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CHAPTER EIGHT: EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
Willy blinked into consciousness and when he found he was back in that grey/blue nothingness he was relieved. So, so relieved. He hadn’t been eating or sleeping well either; it had been everything he could do to maintain his standard of course work. He needed guidance; he needed help.
The meeting of his soulmate had rattled him terribly, he admitted. He couldn’t help feeling like he wasn’t handling this half as well as he was supposed to. That part of himself, the one that saw, couldn’t let go the feeling of imminent danger. It was making him a twitchy, paranoid mess. He looked around and rolled over when he heard the shuffling behind him.
Both of those older versions were just sitting up.
“Oh wow, really?” That was uh, the prison version that looked like he definitely wasn’t in prison anymore so…Will guessed he would just cede the ‘Will’ name to him. He could live with being ‘Willy’ if it meant they would help him.
“Hey,” Willy said crawling over.
William looked them both over. “Well, you both are looking much different than the last times I saw you.”
“Yeah…” Will muttered, he was staring directly at him. “When’s the last time you slept kid? I know we can look half-dead when it gets bad but you’re scaring even me.”
“Yeah, I’m not. That’s-that’s the issue.” Willy scrubbed his hands through his hair. “I met him.” He felt himself shudder, disturbed that he was genuinely tearing up. “I – I’m sure he would have killed me. I just barely made it out alive but…” He found himself fading to a whisper.
“You don’t feel safe?” William questioned. Willy shook his head, eyes wide. William sighed and patted his shoulder. “That’s because you aren’t, Doll.”
“Well, wait, tell us what happened.” Will pressed.
Willy spent the next few moments taking them through the beginning of his innocuous European tour, surprised to learn that Will had done the same in his world, but William hadn’t. Then the pure coincidence of fate that had Will stumbling right into their monster in front of the infamous Botticelli painting. “I fucked up. Made him suspicious, must of set off all kinds of flags with my bumbling and frankly dumbass mistakes. He zeroed in on me instantly!” Willy found himself almost wailing by the end.
“Hmm,” William shook his head. “He probably felt something similar to what you did. Don’t blame yourself too much. Even if you had played the part of a stranger perfectly, he would have stalked you. He would have been instantly attracted you and he experiences true attraction seldomly. It would have warranted further investigation no matter what you did.”
Willy was silent for a while just staring. He let that sink in. “So…nothing would have changed?”
“Probably not.” William leaned his head to and fro’, “Most likely just how he came at you. At least this way you saw him coming. So what, he threatened you in the Gallery?”
“No!” Willy took them through the rest. The all-night vigil in his room just to find the creepy fucker loitering right outside his window.
“Oh wow. He waited for you to acknowledge him.” That was Will looking a bit surprised. “Mine would have just waited until I fell asleep to grab me. He’s a sneaky fucker.”
“They're always fucking sneaky.” William snarked and shook his head. “I don’t like this, he did wait for you to acknowledge him, but why? I mean, that means something can’t say for sure what but…it’s significant.”
Will jolted and leaned forward. “He’s sadistic.” He rasped, eyes big. “He waited for you because he wanted to see you afraid. Wanted to savor it.” Will shook his head. “I don’t think mine would do that.”
William chewed his bottom lip. “Nor mine.” They both sounded worried and Willy was officially freaking the fuck out. “You might be dealing with a version further along on the spectrum, Doll.”
“But…” Willy’s eyes flitted between the both of them. “I thought that was just because I had the door covered…?”
Will hummed while William gave a slow shake of his head. “Uh, no Doll. He would have come right through the front door, bold as you please, if he wanted. The fact that he didn’t was a choice.”
“Oh what the fuck! What do I do?!” He threw his hands up. “He let me go but, somehow he’d gotten my whole name and I’m pretty sure he knew where I was from so when he asked me I didn’t lie!”
William clutched his shoulder and then gripped his chin. “Did he ask you for your address?”
