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John William Waterhouse
1893
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48 Hours Before Will's Arrival

THE temperature of the sheets was cold compared to how warm her body was next to his. The sunlight was soft and entrancing coming through the persian windows and the medium sized balcony that faced the breathtaking noon timing Florence outside. The air entered his lungs fresh as never before, even the simple act of breathing seemed different now. It was like a huge weight fell of his shoulders, like a hidden excitement took over his body as a supernatural possession.

The beige to white half yellow image in front of him was blurred by silky brown hair strands scattered across the pillow, with rosed heart-shaped lips that tasted like their previous night.

He had forgotten how her touch was addicting and bewitching, it just screamed and awakened every pagan humanity inside of him. He had to admit that he could turn into a complete fool for it.

But he was the happiest of the fools.

His fingers flickered across her rounded cheeks as she lightly snores as she always used to. Her expression was easy, peaceful and just that made him smile.

The gelid blue appeared once she suddenly opened her eyes, blinking and yawning adorably as she noticed him there, staring back at her.

Alice took a moment to assimilate the situation and understand everything that happened. Summing up: they killed a man together, she admitted her feelings for him, then married him at the church of his dreams, and swore love to each other in a blood oath where the only witness was a dead man's body that formed a valentine confession, they returned home and-

Her breath escaped her lungs.

Last night, my goodness, last night...it was something that she never experienced before. What took over her? It was something wild, primitive.

And yet he was there, with those gentle and sweet eyes towards her, caressing her cheeks.

"Good morning, Mrs.Lecter." Hannibal muttered with that insanely attractive morning voice of his."Did you sleep well?"

The title made her heart flutter. "It's not like we slept much last night." They both chuckled in conspiratory naughty sights. "Did you catch any sleep at all?" She asked.

"Would you be scared if I told you that I watched you sleep all night?" He decided to be honest, Alice snuggled next to him.

"No." She whispered tenderly, touching her face with hois hand. "I'm not scared of you anymore." He smiled comfortably as she gave a quick peck on his lips, the sensation kicking in the butterflies inside her stomach again. "Are you sure you're not tired? I mean..." She tilted her head feeling her cheeks red.

"You mean I should be tired after what you've done to me?" He whispered teasing her. He touched the tip of her nose to mock her, as Alice tried to sink her head into the pillow in shame. "You were very seductive last night." Alice chuckled. "Maybe in a rush to compensate the months we've been apart?"

"Perphaps." She teased as he squeezed her cheek. "Things were indeed racy, weren't it?" She thought for a moment.

Hannibal bit his lip just by recalling the moments from last night again. If they talked longer about that he'd have to make her repeat it right now. "We can take it slower next time if you prefer."

"I don't know if we would be able to do that anyway." They laughed as he embraced his arm around her feeling her warm body against his. There was just something therapeutical by having her there again, he couldn't describe it. "Hanni."

The nickname almost made him cry. Finally, it finally felt like they resumed the moment where they stopped, when life was beautiful and perfect, when they wrapped themselves in a bubble away from the cruel world.

They were themselves again.

"Yes, darling?" He asked promptly.

"What we swore last night...that was...very serious." She muttered.

"I know."

"And I will keep what I said...I will but...I want you to promise me something first." She whispered in a concerned glance.

"I won't force you to join my habits." He reassured her. "I will respect you and you won't have to witness any-"

"It's not about that." She interrupted him. "It's...I understand what happened to Bree. You didn't know her, and maybe..." She hesited to say it out loud "...maybe if you did...if you knew me..."

"I wouldn't have done what I did." Hannibal instantly replied.

Alice gulped the tears, feeling slightly better in her guiltiness to hear those words. "But you know that what you've done to Will, Abigail, Jack, Katia...that hurt me." She confessed. "I cared for them, and you knew that, unlike Bree."

"Lissy..."

"Hannibal, I need you to promise me something...if we're really going to continue together, you need to at least assure me one thing."

"Of course." He affirmed anxiously "What is it?"

"You can't hurt anyone that I care about. Not anymore." Alice established deadly serious. "Even though most of them are probably dead by now...don't hurt me like this again, that's all I ask of you."

"Lissy...I..."

