Archive of Our Own

SnowStorm

Will's boots crunched into the fresh snow as he walked from his car to the house. It had been a long day at work and he wasn't looking forward to figuring out what to eat for dinner. His therapist had been nagging him to take better care of himself and his eating habits, but it wasn't like he was a master chef with a fantastic and well stocked kitchen like Hannibal was.

He sighed as he stepped through the door, half hoping Hannibal would make good on his threat to drop by and cook for him. That might be a fun change. Will shook the snow off his jacket before hanging it up, his dogs already running up to him and pawing his legs.

"Yes yes, I'm home, I missed you all too." He bent down to give them all several rubs and pats.

His stomach gave a pathetic growl. If only he pre thought his meals, his inner monologue reminded him, sounding suspiciously like Hannibal's voice.

"Ugh, I need him out of my head." He scratched Winston's ears. Will frowned, it was very wrong to like one's therapist, at least in that way. He sighed, even if Hannibal was interested in men, he would never be interested in a man like him, he decided. Will was too broken for that. Not to mention it wasn't strictly moral to date one's patient. "Look at me, fretting about absolute nonsense." He kissed Winston's soft head. "Lets get you guys fed, huh?" He whistled for his dogs and grabbed their food.

Once the dogs were taken care of he started checking his pantries for something simple to make. When in doubt he could always eat a bowl of Lucky Charms. He chewed at his lip as he looked at the box, maybe he should cook something for real.

There was a knock at the door and Will whipped his head around. He hadn't been expecting anyone. He cracked the door open barely enough to look out.

"Will." Hannibal smiled, grocery bag in hand.

"You've got to be kidding me," Will opened the door more, letting Hannibal in. "I can take care of myself you know."

"I don't call eating cereal for dinner taking care of ones self." He stepped in, doing his best to avoid the flurry of interested dogs now sniffing at him. "Besides, I must make good on my warnings or you'll never learn." He could tell Will was trying to hide a smile. "I'm making you a real meal tonight and you're going to enjoy it."

"Do you always show up at patients' homes and insist on cooking for them?" Will mused, suspicious he didn't.

Hannibal gave him a knowing look. "I only do this for friends."

"I thought I was your patient?" Will had to force himself to look away. Hannibal was the epitome of charming and it sometimes hurt too much to know he could never be with him in that way. He was an unstable client to him and nothing more.

"Perhaps, but you're also a friend." Even if Hannibal's own therapist had warned him against it.

Hannibal began setting up to cook and set the heat of the stove to low so he could saute the pan just right.

Will looked out the window, trying to hide the smile he could no longer contain. He could accept being Hannibal's friend if he couldn't be anything more to him. He would consider it an honor. His eyebrows scrunched as he looked outside though, his expression betraying a slight sense of worry. "Its snowing an awful lot."

"Cold weather is perfect for warm food."

"There might be a storm tonight." There had been the last time it snowed so hard.

Hannibal glanced over his shoulder at him, "I didn't hear anything about a storm?"

"You wouldn't have, it was on my local radio channel. Its not hitting anything east of here." He leaned down to pet one of the smaller dogs as it whined at his feet.

Hannibal looked out the window, taking the snow into account. "Its just snow, perhaps it wont hit us here."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Will stood and brought over his radio, which he typically only used for emergencies and flipped the on switch.

The sound cracked from the poor signal but a man's voice finally came into focus. "We're advising anyone in the area to shelter at home. It's not safe out there on the streets, please please don't risk it. Putting yourself in danger is risking rescue crews as well!"

Hannibal clenched his jaw. "I see."

Will fidgeted his hands a bit. "You should probably spend the night, I mean, uh, if that's ok."

"It sounds like I don't have a choice," Hannibal sounded positive but there was an underlying edge to his voice that pained Will.

Was it so bad to spend just one night with him? His ego deflated at the thought, perhaps Hannibal was only putting him on by calling him a friend. He was after all, just a patient with a bad habit of hallucinating and a poor mental health record. He could hardly blame Hannibal for not believing in the best of him, even when the man had claimed otherwise.

+++

The cracking of the windows was beginning to unnerve the dogs when there was a loud thud outside. Will had just enough time to turn his head and look outside when the light went out, casting everything into darkness.

Will fumbled for a few moments to pull out his phone and turn on the flashlight. "Shit, sorry, I think a tree must have landed on the power lines. Hannibal?" He looked to where the man had just been a moment before but was no gone. "Where are you?" Will stepped closer to the kitchen counter and found Hannibal was crouched on the ground. The unexpected sight had partially frightened him.

Hannibal was quiet, though breathing hard, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Are you ok?" Will stepped closer, not sure what Hannibal was doing.

