Chapter Text
Little Will's Valentine's Day: A Little!Will Adventure
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Daddy Hannibal and Little Will are enjoying dinner together on a Friday night. The work week had been a long, stressful one for both Hannibal and his little boy, and they are looking forward to spending the weekend enjoying their time together.
Little Will is in his booster seat and eating from his favorite plate with the little compartments. He is in the process of recounting his last play date with his big cousin Matty in excruciating detail to his daddy.
"And then Matty said he didn't want to take out the trash," little Will says excitedly," so Uncle Frederick said he was going to spank his bottom if he didn't..."
"Darling," Hannibal interrupts and little Will looks up, Winnie the Pooh fork poised mid-air, much surprised.
"Yes, daddy?" his sweet little boy says, putting down his fork to carefully grasp his big boy glass with both hands. He drinks a big swallow of milk leaving behind a foamy milk "mustache" over his own brown one.
"Wipe your mouth please, baby boy," Hannibal prompts, sidetracked for a moment from his original declaration.
Will giggles and takes the cloth napkin he has draped nicely across his lap and scrubs hard at the offending milky mustache.
"Good boy," Hannibal says approvingly and Will beams from the praise.
"So Matty said he was..." Will begins where he had left off when Hannibal interrupts him.
"Baby boy," daddy says, and Will huffs a little at being interrupted yet again," you didn't let daddy finish what he was telling you."
"OK daddy," Will says agreeably, "but I have lots more to tell you, lots and lots."
"I know you do darling," Hannibal says patiently to his sweet boy, "but now its daddy's turn, so my little boy need to put on his listening hat and not speak."
"OK daddy," Will says again, pretending to pull on a hat and zip his mouth closed.
His round blue eyes are now fixed expectantly on his daddy.
"Very good," Hannibal says, chuckling a little, "Now, I know that you would like to hand-out valentines..." he frowns a little in reaction to the 'squeak' little Will can't help but make at this thrilling topic. "But I was thinking, instead, perhaps we could have our friends over and entertain them with a Valentine's Day party? How does that sound to you, little one?"
Will's little face is red from the effort of not speaking and excited little 'hmm's', and 'mmm's' are escaping from his mouth.
Hannibal smiles understandingly and says," Now you may speak, Willypoo."
Little Will lets out a mighty 'whoosh' of pent-up air and begins to speak in a hurried and excited voice as he bounces up and down in his seat.
"Really daddy!?" He gushes excitedly," We can have people come here and give them Valentine's treats?"
He rushes on before Hannibal can even open his mouth to reply.
"And we can have heart cakes, heart peanut butter and jelly 'samitches', heart fruit, heart cookies," he tilts his little, curly mop of a head pondering what he has left out," oh, and juice, pink juice... no...red juice because that's more Valentines-day-ee," he finishes and takes a thoughtful swig of milk.
"Can we do all of it daddy?" Will asks, forgetting to wipe his mouth.
Hannibal taps his own upper lip, and Will quickly swipes his napkin over his milky one.
"Oh, and daddy," little Will says in the beseechingly earnest manner Hannibal finds so endearing,"Can I make valentines for all my friends and their daddies, and mommy Bedelia..." he continues, checking off on his little fingers as he goes along.
He looks stricken for a moment," Daddy?" He asks in a worried voice, "do we have to invite Mason?"
"Of course darling," Hannibal says, "we must invite all of your little friends and their daddies and mommies. It is the polite thing to do. And you are daddy's little gentleman, yes?"
"Yessss, " Will agrees half heartedly, trying hard not to swing his legs under the table because daddy doesn't like him to do that; he says it is Bad Manners.
"But sometimes he's mean to me," little Will pouts, thinking about how Mason naughtily drew all over Will's little body with a Sharpie then ... Will shudders from the still painful memory.
"Mason is sometimes a naughty boy." Hannibal agrees as he folds his napkin and sets it beside his place setting. "But that is for his foster parent to worry about, not you, my little one. Mason will be invited to your party," Hannibal declares in a voice which brooks no argument.
Little Will looks so crestfallen; Hannibal feels he must do something to raise his spirits. He leans over and kisses his little boy's cheek.
