Will tugged uncomfortably at his tie and adjusted the suit jacket for the hundredth time since he had forced himself into it. He was dressed more neatly than he had been since his interview for the FBI teaching team. He ore nervous and uncomfortable no than he had been then.

Their team had attracted attention, especially since Jack had officially pinned them together as an official group. Will, Jack, Beverley, Jimmy and Zeller. They had caused enough of a stir within the FBI with their clearance rates that they had become noticed. Something Will would prefer not to do, especially considering the situation he was in now just proved what that attention did.

"Name?" The man on the door asked politely, however, his stance and eyes said that he was no ordinary employee. Not surprising considering that the best and brightest of the FBI were rubbing shoulders inside the room he was guarding tonight. Not that it would take Will's particular skills to be able to pick this out on the man, he was not meant to be discrete.

"William Graham," Will answered uncomfortably, wishing with everything that he had that he could just turn tail and run for it. The bellowing that he would receive from Jack for such an action, however, held him steady. God, what he wouldn't do to be called away to a murder right now.

"Where is your plus one sir? He can not get in without you," The man frowned a little.

"I don't have a plus one," Will frowned back, feeling a little confused. He was fairly sure he had ticked no in that box.

"We definitely have you down for a plus one Mr Graham," The man shook his head.

"And I am here, my apologies for being late," Will turned and blinked at the image Hannibal made striding towards him. The man always looked put together and dashing, his suits always gorgeous and making him look handsome. However dressed in a black suit, which looked even more expensive and even better on Hannibal's tall and surprisingly muscles frame. A red silk tie added a dash of colour and made Will mentally roll his eyes.

A hall full of FBI agents and he wears a tie the colour of blood. He really could not help himself.

"Will?" Hannibal touched his elbow.

"You're my plus one?" Will asked confused. "I don't think I asked you,"

"You didn't, I suggested it to Jack last night. He was feeling guilty over the fact that he was dragging you here and putting you so far out of your comfort zone. So I suggested that I attend as your plus one," Hannibal smiled charmingly.

"Are you here to be my buffer?" Will raised his eyebrow.

"Indeed, I will endeavour to protect you as best I can from the perils of socialisation," Hannibal chuckled offering his arm to Will.

As ever the man managed to make him feel wrong-footed and normal at the same time. Safe and on edge.

"Thank you," Will said softly as they walked through the doors and into the impressive room beyond.

"It is no problem, I assure you, Will," Hannibal placed his hand over Will's on his elbow.

"I thought..." Will started to say before biting his lip.

"Yes? You should know now that you can tell him anything," Hannibal assured him as they slowly made their way down the hallway to the ballroom.

"I thought you might have come with Alana if you were going to attend, or wanted to. She is here as well," Will looked to the side, away from Hannibal as he bit his lip.

"There is no one else I would rather have on my arm Will," Hannibal said gently. Will turned quickly to look at him.

"You tried to have Abigail see you and Alana as her parents," Will scowled a little. That still stung, Hannibal insisted that they were Abigail's fathers now, and then he tries to take his place with Alana.

"Did I?" Hannibal stopped him from carrying on any further, turning him to face him.

"Yes, you did!" Will said a little firmer, raising his eyes to look at Hannibal properly.

"Ah! There you are," Hannibal smiled softly, cupping Will's cheek. Will knew straight away that he did not mean that Will had finally made eye contact with him, he meant that he could see Will's true self, his darker self, the part that he denied but Hannibal had slowly but surely been encouraging from the first time they had met. He, however, saw something he had not been expecting and a shocked look flashed across his face before he could suppress it. "How long have you known?!" He demanded, his hand gripping Will's face a little firmer as he backed him into the wall behind them.

"Known what?" Will asked sweetly.

"Do not play innocent with me! I do not quite see the way that you do, but I see. You know!" Hannibal hissed, his accent becoming heavier as he leaning into Will, his body pressing him against the wall.

"I've known about four months," Will admitted.

"And yet you have said nothing,"

"To you or to Jack?"