"I'm fine," Hannibal cleared his throat and began to straighten back up as if nothing strange had happened at all. "I dropped something is all."

Will noticed that Hannibal didn't pick anything up with him as he stood again.

"Right, uh, I'm going to go grab some flash lights and matches, candles, that sort of thing so I don't completely drain my phone."

"Good idea, I'll just be here." Hannibal gripped the counter top.

Will walked off, finding the items where he knew they had been left in a cupboard and immediately switched to a flashlight instead of his phone. He flicked through his phone after that and decided to give Alana a quick call. She answered on the second ring.

"Hey Will, is your power out too?"

"It is. Just making sure you're safe." Will was already relieved that she sounded ok.

"Yup, I'm fine. Plenty of snacks and my good girl Applesauce to keep me company." She gave the dog a firm pat. "Everything alright there? I guess you have a whole pack to keep you company."

Will let out a soft laugh, "Yea, I do. Hannibal too, he happened to come over tonight."

"Oh no, now he's trapped with you and your dogs all night." She chuckled, Dr Lector must be miserable at the thought. Where would he even hang his suit up?

"Yea, I guess he is." Will walked back through the house and looked out another window, the storm was in full force now, pounding hard against the walls. "Well I'll call you tomorrow to make sure you're still safe, but we should save our phone batteries for now."

"Sounds good, call me if you need anything. Stay safe."

"You too, goodnight." Will clicked the end call button and looked around the kitchen. Hannibal was no where to be seen.

Will started searching the adjoining rooms but still there was no sign of his therapist. "Hannibal?" He called a little louder, but nothing. "Winston?" He shined his light over his newest dog and a couple of the others as they whined and pawed at a closet door. Surely that couldn't be right.

"Hey boy, come on, shoo." He stroked Winston and Max and patted their butts to get them to leave. He shined the light over the closet door, its rays entering through the slanted slits in the doors. Will swallowed, feeling a little silly for even considering it. "H-Hannibal?"

There was a small sound of something moving behind the doors.

Both of Will's eyebrows raised at that. "Are you in there?" He went to open one of the doors, but as soon as it has slid open just over an inch, it was pushed back into place hard. Will had to face the facts. His therapist was hiding in his closet.

"Uh, Hannibal... its just me. Will?" He turned the flashlight away from the doors. "Are you... alright?"

"Y-yes. I'm fine." The voice was a bit shaky but it was Hannibal's.

Will crouched down, realizing Hannibal must be close to the floor as well. Likely crouched as he had been in the kitchen. "You know that's a closet, right?"

There was an indignant huff. "Yes, I am perfectly aware." His voice was starting to sound more like it normally did.

"Right, um, so-"

The door began to slide back open and Will got a glimpse of Hannibal rising back to his feet when the house shook from the storm. There was a look of sheer panic that crossed Hannibal's features as he quickly slid the door shut again.

Will blinked. Was Hannibal afraid of storms? Will got into a more comfortable position on the ground, sitting cross-legged. "Hey, its alright, really. I don't mind if you stay in there."

"I'm really sorry about this," Hannibal's voice came out quietly.

"Don't be. It just surprised me is all. Are you afraid of bad weather?"

There was a long moment before he answered, "Just power outages during storms."

Will nodded, knowing something might have happened to Hannibal during one once. "I promise you're safe, but I won't tell you to come out if you don't want to."

Silence again. "Thank you." There was a deep sigh, "I don't think I can come out."

Oh. "It might be a while before the power is back." Will looked at the doors. It wasn't a very large closet, he must be cramped in there.

"I see..." Hannibal sat with his back against the wall and his knees facing towards his chest. "I didn't intend for this to happen."

Will frowned, he didn't think Hannibal was afraid of anything. "Does this happen a lot?"

"I have a back up generator at home." As well as a back up for his back up. "So no."

That was good for when he was home at least, "Has it happened before?"

Hannibal swallowed, "Yes."

"Maybe there's something I can do to help? I can bring you anything you might need."

Hannibal looked through the slits on the door and could just barely make out Will's outline. "Is there food in the house?" His voice sounded more panicked than he anticipated.

Will pressed his lips together for a moment, not liking the implication of the question. Had Hannibal been trapped in a snowstorm without food before? "Yes, there's plenty of food. Lots of shelf stable items as well. I can bring you some if you like."

"N-no, there's no need to," Hannibal felt his typically stilled fingers begin to tremble.

"How about a snack then? I'm feeling a bit hungry myself." Will offered, realizing Hannibal was too embarrassed to ask.

"Y-yes, a snack would be good." There was a pause. "A large snack?"

