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Chapter Text

Hannibal was skimming through his extensive library of textbooks, searching for the perfect one to fulfill Will’s needs. The profiler was on the case of the Angel Maker, a psychopathic killer named after the way he created wings made of the victims’ own dorsal skin. This killer was particularly difficult for Will to pinpoint because of the mental disease that seemed to infest the Angel Maker’s mind.

Finding the exact text needed to help Will, Hannibal tossed it down, a thick, leather bound book on different mental diseases. Will caught the book as it fell and began looking through the passages.

“Maybe I was wrong. How do you profile someone who has an anomaly in their head changing the way they think?” Will continued flipping through his book, trying to find an answer on his own. Hannibal shifted on his perch, high above the profiles head.

“A tumor can definitely affect brain function,” Will gazed up from his book to look at his unorthodox psychiatrist, “Even cause vivid hallucinations; however, what appears to be driving your…Angel Maker… to create heaven on earth is a simple issue of mortality.”

In an almost mocking tone Will replied, “Can’t beat God, become him?” Hannibal leaned further onto his banister and clicked his tongue.

“You said he was afraid.” The doctor licked his lips as Will stared forward, taking what Hannibal said into consideration.

“He feels abandoned.” Will looked back down as Hannibal turned another page of his own book.

“Ever feel abandoned, Will?”

Will only chuckled and picked his head up, “Abandonment requires expectation.”

“What were your expectations of Jack Crawford and the FBI?”

Will shut his book with more force than needed and sighed; throwing the text onto Hannibal’s desk, “Jack hasn’t abandoned me.”

Hannibal shrugged, “Not in any discernible way. You say he hasn’t abandoned you, but at the same time you find yourself wandering around Wolftrap in the middle of the night.”

Will gave a dry laugh, all humor leaving his voice, “Well this should be interesting. Please Doctor, proceed.”

“Perhaps this is the perfect time for you to get away. Make Uncle Jack realize he needs to let his fragile teacup get some fresh air. Be used for something other than the most prestigious houseguests.”

“Oh really? And how do you suggest I do that, Dr. Lecter? No matter where I go, I’ll always have the bureau breathing down my neck. More specifically, Jack.”

“I have some relatives that live in Denmark that would be more than happy to have you as a houseguest, Will.”

Will stared up at Hannibal with skepticism in his eyes, not sure if the Doctor was actually joking for once. What Will saw looking back at him was pure sincerity etched with an emotion that could only be described as concern.

“You trying to alienate me from Jack Crawford?”  

“Not at all, Will. I merely think a change of pace, away from all the horrors of what you do will do your mind some good. Am I mistaken?”

Will took a step back and scratched his scruff of a beard, “Well, no. But-“ Will had to think about what he was actually going to say. Of course this idea was preposterous and would never happen. Leave the bureau during a case? Let more people die? Have their deaths be on his shoulders? Will thought for a moment, knowing Hannibal had to think this was a good plan if he took the effort to bring it up. It was only polite that Will at least entertain the idea. Will took a mental step back and thought about if he actually said yes. No one knowing who he was, no getting yelled at by Jack, no death, no nightmares, no getting inside killer’s heads…maybe it was a good idea after all. That was until he thought of the most important factor; one that he felt guilty about not thinking about before hand, “But what about the dogs?”

Hannibal gave a smirk, making Will realize he had worried about them for nothing, “Dr. Bloom said she would take them to her home on the weekdays and watch them there. On the weekends, she will return them to your home where I will stop by and watch over them.” Will gaped openly at the studious man as he climbed down the library ladder. After dismounting, Hannibal walked over to Will and put a hand on his shoulder, “You need this, Will. Alana and I are more than happy to do our part if it means your well-being.”

“I-uh, don’t know what to say.” Will scratched the back of his head and looked down, suddenly feeling like he was a burden to everyone; his love interest and his psychiatrist wanting him to be so far away that he was across the ocean. As though reading his mind, Hannibal pulled out a plane ticket and placed it into Will’s free hand.

“Say you will do this. Will, although Jack might not think so, Alana and I are convinced this vacation will be a positive experience for you. It’s not that we want you gone, more like we want you able to stay as long as possible. In order to accomplish this, you need to take a step away from the madness that is your empathy. I will help the bureau to the extent of my abilities, so there is no need to worry about cases going unsolved. I believe I am more than qualified to take on the task of being Will Graham for a short period.”

Will smiled and felt a tightening in his chest that he hadn’t experienced in awhile. He felt needed. And wanted. And cared for. Will looked at the plane ticket, then up to Hannibal. Will gave a contented sigh and gave Hannibal a quick nod, confirming the doctor’s request. Hannibal gave a smirk back in return and started to explain the details of the trip and what Will should be expecting.

Will suddenly felt like he was hallucinating, but for once, he knew it was reality. The whole concept just seemed so farfetched that it had to be a hallucination. But, no. For the first time since he could remember, Will Graham was going on vacation.

~

Jacob was preparing dinner for when his partner came home. He always liked to greet Jørgen at the door with a glass of wine and a kiss, feeling like he could make the man’s long day a little better. Jacob was pouring himself a second glass as Jørgen walked through the main entrance.

Jørgen swung the door open with the great grandiosity that he always did and closed it with the back of his foot, “Honey! I’m homo!” Jørgen walked into the kitchen with the last bag of groceries Jacob needed to finish the meal.

“Hi.”

“Hi, Love.” Jørgen handed off the bags and traded Jacob for the glass of red wine, “Thanks.” The couple gave each other a quick kiss and moved to help each other prepare their dinner. As Jacob was moving to cut up some carrots into their salad, he heard the shrill ring of the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Jacob.”

Jacob chuckled at the familiar voice, “Hi, Hannibal. What’s going on? Any news?”

“Will has agreed.”

Jacob gave a wide smile and turned to Jørgen. The bald man smiled back and assumed Jacob was talking to Hannibal about the doctor’s friend coming to visit. Jacob had always been fascinated with Americans and it made Jørgen happy to see the younger man so enthused. He took off his jacket and scarf, placing them on the back of a dining room chair.

“That’s great! When should we expect him?” Jacob could hardly hold back his excitement as Hannibal shuffled some papers on the other end of the line.

“It says on his documents that he should arrive in Denmark on Monday at around seven pm. He should be able to make it to your apartment by around eight thirty, give or take a few minutes for traffic and other nuisances of travel.”

“Alright, that’s great! Thanks again!” Jacob was practically bouncing up and down as he hung up the phone, not waiting for Hannibal’s reply.

