Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Are we still set for my culinary students to join you for this saturday?" Hannibal asked Will as they walked towards the kitchen. Their pace was quick, both wanting to arrive before the students did.

"Did you get a list of who is definitely coming?" Will asks as Hannibal opens the door and enters the kitchen classroom.

"Of course," Hannibal nods and Will follows him in. "We have about forty. The definite list is in my office."

"Anyone in preheat or prerut? I'm thinking about using the buses to go out to the lake and go salmon fishing. Charter company can take up to a hundred twenty kids, but they said no preheat or prerut kids since it's a liability if they go early." Will answers and watches as Hannibal begins checking over each station.

"Confirmed none," Hannibal nods. "I always check, just in case."

Grabbing the cart from the walk in cooler, Will waits to answer until he's begun to place ingredients in the mini fridges. "I know, just force of habit after Crawford sent that poor Jacobi kid anyway."

"Rightfully so," Hannibal chuckles, then glances around the room, satisfied with their prep work. "Thank you, Will."

"Don't mention it, you helped with cleaning fish guts in my classroom," Will waves him off. "And letting me taste test the dishes today, when the students are done."

"You may come to regret this, I'm afraid," Hannibal frowns. "They know you're coming to judge their dishes."

"Are they still holding a grudge over when I substituted for you?" Will raises an eyebrow. "You gave me permission to have them gather their own ingredients."

"Multiple students asked for recipes for fish aspic," Hannibal suppresses a grin, secretly proud of his student's ability to figure out what Will wouldn't like without being told.

"Indeed," Will laughs softly. "I admit, I'll probably come to regret it."

"I did warn that escalation of events goes both ways," Hannibal laughs as well as he comes to stand next to Will who finished doling out ingredient packages.

"We'll see how it goes," Will beams at Hannibal, already plotting.

Most of the dishes were normal, but seven of the fifty two dishes were the abhorrent fish jello. Fortunately, Will's taste test was only worth fifteen percent of their grade. None of the seven got about an eighty five percent for this monthly skills test. The only reason Will's input was worth fifteen percent was because the students got a special guest every month. They'd get one week with a list of tastes and textures and the like the guest liked, and they were expected to cook something to match that.

"Less fish jello than I expected," Will admits as he lounges on a chair, watching Hannibal lock up all the cabinets.

"I must confess, I talked several of my star pupils out of purposely making a dish you'd dislike," Hannibal chuckles and pockets his keys.

"My taste buds thank you," Will laughs in kind. "Care to grade papers over some coffee again?"

"I'm afraid I have none to grade this week, however I do have an itinerary to go over for saturday." Hannibal smiles and holds the door open for Will.

They begin walking down the hall together, and Will smiles. "Mine or your's?"

"I find our's will be the same, will they not?" Hannibal teases with an easy smile.

A few students are lingering in the halls in groups talking. Hannibal nods a greeting when he notices a particular group staring, grinning slightly. The young omegas blush and turn back into their group circle, giggling and embarrassed. Will doesn't catch what they're talking about now, but Hannibal does and slows his walk to listen.

They're speaking about how Will only ever smiles and laughs near Hannibal. How they wonder what they'd have to do to see Will smile like that every day. He also catches them gossiping over whether Will was an alpha or an omega. The majority ruled alpha, since most omega teachers used their scent to keep a calm classroom.

"Interesting gossip, Hannibal?" Will teases as he takes note of Hannibal slowing his walking speed.

"Do you know that they believe you're an alpha? Several even believe you may be an omega, and one seems to think you're a beta who wears scent blockers to hide your not being an alpha or omega. That one is especially gung-ho because you've never taken heat or rut leave." Hannibal divulges with a subtle grin, knowing Will detests this particular sort of gossip.

"Designation doesn't matter," Will frowns. "They're at school to learn, not fawn over what parts their teachers do or don't have."

"To be young is a gift," Hannibal states. "They wouldn't be here if their grades faltered."

Grumbling, Will shrugs, "There is always room for improvement."

"One must take advantage of the freedom youth brings. Best to have school yard crushes and puppy love now, when the consequences don't matter as much," Hannibal hums.

"Is it?" Will frowns and opens the door to his office so Hannibal can go in before him.

"You mean to tell me you never took part in a clique?" Hannibal muses as he sits down in the lounge chair he brought over several years back.

"Hard to be a part of things when you jump schools every few months," Will rolls his eyes as he sits down behind his desk.

"Trouble staying in?" Hannibal asks as Will passes him a folder for Saturday's activities.

"Worked on boats with my dad," Will answers as he pulls out a stack of essays on the effects of invasive species on native freshwater wildlife populations. "Never stayed too long, always following the money more than settling down."

Surprised he never heard this before in the multiple years he's known Will, Hannibal tries to hide it. "That would make it difficult."

