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It had been quite a long time since the two men had lived where snow was a burden. Will had just gotten used to the hot Cuban summers when they had to pack up and move. Their last kill had gotten a little too sloppy, and Hannibal worried they left more evidence this time than he would have liked. Will wanted to leave with a bang then, so they strung up a drug lord like a painting and left.
Much to Will’s dismay, they had to leave the sailboat behind, and he sulked about it for a few days despite Hannibal’s insistence that he can always buy a second one.
That boat was special for us. It was our first home
They took the chance of flying under their aliases and were able to get past all checkpoints. It was a long and worrisome journey with many connecting flights (mostly to muddy their trail). At one point they took separate flights, and that was the worst part of the whole thing.
Will wasn’t even quite sure how they ended up here, at this cabin deep in the woods. The weeklong journey was a blur now, and Will had been inside his head for most of it, wading in the thick of the stream. They both had throwaway phones to text but they had to be pretty careful with what they said.
He should have gotten the hint to where they were ending up when Hannibal was ordering winter gear in their last flight. At least he had the courtesy of letting Will pick out his own clothes.
When an unfamiliar chill found his skin as they left the airport Will looked up to see a flag-draped in blue and gold.
“Sweden?” Will asked and didn’t miss the amused glint in Hannibal’s gaze.
“What a sharp eye you have, mylimasis.” Will could only glare at him, exhaustion eating up his eyes. Finally feeling safe enough he let himself drift into a deep sleep for the few hours it took to get to their new home. He awoke when the car started going through the long gravel driveway. It was a cabin, but a nice one. Looked kept up and much like the house he had with Molly, with a large porch and wooden support beams. He dared not let himself go down that path in his brain, he had made his choice to be with Hannibal.
The clothes and winter gear Hannibal had ordered were waiting for them in their boxes on the porch, and Will didn’t even want to know how much it had cost to get it there that quickly. There was no snow yet but winter was fast approaching and Hannibal wanted to be ready.
Hannibal was always a few steps ahead, and Will couldn’t have been happier about that fact than in this moment. The storms were rolling in one after another, dumping more and more snow. The jackets, hats, gloves, and blankets Hannibal had purchased were lifesavers once the temperatures dropped below zero.
It had been about a month since they moved here and they were both finally settling in. The natural creaks of the house no longer made them nervous, and they even started sleeping through the occasional late-night howling of different wildlife. In the mornings Hannibal would make breakfast while Will ventured outside to check the house and generators.
When they would get low on meat Will went hunting. There was a lake not too far a walk from the house but ice fishing could only produce so much. Deer however were aplenty and Will always made sure to carry a hunting rifle when venturing out.
With a fresh kill draped across his shoulders, Will took the doe home. The kitchen window faced the front, so when he emerged from the woods Hannibal left his station at the sink to greet him on the porch.
It didn’t take long for Hannibal to notice something wasn’t quite right, raising an eyebrow at Will when the younger man approached. The deer was missing a leg, and despite trying his best Will couldn’t keep the dripping blood off of his expensive jacket.
Will was just about to reply to the silent question when something furry bounded out from the wood-line, heading straight for Will. In its jaws was the missing leg. Will searched Hannibal’s face for any sign of reaction but none came from the older man’s stoic gaze.
“I swear, he found me. I gave him a leg hoping he’d take it and leave, but…” Will glanced down at the dog…. Wolf? Wolfdog, “but he followed.” The dog’s tail started to wag when Hannibal looked down at him, the animal’s blue eyes sharp and bright. His fur was a dark grey, white, with signs of Husky markings present but was indeed too large to be just a Husky. The wolfdog was surviving, but with how skinny he looked he wasn’t doing all that well.
Will was suddenly feeling like a teenager and avoided Hannibal’s gaze. He couldn’t help to feel attached to the dog, just like every stray he’d come across. The wolfdog looked so happy just to be around people, pride in his stance with the leg in his mouth like a dog showing their owner a favorite toy.
“I can build him a shelter.”
“Take the deer into the shed, Will. Needs to be skinned and cut before the meat turns.” Hannibal turned on his heels to head back inside and Will looked up just in time to see an amused expression.
After the deer was taken care of, Will washed his jacket free of the blood. He hung it up to dry in front of the fire, cleaned and put away his rifle, then went back outside to see if the dog was still hanging around. After a moment of looking at the wood-line the dog emerged, trotting up the porch to Will. He knelt to scratch behind his ears, promising a proper bath once it warmed up again. Once the dog had enough love he pulled away from Will and trotted back down from the porch. Will knew this dog would never set foot in the house, as wolfdogs tended to be just a tad too wild for everyday life. Was probably the reason why someone left him out in the woods.
Will was already planning on how to build a small shelter for him as he went back inside. He gathered up a few ratty blankets and even snuck a pillow, making a nice little bed on the porch for now.
