The Eyes of a Lamb

Longing

Clarice awoke from the soundest sleep she had been in since the beginning of all this. Her brown hair was tangled, and Hannibal's bed sheets felt so luxurious against her skin. She looked up quickly to see if he was beside her, but the other side of the bed was made up, the covers tucked in under the pillow so neatly.

"He must be up already" Clarice said to herself as she got up steadily. She realized she was naked, and she wasn't about to go downstairs in the red dress she had been wearing last night. Carefully she moved to the dresser drawers, seeing the neat stacks of socks, shirts, and pants all arranged perfectly. It made Clarice feel like Hannibal would be horrified if he ever saw her dresser drawers. She picked out a worn looking shirt from the back and slipped it on over her body, finding her panties alongside the bed as she crept out of the bedroom and into the office.

She saw him sitting down at his desk, his skilled fingers looking over some paperwork as she moved above him, smiling to herself at how peaceful he looked. He didn't dress up this morning, wearing only a simply white shirt with the sleeves rolled up along his masculine forearms.

"Good morning Clarice" Hannibal said without looking up.

"Good morning yourself" Clarice said leaning over the balcony. Hannibal looked up at her expectantly and upon seeing her in his shirt smiled.

"I see you have made yourself comfortable" Hannibal said as Clarice moved towards the ladder.

"Well" Clarice said stepping down "I wasn't about to get back into that dress. You might want another round with me if I did that."

Hannibal stood up, smiling at how coy she was and the way the shirt skidded up her legs every time she descended down the ladder.

"Don't you have patients today?" Clarice asked.

"Not for another two hours" Hannibal said.

"Must be nice, working from home" Clarice said as she floated towards him.

"I've made us some breakfast if you would care to join me?" Hannibal said, watching Clarice as she moved towards him.

"Breakfast?" Clarice said looking towards the dining room "So this isn't just going to be a one night stand."

Hannibal seemed taken aback for a minute "Is that what you thought this was?"

"No" Clarice said shaking her head "But it's what I'm used to."

"Well I can assure you" Hannibal said getting close to her, wanting to wrap his arms around her almost naked body again "I could never think of just having you only once."

"Is that an invitation to stay?" Clarice said smiling, her hands touching his chest lightly as she looked up at him.

"Possibly" Hannibal said smiling as panic shot through him "Though I do think it's a bit early for that."

"I was just joking Hannibal" Clarice said kissing him on the cheek "Let's eat."

Hannibal followed her by the hand to the dining room, the breakfast laid out perfectly for both of them as Clarice sat down with hungry eyes. Hannibal enjoyed once more watching Clarice eat his food, watching her relish in the various amounts of tastes that she could indulge in.

"I wish I could cook as good as you" Clarice said after a sip of orange juice "I'm so bad I feel like I could burn water."

"I'm sure after a few lessons from me" Hannibal said "You would become quite the master chef."

"That would take a miracle" Clarice joked.

"After breakfast I can escort you home" Hannibal said "I know you need to feed lord Barney and clean up after an eventful night."