Chapter Text
The sounds of cicadas floated in through the windows. They were louder than the white noise of the fan. Will laid there listening to the sound of nature, while sweat beaded on his forehead and trickled down into his hair.
He wanted to go fishing today but that involved getting up. He was enjoying just laying on his bed.
Farah approached him, nudging her face into his palm. She rested her head with her muzzle being held on the bed, big brown eyes just peering up at him.
He looked back at her for a long few minutes before he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Her head moved to sit on his knee now. The other dogs lifted their heads expectantly from their beds now that Will was up.
He rose from the bed and patted his leg to summon the dogs, moving silently through the house. He hesitated slightly before entering his kitchen but moved through it, going towards his back door. He let the dogs out into his yard and sat down on the porch, just watching them tear around the yard like little mad men.
A bird was singing. The cicadas were trilling again. The day was hot.
The phone was ringing.
Will turned and look back towards the house. He hesitated before standing and going back inside. People mostly called his cell phone, not his house phone. He stopped next to the phone and looked down at it as it jingled in its cradle.
Farah trotted in from the outside in search of him, whining softly as she sat by his feet. Will looked at her, then back to the phone. He picked it up and put it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello Will."
A cold knot formed in his chest, tightening. "Dr. Lecter."
"I heard you were released from the institution. I am glad that this appears to be truth. How have you been doing since you were released?"
Farah whined again. Will glanced down at her. He tried to smile at her to show he was okay but it died on his lips.
"You're not my psychiatrist any more, Dr. Lecter. Where are you?"
"Don't worry, I have no intention to come calling on you. The world is more interesting with you in it."
"Why did you tell them you killed Abigal Hobbs? And Freddie Lounds?"
"What is the most logical conclusion you could come up with?"
Will was silent for a long few moments, eyes focused on the floor where he'd found Abigail's body those long months ago.
"You love me."
"There is a phrase that I believe is used most often to soften the blow of something lost... If you love something, you must let it go."
"There's more to it than that, Dr. Lecter." Will grasped the counter. "If its meant to be it'll come back to you."
There was silence on the line for painful seconds.
"What do you dream of? What keeps you awake at night?"
"There's blood in my dreams." Will gripped the the phone tighter. "I dream of the taste of meat in my mouth, knowing its human."
"Are you very lonely, Will?"
"You haven't asked me about Alana Bloom." Will ignored Hannibal's question. He was shaking.
Silence again. Then words. "I suspect she is recovering from my betrayal with all of the strength and grace she normally carries."
Will closed his eyes, leaning heavily against the counter. He started to pull the phone away from his ear, lowering it for just a second before putting it back to his ear when he heard Hannibal's voice.
"I must be going. I hope the loneliness in your heart is filled."
"Hannibal."
"Yes, Will?"
"Don't hang up."
There was silence. Then a click on the end of the line. Will lowered the phone and set it back on its cradle.
Outside the cicadas were trilling. He went outside to listen to them.