Hannibal woke to the sound of barking, followed by Will scolding, “Shh! You’ll wake him!”
The bed was cold beside him, long since vacated, and he sighed sliding out of bed just as the bedroom door opened with a bang.
Will stood in the doorway carrying a tray, a covered dish on top with his usual juice beside it.
“Happy birthday!”
Encephalitis rushed up and jumped onto the bed, the party hat on her hair slipping to the side.
Hannibal raised his eyebrow at Will. “I’m starting to think you’ve grown very bored over the past year.”
Will laughed, setting down the tray and sitting beside him.
“Shut up, don’t act like you don’t think it’s adorable on her.”
Hannibal fixed the hat and Encephalitis jumped up onto his side, excited for the attention.
“Thank you, Will.”
Cephie barked and he petted her.
“Thank you as well, Encephalitis.”
He moved to uncover the dish, smelling what seemed to be a simple waffle, when Will put his hand over it.
“I’m gonna confess I tried to make a better meal and it sort of,” he ran his hand up Hannibal’s arm, “Backfired.”
Hannibal took Will’s hand, kissing it softly. “I’m sure it…”
Will sighed, “I tried to make omelettes and it just looked so unappetizing I didn’t think…”
Hannibal nuzzled his palm, “I would eat food off the ground if you made it for me, Beloved. You know this.”
Will laughed, his fingers tickling Hannibal’s chin. “I’ll make ground food for your next birthday.”
Hannibal smiled, kissing his fingers.
“I find myself not quite hungry yet,” he pulled Will closer and whispered close to his ear, “Can you think of any way to work me up a healthy appetite?”
Will laughed, pushing him down ignoring the clatter of dishes that followed.
“I can think of a few things. You’re what, eighty four today right?”
Hannibal bit under his chin, making him gasp. “Cheeky and rude, Will. And on my very special day.”
Will pinned Hannibal’s hands down, huffing for breath while he stared.
“You always love me rude.”
Hannibal licked his lips, lifting up as if asking to be kissed.
Will did not, instead leaning in and breathing against his lips.
“Will.”
“Happy birthday, Hannibal. Today you can have me any way you wish.”
Hannibal immediately broke from Will’s grasp, rolling them over and staring him down.
“I will take whatever you wish to give me, but do not make it easy.”
Will grinned, “I never do.”
The dog began barking and Will laughed when she launched herself on Hannibal’s back in apparent defense of Will’s honor.
“My first wish is for the dog to be put in a separate room.”
Will hugged Hannibal hard, his hardness evident even as Encephalitis enthusiastically started licking the back of Hannibal’s neck.
He entangled himself from Hannibal and got off the bed, whistling for the dog and winking at him.
“Done. I promise once I get back I’ll blow out your candle.”
Hannibal laughed, rolling onto his back and leering. “That sounds perfect to me.”
I’m sorry this took so long for me to answer five days after my birthday and not at all what you wanted. I just couldn’t picture either of them as clowns so magician it is.
“Are you sure about this?” Will asked for what was probably the fourth time.
Bev laughed, dragging him into the night club, “I’m a hundred percent sure, Graham. This guy is supposedly the best. I was lucky to get these tickets.”
Will frowned as she dragged him closer to the front of the club, almost too close to the stage for him but it was Bev’s birthday. He would do what he could to make it a good one.
“What kind of name is Hannibal anyway?”
“A rather old one, though I have always thought it looks quite nice on the sign outside and never grow tired of seeing my name in lights.”
Will blushed, pushing his glasses up his face as he saw a man dressed rather obnoxiously in a paisley blue suit with a pocket square holding the cliche magician’s deck of cards which made Will fight hard to roll his eyes.
“Sorry, I didn’t know the show had started.”
Hannibal smiled, “It has not, but I could not help but overhear.”
Bev seemed ready to burst out laughing beside him and Will fought the urge to push her but instead said, “Is that all this is? Decks of cards and cliche magic tricks?”
Hannibal’s lip twitched slightly before his smile widened, “No, it is much more than that,” he sat down at their table, “I only think it is fitting for me to know the name of someone so against my occupation even before the show has begun and his lovely wife.”
Will stammered and Bev answered for him, “His name is Will, and I’m not his wife,” she put out her hand, “Beverly Katz.”
“Nice to meet you Miss Katz,” Hannibal said, hearing a noise that Will assumed alerted to the show starting, “I am quite happy to learn your name, Will,” he looked at Will with a smirk,”I hope you enjoy the show to tell my your last name at the end of it.”
Will smiled, “You’ll have a put on a fantastic show then.”
“Oh believe me, Will, I will try my hardest to dazzle you.”
