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Chapter Text

Will didn’t even know why he tried at all.

His fingers were desperately trying to fix what was supposed to be a tree-shaped cookie, while trying to keep Encephalitis away at the same time.

“Oh, fuck me,” he muttered, leaving the cookie be and licking the dough that had stuck to his fingers away with his tongue. The flavour was awful, too; not only the shape. He tried to remember why was he trying this in the first place; he couldn’t cook something edible if his life depended on it.

The soft scent of expensive-as-hell soap he still couldn’t come to appreciate reminded him exactly why he was trying, as he heard the front door shutting.

“Fuck!” he almost yelled, hurrying the tray filled with horribly-shaped cookies inside the oven, almost tripping with his dog in the way. He shushed him away, trying to calm himself down a bit.

He wanted to surprise Hannibal. This was going wrong, wrong, so wrong. He couldn’t even do something as simple as baking some goddamn cookies.

“Will?” a husky voice behind him asked, tone hesitant. Will wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

He felt his cheeks grow pink with heat. “Yeah?” he turned around, trying not to blush completely at Hannibal’s look on him. He knew he looked ridiculous with the pink apron he had on, but it was the only one he had found at the market. The red, festive ones, were all sold out. He never thought Hannibal would see him wearing it, though.

He was so, so wrong, and so, so embarrassed.

“What are you doing?” Will could see Hannibal was honestly confused. To be honest, Will was, too.

He never thought he’d resort to trying to seduce a man with his awful cooking skills. But he could at least try, he had thought, given all that Hannibal had done for both of them over the past months.

Maybe he should have settled for buying him something nice. Will wanted to please Hannibal, though. He wasn’t so sure anymore why he had thought baking him cookies was the way to do so.

“I’m, uh…” he scratched the back of his neck nervously, the act reminding him that he still had his oven gloves on. He took them off nervously, tossing them to the table. “I - I saw a recipe online,” he tried to explain. “And… It’s December, you know?” he chuckled nervously. “I thought… I thought making cookies would be nice. For the occasion.”

“Occasion?”

“Yeah,” he gulped. “Holidays, you know?” he shrugged.

Hannibal frowned. Will looked away, feeling rejected by the small gesture. He knew it meant nothing; Hannibal was just confused. It still made something inside his chest hurt.

“I thought you couldn’t cook.”

“Well, I just wanted to try,” he spat, suddenly feeling too hurt to care about what he was saying. “I know I don’t have your oh so incredible cooking skills, but I thought it’d be nice if I at least tried,” he tried to sound cold, but his tone faltered at the end. “I just thought you’ve done so much for me already. I wanted to give it back to you.”

“With cookies.”

“With cookies.”

A silence fell over the room for what felt like an eternity. Will was starting to regret everything. He wanted nothing more than to retreat to his room and drown with whiskey.

Hannibal hummed reflexively. At the sound, Will looked up at him. He was smiling. It was the first time in a long time he’d seen him smile. Will’s own smile formed with it.

“Thank you, Will,” he sounded like he meant it. He gave two steps forward, and suddenly, Will felt overwhelmed with Hannibal’s presence looming over him. “I really appreciate it,” he knew he wasn’t going to kiss him, but Will smiled at the thought anyway. Hannibal’s kind expression was enough for now, though.

“It’s nothing. I just wanted to make you happy,” Will hadn’t intended it to sound so… raw, so sincere. He would have regretted it immensely, had Hannibal not smiled even wider at it.

“I do think I should be the one cooking, though,” Hannibal said, stepping back a bit, eyeing the oven. “You could help, if you wish to. But do leave it to me.”

Will couldn’t help but agree.

Chapter Text

Next morning, Will woke up to loud steps outside of his room.

He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, rubbing them, trying to bring himself completely awake. He yawned, looking at the clock – How early was it?

Seven in the morning. Seven in the fucking morning, and Hannibal was already doing God-knows-what.

With a grunt, Will got up and ventured outside of his room. Hannibal was never one to make noises, so Will was a bit weirded out. What was he doing?

Then again… Will didn’t think of Hannibal as an ornament type of guy. He thought Hannibal would just organize a big and fucking fancy dinner party at his fucking fancy place in Christmas Eve. Not that he could do that right now, but Will figured he’d still do something alike.

But not this; not carrying around a box full of red and golden ornaments. That was nothing like Hannibal. Was Will dreaming?

“Good morning, Will” the ex-psychiatrist greeted him calmly as he passed in front of him, carrying a box filled with Christmas balls.

“Uh…”

He couldn’t think of anything to say. He never thought Hannibal was the sort of man who liked Christmas.

“You… You like…” he tried to ask, following the man downstairs, feeling just a little bit disappointed when he didn’t see a Christmas tree in the middle of his living room. Of their living room, Will corrected himself. “You like Christmas?” he finally asked as Hannibal settled the box down, next to a couple more.

Hannibal gave him a strange look. “I thought you liked Christmas.”

“What? Why?”

“I figured you did, given what happened yesterday,” oh. He meant the cookies. Will blushed a bit. “Was I wrong?”

Will shook his head. “No, no, just…” he didn’t even know what to say, felt a little bit overwhelmed; even flattered. Was Hannibal doing all of this just for him? He tried not to think into it too much. “When did you buy all of this?” he gestured towards the boxes.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Hannibal confessed, looking reflexively at the boxes in the ground. “I was… thinking too much. So I decided to go for a walk, to clear my mind. It is quite therapeutic, and quite nice, too, with this weather,” Will nodded in agreement. “There was an open store, and they were selling ornaments, so I bought some.”

“Some?” Will mocked. “There’s three boxes of them, Hannibal.”

“I’ve never celebrated Christmas,” he admitted. If Will didn’t know better, he would have said Hannibal sounded nostalgic. “I thought it would be nice to start doing so. It comes with the notion of a family,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Brings people together, and draws the lonely ones away. We can learn a lot about a person by the way they celebrate Christmas. A happy celebration suggests contentment. Perhaps intimacy, and the comfort it brings, knowing this is celebrated merely for the family’s sake. The happiness of being together brings humanity warmth in this cold weather.”

“But you don’t have a family,” Will said before he could stop himself. “I mean… I mean, unless you consider Cephy family, then I don’t know what you mean,” he tried to sound like he was joking. He failed miserably.

“I do have one,” Hannibal said, but added nothing at Will’s expectant look. “Starting to celebrate it could symbolize the new beginning of this life. Together.”

The way Hannibal looked at Will, with so many emotions gathered in his eyes he couldn’t even begin to decipher, made Will feel weak.

He gulped. “I could help you decorate the house, then.”

Hannibal smiled at him.

Chapter Text

The place they had settled in was fairly nice, Will had to admit.

Cuba wasn’t exactly a cold place, but Will still felt comfortable sitting right in front of the fireplace that was in their living room.

Hannibal was out somewhere Will didn’t bother paying attention to. He’d mentioned some weird name in Spanish Will didn’t get and had gone off. Truth be told, Will felt a bit lonely.

The house they were in was big, too big for just two people to live in. If you got out and walked for about twenty minutes, you would eventually see the beach. Will didn’t like to go; felt too observed, even though it was unlikely anyone would recognize him. It had been almost a year now, since they were officially dead.

There was some comfort in being dead, Will had to admit. He truly had no other obligation besides eating and sleeping and going out for a run every now and then. It was almost too good to be truth. Will still woke up sometimes, in the middle of the night, looking around, afraid this all had been just a dream.

He knew, though, he wasn’t dreaming; had he been dreaming, he figured the dream would at least be good enough that Hannibal and he would be… something else.

He didn’t even know what they were now.

Encephalitis curled up next to him. “Hey, there,” he greeted happily, patting the dog’s head.

He thought, when Hannibal pulled them out of the sea, that they were past pretending to be friends. He thought for a moment, too, that Hannibal would be mad at him for throwing them both to the sea.

Nothing had happened, though. Hannibal had taken care of them both, helping Will heal and healing himself. But besides that, besides the almost too intimate touch they shared while cleaning their wounds, nothing much had changed.

Hannibal was still too professional towards him sometimes. It still felt like they were psychiatrist and patient only, from time to time. Mostly, though, Will felt he didn’t even know what they were at all. Were they friends? Were they… something else? What if Hannibal didn’t love him that way? What if he didn’t love him at all?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door being opened. He turned towards the sound, eyeing Hannibal for a second before returning his gaze to the fireplace. The soft cracking of wood calmed him enough that he was able to greet back when Hannibal said hi.

“You look… Pensive, Will,” Hannibal said, leaving a couple of paper bags in the kitchen before returning to Will. “What’s in your mind?”

Will looked as Hannibal sat down in front of the fireplace, next to him. He couldn’t avoid getting just a little bit closer, feeling Hannibal’s warmth emanating from his body. He sighed.

“Are we friends?” he asked, not thinking it twice.

“Friends?” Hannibal seemed to weight on the question. “What do you think we are, Will?” he asked, carefully putting a hand in the carpet behind Will. He leant a little bit closer, just to look at Will answering.

“I don’t… know,” Will wondered if he should just go for it and ask. It wasn’t a good idea, Will knew, but he had to know. “That’s why I ask,” he said finally, deciding it would be too risky to say anything else. He leant just a little bit into Hannibal’s chest, settling his head against the man’s shoulder. “Before we killed the Dragon, you said we were friends,” he added.

“Did I?” Hannibal wrapped his arm around Will’s shoulder, staring into the fireplace. “Technically, I said I loved you.”

“Yeah, well, but I mean…” he trailed off, sighing. “I don’t know.”

“Do you need to put a name to what we have, Will?”

Will thought about it for a second. He shook his head, then, relaxing into Hannibal’s embrace. “No,” he answered. “Not for now."

Chapter Text

Will felt something crash against the back of his head.

He was busy caressing Cephy’s stomach. Confused, he turned around and saw a white ball in the grass. He looked up to see Hannibal was pretending to read the newspaper, sitting in the rocking chair he had outside in the porch.

