Krissy's gaze flickered over her reflection in the mirror, pulling her hair back behind her shoulder and applying a few more strokes of mascara to her lashes. Hannibal had only taken her on a handful of walks over the last few months, and any change in their normal routine was welcome. She pulled her sleeve tighter over her shoulder, the black lace shirt she was wearing being a tad more revealing than she was normally comfortable with. She was just debating on what shoes to wear when there was a soft tapping at her door. Twisting around, she came to a sudden halt when she saw what Hannibal was wearing. Gone was the usual immaculate suit, swapped for tight leather pants and a jacket made from the same material. Krissy's mouth went slack for a moment, her eyes raking over his form before she caught herself.
"I trust my attire is adequate" Hannibal announced, poorly attempting to hide his smugness.
"I don't think anyone has ever described you as just adequate, Doctor Lecter. Or at least lived to tell the tale" Krissy responded.
"I must say you look particularly lovely this evening" Hannibal informed her, earning a quick roll of her eyes as she approached.
"Are you sure you can even walk in that outfit?" Krissy teased, as Hannibal's lips twitched into a fond smile.
"I thought perhaps we could go for a ride instead of our planned walk" Hannibal offered, watching as Krissy's brow furrowed.
"As in out of the forest?" Krissy asked.
The house they currently occupied was surrounded by a forest that spanned for as far as the eye could see. Hannibal had taken her no further than a lake a few miles out. A dark part of her mind told her he had only done so to show how little chance of escaping she had. But this…what she would have given for the opportunity he was offering up a few months ago.
"I have somewhere special planned. It does however mean Winston will not be able to accompany us" Hannibal pointed out.
"He'll get over it" Krissy shrugged, hoping she didn't seem too eager.
As he led her out of the property, she noted that Abigail's bedroom door was shut as it had been for the whole day. She may have no longer been a teenager, but she sure acted like one. Krissy was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice their mode of transport until she was standing right in front of it.
"You can ride a motorcycle?" Krissy questioned, surprise clear on her face.
"I learnt as a young man in Italy" Hannibal replied, picking up a leather jacket lying on the seat of the bike.
"And of course you bought me a new jacket to match you" Krissy murmured, with amusement.
"I believe it should fit quite nicely" Hannibal stated, holding the jacket up as she turned around and allowed him to dress her.
Simple things like that pleased Hannibal. He enjoyed the role of caretaker more than he'd probably ever be comfortable admitting to.
"It's been a while since I've been on a bike" Krissy admitted, nerves beginning to claw away at her.
"All that is required is to follow my lead," Hannibal said, passing her a helmet.
"Don't I always?" Krissy exclaimed, quirking an eyebrow.
With a smirk playing on his lips, Hannibal donned his own helmet, as Krissy did the same. The bike was beautiful. Sleek and stylish, which was to be expected from a man such as Hannibal. He gracefully took his seat on the bike, as she followed suit, feeling her palms begin to sweat. Krissy realised she had no idea where he was planning to take her, or what had suddenly brought on the idea of the ride. Hannibal was rarely so impulsive. Krissy slid down on the seat behind him, her back pressed right against the cushioning that kept her in place. As Hannibal pulled the kickstand up and began the engine Krissy fully realised the position she was in. As soon as the bike was set in motion, she had no choice but to reach out and grip Hannibal's waist through his leather. Once they came to the first bend of the gravel road that led away from the house, Krissy was forced to pull herself flush against the older man's back in fear of falling off the motorcycle. Over the next few minutes, she had somehow ended up wrapping her arms around him, her chin all but resting on his shoulder if not for the helmet she wore. Hannibal continued to take them down the winding roads out of the forest, clearly having a particular destination in mind. Slowly but surely, Krissy began to relax on the bike, her fingers no longer gripping onto Hannibal's leather jacket, but splaying out across his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. The weather was rather overcast, with the sun only peeking through the clouds and a chill in the air. Krissy revelled in the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair, a feeling of freedom rushing through her veins. She wasn't sure how long they had been riding for, her eyes had closed at some point, but all of a sudden Hannibal was pulling off onto a side road, the wind growing stronger. The small side road he had brought them down came to a sudden halt, a tree covering the further path as Hannibal stopped the bike. Krissy was quick to realise she was still pressed flush against his back, and all but threw herself off the motorcycle, tugging her helmet off roughly. As Hannibal dismounted from the bike and took his own helmet off, Krissy was unamused to find not one strand of his hair was out of place.