"Even if that means risking things between us, you need to trust me, did you understand?" She held tight his hand into a begging confession. "You need to trust what we have. No lies, no secrets, no hurting again or we'll crash and burn as before." Hannibal seemed in an intern conflict that was reflected in his hazel pupils that met hers. He pursed his lips, trying to reject the proposition, but, knowing he had no other choice in order to make her stay, he agreed.

"I promise." He whispered softly. As Alice instantly felt relieved to hear those words. "I promise you." He repeated to meet her lips again in a tender sealment of their deal.

"Just one more thing." She looked down, speaking delicately. "When you..."She took in a deep breath. "At that kitchen...when you killed, Jack, Will....Abigail..."The victims' names gave her chills. "Did you feel any...remorse or....pain...?"

She tried to be sure he wasn't a cold blooded monster as he seemed to be that night. And, as incredible as it seemed, he wasn't.

"Yes." He replied holding a painful bitter taste inside his chest. "I did." Alice could notice the sadness in his semblant. She could ask why did he do that, be mad or upset at him, but she knew why. He was angry, he was awakened by the worst in his nature and wanted to hurt her. He wanted to make her feel pain, and instead, felt the same while doing it.

Alice didn't say anything else, she just caressed his sharp but soft cheekbone and stared at him with empathy, as a way to show him that this was over now, that this was a new chapter into their lives that stared in brand new pages detailed in golden.

She could let the past blur away for that man, and he could twist a future for that woman.

"I won't hurt you anymore." He whispered softly, completely hipnotized by that goddess' sight. "Please, stay with me." He begged. "I won't hurt you, I won't-"

Her lips tenderly interrupted his sentence, muffling the words as she sweetly reassured him of that promise.

"I know." She whispered back, mixing their breaths and the eyes' reflections. "I trust you." She established softly.

The warm sensation of the sunlight and her sweet scent invaded his being in such a way that he was just high by that love. God, he coukd stay that way forever.

"Do you want to go out today?" He asked sweetly. "I could give you a tour around town."

"Oh, yeah?" She grinned, touching the tip of his nose as he scrunched it adorably. "I'd love that."

"It's a date then." He chuckled while stealing kisses. Hannibal glanced at her, his whole world in front of him, and sighed as a goofy in love. "Mrs.Lecter, I must say, you look even more dazzling every morning."

Alice laughed, slapping his shoulder as he chortled, squeezing her in his arms. "I look terrible, stop it."

"Don't you dare say that again." He threatned.

"Or what?"

"Or..." The sheets shifted with his movement, as suddenly Alice was caged by strong arms around her body and the sudden image of his face above her, the chest just inches away. "I'll have to worship every single spot of your body to ensure you of your beauty."

"I thought you made that pretty clear last night." She smirked.

"Oh that doesn't mean I'm done." He recalled, slightly stroking her lower lip with his fingers as Alice's breath hitched "I'm never done."

▫️

Last Night

"Stop it, Hannibal! Stop it, I'm going to fall!" Alice laughed as her knight in shining armor carried her through the door as a bride returning from her ceremony.

Her lips hungrily met his as he helplessly tried to close the door, there was this fire that lightned inside his chest that burned, consumed him completely, he just couldn't wait anymore.

"If you keep kissing me like that...mhmm...then yes... we'll both fall." He mumbled against her kisses, as he finally gave up and kicked the door, rushing upstairs. Once they reached half the stairs, Alice dropped off of his arms, standing on her feet and bumping his body against the edge, eagerly throwing his coat away. "You're so impatient, Mrs.Lecter."

She pulled him by the tie, choking him slightly in a shaky breath that made his body jitter. There was something dangerous, spicy and in her aurea. "Shh, shut up or I'll change your name to Mr.Mallory."

He grinned showing his sparkling teeth. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea..."

Alice kissed softly his cheek, lowering to his neck, as his breath became heavier. A hot whisper reached his ears "I know...you just loved to be owned by me, don't you?"

He instinctively bit his lip, her hands wandered through his chest, holding his breath by how tempting, surprising and delightful that was. He never imagined to be surrended to Alice that way, and didn't wish for it to stop it there.

The make out session could barely stop, the touched became more intimate, the sounds more vulgar. At each clumsy step towards the room, a button from Hannibal's shirt disappeared, until it was yeeted out of their sight at once.

She pushed him, letting his large back fall on the bed and the hair scatter around the sheets.

