “I have nowhere to go, you made sure of that.”
“Come with me, then. We can find new places to go.”
Will glared at Hannibal, furious that he could keep a straight face after saying something so ridiculous. “Don’t you hear yourself, Hannibal? You destroyed my life, and you think you can just step in and give me a new one? Maybe you really are insane after all.”
Hannibal was quiet again. “Only until you figure out where it is you want to go.”
Will wanted to scream it in his face, but he kept a low voice, “What makes you think that I would rather do that with you?”
“I’m not forcing you to be here, Will. You are not my hostage.”
This only infuriated Will further, but more towards himself than Hannibal. With no good refutation to Hannibal’s point, he picked up his bottle of whiskey and took several chugs.
“Where are we going to buy a boat in Georgia?” Will asked, his tone steadying.
“I may know of a place,” Hannibal replied.

Chapter Text

Will had continued to drink until he fell asleep, and he didn’t wake until Hannibal parked the car in a small boatyard. He squinted as he sat up, but his eyes still ached from the light of the sun.
“What time is it?” Will asked. He felt lightheaded and combined with a headache, he was beginning to think Hannibal was right about drinking water instead of whiskey after a huge loss of blood.
“Nearly 6pm. I will be back. There is someone I need to talk to here,” Hannibal said, climbing out of the driver’s seat.
Will sat up to watch Hannibal walk into a little cabin just off the water. When Hannibal was out of his sight, Will stood from the car to stretch and get some fresh air. The smell of the ocean was hardly the same down here. It reminded him more of Louisiana than Baltimore. He made an attempt at fixing his hair before following Hannibal into the cabin, but when he opened the door he could only hear Hannibal and the owner speaking in French. He strode forward to stand behind Hannibal.
“I am sure I have the boat for you, sirs,” the owner said to Will in a thick French accent. He looked from Hannibal to Will and then back to Hannibal. “One bed or two?”
“Two,” Will replied, and at the same time he heard Hannibal say ‘one, please’, mirroring the stranger’s French accent.
Hannibal looked back at Will with a slight smile, his eyes stating clearly you know I’m right. The stranger turned his gaze back to Hannibal.
“One,” Hannibal reaffirmed with a nod.
Will stayed silent but glared at the back of Hannibal’s head.
The boatyard owner led them out of his cabin to one of the larger, fancier boats on the docks. He discussed with Hannibal in French for a minute or two beside the boat, and then he handed Hannibal the keys.
“Merci,” Hannibal said to him, and the man went on his way. Hannibal turned to Will and handed him the keys in turn. “I’m going to pick up supplies. I will be back in roughly half an hour. Settle into the boat and get comfortable.”
Will looked down at the keys without taking them. “One of us is less infamous. I’ll pick up some stuff while you get the boat going.” Hannibal withdrew his hand and pocketed the keys. “Don’t take too long,” he said, nodding towards the car and handing him a modest stack of cash. Will nodded.

He returned from the grocery store about 45 minutes later with several bags of food and supplies. It didn’t occur to Will that he could have stranded Hannibal at the boatyard until he was parking near the docks. He abandoned the car and boarded Hannibal’s new boat. The door to its cabin was locked, so he knocked and waited for Hannibal to appear. Hannibal invited him in, and the cabin had even more space than it appeared on the outside, complete with a lower floor. He found a place to set the grocery bags, and the boat rocked slightly when he set them all down at once.
“Are you ready to go?” Will asked. The boat’s machinery roared, quieting his voice.
Hannibal gestured to the seat behind the steering wheel. “I believe you are the better sailor between the two of us.”
Will smiled. “This boat doesn’t seem very complicated, Hannibal. Just find a place for some of the groceries while I untie it,” he said and stepped out to the dock.
Squatting on the edge, Will untied the ropes binding the dock to the boat. He tried not to think about exactly what he was doing in the big picture. Freddie Lounds was exaggerating when she had said they ran off to Europe together, but now he was about to willingly embark on a journey to Mexico on a boat with Hannibal Lecter, a boat which he had just purchased for none other than Will himself.
He tossed the last loose rope onto the deck of the boat and made his way back into the cabin. Hannibal was seated across from the captain’s chair, looking up at him. Will sat behind the steering wheel wordlessly and began to make his way south across the ocean. The water was loud, but with the cover of the cabin’s walls he could still hear Hannibal speak to him.
“I must say, you chose poor ingredients for us to eat from for the next week.”
“Perishables didn’t seem like much of an option, Hannibal. And we don’t have anything to cook on either.”
“Actually, there’s a freezer chest and a stove downstairs. But at least we’re leaving the US for the time being.”
“Of course there is,” Will muttered, regretting buying so much cereal and jerky. Hannibal had a very particular appetite, after all, and Will couldn’t risk ending up back on the menu.

Once the boat was steered in the right direction and far away from land, Will left his post to explore the lower floor of the boat. There was indeed both a freezer chest and a stove, as well as a cozy looking bedroom with one king size bed. Hannibal’s footsteps followed him down the stairs, but Will did not look over his shoulder. He felt Hannibal slide his hands under his shirt and onto his hips. Will closed his eyes and felt himself lean backward into Hannibal, who began to leave hickeys all over his neck.
“Stop,” Will grumbled, lightly pushing him off.
Hannibal shoved his hands beneath Will’s belt instead. “Come to bed with me,” he whispered in his ear.
Will squeezed his eyes shut, still in a certain level of disbelief that any of this was happening. He pushed Hannibal off of him a bit more forcefully and went up the stairs. Looking around to make sure they were still heading in a safe direction, Will dug around in the remaining grocery bags until he found his new bottle of whiskey. He sat in Hannibal’s chair across from the wheel and drank from the bottle until his thoughts began to ebb away.

The sun had finished setting by the time Will tossed the whiskey aside carelessly and went downstairs to find Hannibal reading a book in bed. He didn’t seem to have a worry in the world, and Will thought of what he had told him before they killed the Red Dragon: You’d be much more comfortable if you just relaxed with yourself.
He climbed into the bed next to Hannibal, sitting close to him and peering over at his book. It was in a language Will couldn’t read, probably Italian. Hannibal continued to read, not looking up at him. To someone who didn’t know Hannibal it would have seemed indifferent, but Will knew it was the doctor’s version of pouting. He tried to remind himself that Hannibal didn’t deserve love, even from somebody as deranged as himself, but Will just wanted to see his twisted smile again. He slipped his hand under the sheets to caress Hannibal’s thigh under his shorts until he felt him get hard. Hannibal shut his book and set it beside himself on the bed, slowly turning his head to face Will.
“You look like hell, Will.”
“I feel like hell,” Will replied with a crooked smile.
“You’ve been drinking whiskey again. Have you had anything else to eat or drink today?” Hannibal asked.
“Just some saltines and half a bottle of water to keep the whiskey down,” Will replied, scoffing. His stomach felt hollow and ached, and his vision was becoming difficult to focus on any one point in the room. Closing his eyes, Will moved down the bed to rest his head on the pillows. He felt Hannibal’s hand in his hair.
“Get some rest, Will. I’ll wake you up for some food in a bit,” Hannibal told him, standing up from the bed.
Obliging, Will kept his eyes closed and didn’t stir until Hannibal returned and sat down on the bed with a sandwich. It took a moment for Will to wake, still quite groggy. He sat up and looked down at the paper plate.
“Is that a chicken sandwich?” Will asked.
Hannibal smiled. “Don’t look at me, Will. I offered to buy the supplies for us.”
Will brought the plate to his lap and took a bite of his food. The sandwich was nowhere near Hannibal’s usual standard for cooking, but Will wasn’t picky. He finished it rather quickly, only just realizing how hungry he was. Hannibal replaced his plate with a bottle of water and some grapes. For a brief moment Will felt as he did back at his old home, with Molly trying to take care of him when he was injured or sick. He wished he could have woken up back in that bed, before Jack Crawford had come to his door yet again. He wouldn’t be any part of this mess, and Hannibal would still be caged by Alana and Chilton.
The short nap and his meal had helped, but Will was still exhausted and drunk. He finished off the water Hannibal had brought him and touched his hand.
“I’m gonna stop the boat for now. We both need to sleep if we’re going on like this,” Will grumbled and headed upstairs, dazed.
When he returned, Hannibal was laying under the covers, shirtless. Will climbed into the bed with him, too cold to even take off his jeans. He scooted in close to absorb Hannibal’s warmth, which was radiating from his entire body and only held back by his briefs. Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will and let his chin rest just above his head.
“Goodnight, Will,” he said softly.
Will was silently amazed at how safe he felt in Hannibal’s arms, encaptured by his warmth and listening to his heart beat.
“Goodnight, Hannibal,” Will whispered back.

Chapter Text

Will felt heavy when he woke up the next morning, as if he had been sleeping for days. Hannibal had gone from the bed and left a bottle of water in his place, which Will chugged before going upstairs. The polished wood flooring was freezing against his bare feet, but the air was fresher than he had smelled in years. He squinted out the cabin windows at the distant Florida coastline. 

“Thank goodness,” Hannibal said from his seat at the wheel. “I thought you might be out past noon.” 

Will sat in the chair opposite him. “You could have woken me up.”

“Nonsense. You look much more handsome when you’re rested,” Hannibal teased with a slight smile.

Will ignored his flirtation and stole some cold breakfast off of Hannibal’s plate. Finishing it off, he gestured flippantly for Hannibal to get out of his seat as he stood up. “Move,” he said curtly. 

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed in his direction, almost a glare, but he moved aside to let Will control the boat. Will slowed the boat significantly and pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. He hadn’t smoked in nearly a decade, but back at the store he had figured that now was as good a time as any to fall off the wagon. He lit his cigarette before opening the side window and hanging his wrist out. After a few hits his headache had nearly melted away. He didn’t bother offering one to Hannibal, knowing how particular he was about what he put in his body. 

“I got you something,” Hannibal said, reaching under the seat.

Will looked up, observing him as he unzipped a long black bag. Hannibal revealed a fishing rod as well as some cheap lures and bait, handing it to Will. Up close Will could tell it wasn’t as high quality as his fishing rod back home, but it would do the job. 

“My apologies for the lack of selection at the docks,” Hannibal said. 

Will stared at him for a moment, then back at his new fishing rod. “No need. I can catch us lunch with this, no problem,” he replied, setting it aside. 

“And I will cook it for us. Combined with your fishing, we should easily have enough food to last us to Mexico.”

“Good,” Will replied, leaving Hannibal and his new fishing rod behind to exit onto the deck of the boat. It was much louder out here, but Will cherished the feeling of the wind in his hair as tiny drops of the ocean hit his face. More importantly, he needed some space from Hannibal to clear his head. He walked to the front of the boat and sat down on the leather bench, squinting against the sun and wind. 

Will stayed there about 20 minutes before Hannibal joined, sitting right beside him. 

“What’s on your mind?”

Will paused. “Too many things.”

“I’m sorry, Will.”

Will glared at Hannibal. “You can apologize for buying me a cheap fishing rod. You don’t get to apologize for the mountain of shit you’ve created out of my life,” he snapped. “And you definitely don’t get to look at me like it was all just one big mistake you made, and you just need me to forgive you again,” Will added, ripping his gaze away from Hannibal’s eyes to watch the ocean. 

Hannibal was quiet. He eventually brought Will’s face back to him with a hand on his cheek. 

“That life wasn’t what’s best for you,” Hannibal said. “We are free now.” 

“I was already free, less than a month ago before I saw you again. I don’t need you like you need me,” Will said coldly, knowing it was a lie. He had rendered Hannibal speechless again, but not long enough. 

“You’re very kissable, Will.” 

Will clenched his jaw in an attempt to not fly into a rage, but he sprang from his seat and wrapped his hands around Hannibal’s neck, squeezing as hard as he could. Hannibal’s lip twitched, displeased, but he otherwise remained still until Will released him. Will stood back, watching Hannibal cough and wheeze as he rubbed the skin on his neck. 

“You can’t kiss without lips, Hannibal,” Will threatened. “Or a tongue.”

“I will watch my mouth, then,” Hannibal agreed hoarsely. 

If Hannibal’s struggle to breathe didn’t satisfy Will, his obedience definitely did. Will placed a knee on either side of Hannibal, straddling his lap and placing one hand under his shirt, the other on the back of his neck. 

“Good,” Will growled and kissed him, rough and passionate. 

Hannibal grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him in closer, unbuttoning it from the top as he kissed back. Will slid the shirt off his shoulders, allowing Hannibal to lay his bare back down on the hot white leather. He was reminded of the ecstasy of their kill, their sex, the time just before Will had come to his senses again. He took Hannibal’s wrist to place his hand on his chest, which Hannibal felt and caressed. 

Will had been in love before, but this felt stronger, more volatile. He moaned and whimpered as Hannibal left hickies and bite marks all over his neck and chest. Hannibal took off his own belt to tighten it around Will’s neck, but Will had already let Hannibal push him into whatever position he wanted. He unzipped Hannibal’s pants and pulled them over his ass with his underwear, immediately kneeling on the floor of the boat. 

“Fuck,” Will whispered to himself. His asshole had been in pain ever since their shower, and he hesitated at the idea of giving his throat the same treatment. Looking up at Hannibal, Will leaned forward and began sucking his dick softly, gradually getting rougher. The noise Hannibal made when Will shoved him down his throat was well worth the pain until Hannibal grabbed the back of Will’s head and shoved himself in deeper. Will choked, struggling to breathe as he tried to rip Hannibal’s hand away, but it held firm as Hannibal pulled out of his throat. 

“Keep going,” Hannibal breathed sternly when Will stopped to catch his breath. 

Tears from gagging leaked from the corners of his eyes, but he obeyed Hannibal, licking and sucking until Hannibal came into his throat, spilling into his mouth. Will swallowed and groaned in satisfaction. Breathing hard, he let his head rest on Hannibal’s inner thigh. Hannibal smiled down at him and pulled at his loose curls, massaging his scalp. 

“You hardly ever seem to disappoint me, Will.” 

Will smiled and layed down on the bench next to him, resting his head on Hannibal’s naked lap. He savored the smell of the ocean and the rocking feeling of being on the water, looking up at the wispy clouds in the sky. He got the sudden and jarring urge to tell Hannibal he loved him, and decided he should probably spit next time. Next time? Good God. I’m pretty sure just not giving him another blowjob would be more of a power move, Will thought snidely to himself. But what else was there to do alone on a boat with a man like him besides fuck?

“I wish I could say the same,” Will eventually replied and sat up to put his shirt back on. 

Hannibal pulled up his pants, standing up as he looked Will up and down. “I didn’t seem to disappoint you the other night.” 

Will glared. “Congratulations Hannibal, you can fuck and suck a dick. Doesn’t exactly make you relationship material.”

“Are you saying you wanted a relationship with me?” Hannibal asked innocently, causing Will to scowl. 

“I used to.”

“You still want me, Will.”

“Yeah, I want you to fuck off,” Will retorted and went back into the cabin to make himself some oatmeal and steer the boat back on course. 

Will had lost track of the days before either of them were able to make out details on the Mexican coastline. At that point it was already evening again, and Will had stopped the boat to fish. He had only caught a little one and tossed it back before Hannibal emerged from the cabin wearing only a pair of shorts. Will watched him walk to the front of the boat, holding the binoculars he had been keeping in his duffel bag. He flicked his fishing rod slightly, still watching Hannibal as he peered through the binoculars towards Mexico.

“You would have made a sexy pirate,” Will said with a smirk. 

Hannibal looked over at him with a smile. “It’s about time we start approaching the coastline. Switching between two outfits is becoming tiresome.”

“Agreed,” Will said as he hooked a new fish.

“Cancún is beautiful, Will. You’ll love it there.”

“I hope so,” he replied, reeling it in.

By the time the sun was setting, Hannibal had somehow made the fish Will had caught taste rather delicious considering the limited and dwindling supplies they had. The boat was moving slowly, but Mexico was getting closer by the minute. Will let his head rest on Hannibal’s shoulder, still sitting at the front of the boat after finishing their dinner. 

“How’s your Spanish?” Will asked.

“Not good,” Hannibal laughed, “but I can manage.”

“I’m not too bad either, but it’ll be difficult for us to play the role of the American tourist. We’re going to stick out.”

“Not if we lay low. Don’t worry, Will. We won’t be staying long anyway,” he reassured him, kissing Will’s hairline. 

“Let’s go inside and finish my whiskey,” said Will. “We’re gonna have to speed up the boat to make it to shore before daylight.” 

He led Hannibal down to the bedroom and pulled out the last of his whiskey. Hannibal followed, now holding a bottle of wine. Will smiled.

“Too fancy for whiskey?” he asked, sitting down on the bed. 

“I do prefer wine, even cheap wine.”

Will cuddled up to his side and let Hannibal wrap his arm around him as he took a swig from his nearly empty bottle. 

“It will be odd to be back on solid ground again,” Hannibal said softly. 

Will was quiet for a moment. “We’re not just going back to land, Hannibal. We’re going back to reality.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“You don’t belong in my reality.”

“I certainly seem to.”

“Why, because I slept with you 3 or… 5 times?” Will asked with a bitter laugh. 

“That, too,” Hannibal replied sweetly. “And the fact that you’re here with me to begin with.”

Will took another swig of whiskey. “I wouldn’t be if you had gotten the boat with two beds,” he joked.

“You know what I mean, Will.”

Will ignored him. “You should get some sleep. I’ll drive the boat.”

“Fine. Wake me up if we get close,” Hannibal said, nudging Will’s head lovingly. 

Will sat up and leaned over to kiss him, not pulling away until Hannibal did. He rested his forehead against Hannibal’s. “I am going to miss this,” he whispered. 

“I’ll be just the same in Mexico.”

“I won't be,” said Will, moving to stand from the bed. 

“Either way, Will,” Hannibal said, grabbing his wrist gently, “you’ll always be lovely.” 

Will smiled and let Hannibal steal another kiss before he grabbed the rest of his whiskey and went upstairs to drive them to the coast.

Chapter Text

Will had woken Hannibal to take over his post nearly halfway through the night after his eyelids began to droop. When Hannibal woke him in turn, the sun was shining and the boat was unmoving. 

“Did we make it?” Will asked him, sitting up tiredly.

“Yes. The boat is all tied up. Just grab anything you want to take with you, and we will be on our way.”

When Will walked out onto the docks, the air was unbearably hot and humid. He looked around at the several other large boats in the surrounding water and wondered how Hannibal had managed to steer them to a place to rent a dock with American cash and no identification. He waited for Hannibal to lock the boat and follow behind him, and they headed for the road together carrying only a duffel bag.

The heat of the sun seemed to suck all the moisture from Will’s body within less than 20 minutes of walking. It frustrated him to no end that Hannibal never seemed to falter in pace as he led Will to some unknown location. 

“Hannibal,” Will called ahead, and was relieved when he stopped and allowed him to catch up. “Can’t we call a cab or something?” 

Hannibal looked smug. “Less than two miles to the right bus stop. Can you handle that?”

“Fuck off,” Will panted. “Did you drink the rest of our water while I was sleeping? I’m so thirsty.”

“You were asleep for a long time, Will, and there wasn’t much left. Just walk with me, and soon you’ll have all the water you need.”

“Why can’t we just get a taxi? You have the cash to buy a boat but not to take a quick car ride?”

“Fine, I’ll get us a ride. But I must remind you that I carried you for miles the night we left Muskrat Farm, and I didn’t stop for any water breaks.”

Will groaned. “That was in the middle of the night, Hannibal, in Michigan. Just– y’know what, forget it. Just get us a cab, please,” he snapped.

He wanted to punch the amused smile off of Hannibal’s face, but instead he followed him down the streets of Cancún until they were in a taxi, driving away from the traffic of the city. Will didn’t want to admit it, but it was beautiful here, especially once they were in the backseat of an air-conditioned car. Sweat was still dripping from Will’s forehead, and he caught Hannibal staring at him when he looked back from the window. His gaze looked hungry, primal. Will sighed quietly and looked away. If they had still been back on the boat, he would have been ready to go down on Hannibal just for giving him that look, but here in reality they were fugitives again. 

Eventually, the taxi pulled into a lot in front of a clean but low-profile motel. Hannibal tipped the driver before leading Will to the entrance. 

“It might be best for you to speak with the staff. I don’t want to draw undue attention,” Hannibal told him.

“What, is your Spanish that bad?” Will teased. 

Hannibal gave him a stern look and opened the front door for him. Will approached the front counter and cleared his throat before asking the attendant if she spoke English. Thankfully, language wasn’t an issue, and he booked them a room with two full size beds. Will was relieved to have running water again and almost immediately went to wash his face in the sink. 

He waited for Hannibal to finish showering before him, ensuring that he didn't make the same mistakes as last time. Hannibal, however, returned from the shower acting like they were still on the boat or his cliffside property, walking around half-naked and humming a song to himself. Will did his best to ignore him and got in the shower, grateful for the opaque curtain. Even with the cheap soap provided by the motel, Will was relaxed at the opportunity to scrub himself clean under warm water again.

Will was reluctant to put his dirty t-shirt back on after his shower, but he didn’t want to give Hannibal the satisfaction of seeing him walk around in just his boxers. When he returned from the bathroom, he switched his shirt out for a slightly less sweaty one from their duffel and settled onto the bed that Hannibal’s hadn’t yet claimed. 

“We need more clothes, and I need a decent meal. When do you want to leave?” Will asked.

Hannibal looked down at the spot beside him on his own bed, and then up at Will. “You can stay here and get comfortable. I’ll see what I can find close by and we can look around more tomorrow.”

Grunting in agreement, Will turned on the TV and began to flip through the channels. Hannibal stood, preparing to leave, and Will waited for the door to lock behind him to slide down in bed and toss the TV remote aside. He could keep flipping through channels trying to find news on the manhunt for Hannibal, or he could make sure Hannibal couldn’t win him over again when he got back. Deciding on the latter, he got himself off under the hotel covers before cleaning up in the bathroom. He told himself he hadn’t been thinking about his time with Hannibal on the ocean and returned to his bed and the television.

From what he could tell based on the news, the FBI had found Dolarhyde’s body on Hannibal’s property. They had also found footage of Will pumping gas outside of a convenience store in North Carolina with Hannibal in the passenger seat. Past that, however, they had no idea where Hannibal and Will had run off to. He switched the channel to a low-quality re-run of the Big Bang Theory and laid his head down for a nap. 

Will woke up just moments before Hannibal entered their motel room. He laid a fresh outfit on Will’s bed for him and began fixing them some food. Will changed his clothes without moving out from under the sheets. He didn’t speak to Hannibal until he handed him his meal. 

“Won’t Jack Crawford find the car we left at the docks?” Will asked, taking the plate.

“I doubt it,” Hannibal replied. “I told the vendor at the docks he could keep it if he emptied it out and destroyed the licensing. Anyhow, it wasn’t a unique model. He’s most likely already sold it off by now.” 

Will scoffed. “I guess this isn’t your first time fleeing the country.”

“No, but this time you are with me,” Hannibal said with a smile. “I found a good place to restock our wardrobe. Would you like to come with me?”

“No thanks,” Will replied without hesitation, and he could tell that it irritated Hannibal. 

“Alright, then. I’ll leave some money with you and be back in a few hours.”

Will gave Hannibal a twenty minute head start before taking the bus to the nearest bar. It was fairly quiet here, and not too brightly lit. Will sat at the counter and ordered a beer. It wasn’t long before he noticed a young woman looking at him from across the bar. She was brunette and well-kept, tanned from wearing hardly more than a bikini in the sunny weather. Will wished he hadn’t let his eyes linger so long because she was on her way over to him now, and he wasn’t interested in small talk regardless of how pretty she was. 

“Hey there,” she said to him with a confident smile, taking a seat beside him. “Wanna buy me a drink?”

“Sorry, but I’m not on vacation and I’m buying with borrowed money, so I don’t think I’m the man you’re looking for.”

“Oh, okay. You’re running away from something. What is it?” the woman asked, undeterred. 

“Among other things, my wife and stepson, so I would really prefer to be alone at the moment,” Will answered, calm but impatient. 

“Damn. My friends do always tell me I know how to pick ‘em,” she replied. “Sounds like you have a lot to get off your mind. Why don’t I buy you a drink?”

Four drinks later, Will was making out with the stranger in the backseat of her rental car. He still hadn’t asked her name, and she hadn’t asked for his. The woman wanted more than his lips, so he got her off with his fingers and tongue until she came. It was a relief to please somebody so unlike Hannibal, someone he didn’t have to feel guilty about fucking. She offered to give Will a blowjob afterwards, but Will declined.  

“Well, raincheck then. You’re the kind of guy I like to give back to,” she said with a smile. “Can I give you my number?”

“I won’t be in town for long. How about I stop by your hotel room tomorrow and we call it even?” Will asked. 

“Sure,” she giggled. “I’ll write down the address.”

Will did his best to straighten out his hair while she grabbed a pen and paper. “Hey, I hate to ask, but would you mind driving me a mile or two? My motel isn’t far, but it would be nice to shorten the walk.”

“Sure, why not?” she agreed, handing him a slip of paper with the address to her hotel room. Will took it, staring at her ass while she climbed into the driver’s seat.

He let her know which direction to drive in without mentioning where he and Hannibal were staying. She dropped him off less than a mile away from the motel, and he thanked her with a kiss on the cheek before stepping out of the car. 

Hannibal was waiting for him in their room when Will arrived. 

“Hey. How’d the shopping go?” Will asked. 

“Not bad,” Hannibal replied from his bed. “We should blend in just fine. Not particularly fashionable, though. Where are you coming back from?”
“The bar.” 

Hannibal looked him up and down. “Have you eaten? I was hoping to take you out tonight.” 

Will sighed. “What happened to laying low?”

“It’s just dinner, Will.”

“Fine,” said Will, sitting down on his own bed. “Where are we going after this? Still Canada?”

“Probably. Why do you ask? Did you have another idea?”

Will shook his head. “Just have a feeling we won’t be able to stay here long.”

Chapter Text

The outfit that Hannibal had purchased for Will to wear to their dinner fit him well, and he left several of the top buttons down to taunt Hannibal from across the dinner table. Hannibal had been a gentleman all night, even opening Will’s taxi door for him on the way in. The restaurant was huge, a bit crowded but not too loud. Hannibal had ordered Will the salmon and a glass of expensive wine, which was unsurprisingly exquisite. 

“So, what is this, Hannibal? Are you trying to win me over with a fancy dinner now?” Will asked, taking a bite of fish. 

“Not at all. I just thought we should have a proper meal together, and I am currently without a kitchen.”

Will grunted. “That’s a shame. Kiss-ass is a good look on you.”

“And you,” Hannibal said with a smile. “Yet you don’t seem to want to kiss me at all since we arrived on shore.”

“Because I don’t.”

“Tell me, Will, what is so different for you about being on a boat that it changes the way you feel about me completely?”

“Hannibal, can we talk about this later?” Will complained with a sigh. “Look, it didn’t change how I feel about you. I was just ignoring reality.” 

“It all felt very real to me.”

Will scowled. “Well, here in civilization, you’re a poison that I need to stop drinking.” 

“Do I taste good to you?” Hannibal asked, looking up at Will for only a brief moment as he cut a piece of chicken. 

Will grit his teeth. “Inconveniently, yes.”

“Then who says you need to stop drinking?”

Will let out an aggravated sigh. “I have to go to the bathroom,” he said, standing and leaving Hannibal at the table. 

The audacity of that man never ceased to amaze Will. He washed his face in the bathroom sink and stared into the mirror. Most of the scars on his face had healed, but Will hardly recognized himself. He wondered if Molly or Walter missed him, or if he would ever see them again. Could they be glad he was gone?

Will was snapped back to his senses as another man came in to use the restroom. He debated just leaving Hannibal at the restaurant, but he didn’t have any money for a taxi. He slowly made his way back to their table and took a seat to finish his food, doing his best to ignore Hannibal. 

Hannibal paid the check and waited as Will finished off his glass of wine. They took a taxi back to the motel, and Will settled into bed. He felt unusually tired, and his muscles felt weak as he lifted the remote to turn on the TV. Figuring he just drank too much throughout the day, he tried to change the channel, but the remote fell from his hand. He looked over at Hannibal to find him observing silently. 

“Hannibal,” Will began shakily, “What did you dose me with?”

Hannibal walked across the room to sit beside Will on his bed. 

“How do you feel?” he asked calmly, touching Will’s face. 

“Pissed off,” Will hissed, trying to sit up straight, but whatever he had been drugged with was hitting him like a train. He grunted with effort and anger. 

“Beautiful,” Hannibal whispered and leaned forward, kissing him. 

Will tried to push him off, but all he could muster was a growl as he struggled against the weight of his own arm. Hannibal began to strip Will of his clothes as he sat, utterly powerless. 

“Hannibal,” Will strained, “Stop. Please.” 

He smiled softly in response and put a finger to Will’s lips. 

“Hush, Will. Allow yourself to enjoy this.”

Hannibal moved to sit on Will’s lap and began kissing his neck roughly. Will closed his eyes and breathed out, furious that Hannibal’s lips and teeth felt so welcome against his skin. He told himself that he was letting Hannibal do this, that he wasn’t completely incapacitated. Hannibal moved his mouth down Will’s body, replacing the hickey’s and bite marks that had healed over, and Will hoped that Hannibal didn’t notice how quickly he got hard. 

“Do you want me, Will?” Hannibal asked, moving a hand to Will’s boner. 

Will simply glared in response, his gaze unfocused. Hannibal began to move his hand against his dick, and a tiny moan escaped from Will’s lips. Moving down the bed, Hannibal let his mouth hover above Will’s dick. 

“Do you want me, Will?” he repeated.

“Yes,” Will breathed out, overcome with anticipation. 

Hannibal satisfied him to no end, and Will struggled against his drowsiness to ensure he felt every second of it. After Will came, Hannibal helped him scoot down the bed before wrapping his arms around him. Will wanted to be angry with Hannibal, furious, even, yet he was relieved that Hannibal had found a way to share a bed with him again in spite of Will’s protests. With his head on Hannibal’s chest, Will finally allowed himself to fall asleep. 

Will didn’t wake until nearly midday the following morning. He smelled bacon, and opened his eyes to Hannibal serving him breakfast. 

“It will be afternoon in a few minutes, Will. It’s a good thing you’re waking up.” 

Will felt a stab of pain in his head as he sat up. 

“Trash can. Hannibal, now,” Will said, covering his mouth. 

If Hannibal had handed him the trash can a second later, Will was convinced he would have puked on the bed. He immediately felt better once he set the can on the floor and sat back against the headboard.

“Are you okay, Will?”

“What the fuck do you care, Hannibal? You’re the one who drugged me last night. You’re the reason I’m vomiting, and not even by accident.”

“Unfortunate side effect. Have some water and breakfast and you’ll feel much better,” said Hannibal, sitting down on Will’s bed. 

Will scoffed but began to eat his breakfast anyway, allowing Hannibal to run his fingers through his hair as he sat beside him. 

“I’m going out to start restocking the boat. Do you need anything before I leave?” Hannibal asked. 

“I’ll be fine,” Will grumbled, annoyed at the caring tone in Hannibal’s voice. 

Hannibal was gone several hours, and Will was relieved to have some time to himself. He continued to feel sick into the afternoon, but the nausea had subsided and the Aspirin was starting to kick in when he remembered his date with the woman from the bar. He pulled the scrap of paper with her address out of his pocket. A date wasn’t exactly on his agenda right now, especially if she was expecting him to perform sexually, but he would hate to stand up a beautiful woman. Deciding he could use a walk, Will grabbed some cash that Hannibal had left for him on the desk and headed out. 

Will arrived at the woman’s hotel room holding two cups of coffee, but when he moved to knock on the door he realized it was cracked slightly open. Frowning, he pushed it open further and called into the room.

“Hello? Anyone in here?”

There was no response. Will entered the hotel room, closing the door behind him and setting down the two coffees.

“Hello?” he called again.

The suite was much bigger than where he was staying with Hannibal. He took a moment to look around before opening the bedroom door. He found the woman laid on the bed in red lingerie, unmoving. Will’s eyes moved to her face. Her eyes were wide open, and her lips had been completely removed. He clapped a hand over his mouth as he felt a surge of nausea. Stepping towards her, he felt her face with the back of his hand. Her skin was freezing cold already, and blood covered her chin and neck. Separating her jaws slightly, Will confirmed his suspicion that her tongue was missing as well.

He had to run to the bathroom to vomit into the toilet in time. Sitting on the bathroom floor, he caught his breath after dry heaving for nearly a minute following the loss of his breakfast. It’s my fault she’s dead, he thought to himself over and over. I killed her.  

He had to get out of here. Will was not willing to go down for another one of Hannibal’s crimes. Flushing the toilet, he went to the sink to rinse out his mouth and return some color to his face. Will grabbed both cups of coffee on his way out, leaving as quickly and calmly as possible and discarding the cups the first chance he got on his way back to the motel. When he arrived, Hannibal was still nowhere in sight. Wasting no time, Will emptied out their duffel bag and began to shove his clothes into it, his Aspirin, anything he might need to leave Mexico. 

Once he heard the door unlocking, Will approached the entrance and landed a punch against Hannibal’s cheekbone as soon as he opened it. Hannibal stumbled, steadying himself against the door frame. Grabbing him by the shirt, Will threw him against the wall and let the door shut.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Will hissed. “I didn’t even know her name!”

Hannibal huffed. “That’s irrelevant. She put her hands on what is mine.”

“I am NOT yours, Hannibal, especially not now. You’re dead to me. Rot in hell,” he spat, releasing him to grab the duffel off of Hannibal’s bed. 

“Will. Where are you going?” he asked sternly.

“I’m leaving, and I’m taking the boat. I don’t care where you go. It’s your turn to track me down this time. Give me the keys.”  

“Will, stop. Set the bag down.”

Will laughed humorlessly. “You’re not understanding me, Hannibal. Give me the keys, now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Will.”

“I don’t care what you do, Hannibal. You’re pathetic. Nobody is ever going to love you, and now you’re worthless to me, too. Now give me the keys or get out of my way.”

Hannibal glared at him, but Will saw more pain behind his eyes than anger. He drew the boat keys from his pocket and stepped out of Will’s way. Will snatched them from him and left, letting the door slam behind him.

Chapter Text

For the first week back on the ocean, Will was relieved to be rid of Hannibal. He tried to enjoy being disconnected from everyone and everything, but by the second week he was becoming rather lonely, left to wonder if Hannibal was still in Mexico, or if he would even try to find Will once he settled on the West coast. By the third week, he found himself missing Hannibal every time he laid down to sleep. This was their boat after all, his and Hannibal’s, and the sail to Cancun with him had felt much more freeing despite the presence of the cannibalistic serial killer. Will often fell asleep wishing that he and Hannibal could have stayed sailing forever, never returning to civilization, with no one else to kill or even talk to. Other nights he wished that he hadn’t let Hannibal stop him from pushing both of them over the cliffside. 

He knew by now that Hannibal was going to find him when he went back to land. This tempted him to return to the coast several times, but he continued to sail north until the air was cooling by the day. When a mid-sized island came into view, Will decided that was where he would stop. 

The next day, Will sailed around the island until he found a small boatyard. He drove his boat into it and stepped out to tie it to the dock. When the boat was secured, he stood and noticed a young bearded man in a hoodie approaching him. 

“Can I help you, sir?” the man called over to him, his voice deep. Will walked to him.

“I hope so,” Will replied. “I’m looking to sell. You know of anyone who might be interested?” he asked, gesturing to his boat. 

The stranger sized up the boat. “Nice ride. I’d like to take it off your hands myself, but I’d better check with the boss man. Come with me,” he said, beckoning Will and walking towards a shop on the water. 

Will followed the man inside.

“I just gotta call the boss to come take a look. You wait right here. What was your name?”

“It’s, uh, Will.”

The stranger nodded and dialed on his landline as Will observed him.

“Hey, boss. This dude named Will just showed up on the docks with a pretty nice boat to sell, you should come take a look if you can.” There was a pause before the man continued. “Don’t be a jackass, Aaron, we all have jobs. Are you coming down or not? Okay cool, see you in ten,” he said, hanging up the phone. “Sounds like he’ll be here in ten to fifteen. Do you want some water or something while you wait? You look tired.”

“I’m good, thanks, unless you have whiskey.”

“That we do,” the stranger said with a laugh. “I’ll be right back.”

The man returned with a bottle of whiskey and invited Will to sit down with him. Will was curious and slightly worried about the informality of it all, but he sipped on whiskey with the stranger anyway. 

“So, what brings you here?” the man asked.

“Well, I guess I’m sort of wandering. I don’t have any place to stay but the boat, so I’m hoping whatever you can pay me for it will cover some temporary housing.” 

“Oh, we’ll get you a fair price for it. The inn here is pretty cheap, anyway. We’re not really a big tourist destination.”

“Thanks, that’s good to know. What’s your name, by the way?”

“My name’s Adrian, but my friends call me Spade. I run the docks, Aaron’s just a bit of a control freak ‘cause he owns the place. Anyway, he can be a little abrasive so don’t take it personally.”

“Noted,” said Will, finishing his glass of whiskey.

A few minutes later, a tall, thin man entered the shop wearing a black leather jacket and combat boots. Will looked up at him, and a chill ran down his spine when he saw the badge and gun on the man’s belt. The man turned to Adrian.

“Drinking on the job again, Spade?”

“Hey, there’s nothing else to do. Anyhow, this is Will. Did you see his boat on the way in? It’s pretty sweet.”

The policeman nodded. “I like it. Let’s take a look inside before we settle on a price,” he said, looking at Will.

Will’s hands were sweating heavily. He was thousands of miles from Maryland at this point, but Hannibal’s escape had made international news, and Will’s picture was certain to be in some of the reports. “Let’s do it. I’ll unlock it for you guys,” he replied as coolly as he could. “You must be Aaron. Nice to meet you.”

Aaron’s blue eyes narrowed at him. “You look familiar. Have I arrested you before?”

Will gulped. “No, sir. First time visiting for me.”

“Hm. Alright, let’s get this done.”

The three of them walked out onto the docks together and boarded Will’s boat. Adrian and Aaron looked around, discussing quality and pricing, while Will packed the last of his things into his duffel bag. They came to a fair agreement and headed back into the waterside shop to make the transaction. To Will’s surprise, the policeman was completely unfazed when Will admitted to Adrian that he had no record of the boat’s registration, and only negotiated a couple thousand dollars less in turn.  