"I trust you enjoyed the ride" Hannibal stated, full of confidence.
"Are we near the sea?" Krissy inquired, sensing the dampness in the air.
"I thought you would appreciate the nostalgia from your childhood " Hannibal replied, taking her helmet from her hands.
"I don't have many fond memories from that time" Krissy pointed out.
"Then perhaps you can make better memories now. Come" Hannibal exclaimed, gesturing for her to follow him as they walked past the tree.
"You know so much about my life, but I know next to nothing about your past" Krissy stated, as they walked down the grassy path side by side.
"What would you like to know?" Hannibal asked.
"What was your sister's name?" Krissy inquired, the question coming to mind quickly.
"Mischa" Hannibal responded.
His tone was strange and so unlike Hannibal. Sadness was evident not only in his voice but in his hazel eyes too. Krissy couldn't stop the stab of sympathy that wrapped around her heart.
"Was I right? What I said when you first took me…that you're an orphan?" Krissy questioned, curiously.
"My parents died when I was young. For a time, all I had was my sister. I was more a father to her than a brother" Hannibal explained, as Krissy let out a sad huff of laughter, earning a raised eyebrow in response.
"I guess I never realised how similar you and I really are" Krissy admitted, watching Hannibal's lips twitch into a smile.
"You relied on your brother a great deal through your childhood. I imagine that has left a hole that has never quite been filled" Hannibal went on.
"Jack's tried…" Krissy trailed off.
"But he's never quite fit the mould. Without understanding and acceptance, the notion of family will always be just out of reach for you" Hannibal stated, watching her forehead wrinkle.
"He knows what I've done. He still loves me. I'd say that's understanding enough" Krissy retorted, as Hannibal tilted his head, continuing their walk.
"He tolerates your past. He tolerates what's inside of you. If you ever let that truth out, do you think that tolerance would continue?" Hannibal pushed, as their eyes connected.
"And what truth would that be?" Krissy challenged.
"That you enjoy killing" Hannibal suggested, earning a harsh scoff.
"I think you might be projecting a little, Doctor Lecter" Krissy shook her head, tearing her eyes away from his.
"Have you truly already forgotten the thrill you felt at doing bad things to bad people?" Hannibal inquired.
"I was a kid back then. I didn't know what I was doing—" Krissy began, but Hannibal was quick to cut her off.
"And when you cut into Daniel Holden? When you watched the life drain from his eyes…tell me, did you feel so little then?" Hannibal insisted, noting how her breathing had quickened.
"I couldn't care less about Daniel Holden and his sad little life! I did what I did to—" Krissy cut herself off this time, eyes widening a little at her words.
"To what?" Hannibal replied, as they came to a stop, turning to each other.
"To save you! I didn't act out of some sick need to kill or to get that thrill back. What I did doesn't show I'm a killer, it shows that for some stupid reason I still don't want you to die after everything you've done. So, yeah…I felt something. But clearly, it wasn't what you were hoping for" Krissy explained, a little breathless by the end of her speech.
"…We're here" Hannibal announced, in a soft tone a few moments later.
Krissy turned around slowly to find they had come to a clearing of sorts, hearing waves crashing into the rocks nearby. Wordlessly, she walked towards the sound, finding that they had come to a cliff edge, the wind racing past her, cooling her flushed skin. Her eyes flickered over her surroundings, able to make out a strange structure in the distance, perhaps a house? A gull flew over her head, grabbing her attention as she watched it racing to catch up with another bird in the distance. Always one step behind.
"Why did you bring me here?" Krissy spoke up, feeling rather than seeing as Hannibal crept up behind her.