"Sure, I'll be right back."

Hannibal waited with baited breath, it felt like it was taking Will far too long.

"I brought a few things," Will set down an arm full of various shelf stable foods and some freshly cooked chicken. "I thought we could start with something new."

Hannibal could smell the chicken through the slits of the door. "I'm not sure if I can open the door." 

Will looked up at the door in surprise again. "Just a little bit? I have some nice food for you."

Hannibal reached out to touch the door and froze. If he opened it he could die. He quickly pulled his hand back. "No."

"Okay," Will ran a hand over his face. He would have to start off slowly. "Here," He took out a stick of jerky and pressed it through one of the slits. To his surprise the stick was pulled into the closet through the door. Hannibal was really full of surprises tonight.

Hannibal let out a noise of content as he began to eat it, "This is really good."

"Its from a fish I caught myself. I'm glad you like it." Will smiled a little, but he knew this wasn't going to be easy either.

"My compliments to the chef."

Will huffed out a small laugh, "Its just jerky." He wasn't a chef by any means. "Hey, I'm going to go fill the dog's bowls and come back." He stood and made sure his footfalls were loud and closed the door to the room behind him. He suspected that might help.

As soon as Will was gone, the door closed behind him, Hannibal seized his chance. He felt possessed, or as if he were some wild animal that lived in hiding. He threw the closet door open only as wide as needed and snatched the food. He pulled the chicken close to himself and quickly stacked the cliff bars, two cans of beans, two cans of corn, a half-eaten box of cereal, and flashlight near by before closing the closet again. It was not the quality of food he was used to by any means, but he wouldn't dare turn it down now.

Will came back in several minutes later, making sure Hannibal had ample time to squirrel the goods away. He instantly saw that Hannibal had stocked his closet with the provided items. He sighed a bit in relief before stepping closer. "Is that better?"

Hannibal looked down, feeling a bit of shame come over him as he realized Will had planned it this way. "Yes. I'll be able to get through the night."

"Are you going to spend the night in there?" Will tried very hard to keep the sadness out of his voice.

"I'm afraid I don't have much choice." He began shrugging his suit jacket and vest off.

"In that case, I'm going to bring you a few more things." Will hurried off and brought back a bountiful amount of pillows, blankets, and even a loose shirt and a pair of sweats for Hannibal to sleep in. "I'm going to leave the room for a while now. I won't be back for a little bit."

Hannibal waited for the sounds of Will's departure before repeating the process of quickly gathering materials and holing himself back in with them. Will was an absolute saint in his mind now. He was still busily making himself a makeshift bed from the safe confines of the closet when Will came back in.

Will brought additional bedding and pillows with him, this time setting them down on his side of the closet. Again, Hannibal could only barely make out his outline in the dark. "Are you joining me?"

"I thought you might want the company. Just don't steal my pillows if I leave the room?"

"I think I'm secure enough for that." Hannibal slowly stripped down the rest of his clothes in favor of the ones Will provided for sleeping in. They smelled of Will and he couldn't help but inhale the scent.

"It won't bother you if I'm just outside your nest?" Will teased light heartedly.

"It's not a nest." Hannibal brisked. "But no, in fact, I would feel more comfortable with you here." Guarding him.

"I can be the mongoose outside the closet doors." Will smiled, remembering when Hannibal had first called him that.

Hannibal settled down onto the makeshift bed for the night, "I do apologize, I can't imagine this is how you anticipated spending your night."

"Even I couldn't imagine this was going to be my night. But really, I don't mind at all." Will settled down, a few of his dogs wandering in to join him. "We can talk, if you like. Or sleep. Whichever."

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep." He didn't feel much like talking either. "Tell me about your day? Your dogs? Anything you like."

"Sure." Will looked at the door with something akin to affection as he rattled on about various things, the night growing later as he did. At some point he could hear that Hannibal's breath had deepened and evened out. He had talked his doctor asleep.

+++

Will woke some time in later morning to the sound of someone at his door. Baxter had been snuggled up close to his chest when he heard the sounds and was now alert and jumping over Will's body to get to the door. Will let out a tired yawn and stretched his sore back. It hadn't been a very restful sleep. He looked at the slat of the closet door and wondered if Hannibal was awake as well but staying quiet.

"I'll be right back," Will whispered to the door but got no response.

There was just enough light filtering through the windows now that he didn't need a flashlight as he joined his pack at the door and opened it, barely wearing any clothes.

"Oh, jeeze, Will," Alana turned to look away. "You could have put on more than just boxer shorts."

