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Will Graham woke up, as he always did, on a early weekday morning and got ready for work. As he was getting ready, he got a text from Hannibal. He didn’t read it right away; it made him smile slightly and the feeling of warmth in his stomach. When Will looked at what it said though he started to laugh. Will wasn’t quite sure where that came from but he found it funny how often they texted each other now. It reminded him of being in high school, and they both had such similar personalities and interests and so much fun together.
Will went through the usual morning routine; showering, brushing teeth, shaving, combing his hair, making sure his dogs were fed, watered and petted. After his daily tasks he put his clothes on, grabbed his keys, wallet and phone and left home, locking the door behind him. He started the car and checked the text message Hannibal sent him.
Good morning, dear Will! I trust you at least tried to have a good night's sleep last night? The reason for this text is because I would like to invite you to the opera with me tonight. You see, at the risk of ruining doctor-patient confidentiality, I have a rather insistent patient who will not take the hint I am not interested in him and hold feelings for someone else. I thought, perhaps, you might help me with my dilemma. Tell me, dear Will, does accompanying me to the opera as my fake date interest you?
Will felt the smile spread across his face once more and before responding replied with an emoji of two men holding hands with hearts around their heads. He hit send, then closed his phone and put it on the passenger seat. He drove to the FBI academy, arriving fifteen minutes later than usual. He took his time getting out of his car and walking to his classroom; sometimes the walk would be longer if his students were earlier than he was. Today was one of those days.
After his lesson, which thankfully wasn't interrupted by Jack Crawford and Alana Bloom this time, Will stopped by the BAU's science lab to say hello to Beverly Katz, Jimmy Price, and Brian Zeller. They greeted him politely and he wished them all a pleasant day, before leaving to go back to his classroom to teach young FBI trainees. On his way there he received another text. This time it was again from Hannibal. Will laughed to himself.
It seems my patient is very persistent today. See you after class, dear Will. I have gotten you a suit from my tailor, so please don't fret about that. xxx
He grinned even wider and continued the walk to his classroom. It was ridiculous how adorable Hannibal actually was, considering the fact that he was secretly the Il Mostro de Firenze, the Copycat Killer and the Chesapeake Ripper. Oh, yes; Will knows Hannibal's murderous dirty little secrets. It wasn't hard to figure out. Hannibal fit the Ripper's profile exactly. And Will wasn't disgusted or angry. No, Will knew he had a certain amount of darkness of his own and his darkness sun gout to Hannibal's like a siren to a pirate. He wasn't going to tell Jack about Hannibal's secrets. No, to tell on the man he secretly loved would be like telling on himself. Will would keep Hannibal's secrets and tell him later that night at the operahouse that he knew Hannibal is the Chesapeake Ripper. But first...
After his afternoon lecture, he headed straight back to his desk, where he immediately pulled out his phone and dialed Hannibal's number. A few seconds passed until Hannibal answered the phone.
"Hello, Will." He sounded pleased to hear from Will.
"Hi, Hannibal. How'd your afternoon go?"
"It was fine, Will, despite the annoyance I feel towards Franklyn. Did you enjoy your classes?"
"Oh, they were okay, I guess. My students are annoying, but they're still pretty smart."
Hannibal chuckled into his mouthpiece. "You're too kind, dear William."
Will smiled. "How's our patient this morning?" He asked teasingly.
"I believe the words are 'neurotic' and 'pathetic', dear Will. He really is quite bothersome, what with his blathering on about his darling infatuation with me, his desire to seek friendship with Michael Jackson, and his obsession for cheese, of all things."
Will heard Hannibal pause before speaking again. "He has also been trying to get me interested in meeting a new friend of his, a Mr. Tobias Budge."
Wait, what? Tobias Budge. The name was familiar to Will. Wait. Shit.
"Tobias Budge. Why does that name sound familiar? Tobias Budge..."
"I believe he is the killer you and the rest of the FBI have been searching for this week," Hannibal helpfully reminded him.
"Is he still active?" Will asked excitedly.
"Yes, but I do suspect that his activities now extend to myself, you and my patient Franklyn Froideveaux. Franklyn will have most likely dragged him to the opera tonight. We shall confront him there, during intermission," Hannibal explained calmly.
Will was smiling widely when he heard that. This was just perfect.