"You miss the sea" Hannibal offered, simply.
"I miss a lot of things" She pointed out, feeling his breath on her neck.
"Perhaps you should open yourself up to new opportunities" Hannibal stated, something about his tone making Krissy's blood boil.
Before she knew what she was doing, she had twisted around and grabbed him with both hands by the collar of his jacket. Krissy then gave a hard tug and had him stumbling towards the cliff edge, rocks crumbling away under his feet. She thought he would fight against her, but the older man did nothing but grab onto her wrists, helping to keep him centred. As their eyes connected, Krissy was irritated to find no fear behind his hazel eyes, only amusement and something she couldn't put her finger on.
"I'm sick of your fucking games. I could throw you over the edge right now…it would just take a second and you'd be out of my life for good" Krissy exclaimed, gripping the material she had clenched in her fists.
"As you wish" Hannibal replied, his hands pulling away from her wrists and leaning backwards so her grip on him was the only thing keeping him from falling into the waves below.
"You'd really leave your life in my hands?" Krissy frowned, taken aback by his actions.
"I trust you, Krissy" Hannibal confessed, watching her face contort in confusion.
"Then let me go! Why…why won't you just let me go?!" Krissy cried, suddenly tugging forward, and bringing Hannibal away from the edge, her hands dropping from his jacket.
"I want you by my side" Hannibal replied, straightening his back, showing no outward signs of just having a near-death experience.
"No. It's…it's more than that. You don't want me to have anything in my life that's not you" Krissy realised, as Hannibal's eyes darkened at the thought.
Krissy felt like the puzzle pieces were finally coming together. Hannibal's intentions had never been clearer to her, but she didn't feel the fear that she thought she would. A sickening realisation hit her a moment later.
She wasn't sure she needed…wanted anything in her life that wasn't him.
They stood in silence for a little longer, breathing heavily, the waves crashing underneath them the only sound they could hear. Until it wasn't. Krissy heard the quiet footsteps first, her eyes darting towards the structure she had seen in the distance. A middle-aged couple were making their way towards them and had most certainly seen the pair. Krissy instantly twisted around, attempting to cover her face with her shoulder, praying they hadn't seen her features. Hannibal wouldn't let two strangers put a wrench in his plans. She could see how he had tensed in her peripheral vision, his hand going to his pocket which had his leather gloves inside, the serial killer's intentions clear. Without thinking, Krissy's hand shot up to grab the lapel of his jacket once again, his eyes snapping to hers.
"Don't. Hannibal, please—" Krissy began, but her pleading words were cut off by a female voice.
"Hi there! You two really shouldn't be so close to the edge. The buffs been eroding for some time!" The woman who had spotted them called out.
Krissy's eyes darted towards the voice for a moment, finding the pair had picked up their pace. The woman was clutching her male companion's hand in a loose grip, their shoulders bumping together. A couple. Who would be dead within five minutes. Hannibal pulled against her clenched fingers; his jaw set with a grim determination. Krissy wondered how he was planning to do it. Would he expect her to help him kill the pair? The thought had her mind sent into a blind panic, trying to figure out if there was any way to get the pair to stop their approach. One idea came to mind, causing her heart to beat faster in her chest, as she took a nervous step forward. Krissy's eyes dropped to Hannibal's mouth for a split second before her hand tugged him forward and sent their lips crashing together. Her hand loosened on his jacket and moved to wrap around the nape of his neck, pulling their bodies closer. She allowed her lips to linger against his for a few more moments, his only action a slight purse of his lips, returning the kiss just a fraction. Krissy pulled away just an inch, their lips still brushed against each other as she opened her eyes. Her heart fluttered for a moment, seeing the emotion behind his usual cold eyes, his pupils so dilated they almost appeared black. Suddenly, Hannibal was leaning forward, pressing his lips against hers in a bruising kiss as his hand came to rest on her jaw. Gone was any of the softness from before, replaced with a feverish desire as Krissy pushed herself onto her tiptoes to deepen the kiss. Hannibal's tongue was quick to lap against her bottom lip, greeted with parted lips and a breathy moan from Krissy. Her nerves felt like they were on fire, causing her heart to thump hard in her chest, to the point where she was sure he would feel it from the way their bodies were pressed together. Her hands moved up to thread through his hair, taking a handful in one palm and giving a tug, something akin to a growl leaving Hannibal's lips. The sound seemed to pull Krissy from the trance she had been in, suddenly realising just who she was kissing. She pulled away instantly, surprised with how Hannibal seemed to chase her lips, trying to lean forward to stop the kiss from breaking. Taking a step back, Krissy tried to catch her breath, glad when she saw the couple had walked back towards what she assumed was their property, likely feeling awkward at seeing the pair in such an intimate embrace.
