Fanfic Idea Set Post-episode 3x10: Hannibal Is Sick On His Birthday And Regresses. Normally, He Would

I think the reason I love fanfics about Hannibal having a terrible time is because in the show Will is The Guy Having A Terrible Time. My boy needs some rest and also a villain era. Hannibal needs to be kicked in the face and I think Will has absolutely earned the right to do it. Even better is the fact that Hannibal is super horny about it.

Hannibal in the BSHCI waiting for Will to visit

i think about this all the time omg 😭 i read a fic about years where Will cooked Hannibal Lithuanian foods and he had a mini breakdown. and i have not stopped thinking about it since 💔

Do you guys ever think about how he never cooks food that would be familiar to him from childhood/Lithuania because I’m thinking about how he never cooks food that would be familiar to him from his childhood/Lithuania

apparently hans can be the shortened version of hannibal

wow i never knew that. all i can think about whenever i come across the name Hans is the character from the disney movie Frozen lol

me when i realized there were no fics exploring Will finding out Hannibal's toilet was removed in the BSHCI and i had to write it myself 😔

people will see a fandom thing and be like "why isn't this a fanfic" "why is there no fanfic about this" my brother in christ, because you're not writing it

update: i finally finished chapter 11 and had to shower and wipe away my tears and snot because i've been ugly crying, but omg y'all go read this asap and please share your thoughts, even if they are small, with the author because this is the most phenomenal fic i've ever read and it's genuinely better than any movie i've seen in recent years. <3

@cervviidae i couldn't add gifs in my comments, so here are some of my reactions because i have to ramble!

this was me when the angst was angst-ing and my reaction any time i quoted something or raved in my comments

this was me when Hannibal laid his head in Will's lap, and when Hannibal cried during sex in the tent, and when they put flowers in each other's hair and felt pretty and then made love to each other, and when Hannibal dreamed about speaking out loud to Will and wanted to be a little song-bird to only sing of Will and build a nest out of the syllables of Will's name and his own hair and lay eggs of adoration as that little bird and become the nature surrounding it, and when Hannibal felt childlike fear at the thought of losing Will, and when Hannibal struggled with the tent, and when Will called Hannibal little darlin', and when i read the entirety of chapter 11.

i loved it so so much!! <3

i know this is on my vulnerable Hannibal fic rec list already, but i cannot recommend it enough because it is so beautiful and the last two chapters are finally up! everyone and their momma, go read i have loved you in a tame way & i have loved you wild by @cervviidae (and leave a comment for the author if you can, they deserve so much love) because it is such a beautiful Hannigram AU!! i rarely read AUs myself, but this has quickly become one of my favorite fics of all time <3 i'm about to read the last two chapters and i'm so excited to see how it ends <3

Updated with four new additional fics as of 9/13/24!

Vulnerable Hannibal Fic Rec List

On my previous post, people were interested in finding fics where Hannibal is touch-starved and or dealing with separation anxiety post-fall. So here is a small list of some that may fit that theme! The first five fics are mine, but the rest are some of my favorite fics I’ve ever read that feature vulnerable Hannibal in various seasons or post-canon. This list will be updated intermittently! New additions as of 9/13/2024

The Ache Against The Wind: Will awakes in an alternate dimension. Inexplicably un-injured. Both his cheek and shoulder are still blessedly intact because the monumental bloodshed at the cliff house has yet to occur. He’s entirely unprepared for the aftermath that unfolds following the removal of Hannibal’s toilet.

Pareidolia: Six weeks post-fall, Hannibal suffers from a seizure during dinner.

Je Te Laisserai Des Mots: Six months have passed since Will pulled them over the cliff. Even in light of their progressing relationship, much of Hannibal still remains a mystery to Will. For reasons unknown, he’s begun to pull away.

Between The Hour Of Reprieve:

At the cliff house, Hannibal receives a much-needed-hug. (features crying, touch-starved Hannibal).

Shrike (To Your Sharp And Glorious Thorn): Hannibal feels anxious about the prospect of Will abandoning him one day because he isn’t at all capable of being like Molly. His anxiety only heightens when Will gets a job. (features crying housewife Hannibal speaking Lithuanian).

A Cabin In The Woods by KoolJack1: Hannibal is thirteen and runs away from the orphanage when he feels that a fate of the elements will be better than the fate of abuse. He finds a small cabin in the woods, thinking warmth will be all he finds. He also finds Will. But who changes who?

Recipricol Alchemy by Scifibabe: In the silent echoes of his dreams, Will Graham treads a line blurred between control and chaos, each step drawing him inexorably towards claiming Hannibal as his own. It's a perilous dance on the edge of darkness, where the thrill of possession whispers of a transformation too profound to resist.

Hold Me, Don’t Let Me Go by sourweather: It's a few months after the Fall when it finally hits him. Hannibal has barely been touched in 3 years. And Will won't let it go on for another moment.

