Chapter 3 of my Big Bang fic is now up on AO3. Thanks to @theartofjeremyk for the amazing artwork, and to @evenunevenme for being the world’s most patient beta.
Chapter 3
And so Will and Freddie were given rooms in Hannibal’s great house, with beds more comfortable than Will felt was strictly decent, along with fresh clothes and three full meals a day, a luxury that neither sibling had known even before the famine struck. Hannibal’s cooking was remarkable, his lavish kitchen and its cavernous oven producing fine dishes with exotic names, more suited for a royal court than this small, strange household of three. Even Freddie, at first reluctant to accept the witch’s cooking, had been swayed by the rich scent of braised meat and fresh herbs, her first grudging bite turning to a moan of pleasure and a quickly emptied plate.
Will, for his part, had soon wondered aloud how Hannibal was able to create such a variety of meals when he had only pig meat at his disposal. Hannibal had admitted, with a light laugh, that while he could not create nourishing food with magic, there was no such trouble in using it to alter the flavour of a dish. Hannibal could make pork taste like anything, even fish, and often asked Will to suggest some outlandish new recipe from his vast collection of recipe books. It became something of a game between them, Hannibal delighted every time Will came across something truly unusual, and Will always impressed by the witch’s ability to rise to the challenge.
As the weeks spent in Hannibal’s home turned to months, Will found himself growing more comfortable with the witch than he had thought it possible for him to be in another person’s company. Aside from the pleasure of talking to Hannibal without a constant stream of subconscious emotions and desires spilling across the space between them, the witch was a lively and engaging companion. He had vast reserves of knowledge, on topics as diverse as art, philosophy and nature, and well-formed opinions on all. He also listened with seemingly honest interest to Will’s views, chiming in only to supplement Will’s own knowledge, or to gently challenge anything he did not agree with.
Will felt stimulated by conversation for the first time in his life, and began to cherish the long hours spent in Hannibal’s study, discussing whatever happened to take their fancy that day. He especially enjoyed the nights spent together in front of the fire, their exchanges ebbing and flowing while Will tried not to gaze too fondly at the way the firelight caught the witch’s high cheekbones and the fine curve of his mouth. He began to think he might be content to remain here the rest of his life, so long as he had Hannibal to keep him company.
Read the rest on AO3.
