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Hannibal had his long-sleeve shirt half rolled up his forearms. He had a slight tan, summer months in full swing, spending more time outside tending to the garden and fishing with Will. He sighed to himself and frowned. This was the third time in a row Will had forgotten cigarettes in his pocket on laundry day, a nasty little habit he’s formed, he thought to himself. Will used to be so careful emptying his pants and jacket pockets, but as of late he’d been annoyingly negligent. Perhaps he’s finally settled into no longer being a bachelor, Hannibal though, despite how many years it had been since they completely upturned and restarted their lives. At best, it was simply wasteful, and at worst, Hannibal was cleaning stuck tobacco leaves from the washer when he, too, forgot to check those same pockets. Will always checked his pockets last-minute on days he did the laundry, but more frequently forgot on days it was Hannibal’s turn. There was one less final check-in when responsibility ended with the clothing landing in the laundry basket.
“I’ll clean it, Hannibal, it’s my mistake,” Will always genuinely offered, sometimes a playful smile rounding out his cheeks, but Hannibal always took care of it before Will ever had the chance. It wasn’t especially difficult to clean it all, mostly Hannibal just liked to complain. Will was so perfect in nearly every other way, he had to get his licks in when he got the chance.
As annoying as it was, Hannibal knew it was petty given everything. They both worked hard maintaining the house and their now-cozy lives, unemptied pockets was a grievance worth forgiving and forgetting. Hannibal got into his own habit of being extra thorough checking the pockets, ensuring no traps lie hidden and forgotten.
After several weeks of Will dutifully remembering, Hannibal went to do the laundry and felt a crinkle in the breast pocket of Will’s flannel. Hannibal playfully rolled his eyes and unbuttoned it. He pulled out a cigarette box with open messily and hurriedly scribbled on the front. He raised an eyebrow and opened it to find it empty of cigarettes but containing a carefully folded note. He raised a curious brow as he unfolded it, smiling ear to ear as he scanned the page. The writing on the inside was much neater than the curt instructions on the box. They were written with care.
Dearest Hannibal,
Tonight, dinner’s on me, hope you don’t mind
have something special planned
pick out your favorite red wine
dress up and I’ll dress up with you
Love, W
P.s. don’t go digging around the bedroom
too much, you’ll ruin a surprise.
It was concluded with a quick and simple sketch of a heart with a silly smile. Hannibal felt his skin get warm and face flush. He looked around to make sure Will wasn’t watching, getting a second and sneaky joy from it all. Hannibal folded the note and placed it in wallet behind a photo of Will for safekeeping. He finished the rest of the laundry with a twinkle in his eye and skip in his step, humming a song through a smile, patiently and eagerly curious what Will had in store for him.