“Go fetch the money from the safe, Spade, and make sure you count it right this time,” Aaron ordered, taking a seat by the whiskey bottle to pour himself a glass. 

Adrian rolled his eyes before disappearing into the back room. 

“So,” Will began, sitting in the chair across from him. “Does everyone drink on the job around here?” 

Aaron laughed. “Nah, just the guys who call the shots.”

“Damn, and I thought cops were supposed to arrest drunk drivers.”

“Oh, we do, but I can take my liquor and be the chief of police at the same time.”

Great, it got worse, Will thought. “Wow, how long have you been chief?”

“Oh, quite a few years now. What do you do?” 

“Well, I used to be a professor. Now I’m not sure what I’m doing. I’m good with boats, though, if Adrian could use any temporary help.”

“Oh, you mean Spade. Nobody really calls him Adrian, he hates it. But yeah, you should ask him if he’s got any work. I don’t know what he even does down here. Seems pretty boring to me.” 

Will nodded. “Okay thanks, will do.” 

Spade returned from the back room moments later with a bag full of cash. 

“Well, here it is. It’s kinda heavy. If Aaron is feeling nice maybe he’ll let you ride shotgun to the town’s inn. I definitely wouldn’t want to be caught walking with this much cash.”

Aaron scoffed. “Thanks for offering up my services, Spade. I forgot I work part time as a free Uber driver.” 

“Oh, you don’t have to—“ Will began, but Aaron cut him off. 

“No matter. Come on, I’ll take you to my car,” he said, standing up. 

Will took the cash from Spade and thanked him, following Aaron outside. He set his bags in the back seat of the cop car and sat up front next to Aaron. It felt incredibly strange to be riding in a police vehicle again. 

“So where are you from?” Aaron asked, pulling onto the main road.

“Uh, down south. Louisiana.” 

“What brings you so far from home?” 

Will had always hated small talk, but small talk with a cop while you’re on the run might just be the worst kind, even if the chief didn’t seem all that concerned with the law. “I don’t really have a home anymore. Looking for a new one, I guess.”

Aaron seemed to sense that Will wasn’t in a talking mood and let the drive continue in silence. Within a few minutes, they pulled into a lot beside a small inn. 

“Here you are. Hey, if you want, maybe I can take you out for a drink sometime? Y’know, just to welcome you to the town. Coffee, beer, whatever you’re into.” 

“Sure, that sounds great,” Will lied, opening the car door to grab his bags. “Thanks for the ride. See you around.”

Will closed the door without waiting for a reply and headed inside the inn. After booking a room at the front desk with a very friendly receptionist, he unlocked the door to his new temporary home. He set down his bags and laid on the bed with a heavy sigh, kicking off his shoes. He wondered how Hannibal could possibly find him here, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to see him again. Hannibal had known just where Will would come to look for him in Italy. Where might Hannibal expect Will to go? 

He had no idea, so he decided to take a long overdue shower to clear his head. The bathroom was small and a little bit run down, like the rest of the room. Will didn’t mind, too focused on his relief at the opportunity to properly clean himself again. After his shower, he made sure to lock the bag of cash away in the room’s safe apart from a small stack. 

If Will was going to avoid detection after already meeting the chief of police within half an hour of arriving, he needed to blend in. He went out looking for a place where he could buy some new clothes and a phone. Luckily, there was a thrift store within walking distance of the inn where he was able to purchase several outfits. After dropping off the clothing in his room, Will set out to find an electronics store and some food. With no means of navigation or knowledge of the area, Will walked the streets for nearly an hour before he put aside his stubbornness and asked a passing local for directions. The stranger was helpful, and soon enough he was back in his room at the inn, fully fed and in possession of a smartphone.

Will told himself he hadn’t been thinking about Hannibal throughout the day, but once he laid down to sleep he became aware that he already had a plan to draw Hannibal to him. However, to go through with it, he would have to know what he wanted to do when Hannibal finally did show up. He would have no way of stopping him from killing again, and for all Will knew Hannibal only wanted to find him to kill him for how he left things. Although Will was fairly certain Hannibal didn’t want to kill him anymore, he would be putting this entire island in danger of a murderous cannibal by drawing him there. If he hadn’t been so exhausted, it would have taken Will hours to fall asleep with all of this on his mind, but after tossing and turning for a while he was finally able to rest.

Chapter Text

Will had dreamed of Hannibal nearly all night, images of both good reunions and bad. When he woke in the morning, his determination to decide how to deal with Hannibal when he found Will had waned, and he simply wanted to see him again. He set out for the docks without stopping to second guess his decision. It wasn’t an excessively long walk, and he arrived before 8am. He went straight to the boat he had just sold to Spade and Aaron and pulled out his new smartphone. Taking a few steps back to fit the whole boat in the frame, he steadied the phone’s camera and snapped a few pictures. 

Will left immediately after he was satisfied with the photos he took. He didn’t need Spade coming outside to ask him questions, and he definitely didn’t need the chief of police hearing that he was wandering the docks alone early in the morning. When he arrived back at the inn, he opened an internet browser on his phone and navigated to Flickr. The website prompted him to create an account, and Will wracked his brain for some kind of username Hannibal would recognize that Jack Crawford and the FBI would not. He settled on @MongooseUnderYourHouse and uploaded the clearest photo he had taken of the boat. Will then added a geotag to the post with the exact location of the docks as well as the simple caption: Morning on the docks.

A week after posting the photo, Will was becoming impatient. He wondered how Hannibal had waited so long for him in Florence, and longer still in his cell in Baltimore, never giving up on the idea of seeing Will again. Perhaps Will could have moved on from Hannibal completely if he hadn’t gone to visit him on the Tooth Fairy case. He might still be with Molly and Walter and his dogs. It had felt so necessary at the time, but maybe Hannibal had been right, and Will really had just visited the clinic to lay eyes upon Hannibal. He tried to push these thoughts out of his mind, knowing that Hannibal would be commanding enough of his attention when he finally arrived on the island. 

Without many activities to keep him occupied, Will found himself walking to the nearest bar one evening. The outside of it looked like it had been standing for decades and never renovated. Will debated even going inside, but he had already walked this far. The inside of the bar was just as run down. It was dimly lit, and the wood flooring was covered in scuff marks, especially near the entrance. The scent of old cigarette smoke and cigars was overpowering, and Will wondered how this place could possibly have stayed in business this long. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. 

The footsteps of heeled boots approached from behind Will. He turned to see none other than the town police chief, Aaron. 

“Good evening,” he greeted Will, taking a seat beside him. “How’s the town treating you so far?”

Will cleared his throat. “Not too bad. Haven’t done too much exploring, though.”

“Makes sense, if you ended up here somehow.”

Will chuckled. “It’s definitely not the nicest bar I’ve been to. Is this where you like to spend your time?”

“Actually, yes,” Aaron laughed. “A good friend of mine owns the place,” he said, gesturing to the bartender. 

“Huh. You should tell him it could use a renovation.”

“Eh, it keeps out the snobs. Anyone who knows what a good drink tastes like can get past the architecture.”

“Sure,” Will replied, already frustrated by the small talk. “Apologies for my bluntness, Aaron, but is this business or pleasure?”

Aaron raised his eyebrows. “You’re very perceptive, Will. I have been wondering about you since the day we met under interesting circumstances.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” 

“Probably because my answer is both. I do find you interesting when it comes to my role in law enforcement, but it’s mostly a personal interest.”

“Why in the hell would you take a personal interest in me?” Will asked, bewildered.. 

“Why wouldn’t I? You’ve got that mystery about you, the soft face. I want to learn about you.”

Will laughed. “You really don’t.”

“Let me buy you a drink.” 

“I’m not interested in having a drink with you.”

Aaron ignored him. “Malcolm! Two whiskeys, please.”

Will didn’t protest, unwilling to further irritate the police chief. He accepted the whiskey and sipped it, waiting to find out what Aaron wanted with him. 

“So, tell me,” Aaron began, “What happened to your last home that made you run so far away?”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but that’s really none of your business.”

“Hey, anything illegal you may have done is way out of my jurisdiction.” 

Will glared down at his glass of whiskey. “I didn’t lose my home because I was a criminal. It was taken from me.”

“By whom?”

Will sighed. “My ex. I was living with him for a while afterwards, but we got in a huge fight, so I sort of…”

“Sort of what?”

“Stranded him in a foreign country.”

Aaron whistled. “Wow. I figured it was just speculation that you and Lecter were an item.”

Will froze, then looked up at Aaron in alarm. “Excuse me?”

“I looked you up, Mister Graham. Relax, I’m not here to arrest you.”

“Then why are you here?” Will demanded.

“I told you. I find you interesting,” Aaron said, placing a hand on Will’s knee. 

Will looked down at his hand, and then back to his face. “Respectfully, you’re insane. You’ve just learned that I had a… particularly intimate relationship with Hannibal Lecter, and what, that makes you want to fuck me?” 

“That’s not all that makes me want you. You’re very… handsome. Damaged. Pent-up. Would definitely make for some good sex. Do you disagree?”

Will stared blankly at him. “I’m not looking for a fuck buddy.”

“Seems like you are. I can almost smell how badly you need to get laid,” Aaron said in a low voice, moving his hand up Will’s thigh. 

Will grit his teeth. If he allowed himself to get an erection, this man wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I’m just here to drink, Aaron.”

Aaron withdrew his hand slowly. “Fine, message received. One more whiskey on me, then.” 

Will let his muscles relax and accepted another round from the bartender. He knew it was a bad sign that he viewed Aaron’s reaction as a sign of respect. There was just something so unrestricted about Aaron, like he had no fear of consequence. It was a dangerous quality, but it intrigued Will. He recalled how Spade had described Aaron before he arrived at the docks: abrasive.

Will looked around the bar as he sipped from his glass. There was a small group of shady-looking individuals in the corner, but otherwise it was just Aaron and Will here. The only woman in the group met his gaze before he could turn back to Aaron. Her expression was almost a glare, but as she looked Will up and down her eyes looked hungry. It made the hair on the back of Will’s neck stand up. He felt the urge to leave the bar and head back to the inn. 

“Hey, Aaron, I have some whiskey left back in my room at the inn. Wanna walk me back and share a glass?”

“I’d love to,” Aaron replied with a slight smirk. He called out to the bartender once again. “We’ll take the rest of the bottle to go.”

The sun had finished setting outside before they exited the bar. Will could smell the ocean on the cool air as he walked with Aaron in the direction of the inn. The two of them traded off taking swigs from the whiskey bottle Aaron had bought them.

“It’s an interesting town you have here,” Will began. “I read in the paper yesterday that a lot of people have been disappearing from the area these last few years.”

Aaron sighed. “Yeah, that’s for sure. I’ve been working the case for years, and we’ve hardly found so much as a scrap of evidence. In most cases we can’t even determine exactly where the victims went missing. But we just have to keep investigating and hope for the best.”

“So the article was right, then? No bodies have been found?”

“No, not yet. Most of my detectives think it’s human trafficking. I can’t say I have any better of an explanation. But aside from that, the crime rates here are pretty dang low. I just always advise people to not walk alone at night. That’s how a lot of the victims are thought to have gone missing.”

“Well, good thing I have my own police escort tonight.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Aaron replied with a smile, holding the front door of the inn open for him.

When they made it to Will’s room, Aaron sat down on the bed as he finished off the remaining whiskey in their bottle. Will brought out his own liquor from his bedside drawer and sat back against the headboard. 

“Just one glass and you should get going. I’m not in the mood to entertain,” Will said as he poured some whiskey into a cup.

“Noted,” Aaron replied, accepting it. “No fun allowed.”

Will scoffed. “So fun only includes you taking my clothes off?”

“Hey, I didn’t say that. I would enjoy any touch from a man like you,” Aaron flirted, moving from the bedside to sit closer to Will. 

Will didn’t protest when Aaron leaned in to kiss him. It started out almost sweet and quickly became thirstier. Will kissed back just as roughly, thinking only of the first night he and Hannibal had sex. Aaron didn’t feel nearly the same, distractingly bony and cold. More than anything he just wanted to see Hannibal again, to feel his touch. He opened his eyes as he felt Aaron slip his hands under his shirt. Catching movement in his peripheral vision, Will turned his gaze to the partially closed blinds over the window and met Hannibal’s eyes, clear as day. A chill ran down his spine.
“Stop. Stop! Aaron, get off!” Will shouted, pushing Aaron away from him. He looked back at the window, but Hannibal’s figure had disappeared. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Aaron asked in surprise.

“Nothing. Well, not nothing. I’m sorry. You need to leave, now.” Will stood up, his heart pounding.  

“Wow. Y’know what, Will, you’re sending some pretty fucking mixed signals.”

“I know. I know, I’m sorry. I need some air. Let me walk you out,” Will urged, putting on his jacket.

Aaron sighed and followed him out of the inn. Outside was even darker now, but the sound of the ocean in the distance soothed Will slightly. 

“Look, um… I’m sorry about this. I hope your night gets better.”

“Don’t sweat it, I guess. Here’s my card in case you change your mind, again,” Aaron remarked, handing Will his business card. 

“Thanks. Get home safe.” 

Aaron scoffed. “Don’t worry about me, Will. I’m armed and dangerous,” he replied, and began walking back in the direction of the bar. 

Will waited for him to walk a safe distance away before he went around to the back of the inn, to where he had seen Hannibal just outside the window.

“Hello, Will.”

Chapter Text

As soon as Will saw him, he bit the inside of his lip to hold back a smile. “Hannibal. You came.” 

“I was surprised to get your invitation. You were a difficult man to track without it, but it seems you do care where I go after all,” Hannibal replied, walking towards him. 

Will’s smile broke through. “Against my better judgment, but it seems I do.”

“That being said, it looks like you moved on pretty fast.”

“I can’t move on from you, Hannibal. I’m not seeing that guy. I haven’t even fucked him, and I don’t plan to.”

“Good. We don’t want a repeat of our last encounter,” Hannibal said as he fixed Will’s messy hair.

“I’m sorry, are you already telling me that you’re going to kill anyone I fuck who isn’t you?” 

“No. But you have no business sleeping with anyone else now that I’m here, do you?”

“Not as long as you keep me satisfied,” Will flirted, stepping closer to Hannibal and touching his neck. “And you don’t seem to have much of a problem accomplishing that.”

Hannibal rested his face against the side of Will’s head, breathing in deeply before he pulled back to touch his forehead against Will’s. “Take me to your room, Will. I’ll make sure you know just how well I can satisfy you.” 

Will watched his lips as he spoke, and he could no longer resist the urge to pull Hannibal’s mouth to his own and kiss him. It was so much more intense than what he had just shared with Aaron. In fact, it was precisely what Will had been craving for so many weeks. He bit down on Hannibal’s lip forcefully, and Hannibal returned his passion by scratching all the way down Will’s back. Will simply couldn’t pull himself away, but Hannibal finally separated their lips.

“Take me to your room, Will,” he repeated. 

“Okay,” Will breathed, and took his wrist to lead him inside the inn.

Within seconds of shutting the door to the room, Hannibal had shoved Will down onto the bed and ripped off his shirt. Will’s heart raced as he tore off Hannibal’s clothes in turn. 

“Hannibal,” he whimpered.

“Yes, my darling?”

“Fuck me. Please, just fuck me. I need you so fucking bad,” Will moaned shamelessly.

Hannibal responded only by pulling off the rest of Will’s clothes and pushing him onto his stomach. Will made no effort to stop him as Hannibal lifted up his ass and shoved his face down into the pillows. Warm, strong hands gripped Will’s hips as Hannibal pushed himself into him.

Will cried out in a combination of pain and pleasure. “Oh, god, yes. Hannibal, keep going.”

“Who do you belong to?” Hannibal growled.

“I’m all yours, baby.”

Hannibal fucked him even harder, leaving long scratch marks down his back. The headboard banged loudly against the wall, but Will didn’t care if there was somebody in the next room. The noise that escaped from Hannibal’s lips when he came inside him drove Will wild. He felt Hannibal’s lips and teeth against the back of his neck, kissing and biting him, leaving him weak. Will hummed happily in response to the warm feeling Hannibal’s sweetness always gave him. Rolling onto his back, Will sat up to kiss his lips again. Hannibal kissed back, open-mouthed, and Will couldn’t believe how much he had missed his tongue. 

Will flipped Hannibal onto his back against the mattress in one swift movement, pinning him down by the wrists. Hannibal smiled against his lips as he moved his hands along Will’s body. Will was almost tempted to savor Hannibal’s brief moment of softness, but instead he brought his teeth to the skin of his neck and bit down, pulling slightly. To Will’s surprise, Hannibal moaned with pleasure rather than hurting him back. A rush of adrenaline or something hotter overcame Will, and he forcefully turned Hannibal over to dominate him. As Will tried to grab ahold of his hips, Hannibal used his arms to push himself up and slammed the back of his head into Will’s forehead. Will almost fell backwards with the force of it. Recovering quickly, he shoved the back of Hannibal’s neck into the mattress and reasserted his grip on his sides. Hannibal’s muscles seemed to submit for a moment, and Will thrust himself inside him. 

Will had dreamed of taking him over before, but he had always imagined it would feel as if he had defeated Hannibal. Instead, he felt a sick sense of affection for the man beneath him. He knew if he could make Hannibal moan just a little bit louder, he would finish. Pushing himself as far into Hannibal as he could, Will moaned and whined as he came inside him. 

Will wasn’t sure exactly how Hannibal ended up back on top of him, but he kissed him back nonetheless. Hannibal’s lips were soft and slow as opposed to the roughness of their sex, and Will gently pulled him to lay down beside him. He grinned as Hannibal nuzzled his neck and gave it a sweet kiss. 

“I missed this,” Will whispered. “I missed laying next to you… kissing you.” 

Hannibal was quiet for a moment. “I missed you too, Will, incredibly so. I wonder, though, why you left me in Mexico if you want me so badly.”

Will blushed, grateful that the lights were off. “You don’t have to wonder. You know that I left because I can’t accept what you do to innocent people. Or, I suppose, the people you deem rude.” 

“You say this as if you didn’t know what I would do to that girl once I found out you’d dishonored me. Or, did you just assume I was too oblivious to notice?”

“Hannibal,” Will sighed. “How could I have ‘dishonored’ you? We aren’t together. We’re not in a relationship. If you want to be exclusive, you have to commit to me.”

“In what way have I not committed to you, Will?”

Will scoffed. “You’re not stupid, Hannibal. You have to stop plotting against me, which you’ve been doing ever since I’ve met you. I can’t ever trust you if you keep acting like this, and… I want to trust you.”

“I haven’t been plotting against you. I’ve always wanted what’s best for you.”

“No, you’ve always wanted me at my most amusing for you. How have you deluded yourself so far that you think driving me to be like you is healthy for me?”

“You are already like me, Will. It is always healthy to embrace who you are.” 

“Hannibal, I am not like you. If I were, I would be delighted every time you murdered somebody, not the opposite. Ever since I met you… yes, I’ve been intrigued. But I want a relationship with you where I don’t have to worry about you killing everyone around us, or me. I mean, we’re already on the run. Do you want to run forever?” Will huffed. “Because I don’t. I just want to… settle down. With you.” 

“Settle down?” 

“Yes. I want to see you every day, forever, without seeing death and violence. But I don’t think that’s feasible.”

Hannibal paused. “You sometimes confuse me, Will. Why do you want to be with me if you resent death? Death can help you thrive. It can help you become. Part of you knows that, or you wouldn’t be drawn to me,” said Hannibal, reaching out to touch Will’s clenched jaw.

“There are ways to evolve without becoming a serial killer. I’ve told you, Hannibal, I don’t have your appetite.”

“You’ve seemed to like everything I’ve served you thus far.”

“You lied to me over and over again and fed me human flesh. You’re really gonna hold that against me?” Will asked in bitter disbelief. 

Hannibal took a deep breath. “So you no longer feel righteous when you kill evil?” 

Will was quiet for a moment. “I don’t see how that would work out in your favor, Hannibal.” 

“You see me as evil?”

“I should.”

“Then why don’t you?” Hannibal asked, his voice curious.

Will sighed. “You can find your own place to stay tomorrow night. I don’t know how I feel about you right now.”

“Clearly well enough to allow me to sleep beside you.”

The corner of Will’s lips twitched on the side facing away from Hannibal. It did feel wonderful to be laying back in bed with him. 

“I told you. I missed this.” 

Will moved closer to Hannibal, laying his head down on his chest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Hannibal’s scent was incredibly refreshing after being apart from him for so long. “I love you,” he whispered. 

Regret washed over Will as soon as he said it. A heat rushed to his head, but his stomach felt icy. “Or, I guess the whiskey does,” Will said a little bit louder and with a nervous laugh. 

Hannibal was silent but brought his hand to Will’s hair, slowly running his fingers through it. Leaning forward and kissing Will’s forehead, Hannibal replied, “Well, it's a shame I don’t enjoy whiskey too often, then. I’m not particularly fond of it, but I am very fond of you, Will.” 

Will blushed, allowing himself to smile and breathe out. “Goodnight, Hannibal.”

“Goodnight, Will. Sleep well.”

It took at least twenty minutes for Hannibal to finally begin snoring lightly. Will laid awake, unable to quiet his thoughts. He had never felt as happy or confused as he did in this moment. Did he truly love Hannibal? Could Hannibal really be in love with him, too? Will knew part of him wanted to be with Hannibal, but Hannibal would never change for him. Will had certainly had difficulties adapting to Hannibal’s personality. Although Hannibal had already made some adjustments for Will, they were very few in comparison. 

After what felt like hours of contemplating, Will decided he would have to be some special type of fool if he thought a relationship with a cannibal could ever work out in his favor. He finally allowed himself to fall asleep to the sound of Hannibal’s breathing and the feeling of his hand in Will’s hair. 

Chapter Text

Will squinted against the sun peeking through the blinds. It was still fairly dark outside, but the stinging in Will’s head had woken him. Hannibal was still asleep beside him, his arm draped over Will. He gently moved Hannibal’s arm to rest at his side and climbed out of bed to get a cup of water, which he chugged quickly as he popped an Aspirin. Hannibal began to stir, so Will set down his cup and put on his pants.

“No need to cover up for me, Will,” said Hannibal, sitting up in bed. 

“It’s not for you,” Will replied with a smile and sat on the mattress. “Good morning, Hannibal. You look fucking hot.”

“It’s not for you,” Hannibal teased. “Besides, you look much more lovely.”

Will grinned and leaned over to kiss him. “Quit pretending to be a gentleman.”

“I am nothing if not a gentleman, Will.”

“Sure you are, Hannibal,” Will taunted as he climbed under the covers.

Hannibal brought Will’s lips to his own and kissed sweetly. Will found himself smiling yet again, kissing him back. He climbed on top of Hannibal without pulling away, unable to keep his hands off of him. When Will finally pulled away for air, he breathed out, “You should go,” before Hannibal pulled him back into a kiss. 

“What’s the rush, my love?” Hannibal asked, moving his lips down Will’s neck. 

Will smiled at the word, and he could feel Hannibal’s boner against his ass when he sat back. 

“I just… need some alone time. Besides, you need to find a place to stay. You can’t stay camped out in my room forever.” 

“We lived together on a little boat for weeks, Will. You didn’t seem to mind then.” 

“Well, you… I just need to think, and you can be distracting.”

“What is it you need to think about?”

Will sighed. “What are we, Hannibal? Actually, what do you even want us to be?”

Hannibal paused as he brought his hand up Will’s thigh. “I want to be your lover. Your partner.” 

Will laughed. “So, what? You want to get married? Find a nice little cottage in Iceland?”

“It is a nice thought, isn’t it?” Hannibal said, still looking up at him fondly. 

Will bit his lip. “Actually, yes. But it’s still totally unreasonable.” 

“Why is that?”

“Well, first off, I don’t trust you. Besides, how would we even get there?” 

“We could drive across Canada, maybe take a train. Find a boat in Newfoundland. Easy.” 

“Maybe,” Will muttered. “For now it’s just a nice thought. So you should really be going.” 

“I’m not accustomed to being kicked out of a man’s bed, Will.” 

“Well, then this should be a fun new experience for you.”

Hannibal smiled slightly. “Lose the smirk. I’ll get dressed if you get off my lap.”

Will moved off of Hannibal to lay back down next to him, still looking smug as he watched Hannibal get dressed. Hannibal straightened out his hair in the mirror with Will’s hairbrush, and Will stood to throw on his own shirt. 

“Can I trust you not to kill anyone today, Hannibal?” 

“You have my word.” 

“Good. Well, for what it’s worth, I’ll miss you. See you for dinner?” Will asked, leaning in to kiss him. 

“I wouldn’t miss it, darling,” Hannibal replied between kisses. 

Will took a walk towards the beach after Hannibal left, allowing the morning air to clear his head. When he arrived at the ocean, he found a large log in the sand to sit on. His eyes closed as he listened to the calming sound of the ocean waves. He found himself thinking of how he left things with Aaron last night, and he cringed as regret interrupted his bliss. Reaching into his back pocket, Will found Aaron’s business card still tucked inside. He dialed the number under the title Chief of Police , and Aaron answered after a few rings. 

“Chief Driscoll.”

“Aaron, hey, it’s Will. I was thinking maybe I could buy you breakfast? Y’know, to apologize for last night.”

“Oh. Well, I’m not big on breakfast food. How about coffee?” Aaron asked, his voice gruff. 

“Deal. You have some place in mind?”

“Yeah, I’m heading that direction now. Where are you at?”

“Uh, I’m on the beach right now. South of the docks.” 

“Okay. Meet me on the corner of 5th and Sunset, I’ll pick you up in a little over 5 minutes.” 

“Sounds good. See you in a bit,” Will agreed, hanging up the phone. 

Aaron pulled onto the street corner right as Will was approaching, and he climbed into the passenger seat of his cop car yet again. 

“Good morning.”

“Morning, Will. You look hungover as fuck.”

“Thanks, you look nice too,” Will scoffed.

“Just saying, I figured you could handle your whiskey better.” 

“I handle my whiskey just fine, asshole. I drank nearly a whole bottle last night, and I took a walk on the beach at seven in the morning.”

“Okay, stand down, I’m just teasing. Damn, is this how you act ‘not hungover’?”

Will laughed. “Actually, yes.” 

“You’re lucky you’re cute. Otherwise, not so many people would tolerate that attitude of yours,” Aaron said with a smile, reaching over to rub his thumb against Will’s cheekbone. 

Will blushed. “So, um… about…” Will stammered. 

“Yeah, what exactly happened last night? You kind of turned on a dime.” 

“Yeah, I know. It’s just— well, an issue from my past came up out of nowhere, and it really freaked me out. I’m sorry I put you on the other end of that.”

“Hey, I hear you. Sometimes it feels like our exes just live to make our lives hell.”

“Pfft. Tell me about it.”

“Actually, what was it like to dump Hannibal Lecter? I mean, what did he even do?” Aaron asked, glancing over at him.

Will glared ahead, annoyed that Aaron would so casually ask such a personal question. 

“He didn’t really do anything. I was yelling and trying to leave, so he tried to get me to calm down and stay. Once I let him know I wasn’t having it, he got out of my way and let me take the keys to the boat.”

“Huh. Weirdly civil.” 

“What did you expect he would do? Try to eat my face off?” Will asked irritably.

“I guess, something like that. I mean, the man’s an animal.” 

Will bit down on his tongue. Of course this man didn’t understand Hannibal at all. He’d never even met him, let alone known him. Besides, what kind of man would defend Hannibal Lecter’s honor to a police chief?

“He is capable of savage things, I suppose. But that’s not all he is.”

Shit. You still sound in love with him, Will berated himself. 

“Yeah, I guess you would need some pretty good impulse control to evade the FBI for as long as he did,” Aaron replied. “I mean, right under their noses for so long.”

Will clenched his jaw, but Aaron’s radio went off before he could reply. 

“All units, we have reports of an escalating domestic violence situation south of Main Street near the courthouse.”

Aaron spoke into his radio, “Chief Driscoll responding, I’m right around the corner. What’s the address?”

The radio buzzed back in with an address, and Aaron made a sharp turn. 

“Sorry, Will, I gotta make a pit stop. Shouldn’t take long.”

“Sure, no problem,” Will nodded. 

They pulled into a suburban driveway minutes later, and Will could immediately hear yelling. 

“Just stay in the car,” Aaron ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

Will watched as he slammed the door shut behind him and headed up the porch. A disheveled woman opened the door for him, and Aaron disappeared into the house. Will sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. The continued yelling was beginning to give him a headache. He leaned forward to find a radio station to play when a high pitched scream came from the house, followed by a gunshot. 

Will threw open the car door without thinking and ran up to the house. As he slowly cracked open the door, he could hear Aaron’s voice coming from the other room as well as a woman sobbing. Will quietly shut the front door behind him and looked around. There was a sitting room to his left, which appeared to join with a dining area where the noise was coming from. He crept through the hallway to avoid the open space, and Aaron’s voice became clearer as he approached the nearest open doorway. 

“Hey, just put down the knife. C’mon, you don’t wanna do this to her.” 

“You don’t understand!” a deep voice yelled back. “She’s trying to take my daughter away from me!” 

“Think this through. You would be taking away any chance you have left of ever seeing her again,” Aaron said steadily. 

Will flattened his back against the wall of the hallway and peered into the dining room. Aaron was standing with his hands in the air a few steps ahead of the threshold. His gun was beside him on the floor.

“She’s not your daughter, you piece of shit!” the sobbing woman screamed. “As soon as I divorce your pathetic ass, you won’t have any relation to her!”

“Let her go, now,” Aaron commanded, ignoring the woman.

“K-kick the gun away!” the man spluttered.

Will flattened himself against the wall again and heard the gun scrape against the linoleum. A second later, he watched the handgun slam into the wall opposite him. He gasped quietly before holding his breath. 

“Okay, now drop the knife,” Aaron said firmly. 

“No! Don’t move!” the man yelled back. 

Will squatted and reached across the floor, grabbing Aaron’s gun.

“Listen, man. If you kill her, you go to jail, forever, and even if you get out, you never see her again. Let her go, and she can come and find you whenever she wants.”

“You don’t get it! That bitch will make sure I NEVER see her again! She always gets her fucking way, every damn time!”

Will snuck back the way he came, aiming the gun to the floor with both hands. When he turned the corner into the living room, he could see into the dining area where a man was holding a kitchen knife to the throat of a young teenage girl. Will cocked the gun and made his forefinger parallel with the trigger. The girl seemed completely paralyzed with fear, and the bastard was using her to shield his chest. Will watched, silent, as the man turned to face his wife, who was still sobbing on the floor against the back wall, halfway between her husband and Aaron.

“At least this way, you don’t get your way either,” he snarled. 

His fingers tightened around the knife, but Will’s bullet hit him in the shoulder before he could even move his elbow. The girl ran to her mom the second he dropped the knife, and Will shot him again and again until he was completely unmoving on the ground. Will slowly lowered the gun and looked to Aaron, who walked forward to check the body for a pulse as he dialed on his phone. 

The ringing in Will’s ears grew louder and his heart pounded. He looked down at his hands, half expecting them to be covered in blood. When he looked up, he saw Abigail standing in the young girl's place, crying and hugging her mom. He stumbled backwards as the gun fell out of his hands.

“Will? Will. Are you okay?” Aaron asked urgently. 

Will nodded, steadying himself. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine.” 

He looked back again, but Abigail was gone. The sound of sirens approached, and the complexity of Will’s situation sunk in.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Go,” Aaron ordered. “Go out the back. I’ll figure it out. Hurry.” 

Will nodded and rushed out the back door. He ran for the gate and managed to slip away just before the red and blue lights turned onto the street.

Chapter Text

Will had become sweaty from walking in the sun, and he got in the shower as soon as he made it back to the inn. It felt relieving to scrub off any gunshot residue that might be on him, any imaginary blood that could have somehow traveled across an entire room. When he finished drying off, he put on a clean pair of underwear and laid down on the bed. Images of Abigail’s face and of the man with the knife falling to the ground continued to flood his brain. He could remember the exact feeling of the trigger against his forefinger before he took the first shot, and of the righteous victory when the man fell back with the force of the bullets. Soon followed the images of the stranger lying motionless on the floor, and of Garret Jacob Hobbs falling backwards as bullets collided with his chest. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he was startled by a knock on the door. Standing from the bed and throwing on a t-shirt, Will went to the door and looked through the peephole to see Aaron standing on the other side. He opened the door, allowing Aaron into the room.

“Hey,” said Aaron, walking inside. “So… you handled that pretty well, I’d say.”

“Yeah, well, not the first time I’ve been in that situation,” Will grumbled. “What did you tell the detectives?”

“I told them I got the jump on him. Most of them are too stupid to overthink it, and the rest are too smart to ask questions.”

Will scoffed and sat back down on the bed. “Thanks. For covering for me, I mean. You didn’t have to do that.”

Aaron sat beside him. “I know. But we were supposed to be going on a coffee date, and I had already fucked that up, so I figured it was the least I could do.”

Will smiled. “Well, I appreciate it. Very… gentlemanly of you.”

“Really, now?” Aaron asked with a smirk. “I get gentleman points for this?”

“Yes, you do,” Will laughed. 

“Well in that case, let me finish making it up to you. Dinner tonight?”

“Oh. Um, actually, I’m busy tonight. How about lunch tomorrow?” 

“It’s a date,” Aaron said, kissing him on the cheek as he placed a hand on Will’s bare knee. “You’re a good shot, by the way. Maybe even as good as me. We should practice together sometime.” 

“Thanks, but I’ve had enough practice for a lifetime. I really wasn't planning on shooting anyone or anything, maybe ever again.” 

“I see. Well, I’m sorry I put you in the line of fire.”

“I did that all on my own. I’m just glad the girl is safe.”

“Me too. Her name is Zoey, by the way. Her mom asked me to thank you.” 

“For what? Killing her daughter’s stepdad?” Will asked blankly.

“Well, to be honest, I didn’t ask. But I assume so. You probably saved her life.”

“Glad I could help, I guess,” Will muttered. “But I should really avoid future ride-alongs.”

“Deal. Anyway, thanks. I really appreciated your help today. That could have gone a lot worse,” Aaron said as he stood up. 

Will followed him to the door. “Yeah, don’t mention it. See you tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” Aaron agreed. His eyes traveled down to Will’s naked legs, lingering on the bulge in his underwear. 

Will blushed and cleared his throat. “Okay, yeah, I’ll text you later about the time and place.” 

Aaron looked back to his face with a slight smile. “Can’t wait. Later, Will,” he said as he turned the doorknob and walked out to the hallway.  

Will shut and locked the door, taking a deep breath as he laid back down. It would have been a nice distraction to tear off Aaron's clothes after he gave Will that look, but ultimately it would just make everything more complicated. He needed to find a better way to get his mind off things. For now that would just have to mean going for another walk. 

After wandering to the docks again, Will began heading back towards the main road to pick up some takeout. He spotted a stray dog on his way sniffing some trash bags in an alleyway. It looked similar to a Rottweiler, but it was all black except for a white patch on its chest. It took Will nearly half an hour to coax it over close enough to pet it. When he succeeded, the dog leaned into his touch and sat down to scratch its ear. Will glanced down at his palm to see trace amounts of flea droppings. 

“Ugh,” he sighed, wiping his hand on his jeans. “I’m sorry, baby. I can’t keep you. You be a good girl, though.” 

He patted the dog on the head and stood, but she whined and pawed at his knee. Will sighed again, more deeply. 

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

He gave her another pat before walking across the street to the nearest convenience store. When he returned to the alley, he was holding a small bag of deli meat and a bottle of flea shampoo. Will tossed the dog a slice, which she gobbled up instantly before hurrying towards him for more. He gave her two more slices before turning around and encouraging her to follow. Leading her along the main road, Will headed in the direction of the inn. He stopped at a takeout window to order teriyaki before sneaking the mutt into the room where he was staying. 

Will led her straight to the tub and began scrubbing water into her fur. The flea shampoo made quick work of most of the fleas, but it took Will several washes before he couldn’t find any more of them. His lunch had turned cold by the time he finished drying her off and rinsing out the tub. He put the takeout bag in the fridge before spending the better part of an hour teaching his new companion that she was, in fact, not allowed on the bed. Once she began whining, he was forced to come to terms with the fact that she could not be contained to a tiny hotel room. After some pondering, he decided to walk her down to the docks to Spade. 

When he arrived at the waterside shop, Will threw the dog another slice of turkey and told her to stay. Spade gave him a friendly greeting as he approached the counter.

“Hey there,” Will began. “I was hoping I could ask a favor.”

“What can I do for you, Will?”

“Well, I found this dog, and I was wondering if you could let her live here at the docks for now. Just a little bit of shelter and a place to eat every day. I would buy the food and pay you modestly.” 

Spade smiled. “Sounds like a bargain. I love dogs. There’s a little shed around back she could sleep in. Is she outside?”

Will nodded. “She’s a sweetheart. I just gave her a bath, too. Wanna meet her?”

“Duh,” Spade scoffed and followed Will outside. 

Her docked tail immediately began wagging when Will reappeared, and he returned her excitement with a smile. She seemed to instantly trust Spade, allowing him to pet her and scratch behind her ear. 

“Have you named her yet?” Spade laughed as she licked his face. 

“Yes. Beverly. Not sure she’s caught on quite yet.” 

“Aw, you’ll learn soon enough, Bev,” Spade said to her. He stood and turned back to Will. “Well, just get me the dog food when you can. I’ll give her some leftover fish for now. No need for any cash, she’s already won me over.” 

“Thank you, Spade. I owe you one,” said Will, reaching out for a handshake.

Spade shook his hand and nodded. “No problem. Anything for Aaron’s new boy toy, I guess.”

“Excuse me?”

“What? He told me you guys boned.”

Will laughed in disbelief. “No, we did not ‘bone.’ We made out, once. Why would he tell you that?” 

Spade laughed. “Figures. Aaron’s always been a braggart, and not usually with good reason.” 

Will shook his head, raising his eyebrows. “Wow. Jesus Christ. I’m sorry, I’m just reevaluating my taste in men all over again.” 