"Looks like you already have it all planned." He teased while licking his lips, realizing she didn't take off her blood stained dress only to make him suffer in desire.

"Perphaps." She eye cornered him, walking towards the edge of the bed and promptly removing his shoes. Their sight stopped at the belt across his waist, wondering who'd take it off first. "Do you have any idea how it felt for me to try to hate you while watching you wander around in these fancy suits?" She chortled as her fingers slowly traced his leg up until his waist. He was bewitched, just her voice could turn him on. "Or pretend to hate you while knowing you're changing just across the hallway?" The hands finally reached the belt, holding it tight

The hazel in his eyes were fragile, surrended and lusty. "Torture." He mumbled softly.

"Pure torture, darling." She swiftly removed the belt in a fast movement, freeing him fast enough. Her fingers reached the button of his pants when she suddenly stopped. "You know what...no." Alice tilted her head with an evil smile. "No, I don't think you deserve that, Hanni."

TW// SMUT + LIGHT BDSM WARNING, IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE OR IF YOU'RE UNDERAGE, PLEASE SKIP IT UNTIL THE NEXT WARNING

The 'villain' widened his eyes in an almost audible gasp from his narrowed lips. "What...?"

Alice spread her legs, sitting just above his lap, feeling how hard he was just by having her close. Her body lowered, the faces just inches away as she looked at him in that evil, cursed and exuberant way that consumed him. "I said: No." She repeated mischievously.

"Lissy..." Hannibal tried to plead, as she suddenly began moving above his lap, the slow hip thrusts against his cock were starting to get into his brain, sending the doses of oxcitocyn wild enough to almost make him beg. "Lissy, you can't do this..."

"Oh, can't I?" She laughed velvetly with a smile compleyely different from her sweet previous one. She was having fun, that was for sure. Watching Hannibal suffer under her touch was definetely hotter than everything she ever experienced before, she loved that, his devotion for her. "You've had your fun, Hannibal, I think it's already time for me to have my own."

His hands discretely touched her thighs, moving back and forth towards her ass, trying to pull her body against his, gaining more friction. She removed his large fingers from her skin, not allowing him more pleasure than she allowed him to obtain. "Nuh-uh-uh." Alice shaked her head and got up from his lap. She standed in front of him, watching that sparkle of lust and surrending in them. "On your knees."

Hannibal stares at her amused for a moment, his eyes lingering at her red stained gown as she commanded him. "Excuse me?" He asked confused.

"You've heard me, get on your knees." She pointed to the spot on the floor just in front of her. "Now."

His lips trembled, forming a half smile he didn't know he was holding in. Carefully, he began following hidden instincts inside his nature, doing as she asked, dropping on his knees and standing there, as a servant to her orders.

Alice admired the view: the killer, the threat, the insane mastermind everybody feared...the man who would do anything for her. There was something fascinating and exciting about having him wrapped around her finger. Her hand carressed his soft hair strands slowly, tangled into his thrm, as he closed his eyes, sighing heavily as his jaw moved up.

"Look at me." She ordered as his hazel eyes beautifully met hers. It just caused her butterflies. There was something just adorable in his stance. "You've been such a bad boy, Hannibal..."

He grinned like the devil, my Goodness he loved that. He joined her game so easily, so fastly, he just wanted to ber pawn. "I've apologized already." He teased. "What else are you going to do to me?"

Her hands firmly gripped on his hair strands without hurting him, he held a moan, feeling his pants tighter with her authority. "What do you think I'll do?" She whispered naughtinly.

He bit his lip wondering about all the delicious possibilities. "Looks like you're punishing me."

"Is this..." She let his hair go and slowly removed her corset, then softly lowered the gown, sliding through her thighs, only allowing him the sight of the thin white underwear. "...punishment to you?"

He was about to move his hand and firmly take her to bed when she stopped him. Hannibal chuckled. "Oh, it is..."

"Great." Her hand grabbed his chin as she leaned down, forcing him to stare at her. "Shall we begin?" She asked this time. Hannibal nodded promptly. Her expression softned. "If you don't feel alright just tell me, okay?"

He gently agreed. "Of course, darling."

She smiled sweetly, resembling her angel figure only to be possessed by a seductive demon afterwards. "On fours now."

He lifted his eyebrows as Alice rapidly pushed him with her knee, making him bend on the floor as a dog. One of her feet landed on his back, applying some pression as he tried to support his hands on the cold floor.