“Well someone’s excited,” Jørgen gave a mocking huff and pointed his nose to the ceiling, “I wonder if I should be jealous.”

Jacob gave a quick laugh and rolled his eyes, “Oh, put a sock in it.” He gave one last look to his partner as he turned back to cutting the carrots.

Jørgen shook his head and paced around their dining table, suddenly feeling out of place. He only meant his last comment as a joke, but the silence that hung in the air after Jacob’s retort left a bad taste in Jørgen’s mouth. Jørgen just scoffed and reprimanded himself for being so childish. They didn’t even know what the man looked like. He could be the most disgusting thing on the planet for all they knew. He could even wear a plaid shirt with polka-dotted pants. Jørgen grinned. Now that would be something to worry about.

~

It was Sunday night and Jacob had nearly everything ready for Will’s arrival. The only thing left to do was set up the man’s bed in the spare bedroom. Jacob picked out some crisp, white sheets from the hallway closet, used only when guests came to visit. As he was walking along the short corridor, Jacob’s foot caught on the corner of the top blanket, sending the young man face first into the floor. Luckily, the blankets had been cushioned enough to brace most of the impact, but Jacob’s side of his face felt sore when his face hit the concrete. He hissed and slowly moved into a standing position, gathering up the blankets as he did. Jacob got himself collected and started down the hallway once more, careful not to misstep this time. He fixed the bed with great precision, remaking it if it didn’t look just right. Once he felt the bed was made to his liking, Jacob jumped and plopped down on the bed, stretching out as far as he could. The newly washed sheets provided Jacob’s aching face with a cool relief. He sighed into the top layer and decided he earned a quick nap from his day of running around doing errands for their American guest.

Jacob found himself thinking about what his cousin’s friend would look like. Was he calm and collected like Hannibal or was he a total mess like himself? What if he was handsome? That would be interesting. Jacob let out a small laugh as he let sleep overtake him.

Jørgen walked in on Jacob snoring lightly into the guest bed. The look on the resting man’s face made Jørgen feel all warm and cozy in the center of his chest. Jacob’s expression was the epitome of relaxed and carefree; adorable and sexy at the same time. Not one for feeling mushy or romantic, Jørgen broke the scene with a clearing of his throat. Jacob’s eyes blinked once and he looked up to his partner.

“Not even here yet and you’re already sleeping in his bed? Tsk, tsk, Jacob. I thought I knew you better than that.” Jørgen gave Jacob a wink and left the man to rest a bit more, knowing he wouldn’t be able to tonight because of all the excitement coming his way on Monday. Jørgen walked into the living room and sat on the couch, ready to settle in for the night and read some of his new gossip magazine.

Jacob found that he couldn’t fall back asleep, so he reached for the phone receiver on the end-table beside the bed. He dialed a memorized number and listened to two rings before the recipient answered.

“Dr. Lecter speaking.”

“Hi, Hannibal.”

“Hello, Jacob. Is something the matter?”

“No-uh,” Jacob scratched the back of his head and smiled, “I was just wondering if I could get any last minute things to make Mr. Graham more comfortable.” Jacob twisted the bed sheets in his free hand, needing something to focus on other than his cousin’s voice.

“Well, firstly, do not refer to him as, ‘Mr. Graham.’ He seems to detest the formality of it.” Jacob gave a quick ‘oh’ as Hannibal continued, “Other than that, the only thing that comes to mind is that Will loves to fish.”

“Fish?”

“Yes, Jacob, fish.”

“Oh, alright. Thanks.” Once again, not waiting for a response, Jacob slammed down the receiver and jumped out of the bed. Jørgen looked up from his reading to see Jacob scurry around the living room to the hall closet and grab his coat. Jørgen peered at his watch and scrunched his face.

“Where are you going so late?”

Jacob buttoned and zipped up his black trench coat turning to meet Jørgen’s gaze, “Huh?”

Jørgen huffed, “I said- ‘Where are you going this late’?”

“Oh-um, the grocery store. I’m…craving some-uh. Hot dogs.”

“Hot dogs?” Jacob paused his frantic movement and gave Jørgen a quick nod of the head. Jørgen just raised his eyebrows and searched Jacob’s face for a lie. It was apparent that the younger man was hiding something, but Jørgen shook it off and shrugged his shoulders. “Alright. Don’t be out too late.” Jacob smiled and headed for the door. “Love-,” Before Jørgen could finish, Jacob slammed the door, “you.”

~

Jacob ran down to the local general store, hoping they were not yet closed. He seemed to arrive just in time, the cashier on the other side of the room, sweeping the floors. The store was humble, only about fifty square feet, and lined with goods. It seemed everything was piled onto the shelves, from pastries to tire irons. Jacob began his search for the items he came for. He started to give up hope until he came to the end of the last aisle and spotted a small fishing section. Jacob quickly scanned the display and picked out two long rods, one blue, one black, a package of lures, and a package of meat-flavored bait. He brought his findings to the counter and paid, giving a quick thanks to the cashier.

On the way home, Jacob thought about why he had lied to Jørgen. Perhaps he just wanted to spend some alone time with the American, doing an activity he would enjoy. But why? Jacob looked around the bustling streets and breathed in the crisp, night air. It was late Fall and there was a definite bite to the wind as it nipped at Jacob’s nose. He pulled his collar up around him and started walking faster to his apartment. Jørgen began to wonder if it was warm enough to fish and felt disappointment creep into his skin.

Once he arrived to his destination, Jacob opened the door to find Jørgen snoring on the couch. Jacob smiled and tiptoed to the closet, burying the supplies deep behind their coats. Jacob removed his jacket and hung it over the fishing gear, hiding it further. Jacob yawned as he realized how late it had really gotten. He went into the master bedroom, pulled off his dirty clothes and slipped on a large nightshirt. Even though he knew he would never be able to get to sleep, Jacob stepped into his bed and shut off the lamp-light, thinking tomorrow could not come soon enough.

Chapter Text

“Do you have everything Will? Passport, luggage, expense money?”

“Yes, Dr. Lecter, I’m not a child,” Will sounded more cynical than he meant and winced at his own words, “I’m sorry. I’m just a little tense.”

“Understood.” “Hannibal smiled, “Have a nice trip.”

“Thanks, Dr. Lecter,” Will hesistated, “For everything.”

“It is what friends are for.” Hannibal gave Will a last goodbye and walked back to his car.

