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It’s the first day of summer session, and Will sits in his abnormal psychology class as the professor goes over the accelerated syllabus and cringes when he sees the dreaded phrase “group project.” For fuck’s sake why do professors always insist on group projects? Will thinks bitterly. As a psychology major Will knows human interaction is necessary and overall beneficial to a healthy life, but that doesn't mean it has to be in the form of group projects, does it? It’s not like group projects even work - 99% of the time he always ends up having to do the bulk of the work himself, negating the “group” qualification, and the other 1% of the time is him proving that yes he does in fact have a brain in his head . Just because he has a Southern accent (they are in New Orleans after all), a rugged exterior usually wearing jeans and flannel shirt, often complete with dirt or grease under his finger nails from chores on the ranch, and drives a beat up pickup truck doesn’t mean he’s a dumb hick. Far from it, he has studied hard to get where he’s at, and assuming he can maintain his 3.8 GPA he’s been provisionally offered an internship with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit next year; there are only ten students selected nationally for that program so he is not dumb by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, as he looks around the room at his classmates, he thinks he is likely in the top 5% of his class. He recognizes a few other psych majors from previous courses and makes a mental note who he definitely does not want to do his group project with. Despite the glowingly renowned reputation of the psychology program at Tulane, Will has been consistently unimpressed with his peers.
His gaze halts when he sees a strikingly handsome boy on the opposite side of the classroom. Will is instantly sure he has never seen this guy before because wow, he would definitely have remembered him. He has pale olive skin that gives him an exotic look, honey golden hair that is carefully styled and held in place with product, and is dressed in a crisply pressed plum colored button down shirt and charcoal slacks. Everything about him is proper and clean and neat, not a hair out of place. His eyes are warm amber brown and Will could swear they twinkle when they happen to meet his own blue eyes.
Will instantly turns away, embarrassed to be caught staring and flushes. It’s such an uncharacteristic reaction for him since he's usually fairly unflappable (if easily annoyed), but he can't help it - something about that man is captivating. In fact after a moment Will realizes that this gorgeous individual is almost the polar opposite of himself - everything about him screams someone from the city, someone more at home among taxis and skyscrapers than farms and pastures.
Will is sure he could have happily stared another ten minutes if he hadn't gotten caught. He tries to focus back on the syllabus, embarrassed to realize they have finished it and have now moved onto the first day's lesson. He puts away the syllabus and begins taking notes, quickly catching up without difficulty, yet throughout the class his mind keeps wandering back to the beautiful boy across the room. He doesn't dare look again until the end of class and catches a brief glimpse of his strong backside (wow he’s tall!) as he’s leaving the room. However by the time Will has packed up his stuff and left, the boy is nowhere to be seen.
As Will walks to his next class he can't help but look forward to the next abnormal psychology class, and feels a sprig of excitement that maybe, just maybe, he can be in the beautiful boy’s group. He tries not to get too ahead of himself, because for all he knows this guy could be incredibly stupid or arrogant... or straight , Will amends. Will himself is bisexual, somewhat of a rarity in the area he lives in. It didn't take him long to find the few other gay or bisexual men in the surrounding area (thank you social media), but he has found that the stigma against male/male relationships is still present here, although it gets a little better each year.
*
For the next class session, Will intentionally tries to clean up a little and finds himself digging out his nail brush (and using it!), choosing the jeans that don't have holes in them, and picking the shirt that he has gotten the most compliments on - blue plaid flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves. In addition he spends just a tad longer on his hair than he normally would - it’s still untamably wild and curly as it always is but he runs a little cream through it to make it not frizz quite so much in the humid summer air. It's only as he's getting into his truck to drive to school that he realizes he has essentially dressed in his “date outfit” for class. And he doesn't need to be a psychology major to know why - that beautiful boy in his class. He wants to look good for him.
In his anticipation Will ends up arriving stupidly early to class, so he puts in his earbuds and pulls out his book, although he ends up reading the same paragraph four times because every time the classroom door opens he can’t help but look up, hoping it’s his beautiful classmate.
Slowly the classroom starts to fill around Will as it gets closer to starting time and the room begins to fill with chatter - mostly surrounding plans for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Will had planned to try to find someone to watch the fireworks with from the back of his pickup truck...and if he's lucky maybe do more than just that. However Independence Day is tomorrow and if he's honest with himself, there's only one person he's considering.
