Will finds himself alone when he wakes in the morning and Hannibal’s side of the bed feels long cold. He takes a deep breath and his belly rumbles when he smells bacon just as his stomach flips.

“No, no,” he cries, “It’s Christmas!”

He almost loses last night’s dinner on the expensive carpet before he even makes it to the toilet bowl. The heaving wrenches make him moan and before long Will slides down to hold the rim.

There is a soft knock on the door but Will does not look up to see Hannibal’s approach.

“I’ve brought your mango blended drink,” he says, “If you think the children will let you stomach it.”

“Mango smoothies on Christmas?” Will teased, “You spoil me.”

He didn’t lift his head up though or even try to take the drink.

“If you’d like to spend the day in bed that is quite all right. I can bring your gift to you and the dogs are already wearing their….”

“Wearing? My dogs don’t wear…oh christ, you didn’t get them sweaters or anything did you?”

Will lifts his head up so fast he’s dizzy a moment but tries to stand anyway. Hannibal’s touch makes his world steadier when he grabs an offered hand.

“No, it’s much too warm inside for that,” Hannibal mutters, “They are merely Christmas adorned.”

Will steps down a few stairs and Winston runs up to greet them wearing a Christmas bandana around his neck.

He smiles and lets Winston lick him before petting the soft fur on his head. “Well thankfully the bandanas aren’t fur-lined.”

Hannibal holds him tight around the waist and Will leans into him as they walk. “Some of them are.”

Will laughs and nuzzles his neck once just before they make it down. He turns only to blink in surprise.

“Merry Christmas, Will.”

The house is lightly decorated in what Will hopes Hannibal had hidden away somewhere. He walks two steps and the dogs all come at once wearing small bandanas like Winston. He bends down and touches Buster under the chin.

“I can’t believe you got them to wear these.”

Hannibal scoffs. “I believe we have all come to an understanding, it was not very difficult.”

Will turns to smile at him. “What’s the understanding? Here’s tons of treats if you do as I say? I…did you feed my dogs people?”

Hannibal frowns. “I’ve fed you human meat, what is the difference where the dogs are concerned?”

He laughs and turns towards Hannibal with hands outstretched. The soft kiss they share is almost chaste but Will still feels it in his bones. “There isn’t one, I guess. I just…did you have all of this hidden away?”

“Our worries had superseded my need to decorate the house, especially since I have no one to impress for dinner parties, but after our talk last night…”

Will puts his hands on Hannibal’s cheeks. “You decided you needed to impress me?”

“You are my Star, are you not? Fallen from the sky only for me?”

“I used to hate that story,” Will whispers as he leans in to nuzzle Hannibal’s neck, “No one wants to be the center of anyone’s attention like that. The whole of someone’s world.”

He feels Hannibal’s fingers in his hair and sucks at his mark. “Why, beloved?”

Will lifts his head. “Because what if I can’t keep your attention?”

Hannibal sighs. “We have not known each other long, Will, but I regret to inform you of something you may have missed in such a short time. You became the center of my attention the moment I saw you.”

Continued in:
Truly, Madly, Deeply ~ Chapter Ten