Campus Bugs Are The Worst (Hannibal, Will)

[Wolfwings22]

I know it’s been a little while since I’ve posted. I’ve been super busy between work and personal things but I had some time to write this short piece and thought that I would post. It’s pretty short, but it has caretaking Hannibal, which is one of favorite things to write. I hope you all enjoy!

 

 

 

Will comes back from a work trip exhausted and defeated. Hannibal figures out what is going on immediately and makes it his mission to help his husband feel better.

 

 

 

 

    The door slammed, and Hannibal glanced up from the session notes that he had been annotating. While Mrs. Banks sessions weren’t of much interest, he still went through the motion if only to keep her husband at ease that her obsessive compulsive disorder was lessening. He would pay a high price for such things and Hannibal could tolerate speaking to her twice a week if that was what the family wished.

 

    “How was your guest lecture,” Hannibal questioned as he heard Will pass by in the hallway.

 

    Hannibal received no answer. He wasn’t overly surprised considering he knew how Will tended to shutdown after long lectures. This particular one had taken him to the New York City office at the request of Jack Crawford. Hannibal had done everything to get him out of it, but Jack had been clear that Will was needed. Will had begged Hannibal not to make a fuss, and to choose their battles. Hannibal had reluctantly agreed, trusting Will to be able to make those decisions.

 

    It wasn’t until the sound of ragged coughing echoed from the guest bathroom down the long hallway that Hannibal responded. Hannibal was intrigued in moments and didn’t hesitate to abandon his session notes as he started down the hallway to the source of the sound.

 

    Before he could make it to the bathroom, the door suddenly swung open. Will stepped out, tissues folded over his nose as he gave a harsh blow. He immediately stopped when he saw Hannibal standing there, eyes shadowed in exhaustion and skin sheet white.

 

    “Sorry,” Will mumbled, voice hoarse. “Didn’t want to interrupt your work.”

 

    “You are much more important to me than work.” Hannibal’s head gave a small tilt as the sweet scent of fever filled his nostrils. “Clearly you must have been ill for quite sometime.”

 

    Will shrugged. “Felt it coming on about two days ago. Apparently half the faculty is down with some sort of bug. Guess I came right in the middle of it.”

 

    “Those campus illnesses can be brutal.” Hannibal watched as Will pivoted to the side and coughed into a fist. A grimace spread over his face as he reached for his throat. “Perhaps if you took better care of yourself, you would find your immune system would be more formidable.”

 

    Will lifted one finger and twisted around, neck craned over his shoulder. “Hish’Tsh’Shiew!” Will blinked his eyes rapidly. “I don’t think…..Hish’Shs’Shiew! That we can even try to…hih….Hishs’SHsh’Shiew! Compare myself to youhhh….Hsih’Sh’Shiew!”

 

    Hannibal waited through the fit for Will to desperately finish what he wanted to say. When he was certain Will was finished, he gave a small dip of his head. “Gesundheit.”

 

    Will surfaced with a bleary sniffle. His wrist stretched under his nose before realizing that Hannibal was fixing him with a harsh stare. He pulled out the used tissue from his pocket and dabbed at the underside of his dripping nostrils, cheeks glowing pink in embarrassment.

 

    “Whadt were you sayig,” Will questioned with another snuffle through clogged sinuses.

 

    “It’s of no matter. Why don’t you take a shower and I will prepare you something to eat?”

 

    Will looked as though he wanted to argue, but was abruptly cut off with another sneeze. “Hish’Shs’Shiew!” Will bent at the waist and lifted the tissue to his nose to blow hard. The tissue became useless almost immediately and he was forced to look at Hannibal through damp eyelashes.

 

    “Ogay, ogay, m’going.” Will’s shoulders slumped in defeat as he veered off towards the stairs, coughing thickly as he went.

 

    Hannibal’s lips pressed into a thin line as he headed back towards the kitchen. He had originally planned a much more elaborate dinner for Will’s return, knowing that the man had probably survived on awful takeout and hotel food. However, a heavy meal was not something Will needed right now. A plain broth with a hint of ginger and turmeric would settle better, and give him the calories that he needed while not being heavy in his stomach. It was also something that Hannibal could prepare quickly so not to leave Will unattended for too long.