At that moment said person walks into the room and takes the same seat as last class. Will watches intently as the beautiful man settles in, getting out his notebook and pen. Today he is just as lovely as he was last time, his hair still meticulously in place but this time his dress shirt is maroon and the sleeves are rolled up exposing muscular forearms - Will swallows at the sight. Once he's set up his warm brown eyes scan around the room and stop at Will. Slightly more prepared this time, Will holds the gaze a moment and smiles, trying to will away the blush that colors his cheeks when the boy smiles back at him, eyes crinkling. At that moment the professor begins calling roll, causing them both to look away.
Will pays more attention to the roll call than he usually would, curious to learn his beautiful classmate’s name. Right after his own name the boy responds to Hannibal Lecter in an incredibly sexy voice. Good god, Will wonders how he managed to miss that the first day? And what kind of accent is that? He doesn’t have long to wonder because the professor starts lecturing and he turns his attention to taking notes. However he allows himself an occasional glance over in the darkened room, amazed at how beautifully the light from the projector presentation highlights the angular features of Hannibal’s face. God, he’s never been so gone on someone so quickly - and without even knowing anything about him! But somehow Will just feels drawn to him in a way he never has before.
At the end of class the professor announces she’s going to assign the groups and topics for their project and Will subtly crosses his fingers, hoping. He had figured they would get to choose their own groups (since most professors don't go to the effort of assignment, but apparently Professor Crawford is different). He was prepared to book it across the room to get to Hannibal, but now it’s out of his hands.
The professor starts calling out names and topics and Will is surprised to notice that despite being called a “group” project, they are not groups but teams of two - which is good news if he gets Hannibal as his partner, but bad news that statistically it’s less likely to happen than if they had three or four students to a group.
After a few names are called Will’s hope is bolstered as he quickly picks up on the pattern - alphabetical by last name! Hope shoots through his heart since Hannibal’s name comes right after his! But fuck he didn’t pay attention to how many people came before him - it’s still possible they won’t be paired together.
As the professor calls out Dakota Fanning Will holds his breath, knowing his name is coming soon. He exhales in relief when he hears her partner is Abel Gideon. He clenches his crossed fingers tighter hoping his name is called next. And it is! Yes!
Will raises his hand and looks over as Hannibal is indeed the next person called. In response Hannibal raises his hand, tipping it into a wave. Will is so happy he almost misses their assigned topic which is hyperempathy syndrome. As the professor lists the rest of the groups and topics, Will tries to suppress his grin, realizing he’s never looked forward to a group project more in his life.
*
After class Will makes his way over to Hannibal and stands next to his desk, catching a whiff of a fragrant but pleasant cologne. When the boy looks up at him he smiles warmly and Will smiles back, sticking out his hand.
“Hi, I'm Will.”
Hannibal takes his hand and Will swears he feels a tingle where they touch. His skin is so smooth and Will briefly wonders what his own work-calloused hands must feel like.
“Hannibal. It’s nice to meet you Will.”
“Likewise” Will replies, realizing they are shaking hands a bit longer than is the typical social norm, and as they let go he allows himself to hope that maybe his interest isn’t one sided. “So uh, do you want to plan a day to get started on the project?”
“Are you free today?” is Hannibal’s response and Will has to stop his jaw from falling open in shock as said man continues, laughing a little at his reaction. “It’s fine if you’re not, I know Friday nights most good looking people like yourself have plans, especially on a holiday weekend. But I like getting an early start on projects so we’re not rushing at the end.”
Will’s cheeks heat again and is grateful for his facial hair, hoping it obscures some of it. Did this gorgeous man really just call him good looking? And he wants to get the project done early? Will is tempted to pinch himself because he must have died and gone to heaven. Hannibal is not only beautiful but also responsible. Even if Will had plans for tonight he would cancel them in a heartbeat.
“Uh yeah, I’m free tonight after five, I have one more class. And to be honest I’m the same way, I’d rather not rush at the end either.” Hannibal smiles at him and Will can feel his excitement and anticipation building.
“Excellent. I would offer my place but I live in student housing with three roommates that are quite loud, especially on Friday nights. Library?”
Will laughs, because he can all too easily imagine the composed man in front of him trying to study around loud drunk college students.
“Yeah we could meet at the library...or if you don’t mind the drive we could work on it at my place. I live with my father about a half hour away. It’s a ranch so it’s plenty quiet as long as you stay out of the hen house.”
Hannibal laughs more than Will’s stupid comment merits which makes Will fairly certain there is some degree of flirting happening - at least he hopes. Although the voice in his mind points out Hannibal could just be being polite.
“Noted. Yes your place sounds preferable to the library, if you don’t mind. If you text me the address and what time I’ll Uber over.”
“Uber?”
