Disclaimer: The characters of Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling, Jack Crawford, Clint Pearsall and Paul Krendler do not belong to me, but to Thomas Harris. No copyright infringement intended. I won't make any money of it. Just borrowing them for a while. Lecter' s blue eyes belong to Anthony Hopkins, though (I'm not sure there's a copyright on this).


Chapter 17: There must be no fear

Clarice was immersed in an article about New Orleans when she heard Hannibal move on the armchair. She raised her eyes. He was still sleeping but his sleep had become more agitated and sweat was covering his forehead. She put the magazine on the couch and looked at him for a few seconds. His body was restless. At one point, he started mumbling something but she did not get the words. She went and sat on the arm of his armchair.

" Hannibal ?" she called. No reaction. She put her hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. " Hannibal, wake up." He moaned but yet was still asleep. She shook him again, but harder this time and raised her voice. " Hannibal, come on, wake up, you're having a nightmare." As she was despairing of making him react, he suddenly opened his eyes wide at her and grabbed her wrist with such force that he hurt her. His eyes were full of rage, but it did not scare her. "Easy," she tried to soothe him. " Hannibal, it's me. Clarice. Calm down. You just had a nightmare, but it's over now."

As soon as he realized who she was, he released the pressure on her arm and the anger in his look disappeared instantaneously.

" - Clarice, I'm ... ". His breathing was short. " Clarice, I'm sorry .. I did not want ...
- Shh. It's OK. Calm down now. It's over.
- I never wanted to hurt you ... I'm ...
- I know. Easy, it was just a nightmare." He closed his eyes.
" - Clarice, please forgive me. I never thought ...
- Hannibal, it's all right. You did not know it was me. Come on, look at me."


When he opened his eyes again, what Clarice read in them overwhelmed her. No man had ever looked at her the way he was now. She had seen love before, but that was above love. It was ... need ... an urgent need. As if his eyes were draining the substance of his own life from her very sight. As if his very existence was depending on hers, and nothing else in the world counted anymore. He was still holding her wrist. He took her hands to his mouth and slowly, without ever stopping staring at her, he kissed the palm of her hand. At this precise instant of her life, Clarice Starling knew she would never ever be the same person again.

Hannibal Lecter had never been able to feel anything but absolute feelings. Rage, violence, hate, pain, grief, each of these emotions that were measurable in any human being, for him were total. Compromises did not exist. What he was experiencing for Clarice was love. Love in its purest form. Love without confines ... Almost indecent. The thought of her made his blood boil in his veins. Her presence made every cell of this body burn. And the idea that he could have hurt her, even without wanting it, raised in him a fear beyond imagination. For the first time in his life, Hannibal was scared. Deep down inside scared. He kissed her hand, just to be sure she was alive. Just to be sure he was alive. And then he let go the tears.

Clarice saw the tear grow at the corner of his eye, then rolled freely. But grief was nowhere to be seen in his eyes. He didn't blink, as if afraid she would be gone if he lost sight of her, even for a single instant. She put her hand on his cheek and wiped the tear without a word. But other tears were already falling and bursting as they reached her hand.

He put his hand on her side and she felt its warmth on her skin as if she was naked. She shivered.

" - There must be no fear, Clarice.
- I have no fear."

Hannibal slowly pulled her from the armchair arm into his lap. He drowned his hand in her hair and brought her head closer. He smelled her. His lips started softly brushing her neck. Then she felt his tongue licking the back of her ears as if he wanted to taste her. By the time his mouth had made its way to hers, Clarice was on fire. She wanted to scream but no sound passed her throat. He pressed his lips against hers and she opened her mouth. When his tongue penetrated her, she felt he was drinking her.

Clarice dug her nails in his bare back. Then she felt as if a dozen hands were exploring her body. Without understanding how, she found herself naked lying on the floor. Hannibal was moaning against her. He softly nibbled her nipples. When his hand reached the inner of her thigh and started caressing her most intimate body, she thought she was dying. She wanted him inside her. But he did not take her. Not until he had put all her senses on fire. Not until each and every part of her body was trembling with desire.

Then he possessed her. Deeply. Deliberately.

Clarice had never been loved like this. His whole body was committed to her pleasure. Just before she finally fell asleep in his arms, her last thought was that she had drowned in him, incurably drowned in him.


Hannibal was looking at her sleeping. He felt he could never stop looking at her, even if he had to live two thousand years. She was his and he belonged to her. Even if she decided to leave him and get her life back, she would always be his and he would always belong to her.

He knew how difficult it was going to be for her to take a decision. He would not influence her. He would let her decide. And whatever her choice would be, he would respect it. For she had given him more than he had ever received in his life. More than he could ever have expected to receive.

And he knew seeing her unhappy would kill him.


To be continued ... Thanks for reading. Reviews welcome.
Absolut