Title: The Bond Between Us
Author: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Sherlock Holmes
Fandoms: Hannibal/Sherlock
Rating: PG-13
Table: 9, 50ficlets
Prompt: 7, Bond
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Will Graham or Sherlock Holmes, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Was this what it felt like to be in love?

Of course it was, Sherlock told himself as he glanced over at Will. His boyfriend was curled up on the couch, reading a book, seemingly lost in the pages.

Sherlock didn't want to bother him; he looked so comfortable, and he knew that Will had a lot on his mind lately and needed his relaxation. But he wanted to talk, and he felt that they needed to make sure that they were on the same page.

He didn't have to ask himself if he loved Will, or if Will loved him. He didn't doubt that for one moment. Their feelings for each other were obvious.

There was a bond between them that was strong and unshakeable, even though they hadn't been together for very long. Sherlock had never felt that sort of a bond with anyone else; he knew that he never would. His feelings for Will could never be duplicated.

Love wasn't something he'd ever expected to have in his life, he mused. It wasn't even something he'd wanted -- until he met Will.

This man had changed everything for him.

It didn't seem possible that one person could have made such a difference in his life, even to the point of changing how he looked at emotional intimacy. He had always thought of it as a bother, as something that would only hold him back.

Oh, how wrong he had been about that! Sherlock almost felt ashamed of himself for scoffing at emotions -- and at love -- for so many long years.

He had denied himself love and intimacy because he had thought it would keep him from doing his job -- he had obviously been wrong about that, too, he thought with a soft sigh. He'd been wrong about so much, mainly because he didn't want to see the truth.

But in a way, he was glad that he had waited for that intimacy.

He didn't want to share himself with anyone else but Will. He had never wanted to be with anyone before, never even wanted to share so much as a kiss.

But Will .... ah, Will was completely different. He wanted to do much more than kiss Will; already, he'd had more than a few dreams of them being locked in a passionate embrace, naked, and he'd woken up with an erection and a racing heart.

No one else had ever affected him such a physical way, and he'd never wanted them to. Such things had always repulsed him in the past.

Well, not repulsed, Sherlock corrected himself. But they'd made him feel uncomfortable in relation to himself. Now, he wanted them, craved them.

He might be a virgin, but he was fast reaching the point where that virginity was becoming annoying. He had never before wanted to give that virginity to anyone, had never even wanted to consider it. But with Will, all he wanted to do was become one with him.

Their bond wasn't just forged from physical desire, either, he told himself firmly. He didn't just want Will. He loved him. There were emotions involved.

He'd never done a very good job at sorting his emotions before.

But that was because he had tried to never let himself feel the softer emotions. He had always backed away from them; the only softness he'd let himself feel was compassion for some of the victims he'd dealt with on cases. He hadn't opened himself up to his feelings.

He was doing that now, and he wasn't going to turn back. Falling in love with Will, developing that bond, had freed something within him.

Nothing in his life was ever going to be the same again. Now he had another person to think about, a person who loved him and wanted to be with him. It was far different from having a flatmate and a friend; what he and Will shared went far beyond friendship.

"What are you thinking about?" Will's voice was soft, a little tentative.

Sherlock considered saying something offhand, making a joke of it. But he didn't want to do that; he wanted Will to know just how seriously he took their relationship.

"I was thinking about us," he said softly, standing up and moving across the room to sit down on the couch and take Will's small hand in both of his. "I was thinking about the bond between us, and how strong it is. A bond that can never be broken."

Will nodded, his blue gaze locking with Sherlock's. "I feel that way, too," he said softly, his lips curving into a smile. "Nobody's ever going to take me away from you."

"No one had better try," Sherlock said, his own smile mirroring Will's. "You're mine, Will, and I'm yours. If anyone ever tries to question that, or change it, they'll regret ever thinking of trying. Nothing's going to take me away from you, or change how I feel."

Will nodded, not saying another word, only burrowing into Sherlock's embrace. Somehow, it felt right to Sherlock to sit here with Will's head pillowed on his shoulder.

Right, and comforting, and .... close.

He had never wanted to be this close to anyone before. But as he'd already told himself, Will had changed all of his former opinions about emotions and intimacy.

This bond between them would never be severed, never fade away. It would always be here for him -- and he couldn't help but think that there would come a time when he would desperately need it.

***