I Cannot Recommend This Enough. One Of The Most Touching Hannigram Fics I've Ever Read. 😭🩵

Hey coffee-in-rain!

Just wanted too say ur fic was amazing and now im cryimg. The fluff and pure wholesomeness is something i never knew i needed. Thnx

Wow omg thank you so much!!! This was such a sweet surprise to see in my inbox 💛

it is still the pinnacle of obsessive love when we all realized that a serial killer who feasts on human meat to satiate his hunger can deeply be nourished at the mere sight of his lover. i like to believe that Will's existence and proximity is tantamount to a hundred or more human meals. perhaps Hannibal feels that a hundred cannibalized bodies pale in comparison to Will's love and acceptance.

i loved your fic so much!! 🩵🩵🩵

Vulnerable Hannibal Fic Rec List

Updated 2/1/2025 with one new addition located at the bottom of the page. A few of these fics are mine, but the rest are some of my favorite fics I've ever read that feature vulnerable Hannibal in various seasons, AUs, and post-canon.

shrike (to your sharp and glorious thorn):

Will begins to notice a change in Hannibal's behavior post-fall. He's become something akin to a fretting housewife.

The Ache Against The Wind (Rewritten):

3x13 AU: Will travels into an alternate dimension after plunging into the Atlantic and is confronted with the unexpected aftermath following the removal of Hannibal's toilet in the BSHCI.

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. (A sequel to Shrike--my housewife Hannibal fic!)

Between The Hour Of Reprieve:

At the cliff house, Hannibal receives a much-needed-hug.

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?

this is absolutely amazing. i've never read an AU quite like this. a true masterpiece.

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.

one of my faves. i can't even describe how perfect this explores their season 2 dynamic. such a unique trajectory and i am living for it.

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.

so precious omg. love it

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.

the post-fall whump is immaculate 🤧 love it

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.

god, i love this one so much. sick hannibal being hand-fed in the BSHCI? wailing my heart out

The Boy Under The Monster’s Bed by Wr4tttttthh:

There were deep wounds that needed healing, new and old, physical and otherwise.

one of my faves. Will finding Hannibal hiding under the table? a gut punch 😭

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.

so amazing. a unique perspective of how Will would deal with Hannibal becoming distressed while on a case together. one of the first vulnerable hannibal fics i've ever read 🥺

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

Will goes too far.

wailing into my pillow omg this had the perfect amount of angst.

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.

my all time fave Hannibal whump fic. the way he's scared Will is disgusted by his accident? eternally sobbing. forever recommending this to anyone who is searching through this rec list.

Silk and Lace by jonnimir:

Bedelia leaves Hannibal and Will a gift at the house on the cliff.

crying because this was so tender and sweet. touch-starved hannibal at the cliff house. chef's kiss.

Not So Fast by scifibabe:

Hannibal wakes from a heated dream with a need that can’t be ignored—and Will, half-asleep but all too eager, is more than happy to help. What begins as a midnight indulgence quickly spirals into an overwhelming game of push and pull, as Will’s relentless appetite pushes Hannibal to the edge and beyond. Kinktober Day 10: Overstimulation + Face-Sitting

desperate and needy hannibal. need i say more? loved it 🤭

Hush Now by scifibabe:

What starts as Will stitching up Hannibal's latest hunting injury turns into something else entirely when a teasing "let Daddy take care of you" slips out. It's meant to be a joke--until Hannibal's reaction tells a different story. One playful push leads to another, and soon enough, they're both realizing they might be into this a little more than they expected. Kinktober Day 19: Fisting.

I truly cannot recommend Hush Now enough! It'll live rent free in my mind and heart for the rest of my life ♡

The Antidote To Grief by incidentsofunkownorigins:

On Will's idea, they visit Mischa's grave. What Will had hoped to be a healing moment of closure breaks something in Hannibal and he is the only one who can put the pieces back together.

this is such a beautiful take on Hannibal and Will visiting Lithuania together and how that would impact Hannibal. ♡

Pulse Point:

Post-Fall, an injured Hannibal awakes from an erotic dream, desperate and needy, aching for Will's touch.