*~*~*~*~
Early that evening, Will arrived home to see the suit Hannibal picked out for him, hanging on the bathroom doorway. Will smiled broadly and went to change. He slipped off his shirt and pants and changed into the outfit. The suit was black, tight in all the right places, fitting snugly; but not uncomfortably so. He admired his reflection in the mirror and decided he liked it. Hannibal must have had the seamstress make some adjustments to it as well; otherwise it wouldn't be able to sit right on him. Will shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, checking whether it needed any styling gel.
He decided that, yes, it needed styling gel. First, he needed a haircut. Will cut his hair to look stylish and classy, leaving a stray curl to flirtily sit on his forehead. He jumped in the shower, shaved and blow-dried his hair. Finally, he was ready.
Once in front of the full length mirror on his bedroom wall, he sighed and smiled smugly. His suit looked great, and it showed off his long legs and ass nicely. He could see why Hannibal was so drawn to him.
Because other than Will's brilliant mind, he was admittedly, a classically pretty man of the Botticelli variety. His face was chiseled jawline and deep blue eyes, but his hair was curly and brown, with dark chocolate colored tips. He had a nice nose and lips. He wore glasses, which added to his looks. In the end though. he looked good no matter what, but maybe it was the tailored suit.
After getting dressed, Will left his house, heading towards Hannibal's house, where he was scheduled to meet the doctor.
Hannibal would drive them both to the opera in his Bentley. Once they got into the car, Hannibal turned the radio on, and the soft strains of classical music filled the air. It was one of the other somethings that Will adored about Hannibal and enjoyed.
The ride to the theatre didn't take long, and soon they were pulling up to the entrance. Hannibal got out, handing his keys to the valet before helping Will get out of the car. They made their way over to the entrance of the theatre, which was a large building. The building itself was quite old but modern in the inside, which was nice for Will.
They entered and walked up the stairs to the box seats reserved for Hannibal and Will. Will followed closely next to Hannibal, admiring the scenery; everything was painted white and there was big windows all along the back of the auditorium, allowing plenty of moonlight and starlight to shine upon the audience.
Just as they reached the top, Hannibal held Will's arm, signaling him to wait while he made his way to a box seat. When he returned he smiled kindly at Will and sat down next to him. He held a small bouquet of flowers in his lap.
"Are these for me?" asked Will, smiling as he accepted the bouquet, placing them in between them. He smelled the flowers. Sweet Williams, red roses, honeysuckle, pink and orange honeysuckle. White, purple and pink orchids toped off the bouquet. How sentimental of Hannibal. Will loved it.
Hannibal smiled warmly at him, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss on Will's cheek. "I was hoping they would match with the suit I bought you. Now, before the show starts, I must ask; Are you familiar with the Italian language?"
Will nodded. "Yeah, I am, thankfully," he answered with a wink.
Hannibal chuckled softly. "Excellent! Because tonight's performance will be entirely in that language."
The music started playing then and the lights dimmed. The stage area lit up for the opening number. After the first chorus, they joined in with the singers. Will found himself enjoying the opera. He felt calm watching the performance with Hannibal.
When the show finally came to a close for intermission, Hannibal stood and lead the round of applauses. Will followed suit.
Once the intermission started, Hannibal and Will shared a look and walked out together towards the main lobby. There they talked and conversed quietly among themselves, occasionally nodding towards someone who passed by. Will was curious.
What exactly did Hannibal want to talk to him about?
As they stepped outside of the theatre, they began talking again, this time with much more volume.
"So, tell me dear Will, what do you think so far of the concert tonight?" Hannibal asked him curiously.
Will took a sip from his drink and thought deeply about his answer. "Well, it wasn't bad. I mean, the orchestra was excellent. I couldn't find any mistakes in their piece, they played every instrument perfectly. The vocalists were very nice, one of them actually had a strong British accent. Their singing was quite beautiful as well, not only were their voices pleasant and lovely, it's a pity that we can't sing along."
Will paused briefly, thinking over the rest. "Overall, it went smoothly."
"Did you like the costumes?" Hannibal asked.
"Of course, they're gorgeous!" Will gushed. "And the music was wonderful. I'm sure there are more concerts I should see before Jack calls me back out to the field again."
Hannibal laughed lightly. "I agree, dear Will. I suppose you might want to go for another encore. You've given me an idea. I'll speak with Mr. and Mrs. Komeda, a lovely married couple of friends of mine. They're co-chairmans of the Board of the Baltimore Philharmonic, just as I am one of the co-captains. Perhaps you'll meet the couple in a few minutes, if not sometime tonight."
"Thank you, Hannibal," Will said sincerely.
