Fic: Again to See the Stars (Benjamin January mysteries, NC-17)

Title: Again to See the Stars
Author: Brigdh
Ratings/Warnings: NC-17, brief mentions of drug and alcohol withdrawal.
Summary: Hannibal has (mostly) gotten through the withdrawal period, so he and Ben celebrate. By having sex. Ben/Hannibal, implied Ben/Rose/Hannibal
Disclaimer: The Benjamin January mysteries are by Barbara Hambly, and you should all read them.
Notes: A million thanks to my betas, silverflight8 and somebraveapollo, who are incredible and awesome. somebraveapollo also helped me come up with a title.

This is set during the early part of The Shirt on His Back, and involves some minor spoilers for that book. This story relies a bit more on canon knowledge than did the first one I wrote. If you haven't read the book, but would like to read this story, here is what you need to know: Hannibal, who has spent decades using alcohol and laudanum/opium, has managed to quit both habits, between this book and the previous one, Dead and Buried. He does so successfully, but is just coming off the months-long suicidal depression that is a side-effect of withdrawal. Ben and Hannibal (and Shaw, their friend, but not Rose, Ben's wife, who is still back in New Orleans) are at a temporary fur-trading camp in the Oregon territory of the Rocky Mountains, for the plot-related reason of solving a mystery. At this camp, Hannibal has arranged a temporary "marriage" (scare quotes because it has no legal or religious meaning) that is explicitly intended to last only a few weeks, while both he and the lady are at the camp.

2,311 words. Also available on AO3.



( Again to See the Stars )