Marveling at a Spoon by scifibabe:

After a gourmet dinner, Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter decide to indulge in something a little more... pedestrian—a joint. As the smoke settles and their usual control begins to loosen, Hannibal finds himself experiencing a sensation he never expected: a heightened sensitivity that unravels him under Will’s teasing touch. What starts as a curious experiment in relaxation quickly turns into a surprising discovery, one that leaves even the meticulous Hannibal completely undone. Will is all too eager to take advantage of his newfound knowledge, and Hannibal, for once, is too overwhelmed to resist.

god, i loved this so much.

We Are Now Among The Ruins by ADeedWithoutAName:

Hannibal survived the fall, but not unchanged. He intends to give Will the only gift he now can, and Will intends to honor him in the only way that matters.

i rarely read MCD, but this one is so worth the pain. i am eternally sobbing from this 😭 i also cannot recommend this one enough!!

Something Sacred by scifibabe:

In the quiet aftermath of their survival, silence has taken hold. Hannibal hasn't spoken since the night they washed ashore, his voice swallowed by their shared trauma. Will, haunted by the absence of words and the weight of unspoken things, has learned to reach Hannibal through touch, through the quiet rituals of care. When the strain of Hannibal’s pain becomes too much to hide, Will draws a bath—an unspoken offer of comfort. But today is different. Today, beneath the surface of familiar rituals, something stirs. As the warmth of the water surrounds them, walls begin to crack, and a fragile trust, once guarded so fiercely, blooms into something more intimate and vulnerable than either of them anticipated. In the quiet steam of the bath, two men find solace in each other’s arms, where tenderness can no longer be ignored.

this was so beautiful and soft omg. forever wailing about Hannibal asking Will to join him in the bath. ♡

A Pinch Of Salt In The Wound:

Renderered mute and bedbound post-fall, Hannibal begins to spiral.

You Believe Me Like A God:

Hannibal becomes severely injured post-episode 3x13.

compimento by cervviidae:

Hannibal learns what it's like to be Will's husband.

one of the most beautiful fics i've ever read that explore post-fall hannibal being loved with genuine tenderness and affection by Will. one i'll forever recommend.

Solace In Being Heard by air_of_the_Waterfall:

Hannibal is having terrible nightmares, and Will comes up with a rather unexpected method of helping him get a full night’s sleep.

i love that this offers such a unique look into Hannibal's childhood trauma and how it would impact his sleep. can't recommend it enough!

Bright Burn by Shotgun_sinner:

Hannibal suffers life-threatening injuries post-fall. Will makes decisions to save Hannibal, while trying to recover the life with him that he's only just realized he wanted. How far will he go to keep what's his?

the whump is immaculate in this post-fall fic too 🤧

crave, then succumb:

Hannibal receives a second hug post-fall, while high as a kite on morphine, and ends up unraveling in Will's arms.

chimera of the chapel by bleakmidwinter:

When Will Graham wakes up from a coma three months after the fall, Jack reveals that Hannibal Lecter didn't survive. Outside the realm of Hannibal's influence, Will decides to discover the full truth behind the world's sudden and seeming falsehood. Everybody seems to hold their own opinion on Hannibal's fate, but Will knows better than anyone that trust and honesty are as elusive as death.

incredible. i can't even express how much i loved this. the tender moments and development of their relationship is so beautiful 😭♥️

Keep Me Warm by nbcravenstag:

Will arrives home after walking through a blizzard, fully expecting an angry husband, but instead finds a traumatized little boy, terrified of the cold and haunted by what he's already lost.

the hurt/comfort in this was amazing. love it so much.

Beauty Not Needed Here by kralbellen:

“I know you are in love with me.”

It's not a question but not fully a statement either. A certain amount of doubt colores Will's tone, giving the sentence a nervous lilt.

Hannibal's first instinct is to deny it, in some half-hearted, last effort at self-preservation. He almost smiles – there is no self-preservation left for him when it comes to Will.

Hannibal is asexual. this was so tender and sweet. eternally wailing into my pillow. as someone who's ace this was like a breath of fresh air.

O Holy Night by memequeen1127:

Hannibal gazes at him right back, smiling as if he knows exactly what Will’s thinking. And considering how they know each other inside and out, he very well might.

“Merry Christmas, Will,” he says softly.

Will smiles. “Merry Christmas, Hannibal.”

the sweetest oneshot i've ever read. Hannibal regresses during Christmas and Will is so patient and caring. wailing about this until the end of time 😭🩵

The Perception Of Reality Through Language by Angelic_Disaster:

Hannibal can recognize the factors of trauma in others but not in himself. That's why he denies that there is a reason why he doesn't speak Lithuanian.

sobbing at this for eternity. Will speaking to Hannibal in Lithuanian and then Hannibal breaks down in his arms?? i couldn't ask for anything more beautiful than that in a fic.