 

    Hannibal knew that he should’ve accompanied Will to this conference. The profiler had been stretched thin for months and had run himself into the ground, despite Hannibal’s attempts to help. He was frazzled and unsettled, which had only increased when he learned that he would be expected to speak in front of so many students. The time of year was also prime time for coughs and colds to be going around.

 

    Now, Hannibal had a valid excuse to force his husband to rest.

 

    The soup was almost ready by the time Will made his way back downstairs, hair wet and clumped in patches. He wore a thick FBI sweatshirt and sweatpants, yet he still continued to shiver, teeth chattering in his skull. His eyes were bleary with exhaustion and there was a red tinge around his irritated nostrils. Each breath seemed like an effort, heaved through an open mouth thanks to his nose being far too clogged to aid in such things.

 

    “M’not really hungry,” Will confessed as he lifted the back of his wrist to rub at his nose, which let out a thick squelch.

 

    Hannibal pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over. “That is precisely why you should eat. You will need strength to fight this illness.”

 

    “Tell that to my stomach.” Will suddenly tensed and lifted the handkerchief fully over his face, eyes blinking rapidly as he took in a hefty breath. “Hshs’Shs’Shiew! Hshs’Shsh’Shiew!”

 

    Will’s sneezes seemed thicker than before, with distinctly more congestion. Hannibal tipped his head in curiosity as he watched his husband continue to pant and grumble as he scrubbed at his itchy face.

 

    “Bless—“

 

    “HRsh’Shiew!” Will bent at the waist with the force of it, barely managing to lift his head in the aftermath. By the time he straightened, he had to lean against the counter for support. “Hshs’Shsh’Shiew! Hrshs’Sh’Shiew! Ugh…dabbit!”

 

    Hannibal reached out to take Will by the elbow and led him forward. Will struggled not to give into the itch with Hannibal standing so close in front of him, but the moment he was sat at the table, he pushed Hannibal away urgently.

 

    “Hshs’Shsh’Shiew!” Will blew his nose weakly into the handkerchief and shot his lover a sheepish look. “Sorry. I didn’t want to sneeze on you.”

 

    “That is perfectly alright,” Hannibal assured as he turned back to Will’s meal. “Bless you.”

 

    Will snorted. “Best cut that out now. This is the bug from hell. You’ll make yourself hoarse if you keep blessing me,” Will joked good naturally.

 

    “Perhaps, though if either one of us is at risk of ‘going hoarse’ I believe it would be you.”

 

    “You’re probably not wrong.” Will made a face as he swallowed hard. “It already feels like I’ve swallowed gravel. Spending time talking all week didn’t help either.”

 

    Hannibal made a mental note to check Will out more thoroughly later. If his husband was coming down with strep or bronchitis, he wanted to know so that they could start treatment immediately. Right now he was more inclined to believe it was just a bad cold, but better to be safe than sorry.

 

    While Will cleaned himself up to the best of his ability, smothering coughs into his elbow and back of his wrist, Hannibal prepared him a bowl of broth.

 

    Once it was in front of him, Will leaned over the bowl and gave a few pathetic sniffles. “What is it,” he questioned as he lifted the spoon and allowed the broth to spill over the sides.

 

    “Homemade bone broth with essence of ginger and turmeric,” Hannibal explained. “The medicinal value will be worth the struggle you may have to swallow it.”

 

    “May I ask who’s bone you’ve used?”

 

    Hannibal leaned over and placed a delicate kiss to the top of Will’s head. “Eat, my dear.”

 

    Will knew better than to question things further. Besides, he doubted that he would be able to taste it anyway. Hannibal would use only the best of their prey when it came to food for Will, and he had no doubt that if Hannibal claimed that it would help, then it certainly would.

 

    He plunged his spoon into the broth and brought the scalding liquid to his lips. It was warm as it slid down his throat and into his stomach, and just as he predicted, the meal had no taste for him. Still, he enjoyed the warmth that flooded through his body, seeming to chase away the worst of the chill that this cold had brought.

 

    “Once you are finished, I’ll see you to the bedroom.”

 

    Will looked up from his meal expectantly. “Are you going to join me?”