"Now, wouldn't you like to see what I have prepared as a surprise for you?" He asks, knowing how much little Will lives for his daddy's surprises.
Sure enough, Hannibal's distraction works, and Will's clouded blue eyes become sunny again.
"A surprise daddy? Where? Where is it?" Will asks, nearly upsetting his glass in his excitement.
"Ooopps!" He says, darting a glance at his daddy to see if he has noticed.
"Slowly, little one," Hannibal says, who of course notices everything, "remember your manners."
But he is smiling and little Will knows he is already forgiven.
"You're the 'bestest' daddy in the whole world!" Little Will declares as he helps his daddy clear the table.
"And the smartest, and the prettiest, no, wait, 'handsome-ust'," he chants as he carries his dishes to the kitchen, " and the nicest," he pauses, searching for another adjective, as he hands his daddy his glass to place in the sink, "and the 'funnest'!" He finishes, pleased with himself.
"Well, thank you sugar bean," Hannibal says, looking down at his little boy who is dancing with impatience now."Would you like to see your surprise?"
"YES!" little Will says, grabbing his daddy around the waist and hugging him," where is it, where is it, where is it?"
"It's set-up in the library," Hannibal says, and little Will is off like a rocket, sliding a little in his SpongeBob slippers when he reaches the smooth wood of the hallway.
"No running in the house," Hannibal reminds him.
"Yes, dadddddddy," Will's voice calls back, becoming fainter as he travels down the length of the large home.
Hannibal smiles and follows after his little boy. He is very much looking forward to seeing Will's reaction when he finds all the beautiful supplies he purchased after consulting MarthaStewart.com: "Valentine's Day: Gifts, crafts, and activities."
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Little Will is nearly at the library door when he slides to a halt.
"Mr. Bear!!" he cries, ashamed to have forgotten to include his best furry friend in his surprise.
Hurriedly, he runs back down the hallway, nearly smacking into his daddy on his return route.
Hannibal holds little Will in his arms as the boy attempts to squeeze past.
"Ne,ne,ne," he says, in his native language, "why are you running up and down the hallway, little one?" he says, holding the squirming boy by his shoulders.
"Please, daddy," little Will begs, " please let me go. I have to get Mr. Bear so he can see my surprise too!"
"Yes, saldumas," Hannibal says, stroking his boy's curls off his forehead, "but please do not run in the house, it is not safe."
"Yes, daddy," Will answers with just a tad of pertness; he knows he won't fall, sometimes daddy is a fussy-wussy.
Will giggles a little at his naughty thought and Hannibal purses his lips sternly. Will gulps, hoping his daddy can't really read the minds of mischievous little boys as his big cousin Matty claims.
"Very well then," Hannibal says, "off you go. But slowly!" He adds as Will begins to speed-walk away.
He listens to the-thump, run, thump, run- of little Will: climbing the stairs, hurrying down the hallway, opening his door, and returning back down, beaming, with Mr. Bear clutched under his arm.
"We're going to see a surprise now saldumas," little Will promises his furry friend as he squishes him tight. "What is 'saldumas', again, daddy?" He asks, grabbing Hannibal's big hand in his eager, little one and pulling him with all his might down the hallway.
"It means 'Sweetness'," Hannibal reminds him, good humouredly allowing himself to be pulled along.
"That's right," little Will says sagely, coming to a dead halt in front of the closed library door.
He looks up yearningly at his daddy's face," Now, daddy?"
"Of course, baby boy. Go and see what surprise daddy has left you."
Just at that crucial moment- just as Will's eager little fingers are clutching the door handle- the doorbell rings.
Both little Will and his daddy turn curious faces in the direction of the front door, then look at one another.
"Who's that daddy?" Little Will asks, hoping that whomever it is will go away so they can continue with their fun.
"Well," Hannibal says, frowning a little as he consults his watch, " It is a little early, but this is also part of my surprise for you, my little one," he says, taking Will's hand off the handle and leading him towards the front door.
"Part of my surprise, daddy?" little Will asks, too shocked to protest about being led in the opposite direction of his surprise.