"Both,"

"Yes,"

"William, do not play with me!"

"Or what? You will kill me?" Will smirked.

"You, never. I would rather kill myself than kill you," Hannibal said firmly. Something relaxed in Will, easing at the honest answer, a part of him had always wondered.

"I would never say anything," Will said, locking eyes with Hannibal and making sure that the other knew he was telling the truth.

"You know it all?" Hannibal asked slowly, almost cautiously.

"You're secret...ingredients in your cooking is a particular secret that I will keep," Will said softly, aware of where they even if Hannibal was not.

"Will..." Hannibal leant in just a little and Will's heart thundered in his chest when his eyes flickered down to Will's full lips. And then the door that they had come through clanged shut again and they heard the tinkling of woman's laughter. "I sense a new appetiser coming on!" Hannibal growled.

"No one here!" Will hissed. "I don't care if they spit in your drinks, no one!"

"Spoilsport," Hannibal grumbled.

"I have spoiled none of your sport!" Will snorted.

"We will finish this later," Hannibal sighed removing himself from Will just as the couple came around the corner. The woman giggled a little while the man eyed them up.

"I need to go home to the dogs, they can't be left," Will said as they started walking once more.

"I will come with you, I have not seen them for two months," Hannibal said smoothly.

"Hannibal, are you telling me that you are...fond of my dogs?!" Will gasped teasing.

"I would say no such thing," Hannibal sniffed.

"Mm," Will hummed. And then he quickly drew closer to Hannibal as they walked into the ballroom and saw it packed with people.

"I see Jack," Hannibal placed his hand over Will's again and drew him over to the group he knew. Although considering their unfished and paused conversation the sight of Alana standing there in a beautiful red dress, looking quite stunning made Will's stoach churn in the same way it had when he had realised what Hannibal was doing with his victims and counted how many meals he had had with the man.

And the smile that she gave Hannibal when she spotted him made Will's heart drop into his stomach. He had managed to trick himself for so long about the fact that he hated the way she looked at Hannibal because he wanted her himself. He had finally admitted that it was because he wanted Hannibal, and he was scared about how the man would look back at her that stopped him from watching them together.

He had been scared to admit to his attraction to Hannibal because it was admitting to his own darkness and embracing it. It was allowing Hannibal to twine around him, embrace him in his own darkness and pull him deeper. But surrender had been inevitable, especially with the force of Hannibal's nature. He was like a storm sweeping through Will's life, and all Will could do was allow himself to move with it, wait it out and see what things looked like when it calmed down.

Hannibal's hand tightened over Will's and when the younger man looked at him, his eyes were nowhere else but on Will.

"Did I mention that you look incredibly handsome in your suit?" He said just before they reached the others.

"No, you didn't. I feel like mutton dressed as lamb," Will rolled his eyes.

"You look wonderful. You will have to attend the opera or theatre with me," Hannibal smiled as they reached their colleagues.

"Oh, I don't...I couldn't not all..."

"Perhaps tonight I could prove my ability to protect you from the hoards, and you would consider attending with me?" Hannibal smiled charmingly.

"We have not attended the opera together for a while Hannibal," Alana smiled beautifully at him.

"No, we haven't," Hannibal nodded, and then turned to Jack offering his hand. Everyone noticed the slight, just as everyone noticed that once Hannibal had shaken everyone's hand his own returned to cover Will's. No one offered to shake Will's hand, however, there was a lot of exchanged looks at the way he didn't pull away from Hannibal's touch.

Jack exchanged a pleased glance with Bella, looking just a little smug, his beautiful wife, however, rolled her eyes at him so he was forced to turn his eyes to Beverly who had helped him plot to get Hannibal here. Really the plan had been simple but good:

1) Jack goes to Hannibal concerned that dragging Will to the party would push him over the edge more than looking at crime scenes

2) Hannibal suggests he be there to support the man that he was in love with

3) Hannibal gets jealous of all the people that drool over Will but the younger man was self-conscious to notice

4) They confess their feelings

5) Hannibal becomes a source of stability in Will's life

6) They get to keep Will

7) They all get a wedding, with a feast they could only dream of cooking by Hannibal no doubt

And everything was working perfectly for them. Well except for Alana who seemed to be desperately trying to insert herself between Will and Hannibal, making Will look quite distressed and Hannibal...well murderous really was the word for it the more stressed Will became.