Will rolled his eyes, "I wasn't exactly expecting you. Come in, its freezing out there." He went to grab a pair of pants as she closed the door. "What are you doing here? Is it even safe to brave the storm?" He peeked out the window once he was more dressed.

"It won't be bad again till tonight." She shook a bit of the snow off her and the dogs batted at it. "I just wanted to check on you. My phone ended up dying last night and well," She gave him what he considered to be a concerned mother hen look. "I just wanted-"

"You thought I might be out of my mind?" He smiled knowingly.

"S-sorry, I wasn't sure how you would be. You look like you're alright though." She looked him over. "Did you sleep ok?" She could tell his neck was bothering him.

"It wasn't the best sleep." He admitted.

Alana looked around for a moment, "Where's Hannibal? I saw his car was still out there? Don't tell me you two aren't speaking after one night together?" She had a slight accusatory look. She had been glad Hannibal was there with Will to talk him down should he need it during the storm.

"Ah- he, well-" His eyes danced around the somewhat lit room. "I think he's still asleep." He wasn't sure that Hannibal would want Alana knowing about this.

"This late?" She glanced down at her watch, knowing he was always an early riser.

"We were talking pretty late last night." Will admitted. "I don't think he slept well either."

Alana frowned slightly, "Poor Hannibal. At least there was someone here to look after you."

Will felt his mouth stretch into a thin smiled, "Yea..." He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

As Alana reached down to stroke Winston's head, she heard a whining sound coming from another room, only then noticing the dogs were less interested in her then something else in the house. Alana tried to peek out the door to see what the pack was up to when Will moved to block her sight.

"Hey, how about a coffee? You must be tired still, I have a great roast." He tried to distract her.

Alana frowned, having already seen what looked like bedding on the ground. "Will. Did you sleep on the floor last night?" She should have known something was up with him, the stiff neck, trying to distract her with coffee now.

"Ah, its uh, really not what it looks like. Alana wait!"

She had stalked off to the room in question as Will followed in an attempt to stop her. Alana grabbed a pillow and held it up, "Really? Will? I can't believe you sometimes. I know you have a guest room." She was near glaring. "Please tell me Hannibal slept in there and you didn't convince him you don't have one or something."

Baxter pawed at the closet doors between them, whining deep in his throat. Will tried to subtly move him away with his foot.

"Will." Alana said in a firm tone.

He couldn't meet her eyes, something he always struggled with but felt especially hard now. He was sure that Hannibal must be awake by now.

"Whats in the closet?"

"Nothing." He was still trying to maneuver Baxter away from the door. He was pretty sure he was Hannibal's favorite. A small dog with a large personality.

Alana put her hand on the door knob.

"Don't open it." Will said a bit to quickly. "Please Alana, for me? Just don't."

Alana sighed, considering his request. "We're friends. You know that right? I'm sorry but I have to check on you." She tried to pull one of the doors open and felt it resisting. She rattled the door for a moment to see if it was stuck before letting go. The door pushed out just a little more at that.

"Will..."

"I did warn you." Will frowned.

"Is there... someone in your closet?" She wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't that.

Will looked at her. "Coffee?"

Alana was tempted to ask where Hannibal was again and if he knew someone was hiding in the closet, when she realized. "Will! What the hell!?" She tried to pry the door back open but couldn't move it at all now. "Hannibal?? Are you hurt?! What happened?"

"Alana! He doesn't want to come out! Just leave it." Will was already exasperated. "He's not hurt, he's just... more comfortable in there right now." It made perfect sense to him.

Alana let go of the handle, "You didn't lock him in there?" She shot Will a look.

"No! Why would I do that?"

"I don't know! Why would he lock himself in?!" But as she tried to breath and calm down, she realized that it was Hannibal and not Will forcing the door to remain closed. "Hannibal, please talk to me? Its Alana."

There was only silence.

"I think you're scaring him." Will whispered. "Let's go to the kitchen and I'll explain."

Alana felt defeated. "Doesn't he need food? Hannibal, come eat breakfast with us?"

Will sighed, "He has food in there. We'll make something to eat and leave some out for him though. I don't think you're going to get him to come out."

Alana resisted the urge to kick at the door before walking out and towards the kitchen. "Have you tried taking the hinges off the doors?"

He scrunched his eyes at that, "Why would I? He's fine in there, yea, it's a bit unusual, but it's not hurting anyone and he feels safe."

Alana sat at the kitchen table and slumped down a bit. "You could have been a therapist, Will."

He let out a small laugh, "I doubt that." He was much too unstable for it. "I just don't think it's that big a deal is all."

"He's not like you, Will. Hannibal is... well," She wracked her mind for how to say it. "He wears three piece suits everywhere and only eats gourmet food. He's not the sort of person who hides in a closet all night and day."