“Not-not like the street address. But he did ask me where ‘home’ was and I told him New Orleans.”
“Aaahrgh!” Will groaned and looked to the sky. “You could have told him Louisiana! It’s a big fucking state! And if he pressed, any other fucking town than the one you live in!”
“I- I panicked!” Willy shouted back.
“Shh,” William started rubbing his back vigorously. “No point whining over spilled milk, whats done is done. How long ago was that for you?”
Willy clutched at his hair. “Uh, that was, like almost a month ago now. I haven’t seen him anywhere. He might…he might not come for me immediately, right?”
No one spoke for a few moments. The two elder iterations exchanged looks while William continued to soothe the youngest.
Will spoke next, he looked to William. “You mentioned a spectrum. You mean, like, on psychosis?”
“Mm, No.” William shook his slowly, releasing his bun and running his hands through his hair to self soothe. “Its like…uh. Okay for simplicities sake, we’ll use the values of ‘stable’ and ‘chaos’. I would use ‘righteous’ and ‘evil’ but it really just doesn’t work.” He took a deep breath and looked upward. “The way it was explained to me, in order for there to be balance, the further along one of us is on the spectrum, the other will match.” William looked back to Willy. “So if your Hannibal is more…sadistically chaotic, you’ll have a way to balance that.
Willy quivered for a moment, fingers flexing in the dull green grass. “Is that why I can see?” He emphasized.
The other two exchanged looks again. “What do you mean?” Will asked. “Like, empathy or…?”
Willy swallowed. “I don’t know, if its different from y’all but. Like sometimes I just look at someone and I can see inside.” He huffed, frustrated with himself. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s always been there, even as a kid.”
“Its okay, calm down.” William resumed rubbing his back. “I don’t have that, neither of us do.” He looked to Will to confirm. “But it sounds like yes, this was gifted to you to keep balance.”
“Okay but how does it help?” Willy stressed. There was no answer.
“Okay,” William started, keeping his voice low and calm. “Is Daddy still alive in your world?”
Willy gave a jolt and stared at William in horror. “Of course he is! What do you mean!?”
“Shh, I’m just asking because its different for each us when it happens. We always change when we lose him, not matter how good or bad of a father he is. That’s reality, Doll, you need to come to grips with that.”
Willy shrugged him off, feeling his heart thud in his chest. “DOES HANNIBAL KILL HIM?!”
Even Will seemed concerned by this thought, sitting up on his knees. William shook his head and wrestled Willy back to his side for more forceful soothing. “No! Not in any version I’ve seen. Much as Hannibal won’t say it, he loses his parents young and it changes him; he wouldn’t do that to you unless he felt like he had no choice.”
“Ugh, what does that even mean?!” Willy slumped back into his elder version. “I don’t want this.” He lamented.
“I know Doll, but it’s required of us.” William whispered. He gave sigh, crushing Willy to him. “And Hannibal, he can make us truly, ridiculously happy if we groom him right.”
Will sat back down. “Hmm, about that. It doesn’t appear we have to be romantically involved.”
Willy felt William still. “What do you mean by that?” The elder asked, seeming genuinely confused. “Of course we do.”
“No, we don’t.” Will stated plainly. “I’m not. Hannibal refused to give up Alana and instead of just throwing myself at his feet I’m keeping him close but platonic.”
“Platonic?” William gaggled. “There is nothing platonic about our connection. Whatever you may think is working is not going to keep working, I can assure you that.”
Will shook his head. “I don’t think so. Its been a few weeks now and I’m even seeing someone else.”
That got William to gasp, sitting forward. “Are you crazy? You’re going to get them killed!”
Will pushed his hands forward. “I worried about that but she…she’s like him. A predator—”
“I doesn’t matter! He’s not going to tolerate it, Will!”
“Well he’s been tolerating it for weeks!” The other shot back.
William shook his head and Willy’s eyes bounced between them. “You mark my words, you’re heading for shits’ creek you keep that up.”