Will had always hated airports. The noise. The people. The rushing. But, once he got through security and sat at his gate, he was able to relax and almost enjoy himself. Will took a last look at his ticket and laughed. Of course Hannibal would give him first class. It was only 11:30 and his flight wasn’t scheduled until 1:30, so Will took the extra time to explore the BWI airport, gazing into the different shops, people-watching as he did so. Even on vacation, Will couldn’t stop himself from trying on each of their shoes, feeling who every individual was in their life.

Will’s gate was finally called a couple hours later and he boarded, feeling slightly uncomfortable. All of the other passengers in first class seemed to be wearing either business attire or very high-end fashion. Will only wore a maroon-plaid shirt and dark jeans, not realizing a plane ride was an event to dress for. Will tried not to let it get to him as he settled into his seat. His area was very spacious compared to any other flight he took and the seats were much more forgiving on his back. Will sighed and relaxed into his plush seat, closing his eyes as the plane took off.

The flight seemed to take only a few minutes and once Will opened his eyes, they were already descending into Copenhagen. Will yawned and checked his watch to see that it was already 7 pm. He smiled when he realized Hannibal’s plan was already working, this was the longest he’s slept in months. Will looked out his window to see a mixture of developed and non-developed areas, each fascinating and beautiful in their own way.

The plane finally landed and drove into the terminal, allowing passengers to exit the plane. Will stepped off and looked around, hearing an overhead system say something in a language he couldn’t quite place, only to be repeated in English with an accent very similar to Hannibal’s. Will checked the large electronic board to find where his small amount of baggage would be sent, asked the attendant to translate it for him, then set off in the general direction that he thought would take him to where he needed to be.

~

It was 9 pm and Jacob was overflowing with nerves. He already had to change out of two shirts that day because he started to sweat through them. Finally he decided on a tight-fitting, black, long-sleeved shirt, so he didn’t have to worry about pit stains anymore. Or ‘underarm tears’ as their flamboyant friend, Frederik, would refer to it as. Jacob sat on their large white couch and pulled a pillow close to him. He then thought better of it and put it back in its rightful place; not wanting to mess up the couch’s curb appeal. Instead, Jacob decided to pour some wine and calm his nerves. As he poured himself a glass, the intercom buzzed. Jacob jumped and spilled some Merlot on his shirt, cursing as he did. He quickly wetted a paper towel and scrubbed, only succeeding in having little bits of paper towel get stuck to his shirt.

The intercom buzzed again.

Jacob threw the wine glass into the sink, cringed at the shattering of it, and leaped over to the door. He cleared his throat and pushed the button.

“Hello?”  

“Um-Hello. This is Will Graham, I’m looking for Jacob and Jørgen’s apartment?”

“Oh! Yes, yes, Hello, Mr- Ah, Will.”

There was a moment of silence until Jacob realized he was being rude.

“Please, come on up.”

“Thanks.”

Jacob scurried around, fixing pillows, cleaning up his spilled wine, putting away Jørgen’s magazines, until he heard a knock at the door. Not wanting to seem too desperate, Jacob staled a moment and fixed his hair. He opened the door to find the most attractive man he had ever seen.

The way his hair curled into dark chestnut ringlets, the illuminated blue of his eyes, the perfect amount of facial hair covering his cheek and jaw, all made Jacob’s legs turn to rubber. He let his mouth gape open and his eyes widen. The man was wearing a large dark brown coat that hid most of his features, but could not hide the fact that he was fit. Jacob gulped as his gaze went back up to the man’s face. He blinked when he realized Will was blushing.

“Um. Forgive me for staring, but you look exactly like Dr. Lecter.”

Jacob blinked again and processed what Will had said. After a few moments, Jacob’s face went from a blank surprise to a wide grin.

“No trouble, forgive me. As well. Hah.” Jacob smiled even further and went back to giving Will a full examination, “Would you like to go fishing?”

Will started back with a confused look on his face, “Isn’t it a little late?”

“Oh, okay,” Jacob spun around and faced the living area, “How about a tour instead?”

Will laughed, hung his heavy coat in the hallway closet, and followed Hannibal’s relative into the apartment, his luggage in tow.

~

After Jacob showed Will what their flat had to offer, he lead the profiler into the kitchen for a glass of wine. At first, it had awkward between them, Jacob only saying a word or two when they entered a new room, but now the conversations were flowing more easily; whether because each was getting more comfortable or because of the bottle of wine shared by the two, they were uncertain. Will found himself laughing more than he had in the past week, all thanks to Jacob. Jacob told Will stories of his job as an architect and Will listened contentedly, enjoying hearing about something that wasn’t morbid for once. They moved to the couch, bringing the wine and glasses with them as their conversation continued.

“So how did you meet my cousin?”

Will chuckled, “Now that is a long story.”

“I’d like to hear it.” Jacob smiled back and moved closer to Will, showing that he actually was interested. Will felt his face heat up, knowing now that he was blushing. It was odd to look at Jacob, him being so similar to Dr. Lecter. The only differences between the two were the age and personality. Jacob seemed to possess this carefree, gullible attitude that was refreshing to Will. Plus, seeing that personality with Hannibal’s face only added to the profiler’s delight.

“Well,” Will cleared his throat, put his glass down and laced his hands behind his head. In this position, Jacob could see the definition of Will’s muscles through his thin flannel shirt. He gulped again as Will continued, “I work for the FBI and they needed to ensure that I wasn’t a risk, mentally, so they sent in your cousin to sign me off as ‘safe.’”

Jacob smiled, “Now that wasn’t very long at all.” Will looked at Jacob questioningly for a moment then started to giggle until it turned into whooping laughter. He knew it wasn’t that funny, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop, not that either of them wanted him to. The sound of Will’s laugher caused Jacob to feel a sensation bubble in his own stomach. The wine seemed to be settling in both of their systems as Jacob draped an arm across Will’s back and roared with laughter along with him. After a couple of minutes, they were able to control themselves to the point where only a giggle was let out every few seconds. Will took a deep breath and looked over to Jacob with a grin on his face.

“Thanks, I needed that.”

Jacob’s eyes began looking everywhere on Will’s face; his hair, his mouth, his eyes, his mouth, his forehead, his mouth, until they finally came to rest on Will’s stubbly chin. Jacob slowly leaned into Will until they were almost touching noses. Will slightly opened his mouth and went to match Jacob’s stance. Their lips came close to touching until the opening of a door shocked them into jumping away from each other.

“Honey, I’m homo! Did our little American come yet?” Jørgen turned around from locking the door to see a startled Jacob and dark haired man sitting on the couch, “Oh, he’s hot.”

Jacob cleared his throat, “Um, Jørgen, this is Hannibal’s friend, Will. Will? This is my partner, Jørgen.”

