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The first time it happens is...weird.
Will doesn't want to leave Hannibal's. He's not ready to say goodbye to the warmth of the fire, the whiskey, the company. He'd been to the other man's house for dinner before, but tonight had been different, somehow.
Hannibal sat across from him instead of at the head of the table, barely took his eyes off of him the whole night. The wine was exquisite, but even that was outshined by the meal. Will had never tasted anything like it, Hannibal must've slaved over that pork for hours. And Will didn't even want to think about how much effort must've went into dessert- sweet and salty and just the tiniest bit bitter and undeniably made from scratch. Not that Will would expect any less. Hannibal is always very extravagant when he cooks, doubly so with friends.
Will makes sure to be vocal with his praises, only laying off when he sees an honest-to-god blush on the other man's face. It throws Will for a second, but it makes sense. Will has never been that forthcoming with compliments.
They sat and drank by the fire for a short while, talking about everything but death for once. Will saw the change as a very welcome one. He wants to stay, to ignore the time and talk with Hannibal until the sun rises and their obligations pull them apart. It's funny, Will's never really felt like this before.
But Hannibal understands him better than any friend Will's ever had. They think the same. It's refreshing. Maybe this is what friendship feels like, for normal people. Like a longing for it to continue. Like offering someone one last cup of coffee, or lingering in the doorway while you shrug your coat on.
Hannibal Lecter is Will's friend. His good friend.
Hannibal holds Will's coat out behind him, pulling it forwards and Will sticks his arms through the sleeves. He holds the door for Will, letting the cold into his foyer with a soft smile.
"Thanks again for having me over. It was really nice, I'd love to do it again."
Hannibal smiles. It's something Will's been seeing more and more of. Good. "I share the sentiment," He says warmly. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself as much as I did."
And then as Will is about to pass through the doorway, there's a pair of lips on his own.
The kiss lasts a fraction of a second. It's so chaste, it barely even happened. And Hannibal backs away immediately, casual as ever. "Drive safely, Will. I'll see you soon."
Will is still processing the interaction when he settles into his car. That was strange. It was definitely, definitely strange. Hannibal had kissed him. Just out of nowhere.
Will wipes his face, rubbing at the buzz that's still playing against his lips. Tonight had been more...intimate than usual, to be certain. But Hannibal never indicated that it was a date, not directly.
It isn't a bold claim to say that Hannibal Lecter is an eccentric person. He treats all of his guests lavishly, feeds them gourmet meals and makes an effort to provide whatever they might need. He's seen Hannibal with Alana, with Jack, hell, Hannibal treats Freddie Lounds better than Will treats most people. The dinner didn't necessarily mean-
Has Will seen Hannibal kiss a person goodbye before? A part of him feels like he has. He searches his memory, a bit more scattered than usual. Definitely some kisses on the back of the hand, both as Hellos and Goodbyes. Maybe once with Alana, on the cheek? He can't recall. But then again, Will rarely stays long enough to see it. He doesn't like being around multiple people, even if it's just two or three. He usually leaves first. And Hannibal definitely doesn't kiss Will when he does.
A part of him is hoping- no, it can't be. Because it was so quick and innocent, it was the closest thing Will can imagine to a Platonic Kiss. Over in the blink of an eye, and Hannibal had done it so confidently, like it was the most natural thing in the word. If there's one thing Will is good at, it's reading other people, and Hannibal didn't have an ounce of anxiety in his amazing perfect brain. And if Will was about to kiss Hannibal, a man with whom his physical intimacy peaked at accidental brushes of the hand-
But Hannibal isn't like Will. He's so sure of himself. Maybe it was...something. Maybe it was always something.
And then Will all but punches his steering wheel because Hannibal is fucking European. That's a thing in Europe, isn't it? Just kissing your friends as a greeting? But it's usually on the cheek, right? Will's never left America before, he has no idea, but Hannibal's been everywhere. He could've picked it up anyplace. Or maybe it's a new thing he's trying out. Trying it out on Will, because Will is easily startled and if he'll let Hannibal kiss him without making a big deal out of it then anybody will.
...But what if it's not? What if it was a Kiss? Like a real, romantic, capital-K kind of Kiss? What then?
Will is still running in circles around it when he goes go bed that night, fingers on his lips and heart in his throat. He's a mess.
In the end, he decides the safest course of action would be to just play cool and follow Hannibal's lead.