"It's not the first time." He explained, hoping it would calm her down. "He must have been traumatized at some point and he thinks this is the safest way to deal with it." He turned on the stove and began making pancakes. "Trust me. I had to feed him fish jerky through the holes in the door last night." It was clear to him that Alana had a prejudice about what she thought a neuro-divergent person should look and act like. So what if Hannibal was acting a little odd?

"Should we call someone for him?"

"He has a phone in there. I'm sure if he feels like he needs to he will. He was very verbal last night, I think having someone come by has just triggered him a bit more." Will made three plates of pancakes and set two of them at the table. "Wait here?"

He lifted the third plate and took it to the closet doors, setting it in front of them like an offering. "I'm going to close the door to this room. We won't be anywhere around." He left the peace offering and slid the door shut behind him like he promised.

Alana had yet to touch her plate by the time he got back, "You're really unfazed by all this?"

"He's been there for me during some very rough times, this is the least I can do for him."

"You really think leaving that plate for him will work?" Alana's eyes snapped up as she heard the closet doors open and close again.

"We did it last night too," Will smiled. "I think he only feels safe coming out when he knows there's no one around."

Alana sighed and began to eat. "I'm probably heading back after this. Please tell me if he comes back out?"

"I will."

+++

The next time Will checked on the closet, there were two neatly stacked plates sitting outside of it. One from this morning and one from the chicken the night before. The silverware sitting on top.

Will picked the little pile up, "Alana left if you're wondering." He was almost surprised she didn't insist on saying goodbye to the closet doors first. "I need to take my dogs for a walk while it's still mostly clear out. Is that alright?" He waited for a response.

"Yes." Hannibal's voice was quiet but clear.

Will smiled at the doors and took the dishes back to the sink before gathering all his dogs and donning a heavy coat. The dogs didn't like being cooped up all day and took their time enjoying the fresh snow. The pack still flooded into the house that was at least still warmer than outside although darker when they returned.

Baxter made his way back to the closet to wait for Hannibal, making Will realize the door to the room was open now, when he had previously shut it. He took a curious glance inside, the closet door was open by just under an inch and Baxter tried to wedge his nose inside. The door opened ever so slightly and Will spotted Hannibal's hand cautiously poke out to pet Baxter's head.

Will smiled. He must be feeling a bit safer now and he suspected Hannibal may have even left the room.

He poured out some food into the bowls for the seven dogs and refilled their water. The dogs were all there in mere seconds, lapping up the food.

"Good boys." He praised them, stroking over some of them as they ate.

Each one had been a rescue he found on the street. He didn't know where they had come from or what had happened to them that left them where they were. But he had taken them all in and taken care of them. He had always been good at gaining their trust and showing them he was a friend, not someone to be feared.

Maybe he could gain Hannibal's trust the same way.

He gathered up more food to present to the man and carried it off to place in front of the doors. They were cracked open a bit but quietly slid shut when he entered. Will placed the new bounty in front of them and sat down.

"Are you hungry? I have a few things you might like." There wasn't a reply but there often wasn't when he was luring a dog to come closer either. "I have more of that fish jerky." He opened the lid on the container, hoping Hannibal could smell it through the slits.

Hannibal drew a little closer at that.

Will took one strip and broke it in half, offering one of the halves through the door slit. It quickly disappeared up through the hole and Will knew that Hannibal had taken it. "Like that?" He asked the same way he might ask one of his dogs if it liked a treat.

There wasn't an answer but Will knew that Hannibal enjoyed it. It was odd at first that Hannibal was being nonverbal now when that hadn't been much of an issue last night. But Alana may have really shaken him earlier combined with being trapped in there for so long.

"There's more." Will held up the other half but instead of putting it through the door, he placed it in front of where the doors met. It took a few moments before one door cracked open just a bit, barely enough for Hannibal to reach out and take it. The doors were closed right after.

"You're doing really well," Will praised.

There was a small huff from behind the door and Will imagined what Hannibal's expression must be. Surely he would be protesting that he wasn't a stray dog for Will to rescue if he could.

Will put another piece of jerky out for him.

It wasn't as long this time before the door slid back open, this time Hannibal was slower at taking it and Will managed to peer in to see him. He was dressed in Will's clothes from the night before but had showered at some point, though his hair had not been combed back at all. He moved to close the door again after taking the dried meat, but Will had caught his eyes with his own.

Hannibal quickly looked away, feeling like a caged animal on display. The momentary unease was enough to distract him from closing the door again.

"It's alright," Will practically cooed, making sure both his hands were in front of him and visible. He posed no threat to him and wanted Hannibal to know it. "Here." He slid a candy bar in through the doors towards him.

