Chapter Text
Hannibal stares at the ring in his hand, sighing dejectedly while nursing some wine. They had a fight, a huge one because of work, or rather because of how much they love their work. It has been five years since they had gotten together and though they had fights before, this is the biggest as of yet.
Will’s name has been ringing on the medical society and Hannibal was never been more proud of him. But things got worse when Will received a call from Saint Thomas in England, offering him a three year contract where he could create a study about heart murmurs and how they could avoid it from pre-natal stages along with a position on their faculty. Will was overwhelmed and he can’t help but say yes without telling Hannibal, after all he talked with the Dean of Johns Hopkins and said that his position would still be his if he wishes to return after three years.
Which made it a problem because Hannibal found it with Abigail, who managed to slip up. Hannibal was furious of course, especially when Will has made the decision by himself. They talk about compromise and how it will affect them. Will suggested that Hannibal go with him, but the latter can’t leave Baltimore of course, not with him being the Head of Surgery as well as being groomed as the next Dean of Medicine. And then their simple talk became a huge argument that blows out of proportions and before he knows it, he saw Will packing his bags and throwing the ring on his face.
Hannibal sighed once more, annoyed more to himself than at Will. He was supposed to be the calm one, but the feeling of being left alone is catastrophic that he lost himself and now he is paying for it. He gave another sip on his drink when his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and groaned. He was half tempted on declining it, but Mischa will kill him, literally.
“Hello?”
“Hannibal Lecter, you come and get your husband right this instant!” Mischa’s voice shrilled from the other end of the phone
Hannibal winced at his sister’s voice, but felt glad that at least Will is on a very safe environment. The older doctor stared at the engagement ring on his hand, the one that he had bought for himself, chosen because of how he sees Will. His very first promise of forever with his beloved, and it hurts more than William throwing their wedding ring.
“How is he Mischa?” he asked, trying to control the worry on his voice, but he cannot.
“How is he? How is he?!" this time Hannibal just placed his phone on speaker, fearing for his impending deafness. “He’s been sulking on my couch for three days. And if you could remember, Matty and I were just married for two weeks! I don’t want my brother in law sulking on my couch, watching some stupid Korean drama on my flat screen!”
Mischa paused, making Hannibal mull over the words of his sister. His William is sad and that is breaking his heart.
“Please Han, he’s not eating and he cries at night. I’ll try and trick him on going there but please, don’t let him go.” And then the line went dead. Hannibal had no say on their conversation; as if Mischa already knows the words that he would be saying.
He took one last swing on his wine and stared at his husband’s engagement ring before grabbing his glass and phone. Will is going back home and he has dinner to prepare.
- this is a fucking line -
Three hours has passed, the pasta has already been rested and cooked to perfection, along with some of Will’s favorite dishes when the doorbell rang. He let the meat rest, wiping his hand on his apron when he answered the door.
As soon as he opened the door, he was assaulted with a blur of brown hair, almost toppling him over. He was a bit shocked but when he saw the familiar curls of his husband, he smiled and hugged him back. He saw his sister on her car, giving him a pointed glare. He nodded and mouthed a thank you, which earned him a smile, before the female Lecter left.
“Hanni… I’m so sorry Hanni.” Will kept on murmuring on his chest, his shirt starting to stain with Will’s tears
“Hush now Will, let’s get you inside first.” Hannibal murmured in to his husband’s hair, but he held him tighter, closing the door as he guides his husband on the sitting room, dinner can wait.
Mischa must have given him the blunt talk, where she stabs you with the cold hard truth; it was not a wonder why Will is a sobbing mess.
“Honey, look at me baby please.” Hannibal cooed, coaxing his husband to look at him. His heart broke when he saw the Will’s blue eyes rimmed with red from crying “Oh baby.”
The word of endearment made Will sob more, it was heartbreaking. Mischa must have said something to his husband that made him loose himself like this. He will extract that information some other time, but tonight, he will do nothing more that assure him and comfort his husband.
“Stop crying baby.” He cooed, wiping away the tears from Will’s eyes “You’re supposed to be the strong one, please baby you’re breaking my heart.”
Will started hiccupping, but tried to stop himself from crying. “Ha- Hanni. Please don’t leave me.”
The revelation made Hannibal frown, isn’t it Will who is supposed to be heading off to England?
“I won’t leave you Will, you know that.”
“But you-you might if I head off to England. You might find-find someone else. Oh please no Hanni!” and that resulted on to another wave of tears.
‘Mischa.’ He mentally growled. His sister must have over sold the tricking part. He shushed Will once more, letting the younger doctor curl on his chest. “Come now Will, you know it is not the truth. I promised you a forever right?” he held up Will’s face and kissed him on his lips, short and sweet.
Will merely nodded, and tried to control himself “I… I called Saint Thomas.” He started, sniffing a bit “I turned their offer down. I can’t loose you, I can’t even think of loosing you.”
Hannibal froze, staring at his husband like he grew another head. Will has turned down the career that he has been dreaming of, one that would place his name on the map of the cardiothoracic world, all because he was afraid of loosing Hannibal.
“William.” He breathed, such sacrifice his husband has made just for him, and that made him feel guilty beyond words. “Take the job. Please baby, its just three years.”
“But…”
“You won’t be leaving me. We’ll find a way from this, till death do us part remember?”
- this is a fucking line -
They made love after dinner, and the day after that, and the next day. Hannibal has called a week off from work, which was granted easily. His husband would be leaving for England after all, and they won’t be seeing each other for quite some time, and so the hospital gave them some leniency.
Hannibal placed Will’s engagement ring back where it belongs, his husband’s finger, kissing it and making another promise, before Will’s flight. It is heartbreaking yet Hannibal believes that the heart will grow fonder when they are away or something like that. He stared at Will’s retreating back, the man giving one final wave before he went in on the international airport. As soon as he cannot see the familiar curls he started to sob. The countdown to three years has already begun.
- this is the last fucking line -
Doctor William Graham-Lecter was given a commendation on the world of medicine for his hard work and dedication. He has been working non-stop for he past two years and with the help of his team made a breakthrough in the world if medicine. Hannibal couldn’t be more proud. He stares at his wedding ring, a reminder that he would only wait for about a year before his now “rock star” husband returns on to his arm.
Hannibal in turn has become the Dean of Medicine, which means he is everybody’s boss, making Abigail puff her chest whenever the name of the doctor is mentioned. She is, after all his protégé. The young doctor is now one of the residents of the hospital, on her way to her fellowship in… no surprise, cardiothoracic surgery, and Hannibal is equally proud of her accomplishments.
In the span of two years, the Lecter-Brown family has gained its angel, Marie Castiel Lecter-Brown, Mischa and Matthew’s baby girl and Hannibal’s niece. He knows that Marie already ensnared him as soon as Mischa placed her in to her brother’s arms. The Brown family already knows that Hannibal would be spoiling his niece rotten.
He was mulling, staring at his window, wishing that Will was already home, when his door suddenly opens then shuts.
“I told you Bee, the budget for your research is not for me to decide.” He said, not even looking at his visitor. Bedelia is the only doctor or rather the only person who has the guts to enter his office without any appointment or even knocking.
“I think I have already spent so many hours in researching and if I spent another day on a lab, I will kill myself.”
Sanguine eyes widen when a familiar voice floated in the air. Hannibal turned around and gasped, his heart beating fast and a bright smile already painting his face.
“William.”