It took Will a bit to realize what was happening. He had to take the white ball between his hands to realize it was made out of something like cotton.

It was supposed to be a snowball.

“Seriously?” he asked, looking at Hannibal. The man didn’t even turn.

“What is it, Will?”

“What is it, Will,” he mocked. “You threw a fucking fake snowball at me.”

This time, Hannibal did look at him. He lowered his newspaper, just enough so Will could see his eyes but not the rest of his face. “I don’t understand what you mean, I’m afraid.”

“Bullshit,” he replied. He thought about it for a moment, then decided to throw the ball back at Hannibal. It hit the newspaper, and the dog ran to get it.

Encephalitis tore it down in seconds. Hannibal didn’t seem troubled with Will’s little reckoning. The newspaper was now just a little bit wrinkled. Hannibal straightened the newspaper and kept on reading.

“It might have been actual snow,” Hannibal said, not even acknowledging the mess Cephy had now made at his feet.

“You do know it doesn’t snow in here, don’t you?” Will wanted to laugh. He only managed to snort. “It’s actually hot as hell, Hannibal.”

“I agree,” he simply nodded. Then, he got a hand into his pocket, and pulled out another faux snowball. “Cuba too,” he threw the ball at Will.

This time, he caught it. “The fuck do you mean?” he threw it back. It hit Hannibal in the head, and yet again, he didn’t seem to acknowledge it.

“The snowballs, of course,” he replied instead, finally putting his newspaper down. He stood up, picked up the rests of both snowballs, and walked towards Will. “They have been on my pocket for quite a while now, so they are warm,” he explained. “A kid was selling them in the streets, when I went to buy supplies this morning. I forgot I bought him a couple.”

“What did you even want to do with them?” Will asked, leaning a bit into Hannibal’s shoulder when he sat next to him. “Did you just want to throw snow at my head?”

“Perhaps,” he said. “I thought it might remind you of home.”

Will sighed. “This is my home, Hannibal,” he said. “Our home, for that matter. It is now, at least.”

“Do you consider Cuba your home now?”

“Not necessarily,” he said, and didn’t plan to say anything else; would be too embarrassed to do so. But Hannibal kept staring at him, waiting for an explanation. With another sigh, Will thought he didn’t have any dignity left lo lose, anyway. “I consider you my home,” he whispered, hoping Hannibal wouldn’t hear him. “No matter where we are, whether there’s snow or not.”

He relaxed a bit when Hannibal didn’t seem to hear what he had said.

They sat there, in silence, for what felt like an eternity. It wasn’t until dusk that Hannibal replied.

“I do, too.”

Will didn’t even remember what Hannibal was replying to.

Chapter Text

Will hadn’t ventured outside for anything else besides going for a run every now and then. Going to the market seemed a bit like a big deal, now that he had become used to seeing only one other human around. Will felt a little bit overwhelmed, if he was being honest.

He wasn’t even sure why he had ventured out; had said to himself he needed some cheap whiskey. Hannibal’s expensive wine was starting to drive him mad. He felt like he just couldn’t appreciate the fruity smell, or the woody taste, or whatever the fuck Hannibal would say whenever offering him a glass of it.

He walked right to the alcohol aisle, reaching a hand towards the cheapest whiskey he saw right away. He only stopped at the sight of eggnog. He considered it for a moment; how mad would Hannibal get if he saw him downing a whole bottle of cheap eggnog?

The idea amused him, so he took the bottle with him, paid for it and went back home immediately.

Hannibal wasn’t around when Will got back. Maybe he was in his studio, but Will couldn’t tell; it’s not like he cared all that much anyway, he said to himself.

Truth is, all of this… thing, was driving him insane. The house, decorated so much like Hannibal’s dark style; the food; even the fucking alcohol. Will felt like he was surrounded by Hannibal no matter where he was, and it made him feel dizzy, like he couldn’t escape his own thoughts.

It felt maddening; being surrounded by the one you love, but not getting to express what you felt. Will didn’t know any better way to deal with this sort of situation than drinking himself to sleep, so he opened the eggnog and drank straight from the bottle.

It tasted so much like cheap rum and had such a strange texture that Will wanted to throw up. He forgot he didn’t even like eggnog. In his decadency, though, it felt just; getting drunk out of something so awful, it felt like it completed the picture. It fit how he felt.

This was all Hannibal’s fault. He had finally achieved what he so desperately sought for seven years; to be everything in Will’s life. And honestly, what was his deal? Making Will think Hannibal loved him, just to treat him a little bit friendly afterwards. Telling him he was family, doing little things he knew would make Will happy and hopeful. Did he just want to torture him? Was this payback for trying to kill them?

Will gulped down half the bottle. He decided he hated Hannibal.

He fucking hated the man’s guts. All fine suits and perfect manners and charming attitude. Fuck him and his plaid suits. Fuck him and his perfect cheekbones. Fuck him and his hot voice.

Will was so absorbed by his own madness he didn’t realize someone was calling him until that someone touched his shoulder.

“Fucking what?!” he yelled, turning towards whoever was annoying him now. He saw Hannibal, and he looked worried. “Honestly, fuck you,” he didn’t even register he was thinking out loud. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“Will,” the concern in his voice was driving Will up the fucking walls.

“The fuck do you want,” he said, feeling tension building up his shoulders. He couldn’t wait for Hannibal to be gone so he could pass out at the kitchen.

“You’re drunk.”

“And you’re an ass,” he replied. “Are we stating the obvious now?”

“Are you okay, Will?” a hand laid on his shoulder, reassuring, looking for his gaze.

Will didn’t dare look up. He was so submerged in his rage, it felt like the right thing. He knew it would be gone if he looked at Hannibal. He wanted to be mad at him, wanted to hate him. “Yeah, I am.”

“Look at me.”

“Why the fuck would I –“ Hannibal’s strong hands cupped his cheeks, making him look up. He looked into those worried eyes, and knew he was lost. “I said I’m fine.”

“Pardon me if I don’t believe you,” Hannibal said. Will could feel his breath against his face. It made him shiver. “You can tell me what’s wrong.”

“I fucking can’t,” he gulped. “I…” he sighed, looking down at Hannibal’s lips.

He knew he’d regret it. He didn’t care. Within a second, he was kissing the man in front of him. Just a press of lips at first, feeling Hannibal tense up against him. Will started moving slowly, clutching at Hannibal’s shoulders. It felt so good, even though Hannibal wasn’t responding to it.

When he did, Will felt his knees go weak. Sadly, Hannibal separated from him within a couple of seconds. Will sighed sadly into Hannibal’s lips.

“Why –“

“You taste like eggnog. There’s perfectly fine wine all over the house. Why did you drink that?”

Wil shrugged. “It’s December. Why the fuck not,” he leant in for another kiss, but Hannibal stopped him.

“You’re drunk.”

“I know. So?”

Hannibal sighed. He got up, and gestured Will to follow him. “Come. I’ll let you kiss me if you follow me,” so Will did. When they stopped right in front of Will’s bedroom, he felt a little bit too excited. Hannibal opened the door and entered, gesturing Will so he would follow. He closed the door behind him as soon as they were both in, and then pulled Hannibal close by his shoulders.

“Can I kiss you now?” Hannibal’s hands went to his hips. He leant in closer, but didn’t move any further.

“Tomorrow,” he promised. “Not when you’re drunk,” he stepped back.

Will whined. “So what if I’m drunk?” he pouted. “I’m perfectly aware of what I’m doing,” he lied.

“Are you?” Hannibal smiled. “I am quite sure you hated me just a few minutes ago,” Will wanted to protest, but a kiss on his cheek stopped him. “Sleep now. I have plans for us tomorrow.”

“Wait!” he had already opened the door, but Will grabbed his forearm before he got out. “Can I kiss you one last time?” he asked, feeling his face turn hot. “Just in case I don’t dare do it tomorrow.”

He could almost hear Hannibal’s smile. “How could I refuse?” he turned to give Will a small peck on his lips. Before Will could complain, Hannibal got out and closed the door.

Will sighed. At least he hadn’t been awfully rejected. He could sleep with that.

Chapter Text

There were a couple of aspirins and a cup of coffee in the nightstand next to his bed when he woke up the next morning.

He didn’t remember much about last night; his focus was exclusively on his throbbing headache. He had the feeling he wouldn’t want to remember, anyway.

When he got up, his legs felt wobbly. He took an aspirin before dressing up and, hesitating for a second, took the other one too. He vaguely remembered Hannibal telling him today was going to be a long day. Whatever he meant by that, Will felt like he was tired of it already.

It probably meant they’d be going out, but Will didn’t bother putting on anything else besides dark blue pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He went downstairs, cup of coffee in his hands, smelling like heaven and tasting as good when he took a sip of it.

Hannibal was downstairs, busy in the kitchen.

“Is there something I can help with?” he really didn’t want to help; felt too tired to do anything, but he asked anyway.

“You can sit and drink you coffee.”

He obeyed, sighing at the smell of bacon. “I think I remember you telling me today was going to be a long day.”

There was a small pause before Hannibal answered. “Is that all you remember?”

Will tried to figure out if there was something in the way he said it that could tell him how stupid he had been, but the voice was as calm and collected as ever. Will hated him a little bit for that.

“I’m – I’m sorry. I know I got drunk, and whatever I did…” he pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers, his head hammering. “Fuck. Sorry. What did I do?”

“You said you hated me.”

“Oh, I didn’t –“

“And then you kissed me.”

Will froze. Memories started flooding back; the hate he suddenly felt for the man, and how it was gone the instant he looked into his eyes. He remembered thinking this was going somewhere else when Hannibal had taken him to his room. He blushed at the thought, but tried to hold a smile back as no memory of rejection got to him.

“Yeah, I… I remember now,” he said as a two plates were settled in the table. Hannibal took his place in front of him, and started eating, not really acknowledging Will. “I’m sorry.”