"W-we should go before they come back" Krissy announced, hating how shaky her voice sounded.
The ride back to the house was tense, at least on Krissy's part, as she flung herself off the bike before Hannibal had even parked outside the property. She wanted to get as far away from the older man as possible. Hannibal Lecter had somehow managed to get his claws into her, and she was growing desperate to pull them out, no matter how much that hurt.
"Would you like to talk about what happened today?" Hannibal asked, removing his helmet, sounding as if they were back in a therapy session.
"I stopped you killing two innocent bystanders" Krissy exclaimed, crossing her arms defensively as he stood from the bike.
"Is that what happened?" Hannibal questioned, his tone full of playful amusement.
"Yes. So, do me a favour and forget about it" Krissy murmured, turning to walk around the house towards the door to the kitchen which she expected would be open.
"Denial is a most unhealthy coping mechanism, Krissy" Hannibal called after her.
"Then it's a good thing you're not my therapist anymore!" Krissy retorted, not having to turn to know what fond smile would be on his face.
While Krissy had been expecting the kitchen door to be unlocked, she was a little surprised to find the door ajar but thought little of it. She quickly entered the large kitchen and made a beeline for the sink, turning on the cold-water tap. She splashed some of the icy water in her face but found it did little to calm her skin which still felt like it was on fire. Just thinking about Hannibal seemed to be enough to fan the flames. He would be putting the motorcycle in the garage, giving her enough time to make it to her bedroom and hopefully avoid him for the rest of the day—
"Oh, hey. You must be Mr Lecter's other daughter" A cheery voice boomed from behind her, as Krissy spun around in surprise.
"Who the fuck are you?" Krissy gaped, finding a boy perhaps a little younger than herself standing on the other side of the kitchen counter.
He had a boy next door look to him, his face expressing more emotion than Krissy had grown used to. He didn't appear to be a threat, but her feet still seemed to find themselves heading towards the knife stack, hands primed against the counter, ready to grab the weapon if needed.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you! I'm Chris. My uncle's usually the one to refill your pantry but he's got the flu so I thought I'd tried to do his rounds for him and then the door was open and Abigail invited me in—" The boy rambled uncontrollably, as Krissy cut him off.
"Oh, she did, huh?" Krissy scoffed, with a shake of her head.
What the hell was that girl playing at? If Hannibal found out she had invited a stranger into the home, and even revealed her face…God knows what he would do.
"I shouldn't even be here this weekend. College has been kicking my ass and I wanted a break, so I thought…hey, my uncle has a pretty fun job, why not stay with him? Honestly, I'm not even sure if I've got your order right. Is kale a vegetable or a fruit—" Chris began, only for Krissy to cut him off once again.
"Do you always talk this much?" Krissy asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Sorry. My mom says it's my biggest flaw. Well, my second biggest…no, actually I think that's my foot thing but you probably don't want to hear about that. Ha, I'm sorry. I don't usually talk to girls…I mean I do, obviously but…you're like really pretty. My uncle is always saying how good looking Mr Lecter is, I guess you guys have good genes!" Chris stumbled over his words, a blush rising over his cheeks.
"He's not…we're not related. At all. In any way" Krissy grimaced at the thought.
"Oh. Sorry. Again. Foot…mouth. That's me in general" Chris chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.
