Chapter Text
Hannibal's arrest on Friday evening hit everyone hard, but the person it affected most was Dr. Alana Bloom.
The woman was in her office when she had received the call from Jack Crawford, packing her things up to head home for the evening. She picked up his call with a sigh, wondering what he wanted now, "We got the Chesapeake Ripper. Will did, actually. He's- I highly recommend you prepare yourself for this, Bloom..." a pause as he took in a long breath, "It's Lecter."
Defenses of her previous mentor were the first things to come out of her mouth, demanding to know everything about how Will could have possibly come to this conclusion. "Luck. Pure luck. One little mistake led to him, Alana. What's done is done."
In the end, though, everything made sense; the Hobbs' cases, the Copycat, Will's arrest, all of it explained in ten minutes. "Will's on his way to you now. You guys need to be there for each other." She didn't protest, and with nothing left to say, hung up the phone, too shocked to even give him a farewell.
Will arrived an hour or so later to find the woman's office door unlocked, yet he knocked a few times out of courtesy. "Alana...?" the large room was dark and he had a hard time making out the figure of her sitting at her desk. Stepping closer, he saw that her hands were folded atop the table, her head bowed, almost like she had fallen asleep. "Alana? You okay?"
Will sounded like he was submerged in water, his voice deep and slow to Alana's ears. She finally raised her head when he was standing directly in front of her, fingers taping lightly on the wood to get her attention. Her words came out quiet and cracked, and it was clear that she had been crying, "Do I look like I'm okay?" If there had been enough light, Will would have seen her tear-stained face, black streaks from her makeup trailing under her eyes.
Silence for a moment before Will spoke, glancing around into the shadows, "Why are all the lights off?"
Her desk lamp flicked on at his question, illuminating her tired features, "It was still light outside when Jack called."
A worried knot formed in Graham's stomach at her words; reaching back, he pulled up a chair and sat on its edge, reaching his hands out to wrap around Alana's, "It's over now. The Ripper has been caught and we can finally... move on."
At Will's touch, Alana's fingers quickly moved so she was gripping onto his hands, holding him tightly in distress. "It was Hannibal, Will. I can't..." she trailed off, her throat closing as fresh tears formed in her eyes. Will's thumb rubbed comfortingly against her index finger as he waited patiently for her to continue, but she didn't, choosing to change the focus of conversation instead, "How are you, Will? He was your psychiatrist. Your friend."
His mouth opened but he couldn't find any words that would adequately describe his feelings right now. He was glad that the killer was caught, but of course he was extremely upset to know that it had been someone so close to him. "I think you know how I am, Alana."
That got a small smile out of her; she did know how he was, for she felt the same. Her shiny eyes narrowed slightly when she asked him, "Do you want to go back to my place? I think a beer would do us both some good."
Will gave her a small nod, "Sure, if that's what you want to do." His strong feelings for Alana started to show now as he continued to hold on to her hand when she stood, receiving a curious expression from her. He rose as she did and stepped to the side of her desk, pulling her into his arms. "It's going to be okay, Alana," at the feeling of her arms wrapping around his back, he lifted a hand and cradled her head, rocking their bodies side to side gently, "I promise."
She closed her eyes at the embrace; the gesture was odd for Will, especially after such a dramatic event, but she didn't question it. The hug was what she really needed right now, and it pulled her out of the fog she had been in since that earth-shattering phone call. "Thank you for coming, Will." He gave her a small squeeze before they separated and prepared to leave.
Will looked around at the layout and decorations of Alana's kitchen as they stepped inside, remembering the previous, and first, time he was here in that orange jumper a year or so ago. Now, thankfully, he had been properly invited and was in his normal attire.
The pleasant melody of Alana's voice pulled him out of his memories, asking him a question from the fridge, "Do you want a beer?" She was holding one for herself, hand half reaching for another as she waited for his answer.
"Uh.. do you have anything stronger?"
The woman smirked, "Of course." Putting her drink back, she pulled out a bottle of whiskey before closing the fridge and making her way to the cupboards for two glasses.
A few minutes later they were leaning against the island counter, stripped of their winter coats and shoes, staring down at their drinks. "I don't know what to think of everything," Alana said suddenly, swirling the liquid in her glass.
"Me neither," their voices were quiet in the dim room, the only light coming from over the stove. "Hannibal was... foolish for manipulating me like he did. That's what caused me to eventually figure out it was him."
Alana turned her head to Will, a small smile on her lips, "At least you can start getting your head back on track now; I know what he was doing to you, but.." she glanced back down, "I didn't want to believe it." A few seconds of silence, then, strained, "I still don't."
This was the second time this evening Will had embraced her, and the first time they had really interacted like this since The Kiss. He had thought about that single romantic gesture so many times and even contemplated doing it again now, but he decided against it as she started crying on his chest, her shoulders shaking. Will placed a kiss on the top of her head and held her close, being her rock as a tidal wave of emotions took her.
A few minutes later Alana pulled away, sniffling and wiping at her eyes and cheeks, "Sorry."
"You don't need to apologize."
She gave him a small smile and brushed at his shirt lightly, noticing the tear and makeup stains smeared across it, "I'll buy you a new one."
