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Title: Castles in the Air
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: Holiday Non-Bingo, tv_universe
Prompt: 16, Place
Author's Note: Sequel to "Heartfelt Gift."
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Hannibal Lecter or Will Graham, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

He was in Hannibal's house, sleeping in Hannibal's bed.

Well, not exactly Hannibal's bed, Will thought with a smile. But a bed that was in a guest room in his house, which meant that technically, it did belong to Hannibal.

This was exactly where he wanted to be tonight. He wasn't worried about his dogs; they had a warm house, and plenty of food and water until he could make it home again.

He was in a safe place, a place where he felt comfortable. Even though a part of him wished that he was in bed with Hannibal, it was far too soon for him to be thinking along those lines. He would just enjoy being here, and feel grateful that Hannibal had offered him a safe haven for the night.

He was sure that the streets would be cleared by sometime tomorrow afternoon, at the latest. He shouldn't have any problem making it back to Wolf Trap then. He'd have to drive carefully, but after several years of living in this area, he'd gotten used to driving in bad weather.

Staying in Hannibal's home wasn't something that he should be so damn excited about. It was just one friend offering another shelter during a storm, that was all.

But somehow, it felt like .... more. It felt as though something tenuous was beginning between them, something that would lead to them becoming even closer.

Will hoped it was the beginning of a more personal relationship.

Oh, it was great being friends with Hannibal. It was good having his professional knowledge come to the fore when they sat down for their psychiatric sessions.

Hannibal probably knew some facets of who he was better than he did, thanks to those sessions. Never before had there been anyone in his life who wanted to know him that well.

People were always afraid of his empathy, as though they feared that he could somehow look into their souls and see their thoughts, see their dark sides. But Hannibal wasn't like that. He wanted to explore Will's empathy, to know what Will considered the bad side of who he was.

Hannibal didn't turn away from the part of him that made him so different from everyone else. Instead, he embraced it, and was eager to learn more about it.

That was only one of the reasons why he had developed such strong feelings for the other man. And now, he was ready to push those feelings onward to another level.

Tonight obviously wasn't the right time to do that. It was still too soon. But he was here, in a warm, comfortable bed in Hannibal's home, and Will felt that gave him the right to dream a little. One day, he could actually be living here, if his relationship with Hannibal grew and deepened.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. After all, Hannibal lived right in the middle of the city. He didn't think he'd care to live in busy, bustling Baltimore.

No, he loved Wolf Trap far too much. He loved his little house, and his solitude. He loved being able to walk in the woods, and go fishing, and take his dogs for long walks.

His dogs. They could never live in the middle of a city!

Will couldn't help smiling at his own thoughts. He was getting way ahead of himself; nothing had really happened yet for him to be dreaming these kinds of dreams.

He was really just building fanciful castles in the air at the moment. There was no telling where this relationship could go -- or even how Hannibal felt about him.

But for right now, those castles felt as though they could be brought to reality. Anything seemed possible as he lay here and watched the snow falling outside the window. It felt like a magical time in his life, a time when he could wish for anything and have that wish be granted.

He didn't really believe that, of course. Wishes didn't simply come true. If you wanted something, then you had to work towards it. Nothing came easily, and Will knew that fact better than most people did. After all, he'd been working towards some of his goals ever since he was a child.

He didn't know what would come of this night. He didn't know if this would eventually be the place that he could hang his hat and call home. But that didn't matter.

This was the place that he wanted to be in, the place where he felt that he belonged. Strange, but he actually felt just as much at home here, in this bed, as he did at home in Wolf Trap.

There was plenty of time to keep building castles in the air.

Smiling, Will turned over, hugging his pillow and closing his eyes. It had been a wonderful day, and being here tonight was an unexpected treat at the end of it.

He was sure that he would sleep well, for a change. Within a few moments, that prediction came true as he slipped into slumber with a soft smile curving his lips and a warm glow in his heart.

***