 

    Hannibal shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s too early for me to do so. I have more session notes to transcribe and I would like to play a little on my harpsichord.”

 

    Will’s face fell. Of course Hannibal wouldn’t want to turn in this early. He had his own routine to follow and had been doing so far before Will ever entered the picture. Still, it made something stir in the agent’s soul.

 

    “Will?”

 

    “Then, if you don’t mind, can I just lay on the couch until you’re finished? I-I just, after this week, I don’t want to be alone,” Will confessed softy, head turned down so that he was speaking into the soup.

 

    Hannibal’s eyes lit with something that Will couldn’t place. Was it concern? Or something far deeper?

 

    “Of course, Will. If you prefer to stay close, who am I to deny that?”

 

    Will was about to profusely thank him for understanding, when his body threatened to betray him. Frustrated beyond comprehension, Will pushed back against the table and turned away from Hannibal, lifting the now well used handkerchief to his face and clamping his nostrils shut.

 

    “ Hghxght! Hghxght! Hxcght! Hcxght!” Will’s head bobbled forward with feverish urgency as he hardly had time for a half breath in between. He surfaced looking much worse for wear, and worse was the sensation that had started this whole thing had only settled in the bridge of his nose instead of being rid of all together.

 

    “That is quite enough of that,” Hannibal scolded, features drawn in exasperation.

 

    Will’s cheeks colored pink at the severity of Hannibal’s scolding. “Sorry, just so tired of sneezing. You should’ve heard me the entire drive home. It was a nightmare!”

 

    “And yet your body is continuing it, which means there is more it wishes to expel. Interfering with that process will only make things worse.”

 

    “Fine, fine, I hear you.” The last thing Will wanted was another lecture from Hannibal. He had just gotten home and he felt his head may explode if Hannibal laid in on him when he was feeling this terrible.

 

    “Have you taken anything yet?”

 

    Will nodded as he rose to his feet, using the back of the chair for stability. “Took something about two hours ago. Don’t think it did shit, but I took it.”

 

    “Very well. We will wait a few hours before we try anything different. Hopefully you can attain some rest in that period of time.”

 

    Will didn’t want to tell Hannibal that he doubted it. Sickness only tended to make the nightmares and restlessness worse, not to mention he couldn’t go five minutes without coughing or sneezing. However, they had reached a compromise about the couch, and Will didn’t want to push his luck.

 

    Hannibal cleared Will’s bowl while Will located a box of tissues from the pantry and headed off to the study. He locked on to the couch in question, eager to lay down on anything. The hotel bed had been uncomfortable at best and he longed to be somewhere familiar that he knew someone was looking after him. Whatever dark thoughts encroached on his mind would vanish the moment he felt Hannibal beside him. He just hoped the same would be true even when he was ill.

 

    Will located some blankets and pillows to use as well. He bunched the pillows on one end of the couch and slumped down into them before pulling the blanket all the way up to his chin. He nestled the tissue box between his leg and the back of the couch, knowing that he would need them sooner or later. Will could already feel his nose threatening to run, but he feared that if he tried to touch it, the already sore appendage might protest further.

 

    He didn’t have to wait long for Hannibal to join him in the space. The doctor took his seat at his desk and turned back to his session notes that he had been working on when Will first arrived home. Early in their relationship, Will had asked Hannibal questions about other patients and if they were as crazy as he thought he was. Hannibal would always remind him of doctor/patient confidentiality, and eventually Will just stopped asking. However, that didn’t make the profiler any less curious about who else Hannibal allowed in his life.

 

    Hannibal glanced over to see Will watching him as a hint of a grin tugged on the corners of his mouth. “You are meant to be sleeping, my dear, not watching me.”

 

    Will pretended to look ashamed. “I’ve been away nearly a week since I’ve seen you. Do you blame me for being utterly enamored by you?”

 

    “Enamored and prolonging the inevitable are two very different things, Mr. Graham. Would you agree?”

 

    Will couldn’t tell if Hannibal was trying to be cryptic or not. Although he enjoyed this banter they had found, he knew that if he kept it up for much longer, Hannibal may insist he go upstairs so he could truly rest. He forced his eyes closed only to scramble to sit up as his lungs violently protested his attempt at breathing.