He shrugged, not really caring about his clothes.
A clock somewhere off in the house chimed eleven times; Will sighed, "I should probably go, it's getting late..." Her facial reaction to his words looked pained and helpless, causing him to follow up quickly with, “Not unless you want me to stay..”
"Please," Alana hadn't meant for her voice to come out sounding so desperate. Clearing her throat, she continued in a more steady tone, "If you don't mind."
"You know I'm fine with it."
She smirked at him before turning away and gulping down what was left of her drink and pouring herself some more. "Let's go in the living room. It's more comfortable there."
This part of her house Will had never been in before. Its furniture expressed Alana's personality perfectly; lots of florals but also plenty of solid patterns, all in various colors.
Setting his glass down on the end table, Will lowered himself onto her cream-colored, suede sofa and propped his feet up on the ottoman, finding it easy to relax in her cozy home. Alana sat a friendly distance to his right, legs tucked up underneath her while she cradled her glass in her hands.
"What are you going to do now?" Will didn't need her to elaborate; she was referring to his job at the FBI, working for Jack and helping profile criminals.
Graham made an unsure face and scratched at the stubble on his chin, shrugging slightly, "I don't know... Jack still wants me there, but... I think I might just stick with teaching for a while, let everything settle."
Alana reached out and patted his knee, "That sounds really good for you, Will. You need a break from all the... drama Jack brings." She brought her glass to her lips then, taking in half of its contents and swallowing it quickly.
Will was watching her as she did this, noticing how the alcohol was all seeming to go down a bit too easy. He let out a quiet chuckle, "Don't drink too much now, I don't need you getting drunk on me."
"Why?" Alana smiled at him, amused, "Afraid I'll make a fool of myself?" She handed her drink to him so he could place it on the table next to his, "Don't worry; I haven't gotten more than buzzed in years."
"Good."
Will looked over his shoulder at a small mewing noise, smiling when a gray, short-haired cat jumped up onto the back of the sofa; he scratched its chin, "I didn't know you had any pets."
"Well, ever since I watched your dogs, she's become skittish and tends to hide when people come over." The feline rubbed up against Will's hand and eventually made its way down onto the seats, settling between the pair and starting purr contently.
There was a pleasant atmosphere in the room as they pet the cat, neither of them feeling the need to say anything. Eventually, though, Will spoke up, "Can I use your shower?"
"Sure," Alana directed him to the downstairs bathroom, nodding at his thanks.
"Alana?"
The woman was in her kitchen working on her third glass of whiskey when she heard Will's call; going into the living room, she poked her head down the hallway, not sure if he was decent or not, "Yeah?"
"Do you happen to have pajamas or something I could wear?" Will knew it was a long shot that she would, be he figured he could ask anyway.
"Yeah, hold on."
She returned a few seconds later with a pair of red checkered bottoms and a t-shirt, "Here, my brother leaves a set when he visits. They should fit."
Will opened the bathroom door and reached out for the clothes, the lower half of his body wrapped in a towel, "Thanks." Without really thinking about it, Alana's eyes fluttered from his wet, clingy hair that stuck to his forehead oddly, down to his bare chest and stomach, lingering longer than they should have.
She realized a second later that she was gawking and shook her head, "Sorry," before hurrying back into the kitchen, downing the rest of what was in her glass and trying to push the image of half-naked Will away.
He joined her a few minutes later, his movements a bit hesitant in the unfamiliar flannel pants and tshirt, "Thanks. I feel better now."
Alana looked up at him slowly, knowing full well he could see the redness that still lingered on her face. Nervous panic rose in her as he stepped closer, but she kept her countenance calm. He lifted a hand and brushed it against her cheek, "Are you embarrassed? Or have you been drinking too much?"
Her eyes closed at his touch, a warm feeling rising in her before alarms started going off in the slight haze of her whiskey-fogged head. She lifted a hand and put it on his wrist, lowering it gently, "A little bit of both, probably." Taking a step to the side, Alana started to leave the room, "I'm going to go change, okay?"
Will nodded, grinning to himself as he listened to her make her way upstairs.
Alana didn't think twice of the boxer shorts and tank top that she changed into, that is until she stepped into the living room to see Will staring at her, "...what?" her hands moved up to check hair, wavy locks pulled back in a ponytail. She finally realized when he averted his gaze that it was all of the exposed skin that caused him to ogle.
"N-nothing," Will didn't watch as she stepped into the kitchen to grab her drink.
Alana came back and sat on the far end of the couch, pulling a blanket over her and settling into the cushions, much to Will's disappointment. He gestured to her glass, "Fourth?"
"Ah, fifth, actually." It was quiet for a few seconds before the woman started giggling.
Will wore an amused smile and readjusted himself so he faced her, legs stretched out on the sofa in front of him, “Something funny?” His bare feet slipped under the edge of her blanket and rested gently against hers, toes wiggling teasingly, "You better not be drunk, Ms. Bloom."
"I'm sorry," she drew out the last word and rested her head on the cushion beside her, a silly grin on her face, "How many have you had, hmm?"