Will threw his hands up. “I don’t know what you want me to do! He rejected me! For Alana, plainly in straight forward language. I’m not going to chase him for the rest of my life! That’s not even a life worth living!” Will was panting by the end and Willy wondered if he should feel relieved that he wasn’t the only one struggling.
William didn’t seem to have words, just kept shaking his head. Will turned to Willy. “Listen, if romance works, fine but if it doesn’t, it fucking doesn’t. Don’t spend your life chasing Hannibal fucking Lecter.”
William sighed and gripped his own hair. “I’m not saying to do that.”
“That’s what it fucking sounds like.” Will snarked.
William raised a hand. “We’re disagreeing, but I think out of the three of us, I have the most insight in whats viable. I’m not saying that to be a shit, I’m saying I’ve been walking since I was a child.” He stressed. “I’ve meet doezens of us, dozens.” He leaned forward sparing Willy an intense look but concentrating on Will. “Never, has Hannibal Lecter been fine to concede us to another. Not once he has us in his sights.” He shook his head. “Never.”
Now Will was starting to look nervous which was pushing Willy’s anxiety through the roof.
“Then I—" Will paused to lick his lips and look away. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
Willy collapsed against William. They couldn’t help him, not even here.
“There’s always a way.” William clutched Willy to him. “Both of you need to think and plan. You are capable, its why we are chosen. We are each unique but our cores are the same. Have courage. Hannibal can be frightening but he is human whether he thinks so or not. He can be scared, he can be distracted, he can be enticed and he can be trained.”
When there was silence for long moments William shook Willy and pushed him back to look him in the eyes. “If Hannibal is coming for you then you need to be ready. Set boundaries. Protect your weaknesses but be prepared for Hannibal to find them and exploit them. Remember you are your own most valuable asset. Build up a network of people; allies and expendables that will come in handy. And remember he is naught but a clever beast in the end. You both hear me?”
Willy wiped at his face, frustrated and resigned to his tears. He nodded and looked to Will who looked, perhaps, just as devastated as he did. But the other man was nodding too.
“Come on.” William sighed. “Its time for us to go home.”
When Will woke he knew instantly that something was wrong. Like his body had gone from absent to flight mode in no time at all. Before he even opened his eyes he registered, with a stuttered inhale, a weight on top of his chest. He swallowed, and slowly, slowly opened his eyes.
“Hello, Will.” Hannibal greeted, eyes dead and face blank. “Nice of you to join me.”
“Hannibal.” He whispered, both confused and warily, dreadfully aware of why he might here. Depending on the actual time, this was the same night of his appointment.
“Your pulse was shocking low and I was unable rouse you for over ninety minutes, though I could smell no medication or disease as the cause.” The doctor informed him casually. “I was oscillating between calling an ambulance and simply throttling you to death.” He leaned down suddenly. “I still haven’t made up my mind.” The man still wasn’t blinking.
Will felt himself shaking and knew he must stink of fear. ‘Have courage’, he told himself and took a breath, blinking rapidly before he spoke in a whisper. “I’m surprised, Doctor. I don’t know you to be unable to make up your mind.”
Hannibal gave a small huff, looking both amused and not. “It’s always been terribly difficult to make up my mind about you, Will Graham.” When Will didn’t respond he sat back up, towering over him, hands resting lax on his thighs, his full weight dispersed over Will’s torso. “Tell me Will, did you think I wouldn’t notice? Or did you do it to provoke me?” He didn’t give Will any time to respond before he was leaning back down with a snarl. “Because if you did, well done. I’m officially provoked.”
Ahh, so this was indeed about Myra. Will was so fucked.
“Hannibal.” He shifted and the other man snarled pressing down more and shoving his bared teeth so close to Will that he had to turn his face into his pillow. “I – it wasn’t planned.” He whispered. “She was going away on a potentially fatal mission and—and I just forgot, m-miscalculated. I tried to wash up before hand; I didn’t want to be rude.”
