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Will was not sure what had happened, what circumstance had occurred for him to allow Hannibal to talk him into dancing.
No, actually, he knew what it had been. Some throw-away comment about how he had danced with Bedelia, but not him, and low and behold, Hannibal had managed to get them into some fancy event, where dancing was required.
So Will dressed in the nice clothes, which of course Hannibal had bought with his preference for certain fabrics in mind.
Proper suit and tie, not overly formal, nothing like Will hadn't worn before.
It had been more than a year since their fall.
They had healed, they had recovered, they were trying. And this, Will reminded himself, was part of trying. He had taken Hannibal fishing and even hunting, and part of relationship, any relationship, was trying.
"You look exquisite, Will." Hannibal's voice said just then, as he inspected himself in the mirror.
Will turned. Hannibal stood in the doorway of the room, dressed almost identically, though closer inspection proved that his suit was a deep, deep emerald that only showed when the light hit it right.
Like Will, he was freshly groomed, his maroon eyes picked out by that shade of green, and his scent of musk and wine were wonderful.
Another change after their fall. Hannibal had stopped hiding his scent, had stopped hiding the fact he was an omega. Dropping the walls Will had so stubbornly climbed over, peeling off the tattered remains of that person suit that had still remained.
"Thanks. You look..." Will said, faltering, because he had never been good at these things.
Not in any relationship. But Hannibal did look wonderful, handsome. And Will got to see him this way.
"Thank you." Hannibal said, knowing without needing him to finish.
"Are you ready to leave?" he added.
"Yeah. Just let me-"
"Will, you do not need to spray on that terrible scent-covering cologne. Your scent is wonderful the way it is, and no one is going to identify us by scent alone." Hannibal interrupted.
"No need to be rude, Dr. Lecter. You'll have to be on your own menu if you continue." Will quipped.
This made Hannibal smile.
They went out to the car, and Will let Hannibal drive (though Hannibal was the only one between them who knew exactly where they were going).
It was a party in a wonderfully old, beautiful historic building, the kind only Europe could offer, and Will wondered if he should offer his arm, seeing the couples coming in doing so.
But Hannibal did not ask, not did he look as though he expected it. He had been respectful of Will's boundaries and what he wanted to do, rather than trying to force. Well, there had been some coaxing and even shoving, but nothing too far, nothing too harsh. No more than Will did to him.
They walked in together, alphas, omegas, and betas around them, and Will could see some alphas examining Hannibal after catching his scent.
Hannibal was not a typical omega, and did not look like the stereotype. Nor did he act like it. Just as Will was not a typical alpha. He and Will walked in as equals, though alpha and omega, and Will felt a flash of smugness.
They were not even close to a stereotype at all.
The grand old space was filled with couples, food was offered in tables along the side, and drinks were in steady supply.
Will followed Hannibal's lead, accepting the glass of wine the omega plucked off a tray for him; Hannibal knew his tastes, and knew he would have refused champagne.
Deep red with rich, dark notes, it reminded Will of Hannibal himself, truth be told. Ordinary on the surface, but containing different notes and layers upon further investigation.
Hannibal had forged some connections here, albeit minor, and introduced Will to the people he knew, using the false names they had adopted here. After so long, they rarely tripped up and used the wrong name in public.
Though he had never been one for socializing, though he had always felt out of place with these sorts of things, Will found that here and now, with Hannibal by his side, he felt relaxed. Less awkward as he had been. Hannibal was the only person he cared about here; the other people owed him nothing, and he owed them nothing as well.
It was pleasant. It was... It was nice, actually. More than Will had been expecting.
Hannibal stayed near him, making him comfortable, and smiled whenever Will threw someone off somehow.
He did not hate Will for being who he was. He admired it, loved it, encouraged it.
A few times, Will had to head off alphas who came sniffing around Hannibal, and he wondered if this was why Hannibal had not covered his scent, because he enjoyed Will claiming him, making his stake clear. No, he knew Hannibal had one that, but he didn't care.
They were still new to this, still courting, still learning, still trying, but for better or for worse, Hannibal was his. His and his alone, and he made that clear.
And it was pleasing to see Hannibal's expression, the admiration and adoration in his eyes, when Will staked his claim and chased off anyone else whose interests went beyond conversation.
Will swayed idly to the music playing, played on various instruments, and watched as pairs spun and glided across the dance floor. It was not surprising that the conversation turned to dancing.