Apollo, Will decided. Apollo would be his name.
A few weeks later the clouds finally dissipated. Blue skies meant a bright sun, and on this particular morning, the world outside was blinding. When Will stepped outside with Apollo’s breakfast dishes he had to shield his eyes from the onslaught. Apollo’s bed was empty but still warm, the dog most likely moseying around the woods as he did every morning. Will set the food and water down next to the bed before heading down the porch.
He figured he should check on the generators, as the next few nights they were expecting a cold snap. He went down the steps and into the pathway he had shoveled for what seemed like the hundredth time.
At least he wouldn’t have to do that again soon.
Looking around at their land as he walked around the house, Will couldn’t deny the beauty of winter. Icicles stretched to the ground around the edges of the roof, making soft sounds in the snow as they melted in the morning sun. And with the way the sun reflected off of the snowflakes in the few feet of snow on the ground, Will felt like he was walking through a million little rainbows.
Rounding the house, Will could spot the generators. He was coming up to them when there was a loud crack from above. He looked towards the sound that came from the roof but it was too late to sidestep away.
A large chunk of snow and ice was heading straight for him, and in the moment of impact, his vision went black.
Hannibal looked out the window for what felt like the fifteenth time in the last minute. Breakfast was already on the table, on the brink of becoming cold and Will was nowhere to be found. His morning routine was never this long, and worry was starting to gather along the edges of Hannibal’s patience.
He was about to look through the house again when there was barking on the porch. Followed by another, and another. It was loud, urgent, and unusual for the wolfdog. In fact so unusual that Hannibal can’t even remember if the dog had ever barked since the day he followed Will home.
When Hannibal reached the door Apollo instantly raced away and down the stairs. He stopped and looked back at Hannibal, waiting. Getting the hint Hannibal grabbed his jacket and walked out. He followed the dog down the stairs and noticed Will’s fresh footsteps. They led the way and Apollo was close by as Hannibal rounded the house.
Hannibal’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Will lying in the snow. It wasn’t hard to figure out what happened with a chunk of ice lying next to his head. The blood from his forehead was a bright contrast to the whiteness of the snow and slowly dripped from the gash.
Hannibal had almost forgotten how beautiful winters could really be.
He knelt down in the snow and lowered an ear to Will’s parted lips. His breathing was slow but still there, a good sign. Scooping the younger man into his arms he grunts as he lifts him in the bridal style.
“You really gotta stop doing things like this in the wintertime,” Hannibal quips to his unconscious beloved, recalling vividly the time he carried Will out of the Verger mansion in just the same way. Blood and snow and all.
Apollo whines softly, sniffing at Will’s limp hand. Hannibal assures the dog that Will is alright, he must be alright. Opening the door took some awkward maneuvering, and Apollo was able to slip inside before Hannibal could stop him. He’d deal with that later, Will was more important.
With their master bedroom on the first floor, it was a short distance to lie Will down. He made quick work of taking off Will’s wet clothing so they wouldn’t drench the comforter, throwing the clothing to the floor for now. Will’s body was shivering and his skin was cold to the touch, it was essential to get him warm soon.
Hannibal takes off the apron he was wearing while he cooked and places it on Will’s head so the least amount of blood would get on the bedsheets. He makes deft work of taking off Will’s boots, socks, then his pants before finally tugging the blankets over his body.
After grabbing his medical supplies from the bathroom he sits at the edge of the bed and takes away the apron, now spotted with Will’s blood. With a wet cloth he starts to wipe away the spent blood and keeps a gauze at the spot where it was still bleeding. He’s vaguely aware of Apollo on the other side of the bed, his head resting on the mattress and looking up at Will with sad eyes.
“Will? Will, wake up now.” Hannibal raises his voice and lightly smacks Will’s cheek which does get a stir out of the man. “Will?” Hannibal asks again when he hears a grumble, and soon those stormy blue eyes finally slit open. Hannibal smiles softly, still dabbing at the wound with the gauze. “Hello, sweet boy.” Will blinks for a second, trying to focus and figure out what was going on. There was a throbbing pain in his skull and he was freezing.
The first thought to cross his mind is, What did you do to me this time?
As if reading those thoughts, Hannibal lets out a small sigh. “A piece of ice fell on you, rendering you unconscious. The evidence is still outside.”
Okay, well...now he feels guilty. Especially since that jogged the memory.
“I told you, Will.” Hannibal leans in slightly, close enough that Will can smell the earthy tones from his soap. “No more lies.”
Will shuts his eyes hard, the corners of them suddenly stinging. Hannibal continues to gently wipe away at the cut on his forehead and it was just all a little overwhelming. Hannibal could have left him out there to freeze to death, sure, but Will knows he wouldn’t.