“I wanted to give you something,” Hannibal replied instead. “At the moment I did,” he put his fork down, looking intently at Will. “I am not so sure it is a good idea now.”

“A gift?” Will asked.

“Not quite,” Hannibal resumed eating, and so did Will. “An offering.”

“What for?”

Hannibal hesitated before speaking again. Will frowned at him. “Perhaps you should wait and see later. I’m afraid I have already taken care of my own offer last night.”

“Well, what is it?” Will pushed, feeling a bit anxious. He didn’t like not knowing. He didn’t like that Hannibal’s face was unreadable. “What was the offer? What do you mean I should wait?”

“It did not bother me that you kissed me,” Will would have yelled at him for the sudden change in subject, had his breath not gotten stuck at his throat. “I must confess it was something I wanted to do myself.”

Will didn’t know what to answer. He finished his breakfast quickly, and realized, happily, that his headache was gone. “What am I supposed to do while I wait for whatever I’m waiting for?”

“We could go out for a walk,” Hannibal offered, getting up. “But later. I’ll see to the kitchen; go take a shower, Will.”

*

Later that afternoon, they were still wandering around. Walking shoulder to shoulder, all along the beach, the sea never quite reaching them under the red setting sun. Hannibal pulled him by the forearm further away from the beach and into the small town surrounding it. He left Will outside a grocery store, and got back with a newspaper in his hands. He handed it to Will, who took it with a frown on his face.

It didn’t take long for Will to figure out what Hannibal meant.

“The offering, huh?” he muttered, looking at the front page of the newspaper.

There was a picture. Will couldn’t figure out the title in Spanish; could only guess what someone would say about such a thing. Two people sitting in two separate couches, their arms bent over the armrests so they were holding hands. The one in the left had his face replaced by white arbutus flowers, while the one in the right had no head at all. His chest was pierced by ambrosia flowers, right in the middle. In a corner, Will caught a glimpse of a red Christmas ball.

He snorted.

“A holiday card,” he said mockingly. “I didn’t know they could put these sort of pictures in the newspaper.”

“It’s a different culture,” Hannibal replied. “What do you think?”

“What do you mean?”

Hannibal gestured towards the newspaper.

“Are you asking me as a former profiler, or as your… whatever?”

Hannibal smiled slightly. “Just tell me what you see.”

“Ambrosia flowers,” Will pointed at the man with no head. “A love that is requited. A flower that could be toxic,” he wanted to sound analytic, but he knew the blush on his cheeks gave him away. “And the man has no head,” he pointed out. “He has lost his mind to this love.”

Hannibal gave him a pleased look. “What about the other one?”

“Arbutus flowers,” Will replied. “Beauty. Eternal devotion,” he could see it all too clearly; the way Hannibal saw him, the way Hannibal saw both of them. Will felt suddenly overwhelmed. “I’m more concerned about the ball,” he said jokingly, trying to distract himself.

“I thought about placing a Christmas hat on the headless man,” Hannibal joked, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with a genuine smile. “As you said, a Holiday card.”

“Yeah,” Will chuckled. “The domesticity of it…” he trailed off. At Hannibal’s expectant look, he continued. “It still seems like an offer.”

“Does it?”

He shouldn’t feel the way he was feeling; he knew that. The warmth in his chest came along with a slight sense of guilt. He knew Hannibal had done this before in the past year, but he never bothered to look too much into it, didn’t participate either. He didn’t feel ready. And Hannibal would always make some subtle joke about it, so Will knew when they weren’t having pork for dinner.

But the intimacy the picture in front of him conveyed… He almost wanted to ask Hannibal to take him there, if anything, just to see the remains of what was definitely a confession. A love confession. He knew Hannibal would do so if he asked.

“It does,” he simply answered. “We’ll talk about this later,” he said, wanting to sound angry, but not managing to do so. If anything, he sounded flattered. But Hannibal knew better than to tell him they were just rude people, Will knew. There had to be a reason, with Will. A solid one.

He’d ask about it later, when the fluttering of emotion in his chest diminished.

“Let’s go back now,” he said, feeling the last barrier of false morality fall down as he pulled Hannibal by his cashmere sweater to kiss him. “Next time, I’ll come with you.”

“I was hoping you would say that,” Hannibal smiled.

Chapter Text

Will woke up hugged to a moving pillow. It descended and ascended again in a smooth motion, like somebody’s breathing. He yawned, realizing it was Hannibal’s chest. He was trapped in-between his arms.

He vaguely remembered asking Hannibal to stay with him last night. He blushed at the memory.

“What are you doing?” he asked, opening his eyes slowly to find Hannibal’s tablet in front of his face. He was reading Tattlecrime. Will grunted.

An ode to the Murder Husbands, the title read.

“What does it say?”

“It’s about the Holiday card,” Hannibal said, sounding amused. “They believe we have an admirer.”

“So they don’t believe there’s any chance we’re alive?”

“Of course not,” Hannibal replied, setting his tablet aside. He ran his fingers through Will’s curls. “I was careful enough to misguide them.”

“How?”

“I wasn’t as precise as I usually like to be,” he explained. “I do admit it might have been impulsive.”

“So not entirely part of your plan, huh? To be not as precise,” Will snuggled against Hannibal’s chest, sighing happily. “So what happened?” he asked.

Hannibal sighed. “It might be something I don’t usually admit out loud,” he said, his fingers tracing over Will’s skull. “Or something I never do at all, for that matter.”

“You were overwhelmed,” Will replied.

“Yes. I didn't expect you to kiss me.”

Will looked up to see Hannibal’s face. “Why not?” he crawled over Hannibal, supporting himself on his elbows, an arm at each side of Hannibal's head.

Hannibal put a hand on his hip, caressing lightly. “I didn’t presume you would return my feelings,” His other hand went to the back of Will’s neck, bringing Will’s forehead to rest against his.

“Is that a confession?” Will murmured against his lips, not quite reaching for them. Instead, he pressed the tip of his nose against Hannibal’s, rubbing them together.

“Do you need one?”

Will smiled. “No,” he closed his eyes. “But I do need an explanation as to why those people,” he said, resting his torso above Hannibal’s, hiding his face in his neck. “Not now, though.”

“I can assure you, they deserved it,” Hannibal replied, a hand tracing Will’s spine.

“I said not now.”

“Pardon me,” Hannibal kissed the top of Will’s head. “What would you like for breakfast?”

Will whined. “Not now,” he said. “I want to stay like this. Just a little bit longer,” he felt Hannibal smile against his skull.

“As you wish.”

Chapter Text

“Christmas lights?” he frowned. “Why Christmas lights?”

Hannibal looked confusedly at him. “Are they not a fundamental part of Christmas?”

“I mean, I guess,” Will replied, looking at the endless meters of lights. “But where the hell are we gonna put them all? Outside? So everyone will look at our house? The one we’re trying to hide in?”

“There is nothing around us for a few miles,” Hannibal reminded him. “It is quite unlikely anyone will notice. Besides, I was thinking about hanging them inside.”

“You don’t usually hang them inside.”

“Then again, you don’t usually murder a dragon and run to the Caribbean.”

“Touché,” Will sighed. “He wasn’t a real dragon, though.”

“In his mind, he was,” Hannibal argued. “And who are we to say he wasn’t, at the end? He became, just as you did, after all.”

“And what did I become?” Will wondered. “Santa Claus?”

“You’re merely hanging lights, Will,” he replied, an amused tone on his voice. “An elf might be a more adequate answer.”

Will snorted. “Just don't fucking buy me an elf suit,” he joked. “I swear I’ll kill you if you do.”

Hannibal hummed, thoughtful. “Shall we hang them outside, then?”

“No,” Will answered. He started putting all the lights inside the box where they came in. “Let’s take these upstairs. I wanna hang them in my room,” he started walking upstairs.

“Why there?” Hannibal inquired, following him close.

“I want to look at them with you all night.”

And so they did.

Chapter Text

Last night, Hannibal had fallen asleep right when Will intended to ask him an important question.

What are we? He wanted to ask yet again, while they looked at the Christmas lights. Do you love me? But the words were never heard. Hannibal was snoring softly next to Will by the time he’d gathered the courage to ask.

Now, he was pissed. Childish, ridiculous anger ran through him. So he grabbed a square plastic bucket and got it upstairs. The stairs weren’t straight; they turned every four steps. Still, Will thought he could manage to sled through them with no problem.

Just because he knew he would make a mess, he took a bottle of that fucking expensive wine with him. He was already more than half drunk by the time he started plotting this, and was planning on getting completely wasted by the time Hannibal arrived. He would be home in no more than fifteen minutes, Will calculated.

He got inside the bucket with difficulty, which was positioned right where the stairs started. He wriggled a bit, opened the wine bottle, drank almost half of it, and pushed himself down the stairs.

“Oh, fuck,” he almost yelled when he realized just what a bad idea this was, the bucket getting stuck in the first step, throwing Will down the stairs. He heard the bottle break, and felt the wine making his clothes sticky.

He moaned in pain, embarrassingly spread over the floor, the broken bottle in one hand, the other one under his forehead, preventing him from hitting himself in the head.

“Fuck,” he muttered again. At least Hannibal isn’t here to see this, he thought, right before the door opened.

“Will?” he heard Hannibal’s worried voice. He sighed internally, unable to even breathe properly. “What happened?”

“Sledding,” he murmured with difficulty, Hannibal helping him stand up. Everything hurt. He winced when Hannibal held him tight by the waist. “Fuck. I thought -” he inhaled sharply, trying to get himself together. “There’s no snow here, so I thought -” he motioned towards the stairs.

Hannibal chuckled, despite himself. “My dear Will. Are you drunk?”

“Guess so,” he answered, leaning completely against the other man. “Take me upstairs, Hannibal. I’m pissed at you. That’s why I made this mess.”

“So you threw yourself down the stairs just because you were angry at me,” Hannibal said, picking Will up bride style, walking upstairs.

