1
Pawn
Emmy didn't realise she was being watched by a stranger, in fact, she was so wrapped up in her task, the creature beneath her could have come alive and the woman would be none the wiser. The wooden handled knife in her slender fingers parted meat from bone in smooth, clean cuts and slowly the fresh deer became prime cuts of venison. The stranger moved forward, and again, Emmy paid no heed. The skin up to her arms was stained red, the blood smeared as if by the hands of a painter, her face painted with the same ink. A pair of thin framed glasses perched on her nose, the lenses grimy, her hair pulled back, strands escaping and dancing amid the fray.
Her head snapped up suddenly, the strangers delicate cologne reaching her nostrils and she stared blankly, eyes wide. Her knuckles tightened around the blade and she stood flat footed against the stone floor. He made some comment about her choice of knife and the man's exotic accent threw her off guard. She was enchanted by his lips, his tone and timbre of speech. She didn't notice him moving closer and only came back to earth when her instincts kicked in. His cologne, stronger, closer, defend! Emmy raised the blade and her wrist was caught by his strong hand.
"Where is Will?" His eyes were cool, calculating, his face impassive and Emmy panicked. She pulled away sharply, fighting his strength and the urge to run.
"W-Will is out, he's still hunting..." The man smiled, an expression she neither expected nor welcomed. He made her uncomfortable, and his eyes traced her half naked body with a hunger that was unknown. Emmy turned, covering her body, dropping the knife on the kitchen counter and grabbing a clean shirt. She still needed a shower, her torso was covered in blood after skinning the deer, but she would not expose herself with this man nearby. Slowly, tentatively, a deer under the gaze of a gun, she returned to her work. He spoke to her, but Emmy took the child-like approach and ignored him. How she wished Will would return. The dogs sniffed at the man's heels, but Winston whined, backing away and surrounding Emmy with warmth and comfort.
Finally the meat was finished and she threw a few knuckles and shoulder bones to the dogs, before placing the others in a pot to boil, and the rest were disposed of. Winston sat by the door, rushing from Emmy's side, his tail kicking up small clouds of dust as Will came through the door. He had a smile of gratitude on his face, but as he saw Hannibal, his expression became confused.
"Hannibal?" Dr. Lecter turned to look at the dark haired investigator,
"Ah Will, I brought you lunch," He gestured to the small pile of Tupperware on the empty kitchen counter. The special agent frowned again before moving awkwardly around the man and gesturing at the blonde, meeting her eyes. Emmy frowned and pouted a little;
"I can introduce myself Will."
Her tone was clipped, irritated with him and this strange man. She felt violated, exposed and interrupted from her work. The dogs paid no head except Winston, the others gnawing on bone, happily oblivious. Winston licked her leg, a comforting gesture as if the creature sensed her emotions. By the look on the strangers face, he read her like a book. He was a rock, her feelings like waves, crashing into him, fighting to destroy and beat down. She held a hand out, fingers now clean, close clipped nails only showing a little of the macabre act previously performed. The stranger held his own hand out and cupped hers with a firm grip, his palms soft, nails immaculate and she caught a glimpse of the blonde hair that peppered the back of his hand and arm beneath the cuff.
Hannibal gazed at Emmy with boredom. She was another human being, another sack of meat. He returned her handshake, greeting her with an inclination of his head.
"I am Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a friend of Will's." He paused, wondering if she knew about his and Will's psychological intimacies. Her eyes widened as he shook her hand, fingers cupping the back of her slender mitt, in the simple gesture of greeting.
"I'm Emmy...a friend of Will's from school, and yes, he has told me about you." Her voice was quiet, dethatched and her blue eyes never met his as they spoke. She dropped the man's hand instantly, as soon as social norms allowed, and returned to her task. Emmy gathered up the knives and threw them haphazardly into the sink. The metal scraped against metal, and Hannibal twitched a little. The blonde looked at Will and left, heading towards the investigators room. The brunette looked at Hannibal, apologising silently before following his old friend.
"Emmy, I'm sorry – I wasn't expecting him to appear." She shook her head, and pushed Will away before stripping her underwear and stepping into the bathroom. "It's fine – just get rid of him okay? He unnerves me." Will sighed and returned to Hannibal in the kitchen as the sound of the shower pipes echoed through the house.
The blonde watched the water turn pink as she washed the blood away, untangling the knots from her hair, scrubbing her skin perfectly clean. She coated her skin in Will's body wash, breathing in the warm musk and relaxing completely under the hot water. Emmy took all the time in the world, humming to drown out the men's conversation as they ate, and when she got out of the shower, she rubbed her hair dry and dressed in sweatpants and a vest top before returning to the kitchen. Hannibal looked up as Emmy came in, and smiled kindly, standing to offer his apologies. Instead, Emmy sat down at Will's feet, pulling Winston into her lap, and passing a hairbrush to Will. The investigator brushed her hair with tender ease, an act of almost brotherly love. Hannibal again returned to his seat, studying the woman with narrowed eyes.
"Have you know Will long, Emmy?" The blonde looked up, her chin tilted upward as Will teased the knots from her hair, but her eyes remained trained on the man. She stayed silent, running the answer around her mouth, fingers scratching Winston's head.
"I have known him since we were teenagers, science class together, and from that grew a friendship that never ended." She paused, thanking Will by kissing his kneecap before returning her attention to Hannibal; "And what about yourself Doctor Lecter? How do you know Will?" Will paused for a moment, looking at Doctor Lecter, then down at Emmy. He was about to answer, but Hannibal cut in,
"Will is a new friend of mine, we met through a fellow member of the police force. We see each other on a non-professional basis. We all need someone to talk to once in a while." A playful smirk appeared on Emmy's face as she tipped her head back to look at Will.
"So he's your shrink? I never thought you'd be one for someone being inside your head Will." It was a low blow, but the pair had a decent enough relationship that the joke was brushed off. Will grumbled quietly and finished his cup of coffee, gently nudging Emmy with his foot, to get her to sit on a chair like an adult, especially in Hannibal's company. The young woman stood, shooing Winston away before sitting at the kitchen table, unloading her gun and cleaning it with precise motions. Hannibal watched her intently, and even more so the way her and Will interacted. As the clock in the hall struck two, the Doctor stood, and gathered his things.
"Emmy, it was a pleasure to meet you, and Will? I will see you tomorrow." He showed himself out, and as Will's front door shut, the investigator turned to look at his friend.
"That was Hannibal Lecter." Emmy looked up and smirked.
"You are so gay for him Will."