“Sounds about right, he’s kind of an idiot. Not exactly boyfriend material. You didn’t hear it from me, though. I kinda like my job, and if he fires my ass then Bev’s got nowhere to live and nobody to feed her.”

“Yeah, understood,” Will grumbled. “Anyway, thanks. I’m starving, so I gotta head back to the inn. I’ll see you later.” 

“My pleasure. Have a good one.”

Beverly ran to Will’s heels as soon as he walked away from the docks. He sighed and pulled the rest of the lunch meat out of his pocket.

“Here, take this. Should keep her around for a while.” Will handed the bag to Spade and made his way back to the inn. 

When he arrived back at the hotel room, Will chugged a cup of water and warmed up his takeout in the microwave. Right as he sat down to eat, there was a knock on the door. Will cracked open the door to find Hannibal standing on the other side. He widened the opening to invite him in. 

“Hungry?” Will asked.

“Yes,” he replied, shutting the door behind him. “How was your day, my love?” 

Will turned his head when Hannibal leaned in to kiss him, leaving him to kiss him on the cheek instead. He pretended not to notice the subtle flash of anger in Hannibal’s eyes. 

“It was fine. I picked up teriyaki, but then it got cold. I just warmed it up. There’s enough for the two of us.” 

“Excellent,” Hannibal replied, sitting down at the tiny coffee table to eat. 

Will hadn’t eaten almost anything all day, and he devoured his meal in half the time that Hannibal did. He moved to sit on the bed when he was done and turned on the little box television. The pillows were thick and comfy against his weary head, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Hannibal joined him in bed a few minutes later and wrapped his arm around Will’s shoulders. Will scooted in closer and laid his head on his chest. 

“Well, did you find a place to stay?” he asked Hannibal.

“For now, yes, although you know I would prefer to stay with you,” he muttered, kissing Will’s hair. 

“Maybe just one more night,” said Will with a sheepish smile. “You’re always so warm.” 

Hannibal began to gently massage Will’s collarbone and shoulder. “It would be my pleasure.”

Will sat up, tilting his head to kiss Hannibal’s lips. Hannibal kissed back sweetly, only biting once Will climbed onto his lap. Will giggled when he felt Hannibal get an erection after he sat down. He lifted his chin for Hannibal to kiss him on the neck, moaning softly as he left a hickey. 

Sliding his hands underneath Hannibal’s shirt, Will mumbled, “You didn’t give me all that much time and space to think, y’know.”

Hannibal smiled. “You’re the one who asked me to meet you for dinner.” 

“I don’t remember asking you to show up before five o’clock even hit,” Will replied with a grin. 

Hannibal nipped the skin of Will’s ear, which Will found cute until he felt a trail of hot blood going down his neck. A growl grew in his throat before he went for Hannibal’s neck, choking lightly and leaving a bite in the side of it. Hannibal ripped off Will’s shirt and thrust his hips up. Will tore Hannibal’s clothes off in turn, kissing, biting, and scratching all over his body. 

There was a firm knock on the door, and Will jolted away from Hannibal.

Chapter Text

Will scrambled to throw on his shirt and go to the door. When he peered through the peephole, he found that Aaron was waiting at the door holding a bottle of liquor. 

“Shit,” he whispered to himself before unlocking the door and opening it. “Aaron. Hi.”

“Hey, I was just passing through and I thought maybe I would catch you before your dinner plans. You drink any liquor that’s not whiskey?” Aaron asked, smiling and lifting his bottle of spiced rum. 

Will bit the inside of his lip, which was still red from making out. “I do, and that sounds great, but now’s not really a good time.” Aaron’s face fell, and Will quickly added, “We should, uh, definitely share some of that tomorrow, though.”

Before Aaron could answer, Hannibal called over, “Who is it, Will?”

“Oh,” said Aaron blankly, “You already have a man in your bedroom.”

Will grimaced as he heard Hannibal standing from the bed. “It seems that way, yes.” 

“Well, raincheck then. Enjoy your night,” he added, taking a step back.

Just then, Hannibal appeared in the doorway wearing only his underwear and kissed Will on the side of his neck. “Actually, he’s taken.” 

Will scoffed. “I’m really not. We’re still on for lunch tomorrow, so, I’ll see you then,” he said, pushing Hannibal back. 

Aaron, however, made direct eye contact with Hannibal and raised an eyebrow, squinting slightly. “You must be Hannibal Lecter.” 

“I am. What exac–”

“Yes,” Will interrupted, “and, Hannibal, this is Aaron, the chief of police for the city.”

Aaron stepped forward to shake Hannibal’s hand. 

“Nice to meet you,” said Hannibal, shaking hands with Aaron. “You enjoy your night as well.”

Aaron let go of his hand but refused to break his gaze. “I will. Have fun messing with your prey,” he sneered at him before turning down the hallway and walking to the exit. 

Hannibal shut the door forcefully before slamming Will against it and biting into his neck. Will fought to hold back a moan but was unsuccessful. 

“Hannibal, stop,” he whined as Hannibal tried to kiss him. “You need to go.”

“I’m not in any hurry,” Hannibal replied, biting Will’s lip gently. 

“Why the fuck not? That was the police chief. He’s probably calling for backup right now,” Will said as steadily as he could manage.

“Because I have better things to do,” said Hannibal as he unbuttoned Will’s jeans. “Like the beautiful man in front of me.” 

Will’s knees weakened, and he allowed Hannibal to pull down his pants and underwear. “That really shouldn’t be a priority right now,” he mumbled, smirking.

Hannibal ignored him and wrapped his mouth around his dick. Will couldn’t help but smile and lean his head back against the door. He had never expected before that a man as dominant as Hannibal would be so good with his tongue. 

“Oh, god,” he moaned, “ Hannibal. ”

Hannibal gripped his thigh, digging his nails in as he kept sucking him off. As soon as Will could feel himself about to cum, Hannibal pulled his mouth away to bite down hard on his thigh. 

Will gasped in pain. “Hannibal,” he whimpered. “ Please. ”

Hannibal looked up at him with a smirk, and seconds later Will came into his mouth. When he opened his eyes and looked down, Hannibal was licking his lips. Will smiled.

“Holy shit, babe,” he laughed. “You have to leave, fast.”

“Not yet,” Hannibal protested as he stood up. He leaned in close to Will’s still bloody ear and whispered, “I’m having too much fun.”

Will felt Hannibal grip his shoulder, but he could only breathe out the words, “Hannibal, don’t–” before he was flipped around and shoved face-first into the door. 

“No,” he persisted sternly, “Hannibal, stop. Don’t—“

Hannibal acted as if he didn’t hear and pushed himself into Will, causing him to moan and whimper loudly. Each thrust rattled the latch against the doorframe, but Hannibal didn’t stop until he was satisfied no matter how much Will struggled. By the time he finished, Will had already lost the energy to fight, and he let Hannibal lift him up and lay him down on the bed. Hannibal began to kiss his neck and whisper to him sweetly,

“You, Will, are so incredibly beautiful. You drive me crazy.” He continued to kiss all over his neck. “Amore mio… sposami.”

Will smiled tiredly, looking right back into his eyes. “Don’t go all European on me,” he mumbled before kissing Hannibal back. “I told you, you have to go. I honestly don’t know how the police didn’t show up while you still had your dick in me.”

Hannibal caressed Will’s jaw with his thumb, looking down at him calmly. “The police aren’t coming. We’re all alone, all night.”

Will narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about? You’re on the FBI’s most wanted list. They’re going to take you back to Baltimore if you don’t run right now.”

“Aaron has his own secrets. Reporting me is not in his best interest.”

Will sighed. “I don’t even want to know what you think you’re talking about right now. Just kiss me again and be on your way before we both get arrested.”

Hannibal smirked slightly, unfazed. “I’ll prove it to you. Let me stay the night, and you’ll realize that I’m telling you the truth about Aaron. He’s not the man you think he is.”

Will groaned. “Babe, just shut the fuck up and kiss me before I change my mind.”

Hannibal obliged before laying down and wrapping his arms around Will. “You smell like heaven,” he whispered in his ear. 

Will tried to hide his smile but gave in as Hannibal left more kisses along his neck. “God, Hannibal, just be quiet. You’re such a pain in the ass,” he mumbled. 

“Will,” Hannibal commanded, alarmingly serious. “Stop pulling away from this. You belong to me, and I belong to you, now and forever.”

Will held back laughter, snorting slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. We’re just… messing around.”

Hannibal glared. “We both know that’s not true.”

Will gritted his teeth and turned his head away. “Regardless, I don’t belong to you, and I know all too well that you’ll never belong to anybody. So, just please stop pretending this is something it isn’t.”

“This could be a lot of things, Will, and it’s ultimately up to you. If you want to belong to me, I will belong to you.” 

“The problem is that I don’t want that,” said Will, turning to face Hannibal. “You’ve ruined my life so many times over, and you don’t even try to fix it. You just wait for me to come crawling back like a fool, and, admittedly, it’s becoming a lot harder not to ever since we started sleeping together. But I’m not just gonna stick around to find out how you’re gonna fuck me over this time around.” 

Hannibal sighed softly. “I thought I had made you understand by now that the life you keep trying to create for yourself isn’t what you need.”

“How the fuck would you know what I need?” Will snapped.

“Don’t be dishonest with yourself, Will. I know you better than anyone. I always have.”

“No, you’ve just always projected your own sick fantasies onto me from the day we met. But I’m not like you. I need peace.”

“You think you’re a man of peace?”

Will glared. “No, that’s not what I said. I just mean I’ve had enough trouble for a few lifetimes. I’m tired.” 

“So when you said you wanted to settle down with me, you meant the exact opposite?” Hannibal asked, his tone even as if he was simply curious. “You want another ready-made wife and child to escape what’s inside you?”

“No. I meant that. But I gave you terms you could never agree to. You crave violence too much. I guess even more than you crave me.”

“My cravings for you are among the strongest I’ve ever felt.” 

Will scoffed. “Okay, that’s sweet and all, Hannibal, but we could never build a life together. You’re destructive, and you’ve done things I can never forgive you for. I’d be a total idiot to ever trust you.”

“You do trust me, Will, or I wouldn’t be in your bed right now.” 

Will rolled his eyes. “No, you’re right, trusting you not to kill me is a progress point for sure. Doesn’t mean we’re ready to buy a house together and move in with my dogs.”

Hannibal took a breath through his nose. “Speaking of, you smell like wet dogs again. Have you already made another companion?”

“Yes, actually,” replied Will with a smile. “I found her a place to sleep at the docks. She’s a total sweetheart.”

Hannibal ran his fingers through Will’s hair fondly. “I would love to meet her, but I must say I’m glad we don’t have to share the bed.” 

Will bit his lip. “I tried that. She’s not exactly well-trained. She probably jumped up on the bed right where you’re laying after her bath.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at Hannibal’s slight change in expression. 

“Perhaps we’re sharing the bed after all, then, with fleas,” Hannibal grumbled. 

“Don’t be that way,” said Will, still grinning. “If you have any desire to ever ‘settle down’ with me, you'll have to get used to the smell of dogs.”

Hannibal’s expression softened. “I have every desire to keep you in my life, Will.”  

Rolling his eyes again, Will leaned forward to kiss Hannibal. “If you’re gonna stay here, then stay. I need some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He turned over and pulled the covers over himself, closing his eyes. A moment later, he felt Hannibal’s arms wrap around him again.

‘I love you, Will.”

Will’s eyes opened. A warmth washed over him and lingered in his stomach.

“In fact, I’ve been in love with you since the moment I met you. It was impossible not to tell how special you are. You were always so broody, but when I made you smile… It was like I had unlocked a door to paradise.”

Hannibal had gotten so close to Will’s ear now that he could feel his breath. Will felt a shiver run down his spine. 

“Some might argue you’re incapable of love,” Will muttered.

“Some, yes, but you know better.”

Will bit down on his inner lip until he tasted blood. “If you really do love me, you’ve got some way of showing it. You’re supposed to protect, care for the people you love. All you ever do is hurt me.” 

Hannibal was silent. “Will… I’m sorry for my mistakes. You didn’t deserve to be treated how I’ve sometimes treated you in the past. But I do want what’s best for you, and I know I can give that to you.”

Will’s heart rate quickened, and his jaw clenched. “You can’t give me shit other than an orgasm. Stay in your fucking lane, Doctor Lecter.” 

He heard Hannibal sigh again. “Goodnight, my love.” 

If it hadn’t been for all the energy the day had struck from him, Will wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep for hours. After all, his drowsiness certainly had nothing to do with the warmth of Hannibal’s embrace, and he dozed off within a quarter of an hour.

Chapter Text

By the time Will woke, Hannibal was in his arms with his ass pressed up against him. Will let himself believe he was still asleep for nearly twenty minutes just so he could savor the feeling of holding Hannibal this way. When he finally opened his eyes, Will realized that somehow, Hannibal had been right. No law enforcement officials had shown up all night despite their interaction with Aaron. Whatever that meant, he couldn’t trust Hannibal to tell the truth, ever. Will wondered how Aaron would act during their lunch today after how he had left things. There was no way Aaron hadn’t heard Hannibal fucking him against the door on his way out, and Will had hardly held back his moans. Maybe Aaron wouldn’t even text back to meet up. 

Will sat up and leaned over slightly to find Hannibal laying with his eyes open.

“Good morning, lovely,” Will whispered in his ear, placing a kiss on his temple. When Hannibal smiled, Will couldn't help but do the same. “How long have you been up?”

“Only a few minutes,” Hannibal replied. “Don’t worry, you didn’t snore near as much as you did on the boat.”

“Fuck off, Hannibal,” Will laughed, but his hand moved to Hannibal’s ass anyway. Breathing in his scent, Will asked, “Did you really mean what you said last night?”

Hannibal turned over to face him, reaching out to touch his jaw. “Of course I did, mon chéri. I’ve told you before that I want to be with you. It seems to me it’s only a matter of whether or not you want to be with me.”

“You know how I feel, Hannibal,” Will mumbled, kissing his forehead. “I want to have a peaceful life with you.”

“If you want a life with me, Will, you already know it won’t always be peaceful. At least part of you is okay with that, so if that is what you really want, it would be my honor to give it to you indefinitely.” 

Hannibal brought their foreheads together and closed his eyes, breathing against Will’s lips. Will squeezed his eyes shut before gently pushing Hannibal’s chest away. 

“Stop tempting me. You need to leave.” 

Hannibal huffed quietly. “You can’t just keep inviting me over whenever you miss me and then kicking me out. I haven’t forgotten my dignity.” 

“Are you saying you won’t come back next time?” Will taunted.

“You have a pull on me, Will, but I am not your plaything. You must make up your mind. Figure out whatever it is you want with me.”

“What, and you’ll just respect whatever conclusion I come to? Because you care so much about what I want?”

“I’ve done so before. I went to prison for you for three years, but you still came back to me. It’s past time that you decide whether you want me in your life or not.”

Will growled. “Fine, I want you in my life. But don’t pretend for a second that you turned yourself in for my sake when we both know that you just wanted to make sure I couldn’t abandon you.”

Hannibal held his gaze, his affection unfaltering. “You could have, yet you gave in to me. Not only did you come back, you stayed.” 

“I didn’t give in to anything. I was trying to solve a serial murder case for the FBI.”

“And you couldn’t have done so without my insight?”

“Well, speaking as it ended up being one of your former patients and you were communicating periodically, probably not,” Will argued.

Hannibal took his wrist, moving his thumb against Will’s palm. “You’ve become too accustomed to lying to yourself, Will, and for far too long. Why don’t you just admit that you want me? I want you, too. I always have. There’s nobody left for us to lie to. You can let me love you.” 

Will pulled at his own hair with his free hand. He didn’t want to lose the warm feeling in his chest that always came with Hannibal’s gentle touches. “No, I can’t,” he snapped. “You’re the reason I have nobody else in my life, all so that nothing could come between us. But listen to me, Hannibal. You will keep coming between us over and over again until one of us is dead. You just can’t fucking help yourself.” 

“Will, that’s—“

“No, I can’t have this conversation again. I’m sorry, Hannibal, but you need to leave. We can’t be together. I’ll be here next time you need your dick sucked.” 

Will rolled out of bed and started to get dressed, refusing to look at Hannibal. When he eventually gave in to Hannibal’s silence, Will caught him watching as he pulled up his underwear. His expression looked far too innocent, and Will immediately became more furious.

“What, Hannibal?” Will groaned. 

Hannibal narrowed his eyes as he looked up at his face. “You know I don’t just want you for blowjobs. I want a life with you.”

Will threw on a shirt as if he weren’t listening, but his expression softened slightly.

“I want to wake up next to you every day until we grow old,” Hannibal continued. “I want to make you breakfast and wake you up at sunrise. I’ll even help you feed your dogs, let you teach me to fish. Perhaps you would let me show you how to cook or play the theremin.”

Will sat back down on the edge of the bed, facing the wall. “I want that, too,” he whispered before quietly clearing his throat. “Which is why I wish you would stop rubbing it in my face when you know it wouldn’t be sustainable.”

Hannibal moved closer and placed his hand on Will’s shoulder. Will’s chest felt warm again.

“We’ll make it work, my love,” Hannibal reassured him in a low voice. 

Will closed his eyes and kissed the hand on his shoulder. 

“You sure you mean that?” he asked with a shy smile. “Because the weather today would be perfect for fishing.”

Hannibal smiled back and kissed his lips. “I’m sure. I just need to shower first and we can head to the docks if you’d like.”

“I would like that,” Will muttered. “Don’t take too long.”

“Of course,” said Hannibal as he stood from the bed. “I wouldn’t want to impose on your lunch plans with that little policeman.” 

Will rolled his eyes. “It’s not like that, Hannibal. I just don’t want to end up following you in there. I have better things to do then bang you for the third time in less than forty-eight hours.” 

Hannibal smirked. “Then why are you so tempted to follow me?”

Will blushed as he allowed Hannibal to lift his chin and kiss him. “You know why,” he murmured. “You always leave me satisfied.” 

Leaning into Will’s ear, Hannibal whispered, “That is my favorite pastime.”

Will’s eyes followed him to the bathroom until the door shut. He then picked up his phone from the nightstand and texted Aaron: We still on for lunch today?  

To Will’s surprise, Aaron's reply came in a few minutes later: Yes. How does 1pm sound?

As long as they didn’t waste too much time, Will could easily get rid of Hannibal before one o’clock. He began typing back,

Sounds good. You have a place in mind or do you want to just pick me up at the inn?

Will tossed his phone aside and sighed, left to wonder if Aaron would hold a grudge over lunch, or worse, threaten to report Hannibal. Unfortunately, it was a bit too late for him to realize he should have followed Aaron down the hall instead of letting some asshole fuck him against the door for the whole neighborhood to hear. His phone buzzed against the sheets, and a new text from Aaron promised to pick him up at the agreed upon time. Will turned his phone to ‘Do Not Disturb’ and went to the dresser to choose an outfit for the docks. 

Their walk to the ocean together was surprisingly relaxing. The sun had barely risen, and the air was still misty and cool. By the time they arrived at the docks, Will had been holding Hannibal’s hand for a few short blocks. He let go once Spade’s shop came into his view.

“Stay out here and make sure nobody sees your face. I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go buy us a second fishing rod,” he told Hannibal, kissing him on the cheek and handing him his own fishing rod in its fabric casing. 

After noticing Hannibal’s baffled expression at being left outside to hold Will’s things, he headed into the shop without waiting for a reply. The front desk was unattended when he entered, but Spade appeared after a brief moment looking more disheveled than usual. 

“Will! Thank god, this is perfect timing. Aaron told me you might know your way around a boat motor? I could really use your help.” 

“Oh. Um, yeah, I could help you out.”

“Sorry, my bad, that can wait. How can I help you?”

Will laughed. “Well, I was actually looking to upgrade my fishing rod. I don’t have the dog food yet, I figured I would just talk Aaron into giving me a ride later today to pick it up.” 

“Yeah, no problem. I don’t have a very wide selection, but I’ve got some sturdy ones over on the wall there.”

Will nodded and walked over to get a better view of the fishing rods. “So, do you know what’s wrong with the boat you’re trying to fix?” 

“Well,” Spade laughed, “I thought I did, but now I fear I may have made things worse. Please tell me Aaron wasn’t kidding when he said you have experience.”

“Don’t worry, I know more than a thing or two. Can I check out that rod in the middle there?”

“‘Course. It’s yours if you help me with that motor later,” Spade replied as he handed it over the counter. 

A few minutes later, Will met Hannibal outside of the shop holding a new fishing rod. 

“Hey, sexy. You ready to catch some fish?” Will asked him with a smirk.

Hannibal seemed unamused at Will’s choice of nickname but nodded anyway before allowing Will to lead him to a shady end of the docks. 

“Take that rod out of the casing and let me help you bait it,” Will told him as he took a seat on the edge of the wooden dock.

His feet nearly touched the water, so he took off his shoes and set them aside. Hannibal sat beside him and handed him the older fishing rod. 

Will scoffed. “I said I’d help you, not do it for you. Here,” he said, handing Hannibal a piece of bait. 

“You want me to impale a dead earthworm onto a hook?” Hannibal asked blankly, looking down at Will’s outstretched hand. “Do I at least get gloves?”

Will scoffed. “What, Hannibal the Cannibal is too proper to touch dead things? Grow a pair and take the fucking worm.” 

Hannibal’s eyes narrowed in silent scorn, but he took the worm from Will anyway and hooked it onto the end of his fishing rod.

Will found himself impressed at Hannibal’s patience as he taught him how to properly cast out a line. It only took him a few more minutes than Will to catch their first fish of the day, which left Will silently frustrated at how quickly he always picked up on things. Still, he had grown too used to Hannibal’s natural elegance to be surprised. 

Although the sun continued to rise, Will hardly noticed as time passed. It was difficult to even focus on fishing when Hannibal kept nudging and kissing his neck and face. By the time Will had finished reeling in his second fish, he gave into Hannibal’s charms and let him climb on top of him as they made out. The sun had turned the dock burning hot against his back, which Will tolerated until he heard the door to Spade’s shop open and close. Footsteps began thumping against the dock, and Will lightly pushed Hannibal away before scooting backwards. 

“Listen to me,” he panted, looking into Hannibal’s eyes. “Don’t let him see your face. I have to go talk to him real quick. I’ll be right back.” 

Hannibal’s longing expression was difficult to resist, but Will stood and walked away to where Spade was standing outside the shop.

“You ready to work on that motor?” Will called over as he approached.

Spade laughed. “I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

It only took Will about fifteen minutes to diagnose the boat’s problem, which led to an irritating amount of flattery from Spade. 

“For real though, if you’re looking for work, I could use some help around here. Just let me know and we can talk wages and shit,” he continued.

“Thank you, Spade, I’ll keep that in mind. I’m just still not quite sure how long I’ll be in the area. Let me know when you get that part for the boat and I can help you replace it if you want.”

“Awesome. I’m actually headed to get it now, I know a guy across the island who has all kinds of this crap. Can’t answer a phone to save his life though. Anyway, you can just come by to fix it whenever you have time.”

“Deal. Thanks again for the fishing rod,” said Will, nodding to him as he strode toward the shop’s exit. Spade followed, grabbing his car keys on the way out. 

“No problem, Will. A favor for a favor,” he replied, walking to his car parked near the road. “I’ll see you later. Thanks again!” he called over.

Will smiled politely and waved to him before heading back to the edge of the docks where he left Hannibal. 

As soon as he turned the corner, he heard thudding and a loud grunt. He quickened his pace to discover a fisherman holding Hannibal in a chokehold against a stack of crates. 

“Hey!” Will yelled, sprinting towards them. “Get the fuck away from him, now!”

The fisherman held his grip but glanced at Will. “No, call the cops! He’s wanted by the FBI, you gotta–”

Will’s fist collided with the man’s nose and nearly knocked him onto his back. Cursing loudly, the fisherman steadied himself against one of the crates. 

“Man, you don’t understand, he’s the fucking cannibal from the news! You gotta help me, or he’s g—“

Hannibal threw the fisherman down onto the dock, still coughing from the chokehold. Will froze with his fist still clenched. He stood watching as Hannibal punched the man over and over until he was coughing blood. 

“Hannibal…” Will warned, but he stepped backwards when he received a glare in return. 

“Would you rather he kill me, Will?” Hannibal snarled. 

The fisherman took the opportunity to throw Hannibal off balance and shove him over the edge of the dock. There was a loud splash, and the man scrambled to push Hannibal’s head underwater. Will rushed forward and grabbed the man by the collar, yanking him backwards off of Hannibal.

“You motherfucker,” the fisherman spat before lunging at Will, whose vision almost instantly turned to blackness. 

When Will opened his eyes, his head throbbed and he was lying on his back against the dock. He watched Hannibal climb over the edge, dripping wet, and collapse on the side of the dock in a coughing fit. There was a metallic clang, and Will forced himself to sit up. The fisherman was walking straight towards Hannibal carrying a large pipe wrench. 

“No,” Will groaned under his breath, attempting to stand in his dizziness. Hannibal still wasn’t turning around.

“Hannibal!” Will screamed, but Hannibal could only look up and watch the fisherman stop behind him with the wrench pulled over his shoulder. 

Will sprang onto his feet and ran to them as fast as his legs allowed. He tried to pull the pipe wrench from the man’s hand, but he held firm as he aimed for the back of Hannibal’s head. Will released the wrench to instead grip the back of the fisherman’s head with both hands, snapping his neck in one quick motion. 

His dead body crumpled inches in front of Hannibal, and the pipe wrench clanged loudly against the dock. Will froze for a moment. 

“Shit,” he whispered. He looked around for any sign of spectators near the dock as he continued to cuss under his breath. Nobody was around as far as he could tell, but anyone in the immediate surrounding area could have heard the commotion. 

“Hannibal,” he said urgently, holding out a hand to help him up. “Are you okay?”

Hannibal wheezed with a smile as he used the support of Will’s arm to stand. “I’m much better than that, darling.”

“Good, we need to get moving. I saw a canoe outside of Spade’s shed. We need to carry it over here, now.”

“Why would we do that?”

“To hide the fucking body, Hannibal, why else? You’re gonna have to row out and weigh it down. I’ll clean up the dock and take care of appearances.” 

“Appearances?” Hannibal scoffed.

“Yes,” Will snapped, “I have lunch plans with the chief of police. I need to get back to the inn soon and clean up.”

“Your lunch plans with Aaron are your top priority right now?”  

Will glared at him. “Don’t be a fucking idiot. You should know better than anyone how suspicious it would look if I cancel my plans with the goddamn chief of police the same afternoon a man goes missing at the very docks I was last seen. He knows about my past, and thanks to you, now he knows you’re here, too.” 

“Fine,” Hannibal growled. “Show me the canoe.”

Will led Hannibal to Spade’s shed, where he found Beverly resting on a towel in the shade. When she opened her eyes and saw Will approaching, her stub of a tail began to wag furiously and she bowed into a stretch. It felt inappropriate to smile at a time like this, but Will couldn’t help it once she began sniffing and licking his hand.

“Your new companion, I presume?” Hannibal asked, as casual as any other day.  

“Yes, but now’s not the time for a formal introduction. Grab that end and I’ll take the other,” Will replied, pointing to the canoe against the side of the shed. 

They carried the canoe to where the fisherman’s body was lying and lowered it into the water nearby as quietly as possible. Will looked down at the body, preparing himself to pick it up and throw him into the boat. He expected, perhaps hoped, that he would feel nauseous at the sight, but he laid the body in the canoe without feeling anything at all. He turned back to Hannibal.

“I’m gonna grab the row and a towel to cover him with in case anyone passes you in the water. Just find some shit to weigh the body down with, and make sure it’s nothing anyone will miss.”

Hannibal tilted his head slightly at Will before reaching out and touching his face. “Consider it done. And, Will… thank you.” 

When Will didn’t react, Hannibal leaned forward and kissed him. Will let himself kiss back for a few seconds before he pushed him away. 

“Stop,” Will gasped. “Just get it done. I’ll be right back.” 

He turned on his heel and walked back in the direction of the shed, refusing the urge to look behind him. A few minutes later, he returned holding the boat’s paddle and the towel that Bev had been laying on. Hannibal was kneeling over the body in the canoe and stood as Will approached.

“Go take care of your plans, Will. I’ll come by and see you tonight,” Hannibal told him, accepting the row and towel from Will. 

“Hannibal…” Will trailed off. 

“Will. It’s okay. I’ll see you soon.”

Will bit his lip and nodded gratefully. “Just put the towel back where the dog was lying in the shed when you’re done,” he replied before heading away from the docks and back to the inn. 

By the time Will had showered and dressed, it was nearly one o’clock. He spent a few minutes tidying his hair until there was a knock on the door. Will took a deep breath in the mirror before answering the door. 

“Aaron,” he said with a forced smile. “Hey.” 

“Good to see you, Will. You ready?” Aaron replied gruffly. 

Will nodded and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. “Thanks for picking me up. Where are we going?”

“Nowhere special, but I think you’ll like it,” he told Will as they exited the inn. 

Aaron led Will to his car and opened the passenger door for him. Will wasn’t sure if he found this gentlemanly or overboard, but he climbed into the seat nonetheless. He cleared his throat as Aaron began to drive. 

“Uh, so… I’m really sorry about last night, Aaron.”

“Hey, you don’t have t–”

“No, no, I mean it. I could’ve handled that a lot better. I should’ve…”

“Will, stop. You were preoccupied, and you had already told me you had plans. I shouldn’t have intruded.” 

Will sighed quietly and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah… sorry. Anyway, I’m glad you still decided to take me out. I wasn’t sure you’d even text me back.” 

Aaron smiled. “Well, it’s not often I get the opportunity to go out with a man like you. I wasn’t gonna let some snobby fugitive get in the way.” 

Will bit his tongue. He had no reason to defend Hannibal, but of all the insults one could make about a convicted serial killer, why choose ‘snobby’? And what could Hannibal have meant when he said Aaron had secrets? More importantly, what secret could be so bad that he wouldn’t call the FBI on an escaped cannibal? 

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” Aaron replied casually.

“Why didn’t you arrest Hannibal Lecter last night? Or at least call the FBI?” Will asked, turning to look at Aaron, whose gaze remained on the road. 

“I didn’t think you would want me to. Was I mistaken?” Aaron asked, glancing at Will.

Somehow, Will hadn’t seen that question coming. “That’s– I mean, how is that relevant?” he stammered. “You took an oath to protect and serve, not to follow the whim of some random guy you just met.”

“Relax, Will. You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”

“I… why not?”

Aaron sighed. “Look, the guy has clearly traumatized you beyond belief. If you’re gonna get away from him, that has to be your decision. As soon as you say the word, I’ll bring him in.” 

Will paused. “If I did, I’d be sentencing you to death. It seems like you’re underestimating him.” 

“Well, I’m not,” Aaron laughed. “Seems you’re underestimating me.” 

Will faced the passenger window, raising his eyebrows. “Okay. Well, for now, don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with him if it comes to it.” 

“Understood. Anyway, I hope you’re hungry. I can never decide between the burgers and the fish at this place,” said Aaron, pulling into the parking lot of an oceanside restaurant. 

Will smiled. “Actually, I’m starving. Especially since you made it seem like we were going to some café or sandwich shop or something. I haven’t had a good burger in months.”

Aaron opened his car door and stepped out. “I’m glad to be the one reintroducing you,” he chuckled. “Let’s go. You’re gonna love it.”

Chapter Text

Will was quite impressed by the restaurant; the food was delicious, and the oceanside view was both soothing and gorgeous. He found Aaron to be a fantastic storyteller, and he had no shortage of interesting experiences from his career as a city cop. By the time Will had finished his meal, his mind was far away from the morning’s incident on the docks. 

“I shit you not, Will, I had this dude fully convinced that I was taking him back to the bar. It was the only way I could get him in my car without knocking him out.”

Will laughed aloud. “Well, I suppose you do arrest drunk drivers after all. I wish my time at the FBI had been so amusing.”

Aaron cracked a smile. “I told you that already. But yeah, I can’t imagine investigating serial killers would lead to much laughter.” 

“No, it didn’t. But I’ve been trying to leave that part of my life behind me.”

“Hmm. I don’t mean to be rude, but you don’t seem all that far away from it.”

“No, you’re right,” Will sighed. “But I definitely won’t be letting you drag me along to crime scenes anymore.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”

Will glared down at his empty plate. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t worry about Hannibal for the time being.” 

“I’m not worried,” Aaron asserted. “Sorry I brought it up.”

“It’s fine,” Will muttered. “Hey, you still have that rum from last night?”

“Of course.”

“Do you wanna head back to the inn, then? I wouldn’t mind sharing some with you.”

Aaron’s expression softened. “Yeah, that sounds fun. I’ll pay the check and we can head back to the car.”

When they arrived back at Will’s room at the inn, Aaron poured them each a cup of spiced rum and sat down on the bed. 

“I know it’s the cheap shit, but it’s my favorite,” he said with a friendly smile, handing a cup to Will. 

“Not a problem, I don’t have very expensive taste,” Will replied, taking a seat beside Aaron as he sipped his rum. “Thank you for lunch, by the way. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this town. I definitely didn’t expect to meet anybody.”

“Anybody?” 

“You know what I mean,” Will chuckled. “Anyone I like.” 

Aaron smiled. “I like you too, Will, and I’m happy to be your somebody.” 

Will blushed. “Y’know, you and Spade seem like good guys. I really couldn’t have asked for a better welcome party.” 

“Eh, Spade’s a loser, but we love him. I could give you a real welcome party if you’re interested.”

“What, like a party party?” Will scoffed. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Hey, I can tell you’re not the partying type, but maybe me and my friends could change that. We’ve mastered a good time down to an art.”

“I’m sure you have, but like you said, I’m not the partying type. I’d prefer just sharing this bottle with you.” 

“You won’t catch me complaining about that,” Aaron murmured, gently wrapping his arm around Will’s shoulders. 

Will stiffened at his touch, but he let his shoulders relax as Aaron moved his hand down to lightly grip his bicep. He faced Aaron to find him gazing intensely down at him. His eyes were a much icier blue than Will had realized before, and he felt a chill as if they had frozen him in place. 

“Me neither,” Will whispered. “But this isn’t a good idea.”

“What’s not a good idea?” Aaron asked in a low voice. 

Will smiled shyly. “Kissing you.”

Aaron returned his smile. “Then don’t,” he said, leaning closer to Will. 

“I won’t,” replied Will softly. 

“Then allow me,” Aaron said as he closed the gap between their lips.

The kiss was smooth and sweet, and Will waited to open his eyes just to savor the feeling. It was new and weightless like a piece of good news that comes out of nowhere. He let Aaron steal another kiss before he lifted his head and met his eyes again. Aaron stared back, unblinking. 

“So,” Will teased, “are you gonna tell Spade we slept together again?” 

“Shit,” Aaron muttered, looking down with a slight smile. “To be honest, I was kinda banking on that not getting back to you.”

“I think the best way to guarantee that would be to not say it in the first place,” Will laughed. “Just don’t go and give Spade shit for your own fuckup. I told him I wouldn’t mention what he said.” 

“Alright, I won’t. This is what I mean when I say Spade’s a loser, though.”

“Huh. Where I come from, a guy who lies about getting laid is a loser.” 

“Don’t be a shit, Will,” Aaron complained, rolling his eyes at his amused expression. “Spade was just being a pain in my ass. I only said that to shut him up.” 

“Whatever you say,” Will smirked, taking another sip of rum. “I’d be more concerned about it getting around to Hannibal, though, if I were you. Just another reason to not say stupid shit.”

Aaron tilted his head slightly and furrowed his brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Will shrugged. “Except that the last person he found out I’d slept with ended up dead by the next day.”

“Jesus,” Aaron muttered and drew his arm back from behind Will. “Someone’s fucking possessive.”

Will sighed and bit his cheek. “Yeah. That’s why I said this is a bad idea.”

“You also said you would deal with him if it came to it.” 

“I am dealing with it,” Will grumbled. “I ditched him for weeks after that happened. I would imagine he’s not eager to lose me again, speaking as he just traversed the entire continent to get back with me.”

“I thought you two weren’t together.” 

“We’re not.” 

“Well, does Hannibal know that?”

Will huffed. “Hannibal is gonna believe whatever he wants to believe. You heard me tell him just last night that I’m not taken.”

“Right before you fucked him?”

“Aaron, I don’t need this,” Will snapped. “It’s none of your business who I fuck.”

Aaron’s jaw clenched. “I suppose not, at least until Hannibal’s next body drops.” 

An image of the fisherman collapsing on the dock flashed through Will’s mind, and he could hear the sound of a neck snapping beneath his own grasp. 

“It won’t come to that,” Will mumbled. “Just trust me when I say I’ve got it handled.” 

“Fine,” Aaron sighed. “I trust you.” 

Will nodded. “Thank you.”

He held his cup out to Aaron, who filled it with more rum as he tried to meet Will’s eyes.

“Just take care of yourself, okay? I don’t want to have to read about you in the news knowing I could have done something.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need you or anyone to worry about me. I’ve known Hannibal for a long time, and I know what I’m doing.” 

“I know. I’m just saying, in all these years you’ve known him, how many times have you tried to kill each other?” Aaron asked cautiously, making Will sigh and look further away. 

“More than I could count on one hand, that’s for damn sure.”

“Then, just keep that in mind. I’d love to see you again, Will.” 

Will’s expression softened and he finally allowed Aaron to make eye contact. “I would like that too. Maybe I could come over to your place next time so we don’t have to hang out in this dinky room.”

“Maybe,” Aaron laughed. “Only, I live with my friends. I’m not sure how well you would get along with them.”  

“Why’s that?” asked Will.

“Oh, they’re just kind of obnoxious. Even Spade gets pretty rowdy when we’re all hanging out together.” 

“Spade lives with you?”

“Yeah, there’s quite a few of us. It’s a big house. To be honest, if you’re not a fan of partying, we’re probably better off here at the inn.” 

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it. How does Friday night sound?”

“Ugh, I work all night. Let’s do Saturday?” 

“Deal,” Will agreed. “Just text me what time.”

“Of course. Thanks for letting me take you out, Will. You don’t make bad company,” Aaron said, smirking as he stood from the bed.

“Right back at you, Chief,” Will flirted. 

He walked Aaron to the door and unlocked it for him. 

“Don’t drink all that in one night,” said Will, nodding down at the bottle of rum in Aaron’s hand.