Daddy Hannibal just smiles and nods, knowing that whomever is at the door will soon answer his little boy's question.
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They reach the door and Hannibal unlocks the bolts as little Will, a bit bashful, hangs back to see who is waiting outside.
The door swings open to reveal...Uncle Frederick, holding a chocolate layer cake, and...Matty standing by his daddy's side and grinning the biggest, warmest grin his little face is capable of producing.
"MATTY!!!!" little Will shrieks, his face morphing from blank astonishment to pure joy.
"Come in," Hannibal welcomes his guests, kissing Fredrick and giving Matty a welcoming hug, as Will dances around them with unconstrained happiness.
"Hello Hannibal, " Frederick says, handing his host the cake and taking off his coat, "and aren't you going to say 'hello' to your Uncle Frederick? He asks, looking sternly down at the little boy. "Where are your manners, Willy?"
"Hello Uncle Hannibal," Matty says hurriedly," thank you for inviting us to your home. I made you a cake."
"Well!" Hannibal says, looking very impressed, "thank you very much for that Matty!" He says and little Will scowls from jealously and his uncle's reprimand.
"Hello Uncle Frederick," Will says, woodenly, "Hello Matty," he says with a little more life," Welcome to our home," he says just as his daddy has taught him, "May I take your coat, uncle?"
Hannibal, well aware of his little boy's feelings, lays a soothing hand over the back of his boy's curly head.
"Very nice Will," he praises, ignoring Frederick's sniff of disapproval.
"Now, would you like to put uncle's coat in the closet while I take Matty's delicious cake to the kitchen?"
"Yes, daddy," little Will says, determined to show Uncle Frederick that he is just as well mannered and clever as his big cousin, "No matter what that old fattie says," Will thinks wickedly to himself, smothering his giggle in the coat and immediately feels better.
"Then can I show Matty my surprise?" Will asks as he carefully drapes his uncle's coat over a hanger and stands on tiptoe to hang it in the hall closet.
"Yes, darling, but wait until I have begun the coffee before going into the library. I would like to be there when you see your surprise," Hannibal replies.
Though disappointed at the delay, Will feels his uncle's googly eyes boring into him, and he is determined not to give him any more cause for criticism.
"Yes, daddy," little Will says, grabbing Matty's hand and beginning to drag him up the stairs to his room, " just let us know when you're ready," he calls down.
"Come through to the kitchen Frederick," Hannibal says, "May I offer you some cognac? Or will coffee suffice?"
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Upstairs, little Will is recounting the exciting news of his party to his big cousin," ....and we can have heart cakes, and heart cookies, and heart "samitches", and ...." he stops, stricken by a realization.
"Matty!" He says looking at his big cousin in awe, " You can bake a whole big cake by yourself?"
"Yup," Matty says proudly, snuggling up next to his little motor mouth of a cousin, " and I put lots and lots of booze in the frosting, too," he giggles.
"What's 'booze'? Little Will asks giggling and wriggling as Matty nuzzles his face against his ear.
"Hey, that tickles! " He protests; Matty is always very affectionate whenever he sees little Will and is always trying to tickle or touch him.
"Like wine," Matty explains, tucking a stray curl behind his little cousin's ear. "They're probably down there now right now, drinking some while they k-i-s-s," he says teasingly, wishing he could kiss the little, plush lips so tantalizingly close to his own.
Will smirks and jumps off the bed, darting over to his toy box and commencing to dig through it.
Frustrated, Matty sighs and briskly rubs his favorite spot between his legs. "What are you looking for Pooh Bear?" He asks.
"My new train shed daddy bought me," his little cousin says, retrieving the toy to show him.
" See? " He says, returning to the bed where Matty is sitting and passes it over to him." It's like a little tunnel Percy and all his friends can go through."
"Cool!" Matty says. "When did you get..." Matty stops when they hear Hannibal's voice calling:
"Alright boys, you may go to the library now."
Will and Matty stare at each other for a moment then wild grins break out over their little faces.
Will grabs Matty's hand, and jumping like baby joeys, they bounce out the door and down the stairs.
To Be Continued