Hannigram Oneshots | artusroth

∘Ad Multam Noctem∘

Will awoke in the middle of the night, breath arising heavily and short nails dug into the sheet. He swallowed, sensing that the sweat had already soaked the fabric beneath him.
With a shaky turn of his head, he glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand, the garish blue digits blinding him in the dark.
3:35

Will looked to his side where Hannibal was still asleep.

He shakily stood and left their bedroom, walking to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water.
After his dry throat was soothed, he rested his hands on the sides of the sink, supporting his trembling body and tensely breathing in.

His mind drifted to the nightmare.

That feeling of sinking deep into the Atlantic, fear and distress numbing him and running out of oxygen as water slowly begins to fill his lungs-

"Will?" Hannibal's voice echoed behind him and the brunet turned around, slowly reciprocating his observing gaze. "You seem frightened."

"Just a nightmare," Will sighed.
It gnawed at him, thinking about how often he woke him up because of his restless sleep.

Hannibal's eyes rested on him and he came closer, stroking Will's damp curls from his forehead. "Is there something bothering you? Something that you think might cause those nightmares?"

Will was silent for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe it's- the cold or something..." he muttered, shrugging helplessly. He knew too well that it was a miserable lie and Hannibal with no doubt was already aware of it.

His opposite moved a step forward, but Will backed away, his lower back hitting the sink. "I'm soaked in sweat, you rather not touch me." Will uttered.

"Do you think that bothers me?" Hannibal questioned and a faint smile crossed his lips. He placed a kiss on his forehead and wrapped his arms around Will's back, whereupon Will leaned against him.
He took a deep breath, slowly calming down.

"We better get back to sleep," Will said, slurring his words.

"Right-minded thought, love." Hannibal slowly broke away from him.

Will sighed and drove his hands through his face. "Go ahead. I need to refresh myself."

Hannibal nodded slightly, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Don't take too long."

*

Will washed his face with cool water and dried himself off, entering the bedroom again.
He sat down on his bedside and took his sweaty t-shirt off, laying down with a huff. Silence engulfed the two.

"I- I dreamed of the plunge again," Will started to speak, hesitating before going on. "I'm sick of it. My nightmares have disappeared for a few weeks, but then they came back like they were never gone."

"What did you feel in your dream?" Hannibal enquired.

"That- suffocating feeling of water filling my lungs. I wasn't able to breathe and sunk deeper into the Atlantic, not knowing whether I'll survive or not." Will stared up to the ceiling.

"Fear, worry or stress can be the cause of nightmares. Is there something you are afraid of? That was gone for a while?" Hannibal uttered, eyes rested on him.

Will bit the inside of his cheek. Verbally, he didn't reveal anything, not wanting to reveal anything. In the moment of silence, he turned on his side and gazed back into Hannibal's eyes, swallowing hard.
"Well, I don't want to... lose you," Will breathed, feeling unusually vulnerable. "That's the reason."

Hannibal watched him and gently rested a hand on Will's cheek. "There is no need to fret. I will always be by your side."

Will avoided his stare, a wave of bitterness and discernment washing over him. "You can't always be by my side. I just- We can't hide forever, Hannibal. You know that."

Hannibal's features softened and his fingertips tenderly stroked his cheek. "I won't put you in unnecessary danger, Will. You are safe with me now."

He sighed. Things had changed after the plunge and the two of them decided to move on with the past. But still, the physical traces reminded of the times before. Will knew that Hannibal regretted it, trying to make up for the things he did. And he forgave him.
"Can I rely on that?" Will asked, half-teasingly, but glancing at him with a serious enough expression.

"Of course you can, love," Hannibal said and placed a kiss on Will's nose.

He closed his eyes for a moment, the warmth of the other soothing him profoundly. Will nuzzled his face into the junction of Hannibal's neck and shoulder and the older sighed, his hand on his back.
"I love you," Will muttered.

"I love you, too, William."