“No promises,” Aaron chuckled, seemingly observing Will’s face. 

It gave Will the uneasy feeling that Aaron’s gaze could see into his skull. Looking away would be awkward, but making eye contact would be worse. Instead, Will shoved him against the wall and let the bottle thud onto the thin carpet. He brought his mouth to Aaron’s neck and kissed roughly. Something of a growl came from Aaron’s throat, and Will bit into the side of his neck to silence him. Aaron retaliated with quick, deep scratches down Will’s back. An exhilarated moan escaped Will. 

“Aaron,” he laughed quietly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you from leaving.”

“Don’t apologize,” Aaron insisted, tilting Will’s chin up with two fingers. 

Will placed a hand against the wall and breathed against Aaron’s lips. He kissed Aaron with an inviting ferocity, and Aaron bit Will’s lips and tongue even more than Hannibal often did. As soon as he felt a streak of hot blood running down his chin, Will pulled away and moved his hand off the wall to stroke Aaron’s jaw. 

“You should go,” he panted, bowing his head and looking up at Aaron.

Aaron cleared his throat softly and wiped the blood off his own chin. “Yeah… sorry. You should probably clean that cut.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Will smiled. “Enjoy your evening. Thank you for lunch.”

“Of course, Will. I’ll see you Saturday,” Aaron replied, and he slipped out the door. 

Will locked the door behind him and hit himself in the forehead with both fists. A headache set in almost instantly, and he rubbed his eyes in protest. When he went to the sink to clean the blood from his lip, he realized that there were several more streaks on his chin and a few drops on his shirt. 

Cursing under his breath, he quickly cleaned himself up and flushed away the blood red bath tissue. There was only one open cut on his lips, so he pulled his bottom lip out over the sink and poured rubbing alcohol onto it. He noticed a red glint on his teeth in the mirror, and then a stinging in the left side of his tongue. His lip was still throbbing like hell from the alcohol, but he rinsed his mouth with mouthwash to be safe.
Maybe Hannibal would buy that he accidentally bit his own lip, but he was smarter than any other man Will had known. And yet, Will had sent Hannibal to dispose of a body for him so that he could bring the slutty cop back to his hotel room after lunch and make out with him. Hannibal would assume worse, too. The fucker could probably even smell that Aaron was here with his superhuman nose. Paranoia drove him to open all the windows in the hotel room. 

How could he be so foolishly idiotic? Will would have thought giving into his nefarious impulses with Hannibal would be enough, but now that he had involved Aaron there was yet another life on the line. Maybe he could just call Jack Crawford now, tell him to send the FBI. Less collateral damage if they arrive just before Hannibal flies into another jealous rage. It might be safer, though, to just take matters into his own hands. Will’s previous attempts at murdering Hannibal had failed, but he was perfectly capable of it. In fact, he would enjoy it. 

What time is it? Where’s Hannibal?  

Will rushed to his phone on the bed and checked the clock. Hannibal would have finished sinking the fisherman at least an hour ago. Of course, he said he wouldn’t be stopping by until tonight, but where on this island would he even go? 

Will took a deep breath and went back to the mirror. You’re overreacting, he told himself. Nothing even happened. Hannibal probably won’t be here for an hour at least. Stop losing your shit.

He turned on the shower to warm up the hot water while he found a pair of new sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt to change into. When Hannibal did show up back at the hotel room, he didn’t want to smell like secondhand goods.

Chapter Text

Hannibal knocked at the door at a quarter to six o’clock. By then Will had shut all of the windows and blinds and taken three shots of whiskey. 

“Hannibal,” Will greeted him as he answered the door, unsure of whether he was relieved or nervous to see him. “Come in.”

Hannibal leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before shutting the door behind himself, leaving Will slightly taken aback.

“It’s good to see you, Will. How did your lunch go?” Hannibal asked as he found a chair to sit and remove his shoes. 

“It was alright. At least, he definitely couldn’t have guessed I’d murdered a man just an hour beforehand,” Will added bitterly.

“You sound regretful.”

“Of course I’m regretful,” he scoffed. “That man did nothing wrong, he was just trying to stop a serial killer.”

Hannibal sighed quietly. “Well, the body is taken care of. Nobody will be finding it unless they search the ocean floor.”

Will nodded. 

“Good. Thank you for doing that,” he said stiffly and sat down on the bed. 

“No thanks are necessary. You saved my life, Will.” 

Hannibal stood from his chair to approach him. He touched Will’s face and ran his fingers through his hair affectionately. “You kill so rarely, and yet, you would kill for me.” 

“Did you miss the part where I said I regret it?” Will grumbled, looking down.

“Do you mean that you would prefer me dead?” 

Will raised his head to meet Hannibal’s curious hazel eyes. “No. I just know that what I did wasn’t right.” 

“Right for who?”

“For anybody except you.” 

Hannibal sat down beside him. “Then why did you do it?”

Will paused. 

“Because I couldn’t bear to lose you,” he decided.

He felt a hand on his thigh as Hannibal nudged his neck and whispered, 

“Me neither.”

“Bullshit,” Will sneered. “You’ve put my life on the line so many times just to see what I would do.”

“Not any more times than you’ve held a weapon to me with the direct intention to kill.” 

“I doubt that, but that’s not the point.”

“What is, then?”

“That I’m not going to believe that you actually value me unless you start acting like it.”

“It’s been years since I put you in any real danger, Will,” Hannibal argued. “I’ve given you nothing but love since the night I brought you home from Muskrat Farm.”

Will grit his teeth. “You have a very skewed perception of love, then.” 

Hannibal narrowed his eyes at the space directly behind Will.

“You’re bleeding,” he stated. 

“What?”

“You’re bleeding,” Hannibal repeated, and he reached forward to pull up Will’s shirt. 

Will couldn’t see them, but he could imagine Hannibal’s expression as he laid eyes upon the scars Aaron had left on his back. He felt Hannibal pull his shirt back down.

“You’ve been busy,” Hannibal said, monotone.

“Hardly. He— we just, we made out a little bit,” Will stuttered. “He left right after. It was stupid.” 

“Don’t lie to me, Will. You don’t just let any stupid man leave those kinds of marks on you.” 

“I didn’t say he was stupid, it was just a stupid thing to do.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“I don’t know,” Will laughed defensively. “Why did you kiss me when I tried to throw us off a cliff?”

“Because I wanted you to know I was in love with you,” Hannibal responded without missing a beat. 

“I– Well, that’s definitely not why I kissed him. I just wanted to because I knew he wanted to.” 

“Listen to yourself, Will. You’re not making any sense.”

“Fine,” Will groaned, exasperated. “I wanted to kiss him because I think it’s sweet that he likes me. And then I was walking him out, and he wouldn’t look away from my face, and… I panicked. I felt like he somehow knew what I did this morning.”

“So you made out with him?” Hannibal asked blankly, as if he had missed the punchline to a joke. 

“Yes, for a minute, and then he left. It wasn’t a big deal.” 

“You told me you had no business messing around as long as I kept you satisfied. Are you not satisfied, Will?” 

“Of course I’m satisfied,” Will snapped, standing from the bed to pace the room.

“Then what do you want with Aaron?” Hannibal demanded.

“I don’t want anything from him, Hannibal. Why are you raising your voice at me? It was just a stupid kiss.”

Hannibal took a second to slow his breathing. 

“I’m sorry, Will. I’m only scared of losing you.” 

“What are you talking about? Do you really think I’m just going to leave you for the first guy I meet?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what are you so afraid of?”

Hannibal sighed quietly. “You won’t listen. You can only imagine my intentions as malevolent or perverted.”

Will scoffed. “You ever wonder why that is?”

Hannibal glared from the corner of his eye. “I don’t have to. I know how much pain I've caused you. But I truly want what’s best for you, Will.”

Will shook his head. “What I’ve never understood, Hannibal, is what the hell makes you think you know what’s best for me.” 

“You know why I think that. I know you better than anybody else, and you love me for it. Why pretend otherwise?”

“Why is it so hard for you to understand that I can’t trust you?” Will snapped, focusing his remaining composure on resisting the urge to yell.

“If you can’t trust me, then who can you trust?”

“Only myself, as it’s always been. Y’know, it’s funny how so many things have changed, but that stays the same.” 

“You’re wrong, my love. I’m always looking out for you. I would do anything–” 

“Shove it, Hannibal. You exist for yourself, and it will never be any other way.”

Hannibal paused to look Will up and down. “Who do you exist for?”

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Messing with my goddamn head. I’m tired. I can’t do this anymore.”

“I’m not messing with you, Will. What can’t you keep doing?”

“Living for you. You should have let me throw us off that goddamn cliff. It would have been better for everyone. But everything always has to go your fucking way, every fucking time!” Will yelled, but his voice cracked. He pretended not to care. 

“Will, relax. I won’t apologize for allowing us a life together.”

“What life? This isn’t a goddamn life, Hannibal! We have nowhere to go. We have no means of transportation, no friends, no boundaries, no fucking–”

“Will,” Hannibal commanded. “Breathe. I’m not going to hurt your precious cop.”

Will glared violently. “He’s not precious to me. I don’t want you to kill anyone, whether I like him or not.” 

“I won’t kill him unless he tries to hurt you.”

“Why would he want to hurt me?”

“I’m not saying that he does, but he is dangerous,” Hannibal replied calmly.

“Dangerous how?” 

“I tend to advise against asking questions you don’t want to hear the answer to.”

Will sighed. “Just tell me what it is you think you know about him.”

“Why, so you can take your anger out on me?”

“I’m already angry, Hannibal.”

“Exactly. Sit down and take a breath. You have nothing to worry about.”

Will rolled his eyes but sat beside Hannibal anyway. There was a long pause.
“You’re right,” Will admitted, his voice quiet. “I’m no more angry with you than I am with myself. I don’t regret killing that fisherman. I would do it again to keep him from hurting you.”

Hannibal smiled softly. “I know you would. That’s nothing to be angry with yourself over. I would do the same for you in a heartbeat. We would do anything for the ones we truly love.”

“That’s the problem, Hannibal. Your judgment is criminally horrible. Finding myself doing something I know you would do doesn’t make me feel good.”

“How does it make you feel?”

“It feels… eerie. Like I’m becoming the worst version of myself.”

For a fraction of a second, Hannibal looked genuinely hurt. Then he pursed his lips and looked down. 

“Do you still hear your thoughts in my voice, Will?”

Will bit his lip. “Sometimes. Often.”

“Is your inner voice the worst part of yourself?”

“Oftentimes, yes.”

Hannibal reached forward slowly to hold Will’s face in his hand. 

“When will you learn to embrace yourself, Will? I love you for you who are. The least you can do is accept yourself.”

Will scrunched his eyebrows together and rubbed his eyes. “Fuck, Hannibal. I love you too. I love you so goddamn much it hurts.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Will. I want to protect you.”

“Even if that is true, it hasn’t always been that way.”

“Maybe not, but that’s the way it is now. I want to marry you, Will.”

Will laughed in surprise. “What? I mean, are you being serious?”

Hannibal glared but didn’t look away from Will. “Yes. Why does that surprise you?”

“What do you mean, Hannibal? Can you even tell me how many times we’ve tried to kill each other?” 

“The only time I tried to kill you was directly after you betrayed me. You pulled out a knife, and you would have tried to kill me if Chiyoh hadn’t shot you.”

“What about when you sent Randall Tier to kill me?”

“I wanted you to kill Randall. I thought it would be therapeutic for you, and I was right. Besides, you know full well you had sent someone to kill me only weeks prior.”

Will scratched his head irritably and pushed Hannibal’s hand off his face. “Hannibal, please…”

“What is it, Will?” 

“I can’t, I just can’t do this right now.””

“Do what? Face reality?”

“Yes!” Will laughed out, but it quickly became a sob. He took a deep breath to steady his voice. 

“I love you, Hannibal, and it kills me. I can never escape you. That’s why I tried to throw us off the cliff after we killed Dolarhyde, but then you kissed me, and… I wanted to feel that way again. And I have, I feel that way every time you touch me. But I was being impulsive. I shouldn’t have let you stop me from throwing us off. I was making the right decision, and I knew full well that I was. Hell, for all I know, this whole bullshit romance has just been to keep me from wanting to kill you.” 

“I know you too well to attribute that statement to pure stupidity.”

“Whatever, I didn’t mean that,” Will grumbled. “I just mean you’ve played me for a fool so many times it’s idiotic that I still want to trust you.”

“I disagree. I trust you completely, and you’ve tried to kill me more times than you’ve told me you love me.” 

Will laughed. “Isn’t that fucking ironic. And you wonder why I question your judgment.”

“Am I wrong to trust you, Will?” Hannibal inquired.

“No, of course not. I just killed a man for you this morning.”

“Then what’s wrong with my judgment?”

“That’s a whole other conversation, Hannibal, but you can imagine why I don’t trust you to tell me whether I should be angry with myself or not. That man probably had a family who’s wondering if he’s ever gonna come home, and you’re glad he’s dead.”

“I’m glad that you killed him.”

“Yeah, it must be satisfying to see the results of your therapy go just as you hoped,” Will retorted.

“This murder was an act of love, Will. My therapy isn't what made you fall in love with me.”

“Without our standing appointments, where would you have found the time to influence me the way you have?”

“I didn’t influence you to fall in love with me, either. I only helped you embrace your nature.” 

Will sighed. “I’ve fallen in love three times, Hannibal, and they were all for you. The first time I thought you were sweet. The second time, I knew you weren’t. Now I’m not sure what I think.”

Chapter Text

Will woke the next morning and found himself in Hannibal’s arms again. He pondered what the point had been in making Hannibal find his own place the other day if he wasn’t ever going to enforce it. The warmth of Hannibal’s embrace gave him a jarring reminder:

Hannibal wants to marry me.  

Warmth quickly turned to indignation. Even if Hannibal had been fully honest, what gave him the right? Hannibal wasn’t stupid, so he couldn’t actually believe it was possible for them to create a future together. And yet, Will feared that he was already half-convinced it could be true. He brought his hand to Hannibal’s, which was wrapped around Will’s bicep. Iceland was far enough away from Jack and the FBI, even far from Italy and the rest of their past. They could go there together. He had written off the thought as unrealistic because he couldn’t trust Hannibal, but maybe Will was selling him short. As Hannibal had once implied, Will allowing him to sleep in his bed night after night must mean more than simply trusting that they’ll both wake up the next morning. 

Hannibal stirred slightly, and Will hoped he wouldn’t wake just yet. He wanted to hold on to the stupid Iceland fantasy just a little longer. When his soft snoring resumed, Will allowed himself to picture it. They would live near the coast on hundreds of acres, in a little cottage with a king-size bed for them to wake up in every morning touching just like this. Maybe they would even have a nice covered patio outside with a pet door so Bev and all their other dogs could come and go as they pleased. Hannibal would cook and wash the dishes while Will cleaned and separated the laundry. They’d argue about how to organize the fridge instead of recent murders and betrayals. 

The long conversation of the night before slowly coaxed him back to reality. Hannibal had kept his patience with Will all night despite his defiance of Hannibal’s many attempts at relaxing him. When he did finally succeed, they had shared wine and whiskey among other indulgences. The skin on Will’s back stung as he recalled Hannibal leaving deeper scratches in the opposite direction of Aaron’s. Despite the stinging, Will preferred it this way— he was forever marked by Hannibal, but Aaron’s moment of passion would heal over soon. Will glanced up at the headboard to make sure it hadn’t been a dream when he accidentally broke off a piece of it amid drunken sex with Hannibal last night. A large plank was indeed missing, and Will tried not to think about how loud they must have been.

Hannibal began to stir again, and this time Will rolled over and kissed him awake. He felt Hannibal smile against his lips almost immediately. 

“Good morning, Will,” he mumbled.

“My love,” Will whispered back, kissing him again.

When Will didn’t pull away, Hannibal sleepily pulled him on top of himself as he kissed Will back. 

“I figured I’d tired you out last night,” Hannibal chuckled. 

Will smiled. “I’ve been thinking about Iceland.” 

“You have?”

“Yes. I want to go. Together.”

Hannibal sat up slightly. “Since when? You just changed your mind overnight?” 

Will watched as he rubbed his eyes, seemingly irritated at having to wake up so quickly. 

“No,” said Will. “Sort of. I mean, I’ve been thinking about running away with you for years. And now I’ve decided.”

“You want a life together?” Hannibal asked doubtfully.

“Yes. Why does that surprise you?”

Hannibal sighed and sat up straight against the headboard. 

“Will, last night you said you’d be idiotic to trust me. You said you wished you hadn’t let me stop you from throwing us off a cliff. Yet, somehow, I’m the one messing with your head?”

Will bit his tongue. “I’m sorry. I thought you would be pleased.”

“I am, Will. I am. It’s just that you’ve promised to run away with me before.”

“I know, and I’ve wished that I had for such a long time. Especially now that I’m starting to understand how you really feel about me.” 

Hannibal smiled tiredly and kissed Will again. “It took you long enough.” 

Will closed his eyes and leaned into the gentle hand on his face. “We’ll need a new boat to make it up to Canada, but it shouldn’t be too long a trip.”

“Of course. We can go over logistics later. Just lay down for a minute, darling.”

Will blushed, even more sure of his decision than before. The warm feeling in his chest was unmatched. He was certain nothing would make him happier than waking up like this every morning. Allowing peace to fill him up, he laid his head down on Hannibal’s chest and ran his hand over his muscles. For once in his life, the thought didn’t disturb him: 

I’m in love with Hannibal Lecter.

If Hannibal weren’t so stubborn, Will would drag him out of bed to celebrate and devise a plan to start their new life. It would be significantly more difficult to travel if they were going to bring Bev with them, so maybe she would be better off staying with Spade.

“Shit,” Will whispered in sudden realization. Hannibal’s arm fell against the mattress as Will sat up in bed. 

“What’s wrong, chéri? ” Hannibal mumbled, a worried tone masking his obvious annoyance. 

“I forgot to feed Bev. I told Spade I’d bring the food by yesterday,” Will said, throwing on a jacket. “I gotta run to the grocery store.” 

“Well, how far is the grocery store?”

“I don’t know,” Will shrugged. “I’ve just been getting everything from the corner store, but they don’t have any decent kibble there.” 

Hannibal sat up again, fixing his hair. He took Will’s phone from the nightstand and opened the GPS app as Will put on his shoes. 

“It’s about five miles,” he told Will. “I’ll come with you.”

Will looked up as Hannibal stood from the bed. “You sure? I’m leaving right now, you can get some more sleep if you want.” 

“It’s alright. I’ll be ready in a minute,” he assured Will and walked to the bathroom. 

Roughly five minutes later, Will began to debate leaving Hannibal at the inn. After all, he had been acting hungover since he woke up, and he was a fugitive of much higher status than Will. Why would Hannibal want to go pick up dog food with him anyway? 

The bathroom door creaked open a second later, and Hannibal emerged looking as dapper as usual minus the formal suit. 

“You don’t need to get pretty for a dog food run,” Will complained. “Let’s go.”

“I didn’t ‘get pretty.’ You look like you just rolled out of bed.”

“Sure, babe,” he replied, brushing him off and showing him out the door. 

The walk to the grocery store was long but not tiring. It was early enough in the morning for very few people to be passing by, so Will hardly had to worry about Hannibal and himself being recognized. Hannibal was almost painfully flirtatious now that he was aware and among the fresh air. He wanted to know why Will chose Iceland for them.

“I’m not actually sure, to be honest,” Will told him. “There’s a lot of different reasons, but I didn’t really choose it. It just made sense. Isolated by the ocean, beautiful landscapes, peaceful yet unpredictable. I like the cold. The air smells fresher.”

“It sounds beautiful, although it may not have been my first choice.”

Will smiled. “I realize it’s not as fancy as Florence.”

“We’ll make do,” Hannibal chuckled. “Wherever it is you want to go.”

“Quit being such a romantic,” Will teased, rolling his eyes to avoid blushing.

“Coming from you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

“Really? How am I more of a romantic than you? You treat your life like it’s poetry.”

“Maybe, but I don't get so starry-eyed when somebody shows interest.”

Will scoffed. “So, what, I’m the more romantic one because your little charms work on me?”

“That’s not exactly what I meant.”

“What did you mean?”

Hannibal hesitated thoughtfully. “Well, there was Alana, now there’s Aaron. Maybe it’s the dark hair and blue eyes. You can’t seem to stop yourself from kissing them when you see that they appreciate your beauty.”

“Hannibal,” Will huffed, “I kissed Alana over four years ago, and Aaron is nobody to me. Also, neither of them made me starry-eyed. ”

“Stand down, love. I only meant to say I’m not the only romantic between us. Honestly, I know at least a hundred ways to make you blush.” 

“That’s a tough one to argue,” admitted Will. “Mostly because I might be blushing a little bit now.”

Hannibal smiled. “One of those hundred ways is to remind you how often I make you blush.”

Will kissed him on the cheek and took hold of his hand. It felt nice to touch him in public when no one was around. It was like playing pretend that they were a normal couple. 

It had felt odd to walk around a grocery store again looking for the dog food section. He had used the self-checkout kiosk, but he was still worried that someone could have recognized him as he made his way back over to the spot he had told Hannibal to wait for him. 

“That bag is half the size of you, Will. They didn’t have anything smaller?”

Will laughed. “It was a good deal, and she deserves the best. Nobody’s asking you to carry it.”

“I have a feeling that might change after the third mile to the docks.”

“Well, it won’t. I need to get back in shape anyway.” 

Hannibal didn’t argue any further, but by the second mile Will had switched his carrying arm half a dozen times. It must have been obvious that he was too stubborn to ask for help because Hannibal politely offered to carry it for him, leaving the I-told-you-so unspoken. Maybe Hannibal Lecter was sweet after all.

Chapter Text

As they approached the docks, Will insisted that Hannibal hang back and avoid the area altogether considering the events of the morning before. Will carried the bag to Beverly’s shed but was forced to set it down early as she enthusiastically greeted him. She was already looking healthier than when he found her on the street. Will laughed as she tried to lick his face, and he stood to go find Spade in the shop. Beverly followed him inside, wagging her stubby tail. 

“Hey, Will! Here to feed the beast?”

“That’s right,” Will laughed. “I forgot to ask Aaron for a ride yesterday, sorry. I’ve left the food out by the shed, do you want me to bring it in here?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll bring it in. By the way, I found that part for the boat yesterday, and I was actually getting ready to replace it here in a bit. You’re welcome to join if you want free liquor,” Spade offered.

“That sounds great, actually, but I’ve got someone waiting on me.” 

“Does he like free liquor?”

Will laughed uneasily. “Y’know, I assume, but it was a long walk and to be honest, he carried the dog food most of the way…”

“All the more reason for a drink. Relax, man, I’m not gonna tell Aaron if you’re messing around with some other dude.”

“Again, Spade, Aaron and I aren’t sleeping together.”

“So you don’t care if I tell him?”

Will scoffed. “Tell him what, that some guy helped me carry a bag of dog food to the docks?”

“That depends, is he the same guy you were making out with on the docks yesterday?” Spade asked with a smirk. 

Will bit his lip as his heart skipped a beat.

“Shit, you got me there. I’d definitely prefer it if you didn’t mention that.”

“I thought so. You just missed him, actually. Don’t worry, I only mentioned you when he asked.”

“Asked what?”

“Oh, he’s on duty right now. Some fisherman went missing yesterday so he’s just looking for someone who might have seen something.”

Will clenched his jaw. “Wow. Well, thanks for leaving that part out. I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Spade laughed. “Aaron’s insufferable when he gets jealous anyway.”

“Insufferable?”

“Yeah, he just becomes a pain in the ass to live with. Like picking fights and being generally unhelpful.”

Will nodded. “Right, he mentioned you and your friends all live together.” 

“Yeah, it’s usually a good time. He’s just been moody lately and I didn’t wanna deal with it.”

“Well, thanks either way. I gotta run, but I’ll see you around.” 

“Suit yourself. Later, Will,” said Spade with a friendly wave. 

Will picked up his pace as soon as the door shut behind him, eager to get back to Hannibal with Spade’s information. However, when he made it over the docks and turned the corner onto the street, he saw Hannibal and Aaron standing inches apart, both glaring violently. Before Will could announce himself, Aaron took a step back and spit on Hannibal’s shoe. In a split second, Hannibal had him in a chokehold against his police car.

“Hannibal!” Will hissed, but he was out of earshot. 

Quickly looking around for potential witnesses, Will sprinted over to Hannibal and ripped his arm from Aaron’s throat.

“What the hell is going on?” he snapped as quietly as he could.

Hannibal immediately released Aaron and stepped back, facing Will. Aaron laughed between coughs.

“Nothing much, he’s just easily provoked. You see that a lot with men who have something to overcompensate for,” he sneered, more to Hannibal than Will. 

“Hannibal,” Will demanded.

“I can explain, Will. Let’s go back to the inn,” Hannibal urged.

“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what happened.”

“He was threatening you, Will, and me. He’s dangerous.”

Aaron scoffed. “That’s rich, coming from the escaped serial killer.”

Will watched Hannibal’s hand curl into a fist. His eyes showed a level of unrestrained anger that Will hadn’t yet seen. Walking forward to stand between them, Will turned to Aaron. 

“Aaron, for the love of God. What’s going on?”

“Your boyfriend wants to kill me. Nothing new.”

“Nothing new? Do you two know each other?” Will demanded, swerving to look at Hannibal.

“We’ve met.”

“Yes, I know, at the inn. I was there.”

“There may have been other times,” Hannibal admitted.

Aaron cleared his throat. “He approached me coming out of your room earlier that day. Clearly, he sees me as some kind of threat.” 

“You two are acting like children,” Will snapped. “Hannibal, let’s go. Aaron, we’ll talk about this later.”

“Will, wait. I need to talk to you for a second.”

Will paused as Aaron reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a photograph. 

“Spade told me you were on the docks yesterday morning. Did you see this man anywhere?” he asked, handing it to Will. 

As he expected, Will looked down to see his victim’s face. He was surrounded by his wife and kids in the picture, all smiling. Will glanced back up at Aaron and handed it back. 

“Nope, sorry. Never seen him before. I didn’t see anybody on the docks that morning, actually, unless you count Spade.”

Aaron nodded curtly, not breaking eye contact. “Thanks anyway. Are we still on for this weekend?” 

“I’ll text you,” Will grumbled before pulling Hannibal down the street towards the inn. 

They walked in silence until Aaron’s car disappeared over the hill. Once it did, Hannibal glared down at Will.

“You made plans with him again? You told me he was nobody to you.” 

“He is nobody to me,” Will asserted, glaring back. “It was just the polite thing to do. Hopefully we’ll be gone by Saturday, anyway. Unless you keep acting like this, in which case I’ll go by myself.” 

“I’m being reasonable, Will. Just listen to me.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Hannibal. You lied to me.”

“Because I knew you would react this way. I only confronted him to–”

“If you say ‘to protect you’ right now, I will punch you in the throat.”

Hannibal stopped walking and grabbed his arm. “Listen to me. You need to stay away from him.”

“You just keep proving to me that I shouldn’t trust you! I leave you alone for two minutes and you put the police chief in a chokehold. Give me some space. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Will ripped his arm from Hannibal’s grasp and started to cross the street. 

“He’s a cannibal, Will.”

Will laughed incredulously, stopping in his tracks.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” he asked, turning around to face Hannibal again.

“You heard me correctly. A messy one, too. He doesn’t work alone.”

“And what in the fuck makes you think that the first man I’ve been even remotely interested in since I met you just happens to be a cannibal?” Will spat.

“I’ve been in his house, which made it fairly easy to deduce. But I knew before that. I could tell by the way he looked at you.” 

“The way he looked at me?”

“Yes. It was the same way I sometimes look at you.”

“Oh, okay,” Will scoffed. He shook his head in disbelief and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And how did he look at me, Hannibal?”

Hannibal met his gaze. “Like he didn’t know whether to eat it or fuck it.” 

“Oh, go to hell,” Will growled, his eyes widening. “Fuck off. Just shut the fuck up, Hannibal. Holy shit, shut the fuck up!”

His voice raised to a shout, and he pushed Hannibal’s chest forcefully.

Hannibal stayed standing firmly in place and glared into Will’s eyes.

“I seem to remember you asking me. And I’m only trying to protect you.” 

“From what?! Cannibals? Serial killers? You are the thing you’re trying to protect me from. You are the thing that needs to stay the fuck away from me.”

“So you’ll keep Aaron away from you?” 

“Are you even listening to me, Hannibal?” Will yelled. “Is that all you care about? You are the most jealous person I’ve met in my entire life. It’s pathetic.” 

“This isn’t jealousy. I don’t want you to become his next victim.” 

“What about your next victim?”

“What about yours?” Hannibal retaliated, still not raising his voice.

Will dug his fingernails into his palms to avoid lunging at Hannibal again. “Get lost. You can come by tonight.”

“I don’t need your permission.”

Unable to hold himself back, Will slapped Hannibal across the face. “Good luck getting the fucking door open then. Goodbye, Hannibal.”

Will stormed off across the street and didn’t look back. There was no way. There was simply no way Hannibal was telling the truth. Of all the reasons that could be making Hannibal feel so threatened by Aaron, him being a cannibal was not one of them. He knew that Will was interested in Aaron; he was probably just afraid of Will’s desire to pursue a more stable life. What better way to remove the temptation than by convincing Will there’s nothing else but chaos? It was foolish to expect that Hannibal had moved past petty jealousy. He had always gone to extreme lengths to make sure he was the number one thing in Will’s life. 

Still, the question continued to bother him: why didn’t Aaron call the FBI the very first time he met Hannibal? It just didn’t make sense. He had told Will he didn’t arrest Hannibal because he assumed Will didn’t want him to, but what kind of reason is that? He had to be hiding something. Or maybe this was all just a combination of paranoia and Hannibal’s lies. 

As soon as he made it back to the inn, Will began to scour Spade’s social media for clues. Within just five minutes, he found a post of Spade standing beside a new car outside of an imposing manor home. The house’s architecture had a unique Victorian Gothic style, and it wasn’t long before Will located it on Google Maps. It was only two and a half miles away, but Will sighed at the thought of more walking. It would be better to wait until dark, except that Hannibal would probably be back by sunset. 

He groaned and put his shoes back on. He couldn’t just sit here all afternoon wondering who was lying to him about what. Grabbing a bottle of water on his way out, Will made his way to the manor. 

As soon as the pointed roof came into view, Will pushed the thoughts of Hannibal out of his mind and surveyed the house from a distance. There were trees all around the property he could use to sneak around, but he had no idea how many people lived here, let alone how many were home. He approached the manor from the back of the property, listening carefully for voices or footsteps. When he got closer, he could see the figure of a man and a woman in the window. They were sitting on a leather couch, drinking and laughing. Still no sign of security cameras or dogs. 

On the opposite end of the house, there was a small balcony on the second floor. The door was cracked open, but Will couldn’t see or hear anyone within the room. 

This is a bad idea, Will thought to himself as he sized up the balcony. Even so, he carried a nearby lawn chair over and stood on it. There was a sharp pain in his right shoulder as he grabbed a hold of the bars on the railing, but he quickly found footing and pulled himself up. He listened carefully for noises from inside before climbing over the railing and gently pulling open the door. 

The room inside was empty. A large bed sat in the middle against the wall, and everything about the bedroom was exceptionally ordinary. The most suspicious object he could see was a bong on the nightstand. Either way, it didn’t seem like anything in here belonged to Aaron. Will walked quietly to the closet and searched inside for anything unusual. When he came up short, he looked under the bed, behind wall art, and in each drawer of the dresser. All of the drawers were filled with folded clothes until he opened the second from the top. Inside, at least a dozen jars were lined up neatly, each bearing a label with two letters on a transparent lid. 

Will couldn’t tell for certain what the jars held, but he had a guess. He lifted one and confirmed what he feared; each jar held a human heart suspended in a preservative solution. The jar nearly slipped from his grasp as his heart began to race, but he caught it in the other hand and replaced it soundlessly. As he shut the drawer, he heard two sets of footsteps climbing stairs down the hall. He crept towards the closet to hide, listening closely.

“Yeah right, asshole,” a deep voice laughed. “I’ll kick your ass tonight. You’ll see.”

An amused female voice responded, but Will couldn’t make out her words. A door shut down the hall. Will reached for the closet door, but the bedroom door swung open first.

“Who the hell are you?”

Chapter Text

Will let his hand fall from the closet door as he cleared his throat.

“Sorry, I was looking for someone. I think I might be in the wrong room.” 

The young man in the doorway looked Will up and down. He was covered in tattoos and had wavy bleach-blonde hair. 

“Shit,” he laughed, shutting the door behind himself. “Did Anthony send you?”

“Uh, yes,” Will nodded. “He told me I might be able to find you up here.” 

“Damn, he did not miss the mark with you. Take off your shirt.”

“Excuse me?”

The man walked towards him and grabbed a hold of his collar. 

“Take it off, sweetheart.”

“Look, I don’t know what Anthony told you, but I—“ 

“He didn’t tell you?” the man smirked. “That makes this even more fun for me.”

He pushed Will by the chest onto the bed and started to unbutton his shirt from the top. Almost instantly, Will landed a punch right in the side of his smug blond head. Recovering fast, the man turned back to Will and glared savagely.

“You’re gonna regret that,” he snarled, yanking open the nightstand drawer and pulling out a pair of silver handcuffs. 

Will’s stomach dropped, and he rolled off the bed to run for the balcony. A rough hand pulled him back by the neck, and seconds later Will’s hands were cuffed behind his back. 

“Get the fu—“ Will snapped, but the man shoved a damp towel to the back of his throat. Will immediately felt woozy, but he found the energy to kick the man in the balls with force. After being met with three hard punches to the face in retaliation, Will lost consciousness. 

When he opened his eyes, Will found himself tied to the bed naked. The tattooed man sat on top of him, softly moving a blade along the skin of his chest.

“You wanna try that again, pretty boy?” 

Will fought the impulse to spit in his face. With his cuffs tied over his head and one ankle bound to the far bedpost, he was in no position to further anger this stranger. 

“You motherfucker,” Will hissed. “Get the fuck off me if you know what’s good for you.”

The man ignored him. “Now, Anthony couldn’t have done all of this to you,” he mumbled, tracing the scar across Will’s gut with his knife. “Who did this?”

“I don’t know who the fuck Anthony is. The hickeys are from my boyfriend, and he’s gonna rip you apart if you don’t get the hell away from me.”

“Your boyfriend’s not here, gorgeous,” the stranger chuckled. 

Will tried to kick with his free leg, but the man pushed him right back down. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Will growled. “You’re dead already.”

“Not from where I sit,” he taunted and wrapped a hand around Will’s throat. 

Jolting forward, Will dug his teeth into the man’s forearm. He cried out in pain and tried to pull his arm back, but Will’s grip was solid. When he did yank himself free, Will was left with a chunk of flesh in his mouth. He spit it onto the bed and swallowed the remaining blood. A fist came flying at Will’s face, and he was knocked out cold again. 

Half-conscious, Will could hear thudding and grunting. When he finally forced his eyes open, he saw Hannibal untying the knot that bound his ankle to the bed. 

“Hannibal,” he murmured.

“For goodness sake, Will. Don’t think for a second I’m not going to make you pay for this.”

Will smiled weakly as he sat up, savoring the taste of blood on his teeth. “When do you ever do anything for goodness’ sake?”

Hannibal scowled, unamused, and cut the rope tying Will’s wrists to the bedpost.

“The key to the handcuffs wasn’t in his pocket or the nightstand. Set your wrists here,” Hannibal instructed, pointing to the top of the nightstand while holding a small iron dumbbell. 

Will obliged but warned him, “There’s at least one other person in this house. Someone’s gonna hear that.”

Ignoring him, Hannibal struck the chain with a loud clang, breaking it in half. Will was relieved to have use of his hands again and began pulling his clothes back on. As he leaned down to pick up his jeans, he saw the tattooed man’s body at the foot of the bed. A vintage chair was lying broken nearby, and one of the legs had been stabbed through his left eye. A knife was stuck in his chest, and Will knelt down to remove it. His hand lingered as he gripped the handle. Instead of pulling out the blade, he tugged the handle downward, cutting open the man’s chest. He pulled the skin apart to expose the man’s ribs, covering his hands in fresh blood. The white of the bones against his palms made the blood shine an even brighter red. Will felt Hannibal rest a hand on his shoulder as he straddled the man’s waist, still looking down. Hannibal reached out his other hand to offer him the iron dumbbell. 

Will accepted it, wrapping his fingers tightly around the handle. Lifting the weight above his head, he smashed it against the man’s rib cage again and again. He felt a rush of power with each bone that broke off. With the rib cage destroyed, Will tossed the dumbbell to the side and spit in the man’s motionless face. Hannibal moved his hand to Will’s wrist. 

“Move aside, love,” he told Will calmly. 

Will stood slowly and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched as Hannibal reached into the man’s chest and pulled out his heart, slicing the connections with his knife. Hannibal set the heart on the bed beside Will before pulling down the man’s underwear. Will looked away in disgust, but with his peripheral vision he could tell that Hannibal was moving the blade to the stranger’s genitalia. There was a harsh slicing noise. When Will turned his head back, he saw Hannibal place the man’s dick inside his open rib cage where his heart used to lay. 

It was rather intoxicating to see the body so harshly reflect the brutality the man had embodied. Will knew what Hannibal wanted, and it took control of his mind. He pulled the case off of one of the pillows on the bed and wrapped the heart inside before pocketing it. 

Hannibal reached his bloody hand out to Will, who allowed himself to be led to the balcony. 

“How do you feel, Will?” 

Will took a final glance at the body before responding, “Alive.”

Hannibal squeezed his hand gently. “Good. Let’s go.”

Together they climbed down. Will kicked the lawn chair aside before following Hannibal into the trees.

“Hannibal, we’re covered in blood. How are we getting back to the inn?”

Hannibal glanced over his shoulder at him. “The ocean isn’t far, and there’s a small stream on the way where we can rinse our hands. We’ll stay among the trees.”

Will scowled and met his eyes. “Did you plan this?”

“Of course not,” Hannibal glared back. “I want to keep you safe.”

“Then how did you know where to find me?” Will demanded, still following Hannibal’s lead.

“I figured after our conversation you might become reckless in your investigation. It was my mistake. I should have given you some space before I told you about Aaron.”

