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Will Graham had known since he was very young that some people deserved to die. He had learned this in the tents he lived in before he was in the run-down shack he had called home from the time he was ten till the time he was eighteen. Though, the shack was more of his own personal hell than an actual home, unlike his home in Wolf Trap. It was part of why he had moved so far away from Lousiana, to escape the horrors that haunted him there, things he had not even told Hannibal. Which was how this whole train of thought had started in the first place. Not because Hannibal had hurt him, quite the opposite, which was the problem.
The latest victim of the Chesapeake Ripper was a man who had been incredibly rude to Will, and had threatened both his life and Winston’s when Will had brought his service dog shopping with him. The only person he had told about this was Hannibal. And Will had known before now that his boyfriend Hannibal was the Chesapeake Ripper, but now any semblance of doubt had vanished, and God was it morbidly endearing. However, it was also incredibly blatant, and could have put Hannibal at risk if Will had told anyone else about what had happened. Which was why Will was currently making the two hour drive to Hannibal’s at 4:23 AM with Winston in the passenger seat as he drove with only three coffees powering him and an hour of sleep.
When Will did arrive, with Winston following at his side, he pounded on Hannibal’s door. And he was glad that the Neighbours were far enough away that they couldn’t hear, because he certainly would not be being quiet. It took only a few minutes for Hannibal to answer the door, but it still was too long for Will. As soon as the door opened, Will pushed inside, and waited just long enough for the door to close.
“Are you always so blatant with your kills?” Will questioned bluntly. “What would have happened if I’d told anyone else about this and they put the pieces together? You can not put yourself at risk like that!” Will chastised him. His arms were gesturing wildly, a physical sign of his distress.
“Abigail needs you! I need you! I don’t know what we would do if we lost you! You can not put yourself in-” Will was cut off by Hannibal pinning him against the wall, one hand wrapping around his throat, and Hannibal’s mouth suddenly on his. The kiss was blinding, everything else falling away apart from Hannibal’s lips on his. The kiss seemed to go on forever and not long enough at the same time. Will’s knees would have given out if Hannibal wasn’t holding him by his throat and had slid his knee between his legs to hold him up. Hannibal bit his lip and Will tasted blood, but the kiss was sweet, and Will needed it like he needed air, more than he needed air. When Hannibal pulled away, Will was breathless.
“How long have you known?” Hannibal asked softly, resting his forehead on Will’s.
“Two months.” Will admitted. Two months and three kills later.
“And it does not bother you? My hobby?”
“Some people deserve to die.” Will said softly as Hannibal cupped his face gently, like Will was something precious. “I just ask you don’t feed me them anymore. I’ve had enough abusers in my mouth to last a life time.”
Hannibal stilled, his mind going quiet for the first time in a long time. “What?” Hannibal barely recognized his own voice. Will froze and Hannibal shushed him. “Mylimasis, I am not upset with you. I simply wish to know what you mean, Brangusis.” Will took a shuddering breath.
“My, my father used to, to sell me. As a child.” Will couldn’t look at Hannibal. He felt dirty as he admitted it, even all these years later. That feeling never seemed to fully go away. Sure, it would subside for a while, but it always came back.
“Mylimasis....” Hannibal’s voice sounded so soft, like Will was precious to him, even after he had told him about his past.
“I, I’ll never be able to forget that. Promise me you’ll never make me eat them again.” Will had tears in his eyes and Hannibal pulled Will close.
“Never, I promise.” Will sighed in relief, relaxing a bit in Hannibal’s arms.
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“Will, I must admit, I did not expect you to know how to make something like this.” Hannibal said as he watched Will cook Shrimp Bisque for both of them. Winston was sat on the couch in the foyer, fast asleep after being released from his duties for the night.
“This is the one fancy thing I know how to cook, an’ it’s simple and fast. If I woulda made gumbo we woulda been here a lot longer.” Will pointed out, slipping into his southern accent a little. Hannibal smiled, leaning over to kiss Will’s temple.
