____

Marc Chagall
1887
____

The door was opened just when Alice was about to do it. It revealed the figure of a charming, appearing to be rich, woman with dark hair and sad deep eyes that scanned the artist up and down.

"Oh, sorry." Alice stepped away so she could leave the office and close the door behind her.

"Are you Dr.Lecter's patient as well?" Her smooth voice questioned intrigued. "I believe I've never seen you here before...I would've remembered if I did."  She smirked charmingly.

"Well, um...no, I'm his fiancé." Alice said a bit shy to the suit dressed woman. She had an intimidating yet elegant mannerism that she couldn't describe exactly. "You must be one of his patients, I suppose. I'm Alice Mallory."

"Margot Verger." She standed her gloved hand to Alice, as she kindly shaked it for a brief second. "I wasn't aware that he had a companion." Specially someone gorgeous like you, Margot thought, but she wouldn't say that. "Certainly a lucky man." Alice smiled a bit embarrassed but appreciating the compliment. "Well, I shall not delay myself, it was a pleasure to meet you Ms.Mallory, I surely expect to see you again soon." She winked at the woman.

"Same about you." She replied, as Margot calmly left through the door, about to face her terrible reality once again.

Alice entered the office, spotting her muse sitting and immersed into his paperwork, the hair strands covering his sight as he wrote down.

"You're using the patient's exit." He muttered without taking his eyes from his desk.

Alice grinned, approaching him. "Old habit of mine." She rest her hands on the wooden surface and leaned foward, pulling his chin to face her. That gesture just caused him butterflies."Why? Scared that I might find something about you?"

He chuckled. "I am an open book."

"Yeah, you boring old man, guess you are." She mocked, he couldn't help but laugh. "Your patient who was here, she's very pretty. Should I be worried?"

He thought for a moment. "You mean Margot Verger?" He questioned. Alice nodded. "That is not a matter, none of us are interested in each other. And, if it tranquilizes you, I made a vow to never involve myself with any patient ever again."

"Oh, did you?" She found it funny.

"Yes. You see, I've had a dating experience with this patient..." He shaked his head in negative, Alice contained her laugh.

"Very problematic." She completed.

"Terribly. She's still after me." He affirmed, Alice pursed her lips trying to hold a smile. "And do you know what's the worst part?"

"What is it?"

"I can't escape from her."

"Oh, no!" She leaned foward mocking. "And what are you going to do?"

A cold feeling took over his stomach, a smile across his face as she pulled his chin a bit more towards her, gently. "Marry her."

He sweetly closed the gap between them, letting the happiness of their love consume them both with promises and oaths.

"Ready to go?" She whispered with a smile once they broke the kiss. "You're riding with me today, Dr.Lecter"

"Let me just call my lawyer to check my testament." He joked, Alice laughed loudly.

"You're in a very good mood today, aren't you?"

"Of course, it is a very special occasion." He held softly her hands.

"Oh, no, Hanni..." She frowned her eyebrows.

"Lissy, it's your birthday, my dear." He stroked her skin. "I know you're not in the mood for it..."

"No, I'm not." She said sadly. "Can't we just ignore it?"

Hannibal knew Alice wasn't comfortable with that date. After all, it was her first birthday without her sister and Katia, also away from Colin. There was nothing for her to celebrate. That day, in her eyes, should be ignored in order so she wouldn't hurt herself even more.

But that was also Hannibal's first birthday by her side. He wanted it to be special, and most of all, to make her feel happy. He couldn't just ignore it and let her drown herself into her depression.

"Alright." He said softly while rubbing her arms. "If that is what you wish, I'll respect it." She sweetly kissed his forehead feeling grateful for his gesture.

"Come on, let's go."

▫️

"I thought you didn't like romantic comedies." Alice commented as he grabbed the tickets to the movie session.

"But you do." He muttered, searching for the entrance as Alice filled her popcorn with melting butter. "That isn't healthy"

"You sure you don't want some?" She asked showing the now yellow buttery popcorn to him. The smell was characteristic, delicious and extra calloric, besides the high colesterol in it. "We can shaaree!" She sung adorably.

"No, thank you." He shaked his head and chuckled as they both walked towards the session room.

The lights were already off, but there were signs and small lights guiding the path everywhere. Small murmur and loud eating sounds could be heard from some distance. Hannibal cleared his throat and stopped Alice from walking. "It's very dark...perphaps we should stick together to not lose ourselves." He explained calmly. Alice giggled as he softly intertwined his fingers with hers, walking forward.

"If you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just said so." She caught him. Luckily it was dark enough so she couldn't notice the light red tone in his cheeks.