“Space?” Will hissed. “Why didn’t you just tell me when you first found out?”

“Seriously, Will? You wouldn’t have believed me. You shut me down as soon as I told you Aaron isn’t who he seems.”

“Because I thought you had only just met him!”

“Hush, Will. We’re still fleeing a crime scene.”

Will bit his tongue to avoid yelling again. 

“You lied to me,” he spat. “You act like you’re some kind of protector, but if you had never interfered or at least been honest from the beginning, none of this would have happened. Your actions hardly ever turn out in my best interest.” 

“Don’t be foolish,” Hannibal huffed. “I admit I could have handled the situation more carefully, but I will always be there to protect you.” 

“From all the horrifying situations you put me in? Wow, thanks a million.”

“Will, I didn’t introduce you to Aaron. You were making out with him before I even knew his name.” 

“Yeah, well, Aaron hasn’t been a threat to me. Only you and whoever you just killed.”

“But Aaron encourages all of it. There’s an entire group of them following his lead. He’s responsible for all the missing locals and tourists.”

Will grit his teeth. “Where’s this stream you speak of? I’d prefer not to be reliant on you for directions.” 

“This is what I mean, love. You shut me down when I try to tell you the truth.” 

“Just… answer the question.”

“It’s just ahead,” Hannibal grumbled, pointing. 

Will could hear the stream a short distance away. He reluctantly followed Hannibal to it, and they both rinsed their hands thoroughly. When Will was done, he took off his shirt and pushed it underwater. The blood was far too noticeable to walk onto a beach wearing it. Once the entire shirt was soaked, it became darker and blended in with the now faded bloodstains. As he pulled it back over his neck, he noticed Hannibal staring in his direction. He glanced over to find Hannibal seemingly captivated by Will’s appearance. 

Will scoffed quietly and rolled his eyes. “Let’s go. We don’t have time for that.”

Hannibal reached forward to touch his face, moving his other hand underneath Will’s shirt. 

“You look beautiful,” he whispered. 

Will hated himself for blushing. “That’s lovely, Hannibal, but we need to go.”

“Then let’s,” Hannibal agreed breathlessly, his lips an inch away from Will’s. 

With a soft whimper, Will leaned closer and kissed Hannibal. The lingering adrenaline in his blood seemed to come back in a rush. He allowed Hannibal to push his back against the ground as they made out, but there was a fresh stab of pain when his head hit the dirt. Just as Will gasped, Hannibal tangled his fingers in his hair, providing a cushion beneath his head. Will hummed happily and pulled him closer. Hannibal’s soft neck kisses turned to bites, and Will moaned Hannibal’s name, tilting his chin up. He knew how vulgar it was, but if he could somehow push all of that aside, he would let Hannibal have him right then and there. 

“Stop it,” he giggled as Hannibal nibbled his ear. “We have to get back to the inn.”

Hannibal sighed softly. “I know, darling. Now I have a new reason to hurry.”

Will smiled. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, babe. You’re still covered in blood. The sooner we get to the ocean, the sooner we’re behind closed doors.”

Chapter Text

Will wouldn't soon forget the short time they spent on the beach that day. They had both stripped to their underwear before wading into the ocean, and neither of them could hold back once they were half-naked. Will had given in first, pulling Hannibal into a fierce kiss as the salty water splashed around them. Hannibal had run his hands all over Will, smiling against his lips more so than ever. 

Now, they were nearly back at the inn wearing their damp clothing. Their skin was clean of blood, and the saltwater had been helpful in further fading the bloodstains in their clothing. Will was hyper-aware of his surroundings, half expecting a cop car to pull up at any given moment. He urged Hannibal to walk faster and they approached the side door of the inn. 

As soon as they made it into Will’s room, he quickly collected a new outfit from the dresser and began to strip. He removed the heart from his pocket, still wrapped in the pillowcase, and set it inside the room’s mini fridge. 

“I’m getting in the shower,” he told Hannibal. “Gather up your clothes and mine into a garbage bag and get rid of them.”

“What do you expect me to wear?” Hannibal asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know,” Will huffed. “Find something bigger of mine and make it work. I can buy you more clothes later.”

Hannibal scoffed.

“How generous of you, Will.” 

“Look, it doesn’t matter whose money it is,” Will snapped. “You’re the one who can’t walk into a shop without alerting the FBI.”

“They’re looking for you as well.”

“I know. Just do it, please,” Will groaned before shutting the door to the bathroom.

His shower was short but thorough. When Will was dry and re-dressed, he emerged to find Hannibal laying on the bed in Will’s spare clothes, sketching with a charcoal pencil. Their dirty laundry was nowhere in sight. 

Will cleared his throat softly. “Hey. You should probably shower. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aaron came knocking soon.” 

Hannibal closed his sketchbook and moved to the edge of the bed. Avoiding eye contact, Will began to restlessly clean around the room. 

“Relax, Will. We’re both going to be fine. I’ll take a quick shower and be right back.” 

Will looked up as Hannibal crossed the room towards him. 

“I know. I’m fine,” Will muttered. “Just get yourself clean, and I’ll go out and buy some more clothes.” 

Hannibal placed his hands on Will’s shoulders and kissed his forehead softly. 

“We’ll be packing soon, my love.”

His smooth, deep voice eased Will’s nerves, and he kissed Hannibal’s lips before watching him disappear into the bathroom. 

Will looked online for a nearby boutique that sold clothes Hannibal wouldn’t complain about before gathering some money from the safe. He stepped out into the hallway, and he heard footsteps as he locked the door behind him. When he turned around, he saw Aaron walking down the hall towards him. His charming smile was gone. Will took a quiet breath in.

“Aaron. Hey. What’s up?” 

“Hey,” Aaron replied gruffly. “Where’s Hannibal?”

“Why do you ask?” Will asked, furrowing his brow.

“Because I’m here to arrest him. Do you know where he is?”

Will feigned surprise. “Arrest him? Why?”

“Because you said you had it handled but you don’t,” Aaron snapped. “He killed my friend.”

“What? What happened to your friend? What makes you think it was Hannibal?” Will demanded, keeping his voice hushed.

“Will, where is he?” Aaron growled.

Will bit his lip. “He’s in my shower. But he didn’t kill your friend. I’ve been with him all day.”
Aaron struggled to open the door to Will’s room. 

“Unlock it, Will. Now,” he commanded. 

“Aaron, please, listen to me. I’m sorry about your friend, but you’re jumping to conclusions. I told you, Hannibal’s been with me all day.” 

“Liar,” Aaron snarled. “Spade told me you separated after you left the docks.”

Will took a deep breath. “We did separate, briefly, but I can explain.”

Aaron stepped closer to Will, looking down on him. “Then start talking.” 

“We can’t talk about it here, and I’m not letting you into my room,” Will grumbled. “Let’s go outside.”

Aaron pulled him by the sleeve towards the exit. Will stumbled, yanking his sleeve back before following Aaron outside. He led Will to some nearby trees and closed in on him. 

“Explain,” he hissed.

Will grit his teeth. “Look, I went by your house. Hannibal told me you were hiding something, and I wanted to see for myself if it was true. Your ‘friend’ caught me. He attacked me, I–”

“What?” Aaron whispered angrily. “You killed Malcolm?”

“Aaron, he attacked me,” Will stammered. “He ripped off my clothes, he gave me a concussion, I had no choice–”

Aaron shoved Will by the throat against a tree. 

“What did you do?” he snapped in his face. “You tore him apart. You took his heart. Did you give it to Hannibal?”

Will gasped and struggled to breathe, but he didn’t fight back.

“No,” he croaked, “I still have it.”

Releasing his throat, Aaron took a step back and glared at Will. “Show me.” 

Will coughed, rubbing his neck. “Fine,” he growled. “But don’t expect me to apologize. You have questionable taste in friends to say the least.” 

“Are you joking? He only attacked you because you broke into my house!”

Will glared at him. “Yeah, I shouldn’t have been in your house, but he didn’t threaten me or tell me to leave. He tried to rape me, and he almost did. He deserved what he got.”

Aaron narrowed his eyes. “Malcolm wouldn’t do that.”

Will laughed humorlessly. “Okay, Aaron. Whatever you say.”

“I only mean he knew better than to touch you,” Aaron muttered. 

He reached for Will’s face, running his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck. Will felt a chill run down his spine and clenched his teeth.

“I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but he should have known better regardless of who I am.” 

Aaron was watching Will’s lips, but he wasn’t listening. He moved a hand to Will’s belt and leaned in closer to his ear. 

“You let him get closer to you than you’ve let me,” he whispered.

“Are you slow?” Will snapped. “I didn’t let him do shit.”

“He had you tied up, Will. You told me he took off your clothes. I have yet to get that far.” 

Will squinted at Aaron, furrowing his brow. “Is this some kind of sick competition to you? How far would you go to put your hands on me?”

Aaron let go of Will’s belt and met his eyes. “How did Hannibal get his hands on you?” 

Will’s eyes widened. “Are you actually asking me how Hannibal got in my pants? Why don’t you just answer my question?” 

Aaron didn’t respond, simply raising an eyebrow. Will scoffed.

“Long story short, I invited him into the shower with me. He didn’t have to tie me down like some kind of torture ritual.”

“Why?” Aaron persisted. “What is it about Hannibal that has you so attached to him?”

Will raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

“I’m not here to give you advice on how to get me into bed, you fucking creep,” he spat. “Leave me alone.” 

“Will, stop. I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean he’s manipulating you. You need to stay away from him.”

“Funny, he said the same thing about you.” 

Aaron scoffed. “Yeah, it’d be weird if your cannibalistic fugitive boyfriend didn’t want you to stay away from cops.”

“Not cops. You, specifically. He says you're dangerous.” 

“Dangerous? You’ve killed two people since you got here, and you’re sleeping with a serial killer. I think you can handle yourself.”

“And yet, your goddamn roomate knocked me out and nearly raped me an hour ago. Maybe Hannibal has a point.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Will, but that doesn’t make me a threat to you.”

“I guess I’ll have to wait to find out,” Will growled. 

“Are you seriously afraid of me just because Hannibal suggested it?” Aaron argued.

“I’m not afraid of you, I’m suspicious. At least I know what Hannibal wants from me.”

“Yeah, he wants to use you. I just want to get to know you, for God’s sake.”

Will watched Aaron’s eyes carefully, and he appeared genuine. He was almost tempted to believe it was real.

“What are you going to do about Malcolm?” Will asked with a sigh. 

Aaron’s icy blue eyes turned somber. “I’m going to bury him. There won’t be an investigation. Just… no more breaking into my house. What were you even looking for?”

Will shrugged. “Evidence, I guess.” 

Aaron nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on Will. Will stared back, his expression unmoving. 

“Evidence of what?” Aaron asked.

“I don’t know, criminal activity, violence. Didn’t expect to witness it in real time, though.” 

Aaron sighed. “I’m sorry, Will. Look out for yourself. I need to get back home and bury a friend.”

Will felt an unwelcome stab of guilt. “Aaron… I’m sorry about your friend. Thank you for not involving the police.”

Aaron nodded. “Like I said, he should have known better than to mess with you. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Will felt himself blush and silently hoped it wasn’t noticeable. “Thank you. I’ll see you later.”

Aaron smiled slightly and took a step towards Will, kissing him on the forehead. “I would like that,” he mumbled.

Will bit his lip and looked up at him. It would be easier to just give him what he wants. He leaned forward and kissed Aaron’s lips, soft and sweet. Aaron kissed back eagerly, pulling Will’s hips into his own. Will felt himself getting hard and quickly pushed Aaron away.

“You should go,” he gasped, looking down to hide his smirk. 

Aaron ignored him, kissing along the side of his neck.

“I could get you off a lot better than Hannibal is about to,” he growled in Will’s ear. 

Will laughed, taken aback. “It’s a nice thought, but we both have somewhere to be.”

Aaron brought his lips back to Will’s, kissing him one more time before stepping backward. 

“Goodbye, Will.”

Will breathed in deeply, realizing he was still holding his breath. “See you Saturday?”

Aaron nodded. “See you Saturday.”

He turned and walked towards the road, leaving Will to hurry in the direction of the boutique. 

Will returned to the inn with only two new outfits for Hannibal. His lack of taste in fashion combined with the ridiculous prices of designer suits had left him with few choices, but this would do for now. He entered their room to find Hannibal laying on the bed in his underwear reading a newspaper. Will realized with a twinge of indignity that Aaron had been half right; Hannibal was most certainly about to get him off. 

“I’ve been told it’s rude to stare,” Hannibal teased, and his accent made Will melt. 

He bit back a smile and dropped the bag of clothes on the floor, locking the door behind him and latching the chain. 

“Hannibal… my god. Take off your underwear,” Will whimpered as he walked towards him. 

Hannibal stood instead and began unbuttoning Will’s shirt from the top. Will’s worries from both the argument and the kiss with Aaron ebbed away as he brought Hannibal’s lips to his. Will pulled off his belt, quickly followed by his pants, and let Hannibal push him onto the bed. He moaned with anticipation and whined Hannibal’s name.

If this was what it would feel like to be married to Hannibal, maybe it wasn’t such a ridiculous idea. No matter what the context, giving into him always felt incredible. The days before Hannibal had followed him to the island had been so full of sorrow and loneliness, but with Hannibal’s body and hands against him, Will might never feel that way again. He moaned shamelessly as Hannibal fucked him, and he knew they were only getting started.

Chapter Text

Will had been correct to assume that Hannibal would take his time with him. After they had both climaxed, Hannibal had pinned him down by the throat and choked him in and out of consciousness. Each time Will blacked out, Hannibal brought a short blade to his chest and carved a new line in his skin. Will would whimper and moan as he regained consciousness just for Hannibal to bring his hands back to his throat and squeeze until Will blacked out again. 

Finally, when Will came to once again, Hannibal kept his hands on Will’s body as he licked the blood from the cuts in his chest. Will looked down to see the bloody letters HL carved into his own skin. 

“Hannibal…” Will whined, and he could taste his own blood on Hannibal’s lips when he kissed him.

Even with the fiery pain in Will's chest, their kiss was full of love and sweetness. He tried to pull Hannibal closer, but he was denied. Instead, Hannibal moved down the bed to suck Will’s dick. 

Aaron didn’t know shit; nobody could get Will off better than this. 

Just when Will felt he was about to cum again, Hannibal pulled back and bit into Will’s inner thigh. Will gasped in pain and felt a rush of anger. 

“You bastard,” he growled, and Hannibal looked up at him with an irritatingly smug smile. 

Will grabbed him by the neck and pulled him up the bed. To his surprise, Hannibal didn’t resist. Straddling his hips, Will wrapped his hands around Hannibal’s throat and squeezed. Even as Hannibal’s eyes lost focus, he maintained a satisfied smirk. Will tried to slap it off his face, but Hannibal only took his wrist and began sucking on his fingers. The hot wetness of his mouth left Will wanting more. He pushed his fingers to the back of Hannibal’s throat and gagged him until his hand was ripped away. The sound of Hannibal coughing and sputtering only drove Will to hurt him worse. 

Picking up Hannibal’s blade, Will pushed his chest down and began carving a W under his collarbone. The whimpers and moans he drew from Hannibal made Will’s heart race. He steadied his hand to carefully add a G beside his first initial. Will roughly licked the blood from his scars before pushing his tongue into Hannibal’s mouth. Hannibal kissed him back with a fierce passion, and Will grew frustrated by Hannibal’s apparent indifference to his injuries. He wrapped his hands around Hannibal’s throat again and choked him until he struggled.

Hannibal gasped for air, only for Will to push his fingers into his mouth for him to suck. When he took one too many breaks to catch his breath, Will shoved his fingers deep into his throat and gagged him. Finally, Hannibal was whimpering again. As he recovered, he propped himself up on his elbows and nudged Will’s nose gently. Will smirked; Hannibal still wanted a sweet kiss from him after all of that. Will gave in, nudging him back and letting him steal a kiss. 

“Get back to work,” Will grumbled, biting back a smile. 

Hannibal obediently returned to working his mouth on Will’s dick until he brought him to orgasm once more. Satisfied, Will nestled his head back onto the pillows, softly moaning and humming to himself. Hannibal ran his hands over Will’s muscles as he continued leaving hickeys all over his body. 

Will closed his eyes, and his stomach filled with butterflies as Hannibal gently kissed along his hip bone. He smiled to himself, tugging Hannibal’s wrist up the bed. Hannibal laid against Will and kissed his lips sweetly. Will didn’t pull away, savoring the gentle feeling of Hannibal’s lips against his own for as long as Hannibal would allow. Soon, he was smiling too much to bring his lips together. 

“What is it, love?” Hannibal murmured, pulling away to admire Will’s countenance.

Will hesitated. “Do you still want to go to Iceland together?”

Smiling fondly, Hannibal asked, “Do you?”

“Maybe. Yes,” Will whispered. 

Hannibal kissed him again more eagerly. Will giggled, wrapping his arms around his neck. 

“Hannibal… Let’s go tomorrow. There’s gotta be a few boatyards on this island that don’t belong to Aaron. It’s not that far to Canada, but we’ll still need enough space for two people and a dog for a few days.”

“And a dog?” Hannibal asked abruptly. “I thought that dog lived on the docks now.” 

Will scoffed. “Yeah, with a guy who you said kills and eats people with Aaron as a hobby. We’re taking her with us.” 

Hannibal seemed displeased, but he didn’t push the subject further. 

“I’ll find a boat for us. Consider it taken care of, my love. We’ll leave tomorrow after sunset,” he told Will, kissing him once again. 

Will furrowed his brow. 

“You’ll just… find one? How?” he asked, pulling back.

“It’s like you said, Will. There’s quite a few boatyards on this island.”

“Yeah, I know, but you’re the FBI’s most wanted convict, and stealing is not an option here.” 

Hannibal narrowed his eyes slightly, as if annoyed by this line of questioning.

“There’s a dock owner not far away who was willing to do business with me.”

“When were you doing business on the docks?” Will persisted. 

“How do you suppose I got here, Will? A private jet?” 

Will laughed dryly. “Well, that or you just used someone’s private dock and killed them for their trouble.” 

Hannibal came as close to rolling his eyes as Will had ever seen. 

“I came in on a boat just like you did and docked at that boatyard. I’ll make arrangements and pay with the cash you got from my boat.”

Will’s jaw clenched as he steadied his tone. “Okay, yeah. We can leave tomorrow night if the boat is ready to go.”

“Relax, darling,” Hannibal assured with a nudge. “It will all be ready.”

Will kissed him, temporarily ignoring his frustration. 

“I want to,” he whispered. “But when have any of our plans ever worked out?”

As soon as Will met Hannibal’s eyes, he realized he was alone in this struggle.

“Oh,” he muttered. “What I should have said was my plans, which you led me to believe we shared.” 

“Will,” Hannibal insisted. “I’ve been planning for both of us. You haven’t been cooperative.” 

“Cooperative?!?” Will snapped.

“Yes. If you hadn’t teamed up with Jack and Alana that night, you and I would be in another country, teaching Abigail how t—“

“Don’t you dare talk about Abigail,” Will growled, cutting him off with a pained glare. 

Hannibal sighed.

“I only meant you need to learn to trust me.”

Will closed his eyes, and a beautiful stream rushed to the front of his mind as he began to imagine an impossible fate for the three of them. He allowed Hannibal to stroke his hair away from his forehead. 

“Tomorrow night, then,” whispered Will. 

Hannibal kissed him gently, and Will hoped he couldn’t taste the tears welling up in his eyes and mouth. 

“Tomorrow night,” Hannibal agreed in a low voice. 

Will took a deep breath. Hannibal pulled him to his chest, where he laid his head to rest. 

“I love you, Hannibal.”

Even though he meant it, the sentence sounded wrong coming off his tongue. 

“I love you too, Will,” Hannibal murmured back. 

Will let the words sink in, as if he could feel their microscopic vibrations against his skin. He did his best to think of nothing else. It was a blissful couple of seconds. 

“I saw Aaron on my way out to get you clothes,” he told Hannibal, who sat up straight.

“What did he say?” he prompted. 

Will shrugged, sitting up to face Hannibal. 

“He wanted to know where you were. I took care of it.”

“Took care of it in what sense?”

“I told him I killed his friend.” 

“And how did he take it?” Hannibal pressed.

“Not poorly, I guess,” said Will. “He told me the guy should have known better.”

Hannibal scoffed. “At least he’s got one thing right.”

Will rolled his eyes. 

“What is the deal with you and him? You two were fighting like a couple of kids in junior high. Why did you even approach him in the first place?”

“I was curious to see what kind of man you were willing to get underneath. I can’t say I was altogether impressed.”

Will bit back a variety of snide remarks. 

“And then what? He taunted you, and you fell for it?” 

Hannibal looked flushed. “That’s not exactly what happened.”

“Hm. Seems that way,” Will sneered, making Hannibal’s jaw clench.

“He would have been a lot easier to ignore without your blood on his teeth,” Hannibal seethed. 

Will was the one blushing now.

“Fair point, I suppose,” he muttered begrudgingly. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been lurking outside my hotel room.”

“I was only—“

“Checking on me? Yeah, that’s what stalkers say.”

He regretted interrupting Hannibal when he was met with a cold expression. It gave him a familiar rush, and he kissed the look off of Hannibal’s face. 

“You’re smarter than you act,” Hannibal grumbled, his eyes lingering on Will’s lips. 

Will smirked. “Enough dirty talk. Let’s make dinner.”

“Dinner? I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Very funny, Doctor. I’ll be your sous chef. It’s the least I can do, seeing as you provided the meat.” 

Hannibal smiled slightly. 

“Nonsense. We did that together, love.”

Chapter Text

Even though Will thought they were more than capable of cooking a meal with the inn’s kitchenette, Hannibal insisted on preparing dinner for him elsewhere. By the time the sun had set, they were arriving at a vacant house.

“I’m sorry, this is your hideout?” Will asked blankly. “It looks like millionaires live here.”

“They do, but they’re on vacation until next weekend. Now hush while I get the gate open.” 

Will obeyed, glancing up at a security camera on the fencepost. 

“The electricity’s cut,” Hannibal explained in a low voice, “But the propane works just fine.” 

There was a sly look in his eyes, almost mischievous, that made Will wonder what he had been like as a young man. He smiled at the thought, carefully following Hannibal up the back porch. Hannibal held the door open for him and began to set the scene, lighting the fireplace along with an absurd amount of candles. As frivolous as it seemed, the display warmed Will in more ways than one. Nobody had ever gone to such lengths to make him feel special. He wondered if Hannibal had been making these efforts before they ever ran away together. Perhaps Will had been too foolish to notice. 

“What’s on your mind, darling?” Hannibal prompted gently.

“Nothing,” Will assured him. “Just confused. You already got laid, so what’s all this for?”

Hannibal smiled, setting down the candle lighter on the counter beside Will. “Watch your mouth, love. Your tongue is tempting enough already.”

“I think I’m well past tempting you,” Will teased, before realizing with an uncomfortable jolt that Hannibal hadn’t been referring to sex. 

Hannibal’s eyes gleamed with amused defiance as Will’s expression shifted. 

“Not to worry, Will,” he taunted. “The table’s already been set tonight.” 

Will stammered as he tried to find words, or even a concept of a reaction to this level of openly deranged flirtation. Hannibal’s lips silenced him, and Will was quickly reminded of how he felt about Hannibal’s appetite for his tongue. Now rendered speechless and breathless, Will watched fondly as Hannibal started preparing their meal. 

He had always enjoyed watching Hannibal cook. His movements were so smooth and precise, never struggling to keep time as he sliced vegetables and spoke in poems. Eased by some whiskey he found in the pantry, Will listened attentively to his stories and clever insinuations. He hardly noticed when Hannibal removed the heart from its wrappings. Will’s focus shifted as Hannibal rinsed the organ in the sink, trimming away the fat and excess tissue with his fingers. Hannibal caught his eye.

“Come,” he ordered, beckoning Will to join him at the cutting board. When he obliged, Hannibal placed a knife in Will’s palm. Will let him guide his wrist towards the heart. 

“The strips should be about half an inch thick,” Hannibal instructed in a low voice. “Not too thin.”

Will looked down at the cutting board with some apprehension. Tonight wouldn’t be his first time dining on human flesh with Hannibal, but it was certainly his first time preparing it with him. He knew he should feel some level of disgust or repulsion. Instead, he recalled the name of the heart’s previous owner: Malcolm , and quickly remembered that the man deserved the death he got. If Hannibal hadn’t killed him, Malcolm could have done much more harm.

“Will,” Hannibal muttered, “Are you alright?”

Will glanced over his shoulder at Hannibal.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he whispered back.

He brought his blade down on the heart, slicing it with a steady hand. Hannibal breathed in, satisfied. Another slice and Hannibal slid his warm hands onto Will’s hips. Will’s stomach fluttered. He continued cutting the heart into strips as Hannibal softly kissed on his neck. 

“Let me put this in marinade,” he purred in Will’s ear. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”

“Upstairs?” Will chuckled. “To do what?”

“That’s up to you, Will,” Hannibal breathed. “What do you want to do to me?”

Will pursed his lips. “If I’m being honest, I don’t know if I’ve ever been clear on that subject.”

Hannibal nudged his neck. “Allow me to provide some insight, then. Pick your favorite way to scar my body tonight.” 

Will smirked slightly. “You… you want me to…”

“Yes,” growled Hannibal, unamused. 

“Don’t take too long,” Will mumbled before heading for the staircase.

* * * 

Will was less than proud of many things he tried on Hannibal that night. Encouraged by Hannibal’s receptiveness to the pain that Will caused, he quickly went from pouring hot wax on Hannibal’s skin to licking salt into a fresh knife wound. The noises Hannibal emitted at the sting drove Will crazy in the best way he could imagine. He kept expecting Hannibal to retaliate or push him off, but instead he seemed to find even more pleasure in the torture than Will did. Still, Hannibal’s sweet moans eventually panged Will enough to switch out his harsh bites for soft kisses. 

When Hannibal finally tried to pull away, Will couldn’t tell how much time had passed. Regardless, he resisted Hannibal only to pull him closer. 

“Will,” Hannibal breathed out with a laugh. “If we’re going to eat dinner tonight, I need to get back to the kitchen.”

Will had to force himself out of a daze to lock eyes with Hannibal.  

“I…. Well… Okay. Yeah, I’ll see you downstairs,” he mumbled, stealing one last kiss before Hannibal stood up. 

“Don’t take too long,” Hannibal teased.

Will didn’t bother holding back his grin. Hannibal’s silly little flirts made him too giddy to hide, even when they were slightly backhanded. 

“Don’t be a shit,” he whispered, but Hannibal was already pulling his clothes back on. Even so, Will didn’t avert his gaze until Hannibal disappeared down the stairs. 

Will took a brief moment to savor the comfort of the bed with Hannibal’s sweat and blood still warm on the sheets. He inhaled against the pillow that Hannibal had been lying on, committing the scent to memory. If he could, he wanted to find his way back to this very moment in his mind a hundred times over. The sounds of utensils and plates downstairs got progressively less subtle, and Will smiled to himself as he pulled his shirt back on.

There was no denying that Hannibal was an excellent chef. Will may not have been able to pronounce the name of the dish, but as usual it presented beautifully and tasted amazing. It didn’t hurt that Hannibal kept shooting him adoring glances from across the table. Will allowed Hannibal’s eyes to draw him in. He followed along with Hannibal’s plans for their impending journey to Iceland, even suggesting some of his own. When they finished dining, Hannibal coaxed him to the sitting room and onto his lap. Neither of them had the energy to fuck again, but Hannibal got Will going so damn bad that it was all he could think about. They must have made out for nearly half an hour before they dozed off. Laid against Hannibal on the couch, Will slept better that night than he had in a long time. 

When Will woke in the morning, Hannibal was no longer underneath him. Jolted awake by the biting cold, Will sat up and looked around. He fixed his eyes on Hannibal, who was already walking towards him with breakfast. 

“Ugh…” Will groaned, laying back down. “My head hurts like bitch. I’m too nauseous for food.”

Hannibal looked amused. “I tried to tell you to lay off the whiskey last night. It wouldn’t kill you to listen to me now and then.” 

“Not now, Hannibal,” Will grumbled. 

His eyes closed, Will felt Hannibal climb onto the couch with him. 

“You need to eat, Will. I’ll be taking care of our means of transportation, but you still need to be ready to leave by sunset.”

Will forced his eyes open to see Hannibal looking down at him, still holding a plate of food as he straddled Will’s waist. Allowing himself to smile, Will reached forward and caressed the bare skin of Hannibal’s legs. 

“We’re leaving tonight,” he whispered, more to himself than to Hannibal.

“Yes,” Hannibal purred. “Leaving all of this behind. We’ll start a new life together, far away.”

Will hummed happily as Hannibal nuzzled his neck.

“What time is it?” he chuckled. “I should get back to the inn and start packing. I still need to pick up Bev from the docks and buy supplies. How much do you think the boat will cost?” 

“I’ll work with whatever we have, love.”

“Okay,” Will nodded. “Then meet me at the inn after I pick up groceries. You can take whatever money is left over to buy us a boat, and we can start loading it up when I come back with Bev.” 

Hannibal gently set Will’s breakfast down on the coffee table. He ran a hand through Will’s hair and stroked his face with the other. 

“You need a shave, Will.”

Will rolled his eyes. “I’ll buy more razors. My schedule is a little full today.” 

Hannibal’s voice softened. 

“Relax, darling. I’ll get you some water for your headache. You can head to the store when you’re feeling better.”

It was frustratingly impossible to stay irritated with him, which Hannibal reinforced by kissing his temple. Will closed his eyes again, listening to Hannibal’s soft footsteps as he went to fill a glass of water. His headache was already beginning to ebb away.

Chapter Text

It was almost unsettling to Will how perfectly everything was going according to plan. Hannibal had finished cleaning up the vacant house just in time to help Will carry a second load of groceries to the inn. By the time Will was done packing his belongings, Hannibal had already made a deal at the boatyard. Will tasked him with loading up their supplies while he took a walk down to the docks to collect his dog. 

The fresh air cleared his mind as he neared the docks. He pushed his worries to the back of his mind; everything was on track for them to leave at nightfall. Beverly’s shed came into view, but he didn’t see her silhouette. He looked around for any sign of Spade or Aaron. The docks were quiet, but Will could hear faint voices coming from inside Spade’s shop. As he approached it, Beverly came trotting out from behind the building. Will grinned. 

“Hey, pretty girl!” he praised, patting his knee to summon her. 

She ran up to him, panting excitedly and wagging her short tail. Instead of jumping up to lick his face, she scampered back to the side of the shop, only to run right back to him, darting around. Although he was relieved not to be covered in slobber, Will was troubled by her less-than-affectionate greeting.

“Bev? What’s wrong?” he urged.

She began to whine, and Will shushed her gently.

“What is it?” he whispered. 

Will followed her around the corner to the back of the shop. The sound of voices grew louder, and he wished Bev’s nails would stop clacking against the wooden dock. She slipped through an open door of what appeared to be a garage. There were various tools and equipment scattered about and lined against the walls, and the only light was a flickering, bluish bulb at the center of the room. Their footsteps were quieter on the cement flooring. Will recognized Aaron’s laughter among the voices in the shop. He held his breath; muffled conversation resumed. Beverly trotted over to a broken wheel, sniffing around. Will clenched the fist where his gun should be, but he hadn’t come prepared. The FBI certainly wasn’t backing him up anymore.
“Bev,” he hissed. “Come on.”

Beverly glanced over her shoulder, unbothered. She put her nose back to the ground, searching eagerly for a scent. She honed in on a dirty rag before squatting down to pee on the floor.

“Oh my god,” Will grumbled. “Let’s go, Bev, now.”

He started to make his way back to the entrance when he heard footsteps approaching. 

“Fuck,” he breathed out, his eyes darting around the room for somewhere to hide. 

He crouched behind a stack of bins and crates, resting one knee on the cold floor. A separate door into the garage opened, and someone entered. Steps came towards Will, then away from him before stopping in front of a large chest freezer. Will held his breath as he peered between spaces in the stacks. The door to the freezer opened, and there was some rustling as a tall figure set something inside. Will heard Beverly trotting over and had to bite his tongue.

“What are you doing in the garage, Bev?” Aaron’s voice asked. “Come on in. Anthony’s gonna feed you in a minute.”

As soon as they both disappeared back inside the shop, Will allowed himself to breathe freely. He crept towards the exit, pausing to glance back at the freezer. It wasn’t that far out of the way. He snuck over to it and pried open the door as quietly as he could. Inside the chest were heaps of frozen meat wrapped in plastic. For a moment, Will didn’t know what he had been expecting. He glanced to the left side and carefully uncovered what looked to be the only unfrozen bag. After moving only one piece of meat, it became clear what the bag contained: the severed head of Malcolm. 

Will nearly gagged. His pulse sped up, and he slowly closed the freezer lid. Making as little noise as possible, Will hastily left the garage. He made his way to Beverly’s shed and found a place inside to sit. His mind was racing, but he kept a barrier against his thoughts until Bev ambled into the shed, licking her lips. She was very pleased to see him now that she had been fed, and Will had to push her slobbery mouth away from his face. 

“Bev,” he whispered. “Listen to me.”

Will steadied her head to look into her eyes. 

“We have to go. You have to come with me.”

She panted innocently and jumped into a play bow. Will sighed and stood up. He surveyed the area outside of the shed before leading her away from the docks at a swift pace. 

As soon as they got over the hill, Will urged Beverly to jog with him. Aaron and his perverted gang didn’t not know he was onto them yet, and he needed to keep it that way. Both of them were panting hard by the time the inn came into view. Will snuck her through the side door down the hall and into his room. Hannibal wasn’t inside, but several bags of luggage had been presumably moved to their new boat. 

Will filled himself a glass of water to quench his thirst before promptly replacing it with a bottle of whiskey. How could he have been so blind? After every betrayal, every sick mind corrupting his life over and over again, Will still couldn’t see a killer right in front of him. Worse, Hannibal had warned him. What had he really expected to happen? There were so many red flags. There must have been. 

He slid down onto the cheap linoleum of the kitchenette, still clutching his liquor. When he heard footsteps approaching, he threw back several gulps and waited for Hannibal to enter. As soon as the door handle turned, Beverly barked and ran toward Hannibal. Confused, Hannibal looked around for Will before bringing his gaze to the floor where he sat. 

“Will? What’s wrong?” he urged, a hint of worry in his voice.

Will only scoffed. Hannibal removed his coat and shoes, still eyeing Will closely. He came to him and extended a hand.

“Stand up,” he ordered. “Tell me what happened.” 

Reluctantly taking his hand, Will stood and followed Hannibal to the bed. 

“You were right, Hannibal,” Will grumbled, sitting down beside him. “Aaron is fucking sick. He cut off his friend’s head and put it in a goddamn freezer. Y’know, I can’t believe I actually felt bad for— oh, my god. I made out with him. Why did I fucking do that?”

“Relax, Will,” Hannibal reassured him. “Don’t let him under your skin.” 

Will shocked himself with his own laughter. 

“I already have! Both literally and figuratively. And, you… you knew, and you brought me down to his level. They’re cannibals, Hanni— Jesus Christ…” he trailed off, rubbing his eyes.

“Will.”

“When I found those hearts they were keeping in jars, I was revolted,” Will continued, trembling slightly. “Even more so when I find Malcolm’s severed head, and yet, I ate his heart with you last night! Where is the fucking high ground? I have nothing to stand on.” 

“Will,” Hannibal commanded. “Listen to me. You have no reason to feel guilty.”

“I don’t feel guilty!” Will snapped. “I’m pissed off. You…”

Hannibal scoffed.

“What?” Will growled. 

“I didn’t do anything to make you feel this way. Still, I can hear you yearning to blame me.”

“I’m not blaming you,” Will grumbled, allowing Hannibal to pull him closer. “I just feel like an idiot.”

“Let it go. You let him manipulate you, but he’ll never reach you again after today.”

“Let it go? You said he was responsible for all of those disappearances. He’s just going to keep killing people until he’s stopped.” 

“So, what are you going to do, Will? Call Jack Crawford to come here and arrest him?”

“Obviously not. I want to kill him.” 

Will wanted to take back the words as soon as they came out, but he meant them.

Hannibal brought his hand to Will’s thigh. 

“There is such glory in all that you have become, believe me. But we’re leaving tonight. Do you really want to jeopardize that just to settle a score?”

“There’s no score to settle. And I won’t be jeopardizing anything,” Will argued. “I’ll have you to back me up.”

“What did you have in mind?” Hannibal asked, and Will pretended not to notice his pleased expression. 

“We’ll need some place isolated. Definitely more private than the woods around his house.”

“Well, he has a cabin east of town. It would be secluded enough.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “How do you know he has a cabin? And how do you know where it is?”

“The public directory, perhaps?”

“Don’t be a shit, Hannibal.”

“Fine. I followed him there once,” Hannibal admitted.

“How secluded is it?” 

“Privacy won’t be an issue.”

“Good,” Will nodded. “I can get him there alone.”

“I’m sure you could.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No matter. How will you do it?”

Will blushed. “Well, I figured I’d make him think I wanted to sleep with him.”

Hannibal sighed. “I mean to ask how you plan on killing him.”

Will’s face flushed a much deeper shade of red. “Oh. I’m not sure.”

“Okay, then I’ll move first. You can take over and finish him off how you see fit.”

Will’s pulse doubled at the thought. He rubbed his forehead.

“Okay. Keep loading up the boat. I’ll send Aaron a text.”

“That sounds like an awful lot of work. Will you need any help?” Hannibal asked, smoothly feigning politeness.

Will groaned. “Fine, just gather up some bags and I’ll come with you.” 

Albeit reluctantly, Hannibal obliged as Will laid down on the bed and pulled out his phone. He typed out a text to Aaron:

Drinks tonight?  

Before he could help Hannibal carry their luggage out the door, his phone buzzed with a reply:

Pick you up at 6?

Chapter Text

The boat Hannibal had picked out for them almost looked bigger than the last.

“How did we afford this, Hannibal? I told you this would be a short trip,” Will scolded. 

“You told me to use what we had left. What’s the worry?”

“I’m not worried. Just unlock it so I can set this shit down.”

“Watch it,” Hannibal warned. “Let’s not forget who got you the boat to begin with.” 