"You like to hurt people, don't you?" She purred. "I wonder if you like being hurt." She applied more strentgh as Hannibal groaned, underneath his string figure there was a trembling, sadistic smile on his face. "You have no idea how much I wanted to see you like this."

"As a toy for your pleasure?"

"No. Defenseless." She corrected. "But just now I realized...you're always defenseless whenever around me." She read his mind perfectely. "I mean, look at you." Alice smiled. "I don't even need to ask it twice and you bend yourself for me as a whore." Hannibal laughed, Alice pushed him at once, making him loose the suppirt on his hands and lie on the ground completely. "You find it funny don't you?"

"My apologies if you don't seem very harmful to me." He dared to annoy her.

She sit on his back, leaning towards his ear. "Don't mistake my kindness with naïveness, Hanni." She advised. "I am kind to those who deserve it, when they are wrong to me though..." She clicked her tongue. "And you, darling...you don't deserve my kindness, not tonight."

"You talk too much." He mocked, Alice grinned. "If I had my way, you'd already be collapsing into those sheets begging for me instead."

"That's the difference between us." She smiled. "You're prompt for attacking, I am patient enough to watch you crumble." She bit his ear globe, his cheeks became a bright red. "Let's see how long you're going to last."

Hannibal felt her weight leaving his back as she walked around the room, even her shadow, her silhouette was dangerous. And when she turned around to face him with that naughty expression he knew that tonight she'd experience a goddess' ethereal punishment.

He just couldn't wait.

"On the bed, darling." She commanded as Hannibal lost no time in doing what she said. She removed the rest of underwear she still wore. "You look like you want to do something."

"Allow me please." He sat as she lied down, the stomach full of butterflies as he spread her legs and put them on his shoulders. He stared her down for a moment, his eyes lifting to her figure witha devilish satisfied smile before lowering his mouth, dropping kisses right down her core. That made her lost completely her mind.

He had missed that bittersweet taste and her moans towards him. The way her hips moved in synch with his tongue and his fingers, he knew he was doing it right, he knew he could make her feel good as nobody else did.

Her breath hitched enough to let out loud screams in the middle of the night, as he stringly held her butt cheeks, diviving into her core searching for that climax they both desired. And it didn't take him too long to achieve it, being certain of it once she threw her head back and trembled he whole body on the mattress letting the juices also being whipped away by his lips.

He had that convinced smirk on his face. She needed to admit it, he could never do her wrong when it came to sex. He knew everything that she enjoyed, every single spot, touch and connection that made her tingle.

If being a good husband was knowing everything about his wife, specially during sex, then Hannibal Lecter was the best husband in the whole fucking world.

"You're welcome." He teased trying to recover his breath, the body still lied on the bed.

Alice lifted one of her eyebrows. He was eager to mock the hell out of her. "It wasn't bad...but don't flatter yourself." A way to disguise that she felt in heaven.

"What's our next attraction?"

"You think you're getting lucky, aren't you?"

"It's our honeymoon, after all." He smiled. "The night is young..."He sat next to her a bit behind, pulling away the brown hair from her back and kissing slowly her nape.

She let his kisses trail down, and slowly, she held his hands, guiding them towards her breasts to massage them slowly. He let out a shaky breath in synch with hers. Alice turned around, feeling his warm touch against her own skin, meeting the hazel color in his pupils that just destroyed all her defenses.

"Kiss me" She asked in a sweet whisper, this time just as vulnerable as him. He didn't reply, didn't object, neither asked for anything else. Just did as she desired, mixing their lips and tongues into that hot, warm touch that always sealed their lives towards each oher.

Alice moaned with the contact, letting him get close, pratically hug her with his body. "Lissy..."He groaned as her hand reached his thigh, moving to the center of his legs."...Lissy...please..."He asked impatiently.

"I told you." She mumbled wicked. "You can't hold it any longer can you?" Her hand could feel the huge erection on his pants. "Want some help with that?"

"I want you." He groaned feeling her hands wrapped around his cock. "I don't want...ugh...help, I want you." He insisted.

"Oh..."She chuckled in a velvet tone, unbottoning his pants but stopping there. "You want to fuck me." She completed his wishes. "I don't know...do I want you to fuck me?"

"Of course you do." He furred his eyebrows grumpy, almost adorably.