Sitting side by side in what the balconist who selled the tickets affirmed to be a "couple's double seat", that didn't have anything between to bother them, Alice couldn't help but wonder about the current situation.

"I told you I didn't want to celebrate my birthday." She muttered to him, taking in a popcorn with a discrete 'crack' noise.

"I never said we're celebrating it." He pretended to be numb.

"Right..." She tried to believe him, distracting herself with her food. "Oh look, it's about to start." She pointed to the silver screen that became colored, snuggling up into his large chest and resting her head on his shoulder.

Hannibal wasn't a fan of movie theaters, at least not average ones. They were crowded with rude, loud, and reckless people. They smelled weird, and there were rests of food everywhere.

While Alice, on the other way, adored them. She loved the energy of gathering with all those strangers towards a common goal that made them develop a similar emotion, loved the laughs, the crying, the noise of food and chats, the rude ones, the polite ones, and she got used to the smell already.

Even despising the young group at the back row kicking his seat, Hannibal easily drifted away his senses towards the adorable woman by his side. She smiled towards the screen, well, specially when a dark haired man showed up.

"Oh my God...look at him!!" She fangirled in a giggle, gripping onto Hannibal's pink shirt in excitement.

"Who?" Hannibal asked, ridiculously jealous of a movie star.

"Henry Cavill!!" She quickly turned to her fiancé. "Don't tell me you don't know him."

"Not as far as I remember" He tilted his head, comparing himself to the man. In his mind, Hannibal was clearly more attractive.

"That can't be. Hanni, I need to show you some more movies besides your well cultured ones." She suggested, he chortled at her offended reaction. "You do know the woman though, right?"

"The romantic love interest?" He watched the woman wearing blue dress at the screen.

"Yes."

"...No."

"What?? That's Zoe Saldana!!!" Her reaction was so schocked that someone told Alice to shush. Hannibal almost attacked whoever did that. "How haven't you heard about her? I mean, she's so famous! Also gorgeous. Don't you think?"

"No."

"Stop playing the perfecf boyfriend. She is." She joked, Hannibal smiled. "Henrh looks so hot in this. Thanks for bringing me to watch this movie." She couldn't take her eyes off the screen.

"Starting to regret my decision." Hannibal crossed his arms. Alice squeezed his cheek with her salty buttery fingers.

"You're the best." She kissed softly his cheek. Hannibal giggled as a young girl with her flirty boyfriend in high school. "Wanna count shoulders?"

"Count what?"

"One...two..." She tapped her own shoulders  "...three..." She touched his shoulder. "...four." She touched the other one, wrapping an arm around him. Just then he realized the purpose of it, rolling his eyes. "Feels like we're two teenagers in a date while I run away from my parents." She whispered.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." She pulled him close, delivering a gentle kiss above his lips, then returning her sight to the movie.

Hannibal gave a soft smile as he slowly took something from his pocket, he felt indeed nervous as a teen. Like, come on, they were engaged! She'd soon be his wife! And yet he still hesited, overthinking how the situation turn out as he wished it to be. To make her first birthday with him unforgettable.

Cleared his throat. "Um...Lissy?" She turned around. "I...I just wanted to say, Hap-"

Screams filled the theater. The silver screem seemed to burn, erasing the actors and the moment. An alarm echoed around loudly, as sprinklers washed the visitants down with water, including them both.

A fire had started.

Hannibal quickly grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her fastly away from the theater, finally able to escape within the crowd.

The firefighters arrived a bit later, and even receiving his tickets' money back, he wasn't pleased with the situation. After all, Alice's clothes were soaked by the sprinklers, the hair a mess, as she became shy, hiding behind him so people wouldn't stare at her.

"I'm so sorry darling..."He muttered.

"It's okay, Hanni, it's not your fault...can we just go home now?" Her mood once again became sad.

He mentally cursed that damn theater and their staff. He would memorize the manager's name, maybe he'd serve as a good meat pie.

Hannibal felt helpless, he wanted Alice to feel happy but his efforts didn't work. Looked around the street, and spotted a somehow hopeful solution to ease the matter.

"Wait here." He told her, as he rushed over a flower cart on the street. An old, grumpy looking lady greeted him. "Good afternoon, do you perphaps have any sunflowers?" Alice's favorites. It would definetely work.

"Only cactuses." She showed him the sign of the smile vehicle. A Cactus Shop. Great. "Gonna buy it or not?"

He curved his lips. Did Alice even like cactuses? They had no color and even could hurt her if she tried to touch them.

Well, he had no better choice.