“Sledding,” Will corrected. “I was attempting to -” he made a vague motion with his hand, too dizzy to even phrase properly, “That.”

“Then, you broke a bottle of fine wine just to piss me off,” Hannibal replied, shifting Will’s weight to his shoulder so he could open the door to their now-shared room. He closed the door behind them, dropping Will carefully over the bed. “Quite rude. What’s to be done about that?”

“I was the one pissed at you,” Will whined, pulling Hannibal close by his shirt. “Kiss me and I might feel better.”

Hannibal complied.

Chapter Text

Will kissed Hannibal goodbye when the man went out to the city.

Hesitating for a moment, he decided to go out too. He didn’t have anything in mind; not until he stood in front of a small store, ran by a sweet-looking old lady.

“Buenos días,” Will greeted in broken Spanish. He gave the lady an awkward smile.

“Ay, qué chamaco más guapo. Buenos días. Seguro eres europeo. No vienen muchos gansos por aquí, jé,” Will couldn’t understand a word, despite the lady’s numerous hand motions. He smiled at her and nodded.

“Uh… How much?” he asked, pointing to a sweater.

“Esos te cuestan diez fulas, chamaco,” Will just looked at her with a puzzled expression. “Ten dollars,” the lady finally said.

“Oh. Right,” he reached for his wallet and pulled a ten dollar bill. He still had some, despite his wallet being mostly filled with pesos. He took the opportunity to get rid of yet another green bill. “Actually,” he said, handing the lady another bill, “I’ll take two.”

The lady put both sweaters in a bag, and handed it to Will. “Que te vaya bien.”

Will nodded. “Thank you.”

Going back to their house, he felt strangely proud of himself. He imagined Hannibal wearing one of the sweaters he bought, the red one, and he laughed at the picture in his mind.

He figured it wouldn’t be too hard to get him to put it on; Hannibal already wore ridiculous sweaters from time to time.

*

“No.”

Will was wrong.

“Come on,” he whined. “I actually went outside and bought it for you. At least take my gift.”

“Take it I will,” Hannibal said. “I assure you, it shall be well-kept in the depths of my closet.”

Will grunted. “Okay. Look. I bought another one. So you don’t wanna wear the one with reindeers on it, then wear this one,” he got the second sweater out of the bag, handing it to Hannibal.

“Quite creative,” Hannibal said, voice plain as he admired the ridiculous green sweater. It had Santa’s body on it, except for the head, which was supposed to be your own when you put the sweater on. “I’ll take the reindeers. You take this one.”

“What?” Will chuckled. “I’m not wearing that.”

“Yet you wanted me to wear it.”

“Yeah, but -“ he was about to insult Hannibal’s wardrobe. On a second thought, that wasn’t such a good idea. “They’re both for you,” he argued. “I can’t wear any of them.”

“Put it on,” Hannibal encouraged him. “I’ll make us some hot chocolate, so we can sit by the fireplace with our sweaters on.”

“But it’s hot as hell.”

“It hasn’t stopped you before.”

Will snorted. “Whatever,” he admired the sweater for a second before putting it on. “God, it’s awful. It fucking itches.”

“Shall we?” Hannibal offered him his arm. Will rolled his eyes, but couldn’t avoid the smile on his face. He took Hannibal’s arm, letting the man lead him to their fireplace, which wasn’t even on.

They sat side by side, still, warm in each other’s company.

“There will be a reckoning,” Will murmured jokingly, pulling at his sweater as he rested his head on Hannibal’s shoulder.

“There will be indeed.”

Chapter Text

When Will entered the kitchen, Hannibal was busy whisking something into a bowl.

“Are you making cookies again?” Will asked, leaning against the table, opposite to where Hannibal was standing with the big bowl.

“Must I remind you I wasn’t the one trying to make them?” Hannibal said, voice calm, but Will could detect the hint of mockery in it.

“Whatever” Will shrugged, sitting on a chair, watching Hannibal. “So, cookies?” he asked again.

Hannibal shook his head no. “This is gingerbread dough” he answered, turning to Will so he could see the light brown dough.

“Are you making a gingerbread house?” Will asked, unable to avoid the smile on his face. “So we’re going full-on Holiday season, huh?”

“I believe you wanted us to celebrate properly” was Hannibal’s answer.

“I believe you were the one saying celebrating this was like a new beginning” Will said, mocking Hannibal’s pompous tone.

“Indeed it is”

“A new beginning,” Will said, tone pensive “marked by a gingerbread house”

“I was intending on making a castle, actually”

Will rolled his eyes. “Of course you were” Hannibal didn’t even look at him, too focused on his task. Will smiled at the sight; he liked how passionate Hannibal was about cooking.

Will knew, had he been anyone else, Hannibal would pretend to be focused on him instead. He would make him feel like all of this was about him only, like all of his focus was on him. Hannibal knew he didn’t have to pretend anything with Will; they knew each other well enough. The thought made Will’s smile grow wider.

“Can I help with anything?”

“Could you pass me the plastic wrap? It’s on the counter over there” Hannibal motioned with his head towards the counter, to his left.

Will stood up and brought it for him. Hannibal placed the bowl on the table, carefully cleaning up the whisk and putting it aside. He grabbed the plastic wrap and wrapped the bowl with it.

“It has to refrigerate for at least two hours” Hannibal explained, as he set the bowl inside the fridge. “We’ll have to wait”

“Can’t we just eat it like that?” Will said, pouting a little bit. “Let’s not make the fucking house. Or a castle, whatever. Let’s just eat the dough”

The look Hannibal gave him almost made Will laugh. Horrified was too soft of a word to describe it.

“Okay, okay, we’ll make the castle” Will chuckled, putting a hand over Hannibal’s shoulder as if he intended to calm him, like he would with a child. He patted him, and got his hand away, suddenly thinking the act was a bit weird. “But you have to make more dough, so I can eat it out of the bowl” he said, pursing his mouth as if he didn’t like the idea. “Otherwise, I’m gonna be tempted all day to just take the other bowl out and eat it”

Hannibal gave him a soft smile. “Of course” he nodded, walking to a cupboard, grabbing some things Will couldn’t see as Hannibal’s back was facing him. “I’ll teach you how to do it”

Will smiled. “Okay”

Chapter Text

Will knew something was off the moment Hannibal got through the door with two bags in his hands. He had the vague feeling he wouldn’t like whatever was in the bags, if Hannibal’s slight smug look was anything to go by.

“Hello, Will” Hannibal greeted him, patting Encephalitis’ head as the dog ran to greet him.

“What do you have there?” he asked, ignoring Hannibal’s greeting. Hannibal began to get something out of it, and Will felt just a little bit irritated at the sight of green fabric. He knew what it was. He knew what this was about. “Remember how I told you I would kill you if you bought me one of those?” he asked, looking intently as Hannibal got the elf costume out of one of the bags. It kinda looked too small for Will. “You are aware of the fact that you basically turned me into a killer, right”

“I merely pointed to a possible path. You were the one who–“

“Whatever” he interrupted. “What I mean is, I’m fucking serious”

Hannibal gave him a small smile. “I would certainly hope so”

Will wasn’t so sure how to reply. Hannibal looked way too happy with the idea. It creeped Will out just a little bit. “I wouldn’t be kind” he muttered. “Nor merciful”

“I wouldn’t expect you to be”

Will gulped, heat turning his cheeks pink. It sounded like fucking dirty talk. He wasn’t so sure what he thought about the idea. “It would be slow” he added, not able to stop himself. Then, he chuckled at his own awkwardness. “Did you really buy me a fucking elf costume? It seems too small for me, though”

Hannibal ignored him for a second, beckoning Cephy to come to him. “Indeed it is” he answered, patting the dog’s head absentmindedly.

Will looked at him with a pointedly confused look, hoping it would get Hannibal’s attention. “So?”

“So, of course,” he straightened up, putting the empty bag on the floor. “This isn’t for you” the little green and red hat was put over Cephy’s head. The dog stood still, happily waggling his tail as Hannibal tucked the spring under his head, keeping the hat secure. “The other one is”

Will sighed. “I hoped, for a second, I would be spared from awful costumes”

Hannibal didn’t pay much attention to Will, busy with dressing Encephalitis up. When he finished, he stood up, a proud smile on his face. He looks so ridiculous, Will thought, smiling.

“I was looking forward to seeing you wearing this, though” Hannibal admitted, handing the bag to Will. “I should start with dinner. You can think about it in the meantime”

Will sighed, adding nothing as Hannibal walked in front of him towards the kitchen. He decided to retreat to his bedroom, still not daring to look into the bag Hannibal had handed him.

What could it be, anyway? What did Hannibal want to see him wearing? He felt so stupid blushing about it, but he couldn’t help it. He was uselessly reminded of the time when he got drunk and thought, for a second, he was going to sleep with Hannibal.

And sleep they did, many times. But that was the issue; they just slept. Will wasn’t even sure he wanted anything else to happen, but he suddenly felt angry at the fact that Hannibal hadn’t even tried to make a move on him.

Was he so unattractive? But Hannibal loved him, right? The way a lover does. They had kissed, after all, many times.

Will felt like he was fifteen again, thinking about all this bullshit.

He settled for asking himself whether he wanted to do something else with the man. He found he had no answer to it. Before Hannibal, he had never been attracted to another man. How would it even work? He knew the mechanics behind it, but… How?

His head started hurting, and he decided to just look inside the goddamn bag, hoping it wouldn’t be something too embarrassing. He didn’t even know what to expect.

“Oh, fuck off” he grunted, looking at the green and red suit inside the bag. It was just his size. “Hannibal!” he yelled, wondering if the man would hear him. “I hate you!”

He tossed the bag aside and curled up into a ball, deciding he would just sleep through this bullshit. This was ridiculous. He got so worried about nothing.

He was definitely going to kill Hannibal.

