Tainted | Hannibal Lecter

12. Secrecy

The next morning she woke up dazed and confused. She looked around her and immediately recognised where she was. Hannibal's bedroom. She'd wondered in here the first time she had stayed the night and felt overwhelmed at how beautiful it looked.
Her eyes began to hurt while looking around, so she shut them and covered them with her hands. Her attention was instantly drawn to the door that squeaked as it opened. Although the sound wasn't very loud, Madison flinched at it nevertheless.
It was Hannibal.
He stood in the door way holding a cup. As he walked closer, Madison remembered last night and what had happened. How could she forget? she asked herself. Her checks flushed at the thought of kissing Hannibal all over again. However, she was embarrassed of what happened. She wondered whether they'd move past it, or if he'd bring it up.

Hannibal handed her the cup and sat on the edge of the bed while staring at her.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you"

Madison drank what she thought was tea, but soon found out it was a hangover remedy that Hannibal had made.

"Hannibal..." He stared at her intensely, "What happened last night? I don't remember even coming here?"

"You were very intoxicated, more than i knew. I had made us dinner, however, when i returned to you, you were asleep at the piano. You were in no state to return to your home, so i took you to mine."
He took the cup from Madison and placed it on the bedside table

Madison looked at the space next to her and then back up to him with a fearful look.

"No, we didn't"
He said as if he'd read her mind

she sighed in relief

"We should address what happened though, Madison."
She knew exactly what he was talking about, but she desperately wanted to run away from the subject.

"I don't know what you mean?"

For a second, and only a second, Hannibal questioned whether she was too drunk to have remembered. But the thoughts dissolved when he noticed her avoidance of eye contact and her hands fiddling with one another.

"Madison"
Although he was simply saying her name, it sounded like a warning.

She looked up at him

"I was drunk and reckless, i'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Did it really mean that little to her? He thought. So little, that she could blame it on her inclination to drink too much, and not on her undeniable feelings for me?

"You understand that what happened was extremely serious?"

"I understand"
She said, shyly

"Then why do it?"
He needed her to admit that it wasn't an impulse

"I was drunk..." She looked down at her hands, "I really am sorry, Hannibal."
At this point, Hannibal knew it was a lost cause to try and make her confess how she really felt.

He took her cold hands into his.

"Then we shall move on."
She was relieved, he was frustrated.

Back to square one.

A few hours past, Hannibal made them both breakfast and they ate it in each other's company.
Hannibal had insisted on driving Madison home, despite her offering to walk. Once they got into his car, Madison patted down all pockets

"Shit"
She said under her breath

"Language"

She looked up at him, surprised he could hear her.