“I don't have a car. I actually just moved here from Baltimore last week so I haven’t tried the local public transportation yet.”
“Ah, well save your money, just meet me at parking lot B around five and I’ll drive us.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s no trouble at all, really. I’d appreciate the company,” Will says, resisting the urge to wink but unable to keep the grin off of his face.
“Alright, thank you” Hannibal smiles in acquiescence before he turns away for a moment. and Will steps back, expecting him to get up from his desk but instead Hannibal pulls out a scrap of paper and a pen and writes out his phone number in the most elegant handwriting he’s ever seen. Their fingers brush briefly as Will accepts the paper, and Will’s skin tingles with awareness of the places they touched. As Hannibal is packing up his stuff, Will pulls out his phone and sends him a quick text - Will Graham. Once done Hannibal rises, messenger bag over his shoulder and checks his phone, smiling as he looks at Will.
“Now you've got mine,” Will says, unable to resist smiling back. However at that moment Will catches a glimpse of the clock and realizes that not only is everyone in the class gone, but that his next class starts in five minutes! And it’s at least a minute walk across campus. Fuck.
“Gah, shit I’m sorry I gotta go, my class starts soon. But I’ll see you at five Hannibal,” Will calls out as he books it out of the room and runs full speed toward his next class. He nearly trips twice, but in the end he barely makes it and recovers his breath about fifteen minutes into class.
Later Will realizes it honestly wouldn’t have mattered if he was late because he doesn't recall anything from the class because his mind was totally preoccupied with his upcoming study date. Embarrassingly, he even goes so far as to first google Baltimore, realizing his first impression of Hannibal as a city boy was right, and then googles the man himself, stalking his social media. His stalking doesn’t yield very much, just a Facebook account that looks like it is rarely used. It contains just one photo of Hannibal slightly younger and with his hair loose, partially covering his eyes and smiling. Under hometown it lists Vinius, Lithuania which Will supposes explains his accent and exotic look. However before he can go down the rabbit hole of googling Lithuania his eyes zoom in on one word, the most important word he sees on the entire profile. Relationship status: Single. Will smiles wide and forces himself to put his phone away and try to pay attention for the remainder of the class, all the while counting the minutes until five o’clock.
*
At five Will hastily walks to the parking lot, unable to stop the smile when he sees Hannibal in the shade, leaning against the concrete statue of Riptide the Pelican, their school mascot. He is the picture of a proper city boy, at ease near concrete, messenger bag across his body, one long leg crossed over the other as he scrolls on his phone. The only difference from earlier is that one lock of his hair has escaped the product and Will can't help that he finds him all the more attractive for it. In fact he wants to run his hands through it and mess it all up, make him look like his Facebook photo, but that's another story entirely. Will does his best to corral his wayward thoughts as he approaches, getting out his keys.
“Hey,” Will says once he’s in earshot.
Hannibal looks up, looking startled for a second before his ease returns, turning off the screen of his phone and pocketing it quickly. “Hello Will.”
“I hope you weren’t waiting long,” Will says, pleased when Hannibal falls into step next to him automatically.
“No, not at all.”
Will stops in front of his 1963 Chevy pickup truck and tosses his backpack in the bed as he unlocks the door. He gets in and leans over unlocking Hannibal’s side in time to see his eyes widen.
“Something wrong with the truck?” Will asks, half teasing.
Hannibal looks at him before getting in, saying “No, I’ve just never ridden in a pickup truck before,” causing Will to chuckle.
“Well it’s not that special but I like it, driving is relaxing to me. Oh you can toss your bag in the back if you want,” Will adds when he notices Hannibal is holding his bag awkwardly on his lap.
Hannibal turns in his seat and looks in the back, clearly skeptical. Before Hannibal can give voice to his question Will takes a guess, saying, “I promise it won't fly out if that’s what you’re wondering, but it's up to you.”
Hannibal pauses for a moment before apparently deciding to trust Will because he starts to get out. However before he can get too far Will stops him with a hand on his shoulder saying, “Wait.” Will removes his hand from Hannibal’s warm shoulder as he opens the sliding window across the back of the cab, and Hannibal gets the idea, dropping his bag in the bed of the truck. With that taken care of, Will rolls down his own window and starts up the truck, asking “Ready?” unable to resist throwing in a wink.
Hannibal smiles at him and nods, “Ready.”