Jack thanked his lucky stars that he married such a wonderful woman and that she liked Hannibal so much, as she caught Alana in a well-manicured hand and gracefully withdrew her across the room, stating the need for a drink.

Will was feeling more and more uncomfortable as Alana seemed determined that she would have a dance with Hannibal, extract a promise for an evening out, or an evening in, or all of the above. Finally, though Mrs Crawford snagged her attention away from them, and when he finally had the courage to look up at Hannibal, he realised that the other man looked like he was about to give into his darker nature at any moment and kill Alana in the middle of a room full of FBI agents.

His hand was warm over Will's and when he looked away from glaring at Alana's retreating back to meet Will's eyes, something relaxed in the man, something warmed and gentled. And Will SAW, he realised, that look, that gentleness was only for himself and Abigail.

He thought on Hannibal's words earlier while the psychiatrist and Jack had a friendly conversation over his head, his boss standing to guard him against the attention of the rest of the room and stop anyone sneaking up on him. 'Did I,' Hannibal had said.

Did he try and make Abigail see Hannibal and Alana as her parents? It certainly hadn't worked. Abigail had withdrawn from Alana and had instead drawn closer to Will, allowing him to finally be able to overcome the guilt he felt over her father and the uncertainty that he felt with normal human interaction.

Since when had any of Hannibal's manipulations failed?

Never.

So he had achieved what he had wanted. Abigail seeing Will as her other parental unit. By making it seem like Alana wanted to intrude on the part her innocent mother had held in her life. She had rejected Alana and turned to them, the two of them, looking on them both as fathers.

Hannibal glanced at him curiously when his hand tightened even tighter on Hannibal's elbow, Will however shook his head in answer, it was a conversation for later. He allowed himself to be drawn into conversation with his colleagues, some of them his friends, relaxing in increments as nothing awful happened.

Hannibal smiled and kissed Bella's hand as they stepped off of the floor, turning to Will holding out his hand.

"Dance with me?" He asked.

"Oh, no, I don't, I, I am not a good dancer Hannibal," Will shook his head, neat curls falling slightly into disarray with the movement, his glasses sliding a little down his nose.

"All you need is the right partner, trust me," Hannibal smiled reaching for Will's hand.

"You have not yet danced with me tonight Hannibal, and we do make great partners!" Alana giggled.

"I am afraid that I have promised the next few dances to Will," Hannibal said politely. He looked around a little startled when a hand slipped into his, smiling happily when he saw that Will had not only taken his hand but was standing proprietarily close.

Hannibal nodded his head to Alana before drawing Will out onto the dance floor. He could feel the moment that Will realised what he had jumped into without really thinking about it, clearly. His jealousy over Alana was intoxicating, but it was something that Hannibal would stop in its tracks, while it could prove amusing for him, he disliked how unsure Will became when faced with Alana's attraction to himself.

He smiled warmly at Will, honestly smiled, the one that he reserved only for the younger man, a true smile and not the mask that he gave everyone else. He tenderly took Will's waist and pulled him close, raising their still joined hands into the classic waltz position. Will licked his lips nervously, his eyes fixed on Hannibal's chin and his breathing a little too quick.

"Trust me," Hannibal said firmly making Will snort in amusement and look up to meet his eyes. As soon as they connected Hannibal stepped forwards, forcing Will to move as well.

The younger man was tense in his arms for the first few moments, clearly waiting to make a mistake. But when Hannibal guided him smoothly across the floor, keeping him in a firm hold and somehow managing to predict when Will was about to make a mistake or step on Hannibal's toes and would move accordingly.