“Don’t make me roll my eyes again.”

Hannibal ignored him and set his share of their luggage down inside the boat, turning to help Will despite his rudeness. Relieved to be free of the weight, Will wandered away to give himself a quick tour of the boat. The interior was relatively spacious, and the bed infinitely more comfortable than what he was used to. He allowed himself a moment to lay down and consider their plan: Lure Aaron to his cabin. Wait for Hannibal to make his move. Murder Aaron in the first degree. What could go wrong? Everything. Fortunately, things have a way of working out for Hannibal, and Hannibal would love to see Aaron dead. 

Will returned to Hannibal, vaguely apologetic. 

“Okay, the boat is pretty nice.”

“It is,” Hannibal agreed stiffly.

“Are you sure about this, Hannibal?”

“It was your idea.”

“I just mean… maybe I should kill him myself. It would be easier.” 

“Okay,” Hannibal pondered. “How will you do it?”

“I’ll slit his throat.” 

“What if he gets the upper hand? You shouldn’t be alone.” 

Will sighed. “Fine. Just don’t wait too long to make your move.” 

“I won’t. Relax, Will. Just keep your hunting knife on you and we’ll be fine.”

Will looked up at Hannibal, yearning to be pulled against his chest as Hannibal soothed him. His words were lovely, but Will couldn’t bring himself to believe them.

“This is a bad idea,” Will muttered. “I’m starting to question why I suggested it in the first place.”

Hannibal stepped closer to Will and stroked his face. He gave Will a gentle kiss on the forehead, and the headache that was starting to form seemed to lessen. 

“He’s hardly a threat to us, Will. We can kill him together and be on our way.”

Will gave in to the urge to pull Hannibal’s waist closer. 

“Okay,” he whispered, burying his face in Hannibal’s shoulder. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Will,” Hannibal murmured back and breathed in the scent of Will’s hair. “You should get some rest. I’ll bring down some lunch, and then we can go back to the inn to pick up your dog and the last of the luggage.”

Will smiled to himself.

“We’re finally running away. I can’t wait to get to Iceland, Hannibal. I just wish this day would go by faster.”

“I know, love. Sunset will come soon enough.”

Still smiling, he kissed Hannibal’s lips. Hannibal pulled Will closer, kissing him back with a loving passion. When they eventually drew apart, Hannibal chuckled to himself.

“Your emotions are dichotomous, Will.” 

Will snickered. “Did you just call me moody?”

Hannibal looked amused. “I may have indicated you’re susceptible to mood swings.”

“That’s what I just said,” Will teased, and he could see what Hannibal meant. It had only taken him a matter of minutes to go from snapping at Hannibal and bossing him around to flirting and doting. 

“I won’t argue, though,” he continued. “I’m starting to get a headache. I’m gonna grab some aspirin and lay down for a minute. Thanks for getting lunch.” 

Will kissed Hannibal on the cheek, and Hannibal’s adoring gaze followed him as he disappeared into the lower cabin. 

*   *   *

The sun had only just begun to set when 6 o-clock finally came about. Will and Hannibal had already brought Bev and their remaining luggage to the boat, so Will had left them behind to wait for Aaron to pick him up from the inn. Aaron’s car pulled up right on time, and Will stepped into the passenger seat.

“Hey.” 

“Evening, Will. You look good.”

“Thanks,” Will replied, dismissive. “How is it going?”

“Not bad. Been working most of the day. How are you?” Aaron asked, switching gears and pulling out of the parking lot.

“Good. Where are we headed?”

“Up to you. I assumed the bar.” 

“Sure, but I’d rather we aren’t overheard,” Will explained. “I’d like to know what happened between you and Hannibal.”

Aaron laughed. “There’s not much to it. Mostly just back and forth threats since he approached me outside your room.”

“What kind of threats?” he pressed, but Aaron shrugged as if it were an irrelevant question.

“He wants me to stay away from you. He’s threatened to kill me a few times. But he’s easy to read. If he was going to kill me, he would have done it by now.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. If you think Hannibal is easy to read, it’s because he wants you to think that.”

“Relax, Will. He’s basically just your possessive ex, whether he’s a psychopath or not.” 

“Why does everyone keep telling me to relax? I’m just being realistic.”

“I know, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Whatever. Anyway, you said back and forth? Do you want to kill him, too?”

“Obviously. It’s clear that prison didn’t do the trick with him.”

“Are you going to kill him?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No.”

“Then no. Not unless he tries to kill me first.” 

Will nodded. “Okay. Sure, let’s go to the bar.”

“Are you hungry? We could go to a restaurant.”

“Nah, I just ate. Besides, I think it might seem weird to order eight shots of whiskey with my dinner.”

“Damn, you really meant it when you said ‘drinks,’” Aaron chuckled. “You’d be crazy not to just buy a bottle. We can pick one up and drink at my cabin.”

“Your cabin? Okay.”

It wasn’t a long drive to Aaron’s cabin, but Hannibal was right about it being secluded; they were driving through trees on a dirt road for at least a mile. The windows of the cabin were wide and picturesque, framing a cozy living room against the forest scenery. Aaron led Will inside and poured some whiskey for him into a fancy glass. Accepting it, Will joined him on the couch and turned on the television as he sipped his drink. Aaron had opted for a more expensive liquor, and the taste was a significant upgrade from what Will was used to drinking. 

“Y’know, I was surprised to hear from you today,” Aaron admitted.

“Yeah? Why’s that?” asked Will.

“Well, our last interaction was a bit… volatile.” 

“True, but I don’t fault you for that. Water under the bridge,” Will said, raising his glass to clink with Aaron’s. He wondered if Hannibal was already inside with them. Maybe he was listening in the other room, or even just watching from outside. 

“I’m glad to hear that. You left me with a lot on my mind.”

Will clenched his teeth, hoping he was wrong about what Aaron would mention next. Not while Hannibal could be listening.

“Kissing you is incredible,” Aaron continued, and Will did his best not to wince. “If I’m being honest, I can’t get my mind off you. I didn’t want to come on too strong.” 

Will struggled to find words in reply. Aaron chuckled.

“I guess I may have done just that.”

“No, not at all,” Will assured him. “It’s just that my relationship with Hannibal is very complicated.”

“As I would imagine. That doesn’t bother me, though.”

It should. “Why not?”

“Because I’m not afraid of him. He even told me himself I won’t die by his hand. He’s convinced you’ll kill me for him. The guy is delusional.” 

Will’s stomach dropped. “What?”

Aaron shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe prison got him out of touch with reality.”

“Or he’s just used to getting what he wants,” Will growled.

“You okay, Will?” 

Will laughed it off. “Yeah, I’m fine. He just gets under my skin.”

“Don’t let him. Take a night off from his drama. That’s probably why you’re so tense all the time.”

“You’re probably right,” Will grumbled. “Distract me then.”

“Distract you how?” Aaron asked with a smirk.

“However you want.”

For a second, Aaron looked hungry. He pulled Will closer by the front of his shirt and pressed his lips to Will’s. Will was on him in an instant, making out with him in a way that could only ever lead to sex. Aaron reciprocated aggressively, biting Will’s tongue and leaving bloody hickeys on his neck. Will could practically feel Hannibal’s eyes on them, brimming with anger and jealousy. The image only excited him further, so he tore off Aaron’s belt. Aaron ripped Will’s shirt off in exchange before quickly pulling off his own clothes. Still, there was no sign of Hannibal. Without missing a beat, Will climbed off the couch and onto his knees. 

“Take off your underwear,” he panted, looking up at Aaron. 

Aaron gave him a satisfied grin and did as he was told. Just as he tossed his briefs aside, Hannibal came out of nowhere and grabbed Aaron by the neck, throwing him onto the ground. 

Aaron yelled in shock, scrambling to his feet. 

“Of course you’re here,” he snarled at Hannibal, but he fell to the ground once more as soon as Hannibal’s fist collided with the side of his head. 

Will’s eyes moved to Hannibal’s face, and he nearly flinched as he was met with a furious glare. For a moment, Will thought Hannibal was just as likely to kill him as he was Aaron. Instead, he turned back to Aaron, who was ready for him this time. Throwing Hannibal off balance, Aaron slammed him against the wall and took his knees out from under him. 

Will stood from the floor, his heart still beating fast. He grabbed his shirt off the couch and sat back down to put it on. When he looked up, Hannibal had the upper hand again, beating the living hell out of Aaron’s face with one hand and choking him with the other. Despite Will’s uneasiness, watching Hannibal in action got him going in a way he couldn’t suppress. He would have let Hannibal have him right then and there, but he approached Will only to snatch the hunting knife that was clipped to his belt. Hannibal veered back to Aaron, who was coughing up blood on the ground, and kicked him in the stomach.

“You don’t even look like a man,” Hannibal spat, circling Aaron. “Stand up and face me.”

Aaron glared back at Hannibal. 

“Go to hell,” he growled before lunging at Hannibal’s legs and knocking him down again. 

Aaron wrestled the knife from his hand. He used it to slice through Hannibal’s shoulder, but in a split second Hannibal was back on top of him. Reclaiming the blade, Hannibal stabbed Aaron in the chest three, then four times. The blood flowed from him like a river, creeping towards Will’s feet. 

Hannibal stood up, still looking down on Aaron’s dying body as it struggled to take in air.

“Now…” he growled, turning to Will. “What in the hell was that?”

Chapter Text

Will flinched under his gaze. 

“Don’t give me that, Hannibal. You planned this.”

Hannibal advanced towards him. “We planned this. You planned this. Who do you think you are, Will?” 

It was the closest Hannibal had ever come to shouting at him. The blood in Will’s veins felt like ice. 

“You wanted me to kill him for you,” Will snapped. “I’m not your puppet.”

“ You wanted to kill him. You told me that. Look at yourself, Will, and look at your victim. You are what you’re accusing me of.”

“No,” Will stammered. “You heard what Aaron said. You told him–”

“I told him that you would kill him when you found out what he was, and I was right. You just got me to do your dirty work,” Hannibal snarled. 

“That’s a lie,” Will protested, standing up to keep Hannibal’s eyes from bearing down on him. 

Hannibal scoffed. He took a step backward to look Will up and down, and his lip curled into a bitter smile.

“Is that so?”

Will gulped. “Yes.”

Hannibal grabbed Will by the shirt and yanked him onto the ground. Will shouted in fright as he landed face first in a pool of Aaron’s hot blood. 

“Is this what you wanted, Will?” Hannibal taunted.

“No,” Will croaked. 

Hannibal kicked him in the stomach. “Take off your clothes. Now.”

Will’s eyes widened. “Hannibal…” he pleaded. 

“ Now ,” Hannibal commanded, his glare piercing through Will’s skull. 

His heart felt as if it would beat out of his chest. Will peeled off his shirt, his hands shaking. He was struck by the urge to apologize to Hannibal, to tell him this had all been an act of gross infidelity and manipulation on his part alone. Hannibal didn’t allow time for consideration; he ripped Will’s shirt from his hand, stripping him of his pants and underwear just as harshly. 

Will whined and tried to move away from him, but his muscles were overcome with a foreign weakness. Hannibal forced him into the position he wanted, holding his hips in place as Will’s hands slipped against Aaron’s blood on the wooden floor. He thrust himself inside Will, who whined and groaned in pain. Hannibal didn’t slow down except to express his frustration with Will’s inability to stay upright. Finally, Will let his elbows give out. 

“Get up,” Hannibal snapped. 

Will whimpered in response. 

“No, Will. I’m not finished with you. Get back up, or I’ll force you to.”

Will stared out the window, his face on its side against the bloody floor. It was all he could smell or taste. He wanted to listen to Hannibal’s command; he didn’t want to find out what kind of force he would apply. Still, his body wouldn’t cooperate. 

Hannibal was done waiting. He grabbed Will by the hair and shoved his face into Aaron’s mangled, naked chest. Propping his hips back up, Hannibal fucked him hard, each thrust pushing Will further into the stench of blood and death. When he finished inside him, he tossed Will aside and stood. 

“Clean yourself up,” Hannibal ordered, his voice dripping with disgust. 

Will laid still, his back against the floor as he watched Hannibal disappear into the bathroom. 

If this wasn’t what he wanted, what had he really expected to happen? It was too ugly a thought. Will tried to stand, but his legs were shaking violently. His feet slipped on blood, and Will gasped as he fell back down. Attempting to catch his breath, he realized that hot tears were streaming down the sides of his face. Perhaps Hannibal was right to be disgusted with him. 

Will forced his limbs to steady as he stood and limped to the kitchen sink. He rinsed his face and hands with soap, but he couldn’t get all the bloodstains to fade away. He continued to scrub at them until Hannibal emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed. Will looked up at him cautiously. 

Hannibal’s expression had softened from the cold anger of before. Was it regret, sympathy? No, it couldn’t be. It never was. He wouldn’t even meet Will’s eyes.

“If you’re going to shower, move along with it,” Hannibal grumbled. “We need to leave.”

Will gave a slight nod before heading towards the bathroom. He averted his gaze from the mirror as he passed; he didn’t want anyone to see him like this, not even himself.

Chapter Text

The water running down the shower drain had turned such a deep red that Will thought some of the blood must be flowing from his flesh. Even so, he had no fresh scars on his body, and it was only Aaron’s blood which covered him head to toe. Will wondered who would find the body, whether it would be one of Aaron’s deputies or one of his sordid friends. He tried not to think about the amount of forensic evidence he and Hannibal were leaving behind. 

Seconds after he pulled the shower curtain open, Hannibal emerged with a clean towel and a change of clothes. Will refused to look up. Hannibal stepped closer nonetheless. 

“Will,” he muttered as he studied the naked, dripping body in front of him. “You look beautiful.”

Will remained silent, his expression unmoving. Hannibal brushed a lock of wet hair from his face. Leaning into Will’s ear, he whispered,

“I’m sorry, my love.” 

“No, you’re not,” Will grumbled, but his voice cracked. 

“Please, Will… just, get dressed. We need to go.”

Reluctantly accepting the towel from him, Will met Hannibal’s eyes. Behind them was an emotion that was unreadable but not unfamiliar to him. The closest thing Will could liken it to was sadness. Still, he narrowed his gaze into a glare. For a fraction of a second, Will could have sworn he saw Hannibal flinch before him. He stepped out of the shower as he dried himself off, and Hannibal’s eyes kept moving further downwards. Will almost wanted to scoff at how much control his body still seemed to hold over Hannibal, especially considering he had already satisfied himself. It might have been amusing if Hannibal weren’t staring at him like something to devour. 

“Hannibal,” Will scolded. 

“What?”

“Stop looking at me like that.”

His eyes moved back up to Will’s for an instant before he turned and walked away. Will dressed quickly and followed Hannibal out the front door. 

They hiked across town wordlessly. Even though he didn’t want to talk to Hannibal, Will found himself wondering if the silence disconcerted him. It must be a naive thought; he should know better by now that Hannibal didn’t waste time dwelling on past mistakes, even if he truly were regretful. 

They reached their boat without any police sirens or lights racing in the direction of the cabin. In fact, the only sounds Will could hear were their footsteps and the ocean waves. Hannibal guided him onto the boat and started the engine. Without looking in Hannibal’s direction, Will descended into the lower cabin and shut the door behind him. 

*   *   *

After hours of avoiding Hannibal to cuddle his dog in their bed, Will finally came up the stairs. Hannibal was seated at the wheel, but he was focused on the floor of the boat with a blank expression. Will cleared his throat.

“You okay?”

“Yes,” Hannibal replied, motionless. 

Will clenched his teeth. “What are you doing up here?”

Hannibal ignored him.

“Hannibal…” Will grumbled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come to bed for a minute.”

His head finally turned to look at Will. There was a startlingly somber quality reflecting in his eyes. If he didn’t know better, Will would have thought he was worried.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Will prompted gently.

Hannibal fixed his gaze back on the floor. 

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he muttered.

“I know,” Will whispered back. “I’m sorry. I… I should have trusted you.”

“We’ve had this conversation too many times, Will. If you were ever going to trust me again, you would have by now.”

Will huffed. “I do trust you, Hannibal. I really do, or I wouldn’t be here. Come on, I don’t want to fight with you.”

Hannibal met his eyes again, standing up so that their faces were inches apart. Will whined softly, unsure of what he would do next. His warm breath was welcoming as always, but now was not the time for make-up kisses. 

“Do my lips taste wrong to you, Will?” Hannibal asked, his voice unusually low.

“Of course not,” Will breathed. “Your lips are perfect to me.”

Still, Hannibal didn’t close the gap between them. Will’s anticipation grew, and he salivated at the simple thought of Hannibal’s tongue against his. 

“Do you crave somebody else?” Hannibal persisted.

“No, Hannibal. I crave you.”

“Then tell me, Will,” he seethed, “Why can’t you keep your tongue to yourself at any opportunity to please somebody else?”

Will felt a rush of hot anger and embarrassment. 

“It’s not like that. I was just using him. It was stupid.”

“To manipulate me?” 

“Among other things.”

“Did you kiss him again?” Hannibal demanded. “The other night, while I was in the shower?”

Will laughed defensively, rolling his eyes. 

“What does it matter, Hannibal? I love you, and he’s dead.”

“Your loyalty matters to me.”

Will winced. 

“I know. It matters to me, too.”

“So act like it,” Hannibal growled. 

“I will,” he mumbled, nudging Hannibal for a kiss, but he was refused. 

“Hannibal,” Will pleaded. “Kiss me.”

Hannibal gave in and pulled Will’s lips to his own. Will smiled cautiously, stealing as many kisses as Hannibal would allow. He felt Hannibal reach for his ass and squeeze. A sharp pain ran through Will, making him gasp. Hannibal’s forehead rested against his as their lips parted. 

“Are you okay, my love?” 

“I’m fine,” Will muttered. “You just really fucked me up.”

Before Hannibal averted his eyes, Will observed in them what he could only assume was guilt. 

“I know, darling. I’m sorry I hurt you. It was… impulsive of me.”

Will scoffed. 

“Wow, Hannibal. That almost sounded like a real apology,” he taunted. “I didn’t know you were capable.”

“Don’t be a brat, Will. You should get some rest.”

Will nudged him gently. “Come out onto the deck with me.”

Hannibal smiled. 

“Lead the way.”

Will stole another kiss.

“Steer the boat first. We’re supposed to be heading northwest, not due west.” 

He turned to exit the cabin before Hannibal could protest his demands.

The waves and the ocean air were a welcoming presence for Will. It felt as though it had been years since the two of them were out on the water together. Moments later, Hannibal joined him at the edge of the boat. Will tugged at Hannibal’s sleeve, inviting him to sit down. Hannibal’s arms embraced him, and Will leaned into the warmth. 

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, Will. Now fetch me some wine.”

Will snickered. 

“Fine, but I only bought one bottle. And it’s not the fancy shit you like, either.” 

Hannibal grunted in disapproval. “You may as well just bring the whiskey, then.”

When Will returned with a bottle of liquor, Hannibal’s eyes were closed. As Will approached, his eyes fluttered open and rested on Will’s face. The light of the stars and moon shone in Hannibal’s eyes, free of all artificial light pollution. The glow yanked at Will’s heart in a way he knew better than to defy. He took a seat beside Hannibal, but he was on his lap within an instant. Hannibal couldn’t seem to help but pull him close. Will certainly didn’t mind; he brought his lips to Hannibal’s and ran his hands all over him. He felt warm hands caress his shoulders. 

“Hannibal,” he hummed. “Don’t you try to make me sleepy.”

Hannibal smiled against his lips. 

“So, you don’t want me to rub your shoulders?”

Will ignored him, holding back a bashful laugh. Hannibal’s powerful fingers pushed into his sore muscles as they made out, and Will’s shoulders began to relax.

“You’ve been holding out on me, Doctor Lecter,” Will whispered in his ear. “Your hands feel so damn nice.” 

“Every part of you feels nice, Will.”

Barely holding back a grin, he allowed Hannibal to lay him down on the cushioned seats. For the first time in a while, he didn’t worry how the state of things would be in the morning.

Chapter Text

The few days they spent on the boat together were as blissful as their last voyage. Without the pressures of outside forces and potential victims, both Will and Hannibal freely indulged in their affections. They hardly spent a minute apart, and Hannibal became almost annoyingly attentive to Will’s needs. Will did his best to keep him at bay with assurances of his good health and a considerable amount of blowjobs. This method was surprisingly effective, but Hannibal still fawned over him each morning. When he wasn’t doting on Will, he was cooking for him or trying to coax him into bed. Will had hardly ever denied Hannibal’s advances in the past, which must have contributed to his growing frustration with Will’s resistance. 

As the Canadian shores began to creep up on them, Hannibal’s impatience increased. Each night that they laid in bed together, Hannibal would feel him up all over before ultimately trying to pull off his underwear. Consistently, Will would slap his hand away and divert Hannibal’s attention to making out and cuddling. Will had assumed this tactic would eventually fail, and one night he was proven correct. Hannibal let out a low growl when Will tugged his hand away.

“Take it off, darling,” Hannibal muttered, failing to imitate endearment. 

Will chuckled. “Not now, baby.”

“What’s the matter?” 

“Nothing, I’m just not up for it right now.”

“What does that mean? An hour ago you said you’d never felt better.”

“Hannibal,” Will scolded. “Don’t be pushy.”

“Fine,” he grumbled. 

Will rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “I’ve been walking with a limp for half a week because you decided to be ‘impulsive.’ You can fuck me again when I say you can.” 

He knew he had irritated Hannibal further, but Hannibal knew better than to argue. 

“Who said I wanted to fuck you?”

Or, perhaps he didn’t know better after all.

“You, when you tried to take off my underwear,” Will answered with a scoff. 

“Well, it sounds like there’s a lot more you could do to me tonight than vice versa.” 

Will bit his lip as he felt Hannibal’s hand slide between his thighs. 

“You drive a hard bargain.” 

It felt like a privilege to desecrate Hannibal the way he did, even if Hannibal did seem to enjoy it as much as Will. The little moans he emitted were prettier than any sort of music. Will did his best to encourage them by pushing him around and leaving bloody marks all over his body. As soon as he was finished with Hannibal, Will dropped to his knees on the boat’s floorboards, parting his lips. Hannibal didn’t waste a second moving to the edge of the bed and shoving his dick down Will’s throat. Will choked, caught off guard, but he still didn’t try to pull back even as Hannibal pushed himself in deeper. The way Hannibal fucked his throat was so aggressive that Will felt he must be punishing him for not allowing him to into his pants. Perhaps he was. Maybe that didn’t bother Will. 

He indulged Hannibal in every way his mouth could, only intermittently teasing him to maximize his pleasure. After Hannibal finished, he tugged Will back under the covers beside him.

“My god, Will…” Hannibal mumbled in his ear. “How did you get so brilliant with your tongue?”

Will laughed, rolling his eyes. “It’s very intuitive. Besides, you were down my throat half the time anyway.”

“Darling, your mouth, your throat… there’s nothing better.”

“I love you too, baby,” Will chuckled. “Now, please, let me get some sleep.”

*     *     *

The two of them mutually decided to head further north before approaching land. Will let himself believe that it was Hannibal’s idea, but he was relieved not to be returning to civilization just yet. Every moment he spent with Hannibal on the boat felt like a vacation. Each day, Hannibal would complain about the limitations of their food supply while cooking a delicious meal for Will, often using just a hot plate. Will would consistently assure him that his dishes were well beyond satisfactory just for Hannibal to assure him in turn that he’d had terrible taste in nearly everything from the moment they met.

“Did you say ‘nearly’ everything?” Will laughed out one morning as they lounged in the boat’s cabin. “I sure hope you’re not trying to imply you were the exception.”

“I wasn’t implying that. I had to work diligently to appeal to your tastes.”

“Do you actually think that?” Will teased.

“I know that, actually.” Hannibal huffed. “You told me you didn’t find me interesting.”

“Which you took as a challenge. Not quite in the way I was hoping for.”

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. 

“What were you hoping for, Will?”

Will smiled, turning his gaze back on the water. 

“I suppose we ended up here eventually.”

After a pause, Hannibal asked, “Is this what you were hoping for?”

“Sort of. Not all the way back then.”

“Then what challenge did you mean to present to me?”

“Come on, Hannibal,” Will laughed, meeting his eyes once again. “Isn’t it obvious? I wanted you to impress me. Then… Well, I kinda hoped you would ask me out. It didn’t take long to figure out you weren’t that kind of guy, but I still wanted you. Like you said, babe, I’ve always had bad taste.”

“Don’t you turn my own insults back on me, dear,” Hannibal murmured fondly. “You don’t want me questioning my own tastes.”

Will giggled. “Go for it. See how I care.”

Hannibal gave into him as he always did, affectionately nudging Will’s face and rubbing his shoulders. Will allowed Hannibal to collect all of his affections without a second thought. The butterflies in his chest and stomach couldn’t possibly be harmful; above all else, it was love. Their love couldn’t hurt anyone here, out on the sea. 

“I see you finally shaved your beard,” Hannibal teased with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Only because you’ve been so polite about it,” grumbled Will.

“Now you’ll just have to let me cut your hair.”

“Ugh,” Will groaned. “It never ends with you, baby.”

“Oh, come on, Will. You know how long it’s gotten. Stay here while I grab the scissors.”

“Hannibal,” Will complained, but he was ignored. 

Will felt obligated to pretend he hated how Hannibal clipped and tugged at his hair; still, it was among one of most lovely feelings he had ever encountered. Hannibal saw right through him, of course, and laid him down as soon as he had deemed Will’s haircut decent. Almost shamelessly, Will pulled Hannibal’s hips to his own, making out with him despite his own growls of protest. 

“Will,” Hannibal breathed out between kisses.

“Yes, darling?” Will mumbled back.

“I have something for you.”

Hannibal caressed his face, briefly locking eyes with Will before sitting up. Will melted under his gaze. He watched as Hannibal reached into his pocket and pulled out an ornate, black ring box. Will's heart began to race, and he laughed as he failed to even out his breathing. Hannibal carefully removed the ring from its case and took Will’s left hand, dropping onto one knee beside the boat seats. He slid the ring onto Will’s finger and began telling him of its history and significance, the value of the stones and metals. Even though he was staring at Hannibal’s lips the whole time, Will must have missed at least half of what he said. He finally refocused at the sound of his own name.

“Will, I’ve never loved another the way I love you. I would be incredibly honored to make you my husband.”

Despite his own giddiness, Will had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

“Is this you trying to propose to me? You’re not even wearing a shirt.”

“I could put on a shirt if you would prefer.” 

Will snickered. “No, I prefer you without a shirt. It wouldn’t matter either way, though. We’re not getting engaged, Hannibal. I love you, but you’re not exactly marriage material.” 

Will reached for his hand and squeezed, almost apologetic for turning him down. He searched Hannibal’s face for a sign of emotion, but his expression was unreadable. When he moved his thumb to Hannibal’s wrist, he only felt a steady pulse. 

“I’ll still wear the ring if you want me to,” Will continued, blushing. “It’s really beautiful.”

Hannibal smiled slightly as Will admired the wedding ring on his own finger. 

“Yes, Will. I would be so pleased.” 

Will bit his lip.

“Hannibal…” he whined. 

“What is it, my love?”

“Nothing… Actually, it’s just that. I love you, too. I just… love you so goddamn much. I just can’t believe this. I can’t believe we’re here, and… and that you love me the same.”

“What are you talking about, Will? I’ve always loved you.”

“Yeah, well… you haven’t always acted like it,” Will laughed. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You make me… happy. I like having you around, wherever it is we are.”

“Just to be clear, this is you declining my proposal?”

Will rolled his eyes. “Fuck off, babe. I can love you without marrying you. There’s not even a feasible way for us to get married.”

“Don’t overthink this, Will. I’m promising you the rest of my life. Can you promise me the same?”

“I already have, a thousand times over.”

“Then be my husband.”

“Hannibal, come on,” Will huffed. “I’m still married to Molly. We’re both fugitives. What does marriage even mean to you?”

“It means you choose me. Not solitude, not death, not ‘Molly’ or some other vermin…”

“Vermin?” Will snapped. “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve, y’know. You’ve never even met her. You tried to murder her. If anything–”

“If anything? ‘If anything,’ what?”

Will bit his tongue. Hannibal lifted his chin, as if he were indifferent. He took a seat near Will, just out of his reach. 

“Hannibal…” Will mumbled. “I love you. I want to be with you every day until we die, together. You can call it whatever you want. If that’s what ‘husband’ is to you, then I’m your husband, I guess. I just don’t want to call us that.”

Hannibal was quiet for a moment.

“You’ll wear the ring?”

Will blushed. “Yes.”

“Then call it whatever you would like, darling,” Hannibal murmured, shifting closer to him.

Will grasped his hand, tugging him even closer to bring their lips together. As he pushed his tongue into Hannibal’s mouth, he could swear he tasted tears. Still, he assumed he was mistaken; after all, Hannibal had been practically stone-faced only a moment before.

The touch of his warm hand on the back of Will’s head felt heavenly. Hannibal’s fingers entangled in his hair, tugging gently as he pulled Will onto his lap. Inadvertently, Will moaned in anticipation, causing Hannibal to smirk. Will grinned, unabashed. 

“Let’s go down to the bed,” Will whispered to Hannibal. 

Hannibal whined in agreement, and it was Will’s turn to look smug. He felt Hannibal grab his ass, and without warning he was lifted in a seemingly effortless motion as Hannibal stood up. Will couldn’t help but giggle. 

“Hannibal, baby…” Will hummed, kissing all over his neck and face. 

Hannibal growled with disapproval. “I’m not your baby, Will.”

“I thought you said I could call you what I wanted,” Will teased.

“No, darling, I said you could call us what you want.”

“A couple of barbarians?” Will responded with a laugh.

With a slight smile, Hannibal set Will down on his feet at the entrance to the boat’s cabin.

“We’re not barbarians, Will, but I do like to think we’re a couple.”

Pulling Hannibal into another kiss, Will murmured, “Without a doubt, baby. You should know by now… you’re my other half.”

Chapter Text

Will’s heart pounded as their boat approached a tiny Canadian dockyard. They had been landlocked from Namu to the remote shores of Bella Coola, and despite Hannibal’s assurances, Will was still half-convinced that the authorities were waiting ashore to arrest them. He bit his nails as Hannibal disembarked to meet the approaching owner of the docks. Their greeting was friendly, but beyond that, Will couldn’t make out a word. His nerves didn’t ease until he heard the stranger laugh in his conversation with Hannibal. Still, Will couldn’t help but ask himself what would happen if they were recognized. It wouldn’t just be the FBI on their tail; it would be all of North America, and Hannibal wasn’t very good at laying low. 

Within a few minutes, Hannibal returned to Will on the boat. 

“Let’s go, Will. He’s willing to lend us a car.”

“Lend? We’re not sticking around here, Hannibal.”

“I know that. We’ll have to leave the boat here and move on. We can ditch the car for a new one after sunset.”

“Leave the boat here? What, for Jack Crawford to find, while we run across the continent without a penny to our names?”

“Will,” Hannibal commanded. “Relax. Let’s get our things together and be on our way. We don’t want to push our luck.”

“This is reckless,” Will persisted.

“No, Will. ‘Reckless’ would be trying to sell off a boat on a foreign shore, to a stranger, with no registration or identification.”

“Okay, but how are we–”

“It wouldn’t kill you to trust me,” scolded Hannibal. 

Will huffed.

“Here’s hoping,” he growled, storming off to collect his things. 

Weighed down only by the bare essentials and a new set of car keys, Will and Hannibal walked towards a dull sedan. Beverly ran alongside them, sniffing around the weeds. The yard owner waved to them and called over,

“Safe travels! I hope you and your husband enjoy your visit!”

Hannibal faked a smile and waved back. “Thank you, sir! Good day.”

Will blushed. He wasn’t sure how he felt about being referred to as Hannibal’s husband, but either way he found his charming facade adorable. Hannibal climbed into the driver’s seat of the sedan, and in a blink they were eastbound on the highway. 

It felt odd to be driving on solid ground again. Will rolled down his window as he watched the evergreens pass by. It was uncertain how long he and Hannibal would be driving together, and Will worried how long his patience would hold in this close proximity. He felt Hannibal glance over at him.

“Are you alright, Will?”

“Yes.”

“Is there something you want to say?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

Will sighed. 

“I’m worried. You won’t tell me what the plan is. I don’t know what to expect here.”

“There’s nothing to worry about, my love. It’s just like we agreed. We cross the continent by whatever means necessary. When we reach the other coast, we find a boat. We sail to Iceland.”

“You make it sound so simple, as if we’re on the same page. But there’s more you’re not telling me.”

“Will, I realize I’m partially to blame for your level of paranoia, but there’s really not much more to it.”

“Okay, then how are you planning on getting to the east coast? Just stealing a bunch of different cars until we get caught?”

“Of course not. Once we ditch this car, we either steal a brief substitute or hitch a train ride.”

Will took a deep breath. He looked down at the ring on his left hand. The deep black of the obsidian stone seemed to glimmer without reflecting any light at all.

“Alright, fine,” Will grumbled. “I guess I’m just nervous.”

“Nobody knows where we are, Will. The FBI hasn’t tracked either of us since we left the east coast. You can sit back and relax.”

“Hmph. I’ve never been big on road trips.” 

“It’s just a car ride, darling. We’ll find a train in no time.” 

Will cracked a smile, glancing over at Hannibal.

“Y’know, Hannibal, you can be pretty sweet sometimes.” 

“Nonsense,” Hannibal argued, but he smiled back at Will anyway. 

Will’s gaze shifted to a car parked alongside the road up ahead. Considering they weren’t anywhere near town yet, he assumed at first that it was abandoned. However, as he narrowed his eyes, he could make out a figure in the driver’s seat. 

“Hannibal,” Will commanded, pointing ahead. “Who the fuck is that?”

“How should I know? Maybe he lives here.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere, babe. Unless he lives in his car, he doesn’t fucking live here.”

“It’s probably nothing,” Hannibal declared. 

Will ignored him, gritting his teeth as they passed the vehicle. When he locked eyes with the driver, he recognized his face immediately. 

“Hannibal…”

“What’s wrong, love?”

“He’s trying to follow us. It’s Spade. It’s Aaron’s friend, the guy I sold the boat to. He’s right behind us.”

The car’s engine growled as they sped up. Still, Hannibal didn’t reply.

“ Hannibal. He’s following us. What the fuck do we do?”

“Be quiet, Will. And put on your seatbelt.” 

Resentfully, Will bit his tongue and followed Hannibal’s command. He looked again in the rearview mirror to see Spade’s vehicle inching closer to their bumper. Hannibal had to swerve into the other lane to avoid a collision, but Spade’s car pulled closer just as quickly. Will fought the urge to snap at Hannibal, to demand that he pull over or turn around, as if that could be done at these speeds. The front of Spade’s car charged in beside them, and there was a deafening screech of metal scraping metal. Hannibal sped up even more, drifting onto the road’s shoulder to separate their vehicles. In a flash, their pursuer slammed into their rear headlight, sending their car into a rapid spiral. Will cried out as he watched Hannibal’s forehead collide with the steering wheel. The car crashed headfirst into a ditch on the roadside. Machinery creaked, and they were jostled forward again as the vehicle slid further down. 

Once they stood still at the bottom, Will tore off his seatbelt and leaned over Hannibal. 

“Baby, hey…” he murmured, cupping Hannibal’s face.

Hannibal’s eyes were fluttery and dazed. Blood seeped from a gash in his forehead. Will whined in desperation.

“Baby, look at me.”

Hannibal only groaned weakly in response. A growl rose from deep within Will’s throat, and he gently laid Hannibal’s head down. Glancing in the backseat, he found that Bev had been thrown onto the floor and was panting on her side. 

Will forced the passenger door open and climbed out of the ditch with a determined vigor. Spade was already walking towards him, but Will still met him face-to-face on flat ground. 

“Can I fucking help you with something, Spade?” Will snarled, sizing him up.

“Don’t even try to play innocent,” snapped Spade. “You murdered Aaron in cold blood.” 

“So what if I did?” 

“So I’m gonna fucking kill you, that’s what.” 

“Give it your best shot, you piece of shit,” Will sneered.

Spade drew a gun from the back of his pants. Before he could aim it, Will punched him square in the throat, knocking the wind out of him. He pushed Spade to the ground, but his grip held tight to the gun. Will pulled a switchblade from his pocket. Spade sprang to his feet and scoffed down at Will’s knife. 

“You’re making this too easy for me,” he spat. 

  He uncocked his gun and tossed it aside, beyond either of their reach. 

“Too bad,” Will smirked. “You just threw away your only chance of seeing another day.”

Spade drew his own knife from his pocket, not breaking eye contact. Will lunged at him, securing Spade’s wrist in one hand and stabbing his neck with the other. With a sharp cry of pain, Spade forced his hand free from Will’s grip and stumbled backward. Recovering quickly, he grabbed Will by the shirt and sliced his cheek with his blade. Will struck him in the crotch with his knee and slammed his head into Spade’s. With a forceful push, he knocked Spade to the ground once again. Will kicked his knife aside.

Digging his heel into his chest, Will growled, “How did you know where to find us?”

“Go to hell,” Spade groaned, coughing on his own blood. 

“Who else knows where we are? Did you come here alone?” Will demanded.

“I’m not gonna tell you shit.”

Will kicked him in the stomach, hard. “Start talking, or this will become very painful for you.”

He sank down to kneel over Spade’s limp body, straddling either side of him. Will brought the tip of his switchblade to Spade’s abdomen and dug it into his skin. 

“How did you find us?” Will snarled. 

Spade let out an agonized yell. Pulling the blade from his flesh, Will drew it back once more. He stabbed Spade in the stomach two, then three times, splattering blood all over his own arms and torso. 

“I’ll ask you one more time,” Will growled. He brought the knife to Spade’s throat. “How did you know we would be here?”

Spade choked on his one blood as he gasped in pain.

“You went north, and you kept going,” he groaned. “Where else would you end up?”

Will’s lip curled in disgust as he looked down on him. 

“You’ll die as you lived, Adrian. Fucking worthless.”

With that, Will slit his throat, leaving him on the road to gasp for his final breaths. He strode back to the roadside where Hannibal was sitting beside the ditch. Will sighed in relief at the sight of him alive and conscious. Quickening his pace, he extended a hand to Hannibal to help him up. Hannibal took it and stood with a considerable amount of effort. 

