Chapter Text
Testing Boundaries
Hannibal sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, letting the hot water of the shower take away some of the soreness the previous night had caused. No one said playing games with Jack Crawford would be light work or pain free. But the results spoke for themselves. He let himself enjoy the moment. If only briefly.
As he began to fluff his hair dry with a towel his doorbell rang. At this hour it was likely Jack or Will. He wrapped a towel around his waist to check out the window, to reveal Will’s vehicle. He smirked, his day just got significantly more interesting. This was the perfect opportunity to gauge Will’s physical response to their recent emotional bonding.
He walked down to get the door in nothing but his towel. “Hello, Will. Please do come in.” The expression he was greeted with could not have made him happier. He tried to school his reaction but it did not get past Hannibal. His eyes widened, pupils dilated, and cheeks appeared to have grown warmer. When Hannibal’s words seemed to have reached him he joined Hannibal inside.
“Would you like some coffee? You look as if you haven’t slept.”
Will appeared as if he hadn’t heard him, eyes trying to avoid looking at Hannibal, a slight flush still lingering on his cheeks. Hannibal gave the faintest smirk.
“Will?”
“Hmm? Oh. Um…Sure. Coffee would be great. Thanks. Jack called me in late last night or early this morning. So. No I haven’t..ah…slept as it were. I hope I haven’t disrupted your morning.”
“You are never a disruption, Will.” As he handed him a cup of coffee Hannibal asked, “Does my state of undress make you uncomfortable?”
“What? Uh. No. It’s not…I just. I’ve barely seen you without a tie. This is just a little…”
“Causal?” He knew that’s not the word Will was going to say but he had hopes providing the wrong one would get him to say the intended one.
“Intimate.”
Hannibal tilted his head with a triumphant smirk. “Has our relationship not been intimate prior to this moment? Is that really such a surprise?”
Will finally looked at him. “It’s a different kind of intimacy and you know it.”
“Perhaps. But does one not lead to the other?”
“Not in every relationship.” Will had averted his gaze once again. Looking to about the side of Hannibal’s head.
“But in ours?”
“Is this your way of saying you feel comfortable with me, Hannibal?”
“Are you not comfortable with me, Will?”
“You’re deflecting.”
“You’re avoiding. And not just my question.” He saw heat rise to Will’s face once again, as he took a drink of his coffee. “But yes, Will. I am comfortable around you. More so than with anyone that is or has been in my life.”
That got eyes back on Hannibal. Will sighed, with a soft smile. “I…I’m comfortably uncomfortable with you.”
Hannibal’s eyes danced with amusement. To most that may seem like an insult or an unsatisfactory answer. But he understood what Will meant. It’s likely as good as he was going to get to an actual avowal of feelings from the prickly man. At least for the moment. And he found it rather endearing.
Acting on what can only be described as impulse, Hannibal carefully moved into Will’s space, not wanting to cause too much alarm, and placed a soft kiss to his cheek and speaking softly next to his ear, “Would you care to join me in my study, Will? We can discuss what Uncle Jack feels leaves him incapable of doing his job once again or…perhaps a more…impassioned conversation.”
- To be continued in chapter two..