Will knew how to dance. He could attend weddings of different calibers and be all right. But he knew Hannibal was an accomplished dancer, and he had been teaching him since they had healed. Intimacy without sex, touching but according to a set of rules, like a boat motor, and Will liked it more than he had thought he would in the beginning.
He remembered being as awkward as a teenager when Hannibal had first wanted to dance with him, but he had gotten over that quickly. He had gotten over a lot of things quickly with Hannibal, and he knew it was the same for Hannibal, even if it would not appear that way on the outside.
Will was only half-listening to the conversation, watching, observing everything, and he picked up snippets of the conversation, about how one of Hannibal's acquaintances, a (beautiful) beta had trained as a professional ballroom dancer. Honestly, the conversation did not interest Will in the slightest, but he did start paying attention when it became clear a debate was going on.
With Hannibal, you could never tell when something was going to turn someone from friend to food. Will had made him promise not to kill anyone associated with them and he had abided by that promise for months, but Will knew there was always the risk that the promise might be broken.
He started paying attention now, listening to them debate the finer details of various waltz, and could tell by the expression on Hannibal's face that he was enjoying himself.
"I think I might just have to ask you to prove that, Mykolas." Francesca said, referring to Hannibal's comment about one dance over the other.
"I will happily do so, madam. Even right now, if you wish." Hannibal said, mischief and pleasure in his eyes.
"Please do." the beta said, her own eyes gleaming.
Will wasn't dumb. He could see that despite his actions, Francesca was subtly flirting with Hannibal, though Hannibal was not doing it back... Much. He did have his own way of flirtatiously changing the subject, as Will did. He scowled at the woman behind his drink, polishing it off. He deposited the glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
Hannibal lightly touched Will's arm and went to speak with the musicians. Of course Hannibal could charm his way into getting them to play a piece he wanted when this one was over, set up his stage. It was impressive and Will admired it, loved him for it.
After Hannibal's 'friend' made a brief announcement that Mr. Kairys was about to show them how a proper English waltz was done, the floor was quickly cleared, the guests bunching around it to form a circle formed of bodies, and he spoke over the rustle of clothes and footsteps.
"A true waltz is not a complicated dance, though many make it out to be. The partner takes their place slightly to the left of the leading dancer, and they repeat six basic steps. It is as simple as that." Hannibal announced to the room, plucking a candle from a holder.
"It is said, however, that the mark of the perfect waltz is for it to be so swift, so delicate, and so smooth that a candle flame will not be extinguished in the hand of the lead dancer. Which, of course, requires the perfect partner." he continued as the candle flickered in his hand.
He turned to the crowd and Will knew what was happening before anyone else did, because he saw Hannibal's eyes immediately fix on him and no one else. The Lithuanian closed the space between them in three swift steps and Will felt his tongue go dry.
"Would you be mine, Graham?" Hannibal asked as there were murmurs through the crowd.
Will had made the mistake of letting Hannibal pick his false name while he picked Hannibal's. Will had chosen the two most common names in Lithuania. Hannibal had pretty much flipped his name around, because now the world knew him as Graham Williams, and the amusement on Hannibal's face almost made up for that. Almost.
He could feel Francesca glaring beside him; obviously she had thought Hannibal was going to pick her, given their debate and what an accomplished dancer she claimed to be. She was probably right; Will could dance, but he would not have called himself the 'perfect' partner.
"I think Francesca would rather." he said.
He was reluctant because he did not like to show off. Not so blatantly. He didn't like being the center of attention in a crowd. Beside Hannibal it in, it was fine. Will knew he got his share of admiring looks, but most were directed to the omega, and beside him Will could be present but in the background, enjoying himself while still being comfortable.
Hannibal knew this. Will had changed, they had both changed, but Will's preferred state of staying out of the spotlight hadn't.
"I am aware, but I am asking you, mylimasis." Hannibal said, hand still extended.
He looked at Will earnestly, silently asking, and Will sighed inwardly, then accepted his hand.
If had been any doubt of what was between them to those around them before, there certainly wasn't now. And there were more whispers as Hannibal very clearly placed himself in the stance of the lead dancer. An omega leading. So very scandalous... Here in the twenty-first century. Suddenly Will was glad that he had accepted. He was tired of both of them being misunderstood or judged by expectations and stereotypes.
"You can close your eyes if you rather. If the crowd makes you nervous. I will guide you safely." Hannibal whispered as he positioned Will's hand around the candle so they were holding it between their clasped hands.