And he was able to relax after a few moments, and just enjoy the flow and movement of the dance itself, the rhythm of the music, and the feeling of being in Hannibal's arms, pressed against his warm chest and in his deceptively strong arms.

Arms that Will knew had done terrible yet beautiful things. Arms that could cause great harm. Or make him feel safe, wanted and secure. Special and normal.

He closed his eyes and pressed his face into Hannibal's shoulder, breathing in the scent of expensive aftershave, ink and a scent that was purely Hannibal.

They stayed dancing for a good few dances, Will was surprised to find that he was really enjoying himself, and when Hannibal gave him the option of sitting down or carrying on, he found himself quite happy to stay right where he was.

"How am I doing?" Hannibal asked softly as they swayed to a slower paced song.

"Doing?" Will blinked looking up for a moment.

"As a social buffer, would you consider attending an opera with me?" Hannibal's tone was cajoling and tempting.

"I may," Will licked his lips.

"Oh?" Hannibal looked amused when he risked eye contact.

"If I get something in return," Will said firmly.

"Oh yes?" Hannibal definitely perked up.

"You will go on a...something that I want to do," Will felt everything turn red, even his ears when he nearly slipped the date word into the conversation.

"That sounds a fair exchange to me, so we have an agreement?" Hannibal asked.

"Yes, we do," Will smiled.

They were talking and laughing with Jack and Bella, Will actually enjoying himself when it happened. Really Will thought everything was done for there and then when he caught Hannibal eying a dessert fork near them. Reaching out he quickly grabbed hold of Hannibal's hand.

"Could you pass me some napkins please, Hannibal," He said with a hint of warning.

"I'm so sorry Will, silly me!" Alana tittered. "I must have had too much to drink,"

"Clearly, not really an appropriate setting to be drunk enough you cannot keep the contents of your drink inside of your glass. Perhaps a request from the bartender for strong coffee may be a good idea," Hannibal clearly decided he should murder Alana with words rather than literally.

"Wow, ouch!" Beverly applauded.

"Very well done Hannibal," Bella smirked.

"Now now, it could have been an accident," Jack as ever tried to keep the peace.

"Please, my high school drama club did better acting than she did with that 'accidental' trip there," Beverly snorted. "It's a good job Jimmy and Zeller weren't here to see that, they wouldn't have been able to resist calling her out on it,"

"This will stain," Hannibal sighed giving up on trying swab out the red wine from Will's shirt.

"Can we go?" Will asked softly not looking at anyone.

"Will, I'm sorry," Jack frowned.

"It's ok, I was reaching my saturation level anyway," Will shook his head. He was gripping tightly onto Hannibal's suit coat with one hand.

"I will take him home. Thank you all for a lovely evening," Hannibal nodded to their friends as he wound an arm around Will's waist.

Will let him guide him through the hall, tightening his grip on Hannibal's arm when they caught slight of Alana at the bar. Finally though they were through the corridor and main doors, and on their way to Hannibal's car. Will was glad that he had gotten a taxi rather than driving now as Hannibal opened the door for him and shut it behind him once he had slipped into the passenger's seat.

He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning back against the smooth leather of Hannibal's seats. He felt Hannibal settling next to him, and the smooth rumble of the engine before they started off. He started a little when a hand placed itself on his knee, opening his eyes to see they were on a pretty straight patch of road.

"Thank you for tonight," Will said softly.

"You seem drained," Hannibal noted concerned.

"Crowds do that to me, and Alana stressed me out. Aside from that, I actually enjoyed the evening, so thank you," Will smiled.

"I am glad you managed to enjoy it. I...am not happy with Alana," Hannibal said cautiously, glancing at Will out the corner of his eyes, the warning clear in his voice.

"Just wait an appropriate amount of time," Will sighed settling back into his seat and closing his eyes again, relaxing more and more the further away they got. Hannibal's thumb started rubbing his knee almost absently, but the caress warmed him through.

"No arguing?" Hannibal sounded so shocked that Will couldn't help smile, keeping his eyes shut.

