Palatial Intimacy

XXIII- The Visit

April 24, 2030

"We'll give our brains a break," Hannibal said, handing Will a warm mug of coffee the next morning, "and tonight, we'll continue. Nothing but talking today."

Will nodded, breathing in the scent of the fresh grounds. Here, in Hannibal's kitchen, dressed in Hannibal's sweater and drinking from Hannibal's mug, he felt more at home than ever. It made his heart sing, but it scared the remaining rational parts of his brain.

"Speaking of tonight," Hannibal continued, a twinge of apprehension in his eyes, "I was wondering if you'd allow me to make you...something special for dinner."

Will's stomach dropped. "I...as in?" He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear Hannibal say it.

"A special protein. Something more substantial than chicken or fish."

"Long pig."

Hannibal smirked. "Something along those lines, yes."

Will took a sip of coffee to mask the look on his face. "You've got too many eyes in you right now, Hannibal."

"I know. I always have some on hand, of course. The hog is a very large animal. You cannot consume it all at once, especially since there's only one of me. Most of it ends up in the freezer for later." He studied Will. "You are allowed to refuse."

"I know." Will let the thoughts roil through his head, bouncing frantically off the sides. He wanted to take that next step, to venture into a deeper part of the labyrinth, but his last remaining strings of morality were pulling him back. They tugged him in the direction of his normal life, and he wanted to listen — but he also wanted to cut the strings with a knife and forge his own trail. He was sick of going back and forth. He was sick of good and evil. But there would always be conflict within him.

"What keeps you reserved?" Hannibal asked. "You were not involved in the slaughter."

"It feels like the final step."

"Oh, no. The final step is the slaughter." Hannibal put his hand on Will's shoulder. "Feeling the blood flowing between your fingers again. That will be the final step that awakens you. You're awake now, but in that moment? You will rise." His eyes gleamed. "I cannot wait to see it."

"Does it hurt? To have to witness me start over from scratch after working so hard before?"

"No, because you're not starting over. You never finished." He rubbed Will's arm. "You came close. You tasted victory, but you let yourself hesitate. That's when everything flipped upside down. I wouldn't say that you had to start from scratch. Your brain is accustomed to me. We merely put things on pause."

"And now we're fast-forwarding to the end."

"I think this is the proper pace. You conquered the hard part long ago. Now it's a matter of coming to terms with it all. Embracing it. That's the fun part."

"How do I embrace it?"

"You must become the butcher, Will," Hannibal urged, "and to do that, you must first understand the product you're trying to achieve."

"I have to get another taste."

"Your first in five years. I'm curious to witness what it will do to your mind."

"Probably something similar to earlier." Will shrugged.

"Right. That was another major step." Hannibal's gaze was one of awe and excitement. "You're doing very well. I'm proud of you."

"I'm sure you're proud of yourself, as well."

"Oh, I did nothing. This was inside of you long before you met me. You are not a product of my influence, you are a more enlightened version of yourself. All you needed was a little motivation."