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“He’s here.”
Will tenses up when Bev puts her hand on his shoulder, letting out a long breath, and tells himself he can do this.
It’s been less than a month since this all began: the flirting comments, pointed looks, and way too generous of tips; and he’s gotten through it in stride. This wasn’t his first time having an overzealous customer.
Just his first time getting his heart broken.
The number of people Will’s let into his life is fewer than those he’s lost, and despite his attempts to keep it casual Hannibal dug in under his skin in record time. He just wishes it didn’t hurt so much knowing this whole thing was a façade.
A game.
“I can take him.”
“Will---”
He smiles at her, hating that he’s tearing up, and shakes his head.
“It’s not like we dated, Bev, he’s a customer. That’s all.”
Bev sighs and squeezes his shoulder. “Ok.”
Will heads out, menu in hand, and heads for Hannibal’s regular table – right near the back of the café.
Café Koff had been his longest waiter job in a while, the staff just right and his boss, Jack, more than accommodating. Will almost wishes he hadn’t been, or last night would never have happened.
Why the hell had he been so damn eager to see an opera?
He almost blanches when he sees Hannibal’s face light up, then fall when he’s sure his own expression is less than enthused, and Will sets down the menu before he runs his usual lines.
“Let me know if you need anyth---”
Will tenses up when Hannibal grabs his wrist.
“Will, is something wrong?”
He pulls back sharply. “No.”
Will rushes away, heart pounding, and goes right to the men’s room splashing water on his face.
He’d been so excited to see Hannibal when he stood awkwardly in that room, waiting for showtime, and then the arrival of his “date” coming over to kiss him on the fucking mouth like it was nothing made Will leave despite the price of tickets.
Will had thought so many things the past few weeks, silly stupid things it seemed, and in that one second his world had ended. He was thirty six, not a child, but he felt like a teenage boy with a crush seeing the quarterback kiss a cheerleader at the big game.
The door opens behind him and Will freezes, realizing how stupid he’d been, and Hannibal leans against the door preventing his retreat.
“Tell me.”
Will glares at him. “Let me by.”
“Not until you tell me what I have done.”
He rushes forward, not wanting to humiliate himself further, and Hannibal grabs him pushing Will against the door as they both struggle to breathe. “Let me….”
“Tell me what I have done,” he repeats, his voice shaking, “Will, please.”
Tears sting his eyes. “Why don’t you ask your girlfriend to tell you?”
Hannibal cocks his head, turning it slightly, and he loosens his grip enough for Will to escape shaking as he rushes out.
“Will!” Lee says, running up, “I saw him go in and Jack said we couldn’t stop customers from taking a shit but….are you…”
“WILL!”
He runs, not caring he might lose the best job he’s had in years, and is out of the café so fast it’s almost a record. Will’s car is parked so far away – for customers Jack says – that he doesn’t get barely halfway there before Hannibal pulls him into an alley.
“LET ME G---”
Hannibal kisses him, a deep bruising kiss that makes his knees weak, and Will’s in tears hating how much worse this makes him feel. He kicks him, but Hannibal doesn’t stop, and when he pulls back his grip is tight as Will can barely see through his upset.
“You fucking asshole.”
“I have no significant other,” Hannibal says, the anguish in his eyes making Will frown, “I promise you that. If you saw someone act inappropriate with me outside of the café it was unwanted and unwelcome I assure you. Will, no one has crossed my mind or my bed but you since the moment I walked into the café.”
Will swallows. “You’re lying.”
Hannibal keeps hold of him, pulling out a small notebook from his suitcoat, and hands it to Will who opens the first page.
It’s filled with drawings.
Of him.
All of him.
Will’s heart melts as he keeps flipping, so many drawings where he looks like someone he isn’t, and he’s shaking as Hannibal reaches out to touch his face. “Do you believe me now?”
He looks at him. “It was real, then?”
Hannibal smiles, loosening his hold, and Will trembles as he leans in to kiss him softly.
“Very real, Will, I….I had decided several days ago that I was done with our game and wanted to further it. Today was the day I was going to ask you to come to dinner at my home, though I was unsure if you’d feel intimidated, so the plan was to buy out the café for the evening if you said no and spend all evening there just to be close to you.”
Will laughs. “Jesus,” he whispers, “You’re….I’m not used to….you can’t just say stuff like that when I’ve spent the last twelve hours with a broken heart, Hannibal.”
Hannibal kisses him again, and Will nearly whimpers, reaching up to wrap arms around him as he tries to keep his knees from buckling. He pulls back, smiles, and whispers, “Will you come?”
He blushes. “Tonight? Yeah, I have a feeling I’m gonna come a few times.”
Hannibal’s smile widens. “Shall we continue lunch then?”
Will nods, and Hannibal steps back to hold out his hand. They walk back, and several people burst into applause on their arrival much to Will’s embarrassment.
“I ran after you ready to call the cops but then I saw you guys making out so I left,” Bev teases when he brings Hannibal’s normal order, “I’m so happy for you, Will. Honestly, you hit the rich hot guy jackpot.”
Will turns to look back at Hannibal, whose eyes are on only him and looks like a million dollars.
“Yeah,” he whispers, heart skipping a beat, “I really, really did.”