The conversation dies as both men begin to go through their tasks. Hannibal confirms the charter, and Will reads and corrects essays. The silence isn't awkward in the least, and they work on their tasks comfortably.

Chapter Text

"Hannibal," Will calls as he knocks on the door frame to Hannibal’s open office. "You got a minute?"

"Of course, come in," Hannibal smiles as he looks up, then grows more serious at Will's expression. Tension paints his features with taunt lines and pinched eyebrows, aging him a few years at least.

Closing the door behind him, Will enters his office. Hands wring around each other as he sits, and a weighted silence holds the moments before he speaks. "You used to be a doctor, right?"

"Yes," Hannibal nods, growing more serious.

"I..." Will swallows, the topic uncomfortable to broach. "I just got back from a third opinion. I've been told I have to go off suppressants indefinitely."

"May I ask if this has anything to do with your leave of absence a month ago?" Hannibal asks softly, heart hoping that this was Will opening a courting dialogue between them.

"It does," Will nods, extremely uncomfortable as he begins to tap his fingers together anxiously.

"Have you also been told to go off scent blockers until you complete one cycle naturally? One cycle referring to a naturally occurring heat followed by at least three months but no more than twelve months without a heat?" Hannibal asks, already certain that Will has been told his body has begun to show symptoms of suppressant sickness.

Supressant sickness in alphas can lead to infertility, beta levels of hormones, and the inability or difficulty to knot. In omegas, the symptoms are typically much worse overall but easily attributed to other diagnoses. Severe cramping, night sweats, head aches, brain swelling, and so many other symptoms are among the multitude that can be expected among omegas who experience suppressant sickness. Fertility is usually effected in some form, with less fertile to begin with omegas typically going completely sterile. Toxic shock syndrome can also be a worry to happen alongside suppressant sickness.

"I got told I'd have to during the summer, so I can finish out the school year on scent blockers. Next school year, I can be on them again," Will nods, looking at the grain in the wood of Hannibal’s desk.

"May I ask what you'd like to talk with me about?" Hanninal asks, barely able to hide the hopeful tone in his voice. Whether Will is an omega or an alpha doesn't matter to Hannibal, he's interested in him either way. He'd be interested even if Will were a beta.

Fighting down his pride and nervousness, Will swallows. "I... I don't think my doctor or any of the ones I went to are taking me seriously because I'm an omega."

"May I ask why you feel that way?" Hannibal found it easy to keep his tone clinical as disappointed floods his being. Will wasn't coming to him to talk about a courtship of any sort, but he still felt happy about the new level of trust Will made obvious to him by coming to him.

"All three asked if 'my alpha' could come in to give their opinions on what symptoms I was showing." Will still won't meet Hannibal’s eyes. "They dismissed my... concerns... over things not... feeling right." He runs a hand over his face. "The police found me sleepwalking down a road miles from my house over the weekend. This last doctor didn't even let me finish telling him."

"Will," Hannibal’s voice was horrified. "I still have quite a few connections and friends in the medical field. Would you be comfortable having me talk to them about setting up some tests?"

"Please?" Will asks as he buries his face in his hands. "I need your help."

"Have you informed the superintendent or principal or anyone else?" Hannibal asks, and, when Will nods, he speaks again. "Have they agreed to give you days off as needed?"

"Yes," Will drags his hands down his face as he looks up at Hannibal. "I've convinced them to let my dad substitute for me if I have to miss this the salmon fishing this saturday. He's the best fit."

"Are they aware of your speaking to me for assistance in getting proper medical care?" Hannibal asks softly, then adds. "I'm glad to hear you've found a substitute you prefer should we need to miss it."

"Yes, the Crawfords were happy to hear you were the one I planned on speaking with," Will sighs as he looks away from Hannibal. "You'll be compensated if you miss classes because you decide to help me."

"Is that something I'm invited to attend? Asking me for help does not equate to being obligated to allow me into your personal matters," Hannibal appraises Will fully. "You owe me nothing."

Swallowing down an almost fluttering feeling at the fact Hannibal seems to want to be there, Will reminds himself of simple facts. Simple facts being that Hannibal is just acting as a concerned friend. A concerned, platonic friend that Will has no business having feelings over. "You're invited to my doctor's appointments. I want your full opinion on everything."

"In the hopes of being as transparent as humanly possible, I would like to remind you of the fact that you will have to put me down on paper as a prospective mate." Hannibal informs, tone staying clinical as he reminds himself that Will definitely isn't interested. Especially given how stressed Will is, Hannibal has no business trying to bring up anything.

"Okay," Will nods, mentally telling himself the surge of happiness at Hannibal's willingness is because he's happy to have help. There's no way it's because Hannibal is willing to be seen as an alpha Will may claim and be claimed by on paper. They're good friends and coworkers. That's it.

"Do you mind if I make a few calls? I'll keep it all on speaker so that you may comment or listen," Hannibal inquires as he pulls out his personal phone book.

"Please," Will nods.