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Of Ichor Vines and Belladonna Berries

Chapter 5: Pollen

Notes:

Hey guys! Sorry again for the delay.

My schedule is a bit inconsistent at the moment, but it should mellow out in a week or two. I'm going on another vacation tomorrow, and I'll be starting classes again next week, so I'm rather busy.

As I was reading this fic over again, I decided to throw a wrench in Hannibal's plan. We wouldn't want to make things TOO easy for him to win Will over. So, I've introduced that character in the form of a "new" love-interest, but make no mistake, this fic still has Hannibal as the "endgame ship."

Depending on how you all feel, I either will or won't include the "sex" scenes involving Will and this other character and simply add the implications that anything happened. You'll see what I mean, soon. As I said, Hannibal won't let this go on forever, so it won't last, much like what happened with Mason.

Keep up the comments! I love hearing from you all. :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Day 57

Will, for about the millionth time that day, fought not to fidget as he watched delivery men walk in and out of his newly-finished greenhouse. His ass was rather sore from Hannibal’s latest ministrations, and no matter how much Will thought the plant would slow down after being sated, it never did. It seemed that where he was concerned, the Cannibalis was nothing if not relentless in its desire to keep him close and blissed out. They’d even begun to make a routine of it, much to Will’s inner chagrin.

It liked to feed him first, something that Will couldn’t help but find polite. The blue berry-flavored liquid slid down his throat and pooled in his belly, sending his insides aflame with desire to touch the dangerous Cannibalis . After a few sessions with it, he came to understand the addictive properties of the blue syrup, but it felt so good, he couldn’t help but indulge the plant in satisfying him. 

After the blue syrup came the sheath that cradled his below-average cock and brought him to climax. Despite himself, he enjoyed watching Hannibal bring his seed into its plant body, delighting in how not a single drop was ever wasted, and how thoroughly his genitals were manipulated to ensure that Will, himself, never kept any of his semen to himself.

Sometimes the overstimulation got to be too much, and in these moments, Hannibal’s vines would tie the gardener up until he couldn’t move a single inch. If Will was being particularly squirmy and demanding, the poor man found himself being whipped and bound until Hannibal granted him mercy. Swearing tended to draw out the process, Will learned over time, causing him to use quite a colorful vocabulary when he was more frustrated with the Cannibalis than usual.

Lastly, after Will’s climax and punishment, Hannibal liked to fuck him, hard. The gardener always looked forward to this part despite how he felt afterwards. He loved how Hannibal held him, looked at him. They shared many passionate kisses during these moments. Meanwhile, the plant soothed the lashes across his body with a burning balm that only made him more aroused and pliant. It rumbled and shuddered against him, filling him to the brim with its own liquid love. His belly began to bulge, and soft leaves traced the swell in an almost loving gesture. It made Will feel beautiful .

To the gardener, there was an almost therapeutic quality to his time with Hannibal. It allowed him to vent his frustrations and partake in an intimate connection he knew others would find him insane for doing, but there was something so delightful in that, too. Dare he say it, Will had begun to truly love Hannibal, with or without the red pollen. He could feel it each time he kissed the plant’s thin “lips,” or held onto its solid mass of vines and leaves as he climaxed into the plant’s thicker sheath. His mind became so delightfully clouded that sometimes he forgot Hannibal wasn’t even a person at all.

It was always painful when he sobered up, waking cold, wet, dirt in every crevice, and leaking like a used cum sock. The chill made his tortured nipples ache and his ass burn. Dark green syrup trickled from his plugged hole, and whenever he went to remove the vine inside of him, the devilish thing used the last of its strength to curl itself further inward, unrelenting against his prostate. He always got it out eventually, of course, but it was arousingly painful. It was in these moments where he always swore off going near the Cannibalis for such things again, but there he always was as night fell, naked and submissive before Hannibal’s beckoning vines. Sometimes, despite Hannibal’s glances, he hated himself. There was always the reminder that he wasn’t normal, that he was behaving wrongly, that he could be fired and separated from his work if he was caught.

The sound of a smaller truck pulling up brought him out of his conflicted thoughts. His ass clenched around the vine remnant inside him, making him wriggle his hips a bit as he watched the moving men.