“Hey there, cutie.” Jørgen winked at Will. Will blinked and fidgeted away from Jacob.

“Um, hello, Jørgen.” Will stood up and stared down at the floor, feeling extremely awkward. Jørgen kept a blank expression on his face and looked to Jacob, then Will, then back to Jacob again.

"Well. I'm starving. I brought Polsevogn, erm, what are they called in English again?"

"Hot dogs."

"Oh right, thank you, Love," Jørgen blew a kiss to Jacob who failed to reciprocate. Jørgen feigned being hurt with his hand over his heart and went into the kitchen, "Would you like some, American?"

Will was about to protest, but his rumbling stomach answered before he could. Jacob smiled and grabbed Will's hand to lead him into the kitchen. The touch sent a wave of warmth through Will's hand, up his arm, and into his chest. Jacob turned to smile at Will and guided him to his place at their table.

Jørgen pulled out a chair for Will as Jacob pushed him in it. The table was set with three placemats, each having a napkin with a fork and knife place on top and a plate with one hotdog placed in the center. Will laughed at the formality of the place setting, the wine making him more loose than usual, and grabbed the dog in front of him. Eating a hot dog had never been this much of an event for him. Feeling his stomach grumble again, Will started to eat his hotdog and finished it off in three bites. Hunger satisfied, Will leaned back and looked at his hosts. Jacob was beaming at him from across the table. Jørgen was busy cutting his hot dog into bite-sized pieces and eating them with his fork. Will blushed and Jacob laughed.

"It's alright, Will. I don't eat like that either," Jacob demonstrated by shoving his entire hot dog into his mouth.

"And that's why I fell in love with you."

Jacob choked on his dog as Jørgen smiled at a very confused Will. Once he regained his composure, Jacob hit Jørgen with a piece of leftover roll, hitting him directly in his eye. This sent the three men into a round of laughter and lightened the mood once more.

"Say, American, has Jacob told you his birthday is on Friday?"

Will collected himself and wiped a tear from his eye. This had to be the most he had laughed in months, "Uh, no. He didn't." Will smiled over at Jacob who just shrugged.

"Today is your day, Will. I didn't want to overshadow it."

Jørgen scoffed at Jacob, "Since when have you allowed someone else in the limelight?" Jacob scowled at the remark and Will began to feel tension rise in the room.

"Since there was a hot American in the room." Jacob smiled as Jørgen pouted and stuck out his tongue. Jacob laughed and went over to Jørgen, giving him a kiss on the head. Will smiled despite not knowing what the hell was going on. The profiler yawned and stretched his arms behind him.

"Would you like to set up your room?" Will nodded at Jacob and helped to clear the table.

Chapter Text

Once the dishes were cleaned, Jacob showed Will to his room once more and left the American to get settled.

Jacob entered the living room to find Jørgen reading his magazine and giggling to himself.

“What’s so funny?” Jacob went to the couch and settled down next to Jørgen, looping his arm through Jørgen’s and resting his head on the older man’s shoulder.

“What’s the difference between a new husband and a new dog?”

Jacob sighed and fell into the trap, rolling his eyes, “I don’t know. What?”

“After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.” Jørgen slapped his knee with his free hand and burst into laughter. Jacob only rolled his eyes for a second time and moved away from his partner. Once his laugher ceased, Jørgen looked at Jacob, “I bet the American would find it funny.”

“Don’t.”

“Hey, American!” Jørgen yelled loud enough for the entire floor to hear. Jacob winced until he heard Will’s reply from his bedroom.

“Yeah?”

“What’s the difference between a new husband and a new dog?”Jacob and Jørgen heard a door opening and looked toward the direction of Will’s room. Will came out wearing a thin grey t-shirt, one size too small, and blue striped boxers, one size too big. Jacob openly stared and scanned Wills entire body: hoping Jørgen wouldn’t notice, not caring enough if he did to stop.

“After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.” Jacob watched as Will smiled, noticing how white his teeth were for the first time, “See? I told you he would like it.”

“Any joke with dogs is great to me. As long as it’s not at the dog’s expense,” Will continued to smile until he remembered something very important he forgot to do, “Oh, shit.”

Jacob jumped up from the couch and went to Will’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Thinking better of it, he took his hand back off and brushed it through his own hair, “You ok?”

“Um, yeah,” Will’s eyes shifted awkwardly at the quick touch: wondering what it was about, wishing it lasted longer, “It’s nothing like that. I just feel guilty about not letting Dr. Lec- er, Hannibal know I got here okay. Could I use your phone?”

“Oh, yeah. There’s one in your room. I’ll come with you. I, uh, haven’t talked to my cousin in awhile.”

Will gave his thanks and said goodnight to Jørgen as Jacob and himself went to his bedroom. Jacob placed a hand on the small of Will’s back, guiding him to the room even though it was obvious Will had to know where he was going by now. Will jumped at the soft touch at first, but settled into it a moment later. He even felt himself walk a little slower so Jacob would have to apply more pressure.

Once they arrived in the guest room’s doorway, Will felt stupid for not seeing the phone before. Its bleach-white coloring was a full contrast to the deep mahogany of the nightstand. As a profiler, wasn’t he supposed to notice things that stood out as much as that phone did? That’s when it became obvious to Will that something must be distracting him. Before Will could really dwell on this new mystery, Jacob walked over to the bed and sat down. He patted the empty space next to him and smiled at Will, beckoning the American to join him. Will complied and sat purposefully on the bed. Here, he was close enough to Jacob so they could both talk to Hannibal at the same time, but also far away enough so that the two would only touch if they meant to. Will found he was testing a theory that he never thought of before. With that realization, his face turned a slight pink.

Jacob dialed Hannibal’s number and put the phone on speaker. Answering on the second ring, Hannibal’s voice came through, “Dr. Lecter speaking.”

Jacob was the first to answer, “Hi, Hannibal!”

“Hello, Dr. Lecter.”

“Ah, Will. It is good to know you arrived safely. And hello to you too, Jacob.”

“Yeah, sorry for not calling earlier,” Will scratched his head, “Time seemed to get away from me.”

“Losing time again, Will?” Hannibal’s concern seeped through the phone line.

“No, no. Not like that,” Will smiled at Jacob, “It’s just that your cousin has been keeping me occupied.” Jacob smiled back at the compliment and heard Hannibal chuckle through the phone.

“Well I’m glad my plan seems to be working.” All the way back in Baltimore, Hannibal smirked and continued cutting the heart of the person who spilled coffee on his favorite suit without apologizing. Hannibal had the phone pressed against his shoulder with his ear as he cut Mr. Pudge’s left pulmonary vein.