Will turns the radio on to a low hum in the background and begins the drive home. To Will’s pleasant surprise, the ride is not awkward in the slightest. He knows he’s not the best at small talk, but Hannibal’s ease puts him at ease and they end up talking about everything and nothing, naturally getting to know one another. Hannibal unknowingly confirms Will’s stalking intel that he was born in Lithuania and moved to Baltimore a few years ago for college but then transferred to Tulane to aid in his goal of becoming a psychiatrist. And in turn Will tells him about how he was born and raised here, works with his father on their ranch, and his plans to do the FBI internship with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Will is even more pleased when Hannibal seems genuinely interested rather than put off like one of his other dates. Not that this is a date , Will reminds himself. But if things go well tonight maybe he will pluck up some courage and ask for one.
As they get closer to the ranch, their conversation naturally wanes because Hannibal is constantly staring out the windows at the countryside almost in awe.
“Quite different from the city, isn’t it?” Will says as he makes the final turn into the ranch, dust clouding up as he turns off the main road and automatically he slides the back window shut.
In response Hannibal turns to him and says, “Yes, it really is. It’s beautiful.”
“You should see it in the spring,” Will says as he parks and rolls up his window. Almost instantly as they get out and grab their bags, they are surrounded by a pack of dogs. Will leans down, petting each one and whistling so that they stop jumping and pawing at Hannibal.
“Sorry,'' Will says, looking at Hannibal who now has dog hair on his nice slacks and already has a layer of dust on his shoes. He already looks out of place. “You're not allergic are you?”
“No, I'm not. Are these all your dogs?”
“Yeah,” Will replies somewhat sheepishly, giving a final pat to Winston before making his way towards the house. “All are strays we've adopted. Most ranches have cats to help control the rats. We have dogs which I personally like better. They're like a security system, barking when anything isn't right, and good for keeping the coyotes away.” Slightly too late Will realizes he’s rambling and stops his detailed rationale as to why dogs are better than cats.
On the way to the house Will gives Hannibal a brief tour of the ranch pointing at things here and there, pointedly avoiding the subject of dogs. It’s not a large ranch by any means but Hannibal seems intrigued all the same.
Once inside they set up at the kitchen table and just as they have made a game plan for how to divide up the project, Will's father comes in, his overalls and boots covered in dirt and hay. “Will! I see we've got company!” he observes as he makes his way to the sink to wash his hands.
“Yeah, Dad this is Hannibal, we’re working on a psychology project together.”
Will's father dries his hands on a tea towel and makes his way over, shaking Hannibal's hand. “Pleased to meet you Hannibal, welcome to our home.”
“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Graham.”
“You boys hungry?”
Will decides to answer for them both, suspecting Hannibal is the polite type. “Yeah, starving. I was thinking of ordering us a pizza or making some sandwiches.”
“No, no Will, you two keep working. I’ll fire up the barbecue.”
“I thought that was for tomorrow?” Will asks, confused. They always barbecue on Fourth of July.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty,” Mr. Graham says. “You know Christopher gave me double what I paid for. Says you fixed his radiator. Wanted me to tell you thanks again,” he says as he pats Will on the back.
“Yeah I did,” Will says, not sure why he is blushing but he swears he can feel Hannibal's eyes on him. He’s never been one to tout his accomplishments and somehow he feels like he’s been transported back to being eight years old when his parents would tell everyone how he came first place in his school’s science fair. It was so embarrassing. Deciding to at least try to clarify, Will tells Hannibal “Christopher is the butcher down the road.” Hannibal's expression is inscrutable but he nods all the same.
“You sure you don't want to go into mechanics Will? You sure got a knack for it,” his dad continues before turning to Hannibal, telling him in his proud father voice, “You know he fixed our tractor last year - saved us thousands of dollars. Took him a few weeks but he figured it out, smart boy.”
“Impressive,” Hannibal says, now looking more at ease and Will colors again.
“Thank you,” Will mumbles awkwardly before turning to his father, tone more firm, “But yes I am still sure that I don't want to go into mechanics.”
Mr. Graham turns his hands up in defeat, saying “Okay okay, message received, just checking.” He turns to the refrigerator and gets out what looks like a large tray of meat. “I'll go start the grill. You boys have fun” he says with a smile, elbowing the back door open and slipping through.
“Thanks dad” Will calls out, already turning back to their work. After a moment he looks up at Hannibal who is smiling at him and Will chuckles lightly saying, “Uh yeah, so that’s my dad.”
“He seems nice,” Hannibal says, smiling as he returns to their work too.