Hannibal moved back on instinct at first at Will's movement, but eventually eyed the candy bar. He reached out and slid it into the closet with him, placing it with the other stocked goods. He half expected Will to call him a 'good boy' like one of his dogs.

"Are you warm enough in there?"

Hannibal looked down and nodded.

"You're not too cramped?"

He was, horribly so. Hannibal's legs ached from being scrunched up and he desperately wanted to stretch his spine. He pulled his legs a little tighter to himself. Will backed up a bit, giving Hannibal more space. It was several minutes before he let his legs stretch out a bit more. They finally fell into a more comfortable silence together, the door left just a little open between them.

+++

Will had made them dinner, nothing special, but they managed to sit on the floor together to eat. Hannibal was still in the closet but he didn't mind Will seeing him now.

When he finished eating, Will took the risk of letting his hand wander over and stroke lightly up Hannibal's leg.

Hannibal froze and looked at him. "I'm not a dog." It was the most words he spoke all day.

"I never said you were." Will grinned, still petting him through the sweat pants. He knew he was pushing him, but getting Hannibal to speak was a good sign, so he would keep up his irritating behavior.

Hannibal sighed but didn't stop him, instead he went to finish his plate as well, even if a man was stroking his leg like he was an animal.

The wind was getting louder outside and Will knew the storm was getting worse again, but this time Hannibal could still have the door a little open and didn't seem to mind being touched. Hannibal scooted the now empty plate outside the closet and looked over the supplies he still had in there with him. He knew he was being ridiculous. If he was in need of food, Will would bring it to him. He didn't need to keep any stocked in there. But still, it made him feel safer. He wouldn't starve this time or loose someone.

He shifted away from Will, which upset the smaller man at first, and went to lay down in the nest of blankets and pillows he had made. "Just getting comfortable," He explained, not wanting to hurt Will's feelings.

Will had closed his hand, thinking Hannibal was retreating, but now flexed his fingers again. Hannibal hadn't stopped him once. Will risked getting closer, and although Hannibal's eyes shifted away at the movement, he didn't stop him.

Hannibal was laying on his side, hair a bit of a mess, as he moved the door a little more open. Will took the opportunity to gain a bit of ground. He tried to assess the situation but had nothing to compare it too other than his dogs. He reached out slowly and stroked his hand down Hannibal's hair.

Hannibal inched away and pushed down into the pillow at the touch, but didn't do anything else to stop him. So Will really did only know how to talk to dogs.

"Shh," Will shushed him and arranged his hair more as he pet him, ignoring Hannibal's protesting sounds. He moved most of the loose strands away from Hannibal's face.

The wind picked up outside, hail hitting hard at the side of the house. Hannibal balled his fists and curled up tighter into himself. Will leaned closer to him, partially shielding him, though he knew there was nothing to shield him from.

"You're safe. I won't let anything happen." He could feel Hannibal start to tremble under his touch and he was glad his body was blocking Hannibal from closing the door again.

The windows flashed bright from a blinding light that lasted mere seconds but was followed by a deep bellowing burst of thunder. Hannibal reached for the doors, not able to take it anymore. At once he realized Will was blocking them and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him into the already cramped space before forcing the doors shut behind him. He sat frozen in that position, hands firmly holding the thin door in place to protect them both.

Will barely knew what happened, having been man handled into the closet. He could see that Hannibal was using everything in him to hold the doors shut, unnecessarily, his form shaking as he did. Will waited for another bout of thunder to roar out and pass over them before pressing closer.

Hannibal quickly turned to face him, spooked as if he had forgotten he was the one that pulled Will into his makeshift nest.

"It's just me," Will kept his voice as soft as he could. "We're alright." He put his hands on Hannibal's knees, trying to calm him.

The space was already so limited that he felt like he was in Hannibal's lap, his body brushed against Hannibal's legs. Hannibal jostled a bit, his legs moving apart and causing Will to struggle to balance before strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer. Will couldn't quite make out Hannibal's expression in the dark as he pressed him to his chest and rolled back to the slightly curled position on his side. Will was trapped in his embrace, head tucked carefully to Hannibal's chest as he heard the man's thumping heart rate.

One of Hannibal's hands stroked over Will's spine and trailed against his neck until it was carefully running through his curls, the other hand still firmly in place at Will's lower back. Will went slack in his arms, giving in to Hannibal's needs. He let his thinner hands trail up Hannibal's chest, feeling the thrumming of his chest as well and waiting for it to still a bit. He took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before breathing out slowly and loudly, then repeating the process again and again. Eventually he could feel Hannibal's breath begin to synchronize with his, naturally calming him.