He doesn't bring it up at their next session. They talk about killers and wax philosophical and Hannibal gives Will some esoteric advice that he'll try to follow. Everything seems...normal. Like nothing odd even happened.
And when Will is about to leave, Hannibal leans in. The kiss is just as quick and chaste as the last one was, but Will feels himself blushing. He'd been too stunned to feel flustered last time, but he'd been half-ready this time. Half might be generous. He was...fractionally ready tonight. He'd entertained the idea that Hannibal might kiss him goodbye. Will wouldn't say he'd hoped for it, necessarily, but it wasn't something he'd been dreading.
Will breathes out a small laugh when Hannibal pulls away, smiling politely as ever. This isn't weird, says every pore on the other man's body. Nothing about this is weird.
So yeah. Maybe it's not weird. It clearly isn't weird for Hannibal. It doesn't have to be weird for Will.
His lips are still tingling when he pulls back into his driveway.
The third time, Will decides to bite the bullet. He's not gonna tell Hannibal to stop, and he clearly intends on making this a thing.
Hannibal comes in between Will's classes, armed with Tupperware. Will usually uses this time to grade homework, but he wouldn't dream of saying no to Lunch A La Lecter, completely free of charge. So he clears space on his desk, and they eat. It's nice. Will is happy for the company.
"Did I surprise you?"
Will snorts. "Always. It's a welcome surprise, though, thank you."
Hannibal hesitates for just long enough for Will to catch it. "I could come by more often, if you'd like."
Will narrows his eyes because he swears there was a glimpse of nervousness behind that offer. "I wouldn't want to put you out."
Hannibal smiles. "Not at all. Spending time with you is always the highlight of my day."
Will feels himself blushing again. He coughs. "Uh, thank you. I...I feel the same way," he says, because he does. He'd gladly spend an extra hour at home grading papers if it meant Hannibal would come by again.
Hannibal gives an easy well-there-you-have-it gesture. "Then it seems neither of us need worry about inconvenience."
When Hannibal prepares to take his leave, Will knows what's coming, finds comfort in the other man's composure. Nothing about this is weird, I'm just eccentric and rich and European, all of this is fine.
Can't beat 'em, join 'em. So Will kisses back.
It's just a parting-gesture, just a Goodbye. But Hannibal seems pleased that Will returns it. Will is pleased, too, if the rushing of his own pulse in his ears is any indicator.
A few weeks pass, and it becomes strangely routine. It never stops feeling odd, but it's an oddness that is just so distinctly Hannibal that Will finds himself enjoying it. There aren't many people who could pull this off, but Hannibal has a specific combination of traits and a specific type of charm, and it just works.
He imagines everybody must feel this way. Will bets Alana wasn't even fazed the first time he did it to her. Will finds the mental image of it happening to Jack endlessly funny, but Jack was quite easily charmed by Hannibal as well. He probably welcomed it. Probably made him feel worldly.
He's curious to see how others react, if they kiss back or if there's some layer of etiquette Will hasn't picked up on yet, but Hannibal hasn't been inviting other people to dinner lately. It's always just the two of them. That's fine, though. Will prefers it that way.
And whether it's a result of their blossoming friendship or simply good fortune, Hannibal is cooking for Will more often lately. They'd had dinner together at least once a week, sometimes even twice. The kisses leave Will feeling warm and sleepy, like he always does after a great meal. Their discussions during their sessions are less dour, often drifting away from blood and darkness and instead moving to stories about Will's past or about his students. They laugh more. It's nice. The sessions often stretch past the usual hour, whiskey gets introduced, fires get lit. His kiss cuts through the growing buzz in his blood, gives him something new to feel light-headed about. Hannibal shows up for lunch when their schedules both allow for it. Will doesn't mind the interruption but he does mind that Hannibal is spending extra time making lunch and coming to Quantico. He remedies this by taking Hannibal out to an Indian place he likes. Will is late to class but Hannibal is so delighted that Will can't bring himself to care. Their goodbyes are like blinking or breathing, press of the lips natural as a reflex despite the thrumming pulse that they always bring.
It's almost like a Pavlovian response. Hannibal opens the door, and Will leans in. He doesn't even realize that he's done it at the wrong time until he pulls back and sees Hannibal wearing an amused grin.
"Um. Sorry," He says with an awkward laugh. "Is it like a 'goodbye only' kind of thing? Not a 'hello' thing?"
There's a light in Hannibal's eyes that instantly makes Will feel better about his slight misstep. "It can be a 'hello and goodbye' thing, if you want."