"I'm not so sure" She laughed. "You'll need to ask really nicely to make up my mind."

"How would you like that?"

"Beg." Her gelid blue eyes sunk in his as she commanded. "You will have to beg for it."

Hannibal exhaled heavily, as she almost squeezed him as her hand reached his skin underneath the fabric. "I'm not one to beg, Lissy."

"Maybe you aren't." She got up from the bed, looking at him in a superior behavior. "But you certainly do it for me." She smiled. "Now beg, darling."

It took a moment for Hannibal decide. "Please, Alice." He did as she said, sitting helplessly at the edge of the beg while staring at her.

"Please what?" She teased as she walked around the room and opened some drawers. "You are a very eloquent man, Hannibal, use your words."

"Please..."He tried to gain courage. "Please let me love you."

Alice giggled, walking back towards him with some old fabrics in her hands and a devilish smile on her lips. "You didn't ask it correctely." Her hand suddenly gripped on his chin as she looked down at him. "I will fuck you." She whispered deliciously, as suddenly, with all her strentgh, she pushed him back to the bed, standing on top and suddenly tying his wrists to the headboard.

Her skillfull fingers finally removed his pants, visualizing how much he suffered trying to keep that gear inside the fabric. "Now ask nicely again." She said. "Maybe then I can satisfy you."

"I want to satisty you." He vulnerably let it out almost as whimper. "It's just you that matters."

Alice bit her lip, how could he be so incredible? Sometimes she didn't believe he was even real. She loved, adored that man with all her soul. Alice knew she would never find someone like him. Maybe that is why she refused to let him go.

"You also matter." She said in a vulnerable moment throught the fantasy. "You have always mattered." She carressed his cheek softly with her thumb. "Now ask, darling." This time she said more nicely.

"Please, fuck me, Lissy." He whispered in a smirk, eager to start it as soon as possible. "I need you."

Alice smiled satisfied with his answer and hopped above him, slowly lowering herself inserting himself on her. Hannibal groaned instantly, just the contact made his whole body ache and tremble in lust. He tried to move his hand, maybe to grab her body and move her faster, but couldn't.

No, Alice looked at him as a marvelous devil while painting softly, letting seductive moans and hitched beaths away while staring into his eyes, watching him drive towards the edge of his sanity.

"You like that, mhm?" She purred while riding his cock faster and faster, as Hannibal groaned louder than her, letting her hands wander through his chest and the slight dark fur printed on it, absorving the warmth body and the tight sensation that grew inside her stomach.She groaned moving faster. "Fuck...I missed you so bad..." Her right arm moved to his throat, almost wrapping completely around his large neck, trying to choke her lover as she rode him. Hannibal exhaled heavily in ecstsasy, mumbling 'yes' as an idiot. "You like this? Yeah?" They both chuckled softly at each other "My husband's so dirty." He smiled devilish in response, not able to deny her statement.. "You're doing so good..." She sighed as their hot bodiee moved in such a smoith yet aggressive contact that made her melt. "... you are my good boy..." She spoke through her teeth.

"Fuck...Lissy..."Hannibal groaned not able to keep it in any longer. "I..."

She also couldn't contain it either, the feeling was just too good, but she wanted to make that night memorable. Her soft but firm hand slapped his face at once, creatinga red mark across it. Hannibal licked his lips in a maniac grin that gave her chills. He enjoyed that much more than she expected him to. "Only when I authorize you to." She commanded.

He smiled sowing his teeth as she rode him faster, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as Hannibal helplessly tried to move his hands but couldn't. The hair shaking by the collapses againsts his body, the ecstasy that reached his throat in moans, the wet sounds on the room and the vulgar sounds in the air.

When she realized both of them were almost there, Alice lowered her body, her chest touching his as she continued to make that moment unfortgettable. "Now.."She ordered almost about to reach the climax herself. "Now, Hanni...Now, inside."

He immediatly did as she asked, almost as if she pushed a button inside his engine like a machine. Both their releases came together, mixing and sticking, creating stars on the ceiling as Alice had to stop, still trying to catch her breath.

When that sweaty hot mess got off him, she untied the fabric from his wrists, lying by his side as Hannibal wrapped his arms around her, kissing her lips softly, tasting like honey, admiring the wetness he created between her legs.

