Chapter Text
Will calls first, just to tell Hannibal the barn is cleared out and that they won’t have to worry about anyone seeing his car. With that, though, they still didn’t set up another date, not officially. Will is still going to his regularly scheduled appointments, just until they figure out a way to convince Jack he doesn’t need them anymore, but Hannibal has a full schedule for the coming week, and tells Will he’ll be busy the following weekend.
With the rest of the weekend, Will finishes up some slides for his coming lectures and Jack tells him he should give one on Nicholas Boyle now that the case is closed. Will frowns as he writes a script of their fake story, the fake killer, who was actually innocent. Will includes that, even though the killings had been done slightly differently, the FBI still believes it to have been the same killer between both girls. It’s true, but not in the way Will plans on telling it.
How he got to this point, where he’s actively covering up the tracks of, and lying about, a serial killer, he doesn’t know. Maybe Hannibal was right, maybe Will is leaning towards that darkness, that powerful feeling he got from killing Hobbs. Only time will tell just how hard he falls.
On Monday, Will goes into Quantico, wearing Hannibal’s sweater, the marks on his skin on full display. He knows it’s unprofessional, but even if he wore a shirt with a high collar, they’d still show. Besides, it’s a nice sweater. He’s not even being clingy, definitely is not inhaling Hannibal’s lingering scent each chance he gets, it’s just a nice sweater.
After his first lecture, Will is sitting in his office, thinking about texting Hannibal, but instead he is just sitting there with his phone open on the desk in front of him.
“You don’t seem like the type to wear a hundred dollar sweater,” Beverly says from behind him.
Will spins in his desk chair to see Beverly leaning against the door frame of his small office.
“Oh. It was a gift,” Will tells her. He turns back to his desk, locks his phone so she can’t see whose messages were open, then back to Beverly.
“Are you and Lecter dating?” Beverly asks, waiting absolutely no time to jump into it.
“Doctor Lecter? No,” Will says, shaking his head. “We’re friends.”
“I’m not going to tell anyone, Will,” Beverly sighs. She closes the office door and comes to sit on top of the desk. “I saw you guys at that crime scene. You looked more well rested than I have seen you in a while, and he looked like he wanted to jump your bones.”
“Bev,” Will warns. “Nothing is going on between us.”
“I saw him wearing that sweater two weeks ago, Will. He showed up to the crime scene wearing your shirt. Your neck? Who else would do that? Who else would you even let close enough to you to do that?” Beverly points to a specific mark, then says, “Those are literally impressions of his teeth. No one else’s teeth are sharp like that.”
Will knows he’s blushing and he drops his head into his hands and groans.
“No one can know.”
“No one else does know, but it’s not going to stay that way for long. Get a scarf or a turtleneck sweater. I’m sure he’ll buy you one if you ask.”
“I can buy my own sweaters, thanks,” Will says.
“Dude, have you seen how he dresses, or his car for that matter? The man has gotta be loaded. I’m not saying you should take advantage of that, but if I had a rich boyfriend, then…” She lifts her hands in a way that says ‘you know what I would do’ and Will can’t help but laugh.
“You think I should ask Hannibal to be my sugar daddy?” Will jokes.
“I don’t know if he’d want you to use that terminology, honestly,” Beverly shrugs. “If he wants to buy you things, I’d say let him. Or ask him.”
Will shakes his head, deciding to change the subject. “Is this what you came to talk to me about?”
“Oh, no. I came to tell you we found prints at the scene and got a match. Dude’s been arrested, confessed to the whole thing.”
“Well,” Will says. “That’s good, then. Not the Ripper?”
“No, just some Ripper wannabe who killed a former friend.”
Will nods. “Well, good thing that case is closed then.”
There’s a knock on the closed office door and Beverly stands up to leave just as Will says, “Come in.”
The door opens and Hannibal is standing there, a lunch bag in his hand. Beverly pats Hannibal’s shoulder on the way out and Will just looks at him.
“What- what are you doing here?” Will asks. “And shut the door.”
Hannibal closes the door behind him and Will reaches out for him to come closer, which Hannibal does. Hannibal leans down to chastely kiss Will before standing straight again.
“I had time today and wanted to bring you lunch,” Hannibal says. “You’re wearing my sweater.”
“It’s a nice sweater,” Will shrugs. “And Beverly knows about us, by the way.”
“Maybe I should not have come. Someone else may see me,” Hannibal sighs.
He sets the bag down and starts taking out containers, then pulls an extra chair up to Will’s desk and sits beside him.
“No, I’m glad you’re here. I was gonna eat a granola bar for lunch,” Will laughs.
Hannibal looks at him with a disgusted look on his face and pushes a container towards Will, who takes a fork and begins to eat.
“You said you were busy all week,” Will says.
“I lied so I could surprise you. I hope that is okay,” Hannibal says.
“I think it’s fine,” Will says.
“Did you tell Beverly?”
“Hannibal, she practically already knew when she talked to you. Don’t blame this on me,” Will says defensively.
“I’m not. I’m just curious what happened,” Hannibal shrugs.
Will sighs and tells him about the conversation he had with her, leaving out the sugar daddy part of the conversation.
“And you’re certain she won’t tell anyone?” Hannibal asks.
“Pretty sure. We need to be more careful, though. I’ll have to start wearing scarves or makeup if you can’t control yourself,” Will tells him.
“Or turtlenecks, as Beverly said.”
“Yes, or turtle necks,” Will smiles. He puts the lid back on his empty container and slides it back towards Hannibal, who puts it back into the bag. “They caught the mannequin guy.”
“Well that’s fortunate. Not the Ripper, I take it?”
“No. I just hope the Ripper doesn’t get mad about this copycat, you know? Jack wants to catch him so bad, but he doesn’t leave evidence so it’s just a lot of work that I’ll have to put into reading these scenes for next to no reward.”
Hannibal considers this and tries to decide how to approach this.
“You think the Ripper might become active again in response to this murder?” Hannibal asks after a moment.
“Don't you? He’s proud of his work, his art, so don’t you think he would want to, I don’t know, prove himself?”
Hannibal loves the way this man’s brain works, and reaches out to hold one of Will’s hands.
“I suppose. But you think it would just be a waste of time to get on this case? Don't you want the Ripper to be caught?” Hannibal asks, giving absolutely nothing away.