"Like 'Aloha'?" Will asks, and Hannibal chuckles.
"Or like 'Ça va'," Hannibal counters, closing his office door and taking Will's coat. "Which can be 'how are you' and also 'I am well'."
"Je sais," He says. I know. Hannibal shoots him a curious glance and Will smirks around his words. "Salut, ça va?"
"Ça va," Hannibal echos. He's standing close, and for a heart-racing moment, Will thinks he's going to lean in again. Will clears his throat nervously and Hannibal seems to take it as a cue to retreat further into the office. Will curses the interpretation. "Tu parles français?" You speak French?
"Creole. Impressed?"
Hannibal smiles. He doesn't say yes, but it's written in his face.
A kiss becomes greeting in addition to farewell. Their lips are bookends to every lingering session, every lovely meal that Will hates to walk away from even when he knows what's waiting at the door.
Ça va? Oui, ça va.
Will often thinks of asking for more. Of leaning in when Hannibal moves to refill his wine glass, or randomly in the middle of a conversation, or just for one more before he leaves. Un autre, s'il vous plaît. Un autre. The words are on the tip of his tongue every time. One more, please. One more.
Will circles the body for what must be the thousandth time, as if looking at it from a different angle might suddenly bring him face-to-face with his killer. Beverly, Zeller, and Price are all poking and prodding at organs and samples, trying to find something useful.
"Where are the crime scene photos?" Jack asks.
Will doesn't realize right away that Jack is speaking to him. When he does, he coughs awkwardly. "Uh, I was showing them to Doctor Lecter, just a minute ago. I must've left them in my classroom."
"Is he still in the area? I'd love to hear his insights."
"He just left before I came down here, he didn't say he had a patient soon, so he might be able to turn around if you asked."
The victim pulls Will back in. Before he knows it, he's lost in a dense forest. It's dark, and deep. Will gets stuck in it, doesn't even remember where he came from. A warm, familiar voice appears and Will follows it through the trees.
"The pose of the victim resembles Giambologna's Abduction of a Sabine Woman, but it may just be a coincidence."
Will starts, his eyes darting upwards. Hannibal is standing across from him, flipping through the photos. Will realizes that this is the first time in weeks that he hasn't greeted Hannibal with a kiss.
"None of our guys have made that connection yet," Jack says.
Hannibal shrugs. "As I said, it very well may be a coincidence. The statue itself includes two other figures, holding her up. To suspend her alone, without either of her captors-"
"It's symbolic," Will interrupts. "The Sabine Women were abducted, but developed loyalty to their captors. This one resisted. She rejected the option to join the sculpture, as it were, and so she was suspended alone."
Hannibal nods. "No one to support her, in the most literal sense. This killer saw himself as her savior, or at the very least, her protector. I'd wager he never wanted to harm her until she resisted."
"Someone tried to kidnap her, two years ago," Beverly says. "She got away, pepper sprayed the hell out of him, but they never found the guy."
Will nods. "He came back for what belonged to him."
Jack is already delegating, moving forward with his new lead. Will smiles as Hannibal comes to stand beside him.
"Very impressive work, Doctor Lecter," Will says.
Hannibal feigns modesty with a slight shrug. "We make a good team."
Will laughs. "Yeah. Yeah, we do."
"I should be going now, I'm afraid."
"Of course. Thanks for your help."
It's reflex, Hannibal doesn't seem to think about it either.
Ça va? Ça va.
"À bientôt," Hannibal murmurs when they part. See you soon. Will grins.
Hannibal leaves the lab as suddenly as he came. It takes Will a few seconds to realize that everyone in the lab is staring at him.
"Uh, what was that?" Zeller asks.
"Hm?"
"Lecter just kissed you," Beverly says, like it's shocking.
Will waves it away. "He does that to all his friends. It's a European thing, I don't know."
Price snorts. "Not his part of Europe." Will just frowns. "Doctor Lecter's from Lithuania, right? They don't do that in Baltic Countries."
He shrugs. "Maybe he picked it up somewhere. He's very cosmopolitan. Back me up on this, Jack."
Jack laughs. "He's never done it to me. Who else does he kiss goodbye?"
Will feels a flush creeping up his neck. "I-I mean, I sort of just assumed-"
Alana Bloom walks in then, and Will feels sure that she, of all people, has experienced this. She seems to sense the strange vibe in the air. She looks to Beverly.
"Alana, has Hannibal ever kissed you before?" She asked.
