Archive of Our Own

Will didn’t think that he would get a first-class ticket to horny town on a random Tuesday afternoon in a coffee shop while eating cake. It was his rare free day, and Hannibal made a whole plan for them to spend it together however Will wished. Will had showered him in kisses when his husband surprised him with breakfast in bed, telling him they had all the time in the world to be lazy. 

His adorable husband was blushing all the way while Will praised the food and took a generous gulp of coffee. After a short make-out session, letting Hannibal know how much Will appreciated his efforts, it was time to set the rest of the plan in motion.
Will found himself in a coffee shop. Not just any, but those vintage, old-fashioned ones with rustic and handmade pastry, and with 10 years of tradition, and one of the original coffee roasters that makes the coffee ten times better. Hannibal remembered the night they had found it, but Will didn’t dare to ask to go inside. Winston, a good boy as ever, landed his head on his knee to bring the curly man back to reality. He was eating cake. A good one. One of those pistachio and raspberry crunches inside. Hannibal knew what he liked, and his beloved was on his way with his plate of chocolate cake. He slowly sipped on his coffee as he was starting to get impatient and nervous, sitting alone at the table. 

His eyes searched for Hannibal, rapidly scanning the area. This place was homey and pleasant.  Many families are visiting, and there were even a couple of young students on their laptops, writing their essays and working hard with a croissant or two in their mouths.

He spotted a pair of chattering grandmas in the corner as they were spending their retirement days together with a good cup of coffee and munching on their almond cakes. He smiled at his cake as he could overhear their gossiping. A shop owner and the coffee master roaster have an affair and are quite serious now. Will knew these two would be supplying the whole town with gossip like this and would watch the chaos unfold. 
But that wasn’t the only thing that was coming his way. As his eyes searched for his dear husband, he did not, in every possible reality, even think of being struck with such realisation. 
There was Hannibal at the counter, choosing his cake and turning to the cashier as a toddler, no more than 5 years old, had crashed into his legs full force with his face in and an ice cream cone in her hands. There goes his expensive but one more of the casual wear suits that were still hell of an expensive article of clothing as it was now smeared in a vibrant colour of red, blue, and dark chocolate. He could hear the soft ‘Oh, dear’ from Hannibal and smile at the crying toddler who was sadly looking at the remains of her sweet treat on Hannibal’s expensive suit. 

The mother apologised and panicked as she started to clean Hannibal’s suits with paper napkins while reprimanding her toddler for not watching where she should be going. 
Hid husband politely accepted the apologies and, with Will’s surprise, kneeled to be eye level with the cutest girl Will had ever seen. She was crying, poor thing, and she didn’t have her ice cream anymore. Hannibal tried to calm down both the mother and the child and reassured them that it was all alright. 

Will blushed at the darling sight as Hannibal jokingly tasted the smeared ice cream remains and complimented the little girls’ choice in flavours. He shushed her with a gentle poke on her nose, and she smiled back, tears gone after she was talked to so gently. The mother was stunned and let Hannibal talk to the toddler, and was relieved that she wouldn’t have to have an argument with a man. 
Will’s heart melted when Hannibal whispered something and picked the toddler up, offering to get her a new portion of ice cream. He bounced her gently until the whole shop could hear her shriek of joy, and decided that the strange man could buy her ice cream. Hannibal reassured them both that he could pay for it and that it would be no trouble.

 
Will saw how good Hannibal was at handling the toddler as he was guiding her through the flavours, and she picked the different ones this time with Hannibal’s extensive interrogation and commentary. The little girl nuzzled into him, and Hannibal instinctively kissed her head as she timidly asked for the ice cream to be delivered in a cone. 

Will started blushing as his thoughts turned sinister in a matter of seconds, as he thought that this could easily be them shortly. Hannibal was so good with the little girl, and Will had only one thing on his mind when his husband was handing the toddler back to her mother. And he waved goodbye to the cute toddler. She was all happy and smiled, licking her ice cream, and Hannibal was left behind with his suit ruined and a plate with a piece of chocolate cake. 
Will instinctively put his legs together in case his growing erection is showing, and avoided his husband’s eyes for his dear life as he was returning to their table.