“Seems to be so far. Thanks again, Dr. Lecter.”

“Thanks!”

“You’re welcome to both of you. Goodbye, Jacob. Will.”

In unison, Jacob and Will both gave a goodbye as Jacob hung up the phone.

“What did he mean by ‘losing time again’?”

Will felt his smile fade as he let the question sink in. Memories flooded back of a stag covered in raven feathers, dead girls, and waking up, not knowing where he was or how he got there. Will could feel himself shutting down, his mind spiraling into a madness that was quickly becoming Will’s knew home.

Jacob realized his error the moment Will’s smile faded. Jacob was not the sharpest tool in the toolbox, but he could recognize when he went too far, “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer. Just. Um.” Jacob bit his lip and stared into Will’s empty eyes, “Don’t stop smiling.”

Will shook himself out of his trance and blinked a couple of times, still not fully aware of his surroundings. Jacob noticed the change in Will and turned, so his entire body was facing the distraught man. Seeing that apologizing wasn’t going to be enough, Jacob pulled his legs up and kneeled on the bed, so he was eye to eye with Will.

“Jacob, what are you-?”

“Why do you like dog jokes so much?” Will’s eyes lit up and Jacob knew that question did the trick. Will’s entire being changed and loosened as he went off on a tangent about his dogs at home, how he got them, what they’re names were, and how much of a family they were.

~

“So Winston is the newest?”

“Yeah, I just saved him a few weeks ago, but he already seems adjusted to the pack. He and Buster seem to be really close. Just the other day, Buster and Winston went running off to catch a gopher together,” Will chuckled at the memory, “That was not fun to clean up, especially since they felt the need to bring their trophy inside for everyone else to see.” Will felt his heart warm at the thought of his dogs, he also felt a homesickness pass over him as he gave Jacob a sad smile.

“They seem fun,” Jacob inched towards Will and rested his head in the American’s lap when he got close enough, staring up at the ceiling, “Tell me more.”

Will tensed at the closeness of Hannibal’s cousin, but settled into another story about his dogs’ many adventures. He was finally allowing himself to break down some of his forts and let Jacob in.

~

The hours melted away with Will talking about his dogs as Jacob listened, never growing bored. Will only stopped when he finally realized what time it was and laughed to himself.

“You do realize it’s four in the morning, Jacob.” Jacob grunted in response and turned over in Will’s lap, so the American couldn’t see his face. Will smiled further and gave Jacob’s shoulder a soft shake, “Not to sound rude, but don’t you have a job?”

Jacob moaned and turned to face Will with his eyes closed, “I took the week off.”

“For me?”

“No. Because I need to alphabetize Jørgen’s magazine collection.” Jacob partially opened one eye to see Will’s response to his banter and wasn’t sure if he was happy he did. Will had a look of adoration that Jacob had never seen, even in his own partner’s eyes. Jacob opened his eyes fully and stared back at the blue eyes, not wanting to look away. Jacob only broke the stare to look at the entrance to the bedroom.

Jacob got up and quietly pulled the door closed, turning the knob so the lock wouldn’t make a sound. Will felt his heart leap into his throat as Jacob turned back to Will and started to pad back over to the bed. With Will still sitting, Jacob’s entire being towered over him. Jacob placed his hand on top of Will’s head, uncertain of how to proceed. After only a moment’s hesitation, Jacob ran his hand through Will’s curl’s and stopped when he reached the back of Will’s neck. Will could feel a warm tightening in the pit of his stomach as the long absent signs of arousal began to take hold of him. Will stared into Jacob’s eyes and only closed them once Jacob stopped moving. Will felt himself vibrating all over and let out a shaky breath.  

Jacob removed his hand from Will’s neck, to place both on Will’s shoulders. Jacob started to apply a small amount of pressure, just as he did leading Will into the bedroom, and Will obeyed, slowly falling onto his back. Jacob climbed onto the bed, putting his hands on either side of Will with his legs straddling his hips. Will scrunched his face at the new pressure being applied all over his body, unsure of how he felt, knowing what sensation he did feel, felt good. He had never been attracted to a man before, let alone Dr. Lecter’s look-alike, but here he was, squirming under Jacob like an inexperienced schoolboy. He supposed he was in this sense.

Another apprehension about this whole situation began to take hold of him: Jacob was spoken for and his partner was in the house. Will’s head began to spin at the uncertainty of it all, his unwillingness written all over his face.

Jacob watched Will’s expression change as Jacob hovered over him. Deciding he needed to help Will along, Jacob rolled his hips gently against Will’s and earned a moan from the other man. Jacob blinked, surprised at the sudden reaction. Jørgen was never this quick to respond to his advances. Jacob had to admit, it was nice for his efforts to be appreciated this quickly. Jacob did the same motion again, but more slowly and with more force. Will responded with a sharp intake of breath and opening his eyes to a curious Jacob.

“Will-“ The mention of his name was all Will needed to throw him over the edge. He wrapped his arms around Jacob’s neck and pulled the man down into a kiss. At least, that was the intention. Will wound up smashing into Jacob’s nose with his mouth as Will’s nose poked into Jacob’s eye. Jacob pulled back and rubbed his eye, leaning on one elbow for support. After a moment of awkward silence, Jacob put his hand down and began to laugh. Will paused for a moment longer and joined once he realized Jacob wasn’t laughing at him, but at the whole situation.

Once both men calmed down, Jacob placed his hand over Will’s. Will looked down at the touch, then back up to Jacob. This time, Will knew what he wanted. More slowly, but with no less desire, Will leaned into Jacob, matching their lips perfectly. Will applied more pressure and placed his hands on the other man’s shoulders, mirroring Jacob’s actions from before. Jacob did the same as Will had and rolled onto his back. Will took up Jacob’s old position comfortably and straddled the man’s hips. Will looked into Jacob’s eyes once more and leaned in for another kiss.

Although not starting out as rough as his first attempt, Will increased the intensity, licking Jacob’s bottom lip until the other man opened his mouth. Feeling uncertain once again, Will let Jacob take the lead as Jacob explored Will’s mouth with his tongue. Will quickly fell into the rhythm of things and added his own grinding of his hips, gaining a moan from Jacob. That first moan gave Will the confidence to continue on.

After each man was equally panting and past the point of no return, Jacob reached his hands around Will’s torso to begin to lift up his shirt. In one quick motion, Jacob had Will half-naked and wide-eyed. Jacob didn’t let the moment go to waste and began running his hands over Will’s chest and stomach, learning every inch of him. Will tingled at every touch and went to kiss Jacob’s neck as his hands moved to Jacob’s shirt. Will tried to take off the piece of clothing as quickly as Jacob did, but the shirt got caught on the man’s head, causing Will to take three times as long as Jacob had.