"No, she upset me too. I would rather you didn't hurt Beverley or Jimmy though," He said softly, these thoughts finally being said out loud so foreign to him.

"Then they will not be touched. Not Zimmer or Jack?" Hannibal sounded as bemused as Will felt at this conversation.

"Zimmer is always trying to make a fool of me because he feels intimidated by the fact I am cleverer than him when the others aren't around he isn't very pleasant. I also have a suspicion he was behind the article Freddie Loundes wrote about me not long after I started working with Jack,"

"Mm, Zimmer then. Not Jack?"

"You like Jack too much," Will shook his head.

"Oh?" Hannibal sounded amused so he rolled his head and opened his eyes to see the Doctor smiling at him.

"You like his manners and politeness, even though he can be a bull in a china shop sometimes, he knows and appreciates food and fine things the same way you do, and he strokes your ego," Will chuckled.

"Indeed, you think that is all it takes to pacify me?" Hannibal with mock offence in his tone, however, the small upturn of mouth gave him away.

"Mm, I'm sure you are offended,"

"Quite, it is quite rude, I should perhaps punish you, William," Hannibal drawled, his hand tightening just slightly on his knee.

"Are you going to eat me?" Will asked huskily.

"Not in the literal sense," Will felt his ears turn red at the implications of the older man's words. "You are really accepting this? Me?" The teasing tone was gone now, and he looked intently at Hannibal as the other man focussed on driving.

"It would be a shame to let all that hard work that you put into opening my mind to the darker part of myself go to waste," He finally answered.

"Will, accepting this means living with what I am, what I do..." Hannibal drew off.

"Hannibal, accepting the darker side of myself has centred me, given me a control I didn't have before when I was fighting with myself. You have given me my life Hannibal, if you hadn't done what you did I don't think I would be sane right now, ironically," Will muttered a little.

Hannibal moved to place his hand over Will's squeezing it gently, the younger man raised their hands to press a kiss to the back of Hannibal's, his heart thundering in his chest.

"I have longed for you Will, for you to look at me, and see me, for you to see me and accept me. I knew when I met you that you were the chance for the loneliness and the pain, the isolation to end, I hoped that you could see the monster within and maybe love me, that you could see my work and see the beauty in it," Hannibal admitted, his eyes locked looking forward.

They were silent as Hannibal turned up the drive to Will's home, pulling into his normal parking spot. They remained silent as Hannibal turned off the engine and they stepped out of the car. They said nothing as they walked together up to Will's front door, and while he opened it to let his pack out.

The dogs ran around their feet making a little fuss of them both before hurrying onto his lawn to go to the toilet. Only then did Will turn to Hannibal.

He gripped his face in his hands and pointedly looked into those brown, deep eyes. Looking up at the man he smiled and allowed his own darkness to show. "I see your darkness, I see the monster inside, and it is dark and dangerous, and beautiful and unique. You're...Hannibal, you're my darkness in the overwhelming light. I know this path isn't going to be easy. And I can't promise to ever join you on your...hunts, but I want to walk this path with you, beside you, I want to be with you,"

"Will," Hannibal breathed out slowly, savouring the Profiler's name on his tongue before he drew Will in and kissed him firmly on the lips.

The world narrowed to that point of contact between them, everything else falling away, and they fell into the kiss with a fervour of two drowning men. Wrapped so tightly around each other that they could not be sure where one ended and the other began, they barely noticed when Hannibal walked them backwards until Will's thighs were pressed against the table in his front room. They didn't notice the dogs running back inside and fussing around them, before retreating to the fireplace and their many beds when they received no reaction.

Hannibal tasted of power, darkness, a base nature and a drugging freedom, Will tasted of acceptance and home, warmth and forever.

It was like one of his episodes for Will everything was speeding forwards, he was kissing Hannibal and then the next thing he knew he was sprawled on his table panting as he came down from one of the best orgasms he had ever had, Hannibal's strong hips were between his thighs, ruffled and looking exactly like the predator he was. The only difference was he remembered in slow motion every single detail, every exquisite detail.