“But you were!” Hannibal snarled loudly. The volume did well to ratchet up Will’s trembling as he hadn’t ever heard Hannibal raise his voice before. “You were unaccountably rude! Coming into my office, my space, stinking of sex and sweat with that girl. I had to air the office out for hours! I have never once done that to you. By your very request I have kept everything pertaining to Alana separate from you, out of deference to your feelings and you do this?”
When Will shut his eyes, unable to physically retreat any further, Hannibal snatched up an handful of his hair and yanked none-too-gently, making him face forward. “Answer me.” He honest to goodness growled.
Will trembled, his eyes wide and his body shaking. He could see, now, why William had been so wary about provoking him in this manner. “I’m sorry.” He whispered not knowing what else to do or say. Either Hannibal would kill him or he wouldn’t. Will didn’t even have a way to defend himself as prone and pinned as he was. “I didn’t—it wasn’t on purpose Hannibal. I swear.”
Hannibal shook his head like a ragdoll. “I don’t know if I believe you, Will.”
When Hannibal stopped shaking him, Will took a moment to breathe and control his nausea. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at the beast above him. “Then lets—” His voice broke and he swallowed to try again. “Lets call it even. Even stevens.” When Hannibal stilled and cocked his head, Will felt encouraged. “I’ll let go of incarcerating me in the asylum if you let of this…indiscretion. I promise it won’t happen again.”
Hannibal’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Meaning?” He pushed.
Will blinked. “We’ll go back to how we were, before toni—uh, last night.” He corrected with a glance at the clock; he took a breath. “You keep Alana separate and I’ll make sure to keep Myra the same.”
He has scarcely finished before Hannibal was back to snarling in his face, lifting Will up so that their lips touched. “I don’t want you with her!”
Will felt himself fall still in confusion. ‘Surely he doesn’t mean…?’ He stared at Hannibal and then all of a sudden it hit him. “What the fuck, Hannibal?!” He snarled back, smashing his forehead against the other’s. The doctor blinked and leaned back in surprise. “You’re the fucking one who fucking rejected me, you fucker! You’re with Alana! I asked you to leave her for me, I practically begged you!”
He wiggled and squirmed in outrage until finally Hannibal was forced to release him and sit back on his legs as Will jack-knifed himself up. Hannibal gave a snarled huff. “So you did just engage her because I rejected you!”
“So the fuck what if I did!” Will cut his hand in the air. “You think I’m just going to sit around and mope over you? Get over yourself! You don’t want me? Fine! I’ll find someone who does!”
Hannibal surged forward. “They don’t deserve you, you’re mine.”
Will got both feet in front of him just in time and shoved back with all his might. “No, I’m not because you rejected me, asshole!”
They both panted in furious silence from opposite ends of the bed. The dogs were now up, and growling softly in front of the fireplace; a bit late if you asked him. Will was firing each one of them from guard duty.
Hannibal managed to prowl without moving; shoulders rolling as if getting ready to pounce. Will watched him avidly. Finally the doctor spoke. “Then I shall suggest another compromise. We each give their women up. I will release Alana and you release Myra.” He spat her name as if she were something unclean.
Will was tempted to be obstinate, fuck Hannibal getting his way just because he was feeling salty about Will fucking someone else when he’d been bedding Alana every other night for months. But he didn’t want to press his luck because he just wasn’t certain what extremes Hannibal was willing to go to.
Will narrowed his eyes back. “Just like that? We dump our women and start dating?”
“Hah, no.” Hannibal smirked something truly wicked and took one prowling crawl forward. Will tensed. “I was thinking all that time you were comatose before me. Its not enough for you and I to be so tenuously connected. No.” Hannibal took another prowl forward, close now to Will’s spring loaded legs. “I demand we become much closer than simple dating.”