Once the shirt was finally untangled and discarded in the floor, it was Will’s turn to explore Jacob’s body. Jacob leaned into each touch, feeling the burning on his skin that Will’s hands left behind. Since it seemed apparent Will wasn’t going to take it to the next level anytime soon, Jacob decided to move things along and went to grasp Will’s boxers. Jacob began to pull down the shorts when Will suddenly felt too hot, too fast.

“Hannibal!-” Both men froze. Will quickly opened his eyes and his mouth gaped, “Jacob, I, uh-“ Jacob only stared back with melancholy filled eyes. Will saw that the moment had been broken and rolled off the other man. Jacob got up, picked his clothes off the floor, and left to return to his partner’s room without saying a word or even looking in Will’s direction. Will, still in a state of shock at his remark placed his hands on his face and closed his eyes. The gravity of what just happened finally hit him and he groaned. He actually was thinking about Hannibal the entire time. Since when did that happen? Will got up and plopped onto his pillow, face first, and groaned again. He really was a hurricane. Destroying every nice thing he had in his life. Not to mention Jacob’s. And Jørgen’s.

Jørgen.

Will groaned for a third time that night and hoped for a sleep that he knew wouldn’t come.

~

Jacob slinked through the house, back to his bedroom where he heard Jørgen snoring lightly. Jacob snuck into the room and tried to walk to his side of the bed without turning on the light. That would have been successful if Jacob hadn’t left his belt lying on the floor. He stumbled and tripped directly on top of Jørgen.

“Darling, if you wanted to have sex, you could just ask.”

Jacob couldn’t find the strength to laugh and just crawled onto his side of the bed. Jørgen’s snoring eventually returned, giving something for Jacob to focus on other than the ghost of Will’s lips on his.  

Chapter Text

The next morning, Jacob woke up alone. Looking at the clock, he saw it was already noon. Jørgen left for work four hours ago and wouldn’t be home for another five. Jacob yawned and stretched his tired, aching limbs as he padded over to his closet. He grabbed a pair of slippers from their rack and slid them on his feet, shuffling into the kitchen, still half asleep.

As he walked, he rubbed his eyes and yawned again. Not watching where he was going, he slammed into an equally tired Will and grabbed hold of him to keep from falling. The act failed and only succeeded in both of them falling to the floor, Will on top of Jacob. After a moment of surprised immobility, Will cleared his throat and got up, holding out a hand to help Jacob. Jacob accepted and tried to ignore the yearning he felt to pull the man into him. Instead, he offered a suggestion.

“Fishing?”

Will stared at Jacob, eyebrow cocked. He sighed and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Ok.”

~

Jacob made coffee as Will went into his room to put on proper fishing attire, if he even had any. Once he was alone, Will closed his door and picked up the phone, dialing a number he didn’t know he had memorized. After two rings, Will knew Hannibal would pick up and didn’t wait for a greeting.

“I kissed Jacob.”

After a short pause that felt like an eternity to Will, Hannibal, responded, “Well. Hello to you too, my dear Will.”

Will felt his mouth dry up at the term of endearment. Hannibal had used it so many times before, but Will began to wonder if it may have meant something deeper, “Do, um. Do you have a patient waiting?”

“I would. But, she had a prior engagement she decided to attend instead,” Hannibal crossed out Mrs. Stern’s name from his patient list, knowing she wouldn’t be coming back to his office again in this life, “This benefits you because I now have another half an hour until my next patient. Tell me, what was Jacob’s reaction?”

“Well…ah.”

“Will, please, do not put up your forts when you are speaking to me.” Will blushed, only now realizing that he let his forts down with Hannibal in the first place. He felt extremely exposed.

He swallowed his pride and answered with a sigh, “He kissed me back.”

“Ah, I see,” Hannibal cracked a pencil in half that he had been twirling in his fingers only moments before, “And did you have sex with him?”

Will’s slight blush turned a full red as he thought of a sensible way to explain: No, but we would have if I didn’t scream your name before we could take it to the next level. Instead of elaborating, Will just settled on a quiet ‘no.’

Hannibal hummed, “Does Jacob’s partner know?” Will scoffed. Hannibal took that as another ‘no’ and continued on, “Do you believe you will start a relationship with my cousin?”

Will shook his head, but quickly felt stupid for doing so and answered, “No, Hannibal. It was just a stupid mistake,” Will paused and realized he was being rude, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean being in a relationship with your cousin is stupid. I’m just…extremely-“ Will stopped mid-sentence at a knocking on his door, “Um, could I call you back later, Dr. Lecter?”

“Of course, my dear Will. Until then.” Hannibal hung up the phone and looked at the broken pencil in his hand. He sighed and threw the writing utensil away. He had wanted Will to get close to Jacob, but not so close in the sense that they almost had sex. That was never part of Hannibal’s plan and the psychiatrist didn’t like it when things didn’t go exactly the way he thought out.

Will hung up the phone with shaky hands and stood up, opening the door to Jacob wearing the most stereotypical fishing outfit he had ever seen. Jacob had on a large, dark-green vest that had countless pockets, rubber boots that rose up to his knees, and to top it all off, a floppy hat impaled with colorful lures. Jacob dropped a matching pair of black boots and a vest at Will’s feet.

“Are you ready?”

Will smiled, “Not as ready as you are.” Jacob stuck his tongue out at Will and huffed away, looking back at the profiler to see if he was watching. Jacob winked at Will and exited the apartment, yelling that he would be waiting downstairs. Will chuckled and ignored the blush that threatened to come back. Will had not missed the opportunity to watch Jacob leave and was glad he didn’t. Will picked out a shirt he didn’t mind getting dirty and picked up the items Jacob had left for him. He was ready after a quick brush of his teeth and headed downstairs.

~

Jacob and Will walked side-by-side along the streets of Copenhagen. Will was curious as to where they were going, but didn’t ask, afraid he would break the surprisingly comfortable silence that had settled over them. Jacob didn’t feel the same and shifted nervously in his squeaky boots, feeling the need to say something.

“I’m asking Jørgen to marry me on Friday.”

So much for the comfortable silence.

Will tripped on a broken piece of sidewalk and would have fallen forward onto the concrete if Jacob hadn’t grabbed his arm in time. Jacob pulled Will up with a little too much force and sent the American crashing into his chest. Will quickly jumped from the contact and spun around to face Jacob.