"Oh well...that was so..."He tried to speak breathless, still facing the ceiling.

"Yeah.." She answered just as amused as him, believing she never came so hard in her life.

"And that..." He sighed still sweating.

"Yup..."

"And that." He smiled just by remembering it.

"Oh my God..." She chuckled.

He turned to her immediatly, staring into those blue tired pupils, but also lusty ones. "Round two?"

"Oh definetely." She immediatly pulled him back, kissing him passionately.

Hannibal didn't waste a second, if he followed his plans perfectely, he would make Alice have 2 more orgasms in that same night if he could. And he would definetely have the same quantity just by staring at her doing it.

Rolled on top of her, this time taking charge, kissing her perfect breasts and worshipping her body whispering praises as Alice moaned just as a beautiful melody in a summery italian night.

"My turn" Hannibal said as he lifted her legs above her shoulders, and prepared to fit himself into that tight core. "You've hard your fun, now it's time to behave." He grinned and thrusted into her at once, making Alice gasp loudly, grip into the mattress and sink her head in the pillow.

"Hanni..."She moaned louder and louder as he growled with each rough and fast push into her, moving back and forth, pulling her hips to collapse against his.

"Tell me if you still hate me now...."He puffed as the feeling grew up more and more, trying to find her eyes through the fire, letting her nails sink and create constellations across his back as he adored.

"You're such an asshole...!" She pressed tight her eyes and laughed as he smirked, his bangs falling soaking wet above his eyes just added more to his charm. "What if I do?"

"You do?" He purred thrusting harder, almost ripping her apart, the sensation almost sour but also spicy, irresistible. Alice pratically screamed, tears came down rolling her cheeks. "Even while being fucked so well by me?"

"Fuck...off...!"She groaned as he continued nonstop.

"I believe...we are the perfect combination..."He held down the moans for a moment, watching as the bed creacked under their roughless sex. "Hate and love...both combined into this cursed union...forever destined to this bittersweet feeling we share..." He growled watching as her head almost hit the headboard by his strentgh. "But deep inside, your love for me is stronger."

"You talk too much" She teased, biting her lip as her breath faded away.

His hand held her chin to make her stare properly at him while he fucked her just as she wanted. "Listen here." He commanded. "You are my wife now." Her whole stomach gained butterflies, she was so close. "My wife, you are mine." He grunted. "Repeat it."

"I'm..." She tried, her head almost sunk into the pillow feeling numb. "I'm your... I'm your wife.." She exhaled heavily watching as her senses blossomed under his touch. "I'm yours."

The blossoming achieved them as a bomb, exploding both at the same time as trembling screams came from them. "I love you." He whispered, not allowing any time for them to rest before pushing and pulling again. Alice gasped loudly. "Fuck, I love you so bad..."

"I love you..."She cried while holding him. "I'll always will."

Sensitive to his acts, her walls collapsed and screamed as Hannibal ensured her of his devotion once again. They both looked at each other, trying to catch their breaths, the bodies dripping sweat.

"...4 times...in one night...? That's a fucking record..." She shut down her eyes. And smiled.

"Records....are meant to be broken, darling..." He chuckled, flipping her on her stomach and then sueprisingly doing it again, fucking her faster, each fast thrust sending them to heaven as he pratically hugged her body from behind. Alice cried as he held her close, gently, so sweet and passionate that tears came out from his eyes as well. There was nothing as beautiful as that moment, while they connected themselves as one after the vows they shared and the love they swore to protect. His hand held hers tight, the fingers intertwined as they moved, as he dropped gentle kisses on her skin "You are my everything, Lissy." He whispered on her ear. "Always remember that."

The last gasp was uninanimous and heavy, making Hannibal fall by her side on the bed, breathing so heavily that for a moment they almost died from the adrenaline rush in their veins.

TW// END OF SMUT

Alice stared blankly at the ceiling, her chest moving up and down, her voice sore, her thighs wet. "Bloody hell... that was the best sex of my life..."She gasped shocked in that light brittish accent he has always found so lovely. She turned to Hannibal, who was still stunned, like he had just found life's meaning. He looked at her, both painting, exhausted and sweaty, a smile formed on their faces and then they both crashed laughing.

He pulled her close between giggles, kissing softly her lips while holding her in his arms. There was so much devotion, love and trust in their stares into each other. It wasn't like they fell in love for the first time, it was better. They felt like one, trusted each other as one, and loved as one.

