Otherworld

His Smile [AkinXHannibal]

He supposed that in time, he would find himself listening to Seven's strange version of rap as well.

But today was not that day.

Hannibal went to the music player built into the wall by the counter and synced his playlist, tossing his braid over his shoulder as he stooped to peer into the fridge, hunting for only a moment before he spotted what he was looking for and piled ingredients into his arms. He used his foot to kick the door shut and went to set up on the counter.

A minute later, Seven was trudging into the kitchen.

Hannibal had never seen someone so fucking at ease and relaxed around him, so defenseless, because Seven came wobbling in half-asleep with his pretty white-blonde hair in a messy bun that he clearly slept with, wearing boxers that were just slightly tucked into his asscrack and a quarter-sleeve black top.

"No," Hannibal said the moment Seven approached him. Seven blinked a few times, then groaned.

"Aw, come on, if you're going to make me get up at dawn, the least you can do is let me wear what I want."

"No. It's a fire hazard. I can fix your hair, but better clothes."

"But you've made bacon with your shirt off!"

"This isn't about me. Go."

Seven made a noise of supreme disgust, and even made a show of stomping a foot before he left and it took everything in Hannibal's power not to laugh until after Seven had left. As soon as he heard the kid's door close, he had to put a hand over his face.

And this little fucker wants to get married.

Now that wiped the smile off his face as he sorted their ingredients on the counter, his brow furrowing. He did not like the idea of Seven getting married, at least not right now. In some parts of the world, Seven was an adult, absolutely. He was eighteen, except for the part that eighteen was still considered a child by Atlantean standards. Once he was twenty, he could start making his own decisions.

Or at least, that was supposed to be the traditional method.

Except their situation was anything, but traditional.

Seven's education was stunted thanks to Hera's brutality. Granted, he'd watched the kid, quite proudly, kick ass and take names. He watched the kid scale a wall, only giving it a quick study before he ran a certain distance away and went sprinting at it with the intent to climb to the very top. He kept forgetting the kid couldn't use magic and it always amazed him how much he'd accomplished without it.

But education was different.

Seven needed to know how the world worked. He needed to know about the past, and the present, and the future. He needed to learn critical thinking skills and socialization. He needed to make friends outside of the Cousins, outside of their family, and he needed to know how to do things on his own.

He knew that logically.

But he also knew that he would have to let Seven go someday.

Seven was already on the older end of his teenage years, and he was incredibly smart and picked up things quickly when he put his mind to it, but it wouldn't be long before the wedding bells were ringing and Seven was packing up to leave.

He had no idea why the thought gave him anxiety.

Strange.

"Kay, how 'bout now?" Seven asked sleepily when he returned in a pair of sweats and a sleeveless turtleneck. His hair was still a haphazard mess he clearly didn't bother to touch, so Hannibal just rolled his eyes and crooked his finger at him. Seven trudged forward and turned to give him his back as Hannibal reached into one of Akin's junk drawers to find a mini-comb to get to work on the rat's nest Seven called hair.