Will remained quiet, warily watching as Hannibal placed hands on his knees and pressed down with all his weight, forcefully straightening Will’s legs and decreasing the space between them. Will’s next inhale was shaky and his gut clenched. Hannibal waited until he was back in Will’s face, their lips brushing when he whispered. “We each leave our women and then, Will, I demand that you marry me.”
Will’s hands automatically connected with Hannibal’s shoulders, pushing to show his shock, thought the other man didn’t budge. “You—marry you? Hannibal…” Will leaned back, his eyes flitting between Hannibal’s. “You can’t be serious?”
“As a heart attack.” The other man intoned, face still as stone and just as sober.
Will was silent for a while, his mind racing as Hannibal waited him out. “That won’t fix the problems between us, Hannibal.” He rejoined sagely. “And I won’t marry you until I have your word.”
The doctor’s head cocked slightly. “My word in what?”
Will’s brows furrowed. “That you will honor and respect me. Put my wants, needs and happiness before your curiosity and machinations.” He scoffed with a toss of his head. “I want your vowels first, Hannibal.” Will leaned forward then, past that tiny space until their lips were touching once again. “Of course, I’ll do the same and then I’ll marry you. Be yours and only yours until death do us part.” He leaned back again to make eye contact and swear gravely. “But not a moment before.”
Hannibal watched him intently. For how long, Will couldn’t be sure as every heartbeat felt like an eon unto itself. Finally Hannibal spoke, his hands gripped Will’s thighs almost painfully.
“I swear, William Graham, upon my honor and my name, to love, honor, respect and cherish, your livelihood, your happiness and your future so long as you are mine, until death do us part.”
Will felt his eyes widen, his jaw fell slack, his heart pounded in his ear. Somehow…he hadn’t actually expected Hannibal to do it. Every other time, every single time Will had asked him to swear by him, he hadn’t gone through with it. When the man snarled at Will’s inaction, he jumped and clutched at Hannibal’s arms just to steady himself.
He closed his eyes, gathered his courage and swallowed his apprehension; there was no room left for doubt. Have courage. This had to be done. He breathed out.
“I swear, Hannibal Lecter, upon my honor and my name,” He opened his eyes and met the whiskey gaze of the beast before him. “to love, honor, cherish and behold you, your happiness, and the way you see the world so long as you are mine, until death do us part.”
Will watched the other’s eyes widen in genuine surprise. This vow was a better fit for Hannibal, an acknowledgement of his passions against the drudge of humanity. A moment later Hannibal whispered. “Then we shall be wed?”
“Yes.” Will breathed against him.
“Soon?” Hannibal leaned forward, his lips skimming over his cheek, down his jaw to his neck. And though Will had showered when he’d gotten home, he wondered if the man could still detect Myra in his skin.
“Yes.” Will whispered to the air, his body trembling as Hannibal pushed him down flat on the bed.
“And you will never see her again?” Was growled against his shoulder.
“No.” Will felt a short pull before the sound of his shirt being rent filled the air. He exhaled shakily at the savagery; Hannibal hadn’t even paused. Large, hot, proprietary hands gripped his waist and then dragged down to his hips pushing the waistband of his boxers along with them.
“And are you mine?” Hannibal snarled against the bare skin of his chest, his hot breath awaking an animal response in Will’s hindbrain. Will was reminded of Hannibal’s rather sharp canines.
“Yes.” He whispered and gasped as Hannibal scraped a prickly jaw down his torso, hands not at all hesitant to push his boxers down his thighs.
Hannibal licked a strip from one pelvic bone to the other. “Whose?” he asked at Will’s groin.
“Y—yours.” Will’s shaking spiked both from adrenaline and pleasure as Hannibal licked and…smelled him, dragging the boxers off and pushing his legs up and open. Hannibal was scenting him, there just wasn’t any other word for it; he’d seen his dogs doing it enough to know what it looked like. The other was taking loud sniffs of him from the thick patch of dark hair above his cock, to the corner of a trembling thigh, down over his drawn balls to the tightly clenched pucker of his ass. Will gave a yelp when there was a long, bold lick right over his hole.