He admired the ring on her finger, the promise they shared together, now, in their eyes, finally fulfilled.

"Do you still hate me now?" He whispered.

"I can feel nothing as big as my love for you." Alice muttered while carressing his face. "After all, how could I hate my husband?"

He grinned in an explosion of happiness, pressing a kiss against her lips fiercely to show how much he was in the clouds at that moment.

Life was perfect, sweet, and just as he dreamed it to be. It was a dream they never wished wake up from.

▫️

48 Hours Before Will's Arrival

"And this is the Piazza Della Signoria." Hannibal guided his wife as he held warly her hand in his. Her dress was yellow as the sun that shined above and her eyes blue as the water from the fountain where a huge renassaince sculputre outstanded in the middle of the square. "It was the political center of the city and the meeting place for locals for centuries." He informed.

"You know so much about Florence." Alice asked as they walked around, watching the old constructions that surrounded the wide main square of the city.

"I've been here many times when I was younger." He explained. "I used to wander through the streets, spend most of the time at the Uffizi Gallery." He looked at her, she had a conspiratory look on her face. "What?"

"Did you at the time...already...um... you know-"

"If I have already killed someone at the time?" He guessed, she nodded. Hannibal gave a pause in silence, wondering if she should tell her or not. "Yes. I have."

"And you..ate...-"

"Yes."

Alice looked down at her pretty transparent heels, trying to take in the information that never seemed to fit into her mind.

"May I ask you something?" She said.

"You can ask anything you want, darling." He responded sweetly as they sat at the edge of the fountain, next to dark green statues in dramatizing gestures of an old myth.

"When...when was the first time you've killed someone? Did you feel...normal to do it?"

He could notice some guilt in her blue reflection. "Is this about what you've done? Do you feel guilty to have killed a man?"

"I..."She failed to speak. "I felt...good, when I killed Dimmond." She admitted. Hannibal contained his urge to smile. "But when I think of it...I also feel horrible. I mean, he was a person after all." She looked at her husband. "Have you felt that way when you killed for the first time?"

Hannibal made a pause.

"No." He let it out simply. Alice shivered. 'I was decided when I killed someone for the first time...and looking back I don't regret it."

"How old were you?"

He looked up at the sky thinking for a second, pursing his lips. "Around 13 years old." Alice audibly gasped. "Are you scared?"

"No...just...surprised..." She tilted her head, swallowing dry. "When I was thirteen I forgot to return an erasor I borrowed from a classmate and that was my most...illicit event which I felt guilty of, but...yeah, I guess killing never passed my mind." Hannibal chuckled, she rest her head on his large shoulder, a confirmation she wasn't afraid of him.

A bird passed by, free and imponent, letting the brreze hit against his wings with his formidable strentgh as the couple watched it as a beautiful message to symbolize their united freedom.

"You're making that face." He hlanced that her.

"What face?"

"That face of when you're thinking deeply about something." Alice smiled, he knew her too well. "What is it?"

"How the hell didn't I notice you storing bodies in the basement?"

Hannibal bursted laughing, he couldn't help it. "Well, if that is of any help to you, I tried my best to be discrete."

"But like, how do you make the whole proccess of uh...industrializing it? I don't know how to describe it."

"I used to have all the proper gear in the basement."

"Oh, wow." She lifted her eyebrows. "That's kind of impressive."

"Well, thank you." They both chuckled feeling silly. "You know if you're really curious I could-"

"Oh no, thanks, I'll leave that to you." She shaked her head and he smirked. "You know this...is pretty nice."

"Killing people?"

"No, not that." Hanibal chuckled at her quick reaction. "I mean...now, that you are being honest with me. Feels like I can get to know you completely now. As if we're meeting each other and falling in love again for the second time."

Hannibal smiled sweetly, kissing softly her cheek as his hand rubbed caringly her back as they watched the beautiful city and the people pass by.

"It is...relieving to be fully honest with you." He muttered. "Specially to be understood without fearing to watch you go away."

"Well, I won't go sway." She snuggled hugging his body completely as a big fluffy teddy bear.

