Chapter Text
„Will? Will? Can you hear me?“
With a gasp like going up from diving, he returned back to reality. He didn’t notice, he’s slipped in a day-dream world. Again.
Will needed a few heartbeats before his senses restarted their activity and he was able to see and think clear again. His head ached as fuck and he felt like he could black out every moment. A panic attack started to emerge inside of him, but the very gaze of bright green eyes, fixed on his own, was enough to reassure him, that he was safe.
He was with Hannibal. He was safe.
And for a moment, this was all he needed to know.
„Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright.“, Will answered, after he realized, that Hannibal asked him a question. It actually was a lie, but either Hannibal didn’t notice it or he understood Will’s caginess regarding his feelings. Whatever it was, Will was glad about it. He was definitely not in the mood for talking about stupid emotions.
Hannibal handed him a glass of water. He didn’t know he was thirsty as fuck until the first drop of water touched his lips. Suddenly the glass was empty and his headache eased a bit. This was better.
Only now, he turned his head to capture his environment. He neither recognized anything nor did he know how he got here. He was alone with Hannibal in a small bathroom, not much bigger than a broom closet, but all the more luxurious. He was wearing a suit, his best one, to be specific, and a card was pinned on his chest to identify him as Special Agent Will Graham. Not that he gave a shit about how he or everything around him looked. His geographical location was far more important.
„Where am I?“, Will asked.
„You don’t remember?“, Hannibal asked.
He shook his head, his heart starting to beat faster.
„I don’t know anything. Where I am, how I got here, I don’t even know what bloody day it is.“
Hannibal swallowed, obviously concerned.
„I brought you here because you looked alarming and didn’t react to anything I asked or said to you. I thought it was better for you to be here until it passed, whatever it was.“ He paused, swallowing again. „What is your last memory?“
Will thought about it, trying to recall his memories. First, everything was blur and he got dizzy, nearly fainted, but then there was - yes, there!
„You picked me up this morning. With your car. You had two coffees in your hands.“, he said.
Hannibal smiled. „Good. This was indeed this morning.“
A sigh escaped Will’s mouth, full of relief. So he had just lost a couple of hours. So far so good.
„This wasn’t the first time?“, Hannibal asked.
Will hesitated, but nodded then in honesty.
„Why haven’t you told me?“
„Because I thought it wouldn’t matter.“, Will answered, barely audible.
„It does. Nothing is unimportant when it’s about you.“, Hannibal said. Then he sighed. „If you are physically okay, I’d advise to talk about it later and to go back now, before they start to worry and ask questions.“
„They?“, he asked.
„Your Team. You have a case here. But I can drive you home if you don’t feel well.“
„No, it’s okay.“, Will said and stood up. Hannibal handed him the bottle of water, he poured in the glass. It was still half-full. Will smiled thankfully and took a deep sip.
„Can you tell me now where we actually are?“, he asked.
Hannibal smiled and opened the door, as they entered a long and huge corridor.
„Welcome to the White House, Will.“
Welcome to the what?
Now, Will knew why the bathroom was furnished so luxurious. Because everything here was expensive, the best you can have in the whole country. The furniture as the toilet paper.
He was in the fucking White House!
„We really have a case here?“, he asked. His voice was quiet, because he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of all the obviously important people walking past him. His obvious confusion was quite enough.
„We were all quite surprised.“, Hannibal answered. „But I think you can imagine a reason why they chose us to solve it.“
Will frowned. Of course.
„Why are you looking like that? It’s quite an honor. Not every agent gets the chance to solve a case of national importance.“
„Neither does every psychologist.“
„Exactly“, Hannibal smiled.
„What is it about?“, Will asked as they walked along the corridor, passing politicans, governmental employees, CIA workers, NSA hackers and several other people, all rushing past them as if they were too late for free lunch.
„Assassination attempt to the president. He nearly made it. That’s why everyone is so upset. They need to find out how this was possible.“
„He nearly killed the president?“ Shock flashed through Will’s body and made him numb for a second.
„He was in the hallway to the oval office.“, Hannibal said dryly.
„Fuck.“ Will didn’t understand how Hannibal could react so calm. The president has always been a symbol of safety for him, from his childhood up to now. It had made him easier to sleep at night, to defeat his paranoia, when he was certain that there is at least one man in this world, who was safe from things like that. This hade made him feel himself safe too, comfortable somehow.
Now this illusion was gone and left nothing but fear inside of him.
„Will?“, Hannibal asked with deep concern. Probably he still wasn’t sure if Will was stable enough to get involved in the case.
„I’m alright“, he said immediately to his friend to calm him down. Hannibal just nodded and pointed one hand to the left and the other to the corridor.
„The oval office is just there“, he said, looking to the left. „And the man was shot just around the corner. So, you see it was just a matter of meters.“
„God, he really was close“, Will murmured, his body shaking a little bit. He prayed to God for Hannibal not to notice it, but God always seemed to be on vacation, when Will wanted to contact him. He couldn’t hold it against him.
He nearly saw the gears in Hannibal’s brain working as he tried to figure out the reason for Will’s sudden anxiety and the small move of his head as he found a solution.
He didn’t laugh at him, what probably everyone else would have done.
He didn’t sugarcoat it, what probably most of them would have done.
He didn’t blame him for it, what probably some of them would have done.
Instead, he just layed a hand on his cheek, slightly caressing the soft skin with his thumb and said: „You are safe, Will. You are with me.“
Will nearly lost himself in the sensation of Hannibal’s skin against his, but clearly understood the message in Hannibal’s words.
He was with Hannibal.
He was safe.