Hannibal's legs had wrapped partially around Will's, helping to pin the smaller man in place. Will did his best not to move, trying his best to keep Hannibal calm and prevent any further triggering. He wasn't sure that his friend was completely aware of what was happening. Will tilted his head up when he thought he heard whispering, Hannibal's lips were barely moving, his eyes closed. Will tried to make out what he was saying but finally determined the words were not in English. Will pressed closer against him and craned his neck up a bit as his nose brushed against Hannibal's skin where the collar of his shirt ended.

Hannibal stopped whispering at that and pressed his forehead to Will's soft curls. "Bus viskas gerai." 

Will wasn't sure what the words meant but he could feel the warm emotion behind them. Hannibal let out a sigh and kissed Will's head. Will didn't speak, he was fairly confident that kiss wasn't intended for him.

They waited quietly as the hours passed by and the storm began moving further away from them. Hannibal whispered a few more things in what Will had to assume was Lithuanian, but his voice was no longer afraid and more calming now. As if Hannibal was the one assuring him. He let a hand wander over Will's side and finally cupped his cheek, letting his thumb run over Will's cheek. Will had no idea what Hannibal was saying but it made him look up at those amber eyes that seemed to shine in the dark space.

"Didelis brolis tave myli."

The bridge of Hannibal's nose pressed to Will's temple followed by a kiss to his cheek. Will could feel his face heating up, wondering if he should put a stop to this. Soon Hannibal was planting several more platonic kisses to him before tucking Will back to his chest, still idly petting over his hair every few minutes.

+++

Will was only aware he had fallen asleep when he rubbed at his eyes upon waking again. Light was filtering in through the slats in the doors, casting horizontal shadows in the small space they occupied. It was quiet outside, no further sounds of wind or hail. He was still tightly wound against Hannibal, but the larger man's hold had loosened on him. It was warm and comfortable, but Will knew it wasn't what Hannibal wanted, he had merely been in a state of distress, perhaps having an episode, when he grabbed Will the night before and pulled him close.

Will attempted to edge away and began inching the doors open so he could slip out, perhaps make them some breakfast.

"Mischa, ne." Hannibal grabbed lightly at Will's wrist before he could open it, his voice still filled with sleep.

Will looked back at him, his heart aching a bit. So Hannibal had thought he was protecting his sister last night. He never knew what happened to her, only that she had passed when they were both young.

"I'm just going to make us some food. Its safe now, I promise."

Hannibal cracked his eyes open and waited a moment as his focus adjusted to the new light. 'You're not Mischa,' his brain stupidly supplied before he could connect the dots of what he did last night. He let go of Will's wrist, pulling it back with slight shame. "I'm sorry about last night. I was," He swallowed, "confused."

"Its ok," Will gave him a reassuring smile. "Really. I just want to be here for you, with you." He stumbled over his words a bit. "I'm gonna go make some food." The words jumbled together.

Hannibal smiled back and sat up, "May I join you?"

Will's eyes lit up, "That would nice."

+++

It was heaven for Hannibal to be able to properly stretch his legs again. A pleasant calm had descended over him sometime in the night and despite being more aware of himself now, the calm had yet to leave him.

Will had set down a cup of coffee in front of Hannibal at the small table and busied himself with frying some eggs and bacon. He wasn't sure if it would be a bad idea to mention last night or not.

"Thank you Will," Hannibal broke the silence. "I've never been with someone during one of these panic attacks."

Will couldn't help but think it seemed like more than a panic attack, but he wasn't going to say that. "I wanted you to know you weren't alone and would be safe." He plated the food and brought it over.

Hannibal nodded, "I think you broke whatever spell was over me."

Will set the plates down and took a seat, looking at him curiously.

"I think..." Hannibal arranged his mug's placement, trying to make the place setting more symmetric. "I needed more than just myself to make it through the night."

Will nodded, understanding a bit more now. Hannibal wasn't afraid for himself but for Mischa.

Hannibal looked down at the dark liquid in his cup, his reflection smiling lightly back at him. "It was nice, waking up with someone in my arms."

"I'm more then happy to sleep with you-" Will went red, feeling like he could shoot himself for wording it that way.

Hannibal's smile slid into a devious grin at the turn of phrase, his eyes shifting up to Will's. "We should try the bed next time."

Will was sure he misheard or misunderstood him. Clearly it must have been one or the other.

Hannibal lifted his coffee, drinking it smugly. Will was certain those nearly crimson amber eyes never left him.

Will ducked his head down and ate, pretending he wasn't a bit stiff at the thought alone. He silently cursed at himself, obviously Hannibal was teasing him or didn't mean it like that.

