"Not me." Will protests, and he isn't entirely sure which part he's protesting more. The concern being lobbied at him? The idea that his injuries trump Neph's? That he's the excuse they need to finally actually leave their newly-carved mausoleum?
"Yes, you." Hannibal watches Neph like he thinks she may still try to run, but he lets go of her to come down to Will's height. Hands sink under his armpits, fingers almost painfully strong against the wirey muscles of Will's shoulders, and Will is suddenly being heaved bodily off the ground.
"I didn't think you could lift me." Will says, honest and dazed. Hannibal gives a soft sound of derision, like he can't possibly imagine why anyone would ever assume he isn't used to lifting an entire person's worth of dead weight, and then suddenly it's not that funny to Will anymore.
"Neph." Hannibal says, and then Will is being manhandled in a different way. Only instinct from seeing it on TV and reading about it in emergency response books has his body responding at all, when the hands on him shift. One under his knees, the other around the backs of his shoulders.
At least while suspended in this type of carry, Will's leg is elevated to almost his heart level. He has a feeling that's why Hannibal picked this. Will still makes a squawked sound of protest.
"I spoke too soon. If you could find a lighter and a bottle, I can take Will out of here."
And then they lurch in closer to Neph. Will can smell fear without needing any of Hannibal's power - it's sour and soaks him, all of them, as they huddle. Hannibal's mouth touches Neph's hair. His eyes never close, even though Will couldn't guess what it is they're seeing. "Don't stay behind. I will not leave without you."
And then they are doing just that. Leaving, one surprisingly deft step at a time. Hannibal moves like a machine - purposed, careful, regimented. Will might have found it soothing in another setting. Right now, it's eerie, to see so much humanity inside of Hannibal and then see how completely he can pull armor over it, like his entire body and mind is made of something reflective. Like he's voluntarily bulletproof.
In the wild moments while Will is hanging suspended above the warehouse floor, before they've quite reached the freedom of the door, it makes Will want to see Hannibal irrecoverably moved.
"I don't know when I'll forgive you," Will gasps into Hannibal's shirt, and all at once he feels nauseous. Hannibal's heart is steady and loud in his ear.
"I know."
And Will is quiet after that, because he thinks he's already part of the way there.
They breach the doorway in silence. The long summer day is stretched thin into evening, stars dotting a dark blue sky. There's enough light to see cars scattered across a gravel parking lot, once Will blinks his sight clear. "Either of you." Will's shaking. He can't feel it, but he hears it in his voice.
"I know." Said into his hair. "But I am not letting you stay behind, either."
Will turns away from Hannibal's chest as much as he can, as if he could possibly help pick the getaway car right now. He leaves one numb hand around the back of Hannibal's neck.
He keeps tilting back to look for Neph, or for a spark, back in the warehouse.
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"Yes, you." Hannibal watches Neph like he thinks she may still try to run, but he lets go of her to come down to Will's height. Hands sink under his armpits, fingers almost painfully strong against the wirey muscles of Will's shoulders, and Will is suddenly being heaved bodily off the ground.
"I didn't think you could lift me." Will says, honest and dazed. Hannibal gives a soft sound of derision, like he can't possibly imagine why anyone would ever assume he isn't used to lifting an entire person's worth of dead weight, and then suddenly it's not that funny to Will anymore.
"Neph." Hannibal says, and then Will is being manhandled in a different way. Only instinct from seeing it on TV and reading about it in emergency response books has his body responding at all, when the hands on him shift. One under his knees, the other around the backs of his shoulders.
At least while suspended in this type of carry, Will's leg is elevated to almost his heart level. He has a feeling that's why Hannibal picked this. Will still makes a squawked sound of protest.
"I spoke too soon. If you could find a lighter and a bottle, I can take Will out of here."
And then they lurch in closer to Neph. Will can smell fear without needing any of Hannibal's power - it's sour and soaks him, all of them, as they huddle. Hannibal's mouth touches Neph's hair. His eyes never close, even though Will couldn't guess what it is they're seeing. "Don't stay behind. I will not leave without you."
And then they are doing just that. Leaving, one surprisingly deft step at a time. Hannibal moves like a machine - purposed, careful, regimented. Will might have found it soothing in another setting. Right now, it's eerie, to see so much humanity inside of Hannibal and then see how completely he can pull armor over it, like his entire body and mind is made of something reflective. Like he's voluntarily bulletproof.
In the wild moments while Will is hanging suspended above the warehouse floor, before they've quite reached the freedom of the door, it makes Will want to see Hannibal irrecoverably moved.
"I don't know when I'll forgive you," Will gasps into Hannibal's shirt, and all at once he feels nauseous. Hannibal's heart is steady and loud in his ear.
"I know."
And Will is quiet after that, because he thinks he's already part of the way there.
They breach the doorway in silence. The long summer day is stretched thin into evening, stars dotting a dark blue sky. There's enough light to see cars scattered across a gravel parking lot, once Will blinks his sight clear. "Either of you." Will's shaking. He can't feel it, but he hears it in his voice.
"I know." Said into his hair. "But I am not letting you stay behind, either."
Will turns away from Hannibal's chest as much as he can, as if he could possibly help pick the getaway car right now. He leaves one numb hand around the back of Hannibal's neck.
He keeps tilting back to look for Neph, or for a spark, back in the warehouse.