Living With A Ghost Of Summer by itsbeautiful:

Based on a requested prompt. Where Will is an idiot, ahem, I mean Will loves Hannibal and tries to surprise him by making a home cooked meal using dishes from Lithuania. Fails spectacularly to lie his way out of it and everything goes horribly wrong. And then they cuddle. The end.

one of my favorites. Will cooks Lithuanian food for Hannibal, who ends up becoming an emotional mess.

Know Me See Me by incidentsofunknownorigins:

On the way to the cliff house, Will makes a decision for himself. Once they get there, he acts on it. But he finds Hannibal is much more deeply broken by his stay at the BSHCI than either of them realized. This time Will must put the teacup back together.

the premise of this fic is something i've been searching for and craving to read for so, so long (eternity, basically) because there can never be enough cliff house fics that explore Hannibal being touch-starved and vulnerable and dealing with the effects of being isolated for three long years. ♡

between here and there by hannigramized:

Will's name is the last word Hannibal spoke in his presence. That was two months ago, directly after the fall, and Hannibal has not said a single word since. Now Will has to navigate through their lives together without Hannibal's voice to guide him.

love this so much! it's the most amazing mute!Hannibal fic i've ever read.

Take Me The Way I Am by Thinminted:

Will didn’t miss Molly, not really, but he occasionally missed who he was when he was with her.

A story about learning to trust your partner with all of yourself.

a very beautiful exploration of Hannibal and Will's developing relationship post-fall.

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

the self-indulgent fanfiction will continue until morale improves

I stayed up late to read the new chapter and it was so worth it! I wasn’t sure how to post a gif in the AO3 comment section—but this was literally me after reading:

Hannibal’s breath hitched, and a desperate, almost pleading expression crossed his face as a faint, stuttering whisper escaped him, “I–I need…”

Will silenced him with a tender yet commanding touch, his hands cupping Hannibal’s face. He brushed his thumb over Hannibal’s trembling lips, feeling the warmth and the slight moisture of his breath. “Pants off, darlin’,” he instructed, his tone brooking no argument.

I love that moment so much 🥺

chapter 13 is up!

i hope y'all enjoy and would love to know what y'all think – felt like i was truly fighting for my life with parts of this chapter lolol

Will chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through the small space between them. “Well, if it makes you feel better,” he said, his tone light, “I suppose I can tolerate being carried around like a damsel in distress.” Hannibal’s smile widened a small amount. “You, my dear Will, are far from a damsel in distress. But I do appreciate your cooperation.”

omg i'm so glad!! 🩵 i never imagined the rec list would become that long when i originally put it together lol. i plan to update it very soon and add some more vulnerable Hannibal fics!

Hannigram Short Fanfic Review List!

Hey, friends! It's official: I made it through the list of short fics I've been recommended!

As a reminder, the criteria that was voted on for short fanfictions was capped at anything less than 10k words. All works in this review can be found on AO3 and will be linked via the fic title!

Disclaimer: As always, mind the tags and use your best judgement as to whether you want to read the fic. Have fun!

Reviews under the cut. :)

Something Else

Author: HotMolasses ( @hotmolasses @snazzymolasses )

Word count: 2,137

Summary: “Why didn’t you pull away, Will?” he said, genuine curiosity in his voice. “When I was mere inches from you, with a deadly blade in my hand, you leaned toward me. Did you hope I would kill you?”

Will shut his eyes from pain as he was suddenly jerked back to that moment. He tilted his face away from Hannibal and tried to shove the memory away, the betrayal he had felt, even though he had rightly deserved it, after everything he had done.

He didn’t think about Abigail. Hannibal wasn’t talking about that part anyway.

He forced his eyes open but found himself unable to meet Hannibal’s gaze. He stared at the floor and steeled himself. He had promised honesty, and for once, Hannibal had earned it.

“Because I wasn’t thinking you were going to gut me.” he said. “When you put your hand on my face, stroked my cheek I thought…” the room blurred around the edges because Will had kept his eyes fixed to a single spot on the floor for so long. Now he forced them to look into Hannibal’s face. “I thought you were going to do something else.”

h e l p. This fic is short, but it manages to have just the right blend of angst and sweetness that really makes me crave more. I like everything I've read from HotMolasses, but this might have to be my favorite.