Will sighed for what seemed to be the fourteenth time in a
ten minutes.
“Father, I do wish you had asked first before putting on
this ridiculous charade.”
King Henry, his long suffering father sighed beside him.
“My son, it is not every day that you turn eighteen. I only
wished for you to…”
“Meet every eligible person in the immediate surrounding
countries in hopes that one would catch my eye?”
The King’s annoyed noise only confirmed his suspicions.
“I need to get air, please excuse me.”
Will ignored his father’s noise of protest as he made his
way across the ballroom, the hopeful eyes of his many suitors easy enough to
avoid as he moved through them till he found the freedom of an empty balcony
and fresh air.
His sigh was long and loud as he closed his eyes.
“One should not be so saddened on one’s birthday.”
Will opened his eyes to see man who had to be at least ten
years his senior standing across from him, looking amused and quite handsome
Will noticed immediately.
“I did not hear you approach.”
“I was walking the gardens and came upon you, I hope I am
not intruding.”
Will shook his head, “I just needed to break free of the
marriage mart inside,” he made a face, “My father has been waiting impatiently
for me to come of age it seems.”
“As have we all,” the man confessed, making Will blush.
“I do not recall your name sir,” Will said.
The man stepped closer still, taking Will’s hand to his
lips, “I did not give it.”
Will swallowed, his face darkening to a horrid shade of
crimson he was sure. “I do believe it is polite to give your name when being so
informal with royalty.”
The man smiled, “Prince Hannibal Lecter,” he let go of Will’s
hand.
Will stepped back with a frown, “You do not seem like a
beast.”
Hannibal laughed, “Is that what they are still calling me? I
have long been out of the circles of such things since my coronation, I hadn’t
been sure.”
Will nodded, “I…it is said you are quite formidable in
battle and in…”
Hannibal looked Will up and down quite lewdly, “Bed?”
Will blushed, “I…I believe I need to get back inside.”
Hannibal grabbed onto his arm when Will turned to leave,
stopping Will in his tracks before invading every inch of the space between
them. “I cannot not allow you to leave.”
Will paled, “I…”
Hannibal leaned in and kissed his cheek, a shiver going
through Will at he touch. “Not without wishing you a happy birthday.”
Will felt himself flush again for reasons having nothing to
do with embarrassment, the warm breath at his ear making him shiver. “I…”
Prince Hannibal stepped back and Will was nearly bereft of
it, the twinkle in the rakish prince’s eyes showing he knew quite well what his
actions had caused.
“I hope to share a dance this evening, Will. If that would
not be too forward a request?”
Will shook his head, “I…I will see if I have an open space
on my dance card.”
Hannibal smiled, “I should hope that you do.”
Will took off with a run that was quite undignified, letting
out a shaking breath when he was back inside among the crowd. Part of him
nearly turned and went back out to offer himself for a dance now but thought
against it.
Prince Lecter should be avoided, he was quite sure.
Now he just had to avoid him for the rest of the evening,
which was easier said than done.
It was the bike that caught his eye. A vintage Triumph Trophy in pristine condition, all sleek lines and gleaming chrome, the most gorgeous piece of kit. The sight of it, parked right outside his apartment block, stopped Nigel in his tracks as he ambled out the front door, his cigarette left dangling from his lips unlit.
When asked later, Nigel would claim he didn’t notice the rider at first because he only ever had eyes for Adam, for his Star. But the truth was, he was so in lust with the bike that it took a few moments for the shapely pair of legs straddling it to come into his awareness. When they did, though, Nigel couldn’t help the way his gaze slid up slim, denim-clad calves, to the pleasingly thick thighs that rested either side of the beautiful beast of a machine beneath them.
Nigel swallowed. He might be spoken for, and happily too, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating beauty where he found it, and the combination of this bike and that body were doing things to him he had every intention of enjoying.
He let his eyes rise further, to a taut, flat stomach only highlighted by the white cotton shirt covering it. Somebody’s got a James Dean fetish, Nigel thought as he clocked the red jacket that completed the ensemble. He’d always been more of a McQueen man but he had to admit, the look was a good one, showcasing the rider’s lean, lithe form in spectacular fashion. He let his gaze linger for a moment longer on the view, the sinful curve of the rider’s body as he leaned over the handlebars, one lithe, fine-boned hand overhanging gracefully.
One lithe, fine-boned hand that looked oddly familiar to Nigel…
Really I think it was mostly my love of historical romance novels. I’ve always been a huge fan of second chance romance and add in pirates you’ve got some great opportunities for angst.
I at one point thought to make Mischa more of a central character but I think she deserves her own story if I ever attempt a sequel.
Mostly reblogs and random words 