“Hannibal, it does not matter what I want. The Ripper will not be caught unless he wants to be. You know that as well as I do. Everyone knows that, but no one wants to accept it.”
Will’s cell phone alarm starts going off before Hannibal can respond.
“Shit! Sorry, I have to go. Thank you for lunch,” Will says, gathering all of his things for his next lecture. He leans over and kisses Hannibal on the lips. “When can I see you again?”
Hannibal leans forward for another kiss, then whispers, “Wednesday. Come over for dinner Wednesday.”
Will smiles, kisses the corner of Hannibal’s mouth, then stands up. “See you Wednesday, then. I’m sure you can find your way out?”
“Yes, I had a few things to talk to Jack about, though.”
“Okay.”
Hannibal gets out of his chair at last and follows Will out of his small office, pretending nothing is going on between them besides a lunch between colleagues. With one last glance at each other, they part ways, Will going to his lecture hall, and Hannibal going to Jack’s office.
“Ah, Doctor Lecter!” Jack smiles when Hannibal walks into his office. “What have you got for me?”
Hannibal is there to talk about Will, as part of the arrangement he has with Jack to keep him updated on Will’s ability to be working in the field.
“I am slightly worried that Will has too much on his plate. We just discussed the possibility of the Chesapeake Ripper coming back after this copycat killing,” Hannibal explains. “Will worries that, since the Ripper does not leave any evidence, that his brain and his gift will be used too much for too little reward. Which is why, I suggest that any work he does for the Ripper cases is kept to a minimum.”
“That’s assuming the Ripper does come back,” Jack frowns.
“Do you think he will?” Hannibal asks. Hannibal knows it’s only a matter of time before he gets back out there as the Ripper.
“If he does, we’re gonna catch him. We need Will, though.”
“Perhaps, but as I said, it may not be good for him. I fear he will get too close like Miriam Lass did,” Hannibal says softly, trying not to get Jack worked up or upset about the loss of his trainee.
“I wouldn’t put him out there if I didn’t think he could handle himself,” Jack says.
“And Will can handle himself, I am just voicing my concerns. He said himself that he hopes the Ripper stays inactive because he feels as though it’ll be a stressor for him,” Hannibal says.
“Right.” Jack sounds defeated, but like he wants to say more.
“The Chesapeake Ripper may not even be in a position to kill anymore. There are rumors he has been incarcerated for other crimes, are there not?” Hannibal asks.
“Yeah, but do you believe that?”
“It’s possible.”
“Is there anything else?” Jack asks.
“Will has been unwell as of late, and he isn’t sleeping well. He told me he’s been having nightmares and a fever, as well as a few other symptoms that could possibly suggest a neurological condition, but it’s too early to tell if that’s what it is, or if it’s just a bug. If it doesn’t clear up soon, I am going to suggest he sees a neurologist,” Hannibal tells him.
He’s decided, for the most part, that he doesn’t want to keep Will sick for longer than he has too. Just long enough to actually convince Will he’s sick and needs to see a doctor. Will won’t see one until it gets bad.
“You think he may be sick?” Jack asks. There’s concern in his voice.
“I have a very strong olfactory system, I was able to smell cancer on a teacher before he even knew. I believe I may smell encephalitis on Will, but I do not have enough experience to compare it to,” Hannibal explains. “As I said, if it persists, and I can become more sure, I will suggest he see someone.”
“Well, you should probably get on that sooner rather than later.”
“Will won’t see a doctor until he really thinks something is actually wrong. I believe he thinks he’s coming down with a cold.”
“Well, convince him it’s not a cold.”
“I’ll do my best, Jack. Just remember what I have said today,” Hannibal requests and then leaves.
He doesn’t enjoy sharing anything with Jack, but it doesn’t break confidentiality as he’s not actually being paid for any of Will’s sessions, so Jack expects something from him. And keeping Will further from the Ripper case would keep Will’s wishes, while allowing Hannibal to do as he pleases.
It will help them both if Will can find out it’s Hannibal on his own time, rather than when he’s surrounded by FBI agents looking for his opinion.
Wednesday comes and Will lets the dogs out when he returns home from Quantico, then gathers clothes and a toothbrush, throwing them into a bag. He doesn’t know if Hannibal will ask him to stay, but he wants to be prepared just in case.
He opens his nightstand drawer and throws the condoms and lube he keeps in there into his bag too. Just in case.
When the dogs are set for the night, Will locks up the house and heads to Baltimore. He knows he’ll have to stop home in the morning to feed them and let them out before his lectures, but he knows they’ll be fine at least through the night.
Hannibal opens the front door and looks Will up and down, eyes stopping at the bag over his shoulder.
“I didn’t want to presume, but I also wanted to be prepared in case you asked me to stay,” Will says, suddenly feeling warm in his face and the back of his neck.
“Of course, you can stay, Will. I’ll show you upstairs where you can put your bag,” Hannibal says and steps out of the doorway to let Will inside.
Will follows Hannibal through his house and up the stairs to the large master bedroom. He sets his bag down on the bench at the foot of the bed and takes a look around the room. A large fireplace against one wall, with two chairs in front of it. Will wonders how often those chairs are actually sat in. It can’t be often that Hannibal would choose to sit there with a guest rather than lay in the huge bed, or in a sitting room downstairs.
Back downstairs in the kitchen, Hannibal continues preparing food for their dinner.
“What kind of meat is that?” Will asks. He knows he was drunk the other night, but he still remembers their conversation. He wasn’t that drunk.
“Liver,” Hannibal says simply.
“From?”
“The same man I fed you the other night.”
Will knows he should find this more bothersome than he does. Knows he should not be ready and willing to eat a human being, but at the same time… Hannibal’s cooking has been nothing less than extraordinary. So Will pretends it is absolutely not human, and eats alongside Hannibal at the dinner table.
He goes easy on the wine tonight, slowly drinking a single glass over the course of their meal, and not refilling when Hannibal suggests they retire to his study. Hannibal settles down onto the couch and Will sits close next to him, not quite touching.
“Will, I believe I should be honest with you about something,” Hannibal says after a few minutes.
Will tries to hide the panic he feels about that statement and just responds with a, “Hm?”
“On Monday, I did not only come to have lunch with you, but Jack… expects me to report back to him on your state of mind,” Hannibal explains. He drops a hand to Will’s thigh and lets it rest there. “As you’re not officially my patient, and no ones paying me for your sessions, I am not bound to confidentiality and Jack always wants me to give him something.”