A moment later, Abigail entered the kitchen, the smile on her face falling when she spotted Krissy. The older girl tilted her head, an almost murderous look behind her eyes. Chris seemed to notice the tension, letting out an awkward cough.
"Making friends, Abi?" Krissy goaded, earning a half-shrug in response.
"Well, you two were out. Again. I thought I'd find someone to keep myself company" Abigail retorted, seeing Krissy's eye twitch.
"Should I…not have come in?" Chris frowned, confused.
"No. In fact, I think you should probably get going—" Krissy began, when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
"Nonsense. I apologise for my companion's behaviour. She has had a trying day" Hannibal announced, coming to stand behind Krissy.
"Um, I only have two more boxes to unpack anyway. It'll just take five minutes and then I'll be on my way" Chris suggested.
"Are you sure you won't stay for a bite to eat?" Hannibal asked, as Krissy turned to him slowly, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Don't you dare" She hissed, as he gave her a playful smirk.
"Do you see what I have to put up with now?" Abigail muttered to Chris, as Krissy tore her eyes away from Hannibal.
"I'll help you grab the last boxes. I'm sure Mr Lecter needs to have a word with Abigail" Krissy murmured, gesturing for Chris to follow her out.
"Be careful, darling. I fear you may still be sore from our ride" Hannibal grinned, as Krissy grit her teeth, cursing the slight blush that bloomed on her cheeks.
He was enjoying himself far too much, clearly liking the idea of pretending they were companions. Krissy quickly grabbed Chris' wrist and all but dragged him towards the door, quickly spotting his van at the back of the property.
"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" Chris spoke up, his eyes searching her features.
"I don't think so" Krissy stated, noticing the air in the kitchen had suddenly become tense.
"Are you sure? You haven't been on the news or something, have you?" Chris frowned, as Krissy gave his arm another tug, pulling him through the door.
"It's time for you to go" Krissy announced, pulling him towards his van.
"Did I say something wrong?" Chris asked, twisting his head around to find Hannibal looming in the doorway, an emotionless expression on his face.
"You need to get in your van right now and drive away" Krissy hissed.
"But the order—" Chris began, but she stopped him.
"Forget about the fucking order! If you want to live, you get in your van and forget you ever came here" Krissy insisted, as they finally reached his vehicle.
"Shit, are you in some kind of trouble?" Chris inquired, a look of concern on his features.
"Please. Just…leave" Krissy insisted, pulling the driver door open for him.
"You are, aren't you? Do you…do you need me to call the cops?" Chris asked, as Krissy shook her head vehemently.
"Chris, just go! Now!" Krissy hissed.
"No. What's wrong? Has Mr Lecter done something to you—" His words were sharply cut off, as Krissy felt something spray against her cheek.
Her mouth hung open as she saw a gaping wound appear on Chris' forehead, blood dripping down his own cheek. His eyes glazed over as his knees suddenly gave out, almost toppling over her. Krissy reached out to grab him, helping to lower him to the ground as her hands shook.
"Chris?" She murmured, eyes flickering up to the blood that stained the van behind where he had been standing only moments before.
He had been shot. Murdered right in front of her eyes. Krissy twisted around, an angry look on her face, expecting to find Hannibal holding his rifle a few metres away. But it wasn't Hannibal who had pulled the trigger.
Abigail.
The younger girl's arms were steady, the weapon still raised in the air, her mouth hung agape. There wasn't a speck of remorse on Abigail's face. Instead, she almost seemed…relieved? The pieces slowly came together for Krissy, realising why Abigail had invited the stranger into the house. She wanted to kill him. It was clear in her eyes.
"Why? Why did you do that?!" Krissy yelled, marching forward.
She spotted Hannibal walking towards them at a similar pace, an unreadable expression on his face. Was he happy with the outcome?
"What? You killed someone. Now, so have I. I'm just playing the game, remember?" Abigail retorted, as Krissy's jaw clenched.
"You're a sick fucking bitch, you know that?" Krissy spat out, as Abigail raised the gun a little higher, now aiming for her head.