Alana balks for a moment, then it lapses into a chuckle. "No? Why, are we testing for something?"
"Apparently Special Agent Graham here has been getting smooches from his psychiatrist," Zeller answers with a smirk.
Alana looks amused. "I'd certainly hope so, they've been dating for two months."
Will's eyes widen. He feels all of the moisture leave his mouth. "What?"
She takes in his expression and grimaces. "Shit, was it supposed to be a secret? Hannibal didn't mention that. I'm sorry."
Will leans back against a counter. He feels like he needs to sit down. His head is spinning. "Hannibal told you that we were dating?"
Alana nods. "Over a month ago, yes."
Will closes his eyes, pinches his brow. "We're not- I- If we were dating, I think I'd know it."
"Well he certainly seems to think you are," she says with a soft laugh. Her smile falls when Will breathes out a long sigh, looking to the ceiling. "Oh my God, you're serious. Will, tell me you knew. Tell me you didn't really do this."
Zeller and Price are both laughing. Will feels sick. "C-can we just focus on the murder investigation, please?" He hisses, fighting back the raging blush on his face.
"So you thought he was just...kissing you as a friend?" Zeller asks.
"To be fair, Lecter has been known to engage in the occasional Platonic Candlelit Dinner," Beverly says.
Will wants to sink into the floor. This isn't happening. There's no way he fucked up this badly. This is astronomical. No one could ever fuck up like this.
But oh God, the dinners. The dinners and the firelight and the showing up unannounced and all the kisses, dozens and dozens of them. Just eccentric and rich and European and interested.
His stomach flips as the pieces finally slot into place because sure, this is the literal worst way to find out, but it's undeniably good news. He can't believe he's been this dense, but Hannibal is interested in Will romantically, and that feels pretty fucking good. Will laughs, shaking his head in slight disbelief.
"I'm...I'm so stupid. Oh my God." Will Graham, Master of Empathy. He can divine any person's motives, their viewpoint. But what he can't do, apparently, is recognize romantic intent when it's literally hitting him in the face!
He rubs a hand along his face. He's burning. "Um. Sabine Women. Dig up the report of the attempted abduction, maybe there's a lead in there."
He's pretty sure Price mumbles a choice remark after Will, but he isn't listening.
Will is practically floating when he knocks on Hannibal's door that night, buzzing with anticipation.
Hannibal smiles when he answers, and it's painfully obvious now that Will has finally gotten with the program. "Will, what a pleasant surprise. Come in."
Hannibal shuts the door behind him and leans in and Will catches him by the jaw before he can pull away. He must think I'm such a prude, I've barely been touching him all this time. We'll fix that. Will sighs into the kiss, finally letting himself enjoy it for what it is, what it's always been. Hannibal all but melts, and it makes Will smile against his lips. His fingers find their way into Will's curls.
Ça va, ça va, ça va.
Will's back hits the wall and he hums his approval when Hannibal's hands find his hips. He fights the need to chase Hannibal when he pulls away, catching his breath.
"U-un...um." He laughs nervously, eyes trained on Hannibal's lips. "Un autre, Hannibal. S-s'il vous plaît."
Hannibal tilts his head slightly. "Just one?"
Will laughs again, pulling him close. He kisses Hannibal until they're both breathless, making up for every time he'd longed for more and then some. When at last he can bear to leave a space between them, Will speaks.
"I fear I've gravely misjudged our relationship, Doctor Lecter," He confesses.
"In what way?"
Will ducks his head slightly to avoid Hannibal's gaze, and he responds by pressing a kiss to his curls. "Well...I- you're always being so... chaste with me, it was easy to write off as something less amorous, so to speak."
He's praying Hannibal will catch his drift and he won't have to elaborate any further. "It was my understanding that you'd only pursued relationships with women until now. I wanted you to feel safe setting the pace."
Will huffs in light frustration. "You could have said something, you know."
"Yes. I could have. But then that pretty blush you wear when I kiss you might have disappeared."
Will furrows his brows at that. When he looks back up, Hannibal is smiling. "You knew, didn't you?"
"I had my suspicions. It's not as if I was intentionally leading you on, of course. But when I noticed...well, I'll admit to being curious as to how long it would take you to realize my intentions."
Will laughs, presses a few more soft kisses to Hannibal's lips. "You're such an asshole."
"And you are a spectacular kisser, once you allow yourself to participate in the act."
When Will finally does get his kiss goodbye, the sun has long since risen.