“Yeah he's alright,” Will replies, then adds, “Ever since my mom died it's been just us. It’s been hard but we try to look after each other.” Will can’t help getting lost in thought a moment. It’s been awhile since he thought of his mother and while the pain has dulled with time, it still hurts. He is brought out of his reverie by the feel of Hannibal's smooth hand covering his own. He looks down and Hannibal squeezes once before letting go, saying sincerely, “I’m sorry about your mother Will.”
Will blushes, able to feel the residual tingle where Hannibal touched his hand just seconds ago. “Thanks,” Will replies before asking, “What are your parents like? I imagine it’s hard for them with you being so far away from home...unless they moved with you?”
Hannibal’s eyes go far away for a moment and the sadness on his features makes Will instantly regret asking but it's too late now. After a moment Hannibal says, “My parents both died when I was ten…”
Will doesn't think twice and reaches across the table, putting his hand over Hannibal's briefly, just as he did for him moments before. Will knows exactly how excruciatingly hard it is to lose one parent, and he can't imagine how hard it would be to lose both, and at such a young age! “I’m so sorry Hannibal,'' Will says softly. Hannibal looks at him with glossy eyes and a weak smile, nodding in acknowledgement as Will pulls his hand away.
“Thank you,” Hannibal replies, clearly trying to compose himself. “It brings me joy to see how happy you and your father are,” he adds, the unspoken plea to appreciate what he has clearly received. The air is thick with emotion and Will isn't quite sure how to get them back on happier topics when thankfully Mr. Graham chooses that moment to come back in, arms laden with a tray of delicious smelling grilled food.
“Alright boys wash up, dinner is ready!” Mr. Graham says, sounding quite proud of his achievement and to be honest Will can't blame him. It was hard for his father to take over preparing meals after Will’s mother died, but now years later he’s not a bad cook and is excellent at grilling. As someone who grew up on a ranch himself he knows the life cycle of animals and tries his best to honor the sacrifice the animal made.
Will rises to wash his hands at the kitchen sink as Hannibal asks, “Where is your bathroom?” sounding a little more composed now but not totally back to normal.
“Down the hall to the left,” Will points, happy to give Hannibal some space to collect himself.
Hannibal thanks him and excuses himself as Will washes up and automatically helps his dad get out the fixings to go with the hamburgers and steaks. Side by side at the counter they work seamlessly setting everything up and Mr. Graham comments, “Your friend seems nice.”
Will looks at him and is unable to resist smiling as he agrees, “Yeah he is.”
Mr. Graham looks at him a moment longer before going to get out silverware and asking, “Is he just a friend or-” His question is cut short as Will elbows him gently in the ribs. He's more than happy that his father is accepting of his bisexuality (unlike many other older folks in the community), but he really doesn't want Hannibal to hear that. Honestly, he loves his father but tonight it’s like he has a sixth sense for embarrassing him in front of Hannibal!
“Stop!” Will says before quietly adding, “Yeah he's just a friend…” However after a moment he is unable to resist adding “...for now.” Color rises to his cheeks once more, for it's still awkward for him to talk to his father about such things, but he knows they both have to make an effort without his mother around to fill in the emotional communication gaps for them.
His father chuckles and says, “Okay okay, got it,” as he brings the dishes to the table. Will moves ahead of him and moves their study stuff to the side, hoping Hannibal is okay with him touching his stuff. His school supplies and bag carries a faint scent of his cologne too which causes Will to smile. As he folds up the notebooks he sees more of that elegant neat handwriting just like the scrap of paper he has stored securely in his pocket from when Hannibal gave him his phone number earlier today.
Just as the table is finished being set Hannibal comes back in looking back to normal and Mr. Graham says “Ah Hannibal, perfect timing! Grab a plate and help yourself, there's plenty to go around, don't be shy. I know how men eat. We got steak, hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon, and corn on the cob. There’s also some sweet tea in the fridge and glasses are in the cabinet”
“Thank you Mr. Graham,” Hannibal says and does as told. Will takes the lead, getting his own plate and enjoying how Hannibal stays at his side as they pile food onto their plates and pour tea into their glasses.
They all sit down at the table to eat and again Will is pleased how comfortable it is. It’s not often they have guests for dinner and even more rare that his friends or classmates come to his home. He has a few friends but they usually do stuff near campus (which he understands, he knows he lives in the middle of nowhere). And it's been ages since he's had a relationship where he would even consider bringing his significant other home to meet his dad. But just as in the car ride home, Hannibal's ease extends to dinner conversation and they all enjoy the meal over light conversation.
