wet noses and puppy kisses

Part 1

It's been 5 years since that night with the Dragon, when Will dragged them both over the cliff's edge and baptized them in the ocean's depth, and Hannibal can confidently say they were both changed men. After the fall they'd still had a lot of growth to do, there were still fights they had, honest truths they hurled across rooms like glass, and forgiveness they granted. They had worked through it though, learned to compromise and live together. They learned to love in less destructive ways. Now, they've settled in Greece and established a home. Hannibal loved their little villa they had chosen to buy, and for the first time in his life since that fateful night of Misha's death, he felt like he had a family.
He was hesitant with pets, and wouldn't have ever bought a dog for himself, but Will loved dogs, and when one night he brought in a squirming, filthy little puppy he had found on the street, Hannibal found himself enamored with the dog.
He watched in silence as Will cleaned off the puppy in the guest bath, revealing light brown coloured fur. The puppy splashed water out of the tub and onto the floor, yipping and straining to lick Will's face. Will winced, and then glanced up to make eye contact with Hannibal. And looking into those bright blue eyes filled with so much joy, Hannibal couldn't find it in himself to be mad. "I'm going to keep him." Will said, resolutely. Hannibal tilted his head to the side, staying silent. As the puppy sent another wave of water to the floor, Will hesitantly added, "You can name him" as a peace offering of sorts. Hannibal looked back in silence, eyes pinched at the corners, as Will turned back to the puppy to wrangle it to stay in the bath. Hannibal kept quiet the whole time Will had washed and dried the pup, dark eyes following the movements. Will laid some old blankets out in the kitchen alongside some water and something the puppy could eat, before setting it down and attempting to get him settled. After a few minutes of that, Will left the kitchen and followed Hannibal up to their room to get ready for bed. Hannibal leaned against the headboard, his pajamas and reading glasses on, with Tattlecrime pulled up on his tablet, as was his nightly routine, when Will slipped into bed for the night. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Will asked quietly. Hannibal responded with a raised eyebrow, looking over his reading glasses like a scolding parent. Will huffed at that, reaching over and turning off his bedside lamp and getting settled. Hannibal read for a few more minutes before following in suit, plunging the room into darkness after setting down his glasses and tablet on his bedside. Will was laying on his side, facing away, so Hannibal did the same. The room was silent, only filled with their light breathes, until the distant sound of the puppy whining echoed through the house. Will winced at the noise. After about a half hour of the noise, he felt the bed dip and Hannibal climbed out. His deceptively light steps could barely be heard going down the hall and into the kitchen. Will shot up out of bed, tensed, and turned on the light. He didn't think the man would hurt the dog, but their domesticity was still new and he couldn't be all sure. Will waited with bated breath, muscles tense and hands twisted into the bedsheets. The whining stopped, and the footsteps made their way back up the stairs and to the bedroom. Will's eyes were pinned on the door, listening intently, as Hannibal came back down the hall. Whispers floated through the air, and Hannibal stepped into the room cradling the puppy, gently scolding it for the noise. Will let out a heavy breath, and Hannibal looked up, offense evident on his face. He climbed back into bed, letting the puppy snuffle around and climb underneath the covers, eventually turning in circles and flopping down with a sigh, laid up against Will's leg. Will held back a smile, "You shouldn't let him sleep in the bed, he'll never stop." he teased. It was Hannibal this time that huffed, "Hush now, it won't hurt anything." Will rolled his eyes, fondly looking over at his husband. He reached out, running his hand across Hannibal's cheek, bright blue eyes shining with affection. "I love you," he said simply. Hannibal grabbed his hand and kissed his palm, gaze equally as fond. "As I love you," he responded. "Now sleep, Mylimasis." And with that, the lights went out, the two men facing each other as they drifted to sleep, the puppy tucked between them.