"No need to thank me, Will. Anytime you feel comfortable discussing the opera or classical music, please contact me."
Will gave him a nod before turning around and starting to walk away. Just as he turned the corner of the building, he was confronted by a jealous-fuming, heavyset short man with short dark curls and a tall brown-skinned man with dark hair. Ah, this must be Franklyn Froideveaux and Tobias Budge. Fantastic.
Franklyn glared daggers at Will with a painfully obvious fake grin. "Well, if it isn't the famous FBI Agent, Will Graham! How have you been?" he asked sarcastically.
Tobias was smirking evilly. Will tried hard to suppress the dangerous shark-like smile threatening to emerge on his face.
"Nice to meet you, Franklyn," Will replied casually. "How have you been doing? How is the cheese this season?"
Froideveaux opened his mouth and seemed like he wanted to say something scathing back, until the shorter man interrupted by the arrival of Hannibal, who had soundlessly sidled up behind Will, wrapping his arms around Will's waist possessively and tugging him backwards until Will's back snugly met Hannibal's chest. Hannibal comfortably rested his chin on Will's shoulder.
"Hello, gentlemen," Hannibal greeted them. "What a pleasure it is to see both of you again. I see you've met my lover, Consulting FBI Agent Will Graham."
"It's a pleasure to see you again as well, Dr. Lecter," Tobias said with an oily grin.
"Mm. And it's nice to see you getting acquainted with my William. Dear Will here is a first timer at the opera, though he does enjoy the music so. It's one of the many things he and I bonded over, which led to us falling in love and eventually entering a mutually romantically-inclined relationship," Hannibal explained with a wink to Will, who flushed furiously.
"Really?" asked Froideveaux incredulously. "Why in Heaven's name would you want to settle down with a dumbass dog hair-infested dullard like Will Graham?"
Before Will could respond, Hannibal spoke up, in a silky baritone. "Franklyn, Tobias," Hannibal purred. "I'm afraid Will and I must return to our seats. The show will be resuming soon. We mustn't miss it. We shall see you after, I do hope. Until then... Come, Will. Let us retake our seats."
Will barely hid the twisted grin that wanted to be let loose. His blood thrummed in excited pleasure at the barely-hidden darkness in Hannibal's irises. He could practically taste it. He was absolutely going to help Hannibal kill that annoying, rude bastard Franklyn when this was over. And they'll kill Tobias together too. Will knew Hannibal will make sure of that. Will couldn't wait.
They returned back to Hannibal's boxseats and sat down beside one another. Hannibal placed an arm around Will's shoulders and kissed his temple. He felt slightly better now that he knew that Hannibal wouldn't leave him alone. Though Will really should have expected it. As they settled into their seats Hannibal took Will's hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. Will leaned his head against his shoulder, relaxing slightly and letting out a deep sigh. He really loved this man. Darkness and hidden, soft human side and all.
He just felt complete in Hannibal's arms.
It was now the middle of the final Act, with the music becoming louder. Will had no idea how the story progressed or resolved; he was more focused on Hannibal's heartbeat against his ear and the feeling of Hannibal's touch on his skin. Hannibal was holding his hand tightly. Will didn't even care about the show. He could just sit there and stare into those beautiful brown eyes and listen to Hannibal speak and laugh, and cry, and watch the play unfold. It was almost entrancing. Will closed his eyes and just enjoyed being in Hannibal's arms.
When the curtain fell, Will immediately looked at Hannibal. Hannibal, for his part, was looking straight ahead with an impassioned, emotive expression. A small smile lingered on his lips. Will grinned and pressed a light kiss to Hannibal's cheek, tasting the cannibal's tears. Hannibal turned to him quickly, a little taken aback by this sudden affectionate gesture. But once he saw Will's gentle expression, he smiled wider, returning the kiss on his cheek, making Will grin widely in reply. As the audience applauded and clapped the two men rose from their seats and headed off onto the lobby floor.
They joined other patrons, greeting them and chatting pleasantly about the performances and the story.
Then they were interrupted by Franklyn and Tobias again, just as Hannibal and Will finished making dinner party plans with Mr. and Mrs. Komeda. Hannibal greeted the couple cheerfully, while Will nodded respectfully, giving a polite bow of respect.
Franklyn frowned at him. Will smiled politely back at him, trying to keep his composure.
"Are you enjoying your night with us, Will?" Franklyn asked snidely.
"Yes, sir. It has been truly fun meeting you both and watching the opera," Will replied sweetly and charmingly.