After dinner Mr. Graham volunteers to wash up so they can get back to their project and once done says good night to them, retiring to the living room to watch TV and snooze on the couch with a beer and a few dogs. By the time it reaches eight o’clock they are nearly done with the project, probably just needing one more short meeting after this and Will is sad at the realization. He doesn't want this to end, but he also doesn't want to risk asking Hannibal out in case he’s reading the situation wrong and then their final project meeting would be super awkward. After all there's no rush, they did just officially meet today. And the summer course is six weeks, he has time to feel it out. He knows the value of patience and the rewards it can reap - two summers ago he spent an inordinate amount of time saddle-breaking in a particularly rowdy bronco. Everyone had given up on Poncho (every effort to tame him slid off like rain on a poncho - at least that’s what the seller later told him), but Will’s patience and determination won out in the end. So he knows how to wait - some things just take time.
“Hey, I think we have a solid plan for the project and it's eight o’clock, do you want me to take you back soon?” Will offers, wishing he could extend their time together but knowing he has no reason.
“It’s eight already?” Hannibal says, surprised and automatically looking at his phone and Will is happy that maybe the time flew for Hannibal too. “I suppose so, if you don’t mind. But I can call an Uber so you don't have to-”
Will interrupts him laughing “Will you stop with the Uber?!? I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to. I told you driving is relaxing to me, and all the better with good company. It would be my pleasure.”
Will isn’t sure if he imagines it, but it almost looks like a slight flush colors Hannibal's cheeks.
“Alright then, thank you Will.” he says with a smile.
They pack up their school supplies and walk out to Will’s truck. The sun has now set so the world is dark, even more so because they're so far out in the countryside that there isn't much lighting. Because of this Will intentionally walks slower - after all he may know the area like the back of his hand but he's seen his cousins stumble in the dark all too often when they visit.
However he stops after a few steps when he hears nothing behind him. He turns around, confused why Hannibal isn't following him. It takes him a moment to find him in the darkness, but Hannibal has stopped in his tracks and is staring up at the sky, eyes glossy. He’s outlined in the moonlight and Will can’t help but gasp at the beauty before him. However after a moment he backtracks, and takes a few steps towards Hannibal. Without thinking about it much he places his hand on his shoulder, feeling pleasant warmth and muscle through his dress shirt, asking “Hey, are you okay?”
Hannibal’s focus slowly shifts from the sky to Will. He takes a breath and says, “Yes, I’m sorry. It’s just...it’s so beautiful, the stars...I had forgotten that they could look like this. You can barely see them in the city with all the light pollution. I haven't seen a sky like this since my childhood…'' Hannibal gets that far away look in his eyes again but this time it's not quite as sad. All the same he still wants to bring a smile back to Hannibal's beautiful face and it’s that moment that he alights on an idea.
Still holding onto his shoulder, Will squeezes lightly to get his attention and once their gaze meets he asks, “Hey there's something I'd like to show you. Do you have time?”
Hannibal just looks at him a moment before he nods and says, “Yes, I have no plans.”
Will lets go of his shoulder and pats him on the back once saying, “Excellent, wait here a sec, I’ll be right back.”
Will waits to see Hannibal nod before he runs full tilt back to the house. He throws on his jean jacket and grabs a six-pack of beer out of the fridge as well as his bundle of pads, blankets, and pillows he uses in the back of his truck when he goes to the drive in movie. He runs back with his items passing by Hannibal in his haste as he drops the items in the back of the truck, calling out to him “Come on, let’s go!”
Will unlocks the truck and gets in, opening the windows and is happy to see Hannibal automatically drop his messenger bag in the back and get in, looking happier than before.
They don't talk much on the drive but it's a comfortable silence, anticipatory in a way. Will drives them about fifteen minutes through dark winding hilly roads and then parks at a turn off. Instantly he hops out of the cab and lowers the tailgate to climb in the back. “Where are we?” Hannibal asks, sounding confused as he gets out and walks around to the back just as Will has finished laying out the pad and blanket. Will isn't surprised at the question, because there are almost no lights here and it doesn't look like much in the dark. He sits down and instead of answering says, “Come up here.”
He hopes he’s not asking for too much trust - in fact in the split second he questions his choice he remembers one date he took here telling him later that she worried Will was a serial killer taking her to the middle of nowhere to murder her. That in mind he adds, “I'll show you.”
After a beat Hannibal climbs up into the bed of the truck, looking very out of place in his nice clothes and moving awkwardly as if he can't figure out if it's okay to step on the blankets in his shoes, but ultimately he sits down next to Will as requested. Will smiles and puts his hand on Hannibal’s back again, feeling his soothing warmth through the fabric of his shirt as he whispers near his ear, “Look up.”