“Okay…” Will says, waiting for Hannibal to continue.
“I did tell him that we discussed the Ripper at our lunch and that he shouldn’t throw you head first into the Chesapeake Ripper case should he resurface,” Hannibal says hesitantly.
Will sets his hand on top of Hannibal’s and looks up to meet his eyes. “You were scared to tell me this?”
Hannibal shrugs slightly. “You said it to me in your own office, to me as a date, meeting you for lunch, not in… not in the setting that I would typically have conversations with you that would be relayed to Jack in some way. It feels like a betrayal of your trust in me.”
“Hannibal, it’s okay,” Will says, and he means it. “Thank you for telling me.”
“In the future, I would like you to tell me exactly what I can repeat to Jack, or perhaps we leave those conversations to strictly be in my office.”
“Of course,” Will nods. Feeling bold, he climbs into Hannibal’s lap, and he says, “Right now I would like to say something that I do not think you should repeat to Jack Crawford.”
“Hm? And what would that be?”
Will leans forward and whispers into his ear, “I want you to fuck me.”
“I can assure you I will not be saying those words to Jack Crawford,” Hannibal smiles. “Should we go upstairs?”
Instead of answering, Will gets off of him, stands up and turns to offer Hannibal a hand, which he uses to pull the man off the couch with.
Will starts unbuttoning his own shirt as they go up the stairs, but halfway up the staircase, Hannibal pushes him up against the wall and connects their mouths, licking into Will’s with intent. Will’s hands make their way to Hannibal’s hips and pull them together, moaning into Hannibal’s mouth when he feels Hannibal’s hardening cock against his hip bone.
“Bed,” Will manages to gasp, pulling his face to the side and away from Hannibal’s mouth.
“Bed,” Hannibal agrees and pulls away from Will, grabbing a hand to continue leading him up the stairs, making it impossible for Will to continue unbuttoning his shirt.
They make it to Hannibal’s room, only stopping twice to push each other into a wall and grind against each other.
A few feet from the bed, Hannibal stands behind Will and pulls him into his chest, rubbing his clothed erection against Will’s clothed ass while his hands trail down Will’s chest and begin unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. Hannibal’s lips trail down the side of Will’s neck and one of his hands starts to palm Will through his pants, causing Will to push forward into that hand with a groan.
The hand is gone too soon and Hannibal releases him, allowing Will to turn around and face him, and Hannibal pushes the flannel shirt over Will’s shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. Will starts unbuttoning Hannibal’s waist coat, pushes it off of him, then starts on his shirt, while Hannibal’s hands go for Will’s belt, then button and zipper, then he’s pushing Will’s pants and underwear down in one swift movement.
Will is left naked in front of Hannibal, while he still unbuttons Hannibal’s shirt. He feels exposed and hesitant now, and Hannibal seems to sense it because he pushes down his own pants and underwear and steps out of them.
And then Hannibal is on him, lips and teeth on Will’s neck, one hand on his face, the other pulling him close so their naked bodies are pressed together, cocks aching and trapped between their bodies.
“Hannibal,” Will groans, trying to pull away and get to the bed.
“Patience, darling,” Hannibal murmurs against his neck, but he still lets Will go and Will pulls him by a hand to the bed, where Will lays down on his back, and Hannibal climbs over him, not yet allowing their bodies to touch.
He holds himself up with his hands and bows his head to press his lips to Will’s in a tender kiss. None of the urgency or aggressiveness from the hall, just gentle kisses that move from Will’s mouth, to his jaw, to his neck.
Will wraps his arms around Hannibal’s shoulders and pulls him closer, and Hannibal finally drops most of his weight down on Will’s body. Hannibal props himself up on his elbows and looks down into Will’s eyes, and Will takes his glasses off and sets them down on the nightstand next to the bed. He feels the need to look at Hannibal without his usual barrier of his glasses frames, and Hannibal kisses his forehead, his cheekbones, and when Will’s eyes flutter closed, Hannibal kisses his eyelids.
It’s all far too intimate, nothing like their previous rushed encounters that were just to get off. This feels like so much more than that to Will and part of him feels the need to get away, withdraw into himself, or distance himself from Hannibal before his feelings evolve into something more.
Hannibal’s touches are so gentle, in all the right places, he knows exactly what to say to Will at any given moment, he’s perfect in every way, but that’s dangerous.
Because this is just supposed to be… sex between two men with a mutual attraction, dates between people who enjoy each other’s company, and nothing more. It can’t turn into love, it will never be love, right? Right? Because they’re keeping it a secret and it can’t last beyond random dinner dates. Right? Because Hannibal is a killer with far too many secrets, and Will is an FBI employee and it can never work long term. Because it’s way too soon to feel this way, to even think about feeling this way. But, oh god, the way Hannibal makes Will feel… he wants this. He wants all of it, but he knows he can’t have it, he knows that. It shouldn’t– can’t –mean this much.
“Darling, where did you go?” Hannibal whispers against his lips. And there Hannibal goes again, calling Will things like darling and that does something to Will. Causes a warm feeling to spread throughout his entire body, causes a tightening feeling in his chest, causes the muscles in his mouth to threaten stretching into a smile.
“Nowhere, I’m here,” Will swallows.
“You’ve withdrawn. Stay here with me,” Hannibal says. His lips trail down Will’s neck, to his chest. He kisses down Will’s stomach, hands trailing down Will’s sides.
“I’m with you, I am,” Will assures him. He tugs at Hannibal’s shoulders, where he’s kissing his hip bones now, and pulls him back up so they’re face to face.
He tilts his chin up and catches Hannibal’s lips with his own and sighs into the kiss, tangles his fingers into Hannibal’s hair, and uses his other arm to run his hand up Hannibal’s side. Hannibal drops his hips down so their cocks can slide together and Will moans into Hannibal’s mouth and wraps his legs around Hannibal’s waist, urging him closer, pulling him tighter to his body.
Hannibal kisses the corner of Will’s mouth and pulls away, then sits up and back on his heels between Will’s legs. Hannibal just looks down at him, trails his hands up and down Will’s thighs, but doesn’t move any more than that.
“There’s lube and condoms in my bag,” Will tells him, pointing to the duffel bag he brought with.
“I have both,” Hannibal says with a shrug. “I just want to look at you for a minute.”