Mrs. Komeda shook Will's hand politely. "We are glad to hear that, Will. You are simply divine! Such a polite, charming and handsome man. Hannibal, you're quite the lucky duck." She giggled.
Will blushed at the praise. "Thank you ma'am. My father's lady friends used to say that, too. That I was polite, charming, handsome."
She smiled and laughed heartily at that. "You are such a good boy, dear."
"Thank you again, ma'am," Will said with a smile, bowing slightly once more.
Hannibal beamed happily at his Will and the woman getting along. Tobias, having remained silent the entire time, snickered and rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed at Hannibal's happiness with Will. After some more pleasantries and dinner plans exchanged, Hannibal and Will excused themselves and walked outside together, hand-in-hand. Will leaned closer and whispered in Hannibal's ear.
"You're so adorable when you try to hide your true murderous side, Hannibal," he breathed.
Will smiled at Hannibal's barely-concealed shock. The man has incredible self-control, after all, so others have to know where to look to see Hannibal's true nature as a killer. And Will saw, and he loved Hannibal anyway. Because they were both so alike:
Two men appearing normal on the outside, but on the inside was something dark lurking just underneath the surface, hardly even hidden if only someone were brave enough to really look.
"Yes, my darling Hannibal, I know. I know you are the Chesapeake Ripper. I also know you're the Copycat Killer. And I know that in Florence, Italy, you were known as Il Mostro de Firenze when you were a young man." Will continued. "And I don't care. I love you and I want you all to myself. There will never be another for me because no one else can satisfy me. But most importantly, I can trust you and I can love you unconditionally. And nothing in this world could change that. Because I know you. I see you. And I accepted the darkness in myself long before you and I met, so there's no more need for your manipulative plans for me. Yes, I know about your plans to gaslight me, to turn me dark, to eventually frame me for your Ripper and Copycat murders. And I'm here to tell you that those plans need to change. You need to keep Frederick Chilton as your scapegoat. Let him be the one framed for your crimes."
Hannibal stared at Will in awe."Will,"hebreathed. "My darling Will. I knew you'd understand. I'm sorry, Will, that I've been trying to set you up. Yes, I shall let Chilton take the fall for my crimes. And what of Franklyn and Tobias? You know my criteria. You know I cannot abide rudeness. Franklyn and Tobias are quite rude. What's to be done about that, my darling mongoose?"
"Well, we could always kill them," Will stated seriously. "No, in fact, we will kill them. Tonight. Now."
Hannibal looked at Will like he'd hung the moon, the stars, and the planets for the older man.
"Do you truly mean that, Will?" He implored Will.
"Of course, I do. Why else would I risk myself for you? Do you think it's any wonder my life has been so miserable in this hellhole called reality?" Will asked him. "But don't worry, Hannibal. Everything will work out just fine. It will. Trust me. You will get your justice. For real, this time. So, come. Let's go get our revenge, shall we?"
Will grabbed Hannibal's hand and tugged him towards Tobias and Franklyn, smiling mischievously. Hannibal followed obediently. As the two men approached the two other men, Hannibal spoke up.
"Boys, how is everything going?" He asked jovially. Franklyn scowled at Will, openly hostile, while Tobias tried to subtly sneer.
"Fine, Dr. Lecter. Just fine. Franklyn here was just telling me all about your darling new FBI lover," Tobias taunted Will. "How nice and charming he is, eh?"
Hannibal merely raised an eyebrow. He glanced over at the other man, but said nothing. Instead he just glared back challengingly. Tobias grinned nastily.
"So. Are we going somewhere, or what?" He asked. "I don't think having it out, out here in public, will do well for your reputation, Dr. Lecter," Tobias continued, smirking arrogantly at Hannibal.
A smirk curled at Hannibal's lips. "Very well then, gentlemen. Follow me to my home. We shall be there shortly."
The four men walked together towards their respective cars. Tobias and Franklyn followed the Bentley to Hannibal's townhouse without further conversation. Hannibal led Will and the pair towards his house and opened the front door, ushering them through with a welcoming nod and smile. Will and Hannibal entered and made their way through a narrow hallway to the large sitting room, which was empty at the moment save for them, the piano and some chairs and couches. As soon as they arrived Hannibal turned around and faced them.
"Alright, gentlemen. Let's talk business, shall we?" He smiled. Franklyn crossed his arms over his chest and shifted awkwardly on his feet, while Tobias stood behind Will and placed a firm grip on his right arm possessively. Will watched Hannibal calmly as Tobias whipped out a catgut string from seemingly nowhere. Tobias threw it, which landed neatly in Hannibal's open palm.
