Chapter Text
For the past two years, Will had been searching for Hannibal. He had no idea what he would do or say when he found him --- if he ever found him. Will assumed Hannibal had moved somewhere outside of America or Italy. He would visit Florence frequently, often renting the house they had stayed at before. It was the only thing that made him feel like Hannibal wasn’t gone.
Every now and then, Will would catch a glimpse of something in his peripheral vision that resembled Hannibal, and every time, his heart would skip a beat, and his breathing would quicken until he realized it was all in his head.
He hadn’t hallucinated him once. It was almost as if Hannibal was controlling what was going on in his mind --- he wanted it this way ---- he wanted Will to be left with nothing, not even his hallucinations.
To Will, it seemed fair.
Apparently Alana hadn’t come across the note for her during his stay in Florence, and there had still been food for the dogs when Will arrived. She hadn’t said anything to him or Jack since then, and his relationship with his co-workers had barely changed at all.
No one mentioned Hannibal’s disappearance anymore. Everyone had recognized that Hannibal had picked up and left without notice, but Will figured that the FBI knew better than to bring it up with Will. The first time Hannibal’s name was mentioned since his return, Will had flinched and deflected the conversation to another topic. Eventually, his friends caught on and stopped bringing it up. Since technically, Hannibal hadn’t done anything against the law, no one looked into it beyond asking around.
Will had returned to the FBI the day before, after visiting Italy yet again in another half-hearted search for Hannibal. He had stayed at the same house they had stayed at, dined at the same table they had dined at, and visited the basement, where he would have died if he hadn’t ran.
God, why hadn't he ran?
“Let’s go for a drink,” Alanna said finally after a particularly stressful day. “I know a great bar in Wisconsin. Bit of a drive, but excellent cocktails.”
“Fine,” Will grunted. His eyelids had sagged from lack of sleep, and his features looked tired, physically as well as emotionally.
After work, they took Alana’s car to a small bar in the middle of nowhere to settle in for a drink. The drinks were true to Alana’s word, and had a slight kick at the end that Will didn’t get from the cheap whiskey he had been religiously downing since god knows when.
They chatted about things that Will didn’t care one bit about, but Alana seemed fully interested in, as his body drifted along with his mind. He was much too tired to care, and wanted nothing more than to retire to his dogs and warm bed and finish off the rest of whatever cheap drink he had in the pantry. Alana seemed more enthralled with what she was saying than with Will’s responses (or lack thereof), so he didn’t bother to correct himself.
Will’s attention drifted to a light laugh at his right. He turned slightly to see a young woman, bright and cheerful. She talked happily to her partner on the other end of the table with bubbly energy, yet polite mannerisms. She reminded him of Alana.
After the woman finished speaking, her partner chuckled.
“I completely agree, my dear,” he said.
Will’s heart stopped cold.
“I think I have to leave,” Will mumbled to Alana.
Alana seemed confused, but didn’t protest as Will ushered them both out of the building. She drove him home quickly before saying goodbye with a smile. Despite everything, he smiled back.
As soon as she was out of sight, Will jumped into his car and headed back to the bar. He hoped and prayed that Hannibal would still be there.
To his luck, Will spotted Hannibal and his partner quickly. He let out a sigh of simultaneous relief and terror.
It didn’t take long for the couple to leave. Will allowed them to get into their car without noticing him, and quickly did the same, following behind them as Hannibal drove.
Hannibal pulled the car up to a small yet seemingly fancy house in the middle of Wisconsin. He exited the car, helping his partner out, and they both entered the house and locked the door. It was now dark.
Will waited patiently until 12:00 when he thought they would both be asleep, and approached the front door. From the outside, the house didn’t appear to have any security systems. He pulled out two small pins and picked the lock with ease. Opening the door slowly, he found that there were not, in fact, any security systems.
Will entered the house with a sharp sense of panic. The feeling was akin to the one that he felt when he left Hannibal in Florence.
On the first floor was a kitchen, living room, and dining room, but nothing else, so Will ventured upstairs. The steps were quiet. When Will approached the second floor, he found two doors on his right and one on the left. He tried one on the right --- bathroom. He tried the other one, opening it carefully and silently to reveal the main bedroom. Will covered his mouth with a hand, tiptoeing into the room until he came to the right side of the bed, where Hannibal slept.
Quickly, Will covered Hannibal’s mouth with a hand, sighing quietly at the touch. Hannibal jolted awake but knew better than to cry out.
“Don’t make a sound,” Will whispered. He gestured to Hannibal’s partner on the other end. “Or I’ll kill her.”
Hannibal nodded, and for a moment, Will found the moment bizarre as Hannibal acted so obedient.
Will led them both outside and to the garden before uncovering his mouth.
“Hello, Will,” Hannibal said calmly.
“Hello, Dr. Lecter.”
“Tell me, how have you been?”
“Like shit,” Will said. His stare was cold underneath the moonlight. Hannibal frowned.
“You know, Will, you have no place acting that way considering what you did back in Florence.”
“I made a mistake,” Will breathed as his resolve broke. He didn’t mean to admit it so easily, but he felt as if Hannibal could leave his sight at any moment.
“Is that what you think?”
“Yes,” Will said. “I want to try again,” he hated how desperate he sounded.
Hannibal chuckled. A sudden sense of warmth and dread flooded Will’s system. “You came to me, I’m sure, knowing what my response would be.”
“I needed to see you,” Will rasped. His body felt weaker by the moment. “I needed to hear your voice. Please.”
“You’ve been terribly rude, Will. You have performed for me the worst act of betrayal anyone could think of, and yet here you are, asking for forgiveness. Do you think I will forgive you Will?”
“Please,” was all he could say. Will shrunk under his gaze.
“No,” Hannibal said coldly. “You knew what you were doing in Florence, and yet, you betrayed my trust. There is no going back from that Will,” Will shrunk even further. “I let you into my world, and you cast it aside. I would be stupid to let you back in.”
Will didn’t say anything, only shook, so Hannibal continued.
“You made your choice in Florence. You left me there. Now, it’s time for you to leave again.”
“No,” Will choked as tears flowed freely from his eyes. He was gasping now, a mess, but Hannibal’s face never changed. “I can’t-not again- please. ”
“I have a wife, Will. You are no longer a part of my life, as well as I am no longer a part of yours. You need to accept that.”
“I can’t .”
“You can. And you will.”
Will shook his head, gasping for breath as more tears rolled down his face.
“You may catch glimpses of me now and again, but you will never speak to me, especially in front of my wife. You have lost that privilege.
“I can earn it back,” Will wailed. He was starting to look like a child.
Hannibal cupped his face with both hands, and for a moment, Will thought he would take him back. “You’ve broken my heart, Will. And now, it’s time for me to break yours.”
Will moaned with grief. “I’ll do it-I’ll be eaten, consumed , anything, please .”
Hannibal released him. “You have lost your chance, Will. You lost it two years ago. It’s time to move on. Now,” Hannibal stood a little straighter as Will sunk down further. “leave my property.”
Will forced himself to stand, knowing there was no possible way he could convince Hannibal to take him back. When he stood tall enough, Hannibal stepped towards him, cupping his face again, and placed a small, delicate kiss to his forehead. Will wept silently.
“Goodbye, Will.”
Will shook. He looked at Hannibal one last time, taking in as many features as possible before forcing himself to speak. He would regret it unfathomably later if he didn’t.
“Goodbye, Hannibal.”