“Are you okay, my love?” Will asked softly. 

“Much better than that,” Hannibal assured him with a weak smile. “You’ve impressed me again, Will.”

Will raised his eyebrows to offset his own smile. “Come on, babe. Get in Spade’s car. We need to get out of here. I just have to grab Bev before we get going.”

Hannibal moved his hands to Will’s hips and pulled him close. 

“Will…” Hannibal murmured in his ear. “I would take you down my throat right here, this very moment…”

Will laughed in surprise, and he felt his face flush bright red. 

“There’s no time for that, babe. Move along,” he chuckled, gently guiding Hannibal in the direction of the car’s passenger door.

Will made his way back to the ruins of their vehicle. When he peered through the car’s window, he could see Bev curled up on the passenger’s seat. He was relieved to see that she was healthy enough to move about the carseats on her own. 

Will pried the door open and immediately scooped her up in his arms. She whined and licked his face as he carried her from the ditch to the car in which Hannibal sat waiting. Carefully opening up the back door, Will placed her on the cushioned seats. Her pained whine made him wince, and he gave her a sympathetic pat on the head. 

After shutting her inside, he made his way back over to Spade’s body. It was motionless and soaked in blood. Will gave a moment’s hesitation before throwing the body over his shoulder and hauling it to the nearby cliffside, overlooking the ocean shore. He tossed Spade over the edge without a second thought. The blood covering his own shirt made it stick to his skin, so he tore it off and threw it into the ocean just as thoughtlessly. 

Hurrying back to Hannibal, Will climbed into the driver’s seat. 

“Are you alright?” Will asked as he closed the door.

“Yes, darling,” Hannibal assured him, looking him up and down with a hunger in his eyes. “Let’s be on our way.”

Chapter Text

Will drove them through miles upon miles of mountainous roads before he decided Spade’s car was too much of a liability. He drove into the depths of an RV park to ditch the car in a vacant lot. Hannibal’s protests were relentless, but Will ignored them all the same.

“Will, where are we going?” he huffed as Will led him and Bev away on foot. “I told you we need to drive further to find a train. Let’s go back to the car.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Babe, I told you, the car is a liability. Spade and Aaron had a lot of friends who could be tracking us. If there are no railroad tracks around, we can find another car.”

“I just told you, there are no train tracks around. Unless you’re planning on stealing a trailer home for the two of us, we should really get back back to th—“

“No, Hannibal. Be quiet. I have an idea.”

Hannibal raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Hush,” Will demanded, ignoring him. He pointed an ear towards the voices of a family he could hear nearby.

Hannibal’s eyes shot daggers at him, but at last he was silent. Will could finally hone in on the family’s conversation. 

“There’s no way in hell we’ll make it to Winnipeg in two days. You’re kidding yourself.”

“No, I’m not kidding! We’ll drive in shifts. That way we only have to stop at a hotel once, maybe twice.”

“Dad, that’s so stupid,” a younger voice chimed in. “I’m not sleeping in a car tonight. We’re not poor.”

“I’m just saying, if we drive twelve hours today, we could make it there by tomorrow night. Besides, the backseat has plenty of space.”

The family erupted into an argument, and Will turned back to Hannibal. Before he could speak, Hannibal grabbed his arm. 

“Listen to me, Will.”

“No,” he protested in a hushed voice. “We’re getting in their trailer.”

“What? Are you insane?”

Will ignored him and quietly made his way to the cargo trailer attached to the family’s SUV. They were too involved in their heated discussion to notice him open the doors, which were unlocked and slightly ajar. Hannibal’s expression was positively furious, but this only amused and encouraged Will. Once the trailer was open, he picked up his dog and carried her inside. Reluctantly, Hannibal followed him into the trailer and quietly pulled the doors shut. 

“Hide the dog, Will,” he hissed under his breath. “They’re going to come lock the trailer. This is fucking ridiculous. I can’t believe you.”

Will snickered at the level of Hannibal’s temper. 

“You hide, then,” he whispered back. 

Hannibal shot him a glare, and Will followed him behind some furniture and stacked boxes. They both sat in silence, Will clutching Bev on his lap with a smug expression as he avoided Hannibal’s gaze.

When the family locked up the trailer, they hardly opened the doors at all. Within minutes, they were all driving towards Winnipeg. Once they were going full speed on the freeway, Hannibal stood and paced around restlessly.

“Will. Put the goddamn dog down and get your ass out here.”

Will laughed out loud from behind the furniture. He pushed Bev off his lap and stood. 

“What’s wrong, Hannibal?” he drawled. 

“Why on Earth would you do this?” Hannibal snapped. “We could have taken a train. We could have stolen a car. Instead, you’d have us locked in a metal box, driving God-knows-where?”

“Relax. This was the right move, babe.”

“Have you gone mad? In what world was this the right move?” he demanded.

Will rolled his eyes. “It’s the only way we can make it halfway across the continent without being spotted or arrested.”

“No, it most certainly isn’t. What happens when we get hungry, or thirsty? What happens when we need to relieve ourselves?”

Will snickered again. “We can find a bottle to pee in or we can hold it. At worst, we’ll be locked in here for two and a half days. Can you not handle that?”

“I can handle it, but thanks to you, we have a dog in here with us, which is bound to piss all over the floor any moment now.” 

“Hannibal, please,” Will huffed. “She’s already peed, like, three times this morning. It’s gonna be fine. Now keep your voice down.”

The anger in Hannibal’s eyes intensified. Will stepped towards him, sliding his hands underneath his shirt.

“We’re here now, babe, like it or not. Just make the most of it. You can blame me for all the rest.”

Pulling Hannibal’s hips closer, Will tilted his chin up to meet his indignant gaze. 

“Stop it, Will…” Hannibal growled. 

Instead, Will whined softly and nudged him. He began to kiss on the side of Hannibal’s neck, leaving behind a hickey.

“Will,” Hannibal scolded again.

The trailer jolted as they ran over a bump, or perhaps a pothole. Will allowed himself to fall back against the wall. He parted his lips slightly, not breaking eye contact with Hannibal. In a blink, Hannibal shoved him into a chokehold. Will gave a satisfied moan and yielded to his grasp. The anger in Hannibal’s eyes ebbed away as Will shoved his hand into his pants. With another whine, he pulled Hannibal’s lips to his own. Hannibal kissed back fiercely against Will’s grin. It wasn’t difficult to tell what he wanted, so Will tore off Hannibal’s belt and sank to his knees. 

At last, Hannibal stopped glaring and allowed Will to get him off. Will tried to tell himself it was all a scheme to get Hannibal to relax, but the taste and feeling of Hannibal in his mouth and throat was irresistible to him. Once Hannibal was satisfied, Will tugged him by the wrist over to the nearby couch. 

“Sit here,” Will invited. “I’ll clear off the boxes so we can lay down.”

Hannibal took Will’s hand to his lips and kissed.

“You sit down, darling. I can move the boxes. Just take off your clothes so I can look at you.” 

Will smiled and tried to meet his eyes, but Hannibal seemed to resent himself for giving in to him. Taking a seat on the couch, Will stripped off his flannel and the spare t-shirt he had salvaged from his backpack. It was already stained with blood and sweat left over from Spade’s murder. Will tossed it aside, realizing with a cringe that he wouldn't be able to shower off the smell until they could escape the trailer. Not eager to disobey Hannibal any further, he took off his pants as well.

Hannibal finished clearing off the couch and dragged Will by the legs into a lying position. Will giggled to himself, comforted by Hannibal’s gentle force. He watched as Hannibal climbed on top of him and ran his warm hands over Will’s bare chest. The feeling of it made Will grin, but Hannibal couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of his body. 

“You’re a stunning boy, Will,” he gushed. “I can’t believe the shit I let you get away with.”

“Quit calling me ‘boy,’” laughed Will. “It makes me feel like I’m screwing an old man.”

Hannibal smirked. “I am a much older man than you, dear.”

Smiling back up at him, Will teased, “Does that mean I have a chance of outliving the great Hannibal Lecter?”

“I sure hope so,” Hannibal mumbled, cupping his face gently. Will melted under his gaze as he continued. “I never want to live without you again, my beloved. I’ll make sure of that, now that I know what’s at stake.”

Will’s brow furrowed. “What’s different now?”

“Nothing, I suppose,” replied Hannibal, nonchalant.

“But what did you mean?” Will persisted. 

“No matter. Really, darling, you’ll just tell me to quit being sappy.”

Will’s grin returned. “Tell me anyway, babe. You’re so cute when you’re sappy.”

Hannibal seemed to bite back a smile. 

“I just never knew how wonderful it would be to have you the way I do now,” he went on. “To wake up next to you each morning… Well, to simply hold you in my arms is such a blessing.”

Will blushed, avoiding Hannibal’s eyes.

“You’re right,” he mumbled. “That was pretty sappy. You could’ve just said you really hated being in prison all those years.”

Hannibal stroked Will’s face with his thumb. 

“You know that’s not what I’m saying. You were the reason I turned myself in, Will, and now you’re the reason I’m free.”

“You turned yourself in because I rejected you. That’s not out of love.”

“My message to you was clear, Will. You matter more to me than my freedom. Now I have both. What about that bothers you?”

“Nothing, I suppose ,” grumbled Will, irritated by his opposition.

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make me mock you back.”

“Actually, I’d like to see you try,” Will chuckled. “But, fine… it just frustrates me that we didn’t get here sooner. I have a hard time not blaming you for that, and I think you have a hard time not blaming me.”

Hannibal’s face had turned somber.

“Knowing you can’t truly live without somebody is frightening. We’ve both made mistakes because of that.”

Will moved his hand to Hannibal’s bicep, smiling slightly. “You don’t frighten easily.”

“No,” Hannibal agreed, his expression softening. “But I do when it comes to you.”

Will tilted his chin up for a kiss, pulling Hannibal in closer when he obliged. Hannibal smiled against his lips, and Will could feel butterflies fluttering in his chest.  A thousand ‘I-love-you’s couldn’t replace Will’s soft hums or the nuzzles he gave Hannibal between kisses. Hannibal’s every breath and movement felt like heaven; Will most certainly would have flipped him over and torn off his clothes if he weren’t so exhausted himself. At last, Will separated their lips and pressed his forehead to Hannibal’s. 

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you too, Will. Get some rest. I’ll see if I can find anything of use in these boxes.”

With a smile, Will’s eyes began to droop almost instantly. 

“But you’re so warm,” he protested. 

“First thing I’ll look for is a blanket,” Hannibal assured him, kissing his forehead as he stood from the couch. 

Will blushed slightly. He couldn’t help but find it adorable how willing Hannibal was to take care of him. As soon as Hannibal draped a blanket over him, Will was out like a light.

Chapter Text

It was rather disorienting to wake up in the dark confines of the trailer without any means of telling the time. Hannibal assured him it must be late in the evening at this point, but Will worried his perception of time was altered by his hours of reading by flashlight and pacing endlessly. 

“Hannibal, please, sit down. Your pacing is giving me a headache,” Will complained, rubbing his eyes.

“I’ve been sitting for hours. I just finished a third book. You’ve been asleep a long time, Will, and there’s not much to do. Besides, your headache is likely just the early stages of hypoxia.”

“What?” Will snapped, sitting up with a jolt. “You’re telling me we’re running out of air to breathe, and you think pacing is a good idea?”

Hannibal sat down on a storage box with an exasperated sigh. “I told you this was a terrible idea. We’ll be lucky if we don’t have to break ourselves out of here.” 

Will huffed. “You’ve been awake this whole time, and you didn’t think to, I don’t know, make a gap or something?”

Hannibal acted as if Will hadn’t spoken at all.

“I found a weak spot next to the corner over there,” he went on. “The floor doesn’t quite meet the wall. Some air is coming through already. You could probably widen it a bit.”

“Pfft. Or you could’ve…” Will grumbled under his breath as he stood up. 

Hannibal raised an eyebrow. “Watch your mouth, Will.”

Will ignored him and went to the corner Hannibal had gestured to. Squatting down to inspect the gap, he asked Hannibal, “Did you find anything in those boxes that I can use as a crowbar?”

“There’s kitchen tools in the box behind you,” Hannibal answered, making no move to help. 

Will rolled his eyes and got to work. It took a considerable amount of effort to get the metal to budge at all, but once he found a good angle with the right tool it was easy enough to feel the wind coming through. He kept at it for nearly an hour just to avoid Hannibal’s snide comments and told-you-so stare. Finally, he heard Hannibal’s snores coming from the couch. Will made his way over to him and sat on the floor, his back against the couch where Hannibal laid. For hours, he flipped through the books Hannibal had left out in an effort to distract himself from their confinement. 

When the trailer eventually parked for the night, Hannibal woke from his slumber. The two of them sat in silence as they listened to the family unload their vehicle. Will met Hannibal’s eyes and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of his messed-up hair; Hannibal studied Will’s face just as lovingly. When the family’s voices faded away, Will climbed onto the couch with him and laid against his chest. Hannibal began to softly stroke Will’s hair. 

“I see you’re no longer moody,” Hannibal mumbled, seemingly amused.

“Hmph,” replied Will, nudging him for a kiss, “I could say the same to you.”

Hannibal kissed him gently and pulled him closer. Will slid his hands underneath Hannibal’s shirt, quickly realizing how cold he’d been before joining in the warmth of Hannibal’s body. He ran his hands all over Hannibal, still kissing his lips sweetly. Hannibal moved his hand to Will’s belt, and Will instantly felt himself getting riled up. 

“Hannibal, baby…” he mumbled. “Not now.”

Hannibal smirked against his lips, taking off Will’s belt in a swift motion. “Your buckle was prodding me, darling.”

Will felt himself blush as Hannibal pulled him back into a kiss. He let Hannibal leave hickeys all over his neck, and when his love bites became increasingly painful, Will couldn’t keep himself from getting hard. His moans got louder, and Hannibal had to cover Will’s mouth while he licked blood from his skin. 

“Quiet, Will…” Hannibal reminded him, stern. 

Will pulled Hannibal’s fingers into his mouth, licking and sucking to keep himself from making noise. Hannibal shoved his fingers to the back of Will’s throat to force a gag. Once he caught his breath, Will began to pull off his pants.

“What happened to ‘not now’?” teased Hannibal. 

“Hush,” Will growled. “Get on your knees.”

Hannibal’s eyes ablaze, he dropped to his knees on the floor and threw Will’s underwear aside. In an instant, Hannibal had his mouth wrapped around his dick. The sight of his submission brought out a fiery passion in Will, but he didn't get the chance to push himself down Hannibal’s throat; Hannibal was far too eager. 

The moans Hannibal drew from him would easily have been audible had anyone been around, but they were left undisturbed. Hannibal tongue teased him endlessly, but this only intensified Will’s satisfaction when he finally came in Hannibal’s mouth. Dazed, Will fixed his eyes down on him, ensuring he swallowed completely. As usual, Hannibal did not disappoint. Pleased, Will tugged him by the arm back onto the couch. He allowed Hannibal to pull him onto his chest. 

“As soon as we’re out of here…” Hannibal began, murmuring in Will’s ear. “I’ll have you pinned against a wall… I’ll take what I want from you, and you won’t be able to help it.”

Will held back a giggle. “Sounds like a regular Tuesday night, babe.” 

Hannibal returned Will’s smug smile. “Sounds like you have no idea what’s coming to you, pretty boy.” 

Will’s giggle escaped him. 

“You know that I can’t wait, baby… Good god, you drive me crazy…” Will mumbled, kissing Hannibal again. 

*   *   *

As far as Will could tell the next morning, he and Hannibal had fallen asleep still making out. His face was nestled in Hannibal’s neck when Will opened his eyes, and he could feel the warm embrace of Hannibal’s arms wrapped around him. The slow rising and falling of Hannibal’s chest brought peace to the messy confinement of the trailer. Will did his best not to move around too much in hopes of allowing Hannibal to sleep a little longer. 

The birds outside had only just begun to chirp when Will heard a group of footsteps emerge from a building nearby. Voices followed, and Hannibal began to stir on the couch. Will sat at his feet, watching him wake up. He could hear the family sluggishly loading back into their car. At first he tried to stop himself from climbing back onto Hannibal’s chest, but his efforts were in vain. Will couldn’t help but kiss him awake. He didn’t at all mind Hannibal’s morning breath once he started to kiss Will back. Will hummed happily, slipping his hands under Hannibal’s shirt. 

“Good morning, pretty baby,” Will purred between kisses.

Hannibal scoffed. 

“Good morning, beloved.”

Will grinned. 

“You don’t like my pet names?” he teased. 

Hannibal smiled back, pulling away from another sweet kiss. “Not necessarily.”

“But I think you’re pretty, baby…” Will gushed. 

“Hush,” Hannibal breathed against his lips. “This time tomorrow, darling…”

“We’ll be on a train, charging towards the east coast,” Will continued with a smile.  

The trailer began to move as they were towed to the freeway. Still, Hannibal didn’t look away from Will’s gaze. 

“We’ll get to Iceland in no time, Will… We’re so close. I’ll get you all the land you could ever wish for, and it will just be the two of us. I promise you, my love, you won’t have a thing to worry about. I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted. I love you so dearly…”

Will snickered. “Is this what I get for not giving you the chance to write me wedding vows?”

“Yes,” Hannibal teased back, nuzzling him. “But I don’t need a wedding to make you my husband.”

“I know, babe. You’ve made that abundantly clear for years now. This time you might actually be right.”

“I would certainly say that I am,” Hannibal flirted, taking Will’s hand which was still adorned by his obsidian ring. 

Will blushed, glancing down at their interlaced fingers, and leaned in to kiss him again. 

The rest of their drive was long and unpleasant. Even with the freezing wind coming through their makeshift vent, Will’s lungs felt as if they couldn’t take in enough oxygen. They were both starving and thirsty, and as more time went on they both avoided each other to keep from getting snappish. Without Hannibal’s warmth, the blankets they had salvaged from the boxes felt practically useless. To top things off, the trailer started to reek of dog waste that neither of them had found yet. It felt like weeks had passed by the time the trailer finally parked for good. 

The family spent some time jabbering and unloading their vehicle before Will finally heard the trailer unlock. He stood quickly from the couch, tugging Hannibal by the wrist to sit behind the couch with him. Will heard Bev’s nails click against the metal floor in the direction of the double doors. The latch opened, and the first direct sunlight Will had seen in days flooded into the trailer. A female voice was interrupted mid-sentence as she presumably laid eyes on the enthusiastic dog before her. 

“Richard?!” she screamed. “There’s a fucking dog in here!!”

“What the– Holy shit!”

Will could hear Bev jump out of the trailer as the family gathered around.  

“How the hell could a dog have gotten in the trailer?” another voice demanded in shock. 

Will shifted his eyes to Hannibal, who was reaching his arm out towards a paperweight in the corner.

“Hannibal,” Will hissed under his breath. “We’re not killing them.”

Even though Hannibal didn’t seem to be listening to him at all, he nodded in agreement. Bev began to whine and bark as she ran around outside. The family’s voices began to fade slightly as they walked after her. Will stood up just enough to peer over the top of the couch and confirm that the family’s backs were turned to them. He pulled Hannibal towards the exit, sticking to the walls as much as he could. With his back against the wall of the exit, he peered out to find that the whole family was crowded around Beverly several yards away. She was soaking in the affection as two kids and their mother praised and stroked her. 

Will jumped from the trailer as quietly as he could, not looking away from the family. No heads turned even as Hannibal hopped down beside him. Taking his hand, Will crept around the side of the trailer. When the vehicle couldn’t cover them any longer, they bolted to the nearest cross street and took a sharp turn. They had ended up in an oddly suburban neighborhood, but thankfully this environment allowed them to make several turns and lose track of the family and the trailer. When they finally reached a more remote street with wooded coverage, they were both panting heavily. Will slowed to a halt and sat down on a concrete barrier under the trees. 

“I’m so thirsty, Hannibal…” he gasped. “Everything is starting to turn black, I can’t even stand anymore, I’m hotter than hell but I’m freezing , and–”

Hannibal shushed him gently and kissed his forehead, running his fingers through his hair.

“Stay here, Will. I’ll come back with water. Just don’t let yourself be seen, okay?”

“Okay,” Will whimpered, stealing a kiss before Hannibal rushed away.

As soon as he turned the corner, Will let his head fall back against the fence behind him. It was covered in moss and grime, but it couldn’t be much filthier than Will’s hair already was. He closed his eyes to block out the light of the sun reflecting off the white snow. When he opened them again, Hannibal was standing before him, dabbing water onto his face.

“Hannibal…?” he mumbled, disoriented. “How…”

“Drink this, darling. Slowly.”

With newfound energy, Will snatched the bottle of water from him and twisted it open. After taking only two gulps, Hannibal yanked it away from him.

“Careful,” he warned. “You’ll just vomit it back up if you don’t pace yourself.”

Will groaned as his stomach immediately began to ache. Hannibal sat beside him and tilted his head back gently, supporting the back of his neck. 

“It’s okay, my beloved. Just breathe for a minute. You can drink more water soon.”

Will let himself fall against Hannibal’s shoulder with a whimper. 

“We have to go into the trees,” he muttered. “I’ve been sitting out here too long.”

Hannibal hesitated. “Can you stand?”

“I think so.”

“Just give it a minute, Will…”

Will reached for the bottle of water, and Hannibal allowed him to take another sip. A few minutes later, Will stood up slowly. Hannibal stood beside him, a hand against Will’s back for support. 

“Careful, now…”

“I’m fine,” Will grumbled. 

He climbed onto the concrete barrier and over the wooden fence. Hannibal followed, and they walked into the trees until they were sure to be blocked from sight. Will took a seat at the trunk of a tree, and the snow instantly began to soak and freeze him. His teeth started to chatter, and Hannibal pulled him against his chest. He took off his coat and draped it over Will’s front. Will laughed weakly as he shivered. 

“Such a gentleman, aren’t you, babe?” he teased. 

Hannibal squeezed him tighter and kissed his hair. 

“There’s a motel not too far away, my love. I can get us into a vacant room once you feel alright enough to walk there. We can both rest up and shower.”

“Okay,” mumbled Will. “Just a few minutes…”

The warmth of Hannibal’s embrace was incredibly relaxing, but once Will had rested and hydrated a bit more, he could think only of a warm motel room with plumbing and a cozy bed. He allowed Hannibal to help him up and lead him in the direction of the alleged motel.

Chapter Text

The feeling of a warm shower after weeks of traveling was unmatched. Will must have spent an hour in the bathroom of the motel room before finally turning it over to Hannibal. The bed felt a million times more comfortable than the couch in the trailer, and Will slowly sipped on a cup of water until he dozed off. 

He awoke when Hannibal emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. 

“How are you feeling, Will?” he asked.

Will sat up with some effort as he rubbed his eyes. 

“Better,” he mumbled.

“Good. We can’t spend too much time here. Once the sun sets, we need to find a train.”

“I know, baby. Just lay down with me for a minute.”

Hannibal nodded. “Of course, love. Just let me grab some clothes.”

Will grunted in disapproval, and Hannibal gave into his unspoken complaint. He dropped his towel at the foot of the bed and slipped beneath the sheets next to Will. Humming happily, Will breathed in his scent and pulled him close. 

“Holy shit, this feels nice…” he whispered in Hannibal’s ear, running his hand along his back muscles.

Hannibal nudged the side of Will’s head and nipped the tip of his ear. 

“I couldn’t agree more, Will… You, my darling, are heaven-sent…”

Will laughed aloud. 

“Sure, babe, something like that. I’m just trying to enjoy this comfort while we can. I doubt whatever train we board will end up being first-class travel.”

“I know, dear, but this will all be worth it in the end,” Hannibal assured him. “We can rest for a little bit longer, but we really must be leaving soon.”

Will held onto him as long as he could, but the sun seemed to set in no time at all. Hannibal stroked his face and kissed his hair before climbing out of bed. He packed away the rest of their belongings along with the spare toiletries provided by the motel. Will forced himself to get dressed and sluggishly follow Hannibal out the door. 

If it weren’t for the moonlight reflecting off of the snow, it would have been pitch black outside. Will allowed Hannibal to lead him away from the motel until they could see a small train station in the distance. Even with their destination in sight, Will could hardly keep putting one foot in front of the other. They passed a group of mailboxes with newspaper cubbies, and Will pulled one out to examine. He stopped against a street light without asking Hannibal to wait up. Hannibal turned around.

“Will, what are you doing? We need to keep going.”

“I’m tired, Hannibal. Let me read the paper for a goddamn minute.”

Hannibal glared. “Watch your mouth.”

Will ignored him and peered down at the paper. Immediately, he focused on a small picture on the front page: a crime scene photo of the same blood-soaked room where he had watched Hannibal murder Aaron.

“Hannibal…” he muttered. “You should probably come look at this.”

Hannibal advanced towards him and nestled his chin on his shoulder. Will continued to read the associated text:

The horrifying crime scene Hannibal Lecter left in his wake was somehow more sinister than it appears. FBI forensic detectives discovered a DNA sample matching that of Hannibal Lecter less than five feet away from a set of bloody handprints. According to forensic analysis, these fingerprints belonged to none other than Will Graham, the former FBI profiler who has been missing ever since he was seemingly involved in Lecter’s escape. The local detective who found the body, Anthony Black, shared with reporters his speculations on the scene: 

“This murder was not meticulous and planned the way Lecter’s crimes have been in the past. As far as I’m concerned, he killed Aaron in a jealous rage when he found them alone at the cabin together. Aaron was my best friend. He had told me he was seeing someone new, but I hadn’t met him yet. I had no idea he was talking about that fugitive killer.”

Another friend of the deceased stated that Aaron and a man matching Will Graham’s description had been dating for several weeks before he was found dead. However, it’s unclear how long Hannibal Lecter had been on the island when the murder was committed. 

Will heard a growl rise from Hannibal’s throat, his chin still resting on Will’s shoulder. 

“Relax, Hannibal. I wasn’t fucking dating him.”

“I know you weren’t, but it’s still in the goddamned paper.”

“Get over yourself,” Will sneered. “That ‘DNA sample’ it mentions was your fucking semen, right where you had me bent over, and that’s in the goddamn paper. So, you can deal with a stupid little line about me and Aaron going on a couple dates.”

“I had every right to bend you over, Will,” snarled Hannibal. “You’re just embarrassed. I’m sure even Jack Crawford knows what happened in that cabin at this point.”

Will slapped him across the face.

“What happened to you being sorry , you fucking liar?” he snapped.

Hannibal grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the light pole. 

“Be quiet,” he hissed in Will’s ear. “We need to get out of here before you get us caught.”

“If you don’t stop throwing me around, Hannibal, I’m definitely not gonna be fucking quiet.”

“Yes, you will,” Hannibal growled, biting down on the tip of his ear. 

Will gasped in pain. He could feel a stream of hot blood racing down his neck, and Hannibal started to lick it up. Will closed his eyes with a soft moan. The feeling of Hannibal’s tongue on the skin of his neck made him give in almost immediately. 

“The sounds you make, my beautiful, darling, Will…” Hannibal began, kissing along Will’s neck. “There’s so much I want to do to you, but we really must go.” 

Will whined, feeling weak in the knees as he reluctantly trailed after Hannibal. He watched Hannibal’s silhouette carry on ahead of him with his usual confidence, his head never bowing. They made their way past the lights of the train station, still heading in the direction of the tracks. Hannibal reached for Will’s hand to keep him close. Will laced their fingers together and picked up his pace to match Hannibal’s. In his other hand, he still held the newspaper. He wanted to keep reading, to find out how their situation was being reported to the public, but he couldn’t pick another fight with Hannibal right now. 

When they finally reached a suitable spot next to the train tracks, they found a tree to rest under while they waited for a train to come along. Will shoved the newspaper into his bag; it was too dark outside to read, anyway. He moved closer to Hannibal, cuddling against him for warmth. The snow surrounding them was much less than up in Bella Coola, but it was just as cold and just as beautiful. Will laid his head on Hannibal’s shoulder. 

“Will?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you still have that flashlight in your bag?”

“Yes,” answered Will. 

Hannibal paused. 

“What does the rest of the article say?”

Will opened his bag again and pulled out the paper along with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He handed the newspaper to Hannibal and lit his cigarette. The light of the burning tobacco was enough for them to read beneath. Will’s gaze drifted a few paragraphs down. 

More samples of DNA matching the two escaped killers were found at a local inn. Investigators have concluded that Graham had been reserving the room for several weeks with Lecter visiting him periodically. According to an FBI investigator who requested not to be named, forensic evidence heavily suggests that the two men were engaged in a sexual relationship. As of today’s date, Will Graham remains married to Molly Graham, although it’s not yet clear whether his sexual encounters with Lecter were entirely consensual. Mrs. Graham has not yet spoken on public speculation that her husband was intimately involved in Lecter’s recent crimes. 

Will had read enough; he took another drag from his cigarette before touching the flaming-hot tip to the newspaper. The fire spread across the page quickly, and Hannibal was forced to toss it towards the railroad tracks. Avoiding his gaze, Will continued to smoke. Hannibal wrapped his arm around Will’s shoulders and pulled him close. They watched the newspaper shrivel up and burn, melting the snow around it. Will tossed his cigarette butt into the fire. Hannibal softly nudged the side of Will’s head.

“Are y–”

“No, Hannibal, I’m not okay,” Will snapped. “And don’t call me some stupid pet name right now.” 

Hannibal took a quiet breath in. 

“Will…” he began gently. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

Fuck off, thought Will, but he clenched his fist to avoid saying it out loud. 

“I’ll say this as nicely as I can, Hannibal. I’ve had a life outside of you. Molly was my wife. Legally, she still is. She, and so many other people that I’ve known, will read these articles. It makes me look pathetic. It makes me look like your stupid fucktoy. I’m not. I’m not helping you kill people, either.”

“Listen to me, Will. You were planning to kill Aaron. You killed the fisherman. You killed Spade. I killed Malcolm to protect you. How was I responsible for these deaths?”

Will grit his teeth. 

“I didn’t say you were. It doesn’t matter, anyway. It’s all in the past.”

Hannibal was quiet for a moment.

“Come here, love. Sit on my lap.”

Will’s expression turned sheepish. He turned to face Hannibal, and his face felt hot as he submitted to his command. 

“What do you want, Hannibal?” Will mumbled, meeting his eyes. 

“You know every little thing I want, Will. That’s part of what I love so much about you.”

Will pursed his lips. “What do you want the most now, then?”

“Grind on me. Kiss me with your tongue.”

Will couldn’t help but do as he was told. His moans sounded more like whines as he rubbed his ass against Hannibal’s boner. The sheer passion of Hannibal kisses got him more and more excited. Hannibal started to mess with Will’s zipper, and Will smirked against his lips.

“You don’t want to do that right now, love.”

“Hm? Why not?” Hannibal mumbled back.

“Fuck around and find out.” 

Hannibal obliged, pulling Will’s jeans down over his ass. Will allowed this only so he could flip him face-down in the snow and do the same to him. Hannibal coughed the snow from his mouth as he tried to throw him off. Will didn’t budge, grabbing Hannibal’s throat from behind and forcing his hips into a submissive position. The growl this drew from Hannibal made Will giggle. Hannibal threw him off balance, but Will dragged him down in the snow alongside him. Without missing a beat, he climbed on top of Hannibal and tugged his pants down. 

Hannibal made no move to stop him. Instead, he kicked off his pants and yanked Will by the shirt back into a kiss. Will panted between kisses, trying to force Hannibal into the position he wanted. When Hannibal refused, Will slammed his head against the tree trunk and shoved his dick inside him. The sound that came from Hannibal’s mouth made Will moan like the little bitch he so hated to read about in the paper. He dragged Hannibal up by the throat as he fucked him, but within seconds Hannibal was begging him to go harder. Will obeyed, biting into Hannibal’s shoulder until he tasted blood and pulling his hair as he pushed further into him. He dug his nails into the skin of Hannibal’s back and left scars all over his body until he came inside of him. A loud moan escaped him, and Will thought he saw a light flash out of the corner of his eye. Without giving it a second thought, he pulled out of Hannibal and laid him on his back. Will kissed him sweetly and left hickeys on his neck. Hannibal gently guided him down, still eager for more. Will couldn’t help but give him what he wanted. He was sucking him off when he saw the light move again, closer this time. He looked up at Hannibal, but his eyes were closed. He only pushed himself deeper into Will’s throat. 

Will gagged and tried to pull back. Hannibal opened his eyes, still holding Will in place. His gaze shifted, and he released Will. Will sat up quickly and followed his stare. A man’s figure was walking towards them with a flashlight. 

Chapter Text

“Shit, shit, shit,” Will whispered under his breath, pulling up his pants as fast as he could.

“Hey!” the man called over. “The hell do you think you’re doing?”

Hannibal pulled on his underwear and started to stand. He didn’t seem to share Will’s sense of panic whatsoever. Will knew this wasn’t a good sign; he stood up in a hurry.

“Hannibal,” he hissed. “Stay right fucking here.”

Will walked towards the man before Hannibal could make another move. When his vision came into focus, Will realized this stranger held no credentials; he was nothing but a night watch guard. Perhaps this didn’t have to end so badly. Will cleared his throat from a safe distance.

“Apologies, sir. We’ll just be on our way now.”

“You two been drinking?” the stranger demanded, flashing his light in Will’s squinting face.

“No, sir. We didn’t mean to cause trouble. We’ll go and find ourselves a room.”

The man directed his light to Hannibal, where he was still leaning against the tree in his underwear. Hannibal stared right back at the man and began to walk towards him. Will watched the color drain from the guard’s face. As Hannibal passed Will, he snatched the switchblade that was hooked onto Will’s belt loop. Will grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. Hannibal tried to yank himself free.

“No,” Will insisted, glancing back up at the guard. He could practically smell the fear coming off of him. The man took several unsteady steps backwards. Hannibal broke away from Will’s grasp and stepped closer to the stranger. 

“Hannibal, stop it now,” Will warned, following close behind. “We are not killing him.”

Hannibal didn’t seem to hear him. He grabbed the man by the shirt and pressed the blade to his throat. 

“Hannibal!” snapped Will. “Give me my fucking knife.”

“He doesn’t deserve to live, Will, and I’m starving.”

“Are you– oh, my god, Hannibal. You cannot seriously be trying to make a case that we should slaughter and eat this poor man like a goddamn prey animal.”

Hannibal’s jaw clenched. “The only thing ‘poor’ about this trembling creature is his complete lack of courage or wit.” 

“Okay, so, not worth killing, then. Please, Hannibal, just let him go.”

Without looking up at Will, Hannibal pressed harder on the knife until it drew blood from the skin of the guard’s neck.

“What is your name, you pathetic nuisance?” Hannibal sneered into his face. 

“M-my name? It’s uh, it’s Ben…” the man stammered. 

“Do you have a family, Ben?”

“Yes, y-yes, I do. My wife, and, uh, m-my daughter, she just turned three…” he whimpered. “Please, I just wanna see my daughter again, please… Just let me go…”

Hannibal’s lip curled in disgust. Will took another step closer, clenching a fist. A train horn blew, way off in the distance. Will wished it would appear on the tracks before them so he could push Hannibal in front of it, ending his reign of terror once and for all. 

Hannibal spoke to the man again.

“In that case, I suggest you run, Ben. Run away, as fast as you can, if you want to continue your miserable existence.”

Miraculously, Hannibal released his grip on the man’s shirt. The guard stumbled back several steps before bolting for the hills. Will raised his eyebrows as he observed the remarkable speed at which the adrenaline carried him across the terrain. He turned his gaze back to Hannibal.

“You let him go,” said Will.

“Yes.”

“I thought you were going to kill him.”

“I was going to kill him.”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Too messy. Better not to leave a trace,” Hannibal said, wiping his knife clean with a handkerchief. 

Will scoffed. “So… what? You just decided to let him go while he was begging for his life?”

“No. You decided.” 

“Me? How?”

“You asked me not to kill him.”

“That normally doesn’t stop you.”

Hannibal stepped toward Will, reaching out to touch his face.

“We’re partners now, Will. We’ve come a long way.” 

Will leaned in, hovering over his lips, and Hannibal closed the gap between them. Will pulled him closer, kissing back ever-so sweetly. He pulled away with a smile.

“We need to find something to eat if this is how you act when you’re hungry, baby,” Will teased. 

“Hush, Will. I’d be wiping my cum off your face right now if that human stain hadn’t interrupted us.” 

Will bit his lip with a grin. “We should get out of here. Maybe we can get some food before we find another spot on the tracks. I don’t need to be stuck alone on a moving train with a starving cannibal.”

Hannibal scoffed humorlessly.

“Very funny, Will.”

Will smirked. “I thought it was funny.” 

“As wonderful as I’m sure you would taste, darling, I could never hurt you. Your life is far too precious.”

“I know, baby. You’re ruining my joke. I’m starving, too.” 

Hannibal tried to hide his smile, but Will saw it clear as day. He stole another kiss before taking Hannibal’s wrist and leading him away from the railroad tracks. 

They couldn’t risk entering a convenience store or anywhere with surveillance cameras, so the two of them walked to a quiet neighborhood and found a secluded house. There were zero cameras in sight and plenty of tree cover. Hannibal gave Will a boost over the tall, wooden fence into the backyard. Once he climbed down, Will unlatched the gate to allow Hannibal through. They snuck along the perimeter up to the back door of the home. 

When Will tried to slide it open, it halted at a short gap. The homeowners had placed some kind of blockage in the doorframe. Will groaned under his breath.

“I think I can fit through there, Hannibal, but it’s gonna hurt like a bitch,” he whispered. 

“What do you want to do, Will?” 

“Ugh. Can’t you fit through there?” Will complained.

“Don’t make me point out the obvious.”

Will scoffed quietly. “The obvious? Because you’re so much bigger than me, aren’t you, Doctor Lecter?”

“Don’t start with that, Will.”

Still scowling, Will started to squeeze himself through the narrow gap in the door. As he pushed his ribcage through, the pain and the struggle to breathe almost made him thrust his body back outside. Hannibal kept his gaze fixed on him. Will growled under his breath and shoved himself through the entrance. The force of his push nearly made him fall to the floor. He caught his balance and removed the wooden stick blocking the door, allowing Hannibal inside. 