‘’Hello, my love’’ Hannibal greeted and kissed Will on his cheek. He loved to do it in public, showing affection toward his beloved, whom he had committed to for the rest of his life, and he was proud to show it.
Will got used to it eventually and managed to come to love his affection out in the world. 

‘’How is the cake, darling?’’ Hannibal wondered and stole a forkful from his plate. He chuckled as Will glared at the stolen piece, but his face melted at the love he saw in Hannibal’s eyes as he offered a forkful of his chocolate cake in return. 
They both laughed at the ice cream stains as Hannibal shyly tried to clean them out with water and gave up halfway once he saw that the red from the strawberry ice cream only made it look worse. He sighed, defeated as he would have to get it to the cleaners, and Will soothed him with a kiss and a promise that he still looked as dashing and posh as before. 

‘’you were so great with the little girl’’ Will let it slip as they talked about the incident. 

‘’It happens all the time with little ones, she couldn’t have been any more than 5. I did what I would with Mischa.’’ Hannibal said softly. Will wasn’t sure if it was out of sadness or the fond memories that he had to act as a father and protector of his beloved sister. At this point, it could be both. 

‘’she was adorable, and you were a natural. You would be such a good father’’ Will offered him another kiss and squeezed his hand to know he was always there to listen if the thought of his little sister would cloud and darken his mind. 

‘’Will, I have a feeling you discovered something about yourself?’’

‘’and if I have?’’ Will retorted. Hannibal hadn0rt offered him an answer. 

‘’do you think we could have one of our own?’’ Will tried, almost whispering and looking straight into those soft and dark eyes he had come to adore. Hannibal always had that familiar energy around him. Will felt safe in his proximity, which the toddler girl immediately clocked him in and felt safe. They hadn’t talked about it. Will never dare to, as Hannibal had his reservations. Will respected that. 

He was with his husband no matter what, but today he realised and wondered how it would be to have the little ones running around them in their big house villa, and his dogs to have someone to play with and run around the farmhouse. He blushed at the thought, and Hannibal could see his desire and landed his hand on his forearm when the curly man started nervously playing with his piece of cake, breaking it into multiple pieces and not taking a bite. 
His darling husband blushed as well and offered him the softest of smiles. 

‘’I believe that with you by my side, I could carve a space for another in my heart and body’’ Hannibal said smoothly and annoyingly poetic as he usually was. He kissed his temple, and Will needed a second to realise what he had just said.

‘’Does that mean…’’ Will looked up hopefully, and immediately his mind shut it down as he knew what Hannibal would have to go through. Going off on his testosterone and sacrificing his body for so many months. Hannibal had been talking about his identity so openly after they had married and never dared to lie about the times he was struggling. He knew what going through medical transition meant to him. he was the strongest man he had ever known, and in the back of his mind, he was afraid to ask him for such things. He would be happy to adopt, but he couldn’t ignore the desire that had suddenly entered his mind after seeing Hannibal with that adorable toddler.

 
‘’yes, Will. We can try’’ Hannibal reassured him ‘’the whole nine months and all in between. I want it all’’ Hannibal confessed, blushing and shyly looking at his chocolate cake. 

Will grabbed his face and kissed him breathless, letting his husband know how much he loved him ‘’Han, I am in if you are. And I am perf---‘’ he still wasn’t all too convinced. 

Hannibal shut him up well with another deep and slow kiss. The one that makes him all hot and bothered. 

‘’Will, my darling, I declare that my oven is open for business’’ Hannibal shyly and firmly made his intentions clear as day. He grins once his curly husband nods and nuzzles into his hands. 

‘’let’s go home then’’ Will says hotly and seductively, dragging his thumb over Hannibal’s plush lips. Hannibal’s eyes twinkled at his arousal, but all good things arrive in their own time. 

''Not after I finish my chocolate cake’’ Hannibal chuckles and eats his cake with the tiniest bites he could manage. He smirks as his husband pouts all the way through and joins him in finishing his cake as well. 

Will is hard and preciously annoyed as Hannibal enjoys toying with him, but he couldn’t have it any other way.