“Again. Say it again.” Hannibal growled into his skin.
“Y-y—” He clutched at Hannibal’s head in overwhelmed apprehension. It was the first time anyone had touched him there. Despite what others probably thought, he hadn’t ever been brave enough to … experiment. He hadn’t even ever touched himself there. Hannibal clutched his thighs and shook him hard, once, to encourage him to restart. “Yours, Hannibal. I’m yours.” He gasped out.
The man resurfaced and easily flipped him over, Will felt dizzy both inside and out. “Forever and always. Say it.” Hannibal was leaning over, roughly opening Will’s end table to root around. It wasn’t until he reached the second drawer he found Will’s old, half used tube of lube; it was oddly shameful though he couldn’t place why.
“Forever and always, Hannibal. I promise please…” Will faltered when the other popped the cap open and squirted the cool liquid directly on the small of his back. Will pushed his face into his pillows and decided to remain docile. For a multitude of reasons, Will was sure Hannibal needed this. Needed him to submit just like this. It wasn’t lost on him that this was a nearly inverted, reciprocal situation to the last time they had been intimate in his home. Hannibal was still fully dressed for Christsake. Will relaxed the tension in his shoulders, his back, his legs and his ass as much as consciously could. “Hannibal, please don’t be cruel.” He asked, voice small and smothered.
For a moment there was nothing but silence. And then a heavy warmth against his back. A rumbling against his ear.
“I wouldn’t, Will. I made a vow.” Hannibal said solemnly just before his hot hand began to push the lube down and then, after a few moments, in.
A hand in his hair kept his head turned sideways and Hannibal watched him raptly, unblinking, while he fingered Will. He was patient, but didn’t tarry. Will couldn’t help the whimpers when his prostate was passed over, couldn’t help but clench and bear down and wiggle and tear at his sheets with spasming fingers of his own.
It seemed forever later that Hannibal was rising off his back. “Up, please. In the classic lordosis.” He said, helping Will’s shaky limbs along by pulling up his hips.
Will thought he might get some warning but there was nothing until the blunt pressure of Hannibal slowly, slowly pushing in. Will keened, pressing his forehead against the mattress, the muscles in his back rolling him forward to escape. He didn’t feel ready, though he didn’t know if that was a physical feeling so much as the enormity of what was taking place.
“Shh, none of that.” Hannibal’s hands, God they felt like brands, ran up and down his back and thighs. “Be still, let me savor you.” Will tried, he really tried. It felt like it took hours just for the man to be fully seated. “Hmm,” Hannibal hummed behind him. “Yes, just like that. Will, you look exquisite.”
“Please.” Will begged aimlessly; he had no idea what to even ask for.
“Shhh, let me take care of you.” Hannibal whispered, rolling his hips with a sinuousness belied by the stillness he always kept.
Will didn’t have much to contribute. As he adjusted and relaxed, he let his shoulders take the majority of his weight, pushing his hands up and creating such classically submissive posture that Hannibal’s beast was sure to be sated. He didn’t hold back his voice, didn’t hold on to his ego. He gave it all up, good and bad, right and wrong, for behaviorism, survival and the satiation of his new fiancé.
This was his way forward. His path to domestic peace. His design.
Just the idea sent heat spiraling and his gut clenched and his ass clutched at the thick, steady thrusts of Hannibal’s cock. He pushed against his headboard, chest pressing down into the sheets and back elongating. He didn’t hold back one bit, didn't try to contain his passions, and didn’t give a word of warning as he shook in ecstasy and came untouched, riding the high of his victory. He’d won.
Will felt a weighty hand press down on the middle of his back and Hannibal growled. “Cunning boy. Not telling me how close you were.”
Will laughed into this bed. “Come on Doctor,” He panted, breath unsteady as Hannibal began to really pound at him. His nerves zinged with each moment past his orgasm. “It’s—sss—late and – uh—we have work—t—tomorrow—oh!”