"I um," He realized he really should make some sort of reply after a long moment. "I have to take care of the dogs." He rose quickly, having barely touched his plate and nearly sprinted out of the kitchen.

Will opened the door for his dogs to let them out and take care of their needs. His eyebrows shot up, he couldn't believe it, the plow still hadn't come by. There was no way either of them could leave his house yet, it was far worse than the day before. He wasn't sure how Hannibal was going to take this news.

+++

The day passed less awkwardly than Will feared it might. He tried to busy himself with housework, washing and replacing the bedding to its proper spots as Hannibal stretched and transcribed a few of his notes onto a tablet he had left in the kitchen when he had first come to make dinner two nights ago.

Will had quickly texted Alana that everything was alright now and decided to turn his phone off instead of seeing her replies. It really wasn't her business what had transpired, he decided. The light outside was decreasing and he knew it would be dark soon. He only hoped nothing frightened Hannibal back into hiding.

Will knew Hannibal had already claimed he didn't mind spending one more night at Will's house, but it would be under different circumstances than the previous two.

"So um, there's a guest bedroom upstairs. I just washed the sheets actually." He couldn't meet Hannibal's eyes.

Hannibal looked at him with an analyzing gaze. "I appreciate your hard work, there was no need to do that on my account." Especially since he had no plans of using the room.

Will let out a sigh, telling himself it was one of relief, but his heart knew otherwise.

Will turned in early for bed, having nothing better to do in the still darkened house. It was difficult to find a comfortable position, which he blamed on his back after spending two nights on the ground. His eyes finally fell shut and his breathing evened out, sure sleep would take him any moment.

Something shifted his sheets a bit and he felt the side of his mattress dip down with a new weight.

"Winston?" Will asked sleepily. "My good boy, come to sleep with me tonight?" He scooted over a bit for his dog to join him.

He felt the mattress dip down more until the new weight settled beside him and under the sheets.

Will smiled at the intrusion. "Don't tell the others," he whispered, "But you're my favorite." He rolled over so he could give his puppy a kiss.

"I always suspected I was." Hannibal purred.

Will's eyes snapped open. "Ha-Hannibal??!"

"Will," He smiled, closing the distance between them and pressed their lips together. "I want to wake up with you again. As often as you'll have me."

Will felt his mind go blank at that kiss. His brain racing to explain how Hannibal had ended up in his bed, even as strong hands stroked down his body and brought him closer.

Yes. He had always wanted this. Will's eyes fluttered shut as he kissed back, his finger tips trailing up Hannibal's cheeks. "Hannibal..." He wasn't sure he could find the words to express everything he wanted to say to him.

Hannibal moved lower, kissing over Will's jawline and over his throat. Will let his head dip back, exposing more skin for Hannibal to do with as he pleased. He let his teeth graze over his exposed collar bones, his tongue jetting out to taste him. One of Hannibal's hands snaked its way under Will's shirt, mapping out every curve and angle of Will's body.

A small moan escaped Will's lips, "Hannibal I lo-"

A loud strike of thunder sounded out through the small house and Hannibal froze like a deer in headlights, his whole body going still. He suddenly grabbed the blankets covering their waists and quickly pulled it up over his head and hid in them, still hovered over Will's torso.

Will sighed and stroked his hand over Hannibal's blanket covered head where he hid shivering. "Its ok, I'm here." At least there was always tomorrow.

After a few moments he felt trembling kisses against his stomach, making Will giggle a bit.

Hannibal peeked out of the blanket, still weary of the weather. "This isn't just for tonight."

"I know," Will stroked Hannibal's hair, making him huff.

"Are you always going to treat me like one of your dogs?" There was a slight pout forming on his mouth.

"Of course not, they're suppose to stay out of my bed. I'm treating you like a favorite puppy." Will teased.

Hannibal narrowed his eyes. "Really, Will?"

Will offered a sheepish smile, "As you know, I'm not good with people, but I'm alright with dogs."

Hannibal sighed, how had he ever fallen for someone who genuinely liked dogs more than people? He wasn't even sure if he liked dogs himself. "Mylimasis," He murmured. "Treat me however you like as long as I'm with you."

Will stroked down Hannibal's hair again. "I wish I knew what you were saying when you speak in Lithuanian."

Hannibal leaned up closer, their mouths meeting in a kiss. "It means beloved."

+++

Jack looked at the text, scrunching his eyes. He realized at once Will had texted the wrong person, but still. 

'Hey Alana, hope you're ok. Everything is good here now, Hannibal's out of the closet.'

Well what the fuck, good for them, he guessed.