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

Title: Public Declaration
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: writers_choice
Prompt: #562, Soireé
Author's Note: Sequel to "Victorious."
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.

***

Will glanced around at the crowd of people in the room, feeling out of place.

When Hannibal had told him that he intended to have a party, he'd expected a small dinner party of maybe half a dozen people, nothing like this.

It turned out that Hannibal had meant to have a party with what felt like hundreds of people invited, with all of them seeming to know just what his relationship with Dr. Lecter was. Everyone kept throwing glances his way, acting as though he was somehow the guest of honor.

How much had Hannibal told people about the two of them? Will hadn't thought that anyone knew about their relationship, but obviously, he was wrong.

He couldn't shake the feeling that everyone knew.

It wasn't as though he and Hannibal had to keep their relationship a secret, Will told himself as he smiled at a woman who he didn't know. It wasn't a dirty secret.

But he didn't want Hannibal accused of compromising his professional ethics by dating a patient. Even if he wasn't technically a patient, there would be people who would look askance at the two of them, and the rumors wouldn't be pleasant to deal with.

Though if Hannibal wanted their relationship out in the open, who was he to complain? It wasn't like having things known would hurt his own reputation.

No, he would probably be looked at with envy by people who admired Hannibal. There would always be a few people who would covet what he had; he could only feel sorry for them, knowing that their attitude would probably mean that they'd spend their lives alone.

And then there would be people who would want to get to know him, simply because he was the person who Hannibal Lecter chose to be with.

Those were the people who were probably the more interesting ones.

Will caught Hannibal's eye across the room; he raised one eyebrow, glancing around him again before his gaze returned to his lover's. He had meant to indicate his surprise that so many people were here, but he wondered if he'd telegraphed his intentions correctly.

Hannibal was already making his way across the room to Will, but it was slow going for him; people were stopping him every few steps, wanting to talk to him.

He would probably have to get used to that, Will thought with a sigh. Everyone wanted a piece of the man he was involved with; Hannibal was a popular person, in spite of the fact that a lot of the time, he seemed to eschew other human company in favor of his own.

He'd have to wait patiently for his boyfriend to reach his side.

His boyfriend. It felt strange to think of Hannibal in those terms, but that was what he was. They were in a relationship; they were dating. Boyfriends.

Would others look at him strangely now that they knew he was involved with a man? Will really didn't care about that; to him, love was love, no matter what the gender, and he didn't think much of people who were unduly prejudiced in that regard.

But it would still feel strange to realize that everyone he worked with knew about his relationship, and that they might be silently judging him behind his back.

Will shrugged the thought away. Even if they were, what did it matter?

He was the one who was in a good relationship. He was happy. And as long as he made Hannibal happy, too, then nothing else was really important.

It took Hannibal a while to make his way across the room to where Will stood with his back to the wall, a drink in his hand, looking around him almost nervously. He smiled slightly when Hannibal reached out to brush a hand across his cheek.

It was an intimate gesture, a familiar one. Will couldn't help but wonder who might be watching, and what they would make of such a simple yet possessive movement.

Again, he didn't think he really cared. What he and Hannibal were to each other shouldn't matter to anyone else. It was no one's business but theirs.

"This little soireé has turned out quite well, hasn't it?" Hannibal said, obvious pride in his voice as he looked around the room. "Everyone I invited is here, and I believe that they all brought a guest with them. It can be said that this party is a rousing success."

"If this i what you call a 'little soireé' then I'd hate to see what you would call a really big party," Will said, attempting to make a joke.

Hannibal glanced at him with humor in his eyes, and in his voice when he spoke.

"When I decide to throw a large party, then you will probably be overwhelmed by it, dearest William," he said, his voice soft, laughter in his tone.

But Will didn't think that Hannibal was laughing at him. Somehow, he could sense that the joke wasn't on him; no, the laughter was loving, not derisive. And Hannibal was right; he more than likely would be overwhelmed by a large party, and feel shy about being there.

He was actually feeling that way now, and to Hannibal, this was just a small soireé. He probably didn't even think there were many people here.

The two of them had very different ideas about what constituted a party.

Will wasn't even sure just why Hannibal had decided to have this party tonight; he didn't think there was a special event to celebrate. But then, Hannibal seemed to enjoy having parties, whether it was a small, intimate dinner, or a crowd like this one.

He himself wasn't a social animal, but he knew that Hannibal was, in some ways. So he had to adjust, had to make the effort to go along with these events.

He had to make himself fit into Hannibal's world. If he didn't, then they would end up drifting apart, and that was the last thing he wanted. After Hannibal had saved his life, Will was sure that his lover didn't want that, either. They both wanted to be together.

Though they were so different, being together wasn't always easy.

People were probably thinking about that right now, Will mused, sipping his drink as his gaze traveled to the other people around the room. About how different they were.

They were an odd match, that couldn't be denied. They must look so vastly different, standing here beside each other. Even though it might be obvious to some that they were a couple, they couldn't be more polar opposites, either in looks or in demeanor.

Hannibal was polished and suave, and Will knew that beside him, he probably looked disheveled and even a little unkempt, even though he was wearing a suit and tie.

Still, with his unruly curls and razor stubble, he didn't have Hannibal's suave urbanity, and he never would have. He just wasn't that type of person; he would always be rough around the edge, unpolished and more than a little rough. It was simply who he was.

And if people didn't like that, then they didn't have to be around him, he told himself firmly. But if they were to be accepted into Hannibal's world, then they would have to accept Will.

He was part of Hannibal's world, part of his life. An important part.

Now, everyone knew that. The people who were here tonight knew that he and Hannibal were together, that they were a couple. Hannibal had made that clear.

Suddenly, Will's unease about having the world at large know that they were together seemed to melt away. Why was he worried? It was plain that Hannibal wanted him here, that this man had chosen him to be by his side. It was a distinction, an honor.

If people didn't like that, then they didn't have to be here. Wanting to be a part of Hannibal's world meant accepting that Will would be a part of that world, as well.

This soireé was intended to get that point across.

And apparently it had, Will thought as he watched people glance at the two of them, then return to whatever they had been whispering about with their compatriots.

Maybe they were talking about what an unlikely couple he and Hannibal made, he thought with an inward smile as he moved closer to his lover. Maybe they were shocked, or maybe just amused. Either way, there was no reason for him to care what they thought.

He and Hannibal were together, and tonight was a public declaration of their relationship. As long as the two of them were happy with that, what anybody else thought of it didn't matter.

He was happy. And for the moment, that was good enough for him.

***