| He thought, �we�re dead anyway.� He thought,
�if we live, everyone else will die.� He thought, �f the
rocks don�t kill us, the sea will.� But he wanted to live. There were medical supplies in the house. Will had three stab wounds but he didn�t think any of them had nicked a vital organ or an artery. Hannibal�s gunshot wound was more serious. Will removed the bullet cleanly once he�d washed up enough to be able to hold a scalpel without it slipping through his fingers. He stitched the entry and exit wounds, trying to stop his hands from shaking. Hannibal stayed absolutely still throughout, and when it was done he drank a quarter bottle of Russian vodka without using a glass. Will was shocked, then almost hysterically amused by his shock: it was the most uncivilised thing he�d ever seen him do. He stitched Will�s wounds in return, with much steadier hands, and offered him a shot of morphine which he turned down, he wanted to stay as clear as he could. He said, �I�m used to pain,� and the flicker of emotion across Hannibal�s face was too gone too quickly for him to interpret it. They stood together under a hot shower, letting the cascading hot water wash away the dirt and the blood - theirs and Dolarhyde�s. They were too exhausted to do anything with the fact they were both naked and in close proximity, even if they wanted to. Will wasn�t sure what he wanted. He caught Hannibal looking, he looked himself. But his libido hadn�t yet caught up with his head or his heart. He wondered if it ever would, and if that might be a dealer breaker. But he doubted it. Hannibal said nothing, just handed him a towel and gave him space to dry off. They dressed one another�s wounds before Hannibal told him to help himself to clothes from the wardrobe, a small selection of shirts, jumpers and jeans all in his size. He didn�t think about that too hard, just pulled on a pair of soft denim Levis and a grey jumper, catching a glance of himself in the mirror and smiling painfully at the knowledge that he was going to finally have a scar he couldn�t cover up. Hannibal made coffee, a batch for now and a batch for later. They were exhausted, but they had to get going. He already had a suitcase packed for both of them, and an Audi fully fuelled in the garage, ready to go. They barely spoke, save for Hannibal issuing instructions and Will confirming when everything was done. They left the house under the cover of darkness, Dolarhyde�s body still lying out front. By the time they reached the airport, they were still considered kidnap victims, taken at gunpoint and held by the Tooth Fairy. It made Will want to weep, the ease with which he�d played Jack; the same game, the same lies, a second time around. Only this time he�d done what he should have done before: he�d gone too. It wasn�t like he hadn�t given Jack enough warning. Parking the car in long stay, Hannibal told him, �There�s an envelope in the glove compartment.� It contained documents: passports, IDs, credit cards.... A set for Hannibal and a set for him. Will stared at the old photograph of himself, the name - William Grant - and finally realised it was all left over from the last time they were supposed to leave, with Abigail, as a family. He felt a stab of guilt for what had happened before. �I�m sorry. If I�d gone with you when I was supposed to....� �You weren�t ready.� Last time the decision had been agonising. This time, it was the easiest thing in the world. ~ They boarded the plane to Paris and no gave them a second glance. Will fell asleep in the first class cabin wondering when Jack would find Dolarhyde�s body, wondering when he was going to work it out. Hannibal�s face had to be all over every law enforcement agency�s website and bulletin board, but they�d passed through security without incident. He woke a couple of times, popped a couple of pain meds with a double Scotch and went back to sleep, Hannibal a warm, strong presence in the seat next to him. Each time he woke, a part of him had found the other man; a foot or a hand, as if physical touch was essential to something within him he hadn�t yet made contact with. There was a Mercedes in long stay at Charles De Gaulle. Will was stunned at how prepared Hannibal had been, although he didn�t think he should be. Three years back Hannibal had been set to run again, but instead he�d given himself up. Just so that Will would know where to find him. Will rejected him. But he wouldn�t again. Never again. �I�ve been blind...� he stammered, but Hannibal touched his neck, gazed at him as if he couldn�t quite believe Will was there, and hushed him. �We can talk later,� he promised, �when we are not so tired.� Hannibal drove. They headed East away from Paris, stopping for coffee in a tiny little town Will wasn�t even sure had a name, and by the time they reached their destination the sun had gone down and it felt like they�d been awake for a week. The house was secluded, a mile or so outside of a market town, surrounded by trees but with a wide garden all the way around and a patio out back where Will imagined sipping wine with cheeses and cured meats, although the thought turned his stomach slightly and he was glad of it. A killer he may have been, a cannibal, sadly, he wasn�t. He wondered if Hannibal would be upset. Hannibal showed him around the house, a perfunctory tour so that he was comfortable if he felt the need to roam in the middle of the night. There was a bedroom for him but without thinking, he asked if he could sleep in Hannibal�s bed. By way of an explanation, he said, �I�m finding a need for immediacy at the moment.� Hannibal simply replied, �Of course.