They stayed like that for a moment, chatting about the city and some of Hannibal's memories as time passed. Alice was impressed by his youth, by how much he traveled and visited, how cultured he was. It was like that man developed more and more layers now, something she didn't experience before when they were dating, so she couldn't help but amuse herself even more at him. Sure, he had his flaws, she wasn't a fan of his cannibalistic habits and the killing ones either, but besides that, there was nothing she couldn't help but love.

She loved the little wrinkles on his nose when he scrunched it to smile at her, or how he eagerly could keep up any conversation they had, and maybe how he could bring a new interesting fact everyday just for her.

Alice was so distracted staring at him, that she barely noticed when he called her. "Lissy." He asked. "Lissy?" He snapped his large fingers in front of her face, almost making her jump.

"Sorry, I think I spaced out." She responded while blinking.

"Lost in my face, it seems." He teased confident about his charms. Alice opened her mouth to speak something but could only chuckle, how convincing of him.

"I wasn't staring-"

"It isn't an issue, it's yours after all." He gestured to his whole body. "Everything's yours."

She smiled. "You're right." He chortled. "Yeah, I'll stare how much I want and-" Her sentence was interrupted by a stomach roaring loudly. "Oh."

"Looks like my princess is hungry." He commented sweetly. "I know a place nearby" He pointed to a direction. "We can go there, their food is quite pleasing."

"Not as good as yours I suppose." She joked as they got up from the fountain.

"You flatter me." He smiled.

"Oh, wait, wait!" She said while searching for something inside her purse.

"What are you doing?"

"I want to make a wish!" She searched everywhere. "But I need a penny....!"

Hannibal rolled his eues and quickly took 2 pennies from his pocket. "Here."

"Why am I always out of money?" She sighed. "Thanks." He chuckled.

"What are you doing now?" He watched Alice holding the pen with her eyes closed.

"Wishing." She spoke fastly, as if he was interrupting her.

"For what?"

"I can't tell you. Now do your wish."

"Mine?"

"Come on, just wish."

"Fine." He shaked his head in disbelief and thought for a moment, waiting for her to be done. "So?"

"We throw it together in 1...2...and...go!" Their hands let go of the coin which flipped through the air and splashed into the crystalline water in a small circled splash. Alice jumped excited. "What did you wish for??"

"I can't tell you." He mocked mimicking her.

"I guess it's fair." She pouted, still curious.

"May we go now?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, let's go!" She held his hand in a single jump and walked with him.

He glanced at that new joyful and reborn woman in front of him, wondering what has he done to be blessed by her presence and forgiveness.

Well, whatever was the reason, he wished for her to be happy like that forever.

▫️

24 Hours Before Will's Arrival

"You seem worried" He muttered softly as he massaged her tense shoulders with some expensive oils he bought at the local market downtown.

"Your heart has been discovered at the Capella...aren't you worried they might..?" She clenched her jaw, trying to let her body loose, as his large hands brushed away her concerns.

"Let them come. There are no proof against us." He said calmly, watching her exposed back lied on the bed and the warm stones above it, as she sighed heavily. "Don't trouble your pretty mind, darling. I'll take care of it."

"I know I just...I can't help but worry about you." She let it out. He smiled warmingly, as his fingers trailed her shiny skin delicately. "My God...how did you learn to do that?" She groaned.

"Do you like it?" He chortled.

"Oh yes."

He sofyly kissed her cheek as Alice finally rest her head on the mattress, nude chest lied on the mattress, covered by some light expensive sheets, watching the landscape outside, it was almost too good to be true, life was like a dream at that moment.

"Have you thought about the Capponi offer?" He muttered.

"Yes and no." She tilted her head. "What if they discover something about the real Lydia Fell and-"

"But it is a great opportunity to show off your skills. It's your life's opportunity, dear." He supported her.

"Do you think I should accept it?"

"Do you want to accept it?"

She took a moment to answer.

"Yes."

"Then you already have your answer." He said softly, lying by the mattress by her side as Alice smiled to him. Her hesd on her hands as she lokked at him. "What?"

"Nothing just..."She failed to speak. "I think I've never felt this way before."

"How?"

"...Free." She whispered as he smirked. "It's like I'm learning to walk again and see the world with different colors...I.." She carressed one of his cheeks. "I think I can see it now. The life you prepared for us."

"And what do you think about it?"

Alice grinned, immersed into those hazel eyes, immersed into that man who turned upside doen her life and stole her heart forever. "I'm loving it."