Packages of many different sizes weighed them down, and the gardener knew it would be a rather straining task to organize them all. A few of them shot annoyed looks in his direction, as though blaming him for their laborious duty. From his current spot, he could spot Hannibal watching the men with curiosity.

While a rather rushed job, he had to admit that the additions to the sides of the greenhouse gave it a rather elegant church-like interior, even if the parts that would equate to the trancepts were closer to the front than the back. There, the new dangerous plants would be placed. As such, Hannibal’s planter was made into the centerpiece of it all, and Will could tell that the Cannibalis liked that very much. At the same time, he was still the closest to Will’s sleeping quarters deeper inside.

“That’s a real spooky plant you’ve got in there. I thought it was a person for a second,” the man in charge of the other day laborers said as he approached Will from the truck, clipboard in hand.

“He’s—It’s something,” Will corrected sheepishly, taking the man’s offered pen and signing for the dozens of boxes. Thankfully, he said nothing in response, merely shrugging and walking away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Will moved to lean against what he thought was a nearby tree but immediately jumped when it moved, speaking with an amused tone, “Mr. Graham?”

Will jumped away, twisting around to see another man in overalls, an undershirt, and boots. He carried a hefty duffel bag on his back and a small piece of paper in his hand. The man was a bit taller than him, with ears that stuck out and short, choppy bangs that accentuated his hairline. However, what really startled the gardener was the overabundance of enthusiasm and eagerness in his eyes.

“Yes, that’s me,” Will nodded, unsure of who he was. Luckily, he was saved from wondering when the taller man reached his hand forward to shake Will’s.

“Great! I never thought I’d ever meet the renowned Will Graham. It was almost too good to be true when I saw the newspaper ad for an assistant groundskeeper at the Verger Estate. Of course, I applied right away, as I knew you would be here. I’ve read all of your interviews, and papers on horticulture. I just knew you were the real deal, and now, standing before me, it’s an honor to truly meet you,” the man blabbered on, and Will fought the urge to wince. Oh great, a fan…

While on the one hand, Will wished to be appreciated for all the work he’d done for the Vergers, and for the gardening community as a whole, and he’d done quite a bit in college and in experimental herbal forensics before he worked in his current job. At the same time, that didn’t mean he wanted to be ascended to godhood like this man obviously thought of him. Of course, he also valued his simple life and privacy, and with fans like these, that might be a bit harder to come by.

“Uh, huh,” Will drawled, gently extracting his hand from the stranger’s, “And… you are?”

The man’s eyes widened further, his expression morphing into one of sheepish embarrassment, “I’m Matthew Brown. Ms. and Mr. Verger hired me to assist you. Mr. Verger told me I would be handling your usual tasks while you work on what I can guess is unpacking all those boxes and setting their contents up,” Matthew peered around Will with excitement, “Is it true? Are there poisonous and dangerous plants in there?”

Will shook himself back to the present, having gotten lost in Matthew’s ramblings, “Yes, I know Mason ordered a large variety of them, and I’m sure it will be a harrowing task to situate them all in the best way.” The shorter gardener looked to the greenhouse, catching Hannibal looking between the two men with narrowed false eyes. Its ‘arms’ were crossed in an effort to make itself look more intimidating. Matthew followed his eyes to the boxes, nodding.

“Yeah, I have some experience with poisonous breeds, and I know some of them can get very dangerous, where even the slightest pin-prick can— Holy fuck! Is that a Cannibalis ?” the taller gardener gasped, tracing Will’s eyeline and spotting Hannibal.

Will nodded firmly, “Yes, a Cannibalis stagellium , an exotic version of the domestic Cannibalis stagellia . This is my first experience with an exotic, but I’ve cared for two of the domestics in the past, and they were very helpful in controlling the pests around here. This one, on the other hand,” Will glared at Hannibal, “has a hard time keeping its vines to itself.”

“Clearly,” Matthew pointed his finger in front of Will, “Look at its false human features, its ‘arms’ and ‘face.’ It’s looking for human prey. Be careful, or it will gobble you up,” he joked, patting Will on the back and beginning to walk towards the greenhouse entrance. “So where will I be staying?”

