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Will awoke to warming rays from the Italian sun bathing him in a comforting heat that he found he could bask in for hours on end.
Summer had now graced Florence and it had come as a great surprise to the man who was used to blistering summers in Louisiana as a boy. But to his surprise as an adult he was now blessed with a gentle, sunkissed feeling that left him lightly tanned instead of burnt and happily warm instead of sweating profusely. And he was determined to enjoy every second he was given.
Now, gradually coming back to himself after having slept his full 10 hours- per his loving yet sometimes overbearing husband’s instructions- Will took note of his surroundings that were beautiful in their normalcy.
He was lying on his stomach with his lower body covered by the couple’s satin covers, and after getting over the steep price they came for, Will had to admit they were pretty darn pleasant as they caressed his hips softly.
His gaze then shifted from his pillow over to the breathtaking view presented by their open balcony, provided to them by Hannibal’s picky tastes when house hunting of course.
The acres of meadows surrounding their villa stretched far and wide, with tiny indigo-white seas of Italian Asters flowing over the land in a wave of grace. The sky was pure today, as most days in Florence, with no clouds harshly blocking the sweet summer sun from filtering through.
The area itself was quietly muted, aside from a few hummingbirds passing through, so quiet even that all that could be heard was a young woman’s small giggles from downstairs.
Abigail.
At first Will had been forced through an abrupt tunnel of emotions when Hannibal revealed that she was in fact still alive and under his care all along.
Rage. Because Hannibal had managed to convince the entire FBI that it was Will who had brutally murdered Abigail with no recollection of the act.
Disappointed. That Will himself hadn't done more to protect the poor girl and take her in as his own. Perhaps she may have been another stray to Will’s subconscious but at least she may have been safer.
Upset. At the notion of Hannibal easily manipulating the girl just so she could become another pawn in his twisted mind games.
But alas, when the pair were finally reunited and Will saw those big blue doe eyes again, which were welling with tears, her nervously twitching hands, and hopeful expression, he could do nothing but encourage her into a loving embrace as she pleaded, “I want us to be a family, like you promised.”
And as much as it once scared Will, he knew he could never love anyone the same way he loved Hannibal, and he would never be able to have that same love and understanding reflected back to him the way Hannibal managed to.
So it was safe to say once the newly reunited family had all seen each other’s raw and vulnerable emotions spill out they decided to form a new teacup from the shattered remains.
And yes it may have once been cracked and seemingly forever broken, but now it was together again, with new glistening gold lines to show for it.
The laughter grew into that of fierce joy, coaxing Will out of his spell of thoughts as he grogily rolled over to the other side of the bed.
He was slightly disheartened yet not surprised to find Hannibal was not lying in wait on the other side of their bed. As now that they had settled into their new life of domestic paradise, a world unimaginable to the couple just a few months prior, they had made new discoveries about each other.
One being that Hannibal was an extremely early and annoyingly optimistic riser. Whereas Will on the other hand could sleep for days if undisturbed and in a peaceful enough mindset to do so, which proved true no matter how many times the man himself had protested the fact.
And so most mornings for Will started with the sound of Hannibal downstairs and the smell of the older man's hypnotizing cologne on the sheets, instead of the actual feel of his husband sleeping beside him.
Although Will found he did not seem to worry much as he was able to spend his solitude stretching in the sunrays like a regal cat of sorts, and listening to the low murmur of his husband and daughter happily existing downstairs.
This morning was a change though, because not only was Will greeted with the summer sun and hushed giggles, but he could also faintly smell buttery pancakes with what seemed like citrus calling his name from the kitchen.
The man felt a smile tug at his lips before he finally rose from the bed and tossed on one of Hannibal’s shirts- discarded and crumpled on their bedroom floor as a result of last night’s lust filled, unplanned intimacy- only bothering to do up majority of its buttons sleepily as headed for the kitchen.
The sight that greeted him in the kitchen choked him up slightly in its simple beauty.