Slowly, carefully, Will crept into the adjacent kitchen. He opened the door beside the fridge to reveal a spacious walk-in pantry. The light turned on automatically, and Will’s muscles tensed. He pulled the door shut behind him, looking around for an easy meal. He could hear Hannibal open the fridge just outside. He shoved two bottles of water into a box of protein bars and slipped out of the pantry. 

“Hannibal,” he whispered. “You’re being too loud. Let’s go.”

Hannibal looked down at the cheese wedge in his left hand and the apple in his other. 

“This is hardly a meal, Will,” he hissed.

“Really, babe? We’re homeless. We’re here for sustenance, not a meal. Come on.” 

Reluctantly, Hannibal shut the fridge as quietly as he could and followed Will out the back door. They fled through the gate and back in the direction of the railroad tracks. Once they had made it a safe distance from the house, they slowed down to rest against a tree trunk. Catching his breath, Will pulled a bottle of water and a protein bar from the box he was still carrying. The crumbly, stale bar was somehow more delicious than any food he could remember tasting. As he chewed, Will realized he hadn’t eaten a bite since before they arrived on Canada’s shore. He shoved the rest of his snack back into the box to avoid irritating his stomach further. 

“Are you enjoying your cheese, Hannibal?” Will taunted, glancing up at him from the ground where he sat.

“Not particularly, Will, but we’ll have a proper meal once we make it to the east coast.” 

“Baby… Can I ask you something?” 

“Ask away, my beautiful boy.”

“Do you really think that all of this will end up being worth it, or… or is all this just a means to an end?”

“You’re hardly making sense, darling. Of course this is all a means to an end. That end being the two of us, alone, secluded… happy. So, yes, I do believe this will all be worth it. Do you doubt that?” 

“No, of course I don’t. I just can’t wait to stop running. I’m tired.” 

“I know, sweet Will. We’re so close. Practically just a train ride away from being back on the water, headed for Iceland. Trust me, dear. I will ensure that your patience is rewarded.” 

Will took his hand as he stood up. 

“I do trust you, Hannibal. Let’s just find a train before I drop dead of exhaustion.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to find the nearest train tracks, but the sun was threatening to rise by the time they could hear a train rumbling closer. As the front of the train came into view, Hannibal squeezed Will’s hand.

“Are you ready, my love?”

“Yes,” Will replied, nudging him. “Let’s go jump onto a goddamn moving train. What could go wrong?”

Hannibal smiled. “We’ve got this, darling. Trust me.”

Chapter Text

After just two days of riding the freight train with Hannibal, Will could see the ocean in the distance outside their cart. The open carriage where they had taken refuge contained tons of bales of hay which helped provide shelter from the cold outdoors. The easiest way to remedy the cold, however, was to curl up on Hannibal’s chest and shove his hands underneath his sweater. 

The hay bales weren’t a bad place to sleep, at least in Will’s opinion. Maybe he had even gotten attached to the cold, rickety freight cart after two days of Hannibal giving him everything he had teased and promised since they had last made love. The roaring noise of the train on the tracks eliminated any worry of being overheard, and Hannibal had taken full advantage. In fact, they hadn’t done much of anything else in their time on the train. Will had no complaints; he cherished each of his fresh scars and bruises.

Hannibal seemed to be just as at ease. He couldn’t get enough of Will’s massages, unless he was dutifully repaying Will by rubbing his shoulders or gently combing his fingers through Will’s hair.

By the time they were near the coast, they had long run out of drinking water. Neither of them had the energy to do much but lay down on the hay. When the ocean finally came into view, Will took a seat by the entrance to watch the sunrise. A few minutes later, Hannibal joined him. Will greeted him with a kiss.

“Not much longer, baby,” Will told him. “Let’s just hope I can stick the landing this time.” 

“But darling, how will you top the grace with which you jumped up here?” Hannibal teased, nudging him affectionately.

Will snickered. “I bet you think you’re real damn funny, Doctor Lecter.”

“I fear my medical certification has long been revoked, Will. You’ll have to come up with a new way to get under my skin.” 

Will rested his head on Hannibal’s shoulder with a soft smile. 

“I love you.”

“I love you too, darling.”

The train continued east for several miles before turning north. Will knew they had to jump even before Hannibal began pestering him about it. 

“It’s not getting any slower, Will. A perfect landing spot isn’t just going to appear.” 

“Hannibal, get off my ass. You’ve split my head open before, and I’m not eager to let you do it again.”

“So don’t land on your head, then.”

Will huffed and glared at Hannibal. 

“Thanks, that’s really helpful,” he retorted.

He took a step forward so that the toe of his boot crossed over the edge of the train carriage. His palms were sweating furiously. 

“What are you so afraid of?” Hannibal pressed.

“Fucking pain, what else? Falling from a moving train doesn’t feel very good in my experience.”

Hannibal tilted his head. “I thought you were pushed.” 

“Exactly why does that matter right now, Hannibal?” Will snapped.

“Will, relax. Take my hand. There’s a snowdrift up ahead.”

Will clenched his jaw down harder, biting his lip. He looked down at Hannibal’s outstretched hand. He couldn’t decide which was worse: letting Hannibal feel how nervous and sweaty he was, or jumping without holding onto the love of his life. In a split second decision, Will grabbed ahold of his hand and launched himself off the train into the snowdrift. Hannibal landed right beside him with a pained groan. 

With a wince, Will laughed, “See, that? That’s what I was afraid of.”

“You seem fine to me,” Hannibal groaned. “I’m the old man with a busted shoulder now.” 

“Are you okay?” Will asked, sitting up. “What’s wrong with your shoulder?”

“Take a wild guess, Will. I landed on it. It’s fine, I can still move it…”

“Oh, then it’s fine,” Will mocked, grunting with effort as he stood. 

Hannibal took Will’s hand when he offered it, and Will pulled him to his feet. 

Once they got their footing back, it didn’t take them long to make it to the nearest road. 

“Hannibal, babe… What exactly is the plan here? Are we gonna walk all the way to the ocean?”

“We might be able to steal a motorcycle. If we both have helmets to cover our faces, and we switch out the license plates, it will be difficult to track us.” 

“You want to steal a motorcycle in broad daylight? You’re an internationally notorious fugitive, Hannibal.”

“We’ll stay away from crowds and keep our heads down. It beats finding a place to be sitting ducks until sunset.”

Will stopped dead in his tracks.

“Hannibal,” he hissed. “Look.”

Will nodded his head towards the road as a clean, white SUV came into view. Grabbing Hannibal’s wrist, he tugged Hannibal back the way they came. Hannibal looked disgruntled. 

“You’re being neurotic, Will. How are we supposed to get anywhere if you keep…”

Hannibal trailed off as he glanced back at the road. The vehicle passed swiftly, revealing a navy blue stripe on the side marked by the CBSA crest.

“What were you saying, Hannibal?” Will taunted. 

“That was a one-off,” Hannibal asserted. “But you’ve made your point. Let’s find someplace secluded.”

Will rolled his eyes and followed Hannibal away from the road.

“Even with helmets, motorcycles draw too much attention. We should wait until dark and sneak into the back of a pickup.”

“That’s way too risky, Will. You got lucky we even made it out of that trailer. I’ll take care of getting the bike once the sun sets. Don’t worry about it.”

Will rolled his eyes once again, but he didn’t argue. 

They continued walking east until they could see a shopping mall up ahead. They moved north to avoid the public and settled beneath a tree in some nearby woods. Will was unbearably thirsty, but he waited until Hannibal had gotten comfortable before speaking up. 

“I’m gonna go try to find us some fresh water. I’ll be a lot less noticeable on my own, and I won’t be gone long.” 

Hannibal studied him for a moment. 

“Come back safe, Will.”

Will leaned in to kiss him on the lips. 

“I will. I love you, Hannibal.”

Hannibal kissed him goodbye and leaned his head back against the tree trunk. Will stood and began to hike back the way they came.

Somewhere between the shopping mall and a nearby suburban neighborhood was a park and a small cluster of businesses. The heavy clouds in the sky had left the park practically empty, so Will made his way over to the drinking fountain. He had to force himself to take breaks from drinking since no amount of water seemed to quench his thirst. He filled an empty water bottle from his backpack and stowed it away. 

It felt odd to be back among civilization, almost eerie. The pressure to appear normal started to overwhelm Will as a mother walked along the path ahead of him with her young children. He turned to his right to see an older woman exiting what appeared to be a small antique shop across the street. Will bowed his head and followed the sidewalk out of the park. His heart began to race when he noticed a couple walking in his direction. He crossed the street to avoid them, but he was met with another stranger exiting a shop to his right. Will made a sharp left turn and entered the antique shop to avoid the stranger’s gaze. 

He quickly surveyed the room around him. The only people in sight were the shopkeeper and a few customers observing the various antiques. Will turned a corner to find some cover behind a shelf of collector’s items, which he pretended to inspect. 

A display closer to the shopfront caught his eye: a glass lockbox of unique rings. With another cautious look around, Will approached the display case. Some of the rings held large, colorful gems, while others were more similar to traditional wedding ring designs. His gaze focused on a wide silver band with beautifully intricate carvings of overlapping leaves. Between some of the leaves were tiny, round emeralds. Will instantly thought of how it would look on Hannibal’s finger. His muscles tensed as he heard footsteps from behind him.

“Are you interested in taking home one of these beauties?” a man’s voice asked. 

Will cleared his throat without looking up. 

“Yeah, how much is that one?” he asked, pointing to the silver band. 

The shopkeeper selected a key from his pocket and unlocked the case. Will watched as he checked the tag on the ring.

“Four hundred dollars.”

“I’ll take it.” 

“Lovely! You have beautiful taste. Did anything else catch your eye?” 

“No, thank you. Just that.”

Will walked to the register and reached into his pocket, where he was carrying Spade’s wallet. He started to count out the cash. He knew from shuffling through it earlier that there were three one-hundred dollar bills in there, and he was holding out hope that there were enough twenties to make the difference. His count came up short at exactly three-hundred and eighty-five dollars. Will bit his lip and glanced up at the shopkeeper, who was busy logging into his register. The man was younger and more handsome than Will had first realized. He caught Will looking at him. Will cleared his throat again.

“Uh, so… how does $385 and a $20 Lowe’s gift card sound?” Will asked with a sly smile. 

The shopkeeper laughed. 

“I like that, that’s cute. There’s an ATM across the street.”

“Right… I actually don’t have my debit card right now. I’ve got a Starbucks gift card, too, if you’re more of a coffee guy…?” Will trailed off, looking up with pleading eyes and holding out his offering. 

The man smiled back at him. 

“How about this… you keep the gift card, and you buy me a coffee after my shift?”

Will felt himself blush bright red. 

“Oh, um… can’t do that, sorry. The ring is sort of for someone… an engagement ring of sorts.”

“Oh? That’s one lucky girl,” the shopkeeper flirted, taking the cash and both gift cards from Will’s palm.

“Thanks,” Will laughed, “I’m always telling him that.”

The man snickered and handed Will a receipt and a ring box.

“I knew you were too pretty to be straight. Good luck, man. I hope he ‘sort of’ says yes,” he teased. “He’d have to be an idiot not to.”

Will blushed again and held up his left hand, showing off his own ring.

“Well, he ‘sort-of’ already has…”

The man whistled. 

“Wow, that ring is stunning.”

Will smiled. “Thanks again. Have a good one.”

“You too.”

Will pocketed the ring box and pushed open the shop’s door, heading purposefully back in Hannibal’s direction.

Chapter Text

Will was relieved to find Hannibal right where he had left him. He smiled at Hannibal as he approached him.

“Hey there, pretty baby.”

“Hello, Will. Did you come back with water?”

“Of course,” Will assured him.

He knelt at the base of the tree next to Hannibal and removed the water bottle from his bag. Hannibal took it gratefully and drank from it. When he replaced the cap, Will climbed onto his lap and kissed him sweetly. Hannibal grinned, kissing him back. 

“What’s gotten into you, darling?”

“Nothing,” laughed Will. “I’m happy to see you, that’s all.”

“I feel the same. I was worried you would be recognized.”

Will kissed him again. 

“Nope, we’ve lived to fight another day. How’s your shoulder?”

“Could be worse. It’s painful, but it’s more bruised than anything else.”

“Good. We need to get moving. You’ve been in one place far too long.”

“You could start by getting off my lap,” Hannibal teased. 

Will stood up with a smile. He helped Hannibal up by his good arm, and they began to move further east while staying among the trees.

As the sunset started to change the colors of the sky, Will tried not to worry about Hannibal running off on his own to steal a motorcycle. It was a flimsy, high-risk plan, but he knew he couldn’t talk Hannibal out of it. They made it to the edge of the woods and kept heading for the highway. Each road they had to cross put Will on edge, and soon he could see a supermarket in the distance. 

“The highway up ahead will get us where we need to go,” said Hannibal, breaking the silence. “We’ll need to find a place to meet once I’ve acquired a means of transportation.” 

Will sighed. “It’s not going to be easy to find a place for me to lurk alongside the highway without drawing attention.”

“We’ll manage. We just need to move closer to that supermarket first.”

Will bit his tongue, and they continued on in silence. The closer they got to the highway, the more passing cars and pedestrians they had to avoid. The cover of the darkness could only do so much in the midst of civilization. Eventually, Hannibal led him to a road just off of the highway with not much traffic. Each building they passed had closed for the night: a daytime restaurant, an elementary school, a hair salon. The sky was dark now, and it wasn’t difficult to avoid the streetlights and the occasional passing car. As they neared the highway, Will took Hannibal’s wrist and led him into an empty alleyway.

“Stop here,” said Will, taking off his backpack. “Drink some water before you go.”

Hannibal leaned against the wall and took the canteen Will offered him. 

“Don’t look so worried, Will. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Will grumbled. “Just be careful.”

“You do the same, and we’ll both be just fine.”

Will nodded. 

“Well, just in case… I have something I want to give you.”

Hannibal reached out to touch Will’s face. Will leaned into his hand.

“Relax, darling. Whatever it is, you can give it to me when I get back.”

“Just… shush, okay? Close your eyes.”

“Why would I do that?”

Will laughed.

“Come on, Hannibal. Just do it.” 

With a sigh, Hannibal closed his eyes. Will grinned.

“Okay, now hold out your hand.”

Hannibal held out his right hand, palm up. 

“No, your other hand,” instructed Will. 

Hannibal opened an eye to give Will an indignant look before switching his outstretched hand. 

Will giggled. “Now keep them closed.” 

Watching Hannibal’s face, Will took the ring from his pocket. He gently turned over Hannibal’s hand and slid the ring onto his finger. It really did look more beautiful now that it was on his hand. He looked up at Hannibal again, pursing his lips.

“Okay,” Will whispered.

Hannibal’s eyes opened and moved to the ring on his finger, then to Will’s face. He seemed to be rendered speechless. Will smiled shyly.

“Be my husband?” he asked, placing his hands on Hannibal’s chest. 

Hannibal’s lips parted, but no words came out. Will leaned in closer, brushing their foreheads together. Hannibal met his eyes, and Will realized he was about to cry. Still, he smiled softly at Will as the first tear ran down his face. 

“Yes, Will,” he whispered. “Nothing would make me happier.”

Will beamed and pulled Hannibal into a kiss. Hannibal let out a joyful laugh, seemingly caught off guard. He ran his hands all over Will’s torso as they made out. When he couldn’t pull Will any closer, he pushed him up against the wall. Will giggled and wrapped his legs around him, inviting Hannibal to hold him up by his ass. Hannibal’s kisses turned to bites, and Will moaned with pleasure all the same. Hannibal’s touch only got more rough, and soon Will had to stop him from pushing his hand down Will’s pants. 

“Baby,” Will laughed, “We need to get moving.”

Hannibal left another hickey on Will’s neck before pulling away. He touched his forehead to Will’s, still catching his breath. 

“Be safe, Will. I love you so dearly.”

He kissed Will again.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Will gently nudged Hannibal’s cheekbone. 

“I love you too, Hannibal. Come back safe.”

Will watched with a smile as Hannibal tore himself away from Will’s touch, still staring at him longingly. Finally, Hannibal turned and headed for the road. 

Will leaned his head back against the wall, smiling to himself like a fool. His chest was so filled with excitement he felt it might burst. He heard a rustle at the opposite end of the alleyway and turned his head. There was a flash of movement; a woman hastily turning the corner to move behind the building. Will’s instincts sprung into action, and he ran to the end of the alley to see the woman already sprinting away through an open field. 

“Damn it,” Will muttered, and he tore after her in pursuit. 

There was no doubt they had been recognized; Will had never seen someone so small run so fast. When she turned to see Will following close behind her, she screamed and nearly tripped. Will recognized her immediately. He lunged forward and knocked her to the ground, covering her mouth to keep her quiet. She screamed into his palm and struggled to free herself. Will placed his other hand on her throat and squeezed.

“How many times have you been warned, Freddie?” Will hissed down at her. “It’s not smart to snoop in other people’s private business.” 

He moved a second hand to her throat, strangling her. Her attempts to free herself became weaker and weaker. Will stared into her dying eyes, and she stared right back in pure terror. His hands released her. He stood up as Freddie gasped and coughed for breath, crawling backwards to get away from him. 

Will sneered down at her. 

“Where are you going, Freddie?” he taunted.

“Will, please,” she begged, her voice hoarse. “This isn’t you. I know you and Hannibal are close, but you are not Hannibal. You’re not a killer.”

“You have no idea who I am, Freddie, or what I’m capable of. How did you find us?”

Freddie stood and took several steps back. Will advanced quickly.

“I-I’ve been tracking you. So has Jack Crawford. I was just following a lead,” she stammered. 

Will flicked his switchblade open.

“Will, please! People know where I am. I will fucking scream.”

“They would be a very poor decision,” Will snapped, and he brought the knife to her throat. “Besides, I don’t believe you. You’re all alone, Freddie. You always have been. I’m just surprised you’ve managed to live this long.” 

Will dug through her coat pockets and pulled out her cell phone. 

“You took pictures, didn’t you? Couldn’t help yourself. Would you have stuck around to film it if I had let Hannibal into my pants?”

“I have no interest in finding out what you and that freak get up to in bed,” she spat. 

“Watch your mouth,” Will growled, pressing the blade against her skin. 

“Please don’t kill me,” she gasped. 

Will studied her face for a moment. 

“I’m not going to kill you, Freddie. I just need to buy some time. There are a variety of ways I could do that. You want to live, don’t you?”

“Of course I want to live.”

“Hm. Break both your ankles, then.”

“What? You’re insane.”

“I can do one for you, if you prefer. Or I could just kill you now.”

“Let me go, you fucking psychopath!” 

“No. I’ll just break them myself. If you scream, I’ll break your wrists, too.” 

Freddie tried to push the knife from her throat, so Will tossed it aside. He ripped off her scarf and stuffed it into her mouth. He pushed her to the ground and held onto one of her ankles as she struggled. He twisted it at an angle and stomped his boot down on her calf. The sound of her bones cracking was louder than her muffled scream. He did the same to her other leg, lingering on the feeling of her bones snapping beneath his grasp. She writhed in pain at his feet. He picked up her phone from the grass and threw it as far away as he could. She let out an agonized groan. Will snickered.

“Go and fetch your evidence, Freddie. You wouldn’t want your adoring masses to miss out on your next tasteless story.” 

Freddie ripped the scarf from her mouth and glared furiously at Will. 

“Burn in hell,” she spat.

Will kicked her in the side of the head, silencing her. Now that she was lying still, she almost looked dead. He knelt down to check her pulse: still alive. For now, she’d have to stay that way. He and Hannibal had left enough bodies in their wake already. Leaving her to lie in the dirt, Will turned and headed for the road.

He had nearly made it to the highway when a motorcycle finally came roaring towards him. He smiled as Hannibal parked it right beside him and removed his helmet. 

“Hurry and climb on,” he instructed, handing Will a second helmet.

Will put it on and climbed onto the seat behind Hannibal. He had never ridden a motorcycle before, but there was no time to warm up to the idea. As soon as Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s waist, they were speeding towards the edge of the continent.

Chapter Text

It was still pitch black outside when the coast came into view. Hannibal drove them to a hotel parking lot and stopped the bike. They both climbed off and removed their helmets. Will smiled at Hannibal. 

“I can smell the ocean. It’s wonderful.”

“You’ll be sick of the smell in no time, dear. There’s no telling how long it will take us to make it to Iceland.”

“Well, we’re gonna need a boat to do that. Any idea which way we’re going?”

“North, I suppose. Walk the coast until we find a private dock. If we find a boat before sunrise, we can stake out the area and come back to steal it tomorrow night.”

Will grunted in approval, and they began their walk up the coast. His legs were still sore from their long trek, made worse by chasing down Freddie. He took hold of Hannibal’s hand to encourage himself to keep pace. By the second mile or so, Will was too exhausted to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

“Hannibal, I need to rest.”

“There’s no time to lose, Will.”

“Please.”

Hannibal sighed. He led Will to the oceanside nearby where there was plenty of driftwood. As soon as Will stepped into the sand, his steps were simply too heavy to complete. With a groan, he sat stubbornly in the sand before he could reach a log to sit on.

“Oh come on, Will. It’s practically two steps away,” Hannibal complained, taking a seat on a large piece of driftwood. 

“Shut up, Hannibal,” Will panted. “I’m so goddamn tired. My legs are on fire.”

He took off his backpack and drank the last of their water. Hannibal looked unamused. 

“Did you run a marathon while I was gone? I had to walk much further than you to find that motorcycle.”

“It’s not a competition, Hannibal. I’m well aware you’re in better shape than I am. But yes, I had to run faster than I have in years.”

Hannibal looked up, alarmed. 

“What happened? Were you recognized?”

“ We were recognized, actually. I caught a glimpse of her as soon as you left. It’s been dealt with.”

Hannibal tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

“Dealt with?”

“Yes.”

“Did you kill her?”

“No,” said Will, shaking his head. 

“Then how was she dealt with?”

“She’s been… injured. Should buy us enough time to find a boat.”

Hannibal paused. 

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then I suppose we’ll read all about it in the next issue of TattleCrime. Exclusive edition.”

Hannibal’s expression hardened.

“Will, how could you be so reckless? Freddie Lounds saw us, and you let her go?”

“I wouldn’t say I let her go, Hannibal. I broke her ankles and knocked her out. She can write her dumb story when she gets her bearings. We’ll be on our way to Iceland by then.”’

“You do realize she has Jack Crawford’s direct line? This is much more dangerous than letting that stupid night guard go.”

“Babe, relax.”

“I am relaxing. I’m sitting here, waiting for you to rest while you tell me just how little time we have to make it out of here.”

“Don’t snap at me, Hannibal. You’ll ruin our honeymoon before it starts.”

“Oh, you’ve got jokes. Can we keep moving now?”

Will groaned. 

“Fine. Help me up.”

The sun was just barely beginning to rise when they finally came across a secluded boatyard. Will hung back to rest while Hannibal investigated. When he returned to Will, he seemed confident they could steal one of the boats that night. 

“In the meantime, where do you plan on getting supplies?” Will asked him. “We’ll need more than just food. Soap, water, a fishing rod, in case we run out of food…”

“I’ll take care of all that. You just find a quiet place to rest.”

“Take care of it? You just gonna pop into the nearest grocery store?” 

“Don’t worry about it, Will. I’ve got it covered.”

Will narrowed his eyes.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to get rid of me? Is it so you can kill anyone who gets in the way?”

Hannibal glared at him. 

“We passed a house on the way here where it was clear nobody was home. I figured I would start there. I didn’t want to bring you along because I thought you would slow us down.” 

Will pursed his lips, avoiding Hannibal’s eyes. 

“Anyway,” Hannibal continued, “If you’d like to be useful, I’ll be limited in the amount of water I can carry back. Take the canteen and you can try to find a source of clean water. I’ll take your bag.”

Will took the canteen out of his backpack before handing it over to Hannibal. 

“Don’t be gone too long,” Will mumbled. “I’ll meet you back here. I love you, babe.”

“I love you too, Will. Be safe.”

Hannibal kissed him on the forehead before heading back in the direction they had come from. Still watching him walk away, Will moved deeper into the trees to find a place to rest. 

*     *     *

In Hannibal’s absence, Will had plenty of time to gather water, drink all of it, and make an additional trip. He had started to doze off when he finally heard Hannibal returning to him through the trees. His eyes fluttered open as Hannibal came into view. 

“It's about time,” he mumbled. “I thought I told you not to take long.” 

“Forgive me, Will. With all the ingredients there, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to enjoy a freshly cooked meal with you again.”

Hannibal set down their bags and took out several containers of food. Will rolled his eyes.

“Seems like you did a good enough job slowing down on your own.”

Hannibal handed him an open tupperware and a spoon, and Will could no longer complain. The simple scent of a fresh meal after weeks of scavenging was irresistible. Judging from the way Hannibal looked at Will, he had been counting on this. He sat close beside Will and wrapped his arm around him. 

“Feeling better, darling?” Hannibal asked.

“Yes, my love. Are you?”

“How couldn’t I? I’m sitting beside the love of my life, eating a fresh meal in preparation to leave the country together. I can only hope that our boat ride will be a worthy honeymoon to our glorious union.”

Will snickered. 

“Glorious, huh?”

“Do you disagree?”

“No…” replied Will, playfully sarcastic. 

Hannibal kissed him sweetly all the same. 

“We are glorious, Will. You are the impossible thing that I managed to take hold of. Your love reminded me how to be human.”

Will smiled and kissed him back.

“Hannibal, you’ve always been human. You loved me even before I loved you. I just wish you had let me see you before everything went to hell.”

“Don’t pretend you would have understood me, Will. You hated the mere idea of me.”

“How could I not have understood you? I spent months analyzing you, the Chesapeake Ripper. When I uncovered your lies, I was forced to face your betrayal as well. We both knew what we were getting into when I… resumed my therapy.”

“I disagree. Neither of us knew how far this would go.”

“Don’t act like we were in the same boat, Hannibal. You were driving the narrative up until I was acquitted. You knew exactly what you were doing.” 

“You manipulated me, too, Will. You strung me along the same way I did to you.”

“No, Hannibal. I didn’t drug you and drive you to near insanity. Besides, when it came down to it… I couldn’t let you go. I just can’t stop coming back to you.”

Hannibal pulled Will closer and kissed his hair.

“In all of my errors, I’ve managed to keep you. You’ve changed me as much as I’ve changed you. However difficult the road to get here was, keeping you has been the greatest thing I’ve ever achieved.”

Will laughed.

“You didn’t ‘achieve’ this, Hannibal. No matter how twisted you were in your methods of controlling me, that’s not why I keep chasing you. I just love you. I can’t help it. You fascinate and perplex me every day. You make me feel more like myself than anyone else ever has. Your kiss is so damn intoxicating that it’s the only reason either of us are still alive.”

“Don’t be naive, Will. If I hadn’t stained your little family, you would have run back to them. If I hadn’t looked into Aaron for you, you certainly would have fallen into bed with him again.”

Will scoffed defensively.

“I couldn’t have ‘fallen into bed with him again’ because I never slept with him in the first place.”

“Hm. How many times did you make out with him? I know of four occasions, but I’m sure you found time when I wasn’t aware.”

Will rolled his eyes.

“It was an easy way to distract him if I needed to. Besides, he was a really good kisser.” 

Hannibal’s glaring eyes pierced him like daggers. Will played innocent.

“What? It’s not like I’m gonna go and cheat on you with him. He’s dead.”

“If I could kill him again, I would.”

“You didn’t seem very grateful for the opportunity at the time.”

“Keep wagging your tongue, Will. See what happens.”

Will smirked as the sweet rush of Hannibal’s threat washed over him. Ignoring him, Hannibal went on. 

“I only meant to say that certain interventions I’ve made are what allowed us to be where we are today. Love can only get you so far without a push.”

“I’ve given plenty of pushes myself, Hannibal. That’s what you do when you’re in love. Naturally, the pushes you give tend to involve a bit more manipulation, but you didn’t manipulate me into loving you. I just do. And when someone loves the way that I love you, they have to chase it. Because nothing could ever feel as good as this.”

Hannibal met Will’s eyes with a soft smile.

“I couldn’t agree more, darling.” 

Will kissed him sweetly. 

“Finish your lunch,” Hannibal urged, blushing slightly.

They ate side by side until Will was full. He put his food away and laid down to rest, setting his head in Hannibal’s lap. As Hannibal stroked his hair, Will smiled and hummed happily to himself. He allowed himself to drift off to sleep, cuddled up to Hannibal’s leg.

Chapter Text

When Will awoke, Hannibal was still sound asleep against the tree trunk. The sun was much lower in the sky, but it was still light out. Will sat up and kissed Hannibal awake. He stirred slightly and kissed Will back, still half asleep. Smiling down at Hannibal’s closed eyes, Will unclasped his belt and tugged at Hannibal’s pants. Hannibal smirked at him and blinked his eyes closed again. 

“It’s not sunset yet, Will. Let me sleep,” he mumbled. 

Will leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“But you look so damn good, Hannibal. I want to touch you.”

“Will…” grumbled Hannibal, but Will was already moving down to suck him off. 

Hannibal changed his tune in no time at all, instantly pleased by Will’s tongue. He let out quiet moans and ran his fingers through Will’s hair. 

“More… give me more, Will.”

Will refused, teasing him to no end until Hannibal was whining and pleading. Only then did Will reward him by letting him cum in his mouth. Will swallowed and looked up at him. Hannibal had never looked so satisfied.

“Oh, Will…”

Will grinned.

“Let’s just skip the part where you gush over me, babe. Turn around and get on your knees.”

Hannibal laughed. 

“Calm yourself, darling.”

“It’s cute that you think I’m joking, Hannibal. Take off your clothes, now.”

Hannibal looked almost affronted. Will expected him to dissent, but he took off his shirt in compliance. Will watched with eager anticipation as Hannibal undressed. Once he was naked, Will pushed him onto his knees and ran his hands along his body.

“Beautiful,” Will whispered to himself. 

He took off his own belt and wrapped it tightly around Hannibal’s neck. Hannibal stayed obediently on his knees. Leaning over him, Will pulled the loop even tighter until Hannibal breaths turned to struggling gasps. Will closed his eyes and moaned softly at the sweet sound of Hannibal choking beneath him. He released his grip and allowed Hannibal to catch his breath. Stripping off his own pants, Will knelt down in front of Hannibal and gently pulled his mouth open. Hannibal looked up at him cautiously and started sucking his dick. Will chuckled. 

“What’s wrong, Hannibal? You scared I’m gonna gag you?”

Will cut himself off with a moan as Hannibal brought him into his throat. The feeling of Hannibal’s eagerness was ecstasy to him. Still, he wanted more. He pulled himself from Hannibal’s throat and re-tightened the belt around his neck. 

“Take me, Will,” gasped Hannibal. 

With a smirk, Will moved behind Hannibal and thrust himself inside him. To silence his moans, Will pulled the belt taut and relished Hannibal’s struggling breaths. He left bloody scratch marks along Hannibal’s sides as he fucked him. For a moment, Will let himself believe that he was just using him, that Hannibal didn’t crave this just as he did. Even so, Hannibal didn’t resist Will’s force no matter how brutal he got. 

Once Will was satisfied, Hannibal was all over him with sweet kisses and love bites. Joyous butterflies fluttered about in Will’s chest.

“Put your clothes back on,” he giggled, pulling on his own pants. 

Hannibal kissed him on the lips, and Will couldn’t bring himself to pull away. He tugged Hannibal onto his lap and kissed him until they ran out of breath. Will pressed his forehead to Hannibal’s and grinned. 

“I told you to put your clothes back on, baby.”

“Hm. I got distracted,” Hannibal flirted, reaching for his underwear as he stood. 

Will watched him get dressed in shameless admiration of his body. Hannibal would never admit it, but Will knew he liked the attention. The start of a beautiful sunset was showing through the trees. It made a lovely backdrop for his captivated gaze. 

“We don’t have much time to waste, Will. I’m going to go case the dockyard again, see if I can get the keys to the boat without being noticed. That way we can leave as soon as it gets dark.”

“Hannibal, wait. I should come with you,” said Will, standing up.

“No, Will. I’ll be alright. Stay with our supplies and move further into the trees. I’ll be back in a heartbeat.”

He kissed Will on the forehead, and Will knew he couldn’t change Hannibal’s mind.

“I love you,” Will mumbled. “Come back safe.”

“Don’t worry, darling. In just about an hour we’ll be on our way,” Hannibal assured him.

Will stole one more kiss. Hannibal smiled at him.

“I love you, too, Will. Stay hidden. I’ll see you soon.”

Will leaned back against a tree and watched him leave. Once Hannibal disappeared, Will gathered up their supplies and moved further into the trees. He found a new place to sit on a large rock beside a creek. Closing his eyes, Will relished the sounds and smells of nature. Soon, he and Hannibal would be surrounded by nothing but wind and salty waves.

Will’s eyes blinked open to the sound of rustling in some bushes nearby. It was only a bird, but he was too on edge to sit back. He began to dig through their bags to see what supplies they had to work with. Hannibal had seemingly managed to get everything they needed, even the fishing rod Will had asked for. Will took a deep breath. It was difficult to trust the process when the stakes were so high. He passed the time by watching tadpoles swimming about in the creek. 

Minutes later, he was alerted to the sound of an animal in the brush. Its paces were too small and swift to be a person. Will stood up slowly, but the animal just ran back the way it came. The hair on the back of Will’s neck stood up. His eyes darted all around. Something wasn’t right. The bushes ahead moved again as the animal came running back. Will grabbed a knife out of his bag and faced the source of the sound. A dog erupted from the bushes and ran towards him. 

Will laughed in complete and utter surprise.

“Winston?” he asked, and Winston answered by jumping into Will’s arms and licking all over his face. 

Will grinned and placed him back on the ground. 

“Winston, what in the hell are you doing here?”

He looked around, but there was nobody else around. Then, a branch snapped in the distance. Will tightened his grip on his knife. Winston ran around Will, barking excitedly before running back into the brush. When he returned, Molly Graham walked by his side. Ice filled Will’s veins and stomach. 

“Holy shit… Molly. What are you doing here?”

Molly looked upon him in disbelief.

“Wow. I can’t believe Winston actually found you,” she said, seemingly stunned.

“You shouldn’t be here, and neither should Winston. What’s going on?”

“Actually, I was just heading home. Jack Crawford got me a hotel nearby. He’s been tracking you, and he thought if he got close, Winston could find you. I told him he was crazy. I guess not.”

Will looked down at Winston, who was sitting at his feet and wagging his tail. 

“Molly, why are you here?”

“Winston didn’t want to go home. It took me a while to realize what he was doing. I was starting to doubt he was taking me to you at all, but… here you are.”

She looked Will up and down.

“More importantly, what are you doing here? Where’s Lecter?”

“Hannibal’s not here.”

“But he’s around, isn’t he? Seems you two have become inseparable.”

Will didn’t know what to say. He stared at her blankly. She looked down at his hand.

“Oh, my god,” she laughed bitterly. “I didn’t want to believe it. I saw that photo but I couldn’t fucking believe it.”

“Molly, what are you talking about?”
“Your ring, Will! Freddie Lounds?” 

Molly dug through her handbag and pulled out a photo printout. She thrust it into Will’s hands.

“Freddie Lounds took that photo before you broke her ankles and knocked her out. She went to Jack Crawford. In the photo, Hannibal is wearing a wedding ring. If you weren’t making out in the picture, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. I didn’t want to believe it. But I didn’t want to believe you would attack a woman and break her bones, either.”

Will kept looking down at the picture, unable to meet her eyes. Even in the dim lighting, the photo clearly showed Hannibal pinning him up against the wall in the alleyway. Will’s legs were wrapped around him, and Hannibal’s ring was visible on the hand he was using to hold up Will’s ass. Will forced himself to meet her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Molly. You’re better off without me. I knew things would never be the same, and–”

“So you just ran? You just fucking left while I was still recovering from a gunshot wound, so you could run off with a goddamn serial killer? You would rather get married to a cannibal than come home and face me? How could I have been so wrong about you?”

Tears welled in her eyes. Will could feel her heart shattering as if it were his own.

“I’m still me. I’m just not your problem anymore.”

“He almost killed me, Will. Do you love him?”

“Molly…”

“Get my name out of your mouth, you fucking prick. You love him.”

“You have to let me go. I’m truly sorry for the pain I’ve caused you and Walter. You’ll both be better off with me gone.”

“You’re sorry? I don’t even know who you are, Will. You’re just as bad as him, aren’t you?”

Will took a deep breath.

“Hannibal is part of who I am. I don’t expect you to understand. Running away with him is the best thing I can do for anyone.”

“How in the hell is any of this best for anyone except Hannibal?”

“I couldn’t go back to our old life, Molly, and I couldn’t live without him. It was either die with him, or run away with him.”

“Then you should have died with him.”

Will knew it was coming, but her words still felt like a stab to the heart. 

“Well, I didn’t. You need to get out of here before Hannibal gets back. And you can tell Jack I’m not his problem anymore, either.”

Molly glared furiously at him.

“Burn in hell, Will. I wish I’d never met you.”

She turned and walked back in the direction she had come from. When she called to Winston, he stayed firmly seated next to Will. She shook her head and wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Whatever. Keep him.” 

Will took a deep, shaky breath as she disappeared. He knelt down to pet Winston and turned to see Hannibal approaching. Hiding his face, Will wiped the tears from his eyes. Hannibal knelt beside him.

“Are you alright, Will?”

Will nodded and gave him a weak smile.

“You heard everything?”

“Just the tail end.”

Holding back a sob, Will asked, “What’s wrong with me, Hannibal?”

“Nothing is wrong with you, Will. Don’t apologize for being who you are.”

Will leaned against him and cried into his shirt. Hannibal held him close, stroking his hair. 

“It’s alright, Will,” he whispered. “We’re getting away from all of it. The boat is ready for us. We’re going to be alright.”

Will steadied his breathing, sitting up.

“I know. We have to go.”

Hannibal embraced him again, kissing his temple. 

“The sky will be dark by the time we get to the boat. We’re almost there, Will. You’ve impressed me so much with your strength. I love you, darling.”

Will smiled, still sniffling. 

“I love you even more, Hannibal. I’m ready to go. I want to take a one-way trip to Iceland with you.”

Hannibal smiled back and kissed him. 

“Then let’s go, my love.”