Chapter Text

“Let’s go shopping”

Will put down the book he was reading. “What?”

“I would like to buy a couple of things”

Will sighed, his eyes returning to his book. “Why don’t you go by yourself?”

“You need to go out, eventually” Hannibal replied, getting just a bit closer to Will on the sofa to remove his glasses from him. “You can’t spend the whole day reading. It is already noon”

“I can, and I will” Will grunted, trying to read without his glassed, pretending he could. When he wasn’t able to even distinguish a single letter, he turned to Hannibal. “Don’t you think it’s rude to take my glasses away? I’m reading”

“You don’t need your glasses to go shopping” Hannibal said, an amused smile on his face as he stood up. “Come, Will” he extended him a hand.

Will ignored it, standing up by himself, his book forgotten where he used to be sitting. “I’m still mad at you about the costume, you know”

“I didn’t intend you to actually wear it” he replied. “Besides, I fail to see the problem. It was not an indecent costume.

Will snorted. “Let’s just go”

*

“That’s… a lot of people”

Will didn’t notice he was almost panting until Hannibal put his hand over his chest, making him conscious of just how fast he had been breathing.

“Breathe deeply, Will”

Will nodded. He did as he was told, breath shaking just a bit.

“Look closely, Will. Pay attention to the people inside. Where is their focus on?”

Will looked at a couple, carrying tons of bags filled with food. Then, he looked at a man checking the price tag of a shirt. All these people were here just to buy stuff; they didn’t care about two random men going shopping. Hannibal was right; there was nothing to worry about.

Will had a sudden realization, as he looked at an old lady, who was picking up baking ingredients.

“You took me Christmas shopping”

Hannibal grabbed his hand. “Let’s walk”

Will didn’t acknowledge the contact at first, too focused on his own realization. “You–“ he chuckled, suddenly noticing his and Hannibal’s fingers were laced together. He looked at their tangled fingers for a second, feeling his chest grow warm. “I’ve never been holiday shopping before” he said, walking nervously, suddenly paranoid again that people were looking at them.

This wasn’t like the intimacy they shared every time they hugged in front of the fire place, or whenever they slept side by side; this was a statement. Will and Hannibal. Hannibal and Will. They were no longer ‘just friends’, and the whole world could see.

Nobody seemed to care about two guys holding hands, though.

He relaxed, squeezing Hannibal’s hand just a bit, letting him know he acknowledged the meaning of it. Of this. Of recognizing this wasn’t just something that happened time to time behind closed doors. They were holding hands while holiday shopping, for the whole world to see.

The shop wasn’t even that big, but Will still felt like a point was made.

Hannibal reached out for a bottle of wine, inspecting it for a moment before returning it to its place. Will almost laughed. He pictured Hannibal back at Baltimore, in some fancy little shop, buying expensive antiquities for his acquaintances at the opera. He imagined him buying high-quality ingredients, preparing for the fanciest holiday dinner. This must have been too… mundane, for him. Will smiled at the thought.

“My father used to tell me fish was better than turkey” Will said, both men wandering around the aisles. “We were just too poor to afford buying anything special, so we had to pretend we didn’t even want it”

“You held an important position at Quantico, though”

“I was just a teacher” he chuckled.

“Still, you must have had more than enough money to buy turkey”

Will shrugged. “I guess, but I just wasn’t one to celebrate Christmas in general” he replied. “I never got used to it, and I didn’t have anyone to celebrate it with, anyway”

Hannibal hummed. “You do, now”

“Yeah” he smiled. “Doesn’t mean I suddenly know what we’re supposed to buy, though”

Hannibal smiled at him. “I don’t know either. Let’s head back home. I’ve seen enough people for this week”

Will nodded. “Yeah, me too”

Chapter Text

Will woke up to a small box sitting on top of the nightstand by his bed.

He rubbed his eyes, an arm lazily stretching out to grab the little box. It was enveloped in black gift wrap, and it had a small, golden ribbon on top of it.

Curious, he unwrapped the little box, seeing there was a note inside.

To Will Graham, from Hannibal Lecter.

He turned around the bed, mind still foggy with slumber, expecting to see Hannibal lying next to him. He remembered, then, that Hannibal had gotten up in the middle of the night. He had pretended not to notice, too sleepy to care.

He figured he would have been back by now, but it seemed he wasn’t.

The note didn’t tell him much. He suddenly felt nervous. Should he open it?

Drawing a deep breath in, he opened the little velvet box. He knew what was inside even before opening it, but seeing it didn’t really diminish the surprise he felt.

*

Half a day later, he put a similar box on top of Hannibal’s desk.

He felt ridiculous. He had waited until Hannibal had gone out for a walk to venture into the city and buy him the gift, making sure he still wasn’t home before going into his studio. It felt like one of those Secret Santa exchanges he never participated in as a kid.

He decided to go to bed before he started regretting putting the box there.

Hours later, deep into the night, he felt the bed shift as Hannibal settled next to him. Will was laying on his side, his back to Hannibal. He felt the man’s arms going around his waist, his chest pressed to his back.

He couldn’t supress the stupidest smile when he felt the cold metal against his skin, right where Hannibal held him tight. He put his hand over Hannibal’s, making sure he too could feel the cold touch of Will’s own ring.

Chapter Text

Cuba seemed to hold a different sky from the one Will was used to, back at his little house in Wolf Trap.

The stars were brighter, and there were more of them. Far more. The sky looked barely dark anymore; sparkling white lights illuminating the once dark canvas.

Or perhaps it was just his new perception, he thought. Perhaps, stars seemed brighter because he looked at them while holding Hannibal’s hand between his own.

“I once wondered if we were ever going to be under the same sky”

“We always were” Hannibal replied.

Will shook his head slowly, smiling. “We never really were” he said, his head leaning against Hannibal’s shoulder. “Not until I saw you, finally”

“You always saw me” Hannibal’s fingers ran through Will’s hair, soothing. Will felt as though he was going to melt under his fingers. “Like a confused animal, looking at the unknown, you refused to acknowledge it. You merely put a name to it”

“We recognize by associations” Will answered “I had nothing to associate you with. You were always… unknown, never defined”

“It is an instinct, to fear the unknown. To hate it”

“And yet I came to love that who I could never know” Will sighed. “Not quite right, though, is it? I do know you, I just… I had to become you, in order to understand you”

“Did you love me, Will, before or after you understood me?”

Will looked up from Hannibal’s lap, to the star-filled sky. “I was never sure I fully understood you. I could only promise myself I would try”

“You claim to love what you don’t fully understand”

“Our ancestors loved stars” Will replied. “They painted them, they wrote about them. They never understood them. We still don’t, and yet, we gaze up to them every night, admiring their light”

“Admiring what might not be there anymore”

“It is there, to our eyes” he turned his eyes to Hannibal. “I don’t need to understand the stars to admire their beauty. I don’t need to fully know them to feel enamoured whenever I see them” he paused, a small smile on his face. “I can only vow to try and reach for them, for their light, every single day of my life”

“We love what we don’t fully know. Perhaps it is in the mystery where the love lies. We will never fully know ourselves; let alone the people around us. We can only hope to be honest, towards those we perceive as worthy”

“Are you honest with me, Hannibal?”

“I always have been” he smiled. “Such complex creatures, as we are, in constant evolving; we can never hope to fully display the contents in our hearts. I offer you mine, Will, as complex as it might be, in the hopes you will look at it and never throw it away”

“How could I throw away the brightest star I’ve ever witnessed?” he laughed quietly. He looked down, at the ring on his hand. “We are now under the same sky, our stars within the same system. Mine shines right beside yours, and it always will” he pressed his forehead against Hannibal’s.

“Tied together by force of gravity”

“Never pulled apart”

And a kiss to seal their promise.

Chapter Text

Hannibal had offered him his heart.

He didn’t expect him to actually give him a physical, human heart.

He could only look up from the gift box in his hands, to the man he loved. A smug expression on his face, knowing Will would like it.

“You fucking sap” he muttered, looking back down at it. “It really isn’t your heart, though”

“It is merely symbolic” Hannibal replied, stepping forward to wrap an arm around Will’s waist.

“Merely symbolic” Will mocked. “There’s an actual heart here, Hannibal”

“I thought you’d appreciate the gesture” Hannibal replied, looking at him with the same smug smile on his stupidly handsome face.

Will smiled, despite himself.

“I didn’t bring you a gift, though” he said, looking into Hannibal’s eyes, feeling overwhelmed at the love he found in them. “It will remain just a metaphor, in my case”

“I just need to know something. Your answer shall be my gift” he whispered over Will’s lips. “Do you like my present?”

Will closed his eyes, allowing his smile to grow wider. “I love it”

Chapter Text

“Well, I do prefer stags”

Hannibal smiled slightly, without looking away from his drawing. Will observed him tracing lines over white paper, defining muscles, facial expressions, and antlers.

“Stags are magnificent animals” Hannibal said, still focused on his drawing. “Their antlers are often depicted as charges, or as a significant power position, in many cultures. Like a crown, burdening the carrier with great power”

“I used to see you as a stag” Will murmured, pulling a chair to sit next to Hannibal. “Or rather, I used to see the copycat killer as a stag. Then, you”

“Quite the same”

“Then, myself”

Hannibal’s motions stopped at that. He turned to Will, an inscrutable expression painted on his face.

“You became me”

“I was afraid I would” he said, taking advantage of Hannibal’s pause to look at the drawing in process. “I was so afraid I would become you, if I–“

“If you didn’t kill me”

Will sighed. “Yes”

Hannibal nodded, his attention returning to the drawing. The antlers were still unfinished, Will’s face now perfectly recognizable, even though a shadow was cast over the middle of it. “Do you think you became me?”

Will shook his head. “No, I wasn’t – I misunderstood” he bit his lower lip, considering. Would it be too much, saying what he thought? “I was afraid of becoming one with you, I guess” he looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. “Something like that”

“You were afraid of our bond”

“Yeah, I thought…” he gulped “I was afraid of loving you. I was afraid you loved me back”

“You weren’t afraid I didn’t correspond” Hannibal stated.