"I'm working on my second." The cat joined them then, jumping up and laying across Will's lap.
"She likes you." Alana enjoyed seeing Will around animals. He always seemed so happy and at peace, a sharp contrast to the grim expression that he always wore while teaching or while in the presence of Jack.
The woman readjusted some before commenting without really thinking, "You're in a house full of women who want your hands all over them." The seconds between the words leaving her mouth and registering in her head seemed to tick by audibly, three seconds drawn out in the silence as Will looked up at her slowly, eyebrows raised. Alana's heart was fluttering, "I, I didn't mean..." shut up, Alana, just shut up. She finished the drink that was in her hand and then set the empty glass on the floor, embarrassment causing the muscles through her body to tense up.
"Maybe we should put the whiskey away for tonight..."
"Yeah, that'd probably be best."
The silence was no longer comfortable between them, which Alana just couldn't stand and needed to fix, "Do you want to listen to some music?"
"Sure."
Standing with a little bounce, Alana made her way over to the small stereo under her TV and turned on the radio, a quiet song with a slow beat filling the room. Piano notes were echoing off the walls, shifting the atmosphere from awkward to, dare she say, romantic. She turned back to him with a smirk, "Do you want to dance?"
"Dance?" Will laughed and swung his legs over the edge of the couch but didn't get up, "I'm not a dancer, I'd probably step on your feet."
"So?" Alana came over to him and held out a hand, her smile growing wider when he actually took it.
They moved to the center of the room between the couch and the television, their feet quiet atop the carpet. Alana rested her hands on Will's shoulders while his went to her waist. He peered down at her as they slowly started to step in circles, "Honestly, I'm surprised you asked me to stay with you tonight."
"Yeah? And why's that?"
Even if Will wasn't looking, he could have heard the grin in her voice. "After what you told me when you stopped by to... 'shoo away any predators at my door,'... after you said that we weren't... compatible-"
Alana could practically hear the pain in his words despite his light tone, "That was over a year ago, Will." Neither of them realized they had stopped dancing and were now just standing there, staring at each other.
Will took a few seconds to compose his nerves before asking, "...do you still have a professional curiosity about me?"
"Of course I do," her voice was soft and it was obvious she was choosing her words carefully, "but ever since you started distancing yourself from Hannibal, you've been getting better. Your mind and your nightmares, hallucinations, all that, they're going away, aren't they?"
"They treated me for encephalitis at Baltimore State. It wasn't all Hannibal--"
"I know, but... he helped. Now that he's gone--"
"I can finish getting better."
Their heads had been growing closer as they spoke, and now Will closed the distance and kissed her, Alana standing on her tiptoes to press against him. Their mouths moved just as easily as they had the first time, if not more with Alana almost more than buzzed.
A few seconds later they pulled away, her hands having sliding down to press against his chest. Will spoke first, "I thought you were confused?"
"I was, but now I'm drunk and apparently I don't care."
"Then we shouldn't be doing this."
"I know," now it was Alana's turn to kiss him, her hands moving up his neck to his jaw, pulling him down towards her.
He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her lean frame close to him, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together, something that hadn't happened the first time. He felt her hands move further back along his neck, her thumbs now in front of his ears and her fingers in his hair.
The cat slithering between their feet caused them to pull away and look down at the creature, smiling. "Thank you, Molly," Alana teased before resting her head on Will's shoulder, arms now laced around his sides.
Neither of them knew how long they were standing there together, listening to the music and feeling the warmth and breathing of the others body. Will's eyes shifted over to the grandfather clock he had heard earlier as it struck midnight, a tired feeling coming over him as the time was made clear, "We should go to bed."
Alana pulled away slightly, hands just barely hooked on his sides, "In separate beds?"
"Yes," he laughed, "in separate beds. I'm not going to do anything like that with you... like this."
“We can sleep in the same bed and not do anything, you know.”
“Yes, but we both know that we'd succumb to the temptation.”
"Such a gentlemen," her words had come out sarcastically but she really did mean it, glad that he had enough respect for her to not take advantage of her drunkenness.
Grabbing his hand, she led him over to the stairs, "Come on, I'll show you to the guest room."
Alana led him to a room on the opposite side of the house from hers, standing back in the doorway as he stepped inside. "You have your own bathroom over there," she pointed to a closed door in the corner, "And my brother has some clothes in the dresser if you want them for tomorrow."
Will nodded and turned his head while she indicated things, standing there with his hands in his pockets, not entirely sure what to do or say in response when she was done.
It was Alana that broke the silence after pointing her thumb over her shoulder, "I guess I'm going to go to bed now."
He gave a nod.
"Thanks again, Will. Goodnight."
"Night."
Alana gave him a smile before turning, pausing for second to say something but then thinking otherwise and continuing to her room.
She brushed her teeth then let down her hair and combed it before climbing into bed, a smile on her face the entire time.
Molly joined her just as she was starting to doze off, jumping onto the bed quietly and curling up in the curve Alana's stomach made while she laid on her side. "Goodnight, pretty girl," Alana cooed before drifting off to sleep, head abuzz with alcohol, endorphins, and Will Graham.