Will followed close behind, weary of Hannibal’s reaction to the new gardener, “I’ve constructed a top bunk above my own bed for you to sleep on. I hope you don’t mind. Mason doesn’t exactly care that we’re living in rather tight quarters.”

Matthew smiled back at Will, encouraging and determined, “I don’t mind sharing , and if we need more space, we can make room.”

“I like your confidence,” Will smiled, feeling a bit more at ease with Matthew, even if he still seemed a bit too eager for his taste.

When they reached the front entrance, Hannibal unfurled some of his vines to probe at Matthew like a cruel child poking an animal with a stick. Will sighed, pushing his new co-worker to the back of the greenhouse where he’d set up their new living space, complete with their two beds, a tiny kitchenette, and an enclosed bathroom added onto the very back of the greenhouse. It was much better than what Will had before, even though he had to pay more for the extra accommodations.

“I can see what you mean, Will,” Matthew commented on the space, Hannibal included, “Tight quarters and a houseplant that won’t behave… While I’d hate to do away with something you cultivated, if any plant becomes too much trouble, I could cull it for you, Will, even one as magnificent as this,” he vowed to will, letting reverence slip back into his tone.

“...Thank you,” Will nodded after a moment, moving to the small counter where he placed the list of chores he completed nearly every day, “Here… Since we’re rolling into fall, the list is smaller than it usually is in the spring and summer, but since the sun sets sooner, you have less time to work during the day.”

Matthew nodded, taking the list, “Whew, that’s a lot, Will, but if you can do it, then so can I.”

“Great,” Will smiled, taking a seat on his bed and indicating for Matthew to take a seat on one of the new chairs he bought, “I’ll show you where everything is tomorrow, but I usually start with picking fruit from the orchard. As this is a pig farm, the Vergers also grow apples. They are also fond of outrageous requests, so be prepared to do some strange things for the estate’s landscape.”

“What kind of things?” Matthew looked up from the list, confused.

“Well,” Will gulped, looking behind Matthew and noticing that Hannibal was still observing them silently, glaring at the back of his head, “I once had to replace the topiary’s white roses with red ones.”

“Like in Alice in Wonderland ?” Matthew chuckled, but stopped upon noticing Will’s tired nod, realizing that he wasn’t joking.

Exactly like Alice in Wonderland . I have half a mind to wonder if Mason got the idea from that movie and made me act it out for his amusement… In any case, if it comes out of Mason’s or Margot’s mouth, you better do it.”

“Even if it’s stupid? They’re not groundskeepers or gardeners. They wouldn’t know what looks good—”

Will grumbled, “Especially if it’s stupid! It’s no secret that Mason doesn’t know an apple from a mango, but if he doesn’t get what he wants, he will ruin you.”

Matthew scoffed, “You mean if we don’t do as he says, he’ll make sure ‘we’ll never work in this town again,’ or whatever?”

Will nodded again, eyes darting around to see if anyone else was around. The delivery men were long-gone, and no one usually came out to the back of the estate to check on the greenhouse, “If Cordell doesn’t kill and hide our bodies first… I’ve heard rumors from the other estate employees who work in the main house.”

Again, Matthew scoffed, but leaned forward and took Will’s hand, “If that’s the case, then I’d like to see them try. You and me, Will. We could conquer them together.”

“Huh?” Will tilted his head in confusion. They’d just met, and already Matthew was speaking of them as if they were star-crossed lovers or something equally bizarre.

Matthew blushed, finally letting go of Will’s hand and shaking himself from his illusion of grandeur, “Sorry, wishful thinking. Let me get a better look at this list, and then maybe you and I could take a walk around the estate. Show me around?”

Will smiled and nodded gratefully, “Sure.” However, when he looked back over at Hannibal, he noticed that the Cannibalis ’ face was pulled into one of deep anger, distorting the surrounding leaves. Smaller vines whipped through the air, as though practicing to strike at something, or someone, in particular. He groaned quietly, knowing he would likely have to pay for his ‘infidelity’ with many orgasms. He swallowed, feeling the phantom sensation of blue syrup sliding down his throat.

Even as he sat, the strange dildo-like vine plug in his ass curled against his prostate, bringing the poor gardener to a half-hard position. The bloated feeling in his belly had gradually gone away after a few days, but no matter how many times he threw away the vine toy, he always woke with a new one snug between his cheeks and holding back what felt like a torrent of Hannibal’s seed. It was torture, but it still felt good, as much as he hated to admit it.