Will feels the need to look away from Hannibal’s gaze, squirm away from the gentle touch on his thighs. He’s nearly uncomfortable with the way Hannibal looks at him like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen.
“Beautiful,” Hannibal whispers. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
Will doesn’t respond to that, he never knows how to respond to something like that. Thankfully, Hannibal doesn’t wait for a response and climbs over Will to the side of the bed, where he opens a drawer and takes out lube and a condom and sets them both on the bed next to Will. He gets back in his spot between Will’s legs and runs his hands up Will’s stomach, down his sides, over his hips and thighs.
Hannibal takes Will’s cock in hand and leans down to kiss his lips as he gives Will a couple lazy strokes, causing Will to buck into his grasp, searching for more, and moan into his mouth. He can feel Hannibal smiling against his lips.
Will hears the tube of lube click open and then there’s a slick finger circling his entrance.
“You’re sure?” Hannibal asks.
“Yes.”
And then Hannibal is pushing one finger inside him, working it in and out before adding another, stretching Will open. Hannibal takes his time and Will is squirming under the attention. Each time Hannibal’s fingers find his prostate he has to grip the sheets and bite back moans.
“Hannibal. That’s enough,” Will says when it’s too much and Hannibal pulls his fingers out immediately. While Will is grateful that they’re going to get this show on the road, he’s left feeling empty as Hannibal opens the condom and rolls it over his cock. He watches as Hannibal slicks himself up, and he spreads his legs wider and lifts his hips slightly to give Hannibal better access.
Hannibal looks down at Will, his small but powerful frame, his leaking cock against his stomach, his parted lips, red from kissing. Slowly, oh so slowly, he pushes into Will, watching those gorgeous eyes close and his back arch. Hannibal falls forward and frames Will’s head with his elbows.
Strong legs wrap around his waist and heels dig into his back. Will wraps his arms around Hannibal’s back, one hand makes its way up and into Hannibal’s hair and he’s being pulled down into a kiss. He swallows down the moans Will lets loose as Hannibal pushes all the way into him. Despite all of his preparation, Will is still so tight around him and Hannibal has to take a moment so he doesn’t come right then.
Hannibal is about to start moving when Will whispers, “Wait another second.” And Hannibal does, letting Will adjust to him.
He doesn’t know when he decided that he would do anything for Will, but he knows in this moment that’s entirely true. He’s never felt that way about anyone in his life, truly didn’t think he ever would or could. Hannibal doesn’t even know what to call this feeling, just knows that his mind is filled with nothing but Will, Will, Will.
“Okay, baby,” Will whispers and oh. Hannibal moans at those words alone and he only grows louder as he pulls out nearly all the way and pushes back in, setting a steady rhythm that has Will writhing underneath him.
Hannibal shifts his angle and earns an, “Oh fuck,” from Will that only makes Hannibal speed up and drop his head so he can kiss Will, drinking down the sounds that come out of his mouth.
“Hannibal,” Will groans. “Let me, ah, I want to be on top of you.”
All Hannibal can respond to that with is a low growl and a hiss as he pulls out and lays on his back. Will rolls over on top of Hannibal and pushes himself up with his hands on Hannibal’s chest until he’s sitting up, straddling Hannibal’s hips.
He lifts up, reaches behind him to grasp Hannibal and then sinks down in one fluid motion. Will leans forward and puts his hands on Hannibal’s chest for leverage as he lifts himself back up, then drops down again, setting a pace that has Hannibal’s toes curling as he watches Will above him.
Hannibal’s hands grip Will’s thighs, his hips, trail up his stomach, anywhere he can reach. Will’s head is thrown back, his jaw slack. His fingers are tangling into the hair on Hannibal’s chest.
Will falls forward, pressing his chest to Hannibal’s, his mouth to his neck, sucking and biting and kissing, no doubt leaving marks as he trails along the skin. Hannibal pushes his hips up, thrusting to meet Will every time he grinds down.
Hannibal’s close, so close and he reaches between their bodies and takes hold of Will’s cock, stroking him in time with both of their movements.
“Fuck,” Will groans. “Hannibal.”
“Come for me, Will,” Hannibal whispers.
Seconds later Will is coming between their stomachs and clenching around Hannibal’s cock as Hannibal fucks him through it and Hannibal is falling over the edge, too, holding Will tight to his chest as he comes. Will slumps against him, both of them breathing hard, coming down.
“Fuck,” Will laughs breathlessly against his throat. “I’ll move. Just give me a second.”
“Take all the time you need,” Hannibal says.
After a minute, Will is pulling off of him and laying down on his back next to Hannibal, the both of them staring at the ceiling.
Will starts to laugh, the sound permeating the room around them and Hannibal turns his head to look at him curiously.
Shaking his head, Will says, “So, yeah, probably do not repeat any of that to Jack Crawford.”
And then Hannibal is laughing too, a full bellied laugh that he didn’t even know he had in him, and he can’t seem to contain it. The things Will does to him.
When they compose themselves, Will watches Hannibal get up from the bed and disappear into the bathroom. He comes back, the condom disposed of, and a wet cloth in his hand. He wipes down Will’s stomach, then returns to the bathroom once again.
Hannibal comes back and climbs into bed with Will, pulling the blankets over them both.
“Don’t forget to plug your phone in. You don’t need Jack Crawford showing up to your house to find you missing if there’s a crime scene,” Hannibal says.
Will sighs, knowing Hannibal is right, but mostly wanting to just ignore Jack if there is a crime scene and face the consequences later on. Still, he retrieves his phone from his discarded pants, then his charger from his bag, and plugs it into the wall on his side of the bed.
“I know I have warned you several times before, but I will likely have a nightmare,” Will tells him. He’s already sweaty, and he knows that he’ll just wake up even sweatier. “I’m serious, if I get too sweaty drag me out of bed and dump me on the floor.”
“I will do no such thing,” Hannibal says. “Your nightmares do not bother me, Will. Have I ever appeared agitated that you have woken me up?”
“No,” Will huffs.
They’re laying on their sides, facing each other and Hannibal reaches out and places a hand on Will’s forehead and Will pushes forward into the touch. Hannibal pushes Will’s hair away from his forehead, then trails his hand down to cup a cheek.
“You’re still feverish, darling,” Hannibal says. “I may have to suggest you see a neurologist.”
Will shakes his head. “No, no I’m fine.”