Hannibal’s face automatically tilts skyward and he instantly gasps, clearly even more in awe than before. Will loves looking at the sky here - on a clear summer night like tonight you can not only see all the stars twinkling in their heavenly glory, but even the Milky Way! The lookout point they're at is a higher elevation than his ranch and overlooks the surrounding valley floor, which is mostly forest and swampland. It’s peaceful - at least for now. Will checks his phone for the time and hopes his idea will pan out.
Will grabs a beer and offers it to Hannibal with a gentle nudge, pulling his attention away from the sky. In that moment he realizes he doesn't even know if Hannibal drinks or not but his worry fades away as Hannibal accepts it. Will opens it, then one for himself, and reclines back on the pillows, drinking and looking up at the sky. It really is beautiful.
A moment later Will is pleased to see Hannibal do the same, making himself comfortable and leaning back against the pillow. Their shoulders touch lightly which feels like a line of heat contrasting with the pleasantly cool night air. The area around them is almost silent, no cars or noise of the city, just nature, the sound of the gentle breeze through the trees, the occasional hum of cicadas, and their own breathing. Will recalls another one of his dates who told him that the silence out here was “creepy.” Personally he finds it peaceful and a quick glance at Hannibal shows he seems to agree. His face is relaxed but still tinged with awe at the sky. Taking another swig of his beer, Will subtly watches him for a bit. He's seen the sky, and while it is undeniably beautiful but right now, it is nowhere near as captivating as the man beside him. The buzz from the beer slowly creeps through his body and he settles more into the pillow, overwhelmingly happy with life right now.
After a few minutes Hannibal turns his face towards him, saying, “This is beautiful Will, thank you.”
“Yeah it really is,” Will says, referring to more than the sky before adding, “And you're welcome, I’m glad you like it, I love coming here. This is one of my favorite places.”
Hannibal turns his body more towards him, sipping his beer and brushing some stray hay away from his shirt. Will cringes but lets the feeling pass - normally cleans out the truck bed before excursions like this. Oh well.
“What do you usually do out here?” Hannibal asks.
Will chuckles, taking another sip, saying, “Well if I’m alone I just relax, clear my mind, think, enjoy the view.”
“What if you're not alone?” Hannibal asks quietly, eyes now intently on Will, sparkling almost as bright as the stars in the darkness.
Will swallows, resisting the urge to tug at his collar. Is it hot? He feels hot. He takes another sip of his beer which really doesn't help but he says, “Depends on who it is. Talk, make out, fool around...” he says honestly, alcohol making him bold enough to throw in wink, trying to make it a joke.
In the faint light he sees Hannibal’s face wrinkle into a disgusted look and it's such a funny image Will can't help but laugh, although his buzzed mind is a bit confused at the reaction. “What? You don't do that in the ‘ city’ ?” Will teases, air quotes around city for unnecessary extra emphasis. He feels playful and carefree - in fact this is the happiest he can recall feeling in...well a long time.
In response Hannibal almost bristles but it's softened with the smirk on his face. “No, we do...just not in the back of pickup trucks on dirty blankets.” His eyes scan down in obvious disapproval and now it’s Will’s turn to take mild offense but he laughs all the same, turning onto his back to look at the sky for a moment. This is ridiculous.
“Hey don't knock it til you've tried it,” Will responds, turning his head to look back at Hannibal and his smile disappears when he sees the intense look Hannibal is leveling at him. Will holds his breath as the words hang between them in the air.
After a moment Hannibal whispers, “What if I’d like to?”
Will remembers to breathe again and gulps down the remaining dregs of his beer before setting the empty bottle down, all the while maintaining eye contact and asks carefully, “Which part?” His heart is beating a mile a minute - is this really happening?
Frozen, Will watches as if in slow motion as Hannibal smiles, sets down his mostly empty beer bottle, and slowly reaches his hand over the space between them. His fingers slide into Will’s curls, thumb brushing over his cheek in front of his ear, cradling his face, watching him intently.
“This part,” Hannibal whispers as he scoots closer. Will automatically turns towards the other man - he knows he should be doing more to encourage this but is overwhelmed with the unreality of the situation, still processing that it is really happening as Hannibal brings their mouths together gently. The contact is just a few seconds but fireworks go off behind Will’s eyelids as an explosion of feeling rushes through him, the incredible sensation of Hannibal's smooth slim lips pressing against his own.