“Uh, thanks. And, ah, that’s really great, Jacob.” Will felt like someone had punched him in the stomach, causing his breathing to become shallow and raspy. His uneven breathing only stopped when Jacob placed his two hands on Will’s cheeks. Jacob leaned in and gave an unresponsive Will a quick peck on the lips. Will swallowed and closed his eyes. Jacob let go of Will’s face and went to holding his hand.

“Fishing?”

Will sighed, “Yeah.”

~

After walking about thirty minutes, Jacob finally stopped. The couple was standing at a wide-open space, overlooking a large river with buildings on the other side. Will took in the beautiful architecture for a moment until he realized what this meant. Will scrunched his eyebrows.

“Jacob?”

“Hmm?”

“Jacob, there’s not going to be any fish here.”

“Oh, ok.” Jacob put down their finishing equipment and sat on the curb, dangling his feet above the water. Will relaxed his expression and looked around, not really sure what or who he was looking for. Finally, he gave in and sat next to Jacob.

Will turned to question Jacob, “Why did were you so adamant about us going fishing away?”

“Hannibal said you liked it.” Will sucked in a breath at the mention of his psychiatrist and rubbed his hands together. Jacob saw that Will was struggling and decided to lay his head in the profilers lap like he did the night before. Will jumped again, but let Jacob’s warmth spread through his lap and infest his entire body. He smiled, feeling content once more.

Will lazily ran his hand through Jacob’s hair and looked down at him. Jacob had his eyes closed and was breathing evenly. His expression matched the look some of Will’s dogs had when they were napping. Will smiled to himself and let his stress melt away with each pet of Jacob’s head.

~

Jørgen came home to an empty house and pouted. He knew Jacob was going to gravitate toward the American, but this was just ridiculous. Jørgen only had time to hang up his coat, throw off his shoes, and flop down on the couch, when he heard fits of laughter coming through the building. Jacob unlocked the door and stepped inside, wiping tears from his eyes as Will trailed behind him.

“I don’t know, what?”

“Terrier-fied!” Both Will and Jacob burst into a fit of laughter once again and held onto each other to keep from doubling over. Jørgen cocked an eyebrow at the appearance of his partner. Will was dressed in a similar goofy fashion and Jørgen couldn’t help but wonder. Not wanting to seem overly serious, Jørgen broke their laughter with a snide comment.

“Please tell me you weren’t seen in public like that, Jacob.”

The laughing stopped and only Will’s giggles remained as Jacob turned to Jørgen, “We were fishing.”

“Well, tried. Tried fishing.” Will corrected. The air suddenly felt tense as Will realized Jørgen was staring down Jacob with the intensity of a lion stalking its prey. Will cleared his throat and excused himself to his bedroom.

His giggling returned when he was finally alone. He instinctively picked up the phone and dialed Hannibal’s home number, knowing the man was probably getting ready for bed by now.

“Dr. Lecter speaking.”

Feeling confidence flow throughout his body, Will decided to let Jacob’s influence show, “You even answer your home phone like that? At-“ Will checked his watch that was still set to EST, “Eleven at night? Wow, Dr. Lecter. You really are a professional.” Will heard Hannibal’s deep chuckle and smiled.

“I can hear that you and Jacob have made up. I’m not sure I like what he’s doing to your beautiful mind.”

Will froze, phone still pressed to his ear. Had Hannibal just called him beautiful? Will decided to use Jørgen’s technique of brushing everything off with comedy, “Wait until you see me. They cut my hair, shaved my beard, and painted my nails pink. Not to mention a whole new wardrobe consisting solely of suits covered in sequins and glitter.” Will heard a laugh from Hannibal that made his core tighten and his ears burn.

“Well, I did say you needed more suits in your closet.” Will smiled and laid down on the bed as Hannibal’s voice took on a much more serious tone, “Tell me, Will. I am wondering why you kissed Jacob and felt compelled to tell me about it.”

Will deflected Hannibal’s suddenly somber tone with his own nonchalant one, not letting the psychiatrist throw him off balance, “Well, I wanted to kiss him since I met him. He’s very kissable.”

Hannibal gave a quick laugh over the line, “You do realize what you have just admitted to me, Will.”

“That I find your cousin attractive? That apparently I’m gay? Or at least bisexual? I don’t know, Hannibal, you tell me.”

“That I am kissable. You must admit, the familial resemblance is uncanny,” Hannibal waited for a response and got none. He could practically smell the embarrassment through the phone, enjoying the tangy, yet sweet aroma that haunted his nostrils, “That is also the second time you have called me by my first name in all of our meetings together.”

Will searched for the words to say, tried to fall back on either Jacob or Jørgen’s strategies to dealing with conflict, but found no solution. Will was only able to choke out a few sounds that didn’t even come close to forming words. Hannibal basked in Will’s uncertainty as though he were tanning under the sun, “Goodnight, dear Will.” At that, Hannibal hung up the phone.

Will stayed in his frozen position for a few more minutes until Jacob called to him, alerting the American that dinner was ready. Will stood on shaky legs and tried to gather his composure as he joined his hosts at the dining room table.

Chapter Text

Will tried his best to stay composed at dinner, answering when he was spoken to, smiling at Jørgen’s jokes, trying to keep eye contact, but Jacob knew something was off about him. Will was constantly fidgeting in his seat and only pushed his food around with his fork, never taking a bite. Jacob bit his lip, unsure of what to say and let Jørgen do the talking.

“So. American. Do you have a significant other back home? Surely that puppy dog look of yours has the ladies dropping at your feet? It certainly pulled me in.” Will choked midway through his sip of wine and had to excuse himself to his bedroom to regain his composure. Before getting out of earshot, Will vaguely heard Jørgen yelp and aim a drawn out ‘What? I didn’t do anything’ at Jacob.

Will finished coughing after a few moments and rubbed his now raw throat. He grimaced as he tried to swallow, but not at the pain. What Jørgen had said caught Will off guard. No, he didn’t have women falling at his feet. Maybe he would if he wasn’t a profiler with a job description that included getting into the minds of psychopathic murderers to truly understand them. There was that issue as well as him being extremely antisocial and unable to keep eye contact with anyone for over five seconds.

Except for Dr. Lecter.

Will cursed and leaned back onto his bed. His head swirled at the impossibility of it all. Will Graham falling in love with Doctor Lecter. He scoffed and brought his hands to his face. Looking through his fingers, Will leaned over and peered at that mocking, bright white phone. Before he could even think otherwise, Will reached out and brought the phone to his ear.

“Dr. Lecter sp-“

“I know.”

“Will, good to hear from you. Have you thought about what I said?”