“Will, really. If it’s what I think it may be, it’s only a matter of time before your symptoms worsen.”
“Hannibal, I’m fine. Please just drop it,” Will requests. “I don’t need you caring for me like I’m your patient right after we have sex. It’s weird.”
“Will,” Hannibal tries.
“If I say drop it, I expect you to drop it. And that goes both ways,” Will says, firm as he can. “That’s all I ask.”
“Any time one of us says to drop it, the other has to comply?”
“Exactly. That can be a rule between us.”
“You believe we should have rules.” It’s not a question and Will knows that.
“Considering our dynamic, yes. You’re a serial killer and I am sure you have secrets you don’t want me to know as an FBI agent. You’re a doctor and there are certain times when I do not want to be treated like a patient,” Will explains. “So yeah, I think setting that boundary would be good for us moving forward.”
“Very well,” Hannibal sighs. Hannibal leans over and shuts off the lamp on his nightstand. “We should likely get some sleep.”
Will, somewhat unsure if he should or not, rolls closer to Hannibal. His worries subside when Hannibal lifts an arm so Will can settle into his side.
He rests his head on Hannibal’s shoulder and suddenly his exhaustion catches up to him and his eyes are growing heavier with each moment.
Just as Will is about to fall asleep, Hannibal speaks again.
“Will?”
“Mm.”
“I’d like to take you to an event at a museum this Saturday. I was planning on attending by myself, but I find that I would rather enjoy your company.”
“Okay,” Will agrees. “Ask me again in the morning. Too tired to think about it.”
Will dreams of the stag again, this time walking through his house, hooves clicking on his scratched up hardwood floors. The dogs don’t seem scared of him, Will isn’t scared of him just standing there, face to face, but he knows there’s a danger lurking beneath the surface. When Garrett Jacob Hobbs steps out of the kitchen, as he so often appears in Will’s nightmares, Will lifts his gun and shoots, but when he approaches the lifeless body, it’s Abigail’s vacant eyes that stare back at him.
He wakes up sobbing, shaking, and the arm around his body retreats and he wishes it hadn’t. Hannibal, always so considerate, who is pulling away now because Will told him before that he got scared when he was pinned down after a nightmare, but now Will seeks his touch.
“Hannibal,” he whispers into the dark. He sits up and grasps the air next to him, looking for a hand, anything.
“I’m here, darling,” Hannibal whispers back and offers Will his hand, and Will clutches it tight as Hannibal sits up next to him.
Will is still shaking and Hannibal shifts next to him and the lamp switches on and for a second the shadows look like Hannibal has antlers, and he squeezes his eyes shut and they’re gone when he opens them again.
“Did you want to talk about it?” Hannibal asks. Will can tell he's still not sure if he should touch Will, so Will moves closer, pressing his face into Hannibal’s neck and wrapping his arms around him.
“No. I don’t,” Will says. Hannibal’s arms come around him, cool on his warm body and Will can’t help but shiver. The sweat on him is cooling in the air conditioned room and he almost feels bad that he’s subjecting Hannibal to this. “I should shower. I’m disgusting.”
“If you want to. Or I can draw you a bath,” Hannibal says into Will’s hair. “We could both take a bath.”
“No, no. You should go back to sleep. What time is it anyways?” Will lifts his head from Hannibal’s shoulder to look at his alarm clock and the besides table and sees it’s just after two. He wasn’t asleep for long at all, but it felt like he was.
“Come on, Will,” Hannibal whispers and starts to extract himself from Will’s arms. He gets up from the bed and Will watches as he makes his way to the bathroom. He hears the bath running and a second later, Hannibal is back at his side, coaxing him out of bed.
Hannibal leads him by the shoulders to the bathroom and over to the tub.
“Get in,” Hannibal says, so Will does.
“Are you joining me?” Will asks, raising an eyebrow at Hannibal, who just stands next to the tub, fully naked.
“If you’d like me to,” Hannibal says.
Will nods and slides forward in the warm water so Hannibal can get in behind him, Will between his legs.
“Do you spend time with other people or is all of your free time consumed by myself lately?” Will asks, leaning back into Hannibal’s chest.
“I would rather be in your company than anyone else’s,” Hannibal whispers into his ear. “But no, I had dinner with Alana last night.”
“Did you?” Will feels jealousy spread through his entire body, a weird sort of possessiveness that he knows he shouldn’t feel.
“Yes. We have dinner often,” Hannibal says. His hands find their way to Will’s stomach and chest and pull him closer. “You have nothing to worry about, Will.”
“I’m not- I didn’t mean it like that,” Will says. “Besides, it’s not like…” Will swallows. “It’s not like we’ve established exclusivity, right? Even if you were, uh, seeing Alana, that’s… I can’t feel mad about that.”
“You’re the only person I’m seeing, Will,” Hannibal says. “Is there someone else for you? Did you not want to be exclusive?”
“Oh god no, Hannibal. That’s not what I was saying at all. You’re the only person I’ve been with in months and I’m not planning on finding anyone else.”
Hannibal kisses his neck. “Good. Neither am I.”
“So that’s… that’s that, then? We’re together and we’re exclusive and these are more than just hookups and random dates.”
“I would say we’re in a relationship, yes. If that’s what you’d like.”
Will breathes out a laugh and says, “Yeah. I would like that.”
He can feel Hannibal smiling against his neck, and then his lips start brushing light kisses against the skin. Will turns his head so he can kiss Hannibal on the lips.
They sit in the bath until the water goes cold and uncomfortable, sharing each other’s company and stealing kisses. Will eventually decides it’s time to get out, no matter how badly he wishes he could stay in this moment, and Hannibal follows, pulling towels out of a cabinet for both of them.
Will dries off and decides to pull on a pair of clean underwear from his bag, feeling slightly too exposed, despite everything he and Hannibal did tonight. Hannibal seems to notice and dresses in a pair of sleep pants and a shirt before getting back into bed.
The clock says it’s after three now and Will knows he’s going to be tired when he wakes again, only a few hours until he has to leave if he wants to make it home to the dogs in time to still have enough time to make it to Quantico. He frowns at the long day ahead, several lectures, stopping at home to check on the dogs once again, then his appointment with Hannibal at 6:30. It’s going to be tiresome.
Hannibal turns over and reaches out to caress Will’s cheek. Will closes his eyes and leans into Hannibal’s gentle touch.
