Hannibal was unsure when, in Alana's mind, he had transitioned from 'friend' to 'lay.' She would politely decline his invitations to the opera or to dinner, but come over often under the guise of needing to talk. It was about Will Graham, always.
"He's been out a few days now. He doesn't look happy."
"Will has been through a lot. It will take him some time to adjust back to normal." Alana's hair was glistening under his kitchen's lamplight and he wanted to reach out and touch it. "But I have faith that he will. As we have."
"I wouldn't call what's happened between us normal." She grinned and looked up at him with her sparkling eyes. He felt his breathing quicken and he smiled back at her.
"What would you call it?"
"A welcome departure from normalcy." She leaned in to kiss him; he moved slightly and her lips touched his cheek instead.
"I beg to differ." She looked slightly irritated, in the most endearing way. "I'd prefer it if as little between us changed as possible. I miss normal."
"Is normal before or after Will Graham?"
"Our normal doesn't have anything to do with Will Graham," he said, "Does it?"
She bit her lip. "Isn't he the reason our normal changed?"
"I don't think so," he said, and kissed her. "He doesn't have to be."
"I don't know." She kissed him back.
"Don't you?"
She smiled and gripped his face with both hands and pulled him toward her. Then she pushed him away, wrapped his tie round her hand and led him into the next room.
He was unsure what he thought of this change in her mind, only that there were parts of it he quite liked.