Hannibal’s affection towards Will was inconvenient in that way.
These dangerous hands that have maimed and killed so skillfully are soft and gentle on Will, and he wonders how he deserved such kindness.
“Will, open your eyes, please. I need to check if you have a concussion.” Despite every instinct not to Will does open his eyes, letting a tear slip past his eyelid. It travels down his cheek and Hannibal gently wipes it away, not even acknowledging it.
“I blacked out,” Will says and his voice is gravely, even more so than usual, “isn’t that enough proof?” Hannibal’s eyebrow quirks up slightly and he grabs the small flashlight from his kit.
“You’d be surprised how hard of a head some people have. And if you don’t have a concussion, I will let you sleep.” Hannibal pushes slightly on Will’s forehead, avoiding the cut of course. He shines the flashlight one eye, and then the other, checking for the dilation or lack thereof. He hums thoughtfully after his exam and puts the flashlight away.
Sleep does sound really nice, and Will hopes he’ll be able to have some. “What’s the verdict, doc. Am I dying?” This does pull a small chuckle from Hannibal and Will smiles in return.
“No, mylimasis, you’re not dying. A small concussion but nothing serious. If you however start to feel nauseous, do let me know.” Hannibal sets a bandage on Will’s forehead and gently brushes back his curls. Will swallows, wishing he could lean into the touch without making his head throb more. Hannibal glances at the bobbing of Will’s throat and stands back up. Will almost reaches for him.
“I’ll go get you some water,” Hannibal says softly before leaving Will alone. His hands clutch the sheets and he takes a moment before slowly sitting up. He groans as he leans against the headboard of the bed, bruises on his lower back starting to make themselves known. When he finally settles there’s a shifting noise to the left of him. He sees pointed ears followed by a large head and bright blue eyes.
Will blinks back at Apollo, shocked that he was in his room, let alone the house. The dog looks happy at the attention, his body wiggling slightly as he thumps his tail on the floor.
“Apollo alerted me to your situation,” Hannibal says as he walks back into the room, a glass of water in his hand. Will takes the glass and gratefully downs a few gulps. Hannibal watches him drink, fondness in his eyes.
“Well,” Will lets out a satisfied sigh as the water soothed his dry throat, “He’s a good boy then.” There was a twitch of a smile from Hannibal before he replied,
“Let’s see how long it lasts.”
Will wasn’t hungry so Hannibal put away what was to be their breakfast, and Will promised not to fall asleep while Hannibal was cleaning. Apollo had found a corner of the room he liked and curled up to sleep so Will focused on the gentle rise and fall of his breathing.
Will looks up to the doorway the moment Hannibal steps in the room. He’s carrying a book and his drawing pad, with of course some pencils.
“Coming to keep me company, doctor?” Will says and Hannibal chuckles softly and rounds the bed to the free side. He sets his belongings on the nightstand and climbs onto the bed, sitting top of the blankets and leans against the dash with a soft sigh.
“I need to make sure you don’t fall asleep.”
“You just wanted to keep me company.” Hannibal glances at Will, the corner of his lips tick upwards in a small smile. Will smirks back. “Thought so,” He says and reaches for Hannibal’s hand. The older man doesn’t hesitate to entwine their fingers. Shifting slowly Will presses up against Hannibal’s side and rests his head on his shoulder.
“I’m freezing, keep me warm,” Will demands and Hannibal clicks his tongue.
“Such rudeness, Will. Not even a please. What’s to do about that?” Hannibal says while pulling the blankets up closer to Will and tucking him in anyway. Will lifts his head to look up at Hannibal and they stare into the depth of each other’s eyes for a long time. Will’s stormy blue piercing into an intense amber flecked with gold and blood.
“I’d say eat me, but I don’t think you can have sex with a concussion,” Will drawls, disappointment laced in his words. Hannibal chuckles and gently pushes Will’s curls away from the fresh bandage.
“No, darling, I’m afraid we can’t.” Will sighs heavily and flops back against Hannibal’s side. Will squeezes Hannibal’s hand and asks suddenly,
“When did you know you were actually in love with me?” Hannibal doesn’t miss a beat in his reply.
“Since the day I thought Tobias had killed you, and you proceeded to surprise me by walking into my office. You’ve never failed to surprise me since.” Will takes a breath, remembering vividly the attempt Tobias had when trying to kill him.
“Are you going to ask the same question?” Will asks and Hannibal shakes his head. He brings Will’s hand up to his lips and gently kisses his knuckles.
“There is no need for the question, mylimasis. Your becoming may have been a long journey, but if I had to do it all again to have you by my side as you are now, I would.”
“You’re a sap,” a Will quips, “but I guess you’re my sap.” Hannibal smiles and kisses his knuckles again.
“Indeed I am.”