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Title: Short Notice
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Hannibal Lecter/Will Graham
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: 8, 50ficlets
Prompt: 18, Rain
Author's Note: This is a 50-ficlet AU series for Will/Hannibal. In this universe, the two of them are deeply in love with each other, though neither knows quite how to bring that love out into the open.
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.

***

Ugh. He hated rain. Will wrinkled his nose as he parked his car, wishing that the street was closer to the house. He'd have to make a run for it through the rain, or risk being late. He knew that Hannibal wouldn't berate him for it, but still, he wanted to be on time.

He'd been working late on notes for one of his classes tonight, and he'd called Hannibal to let him know that he was in town for the evening. His lover had invited him over -- and Will was fairly sure that he was going to end up spending the night.

Oh, he doubted that anything would happen between them. It still wasn't the right time. But they would more than likely sleep in the same bed.

The idea excited him, and frightened him at the same time.

The idea of sleeping in the same bed as Hannibal, of feeling those strong arms around him when he drifted off to sleep at night and awakened again in the morning, made him feel safe and protected. But at the same time, he was terrified of revealing so much of himself.

That was ridiculous, Will scolded himself silently. Hannibal loved him. And he loved Hannibal. If he couldn't reveal himself fully, inside and out, to the man he loved, then their relationship was doomed. There was no reason for him not to open up to the person he loved.

But that was so hard for him to do. He had always kept himself carefully hidden away from everyone, never letting any person see inside his heart.

Well, he had to learn to do it now, Will told himself firmly. He had to put himself in Hannibal's hands, hold out his heart, and trust that it would be treasured and handled gently. He had to believe that Hannibal would never hurt him, never break his heart.

He did believe that. He had no reason not to.

Will squinted at the pouring rain, trying to calculate how long it would take him to sprint from the car to the house. He sighed, shaking his head. Any way he looked at it, he was going to get soaked. He might as well make a run for it and hope for the best.

Opening the car door, he got out, clicking his keys to lock the door before shoving them into his pocket as he ran towards the house, head down.

Despite his efforts to move as fast as he could, he was soaked by the time he was on the porch under the roof. Will ran a hand through his hair with a sigh; he would probably need a towel to dry off once he got inside the house. He didn't want to drip water all over the floor.

His eyes widened as he realized that he might even have to get undressed -- and wear one of Hannibal's robes. He blinked at the idea; that somehow seemed even more intimate than the thought of them kissing, or even making love.

Hmmm. Maybe he didn't hate rain so much, after all.

Will turned towards the door as it opened unexpectedly, revealing Hannibal standing there -- with a towel in his hand. "Hello, Will," he said with a smile. "I saw your car -- I thought it might take you a few moments to get out in this mess. Do come in."

He handed the towel to Will as the younger man stepped through the doorway, closing the door behind him. "If you had waited for just a few more moments, I was going to come out with an umbrella. Though it seems that I should have moved a little more quickly."

Will quickly dried his hair with the towel, glad that Hannibal had thought to hand it to him when he'd come in. This way, he wouldn't get water everywhere.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes," Hannibal told him, heading for the stairs. "Wait here for just a moment, and I'll get you a robe." He moved quickly up the stairs as Will watched, disappearing from view before the younger man could say anything.

He should have known that Hannibal would have the situation well in hand.

When Hannibal came down the stairs again, he was carrying a sapphire-blue robe over one arm -- one that Will had the suspicion had been chosen to bring out the color of his eyes. Trust Hannibal to have such an unerring instinct for aesthetics.

"You can change in the bathroom," Hannibal told him, handing him the robe. "Then give me those clothes so I can put them in the wash."

Will nodded, leaning over to brush a gentle kiss across Hannibal's cheek. His boyfriend had thought of everything, he told himself. He shouldn't be surprised; Hannibal was one of the most organized people he'd ever known, even on short notice.

"I'll be right back," he said softly, heading for the bathroom on the first floor of the house. He glanced out of a window as he passed it; the rain was still pouring down, harder than ever. But now that he was in the house, safe and dry, it didn't seem all that bad.

In fact, it even seemed .... romantic.

That thought made Will's heart begin to pound more wildly in his chest. Would Hannibal view the rain in that way, too? Would they spend tonight wrapped in each other's arms, hearing the rain patter on the windows, letting it lull them to sleep?

He certainly hoped so. That was the way he wanted to spend this night -- and the way that he wanted to wake in the morning, too. Will smiled, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He had the feeling that this night was going to be very memorable for both of them.

***