“You’re thinking loudly,” Hannibal whispers.
“Thinking about the long day ahead,” Will sighs.
“We can cancel tonight if you don’t feel up to it.”
Will nods. “I don’t think I’ll make it through the day if I come to my appointment. Not that I don’t want to see you, of course, just…”
“It would be a therapy setting and that can be more emotionally draining than our regular interactions. I will feel your absence, but I would rather you get some rest,” Hannibal says. He rolls closer to Will and rests his head on Will’s shoulder. “I already gave Jack a report of our conversation on Monday, so I assume he’ll consider that adequate for this week.”
“Yeah,” Will says. He yawns then and Hannibal reaches over to turn off the lamp, then settles back down, head on Will’s chest, an arm draped over his stomach.
“If you don’t want me here, we can change positions,” Hannibal murmurs.
Will hugs Hannibal around the shoulders and squeezes him tight. “No, stay right there.”
Hannibal kisses Will’s chest and Will feels like he’s right where he belongs.
Before Will’s alarm even goes off, Hannibal wakes up to Will removing himself from underneath him and getting out of bed. He checks the clock on his nightstand and it’s not even 6 yet and Hannibal makes an attempt to reach out for him as he gets up.
“I’ll be right back,” Will says and disappears into the bathroom.
Hannibal can’t believe he’s being clingy. Will only had to get up to use the restroom, but Hannibal still finds himself missing the man for that minute he is gone. His goal was to ensure Will would fall in love with him, give him no reason to turn Hannibal in for his crimes, but Hannibal thinks he may be falling quicker than Will.
The toilet flushes, the sink runs, and a second later Will is falling back into the bed, sprawled out on his stomach next to Hannibal. He turns his head to the side and Hannibal can see him smiling in the dark.
“Your bed is really comfortable,” Will says. “I might just start staying here every night.”
“As much as I would enjoy having you here, it perhaps would not be good to leave your dogs home all the time,” Hannibal says.
“No I suppose you’re right,” Will says with a yawn. “God I’m tired. I don’t want to cancel tonight, but I really think I have to.”
“I already told you it’s alright,” Hannibal whispers. “Sleep for a bit longer.”
Will makes a noise that sounds like agreement and then turns himself away from Hannibal and scoots back on the bed until his back is to Hannibal’s chest. He reaches behind himself to grab hold of Hannibal’s hand and pulls his arm around his waist. Hannibal smiles into the back of Will’s neck and tightens the arm.
An alarm goes off at 7 and Will groans loudly before sitting up. Hannibal turns to lay on his back as he watches Will stretch his arms above his head.
He reaches out and traces his fingers down Will’s spine, which causes the other man to shiver, then turn to look at him. His eyes are tired and his hair is wild and Hannibal wants to pull him forward and kiss those lips that look like they’re suppressing a yawn.
“Morning,” Will mumbles and then he does yawn and Hannibal sits up and does kiss him.
“Good morning,” Hannibal responds when he pulls away. “Do you have time for breakfast?”
“No,” Will says, shaking his head. “I have to let out the dogs and get to Quantico by 9:30.”
“You better get up then,” Hannibal says.
“Yeah,” Will says and then groans again as he gets out of bed.
Hannibal still goes downstairs and starts cooking while Will showers and gets dressed and by the time Will comes down, Hannibal has coffee and a breakfast sandwich, along with some cut up fruit waiting for him.
“Take it to go, darling,” Hannibal says, handing off the travel mug and the container of food.
“You’re perfect, thank you. I’ll see you Saturday? For your museum thing?” Will asks. He takes a sip of coffee and moans. “God that’s good.”
“Yes, Saturday. I’ll text you with more information.”
Hannibal walks him to the door and holds both food and cup while Will pulls on his jacket and ties his shoes. When Will takes them back, he kisses Hannibal quick on the lips and then turns to go.
With his first appointment not being until 11, Hannibal has time to lay back down. He buries his face into the pillow Will used all night, breathing in the lingering scent.
Will reaches his lecture hall just as his students start filing in. He sets his coffee mug down on the desk, then starts setting up his laptop for his lectures. He talks about the Ripper copycat that displayed his victim like a mannequin, talks about how if he hadn’t made the mistake of leaving prints, it’s likely there would have been several more murders like these. He explains what this could mean for the actual Chesapeake Ripper case and how it could cause him to resurface.
As his lecture starts winding down, Jack Crawford shows up in the doorway, but makes a gesture for Will to continue. Not urgent, then.
As the students leave the room, Jack makes his way up to the front where Will stands. When he reaches the front, he stops in front of the desk.
“What can I do for ya, Jack?” Will asks.
“Doctor Lecter and I spoke on Monday about the Chesapeake Ripper. He said I shouldn’t throw you into the case if he resurfaces. I wanted to know what you think,” Jack says.
Will shrugs. “I told Doctor Lecter that it would be too much work for not enough reward. You and I both know the Ripper doesn’t leave evidence and going into the mind of killers is… difficult to say the least. I would rather do it for killers that we actually have a shot of catching.”
“You don’t think it would be worth your time to help catch the Ripper?” Jack asks. Will feels like he’s being baited.
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it Jack. This work takes a toll on me whether I’m stable or not. I want to catch the Ripper as much as anyone, but it’s not a case I want to get too close to. If the Ripper resurfaces any time soon, then I think I need to be able to reserve the right to stay home if I don’t feel like I can do it.”
“Is everything okay with you, Will? Lecter said you’ve been feeling unwell.”
“I’m fine, mostly. I just don’t sleep through the night. Tired a lot. It won’t do me any good to be on a case like the Chesapeake Ripper. Any other cases, give me a call and I’ll be there,” Will says. “We don’t even know if he’s going to resurface, Jack. For all we know he’s in prison for other crimes.”
“Do you believe that?”
“No. I don’t. But we can hope, right?”
Will picks up his coffee and takes a long sip.
“We can hope. I’ll let you get back to work then. You have a session with Doctor Lecter tonight?”
“Oh, uh. No. We cancelled tonight because we talked on Monday.”
“Right, well. I’ll see you, then.”
Jack turns and walks out of the room and Will feels the need to call Hannibal to complain about all of it, but he doesn’t. Hannibal is probably in an appointment right now, anyways.