Alice was becoming a bit irritated by Hannibal's delay, but tried to be patient and give him his best smile as he returned holding something behind his back.

"What's that?" She questioned confused. "Hannibal...this better not be a gift."

He gave up on the idea immediatly.

"Oh, no, of course not..." He lied shaking his head. "I just saw this and needed to buy it." He took the gift from his back, standing it to her. "What do you think?"

Alice furrowed her eyebrows. A green, stiff, and small cactus filled with white spines. "Is that...for me?" She asked.

Hannibal instantly regret his decision. "It's for me..." He lied.

"Oh, didn't know you liked cactuses."

"Yeah...I do."

"Nice." She nodded, feeling a bit awkward.

A pause in silence followed. Another plan ruined.

"Can we go home?" She asked.

"We have one last stop." He insisted. He wouldn't give up just yet.

"Hannibal I don't-"

"Want to celebrate your birthday, I know. Don't worry, this is just an average day, no celebrations. Now, get your scooter."

▫️

"What do you mean it's closed?" Hannibal bragged as a polite version of a Karen to the security guard. "It's saturday. How atw you going to gain any profit if you stay closed on a weekend??"

Alice stared at the gates to the huge amusement park near the exit of the city. She spoke about enjoying going there a few times, but never expected for Hannibal to take her there. Well, she knew why now.

The sleepy security guard, a white bearded man with half open eyes, yawned between slow paced sentences. "One of the attractions broke, they can't open it before fixing it."

"And when is it supposed to be fixed? Within an hour?"

"Within a week." The man said in such a hoarse tone that he almost spit on the ground. Hannibal took a step back in disgust, he has never seen a security guard who stunk so much as that one.

"That is an absurd-"

"Hanni." Alice pulled his shirt's sleeve, now dry by the sun. "Hanni, forget it, let's go."

"It is just one brokem ride, what about the rest of the park?" He insisted frustrated.

"Orders are orders." The man shrugged his shoulders indifferent.

"Hannibal, let's go." Alice said serious, and, without any other choice, he followed her. As they walked back to the scooter, she stopped him from hopping on it. "I know what you're doing."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to make me celebrate my birthday." She responded serious. "Please, stop it."

"Alice..." He sighed.

"Let's just go home, okay?" Hannibal felt frustrated, he was about to say something when she stopped him. "I'm tired. Just want to sleep and call it a day."

He nodded silent, as she started the scooter and he held to her waist, not even paying attention to how fast she speeded.

He felt defeated.

▫️

Alice was upstairs. Still asleep. He tried to bring her back to the kitchen but she refused. Didn't want to talk neither stay around. Now there he was, facing the icing of the cake he spent hours preparing in secret. It was a blue one, a replica in icing of Van Gogh's Starry Night, with a small writting at the button: Happy Birthday♡

He rest his face on his hand, tiredly staring at the cake on the table and the small Tiffany box by its's side.

He couldn't just end the night that way.

He carefully walked until her room, knocked on the door a few times. As she shouted to him "I'm asleep!" He gave a half smile and entered anyway, approaching her hidden figure under the blanket, petting her hair. "Alice, darling." He smoothly whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't follow your wishes."

She sighed heavily. "I know you're trying to be nice, but...It just doesn't feel right without Bree, Katia and Colin here." Alice lamented. "I miss them."

"I know, love. I wish things were different as well." He kissed softly her forehead, a warm attempt to make her feel better. "But could you please come with me downstairs?"

"Hanni.."

"Please Lissy, if you want, you can throw shoes and scream at me later." He joked, she almost laughed.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Alice, guided by his hand on her back, walked out of the room, noticing how he had turned all the lights off, making the house darker than the movie theater they were before.

"None of what I planned went well today...But I still tried to make a small surprise, as you deserve. It isn't much..." They finally reached the dining room. Her mouth opened in a gasp. "But it has my heart put into it."

The dining room was filled with candles, and a small blue cake filled with details of her favorite painting was on the center table. Sparkles flew from the candles above the cake as Hannibal brought her closer, carressing her back so she could approach it.

Her eyes met his caring ones into the darkness, they glistened with an undescribable passion he had for her. In the middle of the chaos and sadness he'd always manage to make her feel at home, feel safe, feel loved.

"Make a wish, darling." He whispered, showing the candles.

Her eyes filled with water. She indeed had no intentions to celebrate that date, but seeing his efforts, how much he thougut about her to make that a special occasion...it just made her heart melt.

Alice leaned foward and closing her eyes, blew out the candles, magically hoping for her wish to be fulfilled.

Once the candles were over, he turned on the lights, allowing to see her crying with happiness. "What was your wish?" He asked curious, cleaning her tears.