First of Many

Author: solarteacup

Word count: 2,204

Summary: a take on Will and Hannibal's first kiss for valentine's day

Short and sweet, very cute. Exchanging shy smiles always gets to me, and I love the first kiss trope!

Breathe

Author: solarteacup

Word count: 2,501

Summary: Will gives Hannibal a very enthusiastic blowjob

Wait. Wait. Asthmatic Hannibal?! I didn't know I needed this until reading this fic. As someone who has suffered from asthma attacks my entire life, I feel seen, but I was also completely thrown for a loop! It was well written, too, and it wasn't the entire focus, just a detail thrown in for the plot (effects of damage from the fall??) but I ended up really loving it! Bonus points for dominant Will. 🤭

Crave, then Succumb

Author: coffeeinrain ( @coffee-in-rain )

Word count: 2,521

Summary: Hannibal receives a second hug post-fall, while high as a kite on morphine, and ends up unraveling in Will's arms.

This is sweet and fluffy from the get-go, with some good old fashioned hurt-comfort thrown in. I love the domesticity in this fic, Will being gentle with Hannibal after the fall is one of my weaknesses. I adore the vulnerable Hannibal tag, it's another one of my weaknesses; I love to see that big man fall apart, only to be lovingly pieced back together. We love gentle Will Graham and post-fall domesticity!

Silk and Lace

Author: jonnimir

Word count: 3,105

Summary: Kinktober Day 9: Lingerie.

Bedelia leaves Hannibal and Will a gift at the house on the cliff.

Okay, this was sweeter than I expected it to be! I really liked this fic, it has some warm fuzzy feelings, a lot of gentleness, and submissive Hannibal. I love the first-time-since-prison trope tbh, and this fic is actually quite cute despite being smut. It's not graphic, but it still does a good job at describing the scenes. I would read this again.

Fever

Author: solarteacup

Word count: 3,181

Summary: Will is sick and begs Hannibal to take care of him

Honestly, this one wasn't my favorite, but I promised to review every fic recommended to me. In the spirit of honesty, I don't particularly enjoy fics with needy bottom Will, but that's just me. Anyway, not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. Let me know what y'all think if you read it. :)

You May Be a Sinner But Your Innocence is Mine

Author: multifandom_fanfic_writer

Word count: 3,198

Summary: “Hello,” Will said. He wanted to say something else, something to convey his relief at Hannibal being alive, being okay, but he didn’t know what to say.

“Hello,” Hannibal responded. His eyes were bright. “You are very beautiful.”

I've read this one before, so this is a reread for me! I love amnesia fics, there's something about them that I just enjoy. It's another short and sweet one, nothing too plot driven, just a cute little "what if?" fic that ends on a good note.

Revved Up

Author: solarteacup

Word count: 4,814

Summary:Hannibal watches Will fix the car and gets turned on.

I liked this one! There's very few fics by solarteacup I don't enjoy, so it comes as no surprise to me that I did enjoy this one. I love a needy Hannibal and a dominant Will making him beg. One of my favorite tropes is strong characters not knowing how to ask for what they want because they've never had to.

Letter

Author: HotMolasses

Word count: 4,307

Summary: Hannibal,

"I long to be near you. To touch you, to taste you. Desperate, even. I burn with fire whenever you walk into the room...

...At no point in our relationship have you asked anything you wanted from me. You have only taken. And now you had better take the rest. Ask me for nothing. Do not attempt to have a conversation with me about this. I’ll deny even having written this letter. I don’t want to talk about it. I want you to take. Take what you want from me, Hannibal Lecter, or you will never get it." -Will.

This one was partly an attempt for me to branch out and explore the dubcon/cnc tag(s), and I did enjoy this fic. I think it captures Will's mentality around Hannibal taking from him and being put off when Hannibal actually asks instead of just taking more. That being said, I still prefer the sweet fics where both of them are treading lightly post fall, but this one was good for me! I like it.

To Be Seen

Author: solarteacup

Word count: 5,855

Summary: As he closed his eyes, he heard a sharp click of Hannibal’s tongue and a tight grip on his jaw. Hannibal brought Will’s face forward. “Eyes on me.” Hannibal rubbed a little faster and Will’s breath hitched low in his chest. “When you look away, you deny others the privilege of seeing all of you.”