Will nodded, his gaze fixed on his hands. “I wasn’t afraid of that, then. I was more afraid… of accepting,” he gulped “this. And when I finally gave up to it, I” he shrugged. “I did become afraid it was unrequited”

“You spent so long quietly living beside me,” Hannibal said “Avoiding me. It’s only natural you thought my interest for you had faded away”

“Well, did it?” he turned to Hannibal, frowning.

“There is a ring on my finger, Will” Hannibal replied, making a vague gesture with his left hand, acknowledging the ring. “And I am drawing you” he turned to face Will, drawing abandoned. Will’s gaze drifted towards it, and he saw himself in the middle of a forest. Powerful, majestic, beautiful. “What do you think?”

“You could be…” he pressed his lips together, his look fixed on the drawing. “Humouring me”

“Would I do such a thing?”

Will chuckled. “No” he replied, smiling. “No, you would have killed me the second you lost interest in me”

“I have no interest in keeping unnecessary people by my side, Will” Hannibal asserted, his hand cupping Will’s cheek. Will didn’t dare look up at him. “And you are currently the only one beside me”

“Currently”

“Most likely, forever” he heard Hannibal’s smile “Unless you’re the one to lose interest”

Will nodded slowly, gaze turning carefully towards Hannibal. “I am in a foreign country,” he began “I barely speak the native language. I… am currently making a scene about my insecurities” he grinned, more an expression of pain rather than a genuine smile. “I don’t think you have to worry about me losing interest. If anything, you have to worry your drawing doesn’t quite depict reality”

“To my eyes, it does” the man replied, gaze burning into Will’s insides. “You are the most magnificent creature I have ever had the privilege of knowing, Will”

“Oh, you’re making me blush” he mocked, looking down at Hannibal’s chin.

“It is the truth. My truth”

“You should have just drawn a reindeer” he said, finally smiling, looking up to meet Hannibal’s intense gaze. “Aren’t we trying to be festive?”

Hannibal leaned in to give him a chaste kiss. “I prefer drawing you”

His attention returned to the drawing, and Will nodded to himself, feeling strangely satisfied. “Only God knows why”

Chapter Text

Hannibal had been awfully chatty all day. Will was worried he was ill.

“… Fevers and flowers all come from the same place” he continued as both men entered the house. “We cannot apply such terms to God; good and evil. They are merely to define man, and are entirely subjective. Each culture has–“

“I only suggested you had a fever” Will whined, getting himself out of his cashmere-made prison with a sigh, sweater thrown carelessly to the first couch he saw.

“You said I didn’t look good” Hannibal objected. “As I was saying, good and evil are–“

Will whined loud enough to make the man stop talking. “Can we just go upstairs? I’m dead tired”

Hannibal gave him a soft smile, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “It is only 6 pm, Will” his face didn’t reflect the objection his words gave off. “Don’t you think it’s too early?”

“I said I’m tired” he simply stated, turning towards the stairs. “If you don’t wanna come, I’ll just… Call it a day” he started walking upstairs, smiling when he heard Hannibal’s footsteps following him.

“Allow me to open the door for you”

Will looked at him with fake gratitude. “Chivalry isn’t dead, after all”

“Not dead; just wounded after falling into the sea”

“Ha” Will snorted. “Good joke” he entered the room when Hannibal held the door open for him. He almost wanted to moan out of happiness at the sight of a bed; Hannibal’s grip on his arm startled him enough to turn that moan into a confused whine.

“What now–“

“In late 18th century, in England, it was believed bad luck would come to those who refused the kiss of a man, when standing under the mistletoe”

Will frowned at him. Then, as realization downed on him, he looked up, slowly, to the tiny branch hanging from the threshold. He wanted to laugh, but only managed to smile as Hannibal pulled him close to his chest by his shirt. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s neck, feeling the other’s arms going around his waist, pulling him even closer.

“How long has this been here?” he said, eyeing the mistletoe.

“I put it there before we left, just two hours ago”

He snorted. “You planned this, didn’t you?” Hannibal gave him a confused look. “Tiring me up, making me walk for two hours while you talked nonstop, so I would want to go to bed earlier” he smiled. “So you could kiss me under the mistletoe. You know, you don’t need a mistletoe, nor any other excuse. You could have just kissed me at the beach. Or anywhere else, for that matter”

Hannibal almost looked offended. Will wanted to laugh. “I talked nonstop?”

Will pressed his lips together, forming a thin line, trying to stop his smile from growing wider. “You don’t usually do all the talking”

Hannibal hummed. “Did it bother you?”

“No” Will grinned. “But, you know, I can only keep up with so many conversations about God and evil. I’m not that smart”

“You are the smartest person I’ve ever known”

“Besides yourself?”

“More so”

Will closed his eyes, chuckling. “So” he opened them, looking intently at Hannibal’s lips. “Bad luck?”

Hannibal smiled, pressing their foreheads together. Will felt his eyes close on their own account as Hannibal leant into him, his now familiar lips pressing to his own. It was almost too soft; Hannibal moved carefully, hands caressing Will’s torso with sweet motions. Will allowed himself to melt into the kiss, parting his lips as he felt Hannibal trace his lower with his tongue.

His knees went weak as Hannibal licked into his mouth, the weight of his body being supported only by Hannibal’s strong grip. He laced his fingers in Hannibal’s hair, pulling softly at the silver strands. He couldn’t help but sigh enamoured over Hannibal’s lips as they moved away from his own.

The words escaped him before he could even process the movement of his mouth, like he was thinking out loud.

Hannibal smiled at him, eyes warm as he looked into Will’s blue ones. “I think I’m not wrong to say this is the first time you’ve said it to me”

He only realized the weight of his words as he returned Hannibal’s intense gaze, a blush extending up to his ears. “I…” he couldn’t look away. “I implied it before, though, didn’t I?” he tried to smile worriless, but it faltered and faded into an almost shocked expression, his mouth open around words he couldn’t utter.

“I implied it as well, but it’s quite a different thing to say it like that” Hannibal’s smile, on the contrary, didn’t falter; it only grew wider. “I should talk nonstop more often, then”

Will laughed, despite himself. He felt a little bit ridiculous; he felt naked in front of the man, despite never having been really. He felt as though he was exposed, more so than the lack of clothes could ever make him feel. As though his heart had been displayed to Hannibal’s warm gaze.

He almost wanted to take it back, but Hannibal’s voice stopped him.

“I love you too, Will”

Chapter Text

Looking at Hannibal while he patted Encephalitis’ head was almost like a dream, one of those weird dreams Will sometimes had when he was supposed to be dreaming about Molly. Almost too domestic to be true.

“I never thought you liked dogs” he muttered, making Hannibal stop his motions. Will knew, had the man been a regular person, he would have jumped out of his skin. Hannibal stopping what he was doing was his equivalent to a human getting startled, or scared. He chuckled at his own thoughts.

“Why would I have a dog, if I didn’t like them?”

Will shrugged. “You’re living with me. I don’t even know how you agreed to let me have a dog”

“I didn’t agree” Hannibal replied, standing up to walk to a desk next to the door. Will saw him take something, but he didn’t see what. He walked back to the dog, who was wagging his tail happily. “I brought him, but you probably don’t remember. Your fever was still quite high when I did”

Will hummed, getting closer to see what Hannibal was now hanging on top of where Cephy liked to cuddle, next to the fireplace. He snorted when he saw the Christmas stocking, with the dog’s name on it.

“You’re putting up a sock for him” Will said, voice incredulous. “Why?”

“I wanted to surprise you” Hannibal said, bending again to pat the dog. “I thought, perhaps, the sight of a dog would cheer you enough to make you feel better, even if you were still quite ill”

Will sat in front of the fireplace, simply watching as Hannibal scratched the dog’s belly. It seemed too surreal. He almost wanted to pinch himself to check if he was dreaming.

“I meant the stocking”

Hannibal nodded. “Another vital part of Christmas” he simply answered. “I always wanted to hang one for myself as a child, since I read about it in books. But I never dared doing so”

“You still don’t, it seems”

Hannibal hummed in agreement, patting the dog one last time before straightening up. “Let’s see what Christmas brings for him”

Will smiled. “I think he’s just happy you’re paying attention to him. He doesn’t need much else”

He nodded, sitting next to Will. Will moved closer to him. “Neither do I”

Chapter Text

Will never thought anyone would ever knock at their door.

Knock, knock, knock.

He was alone. Hannibal never knocked, and Will knew he wasn’t starting now.

Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.

What was he going to do?

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o're the plains

He hurried towards the kitchen, grabbing the first knife he saw. There was a gun on the back of his drawer, but he didn’t dare go upstairs right now.

And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

Walking back to the door, he opened it quickly, meeting two men outside.

*

He was trying to clean his hands, desperately rubbing at them, when he heard the door open. Footsteps, just a couple, stopping immediately. He heard Hannibal breathe in the scent around the air.

“Will?”

He rubbed harder, but it just wouldn’t come off. The steps were getting closer, and he still couldn’t manage to get his hands clean.

“Will?” the voice called again, now next to him. “What happened, Will? Are you okay?”

He nodded, giving up on cleaning himself. He hadn’t even taken his clothes off. They were sticking to his body uncomfortably. Will stared at the ground, unable to look up at Hannibal’s gaze.

“Will” his soft voice called once more, gloved hands cupping his cheeks and lifting his head up, forcing him to meet Hannibal’s intense gaze.

He got dizzy at what he saw in them.

“Will you tell me what happened?” his hands, caressing him as though he was the most precious thing in the world, managed to calm him down enough.

He gulped. “I… Thought they were after us” he muttered, voice trembling. “I thought – I thought there was no reason for them to be singing English carols outside our house, so…”

“So they had to be after us”

Will nodded.

