Chapter Text
Hannibal Lecter was a man that enjoyed the finer things in life. That was why he had decided to enter the culinary world to create gourmet dishes and inspire others to do the same. The Ravenstag was one of the most well known and respected establishments in the Baltimore area thanks to the hard work of both Hannibal and his staff. This in turn had made Hannibal one of the most respected and sought after men in Baltimore. Good company and good food seemed to exist in abundance for him. The professional chef would probably consider his life perfect if not for the inclusion of one man. Gordon Ramsay, owner and head chef of Maze restaurant.
Ramsay was a perfect example of squandered talents in Hannibal’s opinion. The man was an excellent cook, but an atrocious human being. At least in Hannibal’s own unbiased opinion. He was crass and headstrong in his opinions and more than willing to argue with any that disagreed with him until they were made to see his version of sense. One particularly incorrect opinion the man had was that not only was he a superior chef when compared to Hannibal, but his restaurant was also better than the Ravenstag.
Hannibal would have ended his life for such an insult if the man was not also a serial killer like himself. In a strange twist of fate, it appeared that both chefs shared the same after hours hobby of murder and cannibalism. They’d agreed to a truce of sorts after several accidental overlapping hunts. The man that arrived first would be given that kill and the other was forced to cede their rights to the meat.
Even Ramsay’s hunting skills were atrocious. Rather than adhere to a strict set of guidelines for choosing prey, such as rudeness like Hannibal sensibly used, his selection seemed completely random. The man had assured Hannibal that he had a system on multiple occasions but was never willing to share said system with him. He was clearly lying. Hannibal hated liars.
It was the thought of last night’s lost jogger that had Hannibal in a particularly sour mood this morning. His intended target had rushed past him early that morning and ran right through a rather large puddle, soaking one of Hannibal’s best outfits with filthy street water. Such insolence was not going to be tolerated, but unfortunately Hannibal had arrived just moments too late at the man’s house later that night. Gordon was already outside and preparing to enter. He even had the nerve to smirk at Hannibal when he noticed him. The audacity of the British man seemed to know no bounds.
He was so deeply entrenched in ideas about how best to serve the rude upstart to his kitchen staff that Hannibal barely registered the door opening and the day’s first visitor entering.
“Good morning, Doctor Lecter!” All the dark thoughts Hannibal had were immediately swept away at the sound of the greeting. Only one man ever used that title when talking to him. Will Graham, the most wonderful creature on the planet had just entered the Ravenstag. Everything about Will was perfect, from his delicate features and gentle curls on top of his angelic face to his quick wit and creative thinking strategies. Even the baggy clothing and large glasses couldn’t hide the beauty that lay hidden beneath it and all his awkward social posturing couldn’t dim the brightness of Will’s mind. Hannibal had been smitten with Will since their first conversation.
“Good morning, Will,” Hannibal replied with a bright smile. Will never failed to brighten his mood. “You’re earlier than I expected today. Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s fine, but thanks for asking. It’s just getting closer to finals at school so I’m trying to expand my office hours in case any of my students need the extra help.”
“Your kindness and generosity know no bounds.”
A light blush colored Will’s cheeks at the compliment and Hannibal grew even more pleased with himself. An embarrassed Will was even more charming than a regular Will. “It’s really not that impressive,” Will replied as he ducked his head slightly. “And I know I’m not the only teacher that does this. You might be over selling me just a bit.”
“Nonsense. You are by far the best teacher they have at Quantico and you clearly care about the future of each and every one of your students. The fact that you are willing to sacrifice part of your own day for them speaks volumes about your willingness to help others. It’s a very admirable quality.”
“Thanks, but I still think that might be a slight exaggeration.” His Will was so modest and humble. How could anyone see him as anything less than perfect?
Hannibal was about to give more completely warranted praise when a loud and very rude British voice rang out across the room. “You are absolutely divine!”
How could Hannibal have forgotten about Gordon’s ritual of coming to gloat after beating Hannibal to a shared target? The man always turned up to tell Hannibal just how wonderful he or she had tasted and how the meat had obviously gone to the better man that night. That conversation was what Hannibal had been dreading all through the night and now it had the added effect of interrupting the highlight of his day as well.
The man was currently making a beeline for poor William who was completely unprepared for his wild hair and abysmal personality. “Sorry to come off so strongly, but I wasn’t aware that anyone as gorgeous as you are would ever come to Hannibal Lecter’s restaurant willingly.”