“I know what I was insinuating. And I’m standing by it.” Will chewed on his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, not really sure if he wanted to know how Hannibal would respond.    

“Ah,” Hannibal paused for a moment and took the phone away from his ear, allowing a small chuckle escape his mouth without Will hearing, “So I was correct in my understanding that you do find me kissable.”

“Oh shut up, you arrogant prick, you know that’s exactly what I’m saying,” If it were anyone else, Hannibal would have taken that insult as rude, but from Will, he knew it only meant the man was flustered and feeling caged, “And what I’m saying now, is that I wish I was back in Baltimore, so I could show you what I meant, instead of just telling you.”

Hannibal cocked his head and smirked, “Dear Will, I would enjoy nothing more,” Will’s heart skipped a beat and felt his being melt into the bed. His hands and feet felt numb, but in a euphoric, welcoming way, “Goodnight, Will. I will be seeing you very shortly.”

Will listened to the dial tone a few moments more before hanging up his line. This time when he joined Jacob and Jørgen for their meal, he did it with more passion. His laughing was genuine again and his appetite seemed to return. Jørgen and Jacob exchanged confused glances, but decided not to pry because this Will was much more fun than Wounded Will.

After dinner, Jacob excused himself and hurried off to bed, saying he was tired and needed his beauty sleep. Jørgen followed with a quick ‘I can vouch for that’ and had Will giggling around his wine glass. Jacob shook his head and walked out of the kitchen, swaying his hips, causing both men to look his way. Jørgen was the first to stop staring and noticed Will’s interest in his partner’s display. He cleared his throat, making Will jump.

“I may be beautiful, Will. But, I’m not stupid.”

Will picked up his napkin and brought it to his lips, wiping off the last remains of their dinner, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Jacob can be very persuasive when it comes to getting what he wants. And in this case, he seems to want you. I have also come to the understanding that this feeling is mutual,” Will stare wide-eyed at Jørgen and waited for him to continue, “Let’s just make sure this is one thing he will never get, hm? Will’s hands stared to shake, but he allowed himself a quick nod, earning a toothy smile from Jørgen, “Good, we are on the same page then.” Jørgen got up from his seat and reached around the profiler to grab his plate, “I can’t blame him, you really are the perfect American.”

Jørgen placed a quick kiss on Will’s head and scurried off with the dishes to start cleaning up. Will paused for a moment and blinked a couple of times, not exactly sure what he had just experienced. He tried to shrug it off and went into his room. After getting into his boxers and comfy t-shirt, Will laid down to try to fall asleep. In his dreams that night weren’t his regular nightmares, but visions of getting into bed with Jacob while Jørgen and Hannibal judged them from afar. He could feel the icy-pang of guilt seep deep into his core. Will knew after the third time waking up in a sweaty mess, it was going to be a long night. For once, he actually wished for the familiar stag to return to his dreams.

~

“Jacob, wake up, my love! Today is the day that we mark the celebration of you getting closer to death!” Jacob groaned and hit Jørgen with a pillow causing the older man to topple over, “Aw, don’t be like that darling, come on.”

Jørgen started nibbling on Jacob’s ear, muttering words of encouragement to ‘get his ass up.’ Jacob only groaned again. Jørgen sat up in a huff and walked out of the room.

~

Will heard a loud knocking at his door. He grumbled and looked at the clock reading that it was only 7:30. Thinking that this must have been some emergency for someone to be waking him up this early, Will bolted out of bed and opened the door. He realized that it was no emergency. It was just Jørgen being a dick again, Will rolled his eyes.

“Why, hello there, Sunshine,” Jørgen scanned Will until he got to the front of his boxers, “And hello there, Mini-Sunshine.”

Will rolled his eyes. He had gotten accustomed to Jørgen’s comments and cat-calling over the past couple of days to the point where they wouldn’t even phase him anymore, “What do you want, Jørgen.”

“As you know, today is The Highness’ Birthday, so we must start the preparations,” Jørgen cleared his throat and raised a finger at Will at each point he made, “First, we need to run to the store for decorations, then we need to go to the grocery and pick up the ingredients for dinner, get the food started, next we must call everyone to double-check to see if they are coming, also we need-“

Will cut him off by holding up his hand, “Okay, okay. Just give me 10 minutes.”

Jørgen smiled and walked into the kitchen, listing different items they still needed to get. Not long after he started, Jacob walked in looking much more refreshed.

“So, after you left, I realized: It’s my birthday!” Jacob walked up behind Jørgen and wrapped his arms around his partner’s waist, “What did you get me?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“C’mon Jørgen! You do this to me every year. What is it?”

“Nope.”

Jacob whined, “But, Jørgen-“

“Hey, what’s going on?” The giggling couple turned to see Will, still half-asleep, dressed in a plaid-blue shirt and dark jeans.

“Wow! Wearing something new today, huh?” Will only rolled his eyes in response and yawned, heading for the couch until Jørgen grabbed him by the arm and began pulling him out of the apartment, “No, no. No time to sit. Too much to do. Bye, Love! Happy Birthday!”

Will grumbled all the way out the door and Jacob laughed. Jacob tried not to get too excited about his party, but found himself unable, his mind wandering to what Jørgen may be getting him…and Will. Jørgen smiled and heard the phone ring.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Jacob. Happy Birthday.”

“Cousin, hi! How is everything going?”

“Perfectly fine. The airport is quite deserted at one in the morning. I rather like it.”

Jacob laughed and shifted his feet, “You are bringing me a present, right?”

Hannibal smiled, “Of course, Jacob. I wouldn’t dream of not.”

Jacob heard the door starting to open and panicked, not wanting to ruin the surprise. As Will opened the door, Jacob acted like he hadn’t noticed, “Oh, Frederick! You’ll be coming late? What a shame. I hope you won’t miss the festivities!”

Will looked quizzically at Jacob and heard someone chuckled on the other line. A chuckle that sounded really familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Jacob, you do realize Will cannot understand Danish, yes?”

“Oh, right,” Jacob let out a nervous laugh. He was never really good with surprises.

“I will see you tonight, cousin.”

“Okay, bye!”

“Who was that?” Jacob spun around to see Will grabbing his coat from the closet.

“No one. Uh- I mean. Frederick. Our friend. He said he was going to be late. That’s all.” Jacob stared at Will with a blank expression, hoping that would mask his nervousness. Will just shrugged his shoulders and gave a quick goodbye as he went to reunite with Jørgen.

Jacob let out a sigh of relief and went to his room to begin preparations of his own for his party. Mainly, what he was going to wear.