Mignardises (Hannibal, Hannibal/Will)

The door opens on their small conference room, letting in a welcome burst of fresh air. They’ve been waiting for nearly half an hour, but their wait is over as the lead agent on the case finally arrives. Tension fills Will’s body as his eyes snap up and then instantly away. The movement grabs Hannibal’s attention. He turns, noting out of the corner of his eye the way Will shrinks in on himself, so subtle a movement that an untrained eye would have missed it. Will shifts on his feet, bringing him closer to Jack, closer to relative safety.

The newcomer is a well-groomed man. Fit, in his late thirties but showing his age less than he should. This is a man who spends hours at the gym, who demands physical perfection from himself and those he chooses to work with. There is definite intelligence in the eyes that meet and hold Hannibal’s gaze. It’s a blatant challenge, two alphas sizing up the competition, but Hannibal has the advantage as far as Will is concerned, or so he thinks until the stranger opens his mouth.

“Been a long time, Willy.” His eyes cut away from Hannibal to linger a second too long on Will. The possessiveness in his gaze is obvious to Hannibal, though the others see nothing. “Jack.” The stranger nods his head deferentially towards their leader. He respects Jack, and that is something Hannibal files away, in case he needs the advantage.

Jack smiles and slides between Hannibal and Will to cross the room. He extends his hand. “Arthur. Thanks for calling. Hopefully we’ll be able to help you catch this guy.”