Main Hannibal Fan Fiction page | new stories page | Will/Hannibal slash page | other pairings page | gen stories page

Title: Heart on His Sleeve
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Sequel to "Private Celebration."
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.

***

"Was I too eager to get out of there and go home?"

Hannibal turned to smile at Will, taking the young man's hand in his own as they walked towards his car and bringing those long, elegant fingers to his lips.

Will closed his eyes as his fiancé kissed his fingertips; the warmth of those lips on his skin made him want to melt into a puddle on the ground.

He couldn't do that, of course; he was looking forward too much to what would happen when they got back to the house. He knew that Hannibal would sweep him upstairs and take him to bed, so they could celebrate their engagement in their own way, a very private way.

He had shown everyone in that crowded room how he felt; he'd seen the smirks on some of their faces when he and Hannibal had made their goodbyes and existed.

Will didn't care about that, though. So he wore his heart on his sleeve. So what? He was in love, and he had just gotten engaged. He was supposed to let his emotions show.

There would be something wrong with him if he didn't want to get away.

He was sure that people would be questioning his judgment left and right if they thought that he didn't want to be alone with his fiancé. And they would be right to do so!

He couldn't help laughing softly as Hannibal unlocked the car doors and he slipped inside, pulling the seat belt across his chest and buckling it. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes, his mind going over all that had happened tonight. It was still a little much for him to take in all at once.

Hannibal had proposed to him, he had said yes, and they were now engaged. They'd gotten engaged in front of a room full of people, at a party.

It almost didn't seem possible, yet it had happened.

He had the ring on his finger to prove that. Will lifted his hand, studying the ring, smiling as he did. It was beautiful. It was more than anyone could ever have hoped for.

Not only did he have this to show Hannibal's love for him, he had the words that had come from his lover's lips. Hannibal loved him. Hannibal wanted to marry him, to entwine their lives together. He wanted Will to take his name, for them to be together for the rest of their lives.

If he wasn't sincere, if he hadn't meant all of this from his heart, then he wouldn't have proposed at a party, in such a public way. This was real. It wasn't a joke, or a game.

It still felt unreal, but that was because it had all happened so quickly, and he hadn't expected any of it. The reality was going to take time to sink in.

He turned his head to smile at Hannibal as his fiancé got into the car and buckled his own seat belt, then turned the key in the ignition and pulled smoothly out of the parking lot. WIll knew that it wouldn't take long to get to his house, and the thought made his heart beat faster.

Soon, they would be behind closed doors, and they could celebrate their engagement in their own way. He knew that they would pledge themselves to each other again, both physically and emotionally.

They would give themselves to each other, heart, mind, body and soul.

That was all he wanted to do right now, to be with Hannibal in the most primal of ways, baring his body as well as his soul to the man he loved.

He had shown that all too clearly with his eagerness to get away from the party, hadn't he? Once again, he'd worn his heart on his sleeve, something that he'd done all too often since he and Hannibal had become involved. That was very different from the way he used to show himself in public.

Before the advent of Hannibal in his life, he had been such a private person. He still was, but falling in love had changed him a great deal -- and all of those changes were good ones.

Being married was probably going to change him even more.

"I was quite eager to leave, too," Hannibal said softly as he slowed for a red light, turning to smile at Will and lay a hand on his knee. "I suppose you could tell."

Will couldn't keep back a bubble of laughter at those words; he had noticed that his fiancé seemed to look towards the front hall with an expression of longing.

"Yeah, I could tell," he answered, his tone light and teasing. "Maybe we were both wearing our hearts on our sleeves in that respect tonight, weren't we?" He raised a hand to stroke Hannibal's hair, tucking an errant strand behind the other man's ear. "I couldn't wait to get out of there."

"I have been thinking of nothing all night other than how you would answer my proposal -- and then afterwards, how I could show you how much I love you," Hannibal told him.

Those words made Will's heart rate speed up even more; he didn't know exactly what Hannibal planned to do once they were home behind closed doors, but he could certainly guess.

And he could let his imagination run wild.

Would they end up making love on the floor of the foyer, on the polished wooden surface? They'd done it before, and even though it wasn't the most comfortable place, he'd loved it.

Or would they actually make it at least halfway up the stairs before their clothes came off and their bodies joined, unable to wait until they were inside the bedroom? That was something else they'd already done, but he wouldn't mind a repeat of the experience. It was another one that he'd immensely enjoyed.

Whatever they might do tonight, Will knew that it wouldn't just be their bodies joining. What they would share tonight would be far beyond the physical realm.

Tonight, their hearts and souls would twine around each other, as well.

He could hardly wait to get home; he wished that there was no speed limit, and that they could simply fly along the road and arrive at Hannibal's house in an instant.

They would be there soon enough, Will told himself. He had to be patient. He should be savoring the anticipation, not wishing that it was over. Everything would come in good time.

He glanced toward Hannibal again, just as his love did the same. When their eyes met, Will was sure that he was going to melt then and there; the look of love and desire in Hannibal's dark eyes was all that he needed to see to know that his lover felt exactly the same as he did.

Hannibal's heart was on his sleeve, just as Will's was. Their hearts beat as one; their thoughts ran along the same path, one that Will couldn't wait to follow in reality.

Hannibal wanted him just as much as he wanted his fiancé. That had been written in his eyes as well; Will didn't need any words to be said to know just how the other man felt.

All he wanted now was to show Hannibal just how much he was loved -- and desired.

Will felt relief -- as well as a renewed anticipation -- surging through him when Hannibal pulled into the driveway, then into the garage beside the house. They were finally here.

It took Will a moment to loosen the buckle on the seat belt and reach for the door; he realized with surprise that his hands were trembling, though not from fear. He'd never felt so impatient in his life; he just wanted to be inside the house, behind locked doors with his lover, their clothes gone and their bodies joined.

Judging by the heated look that Hannibal gave him, his fiancé was thinking exactly the same thing. Will turned to look at him, a smile on his lips.

He knew that his heart was on his sleeve, for all the world to see.

***