A copper pan filled with delicately shaped pancakes was simmering from their stove on the far left of the open plan downstairs, filling the air with an intoxicating aroma of buttery sweetness.
But although Will did love pancakes, the view across from said stove warmed his heart more than any starchy breakfast food.
Abigail was sitting cross-legged on one of their dark wood dining chairs, peeling away at oranges (most likely hand picked from the garden knowing Hannibal). In an intricate pure white summer gown she had chosen a few weeks ago because of its “pretty designs.” Whilst His husband was leaning over her, carefully braiding her hair into one single yet precious auburn plait that was to be tied at the end neatly with a butter yellow ribbon.
The ribbon being courtesy of Will who had taken it upon himself as her father figure to select some delicately beautiful ribbons from the sunday market in their town for her hair. Pride bloomed in his chest as he noted to the sweet old woman who ran the stall that they were for his daughter.
“There we go, mano avinėlis, all finished,” Hannibal noted gently after tying the silk ribbon as he rubbed comforting circles into his daughter’s shoulder blades with his palm, paired with a doting tone he often reserved for his Abigail.
The girl turned around with childlike joy beaming from every feature on her face, “thank you tėtis, i love it!” she exclaimed as she turned around to hug him fondly.
Will swore he could have melted right there on the spot over how cute this all was.
Before he could smile any wider and gush over this scene anymore though Hannibal’s nostrils flared slightly before he gave a smile of his own, “good morning beloved, glad to see you could join us this morning,” he chuckled lightly.
“I forget you can recognize my scent, you're so creepy like a villain in a bond film or something,” Will joked as he entered the room.
Abigail, now made aware of Will’s presence, happily skipped up to him whilst giggling, “good morning dad,” she smiled, reaching out for a hug.
Will immediately took her in his arms adoringly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear that didn't quite make it into the plait, “Mornin' Abi sweetheart, How’d you sleep?”
“Good, but tėtis woke me up from his pretentious classical music blaring through the speakers” she playfully whined into her father’s shoulder.
“There is nothing pretentious about Tchaikovsky my dear Abigail, he composed for the masses,” Hannibal protested to no avail.
“Just the name makes me not want to believe you,” Will joked before making his way over to his husband as Abigail busied herself with the pancakes and now peeled oranges.
Hannibal pouted through Will’s humorous tone before bringing his husband in for a kiss with a claiming yet gentle hand on his jaw.
And despite Will’s prior banter, he practically melted into the kiss and embraced the older man with his arms around his waist. It was a kiss born of pure love and bliss, something thankfully commonplace to the couple now that they had found solace in a peaceful life of domesticity and tenderness, their own intimate bubble that no one could burst.
That was until they were broken apart by their daughter’s complaining, “ew dads get a room please!”
They both chuckled fondly before Hannibal turned to Abigail, still held within his husband’s captivating arms, “I apologise Elnias, but your father is just so irresistible,” he quipped as ruffled Will’s nest of brown curls.
“Oh Cher, you flatter me,” Will joked whilst placing the back of his hand on his forehead and pretending to lovingly faint in Hannibal’s arms under the praise.
Abigail faux grimaced again before letting out another giggle not even she could suppress after her fathers’ antics, “ugh you guys are so annoying,” she proclaimed with no real malice, just warmth and endearment.
The couple laughed mischievously before turning back one last time to face each other before they all got seated for a late breakfast.
Will grinned like the cat that got the cream when he glanced up at Hannibal whose eyes were glistening with devotion and the purest form of love the empath thought he had ever seen behind someone’s eyes.
His husband tucked an unruly curl behind his ear, revealing his gold wedding band as it shone softly under the rays of the sun, before leaning slightly to whisper, “I love you mylimas,” with tenderness.
Will was sure he could feel tears of joy welling up in the corners of his eyes at the confession, that no matter how many times it was uttered never failed to leave him breathless.
He then looked up into his husband's eyes to gently mutter,
“Forever and always cher,” mirroring Hannibal’s look of pure adoration and true love.