"I can't tell you, if I do, it won't come true." She smiled, holding his hands and delivering a gentle kiss on them that gave him chills.

"I wish for him to stay by my side forever." She thought in the depths of her mind.

Alice looked at the cake, smilling brightly and amused at the art piece. "Hannibal...oh my God, this is..."

"You'd have done better."

"No, I wouldn't." She shaked her head, strongly pulling him into a hug, burying her head in his chest, inhaling his cologne and the wamrness of his body. "Thank you."

"Do you like it?" He felt her head nodding on his chest. "I'm glad then."

"I love this so much, I love it, I love-" She looked at him, breathless. "I love you."

He carressed softly her cheek smilling. "It's not over yet, I need a feedback on the taste." Alice chuckled, as he gave her the proper knife to cut a slice of the cake.

"With pleasure." She commented before trying, savoring the ganache melting with red fruits inside her mouth. "Mhmm!!"She shut down her eyes and leaned her head back in pleasure. "Bloody Hell, you outdid yourself again!"

"Is it good?" He asked. She nodded unable to stop eating the dessert.. "Let me try it out." She looked at him curious after eating, as one of his hands met her nape and slowly pulled her close, meeting their lips slowly, tenderly, as he explored every inch of her mouth, tasting both hers and the cake's sweetness. He pulled apart, as Alice giggled blushing hard. "It's delicious indeed." He joked.

My God, her smile. Her smile was heavenly. It just made his heary flutter at the speed of lightning.

"I have one more gift."

"Please tell me it's the cactus!" She gave little jumps. He widened his eyes. "Aw, is it really yours?" She pouted her lips.

"Do you want the cactus?" He lifted one of his eyebross confused.

"I love cactuses. After sunflowers, of course." She explained.

He couldn't be any less surprised with that explanation. "But they have no color or smell, they're just...stiff and filled with spines." He grabbed the small cactus and gave it to her, Alice's blue eyes shined as a kid receiving a christmas gift.

"I know." She looked at him, that shiny smile controlling his soul. "They remind me of you." She couldn't be serious. "I'll be naming it Hannibal Jr."

"Please don't."  He tried to contain his laugh.

"Too late. Meet our child." She showed him the cactus. This time he laughed loudly. "Hannibal Jr. Look at your papa."

He leaned and kissed her forehead, pulling aside the cactus for a moment. "I'm sure you'd be a wonderful mother someday. Not sure about a cactus' one though."

Alice grinned. That was one of the best compliments she could ever receive in her opinion. "And you'd be a great father too." Her cheeks heated up, well, that was a small wish of hers. Raising a small family of her own with the man she loved. How many times she daydreamed about it... "Thanks for making this day so special by being with me."

"I still have a surprise left." He finally grabbed the real gift he had for her. A small light blue box with shiny letters, revealing the expensive branch. "Open it."

"Oh, Hannibal...you shouldn't have..." She replied while holding the present and taking off the white ribbon, lifting up the upper part of the package to reveal the content. "That's...wow..."

"There are two gifts. One, for those who are present today." He pulled out the present,  revealing a pair of silver snowflake shaped earrings filled with small shiny diamonds that sparkled at every movement.

"They are so beautiful."  She said, as he gave them to her, putting them on. "But...why snowflakes?"

"Now, it might sound sentimental but...remember our first kiss?"

Alice blinked into a smile. Of course, it was in a cold, snowy night above a river. "Oh my God, that's so sweet!" She gave him a strong kiss at his cheek, leaving him oblivious for a moment. "You are so adorable. Thank you."

He chuckled. "Now, the other one, for those who aren't here." Alice caught a delicate and also silver charm bracelet on her hands, filled with different symbols. "Each one of them represent someone." He pointed to a blue soccer ball. "This is Colin." Alice was speechless. He pointed to a red shoe. "Your mother." Then at a small yellow bee. "Bree." He moved to a magenta rose. "And Katia."

She was paralyzed staring at the symbols. The expression puzzled. He feared she didn't enjoy the present, until she turned her head, crying once again. Alice didn't say anything, just ran into his arms, sobbing as he embraced her back, letting her tears soak his shirt, inhaling her sweet aroma.

When she looked up, Hannibal could feel it, feel the love and intensity of the affection, the bond, and connection they had for each other. It was heavy, electrifying, exciting and dangerous. If Alice could, she would've married him at that spot, announcing to the whole world that he was hers, and hers only.

He softly traced his fingers through her temple and down her right cheek. Whispering with full devotion and tenderness "Happy Birthday, my love."