Krissy let out a harsh laugh, clapping her hands together, the action making Abigail flinch. Krissy took another step forward, grabbing the barrel of the rifle, and pulling it to press against her chest.
"Are you gonna' kill me now, Abi?" Krissy questioned, watching her gulp.
"The truth is…you don't have the guts for it" Krissy scoffed, tugging at the rifle with both hands and easily pulling it out of the younger girl's grip.
She angrily slammed the other end of the rifle into Abigail's face, as she stumbled to the floor, blood dribbling down from her nose. Krissy's eyes darkened as she twisted the rifle around so that she could aim it towards Abigail, who seemed to stop breathing for a moment. Krissy's eyes snapped up to Hannibal's for a moment, whose steps had come to a halt, his head tilted a fraction, eyes full of curiosity. He certainly had no plans to stop her if she planned to pull the trigger.
"You're pathetic, Abigail. Always will be" Krissy muttered, before walking over her.
"Where the fuck did she get the gun?" Krissy questioned, marching towards Hannibal.
"I took her hunting last week. It seems her aim has continued to improve" Hannibal replied.
"I'd be careful, Hannibal. Easy for the hunter to become the prey" Krissy stated, before shoving the rifle into his hands.
Krissy let out a long sigh late that night, rolling over in her bed for what felt like the hundredth time. She had finished burying Chris in their backyard only a few hours earlier, having been joined halfway by the owner of the house. She had asked Hannibal if he was planning to take a trophy for Abigail, or perhaps serve him for dinner that night. The older man gave her an almost sad look, stating that the boy was not his kill, but that he didn't regret his death. Krissy ran a hand over her face, wondering how the hell she was supposed to decipher that. Abigail was becoming a loose cannon. Something Krissy had planned for a while, but she never suspected anyone else to get hurt in the crossfire. Chris was innocent. She wished she had saved him. She should have. She sat up quickly in her bed, realising there was no way she would be able to sleep in her bedroom that night. As if her feet had a mind of their own, she was tiptoeing out of bed, opting to wander the halls for a while. She came to a stop in front of Hannibal's bedroom door, finding it had been left ajar. As it often would be. Her hand shot out to push the door open further but faltered halfway. Hannibal may not have killed the boy, but he hadn't tried to stop Abigail. He was just as much to blame as any of them. She flinched when the wooden door was pulled open a second later, and the man in question gave her a curious look. She realised her hand was still half outstretched in front of her and went to retract it. Before she could, Hannibal took her palm in his own, a soft look in his hazel eyes. He was soon gently pulling her inside, shutting the door behind her, leaving them in the dimly lit bedroom. As she allowed him to lead her towards the bed, Krissy couldn't help but let out a sigh. It wasn't the first time she had come to Hannibal in the night, nor would be the last.
"And when did you become such a child?" Abigail complained, a few days prior.
"Ooo, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, huh?" Krissy scoffed, waving the newspaper she had been reading in the air.
"You really want to talk to me about sleeping habits?" Abigail challenged, as Krissy's eyes had narrowed.
Krissy was a hypocrite. A stupid, naïve hypocrite. But as she laid down on Hannibal's silk sheets, and felt his strong arms wrap around her, it seemed to matter less and less. While one of his arms crept around her middle, pulling her flush against his chest, his other arm slithered through the gap above her shoulder. He bent his arm to press against her collar bone, his hand laying on her shoulder. He didn't need to say anything. His actions were enough for Krissy. Pressing a soft kiss against the back of her shoulder, he felt her slowly begin to relax. As Krissy's eyes fluttered shut, she found sleep took her quickly. She dreamt of hazel eyes that night.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! Lot's of plot developments in this update, Krissy is well and truly caught in Hannibal's web and I don't think he'll let her go without a fight. Please leave a review:)
Black Star 145885: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad Hannibal seems in character still, as that's always something I try to focus on.
Scarletbbyy: Aw, thank you! Looks like you got your wish in this chapter, there might even be more kisses to come!