“Why are you so upset?” Hannibal got closer to him, eyes filled with worry. “Did they hurt you?”

“No, I…” he looked down at his still bloody hands. Taking a deep breath in, he managed to finally spit what he was thinking. “They didn’t deserve it. I knew they didn’t. I know they didn’t. But I liked it”

When he looked up, all he could see was Hannibal’s bright smile, his eyes filled with so much love that made Will’s knees go weak. “My lovely boy” he whispered, his forehead against Will’s. “What did you do with the bodies?”

“They’re still in the kitchen” he whispered, his eyes closing, unable to stand the intensity of Hannibal’s own. “I thought we could… Change them”

He felt Hannibal’s smile against his lips, before he kissed him. “They can wait” he said against Will’s mouth. “Let me take you to our bedroom now”

Will couldn’t help but nod eagerly.

Chapter Text

It had been just a joke. A playful whisper through his post-orgasm haze; he wasn’t actually asking for anything.

“All we need now is a Christmas tree”

He was just mocking Hannibal’s efforts, albeit happy with them.

He didn’t expect to get up the next morning to find a two-meter tree in the middle of their living room. It was decorated with the red and gold Christmas balls he’d seen weeks ago.

He sighed, too content to argue with Hannibal about it. When the man got out of the kitchen to acknowledge Will’s presence, Will had walked to him, hugging him without saying a word.

Hannibal had hugged him back, his head resting on top of Will’s.

Chapter Text

I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need.
I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.

It was Will’s turn to surprise Hannibal with some Holiday spirit. Honestly, why had the man given him a laptop, if not for this exact purpose?

The music was as loud as the laptop allowed, making Will just a little sad that he didn’t have a stereo. He sang alone nonetheless, knowing Hannibal would eventually hear him singing (more like shrieking) along Mariah Carey’s voice.

I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know.

He smiled at Hannibal as the man entered the room with a puzzled expression all over his face.

Make my wish come true, oh

He walked towards the killer (mind you, a cannibalistic serial killer), pretending he was holding a mic. He grabbed him by his ridiculous cashmere sweater, singing to him with the biggest, stupidest smile on his face.

All I want for Christmas is you.

“I’d be more comfortable if you asked for another dog instead” Hannibal said, his eyes narrowing. Will knew this was as close as he was ever going to get from a confused look.

“A dog?” he asked, letting the woman sing alone. “Are you serious?”

Hannibal was probably worried about the glow in Will’s eyes. He nodded, despite himself. “Only if you stop that”

Will laughed. “I get to pick the name this time” Hannibal nodded, closing his eyes, looking like he was about to snap. Or as close to that as he could look. “And I get to top next time”

“Whatever you wish” he conceded, his jaw tensing. “Please, Will”

Will laughed. He walked back to his laptop and stopped the music.

“It’s a romantic song though” he pouted. “And I was singing it to you”

“And I highly appreciate it” Hannibal smiled, “but you could have just told me you loved me”

“Dull”

“I’ll take you to Paris” he threatened, his hands going to Will’s hips. “I’ll take you to the Opera” he smiled against Will’s lips. Will tensed up. “A long one”

“Okay, okay” he laughed despite himself. “I get it. I won’t listen to Mariah Carey anymore”

“I didn’t ask you to stop. I would suggest, though, you did so with headphones”

Will snorted. “You’re lucky I love you” he said, wrapping his arms around Hannibal’s neck, his forehead resting against Hannibal’s. “I would have dumped anyone else who asked me that”

Hannibal’s smile widened. “I am indeed a lucky man”

Will smiled back before kissing him.

Chapter Text

“You bought me a candy cane” he smiled confusedly, “and it’s sharp at the end. Are you expecting me to murder someone with this?”

“I wouldn’t oppose” the man simply replied, “although I don’t trust its efficiency as a murder weapon”

“Murder by candy cane” Will laughed. “Wouldn’t it be funny if that’s how you died?” he playfully put the sharp end over Hannibal’s throat. “A murdery Christmas”

“You’re not funny, Will”

“Oh, shut up” he got the candy cane away from the man’s leg and into his mouth. “Your cannibal puns aren’t better, you know?” he said around a mouthful of candy. Hannibal looked at him, feigning innocence. “Don’t look at me like that. Even Chilton noticed”

“I never joked about that sort of thing”

“Sure thing you didn’t” he straightened up in the bed, looking down at Hannibal, smiling. “Thanks for the candy. Why did you buy it, though?”

“I didn’t think you’d find it amusing” Hannibal replied, “Or at least, not as amusing as you seem to find it”

“Tastes good” Will shrugged. “So is this like, what? Your lame reckoning from yesterday’s song?”

“It isn’t lame”

“It definitely is. I love it”

“Mission failed”

“Don’t be so dramatic” Will replied with a smile. “You should be glad I liked it. Otherwise, we’d have to have three dogs”

Hannibal made a little noise, like he was in pain. Will laughed.

“We might have to get another dog anyway”

Chapter Text

Will was honestly nervous Hannibal would hear him. The man was out, doing god-knows-what, but Will had the odd sensation he’d come in and Will wouldn’t hear him. And then, he’d be doomed.

There wasn’t much to do there, really, so Will eventually approached the piano in a corner of the living room and just started playing whatever, pressing random keys when Hannibal wasn’t around. Then, he learned Minuet. Later on, even Nocturnes. Always when Hannibal wasn’t around.

Will knew he could never be as talented as him; he had barely been playing for a year, even less. He wondered if Hannibal would laugh at his lame skills were he to hear him play.

Nervously playing Stille Natch, half his focus was on the door. He was worried Hannibal would come in any moment. Usually, Will knew where he was out to, or at least, why he was out. This time, Hannibal had just gone out, without even telling Will, while he was showering.

His finger slipped to the wrong key when he heard the front door being open. He thought about standing up and running upstairs as quickly as humanly possible, but Hannibal had already seen him, so he just sat there, frozen.

“Will?”

He didn’t know what to say. His fingers were still on the keys.

“I wasn’t aware you played the piano”

“Oh, I – I don’t” he stuttered, trying to stand up. Hannibal raised his hand to stop him, walking towards him, sitting besides him in the stool. “I was just… Fooling around. I’m sorry, I know you’re probably mad I touched your piano, but I was curious, and–“

“I heard you play, Will”

He blinked a couple of times. “What?”

“I was outside the door, listening to you play” Hannibal explained, smiling. “You play wonderfully, Will. I believe you have a natural talent for this. Have you been playing for long?”

Will blushed, up to his ears. “I…” He truly didn’t know what to say. Hannibal had heard him play. God. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. “Don’t mock me” he tried to laugh it off. “What were you doing, anyway? Being so secretive. You always tell me where you’re going to”

Hannibal hummed, his hands replacing Will’s over the piano. He started playing the same song Will was playing before he arrived. “I was decorating”

“Decorating? What, the house?”

“Not quite” his hands rested on the keys, without playing. “I wanted to surprise you, so I decorated something. I figured you would like it”

Will nodded slowly. “Well,” he looked at Hannibal’s long fingers. He wondered whether he should tell him about his secret hobby. “Are you going to show me?”

Hannibal nodded. “Of course. I want to hear you play something first, though”

“Like an exchange?”

“Take it as such”

Will’s hands hesitated above the keys. “What – What do you want me to play?”

“Anything you like” Hannibal replied, smiling at him. “Play me your favorite song”

Will gulped. “Um…” he hesitatedly put his fingers over the keys. He started playing, slowly, spaced notes, before they laced together into a slow melody. He tried not to hesitate at Hannibal’s intense gaze, simply focusing on what he already knew how to play, his fingers dancing from key to key.

“Beautiful” Hannibal murmured, way too close to his ear, almost making Will stop. He took a deep breath in, focusing harder as Hannibal’s hand started caressing his hair.

The melody slowly came to an end, volume decaying slowly until silence invaded the room. Next time Hannibal spoke, Will almost jumped out of his skin. When had Hannibal moved so close to him?

“Magnificent” whispered right into his ear, making Will shiver. “Although, I must confess,” he finally got away from him, just enough so Will could remember how to breathe again, “I do not know the song you played”

“It’s, uh…” he wasn’t going to say that name out loud. He just wasn’t. “Yann Tiersen” he simply answered, shrugging. “I watched this movie once, when I found Winston, and…” he shrugged. “I just really liked his music”

Hannibal nodded. “It is my turn, then” he said, standing up, extending a hand to Will. “Come”

Will took his hand, letting Hannibal walk him outside of the house and just a bit deep into the forest. He caught a glimpse of blue and golden lights, but he couldn’t tell what he was looking at until Hannibal and he were standing right in front of it.

“It’s…” he frowned, not so sure what to say, what to feel. “Angel wings made out of Christmas lights” he commented, looking closer. “You even put flowers on their heads. Oh, and a Santa hat” he chuckled. “It’s beautiful, Hannibal. How long did it take you to put this together?”

“Merely a couple of hours” he said, an arm circling Will’s waist, pulling him closer to the man. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah” he smiled. “Not my idea of Christmas decoration, but” he chuckled, “It’s amazing. Thank you, Hannibal” he turned around in the embrace, facing Hannibal. He smiled before leaning in to kiss him briefly.

“I’m glad you liked it, Will. Merry Christmas”

“Merry Christmas” he smiled. “Is this my gift?”

“Do you want anything else?”

“No” he grinned. “This is perfect”

“You only need to ask. I’ll give you anything you want”

“I said this is perfect. Thank you”

A kiss on his cheek. “You’re welcome”

Chapter Text

“You know, it’s actually late”

The man next to him just grunted and turned around to face away from him.

“It’s Christmas. Aren’t you going to throw a big fucking dinner party?”

“Can I?”