“Oh, um thank you,” Will politely replied. “I’m just here to pick up a few bones though, I don’t think I’m the right kind of customer for this place.”
“What kind is that, the tasteless?” Gordon asked with a satisfied smirk. To his credit, Will ignored the jab at Hannibal’s restaurant.
“No, the affluent.”
“Nonsense, I can think of no one I would rather serve than you,” Hannibal responded quickly before Ramsay could get another word in. “You really must let me prepare a proper meal for you sometime.”
“You know I’d feel bad if I didn’t pay for it afterwards,” Will replied. Hannibal made the same offer each time Will came to visit and he always received the same reply.
Gordon gave an understanding nod. “Hannibal does love to charge more for lower quality.”
“Here you go, Will,” Hannibal said as he handed off several wrapped packages and did his best to ignore Ramsay's presence. “A few fresh bones and some sausages made from unwanted cuts for the dogs. Plus a croque-monsieur for you.”
“Sausages? I can’t just take those from you. How much are they?” Will asked as he tried to find his wallet. “I’ll pay for them and the food.”
Hannibal silenced all of Will’s protests with a wave of his hand. “No no, I insist that you have them. The meat would have gone to waste here anyway and I know that you have a habit of skipping meals. Let me try to provide for my friends and their canine companions.”
“Don’t get too excited anyways, croque-monsieur is just a fancy term for ham and cheese sandwich. He’d probably ask for a twenty because of the name alone.” Hannibal crossed his arms while Gordon continued to insult his clearly superior skills. “Now, if you’d like to try some real food, you should stop by the Maze sometime. I’m the head chef there and can guarantee you a free tasting of anything on the menu.”
“That’s very generous, but I really don’t think I could…” Will responded with a shake of his head. It was a polite refusal that Gordon Ramsay seemed unable to accept.
“No no, I insist that you come eat,” Gordon replied in what Hannibal considered a poor attempt at mimicry of his own voice. “Besides I need someone to finally settle the debate over which of our restaurants is the best. I need a man of your discerning tastes to back my claim up. What do you say, William?”
“I’ll consider it, ok?” Will replied with a smile as Hannibal’s heart sank.
“Great,” Gordon said as he handed off a business card with his personal number written on the back. “There’s the address and hours. Stop by anytime or just give me a call and we’ll get you set up.”
“I’m just taking the card, no promises,” Will said while pocketing the card. He cast a brief glance at the clock on the wall before springing back into action. “Oh, I’ve really got to go! It was very nice to meet you Mr. Ramsay.” Will nearly made it out the door before he remembered to turn around and hastily add, “And thanks again for the treats, Doctor Lecter. I’ll pay you back for the food next time!”
And just like that, Will Graham was gone. The poor innocent boy had been charmed by Gordon Ramsay of all people and had forgotten all about the man that had his best interests at heart. Hannibal didn’t know what game Gordon was trying to play, but he would not allow the man to harm his dear William in any way.
“And just what are your intentions for Will Graham?” He asked in his iciest voice.
Gordon just laughed at him before responding, “I think he looks amazing and would like to have him join me for dinner sometime.”
“If you think I will stand by and allow you to eat Will then you are sadly mistaken. Touch him and I will end you.” Any truce they may have had would be discarded in a heartbeat if it meant keeping his dear Will safe from a man as dangerous and needlessly flamboyant as Gordon Ramsay.
“Oh I don’t plan on eating him, at least not in the way I believe you’re envisioning.” Hannibal would have stabbed the man right at that moment if he had been armed and Gordon no doubt knew that as he paused to let the full implications of that sentence sink in before speaking again. “I think Will is a consenting adult, if he would rather spend his time with me that’s really his choice isn’t it?”
“I have been carefully cultivating a friendship with him for months and I will not see that work undone by you, Gordon.”
“Jesus, is he a person or a vegetable garden, Hannibal? It’s entirely up to Will who he would rather date. We’ll just have to see who gets to him first is all.”
“You don’t deserve him.”
“That’s not up for you to decide, Hannibal. May the best man win,” Gordon challenged before turning and making his way towards the exit.
“I intend to.”
“God you’re pretentious.” It was the last thing he said before the doors closed behind him, leaving his challenge hanging in the empty space for Hannibal to worry about.
Hannibal really hated Gordon Ramsay.