Will fidgeted, suddenly feeling more spiteful than he had been in a long time. Looking between Matthew and Hannibal, he gauged their angry and excited expressions. Ideas solidified in his mind. His lip curled as he came up with a plan to regain his autonomy, but first, he needed a shower.

★★★

Will walked a bit more slowly behind his taller companion through the vast orchard, watching him take in the literal fruits of his hard labor. He drifted from tree to tree, examining the roots, and the bark, and the fruit . The fruit made even Will lick his lips. Matthew looked handsome like this, no longer focused on Will himself, but rather on his own reflections of Will’s work. It felt so authentic and real, and it left the smaller gardener feeling appreciated in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.

The picnic basket in his arms felt heavy, grounding him in this moment. It shielded his half-hard cock from his new subordinate, even as he ground against it, his newly-cleaned hole clenching on nothing. He had high hopes for this outing, knowing that framing a simple tour in a more romantic setting would be the start to other things .

He didn’t love Matthew. They’d only just met, after all, but Will could see himself being happy with him. The taller gardener’s feelings of novelty from meeting the man he was obsessed with would soon fade, and hopefully a truer kind of love would linger. There certainly was a spark of it, if what he was about to do indicated anything.

Will set up the picnic, allowing Matthew to take a few apples from the surrounding trees. They wouldn’t be missed, he knew. Wine was poured into twin glasses, and the two drank happily, enjoying each-other's company.

An early fall breeze picked up soon after, leading Will to shiver, more so for the benefit of his plan, rather than his own discomfort. Matthew took the hint, nonetheless, beckoning him closer and wrapping them in another shared blanket.

“Thank you, Matthew,” Will smiled, leaning further into the other man’s warmth as he finished his dinner, “The evenings will be getting colder now. If I’d half a mind, I would have brought another blanket.”

“It’s alright, Will,” the taller man smiled back, taking a bite out of his sandwich and exchanging it for one of the apples, “I told you I don’t mind sharing.”

Will looked down and took another bite, looking back up at Matthew, biting his lip, “You know, at first, I didn’t know what to think of you, but now I see you…”

“And do you like what you see?” the man quickly caught onto what Will was hinting, slowly leaning forward, voice a mere whisper against Will’s own lips.

“I like it very much,” Will chuckled, pressing their lips together and moaning at the sweet and sour taste of apple between them. Matthew reciprocated, hand weaving through the blanket to cradle Will’s nape as he intensified the kiss. Soon though, they parted, both panting and looking at each other with new eyes.

“Your eyes,” Matthew stated dumbly, in awe, “They’re beautiful. They’re better than I ever imagined.”

Will giggled as the taller man cuddled them closer, “Have you been fantasizing about me often, Mr. Brown?” As strange as it was, he was really enjoying this, truly. He wasn’t being used, and dare he say it, he wasn’t really using Matthew other than to forget about Hannibal. He was genuinely lonely, and he didn’t see why being with his co-worker could be so bad. They were already going to be living together anyway.

“Oh, yes, Mr. Graham… I could make you very happy…” Matthew growled against Will’s jaw and neck, reveling in the stubble he found there.

“I want to be happy,” Will mewled, feeling the taller gardener begin to leave suck-marks and love bites as he trailed down his pale neck, “but not here.”

Matthew stopped, moving his hands down to hold Will’s hips, “Oh?” He looked around, not seeing any problem with worshipping his idol out in the open orchard for anyone to see.

Will crawled into Matthew’s lap and held him close. The taller gardener groaned and Will added his own bite to his neck, loving how Matthew’s fingers tightened when Will licked at the bite, “I still need to show you the rakes you’ll be using for the orchard. There’s a little shed for them nearby…”

“Mmm,” Matthew purred, “Sounds interesting… I think I have a certain tool that I want to show you, too.”

Will, despite the tacky innuendo, smiled and kissed Matthew’s cheek, “I’d like that…”

Notes:

Careful, Will... Don't go getting attached to someone your jealous plant could easily kill. You might be pushing it to do something rash. ;)