Just as Will's brain has finally caught up that this is happening , Hannibal is pulling back and no he doesn't want that at all. Instantly Will catches up, his own hand blindly reaching out to grasp at whatever part of Hannibal he can reach to keep him this close. His hand lands on the other man’s waist and he spreads his fingers out, holding him there as he follows his retreating mouth. Will continues the kiss, gently rubbing their noses together before he tentatively licks along the seam of Hannibal's lips, pleased when they immediately part for him. The kiss deepens, fireworks shooting down Will’s spine as their tongues make contact for the first time. Hannibal's fingers tighten in his hair, causing him to whimper into the kiss. In response Hannibal lets out a small groan, pressing his tongue against Will’s more firmly and Will opens his mouth in invitation, drowning in the pleasure of the kiss.
Will isn't sure how much time goes by, lost as he is in the heavenly sensation of Hannibal against him, but eventually they are forced to break the kiss to breathe. They rest their foreheads against one another, catching their breath and Hannibal's hand slides down across Will's neck and continues down his arm. Will shifts his arm to bring their hands together, intertwining their fingers and is surprised how cold Hannibal's hands are. He automatically brings their joined hands up between them and kisses Hannibal's cold knuckles, asking “Are you cold? Here.” Instead of waiting for an answer he untangles their hands, shrugs out of his jean jacket, and lays it over Hannibal, rubbing his arms before finding his hand again underneath. Although he has to admit now that he's without a jacket it is a bit chilly - but between the buzz from the beer and the excitement of kissing Hannibal it's barely noticeable to him.
Shortly Hannibal’s shoulders lose some of their tension from the cold and Will enjoys the view of Hannibal in his jacket. The old worn denim doesn't match the posh boy below it at all but Will loves it. More proof that this is really happening .
After a moment Will finds Hannibal's gaze once more and asks quietly with a smile, “So what do you think?”
Hannibal's eyes twinkle in the darkness as he smiles back and says, “I think I could definitely get used to this, dirty blankets and all.”
In response Will snorts, tempted to make a joke about just how much more dirty they could get the blankets, when both of their attention is pulled to a loud boom sounding through the night air.
Will sits up scrabbles to check the time on his phone and smiles, glad his plan is working.
“What was that?” Hannibal asks, sitting up too and looking around.
Will sets drops his phone and lays back down facing the sky, pulling Hannibal to him with an arm around his back and then lays the jacket over them both. Hannibal goes easily, snuggling into the embrace and Will turns to him and whispers, “Wait, you’ll see.”
Hannibal doesn't have to wait long because barely has Will finished saying the words than the sky erupts in dazzling hues of orange and gold that crackles and fizzles. Just as the stunning sight evaporates, suddenly more booms can be heard, echoing around the valley. Firework after firework is launched into the sky, some vibrant greens and blues, others bright fuchsia and reds, others electrifying yellows and golds, and others glittering silver. It’s beautiful, especially against the dark backdrop of nature all around them with the background of glistening stars and the Milky Way.
Will alternates watching the extraordinary view above and the magnificent man beside him, unable to resist occasionally nuzzling the side of Hannibal's face now that they are..whatever they are. More than just a friend for sure, he thinks with a smile.
Within a few minutes the fireworks die down and Hannibal seems to snap out of his awe and fumbles for his phone. After a glance he snuggles back into place and says, “That was amazing...but I don't understand, it’s not Fourth of July yet, why are there fireworks?”
Will nuzzles his temple, enjoying the feel of Hannibal’s now less than styled hair against his face, and explains, “The city council of New Orleans tests their firework display out here the night before. I accidentally discovered it last year and was hoping they would do it again this year.”
Hannibal smiles, turning more fully in Will’s embrace. His hand lands on Will’s waist under the jacket as he leans in to nuzzle and mouth at Will’s throat, saying “Mmm..your father is right, you are a smart boy.”
Will laughs, giddy with happiness and feeling like he is falling hopelessly in love. “Hush,” Will says as he leans down to kiss Hannibal again. The kiss this time is more tender - slower than before and almost reverent. Will finds his eyes getting moist at just how blissfully happy he is right now. After an indeterminate amount of time another boom goes off and they break apart just in time to watch the grand finale. It’s a mesmerizing rapid bursting of all manner of shapes, sizes and colors - an ever evolving collage splattering rainbows over the heavens. Fireworks paint the starry sky above them in transient artful masterpieces, ever evolving from one moment to the next. It’s simply breathtakingly, stunning in it’s exuberance. As the fireworks continue to fly, Will’s eyes remain on the sky as he turns his head against Hannibal next to him, holding him tighter as he says, “Happy third of July Hannibal.”
Next to him he can feel Hannibal laugh as he presses closer, saying “Happy third of July Will.”