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Title: A Few Quiet Days
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: 2, narrative_x_10
Prompt: Story 07
Author's Note: Sequel to "Getaway."
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.

***

"So what do you think?" Will asked, leaning forward eagerly and watching Hannibal across the table. He had just told the other man that he intended to take a vacation, and he wanted to gauge just what Hannibal's reaction to the words would be.

If it was favorable, he had another question to put to his lover -- one that he wasn't at sure of the answer to. But he had to ask, no matter what Hannibal might say.

He didn't want to go off somewhere by himself, or spend a week alone at home. No, he wanted to be with Hannibal, no matter whether he took a vacation away from the immediate area, or simply stayed at his own home for a few days without coming into the city.

It just remained to ask Hannibal if he would come along.

Will wasn't sure what Hannibal would think about spending a week or so at his house in Wolf Trap; he didn't think that was the doctor's style, but he would ask anyway. And if Hannibal wasn't amenable to that, then he'd suggest the two of them taking a trip.

Either way, if he was going to take a vacation of some kind, he wanted to spend it with Hannibal. He didn't want to leave his lover behind. It would feel too lonely.

There was a part of him that balked at that idea; wasn't the idea of taking a vacation to get away from all the things that put stress on him in his daily life?

But Hannibal didn't stress him out -- at least, not most of the time. Yes, there were times when they could be argumentative, and when their relationship could be a bit strained. But it was like that with any couple -- or at least, Will thought that it was.

It wasn't like he'd had any other relationships to compare this one to.

He took a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak and then closing it again when he realized that his lover was looking at him oddly. "You know that I'm going to ask you something that's important to me, don't you?" he asked instead, tilting his head to the side.

Hannibal nodded, his smile wry. "You are getting rather good at reading me, Will," he said, raising his glass in a toast. "Perhaps too good."

"I'm not trying to read you," Will protested, shaking his head. "I just wanted to ask you something that I'm not sure you'd agree to. I'm .... a little hesitant to ask."

"Please ask me." This time, it was Hannibal's turn to tilt his head, his gaze curious. "If I don't agree to what it is you plan to propose, then perhaps we can discuss your idea and come to some sort of agreement. A relationship is, after all, built on compromise."

Will nodded. That was certainly true; he couldn't refute those words.

Taking another deep breath, he focused on his hands, clasped on the table in front of him. He couldn't look Hannibal directly in the eye. Not yet.

"I need to take a vacation," he began, choosing his words carefully. "Just for a week or so. I need to get away from all the stress I'm dealing with at work. I got the okay from Jack, and I want to spend the time at home in Wolf Trap. I'd like it if you stayed there with me."

Hannibal was silent for a few moments, looking down into his coffee cup, as though he was mulling over what Will had just said. Will could feel the familiar gnawing in his stomach, the roiling that he knew wasn't going to go away until Hannibal gave him an answer.

"I would have to inform all of my patients that I would be gone for a week, but that wouldn't be so hard for me to do," Hannibal finally said. "Yes, Will, I'll stay with you."

Will was sure that he could feel his heart jump into his throat.

"Y-You will?" He couldn't keep the astonishment out of his voice; he'd expected this to be much harder than it had been. He had thought that he'd have to argue with Hannibal, convince him that he, too, was in need of a vacation, a getaway from the busy city.

"Of course I will." Hannibal smiled at him, a smile that almost made him want to cry. He hadn't expected to see a smile like that, not on Hannibal's face.

He knew that they shared intimacies, but he hadn't thought that Hannibal loved him. Cared for him, yes, but love? That wasn't something he expected from anyone.

That smile made him feel that he was indeed loved -- and that Hannibal wanted to protect him. It spoke of their intimacies of the past, and more to come in the future. It was a secret smile, a smile just for him, a smile that touched his heart.

It was a smile he wanted to see every day and night for the rest of his life.

"I was actually thinking of taking a trip somewhere, if you'd rather do that than spend a few quiet days in Wolf Trap," he offered, still cautious about what he was saying. "If you think you'd be bored there, we could always find some place we'd both like to visit."

Hannibal shook his head, soft laughter coming from his throat. "No, Will, I do not believe that I will be bored in Wolf Trap. After all, you will be there."

"I don't know if you'll like fishing, or just sitting around quietly," Will began, suddenly worried as to his ability to keep Hannibal from being bored. "But I --"

His lover leaned across the table, reaching out a hand to place one finger against Will's lips, silencing him. Will looked at him, blue eyes beseeching; he hoped that Hannibal would tell him that there was nothing for him to worry about, that he would enjoy spending a week in Wolf Trap.

Hannibal smiled again, this time looking almost .... wolfish.

"Will, you don't have to worry," Hannibal said, his voice very soft. "I will be perfectly content to spend a few quiet days with you. We can both get away from our work, and spend some time .... discovering each other. I think it will be a pleasant experience for us both."

"I think so, too," Will murmured, resisting the urge to take Hannibal's finger into his mouth. There was plenty of time for that later.

A week. He would have a vacation from all the stress in his life, and he would have Hannibal with him. This couldn't have gone better if he'd planned it out carefully. Will couldn't hold back a smile as he contemplated the days to come. He was sure that each one would be memorable indeed.

***