He gets through his next lecture, then heads to his office to work on slides for his next lesson plan. He opens his bag and pulls out a granola bar for lunch and after a while he heads to the cafeteria to get a soda. When he returns to his office, Beverly is standing in front of the door waiting for him.
“Jack says you’re distancing yourself from cases. I think that’s good,” she says. “He works you too hard and every time we tell him that, he says you can handle yourself.”
“I can handle myself,” Will says, unlocking the door and stepping inside. He holds the door for Beverly to follow. “But it’s still nice to have people looking out for me, too. Jack said he would watch me, take me out when he knows I can’t handle it, but when people actually tell him I can’t, when I tell him I can’t, sometimes he tries to convince me to stay.”
“Yeah,” Beverly nods. “Good to put your foot down, though. Does it have anything to do with Lecter?”
“He’s… Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know. It’s different talking to him as a boyfriend than as a patient and when he’s honest about his concerns about me, it hits closer to home now, I think,” Will says. “I feel the need to take care of myself, even if it means I’m not actively saving lives. Especially when it comes to a killer like the Ripper.”
“You’re right, you know. The Ripper is a waste of our time usually, but after Miriam Lass went missing, Jack won’t let him go. I mean, he’s killed 9 people and left absolutely no evidence, nothing useful for us,” Beverly says. “He’s evaded us and the only person that found him was a trainee that went digging and jumping to conclusions we couldn’t explain or retrace and now it’s too late to take any of that back.”
“Jack seemed to think I was saying I don’t want to catch the Ripper,” Will says. “Of course I want him to stop killing, but he’s outsmarted the FBI for this long. Even when we caught up to him, he found a way to cover the tracks.”
“It’s gonna take a hell of a mistake on his end for us to catch him, that’s for sure,” Beverly says. She stands from where she’s sitting on Will’s desk. “You still have appointments with Lecter now that you’re dating?”
“We’re gonna keep having them for now. Not tonight, though.”
“You wanna go get drinks after work?”
Will thinks about saying no, but Beverly is becoming his friend, one of his only, and he finds himself wanting that. Wanting friendship. Especially because she’s the only person, besides Abigail, that knows about him and Hannibal, and it would be nice to confide in someone about his feelings for the other man. To ask if things are moving too fast. So, he finds himself saying, “Yeah, sure.”
“Cool, I’ll text you the bar location. I’m done at 5.”
“Alright.”
Beverly leaves his office then and Will smiles to himself. He’s never really had close friends. Ever. But Beverly seems to understand him and where he comes from and she doesn’t poke or prod in places she shouldn’t. That’s hard to come by. Even Alana has a professional curiosity about him and real friendship with her seems like it wouldn’t be easy.
Will finds himself wanting to tell Hannibal, so he sends him a text.
thank you for breakfast and the coffee, i really do appreciate it. beverly invited me out for drinks and i actually accepted, if you can believe that.
He smiles when his phone buzzes with a response a few minutes later.
As much as I would like to say I am not surprised, I actually quite am. I am happy you are finding friends to spend your time with, though I do find myself a bit jealous to not be the one occupying your time tonight. You’re very welcome for the coffee and breakfast, and I hope to cook breakfast for you properly soon. Call me later if you’d like. My last appointment ends at 5.
Will sends a message back.
as much as i would prefer spending time with you tonight, i think drinks with bev will do me some good. i’ll call you when i get home tonight if i don’t forget.
He sets his phone down and continues working up until the time he has to go back to his lecture hall for one last class of the day. After that lecture, he checks his phone to see a location for a bar from Beverly and heads out to meet her there.
“Will!” Beverly calls from a table when he walks in. He makes his way over. “I wasn't sure if you’d actually show.”
“I said I would, didn't I?” Will says as he sits down across from her in the booth.
“I’ll get you a drink,” she says, standing up and walking to the bar.
She comes back with two beers and slides one across the table to Will.
“Okay. Spill. Tell me about you and Lecter.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything. When did you get together?”
“In Minnesota.”
“You guys had to share a room, didn’t you? Oh my god, is that how it started?” Beverly asks.
“No. He asked me out the morning we went to the hunting cabin. Before we went,” Will says, feeling the need to clarify that they didn’t see a dead girl and then decide to go on a date. “Sharing a room was just… A bonus.”
“Well, damn,” Beverly laughs. “Do you love him?”
“Bev, we’ve been together a week. I wasn’t even sure if it was a real relationship or if we were just hooking up until last night.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, though, does it?” Beverly raises an eyebrow.
Will sighs. “I don’t think it’s love. Not yet. Honestly, it is way too soon. But the way he makes me feel…” Will shakes his head and smiles to himself. “No one’s made me feel like he does.”
“You've got it bad, huh?”
Will laughs and takes a sip of his drink. “Yeah,” he breathes out. “I think I do.”
“You think he feels the same?”
“Fuck, I hope so. I have perfect empathy, but he’s hard to read, you know? Some things slip through, I can tell he cares about me and that he’s happy when I’m around, but he has walls built up really high,” Will says with a shrug.
“Probably a result of trauma,” Beverly shrugs. “On top of the fact that he’s a psychiatrist and has to listen to everyone’s problems without showing emotions.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Will says. “So what about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
“This job makes it really hard to. At least Doctor Lecter knows about the things you see and you’re supposed to talk to him about them. It’s hard to find someone who can even stomach the idea,” Beverly says, looking down at the table. “Not that I’m really looking right now, anyways.”
“I really wasn’t either.”
Beverly smiles weakly. “Well, not everyone has a hot, rich, European psychiatrist that wants to get in their pants.”
“He’s not technically my psychiatrist. We have conversations,” Will reminds her.
“Yeah? So why haven’t you told Jack, then? Or anyone else?”
“Jack would make me find a real psychiatrist and would think Hannibal cleared me for the field based on romantic interest alone. I don’t want to see anyone else. Alana has come close too, and she’d definitely report Hannibal for some sort of ethical violation,” Will sighs. “It wouldn't go anywhere because all of my sessions have been off the record, but it would still be a pain in the ass.”
“Yeah, I guess so. What’s going to happen when you guys move in together and get married, though?”
Will chokes on the sip of beer he was taking and coughs. “That’s not even a thought right now. Fuck, and I was worried we were moving too fast as it was, but now I’m gonna start thinking about that shit now that it’s in my head.”
Beverly laughs. “Sorry, but it’s true. You won’t be able to hide forever.”
