Hannibal
It was a short ride to Fiesole, but Clarice struggled to remain awake. If it has been a longer ride, he supposed he would have encouraged her to sleep, but even now, they were almost there. Clarice looked in amazement as they drove up the long driveway to the house at the top of the hill. He parked the car and opened the door for her before retrieving her things.
Once inside, Hannibal considered giving her the tour, but knowing how tired she was decided against it. There was only one room set up with a bed in the house; one that he hoped to share with her, but he would be willing to take the couch for the night if it made her more comfortable. In the bedroom he placed her suitcase down and settled the bassinette. He reached into his drawer and gave her a shirt to change in to, so she wouldn't have to unpack. He took the baby gently out of her arms and held him while she changed and readied herself for bed.
Hannibal placed Leonardo into the bassinette when he heard her emerge from the bathroom. She was worn out and exhausted, but the vision of her standing before him in his shirt, with her hair around her shoulders, was more beautiful than that of a goddess. She walked to him and took his hands in hers. She looked at their joined hands for a few moments before raising her face to his and whispering,
"Thank you." He shook his head ever so slightly. It meant that she was not to thank him, that he had done nothing necessitating her thanks. It meant that now was not the time; there would be plenty of time to discuss everything, but not tonight. Clarice seemed to understand and accept this.
"Come, my dear," he responded, "it is time to sleep now." Clarice crawled under the covers obediently. Hannibal waited for a sign from her that she wanted him to occupy the space beside her. She made no such motion. He went into the bathroom himself and dressed for bed, taking off the wrist brace. It would not be needed with her. When he emerged, he found Clarice propped up on the pillows, waiting for him. She watched him expectantly, and not until he had joined her under the covers did she lie back down, resting her head upon his chest, and she fell asleep as soon as he wrapped his arms around her.
Hannibal did not fall asleep quite so quickly. He stayed awake, holding her, watching her, for hours. He heard Leonardo stir and wake up, but before he could extract himself without waking Clarice, she was out of bed and picking him up. It was just as well; clearly the child was hungry, and there wasn't anything Hannibal could do about that. Hannibal's eyes were accustomed to the dark, but Clarice's were not, so she was unaware that he was awake. She took Leonardo into bed and pulled up her shirt, revealing to him her milky white breasts, as she began to breastfeed.
Doing this was normal for Clarice, and she clearly hadn't given a second thought to Hannibal's presence beside her in the bed. The scene before him was more than arousing, it was natural, beautiful... something to be cherished, something that he knew he'd never forget.
When Leonardo had finished, Clarice cuddled up next to him, and before falling back to sleep, placed her arm around the baby to rest it on Hannibal's hip, joining the three of them. While Hannibal had slept with many women, he had never had a baby sleeping between them, but he found himself somewhat comforted by it. Again, he thought to himself, this family thing, something he had never even considered wanting, was very fulfilling. He recognized how important this moment was. It was one thing for Clarice to trust him, to know that he'd never hurt her, but entirely another for her to extend that same trust to her child. One is always more cautious with their children than they are with themselves. And just as his action at the lake house told her more than any words could express, her action now was just as meaningful, if not more, he reflected.
Once he heard the steady breathing of both mother and child, Hannibal allowed himself to sleep. Tonight, he dreamed of a little girl named Mischa, playing in the yard with Leonardo.
