it's taken time to get to this point. not only were the two men healing from being shot, stabbed, and falling off of a cliff, but they were also getting used to one another as they are now. changed ; not who they used to be. better, in hannibal's opinion, but that opinion didn't mean they could rush things. once he had recovered - once he could actually walk around by himself, cook again, stay awake for several hours without getting exhausted just from sitting up - hannibal settled back into himself, coming to terms with their situation much faster than will was. hannibal couldn't blame him. how were the two men who previously maimed and tried to kill each other going to be domestic? how were they going to hold hands, kiss one another, touch knees under the table? hannibal could see it in their future, and he was patient enough to wait for it.
it was the lingering glances when hannibal rolled up his sleeves, the way will spent just a little too long in the shower after he saw hannibal in a towel, that made hannibal recognize the want in will. something the other man was clearly pushing down, much like he did everything else. oftentimes, hannibal would inhale and smell the need on will, and he had to keep himself from taking will where he sat. the longer it went on, though, the more hannibal began to test will. touching him more intimately, egging him on with certain words, teasing in tone. tonight, will had surprised him with his response. speaking of how much he wanted hannibal, in his own roundabout way. and then, while hannibal had taken a second to be stunned, will had closed the short gap between them and kissed him like he'd die if he didn't.
from there, hannibal took a bit of the control. not enough to cease will's choice fully. he led them toward the bedroom, gave will an opportunity to stop hannibal from taking any clothes off that he wanted to keep on. hannibal sat on the bed, pulling will into his lap, allowing the young man to straddle him - he didn't want will to feel trapped, and so having will atop him instead of the other way around felt like a good place to start. he had to take a moment to admire the man he loved ; hannibal was sure, even in his travels to europe and italy and france, that there wasn't a more beautiful man to exist in this world, or the next. one hand slides into will's hair, fingers curling slightly to keep a loose grip. the other spreads across his ribs, thumb brushing intently at the scars across his chest. 'mylimasis,' hannibal murmurs, shockingly soft, his fingers moving to run along the scar he had given will along his stomach. 'i suppose i will have to pray to whatever god sent you to me, when this is over,' @cravedeeper.