“No, but when it gets to that point it’ll be so long after I got cleared that we’ll just lie about getting together so soon after. No one would even think about it.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
After that they fall into comfortable conversation about nothing in particular. Will really feels like he’s normal for once, not seen as some sort of freak like so many people think of him as. Beverly doesn’t see him for how he gets into the minds of killers, doesn’t see him for how he shot Hobbs nine times, or any of that. She sees him as a friend, as Will Graham.
Will’s phone starts buzzing in his pocket as they’re laughing about Brian and Jimmy’s latest argument over a corpse and he pulls it out, his smile growing even wider.
“Hey baby,” Will answers. Beverly’s eyes grow wider and her smile gets bigger. Will blushes and looks down at the table.
“Hello darling,” Hannibal’s voice comes through the phone. “Are you still out with Miss Katz?”
“Yeah, I am. Did you need something?”
“I was just wondering if you were home yet. I was tempted to come by and cook you dinner tonight if you haven’t eaten yet.”
“Oh. I, uh. Sure. Yeah. I’ll call you when I leave?” Will asks. “Or if you wanna head over now, there’s a key hidden under one of the dog figurines in the window.”
“Yes, I can leave now and start cooking when I get there. I could possibly have something ready for you by the time you get home,” Hannibal says.
“Okay. Um. Did you want to stay over? You don’t have to, but if you want to you can.”
“Not tonight, I’m afraid. I have some things to do at home tonight. You have fun with Beverly and I will see you soon, alright?”
Will tries to hide his disappointment. “Yeah. Okay. See you soon. And hey, let the dogs out, but don’t worry about feeding them, I can do that when I get home.”
“Okay, Will.”
He hangs up his phone and sets it down on the table.
“What was all that about?” Beverly asks.
“Hannibal wants to cook me dinner. He’s heading to my house now and said he’ll have dinner by the time I get home.”
“Jesus. He’s perfect,” Beverly laughs.
“I said the same thing this morning when I left his house with breakfast and coffee,” Will smiles.
“Spending a lot of time together, then,” Beverly says. “It’s only a matter of time before we hear wedding bells. I better be your best man.”
“Of course, Beverly,” Will says, slightly sarcastic. “If Hannibal and I ever get married, you’ll be my best man. And don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know when we get engaged.”
“Good.”
They talk a bit longer until Will decides he better get home to Hannibal and the dogs. He’s sure Hannibal can handle letting them outside, but he’s not entirely sure they’ll listen when he calls them back in.
Will surprises himself when he pulls Beverly into a hug and thanks her for inviting him out, and promises they’ll do this again, And he surprises himself even more that he actually means it.
Hannibal makes it to Will’s house, an entire trunk full of groceries. And several garment bags for Will. He finds the key easily, and he opens the door, nearly getting knocked over by the hoard of dogs that come streaming out into the yard. He props the storm door open with a brick Will keeps nearby, likely for that purpose, and carries everything in.
He unpacks all the groceries, putting them into cabinets and the fridge and the freezer, anywhere he can fit them. He’ll prepare a few lunches for Will, knowing he doesn’t eat when he should or what he should, but that has to wait because he promised to have dinner for Will when he gets home.
After half an hour, the sound of Will’s car can be heard pulling up, the door opening and shutting, and then Will’s shoes coming up the wooden steps of his porch. Hannibal hears the dogs come in the house first, then the front door shuts again and Will is taking off his shoes, letting them thump on the hardwood floor.
“Hey,” Will says when he comes into the kitchen.
Hannibal looks up from the stove and sees Will leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, dogs trying to jump up and say hello while he ignores them. His attention is on Hannibal instead.
“Did you have a nice time with Miss Katz?” Hannibal asks, turning his attention back to his cooking.
“Yeah. She’s a good friend, I think. I can’t say that about… anyone really,” Will says with a shrug. He pushes off the door frame and walks across the kitchen. Hannibal can feel his warmth just inches behind his back, breath on his neck. Then Will is resting his chin on Hannibal’s shoulder, pressing their bodies together, his arms snaking their way around Hannibal’s waist.
“That’s good. I’m glad you have her. Did you talk about anything interesting?”
“You,” Will laughs. “She thinks you’re good for me.”
“Hm, and do you agree?”
“Yes. I do.”
Hannibal smiles as he continues to cook their dinner, Will plastered to his back until he needs to move away from the stove. Will lets go and walks into the other room, saying he needs to use the restroom.
When Will comes back, Hannibal is plating their dinner and bringing it over to the table.
“You’re sure you can’t stay tonight?” Will asks as he sits down across from Hannibal.
Hannibal can see the hopefulness in his eyes, even if Will doesn’t want to come across that way. He considers his plans for tonight, how he said earlier that he has things to do at home, but…
“On second thought, I can. I’ll take care of my other errands another night. It’s getting late already,” Hannibal says. He still needs to do what he was planning, but he has ways to ensure Will stays sleeping tonight. It’s risky, but it would provide an alibi.
After dinner, Hannibal makes the excuse that he needs to move his car into the barn, just in case. When he’s out, he retrieves sedatives he keeps just in case and brings them back into the house.
The original plan was to wait a while longer before resurrecting the Chesapeake Ripper, but with the recent copycat killer, he’s been presented with the opportunity. Though, because he’s not ready to tell Will, he has to drug him, and that will just prolong the amount of time he has to keep it a secret. Hannibal is now committing to blinding Will, which isn’t what he wanted to do, but it will work out better this way. He won’t be gone long tonight, he’s already killed and arranged the display. He just needs to leave it in a suitable location. Two and a half hours at most.
Will is settled on the couch when Hannibal returns inside.
“Wine?” Hannibal asks, heading into the kitchen before Will can even respond. He sees the dogs are eating, so that just leaves putting them outside before bed, not a hard task when the effects of the drugs set in. He knows he shouldn’t do this to Will, but still, he hands him his glass and settles down onto the couch next to him.
“Thanks,” Will says. “Did you stock my kitchen?”
“Yes. And I’m going to prepare you lunches to take to work with you.”
“You don’t have to, really.”
“I’d like to,” Hannibal assures him. “I also bought you something for you to wear on Saturday evening. We don’t have time to get anything tailored, but it should fit just fine. I would like to get you some suits fitted eventually.”
“I should say no, but I know you won’t take no for an answer.”
“You’d be correct,” Hannibal smiles.