Will goes to Hannibal in distress and gets relief he didn't expect.

While this does have a very dominant Hannibal and hot office sex, it was surprisingly tender! There's not much else I can say other than that I really enjoyed this one.

Compimento

Author: cervviidae ( @cervviidae )

Word count: 9,580

Summary: His day orbits around Will. Every thought, every action is steeped in him. Hannibal waits for him to return from work, the hours stretching long and thin in his absence. He folds Will’s flannels. He organizes Will’s books, running his fingers over their spines as though touching them might bring him closer to Will. He cleans and cooks, each moment filled with the quiet refrain of Will, Will, Will.

- or -

Hannibal learns what it's like to be Will's husband.

I absolutely love the exploration of Hannibal's feelings in this fic. His thoughts surrounding Will and their love are so poetic, yet heartachingly simple. This fic has one of my favorite tropes, which of course is "loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done." I don't see this trope enough in relation to the way Hannibal feels about Will. The simple softness of their relationship and Hannibal being truly content with domesticity instead of the violence and bloodshed he had expected to come of their union. Absolutely wonderful. And the smut? Perfection, exquisite. The ferality of their lovemaking still manages to be tender. I could read this a million times over. This might be my all time favorite as of writing this review.

i agree with this 100%. my housewife hannibal sequel was scraped by that damn AI scraper / whatever the fuck you call it. i am so sad because i worked so hard on the newest chapter. i poured 3 months of dedication and love and joy into that new chapter, and to have it (and some of my other fics) be used for AI training (some soul-less machine) is not a good feeling at all. i'm sorry to all my lovely guest readers, but i will be locking all my fics so only registered users can access them, because fuck AI.

After the recent scrape of Ao3 I feel like now is a good time to say a few things

Authors: Limit your works to registered users only, you are going to see a drop in activity which is going to suck a lot but it's 10x better than having your work stolen and used to train AI. Please take care of your precious work

Readers: If you aren't registered, it's to get registered. You've probably been lurking on ao3 for at least a little while, and if you want to be able to properly interact with your favourite works then the best thing to do is get registered. This way authors can feel supported and you can still interact with your favourite works. It's important the authors and readers help each other out here

Registered Readers: It is important, now more than ever, that you comment and kudos on works that you enjoy. Even it was just one line. Hit that fucking kudos button. And never ever be afraid to comment on fics. You have no idea how overjoyed authors are to get even a single emoji for a comment. And if you have more to say, please say it. it means so much to the authors

AI "writers": Go fuck yourself

Good luck to the writers and thanks in advance to the unregistered readers

Part 2) Blood gushes from Hannibal’s wound and from his mouth (where he bit his tongue on impact). His eyes are glazed over and Will realizes he’s having a flashback.

(this next part is barely a wip idea—but Hannibal was nearly drowned at the orphanage during a bath—by an adult who found him difficult to deal with—when he was sick with a cold and too weak to fend for himself. In that moment, he just wanted his papa or mother to save him. But he could only depend on himself).

“Tėtis,” (papa in Lithuanian) tumbles from Hannibal’s mouth, flecked with droplets of blood. Along with the word “Praušu” as he flings himself into Will’s chest, knocking them both to the floor. He burrows into Will’s lap, desperate for warmth and consolation. Will decides he can put his plans involving Hannibal’s impending entrapment on hold for one night.

Imagine if during Will’s honey trap era, he dropped by unannounced and found Hannibal slumped on the floor of his kitchen—wearing his red sweater and matching pajama pants—too weak and fatigued from the flu to make it back to bed.

He’s fevered and shivering, barely holding onto a half-eaten piece of toast that’s dangling between his sleep-slackened fingers. His bangs are fanned out across his forehead, softening his features and two days’ growth of stubble dusts his jaw. Will manages to wake him and strips him down to his boxers to wrangle him into a cold bath in hopes of bringing down his fever. Hannibal panics and tries to climb out—away from the frigid water—but Will holds him down.

Cue, Hannibal’s cryophobia emerging for the first time in decades and he regresses. In under a minute, he’s sobbing and on the verge of hyperventilating, clinging to Will and losing his footing as he makes another effort to escape—slipping back into the water and busting his chin on the edge of the tub.