The image of Hannibal lifting him onto the table as though he weighed nothing.

Pressing down on him, holding his hips down as he kissed him.

Undoing the flies of his own trousers and sliding them and his boxers down hip bones that Will wanted to lick. Before with much more care a reverence opening Will's suit trousers and sliding them down and off of his legs, before following with his underwear.

Hannibal leaning down to press kisses to Will's stomach and chest as he slid his shirt up.

Sealing their lips back together in more of those addicting kisses.

Pressing their hips together, and their hot, heavy erections.

The image of Hannibal panting and needy over him, holding him tightly as he thrust harder against Will.

Will winding his arms around Hannibal's neck and drawing him in closer so that their first cries of orgasm were breathed against each other's mouths.

"Perfect," Hannibal groaned looking down at Will's pleasure wrecked expression.

"Hannibal," Will groaned embarrassed.

"Everything that we have just done, and you are embarrassed by me telling you how beautiful you are to me?" Hannibal smiled amusedly.

"No one has ever told me that before," Will admitted.

"I will tell you every day," Hannibal promised leaning down to kiss him again. "Come home with me?"

"I can get a few things..."

"No, for good, let me keep you safe with me, stay with me, Will,"

"My dogs..." Wil looked to the side where his pack all perked up a little at the attention on them.

"I admit a general dislike for dogs and mess in my home. However, after many occasions of looking after them, I have to admit that your pack are very well behaved, and quite acceptable. I will, however, limit their number to 10 at the most!" Hannibal warned.

Will grinned and lunged up to wrap his arms tightly around Hannibal, scattering kisses all over his face.

"Thank you!"

"I find myself quite unable to deny you anything," Hannibal admitted, staring down at Will in a way that made the younger man's heart flutter. "Is that a yes?"

"It's a little quick isn't it?" Will asked uncertainly.

"I want you with me, I want to go to sleep with you, I want to wake with you. I want to spend our lives together. If that is what you want, then there is nothing else to discuss, if it is not, I can wait until you are ready,"

He meant it, manipulative, live to take what he wanted Hannibal was willing to wait for Will, willing to go at his pace. He felt, equal in a way he had been unsure of before.

"Yes," He breathed.

"Yes to moving in, or yes to taking it slow. I do not wish to presume here Will,"

"Yes to moving in. You get half the dogs loaded into your car while I pack some things until we can move properly," Will grinned hopping off of the table.

"My car?" Hannibal wrinkled his nose.

"Sacrifices must be made for a relationship," Will found the courage to tease before racing up the stairs.

The sound of Hannibal's deep-voiced laughter followed him.

God in one night he had finally admitted to knowing everything. Actually partially enjoyed a social setting. Realised Hannibal cared for him. Realised Hannibal loved him. Set a murder list apparently. And a none murder list. Had sex with Hannibal. And was now moving in with him.

Quite a night.

"You shed, you do not - in the car, you shed, you shed badly, you are not too bad in the car, definitely not you, Winston on you go," He smothered his laughter as he listened to Hannibal talking to his dogs... Their dogs?

His partner was a murderer. He was FBI. They were going to be operating right under the noses of some of the best professionals in the world. And Hannibal could not help but peacock.

They had a surrogate daughter that they would no doubt work to bring into their world as well. And their future was on shaky grounds really with Jack in his life.

And he couldn't be happier. A future with Hannibal, however long or short, would be worth whatever happened. And between the two of them, with him curbing Hannibal's more obvious brags, their brains were likely to be able to keep them ahead of the game, especially as Jack trusted them both so much.

Who knew. Maybe they would be able to retire to Florence or Italy, somewhere in Europe in their old age, with Abigail and her children with them.

"Will! The little fluffy one that sheds everywhere has gotten into my car! I insist you come remove it now!" Hannibal shouted up the stairs breaking Will from his thoughts.

He quickly finished packing enough things for a few days, before hurrying down the stairs.

Life was definitely going to be interesting. And he couldn't wait.