Will watched curiously as Hannibal tied a cord securely around the catgut string, securing it perfectly around his wrist so that no harm would come to him or Will. Hannibal held a satisfied smile on his face, staring down at Will, as if daring him to challenge his actions. The younger man merely chuckled, amused at Hannibal's antics, despite the tension he felt between him, Tobias and Franklyn. Finally, Hannibal pulled the cord tightly, effectively rendering the knot invisible and impossible to untie. Hannibal smirked victoriously, obviously pleased with himself. Tobias grinned as well, proud of his own work.
Suddenly, Hannibal put the string around Tobias's neck and pulled, choking him slightly. Tobias gasped helplessly and began thrashing violently against Hannibal, who proceeded to twist the rope and string tight around him, making sure he could not breathe easily.
Meanwhile, Will had quickly snatched the gun from Franklyn’s coat pocket. Franklyn tried desperately to fight back, but couldn’t as Will quickly threw away the gun and snuck behind the thicker-bodied man, wrapping arm arm around Franklyn's neck, holding on tight, while his other hand twisted Franklyn's head and neck, It made an audible snapping noise, the bones breaking as Franklyn quickly died just as fast as his sniveling protests. Will dropped the dead body to Hannibal's sitting room floor with a heavy exhale.
"I was looking forward to that!" Tobias childishly spat, even stomping his foot and flailing about just as a little boy who didn't get his way would.
"And now, you don't have to. Because we've just done the deed for you," Hannibal answered the shorter, darker man proudly with a hint of amusement.
Tobias scowled and huffed, lunging at Hannibal with the catgut string again. This time the ribbon snapped cleanly under his grip, but instead of killing the man right away, he only choked him a bit further. Hannibal grinned at the man's distress as Will calmly took his gun back.
Hannibal let Tobias attack him a bit, as did Will. It wouldn't look well if they came away from this fight clean and unscathed, after all. To the public, they were a borderline-autistic introverted man with special empathetic abilities and a former brain surgeon who was now a therapist. And they'd like to keep being seen that way to the public. At least, for now. They'd hash out the details of revealing their true selves to the world at a later time. For now, however...
"I'll call an ambulance and the BAU team," Will said breathlessly as he curled up into Hannibal's arms and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder.
Hannibal nodded. "Excellent, my dear."
*~*~*~*~
Two hours of taking their statements to Jack, the FBI and the BAU science team - plus an hour of framing Chilton of Hannibal's crimes- later, Hannibal and Will finally got to relax in Hannibal's sitting room in front of the fireplace, enjoying a nightcap while they negotiated their joint killing terms plus their new relationship.
"Okay, so I know you kill and eat the rude," Will started, sipping at his drink.
"Yes," Hannibal replied. "It is a good thing I have an entire wardrobe filled with suits designed to protect my body from such viscera."
Will smiled as he remembered Hannibal wearing a clear plastic onesie during their pack killing of Tobias and Franklyn. "I have an addendum to that: I don't like seeing children and animals hurt, so I think we should add child abusers, rapists, molesters, and animal abusers to your list of the rude."
"Agreed. But I am not opposed to adding other categories of criminals," Hannibal told him, taking a healthy swig of his scotch and setting the glass down on his coffee table before turning his body fully towards Will.
"What about serial killers - other than us, I mean - and serial killers' friends? Would you add it to my list of rude pigs or make that another category?" Hannibal asked.
"You really want to go there, don't you?" Will laughed.
"Oh, yes," Hannibal grinned evilly.
"Alright. I'll start listing off those. You might consider adding people with homicidal tendencies and psychopathic personality traits. And anyone who might've come from a nuclear family dynamic. And privledged, straight white boys and white men. Believe me, you know I'm from the Deep South, so you know I know their type. Future or current school and/or mass shooters of good ol' America."
"That seems fair," Hannibal smiled softly.
"Now, on to something more mundane," Will said and leaned in towards Hannibal. "Our fake relationship has indeed become very real. I think we both know it has, actually, since that moment we met in Jack Crawford's office. You are a very romantic person, waiting for me to come around to truly seeing you. And now that we're here, what now, Hannibal? What shall our official romantic relationship entail?" Will smiled seductively at his boyfriend.
"Let's see. There's the kissing. Or perhaps we could try something more...intimate. In bed, perhaps? Although I suppose I'm already used to that particular activity by now," Hannibal teased. Will laughed heartily at this.