Hannibal fell forward, sharp teeth scraping barely over the skin of his shoulder. Will bared his neck to make room. “Say it.” Hannibal moaned, his hips becoming erratic and his grip becoming painful in its strength. Will didn’t mind.
“I’m yours, Ha—Hannibal. Ju—Just yours.” He bit at the sheets to keep his whimpers in. God, he needed Hannibal to come now, his legs were growing numb.
“Mine.” Was growled against him and Will reached back to clutch one hand in Hannibal’s hair.
“Yo—Yours!” Will screeched when Hannibal bit; expecting it though he was, didn’t mean it hurt any less. Will panted, the breath knocked out of his by Hannibal’s last shoves forward. He felt well and truly claimed. There just wasn’t any other word for what this was. And something in him relaxed like … coming home. He moaned at the peace, his mind drifting even as Hannibal levered himself up and slowly pulled out. He whined in discomfort.
Even with his eyes closed and prostrate, he was aware of Hannibal looming over him hands running up and down his body as the man studied him. “Mm, tired, Hannibal. Wanna go to sleep.” He mumbled.
“Of course.” The man murmured back. “Let me find something to clean us up.” Will left him to it, remaining perfectly lax as his fiancé took care of it. Took care of him. This was his reward.
When everything was still and Hannibal was cautiously sliding under the covers of Will’s bed, Will turned and pressed himself chest to chest, his face into the thicket of his lover’s chest hair. “Hannibal?” He mumbled into his skin.
“Yes?” Somehow the man sounded cautious, as if his own actions were only just now catching up to him. Had Will had the energy he would have smirked.
“Gonna have to tell you about the Walking. S’why you couldn’t wake me up.”
The man beneath him grew still, his chest not even moving with breath. “Walking?” He seemed both apprehensive and intrigued.
“In the morning.” Will pressed forward just to be closer. He’d always wanted to be closer. “Now sleep.”
Hannibal gave an amused huff. “Yes, Love.”
At that, Will did smile.
William rubbed at his temples in exasperation. Today was just a goddamn long day and it was only 4pm which meant there was still more of it to go. He’d been tense lately, for the last couple weeks or so. He’d found himself, oddly, hoping that one of his other iterations would pull him so he could check on them. God, he hoped they were okay.
He was currently alone in the house, a rare treat, and usually he was able to use the opportunity to hyper focus. Hannibal had the kids out to seem some Disney movie which meant no sticky fingered requests to play from the twins: no batting eyelashes accompanying a sweet worded request from his weaseling baby girl: and no looming, raptor husband to silently demand his attention. Will sniffed, appalled that they had barely been gone and hour and already he was missing his family.
He sighed; he was getting sappy as he aged.
His thoughts were broken by the stark ringing of the house phone. They only had three, one in each of their offices and one in the kitchen. Usually, Will hated answering the house phone but there was no one else here to do it so he rolled his eyes and reached for it.
“Good evening, Lecter residence.” He intoned, he had to be polite as any number of influential people called this line, but he didn’t have to sound happy.
“Oh!” A chirpy voice exclaimed. “Sorry, I was looking for Dr. Hannibal Lecter? Are you…” She sounded confused.
Will rolled his eyes. “This is Will, his husband. He’s away right now.”
“Oh, yes! Okay, sorry, I didn’t know! He said to call after my shift if I had any questions and there was an interesting anomaly on the Schrieger patient we’d been—”
“Can I take a message for you?” Will cut her off, already exasperated. She sounded barely able to drive, let alone drink and her squeaking was making his headache worse.
“Yes, yes, thank you. If you could just tell him I called. Oh! And thanks for volunteering to be my mentor! I can already tell we’ll be a great fit!”
Will felt himself still and go quiet. After a moment he spoke. “Sure, sure I’ll do that. I just need your name, Ms…?”
“Oh, yes, duh!” She laughed. “My name’s Alana Bloom.”
To Be Continued.