 

    Banter forgotten, Hannibal set his notes aside and rushed to his lover’s side, swiftly angling him forward so his chest could expand without resistance. Hannibal drew Will close as he continued to cough, unable to bring his arm up to shield Hannibal from his germs. He couldn’t even manage an apology until the coughing finally died down and he was left with just a small ache in his lungs.

 

    “So-sorry,” Will puffed.

 

    Hannibal paid his apology no mind as he reached for the tissues box. He folded the tissue a few times before reaching over to dab at the underside of Will’s nose. It was only then that Will realized his nose was running and almost yelped as he took the tissue from Hannibal to deal with his own mess.

 

    “There is no need to apologize,” Hannibal murmured after a moment. “Would some water or tea be helpful?”

 

    Will knew that Hannibal was excusing himself for Will to have the privacy he craved without making it to obvious. He struggled not to blush as he gave a tiny nod behind the tissue. “Water, please.”

 

    Hannibal didn’t require anymore conversation as he left Will’s side in favor of retreating back to the kitchen. Will let out a breath of relief and gabbed a handful of tissues and blew his nose heavily. At first he was only able to shift some of the blockage around, but after a few tires, he felt he could breathe at least a little easier. He was still sure to snore for most of the night if he had to guess, but at least he didn’t feel as stuffed up.

 

    Unfortunately, Will spoke too soon.

 

    “HRsh’Shs’Shiew!” Will was hardly prepared for it and ended up sneezing into his lap, no doubt spraying the blanket with more germs than he could count. He hurried to press the tissues to his nose, attempting to stave off the rest until he could grab more. “HRsh’Shsh’Shiew! Hrsh’SH’Shiew! His nose had other plans and he felt snot dripping down his face. Disgust rose inside of him until he finally grabbed another desperate handful and engulfed the lower half of his face to blow forcefully.

 

    That seemed to do the trick and when Will tossed the used tissues into the nearby wastebasket, he heard the sound of Hannibal’s approaching footsteps.

 

    He tried to look as composed as possible as Hannibal turned the corner with a glass of water in hand. He could tell by the look Hannibal had gave him that he was really starting to concern the good doctor. Will tried to flash a smile as he reached for the water as if it was a lifeline.

 

    Hannibal handed it over and Will took a few desperate gulps before Hannibal pulled it away.

 

    Will pressed his lips together to stop from coughing, the feeling of tightness threatening to overwhelm him. “I know, I know,” he rasped. “Slowly. Slowly.”

 

    Hannibal waited a few more moments before handing the drink over and watching intently as Will obediently took a few more smaller and slower sips. His eyes blissfully closed when Hannibal took the drink away this time, and set it on a coaster on the nearby coffee table.

 

    Will felt himself being shifted slightly so that he could lay down, exhaustion once again plaguing him. At least he no longer felt like he needed to sneeze, despite the pressure that was still building in his sinuses. All he could do was close his eyes against the sensation and pray that he didn’t become so stuffed up that he couldn’t sleep. Hannibal wouldn’t let that happen, but Will hated inconveniencing him anymore than he already had.

 

    “Sleep,” Hannibal coaxed as he pulled the blanket up around Will’s shoulders and draped it under his chin.

 

    Will hummed softly. “Why don’t you tell me about your week? I’m sure that will put me right to sleep.”

 

    Hannibal raised an eyebrow. “Are you calling the complexities of my life boring?”

 

    “Of course not. But right now I think your voice will soothe me even more than usual.”

 

    Hannibal closed his session notes and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling. It seemed like a lifetime before he finally spoke. “Well, I went into the market to replenish my spices for the week. I was going to attempt to make your favorite on Wednesday as I know you have an early day. I also saw to Mrs. Mills to help her with a bit of gardening now that her husband has passed away and……”

 

    Will didn’t even hear the end of that sentence as Hannibal’s voice finally lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

 

    The End

[AntheaHolmes]

Oh my, caretaker Hannibal is amazing!!! I don't know if I enjoy this side of Hannibal more than his allergy ridden one but are great! Thanks again for another gorgeous story. 

[justlogan]

This is really really cute. I especially liked the dialogue that came from Hannibal in this story. Thanks for sharing