“We can save that for a time it is not almost five in the morning.” Will hummed in agreement, a small smile on his face.
“I suppose so. Maybe next week.”
“Next week, Mylimasis.” Hannibal agreed. “I will be cooking for you tomorrow morning though.”
“You still want to cook for me? Even though I won’t eat like you do?” Will asked softly, and Hannibal’s heart fluttered as Will did not try to beat around the bush.
“Of course, that is what boyfriends do for each other, is it not?” Hannibal asked, smirking a little as Will stilled for a moment.
“Is that what we are? Boyfriends?” Will asked.
“I would think so. We have a daughter, you worry for me, and I worry for you. Plus, I have not proposed yet, so we can not be husbands.” Hannibal pointed out.
“Yeah, yeah I guess we are.” Will couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he plated their food.
Both sat down to eat in the dinning room, Hannibal right across from Will. Both were too tired to bother with words, but Will chuckled as he saw surprise flit across Hannibal’s face as he took his first bite. Afterwards, Hannibal led him upstairs and helped him shower, before both crawled into bed, or before Hannibal crawled into bed and then dragged Will in when the brunet said he would sleep on the couch.
“You are my boyfriend, and it would give be great pleasure for you to sleep beside me tonight.” Hannibal murmured and Will couldn’t help the blush that covered his face.
In the end, that was the beginning of many more weekends for the pair. They developed a routine of Will coming over, Hannibal cooking, cuddling, and then Will making dinner the next night every weekend. Of course, this grew to include Will’s other dogs, and then Abigail when she was healthy enough to come home. After almost three years and moving in together, Hannibal proposed, and the two got married within a year.
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“This is where you grew up?” Hannibal asked, as he looked out the window of their hotel room.
“No, I grew up in a homeless camp just outside the city. But I’d escape here sometimes when the silence of the forest was too loud.” Will said, coming up behind Hannibal and wrapping his arms around Hannibal and looking out the window with his now husband.
“Would you like to take a nap, Mylimasis, while I go out and finish preparing your surprise for tonight?” Hannibal asked softly. “I want you wide awake and aware for it.” Hannibal said softly, flipping their positions so Will was pinned against the wall. Will chuckled, leaning forward to kiss his husband.
“Mmm, I’m excited to see this, Cher.” Will said softly.
Late that night, Hannibal lead Will to a home in the upper class section of town, then down into the basement, where Will stilled at the bottom of the stairs. Tied to a chair was a man who had haunted Will’s nightmares for decades. Nathan Pole.
“Hannibal...” Will borderline whimpered. Hannibal imeaditly turned his attention to his husband.
“Mylimasis, it is alright. I will ensure he never hurts anyone again. You may watch, or go home. Or even participate in this, but he will never be a threat to you again.” Hannibal said, cupping Will’s cheek.
“I, I’d like to watch, for now.” Hannibal nodded, then kissed Will softly before turning to the bound Mr. Pole.
“Now, Mr. Pole, you have harmed my husband. Do you remember? That little boy you molested for your own enjoyment.” Hannibal untied the man’s hands and tore open the crotch of the monster’s pants and thrust a pair of wire cutters into his hands. “But if you can cut off your manhood, I may spare you.” Pole’s eyes widened, but he knew the man in front of him was deadly serious.
With trembling hands, Pole made the first cut, letting out a scream and almost dropping the wire cutters. Hannibal just tutted. Pole made one more cut, servering less than a fourth of his manhood before he dropped the pliers from pain.
“A shame. I thought you might provide at least some good entertainment.” Hannibal tutted, before Will stopped him, taking the wire cutters in his hand.
“This is for me, and every single child you hurt.” Will cut off his manhood with one final cut, then slit his throat with the switch blade he kept in his boot.
Hannibal purred, bringing Will close. “You are divine, Brangusis.”
In Will’s opinion, it was a wonderful way to spend their honeymoon. And with each monster they erased, they found themselves growing more and more besotted.