� It was different now they were alone, without a body outside they were both responsible for, without the adrenaline of the kill, the imperative to run. When Will thought back, he found he could remember every detail of the very intimate fight, every flare of pain, every drop of blood, every beat of his heart. At the end, killing Dolarhyde had almost been incidental. It was as if, between one breath and the next, he�d finally let go of his fear. When he�d reached for Hannibal, clutched at his blood soaked shirt, he�d almost begged for forgiveness, begged for everything he�d rejected for so long. Hannibal�s arms around him, that benediction, was like being set free. Hannibal loved him, and that alone was exulting and terrifying. He wasn�t sure how much more he could take and not drown. He told Hannibal, those exact words, and Hannibal looked at him like he was the most precious thing on earth. �Having you at my side is everything I�ve ever wanted. I�m yours, however little or much you want from me. Consider how much I gave up just for you to know where I was, because I was certain I would see you again. I waited three years but he did come back to me. We�re here, now. I know I pressed you, pushed you, hard and far. I�ve tried to kill you, I�ve tried to eat you. And yet, you�re here. I promise the coercion is over. I promise not to rape you while you sleep.� Will snorted, but smiled. �How strange that if you did, it would possibly be the least worst thing you�ve ever done to me.� Hannibal leaned in and kissed his forehead. �We can talk tomorrow.� There were blue silk pyjamas in his size. Pulling them on, Will crawled under the dark red covers of the big bed and listened to the sounds of Hannibal checking the locks and the alarm. eventually joining Will in bed. He rubbed his bare foot against Hannibal�s leg and closed his eyes, asleep in a matter of minutes. ~ Will woke in the early hours. There wasn�t a clock that he could see in Hannibal�s room but he remembered his way around the house. He recalled Riba describing how she�d escaped the fire at Dolarhyde�s, mapping the turns, counting the steps from the bedroom to the front door. He hadn�t realised he�d done the same thing when Hannibal had given him the tour. He didn�t think he would ever need to escape, but it helped to be able to find the bathroom and after that the living room, with its double doors looking out onto the patio. He stared out at the tree line for a long time. Nothing moved in the dark. �Are you all right, Will?� He felt Hannibal close up behind him, his heat at his back, his hands at his waist. The ghost of a kiss on the back of his neck. He leaned back carefully, as aware of Hannibal�s wounds as he was of his own. �It�s beautiful out here,� he murmured. �I bought it with you in mind. Plenty of room for strays.� He thought maybe Hannibal was teasing, but it was a nice thought all the same. �I don�t think I�m a cannibal,� he admitted, and it sounded like an apology. Hannibal�s head rested against Will�s, his arms wrapping around him. �I never expected you to be that.� �What about us? What do you expect me to be for you?� He felt Hannibal�s breath against his neck, warmth trickling through him. �When you looked at me, last night, when you went for Dolarhyde, sliced him open from hip to hip.... That was the best moment of my life. You were pure, perfect, everything I knew you could be. I don�t need more than that. I don�t want or need you to be anything you�re not. I�m here if you want to come to me. I�m here if you don�t.� �I don�t know what I have it in me to be.� �We�ll find out. You�ve changed beyond recognition from the man I first had breakfast with. Despite every obstacle I�ve thrown in your path, you�ve never missed a step. You have no idea how much I feel for you.� �Bedelia told me you were in love with me.� �She did?� �I think... she was jealous.� �No doubt. She certainly was in Italy. All that time living as husband and wife yet I didn�t trust her enough to take her to bed. Still, she stayed, lied for me, drugged herself for me. I haven�t repaid her for her blind devotion.� �Because blind devotion bores you. That�s why you find me so attractive. I�ve never stopped pushing against you.� �Not until last night. Although, for a time, I admit I believed you were going to stand there and watch Dolarhyde... change me.� �The thought had crossed my mind. Is that why you kept staring at me? the sensible thing would have been to keep him focused on you to give me chance to pull my gun and shoot the crazy bastard.� �If I�d done that, I don�t think we�d ben standing here.� It was difficult to admit but, �No. Maybe not.� �What was the plan, Will? The one in your head. I�m aware you told Dolarhyde one thing, me another, and Jack another still.� �The plan was what I needed it to be, a little of what I told everyone. You can call Bedelia, if you don�t believe me, ask her. I went to see her, warned her you would be escaping. She was... scared.� �I promised to eat her.� �Will you?� �Maybe, one day, if circumstances allow.� Will turned, looked into burgundy eyes, �What about me?� �I�ve tried on a number of occasions. It�s never gone well for me and now I find I prefer you alive and in one piece.� With a small smile, Will dropped his head to Hannibal�s shoulder, wound his arms around his neck. �Maybe wait until I die by other means.� Hannibal held him tight. �That might be a fair compromise.� Will closed his eyes and breathed deep, tilting his face to brush his mouth against Hannibal�s neck. Being close, being physical, it just felt natural. �You are safe with me, Will. I won�t hurt you, not again.� �Unless I run.� He shook his head, �You�re my equal now, Will, as dangerous as I am. I�ll leave it to you to decide if you want to stay with me. But we need sleep. We�re exhausted. These decisions can wait until morning.� Stepping back, he let his hands slide down into Will�s. �Come to bed.� It was surprising how sexy those three simple words were. |