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Will has seen the way Hannibal had been acting over the last few weeks. He was stressed, more than Will had ever seen him. He was spending less time doing what he loved and more time keeping watch, paranoid that someone was going to find them. Chiyoh had assured them both they would be safe, that they were untrackable, but Hannibal just wasn’t believing it.
He’d tried to get Hannibal back into cooking, tried to get him to draw the things around the house, but he wasn’t taking the bait. It was time for Will to bring in some extra help.
Now, Will had his experiences with dog clickers. He owned some for Winston and his other dogs back in Wolf Trap. Every time his dogs did something good he’d click it and give them a treat. Maybe it could work for Hannibal too? The next thing he knew, he was on the internet buying one off of amazon. It was black, easily concealable. He wanted to be able to take it with him wherever they went, once Hannibal got used to it. He wasn’t sure how the other would feel, but it was worth a try. His goal was to get Hannibal to relax every time he heard the click of the device. Everytime he got Hannibal to just sit and take a break, he’d press it then give him a kiss or anything the other man wanted. It sounded like a solid plan. Will didn’t tell Hannibal about what he had planned, he wanted it to be a surprise.
The package arrived a couple days later. Hannibal was in the kitchen, making dinner for the two of them. Will watched him for a few minutes, making sure his back was turned before going to the door and grabbing the package. He paced to their room, opening the door. He put the box on top of their bed and took his pocket knife out of his jeans in his closet. He opened the package and there he saw the device he had been waiting for.
Will put the box under the bed and put the clicker in his back pocket before swiftly walking back into the kitchen like nothing had happened.
Hannibal turned to face him, hearing his footsteps getting closer. Will sat at the island, resting his face in his hand.
“What are we having tonight?” He asked.
“Beef Wellington.” Hannibal turned to face him, he had a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “It’s a very.. Plain meal compared to my others, I apologize.”
Will frowned, he hated when Hannibal talked down to his dishes. He’d never had a bad one, human meat or not. An inferiority complex was something he’d only developed after they arrived in Cuba.
“Don’t apologize for what you call a lazy dinner. It’s still better than anything I could make.”
That, Hannibal smiled to. The two sat in silence with each other for a while, until it was time for Will to set the table.
After he’d finished, he sat down closer than he normally did to where Hannibal usually sat. It caught the older man by surprise.
“Sitting closer now, are we?” He asked.
“Just wanted to be within reach of you tonight.”
Hannibal set the dish on the table, cutting a piece off with a knife to put on Wills plate while he explained it. Will, as much as he enjoyed hearing about Hannibals dishes, wasn’t listening. All he could focus on was what he wanted to do. He had the clicker in his pocket, under the table so Hannibal couldn't see.
As soon as Hannibal had finished slicing the dish he could barely get his usual Enjoy out before Will had clicked the button. Hannibal heard it, eyes looking down. He was trying to figure out where it had come from. Will grabbed him gently by the neck and kissed him on the cheek.
Hannibal looked back to him in surprise.
“Thank you for the lovely dish, Lector.”
Hearing his last name in such a formal way sent a chill down his spine. He melted into the touch of his lover, letting him guide him to the chair beside him.
– – – – – –
Will continued to use the dog clicker over the next few days, waiting until Hannibal had done something worth praise and then clicking it. It didn’t take long for the cannibal to become accustomed to it. Though he knew what the younger man was doing to him, he enjoyed it. Hannibal had begun to seek out praise, hoping to hear the sound of that dog clicker before having a kiss planted on him. Will always did more, cuddling up to him in bed, telling him what a good job he did that day, showering with him. It made him feel like he was worth it again.
The two were in the living room, Will was reading on the couch with his legs propped up on Hannibals thighs. He was drawing in his sketchpad. It was a depiction of Will as an angel. He’d been studying the other as he rested next to him. Looking back at his face every few minutes.
When Hannibal finished, he pushed the pad to Will, looking the other way like an embarrassed middle schooler who had a crush. Will picked up the sketchpad looking at it with faux boredom. He watched ahead to see Hannibals expression. He said nothing. Will smiled to himself, knowing he got Hannibal hooked on the sound of the clicker, knowing he was happier with it.
Will pulled the device out of his back pocket and clicked it once. He watched as Hannibals back shivered and his hair stood. He closed his book, placing it on the coffee table to the side and sat up, pulling himself closer to the cannibal. He kissed him on the back of his neck and brushed his hand through his hair.
“It’s beautiful.” He whispered.
Hannibal melted into the touch, closing his eyes and letting his husband touch him. Will sat shoulder to shoulder with him.
“Thank you for doing this, whatever it is.” Hannibal mumbled. Will had finally succeeded in getting him to relax after so long.
“Anytime.”