“Well, no. But I thought you’d cook unnecessary amounts of food regardless”

“Hm” Hannibal hummed, turning again to face him, pressing himself against Will’s side, hugging him. “I’d much rather stay here all day”

“There are new times indeed, huh” he laughed, his hands resting above Hannibal’s arm. “I don’t wanna move either, to be honest”

“Let’s not, then”

“Merry Christmas”

Hannibal just grunted again before hiding his face against Will’s neck, hugging him tightly. Will laughed, hugging him back.

Chapter Text

Will looked at Hannibal’s most recent… gift.

“Well, that’s one way of making a snowman”

Hannibal hummed next to him, pleased with himself.

“Did you really have to stab his face with a carrot, though?”

“It is my design”

“Don’t fucking mock me”

Chapter Text

“You know, the year’s almost over”

Hannibal stopped for a moment what he was doing, looking to Will over his shoulder before returning his attention to cooking. “So it is”

“We’ve been here for more than a year”

“Yes, we have”

“And we’ve been…” he pursed his lips, fidgeting with the end of his shirt. “Well, do we have a name?”

“What do you mean?”

“Can you stop fucking cooking for a moment?” He snapped “We need to talk”

“We can talk during dinner”

Will sighed. He stood up. “Okay. Okay, I’ll – I’ll be at the fireplace” he said, shrugging “or something”

Sitting in front of where he’d promised to be, he let a sad sigh escape him.

Why did he feel this way?

It’s… It’s as though something had gone wrong. And nothing had. He just felt down all of a sudden, insecure, fearing. What was he afraid of, anyway? He had to stop to think about it. He was afraid… of being so happy. He had caught himself smiling at random moments of the day, when Hannibal wasn’t around, thinking about the way he had smiled at him the day before, thinking about what they could talk about that night. It felt so… strange, so not-meant-for-him.

He was afraid all of this would suddenly end. He was afraid he’d be forced back to solitude. After having experienced such a fulfilling relationship, he’d be forced back into the coldness of loneliness.

He didn’t realize how cold he’d grown until he was pulled back into a warm embrace.

“You shouldn’t think too much”

He couldn’t help but relax against Hannibal’s chest. “It’s not like I can help it”

His head rested against Hannibal’s chest, closer to his collarbones. Hannibal’s chin rested on top of his head. “I shall work harder on distracting you, then” the man said. “I prepared hot chocolate”

Will snorted. “Aren’t you going to say Chocolat Chaud avec… marshmallows, or something like that?”

He heard Hannibal’s smile when he next talked. “This time, it’s just plain hot chocolate” the man replied, tone amused. “But I want you to tell me what you were thinking about first”

Will groaned. “It’s… nothing serious” at the lack of reply, he guessed he wouldn’t be left alone until he gave a proper answer. “I was thinking about you. Well, about us”

“Anything in particular?”

Will shrugged. “Just… That I don’t want this to end”

“It doesn’t have to”

“Really?” his tone was sad, not quite believing in Hannibal’s words. He felt hopelessness crawling under his skin, pulling him away from Hannibal’s warm arms. The man tightened his grip around Will’s waist, effectively grounding him back to reality, the feeling of emptiness retreating a few steps back.

“I don’t want this to end, either” Hannibal confessed. “Happiness isn’t a foreign concept to me. I understand the concept, and I believed many times I had even experienced such a thing. Not for a prolonged time. I though I felt happy when Jack would calmly eat my food. I thought I felt happy when I saw all of my plans work” he didn’t sound sad; it was hard he’d ever sound sad, but Will could still feel something similar to it emanating from the man. “I didn’t quite understand that what I felt was pride, and amusement. Nothing quite like happiness”

“Have you ever felt happy, then?”

“I felt happy when I would pass time with Mischa” he admitted. “I though I felt happy when we killed the Dragon. More than happy, I felt euphoric. I believe I am happy now, though. Like this”

Will nodded. “I am happy, too”

“I’m afraid what life would be like were this to end”

He sighed. “I was thinking about that precisely”

Suddenly, Hannibal released him. He stood up, leaving Will feeling cold again, just to return with two mugs. He handed one to Will before returning to hug him.

“Thanks” he muttered.

“I won’t allow it to end”

Will smiled, looking down at his mug. “Promise?”

“Even if it’s the last thing I do”

Chapter Text

Honestly, who could blame Will if he had stayed in bed all day long watching some strange cartoon?

He was tired. And bored. And Hannibal wasn’t around.

He had stumbled upon some strange social website; half of the people there were discussing some odd cartoon. Will gave in to curiousness and googled it. He had been watching that stupid thing since he woke up.

One of the main guys looked like Hannibal. Or what he imagined Hannibal would look like were he young and practiced ice skating. The other main guy reminded Will of himself, the one cartoon-Hannibal seemed to be so fond of. He didn’t miss the irony of it all.

By noon, he heard the front door open, right when he was about to finish the last episode. He didn’t even register it; didn’t even realize someone had entered the room until a finger poked his shoulder.

“What the fu–“ he tossed away his headphones, jumping. He looked up to see an amused Hannibal looking down at him. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you had arrived already?”

“I did” Hannibal replied, a smile on his face. “You didn’t seem to hear me. What holds you so absorbed?”

“I, um,” he shrugged, dragging the laptop away so Hannibal couldn’t look at the screen, “I was watching, uh, a documentary”

Hannibal nodded. “About what?”

“Ice skating”

“Do you enjoy ice skating, Will?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head, “I’ve never done it before”

“Would you like to?”

“Some other day, maybe. I’m too tired now. Know of any good places?”

Hannibal nodded, sitting next to Will on the bed. “I will take you next month, then”

Will smiled. “Okay. Thank you”

Chapter Text

“Oh” he frowned, looking down at the table. “You made… gloves”

“Yes”

“Out of…”

“Yes”

With a sharp inhale, Will stood up and decided to go upstairs. “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight” he declared. “Think about what you’ve done”

Hannibal’s amused smile as he left didn’t really calm his nerves.

Chapter Text

“Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?”

They were both in the living room, reading. Hannibal lowered his own book to look at Will, questioningly.

“Do you?”

“I was thinking we’re lacking dogs” Will was pretending to read, but he caught a glimpse of Hannibal’s irritated expression before it vanished. “So I was thinking about starting with strays again”

“I was thinking I haven’t killed enough people” Hannibal simply replied, pretending not to be annoyed.

“I get it, okay, I get it” he snorted. “But can’t we get just another dog? Another two?”

“Is getting more dogs all you want to accomplish next year?”

“I was thinking I’d lose the beard for good” he shrugged, “I should probably run more, too”

Hannibal hummed. “We could get married next year” he said, matter-of-factly, like he was discussing the weather. “Or we could move somewhere else. Start a new life. New papers, new names. Legally married”

“I like it here,” he replied, putting down his book, getting closer to Hannibal, “Can’t we stay?”

Hannibal mimicked him. “Of course we can” an arm wrapped around Will’s waist, “As long as you wish”

Will rested his head against Hannibal’s shoulder, sighing happily. “You’re aware I’ve seen our new papers, right” he said. At the lack of response, he snorted with laughter. “Andrei and Charles Allen” he laughed, “Legally married. Technically, we’re married. We even have the rings, now”

“Does it upset you?”

“I laughed when I first saw them” Will admitted. “I was expecting something like that. Didn’t expect you to actually want it, though”

“We should have a proper wedding. As soon as this next year starts”

“Murder Husbands” Will muttered, thoughtful, snuggling closer to Hannibal. “Freddie used to call us that. Guess we’re actually that, now” Hannibal hummed. Will looked up to meet his gaze. “Are we husbands?”

“Legally, we are” Hannibal nodded. “In soul, it depends on you. Say yes and we will be. Hopefully, with a proper celebration later on”

“I’m betting you have everything in mind already” he laughed, shaking his head. “You probably planned this as soon as I fucking kissed you. No, no,” he cackled, “You probably planned it as soon as you said ‘going my way?’ that time, back in America”

“As cunning as ever”

“I do” he smiled. At Hannibal’s puzzled look, he added, “I’ll take you as my husband. Yes” he suddenly felt too embarrassed, under Hannibal’s happy gaze. He had to look away. “Whatever”

Hannibal kissed the top of his head. “There shall be a wedding, then”

“Just… don’t cook fucking people for our wedding”

Hannibal grinned as all response.

Chapter Text

“Did you ever think we’d be here?” Hannibal stopped reading for a second to look at Will. “I mean… I – I don’t know what you thought when you first saw me”

“Do you mean like a vision?” Will nodded. “I never had such a thing” Hannibal closed his book, an arm untangling from Will’s waist for a moment to put the book aside. “When I first saw you, I thought you were quite an interesting person”

Will hummed. “Did you ever think I’d become… this?”

“It was one of many possibilities” Hannibal nodded, “I considered a great amount of different paths. I never fully expected this. I never fully expected you”

“You said you could never entirely predict me”

“I still can’t” he admitted, “I found myself in shock when you kissed me all of a sudden, early this month. I never expected you to return my feelings. Not in a romantic manner. I had also considered that I could’ve had to stop killing”

“Where would be the fun in that?”

Hannibal smiled slightly. “You’re like nothing I’ve encountered before. I’ve always been curious what you would do, and you never failed to surprise me. All others… Their possible outcome was always amongst my own predictions”

“Not gonna lie” Will replied, “I didn’t expect you to be this interesting, either”

“I remember you said you didn’t find me that interesting”

“Never thought I’d be this interested,” Will laughed. “Yet here we are. A New Year is around the corner, and I am here, with you”

“And we will be celebrating our wedding soon”

Will chuckled. “Who would have thought?”

“It’s almost midnight”

“Is it?” he straightened himself up, looking at Hannibal’s face. “Happy New Year, then” he leaned in to kiss him. Hannibal smiled in the middle of the kiss, and Will figured, were he to die right now, he would die a happy man, with his lover’s smile pressed against his lips.

Hannibal broke the embrace only to give him a disarmingly honest look. Will couldn’t help but return the smile he was offered, marvelled he was the cause of it.

“Happy New Year”