Will briefly worried about hot wax, but he knew even Hannibal wasn't that sadistic. Hannibal's hand took his back; Will placed his on Hannibal's shoulder.
"I want to see." Will said as the music swelled beyond the opening chords.
Hannibal smiled and then, together, they began to dance. Hannibal was a wonderful dancer, practically gliding over the floor, and Will followed his lead, repeating the steps they had danced in the privacy of their own plenty of times.
He kept his eyes locked with Hannibal's, and Hannibal did the same with him. They did not look away from each other, not at the candle, not at the crowd. They let the music carry them, matching their movements to it, and Will felt as if he were gliding, as if he had been removed from everything else.
As if he had walked in the mind that was not his own yet was, and everything else was removed. Just Hannibal, the heat of his body, the touch of his hands, his wonderful scent, and his consuming gaze remained, along with the faint flicker of the candle, reflecting in the wine-colored depths of his eyes.
Will found himself smiling a little and Hannibal smiled back, and it didn't matter that they were showing off, didn't matter they were just proving right something Hannibal had said. Didn't matter that everyone was watching.
Will felt his jacket brush lightly against someone as they whirled along the edge of the crowd, but that didn't matter either, and they moved almost daringly close to the crowd, though the space they had been given was not excessively big to begin with.
Will kept his eyes open. This would go into the palace they were building together, this room and this moment built into its halls and chapels and moments, this music playing endlessly, and they would be able to visit whenever they wanted. Will knew this would be a room they purposefully built together, not just one they happened to share and embellish with their own ways of remembering that moment.
They brushed the crowd again, gliding across the floor, and in this moment, Will also felt peaceful.
In all, they danced for about perhaps two minutes. The piece was short, disappointingly so, and as the music reached it's final florish, Hannibal removed his hand from Will's back, separating from him in ways, though their hands were still joined. Now they stood in the middle of the floor and held aloft between their raised hands was the candle, still burning strong.
Will found himself smiling and he looked over at Hannibal, who smiled back, and applause echoed off the vaults of the room, and they closed the distance between them again.
Will blew out the candle and Hannibal's hand cupped his cheek, his eyes sparkling.
"You were wonderful, Will." he whispered, using Will's real name despite the risk.
Maybe that was why he had insisted on flipping Will's name around. So he could still call him by it, and anyone who overheard would assume it was a nickname off his surname.
"So were you." Will returned and he was certain that Hannibal knew that, but he still smiled wonderfully when he saw it.
Hannibal turned to Francesca, an obvious expression on his face, and she sighed dramatically.
"I am afraid I must admit defeat, Mykolas. That was lovely. You were right." she said, smiling at him.
Hannibal beamed. Will could smell his satisfaction, his scent intoxicating, more than any drug.
"I can not claim all the credit, of course. Such a dance can not be performed without the perfect partner, as I said." he said, still holding Will's hand.
"Yes, of course. You were splendid, Mr. Williams." Francesca said, and Will nodded his acceptance.
He and Hannibal left the dance floor, and Will idly wondered how many people would try to dance with a candle as the night went further and alcohol did away with common sense.
"You just could not resist the chance to show off, could you?" Will teasted lightly once they had settled back, and the regular dancing had begun again.
"Of course not. And I could not resist the chance to show you off, Will. You are the loveliest person here, alpha, beta, or omega. Man or woman. How could I not show you off?" Hannibal said, placing a fresh glass in Will's hand.
Will felt himself turn pink a little and Hannibal smiled.
"You have a biased opinion on that." he pointed out.
"It does not matter. It is true." Hannibal countered.
Will was not used to compliments. Molly had given them to him and they had always felt... He didn't know how to take one. He had always turned hot or looked away or even walked away, though he knew she meant them. He had rarely felt he was worthy of them, or that he deserved them.
Molly had started it, and now Hannibal was finishing it, making him feel that he did deserve them, that they were true.
"You, too." he said, a lame return, but he did not need elegant words for Hannibal to know what he had meant.
Another dance started, another sort of waltz, and as couples went out on the floor, Will set his wine glass on the window ledge.
"I did enjoy that, Hannibal. Would... Would you like to dance again? Let me show you off?" he said, feeling almost shy.
"I would be honored, Will." Hannibal said, accepting his hand.
His scent was not the only one filled with pleasure and this time Will led, getting to hold his omega close.