Hosanna In The Highest by sainthannibal: During the fall, Hannibal receives the brunt of the injuries, which leaves him unable to care for himself. Will discovers how much he enjoys taking care of him.

You Made Me Soup by itsybitsylemonsqueezy: Hannibal comes down with pneumonia while incarcerated. Will decides to make him some soup. Absolutely no one thinks it's strange that Will comes to give his ex soup when he finds out he's sick. No one at all finds this suspicious. At. All.

The Boy Under The Monster’s Bed by Wr4tttttthh: There were deep wounds that needed healing, new and old, physical and otherwise. (features crying, vulnerable Hannibal).

Delicate Ghost by hannigramcracker & TimmyJayBird: She was different- not the ghost of his memories, but something about this bloodied child ripped right at Hannibal's chest, and left him drowning in a cold snow he thought he had left in his childhood, that he had locked away within his skull. Drowning, with only one hand to grasp at, one body to cling to. One man to work him through the trauma and remind him what life was.

You With Those Nails, Me With This Cross by TheBitterKitten:

Will goes too far.

The Distance Is Quite Simply Much Too Far For Me To Row by softhan: Hannibal is having a rough time recovering from his injuries post-fall, and retreats into himself to avoid confrontation with Will while he's still weak and ill. Having to play happy husbands hardly helps

imagine if during Will's honey trap era, they were in the middle of leaving a therapy session (both heading to their cars), and a bug crawls inside Hannibal's ear and he feels / hears it flutttering and moving around and can't get it out. and it reminds Hannibal of being in the cabin in Lithuania when bugs would be all over the place and get in his hair and try to crawl inside his ear where it's warm 😭 literally throwing up as i type this.

"I hate this. He would never—"

DAMN LET ME BREATHE PLEASE I'M BEING WHIMSICAL HERE 😭

some people miss the entire point of fanfiction (exploring ideas that would probably never happen in canon). like hello?? let people have fun?? sorry that you don't have a whimsical cell in your body, but i do and i'm having a blast with my fandom friends. if you don't like a fic idea or headcanon post (which is valid btw) then don't interact with it. there's no need to come onto the author's post with the sole intention to bash it in such a direct manner. simple as that.

finally finished and posted the first chapter!

wring me of all the blood i shall bleed (chapter 1)

Post-Fall, Will is growing more and more distant by the day. Hannibal, on the other hand, is unwilling to speak—be it a result of brain damage or a self-imposed state of mutism. Life on the run is as peaceful as it can be. Until Will enters a new relationship in an effort to stem the curious glances and endless questions from the locals.

vulnerable Hannibal fic idea that's been cooking in my brain:

Hannibal and Will's post-fall relationship does not progress or develop in the manner Hannibal expected. He expected them to become closer, but Will is growing more distant each day. Hannibal has brain damage from a head injury, and it results in his emotional threshold being weaker, more fragile in a way he cannot control and struggles to explain. He misses Will, even from across the room. He gets anxious each time Will leaves the house. He's hidden one of Will's shirts underneath his pillow so he can fall asleep with Will's scent, even if Will is down the hall or out of the house for the night.

Will gets a job because it's a way to blend in. He knows Hannibal is behaving differently. He thinks what Hannibal needs is space and time to adjust. He starts a relationship with a woman he meets at a bar because it'll help them blend in even more. People won't ask questions or think it odd if Hannibal is rumored to be Will's relative (a distant uncle). He doesn't believe he could engage in an intimate (or even physical) relationship with Hannibal. Not yet.

They still have many past issues to discuss and resolve. But it's difficult to do so when Hannibal is mute. Trust between them is fragile and Will's new girlfriend puts a strain on their relationship. Will tells Hannibal there's no reason to be jealous. He tells Hannibal: "I'm not doing this to hurt you. I can't be what you need right now. I'm not there yet, and I don't know if I ever will be." He starts spending more and more time out of the house because the silence is suffocating. He never brings his girlfriend around. But she invites Will and Hannibal over to her house for Christmas day to exchange presents.

Will agrees for appearance's sake and asks Hannibal to make a list of things he would want for Christmas. He leaves a piece of paper (with written instructions to make a christmas list) and a pen on the counter for Hannibal before heading out to work. He comes back home hours later and opens the lid of the trashcan to toss something. There's a crumpled piece of paper balled up in the corner, buried in the pile, but only slightly visible if one were to look for it. He unfolds it and smooths out the creases to read the words written on the page.

It's Hannibal's christmas list and there are only three sentences written down: one hug. for at least thirty seconds, if you are willing. the lights can be off, if you wish.

Will's heart crumbles. He wonders why it was thrown in the trash until he sees a second christmas list on the counter in pristine condition. There are only two words written on that one: your company.