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Hannibal was a revered doctor, a feared serial killer who had gone uncaught and mostly un-identified for nearly his entire career, a passionate scholar. He had been alone most of his life, despite the various people he’d been intimate with, despite the people he surrounded himself with, he was alone. And that was fine, he didn’t need people, he didn’t need anyone, he never had needed anyone. No one had made him keen, no one had made him needy or aching, Hannibal Lecter was just not that kind of man.
So, ask the heavens, why was he holding onto Will’s pillow like it meant life or death?
Will had left a few days ago, for a case, of course.
Hannibal couldn’t remember many of the details, they had been muttered into his neck while Will smelled them. But he was sure it wasn’t anyone interesting, no one worthy of being under Will’s gaze. Something about a woman who took seemingly random parts from people, fingers, ears, eyes, froze them, and left them for the police to find later.
How creative , Hannibal thought she must have gotten the idea from some low grade police procedural.
He had no idea how Will was needed for such a lowly killer, but alas, the policing system had as much brain as a corpse, especially in America.
He left in the middle of the night, not waking Hannibal to say goodbye. Just leaving a note, scrawled out in loving but messy handwriting that he’d see Hannibal later and that he loved him.
Hannibal had felt loved, and then he felt lonely.
An ache sat heavy in his chest, it felt like cold black tentacles had entered his torso, wrapping around his lungs and settling it’s bulk on his heart.
Will’s scent was distinct, but not as strong with him gone. The shape of Will in the bed was cold too, and Hannibal felt hot tears rise up in his eyes.
He wasn’t upset with Will, no, he was upset with the very universe, for taking his alpha away in the middle of the night. Why did his alpha have to leave him alone? His head could process the facts but his heart couldn’t reconcile with it.
Hannibal took Will’s pillow, it still smelled like him best, and gripped it tight to his chest. He pressed his face against it and sighed at the remaining smell of Will. It wasn’t much, not nearly enough, but it settled some part of him.
Will’s smell was amazing, especially since Hannibal had convinced him that for the sake of being allowed near their nest again to switch to a different aftershave. He smelled like dog, obviously, though it wasn’t bad. His true scent was deep and woodsy, with a hint of an ocean he had not been on in many years, mixed with the smell of gunpowder or engine oil somedays. Hannibal couldn’t have gotten enough of it if he had his nose stuck in Will’s neck every single day of his life. He was hopeless for it.
Hannibal snuggled down father into the pillow. He had to go to work, he knew, but he felt sick with ache. He wanted to stay home, where Will’s scent had permeated and Will had made his mark, in their little nest and wait for his alpha to come home.
The insistent buzz of his alarm reminded him that was not going to be happening.
Reluctantly, he let go of the pillow and moved to go get ready for the day.
He focused deeply on his routine, food, shower, get dressed make sure the dogsitter arrived on time, go to work, and then bed if Will didn’t call. He hoped it would make it easier, make the day slip by faster and bring him closer to Will’s arrival home.
It didn’t, it hadn’t worked once.
He was good at masking the pain, the ache he felt during his therapy hours. He could turn off his brain for the most part, none of them had anything interesting or new to say anyway. None of them did most times, except for the occasional Randall or Francis. And he did not have anyone near as interesting at the moment.
His heart ached still.
-
“Hello love,” Will greeted, his purr making Hannibal melt into the bed. Even a thousand miles away Will could make Hannibal’s bones turn to putty. “It’s late for you, you should be in bed,”
“I miss you,” Hannibal admitted, trying not to whine.
“I miss you too sweetheart,” Will said. “I hate it here honey, it’s so far away from you and this killer is terrible. I don’t know how they haven’t figured her out yet, she should be leaving lockers full of evidence. Plus she’s boring, but you know that,”
Hannibal nodded, before remembering Will wasn’t there. He bit his lower lip, trying not to cry. “I miss you Will,”
“I do too baby,” Will’s voice made him feel worse and better. “Is everything okay Hanni? Did you get hurt or-”
“I just miss you,” Hannibal admitted, tears began to fall from his eyes. “I miss you so much, nothing smells enough like you Will!” He cried. “You aren’t here and I’m alone and it hurts Will. It hurts,”
“ Oh darling,” Will sighed, Hannibal could hear him shifting around and soon a soft purr began to come through the phone. “Can you hear that love?” He asked between bouts of purring.
“Yes,”
“Good,” Will smiled. “Could you do me a favor, love? Stay on the line, but there should be one of my shirts in the laundry. I meant to wash it before I go, but as long as you haven’t done laundry it should still smell like me. Can you do that sweetheart?”
“Okay,” Hannibal sighed, wiping away his tears and following Will’s request. It felt so easy to relent to Will’s command, Will was the only one he’d ever trust to lead him right. The only one he’d trust with himself.
Thank somebody above that Hannibal had been too out of it to do chores, Will’s shirt still sat in the hamper, smelling gloriously of Will.
“You got it?” Will confirmed. “Good, now go back to the nest sweetheart, get real cozy, make sure you’re comfortable. Okay?”
“Mmm,” Hannibal hummed, he still felt upset and needy, but under Will’s soft and sure voice, the sound of his purrs and his shirt pressed firmly against his face, it was easier to turn his head off.
Hannibal was already in his sleep clothes, so he simply fell into their nest and cuddled under one of the soft blankets. He purred himself, feeling slightly comfortable and sated for the first time in days.
“That’s better isn’t it honey?” Will laughed softly. “I’ll be home soon Hannibal, I don’t like leaving anymore than you do. When I come home I’ll make sure to stay in with you for a couple days, make sure the place smells right again. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, god yes,” Hannibal sighed.
“I promise I’ll make sure you’re well cared for,” Will swore. “You deserve it, I know you think you shouldn’t need it or need it so badly, but you do, and I like taking care of you,”
“Will, please, don’t humiliate me,”
“It’s not Hannibal,” Will laughed. “You bonded with the empath, you get to be empathized with,”
“Be merciful,”
“Heh, sure, but I’m right,” Will spoke. “I do like being with you and taking care of you, and you always take such good care of me, I feel as though I can hardly repay you sometimes,”
“You never have to Will,”
“I want to,” Will insisted. “I have a surprise for you when I get home Hannibal, I’m hoping you’ll like it,”
“Do I get to know what it is?”
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you,”
“A hint?”
“No hints,”
Hannibal could practically hear his wink. “Fine, I cannot get you to tell me, but you’ve got my curiosity piqued now,”
“You’ll find out soon, my curious cat, just be patient. You should go to bed, it’s late and it’ll help pass the hours before I’m home,”
“I don’t wanna hang up Will,”
“Then don’t, just listen to me and I’ll hang up when you’re asleep,”
“Really Will? You don’t have to do this,”
“Well I want to,”
“I love you Will,” Hannibal sighed.
“I love you too Hannibal,”