"Well, yes," Will agreed. "I know. Your romantic reputation as a gentleman proceeds you: Wine 'em and dine 'em classy type of guy, you are. I've always admired that about you. And now that it's mine, now that you're all mine..."
Will trails off teasingly, leaning in closer towards Hannibal until their faces were less than inches apart. Hannibal reached across the coffee table and gently pushed Will's hair aside so that he could press his lips against Will's. It was claiming and possessive, sweet and heated, and it left Will feeling like he was floating above his body. Like he was getting married to the Devil himself. Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal's neck and deepened the kiss, pulling Hannibal closer and deepening it even further, his tongue exploring Hannibal's mouth, tasting all the alcohol and spice. Hannibal growled softly in the back of his throat, and his eyes slipped closed. Then, abruptly, Will pulled back.
Both men looked lovingly at each other for a few minutes, taking in the beauty of the other’s face. After several moments, Will moved one of his hands to cup Hannibal's cheek.
"I love you, Hannibal Lecter."
Hannibal sighed happily at Will’s words and leaned forwards until their foreheads touched. "And I you, Will Graham," Hannibal whispered with a small, real smile.
Will kissed his forehead, smiling widely. Will broke eye contact and grabbed his glass off of the coffee table, draining it. Hannibal reached out and picked up his glass in front of him too. They continued drinking and talking quietly for a while longer, until Hannibal decided to break the comfortable, content silence.
"So. Tell me, Will; How do you feel about the idea of running away to Italy with me? We'd be brining Abigail and your dogs with us, of course."
Will smirked mischievously. "I've never been able to resist an offer like that, Hannibal," He said sarcastically. "But I think we both know where this conversation will end up."
"Oh, yes. I quite fancy that Italian lifestyle," Hannibal grinned deviously, then paused for a second and turned serious again.
"Shall I ever get caught Will, you need to run. Run, Will. Save yourself. Don't worry about me. If I am ever caught and imprisoned, take Abigail and run with her. Find someplace to stay if I'm ever gone," Hannibal explained solemnly.
Will hesitated, unsure. "How am I supposed to ever live without you, Hannibal? Either of us. The three of us are a family, and a true family that cares about each other and truly loves each other stays together. No, I won't ever leave you. Abigail and I will never leave you. If you're threatened to be killed, then they'll have to kill us too. If you're arrested, they'll have to arrest us too."
Will shook his head sadly and leaned his forehead once again on Hannibal's. "I can't imagine living without you, Hannibal. And even if I wanted to…I couldn't. I love you, Hannibal. And that is enough."
"Then what do we do now? What, just be a happy murderous family behind the scenes while you continue to consult FBI cases for Jack Crawford and the FBI?" Hannibal asked Will, mildly incredulous.
"We have no other choice, we've already established that. As long as they know that you aren't involved and that I'm working with them, they won't find anything wrong, but we'll never truly get any peace and quiet, not really, until either they give up or we give up," Will reasoned.
"And if Jack needs to be dealt with? Are you really okay with murdering someone you consider a friend, Will?" Hannibal asked seriously.
Will frowned and looked away guiltily at first, but when he turned back to look at Hannibal, his expression softened considerably and his eyes became wetter as well. But then, his expression hardened into determination. "Yes. If that's what it takes to keep our family safe and together, I'd gladly help you kill all my friends and anyone else who dares to stand in our way," he stated with conviction and resolve, and Hannibal's gaze softened again.
It made him smile fondly. "Thank you, Will. You truly know how to lift a man hopelessly in love's spirit."
"Well, you are a man worth lifting, Hannibal." Will answered sincerely. Hannibal chuckled in response.
Will leaned forward and captured Hannibal's lips in another passionate, heated kiss. When they broke apart, both men grinned at each other lovingly.
"Come, Will. Let us go to bed, shall we?"
Hannibal rose to his feet gracefully, reaching out to help Will up as well. They made their way into their bedroom, Will slipping his shoes off in the doorway. Once in their room, they undressed quickly, removing the rest of their clothes with ease. Their fingers were intertwined as they climbed under the covers and lay facing each other.
Will's dogs lay on the floor snoring, at the foot of the bed, on their own named and bespoke doggy beds.
"Goodnight, Hannibal," Will whispered as he pressed a lingering kiss to the corner of Hannibal's mouth. Hannibal returned the favor and gave a slight squeeze of Will's hand as he drifted off to sleep, content with knowing that they had finally found happiness in this life. With each other.