Work Text:
Will looked like hell when he arrived at Hannibal’s office. “Sorry if I’m late,” he mumbled.
“Actually you are right on time Will,” Hannibal said, Will barely reacted when the clock chimed seven.
“Oh right,” he replied faintly. “That’s good.”
“You seem distressed,” Hannibal commented as Will wandered around his office in a distracted manner. He picked up on a faint copper smell and took Will gently by the arm, stopping his movements. His gaze landed on a blood stain on his cuff. “Tell me what is troubling you,” Will didn’t answer. Hannibal raised Will’s hand, pushing back the sleeve. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s not mine,” Will answered. His voice was distant, he was fading fast, something had him close to breaking point. “We got a tip off on the kidnapper,” Hannibal tilted his head waiting to continue. “I said he had the mind of the child, that he couldn’t understand the concept of his feelings being unreciprocated.”
“I remember Will, were you correct?” Hannibal asked.
“He was thirteen,” Will croaked. “Big for his age but still just a kid, she was his babysitter and he thought she liked him back. He didn’t even know what he was doing, he needed help, therapy, not a jail cell,” his words were running together, and he bit his lip to hold them back, the skin turning red under the pressure.
“What happened?” Hannibal asked, placing a hand on Will’s shoulder, grounding him, keeping him from slipping away, mentally and physically.
“I meant to hit his leg, just stop him, but he was running and my aim was off,” he murmured, words tripping over each other. “I shot him in the gut, he died slowly and painfully and crying and I had to watch it,” he was staring at the stain on his sleeve, the dark dried red vibrant against the light beige. “I always have to look,” he drew in a shuddering breath. “I don’t want to look anymore.”
His face crumpled and his body sagged, Hannibal’s arms catching him was the only thing that kept him from crashing to the floor. The scent of fresh tears overpowered the coppery smell of blood as Will’s body was wracked with great heavy painful sobs. He did not resist when Hannibal pulled him close, hiding his face in his chest and soothing him with gentle fingers in his curls.
Will’s heavy weight rested against Hannibal, his own strength abandoning him. With sure movements Hannibal guided him to sit on the couch, holding him close and letting him weep.
As beautiful as Will was, broken and defenseless, Hannibal felt hot rage burn in his chest, clawing at his insides. Will was his. His to break, in the right way at the right time, and Jack was torturing him as though he had any right to Will’s exceptional mind.
Despite that rage, Will’s shuddering body and thick fat tears had him hardening in his pants. Will had a core of steel and watching him fall apart like this felt special, intimate, his. Only he got to hold Will as he let himself splinter under the pressure. “I don’t want to look,” he whimpered, between hitching breaths.
“Then you won’t,” Hannibal promised. “I can declare you unfit, claim Jack has not been treating you with due care. It would not even be a lie. I can help you, if you ask me to,” he offered.
Will looked up at him with tear stained cheeks. The area around his eyes were red but the bright blue irises were glowing. “Please,” he begged. “Help me?”
Hannibal nodded and pulled Will back into the shelter of his arms. “Do not worry Will, no more bodies, no more killers violating your mind,” the damage was done but he could give Will a little peace before plunging him into hell. Even then he would not abandon him, he would keep a piece of his beauty for himself.
Will breathing evened out eventually but he stayed leaning against Hannibal, clearly exhausted with tears still slipping down his red cheeks. “No more,” he said timidly as though he could not quite believe it. “There’s really no more?” He said, voice weak and childlike but hopeful.
Hannibal cupped Will’s tear stained face, guiding him so he could look him in the eye. Hannibal gently kissed the tears still falling from his eyes, slow and cautious at first until Will let out a heavy exhale and let his eyes fall shut. Giving in to Hannibal’s touch.
When the tears stopped flowing Will blinked his eyes open, staring at Hannibal as if he was his saviour. “No more,” Hannibal said. Will nodded, believing him completely. Hannibal bent his head and caught Will’s parted lips in a kiss, the salty taste of his tears making his head swim. “Stay with me tonight Will?” Will nodded and let himself fall against Hannibal.
It would be so easy to seduce him in this vulnerable state. It would be taking advantage of him, of course, but Hannibal never claimed to be a good man. Even as he kissed Will’s tears away he was planning to use him as his scapegoat. But he chose to hold himself back rather than face Will’s regret in the cold light of day.
He would have him before he imprisoned him, but he would have him willing and open, and glut himself on the sweetness of his trust.